//------------------------------//
// 8 No Rest for the Weary 
// Story: The Last Cutie Mark Crusader 
// by Jatheus 
//------------------------------//

Scootaloo’s weary muscles gave everything they had in that final burst before she leapt from the top of Ghastly Gorge. She saw Lightning Dasher make it to safety, and she followed Sparklefly and Pibs off the edge of the cliff and into the air. They were picking up speed, having escaped the timberwolves. The only other thing to worry about was changeling magic; they also had wings. Still, the flight from their enemies had left her with a kind of exhilaration as she flew fast away from what might have been all of their deaths. The thrill of survival had a rejuvenating effect, temporarily.

She called back, "How about that, Brownie?”

There was no reply.

“Cloud Blazer, you good?"

He didn't answer. Scootaloo banked hard left, coming around and scanning the area until movement caught her eye. She spotted her friend, the paint pegasus Cloud Blazer, just before he hit the ground at the bottom of Ghastly Gorge. He looked so small at this distance. She was frozen there in that moment as she processed what had happened; it didn’t make any sense. Her friend lay on the canyon floor, unmoving.

All thoughts of sense escaped her, and Scootaloo cried out in near panic, "Twilight Squad, follow me!"

She darted directly for Cloud Blazer without even checking to see whether any of the others had heard that order. Wind rushed against her face and her heart felt like it would explode for fear. She landed a little harder than she meant to and sprawled out on the canyon floor near the river. She spat out the taste of rocks and dust and jumped up, limping on one knee that had hit the ground with the brunt of her weight. She ran to Cloud Blazer. There was blood everywhere, with more of it still seeping from wounds hidden inside his wrecked armor. His right hind leg was twisted out at an unnatural angle, and his wings were a disfigured and nearly featherless mess.

Scootaloo was bordering on complete terror. Her face felt like fire, and it was hard to see. She was crying. Wiping the tears away, she moved right next to him, but wasn't sure what to do. She hesitated there, tears running freely down her cheeks for her fallen friend.

"Don't touch him!" she heard Lightning Dasher yell from behind.

Sparklefly and Pibs were with him. Lightning Dasher was freely bleeding from several small wounds to his hindquarters, and one gash in his neck. The other three members of the squad approached slowly. Pibs and Sparklefly pulled Scootaloo back just two steps. Lightning Dasher threw off his helmet, and got down on the ground near Cloud Blazer's mouth. He sat there silently, only the sound of the river and Scootaloo's crying could be heard. She couldn’t seem to stop.

Lightning Dasher looked up gravely, "He's alive."

Scootaloo and the others gasped with relief.

He continued, "But this is bad. Really bad. I don't think there's anything I can do." The yellow pegasus shrugged and shook his head. “It’s hopeless.”

Pibs was also crying now, softly.

Sparklefly asked, "Should we at least try to get his armor off?"

Lightning Dasher replied, “I think his armor might be all that's holding him together. He undoubtedly has several broken bones; if we move him... At this point, I can only make things worse.”

Scootaloo didn’t realize she had slumped to the ground and was sitting on the rocky surface. All sense of duty and responsibility was lost to her for the sorrow she now felt. An unknown voice called out from a little way down the canyon. It was unintelligible between its own echo and the sound of the river.

Scootaloo leapt up and ordered, “Form a firing line; prepare for contact!"

The three mares and stallion formed a defensive perimeter a few paces in front of their fallen comrade. In a moment crossbows were locked and loaded, aiming at a single target that stood alone ahead of them. Scootaloo blinked the tears away and saw a white unicorn mare with green eyes standing in front of them. Even in her present state, she recognized the face and her curly pink and lavender mane.

"Sweetie Belle?" Scootaloo asked, confused.

Sweetie Belle took a step back at being called by name. "Who are you?" she asked.

Scootaloo attempted to answer, but only was able to croak inaudibly. She lowered her crossbow and waved the others to stand down. They followed her example and relaxed.

Sparklefly replied, "We are soldiers in Her Majesty’s EUP. I'm Corporal Sparklefly, these are Corporals Lightning Dasher and Pibs, and this is our sergeant, Scootaloo."

Sweetie Belle blinked in disbelief. Scootaloo couldn't help but wonder how horrible she must look for her friend to not recognize her. A sinking feeling came over her.

Scootaloo ordered, "Stand fast! She could be a changeling."

Sparklefly and Lightning Dasher dropped into a combat stance again, weapons raised.

"Changeling?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Scootaloo nodded, and then said, "Tell me something that only Sweetie Belle would know."

Sweetie Belle stood there as if she were trying to come up with a reply.

Tension hung in the air as they waited. Scootaloo was prepared to order the squad to take her prisoner. The thought of accidentally killing Sweetie Belle was too much to risk hurting her.

"Well?"

Sweetie Belle shrugged, “I haven't seen you in several months, but I know why you left. You went to save Equestria and to find your cutie mark," she said carefully. “More than anything, you want to be just like your big sister, Rainbow Dash, even though you’re not really related.” The unicorn shrugged again, “Scoot, I don’t think there’s anything I could say that would be completely convincing.”

Scootaloo suddenly felt very heavy and collapsed to the ground again. She heard Sparklefly give the order to stand down, and they let Sweetie Belle approach. Scootaloo looked up to Sparklefly, but could only see blobs of color because she was crying again.

"I need to rest a minute. Please take command," she said weakly as her head sank down to the canyon floor. The emotions that were running through Scootaloo right now were extremely volatile, and even if her physical condition hadn’t been as weakened as it had from the strain of combat, she would not have been in shape to continue making good decisions just now. The frightening part was not that she had become aware of this fact, it was that she no longer cared.

...

Sparklefly was somehow still in control of her feelings as if she had shut them down completely. They had been betrayed by Nitro, who was a changeling, Regal Masquerade and Nimba were dead, the princess was captured, and now Cloud Blazer was dying. It would have been overwhelming, and for this reason, she only felt sympathy for Scootaloo right now as she lay incapacitated on the rocky floor of Ghastly Gorge. She dreaded the prospect of being in command, but there was little choice at the moment.

