The Alter Accords

Chapter Thirteen: Unlucky Timing.

Celestia was beside herself, the message had just come in and it worried her to no end, which is why she called her captain of the guard and her niece before her now.

Shining Armor, captain and now prince, came before her first with his wife only a step behind him. “What is wrong Princess?” The unicorn stallion was a pure white color with a two toned blue mane with a dedication to protect ponies that Celestia admired and couldn’t think of anypony else she would have allowed to be with Cadence other then the knight captain before her.

Standing beside him was her lovely niece, the embodiment of love and the Princess of it as well. “Aunty please tell us, what is so important to send us that message.”

The light pink Alicorn mare had asked her, as her yellow, magenta, and purple mane covered one eye and had her tail twitching. “As you read in my message, the fate of Equestria is on the line here, that is because The Crystal Empire has returned.”

Both of the ponies before her gasped in shock at the news. “B-but that means.”

Celestia nodded to the smaller Princess. “Yes, it means Sombra will be returning as well, that is why I am sending you two and a small contingent of guards to the empire to secure it before he has gathered enough power to hold it himself. Your group will defend and hold your birthright Cadence till I can send help your way.”

Both ponies bent their knees in a bow and said ‘Yes Princess.’

She watched them both leave as she started to write a letter to her student. “Dear Twilight Sparkle.”

‘Options guys?’ Novo and Lego were no help at all as Velox dodged the tackle this time gritting his teeth as the pain from the gash in his side protested. ‘Also how bad is that?’

‘Couple of stitches and you should be good, nothing terribly wrong, it will be sore for abit though, a couple of days for sure even with magic to heal it.’ Lego commented.

The buffalo stopped short on his next charge and used his front hoof to hit Velox on the nose. “Got you, you little fly.”

Backing up and holding his nose Velox gritted even as his red life liquid dripped to the ground. ‘I just wish there was some moisture around.’ Drip ‘Then I would kick this guys flank.’ Drip ‘Wait.’ Looking down to his nose and then to his gash he stared at them for a moment before he heard the voice inside him.

‘All is one, one is all of course! USE IT!’ Novo practically shouted from inside him as the current welled up and gathered the blood that had been leaked to the ground.

Anypony watching this would think it was a morbid sight, seeing blood flow towards the wing of the Pegasus, of course this included the buffalo that was still awake. “Witchcraft!”

The blood was just enough to coat the wing and turn it into a blade. “Nope, but then again you don’t care what I nor anypony has to say do you?” The buffalo charged as Velox side stepped him and used the bladed wing to drag a long score across his side, not deep enough to be fatal but deep enough that he would need a lot of stitches.

“AHHH!” The giant bison called out as he dropped holding his side.

Velox moved the blood from his wing to press against his open wound now to stop further blood flow, he almost wished he thought of this in the woods that night he saved Pinkie but…oh well lesson learned. “Stay down, you really don’t want to rip that open further.” Walking into the store he called to the clerk. “Would you mind calling for authorities to clean up two buffalos that attacked Braeburn Apple? I have to get him home to treat his wounds. Tell them Knight Bright Star authorized it.”

The store owner came out in a rush looking to see what happened. Star put Braeburn in the cart and started to carry both it and him back home. Over the course of the walk he discovered that blood was much harder to manage then water as he had to keep it moving or it would coagulate and harden to the point he couldn’t manipulate anymore. While it did cause his wound to seal up nicely he wanted to study it more, or at least Novo and Lego did even if the drain was tiring.

By the time he got the cart back to the farm Braeburn was awake. “So, ya are a knight of Equestria huh?”

He had stopped using the current a while ago but it didn’t mean he wasn’t tired from it. “Ya, my job is to protect your cousin and her friends, it’s also my brothers job as well. Also how long were you awake for?”

He couldn’t turn his head to see the stallion but the silence rang out for a while. “About when ya got that gash on your side. Though ah was in and out of it. Thanks for saving me though.”

Sighing for a moment he decided Braeburn needed to hear the truth. “I didn’t save you, I saved AJ’s family which happened to be you. I won’t lie, I like AJ a lot and it would hurt her more than anything to know that I let a member of her family get wailed on without at least trying to help. So again I didn’t save you, I saved AJ and her kin.”

