Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

by DJnickbeta

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Zecora
Length: 8145

The Cutie Mark Crusaders make a mistake and have to deal with the consequences.

Scootaloo tricks out her scooter and can't wait to test it out with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. But when something doesn't go according to plan and the CMC are responsible for a major disaster, how will they deal with the consequences of their actions, or the guilt associated with what they've done?

Published 2012-03-06 18:23:25 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-20 21:16:29 UTC

Ponies are a lot like forests

Ponies are a lot like forests

Apprehension nagged at Apple Bloom’s stomach as she and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders neared the edge of the Everfree forest. The filly didn’t really get why the place bothered her so much. She’d been there multiple times with her two friends, yet there was always something, well, off about the whole place. The aura of mystery from the woods was only amplified by Scootaloo’s recent behavior. The orange foal pushed along on her scooter, a cloth draped over what looked to be a box on top of the back wheel. She hadn’t mentioned what it was for, or why she had been impossible to find over the last three days, but Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom remained silent. Each hoofstep brought the trio closer to the darkness of their destination, their shallow breathing the only sound until-

“Alright, girls. I think you both deserve a little explanation,” Scootaloo spoke softly, though the sudden onset of her voice caused the other two fillies to jump. She giggled slightly at their reaction. “Don’t get worried or anything! I know I’ve been acting a little weird lately, but it’s all been in preparation for something.”

“What kind of something?” Sweetie Belle questioned tentatively. She had stopped plodding forward, and the other two followed suit.

“I’m not gonna’ be a drama queen like your sister,” Scootaloo began, eliciting a scowl from her white-coated friend, “so here goes nothing. Feast your eyes on my new and improved scooter!” The filly grabbed the cloth draped on her scooter in both hooves and quickly tore it away, revealing a polished piece of red metal mounted over the rear wheel. Both of her friends looked at the contraption in astonishment before Sweetie Belle’s expression turned to puzzlement.

“Hey, isn’t that Rarity’s sewing machine?” she asked. Her eyes grew wide as she thought more about the revelation. “Oh no no no no no no no! She’s going to freak out if you get it dirty! We have to put it back, Scootaloo.”

“Are you kidding? Why did you think I had you borrow it from her in the first place?” Scootaloo asked in an exasperated manner.

“Well this definitely wasn’t what Rarity or I had in mind when I told her that you needed it!” Sweetie Belle replied, her voice cracking midsentence. She examined Scootaloo’s handiwork before her eyes shot open for a second time. “What did you do to it!? There’s not even a base on it anymore! Oh no,” she began pacing back and forth, her four short hooves moving quickly. “My sister said that she needed it back by the end of the day. I was supposed to ask you for it.”

“No problem, Sweetie. We’ll just try out the scooter a few times, and then we’ll put your sewing machine back together,” the Pegasus explained. The Unicorn filly stopped in her place before raising an eyebrow.

“Sooooo, what does my sister’s sewing machine have to do with your scooter anyway?” she questioned. Scootaloo’s face lit up.

“You see, I was reading one of those old Steampony books Twilight’s always trying to give me,” she began, “and it talked about these things called ‘engines.’ They kinda’ sounded like how a sewing machine works, so I thought I’d try to build one myself.” Scootaloo beamed and quickly fluttered her wings, nearly getting her hooves off of the ground. “It was really hard to do without any magic, but I managed!” Sweetie opened her mouth to speak in rebuttal, but was interrupted by Apple Bloom.

“Well, let’s get goin’ then. I ain’t too interested in none of that ‘sciency mumbo-jumbo,’ and the sun’s settin’ pretty soon anyways. I don’ want AJ to get worried about us three out here,” the young Earth Pony explained. Sweetie Belle interjected before Apple Bloom could say any more

“Why did we have to come all of the way to the Everfree Forest anyway?” the young Unicorn questioned. Scootaloo began what was obviously a planned response.

“For starters, the path out here in the forest is straight and pretty flat. Plus, there aren’t and ponies or houses to run into,” she said confidently.

“We don’ have time fer explanations, we need to get movin’, girls,” Apple Bloom said in exasperation.

“I couldn’t agree with you more. Everypony pile on!” Scootaloo called, and both of her friends did climb on cautiously behind the Pegasus. Sweetie Belle still wore a nervous expression, but she knew that raising an argument wouldn’t really do anything.

The three fillies settled themselves in on the extremely small scooter, each holding on to the one in front of them for support. The Earth Pony filly wondered why Scootaloo hadn’t just brought the wagon for the other two to sit in, but she said nothing. The Pegasus pulled down a pair of goggles over her eyes and turned to face Apple Bloom, who was the furthest back. “Whenever you’re ready, flip the switch on the side of the machine,” she instructed. Apple Bloom wasn’t sure if she’d ever be any more ready, so after a few quick intakes of breath, she moved the sewing machine’s switch up.

The effect was instantaneous. The scooter kicked to life without even a flutter from Scootaloo. The modified sewing machine emitted an amplified growl as it propelled the three fillies forward at a breakneck speed. Caught off guard, Apple Bloom lost her grip on Sweetie Belle. The Earth Pony fell harshly onto her side as the remaining Cutie Mark Crusaders bulleted into the forest.

