The Failed Crusade

by Der Lampman

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Tragedy
Length: 6022

Everyday the Cutie Mark Crusaders do crazy things to discover what their place in Equestria is. They always come home safe, but it appears that their luck doesn't last forever.

How does one deal with the loss of a friend? It differs from pony to pony, but for a young filly, it simply is too much to handle.

So, here's my very first time trying my hoof in pony fiction (or any fanfiction, for that matter).
Please comment and point out what I'm doing wrong (because sure as hay I'm screwing up at some point).

Thanks in advance!

Props to DigitalChaos for the cover image concept + original pic, edited by me.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-05-01 23:00:01 UTC

Coping With Loss

[NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF SCOOTALOO'S DEATH. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED IN ROYAL CANTERLOCK.]

“You sure about this, Applebloom?”

“Sure as Ah’ll ever be!”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Ev’rything we’ve done is dangerous! Besides, this was also yer idea! Remember? Back at Fluttershy’s?”

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Creature Catchers are go then!”

“We should really be careful... Remember that Ursa Minor?”

“Relax! We ain’t gonna wake up no Ursa Minor! Snips and Snails were stupid back then, and we’re not.”

The three fillies were walking in the darkness of the Everfree forest. Thorny plants adorned both sides of their narrow path. They had a small lantern with them, and the gold silk of their uniforms looked as if it were of a different metal in the dim light. Every so often they would hear a wild howl, and they would huddle close in fear before pushing apart and teasing each other once again. The trek went on this way for some time until Sweetie Belle asked the forbidden question.

“Where are we?”

Those words snapped the other two from their exchange of quips and made them look up. The map was pointless by now, with the darkness blotting out any landmarks. Night had fallen, and the time of the hunt had begun. They were armed with nothing but nets, as useful as splinters against the timber wolves that dwelt within the woods. Or they could encounter manticores, capable of devouring them in ten seconds flat. Perhaps a cockatrice, if they were lucky – they would be trapped in stone forever, but they would feel no pain. Celestia forbid, they would run into the more powerful dwellers of the forest – Ursas, hydras, or maybe a fully – grown dragon.

“I have no idea,” answered Scootaloo, her panic beginning to show.

“Neither do Ah! Maybe we should just go back now...” Applebloom said, looking for the path they had followed. It was gone, lost to the night. They were in a clearing, surrounded on all sides by identical trees. Even with their weakened eyesight, in the shadows, a multitude of eyes could be seen. There was no Fluttershy to save them this time, and the creatures approaching them – their steps strong and loud – seemed much more powerful than mere a cockatrice.

“What’s that n – noise?” Only now had the full graveness of the scene struck home. The unknown animals were approaching. Their eyes grew larger and larger in the darkness, gleaming a sinister red within the brush and tall grass.

Rooted to the spot and paralyzed with terror, the three watched as a dozen timber wolves stepped out of the trees and into their clearing. They growled with anticipation, as though eager for their meal, but whether or not they really ate pony was something the three fillies had no intention of discovering. They sprinted off into the widest space in the trees.

They ran with wolves in tow, rushing to what they hoped was the way back to Ponyville. There was no time for them to talk, and the wolves were getting closer and closer. One snapped at their hooves, another leapt ahead. They careened off to the side, following the light fort their escape. The run was taking its toll on their strength, and every so often one would stumble, and the other two would have to pick her up to make sure she didn’t fall prey to the wolves. The wolves relented from their assault and the fillies were given a moment of rest at the edge of the forest. They had a few more minutes of walk to get out of the forest but their legs would carry them no further.

They sat down, panting, gasping for their breaths. They relaxed, grateful for escaping alive. None of them noticed the two remaining wolves hidden in another bush. They were patient hunters, watching, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. One leapt forward too early, missing Applebloom by a few inches, instead flying straight for the thin old tree –

CRASH.

The tree fell down, its fragile trunk cut by the impact. It happened to land on something partially stuck in a hole in the ground.

Scootaloo’s lower half was completely crushed. The sound of her bones snapping together with the sound of her flesh turning to a messy paste on the sides of the tree and on the floor was ghostly, and her dying scream was cut extremely short. Her face fell to the floor, eyes open in shock, mouth dripping blood, unknowing and irreversibly dead.

