Treasured Moon & Stars: Vol. 2 Treasures From Mirrors

by TigerSwirl448

Chapter 20: Connections From the Past

Chapter 20
Connections From the Past

Vinyl continued to struggle in the guard's grip as they walked into a strange, empty cement room with grates on the floor. Sweetie Belle stopped fighting a while ago, sobbing into the guards back. Vinyl felt horrible for her, Sweetie Belle just found her sister and from what Vinyl could tell that the other mare was equally upset and screaming her name as they were leaving. But now they were taken to some place that Vinyl knew had to do with execution, but what type?

One of the guards released Vinyl to walk to one of the large, circular grates on the floor. He pulled out a key to unlock the grate and pulled it open. Vinyl and Sweetie Belle watched with fear seeing that the grate had an empty cuff clasped on the grate. The guard unlocked the cuff and raised it up smiling and walking over to Vinyl as the second guard got a good hold of her to keep her from running away. Vinyl gulped watching the guard clasp the cold clammy cuff to her ankle.

"What’s this?" Vinyl asked glaring at the guard in front of her. Sweetie Belle was lowered to the ground, when she tried to run the guard grabbed her shirt pulling her back as the filly tried desperately to get away from him.

"Your chain." The guard behind her answered pushing Vinyl over the edge into the hole. Vinyl let out a scream before crashing to the hard floor on top of some sort of debris, groaning in pain. Her head was swimming in pain and her back was in worse shape feeling the sharp objects poking into her back and neck. Vinyl opened her eyes seeing the guard laughing down at her from the long drop.

"Oh and here, take the runt!" The stallion laughed, throwing Sweetie Belle into deep hole next. Vinyl sat up to catch her but Sweetie Belle lands on top of her pushing her back down hard onto the floor. Vinyl started coughing from the impact to her chest. Sweetie Belle groaned opening her eyes using her hands to push her up. She gasped seeing Vinyl groaning then closing her eyes.

"Vinyl? Vinyl, wake up!" She begged grabbing Vinyl’s vest and shook her, trying to get her to wake up. "Vinyl!" She cried out tears flowing from her eyes. She gasped hearing the grate close above her, looking up.

"Enjoy your last bubbles of life, girls." The mare hollered out, laughing along with the other guards, walking away. Sweetie Belle gasped crawling off of Vinyl standing up, looking up at the grate.

"You can't leave us here! Somepony please!" She begged sniffling. "Help!" She cried. She looked down at Vinyl, unconscious on the floor. She sniffed and lowered on top of Vinyl then laid on top of her, sniffling and crying into her chest.

"I just want to go home." She whispered closing her eyes to sleep off her pain.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Twilight groaned as she started to regain consciousness. She woke up staring at the bright lights above her head. She moved her hand trying to block the light but she felt her hand not rising to block her view.

"What?" She said looking to her left to find her hand above her head, cuffed to a table. She turned moving her other hand to feel it stuck on the table too. She looked down to find her ankles strapped to the table as well. She struggled in her restraints, trying to get out of this predicament.

"Easy, Sergeant Sparkle." Trixie said coolly as she walked into the light. Twilight glared at her. "You’re safe here."

"Safe? Safe!?" Twilight snarled at her trying to get out of her restraints with her magic, but her magic wouldn't come forth. Instead there was a sharp pain in her head.

Trixie smiled. "Oh yes, you're safe, Twilight. You will be once we’re done talking and you agree to what I propose." Trixie said walking to another table looking at the old torture tools, tapping her chin thinking of her plan.

"A proposal?" Twilight spat, pulling on her restraints. "For what?"

Trixie shrugged, reaching for a knife flipping it in her hand. "A proposal for all charges against you to be dropped and you'll be set free."

Twilight stopped her struggle to stare at Trixie’s back. The idea of freedom and to stop her running and hiding did sound very tempting. She could return to Canterlot with a clean slate, no guard would arrest her, she could see her family again.

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "You can't do that."

Trixie smiled hearing the sadness in Twilight’s voice.

"True, normally it wouldn’t happen." Trixie turned showing the blade. Twilight stiffened as Trixie walked slowly forward. "However, I work with a large group of very important ponies. True, the rest of the galaxy will never let you go, but my superiors will erase your past and you will be free. And will order all guards to avoid arresting you for your previous crimes.” Trixie said leaning against Twilight’s table using her magic to float the knife and lightly trace Twilight’s leg with the tip. Twilight stiffened watching the knife worriedly.

