“Come on Spike wake up! We have to get everything packed!”
“Wha-” The baby dragon said groggily, “It's still dark outside... Can't we sleep for a few more hours, sheesh.”
“No Spike, our boat comes at noon... So we better get ready now!” Twilight huffed.
“Lighten up Twilight... You know, I bet it isn't healthy to worry this much.”
Twilight and her other five friends had planned a vacation and today was the day that it began. The plan was to go to a tiny island by the name of Marecadia which lie a few miles off the nearby coast. It was said to have beautiful beaches and lush forests, along with some new wildlife for Fluttershy to befriend. Nothing In all of Equestria seemed as amazing as this tropical paradise, and soon they would be able to enjoy it firsthand.
“Really Spike, you need to stop being so lazy.” The purple tinted unicorn grunted, jerking the blanket off of him.
“Who cares? It's just a stupid island...”
“It isn't just any island! I've read about it in one of my books and it sounds downright magical.” She said excitedly, “Oh I just can't wait to study the lifestyle of the natives!”
“How different could they possibly be?” Spike asked, exasperated.
“They don't have as many luxuries as we do here in Ponyville... They rely on nothing but the environment to survive.”
“Sounds like a bunch of uneducated-”
“Spike! Now that's enough! Here, put this into my bag.” Twilight said sternly, tossing a book.
“Books? You are really going to read while we are there?”
“Well I need to have something to do at night.”
“Whatever Twilight...” Spike gave up.
Hours passed and the sun had already risen as the two partners packed the last item into their bags. The six friends (well, seven if you include Spike) had planned to meet at Sugarcube Corner at around eleven. Twilight glanced up to the clock to see that they had thirty minutes until eleven, which meant it was time to start heading toward the meet up spot. She took one last look at her library and stepped out the door, locking it behind her.
The scorching sun bore down upon them as they walked through the peaceful streets of Ponyville, making their way toward the familiar sweets shop. Derpy flew overhead, basking in the summer heat while Lyra and Bon-Bon strolled casually by, sipping some lemonade and talking cheerfully. Twilight loved to see people enjoying their lives, and no place had happier people than the little town that she now called home.
Soon the pair found themselves standing in front of Sugarcube Corner, where the other five had already gathered. Pinkie was skipping around, wearing a flamboyant Hawaiian shirt while Rarity sat at a table watching her silently. Applejack was sitting at another table engaged in an intense arm wrestling match with Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy however, was the only one to notice Twilight's sudden appearance.
“Oh, um... Hi Twilight...Hi Spike.” The bashful pegasus said politely.
“Hey there Fluttershy, I see that everypony else has already began to enjoy themselves.” Twilight laughed.
“Well...Rarity isn't really excited about this whole trip.”
“Why not?”
“I haven't asked, why don't you go check on her? That is... If you don't mind.” Fluttershy hesitated.
Twilight galloped over to the table which the elegant unicorn sat at, silently lost in her thoughts.
“Rarity, what's wrong?”
“Oh Twilight, it's absolutely dreadful! Such a stunning mare such as myself shouldn't have to be tainted with the uncivilized ways of the ponies on that island!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow at her friend, “Is that really what all of this is about? Come on, I'm sure we won't even have to socialize with them.”
“Yeah! I will protect you from those heathens!” Spike piped up, causing Twilight to throw him a dirty look.
“Besides, it's going to be fun Rarity! Maybe you can even get a few ideas for your summer clothing line while we are there.”
“I suppose you're right darling, and besides, I couldn't just let my friends go without me.”
“Uh, you guys? It's about time to go and get on the boat.”
Twilight turned around to see Applejack standing behind her, a bag thrown over her back. The others soon joined the group and started to walk along the streets toward the dock.
“Oh I'm just so excited! I wonder if these people know how to party? Would they have stuff to bake a cake with? You can't have a party without a cake, I mean come on!” Pinkie Pie excitedly wondered aloud as she bounced around the others.
“I bet they will gaze in awe as I fly through the sky performing my stunning tricks!” Rainbow Dash boasted, “These people will be amazed by my flawless abilities!”
The ponies continued to wonder about what the island was going to be like the entire time they walked. After a while they arrived at the dock where they were met by a hefty stallion who stood beside a large ship. He was dressed in a white sailor's outfit which complimented his dazzling smile. Rarity swooned. Spike was struck by jealousy.
“Name's Voyage, nice to meet'cha!” He spoke in a deep, yet friendly voice.
“Well howdy there pardner! Is this here the doohickey that is gonna take us to the island?” Applejack motioned toward the boat.
“You betcha! Finest ship to ever sail the seas if I do say so myself!” He said proudly.
“Thank you so much Mr. Voyage, it really means a lot that you are going to let us use this ship.
Twilight smiled.
“Oh it ain't a problem miss,” He blushed, “Now why don't you fellas get on board and let's get this show on the road!”
Spike jumped on first, kicking his feet up on one of the seats. The six others filed into the boat and sat down calmly. Fluttershy, however, looked worried.
“Um... What if I get seasick?”
“Oh come on Fluttershy, you gotta stop sweatin' the small stuff. It's just a few waves, no biggie!” Rainbow Dash said in an attempt to comfort her friend.
“All aboard!” Voyage shouted as he blew a whistle, making Fluttershy flinch in fear of the sudden shrill sound.
The boat started moving away from the dock slowly as the six ponies all looked at each other and smiled. They had never been on a boat before, so it was a new experience for all of them. Pinkie giggled as she stuck her hand in the water beside the boat, wiggling her hoof as if it were a fish. Slowly, the boat drifted further and further out to sea and before long, the land was no longer visible.
