I struggled against the changelings' chains around my hooves. The changelings led us ahead, trotting beside each other. My right fore-hoof quivered and burned, pain shooting up my shoulder as I tried to keep up. Horseapples, it hurts!
They stopped in front of a small, boarded hole. The changeling to the right turned back to us, leaning over Lance Force, as the one on the left lifted the board, moving it to the side.
"Hey-- watch the shoulder!" Lance pushed up against the changeling, only receiving silence as an answer. He unlocked the chains binding her hooves, before quickly grabbing her right fore-hoof and pushing her to the ground, holding her fore-hoof up over her back as he forced her towards the hole.
"Get in there. Now." He ordered. Lance grumbled under her breath before she jumped off the edge into the hole.
"You--" The changeling turned back to me, releasing my bindings. "Get in."
"Please, she didn't mean--" "I said get in, now!"
The changeling kicked me into the hole. I landed with a thud, landing on somepony.
"Gah! Get off'a me!" Lance pushed me up. The boards scrapped overhead as the changelings closed us in. I sat up, looking back to Lance. Blood trailed down her right fore-hoof and shoulder, wrapping around her hoof. She pressed against the cut, biting her lip
"Horseapples-- it's deep." Lance looked back at the bottom of her bloodied hoof. "We've got to find some cloth around... here?" Lance's voice trailed off as she looked around the room.
I stood, using the wall as a support. The unfamiliar clean scent of the room surprised me, and the room was undamaged. Hay, even good. The room was completely white and clean. There was a single support column in the middle(with the covered hole they had been pushed in beside it), a queen-sized clean bed at the left side of the room with a white sheet, a few white pillows, and a wooden frame, and a wooden chest at the right side of the room. The room had been lit up with candles placed around the room. It almost seemed like Queen Chrysalis was trying to bribe us into behaving.
This isn't exactly what I had expected for such a notorious place in the Changeling Kingdom...
"If this is her idea of a bad punishment, then she's losing her touch." Lance chuckled, trotting over to the chest and pushing up against it using her left fore-hoof. "Hmph. Locked."
"This isn't it. There's gotta be something here; a trap, a hidden room-- something. It doesn't make sense..."
"Trick or not, I'm perfectly fine with having a bed. Even if it is from that jackass. Sleeping on those floors and leaning against the walls were killing my back." Lance grabbed a pillow off the left bed, using her teeth to rip off a piece of the cloth.
"Can you tie this around the cut, Rocky? Can't do it with one hoof."
"Neither can I." I reminded. Lance groaned.
"Ugh, right..." She winced, using her right fore-hoof to hold the cloth in place as she tied it over her wound.
"Sorry. That guard broke my fore-hoof." I slid across the wall with my left shoulder, using it as a support. I sat on the bed at the side opposite to her.
"There." Lance said, her voice muffled. The cloth was already bloody. She turned back to me. "Want me to get your hoof next?"
"How the hay would you know how to do that?
"Took a First Aid course in Flight School."
"You sure you know what you're doing?"
"'Course. Just have to find something to... there!" Lance stood up, taking hold of the wooden board at the end of the bed. She let her right fore-hoof hang limp as she pulled against it with her left fore-hoof and left wing. The board cracked, breaking away from the bed.
"Hold this side." Lance swiftly sat it on the bed, putting half of it on the bed. I pushed down against the board. Lance stepped down on it, putting her weight on her left fore-hoof.
Snap
A splinter flew passed my head, narrowly missing my ear.
"Okay, now let put it in the splint."
"Yes, 'Nurse' Lance."
"Don't you even--" "Kidding! Kidding! Chill!" I quickly interrupted. Lance sighed.
"Not in the mood for jokes, Rocky."
"Just trying to lighten the mood. Gimme a break."
Lance trotted to my side of the bed, kneeling down to my limp, right fore-hoof.
"Gotta straighten out your hoof. I'll do it on the count of three. It's probably gonna hurt, so brace yourself." Lance gently held my hoof, beginning to slowly straightening it out. I nodded.
