//------------------------------// // Chapter 43: A Mother's Piety // Story: Turmoil Rising // by JFT //------------------------------// The dark finally cleared from her eyes. Glitter Drops ran through the Frozen North for hours without break and in panic, back to the Crystal Empire, until she finally collapsed from exhaustion. The sense of fatigue was still on her, but at least now she was aware of her surroundings. She looked about, realizing she was lying in bed, and she wasn’t the only one. A grey stallion lay nearby, with a shorter, purple-maned mare watching over him, and not far from them was a too familiar alicorn princess, with a zebra and a small dragon next to her. “You’re really going already then?” “Yeah. I still have to send a message to the guys over at Griffonstone, and after what we’ve just been through, I think Starswirl’s gonna need all the help he can get. Give my regards to Twilight when she wakes up, okay?” She recognized some of the voices. Voices of the same ponies she and her co-worker assisted. She tried to rise, only to realize that something heavy was keeping her down. It was only then that she finally noticed that the aforementioned co-worker was resting her head on top of her. “Fizzy?!” she yelped. Just as she did, the broken unicorn snorted and woke up. The green mare was able to sit up only to see a bright flash erupt elsewhere in the room, after which she saw very familiar faces of the Elements of Harmony. They all noticed her and quickly went to her side, but the one in closest proximity beat them to the punch, as she lept and wrapped her hooves around her. The other mares stopped at the sight, letting the moment last for quite a while. “Fizzy?” the smaller mare finally spoke after being held for a long time. “Dropsy, what’s happened to you?!” Tempest gave her a frantic look. “If he did something to you I swear I’m gonna-!” “Tempest,” a blue pegasus tried to garner her attention, “chill, will ya? You can see she’s okay.” “You can’t be sure of that! You’ve seen her knocked out! For all we know, he could’ve-!” “Fizzy, I’m fine,” the other mare reassured her. “I’m just really tired… After you all got swallowed by the depths I ran as fast as I could back home for hours to warn Princess Cadence of Sombra’s return… but it seems I didn’t make it, since I lost consciousness somewhere near the border. Are you all okay?” The Element’s heads turned to their resting leader. “For the most part,” the white unicorn answered. “But I have to tell you that Sombra’s not a problem anymore.” “Really? You managed to beat him?” They gave each other an awkward look. “Well… A lot has happened while you were absent, Glitter Drops,” Applejack answered. The mares proceeded to explain the events that took place in the depths of Frozen North; of Sombra’s fate, of the teal pony’s “rescuer”, and finally the events that took place inside the castle while she was asleep. “I can’t believe it…” Glitter Drops said in a shaken tone. “This whole time… Had I known the Storm King was-“ “You couldn’t have known, Dropsy,” Tempest calmed her. “None of us could.” “Yeah,” Pinkie Pie concurred, “I mean, how could any one of us have known that Chrysalis would’ve gone through an elaborate plot of stealing a magical artifact from Canterlot and remains that the hippogriffs have been keeping as a trophy… You know, actually saying that last part out loud makes it sound really creepy.” “Ah mean, if he was just a walkin’ talkin’ statue we could’ve easily dealt with him, but then he had to have that darn staff with him as well… or rather ON him,” Applejack made her frustration known. “Yeah, seriously, Tempest,” the wonderbolt pitched in, “we’ve had plenty of trouble dealing with it the last time it nearly destroyed Canterlot. Where did you even get that stupid stick anyway?” “Very likely she stole it. King Vorak is not the kind of person who would simply relinquish the symbol of his sovereignty to anypony.” The broken unicorn didn’t even have a chance to explain herself when somebody else got ahead of her. The voice came from the fanny pack that hung around the shy pegasus’ neck, which now served as a form of transportation for the former Lord of Chaos, who at that very moment was sticking his head out. As expected, they all gave him a confused look. “That name sounds kinda familiar.” Pinkie Pie rubbed her chin. “Well it should,” Discord said. “After all you were all there when I first mentioned it. I used it to taunt Tirek to slip up.” It took them a bit to recall the events from years ago, when Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow, empowered by the magic that was trapped inside Grogar’s Bewitching Bell, launched an assault on Canterlot, where they got utterly defeated. And it was only thanks to Discord’s actions that they managed to get away to plan a counterattack against them. And soon, the words that triggered the dark lord of the centaurs to act came to their minds. You're right. "Cretin" is too polite. How about "pathetic centaur who uses magic to compensate for the fact that deep down he's afraid he'll never be enough to please dear old dad, King Vorak"? “Wait… Discord, how do you know about Tirek’s dad?” Fluttershy asked the question that everybody wanted to know an answer to at that moment. “And how do you know that Staff of Sacanas belonged to him, to begin with?” Rarity asked the second one that was on their mind. The draconequus suddenly felt surrounded by all of them. “Well… the thing is… you know what, it’d be too long of a story to tell.” “Hey, until Twilight gets up we’ve got more than enough time.” Their heads turned as another presence joined in on the conversation, this time being the purple dragon who had just left the princess’ side. He groaned. “Fine… sit yourselves down, cuz it’s a whale-staggering story.” “I didn’t know whales could stagger,” the party planner remarked as they all sat down. Discord cleared his throat as he found himself in the center of attention once again. “Well, our story begins… Or rather continues, from where we left off last time. After I had hidden Grogar’s Collar of Dominion away in the depths of the Jagged Ridge, I crossed over to the other side, leaving Equestria behind, descending into the Nether Lands. To say that the place was inhospitable would be a gross understatement. It’s a barren