Rainbow Dash paced in front of Donut Joe's counter. Spike and Applejack were late. The four of them split into two teams to investigate Canterlot, and the deadline to meet back at the diner was long passed. There was no way of knowing if the two of them were even still free. Rainbow didn't even know where to start looking to find out. The few hours of sleep she got earlier didn't do much to help her nerves either. She couldn't go back to Twilight like this! No plan, no message to Luna, no progress made whatsoever. Oh, and she may have gotten her friend's number one assistant captured. She dropped to the floor with a heavy sigh. So much for Equestria's only hope.
Fluttershy came out of the kitchen with a platter balanced on one outstretched wing. "For a donut shop, he has some healthy choices back there." The platter held several kinds of fruit, all sliced for a party to pick at. Fluttershy set it down next to Rainbow Dash and sat, waiting for her to take the first piece.
Rainbow looked up at her from the floor. What happened to this girl? First she volunteers to stay behind in a war zone. Then she gets food ready like normal while Rainbow Dash is the one freaking out about their friends. Even now she was looking Rainbow right in the eye. She had never done that any longer than necessary before. She's waiting for it, Rainbow realized. "Why?"
"I'm not leaving you." The answer came quickly. She was right. Let's get it over with.
"You don't belong here Fluttershy. This is too much for you."
"This is too much for any one pony. I have to help you."
"I-” Rainbow bit back I don't need you. She knew that wasn't true. And she knew Fluttershy could come through when it mattered. Cloudsdale's rainwater tornado was all she needed to know about that. "I want you to leave. I need you to leave."
"Your turn. Why?"
"Because...because Applejack was right. We gotta send more than one messenger. Sending you with Spike keeps Applejack here. She's stronger and faster than you are."
"Well, that's why she needs to go with Spike. There might still be scouts out there. She can protect him better than I can."
“And I can't protect you if you stay!" Rainbow sat up. She had to make Fluttershy understand this. "We can't avoid them forever. Whoever stays will need to fight."
"We'll switch then. We go find Luna and they stay here."
"Are you nuts? Applejack was running for her life! These things fly and shoot magic. They'll pick her apart without me to keep them honest. And Spike is just...Spike."
"I can fly too, and you're faster than we are put together. I'll stay with them and you go find Luna."
Rainbow felt the ground fall from under her. "No! Absolutely not!"
"There, you see? You won't leave me. Why do you want me to leave you?"
"I don't. I mean, yes I do. I mean, I want you...ugh!" She hung her head in defeat. "Look, just...stay close to me, alright?" Fluttershy smiled and leaned in to hug Rainbow Dash. She held out a hoof to stop her. "You know you started trembling when I shouted, right?"
Fluttershy looked away, blushing. "I know. I'm working on it."
A cough drew their attention. Spike was standing at the door. "Nice to see you two were so concerned about Applejack and me." He was holding a bundle of clothing in his arms. He dropped it at their feet and picked up the plate of fruit. "Applejack is waiting for us. Something big is going on. Put those on and follow me."
Rainbow poked the bundle with her hoof. "Cloaks? What are these for?"
"Camouflage. We found them in a shop earlier today. Now hurry!"
She realized Spike was right. The gray cloaks would blend in a lot easier than a bright yellow or blue coat, especially in this long night. The two ponies put them on and followed Spike out of the shop. The dragon led them through alleys and abandoned buildings, pausing only at street crossings to check for changelings. The warning buzz of wings overhead passed them by several times in their trek.
They were coming closer to the castle. As they stopped at another street Fluttershy brushed against Rainbow, a concerned look in her eyes. She realized it too. Why in Equestria was Spike leading them this way? Rainbow nodded to Fluttershy in reassurance as Spike waved them forward. He stopped in front of a three story home and knocked once, then twice, then once again.
Rainbow Dash could see the castle spires over the building's roof. She shook her head. How much would a huge house in downtown Canterlot this close to the castle cost? Whoever lived here could probably buy all of Ponyville. She held back a laugh as Applejack opened the door, cloaked, hood down, hat on her head. Applejack saw Rainbow's face and moved a hoof across her mouth to signal silence. The four moved through the ransacked house and up to the third floor.
An entire section of the wall and roof had collapsed. Outside was another building with a broken window. Spike climbed on top of Applejack and the earth pony jumped across. Rainbow looked for changelings in the sky and motioned for Fluttershy to go next. When both pegasi were across they found Applejack and Spike waiting for them next to another window.
They looked down to see Canterlot's Mane Street. It connected the central train hub of Equestria to the castle gates. The fanciest and priciest restaurants and stores in the city could be found there. Rainbow Dash remembered how Rarity simply couldn't shut up about them after her visit over Twilight's birthday. To the right Rainbow could see the caste gates themselves. She saw the black forms of changelings flying high above.
