Task Force Harmony

Chapters

Chapter 2 - An Invitation
Chapter 3 - Reasons Why
Bonus - Team Notes
Chapter 5 - Hoof to Hoof
Chapter 6 - Glacial Skies
Chapter 7 - Team Talk
Chapter 8 - No Holding Back
Chapter 9 - Losses and Gains
Chapter 10 - One of Us
Chapter 12 - Beaten, Broken and Burned
Chapter 13 - Respite, or a Lack Thereof
Chapter 14 - Zero Hour
Chapter 15 - Skirmish
Chapter 16 - Consequence
Chapter 17 - The Swarm
Chapter 18 - The Will to Survive
Chapter 19 - Behind Enemy Lines
Chapter 20 - Beneath a Blood Red Sky
Chapter 21 - Changing Perspectives
Chapter 22 - A Shift in Momentum
Chapter 23 - The Heart of the Hive
Chapter 24 - The Battle of Silvat
Chapter 25 - Nemesis
Chapter 1 - Aces
Chapter 4 - The Team
Chapter 11 - Warriors of the Night
Chapter 26 (Final) - A Return to Peace

Chapter 2 - An Invitation

Wonderbolt Airbase

So much for a breather.

So many ponies had been waiting for a chance to meet the Wonderbolts that it had been a full hour and a half before they had been able to find a decent point to leave the area and return back to base. By the time they'd all returned and clocked in, it was five to nine and everypony had to gather for debriefing on tonight's flight. It was later than usual, enough that pretty much everypony else on the airbase that now served as the Wonderbolts headquarters, training grounds and academy in-one had gone home already. They were okay with a little more time on base though since, barring a full scale mobilization of the Equestria Defence Force, they now had several days off to spend the holidays relaxing with their families and loved ones, a point more than welcome for those with less endurance like Bone Arrow or Skyla.

The debriefing room was built with more comfort in mind than much of the base, an area for fliers to wind down from the rush of action. Cloud chairs were set out to relax in and a variety of drinks were available in a cabinet under the window. Spitfire was waiting for the others as they came in, still in her flight suit and cleaning off the blackboard at the far end of the room. Rainbow Dash sat herself down with a contented sight on the third row of chairs, glancing aside as Mobius took the seat beside her. The rest of the team seemed to have the same thoughts as her, simply relaxing and appreciating a cloud seat the way only pegasi could.

"Enjoy yourself back there?" Rainbow asked, getting a nod in response that she let go with a chuckle. She thought that Big Mac had been the quiet type for a long time, but she'd known Mobius since he'd joined the academy eight years ago and barely heard a single peep out of him. The blue-gray stallion let his actions speak for him though, his skill was unquestionable and he was an unspoken contender for Wonderbolts leadership.

"Who doesn't?" Bone Arrow commented from behind them.

"Alright, I know you all want to head home so I'll make this quick," Spitfire announced as she turned toward the others, her voice lacking its usual authoritative tone, instead calm and carrying a hint of sadness. "Truth be told, there's nothing that really needs to be said about tonight's performance. I just, need to make an announcement."

The rest of the team looked between each other with some concern. Spitfire never sounded like this unless it was something serious. They watched in silence as she took a scroll from behind on the edge of the blackboard and opened it up, reading through steadily.

"Not been looking forward to this moment so, let's see how the higher ups put it...Blah blah blah, official regs, where's the important bit?" She said to herself as she quickly skimmed the parchment. "Ah...Effective immediately, Captain Spitfire of Sky Wing Squadron One 'Wonderbolts', is recognised as retired from service upon announcement of her successor by no later than yeah yeah I'm doing that now."

Rainbow Dash winced internally at the sound of her friend so despondent, though she managed to keep a straight face better than the others. Most of the squad gasped in shock and White Squall looked like she wanted to protest the decision right there. Spitfire looked up at them and motioned for calm.

"I know, it's weird for me too, but I've made up my mind. somepony else needs to step up and show the world the Wonderbolts have changed with it, even the eternal is only finate," She cracked a small smile at the contradictory statement she'd just made before flipping the paper round to show them the signatures on it. "Besides, the decision's already been ratified by General Blitzwing and Supreme Commander Luna. I wanna make this as painless as I can so, all that's left is to announce which of you seven will be filling my hooves."

Despite themselves, everypony present gave a small glance toward Rainbow Dash. She could feel the looks and she understood why, they all thought she was going to become the next leader. Normally she'd be on the edge of her seat herself at the opportunity, but there was something in the look Spitfire gave her before going back to the scroll, it silently screamed that something about this was wrong.

"...Chief Warrant Officer Grade Five, Gyr, with the authority I have been given, I hereby promote you to Captain of the Wonderbolts. General Blitzwing will be present when the squadron reconvenes on the second of January to present your new badge and officiate your new duties. For now...Well technically I can't give any of you orders anymore so...It's been an honour to fly with every one of you, and I know you'll continue to do the Wonderbolts name proud. Let it sink in on your days off and come back strong as ever. Rainbow Dash, I'd like one last talk with you before you go, everypony else...Dismissed."

Spitfire's voice trailed off as she finished the announcement. As she rolled the scroll back up and removed the headpiece of her flight suit, the rest of the squadron got up and over to her to offer their commiserations. As much as it stung each of them to lose her, they knew that her being at the end of a nearly thirty year path hurt her even more. After several minutes of farewells and promises to stay in contact, Spitfire waved off the last of her former teammates and went to the drinks cabinet. As she poured herself a small cup of cider, she looked back to see Rainbow Dash was still rooted in her chair, giving the blackboard one of the most intense thousand yard stares she'd ever seen. Even the sight of cider wasn't shaking her out of her stupor, so whatever she was feeling had to be bad.

"So...Rainbow Dash, want so-"

"What the fuck!?! Why him?!" Rainbow exclaimed before he she could stop herself, stuffing a hoof in her mouth as soon as she realised what she'd said.

She couldn't have stopped it though, too many emotions were conflicting within her to contain right now. Why had she been passed over like that? She had nine years more experience than Gyr, better precision and combat evaluations, she was a household name for ponys sake! This was her chance to add one last stage to the dream before age caught up to her and now it was likely gone forever! The rational part of her mind knew that this was a knee jerk reaction and that Gyr had proven himself every bit as deserving of the role. It was just so aggravating to be come close yet so far, especially after holding her current place for so long it was practically stagnating!

"Here."

Rainbow took a slow breath as she realised her hoof was shaking slightly. Another steadying breath and she realised that Spitfire was offering her a cup of cider. She took it in her free hoof and sank back in her chair, pulling her hoof out her mouth and reaching back to undo her flight suit with it.

"I'm okay, okay, I'm okay...Sorry about that." She panted as she finished with the zip and pulled off the headpiece on her flight suit, running a hoof through her mane before taking a sip of the drink.

"I understand, at least you took it better than I did the first time I was passed over for leadership. Let's just say it's lucky most of the furniture around me was cloud based," Spitfire said reassuringly as she got her own cup. "Trust me, you were my first pick for captain as well."

"I...Was?"

"Of course, when I informed General Blitzwing of my retirement and recommended you to lead the Wonderbolts after me, he seconded the idea. Was ready to make it official on the spot. Princess Luna stepped in and stopped it before we could though. Said she had other plans and would explain in...." Spitfire paused and looked up at the clock over the door. Nine past nine. "Any second now."

As Rainbow looked at the clock and opened her mouth to question that explanation, the timer ticked over to ten past nine. At that moment a flash of magic emerged in a cleared spot at the back of the room, fading quickly with Princess Luna standing in that place. Though in this case, she was here in her role as Supreme Commander of the Equestria Defence Force, signified by the black armour and helmet she wore. Rainbow absent mindedly noted that the armour had been modified slightly since she'd last seen it. There was now a silver metal patch welded into the left pauldron that sported the white winged, gold horned sword emblem of the EDF. Then the fact of just who it was sunk in and she quickly placed her cup down on the chair before bowing to the princess.

"Your highness." Spitfire said simply as she bowed as well.

"Thank you both for being here," Luna said as she walked over to Spitfire and Rainbow, her horn covered in its familiar cobalt aura as she cast a bubble of silence around the three of them. "I apologise for the secrecy but this is a highly classified matter."

"Of course." Rainbow replied as she stood up, feeling her anger fade. She couldn't take out her frustrations on the princess, partly because getting angry at an alicorn was never a good idea, mostly because of her loyalty to the princesses.

"I understand that my decision to keep you from a promotion to captain and command of the Wonderbolts may have been...Difficult," Luna continued. Rainbow bit her lip slightly at that but didn't comment. "The reason for this is simple. I have come to ask that we may make use of your abilities elsewhere within the Equestria Defence Force."

"Elsewhere...?" Rainbow asked hesitantly. Luna wanted to remove her from the Wonderbolts entirely? Was it not enough that she had been denied her chance already? She felt a sense of something new inside her, a hint of resentment that her commitment was being toyed with to keep her from her peak. She instantly regretted the feeling and grabbed her cider cup, downing half of it and biting that feeling back down on each swallow. She had to at least hear the offer out. She finished her drink and put the cup down again with a small sigh. "Where do you want me to go? A Combined Forces unit? Recon corps?"

"Special Operations." Luna replied simply. Rainbow paused at that as she processed that fact, blinking in confusion. Spitfire looked over at her, seeming slightly less fazed by the answer.

"Wait, waitwait," Rainbow said after a moment. "We have a special forces unit?" She asked, waiting while Luna double checked that nopony was around and that the bubble of silence was working.

"Officially, no," The princess replied once she was sure. "Well, unofficially we don't either. I only began the process of creating a task force for such a thing several moons ago, for missions to defend Equestria that regular ponies could not achieve and would also relieve some more of the protective pressure on the Elements of Harmony, compromised of the very best from across the defence force, suited to the most difficult tasks."

"Okay...Should, Spitfire really be hearing all this?"

"Ah, let's just say my Institute work will be connected to this." Spitfire interjected, taking a drink as she listened.

"Indeed. Captain Spitfire will be temporarily assisting from a development and logistical standpoint," Luna affirmed. "However, Rainbow Dash, I am here to ask for you to consider becoming a full member of this task force."

Rainbow paused, reflecting on everything she'd been told. Princess Luna considered her to be one of the best of the best? Wanted her to join an elite unit? Already part of her relished the idea of the challenges such a chance would offer, though it would mean having to leave her squadmates behind and starting anew with an all new team. Could she do that?...

'Then what?'

She already knew the answer to that. All her life she had pushed herself toward joining such an auspicious group like the Wonderbolts, but she realised that she years that had been her sole concern, so caught up in achieving her dream that she had forgotten about the 'and then what?'. Changes like the EDF and creating the cluster rainboom had added something new but ultimately, she realised by settling into her position as the best of the best, she'd lost that drive and determination she carried in her youth to get here there.

Staying with the Wonderbolts now would be fufilling her own selfish desires to keep living a dream she had achieved long ago. Joining this spec ops unit would provide her with a fresh start that she hadn't realised how badly she needed until now.

"It would not require you to fully withdraw from your duties here," Luna continued. "After your training period to integrate with the task force, you would be able to resume working with the Wonderbolts. Units such as these are scarcely needed full time after all. If you need time to think it over I understand. Several others are debating the choice as we speak."

"Really? Who's actually on board then?" Rainbow asked with some curiosity.

"While the task force will answer directly to me, Colonel Cipher will be the unit commander. First Sergeant Healing Wave has agreed to serve as well."

"I see..." Rainbow looked down for a moment and finished her drink before snapping to attention, mind made up. "Supreme Commander Luna, having considered your request...I accept your invitation to join this unit."

"Excellent, thank you, Rainbow Dash," Luna said with a smile, offering her hoof for Rainbow to take, the two of them shaking on it. "Welcome to Task Force Harmony, Captain Dash."

"Thank you, princess...Wait. C-captain?" Rainbow paused as her brain caught up with her ears. Luna's smile grew at that and she stepped back.

"Call it a...Welcoming gift. In the meantime, do your best to relax. The task force will meet at the defence force headquarters in Canterlot, at midday on the thirtieth of December. Until then, goodnight to you."

Luna's horn flared brighter and the same flash surrounded her. As she teleported out to attend to her other duties of the night, the bubble of silence dissipated, leaving Rainbow Dash and Spitfire alone in the debriefing room.

"Well...That's quite a step up. Congrats on the promotion, Crash." Spitfire commented, giving Rainbow a good natured punch on the shoulder.

"Y-yeah, thanks," Rainbow remarked, needing to sit down for a moment as the reality of what she'd just agreed to sank in. "I err, I think I'm gonna go pack up and get some sleep."

"Probably a good idea. We've all got a lot to think about."

As the two of them made their way to the locker rooms. Rainbow Dash realised that she was feeling something different, something she hadn't felt in a long time...Anticipation. Yes there was still a lot of uncertainty in her mind about what she'd signed on to do but the prospect of a new adventure like this was bringing back that old sensation she hadn't felt in too long. She wasn't sure if this was completely genuine or yet another little rush in the storm of emotions she'd felt in the last twenty minutes. Given how good it felt right now, and how similar it felt to her old adventures with the girls, she was willing to believe it was the former.

Chapter 3 - Reasons Why

Ponyville Outskirts
December 30th

The day had come. A chilly but bright morning had broken over Equestria, bathing the snow blanketed lands below in light. In an equally literal sense, it was just a few hours until Rainbow Dash had to be at EDF headquarters to meet her new teammates. While she had been able to make use of her days off to get her thoughts in order and get some much needed chillaxing in, she had also needed to use the time to make sure ponies knew she wasn't going to be there. Letters had been sent to her new-yet-old captain Gyr, her family, including her little sister in all but name Scootaloo, and her friends in Ponyville. Well, most of them, Twilight Sparkle was off on a research expedition in the Crystal Empire and Pinkie Pie was Celestia knows where. The point was, everypony that needed to know was aware she'd be away for several months, at best.

That was probably the weirdest part about all this. Princess Luna had visited her dreams to explain several parts of what was coming in more detail, but that was where she had also been told that she would have to stay at the Royal Guard barracks in Canterlot for the duration of Task Force Harmony's initial training period, which was only going to be extended by the latest fact that another of its members wasn't even a part of the EDF. That led her to where she was now, making sure everything was cleared up before she left.

A saddlebag was resting on her bed, filled with a few things for when she had downtime at the end of the day. One or two Daring Do books from her sizeable collection, a small photo album of her and her friends, a blanket (she knew from experience just how bad guard beds were in the winter), some bits from her last paycheck and a bottle of cider. That last item might have to be kept to herself depending on what those she'd working with were like, a friendly drink wasn't as much fun with a complete jerk after all. Satisfied that was everything, she fitted the bag snuggly on her back and moved onto the second to last task she had to do before leaving.

Rainbow slowly walked through her cloud house, taking it all in and thinking of all the memories made within its walls. She'd lived here ever since she'd moved to Ponyville and she knew every step of it by heart. It wasn't the first time she'd had to live elsewhere for a while, but it was the first time that she had the feeling she might not be coming back anytime soon. As she finished touring the upstairs and made her way to the balcony that ran round the inside perimeter of the entrance hall, the sound of somepony knocking on the front door made itself known. She fluttered down to the lower level and opened up quickly, greeted by the sight of a dark brown pegasus stallion with a pearl coloured mane done into a buzz cut, matching short tail, deep blue eyes and a dumb-bell cutie mark.

"Glad you made it before I left." Rainbow said at the sight of him, more cheerful than most ponies would expect her to be when talking face to face with one of her old flight school bullies.

"Yeah, same here," Dumb-Bell replied as Rainbow stepped aside to let him inside. "I never got the chance to thank you for asking me to do this."

"No problem, somepony's gotta look after this place while I'm gone and I figured you and your coltfriend would be perfect for keeping it orderly," Rainbow half remarked, half teased. Dumb-Bell simply chuckled and nodded in response. She had to admit he'd mellowed out a lot thanks to a few years worth of dealing with the rigors of reality and seemed a lot happier working as a fitness instructor in Cloudsdale, even if he was regularly struggling for bits or a place to stay. "Seriously though, I gotta redecorate anything and you're paying for it."

"Seriously, don't worry about it, Dash. I'm not gonna take advantage of such an offer. You of all ponies know how much trouble I'd get in if ponies thought I'd trashed the house of a national hero."

"Yeah, I do...I kept telling them I've never even been near Spitfire's place back then," Rainbow simply commented, the two of them sharing a small laugh at the thought of that little incident of their pasts. "Then again, if you did then you'd probably be able to get yourself a proper nickname. Right, Dumb-Ass?"

"Ohh, ouch, you start thinking that one up back in flight camp?" Dumb-Bell retorted, grinning more naturally than that condescending smirk he used to wear.

"You wouldn't remember if I'd told you it yesterday," Rainbow grinned in return. "Now I could trade barbs with you all day and as fun as it is nowadays, I really gotta get going."

"Alright. Well we'll take good care of this place, hope you have a good time at...Wherever it is you're going."

Rainbow nodded her thanks and trotted outside, taking one last look back at her cloud house and smiling to herself before her wings shot open and she took off, ruffling her wing feathers slightly to try and shake the cold already trying to get a grip on them. Canterlot was easily within flying distance so she could afford to take her time. Ponyville lay below her, blanketed in three inches of snow, looking rather picturesque and quiet. Few ponies were out and about in this kind of weather, leaving everything looking like a Hearth's Warming card. She could pick out a few fillies and colts spread throughout town, having snowball fights, making snowponies or simply enjoying the fact there was so much snow about.

The sight made Rainbow Dash think as she glided over the town, silently watching. None of these fillies had lived through the kind of battering this town had gone through on a semi-regular basis; Bathed in the darkness of Nightmare Moon, lost to the chaos of Discord, scarred in battle against Tirek, even subjected to the living nightmare that was the Tantabus. Every one of those situations had put her and so many others in more danger than she'd been willing to admit. Those fillies, and possibly a few of their parents, had never been subject to those horrors. They...Rainbow sighed slightly and pushed her wings into a hard flap to do a quick loop, trying to distract herself. The truth was, she envied their innocence, never having to deal with the threats she'd had to before and likely would have to again.

It was a poignant moment for her, imagining that someday, one of those little fillies or colts, that right now likely had nothing more serious than homework to worry about, might end up like she had, facing world ending threats that nopony should have to face. Or, heaven forbid, like Twilight had, ultimately needing therapy from the princesses after being pushed too far by stopping Starlight Glimmer on her own. Things weren't as bad these days thanks to the existence of the Equestria Defence Force, but there was a reason they still needed something as advanced as her new assignment. Larger scale threats that they could stop, to make sure that nopony else had to go through what she had. As she finished the loop, her wings flexed out and she set off for Canterlot at a quicker pace, a fresh fire of determination within her burning away at the chill that had been inching its way across her body.

The rest of the flight was uneventful and half an hour later she was entering the skies of Canterlot, taking in the bustling streets of the capital below her, scanning the ground and sky as she made her way toward the defence force headquarters that had been established at the guard barracks next to the castle. The skies here were darker than over Ponyville and a light snow had started to fall, dusting the area in flakes that shimmered in the light. Despite the general noise of city life below, Rainbow found it rather peaceful to observe, hovering for a minute and simply catching her breath. She'd arrived ten minutes early but there was nothing to gain by waiting around here, it was probably warmer inside after all.

She dropped down to land outside the front entrance of the headquarters, taking in the familiar imposing masonry that looked both fitting in the place of power it rested next to, yet completely out of place with how modern it was as well. The stone was closer to the gray of the barracks, the doors white with a gold trim, the window frames of the three floors done in the same. It had awed Rainbow somewhat the first time she'd seen it, back when the defence force had begun operations, but now it just seemed kind of bland. She quickly trotted forward and stepped inside, trotting forward through the sparsely decorated lobby toward the reception desk. A light red earth mare was manning the desk, who promptly saluted as she saw Rainbow approaching.

"Lieutenant Dash, good to see you," The mare said as Rainbow saluted her in return, relaxing her pose. "The colonel left a message saying that room two six two is free if you need to warm up and you're to meet with your unit in briefing room four."

"Thanks, stay warm yourself." Rainbow told her in return, opting not to correct her on the incorrect rank. She was still waiting on being officially promoted. A quick glance up at the clock confirmed she could take a minute to warm up and the indicated room was only a little off the route to the meeting point.

There wasn't much to see or think about as she made her way into the hallways. Windows were rather sparse in this area and at this time of day most ponies present were busy with training routines or working the command center. It did mean a clear path though, as she made her way upstairs and through more white and blue halls on the way to room two six two. Normally a study area for those learning strategic or tactical methods, the bookcases and tables within had been enchanted to give off a little heat, enough to bring the room up from grip of winter to a pleasant early spring temperature. Only one other pony was in the room as Rainbow Dash entered. A unicorn stallion, he was bronze coloured with a long, flowing silver mane that covered his shoulders and a tail that brushed the floor, made more distinctive by the white edge it sported over his face. His eyes were hazel and his cutie mark was...Difficult to explain. At best it looked like the white, ghostly outline of a pony.

"Some weather, huh?" Rainbow said as she saw the stallion, relaxing at the feel of warmth bathing her after the chill of outside. Getting a good look, she realised he wasn't that old, only about twenty or so. He was also rather small for a stallion, only an inch taller than her without the horn.

"Yeah, I've seen worse but I never seem to get used to the cold," He replied in a northern, yet somewhat regal accent, doing his best to sound cheery but coming across more as nervous. "You're, you're Rainbow Dash right? Mom and dad always speak highly of you but I never thought I'd get the change to actually meet you. It's an honour."

"Pleasure's all mine, kid," Rainbow replied as she shook his hoof, deciding that acting natural might help. She settled herself by the window and looked over Canterlot, simply basking in the feeling of the biting cold ebbing away. "So what's your name?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm Aurora." The name was familiar to Rainbow, though she couldn't quite place it right now. As she fluttered her wings to get some heat back into them, she decided to try probing a little further.

"I don't hear many ponies with a voice like yours. Where're you from? Vanhoover?"

"Almost. The Crystal Empire."

"Really? You don't look like you're from Rainbow Falls."

"I'm, actually from Crystal City," Aurora rubbed his leg slightly and glanced round, seemingly looking for a distraction as he settled on the clock in the room. "Dammit, that time alright? S-sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I gotta run. Do you know the quickest way to briefing room four?"

"Follow me, I'm headed that way," Rainbow turned and made for the exit, looking back at Aurora as he tailed her out into the hallways again. "So, do your parents just know me from reputation or have I met them?"

"Yeah, they've met you. I mean, I've actually met you before too...I don't really remember it though, I was still only a few days old at the time so I'm not even sure it counts."

Rainbow watched him for several seconds, putting it together in her mind. She had been to the Crystal Empire twenty odd years ago, joining Twilight at some super boring crystalling ceremony. Dull as it had been, thinking back to it and that in private she could admit how cute that Princess Cadance's son had been at that age, was enough for all the hints to click together. She stopped in place and looked back at him with a sense of surprise.

"Wait. Aurora, as in son of Cadance and Shining Armor and Prince of the Crystal Empire Aurora?"

"I err...Ah..." Aurora stammered, suddenly becoming fascinated in the paint on the wall next to him. "I-I mean, that's private and invasive and...Yes."

Rainbow stared at him for a moment before setting off again, wondering what somepony like him was doing here. He wasn't part of the defence force and tended not to be part of official actions with his parents just yet. Then again, if he was headed for the same place as she was then she probably had her answer already. The two of them arrived outside the briefing room and Aurora stepped inside with a small nod of thanks. She let it slide considering how nervous he was, and that it definitely answered her questions. A few seconds later she followed him in, eager to see just who else she was going to be working with.

Author's Note

Before anyone asks, Aurora is the only child of Cadance and Shining Armor in this continuity. Skyla has already made an appearance and Flurry Heart exists as well, but neither are related to the princesses and neither are alicorns.

Bonus - Team Notes

From the notes of Princess Luna, Supreme Commander of the Equestria Defence Force, on the founding members of Special Operations Unit 'Task Force Harmony'. For ease of finding relevant information, ponies not selected for the unit will not be included here.

Unit Leader:

Name: Cipher
Race/Gender: Earth Stallion
Age: 48
Birthplace/Residence: Canterlot

Former unit: EDF High Command
Rank: Colonel
Combat style: Direct Offense
Notes: Family well known in Canterlot, wife works closely with nobility and daughter was educated at Celestia's School of Magic. Six years with Royal Guard Intelligence unit before formation of EDF. 1st Earth Pony Regiment, 4th Unit for ten years before being promoted out of frontline duty.

Extremely dedicated to duty, quick witted and shows the same loyalty to his men that they show to him. Given the close-knit nature expected of TFH, his closeness to ponies he serves with makes him highly recommended. Talent is wasted within the command center, suggest allowing for return to frontline duty in some capacity if offer is refused.

Team Members:

Listed in order of acceptance to unit. Combined notes from S.C. Luna and Col. Cipher.

Name: Healing Wave
Race/Gender: Unicorn Mare
Age: 32
Birthplace/Residence: Vanhoover/Canterlot

Former unit: 2nd Emergency Unit 'First Responders'
Rank: First Sergeant
Combat Style: Defensive Support
Notes: Trained as a nurse in Vanhoover before joining EDF on its foundation. 1st Unicorn Company, 6th Unit, demonstrated apt medical skill but struggled to integrate with teammates. Five years in unit before transfer to Medical Corps, 2nd Emergency Unit upon its creation, talents improved there but remained among Rapid Response teams, likely to avoid getting too attached to anypony she worked with.

Possible that medical work left Healing Wave distant from ponies due to stress and consequences of failure. However, her superiors have noted that her performance under pressure is virtually unaffected. That kind of skill will be necessary for the work TFH will be performing. Unit bonds may allow her to open up as well.

Name: Rainbow Dash
Race/Gender: Pegasus Mare
Age: 39
Birthplace/Residence: Cloudsdale/Ponyville

Former unit: Squadron One 'Wonderbolts'
Rank: Second Lieutenant (Update: Promoted to Captain upon acceptance of position)
Combat Style: Offensive Support
Notes: Element of Loyalty. Previous exploits well catalogued. Served with Wonderbolts for four years prior to EDF foundation and remained on team after it was integrated into the Sky Wing as Squadron One. Eighteen years in EDF has honed skills much further and could have been a commander if not for her desire to stand with her teammates.

Rainbow Dash's name speaks for itself. By far the best fighter among the Elements of Harmony and the least likely to break under pressure, highly recommended to help bring team together. May require extra persuasion to leave the Wonderbolts full time.

Name: Aurora
Race/Gender: Unicorn Stallion
Age: 20
Birthplace/Residence: Crystal City

Former unit: N/A
Rank: N/A (Update: Listed as Private by Cipher)
Combat Style: Unknown (Update: Defensive Support)
Notes: Son of Queen Cadance and King Shining Armor of the Crystal Empire. Highly inexperienced in direct combat compared to any other pony being considered. However, known magical talent, tactical knowledge and training received from his parents would prove highly valuable in the field. Will talk with Cadance to discuss possibility of his joining.

Name: Flash Sentry
Race/Gender: Pegasus Stallion
Age: 43
Birthplace/Residence: Baltimare/Crystal City

Former unit: Crystal Guards
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Combat Style: Offensive Support
Notes: Originally part of Baltimare Guard, briefly served in Canterlot to help increase security numbers and was present during the changeling attack in 1000CE. Transferred to Crystal Guards shortly after the liberation of the Crystal Empire in order to help train crystal ponies in modern tactics and methods. Remained with unit after the guard was welcomed into the EDF in 8 FP and remains one of their most decorated members even today.

Flash Sentry is a model soldier and highly durable by normal pegasus standards. Injuries sustained on duty in the frozen north seemingly have no effect on him years after the event. Likely the most disciplined member of TFH should he accept, though not without a rough edge that should make it slightly easier for others to warm up to him.

Name: Bulwark
Race/Gender: Earth Stallion
Age: 36
Birthplace/Residence: Trottingham

Former unit: 19th Protector unit 'Forest Wardens'
Rank: Chief Warrant Officer
Combat Style: Defensive Offence
Notes: Cargo hauler in hometown port before joining EDF with his marefriend, now wife. Posted to Combined forces Regiment initially. Transferred to 2nd Earth Pony Platoon, 19th Protector unit after displaying exceptionally strong sense of care for other ponies he worked with.

In one-on-one combat, Bulwark can't be beat. His imposing size and defensive style results in battles of attrition that anything the size of or smaller than him don't stand much chance in. He also has a gentle soul and good nature that allows other ponies to warm to him. Sounds ideal for TFH.

Name: Water Flare
Race/Gender: Earth Mare
Age: 31
Birthplace/Residence: Los Pegasus/Whinnyapolis

Unit: 11th Support unit 'Dawn Bringers'
Rank: Master Sergeant
Combat Style: Direct Offense
Notes: Father unknown, moved with her mother to Whinnyapolis at age 9. Served as a medical worker before an incident responding to a skyscraper fire in 4 FP caused her to leave her career path and later join the EDF's Combined Forces Regiment. Also displays signs of instability as a result of this past incident. ~~Unlikely to cope with pressure the unit may come under, candidate rejected.~~

Update: Reconsidering Water Flare after Rainbow Dash accepted a place in TFH. On her own, Water Flare is doggedly devoted to a task and displays above average agility, but is somewhat undisciplined and tends to panic when losing control of a situation. Her skills are more than enough for consideration for the team though, and she displays a hero worship of Rainbow Dash due to their history. Rainbow Dash may act as a stabilizing element she needs to reach her true potential.

Author's Note

For the curious, I do have VA's in mind when I think of the OC team members:

Cipher - Steve Blum
Healing Wave - Karen Strassman
Aurora - Johnny Yong Bosch
Bulwark - David Harewood
Water Flare - Jessi Nowack

Chapter 5 - Hoof to Hoof

Author's Note

Happy Hearth's Warming and anything else you may celebrate, everyone! Here's one more gift for all my readers, one of those handmade works that has more care and effort than perfect quality. Hope you've all had a great day and continue to do so after reading this. :derpytongue2:

Chapter 5 - Hoof to Hoof

January 3rd

For the first time in several days, sunshine was breaking through the dark skies over Canterlot. The air was still absolutely freezing and the Hearth's Warming spirit was starting to wear off, but the sight of sunlight filtering through the clouds and bathing the city in shimmering light was managing to lift everypony's spirits. It even seemed to match Rainbow Dash's mood. After the somewhat rocky start that Task Force Harmony had gone through, she had managed to get a pretty good idea of what each of her new teammates were like. Despite how some of them clashed, every one of them was here because they were skilled enough to stand among the best of the best in their areas of expertise. Even Aurora had to capable of holding his own if he was here.

The team had now settled into their new quarters, a four bunk room in the Royal Guard barracks, and were finally ready to start working together. Cipher had spend most of the opening days ensuring that he could go ahead with his various training plans and this was the first time he was free to put them into action. A spot had been booked in the center of the EDF Headquarters' training grounds and the team was making their way out there, doing their best to shrug off the cold, not helped by the air being cooler in the shadow of the castle and two-inch thick snow on the ground. Part of being a solider meant being able to work in any weather conditions and this was nothing compared to the artic lands of the Crystal Empire, so nopony complained. Besides, several other teams were out training already, though the sight of such a varied unit coming out among them was drawing the attention of those not engaged in active training.

"Alright ponies, hope you're all warmed up!" Cipher told the others as he moved in front of them, shaking some snow off his hoof. "I've read all your dossiers and I've got a good idea of how most of you'll fare in combat, but I want to get a first hoof evaluation and give your teammates a chance to study your style. So today, we're opening with one-on-one duelling. No magic or flight allowed though, this is a test of how well you handle with just your hooves. All fights will be to either bringing your opponent off their hooves and to the floor, or to first blood, no disabling blows of any kind either. Understand?"

"Yes sir!" Six voices chanted in unison.

"Good! Alright, Aurora and Healing Wave, as the rookies in this area, you're up first!"

Aurora swallowed his nerves and nodded, stepping out onto a cleared thirty by thirty foot patch of earth that served as the central arena of the grounds. Healing Wave took the edge opposite him, never taking her narrowed eyes off him the whole time. She hadn't said a word to him since they'd first met so he had no idea why she had such issues toward him. It was lucky it was cold out here, he could pass off his shaking from the thought that everypony was going to watch him fight as just shivering. The final moments of calm before the storm gave him time to take a breath and think, remembering everything his father had taught him about melee combat while he could.

'Step one: Try to remember the basics at all times. Step Two:..'

Cipher stomped his hoof as the signal for them to begin and Wave immediately charged forward with a war cry. Aurora braced himself, watching her movements closely. Once she closed to ten feet he gritted his teeth and counter charged, trusting that the number of times he'd been put through training would make his responses instinctual. Wave pulled herself back and brought her front left hoof round for a rapid punch, only for it to make contact with nothing but air as Aurora stopped and shifted his body weight. Rolling with the momentum, he brought his own hoof up in and threw an uppercut that nailed her square in the chest. Wave staggered back, growling slightly before pressing the attack again, trying to keep him off balance. Aurora kept on playing defensively in return, either bobbing and weaving around the flurry of hooves or parrying them away.

"Two bits on Aurora. Any takers?" Water Flare commented as she watched from the sidelines. drawing looks from everypony around her.

"...Right now? Really?" Cipher replied flatly, never taking his eyes off the action the whole time.

"Do, we even need to say what's wrong with that?" Flash Sentry commented. Cipher stayed silent for a few moments before looking back at them with a small grin.

"Yeah, everypony knows bets are invalid once the event's begun."

Aurora grunted as Wave's hoof made contact with his right cheek, sending him sideways and almost knocking him off his hooves. He'd just about managed to roll with the punch quickly enough to stay standing though. An adrenaline reaction kicked in and his legs shook as he pushed all his weight off from the move to counter-attack, bringing his horn down. Wave found herself unable to evade completely and instead threw herself into a full body tackle. The two collided with a fierce impact, the more off-balance Aurora being brought down and skidding through the dirt. Wave smirked at her seeming victory before wincing and looking down, realising that his horn had managed to pierce her left shoulder in the initial impact, barely deep enough to do any damage, but a bleeding injury all the same.

"That's a tied match!" Cipher called, stepping into the arena and going to help Aurora up.

"A tie?! Seriously?" Wave commented, unable to hide her frustration as she treated her injury, the yellow aura of her horn bathing her shoulder and closing the cut up after several seconds.

"Well, if you want to get technical, Aurora's horn hit you before he hit the ground. But if you want a draw instead of a loss..." Cipher clarified before looking down, noting that the stallion was slow in getting up. "Hey, buddy, you still alive?"

"Yeah, I-I'm here," Aurora confirmed as he got up, taking a hoof Cipher offered him to do so. "So...How did I do?"

"Well, your aggressive tactics need some work, and an ability to press the advantages you made. But your defensive movements were top notch all the way through. You've got soul, kid."

"That a joke about my talent, sir?" Aurora's voice carried a thin hint of nerves as he said that and he quickly moved to re-join the others.

"More an idea for your nickname, give it some thought," Cipher replied simply, grinning more as he moved back off the field with Wave. "Wave, you kept on your hooves alright, but when we're on a mission, facing the real thing, you need to fight with focus and brains too. Going by your heart alone is gonna get you killed. We'll discuss it in detail later. Ok, next up, Rainbow Dash and Water Flare!"

Flare's eyes widened slightly at that and she hesitated for a second before following her idol onto the dirt. By now several of the other units on the grounds had finished up and were starting to gather round the central arena, watching with interest. As soon as the two were in place, Cipher stomped for them to start. Water Flare had a fleeting moment to wonder if he was deliberately keeping anypony from betting on this like she had before focusing in on the task at hoof. The two combatants rushed each other, both throwing a punch at the same time before instinctively throwing their attacking hoof up to block. Rainbow's left hoof met Flare's right and the two locked together, Flare wrapping her hoof around Rainbow's and using her earth pony strength to drive her opponent backward.

Rainbow saw the danger and pushed herself left, pulling her hoof down to break the deadlock. Flare recovered her posture and swung her body round, aiming to use her back leg out to try and knock Rainbow's legs from under her. The pegasus simply jumped the attack and used the landing to rush in and get underneath her opponent. A unicorn or pegasus would have been thrown off as she pushed her head up into Flare's underside, though with her comparative bulk, the earth pony was simply staggered. As she moved back to try something else, Flare turning to do the same gave her a moment to catch the look in her eyes, a glint of worry showing. Flare shook her head slightly and charged again, swinging round and bucking with her back legs.

Rainbow barely dodged the incoming hooves, close enough to feel the wind rush against her fur. She remembered the follow up that had been trained into her and gripped her front hooves around the nearest leg, bracing for the downward movement soldiers were trained to use as a counter to this. To her surprise, Flare yanked her leg forward instead, nearly flooring Rainbow with the momentum alone. The earth pony came back onto the offensive as soon as her hooves were back on the ground, throwing a punch that caught her opponent in the right shoulder. She'd put too much effort into the strike though, leaving herself open for Rainbow to bring her body round with the hit and knock Flare's back leg out from under her. The move went exactly as planned and Flare yelped as she went down on her side, kicking up a small dust cloud on the landing.

"And Crash takes it!" Cipher called, waiting a minute as the gathered crowd cheered the result and Rainbow helped Flare up. "Saw some unorthodox stuff in there, both good and bad. Water Flare? Want to explain what happened?"

"I err...I...Panicked. Sorry, sir" Flare admitted, getting a sigh from Cipher as they moved off the field.

"This is what I was talking about, you never give up but your cracking under pressure...We'll talk about it during private training," He stopped on noticing the downtrodden look she had after that. "Hey, come on, you almost won even like that, against Rainbow Dash. Not just anypony could do that."

"Yeah, I mean I was expecting you to go down, not forward. I came this close to losing it right there." Rainbow panted, getting a smile out of Water Flare for it.

"Ok you two, take a breather. Flash Sentry, Bulwark, your turn!" Cipher watched as the last two members of the team made their way out onto the arena.

"Ten bits on Flash!" Aurora called before anypony could stop him, pausing for a moment as he looked round nervously at that outburst. To his surprise, the only laughs that came from it were all good natured.

"...You know what, I'll take you up on that. Ten on Bulwark." Cipher replied, his tone cheery as he looked back to the training ground. Aurora chuckled slightly and folded his ears back, trying not to look too concerned.

Cipher stomped his hoof and the final two combatants engaged. As everypony watching had expected, Flash went on the offensive first but despite his lightning attack speed, any hits he landed were shrugged off by the far more durable Bulwark. The earth pony did keep moving though, parrying and dodging as much as he could while he shifted the fight around the whole length of the arena. After a full minute of this stalemate, Bulwark put himself with his back to the others and switched up his tactics, trying to get a firm hold on Flash and using his overbearing strength to bring him down and finish the job. The pegasus was nimble enough to avoid the worst of it, though an unlucky overhead strike caught him on his back, hard enough for everypony watching to know that it would leave quite a bruise.

As soon as he heard the grunt coming from Flash, Cipher tensed himself and charged into the arena before anypony could react. Bulwark's ear twitched as he heard the sudden addition to the duel and tensed himself. Cipher's strike hit square in the back of his leg but did little more than knock it a few inches out of place. He didn't even blink at the intrusion, simply moving round to face both his opponents at once.

"Thought one-on-one was too easy?" He commented simply, keeping calm in the wake of becoming outnumbered.

"Well, I have make sure that you and me get a proper workout in too." Cipher replied, flexing a hoof.

"Thank you sir, this is going to be interesting." Flash said before redoubling his attacks. Cipher followed him in, only for his swing to be blocked and pushed back against with such force that it nearly knocked him on his flanks.

Bulwark grinned and advanced for the first time. His tactics had changed from before, changing out his parries to counters, trying to use his opponents' momentum against them. With both Cipher and Flash coming for him though, he had to keep moving as they tried to flank or blindside him. It kept things interesting for the crowds though, more than a few actively cheering for Bulwark now. Those cheers grew as he got his head under an attack from Flash and launched the pegasus a clear ten feet in the air. Whether Flash kept to the no flight rule because he'd remembered or because he was too disoriented was up for debate, but he only flared a wing open at the last second to shift into a position where he would land on his hooves.

