Spiders and Magic III: Days of Friendship Past

by Maximus_Reborn


Castle Raid

Chapter Four “Castle Raid”

In the shroud of night, there stood the remnants of a castle under the watchful gaze of the moon. Vines had grown all across its foundation, breaking into the interior. Broken slabs of stone and masonry were scattered across the ground. What was once the seat of a great kingdom now stood a shattered mess. Changelings soared overhead, with more resting on the walls, each keeping a vigilant eye out for intruders.

In a chamber deep within the castle along the upper levels, countless pods rested with changelings inside. Some were fully grown, unresponsive, as if in stasis, and others resembled foals, daintily floating inside in a fetal position. Alongside those sat pods housing normal ponies, their cords connecting to that of the changelings. They glowed with a shimmering light, even as energy flowed from them to sleeping members of the changeling hive connected to the other side. Some of the bodies within the pods were dried out, waiting for patrolling changelings to remove the husked bodies.

Near the main hall outside of the pod room, a pair of changelings patrolled the area. One glanced out a window while the other peered down the empty corridor across from its position. In that instant of distraction, Pinkamena slipped out from the shadows and emerged behind one of the changelings, pressing her scabbard against its neck until she was lifting its body from the ground. The bug-like creature gasped and kicked for breath, quickly fading before the earth pony gave a swift jerk and snapped its neck. The second changeling turned at the noise, but before it could react, a blunt force struck the back of its head with massive force. It fell to the ground, already dead.

Applejack huffed, rubbing the aches out of her hoof. “Alright. We used your secret passage and managed to sneak in undetected. Can we at least try to keep it that way?”

Rainbow Dash slipped in through an open window, chuckling. “With this bunch? No way. That’d be too boring.”

The two ponies were shushed by a stern-faced Sweetie Belle, who climbed in through the same window. “The changelings will know we’re here soon enough. They always do. We should grab what we came here for and leave.”

Pinkamena dragged the body of her guard to the shadows in the corner of the room. She turned to address Spider-Mane, who had entered through the window and stepped over to the far wall. “Well, Parker? We’re here. So, what now? Your plan better work. We won’t be able to get out the way we came.”

Peter nodded, running his hooves over the wall. “Why’s that again?”

Sweetie Belle folded her hooves. “Security measure. I’d rather the changelings not find out about the passage near the castle. I’m having my ponies seal the exit as we speak so it can’t be reused.”

Pinkamena’s expression remained cold and blank. “Simply put, if we’re spotted and your plan fails…”

“We’re food. I got it. Just a second, Pinkie,” Peter whispered, tapping sections of the cracked marble before pressing a small, inconspicuous tile. A tremor ran through the room as the wall split along an invisible seam and slid open, revealing a hidden path. The torches within the secret hallway lit up, giving light to the passage. Peter let out a relieved sigh. “It’s a private room Princess Celestia and Luna showed me. Looks like it’s gone unnoticed.”

Rainbow Dash whistled, peeking inside of the corridor. “Nice. And you say you got some kind of equalizer in there?”

Peter smirked. “Yeah. It’ll only take me a few minutes to grab it. I’ll need you to stay here until I get back. The room’s got security measures. If anypony other than Celestia, Luna, or myself tries to sneak in, the room will slam itself shut.”

Applejack gave the stallion a brisk nod toward the door “Then don’t dilly-dally, sugarcube. We’ll hold the fort until you get back.”

Before anypony could respond, a series of loud hisses echoed down the castle’s corridors. They could feel the vibration of pounding hoofsteps through the floor, growing louder by the second. Applejack and Rainbow Dash dropped into defensive stances, while Pinkamena unsheathed her sword and raised it high. Sweetie Belle’s horn glowed with magical energy before the mare blasted the walls on both sides of the hall, obstructing the way with rubble.

“They’re already onto us,” she growled, as roars became audible from behind the shattered stones. The mare gave Peter a nod. “Peter! Go!”

Peter hesitated for just a moment before turning sharply and entering the passageway. At the same time, Sweetie Belle fired a bolt of energy above the entrance, causing broken slabs of marble to fall and block the doorway. Peter galloped down the corridor, skidding to a halt just before a pitfall. As he stood there, particles of light materialized out of the air, before coalescing into a bridge. The stallion followed the path, eventually reaching an empty room. He paused to glance back, making sure the light bridge had faded away behind him.