Everypony was doing their job and as such didn’t see the two of them return as Velox put the cart back in the barn. “Ah am good to get home…Ah want to say sorry, ya and ah may not see eye ta eye, but like Jackie said, ya are a good pony and ah am sorry for how ah have been treatin’ ya.”

Velox waved his hoof as if to dismiss it, but truth was he didn’t trust himself not to back talk him. Leaving the apple kin to his own walk Velox started to head to his tent, he didn’t care if the pony was upset at him, he was hurting, he was starting to get dizzy and needed some rest.

When he got to his tent about thirty or so minutes later he lay down and he passed out as soon as he touched his bed roll.

“Get up Sugar we have to get to Canterlot.” The sweet voice of his farm mare came with the world of pain as she rubbed him to wake him up making him gasp for air. Slowly waking up and seeing it was dark, something he was grateful for as it meant AJ couldn’t see his unwashed state. “Twilight and Spike already caught a train and the next one is about to leave soon. Celestia needs us there ASAP.”

“Ok ok, I get it, I will pack my stuff up quickly.” The Pegasus said to her as he started packing the insides of the tent up.

Hearing the tent flap rustle as she left he did hear her call out to him from out there. “Also ya might want to wash up on the ride over, your coat is sticky.”

Everypony had gotten on the train as quickly as possible, it was dark and the lights in the train were dimmed since it was early morning and the sun had not yet risen and some pony’s on the train were sleeping between stops. Pinkie was jumping around with a smile on her face saying ‘they should throw Twilight a party when they get there for celebrating her passing her test’. Rarity was going on how she wanted to see more of Canterlot fashion.

“I just hope the test isn’t super important, I mean why would the Princess call us too?” The barely heard voice of the meek Pegasus spoke to them.

AJ watched as Velox excused himself to go wash up, for a moment the farm pony admired his form but realized he was walking a tad funny and was about to ask him when Dash spoke up. “OH you think maybe she invited the Wonderbolts there as well?”

The farm pony chuckled and waved her hoof to them. “Why would the Princess call for the Wonderbolts if it is Twi’s test?”

Dash looked disappointed for a moment but by the look on her face the freckled southern mare knew she had a comeback. “I don’t know, maybe it’s the same reason you were eating cherry candy for, I mean it’s all over your hoof.”

She had no clue what she was talking about but when she looked down at her hoof it was covered in a sticky red substance. “Huh where did that done come from?”

“It doesn’t matter its candy!” Pinkie exclaimed before grabbing her hoof and giving it a giant lick.

She was just about to laugh at the pony’s antics when she seen her shoot away from her hoof and was quickly wiping her mouth. “What’s wrong Sugarcube, not the brand of candy ya like?”

AJ and everypony’s laughter stopped when Pinkie looked up with a face that said a thousand words but only uttered a few from her mouth. “It’s blood.”

Rarity came over with her hoofkerchief to wipe away the substance from her hoof. “There is a good bit of it on the other hoof too it seems.” The fashionista said after checking the other appendage. “You really need to let us know if you are hurt deary, though I don’t see any cuts or anything so you should be fine.”

All the other girls agreed quickly as she looked at her hoofs. “But ah didn’t hurt myself, ah mean the only thing that was sticky was Velox’s coat.”

Comprehension came to each of the girls nearly at the same time as Fluttershy spoke first. “Braeburn did say he and Velox got into a fight with some buffalos but that he wasn’t too badly hurt.”

Dash looked angry at this. “But he didn’t tell us how bad Velox was hurt, come on we have to find him.”

Moving a needle around with only your mouth and hoof was hard but he had finally finished as he tied off the end of the thread and cutting it off with a bite. He was sweating now as he grabbed a washcloth to wipe down his brow and folded his wings back up.

‘Nice and hidden under my wing, I don’t think anypony will be able to tell unless they know what to look for. I think.’ His other voices told him he knew that wouldn’t hold water as when he lifted up his wing it was quite obvious he had stitched himself up. Grabbing a couple of painkillers he had left over from the Timberwolves he took them to dull the pain as he stepped out of the wash closet.

He was nearly run over by his friends as they were just coming around the corner and gave him a worried look. “There you are!”

Fluttershy was the first to barge through the group and started to look him over. “Where is it?”

