Chapter 7
Twilight scrapped her tongue along the bottom of the shallow pool of water. She stared straight ahead, never once looking down. The shallow pool of water had always refilled after a time, and she welcomed it, although the grit that she picked up always lingered. She tried her best to ignore the grit, but it was always there, always tainting the otherwise fresh water, always unpleasant in her mouth.
She lapped up what remained of the pool and continued lapping at the moist rock in an attempt to get as much of the water as she could. She wasn't sure if Chrysalis knew about the pool or not, but she did know Chrysalis wasn't giving her anything else. As it was, she didn't think she could cry anymore due to dehydration, and her stomach constantly ached, a dull pain of emptiness and hunger which was always there.
Logically, she knew she wasn't in danger of starvation, at least not yet. Dehydration, on the other hoof, was a danger. Even with the cold and dampness of her cell, she was threatened by dehydration, and the only thing staving it off was the trickle of water dripping down to form a small, shallow pool, which she lapped up as often as she could, since it wasn't a lot of water to drink, and always seemed to spill and flow away if she left it to fill longer.
She felt weak, and she felt sick. Her body was back to feeling uncomfortably warm, and she felt sticky. Her coat was unclean and her mane and tail were unkempt. Her head had healed for the most part and her vision was as sharp as it could be in the darkness, but her movements felt so much more sluggish than before. It all felt like a dream, she would see or hear something, and it would take seconds for her to process it and react.
Dried blood still clung to the left side of her head as a result of her wound, she had been unable to clean it properly, with nothing to go by other than feeling it and no water or soap to help, it was a cause that wasn't high on her list of things to take care of or worry about.
She closed her eyes and lifted her head up from the depleted pool of water. She scrapped her tongue around her mouth and then lifted a forehoof and wiped her tongue off as best she could, removing as much grit as she could. She never succeeded at getting all of the grit out of her mouth, and she could tell whenever she closed her mouth because of feeling the grit in between her teeth.
She opened her eyes, then slowly turned around and shuffled back over to her corner and sat down. She carried herself with all the energy of a sleep deprived, starved alicorn who felt like nothing more than a burden. Each step was a struggle. She wanted nothing more than to just collapse in the middle of the room, to fall onto the floor and sleep. But the thought of following through with that scared her. The changelings would be there in seconds to ensure she would have no rest, and she knew that when she woke up, everything would be worse than before. She would wake up alone, with nopony there. Rainbow wouldn't be there with her, holding her close and protecting her.
Her stomach grumbled in protest at its treatment from Chrysalis. Twilight slumped forward and hung her head. She clenched her eyes shut as her stomach churned inside her. Eventually, the churning of her stomach rolled away. She hesitantly opened her eyes, then licked her lips and swallowed, though her mouth and throat felt dry, even after drinking what water she could.
Logically, she knew she wasn't in danger of starvation. That did not make it any easier on her, nor make it feel any better. She felt so dull and empty. She knew that Chrysalis was doing it to weaken her. She wasn't completely sure she knew what Chrysalis was going, but she had a fairly good idea of what Chrysalis's end goal was. She shivered and held her body a little tenser, holding her limbs and wings closer to herself in an attempt to reassure herself and feel a little safer. It didn't help, the feeling of vulnerability and weakness permeating her body, along with constantly feeling like she was being watched by dozens of sets of eyes left her in an unending state of fear.
Buzzing from otuside of her cell. Her eyes shot towards the cell door and her muscles tensed up. She breathed a little quicker and shallower. After a few seconds, the buzzing ceased. Her muscles released, and the sudden surge of energy from fear faded. Her eyelids drooped, feeling insurmountably heavy. She didn't have the willpower to keep them open. She could feel her body leaning forward more with each passing second, and she felt powerless to stop it.
She grunted and her world spun as a sharp pain emanated from her jaw. She blinked open her eyes and looked around warily. More buzzing from outside of her cell door, and a couple of hoofsteps. She shot a glare towards the bars as a Changeling peered in at her, his eyes as sharp as ever, a constant reminder of their predatory nature. She changeling hissed at her, barring its teeth.
Twiligth shook and clenched her eyes closed. She immediately turned her head away from the changeling and her body heaved with a single silent sob. She drew her forelegs back to her body, then pushed herself back into a sitting position.
Several seconds passed. 'Look at me, here I am cowering from a changeling who just hissed at me... I-I'm so pathetic...' She slowly closed her eyes and felt tears build up at the thought. She let her head go limp and laid it against the cold, unforgiving rocky cave wall. She whimpered weakly.
Her stomach grumbled again. She shifted her weight until the discomfort passed. She brushed away her tears with her forehoof and stared down at the ground. "Stop it..." she whispered to herself. "Stop it... s-stay strong... f-for her..." She closed her eyes as a wave of guilt surged through her body like a tsunami. Her body shook with a quiet sob, and she let out a croak of pain.
"I-I'll... n-never s-see h-her a-a-again..." she whispered to herself. She pressed her eyes closed as tightly as she could and broke down.
Rainbow absently looked out across the Everfree forest from the balcony where she stood. The dangerous forest looked so still, almost peaceful. Years ago, the forest had seemed much more dangerous, and it had been more dangerous, but they had made progress toward making it significantly less dangerous. It still served as a home to many dangerous creatures which lurked in the night, possibly with the intent to prey upon anypony foolish enough to wander into the woods, although from personal experience, she wasn't that concerned about it if she had to go through the woods. Even Fluttershy could walk through the thinner parts of the forest without too many problems.
Rainbow sighed and shook her head, knowing that all she was doing, thinking about the forest, was to distract herself from the feeling of wrongness that had dominated the past week. It wasn't acceptable that Twilight had been missing for six days, and yet it felt like they were no closer to finding her than when they started. Interrogating the changelings was slow going, and all of them seemed completely loyal to Chrysalis, and for once, she couldn't understand loyalty.
Chrysalis was leading her changelings to destruction, yet so many of them were still loyal to her. And then there was the fact that there were more changelings still loyal to Chrysalis than there should have been. King Thorax knew the brood well enough to know that most of the changelings had joined him, but he didn't know how Chrysalis had amassed so many changelings. His only thoughts on the matter were that Chrysalis had to have had more changelings spread out than he was aware of, possibly so much as another small hive.
Rainbow let out a long, discouraged sigh and slumped to the floor, sitting down on her haunches and folding her ears back. The night air nipped at her coat, but the crystal beneath her still felt pleasant and welcoming, almost as if it was alive and trying to comfort her. She shivered and ruffled her wings against her sides, warming herself up by the friction of her feathers running over her coat, although it wasn't much.
Twilight was still missing, stolen from her by Chrysalis in a desire for revenge. And Rainbow sat there, on the balcony of one of the castle's guest rooms, unable to do anything about it. She was separated from Twilight. She wasn't there to comfort her, she wasn't there to protect her, she wasn't there to cheer her up, she wasn't there to hold her, she wasn't there. Her whole body ached from the anguish of being forcibly separated from Twilight and knowing that Chrysalis had her and that Twilight couldn't protect herself, but her heart felt so much worse.
Empty, hollow, and numb was how her heart felt. And even the numbness didn't dull the ache left by Twilight not being there. Her chest felt tight, and her whole body was tense, on edge, despite her mental exhaustion, how clouded and foggy her mind was, and the oppressive loneliness dominating every passing second.
Rainbow slowly clenched her jaw tightly, then she swallowed. 'I really miss you... I really do love you, Twilight... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you...' She relaxed her jaw, then licked her lips and gradually looked up from her hooves. 'I'll be there for you...' she reaffirmed. She pressed her eyes closed and let her head hang limply.
A knock on the door broke the silence. Rainbow slowly opened her eyes, then she glanced back and slowly turned her head back so she could see the door. A moment later, the door opened to reveal Twilight's brother. "Hey," he greeted.
Rainbow inhaled, then exhaled and turned back around to look straight ahead. A moment passed, then the sound of hooves clicking on the crystalline floor could be heard. The hoofsteps paused and then the door quietly closed before they resumed. The sound came in a slow, leisurely pace. Eventually, it stopped, and Rainbow could see Shining Armor's white coat on the edge of her vision. "Anything?" she asked quietly.
Shining Armor sat down and shook his head. "Not yet."
Rainbow groaned and lifted her right forehoof to her head, then lightly pressed against her forehead and rubbed it around, massaging her head.
"You seem a lot different from what you were like the last time I saw you," Shining commented.
Rainbow paused, then slid her forehoof back down to the floor. She blinked once and thought about it, letting her mind wander over the past few months. A smile crept onto her lips. "Yeah, I guess so," she agreed. "I've been around Twilight a lot, I guess... It... well, it was a bit... I don't know, awkward, maybe? For a while, anyway... it... still kind of feels a bit awkward, but uh... Yeah..." she trailed off, rubbing the back of her mane sheepishly. "I mean... just... I miss her, and..." she trailed off, a little wave of energy washing over her body and refreshing her look, making her sit up straighter. "Well, I'm not the best pony when it comes to emotions and all that, but I really do care about her!" she said, turning to look at Twilight's brother. He looked at her empathetically and nodded slowly. Rainbow's energy from her outburst faded and she slumped back down. "And... so it hurts. It's hard. She's been through a lot, and... I'm trying to be there for her. It... it's not easy," she admitted. "It hurts to see her hurting, and..." she trailed off, shaking her head. She inhaled deeply, then calmly exhaled. "And then there's this... I... I don't know what to do, because I can't do anything right now. I want to be out there looking for her, but if I do that, I know that I probably won't find her by myself, and if we do find her, I won't be able to rescue her because I'll be worn out..."
Shining Armor grimaced and slowly nodded. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to Cadance or Flurry..." he said in a quiet, grave voice. "But I'd do the best I could to find her and make sure they were safe, and then I'd be there for them when they get back." Rainbow nodded in agreement. "As it is, I feel like I should be out there looking for her, but... Well, I wouldn't be able to cover as much ground as you could," he said with a forced chuckle.
Silence passed between them for a while, neither of them really knew how long passed, but both of them were content to enjoy the silence and watch the still Everfree. Rainbow eventually found her gaze drawn towards the stars in the sky. "Twilight... she always seems so sad, anymore. I mean, I can make her happy, and I really enjoy being able to do that. But seeing her so sad just... it isn't right. And she's like that most of the time. It... it's a bit frustrating, but... I try to be there for her to help her."
"Thank you for that," Shining said. "For taking care of her and being her friend. I... we used to be really close when we were younger, but... well, then we grew up. And now we almost never see each other, so I can't be there for her like I want. I'm her big brother best friend forever..."
Rainbow smiled a little. "Well, she's my best friend, too... I promised her that I'd be there for her. The only reason I wasn't there with her was that she wanted me to go back to the Wonderbolts... and I did..." she trailed off, her smile disappearing. "We've all really drifted apart because... well, we're all grown up, I guess. Life. A lot more stuff to do... you know?" she asked, studying Shining's form.
He nodded in understanding. "Believe me, I know. I'm a father now..." he replied.
"We're all really busy anymore and we don't hang out as much as we used to. I'm probably the worst of all of us because of joining the Wonderbolts..." Rainbow sighed. "I promised I'd be there for her, and I wasn't there because I was with the Wonderbolts..." she repeated. Her brow creased, and her lips turned downward into a scowl. She shifted her weight and ruffled her wings. "Uh... you know... um... Twilight... she... kinda asked me out on a date..." she trailed off. Shining Armor blinked at length and turned his head to face Rainbow. "The day that... the reactor... you know..." she added, shifting her weight and trying to avoid Shining's gaze. Shining's face was nearly unreadable, and he remained silent.
Rainbow sighed and turned away from him, her body slumping forward even more. "And I told her no. Mostly because of the Wonderbolts," she stated, then snorted at herself. "And I've felt terrible about that ever since... I've tried to make it up to her, and... well... I want to be there for her. It's the reason that I'm helping her. Well, not so much to make it up to her as just to be there for her. I hate seeing her so sad..." she trailed off.