Applejack ate a piece of fruit before explaining. "This is the fewest changelings we've seen here all day. They've been moving up and down this street nonstop, just walking and looking around. They would go to the train station and then come back. As soon as I sent Spike to bring you most of 'em went back into the castle."
Rainbow perked up. "The train station! Did you check it out?"
"Sure did. We followed one group down there. There were some more inside, but we couldn't count how many."
Fluttershy was confused. "What were they doing?"
"They were getting a train ready." They all turned to Rainbow Dash in surprise. She pointed to the castle gates. A mass of figures was forming at them. The gates opened, and the mob issued forth into the street. A column of ponies marched in lockstep with six changelings flanking them on each side. "Spike! Tell me what you see." The dragon climbed on her back to look over the windowsill.
He gasped in shock. "That's Joe! And those two, I saw them get taken yesterday. And that family there. What's going on?"
"Oh no," Fluttershy whispered, "look at their eyes." There were nearly two dozen ponies in all. And as they marched under the window the green glow in their eyes was clear. Rainbow Dash knew she was right. They were going to the trains. The next invasion was starting.
"Eat fast! Tonight's just getting started."
---
Rainbow leaned around the corner of a building to scope out the train station. Spike directed them on a roundabout route that, at a gallop, managed to get them to the station at the same time as the changelings. Their position gave her a cross view of the platform. Ten changelings remained beside the ponies they escorted. The other two entered the train that was waiting for them. There was one final detail that she couldn't ignore.
"Ponies," she announced to the others. "Canterlot's come out of hiding." Stallions and mares crowded together between her and the train, nearly all of them unicorns. Some fillies and colts stayed behind them. She couldn't count how many there were in all. They had the undivided attention of the changelings that remained on the platform.
Applejack joined her at the corner and looked around as well. "We can't fight them, Rainbow. We can't get those folks hurt."
"Luna needs to know about this. Those ponies up there look just like Shining Armor. You have to get on that train AJ."
"What?"
"We spent the day looking for a way out of Canterlot. Well, we've found one." She looked around. "OK, you two start moving around the back of the station. I'll catch up with you." Spike climbed back on top of Applejack as she started backtracking the way they came. "Fluttershy, see that window there? I want you to stay here. I'll make some noise to distract them. Break that window when you hear it, and get out of here."
"I-"
"I know you're not leaving me, I get it, just do this for me!"
Fluttershy blinked several times and smiled. "I'll meet you at that house Spike took us to, OK?"
Rainbow Dash looked blankly at her. She snorted in frustration after a few seconds and ran after Spike and Applejack. The hum of noise from the Canterlot mob grew louder as she approached. She looked up as she moved to check the skies and could make out three changelings. They looked no bigger than black stars against the purple sky. How could they see anything that far up? She forgot about them when she reached Applejack. And only Applejack.
Applejack spoke before she could ask. "He's eavesdropping. Look Rainbow, the more I think about this the less I like it. Even if we do find Luna what good does that do? You'll still be trapped here. How will you even know we made it?"
Applejack was selling her short. "The weather. Have Luna change the weather around Canterlot and we'll know you made it to her."
"Uh huh. And what exactly are we supposed to tell her?"
"Keep an eye on those ponies. They might be under control. And keep watching the trains. Maybe we can sneak some more messengers out."
Applejack's eyes shifted to look behind Rainbow. She turned to see Spike running toward them. "Ponyville! That big group thinks the train is headed for Ponyville. Or at least it will go through Ponyville on its way south."
"That settles it. Fluttershy was right. Find the rest of Ponyville and you can find Luna. Head around the corner and watch the changelings. Fluttershy and I will make a distraction. Get on board when they're not looking." Applejack took off her cloak as Spike ran ahead of her. She looked at Rainbow and opened her mouth several times as she did so, but no words came out. "Don't worry. I'll save some for you to KO too." She spit on her hoof and held it out. Applejack finished the hoof bump with a solemn look and followed Spike.
Rainbow Dash flew up to the slanted roof of the train station. She peered over the top and looked down on the platform. The guards were beginning to move their ponies onto the train. Some of the Canterlot ponies started walking towards the steps leading up to the platform. The rest of the changelings snarled and turned to them, horns glowing green. Voices from the ponies were raised. It was now or never.
There was a windowed dome on Rainbow's right. She flew over to it and kicked out a pane of glass. Silence fell over the entire station. The sound of another window breaking came from behind the Canterlot mob followed by galloping hooves. She heard nervous chatter coming from the platform. Rainbow moved back to look over the roof and saw a familiar tail disappear into a train car. Eight changelings formed a line between the two groups of ponies as the other two herded their remaining charges on board. The train began to pull out of the station. Rainbow Dash pulled on her hood and prepared to drop to the ground.
