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.