“Pibs, get the sergeant some water." She turned to Sweetie Belle, "You are a friend of Scootaloo?"

"Yes," came Sweetie Belle's reply.

Sparklefly nodded, “Then I'm sure you know him also; I'm sorry to be the one to inform you." Pointing at the heap behind them, she said, "That's Cloud Blazer."

She intentionally said this bluntly to assess Sweetie Belle's reaction. The shock and sadness that flooded her face was enough to convince Sparklefly that she was not a changeling.

"How is it that you arrived here?" Sparklefly asked.

"We moved here when the forest became unsafe. I came out because I heard a lot of noise," the unicorn answered, tears filling her eyes. "I guess it was from you fighting at the top. Sound bounces around down here and it’s impossible to tell where its coming from."

This made some sense to Sparklefly.

"What happened to him?" Sweetie Belle asked, trying to dry her eyes.

Pibs finished giving Scootaloo water and answered, "We were scouting in the forest and got ambushed."

Sparklefly added, "One of our number was a changeling; he led us right into the trap. Two were killed, and Princess Twilight was captured. We escaped, but Cloud Blazer didn't make the jump. He fell."

“Is he...” she began but couldn’t finish.

“Not yet,” Sparklefly said gravely, “but he will be soon.”

Sweetie Belle spoke quickly as if some hope had been restored, "We need to get him to Zecora. If anypony can help him. It'll be her!"

Lightning Dasher said, "We can't move him. The injuries are too severe. There's nothing we can do."

Sweetie Belle said, "If there's nothing we can do, then it won't hurt for me to try."

Lightning Dasher objected, "You'll kill him."

"I'll use an immobilizing spell. We should be able to move him after that."

Sparklefly decided there were no better options. Staying here would be too dangerous, and she didn't want to just leave him. Besides, the unicorn was right:  if he were about to die anyway, then any attempt to help would be better than waiting for the inevitable.

"A small hope is better than none. Do it," she said to Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo had recovered enough to stand again, but she wasn’t responding to anything that happened at the moment. The pale blue-green of Sweetie Belle's magic glowed about her horn, and then rays of light covered and filled Cloud Blazer's body, making it completely stiff. Sparklefly and Lightning Dasher, with no small amount of effort, picked up the pegasus and carried him between them. Rocks and pebbles were driven into him where he had hit the ground. They could now see that the bank of the river where he’d landed was a little softer than further away from the stream and had formed a small crater where he'd struck. If he'd been only a few steps over, he'd have hit solid rock and likely have died on impact.

Sparklefly was glad to have help lifting the rigid body. She didn't realize that Cloud Blazer was so heavy. They carried him down the canyon to a cave that wasn't far around the bend. Weary muscles kept moving as quickly as possible under the weight. Scootaloo was still in a daze, but she followed Pibs without question.

As they approached the entrance to the cave, Sweetie Belle called out, "Zecora, I'm back. My friends need help; they're hurt."

A zebra mare greeted them at the entrance to the cave, "Bring your friends in, young Sweetie Belle; we will do what we can to make them well." She had a thick accent, and a rather deep voice for a mare.

Sparklefly took note that this cave would be defendable if necessary. The entrance was only just large enough for two ponies to enter side by side. The only concern she had was whether there were another way out. The canyon was large enough to put a force in to trap them without any difficulty. It wasn't a large cave, but it was the size of a small house. It was evident that the zebra and unicorn had been living here for a few weeks or longer. There was food, and even some furniture, though it was rudimentary. They had actual straw beds. Along one wall were shelves that were filled with flasks and jars filled with herbs and strange-colored liquids. There was also a large iron pot on a fire and a small opening that passed for a chimney above it. It did well to vent the smoke from the fire, but it would be far too small to climb into. There was only one way in or out.

They placed Cloud Blazer on the table. Sweetie Belle refreshed the immobilizing spell, and she and Zecora got to work removing his armor. In the mean time, Lightning Dasher saw to the wounds the rest of the squad had sustained. Sparklefly couldn't see out of her left eye. She was afraid it might never recover. One look in a mirror confirmed her fear. The powerful claws of the timberwolf had raked deep across her face; her eye was destroyed. The other injuries included several shrapnel wounds and magic burns. Notable damage included Pibs's shoulder, Scootaloo's left flank, and Lightning Dasher's hindquarters, the back of his neck and wings. Additionally, there were cuts, scrapes, and bruises beyond counting. Considering what happened to Regal Masquerade and Nimba, the survivors were very fortunate.

Everypony was terribly thirsty and dirty from the exertion of battle, and they all drank long refreshing drinks of their water and cleaned the earth from their faces. The water was hot and tasted horrible, but it might have been the best that Sparklefly ever drank. Lightning Dasher's canteen had been punctured, as had Cloud Blazer’s, but there was plenty of water in the river. Scootaloo was still dazed, and heaviness hung over all four remaining members of the squad. Sparklefly considered their options, none of which seemed good. If they fell back to Ponyville, they almost certainly would have no hope of rescuing the princess. If they went back in to get her, there's no way they'll ever make it out alive. There were just too many timberwolves, and the forest was so thick back there that they'd have no hope of getting in undetected, to say nothing of getting out again. They needed two things:  a way to thin out the horde of those beasts, and a way to destroy the net with which the changelings had covered the area. At the moment, they had neither.

Zecora was brewing something that smelled horrible. The others were compelled to go outside for fresh air. Sparklefly filled Sweetie Belle in with more detail of what had happened to them and how Princess Twilight had been captured.

"This is just awful," Sweetie Belle said. "What are you going to do next?"

Scootaloo interrupted, "We have to go back in." She spoke very flatly.

The rest of the squad looked at her. After all of the cuts and scrapes, and tears shed, she looked rough. Sparklefly could tell that Scootaloo had returned, which was a relief.

