AppleJack swept the apple cores and fish bones from dinner into the river with her hooves. The stripped shapes of food bounced awat in the current. Fires flickered around the edges of the giant central cave. Echoing space yawned overhead, dripping with stalactites, like huge shsrp teeth. The cave dome was big enough for 1 full-grown dragon to fit across with its wings extended. The underground river flowed along one wall, muttering ant gurgling as if it were plotting its own escape. AppleJack glanced at the two sleeping quarters that opened onto the hall...currently empty...and wondered where the other Elements had gone while she was cleaning up.
"AHA!" Yelled a voice behind her. AppleJack grabbed her hat and covered her face.
"What'd ah' do." She helped. "Ah'm sorry! It was an accident! Or if its the extra Apple, Cliff said I could have it because Onyx would be out late but ah'm sorry and ah' can skip dinner tomorrow!"
A small black and pink muzzle poked AppleJacks head. "Calm down, silly." Pinkie Pie said. "I wasn't aha-ing at you."
"Oh." AppleJack calmed her breathing and twisted around to look at Pinkie, the weirdest and last-aged of the Elements. A straw that was connected to a cup was in her Pinkie Pie's mouth. She grinned at AppleJack.
"That was my fierce battle cry." She said. "Didn't you like it? Wasn't it scary?"
"Well, it was certainly surprising." AppleJack said. "Love again? What's wrong with apples?"
"I can only taste love, not normal food." Pinkie said. "You look all serious."
"Just thinking." AppleJack was glad Amber and Cliff couldn't read minds like Alicorns. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about the idea of escape all through dinner. Pinkie then began jumping around AppleJack. She was too small and the wrong colour than normal Changelings...She had a very faint and dark-pink tone instead of pure black.
"Cliff says we should go study for an hour before bed." Pinkie said. "The others are in the study cave already."
Cliff, the maimed caretaker, who taught them survival skills, was a Changeling, and so was Pinkie...more or less. There was something not quite right about the littlest Element. Not only was she slightly pink, but her eyes we're light-blue instead of glittering black. But for some reason, her magic was way more convincing than the entire Changeling tribe combined. As Amber often said, Pinkie Pie was completely un-suspicious when disguised, but also really annoying...and what good was a annoying Changeling? But, she fit the instructions in the prophecy, so she was their "Element of Laughter", whether the Hooves of Piece liked it or not.
Of course, there were no "Element of Generosity" in the prophecy at all. The other Elements had all heard...many times over...about how Rarity was a last-minute substitute for the dead Pegasus foal. Amber and Cliff called her a mistake and stared at her a lot. None of them knew whether the prophecy could still happen with a Unicorn instead of a Pegasus. But from what AppleJack knew about Pegisi, she was very glad they had Rarity instead of another grumpy, SoundBlasting Amber. Besides, if any of them was likely to mess up the prophecy, it was AppleJack, not Rarity or Pinkie Pie.
"Come on." Pinkie said, jumping around AppleJack. AJ followed Pinkie across the central cave. Twisting stone tunnels led off in four directions: one to the battle arena, one to the caretakers' cave, one to the study room and the one to the outside land. The last was blocked with a metal door that had a password that none of the Elements knew. AppleJack stopped and placed in a randem combination into the door as they went by. She often tried to open it when the caretakers weren't around. Someday it would open when she had the right password.
'Not today. Maybe someday' She thought. AppleJack followed Pinkie Pie down the tunnel that led to the study room, her strong hooves tiredly scraping across the wet stone floor. Even though she had lived undr a mountain her entire life, it still hurt to walk on bare rock. She was constantly stubbing her hooves and always ached at the end of the day.
SilverStream was strutting around the study cave while barking orders. Pinkie and AppleJack sat at the entrance. A breath of air drifted down from the hole in the roof, far overhead...The only window to the outside in any of the caves. At night, without the distant hint of sunlight, the room felt colder and more hollow. AppleJack stretched up and gazed at the darkness that had fallen on the other side of the hole.
