Chapter 19
Wandering through the open prairie north of Ponyville, Spike led the trio as close to the trees as he possibly could. When able, they wandered through thickets of trees and greenery. The extra cover provided the little dragon some relief. Having that extra bit of shielding from both the sun and the hunger-filled eyes of the changelings meant they could at least relax a bit.
“How are you doing Derpy?” Spike asked, glancing back at the pegasus. She’d been quiet for a good portion of the journey. Him and Maud had bandaged the mare up somewhat, but she still couldn’t lift her wing. She retained a heavy limp, and often stumbled over uneven ground. “Do you need a break?”
“No,” Derpy answered. “I-I’m fine.” Though exhausted as she was, every minute she spent out in this wilderness was another chance for the changelings to capture her. Every step she took meant one step closer to the Crystal Empire, and safety. “How long you think it’ll take to get to the Crystal Empire?” She asked.
“I don’t really know. I’ve never walked there before. Always took the train.” Spike answered honestly.
Staring up towards the sun peeking in between the trees, the pegasus attempted to discern their directional heading. Derpy may have been a class A klutz, but she at least knew her directions. “Are you sure we’re going the right way? Isn’t the Crystal Empire up north?”
True, Spike certainly wasn’t leading them strictly north. With the next turn around a dirt path, he led the group further into the forest of trees. The afternoon sun grew a bit dimmer. “Sure, I’m sure. But, we can’t head straight north.” Spike explained. “If we did that, we’d be out in the open for the changelings to see us.”
Derpy’s ears drooped and she couldn’t help but gulp. “Oh, right. Then I’m fine with wherever you go.”
“Y-You are?” Spike asked. He’d gotten so used to taking directions from Twilight and the others, that hearing someone actually agree with his decision was a bit . . . well a bit unexpected. Turning to Maud, who’d also been fairly quiet during the trip, Spike asked, “What about you?”
Maud calmly glanced from the depressed Derpy back to Spike. Of the three, she had a very minuscule understanding of the events that had recently befallen Ponyville. That, and she was quite unfamiliar with how to get to the Crystal Empire anyway. In her usually calm and emotionless voice, the mare answered, “I’m fine following you through the forest, Spike. You seem to know what you are doing.”
Spike stopped walking. He didn’t know quite how to feel about this. “A-Are you girls sure you want me leading the way? Me. In charge? I mean . . . I’ve never been much the leadership type. I’m just . . .”
“. . . the only one who knows where we’re going.” Maud finished for the dragon. When Spike looked over at her, the Pie sister gave Spike her most encouraging stare that she could. “If you say the forest is safe, then we’ll follow you.”
“R-Right.” Spike said. He looked to Derpy, who appeared uninterested in further input. This is really happening. Spike thought to himself. I-I’m in charge. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the path ahead and motioning for the girls to follow, he said, “Come on! This way.” I think.
Derpy sighed, trotting close behind Spike and alongside Maud, the limp a bit more manageable now. Her body ached, cracked, and trembled. She did her best to ignore it, did her best to ignore the wing dragging along at her side. It hurt less than before, probably due to a gradual numbing that had spread through her body. Letting out another long breath, she couldn’t help but glance up towards the tree-tops. Derpy felt as though she’d taken quite a fall. It’d been years since the pegasus had been roughed up this bad. The last time she’d broken a wing, she had accidently flown through the cloud-maker in Cloudsdale. Not on purpose of course, but embarrassing all the same.
When her gaze drifted back down, Derpy jumped a bit with Maud staring at her. The pony whom Pinkie Pie had been planning a great big party for. The pony who Derpy remembered hearing so many wonderful things about. That pony was watching her, eyes boring into her. Derpy felt her face heat up, and for some reason, she found herself blushing and had to look away. “I-Is there something wrong?” She asked softly, trying not to trip over some loose rock.
Maud inched her head from side to side. Was that a no? Derpy couldn’t really tell. “I was just wondering what happened to your wing.” Maud confirmed. “I don’t tend to hear about what goes on in Equestria. It must’ve been something terrible if everyone is captured.”
“O-Oh . . .” Derpy stuttered. “I-I think I originally got this in Cloudsdale . . . but then the changelings in Ponyville made it worse.” Glancing away, Derpy finished, “There’s been an awful lot of fighting lately. Changelings taking over Equestria.” Her voice trailed off, hoping she’d answered Maud’s question and they could move on.
