Gemstone and Songbird

“You have summoned me?”

Standing before Scootaloo was a white alicorn. Her black mane waved in the gentle night breeze, a pattern of flowers and fans dancing. Emotionless, red eyes stared directly into Scootaloo’s.

“Who-”

“I am Ai Enma” the alicorn interrupted. “You called me?”

“The Tartarus Filly?”

“Wanyūdō.” Enma Ai called out to the darkness.

“Yes, young miss.” Scootaloo thought she recognised the voice.

“Take this.” Ai held out a hoof. In it she held a small doll pony, made of black straw. Around its neck was a red string. She placed it in Scootaloo’s hoof. “If you really wish to take revenge, you may pull that red string.

“You make a covenant with me as you pull the string. The recipient of your revenge will be ferried straightaway into Tartarus.”

“Tartarus...” Scootaloo brought the straw doll to her mouth, and bit on the string.

“However -” Ai interrupted “- Once the revenge is dealt, you are required to pay the compensation.”

“Compensation?” Scootaloo dropped the string.

“When one pony is cursed, two holes are dug.

“Your soul will also fall into Tartarus.Your spirit will wander forever, you'll be tortured by pain and suffering, and never know what true paradise is like.”

Scootaloo gasped.

“Well, that is after you die.”

“The rest is up to you.”

Scootaloo was back in her room, lying on her bed. Had it all been a dream? The scratchy sensation on her left forehoof made her look down. There sat the black straw doll that Ai had handed to her.

Tartarus.

It wasn’t fair! Diamond Tiara deserved to go there for what she did. But why did Scootaloo have to pay the price too?

Scootaloo slept, dreaming of the horrors that might be awaiting her in Tartarus.

Once again, Diamond Tiara was absent. Scootaloo sat at her desk, turning the straw doll over and over in her hooves. She should do it. It was what Diamond Tiara deserved.

But then her mind returned to her own damnation. She was going to be friends with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom forever. She knew death would come for them all, one day, her mother’s passing had taught her that lesson young. But if she did this, she wouldn’t be able to spend the rest of forever with them. She might not ever see her mother again.

She looked around the class.

No more Miss Cheerilee. No more Crusaders. No more Dinky, or Truffle, or Twist.

She’d be alone. Forever.

“Scootaloo?” Miss Cheerilee broke the filly out of her thoughts. “Are you paying attention.”

Scootaloo jumped, finding Miss Cheerilee standing above her.

“What is this?” Cheerilee pointed a hoof at the straw doll. “Are you playing with that instead of doing your school work?”

“No!” Scootaloo tried to shove the doll in her desk.

“Scootaloo, we are here to work, not for you to play. If you want to play, save it for recess.” Cheerilee scolded the filly. “Now, hand your doll over, and you can collect it at the end of the day.”

“Where is Diamond Tiara?” Scootaloo hissed as she cornered Silver Spoon again.

“She’s at home, she’s not coming in,” the grey coated filly puffed up her chest. “You leave her alone!”

“Scootaloo, what’s gotten into ya?” Apple Bloom tried to pull Scootaloo away.

“You tell Diamond Tiara I know what she did.” Scootaloo glowered. “And she won’t be getting away with it.”

Tears welled in Silver Spoon’s eyes as she ran off.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo quietly hugged Rarity. The soft sunlight streamed through the room, falling gently across Sweetie Belle’s peaceful expression.

“I’m sorry,” Doctor Bone had said, delivering the terrible news. “Her brain activity is decreasing. We do not think Sweetie Belle will recover.”

Apple Bloom sobbed. The others in the room were in shock.

“There isn’t anything y’all can do?” Applejack asked. “Surely some kind of fancy doctor magic or summit?”

“Magic doesn’t work that way,” Twilight sniffed, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’ve been looking into it. You can heal scars, and some organs take to magical healing-”

“-but not the brain,” Doctor Bone nodded solemnly. “I will give you some time.” With that, she left the room to the family and friends.

Slowly, everypony left, one by one. Scootaloo, Applejack and Apple Bloom were the last to leave, save Rarity and her parents. Scootaloo ground her teeth in anger as they walked.

“It’s not fair!” Scootaloo shouted, startling Applejack and Apple Bloom. “It’s just not right!”

“Now sugarcube,” Applejack sided up to the foal. “Sometimes things like this jus’ happen.”

“But it didn’t ‘just’ happen. Diamond Tiara was the one who did it!”

A gasp interrupted the two. They turned to find Apple Bloom stopped behind them. Tears were in her eyes.

“What do ya mean D-Diamond Tiara did it?”

Scootaloo’s mouth dropped. She couldn’t believe it. Had she not told Apple Bloom what had happened? Well, no. She was so angry with Diamond Tiara, she hadn’t told her. But then by Apple Bloom’s reaction, it seemed no one had told her. Scootaloo cursed herself for keeping it from her friend.

“Now c’mere Apple Bloom.” Applejack circled back and sat next to her sister. “It’s the truth, Diamond Tiara was running after Sweetie Belle. But she din’t mean to get her hurt.”

“Running after her? She was tormenting her. That’s all she has ever done to us!” Scootaloo screamed in rage.

“Now, Ah know she’s been a bully to y’all for a while, but Ah know she din’t mean ta hurt Sweetie Belle like that. And that’s the honest truth!”

