Casualties

Chapters

"What have I done?"
Regroup *CMCs*
A foe to remember
Courageous Hearts *CMCs*

"What have I done?"

"..."

My body ached while an acrid smell permeated the area. The muscle around my stomach tensed up and relented several times. Cricket chirps resonated in my ears while something kept dripping on top of my head. When I forced my eyes open, small, fine beams of light penetrated a thick mesh of leaves, sticks, and tree limbs above me.

"..."

"Was that a whinny? Is there a horse nearby?" I said to myself. Why would there be -- right, I remember. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were sleeping on the bed in the family room. They asked me to tie off that rope to the bed's frame. Damn it, this smell is revolting. What in the hell is making it?! "Apple Bloom. Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. Where are you?!"

"No need ta shout. Ah'm right here." A familiar voice said.

My legs wobbled underneath me as I struggled to move. A bit of relief came when I saw that familiar face in the dim light.

"Ya alright?" Apple Bloom said.

I nodded to Apple Bloom, and then puked. Well, there goes last night's supper. Part of me expected that pat on the back to be rather hard, yet Apple Bloom's hoof was quite soft. Man, this smell is going to kill me; it's worse than fresh dog turds marinated in fish guts, fried on hot asphalt next to a dead skunk.

I've got to sit down and think. There was... something that happened. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle were asleep, and then they were waving at me for some reason. The bed kept creaking and groaning. I slipped on my glasses cause of the weird noise, and... why can't I remember? Geez, it looks like the rope left a deep mark in the bed's wooden frame. At least, the part that's left of the bed-frame. There goes that homemade couch/bed in the family room.

O no, not again....

These dry heaves hurt like hell. Be nice to have a gas mask.

"..."

"Apple Bloom, what was that noise? Where are we?" I said. My T-shirt secured around my face as a makeshift gas mask, a small force pressed against my right leg. Apple Bloom's ears keep twitching from what I could see in the dim light. "Is that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?"

"They're in trouble. This way!" Apple Bloom said.

A strong pressure came from my right hand, and then my heart pounded within my chest. Trees branches whizzed by my head. Several times I had to duck down to miss the low hanging ones. My body was never cut out for running. I couldn't keep up this pace for long. The further Apple Bloom pulled me, the faster my energy seemed to drain. This thick mud, what I hope is mud, keeps engulfing my shoes.

What's wrong? Why is she frightened?

The proverbial light at the end of the tunnel came after what felt like eternity

That's odd. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are asleep, on the ground?

"What the fuck is that thing?!" I shouted.

We're not on earth. A creature like this could never exist lest it be hunted to extinction by every scientists, whack-job, and poacher known to humanity. Wait, that's the creature making those odd sounds. Damn that's one hell of an overgrown bug. It has wings like a bug, but it has a horn on its forehead.

"Changeling!" Apple Bloom said. She darted towards her friends, and then stopped. The filly backed away. Her ears twitched along with her body while the creature crept towards her after darting between her and the others. "No, don't."

Apple Bloom's words went unheeded. I rushed forward with my right hand formed into a fist.

My chest burned. The pain grew worse from the coughing. Whatever this creature, this "changeling" was, it had power and speed to match. I found myself thankful the pain subsided and allowed me to stand. The changeling's blue eyes tracked us both. It continued to emit those obnoxious hisses and clicks. Each attempt to move was met with swift retaliation. The muddy ground greeted me several times. On the final time my eyes me the muddy ground, I slammed my fist into the ground, uttering several expletives under a hushed voice.

"This isn't a simple fight." I said to myself

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Apple Bloom bolt towards her friends. Her lower lip appeared to quiver when she reached them. The moment I heard Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had been injured, my body went numb.

"Run!" I shouted, reaching my hand into the mud. Apple Bloom stood there, petrified. Several green beams of light, only what could be described as blasts of energy, came from the changeling's horn. O shit. This thing's breath smells horrible. It's taking almost everything I have to push it back. Why won't this filly run? "Apple Bloom, run. Take the others and don't look back."

Apple Bloom shook her head at me. The filly scolded me, saying she refused to leave a "friend" behind. It was nice to be called a friend, but now wasn't the time or place. I yelled at her again and demanded that she flee after I flung another mud-ball at the creature. I'm thankful she listened this time. What I was about to do shouldn't be seen by young eyes.

The hairs on my arm stood on end. Whatever existed in the area pulsed with electricity. Though the mud felt cold, my body burned. Each heartbeat resonated inside me as the changeling and I circled each other. Unlike those stupid Hollywood movies, there was no intense music. All I heard were those obnoxious sounds the changeling made, coupled with the ambient noise of the area.

I lunged forward. Each blow bounced off the thing's strong hide. It felt like the bones in my hands would break. The changeling struck back. It attempted to bite me, almost hitting its target. My kick hit its mark. The sharp rock, on the ground, left a deep gash in the changeling's left eye. It felt like my knee would snap on the fourth and fifth kicks. Again and again I kicked it. On some strange instinct, my body kept moving. On the seventh kick, I heard a loud crack. The smell of burnt hair wafted into my nostrils, the changeling's horn glowing green from the blast. I patted the singed hairs on my arm, and then continued the battle.

We traded blows. I fell. I grabbed a rock. Through sheer luck the medium sized stone hit its mark. I darted forward, jumped on the changeling's back, and wrapped my fingers around its neck. This exhausted thing still had enough energy to struggle in my grasp. An inner voice screamed at me. "Tighter. Tighter. Tighter. Tighter!"

The muscles in my forearms flexed. Hisses and clicks turned into whimpers. Heavy gasps greeted my ears. The changeling wiggled free. I swooped in and moved behind it. The creature slammed me into a tree after I leapt onto its back. My left arm went across its neck, braced with my right one. My muscles tightened. That god-awful sound reverberated throughout the area.

Mud dripped from my glasses onto the corpse at my feet. A quiet voice came from the forest. Apple Bloom asked if it was ok to come out. I asked for her to wait.
It took a good bit of strength to drag the changeling's lifeless body into the forest. After the final deed had been done in the darkened area of that forest, mud engulfed the right side of my face when I collapsed in the clearing. Apple Bloom emerged from the forest. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo moved behind her, their legs quivering.

"What did ya do?" Apple Bloom said.

"It's best you don't know." I said.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Bloom. I couldn't understand what they said to one another, yet I got the sense they knew I didn't want them to see the brutal act I had committed.

"Thank Celestia, it's Rainbow Dash." Apple Bloom said.

"Rainbow Dash?" I thought. I rolled over onto my back. As I looked toward the blue sky, something descended from a nearby cloud. My knees wobbled like the appendages of those two injured fillies that were now behind me. I raised my right hand and formed it into a fist. "Stay... behind me."