“What are you talking about Fluttershy?” He didn’t like to see his friends worrying like this but it’s not like he knew what to say at the moment or knew even what they were looking for.

AJ came over and pointed her hoof. “It should be on his side somewhere that is where ah moved him to wake him up.”

Well it didn’t take a wizard to figure out what they were looking for now and he was about to show them when Fluttershy lifted up his wing first and gasped. “Oh my.”

“Girls its fine, I already took care of it, should heal up good as new.” His voice wasn’t really heard though as both Rarity and Fluttershy was looking over his work.

“Not bad, but clearly amateur.” Said the proper acting mare. “But he is right, it should be fine.” The yellow and pink Pegasus also agreed as she looked them over.

He smiled to them all as they all gave him a concerned look. “See, I am fine.”

The farm mare his heart seemed to beat for came close and hugged him. “Don’t keep these things to yourself Sugar, Ah hurt when ya hurt remember.”

“Ya I know, that is why I didn’t want to tell you.” They both seemed to forget they had company as he felt her lips press against his much to his surprise as many gasps were heard, the loudest being Pinkie’s.

“Woah, when did this start!” Dash called out loudly.

AJ, however, wasn’t as cornered as Velox was feeling many feelings of guilt now that didn’t emanate from him. “Go ahead and tell them AJ, Pinkie mind helping me pack my first aid kit up?”

As he predicted they all practically dragged Applejack back to the cabin as both Pinkie and himself went into the wash room. “How could you?”

“Pinkie this is what I was trying to say before. I am Velox now, Novo is Novo, and Lego is Lego…we are all separate now, not of one mind. Novo is in love with Dash and I am in love with Applejack, it is what caused us to separate.” The look of betrayal on her face slowly changed to one of sadness as she understood. “Now I have to share my body with somepony who wants to give it to his special somepony while he has to watch as I do the same. In the end, I know they are going to find out and when they do, both of them will think they were lied to and betrayed…There is no happy ending for me in this nor Novo.”

“You need to tell them, tell them before they find out themselves.” Her voice was chocked with sadness and tears. “If you do, you might at least keep them as friends. Tell them after Twilight’s test ok?”

The fact that the perky party pony was looking at that as the bright side meant he truly was bucked here. “Ya, I promise.”

“Pinkie Promise?” she asked looking at him seriously. He recited the poem of a promise and she gave him a hug. “I will still be your friend no matter what, I Pinkie Promise.” She then proceeded to recite the poem herself.

Gathering up their emotions to put on a good face they left the wash room and went to the cabin were everypony was gathered, where he heard the tail end of the conversation. “Oh come on, you just kissed, you wouldn’t be blushing as hard as you are if that was all.”

“I agree dear, you confessed and kissed, with how you are acting and your eyes moving this way and that I hardly believe that myself.” Rarity said before turning to see him and Pinkie returning. “Ah, there you are, come you need to tell us the truth on what happened between you and dear Applejack here.”

He didn’t need to look at the mare to know that she was pleading with him not to say anything. “Alright.” He couldn’t help but smile at her gasp. “AJ came to me and confessed, then she kissed me, I was a bad kisser so she is kinda covering for me.” The look on her face turned at once to a grateful look as she sighed. “Now girls if you don’t mind, I took some medication and it is kinda making me drowsy so I am going to doze till we get to Canterlot.”

Finding a nice place to lay down he closed his eyes hoping they wouldn’t disturb him even if he wasn’t going to take a nap. Feeling his seat move he felt the press of somepony against him which, when he opened his eyes, found the orange mare next to him before a few voices of ‘awww’ came from their friends. Weirdly with her body heat and the painkilling effects he did find himself dozing and soon got a few winks before their upcoming event.

They were now riding towards the Crystal Empire, a place for Equestria that was lost long ago Twilight told them, a thousand years ago more or less. While he didn’t doubt the words of Celestia or even Twilight, he just found it hard to believe a thousand years could go by for a kingdom to just have vanished till now.

Thankfully her retelling of what her test was, if in a vague way was to save the empire by helping her brother and Princess Cadence, was a nice distraction as it left AJ and him alone in peace.

Looking outside and realizing snow was everywhere everypony was worried…except Velox. “I love snow.”

