A Whole New World

The Cider Stop was one of the oldest buildings in Ponyville. It had been sitting on the same patch of ground since the Apple family settled on the land almost 100 years ago. It had recently been refurbished with modern furniture and a new kitchen to keep up with other establishments. Despite this, it still had the same rustic feel that it had when it had first been erected. The derelict basement underneath the building had also been cleaned out and turned into an entertainment room, with a pair of snooker tables being the most popular addition. It was one of these tables that four friends were currently using.

"Oh come on!" shouted a cyan pegasus, "That was totally going in."

"Too bad sugarcube," Applejack said, as the last red ball bounced off the cushion and rolled into the centre of the table, "Pinkie, yer turn."

Pinkie Pie wasted no time in leaning across the table and lining up her own shot, sending the white careering towards the red. They made contact with a loud clack, and the ball bounced in all directions before settling in the corner pocket.

"Woohoo! Another point for us!" she squealed, trotting over to the chalkboard and putting a tally mark under her's and Applejack's names. They were currently leading by two points, but with all the coloured balls left, it was still anyone's game. Pinkie lined up to take her second shot, but as she brought her cue back, Rainbow Dash's partner thought up a fiendish idea.

"Pinkie, there's a spider in your mane!" Sarah shouted.

The reaction was instantaneous. Pinkie leapt into the air with an almighty shriek and began shaking her head back and forth. In the process, her cue brushed the white and pushed it a few measly inches.

"Spider! Big, scary spider! Get it off!!" she screamed, waving her hooves in the air. Rainbow and Sarah laughed at Pinkie's erratic movements, while Applejack gave the two of them a look of annoyance through narrowed eyes, although secretly she was trying to hold back a laugh of her own.

Once Pinkie realised it was all just a prank, even she started laughing too. Eventually, Applejack gave up and let out a chortle of her own.

"Alright, two shots for us then." Rainbow said, bringing Applejack's laugh to a sudden stop.

"What the hay? That's not fair." she protested, but Pinkie stopped her.

"Let them have it AJ. They've earned it after managing to prank me like that."

Sarah nodded in thanks, and took a sip of her cider, letting the alcohol warm her body. The one downside with the basement was the lack of heating, and all four of them could see their breath as they exhaled. Sarah leaned forward and aimed at the yellow ball. Her cue made a solid impact, but halfway along its journey, the white suddenly veered off to the left and landed in one of the corner pockets.

"What the hell?" Sarah said, looking around for a hidden unicorn.

Pinkie giggled as she reached into the table and pulled out the white ball. She put it on the green felt and gave it a nudge. Everyone in the room watched as it, once again, rolled to one side. Sarah picked it up and weighed it in her hand. It felt off.

"A weighted ball," Pinkie explained with a giggle, "Silly. You didn't think you could prank Pinkie the Prankster and get away with it, did you?"

"Wait, when did you swap the balls?" Rainbow asked, "It was fine a minute ago."

"I can't tell you that Dashie," Pinkie answered, "That would ruin the secret."

Applejack rolled her eyes and went to line up her own shot, but was interrupted as the door to the basement burst open, revealing an out-of-breath dragon standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to interrupt guys," Spike said, "But Twilight needs you guys at the library now."

"What's going on?" Sarah asked, picking up the urgency in Spike's voice.

"Perhaps it's best if I don't say. Come on, everything will be explained when we get there."

Not wanting to waste time, Sarah and the others left the basement and went upstairs, bidding goodbye to the bartender on their way out. Winter was in full swing by now, and everything was covered in snow. There were a few fillies outside building a snowpony with their parents, while another group of foals were having a snowball fight. Getting into the festivities wasn't on the human's agenda, however. Spike's expression had been grim, and if it wasn't something serious, he'd have told them there and then.

They reached the library, and Spike pushed the door open, leading them inside. The first thing Sarah noticed was a change in the atmosphere. It wasn't the temperature, but her gut told her that something was wrong. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Lyra staring at the floor, the wood beneath her spattered with tears. Twilight and Bon Bon were sat next to her, their forelegs draped over her shoulders. On the other side of the room, Rarity was doing the same with Fluttershy.

Lyra looked up as they entered, and Sarah could see the damp fur on her face, "Dutch and Shadow are missing," she said between sobs, "They might... they might even be..."