“Girls, ya’ need ta’ slow down!” The ejected pony called.

“I…I can’t!” The panicked response came from Scootaloo. She and Sweetie Belle were getting father away from Apple Bloom with each passing second, and the red-maned filly knew that her friends would be in danger if they didn’t get off of the runaway scooter quickly. Looking ahead, she saw the forms of her friends jump off of the machine, each rolling forwards a bit from momentum. Apple Bloom quickly got to her hooves and galloped to join the other two. She was able to see the scooter careen into the thick brush of the forest, and the sound of its improvised motor became less audible with time.

As she neared them, Apple Bloom could see that her friends weren’t seriously injured. Sweetie Belle’s coat was caked with dirt, and Scootaloo had a superficial cut on her side, but neither filly seemed to be in a bad condition. The Pegasus shook her head and woozily righted herself. She soon sat down, however, and put her face into her hooves.

“I can’t believe it. My parents gave me that scooter on my birthday!” Scootaloo yelled, slamming a hoof powerfully into the dirt of the path. “I’m not letting it get away!” The filly made like she was about to dash into the thick foliage where her scooter had disappeared, but Apple Bloom deftly caught her tail with her teeth.

“Whoa Nelly!” the young filly said through a mouthful of her friend’s hair. She spit out the Pegasus’ tail after she stopped trying to get away. “It belongs to the forest now, I reckon.”

“But, Rarity’s sewing machine! We can’t just leave-” Sweetie Belle began before Apple Bloom spoke over her.

“We don’ have the option of findin’ it. It’s lost,” the Earth Pony said forcefully. “Let’s jus’ pertend this never happened, ok? You’re both smart; y’all can make up excuses as to how you lost yer stuff. As fer the dirt an’ all that, jus’ say we were tusslin’. We jus’ don’t have any time to look for the scooter,” she remarked, shooting a gaze at the rapidly setting sun.

Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo cast their heads down and nodded. Everypony recognized that they couldn’t say what really happened. Rarity would be furious with the lot of them, and Scootaloo’s parents probably wouldn’t let her see the CMC again after a day like this. Dejected, the three fillies turned and headed back in the direction of Ponyville. Nopony said a word.

Deep in the woods behind them, a makeshift engine was beginning to overheat.

_____

Apple Bloom slept soundly that night. She dreamt of her sister and Big Macintosh bucking apples while she collected the fallen fruits. The three of them had so much fun together. After their task was finished, they headed inside and started up a small fire to keep the house warm. The dream was vivid. Apple Bloom could practically smell the wood smoke. She was content to stay there forever, but the illusion slipped away quickly as the filly woke up.

“Apple Bloom, y’all need ta’ get up now. Big Mac an’ I fixed up a nice breakfast since we gotta’ go ta’ market today,” Applejack spoke softly. The mare adjusted her hat and then put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder. “Come on now, we’ve got a big day planed.” Apple Bloom stirred at the sound of her sister’s words.

“Hmm, shore does smell good in here,” the half-asleep filly mentioned. She recognized the smoky scent from her dream. It reminded her of barbecues at the Apple family reunion, and of winter nights spent curled up in the living room. Apple Bloom smiled at the memories for a moment, until her mind started making connections. The foal’s eyes shot open as she voiced a question. “Hey, AJ. Do we have a fire goin’ downstairs?” Applejack’s smile faltered.

“Well, no, we don’t, sugarcube. How about y’all come downstairs and I’ll tell ya’ over breakfast?” The orange mare asked. Apple Bloom smiled and rolled out of bed to make her way to the dining room on the floor below. She followed Applejack down the staircase and emerged to see Big Macintosh and Granny Smith sitting around the breakfast table. A variety of apple-based dishes and pastries were set out, and Big Mac had already begun to dig into an apple tart. Apple Bloom seated herself next to her brother and then glanced inquisitively at Applejack.

“So, what were ya’ gonna’ tell me, sis’?” the filly asked earnestly. Her sister looked at Big Macintosh, who slowly nodded.

“Well, there’s been an,” Applejack paused for a moment, “an accident in the Everfree Forest,” she revealed. Apple Bloom froze as she was about to bite into a slice of apple pie.

“Wh-w-what kind of accident?” she quickly asked. The filly was trying not to panic. ‘Everything’s fine,’ she thought. ‘T’aint got nothin’ to do with me.’

“Honey, there’s been a fire. Big Mac’s been into town already this mornin’ to see what the news is, and it ain’t pretty.” the blonde Earth Pony began. “There ain’t never been a fire in Everfree before, and ponies around town reckon that somepony must’ve set it.”

“But why would anypony do that?” Apple Bloom yelled, eliciting stares from her family. Applejack looked at her brother again, who nodded in the same fashion as earlier.

“Zecora’s hut burned down during the blaze, an’ well, that’s what they think it was about. Thank Celestia she survived, but her hut ain’t nothin’ but ashes now.” Applejack cast her eyes down at the apple fritter on her plate and aimlessly pushed it around with her hoof. “I jus’ don’ believe that anypony from Ponyville could do something like that. I thought we’d all moved past our fear of Zecora,” the mare trailed off.