A shot rang out in the night.
Did they find Applejack already?! Rainbow kept her eyes on the train, but the sound of the next shot came from below her. The changelings were firing at the crowd. All eight of them launched bolt after bolt down from the platform. Ponies that weren't hit jumped back into the mob and brought down the next few rows. They were sitting ducks! Rainbow spread her wings and took aim at the nearest changeling.
BOOM.
Ponies flew through the air. Shouts of pain and fear filled the night. One changeling stood up from a crater in the middle of the mob. Rainbow was stunned. From the sky fell two more streaks of green light. BOOM. BOOM. Two more changelings crashed down on the helpless ponies, sending more of them flying through the air. The ponies that were still standing scattered. Others limped away, aided by those that could walk. The eight changelings on the platform fired and pinned down a group of stragglers. The three started moving in on them.
And Rainbow Dash was livid.
She couldn't even remember taking off. She just found one of her knees driving into the head of one of the eight. The other seven looked over, but she was already gone. She put all her speed into her charge for the first changeling that landed. He found himself yanked into the air. Rainbow carried him high in the air and started diving back down. She moved him in front of her and placed her shoulder against his midsection. They hit the ground and she drove into him, cracking the street. The changeling writhed at her feet as she rose.
Rainbow Dash stood alone between the remaining changelings and their targets. They all regrouped on the street below the platform. And she had one more trick to show them. She spread her wings and took off again, charging straight ahead. Her aggressiveness caught them off guard. A few fired at her, but she turned to avoid them and doubled back towards the ponies. "Go!" she shouted while turning again and speeding up to complete her circle. Faster and faster she went, and the winds she created went higher and higher. She tracked the fleeing ponies out of the corner of her eye as she built up speed.
The guards fired after them, but the whirlwind picked up the dust and debris created by the three crashed changelings to cover their escape. It also lifted the body of her hapless victim. His screams focused all their attention on her. Green bolts flew through the roaring winds as the changelings started to spread out. They were trying to surround her. One shot went through the tail of her cloak. It was time to go.
She took off towards the building she left Fluttershy. The dust cloud hung in the air to hide her escape route. She landed and took off at a gallop, keeping the buildings between her and the changelings. They would take flight soon. She had to get out of sight. Suddenly, a unicorn mare appeared in front of her, waving Rainbow into an alley. She dove in without a second thought. The shadows there also hid a stallion and colt. Rainbow looked up as a pair of changelings flew overhead. Gloomy as it was, the perpetual night was quite helpful.
The mare sat down next to the stallion. His leg was twisted oddly. "I can't thank you enough for saving us. What you did...that was incredible."
Rainbow Dash swelled with pride. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Happy to help." The colt stared up at her, eyes wide and mouth open. How many times had she seen that look on Scootaloo? She grinned and ruffled his mane. "Those creeps didn't hurt you, did they kid?"
His expression didn't change at her touch. A small voice finally emerged. "Are... you... Commander Hurricane?"
Rainbow was floored. The colt's parents laughed. "No," the stallion said in a strained voice, "I don't think she's Commander Hurricane. But she did save our lives." He looked at Rainbow Dash. "Our home is close by. You're welcome to stay with us. We owe you that much."
"Thanks, but I have a friend waiting for me." Two of them, actually. She had to talk with Twilight now. She checked the streets to make sure they were clear. The mare stood beside her to do the same. "Can you make it home OK with that leg of his?"
"We can manage. It's just another street over." Rainbow nodded and stepped out on the street. "Wait! Please, tell us your name."
She looked back at the colt, and back to the mare with a smirk. "Call me Hurricane."
---
Rainbow Dash raced down the secret tunnel. She briefly regretted leaving her cloak at the entrance when the stone walls scraped her flanks. The flashlight in her mouth bounced from ceiling to floor as she ran, but this first half was a straight line anyway. She wondered if Fluttershy even understood a word she said at the house. The poor pony went through all that trouble to search the house for anything useful and then she barged in like a lunatic, babbled something about Twilight, grabbed the flashlight straight out of Fluttershy's mouth, and took off again.
Hurricane.
She hated to admit it, but "Rainbow Dash" wasn't very famous in Canterlot. But Hurricane! One of the founders of Equestria! A legend comes back to life! The possibility of escape brought so many ponies to the train station. What could a hero of strength and loyalty inspire them to do? Maybe, just maybe, Canterlot had an army after all.
