//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Hidden Underground // Story: Treasured Moon & Stars: Vol. 2 Treasures From Mirrors // by TigerSwirl448 //------------------------------// Chapter 5 Hidden Underground The four prisoners lead by the zebras went into a large, burnt shack. Octavia looked around the inside to find the large place to have been half burnt. She could see melted glass bottles on the blackened shelves, ash from baskets with herbs, old tribal motifs that were either blackened or turned to piles of ash from the fire. She took a step and gasped hearing a crack and looked down to see what was under her boot. As the zebras were watching Fluttershy and Zecora moving large crates to the side, she knelt down to pick up what looked to be an old picture frame. She pulled her sleeve over her hand and started rubbing the warped glass of soot and gasped to see a pink face smiling with her arms around a younger Rainbow Dash's neck. Octavia started rubbing more soot off the picture to see that the heat warped the colors off the photo to reveal Rarity with a tea cup in her hand. Twilight was smiling up at Pinkie, Fluttershy was grabbing Rainbow’s arm holding her up from falling over. Applejack had a cigarette between her lips smirking at Pinkie. Octavia blinked realizing that this was the same photo Rarity took from her cabin in Canterlot from the vision. Her mouth dropped open staring at the picture. She jumped hearing a noise and hid the frame in her vest, crossing her arms across her chest to keep the frame from falling out of her vest as she was pushed forward. Fluttershy grunted, pulling up what looked to be a heavy wooden door. She turned and grabbed Octavia's arm and pulled her to the door then pushed her down to the stone steps. Octavia turned and was given a dark look from the pony. Octavia glared back but did as ordered. Her zebra escort leaped down behind her from the ground floor pushing her forward down the steps. Octavia turned hearing some swearing as her company followed behind her. When she reached the end of the stairs, she felt hard packed dirt under her boots as she was pushed forward by her guard to step to the side by the dirt wall. Octavia stood with her back against the wall as the others came down standing by her. There was a loud boom from above and the sound of a lock being thrown. The four watched as Fluttershy came down with Zecora by her side. "Tie them, and take all weapons." Fluttershy ordered in Equestrian. The zebra by her side nodded and repeated the order in Zebrican. The guard by Daring nodded and slapped her staff on Daring's arm then motioned her to raise her hands. Daring gulped holding up her hands. "Incredible! The zebras understand you?" Daring asked intrigued. She winced seeing her knife and pistols taken away. Fluttershy smiled and turned to Zecora. Zecora returned the smile and chuckled. "I do understand your words. To me most ponies sound like squawking birds." Daring smiled then yelped feeling her hands being pulled down behind her back as her guard tied thick twine around her wrists and tied it in a tough knot. Rainbow was given the same treatment until Fluttershy ordered more to be done with her. "Tie her arms to her sides, and make sure her wings are bound to her back, too." Fluttershy barked. "She's good at escaping." Rainbow blinked in shock as the zebra wrapped a thick rope around Rainbow’s body keeping her arms to her side and her wings pressed to her back. She gritted her teeth with sadness in her eyes as she stared at Fluttershy. Fluttershy turned to see Applejack being checked of weapons too, then was tied as well. Fluttershy thought for a moment. "I can trust that you won’t do anything rash?" Applejack nodded. "Good," Fluttershy turned to Octavia as the zebra guard tried to uncross her arms from her chest. "I don’t have anything." Octavia said quickly, turning to Fluttershy. "I suggest we check." Octavia gulped then sighed as she uncrossed her arms and raised her hands to the back of her head. The picture frame fell out of her vest and clattered to the floor. Octavia bit her lip looking down then back up at Fluttershy. Fluttershy stared at the frame picking it up to stare at it. She raised her brow looking at Octavia then snorted. "I don’t need this." She pressed the frame to Octavia's chest. Octavia lowered her hands to grab it before it fell again. Fluttershy thought for a moment. "Don’t tie her." Fluttershy ordered. "Just make sure all her weapons are taken." The zebra guard let out a click of his tongue and holding up a small pen that he took from Octavia’s pocket. Octavia blinked with shock. It was Vinyl's laser pointer. Octavia gulped forgetting that she