"And why do this only for me? Who wants me on your side so badly to drop all the charges against me?" Twilight asked through her teeth.

Trixie smiled with a sigh. "Very powerful ponies, the same ones that placed you under house arrest." Twilight blinked surprised. Trixie nodded. "Yes, you remember that don't you?"

"That was... Twenty years ago."

"Right,” Trixie said poking the knife into Twilight’s thigh causing her to wince staying absolutely still.

"Why?" Twilight whispered.

"Because you are the most powerful unicorn in recent history, Sparkle. And you are very important to us."

“Us?" Twilight asked.

Trixie leaned forward into Twilight’s face smiling. "The Order."

Twilight’s eyes went wide hearing the infamous name that she heard from Rainbow Dash and Octavia.

Trixie noticed the shocked look in Twilight’s face. "Ah that’s right, surely Rainbow Dash talked, hmm?"

Twilight snarled sensing the magical energy that felt like the same magic she fought against on Rainbow Dash.

"You... So it was you! I didn’t believe it when Rainbow told us. You corrupted Rainbow Dash!" She screamed out. Trixie stabbed the knife into Twilight leg. Twilight gasped out, quickly biting into her cheek to keep from screaming. Trixie leaned close to Twilight’s ear.

"Yes, I did. The most powerful spell I have ever used and it took many weeks to perfect with other ponies." She said chuckling.

Twilight growled at her. "Like I would even think of joining you!"

Trixie smiled. "I don’t think you have a choice this time. Unlike Sunset Shimmer's proposal years past, she gave you a choice. But not I." Twilight stared at her with surprise as the knife twisted into her leg causing her to scream. "The longer I twist the more severe the wound will be and I might cut an artery."

Twilight growled at her. "I will never join you!" She spat. "All you ponies do is make others suffer!"

Trixie sighed with a shrug. "Ponies must suffer for us to claim true purity."

"Purity of what?"

Trixie smiled. "Now if you were one of us I'll tell you. But you'll be joining us anyway."

"What?" Twilight asked before Trixie answered with a shrug and an innocent smile. Trixie pulled out the knife form Twilight’s leg, Twilight screamed out again. Trixie charged her hands in her magic. She wrapped her one hand around Twilight’s horn and her hand was pressed hard into Twilight's chest. Trixie's eyes glowed pink as she glared into Twilight’s eyes. Twilight started to feel hot searing pain in her body and started screaming, thrashing about trying to shake Trixie’s hands off of her.

"Get out of my head!" She screamed out.

"I'm afraid you have no control over me anymore, Sparkle. Let's see what your anger runs from, hmm?"

"No!" Twilight cried out. Trixie smiled seeing through every memory through Twilight’s mind. Her fears, her imagination, her nightmares, and her anger. She smile and licked her lips feeling Twilight’s source of intense anger.

"Oh yes, your anger is so large... and delicious."

Twilight struggled against her influence but without her own magic as a shield she couldn’t fight back. The magical bands around her wrists and horn drained her magic and now she was defenseless against Trixie's dark magic.

Trixie shook her head. "Don’t fight it, Twilight Sparkle. Take it in and let all that anger go away. I'll give you vengeance for the loss you feel." She smiled again seeing the vision of Twilight's true original source of anger and grinned.

"Flash Sentry was his name?"

Twilight stiffened, her eyes went wide. The pain began again, causing her to scream as she relived her horrors. Trixie continue to send spurts of dark magic into her captive, to try and finally take over her mind.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Rainbow Dash was peeking out the window but quickly ducked as a laser hit the window cracking it. Thirty minutes after Rainbow and Daring hacked into the computers the place had erupted into chaos of laser fire and blood. Rainbow peeked over and shot another guard. She ducked back, panting.

"Daring!" Rainbow yelled out over the shattering glass.

"I almost got it." Daring said going through files fast, looking for key words. "Damnit..."

"Damnit, Daring?" Rainbow snarled ducking.

Daring gasped suddenly seeing something on a file. "Got something!"

"Print it or copy it or something!" Rainbow cried out as a laser hit a computer monitor causing it to explode. Daring nodded placing a small flash drive to the computer.

