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// Chapter 3, The Cave in Everfree 
// Story: Saving The Crusaders 
// by The Blue Bandit 
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Chapter 3, The Cave In Everfree

Cotton Candy and Pop Rock were at the entrance of the massive forest that was located beside the town of Ponyville. Cotton shivered as they were on the verge of entering the ghastly place which many unknown species called home and constantly made spooky noises. Pop Rock and Cotton stood close and then we stepped into the scariest forest in Equestria where we both believed that the crusaders were and ready to be rescued.
“Cotton I’m scared” Pop Rock said with a trembling shudder in his voice.
“It’s fine, so am I. Let’s just say that I never wanted to go the Everfree forest” Cotton said. “I’ve travelled all around Equestria but the Everfree forest was always a no go to me.”
“Well at least we’re together.” Pop Rock said.
“Let’s make a pact, if one of us goes missing you have to fly back home and I’ll transport myself there” Cotton said.
“I’ll agree to that” Pop Rock complied.
They walked along the path and checked every second that they hadn’t accidentally stepped off the path and were walking in the wrong direction. The further they walked through the forest the more it became darker and it got so dark that Cotton had to cast a spell to lighten the surroundings. They could hear all the creatures and could see the vines that tangled trees and could distantly hear shouting from a distance but it didn’t sound like the crusaders.
“Do you hear that?” Cotton said.
Cotton waited but then didn’t hear an answer and then she turned around and realised that Pop Rock wasn’t there! She was about to transport herself to Pop Rock’s house but then the shouting became louder and Cotton decided that even if they weren’t from the crusaders they needed saving. Cotton then went against the pact that she had made with Pop Rock and continued to go along the path and she decided to go along the path.
It was true that Cotton felt safer when Pop Rock was with her she had never been a pony that needed a stallion to be saved by. Every time she heard a twig snap or an owl hoot, she was startled and jumped. The screaming grew louder and louder, until it was so clear it was as if it was right in front of her.
“Apple bloom!” cotton yelled, “Sweetie bell! Scootaloo! Where are you?!” 
“Right here!” A voice hissed. A changeling was right in front of her! Changelings began to surround her. She screamed and ran away a fast as her hooves could carry her. 
She bumped into Pop Rock on her way. “Pop Rock, a group of changelings is after me! We have to run” Cotton said quickly. Pop Rock turned into a changeling and hissed at her. By that time the swarm had already caught up to her. She was surrounded. They were just about to grab her when the real Pop Rock flew up and hit one of the changelings sending him flying. 
Cotton blasted several changelings with her magic but missed one. The changeling came up to her and whispered, “I'm Thorax, please don't hurt me.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” Cotton candy said squinting at the changeling. I guess there's no way for me to prove who I am but I must go, my swarm will be wondering where I am. Thorax left and fluttered his insect wings and headed towards his swarm. “Do you think we could've trusted him?” Pop Rock asked. “
“I'm not sure but better safe than sorry.” Cotton replied. Pop Rock shook his head and they kept on walking on the path through the Everfree Forest.
“Hey so where did you disappear to just then?” Cotton asked Pop Rock.
“Um, I heard the changelings coming so I rushed to the side just in case you needed help, which you did.” Pop Rock said quickly.
Cotton and Pop Rock began to walk in silence and it made Cotton begin to suspect that Pop Rock wasn’t actually Pop Rock. The Pop Rock that she knew wouldn’t bare to walk in silence and would try to make a conversation after a few minutes in silence and this was what made Cotton cast the spell that could tell if somepony was a changeling or not. She knew it, the spell had worked the fake Pop Rock had returned to his natural form as a changeling and she stunned the changeling with a spell.
“You are a clever pony aren’t you?” The changeling said.
“Oh, yes I am and you’re going to tell me where Pop Rock and the fillies are.” Cotton demanded.
“Well the young fillies aren’t here and as for the stallion, you will probably never see him again.” The changeling declared.
Cotton felt like she should carry on asking him question but she let him go as she thought that Pop Rock would be in the cave that she’d dreamed of. She continued to walk down the path and looked at the freaky trees that she could see by the light of her spell which she’d had to recast. Eventually she reached the cave, she sighed and then entered the place where she hoped that Pop Rock would be and she was a bit hesitant to go inside alone.
The cave was so small and Cotton crawl to get through and keep her spell going so that she could see through the darkness. It was so clammy and she walked on but felt better when there was more space at a certain part of the cave. As Cotton walked on and saw light she knew that she was on the verge of finding Pop Rock and saving him from those horrible creatures.
Cotton stopped for a minute and leaned against the clammy cave walls and knew that when she went in there she would be attacked. She knew that if she was to go deeper into the cave she would have to use her magic to rescue the pony that was stuck inside there and she wasn’t about to hold back.
