Revolutionary

My body feels weightless and cold, and I can hear next to nothing. I try to move my legs, but it proves pointless as they’ve gone completely numb. I struggle to open my eyes to utter darkness, however, I notice a small, pulsing orb of light float by. A jellyfish displaying an array of color drifts near my face, and soon, many more of them appear in the darkness. Realizing that I must be under water, I hold my breath as I frantically look all around me for some sort of clue as to where or how deep I must be. Slowly regaining feeling in my legs, I press my hooves against my mouth to desperately keep the air from escaping my mouth. I can feel myself already losing the ability to hold in my breath, and unable to resist the urge any longer, I let go and suck in a deep breath. As I accept my fate, I find no water has filled my lungs. Instead, I’m able to breathe as if all this water is indeed air. My eyes are suddenly attracted to a bright, blue glow in the distance behind the jellyfish. Then, like a swarm, they all cultivate around the mysterious glow. I watch as a luminescent figure approaches me as the jellyfish gleefully cluster around it. As soon as the figure is close enough, I am stunned to find that it is in fact a mare.

In shock, I look in awe at the light-blue glow of her coat. Her eyes don’t appear to have pupils, and glow a bright pink. Her glowing, minty-green mane flows freely in the water, and a smile spreads across her face. “There’s no need to be afraid, Maple. I mean you no harm,” says the mare in a voice so angelic, that I can swear it makes my heart and soul flutter. With every word she speaks, it seems to reverberate all around me.

“How. . . How do you know my name?” I ask.

“I know everything that flows through my waters. You, my dear, appear to be lost.”

“Am . . . Am I dead?”

“No, no, no. I can assure you that you are alive and well.”

“And . . . the others!” I gasp as I come to the realization that they are nowhere to be seen. “W-What happened to them?”

“Shh. . .” The mare puts her hoof under my chin. “Your friends are also in good health. They’re worried about you at the moment, but you’ll return to them soon enough.”

“Then . . . where am I? What is all this?”

“This is our home, Maple. It’s where I, along with every other creature of the sea, lives in perfect harmony. Do you like it?” She giggles as one of the jellyfish floats away from the group and dances crazily near her face. It then swims over near me, and I find myself lost in amusement and admiration of the small, yet beautifully glimmering creature.”

“It’s amazing.”

“Why, thank you! Oh, I only wish you could see it during the day. The beautiful reefs, and rays of sunlight that pierce through the surface of the sea. It’s truly a sight to behold. . . You know, you’re the first pony I’ve come across in quite some time. It feels . . . wonderful to be able to speak to somepony. You’re lucky that I found you just in time. The sea has been gradually slipping from my control, thus causing the havoc you’ve seen above.”

“Wait, so . . . who are you?”

“My name?” The mare’s smile disappears as she ponders to herself. “I . . . I haven’t thought about that in such a long time. If I’m going to be completely honest, Maple, I’m just as clueless as you are. However, I do know that all those that live off the land call me ‘The Spirit of The Sea’.”

“Spirit of The Sea?”

“I know, it’s not the most prestigious of names, but it’s all I have. Although, it does make it easier to set the rest of us apart.”

“You mean . . . there’s more like you?”

“Of course!” She beams. “You have The Spirit of The Sky, and The Spirit of The Wood as well! Speaking of which, I can sense that they’re in a great deal of pain. Tell me, what is happening to the world above?”

“It’s . . . it’s horrible! The-The trees, the grass—it’s all . . . dying. And the skies are always gray and storming. I’m worried that eventually all of Equestria will just. . .” I trail off, unable to find the correct word to describe the future I imagine for this land.

“So, it’s worse than I imagined. I can’t imagine what it must be like for your kind, Maple. Then it is a blessing our paths have crossed.”

“Why is that?”

“I can sense the struggle within you. Not only with your home and your peers, but your family as well. This is all too much for your heart to handle, and I would like to help put your heart at ease.”

“How?”

“You strive to fight for what you believe in, and that is truly admirable. Never lose that. For it will guide you through many hardships to come in the near future. Hardships not only for you, but for your friends as well.”

“What do you mean? What’s going to happen to us?” Suddenly, I can feel the water current picking up in speed.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid our time together is coming to end.” My body begins drifting away from The Spirit of The Sea, and no amount of kicking and fighting can free me from the water current.

“Wait! But there’s so much more I have to say! Things I need to know!”