"Just get it over with..." I said as I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and prepare for the pain. My other fore-hoof found it's way to the mattress and began to squeeze it.
"One, two--"
Crrr-pop
Lance pulled my fore-hoof, releasing a defining pop throughout the room. I stared at her.
"Gah-- you said you'd go at three."
"Don't want to give you the chance to chicken out. Now, this board beside your hoof while I get some cloth." Lance stood. She trotted passed me, to the bed to the right. She ripped a small piece out of the bottom of the blanket. I held the board in place, as requested. She returned after a moment, kneeling down to my hoof as she carefully sat the board beside my hoof.
"Stay still." Lance ordered. I nodded. She used her teeth to thin the cloth under my hoof, grabbing the end with her left fore-hoof and tying it around my fore-hoof.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm going to get some rest. You should too." Lance stood, trotting passed me and to the bed to the right. I pulled my hind-hooves up to the bed, resting my head on the intact pillow.
This is going to be a loooong night...
---
Shining Armor and the guard stepped out of the alleyway and into the open street. He was determined as ever to find them, despite night quickly approaching.
"Prince, with all due respect, I'm afraid that the changeling would have most likely escaped by now."
"I know, but we aren't about let them get away with this without a fight."
"Of course, your highness. If they are changelings, they would've changed their appearance by now."
"They can't get away with what they've done. They're a danger to the village and we need to stop them before another crystal pony gets caught up in their trap." Shining turned, trotting into another alley.
"Yes, your highness."
Shining and the guard continued to look in the alley, trying to find the changelings.
"Idiot. Can't believe you let her get away. Whole damned kingdom must know we're here by now."
Shining's keen ears caught the sound immediately. He stopped and grabbed the guard, making sure that he didn't make another crunch in the snow.
"What's wrong, your highness?" The guard said in full volume.
"Shh... listen." Shining Armor said quietly as he listened intently for the voice.
"Didn't you see the dragon bite me? Thing has some sharp teeth. You try holding onto somepony like that."
"They sounded like they were right across the corner. Trot gently and watch where you step." Shining whispered as he stepped gently towards the corner, making a less louder crunch in the snow. The guard followed his movements, even making sure to apply little pressure to the snow covered ground.
"Yeah, yeah... I'll be the one who gets the blame for it too--?"
"What?"
"Heard something."
Shining and the guard stopped immediately. The guard held his spear close, and tightly. Shining lifted up his hoof and balled it, prepared to strike if he needed to.
Crunch
Crunch
Crunch
"Now." Shining said as he turned the corner, and bumped into a pony that looked exactly as Twilight had described(he even noticed the small bumps at the top of his head). There was another pony standing at he far side of the alley, which looked eerily similar to the one Twilight had described.
"!!!"
"S'va!" The changeling at the far side of the alley said as it galloped out into the open, his body clouding for a moment as it shifted back into changeling form. The guard chased after it immediately. Shining punched the other before it had the chance to run, pouncing onto it after and holding it's hooves down.
"One down; one more to go." He muttered.
---
Twilight looked up at her brother, his teeth bared and his deep blue eyes staring at Cadance with thirst. He had Princess Cadance pinned against the wall. Her cheek still stun from the slap. Shining turned back towards Cadance, opening his mouth and getting dangerously near her neck.
"Shining, stop!" Cadance said as she tried to push Shining away from her.
"No, Shining!" Twilight called out as she looked on as Shining began to overpower Cadance. Her mind raced for solutions. She grabbed his fore-hoof, pulling it away as she tried to get Cadance to safety.
"Fine! If you want to lose it first, then so be it!" Shining pushed Cadance down to the ground and turned to Twilight. He immediately pounced on her, leaning close to her collar bone as he pressed his fangs against her neck..
"Shining! Stop!" Twilight said. She kept pushing against his neck to keep his fangs away, but she couldn't last for long.
"Somepony help!"
