//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Escaping underground // Story: The final challenge // by Dianabel //------------------------------// Sunburst and Trixie, who were holding the unconscious Starlight Glimmer; Zecora, Punja, the CMC and every student of the School of Friendship ran away from changelings through the caves of the Tree of Harmony´s roots. They hid all hid behind a wall. They stayed as silent as possible, praying the changelings didn´t notice them. Fortunately, they didn´t. Every creature quietly sighed in relief. “Why is it,” Trixie panted heavily. “whenever I have to run away,” she panted more. “I do it in dangerous labyrinths?!” she asked to herself frustrated while remembering her experience in the Changeling hive. Zecora shushed her, reminding her to speak in a lower volume. “The danger is not away, it´s still in the air.” Zecora whispered in her ear. She turned to the other students. “Bear that in mind.” They all nodded their heads. “What do we do now?” Sandbar asked quietly. Trixie and Sunburst looked at Starlight. “Well, waking her up wouldn´t be a bad start.” Sunburst suggested nervously. “And… how do we do that?” asked Gallus. Trixie and Sunburst shared confused looks. Trixie grabbed her and started shaking her. “Apparently, that didn´t work.” she commented. Punja scoffed. “Because that´s not what you´re supposed to do with an unconscious pony!” she explained frustrated. “That´s just phony.” she said while rolling her eyes. Trixie scowled. “Well, how am I supposed to do that then?” she asked upset. “What you first need to do is checking if she breathes.” Sunburst put his hoof over Starlight´s mouth. He noticed the air she expired, which relieved him a lot. “She´s breathing.” he said with a smile. “Raise her hind legs.” ordered Punja. With his magic, Sunburst elevated them. “Good! Now put them against a wall if you could.” Trixie slightly pushed Starlight towards the wall so Sunburst could do as Punja said. Every creature waited anxiously for Starlight to regain conscience. “Starlight?” asked Trixie. Starlight did not answer. “Starlight!” Trixie repeated. Slowly, Starlight started moving her eyes. Silverstream gasped. “It´s working!” she exclaimed excited softly while leant on Yona, who along her classmates, the CMC and Zecora, was smiling. However, Trixie didn´t notice it and slapped Starlight in the cheek, surprising every creature. “Starlight!” The unconscious mare opened her eyes. “OUCH!” she complained. She incorporated quickly while rubbing her cheek. “Trixie! What did you do that for?” “And she´s awake!” Smolder nudged Ocellus. Trixie and Sunburst hugged Starlight. “You´re back!” Sunburst exclaimed excited. “Took you forever, but still, you´ve retaken consciousness!” Trixie added. Starlight got dizzy and returned to the ground again. “Careful! You don´t want to overwork your skull.” Punja told her. “Uh…” Starlight gave a nervous chuckle. “Do I know you?” she asked with a confused smile. “She´s my little disciple.” Zecora explained Starlight while moving Punja´s hair, who was smiling. “Being a doctor is her main goal.” “Oh! So that´s why she knows about that stuff.” Sweetie Belle commented. “That´s cool!” Scootaloo added. Apple Bloom nodded in agreement. Punja blushed. Starlight went on to thank the little zebra. “Well, thank you uh…” “Punja.” the little zebra told her name to Starlight. “Punja. Thank you so much.” Starlight looked around her. “Are we… Underneath the School of Friendship?” “Yona thinks yes and not. Yona and friends hid under school, but mean changelings chased Yona and friends and now no idea where she is.” Yona explained. Starlight blinked surprised. “Can somepony remind me why we´re running away from changelings?” Everypony looked away or bit their lips. “It´s kind of a long story…” Sandbar scratched the back of his neck. “Let´s just say that an ancient evil goat has messed everything up because he wants the throne back.” Gallus summed up. “A ram, Galllus. A ram.” Ocellus corrected her friend. “An evil ram…” Starlight muttered. She gasped in realization. “Oh right! The changelings were brainwashed and were chasing us!” She got in four hooves and checked the corners. “Where are they?” “Honestly, none of us has any idea, but at least those things are away from us.” Smolder said. Sandbar nudged her. “Ouch! What was that for?” Sandbar pointed at an angry Ocellus. “Oh.” Smolder muttered. “For your information, between those `things´, there could be my family. They are not being bad because they returned to their instincts. They are brainwashed!” Smolder rubbed her right arm in shame. “And what´s worse…” Ocellus continued. “I don´t know how to turn them back the way they were…” she said as tears formed in her eyes. She started crying. Smolder put her claw on her shoulder. “Look, I´m sorry, ok? I didn´t mean to hurt you by calling them things. But hear me out, don´t say they´ll stay like that forever. I´m sure we´ll find a way to turn them back to their true selves.” she gave her a comforting smile while holding her head with her claws. “But how?” Ocellus asked. Every creature looked at Starlight Glimmer, who felt estranged and uncomfortable by all the looks. “Um… Why are you all looking at me?” Some changelings approached Pharynx. “Well?” he asked impatiently. “We didn´t find them.” Pharynx growled frustrated. “They must be somewhere in here! They can´t have vanished!” And just after he said that, Starlight Glimmer stepped in. “Well hello.” she said a bit nervous. Immediately after, the changelings trapped her with their substance and pointed at her with their spears. The students, the CMC and Punja, Trixie, Zecora and Sunburst watched the scene hidden. “Are you sure this will work?” Ocellus asked a bit worried about Starlight´s safety. “Of course. Starlight used that spell on Twilight´s friends before we saved them from Queen Chrysalis. I´m sure she can do it again.” “Wait. You mean that she put a mind-control spell on our sisters when she was under Twilight´s wing?” Sweetie Belle asked estranged. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo scowled at Trixie. The blue unicorn darted her eyes from one side to the other. Sunburst sighed and massaged his forehead. “WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?!” Pharynx asked Starlight aggressively. “Oh don´t worry. You´ll be by their side very soon.” she said with a cocky smile. She ignited her horn and created a purple and blue ball of magic. She threw it to the changelings, inducing a big flash. Once it disappeared, she opened her eye, only to find that the changelings´ appearance stayed the same. “Professor Starlight spell not working!” Yona muttered scared. Seeing that every creature started entering in panic, Zecora decided to intervene. “Maybe she can control their minds but not change their physical forms.” “That´s a good theory!” Silverstream commented. “I´m sure that´s it!” “Let´s not sing victory. What could happen next is still a mystery.” Zecora warned Silverstream. “Let´s find out then…” Sunburst said. Starlight gazed around the changelings, not so sure if the spell worked. “Uh.. Do you still want to kill me?” The changelings roared at her. “I´m going to take it as a yes.” she muttered. Starlight ignited her horn and disappeared, leaving the changelings confused and angry. She reappeared with her friends and the students. “Ok. Mind-controlling spells don´t work on the bell´s spells.” she said. Ocellus sighed sadly. “Ok. That didn´t work. But let´s not lose hope.” Smolder told her while smiling nervously. “Yeah! At least we didn´t get discovered.” Silverstream added. “There they are!” an unfamiliar voice to every creature said. They all widened their eyes. “I talked too early.” Silverstream muttered. She laughed nervously. Gallus rolled his eyes, grabbed Silverstream by the wrist softly and dragged her with every creature else. They ran as fast as they could until they found another hiding spot. “We can´t keep going like this.” Sandbar said panting. “At this pace, sooner or later, we´ll be found.” “He´s right, you know.” Apple Bloom agreed with Sandbar. “What do we do, Starlight?” asked Sunburst. Starlight caressed her chin. She noticed three different paths ahead of, which gave her an idea. “Maybe the best thing would be dividing in three groups. The ones on the left with Sunburst, the ones on the center with Trixie and the ones on the right with me. It would distract the changelings and earn us time.” she suggested. “Even though the idea of being separated is something I fear, I think it´s a good idea.” Zecora agreed. Trixie and Sunburst were skeptical about the plan. They didn´t feel safe without each other, neither were sure if they could defend so many students at once. But they didn´t have another option. The two nodded their heads at the same time. Sunburst gulped. “Ok. We´ll do it.” “Good luck to you all.” said Trixie. The three of them held hooves. Starlight turned to the students. “Alright every creature. Pay attention. We´re going to divide in three groups. The ones on the left with Sunburst, the ones on the center with Trixie and the ones in the right with me.” The students entered in panic. “WHAT?!” Silverstream asked scared. “Yona goes with all her friends.” she said stubbornly before exhaling air from her nose. “Come on please, try to understand. We have no time to go with whom we want!” Trixie said desperate. “I know you´re not comfortable with the idea, none of us is!” Sunburst agreed with the students. “But it´s the only way of success if we want our enemy to distress.” Zecora sentenced. Yona was still anxious about not being with her friends. Luckily, Silverstream and Sanbar were on the left with her. “Don´t worry Yona. You won´t be alone.” Sandbar told her. “We´ll come with you!” Silvestream hugged her neck. “Ok. But what about other Yona´s friends?” she asked while looking at Gallus, Smolder and Ocellus. Sandbar looked at the other three friends. They shared sad looks. “I guess we´ll have to be separated.” Sandbar said sadly. “But at the end, we´ll reunite!” Silverstream chuckled unsure. “I hope.” she muttered worried. “Have some hope, girls.” said Sandbar to his friends. “The situation is very messed up? Yes. There´s a high chance that we died? Also true. But there´s also a chance that we can reunite again! Isn´t that little chance worth to keep on fighting?” Sandbar shared a smile with Gallus, Smolder and Ocellus, making them feel hopeful. “Yona wants to keep on fighting.” the yak agreed. The three friends hugged. “Hurry up everypony! We haven´t got much time.” Starlight said while noticing the changelings getting close. Smolder and Ocellus were on the right. They held claw and hoof and smiled at each other in confidence, joining Starlight´s group, in which Zecora and Punja were included. Silverstream, Sandbar and Yona went with Sunburst´s group. Gallus, who was in the center, realized that he had to go on hiw own with Trixie´s group. “Oh great. I´m in this group. Without my friends. Alone.” “Don´t say that! We´re here with you.” Sweetie Belle hugged his leg. “The CMC will accompany you!” Apple Bloom said joyful. “Guys!” Scootaloo and Trixie exclaimed at the same time, calling from a distance. Gallus grabbed the two fillies and caught up with the rest of the group. Sure, they weren´t his group of friends, but he couldn´t deny that they were adorable and nice to be with. He smiled while playfully rolling his eyes at the two fillies´ antics .