Rarity however was unpacking scarves for herself and offering any to ponies which they all took one of a complementing color or one that matched their coat color. “I don’t get why you would like the snow deary, it is just dreadful and the moisture can just ruin a well done mane like my own.”

Shaking himself off, he smiled and looked towards his student. “Dash, what is the rule about moisture and weather for the current?”

It took her a moment with her chin on her head before her eyes lit up. “The more there is the stronger it is.”

“Bingo. Whatever we face here means we face it when I am at my strongest, even better as I see a snowstorm star-.” There was a roar in the background; this time he wasn’t the only one who heard it. “-ting, so ya, what was that?”

The train shook for a moment before it started to rapidly grind to a halt which made the mare in charge widen her eyes. “But we aren’t at the empire yet!”

The conductor of the train came out yelling loudly and rapidly heading for the door. “A shadow, a large shadow is coming after us!”

Everypony rushed outside to see it was true; a large shadow was rapidly rushing towards them. “We aren’t that far from where we have to be, start hoofing it!”

They all started running at Velox’s call, much to his sides hatred, as it protested each step. It was only thanks to Twilight healing him up as best she could during the train ride over that it wasn’t debilitating at the least…just annoying.

Turning back he could see the shadow gaining on them, at this pace it was a matter of a minute at best before it overtook them. “Keep running everypony, I will catch up!”

His friends momentarily called out to him but didn’t stop as they seen him start to glow the dark blue that was a sure sign of what was to come.

In the wind as he gathered his strength Velox was sure he heard a voice. “Crystal Slaves, Elements, Stop, I rule.”

Out of the dark came two ruby colored eyes and a horn as a face took hold. “Not sure what you are, but your one ugly sonva-” Before he could finish that sentence Sombra roared at him. “That’s right here I am COME AT ME!” With that Velox unleashed the current causing the snow to suddenly spout from his body and around him to create a vortex.

With a flap of his wings he sent the vortex at the dark king whose smoke was wrapped up in it riding it for a while till it and his smoke dispersed. Velox had used up all the power of his current in one go and couldn’t move right away but he did slowly start to walk away after a minute or two only to hear the hissing in the wind.

“You dare.” It called as he turned to see the smoke reforming into the wall of shadow once more.

‘Seriously?!’ He thought for a moment before his inner selves told him to fly. Taking flight he quickly outpaced the shadow even if he felt like he was running on empty, it was a good thing too as he seen his friends meeting up with another pony wearing a scarf and a snow visor.

They turned to see him and the shadow surging towards them. “Move your plots NOW!”

They did just that, starting to run quickly towards the domed city he could see in the distance. He would have found it rather lovely if not for running for his life.

The shadow would take them he could see it; there was nothing to stop it now. “SHINY!”

Twilight called as it seemed Shining Armor was going to take a stand, Velox knew this was a bad idea and it was his job to protect his friends so he made a worse choice by landing in front of the Unicorn captain. “GO!”

Summoning the current quicker than he had ever before, he was determined to disperse this shadowy wall of darkness again even as he could hear his friends shouting at him as Shining Armor rejoined them and they weren’t the only ones. ‘DON’T DO IT!’

He couldn’t stop now ignoring all the voices both outwards and inwards he felt blood quickly starting to run down his nose as he overtaxed himself to create another vortex.

Twilight watched as her friend was glowing a brilliant dark blue before a water spout of snow, a snow spout as it were, quickly rose up from the snow around him and was shot forth to break up the cloud that was Sombra the evil crystal king in a display that left her in wonder.

She was happy that Shiny wasn’t hurt but the feeling quickly faded as she seen the pony that had just saved them collapse into the snow not moving. Using her magic she quickly grabbed hold of him and started to levitate him as she ran to the bubble with everypony.

Once inside the barrier she set him down as they all asked if he was alright. “One second let me look.” Using a spell to read his vitals and check his condition she was worried till the results came back. “He just used too much power all at once; he should be fine with some rest.”

She watched as Applejack picked him up and set him on her back with tears in her eyes. “Why do ya have to do these things?”

Twilight was the only one close enough to hear her say this, she had been told on the train ride over that they were together now but that display really sent it home for her and once more she felt that pang of jealousy she once felt for Dash when watching her and Novo syncing up together during their training.