After a moment, Shining leaned over and wrapped his left foreleg around Rainbow's neck. Rainbow looked over at him as he pulled her against his side. Her wings flared ever so slightly in an effort to keep herself upright, but she relented and let him pull her into a hug.
After a few seconds, he released Rainbow, and she slowly pulled away, shuffling her wings uncomfortably. Shining smiled warmly at her. "So, you're dating my little sister?"
Rainbow shifted her weight, then swallowed. She took a deep breath, then nodded tentatively. "Yeah..." she replied. She frowned a little and her ears folded back about halfway. "We went on a date in Canterlot... at the castle..." she trailed off. "It... wasn't really that great. It... it was hard on her. She stressed out about it too much..."
Shining grimaced. "That sounds like her..." he said quietly. He studied the forest for several seconds, letting the silence hang in the air. He turned to Rainbow and looked over her stoically, his expression betraying no emotion. "Well, you better make sure you're there for her and you be good to her."
Rainbow chuckled nervously and smiled uneasily. "I'll do my best... I really do want her to be happy," she replied.
Shining let his stoic expression fade and he smiled. "Hey, I'm sure you'll do fine," Shining replied comfortingly. "I'd rather it be you, one of her closest friends, and the bearer of the Element of Loyalty, then somepony else who I don't know too well."
Rainbow smiled wryly. "I hope so. I hate knowing that I hurt her so much..."
The dull monotony of being confined to a single small cell, all alone, with only the chittering of two changelings outside the cell, and the dripping of water, to keep her company, left Twilight with nothing to occupy herself but her thoughts. Regrets and fears plagued her mind. 'I should never have asked Rainbow out, I just made it harder on her, on all of us, and now I'm putting her through this... Rainbow, I'm sorry... please forgive me... you deserve somepony better than me...'
Her throat ached from being tight almost constantly, and even swallowing didn't relieve the pain. She missed Rainbow and being alone without her for so long left her heart hurting from the emptiness plaguing her, but at the same time, she chastised herself for it. 'She has her own goals, and I'd just take that all away from her because I love her... I... I can't do that to her...'
She hated how it made her feel. She felt condemned. Rainbow said she would always be there for her, but that meant Rainbow wouldn't have as much time for herself. She felt like she was taking more than she was giving, and Rainbow had already given her so much that she could never repay. 'I don't want to be a burden on her... or any of them...'
She clenched her eyes shut and barred her teeth as a wave of pain and guilt rolled over her body, spurred on by her thoughts. 'I... the reactor should have just killed me... they shouldn't have saved my life by taking my horn...' She sighed at the thought and slumped down, feeling weak, no longer having any strength, desire, or will left. She let herself limply fall to the floor. 'Who am I without my horn? I can't use my magic, and it's begging for me to use it... I'm not an alicorn, and I don't deserve to be a princess... I can't help Luna or Celestia, and... Rainbow... she used to be busy all the time, doing things she enjoyed, but now she's always with me. The rest of the girls... I forced them to take time out of their lives for me, and it's all my fault...'
She whimpered as tears fell out of her closed eyes. 'It would have been better for everypony if I had just died from the radiation...' She sniffled, shuddering as she inhaled. "B-but... my friends love me, they... would have hated t-to see-see that..." she croaked out between sobs.
She opened her eyes and looked ahead at the cell door. Her vision was blurred and her body physically hurt from the emotional pain and despair she felt. The coldness and dampness of the cell were forgotten from the pain emanating from her heart and chest. 'But I can't do that to them... what am I supposed to do..?' She whimpered weakly in despair, feeling hopeless.
'Stay strong... they're looking for me, they won't just leave me here... I... I have to be strong for them. They've sacrificed so much for me, I... I can't let that go to waste...' She closed her eyes again, then swallowed and licked her lips. The ache in her chest weakened at the thought, but still lingered, refusing to leave her.
There was a new sound coming from outside the cell. A crack of magic. There was a sickly green flash of light. Slow hoofsteps slowly approached the cell door.
Twilight's eyes went wide from fear. She bolted upright into a sitting position, then stood up. She pressed herself back up against the walls and pushed herself as far into the corner as she could. Each hoofstep sounded drawn out, and an eternity seemed to pass between each one of them. Her chest heaved as her breathing quickened, and adrenaline surged through her veins, her fear immediately overriding all other concerns.
And then, like time sped up, Chrysalis appeared in front of the cell door in an instant, her transparent, insectoid wings flared, smiling a malicious smile, baring her teeth and fangs, and a wicked glint in her eyes. Twilight's breath caught in her throat as the queen light her horn and opened the door, then strode inside and closed the door behind her, locking it.
Chrysalis regarded her, and Twilight shivered under her vicious gaze. Chrysalis stepped toward her. Twilight lowered her head, putting as much distance between her and Chrysalis as she could, the memory of the pain the changeling had inflicted on her still fresh in her mind, despite the wound having already healed. Chrysalis continued to approach her. Twilight cowered under her gaze, lowering her body to the ground in an attempt to not provoke the Queen's ire.
Chrysalis came to a stop and snorted. "The once great protector of Equestria... look at her now... battered and broken," she hissed.
'She's just here to mock me... not physically hurt me... she wants to draw this out as long as possible...' the analytical part of Twilight's mind reaffirmed. 'She's right,' another part said. 'I am useless and pathetic... I am broken...' She clenched her eyes closed and whimpered, crying softly.
Princess Luna calmly looked across the room. It had yet to work before, but she would continue to search the dreamscape for Twilight's dreams. She sighed quietly and her gaze fell a few inches. For all she knew, Twilight could be unconscious, or something could have been blocking her from sensing her if she was asleep. Twilight might not have been asleep, or she could have been asleep at a different time than she was looking for her, but she always kept a part of her mind wandering the dreamscape for Twilight.
She closed her eyes and lit her horn with her magic. Unlike normally when she directed her full attention and her magic to the dreamscape, it was late afternoon, rather than night. She let her magic work, directed by her mind, searching the vast dreamscape. Because of the time, there were fewer dreams to sort through and filter, making her job easier. Despite the few numbers of ponies resting during the afternoon, she still could not find what she was looking for, but she pressed on. Far too long had already passed, and she would not stop until Twilight was safe and Chrysalis was dealt with.
Exhaustion had already taken its toll on Twilight. Fear from Chrysalis's visits drained her further, leaving her weak and making her feel indifferent toward the world. She nibbled on her lower lip. She wasn't sure how long had passed, whether it had been a week or two weeks. She couldn't tell, and nopony was around to tell her, and the changelings certainly weren't going to tell her. She carefully crept across her cell, closer to the door. Her mind was hazy and her thoughts were clouded and becoming incoherent.
She paused and scrutinized the cell door, peering beyond it to look for any signs that she was being watched or that there was a changeling, such as Chrysalis, coming for her. Silence, save for the sound of the dripping water, and the occasional buzz or chitter from the two guards stationed outside her door. They sounded like they were arguing, but she couldn't make it out. Both of them sounded far too preoccupied to pay any mind to her.
She quietly moved to the other side of the room and pressed her body up against the wall, then slid back to the corner. She was out of sight, the changelings would have to come into her cell to check on her. She hadn't yet seen them do that unless she had tried to sleep, but here, she was out of sight. She silently laid down on the cold hard stone and she folded her forehooves over each other and laid her head down on her forelegs.
Almost all at once, it felt like the life had been sucked out of her body. Her eyelids drooped uncontrollably. She didn't even try to fight it. The changelings would eventually figure it out, but until then, she could have some relief from the sleep deprivation she was enduring. She shifted her weight onto her side. Despite having relative peace and seclusion in the cell, she felt insecure, unsafe, and vulnerable.
If she slept, Chrysalis could pay her a visit and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it, although she couldn't do much if she was awake anyway. The changelings could come in and do something to her while she slept, and she wouldn't know about it. It scared her. Not only would she not know, but she couldn't stop them, and she couldn't stop them even if she was awake.
Sleep whispered bliss into her ears, calling her, begging for her to relax and let her guard down long enough for her to drift off to sleep, regardless of the consequences. Gradually, she felt more energy sapped from her body, and she found it impossible to keep her guard up, and even her fear eased up. A few tears gathered in her eyes at the knowledge that it was one of the first nights in a long time when she would sleep and Rainbow wouldn't be there with her.
Her worry came back in full force. For all she knew, if she went to sleep, she wouldn't wake up. She'd never see Rainbow again, never get to tell her how much she meant to her, never get to hold her, to hug her, and never get to feel her embrace again. The thought was gut-wrenching, and her body writhed in discomfort as the sharp unease rolled through her body like electrical waves.
And yet, at the same time, not waking up would be a blessing. She wouldn't have to worry about the changelings. She wouldn't worry about being a burden on everypony she knew, they wouldn't have to take care of her anymore, they could go on about their lives. Rainbow wouldn't have to put up with her, she wouldn't have to deal with her faults. Sure, ponies would mourn her, her friends, those who knew her, they would be hit especially hard, but they would move on and be better off for it. It wasn't like she made much of a difference as of late.
'I lived a good life...' she mused. 'I saved Equestria so many times with my friends... I'm going to miss you girls...' A quiet, choked sob escaped her mouth. 'But... now it's... it's pointless. I'm not an alicorn, I'm not a unicorn... I don't have my horn and I can't take care of myself. I'm just... a waste of everypony's time... they're all mortal, and... I would outlive them all, and force them to waste their time being concerned about me... but... they love me...'
She closed her eyes, even as turmoil flooded her mind and body. She laid there, quietly sobbing, her sobs eventually fading, but unable to sleep. Rainbow wasn't there with her, and she knew it. She could feel it. It was wrong. She was too cold, the rock was too hard. There wasn't anything holding her, there was no gentle rhythm of Rainbow's heartbeat, nor her breathing. Rainbow's scent didn't fill her lungs as she inhaled. There was nothing soft and feathery embracing her. It was all missing. She felt empty, completely alone and isolated from the feeling. Rainbow wasn't there, and it was wrong. Her friend wasn't there to comfort her, to help her, to hold her, to protect her.
Eventually, her resistance to sleep gave out, and she quickly drifted off to a deep, uneasy slumber. Numerous tears rolled from her eyes.
Luna's eyes shot open. For just an instant, she had felt something, a dream called out to her, and it shocked her. It felt familiar, and she had immediately recognized it. She quickly closed her eyes and poured more of her magic into the spell. A moment later, she sent her mind and magic to join with the dream, entering Twilight's dream.
She grunted and looked around. Darkness stretched as far as she could see, and there were no discernable features to the darkness, nor any discernible features to the ground. She glanced up. She pursed her lips and frowned at the sight of a night sky with nothing but pitch blackness, no stars, and her moon was nowhere to be seen.
She grimaced at the implications, then turned around and looked for Twilight. She lit her horn, breaking the darkness with her light blue magic aura. The darkness seemed to take on a crystalline quality, looking like a diamond cut with countless hundreds, if not thousands of faces, each one reflecting the light in a different way, illuminating the entire expanse of darkness to reveal only a small room.
A silent croak, followed by a sniffle, drew her attention back to where she had originally been facing. "H-hello, L-Luna..." Twilight whimpered.
Luna's heart ached at the sight of the disheveled alicorn. She looked weak and vulnerable, more akin to an elderly pony on death's doorstep than an alicorn princess. Without saying anything, Luna strode over to Twilight and sat down, then pulled Twilight against her chest. She wrapped her forelegs around Twilight's withers, then enveloped Twilight in her wings. There was so much she felt she needed to say, and her mind raced, considering each word with care. In the end, she settled on something simple. "It will be okay, Twilight. I promise you," she said in a soft, tender voice, akin to an attempt to mimic her sister.
Twilight slowly slid her forehooves up to Luna's shoulders and bent them toward Luna, grabbing onto her. Her body tensed up and she sniffled, pressing herself harder into Luna's chest.
Luna ran her head down alongside Twilight's head and neck, nuzzling her, then she squeezed her and cast a very simple spell, one which told her exactly where Twilight was. Her expression momentarily hardened, then softened again as she turned her attention back to the vulnerable alicorn she comforted. "Twilight, do not give up, do not lose hope," she said firmly. "Just hold on for a few more hours. I will be there soon, and so will Rainbow. We will get you out of there and you will be safe, I promise."