Fluttershy sat in silence, her whole body trembling in fear. Rainbow Dash was busy flying above the boat, chasing seagulls. Applejack was kicked back, arms behind her head, feet up on the seat, with her hat tilted over her eyes to block out the bright sunlight. This was paradise already, and they hadn't even arrived at the island yet!
Hours passed and finally their destination started to appear on the horizon, still too far away to make out clearly, but still there. Pinkie jumped up and down in excitement, causing the boat to rock violently.
“Oopsies...” She giggled, noticing the horrified looks on everypony's faces.
“Calm down Pinkie Pie, there will be plenty of time to be crazy once we aren't in the middle of the ocean with the possibility of drowning.” Twilight laughed.
“D- Drowning?!” Fluttershy yelped in fear.
“Calm down sugarcube, ain't nopony gonna drown today.”
“Rarity, how are you holding up?” Celestia's prize student asked.
“Oh I'm just divine! I mean honestly, who else gets to enjoy such a lovely atmosphere on a daily basis! I'm telling you Twilight, this tropical sun truly is the secret to keeping a perfect coat.”
“What about you Spike?”
“Oh I'm great...” The infatuated dragon whispered, watching the sun gleam off of Rarity's mane.
The island grew closer and everypony could perfectly make out the thick jungles and white beaches. It was exactly how it had been described, and everypony just gazed in amazement as the boat sailed closer and closer toward the shore. Never in their lives had they imagined that a place as beautiful as this could have ever existed, yet here it was, sprawled out in front of them like a brilliant piece of art upon the canvas of a blue sky.
The ship landed upon the shore and the six ponies took their first steps onto the soft sand. Their hooves mushed against the ground, and Pinkie Pie couldn't resist kicking sand at Rainbow Dash, who chased her around the beach laughing. Twilight smiled as she studied her surroundings, which were even more perfect than she imagined. This was already the best vacation ever, and they had just gotten off the boat.
* * * * *
“Welcome to the wonderful island of Marecadia!” Voyage announced, sniffing the scent of the salty air.
“Um... Mr. Voyage, sir?” Fluttershy spoke up, “Where will we be staying?”
“Right over there of course!” He pointed to a large shack in the distance that seemed to be built from sticks and the leaves of palm trees.
“We are staying in that horrid thing?” Rarity sneered, “No, no, no... That simply will not do...”
“Ah, for one, think that it is just perfect!” Applejack cheered.
“...Says the pony who absolutely loves dirt.”
“Come on Rarity, it won't be that bad. Besides, look at this place! It's paradise!” Twilight added.
The chic pony sighed, “I suppose you're right... This place is paradise, one little drab shack won't ruin this trip.”
The breeze rustled through the ponies manes, reminding them that they were truly free in this tropical asylum. Ponyville was great, but it was always a nice change of pace to have no worries in the world and just relax... And this was the perfect place for that.
The six ponies trotted toward the primitive hut, leaving Spike to follow in their wake. Bags were thrown over their backs as they tread lightly upon the soft sandy beach. It was mid-day and the sun was shining brightly overhead, casting sunlight upon the group.
“This here sand sure is mighty warm.” Applejack winced.
“I know! It's like we're walking on fire!” Pinkie Pie screeched.
“Wait a minute... Why am I walking on this hot sand? I have wings!” Rainbow Dash realized.
“Ohhhh... So do I” Fluttershy added, lifting off the ground to join Rainbow Dash.
“Hey! That isn't fair!” Shouted the pink party pony.
“I guess you just aren't as cool as me”
Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes, “Come on girls, let's go walk in the shallow water to cool off.”
“Good thinking Twilight...” Her dragon assistant growled, rubbing his feet.
The cool water washed over their hooves, causing them to breathe a sigh of relief. They walked in silence, admiring the world around them... taking in every little detail of this place that was just so... perfect. Nopony noticed the stallion who had walked up to them and they all jumped when he spoke.
“Hello everypony, I'm Chief Krakatoa.” He wore a primitive cloth that was specked with dirt, causing Rarity to shudder. His face was lined with red paint, but his visage was extremely friendly as he beamed at the foreign ponies before him.
“This is my daughter, Everest.” The tribal pony motioned toward the treeline, when another smaller pony stood. She looked a lot like her father... same clothing and war paint, but she seemed bashful, like Fluttershy.
“Nice to meet y'all!” The apple pony exclaimed, raising her hoof toward Krakatoa... which he promptly brohoofed. Applejack was certainly the friendliest toward new people due to her down home, southern hospitality.
“Why don't you come join us for a dinner with the rest of the tribe tonight?” The chief suggested.
“...Tribe?” Rarity grimaced.
Twilight shot a look at Rarity before smiling at the two ponies in front of her, “Sure! We just need to put our bags in our shack.”
“Oh we can help you with that...” He said politely, “BOYS CAN YOU COME HERE FOR A SECOND!”
Twilight was taken aback by his sudden loudness, but soon realized that he was simply calling for some ponies to come help them carry their luggage.
“Oh no,” Twilight shook her head modestly, “It's quite alright.”
“No, no, no... It is part of our culture to help newcomers, so please allow us to help you.”
“Well thank you Mr. Krakatoa... You're very kind” Twilight grinned, bowing her head slightly.
The two stallions that had joined the group grabbed the luggage from the vacationers and slung it onto their backs, and Krakatoa followed suit. Everest shuffled behind them, staring at the ground. Fluttershy smiled to herself.
Well, at least I'm not the only one who is really shy.