"This isn't working," He muttered as he balanced himself, watching as Cipher came to his side. "Any ideas, boss?"

"Go left a second after me, you'll see the opening." Cipher replied before going on the attack again. Swinging to Bulwark's left side, he spun round and aimed to buck out his leg. As expected, Bulwark threw himself into a heavy counter blow, catching his commander under the back legs and flipping him over in a half somersault to hit the ground on his back. He turned his head to face his remaining opponent...Straight into Flash's incoming hoof.

The hit landed squarely on the right side of his muzzle, snapping his head sideways with painful speed and leaving his left legs trembling as he fought to stay standing. Flash came down from the attack and took several steps backward, bracing himself for any follow up movements. Cipher watched as he got back to his hooves, prepared to move out of the way due to being eliminated from the fight. For several seconds, nopony moved at all. Eventually Bulwark raised his head and grinned, wincing slightly as he did. The hit had done its job and he was bleeding from the muzzle rather badly. He simply trotted forward and offered a hoof to Flash, who took and shook it.

"I think I have to concede this one," Bulwark said. "Cipher wasn't part of the original fights' rules so his downing shouldn't count."

"That's good of you," Cipher commented as he motioned for Healing Wave to come out and treat them. "Flash Sentry takes the win!"

"Yes!" Aurora cheered from the sidelines, pumping a hoof in triumph. Although several of the ponies around him gave accepting chuckles at that, he quickly quietened down and looked away, folding his ears in.

"Yes kid, you won the bet," Cipher told him reassuringly before looking at the rest of the team. "Ok everypony, I saw some good work out there. We'll go over everypony's fighting styles in our quarters, meet there in fifteen. Dismissed!"

As the team saluted and began to head back inside, along with most of the crowd, Rainbow Dash thought about what she'd seen out there. There'd be time to go over the fighting in her head later, right now she was more interested in Aurora. He'd been quick to close down what had been genuinely good moments with his teammates and she couldn't figure why. She'd expected him to be all for as much friendliness with other ponies as he could, considering his mother was the Princess of Love and all. Though she decided against pressing him on the matter for now, she decided on the spot that she was going to find out just what he was thinking.

Chapter 6 - Glacial Skies

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 7 - Team Talk

Author's Note

I know, it's still Saturday, but I thought I could gift an extra chapter to hopefully entertain a few people and close out 2016 on a slightly higher note (Lord knows it needs it). At the same time, I want to thank every one of you who's checked my work out over the past twelve months, you all make it worth it! :yay:

And don't worry, normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Chapter 7 - Team Talk

January 27th

'Another day, another round of getting my butt kicked. Almost surprised I'm not used to it.' Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she did her best not to wince while Healing Wave patched her up. It gave her a moment to reflect though, there was a time when she would have gone into a proper strop over losing a training fight against somepony, even one as tough as Bulwark. Now though, she just reflected that in a one-on-one, no-holds barred battle between a speedster like her and a strong defender like him, he held the advantage. It was like fighting a wall, a very durable wall that punched back. She had always been going to need some measure of luck and this time it hadn't been on her side this time, the hit that brought her down making her pay for it. Tough as she was, feeling her various cuts being magically sealed up stung more than she cared to admit.

"You doing ok?" Bulwark asked her as Wave finished up, trotting over and sitting with her.

"Ever had your cutie mark removed?" Rainbow countered, though her voice remained good natured. "Feels like your soul's being set on fire and torn in two at the same time. I can deal with small time stuff like this." Bulwark gave a low whistle and shook his head, conceding the point.

"I suppose when you've faced the end of the world on a regular basis, you can deal with a few scrapes. You're good to go, by the way." Healing Wave added, letting Rainbow get up and stretch.

"I just hope neither of you have any family here who might have to train against that." Rainbow commented, getting a chuckle out of Bulwark.

"Heh heh, no worries there. My wife serves in the Recon Corps so she doesn't have to fight that much. Besides, she's out on duty in the Crystal Empire right now."

Before anypony could comment on that, their attention was brought back to the training ground by a pained yelp. Cipher had Aurora down on his side and was holding the unicorn's front left leg in an arm lock while keeping his lower half held down with his hooves. A little twist further was enough to make Aurora tap out with his one free hoof. Cipher released the hold immediately and got up, leaving Aurora down and whimpering as he clutched his leg.

"I warned you. Move your leg too far from your body during an attack and it's wide open to counters if the strike misses. And you didn't even scratch me once." Cipher said flatly, not even looking at his beaten opponent.

"Sorry..." Aurora gasped, biting back a fresh whimper.

"You've got soul though, don't lose that and you'll be fine," Cipher trotted off the field at that, waiting until he was back with the others before sighing slightly. "Wave, check him over?"

"Fine." Wave muttered as she headed onto the field, leaving the rest of the team gathered with their leader.

"Wow...I've never seen you push the kid so hard. I mean I know you're the boss and you have to be a hardass sometimes but, it's like you're not yourself around him." Water Flare commented. To her surprise, Cipher looked down slightly at that.

"Well, given his background he needs a little extra pushing to keep up with everypony. I know he's not military but..."

"Aurora's tougher than he looks. I trust he'll be up to speed in no time." Rainbow commented, getting a backing nod from Flash Sentry. Cipher smiled a bit at that, until he looked back to see Wave helping a limping Aurora off the grounds.

"So, I heard rumors that the Crystal Empire was going through a bit of...Political instability. Know anything about that?" She asked, unable to hide a bit of a smirk as he glanced away and shifted awkwardly on his hooves.

"Please...Stop talking." Aurora replied quietly as he joined the others and sat himself down, poking at the ground.

"Alright!" Cipher announced to the team, glancing aside to see how low hanging the sun was and drawing everypony's attenion. "We're done for today. Aurora, don't be afraid to check in at the infirmary if you think you need to. Wave...My office, now. Everypony else, dismissed!"

Everypony saluted as Cipher turned and marched for the headquarters, his hoofsteps being heavier than usual the only hint of his mood. It was enough for Healing Wave to swallow nervously before following him. The rest of the team was left watching, staying in place until both of them had entered the building before relaxing. Bulwark helped Aurora up and let the younger unicorn lean against him as needed while the group started to make their way back inside.

"So, what's anypony feel up to?" Rainbow asked.

"I dunno, I'd be up for some dinner myself but...Aurora? What'd you think?" Flare commented, looking over at him. The others gave it a moment of thought before doing the same.

"Oh, err, I..." Aurora stammered, clearly not used to the others letting him make the decision. "Well, I'll take anything that keeps me off my hoof and, some food does sound good."

The others gave sounds of approval and made their way toward the mess hall, making sure to go slow enough for him to keep up. Before long they had reached the mess hall, Bulwark taking Aurora over to a table while the others went to get their meals. Compared to the style of cafeterias they'd been used to as fillies and colts, the modern layout was far more relaxed and social with circular tables instead of the rows of old. After a few minutes the others returned with a mix of salads and hay based dishes, Flash and Rainbow carrying them over on their wings. Once they had them set down in a spread and everypony was seated, the talk died down for a while as everypony divvied up their share and started eating.

"Ah...Shoot," Flash muttered to himself before looking back and calling out over the hall. "Does anypony have a spare newspaper?"

"I'm compelled to ask why. You miss your sports reports?" Water Flare said as a unicorn across the hall threw one over to their table in her magic.

"Thank you!" Flash called, sitting down and flicking it over to the back pages. "Yeah, actually. I just wanted to check the latest buckball results."

"Huh, didn't take you for the type." Bulwark remarked, watching as the pegasus stallion chewed a cabbage leaf thoughtfully as he browsed the results printed down the page.

"It's mostly a family connection, my brother actually plays for the Crystal City Imperials and I know he was set to start against the Vanhoover Icebergs yesterday so-"

"Wai-wai-wait," Rainbow interrupted. "Vortex is your brother? Wow, you two are nothing alike."

"Yeah...We're not that close," Flash admitted with a sigh. "He's never been the biggest fan of the princess if I'm honest. He followed me up to the Crystal Empire when I was transferred there and really bought into some of the more, nationalist types. When I joined the EDF, he actually questioned why I was putting Equestria ahead of the empire. He, also had his name on the Onyx Dawn petition that pushed for Princess Cadance to take the mantle of Queen thirteen years ago."

"So, Wave had a point out there?" Flare asked. Flash nodded solemnly at that, while Aurora looked away and quietly activated his magic, trying to relax in his own way.

"Let's keep the talk on friendlier topics, hmm?" Rainbow said as she swallowed a mouthful of oatcakes, glancing aside at Aurora and deciding not to bring it up to the others. "Bulwark, you said outside that your wife's serving as well?" The bulky stallion nodded and rested his forelegs on the table to get more comfy in response.

"Yeah, Peace Walker's not a brilliant fighter in all honestly, not that that's saying much since even the basics taught here could floor most ponies, so she's with recon so she can serve without getting in too much trouble. Right now she's up in the Crystal Empire tracking the movements of the creatures of the north. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see her when she returns in March."

"Everypony always talks about that like it's an easy duty," Flash interjected. "There are some creatures out there that you don't want to get within five miles of. Yetis are the worst of it, first time I ran into one of those, I got lucky. Very lucky," He didn't say it, but everypony present knew just what he was referring to, though Flare still glanced down at his flank. "I wouldn't worry though, Bulwark, we're a lot smarter about these sort of things these days."

"It's my job to worry about her," Bulwark replied with a small chuckle. "So what about you, Water Flare? Anypony waiting for you back home?"

"Yeah, up in Whinnyapolis," Flare replied, closing her eyes and blushing slightly. "His name's Plasma Flow, works as a coordinator for the city's fire service. He worked with me when I was a first responder, until he was nearly killed while we were at a rescue site."

"That's..." Rainbow tapped her hoof against the table a few times as she jogged her memory for the name. "He was the unicorn that you and Misty Fly pulled out, right? You hooked up with him after that?"

"What can I say? Adversity has a way of bringing ponies together." She replied simply, blushing more.

"Well if you've stayed together this long, good on you both." Rainbow said as she gave her a good natured nudge before turning back to Aurora, who by now was rather focused on the ceiling. "What about you, kid? Anypony caught your eye back in the empire?" She asked, waiting a minute while his magic faded and his brain caught up with his ears.

"Hmmm? Oh I..." Aurora shook himself back into focus and looked round at the others. They were all still doing their best to be patient with him. "What?"

"Feeling something interesting?" Flash asked with a small, teasing grin. Aurora jumped slightly at the question and winced as he knocked his bad leg against the table. Rainbow Dash quickly moved to check he was ok, though he waved a hoof to stop her before she could get up.

"I'm alright. To answer your question though, I was just trying to relax, more comfortable when I'm just out there, sensing. Then I felt a lot of anger from one of the floors above, way beyond the range I can normally feel emotion from. No idea who or why though."

"Huh, useful to know." Bulwark commented. Aurora blinked and looked at him before realising he hadn't been sarcastic about it.

"Come on, you didn't answer Rainbow," Flash continued. "Or what about you, Crash? Nopony holding sway over your heart?"

"Huh, never really given it much thought," Rainbow admitted. "I always thought that I had all my life goals covered with the Wonderbolts and my friends...Hmmm." She looked down slightly and started on some of her salad, looking thoughtful. Aurora rested his chin on his good hoof for a moment before deciding to try and fit in with the conversation.

"There was one mare," He commented, nudging his plate slightly and drawing the group's attention. "One of mom's assistants, white-ish unicorn by the name of Flurry Heart. She was pretty cute but a few years older than me."

"Nothing wrong with that." Cipher's voice came from behind him. Bulwark and Flare shifted aside to give him a space to sit down and have his own pick from the spread.

"Oh err, glad you're joining us, sir." Aurora said quickly, attempting to switch back to being professional.

"Hey, right now I'm your friend instead of your boss. Healing Wave decided to be alone with her thoughts so, she won't be joining us. I have to say, she's pretty stable under pressure...Might have to give her that for a nickname."

"Hmm," Aurora's horn lit up again and his eyes faded as he studied Cipher for a moment, stopping quickly. "Sorry, just settling something I was curious about."

"Right," Cipher shrugged it off and looked round at the rest of the team. "What were we talking about?"

"Loved ones waiting for us outside this unit, want to weight in?" Flare asked cheerfully, getting a few looks from the others. Cipher merely chuckled and nodded.

"Bright Carrier, my wife of thirty-two years. You may have heard of her," He replied, waiting for their inevitably confused reactions. "Nah, she's not really famous, but I love her to pieces none the less. She's in good with the nobles too, used to serve as a surrogate for a number of mares when she was younger. Lucky I enjoyed the sight as much as I did when she was carrying our daughter."

"...Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Flash asked slowly.

"Aw come on, we all have kinks like that." Cipher replied with a chuckle.

While each of the others made sounds somewhere between agreement and disgust, the conversation continued on soon afterward. Each pony present was getting used to the others by now, their quirks not as annoying or weird as they would have been when they first met the month before. Task Force Harmony was starting to properly come together now.

Chapter 8 - No Holding Back

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 9 - Losses and Gains

February 22nd, Year 23 under the Four Princesses

'It never seems to be enough.

Everypony has been telling me repeatedly not to dwell on the mistakes, but how am I supposed to not think about them when I have nothing to replace those thoughts with? Things haven't got much better after what happened with Nebula, despite how often Gaia keeps saying that nopony can hold a training accident against me. Easy for her to say, she'd likely seen plenty of real combat, this was the first time I ever I fired my magic in anger and it damn near killed somepony. Some ponies just aren't able to come to terms with something like that on the first try. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for Cipher.

He just keeps pushing me harder and harder, citing a need to 'keep up with the best of the best'. Well I'm trying, for Celestia's sake I'm trying! Every day seems to end with being patched up by Healing Wave after a fresh round of harsh training and that one occasion they put me under observation in the infirmary after nearly managing to dislocate a hind leg. I'm still trying though, I'm succeeding, I mean I managed to fight Water Flare to a tie yesterday. Is that not enough? Would it kill you to show even a tiny bit of approval every time I nearly drop from exhaustion keeping up with your demands?! Sorry Wave, but at this rate there wont be any soul left to lose if I-'

"Hey, you want the report or not?"

A nudge to his side snapped Aurora from his brooding and he looked up at the pony responsible. Bulwark on his left and a rather sullen looking Rainbow Dash on his right, her retracting hoof indicating she was the one responsible.

Aurora shook his head slightly and focused again, slightly ashamed at how he'd zoned out in the middle of a tactical exercise. In this case, he was settled at a table containing several edited history books and a grid board based on what looked like an Ogres and Oubliettes set, though given the layout of the board's environment and the fact the figures on it were only ponies and yaks, he recognised it as based on the Battle of Prancer Lake, an engagement during the Contact War over two thousand years ago. The books and screen set up on the other side of the table meant that his information was limited to the same as General Mako had to work with at the time. Rainbow and Bulwark, acting as his captains, were the ones with information on what was happening on the frontline.

"Right, sorry, status report?" He asked, not wanting to waste anymore time. These exercises were handled in real time and Water Flare was on the other side of the room, likely going through the same thing with Flash Sentry and Healing Wave right now. Plus he was working at a slight disadvantage, Rainbow had been struggling for the last few days after learning her surrogate sister had been hospitalised. She wasn't letting it get in the way of the task at hoof though, he couldn't either.

"Well the earth pony line has blunted the enemy charge with lower than expected losses," Bulwark started, continuing as Aurora took the pieces representing battalions and adjusted them as necessary. "However, aerial units have detected the approach of several more enemy units, roughly half the size of the main force. If they link up, they'll almost certainly be able to break through."

"Okay...Do we have a grid on them?" Aurora asked with a small sigh.

"Currently in grids P-Fourteen and fifteen to Q-Thirteen." Rainbow confirmed.

"Rainbow, pull all pegasus units to the air of grid S-Twelve and spread the front line slightly. We can't afford any flanking breakthroughs," Aurora ordered, adjusting his board as she went to see those orders were done. "Bulwark, what's the status on the unicorns?"

"They've arrived at grid T-Sixteen. The hill has given them a full overlook of the battlefield, currently level with the frontline."

"Good," Aurora grinned slightly, the hill had originally allowed him to form a chokepoint between it and the lake, now it was time for its second purpose. "Group them together and concentrate their magic into full strikes on grid R-Thirteen through fifteen."

"Aurora, with respect, is that even a real tactic?"

"The artillery strike. Devised by Sergeant Artillery and first used by Captain Keynote during the First Battle of Vanhoover in 481 TC, a good eight years before this," He replied, bringing up a book on military techniques during the era and showing him the relevant page. "Right now, it'll either cut off the two forces from each other or hit their backup, I'll need an update once you know which."

As Bulwark headed back behind the screen to the central board where the captains on both sides were directly controlling the engagement, Aurora allowed himself to smile. One advantage of not having too many friends back home was it gave him time to read and history had always fascinated him. A side result of all the military documents he had studied was that strategy had become his non-magical forte, at least when his head was in the game. That said, he found it calming and tended to feel at his best during these exercises. His horn lit up as he decided to check how everypony was feeling, since it would be foolish not to make use of an advantage like that.

Across the room, he could sense uncertainty and concern coming from Flare, likely trying to think of how to salvage the situation. Flash was making use of his military guile, remaining calm, while Wave was a mess of mounting frustration. Off to one side in the center, Cipher remained neutral, managing the random factors that could affect the flow of battle. Bulwark was too busy updating the main board to have anything beyond his usual drive, though Rainbow had a glimmer of satisfaction coming through the dejection within her as she stepped back to update him. Aurora let his magic fade and relaxed, waiting to see which way this was going to go.

"Report, the yaks second line was caught up by our unicorn's attacks. We nailed a lot of them and the remainder have been stopped in their tracks!" She declared, her boundless enthusiasm for a challenge surfacing again. Considering that historically this battle had been a straight defeat for ponykind, Aurora couldn't help but share the feeling.

"Good work captain, cease striking with the unicorns but keep them in place to recover, send all pegasi at the disorientated line and then hit the main force from behind once they rout. Oh and tighten up the earth pony lines, we don't need undue casualties now."

He'd done all he needed to do, all that was left was to update his pieces and wait until Cipher decided enough was enough. Several minutes later he made the call that victory had gone to Aurora's team. Aurora got up and stretched, finally free to move from his table, satisfied in his work as he trotted round to the main table and shook hooves with Flare. The matchup had been a little unfair in terms of ability but so was warfare in general, all the same he hoped for a chance to face either Flash or Cipher in this exercise someday.

"Sixty nine percent casualties for the ponies, eighty two for the yaks. A lot to think about for both sides." Cipher started. The rest of his words were lost on Aurora, who immediately looked at the main table to see the overall battlefield for the first time. How had he been so careless as to not ask for damage reports on his side? It had shown too, his earth pony line had held but only by the skin of their teeth. It was part of his role to have as much information as possible and the captains were only supposed to tell him of losses if a unit had broken or been destroyed. He simply shook his head slightly, that familiar frustration starting to rear its ugly head inside him again.

"Private, were you listening?"

"Oh err," He looked back round quickly at Cipher's words, everypony else looking at him as well. "...No, sir."

"Hmmm," Cipher replied simply, his expression remaining stoic as he looked up at the clock over the door. "Alright everypony, we're getting our first look at our gear today. Everything's in place at the Institute already, I want to see everypony at the main lobby there in twenty minutes. Dismissed."

As the rest of the team filed out, Aurora hung back for a few moments, clenching his eyes shut and taking deep breaths to try and keep himself from boiling over again. He'd just finished an exercise at the top, a rare occurrence at the best of times and not even so much as a 'well done'. He didn't understand why, especially when Cipher had been so supportive of him in the past. For now, he managed to condense his feelings into a frown and followed the others out. He just had to try harder, give them a real reason to approve...Assuming he could even come close to this performance in any other area. His expression dropped again at that realisation, the anger of before giving way to crushing realisation.

'It never will be enough.'

Cipher took a moment to compose himself as he arrived at the Canterlot Institute of Development, the heart of Equestria's research and development efforts for a better future. All built in shining white stone with gold accents that matched the rest of the more regal aspects of the city, this particular brainchild of Princess Twilight had already had already been credited with hundreds of advances in just about every field over the last twelve years. Unsurprisingly, this had also included working with the defence force, designing new armour and equipment to be used in the protection of their homeland. As he passed by the guards at the main gate, his thoughts wandered to his teammates.

He couldn't deny that he was proud of how every one of them was doing so far. The likes of Bulwark and Flash Sentry were almost as focused military stallions as he was, yet they were both doing their best to help the less adjusted ponies fit in with the higher demands of special forces work. Rainbow Dash was, well, doing exactly what he'd expected of her, relishing the challenge while making sure nopony was getting overwhelmed in any area, even through her current personal issues. This had proven invaluable for Water Flare, considering her psych report. He wouldn't have even considered taking her on without Rainbow, but now she was arguably the most driven pony he'd worked with in years. Healing Wave was still more antisocial than he would have liked but after finding some common ground with Aurora she was opening up at last and her fighting skills were now passable. Speaking of Aurora...

Cipher stopped just outside the main doors, hesitating as he thought about his seventh pony. Despite what background as a prince would have implied, he'd started strong, better than expected and still keeping pace with the others. He wasn't blind though, he could see the pressure was starting to get to the unicorn. It hadn't helped that he had decided to start being firmer right before what had happened with Gaia's team. It had seemed a necessity at the time. Having a mother like the Princess of Love would make any pony struggle to be confrontational, that needed to be worn away slightly if he was going to be able to fight like the others.

Yet trying to switch tactics now would likely confuse Aurora more than help him. Cipher made a decision on the spot, he couldn't ease up yet but he could help Aurora find other ways to vent, from the practical ways like therapy to more...carnal methods. Ponies had a lot of leeway in how they could de-stress themselves, within the boundaries of the law of course. Tomorrow he'd put time aside for that, today he had a meeting to focus on.

Pushing the doors open, he stepped into the spacious, yet surprisingly welcoming lobby of the Institute. The other members of Task Force Harmony were waiting off to one side, though before they could move to attention at his arrival he motioned for them to relax and follow him. He glanced up at the markers that directed to the other buildings in the complex and what they were working on, seeing what had changed since his last visit here. Everything still looked as it had been and he looked back down as he came to the front desk, manned by a lime green earth stallion that had perked up upon his arrival.

"Afternoon, Trail Tracker." Cipher said as he stopped at the desk. Trail promptly saluted in response.

"Greetings, colonel. You're all already cleared to head to special projects, the chiefs waiting for you there."

"Alright, thanks. Let's go everypony."

Cipher looked back at the others as they followed him deeper into the building. Although all of them were keeping relatively close, he noticed Aurora was lagging behind slightly, his hoofsteps more lethargic than usual. It wasn't enough to be worth drawing attention to right now, but it reinforced his thoughts from before and dulled his mood slightly. The next few minutes were silent as they passed through the main building into one of the secondary parts of the complex. The special projects building was slightly smaller than the other buildings around it and upon entering all they had to see was a hallway than ran ten feet to their right, at the other end of which was another doorway with a pony standing by it.

"Cipher! Welcome to the special branch." They said as he came in, the smile coming back to him as he recognised the voice. A pale yellow unicorn mare with bushy eyebrows, a reddish mane with a two toned purple streak done into a ponytail, deep purple eyes and cutie mark of a purple crescent moon with three stars. Though he was used to seeing her with thick glasses and a lab coat on, today she had done away with any clothing and the glasses had been replaced by a set of goggles that were strapped on behind her mane. It wasn't the kind of look expected from the chief director of the Institute.

"Hey, chief," He replied flatly, before chuckling and trotting up, giving her a good natured hug that she returned in kind. "Seriously though, how've you been, Moondancer? Not using the glasses today?"

"Well the goggles are prescription too, plus it's easier than constantly having to readjust my glasses during important work," Moondancer replied, looking over at the others. "I'd ask how you're doing but I can just look at this, your own private army."

"My team," He reaffirmed. "And we're all curious as to what you've been prepping for us. Princess Luna said she wanted to let you reveal it yourself when she told me."

"I'll have to thank her for that." She commented happily as she turned to the door and placed her hoof on the center, twisting it. Despite looking completely normal, he knew that there was a number of locks built into the door and it had been enchanted to hide them.

Cipher couldn't help but give a small smile at how perky Moondancer was, her attitude refreshing right now. Once the locks were undone she opened the door up and lead them into the next hallway, identically bland like the first one, seven or eight doors spread out along its length. Each one likely protected like the first had been with due to being top-secret, probably five ponies at most what projects lay behind them. Once they reached the second door on the left she stopped and unlocked it, the sequence she needed committed to memory. Everypony filed in and took in the sight before them while she closed the door behind them.

"Fillies and gentlecolts," Moondancer said as she finished that and stepped up in front of them. "Presenting, the Harmony-Class Special Armour Set, Mark One. But I tend to just call it the Spec Armour."

The room itself looked like a cross between a research lab and a workshop, though it was the item at the center of the room that caught everypony's attention. Stood fitted to a mannequin in the center of the room was their new armour. Compared to standard protection of the Royal Guard, which was typically made of painted steel plates and allowed the wearer to remain identifiable, this was mostly black and made of an unknown material with hundreds of smaller pieces expertly woven together to maintain flexibility despite covering the entire body, stopping at the bottom of the neck. The helmet was a more standard, solid piece of the same material, aside from the ears which also had the flexible design, along with a reflective visor over the eyes and a full mouthplate with a latch to unhook it on the left cheek. The left shoulder was the only piece with any colour, the winged, hilted horn emblem of the EDF engraved there.

"Huh, interesting." Healing Wave commented, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Not sure if it's what I thought it'd look like." Water Flare added.

"It looks kind of snug." Bulwark remarked, getting a humoured look from Cipher.

"Yes, well, this particular suit was modelled based on Sergeant Flare's measurements," Moondancer interjected, making Flare blush slightly considering how small it was. "Each of you will have custom made pieces of armour, but this is the most basic variant that has everything the others will."

"Well it looks and sounds good so far. What are the specifications?" Cipher asked, stepping forward and circling the mannequin.

"The body has three layers," Moondancer sounded more eager than before as she moved in to point out what she was talking about. "First is a cotton body glove for comfort and warmth that covers your body up to the top of the neck. Second is a rubber layer that covers the same area for insulation, coupled with a few enchantments for durability and flexibility. These two layers cover every part of the body, including the tail and in the case of Lieutenant Sentry and Captain Dash, the wings. It won't impair flight but it is a bit of a weak spot."

"Are you sure we can go all out in this?" Rainbow asked as she hovered over and studied the back pieces up close, more out of curiosity than actually questioning it. Unsurprisingly, Moondancer was more eager to explain than annoyed by the interruption.

"We consulted with some of Equestria's finest fliers to make sure every aspect of the wings could perform at maximum efficiency while covered up. You probably know one or two of them. But yes, we couldn't extend the third layer over the wings without seriously impairing mobility." This seemed to be enough and with a small glint of dawning recognition in her eyes, Rainbow nodded and backed off.

"Alright, so what's the third layer?"

"The third is composed of a thin layer of carbonado, very tough mineral and highly resistant to magic. Even this much can shrug off an attack by a regular unicorn with no more than a scratch. We mimicked a snake scale pattern to keep it flexible."

"We're lucky we can use this much now," Cipher explained. "We've had to rely on limited imports from the Mintoris Islands for years, until fresh deposits were found in the Crystal Mountains several years ago."

"Good thing Queen Cadance is willing to trade." Flash commented.

"Agreed, the uses we've found for it are incredible," Moondancer said as she continued her presentation. "Which brings me to the helmet. Aside from sporting armour three times thicker than the body, closer to the standard used by the guards, it also carries a few more surprises that can only be done with such a mineral. I could go into how we separated the magic that's now contained in here, but the short version is we managed to weave a number of communication spells into your helmets, contained by the carbonado, powered by your inherent magic with only a minimal drain on it and allowing you to talk to linked spells, like in the other helmets, at ranges of up to eighty feet. We're still working on integrating a method of disguising your voices into the mouthplates but I'm confident mark one point one will be ready for your first deployment."

"So...How are we going to be able to use our magic?" Aurora piped up from the back of the group, though he still sounded somewhat disinterested.

Though Moondancer went straight into a fresh explanation, something about different materials and more space around the horn to prevent magic impairment, Cipher wasn't really listening at this moment. His gaze was back at Aurora, unable to hide the sadness in his eyes. The younger stallion seemed to have been so relaxed during their earlier exercise, yet now he was looking like he didn't expect to be here tomorrow. That was the thing that tugged at the colonel's heart, he knew how to reach all of his teammates when they needed him, except for one. He needed to find what would help fix the kid. And soon.

Author's Note

Ever heard of Time Commanders? Wonderful show, though a lot harder to mimic without electricity.

Chapter 10 - One of Us

March 2nd

The skies were finally clear. Winter had passed in its entirety, the snow had been removed by both magic and mundane means and a warm spring had begun in earnest. Canterlot was making the most of the season with several dry days at the perfect temperature for everypony. A positive side effect that only pegasi could appreciate was that spring brought more thermal currents into the air, making it a lot easier to simply spread their wings and glide to wherever the winds may take them. For Rainbow Dash, she was simply making the most of them to lazily circle over the city and have a few minutes to herself.

Even she needed the time off right now. Though her family issues had lessened, the increased pressure within the EDF was more than making up for it. Cipher had said that he felt everypony was close to being ready for deployment, which meant training had been intensified again over the last few days. She could understand it though, in a way she was going up against the same scale of threats she had faced back in her younger days, when the Elements of Harmony had been the country's first and last line of defence. If Task Force Harmony had existed during the changeling invasion of the city below her, they probably would have been sent against the bugs in some capacity before it reached Canterlot.

They'd probably be involved in dealing with some of the larger scale monsters too, which still roamed the fringes of Equestria and occasionally moved deeper. Still, she wasn't quite the same mare as she had been back then and these few minutes to simply reflect and relax, high above the troubles of the world, had been needed more than she realised. She knew she wasn't the only one who needed such breaks as well.

After all, she'd got the idea for this from seeing Flash Sentry do it.

Rainbow's wings folded in slightly and she began to drop altitude, skimming a small cloud as she did. Another round of combat analysis was set to start soon and if she timed it right, she could land straight in the training grounds. Her eyes scanned over the city, checking that everything was calm on the ground and in the air. It was mid-morning and the streets were filled with shoppers and tourists, though everywhere Rainbow looked she could tell that everything was going well for everypony. As her gaze moved back to the defence force headquarters though, something new caught her eye. A glint on the roof, something reflecting the rays of Celestia's sun that hadn't been there the last time she'd looked.

Curiosity rose within her and she dropped faster, heading for the launch pad since it was on the same part of the roof. She landed quickly and looked over at the former glimmer, realising now that it was a small shield spell. Sitting in the center of it was Aurora, staring out over the city and onto the grassland that lay to the southwest, the silhouette of Ponyville just visible in the distance. Rainbow stretched her legs slightly as she stepped onto the roof and over to the shield. What little she'd read about this kind of magic, it was safe to make physical contact with the spell. With that knowledge, she gently tapped on the shield, silently thankful not to see her hoof melt or anything. It had the intended effect though as Aurora looked round at her and let his magic fade.

"Hey kid. What're you doing up here?" Rainbow asked as soon as she could step closer.

"Just trying to be alone with my thoughts." He replied simply, though his body language became more relaxed in her presence. She sat down next to him, looking out over the same view, her eyes briefly locking on the spot she knew her home was, just out of sight.

"Yeah, we all need some time like that right now. We're this close to being a full special forces team now, but we can't afford to burn out."

"Easier for you, you get a good word every so often," Aurora replied, his voice colder than she'd ever heard it before. Almost as soon as he'd said it, he tensed up and looked away. The comment hung awkwardly between them for several seconds before he sighed and looked back at his teammate. "Rainbow Dash, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, you can ask me anything." Rainbow replied, shifting in place to get more comfortable. Aurora took a few breaths, as if summoning the courage to get his thoughts out of his head, before looking straight at her.

"Do you think I should be part of Task Force Harmony?"

"...What?" She couldn't think of what else she could say right now. The look in his eye was enough to tell her that he was serious about the question though. There had to be some underlying reason for it, even if he'd been frazzled lately it hadn't seemed enough to warrant such a question being asked. She decided to try and go for the tactful approach. "What's brought this on? You know you can talk to me."

"Well, errm. You, you promise not to talk to anypony else about it?"

"Hey, talking to the Element of Loyalty, remember? You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt my friends." Rainbow told him reassuringly, giving a good-natured nudge with her elbow. Aurora glanced over at her and managed a small chuckle, relaxing slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah that's true," He commented as he lay down, dangling his front hooves over the edge of the rooftop. "Okay, so, the thing is...I, don't know well I'm fitting in, or how the commander thinks of me. I kept track of how many times he gave any of us positive reinforcement over the last week. Even Bulwark was praised twice and he had a really bad patch, yet one pony didn't get so much as a well done. Me."

Rainbow looked down slightly as she thought it over. He had a point, she couldn't remember the last time Cipher had praised the younger unicorn. Well, she could, but he hadn't seemed to have registered it at the time. Beyond that though, even during the screwups the others made Cipher had tried to be reassuring. As for why, she couldn't answer that. If nothing else, she could try and cheer him up while she was here. When he glanced down awaiting a response, she put a wing out and wrapped it round his side.

"That does sound odd, can't deny that. I can tell you though, that there are more ponies on the team that want you here than there are that don't. Water Flare really likes you for starters, sees you as a fun stallion with a good heart. She told me as such and I've no reason to doubt her, she looks up to me with as much reverence as she would Princess Celestia. Bulwark and Flash Sentry, they know a hard worker when they see one and we've all seen you outperforming us in tactics and magic. They've got your back too. Healing Wave, she's told you her thoughts herself. As for me, would I be trying to help you out if I didn't want you hanging around? Cipher's the only pony I can't speak for, but you've got a lot of friends who would want to fight alongside you any day."

Aurora slowly looked down at the wing around him, then back up at Rainbow, his eyes paling and his horn glowing as he felt for authenticity. Rainbow didn't even blink at it anymore, she knew he only needed a second to tell she'd been speaking from the heart. Compared to the drained, worn down look he'd been wearing before, once his magic faded there was a more focused air around him, a picture of determination.

"Thanks, Dash. I appreciate the vote of confidence," He replied simply, though more positively. With that done, he got up and made for the door back inside, his walk quicker than she'd expected. "Alright. Training starts soon, we'd better get moving."

"What're you gonna do?" Rainbow asked as she got up. She'd seen this kind of response enough times to know that something was wrong. Aurora stopped and looked back at her with a grin that he held for a little too long to be natural.

"I've just gonna show Cipher I'm good enough to be here."

Training began in earnest and Aurora found himself pitted against Water Flare again. The last time they had come together, the two of them had managed to keep going in hoof to hoof combat for a good ten minutes before both sides had tired out and a draw had been called. Everypony watching had a sense that there was going to be a clear winner this time though. Compared to his usual defensive, somewhat reluctant fighting style, Aurora was displaying far more aggression than anypony thought possible from the young prince. Cipher watched from the sidelines, pacing and occasionally barking out input. The others watched as well, feeling oddly uneasy at seeing their youngest teammate doing his best to, for lack of a better term, kick the crap out of Flare without remorse.

"Flow! I gave you that nickname because you keep moving, anticipate his movements and use your weight shifts!" Cipher shouted to Flare, silently gauging her reaction to the added pressure. To his silent satisfaction, she was managing to keep her composure in the face of everything being thrown at her, compared to the old Flare who likely would have been overwhelmed quickly in this situation. She was still having a hard time though, constantly stepping back and throwing parries to try and stave off the onslaught.

On the other side, Aurora was silent as he advanced again, using everything he'd learned to press the advantage. His movements were rapid, constantly shifting his position and closing down his opponent, leaving her open to his flurries of punches and body presses, sometimes even spinning round and outright bucking at Flare. Even so, every so often he'd sneak a glance sideways, always looking at Cipher and always getting the same stone-faced expression in response, which only drove him to up to up the ante further. As always, a number of other soldiers had gathered to watch, though many of them also seemed uneasy at what was coming across as less a training duel and more a massive outpouring of pent up frustration.

"What'd you think's wrong?" Flash commented to the others, never taking his eyes off the action, the look in them clearly showing he considered this a class action on how not to fight.

"He's trying too hard," Rainbow answered simply, getting some quizzical looks from the others. "Aurora's trying to prove himself to Cipher, though I'm not sure where he got the idea that this was the right way to do so." Even as she said it, Aurora pushed himself against Flare in an attempt to overbalance her, his horn barely missing her face. Unlike his first time he'd weaponized the appendage though, he had clearly been attempting to stab her.

"Poor kid. I know how that feels." Bulwark commented simply, though he didn't elaborate.

As their attention turned back to the fight, Water Flare finally managed to find an opening, twisting around Aurora's latest attack and bringing her right hoof up to hit him in the stomach before starting to move backward while he recoiled. Even as the blow made him stagger slightly, Aurora kept his focus on Flare and his horn lit up, the white aura appearing around the same leg that had struck him and locking it in place. With Flare stuck in place and fruitlessly attempting to get herself free, he rushed back up and swept her free front leg out from under her. His hoof went to her shoulder and he bore his weight down as his magic faded, leaving him free to slam her into the ground hard enough to wind the mare. With the finishing blow dealt, Aurora straightened up and waited for Cipher's evaluation.

"Aurora! I explicitly said this was a no magic engagement!" Cipher shouted as he stepped onto the field, watching the younger stallion scowl and turn away. "You can't just disregard everything you've been taught out of emotion, an opponent fighting to kill would have torn you apart for that performance! How do you expect to be able to defend anypony like that?"

"Like..." Aurora had his back to Cipher, staying tensed in place. The look on his face had shifted again, making one or two of the watching ponies in front of him take a step back and for Flare to quickly pull herself away. His horn flared to life again as he started to swing around to face his commander, though before he completed the movement there was a flash and he teleported to straight in front of him with a shout. "THIS!"

He used the momentum of the turn to swing his hoof up and before anypony could react, he slugged Cipher square in the left side of his face with all his strength. The blow was hard enough to knock the earth pony clean off his hooves and down to the ground with a crash. For several seconds the only sound in the grounds came from Aurora's panting, then he stopped and froze when he realised that Cipher wasn't getting up, or even moving. Everypony else had had similar reactions, several of them with dropped jaws. Healing Wave was the first to move, running out to check on Cipher, followed closely by the rest of the team.

"Well, didn't see that coming." Wave muttered as she started working. Cipher didn't look too good, still breathing but otherwise unmoving and with quite a bit of blood running from his mouth.

"What ha...Oh. Oh sweet Celestia..." Flare said with shock as she made it over, still getting her breath back as she stared at Aurora in surprise.

"Don't freak out, he's still alive," Wave clarified as she put her magic to work. "He's only been knocked out, might be missing a few teeth though." Even as she said it, Cipher started to stir again, opening his eye slightly and slowly letting his mind catch up with his body over what happened.

Aurora blinked slowly and looked down at his hoof, realising it was shaking slightly. It was only just sinking in, but he had crossed the line. He'd struck a superior in anger, with no justification. The shaking got worse, worry flooding him as he wondered just had badly he was going to be punished for this. Being kicked off the team would probably be getting off lightly, that was all he could think of right now. As he looked up again, Cipher was already getting himself back up into a sitting position, wiping the blood off his face as Wave started to see if he still had all his teeth in. The silence hung between them all, everypony wondering just what was going to happen next.

"Six years in the Royal Guard, sixteen in the EDF, up against the toughest things this world can throw at me. And I get taken down by a colt who got thrown in with the big guns," Cipher said before looking over at Aurora and smiling a genuine, if slightly bloodied, smile. "I'm proud of you."

"S-sir?" Aurora replied, caught off guard. After so much blood, sweat and tears getting here again, the rush of relief that he didn't seem to be in trouble hit him so quickly that he found himself speaking without thinking. "You err, you sure you're still alive, buddy?"

