Shining Armor stepped into the dark dungeon. He had a spear strapped at the side of his uniform. The changeling rushed him as he passed by, shouting in a different language at him. He stood just out of his reach.
"Just here to ask a few questions. Be lucky I'm not letting what's left of the Crystal Guard handle this."
The changeling the changeling became silent, hissing with anger.
"You're going to tell me everything I want to know in Equestrian." Shining sat down in front of the bars.
"Why should I?"
"Because if you don't, I'm going to let the Crystal Guard. They can do all they want to you."
"You think that scares me?" The changeling spat on Shining, landing on his chest. Shining sighed, wiping the spit away.
"Strike one." He called out as he stood. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Way One: you tell me what Queen Chrysalis is planning on doing and where she is and it's over. You'll be taken far away from the Crystal Empire and tried for your crimes against Equestria. Way Two: you refuse to tell me. I'll keep sending guards back in here to handle with you, again, and again, and again until you tell us what we need to know."
"That's the best you can do? Sending your guard dogs after me?"
"I won't let my hooves be sullied by you, but the Guard have been dying to get their hooves on you. We've got all the time in the world for this. We'll keep doing this until you get it right." Shining turned, trotting out of the dungeon. He turned, heading towards the barracks.
Lets see... they'll get it out of him. Angry enough at the changelings already.
---
We hastily trotted down the stairs and entered the nearest of the decayed building. The hall was otherwise empty, aside from some destroyed pots and burned furniture.
"Lets hope this is a cell block. Blooming'll be around here."
"Yeah, really. Come on, we gotta hurry before some changelings spot us." Lance galloped ahead. I followed behind, trying to match her pace. We reached the end of the hall, entering into a room filled with nothing but empty cells. Most were empty. The room was lit with torches that had been set up at the sides of the wall that had strange blue flames lighting them. Even with the torches, the room was still very dark.
"You think Blooming could be in here?" Lance asked quietly, looking around the room, desperate to find her sister.
"I don't know, maybe? Lets keep an eye out for her and the changelings."
"Yeah. Hurry." We trotted down the cell. Whatever crystal ponies were left in the cells backed away from us. What-- do they think we're--
Ahhhahhhh!
The blood-curdling scream filled the hallway. Lance pushed us into an empty cell, hiding behind against the wall. She stood in front of me, keeping her left fore-hoof over my chest, making sure I wouldn't step out.
"What the hay..." She whispered. "What was that?"
"It can't have been Blooming. Voice was too deep."
"Should we go check it out?"
"What if it's changeling?"
"I'll beat the hay outta it. C'mon." Lance lead me out of the cell, trotting down the hall.
"Somepony, help!" The voice matched the one that had just screamed. We quickened our pace.
The voice- where've I heard that from?
We turned the corner, seeing a pair of hooves sticking out of the bars of a cell, black and riddled with holes. Lance drew a deep breath as she passed in front of the cell.
Oh horseapples... not him.
"Rocky Diamond, is that you?! Help me, please!" The stallion reached for me. I backed away. What the hay-- is he a changeling?!
"You know him, Rocky?" Lance asked. I slowly trotted towards him.
"Yeah... he and I were in the academy together. His name's Frigid Spark. He's apart of the main guard." I knelt down to him. "What happened, Frigid?"
"Queen Chrysalis... she cast some spell upon me-!" Frigid wailed in pain.
"I'm sorry, but have you seen a filly? Earth pony, white coat, red main?" Lance focused on her main objective; Blooming Lily.
He didn't even seem like he heard her. Dear Celestia...
"Please, answer me!"
"She- agh... s-she and I was in a cell... it-ah- I think it's the one of the buildings t-to the right..." Frigid clung onto his head. Horseapples.
"Thank you. Come on, Rocky. Let's go." Lance grabbed my hoof and tried to pull me away, but I remained in place. I couldn't just leave him there.
"Rocky... please... come here." Frigid wheezed, weakly trying to grab me. I looked up at Lance.
"Let me handle this, Lance. Please."
"Okay. I'll look out for changelings."
"Okay, what is it that you need, Frigid... wait... what the-?!"
There were three bodies behind Frigid. They all were black and lifeless.
"Frigid, what happened?!"
"I-I don't know... I don't remember... I woke up with my teeth sunk into one of their ribs... I-I think I killed them..." Frigid said weakly. Oh Celesita! His eyes... they were completely blue. Like a changeling's. There were fangs sticking out from his mouth. It's almost like he's transforming into a changeling... could that- that monster know a spell like that?!
