Teddie

It started out as any other day in Equestria, near the border with the Crystal Empire. Corporal Pinkamena Pie, along with her older sister, Sergeant Maud Pie were fighting off a stream off Crystal soldiers by the droves, while the Wonderbolts, specialist Air Fighters, were attacking from the air. Princess Luna was leading the Wonderbolts in battle, while Princess Celestia rested from an injury that she received just the other day. At least that was the way it was until Pinkie, as Pinkamena was better known as, noticed a small, hunched over figure, with two others equally hunched figures right behind it crossing over the drawn battle lines, leaving the Crystal Empire behind and entering enemy territory.

"INVADERS AT THREE O'CLOCK!" She called out, hopeful that someone would notice and take action.

Twilight Sparkle pulled her hood up over her head, her horn giving off a dim glow for her and her two companions to see by. "The coast appears to be clear..."

"Are you absolutely sure?" The red male unicorn on her left cut in, questioning whether or not it was safe for them to leave the known danger of the Crystal Empire, for the unknown danger that the venture to enemy territory would most likely ensure that they ran into.

Twilight shot a withering look his way, before tugging on her hood again. "Of course I'm sure! Come on Sunburst, I have read and studied about the Elements of Harmony for years! It's the only way to get rid of Sombra... I am sure of it, and it is located in Equestria."

"Sh! Soldiers in coming!" The female purple unicorn to her left hissed suddenly, pulling Twilight back quickly.

Twilight tensed, even as her sore muscles just underneath her shoulder blades screamed in protest as her jacket rubbed against her old injury painfully. As soon as the Crystal ponies that were underneath Sombra's spell past them, she turned to face her old friend. "Thank you Starlight."

"No problem Twilly. What's the plan to get past them?" Starlight nodded in acknowledgment, readjusting her grip on the leather suitcase that the two of them were currently sharing. A large backpack and a good sized satchel was what Sunburst was using.

Twilight eyed the clearing between their current hiding spot, and their target, a slightly larger bush on the other side of the battle lines. A fact that made the usually timid teen's knees buckle from fear. "We run. Hope that no one sees us coming..."

Sunburst frowned at that, reaching a hand up to stroke his messy beard that hung from his chin. "What if something happens and we get caught? Starlight and I don't particular fancy the idea of being brainwashed into serving Sombra. And I most definitely don't want to learn what he will do to you if he gets a hold of you. We already know what happened to the rest of your family."

"I know..." Twilight whispered back as she eyed the currently empty portion of the battle field. "Everyone is busy on the other side of the battle field. We make our move now." Twilight crossed her fingers that she wasn't making a terrible mistake and leading her friends to certain doom.

Starlight stifled a groan as she reached over and placed a hand over Twilight's. "If you want us to believe that you have it all under control, then don't cross your fingers like that."

Twilight blushed hard at the reprimand, before standing up, hunching herself over to keep herself as small a target as possible. Scurrying forward, she was halfway to the border when a shout rose up.

"INVADERS AT THREE O'CLOCK!"

"Twilight!" Sunburst blurted out a warning just as a Crystal soldier lunged forward, making a swipe at her.

Panicking, Twilight summoned a force field to cover the three of them, her eyes wide with fear as she scanned for a way out that didn't involve surrender to the enemy.

Starlight pulled a small sleek looking metal stick out from her coat pocket, rolling it between her fingers as she eyed the soldiers from both sides that were now attacking them. "Do you want me to create a distraction?"

"Umm..." Twilight nibbled her bottom lip, eyes darting everywhere in desperation to find a way out.

An exhausted pegusas that was flying with the Equestrian Wonderbolts paused above them, her gaze sweeping the area. "Stop everything! They're attacking these three! I think they're allies!"

One minute they were being attacked by both sides, the next, the Equestrians were ignoring the fact that they were Crystal Ponies and attacking the Crystal soldiers, driving them away. Twilight didn't lower her guard though, grabbing both of her companions by the wrist and inching her toward their destination. Once she was sure that they were safely hidden from their true enemy's eyes, she released them, dropping the shield around them.

Sunburst lunged forward, arms darting forward even as a groan escaped Twilight as she passed out suddenly. "TWILIGHT!"

Rainbow Dash ignored the angry look that Spitfire was giving her at the moment as she darted forward, wings flapping quickly as she wove her way through the tents that made up the encampment that they were currently staying determined to locate the three Crystal unicorns that some soldier in the infantry had noticed passing into their territory. Seconds after yelling at her companions to ignore the three and concentrate on the Crystal Soldiers, she had heard one of them yell out Twilight suddenly. She had turned in time to see what appeared to be their leader pass out, an arrow sticking out in her one arm.

Approaching the med-tent that she was certain that they would have sent them to, she pulled the flap to the side. "Hey..." Rainbow immediately felt foolish as the exhausted nurse that was on duty turned to face her.

"Can I help you?" The nurse huffed out, clearly stressed from patching up injuries all day.

Rainbow started to shift from foot to foot as an outward sign of nervousness, before catching herself, the young teen quickly raising her chin up as she looked at a fixed point just above the nurse's head. "Yeah, you can. Three Crystal unicorns should have been in a few minutes ago. One of them had been shot."

A look of understanding flashed across her features, before she lifted a hand up, pointing back out the tent flap. "They're in the Princess' private tent."

"What?!" Rainbow dropped all pretenses that she was confident, now on the verge of panic. "No one can go in there without special permission!" She fought against the urge to wring her hands, positive that nothing could get her in that tent.

A muttering to himself Soarin suddenly appeared behind Rainbow, looking extremely irritated. "You are in so much trouble! Princess Celestia heard what you did and requests to see you in her tent immediately."

Rainbow blinked once, then jumped in the air, punching it as she did so. "Yes!"

"You want to be in trouble with the princess?" Soarin questioned her sanity, certain that her best flyer, not her best fighter unfortunately, would want to avoid getting summoned by the princess.

"I want to check on the Crystal Unicorn that was shot!" Rainbow darted off, making a beeline for the elaborate tent that the Royal Sisters shared.
...

Rainbow fidgeted as she glanced over briefly at the sleeping unicorn. Her right sleeve was pushed up to reveal a clean right bandage that covered her arm where she had been shot. Her companions were stiffly sitting on either side of her, staring at Rainbow as if hoping she might explain something to them. Turning to face the beautiful, generous, ruler of all of Equestria, Rainbow dipped into a cross between a bow and a curtsy. "You asked for me, princess?"

Celestia winced as she shifted her weight, her hand darting forward to press against the cast her left leg was encased in. "Yes, I did. I want to know why you would order my men to stand down instead of bringing out was going on to the attention of your superior, private."

Rainbow swallowed hard, realizing that she had a bit of explaining to do. "Well...you see...."