He returned his gaze to the path before him, furrowing his brow as a small, diamond-shaped box emerged from a compartment within the wall. The stallion took a deep breath before placing a hoof over a spider insignia on the box’s top. A light shone from the box before bright blue particles of energy spiraled around Peter’s forelegs, focusing around his hooves. An electric spark ran through the ground under his hooves before igniting, triggering a small explosion of magic that engulfed the stallion. The energy quickly dissipated to reveal a pair of gauntlets on Peter’s hooves.

The stallion nodded, gazing at the smooth metallic surface of the weapon. “Twilight Arms… It’s been a while, huh?”

‘Peter...’ a soft, feminine voice called out.

Peter’s ears perked at the sound, and he glanced to the side, spotting a glowing crystal across from his position. “That voice…” he whispered, slowly approaching the moon-shaped gem. The energy surrounding the gem morphed to a shade of bright blue before rushing into the stallion. Peter’s hazel irises faded before flashing to a shade of royal blue. He inhaled sharply as a familiar warmth consumed him. “Is that you… Luna?”

Back in the hallway above, Pinkamena shot a glare back at the secret passage as tremors shook the ground. “I really hope that wasn’t a bad explosion.”

Rainbow let out a dry laugh. “With Peter? There’s no telling. We’re just going to have to wait it out.” The room violently shook, as the changeling would-be assailants battered at the the rubble barricades. Dirt fell from the ceiling as a second tremor coursed through the room. Rainbow’s ears perked. “These changelings are getting restless pretty quick. Peter better hurry it up.”

“He’ll come through,” Sweetie Belle reaffirmed, nodding. “I have no doubt about it.”

Applejack managed a small smile, placing a hoof over the unicorn’s shoulder. “Same here, sugarcube. Pete’ll be back before we know it.”

Pinkamena didn’t respond, even as the room violently shook for a third time. She turned her gaze towards the ceiling directly above Sweetie Belle and Applejack’s position. Another tremor rocked the foundation of the room before a wide crack split the ceiling. Pinkamena cried out, leaping across the room just as a body burst through the ceiling. She dove into her friends, pushing them out of harm’s way just before the figure landed where they had been standing  with enough force to shatter the floor.

All three ponies quickly scrambled to their feet and faced the intruder, even as the cloud of dust and debris obscured their view. Rainbow Dash also spun around at the sound of the impact, in time to see a silhouette rise up from the dust and spread a pair of wings before bursting from the smokescreen at high speed. It was a griffon with a crest of feathers hanging over her eyes and scars etched into her talons. Too slow to react, Applejack was sent flying by a vicious punch to her jaw, sending the earth pony into the far wall.

The griffon skidded to a halt, snarling as her bright green gaze settled on Sweetie Belle.

Before she could move, however, Rainbow Dash bolted across the room at lightning fast speed and tackled the griffon, pinning her against the wall. “Damn it, Gilda," she growled in a strained voice, struggling to keep her foe pinned. "I REALLY don't have the patience to deal with you right now, even if your dumb ass got yourself brainwashed." The griffon snarled, and the pegasus gasped through clenched teeth, "Damn it, don't make me fight you!”

Sweetie Belle took a step forward, levitating a large stone before slamming it over the griffin's head with a heavy, crumbling thud. “She’s not Gilda anymore, Rainbow! Don’t bother trying to talk to her! She’s just a savage beast now!”

Rainbow Dash glanced off to the side. “I know, but…”

Gilda hopped from the ground and lunged forward with tremendous momentum, slamming into Rainbow Dash’s metallic wing with her talon. The pegasus staggered back, attempting to take flight, but she was too slow to react as the griffon reached out and gripped her head in a massive talon. Just as Gilda readied to drive her free talon into the pegasus’s body, Pinkamena slid between the pair and intercepted the attack, slicing through the oncoming limb. Gilda’s eyes widened, and she staggered back as she clutched at the remains of her severed appendage, blood spilling from the wound.

Rainbow Dash reared back and drove her hooves into the griffon’s face, making her loosen her grip. Gilda released a great roar, but Pinkamena flipped high overhead, landing behind her opponent. Rainbow Dash spun in the air, delivering a swift kick to the griffon, and Sweetie Belle followed up with a bolt of magic into her back. Pinkamena drew her sword back, ready to deliver the killing blow to the griffon, but an orange blur burst into the room through the opening in the ceiling and struck the earth pony, knocking her off balance.