Hearing the conversation behind him, Spike chimed in, “She was part of a squad of pegasi sent up on a rescue mission to Cloudsdale. Chrysalis was attacking it for some reason, and we were hoping to get a lot of ponies out.”
“And did you?” Maud’s flat voice asked.
Derpy shook her head. She could still see the battle that had taken place up in the heavens. The changelings battering ponies with everything that they had. Their commanding officer being attacked and devoured, Derpy shuddered from the memories rushing up to her. “There were so many. We couldn’t . . .” Her voice faltered.
“Well,” Spike added, “she did manage to rescue Scootaloo. And then Rainbow Dash rescued her. At least, I think that’s what happened.”
Again, Derpy felt Maud staring at her. She blinked out a couple stray tears, wishing this conversation to end. She wished they could just get to the Crystal Empire already, and be done with this nightmare. More than anything though, Derpy wished she could see Doctor Hooves again, her closest friend. He’d left Ponyville shortly before the soldiers came and locked it down. She didn’t even know where he was.
“You’re just as Pinkie Pie said you’d be.”
Derpy glanced over to the gray pony and said in more than a bit of surprise. “P-Pinkie Pie? What do you mean?”
Maud curled her lips into a soft smile, at least, Derpy thought it was a smile. The pony clearly wasn’t well-versed with emotion. “Pinkie Pie said you were a reliable friend that could always be counted on. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
“M-Me?” Derpy asked, incredulously. “B-But I just deliver the mail and . . . well I used to deliver the mail. I’m not sure what I’m going to do now. B-Besides, I’m always messing things up.”
“It sounds like you’re doing just fine to me.” Maud answered. Then, to Derpy’s relief, the earth pony changed the subject. “How did all of this happen?”
Spike chimed in at this question. “It’s kind of a long story. Though I probably don’t have the whole thing.” Maud briefly glanced at Derpy, almost expecting the pegasus to speak up. Spike however, continued. “Neither one of us do really.” Seeing Maud’s piercing gaze, Spike knew he should explain things to her. After all, it was her sister that was trapped in Canterlot. She deserved to know.
Twilight slumped down against the cold, hard, stone floor. She needed only one glance to realize where she was. The caves again. The princess found herself caged in the same caves that Queen Chrysalis had once banished her to with Princess Cadence. At least then, Cadence could fly them through the caverns and back up into the castle. Now, the magically endowed bars of Twilight’s prison prevented even her strongest of spells from breaking free.
She could do no more than lie her head down on the rock, and await her fate.
Tears streamed down Twilight’s face. I’ve failed them. I’ve failed all of them. Her head swirled with images of her friends. Applejack and Fluttershy, two ponies she’d turned her back on when they needed her most. Rainbow Dash, the only one to have called her out on everything . . . if only I’d listened. Then of course Pinkie Pie and Rarity, who both gave her all their support up until the very end. “And I took advice from a changeling of all things.” She scolded herself. How could the princess of friendship be this ignorant, this inane?
“Why couldn’t I just listen to Shining Armor?” Twilight asked herself. Her body shuddered, and she curled up from the cold air that brushed against the dead rock.
A light suddenly shone down from above at the other end of Twilight’s rather large cell. Lifting herself off the ground, she slowly stepped towards the source. At first, she thought maybe it was an opening, maybe a way out. Arriving just next to where the light shone down however, found that it originated from the ceiling rock itself. The light stuttered, and blinked. In a split second, it beamed down five distinct figures onto the floor.
Twilight’s mouth dropped open when she saw them. Her friends! They were all there, all five of them. Twilight gasped, shedding more tears at seeing each one unconscious. Each one breathed heavily, chest rising, ribs almost visible. The changelings, they clearly had sucked a great deal of love from the others. “N-No!” Twilight shuddered, and reached out to touch them, to comfort them. Her hoof went right through. “What?” She asked bewildered. Stifling a whimper, she reached out to touch them again, to ruffle Fluttershy’s hair. Her hoof passed on through, and the pony shivered in her slumber.
Stepping back, Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “A-A projection . . .” She whispered.
“Yes, and quite beautiful isn’t it . . .” uttered a voice from behind.
Twilight turned, and didn’t bother to dry her eyes. “Y-You . . . why . . .” She whispered as Daybreaker merely laughed at her anguish.
“It’s a seer stone. I happened upon this little gem while exploring the vast halls of the castle. It gives you sight, but not touch.” Daybreaker gloated. “Figured you wouldn’t want to be alone.” She said, peering in close from the outside Twilight’s iron prison.