"Please... I don't want to hurt anypony else... just-- end it." Frigid muttered.
"W... what?"
"Kill me! Snap my neck! Stab me! End this! I can't stand this anymore!" He pleaded to me, grabbing my fore-hooves.
"I-I can't Frigid. I won't..." I backed away from the cell.
"Please, Rocky! You'll be doing me a favor! End this! If not for me, then the ponies I'd hurt if I get out!'
"But, I can't. You're my friend-" "If you were a friend, then you'd understand why you need to do this-!" He howled in pain.
Buck, buck, buck!
"Please, Rocky... it feels like there's a million daggers stabbing into my horn and head... kill me... please... please..." Frigid said pitifully as he resting his head on the bars, awaiting for me to end it. But, I can't...
And yet, I must.
"O... okay, Frigid. I'll make i-it quick."
A-am I really about to do this? About to kill somepony?
"Yes... thank you, thank you, thank you..."
"Let me hold the blanket Lance." I turned to her.
"What- why?"
"Just give me the damned thing." I ordered. Lance quickly tossed me the blanket, seeing my fury. I trotted back over to him, wrapping it around his neck tightly. Just a swift pull. All you have to do...
I began to pull up on the blanket, before Frigid put a hoof on the blanket, stopping me. "Frigid?"
"I... come here!" Frigid bit down on my hoof!
I pulled the blanket up, forcing his muzzle away from my hoof. He pushed his fore-hooves through the bars, flailing around, trying to grab me.
Celestia... forgive me.
Ssnap
I allowed the blanket to slip out of my hooves, stumbling back. His limp body fell forwards as the blanket slipped away, hanging over the cell bar. Oh-- I'm going to be sick...
I turned onto my fore-hooves, vomiting. Lance trotted to my side as I wiped my mouth. She patted my back.
"You good? I know that must've been difficult."
"Yeah-" I spat into the small pool of vomit. "-yeah. I'm fine, Lance. D-don't worry." I wiped my eyes. I-I just killed somepony...
"All right.. just lemme know." Lance helped me to my hooves. We trotted down the hall slowly.
"Let's go, Lance... we've got to find Blooming so we can get out of here. Don't want to be here another minute." I said. She nodded, trotting beside me.
---
Twilight Sparkle and Spike entered the archives, silent.
"Are you--"
"I don't want to talk about that, Spike. Lets just focus on getting back to work." She took on a flat tone, making sure not to reveal any emotion.
"O-okay." Spike spoke in a low tone to match with Twilight's, clearly nervous. "Wh-what next?"
"I've got most of the components of the spell down, I just need to figure out how to cast it." Twilight's horn emitted her magical aura. She flipped through her notebook, glancing over everything.
Okay, everything's still here. Twilight sighed, relieved.
"Okay." Spike trotted over to the chair to her right, climbing up and sitting down, waiting patiently.
Poof
A letter appeared in front of Spike.
"Huh?" Spike picked up the letter. He unraveled it.
"Who's it from?"
"It's from... Princess Celestia?"
"Huh? Why wouldn't she just come here and tell us instead of sending us a letter?" Twilight questioned. "Let me see it." Spike walked up to her and showed her the letter.
Dear my Most Faithful Student,
I apologize, but the letter from Rarity that I was going to send you is gone. We've looked for it all day, but nopony has even found a trace of it. I felt that I should let you know.
From, your mentor, Princess Celestia.
"That is strange, Spike... let me respond to her." Twilight said as she sat her notebook down on the table and flipped to an empty page. She began to write.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Pardon me, but you've already given me the letter. Is everything okay, princess?
From, your student, Twilight Sparkle.
Twilight gave the letter to Spike, and he transported it to Princess Celestia using his magical breath. After a few moments, another letter appeared in front of him.
"Twilight... you're gonna want to see this." Spike handed the letter to Twilight.
Dear my Most Faithful Student,
What are you talking about? I'm in Canterlot. Are you sure everything's all right over there?
From, your mentor, Princess Celestia
What is she talking about? She's-
"Oh no... this isn't good. This is bad." Twilight rolled the letter, placing it on the table. She rushed towards the exit.
"What, Twilight?" Spike followed behind.
"Okay, there's two things that could be happening; one, somepony else is writing the letters and sending them to us, or two, the Princess Celestia that's here isn't the actual Princess Celestia."
"W-what?! Who is then?!"
"I... I think it may be a changeling."
