//------------------------------// // (3) They're Back.... // Story: Cold // by Script Singer //------------------------------// Twilight ran out of the castle and quickly made her way towards the Everfree Forest. She could hear her friends shouting, causing her to run faster. After what felt like hours but could only be minutes Spike came into view. He was flying, trying to fight off a changeling. Twilight remembered the first time she had held Spike, and she pushed herself further, determined to not lose him. Her friends were already being dragged away by other changelings. Twilight glared at the changeling as it flew into the air with Spike in its hooves. Twilight shot a blast of magic at the changeling, making it turn back and try to attack. "Leave him alone!" Twilight yelled. "Twilight!" Spike exclaimed, falling from the Changeling's grasp.  "I got you, Spike!" Twilight said as she caught him. The Changeling, charged, slamming into Twilight’s side, causing her to drop Spike. It caught him again and began flying away again, Twilight desperately giving chase. ---Flashback--- Spike sat in his bed crying, rousing Twilight from her sleep and bringing her to his side. "What's wrong, Spike?" She asked, patting his head. "I..." Spike sniffed. "I had a bad dream..." Twilight hugged him. "Would you like to come to sleep with me?" Spike nodded and climbed into the bed with her. Twilight held Spike close. "I was falling..." "Hmm?" "In my dream..." Twilight wiped the tears out of his eyes. "I was falling, and you tried to save me... but when I hit the ground... you... I..." Spike couldn't finish his sentence. Twilight hushed Spike. "It was just a dream, I will never let that happen to you, Spike. Whenever you fall, I will catch you." Twilight kissed his forehead.  “Promise?” “Cross my heart.” Spike smiled. "Thanks... Mommy..." That word struck Twilight's heart. Mommy... "I love you." Twilight smiled at Spike. "I love you too." --- Twilight growled, flying faster. That night, when Spike called her "Mommy" for the first time, was the most touching night of her life. She wasn't going to lose him. She followed the changeling, she had to keep her promise. --- Twilight attempted to be stealthy as she followed the changelings. Allowing them to think they lost her and following them to the hive. She stared at the hive, its entrances opening, and closing at random intervals. She carefully made her way into the first opening she reached and tried to find a way to her friends. She searched as much of the hive as she could, the changelings seemed to gloss over her presence, which confused her, but she brushed it off in favor of her mission. Finally, she came to a door with a familiar sound coming from inside and entered to see what was happening.  Opening the door revealed a large hall, decorated in various green pods. She appeared to be on a balcony above the floor far below her. She could see her friends inside of the pods, not moving at all. A short distance from them, Cadence was yelling something about letting her family go. As she yelled, Chrysalis got up in Cadence's face. “You are never going to see them again, little Princess,” She said with a menacing chuckle and shot a blast of magic at her, Cadence fell with a cry of pain. Twilight quietly stepped back, she needed help, but she also needed to act fast... She frantically thought, who would be willing? And available. She began running as a plan slowly began to form in her head. --- Twilight flew toward the Crystal Castle, she was exhausted, but she couldn’t stop, not while her friends and family are in danger. She landed, none too gracefully, in front of the entrance, finding Flash Sentry standing at the door. "Your Highness." He bowed. "Flash, I told you that you didn't have to call me that." Twilight blushed. "Just Twilight is fine, but I'm not here to discuss that right now. I need your help." Flash looked at her with a frown. "What is it?” "First, tell me how we met." Flash looked at her confused, but the look in her eye gave him the impression that he should answer. "You bumped into me, on one of your first few days in the Crystal Empire as a Princess." Twilight smiled in relief, then looked around. "It isn't safe to talk here," She whispered. With that, she flew off into the sky, a very confused Flash trailing behind her. "What's going on?" Flash asked. "The changelings are back, and I need your help. They've taken Cadence and my friends." Flash gives a slightly panicked look, "I suppose that means that the pony here isn't Cadence..." "I have a plan, are you in?" Twilight asked. Flash smiled at her, he would always be willing to help out, before flying off the cloud and back to the changeling hive with Twilight. --- Twilight leads Flash to roughly the same place she had been before, the room looks backward to Twilight but they are still on a balcony. Cadence is ragged-looking from the last time, barely able to stay standing. "We have to do something, and fast," Twilight whispered to Flash. "I'm not sure how much longer Cadence will be able to hold on." Flash nodded his head. "What's the plan?" He asked. Before Twilight could answer, she heard a crack in the floor. The combined weight of the two of them was too much for the balcony, leaving Twilight falling through the air. She hit the ground hard, Twilight landing on her wing. Flash reached out to her, but she waved him away to hide in the shadows and avoid getting caught. "Twilight!" Her friends called out, concerned for her. Chrysalis turned to her with a menacing chuckle. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Twilight glared at Chrysalis. "Where are my brother and Flurry?" She snarled. Chrysalis gave out a soft chuckle. "Somewhere you and Cadence will never find them." Chrysalis fired a blast of sickly green magic. Twilight tried to fly away, but her wings burned with pain. Twilight cried out and barely dodged away in time, crashing into the pods. "Twilight!" Pinkie yelled, weakly banging her hooves on the hard green shell. Twilight let out a groan of pain. Chrysalis walked up to Twilight, her horn lighting up. "Once I get rid of you and your friends, nothing will be able to defeat me! I will be unstoppable!" she laughed and let loose the building spell, hitting Twilight. She felt the spell take effect, the world wobbling and flickering. "Twilight..." Cadence whispered. She reached out to Twilight, an offering, and a plea. Twilight stared at her, tears blurring her vision. "Don't give up on us..." Twilight reached back, looking up at her friends. Desperately holding on to her memories of their adventures together. They made it through then, and Twilight knew that they were going to make it through now. Twilight slowly rose to shaking legs, glaring at Chrysalis. Flash landed in front of Twilight flaring his wings in challenge, ready to defend her. Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder. "No Flash, I need you to go get help," She said. "I won't leave you," Flash said. "Go." "But-” "Go!" Twilight had to shove Flash to get him to move. He flew as fast as he could out of the room, a horde of changelings chasing after him. They grabbed at him, but he slipped away just in time. Good luck, Flash... Twilight thought. Twilight heard Chrysalis charging up another blast. She barely managed to jump out of the way. She grunted when she landed on the ground, growing tired from the repeated blasts. She tried to continue fighting the spell Chrysalis cast on her. The pain in her wing had subsided during the conversation with Flash, giving her a way to get her friends out. She soared into the air, trying to help her friends get out of the goop, but Chrysalis grabbed her before she could attempt the rescue. Chrysalis glared into Twilight's eyes. Her horn ignited like a flame, making the pain in her wing come back worse than ever. Twilight screamed out in agony. She felt as if she was being broken in half. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to break free. Chrysalis just smiled as she watched her scream.