Twilight's body shuddered and hitched on a breath. "Y-you... p-promise?" she asked quietly, her voice shaking and cracking from fear and emptiness.
"Yes," Luna stated. "I will not allow any more harm to come to you, Twilight. I am sorry that it took so long for me to find you..." she looked down at Twilight's back guiltily. "I failed, and I am sorry..." she whispered.
Twilight tentatively shook her head. "Chrysalis... she... wasn't letting me sleep..." she said in a pained voice, trailing off quietly.
Luna's lips pulled downward. She took a deep breath and then calmly exhaled. "Chrysalis you will pay for this..." she muttered. She pulled back from Twilight, though held her tight still. "I need to go, Twilight. I have to get ready, because we are coming for you. Do not forget that. We will not abandon you."
Twilight remained silent.
Luna squeezed Twilight again, then released her. Twilight lingered near her but made no effort to stop her from going. Luna used her magic and cast a spell on Twilight to ease her mind. The crystalline quality surrounding them, filling the dreamscape, silently shattered, dispersing into an infinite number of specs of light, revealing a warm, sunny meadow. The grass was so tall that it was up to Twilight's wings with her sitting on her haunches, and there was a lone tree nearby.
Twilight slowly looked up, then glanced around, scrutinizing her dream. A little of the exhaustion and strain on her face faded, being replaced by a calmness. Luna surveyed her work and smiled. The sky was clear of all clouds, and a gentle summer breeze rolled by. The meadow stretched on as far as she could see. Looking over at the tree, she noticed a detail she hadn't put there, one which she was quite pleased to see.
Twilight seemed to notice it too, and she immediately perked up, forgetting her earlier troubles and paying no mind to Luna's presence. She shot up and trotted over to the tree, then sat down beside Rainbow. Rainbow looked at her and smiled. After a moment, Rainbow's mouth moved as she said something, and Twilight flashed a bright smile as she giggled. Twilight leaned against Rainbow, and Rainbow calmly laid down on her side and pulled Twilight up against her body, then wrapped her limbs around her.
Luna calmly left Twilight's dreamscape to set out to get to work. She had a lot to do and very little time if she was to keep her promise.
Unknown to her, Twilight was crying in the waking world, but for a different reason than when she fell asleep.
Luna opened her eyes and looked straight ahead, focused, with two goals in mind: rescuing Twilight and dealing with Chrysalis. She jumped to her hooves and barely stood all the way up before teleporting herself back to Canterlot. "Sister I found her," she said as soon as she arrived at her destination, her sister's study.
Celestia's attention instantly switched from the report she had been reading to her sister, and within seconds, she had set the report back down on her desk, stood up, and faced Luna. "Where is she?" she asked quickly, studying Luna's expression.
"Somewhere beneath the mountain at the heart of the Whitetail Woods," Luna answered. "I located her in her dreams... they were troubled..." she said tentatively. "I was going to leave to assemble a strike force, however..." she trailed off, grimacing. "Chrysalis will know if we assemble too large of a force, and she may find out if we mobilize regardless."
Celestia clenched her jaw. She lowered her head slightly and her eyes quickly darted about. "A smaller strike force, then. With you spearheading the rescue, we shouldn't need too large of a force, however, we have no way of knowing how many drones Chrysalis has." Luna slowly nodded her head once. "The plan stands?" she asked.
Luna nodded again. "I will lead the rescue, and Rainbow will accompany. I will locate where Twilight is being held and head there with utmost haste, then we will withdraw her and I will engage Chrysalis personally, preventing her escape," she affirmed, her voice firm, determined, and cool. "Chrysalis will not get away."
Celestia nodded. "If she has a new hive then there may be multiple places she could escape from... A small strike force may not be able to prevent her escape."
Luna shifted her weight. "I have... considered that possibility," she said at length. "I will prevent her escape should that be the case, and if she does manage to escape, then I will give chase to her. She cannot be allowed to roam free any longer."
Celestia nodded and took a deep breath. She licked her lips and turned to look out of the window. "Evacuate Twilight to Ponyville as soon as she's been freed. I will be waiting there with the local contingent to protect her should Chrysalis try to launch a counter attack," she stated.
Luna nodded. "I will begin assembling the strike force immediately."
"I'll head to Ponyville and inform Twilight's friends and her brother that we're preparing to launch the rescue mission," Celestia replied.
Dual flashes of magic and cracks of sound filled the room as both princesses teleported away to tend to their tasks.
Twilight awoke with a start, quickly inhaling as a cold, tingly sensation slowly crawled down her spine. She lifted her head up and looked around. The pitch black darkness felt almost palpable for some reason, and she found herself struggling to breathe. The atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive, the air was thick and humid. She coughed once, then sat up.
'How... long did I sleep?' she wondered groggily. She stood up, feeling refreshed but dull. Her mind no longer felt like it was short circuiting, and the voice in her head had been silenced, although the fogginess lingered. She blinked and yawned, then glanced around her cell. She licked her lips, which were dry, and she swallowed to find her mouth parched.
She turned her head toward the sound of the dripping water, which faintly echoed as the water dripped into the shallow pool. She frowned for a moment, then shook her head. She shivered and walked over to the pool, then looked down at it. She quickly lapped up enough water from it to make her lips and mouth not quite as dry but stopped before getting any grit.
She sat back down on her haunches. 'Luna's coming...' she remembered. Her lips turned upward into a smile, then they fell again. or... was that just a dream..? No, it was real... Luna's coming...' She felt a trickle of hope filling her heart. She would see her friends again, she would see the sky and feel the sun again. So long as nothing happened to her between then and when Luna arrived.
She licked her lips, then glanced at the bars which served as the door to her cell. Beyond, she could hear two changelings chittering. 'They didn't know I slept... good.' She had no idea how long she slept, nor how long it would stave off her exhaustion, but she felt much better, even with the tiredness was lingering in the back of her mind, it was manageable, although she felt that if she let herself she could slip back into sleep, but that was too risky.
She took a deep breath, then walked over to the corner and sat down on her haunches again. 'So this is what it feels like to be a prisoner,' she mused. Her lips contorted into a grimace. 'And Luna endured far worse for one thousand years.'
She pushed the thought aside. With nothing else to occupy herself, she found the dissenting thoughts growing in volume. The energy she gained from her sleep quickly faded to a distant memory under their assault. She wanted to think or believe that Chrysalis was responsible for her feeling as useless as she was, for feeling like such a burden, for the dissenting thoughts, but she knew the truth, which was that it was all on her. And she knew that the thoughts weren't lies, they were true.
Or at the very least, she believed them. Everypony told her otherwise, that she wasn't useless, that she wasn't a burden. Nopony else was with her in the cell, however, so there was nothing to refute it. She looked down at her hooves guiltily. Rainbow hated when she thought of herself as a burden and when she thought of herself as useless. Rainbow didn't want her to think of herself that way, but Rainbow wasn't there to help her or comfort her.
Twilight's ears folded back, pinned against her head by a combination of pain, loneliness, and guilt. 'You... would hate me for this... and... I'm just hurting you... I don't want to hurt you...' She sighed quietly. 'If... when... Luna rescues me... what am I going to do when I get back? Am I going to have to be in the hospital again for a while?' The thought brought on a grimace and a scowl. She had spent far too much time in hospitals as of late. 'And what about Rainbow and the rest of my friends?' she wondered. She felt even more guilty. 'They're going to take time out to spend with me and try to comfort me... they shouldn't waste their time on it...' she thought glumly. 'Maybe... maybe I should just lock myself in my room... that way... nopony could get to me...' Her lips twisted into a deeper grimace and she bobbed her head as she mulled over the thought. 'Starlight, Celestia, and Luna could still teleport to me... and everypony would be worried sick about me...'
She sighed louder than before and laid down. She listened to the soft sounds breaking the silence, the dripping water, the changelings, and faint, distant hoofsteps. She frowned, then stood up. She tentatively walked to about the middle of her cell and looked out of the door, trying to see anything out of place. The hoofsteps gradually grew in volume, whoever it was, they were coming closer.
Despite her fear that it was Chrysalis, a part of her hoped it was Luna, and regardless of either, she actually welcomed the sound, if only because it gave her something else to listen to. The hoofsteps grew closer, then they sounded like they were coming from right outside the room. The changelings hissed, and Twilight felt hope, excitement, and anticipation welling up inside her. She perked up and stood up as she heard a crack of magic. A green bolt shot across the front of the cell door and the changeling on the right hissed in pain before going silent. Another crack of magic was followed by the other guard falling. She shivered, the aura was the same shade as Chrysalis's, which put her on edge. 'Would Chrysalis do that to her own drones..?' she wondered, swallowing as she heard hoofsteps again. There was a faint whooshing sound. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. 'Some unicorns have an aura like that, but it's uncommon...'
A bolt of green magic slammed into the cell door. Her heart leaped for joy and she started scurrying forward towards freedom. "Luna!?" she called out.
She came to an immediate and complete stop as a familiar pony stepped in front of the cell door. Her breath caught in her throat, and she smiled uncontrollably as joy welled up inside her. "Rainbow..." she whispered, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
"Hey, Twilight," Rainbow acknowledged, returning her smile. "Just hold on, we're going to get you out of here..." she trailed off and forced the door open. She stepped inside and looked around.
Twilight bolted toward Rainbow and threw herself at her. "R-Rainbow, I-I missed you so much... I-I didn't... I didn't think I was going to see you again!" she said frantically. Hot moisture rolled down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, pressing her muzzle into Rainbow's chest.
"Easy there, Twilight," Rainbow replied. She sat down and wrapped a forehoof around Twilight's back.
It felt wrong. Twilight tensed up. It was Rainbow, but it was wrong. Her forehoof didn't feel the same, it didn't have the same weight to it, nor the same comforting quality. She started to shiver as fear welled up inside her. She grew quiet and her tears stopped falling. She gently pressed her muzzle into Rainbow's chest and slid her nose around. It wasn't Rainbow, and she could tell. Her coat was wrong, her smell was wrong. Everything about her was wrong, and it sent warning flags arcing through her body. By the time it all registered, her mind had drawn a blank.
Panic set in with the realization of what had happened, and then the realization of who she had run to, who was holding her, set in. She didn't even shake, paralyzed in fear. She couldn't breathe. She stayed completely still, unable to move. Rainbow's foreleg tightened around her back, and she started shaking in fear. Rainbow took a deep breath, then leaned down to her ear, moaning softly, a twisted moan that didn't fit the pegasus. "So... this is who your mate is..."
Twilight pressed her eyes closed, all too late realizing her mistake. One thought ran through her mind, 'Rainbow... I'm sorry...'
Chrysalis dropped her disguise in a bright flash of green light. Twilight didn't want to open her eyes. She refused to. She wasn't going to open her eyes and look at the black carapace of the changeling holding her. Chrysalis's hole-filled foreleg slid around her neck, and she mockingly caressed her neck. Twilight shuddered, feeling sick at the changeling's touch, and she shied away from her. "They're never going to get you," Chrysalis said calmly, her voice coming out as someone who was in complete control of a situation. "They're never going to find you," she added. "And... your mate? I will kill her slowly, before your eyes..." she whispered sweetly, then trailed off, softly chuckling.
Twilight clenched her jaw. "You're wrong," she spat through clenched teeth. "You underestimate them, and you underestimate her," she stated.
Chrysalis smiled and drew back from Twilight. "Oh? There's that delicious fire of yours... I was wondering if it had been extinguished yet..." she trailed off laughing, baring her teeth in delight.
Twilight opened her eyes and glared up at the changeling. She growled, then slammed her head into Chrysalis's chest. Without her horn, the impact didn't harm the changeling any, and it made Twilight recoil and wince.
Chrysalis's twisted joy faded and she hissed at Twilight. She recoiled from the strike a few inches. "You dare!?" With no hesitation at all, she pulled her foreleg away from Twilight's neck, then pushed her away. She lit her horn and reared up.