A map of Equestria hung on the wall between the torches. SilverStream and Twilight Sparkle loved staring at the map, trying to figure out where their hidden cave was. Twilight was pretty sure they where somewhere under the clouds of CloudsDale. Pegisi preferred to live high in the clouds, so anything could happen on or in the ground below without being noticed.
"All this history is so confusing." Pinkie murdered to AppleJack. "Why don't the three princesses sit down have a party and talk out an end to the war?"
"That would be great." AppleJack said. "Then we could stop studying it." Pinkie giggled at what AJ said.
"Stop that." SilverStream said bodily, stamping her talons at them. "No whispering! Pay attention. I'm assigning parts."
"This is not proper studying." Twilight Sparkle pointed out. Her nature body was surrounded by Brookes and scrolls that not even the torches could reveal her. She lifted a all the scrolls and books in her magic and began to neatly place them back where they belonged. "Perhaps I should read to everyone instead."
"Dear Fuast, anything but that." Rarity said from the ledge above the Alicorn. "Maybe later, when we're trying to fall asleep, darling." Her clean, white fur glowed in the lights from the torches, near her was 5 gems (out of 10) that somehow changed colour depending on her emotions and tonight they where vibrant purple.
If it weren't for Rarity and her gems, none of them would know how many colours there where in Equestria. AppleJack wondered what it must be link to live in a tribe with loads of gems and colours and a home to ponies that are extremely fashionnable.
"Shush." SilverStream scolded. "Now obviously I'd be the best queen, but let's make Pinkie pie the queen, since she is a real Changeling." She bustled over and pushed Pinkie Pie into the center of the room.
"Well, sort of." Rarity murmured under her breath.
"Hsst." Twilight flicked Rarity with a wing. None of the Elements ever talked about why Pinkie didn't look like a regular Changeling. AppleJack's guess was that her younger self was left alone in the sand and was not near her home. Maybe Changeling goals needed to Benin the hatchery back at their home until becoming a teenager or older, or else they'll be funny looking...although personally AppleJack thought Pinkie looked just fine.
SilverStream tapped her talons on the cave floor, studying her freinds. "AppleJack, you want to play the Diamond Dog?"
"Thats hardly fair." Twilight pointed out. "She's twice as strong as Pinkie. A Diamond Dog would be weaker than her, Acording to this scroll over here. It says that Diamond Dogs are really weak unless in a pack of 10. And they love treasue as more as any other tribe in Equestria. The scrolls say Diamond Dogs attack anything and steal..."
"OH MY FAUST, WE KNOW," Rarity snapped. "We were all here for the fascinating lectures about them. Don't make me come down there and slap you, darling."
"Ah'd like to meet a real Diamond Dog!" AppleJack said. "Ah'd buck there backs until they cry! And buck there heads!" She pounded her front hooves on the stone below her. "Ah' bet it would be better than the fights Amber gives us all."
"Poor AppleJack." Pinkie teased.
"When we're free, well go find a Diamond Dog village and beat up all of them." SilverStream promised, nudging AppleJack with one wing.
Pinkie Pie blinked at her. "When we're free?"
'Oops.' SilverStream and AppleJack exchanged glances. Pinkie Pie was funny and trusting and absolutely terrible at keeping secrets but is good at stopping everyone else from breaking secrets.
"I mean, after we fulfil the prophecy, of course." SilverStream said. "AppleJack, be the Diamond Dog. Here, this can be your weapon." She flew up into the air and smashed a stalagmite loose. Shards of rock flew across the cave, and the Elements ducked. AppleJack heated the sharp rock spear in her hooves and grinned wickedly at Pinkie.
"Don't actually hurt me." She said nervously.
"Of course she won't." SilverStream said. "We're just acting it out. And the rest of us will be the Changeling princesses. I'll be scorn, Rarity can be Chrysalis and Twilight will be Ebony."
"I had to be a princess last time, too." Twilight observed. "I'm not sure I like this game." She stretched her wings and her mane flowed freelynin the non-existing wind.
