First there was darkness.
Then the mare's eyes slowly opened.
"Ugh...,"Fluttershy moaned holding her head. If only she had an ice pack or a pillow to stop the throbbing! When the equine thought back to what happened, all she could remember was running away when she was suddenly grabbed by a pair of hooves, and feeling a great hit to her head before passing out. She heard a rusting and bustling sound next to her. It was coming from a small brown sack. It rustled so much that the buttercream equine thought that it would explode! Then, the bag opened and out came Angel tumbling out. His fur was messy and unkempt. Relieved to see her pet, Fluttershy scooped up the bunny in her arms and held him.
"Are you all right?" an unknown female voice spoke.
Fluttershy turned to her right and noticed that she was not alone. There were thirty other prisoners in the dark cell. Three of them were stallions. The rest were the changelings. They were all looking at her with curiosity and concern.
"Who are you all?" Fluttershy stammered confused and slightly afraid. "Where am I?"
A female changeling with emerald eyes and her green mane in a braid, answered her question.
"In a prison camp, my dear. We are all prisoners here. We are all in an underground cave."
"I'm...underground?" Fluttershy said in a very small voice. She examined her surroundings. The underground was huge and hollow. It would have been completely dark if it weren't for the torches on walls providing light. In front of them were jail bars. Up above, were many stalactites and stalagmites hanging down.
"Yep!" An orange stallion with poofy brown mane responded. Bouncing up and down in excitement, he shook Fluttershy's hoof so much that she vibrated. "Welcome to the Prison Camp! Home to changelings and a minority of ponies who opposed the countess!" He began introducing himself and the others. "My name is Cheese Sandwich! This changeling is Emerald; that brown stallion is her husband, Toffee; this unicorn stallion is Fancy Pants, this colt changeling is Kevin...,"
Cheese Sandwich voice was drowned out by the throbbing of Fluttershy's head and the racing of her heart. Prison camp!? Is she in Germaney!? How long had she been out? Who took her here? Where's her suitcase? Where's Angel? Will she stop shaking?
"Cheese Sandwich!" a white unicorn whispered, narrowing his eyes at the orange stallion, who immediately dropped the pegasus' hoof. "You're scaring the poor mare!"
"Oops!" Cheese smiled sheepishly, putting a hoof to his mouth. "Sorry, Fancy Pants!"
Fancy Pants rolled his eyes.
Just then, a metallic clinking captured their attention, making the company look over to the bars where a hastily introduced Herr Svengallop was glaring.
"Hey you there!" he shouted. Two eyes glared in the dark. "Yeah, you, the one with pink mane! Get over here!"
Angel squeaked and hopped out of Fluttershy's hooves and hid underneath her long pink locks.
Trembling, Fluttershy got up to her hooves and stumbled on the way to the bars. She gripped the bars with her shaking hooves, trying to hold herself up.
Then a torch was lit nearby by a mint unicorn soldier with short purple hair and pink highlights. The light shone on the face of the ponynapper...
Angel squeaked and shouted many curses that are only understood in bunny language. Oh he remembered that stallion all right. When he saw him grabbing his owner, Angel had jumped on him, trying to bite him! He had successfully bitten that kidnapper which allowed Fluttershy to keep on running! Unfortunately, Angel hadn't thought he would have been cast into a sack so unceremoniously.
"Come with me," Svengallop barked. He took out his keys and unlocked the door. "The Countess wants to see you!"
Without warning, the pegasus felt herself being turned around with force and her hooves being scrunched together behind her back. When Fluttershy tried to shake her hooves away from the earth pony, he threatened to kill her if she did not stand still. The ropes were so tight that Fluttershy feared that her hooves were going to pop!
Blood boiling in his little body, Angel hopped on the pony and began scratching the stallion's face.
"Angel!" Fluttershy gasped. Seeing her bunny act with such fury, made her freeze up. She was torn between getting her pet off the soldier or let him continue since that stallion was the reason she was here in this dreadful place.