Twilight's eyes went wide and she scrambled back, managing to back away a few steps. Chrysalis slammed down into the floor, then threw her horn down. She picked Twilight up, then in a split second, slammed Twilight into the wall to her right. Twilight silently cried out in pain. Chrysalis released her from her magic and let the alicorn fall to the floor, slumping down. She slowly approached the injured alicorn with an air of superiority and regality. Chrysalis's eyes were sharp, displaying only fury and not the slightest ghost of mercy.
Twilight stood up and grunted. She held her ground and stared down Chrysalis, her wings flared out from her body ever so slightly lifted up, prepared to defend herself or take flight if necessary.
Chrysalis smiled. "So you're not completely broken... wonderful!" she barked before breaking out into a fit of mad laughter. "And you think you can protect yourself from me?" Her laughter eventually died down, and her eyes were filled with a giddy, mad glee of excitement. She licked her teeth and lips, then lunged at Twilight.
Twilight staggered at the sight of the insane changeling jumping at her. She shifted her weight to the left to jump, only for Chrysalis to catch her. She instantly froze, feeling the changeling's sharp fangs at her body. Her breathing slowed and grew shallow as primal panic set in. She slowly glanced over at her left side.
Chrysalis held the base of her wing in her mouth, biting it tightly. Blood leaked from the points where the Queen's teeth pierced her skin. Twilight shook at the sight, though the pain didn't register. Chrysalis clenched her jaw, tightening her hold on Twilight.
Twilight's expression blanked, then panic raced through her mind, along with fear. She bit back a scream and clenched her eyes shut, feeling the pressure of the changeling's sharp teeth on her wing. She stood completely still since any movement would bring more pain.
Chrysalis bit down harder, then twisted, and jerked her head away from Twilight.
Twilight screamed.
Rainbow's wings bristled in anticipation, and her heart raced. She struggled to keep up with Luna's brisk trot, partially because of the alicorn's longer legs, but also because of how focused she was. The moon was creeping over the forest canopy, casting the forest floor in a soft shade of light. There would have been torches or lights of magic illuminating the ranks of the Royal Guard with them, but it was dangerous, as it could have alerted Chrysalis to their presence in the forest, closing in on her position.
Rainbow briefly glanced over at Shining Armor, who flanked Luna's left side. Luna continued on, paying neither of them any mind, and both of them continued following her swiftly. Half a dozen guards, all unicorns followed behind them, spread out. It wasn't the main force, this group was more or less an escort for the trio, who were currently scouting the forested mountain, searching for the entrance to the cavern where Twilight was being held.
Luna's horn glowed softly as she surveyed the area and scanned for their goal, while Shining Armor's horn wasn't lit. The less light there was, the less likely they would be caught. However, their group wasn't the group Rainbow worried most about being captured. Several hundred Royal Guards, all either unicorns or pegasi were stationed all around the mountain, trying to keep it locked down. She didn't think it was enough, but any more was too dangerous according to Luna.
Still, they had a base camp with reinforcements, a few hundred of them stationed just outside the forest. They weren't well hidden, as the camp had been set up hastily in a flat area. The mountain overlooked the camp, but with the darkness and the distance, it was harder to spot. If any changeling scouts ventured too far, however, there was a risk of them seeing the camp.
Their hooves barely made any sounds on the rocky soil beneath them as they trod onward. Rainbow bit her lip. The adrenaline flooding her veins made her wide awake but combined with her anxiety, she was uneasy. "Anything yet?" she asked Luna in a low tone.
"I believe we are headed in the right direction," Luna replied quickly. "So far I am detecting only one way in or out of the cave, but Chrysalis can teleport," she commented.
"How many Changelings?" Shining Armor asked in a low tone.
Luna pursed her lips and slowed down. "I do not know yet," she answered. "I am detecting several up ahead guarding what I believe to be the entrance, but it seems that they have found a way to make it more difficult for me to sense them," she stated.
Rainbow frowned. "So Chrysalis has more changelings than she should, they're harder to detect than they should be, and they're able to mimic the..." she trailed off, unsure of what the doctor had called it, "um..." she said tentatively. She scowled. "Whatever it was of whoever they're disguised as?" she asked warily.
Luna grimaced and nodded. "Yes... when you put it that way, it is very disconcerting..." she answered. She slowed down, then stopped. Everypony with her came to a stop and gathered around her. She looked at two of the guards, "Please head back to the camp and bring strike groups one through six. Bring them here immediately. I want strike groups one through four to head in behind us and work on clearing out the cave of changelings, while strike groups five and six will remain at the entrance to provide reinforcements and prevent any changelings from escaping," she commanded.
The two unicorns saluted, then turned around and headed off at a safe gallop, both of them hurrying, but neither of them rushing back hastily enough to be unaware of any possible danger.
Luna nodded. "Once they arrive, we will begin the assault. Our goal is to find and rescue Twilight. After that, we will withdraw her from the cave and get her to safety. If I have not dealt with Chrysalis by then, I will locate and engage Chrysalis," she stated.
A rolling crack of thunder rumbled through the air from overhead. Luna absently looked up at the oncoming cloud bank. "If everything goes according to plan, we will be out of here before that storm hits..." she muttered, not sounding convinced that everything would go according to plan.
Rainbow warily looked up at the approaching storm. Already some dark gray clouds were starting to move into position to block the moon. She grimaced and slowly tore her gaze away from the sky, looking at Luna. "Why didn't you just have the storm put off?"
Luna grimaced and turned to face Rainbow. "We have no way of knowing if Chrysalis has spies among the ranks of weather pegasi. If she does, then giving an order to hold off on the storm would have alerted her that something was up, which is the last thing we need."
Rainbow winced and shifted her weight. "Right... sorry..." she muttered, looking down at the rocky soil.
Luna's expression softened as she looked at the pegasus, but it quickly hardened again. She lifted her gaze back to the storm. Something about it left her feeling uneasy. There was a battle ahead, and a storm preparing to let loose. "The storm should not have any effect on the outcome of this battle, however, it will make things less pleasant for everypony involved," she stated. "We will be waiting here for a while for the reinforcements. It would be wise to remain alert," she acknowledged.
The Royal Guards slowly dispersed, taking up positions to watch the three important ponies in the center. Rainbow walked over to a tree and sat down in front of it. She took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. Her wings bristled in anticipation. She could feel it in the air, the storm was going to be a major one, but it wasn't what was eating at her the most. She had to wait when they were so close to finally rescuing Twilight. She looked over at Shining Armor, who seemed too preoccupied with keeping watch to be concerned about having to wait before going after Twilight, although he seemed a bit disgruntled and he shifted his weight ever so slightly. Luna likewise seemed impassive, although she looked agitated for some reason. Her mane and tail flowed a little quicker than normal.
The wind picked up, sending a cool breeze through the forest and rustling the tree leaves and branches.
Luna nodded to herself as she looked over the recently arrived, assembled ranks of the Royal Guard accompanying her. Each strike group was composed of twelve Royal Guards in total, four earth ponies and eight unicorns. The limited number of guards fielded left her uneasy, but it had left them undetected by the changelings thus far. 'No plan holds up to encountering the enemy...' she mused, a grimace growing on her lips. "I still am unsure about how many changelings we are going to be facing," she stated. "We may outnumber them, or there could be a swarm inside the mountain of a size similar to the swarm which attacked Canterlot."
Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably beside Luna as the alicorn spoke. The idea of eighty soldiers going up against possibly hundreds of changelings didn't sound like a great idea to her, but despite the uneasiness permeating her body from not knowing, she felt an eagerness and a drive to head straight in there, fighting off every single changeling between her and Twilight.
Months ago, she wouldn't have kept herself in check. Her heart still ached over waiting, but she knew that she had to wait. If she didn't, then it was possible that their whole rescue mission could fail, meaning that it could be even longer before Twilight was back, and that wasn't acceptable. It still didn't make waiting easy, and every passing second left her more agitated than the last.
"However, with my presence, we should not have too many problems. Strike teams one through four will follow my lead and perform search and destroy missions and reconnaissance, while Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor and I will spearhead the primary objective to locate and rescue Princess Twilight. After Twilight is safe, I shall engage Chrysalis. If we encounter Chrysalis before Twilight is freed, I will engage her and attempt to secure Twilight's rescue," Luna said. Her expression hardened, turning firm like steel as she put her determination on full display for the assembled soldiers. "Should further reinforcements be needed, it could take up to an hour, if not longer, to receive them from base camp. If you encounter problems, hold your position unless the threat is too great." She took a deep breath, then glanced over at Rainbow to her right.
Rainbow swallowed, then licked her lips. She shifted her weight as Luna's gaze bore into her. Luna opened her mouth to say something, then frowned and lifted her gaze away from Rainbow. "There has been a slight change of plans," she said calmly. "Chrysalis is near Twilight." Rainbow clenched her jaw and ruffled her wings. Luna glanced back down at Rainbow, then looked over at Shining Armor. Shining Armor's expression was filled with barely constrained worry, and it showed, despite his best efforts to remain calm. Luna turned back to Rainbow. "I am engaging Chrysalis as soon as we locate her," she stated. "You will proceed with the mission to rescue Twilight. As soon as you find and free her, get her back to Ponyville. Do not stop at the camp, and do not stop for anything."
"Right, she'll be safe with me," Rainbow said quickly, her voice determined. She took a deep breath and puffed out her chest.
Luna pursed her lips. "You... are more disciplined than I had expected. In all honesty, I remembered you being..." she trailed off, squinting. "Brasher," she stated. "It would seem that Twilight has worn off on you some..." she said in a soft, calm voice which didn't carry between the two.
Rainbow shifted her weight uncomfortably, feeling self-conscious from Luna's remark. She found herself feeling uncomfortable as she stood beside the alicorn. She didn't belong in the group going to rescue Twilight. She wasn't wearing armor, she was wearing a flight suit. They were going into a cave that was likely a tight space where armor would serve her better. Everypony else was wearing armor, with the exception of Princess Luna, who only wore her normal regalia and crown. 'No, I belong here... I am not going to let somepony else rescue Twilight... I have to be there for her when we find her...' She stamped out the dissenting discomfort caused by feeling self-conscious and fought off the nervousness. She needed to be calm and focused, and she needed to be there for Twilight.
She took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. Despite her best efforts, her unease lingered, but it was because Twilight wasn't there with her, because Twilight was in danger. Anxiety and anticipation dominated her body. She felt jittery, she needed to expend her energy on something. Instead, she stood there, waiting. It was physically painful. And then there was knowing that Chrysalis had gotten off the hook for far too long after ponynapping Twilight, which stirred her anger toward the former changeling queen. The more she thought about Chrysalis, the more she had to fight to suppress a growl. 'Chrysalis... you're lucky that Luna's going after you instead of me... she might show you some mercy...' she thought. She glanced at Luna. The alicorn's cold, hard expression made her shiver. Luna displayed very little emotion, as if the princess she knew was gone, replaced by somepony else. 'Or maybe you're not lucky that Luna's going after you...'
Luna swiftly turned around, then headed on passed the area where they had stopped. Every guard quickly followed, trotting off after her. Rainbow blinked and shook her head, then took off. She grimaced at just how much noise their group was making, and she was sure that any changelings standing guard would hear them if not see them. She cast a glance upward as clouds continued to roll in, blocking out most of the moonlight. She looked ahead and picked up her pace, then fell in sync with Luna, trotting slightly behind the alicorn leading the way.
Luna's horn glowed gently and she appeared completely calm, controlled, and collected. Her walk was regal and practiced, her mane and tail flowed normally, and her body was untensed. It was almost like she was walking through a calm forest at night, completely in her element, and under no duress. It was a contrast to how Rainbow pictured Luna leading a charge. She had pictured the alicorn being much more aggressive and eager than she was, more akin to Nightmare Moon.
Rainbow pushed the thought aside as two bolts of magic shot out of Luna's horn in quick succession. The light blue magic pierced the night and let out a flash of light and a crack as both spells found their marks. Frantic buzzing from a changeling's wings erupted in the air as the stunned changeling spasmed from the spell, while a second one unceremoniously collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Luna swept her horn around and took in the cave entrance with an almost predatory calm as if she knew that she was in complete control of the situation and nothing could break that control. After a moment, she walked over to the mouth of the cave, which was wide enough for an adult dragon to inhabit. She cautiously peered inside and lit up the cave with her magic. "There were only two lookouts, but there are likely scouts nearby, and it is likely that the scouts will return to report at some point in time. Stay alert," she commanded before heading into the cave.