Apple Bloom looked at me before she gazed towards what had descended from the sky. Scootaloo trotted forward while she waved a wing at me, like I was acting crazy. My body permitted me to move forward a few steps. I pulled the filly back. The creature that descended from the sky was the same I already fought.

Scootaloo pushed my hand away, moved forward, and then froze. Green flames materialized out of nowhere. The flames engulfed the figure that stood in front of us. I had no idea what the flames meant, but Scootaloo retreated behind me.

The changeling's nostrils flared. It eyes scanned thee area before it honed in on me, towards the right pocket of my pants. Tense, near silent moments passed before the creature let out a guttural snarl that echoed throughout the area.

My forearms rose. Two dark hooves landed a heavy strike. The battle resumed.

"I want all of you to cover your eyes. Now!" I shouted. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo looked at the creature, and then at me. I couldn't tell who they were more afraid of in that moment. The three fillies covered their eyes just as the changeling in front of me dug its hooves in and snarled. I pulled the makeshift weapon from my right pocket. My body craved the act of barbarity that was about to come. "Bring it, motherfucker."

Bubbles rose from the ground. One bubbled popped, and then another. Several more bubbles popped before the changeling and I lunged at each other. The changeling's green blast missed, incinerating a nearby tree. The makeshift weapon hit its mark. With what strength remained, I forced the broken horn from the first dead changeling into the second changeling's chest. Warm liquid dripped down my forearms when I raised the creature's body into the air. That small trickle turned into a steady stream that ran down arms and onto my shoes. The silence was disturbed by the changeling's a primal howl before it went limp.

My arms fell to my sides. The dead body splashed mud against my pants when it landed at my feet. The foul smelling, green colored liquid grew colder as the seconds passed. I dropped the makeshift weapon when I saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo huddled together. "What have I done?"

"Please, keep your eyes closed. I'll be right back." I said. There were multiple green stains all over my body. They were all over my pants, bare chest, and hands. The second changeling weighed more than the first when I had to drag it into the forest, hiding it under a small shrub near the first changeling's body. "It stings, but it's best to let them see mud."

My right leg gave out from underneath me the moment I stepped into the light of the clearing. The three fillies popped up and looked at me. Apple Bloom opened her mouth, and then closed it. I knew she was prepared to ask me about the second changeling, however, that's a question I refuse to answer. Not now, not ever to her or the others.

Heh. Beyond the danger, the sky is rather beautiful here. Damn this mud stings like a bitch. What are these fillies doing?

"Apple Bloom." I said.

"Yea?"

"Are we in Equestria?" I said. The filly gave a firm nod before she pointed her friends towards me. I guess groaning is a universal language. "Where are we going?"

Apple Bloom said nothing. She got up under my right arm with Scootaloo on my left, some force propping up my legs.

Did I have to kill those two creatures? Was there a better way? What I felt, what I did back there -- this world terrifies me.

Regroup CMCs

With the sun setting in the distant horizon, the beams of light that penetrated the thick mesh of branches and leaves began to fade. A boisterous cacophony echoed across the landscape as the dense forest's denizens awakened from their daily slumber. Clouds formed above the Everfree Forest while the Cutie Mark Crusaders trudged through the thick mud. The three fillies struggled with their precious cargo.

"Apple Bloom. Are you sure you know where we're going?" Sweetie Belle said. Sparks dripped from her horn while she propped up the human's feet, the light from her horn barely touching the darkness that surrounded the group. She yanked her hoof free from the mud then groaned as her other hoof became stuck. In a quiet voice, Sweetie Belle said, "I mean, we have to be back in Equestria, right? That was a changeling back there."

Apple Bloom remained silent. She adjusted the arm that was draped over her shoulder. Her nervous gaze glanced towards the human, and then faced the muddy pathway.

"Geez, this human is heavy." Scootaloo said.

"You're telling me." Sweetie Belle said.

"At least you have magic to lift him up." Scootaloo said.

"Hmph. There's more to it than that, Scootaloo. Besides, its flank isn't blocking your view." Sweetie Belle said.

The two fillies bantered back and forth. Their prattling began to overshadow the creatures of the forest.

Apple Bloom gritted her teeth. "Knock it off!"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle ceased their bickering, and the two apologized.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders stopped. Apple Bloom squinted at the pathway ahead. In what light remained, she pointed a hoof towards a visible spot at the base of a nearby mountain. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo moved towards a small cave. Sweat poured from Sweetie Belle's head forehead as her magic enveloped the human. The magical aura disappeared, and the human went limp, propped up against the cave's back wall. Scootaloo crept along the cave's muddy floor until she stood near her fellow crusaders.

"Sorry. Ah didn't mean ta yell at ya'll like that back there," Apple Bloom rubbed a quivering right hoof against her left, "but Ah just feel so frazzled right know. Our friend is hurt, and Ah don't know what to do."

"Yea, that breathing doesn't sound right, either. " Scootaloo said.

"Not to mention that 'arm' looks banged up. What did the human do back there?" Sweetie Belle said. Her ears lowered. She sighed, along with her fellow crusaders. Quiet moments passed while rain trickled through the forest canopy, landing on the ground outside the cave. Sweetie Belle snapped several tree branches with her magic and tossed the pieces into a small pit, dug by Scootaloo. "Any idea how long we've been gone?"

"No clue." Scootaloo said.

"Ya got me." Apple Bloom said.

The cutie mark crusaders placed their friend on top of a soft pile of gathered leaves. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo gave each other slight, unnerved glances after the human let out a heavy cough. Light from the fire reflected off the beads of sweat that clung to the individual's arms and forehead.

Scootaloo extended her right wing. She shook her head, "We gotta find Ponyville. The human feels awfully hot."

"Uhh Scoots, your standin' near the fire there. Anythin' would be hot if -- geez, that's way too hot." Apple Bloom said. She pointed towards Sweetie Belle, "Go collect some of that rain water, quick. Ah read some stuff back in our friend's world that bad things happen if they get too hot."

"Got it. I'll find. A..." Sweetie Belle's voice went silent. Her eyes darted about. The hairs on her coat stood on end. She turned. A cold chill traveled down her spine. Sweetie Belle illuminated her horn. In a quiet voice she said, "We're not alone."

"Calm down. We can't set the woods on fire." Apple Bloom said after her unicorn friend grabbed a branch with her magic and set its end on fire. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness with the last bits of sunlight vanishing. Apple Bloom's right hoof crept along the ground till it latched onto a sturdy tree limb. "Ok, somethin' is definitely followin' us. Crusaders, we gotta protect our friend."