wasteland, with no life in sight, no food or water… just scorching winds. For days I was traversing the land with a constant sun beating down from above for most of the day. I’m not sure how long it was, but by the end, I was simply too exhausted from hunger and thirst, hiding under a rock, unsure I’d see another day. And then… I had a case of Déjà vu.” “What do you mean, Discord?” Rainbow Dash inquired. “Did somepony peeked under a rock like how Gusty found you or something? An awkward silence followed for a moment before he resumed. “Well… yes, actually. The only difference was that I was too tired to act when the rock was lifted. And past the blistering sunlight, I beheld a visage. She was a creature, unlike any I’ve seen before: the tone of her muzzle was the same as the rocks upon which I’ve walked throughout the land, the brown hair flowed down her face as the winds blew, with a pair great bat wings sticking out behind her. And the look in her eyes… it looked like… pity. She scooped me up and took me away, and after that, I blanked out. I’m not sure how long it was before I finally woke up, but when I did, I was in a tent, and I could hear voices coming from outside. I was in a settlement, hidden in the cover of a large cave. That was when I first saw the centaurs and their former servants, the gargoyles.” “What do you mean former servants?” Rarity questioned. “I’m getting to that,” he said. “Strangely enough, the residents didn’t seem to mind my presence, as there were clearly other odd creatures that walked among the prime residents of the Nether Lands, so many that I practically blended in. It was unusual for me to say the least, that they didn’t consider me an alien. Of course, I wanted some answers, so I went looking for the head honcho, which was obviously marked by the biggest tent. And that was when I first met him. Vorak, not yet a king, but a young leader of the resistance, along with my would-be savior, one called Haydon.” “Resistance against what?” Applejack asked. “Father, of course. The centaur tribes have been in a constant war for supremacy as long back as any resident of the Nether Lands can remember. But Father’s reach into the wasteland had complicated things for everycreature. He was simply too strong for any individual tribe to fight his forces alone, hence a desperate alliance was made between the tribes to fight back against the invader. That, of course, also meant that the centaurs were forced to adapt to the changing times and alter some of their traditions. The gargoyles were carved from rock and brought to life by something called “The Breath of Creation”. They used to be merely their servants, but the difficult circumstances forced them to start treating them on the same level as their former masters, after all, if they perished at Father’s command, so too would they. And it’s been a long time since then, making Vorak the next generation’s leader.” “But Discord,” Fluttershy paused him, “wasn’t Grogar defeated?” “Of course he was… but they didn’t know. Even though Father had left the Nether Lands some time ago, its residents were oblivious to the matter. They’ve been living in constant fear for so long they believed that their own shadows could harbor enemies out in the scorching daylight.” “And you didn’t tell them?” Spike jumped in. “I did. And they didn’t believe me at first, but after much persuading, they called in a centaur, who used a strange magical artifact to draw out my memories of what I’ve seen… or rather, what I remembered at the time. When it became clear that I was speaking the truth, there was nothing but cheers being heard.” “Oooooh! You were having a party?” the party planner hopped. “I mean, as much as a party as one can have, considering the circumstances. But even so, for the first time, in the jovial setup, without being forced to conceal my presence from anypony, I was being treated as just another resident of the land. It felt… as if I had finally found a place to belong.” “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw,” the sound escaped the shy pegasus as she hugged him. “Discord, I’m so happy for you!” “Fluttershy, I’m not done yet. Please put me down,” draconequus protested, and the mare obliged. “Anyway, the jubilation wouldn’t last forever as the obvious problem was inevitably going to bubble up to the surface again.” “What are you talking about?” the fashionista inquired. “The centaur tribes came together in desperation to fight a common enemy. With that enemy gone, what was keeping them together still?” “Friendship?” Pinkie Pie naively said. “No, Pinkie, not in the Nether Lands,” Discord shook his head. “No matter how close they were now, the land still had scarce resources that no amount of friendship could fix; it was an issue over which the centaur tribes have been warring from the very start. Without somecreature to keep them together, it would all return to how it was. And Vorak knew it, he couldn’t risk it happening, especially since he had gotten… “close”, to his former family servant. So, he started working on a plan. He had his best craftsmen fashion for him a staff, of a wooden shaft and a crystal headpiece, imbued with this so-called “Breath of Creation”. At the height of the revelry, in the presence of a moonlight night, he led his people out into the heart of the wasteland, where he used it. From the dried-up soil, a giant tower born of the earth arose like a tree, and just like it, life was beginning to sprout from the land around it. He called it the Midnight Castle, and it could be seen from the furthest corners of the Nether Lands. It was a symbol for the seat of absolute power, but also a reminder, a promise, that one day, the barren wasteland which they had been calling home for centuries, might actually bloom someday so that desperation would never tear his people apart again. And so, Vorak became the first king of the Nether Lands.” “What about you?” Spike asked. “Me? I had no other place to go to, and the Nether Lands were about as close to a home as it could be, despite its obvious flaws. Besides, I still had a little debt to pay to the one who rescued me; Haydon, who funny enough, became the queen. She was… she was special. So gentle, tender, and motherly...” His head turned towards the animal caretaker. “Almost like you, Fluttershy. So it’s not surprising