had put the little device in her pants pocket earlier on the ship. She could have used it. Fluttershy took the pen and smirked. "Well, you have an interesting knife here." She handed it to Zecora, the elder zebra took it, intrigued by it. "A knife you say? What lives were at bay?" She asked intrigued by the slender device. "It's a tiny laser,” Fluttershy answered. “Depending on what button you press the laser can be fatal or harmless." She raised her brows seeing Octavia look down. "But keep her in check." Zecora repeated the order to the zebra warrior, he nodded with a grim face. Octavia gulped. Fluttershy sighed, rubbing her forehead. "You four will be put in different cells for a time. If you behave I might let you off the hook. But it'll take time before I can fully trust you." She said dangerously looking at Rainbow Dash the most. Rainbow gulped feeling her ears fold back on her head. Zecora nodded and gave out the order. The stallion guarding Octavia, grabbed her elbow and pulled her with him down the earth tunnel. Octavia was steered to the left to see another tunnel. She turned and pulled back to see Daring going to the right, Applejack was behind her while Rainbow continued straight down the tunnel. Octavia was pulled away seeing Rainbow looking at her. "Wait a second!" Rainbow snarled pulling but was pulled away from the tunnel. Octavia gulped as she was pulled with her guard down the hall. Octavia turned to see Applejack with her head bowed low as if in shame. Octavia gulped looking down at the photo again to see Applejack smirking. What had happened to these ponies? The guard went down another hall with zebra warriors standing at attention with their backs against the walls. Octavia blinked at the oddity of seeing tribal zebras standing like soldiers in an army. The guard led her to a room past a hanging blanket. Octavia stopped to see two beds on the floor. She turned hearing Applejack being led inside the room. Applejack was released and the two guards left the two in the room. Octavia turned to Applejack to see her rubbing her face. "Well they will be outside guarding. No running off." Applejack said walking to one of the beds and sat down with a grunt and sigh, rubbing her leg. Octavia blinked remembering Twilight’s story about Applejack’s leg. She gulped then sat down on the small bed across from Applejack, crossing her legs looking at the photo again. Applejack noticed the frame in Octavia’s hand. "Where did you get that?" Applejack asked. "Huh?" "That picture?" Applejack asked pointing at the frame. Octavia handed the frame to Applejack to let her look at it. Applejack sighed with a small smile on her face seeing the old photo. "I remember this. It was RD's birthday and we were on leave for a week to celebrate. A photographer took our picture and handed us six copies for each of us to remember that day." Octavia started to think. "What happened?" She asked. "The government happened." Applejack answered, stroking the still form of Rarity. She closed her eyes as she handed the picture back to Octavia. "It was as if something happened while we were together in the war. All the ponies in Canterlot have forgotten all of us that fought. There were only unicorns and pegasi and they must be in the military and fight for the queen at all costs while the rest of us, like you and me, left rotting in prisons or working forced labor with no pay. No happiness, no more of anything that made us ponies." Octavia blinked and nodded. "Hybrids suffer a lot worse." Applejack nodded. "I know. It's horrible." Octavia nodded. "Applejack?" Applejack looked up pulling off her Stetson. "How come you all are so different?" "What do you mean by that?" Octavia blushed with a shrug. "I don’t know, it seemed that you all were so close and so happy. Like uh Fluttershy, I thought she was always so sweet and sensitive not this mean and nasty." Applejack nodded. "She did turn hateful, and there is nothing I could do that would change her back.” "What caused it?" Applejack shrugged. "I don’t know what Fluttershy went through. All I know is that she ran away from the pegasi army, deserted in front of hundreds of them. Then somehow she came to Everfree. I don’t know how, but she did." Applejack sighed shaking her head. "It took me weeks just to get her to trust me and now I'm afraid she won’t trust me again." Octavia gulped. "But she left you untied like me." Applejack shrugged. "We're still friends. She knows I won’t hurt her. But you…" Applejack sighed. "Fluttershy is smart and she can tell the way Rainbow protected you that she'll use you to get her revenge." "Revenge?" Octavia asked with worry. "What revenge?" "Rainbow’s a pegasus. The pegasi did