"OW!" the soldier yelled. "OW, OW, OW!" He released Fluttershy and tried to pry the bunny off his face. Svengallop blocked out the laughing voices of the other prisoners. He would deal with them later as soon as he teaches that little furball a lesson!
Angel wouldn't budge and kept on scratching that mean pony.
"Sunny Flare, get this little pest off my muzzle!"
"Yes, Herr Svengallop," Sunny Flare sighed rolling her eyes. Seriously, he can't handle a small critter? Sunny used her unicorn magic to force Angel off Svengallop. Once she did, Sunny swiftly tossed him right into an another burlap sack. "Done, simple as that!"
"Good thing, you were wearing glasses!" Toffee added with a twinkle in his eye. "Or else you would have been blind!" Cheese Sandwich and Fancy Pants didn't bother hiding their giggles.
Herr Svengallop shot them a death glare that sent shivers down the prisoners' spines. After shutting the door and locking it, he dragged a tumbling Fluttershy away from her cell.
Sunny Flare followed him, carrying the sack.
Across from the cells was a big green tent. The inside part of the tent was green, too. If you walk in, the first thing you'd see was a long orange carpet that traveled all the way to a brown desk. On the left, is a brown and cream cabinet which contained documents of the prisoners. On the right, was a flag hanging on the wall. It was gray and showed two black parallel lines. The symbol of equality. A map of Equestria hanged on the wall behind the desk. There were a couple of brown chairs in front of the desk for visitors.
The Countess was sitting by desk going over some papers. She had two candle lights beside her to provide light. When she heard her name, Starlight looked up.
"Heil Glimmer!" Sven Gallop and Sunny Flare saluted.
"Heil!" Starlight saluted back showing a smug smile.
With excessive force, Svengallop threw Fluttershy on the ground as if she were a rag doll.
"I brought you Miss Fluttershy from Draconia!"
Sunny Flare untied the sack and pulled out Angel, holding him by the ears.
Angel made attempts to swing a punch at Sunny but he swung so hard that he ended up twisting himself around. He was stuffed back into the sack by the mint pony.
"And her little bunny, too!" Svengallop added.
Starlight Glimmer stood up from her desk and came toward them. She narrowed her eyes and her lips were pressed tightly together. "Stand her up, Svengallop!" she bonked him on the head. "How am I supposed to ask her questions if she's lying there?"
"Right, my lady!" the pony mumbled, rubbing his wound. Quickly, he yanked the pegasus' pink locks so hard that Fluttershy squealed. Her eyes formed tears because it hurt so much. Svengallop pushed her down in a standing position and forced her head to look up at Starlight. The Countess faced Fluttershy very slowly, with narrowed eyes and a tight smile that showed a little of her teeth.
The pegasus trembled and shivered in her hooves. Sweat broke out from her and her eyes widened. Fluttershy could only imagine what the Countess could possibly want from her.
"Miss Fluttershy," Starlight finally opened her mouth. "I believe you're wondering why you are here."
Obviously! The former nanny frowned and rolled her eyes.
"I believe you are acquainted with King Discord of Draconia, correct?" Starlight questioned.
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. What is her game? She did not answer the Countess' question.
Svengallop was about to strike her but was halted by Starlight not to do it. The leader wanted to give the pegasus another chance to talk. She put her face very close to Fluttershy's face with eyes so icy that it made Fluttershy shiver and sank a little.
"Tell me, Miss Fluttershy," Starlight whispered in a deadly voice. "What are Discord's political views? Is he planning to stop me? Or does he support me?"
The pegasus closed her eyes and turned her nose up, not looking at any pony. While she didn't understand why this Countess was interested so much in her Discord-er, King Discord-Fluttershy felt that something about her was off. Without warning, she felt ice cold water raining down on her from head to hoof. The pegasus let out a scream, feeling her body temperature drop from warm to cold. She desperately wrapped herself, trying to be warm. Her eyes widened at the sight of Starlight Glimmer holding an empty bucket with droplets of water.