that Vorak was drawn to her. It is unfortunate, however, that their union, in the end, produced a… well, you’ve all seen the kind of person Tirek is.” “Look that’s all nice and sweet,” Tempest interrupted Discord’s storytelling, “but what you’ve just described is nothing like what I’ve seen. I read in the books about the centaur’s unique way of drawing out magic, so I went to the Nether Lands, which was anything BUT peaceful, just monsters constantly fighting amongst themselves. I did, however, see a solitary tower-like structure sticking out like a sore hoof. There was no life in it though, other than a handful of scrambling gremlins. I managed to interrogate them and they pointed me to the Staff of Sacanas, which was in the hands of one of the many statues that littered the place. And after that, I simply sent it to the Storm King.” “Did they also tell you how to use it?” They all stirred, as that voice didn’t come from any of them. It was coming from one of the beds, where the purple alicorn lay. “Twilight!” At the sound of the dragon's voice, they all got up and ran to the side of her bed. “How long have you been awake?” “From when Discord resumed where we left off last time.” She finally opened her eyes and managed to sit up. “Where are we? How long have I been out?” “Since yesterday,” Rarity explained. “We got back to the Crystal Empire in time to intervene with the Storm King, but unfortunately he got away, along with Queen Chrysalis, and Grogar.” It took a while for the words to finally reach her before she reacted. “Crystal Empire?! CADENCE!” She lept off the bed and dashed for the door. “Twilight, wait! You’re not well yet!” Applejack protested. She didn’t heed her. She was too concerned for the well-being of her former foalsitter. But she didn’t get further than the door’s threshold when she crashed into something, stopping her in her tracks. The quick reaction from earlier coupled with the aftershock from the hit finally got to her, and she slouched against whatever the object was. Whatever it was, it was strong, yet soft, and… fluffy? “We really got to stop bumping into each other like this.” Her eyes shot open as she recognized that voice. It was an orange pegasus stallion, wearing the armor of the captain of the guard. All she could do was crack an awkward smile and laugh. The rest of the mares came through the door, only to see the situation as it looked. “Don’t worry girls, I think he’s got her,” Rarity quipped. Hearing that, the alicorn blushed and pulled herself back, trying to stand on her own, only for her friends to catch up to her, helping her stand in place. “Flash Sentry, where’s Cadence? Is she alright? I need to see her right now!” she asked. “Her Majesty is in the throne room right now,” he answered. “As for the state she’s in… well, you should see for yourself.” The captain walked off. The mares were about to follow him when they realized that one of them remained behind. “Tempest, aren’t you coming?” the princess inquired. “Nah, you guys go ahead. I’ll join later. After what I’ve seen, I think she’s gonna need your help more than mine.” And the broken unicorn closed the doors. They walked down the hallway of the castle, destruction noticeable for all of them to see. There was a deep line running straight down the middle of it, and it baffled Twilight as to what could've possibly caused it. They finally reached the throne room and entered, only to be met with a sight of a pink alicorn sitting on her throne, her mane frazzled, and almost seeming like her bright colors have faded, hunched over, with a despondent look on her face. “Cadence?” The moment Twilight uttered the name, her head rose and she immediately ran to her and pulled her into an embrace. “Twilight! I’m so glad you’re okay. After what I heard Storm King say I thought…” She struggled to speak from the pressure. “I… I’m okay, Cadence, but could you loosen up just a bit, please?” She finally relented and let her go. “Are you okay, Cadence?” She paused for a moment after the question. “Yes… yes, I’m fine…” “Are you sure?” the purple alicorn doubted her words. “I’ve seen the state the castle is in and the girls haven’t told me yet what had happened while I was out, but I can tell just by looking at you that something bad had happened.” The older alicorn sighed. “You’re right… I’m not fine, Twilight. What happened is something I will never be fine with. After you all left for the Frozen North, Changelings started to act up. Through the day and into the next morning they kept drawing our army out of the city, disappearing without a trace, tiering us all down. It wasn’t until this morning that I discovered we’ve been tricked, as the changelings have already infiltrated the city. And then the Storm King came and attacked the castle, and the rest of the guards were unable to do anything because the Crystal Heart was stolen, and to make matters worse, after that, the umbrum suddenly came out of nowhere. Everything was just coming apart and I simply didn’t have the strength to continue fighting him, but then… it happened.” “What happened, Cadence?” Twilight wondered. “Flurry Heart… I heard her screaming in fear. The Storm King was going to hurt her. And when I realized that I just… I just felt so angry.” “That would explain the Sombra-like look you had on your face at that time,” the party planner pointed out. Twilight realized what she was talking about, remembering how she had to force a negative emotion onto herself to access the umbrum king’s quarters. “Cadence… are you saying you allowed it to get ahold of you?” “I couldn’t help it, Twilight. The thought that the giant brute would hurt my sweet little girl… I just wanted to destroy him. And the people outside saw me when I knocked him over the balcony and then attacked Grogar and Chrysalis that were standing in plain sight.” She gasped. “Oh no… are you saying that the crystal ponies have lost faith in you after seeing you at your worst?” A titter escaped the Princess of Love. “If only it were that. Public perception is something I can live with.” Her momentary smile faded. “No, Twilight, I did something far worse. When I clashed with Grogar, your friends tried to dissuade me, but I wouldn’t listen; I just wanted to see those who have wronged me hurt so badly. That’s when Flurry Heart managed to get to me