Soon, the large collection of mares and stallions alike reached the modest shack in which the seven vacationers would be staying. The place looked perfectly cozy, but Rarity still scowled at the simplicity of it.
“Well here you are!” Krakatoa announced cheerfully, “Why don't you put your stuff down and go ahead and join us for the rest of the day?”
The group looked at each other, then all nodded in agreement.
“Great!”
* * * * *
The sun had long since fallen below the horizon and now the entire island lay drenched in darkness. Everypony had just finished the delicious dinner that the friendly locals had so kindly prepared for them. Pinkie Pie was bouncing around the entire place, talking to everyone while the rest sat around a fire, the warm glow reflecting off of their shiny coats.
The party seemed to have gotten to Rainbow Dash, and she grew restless. She wanted to show these ponies what she was made of, and she had just the way to do it!
“Hey everypony!” Rainbow Dash called out as she flew into the middle of the camp and flexed noticeably, “Come on out to the beach for a sec, I have a few party tricks to show you!”
The others laughed heartily... Typical Rainbow Dash.
Soon, the entire community of natives and foreigners gathered on the beach as the cocky pegasus flew out above the ocean. She smiled to herself as she noticed the large crowd of admirers watching her, and she felt the buzz of adrenaline. Shooting high up into the air she braced herself and plummeted downward. The familiar mach cone began to form around her and the entire group on the ground awaited the impact with bated breath.
The earth rumbled as she broke the sound barrier, creating her trademark sonic rainboom. Everypony cheered in amazement as Rainbow flew back down to earth, wearing a proud smile.
“Wow that was amazing!”
“Do it again!”
“You're the greatest!”
Shouts of admiration erupted from the natives who had never seen such a thing in their entire lives. Luckily for Dash it was night time, so her furious blushing couldn't be seen.
“Ah sure am getting mighty tired y'all” Applejack yawned.
“Me too... I'm always tired” Spike groaned.
“Yeah, I'm a bit sleepy myself,” Twilight said, “Let's head back to the hut and get some sleep.”
The others nodded in agreement and dispersed from the group, headed toward their temporary home.
The inside of the place had ten small beds lined up against the walls... five on each side. Everypony chose a bed and quickly proceeded to slip under the blankets and begin to drift off to sleep. The calming sound of the ocean was nice audio, and Rarity couldn't help but smile at the simple bliss of it all... Maybe she could design an ocean themed clothing line soon...
Before long, soft snores filled the room as everypony drifted off to dreamland. The visions of the friendly natives still danced in their heads, and they couldn't imagine ever meeting nicer group of ponies. Hopefully tomorrow they could spend some more time with the tribe.
* * * * *
Spike grunted in annoyance, his sleep had been disturbed by a loud noise from outside. He had been the only one to awaken, and he sulked in envy of the sleeping ponies around him.
How come I'm always the one who has the worst luck...
He began to snuggle back into his blankets in an attempt to go back to bed, but the noise from outside rang out again... louder than ever. This time the rest of the group stirred as they were awoken.
What in all of Equestria is that sound?! Could it be a creature who is ready to eat all of us?! The baby dragon thought in panic.
Before the others could become fully awake the door swung open.
Silhouetted in the doorway was a large figure who had two long limbs extending from a body, which everypony assumed were legs. Two arms stretched outward and the dull moonlight illuminated the being, revealing something that nopony had ever seen before.
Twilight used her horn to brighten the room, allowing everypony to see what was going on. The creature stood in the doorway, her medium length, burgundy colored hair draping down her neck. She stood with a hand on her hip, smiling at the seven occupants... But not in the same friendly way that Krakatoa and Everest had, instead it seemed much more... Hungry.
“Ohhhhhh Who are you? Do you wanna throw a party?!” Pinkie Pie giggled. The other shot her a sharp look. “Sorry... Parties are just too much fun!”
“Well, you have quite a bit of explaining to do for barging in here uninvited!” Twilight said forcefully.
“Yeah, you woke me up... not cool.” Spike scowled at the unknown being.
“Just who are you anyway!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, raising her hooves.
The alien looked down at the ground for a moment, as if lost in thought... Then with the same smile that she wore earlier, she rose her head and spoke.
“My name is Lauren Faust... And I need some new story ideas.”
* * * * *
“What do you mean 'story ideas'” Rainbow Dash asked, her eyes narrowed.
“I simply mean that I need new ideas... Some inspiration.” Lauren said, “And I don't think an episode about ponies sunbathing all day would be in the best interests of all of the bronies out there... It just seems a bit boring, you know what I mean?”
“Bro- what?” Twilight asked, tilting her head in confusion.
“I don't know Twilight, but it has the word 'bro' in it so it must be really cool!” Spike piped up.
Faust laughed, “Never you mind what it is... However, I think you may find that the friendly little tribe you met earlier may not be quite as friendly anymore.”
“What did you do?!” Twilight snarled.
“Ah don't like the sound of this.”
“Just who do you think you are?” Rainbow Dash added quizzically.
“Me?” She smiled, “I've already told you... I'm Lauren Faust.”
“Yeah we get that! That doesn't explain who you are or why you're here” The rainbow pony continued.
“Well, let's just say that I'm the one who calls all the shots around here.”
“No, that's Princess Celestia!”
Lauren laughed once again, “Dear, even the Princess has no power over me.”
Everypony glanced at each other, trying to make some sense of the current situation... But it was futile. Nothing that this woman said made a bit of sense, and it was getting weirder by the moment.
Surely she is insane, They thought, The tribe is so friendly... What could possibly cause them to become the opposite?