"Thats..." Cipher stared at him for a second before laughing, a genuinely-found-that-funny kind of laugh that made everypony present look at him in a mix of surprise and disbelief. "You butchered the phrasing but, I think I'm going to keep that as my nickname just for that. Glad to see you've still got that soul in you after all, think that's your nickname settled as well."

"So, you're not mad about that hit?" Flash said, asking out loud what everypony had been silently wondering.

"Well, can't say I approve of a low blow like that, but I'm not mad at you. It's kind of my fault in the first place," Cipher waited for Wave to finish her check before standing up, looking at Aurora apologetically. "I thought I needed to press you a little harder than the others, help you catch up, be able to fight like the rest of us. I know it's not so much in your nature and I've seen you only go all out when protecting those you care about, but I thought I could do it. I nearly broke you instead, thinking I couldn't back out once I'd started. A leader shouldn't force his stallions to bend so hard and, for doing that to you, I'm sorry."

"I err, ah," Aurora looked round at the others, gauging their reactions. None of them seemed angry, or even annoyed, at either of them, mostly they were still trying to process this the same as he was. "N-no worries. I'm sorry for...err. Healing Wave? How bad was it?"

"Not as bad as you fear," Wave replied, flashing a reassuring grin. "Sure you probably knocked every filling the boss has loose and could have done a lot more damage had you hit his lower jaw but...It's honestly not serious, but I'd say get a second opinion at the infirmary just to be safe."

"Yeah. Sorry for, all of that." Aurora grinned sheepishly, to which Cipher simply nodded and motioned for everypony to follow him back toward the barracks, looking back at them with a smile.

"Alright everypony, I think you've earned the rest of the day off. Dismissed." He told them before making his own way through the headquarters, headed for the command center. Part way there he saw a silver unicorn mare with a sash on her body. A messenger attached to the Logistics Branch, perfect, they could get what he wanted done while he got checked over. He walked up and placed a hoof on her shoulder, waiting for her to turn and salute him before nodding.

"Relay the following to the generals and the supreme commander please; Assessments complete, Colonel Cipher reports Task Force Harmony ready for deployment."

Author's Note

Sorry if this chapter feels kinda rough, editing was weaker than usual, blame my mood after having birthday plans fall through on the day before it. I'm not excusing my ineptitude, just providing context.

Chapter 12 - Beaten, Broken and Burned

The sudden shift from the warm but confined interior of the EDF headquarters to the vast nothingness of a desert dune left several members of the team momentarily disorientated. Aurora was used to the sensation of environmental change that came with teleportation and found himself more affected by the cold that came from the cloudless night, thankfully somewhat mitigated by his armour. As soon as everypony had regained their bearings they dropped into a crouch and took stock of the situation. As Luna had said, they had been placed in a relatively open patch of the sandy wastes, far from any mapped civilization. Their target couldn't be more than a few hundred feet away though. Facing down two powerful rogue ponies and attempting to rescue any number of civilians in the process. As tough as it sounded, everypony knew there was a good chance that this was going to be a normal job for them now. There was no room for error.

"Soul, do you feel anypony in the area?" Cipher asked quietly, his voice coming out in the same modified version as it had in the armoury. Aurora focused for several seconds, though for the others the only sign of life coming from him was a white glow from the exposed tip of his horn.

"Yes, a few," He answered after a few moments, his voice coming out the same as Cipher's had. "Straight ahead and down. We're on the right...Something's wrong. I just felt a lot of fear from somepony down there, even from this distance."

"There's more than that." Bulwark commented, pointing up into the sky. Several of the others followed his gaze, initially seeing nothing but a typical starlit sky. The focus of his point became clear quickly though, the moon. Normally a shining beacon of peace and light amidst the inky blackness of space that surrounded it, right now it was shrouded, partially hidden by rising smoke that was briefly illuminated by the moon before being lost to sight again.

"Is it too much to hope it's just an outdoor campfire?" Water Flare commented, less a joke and more thinking of a different angle to what could be causing it.

"I doubt there'd be enough space for one that big, considering how the compound looked," Flash Sentry replied. "More likely a full blown fire. I hate to say it sir, but this could be our chance to get a good look at the ponies present down there while they're focused elsewhere." Cipher looked back at that suggestion and nodded.

"Good point. Crash, Flow, take point and move up until you can see what's happening. We'll follow closely and get a situation update from there."

Rainbow Dash nodded and motioned for Flare to stick close as they advanced up the dune ahead, keeping their movements fast but quiet, shadows in the night. In spite of the situation they were advancing toward, Cipher couldn't help but give a small smile of satisfaction on seeing the two performing the maneuverer so well, especially the energetic but twitchy Water Flare. The rest of the team followed with the same low movement as they made their way to the top of the dune and were almost out of sight over its peak before they stopped. Both of them hesitated for several seconds before Rainbow motioned for everypony to move up. The others caught up to them quickly and stopped as well. They were standing on the top of the cliff that made up one wall of the compound, only thirty feet high but enough to provide protection against the sun and wind. Their attention was focused on the sight below them though, if the mouthplates allowed for it a number of jaws would have dropped.

The pristine, methodical layout they had been expecting for the compound looked more like an active warzone. Many of the houses along all three rows were damaged in some capacity, some of those had been devastated or gutted by fires and a small number had outright collapsed already. The only constant among them were tell tale signs of the primary damage being done by magic attacks. The surrounding wall wasn't in much better condition, a hole twenty feet across had been blown open in the section to their left, while the longer wall across from their position was a raging inferno. The whole wall was also marked with scorches and holes punched through by beams of magic, as well as a conspicuous pony sized hole smashed open near the main fire. Overall, the whole site looked like an angry alicorn had gone through it already.

"Sweet Celestia..." Flash Sentry breathed, finding his voice after taking it in.

"Holy..." Flare added, biting her tongue before she let another s-bomb fly.

"Is there anypony even alive in there?" Rainbow asked, looking over at Aurora. The minimal glow told them he was still looking for an answer.

"Down there." He replied with a small sense of relief, pointing beyond the compound. Everypony looked that way to see the silhouettes of a number of figures on a dune, illuminated by the flames. Even from the little they could see, some of them seemed to be in a bad way, two of them seemingly lying immobile.

"Crash, check it out. Zippy, Soul, be ready to move in." Cipher ordered.

Rainbow's wings shot out and she took off, kicking up sand around the others as she passed over the compound, riding the thermals of the fire to glide into an easy touchdown in front of the mysterious group. The others watched and waited silently, praying they would be able to make some headway in uncovering what happened here. After several seconds, Cipher's ears twitched as Rainbow's voice came in through the web of magic Moondancer had weaved into the helmets. This time it came through in her normal voice, which was a small mercy as it also came in a bit too loudly, as if she had her muzzle was only a foot away from his ears.

"Commander, it's them. Still need to verify but it looks like just about everypony on the list." She said, causing him to crack a proper smile. He'd seen the missing pony lists recently and from the sound of it, they were about to bring a lot of relief to a lot of ponies if she was right.

"Are either of the targets among them?" He asked, the smile fading as he waited for an answer. He knew the pause was from Rainbow checking the crowd over but it did nothing to allay his fears of who might be there.

"Yes sir, suspected target is here but was incapacitated before arrival," Rainbow's voice was sharper and more urgent now. "Get Stable down here double time, we've got multiple wounded civilians."

"Do you recognise any of the ponies there, the target?" Mentally, he was kicking himself for prioritising that over the bigger situation but the thought had come before he could stop himself.

"Actually, I do recognise three of them, target included."

"Alright, do what you can for them. We'll come to you and plan our next action from there."

"Yes sir, will standby here. Out."

Cipher shook his head slightly as he tried to regain his focus. Three recognisable ponies didn't help him much but the target being one of them? He allowed himself to shunt the train of thought he'd had off to the back of his mind for now, reasoning that if Rainbow recognised them, it was more likely to be Starlight Glimmer. That was that, now to resume what he was supposed to be doing. At least the others had heard what was happening as well, the magic didn't differentiate between who it was meant to be for.

"Okay, you all heard what we have waiting for us," He told the others, looking at each of them. "Soul, get down there pronto and see what you can do. Zippy, transport Stable over there for field treatment. Wall, Flow, we're going to have to take the long way. Move out!"

Rainbow Dash felt the magic carrying her words to Cipher fade as she stopped focusing on it and looked back toward the assembled ponies. Considering the destruction that had occurred at the compound before they arrived, she wasn't surprised to see that nopony present was completely unscathed. At least a dozen were badly injured, three of those seemingly unable to stand without support. Another, the one closest to where she'd landed, lay unconscious, her coat singed in places and revealing a number of cuts and bruises underneath it. The most striking thing about them though was their identity. No doubt about it, it was Starlight Glimmer, already defeated before the team had arrived. Though given who the three earth pony mares just behind her were, maybe it wasn't so surprising.

Sitting on the left of the trio was a sapphire blue mare with tired but focused saffron eyes, a platinum grey mane that had been cut short, about halfway up her forehead, and a black peace symbol for a cutie mark. There were little details in her stance, even from her current position, that clearly showed Rainbow's trained eye that she had EDF training and likely had or was serving in some capacity. If the scout that had been mentioned was still alive, odds were this was her.

The mare in the middle was more familiar but in the worst shape by far, pale yellow of coat with an amaranth mane and tail, orange eyes and a saw cutie mark, as well as a sky blue neckerchief for an accessory. Rainbow remembered her easily enough, it was hard to forget a girl like Apple Bloom after all. She seemed very weak though, to the point that she needed to use another pony as a crutch just to sit up. Her front right ankle was a mess as well, looking painfully dislocated with a patch of freshly burned fur and skin the size of her pupil on the front of it that exposed a older scar running across the same spot. Whatever she'd been through, it hadn't been pretty.

The third pony, the one that was acting as Apple Bloom's crutch right now, was even more recognisable. Pink, pink and more pink with some light blue for her eyes and blue and yellow on her cutie mark. Her presence explained a lot about how this had happened to Rainbow. When a pony like Pinkie Pie was present, literally anything was possible.

Right now though, what was more important was keeping the situation calm. She had no idea what any of these ponies had gone through but of those she could see from the group that had to number in the dozens, many of them were badly rattled and her appearance probably wasn't helping matters at all. Even Pinkie was looking wary about her and that would never do. Rainbow reached to the latch for her mouthplate and undid it, letting the piece swing open. There wasn't any immediate danger here and a recognisable, friendly, and visible face would likely help them relax. Her hooves went up to her helmet and she pulled it off with minimal resistance, giving them a moment to recognise her in the light provided by the fires. To her silent relief, everypony that could see her looked thankful for her presence now.

"Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie exclaimed, that old familiar grin coming back to her face.

"Oh! Second Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, Ma'am!" The blue mare said as she scrambled to her hooves and managed a salute. "Specialist Peace Walker, Recon Corps."

"At ease kid, "Rainbow replied with a small chuckle, partly from Peace Walker's immediate attempt to sound professional and partly because from her voice, she was likely in her thirties as well. "I'm guessing you're the missing scout we were told had been out here."

"What're you doing out here, Dashie?" Pinkie asked before Peace could answer, cutting in like always. It was impossible for anypony to get annoyed at her for it though. Rainbow allowed herself to smile more as a momentary flash went off behind her, knowing without needing to look that Aurora had arrived on the scene.

"Originally, we were sent to save your flanks. Now, looks like we're getting you all out of here," She paused for a moment as an afterthought came to her. "How did you two end up involved in this anyway?"

"Very long story." Apple Bloom answered, giving a small chuckle that quickly broke into a cough.

"About six months and twenty-four chapters long." Pinkie clarified, moving to support Bloom more and holding her close. Rainbow knew she didn't have time to question it, or correct Peace getting her rank wrong for that matter. Right now she had to direct things until Cipher reached the scene.

"Soul, take your helmet off and start tending to the injured as best you can." She instructed. Aurora simply nodded and did so, placing his helmet on his back and moving to provide what aid he could.

Rainbow looked back and unclipped her bag, fetching out the magic suppressor, though really it was just a cone of metal. It did what it had to though, fitted around a horn tightly to prevent any channelling or activation of magic. She quickly stepped forward and fitted it to the horn of the still out cold Starlight, following up with attaching the restrains, regular hoofcuffs, to her front left and rear right legs. That took care of the main lingering threat at least. A few moments later, Flash landed nearby with Wave in his grip. Even behind her helmet it was clear she didn't look happy about having to make the trip that way, no matter how much quicker it was. Rainbow relayed the same orders she had to Aurora and moved on to getting Pinkie and Peace's accounts of what had happened in the compound.

Several minutes later, Cipher, Bulwark and Water Flare arrived, still sounding in good shape considering how far they'd had to run. By now the situation was completely under control. Wave had managed to tend to a number of the injured, though it was clear that the worst cases required hospitalisation. Starlight was still out cold and completely restrained, whatever had hit her must have had some serious punch behind it. Aurora had done his best to help Wave out, while Rainbow and Flash had alternated between hearing what the rescued ponies had to say and keeping them calm. On seeing her commander's arrival, Rainbow made her way over to update him.

"Boss," She started before realising that he was probably wondering why she'd taken her helmet off. One of the downsides of the helmets was that you had no idea of the wearer's expressions. "We had a lot of scared ponies in a non combat zone and the armour isn't exactly reassuring."

"Fair point," Cipher replied simply. "What's the situation?"

"Starlight Glimmer is detained," She stepped aside to let them see the unicorn. "Though from what we could gather, most of the her actions here were being managed by her accomplice; Sunset Shimmer."

"I feared as much." Cipher hesitated again as he said that. While nopony said anything, they were starting to get a good idea of why Luna had asked if he was capable of being out here.

"She's gone though, incapacitated Starlight and teleported out to an unknown location before we got here," Rainbow continued, ignoring the way the tension Cipher was showing bled away at that. "They had our missing scout though, and pretty much every name added to the missing pony list in the last two years. Turns out all the damage here was caused by Sunset making her power play against Starlight, and winning from the looks of her. We've got eyewitness accounts coming from Specialist Walker and ev-"

Any further explanation was halted as Bulwark practically tore his helmet off and pushed past her to get to the main group, drawing everypony's attention. The others could only watch as he gave a happy whinny before moving over to Peace Walker. The mare saw him coming and ran over as well, throwing herself into an embrace around his neck, while he settled for holding her with soft, contented look. As strange as it looked in the middle of the current situation, nopony interrupted them considering how happy they both looked.

"So that's the wife he was talking about?" Flash commented as he joined Cipher and Rainbow, taking in the scene.

"Yep. Nice to see." Flare added simply.

"Okay. Soul, over here," Cipher called to Aurora, waiting for the younger pony to come over before taking him to one side. "Teleport back to the command center and update the princess on the situation. We're going to be moving the most badly injured to Groundside University Hospital in Las Pegasus, don't be afraid to ask her for help with moving them there. Once that's done, get back here and help with the evac duties. Understood?"

"Yes sir," Aurora started to step back before Cipher motioned for him to stop.

"And, let her know what Sunset was here." He added, slightly reluctantly.

"Buddy, even I don't need my magic to tell that this Sunset Shimmer is someone you know. You want to talk about it?" Aurora hesitated after asking that, thinking he'd overstepped a mark there, before Cipher sighed slightly and looked at him, motioning to put his helmet back on.

"I'll explain during debriefing. Right now we have to focus on what we can do, and that's nothing until you update the princess. Now get going."

Aurora quickly nodded and stepped back, fitting his mouthplate again before teleporting back to Canterlot. Cipher shook his head slightly and looked back toward the remains of the compound, the fires there starting to burn themselves out. For the first time in years, he felt a pang of sadness within him at the thought of 'Sunny'. They hadn't seen each other in any serious way for too long and to meet again this way may have been more than even his experience could have prepared for. As he turned and moved to issue orders to the rest of the team, he settled on a small feeling of relief that they hadn't had to meet under such circumstances.

Nopony should have to fight against family after all.

Chapter 13 - Respite, or a Lack Thereof

April 7th

"Your daughter?!"

Cipher winced slightly as he heard those words, fearing the incoming reaction.

The rest of the mission itself had proceeded smoothly and simply once Aurora returned, now accompanied by a number of the strongest fliers in the EDF. The injured ponies had been teleported straight to Los Pegasus for treatment while the remainder were flown to the nearest guard station in the city. The following days had passed quietly as Task Force Harmony remained in Los Pegasus, keeping a recovering Starlight Glimmer under military guard until they were cleared to transport her back to Canterlot. It wasn't all bad though. Pinkie Pie had hung around as well to, as Rainbow had found out while off-duty, both keep the spirits of the rescued ponies up (as well as those of the team, mostly through cake) and stick by her marefriend, Apple Bloom.

The team debriefing they were now in had waited until after they had returned to Canterlot and passed Starlight over to a Royal Guard unit that took her to a classified holding location. While overall, Operation Spellbreaker was a success with dozens of ponies rescued and one of Equestria's most wanted caught, the inability to get there in time to catch Sunset Shimmer had soured the mood slightly. At least, up until this moment where her connection to Cipher had been revealed. Now he had six ponies staring straight at him in shock and disbelief, and he had to try and defuse the situation before any of them did something rash in response.

"Yes," He sighed, leaning against the lone desk in the room. "I don't know what happened to cause this though. Between my work here keeping me busy and her place as Princess Celestia's pupil, I haven't been able to talk to her properly in years. I only learned she'd gone rogue from the princess herself, because we both knew there was a real chance I would have to spearhead an operation to capture her. I said I could do it at the time but...Honestly? I don't think I could have done much more than try to talk her down."

Cipher looked down slightly, not wanting to see the looks on the faces of his team. They had trusted him to keep them safe and he had betrayed that trust, potentially putting them at risk to try and protect the pony they were supposed to stop. After a few moment the scrape of a chair drew his attention and he looked up again to see Flash Sentry getting up and stepping closer.

"It's an understandable reaction," He told him simply. "I know how it feels to lose touch with your family like that, wanting a chance to just make everything right again."

"Yeah, nopony could hold it against you." Rainbow Dash added. Aurora, Healing Wave and Water Flare all sounded their agreement after her. Bulwark remained silent, though he didn't comment either way. Cipher watched them for a moment before realising that they genuinely were ok with his decision.

"Okay...Thanks, everypony," He told them, cracking a small smile. "Alright, Princess Luna wants us to remain here on standby for now, sounds like she may have something else in mind for us soon. In the meantime, everypony take some well-earned time to relax. Dismissed."

Two days later.

"How is she?" Water Flare asked Bulwark as the two of them stood at one of the scenic balconies built onto the north face of the EDF headquarters. Attached to a rec room on the top floor where ponies could come to unwind when need be, the view was especially calming today as a gentle spring morning spread over the plains and farmland away from Canterlot, punctuated by shimmering rainbows that came from the nearby presence of Cloudsdale.

"She's..." Bulwark sighed slightly and leaned against the railing, thinking back to the last time he'd seen Peace Walker. "Physically, she's alright. Mentally...She's been taken off active duty and is talking to psychologists at Canterlot Central Hospital."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Flare said softly, shifting slightly in place and looking away awkwardly.

"Wasn't your fault," He replied flatly. "It was Starlight Glimmer that messed her up back in the compound. I wish I knew what the bitch of Sombra did before we'd gone out there."

"Okay then," Flare took a step back at the cold look in his eye and glanced back toward the inside. "I err, don't think I'm able to help with this. I should probably get Cipher or Aurora."

"Sorry, I was just thinking out loud. I didn't mean to unnerve you," Bulwark sighed again, letting his emotion go with it, before looking back at her. "I just need to not dwell on it. Thanks though."

She nodded and the two of them made their way back inside. The rec room was large enough for over a dozen ponies to comfortably use at a time and there were several others making use of it. Furthest on the left from them was a ping pong table where Healing Wave was firmly engaged in a match against a magenta unicorn stallion with Aurora keeping score off to the side. The center of the room had a group of couches and coffee tables where ponies could chat and get a drink. Rainbow Dash was draped fully across one of the couches, though not napping for once. Instead she was occasionally chiming in on a conversation between Cipher, Flash Sentry and Gaia, who was looking a lot more relaxed than the last time she'd been around the team. The rest of her team were settled in a reading area that took up the remaining space on the right of the room.

Flare watched as Bulwark went over to the bookshelves set up, likely hoping to lose himself in some form of study for a few minutes at least. She decided he would probably do better without her hanging around and trotted over to where Rainbow was lying. On seeing her coming, Dash shifted upright to give her sitting space, space that was eagerly taken as Flare flopped down on her back, looking up at the ceiling. For several minutes nothing was said between them, both sensing that something was nagging at her and she needed to work out how to say it.

"Captain, can I ask you something?" She eventually said, sounding lost in thought and still looking up at the ceiling. Rainbow looked over at her friend, doing her best to hide the warning bells brought on by her choice of words. Water Flare heroine worshipped her, she'd never be so formal if she was actually thinking about it.

"Sure."

"You probably get this a lot but, how do you do it?" Flare rolled her head back so she could look at Rainbow clearly, if upside down. "Nightmare Moon, Discord, Dragons, Sombra, Chrysalis, Ahuizotl, Tirek, Starlight Glimmer. You've faced down more Equestria ending threats than many ponies know ever existed, but you're still as tough as you were twenty years ago. Meanwhile we face one that was already dealt with by the time we got there and half the task force is left mentally scarred. Seriously, what's your secret?"

The way Flare's voice slowly shifted back toward its more energetic norm told Rainbow that this wasn't just seeking advice or comfort. She was curious about how a pony she deeply respected was able to keep summoning the strength to stand and fight when the fate of the world was at stake. She thought for a minute before motioning for Flare to sit up straight and leaning back into her seat.

"Honestly? My secret wouldn't work for a lot of ponies, you included. I know you're still not brilliant under pressure," She admitted, waiting while Flare nodded and rubbed her leg. "But it doesn't make me any better than anypony here. I've been scared in those situations too, I've felt like I failed at a time when I couldn't afford to, I've had moments where I was literally fighting for my life. It's gonna sound really cheesy but, what kept me going through all was something that that you can do too, was thinking about everypony that mattered to me. In your case, your parents, your husband, your friends back home. Don't think of them counting on you succeeding, because odds are they'll never know what you're doing. They're still behind you though, subconciously giving you strength."

"Hmm," Flare looked down in thought again, though at least now she didn't look quite so down as before. "You know that those ponies include you, right?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want to sound arrogant by including myself. Besides, you just have to look at me for that reminder."

Flare nodded with a small smile, looking like she'd been reassured. Before she could respond though, a rapid knocking from the rec room door drew everypony's attention. Only messengers from the Logistics Branch knocked like that and sure enough, the door was opened by an auburn earth mare with a dark red mane, yellow eyes and an EDF sash running along her body marked with the logos of the defence force and logistics units.

"New orders from General Carbide and Supreme Commander Luna. Sniper Team, report to briefing room two. Task Force Harmony, to the contact chamber." The mare reported. Almost before she'd finished talking, eleven ponies were getting up and making their way out, Healing Wave at the back muttering about how close she'd been to winning her match.

The contact chamber was one of the oldest parts of the headquarters, constructed upon Princess Celestia's suggestion that Luna's troops have a way to contact her while she slept during the daylight hours. An underground quarters with a number of beds within it, each had been infused with Luna's magic so that ponies resting there would both sleep easier and be linked to Luna's dreams. It was a method that was used sparingly, typically only for top secret briefings or consultation with her generals, due to the extra strain on her magic and disruption to her rest. Cipher had never used it before, ponies below his rank typically didn't even know it existed. His team was an exception in this case though, considering they all had to be here.

"Alright everypony, just take a bed and relax." He said as they finished making their way into the chamber, taking in the domed design. There was no natural light down here, the room was illuminated by an ethereal glow that emanated from the ceiling, bathing a gentle blue light over everything. While nopony could say for sure, it was theorised by those that knew of the chamber that it sat beneath Luna's room in Canterlot Castle.

"Wow, shame you don't see beds like these more often." Aurora commented as he climbed into one of them, settling onto the exceptionally soft mattress. By the time he'd lay down the magic was taking effect and he came over drowsy before dropping into sleep quickly.

One by one the others did the same. Rainbow looked a lot more confident about doing this than anypony, which made sense considering she had been part of a linked dream before. Cipher waited until the others had all drifted off to sleep and made sure they were still alright before taking an empty bed and relaxing, following them almost instantly. For several moments, all was dark, then a gentle, pulsing sensation told him that everything was as it should be. As it faded, the world, or rather the dream world, came back into focus again. The rest of the team was standing with him, inside an environment that looked like the command center somewhere above them, though this one was much brighter and empty side from Princess Luna herself.

"Thank you for coming." Luna said, her voice stern and sharp as she approached them. Without her commander armour on, she looked as regular as an alicorn could, though nopony present would argue that she was any less in command of the situation.

"Of course, your highness." Cipher replied, bowing in respect, the others doing the same before straightening up quickly.

"The reason I asked for us to meet this way is because I believe your next assignment may include a danger to Equestria that has lingered over us for many decades. You and her have met before, Rainbow Dash."

"Who..." Rainbow started, thinking over all the major foes she had faced and how many of them were still at large today. She could only think of two, and one of them was a male, that only left..."Oh. I see, ma'am."

"You see, during the closing stages of Operation Spellbreaker," Luna's horn glowed and a lightly glowing illusion appeared alongside her that change as she continued, illustrating her points. "One of the ponies brought into Los Pegasus for hospital treatment displayed increasingly erratic behaviour. You were not witness to this as Starlight Gimmer was being held in a magic inflicted emergency ward and he was in a regular ward, but he repeatedly refused treatment despite multiple fractures and became increasingly agitated around unicorns. One of the nurses became suspicious that his behaviour was not just symptoms of his condition and requested local guards examine him. The stallion quickly broke under their questioning and revealed himself for what he was; a changeling."

Even within the more relaxed confines of a dream, the sudden tension of that statement was palpable. Despite the fact that the changelings hadn't been seen in force since their attempted invasion of Canterlot at the end of the Celestial Era, the Equestria Defence Force had been trained to stand against any further potential incursions. This had paid off after numerous changeling sightings in northern Equestria and the Crystal Empire were engaged and repelled over the last decade. While most of the team managed to keep their reactions in check, Aurora actually growled slightly, brow furrowed and eyes narrowed with a fire behind them.

"Easy kid, we don't know exactly what this means yet." Flash told him, holding a hoof on his shoulder.

"What else do you think it could be? It means Queen Chrysalis." Aurora replied through gritted teeth. Given his family's history with the changeling race, the others decided to let it be and waited a few seconds for him to compose himself again before Luna continued.

"It seems the changeling they encountered was both inexperienced and affected by its time under Starlight Glimmer. In a way, she interrogated it before we could," She said as she moved back to the map. "Despite repeated questioning and attempts to exchange help for information, it only ever expressed a desire to return to its home. Normally, this would have been a dead end, except for one time where it mentioned the Undiscovered West."

A few curious glances were exchanged at this piece of information. The Undiscovered West and the lands beyond it remained a mystery to ponies, a combination of marshy forests and mountain ranges rendering it virtually impassable to all but pegasus ponies. Exploration had been limited due to this, as the pegasi had little need for new land or resources when they had the sky to themselves. Luna stopped at the side of the map and let her illusions fade, focusing instead on marking the spot they would be heading to. The same black flag as before, this time placed at the the Barrier Mountains that stretched across the path between Equestria and the lands beyond, at a smaller one in the center of the range that left an easier point of passage for winged beings.

"Pegasi from the Recon Corps combed the area for several days and returned with something new. What had previously been passed over as a cave near the base of Mount Silvat contained a larger network of tunnels inside. Which they did not have the numbers to explore further, the tunnels they checked were both extensive and showed signs of recent use by pony-sized beings. It seems most likely that this is a major changeling site, possibly running throughout the entire mountain range. Your mission is to investigate this site, verify a changeling presence and return to Equestria. This will very likely be an extended operation, so your supplies will primarily be food and medical."

"Rules of engagement?" Cipher asked, studying the map.

"Avoid where possible. We have no intelligence on how many changelings may be present and backup is unavailable due to the remote location. The nearest outpost is in the Smokey Mountains and even our faster fliers would take several hours. If attacked, engagement in self defence is permitted but attempt to withdraw from the area immediately."

"Understood, your highness."

"Your team will deploy tomorrow. Good luck, and be careful."

Luna's horn glowed brightly, the shine enveloping everypony present. Each of them snapped awake at once, the contact chamber coming back into view around them. One by one they sat up and clambered out of their beds, shaking and stretching as required. Even though they had only been out for a few minutes, each of them felt somewhat refreshed.

"Well, that was an experience." Bulwark commented.

"Eh, we've been through worse." Rainbow replied as she stretched her hind legs out.

"Alright everypony, unwind while you can. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day." Cipher said, turning to head for the stairs. Something about their assignment felt off to him, but he couldn't place what. All he knew right now was that this was going to be one of the tougher duties he'd been given in his time. He trusted the ponies that followed him to do their duties though, they were all going to need each other in the days ahead.

Chapter 14 - Zero Hour

April 10th

Spec armour Mark One-Point-Three revisions:

- Removed the vocal modifier until I can get it to something less...Villain-ish.
-Treated the visor with new materials, enhancing durability without affecting visibility, plus it gives it a neat gold tint.
-Equipment bags remodelled, can now fit more with minimal effect on mobility.

Take care out there, it wouldn't do anypony any good if my designs got you killed! Seriously though, stay safe, friends.

Moondancer.

"So, what happened to mark one point two?" Water Flare asked as she climbed into her armour. Cipher had read out the latest modification list to save time while the others suited up.

"Knowing Moondancer, she either broke enough mouthplates to pass on it, or broke enough visors." He replied with a small chuckle. The matching laughs he got brought a small smile to his face, a brief respite from the worry he felt.

Operation Hive Hunt was ready to go. In a few minutes they'd be headed out to the Undiscovered West, heading further than any land based pony ever had in an attempt to locate a changeling hive, without any immediate help. Princess Luna must have had a lot of faith in their abilities to sanction this operation as it was. He knew he had faith in the others at least. Looking over the six ponies before him brought a sense of calm, knowing that his decisions to include them seemed to be the right ones. With that niggling doubt settled, he checked over their new bags before passing them out as everypony finished suiting up. The redesigns were larger and slightly more bulbous, though the improved capacity was obvious, especially for the likes of Bulwark since each bag was also sized to match the pony wearing them as well.

Between them, the team had approximately a weeks worth of food if they were careful with it, though given pony dietary habits it wouldn't be hard to find more if needed. With that last detail taken care of and everypony ready to move, he lead them out of the armoury again and toward the command center. Under Princess Celestia's guidance, dawn was starting to rise over Canterlot as they made their way through the hallways, filtering a gentle orange glow through the windows they passed. Compared to the night of before, more ponies were about right now, virtually all of them turning for a second look at the black coated ponies making their way to the heart of the headquarters. If any of the team had comments on the attention they drew, they kept it to themselves.

It was almost a relief to enter the command center, the familiar imposing presence of Princess Luna waiting for them. Some of the effect was lost as she greeted them with a protracted yawn, looking ready to get some sleep as soon as she was done here. The moment was something of an icebreaker though, distracting from the nerves of what was coming.

"Princess, we're ready to go." Cipher reported, taking a moment to assess the map and be satisfied that no new situations had arisen in the meantime. Their mission zone had been marked with a dark blue flag, high priority reconnaissance. A little surprising, but then they didn't know exactly what was there.

"Excellent," Luna replied, studying the team closely. "You are all aware of what may be at stake here, so all I can say is, good luck...And be careful."

Even with his mouthplate up, everypony could tell that Cipher was smiling more at those words. This was more his style, leading from the front and making sure everypony came out in one piece. Luna nodded and her horn flared to life, marking the same group teleportation method she had used before. Again the flash came and the group sent on their way. She nodded and informed her logisticians that the operation was underway and that command was transferred to the generals for the day before removing her helmet and hesitating. Part of her wondered if she should have done this, hesitance and concern flashing across her eyes. She closed them and took a long exhale of breath before shaking her head slightly and teleporting back to the castle.

With a flash of blue light, Task Force Harmony arrived in the undiscovered lands. As soon as they could see, each of them put their backs to each other and scanned the area for any signs of danger. Unlike last time, Commander Luna wouldn't be able to pull them out if they got into trouble right away. The princess had made this the last duty of her night before retiring for sleep. Although Aurora could still teleport back to report anything, it would be hours before support could reach them, even longer if something happened to him and Rainbow Dash or Flash Sentry needed to fly back instead. For now, they only had each other to depend on.

Fortunately, the scene of their arrival was peaceful, bordering on serene. With the sun rising in the north-west, it was brighter than it had been in Canterlot, enough to see that nothing was stirring around them. The site itself was a clearing amidst a wood of yew trees, the beginnings of a lake visible to the north. The ground underhoof was slightly spongy but still firmer than expected from the descriptions of marshland they had received. Of course, no earth pony or unicorn had ever travelled this far before, even the best of the Recon Corps forced to abandon their efforts long before. The Barrier Mountains were visible above the trees to the west, the spot where one mountain stood lower than the others marking their destination. It was still a distance away on the ground but likely reachable within a couple of hours if a route could be found without complications.

"Soul, Zippy." Cipher said. Right on cue, Flash Sentry took off and hovered above the treeline while Aurora's horn lit up and he looked round the area.

"Nothing large enough to be a threat, sir." Aurora reported after a minute, looking over at his commander. The look gave Cipher a chance to see how his eyes looked through the new visors while using sensory magic. Unlike before, there was no way of seeing the change through the yellow tint.

"Skies are completely clear, buddy." Flash followed as he landed again. Cipher nodded and motioned for the team to relax. As one, seven bodies relaxed and raised their visors, taking in the environment properly now there was no immediate danger.

"Good, the flyers made a good call making this our entry point."

"So, why here and not right at the foot of the mountain?" Water Flare asked, though she didn't sound too annoyed by it. Indeed, her focus had been taken by the lake just about visible through the trees.

"Because this was the nearest spot found that seven ponies could be safely teleported to," Cipher answered, tapping Flare's shoulder to get her focus back. "I'm guessing you'd rather a point where we couldn't see the target?"

"Of course not," Flare shook her head slightly and re-joined the team. "So what's the plan for approach?"

"Crash and Zippy will hover overhead and scout, though don't make yourselves obvious," Cipher started, watching as Flash and Rainbow primed themselves. "Flow, you'll take point as we move on Mount Silvat. You're the lightest of us, so if the ground bogs down you're least likely to get into trouble."

"I resent that implication." Healing Wave remarked.

"No you don't, I can feel your smirk. Besides, you'll probably be going next." Aurora replied. Wave looked at him and noticed his magic was still active before laughing softly. The sound drew everypony's attention and they stared at her for a second, unused to such a thing from her.

"Soul, you know how long you can keep your magic going, but pace how you use it regardless. We can't afford to overwork anypony right now," Cipher warned him, looking back toward "Everypony else, keep to single file, one body space between you, and stay attentive until we reach Mount Silvat. Understood?"

Once everypony had nodded in readiness, Cipher fitted his visor again and pointed skyward. Rainbow and Flash took off instantly, moving out of sight above the treeline but making sure to remain close enough for their comms to work. As soon as the others were ready again, he brought his hoof down and pointed toward the mountains. Flare headed off first, testing her hoofsteps to make sure the ground didn't get any worse as she advanced. Wave went next, keeping watch and ready to use her magic on Flare if something happened. Aurora was third in line, followed by Cipher with Bulwark bringing up the rear and moving rather gingerly due to his weight.

The next few hours were quiet and tense, broken only by birdsong and the occasional rustling of wildlife in the undergrowth. Progress was slowed several times by unexpected marshes, wetlands and rivers forcing the team to detour several times. It was easy enough to keep track of where they were going though, the rising sun made it easier to see forward and the smaller mountain stuck out like a foal among stallions. Though none of them said it, all of them thought it at some point. They were the first ponies to actually set hoof on these lands, a hidden gem that had lain undisturbed for thousands of years. Each of them silently took in the lay of the land, mentally taking notes on what was familiar and what wasn't, anything that may warrant further expeditions this way.

It was around mid-day before the ground began to firm up properly and the trees gave way to rocky ground. Flash and Rainbow landed as the team cleared the forest and looked up at the imposing, snow-capped peaks of the Barrier mountains, rising thousands of feet above them. Cipher gave a sigh of relief and stepped ahead of the others, patting Water Flare on the shoulder as he passed.

"Alright, good work everypony," He told them, glancing back at the mountain. "Before we go any further, there's one last detail I wanted your input on. Considering we're dealing with the very real possibility of changelings, it'd probably be smart to come up with some kind of identification method if and when we're separated. I'm open to suggestions."

"How about if the one being approached says 'klutz' and the incoming says 'draconequus'?" Flare offered. Almost immediately, a disembodied lion paw popped into existence behind her, slapped the back of her head hard enough to bring her head forward and disappeared again. Flare groaned as she rubbed the back of her head and shot a glare at Wave next to her, not knowing any better.

"Hey, you're the one who made fun of Discord." Rainbow commented with a giggle. Water Flare looked away but didn't say anything.

"Good point," Cipher commented, instinctively bringing his hoof to his faceplate to try and hide his own chuckles. "I think code questions would work better though. Things only we know from our time together, tailor them to each other as best you can."

"So something unique for each pony? Clever." Bulwark commented, tapping his chin as he started thinking of what he could use.

"Don't tell us your questions. Less chance of anything finding out," Cipher turned toward the mountain and looked up at the ridges they'd have to climb to reach their cave entrance, just about visible approximately fifty feet up. "Task Force Harmony, let's go."

The moved forward and carefully started to scale the rocks. The pegasi could simply fly over and the smaller ponies had less trouble navigating the outcrops that hindered their way up the mountain, the larger members of the group needed to go further to find clear spots and hauling their increased mass up ledges was a tiring process. Despite how close the entrance was above them, it was another half hour before they all reached it.

Cipher motioned for Flash to take point and followed the pegasus into the cave. The light available at the entrance faded quickly as the team steadily moved deeper, though a new light source became apparent as they moved, a luminescent lichen that bathed patches of the area in a pale green glow. It did little to soothe any nerves they were feeling though, the colour only serving as a reminder of what may be waiting for them in the darkness. The further they went, the more the caves opened up, pathways branching off and larger caverns regularly appearing. It was clear the interior of the mountain was something of a maze and hunting through it was going to take some time, even more so if the tunnels really did move into the adjacent mountains.

One way or another, this operation was not going to be easy.

The caverns remained silent, dark, lifeless as the team passed into another wider space. Though none of them had any idea that the area was already occupied. From a lightless alcove bored out of the roof, two pairs of ice blue eyes watched intently, their faded, almost soulless white pupils never straying an inch off their targets. The owner of one set leaned forward slightly, bringing a rough, dried, chitinous muzzle just into the faint light, exposing a razor sharp fang.

"Delessa hi safi, noma term peniffal..." It hissed. The two of them moved back into the darkness, never taking their eyes of their targets. Their prey.

Chapter 15 - Skirmish

Mount Silvat
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The team set up a base camp inside the second cavern and began scouting the tunnels. Compared to their former methods, time had no meaning without Celestia's light nor Luna's night to guide them. Their body clocks were dictating priority now, each of them eating or sleeping as required and using the rest of their time to explore. The further any of them moved, the more they found small hints that they were on the right track. Small tracks worn into the ground through use here, a few stray drops of a green, gel-like fluid there. If the changelings weren't here now, they had been. Cipher wasn't taking any chances and made sure that everypony heading out was at least in a two-pony team and taking minimal risks. If their enemies were here, then the need for caution was obvious. If not, they may have left some surprises in case this exact situation happened. On the other hoof, there may be some hint as to where they were, where their drones were within Equestria and possibly clues at ponies they had taken and replaced.

Everypony else was in full agreement about the need for care in such a situation and combined with how seriously it was being taken, there were few chances to relax. The best they could manage was small talk every so often, which had the added benefit of helping to close the last few tensions present between team members. Two of those who didn't need that were Rainbow Dash and Aurora. The duo were the freshest ponies at present and were making use of it to scout a new tunnel for signs of life. The only thing of note they'd seen so far was that there was far less lichen this way, the darkness meaning Aurora occasionally needed to use his horn to light the way. It had also climbed slightly, indicating that the caves were more expansive than they thought. Even if they didn't expand beyond the mountain, the fact there was multiple levels meant more to work against.