She couldn't finish, and Bon Bon pulled her closer, comforting her as she cried into her shoulder. Sarah felt like a bomb had gone off in her skull. Dutch had been one of her few friends in college. To hear he was missing made her limbs go numb, and a great ball welled up in her throat. She grabbed hold of a nearby bookshelf to steady herself, and Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie sat down next to the wall. As soon as Rainbow sat down, Scootaloo galloped over and threw her forelegs around her neck, pulling Rainbow into a tight hug.

"What happened?" Sarah asked.

Wordlessly, Twilight floated a copy of Equestria Daily over to the newcomers, placing it on the floor so that they could all read it. None of them spent any real time looking at it, as the headlines said everything they needed to know.

Two Equestrian Soldiers Missing in Action

Looking back up, Sarah saw a small letter sat next to Lyra, with another, identical one next to Fluttershy. No doubt they were from Canterlot, confirming what the newspaper had said.

"But... the letters we got from 'em said there wasn't anythin' goin' on." Applejack said, confused.

"They probably didn't want us to worry dear." Rarity replied. Next to her, Fluttershy let out a choked sob.

"But now we don't know how bad it is at all out there," Rainbow said, "It could become an all-out war and we'd never know."

Both Lyra and Fluttershy shuddered at Rainbow's tactless words, and Sarah decided to add some reassurance.

"I don't think it'll be that bad," she said, "Dutch is a soldier. So is Shadow. They're trained, they've got their equipment and their teammates. They'll know what they're doing." her voice softened as she spoke to the two grieving mares, "The only thing we can do is sit tight, and carry on like normal until we hear something new. And if you need someone to talk to, we're all willing to listen."

The rest of the ponies in the room nodded, while Lyra whispered, "Okay," and Scootaloo nodded. After listening to Rarity's soothing words in her ear, Fluttershy also managed a weak nod.

By this time, Scootaloo had released Rainbow Dash and now sat on the floor, slumped and staring at the floor. She slowly looked round at her flank, her cutie mark reminding her of only one person.

"Please let them be ok..." she whispered.

I winced again as the mattock struck the rock, sending jolts of pain along the marks in my back the whip had made. It had now been two 'evenings' since I had been captured, and working in the mines was almost unbearable. When I had woken up for the first time, the dogs dragged me back to the room where they had lashed me and hung me up on the wooden post. The morning proceeded as it had before; lashes until my back wept, with a punch or a kick to liven things up. Again, I kept silent and gritted my teeth throughout the ordeal. They won't break me. They won't break me, I constantly told myself. I'd never give up on my friends and fellow soldiers.

After the torture, they had tossed me back into the cell with Kamots, and I was forced to return to digging. They had the decency not to bother us for the rest of the day, and in the evening, they gave us more rodents to cook and eat. The ghost - for lack of a better term - had been surprisingly helpful, getting rid of animal parts and... other things to stop the cell smelling so foul. I'd been racking my brain trying to think up why it existed, and had a couple of theories on why they existed. Kamots, however, was content not to 'question why the wind blows', so I kept them to myself.

Throughout the whole thing, Kamots managed to be the only thing making everything at least bearable. He was a complex guy too. Whenever I thought I knew enough about him, he would always say something to surprise me. I was beginning to think he had some sort of sixth sense too. More than once he would somehow know the dogs were coming before I could hear them at all. He would also tell me to dig at a certain part of the wall, only to reveal a gem a few inches later. I hadn't inquired on the subject, and I figured I would ask him in time.

On occasion, however, Kamots would completely zone out. I didn't know if this had anything to do with his 'sense', but every several hours, he would stop digging and stare at the wall, his eyes motionless, but glowing with a faint blue light. The rest of his features would crease and flex too, as if he was reacting to something he couldn't see.

He told me about his life to pass the time. Throughout his years as a pup, he had always been curious about what was beyond his home. After the training that was required of all males, he went on what was essentially a rite of passage that Tymari had to take to prove themselves.

It had been difficult for Kamots, almost costing him his life. But when he returned to his clan, he had realised that his destiny lay beyond Zebrica. So, he left, spending the rest of his adult years travelling. He'd been doing this for 14 years, leading me to believe he was at least 30 years old. In that time, he had traveled almost as far as his body would allow. The Arctic Tundra to the north, the Dragon Badlands to the west, and now the Griffin Kingdom.

He had even visited Equestria for a few years, but expressed his dislike of the country. While he respected the princesses, he wasn't keen on the rest of the population. Not that he didn't like ponies, but he found their comfortable lives and false sense of security too 'soft' for his liking.