“Perhaps we’ll speak again! Until then, know that from this day onward, I will assist you in your quest however I can! For now, you are needed elsewhere!” From behind the spirit, a huge school of silver-scaled fish erupt and swim towards me. The envelop me, circling my body like a twister at impeccable speed. “Find the other two spirits, Maple! They will be able to assist you further!” Before I can utter another word, the glow from the mare vanishes, and my vision slowly blurs to blackness.

My eyelids fly open to the dim light of the sun up above. I can hear the calming sounds of the water washing the shore, and another sound that I haven’t heard in quite some time. The sweet sounds of gulls calling as they fly overhead. I can’t help but smile as I watch these creatures soar gracefully through the air. “Officer!” I hear Harra’s voice call. “Oh, thank the Spirit! You’re alive!” I feel somepony grab and lift me up from the sand. I barely have any energy to stand, and the violent jerking motion causes me to cough up a bit of water. I thought it was Harra who had picked me up so aggressively, but I can see that she, Scrap and the creature are in custody by three deer. Each of them have marks of what appears to be white paint that run across their brown fur in an artistic pattern, and are adorned with large leaves and chunks of bark that have been fashioned into what looks like makeshift armor. I glance to my sides, and see that two other armored deer have me by my forelegs.

“Yeah. . .” Scrap begins. “We’re not ‘completely’ out of trouble yet.”

“W-What?” I stammer. “What’s going on?”

“Quiet!” One of the armored deer snaps as he approaches me. This one appears to have white markings different from the rest. They appear much more prevalent and intricate, leading me to believe he is of a much higher rank than the others. “Judging by that weapon, I’m assuming you belong to the Equestrian Royal Guard.”

“I . . . I did. I was an officer.”

“You see!” Harra joins in. She tries to break free from the deer’s grasp, but is instead pulled back. “She has rescinded her ways! She is no longer a member of their corrupted army!”

“That will be for the chieftain to decide,” says the deer.

“No! You let us go! We have no ill intentions!”

“My apologies, Harra, but we can’t allow this to go on any longer. All of you will be taken to the chieftain, and will move forward from there.” The deer then force us to walk forward, as Harra continues to whimper and struggle to no avail. My body feel too limp and weak to resist, or to even ask any questions. Up ahead, I see a wall of dense, lush lively trees. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a tree so full of life and vibrancy. We move through the brush, as I take in the feeling of the bright-green leaves brushing against my fur. I marvel as I listen to birds of all different types fluttering through the branches high up in the woods, along with squirrels and rabbits skittering across the ground scrounging for nuts and berries. However, my ears are then greeted by a sound I have not heard before. It sounds like a sort of howling sound, almost like a wolf’s howl, but clearly different from the pitch of the call. I hear something moving quickly across the forest floor from bush to bush. My eyes dart crazily trying to spot the animal, but it’s just too fast. Whatever it is, it seems to be staying in one particular bush at the moment. The branches of which shake and shudder as the creature moves about inside. Then, something pops its head out from the leaves. It has blue fur, and rabbit-like ears. Before I can make out any other features, it retreats back into hiding.

“This is gonna be bad, right guys?” Scrap asks the deer that are escorting us. “I mean, there’s no way it’s good . . . is it good?” The deer simply keep their eyes forward without answering a single one of his questions. “You know what? I’ll take that as a maybe. That’s fair to assume, right?” Again, the deer stay silent. “I will take ‘that’ as a maybe as well.”

“Scrap,” the creature begins. “I’m sure the chieftain will have absolutely nothing good to say once he sees us.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to stay optimistic here.”

“Well, I don’t think any amount of optimism is going to get us out of this.”

“Why is it that you are always the negative one? Every time I try to stay positive about something, you have to come in and try to ruin it.”

“Because it’s absurd! How could ‘any’ of this be good?! You’re searching for a way to stay positive when there’s no way at all this can turn out well!”

“I think your negativity brings this team down.”

“I’m only trying to be realistic.”

“Who cares about being ‘realistic’?” Scrap says in a mocking voice. “That, my friend, is why you have no sense of adventure or any amount of imagination.”

“Will you two please stop?!” Harra snaps, as all three of us jolt at the fuming tone of her voice. “None of this is helping matters! I can only imagine what punishment we’re going to receive.”

“See, Orin? Now you’ve freaked out Harra with your pessimism.”