Perhaps in the big cities a death would go unnoticed. Maybe if it were someone who held power in society the town would stop for a few hours for their respects. But Ponyville was a small town. It was a closely – knit society, and when Scootaloo’s mangled remains were finally brought back from the forest, the whole town gathered for her funeral and her wake. The pegasi had arranged for a somber set of days as they remembered their kin, and in tribute the town was covered in a soft downpour, as though the skies cried for the loss.

A stone was placed over the freshly – dug patch of earth where half the Pegasus would now rest forever. The stone was carved by the best earth craftsponies with a message that would forever mark the void in the hearts of the society.

The rain that the weather pegasi cooked up wasn’t particularly helpful, but it matched the atmosphere perfectly. All the ponies were somber, and even if it was raining hard, the tears were visible upon the faces of those around. Openly they wept, standing around a freshly dug patch of earth. It was a funeral, and one pony – a cyan Pegasus with a prismatic mane and red, bloodshot eyes drained from crying – stepped forward to say her goodbyes to the little filly who now lay below the grass, unknowing and gone.

“Well...  So – so –sorry I wasn’t th – there, squirt,” said Rainbow Dash, choking back sobs whilst attempting to speak. “If only I was there, maybe...”

She broke down and fell to her knees in front of the gravestone, etched with the words:

HERE LIES SCOOTALOO

GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN

Scootaloo would probably have laughed at the sight of Rainbow, crying in such an uncool way, if she were around to see the sight. As it was, she was indeed around, but her eyes, shut under the land, were incapable of seeing anything or even opening.

After a minute of sobbing, Applejack went and put a hoof around Rainbow's neck. She was like them as well, crying, but her tears had stopped flowing.

"Come on, sugarcube, she wouldn' have wanted ta see ya cryin' like this."

"But - but she c - can't see me crying at all!"

"Ah know, sugarcube, but ya can't do an'thing about her anymore. 'Sides, she's prob'ly somewhere nice right now. C'mon now, Ah think mah sis Applebloom and Sweetie Belle wanna say their last words," said Applejack as she guided a weeping Rainbow away from the grave.

Rainbow allowed herself to be led back into the crowd. Every single pony that was in town was there, sharing in her pain, comforting her. Even Discord himself was there, and he was just as sad as all of them, even if his eyes shed no tears. The three were among his favorite ponies, being creatures of such chaos and energy.

Slowly the mourning crowd thinned, leaving behind the two ponies who were the closest friends of the one now buried deep in the earth. They were given time to have their last private moments with the friend they shared all of their lives with. The two, an earth pony and a unicorn, stepped forward but only one of them spoke.

“Ah’m mighty sorry...” she said, sniffling whenever she stopped speaking. She couldn’t cry anymore, like the unicorn beside her – their tears were drained. “Ah shouldn’t have led us that far...”

She turned to her live friend and apologized, “Ah’m sorry, Sweetie Belle. I didn’t mean ta! This was all mah fault...”

Sweetie Belle just nodded, still silent. The two fillies lowered their heads in silent prayer for their friend. The yellow earth pony had her eyes shut, as if she didn't want to see the gravestone that set the fact of their friend's death in stone. The white unicorn was doing the opposite - her eyes were staring blankly into the distance, directed at the chiseled stone, yet not seeing it, not comprehending it. Neither of the two spoke, until their sisters came silently and led them away.

Weeks had passed and life in Ponyville still refused to become normal. For most, it was, but there were a select few places where the loss still reverberated. In school, no longer did Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tease Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. They were inconsiderate, yet they still recognized what the two were put through.

Cheerilee’s lessons were much less cheery, with the dark atmosphere affecting all of them. They were all friends with the Pegasus in a way, and death was especially hard on young minds. Even the games they played were half – hearted, and the two ponies, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, didn’t even join in any interactions. They just sat there, had their lessons, and went home.

Applebloom had taken to the comfort her family could provide. They never let her feel alone, and whenever she was getting too depressed, she went straight to the orchard and helped buck trees, keeping herself from falling into the brooding darkness. Her sister was always there for her, and there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t help her with. Slowly her cheer was returning, although it would never fully recover.

Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, strayed away from her home as much as possible. She threw herself into her studies, which meant that she was spending most of her time at Twilight’s library. Rarity had no complaints – she was busy, and this kept Sweetie Belle from the darkness. She would always visit the library to see her half – buried in various books. Twilight was impressed – the furious pace at which she absorbed the knowledge rivaled her own. A pony with a hunger for wisdom was always welcome in her home, although it was starting to get unsettling. She took breaks too seldom, and in her eyes the exhaustion was visible.