"A-are you sure, Twilight?"
"No... but it's the only thing I can think of that'd make sense."
"Who do we tell?"
"I'll tell Shining. But I-I need to make sure that it is or isn't the real Celestia."
"How?"
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Cadance, Shining, and I made a secret phrase-passcode in case of another changeling attack so we could confirm if we were the real us. If it's the real Celestia, then she'll answer it correctly."
---
Shining Armor trotted back into the dungeon, passing by some of the Crystal Guard. The changeling had been bound against the bars. It's face was cut, both eyes were black, it's ribs were bruised, and there were cuts all over it's hooves. It glanced up to Shining, giving him a ireful gaze.
"Look, all I need is a location and something to go off of. That's all I ask of you and you'll be out of the Crystal Empire by morning." Shining knelt down to it. "You'll never have to worry about seeing me again."
"Queen Chrysalis' more wrathful than Nightmare Moon could ever hope to be. You cannot know." It glanced downwards, to the bloodied floor.
"Is that what you're afraid of? Queen Chrysalis?"
The changeling remained silent.
"She won't get your hooves on you again. So long as you're in the Equestrian government, we'll protect you." Shining offered. The changeling turned away.
"Will you speak now, or do I need to go get them again?"
"No- ugh... fine. She's planning on-"
Creak
"Prince Shining Armor, Princess Twilight Sparkle requests that you be in her presence." The servant said as she opened the door, interrupting the changeling. Shining looked at the servant, then to the changeling.
"We'll finish this later. Rest while you can." Shining unhooked the changeling, allowing him to fall to the cell floor. He trotted to the servant.
"What's the matter?"
---
I killed him- I killed Frigid... whoa-- okay. They trained us to be prepared for anything, but I've never... never actually had to use it.
"You all right, Rocky?"
Lance pulled me back into reality.
"Yeah... I-I'm fine, Lance. Just a bit... shook up." I shook my head, rubbing the back of my head. "Let's find Blooming. There's a door up ahead. Come on." I took hold of her hoof and hastily trotted towards the door.
"Kill me... please... please..."
No-- block it out, Rocky. The priority is Blooming Lily. As soon as we find her, we can leave and you'll be able to go back to mining.
I opened the door, allowing Lance to pass, but for some reason, she didn't.
"What's the-"
Thump
Thump
Thump
Hoofsteps.
Lance, hid behind the wall beside the entry. I did the same at the opposite side.
"Queen Chrysalis... she cast some spell upon meeeeAHHH!"
Anger began to bellow in my stomach. They'll see what happens when you mess with the Crystal Empire.
"Lance, I'm going to grab the changeling. I'll pull them in here and then we'll knock it out, alright?" I whispered. She nodded.
A small figure trotted past the opening in the door. I lunged at it, covering it's mouth with my right fore-hoof covered and pulled the rest of it's body into the hall. The changeling struggled against my grip, but it was no match for my strength.
"Mmmmh!" The changeling's cries were muffled in my hoof.
"Stop struggling!" I whisper-yelled, leaning against the wall.
Suddenly, intense pressure came from the palm of my hoof covering it's mouth. Painful pressure.
I immediately pulled my hoof away for a moment.
"Get off!" The figure bit down on my hoof again. I jerked away, as she pushed off of me. That voice... Blooming?
She turned to me, leaning close to the ground, prepared to fight back if she needed. However, once she saw me, she stood back up straight.
"Rocky?"
"Blooming?" Lance had too recognized it.
"Lance... Rocky!"
Lance quickly swiped up Blooming, wrapping her in a hug as she laughed.
"You really gave Rocky a run for his money. I'm so proud!" Lance giggled. Blooming joined in on her laughter.
"Are you all right? I was so worried about you."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you? You're cut."
"It's fine. Doesn't hurt, trust me."
"How did you even get out of the cell? The bars were too thick for any of us to slip through." I interjected. She turned to me.
"There was this unicorn-- a guard. He cast some spell on the bars and bent them."
My eyes widened. A small smile spread across my face.
"Everything good?"
"Yeah, fine." I quickly said. Thanks Frigid. You always were too kind for your own good.
"Lets get going. C'mon Blooming-" Lance picked up Blooming using her right wing, setting her on her back. "Lets go before they find us."
"Yeah, yeah. You always--" Three changelings passed in front of us. The one closest to us turned. "The crystal ponies! Sound the alarm!"
"Run!" She quickly galloped down the hall. I followed behind as quickly as I could.
---