Rainbow Dash landed in front of the group. “There’s a cliff right ahead, with a lot of caves. I didn’t see any big lizards, though.”
Nodding, Twilight pointed to the open journal in front of her. “This should be the wyvern nest. I hope they have abandoned it, but let’s keep it down. We don’t want them to notice us.”
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie whispered.
The six ponies advanced quietly, looking around. The lush forest gave way to a sheer cliff. A small waterfall fell from the top of the cliff and formed the brook they have been following. Up in the cliffs there were a large number of small caves, large enough for a pegasus to enter. Looking above, Twilight wondered if the scratches she could see in the closest caves were done by claws.
The group was almost past the caves when a loud noise came from the forest, and then another, each time presaging the appearance of a strange multi-colored smoke, each time closer.
Fluttershy looked alarmed at the smoke. “Oh my, those are birds!”
The third time the other ponies noticed it too. The noise could be heard as a cacophony of every kind of bird call imaginable, the large mass of birds forming a whirlwind of color.
Suddenly, out of the forest, a lone gray and blue figure emerged in a blur, banking steeply as it passed above the ponies, chased by a dozen larger green, scaly shapes.
“Flitter!” There was only a rainbow contrail where the cyan pegasus once stood, her voice vanishing in the distance. “You let go of her, right now!”
“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight turned to Fluttershy, panic in her eyes. “Can you calm them?”
“I don’t think so, they are too angry! And I can’t stare them if they won’t stop!” Fluttershy was hovering, eyes glued on the chase.
“Twilight, can turn us into them?” Pinkie was pointing at the wyverns. Applejack and Rarity looked at each other, gulped, and then nodded firmly.
“What? It’s too dangerous! There must be another way!”
Applejack took her hat off. “Sugarcube, listen to me. We can’t do anything while they are up there, and if we don’t do anything they will get hurt, or worse!”
Rarity stepped besides Applejack. “She is right. Better be turned into one of those dreadful things than watch our friends get hurt.”
Twilight nodded and turned to Applejack. “Can you lasso one of them, keep him still for a couple seconds?”
Applejack opened a smile. “Sure can, Sugarcube. Just bring one close”
Twilight turned to Fluttershy. “Tell Rainbow Dash to attract one of those things down!”
With a nod Fluttershy was off, trembling but determined. Soon she was on the way back with Rainbow Dash, three wyverns closely chasing them.
Twilight looked desperately between the extra two wyverns and the ponies on the ground. “Rarity, drive off the other two!”
“How?”
“I don’t know, throw rocks or something!”
Rarity looked around, a determined grin in her face as a large number of rocks started to float with a blue aura. “I don’t think I can hurt them, this will only keep them away for a moment.”
Twilight, already channeling her magic, nodded. “It should be enough.”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy went through the middle of the other ponies, the wyverns in hot pursuit. The leading wyvern was suddenly yanked aside, a taut rope linking him to the orange rodeo pony. The other two wyverns turned to attack the ground-based nuisance; as they flew into a blue tinted whirlwind of rocks, they circled around, looking for an opening.
The two pegasi returned to the group as a bright purple flash engulfed the downed wyvern and the ponies; as it faded, five colorful wyverns were taking to the air, a lone alicorn on the ground tying the downed green wyvern with a rope.
“Keep them distracted, I will think of something!”
Twilight looked around, trying to find a way to drive off the wyverns. Throwing rocks but was a momentary distraction; taking them out one by one was too slow, and Flitter already appeared tired; Brute force would get everypony hurt, if it worked at all.
Rearing, Twilight took both forehooves to her head. “Aagh! Think, Twilight! The clock is ticking!”
“Flitter! Flitter! … Twilight?”
“Spike?” Twilight’s eyes went wide, sparkling. “Spike!” Twilight was at spike’s side in a purple flash. “Get on. Now!”
Spike was already mounting. “Twilight What is happening?”
Already halfway to the battle, which was already becoming a hairball, Twilight looked back at Spike. “Wyverns fear fire! Get ready to -”
“Twilight!”
Spike’s eyes went wide as he saw a wyvern coming right at them. “Twilight!”
Twilight tried to dodge as Spike attempted to breathe fire, but it was too late. The wyvern collided with Twilight, it’s claws…
In a moment Spike threw himself in the path of the wyvern’s claws. It hurt! Spike’s thick scales held, preventing any lasting harm, but in his attempt to shield Twilight he was thrown off.
“Spike!”
The ground was getting closer, closer…
Spike landed on something scaly and blue. Looking ahead he saw a large reptilian head with a colorful crest looking back. “Rainbow Dash?”
The head nodded. Rainbow dash looked forward and started to go to the ground.
“Rainbow, listen! They fear fire! We can drive them away!”
Without warning Rainbow Dash dove, dislodging the small passenger. With a quick twist she grabbed Spike with her front claws and started to climb again.
Spike finally had time to look ahead. Flitter was in the center of a whirlwind of reptilian activity, clearly tired. At her side a horned white and purple wyvern floated, horn aglow with blue, as a storm of stones encircled both wyvern and pony. An orange wyvern was lashing with hindquarters and tail, trying to keep a pair of green wyverns away, while a pink wyvern was having some success in jumping on the backs of her attackers. To the side a yellow wyvern was staring down three green wyverns, her unsteady wing flaps showing her fatigue.
Spike closed his eyes. He could do this; all he had to do was breathe fire, the largest fire he could create, just like he did when he helped Applejack with her family reunion. He opened his eyes, inhaled…
A large plume of green flame shot forward, cutting through the middle of the fight and heating some of the floating stones red. The green wyverns started to disengage, fleeing to the forest. In a few more passes Rainbow Dash and Spike drove away the remaining wyverns.
Rarity let the stones fall to the ground, the five colorful wyverns (plus one passenger) and the purple alicorn hovering around Flitter.
Flitter was looking at the hovering figures, wide eyed. “Are you…”
Twilight came close, smiling. “Yes, they are my friends.”
Flitter furrowed her brow. “Is everypony here?” Twilight nodded. “Then come, the portal is near.”
As Flitter led the way, Twilight flew to the pegasus’ side. “Why are you here? How did you even know about this portal?”
“This portal only opens from the outside, then stays open for a week. You wouldn’t be able to exit on your own. And when Celestia’s Equestria-wide search for you failed, I was certain you would be here.” Flitter stopped and turned around, looking at the six hovering figures in front of her. “Can you keep a secret?”