//------------------------------// // Ch. 15: Playing Keepaway // Story: History Reimagined // by Pun System //------------------------------//      Time Skipper peered around the corner of a building. “Still nothing,” she whispered behind her.      “We must be getting close,” said Bon Bon.      Then, she saw a blast of green magic illuminate the side of a building. “Wait.” A line of black crystals emerged next, moving along the ground in the same direction. Time lit her horn and shined a light in that direction. Sombra took physical form, then glanced in her direction. “It’s him.”      Time shuddered. I hope this works. Sombra’s horn glowed red, then he teleported in front of Time.      She fought every instinct she had to raise a shield around her and Bon Bon’s changelings. Sombra’s magic was unlike any she had ever felt. It was oppressive, engulfing, and dreadful as he stood before her. “Are you the one Acolyte Trixie spoke with?”      It was unsettling that he was talking to her so plainly. No demands, no threats, not even any malicious intent. Time fought back a shiver. “Yes. And I have a plan. We need to keep Chrysalis standing still so we can separate her from her foal. If you can keep her down once we have the foal, we’ll get as far away as we can.”      Sombra’s jaw moved to one side. “A good plan,” he said. “If you can get between them.”      “Try and draw her this way,” Bon Bon said. “We’ll snatch Pupa and retreat to the east.”      “How much time do you need to get in place?” asked Sombra.      Time glanced towards Bon Bon.      “We can go as soon as you’re ready,” she said.      “Then I won’t give you long.” Sombra said. “I’ll lure her down this street,” he said over his shoulder, then teleported away.      Bon Bon updated the others as soon as he was gone. “Strike Group Cockatrice. We are awaiting Chrysalis’s presence to grab the target.”      “Copy, Cockatrice. Dragon is in holding position,” said Spitfire.      “Echidna is thirty seconds out from holding position,” called Soarin.      “Let me grab the foal,” said Time. “I have a speed spell that will help. Accelero.”      “Alright,” said Bon Bon. “I don’t need to remind you we have exactly one chance at this before Chrysalis realizes she’s not fighting a duel anymore.”      “Right,” Time said. Great. Extra pressure. Just what I needed. She shifted her weight among her hooves, then exhaled deeply.      Sombra came into view, crashed into the road at the intersection ahead, and skidded out of view behind a shop.      Then Time heard Chrysalis's laugh. “You’re getting too old for this! A thousand years of exile has made you weak!”      Then Chrysalis stepped into view, her horn and her foal’s horn both lit with their respective magic.      “I wish we had something to prevent them from using magic,” she whispered over her shoulder to Bon Bon. A moment later, she felt somepony unlatching her saddlebags. She looked over to see Bon Bon levitate a jar of changeling paint out of the bag. “It does that too?”      “How do you think it morphs changelings out of their disguises?” Time rolled the jar in her magic. When she looked back, Bon Bon was smiling at her. “Go get ‘em, Time.”      Time took a breath and lit her horn. She cast the spell, and the world slowed to a crawl. Chrysalis’s mouth moved slowly, her words pitch-shifted so much as to be almost inaudible. Bon Bon still stood smiling at her, unblinking and unmoving. The changeling larva smirked as it stared down the road at Sombra. Time exhaled again. It’s now or never.      Time galloped forward and opened the bottle of paint with her magic. She closed the distance and dumped the entire contents of the bottle over the two changelings. Then, she cast her self-levitation spell and grabbed the larva, transitioning into flight without even slowing down. She arced around and rolled along her axis to right herself, then landed where she had started. Only then did she dispel her Accelero spell.      “I got her!”      “Good.” Bon Bon took the little princess in one of her forelegs. “She still has a lot of magic in her, though. Cast the spell you did for Twilight on her in case the paint rubs off.”      “Right.” Time leaned in and placed her horn over top of the foal. As she cast the spell, the foal began to whimper, then cry, then shriek.      “Strike Force Cockatrice, we have Pupa but she’s making a lot of noise. If Sombra can’t keep Chrysalis down, we’re gonna need a screen for our exit.”      “Copy. We’re on our way,” said Spitfire.      Sure enough, Chrysalis roared from down the street a moment later. “Where is she? What have you done!”      “Go! Go! Go!” said Bon Bon, her voice barely a stage whisper. The other disguised changelings with her took off, and Time cast her self-levitation spell.      