Twilight couldn’t stop shaking her head. She was lost in disbelief. “W-Why? Why would you do this?”
Daybreaker threw her head back and cackled. The fire in her mane sparked against the adjacent rocks. Her grin spread across her face, revealing a toothy smile. “Because for too long, you were the ones holding me prisoner. Dangling what I wanted most right in front of me, hiding behind your guises of friendship. Let me tell you something Twilight Sparkle, that has changed. No-pony will question my authority, and no-pony will get in my way; especially your silly Elements of Harmony. From now on, I’ll be the one doing the dangling.”
“P-Princess Cadence will . . .”
“Princess Cadence will be groveling at my hooves, begging for mercy.” Daybreaker shouted. “Her measly army won’t hold a candle to the forces that are already knocking at her door.” Then leaning in close, locking eyes with Twilight, Daybreaker, chuckled, “I assure you, the Crystal Empire will be no more than a pile of rubble, just like Ponyville.”
Twilight fought back tears. She couldn’t show weakness, but she also couldn’t stop her heart from breaking. Everything Luna, Celestia, and Cadence strived towards over these many years was all crumbling down. And she couldn’t help but think it was all her fault.
Daybreaker though, had become too engaged with her prisoner to let Twilight go with just that. “I know Spike is still out there. And I’m sure you’re counting on him to come to the rescue like the knight in shining armor that he is!” At this, Daybreaker burst out laughing.
Growing furious at this taunting, Twilight glared at the alicorn with a newfound hatred for her. “Don’t underestimate him. Spike is far more capable than you could ever imagine. He won’t let me down.”
The possessed alicorn merely shook her head as she paced back and forth alongside Twilight’s cage. “Oh don’t worry about that. I have not intention of letting that little dragon best me. In fact, I’m sure I’ll be quite ready for him.” At these words, what looked like shadows suddenly danced around the walls of the caves.
Twilight stared up for a second, watching them. A low howling noise emanated from the vast chambers of stone. A mysterious odor of burning fur and ash drifted out from one of the caverns. The princess stared long and hard, until finally, several alicorn-looking creatures stepped out from the darkness. Without having ever seen them, Twilight recognized them simply from the description she received from Scootaloo.
The creatures of black ash, lava-like veins, and eye-less faces trotted in far enough for Twilight to see their towering figures. Even with no eyes, the creatures glared at her, and she instinctively took a few steps back.
Daybreaker again laughed in amusement at the princess’ reaction. “You see Twilight, while it is true your dragon may be running about in the wild, I already have an inkling as to where he might be going.”
Once Twilight’s eyes had drifted back over to Daybreaker, the evil Celestia continued, “I’m well aware of the dragons’ popularity in the north. I’m sure he’s already on his way to Princess Cadence for backup. And when he gets there, my Sun Flares will find him, and they will kill him.”
With a soft nod to her creatures, they vanished into thin air. “NO! You can’t!” Twilight shouted.
Daybreaker’s grin only widened as she hissed, “I can . . . and I will.”
Out of breath, Twilight leaned against the bars of her cage. Her misty eyes pleading with the alicorn over her. “C-Celestia . . .” she whispered, “you have to be in there. You . . . You have to fight. Please . . .”
“Celestia had her chance, Twilight.” Daybreaker barked back. This game had grown quite tiresome, and now the princess was nothing but annoying. The way she clung to the superficial hope that her dazzling princess would break through the chains of Daybreaker’s powers; Twilight really was pathetic. “She fought with everything she had to be rid of me, but it wasn’t enough. Now Celestia fights no more. Your dear princess has accepted her fate.” Turning away from Twilight, Daybreaker said, “I suggest you do the same.”
With that, Daybreaker disappeared back into the shadows. Her hoof-steps echoed through the dark caverns and then all was silent. Twilight shuddered. Her legs wobbled, and she had to sit down. “It’s all my fault.” She whispered. Then turning towards the projection of her friends, the young princess crawled over to them, laid down, and cried.
Spike glanced up past the trees. The sun had grown far weaker over the forest since they’d started. The little dragon couldn’t help but worry whether or not he was leading the two in the right direction. Looking back at the two ponies gave Spike pause. In all the hours of travel, Derpy hadn’t complained once about her injuries. Maud appeared to be looking after her as well. Twilight . . . where are you? He couldn’t help but ask. Even though the princess had failed to protect Ponyville, Spike still believed she’d know what to do; better than he would anyway.
