Scootaloo fell through the sky, wind whipping her mane into her face. She ignored the slight stings brought on by the impacts and continued her fall. She thought of only one thing. Her wings, and the price at which they were bought. She could fly. She was finally... free! She wasn't stuck to the ground, she wouldn't disappoint Rainbow Dash anymore, she could do so much with her life now. But Sweetie Belle had paid for it... with her own sight.
Scootaloo spread her wings seconds before impact with the ground She pulled up and flew through the clouds, enjoying the slight moistness brought on by her flying through them. Her flight had been bought several years ago. She had been diagnosed with a rare disease that ate away at her wing bones, so they never grew, taking away her ability to fly. Sweetie had ventured into the forest... Scootaloo had forgotten the name of that horrid place... to retrieve a certain herb to help Scootaloo fly. While she had been mostly successful, she had been attacked by some sort of monster, and had been rendered blind.
It had taken Scootaloo many days to get used to her friends blindness... she kept forgetting Sweetie couldn't see the picture Scoot had drawn, or the trick she had pulled off...
Several years had passed, and still, nobody was doing anything to help her, save helping her cope. Scootaloo had felt terrible these past few years, knowing she was off, flying around while her friend sat confined in her room because she couldn't see what was going on.
She banked hard and flew towards Carrousel Boutique... she was just checking up on Sweetie Belle. She always flew in whenever she could, just to try and make her friend feel better.
She landed with a thud in front of the store/house. Normal dust would have been flying everywhere from that landing, but a recent rain had matted all the dirt down. Instead, only a few clumps of mud were flung into the air. Scootaloo folded her wings and was about to take a step in when she stopped.
Scootaloo looked at her hooves, spotted with some mud. It wasn't anything, really, but Rarity would go crazy over it, and that would make Sweetie upset. So Scoots wiped her hooves off on the welcome mat then stepped inside.
The shop bell rang to announce her arrival. Rarity looked up from a dress she was sowing with a smile on her face.
"Hello Scootaloo. Are you here to see Sweetie Belle?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yep."
"She's in her room." Rarity pointed up the stairs.
Scootaloo smiled and walked up the stairs. Down the halls, she found the door leading to her destination. She knocked lightly, not sure if Sweetie was awake or maybe preoccupied.
"Come in" A soft, melodic voice answered.
Scootaloo pushed the door open and stepped into the room. She found it was completely tidy, not a single bit of mess to be found. With Rarity always cleaning up for her sister and Sweetie Belle never doing much... it wasn't a surprise. She liked it. It gave the sad figure on the bed a more majestic look.
"Hey Sweetie Belle."
Sweetie smiled and turned her head in the general direction of her friend. "Hey Scoots."
Scootaloo could tell that tears had recently rolled down those cheeks, Sweetie's pillow was evened stained with those crystal balls of sorrow.
"How are ya doin'?" Scootaloo managed to say without crying.
Sweetie smiled. "I'm doing fine. Why wouldn't I be? I have all these friends and my family to h-help take care of m-me."
Her voice started to crack on those last few words. "I mean..." She paused for a second and Scootaloo saw a tear roll down her cheek. "I-I have all you ponies... who are w-willing to help a p-poor, helpless pony l-like me..."
Her tears began to roll down her cheeks. Two, then three, then four, then soon she was crying. She just sat there, sobbing on her bed. Scootaloo couldn't hold it anymore either, she let her tears roll. She never cried. ever. But her friend, sitting her so weak, so helpless... so broken...
Scootaloo let her sorrow, pain, anger, and frustration all melt into one thing. Determination. She would help her friend. It was the least he could do. If there was an herb that could kill diseases eating your wings, then there had to be a cure for blindness? Maybe a magic of some kind?
