The normally shy and reserved Fluttershy led the assault into the Everfree Forest. While only moments ago it was unclear if she'd have to be dragged into the Forest in the first place by her hind legs, she had broken through to the front lines and charged ahead, hooves kicking up dust and steam blowing from her nostrils.
"I WILL DESTROY YOU IF YOU HURT HIM!" She screamed.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash were right behind her, and only with their combined efforts managed to take the pegasus down. Rainbow Dash looked impressed. "Dude, next time we play football, I totally want you on my team. We can put a nest of baby squirrels or something in the opponents endzone, we'd win every time!"
Twilight glared at her. "Rainbow! You can't do that!"
"But you saw the way she ran, it'd be like a secret weapon!" Dash insisted.
"Now is not the time for that. We need to formulate a plan, or this will turn into the Canterlot hedge maze all over again."
Rarity and Applejack brought up the rear. "Uh... any of y'all seen Pinkie?" the latter asked.
"Never mind that, she'll turn up. She always does," Twilight said with confidence. "And if history has anything to say about it, it'll be at an extremely convenient moment."
Fluttershy was breathing heavily, but had calmed down. "She can't do that! She can't just come in here and take Spike like that! Oh, I'm so mad I could just stomp!" She raised her right front leg, and brought it crashing down towards the ground. She halted her movement at the last possible second, noticing a ladybug crawling directly underneath.
"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, you go right ahead. You were here first." She said meekly, backing up into Rainbow Dash, and promptly screamed. "CHRYSALIS! Oh. Hi Dashie."
"Aaaaaaaaand secret weapon is gone in ten seconds flat." Rainbow Dash complained.
Rarity looked more upset than any of them. "If she touches one SPINE on my little Spikey-Wikey's head..."
Applejack spoke up again. "We don't even know that it WAS Spike. For all we know, it was one of 'er own Changelings made to look like 'im."
Twilight nodded. "I agree, we have to prepare for anything. We stick together, get him back, and defeat the Changeling Queen for... what is this, the third time?"
"Yeah." Rainbow Dash snorted. "First the Crusaders, now Spike. She never learns, does she?"
"So what's the plan?" Rarity asked.
"We head for the old castle ruins ,the ones that Celestia and Luna used centuries ago," Twilight said. "I've no doubt there may be trickery in store for us, so no matter what happens, we keep moving."
The five pressed onwards into the forest. Twilight and Rainbow Dash led the group, with Fluttershy in the middle in case she tried to run away again. Applejack and Rarity brought up the rear. Twilight threw up a hoof after about ten minutes. "Shh, listen."
They all listened, but heard nothing. Rarity frowned. "I don't hear anything, sweetie." She said gently, taking great care to step over a particularly revolting patch of swamp.
"Exactly. It's too quiet. We need to be extra careful and on our guard, so we don't accidentially trigger any-"
Fluttershy put her hoof down, stepping on a hidden wire. The five ponies were instantly airborne, lifted off the ground by a massive netting. Fluttershy grinned meekly. Applejack glared at her.
"Traps?" Applejack asked.
***
Back at the old ruins, Chrysalis paced in front of a solid green cocoon. Inside the prison, Spike pounded on it with his fists. He was angry, and quite scared, but wasn't about to let Chrysalis know that. "You won't get away with this!" He demanded. "Twilight will come and get me!" He warned. Of course, that wasn't exactly how the vision played out in his head. In his head, Rarity came swooping in leading an army of ninja battle monkeys, rescued him from this awful prison, and carried him away on her back. He sighed dreamily.
Chrysalis waved her hoof in the air in a semi-circular motion. His protests amused her. "What's that? Twilight will come to save you? Oh, darling, I fully expect that. But I'm prepared for her this time. Her love for you far exceeds that of Cadance, although it's not the same type of love, it will have to do."
"There are different kinds?" Spike asked. That was new.
"Of course, foal." Chrysalis sneered. "There is romantic love, which is the most powerful. We all know how that turned out. Then there is the love for your friends, which is the kind I intend to feed off of next. Then there's petty things, such as the love for a favored goldfish or the love for a particular kind of sandwich. Those are useless to me."
"Yeah, well she's gonna stop you anyway! No matter what kind of love you need! You underestimate the power of-"
Chrysalis cut him off. "If you say the power of friendship, I will feed you to the Timberwolves." She snarled. "Yes, it's powerful, but like all power, can be manipulated." She smiled. "You just have to know how."
***
Twilight did not like being stuck in a net. None of them did. Rarity perhaps least of all.
"Ugh, this mesh is SO tacky." She complained.
Applejack flicked her in the nose with her tail. "Well ah'm sorry, sugarcube. Next time we get ourselves wrassled up like hogs ah'll be sure to request cozier accommodations. Twi, can't y'all jes' use yer magic t'get us out of here?" She asked.
"I'm trying, but I can't concentrate! I don't have room to work and Fluttershy won't stop crying." She regretted that last bit as soon as it was out of her mouth, and quickly tried to apologize for it.
Fluttershy sniffed, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, no, I'm the one who should be sorry. I dragged you all out here, this is my fault. I should've just stayed home with my teddy bear..."
Rainbow Dash snapped. "Hush, somepony's comin'!"
A dozen or so figures emerged from the darkness, completely surrounding the hanging net. Diamond Dogs, and ugly ones at that. The pack leader stepped forward, bigger and nastier than the rest of them.
The leader grinned, showing sharpened fangs. "Look what we got here, boys! Looks like it's pony for dinner."