Rainbow quickly headed in following behind Luna. Shining Armor lit his horn and walked in beside Rainbow, guarding her right side. The unicorns which had first accompanied them all lit their horns and took up a position trailing behind Luna and guarding the three ponies in the front from any ambushes. With the added light from more magic, Rainbow was able to make out more about the cave. The gray stone looked weathered and worn, yet it looked hard and unbreakable, like a timeless constant that would always be there. The cave had a slight, gradual incline, then after the peak started on a sharp decline. Their hooves all echoed on the floor, anypony nearby would be able to hear it, and anypony further in the caves would be able to hear them, which meant the changelings would likely discover their presence sooner rather than later.
Peering into the darkness which stretched on passed the area lit up by the unicorn's and Luna's magic, Rainbow couldn't make out much of anything, although the cave seemed to split into three paths. Each tunnel was about a fourth as large as the entrance, yet all of them could comfortably walk in the caves and have room to maneuver. She grimaced and shuffled her wings as they approached. Luna came to a complete stop and looked down each way, then took the path on the right. Rainbow looked around as she followed Luna on down further into the cave. In the distance, she could hear the steel boots of royal guards softly echoing as they headed off to investigate the caves.
The eerie silence and stillness of the cave stretched on as it continued to wind downward, slowly sloping to the right. Rainbow couldn't tell if the cave was natural or not. Some parts seemed to be worn and weathered, but other parts were sharp as if mined away by tools, or perhaps blasted by magic. She shivered as the temperature slowly dropped the further down they went while the walls started to grow slightly damp and the air grew humid.
To Rainbow, the sole pegasus in the group, the small space, combined with the silence and stillness made her feel on edge. There was no breeze, and there was hardly a sound, save for their breathing and their hooves striking the rock. And with time, it grew more overbearing and the atmosphere became more oppressive. 'Is this what you've been dealing with? Or... or was it worse...' Rainbow slowed her pace at the thought and grimaced, a wave of weakness washing over her body along with fear and worry. Her heart ached at the thought.
A faint dripping sound eventually grew in volume, and a greenish glow started to light the way ahead. Luna slowed down and frowned. The distinct buzzing of changeling wings filled the air, but only a few sets of them from what she could make out. She could not identify how many changelings were up ahead with her magic, but she could sense that there were changelings ahead.
Luna slowly made her way forward and hung close to the wall. Ahead, the cave sharply turned to the right. She dimmed her horn, then came to a stop and looked through the opening. Beyond the tunnel was a large, voluminous cavern, easily large enough for several adult dragons to fill. The center of the cavern held a massive lake filled with water. The water was still and clear, and there was a green glow coming from below the water. The ceiling and the shore opposite of the tunnel were covered in green, glowing pods. She grimaced and surveyed the room for changelings. Many of the dark forms buzzed about, tending to the egg clusters. Some of them were secreting a thick, green substance from their mouth and coating the walls of the cave with it. She quickly ducked back into the tunnel before she was spotted. Luna pursed her lips and looked over the ponies with her. Rainbow cautiously approached her. "Chrysalis is turning this mountain into a new hive. The chamber ahead appears to be filled with eggs. Fortunately, there are not many drones."
"What are your orders, Princess?" one of the guards asked.
Luna looked at him and pursed her lips. "We will attempt to move to the other side unseen, however, if we are detected, you five will engage them while Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, and I proceed with the primary objective. After we rescue Twilight, send for reinforcements. We will need to lock this hive down and inform King Thorax of its existence."
"Yes, Princess!" the guard said with a quick salute.
Luna turned around and peered out into the chamber. The lake filled the center of the cavern, but there was still dry ground which could be crossed, though they would have to stay close to the walls in order to do that. There was a small bridge which separated the main body from a smaller body of water, but it didn't offer any protection or any hiding spots for them. She bit her lip. 'The bridge would be quicker, but is that worth it? What will Chrysalis do when she discovers our presence? I cannot risk Twilight's safety...'
She watched one of the drones flying from one egg cluster to another. Chrysalis was building a new hive, but that didn't explain how she had so much support. She pushed the thought aside. 'If I knew the layout better I could simply teleport us there... although if there are enchantments in place, which there likely are...' she let the thought trail off and she grimaced. She used her magic and resumed scanning the hive as best she could. Chrysalis was no longer with Twilight. She pursed her lips and squinted, no longer detecting her within the mountain.
She drew back and looked over the ponies following her. "Stay close to the walls," she ordered. She peeked back out and cautiously swept her gaze across the cavern, making sure that there were no changelings watching. "Move quickly and quietly," she said in a low tone. She slid out and into the cavern and stayed close to the wall. She tentatively walked along, scanning the room with her eyes. Shining Armor slid out from the tunnel, followed by Rainbow, then the five unicorns.
The group quietly crept forward. Despite Luna's size, she remained stealthy and silent as she crossed the rocky ground. Her darker coat made her harder to spot against the dimly lit gray rock.
Rainbow remained silent as she crept forward, following Twilight's brother and Princess Luna. Her gaze was drawn to the other side of the lake. The countless dozens if not hundreds of eggs made her skin crawl, and every time one of the changeling's moved to fly somewhere, she felt a wave of fear cascade over her. Even with having Wonderbolt training, it still left her uneasy.
Every step brought them closer to their destination, and yet they were still so far away. Progress was slow in order to remain undetected, and Rainbow couldn't fathom how the changelings hadn't detected them yet. They were all tending the eggs. She frowned. "Princess, shouldn't there be guards? We managed to get to... this... with all the eggs, but it's... unguarded?"
Luna remained quiet and calmly crept forward. After a few seconds, she answered, "It is possible that Chrysalis does not have enough drones for that. She may be focusing on growing her swarm, or she could believe that there is no reason to have guards stationed because she does not believe we have discovered her location..."
"I don't like this, Chrysalis is smart," Shining muttered.
"She did cover her tracks well," Luna acknowledged warily. The dim green glow had died down, leaving the group in deeper darkness as they approached the far side of the cavern. Luna quickened her pace as the darkness enveloped her, and she constantly shifted her gaze from looking at the path ahead and the ground to the small swarm tending to the eggs. There were perhaps thirty drones in all, and their movements were agile and swift, but something about their movements seemed off, almost like they were tired or on edge.
Eventually, the wall started to curve inward, leading them to bend their path to stay close to the wall and walk around to the other side. They were close to their goal, another tunnel. The tunnel appeared to be about the size of a hallway. Luna came to a stop at the entrance and ducked inside, horn first. She lit her horn and swept her head around, making sure that there was nothing lying in wait for them.
Behind her, the remaining seven ponies quickly rushed in. Luna sped up her pace and took the lead once more. She could sense Twilight growing closer with each step. She scanned the walls as they continued their descent, noting the sharp, jagged edges, appearing as if it had been purposefully cut away. A thin layer of moist gritty sand could be made out in some small indents.
Luna slowed her approach, and the others all took that as their cue to slow down. Her ears perked up and swiveled around, listening intently. Off in the distance, she could hear a faint chittering and the occasional buzzing of changeling wings coming from ahead. Coming from behind the group, she could hear a lot more distant buzzing from the drones occupying the cavern. She tentatively started forward again, though continued to listen intently.
Rainbow's heart beat faster and she struggled to keep herself from galloping on ahead of Luna. She was going so slow, and even though she knew it was for safety, it was getting to her. She could hear the chittering of changelings ahead growing in volume, and she thought she could hear something else, something faint.
Luna slowed to a stop, then turned around and looked at the five Royal Guards. "Head back and secure the tunnel," she ordered. "Do not let any changelings through."
The five Royal Guards quickly saluted, then took off back toward the cavern, their pace hastened by Luna's directive. Luna stood there watching them for several seconds, then she turned her attention to Shining Armor and Rainbow. She met their gazes, then nodded at Rainbow. She hesitated for a second more, then turned back around. She took a deep breath, then strode forward.
Shining Armor moved with purpose beside her, his gaze steel and his walk determined. Any changelings that came between him and his sister would regret it. Rainbow followed up behind them both, letting them take the lead. Once more, a part of her felt out of place. Luna was leading them, she was an alicorn, and her magic was powerful enough to move the moon. Shining Armor was a unicorn and Twilight's brother, he could protect a city the size of Canterlot with a barrier that could hold out an army. And then there was her, a pegasus. The changelings had magic and could fly, all she had was speed and maneuverability. Because of the correct assumption that they would be in tight spaces, she didn't carry any weapons, save for her own hooves.
Eventually, their destination came in sight. A moderately sized room. Two changelings stood at what appeared to be a cell door. In an instant, their heads snapped around to face them. The furthest one shot around and crouched down and hissed. The closest one turned to face them and his ears folded back as he took a step back. A bolt of green magic shot forward from the farthest changeling.
Luna's commanding presence immediately made itself known. The changeling's bolt of magic slammed into a light blue barrier. There was a sharp crack of magic, and Luna's barrier emerged triumphantly. In a swift retaliation, Luna lowered her horn and sent a single bolt of magic charging toward the changeling. The drone froze in fear or panic, then his face tensed up in pain. He bared his teeth and hissed as the spell slammed into his carapace. He stood there for a moment, his legs trembling before he collapsed.
Luna turned toward the other changeling. The changeling backed away from her and crouched down in fear. "Secure it," she ordered. Shining Armor sped up and walked over to the changeling. "Do not resist and you will not be harmed..." Luna said in a calm, emotionless voice. She calmly walked passed the changeling as Shining Armor levitated out hoofcuffs and a magic suppression ring. As she passed the changeling, she casually stunned it with her magic. "After we finish here, Thorax can deal with it," she said. She scrutinized the cell door as she approached, then she squinted. She pointed her horn towards the lock and fired a bolt of magic.
The lock glowed for a moment before a sizzling filled the air. She opened the cell door, which didn't make a single sound. A soft, broken whimper filled the air. Before Luna could investigate, Rainbow shot around into the cell, looking around frantically. "Twilight!?" she called out. She swept her gaze from right to left, systematically searching for her friend.
The timid alicorn stood still, trembling and wide eyed, her right side hidden behind her left side. "S-stay b-b-ack..." she croaked.
Rainbow felt her heart ache at the sight of Twilight. The side of her head was covered in dried blood, her coat was a mess, and her mane and tail were disheveled, and not in the cute way from having just woken up. Her eyelids drooped, and she looked terrified and frantic. The way she trembled at her sight physically hurt her. She didn't know what to do. Her mind had grown silent, and she stood there, looking at Twilight. A part of her screamed at her to run over to her and to embrace her and then never let go of her, but the fear that Twilight looked at her with was enough to where she didn't know what to do, or where to even start. "Twilight..." she said softly. After a few seconds, she recovered enough and stepped forward to reclaim her friend.
Twiligth scrambled to her hooves faster than she thought possible and scurried back. As she stepped backward, her left wing extended slightly from her body, and her weight shifted. Before either of them knew what was happening, Twilight started leaning to the left, further and further with each step as she lost her balance.
Rainbow frowned as Twilight started to fall, then she darted over to Twilight, catching her with her forelegs, stopping her fall. "Easy there, Twi..." she said softly. She grunted a little from the addition of Twilight's weight. Twilight's body was cold, and Rainbow quickly reaffirmed her embrace, trying to let her warmth warm Twilight up. Twilight tensed up and tried to fight her off, whimpering in fear. "Twilight... please..." Rainbow said softly. She pulled Twilight's head up against her chest and held her there, refusing to let her go. She felt tears building up in her eyes as Twilight struggled to escape her grasp. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually, Twilight's struggles slowed, then ceased.
"R-Rainbow?" Twilight whimpered.
