The dark and forbidding Everfree forest is silent. No birds singing or critters moving around, the entire forest is dead silent, which only scares poor Scootaloo more. Scootaloo crawls up into a ball under the base of a tall wide tree, scared to even breath in such a terrible place. She knew that coming to the Everfree was a bad idea but, at the time, it was a pretty brave. Beside Scootaloo, a thick worn brown book laid open, showing a few images of shadows and dark monsters with descriptions.

"I-I'm so s-screwed!" Scootaloo trembles as a figure approaches.

***

Earlier that day...

"Pleeeaaasse?" Scootaloo begged Twilight while holding firmly on Twilight's hoof.

"I'm sorry Scootaloo, but no means no." Twilight said while avoiding Scootaloo's eyes, knowing all too well she would break if she stared into the cute filly's eyes.

"Aw come on! I only want to see a little bit! Please? I promise I won't break iiiiit..." Scootaloo wines in a high pitched voice, keeping her big teary eyes locked on Twilight as she has done for the last five minutes over a thick worn brown book Twilight held out of her reach with magic.

"No, it's not something a filly like you should read. Besides you'd show it to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle before I could stop you which I'd rather not cause another town incident." Twilight shook her head, hoping the filly would stop.

" I'm not going to enchant anypony! I just want to show how brave I am to Rainbow Dash! I'm not scared!" Scootaloo pouted.

"I'm sure you could find something else to impress her. Now run along Scootaloo. I have to write a letter to Celestia and it cannot wait." Twilight patted Scootaloo's head and went to find her trusty dragon Spike.

"Aww..." Scootaloo whined as she lets go of Twilight's hoof and leaves the library. She pouted a bit longer as she walked pointlessly while Twilight closes the front door for Scootaloo. Scootaloo sighed at losing her chance to read the interesting sounding book. "My journey in the Everfree, by Clover the Clever. Now that sounds sooo awesome! Rainbow Dash would be so jealous if I could go into the Everfree with knowledge. " Scootaloo frowns as she walks.

She wasn't really sure what to do since Rainbow Dash was off with Tank on a "Super awesome Tank tag team exploring!" which was Rainbow Dash for "Taking Tank for a walk." She couldn't hang out with Appebloom because of the Apple rush, and Sweetie Belle was off working with Rarity on the 50 designer dresses she managed to get plopped with. In fact, that was the only real reason she went to the library to see Twilight and managed to find that brown book.

"It ain't fair!" Scootaloo thinks angrily as she heads out of Ponyvile to the Cutie Marker club house. "The one time I'm actually bored, and everyone else is off doing something else or too busy! I bet I could do so much if I had that book Twilight has..." Scootaloo then stops on the side of the trail and sits down, already forming a plan to get the book all for herself...

***

Twilight didn't hear the loud crash of broken glass late that night as her bedroom window was smashed open by a rock. Scootaloo hops in, now wearing a black mask on her face to attempt to hide her identity if not for her obvious body to give her away. Scootaloo looked around for Spike, who she knew would stop her from her task, but found no sign of him in his bed. "Huh..." She thought looking at Spike's bed. "Must've stayed with Rarity or something..."

Scootaloo looks around and frowns at the mess. Everything was covered in glass shards from the shattered window entrance she made for herself. Scootaloo looks over at Twilight and wonders how the seemingly oblivious unicorn was still asleep after such a loud crash. She checks the bed and sees an open spell book in front of Twilight, which showed the tell tale answer being a "Rejuvenating deep slumber" spell.

"Sweet dreams Twilight, don't worry, I'll bring the book back soon." Scootaloo checks the clock to see it was midnight. "Good, more than enough time for a quick walk around Everfree before the sun rises." Scootaloo pats Twilight's head, barely keeping in an excited giggle as she heads downstairs. Scootaloo was actually proud of her confidence, she felt really to storm the Everfree forest and show it who's boss.

Unfortunately, when Scootaloo made her entrance, she didn't know that Spike was in the kitchen eating a midnight snack of jet. Spike was happily chewing on the delicious black gems when he heard the loud smash of glass upstairs. He worried that some bad pony was going to rob them so he shakily grabs a broom and hopes the pony was small. Spike stands on the side of the stairs with the broom raised up and eyes closed, scared of the hoof steps going down the stairs.