So Twilight took the initiative. She left the young filly with Spike, and doubted whether or not she would even notice her being gone. She went straight to the Carousel Boutique, where she found Rarity busy at the wheel, sewing cloth into intricate patterns. They were very similar, she thought. Once they were focused on something nothing could distract them.

The lavender unicorn walked to the door of the boutique, and knocked tentatively.

"Rarity? Are you here?"

There was no response, so Twilight knocked again, this time a little louder.

"Rarity? Are you in here?"

When there was again no response, Twilight started to grow concerned, and decided to knock again, as hard as she could.

"RARITY! ARE YOU IN HERE?"

There was an audible thud of hoof against floor, and a distracted and exhausted "Coming!" as Rarity walked up to the door.

"Oh, hi Twilight, what brings you he-" Rarity failed to stifle a yawn, and said, "Sorry, I've been caught up in work... Thanks for letting Sweetie Belle stay with you by the way. Honestly, I doubt I would've been able to catch up on business if she stayed here, and I think the change of atmosphere would be good for her."

"Sorry to barge in like this,. Can I come in?"

"Oh, of course, darling! Please excuse the mess - normally I'd have cleaned it up, but I really have no time," said Rarity as she led Twilight in. The inside of the boutique was indeed messy, with fabric strewn over tables, thread littered all over, a couple of upturned mannequins and several partially finished dresses.

"So, what brings you here, darling? I hope Sweetie Belle hasn't done anything wrong."

"Oh, no, nothing like that. I'm just a little concerned about her."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"I'm not sure... I think the event with Scootaloo affected her much more than she let on..."

"That's perfectly normal, isn't it? With her age and all..."

“I think you need to keep your sister here for some time,” said Twilight. “She isn’t eating properly. I’ve force fed her out of need, but she refuses to move an inch from her spot. Her magic’s gotten much better, but I think it’s hurting her more than she lets on. Just last night I was forced to put a sleep spell on her, and when I woke up this morning, she was back in her spot reading.”

“Oh, dear. Maybe she does need a change of scenery. Perhaps if you were to bring Applebloom? I understand they haven’t talked much. I think it would be most helpful for both of them. I’m very sorry, but I simply cannot leave right now. Maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure. Sorry to have disturbed. I’ll head on over to Applejack’s and see if I can get them to come,” said Twilight, stepping out the doorway. She trotted off to the apple farm.

“Sounds good, Twi. Ah’ll get her if ya’ll could just wait here a sec.” Applejack went into the barn and a few minutes later came back with an Applebloom who was already capable of smiling slightly. Together, they all went back to the library. The two friends had not spoken since the crusade failed, and this would be a momentous time in their friendship.

It was a long walk back, and during that walk Twilight noticed that Applebloom was having doubts about the idea of meeting her friend. She still felt guilty for the accident, and she doubtlessly thought that Sweetie Belle also blamed her. This was going to be a rough encounter, at least.

The Ponyville library was a magnificent work of design, with the entire facility, and a house, carved inside the trunk of a tree, and yet the tree was still alive. Its inside was filled not with plain wood and sap, but with rows and rows of books, the result of decades of knowledge. Also, inside was a purple baby dragon cooking pancakes, an owl rearranging some books, and a white little unicorn filly with a pink and purple mane practically buried in books.

In no time at all, they had arrived at the library, which looked precisely as it did an hour ago when the librarian left it. The books in the fort were perhaps a little more scattered, but it was the same more or less. Even when she said “We’re back!” there was no reaction aside from a slight nod.

“Are ye sure ye didn’t have anythin’ to do with her becomin’ like this? She looks kinda like... You. No offense, sugarcube, but these fillies need ta get out more,” said Applejack. “It just ain’t right.”

“Hey! I happen to have grown up like that! Granted, I didn’t have friends until I moved here, but I was fine aside from that!” replied Twilight, somewhat offended. Being more studious than everypony else had advantages, but it did put her behind everypony else when it came to socialization.

