Alicorns are not so Rareby CarmenColorChaptersChromaWarningSplitIt's not over yetConfrontationChroma Twilight Sparkle woke from a very strange dream to a loud pounding sound. At first, she assumed that it was just thunder from the large storm covering Ponyville, but then, as she listened, she realized it was coming from downstairs. She hurried down the stairs and used her magic to undo the sealing spell she'd put on the wooden library door. As she flung the door open, a gust of strong wind blew in, effectively toppling over the purple unicorn. A cyan pony tumbled through the open doorway. Twilight thought it was Rainbow Dash, until she saw that this pony's mane was brown and that she was a unicorn. Her horn was clearly visible. Her body, however, was swathed in sopped, white bandages. After closing and resealing the door, Twilight went to the young mare's side, throwing a blanket over her. The mare shivered for a while, eyes closed tight, as Twilight performed a drying spell on the cyan unicorn and herself. "Hello?" Twilight asked, "Are you okay? What were you doing outside in this weather?" The mare looked up at Twilight, and the purple pony gasped. Her eyes shone like double rainbows. The entire color spectrum in each eye. It was dazzling. Twilight had never seen a pony like this before. "What's your name?" "Chroma," the cyan unicorn said softly, "My name is Chroma Flash." Chroma looked around the tree library, still shivering slightly. Then suddenly, the rainbow-eyed unicorn froze in place, closing her eyes tight. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but before the words could come out of her mouth, Chroma let out an ear splittingly loud sneeze and a rainbow of sparks burst out of her horn. Twilight looked around the library to see that her usual assortment of dark colored books had all turned rainbow colored. The blanket that had covered Chroma also now had rainbow hues and it lay on the floor, having been thrown off of the unicorn from the force of her sneeze. "Bless you," Twilight said politely, "Chroma, you should let me change your bandages. They're still wet and I haven't got the energy to conjure up a drying spell strong enough for them." Chroma's face went hard. "The bandages stay," she said. Twilight took a step towards Chroma. "You're going to catch a cold if you run around in those wet bandages." "I will be fine," she looked around and cast another spell on the books and blanket, turning them back to their original color. "Sorry about that." Suddenly, there were footsteps coming down the stairs. Spike came down the stairs, panting slightly. "Twilight, what was that noise?" He looked at Chroma, instantly focusing on her eyes. "W-whoa." She blushed and looked away from him before she froze in place like she had earlier. Twilight's eyes widened and she jumped behind the couch. Spike looked confused until Chroma sneezed, even louder than the time before, causing twice as any sparks to fly from her horn. Spike closed him eyes and tried to shield himself, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that one of his hands was red and the other was purple. He looked down to see that he was showing every color of the spectrum. "Sorry," Chroma said softly, her blue face turning pink at her cheeks. She put Spikes colors back to normal. The baby dragon smiled at her. "That's okay," he said, "Twilight makes weird stuff happen when she sneezes too." He laughed at the glare Twilight threw at him. "By the way, I'm Spike." "Chroma," the unicorn said, with a shy smile. "Um...you wouldn't...by any chance...I mean, if it's okay...do you think I could stay here tonight?" Twilight nodded and picked up a blanket and pillow with her magic. She set them on the couch. "You can sleep on this couch tonight. We'll be upstairs if you need anything." "Thank you," Chroma Flash said, "You are very kind." She laid down on the couch and was asleep instantly. Twilight and Spike went back up to bed. -MLP-FiM- When Twilight awoke, the first thing she did was check on her guest. Chroma was awake already, watching Celestia's sunrise. Suddenly, a pink blur burst through the door, despite the magical seal. Pinkie Pie zoomed over to Chroma. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie. Whats your name? Are you moving to Ponyville? What's your favorite color? Where are you going to be staying? Are you-" The party pony stopped and looked at Chroma's multicolor eyes, her mouth gaping. "Um...I'm Chroma, and I am moving to Ponyville. I'm not sure where I'll be staying though. I don't have a favorite color, they're all nice." "Just Chroma, or do you have a last name too? Oooh! I know! I bet you want me to guess! Is it Jacobs? Apple? Sparkle? Dash? Pie? No wait, that's my last name." "Miss Pinkie Pie, My full name is Chroma Spectrum Flash, but just Chroma is fine." "Ohhhh, okay. Anyway, since you're new here I'm gonna have to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. It's gonna be my best party ever. Yay!" With that, Pinkie left Chroma and Twilight to stare at each other. Chroma had no clue what she had just gotten into. "Um...I'll see you later, Twilight." Chroma began to walk towards the door. "Wait, Chroma, I need to know. Why do you have those bandages?" "I don't want to talk about it right now." "Why not? You need the bandages changed anyway. I read that bandages should be changed every six to eight hours at least." Chroma took another step towards the door. Twilight tried to shut it with her magic, but Chroma Flash was gone, literally, in a flash that was almost as bright as the Celestial sun. In the seconds that it blocked her view, Twilight ran up to it, trying to catch Chroma, but she was just a speck almost to Sugar Cube Corner by then. That pony was fast. Twilight saw the cyan pony enter Sugar Cube Corner. Using a burst of magic, Twilight transported there. Chroma jumped, startled, and didn't have time to run before Twilight got hold of her tail and transported them both back to the library. "Fine, but I'm changing the bandages myself." Chroma magicked a roll of bandage out of thin air and stormed into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came out again with new bandages around her body from front legs to back legs. "Now, I'm going to go around to meet some new ponies." Chroma walked out the front door, and Twilight didn't see her for about a week after that. Applejack walked into the library a week after the Chroma incident with a bit of a predicament. Twilight saw her friend in the unnatural rainbow colors and knew exactly what the problem was. "So, I see you've met Chroma." "Yeah, she was visiting the orchard, and, well..." "She sneezed, didn't she?" "Yup, she had one of the apple flowers fall on her nose, and before I know it, I'm as colorful as Dash. I came here because she ran away all embarrassed, and I figured you'd be able ta turn me back and I'll be able to go look for the poor pony. She's gone out somewhere around Fluttershy's, I think." "Applejack? I...I can't get it off." Applejack tensed. "Whad'ya mean ya can't get it off?" "I guess only Chroma can get it off." "Well then, we better go find her." "Oh, Applejack?" "Yeah, Twi?" "How was Chroma's...er...wound? You know, the one around her main body?" "I didn't ask, Twi. How long has she had it?" "I don't know. At least a week if not more." "What in the hay happened to her that she needs bandages fer more than a week?" "I don't know, but once we find her, I'm gonna find out. Let's gets the others and get looking for her. Have the others met her?" "Yeah, okay Twi. Lets find her." Applejack and Twilight ran out of the library and collected the other four element bearers to help them. They searched around Fluttershy's house, but it didn't take long before Chroma gave herself away with a loud sneeze. They found her in a large field of flowers, where she sneezed again. The flowers turned rainbow colored. "Celestia bless you, darling," Rarity said as they circled her. Twilight came up to Chroma. "Chroma, what are you hiding? What's under those bandages?" "Nothing, Twilight. I told you I didn't want to talk about it." Twilight was having none of that, she approached Chroma slowly, circling to her side. Then, Twilight put the end of the bandage in her mouth and unwound it, letting it fall to the ground. The element bearers all gasped at the sight in front of them. Chroma Spectrum Flash wasn't a unicorn. She was an alicorn. Warning As the element bearer ponies stared at the alicorn they were circled around, Pinkie Pie jumped at her face. "Oh, you're an alicorn! Alicorns are so cool! Will you open your wings? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleeeeeeeease!" Chroma took a step back from the party mare, and prepared to run away. "Maybe another time, Pinkie," she said. "Wait, I wanna see your wings too," Dash whined, "I wanna see if they're as awesome as mine." Rainbow opened her wings and flitted up above Chroma. "Why wouldn't you want us to see your wings? And why didn't you want us to know you were an alicorn? What's up with you?" "It's been awhile since I last used my wings. They're going to need a few days before I can show you them." "Aww, come on. We all know that you don't have to wait to open your wings. You just don't want to." Rainbow stared down at Chroma, an evil glint playing in her magenta eyes. "Hey girls, know any ways to force a pony's wings open?" The element bearers all took on Dash's expression, except Fluttershy, but no one expected her to anyway. "Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!" Pinkie said energetically. She picked one of the flowers in the patch and walked up to Chroma. The alicorn tried to back away, but was stopped by Dash, Applejack, and Twilight. Pinkie waved the flower under Chroma's nose, and she closed her eyes, still struggling feebly to get away. "Looks like I got a good one!" Pinkie rubbed Chroma's nose with the flower, and she froze for a second, then her breath hitched, but she desperately not to sneeze. Her nose turned bright pink and the pollen from the flower dotted it with yellow spots. Pinkie picked up another flower and tickled Chroma's nose with this one as well. Chroma froze and, unable to stop herself, her breath hitched even more. Her eyes teared up slightly, and her cheeks began to turn deep pink. Then, with a sound louder than any sonic rainboom, she sneezed. The alicorn's wings flew open. Chroma sneezed several more times, each time causing something to turn rainbow. By the time she was done, all of the element bearers were sporting rainbow colors. Chroma stood tall, showing her wings to the element bearers. Her wings were huge, and each of the feathers at the tip of her wing was a different color of the spectrum. Twilight gasped. "Chroma," she said, "I'm really sorry for forcing you to open your wings, but they really are beautiful." "I know. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself and my wings are just so brightly colored. My eyes too, but those are harder to cover up." She used magic to wrap the bandages back around herself. "Please don't tell anyone about this." "Why? What's wrong with you being an alicorn? Sure, I know they're rare, but..." Twilight looked at Chroma, who was looking more and more dark by the second. A face darkened by some horrible memory was what now stared Twilight in the face. "Actually, alicorns are not very rare. We exist in numbers about the same as your own, but we live much longer. Not forever for most of us, but some alicorns have learned the ways of the phoenix, and so shall never truly die. I have learned of the phoenixes. Watched them. Studied them. They helped me escape. I need to spread the word. I need to save my kind." "What do you mean? Save your kind? We thought Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were the last alicorns. What do the alicorns need saving from?" Twilight asked. Chroma looked at the ponies around her. The element bearers. She'd heard of these ponies. Surely they could help her. "The alicorns are slave to the Sun and Moon. The Princesses Celestia and Luna." Twilight balked at the alicorn. "The Princesses? Never!" The other element bearers joined into Twilight's protesting. Chroma was expecting this, but she had to tell somepony, didn't she? "The Princesses don't know what they are forcing their kind to do. They cannot know that they do not really move the sun and moon, but rather the planet itself, including Equestria, the Everfree Nation, and all the other nations across the seas. It takes the strength of our kind to keep the Princesses from pushing the planet too far. They a very strong, your rulers. Strongest alicorns in existence. They were the first of the alicorns, as you know, but they are unaware of their strength. Before Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony helped keep the planet in place the orbit of the star, but now that they are in your hooves, they cannot be used in that way any longer." "I still don't get it though. How can you save your people? Where are your people? You said you escaped. Where from?" Rainbow Dash said. "I escaped from the very core of the planet. Alicorns can survive there because of our near immortality. We were enslaved by a people who feared that they would die from the planet moving so spastically, and they forced us underground. To live forever in the center of our planet. It doesn't have to be this way! If we make the Princesses aware of what they are doing I'm sure that we will be able to free the alicorns." "We need to get to Canterlot." "Do ya think she could get these rainbow colors off of us first?" -MLP-FiM- The Elements of Harmony and the alicorn, who's wings were still covered, boarded the next train to Canterlot. The ride was long and slow, because the train conductor saw no reason to go faster, and the ponies weren't about to give him one. "Um, girls? I think that I should tell you that there is a possibility that someone is going to try and stop this from happening." "Why in Equestria would anypony try to stop you, darling?" Rarity asked, horrified. "That's just it. They're not exactly pony. They call themselves men. They walk on two legs, and they have a lust for power. They wouldn't want to give up their slaves, no matter what good it does for the planet as a whole. They are the reason my people a still imprisoned, but my people do not know that there is really no damage they could do to a alicorn. They're still scary though." Chroma looked at the horrified faces of the ponies around her. "We need to stop them," Applejack said, "What'd we need ta do, exactly?" Before the alicorn could answer, the train lurched. All of them were thrown to the floor. Chroma looked out the window of the train. A fire was started up, and two legged silhouettes stood by the ever growing flames. "It has begun," Chroma whispered, "The men are attacking." She undid the bandages that covered her wings. "Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Each of you must carry one of your friends. Miss Rarity, you are Twilight will be carried by me. We must tell the princesses. Only they can stop the rage of these men as they search for power. We must wait to tell the princesses of the alicorn problem until this is over." The train lurched again. "Hurry, everypony! We must go, now!" Three