“EDITORS!”
The sudden yell of the girl who stood in the doorway snapped them back to reality, where they looked up to see two hooded figures standing beside Lauren. They were tall and gangly, and wore long black robes similar to members of ancient cults that Twilight often read about. They stood with their hands in their pockets and heads bowed.
“Clear them.”
What could that possibly mean?
Faust snapped her fingers, and everypony felt their muscles instantly tighten, paralyzing them where they stood. Suddenly, the two hooded figures advanced on them, each holding a small metal pen of some sort, which was emitting a red laser. The seven vacationers tried in vain to movie, but found that their efforts were futile. Then, without warning, they raised the pens and scanned across everypony's eyes, causing the world to go dark.
* * * * *
“What's going on?” Twilight questioned, looking around the room, “Why are we all out of bed?”
“Ah think I remember us hearing some sort of loud noise.” Applejack added.
“Does it really matter? I just wanna get some sleep...” The baby dragon groaned.
“Yes darling,” Rarity spoke up, “I too, need my beauty sleep.”
“Well...um, okay.” Twilight said, still confused.
Pinkie Pie looked disappointed, “Aw, I thought we woke up to throw a late night party...”
The six ponies, and Spike, all wiggled back into their beds. The calming ocean once again sang a sweet lullaby as they drifted off to sleep once again. Nopony even noticed the hooded man peering in the window, checking to see if the memory erasing laser had done the trick. Before long, they became comfortable and once again fell asleep.
* * * * *
Fluttershy opened her eyes slowly as the first rays of sunlight shined through the window, illuminating her face. She smiled to herself as she embraced the warmth of the sun and inhaled the scent of the ocean breeze. Looking around she noticed that no one else had awoken quite yet, as it still seemed to be very early. Pushing herself out of bed she began to stretch.
I wonder what the rest of this island is like? Maybe I could take this opportunity to meet some of the local creatures... Besides, I would feel just awful waking them up this early.
The pink maned pegasus slowly moved toward the door, carefully avoiding anything that might cause a disturbance. Reaching the exit she raised her hoof and pushed it open, revealing a stunning scene.
Never in her life had she seen such a beautiful sunrise, yet today she witnessed a gorgeous scene that seemed to only exist within the borders of a canvas. The warm glow reflected off of the water and waves softly crashed ashore. Once again, Fluttershy couldn't help but smile to herself.
She glanced in the direction of the forest, and upon hearing the twirp of a distant bird decided that she should go find it. The forests surely had more exotic creatures that the Everfree Forest, and hopefully not as terrifying. Fluttershy reached the edge of the forest and ventured into the thick bramble, slowly making her way through the tall grass. There was no trail, but she didn't care, it was still a peaceful environment to walk through.
Warm wind blows and twigs snap under her hooves as she trots onward through the jungle, searching for natures peaceful creatures. The damp scent of the forest soil radiated in her nostrils as she inhaled deeply. Above her, monkeys moved from tree to tree, as if following the bashful pegasus. This place was absolute bliss, and there was nothing that could tear her away from this place.
Nothing except a massive gorge that hides beneath the mass amount of leaves and branches.
Fluttershy was so busy admiring the beauty around her that she didn't notice the strange indent on the ground below her. Even if she had been looking she probably wouldn't have noticed, as it was very well hidden. Hooves hit the ground and the world crumbled, dropping her down into a monstrous chasm. Yelps of surprise erupted from her lungs as she plummeted downward into the unknown.
She hit the ground. Hard. Specks of light flashed in her eyes as she looked around, only to realize that there was no way out. Her head was aching. The world was spinning. Everything went black.
* * * * *
“See what she knows.”
“What makes you think that she is the one that took it?”
“It was perfectly safe until those hoodlums came to our island.”
“Yes but how do you know it was them?”
“Shut up... Just follow my orders and there won't be a problem.”
“But chief-”
“No buts!”
“Okay... I suppose you do have a right to be mad; After all, it was our most prized possession.”
“You're bucking right! Now let’s see what this pony knows.”
Fluttershy gasped as she felt cold water splash over her face, making her unable to breath for a few moments. Sputtering and flailing, she slowly opened her eyes.
Standing over her were two ponies dressed in the tribal attire and sporting the traditional red paint. She recognized them as Krakatoa and one of the ponies that had been at the party the night before. Confusion riddled her brain as to why they had suddenly become so hostile though. The chief's face held a look of rage unmatched by anything she had ever seen.
Initially she hadn't noticed the situation around her, other than two angry ponies standing over her. Now though, she noticed that ropes were tied around her, locking the helpless pony in place. Around her was what seemed to be some sort of house, but it was too dark to determine whose house it could be. Logically though, it was somewhere within the bowels of the jungle... where nopony could know what was going on.
“So tell me pony,” Krakatoa began, “What did you do with the coin?”
“Um...I don't know what you're talking about.” Fluttershy whimpered
“Don't lie to me pony! I kno-”
“I have a name you know.”
Fluttershy was taken aback by her sudden assertiveness, but she was still terrified all the same.
“Don't play games with me!” the chief bellowed, utter rage resounding in his voice, “Nopony else could have taken it, so it must have been you or one of your stupid little friends!”
“I- I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.”
“The coin of our ancestors! The idol of the gods! It was out most prized possession and now it's gone!”
“I'm sure we could um... help you, if you just gave us a chance... If you don't mind.” Fluttershy reasoned.
Krakatoa glanced at the other tribespony, and then let out a single chuckle, “I do mind actually... I think you've helped enough, But believe me when I say... none of you ponies are getting off this island until you return it!”