“All of you! Quiet!” The higher ranking deer commands. Without another word spoken, they guide us to quite a splendorous sight. A city of enormous trees, and hundreds of wooden platforms jutting out from their trunks. I can see deer galloping about along such platforms, as well as the rickety, wooden bridges that span from tree to tree. Growing out from the bark of these gigantic trees, are bunches of milky-white mushrooms that range in size from somewhat small, to as big as I am. We walk through blades of grass that reach up to my chin, and all sorts of insects fly out of hiding as they beat their tiny wings. One them hovers near my face, and I find it to be a dragon fly staring at me with its big, glistening eyes. It darts through the air without breaking eye contact with me, and I childishly watch in awe at one of the simplest, but beautiful creatures of the forest. It feels like I’ve been plucked from the present and thrust back to a time where Equestria was full of life such as this.

We come to the largest tree located in the center of this city, and enter through a round doorway that’s been carved into it. Inside, the entire tree has been carved out into a room with two stairways that lead up into another portion of the tree. Humungous leaves with magnificent paintings drawn onto them hang from the walls. Most of them depict what looks like a young deer, gracefully frolicking about as it’s surrounded by birds and butterflies. All of the drawings are made with the same white paint that the guards are wearing, so there isn’t much detail other than the defined shapes of the objects. The rest of the paintings have the same symbol depicting a simple, white leaf. I can only imagine the time and effort that must’ve been put in to create such an elaborate structure. I’m shocked that despite all this renovation to an integral part of the tree, its leaves appear to be as healthy as they can be. We are guided up several sets of stairs and through many different compartments, each of which are decorated with many different tarps and furniture made completely from wood. Without any windows to let in light from outside, there are instead candles hanging from the ceilings in little glass bowls. Passing by other deer inhabiting the tree, they all stop to gawk at me. I watch them glance down at my sword, then mutter to themselves whilst hiding their mouths with their hooves as if they’ve never seen anything like me in their lives. I suppose my weapon is giving them the wrong idea. If only I had time to explain to them what my current situation is, perhaps they’d view me differently. We are led way up the spiraling stairway to another doorway lined with strands of beads and guarded by two more armored deer. Above the door hangs another one of those leaf-shaped symbols, except this one is carved from stone. At the sight of us, they stand aside, allowing us entry.

The following room is lacking any sort of furniture, aside from five, maroon-colored, circular cushions where five deer rest upon. The deer sitting on the center cushion opens his eyes as if he had just been interrupted from some sort of meditation. He’s dressed in a green garment that appears to be nothing more than a simple, rectangular cloth with a hole for his head to fit through. However simple, it is filled with many intricate designs and patterns woven into the cloth. Around his neck is a necklace made with large, round beads and a transparent stone hanging at his chest that looks like it’s been carved straight out from a rock. His antlers are huge compared to the others sitting around him. He, along with the other deer, instantly lock eyes with us. He stands up with a furious look on his face that—when illuminated by the orange glow of the candles hanging from the ceiling—instantly fills me with fear. With a few quick glances to Harra, Scrap and the creature, I can tell they don’t appear too fond of him either. “Leave us,” he says in a deep, mature voice. At his command, the guards that escorted us leave the room. “All of you, step forward.” Reluctantly, we walk forward onto a large, round rug in the center of the room. “Harra, what have you gone and done this time?”

“Father,” Harra quickly begins. “If you’ll just give me a moment to explain—”

“Then please, explain to me why you’ve brought ‘another’ pony to our island. From the looks of her, a member of the Equestrian Royal Guard nonetheless.”

“Father, I swear to you she means us no harm.”

“That’s what you said about ‘this one’.” He turns to Scrap. “And we know all the trouble he’s caused us since his arrival.”

“Guilty as charged,” says Scrap as he stretches out his legs.

“You’ve already brought us a delinquent. Now, you bring us a soldier whose intentions may or may not be harmful. Regardless, she does not belong here.”

“But, Father—”

“You can’t keep bringing whoever you wish to our island, Harra.”

“But she’s renounced her ways! She no longer wishes to be connected to those fiends!”

“Harra, you do wrong to speak badly of them.”

“Why shouldn’t I?! You haven’t seen what I’ve seen!”

“What happens on their land is none of our concern. Our tribe is all that matters to us, and you’ve been violating the treaty we’ve set with the ponies for far too long. I was wrong to believe you wouldn’t dare try a stunt like this again.”

“Father, just listen to yourself! We can’t be so selfish as to just ignore the horrible things that are happening to Equestria! Its inhabitant are miserable and the land is barely keeping itself alive!”

“Watch your tone, my young doe! From this day forward, I’m putting you under close watch.”

“You can’t!”