Pinkamena rolled back to her feet and sprang backwards, landing behind Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle. Applejack staggered back to a standing position, rubbing a hoof over her stinging mouth. All four ponies took in the second intruder, an orange pegasus, as she hovered next to Gilda. She brushed a hoof through her fiery mane before setting her glowing green gaze on the four rebels.

Rainbow Dash hesitantly lowered into a defensive stance. “Gilda and Spitfire? This isn’t the reunion I was looking forward to.”

Applejack shook her head. “She’s just another drone. They were probably captured years ago here. That’d explain why they’re on patrol in this here hive.” She furrowed her brow, eyeing the blood pouring from the gaping wound on Gilda’s severed talon. “Sorry, Rainbow. She’s so far gone that she can’t even feel that wound. It might as well not even be there.”

Spitfire pointed a hoof at the group, her expression cold and distant. “By order of Empress Chrysalis, you are all sentenced to death for disturbing the central hive. Turn yourselves in at once or face the consequences.”

Applejack scoffed, spitting on the ground. “Ah reckon we pick ‘face the consequences’!”

Just as Spitfire and Gilda readied to charge the group, the stones bordering the secret entrance exploded outward from the wall. They all flew past the rebels, with one striking Spitfire square in the head and the rest burying Gilda in a heap. The rebels turned to the doorway, staring in awe at the blue aura drifting from the pair of gauntlets Peter wore over his hooves. The stallion entered the room with a calm expression on his face.

“Sorry that took so long,” Peter declared, stealing a glance as the prone pegasus and pile of rubble sitting across from his line of sight. He blinked after a moment. “Is that Spitfire?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. We should be leaving, since it looks like you found what you were looking for.” She trailed off, spotting a small, moon-shaped crystal gripped in the stallion’s hoof. “What’s that?”

“Something very important,” Peter murmured, his eyes softening as the crystal emitted a small light. The stallion closed the gap, offering the mare the gem. “Sweetie, I need you to hang on to this. Don’t let anything happen to it, okay?”

Sweetie Belle was struck speechless for a moment, but finally she nodded and slid the crystal into the hidden pocket of her suit. “Okay. I’ll be careful with it,” she stated, glancing back at the barricades as they began to fall apart. Changelings clawed at the stone, some reaching into the room desperately. The unicorn nodded, galloping to the window nearby. “Come on, everypony! We're leaving!

“Right,” Peter nodded just as changelings finally managed to break through the barricades. The stallion reached into his costume, retrieving a small hoof-full of pellets. “Sorry, guys, dinner’s been cancelled. Why don’t you all take a smoke break instead?”

The pellets landed in front of the changeling crowd, releasing billowing clouds of smoke that left the changelings blind and choking. While they struggled to recover, the rebels escaped through the open window. As the last of them cleared the sill, Gilda burst from underneath the pile of rubble with a roar, while Spitfire staggered to her hooves.

The pegasus scowled, turning her eye on the crowd of changelings. “After them!”

Even as dozens of changelings poured through the window in pursuit, the sound of a revving engine roared from outside the ruined castle. Spitfire peered outside just in time to witness a strange vehicle burst out of concealment. It sported the signature colors of Spider-Mane’s costume, and it sped over the terrain on four, large wheels at an impressive speed. As Spitfire watched, still unable to take flight herself, the changelings fruitlessly took off after the machine.

Some attempted a frontal assault, only to be mowed down completely. Others were simply too slow, unable to keep with the creation’s unyielding speed. Only a pair were able to close the distance, but Applejack stood from the backseat, delivering a swift uppercut to the one changeling’s jaw as Rainbow glided in and kicked the other from the air. Her wing showered sparks, forcing the pegasus to quickly retake her spot in the vehicle with an exasperated groan. Peter turned the steering wheel sharply as the vehicle drove along the side of the castle’s walls in a daring descent. Pinkamena, sitting in the passenger's seat next to the stallion, glanced back at their pursuers while Sweetie Belle mimicked her from the rear.

Peter pulled the handle behind the steering wheel back as they neared the ground, causing the vehicle to free itself from the wall and flipped onto its wheels once at the floor. The stallion pressed the accelerator to the floor, and the engine roared as the vehicle sped off into the distance. Spitfire and Gilda hopped from the window, both landing neatly on their feet.