The sergeant continued, "Our mission is not complete, and one of ours has been taken prisoner. We have to find a way to get to her and complete the mission. First thing's first. Lightning Dasher, are you well enough for another trip to Ponyville?"

Lightning Dasher nodded, "Yes, ma'am. I'm fit to fly."

Scootaloo said, "Good. I need you to find Brax, inform him of our situation, and request all available support he can muster. He’ll also need to inform Cloudsdale about the changelings immediately.“

Lightning Dasher nodded and took flight, leaving the Ghastly Gorge and heading back to Ponyville.

"The problem is getting in undetected. Any ideas?" Scootaloo asked.

Sparklefly and Pibs were silent. Dread was welling up inside Sparklefly at what was coming. Now they were only four ponies against whatever was in the forest. Even if reinforcements came, they had fewer than a hundred soldiers in all of Ponyville. It would take too long for them to arrive any way but by air, which would reduce the numbers of those that could come drastically. At best, they could hope for maybe a dozen.

Sparklefly finally said, "Ponyville is too far away to send help all the way in here in time."

Scootaloo countered, "The rail lines are still functional. If they take the train, they can have the entire Ponyville defense force here within an hour or two. Those lines run just around the bend from here. We’ll be back in action in no time."

Pibs asked, "Are you sure there's a train in Ponyville? I thought they had all been shut down since the war started."

Scootaloo replied, "That's true, but one is in Ponyville even now, just waiting to be needed. Today is the day it is sitting for."

Sweetie Belle's ears perked up as if she heard something. She ran into the cave and then turned back around.

"Scootaloo! He's awake!" she said almost frantically.

Scootaloo, Pibs, and Sparklefly all hurried inside together. Sparklefly saw Cloud Blazer's armor, a crumpled mess on the floor. He didn't look much better. Zecora had cleaned his wounds out and applied a foul smelling green sludge to all of the open cuts. She was giving him water with some herbs crushed up in it to drink. He coughed and sputtered, wincing in pain. He was nearly as crumpled as his armor.

Zecora certainly knew her medicines. She had set his broken leg and immobilized his wings. The right side of his face, where he had impacted, was very swollen. There was poultice of some kind that he was resting on. His eye was open. It was bloodshot and weary. Sparklefly was certain that he couldn’t actually see them. There was no light of life in his blank gaze.

Scootaloo asked, "Will he live?" She was looking at Zecora.

"We can only know for certain that which has passed, but I believe that this day will not be his last," she replied.

Scootaloo approached him softly. "You're going to be fine, Brownie. You'll be flying again before you know it."

He coughed. Blood came out.

Zecora spoke softly, "Hush for now, young one; your healing has only begun."

They sat with him for a while as Zecroa continued applying medicines and tending to his injuries. Sparklefly was glad for the rest. She could tell that Pibs was also. Scootaloo was incredibly preoccupied with Cloud Blazer. Sparklefly knew how hard it was to lose somepony that close. Her thoughts drifted to Apple Loosa, when she last saw her father alive.

A short while later, Scootaloo and Sparklefly went outside to talk.

Scootaloo started, "I'm not a hundred percent anymore. To be blunt, I don't feel I can lead this next op. I want you to take command until we rescue Twilight."

Sparklefly didn't even hesitate, "No, I can't."

"Sparklefly, when Twilight went down, you were the one that called the evacuation. As soon as you said it, I knew you were right. You've got the mind for strategy."

"I'm not a leader. You were chosen for this."

"You have a great ability to assess a situation and know what has to be done. I've also noticed that you are able to shut down distractions. That's something I haven't learned to do."

Sparklefly hesitated, "I can't do it."

Scootaloo spoke softly, "I nearly got us all killed back there. I know what you did in Canterlot, and I saw how you handled yourself today. More than any of us left, you have what it takes to lead us in and out of there. Our best chance at walking away from this one is for you to take charge."

Sparklefly gently touched the bandage over her bandaged left eye. It burned with a pounding pain with every heartbeat. Hearing the flapping of wings, Sparklefly and Scootaloo both looked up to see Lightning Dasher returning. He landed near them and saluted Scootaloo.

She said, "I've placed Sparklefly in command of the squad, please make your report to her."

Lightning Dasher turned to Sparklefly without question, "Ma'am, Ponyville reports they are under heavy attack. Lieutenant Brax sends his regrets, but he will be unable to send reinforcements at this time. He recommends you return to Ponyville at once."

"At ease," Sparklefly said as she walked away a few paces.

This was even worse than she feared. No help was coming. Four ponies against the entire horde of timberwolves in the Everfree Forest. Princess Twilight's life was on the line. Scootaloo's words resounded in her head. Then a thought struck her.

“Wait, under attack from where?” she asked.

“Timberwolves are pouring out of the Everfree Forest by the hundreds. The city defenders are on high alert, but the shield is still up.”

Sparklefly considered this. Ponyville was under attack because the squad had escaped. That meant that the changelings were trying to stop the knowledge of their involvement, even if they had to raze all of Ponyville to do it. That sort of desperation might make them throw everything they have at the town to ensure success. Maybe, just maybe that would reduce the guards they keep at their base in the forest. That might just give the four of them a fighting chance.

“Let’s get back inside,” Sparklefly finally said. “We’ve got some planning to do.”

...

Pibs was sitting near Cloud Blazer on the soft earthen floor of the cave. Her facade of being brave and ready for action had been put aside for the moment. Fear had never left her from the moment they encountered the first timberwolves; it was all she could do to keep herself together. Being around the others was inspiring, and Pibs knew that she couldn’t do anything to let them down. Zecora was going about her foul-smelling healing work, which constantly seemed to be putting her patient in even more pain. After she would delicately move him, there seemed to be a peace come back over his face. The herbs seemed to be helpful, so long as he stayed still. Breathing aside, he didn’t move on his own.

Pibs couldn’t help but think about Cloud Blazer’s friends back in Ponyville, particularly Apple Bloom. She knew exactly how they would feel if he didn’t make it. These friends that she had gained were the first since her family had died. For a long time she had felt dead to the world and everything warm. Then Scootaloo and Cloud Blazer helped her through Canterlot. It was like being reborn. It was a debt she didn’t think she could ever repay.