WHAM!

Spike hears something fall down the stairs and crumple on the ground in front of him after he swung the broom hard at it target. He opens his eyes one at a time and sees none other than Twilight, with a red bump on her head next to her horn and her eyes spinning.

"Oops..." Spike thinks as he quietly puts down the broom and tip toes away from Twilight. "She is going to hate me in the morning, I better hide her Nasty spells for nasty ponies before she wakes up from that spell." Spike heads upstairs and sees the broken glass around him. "Wait... how did Twilight break the window? Even more, how did she manage to wake up to go downstairs?" Spike looks at his feet and picks up a rock and looks around worried after hearing the front door slam shut. "Uh oh... maybe even Dreadful curses should disappear for a while..."

Scootaloo was running for her life out of Ponyvile, amazingly, Scootaloo managed to escape after she saw Spike's blankie on the stairs and quickly hid above the stairs when Twilight slowly walked down to find her. Scootaloo was happy she swiped the right book on her quick way out of the house but scared since she was nearly caught red hoofed (yeah, I typed it).

Each of the pony homes around her lit up with light as her loud galloping woke the entire town when she ran to the Everfree Forest. Thankfully, most of the ponies who woke up went back to sleep, so Scootaloo easily managed to get away. Scootaloo made it halfway to the Everfree Forest before she started to slow down.

"... Wow... that was... that was pretty awesome!" Scootaloo giggled happily as she takes off the mask. "I guess this is how Rainbow Dash felt when she broke into the hospital for that book, totally cool." Scootaloo then stopped under a tree to read a bit of the book. The book was rather old so the pages were a bit scratchy but Scootaloo could still make out the cursive writing.

"Table of contents... where to start...? Maybe the index?" Scootaloo thought aloud as she carefully flipped the book over and checked the back.

"Huh?!" Scootaloo exclaims.

The back the the book was full of blank pages, only about half of the book was filled in. Blank page after blank page Scootaloo gets angrier and angrier.

"You got to be kidding??! Clover the Clever didn't even finish the stupid book! What a waste of time!" Scootaloo whacks the book with her hoof, closing it before she knocks it away in distaste. Scootaloo calms down after a bit and sighs.

"Well... I got this far... might as well keep on going.." Scootaloo goes over to the book and finds that it was open to the picture of a town.

"What the...? A town... in the Everfree Forest?" Scootaloo couldn't believe her eyes, there was actually a town full of ponies in the Everfree Forest?! This discover filled her back full of confidence as she picked up the book and put it in the small pouch she brought with her, along with her black mask.

Scootaloo marches to the entrance of the Everfree Forest, where her fear returns strongly as she stands in front of the dreaded forest, but she swallows her fear and slowly steps into the dark and sinister woods.

***

Now it seemed irony had given Scootaloo a very strong lesson. Scootaloo shakily looks at the book, already scared by the pictures it showed her and the random noises around her. "S-stupid book... scaring me s-so bad... Rainbow Dash would never talk to me again if she saw me like this..."

Scootaloo jumps at the sound of bushes rustling and scream a very high pitched scream from the shadow that appeared, cowering and closed her eyes shut.

" Scootaloo?...Just what do you think your doing here?"

Scootaloo stops screaming at the very familiar voice and blushes embarrassed that the pony hear her scream.

"R...Rainbow Dash?" She says as she slowly eyes to find the quizzical blue pegasus looking back at her.

"Well duh! Who did you think it was?" Rainbow Dash giggles in amusement from Scootaloo's confusion .

"I... I don't know..."

"Well you should've seen who it was before you screamed, it nearly gave me a heart attack. Also if you didn't hear me... just what are you doing here? You know it's not safe at night in the forest!" Rainbow Dash's face turns from mirth to concern.

"Well... I found this book... and it showed me this cool place in the Everfree." Scootaloo starts, careful to look around for any monsters. "A town... completely untouched by the Everfree Forest!"