The pegasus let out a sharp whistle. Before the echoes could begin to fade, three galloping, changeling-like figures appeared in the distance, making the ground rumble as they approached. As they neared Spitfire and Gilda, the figures’ grotesque sizes became clear, with each the size of a small house. Gilda and Spitfire each mounted one of the beasts, and with a wave of Spitfire’s hoof, the three massive changelings took off after the speedily receding machine with their passengers in tow.

In the meantime, Applejack slid back into her seat and peeked over the side before tapping the side of the vehicle with a hoof. “Ah still can’t believe this rollin’ toaster actually works--!” She cut off, yelping as they rolled over a bump in the road. Applejack clutched at her seat belt, tightening it. “What’d you call this contraption, Pete?”

Peter chuckled, keeping his eyes on the path ahead as he drove. “The Spider-Mobile! It’s based on a gift I got back on Earth some time ago. This is really the first--and long overdue--field test I get to perform with this baby.” His smile widened. “I’m really glad the extra features are working like a charm. I put a lot of work into the adhesive tires and equilibrium balancers.”

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, feeling the wind blow across her face and through her mane before she grinned. “Now, this is what I’m talking about! Something cool and fast! You gotta let me take this thing for a spin sometime!”

Peter smirked as he briefly arched a brow. “Sweetie Belle, what’s the fastest way back to the hideout?”

Sweetie leaned forward to reach a hoof over Peter’s shoulder and Pinkamena’s seatback, stretching her seat belt. “If we keep going in this direction, we should reach a maintenance hatch that leads to an underground passage a few miles from here.” She pointed in the distance. “We can cut through the mountains. That’s the safest route!”

Moving at a steady pace, the group managed to take the mountain path almost to the peak before the brutes came into view behind them. Still on her mount, Gilda scowled up at them before pulling a small barrel locked into the changeling’s armored neckpiece free, lighting its fuse. The brute took the barrel into its mouth and tossed it mightily toward the peak of the mountain.

Peter’s eyes widened as his spider sense blared wildly. “Huh?!”

The stallion slammed the brakes, causing the Spider-Mobile to skid to a halt. The barrel fell from the sky and landed several yards in front of them, exploding in a burst of crystal shards and magic on impact. Shrapnel scattered in the air, pelting the Spider-Mobile. One piece of the crystal shard lodged in Sweetie Belle’s shoulder as the pressure wave knocked the vehicle back, spinning until it halted at the edge of a sharp drop. They were at the peak of the mountain, and the impending descent looked to be perilous and long.

Peter glanced back at the origin of the explosion, seeing the crater it had created. “What was that all about?!”

Sweetie Belle shook her head and gritted her teeth. “Compact mines. They’re highly volatile. We can’t stay here! We’ve got to move!”

Spitfire’s brute mirrored the first, this time throwing two barrels near the peak of the mountain where the rebels were, while the third changeling pried a boulder from the ground and tossed it. The explosives landed on either side of the Spider-Mobile, but before they could detonate, Pinkamena lept from the vehicle and sliced away both fuses with her sword.

Sweetie Belle let out a relieved sigh, only to gasp sharply as her eyes fell on the boulder falling towards them. “Look out!”

The massive rock shook the ground mere hoof-lengths from their positions. The force of the impact sent Pinkamena pinwheeling through the air until she struck a tree at the top of the hill. The Spider-Mobile lost ground as its nose rose, causing the vehicle to roll down the side of the hill. Peter readied to turn back, but the boulder was sliding and rolling down the slope toward them. The stallion spun the Spider-Mobile around, putting it into gear just in time to avoid the stone. Pinkamena pulled herself together in time to watch her friends begin their barely-controlled descent down the mountain.

Applejack squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her seat as the boulder behind them sent massive vibrations through the vehicle. “C-C-C-Confound it!”

Peter fought with the steering wheel, narrowly avoided trees and obstacles in their path. “How far off course are we, Sweetie? I can’t turn around like this!”

Sweetie Belle scanned the terrain intently, even while clutching her shoulder wound. “Actually, this will work for us, but we need to keep going down! Straight down!”

Rainbow Dash peeked back with a concerned look on her face. “What about Pinkie?”