"What was that?" Daring asked, thinking she heard Rainbow say something behind her. She turned to see Rainbow staring at nothing in particular and looked very pale.

"Rainbow? Captain Dash!" Suddenly Rainbow closed her eyes and began screaming holding her head with her hands.

"Rainbow!" Daring gasped running to her holding her shoulders. "What is it? What is it?" She cried out as Rainbow fell to her side curling up into a ball holding her stomach. Daring moved away in time as Rainbow lost her dinner.

"Rainbow what's wrong?!" Daring begged looking around hearing the lasers from the guards had stopped.

"It’s happening again!" Rainbow cried out holding her head.

"What's happening again?" Daring called out seeing that the drive was finished copying the files. She reached for the drive and stuck it into her boot to hide it from the guards. She turned to Rainbow but a loud bang was heard. Daring looked up seeing the guards pointing their guns at her. Daring tried to grab her rifle but a warning shot was fired causing Daring to freeze.

"Hands on your head, traitor scum!" Daring raised her hands to her head. She looked down seeing Rainbow go still, unconscious from her episode.

"What’s wrong with her?" One of the guards asked avoiding Rainbow.

"She's Rainbow Dash of course!" A mare called out smiling. "Chain them and we’ll take them to the arena." Daring was grabbed and forced up and pushed out of the computer room. Rainbow was lifted up and dragged away unconscious. Daring gulped worried as she stared at Rainbow’s still form.

What was happening again to her? Something looked vaguely familiar to what happened moments ago.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Fluttershy peeked past the corner to see a lot of guards in the giant room filled with crates and barrels. They had been searching for Fluttershy and her group ever since they fled. Raindrops peaked over and sighed pulling back, leaning against the wall next to Luna. Blossom was silent as she clenched and unclenched her fist over her new guardian crystal. Raindrops could tell Blossom was worried, she knew something was wrong but kept her mouth shut to protect their hiding place.

Suddenly Fluttershy was rubbing her temples and squeezing her eyes shut. Luna blinked feeling magic in the air. Fluttershy took a breath. Luna raced over past Raindrop to grab Fluttershy, wrapping her hand over Fluttershy’s mouth as she started screaming in pain fighting against Luna's grip around her. Luna pulled her back into the alcove as Raindrops and Blossom watched with worry. Raindrops sat on top Fluttershy’s legs to keep her from kicking as she cried and writhed in pain. Blossom peeked past the corner and gasped pulling back. Seeing Luna and Raindrops looking at her Blossom placed her finger to her lips, her eyes wide with terror seeing that Fluttershy was still going crazy in some sort of episode.

One guard turned to the corner thinking he saw something by the corner leading to an alcove. He walked slowly over pointing his pistol at the corner. Blossom could hear his boots walk over slowly and carefully. Blossom placed her hand on Raindrops's back gripping her shirt. Luna was struggling as Fluttershy continued to cry and struggle in Luna’s grip.

Suddenly the guards all started running. "There’s a disturbance in the arena, come on! All units there now!" A stallion’s voice cried out. The guard who was approaching the corner stopped and turned. He started running with the other guards out of the large room.

Once there was silence Blossom, Raindrops, and Luna both sighed in relief. Luna blinked and removed her hand then gasped feeling Fluttershy going limp in her arms.

"Fluttershy?" Luna asked in worry. The two pegasi ran to her. Raindrops placed her finger over Fluttershy’s neck to find her pulse. She sighed in relief, nodding to Blossomforth.

"She’s fine; blacked out." Raindrops said.

Blossom nodded. "Good.” She said relieved. Blossom turned to Luna. “Great job, princess. If you haven't thought of that we would have been caught."

Luna nodded rubbing her forehead. "I felt horrible magic from Fluttershy and I felt her pain before she screamed."

"What can we do?" Raindrops asked looking to Blossom for guidance.

Blossom sighed. "Raindrops, you and Luna stay here with Fluttershy." Blossom stood in a crouch and walked to the corner peeking out.

"What?" Raindrops asked in shock.

"Where will you go?" Luna asked with worry.

Blossom turned to them. "My gut's been telling me something is horribly wrong. And right when I couldn't take it anymore, Fluttershy goes through an episode."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Raindrops protested standing up.