The rest of the breakfast passed with no sound but that of chewing. Nopony ate much, and soon each member of the Apple family had gotten to their hooves and started cleaning up. After that was done, Applejack and Apple Bloom put on aprons to get ready for their day at the market. AJ had agreed to give her little sister another try at being a salespony, but the young filly was too tied up internally to focus on her opportunity.

_____

The Ponyville market was packed, but very few transactions were being made. Most ponies had gathered to hear what the Mayor would have to say about the “Everfree Incident” as it was being called. Apple Bloom stood plainly by her sister, barely saying anything as minutes ticked on. After almost an hour with only a couple of sales, the crowd of ponies was suddenly silenced by the long-awaited appearance of the mayor. The mare wore a stark expression as she approached the front of the mass of her constituents. She looked the crowd over a few times before she began her address.

“Citizens of Ponyville, as many of you already know, there has been a fire in the Everfree Forest,” she began. Assorted soft murmurs arose from the crowd, but they quickly died out. “The fire’s cause is unknown at this moment. I must also regretfully inform you all that Miss Zecora, who kindly provides free herbs and medicines to Ponyville, has lost her home.” This revelation caused more voices to begin speaking in the crowd. The mayor let the chatter continue until it began to lull. “Zecora will be staying here in Ponyville for the time being, and she would like to speak to all of you personally.” The mayor motioned for Zecora to join her, and the zebra emerged from the front of the crowd to do just that.

The foreigner looked tired. Her eyes seemed more sunken in than usual, and her hair was somewhat disheveled. She turned to face the ponies in the market square, and she began to speak slow and evenly.

“During the hours of black and night, a flame of red was blazing bright. Natural, I fear it’s not, as normal flames burn not so hot. Alas, the culprit’s not yet found, but there were hoofprints in the ground. I do not wish to make a scene, my intentions are not so mean. I ask you now to help me look for which pony has been the crook.” The zebra rejoined the crowd as soon as she finished her statement. The silence that hung over the assembly was almost tangible, until the mayor finally resumed her own speech.

“Errr, yes. For those of you who might not have caught all of that, we do believe that the fire was intentional. Three sets of hoofprints were found by the forest, so the current evidence points towards the involvement of a group.” The mayor paused to straighten her mane momentarily. “We are taking this investigation very seriously, and as such, we’ve put Ponyville’s lead detective on the case. Fillies and Gentlecolts, I present miss Scarlet Herring to explain how she plans to proceed.” The mayor once again motioned for a pony from the crowd to join her, and an eccentric-looking mare hopped out to be beside her.

The mare looked to be an earth pony, but only because she wore a beige jacket over her entire body and a fedora over any possible horn. Her coat looked to be cream-colored, and her mane was brown and cut somewhat short. No cutie mark was visible beneath the overcoat. The pony waved a hoof and began to speak with bravado.

“Ponies of Ponyville, I ask that you worry yourselves not with the case at hand. I, Scarlet Herring, have never once left a case unsolved. I am resigned to bring the perpetrators to justice, and I will not rest,” she enunciated each word for emphasis, “until my goal has been achieved. I must go now to the crime scene, and I wish only for your cooperation with me in my endeavors.” A smattering of applause broke out as the mare turned and galloped in the direction of the scorched forest.

“And with that, I believe there is nothing more to say. If anypony has any information regarding last night’s incident, I will gladly maintain your anonymity if you wish to speak with me,” the mayor explained. She turned and solemnly prodded towards her office, her own lack of sleep evident. The group of ponies in the market began to disperse almost immediately, leaving nothing but a handful of shoppers and several exasperated vendors.

Apple Bloom was trying hard to keep herself together. A million thoughts raced through her head simultaneously. Would they be able to tell that the CMC had been in the Everfree Forest? Had the three of them even set the fire? The scooter couldn’t actually have done anything, could it? She knew only one thing certainly, and that was that she couldn’t remain at the market doing nothing.

“AJ, I’m not feelin’ too well,” Apple Bloom began truthfully. “I think I need to go back home.” Applejack turned her head to look at her sister.

“I understand, sugar. Ya’ sound kinda’ weak ta’ be honest. Why don’t y’all head back and I’ll hold down the apple stand?” the mare asked knowingly. Apple Bloom smiled and hugged her sister before turning and beginning the journey home. She was stringing together a plan in her mind, each of her physical steps synching up with a mental one.

_____

One of the benefits of living in a small town is that news travels fast. By the time Apple Bloom had returned home and ventured to the CMC clubhouse on the farm, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were both already there. They exchanged glances before words, each filly’s eyes mirroring the panic of the other’s.

“So I’m guessin’ both a’ y’all already know about what happened?” Apple Bloom asked quietly. She received two affirmative head gestures from her friends before she continued. “Well, what do you two think we shoud do?”

“Let’s set some things straight first,” Scootaloo started, her face set, “we don’t even know if we caused the fire or not. There’s no way that scooter could have started it.”