"It's not a game, it's history." SilverStream said. "And if we had any more friends, we could play it differently. But there are three Changeling princesses, so you have to be one, so stop complaining." Twilight shrugged and settled back into the shadows, the wat she always did when she couldn't win a fight or just wanted to vanish into thin air.
"All right, go ahead." SilverStream said, hopping onto the ledge next to Rarity.
"Um." Pinkie said. She eyed AppleJack warily. "Right. Here I go, la la la, queen Demonia of the Changelings. Im so very important and, uh...royal...and stuff." SilverStream sighed. Rarity and Twilight hid their smiles.
"I've been queen for ages and ages." Pinkie went on. She strutted across the cave floor. "No Changeling dares challenge me for my throne! I am the strongest Changeling queen who ever lived!"
"Don't forget the treasure." S ilverStream hissed, pointing at a pile of loose rocks.
"Oh, right." Pinkie said. "It's probably because of all my treasure! I have so much treasure because I'm such an important queen!" She swept the rocks towards her and gathered them between her bug-like hooves.
"Did someone say treasure?" AppleJack bellowed, leaping out from behind a large rock formation. Pinkie helped with fright.
"No!" SilverStream called. "Your not scared! You're queen Demonia, the big, bad queen of the Changelings."
"R-right." Pinkie said. "Hisssss! What is this weak Diamond Dog doing in my hive? I am not afraid of weak Diamond Dog! I shall go out there and kill it with one strike!" Rarity started giggling so hard she had to lie down and cover her face with one hoof. Even S ilverStream was making faces like she was trying not to laugh.
AppleJack swung the stalagmite in a circle. ""Bark bark, ruff!" She shouted. "And other annoying Diamond Dog noises! Ah'm here to steal treasure away from a magnificent Changeling! "
"Not from me, you wont." Pinkie said, bristling. She stamped forward, spread her bug-like wings, and created a scorpion tail with her magic, only without the poisonous garb that other Changelings can create. But none of the other Elements pointed that out.
"Yaaaaaaah!" AppleJack shouted, lunging forward with her rock blade. Pinkie darted out of the way, and they circled each other, feinting and jabbing. This was AppleJack's favourite part. When Pinkie Pie forgot about trying to act queenly and focused on the battle she was fun to fight. Her small size made it easy for her to dodge and slip under AJ's defences. But in the end queen Demonia had to loose...that was how the story went. AppleJack drove Pinkie back against the wall of the cave and thrust the fake weapon between her neck and bug-like wing, pretending it went through her heart.
"Aaaaaaaaargh." Pinkie howled. "Impossible! A queen defeated by a lowly Diamond Dog! The hive will fall apart! Oh, my treasure...my lovely treasure..." She collapsed to the ground and let her bug-like wings flop lifelessly on either side of her.
"Ha ha ha!" AppleJack said. "And bark ruff! The treasure is mine!" She stopped up all the rocks and paraded away, flipping her hat proudly.
"Our turn." SilverStream said, jumping off the ledge. She hurried over to Pinkie, clashing her talons and pinkues hooves together, and let out a cry of anguish. "Oh, no! Our mother is dead, and the treasure is gone. But worst of all, none of us killed her...so who should be queen now?"
"I was about to challenge her." Rarity cried. She sniffed her mane up dramatically. "I would have fought her to the death for the throne. I should be queen!"
"No, I should be queen!" SilverStream insisted. "I am the eldest and quickest and would have challenged her first!" They both turned to look at Twilight, hidden in the book pile. The lavender Alicorn looked as if she was trying to become even more invisible.
"Come on Twilight." SilverStream said. "Don't be such a lazy..." She caught herself just before saying 'Unicorn.' The caretakers said things like that all the time: "If you don't study, you're no better than a Unicorn"; "Whats the matter, somepony replace your brains with a Unicorn's?", "Still sleeping? Anyone would think you where a Unicorn!" (That last one was mostly for AppleJack.)