Whatever noise Bon Bon tried to prevent, Pupa more than made up for. As they began their ascent, she wailed and screamed.      Time Skipper almost felt sorry for her.      “There’s the Queen!” called one of Pharynx’s soldiers. Pharynx looked in the direction the guard was pointing, and sure enough, there she was, held in place by a unicorn’s red magic.      “Engage that unicorn. I’m on the Queen.”     By the time he reached Chrysalis, his elite guards had engaged the unicorn, distracting him enough for Pharynx to lift Chrysalis and move her around the corner into the next street. Her back was stained with a forest green substance which she was attempting to remove with her front hooves. With her back propped against the building, he began. “My Queen, I have urgent news. Our troops are surrounded. You must order—”      Her attention snapped to him and she cut him off. “They have Pupa! They’ve stolen her from me!”      Pharynx was taken aback, stunned equal parts by the news and her distress. “Y—your Highness, where did they go?”      Chrysalis pointed ahead. “I can’t use magic. Must be whatever this is they put on me. Get her back before those ponies can get away with her!”      “Yes, my Queen! At once!”      Pharynx whistled sharply, and a number of his Queensguard flew to him. “Pupa has fallen into enemy hooves. Go get her at once!” he said, pointing them in the direction Chrysalis had indicated. Three more Queensguard arrived a moment later. “You three, get the Queen to safety. Your Highness, you must give the order to retreat, or our forces will be destroyed.”      “I don’t care!” Chrysalis snapped back. “Just get my daughter back!”      Pharynx drew back, unused to being the target of Chrysalis’s wrath. “Of course, my Queen, but the others will die!”      Chrysalis nodded as the Queensguard helped her to her hooves, a moment of clarity apparently returning to her. “Then pull them back. But don’t let them escape with Princess Pupa!”      “I will see to it personally that they don’t.” As one Queensguard left to inform the troops, Pharynx left to catch up with the guards chasing Pupa.      “Cockatrice! On your six!” shouted Rainbow Dash over Time’s alchemic comm.      She looked behind her to see changelings gaining on them from behind.      “We’ve got company!”      “Cockatrice Group! Magic shields!” Bon Bon called.      “Where did they come from?”      Time looked ahead to see Dragon Group pass above them, then dive towards the changelings.      “Echidna, you good for a rendezvous?” asked Bon Bon.      “Copy, Cockatrice. We’ll wait for you.”      Bon Bon turned to face Time. “Once we group up with Echidna group, we’ll head up to one of the airships. Pupa will be safe there.”      Time looked over at the wailing Pupa, and felt conflicted about the pity she had for her.      “Strike Group Dragon,” called Spitfire, “We’ve engaged the enemy, but some of them flew past us. They’re headed for you, Cockatrice.”      “Copy, Dragon. Can you hold those hostiles back away from us?” asked Bon Bon.      Time stared at Princess Pupa, still shrieking and wailing. There’s no way we can escape with her being that loud.      “We’ve got them outnumbered,” Spitfire’s voice came back.      “Then it’s time to move out. Echidna, new plan. Come behind to cover us. Cockatrice, follow me!”      “Copy you, Cockatrice. We’ll take the incoming hostiles.”      Time turned to follow Bon Bon as she banked sharply into a dive. Time rolled next, and felt the wind whipping through her mane from the speed. Though with Pupa crying so, it didn’t really matter how fast they flew. Their position would be compromised no matter what.      “Bon Bon, what do you know about changeling armor?” asked Rainbow.      “Expensive. Durable. Weak at the neck. Usually only given to officers or special forces. Why?”      “These guys have some pretty tough-looking armor. Doesn’t match the helmet I got from Canterlot.”      Time glanced over at Bon Bon, who gave her a troubled look in return. “What do you mean?”      “These guys’ armor looks tougher. Their helmets extend to the sides of their muzzles.”      “Mandibled helmets?” Bon Bon asked. “Buck, those are Queensguard! Chrysalis responded a lot faster than I anticipated!”      “It’s possible she had these forces in waiting while she was fighting Sombra,” said Spitfire.      “I don’t know, but we’ve got to get Pupa to one of the airships. W.A.S. Spitfire, what’s your location?”      “We’re holding in our cloudbank southeast of the city,” said Sunburst.      “What about the Soarin?”      “Due south of the city, hidden in a stratus cloud,” said Misty Fly.      “Copy. We’ll make our way across the city and straight up to the Soarin.”      Time ran into Bon Bon, in the process discovering that Bon Bon had stopped. “Cockatrice! Halt!” Bon Bon ordered.      