//------------------------------// // Great Peril: Enter the Changeling Forest // Story: The Power of Friends // by kurusagi16 //------------------------------// Great Peril: Enter the Changeling Forest Earlier... All was quiet in Harmony's cottage, Tempo was contently napping on the loveseat, when all of a sudden, he was awoken by the sudden arrival of five ponies, one of whom was his owner. "So that's what teleportation feels like." said Razzaroo. "We can load up on further supplies here before we head out with the tracking spell." said Harmony. "And we should probably get a move on quickly." added Morning Star. "Before anypony realizes that we're gone and they try to stop us." "Got it." said Sparks. Everypony went about Harmony's cottage, loading up their saddlebags with food, water, and anything else that may be useful on their journey. Tempo bounded over to Harmony, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Don't mind us, Tempo." said Harmony. "We're just grabbing a few things before we head out on a little journey. We're gonna be gone for a while, do you think you can keep an eye on the cottage until I get back?" Tempo smiled and nodded. "Good jackalope." said Harmony, petting his little head. His brown eyes then lit up with an idea, and he motioned for her to follow him. Harmony wondered what it could be that Tempo wanted to show her, so she went with him upstairs to her bedroom. The jackalope hopped onto the bed, and then onto the bedside table, and lifted up the necklace that Flurry Heart had given to her. "Flurry's necklace." murmured Harmony, picking it up out of Tempo's paws and looking at it. She remembered that Flurry wanted her to wear it to the party, but Harmony thought it'd be best to leave it home, where it'd be safe and not end up lost. "Why are you showing me this?" she asked Tempo. He lifted up his foot and pointed at it. Then, he pointed to a horseshoe on the floor, then pointed back to the necklace. "You want me to take it as a good luck charm?" Tempo nodded and placed his paw on the side of his nose to show that she had it right. Harmony eyed the necklace. "I don't know." she said unsure. "Where we're going, I might end up losing it, or worse." Tempo however, would hear none of that. He took hold of the necklace, and slipped it onto Harmony's neck. He then looked her in the eye with his arms folded over his furry little chest. Harmony sighed and touched the pendant that rested on her neck. "I guess she would want me to wear it, wouldn't she?" Tempo rested a paw on Harmony's hoof and gave her a sweet smile, wishing her luck. "Thanks Tempo." she said. "Hey Harmony!" called Sparks from the bottom of the stairs. "We're going to be heading out, are you all set?!" "I'll be down in a sec!" Harmony called back. She made sure that her necklace was securely on and gave Tempo a quick hug goodbye before heading down the stairs. "You all set?" asked Razzaroo. "Yep." "Then let's go." said Sparks. The girls all stepped outside of the cottage, and stood around Morning Star, who pulled out the ransom note, and began to cast the tracking spell on it. In a whirl of glittering magic, the ransom note folded up into a paper bird and began to flap in the direction of the forest. "Come on, follow that bird." said Morning Star. And so they went on their way, to find and save Princess Flurry Heart, from her dastardly captors. Now... "Are we there yet?" moaned Razzaroo boredly. "We'll get there when we get there." answered Morning Star, trying not to lose sight of the paper bird. The five mares had been traveling for hours nonstop, down the mountainside, over fields, and now, through a forest. "Whoever kidnapped Flurry Heart must've been well-built in order to make the trek all the way out here." said Kimono, gazing up at the trees, which looked sicker and sicker the deeper they went into the forest. "Or they used a powerful transportation spell, or they could fly." suggested Morning. "However they did it doesn't matter." said Sparks. "What does matter is how we're going to them and keep them distracted so we can get Flurry." "Do you have a plan?" asked Harmony. "Pfft! Of course I've gotta plan. Me and Morning Star will fight off the kidnappers while you three free Flurry. Get in, get out, and be home in time for dinner." "Mmm, dinner sounds good." said Razzaroo, licking her lips. "Stay focused, Razzaroo." said Kimono. "Don't forget, we're on a mission." "Right! Focused!" "Uh...girls?" asked