“So this is why you got so much smarter! Why the hay didn’t ya tell me ya knew how ta study? Ya could’ve helped me ace Cheerilee’s test!” Applebloom said, approaching the studying filly. The two mares watching suddenly tensed up. This was the moment where they would find out how much the friendship had been affected.

“Oh, it’s you. It’s been a long time. How have you been?” replied Sweetie Belle, a minor grin on her face, but her voice betrayed other things. It hid with anger, sadness, and what appeared to be a slightly murderous intent within the cheerful monotone. She looked up for a moment and resumed her reading. Twilight and Applejack sighed; it appeared that she was recuperating from the trauma. Applebloom, however, noticed that something as off, and asked her elders, “Ya think ya’ll could give us a few minutes ta catch up?”

“Sure thing, sis. C’mon, Twi, let’s give them fillies some space.” Applejack ushered Twilight into the kitchen, where they sat hoping to eavesdrop.

“Applejack, Ah know yer listenin’ in,” said Applebloom. “We can’t really talk like this if ya two’re eavesdroppin’!”

“Sorry, sorry, just want ta make sure ya’ll be fine,” she replied, closing the door and leaving them alone.

“Sweetie Belle, ya sure yer fine? Ya look real tired,” began Applebloom.

“I’m fine,” replied Sweetie, her voice still in that monotone, that fake warmth.

“Ah know ya like the back o’ mah hoof. Ah know yer still upset, and ya avoidin’ me isn’ going ta fix it!”

“If you say so,” she replied, and she dropped her mask and her books. “This better?” she asked, her voice now clearly displaying her emotions. There was anger in her voice and murder in her heart. She still wasn’t over the death. Not that Applebloom was, but Sweetie Belle obviously took it much worse. “How about this? Now you can clearly hear how I am. Now you can hear how much I hate you.” Her voice had become rough, mixed with some snarling.

“Look, Sweetie Belle, Ah know yer mad at me, and Ah deserve that. But we can’t change the past! We’re all we got now!” Applebloom said. She’d lost one of her best friends already. She wasn’t losing this one.

“That’s what you think. But I have something planned, and I have no intention of stopping it for you.” Sweetie’s speech had changed substantially ever since she stopped speaking back then. Now she sounded like a very different pony. Somepony who had seen many years, many more than a filly.

“Ah don’t need ta know yer secrets. Ah just need ta know that we’re still sisters. We are, right, Sweetie Belle?”

“No. Now go away.”

Applebloom was crestfallen; it was as though all their adventures, all the time they spent together was pointless. She went to the kitchen and told her big sister, “Ah’m goin’ home.”

“How’d it go?” asked Twilight.

“She still hates me! How’m Ah supposed ta fix that?”

“Ya just need ta give her some time. She’ll come around. Come on, let’s get ya home.”

The two apple farmers went on back home, leaving Twilight wondering how to help Sweetie Belle.

Unbeknownst to her, her charge, the little unicorn, was currently entertaining another visitor in the library proper. Discord was floating around, eyeing her reading materials.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said. “And when chaos is telling you not to do something, you really should listen.”

“Leave me alone,” she replied, continuing her reading.

“You three were always my favorites. You know that? You three were those we could consider of a ‘chaotic good’ alignment. Well meaning, yes. But chaotic. And what you’re planning,” Discord said as he appeared from one of the pages of the book she was reading, “is something not even I would consider fun.”

“Maybe because you didn’t have any friends like mine.”

“True. Your choice, but I warn you, you’re going to regret this. Mark my words. This plan will go up –“he said as he ascended, “in flames!” as a flash of flame burst and he disappeared, reappearing in the kitchen in the form of a letter that dropped gently onto Twilight’s hooves.

She read it out loud.

My Dearest Twilight Sparkle,

“That’s it? What kind of letter is this?” she asked, flipping it around and looking for more text. The back portion was empty except for two lines, which then opened up to become yellow eyes, making her shriek.

“Am I really that frightening? Goodness, you ponies need more backbone!”

“What do you want?” she asked while trying to regain her calm.

“I’m just here to give you some advice, as part of the whole ‘use chaos for good’ thing. You should keep a better watch on that unicorn friend of yours,” he said, before turning into a swarm of fireflies and going out the open window.

Another week had passed. Sweetie Belle was back at Carousel Boutique, and attending classes again, although she was still quiet. Still, it was better than her staying at the library and skipping school. She did spend most of her free time at the library, although it wasn't as much as before. She visited Fluttershy's cottage, Zecora's hut, and the Sugarcube Corner, but she still was silent - and avoiding a certain pony. A certain yellow earth pony filly.