Before Time could ask what was the matter, she saw it several meters below in the street below them: a line of changeling armored vehicles with supporting infantry—They had flown too close to the main battle. She righted herself and levitated backwards a short distance away from Bon Bon.      “We’ll have to head south around them.”      She had no sooner begun to move than Soarin came over Time’s alchemic comm. “We’ve engaged enemy aerial changelings, but part of their squad has broken off from the main group. I count half a dozen heading roughly towards you.”      “For Celestia’s sake, can’t we catch a break?” Bon Bon mumbled. Just then, something green and luminous whizzed past Time’s head, striking a nearby changeling. The changeling groaned and began to drop. Time turned to see one of the armored vehicles with its weapon pointed right at her.      “Get clear!” cried one of Bon Bon’s changelings.      Bon Bon dove for cover and shifted Pupa to her other front leg. Time followed. “Oh, would you just. Shut. Up! You rotten egg!” Bon Bon whispered. “You’re gonna get us killed! Who got hit?”      “Mayfly, ma’am.”      “Lightning Bug, recover her. If she’s not dead and she falls into enemy hooves…”      “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”      “The rest of you, come with me.”      Time closed the distance to Bon Bon, then levitated alongside her. “I might have a spell to keep her quiet.”      “Good.” Time could hear the relief in Bon Bon’s voice. “Take her.”      Time Skipper teleported Pupa into her grasp, then lowered her horn. She merged a shield spell with a silencing spell, setting Pupa as the target. When she cast the spell, a shield appeared around Pupa, and she heard her cries no more. Bon Bon glanced back at Pupa. “She’s still here. I cast a defendere shield spell with silentium to create a shield of silence around her.”      “Good work,” Bon Bon said, relieved.      “Soarin to Cockatrice, I’m tracking the changelings moving towards your location with eight of my Wonderbolts. We’ve got a visual on them.      “We need to get them off our tracks,” Bon Bon called back. “If we draw them away, can you get Pupa to the airship?”      “Just get her to us and we’ll get her out.”      Bon Bon looked back at Time. “Junebug, get Pupa to Soarin’s squad.”      “Yes, ma’am,” said a voice from behind her. She turned to see a disguised changeling flying alongside her, forelegs cupped to receive the shielded princess.      “If you leave too soon, you’ll be too close to the enemy changelings when the shield spell breaks,” Time said. “With Bon Bon’s permission, I’d suggest you wait until they engage.      “Yes,” Bon Bon agreed. “We’ve only got one shot at this. As for the distraction… Here they come. Raise shields!”      Time passed off Pupa to the changeling beside her as she cast a shield spell around herself. Bon Bon did the same, then with her voice she began imitating Pupa’s cries.      How is she doing that with her voice? she asked herself.      Guess changelings would have to in order to impersonate other ponies, she countered.      About when Time saw the changelings—black dots against the blue sky—Bon Bon banked into a turn away from them. Time followed, as did the other changelings.      “This is Junebug of Cockatrice Group. I’ve got Pupa now. We’ve spotted the incoming changelings.”      “Have they spotted you?” asked Soarin.      “I think so. We’re drawing them away from the airships. Are you close enough to recover the Princess?”      “Negative. We need more time to catch up.”      “Should we engage them,” Time asked Bon Bon.       “All but Junebug.” She nodded at the disguised changeling carrying Pupa. “Drop down to the buildings below us and shelter in place.”      “Yes, ma’am.”      Time watched Junebug fall out of formation and drop to the ground. “Bumble, morph into the Princess and raise Tartarus crying like her while I hold you. The rest of you, break formation and engage at will!”      The formation scattered, leaving Time flying in a straight line as the changelings peeled off behind and in front of her. She spotted the Green Changelings coming in and banked to engage them. She stretched her front legs forward and rolled, turning directly towards a pair of oncoming changelings. As soon as she saw green magic coming her way, she returned fire with her own magic—a short burst of individual bolts of magic that traced a dotted line across her target. Fiery bolts of green magic drifted past her, though none hit her shield, but her own volley missed its mark as well.      When the changelings were almost at their closest, she flared her shield outward, catching them both in the blast. She recast her shield spell, then glanced over her shoulder. To her dismay, the changelings were both pulling out of a dive and turning back towards her. She teleported behind them and managed to get another burst of spells off before they even figured out what she’d done. She hit one of them square in the middle of the back. He groaned as he splayed his legs out, flailing wildly as he dove sharply.      