"Think about it, Raindrops!" Blossom yelled out scaring the younger soldier to stop her advance. "Remember back on the Crystal Moon? When Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight were all feeling the pain Octavia was in?" Raindrops stared at her for a long moment turning away. "You see. Daring said that because the Elements of Harmony and the Crystal Guardians are linked and they can feel each other’s pain. And suddenly Luna felt magic and grabbed Fluttershy." Raindrops bowed her head turning to Fluttershy and Luna.

"Precisely, something is wrong and I have to find Twilight." Blossom said before running off.

"Blossomforth, wait! Wait!" Raindrops screamed out running after her.

Blossom stopped and turned stopping her friend. "You do not move from your spot, Corporal. That's an order!" Blossom yelled back pointing to the alcove. Raindrops stopped hearing the direct order. Her hands clenched her fists watching her commander run off into the prison. She growled with a yell of rage.

"Blossomforth!" She screamed out. "Damnit!" She cried kicking the wall before walking back to Luna and sat down, covering her face. Luna sighed feeling horrible for her friend.

"She's right."

Raindrops looked up through her aqua blue bangs. "What?"

Luna looked up at the ceiling looking around with a hard look. "There is a dark magical presence in the station. And it's hurting all the Elements of Harmony." Luna said in a trance like state.

"Luna? Are you alright?" Raindrops asked looking to her with concern.

"I can feel their pain and suffering. Blossomforth was right to go find Twilight. She's the source of the pain and the power." Raindrops went silent rubbing her forehead looking down at Fluttershy.

"I can't let her run off by herself, we’re partners, and we’ve been friends since we were assigned together."

Luna smiled patting on Raindrops’s shoulder. "She'll be fine." Luna whispered reassuringly. "She'll be fine."

Raindrops turned away looking towards the hall where Blossomforth ran to, clenching her fists, thinking.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Octavia climbed up into the air conditioning system to hide when she noticed the number of guards had gone up during her sneaking through the station. As she hid in the air duct she saw her friends being dragged down the hall by the guards. Octavia knew she had to find a way to help her friends before it was too late. She followed the guards as far as she could until she discovered where her friends were being kept.

She crawled through the system starting to smell a horrible stench. She retched covering her nose for a moment. "Good Luna above! What is that stench?!" She whispered. Suddenly she stopped, realizing that she smelled this smell before. The only times she smelled this as in Fillydelphia underground into the slave holding pen.

"Slaves!" She whispered in shock looking down knowing that under the metal keeping her inside the air duct were probably saves, poor souls ready to fight for the death for their freedom, sadly they wouldn't live long enough to get it.

She continued through the metal tunnel carefully but as quickly as she could. She reached an area where there are slated vents lining through the tunnel. Octavia gulped approaching the vent hearing the sounds of fighting and screaming. Familiar sounds she had never wanted to hear again.

She stopped at the vent and gasped to see a small coliseum with three ponies fighting inside against stallions with weapons. She turned and glared, seeing Blueblood standing with the brothers, Flim and Flam!

"Those bastards?" She whispered in a growl. "So they were working for Blueblood this whole time." She whispered watching them smiling. Flim and Flam were laughing and pointing at the fighters in the ring. Octavia turned to the vent up on the wall next to her to see a stallion swinging a sword around, defending himself against the fighting slaves. The stallion looked vaguely familiar. But the other two fighters were mares. One closer inspection, one of them looked familiar. Octavia gasped recognizing Applejack.

"Applejack,” She whispered with fear seeing her fighting for her life. That was when Octavia noticed the second mare standing back to back with Applejack. “And that’s …"

Generosity! The voices in her head screamed out. Octavia gaped staring at the dirty unicorn squinting her eyes trying to get a better look. She felt her Guardian pulse and vibrate, causing her to get excited. She found her!

"You’re right! It is her!" Octavia whispered with excitement. But a sudden event occurred that made Octavia worry. "Wait, what’s happening?" She whispered with shock seeing Applejack drop her weapon to grab her head over her ears screaming. Rarity collapsed on her knees screaming and holding her stomach. Something was terribly wrong and Octavia could feel it from her magic. Something dark was effecting the Elements, and effecting them badly. Rarity was the first to collapse and unconscious. Applejack was fighting the force that was hurting her, until she went still and fell face first into the sand. The stallion turned and gasped seeing the mares unconscious in the sand not moving.

"Girls, get up!" He ordered turning back to block another attack by a crazed slave. "Rarity!" He screamed out before being tackled to the ground.

