//------------------------------// // Under the enemy's mercy // Story: The Changeling empire // by red reaper //------------------------------// Starlight was cuffed down from her legs to her mouth as she walked down the town of Ponyville, looking at the miserable slaves that bowed before her captor, and fear was in their eyes as they looked at his metallic body. Dragons and diamond dogs Stood behind the ponies, keeping them in chains, and they bowed as well before Eclipse. It was painful for Starlight to watch this, to watch others being oppressed by others, taking their freedom away. But it was nothing when she saw the unicorns, standing apart from everypony, the poor mares and stallions were thin and looked weak, their bodies were wounded by the guards, and their horns were ripped off their heads. “Beautiful isn’t it?” Eclipse asked Starlight, "How this 'powerful and magical unicorns are weak and worthless without their magic?". Eclipse, Starlight, and the small army left the town and returned to his fortress, where Rarity bowed before him, and next to her was a changeling with blue eyes and he wore golden armor, and he held her chains. “General Eclipse,” the changeling bowed before the general, “The Dr. Is ready for your prisoner, as you requested.” “Good news you brought me Captain Thorax. Take the prisoner to her chambers, and alert the Dr. That I will be present to the memory download.” The changeling nodded and took Starlight, leaving Eclipse with Rarity. Eclipse then turned to one of the diamond dogs, “Take miss Rarity to her chambers, and tell the soldiers that they could enjoy half of her love today,” the diamond dog did as he was told and he took Rarity with the golden changelings, as General Eclipse entered into the black fortress. “Starlight!” Twilight woke up and she found herself under an apple tree, covered by a small blanket. Twilight tried to get up, but as she tried to spread her wings, her left-wing stang like she was stabbed by a knife, the pain was sudden, it made Twilight fall on her flank. “Easy there,” a soft voice spoke to Twilight and she saw Fluttershy coming to her with a small bottle in her hoof, “Your wing is broken,” Fluttershy took a leaf from the tree and she poured a small portion of a green liquid from the bottle on the leaf, and rubbed the leaf on the broken wing. The green liquid eased the pain, and it helped to Twilight to relax. “Look who’s woke up,” a southern voice said, and Applejack came with the rest of the group, Pinkie, Spike, the CMC, and Trixie. Twilight sighed in relief to see that her friends are okay. And like a hammer to her head, Twilight remembered the mare that saved her, and the peace left her body. “Where’s Starlight?” Twilight asked, and the group wore the same face of sorrow. Twilight didn’t understand, but then, she started to remember the cave, the attack of the golden changelings, the fire, and Starlight running to save her from the golden monster. Twilight tried to get up, but Fluttershy stopped her. “You need to sleep,” Fluttershy told the alicorn, but Twilight didn’t care, she ignored the pain, and got up on her legs, and she used her horn to take some apples from the tree, took the blanket and some stick and she made a small bag to carry the apples. “Where do ya think ya walking to?” Applejack asked Twilight. “I’m going to bring back Starlight,” Twilight answered as she called for Spike, the dragon reluctantly nodded and he came after her. “Are ya’ crazy?!” Applejack asked, “We just escaped Eclipse, and now ya’ want to go right to his doorsteps?” “You said it yourself, she is my responsibility,” Twilight answered, “And she sacrificed herself for me, I think... I think there’s some good in her.” “It’s a bad idea,” Pinkie protested, “We must go to the base, going alone against Eclipse’s forces now will be suicide.” “I am not asking you to join me,” Twilight sighed, “But in my timeline, I would never leave anypony behind, even if she did horrible things, and just because I’m in a different timeline, it doesn't mean...” Applejack put her hoof on Twilight's mouth, stopping her from talking. "Pinkie," Fluttershy asked, "What about our friends? Eclipse took them as well." Pinkie sighed and she agreed with fluttershy. When Zecora was killed, it was Pinkie's duty to take care over the ponies of Everfree, and now she abandoned them. "We are coming with you," Pinkie said to Twilight, and both she and Fluttershy looked at Applejack. “Are we really doing this?” Applejack asked Fluttershy and Pinkie, the two looked at each other and nodded, Applejack then looked at her sister and she sighed, "Damn' it. Trixie, take the girls to the resistance camp, and tell them we are going to Ponyville to help a friend,” Trixie nodded and Pinkie whispered the location to Trixie’s ear, “Ah hope that ya’ won’t lead to our demise, Twilight.” “Me too,” Twilight responded. The mares took more apples for the way, and they started to walk down the path towards their demise.