Lost in a New World

by KingBrony

Cutie Mark Chronicles 5 - Desert Ponies

Author's Note:

I moved the text from a chapter I was writing into this one, to fit the pacing that I originally intended.

Sweetie Belle could smell something strange in the air. It seemed strong and bitter, and spicy. It was definitely something she had never smelled before. Is this what heaven smells like? She thought to herself. Stirring, the filly slowly opened her eyes. Adjusting to the light, she rubbed her hoof over her eyes.

The room was dimly lit with candles of different colors. The heat coming off of them soothed the filly. After a few sniffs, Sweetie Belle concluded that the aroma was coming from the candles. They flickered in the otherwise empty room. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of hard sandstone, and there was no window to be seen. Sweetie Belle could make out a door on the other side of the room. She slowly got to her hooves and made her way over. Something fell off of her back when she stood up. Turning to see what it was, Sweetie Belle found some kind of leafy pouch. It gave off a similar aroma to the candles.

"Hmm..." The filly pondered. A sharp jolt of pain surged through her horn. "Ouch!" She yelled, then quickly recovered and made her way to the door. It opened easily.

The unicorn found herself in a narrow hallway. The walls were lined with weird pictures of ponies and other symbols, separated into columns by blue vertical lines. Torches were lit at each corner, but was otherwise empty as well. Sweetie Belle picked a direction and made her way through. The hallway twisted and turned like a maze, prompting the filly to move slowly through it as she didn't know what would be around the corner. Eventually, the hallway poured into a giant room, the most magnificent thing she had ever seen in her life.

The ceiling was high and covered in more symbols. Waterfalls lined opposite sides of the room, dumping water into a vast pool. Ponies filled the room with laughter and other chatter. They wore sheets of different colored cloth, adorned with beautiful stitches and jewels. Rarity would have loved these outfits. As Sweetie Belle gasped in awe, a pony wearing armor approached her.

"Ah, you're awake!" He called out to the filly. It took her a moment to acknowledge him.

"Is this...Is this heaven?" Sweetie Belle was extremely confused at this point. The last thing I remember was... The pain in her horn stopped her train of thought.

The guard laughed. "No, you are very much alive. Miraculously so! Come, let me take you to the Sultana. She has been waiting for you to awaken...She will explain." He guided Sweetie Belle through the room. The coolness of the water pressed against her skin as she saw her bright reflection in the water. Sweetie Belle saw a filly she didn't recognize staring back at her. Her hair was faded and her sides had many scar marks. A crack ran right along her horn. Her cutie mark looked just as faded, as if it were an old tattoo. She stopped and began to cry.

The guard stopped once he realized that Sweetie Belle stopped following. He turned back to comfort her. "You come from Equestria, yes? You've come such a long way. I admire your courage."

"I wasn't alone," Sweetie Belle replied. "I had help from..." Where are they? Spike, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo?? The memories of the ravine flooded back into her mind. The fall, the attack from Apple Bloom... Sweetie Belle began to panic at the thought that they might have been...

"Do not worry," The guard proceeded to calm her down. "Your friends are safe. They are with the Sultana. Come, let's go."

The pony led Sweetie Belle into the Sultana's chamber. It was a wide room with large pillars of stone lining the walls. Statues of mares and colts decorated the space. At the far end sat an elegant throne, lined with gold and covered in brightly-colored fabrics and pillows. A mare sat upon the throne. She looked as regal as Princess Celestia, with lots of jewelry around her neck and on her hooves. She wore a simple crown with an emblem of a snake at the forehead. As the two approached, the Sultana smiled.

"I see you have finally woken up," The Sultana spoke in a firm, yet gentle voice. "Welcome to Saddle Arabia. I am Princess Stellae, the Sultana of this land." Sweetie Belle could see the strain that the Sultana has been put under, as her eyes could tell the tale.

"Where are..." Sweetie Belle's first thought was to inquire about her friends. Please let them be okay!

Princess Stellae smiled. "You are looking for your friends?" She looked towards one of the pillars. As Sweetie Belle approached it, she could see the red tail of Apple Bloom right on the other side. The sight made her heart jump: Apple Bloom, Spike, and Scootaloo all stood there in the room. As soon as Sweetie Belle approached, they all embraced in a group hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo sighed before bursting into tears. "We found you at the bottom of the ravine...I didn't know if you would make it." The group cried and cried together on the white marble floor of the Sultana's chamber.

"My guards found your friends here when they were patrolling. They said two of their own fell into the ravine, so we sent some help to get you out. I heard that you two were in bad shape down at the bottom." She looked at Apple Bloom as she spoke. "It is good that we found you when we did."