Octavia gasped seeing her friends in trouble. She had to find a way to help them before the slaves killed them off and Blueblood would win! She growled glaring down at the grate.

“Not again,” She growled. “I won’t give him the chance to do it again.” She started crawling as fast as she could knowing the cheering will block the noises she was making. Octavia reached a crossroad in the tunnel, one way lead to another area of the prison while the other continued straight deeper into the stinking slave cages.

Octavia sighed continuing her crawling towards the coliseum to see more vents. She looked out to see that she is at least above the box where the three horrid stallions stood. She sighed looking down to see a smaller vent and through the blades she could see Blueblood's head. Octavia pulled out her pistol from the back of her pants. She checked the charger to see it fully charged then looked back down.

"It's now or never!" She screamed out kicking the vent open then jump out. Blueblood and the brothers backed away as Octavia landed hard on her feet, groaning in pain feeling the impact on the balls of her feet. She stood up pointing her pistol at Blueblood. The three stallions looked frightened seeing her. Blueblood looked spooked seeing the pistol pointed directly at him.

"You?!" Blueblood squeaked dropping his cigar to the ground.

"Yes," Octavia snarled glaring at him. "It is time to face your judgment, Blueblood!"

The brothers laughed causing her to turn them. "Look at this brother, it's the doll from Filly." Flim chortled.

"And I know just the thing to put her down." Flam added pulling out the cigar from his mouth then blew out a high pitched whistle. Octavia stiffened hearing the fighting seize in the arena. She could see every stallion and mare fighting, turn towards her and their masters.

"Kill her and you shall have your freedom!" Flam declared pointing at Octavia as Flim grinned at the idea. Octavia gasped watching as the salves all roared and started running to the chain link fence bordering the bleachers and start climbing. The guards ran away as the group of slaves ran past them, making a beeline for Octavia in the box. Octavia turned back to see Blueblood gone. She turned to see him running away. She growled taking chase only to be tugged back by her tail. She turned with a glare seeing that is was Flam who got her.

"Not so fast precious." Flam said grinning. Octavia growled then reached for the laser pointer in her pocket.

“Get your filthy slaver hands off of me!” She ordered, pressing the button on her pointer and zapped Flam with whichever laser was used. A red beam sprout out of the pointer and hit Flam in between the eyes causing the brother to scream, releasing her tail before falling dead on the floor. Octavia could smell the burnt flesh and meat from the slaver.

"Flam? Uh oh." Flim gulped backing away. Octavia glared coldly at him pointing the pistol at him. Flim chuckled nervously holding up his hands "Now look, let's make a deal? You let me go and I won’t hunt you again. Deal?"

Octavia glared at him. "No deal, you'll be joining your brother in Tartarus."

Flim chuckled weakly. "Well look at the time." He said looking at his pocket watch grinning. Octavia blinked confused until suddenly one of the slaves screamed out, throwing a blade at the princess. Octavia yelped turning and dodged the spear and slamming her back into the behind her. She gasped hearing the screams of the slaves running to her from the bleachers.

Flim smiled. "I'm afraid my boat's calling, see you in the next pit, Princess!" Flim sped off jumping to the bleachers below, making a run for it as the guards fought against the slaves that had turned against them. Octavia growled watching the slimy bastard escape. She gasped when a slave grabbed her from behind into a bear hug squeezing her to death. The slave laughed as she struggled in his grip. Octavia tried everything she could think of to try and wiggle herself lose or fight back, but couldn’t while coughing for air.

The giant screamed out then releases Octavia before falling to the side. Octavia gasped for air coughing, she looked up seeing an earth pony mare looking down at her. Instead of wanting to kill her, the slave reached her hand to her.

"You’re the princess?" she asked weakly. Octavia nodded seeing her red two toned mane long and covered in muck. Her bright green eyes look feverish and sickly. If this mare didn’t have her spear with her as a crutch she might have fallen over. The mare smiled friendly like pulling Octavia up to her feet.

"Allow us to aid in your escape." The mare said softly.

"What?" Octavia asked confused. The Earth pony mare pointed down at the bleachers to show Octavia a lot of slaves that escaped their pens were fighting the guards and some were helping Applejack and Rarity get up from the ground after regaining consciousness. Octavia blinked staring at the red headed mare.

