Oh... horseapples... my head... where the hay am I?
"Please, be okay..."
The quiet voice echoed throughout the dark area. Where the hay... how did I get here?
I tried to move my right fore-hoof, but it refused to budge. I don't even have the strength to move whatever cloth is over me off. What happened?
My chest throbbed in pain. I groaned, weakly turning my head to the right and resting it on the ground.
"Rocky, are you awake?" Somepony stood, their shadow hulking over me. I coughed as hoof-steps approached me.
I tried to speak, but the only thing that I could emit was a quiet groan.
"Rocky?" Lance leaned down to me, staring at me with concern. "Nod if you're awake."
I feebly nodded.
"Thank goodness." She huffed. "I-I was so worried. It was touch and go for a while there."
I nodded again, unable to speak.
"Do you want something to eat? Or drink?"
I nodded weakly. Lance trotted away from me. She returned after a moment, holding the bag in her wing.
"I'll have to get some more food and water tomorrow. We've only got a small piece of bread left and only a small bit of water left." Lance stopped in front of me, kneeling down and pulling out the small bottle of water. She unscrewed the cap, holding it to my lower lip.
"Can you lean up?" Lance asked. I nodded as I slowly moved my left fore-hoof onto their palms, trying to push them up. Okay, I need to get my strength back somehow...
I managed to get my hooves on the ground and tried to push up farther, but my hoof gave out. Lance caught my head before I hit the ground.
"Careful!" Lance scolded. "Here-." She brought it to my lips, waiting for me to put my lips on it. "Drink up." Lance said with a smile.
I guzzled down the water, giving some moisture to my dry throat. I took note that there was a cut on the pony's right cheek, near going down near her lips. The pulled the bottle away from me and sealed the cap.
"Sorry. but we can't spare any more than that. We're already low on food and water as it is." Lance trotted to the wall at my hind-hooves, sitting down and looking to the outside. I cleared my throat.
"L-Lance..." My voice was weak and frail. Lance turned back to me. "Are... are you all right? Is Blooming okay? Did the changelings leave?"
"We're fine. Blooming fell asleep a couple of hours ago. She's beside you- thought it'd cheer you up to know we cared about you." She pointed to my left side. Thank goodness. She's not afraid of me anymore.
"After you passed out, I chased off the changelings with your spear and took theirs. Took all except for one and buried them in the snow. So now we have two- one for me, and the other for you. They're bound to report to Chrysalis, so we'll have to get moving soon." Lance stood, trotting towards the opening of the cave. "You up to it?"
"Do I really have a choice? They'll-" I coughed in the middle of my sentence. "Be back with reinforcements."
"You're right... but you're still injured. You can barely lean up a couple of inches. How the hay are you gonna walk?"
"I'll figure something out."
"All right... well, get some rest, Rocky. We'll need to start moving soon. Blooming or I'll wake you up in an hour or two." She trotted outside the cave, slowing as she reached the entrance to the cave.
I nodded as silence fell over the room. I let my eyes shut as I tried to go back to sleep.
"And Rocky, just so you know, Blooming's not the only one who's glad you're okay." Hoofsteps lead away from me, snow crunching as she exited. I opened my left eye, seeing she had stopped out in the open.
"Thank you, Lance." I whispered with a smile. "I'll try to get better soon. For both of you."
---
Shining Armor laid in his bed, perfectly still. He'd been laying there for hours, unable to sleep. He sat up and got up off of the bed
I need to find something to do. I'm tired of just sitting around. Shining thought. He trotted over to the bookshelf, looking for any book written in Equestrian.
No... nothing. Shining thought, having searched through all the six shelves on the bookshelf for a book in Equestrian, finding no such thing. He sighed as he began to trot over to the bed.
"No... why..."
Shining stopped a sorrowful voice said. The voice was coming from the hallway, outside the door. He trotted over to his door and listened.
Nothing but weeping and murmurs.
I wish I could step outside... but Queen Chrysalis' guards are out there.
"He reminds me of you so much..."
Who is she talking about?
The rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sound of hooves trotting in front of Shining's door. A knock came from the hallway as a door opened.
"Yes?" Shining leaned in closer, clearly hearing Taltra's voice.
"It is our duty to inform you that one of our search parties found the escaped prisoners."
I'm glad at least some of the crystal ponies made it out of here... b-but, it means less for Queen Chrysalis.
"Really? Have you informed her royal highness yet?"
"Yes."
"What is their status? Have they been captured?"
"No. They managed to rappel our forces."
"Okay. Go ahead and send another party after them. Queen Chrysalis and I'll decide what else to do tomorrow morning."
"Of course. Goodnight."
The door shut. The changelings trotted back down the hallway.
It's best that they catch them. Queen Chrysalis deserves all the love she can get from them.
"I-I need to throw this picture away..."
The door opened again, only to shut a few seconds later. Afterward, there was nothing but silence.
I need to get to sleep...
Shining trotted over to his bed and laid in his bed, his thoughts on what Taltra was talking about.