to get my attention when I was at the peak of the emotion and I… I…” Twilight sensed it, saw it even, as she choked up, trembled all over, tearing up. “Cadence… what did you do?” “I SNEERED AT HER, TWILIGHT! I SNEERED AT MY LITTLE FLURRY HEART!” she cried out, then collapsed on her rump, and started to cry uncontrollably. The younger alicorn closed in. “Cadence, don’t worry. I know things seem bleak, but time heals all wounds. I’m sure in time she’ll-“ “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, TWILIGHT!” the elder one cut her off. “She’s seen me at the possible worst I’ve ever been. All that anger and hatred that I was focusing on those I earnestly wanted to hurt, in a moment of distraction, I aimed it at her. The most sweetest and innocent thing I’ve ever known! The Crystal Heart may have purged the negative emotion, but I knew full well what I did in a heat of the moment. And then she ran away in fear of me. She’s been in her room since yesterday and she won’t come out. I can never face her again… She was completely innocent and I scorned her! I’m a horrible mother!” Her cries of despair echoed throughout the throne room. It was downright disheartening to listen, to watch a mother grieving that she had lost the trust of her little filly, it even made some of the mares tear up. One of them, however, walked back to the door, aiming to exit. “Zecora?” Rarity was the first to spot her, despite the waterworks. “Where are you going?” The zebra turned to them. “Excuse me, but I should be preparing. There's another wound which needs repairing.” The doors closed behind her, leaving everybody else confused, as they had no idea who else was there left in the castle that needed treatment. The sun was already high in the sky, yet in one of the castle’s rooms, the atmosphere was gloomy. Flurry Hearts sat by the side of her bed, holding her Whammy. Since yesterday nothing had changed, as there were words of the hooded elder and images of the recent events constantly playing out in her head. Just as wishing to bring or preserve peace initiates wars, so too is hatred born out of the desire… to protect love. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, disrupting her thoughts. “Go away!” she yelled. Yet despite those words, the doors creaked open. She had expected one of the guards had come to try and convince her to leave, yet much to her surprise, an unexpected black and white equine face popped in. “Stripey Lady? What are you doing here?” “My apologies, little Heart,” the zebra said as she entered, “but navigating the castle is difficult as there is so much room. While I'm here I have to ask, why are you so full of doom and gloom?” “I don’t want to talk about it…” She shrunk, hugging her stuffed snail toy. She closed the door and slowly approached her, sitting down by her side. “I can see that your thoughts are not at ease, bottling them up is something only your inner turmoil will please. If it will elevate your mind you can always tell me what’s giving you the grind.” A snicker suddenly escaped the filly’s mouth. “You still talk funny, Stripey Lady.” “I'm glad at least something's distracting you from your plight, but please, Zecora is my name, speak it right.” Her mood switched back to what it was before. “Miss Kora…” She waited a few moments before she finished the sentence. “… is mommy bad?” The shaman was about to correct her, but then stopped herself, realizing it’d be pointless, as she was only a child. “Little filly, I’m shocked. The Princess of Love, an agent of wroth? What could possibly give you that thought?” She shifted. “Grandpa Gar told me something…” Zecora tilted her head. “Who?” “A kind old man,” Flurry Heart explained. “He played with me and told me stories when I was alone. He had pets, lots of them, and we played in Granny Misty’s garden.” “It's well and good to play, but what did he say?” “He said…” She tried to recall his words. “That good things make bad things happen. If we try to pretend that the bad thing does not exist, it will come out strong. He said that when we’re at the most bad… it shows us what we are.” The shaman pondered for a moment. “There is some wisdom in those words, no doubt. Pray tell, why would it make you assume the worst about your mother and pout?” “I’ve never seen mommy angry like that. But when the big black scary rocky pile came and attacked me, her eyes looked like that of the bad King Sobra. I tried to make her stop but…” She suddenly went quiet. “She gave me the evil bad look. She never did that before.” The filly gave the zebra a pleading look. “I’m scared, Miss Kora. Can loving somepony too much make you go bad?” And Zecora finally saw where the problem lay. Whatever this “Grandpa Gar” had told the little filly, it corresponded with what she had experienced. And it rattled her perception of pure, genuine goodness that her mother was supposed to exhibit. But there may still be a way to repair the damage done. She smiled. “Little Flurry Heart, I sympathize with your pain. A parent in the grip of strong emotions can make you strain, especially when by mistake it falls on you like rain. But do not assume when the moment comes, it all becomes crumbs. And a mother's love is a terrifying power, at times sweet and others sour, but tell me, how can you know peace without getting mad, or love without causing bad?” The little filly sat there, confused, unsure what to say. “If it's too hard for you to understand, how about I explain you in a story most grand?” Zecora proposed. “Is it a scary story…?” she meekly asked. The shaman shook her head. Across the vast dunes, a large gathering of zebras traveled, with their high shaman ahead of them, with his filly, who was not so little anymore, by his side. They had been traversing the desert sands all day since yesterday, and without a cloud in the sky, the blistering sun was beating down on them all. But at least this time Zecora came prepared, she had learned from her previous mistakes not to underestimate the Kuhama Desert, and she made sure to pack properly. Even so, they’ve been tracking for the second day now. Her tribe needed water, but this was the first time that she joined the group responsible for delivering it, and she still had no idea what to expect in the end. As they continued onward, the zebra felt the ground change, as the sands