With her will set, she turned her attention to comforting the poor mare in front of her. Together, they wept for Sweetie's pain and her loss. Scootaloo held her close, trying to give the sense of being safe, trying to show her she was and always would be here, but she had the feeling she was failing. Sweetie cried her heart away, until the day grew dark. Scootaloo was surprised she had cried that long, despite herself having cried a good deal of the day as well.
They pulled out of their tearful embrace, still sniffing back those that threatened to let loose. The sun was setting, Celestia making room for Luna's moon. The last rays of it's golden glow drifted through the window and painted themselves on Sweetie's face. Scootaloo looked at her friend, the bravest of them, and the sorrow in her eyes. But then she saw the hope, cast by the sun, the possibility that there was a chance, a way to fix this...
Scootaloo got up. "Uh, Sweetie?"
"Mmm hmm?" Was her reply.
"I, uh... I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow?"
Sweetie Belle lay down and rolled over, away from Scootaloo. "Sure."
Scootaloo flew through the dark skies. The wind was almost non-existent. She had to flap hard to stay aloft, without the wind to aid her. This didn't bother her, of course. She had trained with Rainbow Dash, and she was able to fly through any weather... rain, snow, wind, storm, didn't matter.
She flew through Ponyville, over the homes of those sleeping at night. She should be in bed right now, sleeping away her troubles, but she wasn't. She couldn't. She wouldn't catch anymore sleep until she had cured her friend. Sweetie Belles tears had been the final straw. She new her friend was upset, but today she saw just how upset she was. Now she could finally repay her for her sacrifice those years back.
She flew over the trees of Sweet Apple Acre. Her friend would be asleep, but she could wake her up, it didn't matter to much.
She landed outside her friends window with a soft thud. Taking a deep breath, she savored the apple scented air here... she loved hanging out here, with her friends, when they used to go crusading, and she would think of all these crazy different ideas and they would try to go along, but it always ended in disaster...
She closed her eyes before the tears came back and picked up a rock. With a grunt, she tossed it at her friends window...
Or maybe she threw it... it crashed through the window, sending glass everywhere, as well as eliciting a startled cry from a certain pony inside. Scootaloo cringed, certain she had awoken Apple Bloom's family.
The rock came sailing back out the window, landing on her head. "Ow!" She cried softly.
In the moonlight, Scootaloo saw a cream yellow head stick itself out the broken window. "What in tarnation did ya do that for?" The country accent was clear, despite her whispering.
"Sorry!" Scootaloo called, as loud as she dared. "Come down here! I need to tell you something!"
"One sec."
After a few minutes, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were in the apple orchard, sitting under a tree. The cool, summer wind had returned, softly teasing their manes, sending stray wisps to dance in the air. If Scootaloo hadn't had pressing matters on her mind, she would have sat there in silence with her friend, in the wind at night, simply enjoying each others company.
Apple Bloom broke the perfect silence. "So... you need to tell me something."
Scootaloo sighed. "Yeah... so I've been thinking... we need to do something to help Sweetie get her sight back. She helped me, I think it's in order to help her."
Apple Bloom sat in silence. She seemed to be thinking it over. What, was she hesitating?
"Come on!" Scoots cried. "We have to do something! We can't just sit here as she suffers!"
Apple Bloom brought her hooves up. "Calm down. Ah know, Ah've been thinkin' the same thang for a while, but what're we gonna do?"
The orange filly blushed at her mistake. "Oh. Well, I was thinking we could talk to Zecora first... I'm kind of surprised that no one has yet."
"Okay, so there's a start. But what about, like supplies? And when do we leave?"
"Lets go now. The sooner the better!"
Apple Bloom shook her head. "No, we need a plan. As much as I hate to say it, Sweetie left without a plan, and now she's b.." She choked on the last word. "B-Blind."
Scootaloo was enraged at that remark. "How dare you! She gave it all for me! I'd d the exact same for her!"
"But do ya think she'd be to happy 'bout you going an losing something, like yer wings, to help her? After what she did for you?"