Sweetie Belle was busy mixing some kind of potion in a cauldron. It also smelled horrible, but in a sickeningly sweet way. The contrasting scents were nearly enough to make one sick, and they brought Pibs back from her thoughts.

She finally asked, "What is that you're making?"

Zecora answered, "If you want to achieve success, you will need some better dress."

"Excuse me?" Pibs asked, confused.

Sweetie Belle smiled, but her face betrayed the concern she felt for Cloud Blazer. “Zecora had me start making this as soon as we stabilized him. It’s camouflage.”

Scootaloo, Sparklefly, and Lightning Dasher entered the cave.

"How does it work?" Pibs wondered aloud.

Sparklefly asked, “Camouflage?”

"Yes," Sweetie Belle said, a little uncertain. "Zecora said that when you drink it, you could stand still, and you look like whatever is behind you. It’s almost like disappearing.”

Scootaloo and Sparklefly exchanged a knowing glance. Pibs knew what it meant. They were going back into the forest. She shivered.

Zecora said, "What we tell you is true; a clever camouflage is that brew."

Sparklefly looked to have a resolve in her face as she asked, "How long until it is ready?"

...

Cloud Blazer awoke with every sense he had relaying a pounding pain. He could see and hear the others, but they seemed very far away, and he was unable to actually focus his eyesight. As the jagged knives ripped and pulsed through his being, so did his vision and hearing come and go. By his count through the blur, it looked as though everypony else had made it, which made him feel relieved. He wanted to know just how badly he was hurt, but the one attempt to speak had been disastrously painful, so he dared not try again just yet. He was a little confused to see a unicorn and a zebra that he didn't recognize. Cloud Blazer felt like he had known a unicorn before, not to mention a zebra, but the memories were as scrambled as the rest of him at this moment. His ears reported clearly off and on a discussion of potions and rescuing the princess. They talked about the magic-stealing net and how much more desperate their situation had become with Nitro actually being a changeling. Cloud Blazer became very concerned when their talk turned to firebombs. He wished desperately that he could help them. He might have been awake for a half hour before the pain made him lose consciousness again.

...

Scootaloo wasn’t sure if she would ever feel quite herself again after what she’d been though only a few hours before, but she knew she was again able to function for the mission ahead. Seeing Nimba and Regal Masquerade cut down like that was proving difficult to manage. However, Cloud Blazer’s fall had done far more to wound her psyche. It was like a layer of sadness hung over everything now. The sun was already working its way lower in the sky, which meant they would lose the light if they didn’t go soon. Field rations and water had done quite a lot to restore strength to weary muscles, but there was no replacing the arrows they had expended. Between the four of them, they had about three shots each; Pibs only had two. The sound of timberwolves howling somewhere in the distance had started an hour ago, and it hadn’t let up since. The orange pegasus mare stood alone outside the cave, looking up toward the forest.

“Hey, I need to say something,” Sparklefly’s voice broke Scootaloo’s thoughts.

“What is it?”

The light blue mare, now wearing a bandage over her left eye stood next to her sergeant.

“If we make it through this, not one word of your placing me in command will be in any report I write, ever.”

Scootaloo was a little surprised by this, “You don’t have to-“

Sparklefly put up a hoof, silencing the other. “Here’s the thing. I appreciate that you’ve been through a lot today, we all have. If it had been one of my close friends or brothers that had taken that fall, I don’t know if I’d have handled it any better than you. In my assessment, you did as fine a job today as anypony could have done. You kept your team together, and most of us made it out of there. I just wanted you to know.”

Not typically given to an overabundance of emotion, Scootaloo couldn’t help but be moved by this. Perhaps it was just because of the long day. She chocked back tears that tried to come up.

“Hey, Sparklefly, I...” Scootaloo began contritely. “I owe you an apology. I picked you for this mission because...” the words were very bitter coming out, “I never could get ahead of you when we were cadets. I guess what I’m saying is, I was taking advantage of the chance to finally be better than you at something. Don’t get me wrong, I think you were the best choice to bring, but my motives weren’t exactly right. I’m sorry.”

Not sure what the outcome of this would be, it was relieving to see Sparklefly smile just a little. However, what she said next was more gracious than Scootaloo would have imagined.

“It’s a small matter. We won’t speak of it again.”

“Hey guys!” Lightning Dasher called out as he emerged from the cave.

“What is it?” Sparklefly asked.

Pibs and Sweetie Belle followed the stallion out.

“Look at this,” he seemed rather excited.

He held a small flask that had a stopper in the lid to prevent spilling. Inside was a fluorescent orange liquid that sloshed around like water.

“What is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“Zecora uses it to start fires,” Lightning Dasher replied. “You put a drop of this on anything but glass and it burns.”

“What if you poured all of it out?” Sparklefly asked.

“Boom,” Sweetie Belle replied, giving another identical flask to Sparklefly.

The mare examined the flask and a grin formed on her face.

“That’s the last piece we needed,” she announced. “We have to get moving soon or we’ll be in the dark.”

Scootaloo’s heart was pounding in anticipation.

“We’re going to split up into two teams,” Sparklefly began. “Lightning Dasher and myself will sneak back to the clearing where we were attacked and hopefully locate the changeling base and the mirror pond. I expect we’ll encounter plenty of timberwolves or changeling guards, but we have to know what we’re dealing with. Scootaloo, you and Pibs will keep these firebomb flasks with you and go directly north from the LZ at the top of Ghastly Gorge. Do you remember where the ursa major cave is?”

Pibs spoke up, “Yes, I can find it, but why would we want to?”

Sparklefly took a breath, “What I need from the two of you is to go into that cave, draw out the ursa major, and bring it down to the mirror pond. Lightning Dasher and I will be waiting for you in the clearing.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Scootaloo protested. “Dealing with timberwolves is bad enough. Fighting an ursa is suicide!”

