Dragonfly, Seeker, Rhino, Darter and Spotter slowly exited the cave. "Whats the plan?" Darter asked.
"We get their attention and lead them away from the rest of the hive," Dragonfly said looking over the bushes at the Thestrals.
"And what do we do as they're chasing us?" Rhino asked.
"We make it up as we go along," Dragonfly said picking up a twig.
"Can I say I don't like this plan." Spotter said ready to run.
"Can't we just use our disguise ability?" Darter asked not liking the plan one little bit.
"Thestrals aren't as easily fooled as regular Ponies and their more sensitive noses would expose us pretty quickly," Seeker said getting ready to run.
"They're also looking for Changelings so any Thestral they meet outside of their squad they will think is one, get ready," Dragonfly said throwing the twig.
The twig struck one of the Horned Thestrals in the head. The squad snapped their heads over to were the twig came from and saw the five Changelings.
"CHEESE IT!!! Dragonfly shouted running opposite the Thestrals, the others right behind him.
"There they are! After Them!" They heard Black Death bellow.
The five Changelings spit up trying to make it harder for the Thestrals. The two Horned went after Rhino, one Cave and one Winged went after Darter, one Winged and one Cave went after Spotter, two Winged went after Seeker, and Black Death went after Dragonfly.
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I hate you Prince, Rhino thought as he dodged yellow magic bolts flying and exploding around him.
The two Horned kept up a barrage of magic bolts, trying real hard to hit the Changeling who so far had dodged them but all three knew he couldn't keep it up forever. A bolt exploded a tree next to him pieces bouncing off his helmet.
"OW! That rang my helmet like a bell!
A bolt exploded against the ground behind him, singeing his tail.
Why is it always my TAIL?! What did it ever do to you fate?!
Another bolt struck a bush.
This is that one battle all over again, just without an enraged Maulwurf and Hydra this time... I'm tempting fate aren't I,
Rhino kept ducking under branches and dodging bolts until finally the bolts stopped for a minute.
They must be recharging, now's my chance,
He ducked under a rock while the two Thestrals ran past him, he than took off down another path.
Hope the others are having more luck then I am,
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Dragonfly stopped to catch his breath.
Black Death doesn't give up, good thing I run into that Timber wolf pack, that will keep him busy for short time though I almost feel sorry for them,
The bushes rustled as Rhino steeped out, covered in dirt and leaves. Seeing Dragonfly he give a salute.
"My Prince,"
"Commander Rhino, had a bit of fun?"
"Just like that one battle, just without an enraged Maulwurf and Hydra this time... and I'm tempting fate aren't I?"
"Pretty much ya,"
Another rustle and both Spotter and Darter stepped out, thought Spotter didn't look to well.
"Prince Dragonfly," they both said.
"Spotter, Darter, what's wrong Spotter? You look like you saw a ghost,"
"I run into two Manticores in the 'moment'." Everybuggy around winced. "That will haunt me for the rest of my life,"
Another rustle and Seeker entered the clearing, covered in thorns, leaves and mud.
"Oh my goodness Seeker, what in the First-Mother's name happened to you?" Dragonfly asked shocked.
"I came across a Maulwurf and a Hydra having a very heated argument,"- he didn't notice Rhino wince -"then dived head first through a wall of thorn bushes into a puddle of mud, at least I Hope its mud,"
"It mud, I know the scent," Darter said.
"Okay we're all here let's move before they catch up." Dragonfly said turning around.
The Changelings quickly left the clearing, and 15 minutes after the Thestral squad entered it in similar conditions to the Changelings. They nodded to each other than walked in the same direction their targets did.
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After walking for 20 minutes, the Changelings came up to an old abandoned and dilapidated castle.
"Isn't this the Castle of the Two Sisters?" Spotter asked sitting and taking some deep breaths.
"Yes it is, now we know we are in the Everfree Forest," Seeker said looking up the wall.
"Mom once told me the castle was beautiful in it's glory days, before Nightmare Moon." Dragonfly said turning to his companions.
"Let's get inside, we can shake the Thestrals in there,"
After entering they spit into two groups; Rhino, Darter and Spotter in one group and Seeker and Dragonfly in the other.
The Thestrals entered ten minutes after.
"You three"- Black Death said to a Horned, Cave and Winged -"take the north side, you three"- he said to the other Horned, Cave and another Winged -" take the south side, and you two"- he said to the remaining two Winged -"with me, we'll take the center, keep an eye and ear out, just because the castle was abandoned doesn't mean nothing nasty isn't here, we'll meet back here in an hour, the Changelings might or might not be here but if they are we will find them, if we haven't found them by the meeting time we'll have to let them go as the sun will be up soon after and we will need to head back to Canterlot to report to the Princesses, understood?"
"YES SIR!"
"And watch for traps, the Princesses said the traps here are safe but just in case, move out," he said the the three groups went their separate ways.
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Thestral Group one
North side of the castle
"Are any of you getting scary vibes from the walls?" the Winged asked.
"A little Nightwing, but the Princesses did build the castle like this as Prince Luna did enjoy scary things," said the Horned said.
"True but still," Nightwing said looking around.
"Nightwing, we're Thestrals, we live and thrive in the the dark and scar-" he stopped noticing something off, "Were's Rock Crusher?"
They both looked around the hall, seeing no sign of their Cave Thestral buddy.
"Wasn't he with us a moment ago Shadow Light?"
Shadow Light slowly looked around again, feeling a bit scared himself now. He felt Nightwing's wing lay across his back, like a security blanket, they both happened to look at a a pile of rocks when suddenly...