“Actually, Rarity’s sewing machines get really hot when she uses them too long, and if you did something to make it go faster than normal, well, oh, I don’t know,” Sweetie Belle explained, her face downcast. “We’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”

“No we ain’t, Cutie Mark Crusaders! It'll probably look like we caused the fire. They found three pairs of hoofprints out there, and I reckon that they probably fit the three of us snugly. But if we get to the forest, get back the scooter, and get back here, we might be able to clear our names,” Apple Bloom elaborated.

“But what about that detective mare that’s snooping around out there?” Scootaloo asked. “If she catches us at the crime scene-”

“Ah wouldn’t worry too much about her,” Apple Bloom said assuredly.

_____

Scarlet Herring stroked her chin with a hoof as she gazed at the three fillies before her.

“So,” she began, drawing the word out, “you three are looking for your special talent?”

“It’s who we are, miss: The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Apple Bloom forced herself to sound excited.

“And you think that sleuthing might be your specialty?” the detective questioned.

“It might as well be,” Scootaloo said through a fake smile. Scarlet looked over the three young ponies for quite a while, seemingly examining every inch of each one.

“It’s highly unorthodox for a professional such as I to allow a group of untested fillies to assist with a case of this gravity,” she said. The CMC hung their heads in response. “Then again,” Scarlet continued, “I didn’t become renowned all over Equestria by following the books! If you girls want to help out, I would be glad to have you for company.” This caused the three fillies to look up and beam in earnest.

“Thank you, Miss Herring!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice cracking slightly.

“How could I say no to a get-to-it bunch of ponies like you? Oh, and please feel free to refer to me as Scarlet. I’m not much for formality.”

“Well then thank you, Scarlet,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Think nothing of it. Now, you must remember that the whole of this forest is a crime scene,” Scarlet gestured to the burned trees surrounding the four of them. “Clues could be hiding anywhere, like right here!" the adult mare yelled as she leapt onto the path and landed spread-eagle. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom exchanged looks of bewilderment.

"Also, we do have a lead based on our preliminary findings.” The detective motioned for the Crusaders to follow her. They reached a spot on the path where three sets of hoofprints were visible. Apple Bloom immediately recognized the location from the day previous.

“These hoofprints are the basis of my assertion that a group of no fewer than three ponies are to blame for the fire,” Scarlet expounded. The crusaders shot each other furtive glances. “Judging by the depth and size of the prints, I can deduce that they were most likely made by young ponies, or extremely light adult ponies. I can also say that they were left by either a mare or a colt. Hey!” the mare cried suddenly, causing the three fillies to jump involuntarily, “since I have your help, maybe you can assist in identifying the prints! Do you know any groups of fillies, probably your age and with about three members?”

“Uhhhhhhhhh,” Sweetie Belle began, before being nudged by Scootaloo. “Uh, nope! Can’t think of any groups like that.” Scarlet looked at her assistants inquisitively.

“Well, if you three don’t know about anything like that, my immediate deduction must have contained a logical fallacy. Besides, a group like that doesn’t explain my next finding,” the cream-coated mare revealed. “Take a look at this!” Scarlet dramatically pointed her hoof at more marking in the dirt path. Two parallel lines were carved into the trail, stretching into the distance. Scootaloo gulped at what she knew to be the tell-tale marks left by her scooter.

“These lines have baffled me from the moment I laid eyes on them,” the adult mare said in an agitated manner. “I’ve thought for hours about exactly what their purpose might be, and I can only come to one conclusion after consulting with an anonymous source.”

“Yes?” The Cutie Mark Crusaders asked simultaneously, each leaning in closer to Scarlet.

“The marks left in the path were created by,” the gumshoe paused for dramatic effect, “a pair of skis!” The Crusaders stood in silence, each utterly baffled. They looked at each other, but no pony seemed to believe what they had heard.

“Ah beg yer pardin?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Isn’t it obvious, my fillies? What else but skis leave a path of two equal lines? It all makes sense! We just have to check the record of ski sales in Ponyville, and our perpetrators are sure to be revealed!”

“But what do skis have to do with forest fires?” Scootaloo asked, her eyebrow cocked. Scarlet smiled as if she were looking at a baby.

“Now now, my dear, I know that this crime-solving stuff can be a bit overwhelming, but you have to realize that I know what I’m doing. Regardless of what the skis were for, they played an integral role in this case of arson. Ergo, if we find the ski-owner, we can then ask them what they did with the skis to set the forest ablaze!” The detective clopped her hooves together in excitement at the new development.

“Lady, I’m not followin’ ya’ one bit,” Apple Bloom said skeptically.

“Enough!” Scarlet called with an air of finality. “I need time to do further investigation into this ‘ski’ revelation. I apologize, girls, but I’m afraid there is nothing more that you can help me with. I wish you luck in your activities and all that.” The detective then galloped towards town, her heavy jacket impeding her ability to run slightly.

“She does realize that nopony in Ponyville sells skis, right?” Sweetie Belle asked, outwardly confused at the entire situation.

“I don’t think that mare could solve a crime even if somepony admitted to it,” Scootaloo quipped.

“An’ why exactly would she leave three ‘untested fillies’ alone at a crime scene?” Apple Bloom asked. The other two ponies shrugged.