Scootaloo ran angry through the streets. She’d do it tonight. The adults didn’t understand. It wasn’t an accident. Everything could have been avoided if somepony had just done something about Diamond Tiara’s bullying before-hoof.

She cursed herself for having forgotten to collect the doll after school.

She barrelled down the street on her scooter, there shouldn’t be any old ponies this time of night to crash into. She’d been to Cheerilee’s house before, hopefully she would still be awake.

As she climbed the steps to the front door, she could overhear two voices. Miss Cheerilee’s, and somepony else. Scootaloo knocked on the door.

“Yes?” Cheerilee opened the door. “Who is- oh! Scootaloo, what are you doing here at this hour?”

“Sorry Miss Cheerilee. I forgot my doll at school.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Scootaloo. Remind me tomorrow morning and I will give it back-”

“No! Sorry. No. Please. It’s really important. Can we get it tonight?”

“Ummm,” Cheerilee stumbled. “I have a guest, I can’t go tonight.”

“Who’s there, Cheery?” the lavender mare poked her head out the door, her bleary eyes going wide. “Oh, umm... Hello Scootaloo.”

“Twilight?” Scootaloo looked up confused. “What are you doing here?”

Cheerilee shuffled nervously, looking to Twilight. Twilight answered “Oh, we were just, ummm, you see... I was just here to talk about a book Cheerilee wants to read to the class. Yes, that’s right.”

“Not another book report,” Scootaloo groaned. Cheerilee and Twilight laughed.

“So what are you doing out so late, little missy?” Twilight asked cheerfully. “If you don’t get home soon, you won’t finish your homework!”

Another groan escaped Scootaloo’s mouth.

“Scootaloo left a doll at school today. I told her she can get it tomorrow.”

“But it’s important!” Scootaloo burst into sobs. “I... I kind of made it... for Sweetie Belle.”

Cheerilee and Twilight looked at each other.

“Well, I do need to get going, else Spike might burn down the library.” Twilight went back inside. “Let me get my bags, and I will walk the two of you there.”

“Okay, Scootaloo. But next time, you need to be more mindful, okay?” She nuzzled Scootaloo’s cheek. “Shall we go?”

The three made their way to the schoolhouse, Scootaloo trotting ahead of the two mares. They were too slow for her likes. Scootaloo kicked her hooves at the dirt anxiously as Cheerilee and Twilight walked through the school gate.

Scootaloo had never been to school at night time. She had to admit, if only to herself, that it was just the teeniest, tiniest little bit spooky. Cheerilee trotted to her desk, and opened the drawer where she had put it. She pulled the small black straw doll out, and handed it to Scootaloo. Twilight let out a gasp behind them.

“I think you should try a different colour, Scootaloo,” Cheerilee laughed at her friends reaction. “Maybe some glitter too, like the Hearts and Hooves card you girls made me? Then I am sure Sweetie Belle will love it.”

Scootaloo nodded.

“Well, shall we get going?” Cheerilee smiled. “You shouldn’t stay out too late.”

Cheerilee closed the door and the three of them stepped out into the night.

“Cheery, I might walk Scootaloo home, if that is okay?” Twilight asked her friend.

“Oh, ummm,” Cheerilee looked a little dejected. “... okay.”

“I’ll come see you again tomorrow night?” Twilight smiled.

Cheerilee smiled, then said “I’ll hold you to that, Miss Sparkle. And I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Scootaloo. Goodnight!”

Once again, Scootaloo turned the straw doll over and over in her hooves. She had it back. Tonight, she could do it. Then it was bathed in a purple light, and was taken from her hooves again.

“Who is it for?” Twilight asked in an angry whisper.

“Ummm, it’s for Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo answered. “It’s not finished, give it back!”

“It is not for Sweetie Belle, you wouldn’t do that to her.”

“What?”

“Don’t think I don’t know what this is,” Twilight snapped. “I recognised it straight away, from the Legendary Lore of Magically Malevolent Monsters Manual.

“Who. Is. It. For?”

“Diamond Tiara!” Scootaloo blurted.

Angry tears bubbled in Twilight’s eyes. “Scootaloo, I know you are very angry right now. You are hurt. You want to hurt somepony back. But this is not the way.”

“It’s not fair! Sweetie Belle is dying and Diamond Tiara just gets away with it? There’s no justice in that!”

“This -” Twilight levitated the straw doll “- is not justice. This is revenge. And I won’t let you ruin your life over this.” Twilight tucked the straw doll in her saddlebag.

Scootaloo lunged at Twilight, planting one of her tiny hooves in Twilight’s face. “Give it back!”

“Scootaloo, you can’t give in to your anger.” With that, Twilight stepped back in a flash of purple magic, disappeared before Scootaloo’s eyes.

On a small cottage not far away, two ponies stood atop the thatched roof, watching the young pegasus foal scream herself hoarse.

“My, my, my! Poor Wanyūdō. He always did have the worst of luck,” the tall white mare with a bone cutie mark laughed. “Do you think she will still go through with it, Ren?”

“Does the foal have much longer, Hone?” the cyan pegasus asked.

“Not long,” Hone Onna shook her head, her long black mane falling around her shoulders.

“Hone -” A white alicorn alighted the roof beside the two “- I have need of you.”

“Yes mistress.”