horrible things to her from what I can get from Fluttershy. But I think Rainbow made her running away even worse. Since Rainbow was one of the top officers of the Order, Fluttershy might look to her as the perfect target of her revenge but she'll have to use you to get it." "But I'm not-" "I understand." Applejack said quickly. "But to Fluttershy she sees you as a link to get what she wants. She will threaten your friend, and in turn make you do what she wants. And if something happens to you Rainbow will get hurt." Octavia blinked at the confusion of it all. "Rainbow doesn't care about me only her lousy loyalty to my father and the royals." Applejack opened her mouth to talk back but stopped, closing her mouth. She turned away thinking. "Well," She opened her mouth to yawn. "It's getting late, we'll talk in the morning." "What about Vinyl?" She asked. Applejack sighed laying back on her pallet with her hat over her face. "She'll be fine." Applejack answered. She turned to see Octavia biting her lip with worry. "Don’t worry, Fluttershy might threaten to harm her, but she won’t harm an innocent, weak mare like Vinyl. Fluttershy will do everything she can to help Vinyl get better. Now get some sleep, let’s just hope that Fluttershy won’t do anything stupid." Octavia gulped not really confidant in what Applejack said. She pulled off her boots then wrapped herself in her blanket on the pallet. She stared at the photo again, seeing the smiling faces of the Elements together. But her eyes kept staring at Rainbow and Fluttershy. "What did you do that made everypony hate you?" Octavia whispered hearing Applejack get comfortable on the pallet. She sighed placing the picture frame on the floor by her boots. She laid back down in her pallet then closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep in such a strange, hostile place. ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ Fifty zebra warriors were slinking through the forest towards the small ship moored at the tiny dock. One zebra with dirt over his white stripes turned to his second and nodded, pulling out an arrow and set it on his string. "Go," He whispered. Slowly the ground shifted as the fifty zebra warriors snuck to the dock then to the ship. Inside the ship, Twilight sat up from her cot rubbing her head and feeling the sudden fear and worry in her heart as she looked around her room. She blinked several times until she heard something outside her door. She leaped off her bed, grabbing her boots and her sweater. She pulled them on then stopped before her door to reach for her knife and the pistol on the table by the door. She kept the weapons since her experience on the crystal moon. She checked the charger then set it inside the pistol and pulled the lever for it to charge. She reached her doorknob and stopped hearing hoof steps from the other side. She sighed taking control of her mind and heart then she pushed the door open and held out her pistol. Military training took over a she kept the pistol pointed out in front of her checking her surroundings until she pointed it at somepony and gasped to see that it was Scootaloo, staring at her with fear on the floor. "Oh Luna, Scootaloo, that was you?" Twilight asked lowering the pistol to see Scootaloo sigh in relief. Scootaloo nodded with a sheepish smile. Twilight groaned pushing her pistol into her pants then grabbed Scootaloo's hand and lift her up on her feet. "What were you doing running around?" Scootaloo blushed rubbing the back of her head. "I was getting things for Derpy and Blossomforth. I didn't mean to wake you. I thought you were down in the hammock room." Twilight chuckled. "Nope, I've been sleeping up here." Suddenly there was a sound that caused Twilight to grab Scootaloo pulling her behind her. She pulled out her pistol, pulling back the hammer for it to fire. "Were you alone?" She asked. Scootaloo gulped. "Uh mostly." "Mostly?" "I only saw Blossomforth last on deck. Derpy's up in the crow’s nest keeping an eye from the air." "Raindrops?" Twilight asked walking forward as her heart continued to pound hard. She never felt like this since the war when the Elements would give them warnings to trouble and now she could feel that power through her veins. There was something wrong. "She's asleep." "Crusaders?" Twilight asked using the nickname the crew gave to the fillies. "Asleep, too." "Spike?" Suddenly the door was kicked open and on the other side were zebra warriors. Scootaloo screamed out jumping back behind Twilight. Twilight held up her pistol at the three heavy stallions glaring at her. One of them yelled out pointing his arrow at her. Twilight gulped backing up with one arm around Scootaloo to keep