“We won’t be fighting the ursa,” Sparklefly said. “We’ll be using it to fight for us.”

Silence was the only response that came from the others now. Pibs looked nervous. Scootaloo had serious doubts about this plan.

“The thing is,” Sparklefly continued, “we are still drastically outnumbered. Calling it outmatched wouldn’t even do it justice. But, if we can create enough of a distraction with the ursa, not to mention setting the forest on fire, we can get inside and replicate ourselves in the mirror pond.”

Scootaloo almost felt sick at the suggestion of making copies of themselves, and several of the others gasped. Still, she had to admit that if they could manage to get into the pond, they could raise a force large enough to deal with all of the changelings on site.

“Any questions?” Sparklefly asked.

“If we do that,” Pibs replied, “how will we know which us is the real us? I mean, which one is me if I have ten copies of me running around.”

Sparklefly shrugged and said, “One thing at a time; we have to save the princess.”

Somehow, that wasn’t very reassuring.

“What time do we need to run in a slap the ursa?” Scootaloo asked.

“An hour before sunset would be perfect. That should give us enough time to scout the area.” Sparklefly thought a moment before adding, “If everything goes wrong, and anypony finds themselves as the last one standing, get back to Cloudsdale and report what happened here. There’s a chance that Ponyville hasn’t been able to get any scouts out. We have to assume that the changelings have infiltrated the EUP on all levels.”

Scootaloo suddenly saw a weak point in the plan, “We should have a call and response. That way when we meet up again, we’ll know we aren’t changelings.”

Sparklefly smiled and said, “That’s a great idea. When we meet up, the call word is ‘applesauce’, and the response will be ‘Starswirl’.”

Scootaloo repeated this under her breath several times, committing it to memory.

“Anything else?” Sparklefly asked. “Okay, we leave in five. Gear up.”

The others began preparing to leave. Scootaloo caught Sweetie Belle looking at her a little nervously.

“You okay?” she asked her unicorn friend.

“I just wish there was something more I could do to help.”

Scootaloo said, “Sweetie Belle, I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve already done. Just take care of Cloud Blazer; that is more than enough.”

Sweetie Belle replied, "Don't worry. He'll be up and about before you know it." She looked like she was just being hopeful.

Sparklefly asked, "Thank you again for your help. How long before this camouflage stuff takes effect?"

Sweetie Belle answered, "Only a few minutes. It only lasts for up to an hour, so keep that in mind.”

Sparklefly nodded. To the squad, she said, "Twilight Squad, take your medicine; we have a princess to rescue."

Sweetie Belle went back inside the cave, using her magic to move a giant boulder in front of the door. They drank down the potion that Zecora had made for them, which had smelled rather terrible, but somehow had a fruity taste. Then they took to the air with Scootaloo on point. Sparklefly seemed much more confident now, and it was a very comforting force to be present with them. It was all she could do to keep her mind off of Cloud Blazer. The hope that he would be all right was desperately overwhelming.

The flight back to the LZ at the top of the Ghastly Gorge was brief, but they went slowly as to give their potions a chance to take effect. As it came into view, Scootaloo could see that there were still timberwolves about, but they weren't crowding the LZ anymore. They were swarming through the trees, heading toward Ponyville. Scootaloo nodded at the others and then left them, landing silently on the cliff. The timberwolves hadn't noticed her. They stood there a moment, and the rancid stink of the timberwolves filled the air. Scootaloo turned to look back at the others, but nopony was there. She was confused for a moment, but then was frozen by surprise when Sparklefly spoke.

“Well, it looks like this camouflage works rather well.”

Scootaloo saw her face for a moment, a distorted blur in what was otherwise a perfect recreation of the background. They tested moving and found that if they crept slowly, they remained almost completely undetectable.

“We have enough for one more hour after this wears off,” Sparklefly finally said. “Just be sure that when it does, you are somewhere that you won’t be spotted. Let’s go.”

“Lead the way, Pibs,” Scootaloo said.

This proved to be somewhat difficult. Even though Scootaloo knew she was watching for an invisible ally, that didn’t make her any easier to see. Occasionally, Pibs would flick her tail, making the distortion stronger so Scootaloo could see her. They crept up to the tree line and waited for their moment. The timberwolves were passing by in massive packs, but there were plenty of breaks between them. Choosing their moment, Pibs moved forward. Scootaloo followed behind her, and the two of them moved through the mass of foul-smelling beasts. If these had been actual wolves, their keen sense of smell would have given the ponies away, but timberwolves are so malodorous that they aren’t that acute with the use of their olfactory senses.

Scootaloo’s mouth was suddenly very dry, and there was nothing she could do about it. They continued moving on, and she could feel a thick sweat had formed on her. Each step seemed to take minutes as they crept along, surrounded by timberwolves. Scootaloo’s ear began itching, which was a most uncomfortable sensation. She paced her breathing and just tried to focus on following Pibs.

It took the pair of ponies almost a half hour to move barely a hundred yards, but it was worth it. They got clear of the timberwolves and into the brush. Moving a little faster, they went up an incline, safely out of sight. They didn’t dare move too fast for fear that there might be changelings or more of the stick-dogs around any bend. When the camouflage began wearing off, Scootaloo noticed it first. She could just start to see the outline of Pibs in front of her.

Scootaloo hissed to get her attention. Pibs turned to face her and nodded. They moved faster and found some thick foliage to get into nearby. Once they were hidden, Scootaloo finally scratched her ear. It was heaven.

...

Sparklefly crept slowly past the roving packs of timberwolves back to the clearing where they had lost the princess. She was coated in sweat, and the wound on her eye was burning from the saltiness of it. She breathed almost with mechanical rhythm as she and Lightning Dasher moved stealthily on toward their goal. Her feelings told her to be scared, but she was working so hard to focus on the next step that her emotions were like an afterthought right now. Her body was tense, and her muscles aching as they continued deeper into hostile territory. Any mistakes now would likely mean both of their deaths. The dense foliage made their invisibility potion somewhat less effective. Any brushing against bushes or weeds could give away their position. The timberwolves likely wouldn’t even notice such, but if there were changelings about, they certainly wouldn’t miss that sign. Even taking the surreptitious route that they had, they were already nearing the thickest of the brambles.