"It's me, Twilight... and Princess Luna, and your brother... you're safe now..." Rainbow replied softly. She squeezed Twilight reassuringly, putting as much of her love into the embrace as she could, and yet it still didn't feel like enough. She laid her head down on Twilight and looked at the wall, gently nuzzling into her friend's mane. Even though Twilight's mane was a mess and needed to be washed, she still loved it because it was a part of her friend.
After a few seconds, the alicorn lifted her head up. "R-Rainbow..." she croaked. She squeezed Rainbow with all her might, holding onto her and refusing to let her go. Rainbow winced a little from Twilight's strength, but she welcomed it, it was a reassurance that things would be okay to both of them. Twilight inhaled deeply, and her body shuddered with the breath. She cried into Rainbow's chest, her hot tears were a sharp contrast with the coolness of the cave, and they quickly soaked into Rainbow's flight suit and coat.
"It's okay, Twilight..." Rainbow said softly. She listened to Twilight's crying and found her own eyes watering from a combination of Twilight crying, the joy from being reunited with her, and the pain of seeing her in such a state.
"Y-you sh-shouldn't b-be here..." Twilight said quietly. "It-it's not safe! Chrysalis w-will k-kill you!" she croaked in a pain filled, desperate voice, almost pleadingly.
"Hey, don't worry about that, okay? Let us deal with Chrysalis," Rainbow replied in a soft, reassuring voice. She slid her left foreleg down Twilight's back. Twilight tensed up and became silent as Rainbow's hoof slid downward, and then several things happened at once. Twilight tensed up and hissed in pain, her body trembled more than before, and she clenched her eyes shut. Rainbow's forehoof was covered in a slightly warm fluid, and she scrunched her muzzle up at the strange feeling of something distinctly not fur or feather against the fabric of her flight suit, and then it donned on her that it was coming from Twilight's wing.
Rainbow froze, and her body locked up. She couldn't breathe, and the feeling replayed itself in her mind again and again without ceasing. The warmth of the fluid seeped into her flight suit and lingered, gradually cooling. Her foreleg trembled, and she hesitantly pulled her forehoof away. She stared intently at the wall, then glanced over at her hoof. Despite the darkness broken only by the light from Luna's and Shining Armor's horns, she could tell that it was soaked by a dark fluid, and the low light was still enough for her to figure out that it was blood. Twilight's blood.
Her throat tensed up and a large knot took a hold of her entire throat. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a pained squeak. Twilight sat in silence, completely still save for her trembling and weak, almost unnoticeable breathing. The alicorn's hot tears soaked into Rainbow's chest, and she pressed her head hard into the pegasus. Rainbow hesitantly lifted her head up and glanced over at Twilight's right side. She immediately wished she hadn't.
Where her wing was supposed to be, there was a large gash in her side, and below it, her coat was reddened. Rainbow swallowed as she struggled to process what she saw. Her stomach churned in disgust. Seconds passed as she started to process the information. She clenched her jaw tight and then looked away at the wall again. 'Chrysalis...' she seethed. The only thing that prevented her from leaving right then and hunting down the former queen was the broken alicorn she held. She would not and could not leave her for that. She took a deep breath, then turned around to look at Luna. Standing beside her was Shining Armor, and both of them were silent.
Luna studied the scene with a mixture of disgust, hatred, shock, and forced calmness. Yet despite it all, a sense of failure filled her chest. She had made a promise to Twilight, and everypony else, and she had failed to keep it. She swallowed and blinked. "Get her to Ponyville, Rainbow Dash. You know the rest of the plan," she said through gritted teeth.
Shining Armor quickly strode back out of the cell and stood guard. "She needs medical attention..." he muttered.
Luna nodded in acknowledgment. "Her side will heal, she is not still bleeding, although she is at risk," she answered quickly. "Infection is a danger, and although the bleeding has stopped, if she is jostled too much, it could start again... I do not have anything to aid her with, however, I will use my magic to help," she said. She quickly walked around to Twilight's injured side. A grimace pulled at her lips as she stared at it. She forced herself to focus, and she pointed her horn at Twilight's side, then scanned her wound before channeling her magic into a healing spell. "Your natural accelerated healing already kicked in... I am amplifying it, as your body isn't in the best shape to recover from this due to recent events..." she trailed off, then stepped back and looked at Rainbow. "Get her to Ponyville," she stated more forcefully than before. She quickly turned around and strode out of the cell, then surveyed the room, making sure there were no unexpected arrivals.
"Right..." Rainbow said gravely. She lifted her head up off of Twilight's head, then she released her right foreleg from holding her. She slid her foreleg up to Twilight's mane, then gently brushed it through her mane. She leaned down and placed her lips on the top of Twilight's head, holding her lips against her mane as she kissed her. She let it last for several seconds before pulling back. "Come on, we need to get you out of here..." she said softly.
"I-I ca-can't walk li-like th-this..." Twilight sobbed. She swallowed and hesitantly lifted her head up to meet Rainbow's gaze. Tears streamed down her face as she looked Rainbow in the eye. She averted her gaze, feeling ashamed and condemned. Rainbow looked down at her lovingly, but she couldn't help but feel useless, unimportant, and unnecessary. "W-withou-out my w-wing... I-I can't... b-bal-balance..."
Rainbow quickly hugged Twilight, then turned around and sat down on her haunches. "Then I'll carry you," she replied. "Get on, we need to go," she added, glancing back at Twilight.
Twilight stared down at the ground for a few seconds, then hesitantly glanced up at Rainbow, though her head was still pointed at the ground. Rainbow looked at her pleadingly. Twilight shifted her weight and ruffled her wing, then bit her lip. She tentatively stood up, her legs all wobbled. After a second, she stepped forward, then sat down behind Rainbow. She quickly wrapped her legs around her and held onto her.
Rainbow slowly stood up. She felt absent as she stood up, noting how much lighter Twilight felt than before. It felt surreal. She pushed the thought aside and smiled as she felt Twilight's head laying atop hers. "You doing okay?" she asked in a soft, concerned voice.
Twilight remained silent for a moment as Rainbow calmly walked out from the cell. She glanced around the room beyond it, seeing it for the first time since she had been imprisoned. "N-no..." she finally answered. She pressed her eyes closed.
Shining Armor walked over to Twilight, then placed a forehoof on her side. He gave Twilight a gentle smile, but it was strained. "Hey... it's going to be alright, okay? We'll get you out of here and we'll figure things out..."
Twilight swallowed and slid her head around to face him. She smiled weakly, but her lips quivered. The sharp crack of the magic of a teleportation spell broke the air. Twilight instinctively tightened her grip on Rainbow and her shivering intensified. As fast as everypony could react, Shining Armor jumped around, putting himself between Twilight and the source of the sound. Luna swiveled and brought her horn down to bear on the intruder.
For a split second, confusion crossed Chrysalis's face as she was met by an unexpected sight. The confusion was quickly replaced by rage. She bared her teeth and hissed, then sidestepped a spell from Princess Luna. "Oh, dear Princess Luna... how wonderful that you showed up..." she trailed off, chuckling. "I was wondering when you would show up..." she trailed off, smiling menacingly.
Twilight stared at Chrysalis and felt her face grow frigid at the sight of the queen. Rainbow clenched her jaw and hesitantly turned to face Chrysalis. She wanted to lunge at her and make her pay for what she did to Twilight, and all that stopped her from doing that was the fact that she was carrying Twilight. Twilight was counting on Rainbow to keep her safe, and if she lunged at Chrysalis, it could hurt Twilight. Her nostrils flared in anger.
Chrysalis looked at Rainbow with a sense of glee bursting to life in her eyes. Her wide smile seemed to become crazed like her entire purpose was now focused on Rainbow Dash. Rainbow shifted her weight and glanced up at Twilight. Twilight shied back from Chrysalis and breathed shallow and quick breaths.
Luna growled at Chrysalis. She tilted her head back toward Rainbow and Twilight but kept her eyes firmly planted on Chrysalis. "Get Twilight out of here now," she ordered.
"You're not going anywhere!" Chrysalis hissed. She lunged forward, her horn blazing to life.
"Prince Armor escort Rainbow and your sister outside now!" Luna shouted, not concerned if her voice carried. She leaped into action, jumping to intercept Chrysalis's lunge horn first. Chrysalis hissed at her as she landed, and not a moment later, Luna's horn locked with hers. Luna swiftly flared her right wing and struck Chrysalis in the head.
Shining Armor broke away. "Move," he said calmly. Rainbow nodded, then turned away and took off at a gallop back up the tunnel. Shining Armor quickly caught up with her. Because of Twilight's added weight and the fact that she had to use her hooves, Rainbow was slowed down significantly. Twilight held on like her life depended on it, which it did. As they made their way up, in the distance behind them, they could all hear the clash of magic. Twilight shivered in fear and continued to cry softly.
Chrysalis jumped back from Luna and hissed as Rainbow, Twilight, and Shining Armor escaped. While she was still in the air, she flared her wings out and buzzed back, then threw her head down at Luna, aiming her twisted horn at the alicorn.
Luna flared her wings, then twisted around to face Chrysalis. She beat her wings downward and jumped back, propelling herself away from a pulse of sickly green magic. As she flew back through the air, she retaliated, firing a beam toward Chrysalis, who dived and then rose back up to the left of the beam. As Luna landed, she crouched down, coiling her legs, then jumped back up again, propelling herself forward with her wings. She focused entirely on Chrysalis. There were no distractions, just her, and Chrysalis. She soared through the air calmly, channeling her magic into a beam which surged forth from her horn. Where the beam collided with the rock, the rock was pulverized. Pebbles and dust filled the air, pelting both of them.
Luna landed and calmly, cautiously turned around in circles, scanning the area with her eyes while listening intently and trying to detect the changeling with her magic. The dust made her want to cough and gag, but she fought the urge and held herself in check, refusing to let any weakness show.
Sick, twisted laughter reverberated throughout the room as Chrysalis laughed, watching from her unseen hiding place. "You put your sister to shame..." she said in mock surprise. "The great and powerful Celestia... I brought her and all of Equestria to its knees..." she goaded.
Luna remained calm, despite the deep seated feeling of anger Chrysalis instigated. "If I had been there, the outcome would have been quite different, I assure you," she stated matter of factly. She continued turning around in circles and scanning the room. The dust continued to fill the air and hide Chrysalis from sight. "Show yourself coward!" she shouted.
"If you insist..." Chrysalis relented. A second later a dark figure bolted through the air and shot up into Luna's face. Chrysalis hissed, baring her fangs, then lunged for Luna's neck. Luna stepped back and swung her head down and to the left to intercept Chrysalis's attack. Chrysalis ducked back and crouched down, then unleashed her magic on Luna. Spell after spell assaulted the alicorn who protected herself with a blue barrier, which shook under the assault, yet held firm.
Luna gritted her teeth, then marched on Chrysalis's position with her barrier still in place, absorbing Chrysalis's attacks. Chrysalis stood up and started backing up at the same rate Luna approached her. Within seconds, Luna pushed Chrysalis up against the wall, but she continued on. "You will not win, Chrysalis. If you surrender, I will be merciful and grant you a swift death for your crimes!"
Chrysalis laughed mockingly and teleported away. "I have had Twilight in my clutches for a week! I have fed off of her love!" Luna swiveled around right in time for a beam of green magic to pierce the air and slam into her barrier. She squinted her eyes and grunted as the sharp light filled the room. She could see visible lines in her barrier where it was starting to crack. She took a deep breath and refocused herself, then poured more magic into her barrier. She gradually shrunk her barrier back until it was barely large enough for her body, then she surged more and more magic into the barrier.
Chrysalis continued pouring magic into her beam and slowly approached the trapped alicorn, laughing hysterically with each step. "And you dare to challenge ME in my own domain!? You made the same mistake a thousand years ago in challenging your sister in her domain! You'll never learn!" she laughed mockingly.
"Silence," Luna commanded. The magic stored in her barrier exploded outward, pushing all of the dust and air out of the room, briefly creating a vacuum in its wake. Chrysalis heaved as the very air was stolen from her lungs. The wave of magic slammed into the rock walls and pulverized the outer layer of rock. As soon as the magic dissipated, the backdraft sucked more air and dust into the room from the tunnel.