pairs of wings unfolded, and the pegasi and alicorn took flight, carrying their friends with them. They didn't have too far to go to get to the princesses, but it wasn't going to be easy. Split Chroma looked around at the ponies around her. They were legendary. Ponies with amazing skill and intelligence. What was she doing here with them? It was her who had brought the men here. They wanted their pet back, and Chroma knew they would stop at nothing until they found her. Not unless the Princesses stopped them. Twilight and the others could do this on their own. she was just making it dangerous for them. "I can fight them," she said to herself, the roar of wind in everypony's ears making it impossible for her to even hear herself. She had to fight. If the element bearers got to the Princesses, they would end up saving all the alicorns anyway. It didn't matter where she was, but she shouldn't be here, making the journey more treacherous to the others. "Twilight!" Chroma yelled to the lavender unicorn, "We need to land!" "But we're not there yet!" Twilight yelled back. "I know, just tell your pegasus friends to land!" Chroma dipped down towards the ground, and the yellow and cyan pegasi followed her descent. They touched down in the middle of a dark forest. "Twilight, you and your friends must go to Celestia and warn her of the men reeking havoc in Equestria. You need together there as quickly as possible. Send Rainbow Dash if you must, but I would rather you stayed together." "But where are you going?" Fluttershy whispered. Chroma looked at the shy mare, determination showing in her rainbow eyes. "I must go fight the men. They are here because of me, and you are all in such danger because of me. Only you and the Princesses can get rid of the men, but the least I can do for what I have caused is keep the men from harming anypony." She spread her wings wide. "Go my little ponies, before it is too late." And with that, she disappeared into the black night sky. "Come on girls, let's go," Twilight urged, running into through the trees in the direction of the castle. The others followed, hurtling over fallen logs and through thick mud until they reached train tracks. from there on they followed the tracks, knowing that they would lead them straight to Canterlot. "Twilight, should I fly on ahead?" Rainbow asked as they ran. "Not this time, Rainbow. We should stick together," Twilight said. The others nodded, still running. They didn't want to be split up, especially if the men managed to get close enough to attack without them noticing. The ponies weren't bothered by the creepy noises of the forest around them. The random hoots and howls that would've sent any one them running home didn't even bother Fluttershy. They knew what had to be done. They knew that, once again, the fate of Equestria rested in their hooves. They couldn't stop for anything. The noises in the forest would be nothing compared to what would happen if they didn't get o the Princesses in time. They didn't stop running. They would never stop running. The fires could be seen behind them, which made them run faster. The faster the Princesses stopped this, the less trees and land would be scorched beyond recognition. The constant clang of hooves on metal traveled along the tracks with them, until they finally came to Canterlot. The sun was just being raised. All six of them were exhausted, but they labored on to the castle, running past ponies who were unaware of the grave circumstance that the element bearers had for coming to the city. "Twily?" A familiar voice asked. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, the others tumbling over her. All six of them laid splayed out on the ground, panting and unable to move forward. The ponies passing them by gave them strange looks. A figure hovered over Twilight. "Twily? Are you okay? What are you doing here? Twily? Twilight? Twilight?" Shining Armor was kneeling down by Twilight. She knew he was concerned, because he stopped using his pet name for her. "We need...to get...to...Celestia..." Twilight gasped, trying to catch her breath, "It's impor...important..." There was a determined gleam in her eyes the likes of which Shining had never seen before. Sure, he had seen determination in here eyes before, but not determination like what he saw now. She and the others stood shakily, and slowly began to trot towards the castle. Shining Armor trotted along side them, taking in the sight of the six obviously tired mares. Even Pinkie Pie was tired, and that couldn't be a good sign. "What happened to you? You all look like you ran all the way here from Ponyville." Six sets of eyes looked at him. "You didn't..." They turned away from him and kept their slow walk to the castle. It stretched into the sky ahead of them. "Twilight? You didn't really, did you? Twilight?" "Shining, we'll talk later..." The six element ponies shared a look. They had no trouble getting inside the castle, because they were the Elements of Harmony. That and Twilight was Celestia's student, so they pretty much had to let them in. Twilight was having trouble focusing, and she nearly lost her way in the castle. It was lucky that Shining Armor had found them, or they would be in the kitchen or something. When they finally managed to get to Celestia and Luna's living space, they were even more exhausted than before. Pinkie Pie and Rarity both passed out from exhaustion upon entering the room. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! We're being attacked!" Twilight said as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash lost consciousness as well. "And they ain't like no creature I ever saw!" Applejack managed to say before she too joined the others in unconsciousness. Twilight saw the stars in her vision and the corners of her sight were going dark. "Twilight, my student," Celestia said, "What has happened? Who is attacking us?" "Men," Twilight whispered as the conscious world slipped away and her face met the ground. It's not over yet Twilight groaned and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry. A white blob and a blue blob moved above her. As her vision cleared, the princesses came into view. Celestia was looking down at her, concern filling her purple eyes. "Twilight, are you alright?" "Men...attacking..." She gasped out. "We know, my student. We have already sent out troops to combat them, and Luna and I were about to preform a banishment charm on Equestria to get rid of them." "I didn't know you could do that, Princess," Twilight said. Then she sat bolt upright. "The alicorns!" Celestia gently pushed her student back down. "Princess, the alicorns are in danger! There are more alicorns living in enslavement!" "Slow down, my student," Celestia said, "Now, explain what you are talking about. What alicorns?" Twilight was silent for a moment before the words began to flow out of her mouth. She explained their encounter with Chroma and everything the rainbow alicorn had told them. Celestia nodded thoughtfully. She looked a Twilight. "Did you say Chroma?" Twilight nodded. "You mean Princess Chroma is alive?" Twilight looked at the Princess in confusion. "Princess Chroma?" Twilight asked, "She's a princess?" Celestia nodded. "Princess Chroma disappeared over 500 years ago. She was the Princess of the Rainbows. We thought she had died and we were the last of the alicorn species. You say that Luna and I are the reason for our people's oppression?" She stood with a horrified look on her face. She nodded to Luna and they quickly cast the spell to rid the men from Equestria. "Twilight , will you assist us in rescuing our people? You element friends would