On the way to the crystal palace and almost seeming to zone out, no longer hearing the ‘cool’ ‘pretty’ ‘fabulous’ and other complements her friends gave to the city. ‘Shiny and Cadence are together, AJ and Velox are together, if I didn’t know better I would say Novo and Dash were together, but she is more into the brash types I think so I don’t think she would go for that. My friends are happy and I just keep finding myself wishing I had somepony in my life too, maybe I will ask Cadence when the test is over for some advice.’

Sombra wasn’t happy, he had been thwarted in his attempt both on the elements early on and of the prince and he was currently destroying the cave he had retreated to. “You didn’t tell me there would be a Pegasus with snow magic to stop me!”

The figure that was assisting the dark king politely bowed. “It was…unforeseen your majesty. However my agents are now in the city and will try to either speed up the decay of the barrier or at least dispose of the elements.”

“NO!” The mad king called out to him. “Tell them to capture the Elements and that annoying Pegasus. I have heard that the Elements are all mares of substance and beauty, and a king will need a harem so why not them. As for the Pegasus, I want to deal with him personally.”

The figure bowed gracefully to the shadow pony. “As you wish, so it shall be.”

Velox woke up the next day feeling like a sack that had been thrown around a few times before stuffed into a cramp spot. Looking outside he found there was some kind of fair going on as he stretched and went to look for information on what was happening and if everypony was ok.

He got lucky in his random choosing of halls to go with as he came to the throne room where an Alicorn and Twilight’s brother stood together their horns touching as they mixed their magic. “I am not interrupting anything am I?”

The blue maned unicorn came over and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “No, I am just using my own spell to reinforce Cadence’s spell, my shields aren’t effective against him but when I combine them with Cadence I can at least take some of the pressure off her, which is good cause she isn’t doing too well holding the shield up.”

He assumed that the shield that they were talking about was the bubble they had passed through. “That is good.”

Feeling hooves wrap around him he was caught up in a hug by the Alicorn of love as well as her smile. “Thank you so much, if you hadn’t saved Shining Armor I don’t know what I would do.” He wanted to wave it off by he couldn’t move his anything at the moment with her hugging him. “I mean not including the possibility that my Shining would have been taken from me, the least that might have happened was Sombra cursing him to not be able to use his magic, if that happened I think the shield would have failed by now.”

He was let go after one last squeeze before she smiled. “No thanks are needed, I am sure Shining Armor here was going to do nearly the same thing for the rest of us to let us get into the bubble isn’t that right.” Giving a nod he smiled. “So I just stepped in for him is all, thank him for doing something not me. Plus it is not good for a guy to watch his wife hug another stallion so strongly.”

That caused her to giggle, a bell like noise that fit perfectly with the Alicorn, before she coughed into her hoof. “Yes of course, anyways I wish to tell you that currently your friends are holding the fair trying to come up with another way to keep Sombra out.”

“Sombra?” He wanted to say Novo read a book mentioning him a while ago but when Novo’s voice in his head just tells him it was reference in a book detailing how to defend against dark magic that was it.

Shining Armor took this chance to explain for his wife. “He is an evil king that made the Crystal Empire vanish a thousand years ago. The Princesses turned him into a shadow and imprisoned him in ice, but now that the Empire is back.”

Velox got the point. “Mr. Shadow comes back with it.” Both of the royals nodded in agreement. “Alright so what does a fair have to do with this?”

Rarity was doing her best to weave straw into festival hats and was doing a good job of it too. So much so she finally got to take a break as no ponies were coming to her stall just now.

“Finally I can take a breather.” Or so she thought as she set her head to the counter.

“Miss?” lifting her head up to hear the young voice she found a young crystal pony looking at her.

Rarity couldn’t help but feel the little thing was so adorable with her gradient colored mane and large eyes. “Yes is it that I can do for you?”

“I heard you knew how to sow, I was wondering if you would help me fix up my scarf, it is caught on a nail in the alleyway over there and I don’t want to pull it anymore so it doesn’t rip.” Hearing about a young filly’s scarf being so mangled caused the unicorns sense of generosity to flare up as well as her fashion sense.

Giving her the widest smile she could Rarity nodded. “Of course, show me the way.”