I knew he had something troubling in his past too. On the second day, I made the mistake of asking about his family. He paused mid-swing and stared into space like he usually would, only this time, I could see sadness on his face. He remained quiet for the rest of the day. I apologised later, and he accepted it, saying that I wouldn't have known what would happen, but it was clear the topic was sensitive for him.

We were several hours into our third day when I saw Kamots staring again. However, this wasn't a blank gaze into space. Instead, he was looking at me, starting at my head, before moving down to my feet, and back up. I wasn't disturbed by it, but it was still strange.

"Uh, you alright big guy?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Yes. I was just curious about humans," he replied, "You say you became apex predators, yes?" I nodded, "Yet you have no claws, sharp teeth, or any other natural defences. How did your species thrive like you claim?"

"Well, it is true that we don't have many natural defences, but to compensate, we created our own," I stated. I began to tell him about technology. The Tymari had some technological advances over ponies, but only a few. They didn't have large cities like Manehatten, but had better tools and weapons. Kamots was impressed by what humans had achieved, which was something I hadn't expected from him.

I carried on digging as I talked, with Kamots listening intently. It was almost shocking to look at him; gone was the wise old philosopher, replaced instead by an young schoolchild, eager to learn. Seeing the spark of wonder in his eyes brought a smile to my own face too.

When I asked about the sudden change in attitude, he said, "Tymari take every opportunity to learn. If something will give us an edge in the future, we hold onto it with teeth and claws. Listening to human ingenuity has been very enlightening."

I smiled at his compliment, "Humans are nothing if not resourceful, and our need for knowledge is also immeasurable."

Finished with my explanation of modern technology, I carried on digging, but I was in for another surprise. Five minutes later, Kamots paused again, and began to run his paws on the wall of the cave, as if searching for something. I had a feeling he was sensing another gem, but he wasn't usually this energetic.

Eventually, he stopped, and a smile crept onto his lips as he pointed at the wall near where I had been digging, "There, Dutch! Keep digging."

"Why?" I asked as I picked up the mattock again.

"Just dig. You'll see."

He swung his own pick at the spot with renewed vigor, and I did the same, knowing that he wouldn't be this enthusiastic without reason. After a minute of swinging, a chunk fell away to reveal a glistening white diamond. Just seeing the light from the lantern filled me with strength, and all pain and hunger vanished. I pulled out the scraping tool and dug away as fast as I could, taking care not to scratch the diamond.

As two pairs of hands would just become an inconvenience, Kamots took a step back and let me scrape at the rock. Not that I minded; both of us would benefit from this, hopefully. The dogs still hated me, and I considered myself lucky I was getting fed at all. I had an idea that might get us both the extra food that a diamond would reward.

After ten minutes of determined scraping, the diamond came loose. Treating it as if it were glass, I removed it from the wall and held it in my hand, its weight giving me an odd comfort in my heart. It was the size of a pocket watch, and was just as brilliant and flawless as I imagined it.

A large grin covered my face, "Kamots. I don't know how you do that gem-finding thing, but it is awesome!"

Kamots had a smile of his own, "You did not think Equestria was the only land with magic, did you?"

I raised an eyebrow, "So the Tymari have magic too?"

"Not in the sense that ponies would use," Kamots replied, "Our traditions forbid us to demonstrate it to those who are deemed outsiders, like you. In simple terms, however, we can sense the energy and life of the world around us."

While I found the answer cryptic, I wasn't going to inquire if it conflicted with his culture. I noticed I still had the diamond in my hand, and gave it to Kamots.

"Sounds like an interesting ability. Anyway, I think it's best if you give them this. It's clear they hate me more than most, and any attempt to impress them will probably result in more lashes until I give them what they want. If you claim you were responsible for finding it, we can share the extra food they give us."

Kamots took the diamond and slotted it into the belt of his trousers, "A sound strategy. Though you are placing a large amount of trust in me."

I shrugged, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Besides, you seem alright from the three days I've been here."

Kamots only nodded, before picking his mattock up again, "We should continue digging. While the diamond has almost certainly guaranteed us a reward, we may gain more favour with additional gems."

We carried on digging for another couple of hours. While we didn't find any other diamonds, it didn't matter. Not a lot was going to dampen my good mood now. Neither of us spoke; my mind was too occupied with the thought of food, and I wouldn't have been surprised if Kamots was thinking the same thing.