A hissing noise behind her caught Sparklefly’s attention. Slowly turning, she could see the faint outline of Lightning Dasher behind her. The potion was wearing off. Scanning around, there didn’t seem to be a better place to hide, so she eased herself to the ground. A trickle of sweat rolled down her face, tickling her nose. The earthy smell of rotting vegetation filled the air as it crunched quietly under her weight. It was a relief from the stench of timberwolves that were crashing through the foliage somewhere nearby. Sparklefly unstoppered the second vial of camouflage potion and drank it down. The fruity flavor was unpleasant to her. It tasted strongly of cherries, not the fruit, but the sickening sweetness that is associated with cherry-flavored things. Replacing the vial and stopper into a pocket, she turned to look at Lightning Dasher. He was faintly visible, also drinking his potion. She remained motionless as he also replaced the vial into a pocket. It was a strange situation. It might be like watching paint dry while there are packs of bandits nearby that want to kill you.

It was only a minute or so before the outline of her comrade again faded away. Not wasting even a moment, Sparklefly slowly stood and continued toward the thick brambles that lay ahead. The ground was still very torn up from the events that had transpired earlier in the day, so finding their way was rather easy. The narrow path was clear, but for the bodies of a few timberwolves that had been left behind. Lightning Dasher made a very low breathy noise, just to remind her that he was there. The pair moved into the brambles, carefully stepping over the bodies. Sparklefly felt more apprehensive as they made it to the other side. She now stood in the clearing where the battle had begun. There were several dozen dead timberwolves strewn about, but there was no sign of Nimba’s body. An eerie feeling washed over Sparklefly, causing her to shiver involuntarily. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end; she froze, completely still as stone. There didn’t seem to be anything in the clearing, but she felt like she was being watched. Unnerving as it was, after a minute or two, she had little choice but to trust her other senses. She had the briefest hope that Nimba might be alive, but she remembered how many times she’d been hit. There wasn’t medical attention in existence that could have saved her after that. Additionally, the place where she’d fallen had no small amount of dried blood staining the forest floor a deep dark red. It was nearly black.

Her eye and ears didn’t report anything threatening nearby, so Sparklefly began moving slowly forward through the clearing. On the other side, just as they reached the bushes, which were mostly some type of ferns, timberwolves came into view. This pack was moving directly towards them. Panic wouldn’t help anything, so Sparklefly’s mind quickly ran through her options. Any sudden movements would give away their position, and they might be killed. They could run, but they’d never get back here in time to complete the mission, to say nothing of rescuing the princess. Standing their ground wasn’t a good option either. Much like the first, as soon as timberwolves ran into them, they would be discovered. There was only one thing to do. The moment when the incoming pack reached the brush, Sparklefly dropped to the earth on her belly, put her face down, and lay motionless. She could only hope that Lightning Dasher had done the same. In moments, the first of the putrid smelling beasts came through the foliage. There were several dozen of them in this group. Even her breath was held as they began passing by, far too close for comfort. One of them stepped on her left fore hoof. Sparklefly buried her face in the earth and held in any noise that she might have cried. Another wooden enemy stepped on her back. So far, they didn’t seem to see her. A crashing noise behind her could only have been one of the beasts tripping on Lightning Dasher and falling to the ground. It let out a slight yelp, and Sparklefly waited for the roaring and howling and the attack. It didn’t come. The pack of timberwolves passed by, heading out the other end of the clearing and into the forest.

She had forgotten that she’d been holding her breath, and Sparklefly let it out as her lungs were screaming for fresh air. Her body was shaking a little bit, but she managed to get it under control and regain her hooves. She thought she might have just experienced unbridled terror for the first time in her life. A sigh of relief escaped her. It came with the hope that she wouldn’t have to do that again. The bushes impeded their progress, but the pair of ponies managed to get through them with neither making much noise nor any sudden movements to themselves or the flora. What lay beyond wasn’t exactly what Sparklefly had expected, but she knew they were in the correct place. In front of them, maybe another fifty yards or so, was a gaping hole in the earth. It may have been ten yards across at the widest point. There were scorched rock fragments, which looked like they had shattered from a single boulder. The bits lay strewn in all directions, as if they had exploded from the opening in the earth. The pair moved forward, creeping ever closer to their destination. There was a relatively gentle slope that went down into utter darkness. Sparklefly took a breath and continued into the cave.

The temperature dropped as they descended, making Sparklefly cold for the sweat that coated her body. The air was foul with the stench of timberwolves. The opening turned out to be a tunnel, which wound around for a short distance before it opened up into a cave with a high vaulted roof. It was obviously a natural formation. A single shaft of sunlight penetrated the darkness from some smaller opening above. There were also torches that had been set into the walls that added their own dim light to the massive cave. Their path now seemed more ramp-like going down, almost to the edge of a pond. It was the pond. Sparklefly had no doubt in her mind that they had in fact discovered the mirror pond. Noises in the darkness quickly drew her attention. As her vision adjusted to the dim light, things became all too clear. On the far side, there were changelings using their magic to control the timberwolves. The beasts went into the water and then came out again, doubled in number. It was impossible to determine how many changelings might be about in the dim light, but as it turned out, it wouldn’t have mattered if she had been able to calculate it.

A bright blast of green magic engulfed Sparklefly. She tensed to make a run for it, but her muscles wouldn’t move. She was frozen in place. She couldn’t see Lightning Dasher, but she also couldn’t hear him, which made her certain that he had also been hit. How had they been spotted? The potion couldn’t have worn off yet.

“Well, well, well,” a very confident feminine voice spoke from the darkness. “What magic could have brought the two of you all the way here undetected?”

