The Power of Friends

by kurusagi16

Infiltration: Battle the Hive

Infiltration: Battle the Hive

Twilight paced around in circles, her mind plagued with worry over her dear niece and her friends. Where were they? What was happening to them? Would they be alright?! Of course, she wasn't the only one who was sick with worry. Her brother and Cadence were holed up in their room, left utterly helpless to do anything to help their poor daughter. Not to mention Sunburst and Starlight, who were scouring the entire Canterlot Archives, searching for a method to bring back Morning Star, or in the very least, see how she was fairing. Then, Twilight stopped her pacing, when in ran Spike, holding a note in his claw.

"Twilight! Another note has arrived, from the kidnappers!"

"Let me see it, Spike." Twilight took the note and scanned over it, her eyes narrowing. "Spike, alert the princesses, and tell everypony to meet up in the throne room. Tell them it's urgent."

"Roger that." said Spike, and off her ran to follow Twilight's instructions.

* * *

"That evil WITCH!!" screamed Shining Armor in fury. Twilight had reread the ransom note to everypony, now knowing the identity of the kidnappers and their demands.

Cadence futilely did her best to calm down her husband. "Please Shining, I know you're upset--"

"Upset doesn't even begin to describe what I'm feeling!" Shining Armor gritted down his teeth. "The nerve of Queen Chrysalis, not only has she kidnapped Flurry, but she stoops to using her as a means to an end!"

"What are we waiting for?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Why don't we get out there and stop those changelings?"

"We can't just rush in there, Rainbow." said Starlight. "We need to come up with a plan so that we can not only stop the changelings, but also safely rescue Flurry Heart."

"So long as we get her back, I don't care what we have to do." said Shining Armor. He then hung his head and said lowly. "I can't even imagine, what those creatures are doing to her."

Cadence embraced her husband and kissed the top of his head. "Don't worry dear, we'll get her back, you'll see."

Shining Armor managed a weak smile as he looked at his wife. "Thank you Cadence, I needed that."

"Alright y'all, what's the plan?" asked Applejack.

Before anypony could offer up any suggestions, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stepped into the throne room. "That won't be necessary." said Celestia.

"What do you mean?" asked Shining Armor.

"Help is already on the way to Flurry Heart, I'm sure that very soon, she will return to us."

"How do you know that, princess?" asked Sunburst. "Who is it that is rescuing Flurry Heart?"

Celestia gave everypony a knowing smile and answered, "A very special pony, and her friends."

---

After many hours of treking later, under the cover of night, the girls scurried toward the heart of the changeling forest, where their dreaded fortress is said to be. They weren't entirely sure yet what they were going to do once they got there, but now, they were more focused on actually getting there first.

"We should be getting close." whispered Morning Star.

"Finally, I was wondering how much longer we'd have to wait." said Razzaroo. "So far, this rescue has been easy."

Sparks narrowed her eyes. "Too easy."

"I agree." said Kimono. "Something doesn't seem quite right."

As soon as she said that, a buzzing sound filled the air around them. A group of changelings appeared and surrounded the girls.

"It's a trap!" cried Razzaroo.

"Of course it's a trap!" sneered one of the changelings.

Morning Star and Sparks lit up their horns and shot them at the changelings, while the rest of the girls ducked for cover. They watched as Sparks stunned them, while Morning bound and gagged them with chains that she conjured with her magic.

"That was great!" said Razzaroo.

Sparks and Morning Star grinned at each other. "We do make a pretty good team." said Sparks.

"What should we do about these guys?" asked Kimono. "Just leave them here?"

"Probably for the best." said Harmony. "We don't want them running back to the hive and warning them that we're coming."

"She makes a good point." said Morning Star.

Razzaroo harrumphed. "Those rotten changelings, going around, attacking ponies. Not to mention shape shifting into other ponies just to fool you! How'd they like it if we did that to them?"

Morning Star beamed. "Razzaroo, that's brilliant!" she declared.

Razzaroo and the other looked at her in confusion. "It is? Er, I mean, of course it is." said Razzaroo. "How is it brilliant exactly?"

"If we disguise ourselves as changelings, we can sneak into the hive, grab Flurry, and get out before anypony notices!" explained Morning.

Harmony nodded. "That might actually work." she said. "But can you actually do it?"

"Only one way to find out." said Morning Star, firing up her horn. "Stand still, this'll only take a second."

The light enveloped the girls, forming the outline of a changeling's form before disappearing. The girls blinked and looked down at their forms.

"It didn't work." said Kimono.