her protected. The three stallions walked in. Outside Twilight could hear the cries of the zebras fighting somepony outside. While Twilight was distracted she felt an arrow pierce her shoulder causing her to scream out staggering to the wall. Scootaloo gasped, holding up Twilight. Scootaloo noticed the pistol in Twilight’s hand, she grabbed the pistol out of Twilight’s hand. "No Scootaloo!" Twilight screamed out with fear as Scootaloo pointed the pistol at the stallion in front of her. He looked down on her with a large raised brow. He sighed. "I'll do it!" Scootaloo squeaked out shaking. "I will shoot!" "Scootaloo, stand down now!" Twilight said quickly, but calmly. "They will attack if you don't put down the gun!" Scootaloo turned to Twilight then back at the stallion. She gulped. "What about Vinyl? She won’t stand down to these monsters!" "Vinyl's not here, Scootaloo." Twilight said softly sitting up with her hand over her wound, the arrow between her fingers. "Being a fighter, you must know when you cannot fight. Especially around tribe men like them that don’t understand our language. Stand down and kneel to show them you won’t fight them." Scootaloo looked at the other two stallions holding up spears and swords. She sighed closing her eyes. Usually in a three to one odds in the arena where she grew up in, that pony would be dead even if he or she killed two of the fighters. Scootaloo thought through everything she was taught by Vinyl to fight until the death but Twilight had a point. She sighed and dropped the pistol then knelt down and placed her hands behind her head, staring at the floor, feeling anger. The zebras lowered their weapons. The leader pointed to Twilight. One of the zebras ran over and grabbed Twilight under her arms and got her on her feet pressing his large hand over her wound as she winced. The second zebra grabbed Scootaloo by the arm hoisting her up as they pushed the two mares out of the cabin block. Scootaloo gasped to see at least thirty zebras standing on deck. Five of them are holding spears to everypony on the ship that were tied together. "Scoots!" Sweetie Belle called out as she was pushed to a mare to be tied up. Twilight walked over feeling strong arms grab her. She stayed completely calm as possible as a mare used her large knife to cut off the tail end of the arrow. She gulped as they braced her then they pulled out the arrow from her shoulder. Twilight bit her tongue hard with a groan as a pad of cloth was pressed to her shoulder. Twilight blinked open her burning eyes to see the mare actually tending to her wounds. She looked at the mare to see her wearing a headband of blue and black around her head. She bowed to Twilight and turned away snapping her fingers at the warriors. Twilight kneeled down watching the warriors spreading out like soldiers guarding the ship. "What's going on?" She whispered. She turned to see Derpy being forced on her feet with hers arms and wings tied to her body and her wrists tied behind her back. She was pushed forward down the gangplank. The zebra stopped her and started tying a thick line around her bound wrists. A second zebra grabbed Raindrops, her face bloodied up from when she fought against the warriors. She was tied the same way as Derpy and was forced down the gangplank. The lead line was tied around her waist to connect the two pegasi. This continued on until Twilight and Scootaloo were at the end, arms tied to their sides with their wrists tied behind their backs. "Where are they taking us?" Apple Bloom whimpered with fear. "Possibly to their camp." Twilight said calmly as they started to march down the trail. "And what are we supposed to do?" Raindrops snarled. "We must be calm and do what they say for now." Blossomforth said just as calm. "But Sergeant-?" Raindrops started. "No buts Raindrops, we'll be fine." "How can you be so sure?" Spike asked as he waddled with them. "They weren't trying to kill us." Twilight said loud enough for everypony to hear. "I would be dead right now if they did." ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ Fluttershy walked down the dirt halls calmly thinking. She turned the corner and entered the large cavern where hundreds of zebras were laying in cots. Many were wounded, others were crying over their dead loved ones. On the other side of the room, a foal was born to the cheering of the zebras. Fluttershy smiled at that direction, but frowned with sadness seeing a mare cover the face of a foal who was beaten by the royal soldiers. Fluttershy reached a pair of stairs and climbed up to a separate part of the cavern where the zebras made rooms out of mud and stone. She checked each of the rooms to see the critically injured or important figures of the tribe within them. Once she was done she entered the last room and pulled back the blanket door to see Vinyl panting hard and sweating in her sleep. Fluttershy turned to see two young mares that were trainees. One of them was folding Vinyl's clothes while the other was finishing wrapping Vinyl in her blanket. The two mares looked up with surprise. Fluttershy smiled holding out her hand to tell them to continue what they were doing. Fluttershy stood over Vinyl to get a look at her from above. "What has been done?" She asked in Zebrican. "We undressed her just as you ordered." One of them said. She had a cloth wrapped over her left eye from a past injury. "We then blessed her for fast healing and to ward off angry spirits that might have followed her here." Fluttershy nodded. "Good, Zen?" She turned to the second mare. She was younger than the first mare. She gulped blushing slightly as her green eyes sparkled. "I did the same with her clothes as well. And Shaman?" "Yes?" "They smell terrible!" Fluttershy chuckled. "That is the way of the inner planets. They are so dirty that their clothes carry every scent from Canterlot to Hoofington." Zen covered her nose with a silent, "Yuck!" As the second mare was making a face at Vinyl. Fluttershy sighed. "Well, it's time to get this over with. Zing?" "Yes, Shaman," "Please find Shaman Zecora." Zing bowed and left the room. Fluttershy sighed turning to Zen. "Come closer Zen, you must learn as much as you can to be a shaman." "Of course, Shaman." Zen sat on Vinyl's left while Fluttershy sat on her right. Fluttershy pointed to stone ledge on the wall as Zen reached over to produce a small wooden bowl with a rag inside. "Are the oils in place?" "Yes, Shaman," Fluttershy nodded pulling off the shawl she wore to reveal her tank top and the burn scars on her shoulders. Zen gulped seeing the marks and the reddish splotches on her shoulders and arms, even up her neck. Young ones always told stories of how the outsider got her marks. Some say she crashed a pony’s ship into the forest and would have burned to death if it weren't for Shaman Zecora who was gathering plants for her healing poultices. Of course the tribe wanted the outsider dead but the outsider knew so much about healing that she saved the chieftains daughter from death. Since then Shaman Fluttershy became one of them and trained by Shaman Zecora to be the next shaman. Many zebras still look to Fluttershy as an outsider, a bringer of death to their people but Fluttershy proved again and again that she was there to stay and to help. The two turned seeing Zecora enter the room. She turned to Zing and ordered her to continue healing other zebras in need. Zing nodded and left the room. Zecora walked in and sat by Fluttershy close to Vinyl's head. "You are about to begin I presume?" She asked in Zebrican. Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, but I still need you to see her wounds." Zecora nodded. "Watch closely my student, we shall see if we find what has built this dent?" Fluttershy smiled at her use of words. Fluttershy pulled off the blanket to reveal the damage that was hidden earlier by Vinyl’s clothing. Zecora pursed her lips with her eyes scanning everything about the naked patient. Zecora rubbed her chin thinking, studying Vinyl’s body. "Hmm, it would seem she is a strong warrior by her muscle tone." Fluttershy nodded with a little worry. "Yes it seem she must be a fighter or a warrior." Zen looked up seeing Fluttershy's glare. Zen gulped remembering how long it took for Shaman Fluttershy to get over the anger of the outsiders invading their home. "Pay attention Zen." Zecora snapped causing the mare to jump with a blush. "I'm sorry Shaman Zecora. It's just so strange," Fluttershy nodded with a little discomfort herself. "It is uncomfortable, but for you to continue your studies and training, you have to take this next step." Zen nodded blushing. Fluttershy sighed looking down at Vinyl's stomach to see many small scars and a large one over her navel. "Hello," She whispered pressing her hand over the large scar. Zecora reached her hand over and placed it over Fluttershy's. "Concentrate with me. Use the magic you possess and look at the cause." Fluttershy closed her eyes and breathed with Zecora until the vision came clear. The vision of how the scar was obtained but the cause was clouded by other memories over time. Punched, kicked, a hammer slam into the gut, and then the sword. Fluttershy gasped opening her eyes removing her hand fast, she felt it! She shuddered holding her stomach. Zecora took in a breath and let it out slowly, then opened her eyes. "You have much to learn before you