A changeling, much larger than the one that had impersonated Nitro flew across the pond toward them. She was in the shaft of sunlight for a moment, revealing a long teal mane. She landed by them and sniffed the air as at least a dozen other smaller changelings swarmed the area, the buzzing of their wings echoed throughout the cavern. Sparklefly recognized the mare from pictures she’d seen and stories she’d been told. It was Chrysalis, queen of the changelings.

“Smells like zebra magic,” Queen Chrysalis hissed. She spat on the ground. “I have half a mind to kill you right here for consorting with zebras. However,” she almost spoke glibly as if she were amused, “I would hate to waste two more sets of EUP armor along with the faces that come with them.” Her eyes flashed like green fire went through them.

Sparklefly's mind was racing almost as fast as her heart was beating, trying to find some way out of this, but unable to move, outnumbered, and surrounded, there were simply no options. She and Lightning Dasher were trapped, and there was nothing she could do about it.

...

The tree canopy overhead was providing a problem that neither Pibs nor Scootaloo had considered. It obscured just enough light that it became difficult to tell exactly what time it was. Pibs hoped that the hour before sunset would be clear enough, but as the pair found a good place to hide near the ursas cave, she had heavy doubts. They still moved invisibly, but the potions were bound to wear off shortly. It had been over an hour since they had last seen any timberwolves. It appeared that even they stayed clear of this place.

“This’ll do,” Scootaloo said in a voice that could barely be called a whisper.

“So far, so good,” Pibs agreed, trying to not betray how utterly afraid she felt.

It was a most unnerving sensation that she had begun to experience when they first found that clearing. She felt sort of soft like jelly inside, as if there were no strength in her body. It hadn’t left her since. Perhaps a better word for it would be dread. All Pibs knew was that she couldn’t let the others down. Scootaloo, Sparklefly, and Lightning Dasher were depending on her. The pair sat back to back, wedged into some ferns that grew densely around a small clump of trees. It gave them a commanding view of the surrounding area and the entrance to the ursas cave.

It was a gaping mouth of stone and earth that opened before them. It could swallow a dozen ponies, and then a dozen more with no effort. The size of it was particularly upsetting to Pibs. She had heard stories about ursa majors, the great celestial bears. Their massive size was reason enough to steer clear of them at all times. While not necessarily aggressive by nature, when their anger was aroused, they had the raw power to rampage the destruction of entire cities. If it needed a cave as large as this to sleep in, Pibs could only imagine how massive the beast inside would be. A chill ran down her spine.

“Not to worry,” Scootaloo said in the same hushed tone, “Drawing the ursas around is going to be easy. We’re a lot faster once we’re airborne, but more importantly, we can outmaneuver one of those dumb bears in our sleep, even if we hoof it.”

“I’m not scared!” Pibs insisted. She lied.

“Seriously?” Scootaloo said with a strong disbelief.

“Well, maybe a little,” Pibs admitted.

“It’s okay to be scared. I get scared all the time,” Scootaloo replied. “Of course, if you tell anypony else I said that, I’m going to deny it.”

Pibs stifled a giggle. She was beginning to feel a little more like herself. Since they found themselves with time to kill, Pibs would have loved nothing more than to read the last letter from Lighthoof again. However, it would be too dangerous to allow the distraction. Besides, she pretty much had it memorized by this point. Every dot, curve of script, and mark had been devoured by her eyes. It was a poor substitute for the companionship of the stallion that had made them, but it was a piece of him. He had touched that page, and poured his thoughts and heart into it for her. It was priceless.

A rustling in the bushes to Pibs’ right caught her attention. Only her eyes moved, taking in the scene. She couldn’t see what it might be, but some kind of creature was definitely moving through the brush. She glanced to the sky but still couldn’t tell what hour it might be. Her heart began pounding faster in anticipation.

“Easy,” Scootaloo hissed under her breath.

The two soldiers sat so still that they could have been sculptures in their small hiding place, their potion having worn off. If it were a pack of timberwolves, they’d be in trouble. If it were changelings, there wasn’t much hope. The foliage whipped back and forth now. Pibs didn’t think she could move if she had wanted to. Holding her breath, she stared to her right, not even daring to blink.

Suddenly, the largest feral cat that Pibs had ever seen burst out into the open. It crouched low, eyes darting this way and that with ears laid back. It shot off like a thunderbolt, darting away from the cave and into the forest, disappearing in a moment. But for the sound of birds and insects, the still quiet began to return. She couldn’t hear it so much as feel it, Scootaloo was laughing silently, her body convulsing as she did.

“What’s so funny?” Pibs asked quietly.

“I thought we were about to have to run into the cave,” Scootaloo replied. “Stupid cat!”

It was rather refreshing to see that not everything in the forest was out to get them. Indigenous life still remained in this place. It made these woods seem much more friendly than they had only a few hours before. The two continued scanning around for any sign of threats. All was quiet.

“Are you good?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Pibs paused a moment. “Is it true that ursa majors are as big as a house?”

Scootaloo snorted, “Not even close. When I was a little filly, a baby, an ursa minor attacked Ponyville. It was bigger than a house. That can only mean that an ursa major is even bigger.”

Pibs swallowed hard at the thought of them. They were silent for a while, and she tried to calm herself by bringing more pleasant things to mind.

“You’re not thinking about Lighthoof are you?”

Pibs felt stunned, “No... I mean, I was. How did you know?”

“Just a guess. You’re too predictable, Pibs!” the orange pegasus teased.

Pibs didn’t mind. She knew there was no malice in it. The sky seemed frozen in a mid-afternoon light. Sitting still was beginning to make her itch all over. Pibs knew it was in her mind, but that didn’t help to alleviate the condition. Strangely, it almost made her long for evening. Her tired muscles, on the other hoof, were very glad for the respite. She didn’t know how many timberwolves she had clobbered today, but it had certainly taken a toll on her body. Bumps, bruises, cuts, magical burns, and one of her teeth had been knocked loose. Lightning Dasher’s skills set everything to mending, but her mouth hurt where she’d been hit. She was relieved that he had saved her smile, but considering what they’d been through, losing a tooth would have only been a minor inconvenience. With nothing to do but wait, Pibs let her mind drift back to Lighthoof as she continued scanning the area with her eyes. Sitting here, with enemies and dangerous things potentially very close to them, she wore that dopey grin on her face again. She didn’t allow it to distract her too much. She was as prepared as she could get; the next few hours were going to be very dangerous.