And that is exactly as it appeared, for the girls seemed to look exactly the same as they had before. They looked to Morning for answers, who grinned proudly at them.

"Oh it worked alright." she said. "Everypony except the five of us will see us as changelings. I thought it might help, so we wouldn't lose track of who is who while in the hive."

"I've gotta admit, you're pretty good with magic, Morning." said Sparks.

"Now, onward to the changeling hive!" said Razzaroo in her best battle cry.

---

The girls walked close together as they neared hive. They stopped behind some large, dark bushes, and spotted the entrance to the hive. The entrance was the mouth of a giant cave, guarded by two changeling guards.

"I hope this works." whispered Kimono.

Harmony touched the gem that lay on her neck, cloaked by the spell, but visible to her and the girls.

If there was ever a time we'd need some good luck, it would be now.

"Everypony, follow my lead." whispered Sparks.

Sparks took the lead, while the rest of the girls flanked her on either side, heading toward the entrance. They were stopped by the changeling guards.

"Hey, what are you all doing back here? Shouldn't you be out on patrol?" hissed one of the guards.

Sparks spoke in a gruff voice and said, "We came to change shifts."

"You can't just come back and expect to switch shifts! What would the queen say?"

"And what would she say if the changeling she sent on patrol fell asleep on the job?" snapped Sparks. "It's late, we're tired, and we can either stand here and debate this, or we can go in and switch off for the rest of the night. So what's it going to be?"

Harmony stared at Sparks, impressed by how convincing she was being with her performance. She eyed the changeling guards, wondering how they'd act. After a moment of thinking it over, the guards stood at attention, and moved out of the way for the guards.

"Very well, you may enter." said one of the guards.

"Finally." muttered Sparks. Togther, she and the girls entered the cave, making slight glances behind them at the guards. The cave began to slope downward and opened up to a series of tunnels covered in green slime and moss on the floor, ceiling, and certain parts of the walls.

"We made it inside." said Sparks.

The girls allowed themselves to breath a sigh of relief.

"That was quite a performance." complemented Kimono.

"Yeah, even I was almost fooled." said Razzaroo.

Sparks smirked. "Yeah well, it wasn't really that hard." she said. "Now, were do we go from here?"

"Why don't we split up?" suggested Harmony. "That way, we'll be able to better find where they're keeping Flurry."

"Sounds good." said Sparks. "I'll take Harmony. Morning, you can take Kimono and Razzaroo."

"Okay." said Morning.

"You going to be okay?" Kimono asked Harmony.

Harmony nodded. "I'll be fine, you don't have to worry." she looked to Morning Star and said seriously, "Please keep them safe."

"I will." said Morning.

"See you guys later." said Razzaroo.

Harmony waved goodbye as she watched her friends disappear down one of the tunnels before turning to Sparks. "Ready?"

Sparks nodded.

"Then let's go."

And off they went, in their own separate direction.

---

Sparks and Harmony searched each tunnel and chamber they came across, passing by several changelings in the process. They tried to maintain the act of being members of the hive, and the changelings all seemed to buy it.

"So far so good." whispered Harmony.

"Yeah, but don't jinx it yet. We're still walking inside the hive, and I sure as heck don't wan us to end up kicking the proverbial "hornet's nest"." Sparks whispered back.

"Fair enough. So, which of these tunnels do you think has Flurry Heart?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say somewhere close to the queen, that way she can keep and eye on her herself and have a chance to gloat."

"But where is the queen?"

Sparks shrugged. "I don't know, maybe at the center of all these tunnels?"

"Why don't we ask?" Harmony went toward one of the changeling.

"No, get back here!" hissed Sparks.

"Hey you!" Harmony called out to the changeling in her gruffest voice possible. "The queen wants to see us, any idea where she is?"

The changeling cocked his head. "Why would the queen want to see you two?"

Harmony narrowed her eyes and gave the changeling a look. "Do you really want to question the queen's orders?" she asked coldly.

A look of fear crossed the changeling's face and he shook his head.

"Then tell us where she is!"

The changeling gulped and pointed a gnarled hoof behind him. "S-she's in the main chamber with the prisoner, straight down, an two rights."

"There. Now was that so hard?" said Harmony, moving past the changeling.

As the soon as the two felt that they were out of sight and earshot, they made silent cheers.

"You really killed it back there." said Sparks.

"And now we know where Flurry is." said Harmony.

Things were starting to look up for them, until the changeling realized something and chased after them.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" it called, making the girls stop in their tracks and turning slowly to the changeling. "How come you didn't know where the queen was?"