"TALK TO ME YOU STUPID MARE!" the Countess screamed. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION! LET ME ASK YOU AGAIN: IS DISCORD PLANNING TO STOP ME?"
Fluttershy shivered and her teeth chattered. Shutting her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at Starlighthis. Fluttershy still refused to talk. She felt the bucket break against her back from a violent throw, forcing her to the ground once more.
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR WHAT LADY STARLIGHT SAID!?" Svengallop yelled. "ANSWER HER QUESTION!"
Fluttershy still did not respond.
"GIVE HER 40 LASHES!" Starlight shrieked. "WHY WON'T THIS STUPID PEGASUS TALK AT ALL!? IS SHE MUTE!?"
Sunny Flare handed Svengallop a long black leather whip. Svengallop stood over Fluttershy.
Fluttershy shut her eyes, afraid of being drenched in ice cold water again. Instead, she heard a whipping sound and slash on her back. Fluttershy let out a yell, as her back began to sting. Then she felt another hard whip slashing on her back, and another one, and another one. The whips came in a very fast pace like there was no tomorrow. Tears threatened to fall down from Fluttershy's eyes. She screamed at every whip she felt. Ow, how her back burned! How long will this last? Will it ever end?
"Okay, Svengallop, that's 40 lashes," Starlight said, through thin lips.
The General obeyed although, he looked slightly disappointed. He enjoyed watching the pathetic pegasus whimper like a helpless foal.
"Pick her up!" he commanded to Sunny Flare.
The mint unicorn picked Fluttershy up with her unicorn magic.
Some blood dripped from the pegasus' back. Her mane looked wet and messy. Fluttershy's eyes also looked red and puffy.
"I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ONE LAST TIME, MISS FLUTTERSHY!" The Countess roared. "IS DISCORD AGAINST ME OR NOT?"
No answer.
Starlight looked as if she was going to explode. How dare this pathetic pony defy her! But she took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Svengallop, please take this wimp back to her cell! Heil!"
"Yes, heil Glimmer!" Her follower grabbed Fluttershy and dragged her away as if she were a rag doll.
The former nanny was thrown mercilessly back into the cell, the back of her dress torn enough for the whip marks to be seen by the other prisoners.
Thorax, another changeling, untied the sack, allowing Angel to fall out.
The bunny flinched and growled, believing that it was Svengallop or Sunny. He'd rather deal with the worm king or his daughters than those two soldiers. He stopped his growling when he heard Thorax, using a gentle and quiet voice.
"It's okay, little guy, you're safe with us."
"It would be better if he were in the fields," Fancy Pants frowned. "This underground is not suitable for a bunny."
When Emerald laid her eyes laid upon Fluttershy's repeatedly cut and bleeding back, she let out a gasp.
"Oh no, they whipped you didn't they?"
The buttercream pony only sniffled and nodded, before she broke down.
Sadness and grief were shown in the other prisoners' eyes. They too, had received many lashes from Svengallop.
"It's all right, dear" Emerald soothed, wrapping her leg around Fluttershy's shoulders.
"Oh I never knew any pony to be so cruel!" Fluttershy sobbed, her eyes cascading many tears. "Even my aunt, uncle, and some of my schoolmates were never like this!"
"Are your aunt and uncle with you?" Emerald asked innocently.
Fluttershy abruptly looked up and acted as if somepony said a terrible word.
"Goodness, no! Why would Angel and I be with them?"
"Sorry miss," Emerald shivered and cowered a little. "I had no idea."
Fluttershy frowned and immediately apologized to the nice changeling. She wiped her eyes.
"It's all right." She looked at the doors again, hoping to spot something-or anything-that looked like an escape. "Is there a way to escape?"
The prisoners looked grim and somber at her question.
"I would blast us out of here with my horn," Fancy Pants frowned. His horn was bent out of shape. "But as you can see, my magic was taken away from me."