_____

Three days had passed since the Everfree Incident, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting together in their clubhouse. In one corner lay an indistinguishable pile of metal and burnt plastic. If the colors of the ruined materials hadn’t been the same, Scootaloo might not have recognized what was left of her scooter, and Sweetie Belle would have had no way to identify the remains of her sister’s sewing machine.

The charred relic had been easier to find then the Crusaders had anticipated. All they had had to do was follow the “ski tracks” to the scooter’s crash site. After recovering it, the three of them had taken the long way back to Sweet Apple Acres, each taking turns carrying their quarry around the outskirts of Ponyville to avoid the eyes of the townsponies.

It now sat in the room with the three of them; a reminder of what they caused. There was little doubt in any of their minds that they were the ones to blame for the fire. They had barely talked about it, though. Nopony suspected them. At lest not yet.

“So,” Apple Bloom began, snapping her two friends out of their respective daydreams, “do ya’ think Scarlet Herring is on ta’ us?”

“Pshhh, puh-lease,” Scootaloo retorted. “There’s no way she could think we did it. What do we have to do with skis?”

“Then what’s she goin’ ta say at the mettin’ she called for this afternoon? She said she’d cracked the case,” Apple Bloom reminded the Pegasus. Scootaloo waved her hoof, unaffected.

“There’s no use sitting around here and guessing about it. We’ll just have to wait and see what she knows,” Sweetie Belle proposed. The other ponies agreed before lapsing back into their individual thoughts, and soon the clubhouse was silent again.

_____

To Apple Bloom, it felt like every pony in the entire city had turned out to hear Scarlet Herring’s findings. The market square was as crowded as the filly had ever seen it, and she was worried that she might be separated from the other two Crusaders at any moment. Surprisingly, the conversation seemed to be at a minimum. Everypony was eagerly waiting, the mystery of their lifetime about to reach its climax. What few words were being said ceased immediately as Scarlet emerged from town hall and approached a podium that the city had provided her to speak from. She looked over the crowd, resettled her fedora, and began to speak.

“For the past three days, Ponyville has been under a cloud of fear and suspicion. An arsonist, or rather, a group of arsonists, have been living among us.” She stopped her speech and slowly looked over the entire congregation. “I am confident to say that after today, you will no longer have to live in fear. I have assembled evidence which I feel will concretely close this investigation.” The statement was enough to cause Apple Bloom to look at both of her friends, who each wore faces of anxiety.

“I’d first like to show you a picture that ties my argument together,” Scarlet continued. She pulled a photograph out of her jacket pocket and haled it up for everypony to see. Through some lapse in planning, however, she had forgotten to account for the fact that nopony could make out the picture from their spot in the crowd. “Oh…. Ok! Not a problem,” she said in reference to the strained squints she was noticing. “Here, I’m going to give the picture to his colt in the front row,” she did just that, “and I need everypony to pass it around so that they can get a good look at it.” Several exasperated ponies shot glances at the detective, who chuckled uncomfortably and continued.

“Ok, so I’ll describe the picture for those of you who can’t see it. The photograph reveals a pair of parallel marks etched into the Everfree Forest path. As I’m sure you’ve all figured out by now, these tracks could only have been caused by winter skis of some sort.” The mass of Ponyville ponies began to whisper amongst themselves. Applebloom could make out bits of the conversations around her, most of which seemed to regard the credibility of Scarlet.

“So, logically, if we examined the records of ski sales in Ponyville, we could easily find out perpetrators,” Scarlet explicated. “This is where I made my most important discovery! Ponyville does not include a single store dedicated to the sale of skis.” The rumblings of discontent among the Ponyville population grew louder with each of the detective’s sentences. “That is why I can say, with out a shadow of a doubt, that the event in question never happened.”

The town fell silent; not because of the value of what Scarlet had said, but because of its ridiculousness. The detective smiled at the ponies before her, not understanding why they weren’t cheering at her cunning deduction. The silence dragged on until the mayor herself stepped from the front of the crowd to question the statement.

“You, you’re joking, right? How can you say that the event never happened? We can see the burned forest from here,” the mare sternly spat. “Zecora is homeless! How do you explain that?”

“Well, uh, using logic, we can see that I’ve proven the probability of this event to be 0, or, um, impossible,” Scarlet mumbled defensively. Various ponies in the crowd started shouting.

“That makes no sense!” “Hack!” “What are you even talking about?”

“But, I, I mean…” Scarlet sputtered.

“That’ll be enough, dear,” the mayor said levelly, trying to hide her anger. “You’re off of the case. Get out of here.” Scarlet looked around again at the scowling ponies in front of her.

“I’m s-s-sorry.”

The mare turned and began to canter away at a slow pace. Once again, silence engulfed the crowd. Apple Bloom looked at her friends again, and both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sported expressions of relief. They were in the clear.

“Well, that’s a disappointing turn of events,” the mayor sighed. She turned to address her townsponies. “I’m afraid that with the removal of Miss Scarlet we will have to suspend the investigation. She was, unfortunately, the only detective in our city.” The mayor shook her head in disbelief. “I suppose you’re all,” she sighed “free to go now.”