take my place. You must have a moment in your own space." Fluttershy nodded sliding back to give room for her teacher as she controlled her emotions. Zecora hummed a small tune as she pressed her fingers over certain points of the unicorn's body closing her eyes as she felt the magic flow. "Hmmph, interesting life this pony has. Makes me wonder what else would come to pass." "Meaning?" Fluttershy asked calming down. Zecora waved her over. "Help me," Zecora took a hold of Vinyl's shoulder as Fluttershy and Zen helped the shaman flip Vinyl on to her front. Fluttershy gasped while Zen merely groaned. Zecora blinked expressionless as she stared at the scars lining Vinyl's back and shoulders. "Fluttershy, do you know of this affliction. I do not know it's definition.” Zecora asked pointing at the black mark on Vinyl’s shoulder blade area. Fluttershy gulped peering closer to the mark, trying to figure out what it was. She rubbed her finger over the mark. "This was burnt on. I never seen such a mark nor this type of procedure of tattooing." "Perhaps the winged one with gray mane might know." Zen said quickly. "She identified one of the outsiders with a mark on its body." Fluttershy thought a moment, thinking, she turned to Zecora. "Perhaps she knows. Though I knew by the armor it was a soldier but they knew it by a mark. Maybe I should ask that pegasus the question." "Perhaps you should," Zecora said softly carefully flipping Vinyl back on her back. They heard her wheeze and started to cough silently. Zecora sighed rubbing her hands together. "For right now, I must prepare the medicine that could." Fluttershy thought a moment of what her teacher was saying then it clicked. "Which brew?" She asked. Zecora sighed. "Find Poison joke, we need it's nectar for the healing pace to poke." "How long?" Zen asked as she pulled out a vial with blue green grains, nectar from the poison joke plant. Zecora sighed as she took the vial and crawled to the rock bench and start making a potion in a small stone bowl. "Depends on how strong the magic is. If nectar can be strong enough to change a pony perhaps if we add more ingredients," Zen and Fluttershy watched their teacher work until the blue nectar started to turn orange by the liquids and plants she added in the bowl. "There," Zecora exclaimed being careful she tipped the bowl into a ceramic jar. She reached in with a spoon and poured some of the orange soupy mixture into a clean ceramic bowl. "Let this go down her throat." Zen nodded crawling to Vinyl and held her up. Fluttershy stood behind Vinyl to hold up her head. Zecora nodded and let the soupy mixture down the unicorn's throat causing her to choke some. Once the bowl was empty Vinyl started coughing. "Close her mouth!" Zecora ordered quickly. Fluttershy wrapped her fingers around Vinyl's muzzle to keep her from coughing and started rubbing her finger up and down Vinyl's throat causing her muscles to swallow. Zecora nodded. "Good, good," Fluttershy released Vinyl's muzzle. Vinyl’s head lolled forward. "What now?" Zen asked. Zecora sighed placing a lid over the jar and set it on the bench. "Give her a small bowl full before her breakfast every day. Hopefully it will heal her. It'll be a long time before she wakes." Zecora stood up grabbing her staff. "What now?" Zecora stopped at the doorway. "Zen, you must stay here until evening, I'll take over for the night, and then Fluttershy shall take the next morning shift. Understood?" The two trainees nodded. "What about food?" Fluttershy asked worriedly. "Do not fret my student, we give her our soup and that will fill her up enough." There were pounds of footsteps and a warrior ran up bowing to them. "Apologies Shamans. We have returned from the Outsider Boat." "And?" Fluttershy asked standing by him. Zecora closed her eyes with a silent sigh watching Fluttershy with worry, sensing her growing anger. "We have found more outsiders." "Where are they?" Fluttershy asked with a snarl. Zecora blinked standing up. She placed her hand on Fluttershy's shoulder to calm her. Fluttershy sighed and smiled at her teacher. Zecora smiled in return. "Where are they now?" Fluttershy asked calmly but her eyes convened her anger. "We took them to the chamber, Shaman." Fluttershy nodded leaving the room. Zecora sighed shaking her head. "Shaman?" Zecora turned to Zen. "Yes?" "What's going to happen to Shaman Fluttershy?" Zecora went silent for a moment then sighed again with sadness. "For right now, it's the Gods decision on what will take place. Fluttershy must set her pace before cutting to the chase." Zen blinked at the strange words, she nodded sitting down. Zecora smiled and left the zebra alone with the sleeping unicorn.