“B-but we haven't done anything I promi-”
Fluttershy was cut off as the other pony covered her snout with a strangely scented cloth. Her muffled screams for help were cut short as the world faded away, and once again... She blacked out.
* * * * *
Meanwhile back at the shack everypony had awoken to find one of their own missing.
“Where is Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, throwing a quick glance around the room.
“Um... I have no idea; maybe she went out to socialize with the tribe for a while.” Twilight answered.
“Ha! Fluttershy socializing with strangers? That's a laugh.” Rainbow Dash added, rolling her eyes.
“Ohhhhh but we have to go find her! This trip won't be fun without Fluttershy... and we gotta have fun!” Pinkie Pie said.
“Dontcha worry sugarcube, we'll find her in a jiffy.” Appledash comforted.
“Let’s go look for her,” The purple coated unicorn decided, “You coming Spike?”
“Nah... I think I'll stay here.”
“Lazy as usual...” Twilight rolled her eyes, “Anyways, let's get going everypony!”
The five friends stepped through the door frame and out into the blinding sunlight. Once again, it was a beautiful day... But they couldn't enjoy it until they found Fluttershy. They looked around from where they currently stood, searching for any sign of their friend. The shy pony was nowhere to be found, her hoof-prints however, led away from the cabin and into the jungle.
Twilight laughed to herself, she must have gone looking for some little animal friends while we were all asleep... Typical Fluttershy.
Following the tracks they soon found themselves on the edge of the lush labyrinth. Screeches of monkeys and chirps of birds could be heard from deep within the grove. Applejack, being the one most used to backwoods and such, took lead. The others followed close behind, examining all around them for any search of their lost friend.
Ten minutes passed.
Then twenty.
Thirty...
An Hour...
“We don't seem to be getting anywhere!” Twilight cried out in frustration.
“Now calm down, these here woods can be tricky little fellas.” The apple pony said.
Suddenly Pinkie Pie began to twitch.
“Pinkie darling what’s wrong?” Rarity asked.
“It's my Pinkie sense... It's telling me that we should go... that way!” She said, raising a hoof to the left.
“Well... I have learned to trust Pinkie sense, so I suppose we should follow Pinkie now! Sorry Applejack, you're going to have to give up your position as leader!” The purple maned pony teased.
“Aw shoot...”
* * * * *
Pinkie Pie skipped through the forest with her usual bubbly attitude, leaving everypony else panting heavily in her wake. For minutes they stumbled behind the party pony until finally, they reached a large hole. Looking down into the abysmal aperture they saw nothing, but Pinkie sense had brought them here... So there must be something to this place.
“You guys?”
Everypony swung around to face Rainbow Dash who was holding a familiarly colored strand of hair.
Pink hair from Fluttershy's mane.
Twilight gasped in astonishment, “This can't be good...”
“What could have happened to the poor dear?”
“I don't know Rarity, but let’s find out!”
“Ah think we should go talk to them locals again.” Applejack added, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Quickly, the five distraught ponies trotted back to the hut where they burst through the door to find that it was empty. Suddenly, a distant scream echoed from the nearby encampment. The shrill screech of a baby dragon...
“Let's go everypony!” Twilight ordered, still breathless from running.
“Wait!” Rainbow Dash interrupted, “I'll fly over the area and see if I can get any kind of info, you guys just wait here!”
“Good thinking Dashie!” Pinkie piped up, cheerful as ever.
The technicolor pegasus launched off of the beach and quickly flew above the canopy. Rainbows trailed behind her as she zoomed around, scouting the area for any sign of Spike or Fluttershy. Once again the scream erupted from somewhere within the depths of the jungle, allowing Dash to pinpoint the location. It had come from somewhere on the opposite side of the island. Rainbow Dash blasted through the sky toward the sound of the scream, only to be met with a shocking sight.
Spike was tied to a stone alter of some sort, surrounded by members of the tribe that they had met the night before. Fear saturated his eyes as he struggled hopelessly to escape, screaming in desperation. His eyes reached toward the sky where he was met with the familiar sight of his friend.
“RAINBOWWWW DASHHHHH!”
“You idiot!”The pegasus bellowed, “Now you've went and given me away!”
Shouts of primal rage resounded from below as the collection of ponies noticed the spy overhead.
“Well... Gotta dash!”
The world champion flier shot away from the scene and back toward the opposite end of the island where her friends were awaiting her return. The wind rushed through her multicolored mane as flew over the canopy. Despite the treacherous situation, the sweet tropical air still got to her, filling her with a false sense of peace.
Soon, the outlines of her four friends appeared in the distance, standing together on the beach. They wore looks of relief on their faces upon seeing the return of Rainbow Dash, but that relief soon turned to distress as they realized that she was flying away from something.
She landed roughly beside her friends, babbling incomprehensible words.
“Spike... Tribe... Captured...”
Twilight looked worried, “Whoa now Dash, calm down and tell us what you saw.”
Rainbow Dash took a moment to collect herself and then continued, “The tribe from last night... I don't know why but... They took Spike! He was tied to a rock... He blew my cover, they're after us!”
“Now why in the world would they be after us?” Applejack questioned.
“Yeah, they seemed so nice last night!” Pinkie added.
“Y- Yeah I know! I have no idea why but they definitely are out to get us!”
“Wait, what about Fluttershy darling?”
“I don't know... I didn't see her.”
Everypony let out a collective sigh.
“Well we can't just stand around and do nothing... Let’s go!” Twilight said.
“Playing hero Twi?” Applejack smirked.
