== CHAPTER 7: RESCUE ==

Explosions rocked everypony to shock, blindness, and deafness.

Blinding white filled the vision of the foals, and the sound of the clanking machine gave way to a deafening ring. When Honeydew's sight melted back into view, she found herself staring at Jelly Splat's legs frantically fidgeting as the front of his body was cracked and splintered into the likeness of his name. But she didn't hear anything. Her jaw was agape, her breath stopped, her blue-green eyes unable to comprehend if the colt was still somehow alive, like a half-crushed insect's body refusing to die in its death throws, or if the diabolical system was forcing his legs to twitch the way they did. Soundless, unnatural death.

Chaos was about her, but all Honeydew could do was stand and stare, pupils growing as they drank in the sight of Jelly Splat's grizzled pieces of bone and soggy meat grind.

Changelings previously hidden within the forest were now running and flying amok, trying to pinpoint the location of the attack. Silver Spoon took the opportunity to try and run away, but one of the Changelings shouldered her. Silver slipped and her red kimono dress snagged in the rollers. She managed to squeak into a yelp.

"No, you fool!" Berry Punch shouted. "She threw up the drink! She's not ready!"

A grappling hook flew through the air and wrung around Silver. She didn't argue as to why it was there and ignored the fact that one of the hooks was digging into the weave of her ponytail. She just hung on and tried climbing out, hooves and knees slipping and sliding with gore staining her shiny grey coat now slick with chunky red.

The rope of the cord tightened and there was a tug-of-war between three Changelings, the rollers clawing into Silver's dress, and whatever lay beyond the bushes. Berry Punch took a needle from a saddle bag on the ground and jabbed it into Silver Spoon's flank and injected a thin yellow liquid into her. Berry turned to her side. "Don't just stand there!" She shouted to Ruby Pinch.

Ruby used her magic to try and give the Changelings an edge as Berry Punch grabbed it in her teeth and yanked. Silver Spoon felt her dress tear up and she sank quickly. She felt the smooth rolling pin rake against her right hoof, the machine tasting its next victim.

"Follow the rope!" Berry said with her teeth on the rope. "Use your numbers!"

A ring of two dozen Changelings encroached on the bushes. Three knives sang from them as a unicorn with cobalt colors in the darkness appeared. The blades swung left and right, sawing wings, horns, and sides. A Changeling dove after him on his left and the battle pony jumped up to dodge and he let it slide in the dirt. But there were a lot more Changelings. They ganged up. The sound of Silver Spoon's wails and screams alerted the rescuers that they were losing another innocent.

A tall, dark grey Earth stallion erupted from the vegetation, his stampede shaking the ground around him and as he threw himself at the Changelings. They scattered like bowling pins, some slashed by the angled blades hooked to his front hooves. He continued running along the line. The three Changelings and Berry Punch didn't take their chances and dove out of his way. The Earth pony braced his hooves in the ground and began pulling the rope hooked to Silver Spoon and drew away from the jaws of the wine press.

Sweetie Drops shouted. "Foals! This way!"

Rumble tried to fly but his hurt wing and aching side meant he could only half-hop, half-trot his way in an unstable limping hover. Silver Spoon tried her best but fell to the ground under the lack of lower right ligaments. She looked behind and gasped, seeing nothing but a bloody trail painted behind her leading up to what used to be the lower of her right leg.

The great grey stallion Redeye scooped up the bleeding filly and ran.

Honeydew's lips quivered as she was still staring at the jaws of the device.

Under tears, Silver Spoon yelled. "Honeydew, come on!"

Honeydew finally blinked but when she turned to run, Berry Punch stood and bit her tail, causing her to trip and fall. Sweetie Drops threw another pair of flashbang grenades as Swift Blade used his magic to throw a cluster of smoke bombs.

The Changelings screed and grumbled as their pony master and three fillies were coughing and gagging. When their senses returned, Berry Punch put her hooves around Honeydew. "They couldn't have gone far, unless they made a run for it." She looked at the small Changeling army of dozens in the clearing. "Secure the perimeter of the forest! If they make the clearing, swarm them and bring them back. Capture the battle ponies; they're the most valuable."

Hissing and rapid buzzing echoed between the trees as they obeyed their command. One of the captains, marked out with his helmet, approached Berry Punch from behind. "The Queen will not be pleased if I have to send a message about your failure."

Berry Punch didn't move or look, instead content to rub Honeydew's shoulders as she felt the filly's panicked shivering. "Let's hope for your sake then that the failure isn't your fault." The captain grinned wide barring his teeth.

"It's hard to see," Ruby Pinch complained as she squinted. "They could be hiding anywhere out there." She turned to her mom. "We should do something to draw them out."

Piña Colada stumbled on her response. "W-we could you know—let her go. Maybe they would go searching for her."

Berry Punch gritted her teeth and fought back tears before backhooving her little sister's head into the machine. "Don't think like that, Piña! If Queen Chrysalis heard you say something like that, she would kill you! Do you understand me?" Berry shouted. "Do you understand me?"

Piña sniffed as she sank to the ground on her flank and nodded.

"Good. Now," Berry turned to scan the forest growing quiet as she was continuing to rub Honeydew's shoulders. "That gives me an idea." She guided the little unicorn to the jaws of the wine press and nodded to her girls. Piña was still trying to get herself together but Ruby had no issue and began restarting the machine. Upon collecting her thoughts, Honeydew began to sob and cry.

"Oh, sweetie," Berry said loudly, "why are you crying? Go on, tell everypony."

"B-b-because," she sobbed, "I's, I's, I's don't wanna d-i-i-i-e!"

"Poor filly," Berry cradled Honeydew in her arms and sat down slowly with her as she began to pet her on the back.

"I's wanna to—to go home, please!"

"A cruel joke, now isn't it?" Berry turned to the captain with a glare. The captain grinned and hissed. Silently from above, there were several Changelings up in the trees, lurking like greedy, hungry bats looking for prey to take the bait.

Under the roots of a great old tree on a hill looking over the scene, Sweetie Drops had a hoof in Silver Spoon's mouth who was crying as blood pooled beneath her out of what leaked from the stringy remains of her leg. Rumble bit his lip and rubbed it raw as he closed his eyes and buried his face in his hooves. Redeye and Swift Blade took on grim frowns as Sweetie Drops clenched her teeth in anger, looking on to the scene unfolding.

Berry hushed Honeydew whose sobbing became softer and quieter. "Your aunt, uncle, mom, and dad. They love you? A lot?"

"Y-y-yes."

"That's very nice. That's very good. Do you see these two fillies? My daughter and little sister. I love them a lot too. And because of that, I have to do these cruel things. But it's ok. It's going to be ok. I'm sorry you had to see all of this. Just a cruel joke." Berry rubbed the little filly's red mane with her chin and began to sing softly.

Hush little filly, don't you cry,

Berry's going to sing you a lullaby.

Hush little filly, don't say a word,

Berry's going to make you a mockingbird.