"BOO!!"
"AAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"AAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"Gotcha! You should have seen your faces!"
Rock Crusher had jumped out from behind the pile scaring the crap out of Shadow Light and Nightwing. Now he was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up in front of two extremely unamused Thestrals.
"That Wasn't Funny Crusher!" Shadow Light said in an angry tone. "You nearly give us a heart attack!"
"You're a real plot-hole you know that!" Nightwing said trying to calm his heart rate.
"It was funny, you two hit the roof!" Rock Crusher said still laughing.
Shadow Light and Nightwing both looked at him than at each other, they nodded once than started to walk towards the still laughing Thestral with the intend to pound his head in when a small cash to their right snapped them to attention. Shadow Light lit his horn ready to fire a bolt when a rat passed by.
"Okay let's never speak of this again," Nightwing said, the others grunted in agreement.
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Thestral Group Two
South side of the castle
"This place gives me the creeps," The Cave Thestral said looking left and right.
"Come on Night Stone, nothing better then a night hunt, hiding in the shadows, before jump in and sinking your fangs into the neck of you prey, *sigh* makes me feel alive," the Winged said.
"Okay... now Shadow Stalker is giving me the creeps," Night Stone said taking a side step away from Shadow Stalker.
"Alright you two stop, you're giving me a headache." the Horned grumbled.
"What's a matter Dark Light? ghosts got you're horn?" Night Stone said jokingly.
"I don't believe in ghosts," Dark Light said turning around.
Behind him an old tapestry started to wave about, like it was alive. Both Shadow Stalker's and Night Stone's eyes widened.
"You might want to rethink your position on that Dark Light," Shadow Stalker said as Night Stone pointed at the tapestry.
Dark Light spun around to see the tapestry moving then a sound like soft psychotic laughter was heard. Not wanting to find out what that was, the three Thestrals turned and ran. At that moment a flash of lightning cast a shadow off some wreckage, the angle was just right so the shadow looked terrifying. All three Threstrals screamed at the top of their lungs and run as fast as their legs could carry them.
From behind the tapestry Spotter, Darter and Rhino came out, trying very hard not to laugh.
"Did you see their faces?"
"yea we did, why didn't they smell us though?"
"Hard to take a sniff when your scared out of your wits,"
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Thestral Group Three
Somewhere in the castle
Black Death's group heard screaming but it was muffled so they didn't recognize them.
"What was that?!" One of Winged said scared and moving backwards.
"Sounded like screaming," the other Winged said also moving backwards.
"It's most likely our comrades scaring themselves silly, just relax you two, there's nothing to be scared of here other then the Changelings, and them we are looking for,"
"Oh sure, nothing at alLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" The first Winged was saying when he misstepped and fell backwards down a spiral staircase.
"NIGHT BLADE!!" the other Winged shouted.
Him and Black Death ran to the top of the stairs and looked over to see Night Blade halfway down falling head over tail and swearing up a storm.
"Jeez bro, I know you are falling down stairs but you don't need to use words like that,"
Black Death turned to him. "What was he saying? that sounded like Germane and other languages Shadow Night,"
"Night Blade can swear in seven languages and as for what he said, you don't want to know,"
"Let's go get him." Black Death said as he and Shadow Night spread their wings and flew down to where Night Blade was in a heap.
"You okay bro?" Shadow Night said as he helped his twin up.
"Yea I'm okay," Night Blade said putting his helmet back on.
Black Death walked forward and stopped at the entrance to a hallway. The twins came up next to him looking scared.
"What's the matter you two? It's just a dark hallway full of disembodied pony legs, and maybe a few mounted heads in the dark," Black Death whispered to them making them shutter.
They walked through the hall and in to a small room. A flash of lightning came, and a terrifying shadow appeared on the wall next to them.
The twins, already balls of nerves, saw that and freaked out. They jumped screaming at the top of their lungs into the arms of a surprised Black Death, sending him onto his rump. The twins keep this up while Black Death tried to get them to stop screaming right next to his ears!
"HOLD IT HOLD IT HOLD IT!!" He finally shouted, the twins stopped. "It's only a TOY!"
The twins looked over to where Black Death was looking, to see a jack-in-the-box sitting on a window sill, a very ugly jack-in-the-box.
Why would the Princesses have a toy THAT ugly? Black Death thought to himself.
The twins stared at it for a minute, then started screaming again, right next to his ears again.
"Oh Shut up!!" Black Death said dropping the two to the floor then he started rubbing his ringing ears.
"Let's go!" He said as the twins got up, they could tell he just about done with this crap.
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The Thestrals continued to search the castle for a good while, and getting scared silly the entire time. Black Death finally brought the twins to the meet-up point where the other Thestrals where waiting. They reported no sign of the Changelings and they were most likely long gone by now. Black Death sighed and spread his wings and flew off back to Canterlot with the Winged after picking up the Horned and Cave right behind him.
After they were out of sight and earshot, green flame covered five rocks revealing the Changelings.
"Good job guys we fooled them, now to meet with the rest of the hive," Dragonfly said, He than brought up the hive mind.
Prince Dragonfly to hive, do you read?
Yes my Prince, we hear you, all Changelings and nymphs are here safe and sound, we also found a great spot for our hive
Were is it? we'll meet you there
It's an long abandoned mine, its deep enough in Everfree we'll be safe from the Ponies while we recover, but not to deep in
Good, start fixing it up, we'll be there soon, out
He turned to his group.
"Let's go before something else comes after us,"
They took off flying into the forest as the sun started to rise, signaling the start of a new day.