"Who are you?" She asked intrigued.

"Back then, before I was taken here, I was called Roseluck." She said shakily drop into an imaginary curtsy. "Your highness." Octavia was worried that the mare would tip over. She got back up from the curtsy and grabbed Octavia’s hand. "Hurry, we can get you out of here." Roseluck and two other slave ponies stood by her. Octavia pulled her hand back.

"No, I can’t leave, not now." The three slaves stared at her bewildered.

"What do you mean?" An earth pony stallion with blue fur and mane with a single yellow eye, asked. Octavia noticed the horrible jagged scar where his other should be.

"I have to get Blueblood and make him pay for everything he did."

"That’s crazy!" A gray Pegasus mare with a purple mane said. One of her wings looked permanently bent from an earlier fight. "Princess Octavia, believe us, you can't stay here any longer than you have, too. Trust us."

Octavia turned to the doorway then to the slaves.

"Besides," The blue stallion said carefully. "Aren’t those friends of yours?"

Octavia blinked then turned to the Applejack, Rarity and Scratch fighting against the guards and fighting slaves. After a long fight in her mind, she sighed making a decision. Allies are more important than getting a bastard like Blueblood.

"Alright fine," Octavia conceded following the slaves down to the pit by going down the bleachers. As they fought through Octavia tried her best to kill or lame as many guards on her way down. She saved a few slaves from death, but was too late for most. Octavia leaped down into the sand and gasped watching Applejack struggled in a slave’s choke hold. She made the sprint to the older mare.

Octavia pulled out the pistol and pulled the trigger hitting the salve's arm causing him to scream in horrible pain. Applejack slammed her head into the stallion’s nose and rolled forward to her feet and grabbing a club. She swung the club and knocked the stallion out cold. Applejack coughed a few times, leaning forward on her knees thankful to be breathing. She looked up and gasped seeing Octavia running over to her.

"Princess?! What the fuck are you doing here?!" She yelled causing Octavia to stop her hears flatten on her head with a blush. This was just as worse as being scolded by her mother.

"Applejack! Language!" Rarity screamed out. The two mares turned to see Rarity being squeezed by another slave in a bear hug. Applejack snatched Octavia's pistol then fired at the slave bear-hugging Rarity. Rarity fell to the ground coughing for air grabbing her spear.

"I could care less about my language right now, Rare!" Applejack yelled out before firing another shot at a second slave attacker who was running for Rarity. Rarity gasped pushing away from the dead slave as Scratch killed another with the help from their slave allies.

"You alright Rarity?" Scratch asked helping her back on her feet.

Applejack placed a fresh charge into the pistol then pointed it at Scratch’s head. Scratch froze raising his hands.

"And you are?" Applejack snarled.

Rarity gasped. "Applejack, put that down this instant!" Rarity cried out standing in front of Applejack and the loaded pistol.

"Damnit Rarity, move right now!"

"No, you listen to me! You know this stallion, remember?"

Applejack quirked her eyebrow staring at the dark blue headed stallion. "I don’t recall seeing you."

Scratch smiled. "It was probably dark in the cell but the last time I saw you, you were working for Nightmare Moon." Applejack blinked then lowered the pistol.

"Scratch?" Applejack asked not sure she was believing it herself.

Scratch smiled and nodded lowering his hands. "Nice to see that you are on our side. Rarity told me a bunch about you."

Rarity blushed. "Oh it was nothing."

Applejack placed her hand on her hip turning to Octavia. "Alright then, answer me this question." Octavia stiffened seeing the anger on her mentors face. "What in Luna's name are you doing here? I thought Vinyl told you to stay on board the ship."

Octavia glared back at her. "I wasn’t going to sit in that ship knowing my uncle was here. He has to know that he won’t get away with the murder of my parents!"

Applejack sighed rubbing her face. Roseluck found Applejack’s hat on the ground. She picked it up, walked over to the group, and held it out. Rarity took the hat thanking the earth pony and turned to Applejack watching her scold Octavia. At least she thought she was a normal pony, but Rarity recognized her from the hologram shows she saw in Fillydelphia.

Rarity let out a loud gasp scaring Applejack out of her skin. "Applejack, she's a princess!" Applejack growled at her then saw her hat in Rarity’s hands. She swiped the hat and pulled it on her head glaring at her.