“Indeed I can. If it means protecting our borders, then I will do what needs to be done.”

“The borders don’t exist anymore, Father! Princess Twilight abolished them just last night!”

“Pardon me,” a voice so infuriatingly familiar, I don’t even need to turn around to know just who has entered the room. “I apologize for interrupting, but I have important matter to discuss with you.”

“And who might I have the pleasure of addressing?” Asks Harra’s father.

“Yes, where are my manners? I am Commander Liaison of the Royal Guard, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” I turn to see Commander Liaison casually stroll in with two royal guards at his side. His eyes shift to me, and a grin spreads across his face: a grin so despicable it makes my blood boil.

“Likewise. What brings you to our island, Commander?”

“Well, I was going to ask if you had any information regarding the whereabouts of a group of troublemakers that have run amok back in Canterlot. However, it appears I am lucky enough to have them all right here. All I need now is to take them back with me so that they can be properly persecuted for their crimes.”

“You are nothing but ‘proper’ scum!” Harra taunts.

“Harra!” Her father yells and stomps his hoof. “Let this stallion speak!”

“Like he’s got anything nice to say,” Scrap adds.

“Not another word out of you, Scrap!” Scrap rolls his eyes and sighs as Harra’s father turns his attention back to Commander Liaison. “My apologies. What crimes do you speak of?”

“The infiltration and severe damage to the castle, assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and assisting in a prisoner’s escape.” Harra’s father’s eyes widen with shock at Commander Liaison’s list, and reluctantly looks to Harra.

“Father, please, just let me explain—” Harra tries to speak up.

“There’s no need for explaining,” says Harra’s father. “I think I’ve heard quite enough. Now, Commander, I words cannot express how regretful I am to have allowed this all to pass.”

“Father, he’s toying with you!” Harra claims. “He’s trying to make you believe that ‘we’re’ the ones in the wrong! He was attacking this mare, and we saved her!”

“I was merely trying to subdue the escapee, Miss,” Commander Liaison says kindly.

“Wait. . .” says Harra’s father. “The prisoner the commander speaks of . . . is this mare you’ve brought to our island?!”

“Father, you’re not listening—!” Harra attempts to explain.

“Oh, I’ve been listening; and after all that I’ve heard, I want this mare removed from this island immediately.”

“With pleasure,” says Commander Liaison.

“No!” Harra shouts. “Father, you’re making a mistake! The princess has already abolished the borders! Once he takes her away, they’ll surely come and commandeer our home!”

Commander Liaison chuckles. “Silly girl, the princess has done no such thing. Your borders most certainly remain intact. Such a dastardly thought would never cross our minds.”

“You lie! We all bore witness to what she said! Father, you have to believe us!”

“I believe. . .” Harra’s father begins. “That this has gone on long enough.”

“What?”

“Commander, you may take your prisoner back with you.”

“Thank you, sir. However, I’m afraid I will be needing to place all four of them under arrest.” I can feel the situation slowly slipping from Harra’s grasp. It’s clear that she cannot get through to her father, and without another voice to back her story, this is surely going to end badly. The urge to speak out has been building up inside of me since Commander Liaison opened his mouth. If I don’t at least try, I’ll hate myself for it if this conversation continues its downward plunge.

“May I say something?” I ask.

“I don’t think we need to hear anything from the likes of you,” says Harra’s father.

“Why not?!” says Harra. “She’s been kind enough to let all this false accusation fill the room, what harm can granting her a few words do? Everyone is entitled to a chance to defend themselves in court, right? Why not now?” Harra’s father sighs while pondering to himself.

“Very well,” he says. Commander Liaison looks to me with a pitiful look on his face, and the others are relived by her father’s decision. “You there.” He points his hoof at me. “Step forward.”

“Good luck,” Scrap whispers to me.

“Make this moment count, Officer,” the creature also whispers to me. I emerge from the group, my heart trembling as I try to find a place to start. I nervously clear my throat, while everypony in the room patiently waits.

“Sir,” I begin.

“‘Chief’ will do just fine,” says Harra’s father.

“Chief . . . my name is Maple. I know all of this is happening rather quickly, trust me, I feel the same way; but let me just start by saying that I understand where you’re coming from. You’re protective of your daughter, just like my father; and I wish there was some way to prove to you that everything she says is true. Our princess is not the same as she once was. She’s turned our once bright and cheerful home into a cesspool of fear and sadness. Ponies barely have enough resources to take care of themselves, and the Royal Guard has such a tight grip around all of our throats that we’re suffocating. Our land is slowly dying, and I can tell you that I know for certain that it’s ‘her’ doing. Her new laws have been driving every village deeper into poverty, and she’s been splitting families apart for months now. I’ve seen husbands, wives and children scream and cry because their family members have been taken away to who knows where. How would you feel if you were taken away from your daughter, and nothing you said or did could bring you back to her? How would she feel if she ever lost you?” The chief looks to Harra, then back to me as he takes in what I’ve said.