Bushes rustled. Scootaloo picked up her left hoof, planted it forward, and then moved it back. Though the makeshift torch in Sweetie Belle's magical grasp illuminated nothing but foliage, the Cutie Mark Crusaders backed up into a tight formation near the cave's entrance and stood their ground.

"C- C-Come out. Come out, or else I'll --" Sweetie Belle waved the torch towards a nearby bush.

"Sweetie Belle." Scootaloo said. Her wings twitched. She dropped the tree limb in her right hoof. "Run!"

Sweetie Belle froze.

Branch firm in hoof, Apple Bloom lunged towards Sweetie Belle's direction. The dark figure backed away. She lunged again and again. Two eyes pierced through the darkness of a figure's hooded cloak and caused the filly to back away. Her hooves quivered, and her withers twitched.

Sweetie Belle stood behind Apple Bloom. She said, "We gotta get outta here. Help me get the human. We'll drag them to safety."
Those words went unheeded.

"You ain't hurtin' our friend." Apple Bloom said at the top of her lungs as she snapped out of her stunned state, the filly's battle cry shaking her friends to their cores. Her fellow crusaders resumed their determined stances. Light from the torch, in front of Sweetie Belle, penetrated the cloaked figure's hood. Apple Bloom's grasp weakened. The solid piece of wood, clutched in her right hoof, fell to the ground. She lunged at the dark figure, and then wrapped her hooves around the neck of a friend. "Zecora!"

Though two kind eyes greeted the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the zebra backed up. She beckoned Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo towards her, and the group traveled down a darkened path towards two orange dots. Those tiny specks of light grew brighter and fuller with the group's progression.

Apple Bloom placed a hoof over her mouth, and an audible "no" escaped.

"Apple Bloom, wait up. We gotta stick together." Scootaloo said.

Apple Bloom bit down on her lip. She sighed. Her hooves stopped. The human's arm draped over the filly's side once more, the group continued forward, and, once inside, her curious eyes gravitated about single roomed structure.

"Looks like somepony ransacked the place." Sweetie Belle said. She gazed at the curtain shreds, clay pot pieces, and spilled alchemical reagents that were strewn about the area. "Did the changelings do this?"

Zecora surreptitiously moved passed the fillies after the closed the door to her hut. Two bottles were retrieved from a small pouch in her cloak. Brownish liquid poured into a small cup with two leaves and a bit of bark thrown into it. The liquid turned pale green.

"This isn't good. It looks like -- Gah! What is this?!" Sweetie Belle said.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders rubbed their eyes. Sweetie Belle grabbed a piece of tattered curtain and rubbed it against her face. Apple Bloom wiped the viscous liquid off her forehead. Scootaloo cleaned her wings. They turned to their friend and rubbed the substance off the human's forearms and cheeks.

The cup Zecora once held in her hoof shattered on the ground, breaking the zebra out of her trance. A tear crawled down her cheek, the zebra's gentle hoof brushing against the mane of a long lost friend. Her cheerful smile reflected off the three fillies' eyes. Despite the happy moment, she backed away. Zecora moved towards a small niche in her home. "Our reunion must be cut short. We have to make it to the makeshift fort."

"Please, we need help." Apple Bloom said. She pointed at the wounded individual on the ground.

"That is one thing I can believe. However, must make haste and leave." Zecora said. Her hoof latched onto a nearby staff. She took the staff and its pointed end into a hole near her bed.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders carried their friend down a small stretch of grey stone steps into a dark passage way, carved out of dirt and stone. Several torches lit up in green flames that revealed thick roots that traveled along the walls and ceiling.

Hoof steps ceased. A circular shaped, strong stone door came into view.

Zecora planted her staff into the ground, and the area went dark. Thin beams of green light traveled along lines etched into the face of the strong stone door. Dust and dirt rained down on top of the human, which caused it to groan. Another set of steps were revealed when the door separated in two, each half retreating into its respective recess.

Soon, the door slammed shut behind the group.

*** *** ***

Down a small set of stairs, beyond two more strong stone doors, a medium sized area greeted the Cutie Mark Crusader and their unconscious guest. Semi-brilliant flames, coming from clay pots held in wooden stands, lit up an underground refuge. Off to the right of the entrance, three mares rummaged through boxes. In a nearby corner, a stallion entertained two colts while a mare cradled her small foal. Two rooms existed on each side of the main area, sealed by wooden doors. The room's fresh air was supplied by several small holes that burrowed upwards, the surface holes hidden inside hollowed out trees.

As Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo glanced around the room, a mare trotted up then saluted Zecora. "Ma'am, we have a new report. It's as you feared. The changelings are scanning every inch of the Everfree Forest."

Zecora's rings jingled when she placed a gentle hoof on the Apple Bloom's side. She thanked the mare for the report. The zebra helped Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle move the human onto a table in the back of the underground area.

"What happened, Zecora?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yea, why are there changelings all over the place?" Scootaloo said.

"What's going on?" Apple Bloom said.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders went silent after Zecora held out a hoof.

"Your families had a terrible fear, due to you three being missing for a year. One day, you three came back from nowhere. It was as if you appeared out of thin air. What we didn't realize is that when you came back, it was meant to shroud the Changeling Queen's vicious attack." Zecora said. Her hooves pressed against the human's soft skin. She raised an eyebrow, "This creature is unlike any I have seen. Where did you three go? Where have you been?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle pointed at their fellow crusader who exhaled a deep sigh. Apple Bloom cleared her throat.

Zecora's ears perked up. She hung on Apple Bloom's each word of the otherworldly tale while pressing on several spots of the strange patient's body. Her eyes honed in on the injured individual's right arm. Bits of dirt and mud were rubbed off by a clean cloth. The muk removed, two fine marks emitted a faint green glow. The zebra moved closer. Zecora pressed her hoof against the wound. She recoiled when the human groaned and arched its back.

Sweetie Belle nodded. She floated two vial towards Zecora who poured the green and brown liquids on top of a few strands of grass inside a mortar and pedestal.

Quiet words were muttered under a hushed breath.

The human screamed. Sweetie Belle pushed down on the individual with her magic while Scootaloo and Apple Bloom restrained their friend's arms. After several, frustrating moments, the room fell silent, and the human went still.

With the herbal salve rubbed onto the wound, Apple Bloom helped Zecora bandage the individual's right arm.

"The changelings use a powerful poison to incapacitate their prey, and then drag those poor souls to a place I dare not say. Though it may be harmless to ponykind, I'm not sure if the same can be said of its kind." Zecora said. She approached her patient and brushed her hoof against several muddied spots. Her eyes widened. The deep sigh she exhaled was followed by several words said in her native tongue. She cleaned her hooves. "We will have to wait and see, but I fear it has committed a terrible deed."