"Welcome, Twilight."
Shining's snarling had disappeared. She hesitantly opened her eyes, seeing a dark figure standing over her. Her dark blue mane flowed to her left. She extended a hoof to Twilight.
"Princess Luna?"
Princess Luna nodded with a smile.
"So, I guess I'm dreaming then?"
"Yes. Seems that you're distressed about Shining's future, hm?"
"Yeah... I've been worried since I researched some stuff about how he could have a transformation spell cast on him or a magical transfer."
"Ah. I see."
"I'm afraid of a lot of things that could happen to him. I couldn't find any counter-spells, and the ones I did, he'd never allow us to do."
"We see... certainly a difficult situation you're in."
"So, what should I do?"
"That even us nor Celestia don't know. That's your decision, dear Twilight."
"What if I make the wrong choice?"
"You won't. We have faith in you, Twilight. Perhaps you should have faith in your own abilities as well."
"I don't know..."
"You shall. We have faith in you. We believe in you firmly."
Twilight groaned, a small ripple going throughout the dream.
"Our time together is short. We shall meet again soon, dear Twilight. We have faith in you."
"No, princess-- wait!"
---
Twilight's eyes opened as she raised her head in the bed. Spike, clinging to a small pillow.
"Princess?" She sat up, pulling the sheet off herself and sliding off the bed, being careful not to wake Spike.
I need to research more.
Twilight combed down her mane and swiftly stepped out into the hall.
---
Lance yawned, laying in the bed beside me. The white sheets over the bed covered her hind-hooves.
"How's your hoof?"
"Much better since you straightened it out. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"How is your shoulder?
"The bleeding stopped, so that's a good sign." Lance nuzzled her head into the sheets and pillows. "This bed... so comfortable! I'll have to make sure Blooming gets--"
Lance stopped abruptly. I turned to her, seeing her pale white face. She all right?
"Lance, you feeling all right? You're not looking to good right now."
"Blooming Lily's still in the cell. Alone."
Oh... oh no.
"Scared... alone... wondering where we are, what they're doing to us-- if we're even alive." Her voice trembled. "I need to get to her!" Lance stood up and jumped off the bed. She rushed the middle of the room, under the hole. She flapped her wings, desperate to ascend the least bit, but her chained wings got little to no torque or force behind them. I stood, quickly limping over to her
"Lance, I know you're scared, but--" "Don't just stand there! Help me up! We have to get back to Blooming! She's not safe!" Lance desperately flapped her wings.
"Please Rocky! She's just a filly! I-I can't let them hurt her again!"
"Lance, there's nothing we can do!"
"Rocky! Just boost me up! We can reach it!" Lance turned to me, her eyes full of tears. The poor mare was scared half to death.
"We aren't going to be reach, even if I did boost you up."
"Well, help me get these chains off my wings! Something! Anything!" Lance desperately looked around the room to find something to break the chain. However, there were no metal or sharp objects.
"Lance, look at me!" I held her fore-hooves. She pulled against me, her mane swinging in front of her face.
"Rocky, let me go! I need to get to her!" Lance pulled against me. I moved my left fore-hoof up to her side, holding her in place.
"Lance!" I moved up to her cheeks, holding her in place as I looked into her eyes. Tears streamed down her face.
"I'm so sorry. I-I can't even imagine what it'd be like to be in your shoes right now, but there's nothing we can do about it. We just need to hope for the best right now, okay?" I said in my most calm, gentle voice. I didn't want to be angry with her; I might push her over the edge. Tears escape her eyes as she looked at me.
"A-all right... okay." Her trembling voice was as quiet and as timid as Blooming's voice. I've never seen her like this...
She slowly sunk down to the floor. I kept my left fore-hoof, pulling her close as I tried my best to keep her calm.
"That's it... just keep calm." I pulled her close, hugging her gently. She leaned against my chest, blood from her shoulder seeping into my coat.
"I-I'm scared, Rocky." Her voice trembled.
---