Rainbow was forced to slow her pace during the climb to the bedchamber. What plans could Twilight Sparkle have overheard? A family of unicorns knew her new name, but she needed something bigger. The long climb was driving her crazy. She was ready to burst with excitement. At long last she reached the door.
"Hey!" she cried as she jumped through the tapestry. The bedchamber was empty. That...was unexpected. There was a heavy thud in the room next door. The door opened before Rainbow could jump back into the tunnel. Twilight Sparkle was on the other side. Her collar was still on, but there was no chain.
"What are you doing here?!"
"I'm going to be Commander Hurricane!"
"What? You just walk through a wall and start spouting nonsense?"
"No, I got Applejack and Spike out of the city!" Twilight looked shocked. "They're on their way to meet up with Princess Luna. The thing is; changelings attacked a bunch of ponies by the train station. I held them off, and a kid called me Commander Hurricane."
"You held off the changelings? How many were there?"
"A lot. Maybe ten?"
Twilight was shocked again. "Ten? Ten soldiers and you got away?"
Rainbow laughed. "You make it sound like it was hard. Look, you know all about Hurricane right? You're an egghead. You know the stories about her battles. Think what it would mean to every pony if she was on our side again!"
Twilight understood now. "Like the Mysterious Mare Do Well."
"Exactly! What do you know about the changelings? I need a stage to perform!"
The unicorn closed her eyes in thought for a moment. "More patrols will be going out into the city tomorrow. You want to be a hero for Canterlot? Take them out. No pony could ignore that. Now please, you have to leave."
Rainbow Dash was taken aback. "Why are you in such a rush? And what about these patrols? How many are there? Where will they be?"
"Queen Chrysalis wants me to clean these rooms before she gets back. I need to stay on her good side. Didn't you hear me drop something over there?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"One last thing. You can't just barge in here like that again. We were lucky this time. Come back tomorrow night. Chrysalis will be busy casting spells on Shining Armor again. We'll have more time to talk." Rainbow tried to reply, but there was a noise in the next room. Panic flashed across Twilight's face. "It's her. Go!"
Rainbow ran back into the tunnel as Twilight went back through the door. She heard low voices before she replaced the wall behind the tapestry. That was too close. She got what she came for though. Twilight had an idea for her, and a promise of a more detailed meeting tomorrow. Now she had to explain herself to Fluttershy.
Like last time, the talk with Twilight played through her head on her way through the tunnel. She wished she had time to ask about Pinkie and Rarity, about Twilight herself, about the ponies the changelings sent away on the train. With the queen's timing it was a good thing Twilight remembered Mare Do Well so quickly. Rainbow Dash stopped dead. She looked back to where she just passed the door to the armory. There was more than one Mare Do Well.
---
"Would you stop moving already?" Rainbow Dash finished pulling the last metal shoe on Fluttershy's hoof. Her shaking turned the entire dressing into a chore. Rainbow looked at the tall mirror that shared the master bedroom with them. Their golden armor shone against the tight black bodysuits that covered their necks, legs, tails, and wings. Fluttershy was missing one last piece.
Rainbow bundled Fluttershy's long pink mane and started pushing a metal cap over her head. She could have picked bigger helmets, but she didn't want too much weight on her head. Plus, they limited her vision. The short purple mane decorating the caps also fell down over the neck, making it easier to hide under her cloak. Fluttershy was still shaking. "I-I don't know. I can't keep up with you in the first place. I don't even know if I can move in all this."
"Stop worrying. I've told you already, I'm the one who'll fight. You distract them if I get in trouble. Like when I chased Mare Do Well, remember?" She finished with Fluttershy's headgear and looked at the mirror again. Rainbow raised a hoof and turned, posing in a stance Fluttershy eventually copied. The colors worked for her, purple and gold for Equestria, along with the black and gold of Hurricane's costume in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. Not bad for a half hour's work mixing and matching in the armory.
"Um, they could still see our faces. They'll know we're two different ponies."
"We can fix that. We'll just need to find something for masks tomorrow. Then, if any of them get close enough to notice a difference, we just have to knock him silly." She started pulling off her suit of armor. "Right now, I need some shut-eye."
"Right now? We're not going back to Pony Joe's?"
"Are you kidding? Have you seen that bed? You really want to go back to flour sacks?"
"But...there's a hole. In-in the wall. We can't really cover that up."
"We won't need to. The house was like this when we got here. The changelings already tore it apart. As long as we're not stupid they won't come back."
"Um, ok then, good night. I'll find another room."
"What? No! C'mon, stay with me. The bed's big enough. When's the next time we'll get to relax in luxury like this?" Fluttershy hesitated. "What, you don't snore do you?"
She turned to undo the covers and missed Fluttershy's eye roll. "I don't snore at all..."