Scootaloo calmed down. "Oh... yeah..."
"Okay..." Apple Bloom took a deep breath. "Tomorrow, we'll meet up here again, pack some supplies, like a lunch an maybe some rope or somethin'. We need ta be prepared."
Scootaloo nodded. "Okay... I'll do that."
They hugged and parted ways for the night, Apple Bloom to go to bed and Scootaloo to continue planning how she would help her friend. She had to. She couldn't live with her self if she didn't. But what could be done?
Hopefully Zecora would have some answers.
Author's Note
Alright, the first chapter! Two more! I promise, only two, so this is a three chapter story! Expect more. This story is part of a trilogy. Three stories, three chapters each. Stay tuned for more, it's gonna be awesome!
Summer was a time of pleasure and joy. A time to be with friends, to play outside, all that fun stuff. Swimming was Apple Bloom's favorite. She and always loved the water, swimming around, diving under, collecting rocks and such. She also enjoyed the lemonade and other food that came with summer.
Of course, today wasn't a day to enjoy those pleasures. Despite the perfect weather, she couldn't. She had a mission. She had to help Scootaloo help Sweetie Belle. She had her saddle bag full of supplies, like food, blankets, even a knife, just in case. Now she was just waiting for Scootaloo.
She stood on a hill at Sweet Apple Acres, a hill barren of any trees or shrubbery, so she had a clear view all around. It was absolutely breath taking. The hills of her home, rolling up and down, decorated with the trees of her kin, one of her main purposes in life, at least right now. Those trees where the life blood of the Apple Family.
The wind was picking up from a gentle breeze to a light gust. Apple Bloom looked to the sky. It was going to rain, she could tell. Not a heavy rain, just a light drizzle.
Her hair danced with the wind, twirling and bouncing around, little strands wisping about as if they had no cares in the world. She closed her eyes and savored the breeze. If only it was always like this. Calm and perfect. Maybe it would be, once she and Scootaloo helped Sweetie Belle...
She shook her head. No, that was just fancy day dreaming. That wasn't life. Life was, you take the lows, savor the highs, and try to keep on smiling through it all.
She looked up to the sky, at the clouds rolling across the blue expanse. It seemed... so perfect. Like a lie, to deceive the ponies in this world. To make them believe everything would always turn out fine. Apple Bloom knew life almost never ended perfectly. For some, like Sweetie Belle, it didn't even turn out alright, unless she did something about it.
She smiled. Look at her, getting all... philosophical... that was unlike her. She shook her head and looked back across the farm. The sun was high in the sky, but the clouds had helped keep her shaded so she didn't get to hot. She had no chores today. She saw Applejack bucking apple trees and Big Mac hauling the harvest off to the barn.
Then she saw the little orange blob grow on the horizon as her friend drew closer. Scootaloo seemed lightly packed. Apple Bloom turned back to her bags. Maybe she had over packed? After all, they were just going to Zecora's right? She sat down and sifted through her saddle bags as she waited for her friend to arrive.
She pulled out all the contents and laid them before herself. She looked through them a bit then decided on three things to bring. The rope, a blanket, and some food. She stored the rest in a nearby tree trunk, one her brother had hollowed out several summers before just for her. She had always stored her toys there in summer, because this hill was her favorite.
Scootaloo reached the hill, not even breaking a sweat from the climb up. It wasn't a steep hill, but it wasn't an easy climb either. Rainbow's training was really paying off for her.
"Hey Bloom..." Scootaloo said in a very serious tone. "You ready?"
"Yeah, Ah guess..." Apple Bloom looked at what Scootaloo had brought. A jar, a knife, and... their capes?
Scootaloo handed one of the capes to Apple Bloom. "It's been years since we wore these... I think it would make Sweetie happy if we did for this quest."
Apple Bloom looked at the cape in her hooves. It still had that amazing golden silk inside, the one Sweetie had taken from her sister to make these capes. Back when she could see...