be helpful if they wish to join us." Twilight was on her feet in no time. "Of course, Princess." "Your friends are waking, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said, magically opening the door to another room. Indeed, her friends were there, wide awake. Five sets of eyes came to rest on Twilight, and the others rushed towards her. "Twilight!" They cried unanimously. They all hugged her, and she hugged them back. They stayed like that for a moment, before breaking apart. Twilight addressed her friends. "The Princesses asks that we accompany them on a mission to save the alicorns. If I am correct, there are no more of the men here in Equestria. We will have to go into the Everfree to get to where they live." She took a look around the room before continuing. "You do not have to come, but your help would be appreciated." "Don't you start doing that 'go it alone' thing again, Twi," Applejack said, "Like I said the first time we went in there together, 'we're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple'." "Yes, I would have to agree with Applejack, Twilight. We simply can't let you go on such an adventure alone. Well, I suppose you wouldn't be alone, but you know what I mean." Rarity looked over at the princesses. "We are your friends, Twilight. There is no way that you are going anywhere so horrible without your friends." "Yeah, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said, "You should know by now that we're going to be there for you. We'd never leave our friend hangin'." "So, everyone is going to come with us?" Twilight asked. The others all nodded. "Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. I think we're ready." Grrrr, this is so short. Sorry everypony. There is so much more I want to write, and just so little time because of school. Keep an eye out for more from me. Confrontation The dark journey through the Everfree Forest was surprisingly quick. No pony spoke. The Princesses led them through the thick trees. Eventually, Celestia turned to the younger ponies. "We will be in the men's territory soon. We will try to reason with the men first, but if that does not work, you will need these." She pulled six familiar objects out of her saddle bag. The Elements of Harmony. "Aww, yeah! Element time!" Rainbow cheered. The others stayed at her for a moment. "Uh...heh, heh..." The Elements of Harmony were put on quickly and then the party moved deeper into the Everfree. Suddenly, they stepped out into a clearing. The night sky shone above them. There were huge bonfires and many tent-like huts. Upon closer inspection, Twilight discovered the cloth like coverings of the tents looked like skins. She suddenly felt very uneasy and warm. Stifling really, but she couldn't leave. There would be no element of magic! It did seem to be getting very hot though, and she felt like she was going to be sick. What sort of creature uses skins like that? Twilight tried not to think about it and looked over at her friends. They seemed fine, even Fluttershy. They must not have seen the skins yet. "I am Celestia! Princess and guardian of your Sun! I demand to see your leader!" The element bearing ponies were startled by the loud voice of the princess. A single figure exited one of the tents. It walked on two legs, and wore clothes of more skins. "I see no sun," he said in a growling voice, "I am Chief Mathias, leader of this clan." "THOU MAY SEE NO SUN, BUT SURELY THY TINY BRAIN WILL RECOGNIZE MY MOON!" Princess Luna roared, using the Royal Canterlot voice. The man frowned. "What do you stupid horses want?" he asked, unfazed. Rainbow snorted. "No one speaks to the princesses like that!" she shouted, preparing to pounce on the man. Someone grabbed her tail and held her down, probably Applejack. She pouted and sat still on the ground. No one ever let Rainbow pounce. "We wish to recover our kin," Celestia stated diplomatically, "We have reason to believe you have kept them imprisoned." Mathias leered. "Maybe we have your pony friends, and maybe we don't. You have no proof," he said, just as a shadow passed over him. He looked up at the dark sky. Suddenly, a burst of colored light exploded above the clearing, and a figure swooped down to the ponies, landing next to them. "They've got proof alright, Mathias," the pony said in a confident voice, "They've got me." Twilight ran up and hugged the pony, her uneasiness about her surroundings temporarily forgotten. "Chroma, you're okay," she cried, "Is...is it true? Are you really a princess?" Chroma turned her multicolored eyes to Twilight, then to Celestia and Luna, who were staring at her. "Yes, Twilight. It's true, but we have no time for reunions. I can take you to the alicorns. We will fly though, so the Earth ponies and unicorns will need to be carried." "Oh, no you don't, little alicorn," Mathias roared, "We will never let you get anywhere." The man's words fell on deaf ears as the ponies prepared to leave. Twilight put up a force field to keep the men away so they could take off. "Rarity, we shall take thee," Luna said, "Climb unto our back." Rarity did so, even though she did not want to fly. "Hey AJ, I'll carry you, but just this once," Rainbow said. She leaned in close to Applejack. "I don't think Fluttershy will be able to carry anypony. That's why I'm doing this." AJ rolled her eyes. "Pinkie Pie," Chroma addressed the pink earth pony, but found her floating several feet off the ground, held up by balloons, "Nevermind..." She instead turned to Twilight. "Twilight, I will carry you..." She noticed the odd way Twilight was staring at the men. "Twilight?" She walked over to the mare, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight,we need to go, now." "Their tents...They're covered in skins..." Twilight whispered. Chroma sighed. "Yes, I know, Twilight," she said, "but they must do it. They require it for warmth and protection." She used her magic to lift the unicorn onto her back, but it was a bit difficult, seeing as they were about the same size. "Let's go," Celestia said, "Chroma, my sister, you will need to lead the way." Chroma nodded and took off. Twilight lowered her shield as they approached the edge of it. The men below shot at them. Pointed sticks whizzed past the ponies, but the men could not get a good shot. Chroma led them away from the camp and deeper into the Everfree forest. When at last she came down to land, about a miles's distance had been covered. Everypony followed Chroma as she landed, trying to make as little noise as possible. "Quickly!" Chroma said, "Follow me!" She pushed a patch of shrubbery out of the way, revealing a small, dark hole. "This is how I escaped, so the men do not know of it." The ponies started through the hole. It tunneled down into a large cavern. "Come on. We need to move quickly." Eight ponies rushed through the damp dark corridors. Rarity slipped and fell, and AJ had to cover her mouth to keep her exclamations quiet. She kept going, though she kept trying to wipe the mud off her white coat. The ponies came to a huge cavern. It was so dark that they could not see anything. Twilight sent a light spell across the room to illuminate the cavern. The shadows cast by the light were odd and unclear. It was not bright enough. Celestia and Luna cast there own illumination spells. The three balls of light cast enough light for the ponies to clearly make out what this giant room contained. "Who are you? You do not look like men." "They are equines! Ponies!" "I am Celestia. Goddess of the Sun and princess of Equestria." Celestia's booming voice echoed. "And I am Luna. Goddess of the Moon and also a princess of Equestria." It was quiet for a minute until one of the trapped ponies yelled, "They've come to rescue us. Our oppression is over!"
Chroma Twilight Sparkle woke from a very strange dream to a loud pounding sound. At first, she assumed that it was just thunder from the large storm covering Ponyville, but then, as she listened, she realized it was coming from downstairs. She hurried down the stairs and used her magic to undo the sealing spell she'd put on the wooden library door. As she flung the door open, a gust of strong wind blew in, effectively toppling over the purple unicorn. A cyan pony tumbled through the open doorway. Twilight thought it was Rainbow Dash, until she saw that this pony's mane was brown and that she was a unicorn. Her horn was clearly visible. Her body, however, was swathed in sopped, white bandages. After closing and resealing the door, Twilight went to the young mare's side, throwing a blanket over her. The mare shivered for a while, eyes closed tight, as Twilight performed a drying spell on the cyan unicorn and herself. "Hello?" Twilight asked, "Are you okay? What were you doing outside in this weather?" The mare looked up at Twilight, and the purple pony gasped. Her eyes shone like double rainbows. The entire color spectrum in each eye. It was dazzling. Twilight had never seen a pony like this before. "What's your name?" "Chroma," the cyan unicorn said softly, "My name is Chroma Flash." Chroma looked around the tree library, still shivering slightly. Then suddenly, the rainbow-eyed unicorn froze in place, closing her eyes tight. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but before the words could come out of her mouth, Chroma let out an ear splittingly loud sneeze and a rainbow of sparks burst out of her horn. Twilight looked around the library to see that her usual assortment of dark colored books had all turned rainbow colored. The blanket that had covered Chroma also now had rainbow hues and it lay on the floor, having been thrown off of the unicorn from the force of her sneeze. "Bless you," Twilight said politely, "Chroma, you should let me change your bandages. They're still wet and I haven't got the energy to conjure up a drying spell strong enough for them." Chroma's face went hard. "The bandages stay," she said. Twilight took a step towards Chroma. "You're going to catch a cold if you run around in those wet bandages." "I will be fine," she looked around and cast another spell on the books and blanket, turning them back to their original color. "Sorry about that." Suddenly, there were footsteps coming down the stairs. Spike came down the stairs, panting slightly. "Twilight, what was that noise?" He looked at Chroma, instantly focusing on her eyes. "W-whoa." She blushed and looked away from him before she froze in place like she had earlier. Twilight's eyes widened and she jumped behind the couch. Spike looked confused until Chroma sneezed, even louder than the time before, causing twice as any sparks to fly from her horn. Spike closed him eyes and tried to shield himself, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that one of his hands was red and the other was purple. He looked down to see that he was showing every color of the spectrum. "Sorry," Chroma said softly, her blue face turning pink at her cheeks. She put Spikes colors back to normal. The baby dragon smiled at her. "That's okay," he said, "Twilight makes weird stuff happen when she sneezes too." He laughed at the glare Twilight threw at him. "By the way, I'm Spike." "Chroma," the unicorn said, with a shy smile. "Um...you wouldn't...by any chance...I mean, if it's okay...do you think I could stay here tonight?" Twilight nodded and picked up a blanket and pillow with her magic. She set them on the couch. "You can sleep on this couch tonight. We'll be upstairs if you need anything." "Thank you," Chroma Flash said, "You are very kind." She laid down on the couch and was asleep instantly. Twilight and Spike went back up to bed. -MLP-FiM- When Twilight awoke, the first thing she did was check on her guest. Chroma was awake already, watching Celestia's sunrise. Suddenly, a pink blur burst through the door, despite the magical seal. Pinkie Pie zoomed over to Chroma. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie. Whats your name? Are you moving to Ponyville? What's your favorite color? Where are you going to be staying? Are you-" The party pony stopped and looked at Chroma's multicolor eyes, her mouth gaping. "Um...I'm Chroma, and I am moving to Ponyville. I'm not sure where I'll be staying though. I don't have a favorite color, they're all nice." "Just Chroma, or do you have a last name too? Oooh! I know! I bet you want me to guess! Is it Jacobs? Apple? Sparkle? Dash? Pie? No wait, that's my last name." "Miss Pinkie Pie, My full name is Chroma Spectrum Flash, but just Chroma is fine." "Ohhhh, okay. Anyway, since you're new here I'm gonna have to throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party. It's gonna be my best party ever. Yay!" With that, Pinkie left Chroma and Twilight to stare at each other. Chroma had no clue what she had just gotten into. "Um...I'll see you later, Twilight." Chroma began to walk towards the door. "Wait, Chroma, I need to know. Why do you have those bandages?" "I don't want to talk about it right now." "Why not? You need the bandages changed anyway. I read that bandages should be changed every six to eight hours at least." Chroma took another step towards the door. Twilight tried to shut it with her magic, but Chroma Flash was gone, literally, in a flash that was almost as bright as the Celestial sun. In the seconds that it blocked her view, Twilight ran up to it, trying to catch Chroma, but she was just a speck almost to Sugar Cube Corner by then. That pony was fast. Twilight saw the cyan pony enter Sugar Cube Corner. Using a burst of magic, Twilight transported there. Chroma jumped, startled, and didn't have time to run before Twilight got hold of her tail and transported them both back to the library. "Fine, but I'm changing the bandages myself." Chroma magicked a roll of bandage out of thin air and stormed into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came out again with new bandages around her body from front legs to back legs. "Now, I'm going to go around to meet some new ponies." Chroma walked out the front door, and Twilight didn't see her for about a week after that. Applejack walked into the library a week after the Chroma incident with a bit of a predicament. Twilight saw her friend in the unnatural rainbow colors and knew exactly what the problem was. "So, I see you've met Chroma." "Yeah, she was visiting the orchard, and, well..." "She sneezed, didn't she?" "Yup, she had one of the apple flowers fall on her nose, and before I know it, I'm as colorful as Dash. I came here because she ran away all embarrassed, and I figured you'd be able ta turn me back and I'll be able to go look for the poor pony. She's gone out somewhere around Fluttershy's, I think." "Applejack? I...I can't get it off." Applejack tensed. "Whad'ya mean ya can't get it off?" "I guess only Chroma can get it off." "Well then, we better go find her." "Oh, Applejack?" "Yeah, Twi?" "How was Chroma's...er...wound? You know, the one around her main body?" "I didn't ask, Twi. How long has she had it?" "I don't know. At least a week if not more." "What in the hay happened to her that she needs bandages fer more than a week?" "I don't know, but once we find her, I'm gonna find out. Let's gets the others and get looking for her. Have the others met her?" "Yeah, okay Twi. Lets find her." Applejack and Twilight ran out of the library and collected the other four element bearers to help them. They searched around Fluttershy's house, but it didn't take long before Chroma gave herself away with a loud sneeze. They found her in a large field of flowers, where she sneezed again. The flowers turned rainbow colored. "Celestia bless you, darling," Rarity said as they circled her. Twilight came up to Chroma. "Chroma, what are you hiding? What's under those bandages?" "Nothing, Twilight. I told you I didn't want to talk about it." Twilight was having none of that, she approached Chroma slowly, circling to her side. Then, Twilight put the end of the bandage in her mouth and unwound it, letting it fall to the ground. The element bearers all gasped at the sight in front of them. Chroma Spectrum Flash wasn't a unicorn. She was an alicorn.
Warning As the element bearer ponies stared at the alicorn they were circled around, Pinkie Pie jumped at her face. "Oh, you're an alicorn! Alicorns are so cool! Will you open your wings? Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleeeeeeeease!" Chroma took a step back from the party mare, and prepared to run away. "Maybe another time, Pinkie," she said. "Wait, I wanna see your wings too," Dash whined, "I wanna see if they're as awesome as mine." Rainbow opened her wings and flitted up above Chroma. "Why wouldn't you want us to see your wings? And why didn't you want us to know you were an alicorn? What's up with you?" "It's been awhile since I last used my wings. They're going to need a few days before I can show you them." "Aww, come on. We all know that you don't have to wait to open your wings. You just don't want to." Rainbow stared down at Chroma, an evil glint playing in her magenta eyes. "Hey girls, know any ways to force a pony's wings open?" The element bearers all took on Dash's expression, except Fluttershy, but no one expected her to anyway. "Ooh! Ooh! I know! I know!" Pinkie said energetically. She picked one of the flowers in the patch and walked up to Chroma. The alicorn tried to back away, but was stopped by Dash, Applejack, and Twilight. Pinkie waved the flower under Chroma's nose, and she closed her eyes, still struggling feebly to get away. "Looks like I got a good one!" Pinkie rubbed Chroma's nose with the flower, and she froze for a second, then her breath hitched, but she desperately not to sneeze. Her nose turned bright pink and the pollen from the flower dotted it with yellow spots. Pinkie picked up another flower and tickled Chroma's nose with this one as well. Chroma froze and, unable to stop herself, her breath hitched even more. Her eyes teared up slightly, and her cheeks began to turn deep pink. Then, with a sound louder than any sonic rainboom, she sneezed. The alicorn's wings flew open. Chroma sneezed several more times, each time causing something to turn rainbow. By the time she was done, all of the element bearers were sporting rainbow colors. Chroma stood tall, showing her wings to the element bearers. Her wings were huge, and each of the feathers at the tip of her wing was a different color of the spectrum. Twilight gasped. "Chroma," she said, "I'm really sorry for forcing you to open your wings, but they really are beautiful." "I know. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself and my wings are just so brightly colored. My eyes too, but those are harder to cover up." She used magic to wrap the bandages back around herself. "Please don't tell anyone about this." "Why? What's wrong with you being an alicorn? Sure, I know they're rare, but..." Twilight looked at Chroma, who was looking more and more dark by the second. A face darkened by some horrible memory was what now stared Twilight in the face. "Actually, alicorns are not very rare. We exist in numbers about the same as your own, but we live much longer. Not forever for most of us, but some alicorns have learned the ways of the phoenix, and so shall never truly die. I have learned of the phoenixes. Watched them. Studied them. They helped me escape. I need to spread the word. I need to save my kind." "What do you mean? Save your kind? We thought Celestia, Luna, and Cadence were the last alicorns. What do the alicorns need saving from?" Twilight asked. Chroma looked at the ponies around her. The element bearers. She'd heard of these ponies. Surely they could help her. "The alicorns are slave to the Sun and Moon. The Princesses Celestia and Luna." Twilight balked at the alicorn. "The Princesses? Never!" The other element bearers joined into Twilight's protesting. Chroma was expecting this, but she had to tell somepony, didn't she? "The Princesses don't know what they are forcing their kind to do. They cannot know that they do not really move the sun and moon, but rather the planet itself, including Equestria, the Everfree Nation, and all the other nations across the seas. It takes the strength of our kind to keep the Princesses from pushing the planet too far. They a very strong, your rulers. Strongest alicorns in existence. They were the first of the alicorns, as you know, but they are unaware of their strength. Before Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony helped keep the planet in place the orbit of the star, but now that they are in your hooves, they cannot be used in that way any longer." "I still don't get it though. How can you save your people? Where are your people? You said you escaped. Where from?" Rainbow Dash said. "I escaped from the very core of the planet. Alicorns can survive there because of our near immortality. We were enslaved by a people who feared that they would die from the planet moving so spastically, and they forced us underground. To live forever in the center of our planet. It doesn't have to be this way! If we make the Princesses aware of what they are doing I'm sure that we will be able to free the alicorns." "We need to get to Canterlot." "Do ya think she could get these rainbow colors off of us first?" -MLP-FiM- The Elements of Harmony and the alicorn, who's wings were still covered, boarded the next train to Canterlot. The ride was long and slow, because the train conductor saw no reason to go faster, and the ponies weren't about to give him one. "Um, girls? I think that I should tell you that there is a possibility that someone is going to try and stop this from happening." "Why in Equestria would anypony try to stop you, darling?" Rarity asked, horrified. "That's just it. They're not exactly pony. They call themselves men. They walk on two legs, and they have a lust for power. They wouldn't want to give up their slaves, no matter what good it does for the planet as a whole. They are the reason my people a still imprisoned, but my people do not know that there is really no damage they could do to a alicorn. They're still scary though." Chroma looked at the horrified faces of the ponies around her. "We need to stop them," Applejack said, "What'd we need ta do, exactly?" Before the alicorn could answer, the train lurched. All of them were thrown to the floor. Chroma looked out the window of the train. A fire was started up, and two legged silhouettes stood by the ever growing flames. "It has begun," Chroma whispered, "The men are attacking." She undid the bandages that covered her wings. "Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy. Each of you must carry one of your friends. Miss Rarity, you are Twilight will be carried by me. We must tell the princesses. Only they can stop the rage of these men as they search for power. We must wait to tell the princesses of the alicorn problem until this is over." The train lurched again. "Hurry, everypony! We must go, now!" Three pairs of wings unfolded, and the pegasi and alicorn took flight, carrying their friends with them. They didn't have too far to go to get to the princesses, but it wasn't going to be easy.
Split Chroma looked around at the ponies around her. They were legendary. Ponies with amazing skill and intelligence. What was she doing here with them? It was her who had brought the men here. They wanted their pet back, and Chroma knew they would stop at nothing until they found her. Not unless the Princesses stopped them. Twilight and the others could do this on their own. she was just making it dangerous for them. "I can fight them," she said to herself, the roar of wind in everypony's ears making it impossible for her to even hear herself. She had to fight. If the element bearers got to the Princesses, they would end up saving all the alicorns anyway. It didn't matter where she was, but she shouldn't be here, making the journey more treacherous to the others. "Twilight!" Chroma yelled to the lavender unicorn, "We need to land!" "But we're not there yet!" Twilight yelled back. "I know, just tell your pegasus friends to land!" Chroma dipped down towards the ground, and the yellow and cyan pegasi followed her descent. They touched down in the middle of a dark forest. "Twilight, you and your friends must go to Celestia and warn her of the men reeking havoc in Equestria. You need together there as quickly as possible. Send Rainbow Dash if you must, but I would rather you stayed together." "But where are you going?" Fluttershy whispered. Chroma looked at the shy mare, determination showing in her rainbow eyes. "I must go fight the men. They are here because of me, and you are all in such danger because of me. Only you and the Princesses can get rid of the men, but the least I can do for what I have caused is keep the men from harming anypony." She spread her wings wide. "Go my little ponies, before it is too late." And with that, she disappeared into the black night sky. "Come on girls, let's go," Twilight urged, running into through the trees in the direction of the castle. The others followed, hurtling over fallen logs and through thick mud until they reached train tracks. from there on they followed the tracks, knowing that they would lead them straight to Canterlot. "Twilight, should I fly on ahead?" Rainbow asked as they ran. "Not this time, Rainbow. We should stick together," Twilight said. The others nodded, still running. They didn't want to be split up, especially if the men managed to get close enough to attack without them noticing. The ponies weren't bothered by the creepy noises of the forest around them. The random hoots and howls that would've sent any one them running home didn't even bother Fluttershy. They knew what had to be done. They knew that, once again, the fate of Equestria rested in their hooves. They couldn't stop for anything. The noises in the forest would be nothing compared to what would happen if they didn't get o the Princesses in time. They didn't stop running. They would never stop running. The fires could be seen behind them, which made them run faster. The faster the Princesses stopped this, the less trees and land would be scorched beyond recognition. The constant clang of hooves on metal traveled along the tracks with them, until they finally came to Canterlot. The sun was just being raised. All six of them were exhausted, but they labored on to the castle, running past ponies who were unaware of the grave circumstance that the element bearers had for coming to the city. "Twily?" A familiar voice asked. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, the others tumbling over her. All six of them laid splayed out on the ground, panting and unable to move forward. The ponies passing them by gave them strange looks. A figure hovered over Twilight. "Twily? Are you okay? What are you doing here? Twily? Twilight? Twilight?" Shining Armor was kneeling down by Twilight. She knew he was concerned, because he stopped using his pet name for her. "We need...to get...to...Celestia..." Twilight gasped, trying to catch her breath, "It's impor...important..." There was a determined gleam in her eyes the likes of which Shining had never seen before. Sure, he had seen determination in here eyes before, but not determination like what he saw now. She and the others stood shakily, and slowly began to trot towards the castle. Shining Armor trotted along side them, taking in the sight of the six obviously tired mares. Even Pinkie Pie was tired, and that couldn't be a good sign. "What happened to you? You all look like you ran all the way here from Ponyville." Six sets of eyes looked at him. "You didn't..." They turned away from him and kept their slow walk to the castle. It stretched into the sky ahead of them. "Twilight? You didn't really, did you? Twilight?" "Shining, we'll talk later..." The six element ponies shared a look. They had no trouble getting inside the castle, because they were the Elements of Harmony. That and Twilight was Celestia's student, so they pretty much had to let them in. Twilight was having trouble focusing, and she nearly lost her way in the castle. It was lucky that Shining Armor had found them, or they would be in the kitchen or something. When they finally managed to get to Celestia and Luna's living space, they were even more exhausted than before. Pinkie Pie and Rarity both passed out from exhaustion upon entering the room. "Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! We're being attacked!" Twilight said as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash lost consciousness as well. "And they ain't like no creature I ever saw!" Applejack managed to say before she too joined the others in unconsciousness. Twilight saw the stars in her vision and the corners of her sight were going dark. "Twilight, my student," Celestia said, "What has happened? Who is attacking us?" "Men," Twilight whispered as the conscious world slipped away and her face met the ground.
It's not over yet Twilight groaned and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry. A white blob and a blue blob moved above her. As her vision cleared, the princesses came into view. Celestia was looking down at her, concern filling her purple eyes. "Twilight, are you alright?" "Men...attacking..." She gasped out. "We know, my student. We have already sent out troops to combat them, and Luna and I were about to preform a banishment charm on Equestria to get rid of them." "I didn't know you could do that, Princess," Twilight said. Then she sat bolt upright. "The alicorns!" Celestia gently pushed her student back down. "Princess, the alicorns are in danger! There are more alicorns living in enslavement!" "Slow down, my student," Celestia said, "Now, explain what you are talking about. What alicorns?" Twilight was silent for a moment before the words began to flow out of her mouth. She explained their encounter with Chroma and everything the rainbow alicorn had told them. Celestia nodded thoughtfully. She looked a Twilight. "Did you say Chroma?" Twilight nodded. "You mean Princess Chroma is alive?" Twilight looked at the Princess in confusion. "Princess Chroma?" Twilight asked, "She's a princess?" Celestia nodded. "Princess Chroma disappeared over 500 years ago. She was the Princess of the Rainbows. We thought she had died and we were the last of the alicorn species. You say that Luna and I are the reason for our people's oppression?" She stood with a horrified look on her face. She nodded to Luna and they quickly cast the spell to rid the men from Equestria. "Twilight , will you assist us in rescuing our people? You element friends would be helpful if they wish to join us." Twilight was on her feet in no time. "Of course, Princess." "Your friends are waking, Twilight Sparkle," Luna said, magically opening the door to another room. Indeed, her friends were there, wide awake. Five sets of eyes came to rest on Twilight, and the others rushed towards her. "Twilight!" They cried unanimously. They all hugged her, and she hugged them back. They stayed like that for a moment, before breaking apart. Twilight addressed her friends. "The Princesses asks that we accompany them on a mission to save the alicorns. If I am correct, there are no more of the men here in Equestria. We will have to go into the Everfree to get to where they live." She took a look around the room before continuing. "You do not have to come, but your help would be appreciated." "Don't you start doing that 'go it alone' thing again, Twi," Applejack said, "Like I said the first time we went in there together, 'we're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple'." "Yes, I would have to agree with Applejack, Twilight. We simply can't let you go on such an adventure alone. Well, I suppose you wouldn't be alone, but you know what I mean." Rarity looked over at the princesses. "We are your friends, Twilight. There is no way that you are going anywhere so horrible without your friends." "Yeah, Twilight," Rainbow Dash said, "You should know by now that we're going to be there for you. We'd never leave our friend hangin'." "So, everyone is going to come with us?" Twilight asked. The others all nodded. "Princess Celestia. Princess Luna. I think we're ready." Grrrr, this is so short. Sorry everypony. There is so much more I want to write, and just so little time because of school. Keep an eye out for more from me.
Confrontation The dark journey through the Everfree Forest was surprisingly quick. No pony spoke. The Princesses led them through the thick trees. Eventually, Celestia turned to the younger ponies. "We will be in the men's territory soon. We will try to reason with the men first, but if that does not work, you will need these." She pulled six familiar objects out of her saddle bag. The Elements of Harmony. "Aww, yeah! Element time!" Rainbow cheered. The others stayed at her for a moment. "Uh...heh, heh..." The Elements of Harmony were put on quickly and then the party moved deeper into the Everfree. Suddenly, they stepped out into a clearing. The night sky shone above them. There were huge bonfires and many tent-like huts. Upon closer inspection, Twilight discovered the cloth like coverings of the tents looked like skins. She suddenly felt very uneasy and warm. Stifling really, but she couldn't leave. There would be no element of magic! It did seem to be getting very hot though, and she felt like she was going to be sick. What sort of creature uses skins like that? Twilight tried not to think about it and looked over at her friends. They seemed fine, even Fluttershy. They must not have seen the skins yet. "I am Celestia! Princess and guardian of your Sun! I demand to see your leader!" The element bearing ponies were startled by the loud voice of the princess. A single figure exited one of the tents. It walked on two legs, and wore clothes of more skins. "I see no sun," he said in a growling voice, "I am Chief Mathias, leader of this clan." "THOU MAY SEE NO SUN, BUT SURELY THY TINY BRAIN WILL RECOGNIZE MY MOON!" Princess Luna roared, using the Royal Canterlot voice. The man frowned. "What do you stupid horses want?" he asked, unfazed. Rainbow snorted. "No one speaks to the princesses like that!" she shouted, preparing to pounce on the man. Someone grabbed her tail and held her down, probably Applejack. She pouted and sat still on the ground. No one ever let Rainbow pounce. "We wish to recover our kin," Celestia stated diplomatically, "We have reason to believe you have kept them imprisoned." Mathias leered. "Maybe we have your pony friends, and maybe we don't. You have no proof," he said, just as a shadow passed over him. He looked up at the dark sky. Suddenly, a burst of colored light exploded above the clearing, and a figure swooped down to the ponies, landing next to them. "They've got proof alright, Mathias," the pony said in a confident voice, "They've got me." Twilight ran up and hugged the pony, her uneasiness about her surroundings temporarily forgotten. "Chroma, you're okay," she cried, "Is...is it true? Are you really a princess?" Chroma turned her multicolored eyes to Twilight, then to Celestia and Luna, who were staring at her. "Yes, Twilight. It's true, but we have no time for reunions. I can take you to the alicorns. We will fly though, so the Earth ponies and unicorns will need to be carried." "Oh, no you don't, little alicorn," Mathias roared, "We will never let you get anywhere." The man's words fell on deaf ears as the ponies prepared to leave. Twilight put up a force field to keep the men away so they could take off. "Rarity, we shall take thee," Luna said, "Climb unto our back." Rarity did so, even though she did not want to fly. "Hey AJ, I'll carry you, but just this once," Rainbow said. She leaned in close to Applejack. "I don't think Fluttershy will be able to carry anypony. That's why I'm doing this." AJ rolled her eyes. "Pinkie Pie," Chroma addressed the pink earth pony, but found her floating several feet off the ground, held up by balloons, "Nevermind..." She instead turned to Twilight. "Twilight, I will carry you..." She noticed the odd way Twilight was staring at the men. "Twilight?" She walked over to the mare, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "Twilight,we need to go, now." "Their tents...They're covered in skins..." Twilight whispered. Chroma sighed. "Yes, I know, Twilight," she said, "but they must do it. They require it for warmth and protection." She used her magic to lift the unicorn onto her back, but it was a bit difficult, seeing as they were about the same size. "Let's go," Celestia said, "Chroma, my sister, you will need to lead the way." Chroma nodded and took off. Twilight lowered her shield as they approached the edge of it. The men below shot at them. Pointed sticks whizzed past the ponies, but the men could not get a good shot. Chroma led them away from the camp and deeper into the Everfree forest. When at last she came down to land, about a miles's distance had been covered. Everypony followed Chroma as she landed, trying to make as little noise as possible. "Quickly!" Chroma said, "Follow me!" She pushed a patch of shrubbery out of the way, revealing a small, dark hole. "This is how I escaped, so the men do not know of it." The ponies started through the hole. It tunneled down into a large cavern. "Come on. We need to move quickly." Eight ponies rushed through the damp dark corridors. Rarity slipped and fell, and AJ had to cover her mouth to keep her exclamations quiet. She kept going, though she kept trying to wipe the mud off her white coat. The ponies came to a huge cavern. It was so dark that they could not see anything. Twilight sent a light spell across the room to illuminate the cavern. The shadows cast by the light were odd and unclear. It was not bright enough. Celestia and Luna cast there own illumination spells. The three balls of light cast enough light for the ponies to clearly make out what this giant room contained. "Who are you? You do not look like men." "They are equines! Ponies!" "I am Celestia. Goddess of the Sun and princess of Equestria." Celestia's booming voice echoed. "And I am Luna. Goddess of the Moon and also a princess of Equestria." It was quiet for a minute until one of the trapped ponies yelled, "They've come to rescue us. Our oppression is over!"
