“I don’t get it.” Shining Armor said, scratching his head. “She’s just been sitting there for the past half an hour just staring at the map.” He said, turning to his squad.
“Maybe she’s lost.” One of the guards suggested.
“Even so, she won’t find anything by not moving.” Another spoke up.
“But there’s one more thing that’s bothering me.” Shining said. “She’s been going in the opposite direction of the Badlands. We’ve somehow ended up in the crystal forest.”
“I’m sure she just got turned around.” Sergeant Drill Bit said. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to scout around a bit. Let me know if anything changes.” He said as he walked away from the group.
“You.” Shining Armor said as he pointed to one of his guards, a crystal pony with a shining brown coat. “Keep an eye on Drill Bit for me.”
“Your highness?” The guard asked.
“I don’t think there will be any trouble, but you can never be too sure with changelings.” Shining said. “Just watch him for a bit to make sure I’m right. I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Sir, yes sir.” The guard said as he snapped off a quick salute and went to tail Drill Bit.
“I’ve got to find a way to expose him for the monster he is!” Dinky said to herself as she hid in some nearby bushes. “He may not have listened to me, but one of his other guards will definitely be able to convince him!”
“I know you’re out here, little foal.” Came a voice from uncomfortably nearby. It was Drill Bit’s replacement. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you said. You’d best turn back and leave before something bad happens to you.”
“Sir, never mind the brat.” Another guard said as he joined up with Drill Bit.
“What are you doing here?” Drill bit asked, turning to the new guard. “You should be with the prince and the others.”
“He still suspects you.” The guard said, causing Dinky to gasp. “He sent me to watch you.”
“Argh! Who’d have thought one little pony could be such a pain?” Drill bit hissed.
“She isn’t important.” The second guard said. “All that matters is delivering the pegasus and the prince to our Queen.” He said.
“Oh no!” Dinky whispered, her hoof accidentally snapping a small twig in the shrubbery.
“Wait!” Drill Bit said. “Did you hear that?”
“Guards, regroup!” They heard Shining Armor call. “She’s on the move!”
“Ignore it.” The second guard said. “We have more important business to attend to. Rest assured though that she’ll be taken care of.” He said as Drill Bit followed him back to the squad.
“Well.” Dinky said to herself as she followed, keeping a bit further back now. “There goes that plan.” She huffed as she kept herself hidden.
“Okay, so I just need to find an X in this whole big place.” Derpy said as she walked through the crystal forest, occasionally looking away from the map to dodge a tree or step over a fallen branch. “Weird though. This land doesn’t look very bad to me.” She said as she stopped to admire one of the many prismatic trees around her. “It’s actually really pretty here!” She said as she stepped closer to the trunk and saw many reflections of herself in it. “I’m looking pretty good today.” She said, admiring her reflection and paying no heed to the fact that none of her reflections’ eyes were looking directly back at her.
After looking at her reflection for a few minutes and fixing her mane a bit, Derpy resumed her search without realizing that she had gotten turned around.
“Move!” Shining Armor urged his troops. “She’s coming this way!” He said as he and his squad all took cover behind some nearby bushes.
“La, la la, la la. Hmm, hm hmm.” Derpy sang obliviously to herself as she walked straight by the bush the stallions were hiding behind.
“Whew! That was close.” Shining said as he emerged. “Come on. She seems to be headed the right way now.” He said as he led his squad after Derpy. However, he didn’t notice one of the guards break off as they went.
“Why did it have to be changelings?” Dinky mentally asked herself as she watched the soldiers walk past her hiding spot. Content that they were out of earshot, she let out a sigh of relief. “At least they haven’t found me yet.” She said. “I can’t let them catch me, and I can’t let them catch my momma either.” She said, stomping a hoof as she moved to follow.
“Mommy, huh?” A voice asked from nowhere.
“Huh? Who’s there?” Dinky asked the forest, looking around herself for any sign of changelings.
“So that explains why you’ve been following us around. Going to protect your precious mommy, are you?” The voice asked, seeming to come from all around the scared little filly.
“Y- you don’t scare me!” Dinky said, looking around frantically and being greeted only with reflections of herself in the trees.
“Lying to me won’t help you, little foal.” The voice said, becoming more distorted as it continued. “I can feel your fear. You can’t hide your feelings from us, you know.”
“Go away!” Dinky yelled. “Leave me alone!”