But the Elements all knew Rarity hated it, no matter how much she pretended she didn't care. It also seemed really unfair. Rarity was the only Unicorn any of them had ever met, and she studied and trained harder than anyone else.
"Er...pony." SilverStream finished awkwardly, with a quick glance at Rarity. "Twilight, get over here."
The Alicorn shuffled foward and looked down at Pinkie, who had her eyes scrunched shut. "Oh dear, oh dear." She said. "Well, now I should be queen. As the youngest princess, I could have the longest reign. That would be good for the Changlings. Also..." she paused and gave a long-suffering sigh. "Also, I am the far prettiest."
Pinkie giggled, and SilverStream poked her to keep still. AppleJack swept her treasure rocks into a pale and sat on them.
"I should kill you both right now." Rarity hissed.
"You and what army?" SilverStream taunted her.
Rarity stretched her neck up and hissed loudly. "That's a great idea. I'll go get an army...an army of HyppoGryths...and then you'll be sorry."
"You not the only Changeling who can make alliances." SilverStream said. "I'll get the Pegisi's on my side. And the Earth Ponies! Then we'll see who wins the war!"
There was a pause. They both looked at Twilight again. "Uh, yeah." She said. "You do that, and I'll ally myself with the Ice Pony tribe. Also, by the way, most of the Changelings want me to be queen,"
"They do?" Pinkie said, opening her eyes. "Who says?"
"Stop talking." SilverStream, poking her with one talon. "Your dead."
"There are lots of recent books and scrolls about it." Twilight explained pompously. "Ebony is very popular with her own tribe."
"So why can't she be queen?" Pinkie said. "If that's what they want?"
"Because Scorn is stronger and scarier and could easily defeat Ebony if they fought hoof to hoof." Raritychimed in. "And Chrysalis...that's me...is smarter than both of them together. She knew she couldn't defeat Ebony in a regular battle. It was her idea to involve all the other tribes and turn their Changeling throne battle into a war. She's probably waiting for the other two to kill each other."
"Which one do we want to be queen?" Pinkie asked. "We do get t pick, right? When we fulfil the prophecy."
"None of them." Twilight said gloomily. "Ebony is about as smart as a concussed sheep, Chrysalis is most likely plotting to become queen of all the tribes somehow, and if Scorn wins, she'll probably keep the war going just for fun. They're all pretty nasty. I guess we'll see what the Hooves of Peace decide."
"The Hooves of Peace don't get to decide." SilverStream said, bristling. "They only think they're in charge of us."
"We can still hear them out." Twilight argued. "They want what's best for us and Equestria."
"Easy for you to say." Rarity snapped. Her crystals flared orange. "You weren't stolen from your home. The Alicorns were pretty eager to hand you over, weren't thet." Twilight flinched.
"Boring!" AppleJack shouted from her pile of rocks. "Stop fighting with each other! Come fight me for this treasure instead!"
"No one knows what the Diamond Dog did with the Changlings treasure." Twilight said in her 'top of the class' voice, turning away from Rarity. "Among other things, he stole the golden phoenix, the burning Changeling sceptre, and the eye of Devastation, which had been in the Changeling treasury for hundreds of years."
AppleJack stamped her hooves. Twilight's lectures always made her fur itch. "Ah' just want to fight someone!" She said. Somebody who wasn't trying to beat her into I violent rage, preferably. As if the thought had summoned her, Amber suddenly loomedin the entrance of the cave.
"WHAT is going on here?" Amber's homing voice made all five Elements jump to attention. Pinkie slipped as she tried to scramble to her way into a standing position, and Twilight used her magic yo catch her.
The adult red Pegasus flew into the cave, glaring down at them. "This doesn't look lik studying." She hissed.
"We're s-s-s-sorry." Pinkie stammered.
"No, we're not." SilverStream shot the Changeling a glare. "We were studying. We were acting out the death of the Changeling queen that started the whole war."