Sweetie was dodging all interactions with Applebloom. Everypony said that it was probably hard for her to face the other pony who was there when Scootaloo was crushed by the falling tree. It was true, although Sweetie seemed to hide something in her heart aside from the memories of Scootaloo. It flashed for a short moment every time Applebloom crossed her line of sight - anger? Hatred? Betrayal?

Of course, the existence of a broken friendship failed to escape the attention of a pink earth pony who considered it her life's calling to spread happiness wherever she went. When she saw that Sweetie was finally out of the library, she did the natural thing to do - she threw a party.

Sugarcube Corner wasn't packed full with ponies, but there was still a decent crowd. The Elements of Harmony were all there, eating apple fritters and cake, drinking cider, and talking. The past few weeks had been rough on them and this moment was one where they could finally catch up and talk.

"- I don't think there's going to be a storm, it's not on my schedule -"

"- really? That's mighty nice ta know - "

"- at least you're doing other things aside from just feeding the critters -"

"- where's Sweetie Belle?"

The last question, asked by Applebloom, stopped the chatter for a while, and after a short moment of anxiety, and Pinkie Pie popping out of a cupcake saying "not here!", Twilight arrived alone, panting. She had noticed something very wrong. She'd gone through Sweetie Belle's improvised book fort.

One was labeled "Necromancy".

The book had set off something in her head. Now everything became clear – her endless study, her fascination with the story books she had that involved death, and that dark humor she developed. She had been dabbling with knowledge not meant for her, and most magical tomes had psychological effects hard to remedy. The more powerful the magic written, the more powerful its effects on the reader; even without actually trying the spell, such powers could corrupt. Words of power such as incantations were especially influential.

How could she not have noticed? Magical corruption was something she knew plenty about. If she noticed sooner, this whole fiasco could have been avoided. As she pondered the situation while running, her train of thought derailed. Where did the books come from? She had no books on such topics. Had some malign entity put them there? Perhaps Discord? No, Discord warned her about this. And he would have to have some fear of being put back in stone, right?

"I can't find Sweetie, and I've already checked some places - the boutique, the farm, the library - she's not there!" she said, bursting into the bakery.

Everypony started to talk incessantly.

"- she could be anywhere-"

"- Ah need ta talk ta her!"

"- Don'tcha worry, sugarcube, we'll find her -"

"- she could be anywhere -"

"- you said that already -"

"- this is the worst possible -"

Twilight shouted, "QUIET!"

"- and I said, 'Oatmeal, are you crazy' - whoops, sorry!"

All of them fell silent and stood at attention.

"Here's the plan. She can't have gone that far, so we're going to scour Ponyville. Rainbow, you search from the skies. Fluttershy, try searching with your animals, they might help." Twilight already knew where Sweetie Belle most likely was, after going through her research, but she put that aside. She didn't even have a necromancy book in her library. Perhaps somepony else had placed it there. It was a dim hope, but she held on to it.

Rainbow saluted and Fluttershy said a soft "okay."

"Applejack, Pinkie Pie, you search the northern half of Ponyville. Take Winona. Her nose is going to be useful."

"Will do."

"Okie - dokie - lokie!"

"Rarity, you're with me. We'll go check the southern half. Okay, everypony, if you see her, one of you call us and the other will stay with her. If you're done looking and you don't find her, you go back here. Ready? Let's go!

"What about me?" asked Applebloom.

"Ye'r stayin' here, got it? Ah ain't riskin' losin' mah sis as well."

"But - "

"No buts now, ya little filly. Ye'r stayin' here."

And without further delay, five ponies burst out the door, with a sixth one appearing from a flower vase on the street.

"Rarity, you go left. I'll go right," ordered Twilight.

"Of course!" she replied, trotting off full speed to the left, her worry turning into energy.

Twilight checked if anypony was watching her. Once she'd ascertained that there wasn't anypony, she called out, "DISCORD!"

The mismatched set of animal parts appeared from his hiding place in the corner of the street. "Yes?" he asked, even if he was fully aware of what she wanted to speak about.

“Did you have anything to do with this?”

“Oh, please, don’t tell me you seriously think I would have anything to do with necromancy, would you?”