"No, she ain't, not in her current position." She groaned rubbing her face. "Damnit, how do you think Rainbow would react finding you here?" Octavia blushed turning away thinking while Rarity gasped again looking to Applejack with shock.

"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked. "Rainbow’s here?"

Applejack turned her and nodded. "Yeah, no time to explain. We need to get out of here."

"Fat chance." Octavia said getting everyponies attention. "The royal guard found out that we were there. I was able to sneak off, but the others were arrested."

"What!?" Applejack cried, grabbing Octavia's vest pulling her close. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I followed them to the slave cages outside the coliseum."

"Apple Bloom, is she alright?" Applejack asked frantically.

"I don’t know." Octavia said truthfully. Applejack snarled a curse, pushing Octavia away as she began to think frantically which worried Rarity.

"Applejack, darling, settle down." Rarity said quickly grabbing Applejack’s arms. "Don’t worry we'll find your friends."

Applejack turned to her with a snarl that made the unicorn jump back with fright. She never seen such a look before from her friend.

"You don’t get it,” Applejack whispered. “She's my little sister. She’s in trouble! I never wanted this life for her!" Applejack turned away covering her face with her hands.

Octavia reached her hand to Applejack’s shoulder feeling her shake under her hand. "Applejack, she's right. We’ll get them back. They only caught Derpy, Spike, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom."

Applejack looked up at her. "Twilight? Was she with them?"

"Twilight?!" Rarity gasped with her hands to her face with shock. "How many of our friends are here?"

Applejack groaned not wanting to answer her questions right now.

Octavia shook her head. "No, I didn't see her." Suddenly Octavia gasped with a thought. "In fact, I haven't seen Blossomforth, Raindrops, Luna, Fluttershy or Sweetie Belle!"

"Fluttershy?" Applejack and Rarity exclaimed at the same time. Applejack with worry while Rarity was in shock again.

"She’s alive?" Rarity whispered as tears filled her eyes as her legs went weak. Scratch caught Rarity before she fell as she started crying with happiness.

Applejack groaned again slapping her hand to her face. “Oh for the love of Pete!” She growled before taking a deep breath to calm down. “Rarity, it's alright." She whispered as calmly as she could. "Fluttershy’s fine. Maybe she got the others out of there."

"Wait," Scratch asked looking to them then at Rarity. "Wasn't there a little unicorn that you said was your sister?"

"What sister?" Octavia asked. Applejack looked confused, she didn’t know Rarity had a sister.

Rarity suddenly gasped, grabbing Scratch’s shirt. "Sweetie Belle! She's in trouble. That horrid Trixie Lulamoon took my sister away!" Octavia and Applejack looked to one another with surprise. How did Trixie get Sweetie Belle?

Scratch nodded standing up and pulling Rarity back on her feet. "They even had another mare with them." Scratch added with concern.

Rarity sniffed nodding her head. "Yes, her name was Vinyl Scratch?”

Octavia gasped hearing this. “What?” She exclaimed.

Rarity blinked once turning to Scratch. “Strange that's your name, too." Rarity added. Scratch nodded. Octavia blinked remembering that Vinyl told her that she took the name from her father who she thought was dead.

“Wait, you're the real Vinyl Scratch?" Octavia asked in shock.

Scratch shrugged and nodded. "That was the name I was given by my Mother before she passed. And that... kid. She looked an awful lot like my little filly." He said sadly shaking his head. "It's got to be her.”

Octavia turned to Applejack. "Where did they go?" Octavia asked.

"Possibly the execution halls." Roseluck answered.

"How-?" Octavia started to ask but Roseluck answered by pointing at a blind earth pony mare.

"I heard them from my cell.” She answered. “They were laughing saying that the two prisoners, one mare and one filly, will be in the drowning chambers."

"Drowning chamber?" Octavia gasped. Rarity gasped too covering her mouth. "Where are they?" Octavia asked with a glare ready to run to Vinyl’s aid. Vinyl saved her life, now it’s time to return the favor and save hers.

Applejack nodded. "Right, I think I might know where they are. I ran through the execution wings when I was chased. If I remember correctly... Did these drowning chambers have grates on the floor?"

"Yes!” Roseluck exclaimed nodding.

Applejack nodded to the others. "Alright then we got out plan let’s get out of here and go find them."