Sweetie Belle looked at her filly friend. Apple Bloom had a sad look on her face and stared down at the floor. Sweetie Belle remembered what had happened at the bottom of the ravine: the empty look in Apple Bloom's eyes, the rock, and the blood all melted together in Sweetie Belle's mind.

"Anyway," Princess Stellae continued. "Please, make yourselves at home here. We were fortunate enough to not have our palace harmed by the rocks that fell from the sky, although we have been...rather busy fighting off our foes."

The princess began speaking about the attacks on her kingdom from both the Sleipnir and the Changelings. The crusaders offered their own recounts of what happened at Canterlot, the refuge at the Crystal Empire, being chased by the Changelings, and what happened to the Zebra clan. Each word that they spoke brought back harsh memories and more tears, but they did their best to make sure their story was told. The Princess listened intently the entire time, with the occasional nod.

"This is rather unfortunate...I am sorry you young ones had to go through so much," The Sultana had a somber look when she heard about what happened to Ziljo, the zebra tribal chief. "Is there anything that I can do for you at the moment?"

Spike stepped forward and bowed in front of the princess. "If you could, may I borrow some paper and a quill? I would like to write a letter to Princess Twilight."

The princess clapped her hooves together. "Of course," She said as an attendant emerged from an adjacent room. She carried a pack of paper and quills. "In fact, I would like to write my own letter to the Princess. To let her know that we will stand by and assist Equestria in any way that we can."

*********

Two scrolls sealed with the Mark of Saddle Arabia were produced and ready to ship out. Spike held both in his hands, ready to send them to his friend. With one breath, he blew on the scroll written by Princess Stellae. His green flame caught hold of the parchment as it dissolved into the wind. Taking another breath, Spike blew on the second scroll, written by him and the fillies.

After the letters were sent, a guard rushed into the room. "Sultana!" He panted. "We have managed to fight the changelings back to their lair! It is in pieces! The ground forces would like you to helm the final charge!"

Princess Stellae smiled. "Forgive me," She turned towards her newest guests. "But I must depart. Again, make yourselves at home here, and hopefully we will be back soon."

"Wait!" Apple Bloom called after the Princess. "You have ta let us go with you!"

Stellae looked at the filly. "But, I cannot let fillies anywhere near the scene of a battle! It's far too dangerous!"

Apple Bloom looked the princess right in the eyes. "Ah understand...but, we've been through so much now because of them. Ah just..Ah just want to see it for mahself." Sweetie Belle remembered what the changeling queen did to Applejack, and knew that Apple Bloom wanted to get her own revenge.

"Besides," Sweetie Belle added. "We are the...we are the new elements of harmony!" She showed off her element, hanging elegantly around her neck.

The princess sighed. "I will take you with me, but you are to stay back at the camp with the injured and the doctors! Do you understand?"

Everypony nodded in agreement.

The guard led the Princess and the Crusaders to a giant chariot on a dirt runway. Two pegasi guards stood at the front, waiting to pull it to the battle. The Princess nodded to let the fillies in first, and then sat herself inside. The guards readied their wings and ran towards the end of the runway, taking flight towards the end of the run. The chariot lifted into the air as if it were empty, leaving the fillies in awe as they saw the land below them get smaller and smaller.

"The Changeling's Lair is located to the Northwest of here, due west of the deserts above." The Princess explained as they flew along. "The lair is usually covered and guarded by an anti-magical field, but our reports say that the field was destroyed by the recent meteor shower. The Changelings, who usually don't stray too far away, scrambled as a result and scourged the land, looking for food. It must be why they've been as far as the Crystal Empire. Our palace was not harmed by the shower, but we have had to fight them back ever since."

The scenery changed beneath them as she spoke. Sweetie Belle could make out the ravine far below them. It stretched for miles in both directions, twisting and turning in many different ways. Soon enough, the ravine grew wider and wider, until it engulfed the landscape below them. Trees became more sparse, with rocky cliffs and hills taking their place.

Eventually, a reddish glow appeared on the horizon. Sweetie Belle saw the top of a craggy castle, followed by the rocky towers. "Is that the lair?" She asked. Princess Stellae nodded. Sweetie Belle's spine began to shiver as she sank back into her seat.

The chariot began to descend at a camp close to the outskirts of the Changeling territory. Many ponies moved around, waiting for the arrival of their Princess. Upon seeing the chariot, the ponies stopped and bowed.

Princess Stellae stepped out first. She looked at everypony and spoke in a loud, commanding voice. "For too long have Saddle Arabia, and our sister nation Equestria, had to deal with the Changeling threat! Today is the day we show our dominance, and drive them away once and for all!"