"Buddy to Crash, or Soul. Are either of you in range?" Cipher's voice came through the comms, making their ears twitch. It was slightly faded, likely by the magic having to go through rock, but it was still clear enough.

"Crash here, we hear you." Rainbow replied, stopping and rubbing her chest as she spoke. There had been a few times where the search had taken ponies out of comms range and made things a little tense upon return until the appropriate questions had been answered.

"Good, just wanted to let you know that I'm about to end my patrol and going to get my head down for a while. Wall and Zippy are on guard now so talk to them if you find anything."

"Copy, sir." Aurora said, looking back and waiting for Rainbow to catch up with him.

"Hey, do you sense anything around here?" She asked, waiting while he looked round, silently scanning with his magic for any signs of life. It was rather odd to watch, seeing a fully armoured soldier practically twirling in place as he looked in every direction to make sure.

"No, the only other living thing within range is you."

"Great. Cover me for a minute, my armour isn't sitting right."

Aurora nodded and pointed out a small alcove in the wall that would give her some extra cover to do so. Rainbow positioned herself in there and gave one last look around before undoing her armour plates at the front, trying to find what was wrong with it. Even though they were completely alone, Aurora still felt uneasy about holding position here. Part of the cave roof above them was open, likely leading to more tunnels that lay in pitch darkness, judging how he couldn't see anything up there. Lighting his horn further was tempting, but on the chance that something was lurking that he couldn't sense, he decided against it.

"Hey, kid, something I've been wondering about you," Rainbow said, waiting for Aurora to turn back toward her. "I know it doesn't come up much since when you're here, you're just our friend. But, you're still a prince to an entire empire."

"An empire of ice. Seriously, Crystal City and Rainbow Falls are the only major settlements." He replied with a small chuckle. That was all she needed to know he still had his aura magic active.

"Yeah, all that, but still. I gotta admit, when I first met you, you didn't seem like prince material. Not very social and kind of...Well don't take this the wrong way but you were kind of weak."

For a few seconds, nothing was said between them. Aurora looked back at the opening above, expression unreadable behind his visor. Rainbow hesitated at that, worrying she'd touched a nerve, while trying to look distracted by the loose catch in her chest armour that had been making it so uncomfortable.

"Try not to worry about it too much. After all, you're right," He finally said, not sounding affected by her thoughts. "When Princess Luna came to my parents to discuss my possibility of joining Task Force Harmony, I was the only one who didn't think it was a good idea. I thought it was more important to be smart enough to know how to rule. I know I needed more friends at the time but, well, I guess there's a bit more of Aunt Twilight in me than I thought."

"I've seen how much of a book lover you can be," Rainbow replied simply, glad to see him opening up some more. After all the times Healing Wave had harassed him, he'd been reluctant to talk about himself to anypony. "So, what changed?"

"Mom and Dad talked to me privately after Luna had left," Aurora sat down as he kept talking. "They taught me that ruling is one thing, but I need to be able to lead in all aspects too. Some parts of that though, I wouldn't be able to do by just staying in the empire. I travelled to Canterlot the next day, accepted Luna's offer and, well here we are."

"So, you think you've learned what you need here?" Rainbow asked, grunting as she pulled one of the plates back into place and checked it wasn't prodding her chest anymore.

"Well, I think I took a few steps toward it. I can think, I can fight, I can socialise better. I think that's why-" Aurora paused mid-speech and craned his neck backwards. "...Something's moving. At the very edge of my magic."

"Crash to Zippy," Rainbow quickly started trying to refit her armour plates, mentally cursing herself for getting complacent and taking so long. "Are you there? I repeat, anypony in range, respond."

From where he was standing, Aurora's eyes narrowed as he looked into the opening above them. It was still completely black up there but he knew it wasn't empty anymore. He'd sensed something up there. That something suddenly became two things, that were closing in on him fast. The area above glowed harshly as what he could only describe as a black meteor with a barrier of green fire surrounding it charged toward him at breakneck speed. Aurora gasped and teleported out of the way just as it landed, kicking up dust that filled the tunnel and blew a small crater in the floor. Rainbow Dash instinctively threw a hoof up to shield her eyes, only to stop as Aurora reappeared in front of her. Imposing himself between it and her.

As the dust began to settle, something moved in the depression formed by its landing. Roughly the size of an above-average stallion, covered in a black, bone like material on its head and body that gave way to a deep blue carapace running down its back. A horn curved like a scimitar. Holes in all four of its legs and rows of sharp, bared teeth. A changeling, through and through. The dust kicked up again as a second changeling dropped into the tunnel, hovering on it's chitinous wings. This one caught the attention of the studious part of Aurora's mind as he noted, it was slightly smaller than Rainbow was and lacked a horn of any kind. In addition, it seemed to be keeping its distance more than the first, who was poised ready to strike at any moment.

"Me'ek hi rou!" The changeling snarled as it charged. Aurora tensed in place as he realised he was going to have to fight this one alone at first. Rainbow was still scrambling to fix her armour, time she wouldn't have unless he held his ground.

He counter-charged the last few feet and fired a quick beam of magic. The changeling fired one of its own, the two colliding and erupting in a small, hazy burst of smoky green. The two combatants met right in the middle of this, Aurora twisting his neck to avoid the first hoof thrown at his muzzle and used to momentum to bring his own left hoof into an uppercut that caught his opponent square in the jaw. The hovering changeling winced at the hit and actually backed off slightly, almost hitting its head on the ceiling.

"Pabe?" The aggressor growled to itself, wings buzzing in frustration before going in again, winding up for a horn thrust. As soon as Aurora went to block though, it raised its head and tackled him, the momentum shift throwing the unicorn onto his back and leaving him open to a follow up attack.

Aurora gasped again as the wind was knocked from his lungs. His training kicked in where his reactions were failing and at the rush of air that indicated his opponent was passing over his body, his back legs bucked out and landed square in the changeling's stomach. On a pony, such a hit would have been disabling, possibly life threatening if it hit hard enough to rupture an organ. With a changelings natural armour though, it merely threw it off target, its body curving in on itself from the force. The changeling tried to pull its head back upright during the blow, its horn scraping along Aurora's mouthplate before catching on the bottom edge of the visor, yanking it up an inch or two before the tenuous grip was broken and the visor snapped back into his exposed eyes before he could react.

Aurora cried out at the sudden sharp pain that came from having both eyes slapped and rolled over, fruitlessly rubbing his visor for several seconds. Despite being left completely exposed, neither changeling took advantage of the situation, the sounds of fighting coming behind him showing the changeling had moved onto Rainbow Dash. A quick look up as his vision came back to him showed that the hovering changeling was still hanging back for some unknown reason. Any further thoughts were halted by the sound of Rainbow screaming in pain. Aurora twisted his head round to see the changeling had managed to pull her chest plates open before she could seal them and sink his four-inch fangs through the other two layers. As more of his vision focused again, he could already see blood seeping out from how deep the fangs had gone, his friend desperately throwing punches into its chest and neck to try and dislodge it.

At this point, training failed him, instinct failed him, the sight of a friend being wounded within reach was more than his mind was able to rationally handle. Without even realising it, he was back on his hooves, his body being flooded with what felt like white hot fire. It didn't hurt though, that pain was being reserved for something more deserving. As if he'd known what to do in this moment his whole life, he growled and rushed the changeling from behind, wrapping a hoof round its neck and another in its open jaw. Using the changeling's surprise at the attack to press the advantage, he yanked backward, pulling the offending fangs from Rainbow's chest, before putting all his strength into throwing his opponent from the alcove. As soon as his hooves let go, he brought his horn down and fired at the changeling's nape, not enough to cause harm but enough to propel it into the far wall.

The attack hit dead on, Aurora keeping it going until he heard the changeling hit the wall with a crack. The hovering changeling made a sound that sounded like a gasp and landed, looking wary and possibly even frightened. The aggressor changeling came down hard, leaving a trail of blood running from a small piece of its muzzle that had ripped off against the stone wall. Aurora hesitated for the briefest of moments, noting from both the stain left by its impact and the fresh injury that changelings had red blood and pink flesh beneath their natural armour. That feeling faded as his bloodlust took control again and his magic glowed anew, a white aura surrounding the changelings' neck and hoisting it off the ground.

He hesitated again, that same small part of his mind realising just what he was doing. He knew he was striking out of anger more than anything, that his magic was constricting the changeling's throat enough for it to fruitlessly try and grasp at its neck, back hooves kicking at nothing. Aurora knew that for the first time, he held the life of a sapient being in his hooves. Could be really do this? His hatred of the changelings was almost entirely focused on Queen Chrysalis and her actions, not those that had followed her for unknown purposes. Unfortunately, the part of his mind capable of rational thought was still vastly outmatched by his impulsive parts, all screaming the same thing in his mind:

'This changeling tried to kill Rainbow Dash. It has no place in this world.'

With a mental twist, his magic followed through with his desires. The changeling's neck was crushed with an echoing snap that hung in the air. It gave a last strangled gasp before the life fled its body, going limp all over, a few drops of blood beginning to leak from its mouth. Aurora threw the body down and released his magic, watching it smash into the dirt and give a final involuntary twitch. As he glared at the corpse, he realised that it was also profusely bleeding from the neck where its crushed chitin had carved through its own flesh. With that done, his gaze turned toward the second changeling, which was taking a step back, ears folded back in fear, pupils shrunk to a size that actually made them look like white pony pupils.

"Zel..." It said quietly, its tone more feminine than that of its hivemate. It kept staring at the bleeding corpse for several moments before looking up at Aurora and backing up further, starting to hyperventilate slightly, pure terror visible in its body language. "Zel! Ka...Han't bellera meko! Ka!"

Before Aurora could even start trying to translate or react, the changeling took off back into the opening again, disappearing into the dark. Much as he wanted to try and chase it, or maybe he should use she now, she couldn't fly up there. Maybe Rainbow Dash could...Rainbow! The anger he'd been feeling vanished in an instant and he ran back to the alcove where Rainbow was lying, writhing in pain.

"Oh hell, oh jeez, oh crap. I'm sorry." He said quickly as he checked her injury. The fangs had been mitigated slightly by the rubber but several inches had still pierced her lower chest, two small puncture wounds freely bleeding. He couldn't tell if the fangs had been stopped by her ribs or gone past them. Either way, this was beyond his basic knowledge to fix.

"Hey, you got him...Proud." Rainbow replied through gritted teeth before tensing up again, barely biting back a fresh cry. Whatever damage had been done, it only seemed to be getting worse.

"Ok, hold on." He took hold of her and focused, horn glowing anew. After a few seconds of concentration he teleported them both out. The two of them reappeared within the cavern the others had set up, startling Flash and Bulwark with their arrival.

"What the...What's-" Bulwark started, only to be cut off as Aurora raised his visor to look eye to eye.

"Changelings can't teleport, now get Healing Wave up, now!" The unicorn called before they could attempt the identity check. That point seemed to placate them and he quickly moved Rainbow into the camp with Bulwark's help, looking down at the stricken mare. He couldn't even imagine just what she was going through.

Chapter 16 - Consequence

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth slightly, trying to keep calm. Her chest felt like it was on fire though, and the two ponies that were carrying her weren't making it any easier. Mentally, she was cursing herself for getting so careless. Sure, adjusting her armour in a moment of calm always seemed like a good idea at the time, but rushing to get it on had left her exposed and her mobility impaired, something that that bulky changeling had managed to take advantage of. If Aurora hadn't been there...The thought was shaken from her mind as she was set down on her right side, the feeling of hooves working at removing her armour and helmet coming through.

Something was wrong about all this. She'd experienced more than her fair share of major injuries from her adventures both as an Element of Harmony and a solider, she knew what most of them tended to feel like. She could feel how far the bite had gone into her chest, lucky that for the force behind it, the position meant the fangs had been stopped by her ribs. Her lungs and heart were unaffected too. By all rights, pain should have been all there was. Yet she was uncomfortably warm, her head felt like it wasn't sitting still for a moment and her wounds were unbearably itchy. Everything was dark around her too, though that was down to keeping her eyes clenched shut. As her helmet was removed and the stale, but welcome feeling of air surrounded her head again, she cracked an eye open to check was happening.

Her vision swam for several seconds, a figure hovering over her. Rainbow blinked several times and opened her other eye, just about able to make out Aurora over her, a look of concern on his face. He was saying something to her but her ears didn't seem to be working fast enough to hear it clearly. The feeling of being carefully pulled from her armour was welcome too, letting her legs twitch as much as they needed to, though she couldn't see who was responsible for that. Aurora looked behind him and said something else, his voice starting to come through now.

"-ot good. I think there's more than the bite."

"Ok. Try not to panic, Aurora. Let me do my work and she'll be fine."

That was Healing Wave's voice. Almost as soon as Rainbow realised that, the mare herself came into view. She hoped, she couldn't really tell with both armour-clad unicorns in view and her head spinning. Rainbow tried to relax as she was examined, though it was still hard to think straight. She could feel something moving on her rear left leg and raised her head to look. Expecting to see a hoof of one of the others there, what she actually saw froze her blood.

Sitting halfway up her hind leg was a changeling, approximately the size of a lemon. Amazingly, or terrifyingly, the size wasn't the most distinctive thing about it. It lacked the usual four legs attached to the underside of its body like its kind typically had, instead sporting three sets of legs that protruded from the sides of its and had a joint to angle downwards. The normally dreary tail was gone too, replaced by a series of seven bulbous segments that raised up and curled over its back, ending in a small white point. The whole thing looked like a freakish cross between a changeling and a scorpion, one that was aimlessly skittering around on her leg.

Rainbow gasped loudly and used the strength she could still feel to wave at the hybrid. It scattered out of her reach and reappeared on her back. Before she could react, another one appeared on her stomach, hissing at the first one. She tensed further at feeling another on her head and finally couldn't take anymore, franticly using the rest of her focus to try and swat them away. She couldn't think why the others weren't helping her with them. A small part of her could only wonder what they were even thinking about everything that had happened in the past few minutes...

"What the hell happened out there?" Cipher asked as he got to his hooves, watching Aurora and Bulwark carrying Rainbow Dash into their makeshift camp. Flash Sentry was already waking Healing Wave and the commotion was bringing Water Flare round as well. Things had escalated fast.

"We got jumped," Aurora started to explain as he lowered his friend down and started to work on opening up her armour fully, hoping to get the third layer off to make things easier. "Changelings, two of them. We...I...I killed one of them when it attacked Rainbow, the other fled before I could do anything."

"That's worrying, but it'll have to wait. Stable!" Bulwark glanced up to check Wave was coming as he worked on getting Rainbow's helmet off for her. As soon as he had the mouthplate undone he was able to pull the helmet off and moved to hold the armour in place as Aurora carefully lifted Rainbow from it, leaving her in just the lower two layers for now. Getting her out of those two layers was more complicated in this position so they would have to make do for now.

"Ok, I'm here. How bad is it?" Wave asked as she reached them, taking her helmet off so she could see clearly. Aurora swallowed his nerves again and checked Rainbow's wounds. Her eyes were open again but she looked very disorientated. Her body was twitching every so often. The two puncture wounds were the worst of it though, still bleeding, though the rate had slowed somewhat. They shouldn't be doing this much to her though, at least he thought so with his limited medical knowledge.

"It's not good, I think there's more than the bite." He replied, struggling to keep his voice level as he opened Wave's bags and let her focus on examining Rainbow while he got her supplies out.

"Okay. Try not to panic, Aurora. Let me do my work and she'll be fine." She replied, trying to sound reassuring as she picked her supplies up in her magic and started on trying to check within the bites and stop the bleeding first.

Aurora nodded, looking down at Rainbow again. Worryingly, she seemed to be getting worse. As Bulwark moved round to give Wave some space, his leg brushed against the stricken mare's. Rainbow raised her head at that and gave a loud gasp. Everypony watched as she brought her hoof up and scratched at the spot he'd touched, her breathing getting heavier. After a few seconds she tensed up completely and started franticly waving her hoof over her stomach and back.

"Wh-what's going on?" Flare asked with deep concern, leaning back slightly.

"There's something still in the wound," Wave commented, gritting her teeth slightly as Rainbow's flailing got worse. "I need your help here, hold her down!"

"What?" Aurora asked in surprise, looking down at her friend.

"Whatever's in there needs to come out completely, that's going to be hard enough when she's completely still. Now, on her back and everypony help me here!"

Everypony immediately came in to help as Rainbow was moved onto her back. Aurora held her head in place, Cipher kept her front left leg down, Flash her front right. Bulwark took both hind legs while Flare secured her lower body and wings in place, leaving Wave free to keep working. Completely pinned in place, Rainbow's eyes shot about in panic, a stressed cry escaping her lips. The fact it was a cry of fear rather than pain caused a few shared looks of concern between the others, but they had no idea what was going through her head.

For Rainbow Dash, things couldn't be worse. She couldn't focus, couldn't really see with all the shadows around her, could barely breathe through the intensity of her fears, and those scorpiling things were still clambering on her. More of them had appeared now, a half dozen of them snapping at each other or exploring the confines of her body. One of them had clambered up on her head and stopped in place, its tail lowered to the point that she could feel the stinger brushing against her cheek. Her inability to move now was the worst part, the sense of helplessness on top of all the other symptoms was close to crushing even her resilient willpower.

"Get them off!" She gasped, any further comments being halted as a fresh fire was lit within her chest at the same time as Wave's horn lit up, forcing her to bite her lip in an attempt to stop any further cries.

"We can't," Aurora replied, leaning over Rainbow and looking her in the eye. "Just a minute longer and it'll stop, I promise."

Nothing else was said between them, Rainbow quivering in place, not believing his words as her eyes went to Healing Wave. The medic was completely focused on her work for now, the end of her tongue poking out the right corner of her mouth. Her eyes narrowed for several seconds before the pain in Rainbow's chest spiked to a new high. It wasn't quite the same as having her cutie mark removed, nothing matched the feeling of her very essence being torn apart, but this sensation was a close second. As bad as it was, it only lasted for a few moments before she felt a sense of freezing calm wash over her.

"Extraction complete," Wave said as she lifted a pea-sized orb of...something, out of the left fang wound with her magic and placed it behind her. "Just hold a few more seconds while I close her up."

"Guys...?" Rainbow asked through gritted teeth, the shock of the removal not being helped by the familiar stinging sensation of healing magic at work. "Why can't you see them?"

"What? See what?" Water Flare asked from her position,sounding rather antsy at having to watch a pony she respected so much suffering like that.

"The scorpion things."

"Hmmm, hallucinations. Possibly a side effect, it's not like anypony has been able to test it before," Wave commented as she finished with her magic, currently placing patches of gauze over the wounds and taping them down. "Okay, you can let go. Thanks everypony."

"Well done, Stable," Cipher said as he let go of Rainbow's leg, the others doing the same with their body parts. "What'd you recommend now?"

"Given what I know from this, fluids and rest more than anything. We'll see how she's feeling after she gets some sleep."

With that decided, Flash and Flare carefully carried Rainbow to the back of their encampment and started on making sure she was able to get some water in her. The others relaxed slightly in the moment, seeing that their teammate wasn't in danger anymore. Rainbow's chest was a mess and likely to be sore for some time, but all of them had the feeling that she would be alright with time. Wave picked up the small orb she had recovered and studied it in her magic for several seconds. It looked like some kind of mucus, a sickly green in colour and darkened slightly by the blood on it.

"Changeling venom?" Bulwark commented as he saw it properly for the first time. "Very adhesive and used to make their containment pods...Soul, was there any sign of it on the changelings fangs when you were fighting?"

"No, they were completely clean," Aurora replied after a moment's thought, his ears folding back slightly as he took a calming breath. "I did take it by surprise after it had bitten her though, maybe it injected it by accident then."

"Huh, I'd always wondered how they made the goo," Cipher added. "I'm even more impressed you managed to get it out in one piece."

"I'm more worried about its effects," Wave looked back at Rainbow, who by now was dropping into an exhausted sleep. "Nothing in the Medical Corps records suggests that we've ever seen how the goo might react inside a pony. It's mere presence seemed to be causing fever symptoms. The hallucinations were what worried me the most though, for a pony like her to be terrified like that...I'll keep a close watch on her."

"So, what now, sir?" Bulwark asked Cipher, who looked over at the others for a moment before shaking his head slightly.

"For now, we hunker down, wait for Crash to wake up and see what her condition is then. If she's fit to move, we're pulling out of the mountain and Soul calls for extraction. We've seen enough to know the changelings are here. Alright team, settle in and stay on guard."

The next few hours passed with a sense of unending tension. Most of the team stayed on guard, with Healing Wave watching over Rainbow Dash and the other five rotating out to rest one by one. None of them knew exactly how long they were waiting, silently awaiting news one way or the other. Eventually, the sounds of a stirring pegasus drew their attention, Wave perking up as she watched Rainbow awaken. All things considered, she looked in better condition than many ponies would in such a scenario.

"I'd have been very annoyed if you'd died on me," Wave told Rainbow, a gentle smirk on her face as she checked the gauze patches. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I got smacked in chest by a minotaur." Rainbow replied, looking down to see food had already been readied for her. The sight was very welcome and she made a start on it.

"Well, glad to see it hasn't affected your appetite. Now this might sound weird but, do you see any scorpions?"

"I...No. I don't actually feel as bad as I should either."

"Fascinating, I'll have to make notes on this for study in Canterlot." Wave commented as she took the goo out her bag and showed it to Rainbow, explaining what it had done to her.

The others began to relax as they heard the news and went over to see for themselves, leaving Flash Sentry and Aurora on guard. Though things were calmer now, the unicorn didn't seem to be any more at ease. He kept shifting in place and tapping his hoof on the ground. After a few minutes of this, Flash looked over and put a hoof on his shoulder.

"The first one's always the worst, especially when it's a sapient being." He said gently, snapping Aurora back to focus.

"First what's the what?" He asked quickly, looking at the more experienced pegasus.

"Everypony goes through the same thing the first time they have to kill. They react differently too. Some are capable of bearing the weight it brings down on them, others just collapse under the feeling. Your reaction, it's completely normal to feel guilt."

"I just, think about what could have happened differently. What ponies will think, the son of the princess of love killing in anger."

"I'm pretty sure I know why you acted how you did," Flash looked back at Rainbow Dash, who by now was seeing how steady she was on her hooves. From the looks of it, she was actually doing well. "Having such motivation to protect your friends from danger, it's a good thing to have."

Aurora nodded, looking round to reply when he stopped. His ears twitched and he looked toward the tunnels deeper into the mountain. Everypony else slowly did the same. They all silently hoped that sound wasn't coming closer, but there was no mistaking it. The buzz of changeling wings.

Lots of them.

Author's Note

It's Sunday where I am, so technically I'm not breaking my schedule.

Chapter 17 - The Swarm

Everypony scrambled into action immediately. Rainbow Dash started on climbing back into her armour with assistance from Healing Wave, since even in her more vulnerable condition it was a safer bet than not wearing it. The others spread out slightly, checking each possible route in or out of the area to try and figure out where the sound of incoming changelings was coming from. Aurora's heart was racing as he checked a ledge on the other side of the cavern from the camp, thirty feet long and dropping into a darkness he couldn't see through from his current position. The buzzing hadn't gotten any louder down there, though from the motions the others were making, they weren't having any better luck at figuring it out. He silently cursed the acoustics of the cavern as they moved back together to plan their next move.

"Crash, how're you feeling?" Cipher asked, watching as Rainbow finished making sure her armour was completely attached again and giving herself a small shake to check.

"Nothing I can't work through, sir."

"Good. Everypony has their gear?" A quick round of nods. "Alright, we're going to try to abort and retreat from the area, though since we don't know where the enemy is approaching from...Soul, what do you think would be the most defendable point in here?"

Aurora exhaled slowly as he swept his gaze over the room, bringing his tactical knowledge to the fore. The more sheltered section they were in was a decent starting point. Everything he'd learned indicated that changelings typically attempted to surround and swarm their targets in combat, so anything that would limit their angles of attack would give the team an advantage they sorely needed. As helpful as their current spot would be, they needed room to retreat as well, something he'd overlooked to Rainbow's cost before. There were three tunnels they could use to exit the area, not including the drop. Each had different widths and heights, combined with what he knew of where each led, meant he looked to the one to their right.

"If I may, Buddy, I suggest we attempt to move immediately," He said quickly, motioning to the tunnel he'd chosen. "We have an advantage in tighter confines and it'll force them to fight with more even numbers compared to us. If they're not coming from that tunnel, I can go and call for backup while you rush for the exit to the mountain. If they are, we'll just have to punch through. If we got pushed back into the open then they could box us in and then we're, put simply, done for."

"Understood...Though why don't you just teleport out right now?" Cipher asked. Aurora didn't reply for a moment, looking round at the rest of the team.

"Because if you did run into trouble...I don't want to abandon my friends to face this alone." He replied, sounding more confident than he had since they'd arrived.

"That's kind of stupid as a plan," Water Flare commented. "But, appreciated all the same."

"Let's move while there's still an opening." Cipher said, moving toward the exit to the cavern. The others followed right behind a moment later.

Seconds before he could reach the opening, the buzzing in the air increased around them. Almost as soon as he was able to see into it, the space inside the tunnel was filled by an oncoming force of changelings flying toward him at full speed. Dozens of them emerged and banked up into the air, the blast of air that came from so many sets of wings nearly blowing Cipher off his hooves. The others caught up to him and paused as they took in the sight around them. As many changelings as there were in the air, the tunnel seemed to contain just as many. The odds of punching through so many and getting out that way seemed bad enough. Moments later, changelings started appearing through the other exits as well, their presence explaining why the team couldn't tell which way the main force was coming from before and cutting off their alternate routes.

Overall, the odds against the changelings they could see were approximately twenty to one right now.

"Clever bitch." Aurora muttered as he took in the situation, getting back to back with the other six as they kept their eyes on .

"Kalai! Yees mekosa morgos li axiga rou nef-sa..." One of the hovering changelings snapped, distinctive in that it was equipped with dark blue armour that faded to black around the edges, covering its chest and flanks along with an open fronted helmet that sported a set of mandible-like extensions by its lower jaw. It suddenly stopped and looked around its allies. "Kalla hekkalinas morgos Equis?"

"I do," Another changeling nearby replied in a chirpy voice, this one speaking in Equestrian before it focused on the team. "Our lord commander demands you cease your curses against our mighty queen and stand down at once. How was that?"

"Mirai, ross orras hi bellhig farban." The commander replied quietly, looking away in irritation.

"Quis!" The translator exclaimed happily before trying to regain his composure and serious look. "The glorious Queen Chrysalis promises that any pony who surrenders for detainment now will not be unnecessarily harmed. All those who refuse will be dealt with harshly. If the pony Rainbow Dash is present, the queen gives her word that you will not be treated any differently."

The ponies shared a few concerned looks, silently thankful for the helmets making sure the changelings couldn't see them either. The fact they seemed to know Rainbow was here was worrying and Aurora felt a fresh sting of dismay at just how they knew. He had let that scout get away. They all knew there was no chance they were going to surrender, each of them had enough training to hold their own if they could get out of the open. The only question was how they intended to do that. Cipher looked at the other tunnels and focused on his communication magic, speaking at a whisper so the changelings couldn't hear what he was saying to the others.

"Crash, Zippy, fly top cover. Soul, cover us from their magic. Everypony else, we push for the far left tunnel, fewest hostiles. Everypony gets there and then Wall collapses the entry, we'll move on from there. Everypony needs to give their best, understood?" Everypony nodded and he straightened up slightly. "We've given it consideration, and we have an answer. Flow, would you do the honours?"

"Come and get us, you oversized gnats!" Water Flare shouted, pumping a fist at the commander. It was cheesy as heck but the team knew she'd would be too proud of it to care. The translator looked offended at the challenge before turning to his commander.

"Dessak, ho'chi a zel."

"Me'ek hi rou!" The changeling commander roared as he dropped down to attack, a dozen of his kind following him in. Aurora and Healing Wave quickly opened fire with their magic, attempting to disrupt the incoming formation. Rainbow and Flash took off before the beams started flying, both of them smashing into a changeling hard enough to send the bugs flailing out of the air. If Rainbow was feeling any ill effects of her injuries, she wasn't showing it.

The five ground based ponies broke into a run as one, the two unicorns still throwing beams of magic skyward. Combined with the two pegasi drawing the attention of many of the airborne changelings, it was giving the team a clear run at their target. Changelings from the other entrances were moving to try and engage them, but the odds seemed to be swinging back in their favour. Bulwark took the lead as they approached the tunnel opening, six changelings standing in his way. At the last moment he lowered his head and shoulder charged the defensive line, knocking four of them flying and sending another sprawling to the floor. The last tried to counter attack, only for Bulwark to swing round and slug the changeling square in the face, hard enough to crack its armour and put it out of the fight, leaving the way open.

Cipher and Wave followed him in quickly, preparing for further engagement. Aurora had fallen behind slightly after nearly being hit by a falling changeling and Flare had dropped back to cover him from further attacks. Unfortunately, the majority of the fighting taking place in the air meant Rainbow and Flash were being steadily overwhelmed and a number of the changelings were turning their attention toward the ground battle. Before they could reach the tunnel, a dozen of the bugs landed in their path, with those that were come from the other tunnels blocking any way to reach them quickly.

"Dammit," Cipher grunted as he swung round and bucked a changeling in the foreleg, breaking the limb and forcing it to back off. "Crash, Zippy! How bad is it up there? We're being pressured hard here, Flow and Soul are trapped."

"I hate to say it, but we're fighting for our lives here too," Flash's voice came through sounding strained. "I don't know if we ca-Whoa!"

Cipher glanced up at his endangered fliers to see Flash twisting around a beam of green magic, the shot grazing the armour on his side. The beam itself smashed into the roof of the cavern and tore a slab free that dropped straight into the ground fight, crashing down right next to Water Flare and kicking up a cloud of dirt that obscured the battlefield. Cipher grimaced at the worsening situation and made a snap decision to spread the fight further.

"Don't risk yourselves on holding this space, pull out and try to lose them in the tunnels. We'll try and make contact again once we're safe. Go!"

With no time to argue, Flash and Rainbow dropped low and darted into one of the clear tunnels, most of the flying changelings following hot on their hooves. Cipher silently wished them good luck before focusing on the battle in front of him, pushing a changeling back in time for Wave's movements to spear it in the eye with her horn. Hopefully now they could hold out long enough to find an opening.

Rainbow Dash panted slightly as she stuck with Flash Sentry, her heart almost racing as fast as her wings as they banked round another sharp turn. This was bringing back memories of their training flights together, only now with a small army of angry changelings pursuing them. Even as the thought came to her a bolt of magic shot past her ear and the buzzing of hostile wings became louder. Flash held his wings back slightly and dropped behind her, acting as a rear guard since he was in better condition to do so. This left navigation to her and her instincts were telling her to go higher, an idea she followed as they entered another small cavern with a much higher roof that led further up the mountain. She pulled her body up and shot skyward, everypony following straight after.

Behind her, Flash glanced back and his pupils shrank slightly as he realised the changelings were still gaining on them. One was close enough to snap its jaws at his tail. He flared his wings out and brought his leg back in in response, using the momentary drop in speed to get close enough to buck it in the face. The impact shattered its muzzle and knocked it clean out, the changeling flipping over backward and spiralling back into the pursuing swarm with a trail of blood behind it. It did nothing to dissuade the others though, a hornless one simply closing the gap created while another fired on them again, this time catching Rainbow in the flank, although the armour absorbed the impact.

"We need another plan!" Rainbow gasped, flipping over to fly upside down and levelling out to enter another tunnel near the roof of the cavern.

"Alright, stick close, we need to put some distance between them." Flash told her as he drew level again, banking hard left around another turn and barely avoiding hitting the wall. Rainbow nodded and pushed herself harder to keep up, silently wondering if she could keep this up herself.

Things just kept getting worse.

The dusty air was making it hard for her to see and breathe, not helped by a splash of changeling blood on her visor obscuring things further. Any help she'd had was gone, even Aurora's sporadic attempts to shield her had stopped after they'd been separated by the increasing attacks against the two of them. Water Flare took another step backward, gripping a changeling in an armlock with its foreleg and dislocating it. The changeling collapsed, howling in pain as she stomped on the injury to make sure he wouldn't get up again. There was still six in front of her and seven in the air though, constantly pushing her backward. As she placed her hoof down to dodge a fresh strike, it only found some ground underneath it and she froze as she realised that they'd been shepherding her.

Right to the drop.

Her breaths quickened as the reality of just how screwed she was set in. Her options extremely limited, she counter charged to try and make a last ditch attempt to break through, tackling the changeling directly in front of her and stunning it with a blow to the left temple. One of the other changelings swung at her from the right as she did so, hitting her cheek and making her stumble. Another dived down and slammed into Flare before she could react, the combatants grappling as they fell to the ground. Then the ground didn't appear beneath her. It took a moment to realise that she gone over the edge and she gripped the changeling even harder, hoping she could use it to soften the landing enough to die quickly instead of horribly.

Even though he was locked in his own fight, Aurora tensed up and a cry died in his throat as he caught sight of Flare going over the drop. He couldn't dwell on it though, not when he was so close to breaking through the changelings pressing the assault around him. He swung round to face a fresh attack and his vision was filled with green fire before he was blown into a backward somersault, hitting the wall behind him hard enough to knock the air from his lungs. As he dropped back onto his front, fighting just to force himself to inhale again, he realised that the magic blast had destroyed part of his visor, stopped just short of hitting his right eye but leaving it completely exposed.

Even worse, the changelings were moving in against him en masse, his body now in no shape to defend himself. Aurora desperately racked his brain for anything he could use to get out of this situation. His horn started glowing as he realised his only option was to teleport, hoping he had enough time to do so. As the spell primed and the closest changeling reached him he closed his eyes and activated it, realising a moment too late that he hadn't focused on where he wanted to go.

"Flow is gone! Soul fled!" Bulwark called to the other two remaining ponies, even as he smashed a changeling's head against the wall of the tunnel with a wet crunch. The trio had been desperately holding their ground in the hope that either they, Flare or Aurora would be able to break a hole for them all to retreat to. Obviously though, such hope was now gone.

"...Dammit! We're out of time. Stable, break the roof NOW!" Cipher shouted as he stomped on a downed changeling's neck and pulled another off Bulwark's leg that had ripped away several armour panels. The earth stallion had taken the brunt of the fighting on this front and paid for it in kind, not all the blood that stained his armour had come from the changelings.

Wave only hesitated for as long as it took to process the order before aiming up and pouring what was left of her magic into a full strength attack at the roof of the tunnel where it entered the cavern. Bulwark managed to kick off the last changeling that was attacking him and the three of them retreated deeper into the mountain as the rock behind them collapsed with an ear-splitting crack, crushing several changelings unlucky enough to try pursuing and sending up a fresh wave of dust that flooded the tunnel and left the three of them rushing to reach fresher air before it was too late.

Flash touched down quietly, pressing himself against the wall as he fought to get his breath back without making too much noise. It had been hard enough to gain ground on the changelings and he'd had to break the neck of another that had gotten too close. But they'd done it, the last scout that hadn't gotten lost chasing them in this maze of tunnels had crashed on a last second turn and they were in the clear. The darkness meant that they might be able to hold position for a few minutes but they'd need to make headway soon and find the others. He looked back toward Rainbow's position at his flank and stopped, freezing in place.

He was on his own.

Chapter 18 - The Will to Survive

"This is Zippy. Crash, can you hear me? Crash, come in...Crash?....Anypony...?"

Flash Sentry waited, desperately hoping for a response, hardly daring to breathe as he waited. As the seconds dragged on he gritted his teeth and silently cursed himself for focusing too hard on the task he had set himself. Yes it had worked, yes he had outflown the changeling swarm to the point that he couldn't even hear their wings anymore. But his wingpony, the one he'd been meant to protect, had vanished in the process. The worst part was that he couldn't even place when it might have happened. The tunnels had been a blur of rapid turns and faster flight, trying to shake off the changelings on their tails. The next corner had taken a higher priority than checking on Rainbow Dash, an even bigger sin with her injuries.

With a frustrated sigh, he checked everything on his armour was still in place and carefully started back out the way he'd come, hoping for some sign of his friend. Compared to when the two of them had flown through the area several minutes ago, it was almost unbearably quiet. Before had been filled with the rush of wings in motion, the buzzing of changelings in flight behind him and his own heart going like a freight train, all things he was used to after so many years as a soldier. Silence unnerved him though, always had. It meant anything could happen and he much preferred knowing what was coming. Most ponies could say they feared the unknown, but in his case it put him on edge more than facing down any of the monsters of Equestria.

After several minutes of retracing his flight path as best he could, his thoughts were disturbed as something knocked against his hoof and clattered to one side. He immediately pressed himself against the wall and lowered his body, waiting to see if anything would react to the sudden noise that echoed slightly around him. When nothing responded, he finally looked down at just what he had hit and gasped before he could stop himself.

Lying just beside his hoof was a helmet, identical to the one he was wearing. The visor piece was missing entirely, a small piece of the strap sticking out on the left side and looking like it had been torn apart. The latch for the mouthplate had been broken and there was a hole near the top of the right ear that looked like it had been bitten clean through.

He slowly picked it up and stared at it, trying not to assume the worst. Rainbow Dash was a better fighter than any of them, she could easily take a few changelings if this had happened late in the chase. Maybe she'd had to abandon it to get away from her pursuers. Of course, it was just as likely that...He realised his hooves were shaking slightly and his lip was curled in anger. Years of training were struggling to keep a surge of adrenaline under control, desire to give what he'd been given. If circumstances allowed it, he was going to make at least one changeling pay in blood for hurting his friend. He couldn't afford to dwell right now though, finding the others took priority. He was tempted to attempt to pull back and get backup, but the nearest settlement he would be able to reach was a guard post was in the Smokey Mountains and even to get there, he'd have to find a way out of here first.

He straightened up and placed the broken helmet on his back. If he was very lucky, he'd find Rainbow and be able to give it her back. If he was unlucky...If nothing else, Moondancer would probably like to study it. With that settled, he got up carefully again and set off at a slow walk, a single thought making its way into his mind.

'I hope everypony else is alright.'

'Is there anypony else left?'

Cipher shook the thought from his mind and wiped a thick layer of dust from his mouthplate. The rather paltry filters built into it were constantly being overwhelmed from the amount of dust still in the air from the battleground, but it was still too thick to risk taking it off. Despite getting further away from the tunnel collapse, the after effects kept lingering in the air around them, clouding vision, making breathing difficult and keeping him from pushing himself too hard. The worst part was the knowledge that he'd gotten off lightly in comparison to the two ponies moving with him.

Healing Wave sounded exhausted, her breaths coming in rasps. Unicorns naturally had less stamina than the other races and she'd never had to hold her ground like that in previous missions she'd been a part of. Bulwark though, sounded more like he was outright suffocating. Armour plates were missing from his neck, forelegs, stomach and right flank. These vulnerable spots covered in cuts and bruises and his armour was soaked in blood, both changeling and his own. At this point all that seemed to be keeping him moving was willpower and the fact no changeling had got their teeth into his throat. Even now he slowed down, legs shaking slightly as he brought a hoof up to clean his own mouthplate and coughed into it.

"Come on, we're almost clear of the worst, then we can take a breather. Just a little more, I promise." Cipher said as he slowed down to keep Bulwark going, letting the larger stallion lean on him slightly as they kept moving. The grizzled veteran grunted slightly but kept moving. As far as he could tell, he had just lost up to four of his squadmates in the space of a few minutes, he wasn't going to lose another now.

If any of the others were still alive, he hoped they were at least unhurt...

So much darkness, so much pain.

Then again, if she could feel pain, then she had to be still alive.

Most of the pain was focused in her left shoulder and chest. Even through her armour she could feel her coat was dampened by something. As for the darkness, that was simpler, her eyes were still shut. They'd been open when this started, had she actually passed out partway through? Either way, she couldn't stay here, not if that changeling was still in the area. Or worse.