"You mean play-acting." Amber growled. "You are too old for games."
"When were we ever young enough for games?" Rarity muttered.
"It wasn't a game." SilverStream said. "It was a different way of learning history. What's wrong with that?"
"And now your talking back." Amber said. She looked smug, as she always did when SilverStream got in trouble. "That means no sleeping near the river tonight." SilverStream scowled. Amber tapped the pile of books and scrolls with one wing. "The rest of you, learn from the HyppoGryth's mistakes and study the correct way."
"That's not fair." AppleJack spoke up as Amber turned to go, even though it made her heart pound. "We were all doing the same thing. We should all be punished." Rarity shook her head at her, but beside her, Pinkie nodded.
Amber stared towards AppleJack. "I know who the ringleader was. Cut off the head, and the problem goes away."
"You're going to cut off SilverStream's head?" Pinkie squeaked.
Rarity sighed. "It's a metaphor, darling."
"Now go to bed." Amber said. She turned away and flew out of the cave, knocking over Twilight's heat stacks of books and scrolls as she went.
AppleJack nudged SilverStreams wings with her shoulder. "Sorry, we tried."
"I know, thanks." SilverStream said, pushing AppleJacks hat down over her eyes. "Hey, Pinkie, would you mind taking those scrolls and books back to our sleeping cave?"
The small dark pink Dragon brightened. "Sure, I can do that!" She hurried to the entrance, gathered the scattered scrolls and books in her front cloves, and whisked out of the cave.
"I can't stand this much longer." SilverStream said as soon as Pinkie was gone. "We have to get out of here, and soon."
AppleJack glanced at Rarity and Twilight, who didn't look surprised. "You talked to them about it?"
"Of course." SilverStream said. "I needed their help figuring out an escape plan." AppleJack couldn't help but notice that SilverStream hadn't asked her for any escape plan ideas. Even her friends thought she was pretty useless.
"I'm not sure we're ready." Twilight said, stretching her wings. "There's so much we haven't learned yet..."
"Thsts what the caretakers want us to think!" SilverStream said. "But we'll never know until we get out of these horrible caves and see Equestria for ourselves."
"What about the prophecy?" AppleJack asked. "Shouldn't we wait two more years?"
"I font see why." Rarity said. "I'm with SilverStream. Harmony is Harmony, right?" So whatever we do must be the right thing. We don't need a bunck of adults telling us how to save the wotrod. they're not in the prophecy."
"When do we tell Pinkie?" Twilight asked, glancing at the cave's dark opening.
"Not until last minute." SilverStream said fiercely. "You know she can't keep a secret, Twilight, promise You won't say anything to her."
"I promise...Cross my Herat and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She said, placing a hoof over one eye then retracting it seconds after. "She's not going to like it though. She thinks everything is great here."
"Of course she does." SilverStream said. "She doesn't care that we get treated like cracked eggs even though we're supposed to be the key to peace or whatever."
"She cares." Twilight said defensively. "She just doesn't whine about it."
"Yowch." Said Rarity.
SilverStream whirled to glare at Twilight. "Say that to my face."
"I am saying I tou your face." She said. "Or was I saying it to your flank? It's easy to get the two confused." She ducked behind AppleJack before SilverStream could even jump at her.
"Hey, stop. Quit arguing at each other like mini Ambers." AppleJack said, standing up to keep SilverStream and Twilight between her. "None of us are happy here. Pinkie Pie deals with it differently, that's all. But remember what we decided...we five stick together or else everything gets worse, right."
Twilight hunched her wings forward muttering.
"AppleJack's right." Rarity said. "The last thing we want is to be like Amber or Onyx or Cliff."
SilverStream sighed for a moment, then shook her head. "All right, I know. I'm trying. But this place is slowly killing me." She said. AppleJack shivered at the fierce look on her face. She would not want to be the creature standing in her way.
"As soon as we have a plan, we go." SilverStream, looking at them each in the eye. "Let's see them force our destiny ont us when they can't find us anymore."