Apple Bloom held back the tears at all the fond memories this cape brought. She slid it on and gave a deep sigh. "Okay. Let's do this. First, we stop at Zecora's to see if there even is a cure."
"Right." Scootaloo looked towards the Everfree forest. "Then we go and get it, no matter what."
"We need to be safe. Sweetie wouldn't want us getting hurt."
"Sweetie didn't think about getting hurt when she helped me... I'll do the same for her..."
Scootaloo started off towards the forest, Apple Bloom following her. The walk wasn't long, considering the Apple Family lived very close to that dark land. Apple Bloom saw Scootaloo glance around nervously at the trees. She was scared, obviously. No matter how hard she tried to hide it, it wasn't easy to miss. She was scared of a lot of things. But that only made Apple Bloom want to take care of her even more.
She reached over to her friend and held her in a hug. "It's okay. We'll make it, and when we finish, Sweetie Belle will be able to see again."
Her friend nodded. "Right... for Sweetie."
They crossed over from the land of light to the land of dark, and instantly the change was felt. The air chilled, and a sense of foreboding fell upon both of the fillies. The darkness seemed to grow blacker, and the animals and plants all looked like they were ready to kill the intruders. How did Zecora live in here? Even Apple Bloom's frequent trips into these woods didn't help. She hated every minute of being here, unless she was at Zecora's.
The shadows seemed to shift and change as the two fillies worked their way to their destination. Apple Bloom had done this many times before, so it should have been easy.
But she couldn't shake this feeling of doom. Like something would happen and this was all a mistake. Like she wouldn't make it back. She simply pushed such thoughts aside as her fear, focusing on the task ahead.
It wasn't long before the two were in sight of the hut. They could see Zecora, trotting around her house, seemingly collecting herbs. Her hut stood out like a beacon of hope in the darkness. She felt her tension ease away as she stepped into the light.
"Howdy Zecora!" Apple Bloom sheered. She felt a lot better now.
"My my, if it isn't Apple Bloom. And it seems, you brought your friend too." Zecora, as always, spoke with rhymes, but Apple Bloom had gotten use to them.
"Yeah, we need your help." Scootaloo spoke up. She didn't seem so scared now either. "We need to know if there's anything we can use to heal our friends blindness."
Zecora raised an eyebrow. "So a cure to blindness is what you seek? A cure I have, but it is not obtained by the weak."
"Are you calling me weak?" Scootaloo jumped up, hovering in place.
"No no, pony friend, I assure you, I'm not. But many trials must be faced if a cure is to be got."
Apple Bloom chuckled as Scootaloo lowered herself back to the ground. "Okay, so what do we need to do Zecora?"
The zebra said nothing but turned and walked back into her hut. She opened the door, stepped through it, then closed it, leaving two stumbled fillies behind.
"Uh..." Scootaloo was about to call out, but Apple Bloom trotted towards the door.
"Zecora? Zecora, come on, what'd Ah say?"
Apple Bloom pushed the door open and stepped in, followed by her orange friend. The door shut behind them, causing them to both jump. The whole room was dark. The windows were all shut, and the pot that always sat in the middle of the room was gone. Apple Bloom stepped forward to the center of the room.
"Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo called out in a hushed whisper. "What are you doing?"
"Where'd Zecora go?" Apple Bloom looked back and forth, but saw nothing.
Scootaloo joined her in the middle. "Look, I think we should come back later."
A loud bang came from behind them, and they both jumped up, with a small shriek escaping Scootaloo's mouth. They whipped around to see Zecora, sitting there with a very large book. Seriously, it was huge, it must have been the size of... of that pot that had been in here. The cover was inscribed with some sort of ancient text. Apple Bloom had no idea what it said, but she guessed Zecora would tell her.
"The cure you seek, is a legend of old." She opened the book and flipped to a specific page. "Lost in history and tales untold."
