Task Force Harmony

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.