had slowly disappeared, replaced by solid ground, and little by little, grass began to sprout from the soil, turning into fields that were being worked on by the local bovine. “Watami’s grace upon you,” one of the buffalos said as they passed him, the high shaman nodding in response. The younger zebra was confused by his words. And as they continued through the lush grasslands, bodies of water started to become more noticeable, and with it, more and more local creatures started appearing on their way, from the buffalos to giraffes, and each of them would offer the same greeting words. Watami’s grace upon you. She finally asked the obvious question. “Fada, why is everybody saying that when we pass them? What does “Watami’s grace” mean?” The elder one gave her a look as if he was anticipating the question. “I do not blame you for not knowing, for this is your first showing. Many creatures which make this place their home, greatly revere the ruler of the kelpie hearthstone.” “Why’s that, Fada?” “Long ago, not many lived here, for back then it was dry, my dear. No life could survive in this barren waste until from the sea a visitor arrived post-haste. She looked upon the land of sand, took pity on those who lived there and burrowed deep to make a spring gush forth from its sleep. Over many a generation, the desert blossomed without hesitation. She remained, to ensure life could be sustained. Hence, in honor of the spring which has brought glee, Watami’s name is spoken well and free.” All of a sudden, a snicker escaped her, realizing that the name almost sounded as if somebody was saying “Water me!”. But there was something that still made her wonder. “Fada, how old is Queen Watami?” He chuckled. “Older and wiser ones pondered it before, alas, none could get the right score.” With that being said and done, Zecora had expected by now that they’ll just dip into the nearest river and fill the barrels they had brought with them, but they wouldn’t stop, not yet. For many more hours they trot across the lush green lands, the further they went, the bigger the rivers became, so much that they turned into waterways, and they saw numerous rafts traveling up and down the stream. Finally, they ran out of land to traverse… and then they saw it. All of the rivers that spread through the kelpie queen’s domain were coming from a giant lake, bigger than the oasis that her father watched over. And it was at the very heart of this lake that a giant fountain stood, spouting water which fell into the surrounding lake. “We'll slake our village's thirst by drawing water from here first,” her father announced. “To Carthage, I will go, for the purest liquid can only be found where its source is found below.” One of many rafts that were going about the lake finally landed on the bank, and the shaman stepped on it. “Come, Zecora,” he beckoned her, “I will show you, the brilliance I speak of is true.” Zecora lept, her five golden rings clanging as she landed on the wooden raft. She was a bit confused though, wondering why her father wanted her to see a water fountain up close, but also the fact that the raft had no driver. Now that she thought about it, how did the raft get here in the first place? Then it moved, slowly picking up the pace, until it sped up, nearly causing her to fall off before her father caught her. By the time they had reached the halfway, the younger zebra realized her eyes were deceiving her. What looked like a giant fountain in the middle of the lake was actually a city, carved from rock. On the surface level, there were numerous wooden piers where the other rafts were being moored, coming and going one after another. As they approached it, their raft slowed down until it came to a complete stop right on the mark. The father hopped off, but it took the daughter a bit longer as the whole thing transitioned too fast. She wondered what moved their raft in the first place. She looked at the other rafts that were moored nearby, noticing that strange fin-like shapes were splashing out of the water, and when she turned to look at her raft, she yelped, after she suddenly spotted a strange blue head that looked somewhat equine, with an orange dorsal fin sticking out of its forehead, extending down her spine to look like a mane before it submerged itself again. “Zecora,” the high shaman called her. She quickly joined him, still confused about what that creature was, and they walked off together, unaware that it was watching them disappear into the crowd. Through the mass of creatures they waded, under a large stone cover that was open only in a straight line down the middle, and at the end of it, there was a large hole in the tower’s base, with a pair of stairs leading up its sides. There were stalls spread all around, locals selling their wares, trinkets, and goods that Zecora had never seen before. One of them eventually caught her eyes: a small spherical white object that glistened in the sunlight. So mesmerized she was that she stopped, and her father, unaware that she did, continued until he disappeared into the crowd. She wandered about, looking at all the other oddities that were being sold. And then she saw a giraffe hauling a crate into a nearby wooden construction, a pipe filled with water, simply dropping it inside, and strangely, instead of going down, the current pushed it upwards. That’s when she realized that multiple wooden pipes were running all across the city, all of them leading up to the top of the tower from which all the water was spilling into the lake. She approached one of them and knocked on it. She heard a strange bumping sound coming from inside, as if something was moving, occasionally hitting its walls. Then she recalled that she’s seen these wooden pipes near the dockside, and back then she was unsure why they were there. Curiosity got the better of her; she ran to the rafts and spotted the access to the pipes. Wandering closer, she looked into it, yet there was nothing there. Suddenly, the bumping sound from earlier was echoing from the inside, accompanied by a strange constant noise. “GO AWAY! SHE’LL CRUSH INTO YOU!” The voice suddenly got Zecora’s attention, but all it did was distract her, making her unaware and a rush of water burst out and she got swept into the lake with it. And just as quickly, she was tossed back upon the