When they came to the alleyway the scarf was way up in the air beyond the crystal ponies reach, but not for the magic of the unicorn. “Thank you Miss.”

The young filly from behind her called out as Rarity took a good look at the scarf. “You have good taste in scarves, I had packed one just like this in my own suitcase, it is a shame it was lost when our train was stopped on the way here.” Pulling out her sewing kit she started to mend the article of clothing. “I mean its rather amazing, you were all gone a thousand years and yet here is a…”

Rarity realized the setup too late as the filly jumped onto her back and pressed a sickly sweet smelling rag to her mouth and nose forcing her to breath in deeply. “I know, a modern scarf in a thousand year old city, such a surprise isn’t it?” the young filly’s voice was no longer sweet but menacing sounding as Rarity succumbed to the drug in the rag and passed out.

Dash watched sadly as her friend went flying after the joust match, she wanted to show off some more than that but beggars cant be choosers when trying to save an empire right she thought to herself. Running over to where she spotted Fluttershy land then vanish into the hay pile.

The Pegasus came out spitting hay from her mouth as Dash smiled. “See that wasn’t so bad.”

“I suppose.” The meek friend of hers said. “I just wish it wasn’t so violent. Do we really have to do this?”

“Of course we do.” The rainbow pony boasted hitting her jousting armor. “We have to buy time for Twilight and keep the spirits of the crystal ponies up, plus I like showing off how awesome I am.”

At that moment a crystal pony bumped into Dash and spilled her drink all on the top of the helmet soaking her mane. “Oh I am so sorry here take off the helmet and let’s get you a towel to dry off?”

Dash did as the crystal pony asked, and while she was miffed that the pony had run into her while she stood still, she was making it right by helping out. “Sure, it’s not a problem. Just hurry up so we can get back to jousting.”

The pony ran off to grab a towel while the shy pony started talking again. “I do hope we can help all the ponies here, I would just feel awful if something happened.”

While she was boastful and confident Rainbow did agree that would be bad as the crystal pony came back with the towel and started to dry off her mane. “Ya no kidding, anyways after my mane is dry you need to get ready for the joust…hey where is your armor?”

The yellow pony looked over herself for a moment and just grinned. “Oh I knew I forgot to add something to this.”

Dash was about to ask about Shy’s tone of voice changing as well as what happened to her armor when the sweet smell of the towel got to her. “Hey what are you do-.” And she passed out.

Pinkie Pie was in her jester outfit blowing on her flugal horn that she had ‘acquired’ when no pony was watching her. ‘Hehe that will show Dash not to underestimate Pinkamena Diane Pie.’

Right about that time as she was bouncing along a pony ran into her and spilled a drink on her hat and mane. “Oh I am sorry here let me-”

Before the pony could offer to help Pinkie just stuck part of her hoof in her mouth and blew into it causing a popping sound as her hat flew off and her mane burst out dry as her hat now was. “No need I got it.”

Bouncing off to her next destination, she heard the pony just whisper. “Wait, how?”

Pinkie was now moving to where she was supposed to start juggling and once there she stood up on her hind legs and started to balance on a ball while throwing colorful balls into the air.

Applejack was doing her darnedest to keep the curious Earth Ponies from the fake heart and she was starting to worry that she wouldn’t be able to keep this up.

Luckily her problems were solved as Rainbow Dash ran up to her with a giant smile on her face. “Applejack, Twilight found it, hurry, we need you to carry it back!”

Quickly telling a crystal pony to vamoose she started to run behind her colorful friend though for some reason she felt like something was off, something she couldn’t put her hoof on.

She found all her friends in a house where the heart was hiding. The heart was really big, twice as big as herself, and she could see why they needed her help. “Here Applejack I created a potion that should increase your strength, I mean even you can’t lift this by yourself.” AJ watched as the unicorn alchemist poured the contents of the potion onto a rag. “Just have to breath this in deeply, you might feel dizzy at first but then everything will work out for the best.”

Quickly taking the rag she breathed in the sticky sweet smell. “Ah don’t feel so good, are you sure this will be for the best?”

Twilight’s smile just grew as she watched AJ tip over passing out. “Of course it is for the best, but for us.”

Twilight and Spike were searching around the castle under statuettes, under rugs, and under tables as Spike watched his friend becoming more and more desperate to pass her test and save all the crystal ponies.

