Spike’s idea was crazy, but he went ahead with it.
He snuck through the room avoiding being seen by teleporting from rock to rock.
He did an action roll between a rock and landed against the wall and began scaling it like a legit lizard.
He got up high enough and stared down at the crystal carts being transported by the manipulated Changelings.
“Ok, we need to find out which one is Ocellus,” Spike said looking around.
“They can’t see me, let me check,” Discord flew among the Changelings and looked at their body colors and size.
“What are you doing?” Spike asked.
“Seeing which one is Ocellus, I am very good at this,” Discord said as he flew around.
The monster that was Thorax seemed to detect something, it began flicking its tongue… it tasted emotions in the air…
It looked up where Spike was…. And saw a stalactite on the broken ceiling. The creature glanced around looking for the source.
“Discord,” The stalactite whispered, “I barely hid in time, have you found her?” Spike said.
“Almost… nope… not that one…” Discord said before hearing a voice speak loudly elsewhere.
“ASDOIJASDIJDOWWQNJLKWNQ,” A female voice said.
“‘Hurry up you maggots’? And why did that voice sound familiar-... oh…” Discord saw a blue Changeling with a panda head speaking into a speakerphone.
“If that isn’t her I don’t know who isn’t, although why is she acting different?” Discord said before sneaking over to her and waving to get Spike’s attention, Spike looked at Discord and he pointed to the panda-headed Changeling.
“Ok… it’s showtime,” Spike said before turning into a Changeling with a fake panda head on his head and sneaking down into the line, knocking another Changling off of it and pushing his cart.
“Nothing suspicious here…” Spike said.
The giant Changling monster noticed the scent's location changed and focused on the Changling groups.
It noticed a particular changeling and leaned in to sniff it.
“Crap, he noticed me too soon, plan B,” Spike said before stamping his hoof and suddenly every Changling's head looked like his.
“KSJASSDN?” The monster growled.
“Real subtle Spike!” Discord said.
“Shut up!” Spike said before trying to maneuver closer to Ocellus.
The giant monster that is Thorax began skimming every Changeling that passed him.
“Hurry Spike! Before he finds you,” Discord urged.
“Quiet,” Spike said as he got close enough to Ocellus that he was under the ridge with her above him.
“Only got one shot at this,” Spike muttered nervously as he paused beneath her, watching the monster Thorax carefully.
“C’mon c’mon!” Spike thought.
“Spike!” Discord said seeing the Changelings behind him getting impatient.
“Aakjnsjk” The monster said and just when Spike thought he was going to be discovered a Changeling stumbled which caught his attention.
“NOW!” Spike thought and he morphed his hoof into a claw and snapped it to make the ledge crumble and Ocellus fell into the crate Spike was toting. Spike then tapped her on the head to make her fall asleep and turn her invisible.
All this was accomplished before Thorax looked back.
“Package retrieved,” Spike said in his head.
“Ok,” Discord wiped his brow.
“Now I just need to get out of here…” Spike said.
“....Please tell me you didn’t do all this without an escape plan,” Discord asked.
“No………..yes, but I got chaos powers now, I can just teleport out right?” Spike asked as he let some Changelings pass.
“Not unless you want to be discovered,” Discord warned.
“Then what do I do?” Spike said as he tried to maneuver away from Thorax.
“Alright, didn’t want it to come to this, but I guess I need to use my limited influence on the world to save the day,” Discord cracked his knuckles and flew to the ceiling and used his magic to break the stalactites on the roof, none over the Changelings but enough to cause a ruckus.
The Changelings scattered in a panic and Thorax looked around for the disturbance and left his throne.
“Now Spike!” Discord whispered.
“Ok!” Spike turned invisible as well and grabbed Ocellus’s cart and ran for an exit.
It wasn’t fast enough as Thorax saw a cart moving on its own toward a cave.
“UQPMXMVBNVBVBWUQAL” Thorax shouted in his garbled voice and began chasing Spike, using the taste of his emotions in the air to track him.
“Crap! The distraction didn’t work!” Spike yelled as he took to the air and grabbed the unconscious Ocellus in his magic and he flew down the tunnels as Thorax pressed down the tunnel after him.
“THORAX! BUDDY! I know I don’t look the same but it’s me!” Spike called to Thorax.
“WEBREBOOSADFF” Thorax said.
“What?” Spike said looking at Discord.
“Something about orders!” Discord said.
Spike flew from tunnel to tunnel and used his magic to collapse the tunnel several times to block Thorax but the monster just plowed through the blockages.
“I can’t slow him down!” Spike yelled.
“The cat’s out of the bag! Teleport!” Discord said.
“Ok!” Spike said before snapping his fingers and teleporting just as Thorax nearly got him with his jaws.
Spike reappeared outside of the hive and he fell out of the air and tumbled to the ground with Ocellus.
“Ow!” Spike said as he crashed into a tree.