"Don't look at me or the other changelings," Thorax said in a sad voice. "Starlight and Trixie had put a magic block on our abilities and powers. Otherwise, we would have disguised ourselves as the other soldiers to escape by now!"
Fluttershy's eyes widened and her mouth fell opened. How could somepony take some other pony's powers away? Or block their powers? The mare curled up into a ball. She shut her eyes that were spilling another new round of tears. Not only was she crying for her doom but also for the other prisoners.
All Emerald, Toffee, Thorax, Cheese, and Fancy did was just looked at Fluttershy with sympathy.
The other prisoners just continued to sit there and stare at the ground. Some also shed some tears.
"Boy that was a waste of time!" Starlight grumbled, with her head in her hooves.
"My Fuhrer, we will try again with her in another time," Svengallop responded, patting her on the back.
"She was useless!" the Countess barked. "She spent months working for that mismatched freak and yet, she couldn't tell me anything about him!?"
"Oh I bet she knows," Svengallop assured her. "Obviously, she was holding back and pretending not to know anything. You know how prisoners are, my Fuhrer. When they don't answer your questions, that means they do know but just don't want to reveal. Ponies who do not share information are just as bad as liars."
"That pegasus won't tell me whether Discord's plotting against me or not!" the Fuhrer grumbled.
"Of course!" Svengallop replied loudly. "He spoke openly about how much he hates our New World Order! I won't be surprised if he starts a war with us!"
Just then a door burst open to reveal a wide-eyed and panting blue unicorn with a big smile on her face.
"Look, look my lady!" Trixie cried, rushing toward the Countess and Svengallop. She seemed to be carrying something in a bag. "You'll never guess what I got-oops!" Clearing her throat, she raised her hoof high and proud. "Heil Glimmer!"
"Heil!" Starlight smiled.
"Heil Glimmer," Svengallop mumbled.
"Look my lady and my co-worker!" Trixie yelped in joy. "I got the thing that you have asked for!" She lifted up her small brown bag with a proud smile and closed eyes. "The mucus of the Taztleworm!"
Svengallop's jaw hit the floor.
Starlight was well pleased. "Marvelous, Trixie! I knew you could do it!" Her grin turned a bit more amused as she reached over and closed Svengallop's mouth with a hoof.
"How in the name of Celestia did you manage to collect the mucus without being poisoned?" the earth pony questioned.
Trixie gave a smug smile. "Oh it was nothing! First, I removed the giant flower that was on top of the Tatzleworm's home. Next, I use my fireworks to wake up the Tatzleworm. Once that ugly thing appeared, it roared! I put my shield spell around me as it shot mucus at me! Then, the Tatzleworm sank into its hole. I put on my safetly gloves and reached out of the bubble to shovel the mucus into this canister." Opening the bag, Trixie pulled out the canister, containing the mucus.
"That was quite impressive, I must say!" Starlight smiled. She pulled out from her desk drawer, an object that was round and made out of bronze. "I'm going to give you a bronze medal for bravery and wit!"
The blue unicorn beamed as she felt her leader pin the mark of honor onto her military jacket.
Svengallop frowned as green flames flashed in his eyes.
"Hey what about me? Don't I get a medal for kidnapping an innocent mare for you?"
Starlight gave out an agitated sigh and rolled her eyes. She tossed a black medal at Svengallop in the face.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"How did the questioning with Discord's servant go?" Trixie asked, in a casual manner.
Starlight let air fume out of her nostrils.
"It wasn't very productive. She won't share any information with me of Discord no matter how much I tortured her!" The Countess then sighed and put her hoof to her chin. After a moment of silence, she looked up at her comrades. "I don't suppose any of you caught what her relationship with King Discord was like, did you?"
"Trixie has an idea of what their relationship was like!" the blue unicorn yelled so loud that it made Svengallop's ears ache. "They seemed very close with each other. Friends or lovers, I don't know. But either way, they seemed close."
"If they were so close, then why did Miss Fluttershy act like she didn't know anything?" Svengallop questioned.