“What’s the plan Spike?” Came Maud’s soft, flat voice.
“Huh?” He asked, and upon seeing her blank stare, Spike quickly answered, “Well . . . I think we’ll follow the forest as long as we can. Then . . . make our way towards the Galloping Gorge. We can probably follow the train tracks north to the Crystal Empire from there.”
Satisfied, Maud nodded and stopped to pick up another rock. She’d been collecting them at random and tossing the stones into a small satchel on her back.
Derpy had observed the earth pony each time she stopped. Maud was quite particular about the rocks she picked up. They all appeared to be of the same type. Each rock Maud grabbed was long, were striped in black and grey. The pattern of stripes in various sizes somewhat reminded Derpy of Zecora, like the rocks had flaked off the zebra’s body. “What are you doing?” Derpy finally asked, when her curiosity could be contained no more.
“I’m collecting rocks.”
Derpy was taken aback. Of course, Maud was collecting rocks. How could any-pony not realize that? One thing that Derpy had come to notice was Maud’s tendency give rather lacking answers. “W-Why?” Derpy asked, hoping her prodding wasn’t a nuisance to the earth pony.
Maud glanced up at Derpy, as if no pony had ever bothered to inquire her on her answers. She blinked, then gazed down and picked up another rock. “It’s not often one comes across such a fine collection of hornfels. It’s really a stroke of luck.”
“What’s a hornfel?”
Picking up another of the striped rocks, Maud said, “this.” Then tucking it away in her satchel, she explained, “it’s a rock that has been baked and indurated by the heat of intrusive igneous masses; an exceptional find.”
This time it was Derpy’s turn to stare blankly at the pony. What the hay was Maud talking about? She suddenly felt really dumb. The only way the pegasus had any chance of understanding what was just said would’ve been to plop out a dictionary. In other words, this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. “T-They sound really special.”
Maud eyed Derpy for a moment, almost considering on furthering their discussion. Eventually though, she simply replied. “They are.” And she tossed another hornfel into her satchel.
After that, the conversation between Derpy and Maud tapered off. Derpy really didn’t have much else to say about the strange rocks Maud was collecting. She didn’t know enough about them to provide any meaningful discussion. She also found it difficult to read the earth pony. Maybe I’m bothering her. Derpy thought to herself.
Focusing on the path ahead, the pegasus carefully adjusted the position of her broken wing. It twitched with pain, every so often rubbing just the wrong way against a rock or a tree. Derpy’s body shuddered each time it happened. She could feel herself sweating, and seeing Spike a little way ahead, considered calling out to him to slow down or even ask for a break.
Before Derpy could speak up, she caught movement out the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she stared through the trees and saw what looked like the tail of a pony disappearing into the woods. “You see that?” She asked.
“See what?” Maud asked, and stopped to gaze in the same direction.
They both stood, neither one of them moving. Spike had almost vanished from sight before he realized the others weren’t following. “Come on girls! The sooner we get to the Crystal Empire, the better.” He said, walking back over to them. When the dragon noticed the two were occupied, he asked, “What’s going on?”
“Derpy saw something.” Maud answered.
“What was it?”
“I don’t know,” Derpy answered, lightly shaking her head. “I-It looked like a pony.”
“A survivor from Ponyville?” Maud suggested.
“Or . . .” Spike bit his lip. “A changeling.” Maud had no reaction, but Derpy shriveled up just from mention of the creatures. If the changelings were following them, then they didn’t stand a chance. Three against potentially hundreds of love suckers was no contest.
“What should we do?” Derpy asked, her eyes darting from tree to tree, watching for any signs of the “pony” she had spotted.
“I-I think we better keep moving.” Spike answered. “If it was a changeling, then it’s probably a trap.”
“And if it’s not a changeling?” Maud said.
“Well . . .” Spike started. “I-I don’t know. How can we trust that they aren’t? Changelings can make themselves look like anyone. Even if they weren’t a changeling, how could they trust us?”
“You trusted me.” Maud said, and before Spike could respond, the Pie trotted slowly off in the direction that Derpy had seen the mysterious pony. She did it so casually, and so calmly that neither of the remaining two knew what to think.
Shaking his head, Spike eventually hurried to catch up with the earth pony. Derpy however, stayed rooted to her spot. She didn’t want to go, didn’t want to face those monsters again. The sheer terror she experienced both in Cloudsdale and Ponyville, she never wanted that again. Her body ached and groaned, pleading with her to stay away from that spot. Can’t we just get help from Cadence? She thought to herself.
