The Changeling Princess

Chrysalis stopped about ten feet away from Joker. Her army stopped two feet behind her. Joker didn't have to look to know that some of her mother's army feared her. It had grown in size since she was last here, which was hardly surprising.

"Six days, Joker, you have been here," Chrysalis's double voice echoed around the crystal embedded gorge, breaking the eerie silence. "Already it has turned you back into the monster you fear to be."

"No," Joker disagreed, holding her death glare firmly in place. "It was a plan. A carefully constructed plan to kill enough patrols to get you to pull all soldiers off the Equestrian invasion and after me. It worked."

"Until you made a fatal error," Chrysalis hissed. "You teamed up with Seers and walked into the open. You should know that because of that wretched manticore, the mountains are the most heavily patrolled area! You were seen by my patrols and I used them to plan an ambush, along with my army."

"You are only after me," Joker growled. "Leave the others."

"You have no authority here," the changeling queen took a step forwards. Unlike her army, she wore no armour. "You betrayed us too many times, Joker."

"No authority?" Joker couldn't stop the slightly insane giggle that left her mouth. "I'm afraid, mother, that you are incorrect. I am, being the only heir to the throne, still princess of the changelings. No matter how many times I betray you and the changelings, I am still princess. Remember?"

"Normally you would cower behind your armour, like last time we met," Chrysalis neither confirmed nor denied what Joker had just said. "But you no longer bear the armour of one of your many betrayals."

"That manticore, need I say more?" Joker smiled slightly. It soon disappeared and a confused look appeared in its place. "Many betrayals?"

"Where shall I start?" Chrysalis snarled through her teeth. "The pegasus, the portals, sneaking away under my nose, failing to help us invade Equestria, attacking us and the royal guard!"

"You missed one, I do believe," Joker's smile returned, but it wasn't a nice smile. It was sinister and her horn lit up with green energy. "The killing the changelings."

Chrysalis barely had time to act when Joker released the energy. Is was a foot away when Chrysalis had a chance to block it with her own blast. Both changelings willed their magic forwards, forcing more power into the blast. Chrysalis came out on top. Her magic hit Joker with amazing force that threw the younger changeling into the wall of the gorge. The force knocked her out with blood trickling from a wound in her head.

The changelings had seen how easily Joker fell. They had a lot more confidence now than they did a few moments ago, but were still a bit nervous.

Mystic glanced around. There were changelings behind them, in front of them and on top of the gorge on each side of them.

"We're trapped," Rune said, stopping Mystic's desperate search for an escape.

"We can't be trapped," Pinkie Pie frowned, it was almost frightening to see the party pony so serious. "There has to be a way out."

"There is one way," Rainbow Dash said softly as the changeling closed in on Joker, ready to finish the changeling off. "But not all of us would be able to flee unless. . ."

"Good plan, Dashie," Pinkie grinned.

"There's just one fatal flaw," Mystic butted in. "We'll have to leave Joker behind."

"Anypony noticed how Joker could probably be able to take them all on, but now we're here she can barely take on one?" Applejack asked.

"She tries to multi-task," Rune sighed, stretching out his wings. "So she can only take one enemy at a time where as when she's alone she can take on about four, or so rumours tell. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Mystic, grab a none flyer and fly them to the the edge of the forest."

"And what are you doing?" Mystic asked as she and Fluttershy hovered a few feet off the ground.

"Going to led Joker a hoof." he smiled before blasting three changelings out of his way.

Joker lifted her head to look around. Everything was in double vision. She groaned in annoyance as she waited for her vision to clear. It didn't take long. Joker slowly got to her hooves to find herself being swept off them.

"Huh? Wha-?"

"Don't worry," Rune said as Joker began to struggle, fearing the worst. "It's just me."

Rune landed before the others who had been flown to safety. He ushered them into the forest and out of sight of the changelings before Joker was allowed to stand on her own hooves.

"So," Joker looked at the ponies and Spike. "Now what?"

"We were only trying to get out of harms way," Mystic admitted. "We didn't think we'd get this far without being injured or worse."

Joker tapped a hoof on the ground, her scheming mind ticking away. She could only see one way out as the changelings were looking for them. It could cost Joker dearly, but she didn't care as long as the others were safe.