Her eyes opened without difficulty, a small mercy, and she glanced around trying to make sense of where she was. It was almost as dark as it had been with her eyes shut. She was down on her right side, the same as a changeling before her. Or rather, a changeling corpse, its side had been torn open and was still bleeding slightly from the damaged internal organs, hinting it was fresh. A glance to her left showed an angled, rather jagged patch of the wall raising up quite a distance before disappearing into the darkness above, a long streak of blood visible running down it. At a guess, she'd been caught on it but the changeling had taken the brunt of the landing. It seemed safe to move and take stock of the situation at least.

After all, Water Flare wasn't the type to lay around.

She carefully shifted herself back onto her front and then up into a sitting position. Normally it would be easy but putting any pressure on her left foreleg sent fresh bolts of pain shooting through her leg and chest. As soon as she was settled, Flare brought a hoof to her chest and checked it. Sure enough, there was fresh blood on her hoof, a quick look down confirming a lot more coming from a cut that ran from her left pectoral muscle up to the top of her left shoulder. She looked back toward the bloody wall and spotted a number of her armour plates scattered near the base of it, a point she'd missed last time when her eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark yet. So, to summarise, she was possibly bleeding to death, on her own, in the dark, with nopony aware where she was or if she was even alive. It seemed like for once, this would be a perfectly good time to panic.

Yet, she didn't.

Where the fear normally started to form at the back of her mind, there was a whisper instead. A gentle reminder that the others were counting on her to get back to them, that this wasn't like it had been in Whinnyapolis, not like any time she had been losing control. There was no heat, the only one hurt was her, there were a lot more ponies who wanted to see her succeed this time. As the only pony here, she was in control of the situation, she didn't have time to panic until she'd patched herself up. Without thinking about it, she started looking round for her bags and spotted them by the broken armour at the base of the wall. Flare slowly pushed herself to her hooves and limped over to it, having to drag her bad leg beneath her for now, before checking to see what had survived the fall.

Most of her supplies had been damaged or broken against the rocks, including, most worryingly, almost all her remaining water. A roll of bandages and some painkillers were still intact though, just what she needed right now. She took the tablets with one of the two mouthfuls of water she had left and started tearing the bandages into strips with her teeth. Although she lacked anything to hold them down with, she improvised by fitting the ends between her coat and the layers of armour that had been exposed, leaning back against the wall as she carefully covered her wound. It was far from perfect but it would have to do until she could find Healing Wave. A few minutes later she was done, an already slightly bloody set of bandages securely fitted in place and the painkillers starting to kick in, the numbness in her leg and chest welcome in comparison to before.

"Okay, okay, you can do this. Keep moving, find the others." Flare told herself, pushing herself back onto her hooves and fitting her bags again. Her eyes had completely adjusted to the darkness by now and she could see a tunnel just beyond the body of the changeling. Without any other options, she slowly began to limp her way into it, wincing on every step.

Aurora gasped slightly as the world reappeared around him, jumping to his hooves with a strangely loud thud and looking round as he finally began to get his breathing under control. To his small relief, he seemed to be in one of the tunnels inside the mountain. When he'd first started to learn teleportation, Cadance had warned him repeatedly that attempting it without focusing on a destination could have unpredictable effects. As his winding passed and the adrenaline of the fight faded, he looked round for any indicator of exactly where he'd ended up and stopped at a very familiar bloodstain on the wall. His eyes shifted down slightly and saw a dried pool of blood on the floor beneath it, though no sign of what it came from. He knew already though.

This was the same spot he'd killed that changeling several hours ago. Without a destination in mind, his magic must have returned him to the last spot he'd cast the spell from. This position wasn't too bad, he had a good idea of where to go to get back to where he'd come from, as well as the exit. But that area was likely swarming with changelings by now. As insane as it sounded, his best bet was to try and move away from that position, then find an alternate route back out of the mountain and call for help. It didn't feel good to leave the others behind but it would only be for a few minutes, even less if he tele-

A groan from nearby derailed his chain of thought, it was feminine but not the kind of sound a pony made. He looked over toward it and froze up. Another changeling was getting back to its hooves just a few feet away, several marks on the ground from where it had come down. At a guess, it, or she, had been close enough in her attack to be caught in his magic and teleported with him. That explained the thud. Now though, he had to think if fight or flight would be better in this situation.

Before he could decide, the changeling looked round at him, its bright blue eyes meeting his exposed hazel one. As impossible as it sounded, he recognised it, her, whichever it was. The lack of horn helped in that regard, but the look in its eye that even he recognised as fear was the most distinctive thing. This was the same changeling that had fled when him and Rainbow Dash had been attacked. As he thought back to that incident several hours ago, he remembered how the changeling had reacted. Stance, body movements, speech. Her words had sounded as though she really didn't want to fight and he had no idea if she would understand his words. Using what she had said would at worst make her attack and he was still fit to defend himself in a one-on-one fight.

"Han't bellera meko...ka?" He asked, taking a step backward as he did. The changeling stared at him in response, mouth opening slightly. The look in her eyes showed a sense of surprise and her body relaxed slightly.

"Yees beli melkancos meko?" She replied, holding her ground. Aurora realised that even if he apparently said the right thing, he had no idea what she was saying now. Still, the edge had been taken off the situation, now seemed like a better time to try and see if he could make some headway using his language.

"I'm sorry, I don't know any other changeling words. Do, you understand any of mine?"

"Kop." Even if he didn't understand that, the nod of the head that went with it made it clear.

"Are you, able to speak pony words?" He felt bad for phrasing it that way, but if he didn't try then any further attempts to communicate would be severely limited.

"Ka orras, ka orras..." The changeling repeated the words several times, looking down for a few seconds before looking back at him. "I do."

Well, that certainly helped.

"My name is Aurora, I don't want to fight." He followed up, relaxing further. He couldn't let his guard down but if this was able to end peacefully then, who knew what might happen?

"My name is..." She blinked and tilted her head slightly. "Ymir. I do not want to fight. I must then. Not now."

"I'm sorry?" He asked, confused by the answer. Ymir, as he guessed she had called herself, tapped her head with a hoof, looking thoughtful.

"I am hive changeling. I do not know all pony talk."

"I see." Well that made sense. Likely she had learned what little she knew of pony language from changelings that had been infiltrators among ponykind.

"I see. Ka lugis." She said to herself, seemingly checking the words against the changeling translation. Aurora steadily watched her, mind racing with all the questions he wanted to ask. First things first though, he needed clarification.

"If you don't want to fight, why did you fight us before?"

Ymir stopped at that and looked down. Aurora watched her for several awkward seconds before she tapped the ground with a hoof and looked back at him with a disappointed expression.

"The queen not like not fighters. When changelings here, I must fight. Here now, I will not fight."

"Thank you." He said softly, relaxing further. Her look softened at that and as she mouthed the translation to herself, she smiled slightly.

"Torb yees." She replied, the sentiment obvious. Aurora sighed slightly and lifted his visor with his magic, blinking as his left eye adjusted to the natural light in the tunnel.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did I say to you when I spoke changeling?" He asked, stepping a little closer. Ymir paused for several seconds again at that. She was doing that a lot, seemingly trying to translate in her head before coming up with a response.

"Don't hurt me, please." She eventually replied.

"Oh." Aurora folded his ears back, feeling that sense of regret welling up in his chest again. It must have shown on his face as well because Ymir blinked several times and stepped closer.

"Melkancos, domani...Sepsis?" She said to herself before looking at him with as close to a reassuring look as she could make. "I, get why. Queen say ponies evil, food. Changelings hate ponies...I do not."

"Why?" He asked before he could stop himself, curiosity overtaking him. She shifted in place in response, now facing her turn to fold her ears back.

"I...Want to see home." She finally replied, shaking her head slightly.

Aurora nodded slowly, not understanding since all his knowledge of changelings indicated that if the hive had set up in this mountain, then she was home already. What he did understand though, was that this changeling wanted to get away from Chrysalis' rule. It might be an act, it might be genuine, but he couldn't let this opportunity go either way. His hatred of changelings was reserved solely for what the queen had done to his parents and the one who had attacked Rainbow. Ymir deserved a chance at least, even if the idea he had to give it meant giving up his own ease of escape. He slowly reached up to his mouthplate and undid it, letting it swing open and leaving his muzzle exposed.

"Maybe we can help each other," He told her, getting her attention back. "I need to leave before any other changelings find me and to get help for my friends. If you help me find a way out of the mountain, I can get you to a place where the queen wont see you and you can escape to your home. Does that sound okay?"

Ymir visibly perked up at that offer and made a small chirping sound, her wings buzzling slightly. Even with all the tension still in the air, Aurora found the sight strangely adorable.

"Ho vinona gallatassal!" She replied eagerly before collecting herself and settling down. "I like idea." She moved past him and motioned for him to follow her through the tunnels.

"Torb yees," He said simply, getting another small chirp out of her for that as he followed, using his horn to light the way and quickly sensing to see if anypony else was close. Aside from the changeling before him, it came up blank and he let it fade. "So, Ymir, would it be alright if I, asked you a few questions about changelings? Ponies have known about changelings for over fourteen hundred years, but we know so little about changelings."

"Cypi fossi remenis?" She said to herself in confusion, before looking back at Aurora. "I may ask about ponies?"

"Of course," Aurora said as he drew level with her, feeling more relaxed than he had for some time. So many questions and possibilities were running through his head, not just for this moment but what this could mean for ponies and changelings. For now though, he just had to keep on alert, and learn. "So, is it rare for changelings to be born without horns?"

As Ymir gave her reply, explaining that it was actually normal for regular female changelings to be hornless, Aurora allowed himself to relax further. Though they were still keeping a few feet between them, on the off chance either decided to try something, he had the feeling that she was genuine. Both of them just wanted a way out of here and even she'd so much as picked up on the implication of what he'd do when free, he doubted she'd have been willing to help him bring an army back if she didn't want to get away. For now, they were just going to have to trust each other.

Author's Note

And now we have our Thorax of this world. On the chance you haven't seen the disclaimer blog I wrote several months before: Despite the similarity to the S6 finale, I came up with the concepts for this story several months prior to seeing it.

As an aside, my opinion of the finale has improved since I made that review.

Chapter 19 - Behind Enemy Lines

The ground shook slightly beneath Cipher's hooves as he came to a halt, looking back the way they'd come. The air had finally cleared enough to take a breather and assess the situation...He hated to admit it, but things were only getting worse. The shaking had come from Bulwark dropping back onto his haunches, clearly in bad shape. Healing Wave was doing her best to treat him, but her magic had been largely depleted in the battle and she was having to rely on her hoofwork alone for now. Cipher watched them for a second before checking their location. The tunnel they'd ended up heading into was a dead end, but it was small enough to hide in and seemed out of the way. It would have to do for now.

"Buddy to anypony, is anypony nearby?" He said quietly, hoping against hope that one of his four missing teammates were close enough to pick him up. "I repeat, is anypony in communication range?"

Several seconds passed. Nothing. Unpleasant but unfortunatly expected.

"Darnit," He muttered to himself before turning back to Bulwark and Wave. "Haven't had a chance to ask, but how're you two holding up?"

"Could be worse," Wave replied, her voice betraying her tiredness. "We can't go any further now though. Bulwark didn't suffer anything too serious but it's been piling up during the retreat and he still needs medical attention."

"Alright, we'll hold here for as long as we can...What about you? You did good back there, but you don't look much better."

"You chose me because I'm good under pressure," Wave replied simply, applying disinfectant to Bulwark's wounds before stepping back slightly and sighing. "I just hadn't had much sleep before Rainbow Dash was injured, that's all."

"Don't worry about me too much," Bulwark commented, undoing his mouthplate and taking a deep lungful of air. "These are just minor issues. If they're clean, I'll be fine with just a painkiller for now."

"Alright, I'll stay on watch while you both rest up." Cipher said as he took a water bottle out, taking a swig before passing it to Bulwark for him to help down the tablets Wave gave him.

As they finished the treatment for now and both settled down to rest, Cipher turned away and looked down the tunnel. A small part of him was glad for the helmet, making sure neither of them could see his face right now. It had been years since the last time he'd led his follow ponies from the frontline, but he'd never forgotten how hard it was to see them in trouble, wounded or dying. More pragmatic-minded leaders would be more focused on how the team was down to one third strength, he couldn't stop thinking about how four of his friends had been separated from the other, each isolated against the swarm that nested within the mountain.

Aurora was probably in the best situation, he reasoned. The youngster had a lot of magical ability left to give and he knew how to handle himself in a straight, fair fight, even if the changelings rarely went for such things. He'd probably teleported to safety, maybe even gone for help if he was calm enough for such a rational thought. Flash Sentry and Rainbow Dash were hopefully still together as well. She was injured but not seriously, the two of them could hold their own and come up with a plan together. Water Flare...With what he'd seen of the drop when they were initially scouting the cavern, from that height, it was more likely that she hadn't survived. When the mission was complete and the mountain cleared, he'd have to make sure that her remains were brought home.

Such thoughts wouldn't help him in the moment though. It hurt to think about, but for now he had to settle down and make sure his remaining teammates remained safe. As the sounds of Bulwark going through his bags for food and Wave dozing off reached his ears, he settled down to keep watch.

The next few hours passed in relative silence, broken only by the occasional faint echo from deeper within the mountain. Thinking about just what might be causing those sounds kept him on alert and ready to act on a moments' notice. Every so often he quietly checked his comms to see if the others had wandered into range, every time being met with the same silence. It didn't help that lingering feeling that slithered through his mind that they might be the only ones left, though he refused to give it any more recognition that the initial thought. He was so focused on watching out for any sights or sounds of incoming trouble that the sound of Healing Wave yawning behind him actually made him jump slightly.

"Feeling better?" He asked quietly as he turned to check on them. Both Bulwark and Wave had been able to get some sleep and were stretching slightly as they stood up again.

"Me? I'm fine now. What about you, patient?" Wave asked as she gave Bulwark a check over. Most of his light injuries had started to heal up while he slept and the worse ones only required minor attention by now.

"Better than I was, now I've spent some time not breathing pure dust," He replied, giving a more relaxed smile before looking over at his leader. "What about you sir? You need to eat too."

"How'd you know?" Cipher asked, even as he relented, undoing his mouthplate and opening his bags. Satisfied that there was still more than enough food to spare, he took out some hay and water to chew on.

"Because you're a devoted leader." Bulwark replied, smiling more. Cipher gave him a knowing nod and sat in silence for several minutes as he let his food settle before standing up again.

"Thank you. Alright, for now we need to focus on finding an exit to this mountain. If we can find signs of the others along the way, all the better. But our mission was to verify a changeling presence, we can't risk losing everypony now."

"That's a tough call to make...But I trust you sir." Bulwark said, exhaling in saddened understanding before focusing again, reattaching his mouthplate as Cipher did the same.

"Same here, lead the way, Colonel." Wave added. Cipher gave them both a thankful nod before leading them back into the tunnels, looking for signs that might lead to a way out. Thankfully their eyes had adjusted to the dark by now and it was easier to keep on watch for anything that might help.

'One way or another, we'll find you, everypony,' Cipher thought to himself. 'I promise.'

"So if I'm getting this right, changelings can acquire love without a pony feeling it?" Aurora asked. He'd lost track of how long he'd been walking, constantly asking and answering questions the whole time, slowing breaking down the language barrier with the changeling he walked side by side with. He didn't mind in the slightest though.

"If careful," Ymir answered, scanning the area ahead to make sure they could keep moving. "Queen likes force more."

"I'm not surprised, knowing what she did to my parents." He commented, holding that small flicker of anger that flared up when talking about Chrysalis down in his chest for now.

He wasn't going to let it sour his mood too much though. So far the walk had given him so many opportunities to learn and teach Ymir about their different species. He'd been able to put down a number of misconceptions that had sprung up as a result of Chrysalis attempting to stir further aggression against Equestria, like her claim that captured changelings were kept as slaves. In exchange, she had given him so much information that ponies lacked on changelings, even the most basic biological notes. His personal highlights included the facts that all females lacked horns, their entire race only required water and love for basic sustenance, and that they had both regular and lateral sets of eyelids to maximise protection for their more sensitive eyes. As an added bonus, he was learning so much about their language in the process.

"Bosch, hi devi?" He asked, waiting for her reaction. She glanced down slightly and looked away.

"Hi schneelaz me'q me'ek chimi rolaef. Very bad." She clarified, poking her head into an open area before them, ears twitching slightly.

"I can't imagine that-"

"Sepsis xin!" She suddenly hissed, placing a hoof on his chest and pushing him down to the floor.

Aurora pressed himself down, keeping low and fitting his mouthplate again as Ymir kept watching, wondering what she was doing. A few seconds later, his answer came with the fresh sound of buzzling wings in the air. She motioned for him to wait and stepped out into the cavern ahead. He took a quiet breath and waited, knowing he was in the shadows but wondering if it was enough. A minute later, half a dozen changelings flew into the area and stopped upon noticing Ymir. Aurora simply stayed down and silent, too far away to listen in properly as she went to them and discussed something, the parts he heard were changeling words that he hadn't learned yet.

His heart started hammering in his chest as a new thought came to him. What if he really had put too much faith in her? If he was sold out now, it would be seven against one and he doubted he could take those odds. She'd been so open with him though, was it all an act to lure him into a trap? Part of him wanted to slip away now, but what if he was just being paranoid? The conflicting options clashed in his head until he simply pressed down lower, deciding to teleport away the second it looked like things were going wrong.

It didn't seem to be going that way though. All the changelings there were bigger than Ymir and they seemed to be harassing her, though he had no idea why. After several minutes of this and with a parting smack of her shoulder, the group finally moved on down another tunnel and she returned to Aurora, looking stressed out.

"Are...You ok?"

"Yes." She replied simply, glancing behind her.

"Wh-what did you tell them?" He asked quietly.

"Expis banti cidi wev nemos," She said to herself before looking at him more hopefully. "Good news, they don't find the others yet."

"Really?" He perked up on hearing that, though still making sure to keep quiet.

"Yes," She nodded. "Looking, but your friends safe. Know route to find safe leave for us. Close."

Aurora nodded, his mind racing. Just as Ymir went to move on, he put a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. He couldn't just overlook how she had been treated back there. She tensed slightly and looked at him in surprise, relaxing again when she realised it was his hoof.

"I...Why were they being so mean to you? Do changelings normally do that to you?" He asked quickly, unable to keep himself in check.

"Kop..." Ymir replied quietly, looking away. "Usual changelings, queen, do that lots. I deal it all the time, do not want to be like Thorax."

"Who's Thorax?" Aurora asked, hoping his curiosity would keep his anger at hearing how she was treated under control.

"Usual changeling, but like me, friendly," She explained, sitting down and looking back at him. "I was told he was in the attack on Canterlot, first force against a pony army post. Died in huge pain, caught in two pony units. Changelings say, same happen to me if I get ideas."

Aurora's jaw dropped behind his mouthplate. While everything he knew about Chrysalis meant that he wouldn't put posting a changeling that opposed her ideals on a suicide mission past her, the fact he was actually hearing it happened had caught him out. He shook his head slightly, understanding that even if the other changelings had been exaggerating to intimidate her, this explained a lot for why she was so timid.

"Nin foulke, ka bisse zess erane."He told her gently, patting her shoulder gently. She simply nodded, turning away.

"Ho quis, lares nectal cuaa kergi." She replied, seeming like she wanted to move along rather than think about it.

"Okay...How did you get rid of them?"

"Ka..." Ymir took a slow breath, sounding like she didn't want to finish the sentence. "Sent them where you killed him."

"Oh. Nin foulke." He said softly. To his surprise, she looked straight back at him and managed a small smile.

"Thank you. He was just a team changeling though, blind loyal to queen."

"What does that make me?"

Ymir simply turned and motioned for him to follow again, sensing they were clear to keep moving. Aurora quickly checked with his magic to make sure they really were alone and followed. Once they'd crossed the cavern into another tunnel, she stopped and let him draw alongside before looking at him, mouthing words to herself for several seconds before focusing on him.

"Somepony better."

Hope was a fine thing, but it couldn't keep a pony going by itself.

All her water was gone, her bandages weren't keeping up with her bleeding, her leg was still barely able to take any weight and she was completely lost. Hope alone didn't hold much weight against all that.

Water Flare gritted her teeth harder to keep herself from panting and stopped to sit down and get her breath back as best she could. It felt like hours since she'd started walking and things hadn't gotten any better. For all she knew she'd walked into one of the other mountains without realising it. At this point she'd almost settle for encountering changelings, since they tried to take their targets alive. She couldn't afford to give up though, not when she needed to find her friends. A small part of her wondered if it was her own mentality that was playing a part in this. A pony who wasn't so...Energetic, might have struggled to keep going through all she had been subjected to so far.

But that wasn't happening here. She was going to push onward, find her way to safety and show the others she really could keep up under extreme duress. She felt a fresh well of drive forming within her, weaker than her previous ones but enough to keep her walking once she had her breath back. As Flare let herself relax slightly and stopped focusing on herself, her ears twitched as they picked up the sound of...Something. She couldn't figure out what it was, but it was a sign of life, and right now that was almost definitely better than nothing.

After another few minutes, she summoned the will to get back to her hooves and gingerly tested her bad leg. It still hurt to put any serious pressure on it and the painkillers were starting to wear off, spreading the pain back into her chest. She did her best to shut it out and limped onward, pushing herself to the end of the tunnel she had been and rounding the next bend. It took a moment to realise just what she was seeing but the moment she did, she froze in place. The cavern ahead of her was enormous, stretching at least ninety feet wide and four hundred feet long, a dozen thick columns of rock holding the roof where a number of stalactites hung. Normally, such a space would have been dark enough that she wouldn't be able to see very far. The reason she could see was the reason for her fear.

Changelings. Hundreds, likely thousands of them. She could see them on the walls, the ceiling, all throughout the cavern. They weren't like the ones she knew though. None of the ones she could see up close sported light blue eyes and dark blue carapace. She could see those with green, yellow, white, purple, it wasn't hard to imagine changelings of every colour being present. There was one, standing in the middle of the horde, that drew her eye above all else.

Standing eight feet tall, ten including the horn, was what seemed to be another changeling leader. It had a bulker frame than Chrysalis had though, as well as a shorter mane that only reached the top of the neck and a larger carapace that encompassed its entire chest and upper torso. Its horn was also completely whole and curved inward, leaving the tip pointing forward from its head. It also had a broader head and larger lower jaw, leading Flare to realise what she was looking at, was more likely a changeling king. The colours it bore were the most worrying thing though, a deep black body with dark red covering the carapace, the colour of old blood. The mane and tail were only slightly lighter, like the colour of lava, all capped off with piercing dark gold eyes. Eyes that were staring straight at her.

Flare's eyes widened slightly and her legs began to shake before the reality of the situation hit her and she blacked out.

Author's Note

So, I don't actually have anything against Thorax, it was just necessary to keep things simple. You'll see what I mean.

Also, I know I've jumped ahead a bit but, does anyone really want an entire chapter devoted to a pony and a changeling trying to translate each other? I've decided to save everyone the time and make a translation here.

Chapter 20 - Beneath a Blood Red Sky

A faint breeze was flowing through the tunnel ahead of him. He'd barely felt it on his ears and had to lift his visor for a moment to make sure. A breeze meant that there was air flowing, flowing air meant somewhere for it to be coming from. That could only mean one thing; An exit was nearby. Flash Sentry pushed his hooves a little faster as he passed another junction to his right, still feeling the air coming from in front of him. With just a little more time, and a lot more luck, he'd be able to escape the mountain and find a way to get help for the others. At the same time though...

He stopped and glanced back, half hoping to see a changeling stalking him. Rainbow Dash's helmet was still placed between his wings, shifting slightly with each step he took, a constant reminder of just how much damage their enemies had done. He couldn't be sure that she was dead, but being lost in the same space as Celestia knows how many changelings, including a queen that likely held some degree of hostility against her, didn't help her chances. As much as leaving took priority, the chance to smash some bug heads was one he was going to take if he could. Flash stopped on realising that the thought alone was making his hooves shake and he took several steadying breaths, lifting his right foreleg and staring at it.

It had been quite some time since he'd felt his emotions getting the better of him like this. Not since he had last spoken to his brother, that heated morning where he had revealed his affiliation with Onyx Dawn. Granted, learning his own kin that he still loved had sided with a forceful pro-isolationist wasn't quite in the same league as the raw anger at the thought of what the bugs might have done to a friend that he had let down, but still...That thought that this was his fault as well, that he had effectively abandoned her, that stung him even harder, stemmed the rage a little and helped bring him some perspective. Still, if he encountered a changeling now...

A small chime in his left ear snapped him from his thoughts, it was the sound of magic activating.

"Illa jaffl?" Aurora asked as he rounded another corner, looking out into the area ahead.

"Kop." Ymir replied with a smile, knowing that the view had given the answer for her.

They had reached a small cave space that opened up above them, several other tunnel openings visible in the walls. Straight before them though, a small, space for one pony at a time opening stood where red light poured in. Just beyond lay the lands of the Undiscovered West, bathed in either sunset or sunrise, there was no way to tell which from where they stood. Aurora gave an extra check that they were alone before stepping forward, fresh air filling his lungs, his pupils aching slightly as they adjusted to the sight of sunlight for the first time in what felt like days. He didn't mind the feeling though, not when he felt like a foal opening their eyes for the first time and seeing a world beyond the darkness.

"Wow..." He said to himself, smiling behind the mouthplate. Ymir nodded and stepped toward the exit, wings buzzing in anticipation.

"Carlit io zee lares, pelan," She said quickly. When he didn't move from his spot, she stopped and looked back at him with concern. "A...Aurora?"

"Hmmm?" He shook his head slightly, snapping out of his stupor. "Oh, right. I just...Before we go, I want to check if any of the others are close. Just one more time. I know you want to go home badly but, it'll just be a few seconds. Please, for my friend's sakes."

For several seconds, they stared each other down, Aurora silently wondering if he should have done it without checking. Ymir simply took a step back toward him and nodded.

"Friends mean a lot," She said as he gave a thankful nod of his own. She looked away in thought for a moment before meeting his gaze with a hopeful expression. "Am, I a friend?"

He paused at that question, thinking about it. Ymir was, well she was nothing like he'd expected from what he'd been told or learned about changelings. If she had been feeding off him at all during this time, he hadn't noticed, and the way her right hind leg was shaking ever so slightly right now indicated a little weakness, suggesting she hadn't. She had been genuine to him this whole time, helping him as much as he was helping her escape her tyrant queen. Really, it wasn't a question at all.

"Kop," He replied, his heart warming as he watched her face light up at that. "You've been a friend to me, and no matter what happens between our kinds after this, you'll always have one friend in Equestria."

"And you...In Outlani." She replied. The significance of the moment was not lost on Aurora. He may have just became the first pony to learn the name of the Changeling homeland, wherever that was. With that moment of acceptance remaining between them, she stepped back slightly to let him focus on his communication.

"Okay. Soul to anypony out there, anypony in range please respond now." He waited, looking round at the other openings that led back into the mountain, silently praying to be answered. After what felt like a small eternity, a voice came through in his ear.

"Soul? Do you copy? I heard you, I repeat, Zippy copies."

"I hear you. Oh, it's so good to hear another friendly voice," Aurora said cheerfully. "I'm...Not with any of the others though, things got bad after you left...I've found an exit to the mountain though. We can get out and call for backup."

"Well done kid. I think I might be close to your location, there's a breeze where I am and I'm following it. Can you sense me?"

Aurora lifted his head and activated his sensory magic, making sure Ymir didn't see his exposed eye, and glanced round. To his pleasant surprise, he picked up something moving just inside the range of his magic.

"I think so, somepony's right above me. I'll wait here for you."

"Alright, hopefully I'll be there in a few moments. Zippy out."

Flash quickened his pace as the talk ended. He didn't want to leave, but if Aurora was right, they couldn't afford to compromise things further when a chance to call for help was being presented to them. After a minute the tunnel he was in gave way to nothingness before him, though a quick look down showed there was indeed an opening at ground level where light was pouring in, about forty feet below. A very small opening but enough to slip out through. Unfortunately, it looked like it was guarded.

He could see one changeling standing by the opening, just like all the others he'd encountered except for lacking a horn. That would make things easier. He could see another with its back to his position, one with a horn. He put the broken helmet down and smirked as he realised he'd have to go through them to get out, just as he'd hoped.

"Soul, I think I've found your exit point," He said quietly, unfurling his wings. "Just sit tight, I'll deal with the two guards."

"Two guards?"

Aurora looked round as he heard a rush of air somewhere above him. Him and Ymir were the only ones present, weren't they?

"Where are th...Oh shi-!"

He threw his front hooves up into a block before something smashed into them, the force of a full body impact knocking him into a backroll. Ymir flinched at the sudden attack before rushing to help Aurora back to his hooves. The two of them looked up at their aggressor, a pegasus clad in the same armour as he was with no identifying features visible, hovering above them. Aurora's blood froze at the possibilities running through his head.

"What're you doing?!" He snapped, keeping his voice low to avoid drawing any more unwanted attention. After a moment, the flier sighed.

"Should have known it wouldn't be so easy. Where'd you get the armour, bug?" Flash growled.

"Flash, come on, it's me." Aurora gritted his teeth slightly and glanced aside at Ymir, realising that staying next to her for this rendezvous might not have been the best idea.

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure the real 'you', would never be friends with a changeling!" Flash snarled as he dove at Ymir, hoof poised to strike.

Aurora only had a split second to react. He had to try and defuse this situation, but he knew he'd have to avoid hurting his friends to do it. He placed himself between the two and threw his hooves up again, this time gripping Flash's outstretched hoof and throwing him off target with all his might. With his flight path knocked downward, Flash hit the ground at an angle, rolling twice before regaining enough composure to pull himself back into the air again at speed.

"January ninth, what were you doing when you saw me in our quarters?" Aurora asked quickly, hoping that using a question only Rainbow or him could answer. Flash didn't seem to hear it though, likely impeded by the rush of air around him as he swung round and went straight at Aurora.

Flash flew in close and swung his body upward, closing his wings and using the shift in momentum to kick with his back legs. Aurora barely pulled back out of the way, weighing his options. Magic would be useless in this situation due to the armour. Except maybe, if he could focus enough to teleport...The chain of thought was broken as he was forced to dodge again, having to focus everything on constantly shifting his weight to keep avoiding the flurry of attacks he was coming under.

On the sideline, Ymir stood paralyzed in fear and confusion. Her friend was being attacked by a shadow of himself. The same armour, the same shape, only with wings instead of a horn. She had no idea if this was another changeling that had stolen the armour of his friends, or if it was another pony and they were genuinely attacking each other. Each was a silhouette to her, framed in the burning red light of the sun coming from the entrance between them and her. Aurora was constantly going defensive, but at the same time making sure to keep himself between her and this 'Flash' character. She couldn't help but wince as Aurora took a solid hit to his shoulder, legs buckling but holding on. Even as she watched, he pushed himself back up and wrapped a hoof around the aggressors leg, yanking his opponent forward to be eye to visor with him.

"Look at me," Aurora panted, staring straight at where he knew Flash's eyes were. "It's the real me. Yes, I'm with a changeling but Ymir wants to escape too. She's been guiding me out, kept me safe, she's my friend too. I'm the same nervous wreck of a pony you met on Dec-"

Any further words were cut off as Flash Sentry headbutted him, forcing him to release his hold and staggering him.

"I was in Canterlot when the changelings attacked." Flash growled, kicking Aurora's front legs out from under him before he could react and leaving him sprawled in the dirt.

"I watched that city come this close to being torn apart."

A hoof wrapped around the unicorn's horn, pressing the armour against it and forcing enough contact to impede his magic.

"I spent the day running, hiding and fighting not only for my own life, but an innocent colt that was caught up in the crossfire with me."

His other hoof gripped Aurora's left foreleg, yanking it back and holding him close.

"I saw the changelings fighting, killing, trying to take EVERYTHING from us! You think you can just talk your way out of this one!?"

Flash hauled himself back into the air, dragging a struggling Aurora with him. Thirty feet in the air he flipped sideways, using the extra weight to speed up his roll before letting go. Aurora had no time to get his bearings before gravity kicked in too quickly for his liking and he hit the ground on his back. The armour just about cushioned him enough to keep from breaking anything important, but he still felt the wind be torn from his lungs and his body bounce slightly before Flash came down on him again, pressing his body hard and striking before he could react.

The first hit made the latch on his mouthplate dig painfully into his cheek.

The second snapped the latch completely, the plate swinging open and leaving his muzzle exposed.

The third went higher and cracked his visor, covering the space over his left eye with fracture lines and ruining what was left of its defensive capability.

The fourth came before he could raise his head fully again, a hoof hitting square in the right side of his muzzle and knocking his head back to the floor.

His vision was burred after the flurry of blows, just about able to make out Ymir still standing nearby. Even as he gasped for breath, feeling like he couldn't breathe in, he saw her break into a run, aiming to attack Flash. Right above him, Flash reared up with lethal intent to bring both hooves down upon him. The space he could make out between them gave him an opening, one chance to stop this before anypony else got hurt. He put all his remaining focus into his magic and locked his gaze on the ground between Flash and Ymir, the world vanishing in a flash around him before reappearing.

Ymir yelped in surprise and skidded to a halt. Aurora now lay directly in her path of attack, forcing himself back to his hooves. A small trickle of blood dripped from his left cheek where it had been cut by the latch of his mouthplate, which was now dangling uselessly off his helmet. His breaths were rapid and gasping as he struggled to overcome being winded like that, yet he still attempted to face his opponent again despite looking like he could be knocked down by a filly. Flash hadn't moved from his spot since then, a single thought running through his mind, breaking through the combat high.

'Changelings can't teleport...'

"Oh....Oh hell..." Flash panted as he came over. "I-I thought...I'm sorry, Aurora." Aurora simply stared at him blankly for several seconds.

"January ninth, what were you doing when you saw me in our quarters?" He eventually replied, remaining defensive.

"Oh. I was looking for Rainbow Dash for a training exercise on the colonel's orders." Flash waited as Aurora lifted his battered visor in his magic and his eyes paled for a second.

"No deceit. Regret. Some confusion. Yeah, it's you," Aurora said as he finally relaxed and looked between the other two, recognising that he should probably explain. "Flash, this is Ymir. She's a changeling defector that I accidently took with me when I was forced to flee the battle, I wouldn't have made it this far without her. Ymir, Flash Sentry is another of my friends."

"Hello. Please don't hurt me." Ymir said as she raised a hoof in greeting to Flash, still looking and sounding nervous.

"Well, this is weird," Flash commented as he lifted his visor so they could talk eye to eye. "But Aurora knows a good pony when he sees them. Or, changeling. I have to wonder though, why didn't you try to fight?"

"I, don't want to fight anything. Yet, almost did." She said quietly, looking over at Aurora as he wiped the blood off his cheek and sat down, starting to get his breathing under control again.

"Torb yees," He told her softly, getting a thankful look before he turned to Flash. "Before you ask, things got really bad...Water Flare...I-I don't think she made it. I got swarmed and teleported away, I didn't see anypony after that. What about you? Where's Rainbow Dash?"

"We kept flying as long as we could, but we somehow got separated and..." Flash shook his head and took off, flying back to the tunnel he'd come from and returning with the broken helmet.

Aurora gasped quietly and took it, if Flash had this...He shook his head and stared at it, quietly taking it all in. The thought that Rainbow Dash might well be dead hurt more than he could afford to show and after a minute he rested his forehead against the helmet, sighing through gritted teeth. Ymir walked over and placed a hoof on his shoulder, looking at the helmet in fascination before looking over at Flash.

"Where did you find this?"

"I don't know, everything looks the same down here," Flash shook his head slightly, looking thoughtful. "It was hours ago though, feels like I was on the other side of the mountain."

"Fort soa hi woas argeo..." She perked up slightly a second after saying it. "This pony may live."

"What?" Flash and Aurora exclaimed at the same time.

"Changelings say two ponies where you were," She explained. "One was found, moved to hive."

"If she's there...Wait, wait a second," Aurora got up and turned back to Ymir. "After you got that patrol away from us, you said they hadn't found the others yet. Any of them."

Ymir folded her ears back and looked away. Flash took a step back and watched both of them in response.

"I...Thought of self, wanted to go faster. I did not think to concern you." Ymir looked down, clearly ashamed of herself for the moment of selfishness. Flash cast a wary glance at Aurora, who simply glanced at the exit and then back to her.

"I...Do you know the way from here?"

"Yes," She replied in confusion. "But...Why?"

"I understand if you'd rather get away now over going back into the heart of the swarm, especially when you're so scared of your queen," Aurora took a breath to focus himself and looked back into the mountain, passing the helmet back to Flash. "But Chrysalis and Rainbow Dash have history, and everything mom told me about her suggests she's the type to hold grudges, hard. Even if I left now, Rainbow might not survive being left in her clutches before help can arrive. I can't just leave a friend in that situation, not for anything."

"Ka lugis..." Ymir flicked her ears, thinking for a few moments before nodding. "Ponies very lucky to have you. I will come."

"Me too," Flash added, fitting his visor back into place. "No offence but I don't think you two could or should take on a whole hive alone."

"Heh, appreciate it." Aurora nodded and motioned back toward the interior of the mountain. Ymir gave a smile of determination masking fear and led them back inside. All three had the same thought in their mind; They may have gone past the easiest part of the journey, but they finally had some hope to hold onto.

Chapter 21 - Changing Perspectives

Water Flare tensed slightly as she felt herself regain consciousness. She kept her eyes closed though, not wanting to think about what might be there if she opened them. She didn't feel any pain anymore though, that was quite worrying. In fact, her chest and bad leg felt numb. Even more concerning. She felt dry though, no dampness from the bleeding, something that was odd to her slowly coming back together mind. Even with her armour still covering her, if she'd been stuck in a changeling pod by now she should have been able to feel the goo thanks to the cut. It was impossible that she'd just been left alone though, not with an entire hive seeing her before she collapsed.

"Zeniti hi temm'ta soa ho?"

She tensed further, the sound of changeling language an unwelcome way to break the silence. Not that it was actually that silent, now that she thought about it. The buzz of wings was present as a constant, low droning sound, accompanied by background sounds that almost sounded like a normal town on a busy day. Except for the fact that it was a town of changelings instead of ponies. So she was still in the same cavern as before, somehow that realisation was even less comforting than anything else.

"Piasa, soa hi nagas."

She felt what seemed like a hoof work against her left cheek and heard a click before her mouthplate loosened and was opened up. She still couldn't resist though. A small twitch of each limb confirmed that they were all unrestrained, except maybe the front left which still didn't give any feedback, but the odds were still several hundred to one against her. At best. Even if she was in peak condition, she wouldn't last against five of them.

"Beli hekkalinas morgos equis dei hi regla?"

"Kop, dei xent saloma kosall. Na-Pend me'ek gaio."

Before she could react to whatever they were saying, Flare felt her helmet being removed and she scrunched her eyes up further as the world suddenly became brighter around her. Green tinged light flashed for a second, likely changeling magic. As it faded away again, along with a small clunk that sounded her helmet being put down next to her, she hesitantly took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

She was on her back, staring at the ceiling. As expected, two changelings were standing over her, watching her with what seemed to be a mix of curiosity and concern. Or whatever the changeling equivalents were. While were both the same black armoured, pony shaped bugs as the ones she had fought before, the one on her left had pale amber eyes while the one on the right was hornless and had vivid green eyes. Flare raised her head slightly and saw the same, for lack of a better word, red changeling king from before was standing there at her hooves, watching her closely and opening his mouth. It was at this point that her brain caught up with her eyes.

"Are-"

"Gyaaaaahh!!" Flare cried, dropping onto her side and using her good legs to pull herself away from them as quickly as she could. She only made it a few feet before she felt the wall at the back of her head, leaving no way out. Sitting up like this, she could see the glints of so many changelings again, a horde that had likely all turned as one to look at her again. "O-o-okay, I give up. I'm n-not telling you anything though, so you may as well kill me now!"

"Easy, easy," The king replied. His tone was softer than expected, yet it still sounded wrong. She couldn't tell if it was the echo of the cave or his natural voice, but it still had a sense of distortion to it, as if it were two voices speaking slightly out of sync. "You don't want to mess your leg up again, do you?"