"Apple Bloom, you ok over there?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yea, just tired. Ah meant to ask you and Scoots somethin'. Did ya'll understand what our friend said, back where we found ya?" Apple Bloom said. She raised an eyebrow at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle who shook their heads at her. "Ah guess Ah'm still the only one it can understand. All Ah remember is that awful sound. Next thing was seein' the human in the mud."

"What it did in that fight, it was something that isn't right. Before you ask, dear Apple Bloom, I do not know where the others have gone. I am sad to say that things have gone quite wrong." Zecora said. She traveled a short distance towards a nearby table with the Cutie Mark Crusaders in toe. Eyes scanned the map of Equestria dotted by several red X's, circles, and dots covered the map of Equestria. At the map's heart, a strange symbol was placed over Canterlot.

Many have sought out places to hide. Several of them coming from across Equestria, far and wide. What you see are dark times, my three ponies. Queen Chrysalis has returned and seeks vengeance against stallions, mares, colts, foals, and fillies. The changeling ruler has strengthened her group, now commanding a fearsome troop. She plans to drain all of Equestria's love and leave nothing but husks. I fear her plan may succeed at the coming of this month's final dusk.

"Huh?" Scootaloo said said.

"Reports suggest that Chrysalis is influencing your lunar princess. She hopes the alicorn's power will aid in her success." Zecora said.

"Draining Princess Luna's power?" Scootaloo said.

"Is it even possible for changelings to siphon a pony's power and use it against them?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Though it is hard to tell, we're certain she's using a powerful spell. She may be influencing Princess Luna to commit terrible acts, ones that leave us little time to prepare a counter-attack. The power to invade dreams and terrorize us all, I dare say such a thing will truly make this land fall." Zecora said.

"..."

Apple Bloom's ears perked up, and she placed a blanket over the human. Her heavy eyes crept open and closed several times. The filly laid her head on the human's hand.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo yawned as well. The duo moved towards Apple Bloom and laid near her.

Zecora lifted the top of a nearby box. "We must rest our bodies and minds, my little fillies. The same goes for your 'human' friend and these ponies. However, you should eat something first. Here, be sure to quench your thirst."

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle rubbed their eyes. The trio thanked Zecora before they nibbled on some pieces of fruit, collected from the forest. In the time that passed, the group shared more of their stories with their zebra friend, and the miraculous world they called a temporary home. Words were thrown around that once sounded foreign to them about "Computers" and "Polymers," however, the trio stopped when they thought about what happened one day when they watched the "TV" in the family room. The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned to one another. They looked at their friend on the table.

"You remember that 'incident,' Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yea. The human said they weren't like that other one on the TV, but..." Scootaloo said.

"Ah get ya, Scoots. What did our friend do back there with those two changelings?" Apple Bloom said.

Zecora grabbed some blankets and gave them to the sleepy fillies. "What has been done cannot be undone. Now please, get some rest and sleep well. Tomorrow, I have more of the story to tell. I will be awake at the rising of the sun."

"Ok," The Cutie Mark Crusaders yawned in unison. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo stretched. All of them rested on the ground near their friend.

After the fillies closed their eyes, Zecora smirked. She placed blankets over the fillies and smiled at them, however, her right hoof trembled when she gazed at the human that slumbered on the table. "What you three call a friend, it may be Equestria's true end."

Author's Note

Would have had this chapter out sooner, but RL has come into play. I won't have a lot of time to write stories. With that said, I will do my best to try and pump out some chapters to keep up my writing.

A foe to remember

The gentle waves washed onto the lone island's dark shoreline before they receded into the vast ocean. Sand along the beach sparkled while the water shimmered in the beautiful light of the stars that dotted the sky. Tree limbs moved about in a fluid motion. This place, my own little paradise, always made the woes of the world melt away.

"..."

It took the right land of the dice to make this world appear. Even when I could find this world within my dreams, it felt all too brief. I guess it could be likened to a person trying to catch air with their bare hands.

Funny, the sand almost felt real for a second. Well, dreams are dreams, and nothing more. At least this is a peaceful dream,... and now my island paradise is gone, figures. The dice land just right to make this world appear and it vanishes.

"..."

What was it Alice said in that book? "Curiouser and Curiouser" or something like that when she fell down that hole in the ground. Why would I even dream about a place like this? These trees don't seem natural.

The further I go, the more I seem to be lost, and this is starting to creep me out. All of these things almost have a texture to them. The tree bark, the dirt, even the leather harness to this weird wagon loaded down with apples. Need one heck of a horse to pull this thing.

Crap! Now I'm glad this is just a dream. It would have hurt like hell if one of those damn apples fell from that height and nailed me on the head.

"..."

Though my arm started to feel cold, things grew worse when this farmhouse came out of nowhere.

"We're too late." a voice said.

Behind the house were five crosses staked into the ground, an apple shaped emblem carved into them. That little filly I came to know about on Earth buried her head into her hooves. Her front hoof muffled her voice to an inaudible point. Apple Bloom gazed at me. Those tears ran down her face. She didn't whine, sob, or wail. Unlike a child, all the filly did was lay there curled up into a ball as her tears continued to stream down her cheek, sparkling in the starlight. One sniffle or two would escape the near silent filly.

"Apple Bloom?" I said. Some sensation gnawed at me. It urged me to go closer. As I sat down near Apple Bloom, I placed my hand on her head. "I'm right here. What's wrong?"

"I should have stayed away. I should have stayed away from Twilight's castle, from that stupid contraption. The changelings wouldn't have invaded if we stayed here." Apple Bloom said. Her right hoof batted my hand away before she darted towards the farmhouse and slammed her back-hooves into its side. "It's all mah fault!"

It reminded me of the first time we met on earth. All Apple Bloom wanted was to go home. Time and again she said it. Even when her friends came and they were stuck with her, the trio all wanted to come back home. A little part of me now sympathized with her. I wanted to get out of this place, out of Equestria and return to my world, however, another part of me asked why I should even go back to that hell hole.

I placed my hand on Apple Bloom's head when she laid near me once more. The two of us looked at the stars above. Behind us, I caught a quick glimpse of the moon starting to rise. In a calm tone I said, "Apple Bloom, I don't know what's going on right now. One thing I can do is assure you that this can't be real. It's not real until we confirm it with our own eyes."

Apple Bloom wiped away her tears. She gave a slight nod, and then her eyes widened as the crosses turned to dust. The dust blew away on a fierce wind. "Where's Princess Luna? Why isn't she helping me deal with this -- we gotta wake up. Right now! She's under Queen Chrysalis's spell."