"What are you going to do?" Mystic eyed Joker suspiciously as the changeling walked away.

"It doesn't matter," Joker said casually. "But you need to get them away from here. I'll distract the changelings. It'll take a few days to shake them off, but it shouldn't be too hard."

"Are you crazy?" Pinkie Pie asked. "I mean, Chrysalis is a really mean pony! I mean really mean. She'd probably kill you if she got the chance!"

"I'll be fine," Joker lied to everypony present, including herself. "I know how to handle my own species. Now, go!"

It was an order Mystic couldn't disobey. She nodded once before turning to Rune. The older Seer seemed to be elsewhere mentally, but he must have sensed Mystic's gaze on him.

"Be careful, Joker," Rune warned. "The queen may not react to your tricks like she used to or in a way you may expect."

"In other words, Chrysalis is deceitful," Joker said as she got ready to attack a small group of nearing changelings. "I already know that. All changelings are deceitful."

Without any warning, Joker leapt from the forest and grabbed a changeling by the throat. She had killed it by the time the alarm was raised and had switched targets. Eight changelings dropped from the sky and floored her before she could attack. Joker used her anger and forced it into her magic. Green light exploded from her horn. She didn't waste time as the changelings were blasted away. Joker took to the sky, half of the changeling army on her tail.

The group of seven watched until they were gone from view before Mystic and Rune led them away from the gorge at a slow trot. Changelings were still hanging around, but they weren't after them.

"So, we're just going to leave Joker to fend for herself?" Rainbow Dash asked the Seers, flying effortlessly alongside them.

"She wants us to," Mystic said. "She is taking a great risk to get you and your friends reunited and back home."

"That's probably programmed into her from the Royal Guard," Spike spoke up. "And her wish to repay what she did when she was younger. She knows it could take her entire life or could kill her, but she's willing."

"There's one thing that we are thankful for, however," Rune said quietly. "That is the fact Joker never attacked us. If she had, we probably would have killed her the other night."

"Wait a moment," Rainbow frowned. "I busted one of your backs, how are you running and flying?"

"You saw how easily I healed Joker's wing," Mystic replied. "I managed to heal Rune's back. It took more effort because spines are practically bone while wings are just muscles and nerves and easier to repair, especially changeling wings."

"What are changeling wings made up of?" Fluttershy asked. "I mean, I haven't seen anything like it."

"They're kind of enlargements of insect wings, although tougher," Mystic explained. "The wings are amazing but they're a nightmare to heal."

"Hold up," Rune stopped dead, almost causing Pinkie Pie to walk into him. "What if the others got attacked?"

"We need to see if they're alright," Mystic hovered next to Rune for a moment. "And, with the army's attention on Joker, they'll be mad to attack us when we're at full strength, we could rest here and move tomorrow."

Rune nodded in agreement and changed direction back toward the gorge.

"Will they be friendly?" Fluttershy asked quietly as they walked down a narrow ledge running up and down the side of the wall all the way along the gorge.

"Yes," Rune replied, his eyes carefully studying their surroundings. "Just don't mention anything about your princesses."

"Why not?" Applejack asked, frowning.

"I'll explain on the way," Rune said as the reached the bottom of the gorge. "It's a very touchy topic amongst us."

"'Touchy' is an understatement," Mystic snorted as she fell to the back of the group. "Those that remember, which are very few, aren't afraid to use their magic, which will leave one visible mark for years." As she said this her eyes darted to her right wing which she hastily folded away, wincing slightly as she did so.

"You brought it up, didn't you?" Rainbow Dash picked up.

"I was young foalish," Mystic blushed, slightly embarrassed. "I read something that mentioned Princess Celestia. I went to ask one of my teachers, he froze and accidentally released powerful magic at me. I couldn't deflect it in time and I used my wing to shield myself. As a result I lost my feathers on that wing. I still have the scar where it impacted."

"So, what happened to make them react so when our princesses name is mentioned?" Pinkie Pie asked, curiously.

"It's both Celestia and Luna whom we cannot talk about," Mystic and Rune spoke in sync. "We will tell you the tale we have heard from those older than ourselves of why."