Nopony moved for quite a while. Nopony wanted to admit that there was no resolution to the story. Zecora was one of the first to go. She plodded towards her temporary home in town hall, her face not upset or aggravated, just empty. Soon, others followed suit, the silence remaining over the market until eventually everypony had headed for home.

_____

Another trio of days passed quickly for the trio of Crusaders. They had met up in their clubhouse again outwardly because they wanted to hang out, but internally none of the three fillies wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Ponyville’s obsession with the forest fire has subsided to a degree, and life went on as it had before the event. It felt as if everypony had forgotten.

“Tell me I’m not the only one who feels it,” Sweetie Belle demanded. Scootaloo turned to face her Unicorn friend.

“No, I feel it too. Like, no matter how much life goes back to normal, we all know we did it,” the Pegasus explained. “I mean, you heard Miss Cheerilee, ‘the forest is strong enough to grow back on its own,’ or whatever. But, what about Zecora?” Nopony spoke up. “We’re the reason she’s homeless right now! The fact that nopony knows we did it doesn’t mean that we didn’t!”

“Well what should we do then?” Apple Bloom asked. “Shoud we go out an’ build her a new house? You know we caint do that, right?” Scootaloo sighed.

"I'm going to go crazy if I have to keep pretending that I've moved on!" she yelled. "I've got all these feelings and emotions that I want to share with everypony, but I can't!"

"Calm down, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle said. "You're going to start feeling better soon. Rarity always says things like that when she gets stressed from deadlines on big orders."

“I'd feel better if we could help Zecora” Scootaloo put her hooves together, and then quickly brought them apart. She looked up, her frown now not as visible. “Hey! Maybe we can’t physically build Zecora a new house, but what if we make it happen some other way?” the Pegasus asked.

“You mean like a fund-raiser?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“That actually makes a lot of sense,” Apple Bloom replied, the idea nestling into her brain. “We don’t have to claim guilt or anythin’, but we can still help out Zecora!” The three fillies had suddenly become very lively, the though of helping the zebra out agreeing with all of them. Their current demeanor left behind few traces of the malaise they had been experiencing moments ago.

“Well what are we doing sitting around here?” Scootaloo asked. “Let’s get going!” The three fillies gathered together in the center of the clubhouse and each raised a hoof.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Fund-Raisers!”

_____

“A bake sale?” Applejack asked as she prepared the crust for an apple pie. “Isn’t that what y’all do when you need money fer a school trip or sumthin’?” Apple Bloom smiled and stepped out of her sister’s way in the kitchen.

“Yeah, AJ, we’ve done that before. But this one’s a little differnt. We’ve got a special reason this time ‘round, and we’d be plum grateful if you’d help us with it,” Apple Bloom paused, before adding a “Pleeeeeeease?”

“Y’all keep sayin’ ‘we.’ Who exactly is doin’ this?” the farm-mare questioned as she stirred the apple mixture cooking on the stove.

“It’s fer the Cutie Mark Crusaders, sis. We’re all raisin’ money to help Zecora get a new hut,” Apple Bloom divulged. Her sister froze at this statement.

“Y’all are gonna’ collect money just for Zecora?” said Applejack, her tone perplexed at first. She turned to face her little sister, who was beaming and shaking her head. The corners of Applejack’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Well, that’s mighty noble of the three of ya’! I’d be honored to help you out.”

“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, big sis’!” Apple Bloom bounced as she spoke, knowing that her part of the task was complete.

_____

“Sweetie, what exactly is it that you want?” Rarity asked as she sat over lunch with her sister. “You get dreadfully quiet when you’re about to ask me something.” Sweetie Belle swallowed and timidly looked up at her sister.

“Well, um, I was just wondering if maybe, you know,” she mumbled.

“Sister, you know you can trust me,” Rarity reassured. “What is on your mind?”

“The other Crusaders and I are trying to help Zecora buy a new hut, so I wanted to know if maybe we could have a fashion show to help out,” Sweetie Belle spit out, surprised at how fluidly the words came. Rarity blinked.

“You want to do what?” she queried.

“You know, host a fashion show!” Sweetie Belle said. “You could show off your new lineup, and we could donate the money you get from ticket sales to Zecora.” She was hoping beyond hope that her sister’s generosity would shine through as it had in the past. The adult Unicorn was currently looking at Sweetie Belle very critically.

“I must admit, the idea is not too disagreeable,” Rarity said slowly. “Whatever inspired you to do this for the zebra, besides her current impoverishment?”

“That’s just it,” Sweetie Belle replied. “We saw how she has no place to call home, and we just felt awful that nopony in town was doing anything to help her.” Rarity grinned broadly.

“Little sister, you are far kinder than I could have imagined! It’s very gracious of you Crusaders to take up a cause like this,” the fashion designer said proudly. “You and I should start planning for the show as soon as possible. You would like to help, I take it?”

“More than anything!” Sweetie Belle chirped.

_____

Scootaloo shifted her weight uncomfortably from hoof to hoof as she gazed at the cloud above her. She had been rehearsing what to say all morning, but the words all seemed wrong in her mind at the moment. She inhaled deeply a few times and then began to address the fluffy cumulus above her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo called. A few seconds passed before the cyan Pegasus peaked over the edge of her cloud. She was frowning at first, but her surly demeanor was immediately replaced with a wide smile.