“Are you sure I can’t help Twilight?” Her number one assistant asked of her. Only for her to reply with the same answer as before of ‘not a claw’.

It was getting the point where he was sure she wouldn’t ever think of the answer but when he seen AJ come up with a smile he knew something good was about to happen. “TWI! We done found it!”

“Really? But how?” she asked incredulity. “I mean it was supposed to be my test you weren’t supposed to find it.”

For a moment Spike thought he saw the farm pony’s face scrunch up for a moment before she smiled. “I know that is why we haven’t touched it we are waiting for you, follow me!”

Spike felt himself levitated onto his roommate’s back as she galloped after the mare leading her deep down into the basements of the palace. “This doesn’t look like a nice place.”

The dragon worried out loud looking at all the bars passing them by. “Right, no pony in their right mind would come here, come on you all need to hurry.”

Spike could feel the spines on the back of his neck raise up they stopped in front of a cell. “AJ what happened to your accent?”

The mare opened her mouth for a moment before she growled. “I knew I forgot something, NOW!”

The solid crystal cell was opened and Spike felt himself tossed in to land on his head beside other ponies he recognized as he watched a few random crystal ponies jump on twilight and attach something around her neck before she too was tossed in.

She stood up and he knew she was about to let them have it when her look of concentration failed and she just looked surprised. “Surprised, they are made from the same anti-magic crystals below Canterlot, with that collar on, you can’t use magic, and only a unicorn or a horned magic user can remove them.”

Spike was wondering what was going on but he didn’t have to wonder long as a voice called out beside him. “What in tarnation is going on here?”

Looking at the farm pony that was getting up beside him and to the one outside the cell door he realized why she didn’t have an accent now. “No way.”

Twilight realized it too and called out to the fake AJ before them. “How did you get past Cadence’s barrier?”

The pony just laughed evilly. “Last time she caught us by surprise when she tossed us out, but really come on now.” Green flames covered the fake earth pony as her coat was replaced with black chitin, legs with holes in them, wings that were missing parts, and half formed horns. “We eat love; a barrier of love can’t keep us out.”

The changelings were starting to get mad now; this was the eight attempt to capture the pink pony as she thwarted their attempts every time. Last time the changeling tried to make her hold too many things so he could put the rag to her face, except he swore that she grew an extra two sets of appendages to hold all the items.

What was more he was forced to babysit the newbie on this mission who was…now not at his side and going up to the pink pony in disguise. “Oh no.”

As he approached he watched plainly as his partner held up the rag and asked. “Does this smell funny to you?”

Without missing a beat he was about to snatch the rag from him when the pink pony took it and inhaled deeply. “Now that you mention it, it kind of do-” and she fell over passed out.

His partner looked at him with a grin while he himself just looked at the two of them. “Did that seriously just happen?”

The disguised bug pony just shrugged “Don’t question it.”

‘Ok so the Crystal Heart is some important defensive artifact or magic or item or something that helps protect the Crystal Empire.’ Velox mentally recalled and went down the check list.

‘Right, it is activated and powered by the love of the crystal ponies here, kinda like an amplifier for spells.’ Novo said inside of his head listing off the next part of the list.

Lego finished it up with his own thought. ‘Which is why Twilight and Spike are searching for it and the rest are keeping up the spirits of the ponies with the fair, kinda would be useless to have an amp with no power going to it from their love if they aren’t feeling the love right?’

He nodded as he was looking for the lavender mare in question to help her out; he had nearly been all around the castle and was about to head outside when he spotted them all. “There you all are, I have come to help out.”

Dash came over and nuzzled him against his neck as did AJ and to say he was weirded out was an understatement. “Hey just the big guy we wanted to see, we were hoping you could help us with something.”

He was about to back up and say what when Novo screamed out in his head. ‘That isn’t Dash, her eyes are Rose colored, kinda like magenta.’

Taking a moment to look at the Dash in question he seen her eyes were more of a pink than anything else and thus he did as his instincts called out to him and decked her in the face. “You have the wrong eye color, they are a magenta and Dash likes somepony else and wouldn’t hang on me like that. Who the buck are you?!”

‘Dash’ wiped her mouth as she growled and ‘AJ’ smiled. “Guess you aren’t as good as copying as you said Facsimile.”