I need to figure out who she's talking about... maybe she threw that picture out into the hallway? I'll have to check tomorrow.
---
Twilight Sparkle trotted down the hallway towards her bedroom, carrying her notebooks and a few textbooks in her saddlebags.
Maybe I could get in some more research before I fall asleep. Twilight thought, trotting up to her bedroom door and opening the door. She was met with the sight of Spike, laying down on the pillow.
"Twi'," Spike welcomed her sluggishly.
"Hi, Spike? Did you just wake up?"
"No. I've been up for a while."
"Good. Have you had anything to eat?"
"Yeah. A servant came here an hour or two ago and brought me some gems. She brought you some tea and a bowl of oats, but the tea's probably cold by now."
"It's fine. I'll drink it while I study anyway." Twilight trotted to the table and setting the books on the middle of the table.
"All right. Can I help? It'll keep me awake."
"Sure Spike. Let me get you caught up to where I've gotten."
After a long-winded conversation with Spike, explaining the theoretical spell, the changes in the experiments that she's done so far, and she even showed him the piece of the frozen feather she had chipped off.
"Cool..." Spike said, as he went to grab the feather. Twilight stopped him before he could be grabbing his paw.
"You need to be careful. This is very- very fragile. I'd like to keep this to compare and contrast if things change." Twilight said. Spike nodded.
"I will."
Twilight let go of his paw and he gently picked up the feather from Twilight's hoof.
"It feels weird..."
"Yeah. It hasn't started melting yet, so I guess that there's some magical enchantment keeping its physical properties to change."
"Yeah. Well, here you go." Spike said, delicately handing it back to Twilight. She gently inserted it into her saddlebags.
"Thank you," Twilight trotted over to the table and sat in the chair in front of the textbooks. "Let's get started."
---
"Rocky, we need to start moving."
Lance gently shook my left shoulder as she pulled the blanket off of me. She stood over me, the blanket over her neck.
"Can you get up?"
"L... let me try."I said. I rolled over to my side and then onto my stomach. My weakened hooves lightly shake as I push myself up.
"Do you need some help?"
"No. I can do this."
I'm not about to slow down just because a changeling hurt me. Hay- Lance has an infected shoulder, and she's still taking care of me.
"Hi, Lance. I put-?!"
Blooming dropped the small bag she was holding as she saw me, her face struck with horror.
"What, Blooming?" Lance's voice took a frustrated tone.
"U-um... s-sorry. I wasn't expecting h-his coat to be like that." She glanced away, a blush spreading across her face as she picked up the bag, holding it to her side. "I-I put those things in the bag like you told me to."
"Good. Rocky, you all right to trot for a while?"
"I'm fine, Lance."
"All right. Let me know if you need to stop-" "I'll be fine Lance." I interrupted. Lance stared at me, shooting daggers at me. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
"I'm just looking out for you, okay?"
"I know Lance. Just- don't act like I'm made of glass. I'm fine, trust me." I said with a smile. Lance nodded and trotted out of the cave with Blooming. I followed behind slowly.
---
Shining Armor trotted down a dark hallway, seemingly extending on infinitely. The tiles on the floor had long been chipped away and broken down by the sands of time. The walls above and beside him were uneven, sticking out at him. Almost like he was in a cave. The darkness around the cave made it had to see if there were any ponies or changelings around him.
This is strange... where am I? Shining questioned. There's got to be a way out somewhere.
BANG
Shining slightly jumped as the loud sound filled the hallway. He stopped and looked around the room.
"Hello? Is any pony- changeling there?" He called out. Nopony or changelings responded
There has to be somepony or changeling else down here.
Shining started trotting the hallway once more. Suddenly, the wall filled with light. Brighter than anything he had ever seen- almost as bright as Celestia's Sun.
"Hurry! This way!"
Shining immediately recognized the voice as two figures appeared in the light, running towards him frantically. They both had horns and had their wings outstretched.
That's Twilight!
"Twilight! Over here!" Shining called out as he galloped towards them. However, they kept going. Even after they had passed him.
"Go, go, go! They're coming!" The pony behind Twilight said as she began to flap her wings in an effort to try and go faster. Shining recognized that voice as well.
"Twilight! Cadance! Wait up!" He said as turned around and began to run after them. A low hissing sound droned on in the background, lower down the hall.
"Please! I can help you two outta here!" Shining called out. They didn't acknowledge him. Out of the corner of his eye, Shining noticed that the light behind them was beginning to disappear as the hissing got closer to them. The light in front of them also began to darken.
Twilight, Cadance, and Shining began to slow to a stop at the light around them became enveloped in darkness. The hissing around them got closer and louder as blue, eye-like orbs circled around them.
"It was foalish to think you'd leave here with Cadance, Twilight."
Queen Chrysalis stepped out from the crowd of changelings, her face revealed by the now dim light.
"You won't get away with what you've done! Princess Celestia will stop you!"