“Wha- No, no, no... I'm just worried about my friends! Applejack why would you-”
“Calm down sugarcube, I was just tryin' to lighten everypony up a bit... That’s all.”
The modest unicorn blushed, “Well thanks Applejack, we need it... But for now we gotta save our friends!”
“Right!”
* * * * *
The battalion of ponies charged through the forest, sending birds scattering in fear. Nothing else mattered but the safety of Spike and Fluttershy. Darkness began to engulf them as the canopy overhead thickened as they delved deeper into the heart of the jungle. So far so good, no signs of anypony from the tribe.
Before long, the group stumbled upon the camp that had hosted dinner the previous night, which now seemed to be deserted. It was much too quiet, and everypony switched into high alert. Slowly, they progressed through the encampment, their eyes darting around as if expecting a cockatrice to ambush them.
“Rarity look out!”
“Wha-”
The clothier pony spun around in time to see a blur charging at her at full speed. She winced and shut her eyes tightly as she awaited the impact form the unknown object.
But the impact never came.
Rainbows streaked in front of her vision as the incoming blob was knocked off course by a heroic Rainbow Dash. Looking down, everypony noticed that the thing Rainbow Dash had tackled was indeed a member of the tribe. His face was smeared with dirt from being slammed into the ground and he looked dazed.
Rainbow Dash pinned the tribespony to the ground with her hooves, “Where are Spike and Fluttershy!”
“I do not answer questions from the likes of you!”
Twilight spoke up first, “What exactly did we do?”
“Don't be stupid... You know exactly what you-”
His sentence was interrupted as Rainbow Dash slammed her hoof into the ponies chest.
“Rainbow Dash don't do that-”
“NO Twilight! Nopony calls my friends stupid!”
The enraged pegasus was muzzle to muzzle with the other pony now, “I demand you to tell me what's going on!”
“Y-You ponies stole the Coin of Celestia... It was our most prized possession and you took it!”
“Now that is quite the accusation!” Rarity huffed.
“We didn't take anything! We just came here to have fun!” Pinkie added.
“Yeah, so tell us where our friends are!” Dash growled.
“Oh don't give me that! Of course you wouldn't admit that you stole it until you were long gone!”
“But we really-”
“Ah forget it Twi... He ain't gonna listen, we're gonna have to do this the hard way.”
“Applejack?”
“Stand aside Rainbow!”
“If I let him go he will run and get more of his tribe!”
“I said stand aside!”
Rainbow Dash looked taken aback by Applejack's sudden aggressiveness, but let the pony go all the same. Instantly, the pony attempted to get up and run away, but he was struck down by a swift kick from Applejack's hind legs. The strength behind the experienced apple bucker's kick was enough to slam him into a tree ten feet away. His body fell limply against the tree and he grunted in pain.
“Such barbaric behavior!” Rarity cried.
“Sorry Rarity but we have to make this guy talk!”
“Now why dontcha explain what's goin' on here?” Applejack snarled.
“U-Um... My tribe thinks you ponies took out Coin of Celestia, that's all I know I swear!”
“Then why did you so rudely try to tackle me?” Rarity asked, exasperated.
“I-I was ordered by Krakatoa to find you and bring you back to our camp!”
“Aren't we in the camp now? I mean... This is where we were last night.” Twilight pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
“No, this is just a little camp that we have... Our main camp is much bigger.”
“Ohhhh where is it!” Asked Pinkie Pie.
“This pony right here saw it,” The dazed pony said, nodding toward Rainbow Dash, “It's on the other side of the island.”
“I saw Spike... But where is Fluttershy!”
“I don't know I swear! I'm not exactly the highest in rank... I don't get to know any of the details.”
Everypony glanced at each other then began to sprint onward through the forest.
“Hey wait! You can't just leave me here!” The injured pony called after them.
“Buck you, yes we can!” Rainbow called back.
* * * * *
For what seemed like hours they charged through the forest until finally arriving at a large wooden wall, which they assumed was the main encampment. Stationed at the entrance was a single pegasus who seemed to be a guard.
“How exactly are we going to get through him?!” Rainbow Dash cried.
Rarity and Applejack smiled at each other, then nodded in agreement. Applejack crawled through the bramble until she was hidden in a bush near the area where the guard was stationed. Rarity, upon noticing that Applejack had taken position, charged out of her hiding spot and into the clearing.
“Rarity what are you doing?!” Twilight gulped, trying to hold her friend back, but failing.
“Just trust me Twilight...”
The guard had taken notice to the beautiful pony which now stood before him.
“Halt!”
“Shh, keep your voice down! I don't want everypony inside there thinking that I'm with those ponies who stole the coin.” Rarity said, putting her hoof over the guard's mouth, “Instead... I might know where the coin is.”
“Where?!”
“Oh no, no, no dear... you think I would just let you know without getting anything in return? You see darling... I have some needs that only a great stallion such as yourself can satisfy.” Rarity said, batting her eyelashes.
“Oh... Um, okay.” The guard gulped nervously.
“Well we simply cannot do that here in the open! Why don't you and I go over to those bushes over there and discuss... Business.” She winked.
“Yes ma'am.” Said the infatuated pony.
The two ponies walked hoof in hoof over to the bush where Applejack was hidden.
“You know... I may not be a mail pony, but I would love to take a look at your package- OOF”
Applejack leaped from her hiding spot, hitting the flirting pony with tremendous force. He slammed into the ground, instantly unconscious. The southern pony looked at Rarity, and grinned.
“Ah didn't know you had it in you! That was some darn good work.”