Half an hour later, the dogs came in like they had done for the past two days, and Kamots handed over the sack of gems. They peered inside, inspecting the goods, and Kamots pulled the diamond out of his belt. The dogs were briefly surprised, but snatched the gem from his paw, examining its shine, before looking at Kamots.

"I found it," Kamots said, before gesturing at me, "The creature did not. He shouldn't be rewarded."

Either Kamots was an excellent liar, or the dogs that had been sent were dumber than the rest, because the dogs gave a simple nod as always before leaving with the sack. A few minutes later, they returned with the food. They tossed another rodent to me, while they gave Kamots the same, along with the water and a small loaf of stale bread.

I sat down next to the fire with my rodent, while Kamots tore the loaf in half and handed me some with a nod. After cooking the food, I split open my bread and put strips of meat inside. Kamots had the same idea, and we both ended up with a crude sandwich before the meat was cold.

"A dish fit for a king, yes?" Kamots said, before taking a bite out of his meal.

"Maybe if he's been overthrown," I quipped.

Then something strange happened. Kamots paused, swallowed his food, and laughed. It wasn't a scoff, or a small chuckle like usual. Instead, he tilted his head back and laughed at the ceiling. It was a deep, thumping laugh, and hearing a guy like him laugh at my joke made me feel pretty proud of myself. I honestly didn't find it that funny, but to Kamots, it must have been hilarious.

The laugh didn't last long - only a few seconds - but it was a lot longer than what I expected from him. When he finished, he stared at the fire again, before growing a thoughtful expression. In that time, we both continued to eat, and after a while, he spoke.

"It has been a long time since I have laughed like that," he said, "I thank you for that, Lakota."

I gave a nod to him, before I processed the final word, "I think my good mood is affecting my hearing. Did you just call me 'Lakota'?"

"Yes. It is a word from our old language, and it is not one we use lightly."

"What does it mean?" I asked.

Kamots opened his mouth to reply, before his eyes flashed blue briefly, and his eyes darted to the door. Instantly he was on his feet. Knowing he could sense something, I stood up too.

"What's wrong?"

"The Korral are coming. They don't normally come down here, except to collect gems. Something is wrong."

"So what do we do?" I said, confused and concerned.

"Just stay out of their way."

The door was thrown open, and a pair of large dogs walked in. Immediately, they rounded on me and grabbed my arms.

"What the hell?" I shouted, "Get the fu--"

The rest of the sentence was brutally cut off as one of the dogs punched me in the stomach. It completely knocked the wind out of me, and I could feel one of my ribs crack from the force. My vision became a haze, and I was only just aware of the dogs dragging me out of the room by an arm and wing each.

By the time I came to my senses and regained my breath, I was back in the lashing room. This time, I was hanging by my arms in the centre of the room, and I could already feel an ache in my shoulders. I turned my head to try and take in my surroundings, and the momentum caused me to swing. The walls were bare, with only wooden supports to prevent collapses. In one corner was a coal fire inside a small iron cage.

My movement must have grabbed someone's attention, because it wasn't long after that that I heard a door opening, and the Alpha walked into my line of sight.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked casually.

I kept silent, watching his every move through my eyebrows.

"You've taken advantage of my hospitality," the Alpha continued, "I could have left you to die in the desert. Instead, I give you food, shelter, all in return for information. A fair deal, wouldn't you agree?"

He waited a few seconds, as if expecting an answer, before sighing, "But you squandered your gifts. You abused my generosity, and I don't take kindly to thieves."

He brought his fist back and gave a hook at my jaw. Knowing him, he could have hit me a lot harder, but it was still enough to make me spin, the sight of the moving walls making my already damaged body feel nauseous.

"So, here's what's going to happen," he said, pulling a knife with a ruby blade out of his belt and examining the edge, "You will stay here until you tell me everything you know. With every day you remain silent, I will make it more painful for you. And after you've given me what I want to know, after I've inflicted so much pain that you're begging me to kill you, only then will I slice your throat and leave you for the vultures."

He left the room, and a few minutes later a ginger dog that I recognised as Togin walked in, holding an iron bar. He placed the bar inside the fire cage, before pulling a whip off his belt and testing its strength. Apparently satisfied, he gave me an evil grin and walked behind me. I only needed to wait a moment before the whip cracked against my back.

It certainly wouldn't be the last time.