“I can’t very well do that.” The voice said. “Our Queen has worked very hard to make a new home for us. And you’ve already proven to be a thorn in our side. It’s time for you to go, little filly.” The voice said as one of Dinky’s ‘reflections’ stepped out from where it was standing in front of the little unicorn.
Dinky didn’t even have time to scream before her vision went green.
“Where am I again?” Derpy asked herself as she looked down at the map. “Wait a minute. How did this get upside down?” She asked as she turned it over in her hooves. “There! That’s better… I think.” She said, squinting at the paper.
“Momma?” Came a familiar voice from the depths of the forest. “Momma? Where are you?”
“Dinky?!” Derpy exclaimed as she dropped the map. “Dinky, is that you?”
“Momma, help!” Dinky’s voice called out again. “I need your help, mommy!”
“Hang on, Dinky! Momma’s coming!” Derpy yelled as she galloped towards the source of the voice.
“What’s going on now?” Shining Armor asked as he watched Derpy sprint away through the woods. “She must be onto something. Quick, let’s go!” He ordered as he and his squad took off after her.
“What? Who’s behind me?” Derpy asked as she looked over her shoulder and saw four silhouettes chasing her through the trees. “Who are you? Leave me alone! Stay away from my daughter!” Derpy shouted back at the shadowy forms as she kept running forward.
“I’m here mommy!” Dinky’s voice echoed through the trees. “Please, help me!”
“I’m coming, Dinky! Mommy’s here!” Derpy shouted as she jumped over a fallen tree and fell into a dark chasm. Derpy landed with a hard thud on her side on the cave floor. She groaned with pain as she stood up. When Derpy tried to flap her wings, she found that her left wing was unresponsive and hanging limply at her side.
“Mommy, thank goodness you found me!” Dinky said as she rushed up to Derpy.
“Dinky!” Derpy said, briefly wincing in pain. “What are you doing here?”
“I don’t know.” Dinky said as her voice began to change and her eyes turned a solid blue color. “I guess I’m just here for you!” The fake Dinky said as she opened her mouth, releasing a glob of green muck.
Just before it hit Derpy, the blob was intercepted by a blast of magic. “Derpy! We’re coming to help you!” Shining Armor said as he peeked over the edge of the hole. “Quick! Get out of there!”
“I can’t!” Derpy said, backing away from the changeling as it dropped its disguise. “I hurt my wing! I can’t move it at all!”
“Aww, well isn’t that too bad.” The changeling said as it stepped closer. “I guess this will be even easier than I thought. Throw him in!” It commanded.
“What? Hey!” Shining Armor protested as his squad mates shoved him into the pit with Derpy. “What in Tartarus is going on here?” Shining asked as he picked himself up and began charging a spell. Before he could do anything, Sergeant Drill Bit and the other two guards jumped into the pit and pinned him to the ground. “Argh! Get off of me!” Shining grunted as Drill Bit spat a glob of green semi-fluid onto his horn.
“That should take care of your magic.” Drill Bit said as he and the other soldiers also dropped their disguises.
“No!” Shining shouted as he struggled harder against his captors. “She was right.”
“Indeed she was.” The changeling in front of Derpy said. “You should have listened to that little foal when you had the chance. Then maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation. And neither would she.”
“What foal?” Derpy asked. “Is Dinky actually here?!”
“Your daughter is safe. For now.” The changeling said. “What we do with all of you is up to the Queen to decide. And on that note.” He said with a smirk, just before launching another shot of goo at Derpy with perfect precision.
“So they’ve been dealt with?” Queen Chrysalis asked as a young changeling entered her chamber. Torches lit with a green blaze adorned the walls and the top of her chitinous throne, giving the large room a dim, earthy glow.
“Yes, my Queen.” The changeling said with a bow. “They are being transported here as we speak.”
“And what of the foal?” Chrysalis asked. “How is she?”
“She has already arrived and is in containment.” The changeling said.
“Good. Keep her under observation.” Chrysalis said. “She was not part of my plan. And I don’t want any unexpected mishaps. Understand?”
“Yes, my Queen. I understand completely.” The changeling said with a bow.
“We have come much too far to suffer the same humiliation again.” Chrysalis said as she stood and walked over to her subject. “This time, I will personally deal with our problems before they can become a threat. And this time, I will make sure that it is done right!”