“I know what it’s like,” I continue. “Princess Twilight has taken away both of my parents, and can’t stop myself from imagining what could possibly be happening to them as this very moment. For all I know, it might even be too late. You’re daughter, and these two brave souls, have rescued me. Giving me hope not only for myself and my parents, but for all of Equestria. They’ve shown me that bravery and courage still exists. Now, she could abide by your ideas, sit back and avoid any conflict whatsoever; but she chose to stand up for us ponies. I was beginning to think such a thing could never be found in Equestria, but here they are. Sure, I’ve only known them for a matter of hours; but their actions have shown me exactly who they are. They’re not troublemakers or criminals. They’re heroes in my eyes.” I take a quick glance over to Harra, Scrap and the creature who are looking to me with smiles of graciousness on their faces. “I know you don’t believe Harra, so I don’t expect you to believe in anything I’ve said; but what I say is the honest truth. The borders have been abolished, and this corrupt commander and his stupid grin are deceiving you.” Commander Liaison’s grin of amusement turs to aggravation as I look to him with the same pitiful look he gave me. “In the end, Chief, it’s your decision. I can only hope that you take what we’ve said into serious consideration.” The room goes silent as I dreadfully wait for the chief’s response.

“. . . Woo!” Scrap cheers and hops about, startling nearly everypony in the room. “You tell ‘em like it is, Officer Pancakes! That’s what I call a speech! Got me right here.” Scrap pats his chest. “Right in the heart. Take that, Commander whatever-your-name-is! And you know what? Your face ‘is’ stupid! Ha!”

“I think I’ve made up my mind,” says the chief.

“Oh, I bet you have!”

“Commander, with all due respect, my daughter will be staying here with me.”

“Oh yeah!”

“As for the others, they will be in your hooves now.”

“What?!” Harra and the creature shout as my heart sinks to the bottom of my chest.

“Oh yeah—! Wait. . . Come again?” Scrap freezes in place once he realizes what the chief said.

“Father, how can you—?” Harra tries to ask.

“Harra, I said my mind is made,” says the chief. “And I want these three taken away. They’ve proven to be nothing more than a bad influence on you, and I will not have you risking your life once more! You will be under close watch so that I may keep an eye on you, and them as far away from us as possible.”

“You can’t do this! They’re my friends!”

“Friends don’t put other friends in danger, Harra. Commander, you may take them.”

“I’m glad you see it my way, Chief,” says Commander Liaison. “I will see to it that your daughter is safe from persecution. Thank you for your cooperation. Guards, cease them and their weapons.”

“You can’t do this!” The creature cries as the royal guards grab and take away his wooden baton and slingshot. It tries to fight back, but is only easily overpowered by the two guards.

“I will do what I must, Orin,” says the chief. “It’s clear that you’ve only encouraged Harra’s unreasonable behavior. With you gone, perhaps I can keep her safe at last. . . I regret the day we plucked you from those woods.”

“You’re wrong! Harra!” It tries to shove the guards away, but they use the shaft of their spears to whack its legs and force it to its knees. One of the guards stays to watch the creature, while the other checks Scrap for weapons.

“There’s nothing on me bud,” says Scrap as the guard continues to examine Scrap’s body. “Yup, just keep on checking anyway. . . Not like you can’t ‘see’ I have nothing. You know, sir, let me ask you a question. The guard halts his examination and stands before Scrap, looking down at him while Scrap looks up at him without a single ounce of fear. “Where am I going hide a weapon? In my—?” Before Scrap can finish his question, the guard bashes him square in the face with one swift blow from his hoof. Scrap falls to his knees, laughing off the pain. “Ah, yeah. . . I saw that coming.”

“Orin! Scrap!” Harra calls as she tries to come to their aid, but is held back by her father and dragged away from the rest of us. “Let me go! This is wrong, and you know it!” Commander Liaison casually walks up to me with that same stupid grin on his face. He holds out his hoof, and I fume as I undo my belt and sword. He swipes them from me, then turns to his guards.

“Everypony, to the boats,” he orders.