“Yes well... I do have to deal with stallions swooning over me constantly; I know how to handle myself quite well.”
The others had left their hiding place and joined the two laughing ponies beside the unconscious guard.
“Well Rarity, that was... Strange, but effective.” Twilight giggled.
Suddenly, a scream erupted from inside the walls.
“Spike!”
* * * * *
“We can't just rush in there Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash warned, holding out a hoof to stop her hyper friend.
“Awww... Sneaking around and being all quiet is no fun though!”
“Well now isn't the time to have fun!”
“Everypony be quiet... we need some sort of plan.” The most organized pony in the group piped up. “Um... Rarity, can you do what you just did again?”
“Now Twilight I'm not that kind of pony!”
“Right...”
“Ah know!” Applejack advised, “Rainbow Dash, fly up to the top of that there wall and take a look inside.”
“Will do!”
The colorful pegasus shot to the top of the wall and carefully looked over. Scattered around the premises were many ponies, watching every inch of the area in search of intruders. Rainbow sighed as she realized that simply sneaking into the camp seemed like an impossibility. Defeated, she flew back down to inform her friends of the situation.
“You guys? I don't think we are gonna be able to just barge on in there... There are ponies all over the place!”
Everypony sighed.
“Well what are we going to do then?”
“I know!” Pinkie Pie yelped, “Let's go in there and throw them a party! That will make them loosen up a bit and see that we aren't really bad ponies...”
Twilight rolled her eyes in exasperation, “Pinkie we can't just waltz on in there and- Pinkie?”
Spinning around she noticed that the bubbly pink pony had already bounced through the entrance and was now surrounded by four other guards.
“...Oopsies.”
Everypony facehoofed.
* * * * *
“Good going Pinkie Pie, now you went and got us caught!” Rainbow Dash disciplined.
“Well sooorrrrryyyyy! I was just trying to help!”
The ponies now sat in complete darkness in a thatched hut near the middle of the encampment. Upon Pinkie's arrival the tribe had wasted no time in throwing them in there and tying them up. Now, they were left alone as the guards went to go fetch Krakatoa for questioning.
“Twilight?”
“Yes Applejack?”
“Can't yah magic us out of these ropes?”
“I could but I think we should cooperate with them... Maybe we can figure something out, or reason with them... Something.”
“I suppose.”
Suddenly, the door burst wide open.
“Well, well, well... Since the other two won't tell us where the coin is, maybe you five will.” Krakatoa said in a deep voice laced with anger.
“Um... Sir? Can I say something?” Twilight asked cautiously.
The chief stared at her for a moment with narrowed eyes, “Make it quick.”
“Well um... We have no idea what happened to your coin. If you would like we could help you find it though.”
“I don't believe you.”
“But we honestly haven't done anything! Please, you have to believe me!”
“Give me some proof.”
“Well um... we didn't leave our hut at all last night.”
“Is there any proof of that?”
“Well no... But-”
“Then I have no reason to believe you!”
“But-”
“Ah shut it Twilight... it's pointless.” Applejack interrupted.
“Well if you won't talk I will make you talk.” Krakatoa said with a smirk.
With those words he proceeded to turn around and buck each and every one of them as hard as he could, knocking them unconscious. The world went black and everypony collapsed to the ground, still bound by their ropes.
* * * * *
They awoke to water being splashed over their faces. Dazed and confused they looked around, only to realize that they were still in the hut, still bond tightly.
“What the hay was that for?!” Rainbow Dash screeched, “Come on Twilight, undo my ropes! Let me at em'!”
“You refuse to talk so I make you talk.” Krakatoa said.
“Honestly we haven't taken anything!” Rarity panicked.
“Who else could have taken it?”
“Well... I-I don't know.”
“Exactly. Now I suggest you tell me everything you know unless you want another swift kick to the head!”
“We're being serious!”
Krakatoa knocked them all unconscious once again...
* * * * *
When the ponies awoke the scene was much different. Screams could be heard from outside, and Krakatoa was no longer in the room with them. The sounds from beyond the walls of the hut sounded panicked, as if the entire camp was undergoing a great crisis. Worried, Twilight used a spell to release the others from their imprisonment.
“Thank yah Twilight,” Applejack said gratefully, “Now let's go see what they hay is going on out there!”
“Right!”
Outside was a scene of total chaos; Buildings had gone up in flames and ponies scattered everywhere, running for their lives. The sky had turned a deep purple and clouds that seemed almost mystical swirled above the encampment. Suddenly, a roar of laughter erupted from the heavens and lightning exploded down from the sky, igniting yet another house. The five friends turned their eyes upward, only to be met with a shockingly familiar sight.
Trixie hovered high above, surrounded by an aura of magical energy. Around her neck was something shiny and gold. The Coin of Celestia.
She was overtaken with insane laughter as she reigned chaos upon the innocent natives below. This made no sense to Twilight though... Trixie had never been this powerful.
Then a sudden realization hit her.
The coin that she now possessed was infused with the power of the gods, and therefore amplifying Trixie's magic. The pony who had previously been a show-off was now a threatening force of destruction, and she took no mercy upon the poor souls below. Pony after pony fell before her, defeated. Then a familiar voice rang out through the flaming village.
“Twilight!”
“Spike!”
Everypony turned to see the baby dragon sprinting toward them, the flames reflecting in his eyes. He was bruised and dirty, but other than that seemed mostly unharmed.
“Twilight we gotta get out of here! Trixie is destroying everything!”
“Really Spike? I don't think we could have ever figured that out without you.” Rainbow Dash said sarcastically.