"Perhaps, she was doing it out of love for him?" Trixie suggested.
"Ah that makes sense!" The stallion nodded. "Suspects don't answer questioning because they were trying to protect other ponies."
"Rumor has it that King Discord fancies Fluttershy all because they sang together," Trixie added. "Seems rather...touching, if you ask me."
"Love, ha!" Starlight let out a cold harsh laugh. "Don't make me laugh! Need I remind you that he's engaged to Lady Chrysalis?"
"Yes, but I can't imagine someopony, even Discord, being attracted to that nasty bug!" Svengallop wretched in disgust.
"It's about marriage, not love!" Starlight retorted. Then she went into a long explanation of how love could do more damage than good.
"So basically, love is foolish and dumb?" Svengallop asked.
"Yes," Starlight answered.
"Not to mention that love is weak and fleeting!" Trixie added.
"Now you are catching on!" The countess clapped her hooves with evil delight. "Come, we are going to declare war on Draconia!"
Her comrades dropped their jaws.
"A war!?"
"Svengallop, you said that you wouldn't be surprised that Discord would start a war with us, remember? Well, we will strike him first. We have to keep him and Chrysalis from trying to stop us from executing the changelings!" Starlight answered.
"But what if the other royals go against us?" Trixie questioned. "They already had a problem with you for trying to create egalitarianism."
Starlight paused for a few minutes before answering. "Then...then...then, we have to kill them too."
"Wow, you're willing to kill the changelings and the royals for your plan?" Svengallop gasped incredibly.
Starlight Glimmer had misty eyes and a trembling lip. "It's more than just my plan." she said in an audible and quiet voice. Her mind flashed back to the distant past.
Long ago, when Starlight Glimmer was a teenage mare, she lived in a small country of Ponia, with her father, the Count Indigo and her mother, the Countess Lavender Stream. They had taught Starlight everything that a young Countess should know from table manners to financial matters. But Starlight struggled with her magic. Thus, her father hired a young orange stallion who was a wizard named Sunburst. He was everything that Starlight could ever wish for in a husband. Sunburst was intelligent, helpful, kind, warm, and adorable! Study sessions were the only times where they could spend time together with no pony interrupting them.
Unfortunately, her parents did not like the idea of their daughter falling in love with a common stallion. They refused to give the couple their permission to marry. Despite Sunburst proving himself to be a good stallion, the parents would not reconsider. The couple eloped to Germaney. They were living happily with each other until one day, Sunburst went on a trip to Canterlot for a magical business trip. He promised Starlight that he would come back in a week. But a week passed and he never came back. Two weeks later, Starlight received a telegram in the mail with shocking news. Sunburst was killed by a changeling! Nopony noticed that Sunburst had been spending his time with an impostor until a colt had found her husband dead in the back of an alley. From that day forward, Starlight swore revenge on the changelings and make them pay for what they had done to her mate.
Later, Starlight and Trixie began rounding their army up on the grounds of Germaney. All soldiers were lined up in a single line, standing up straight. Starlight went up to each soldier that was standing upright. They always answered her with the same old response. "Sieg Heil!" "Sieg Heil!" "Sieg heil!"
"Every pony seems to be in order!" Starlight smiled proudly. She pulled out her walkie-talkie. "Calling Svengallop! Over!"
"Yes, my Fuhrer? Over!" the response came from the underground. Usually, it would be difficult to talk to some pony from underground but Starlight had used a spell to make it possible. "You and the other guards are in charge of watching over the prisoners. I have put a magic block on them so they will not escape but make sure that no funny business happens anyway! You can never be too careful with those...monsters."
"Rodger that, over!" Svengallop copied from down below in the office. He leaned back in his chair. His eyes were full of darkness and his grin twisted into a huge and creepy smile. He rubbed his hooves together."If they ever try to escape, they'll get fifty lashes. But if it is that Discord's little tramp, then I will make sure she suffers much more than that!"