That name made me chuckle for a second. It sounded like a cartoon character reject from that lame theme park in Fl with the mouse. Ooo, so spooky and scary. I hope the "bad" ol' queen doesn't get us, heh.

"Apple Bloom, I think we're ok, but, you have to tell me, what is going on. This tree bark feels way too real for this to be a dream. Who's this Princess Luna you keep talking about? You never really told me about the 'princesses' from Equestria." I said before Apple Bloom latched onto my leg.

"..."

"That was some whinny. " I said.

The sound of jingling chains echoed. In an instant, the moon vanished.

"Ah didn't think humans could do magic." Apple Bloom said.

"We can't. Dreams are the one place we can let our imaginations run wild." I said, standing up. It'd be nice if I did have magic, but I'm just a stupid human in a world filled with magic wielding, unfathomably strong creatures. I bet even a newborn foal could kick the crap out of me without breaking a sweat. "So, you going to introduce me to the freak?"

Apple Bloom raised her eyebrow at me. "That's Princess Luna, and she's not a freak."

The moon reappeared, and n front of me, near eye level, stood what could be described as a mythical creature. This thing had to be a good five foot, six inches to stand near eye level with me. Of course, I'm a five foot, seven inch nothing in my world, so, I guess I can't really say anything.

"No need to get snotty. I was just looking. " I said. The freak didn't have to slap my hand. I just wanted to look at those wings. "What's it saying?"

"Ah don't know. She's acting weird." Apple Bloom said. She collapsed to the ground. Her hooves pressed against her head, "Make it stop!"

"Apple Bloom!" I said. The filly's eyes remained shut while she kept screaming. "What's it doing to you?!"

"Ah... can't... stop her. It's like Ah'm watchin' TV back in your world." Apple Bloom said.

My fist met the "princess's" face. Her whinny echoed while she flew through the air, almost comically, and then went silent. The freak made a crater when she hit the side of the mountain in the distance.

"Ah'm... ok. Ah think she's trying to find out where we're at right now. We have ta wake up. Princess Luna watches over dreams. There's no tellin' what she can do to us." Apple Bloom said. She poked me in the right leg, "What's wrong?"

"No," I said.

Though a cold sensation washed over me, I had to be mistaken when those thin wisps of blue smoke came from the ground. The smoke moved around like it was alive. There's no way. It's impossible.

"We gotta move." Apple Bloom said to me. Though she tugged on my hand, my body refused to move. "Princess Luna is coming back."

There's no mistake. Those wisps of smoke tried to choke me in that dream I had back on Earth. Princess Luna tried to kill me.

"Round two?" I said when the creature merged from the blue smoke. It stepped toward me then glanced at Apple Bloom. The creature's gaze turned toward me when I thrust my hand in front of the filly. "Try me and see what happens."

Dark hooves moved about in a fluid motion over the dirt in front of me and Apple Bloom.

Several lines materialized. The moon rose overhead then stopped at its peak.

"Ah don't get it. It's like she can't talk right now." Apple Bloom said. Her eyes scanned the kiddy-esk drawings in the dirt. "Sorry, Princess Luna. Ah still don't get it."

"Hey, whoa there. Back off. I'm into humans, not equines." I said as the princess crept towards me, her face flushed. O crap, she's coming closer. Why can't I move? "Back Off... now..."

It's almost serene. The blue light from that horn.

"... a..." Princess Luna said

"What?" I said

"... as...." Princess Luna said. Her horn began to glow in a fiercer light. It had to be her voice that resonated within my mind. "Assistance."

The light from that thing's horn almost blinded me. My head wanted to split open. An entity bored its way into my mind. That light grew brighter and brighter till an image solidified in front of me. From that image, I found it doubtful doubtful anyone could classify that thing as an Equine the way those grotesque holes doted its legs. Thousands of those things from the swamp flew overhead, darkening the background. So that's Queen Chrysalis.

"Gotcha." Apple Bloom said.

Yup, that hurt. This isn't a regular dream.

"Heh, when did you get so tall." I said to the pony that towered above me. Apple Bloom propped me against a tree. She spread out a wing to cover me. "I know they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but you seriously want to look like the freak over there?"

"Hey, they're not freaks. Besides, we gotta find a way to wake up. Ah can feel Princess Luna tryin' to look through my memories." Apple Bloom said. When a dark image descended from the sky, her jaw dropped. Queen bitch made her grand entrance and glared at the pony near me, the creature's teeth glinting in the light of the moon. "Queen Bug Breath."

"You can kiss my ass before I'll kiss that hoof." I said when "Queen Bug Breath" thrust a dark hoof towards me."

"..."

"Hiss at me all you want." I said. I found myself thankful Apple Bloom knocked her away. If Princess Luna is indeed in charge of dreams, there's no telling of that hoof coming near my throat would have killed me.

"You stay right there and rest. This is mah fight." She said. The now transformed filly plowed into Queen Chrysalis and knocked the ugly thing through several trees.

I wanted to destroy this creature, like I did those two changelings back in the swamp. I wanted to hang this thing from the highest tree limb after it struck Apple Bloom. What I wanted never came to pass.

Apple Bloom fought with every ounce of strength she had. Both her and Queen Bitch went at it harder and harder. The two of them tore up the landscape. Trees were flung to the far horizon. Rocks, stones, and a small boulder were tossed about like snowballs. Through it all, neither of them gained or lost ground.

My arms refused to move as Princess Luna came closer. Though I could feel the fear mounting inside of me, what existed didn't really care. "Just kill me and get it over with."

The sword Princess Luna materialized was unfathomable. I'd expect it to be some mythical weapon in a videogame the way it looked. Whatever the sword's power, I couldn't protect myself.

Queen Chrysalis slammed into Princess Luna. The two of them whinnied and whined before they stood back up.

"I'm so useless." I said.

"She's gotta be keepin' us here." Apple Bloom said.

"Look out!" I shouted. Apple Bloom slammed her back-hooves into a boulder just in time before it squashed us. Helpless couldn't describe my state, but things made sense. The longer I looked at the princess, the more I realized her horn was still glowing, brighter than ever. In that moment, I had enough. I didn't care what happened to me, but I would be damned if I let these two pieces of garbage hurt that pony. "Apple Bloom. Cover your ears."

"Why?" Apple Bloom said. Her eyes widened when the weapon materialized in my hand. She reverted to her true form, and then disappeared.

"I hope she's awake." I said. The flash of light reflected off the nearby trees. The sound rung out across the landscape. Again and again the boisterous sounds came until the two backed off, Queen Chrysalis sporting a few more additional holes. "So you did try to kill me back on Earth, you fucker!"