"Again?" She asked, looking down herself despite feeling that taking her eyes off them was a really bad idea. The bandages from before had been removed and the open wound she had been suffering had been stitched up and covered with a salve that looked suspiciously like the changeling goo. It didn't hurt anymore though, and probably explained the numbness.

"You're lucky it wasn't too deep," He continued. "Your leg should remain strong enough to walk on once feeling comes back to it. Lucky we have such good doctors too. Gheni, Lanne, you both did well."

"Torb yees, yelka lesallia." The amber changeling identified as Gheni replied, bowing to the king. The green one, Lanne, did the same. Flare watched them, feeling so many questions coming to the fore in her mind.

"...Why?" She eventually said quietly, drawing their attention again.

"Hmmm?"

"Why would you help me?" She shifted nervously in place, reasoning that she may as well speak bluntly if she was doing down anyway. "Don't you normally just try and suck all the love you can get from ponies without regard for our wellbeing?"

The king stared at her for several seconds and she instantly cowered, regretting trying to make a stand. Why did she always have to pull stupid shit like that? The awkward moment just kept hanging between them, as if each was daring the other to react first. Eventually, he blinked and his expression changed. It wasn't anger, or condescension, or even surprise. He looked...Disappointed, as he slowly glanced away slightly, looking at the two regular changelings with him.

"Isani term nectix," He said quietly to himself before putting a calmer look on his face and looking back at Flare. "I see there is much that needs to be clarified between us. However before we go any further, I think we should probably introduce ourselves. Though here, we can dismiss with the formal procedure. I am Thorax, King of Outlani."

"W-Water Flare, from Equestria." She replied, mind racing. Thorax, if that was his name, seemed to want to keep this civil. If she did, maybe she could keep him in a good enough mood to avoid killing her too quickly, or even at all.

"I imagine you must had a lot of bad experiences with changelings, and I can only offer my sincere apologies for those. I understand if you're hesitant to trust anything I say, but we have no desire or reason to feed on your love."

"...Why?" She knew she was repeating herself a lot, but there wasn't much else she could do in this situation. And there was a chance he was telling the truth, even if it was a small amount hidden in a mess of lies. She, wanted to believe though.

"Because we feed off our love for each other. It both sustains us and provides us with strength. If we could only feed off the love of other beings, chances are the changeling race wouldn't have survived long enough to learn it could feed like that," Thorax explained, looking back at the cavern behind him, and the swarm it contained. "Almost everyone here has a family member or loved one with them, despite the risk, because such care and support is a way of life."

Flare slowly looked out at the changelings she could see, studying them quietly. Now that she could get a good look at the area, she could see it was more of a encampment than what she expected a proper hive to look like. Everything she could see, supplies, resting areas, even a stockpile of armour, looked like it had been set up to be moved quickly and efficiently. Some areas she couldn't help but think were set up even better than most EDF operations. More surprising though. every changeling she could see had at least one other sticking close to them, and many of those where showing signs of affection to each other. Small nuzzles, gentle nips, a few cuddling off to one side. Even as she looked back at them, Gheni and Lanne were sharing a loving nuzzle, the larger Gheni giving a small, satisfied shudder as they did.

"Okay. Capable of sharing the love. Let's, say I believe that," Flare said, leaning back against the wall more. "That you're all decent enough. That brings up another question. Why exactly are you here?"

"The short version is, we're here to stop a traitor that threatens both our homes," Thorax replied, looking slightly saddened. "I'm not sure how interested you would be in the long version."

"Actually, I would. If...If I can leave, I might be able to get other ponies to know about it." She replied hesitantly, hoping this would give her an opening to get out soon. She'd noticed that their discussion was starting to draw the attention of more changelings within the cavern. All of them seemed to be pretty calm about it though, about her. Especially Thorax.

"That, would actually put us after the same thing. You see, Outlani lies to the west of Equestria, just beyond these mountains, so we've naturally been interested in ponykind for a long time. Our first attempts to learn began during the time you refer to as the Age of Advancement. They...Didn't go well. Our kind focused to the east for the time afterward, letting Equestria forget about our poor first contact while still attempting to learn quietly. It took a while before we felt we could attempt contact again, around fourteen hundred years, but I had hoped that my reign would be the one where changelings and ponies could finally become friends..."

"I'm guessing, something happened?" Flare asked simply.

"Hi salter cinridad!" Lanne said bitterly in response. Gheni wrapped a hoof round her and whispered something to try and comfort her while Thorax continued.

"There have always been those among the changelings who did not see why we should try to befriend others, those who saw other races as little more than stockpiles of love for them to take and exploit. Thirty years ago, I made the mistake of letting one into a position of power. A hive governor by the name of Chrysalis."

Those within earshot of him hissed slightly at the name.

"A...She's not actually a queen then?" Flare said in surprise, dropping her head back against the wall as she let the revelation sink in.

"No, she's actually closer to what you'd consider a city mayor. If you mean her appearance, blame evolution. About fifteen percent of the changeling population look like me or her. It has no bearing on our roles. Our last queen was a regular changeling."

"Huh...So, what do you call changelings like you?"

"Qeuv'Gos. It simply means tall kind. Changelings you're more familiar with are Kergi'Gos. Many kind."

"Okay," Flare looked down at herself, slowly tracing a hoof over her cut. "And, what happened after that?"

"Well as I said, Chrysalis was power-hungry for a changeling. Her leadership position with the Borealis hive allowed her to create a following that also desired domination over cooperation. Twenty-five years ago, she declared herself 'Queen of the true changelings', removed the other qeuv'gos of the hive and fled toward Equestria with eight thousand of her followers. Borealis was declared a rouge state and I moved to secure the hive again. The remaining changeling rebels there surrendered quickly, but we lost track of Chrysalis in the process. It took several years for us to track her down again, mostly because she had gone to ground within your homeland."

"Yeah, she kind of set back pony-changeling relations a few thousand years twenty-three years ago," Water Flare pushed herself into more of a sitting position, thinking Thorax needed to know out of a sense of openness, rather than trying to be antagonistic. "She took the place of one of our princesses, launched a full scale invasion of the capital, incapacitated our leader and a number of our best and generally caused a shitton of havoc before her army was repelled."

"As I feared. Our first scouts reported an extremely hostile opinion of changelings," Thorax mused, stopping as he noticed the look Flare gave him. "I promise you they had minimal interaction with ponies, they were just looking for Chrysalis. We found her in the region you refer to as the badlands, with barely a quarter of her original numbers. She had been attempting to replace those numbers, but in a crueller home, without a caring leader...Those new changelings were smaller, meeker, looking like they were lost compared to their older brethren. Two years ago, the three thousand changeling rebels that remained moved through the southern lands and back west. We confirmed they took refuge in these mountains recently, now we have come to bring the traitors to justice and help the new generation learn what it means to be a changeling."

"I see..." Flare looked down and curiously tested her bad leg against the floor. Part of her wished that it had been Aurora in this situation instead of her, he could have figured out if this was the truth in a heartbeat. In her case though, everything she'd seen, despite everything...She wanted to believe it was the truth. Maybe it was some delusional side effect of her healing, maybe it was just pony nature, but she wanted to try for peace. In any case, the least she could do was be thankful for the knowledge they had given her. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"Pabe?" Gheni asked in surprise.

"Well, you patched me up, I'm starting to get feeling back in my leg, and you told me so much that could really help ease the anti-changeling sentiment back home. So, if I can help you in return, I will."

"Hmmm. To be honest, your being able to leave to tell ponies would be the biggest help," Thorax replied, watching as she carefully got back to her hooves, her bad leg shaking but holding up for now. "We're almost ready to move from this mountain against Chrysalis' location though, but if needed I can spare someone to help you back to Equestria."

"Well thank you but, there's still more of us lost out here and I have no idea what happened to them. We were trying to confirm if Chrysalis was here ourselves so, for now, it might be best if I stay with you and we help each other finish our tasks?"

Thorax nodded and his horn glowed green, the aura attempting to surround Flare. After several seconds of nothing happening it petered out and he stared before crouching down.

"Whoever made that armour did impressive work for it to resist magic like that. For now, climb on and rest your leg." He said simply. She nodded and clambered onto his back, gripping on as he rose again and began calling orders out in changeling. She couldn't do much else for now but wonder. What this revelation about the changeling race might mean, if it really did give ponies a chance to be free of the threat of Queen Chrysalis once and for all.

Most importantly though, if her friends were still alright.

Author's Note

Huh, could have sworn that this chapter was longer. Not sure if that's just me being a bad writer or if I'm missing something, but there we are.

Chapter 22 - A Shift in Momentum

"You're sure this is the right way?" Aurora asked quietly. The lighting in the tunnel looked the same as at least the last dozen they had passed through already. The further they'd travelled, the less secure he felt without his face being protected anymore. If Ymir was still on course, he'd have appreciated the extra armour. If not...His magic lit up and he twisted a piece of metal on the broken latch as he moved his mouthplate back into place, hoping it would stay there once he hooked the broken part back up. It dug uncomfortably into his cut cheek, but held for now.

"Yes. Plant light on most used routes." Ymir replied simply, looking at one of the lichen on the wall next to her and seemingly not noticing what he was doing.

"Huh, I'd never actually thought about that." He commented, remembering that they hadn't encountered many of the luminescent plants since they'd entered the mountain. A small hint that they'd been looking in the wrong places all this time.

"Shame we didn't know that sooner, we could have been in and out by now." Flash Sentry commented from his position at the back of the three pony line.

"Sorry..." She looked down slightly and stopped in place, shutting her eyes and flinching slightly as they approached her.

"Well, you had no way of knowing." Flash affirmed, watching with curiosity as she slowly looked at him with a sense of confusion.

"No problem?"

"Of course not," Aurora told her gently. "Why would it be?"

"Queen," Ymir tapped at the ground and bared her fangs slightly, her voice getting more agitated with every word. "Always a problem for her, always fault of me, us small ones. Ideas, words, everything wrong if not from her. Gives less food when wrong. I...Not like, very much."

"You...Hate her?" Flash asked in surprise, almost surprised that changelings were capable of feeling the emotion toward each other.

As Ymir nodded in response, Aurora took a long look at her. From everything she had taught him about changelings, the idea that a being that needed love to survive only knowing a home that felt so hostile was just sad. Not only that, but from what he knew, and what he remembered of the one he'd killed, she had less light in her eyes, a lot of her actions had been more hesitant as if not wanting to waste energy, her size. He'd thought she was just a small example of her kind, but it was more than that. She looked, ill.

"That's..." He started before the well of emotion that arouse from the realisation became too much and he stepped forward quickly. Before she could react, he had his front hooves wrapped around her chest and the back of her neck, hugging the changeling. "It's ok, you have somepony who likes you right here.

Ymir didn't reply, caught off guard by the show of affection. She gave a small, pleasant sounding gasp a few moments later as she felt the extra effects and gently wrapped a hoof around his back in response, somewhat awkwardly as though she'd never done it before. When they finally broke it, she had a fresh look in her eyes, more of a shine in her expression. It was as though she'd gotten a good meal and a full nights rest all at once.

"Th...Thank you." She said softly, though her expression became more wary as she looked over at Flash, wondering what he was making of this behind his helmet.

"You know, I'm curious, how exactly does that feel?" Flash finally said, directing it at them both.

"To be honest, I don't really feel any different. If anything, I feel better for helping like this." Aurora remarked.

"I am not sure I can say how it feels," Ymir said as she rubbed her leg, momentarily snagging her hoof in one of the holes in the process. "Like, energy, energy in me appearing. Makes it all good."

"Hmm, good to know," Flash stepped in front of them on the path forward, not sounding disinterested but still wanting to keep moving. "Soul, is there anything about?"

"One second," The unicorn cast his magic to check, but stopped almost instantly. "Four in the tunnel ahead, coming our way fast."

"Errr...Plan?" Ymir asked nervously, backing up slightly.

"Ok, Flash, we're changelings who defeated us and took the armour. We'll either bluff our way past them or catch them by surprise. Understand?" Aurora whispered. Flash simply nodded and the three of them looked to the bend ahead.

Moments later, as expected, a group of changelings rounded the corner and stopped at the sight of them. Three males and a female, though one of the males was smaller than the others, only about the same size as Aurora, and sporting the same signs of being a younger changeling as Ymir did. The group stopped at the sight before them, caught off guard by the sight and giving the trio a moment to compose themselves. Ymir in particular relaxed slightly at the sight of the smaller male.

"Kalai, Marlos." She said to him. The male perked up slightly at the sight of her before one of the larger males put a hoof out and looked at them sternly.

"Ymir, expis io gaio?" They demanded.

"Noma nabba zee fort equis, wixo hi duske nous." Aurora said, silently praying that he was getting enough of it right to pass off as a transformed changeling.

"Dessak, melbos esse nabba na bosch noma nectal lo'sha hi poctros hin." Ymir followed up. Flash simply nodded in agreement and glanced back at Rainbow's helmet, knowing his inability to speak of a word of their language wouldn't help.

"Ka lugis..." The lead male said as he took a step forward. "Bosch cypi yon yees quave indevec?"

"Ho'chi snuss." Aurora replied simply.

"Heh, lucar." The female changeling commented with a wry smile.

"Dei, yees term zess kalla'no a nik latvern fo," The second male commented, flashing a dangerous grin at Ymir. "Hi rou yven ped ciddo cua bo'da remeni gaio."

"Mirai zel..." Ymir took a step back, starting to look worried as the three regular changelings starting to advance on her. Aurora glanced aside at Flash, not needing to tell him the malicious intent that was incoming. The pegasus glanced back at him and nodded.

"Now."

The two of them lunged forward as one before the changeling group could react. Flash grabbed the broken helmet and threw it at the male on the left of the group. It smacked him square in the muzzle, leaving Flash an opening to grab him and smash his head against the tunnel wall. The changeling only had time to give a gasp of surprise before going limp, bleeding from around his right eye as it dropped. At the same time, Aurora's horn lit up as he rushed the female changeling, his magic wrapping around her hind left leg and swinging his hoof to knock her front legs out from under her. His magic yanked her hind leg out as he put his weight against her and tackled her down to the ground, following up with a sucker punch to the chest to counter any remaining resistance and a second to the head, knocking her out.

Two down, just the two on the right to go.

A bolt of green shot over Aurora's back and hit Flash in his right side. Though his armour mitigated the attack, the force behind it staggered him. The two of them were still moving to recover as the second male advanced, grinning darkly at a chance to avenge his comrades. Aurora looked up to see the changeling lunge at him, jaws opened, fangs bared and a full set of sharp teeth ready to tear into his exposed eyes. He didn't have time to react before the changeling lurched and his teeth snapped shut just an inch short of their target, close enough to feel the wind rush from the motion against him. The changeling looked back in anger, snarling as he saw the reason for the miss.

Ymir had her teeth clamped firmly around the changeling's tail, hooves dug in as she valiantly pulled against him. With the size difference between them though, it was never going to do more than that. The changeling swung round as she let go and advanced on her instead. Ymir folded her ears back, fear evident, yet she refused to back down this time. Instead she gritted her teeth and swung at him, the blow hitting nothing but air as the changeling simply tilted his head to avoid it.

"Kareo." He smirked before swinging his own hoof in an uppercut. Ymir gave a cry of pain as it hit her square in the bottom of her jaw and knocked her off her hooves, throwing her a few feet in the air before she came down hard on her side.

The changeling chuckled and turned back toward his original opponents, a fresh taunt coming to his lips. That taunt died as his world became blinding white before a magic blast hit him square in the chest, blowing him back into the wall with a loud crunch. The impact broke one of his rear legs and the changeling screamed in agony as they landed on the same leg, only continuing for a second longer before Aurora stomped down on his neck. The blow would have crushed a regular pony's windpipe, even the more durable changeling chitin cracked under the force of the attack. The extra pain pushed the changeling over the edge and he passed out.

"Bastard," Aurora muttered under his breath before looking back at Flash. "You alright?"

"Yeah, you two?"

Aurora turned to check on Ymir, only to tense up again. The small remaining male was standing over her, a hoof to her cheek. He ran up quickly, only to stop when he realised that he was checking her over. A quick check of his own confirmed that she hadn't taken any lasting damage.

"Marlos is a friend." Ymir told him simply before looking back at her kin. "Nin ganvel. Comaw hin cua hi safi, laki hi kallaxin dod erane io walls. Chrysalis belavi nectai."

"Na?" Marlos asked, looking over at Aurora and Flash before Ymir nodded. "Hi equiia? Fellaz, ka's laki na." He added before getting up and running back the way he'd come.

"Little changelings stick together." Ymir said to the others as she got up again and wiggled her lower jaw to check everything was still where it should be.

"If it means less trouble for us, I'll take it," Flash replied, looking at the three battered and bleeding changelings lying at their hooves. "We should hurry though, that skirmish was louder than I'd liked it to be."

"Good point." Aurora glanced round as if expecting something to be drawn to their position and turned to Ymir again. Before he could open his muzzle though, his ears twitched as his comms magic activated. Flash perking his ears indicated he'd heard the same.

"To anypony in range, this is Buddy. We heard fighting ahead of our position, does anypony read?" Cipher's voice came through to both of them. Aurora looked over at Flash, who glanced down slightly before motioning for him to reply. It made sense, Aurora and Cipher had more of a rapport with each other, plus it would be good to check if the magic in his mouthplate was still working after the beating it took.

"Hey buddy, still alive?" He replied, waiting several seconds before Cipher's voice came through again.

"Well my fillings are all still in, no thanks to you."

"Yeah, that's you alright." Aurora commented, chuckling slightly.

"Glad to hear your voice again. You're coming in a bit weak but right now it's better than nothing. I've got Wall and Stable with me. We've been together since the battle broke up, before you ask."

"Hey, kid." Wave's voice came through a moment after.

"Hey to you too. Zippy managed to find me as well, we managed to confirm it was each other before things got too rough."

"It's good to hear your voices." Flash interjected.

"Yours too. After what happened, I was worried we were going to lose you both." Bulwark's voice came through, sounding outright relieved.

"Yeah...One second," Aurora bit back the concern in his voice and his eyes lit up as he checked the area. While he could feel a lot of bodies ahead, more than he'd ever felt at the very edge of his magic further along the way they'd been heading, more important right now was the trio of figures he could sense in the tunnel behind them. "I think you're in the same area as us. If we're really lucky, that's you I can sense nearby."

"Here's hoping, we'll keep moving forward and try to find you."

"Oh, and be advised, we have a changeling with us. Don't rush in and attack her, it's under control."

The silence that followed that comment hung for far longer than any of the previous replies before Cipher spoke up again.

"...Say again?"

"Short version is, I met a changeling who wants to escape from Chrysalis' rule. She's saved my flank more than once already, so I trust her."

"I can vouch for that." Flash added.

"Well, you would know better than anypony, Soul," Cipher commented, sounding thoughtful. "Alright, sit tight and if we're not there within a minute, assume hostiles."

"Copy. See you soon, I hope."

Aurora gave a small sigh of relief and went to check on Ymir again. She was rubbing her chin pretty fiercely where she'd been hit but there weren't any signs of injury, though he decided to make sure she could be checked properly once this was over. A few seconds later, the sound of hoofsteps reached the trio shortly before the welcome sights of Cipher, Bulwark and Healing Wave approaching. While they were clearly hesitant due to the presence of a changeling with their friends, Aurora's words seemed to have them placated for now and they met up, everypony sharing a round of hoofbumps, the general sense of relief at having most of the team back together radiating around them.

"So, introductions," Aurora said, motioning to Ymir. "This is Ymir, my changeling friend. Like I said, she's been doing her best to help us. Ymir, gaio io Cipher, Bulwark bosch Healing Wave. Kecka li ae stratah."

"Hello. We have been teaching each other." Ymir greeted and explained to the others before they could question Aurora speaking changeling.

"Trust me, you couldn't separate those two at this point. I tried." Flash commented. Cipher looked them over before nodding and stepping forward.

"Well, I'll welcome the extra help, and if Aurora trusts you then I don't have much reason to doubt your intent either."

"Thank you," Ymir smiled and nodded before turning to continue down the tunnel. "We must move, hive is close."

"Yeah, Ymir's been leading us toward the changeling hive," Aurora explained. "Aside from fulfilling the mission. We think that either Rainbow Dash or Water Flare is there. If the changelings have their hooves on them..."

"That explains the bodies," Bulwark commented, looking down at the still incapacitated changelings lying around their hooves. "Good work on that, you two."

"All three of us." Flash corrected. Bulwark nodded to Ymir in response, conceding the point.

"Alright, let's keep moving then. The sooner we can find our friend, the sooner we can all get out of here." Cipher said, motioning for the team to advance again and they set off down the tunnel again, Flash taking a moment to pick up Rainbow's helmet again before moving to catch up.

Chapter 23 - The Heart of the Hive

The rest of the walk was silent and tense. Ymir was the only one among them who had any idea of what to expect when dealing with an actual changeling hive and she didn't seem willing to try and explain it through her somewhat limited knowledge of the equestrian language. The rest of the team was doing their best to simply get their heads together and focused again after the last skirmish. At the minimum, they were putting themselves in close proximity to a changeling horde just to confirm there was such a horde. It could escalate quickly though, search and rescue sounded highly likely and if they had any ponies kept in pods, that would complicate matters badly.

"Hoo boy..." Aurora broke the silence as his eyes paled, sensing ahead. "That's...That's a lot of beings. I've never felt so many at once."

"Thousands," Ymir replied, moving up to Cipher and tapping his shoulder. "We need to stop. Plan."

"That might help." Healing Wave commented from her position at the back of the group. She'd been very quiet since Ymir had joined the team, though given how she had originally compared Aurora's abilities to a changeling it wasn't too surprising.

Cipher motioned for the ground to stop and move to one side of the tunnel. There was no light aside from what their eyes could manage to secure and the tunnel was wide enough for four ponies, so they were able to keep the way open in case anything came out. Ymir quickly started drawing in the dirt with her hoof, making a pair of circles and waiting for the others to gather round before making a small arrow at the base of the left circle.

"Hive very tall, the left marks ground," She explained, keeping her voice low as she drew a small square. "We move from the arrow, enter feeding point. Pods there..."

"Will have any ponies the changelings had captured." Cipher finished, glancing up at Ymir and noticing that she looked slightly agitated, unable to make eye contact with any of them.

"Yes...Sorry."

"What for?" Bulwark asked, looking at the changeling in surprise.

"I fed from them as well. It hurts them, but I was starving." She explained, folding her ears back and clenching her eyes shut, waiting for a reaction that never came.

"Nopony can blame you for wanting to stay alive. Besides, any hurt you've caused will be insignificant compared to the good you do helping us now." Aurora told her gently, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

"I...Torb yees," She told him, smiling gently before looking back to her plans, drawing out several more shapes on both circles. " Some pods are higher up, fly to get to. Not sure how many ponies are there. Ground has rest and private area, spread out. Not sure how many changelings there."

"Are there any ledges, other elevation changes?" Cipher asked as he checked over the sketches. It wasn't much, but it was preferable to going through the next seventy feet and straight into the hive without any ideas.

"Yes, entrance slightly higher."

"Okay, based on how tightly packed things are exactly in there, we'll be able to make use of it for cover. If we're fast, quiet and careful, we'll be able to move without drawing attention to ourselves. We'll have to see exactly how the land looks when we're there though. Alright, lets move."

The team, minus Ymir, tapped a hoof to their hearts and stood up before moving on again. The quiet that permeated everything around them was rather unnerving, considering how likely it was it would be a stark contrast to what was waiting for them just up ahead. The tunnel got brighter as they approached the exit, Cipher taking point to get his first proper look at a changeling hive.

The cavern the hive was established in was, for lack of a better word, gigantic. Reaching at least five hundred feet above them, the darkness of the ceiling was illuminated by the faint glow of a half-dozen pods attached there and surrounded by lichen. The ledge they stood on was approximately twenty feet up from the floor, with the path from it spiralling around the walls of the cavern with further entrances and exits visible, up toward the pods on the left and down to the ground on the right. Several changeling pods were settled near the edge of the gap before him, just about tall enough to see but not enough to actually see into. Beyond that...His eyes widened as he tried to think of the word best fitting the actual hive.

Rock slums.

That was as close as he could get.

Hundreds of semi-permanent dwellings covered the floor and lower walls, each looking like they'd struggle to hold two ponies, yet he knew it was meant for at least that many changelings. They were very low as well, even the tallest ones were only about seven feet high. It make things a lot easier to see though, he could almost see the whole length of the area, enough to see that it took up most of the width of the mountain. It was easy to imagine thousands of changelings camped out here, with minimal food or comforts.

"Is this, bad, for a hive?" He asked Ymir quietly.

"It's the only hive I've known..." She replied, looking out over it before she suddenly tensed up, her normally blank white pupils shrinking to a normal ponies' size as she pointed over toward the right side of the hive. "Hi rou..." She hissed. "Chrysalis."

The rest of the team moved up to look as well, checking the view ahead. Despite the clutter of buildings, their higher position meant each of them could see the imposing, focused march of Queen Chrysalis. Flash Sentry gritted his teeth slightly and Cipher's expression darkened as they watched closely. Both had been serving when she first attacked Canterlot and all of them had seen the queen in reports. This was their first time seeing her for real though. As they watched silently, she made her way to the edge of the hive and disappeared into a side cave.

"Where's that lead?" Aurora asked, looking over at Ymir. She folded her ears back and looked at him slowly.

"Question room. Somepony is in real harm."

Rainbow Dash groaned weakly as she started to regain consciousness again. A small pull on each limb and wing confirmed they were still stuck to the wall by that stifling goo, a wiggle of her chest reaffirming that her armour was still opened up at the chestplate. She'd lost track of how long she'd been out cold this time, or how many times it had happened, just that her hind legs were starting to go numb from being held up against this wall for so long.

"Wakey wakey, my little pest."

She had just enough time to recognise the voice before a hoof slapped her across the face, leaving a mark on her left cheek. Rainbow grunted and silently convinced herself to lift her head again, remembering that hit was nothing compared to the last time when she hadn't. Her tired magenta eyes opened slowly, being met with a pair of sickening green eyes staring straight back at her, part of a familiar black plated face that was nose-to-nose with her.

"Morning." She replied dryly as she kept staring, really wishing she had her helmet right now. Though considering how close she'd come to having a hole punched through her ear the last time she'd been wearing it, maybe she didn't.

"I do hope you had a good rest," Chrysalis said sardonically as she pulled her head back and smirked, lording it over her prisoner. "We still have much to discuss."

"I've already told you everything you're going to hear from me."

"Really?" Chrysalis tapped her chin in mock thought and bared a fang. "Because, I don't recall 'Go fuck yourself' ever being on the list of things I want to hear."

"Try the list of things all your drones want to sa-" Rainbow's defiance was cut off as Chrysalis' horn glowed green and the pegasus felt her head being surrounded by its aura before it was yanked forward and smacked back into the wall. She gasped in pain as the already bruised back of her head took another hit before the magic faded and she had a moment to collect herself. The lingering stinging this time suggested that the repeated abuse was starting to take its toll.

"My children, the true changelings, know better than to think such things of me," Chrysalis turned her back to Rainbow, simply taking delight in her pained breaths for now. "Not that they would need to, their loyalty is stronger than anything livestock such as yourself could hope to understand."

"...Really? Saying that to the Element of Loyalty?" Rainbow countered, even as she winced from a fresh ache from the back of her head. Odds were that she had a least a dozen others all over her body by now, both from the changelings that had cornered and subdued her, and from Chrysalis' interrogation methods.

"The titles of a dead mare hold no meaning here. Unless..." Chrysalis mused, almost to herself, before swinging round and slamming a hoof square into Rainbow Dash's sternum. The two remaining layers of her armour could do nothing against such a hit and the mare cried out as her chest was momentarily caught in a crush between the wall and the hoof, sending fresh pain shooting through her torso. "Did that hurt? That looked like it hurt a lot."

She didn't reply, desperately gasping for air as she tried to get the life back into her body.

"That's the thing, I could beat you to death right now and all I'd get out of it is the satisfaction, and some wonderful imagery for tonight," Chrysalis leaned in again, her tone calmer and more positive as she put a hoof to Rainbow's chin and lifted it to make eye contact again. The sudden change in attitude unnerved the pegasus more than anything so far. "But, if I was to bring one of your 'friends' in here and start showing them the same hospitality...Your precious element means you'd do anything to help them."

"That..." Rainbow shut her eyes for a moment before she managed to focus enough to make a complete sentence again. "Would require you to have any of the others at all."

"What if I told you that your little squad was already wrapped up in those pods outside, being drained of everything that matters to them right now?"

Rainbow's eyes widened slightly at the thought. Chrysalis simply stared her down waiting for a response. Mentally, she was congratulating herself for having such a good poker face. Just a few more bluffs, and some unexpected competence from her followers, and she would have the mare figuratively spilling her guts for the best way to start against Equestria anew. After several moments Rainbow looked back up at her, panting hard but with conviction in her words.

"I'd say that you're really full of crap."

Chrysalis' demeanour shattered and she hissed dangerously at the restrained mare. Even now she dared defy the righteous ruler of this world?

"Sure, you've got numbers on us, but that's all you've got," Rainbow lifted her head again, smiling weakly. This was going to sound so cheesy coming from her, but she needed to remind herself and remain strong. "Every one of my friends is more than capable of taking on your drones. Even if all I can do here is believe in them, that's all I need to do. Because my belief in my friends is more than you'll ever have in your hive. Even if they don't make it, it'll just rile up my other friends, all of them up until they all team up to kick your flank from here to the void of oblivion."

"You..." Chrysalis' wings opened and she darted up into a hover, all four hooves poised to strike and her horn glowing with power. She looked ready to rage, to destroy. To tear this impudent quim apart in the slowest manner possible. "You, dare...?!"

"Almost ironic, after so much suffering you caused last time that the-"

Rainbow's taunt died in her throat as the changeling's horn glowed even brighter and her still aching chest tensed up. It was like an icy hoof had been wrapped around her heart and was squeezing the life out of it. Even as she watched, a thin pink mist phased out of her body and into Chrysalis, who licked her fangs slowly as she took it all in.

"Delicious, and more ironic," Chrysalis narrowed her eyes slightly as she took the last of it in, her voice low and aggressive. "Your love for your friends, so potent. Perfect, to fuel an end too good for you!"

Chrysalis fired a beam of her magic that connected directly with Rainbow's chest. The pegasus could feel the intensity of it through her armour as it burned through the first remaining layer, then the second. Just as it reached her fur it stopped and the changeling queen dived at her with a snarl, horn still alight. She slashed it down and the magic covered horn parted her coat and dug into her body. Rainbow had a moment of nothingness as she realised the scar from her bite wound had taken the initial blow before screaming as the combined attack started tearing through live flesh, agony like fire flooding her veins even as they began to relinquish their precious liquid.

The horn didn't go too deep, only two inches deep and three inches along the center of her chest. Chrysalis promptly pulled her horn back slightly and dug the tip into the fresh wound for a moment before pulling back properly, Rainbow's fresh blood running down her horn and over her mane. With the demented look in her eye as she savoured the moment, Chrysalis looked more like a nightmare of Tartarus than a changeling.

"I'd give it a few hours before you bleed out, if I don't try too hard to make you talk," She commented, chuckling at the bleeding, panting mare before her. "Maybe your precious belief in your friends can save you. Actually, try it, I could use the snack. Heh heh, see you soon."

"Go, now!" Cipher practically pushed Bulwark forward to cross to the edge of the ledge and drop down behind the pods, like the others had already. He didn't want to rush this but everypony had heard the screams echoing throughout the cavern. Ymir had left first, which made sense considering she could move freely and check on things to give them a clearer path. He still wasn't sure if he trusted her completely, but Aurora did, that would have to do for now.

As he looked up again to get a last lay of the land, his eyes went back to the 'question room' and his blood froze slightly as he saw Chrysalis emerging from it again. Her horn and sections of her head and mane were slightly lighter than it had been before she went in. Though the darkness didn't make it clear it wasn't hard to imagine why. He bit back a curse as he watched her take off and disappear into one of the tunnels high above before following the others over the edge, landing quietly.

The glow of the half dozen pods was bright, but the...whatever it was that was inside them was thick enough to keep them from being seen through it. None of the ponies present knew which thought was worse, that there were ponies being held inside those pods or that the changelings were keeping them ready for them. A thought that was quickly answered as a rather bulky changeling approached the pods.

All five ponies pressed themselves to the floor and held their breath, watching and waiting. Even from their restricted viewpoint, each of them could see the changeling's horn glow and a thin pink mist shift from one of the pods into his waiting maw. The goo inside the pod nearest to them suddenly swirled and shifted quickly, as though something, or somepony, was thrashing about inside. The movement died down again after a few moments and the changeling took off into one of the tunnels, leaving behind the task force. Shaken by what they had seen, but undetected.

"Move fast, stay low, stick to the shadows," Cipher told the others at a stressed whisper. "We go in, grab our friend and get out fast."

"What about the others?" Aurora asked. "I mean, if it's Rainbow Dash in there, what about Water Flare? The pods?"

"Kid, I understand wanting to save everypony," Flash told him, placing a hoof on his shoulder. "But we only know where one pony we can safely move is. I hate it too, but we can't risk getting lost or caught again, not now."

Aurora sighed and looked down, simply nodding in response. With the matter dropped, Cipher pointed to one of the rock buildings nearby and waved his hoof. Bulwark and Wave went first, getting to the cover it provided before Flash and Aurora followed them with Cipher bringing up the rear. They kept steadily moving forward this way, going from cover to cover, keeping their eyes out for any changelings flying overhead. The hive seemed to be deserted though, keeping them all on edge. Only one changeling actually seemed to be about though, a regular female that was watching the entrance to where Rainbow was being held.

Bulwark advanced first, making sure the coast was clearly before he snuck up behind her and yanked her back behind the dwelling, wrapping a hoof around her muzzle before she could react and gripping her throat hard with the other. His weight kept the changeling pinned against the rock, feeling her uselessly smack a hoof against his armour until she went limp. Bulwark grunted slightly and dropped the unconscious body against the wall. Cipher nodded his approval and made to go for the entrance, only to stop at the sound of movement coming from another area. The whole team tensed at the approaching hoofsteps. Bulwark was still at the front and had time to look at the spot they were coming from before a changeling skittered round the corner and smacked into his chest.

"Foulke!" They exclaimed as they took a step back, tensing at realising just who they were facing. "Is me, is Ymir!"

"Glad you're alright," Aurora said, making use of the fact he was hidden behind Healing Wave to double check with his magic. As soon as he was sure, he dropped it and stepped out to see her. "What's happening?"

"Spoke to Marlos, small changelings like me will stay away if we can. Many big changelings away, looking out. Seeking you."

"Lucky break for us." Wave commented.

"Okay, me and Wall will go first and secure the chamber, follow in twos after us." Cipher told them, him and Bulwark checking the coast was clear before making a run for their friend.

Everypony present hoping that they had made it in time.

Chapter 24 - The Battle of Silvat

The silence was the worst part.

She couldn't hear anything beyond her own ragged breath now, broken only by the occasional drip drip of her blood hitting the floor. Like the whole world was focused on how her life was steadily slipping away. Normally a cut like that wouldn't have been too troubling but after Chrysalis had dug around in it, on top of everything else she'd endured in the last few hours...Her chest fur felt warm and slick but the rest of it felt cold, her heart was pounding as it fought to get the blood back from her legs and to where it was needed, her vision was hazy as her body focused less on keeping her senses sharp and more on trying to stay alive. It couldn't get much worse than this.

Until the moment it did.

A pair of black figures approached her, most likely more changelings. She couldn't focus enough to hear what they were saying. Then more of them appeared before her. One of them said something, fuzzy but she could make out a single word.

"Crash."

She slowly lifted her head an inch, trying to look at them with what strength she could spare. Even through the current mess her mind was in, she knew no changeling would call her that. Then two of them stepped up to her and placed their heads to her back hooves, one lighting up yellow, the other white. After a few seconds she felt the goo around her hooves weakening and they came free, dangling with little energy in them. The two lights moved up to her wings and did the same, though it was impossible to get all of it off. Even though she could barely move after everything that had happened, she was figuring what it meant.

Her friends were there.

"Is she safe to move down?"

"No, I have to stop the bleeding first."

Aurora nodded and stepped back as Healing Wave got onto her back hooves and reached up enough for her horn to reach Rainbow Dash's chest. Put simply, the pegasus was in terrible condition and barely conscious. At least four bruises were visible on her head and chest, likely more under her armour. Fresh blood was visible on the wall right behind her head. Her right eye was swollen slightly from a close hit and her breaths were slow. The worst visible injury was her chest though, while not deep it was still bleeding freely, blood running down her stomach and dripping onto the floor. As Wave went to work though, that flow became a thin trickle, then stopped altogether as she managed to stem the worst of it.

With nothing to do as she worked, Aurora looked back to make sure the exit back toward the hive was still clear. Cipher and Flash Sentry were keeping watch on the way out for now, Bulwark hanging off to one side to make himself less conspicuous and Ymir hanging back and watching Wave work. Though she wasn't quite able to express herself quite as well as a pony, the look she was giving at the sight of Rainbow's condition was clear enough.

"Cypi...?" She said quietly to herself, tearing her eyes away from the sight and blinking away unshed tears. Aurora went over and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"This isn't the first time they've met, that's why," He explained. "Rainbow Dash got off lightly though, she only fought the changelings last time. If it had been my mother in this situation..."

"Yes...Even if she is mother, she must stop." Ymir said, more to herself than anything. Aurora raised an eyebrow but decided not to press the issue.

"Don't worry, you'll be getting out of here with us." He reassured her, backing it up with another quick hug to give her a boost of energy. He didn't know why it worked so well, but she did look perkier after he did that.

"We're all getting out of here," Wave interjected. "Speaking of, we can get her down now, little help?"

Aurora nodded and went back to Rainbow, aiming at the goo around her front left hoof and firing his magic, carefully burning it away the same as he had before. Wave did the same on the other side, the only sound from either of them being the faint, two-toned whine of constant magic output. Several seconds passed before Rainbow began to drop, her weight too much for the remaining goo to hold. Aurora quickly moved to keep her from falling straight to the floor and with Wave's help, they managed to get her down gently.

"How bad is it?" Cipher asked, glancing back at them.

"Blood loss is a concern, and given she seems to have been in that position for some time I'm worried about blood pooling in her legs. Right now I want to wait a minute, see if her circulation picks up again."

"Alright, it's still quiet out here, we can spare a few moments."

"So, what's our exit plan?" Flash asked quietly, glancing round the exit, the quiet putting him further on edge.

"Wall will carry Crash as we slip out the way we came. Ymir will then guide us back toward the nearest exit to the mountain. Soon as we're clear, Soul'll teleport out and alert command that we're ready to be recovered again."

"With respect sir, why not have him go now?" Bulwark asked quietly.

"Three reasons," Cipher explained. "One, if we got into trouble while he was gone, we'd be a pony down and he'd be returning to a warzone where he'd be attacked before he was ready. Second, the only ponies he could bring back with him are those who could get us out just as quickly and I'd rather not risk any of the princesses like that. Third..." He looked back toward Ymir, who was doing her best to explain the potential effects of changeling wounds to Wave. "We need everypony at their best if we're going to do this, and I can already tell she's only at hers when he's here."

"Speaking of which..." Bulwark looked over at Ymir as Wave shooed her away once the explanation was over so she could keep working. "Ymir? What did you plan to do when we're out of the mountain?"

"Return home," She replied simply. "Changeling home. If welcome, will try and make new life. If not...May try Equestria."

"We'd have to get out of here first for that," Wave commented, standing up and shaking her head to wave the faint smoke around her horn away. "Speaking of, she's as safe to move as we're going to get. Blood's going back to where it should be and her pulse is stronger, but I can only do so much with our supplies. If I'm honest...I don't think she's going to make it without proper medical attention."

"Ok," Cipher turned to check everypony was ready to go. "Wave, Wall, prep Crash for transport. Everypony else, up front."

"Wh...What about me?" Rainbow's voice came up weakly as the injured mare turned her head slightly, finally gaining enough coherence to respond to the world around her.

