-INSTALLATION: THE ISLAND-
The early morning rays crept through the wooden shelter of the Tribe of Harmony, kissing the face of a certain cyan pegasus. Rainbow Dash is stirred awake from the sun’s actions, letting loose a slightly annoyed moan before saying:
“Ugh… Celestia, turn it off,” The pegasus winces as she lifts her head off of her pillow, using a forehoof to shield herself from the sunlight. In addition, her ears perked up as she could hear the commotion of her fellow tribemates just outside of their housing.
Rainbow Dash yawns and stretches, and In one swift motion, she lifts herself onto her hooves and flaps her wings, taking her off of the soft furniture and onto the house’s wooden floor. A series of clopping echoes throughout the home before the cyan mare opens the wooden door, said door creaking as it gives her access to the outside world.
“Ah, good morning, love!” Greets Helena as the Ai and everyone else present takes notice of the pegasus. “Sleep well, I hope?”
Rainbow rubs her eyes with a forelimb, “Not as good as sleeping on a cloud, but It wasn’t so-” She pauses as she spots their most recent addition to the tribe, the Raptor. Her former executioner. The pegasus snarls with narrowed features, “...bad.”
Everyone else knew this was going to happen as the Element Bearers--barring Fluttershy--Spike, and Helena all smiled sheepishly. Although the AI projected the expression via their visor.
“Rainbow...” Fluttershy started. “I know that look… Vanellope is really sorry abou-”
“You named it?!” Rainbow Dash roars out, then facehooves, “Flutters, you’re not supposed to name it…”
“Why not?” The yellow pegasus responds with an assertive tone. All the while, Helena took the initiative to move everyone else away, including Vanellope.
“‘Why not?’” The cyan mare responds with slight annoyance. “Flutters, once you name it, you start to become attached to it! And I am NOT gonna become friends with that thing!”
“Rainbow, please, give Vanellope a chance to-”
“She killed me, Flutters. Do you even have the slightest clue as to what you’re asking me to do?! I can’t just forget about what happened last night!” Rainbow brings a forehoof to her throat, “That thing’s foot claw tore right through my neck! How in the hay do you expect me to just shrug that off and accept it as a friend?!”
“Vanellope is not an it!” The yellow pegasus shouts in defense. “She’s a part of our tribe now, Rainbow. Look, I understand how you-”
“You apparently DON’T understand how I feel!” Rainbow interjects with flaring wings and gritted teeth. “Otherwise, that thing wouldn’t even be here with us!”
“We need her help, Rainbow. Helena said that we needed to increase our tribe’s strength and having a Raptor at such a high level is a great start,” Fluttershy’s features begin to lose their assertiveness; replaced by pleading eyes, “Please… just, please try to give her a chance,” She closes the small distance with Rainbow Dash and places a forehoof onto her childhood friend’s right shoulder. All while the pegasus continues to wear angered features.
During this time, Helena could be seen conversing with the others nearby as Applejack was currently strapping a very particular object onto Vanellope’s back: A saddle.
“I truly do understand how you feel, Rainbow,” The yellow pegasus said, her comforting forehoof still placed onto the cyan pegasus’s shoulder, “I’m not insensitive enough to just expect you to forgive her, but can you at least tolerate her? F-for me?” She looks downward with saddened features and closes her eyes with a sigh, “If you want to, of course…”
Rainbow Dash gazed down upon her friend, looked towards the Raptor in the distance, and back to the yellow pegasus. After a moment's pause, she lets loose a frustrated sigh and pulls Fluttershy into a hug via her forehooves. Said gesture garnering a squeak from Fluttershy.
“Fine… I’ll do it for you and the others…”
Fluttershy recovers her composer and returns the gesture gleefully, “Thank you so much, Rainbow.”
“But I’m still not gonna be playing nice with It!” The cyan pegasus responds as she parts away. Said response causes Fluttershy’s ears to fold against her head. However, the yellow pegasus sighs in a mixture of sadness and acceptance before responding:
“Fair enough…”
……….
Applejack was currently mounted upon the back of the Raptor as Twilight began to study and observe Vanellope’s surprisingly obedient nature.
“This is simply extraordinary!” She shouts with excitement. “Vanellope doesn’t seem to be bothered at all by this. Not a single sign of annoyance or displeasure can be observed. Being ridden seems so natural to her.”
“Exactly, love!” Helena responds. “During my observations from back when I was still human, I too made a note about the behavioral factors of a tribe’s tames. In essence: Even if we were to have both herbivores and carnivores existing side by side, neither one would try to harm the other. And that’s not even going into how loyal most tames often become to tribe members.”
“Is there a reason for this, darling?” Rarity inquired, all while Applejack continued to get a feel for riding on the Raptor’s back. In addition, both Pinkie Pie and Spike watched the event with incredulous features.
“Actually, yes,” Helena answered. “You see, the creatures of the Arks have been conditioned to become indoctrinated into a tribe. It’s happened so much to these creatures that it’s become engraved into their instincts. Said instincts passing on not just from a parent to their child, but their implants as well.”
“So If I’m hearing you correctly, they just accept their fate once you successfully tame them?” Rarity inquires. “They fend for themselves in the wild, but transition to becoming domesticated as if it were a natural occurrence for them?”