Sweetie Belle glanced back. “She knows the way!”

Behind them, the boulder began to bounce on the uneven terrain. Peter, glancing back at it, slammed on the brakes. The Spider-Mobile slowed, and the girls all screamed as the stone passed just inches over their heads before continuing its rampage down the hill.

Sweetie Belle slumped back into her seat and tried to catch her breath, beads of sweat forming at her forehead. “Well, she’ll have an easier time catching up now.”

Applejack’s hooves were pressed so hard into the back of the seat in front of her that they threatened to pierce the cover as the Spider-Mobile started moving again. “Ah really hate this thing!”

Pinkamena began to sprint down the hill, but before she could make any headway, all three brutes climbed up from behind and closed in on the mare. Without turning around, the earth pony hopped over the changeling’s hooves just as it swiped at her. However, the brute thrust its head forward into Pinkamena’s back, launching the mare several yards. She bounced and rolled across the slope, unable to slow her momentum. Gilda retrieved a spear from the brute’s armored neckpiece’s side compartment, roaring as she threw it at the earth pony, but Pinkamena sprang from the ground, deflecting the projectile with her sword before resuming her slide.

The griffon howled in frustration and reached for a second spear. This time Pinkamena slid between a pair of trees to narrowly avoid the sharp weapon. She stabbed the ground with her sword, sending her trajectory on an angle just in time to avoid getting crushed by the second brute. However, just as Pinkamena forced herself into a leap that barely cleared a boulder in her path, Spitfire rammed into her from above. The impact sent the pink mare crashing to the ground, slamming her head against the hard-packed dirt. Knocked out, Pinkamena continued to slide helplessly down the hill as the three brutes galloped after their now prone prey.

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened in horror as she watched the spectacle, leaning from her seat. “Everypony! Pinkie’s in trouble!” She smacked her wing repeatedly, only for the malfunctioning appendage to snap off its hinges completely. The pegasus cried out in frustration. “Damn it! I can’t fly! We have to do something!”

Peter stole a glance at the brutes in the side mirror. “Hang on, Dash. I’m going to try something.” The stallion flipped a few switches before pressing a button on the dashboard. A small indicator light blinked on on the panel as oil sprayed from the Spider-Mobile’s secret back hatch. The brute leading the charge, tensed and ready to pounce on Pinkamena, slipped on its hooves as they touched the slick, causing the changeling to slip out of control and crash head-first into a boulder with a sickening crack. Peter smiled triumphantly, pumping his hoof into the air. “Oil slick! Gets them every time!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and exhaled. “Of course somepony as dorky as you would put something as cliche as an oil slick into this thing!”

Applejack managed a light chuckle. “Here Ah thought we were sittin’ ducks in a metal coffin on wheels.” The blonde turned back, scoffing as the other two brutes and their rides leapt over the path of oil. “One down, two to go. Ya got any other surprises, sugarcube? They’re closin’ in on Pinkie.”

Peter shook his head, undoing his safety belt. “Afraid not. I’ll have to save Pinkie the old fashioned way: by doing something really stupid.” The stallion turned his gaze to the pegasus in the back. “Looks like you’ll have your chance to drive sooner than you thought, Skittles. You up for it?”

Before the stallion could fully leave the driver’s seat, Rainbow hopped behind the steering wheel with a fiercely eager grin. “Oh, hell yeah!”

Peter moved to the passenger’s seat, pointing a hoof as he stood up. “Use this to go faster! Use that to stop! Use this to steer! And whatever you do, don’t press this button!” The pegasus only nodded, murmuring a barely-audible response as she already started guiding the vehicle past obstacles at high speed. Peter hopped into the backseat before standing on top of the rear bumper, maintaining his balance in spite of the vehicle’s constant shaking. “Sweetie Belle! Do me a favor and keep Dash on the right track. I’ll save Pinkie and take out those brutes!”

Applejack chuckled, earning a surprised expression from the stallion as she mirrored his actions and stood alongside him on the bumper. “Ah think it’s high time Ah got my hooves dirty, too.” The blonde smiled, extending a hoof. “Ready, partner?”

Peter bumped his hoof against Applejack’s. “Let’s do it.”

Sweetie Belle climbed into the passenger's seat before giving the pair a worried look. “Please be careful!”