“You ok?” Discord said flying up to Spike.
“Yeah, how’s Ocellus?” Spike said getting up.
“She’s fine,” Discord said.
“Good, let’s get out of here before-” Suddenly a loud booming noise echoed about the area.
“Now what?” Spike wondered turning only to go rigid at the sight of the Changeling hive proceeding towards him.
Not only that but it has developed a skull-like face on it that roared at him.
“Not good!” Spike said grabbing Ocellus and flying away as fast as he could.
The hive pursued him crushing the forest around it as it chased after Spike.
“How do I beat this thing?!” Spike panicked.
“Try using the size of the hive against it!” Discord said.
“How do I do that?” Spike asked before noticing a shadow over himself and he yelped as he narrowly dodged being stepped on by the hive.
The hive opened its mouth and released a swarm of Changelings.
“Oh great!” Spike said before using his magic to create a barrier stopping the Changelings from reaching him, but the bulk of the Hive smashed through.
“Give it the slip!” Discord suggested.
“The what?!” Spike called back.
“Tie its laces together!” Discord clarified.
“Oh… I get it!” Spike said before flying back around and avoiding a leg of the hive and several Changelings.
Spike used his magic to form a large rope and he sped up, he wrapped it around a leg and began to spin around the hive multiple times.
The hive tried to hit him but he was moving too fast and soon its legs were caught.
The hive tried to move after him but the rope restricted its legs and it fell over, crushing the forest around it.
“Score one for the dragon!” Spike cheered.
“Don’t celebrate yet Spike,” Discord warned.
‘Why?” Spike asked before a hole was busted out the side of the hive and Thorax exited it.
“Oh…” Spike said before darting away as the giant bug tried to pursue him.
“Thorax! Stop!” Spike yelled as Thorax and a swarm of Changelings pursued him, Thorax ignored and slashed his mandibles at Spike who swerved underneath it.
“He won’t listen to me!” Spike said.
“We gotta lose them before they discover the cave of harmony!” Discord said.
Spike was about to agree before an idea came to mind…
“Are you crazy Spike?!” Discord demanded.
“Just trust me!” Spike said before conjuring a note and a quill and swiftly writing a note before using his messenger fire to send it.
Afterwards, Spike continued to flee at fast speeds from Thorax and the other fifteen Changelings.
He led them into the Everfree forest, where trees were floating upside down.
Spike led the monsterized Thorax into an open space and paused.
The giant beetle monster reared up and roared and struck with its mandibles at Spike several times.
Spike avoided by teleporting around and he created a line of flames to keep it back.
The monster hissed and tried to leap over the flames but Spike’s plan was ready.
“NOW HARMONY!” Spike called.
Suddenly a light bathed the area and the monster looked and saw it was right next to the cave of Harmony and it screeched as the light burned it.
Spike then flew up to the panicking Changelings and used his chaos magic in conjunction with Harmony to forcibly strip them of the chaos magic.
The monster shrieked as it shrunk down and all the Changelings morphed back to normal.
Spike then teleported them all into the cave and when he got there he saw the changelings were back to normal including Thorax and Ocellus, he sighed before he collapsed.
“Whew…. That was not easy… everyone cool?” Spike asked sitting up.
“Oooh…” Thorax groaned and got up.
“My king!” Kevin ran up to Thorax.
“What happened?...” Thorax asked.
“Your back!” Spike said with relief that his plan worked.
“I can’t believe it actually worked…” Discord sighed in relief as well.
“How did we get here?” Thorax asked.
“You don’t remember?” Spike asked approaching.
“Uh… and you are?” Thorax asked the strange dragon-like creature.
“Oh come on!” Spike sighed.
“Wait a minute… Spike?” Thorax asked.
“Yes!” Spike said exasperatedly “If even you have trouble then I might just need to wear a nametag,” Spike said looking a little red.
“Easy Spike, remember your chaotic emotions,” Discord advised.
“Your right your right… Long story short Equestria is in peril because of a crystal face and chaos magic and you were turned into a giant bug by it and nearly ate me, I absorbed Discord's magic to work undetected.” Spike said.
“Oh… is that it?” Thorax said confusedly.
“We should focus on the one I needed to save first, Ocellus,” Spike said, turning to Ocellus who was still sleeping, with a snap of his fingers she woke.
“Huh?... where am I?” Ocellus asked.
“Hey Ocellus, there’s quite a story that needs to be told for clarification,” Spike said.
“Who-” Ocellus said when she saw Spike.
“Spike, and Discords magic,’ Spike said before she could finish that sentence.
“Allow me,” Harmony said before helping her up and guiding Ocellus to the tree for a private conversation, the other present Changelings joining them.
“Well, glad that’s solved,” Spike said.
“We still have five more before we can attempt to ‘solve’ this,” Discord said.
“Then let’s get moving… Where to next?” Spike asked
“Well…” Discord said, pondering for a moment.