She flipped the pages to a map, and pointed at what seemed to be a mountain. "Three orbs were once found, their origins without sound."
Apple Bloom could see the confusion on Scootaloo's face. She turned to her friend. "She means nopony knows where they came from."
Zecora continued. "These orbs were each endowed with a power to cure ails, any disease found."
She flipped the page again. This time it was a picture of a monster. It looked like a manticore and a pony and a dragon and something else... it was terrifying.
"Some sought to hoard them, and keep them locked away. But our wise leader would not have it, and now the orbs have been lost to this day."
"But ya know where this one is, right?" Apple Bloom asked.
Zecora smiled, and the darkness lifted as she closed her book, like a spell had re-lit all the candles. "While they have been lost to all but a few, those few have included whom you see before you."
Scootaloo jumped up. "So, you'll tell us where it is?"
"I will let you know the location of what you search for, but let me send you with a warning and knowledge of this orb."
Apple Bloom was beginning to think they were in over their heads. But the thoughts of Sweetie Belle blind and her actions to aid her friends pushed those thoughts aside.
"The warning I give is one of danger. For the orb is protected by beasts and things still stranger."
She leaned in closer. "This orb, it will release the binds, holding your friend, and keeping her blind."
"Wait." Apple Bloom stared at Zecora dumb founded. "Whaddaya mean, 'keepin' 'er blind'?"
The sage zebra turned to Scootaloo. "A dark magic lays hold to your friend. And the time it will stay has no end. It is not to be seen by unicorn folk, nor shall it be cured by common means or so. If you wish to cure this ail, you must break the orb to break the veil."
Scootaloo didn't seem to have a clue as to what was going on. Apple Bloom was intrigued. "Okay... so then where is this orb?"
Zecora turned to another map. She pointed at a forest area. "Here, inside of the Everfree, does it lie. But to seek it out, I would not advise."
Apple Bloom studied the map long and hard, almost a whole five minutes, before continuing. "Okay, thanks Zecora! Now, can Ah ask one last thing?"
Zecora nodded.
"Please don't tell anyone where we are."
"I will wait for two nights and two days, but should you not be back by then, your whereabouts I shall say."
"Okay." Apple Bloom said. "Sounds fair."
Zecora then ushered them out, rather harshly. Apple Bloom took to the woods, in the direction she needed to go. Scootaloo followed, still not entirely comprehending what was going on. Apple Bloom now had a plan. She knew where to go, what to do, and what to expect. And she was scared.
As they left the area around Zecora's house, back into the darkness of the Everfree, Scootaloo resumed her commanding posture and attitude.
"Come on." She said in a very commanding tone. "We have to get there fast."
She plowed through the forest without hesitation. Apple Bloom shook her head.
"Uh, Scoots?"
"Yeah?"
"Do ya even know where yer goin'?"
Scootaloo stopped, her mouth opening as if to say something, but closing before and sound came out. She opened her mouth again.
"Uh... of course. Ha, of course I know where I'm going."
She turned around to face Apple Bloom. Even in the darkness, she could see the fear in her pegasus friend's eyes. "But, uh... maybe you want to lead?"
Of course she didn't want to lead. "Sure, why not?" Apple Bloom did her best to smile, but was sure it came out like a grimace. She was scared, and now she was the one leading them through this dark and evil forest... because Scootaloo was scared.
The day was cold and the walk was long. Fortunately, it was uneventful. Nothing happened, save a few small animals causing Scootaloo to shriek. They even came across a sleeping manticore, but they were able to sneak past it without trouble. By the afternoon, they were where they needed to be. And damn was it terrifying.
Apple Bloom emerged from the forest to see a massive castle. Run down and in ruins... yet still shining in the sun. It looked like it hadn't been used in about... forever. Tattered flags and broken walls... burnt bridges and an empty moat. This place must have been regal.