The glow around the princess's horn diminished. What force held me back vanished. Princess Luna quivered when I waved the weapon in front of her. She cringed when I bashed Queen Chrysalis aside with the pistol's butt. Several times I struck Queen Chrysalis with the weapon.

The reflection in Queen Chrysalis's eyes stopped me before I made another strike.

Green blood dripped from the gun. When I staggered backwards, the world shifted to a landscape covered in crosses, tombstones, and charred bones. Bits and pieces of a shattered castle were strewn about the area. A cloaked figure stood near a small hole and gazed at the landscape. It held up the skull of a pony before burying it into the shallow grave. In a guttural, teary tone the lone figure said, "What have I done..."

My two enemies appeared frozen in place. Queen Chrysalis remained still on the ground near my feet; not a single part of her twitched or moved.

The desolate world vanished, giving rise to a voided one. With the moon overhead once more, Queen Chrysalis shot up and stood near Princess Luna. Two sets of horrified eyes gazed at me. Hooves dug into the non-existent ground the closer I came.

A tear crawled down Princess Luna's cheek when I raised the gun then pulled the gun's hammer back. Her lower lip quivered. She looked away as I pointed the gun at Queen Chrysalis. I slammed Chrysalis against floor near my right foot, planting it hard against her neck. The gun's barrel targeted the misshapen equine.

The bullet froze in mid air. A calm, strong blue light reflected off the gun before it vanished.

"Wake up!" a strong voice called to me.

Whatever force bound me to that world began to vanish, along with the world itself. I pointed a stern finger at the shaken ruler on the ground, "Harm them, and you'll die."

My threatening gesture didn't go unnoticed.

I collapsed. The mythical struck its target. As the hilt of that mythical weapon stuck out of my chest, my eyes grew heavier, my body cold. Both equines towered above me. In that instance, I could almost understand one of them saying "they'll be taken" before the last bit of energy I had gave out.

Courageous Hearts CMCs

Bit-by-bit, the small bead of water ran down a stalactite until it reached the rocky formation's tip. The water's slow, steady drip into a pot of water remained inaudible to the slumbering ponies in the underground refuge, which lay beneath the Ever Free Forest.

As time marched forward, light in the refuge grew dimmer as the flames in the clay pots near the corners of the main room died down. Ever-so-often, Zecora opened a cautious eye, while she slumbered, before closing it. Though her trained eye scanned the room, it focused on the three friends she once considered lost.

"No, no..." Apple Bloom said, mumbling under a hushed breath. A soft hoof brushed against her mane. Her twitching withers and quivering hooves went still.

Zecora's crossed hooves soon gave way, and her eyes opened. Soft hooves guided the tired equine towards the table where her patient rested.

"Ma'am?" A mare said, rubbing her eyes after she came from a side room.

"She just had a fright. I'm sure Apple Bloom is alright." Zecora said in a quiet tone. Her hoof retracted as Apple Bloom shot up. "Apple Bloom, there is no need for alarm. No pony here wishes to do you harm."

The slight haze that obscured Apple Bloom's vision began to fade. She placed her front hooves onto the blanket, and then covered her face. Several tears rand down her hooves then landed on the blanket. Apple Bloom's quiet sobs were drowned out by the water dripping into the pot. A moment taken, a deep breath exhaled, Apple Bloom turned to Zecora, "Ah hate... ah hate to say it, but you're right."

Zecora raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? What have you seen?"

"It frightened me somethin' fierce seein' all those," Apple Bloom held her tongue but relented,"... crosses planted around back the Apple Family home. Ah thought mah family was gone. Somehow, our friend came into mah dream and helped me realize what was going on, but Princess Luna just appeared outta nowhere. Things were a lot worse when --"

"Queen Chrysalis!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo screamed in unison.

The sleeping ponies' shot up. Their gazes darted about. A mare clutched onto her small foal while a stallion comforted his two colts. Eight guards emerged from behind two doors in the refuge, all of them clad in makeshift armor.

The mare near Zecora held up her hoof then motioned towards the guards. Her eyes followed the guards who took off their armor and returned to their beds. "Sweetie Belle. Scootaloo. You needn't apologize, but you must be cautious about mentioning Queen Chrysalis. We're all a bit on edge."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo moved closer to Apple Bloom who wiped away a final tear.

"Sorry, we haven't --" the mare yawned, "-- sorry about that. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Subterfuge, part of the Canterlot attaché that reports on threats to Equestria and its allies." the earth pony said. She stretched her hooves before she sat near the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Subterfuge rubbed her tan colored mane. "Things are rather grim since the changelings have near round the clock surveillance. We only have a few, small, opportunistic windows to gather supplies and information when the guards relieve one another."

"This feels like a nightmare." Sweetie Belle said. Her lip quivered as she turned away from her friends. "I was so happy to see my big sister after so long, and then Rarity pinned me to the wall. She said it was my fault the changelings invaded. My body felt so numb when I saw her disappear with Princess Luna standing where she once stood. Queen Chrysalis made it worse before I woke up."

Scootaloo gave a slow nod. "Rainbow Dash said I was to blame for what happened to Equestria. Even said I was a flying failure, and she regretted her decision to help teach me. Talk about low."

"It is a trying time, that can be said. What happens is a true battle when one rests their weary head. Remember to hold onto the precious memories of those who care for you. It is one thing I can assure that always remains close to you." Zecora said, smiling at her three friends. Her vision narrowed. The zebra's friendly expression went stern. In a fluid motion, she moved towards the table where the map rested, opened two small vials, and poured them on top of a crystal in a bowl. The small crystal reflected off her eyes, glowing a faint green color. "This is worse than I could fear. The changelings may be near. It appears that full night has come, and so too have the changeling searches begun."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned their watery gazes towards Zecora. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle wiped away their tears before they thrust their hooves together.

"We will find your sisters. I promise." Subterfuge said. She walked towards Zecora and scanned the map. The earth pony mare sighed.

"They've changed their patterns again. We'll have to regroup to gather more supplies. If you and the others don't need me Lady Zecora, I will retire to my quarters."

Apple Bloom glanced at the human then turned towards Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, "So our friend didn't help ya out?"

"No." Scootaloo said.

"Not me." Sweetie Belle said. Her magic surrounded the small canteen given to her. She gave a final wave towards the mare, "Thanks, Subterfuge."

Subterfuge lowered her head. Her hooves crept along the underground refugee floor. She gazed at the three fillies, giving them a tired grim smile before closing a door behind her.

"Please, excuse the poor mare. What happened to her isn't fair." Zecora said.

"It's alright, Zecora. This can't be easy on anypony. I mean --" Scootaloo stopped.