A rustling behind Derpy made her turn around. She froze in place, watching the bushes moving, waiting for the monster to come out. They’ve found me. Her heart raced, and she slowly backed away. The bushes rustled a bit more, and Derpy almost tripped over her own wing when a small bunny suddenly jumped out at her. The pegasus released a scream and limping away at as much of a gallop as she could, Derpy cried out, “W-Wait for me!”
Almost plowing headfirst into Maud’s tail, Derpy stumbled to the ground next to her two companions. “Don’t move.” She heard Spike say. Glancing up from where she lay sprawled in the ground, she saw them. Six changelings prowling the forest only twenty feet or so ahead of them.
Derpy began to hyperventilate. They were here. They were here and the love suckers were staring right at them. Picking herself up off the ground, Derpy squeezed in close next to Maud and Spike. The group of changelings hissed at them, closing in.
“Careful,” Spike whispered to Maud, not taking his eyes off the changelings. “They can make themselves look like anyone.”
Almost on cue, the changelings transformed themselves into copies of Spike, Derpy, and Maud. All at once they lunged at the trio, hoping to split them apart and create confusion.
Maud only narrowed her eyes. It was this deception that had led to the capture of her sister. It was because of these monsters that Ponyville found itself in such a dilapidated state. These changelings were delaying one of Pinkie Pie’s parties, and preventing Maud from seeing her sister.
Swiftly bucking at her satchel, Boulder rocketed out from a small side pocket. Knowing her pet’s precise movements, Maud kicked Boulder hard at one of the fakes, bouncing her pet rock off the changeling’s head. His body flapped backwards from the force, and sent him tumbling into a nearby tree. With Boulder flying back towards his owner after the bounce, Maud slapped him across to the next to monster. Boulder smashed right between the eyes of a fake Spike before lurching across the clearing and knocking over a fake Derpy.
The pinball-like game Maud played with her pet caught the eyes of the real Derpy. She huddled down on the ground with Spike, just watching Maud’s expert hooves kicking one changeling away while catching the rock in another hoof and sending it back out to strike another attacker. It almost felt like a dance with how the earth pony moved. A quick, yet subtle elegance followed Maud and her fluid movements, taking out changeling after changeling.
“W-Wow!” Derpy whispered, understanding now why Pinkie Pie had talked up her sister the way she had.
With the earth pony being so busy flicking her rock from changeling to changeling, she appeared to miss one of the changelings that had disguised himself as the earth pony. Derpy tried to call out to Maud, to warn her. At that moment though, Derpy couldn’t raise her voice more than a whisper. Desperate not to lose another friend to these creatures, the pegasus stumbled onto her legs and head butted the changeling as hard as she could.
The love sucker went hurtling back and rolling onto his feet, his Maud disguise melted off and he turned to strike back at Derpy. Maud, having seen what the pegasus had done, quickly slapped Boulder at the changeling, knocking him out cold.
When finally, the last changeling dropped from that same rock smashing into his temple, Maud caught her pet and pocketed him safely back into her satchel. Turning back to Derpy, she stepped up to the pegasus, who was trembling. “Thanks, Derpy.” She said flatly, having not even broken a sweat.
Derpy only nodded. She was too out of breath, and too sore to really provide anymore of a response.
Then stepping over to Spike, who’d been huddled up next to Derpy until she’d moved away, Maud said, “Sorry Spike. I really should have listened to you.”
“No, it’s alright.But more than that, you were amazing, Maud!”
“I was?”
Spike nodded his head excitedly, “I’ve never seen anyone take on the changelings like that!”
Finally joining the two, Derpy added, “It was pretty amazing. Where’d you learn to do all that anyway?”
“From Boulder.” Was Maud’s only response.
Before Derpy could question her further, Spike interrupted, “Uh girls, we should probably get moving . . . before they wake up.” Derpy and Maud glanced at the changelings, some of which were already beginning to stir. With no argument to Spike’s request, they followed him deeper into the forest, away from the changelings, and closer towards the Crystal Empire.
Stats
Page generated in 0.014 seconds
Total duration
560 users online
1,210,684 hits today, 2,139,894 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
You need the knight of the wind for this battle! Sonic the Hedgehog: Knight of the Wind!
Or maybe the legendary durple dragon. Spyro the Dragon along with Cyinder the Dragon.