“Hey, squirt! Long time no see,” the Pegasus greeted. She hopped from the cloud and flitted down to the earth below, landing a few feet in front of the orange filly who had awoken her. “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing,” the schoolfilly laughed uncomfortably. “I was just in they neighborhood and I thought I’d stop by to say hello,” she lied. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and checked around her.

“Neighborhood? Scoots, there’s nopony around here but me,” the rainbow-maned pony said suspiciously.

“Oh, what do you know,” Scootaloo said as she looked around as well, “I guess there really isn’t any other pony around here. She paused as Rainbow Dash looked at her inquisitively.

“Sooooooo,” Dash began, “is there any particular reason you woke me up?”

“Well, yeah, there is,” Scootaloo said. “You know about what happened to Zecora, right?”

“Are you kidding?” Dash smiled as she put a hoof to her chest. “I was one of the first weather ponies they called to put out that forest fire! Yeah, I know what happened.”

“Oh ok.” Scootaloo timidly dug her hoof into the ground. “Well, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and I were thinking…”

“Yes?” Rainbow asked.

“We all feel really bad for Zecora, so we want to help her buy a new hut by raising some money,” Scootaloo finally explained. Rainbow Dash grimaced uncomfortably.

“I’m sorry, Scoots. My weather job doesn’t pay that much. I really don’t have any bits to donate or anything,” the Pegasus awkwardly answered. “But, I mean, I think this is all real nice of you, I just can’t do it.”

“Oh, I don’t want donations or anything!” Scootaloo assured. Rainbow Dash stared back at the filly.

“Then what do you want?” she asked. The orange pony looked up at her idol and tried to string a meaningful sentence together.

“Dash, do you think we could maybe, you know, have an air show for Zecora? Ponies from all over town would come to see you, and we’d make lots of money, and you could have other Pegasi do routines too, and then we could hang out, and…” Scootaloo’s words died out as Rainbow Dash put a hoof on her shoulder. She looked knowingly into the filly’s eyes and smiled

“I think we can arrange all that, kid.”

“You really think so?” Scootaloo asked, astounded. “You’re the best, Dash!” she yelled as she jumped up and hugged the mare. Rainbow laughed and squeezed the filly back gently.

_____

Each of the events went better than the fillies had planned. Applejack and Apple Bloom’s bake sale was a hit. They made signs that explained that the proceeds would benefit Zecora, and almost everypony that walked by the sale bought something. The consensus among the patrons was that they all felt bad for Zecora, but they hadn’t known of a way to help out.

The fashion show set up by Sweetie Belle and Rarity was memorable as well. The designer had gone all out on finishing her newest ensembles, and the advertisement of the show as a benefit drew the largest crowds Rarity had ever seen. Ponies from as far away as Canterlot came to catch a glimpse of the show, and they were not disappointed. Altogether, the team of sisters generated good publicity and collected a large sum of bits.

And finally there was the air show. Rainbow Dash took the event extremely seriously, hoof-picking the best fliers from Cloudsdale and inviting them to take part in the event. Her plan was to organize the show so that there was never a moment without some performer in the sky. Scootaloo helped generate hype by putting up posters and handing out fliers to everypony she could think of. The show itself was a huge success, the day being capped off by a Sonic Rainboom performed by Rainbow Dash.

After each filly had completed her venture, the Cutie Mark Crusaders counted up the bits they had amassed. The sum was enough to buy Zecora several cottages, but the girls didn’t care about the amount. They bagged up the money and took it to town hall, where the zebra had been staying for a week. Upon knocking, the young ponies were greeted by the mayor.

“Good afternoon girls! How can I be of service to you?” the mare asked.

“We were wonderin’ if we might be able ta’ talk to Miss Zecora,” Apple Bloom, said, trying to peek around the mayor to see if the zebra was behind her.

“Oh, alright,” Ponyville’s leader replied. “Follow me then.” The mayor motioned for the fillies to stay behind her as she led them into town hall. Each member of the CMC was laden with bags of bits, which occasionally clinked together as they moved. After they entered a well-lit corridor, the mayor knocked on a door to the right of the group.

“Zecora, those fillies I mentioned yesterday are here to see you,” she called. There was no answer for a minute, until the door finally swung inward to reveal Zecora. She looked better than she had the last time Apple Bloom had seen her, but nights of sleeplessness were still evident on her face. Nevertheless, the zebra still managed a smile when she saw the three fillies.

“I’ll leave you four alone. Feel free to come and find me if there are nay problems,” the mayor said as she turned to walk away. After she left, the room grew quiet until Apple Bloom finally spoke.

“Hey Zecora,” she said softly.

“Hello again, my little fillies. Please come inside, standing here is silly,” the guru said in greeting. She stepped back and allowed the three ponies to enter her temporary abode.

It was stark. The only furnishing was a bed and a table on one wall of the room. In a corner sat Zecora’s cauldron and a few of her potion books. Apple Bloom guessed that the items were all that the zebra had been able to save from her home before the fire engulfed it. After they all entered, the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat on the floor, not knowing what else to do. Zecora quickly followed suit.