Applejack whooped at the top of her lungs as she flipped from the vehicle, landing on her hooves before sliding down the hill. The blonde dug a hoof into the ground to direct her slide, slowing her descent until Pinkamena’s unconscious body caught up to her. Gilda’s brute sped towards the pair with its fangs drawn. Applejack grinned smugly, leaping forward directly onto the changeling’s face. She smashed her hoof into the bridge of its nose several times before snatching its ear, shifting the entirety of her weight to the side until the brute changed its path, now heading away from Pinkamena.

Peter slid to the pink mare, slinging her frame over his shoulder before leaping high into the air. The stallion landed on the back seat of the Spider-Mobile and gently laid Pinkamena down. Meanwhile, Applejack readied herself to climb onto the brute’s back, but the mare was forced to dodge as a spear narrowly missed her from above. Gilda snarled before thrusting her weapon a second time, forcing Applejack to swing her legs and propel herself into the air. Applejack flipped high overhead, landing on the brute’s back mere hoof-lengths from Gilda.

The griffin jabbed with the spear, only for Applejack to drive her foreleg through the wooden shaft. The sharp tip spun high into the air as Gilda threw a series of crazed slashes at her foe with her remaining talon. Applejack took a step back while dodging each attack, finally blocking the last with both forelegs before she could lose ground. She followed with a flurry of strikes, delivering a straight punch, followed by a back-hoof, and ending with an uppercut. The griffin staggered back, losing her footing on the brute’s back, and she dug her claw into its head, desperate to save herself from being trampled.

The brute cried out, shaking its head madly to free the griffon’s claw from its carapace. Applejack pulled one of the remaining spears from the brute’s side compartment of the neckpiece before slamming the head down, impaling the back of the changeling’s neck. The monster’s legs abruptly stopped moving as its spinal cord was severed. The brute’s body was overcome by its momentum, and it toppled over. Gilda lost her grip, falling into a roll on the slope. Before she could react, the changeling’s body collapsed on top of her, crushing the griffin under its weight as it rolled out of control.

Applejack hopped to safety, skidding along the hill. “That’s two down!”

She flipped high into the air as she neared the last brute, but Spitfire darted forward, wrapping her hooves around the earth pony’s waist before throwing her off. Applejack bounced off the ground, rolling across the hill. The brute made to trample over the blonde, but Peter leapt in front of her, managing to strike the changeling across the face. The brute shook off the attack and attempted to pounce on both ponies, forcing them to dodge in different directions.

Peter attacked from the side, firing strands of webbing after Spitfire, but the pegasus soared through the sky, slipping past every thread that zipped toward her. Meanwhile, Applejack spun and latched onto the brute’s side. Before she could strike the changeling, Spitfire looped around and delivered a swift kick to the earth pony. Peter dove underneath, making it just in time to catch the Applejack in his hooves. Unexpectedly, the brute increased its speed, widening the distance between itself and the pair as it galloped down the mountain. The Spider-Mobile was within its crosshairs, and Spitfire stared down at her foes. The brute huffed, opening its mouth as flames churned from inside its maw.

Sweetie Belle peeked back, her eyes widening at the approaching sight. “Rainbow! Spitfire’s gaining!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the traffic update, Sweetie! You going to do sports and weather next?!”

Sweetie Belle shot the pegasus a glare, pointing a hoof at the path ahead. “If you’re going to be rude about it, then I guess you don’t want to know about the one thousand hoof drop we’re going to hit in about thirty seconds!”

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow. “Wait. That sounds like you’re saying there’s…” Sparing a quick glance at the unicorn, the pegasus turned her gaze to the path ahead, or more accurately, the lack thereof. The uneven slope of dirt and boulders before them was about to become nothing but empty space. “A cliff?!”

The brute behind them inhaled deeply, the flames within its mouth burning more intensely. Peter furrowed his brow as he and Applejack trailed behind the beast. “Time’s running out, and I’m out of ideas,” he muttered, but almost immediately a thought struck him. “Wait! No, I’m not! Applejack!” The blonde slid next to the stallion before he continued. “Do you remember the fastball special I used to practice with Rainbow Dash all the time? How about we do our version of it?”

Applejack blinked for a moment before a confident smirk graced her features. “Good idea, Pete. Ah think it’s time we take Little Miss Spitfire out.”

Peter latched a strand of webbing onto the blonde’s back and leaped into the air with her quickly following. “Batter up!”