"You just try and relax, doctor's orders." Wave told her. Though it wasn't visible, the tone of voice she used at the sight of her friend being more responsive buoyed up everypony's mood slightly.

"Okay, sounds good...Has anypony seen my helmet?"

"Got it right here." Flash trotted over and showed it to his friend. Rainbow raised an eyebrow slightly at the damage done to it but was too weak to question it. He lifted her head up slightly and slid it back onto her, making sure not to aggravate any of her cuts or bruises. It would be at least some extra protection while they were on the way out, just in case.

With that done, Bulwark came over and crouched down while Flash and Wave carefully lifted Rainbow onto his back, making sure not to put any unnecessary pressure on her chest while he stood up and settled his precious cargo into place. The team then got into their formation for heading out. Cipher, Aurora and Ymir at the front, Bulwark and Rainbow in the middle, Flash and Wave holding the rear. There was a small clear space between the exit and the first areas of the hive where the dwellings sat, enough for all of them to be in the open for a few seconds. As soon as the last hoof left the tunnel, an echoing sound that seemed to come from everywhere made them hesitate. Rainbow raised her head slightly and tensed.

She'd heard that sound before. That chuckle.

"Is this really all Equestria can send against me?" Chrysalis' voice echoed around them in mock disappointment. "I'd be offended if it wasn't so sad."

Before any of them could react, the air was filled with the droning of wings as hundreds, possibly thousands of changelings appeared from hiding. Behind the dwellings, from within the darkness above, even from out of the tunnels. The ponies had no clear route except back they way they'd come, into the dead end. Ymir froze up like a petrified rabbit, knowing there was no way she could explain herself out of this one. The others dropped into fighting poses, waiting for any kind of response. Even as they watched, Chrysalis herself hovered down from the darkness above, flanked by a pair of armoured changelings and smirking darkly.

"Did you really think I would leave my guards where they could be seen? Such arrogance, no wonder your kind don't deserve this..." Chrysalis' monologue was cut short as she noticed Ymir standing next to Aurora and her former condescension was replaced by cold hard fury. "You...DARE to coerce one of my children to stand amongst you?!"

"We-" Cipher started, only to be cut off as Chrysalis fired a beam of magic at his forelegs, the stallion barely rearing up in time to avoid it. The beam hit the ground under his stomach and left a sizeable scorch mark that glowed slightly from the sheer energy the attack contained.

"You know, it really doesn't matter what you say now," She continued, staring Cipher down. "You can't run, you can't fight, all you can do now is stand down and be what you were born to be; Food for my changelings. More are coming, all will see you fight fruitlessly before your love becomes fuel for the new destiny that awaits this world!"

The team moved a little closer together, the droning in the air getting louder as they did. Chrysalis looked back toward the tunnels, clearly expecting reinforcements. Many of the other changelings were hissing and snarling at the ponies, the smaller breed slowly joining them. They didn't look happy to be entering though and some were even being forced to enter by their larger brethren. For several seconds, the standoff held. Then a burst of green light from one of the tunnels above drew everyone's attention, just in time to see a changeling come spiralling out of the tunnel, trailing smoke and one of its front legs broken. Even as they watched, it plummeted into the hive and smashed into a dwelling, bouncing off it with a crunch and coming down again, dead before it hit the floor.

Before anypony could process what had just happened, each of them perked slightly as their comms came to life again.

"Hey, I hope you all can hear me," Water Flare said quickly as she stepped out from behind the cover she'd used while Thorax had cleared the way. "Flow to all Task Force Harmony units, backup is coming your way. Any changelings that aren't light blue are on our side. I repeat, only attack the light blue ones...I met my first team member on May twenty-second, Year Four."

"Is broadcasting information like that wise?" Thorax asked as he motioned for another wave of his changelings to advance. Most of the allied changelings, as Flare had taken to calling them, were now moving from the nearby mountains and pushing into Chrysalis' hive from all directions while a detachment were sweeping the mountain to strike isolated changelings and possibly locate the rest of her team.

"My friends need to know it's really me and not one of them." She replied as she followed him. Her injury was healing faster than she'd expected and while she still walked with a limp, she could stand on the leg if she needed to. Even as she said it she twitched her ear as a reply started to come through, quiet and slightly broken up.

"Flow, this is Buddy, we h...you. You...limit of range but we hear you."

"We? Some of the others are with you?" She asked, unable to hide her enthusiasm.

"Yes, but...o me Flare, do not try...oser! We're surrounded, changelings are swarming in ever...even recognise these new...what they're capable of."

"Sir, just stay down, they're on our side, I promise."

"...Say again?"

"Hopefully this'll convince you," She said, stepping closer to Thorax as they exited the tunnel and entered the hive. The air before them was filled with Thorax's changelings, facing down Chrysalis' changelings that had been pushed back to the other side of the hive by the increase in numbers. Chrysalis herself was hovering in the middle of her forces, looking deeply perturbed at the sudden appearance of the allied changelings. Off to the side, deep in the enemy line, was the rest of Task Force Harmony, bunkered down by another exit. "Hi guys!"

"Flare?" Bulwark's voice came through as his unmistakable figure looked back at her, drawing the attention of the others as well.

"Ok, I don't doubt that it's you," Cipher continued. "But now the comms are working, you mind explaining what's going on?"

"Well in brief, Chrysalis is just a nutcase that even other changelings hate. Thorax here is the real ruler of the changelings and everyone not wearing light blue is here to bring her down. They're the ones that saved my flank so, I think we're good."

"Alright, keep your head down and get to us if you can. Crash is already wounded and-"

Cipher was cut off by a low snarl as Flare turning her gaze toward Chrysalis. Even though it was too far to see her expression, there was no doubt that she was staring pure murder at the rogue changelings. Thorax had a similarly thunderous look on his face as he began speaking to the assembled forces, his voice carrying throughout the cavern to every one of the thousands of changelings present. The allied changelings, no matter where they were standing or hovering, were keeping their eyes locked on their opponents. The rogue changelings seemed wary of their situation, both due to the fact that they were now outnumbered and their king's speech.

"...Anypony getting a word of this?" Flash asked quietly as Thorax kept speaking. The others all looked over at Aurora and Ymir instantly.

"He says this stops here," Ymir translated in brief. "King Thorax of Outlani is offering a chance for the Borealis rebels to surrender. Any who give up now will not be harmed and treated fairly when they return...Home."

The atmosphere was tense as Thorax finished speaking and looked over the two forces, his expression softening, his smile more genuine. Ymir looked over at a dozen or so smaller changelings near her, Marlos among them. He looked back at her hopefully before taking off, the whole group heading toward the allied lines, their intent to surrender clear. She watched them, looking like she was going to take off and follow them, when a concentrated beam of green magic shot across her vision and tore into the airborne group. Some of them were killed instantly when hit, others that only took partial hits had limbs, wings and internal organs vaporised by the pure energy of the attack. Within a second of their taking off, every one of them and any allied changelings unlucky enough to be behind them were dropping to the floor, those still alive clearly suffering lethal wounds. Thorax recoiled slightly in shock at the sudden attack and looked over at the only being in the room who could have performed it.

"Hekka kecka loselen!?!" Chrysalis roared to her changelings as the glow around her horn faded, pure venom in her voice. "Banda, nin illiop cua zedaf gaio wellack. Cida ossusae ma's cida cua meko!"

"You'll do neither." Aurora told Ymir gently as he imposed himself between her and Chrysalis.

Their focus was drawn again as Chrysalis roared a battle cry and her changelings charged the allied forces. Thorax gritted his teeth and signalled for his changelings to counter-charge. Both sides collided at the center of the hive, thousands of changelings firing bolts of magic and baring fangs as they committed to the fight. The air seemed to become green fire, fire that tore into stone, chitin and flesh without mercy. The team promptly pulled back into the cave behind them as battle was joined, cries of war and pain filling the air behind them. Here, they had some cover for now but it wouldn't last long.

"Zel zel zel zel..." Ymir whimpered, pressing herself against Aurora as he kept supporting her. "Ka sanko nel'ba gaio..."

"Nin piasa," He told her gently, opening his mouthplate and nuzzling her gently. It felt like nuzzling a rough stone. "I'm gonna get you out of here, I promise."

"I...I know." She said quietly after a few moments.

"Okay, we need to change the plan a little," Cipher commented as he glanced back out at the battlefield. "Stable, how's Crash looking?"

"Still here." Rainbow Dash replied weakly from Bulwark's back, though she sounded a little put out at not being asked directly.

"Still stable for now, but I really don't think we can risk waiting this out. Who knows how long this battle will last." Healing Wave said as she checked her over.

"Alright, we're going to change the formation," Cipher looked round at each of his teammates and one changeling ally as he spoke. "I'll carry Crash out of here."

"You sure you can manage it, sir?" Wave asked.

"Last I checked I was still an earth pony, I'll be fine. Wall will go out first and clear us a path, Zippy will make sure we don't have any unwelcome threats flying in above us. I'll go next with Crash and Stable. Soul, Ymir, you two watch our backs until we get out of the hive area."

"We won't let you down." Aurora replied simply as he refitted his mouthplate, Ymir nodding in cautious agreement. Before they could go any further in the planning, the sounds of fighting getting closer drew their attention back toward the entrance.

After a few moments, a rogue changeling female staggered into view, blood pouring from the left side of her face from where a good chuck of her helmet had been impaled in her eye. A set of hind legs shot in from out of view and bucked the changeling in the jaw, throwing its head back and driving the chuck of armour in deeper. The body crumpled as the force of the blow knocked her over backwards and to the ground with a solid thump. The attacker stepped into view afterward, none other than Water Flare.

"Anypony have any spare water? I kind of lost all mine." She panted as she joined the others. Cipher checked his bags and found he had a spare bottle and passed to her, watching as she took a long drink.

"After last time I saw you, well, it's good to see you alive." He told her, unable to keep the relief out of his voice.

"I'm glad to be alive too, I took a few hits on the way here." She said as she finished and passed the bottle back. She wasn't kidding either, the EDF logo on her shoulder had been burned away by a magic strike, though it hadn't come close to penetrating her armour. Another attack seemed to have hit the left side of her chest, considering how all three layers of armour were torn off and a sealed wound as visible, the fur around it matted and sticky.

"Damn...I'd ask what happened to you but, we can't afford to waste any more time. Stick to my flank while I'm carrying Rainbow out and make sure nothing gets close.

"Yes sir!" Flare snapped a quick salute as Bulwark carefully lowered Rainbow onto Cipher's back and took position. "Thorax said that his forces would try to cover us if he could but it's insane out there. We might be on our own."

"Alright, stay together, keep your heads down, and hold nothing back if you have to fight. Go on my mark and in one second intervals," Cipher told the team as he adjusted to Rainbow's weight on his back. "And...Go!"

Bulwark gave a low grunt and rushed out into the fray first, Flash Sentry taking to the air to do what he could. A second later Cipher, Flare and Wave went next, doing their best to keep Rainbow protected. Aurora looked to Ymir and gave her a last, supportive nod. He was going to be looking out for her as much as the others on this run. As the final second passed they looked forward and ran out into the battlefield. As Flare had warned, battle was fully joined between Thorax and Crysalis' forces. The fire that seemed to have replaced the air in the hive had only intensified over the past few minutes. The hive was packed with changelings of both sides, pursuing each other, firing beams that painted the entire cavern in a sickly green glow, or just straight up trying to tear each other apart with their fangs and hooves. The fighting was taking place on the ground as well and he was forced to throw up a shield almost immediately as a stray bolt came straight for him. The changeling responsible hadn't even been aiming for him, locked in a duel with a silver eyed changeling.

As Aurora kept running, a trio of changelings shot over his head too fast to identify. As he glanced up at the distraction, another rogue changeling swooped at him from above, growling as it bared its fangs. He tensed and fired a white burst of magic that struck the changeling in the chest before it could react, blowing it skyward again. He didn't have time to see how effective it had been though as he focused forward again, Ymir appearing at his right side as they rounded a dwelling and approached the path back to the ledge. Ahead of them, Flare was starting to drop out of formation due to her injury and Wave was helping her along, firing a concentrated beam of her yellow tinted magic that pierced a nearby changeling's throat, burning clean through and dealing a fatal blow.

At the front of the formation, Bulwark was still clearing the way in his own fashion. Two allied changelings had joined Flash in keeping pressure off him from above, allowing him to focus on what he was doing. Right now a trio of rogue changelings were blocking his path, firing desperately as he charged them. Their magic impacted fruitlessly against his armour and before they could move he was upon them. A firm swing of his hoof sent two of them flailing back onto the path like bowling pins, the unlucky third was caught on his leg and crushed between it and the wall, its chest bones crunching under the force of the impact before it dropped to the floor.

Back at his position, Aurora tensed as he saw a changeling with purple eyes and shell back into view from around a dwelling before dropping dead, a smoking hole burnt into its forehead. The momentum meant the body had fallen in his way and he jumped it, looking at the way it had come as he did. The world seemed to freeze around him as he realised that a sizeable changeling male was right there, similar to the one he had originally killed aside from being covered in deep blue changeling armour, and it was coming right at him. He couldn't evade, even teleporting would take too long to charge up at this range. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw another coming in and tackling his attacker.

Ymir.

The world returned to normal as his hooves made contact with the ground again and he span round quickly as a mess of dust and limbs skidded to a halt next to him. Ymir's interception had thrown the changeling off balance and it had come down in a confused mess by the wall of the cavern. She had managed to stay on top of it and was punching and biting at any exposed spots she could reach, snapping her fangs at its throat to force it onto the defensive. Aurora quickly rushed in to support her, firing his magic at spots she wasn't hitting and slugging it until it stopped moving under their combined attacks.

"Torbi." He panted as he looked from the unconscious attacker to Ymir, who was panting hard but looked proud of herself for managing to protect him.

"Yees cuaa," She said back to him, smiling happily at seeing him safe and turning to get off the body. "Fellaz, nom-"

A look of pure fear flashed Ymir's eyes before a bolt of green struck her square in the right side of her chest, she didn't even have time to scream before the force of the attack blasted her into the wall behind her. The second impact killed any further sounds she was making as she dropped to the floor and lay there, unmoving.

Author's Note

As anyone who's read Heart and Mind or White Phoenix will tell you, I have a habit of making my finales far longer chapters than I can normally muster. In this case my final draft came to 8,265 words for this chapter, so I broke it up to try and better pace things. The cliffhanger was an unexpected bonus.

Do you prefer it as such or would having it as one piece worked better? Please let me know!

Chapter 25 - Nemesis

"No, no NO! MEDIC!" Aurora cried as he scrambled over to his fallen friend. Ymir was in bad shape, to put it lightly. A small trickle of blood ran from her mouth and the 'fin' on the back of her neck was torn and split, bleeding as well. All that paled compared to the impact site of the magic on her chest though. The chitin there had been, for lack of a better word, melted, leaving raw flesh exposed down a good chunk of her chest and right foreleg.

"Aurora? What's happened?!" Wave's voice came through his comm, barely audible as a panicked small changeling flew through a hail of fire above him, the shots blasting stones out of the wall and showering him with them.

"Ymir's down! I need help here now!" He cried, all semblance of calm lost as he bunkered down behind the larger changeling corpse and tried to get his breathing under control.

"The fighting is getting worse. Crash is struggling and Zippy's been separated from us too," Wave said from her position at the ledge, her voice oddly remorseful. "I'm sorry, I don't think I can reach you now."

As Aurora glanced out from behind the changeling body that was now makeshift cover for him and Ymir, he realised she had a point. The battle had now spread out around the hive, fighting getting more intense as more of the small changelings were being pressed into joining the conflict. Even now a dozen changelings were locked in a fresh engagement between him and the rest of the team, cutting them off. He noticed that a number of allied changelings were at the pods as well, carefully carrying them out the same way the rest of the team had come in.

"Gimme a sec." Water Flare chimed in, waving a pair of changelings down and pointing them over to Aurora. The first was a green coloured female, the other an amber male, they flew over the fight and landed next to him quickly.

"Varcol teffalg." The green changeling told him as they started checking Ymir over. Aurora didn't recognise both words but their intent was friendly and they were trying to help, he had to believe they would save her.

"Torb yees." He told them with strained relief before pushing out from the cover to see what else was happening.

Almost instantly he had to throw up a shield again as a fresh bolt came his way. As soon as the shield dropped he looked at who had fired it and tensed. There was no mistaking that shape even if it was halfway across the hive, Chrysalis was standing right there, making eye contact with him, the look in her eye telling all he needed to know. That condescending, victorious look, coming from the changeling who had been the bane of his family for so long. Aurora had generally done a good job of keeping his anger under control, with the occasional exception, but it was always lurking there. Now, making eye contact with her, something sparked inside him.

She had kidnapped and impersonated his mother.

She had brainwashed and backstabbed his father.

She had seriously injured and quite possibly killed his friends.

She had invaded Equestria and remained a lingering threat for decades.

She was right there, in range of a pony that was the son of an alicorn and who's father had admitted that his latent magic was not as strong as his son's.

He could do something about it. Right now. Any rational thought vanished with that thought.

"I have Chrysalis in sight. She needs to pay." Aurora's lip curled into a snarl as he finished speaking and he broke into a run, ignoring the battle around him, hardly even flinching as magic blasts skimmed past him by mere inches. He could hear voices in his ear, his teammates trying to call him back, but he couldn't stop now. A stray blast demolished a dwelling nearby and pelted him with stones. One nicked his left ear, cutting the armour and disrupting the magic it held. The voices disappeared and he was committed now. He would bring this monster down or he would die.

Strangely, right now he didn't actually care which.

"Don't do it kid!"

"You can't take on Chrysalis alone!"

"Soul, fall back to safety now! That's an order! Aurora!!"

Cipher growled in frustration as he watched Aurora keep running, not even slowing down for anything. It was hard enough to keep tracking him from this distance and as he headed into the heart of the battle it became impossible with so many changelings present.

"Zippy, this is Buddy. Soul's trying to go after Chrysalis alone and we've lost track of him. Can you see either of them from where you are?"

"Sorry sir, it's kind of hectic where I am as well. G-get off me you fucking bug! Graaaahh!"

The sudden cry Flash made before his transmission cut off left a feeling of dread in Cipher's heart. It was bad enough that he couldn't do anything to help the pegasus, nor the one that was fighting to stay conscious on his back, but the fact they had come so close...He didn't have time to dwell though, not on the battlefield. Even as he focused again he was forced to duck as a dead changeling dropped out of the dogfight overhead and just missed him, smashing into the wall hard enough to split its head open. A few moments later, Thorax also dropped out of the fight and landed next to the ponies, panting slightly from exertion.

"The battle is closer than I had hoped," He admitted, looking grim as he looked at the devastation that now made up the ground battle. "How bad are things here?"

"Two of my team are missing, one is critically injured and a rogue changeling that joined us is down out there," Cipher explained, lowering his body slightly so Wave could help Rainbow. "I don't want to leave them but I can't put anypony at any further risk here."

"I understand. Pony and changeling relations would never recover if you died here," Thorax took another look at the battle and clenched his jaw slightly. "Make your way out with the changelings that are evacuating the pods. I will find your friends." Before anypony could reply he took off and dived back into the fray, blasting a changeling that attempted to rush him.

"I told him about us sir. He knows who to look for." Water Flare told Cipher, her words cutting through the indecision that was plaguing him. All he had to do right now was what she and Aurora had done, what ponies always did for each other. Show some trust.

"Alright. Task Force Harmony, move out."

Aurora narrowed his eyes as he finally closed the gap and his horn glowed in preparation. The body of a changeling before him served as a springboard and he brought his front left hoof back in the air as he leapt off it. His gaze focused on the prepared changeling queen before the world vanished around him in a flash as he teleported. He reappeared right in front of Chrysalis as his hoof came forward again, slugging her square in the muzzle. The momentum brought him back to his hooves and he swung round, firing his magic into her side in rapid bursts before he'd even come to a halt.

Chrysalis grunted and staggered in pain as Aurora continued advancing on her. His attacked seemed to be doing negligible damage though, as soon as he was in range she tensed and swung at him, a strike that he met in kind, wrapping their front hooves around each other. She bared her fangs and lunged her head down to bite at him, a move he counted by aiming his horn at her mouth, forcing her to adjust enough that she had to settle for locking horns, staring into each other's eyes.

"Do you really think you can change anything?" She hissed, her mane whipping behind her like fire in a rush of wind from the surrounding battle. "I have the strength to overcome your princesses, the will to transform your world. Only two ponies with a lucky shot were able to delay the inevitable last time, what can one common unicorn do?"

"Funny you should mention them," Aurora replied through gritted teeth. "Shining Armor and Cadance are some of the most powerful ponies alive. You saw yourself how they held back your entire army with a shield spell and love. The thing is, he's admitted that his son is even better than that."

Chrysalis' eyes widened as she realised what he meant, a momentary distraction that he used to whip his head back and headbutt her with all his might. The blow struck home and she staggered properly this time, her wings opening and taking her to the air before he could follow up the strike. Aurora simply turned back to his magic, firing beams at her constantly, forcing her to remain on the defensive with no time to attack beyond the occasional offensive beam. Neither of them were able to land hits at this point, Chrysalis was too fast moving and Aurora's barrage of attacks were throwing her aim off. Aurora growled and decided to change tactics, thinking that he just needed to employ his abilities more...Creatively. He teleported again and Chrysalis paused in the air, trying to locate him and swatting away a brown changeling that got too close in the process.

The whine of magic powering up above her drew her gaze upward, just in time to see Aurora crashing into her with a bright shield cast around his front. The impact knocked her out of the air and sent them both streaking toward the ground. She attempted to fire on him directly but he simply strengthened the barrier in response, intending to crush her with it when they hit the ground. Chrysalis threw her head back and fired a desperate blast at the ground beneath her in response, blowing open a small crater that she fell into, beyond the reach of his shield. Even so, the landing, combined with him landing on top of her as he dropped the shield, stunned her momentarily. Aurora came out of the landing in better shape and wasted no time in continuing the assault, clambering over the larger being, punching at her face and neck, each one punctuated by a grunt of rage.

Chrysalis kept taking hit after hit, gasping slightly as she felt a stinging pain in her jaw. Up until now, she had seen the pathetic unicorn's attacks as an annoyance due to her natural armour, the flailing of an angry child. She couldn't even understand why he was so angry at her right now. If anything he should have been thankful that she accidentally hit the useless, meek drone next to him. Behind all the anger though, she realised there was a pony who knew what he was doing, every strike wearing down her resilience. As another blow struck the side of her teeth, bring a fresh snap of pain, she realised that this runt, this shadow of his parents' legacy, actually had the capacity to be dangerous. That this clown might just be able to beat him. That just meant that she had to stop going easy though. Her head twisted to the right, avoiding the next punch and swinging her horn up at his face, charging a fresh surge of magic.

Aurora saw it coming a moment too late and pulled himself backward to try and evade. The tip of her horn dug into a gap between his helmet and the damaged mouthplate, her momentum snapping the latch again before the follow up magic attack detonated against it, blowing the plate clean off and sending it flying into the surrounding fray. Aurora cried out as the proximity of the attack burned at his right cheek and forced him to finally give some ground, giving Chrysalis time to get back to her hooves. Even as he patted at his cheek to try and soothe it, he saw that she hadn't come out of the exchange completely unharmed either. Her left fang was broken and a thin tickle of blood was visible from between her teeth. Their eyes met again and almost as one, they both acknowledged there was only one option for either of them to end this duel between them.

To the death.

One horn glowed green, the other white, the light from both shining brightly enough to distract the surrounding changelings from their own battles. Almost as one, each of them fired, each sending the strongest beam of their magic that they could muster at each other. The attacks collided with a shower of magical sparks, the force of the collision pushing Aurora back several feet until he could dig his hooves in enough to gain purchase again. His legs shook as he fought to brace himself against the outpouring of magic, the light restricting his view. He could feel Chrysalis' magic pressing back against his though, judge just how much power there was in her attack. That was when it hit him. For all his own strength. All his bravado and determination. The best chance to bring an end to a massive threat once and for all. When it came to his opponent...

He just.

Didn't.

Have it!

Chrysalis may have lost some strength over the years, but she had still been powerful enough to overwhelm Princess Celestia herself. He was using every last ounce of power and yet he was only matching her. At best. She hadn't burned through nearly as much energy as he had and already he could feel his strength draining as he tried to hold his ground. He needed a new plan, but the onset of magical exhaustion was making it hard to think and dropping his magic without one would be a death sentence. Chrysalis seemed to sense his vulnerability and steadily started to advance, only to stop and look not at him but past him. The confidence in her eyes suddenly collapsed like a star collapsing into a black hole. Aurora didn't even have time to see what it was before a beam of concentrated green magic shot over his right shoulder and struck the queen square in the neck.

Chrysalis cried out as the attack hit her, disrupting her focus and bringing her own attack to a halt. Before she could react, Aurora's attack hit her as well, blowing the changeling off her hooves and back through the air with an agonised scream. Her body came down several dozen feet away at the far end of the hive and skidded into the wall, kicking up a huge cloud of dust. Aurora didn't have time to see the after effects as he dropped back onto his flank, panting as his horn glowed slightly from the sheer power he'd put through it. His head was thumping, his vision had tunnelled and his limbs felt heavy, all warning signs he'd pushed himself too hard as his body attempted to start recovering its magic reserves from his already spent energy reserves.

Even through this, he forced himself to look back to see where the attack had come from. The fighting had managed to escalate further as a number of the small changelings were taking advantage of the chaos rising from Chrysalis' defeat to break and run, a few bolder ones turning and attacking their oppressors instead. He could also see where he had left Ymir with the medics. The green changeling was dragging Ymir to better cover than the corpse had provided, as well as the convulsing, heavily bleeding form of the larger amber one. Aurora tried to get up to check on her but he could barely put one hoof in front of the other. Then a bloodstained hoof came into view and he looked up to the sight of a massive red changeling looking back down at him.

"I'm glad you're not badly hurt. We need to get you out of here." Thorax said, offering a clean hoof. Aurora took it slowly and pulled himself back to his hooves.

"Wha...Who're...?"

"I'm Thorax. Water Flare told me who you are, crystal prince Aurora. I can get you back to your friends. If you die here, any hope for peace between our races goes with you."

"A-alright...What about, Ymir?" He said slowly as Thorax moved over him, firing on another rogue changeling and making sure the area was clear around them.

"Your changeling ally? Lanne is a talented healer. If she lives, we will find a way to let you know."

With that, Thorax wrapped a hoof around Aurora and took off, heading for one of the tunnels out of the hive. The unicorn couldn't really focus on much, but he noticed that Chrysalis had not risen from where she had landed and the battle was starting to turn in favour of the allied changelings as a possible result. Then the scenery changed to rapidly passing tunnels and he closed his eyes, using what was left of his flight to rest up. After what felt like several minutes, yet was still far too soon, the stale air of the tunnels gave way to cold air and he opened his eyes again. The mountain interior had been replaced by forests below and a plateau, where he could make out all the changeling pods and the rest of Task Force Harmony, helping a number of ponies out of those pods. It was the middle of the night as well, though a bright moon was out, providing enough light to see by.

Thorax dropped down to the plateau and set Aurora down next to the others. Most seemed to have come out without another further injuries, Bulwark had some extra burns on his armour and Flash Sentry's wing armour was completely shredded. Rainbow Dash looked slightly better than the last time he'd seen her, responding more to Healing Wave's attempts to keep her awake. There had to be at least a dozen other ponies present as well, all of them covered in goo and adjusting to being back out of a pod after heavens knew how long.

"I said I would bring him." Thorax said humbly as he stepped back, letting the others come over and express their elation at seeing him alive.

"And you did! Thank you!" Flare told him as she checked Aurora over quickly. "How're you feeling kid?"

"Like I just took on a princess and lived." Aurora slowly replied, managing a small grin that grew slightly as he saw Cipher taking his helmet off and look over at him. Though the older pony only gave a small smile, the look in his eyes showed just how proud he was.

"Just a governor, but her strength was still more than I expected," Thorax commented. "Now though, she and her rebels cannot keep up their defences for much longer. I must return to ensure that she is detained and returned to our homeland, tried for crimes against Outlani, and Equestria. Will you need help to return home?"

"Thank you, but I think we can manage for now." Cipher said, looking over his team.

"As you wish, I will keep a scout nearby if you do need help," Thorax spread his wings out and flexed them slightly, looking at each member of the team. "I thank you all for your unexpected assistance in this matter, and know that my kingdom will always be open to your kind. And remember, crystal prince Aurora, I will find a way to let you know."

"I...Torb yees." Aurora panted, bowing his head slightly. Thorax looked surprised at the fact he could speak changeling before nodding and taking off, flying back into the mountain.

"So, what IS the plan for getting out of here?" Flash asked, standing up and walking among the pods, making sure all of them were emptied.

"Well from the looks of you, I can't ask you to push yourself to teleport back, Aurora," Cipher said, looking thoughtful. "Flash, how long do you think it would take to reach the nearest town?"

"About, a four hour round trip for me. Assuming I can still fly at all."

"Good thing you don't need to ask then." Aurora said quietly, everypony looking at him just as he teleported out. For a full minute they all just looked among each other, wondering just what was meant to happen now, before a flash of blue appeared and an armoured Princess Luna teleported in before them.

"Aurora collapsed as he tried to report..." She started, pausing and looking at the assembled ponies before her, all of them looking more hopeful as they realised that he had found them a quicker means to get home. After a moment, Cipher stood up and bowed to his commander.

"He was reporting a successful mission, your highness."

Author's Note

And the lesson of the day for new writers is: Always make sure you've actually copied down any changes you've made before splitting up a chapter. I forgot that detail and had to rewrite a third of the chapter from scratch. :facehoof:

Chapter 1 - Aces

Cloudeseum, Cloudsdale
December 25th, Year 22 under the Four Princesses

The night of Hearth's Warming Eve had fallen over Equestria. Another day of celebrating the foundation of their homeland for many ponies had passed as expected, coming together and remembering what had brought them to where they were now. For some though, it was also a day to remember their history and heritage, a larger celebration of what it was to be an earth pony, pegasus or unicorn. Nowhere was this more evident than the city of the sky that current sat above the plains of the north; Cloudsdale. Pegasi had a proud history as fighters and the whole city was embracing that fact with a night of honouring their modern warriors: The Sky Wing of the Equestria Defence Force, twenty squadrons of the finest fliers and support teams alive. Tonight had become every bit as much a celebration of their accomplishments as much as it had been their bonds.

From the determinators of the Sky Wraiths to the brutal efficiency of the Firestorm unit, every single squadron had a reason for their efforts over the years to be recognised. Some things never changed though and as always, the most renowned team present was none other than the Wonderbolts. Even those that had studied the millennia long history of the team thought that they had been at their highest peak over the last ten years, thanks in large part to the 'Legendary trio' that had led the squadron through dozens of civil and military matters. Though only two of the trio still flew today after Soarin 'The Efficient' retired from active duty several years ago, their remaining duo and rising stars had ensured that the squadron remained at their best. For the eight members of the main team, tonight was simply a chance to relax and unwind with an air show performance, like the old days of being performance masters before becoming part of the EDF.

Within a locker room deep within the Cloudeseum that stood alone in Cloudsdale, removed from the crowds gathered above, one lone pegasi of the team sat, lost in thought. Much of her body was covered in the ever familiar blue and jagged yellow flight suit of the Wonderbolts, though her identity was easily seen by her sky blue muzzle, shining purple eyes and six tone mane that ran from a messy red, orange and yellow at the front to a green, blue and purple that flowed back to between her wings. With the same six colours on her tail, anypony would recognise her at a glance; Rainbow Dash. Nicknamed 'The Extreme' after she created one of the most memorable stunts in Equestrian history, also known worldwide as the Element of Loyalty, ranked Second Lieutenant in the Equestria Defence Force and for some time now, second-in-command of the Wonderbolts.

She didn't begrudge the fact that in her eighteen years as part of the team, she had never been approached for so much as a chance to become captain. Spitfire hadn't earned her nickname of 'The Eternal' for nothing after all. Besides, she'd been a fantastic leader who'd guided her wingponies through so many trials. That just made it all the weirder to think back to earlier that day, being called into Spitfire's office and told in private that this would be their final performance together. After twenty-six years, Spitfire would finally be retiring after tonight and command of the Wonderbolts would be passed on at last. On one hoof, Rainbow would finally have a chance to spend the later years of her career as captain. On the other, it was going to be impossible to imagine the squadron without the constant leadership, close knit team bond and yelling that only Spitfire could provide.

So who would be taking up the mantle in her wake? Rainbow Dash herself was an obvious candidate but she couldn't pretend that she was the only one. There were two ponies only a rank below her, Gyr and White Squall, both of them capable flyers in their own right. Both younger too, Rainbow knew that at age thirty-nine she was approaching the point where her abilities were going to start to tail off. Then again, Spitfire had been able to keep going until she was fifty-five before making the decision to call it quits, so hopefully Rainbow still had enough left in her to be worthy of becoming captain. Hopefully it would be a chance to-

"You with us, Crash?"

Rainbow blinked back into reality as a covered hoof waved in front of her face. She leaned back slightly to get her bearings and took in the cloud walls around her, the furniture that required a pegasi's touch to remain safely on the cloud floor. A quick look sideways revealed the hoof belonged to one of her fellow Wonderbolts, a gold coat visible through the face and wing holes, aged but focused brown eyes and a windswept orange mohawk mane that lightened to amber near the base.

"Y-yeah, sorry Boss," Rainbow Dash replied as she shifted in place, dangling her front hooves over the edge of the bench she was on. "Just thinking about tonight."

"Trust me, it's as weird for me as it is for you." Spitfire said as she sat down next to Rainbow, sighing slightly. It was only then that it occurred to Rainbow just how hard it had to be for her captain as well. Her time as leader of the squadron was nearly enough to qualify as the longest serving Wonderbolt in the team's history on its own, adding in the years before she ascended to the role and it was clear that just stopping like that wasn't going to be easy.

"So, what're you doing after tonight?" Rainbow asked, getting a surprised look from Spitfire in return. "Dad used to try and motivate me by hearing what I dreamt of doing and telling me 'and then what?'. Like what do I do after I'm living the dream? What do you do when you've gone down as a living legend?"

"I'm guessing your 'then what' was the cluster rainboom," Spitfire commented, getting a grin out of her friend and chuckling herself. "Well, firstly the Institute wants my input on some project they're working on for the defence force. While I'm in Canterlot, I'm probably see a doctor about donating some eggs. I'm a bit old for foals now and, I guess I want to pass on something more than a reputation. After that...Probably find a nice beach house in Seaward Shoals where I can relax and live off my royalties from Wonderbolt merchandise."

"A nice, peaceful retirement...You'd go crazy inside a day," The two of them both managed to share a laugh at that. "You'll probably end up crashing our training and yelling at all the recruits again. Hopefully you'll see me living up to you as captain when you do."

"Yeah. I'll made my announcement on my successor during debriefing," Spitfire glanced back toward the exit to the room as she said it before motioning that way. "Alright, let's go, the team's waiting."

"Yes ma'am," Rainbow sprung up to her hooves and clambered off the bench before stopping. "And, captain? In case I don't get a chance later. It's been an honour to fly with you all these years, Spitfire." Her hooves snapped to attention and she saluted, holding it for a moment before Spitfire smiled warmly and saluted her in return.

"The feeling's mutual, Rainbow Dash. Now come on, I've got a hell of a routine for our final show together and I'm not about to ruin it by starting late."

Six sets of hooves snapped to attention as Rainbow and Spitfire entered the flier's lobby, the last staging area before pegasi entered the arena itself. Rainbow Dash glanced around at the room, her eyes settling on a familiar marble pillar. She could remember curling up next to that same pillar over twenty years ago, frozen in fear at the prospect of completely blowing her best young flier performance in front of her friends, her idols, even Princess Celestia. Things had worked out a lot better of course, she'd ended up saving several lives, pulled off a sonic rainboom and effectively taken her first real step to becoming a Wonderbolt that day. Managing all that in one day had done wonders for her self belief. Now she was back again and ready to show just how far she'd come. For now she stepped into her place with the waiting team, next to a white stallion with mottled brown patches visible on his muzzle.

"Alright fillies! This is our final major event of the year and we've got a crowd out there ready for us to show what it is to be a pegasus!" Spitfire barked as she paced in front of her seven wingponies. "Plus I know for a fact that an old friend of ours is in the audience and we do not want to disappoint him, do we?"

"No ma'am!" Seven voices declared in unison. Spitfire grinned and nodded.

"Good. Now, your wings for tonight! Mobius, you're with Gyr! Skyla, with Rainbow Dash! Downdraft, I think it's time to lose your newbie stripes. You're with White Squall tonight! Bone Arrow, you're with me!"

Rainbow watched as each of her squad mates nodded and moved over to their wingponies. Skyla quickly made her way over, a mauve coloured mare with a springy, olive gold mane and tail and bright blue eyes behind her flight goggles. Her team nickname was Tailspin after getting her tail caught in her flight suit and knocking out a whole team of trainees on crash landing.

"Keeping it trimmed?" Rainbow asked as her wingpony joined her, smirking slightly.

"Possibly, you made sure there's no trash cans in the arena?" Skyla replied in kind, her voice slightly harsh but clearly teasing. The two of them simply chuckled and hoofbumped before Skyla took her place at Rainbow's wing.

"Now we're going big for the routine so I hope you've been keeping up with your precision training. 'Specially you, Reaper," Spitfire continued, giving Mobius a pointed look as she spoke. "Me and Crash's wings will go high and start clockwise flybys on the crowd, Merlin and Stormy will pass under the stands, loop over the top and start counter-clockwise flybys. Go for near misses but don't break position."

"Recommended range, captain?" White Squall asked, her name something of a misnomer since her coat was actually cream coloured.

"Medium to wide, if you think you can brave going closer without risk, try," Spitfire clarified. "After eight loops of the Cloudeseum, every wing re-joins in the center for a spiral streak. Break off at the burst point and drop back toward the stadium. We go in a seven point formation, full pelt, soon as we hit the tip of the city, Crash'll come up at the center of formation and we close out with the cluster rainboom. Any questions?"

"No ma'am!" The squad called back, fitting their goggles into place.

"Then, let's do this! Wonderbolts, take off!"

Eight sets of wings shot out as the team lined up in their pairs. Rainbow Dash exhaled slowly as she got into her show mind-set. She could hear the announcer for the Cloudeseum beginning to wind up the crowd for their entry, just moments to go. A quick glance to her side confirmed that Skyla behind her and Bone Arrow before her were both out of wing radius. With a single downward beat she pushed off the ground and into a hover, adjusting her goggles slightly and bracing for body for the rush of a rapid launch. Seconds later, Spitfire took off toward the opening that led to the main area, the rest of the squadron following closely.

The night air outside was chilly but clear, being above the clouds meant they didn't have to deal with the snow that blanketed Equestria below either. The roar of the crowd was something else though, thousands of ponies all making their admiration for the eight ponies entering the arena known. Rainbow took them all in as she banked left, clearing space for Gyr and Squall's wings to soar downward. A small part of her regretted that Fluttershy couldn't be here to see this tonight, but she was in no state to travel any serious distance right now. She caught sight of another familiar face in the premier seating section though. Pale blue coat, deep blue mane, green eyes...Yep, that was Soarin cheering them on up there. Right there next to him, watching with contentment, a familiar lilac mare that had to be Flitter. Rainbow and her were still friends from their days on the Ponyville weather team but she had more commitments nowadays, both to her husband beside her and the year old, navy blue colt in her arms that was giving his dad a challenge in being the most hyped up member of the audience.

'Dart Wing, future Wonderbolt.' Rainbow thought with a chuckle before she blinked back onto the task at hoof, sliding into position to buzz the crowds. Her left rear hoof twitched inward and she felt Skyla drop into her slipstream, following her every move. A quick glance to the right confirmed that Spitfire was pulling the same move on the other side of the Cloudeseum with Arrow sticking to her tail. A few moments later, Gyr and Mobius completed their pass over the stadium and dropped into the same stunt, passing a few feet over her head as they passed in the opposite direction. Seconds later, White Squall and Downdraft approached on the same curving vector but on the same level. Rainbow instinctively snapped onto her side and folded her wings in just long enough to maintain altitude.