The occupants of the underground refuge backed away. Their hooves tore into the dirt as they bolted towards the nearby corners.

"What's wrong?" Sweetie Belle said. Sparks dripped from her horn. Sweat poured from her forehead. She latched onto the human's legs. "Quick, get the arms."

Subterfuge bolted out of her room.

"Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo said, latching onto the human's other arm.

"Why ya think ah know -- wait, Princess Luna made something appear in the dream." Apple Bloom said. She released the arm and watched her friend paw at its chest. "Ah don't know what to do."

"Quick, there is no time to sit and think. Take this potion and force your friend drink." Zecora said. Her hooves wrapped around the human's arm that had wriggled free of Subterfuge's grasp. She breathed a sigh of relief. "That potion will buy us some time. It should help us to understand to do in the meantime."

Apple Bloom looked over her friend, from top to bottom. Her eyes focused on the center human's chest. "Nothin. There's not a thing there. We can't fix somethin' we can't even see."

"To make this problem end, I must know what ails your friend." Zecora said.

Step-by-step, Apple Bloom recounted the dream, from discovering the crosses to the human entering her dream. Flames coming from the pots in the corner of the refuge grew dimmer. Subterfuge retrieved two fresh pots from a crate, lit them, and then placed them into the corners.

Zecora rub a slow, gentle hoof against her chin, "I've not heard of such a powerful artifact. That is an absolute and undeniable fact. Can you give a description, or perhaps a depiction?"

Sweetie Belle relinquished her magical grasp from the human's legs. She gazed at her friends. "Be nice if we had Twilight's library. Bet we'd find a book or two about it."

The twig in Apple Bloom's hoof moved around in a fluid motion. "Ah can't really draw it, but what Ah remember is that it looked like a weapon somethin' a ghost would used."

"It looked like a ghost?" Scootaloo said.

"You mean ghost-like? Was it like glass?" Sweetie Belle said.

Apple Bloom motioned with her hooves, "Kinda like this, and it wasn't like glass. There were stars and stuff in it. Whatever that thing is Crusaders, it ain't good. We need to go into our friend's dream. We gotta help them fight off Princess Luna and Queen Chrysalis."

Zecora shook her head then stood up. She dabbed away several beads of sweat from her patient's forehead, and then looked over them.

"You're not gonna help us?" Sweetie Belle said.

"What you ask of me, it's beyond my ability. It's not possible for me to go directly into a pony's dream, however, there may be some information to gleam." Zecora said. She pointed a steady hoof at Apple Bloom.

"Yea, that's right. Our friend didn't come to our dreams." Scootaloo said.

The room remained silent while the fillies and their zebra friend sat close to one another. Subterfuge walked towards the map where several green dots moved about before they faded away.

Apple Bloom looked up. She trotted towards the map. "How do you find out where they're going?"

"We've managed to mimic changeling magic with several potions made by Zecora. This map, combined with the crystal's imbued by the changeling magic, help us to monitor their activities." Subterfuge said.

"Crystal?" Apple Bloom said. She gazed at the green colored entity. The filly bolted towards her friends. "It's a long shot, but maybe it's that spell. It has to be the one that lets me understand our friend. Zecora, can you make a potion to tap into the spell from that crystal Twilight used to make the portal machine?"

Zecora placed a hoof over Apple Bloom's shoulder, "You should know as well as I there is no easy fix. I cannot just 'whip something up' with magic being more than mere parlor tricks. Though that is said," Zecora raised her head, "I will find an answer where some may say there is none, and we may yet be able to undo the tragedy that has been done."

Subterfuge walked alongside Zecora. She moved into an adjacent room where several bottles resided on shelves with a cauldron near a back rock wall.

Zecora pulled bottle after bottle from the shelves. Several words in her native zebra, tribal tongue escaped her lips with each bottle opened. Her hoof latched onto a vial and hovered it above the black cauldron. Thick smoke rose into the air, channeled into the glass vial where it condensed into a pale colored liquid. Two more words spoken, three more bottles opened, Zecora produced a vial of green liquid made. She and Subterfuge emerged from the makeshift alchemical laboratory. In a stern voice, the zebra said, "As you three might suspect, this concoction deserves the utmost respect. This brew is used by my tribe to channel our thoughts together for meditation, being used to help bring about a deep, deep sedation. If it is used in the wrong way, its helpful nature can betray."

"So, it'll be more hurtful than helpful?" Apple Bloom said, and then turned towards Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "Sure ya want to go through with this? There's no shame in backin' out."

"Earth or Equestria, Cutie Mark Crusaders stick together." Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said.

Apple Bloom opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Her body shivered. "Taste worst than one of Granny's home remedies."

"Gah! Tastes like Rainbow Dash's gym bag." Scootaloo said. She shook her head, "Don't ask."

Subterfuge grasped the vial given to her by Zecora and placed a single drop of liquid on the zebra's tongue.

Sweetie Belle crossed her hooves. She sat on Zecora's left with Scootaloo on Zecora's right. The three equines faced Apple Bloom who sat near her friend's side.

As the group closed their eyes, thin wisps of colored smoke came from Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Zecora. The spider-web thin strands of ethereal mist snaked through the air. The streams grew stronger and stronger. Each stream hit its mark, piercing through Apple Bloom's chest towards the human that lay on the table. A final stream of smoke left Apple Bloom's forehead and gravitated towards her injured friend.

"Celestia protect you all." Subterfuge said.

*** *** ***

"Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Zecora?" Apple Bloom said.

"Yea, this is way weird." Scootaloo said.

"Kinda creepy, too." Sweetie Belle said.

"We must remember that we're in the world of dreams, and must take heed to remember not everything is as it seems." Zecora said.
Four sets of eyes had thrust open to an ocean of white sand that stretched towards a vast dark horizon. Clouds of fine dust blew across the infinite space of the world, a crescent moon overhead illuminating the landscape.

As the crescent moon ascended, the small group trudged across the grainy white sand through the dust clouds. Several creatures roamed by the group. Moments came where Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Zecora took shelter behind dead trees and rocks, avoiding the giant entities that meandered by them.

Apple Bloom scooped up a pile of sand. The grains in her hoof swirled about, soon turning into her sister's beloved hat. She placed the hat on the ground, and it turned back into sand. "If this is a dream, why don't we just fly there?"

"We shouldn't arouse suspicion, bringing our group undo attention." Zecora said. Her vision narrowed. The three fillies by her side, she pointed a hoof towards the horizon, "Though it just begun, our trek is almost done."

The Cutie Mark Crusaders' eyes widened.