The stallion began to spin, all the while holding onto the webbing in his hoof, pulling Applejack into an orbit around him. Their speed increased dramatically as they whirled like a spinning propeller. Finally, Peter released his webbing, and Applejack soared through the air with her forelegs extended, slamming into the brute’s side with devastating force just as it released a ball of flame from its gaping mouth. The earth pony’s kick shattered the changeling’s exoskeleton and sent the monster flying. Spitfire and the brute bounced off the mountain and hit the ground with a huge impact.

The fireball connected with its target, exploding as it slammed into the back of the Spider-Mobile. The vehicle spun out of control as it neared the edge, slinging Pinkamena’s body from the back. She tumbled helplessly, her unconscious body nearing the cliff. Rainbow Dash quickly switched between keeping her eyes on the earth pony and the steering wheel, before leaping overboard without hesitation. She slid into Pinkamena and wrapped a hoof around her waist, driving her free hoof into the ground. The pair skidded to a halt with yards to spare from the edge of the cliff.

Sweetie Belle stood from the Spider-Mobile’s seat, ready to make her escape as well, but a jolt of pain rushed through her shoulder, causing the mare to collapse and clutch at the shard still lodged in her flesh. The Spider-Mobile spun over the edge of the cliff and began to fall. Peter slid down the the cliff, raced past Rainbow Dash, and sprang off of the edge in pursuit, soaring through the air. He shot a strand of webbing onto the vehicle as it spun, pulling himself onto the hood.

“Cars are not meant for flying!” Peter quipped, extending a hoof to Sweetie Belle. “Unless you’re Ron Weasley!"

The mare stood, allowing the stallion to wrap a hoof around her waist before he jumped with every ounce of his spider strength. Peter just managed to reach the edge of the cliff, landing on his hind legs. Down below, the Spider-Mobile bounced off the rocky outcroppings of the cliff until it reached the bottom, announcing its arrival with a fiery explosion.. Applejack slowed herself to a halt as she neared the bottom of the hill, exchanging a glance with Rainbow Dash. Peter gently placed Sweetie Belle down, giving the mare a smile before peeking down over the edge.

Applejack patted the stallion over the shoulder. “Nice save, partner.”

“All of that hard work… gone,” Peter muttered, cringing as a second explosion erupted from the remains below. “Well, it was fun while it lasted.”

Rainbow Dash nodded with a disheartened expression. “You bet. Sorry, Peter. I can’t drive worth crap.”

Shaking his head, the stallion turned back to everypony with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. What matters is that you girls are okay. I can replace the car someday, not my friends.” The stallion glanced at the unconscious earth pony resting in Rainbow’s hooves. “Is Pinkie okay?”

Applejack leaned over Pinkamena. “She hit her head pretty hard, but she’ll make it.”

Sweetie Belle limped away from the group, lifting a hatch concealed within the ground. “Everypony! Here’s our exit! We should move while we--!” She cursed under her breath, dropping the door as the pain in her shoulder surged. “Damn it!”

Peter rushed to the unicorn’s side, lifting the door with one hoof while holding a concerned look in his eyes. “Easy there, Sweetie. I got your back.” His gaze fell on the crystal lodged in the mare’s shoulder. He reached out, only for Sweetie to slap his hoof away. “Are you okay? That looks like it hurts. Should we pull it out?”

Sweetie Belle glanced away, shielding the wound with her hoof. “No, I’ll bleed out if it’s removed and not treated immediately. I can manage for a little longer. Let’s just hurry back to the base so I can take care of this and tend to Pinkamena.”

Peter arched a brow. “Are you a nurse, too? Wow. You really are talented in more ways than one.”

Sweetie shook her head. “No, but we have to learn to survive. I simply took it upon myself to learn what I could from Miss Felicia to help the others whenever I can. Adapt and survive. Anypony can do it.”

Peter chuckled to himself. “I think you’re just being modest.” He held the door open, allowing Sweetie Belle to enter the hatch first. Applejack and Rainbow Dash followed, with Pinkamena supported between them. The stallion glanced at the destruction left in their wake, his eyes falling on one of the dead brutes. Spitfire lay unconscious near its position, buried underneath one of its hooves. The stallion’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry, Spitfire. I’ll fix this. I promise,” he whispered, entering the hatch and closing the door behind him.