Scootaloo stepped forward. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
She dashed forward, out of the forest. Apple Bloom chased after her. "Scoots, wait!" Despite her wanting her friend to stop, it felt good to leave that forest's dark, evil clutches.
They reached the moat, and Scootaloo stopped, preparing to fly over. "Scootaloo! Stop!"
The orange pegasus turned around ."What? We have to get in there! We have to grab the... what's it called... orb!"
"We have no idea what's in there! Could be monsters an' demons an' things like that!" Apple Bloom was looking around, trying to spot any signs of danger, while her friend rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Apple Bloom, we can't wait. What if... what if the magic stuff happening to Sweetie Belle takes hold forever? What if... Sweetie Belle is worried about us... because we're missing? What if we wait too long arguing and we get attacked?!"
"Zecora never mentioned any magical effects that would last forever. How would Sweetie know? We've only been gone for a half the day... maybe more. And the only reason we're talking here is because you won't be careful." Apple Bloom deadpanned.
Scootaloo shook her head. "Okay, you stay here. I'll fly in and get the orb."
Before Apple Bloom could protest, Scootaloo was airborne, flying over the wall and dropping inside the castle.
"Scootaloo! No! Stop!"
But her pleads fell on nothing besides the crumbling walls and empty halls. This was great. Her friend had just flown off... with no idea where the orb was. Apple knew... she had been reading the book while it was open. Scootaloo didn't... and these ruins could be dangerous! They could be filled to the brim with monsters!
She ran after Scootaloo, praying to Celestia that neither of them would get hurt.
Apple Bloom had to run through the moat before coming up to the castle walls. She looked around. Even though it was crumbling, it wasn't low enough for her to be able to just climb over. She dropped her saddlebags onto the ground and sifted through them. Luckily, she had brought rope.
She tied a rock to one end of the rope and threw up and over the wall. She gave it a tug, and it held firm. She climbed up the rope, slowly, as it was hard to do it with her mouth and hooves. But she was making progress. She could only imagine what was happening to Scootaloo right now. Of course, she hadn't heared any screams, so that was good.
She finished her ascension and pulled the rest of the rope up with her. Then she cast is down the other side of the wall and climbed down. It was a lot easier this time, going down, and only took her less than half of the time it took her to get up.
A chill wind swept through the ruins of the once glorious castle. It stirred the dust that had settled in the halls long forgotten. Apple Bloom shivered hard. This wind reeked of something, though she couldn't put her hoof on it. The wind was coming for the castle, so there had to be something inside. She took a nervous breath.
"Scootaloo?" She called out. She took a few tentative steps forward, towards the keep. "Scootaloo?" Her breathing became heavy. Her eyes were darting left and right, like some unseen danger was ready to pounce on her and sweep her away into the darkness.
She entered the keep, eyes wide. Despite the weather, rot, and raiding this place had suffered, the inside was amazing! The floors still glistened, though not with their full fervor. The walls still had tattered flags and pictures on them, giving the place an old yet regal feel.
Then saw a door. A massive, black door. It had spikes lining the frame, and the handles where made of skulls. Blood was spattered all over it, like thousands of tortured victims had been dragged through those doors, kicking and screaming amidst there wounds.
Apple Bloom had the sudden urge to run. Bolt. Scram. Get the hell out of there. She forgot about Scootaloo. She only thought of herself. She didn't want to die. She spotted the blood plastered on the walls and the floor, like this whole room had been used for evil purposes, and she started backing up. Funny... normally Scootaloo would be the one to run... not her... yet her orange friend was inside this place, somewhere, while she was preparing to run.
Wait.. What if Scootaloo was hurt? What she was in trouble? Apple Bloom would never be able to sleep if she left her friend when she needed help.
Another gust of wind hit her... carrying the same smell it had... rank and disgusting. She could feel it coming from the door. It made her want to bolt again, but she held her ground. With slow steps and quick breathing, she inched closer to the door. Time seemed to slow down, and her breathing came in quick gasps. Apple Bloom gingerly avoided the blood stains on the floor as she neared the door.