“To see you three is great beyond measure, to what, I ask, do I owe this pleasure?” the enigmatic shaman asked. Each of the fillies present looked at one another, not sure exactly how to proceed.

“Well, Zecora,” Scootaloo started, “we all felt really bad that the fire took your home away. And then when we saw that nopony was helping you,” she paused, “we thought maybe we could help you.” The zebra’s expression grew warmer at these words.

“Help, indeed, is always nice,” she replied as she looked over the bags the three fillies had with them. Her smile fell a little as she noticed the enormity of the amount that they carried. “But I fear I’ve cost your town quite a price.”

“Not at all, Zecora!” Sweetie Belle promised. “Everypony wanted to help you get back on your hooves.”

“I understand that your intentions were correct, but this great amount I cannot accept,” the zebra rhymed. “These bits are not what your town should owe. Please, take them back when you three go.”

“But we jus’ feel so dang awful!” Apple Bloom yelled, her eyes wide. “Please take the money, Zecora,” she pleaded. The enchantress looked puzzled.

“Why do you hurt, my Apple Bloom? Your words are safe inside this room,” Zecora pledged. The Earth Pony filly was silent. Each of the crusaders had her head down, and near-silent sobs were coming from Sweetie Belle.

“We started the fire,” Scootaloo admitted softly. She didn’t look up at Zecora; she couldn’t. The full enormity of the group’s actions had just become evident to her. It was one thing to sit in the clubhouse and talk about what they had done, but facing the mare whose live they had uprooted was another beast entirely.

“It wasn’t on purpose, ah swear,” Apple Bloom added. “We got careless and, well, you know what happened.” None of the Crusaders knew how Zecora reacted to the statement. They kept looking at the floor, too overcome to actually face her.

“So,” the zebra said blankly, “this confirms what I did suspect, my guesses have all been correct.” At this mysterious sentence, Apple Bloom raised her head slightly. She expected to see the shaman furious, ready to bewitch the trio. Zecora didn’t look mad however. Her eyes actually seemed brighter, and her grin looked earnest.

“But, wait,” Apple Bloom gasped, “you knew we did it the whole time?” Zecora nodded at the question.

“The hoofprints matched you to a t, that’s when the answer came to me,” she divulged.

“But then why, *sniff*, why didn’t you just turn us in?” Sweetie Belle asked between tears.

“To lock you up would have been a crime! I knew you would come around with some time. That’s why I took as my directive to misinform that young detective,” Zecora said. “My little ponies, I am not mad, your admission, in fact, has made me glad.”

“You ain’t angry at us?” Apple Bloom inquired shakily.

“My anger would have been tenfold if the truth to me you had not told.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry we are,” Scootaloo said, her voice regaining some strength. “We’ve been all torn up inside for a week!”

“So, will you t-t-take the money?” Sweetie Belle asked. She had stopped crying, but the filly still sounded like she had a lump in her throat.

“If this will help your guilt be lifted, I will agree to be so gifted,” Zecora answered. The Cutie Mark Crusaders smiled and handed over the bags packed with bits. Each physical bag they lifted from themselves felt like a weight being taken off them internally as well. For the first time since the fire, the three of them genuinely felt at peace.

“So, though the forest has been burned, do you feel a lesson has been learned?” Zecora asked the three fillies. They each nodded their head vigorously.

“Definitely!” Apple Bloom chimed. “I think that the lesson here’s that ya’ have to take responsibility for yer actions.”

“And,” Sweetie Belle added, “that you have to take steps to make things right when you mess up.”

“Oh, I know!” Scootaloo beamed. “You also have to realize that ponies are less mad when you tell them the truth than if they find out you’ve been lying!”

“You fillies have all learned so well,” Zecora said. “And you’ve grown up too, this I can tell. Since towards the right path you have all striven, I hope you’ll see that you’re forgiven.” Without warning, the Crusaders got up and hugged the still-seated Zebra. She smiled back at them. “I’m glad to call you three my friends. I hope our good times never end.”

“Us too!” Sweetie Belle squeaked. At this, the four mares laughed together. The fillies eventually broke off the hug, but remained standing.

“We caint thank you enough, Zecora!” Apple Bloom said. “We promise we won’t forget your kindness.”

“And your kindness too, I will not forget. Now, it’s getting late, you’re needed back home, I bet.” The statement was true, and the fillies did have to say goodbye. Sweetie Belle nearly started crying again, but ultimately held it together. After a few more words and rhyming couplets, the Cutie Mark Crusaders departed, empowered and ready to move forward.

Zecora was left in her room in town hall alone. She smiled as she got to her hooves and dragged the bags of money brought by the fillies into the corner with her cauldron. She was content, knowing that eventually, everything would be back to normal, and life as it was supposed to be would continue.

Forests have an amazing ability to recover after disasters like a fire. It’s a process know as succession. With time, the forest will return to full strength, no long-term harm being done. It’s actually healthy for a forest to undergo such cycles of destruction, healing, and growth, as the plants become better able to deal with future disasters.

Ponies are a lot like forests.