The gates opened and everypony went still as more guards pushed through the door, two guards were carrying an unconscious Rainbow Dash and two others were holding up Daring. The guards gasped seeing the escaped slaves and the dead guards.

"Rainbow!" Octavia cried out in shock seeing her look horrible.

"Professor!" Applejack called out seeing the professor looking up at them with a blush.

"Sorry, the job went south!" she hollered out. The guard holding Daring shoved her to the side, she tripped over her shoes and fell into the sand, trying to get her wrists unbound by the rope behind her back. The guards pulled out their swords.

"Kill them all!" One guard screamed out. The other two guards drop Rainbow to the floor then joined the charge for the attack to avenge their comrades.

Applejack growled grabbing a sword holding it up. "Octavia, you and Rare get the pegasi! Scratch and I will keep the guards occupied, go!" She ordered as she and Scratch ran with the slaves to meet the guards in a clash of metal and bodies.

The mares ran for their fallen friends dodging the guards as they ran. Rarity reached the pegasi first and ran straight to Rainbow first sliding to a stop in the sand. She grabbed Rainbow’s uniform and pulled her over to her back. She stopped and stared in shock of actually seeing Rainbow Dash for the first time in many years. And she could tell Rainbow didn’t have the simplest of time in those years by her scars.

"Oh Rainbow, what happened to you?" She whispered feeling tears sprouting out of her eyes as she stroked Rainbow’s cheek. Rainbow opened her eyes and gasped waking up, and just about kicked Rarity away. Rarity was able to dodge the kick.

"Rainbow Dash, it's me Rarity!" Rarity cried out. Rainbow went stiff, her foot in midair ready for another strike. She stared at the mare for the first time with disbelief in her eyes.

"No... You... Rare?" Rainbow whispered. Rarity smiled pulling Rainbow into a fierce hug and crying onto her friend’s shoulder. Rainbow smiled wrapping her arms around her and hugged her back.

Octavia ran to Daring and quickly began untying Daring’s bound hands.

"Got anything?" Octavia asked pulling the rope a part and helping Daring sit up.

Daring winked. "Even better, who's that?" Daring asked standing up and pointing at Rarity who was still hugging Rainbow.

"No time," Octavia said. She gasped seeing a sword flying towards them and shoved Daring to the ground and jumped back. The sword hit the ground between them. Octavia shook her head turning to see the fight was intensifying and Applejack needed their help. She grabbed the sword holding it in her hand. It was heavier than most swords she held in the past, but having one is better than not having one at all.

"Grab a weapon and fight!" She ordered. Daring nodded running to grab a weapon. Rarity untied Rainbow's hands and wings the helping her up to her feet. She turned smiling as Octavia ran over to hug her, Rarity stood there confused.

"Captain Dash," Daring called out tossing Rainbow a war axe. Rainbow pushed Octavia back before catching the weapon. She swung the ax around testing its weight.

"Hmm, it’s been a very long time since I held this type of weapon. Give me a katana any day." Rainbow said annoyingly.

Rarity sniffed wiping her nose smiling. "You’ve fought with worst as I recall?" Rarity said wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Rainbow chuckled rubbing the back of her neck blushing.

"That might be true.” She said hearing Rarity chuckle. Daring stood by them handing a staff to Rarity to hold, as Octavia stood by Rainbow with the laser pointer in her hand.

“Let’s go ladies! Charge!" Rainbow cried as the four mares run for the fight.

Author's Note:

Here we are, Chapter 20. Edited by Xhoral1865.

So we got more stuff happening. The battle in the arena intensifies, we learn that Twilight had the semi-similar proposal to join The Order by Sunset Shimmer, and will our heroes escape the arena to save Vinyl and Sweetie Belle?

If I miss anything please let me know and I'll fix it. Thanks.

Two more chapters to go! Until next time.

Comments

[Misty Horse]

Hate to say it, but this needs a bit of editing.

[TigerSwirl448]

This chapter or the whole thing? I already know that there are still some kinks and such in the story. But was the chapter bit rough then what I normally post?

[GalacticTNT]

Rainbow Dash using a Katana!!! Now that I would love to see!

[Kenshinryuu]

We've got three of the Elements causing chaos and off to rescue Vinyl and Sweetie with Octavia, Flam is dead (need to get Flim soon), and there's enough chaos brewing to make Discord grab the popcorn. All in all, things are looking better for our heroes.