dry land by an unseen force, coughing, as she was caught completely off guard. “You think she’s gonna be okay?” “Relax. A little dip never hurt anybody.” She heard two voices talking nearby, and it didn’t take much to see to whom they belonged. Two creatures were lying on the pier, as they didn’t have legs to stand on. These creatures looked almost exactly like Queen Watami when she last saw her all those cycles ago at the ceremony back home, except that they were smaller, less majestic, and of course, their bodies had a noticeably different color, one of them having red fins, while the other had orange ones and was shorter. “You…” she directed at the latter, “You were there earlier when fada and I landed... Were you the one who pulled us here?” “Oh, so my sister’s the one that got you here?” the other one responded. “Wadi, I’ve been covering for you again,” the orange one scolded her. “If you had just gone and done what mom told you to, this wouldn’t have happened.” “Ugh, so serious.” She rolled her eyes. “One of these days you’re gonna turn drab if you keep being like this, Wash.” “This is serious, Wadi. If something had happened to her, people would talk and mom would’ve known instantly. You should’ve come down from the tower earlier.” “Oh cry me a river, it’s not like anyone would notice.” The two creatures continued to argue before Zecora finally intervened. “Erm, excuse me… are you two kelpies?” The two stopped and looked at her. “Oh, the look isn’t obvious enough, huh?” the taller one sarcastically asked. “Ye, we’re kelpies. I’m Wadi, and this is my younger sister, Wash.” “I’m really sorry for all of this,” the smaller one apologized. “If my sister had just done her work from the start this wouldn’t have happened to you.” “No, no, it was my fault,” the zebra refuted. “It’s my first time here, and I saw these giant wooden pipes all over the city and I wanted to know what they’re for since they all make so much racket.” “Oh?” The red-finned kelpie raised her eyebrow. “You’re sightseeing? Well in that case how about we give you a first-class tour of the private areas?” “Wadi, no! Mom’s gonna notice if somebody enters our sanctuary!” the orange-finned one protested. “Relax. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” She looked at the outsider. “What’s your name, by the way, zebra?” “Zecora,” she answered. “Right. Zecora, we’re prepared to show you a place where no outsider can go, but you must promise to never tell anyone of this, okay?” She simply nodded. “Alright! You heard her, Wash! Give her a ride and follow me.” “First of all, she didn’t even say anything! Second-“ she complained only to realize it was a wasted effort, as the elder sibling jumped into the lake. “Sorry, she just never listens,” she told Zecora. She followed suit, and the zebra was unsure what to make of it. Where were they even going? The orange-finned kelpie floated to the surface and she jumped on top of her, and they swam near one of the other wooden pipes, which was submerged underwater. “Take a deep breath, this might take a little,” Wash told her passenger. She inhaled and then they dived. The elder sibling entered the pipe, followed by the younger one. At a high speed, they traversed it, traveling upwards to wherever they were going, and after a few seconds they finally came out with a splash into a pool. The kelpie let go of the zebra, and the moment that happened she desperately tried to reach the ground with her hind legs to keep her head above the surface level. “Not a swimmer, are you?” Wadi asked her. Of course, she wasn’t. She’s never been in a huge body of water even once in her life; she didn’t know how to swim, and it took some nudging from the younger kelpie to the edge of the room, where there was a higher elevation so she could stand normally. “Sorry,” Wash apologized. Zecora looked around the place, now that she didn’t have to focus on survival. The area in which she ended up was a circular pool of water, while elsewhere there were strange pods under the surface that resembled beds, and on each of the far ends of the room was a watered tunnel, and open windows on her side. All around though, pedestals were sticking out on the surface, some holding colorful trinkets and other accessories while some had delectable treats, most of the things she had seen in the markets below. “Neat, huh?” the little kelpie said. “This is what we get when the surface dwellers pay tribute to our mom for providing for them.” Zecora didn’t have time to make a proper response as her breathing halted. No, not from the lack of it. As she was observing she looked out the window, realizing she was high in the air, overlooking the massive lake below. Everybody looked like ants and she spotted a swarm of them on the edge of the eastern bank, likely her tribesmen. She was inside the towering spire of the “water fountain” and she was somewhere near the top of it. “This place… it’s beautiful,” she said. “Yeah, but once you’ve lived here for as long as we have it becomes soooooo boring,” the elder kelpie complained. “You’re joking, right?” She gave her a surprised look. “I wish we had that much water back home. Then my tribe wouldn’t have to walk all this way for two days.” “Wait, your people don’t have their own water source?” Wash looked confusingly. “Well, that’s not entirely true,” the zebra corrected. “Only when there's rain. The only other place is an oasis close to our village but… Fada told me that it must remain undisturbed, to not awaken a sinister force that lies underneath it.” “Have you ever seen this “sinister force”?” Wadi asked. “No, but fada always told me it’s there.” “I see. And has your dad ever seen it?” “Well… no, I don’t think so.” “So how can you be sure that it’s real?” “Because… fada said so?” “I knew it. I think you’re putting way too much trust into what your dad’s saying, Zecora. For all we know, all that he’s telling you might just be superstition from those who came before him. Take it from me: They say our mom sees everything in her domain, but I’ve not been caught once slacking off. For all you know you could just get water from home and nobody would’ve noticed-” “Wadi, stop that!” her sister intervened. “Stop trying to get others to rebel, it’s just going to lead them into trouble one of these days.” “And you’re mama’s obedient little