Chapter 2

A changeling crashed into a tree but was quickly replaced by three more. The Pegasus blew her silver mane out of her magical blue eyes as the changelings surrounded her.

"Come on! Is that all you've got; how do you hope to defeat me?" challenged the Pegasus. "I amWeaving Silver, second-in-command of the Frontier Aces."

"How many of us can you defeat before you tire," hummed the changelings. "Just let us have the young ones, and you will live." Weaving Silver turned to the two fillies behind her; she had heard their cries for help when she was flying over Everfree Forest. The fillies were terrified out of their minds, and Weaving Silver could see some of herself in the fillies' eyes.

"You don't know me very well then," Weaving Silver shouted back at the changelings.

"Then you will die," hummed the changelings. Weaving Silver prepared to fight to the death, but Weaving Silver heard a sound that made her heart rejoice.

"For, Equestria," called a voice and a cyan blur zoomed from sky, as the Pegasus landed rainbow light and knocked changelings off their feet.

Stretching her wings the cyan Pegasus spun around catching a changeling in the face with her hind-hoof. Flipping forward, the cyan Pegasus slammed a second changeling to the ground with both hind-hooves. Weaving Silver smiled then spun around catching a changeling in the face with a back-hoof. A changeling grabbed Weaving Silver from behind, and a second charged in, but the cyan Pegasus slammed into the changeling and drove it to the ground. Weaving Silver slammed the back of her head into the changeling's face and grabbed the changeling's head. Weaving Silver flipped the changeling over her back and onto the ground. The cyan Pegasus flew past Weaving Silver and slammed into another changeling.

"Go!" shouted the cyan Pegasus as she sent another changeling flying. "I'll hold them off."

"I can't just leave you," Weaving Silver protested.

"I'll be fine," shouted the cyan Pegasus as two changeling's leaped on her back. Weaving Silver was about to refuse again, but from under the pile of changelings the cyan Pegasus growled, "Get the fillies out of here!"

Weaving Silver gave a small nod, "T-thank you." Weaving Silver turned to the two fillies behind her and scooped them up and flew into the sky.

"All right, now I don't have to hold back," the cyan Pegasus growled thrusting upward and drove the changelings off her with a rainbow blast.

The cyan Pegasus caught a changeling that flew toward her, and used the changeling's momentum to send the changeling hurling into two more changelings. The cyan Pegasus flew into the air, catching a changeling in the jaw, and launched it upward with the force of lightning. The Pegasus spun around and launched another changeling two the crowd of changelings below, then she scanned the crowd of changelings that had grown to twice as many as when she started.

"Later," shouted the cyan Pegasus, giving a small salute, and crouched down in mid-air. As the changelings charged forward, the cyan Pegasus launched upward in a blast of rainbows crashing through the barrier of changelings and into the free sky.

Weaving Silver flew over Everfree giving a glance over her shoulder. The fillies still held tightly onto her back. Weaving Silver slowed to a stop and descended into the forest.

"I think we lost them," Weaving Silver told the fillies. 'All thanks to that cyan Pegasus,' Weaving Silver murmured to herself. "I didn't even get her name," Weaving Silver said aloud.

"Name's Rainbow Dash," said a voice. Weaving Silver looked up to see the cyan Pegasus hovering above her. Weaving Silver dropped into a crouch and buried her face in her hooves.

"The Rainbow Dash, bearer of the Element of Loyalty, and only known Pegasus to perform a Sonic Rainboom," Weaving Silver choked in awe; as a filly she had idled Rainbow Dash.

"The one and only," Rainbow Dash said swooping down to Weaving Silver. "You seem to know a lot about me."

"I don't think there's a filly Pegasus that doesn't," Weaving Silver said, still burying her head in her hooves.

"You seem to put up quite a fight. What's your name?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"W-Weaving S-Silver," stammered Weaving Silver as she lifted her head.

"Take a breather, Weaving," Rainbow Dash said. "I'm a Pegasus just like you." Rainbow Dash turned her head to scan the trees for Changelings.

"Yes…," Weaving Silver trailed off, "but you're the Rainbow Dash. I heard you had disappeared." Rainbow Dash seemed to stiffen at these words.

"I didn't disappear," Rainbow Dash snapped suddenly. "I've just been away for a while. Looking… for…," Rainbow Dash's voice trailed off as she gazed down at the ground. Weaving Silver stood blinking at Rainbow Dash. She hadn't expected such an instant outburst.

"Oh," Weaving Silver murmured half to herself with realization, "You've been looking for…"

"Have you found her."

"No I haven't and nor have I given up," Rainbow Dash snapped again.

"I uh, thank you for helping me back there," Weaving Silver said, realizing that this particular subject seemed to have a negative effect on Rainbow Dash.

"Don't mention it," Rainbow Dash said with a faint smile. "I would have done it for anypony."

"So, what's your story?" Rainbow asked. "What brought you out here?"

"Well, I am the second in command of the Frontier Aces," Weaving Silver answered. "I was patrolling the skies when I saw these two fillies running for their lives," Weaving Silver said, nodding at the two fillies beside her, who managed weak smiles.

"This is Windy and this is Twister," Weaving Silver said, motioning to the fillies in turn.

"Why did they give you a chance to live?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I guess the fillies were what they really wanted," Weaving Silver answered unsurely. "I suppose I should escort them home."

"I'll help you," Rainbow Dash offered. "In case you run into anymore changelings."