“You’re the only one here who had any idea, and I certainly don’t stock books on necromancy in my library. So who else is there?”

“How dare you?” he asked angrily, rising into the air. “I may be chaos, and I may have been evil, but even then I would never dabble in that kind of magic! I’ll have you know that even my evil has standards!” he finished with a huff, floating back down into a chair that appeared in the middle of the road.

“So if it isn’t you, then who is it?”

“I can’t answer that. There are things that even I don’t know. I can tell you two things though: One, whoever it is, it's not a pony you'd like to be fighting. Or a pony, for that matter. Two: you’d better hurry along to your friends if you want to stop anything,” he said, turning into a pocket watch.

"I found her! She's over here!"

There was no mistaking that voice, coming from the skies. Nor the rainbow - colored streak that produced it.

"Where's she gone off ta?"

"She's there - back at the grave. I told Twilight and Rarity already, and Fluttershy's already headed there."

"Ah shoulda known. Thanks, partner. Pinkie! Rainbow found her! Pinkie! Where the hay'd she get to?"

"I'm right here, silly!"

Pinkie Pie appeared from Applejack's stetson, which on any other situation would warrant some degree of shock. But Applejack decided to dismiss it as "Pinkie bein' Pinkie" and galloped down the streets. Rainbow flew ahead, showing the way, and Pinkie followed, bouncing along. There was another following, a little yellow filly, but none of them had noticed.

Twilight approached Sweetie Belle cautiously. She and Rarity were still some distance away, but they kept walking slowly to avoid eliciting any reaction of shock or fright. They eyed the little unicorn, her eyes black, her form floating in midair and surrounded by a dark shroud, her horn glowing purple as she channeled magic into the ground.

Into the ground?

Twilight's fear was true. She had to let them know.

"We have to stop her! She's trying to reanimate Scootaloo's body!"

"WHAT?"

All heads turned to Applebloom, who had previously gone unnoticed until her outburst. The ponies had just arrived at the entrance of the graveyard, and already something wrong greeted them.

"What in the hay's that mean, Twi? She's tryin' ta make Scootaloo some sorta zombie pony?" asked Applejack with a raised eyebrow, although concern could be seen in her face.

"I think so, based on what she's doing, and the books I've seen her reading... Now's not the time! We have to stop her!"

Sweetie was still casting her spell, a long stretch of grass and marble between her and her pursuers.

The ponies ran to Sweetie Belle, but with the distance, even Rainbow wouldn't make it in time. She started to tear up as she imagined her number one fan, walking as a corpse. She flew even faster.

The spell was about to be finished.

"SWEETIE BELLE!"

All heads, once again, turned to Applebloom. Including Sweetie's. Her concentration was broken, and thankfully, the reanimation spell was cancelled. Where she got the book from was a mystery, since Twilight removed information about such dark magics, but that wasn't the problem at hoof, that could be solved later. The problem was Sweetie herself.

“Twilight! Get my sister down from there!”

Twilight’s horn flared with magic, and fired a bolt meant to nullify her levitation, but it didn’t work. The black cloud blocked her spell. “It’s no use! Applebloom, you have to talk her out of it! You’re the only shot we have!”

“What’s going on with my sister?” asked Rarity in panic as Applebloom rushed forward.

“She didn’t take Scootaloo’s death that well, and she studied how to reverse it,” she replied, still attempting to break the cloud, even if she knew only Sweetie herself could do it. “One of the books she found was enchanted. It fed the darkness in her heart and made her do this. I have no idea where it’s from, but right now only Sweetie can stop what it started.”

Sweetie was smiling, ear to ear. Her eyes were large and her pupils were expanded to the limit. At first they were looking in different directions, but upon noticing Applebloom, they focused on her and contracted. Her smile faded and her eyes flared in pure anger.

She replied, but her voice was not her own. It was a choir, a reverberating crowd of haunting voices, a sinister Royal Canterlot voice. Her eyes were wide open and blackened out. In that ghostly chorus she said, “IT WAS YOUR FAULT! SHE NEVER NEEDED TO BE LIKE THIS! AND NOW YOU WOULD STOP US FROM SEEING HER AGAIN?”

"Oh, c'mon! Ya know Ah never meant for it ta happen!"

"You did! You left her to die under that tree!"