The ponies all cheered in response before returning to their duties. The princess turned back to the fillies. "Now, if you will follow me," She said, and moved towards one of the tents.

"This is my personal tent. You are to remain here and not go near the castle. I cannot guarantee your safety if you leave." The crusaders all nodded. "Now, I will be on my way." The princess turned and left them alone.

"Well," Scootaloo spoke after a moment of silence, looking right at Apple Bloom. "Now what? We had such a nice place to stay at before!"

The earth filly did not respond.

Sighing, Scootaloo made her way further into the tent. "Look at this thing!" She picked up some object on a table. It was something that none of them had ever seen before. Sweetie Belle made her way over.

"Can I see it?"

"Hold on!"

"But, I want to see it!"

The two fought back and forth. Spike approached them to try and settle them down, but it didn't work. Sweetie Belle picked it up with her hooves, but it slipped out and crashed to the ground.

"Look what you did!" Scootaloo turned to yell, but changed tone. "...Where did Apple Bloom go?"

The filly was no longer in the tent.

Sweetie Belle poked her head out. "Apple Bloom?" But there were no fillies around. She returned her head to the tent, looking worried.

"Apple Bloom could be going towards the Changeling Lair!" Scootaloo gasped. "We can't leave her alone, especially not here!"

"The princess told us to wait here..." Spike told the group, but they ignored him. The fillies poked their heads out of the tent again, checking for anypony nearby, before they finally jumped outside. Spike gave a loud sigh and followed them out. Once outside, the three jumped behind another tent, sneaking past the ponies who remained at the camp - they were talking about the battle soon to come. Slowly, they made their way out of the camp and down into the valley leading to the Changeling Lair.

"Wait!" Spike stopped the girls. "We should come up with a codeword. You know, to make sure we aren't changelings."

"How about apple?" Sweetie Belle offered. "When one person says apple, the others say bloom." The other two nodded. Sweetie Belle hoped that they wouldn't run into the same situation they had with the zebras. She hoped that the ponies would be able to drive the Changelings away and leave them alone.

*********

The Changeling castle looked menacing from afar, although seeing the castle in its ruined state made Scootaloo feel sad. As evil as the changelings were, their home was destroyed along with the rest of Equestria. It really did become a fight to survive between everypony who remained. And Scootaloo didn't want to lose that fight. They made it this far together, and Scootaloo had every intention to rescue her friend. The air was cold and damp as the girls made their way down the rocky slopes, followed closely behind by Spike. He gasped and groaned with each step, sometimes losing his footing and tripping over the jagged rocks.

As they moved closer to the castle, the camp became farther out of view. "Is this really a good idea?" Sweetie Belle asked as she inched her way down the valley.

"If Apple Bloom did go to the lair," Scootaloo responded, "Then there's no way she will be able to get out safely. We need to go and help her!"

"What if she just went to the little filly's room?" Spike jumped in, sounding rather timid. Scootaloo saw his legs buckling underneath him. Seeing his discomfort made her feel a little scared too, as if the weight of their recent decisions have finally caught up with her.

"I know her," Scootaloo reassured the others. "She would never sneak out like that if she knew we would just follow her,"

"But she did sneak out, and we are following her," Sweetie Belle jumped from rock to rock, turning the journey into a game. On one rock, she missed the landing and slipped right off the side of the rock. The resulting sound pierced the air like a shockwave. The others ducked down and hid behind the rocks in response.

Everything was quiet.

"You're going to get us caught!" Scootaloo whispered to her friend with a look of anger on her face. If they were caught by either side, then it would all be over."

A horn was heard in the distance. Scootaloo looked to the top of the valley and saw the pony forces lined up, ready to descend into the valley. A black swarm poured out of the changeling lair in response, like a swarm of bees exiting a hive to protect their honey. "They're going to fight!" Scootaloo said. "Now's our chance!" She sped towards the lair as fast as she could, ducking behind rocks along the way. Due to their small statures, hiding was easy for them. The ponies charged down into the valley as the changelings rose up to meet them. Before long, Scootaloo began hearing the sound of blades clashing and battle cries echoing through the air. Yet another battle between ponies and changelings.

Soon enough, the group made it to the base of the lair. It looked gross from up close, resembling a black blistering hive. The damage done was very apparent as holes in the walls highlighted where the meteors pierced through. This gave the group an easy way inside as Scootaloo jumped up to climb in.

The inside of the lair was cavernous, dark, and damp. Pockets of light came through the holes in the walls, but there was little else in the way of light. The ground felt sticky and moist, and the air was stale. Scootaloo didn't want to be here any longer, but she knew they couldn't leave until they find Apple Bloom. The sounds of war outside echoed through the caverns as holes opened up and closed in intervals, as if they were all sleeping beasts breathing through their mouths.