At its apex, the crescent moon's light illuminated a sleek black castle that materialized from the void. Dark ramparts ran along towers that jutted toward the endless sky. Small lights flickered into, and out of, existence in the stone windows. Stone guards patrolled the fortress, each having different lunar shapes carved into their chests.

Zecora pulled the Cutie Mark Crusaders behind her. She materialized a boulder in front of her from the sand. Her nervous gaze peered around the corner of the strong rock.

The lunar stone guard near the fortress gates peered towards her location. Its eyes focused on the rock, and then relented.

"I'll need to recant that decision. We need to use this world's provisions." Zecora said, rolling her eyes. Grains of sand formed into a cloak materialized that surrounded her body. She closed her eyes. She let out a slow, quiet breath. Her eyes opened, the cloak surrounded the zebra and her friends. Zecora latched onto the three fillies. Within the cloak's darkness, the group slipped by several guards and flew towards a balcony. "This appears to be the heart of the fortress, perhaps the epicenter of your friend's distress."

The world hallways remained silent, akin to the hooves crept along the royal blue carpet. Rows of statues lined the room. Nervous, immeasurable minutes ticked by with each step taken. The group stopped.

Zecora's face went pale. She attempted to cover the fillies with her cloak, but found herself too late. Her vision glanced to the side as she bit down on her lip. "With all of my strength and might, I wish this image was gone from your sight."

Slight coughs and random, semi-heavy groans resonated down the hallway. Long hair covered the human's face. Heavy iron shackles bound the wounded creature to wall above a dark throne, an ethereal weapon rammed through its chest.

"I must say," Princess Luna emerged from behind the throne, "your 'friend' put up a rather impressive fight."

Faint wisps of blue smoke emerged from beneath Princess Luna's hooves while she advanced towards the group.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders came forth. Each filly remained firm with Zecora standing equally firm behind them.

Princess Luna. "How charming, that foul zebra witch is with you. Do you know how long this little annoyance has eluded my sight?"

"Not long enough, rogue one. We have come --" Zecora's body stiffened.

"You forget your place, commoner!" Princess Luna said, her horn aglow in a fierce dark-blue light. She wrapped her magical grasp around the zebra's body. The aura around Zecora constricted tighter and tighter. "What power you possess in reality is non-existent within the realm of dreams: a domain I rule over and command with an iron hoof."

Sweetie Belle galloped forward. She bowed, and then placed her hooves together. "Please stop this, Princess Luna. Please! Our friend isn't the enemy, nor are we."

"You're wrong, young filly. I have seen it with my own eyes. My beloved sister -- one whom I trusted -- plotted against Equestria. Queen Chrysalis is our savior. The Queen and her changelings will usher in a glorious era for Equestria and its ponies." Princess Luna said. She extended a hoof, "You three will be given a chance --" she stopped and looked behind her "-- no. How do you still have this much strength?!"

"Crusaders, go help our friend. Me and Zecora have this." Apple Bloom said. She charged forward on sturdy hooves. The filly slammed into Princess Luna. "Zecora, what do we do?"

"This is her territory in which to fight. We must outlast the pony's precious night." Zecora said.

A black cloak of stars materialized over Princess Luna's body. Her ethereal mane flowed in the windless room. "You little fools have no idea the power you toy with."

"That's for imitating my sister!" Sweetie Belle said. She shielded herself and her friends from the bits and pieces of debris that were scattered all over the place from the shattering throne. "We'll beat you and take our friend home with us. You just watch us!"

"No pony, no friend gets left behind." Scootaloo said, flying towards her friend chained against the wall. She latched onto the sword's hilt, and then flew backwards. The filly slammed into a wall before hitting the floor with a loud thud.

Princess Luna sneered. "Rethea is my weapon. It heeds my commands. That weapon will stay in place, pinning that thing to that wall."

An eerie silence blanketed the room, which caused Princess Luna's ears to twitch. Her lower lip quivered. She turned behind her.

"..."

The sound reached the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and then Zecora.

"Is... our friend laughing?" Scootaloo said.

"Sweet Celestia that is one creepy laugh." Sweetie Belle said.

Princess Luna's front hooves began to quiver. She gazed at the human. Her magical aura surrounded the sword, pushing against the hilt. "You laugh... you dare laugh at me. Fool, I will see to it that -- no!"

The sword's hilt clanged against the sturdy stone floor. A deafening scream resonated throughout the stone structure. Four shackles broken, the human dropped to the ground.

"..."

"Whatever that 'creature' said, it will not interfere with the plan of the queen." Princess Luna said.

Sweetie Belle pointed a hoof towards her opponent, "Our friend said you can let us all go or face a nightmare ten times worse than anything you've faced before."

"Yea!" Scootaloo said.

"You two understood our friend?" Apple Bloom said.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded.

Princess Luna remained firm. She smirked as the creature bellowed. Before she could float Rethea to her side, it fell to the ground. The princess clawed at her throat. "R-rel-ease me!"

The human pressed against Princess Luna's throat. Its determined hand latched onto her wing. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Zecora's hooves gave out from underneath them. A second snap caused their eyes to widen. The human's leg muscle's flexed. It pushed the equine harder and harder against the ground with its foot, causing several cracks to form in the stone floor.

Sand wafted through the window. The snow-white grains coalesced in the human's hand. The sights of a silvery weapon were pointed at the princess's head.
The weapon clicked. A finger was placed on a half-circle shape.

"No! Don't do it!" Apple Bloom tugged on the human's arm. She flew backwards, caught by Zecora. "Please, don't do it. You're our friend. You're not like that."

"..."

"Apple Bloom told us that you said to her you're not like that human back in your world. Aren't you the one who said to her that said violence isn't the only answer?" Scootaloo said.

"...!"

"I'm not about to release you from my clasp, not after victory is assuredly within our grasp." Zecora said. The tendrils from her cloak wrapped around the human's leg, neck, and arms. She pulled the human closer. Tense moments passed as the zebra reeled in the target of the rescue. Hooves pounded against the ground. She raced towards Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. She latched onto the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Princess Luna gasped for non-existent air. Her wings snapped back into place. She watched the group vanish into the horizon, and then felt them disappear from her world. "Heed my warning well, for we must tread on cautious hooves. That creature, that 'human' is far more dangerous than anything I've encountered with my sister. It will kill you, given the chance."

"No matter. I have what I need, and this 'human' is a rather fascinating. It's time we met, face-to-face." A voice said.

Author's Note

Sorry for the late chapter. School work leaves little time to write between studying, exams, calculations, and such. Be nice if I had a pocket twilight that could help me out. Anyways, I hope you like the chapter update. If something is off, give me a heads up so I can correct it and learn from the mistake. :scootangel: