My little pony:Adventure of Seresia

"Unbelievable!! I never imagined that the island master would do something like this… I believed him to be honorable!! How could he treat us this way?!" Rarity stomped her hooves on the rough stone floor, the sound echoing alongside her complaints in the ears of her friends. Not long ago, the island master had "invited" them into this already cramped room. Now that Twilight and her friends were all squeezed inside, there was barely any space left.

"Rarity, can ya stop pacing around?? Settle down—you're making me dizzy." Applejack, unable to bear Rarity’s restless movements in the dimly lit room, finally reached out to stop her. She stood up, pulled Rarity to her side, and pushed her down onto a seat. The stone benches, extending from the rocky walls, took up nearly half of the room. Though they were polished smoother than the floor, they were still rough—cold and uncomfortable to sit on. Some ponies would rather stand than endure the discomfort.

"We have to do something!! We can't just sit here and wait! I say we take our chances now—knock out the guards and break out of here!!" Rainbow Dash, frustrated by the oppressive and dry environment, stomped on the stone bench. As she spoke, she dug her hooves into the only window, which was no bigger than a pony’s cheek. She desperately wished she could squeeze through it, but no matter how many times she tried, it was impossible. The only wooden structure in the entire room was the door, while the stone walls were covered in tally marks, likely made by previous pony captives who had been locked in this very cell. Who knew what horrors they had endured?

"Your wing is still injured, Rainbow Dash!! Calm down!!" Just as Rarity had settled down, Rainbow Dash started making a fuss again. Applejack's face darkened, and without hesitation, she gave Rainbow Dash’s wounded wing a light smack. She didn’t use much force, but it was enough to make Rainbow wince in pain. The pegasi glared at her in both anger and grievance, but after a brief staredown, she begrudgingly sat back down on the stone bench.

Amidst the restless group, Fluttershy was the only one who remained somewhat composed. She had noticed that ever since they had entered, Twilight had been staring at the door. Concerned, Fluttershy quietly stepped down from the stone bench in the farthest corner, walked over to Twilight, and gently nudged her with a hoof before softly asking:

"What should we do now, Twilight?"

"Ah…!" Twilight seemed to be lost in deep thought. The sudden touch startled her, making her shudder. Though her voice wasn’t loud, it was enough to draw everypony’s attention.

"I… I don't know yet…" Seeing all her friends looking at her, their hopes pinned on her to come up with a plan, Twilight felt overwhelmed. They expected her to lead them out of this situation, but her uncertain response crushed their spirits, like cold water dousing a dying flame. The room's atmosphere grew even more disheartened.

Even with her brilliant mind, any plan Twilight could devise relied on her ability to use magic freely. However, the pendant around her neck provided so little magic that even picking up an object was difficult, let alone performing any kind of magical attack. Twilight had shed many tears over this in secret, and all her friends could do was try their best to distract her from her frustration.

"I'm more worried about Spike and Escort Jin Yun… I just hope nothing bad happens to them…" As Twilight was lost in her thoughts, a heavy and steady set of footsteps suddenly approached. The sound stopped right outside the door.

Everyone immediately stood up, huddling together, their eyes locked on the door. The clanking of metal, the sound of keys turning in the lock, and finally, the ear-piercing creak of the poorly maintained door opening filled the room.

Beyond the doorway stood Jin Yun and Spike, flanked by a towering guard.

"Get in." The two were shoved roughly into the room, and the door was slammed shut behind them, followed by the sound of the lock clicking into place. The footsteps of the guards faded into the distance before the ponies dared to rush forward, crowding around them with concern.

"Spike!! Spike, are you hurt?!" Twilight hurried to his side, checking him over anxiously. But to her surprise, Spike pushed her away slightly. He stared at her for a long moment, then glanced around the room before finally showing an expression of disbelief.

"Whoa, so everything Jin Yun said was true?? Or… did you guys do something to make the island master mad?" Spike’s words left Twilight completely baffled. She turned to Jin Yun, who then explained her theory—along with the fact that she had secretly called for reinforcements.

Upon hearing this, the group’s faces lit up with hope. Twilight, in particular, was thrilled. She grabbed Jin Yun’s hoof, marveling at her foresight. Jin Yun, slightly flustered by the praise, rested a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and reassured her:

"Don't worry, Princess. Since the Chancellor sent me to protect you all, it’s my duty to ensure you return safely to the fleet. For now, please rest and conserve your energy for our escape."

"Mm!!" The flickering flame of hope was rekindled, and everyone responded in unison before seeking out the most comfortable spots they could find. They used their tails as cushions and closed their eyes to rest.

Meanwhile, Twilight pulled Jin Yun to a quiet corner and whispered a barrage of questions—how had she predicted the island master’s scheme? How had she managed to send a message under heavy surveillance? After listening to Jin Yun’s detailed explanations, Twilight felt immense relief. Had it not been for Jin Yun, she feared she might never have found a way to escape on her own.

"Princess, don’t worry. Once we break out of here, we’ll find a way off this island. If necessary… I can always 'borrow' a ship from the island master."

"Borrow? But the island master wants to keep us trapped here—why would he ever agree to lend us a ship??" Twilight clearly didn’t catch Jin Yun’s implied meaning. Just as Jin Yun was about to clarify, she suddenly turned her head toward the door.

Twilight was confused. "What’s wrong?" she was about to ask when Jin Yun hushed her with a gesture and pointed toward the door. Twilight, though puzzled, pricked up her ears and listened closely.

Silence. The only sound was her own breathing.

Then, a faint noise broke the stillness—very light footsteps, but they didn’t belong to the guards. The guards' steps were always loud and distinct. This sound was different—soft, almost elastic, with occasional scratching, like claws scraping against rock. Sometimes slow, sometimes quick, then suddenly… silence.

Just as Twilight shuddered at the eerie sound, a metallic clink rang out.

Something was picking the lock.

With a sharp click, the lock turned, and the door slowly creaked open. A clawed paw appeared first, followed by a head peeking through.

It was Xiao Ling. She scanned the room, found everyone was inside, before carefully pushing the door open further—making sure it didn’t creak too loudly.

"Xiao Ling!! You’re finally here!!" Twilight gasped in excitement. She rushed to the newcomer, grabbing her paw. The noise startled the resting ponies awake.

"How did you find us??"

"A kind lady guided me. We climbed up from the cliffside." Xiao Ling’s words filled Twilight with gratitude at the thought of someone helping them. But hearing they had scaled a cliff made her worry.

"Hurry, while the otter guards are gone, we need to get out of here!!"

Suddenly, a figure slipped through the doorway. She kept her voice low, urging them to move.

The ponies turned to look at their unexpected savior.

She was an adult mare with sun-worn, dusty ochre-colored fur and dark orange curls, dry and brittle from years of exposure and neglect. Rarity, upon seeing her, felt a pang of distress—she desperately wanted to drag this mare to a beauty salon for a full makeover.

But before she could speak, another voice cut in.

"M-Mom??"