Harmony, eyeing their surroundings. "Any idea where we are? The forest was becoming darker and creepier, with all sorts of eerie cries echoing from within it. "No clue." said Sparks. "It reminds me of something." mused Morning Star. "I remember reading about a forest similar to this, but I can't remember what it was called." "I'm sure you'll remember it eventually." said Razzaroo. "For now, how about we stop for a quick lunch break?" "A lunch break?" said Sparks, giving Razzaroo a look. "It would be best to stop and rest for a little while." said Harmony. "We'll need to keep up our strength after all." Sparks groaned. "Fine. But make it quick! We can't waste anymore time." Morning Star removed the tracking spell on the ransom note, and set it down beside her as the girls sat down and reached for the food in their saddlebags. They pulled out apples and sandwiches and began to dig into them. Harmony's ear twitched. She lifted her head up as she heard a strange rustling sound. "Did you girls hear that?" "Here what?" asked Kimono. "Never mind, it was probably nothing." said Harmony, her eyes lingering on the nearby bushes. She heard another rustling sound, this time closer. She set down her half-eaten apple and trotted toward the bushes, where the sound seemed to becoming from. Morning Star paused and noticed Harmony. "What are --" "Shh!" said Harmony. "I think I hear something." She carefully went up to the bushes and carefully peered over them to see what kind of creature it was. Harmony breathed out a relived sigh as she saw that it was nothing more than a pack of jackalopes, looking up at her and twitching their noses. "Don't worry!" she called out to the others. "It's just some jackalopes!" The jackalopes then let out a hiss, revealing sharp, pointed little fangs. "What the--?!" cried Harmony, falling backward onto the ground. The fanged jackalopes sprang out from their hiding spot and surrounded the girls. "Vampire jackalopes!" cried Morning Star, recognizing them. "I've only read about them. How fascinating!" "Uh, Morning, now's not a good time to be talking about books." said Sparks, taking a fighting stance in front of the hissing vampire jackalopes. "What do we do?" asked Kimono. Harmony turned to Morning Star as the fanged and furry fiends began closing in. "Do you know how to stop vampire jackalopes?" she asked. "I could use a stun spell on them." suggested Morning. "I have a better idea." said Sparks. "Run!" She leaped over the heads of the vampire jackalopes and galloped into the forest. The rest of the girls followed after her, with the beastly bouncers hot on their tails. Morning Star craned her head as she galloped, shooting bursts of magic at the vampire jackalopes. Those she hit froze and fell to the ground. But most of them were smart enough to dodge the blasts. Morning let out a frustrated groan. "I can't seem to hit them, it's hard to concentrate while running." One of the vampire jackalopes leaped onto Kimono's back and bit her hard. Kimono let out a pained cry and swatted the jackalope off. "Kimono!" cried Harmony. "Are you okay?!" Kimono winced. "I'll be fine!" "We need to find some cover!" shouted Sparks, who was in the lead. "But where?!" asked Razzaroo. Harmony had an idea. "Morning, how bright can you make your horn?!" "Fairly bright, why do you want to know?!" Aim it at the vampire jackalopes and flare it as bright as you can!" Morning Star did as Harmony said, jointing her horn and flashing a blinding light at the jackalopes, causing them to stop and stumble around in a daze, and giving the girls enough time to duck behind a large rock and some bushes. They watched as the vampire jackalopes turned their heads this way and that, looking for the girls, until they gave up and hopped away. "Phew! I think we're safe." said Harmony. She turned to Kimono, who was laying on the ground, her breathing becoming ragged. "Kimono!" She knelt down to her best friend, laying a hoof on Kimono's forehead. "What's wrong with her?" asked Razzaroo worriedly. "She's probably feeling the effects of the venom from the bite." said Morning Star. "There's nothing much we can do without an anti-venom." Kimono lifted her head slowly. "Don't worry about me." she said softly. "Just go on ahead, I don't want to slow you girls down." "We're not leaving you!" said Harmony. She rested a hoof on the site where Kimono had been bitten. Another one of her friends was in trouble, and there was