Luna's eyes stung and her throat burned from all the dust filling the air. She couldn't see, and breathing was unpleasant. She coughed from the rock filling the air. The air smelt like rock and dust, and even with the humidity and dampness, the rock was still very fine powder that permeated the air.
Chrysalis had grown silent, but the constant buzzing of her insectoid wings permeated the air.
Seconds passed in silence between the two in the lull of their battle. Eventually, the buzzing of Chrysalis's wings ceased. The green glow of her aura was barely visible through the dark, dust filled air. Even as the dust settled, the smell lingered and the air remained unclear.
Luna stood facing Chrysalis, her wings calmly folded at her sides, and her form held regally and reserved. Chrysalis stood facing Luna, her wings flared at their full extent, smiling with her fangs bared, intently watching Luna. Both of their horns were glowing, and both of their horns were pointed at each other's chest. Chrysalis's gaze was malicious and eager, Luna's was calm and controlled, but also held a hint of anticipation.
Chrysalis attacked first, launching spell after spell at Luna. Luna countered, matching each spell with a spell of her own. Their spells collided in the air, canceling each other out and exploding, illuminating the room with blue and green light. Both of them broke off their attack at the same time and gracefully flowed around the room. Chrysalis took flight while Luna darted across the floor.
Luna swiveled around to face Chrysalis and shot a beam of magic at her. Chrysalis slipped out of the way, then drew her head back. A moment later, she lunged at Luna. A glob of thick green fluid shot out of Chrysalis's mouth. Luna's muzzle scrunched up in revulsion as she jumped out of the way from the glob. She protected herself with a barrier from the follow-up barrage of spells from Chrysalis. She swept her head down and aimed right for Chrysalis's heart.
Before Luna could fire her spell, Chrysalis teleported behind her. The changeling spat out another glob of the sticky green fluid, which hit its mark. Luna went to jump around to face Chrysalis, only to find that the green fluid coating her hind right leg had hardened, cementing her hoof in place. She lost her footing from surprise and stumbled, failing to jump around to face Chrysalis. Chrysalis slipped around and repeated the process with the rest of Luna's hooves, locking her firmly in place. Without giving Luna a chance to counter, she finished the attack by launching a glob of the fluid at Luna's still lit horn. As soon as the fluid hit Luna's horn, it wrapped around it and hardened, sealing Luna's magic. The alicorn's expression blanked in confusion as she was caught off guard.
Chrysalis sauntered around in front of her, then lifted her forehoof and caressed Luna's cheek. The alicorn glared at her but remained silent. Chrysalis slid her hoof along Luna's muzzle, only for the alicorn's wing to bat her hoof away. Chrysalis stepped back, squinting at Luna before hissing at her. "Perhaps I was wrong about you... you are just as weak and predictable as your sister..." she mused. She chuckled a little. "But... I have other things to tend to... my swarm will be here soon, perhaps you will prove to be some entertainment for them," she said. With a flash of light, she teleported away. Luna clenched her jaw and grunted as she struggled to free herself.
A deep reverberation echoed through the tunnel and a breeze blew out passed them for a second, then it reversed and blew back down. Rainbow ignored it and pressed on. Already, she could hear the buzzing of the changelings ahead. She could tell that Twilight could hear it as well since the alicorn was holding onto her tight enough that breathing was difficult as Twilight's hooves dug into her body. "Twilight... that's a bit tight..." she said in a low tone.
"Sorry..." Twilight hastily apologized. She relaxed her grip a little but held continued to hold onto Rainbow firmly, not risking falling off.
"Ideas on how we're going to get passed the changelings up ahead?" Rainbow asked, glancing back at Shining Armor.
"If we're quick enough, we should be able to get across and make our way out before they can rally to attack us. Since they're tending to eggs, we have an advantage," he answered. "Maybe I should take the lead. We know Luna's fighting Chrysalis, and we know that there are changelings up ahead."
"Right..." Rainbow muttered.
Shining Armor hastened his pace and passed Rainbow and Twilight, then took the lead. They continued galloping along. towards their destination and freedom. 'Luna will handle Chrysalis, but I still need to get her to safety... there's plenty of changelings around here which could hurt you...' Rainbow momentarily glanced back at Twilight and smiled. Twilight's weight on her back, along with her firm grip was reassuring. It felt right, and she welcomed it. She turned her gaze back ahead.
As they approached the end of the tunnel, the five Royal Guards swiftly rose to their hooves and stood at attention. "We're leaving now. Don't bother with stealth, engage any changelings you can see, but keep moving!" Shining ordered.
The Royal Guards swiftly saluted, then formed up and headed out of the tunnel. The formed into a line, all facing the changelings and egg clusters. As Rainbow and Shining galloped passed, the unicorns' horns glowed to life. Spell after spell shot out of their horns as they bombarded the changeling's positions. The stun spells did nothing when they hit rock or eggs, but any changeling struck by one of the bolts seized up before falling to the ground. Some changelings fell greater distances than others.
Very few changelings were struck by the first barrage, and as soon as the barrage started, it ended. The five unicorns took off at a gallop behind Shining Armor and Rainbow, occasionally slinging spells toward changeling positions, all the while, the changelings, caught up in the chaos, took up defensive positions and launched numerous spells towards the group of ponies. None of the changelings seemed to realize that the incursion was a rescue mission, as none of them moved to intercept them or stop their escape. They were all more focused on protecting the eggs.
Rainbow galloped as fast as she could across the bridge. Bolts of green magic raced on passed her and ahead of her. Her heart raced. Any one of the bolts could easily strike her or Twilight, and she had no way to stop it over then moving as fast as she could, but she also still needed to be careful. She had to make sure she didn't slip or trip, letting Twilight fall wasn't an option. The Royal Guards following them provided support by firing back on changeling positions, not letting any of them approach or get a good shot off, but the bridge had no cover for any of them, and there were far more changelings than ponies.
Shining Armor grunted and slowed. With some effort, a magenta barrier burned to life around the group, enveloping them in a protective field which easily shrugged off the changelings' magic. The barrier was a much larger target than an individual pony, and the changelings relentlessly bombarded it with spell after spell, but yet the barrier was steadfast under the strain. "Keep moving!" he ordered.
"What about Princess Luna!?" one of the guards asked.
"She can handle herself!" Shining Armor answered.
Rainbow felt a little triumphant pride creep into her smile as she made it across the bridge. She barely paused before turning and sprinting toward the tunnel which would lead to safety. Shining Armor and the five Royal Guards stayed close behind her, never once falling behind. They sprinted into the tunnel which lead up to the main cave and continued on. Shining dispelled his barrier since the changelings no longer had a direct line of sight on them and he made his way up beside Rainbow.
Twilight shifted her head, then pressed her muzzle into Rainbow's mane. After a few seconds, she gently pressed her nose into Rainbow's mane, then slowly slid it up and down, giving her pegasus a gentle, tender nuzzle.
Rainbow's smile widened. Her smile shifted into a grimace and she softly groaned as she heard a rolling crack of thunder coming from above. A cool breeze wafted through the tunnel, and as she listened, outside of the buzzing of changeling wings behind them and the clicking of their hooves on the stone, she could hear rain softly hammering away at the ground. "I'm supposed to fly you back to Ponyville," she said. "I hope you don't mind flying through a storm..." she said grimly, very aware of Twilight's missing wing.
Twilight was silent for a moment, and Rainbow thought she could feel Twilight's heart beat faster. "I trust you..." she said softly, although she did grip Rainbow's neck a little more firmly.
"We'll make sure no changelings follow you from the cave, but make sure you stay alert," Shining Armor said. "You're carrying my little sister, after all."
"I'll take care of her," Rainbow acknowledged. Another roar of rolling thunder shook the air and vibrated the cave, this time less softly than before. Rainbow took a deep breath, then calmly exhaled. She slowed and testingly extended her wings and gave them a flap, making sure that she'd be able to fly with Twilight on her how she was. A couple of minutes later, they came to the cave entrance. A dozen Royal Guards immediately greeted them, the earth ponies in the front and the unicorns behind them with their horns glowing.
Rainbow slowed down to a trot and glanced around, then nodded at Shining Armor. Shining Armor returned the nod. Rainbow headed on out of the cave while Shining Armor and the rest of them set up a defense to lock down the hive. She slowed as she approached the exit of the cave and peered out into the dark, stormy night. She hesitated there, watching the pouring rain and seeing how the sky lit up from violent discharges of lightning, followed shortly thereafter by thunder.
Rainbow looked back at Twilight and glanced at her side. Her heart throbbed and ached in pain, and a knot formed in her throat again. Looking at Twilight's barren side hurt. She had been a unicorn before getting wings, so her back had been bare before, but now, it was completely wrong. Chrysalis would pay for it, she knew Luna would make sure of that. But it didn't change how wrong it was. It served as a reminder to her that she could not fail Twilight, Twilight was depending entirely upon her to protect her and get her to safety. If she failed, Twilight would be hurt, or worse. A shiver went down her spine. She took a deep breath and swallowed. "I... Twilight, I'm sorry... I should have been there for you... and... I wasn't. I'm sorry."
Twilight shifted her weight atop Rainbow and pointedly looked away from Rainbow's head. "It wouldn't have made a difference..." she muttered.
Rainbow wasn't convinced that Twilight was right. She knew Twilight was right, but she didn't want to believe that she couldn't have done anything to help her. Her gaze lingered on Twilight's back for several seconds. After that, she looked down at the ground before looking back outside. The sight still lingered in her mind. "We need to go," she said. She spread her wings out and cautiously stepped out from the protection of the cave.
The cold downpour of rain almost immediately soaked both of them to their cores. Twilight tensed up as the freezing rain soaked her coat, stealing what little warmth she had, and her muzzle scrunched up in discomfort. She shivered and her grip on Rainbow tightened.
Rainbow grimaced, then took off at a short trot for a couple of seconds. She flapped her wings, then took off into the air. She quickly folded her legs under her body to reduce drag and she flapped her wings hard against the storm, propelling them both up into the sky above the treeline. Rain pelted her face as she flew in the opposite direction of the storm, forcing her to squint to see. "I can get above the storm but I'd have to fly through it to get above the storm!" she shouted.
Twilight shivered. "N-no... just... f-fly low..." she said into Rainbow's ear.
Rainbow frowned and looked back at Twilight. "I won't drop you!"
"I-I k-know," Twilight replied, her teeth chattering. "I trust y-you. I-I just d-don't want t-to ri-risk s-something..."
Rainbow continued to watch Twilight for a moment, then turned back to face ahead. She took a deep breath, letting the cold air invigorate her with energy. The anticipation, worry, and fear had finally faded. Twilight was back and hers again, she wasn't in danger. All she had to do was get them back to Ponyville. Luna was dealing with Chrysalis, so the only thing between her and Ponyville was the storm, and she could handle the storm.
Of course, her heart still ached. Chrysalis took one of Twilight's wings, and she couldn't do anything about that. Glancing back at Twilight, she wondered if Twilight was still in shock from it, or if adrenaline was the only thing preventing her from breaking down. Once it was over and they were safe, she knew it would hit Twilight hard. Her heart sank at that knowledge. 'I'll be there for you, Twilight... don't worry...' She swallowed back a knot in her throat and focused on flying. The forest below her seemed to stretch on forever.
A brilliant, sickly green bolt of magic shot through the air passed Rainbow. Her breath caught in her throat. "Rainbow!" Twilight screamed. The alicorn shifted her weight and glanced back behind them. She immediately tensed up. "Chrysalis!" she whimpered, her body shaking while she held Rainbow close.
"What!?" Rainbow shrieked, her head shooting back around. Her eyes widened, and she quickly banked to the right to avoid another pulse of magic. "But... Luna? She was supposed to..." she trailed off, a sinking feeling filling her body. She winced and banked to the left sharp as a series of bolts of magic lurched toward them from Chrysalis's horn.
Twilight whimpered audibly above the storm. "R-Rainbow..." she cried softly. Her chest heaved several times with a pained sob which was silenced by the storm. She squeaked as Rainbow rolled over in order to dodge more spells. Once Rainbow righted herself, Twilight bit her lip and looked back at Chrysalis. She could feel Chrysalis's gaze on her, and she could almost make out her glare. She swallowed and looked back ahead. "L-land..." she said.