The stunt paid off and she slid between her two teammates by inches either side. Skyla was just about able to react in time to follow her through, dropping back several feet as she did. The move went the crowd wild though and Rainbow made the snap decision to hold the angle as she kept flying, doing the same stunt to flick onto her back the next time Gyr came round. By the time she had completed her second full roll in this way the crowds were going absolutely ballistic, their cheers ringing in her ears. A glance backward confirmed that Skyla had managed to follow her the whole way, a steely focus in her eyes. Rainbow looked over toward Spitfire's position and saw her leader flex her front right hoof toward the center of the floorless arena. As if telepathically instructed, all eight Wonderbolts broke off from their circling and dropped below the bottom edge of the stadium before meeting in the center.

The spiral streak was a major test of fast precision flying, each one of the pegasi engaged in it not only rotating around a pre-arranged axis and spinning themselves, but it was all done at a rapid ascent while keeping formation. Most ponies couldn't keep it together with three ponies in the formation, now the Wonderbolts were doing it with eight. Rainbow Dash knew the methodology of the stunt though. You kept yourself angled, leant into your own spin so that it matched the rotation of the formation, head placed so you could check your position on every rotation. She had to trust everypony else was doing the same. Five seconds and nothing had hit her. Ten. Fifteen, her burst point was at seventeen seconds. As soon as she reached that point, she straightened out and shot skyward in a fresh burst of speed, the rest of the squadron shifting formation to fill the gap.

Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she moved high above the city, her breaths becoming deeper as the air began to thin out. Practice flights in her younger years had taught her that she could hold up here for several minutes before starting to suffer ill effects, though a few seconds was all she needed right now. Her teammates had reached their own peaks and were starting to drop back toward the Cloudeseum. Time to do what she did best. She flipped backward and put everything she had into one full strength flap of her wings before tensing them, shooting downward like a bullet. Her timing was off slightly but at this point she was committed, the others would have to adjust instead. She could feel the light around her refracting to form the rainbow trail behind her, the shuddering of the air as it began to form into a mach cone at her hooves, the way it buffeted her extremities as if nature itself was fighting to stop her.

This part never got any less fun.

Rainbow grinned as the cone narrowed, her whole body primed for her sixty-second sonic rainboom. She could see Spitfire motion for the others to break off sideways and seven figures start to spread out. Right as she shot past them, she pierced the resistance and a resounding boom rang out as she broke the sound barrier, the familiar rush of the sonic rainboom shaking the world behind her. As she passed straight through the center of the Cloudeseum like a bolt of technicolour lightning, several identical booms rocked the skies above her, too quickly to count. Even through the shockwaves she managed to grin proudly to herself. Her back flexed and she was flung into a half spin, using her wings as airbrakes to come to a halt upright.

A look upward only made her smile more, where there had been one rainboom moments ago, now there were eight. The new ones a paler but still clearly rainbow colour and surrounding Cloudsdale in seven vertical rings of expanding light that, even as she watched, merged into each other, along with the lone horizontal boom, and faded into a shimmering light that bathed the entire city. A cluster rainboom, the tenth one she'd successfully pulled off. It relied on her teammates as much as her own ability, trusting they could ride the shockwave of the rainboom to push them into hitting the sound barrier themselves. Rainbow simply watched for a moment, winding down from the adrenaline rush before she moved back toward the Cloudeseum at a more relaxed pace. The rest of the Wonderbolts had made their way back down just before her and were soaking up the crowd's admiration, which only intensified as she joined them in the center of the arena.

"That, was awesome!" Rainbow Dash panted as she took in the sight of so many ponies who'd enjoyed the show. Spitfire looked over at her with a grin and offered a hoofbump, one she eagerly returned. "So, who kicked the most flank out here tonight?"

"Other than us?" Spitfire commented, getting some good natured glares from the others as she chuckled. "Honestly, for pushing herself through moves above her level, I'd say tonight's wings of wonder go to Skyla."

"Woo! Way to go, Tailspin!" Rainbow said as she wrapped a hoof round Skyla's neck and giving her a friendly noogie. The rest of the squad joined in the mid-air dogpile congratulating the mare almost immediately.

"Alright, thank you everypony!" Spitfire called to the crowds, getting another round of cheers in response. Her grin grew into a satisfied smile as she looked up toward Soarin's spot and saw him with Dart Wing on his shoulders, both looking like they were having the time of their lives, complete with Flitter giving them that motherly look that both questioned why she'd come with them and knowing exactly why at the same time. "We'll be out in the plaza for the next hour taking autographs, queries and photoshoots. Hope to see you out there! Goodnight Cloudsdale!"

To one last round of cheers and applause, the Wonderbolts headed back into the flier's lobby. As soon as they touched down, the teammates set to congratulating each other on their performances. Rainbow Dash grinned to herself and braced before, as expected, Downdraft jumped on her back and wave a whoop of success, something he did to random wingponies after a show. She simply bucked him off, waited until he'd recovered into a hover and then swung round to high-hoof him, as he anticipated. It was a little quirk she'd just grown used to as she'd gotten close to her teammates, sharing a bond with them as close as any she'd felt for years with the other Elements of Harmony.

"Alright, good work out there everypony," Spitfire reaffirmed to her squadron as she wiped the sweat off her brow. "Take a few to catch your breath and get some water. Then get out there and have some fun with the fans. We meet back at base for debriefing in two hours...And guys? Thanks, for making this a show to remember. Dismissed!"

Rainbow nodded and started straight toward the plaza at the entrance for the Cloudeseum, she could easily find something to drink there and take a much needed breather between autographs or something. Most of the team seemed to have the same idea and followed her that way. They were all already chatting about their evaluation of each other's flights, what their plans were for Hearth's Warming, or just general nonsense that only they would understand. As she let herself slow down slightly and join in with them, Rainbow Dash reflected that this was something that had been missing from her heroes in the years before she'd been part of the team. Tightly knit trust, camradere, a desire to not only be the best, but to help propel your friends to be the same.

That was what it meant to be a Wonderbolt, and no matter how many time she flew alongside them, she was proud to be one of their number.

Chapter 4 - The Team

Compared to the chilly hallways, the briefing room was a welcome step up in warmth. All the furniture had been arranged around the sides of the room, leaving a thirty square foot space in the center of the room. Three other ponies were standing in the center of the room talking to each other, though they'd started to look back toward the door after Aurora had come in. He'd opted to wait against one of the open patches of wall in the meantime. Rainbow Dash had just enough time to take in two of the waiting ponies, a bulky brown earth stallion that stood taller than even Big Mac, and a regular green unicorn mare, before the pony behind them gasped and pushed them aside.

It was a completely blue earth mare, though somepony like Rarity would have said that her coat was cobalt and her mane cerulean. Said mane was done into a ponytail at the back and curved at the front to perfectly frame her face. Her deep blue eyes shone with an enthusiasm of a pony half her age and even her cutie mark of a curling flow of water seemed to be bright as ever as she immediately dashed up to Rainbow.

"She was right! The princess said you'd be here when she recruited me but...Oh. Yes! I can't believe this is real!" The mare gushed, catching herself when she saw the confusion on Rainbow's face. "Rainbow Dash, it's me, Water Flare. You helped save me from that Whinnyapolis skyscraper...Remember? May twenty-second, Year Four?"

Now that she'd mentioned it, Rainbow did remember those eyes. They'd been all she'd been able to see of a panicked, seventeen year old first responder throw into a task far above her level. She mostly remembered that day as her final operation as a Wonderbolts reservist, she'd never thought about how simply telling Flare that she'd done good until they'd got there might have changed her.

"Yeah. Yeah I remember," She replied, offering a hoof that Flare quickly hoofbumped with a squee. "How'd you wind up here?"

"Well, I couldn't just stay that same weak pony after the inspiration you gave me that day. After the EDF was founded and I saw the Wonderbolts among them, I started learning, training, wanting to help Equestria the same way as you. I put up with a lot of crap from ponies who thought I wasn't good enough to do this, well I can say is, Master Sergeant Water Flare! Ha ha!"

"Believe it or not, she's like that a lot." The stallion commented. Rainbow finally had the time to get a good look at him. Again using the colour tones that Rarity had put into her head and, unfortunately, she couldn't get rid if her life depended on it, she could tell he was russet coated with a trimmed gold mane and tail, emerald green eyes and a cutie mark of a barrier made of earth.

"You've served with her?"

"For a few months in a combined forces platoon," He confirmed as he stepped forward and offered a hoofshake, one Rainbow took once Water Flare had composed herself enough to get out of the way. "Chief Warrant Officer Bulwark. It's an honour to be working with you, Captain."

"Likewise. You know of my promotion?"

"Those of us that Supreme Commander Luna recruited after you do."

"I didn't." The unicorn mare commented as she came over, though it was clear from her calm, if slightly icy tone that she didn't mind. Her coat was a darker shade of green, her mane cut into a style that reminded Rainbow of Twilight's bangs, only in a two-tone white and orange with the ones on her tail in a three stripe style. Her eyes were a gentle copper colour and her cutie mark was probably the most stylish of those present, a syringe with two spirals of yellow magic running along it's length.

"Healing Wave, I presume?" Rainbow asked.

"Yes ma'am, though just Wave is fine," Healing wave replied before looking over at Aurora, who was still keeping to himself and watching the others from by the wall. "Who's the youngster?"

Before Rainbow could answer, the door to the briefing room opened again. The first pony to step in was an orange pegasus stallion, but everypony's attention was drawn to the one following him. An azure blue earth stallion with a short cut, light gray mane and tail, crimson eyes, and a coded sheet cutie mark, everypony in the room recognised him instantly. Colonel Cipher, former intelligence officer, long time solider and their new commanding officer. Five ponies instantly moved into position in the center of the room and snapped to attention, Aurora running in and copying as best he could a second later.

"At ease everypony," Cipher said, his voice betraying his age. Despite physically looking a match for anypony in the room, he sounded like he was in his late forties at best. "Mares and stallions, welcome to Special Operations Unit, Task Force Harmony. You six are, in the eyes of both myself and the princess, the best of the best for keeping Equestria safe. Please don't prove us wrong. Now, just while I get a good look at who I'm working with."

Despite the authoritative tone, there was an underlying sense of calm in his voice, a showing that he wasn't going to be a total hardflank toward his troops. Rainbow watched as he moved down to the left end of the line where Water Flare was first, taking in every aspect of the bubbly mare.

"Master Sergeant Water Flare, Combined Forces Platoon. We'll have to do some work on your tendency to completely flip the other way, but I know just how determined you are. Just, try and keep the outbursts to when it's appropriate."

"Yes sir!" Flare replied enthusiastically with a quick salute. Her attitude had to be infectious as Cipher couldn't help but chuckle and nod before moving down to the next pony in line, giving them the same look over.

"CWO Bulwark, Second Earth Pony Platoon. I'm glad we've got a tank like you with us. Considering what your dossier says, just keep doing what you're doing and we're gonna get along just fine."

"Thank you, sir." Bulwark did his best to sound professional but he couldn't help but smile as well. Cipher nodded and moved onto the next pony in line, smile growing slightly as he did.

"First Sergeant Healing Wave, Medical Corps. I'll be honest with you, when Commander Luna asked me the kind of ponies I hoped to include in a special forces unit that could go anywhere and fight anything, I didn't ask for the best medic. I asked for the best under pressure. Also, I have to stress that you'll be expected to engage in combat as hard as the rest of us, understand?"

"I...Understand, sir." Wave replied. Rainbow only noted her hesitation for a moment before being distracted by the sound of Aurora on the other side of the line, doing his best to hide the sound of nerves. Before she had time to so much as look his way, Cipher was in front of her and doing his thing.

"Captain Rainbow Dash, Sky Wing Squadron One. Your reputation precedes you. D'you mind if I keep using Crash as your nickname?"

"Not at all, Commander," She replied, long over the memories that name had used to invoke. She'd long realised that it was part of who she was and all the teasing had ultimately helped shape the awesome mare she'd become. It was then she noticed the somewhat surprised look Cipher was giving her. "Would you prefer to be referred to by another title, sir?"

"No, no, I'm just used to only hearing the princess referred to that way," He admitted before moving to the next pony in line, giving Rainbow a moment to finally get a good look at the orange stallion in question. Now that she could see the details, she recognised him instantly. That short cut blue mane and tail streaked with a lighter shade of the same, the bright blue eyes that carried a sense of weary professionalism, the lightning bolt over a kite shield cutie mark that was now marred by a scar running up his left haunch. As Cipher finished his study, his following words only confirmed it. "Flash Sentry, Crystal Guards. I've heard quite a few ponies claim you're one of the best troopers in the Crystal Empire. I look forward to seeing if you can live up to that reputation."

"Thank you, sir." Flash replied with a snap salute. Cipher nodded before moving onto the last pony in line. As soon as he was in front of Aurora, the unicorn cowed down slightly in front of him, ears folding back as Cipher's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Prince Aurora, heir to the Crystal Empire," Cipher paused for the inevitable murmurs that came from the others among the team. "You may not be a military pony, but I'm still going to refer to you as a private when we're formal. So, there was something I wasn't able to deduce when Princess Luna met with me to say you and your family had agreed for you to be here. What exactly is your magic specialty?"

"Oh, err I...Ah," Aurora attempted to start, faltering until he took a few deep breaths while Cipher took a step back to let him focus. "Well, I-I'm pretty good with shield spells, learned from my father," Cipher nodded and flashed a reassuring grin, well aware of what Shining Armor was capable of. "But I...I suppose that it's what mom taught me is my talent. I guess I'd call it emotional sensory magic."

"Hmm. Could you demonstrate?" Cipher asked. Aurora nodded and his horn was enveloped in a white aura. Moments later, his eyes seemed to fade from their normal brown to a paler, milky white-brown. If somepony came in and saw him now, it would be likely they'd assume he was blind.

"You're curious, sceptical, but curious," He stated, sounding somewhat calmer and focused. Cipher opened his mouth to respond, only to hesitate as he tried to think of a response before simply closing his mouth again and nodding. "It's alright, everypony finds it weird the first time they see me doing this. There's no need to be scared, Healing Wave...Of course, nopony listens when I say that." With that, he closed his eyes as the glow around his horn faded. With a small shake of the head he opened his eyes again, showing they were back to normal.

"That was, unique. How did you do that?" Flash asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"More to the point, how did you get it dead on?" Cipher followed up. Aurora looked away at the questions, rubbing his leg nervously.

"It's, kind of hard to explain, even mom didn't understand when I tried. See, it's...The thing is...It'll sound crazy but...My magic aura allows me to see within you. I can sense what you're feeling, really feeling. Pure emotion comes from more than your heart, it comes from deeper, from your soul. I was concentrating on you so I could feel it, if I relaxed my focus while casting it, I would be able to feel everypony around me, within in a hundred feet or so, but not pick anything up from them."

He slowly looked back at the others, gauging their reactions. Bulwark was looking back at him with a neutral expression. Cipher, Rainbow and Flash were all looking a mix of surprised and fascinated. Wave was eying him, thinly masking an expression of disapproval at best. Flare was the only one who looked somewhat unfazed, looking between the others as if silently asking what the big deal was. The silence dragged out for several seconds until Aurora looked away again, burning with shame. This always seemed to happen when somepony found out about his talent, it got weird and he just ended up going back to his books. At this point he just wanted one of them to start the comments and get it over with.

"That's, really useful."

"Wh...?" He looked back at the others so quickly that it twinged a muscle in his neck, though he was able to make the momentary pain look like surprise. Rainbow was looking back at him with a much more relaxed look on her face.

"Yeah, I mean nopony can lie to you, nopony can sneak up on you. You can genuinely empathise with ponies. Those kind of abilities are useful anywhere." She confirmed.

"Exactly, I wouldn't have accepted you here if I didn't think you would fit in," Cipher added, relaxing himself at the small smile Aurora cracked. "Alright everypony, I'm gonna take Aurora round the headquarters and show him what's what. You're all off duty for now, though I recommend you take the time to sort out who gets which bunks. We'll meet back here at five for a proper rundown of our duties." With that, he led a rather confused but slightly more optimistic Aurora out, leaving the others to process what had just happened.

"Well," Flash finally said after several awkward seconds. "The rookie seems nice enough."

"I don't like it, no I don't," Wave said as she started pacing in obvious discomfort. "Somepony telling me what I'm feeling, flashing a bit of their magic and acting like we shouldn't notice his royalty."

"So you're telling me you weren't scared?" Flash counted, watching as she stared flatly back at him, ear flicking in irritation.

"...You know what else screws with emotions? Changelings. You know what the EDF does to changelings? Yeah. I'm not saying he is one, I'm just saying it's not going to stop being weird." She finally replied before leaving the room as well.

Water Flare looked between the remaining three ponies before shrugging it off and following her out, saying something about calling a top bunk to herself. Rainbow Dash only needed a moment to know that this team may have been the best in their fields, maybe the best overall when they had ironed out the kinks of working together, but right now they really needed to work on not acting like misfits to each other. At least the remaining two ponies in the room seemed to be capable of that. She looked back at Bulwark and Flash and offered them a hoof, one that they both gave an understanding hoofbump to.

That had been an interesting first meeting, to say the least.

Chapter 11 - Warriors of the Night

March 31st

Spirits were high among Task Force Harmony. As soon as Cipher had been cleared by the EDF medical center, he'd reported to everypony that they were ready for deployment. As there was no pressing threats to Equestria that needed to be investigated at present, he took the opportunity to give the team some much deserved time off. The seven ponies had gone their separate ways for several weeks, to relax and catch up with those closest to them. Rainbow Dash had returned to Ponyville with intent to have a small 'I'm a badflank special operative' party, only to find that Pinkie Pie was still out of town and several other ponies she'd planned to invite were unavailable as well. She'd settled for helping out with the weather patrol a bit, reconnecting with some other old friends and fellow Wonderbolts, and generally getting those overdue naps finished, just like old times.

Ultimately though, duty called again before long and as the month was drawing to a close she was recalled to Canterlot to check out revisions made to her armour. The rest of the team had been gathered in good time and by sunset everypony was ready to go again, Cipher leading them toward the armoury where the combat ready versions of their suits had been moved to from the Institute. Although the familiar air of business was back among them, things were a lot calmer as they exchanged greetings with ponies they passed and details on what they'd been up to with each other.

"You know, I don't think you've ever mentioned if you've got anypony special to you outside the defence force." Rainbow casually asked Healing Wave, trailing near the back of the group. They all knew the way well enough to not need to keep exact pace with Cipher.

"In my line of work, you learn not to get too attached to ponies for, obvious reasons. At the same time, I don't really give myself much free time. Add in the fact both my parents have passed on and no, nopony's waiting for me outside these walls," Wave admitted, sounding, for the first time Rainbow could remember, a little sad about that fact. "I've been on the move a lot as well, this team's the first time I'd been with the same ponies for over two weeks straight in years. I'd almost forgotten how good it feels."

Wave's eyes noticeably went toward Aurora as she said that last part, watching the young stallion chatting with Bulwark just ahead of them. While everypony looked more relaxed from the break, he definitely seemed better off for it than any of them. Gone was the high-strung, aggressive unicorn he'd been the last time they'd seen him, now back to being a good-natured, if still slightly outsider, teammate. Considering how tense things had been between those two for a long time, Rainbow couldn't help but grin at that look. Before she could give it any further thought, the group arrived at the armoury and she shifted back into business mode as they headed inside. The weapons stores were deserted and a pair of privates were standing guard by the armour racks, though upon seeing Cipher enter they saluted and left with a small look of relief visible.

"Poor kids, having to stand watch over something they couldn't know about." Cipher commented as he headed to a set of racks that had been closed and locked. A note had been stuck to the door and he pulled it off quickly to read through.

For the eyes of Col. Cipher only, by order of Supreme Commander Luna of the Equestria Defence Force.

Harmony-cla-you know what? Just going to call it the Spec Armour Mark one point one revisions list:

- Managed to integrate a spell for vocal modification into the mouthplate, allowing an extra level of disguise...Assuming your enemies can't remove it.
- Increased range of communication through the helmet to two hundred feet.
- Added separation points to the chest plates of the third layer for ease of entry and exit. Still need to put the first two layers on first.
- Reinforced the plastics in the visor in an attempt to increase magic protection. Please provide feedback on visibility changes.
- Slight thinning of the flank armour to provide space for equipment bags.

Let me know how it all feels, hope it serves you well, Cipher!
Moondancer

P.S. Keys are in the rack on the left

Cipher chuckled to himself as he put the note away and fetched the key, quickly unlocking the rack and opening it up. Waiting inside were seven sets of the same armour, each tailored to each pony's body and fitted with a label above each with their names and ranks. Aurora raised a slight eyebrow at being listed as a private but didn't comment, watching as Cipher took his helmet down from the shelf it rested on and studied it for several seconds before undoing the latch and putting it on.

"Hmmm, comfy," He commented as he flicked his ears to check how much they could move and fitted the mouthplate back into position. Dropping the visor down and looking back at the others, his eyes were just about visible through it's grey tint. "How's the-Whoa! Didn't expect that."

Nopony needed to ask what was wrong, or why he quickly undid the mouthpiece again. Instead of his usual voice, it had come out deeper and distorted, to the point that it was hard to tell if a mare or stallion had said it. Each of them had jumped slightly at it, completely caught off guard by the sudden change.

"Yeah, you're gonna need to talk to Moondancer about that." Water Flare commented, getting an approving nod from Rainbow.

"I am," Cipher agreed over Flare's little squee of happiness. "Alright everypony, suit up but, keep the moutplates undone for now."

For the next few minutes, the only sounds from anypony were small grunts as they took their armour pieces and fitted themselves into it. Aside from a minor moment where Flash Sentry got his wing trapped between the rubber and protective layers, everypony managed to figure out how to suit up relatively quickly and before long they were all marvelling at both how well their individual pieces fit and how comfy they were. Both Rainbow and Flash flexed their wings to check how they felt while covered and found themselves unimpeded, while Wave checked her magic was still functioning. With a small gap between her horn and its protection, everything was still in working order.

"I know, I'm impressed too," Aurora commented as his own magic aura faded, keeping his visor over his eyes as he looked at Cipher. Though none of the others drew attention to it, his eyes were more visible when paled. "Permission to goof off for a moment, Sir?"

"You know you can use my nickname sometimes, Soul," Cipher replied. "And, granted."

"Look mom, I'm a soldier now!" Aurora replied with a huge grin. Compared to how he had looked when he'd first arrived, the sight was so silly yet satisfying, coupled with knowing who his mother was, that the others couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes you are, and I for one am glad of it." Bulwark finally replied, Cipher and Rainbow nodding in agreement.

Before anypony could make any further moves, the sound of somepony entering the armoury drew their attention. Cipher sighed slightly, muttering something about express orders as he went to see who it was. Aurora lifted his visor and looked over in curiosity, tensing slightly as the glimpse he could see confirmed that the pony that had come in was Nebula, still bandaged up from the last time they'd met. The sight made him wince slightly and he glanced away, sighing slightly as he felt one of the others place a hoof on his shoulder in support. They both knew better than to dwell on it though, focusing again as Cipher returned with a serious look.

"Orders have come in from Princess Luna, everypony check your suits and head for the command center immediately!"

Even at the best of times, the command center that directed the assets of the Equestria Defence Force where they were needed most across Equestria was rather dark compared to the rest of the headquarters. Now that night had fallen though, it was even worse with only a few lamps for illumination and less ponies manning the control stations. Most ponies suspected it was a comfort thing for Princess Luna, though nopony had ever been willing to ask. Each of the walls were lined with several points where unicorns of the EDF's Logistics Branch received scrolls from units on duty, guard posts and civilian centers before passing orders on throughout the army. The center of the room was filled by a map of the continent and the lands that surrounded Equestria. The Crystal Empire and Yakyakistan to the north. The Griffon Territories to the east. Zebahi, Saddle Arabia and the Mintoris Islands to the south, and the Undiscovered West. Flags were set out across the map, their colour denoting priority, though with only the firefly lantern hanging over the table for direct light it was hard to judge which was which right now.

Cipher's eyes narrowed as he studied the map, waiting for the princess to arrive. The rest of the team was standing behind him, waiting ready and keeping their mouthplates and visors off for now. The last thing they needed was to accidently startle anypony. Putting his mind back on track, his gaze went over the situation map, updating himself. Most of the flags were simply for units patrolling the borders, though a few seemed to be on monster guard duties in the Hayseed Swamps and Everfree Forest. The latter had become more important to keep secure considering its proximity to Ponyville, which contained both a number of high-quality farms and the castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle. He'd led more than one excursion into those woods before he'd been promoted to a position that generally took him off the front lines and didn't envy the poor souls that had to stay out there.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a pony teleporting to the entrance of the command center. Considering Aurora was still right behind him, he snapped to attention, the others doing the same immediately after. Luna stepped into the center a moment later, once again decorated in her commander armour. The blue glow of her magic lit the room further as she was carrying several black bags, smaller and more compartmentalized than regular saddlebags. She laid them out on the edge of the map table and motioned for the team to be at ease.

"I fear we don't have much time, Colonel, so I'd like to start the briefing immediately," Luna said, her tone completely serious as she looked over the map. "Your team is being deployed to the San Palomino Desert."

Even with his years of experience, Cipher felt his nerves rise as he looked at the lone flag in the desert of southwest Equestria. Luna's light was illuminating clearly now showing just what level of threat it was; Code Black, critical threat to Equestria, deploy elite units or Elements of Harmony only.

"Understood, ma'am," He replied, managing to keep his voice free of expression. "Mission parameters?"

"HVT verification and suppression, SAR as a secondary," Luna glanced up at the ponies behind Cipher. "Has anypony present not heard of Starlight Glimmer?"

"I, ah," Aurora slowly raised his hoof, though none of the others seemed to think badly of it given his age and background. "I'll settle for the short brief on her."

"She's an extremely powerful and dangerous unicorn," Cipher said as he turned to face Aurora. "Effectively started a cult in the Patchwalk Mountains twenty five years ago that was broken up by the Elements of Harmony. It took the full skills of Princess Twilight to capture her and she was placed in the Canterlot dungeons for attempted rehabilitation. At least until she escaped two years ago. This is the first hint there's been at her location since then."

"We suspected something brewing in that area," Luna continued. "A number of ponies who were reported missing over the past few months were last seen in towns on the fringe of the desert. A member of the Recon Corps was deployed to investigate, but we lost contact with them a week ago. Then three days ago, I was approached by a rather agitated Pinkie Pie, she gave us a location and intel on the area. We hope that by acting quickly, and using the cover of the night to our advantage, we can bring her in before the situation escalates any further."

Luna pulled several photographs from one of the bags and laid them out for the team to look at, keeping two held in her magic. Most of the pictures gave a clear view of the, for lack of a better word, compound. Three rows of identical two-story stone houses, providing enough housing space for approximately a hundred ponies made up the majority of the space, capped off at one end by another pair of the same houses and a small oasis surrounded by several fields producing durable crops at the other. One of the long edges was walled off by a rock cliff that trailed off out of sight, the rest of the perimeter was covered by a twenty foot tall wooden fence broken up only by a gatehouse on one of the corners. The final photograph was seemingly just of a patch of desert.

"Looks like Starlight's style alright," Rainbow Dash commented as she studied the pictures, glancing up and seeing the look Luna was giving her. "I know what you're thinking, your highness, but I don't know much that can help. Twilight only told me a bit about what she was like the second time they met, but she sounded like a whole different pony."

"I suspected as much," Luna murmured before continuing, pointing to the desert photo as she did. "I will teleport you to your entry point to the north of the area, just beyond the rim of the cliff. Approach under cover of darkness and assess the situation from your vantage point. There are likely to be a lot of civilians in the area, situation unknown, but your priority is to confirm the targets and, if you think the objective possible, neutralize them. Once either the objective is secure or you have fallen back to a safe distance, Private Aurora will teleport back here, providing coordinates for me to extract the rest of you and make our next move from there. Due to the nature of this operation, each of you have been equipped with restraints and magic suppressors, as well as medical supplies."

"Interrogative," Bulwark spoke up, everypony's gaze turning to him. "Who's the second target?"

"The second target is only suspected to be on site, though given how likely it is she helped Starlight Glimmer escape in the first place the odds are increased." Luna explained as she showed the last two photos, pictures of the targets. The first was pink coated, blue eyed and purple maned with aquamarine highlights, unmistakably Starlight Glimmer. The second was an amber coated unicorn, though before the others could get a closer look, Cipher picked up both photos and placed them into the bag again.

"I'll know her when I see her." He replied a little quickly. Aurora glanced at the others before using his sensory magic for a moment. Whatever Cipher had seen, it had him frightened. Neither he or anypony on the team commented on either of those though.

"Cipher, I understand your worry," Luna started, eying him with concern. "If you think you are unable to fulfil the mission..."

"I'll be alright, ma'am. I can't be picky about what I have to do at this level." He replied, sounding more confident in himself.

"Very well then, stand ready, ponies." Luna lifted each of the bags up again and placed them on everypony's flanks. The bags had seemingly been styled for the armour as they sat in place without being obstructive.

"Task Force Harmony, I just want to say that I know every one of you can do this. Now, team names only from here, and let's show Starlight Glimmer just who she's dealing with!" Cipher said to the others, each of them saluting and fitting their helmets properly again before he turned back to Luna and nodded. She stepped round to their side of the map, horn flaring with light, gathering strength for several seconds before a blinding flash went through the command center. By the time it faded, seven ponies had vanished, deployed in full. Luna brushed a few drops of sweat from her forehead and turned to one of the logisticians that had shielded their eyes in advance.

"Update the situation log please, time and date. Operation Spellbreaker has begun."

Chapter 26 (Final) - A Return to Peace

Canterlot Central Hospital
April 16th

It almost felt wrong, to be back in the fresh air and natural light of the world after everything they had been through in the dark tunnels of the west. Each member of Task Force Harmony felt as though their time in the Barrier Mountains had lasted for a small eternity with no way of knowing how time passed. Once Luna had brought everypony back to Canterlot however, they learned exactly how long their mission had taken. Three days. Three days of blood, pain, war, and ultimately, triumph.

Operation Hive Hunt had been deemed a success beyond all expectations. The changelings that had remained a significant threat to Equestria for over twenty years had not only been located but crippled, a number of ponies that hadn't even been picked up on had been recovered, paving the way for locating their doppelgangers and hopefully removing the changeling presence from Equestria for good. In addition, the team's reports had indicated the possibility that there was more to the changeling race than their past interactions had indicated, a chance to bring over fourteen hundred years of enmity to a peaceful conclusion. Even for the best of the best, this outcome was above and beyond the call of duty.

Of course, it had not come without some cost.

"This...Ugh, this is no fun." Aurora muttered to himself as he reached from his hospital bed for the glass of water on his bedside. It was just out of easy reach and he really had to strain for it. Under any other circumstance he would just bring it over in his magic.

That wasn't an option right now. It had taken this long for the doctors to be sure that he hadn't done himself any long term damage from magical exhaustion. They still weren't letting him use any magic whatsoever while he recovered. He was with the best doctors in Equestria though, hopefully it wouldn't be long before he could take the bandages for his burned cheek off and he could go home. At least they had confirmed it wouldn't scar like the burn on his throat had.

"At least you're allowed to get up. It's infinitely worse when you're confined to the bed." Rainbow Dash replied as she trotted over and passed the glass over to him. They both knew she was the lucky one among them to be standing here. the doctors had said that even with Healing Wave's temporary measures she probably would have succumbed to her injuries within hours. As it was, a blood transfusion and the attention of the most talented doctors had undone the worst of her ailments and aside from looking exhausted from the bruise treatments and keeping her chest fur messy to hide the scar, she almost seemed back to normal.

"Speaking from experience?" He asked, nodding his thanks and taking a drink, savouring having constant access to the basics many ponies took for granted again.

"Yeah. On the plus side, I was able to put that time to good use in the end. I really got into the Daring Do books over those few days."

"I always liked that series. Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams was my favourite," Aurora replied as soon as he lowered his glass. Rainbow grinned at that while trying, and failing, to stifle her laughter. "What?"

"Sorry, just thinking how an old friend of mine might react to you saying that."

"I'm guessing they're one of those hardliner fanatics about a certain book or aspect?" He asked, leaning back against his pillow.

"The hardest." She replied. The two of them shared a laugh at the thought, both feeling better than they both had the time and were able to do so. Just being able to relax like this, spending a little time without the weight of the world on their shoulders, was doing just as much good for their wellbeing as any medical attention. Right now it helped that they had the ward to themselves for now, the rest of the team already discharged.

For a minute after their laugher died down, they simply shared a contented silence. The sun was filtering through a row of skylights above them, bathing the ward in a gentle midmorning glow. Though the windows behind each bed weren't catching the sun, Aurora was able to look back at his and take in the vibrant colours of the royal gardens that were just within view from this floor. It was a peaceful area, the whole setup giving off a vibe that your problems couldn't affect you while within this room. Eventually, Rainbow moved over to a visitor chair beside Aurora's bed and sat down, stretching her wings as she did.

"So, kid," She said as she got settled, watching as he got comfortable again and looked back at her. "I kind of missed the whole thing with the changeling you met. Ymir right? From what the others told me though, I really respect you sticking with her like that."

"You do?" Aurora asked in surprise, watching Rainbow grin and nod.

"Yeah, but I'd like to hear your side of things. Nopony knows how to tell a story better than the one who lived it."

As Aurora retold everything that had happened to him since the two of them had been separated, Rainbow leaned back and listened, taking in everything and thinking about his actions. The one thing she respected above anything else was that he had actually made the effort to make peaceful contact in the first place. Even as one of the ponies closest to the princess of friendship herself, she doubted that she would have been able to do the same in his hooves. After what had happened in Canterlot, she would have put the number of ponies who would even consider it in single digits. Yet he had tried. Despite the suffering both his parents had gone through at their hooves, he had tried and he had succeeded.

The support and loyalty had been mutual too, even when they had no reason to believe it would be. She had protected him from the changeling patrols and he had protected her from Flash Sentry. She knew just how important those kind of bonds were and why the two hadn't left each others side until the moment Ymir was struck down during the battle. By the time Aurora mentioned the last time he'd seen her was being dragged away by a changeling Thorax had referred to as Lanne, he had hunched up slightly and his voice was wavering, not enjoying the memories. Rainbow shifted her chair so she could rest her front half on the bed and looked him in the eye, trying to look reassuring to the shaken unicorn.

"I think that Twilight would be proud of what you've accomplished," She commented, smiling as he realised just what his aunt would think of what he'd done. "Considering you had no idea about Thorax and the rest of the changelings, that you were able to be such friends with Ymir is actually pretty incredible. I'm pretty sure somepony, or, some changeling, will find a way to let you know if she's alright too. For all we know, the next pony through that door is going to be a changeling trying to tell you just that."

"Hmmm...." Aurora glanced over toward the door for a moment. Rainbow realised what he was thinking just in time and placed a hoof on his horn before he could try his sensory magic. "Awww. When did you become so unfair?"

"Is that how you respond to a pony who outranks you?" Rainbow asked, though she was smirking slightly as she said it, just trying to take his mind off it.

"Sorry. When did you become so unfair, ma'am." He replied, getting out of the bed and stretching. Before he could make a follow up comment. The door to the ward door opened and the rest of the team entered.

Cipher was the first to step in, looking at the two of them with no small sense of pride. Water Flare followed, her chest bandaged up and trying to keep off her left foreleg. Even with the help of the changelings, it still remained uncertain if she would ever get full use of her leg back. Bulwark was the third to arrive, in better shape despite still wearing bandages on his forelegs and around his barrel. Compared to the others, Healing Wave looked like she hadn't taken a scratch, only needing a good night's sleep to be back to normal. Flash Sentry was the last one in and though he looked alright, a closer look showed his wings were ragged and missing quite a few feathers.

Following them in was none other than Princess Luna, though she was in her usual princess attire instead of her commander's armour. Both Rainbow Dash and Aurora bowed to her immediately, though she quickly motioned for them to stand again.

"I'm glad to see you both alive," Luna said once they had risen, sounding like she had been holding back her words for longer than she would have liked. "After I had sent you to the mountain, I feared that I was putting too much upon you all, sending seven ponies against a possible hive of changelings. That you all overcame both the challenges you faced and my poor judgement to made it back, is a testament to your wills, strengths, and care for each other."

"Don't blame yourself, your highness. Nopony had any way of truly knowing what would happen," Cipher said as he moved to her side. "Besides, the ponies you sent were the perfect ones for the job. Not just for finding the changelings, but changing the world."

"This is true..." Luna looked round before casting a bubble of silence around herself and the team. "Yesterday, my sister received a letter from an unknown kingdom to the west. It began by apologising for not stopping Queen Chrysalis and how her actions damaged our impressions of her homeland and her kind. It also credited each of you for your parts in bringing her to justice and said that she would be punished most severely for the crimes she committed against our home and hers. It ended by saying that it hoped that our countries may be able to open peaceful relations one day soon and was signed by a 'King Thorax of Outlani'. I presume this is the leader of the non-hostile changelings mentioned in your report?"

"Yes ma'am," Flare replied quickly. "As the pony who's spent the most time with Thorax's changelings, I can confirm that they never tried to drain us of our love and have never had any need to."

"Indeed..." Luna glanced down at the earth pony's bad leg before looking back at the others. "Colonel, I did say I would let you have the honours for this part."

"Thank you, princess," Cipher said as he looked at the others, his smile widening. "Princess Luna has decided that each of us is to be awarded the Star of Harmony for our actions and bravery at Mount Silvat. In addition, Bulwark, Healing Wave, Aurora and Water Flare, each of you are being put forward for promotions."

The team let out a round of cheers at the news. The Star of Harmony was the Equestria Defence Force's highest honour, named after the elements that had saved their homeland time and time again. The fact that every one of them had been deemed worthy of it was no small feat.

"It's an honour." Rainbow said once everypony calmed down, speaking for them all.

"Indeed," Luna replied, smiling softly and ceasing her magic, the bubble of silence fading around them before she reached under her left wing and pulled out a letter she had tucked there. "Now, as your princess instead of your commander, as I was passing through the hospital I noticed this was addressed to you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow took the letter with curiosity and opened it up, reading through quickly. Before anypony could ask what it was about, she gave a happy whinny and ran out the room. Healing Wave looked down at the letter, dropped by Rainbow in her excitement, and picked it up in her magic, chuckling softly as she read through.

"A request to meet from one of her friends," She commented. "I don't blame her for being so excited after all this time. I'd say I'd like to do the same but, you know."

"How about you use this time to make some more friends?" Flash asked her, giving a reassuring smile. "It's not like you haven't made six already?"

"Yeah, good point." Wave replied, smiling back.

"You've all earned such time," Luna said, stepping aside. "Though Equestria may need to call upon you again one day. For now though, each of you may return to your homes, spend time with your families, loved ones and those that you care for. Take as long as you need. Task Force Harmony, dismissed."

As the team started talking among themselves and making plans for just what they planned to do, Luna took Aurora to one side, looking slightly more serious.

"There was something else in the letter, a message explicitly said to be for the crystal prince," She told him, keeping her voice hushed. "Thorax wrote that you would understand its meaning."

"Oh? Okay..." Aurora replied, looking wary.

"It simply said 'Home is beautiful'. Does that mean anything to you?"

Luna watched as Aurora looked away, staying silent and expressionless. For several seconds, neither of them made a sound. Then, a quiet sniff could be heard. Aurora looked back up again, blinking back a visible tear in his eyes, a wave of relief crossing his face.

"Yes...Thank you."

Author's Note

And that is finally that. While the reception for this story has been more...Muted in comparison to my previous works (I blame the Flash Sentry tag :derpytongue2: ), it's been a major learning experience for my writing so I'm still calling it a win. I want to thank every one of you who gave this a chance, all those who faved or commented, even those two of you who hung around long enough to downvote.

My next story, Fractured Crystals, ~~has already been largely written up and will be posted once I can afford some cover art~~ is up and ready for viewing. See you then everyone, and thank you again!