...

Sparklefly's mind was racing, trying to find some way out of this but, unable to move, there were simply no options. In the dim light of the cave, her eye had adjusted to the low light. She looked around, trying to make a mental note of everything she saw. It wasn't a horde of changelings, which was a bit surprising. From everything she'd ever heard about them, they tended to stay in massive swarms. In this cave, there were maybe fifty to a hundred in all. There were also at least as many timberwolves. Still, if they couldn’t get themselves into the mirror pond, they were hopelessly outnumbered.

As for the duplication process, it seemed to only take about a minute all in all. The changelings put in twenty timberwolves each time, and forty came out of the pond. At that rate, they could easily produce over a thousand in an hour. This was a staggering revelation. If they did this non-stop, day and night, they could create almost thirty-thousand timberwolves a day. Princess Twilight had been correct. If they didn’t shut this place down, and soon, there would be absolutely no hope of overcoming such overwhelming numbers.

Sparklefly and Lightning Dasher, their invisibility no longer in effect, were magically lifted and taken to the back of the cave. A cool damp was in the air, and a mossy smell could be detected once you got past the stench of the timberwolves. The same netting that covered the forest practically covered every wall of the cave. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to impede the changeling magic in the slightest. There were several chambers in the back of the cavern, some of which looked carved out rather than natural. The last of which was a dark place with a thick iron door. It swung open silently, which added to the thought that this must have been built somewhat recently. A foul odor of excrement permeated the air from inside; chained up all along the wall were maybe thirty unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi that had been taken prisoner. Princess Twilight was not among them. The pair of soldiers was stripped of their armor and gear, which was taken away. They were then chained to the wall like the others.

"You've really done us a favor," an injured changeling hissed.

Sparklefly recognized him. It was the one that had been impersonating Nitro. His face wore several cuts, a black eye, and his horn was broken. Dried blood had crusted on his nose.

“It's difficult to replace you in your cities. We have to sneak in and catch somepony off guard. You just walked back in here and gave us two more and sets of armor." He shook his head at them. "If you need anything, just ask for me; name's Ash Eater,” his voice was full of sarcasm.

Sparklefly could feel that she was regaining some small ability of movement, but it was very weak and slow.

She managed to speak, "What did you do with Nitro?"

Ash Eater threw his head back in deep laughter. He got right up in Sparklefly’s face and practically spat, "You silly mare! You never even knew Nitro. You only met him the one time. I went through the training with you," his words came out like venom. "Since you're able to speak now. I have a question for you. Where are the others? Where are Scootaloo, Pibs, and Cloud Blazer?”

Sparklefly didn't answer. They must not have known that Cloud Blazer was injured.

Lightning Dasher quickly thought up a lie, "We sent them to Ponyville to get reinforcements. They're on their way."

Ash Eater looked at him, staring for a moment. Sparklefly turned to face him and looked back at Ash eater just in time to see him come down with his full force with his fore hooves, hitting her in the face, the left side where her eye had been shredded. She dropped to the ground, head throbbing with sharp stabbing pain. She could see colors that weren’t there. Lightning Dasher pulled hard against his chains. The other prisoners only cowered quietly. 

"That's for breaking my horn," he spat. "This is for lying," he screamed as he kicked her once in the ribs, hard.

The blow almost knocked the wind out of Sparklefly. She doubled over, coiling up in an attempt to cover the softer area of her belly and her head.

Lightning Dasher roared at him, “Pick on somepony your own size, you coward! If I'd have been there when you revealed yourself, you'd have had a lot more than your horn broken off!"

Ash Eater was on him in a flash, landing a flurry of blows at Lightning Dasher’s head. He got his hooves up and his head down, but the changeling struck him repeatedly; it looked very painful. The attacker finally staggered backward, looking faint. Sparklefly surmised that his injuries inflicted by Regal Masquerade had taken their toll. If only he'd hit Ash Eater a little harder.

"Enjoy your stay," Ash Eater spat at them as he walked out of the room, followed by the other guards that were with him. The iron door slammed shut behind them. Sparklefly looked over, very concerned for Lightning Dasher. He was standing again, rubbing his head; a trickle of blood was running from his scalp. Some soft murmuring had started among the other prisoners. Sparklefly noticed one of them that looked familiar. It was Silver Spoon, the mayor’s aide that she’d met in Ponyville.

Sparklefly spoke, "Silver Spoon, is that you?"

Silver Spoon replied, "Do I know you?"

“Well, I guess not,” Lightning Dasher sighed. “We met your duplicate in Ponyville."

“It was during the attack,” Silver Spoon said. “I was at Sweet Apple Acres taking an assessment of food production for the mayor. The next thing I knew, I was surrounded by changelings. Then I woke up here.”

"We're all going to die," some pony said, and there was a general feeling of sinking despair flooding through the room.

Sparklefly had to prevent a panic and said, “Calm down! We're not going to die."

The feeling in the room didn’t seem changed. Her heart was pounding harder now, her head throbbing where she was hit by the changeling. To say she was nervous wouldn’t even begin to describe the feeling.

Sparklefly continued, "We are soldiers in her majesties EUP Elite Force. We didn't get captured and tossed in here by chance. We came to rescue all of you and take care of these changelings."

This statement caused much curiosity, and a faint spark of hope was kindled. This was a relief, but she wished she could convince herself that things were going to be okay. Even if Scootaloo and Pibs were able to find their way back here with an ursa major, two ponies against no fewer than two hundred timberwolves and changelings seemed rather hopeless.

“Just sit back and relax; this is almost over. We have a plan," Sparklefly confidently proclaimed. Strictly speaking, they didn't.