Cotton walked and then found a big open space there was a pathway to a massive ledge that had a massive drop below and Cotton was surprised to see who was forcefully on the edge. Pop Rock was on the edge of the ledge and in front of him there was a swarm of changelings stepping forward so he’d step back and they’d tied his wings down so he couldn’t fly. I then transported myself to him and then transported us back to the spot that I’d been before, then I let his wings free so that he could fly again.
“Are you ready to a fight?” Cotton asked.
“Of course I am” Pop Rock answered.
As the swarm of changelings came at us I began casting magic and throwing them at walls using it while Pop Rock used his wings and flew them high up and dropped them. But then more changelings came out of nowhere and there was to many so Cotton and Pop Rock flew together so that they could fight better. They were surrounded and they were just about to give up when one of the changelings turned on his fellow changelings.
“Need a little help?” He asked.
“Of, course we do” Cotton said.
All three of us began to fight the changelings and then Pop Rock grabbed me and told the changeling to follow as they ran. They hastily made their way out of the cave and ran off into the Everfree forest and off the path which was certainly a nightmare luckily they all trusted each other. Then Cotton realised that the changeling who’d tried to help them was Thorax the changeling from before.
“Well you were right Thorax I could trust you” Cotton said.
“I’m glad, all I want to do is help” Thorax said.
“Thanks for your help Thorax it was much needed” Pop Rock said.
“Now we have a bigger problem, we have to get out of the Everfree forest” Cotton said.
They were off the path and they had to find a way out but at least they didn’t have to fight the changelings now. They wanted to get out and they wanted to do it before a creature ate them or were wrapped by vines and suddenly stuck to a tree. Cotton, Pop Rock and Thorax began what would feel like an endless journey out of the thick, dark and scary forest.
“I wonder where the crusaders are now” Cotton said.
“Sorry I would tell you but none of us knew where they were only a few knew” Thorax said.
“It’s fine” Pop Rock said.
They began walking in a straight line in silence and were afraid of any creatures that would pop out. Their surroundings were so freaky and Cotton understood why everypony told her to stay out of the Everfree forest. Then Pop Rock noticed something in the distance which was magnificent and wanted to check it out.
The trio saw the massive castle ruins, saw how amazing it looked and also saw that it was intact. They went to the front door and the path back to Ponyville but they couldn’t resist but to have a look at the spectacular sight that was before them. Although they wanted to find the crusaders they thought that it couldn’t hurt to look at a historical location.
“Will there be any changelings in here Thorax?” Cotton Candy asked 
“No, this is the castle of the two sisters and people visit here all the time and it would be bad for their cover if they’d come here” Thorax explained.
They went inside the castle which looked amazing even though it was in ruins and they looked around it. Even though Thorax had made it clear that the changelings hadn’t come inside the castle Cotton made sure that there was definitely none whenever they went around the corner. They looked around the castle and then sat in a library and began to ask questions about each other.
“So Thorax why did you turn against your fellow changelings?” Cotton asked.
“I don’t like being bad, it was simply horrible” Thorax explained.
“So what about you Cotton, what did you do before you joined the circus?” Pop Rock asked.
“Well it was so long ago but I lived in Manehattan and one day I left everything behind for an easier life with the circus” Cotton said. “Pop Rock how about you.”
“I live in Ponyville and well my life was boring until you came along” Pop Rock answered.
They didn’t talk much after they had all answered their questions and then the trio began the long trip back to Ponyville. The trip back to Ponyville was an entirely different way than the path that led to the cave and it wasn’t as spooky. They walked back to Ponyville and they had no problems and they barely even had to worry for two minutes about being lost in Everfree.
“So this is what Ponyville looks like” Thorax said.
“You might want to disguise yourself Thorax, people don’t really like changelings in these parts”, Cotton said politely and Thorax transformed into a pony that nopony in Ponyville knew.
“Well I don’t think anypony will know you here” Pop Rock said.
“Good, now where’s your house it’s getting dark out and I’m a bit tired.”, Thorax asked.
They made their way to Pop Rock’s house and they sat down and had some food then they each went to get a nice night's sleep before discussing what to do next and how to save the fillies. Cotton awoke the next day and she hadn’t had a nightmare this time but she knew that there was no way of telling where the crusaders were. Pop Rock was also awake and he made sure his mane wasn’t a mess this time and he was happy. Thorax was also awake and then they gathered around the kitchen table discussing their next move
“Where are they?” Cotton said.
“I’m guessing that they’re further away than the Everfree forest and Ponyville”, Thorax said.
“So what should we do next to save these fillies?” Pop Rock asked.
“Maybe we should head somewhere new and search for them” Cotton suggested. Then they began mapping out their plans and decided to go to Manehattan. 
“How do you propose we get there?” Thorax asked. 
“Why the Friendship Express of course!” Cotton said as they walked away from Pop Rock’s house and headed towards the train station. “I’m going home.”