"Ah would've helped her if Ah could! Ya know that, right?" Applebloom was starting to cry. First her friend had left them, and now the other friend – the only friend she had now – was becoming somepony else. “But that don’t mean ya have ta try and bring her back! She’s gone!”

“AND I SHALL CHANGE THAT.” The black cloud created a massive gust that pushed back all of the ponies and made them stagger. Applebloom, however, stood her ground, now sobbing openly.

“Ya can’t! Ya just can’t! This isn’t how it’s supposed ta be!”

“SHE ISN’T SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD. I AM JUST FIXING THINGS.”

“YA – AIN’T – SWEETIE – BELLE!” she exclaimed, as she threw herself against the cloud. It felt similar to a thundercloud, burning her coat in places where it made contact.  The hairs looked singed. Applebloom let out a yelp of pain, and Sweetie, suddenly noticing the sound, looked down.

Is this really true?

Why is Applebloom crying?

She looks burnt...

Sweetie Belle brought up her hooves and looked at them tentatively. She looked around and recognized the ponies watching her. They were all looking sad. Just like the time Scootaloo had died. They were all looking... At her? What was wrong?

She looked down. Instead of the ground, she saw a darkness. It made her feel fear. She cried out, but heard no sound. Instead, what she could hear was a sinister voice coming from herself. It was arguing with Applebloom and the others.

What's going on?

Sweetie Belle was getting more confused. She'd noticed that her horn tingled, as though she'd just used it. Did she do some sort of magic and hurt her friend?

She looked down again, and in the shifting of the darkness, she saw through a gap a familiar sight. Scootaloo's grave was below her. Suddenly, it all clicked, and sense shot through her like a jolt of electricity. Her memories were blurred, but she remembered a specific detail.

She had began reading a book that she found hidden in the others she'd pulled out. It was a book on necromancy.

I... I tried to resurrect Scootaloo.

I tried to bring her back.

Applebloom inched closer to the angry filly, surrounded and under scrutiny of six ponies. They surrounded the two but gave them space, deciding only to interfere once the situation got too far out of hoof.

"You killed her! It was your idea to go into the forest!" the cloud said, while Sweetie herself was staring blankly into her hooves. Her eyes were flickering from normal to the blackened forms as she struggled to gain control of herself.

"We've been there plenty of times, how was Ah supposed ta know that would happen?"

"You liar. You knew that would happen. You planned it!"

"Sweetie... please! Ya know Ah wouldn't do that!"

Applebloom started to cry as she walked up to the unicorn filly.

"Sweetie... lo - look, Ah know ye'r sad, but ya ain't the only one sad! She was mah friend too..."

She started sobbing below Sweetie Belle. The cloud was still angry, but the unicorn's  feelings were conflicted. She had been very close with Scootaloo, and Scootaloo had died on one of Applebloom's ideas, but Applebloom didn't intend for that to happen, nor did she give up trying to help Scootaloo when the tree fell on her, even when she was clearly gone.

Sweetie Belle started to cry. The cloud dissipated, and she dropped to the ground on Scootaloo's grave. Her eyes were no longer black, but they were red from the tears.

It was the first time that she had cried ever since Scootaloo died. Her death was something Sweetie had denied, until the point that she was convinced that they had imprisoned her underground and it was her job to release her. Her tears seemed to wash away the hatred and the anger in her eyes, and slowly she was regaining her senses as she fell to the grass, kneeling below the words etched in stone, the words that meant that her friend was gone. She saw it and understood it for the first time. The stone meant that her misguided efforts were pointless, even if they would have functioned with only her level of magic. That it was final, and nothing she could do would change that.

"Ya... Ya okay now, Sweetie Belle? Ah'm real sorry, it was mah fault she's gone... and Ah would change that if Ah could... but it's too late, ain't it?"

Still sobbing, the white unicorn filly nodded. She hugged Applebloom with all her strength, trying to communicate without talking, saying all that she wanted her to know. That she forgave her, and that she knew it wasn't her fault, and that she was sorry for treating her as an enemy. That they would soon be back to normal, and that she was still her friend.

"Ah know how ya feel..."

The two fillies hugged, crying, in sadness from the passing of their friend, and in joy that they still had one another. Their eyes closed, and as they were surrounded by the ponies they considered family,they knew that they would never be truly alone.

And maybe... Maybe neither would their friend.