"I say we pick a hole and jump through!" Scootaloo said, waiting for the right time to enter a hole. The cavern stretched down a long, curved hallway, rising far above the group. Scootaloo could not see the top of the room they were in. One hole nearby stayed open for a few seconds longer, prompting the filly to act.

"Here!" she shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the cavern.

The others nodded, and they all jumped through. The hole led them to a narrow passageway - just as slimy and dark as the previous room. The other end led into a cavern that looked just like where they were before. The holes continued to breathe, giving the illusion that they were inside a living being. The fillies and Spike jumped from hole to hole without any sense of direction, hoping that they would find Apple Bloom soon.

"What did she think she could accomplish by coming here alone, anyway?" Spike grumbled as he struggled to keep up with the girls. His two legs were not enough to match the fillies' hooves, but he trudged along anyway. The trio climbed up, jumped down, and moved from side to side through the seemingly endless labyrinth. Luckily, however, there seemed to be no changelings around.

Scootaloo led the charge through the lair, deciding where to go based on a whim. At one point, she believed they had been going around in a circle, as the hallway they were in looked like one they were previously in. Groaning, Scootaloo went in the opposite direction.

"Are we lost?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"No!" Scootaloo retorted. "I think we're getting closer!"

As they continued along, Scootaloo jumped into one hole just as it closed behind her. Taking a few leaps forward, Scootaloo turned back to make sure her friends were okay. However, Sweetie Belle and Spike were nowhere to be seen. The filly stopped her movements and made her way back to the hole. As she looked at it opening and closing, she discovered - to her horror - that the other side would change each time the hole opened up. The labyrinth they were working their way through was being randomized! That also means Spike and Sweetie Belle could be anywhere.

"No, no, no!" Scootaloo jumped through the hole again, ending up in a room that she knew was completely different from the one she had originally came from. "Sweetie Belle! Spike!" She yelled, jumping through more holes and halls. It was no use - she was completely and utterly lost. Tears began forming in Scootaloo's eyes. Her friends - the ones she had led here - were missing. We might not ever be able to find our way out of the lair at this rate, she thought to herself. The filly began flying up through the cavern to try to reach new rooms, but she didn't know where she was anymore.

After jumping through one hole, Scootaloo landed on something. "Ow!" She yelled as she hit her head on the floor. Looking up at what she hit, she saw something yellow enter her sight. It was Apple Bloom!

"Ow..." Apple Bloom groaned, placing a hoof on her forehead. Scootaloo's tears grew stronger as she hugged her friend.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" She began saying, but jumped back as she suddenly remembered where they were. For all she knew, the Apple Bloom in front of her could be a fake. However, Apple Bloom wasn't there when they talked about the code word.

"What was the name of our teacher at school?" Scootaloo asked, squinting at the figure that might be Apple Bloom. As she spoke, a loud growl echoed throughout the cavern. It started as a faint noise, but grew in volume rather quickly, prompting Scootaloo to stop her interrogation and run for it. "No time, let's go!" Apple Bloom spoke quickly, grabbing the hoof of her friend.

"So what were you doing here by yourself?" Scootaloo asked, still unsure of the truth. Apple Bloom turned to the filly as she spoke. "Ah just needed to do this by mahself..."

"But we are Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Scootaloo responded, jumping over a small gap. "We have been doing everything together!"

"Well you shouldn't have come!" Apple Bloom yelled.

Scootaloo looked at her friend. "The Apple Bloom I know would never say that!" But before she could question her again, a figure jumped out of a hole in front of the two of them. It was Spike!

"Thank goodness I found you both!" He said. Beyond him, Sweetie Belle came running towards the group. She looked as if she had not seen the others for many years.

"We're all together!" Sweetie Belle cheered as Spike gave a sigh of relief. Scootaloo sighed as well, but tensed up as she looked at the other three. I have to make sure...

"Apple." The word flew from the pegasus's mouth like a dagger thrown into the darkness.

"Bloom."

Scootaloo only heard one voice respond.

"Ah thought the code word was 'Cherilee'..." Apple Bloom's head tilted in suspicion. Scootaloo's heart sank in her chest, realizing the grave danger they were all in. She didn't even get a chance to turn her head towards the impostor before she felt something sharp on the back of her neck, and before she knew it, she was on the ground. The faint sounds of screaming filled her ears as she saw a trail of red spread along the damp ground. The rest of Scootaloo's body grew cold, and she felt nothing but the small grains of dirt between her and the cavern floor.