The second changeling cut a sharp turn and rose backwards towards her. A blast of blue magic caught him across the face as he rolled to re-orient himself, and he continued climbing past Time and over her shoulder. A disguised Blue Changeling cut across her path a moment later. “Nice shot!” she called over her alchemic comm.      “By the King! It’s Pharynx!” shouted another changeling.      “Pharynx? Are you sure?” asked Bon Bon.      “He’s on my tail! I’m sure it’s him! Purple eyes, red tail, red—” the changeling paused. “My shield’s down! I can’t shake him!”      “I see you,” called another changeling. “Hang in there.”      Time looked around for the changeling. “Hurry!” He shrieked a moment later. “I’m hit! Ah! My leg!” A moment later, Time heard an alchemic comm cut out.      “Friendly down,” called the second changeling. “I’m on Pharynx.”      “Junebug to Echidna leader, I’m sheltering in place on the ground. Awaiting extraction of Princess Pupa.”      “Copy, Junebug. We’re seconds away from engagement with the enemy. I’ll send two Wonderbolts to escort you.”      Time looked up and spotted the inbound Wonderbolts.      “Junebug’s going up with you,” said Bon Bon.      “Copy,” replied first Soarin, then Junebug.      Time fired a beam of magic at one of the Green Changelings, drawing a line across the sky until she connected with the target. Immediately, the changeling started to plummet. She cut the spell when she narrowly missed hitting a pony with her beam.      “Woah! Watch your fire!” called a Wonderbolt.      “Sorry!”      “Stick to bursts of magic. Too much risk of friendly fire with beams,” said Bon Bon.      “Copy,” Time said.      “Thunderlane to Echidna leader, we’ve arrived at the Princess’s location.”      “Copy. Proceed to the W. A. S. Soarin,” replied Soarin.      “Copy. We’re on our way up.”      “All remaining members of Cockatrice, form up on me,” said Bon Bon. “We’ve got to pull attention away from Junebug.”      “Copy. Be right there.” Time began to dive towards the other Blue Changelings.      “We’ll keep the attention of the ones up here,” said Soarin.      “I’m hit!” called another changeling. “He’s let up on me. My wing’s hit but I think I can pull up and glide down.”      “Glide?” asked Bon Bon.      “Didn’t break the disguise. I’ve still got pegasus wings. Hurts like Tartarus though!”      “Stay clear of hostiles. You’ll have to watch your own back until we can get help out to you.”      The changeling shouted. “I can’t pull up! I—I’m gonna—”      The fur on the back of Time’s neck stood on end as she heard the alchemic comm cut out.      “Should’ve finished off that usurper queen when we had a free shot at her!” Bon Bon spat.      “We can’t. That’s not the way it happened in the unaltered timeline,” said Time. “She has to be exiled.” The comm was silent for a while. “The more things we change in this timeline, the worse things will end up. We have to set things right.”      “I understand,” said Bon Bon. “There. We’ll land in that building and make them come to us.”      The group landed and the first changeling magically opened the door. Time entered and examined the building. It seemed they were in a shop of some kind. Its owner was not present, but all of the wares were still on the shelves.      “I need two in that far corner,” said Bon Bon. “Two more behind that farthest rack on the other side. When that door opens, you’ll hit them from both sides.”      Four disguised changelings moved on her orders. That left one changeling, Bon Bon, and Time. The remaining changeling approached Bon Bon. “If they really are Queensguard, do you think we’ve got a chance?”      Bon Bon paused. “We’ll set a trap for them. I don’t care who they are.” She turned and faced the other changelings. “I don’t care if Pharynx himself enters through that door. They can’t fight at a disadvantage. We’ll have them surrounded and, if they enter one at a time, outnumbered. And, if this doesn’t work…” she sighed, “at least Pupa will be safe.”      The changeling nodded slowly, then looked up to face her. “Then let’s do it!”      “Inbound!” came a hushed voice from one of the other changelings. Sure enough, Time heard changeling wings outside a moment later. She galloped down an aisle to the back, following the two changelings. They went one way at the end of the row, while Time ducked behind a rack of wares in glass bottles.      She peeked through an open spot in the rack towards the front door. Then, she heard Princess Pupa crying again. She turned her head towards the noise to see the changeling next to Bon Bon crying like Pupa. Bon Bon raised her voice, and hit her own foreleg with her hoof, making a sound of a physical strike. “Shut up, Pupa! We’ll be spotted!”      