"Are you sure about that? I've consumed enough love and have enough drones to stop two alicorns, who says that I can't stop two more?"
"You're a monster!" Princess Cadance called out a large orb of her blue magical aura emitted from her horn. She pointed her horn at Queen Chrysalis and released the magic, forcing it towards her. Queen Chrysalis' eyes widen as the orb rapidly approached her. She quickly stepped out of its path, allowing it to hit one of the changelings behind her.
"One drone for two alicorns." She noted, stepping back to her prior position.
No... please don't let it come to this... please...
"Drain them of their love. then put them back in the dungeon." Queen Chrysalis said, stepping away from the little light left. As the changelings stepped closer to Twilight and Cadance, the light was fully absorbed by the darkness.
"This is what'll happen if you betray me, Shining Armor."
Shining jerked around to see Queen Chrysalis behind him.
---
Shining Armor jerked up, his eyes jolting open as he glanced around his bedroom. He frantically searched around the room, looking for Twilight or Cadance. Nopony or changeling was with him.
It was just a nightmare... Shining sighed, running his hoof through his mane, wiping away cold sweat.
"This is what'll happen if you betray me, Shining Armor."
Shining sighed.
I won't. He thought as if Queen Chrysalis could hear him.
Shining laid back down, shutting his eyes.
I'll continue to serve her, to keep them safe.
---
"Twilight, are we about finished?" Spike said, looking up from the textbook he was reading. He yawned, covering his mouth.
"Yeah, Spike. Just let me finish this last experiment and write down some notes if anything has changed, then we'll stop for the night." Twilight Sparkle quickly scribbled down her notes. There had been no changes in her recent experiments whatsoever.
"Okay, Twi'." Spike said. He shut the textbook and sat it to his side.
"So... has anything came up on where Shining Armor might be?"
"Somepony in the village said she saw him traveling with Princess Cadance and another mare, but that's all we've heard or seen for now," Twilight said as she read over her previous notes one last time. "I hope we'll get more information soon."
"All right." Spike said. Twilight extended her right wing, looking over it for any loose or bent feathers she could use.
One more time. Twilight plucked out a bent feather. She sat it down on the table in front of her and looked over the spell one more time.
"Okay..." Twilight sighed. She thought over the spell as she loaded the combination of magic into her horn.
Please let this work...
Twilight pointed her horn towards the feather and released the magic.
Br-irnbg
"Woah..."
Twilight looked up at the feather. Several other small feathers had stemmed from the bone of the feather.
"Strange... I'll have to change the spell."
Twilight trotted over to her notebook and picked up her quill. She dipped the end of it into the bowl of ink she and beside it and began to change her spell.
"That is so cool... and sorta freakish at the same time."
"You get used to it after a while," Twilight giggled, finishing the new spell.
---
Loose strands of my mane hung over my face, over my eyes. My head hung low to the ground. To my right, there was a stream that had frozen over. To my left and ahead of me, there was the familiar sight of withered trees. However, the forest diverted at the sides of the stream. The stream twisted and turned far up the path. I didn't look up to even try to see how far it went, too tired to even bring my head up.
I took a deep breath as I forced my weak hooves to trot forward, towards Lance and Blooming.
I feel so weak... too weak... we've only been trotting for an hour. This shouldn't be a problem.
"You doing okay back there, Rocky?"
I pulled my head back up and noticed Lance looking back at me while she trotted. She had our bag around her neck.
"I'm... I'm fine."
I can make it, I can make it...
"You sure you don't need to stop for a while? You're not looking too hot."
"It's just... I'm... nothing. Just keep going."
Lance stared at me for a moment, looking me over.
"Fine... just, don't push yourself, all right?"
I nodded to Lance before lowering my head closer to the ground.
I won't slow us down.
I forced myself to trot faster towards them.
As I got closer to Lance, my vision begins to blur and go in and out of focus.
"R....y"
I kept pushing myself forward.
"Ro...y"
My breath slows as I stop.
"Rocky?"
I glance back, seeing Lance and Blooming standing behind me. Lance stared at me, confused and concerned.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lance took a step towards me, extending her right fore-hoof.
"I..."
I-I can't stand anymore.
My hooves trembled, before giving out. I collapsed onto my right side.
"Rocky!"
Lance rushed to me, kneeling down and rubbing my side.
"I-is he okay?"
She rubbed my left shoulder. "Rocky?!"
Lance grabbed my left fore-hoof and tried to pull me up.
"Please get up..." Her voice trembled as she pulled me onto my hooves. I rested my head in the crook of her neck and sluggishly trotted with her.
"Don't worry, Rocky. I... I'll help you until you can trot on your own."
I lifted my head, looking at her to protest, but stopped as I saw that tears had begun to well in her eyes. Is she that worried about me?
"Is he going to be a-all right?"
"Yes. He is." Lance sternly said as she blinked rapidly for a moment, dispelling the tears.
Too weak to do anything else, I let my head fall back into the crook of her neck and my eyes close.
---