"What? No!" Rainbow retorted. "If we land, I can't outfly her!"
Twilight stared down at Rainbow's mane. She grimaced. "We can lose her in the trees," she said quietly.
Rainbow squinted. Something in Twilight's voice seemed off, but Twilight did have a point. She didn't actually have to land, but flying below the tree canopy could help her lose Chrysalis. "Alright... hold on tight..." she said calmly. She took a deep breath, then banked to her right and gradually descended closer to the treetops. She scanned the area ahead of them and searched for a clear area to dive down below the trees. She spotted one and squinted. "Alright, here it comes..."
As soon as they reached the clearing, she dove down under the trees, then sped up again. She weaved through the trees with as much skill as she had, easily dodging the trunks and branches. The rain was diffused by the canopy, though a lot of water still dripped down through the leaves. She risked a glance back behind herself to check for Chrysalis. The changeling was nowhere to be seen. She let herself relax a little and looked back ahead and resumed weaving in between trees.
"Rainbow... leave me..." Twilight said weakly.
Rainbow's heart skipped a beat and she bared her teeth. "Twilight, I am not leaving you. I made you a promise, and I am not breaking that for anything," she replied calmly.
"Rainbow..." Twilight said softly. She inhaled deeply and shuddered. "She will kill you if she catches us... and then she will kill me... she knows that... I love you..." she whimpered and clenched her eyes shut.
"I am not leaving you, Twilight. I can't," Rainbow retorted. "Do you think I could ever forgive myself if I just left you here to die? You're my best friend!" She licked her lips and swallowed a knot in her throat. "Twilight, you can't protect yourself... I'm a trained Wonderbolt..." she trailed off.
Twilight opened her eyes and pressed her nose into Rainbow's mane. "Please..." she pleaded. "You can't help... she's too strong, and she has magic!" She shuddered as she inhaled. "I can't watch her kill you..." she sobbed out quietly.
"I can outfly her!" Rainbow retorted.
"N-no, you can't..." Twilight said bitterly. "N-not while ca-carrying me, and n-not down here..." she said quietly.
Rainbow squinted ahead. "Did... you make me come down here just to try to get me to leave you?" she asked. Twilight was deathly silent. Rainbow's heart ached and her expression filled with pain. "Twilight..." she said softly. She slowly shook her head. She grunted and picked up her pace and searched the canopy for a break that she could fly through back into the sky.
A dark form fell through the trees in front of Rainbow. She instinctually slowed down and winced as she recognized the form as Chrysalis. She immediately banked to her right in an attempt to maneuver around her. Chrysalis hissed and sent a bolt of magic at them. Twilight squeaked and tensed up. Rainbow tensed up and grunted as Chrysalis left her with nowhere to maneuver. She took a deep breath and braced herself, then rolled over so that her body was in between Chrysalis and Twilight. She coughed as Chrysalis's impacted her. Her world spun and she couldn't see straight. Her lungs burned and she heaved for air. She felt dirt, rocks, and sticks scratch up her flight suit and her back, and she felt Twilight's weight roll off of her. Despite the daze she was left in, she clearly heard Twilight's pained whimper and cries of pain drawn from her injured side. She clenched her jaw.
Chrysalis's menacing, reverberating laugh pierced the air. Rainbow grunted and forced herself up. She glared at Chrysalis as the changeling approached her. "Come and get me, you insect!" she goaded.
Chrysalis glared back at Rainbow and her lips trembled in rage. She bared her teeth and lunged at Rainbow. Rainbow jumped out of the way, then immediately shot back at Chrysalis and slammed into her side. She drove her right forehoof into where she thought the base of Chrysalis's wing was, earning a hiss of pain from her and making the changeling's wing go limp. Rainbow smirked triumphantly, but it was short lived. Chrysalis swatted her away with a forehoof, smacking her head and muzzle.
Rainbow lost her balance and fell to the ground. She grunted and shot back up to her hooves and jumped around to face her. "We beat you before and I can totally take you down on my own!"
Chrysalis leveled her gaze on Rainbow and glared at Twilight, who sat quietly, watching in horror. The alicorn's entire body was trembling, and she looked like she was on the verge of completely shutting down. Her tears were unnoticed because of the lack of light and the rain having left her muzzle drenched. Chrysalis smiled maliciously and looked back at Rainbow Dash. "Mmm... I took on Princess Celestia alone, and I won... I took on Princess Luna without any help... and now she's not going to be able to save you from me this time..." She stepped toward Rainbow and lit her horn. "What makes you think you stand a chance?" she hissed. Without any hesitation, she picked up Rainbow in her magic, then threw her at the nearest tree, growling in rage as she did so.
Twilight couldn't watch, but she couldn't look away either. Rainbow yelped in pain as she hit the tree, and her body was limp before she even hit the ground. Twilight bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, but the pain didn't register. Chrysalis looked at her and then at Rainbow, smiling maliciously. She slowly turned to face Rainbow's limp form, as if taunting Twilight.
Twilight swallowed, then stood up and bolted over to Rainbow, spurred on by panic and fear. Before she was even a third of the way there, she lost her footing and she fell onto her right side. She clenched her jaw shut and pressed her eyes closed, hissing as pain raced through her body emanating from her aching, burning right side. She scrambled to her hooves frantically and scurried over to Rainbow, keeping her body close to the ground in an effort to prevent herself from falling over.
Chrysalis stepped back and laughed mockingly. "You're so pathetic... the way you pine after her like a lovesick puppy... it's so delicious..." she trailed off, lifting her head upward and letting out a moan of pleasure, closing her eyes.
Twilight frantically looked over Rainbow, leaning in close to her. She nudged Rainbow's limp body. Rainbow tensed up and groaned a little. Twilight smiled a little, but then glanced back at Chrysalis. After a moment, she swallowed and then turned around to face her. She spread her legs out to brace herself and she crouched down to the ground, putting herself in between Chrysalis and Rainbow. She spread her left wing out protectively and stared at Chrysalis. Her weak legs trembled, but she held her ground, not giving an inch, even as Chrysalis stepped toward her.
Twilight's eyes burned from tears. Her magic was there as always, as powerful or more powerful than before, and yet she couldn't access it. She couldn't channel it. She didn't have her horn. She couldn't protect Rainbow with her magic, and she couldn't fly. She couldn't save Rainbow from Chrysalis. She couldn't fly away with her, and she couldn't carry her to safety. She couldn't escape on her own either, not that she would if it meant leaving her best friend behind. It was torture, her magic was begging for her to use it, and her mind was begging for her magic to obey her, but she had no horn.
Chrysalis smirked and chuckled calmly. "You get to watch as I take her life right before your eyes..." she said sweetly. "And just think... she would live if it wasn't for you loving her so..." she added mockingly. She lowered her horn and pointed it at Twilight threateningly. Twilight shied back from Chrysalis's magic but refused to leave her spot.
"And just think, you would live if you had accepted her pupil's offer," Luna said calmly.
Chrysalis hissed and her head shot around to her right. Luna marched toward her horn first, horn glowing brightly. A lance of magic shot out toward Chrysalis. She hissed and jumped out of the way. The beam of magic continued onward until something stopped it. The tree which served to stop the beam of magic exploded into a spray of splinters.
Twilight stood her ground, not able to move, barely able to think. She watched as Luna engaged Chrysalis, their forms silhouetted by their magic. Spell after spell was exchanged between the two. Spells shot through the air. Trees exploded and fell. She watched, her body shaking as her gaze shifted between Luna and Chrysalis. Eventually, a soft groan from behind her broke her focus. She swiveled around and hastily glanced over Rainbow's form.
Rainbow slowly lifted her head up and then pushed her chest up with her forehooves. She groaned and closed her eyes, then lifted a forehoof up to her head. She winced a little, then shook her head, rustling her soaked mane. She squinted at Twilight. Twilight stood there, watching her, completely silent. Her one wing was still flared out. She looked vulnerable and distant, like she wasn't there like she wasn't thinking, as if she was simply acting on instinct like an injured animal that had been cornered. A sharp crack of magic drew both of their attention to the battle raging on nearby. Rainbow hastily sat up and turned back to Twilight's trembling form. "Twilight, we need to go," she said softly.
Twilight looked back over at her, and her eyes darted over Rainbow. After a moment, she blinked several times, then nodded.
Rainbow tentatively flapped her wings, then stood up. She felt a little woozy and everything hurt, but she was okay. "Twilight, hop on," she said in a gentle voice.
Twilight looked at her absently, unmoving, simply standing there, acting like Rainbow spoke a language she couldn't understand or even begin to comprehend.
Rainbow groaned a little, then walked over to Twilight. She sat down on her haunches in front of Twilight, then coaxed the mare onto her back with her wings. Twilight didn't resist, but she didn't make it easy either. She acted like she had no idea what was happening, but eventually, Rainbow coaxed her into place. After Twilight was on her, she wrapped her forelegs around her and held onto her without saying anything. Rainbow smiled, once more feeling Twilight with her. She quickly stood up and inhaled, then looked around, making sure Chrysalis wasn't coming after her again. Nearby, flashes of magic and cracks of spells broke the air, occasionally silhouetting Luna and Chrysalis. She shivered, then shot up into the air, propelling herself forward with her wings and magic. She quickly ascended above the canopy of trees thanks to several trees having been destroyed, leaving perfect areas for her to escape.
She climbed higher and higher until the trees were all one mass in the darkness below. Twilight's body still trembled atop her. She nibbled on her lip and continued to climb, then pushed her way through the storm. Flying through the clouds left her blinded and she acted on instinct alone, but eventually, it calmed down and she made it above the storm, revealing the pristine, clear night sky beyond. Hundreds of stars speckled the vast expanse, and the moon was overhead, dominating the sky.
Rainbow leveled out and flew calmly along. She shrugged off the cold as best she could, though the thinner atmosphere and how thoroughly soaked both of them were left her shivering. She was grateful that the air felt a little warmer above the storm, even if it barely helped.
Eventually, Twilight broke her silence, "Rainbow... I'm tired..."
Rainbow looked back up at Twilight. Her eyes were drooping, her breathing had finally calmed down, and her heartbeat had slowed. She gave Twilight a gentle smile. "It's okay, you're safe... go ahead and take a nap... we'll be home before you know it..." she said softly.
Twilight stared at Rainbow's smile, and her lips pulled upward. After a second, she laid her head down on Rainbow's head, then absently nestled into her wet mane and closed her eyes.
"Sweet dreams, Twi... I love you..." Rainbow whispered. Twilight muttered something in response, but Rainbow couldn't make it out. She wore a strained half smile. On one hoof, Twilight was back and she was safe. Chrysalis was being brought to justice by Luna. And soon, they'd be back home. On the other hoof, Chrysalis hurt Twilight. As she flew back to Ponyville, her mind raced with thoughts and worries about the alicorn sleeping peacefully on her back. Eventually, her half smile faded into a strained, blank line across her lips.
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I don't think you crossed the line with this chapter, then again my line is pretty damn far away and hard to cross so that's not saying much. I personally put having all the characters act in character above not crossing an arbitrary, and subjective line. And with the way you built up chrysalis's character in this story means that I believe this would be possible.
Also my prediction was not bad, I correctly guessed how Luna would find twilight, though I thought rainbow would be injured so I wasn't spot on, but not bad.
Can't wait to read this story's conclusion and it's sequel.
The story is good enough that even if you had crossed the line a little, we would probably still read it, because we know it gets better from here on out
My god... this was intense... I loved it so much so don't worry about line crossing. If that's what this was you did it in the best way possible. Its well written to the point where I can almost see the scenery and hear the voices in my own mind. As devastating as this chapter is it's like you keep getting better with every chapter and it's phenomenal. You've got me incredibly excited for this upcoming chapter so I look forward to it very much.
I challenge myself to not cry in this story because I’ve read it for like a million times but it always get me.So much inspiration
This was actually probably the best chapter of the story. I love me some twidash cuddles but intense action scenes are even better.