The ‘Pegasus’ smiled and rubbed her hoof over her face and as she did Velox felt a sense of dread as the eyes changed to the right color. “At least I can copy an accent Dup.”

He wasn’t sure what was going on but suddenly a green sickly glow seemed to come from each of their foreheads where a horn would be for those that didn’t have one and he felt himself being held. “What’s going on?!”

The fake Dash came over and held up a rag to his face as she spoke to the others. “Still I could have sworn I felt the fillyfoaler maned Pegasus’ love flow to him. Oh well.”

The rag smelt too sweet and soon he felt darkness claim his mind.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since his capture at the hooves of the fakes but he could hear their voices around him as he slowly came around. “Is he gonna be alright Twi?”

‘Wait, the fake couldn’t imitate her accent but she said others could, test time.’ Velox would like to admit it was his plan but sadly it was Lego guiding him.

“AJ, if that is you whisper into my ear how you really confessed.” He knew it might be cruel but there were only two ponies who knew the answer to that question.

Opening his eyes he looked around to his ‘friends’ as ‘Twilight’ nodded. “Go ahead, he must have encountered them as well and that is why we all did the same to each other at the beginning when we woke up as well.”

Watching with tenseness in his body ready to spring into action in case it was a trap, he watched her near him. However when she started to recount the part where she was straddling him while he was on his back his face couldn’t take anymore and he pulled away.

“Ok, ok it’s you.” She was also blushing as he looked around at his friends. “And you vouch for them that they are the real ones as well?” When she nodded again he sighed. “Ok then what were those fake you’s?”

Twilight sighed and placed her head against the wall, that is where he seen she was wearing something. “They were changelings pretending to be other ponies, if you thought we were fakes chances are that means they were running around as us.”

Velox could feel the hair at the back of his neck stand up when she mentioned them. “Ok so now that we know that, let’s bust down the door and go kick some flank.”

“We would love to Sugar but that door and the walls are pretty darn sturdy, ah don’t think even Big Mac’ could bust them down.” He was starting to worry as he seen his friends getting down about that.

Looking to Twilight he smiled. “Just blow the door down, unleash some magic and vaporize that flimsy thing.”

The mage mare just tapped her collar. “This makes it so unicorns can’t use magic.” Turning for a moment he could see Rarity also wore one. “And only unicorn magic can unlock it. I am afraid not only will I not pass the test, but Sombra and the Changelings will take the Crystal Empire and spread darkness all through Equestria, unless you can cut through the walls?” he looked at the crystal and with a quick reference of crystal from Novo within him he knew the answer and just shook his head to confirm he couldn’t. “That’s it then, my brother, Cadence, all of us, and the crystal ponies will fall to Sombra then the rest of Equestria…we failed.”

The sad looks of all his friends were unbearable this couldn’t be how things were supposed to go, he couldn’t let this happen…but he couldn’t change anything.

Change.

Standing up and swallowing hard and with agreement from the other personas he knew what had to be done. “I know how to get us out of this, well sorta.”

That got everypony’s attention even as he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. “Really? So we can still save everypony?”

He nodded again and closed his eyes. “Hey Pinkie.”

As he turned to look at her he noticed that her tail was twitching as well as a few other funky things going on with her. “No…please don’t do it. My Pinkie sense is telling me it’s going to be bad.”

He went over to give her a hug as the tears started to roll down his eyes. “What’s going on pal?”

Dash’s words were ignored as Velox continued to talk to Pinkie. “I am a bad friend Pinkie, I have to break my promise. I am sorry, but I rather lose my friends then my friends lose their lives.”

Everypony heard him, he was about to break a Pinkie Promise. “Hey there partner, ya can’t go and break a Pinkie Promise, ya will lose friends if ya do.”

Turning to her with tears running down his face he just smiled. “I know.” As he began to glow white.

Author's Notes:

Hmmm still no word from my brain, getting kinda worried...if anyone hears from my brain be sure to let me know.

On another note...cliff hangers suck, makes me wonder why I do it.

cause you are a sadistic bas-

BRAIN BUDDY!

(Edit: Did some editorial things to this chapter, added a sentence here or there, grammar and spelling fixes, and a few other things.)