nothing she could do about it! I won't leave Kimono behind! she thought. Not while she's like this. I wish...I wish there was something I could do! Then, something weird happened to Harmony, an odd sort of feeling deep inside her. For a moment, it went out of Harmony to Kimono, and then disappeared, as though it had never happened. Kimono blinked and looked down at the bite mark. Harmony lifted her hoof up and they both gasped. "The bite...it's gone!" cried Razzaroo, pointing at where the mark had been. Kimono started to stand up. "I don't feel woozy anymore!" she exclaimed. Morning Star inspected it with narrowed eyes and shook her head. "It doesn't make sense!" she said. "How could that bite and the venom just disappear?" "It's like magic!" said Razzaroo. Harmony felt her throat tighten. Magic? She recalled what Celestia had said, about having Harmonia's powers sleeping deep inside. I wanted to help Kimono, and now...she's healed from the bite and the venom! Did...did I do that? Harmony shook her head. No, I couldn't have! Could I? "Well however it happened, it seems that Kimono's alright enough to keep going." said Sparks. Razzaroo looked over her shoulder nervously. "I've never seen or heard of vampire jackalopes before." she said. "They're surprisingly vicious for such little critters." "Of course!" cried Morning Star, putting a hoof to her head. "Why didn't I realize it sooner?!" "What is it, Morning?" asked Harmony. "I know where we are!" "Where?" asked Sparks. "We're near the edge of the changeling forest!" The girls' eyes widened. "The changeling forest?!" Morning Star nodded. "Vampire jackalopes are known to live in the changeling forest, which means we're in the territory of the changelings." "Then...that also means that the changelings were the ones who kidnapped Flurry Heart." said Harmony, piecing it together. "It makes sense." said Sparks. "Her family were the ones who stopped the changelings when they tried to invade Equestria. Kidnapping Flurry would be a good way for them to get their revenge." "So, we'll have to face against the changelings?" asked Razzaroo. "I'm afraid so." said Kimono with a nod. "This is just great!" moaned Sparks. "One or two kidnappers would've been bad enough, but an entire swarm of changelings..." Her head got a little dizzy at the thought of it. "I'm not sure if my magic alone can hold off all those changelings." said Morning Star. Harmony stood up. "We can't just get up!" she cried. "Not after we've come so far. Think about Flurry, who knows what those changelings are probably doing to her right now." She looked down at her necklace, the rainbow-colored sides reflecting in Harmony's eyes. "I'm sure, if we all work together, then maybe we'll be able to save her. Even if there are changelings." Razzaroo and Kimono both put on brave faces and rested their hooves on Harmony's shoulders. "You can count on us, Harmony." said Kimono. Harmony smiled at them. "Thanks guys." she said. Sparks got a glint of determination in her eye and smirked. "Don't forget me! Those changelings will regret ever kidnapping Flurry with me there to teach them a lesson." Morning Star sighed and then gave a small smile. "This could be an ample opportunity to use some attack spells I've been meaning to try out." "It's settled then." said Harmony. SHe put out her hoof. "For Flurry Heart?" All the girls smiled widely and placed their hooves in. "For Flurry Heart!" they cried. "Is it finished yet?" demanded Queen Chrysalis to one of her changeling lackeys. "Yes, my queen. Just as you've ordered." he held out a piece of paper. The changeling queen swiped it and read over it aloud. If you wish for the safe return of Princess Flurry Heart, you will hereby surrender all your power and relinquish Equestria to Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings. Fail to do so, and the princess shall suffer the consequences of your actions. Queen Chrysalis let out a sinister chuckle. "Yes, this will do perfectly." "My family will never give in to your demands!" shouted Flurry Heart, glaring narrowly at her. "Oh won't they?" Queen Chrysalis let out a laugh that rang throughout the cave as she stalked away with her lackeys. When the queen was gone, Flurry silently cried in her cocoon, feeling so scared and alone. She wished more than anything, that she was back at home with her family and friends. She sniffed. Crying would do her no good. She had to be brave, no matter how afraid she was.