She’s trying to lure them in. Time glanced around the rack towards the door. She saw dark figures converging on the door. “They’re coming,” she whispered over the alchemic comm.      The door—which none of them locked, probably deliberately—flew open and the first Queensguard hovered in. He was met by bolts of magic from the two changelings from the first corner. He was struck in the chest and one of the legs and reeled from the hit, but lit his horn and returned fire. Time looked around and formulated an idea. She lit her horn and set her aura on a number of glass bottles from the rack on the side wall.      Once the first Queensguard fell, a second took his place. He fired on the changelings in the corner, but as he stepped forward out of the cover of the door, he was hit from behind by the ones in the other corner. The third had already begun to enter, but held back when the guard in front of him went down.      “Get in there!”      “They’re in both corners!”      “Go, behind-the-door group!” Bon Bon called.      A moment later, Time heard more spells discharging. Both hit the door, and it smacked into the third Queensguard’s head, causing him to yelp and jump back.      No more changelings came through the door for a moment, then there was a crash of glass and a flash of green light as one of the windows was blown in. Time couldn’t see which one, but she heard renewed fighting from the first corner. There was a brief exchange of magic blasts, and she thought she saw one of the Queensguard go down.      Then, Time saw another changeling coming through the door. Now, she decided, was when she would use the glass jars she’d been levitating. She teleported them to a spot directly above the door, where they fell on top of the changeling entering. The Queensguard cried out as he fell to the ground. Now with damaged wings, he had no choice but to walk, and there now was broken glass on the ground. He took one step with a foreleg and one with a hindleg, then buckled and fell to his knees. With his head now exposed, the changelings in the second corner made quick work of him.      “They’re moving towards the back,” called one changeling over the alchemic comm. “Two friendlies down.”      She looked through her gap in the rack and saw a Queensguard heading her way down the main aisle. She cast similo duplexis and accelero to do her double-body trick, and charged forward. She found it difficult to navigate and even harder to cast even a basic energy blast. She threw her head back and fired, but the Queensguard did the same. One half of her was hit, and it was enough for the spell to unravel.      It hurt. A lot. Not just her chest where the attack had landed, but her horn. A second blow came as she collapsed, this one to her head. Her vision blurred and her other senses became less responsive.      But she was alive, which was more than she should be able to say after such an attack. As she clutched her chest, she rolled over, inadvertently dodging an attack from the side as Bon Bon and the other changeling covered for her. She felt a magic grip on first one hind leg, then the other, then felt herself being dragged backwards. Her mind swam as her sluggish body responded to her commands as if they were suggestions. She felt a force rolling her over, and found herself face to face with Bon Bon.      She was calling somepony’s name. “Time Skipper! Time, are you ok?”      Wait, that’s me! She tried to speak, but only a mumble came. “Magic exertion… experimental spell… it’s getting dark…”      Time fought to retain consciousness until the last of the light faded from her vision.      Rainbow Dash banked sharply, dodging an incoming changeling which passed within a few meters of her. She watched behind her as he climbed steeply and let himself fall back down, doubling back towards her.      “These guys know some maneuvers,” she said over her alchemic horn. “That guy just did a hammerhead.”      “Bon Bon said they were tough,” said Vapor Trail.      Rainbow pulled into a tight vertical loop and shot a few bolts of magic at the changeling behind her, but missed wide behind him.      “Vapor, you’ve got one on your six,” said Sky Stinger.      Rainbow came out of the loop still ahead of the changeling, and rolled into a wide circular flight pattern, hoping to lure the changeling which was now behind her into giving chase. He did, but he ascended and rolled along his axis, then turned to continue chasing. Rainbow raised a shield, and a moment later several green blasts of magic shot past her.       “Might have to get creative here,” she muttered to herself. She rolled onto her back, flying upside down but maintaining her course, her wings held stationary as she and the changeling flew in their circle together. She lowered her head towards her chest and saw the changeling behind her, still firing away at her. Rainbow closed her eyes briefly then fired a blast of magic at him. The bolt swerved towards the changeling, knocking him off his flight path and sending him tumbling towards the ground.      Rainbow couldn’t help but smile to herself. It went out of its way to hit him! How did I do that? Did I just combine spells like Time mentioned in training?      Rainbow was pulled out of her musings by Spitfire’s voice. “I’ve got a changeling on my tail!” Rainbow rolled to reorient herself and turned back towards the fight. “He’s on me tight—I can’t shake him!”      Rainbow glanced around and located Spitfire. Sure enough, she had a changeling trailing her by mere meters.       “I see you. Come towards me. We’ll bait and switch.” Rainbow broke off her attack to assist, flying in the general direction of Spitfire. She watched as Spitfire led the changeling through a series of maneuvers, always keeping herself just barely out of harm’s way. Rainbow ended up flying parallel to Spitfire. “Turn towards me, and I’ll turn towards you. I’ll pass underneath you.”      “Copy you.” Rainbow turned towards Spitfire, and watched her do the same. As she passed underneath her, she lit her horn and fired three blasts at the changeling, with immediate results.      “Your six is clear, Admiral.”      “Thank you, General,” came the reply. “That’s two I owe you.”      “Don’t mention it. You’d have done the same for me.”      “That’s the last of them,” said Sky Stinger. “Orders, ma’am?”      “Group up for paint,” said Spitfire. “After that, we’ll assist Cockatrice Group.”      Bon Bon watched Time go down. “Come on! Cover her!” she called to the changeling beside her. She didn’t wait for him to act, but jumped around the corner herself, horn blazing with energy. She cast a bolt at the first Queensguard she saw, catching the protrusion on his mandibled helmet. As his head jerked to one side, she set an aura on one of Time’s hind legs and began dragging her backwards.      The changeling beside her took a shot and followed up the job Bon Bon started, landing a hit on the guard’s neck. His head jerked to the side briefly, then he fell to one front knee. The guard behind darted down the aisle on the same side of the room as Bon Bon and Time, ducking out of sight just as Bon Bon relit her horn. The changeling coming towards them looked like he was about to get back up.      With a heave, Bon Bon finished dragging Time Skipper to safety behind the rack. She rolled her over onto her back and saw she was still conscious, though just barely. “Time, are you ok?”      “—broke my spell—my horn—it hurts so bad.”      “Hang in there, Time.” The last Queensguard from the main aisle was almost on top of her and the other changeling. Bon Bon lit her horn and put a shield around Time. The Queensguard stepped into sight, and Bon Bon charged her horn, but the changeling beside her dropped to the ground, the back of his head still smoking from the hit. She turned her head to see one Queensguard had gotten behind her, and quickly raised a shield.      With one in front and one behind, Bon Bon was surrounded. “Time to die, pony,” said the Queensguard in front of her.      “If you kill me, all knowledge of where your Princess is will die with me.”      “Pharynx is already on his way back to the Queen to inform her of your location. Soon, the entire army wi—”      A bolt of fiery blue magic struck him dead as he spoke. Bon Bon turned and fired at the remaining Queensguard as he turned to flee. He reacted fast, but Bon Bon was faster, and her magic found its mark.      When neither Queensguard moved after their hits, Bon Bon inspected her fallen changeling, then lit her horn. “Bumble’s dead. Cocatrice members still on the ground, report in.”      “Star Spider reporting in.”      “Antlion reporting in.”      There was a pause. “Is that all?” How many did we lose? Bon Bon waited, but no more answers came. “Who took that last shot? Time and I owe you one.”      “Not us,” came the reply over her alchemic comm.      “You’re still in your corners?”      “Yes, ma’am.”      “Then who—”       “It was me,” came a male voice, clearly a changeling by the sound of it.      Bon Bon’s ears perked. “And who are you?”      The unmistakable black form of an undisguised changeling stepped into view. His eyes were royal blue, and his wings transparent shades of blue. On his horn, he wore no alchemic comm.      Bon Bon recognized him immediately. “Is—Is it really you?”      “It’s me alright. You got my letter?”      “Of course I did! You—You’re Giver, aren’t you?”      He looked back towards the door. “Yes! And you’re former agent Sweetie Drops, aren’t you?”      