“That certainly seems to be the case,” Twilight comments.
“Remember, love, the Arks aren’t exactly natural by any means. It’s best to not apply true naturality to what is an unnatural simulator at its core.”
“Yeehaw!” Applejack shouts from nearby, catching the attention of the trio, “Hoowee, this girl’s got some speed to her! Ah’ reckon she could take me from Ponyville all the way to the Crystal Empire before Granny Smith could bake an apple pie!”
“Ooh, ooh, let me have a turn, Applejack!” Pinkie Pie shouts excitedly, hopping in place.
“I can’t wait to see how amazing she’d be in a fight!” Spike exclaims as he shadow boxes in place.
……….
A series of dirt and sand could be heard being kicked up from nearby as Twilight, Helena, and Rarity turn towards their fellow tribe members: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
“Did you two resolve everything, ladies?” Helena questions.
Fluttershy turns to Rainbow Dash, who grunts in response, before turning back to everyone else, “Rainbow will tolerate Vanellope.”
“But I ain’t becoming friends with her,” Rainbow said, matter of factly. “I don’t care if we truly do need her help, that’s my one condition. She does her thing and stays away from me, and I’ll tolerate her for you guys.”
Both Rarity and Twilight nod in response.
“I understand completely, love. But you do need to realize that Vanellope won’t be the only creature we tame,” Helena responds. “There will undoubtedly be other creatures who will cause you all harm, and sometimes death, during a taming process. It’s just the way things are, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Rainbow responds, turning her gaze towards Vanellope who was now being ridden by Pinkie Pie, “Or her for that matter.”
Some time goes by as Helena asks the Tribe of Harmony to stand before her in a lined formation. Although Rainbow Dash made doubly sure as to stay to the far right side of the line, seeing as Vanellope was to the far left. They all wore their Cloth Armor with pride while some among them held various weaponry such as spears, bows, and in Applejack’s case, a bola.
“Ok, survivors! Today we have a small change of plans,” Helena starts, floating back and forth along the line in a fashion similar to a military instructor, “My original plan was to perform some runs for resources. However, I had an epiphany while you all slumbered following last night’s shenanigans.”
Everyone in the line looks to each other with inquisitive expressions as Twilight is the first to say:
“What do you mean, Helena?”
“Loves, I want you all to know that I would never do this if I didn’t have faith in you. As such, I also can't always be there to help you through the Arks. In accordance with that, I’m giving you all a special mission to complete,” The AI displays a flexing arm on its visor, “It’s time to put your training to the test!”
“Wait, what exactly is happening here?” Spike inquires.
“A mission?” Fluttershy questions, tilting her head sideways.
Helena projects a map in front of the tribe before her, “It’s quite simple: I want you all to reach this location at your own pace. Use everything I’ve taught you to reach this objective, and should you succeed, this will prove to each and every one of you that this tribe is filled with bonafide survivors!”
In any other circumstance, the Element Bearers, and Spike, would feel an absolute sense of horror and a drastic drop in confidence. However, instead of terrified entities, Helena was greeted by faces of absolute determination. This is what they were training for, and these survivors understood that all too well.
“I’m ready,” Twilight said with utmost confidence.
“A proper lady doesn’t give up before even trying,” Rarity comments. “I’m absolutely prepared, darlings.”
“We’ve got this! Ooh! Maybe we’ll be able to see some other cool creatures on the Ark, too!” Pinkie Pie shouts in excitement.
“This ain’t a sightseeing venture, Pinkie,” Applejack states with a chuckle. “But she’s got the right attitude! let’s do this, y’all!”
Spike flies into the air and gently lands onto Twilight’s back, “I’m definitely ready! With all of us working together, we can do this!”
Fluttershy, currently mounted on Vanellope’s saddled back, gently pats the Raptor’s head while saying:
“Vanellope and I are ready, too.”
Rainbow Dash flaps her wings and lifts herself aloft, “Hah! You don’t even need to ask me, of course I’m ready!” She thrusts her forehooves forward and starts to build up speed, “Let’s go, everypony!”
“Rainbow, wait!” Twilight shouts, causing the pegasus to stop mid-flight.
“What’s up? Did you forget something?”
“Well, no,” The alicorn responds with a deadpan expression, then points a forehoof towards Helena’s still projected map, “You’re going the wrong way…”
The pegasus’s eyes go wide open, followed by sheepish laughter and scratching the back of her neck with a forehoof, “Ehehe… r-right, gotcha.”
Helena chuckles in response before making her map disappear. She then floats closer to the ponies and drops a series of objects for each of them from the AI’s inventory, or implant.
“You’ll need these for your journey. Good luck, survivors.”
The tribe takes the objects without hesitation, which consist of Maps and Compasses. All the while, Helena starts to float high into the air, almost as if to leave the Ark, while shouting:
“I believe in you all, survivors! Be strong, be brave, and watch each other’s backs! I’ll be watching you all the time, but I shall not intervene! It’s all up to you now… make me proud!”
The Tribe of Harmony shouts back various forms of gratitude and matching gestures, waving their appendages towards the now gone AI. With that, everyone takes a unified step towards their destination, opting to stay along the coastline.
This was the true beginning of their journey, and the first stages of survival evolved.