Sparks and Harmony froze. "We, got lost." said Sparks. "I mean, this place is nothing but tunnels, tunnels, and more tunnels! How can one not get lost?"

"Every changeling knows these tunnel systems like the back of their hooves, there's no way they'd just forget or get lost." The changeling narrowed his eyes and bared his fangs. "Just who are you two anyway?"

Sparks took up a defensive stance. "Your worst nightmare." she said, and in a sudden leap, she pounced in the changeling, wrestling him to the ground, and using her magic to keep him pinned.

"Ha! Ha! Not so tough now, huh?" she asked.

The changeling managed to throw his head back and let out an ear-splitting screech. Sparks and Harmony covered their ears, wincing at the loud, sharp sound that reverberated through their eardrums and bounced off the tunnel walls. Mustering as much concentration as she could, Sparks fired a stun spell on the changeling, ending the screeching.

"What was that?" asked Sparks, rubbing her ears.

A buzzing sound filled the air, and it was heading right toward them.

"I think that's our cue to run." said Harmony. The girls took haste, and galloped down the tunnel, a swarm of changeling, who'd been alerted to the cry, chased after them.

---

"Who sounded the emergency cry?" demanded Queen Chrysalis. She'd been gazing up at the cocooned Flurry Heart, debating what cruel and horrible thing she should do to her, when the cry sounded.

A changeling guard bowed. "My queen, it seems that there are intruders in the tunnel system."

"Hmph. No doubt they're here to rescue the princess." she said.

Flurry's ears went up. Somepony was here to save her? Who?! Her parents? Her aunt and the element bearers? Flurry's chest began to fill with hope, the fear slowly melting away.

Queen Chrysalis scowled. "I cannot allow this, not when we're so close to victory, and finally crushing the royal family once and for all." A plan immediately formulated in her head.

She then addressed the guards in the chamber and ordered harshly, "Go, and deal with the intruder. And should they somehow get past you and end up here." A devious smile cracking onto her face. "Then I shall give them a warm welcome to our hive."

The guards did as she said, leaving the chamber quickly.

"You're in for it now Chrysalis!" shouted Flurry Heart bravely. "Looks like you won't be getting your revenge after all."

"Oh shut up!" snapped Queen Chrysalis. A green beam shot from her horn and hit the cocoon. While it didn't crack or even scratch it, it was enough to scare Flurry Heart a little. The changeling queen flew up to the cocoon and lit up her horn again. Flurry Heart shivered as Chrysalis said, "I think it's time you take a little nap, little princess."

---

Sparks and Harmony had gotten about halfway to the chamber where Flurry was, when they ended up face to face with a swarm of changelings, all ready and eager to fight them.

"What do we do now?" asked Harmony.

"The only other thing we can do." said Sparks. "We fight!" Sparks immediately shot stun spells at the changelings that flew close to them. It seemed to work, until one changeling through a glob of green slime onto her horn.

"Gak! What is this?!" she cried. She tried to use her magic, but the goo seemed to block it from getting through. "No matter." she said calmly. Sparks head butted and punched a few changelings to the ground. "I don't need magic in order to take you guys down!"

Though Harmony wasn't much of a fighter and wasn't super athletic, she could still throw some decent punches, and some powerful kicks from her hind legs. The girls stood back to back, grinning at one another as they took on the swarm.

Sparks put her horn to use, using it to poke the changelings whenever she charged or butted them with her head.

"Ooh!"

"OW!!"

"Stop that!"

"Huh, this thing's more useful than I thought." said Sparks, looking up at her horn with a smile.

Harmony took advantage of her wings, flying as she grabbed onto the arms of some of the changelings, spinning them around and tossing them into the swarm. The more they thought, the more they began to weaken the force of the swarm. Soon, a path opened up that continued down to the chamber.

"Sparks, there's an opening!" cried Harmony.

"I see it!"

But more changelings were starting to come from the left.

"We can't keep fighting these things forever!" said Harmony.

Sparks had a thought, she looked over her shoulder at Harmony. "Go on ahead of me, while I hold them off!"

"But Sparks--"

"Just go! Flurry needs us. Just get to her no matter what." Harmony briefly looked into Sparks' eyes, seeing how determined they were. She could tell how much Sparks cared about Flurry Heart. Harmony gave a nod, and went down the tunnel alone, going off to rescue Flurry.

Sparks faced the changelings. "Alright you parasites, who else is hungry for a clobbering?!" and thus, the fight continued.

Author's Note:

Tried to add as much action as possible. There will be more, but I'm saving that for the next chapter. Also, in the next chapter you will all find out a little about Harmony's past (and her mom).