girl," she snapped back. "Just like fifty others of our sisters.” “Wait… you’ve got fifty sisters?!” She looked around the room again at the bedding arrangement. “I thought you only had four?!” “You don’t believe me?” Wadi raised an eyebrow. “Come, I’ll show you.” The younger kelpie swam over to Zecora, allowing her to hop on her back so she wouldn’t struggle to move. They passed through one of the tunnels, moving in a clock-vise formation, and as they came out, they found themselves in another room in the same design as the last one, having four beds. The same happened as they went through the next tunnel, ending up in another room, and other subsequent rooms after it. “And there’s more of them out there, beyond the borders of Farasi,” the orange-finned kelpie said. “What?! How?” the zebra inquired. “Mom had plenty of kids since she came here,” the red-finned one explained. “She has new ones every few dozen seasons.” “But… that can’t be right, there’s no way there's this much room up here.” “Well, most of them, when they’ve matured, decide to leave and return to the sea,” Wash elaborated, only for her sister to resume. “And I don’t blame them. Mom doesn’t let any one of us lie about as there are constant visitors that arrive in Carthage on daily basis, so instead of letting us do as we please, she has us pull the rafts to the city.” “Ah…” Zecora let out a knowledgeable tone, “I see you’re one of those who can’t wait to leave either then.” Wadi stopped. “And do what? Go to see more water? If that were the case I’d be long gone from here.” She swam over to one of the open windows. “I want something else… I want to see what lies beyond the wetlands we call home. I want to see what lies in the solid lands, what the world above has in store for us…” “Well if that’s the case, why don’t-“ Zecora stopped herself, as the kelpie raised her back fins out of the water and waved it about, realizing she had no legs. Suddenly, there was a splashing sound coming from another room, many even, and they were approaching. The two kelpies quickly stirred and panicked, looking for a place to hide Zecora. Soon, the elder kelpie grabbed her and swam to the other side of the room towards a pipe with a cover over it. “Take a deep breath,” she advised her. “Wadi, wait, that’s-!” Wash tried to warn her, but it was too late as the other kelpie opened the cover and pushed the zebra inside, after which she closed it and pretended as if nothing had happened, before promptly shoving her younger sibling underwater. Not a moment later, a group of kelpies turned up from the other room, some of them looking more elderly than the rest. “Wadi? Wash? What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on schedule?” “Us? Oh, yes of course,” she tried to play innocent. “I and my little sister were just-“ Wash finally managed to let loose from her grip and thrust her head out, screaming in anger. “Wadi, what were you thinking?! You’ve just put her in the cargo distributer! It’ll take at least ten minutes for her to get to the lake!” “Yeah, so what? I’m sure she can manage-“ “WADI, SHE’S NOT A KELPIE, SHE CAN’T BREATHE UNDERWATER FOR THAT LONG!!!” The older sister quickly put her fins over her mouth to try and shut her up, but by that time it was already too late, as other kelpies already heard it. “Wadi, Wash… who did you bring up here?” Meanwhile, inside the wooden pipe Zecora spun around and around. Yet no matter how much time passed, the end didn’t seem to come. She was beginning to run out of air, her consciousness slowly fading; there was no way for her out of this. All of a sudden, she felt the moisture disappear, feeling as if she was flying in the air, and then splashed into a body of water. She quickly pulled herself out, gasping for air. She found herself in the market district from earlier, in the small fountain at the heart of it. She noticed there were bits and pieces of wood all around, but also of rock, and that’s when she noticed that one of the nearby pillars supporting the wooden pipe had collapsed, liberating her from certain doom. People all around her were staring, whispering to one another. Suddenly, dark clouds obscured the sun, and from a large opening that stood between the pair of stairs, water began to rush, and then a large mass spilled forth, landing near the fountain. The deep blue body pulled itself to its full height, and it towered over everybody. Queen Watami stood before them all, with an eerie atmosphere around her, and everybody present bowed in her presence. She looked at the broken stone structure and destroyed wooden pipe and in front of her, a little zebra, barely recovering from a near-death experience. “Child,” her voice echoed all around, “why were you in there? How did you destroy our transportation system?” She didn’t answer, either because she hasn’t fully recovered, or because of fear seeping in from her presence. “Zecora!” another voice called out of the crowd, an elder zebra rushed forth to where the soaked one was, to check up on her. “Zecora, are you alright? Nothing that had sapped your might?” “High Shaman,” the kelpie queen addressed him, “this is your filly? She was inside the pipe that was there to transport objects from our sanctuary below. And on top of that, the pipeline was destroyed in the process. And if she’s responsible for violating the rule that nobody but kelpies are allowed to enter our inner sanctum, as well as destroying the city’s infrastructure… then she must be punished.” The sound of thunder echoed after saying those words as if her wrath had manifested. The father looked to his filly. “Zecora, what is the meaning of this? Explain yourself, this problem I cannot dismiss!” Zecora wanted to speak, but she remembered she made a promise not to tell anyone. Even so, the atmosphere continued to grow darker in the presence of the kelpie queen. After some time had passed, her father didn’t manage to get a word out of her, Watami stretched out one of her long fins and slowly reached for the little zebra. “I had expected you to have raised your daughter better, High Shaman…” “MOTHER STOP!” She froze, turning in the direction of the voice. From the side of the market, more kelpies emerged, and one of the big elder ones was first to speak. “We were the ones who destroyed it, mother. It was the only way to save the surface dweller child.” She regarded them. “You were? And how did she end up inside in the first place?” They moved aside, revealing two smaller ones, one bigger than the other. “Wadi? Wash? What’s happened?” their mother inquired. They didn’t say anything, they just stood still. One of them, however, was trembling, and then she bent forward, holding herself up on her fins, and lowering her head. “IT’S OUR FAULT, MOM!” Wash started crying. “Wadi crashed into her at the lake access and she wanted to show her inside and I carried her upstream to the sanctuary, and then she shoved her into the cargo line when we heard others coming! We’re sorry, just please don’t hurt Zecora!” “Tattletale…” her older sister mumbled between her clenched teeth. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, you two,” the queen said, before turning her gaze back to the two zebras. “As for you…” She raised her fins and reached for the ground, causing the little zebra to cower in fear. THUD! Quiet followed as nothing had happened for a while. The little zebra opened her eyes, seeing the dumbfounded expression on everybody’s faces present, and as she turned her head she understood why. The kelpie queen propped herself with her fins, bending forward in the same manner her daughter did, bowing her head. “Please, forgive this old fish for jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst of you and your child, High Shaman.” Soon the storm clouds began to part, mother's own wrath subsiding. Other kelpies pushed the smaller ones forth to their mother’s side, where they proceeded to bow their heads, or at least one did, as the other one was resistant and needed a prod, before reluctantly doing it. Finally, Watami rose. “We will fix the damage that was done, High Shaman. There’s no need for you to wait about. You’re both free to leave.” Her head turned to the side, to her daughters. “We’ll have a talk about this.” And with those words, the queen crawled back into the hole from whence she came and disappeared out of sight, while the younger kelpies with shamed looks followed, the younger one looking back in sorrow at the zebra before she disappeared. Father and daughter were left all alone now, as the crowd dispersed and some of the creatures started removing the rubble. He rose. “Let's make our return. The others should have gathered enough in turn.” She quickly picked herself up and followed him back to the rafts, but something was bothering her. “Fada, please, I have to know. Did you think I was guilty… without proof to show? The high shaman smiled. “If I thought you were to blame, did you not think before the queen you’d feel my wrath and shame? Zecora finished relating her tale, carefully watching the little filly’s expression throughout, and after what she had told, the look on her face showed awe but also something else. “A mother's wrath can be great, ‘tis true, her drive to protect what she loves and make the wrongdoers rue. But once the urge had subsided, regret and shame is something she could not have abided. So now that you’ve heard my tale grand, is it easy for you to understand?” The little filly slowly nodded. “If you’ve gotten the point of it, do you believe your mother is somepony you could remit?” Back in the throne room, with all the Elements of Harmony now present, explanations went flying back and forth from both fronts. And while they were finally familiar with the fate of the two unfortunate souls up north, as well as the events that shook the empire to its core, there was still a question about what to do with the leftovers. “Princess Twilight, are you sure this is a good idea?” Flash Sentry asked. “I’m positive,” she answered. “We’ve had to clean up changelings back when they infiltrated Canterlot. Best we can do is send them over to Thorax and others so they can be reformed and deny Queen Chrysalis numbers, although I’m not sure that’s gonna do much.” “It’s still the best decision,” the older alicorn reassured her. “Teaching these new changelings about an alternative to devouring love will do a great more good than-“ The door clanked, pulling everybody’s attention. The shaman finally returned with her saddlebags and slowly approached the throne. “There ya are, Zecora,” Applejack said. “Took ya a while. Ya got somepony cured at last?” “That I cannot tell, as first, we will have to see if the reception will be handled well,” the zebra answered and then slowly stepped to the side. A deathly silence fell, as hiding behind Zecora was the little curly-maned alicorn filly. The moment she came in sight, a gasp could be heard echoing throughout the room, and they all saw Cadence quickly shift, turning away from her child she could not face. “Zecora, what are you-!” Twilight spoke out at the awkward situation the shaman had just set up, only for her to raise her hoof and shush her. In the tense atmosphere that had just developed they all watched, as Flurry Heart trot up the stairs to where her mother sat, still unable to look at her in shame. She stopped and reached with her tiny hoof, pressing it on her side, and she flinched in fear of what would follow. And then, the tiny soft voice spoke. “Mommy… I’m not angry at you.” Her eyes shot open. She must’ve misheard it. There was no way that voice came from her, not after what she had done. She looked down, past her frazzled mane, and saw a tiny little alicorn filly reaching out at her… with an innocent gentle smile. She couldn’t believe it. After what’s she’s done, the thought that the relationship between her and her child would be forever scarred, had pushed her into despair, and yet she was here, acting as if it was all in the past… She trembled uncontrollably, and little by little the burden came flooding out, as she reached out, scooping the little filly into her hooves, and hugging her. “I’M SORRY, FLURRY HEART… I’M SORRY…!!!” she cried at the top of her lungs. And as the atmosphere changed, so too did the state of everybody present, as Twilight was moved to tears, she went in to hug both her sister-in-law and niece and one after another, the rest of the Elements followed to share in comfort. Seeing everybody preoccupied, to not spoil a tender moment, the shaman waved at the captain of the guard; she slowly backed away while he flew to the door, and they exited the room, making sure not to be heard.