“Uh, right... Well anyway, we gotta go! Come on!”
“No Spike.” Twilight spoke up, her horn glowing.
“Huh?”
“She wants to have a fight? Well I'll show her a fight!” She said, picking up a fallen piece of debris with her magic and launching it at Trixie, who effortlessly deflected it.
Trixie looked down at the purple unicorn and laughed, “Oh... It’s you. I was hoping to have a challenge. Very well... Bow before the great and powerful Trixie!”
With those words she called down a lightning bolt from the clouds above, which barely missed Twilight, leaving her mane singed. Everypony let out a collective gasp as Trixie picked up a huge pile of flaming debris and hurled it at them.
“Run everypony!”
Rainbow Dash flew ahead of the others, reaching a nearby beach. The other four sprinted behind her, soon arriving at a huge cliff. Rainbow Dash was below, but since the others didn't have wings there was no possible way to descent the rocky cliff. Once again, laughter rang out behind them, recognizing the presence of their foe. In the heat of the moment, the soft dirt below their hooves began to wear away, and they plummeted down the rocky terrain.
Pain shot through their body as they bounced down the cliff, scraping against the sharp rocks. Their limbs flailed desperately as they tried to dig into the edge of the overhang, but it was useless. They fell limply downward toward the beach, where Rainbow Dash stood.
When they finally hit the ground everypony noticed that they couldn't move, as they had just taken a massive fall. Their muscles were too sore to stand and they felt helpless and defeated by the arrogant unicorn who floated above them. Dash stood her ground and snarled at Trixie in a futile attempt to seem intimidating.
“Why Trixie? Why would you do this?” Twilight managed to say.
“It's simple really... I heard about a coin that held unimaginable powers and I just knew I needed to get my hands on it, so I hitched a ride over here and now here I am!”
“But why would you do such terrible things to those innocent people...”n
“Innocent? Hah! You are really going to call them innocent after they way they treated you?!”
“Forgive and forget Trixie... they really aren't bad people!”
“Well no matter.” She looked down at the coin hanging from her neck, “This thing just fills me with so much power... I can't let it all go to waste now can I?”
“Trixie stop this!”
“Never! Now bow before me!”
The corrupt magician formed a huge energy ball which was aimed straight at the five ponies who lay in the sand, immobilized. Her laughter filled the air as the ball grew bigger and bigger, ready to end their lives. Awaiting the end, they closed their eyes...
“Stop right there!”
Everypony looked up to see Fluttershy and Spike standing on the cliff above, each with a look of rage in their eyes.
“Nopony... and I mean nopony ever hurts my friends!” Fluttershy said with an air of confidence that was rarely ever heard.
“Heya Twilight! I went and found Fluttershy for ya!” Spike called to the ponies below.
“And what exactly are you going to do about it weakling?” Trixie sneered.
Fluttershy smiled, then began to let out a shrill whistle.
Suddenly, hundreds of birds erupted from the forest, charging toward Trixie. The swarm of tropical birds engulfed her, breaking her concentration. Due to her distraction, the aura protecting her faded away, leaving her completely vulnerable.
“Hey wheres Rainbow Dash?”
“Ah don't know Twilight...”
“Look! Up there!” Pinkie Pie screeched.
Up in the sky was a familiar cyan blur hurtling downward, being trailed by a rainbow. Everypony knew what was coming, and it caused a smile to light up on their faces. The brave pegasus raced closer and closer and everypony braced for impact. Instantly, the birds flew away, leaving Trixie floating in the air with no form of protection. Then the Sonic Rainboom exploded through the sky.
It all happened so suddenly that nopony had time to react, the explosion erupted like a volcano, obliterating the corrupt mage. Below in the sand lie a gleaming golden pendant which had caused so much trouble... The Coin of Celestia. Twilight trotted over to it and grasped it between her teeth.
“Fluttershy darling... How do you plan on getting us up from here?” Rarity called up to her yellow tinted friend.
Fluttershy replied not with words, but with the same whistle that she had used to call the birds. Suddenly, the birds flew out from the forest once again, but this time they weren't out to attack. They flew down to the shore and lifted the four ponies back up to the cliff where they all stood reunited as a whole.
“Flutterhy that was incredible!”
“Nice goin' sugarcube!”
“Great work Darling!”
“That was so cool!”
“That was fantastically fabulous!”
The bashful pony blushed, “It was no problem really I just-”
“Is everypony okay?!”
Krakatoa trotted toward them, with Everest following alongside him. He looked worried, which was much different that his earlier take toward the vacationers.
“We're fine, we just-”
“Oh I'm so very sorry! I was so wrong to accuse you ponies... can you ever forgive me?!”
Twilight smiled, “We forgive you, really... Here's your coin back.” Twilight handed him the coin.
“Thank you so much everypony... Tonight we throw a party in your honor!”
“Party?!” Pinkie Pie cried.
Twilight glanced at the burning village with a raised eyebrow, “Won't that be a little hard what with your camp being destroyed and all?”
“Good point... but we could always use the camp that we used last night!”
“Sounds like a plan!”
* * * * *
Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that forgiveness is always a solution, no matter how badly somepony has mistreated you. Everypony has their bad moments, and forgiving them is the right thing to do. Judging someone by one thing they do is ignorant, and you should really look deeper than that. Who knows? You might meet some new friends along the way.
Also, I learned that everypony has the ability to stand up for themselves in the face of defeat, even the ones who are seemingly weak. During this trip every single pony has proven to be useful in one way or another, and I'm thankful for that. Now if you'll excuse me... I have a party to attend.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