She stepped forward to embrace him, but was checked by some deep-seated instinct. She paused, then reached into her saddlebags, pulled out a jar of green paint, and spread a streak of green under each of the changeling’s eyes.      “What’s that?”      Bon Bon waited a moment longer, waiting for any effect to reveal itself. “Sorry. Can’t be too careful. We did just fight our way through about a half dozen Queensguard.” She levitated her canteen out of her saddlebags and wiped the paint off the changeling’s face. “I just can’t believe it’s really you!”      “Well, I couldn’t stay out of the fight forever, you know.”      “Yes…” she said as her mind and eyes wandered in opposite directions. She raised her head again and looked him in the eye. “We’re needed on board the Wonderbolt airship above the battlefield. Switch to a pegasus disguise with an alchemic horn and follow me.”      “Right behind you. It’s your op.”      Beneath her disguise, Bon Bon lit her horn, activating her alchemic comm. “Alright, Cockatrice. We’re all going to rendezvous at the Soarin. Antlion, Star Spider, help grab the fallen Blues.” Her magic leapt to Bumble’s fallen form, and she hoisted him up onto her back.      “Copy you, Cockatrice leader,” said Star Spider beside her.      “Copy. We’re almost there,” said Junebug with Pupa.      “Copy,” said Lightning Bug, responsible for carrying the injured Mayfly from back by the main battle. “I’m at the Soarin. Mayfly is receiving treatment.”      Bon Bon hoisted Time Skipper onto her back next to Bumble and turned to leave, but stopped to investigate the pair of Blue Changelings in the far corner. “Both dead. Buck, that’s half my operatives.” Star Spider and Antlion trotted over. Antlion’s disguise had broken, and there was a blue goo over his left eye. “And two more wounded.”      “I’m fine,” said Antlion as he placed one of the fallen changelings on his back. “It should heal.”      “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner,” said Giver.      “It’s not your fault. We had to improvise a plan to get Pupa out.” She turned to face him. “I’m glad we have you back on board. Still, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”      “Fall back!” came the order from outside the vehicle. “Fall back!” Centipede lit his horn and pulled back on the throttle in front of him, while Millipede pushed forward on his. The vehicle turned about slowly, giving Centipede a view of the crystal ponies climbing out of their cover to fire crossbow bolts at them. Good thing we aren’t first in line anymore. We’d be last now.      “Company, forward,” called Hot Shot. Centipede threw his lever forward, and the vehicle surged ahead.      Secretly, Centipede was glad to be leaving the battle, and he felt important watching the hoofsoldiers stay behind to guard their retreat.      But as good as it felt to be safe inside his metal walls, he had to hang his head a little knowing they were on the losing side of the battle. Again.      His division was still in training during the first battle of Las Pegasus, and now in the final hours of the second battle, he wondered what was going to happen once they got back to Canterlot.      Carapace’s shield had gone down an hour ago, and since then the crossbow bolts had hit the armor like hail on a metal roof. Nothing was dented too far inward so far as he could tell, and he’d even stopped flinching every time something hit them. He watched in his viewport as they passed the empty hull of Unit 12, its last remaining crew member picked up by Unit 11. That could have been us.      He was thankful for his crewmates, and spared each of them a passing glance.      But he didn’t say a word. None of them did. The air was tense, and its weight could nearly be felt. Even the changeling communicator was kept clear to facilitate the retreat. And yet they all knew what the other was thinking as they retreated—as they fled.      They didn’t need to tell each other. It was mutually understood. After all, they were all soldiers.      The guards stationed on either side of the door to Chrysalis's quarters parted as Pharynx approached. He opened the door and adjusted to the darkness—the curtains on the windows had all been pulled shut. There in the middle of the room sat Chrysalis holding a bright green toy parrot in her hooves. She barely glanced in his direction, but upon recognizing him, she sat up immediately. “Did you find her? Where is she? Where is my little daughter?”      Pharynx stood at attention. “We gave chase, Your Highness, but there were too many of them. Most of the Queensguard are dead. We did not find Princess Pupa.”      Chrysalis's gaze dropped and her lip quivered. “Leave me,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I am not to be interrupted.” She clutched the toy close to her chest.      “Yes, Your Highness.” Pharynx exited the room and relayed the Queen’s order to the guards.