"A town? I never saw anything like that in here, what book did you read?" Rainbow Dash looks at Scootaloo with interest, but still kept her concern apparent on her face.

"My journey in the Everfree by Clover the Clever." Scootaloo states as she pulls the book out and shows Rainbow Dash. "By the way... what were you doing here?"

"Oh I was exploring, I started to explore in the Everfree Forrest at night after me and the other girls went to first find The Elements of Harmony and stop Nightmare Moon." Rainbow Dash brags proudly.

"Wow! That's so awesome! But... why didn't you tell me? We could've gone together and made more progress!" Scootaloo adds with a sad frown.

Rainbow Dash sighs and hugs Scootaloo. "Look... without a doubt, this place is dangerous. I didn't want you to get in trouble here. Now I'm doing this because I can easily fly away if things go wrong, I have a plan, did you come up with a plan to escape if something happened to you?"

"Uh... well... not exactly..." Scootaloo start sheepishly. "I was sort of hoping not to find trouble."

Rainbow Dash shakes her head and sighs again. "You can only avoid trouble for so long, sooner or later it will find you, you just need a plan." Rainbow Dash smiles until she pats off glass shards from Scootaloo's mane. "What's this?!"

"Um... glass?" Scootaloo blushes.

"How did you get glass all over you? Hey! Your bleeding!" Scootaloo stares surprised when Rainbow Dash holds up a hoof to show blood that she got from Scootaloo's mane. "What gives? Did you hit a window or something?"

"Um... not exactly..." Scootaloo blushed deeper, trying to look normal.

"Scootaloo... what did you do?..." Rainbow Dash stares down her, easily seeing pass her lie.

"I...um... I may have 'borrowed' a... uh a book from Twilight.." Scootaloo admits while looking down, not being able to lie to her hero.

"You stole a book from Twilight's?! Why? You know she'll just give you a book if you asked, right?" Rainbow Dash asks, shocked at Scootaloo's behavior.

"Well that the thing... she wouldn't let me take it... said it wasn't something I should read."

"Maybe she had a good reason? Like not having you wander around the Everfree and getting attacked by a monster?"

"...Yeah... I guess so..." Scootaloo admits, ashamed that she made Rainbow Dash so upset.

Rainbow Dash rubs her head twice with her hoof and sighs for the third time that night. "OK... now let's head back to Twilight's and return the book."

"But Rainbow!" Scootaloo whines.

"No buts, and before we get there, I want you to promise me. You won't ever go into the Everfree Forrest at night again, alright?" Rainbow stares at Scootaloo.

"But what about the town?! And you did the same thing before!"

Rainbow Dash blushes embarrassed " Well yeah but that shouldn't be an example! That was a mistake I regret even now. And I doubt the town survived in here, the last thing you need to see is pony bones, now what about the promise?"

"I...I swear..." Scootaloo sighs.

"You have to Pinkie Pie promise."

"What?! But why?"

Rainbow Dash smiles. "That way I know Pinkie will make you regret breaking the promise if you do."

Scootaloo sighs. "Cross my heart... and hope to fly... stick a cupcake in my eye.." Scootaloo winces as she actually hits her eye during the promise and rubs it.

Rainbow Dash grins. "Good, now turn around and head back, I'll meet you at Twilight's house. And remember Scootaloo, Pinkie Pie never forgives broken promises." Rainbow Dash soars off into the air and heads back the way Scootaloo came.

Scootaloo watches Rainbow Dash fly away and sighs before slowly heading back. "Stupid promise... wait a minute..." Scootaloo stops and suddenly grins as a thought dawns on her. "I promised not to go in the forest again... nothing about going a bit farther... Ha! I can still keep my promise and head back, I just need to hurry before Rainbow finds me!"

Scootaloo opens her pouch and finds her small hoofheld clock, it's hands still at midnight. "Huh, that can't be right... it must've broke... I'll just go a bit farther." Scootaloo picks up the trusty worn brown book and follows the trail Clover put in the book back into the forest, already starting to giggle in satisfaction to go and see the town.

End of First Chapter

Author's Note

A lot of work but one of my best writings yet. If you see an error, let me know, but read for content. Grammar Nazis are not alowed.