With one last step, she grabbed the door handle and stood still. With a deep breath, she yanked it open.
It was as if hell had released its death upon the world. Apple Bloom staggered backwards as the stench assaulted her, causing her to slip in some of the blood. She hit the ground and continued to push herself backwards in a futile attempt to escape the horrid smell. She managed to look up, through watering eyes, to see the room was full of... dead creatures. Bones, flesh, everything, just piled up into a mound in the middle of the room.
She got back to her hooves and stumbled into the wall. She looked around and saw another passage, a small, narrow, dark passage, but it didn't reek of death.
She jumped in and ran. She ran for about a minute before stopping. The smell was gone, thankfully, but her eyes were still watering. She dry heaved a few times before coughing up her lunch. She looked down to her hooves and saw the blood on them. Ugh. It was all... wet and sticky... Wait.
Wet and sticky? But... but this blood was supposed to be hundreds of years of old...
Her mind revolted at the thoughts that came to mind. What if... there was still a monster in here? And had recently eaten? What... what if it had eaten Scootaloo?!
She pushed the thought from her mind as she ran down the narrow hall. It grew darker as she proceeded to delve deeper into the ruins of the castle. Maybe Scootaloo hadn't gone this way... maybe Apple Bloom was going to get lost... maybe she was going to die!
She was so busy thinking she ran right into a wall. Rubbing her muzzle she looked up to see it wasn't a wall... it was a door. Spying the handle, she grabbed it and pulled. The door didn't budge. With a few more tugs, she was certain the door was locked... maybe the key was back from where she had come... she didn't want to have to go back...
Then the thought hit her. With a gentle push, the door swung open. She mentally slapped herself for not thinking of that sooner. Apple Bloom crept through the doorway into the new room before her.
It was a large, circular, open room. Nothing inside it, just massive stone pillars... she looked around. There were a few doors around the room, and some windows up high, but nothing else.
Wait, there was also a pedestal in the middle of the room with a... an orb on it!
Apple Bloom abandoned caution and stealth as she galloped to the middle of the room. She stopped in front of the orb, giving it a real good look. She recalled the picture of the orb from the book Zecora had shown them...
Sphere... check.
Swirling mist inside... check.
Blue... check.
She touched it and was filled with a warm, comforting feeling... like all her aches were falling away...
This had to be it.
She looked inside the orb. It was so mesmerizing... the way the mist inside swirled around, dancing back and forth upon some unseen wind. It would hit the sides of the orb and spread out before swirling back around and mixing with the other mists. Lights flickered and faded inside, like tiny stars that winked in and out of existence...
She grabbed the orb and placed it in her saddle bags. Hopefully it wouldn't crack or something on the way back. Of course, it was a magical or, so it must be protected by some ancient magic or something...
One of the doors in the room was flung open, banging against the wall and sending an echo throughout the long lost halls. Apple Bloom jumped at the sound, then spun to face it when the same door slammed shut. Scootaloo was breathing hard and fast. She had a look of panic in her eyes, and she was sweating.
"Scootaloo! What's wrong?"
Scootaloo flew to the middle of the room and landed a bit wobbly. She took a few deep breaths before speaking. "... I was trying to.. to find the orb but I found... I found a monster!" She grabbed Apple Bloom. "It almost got me! It almost ate me!"
Apple Bloom held her friend close, stroking her mane. "Shh... it's okay, your okay... I'm here..."
Scootaloo shook her head. "I should have never tried to go in here on my own... I still haven't even found the orb..."
"Well..." Apple Bloom pulled away and removed the orb from her satchel for Scootaloo to see. "I found it in here."
Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Then why are we still standing here?!"
The door Scootaloo had shut exploded in a shower of wood splinters. Apple bloom jumped back and Scootaloo jumped up, flying now. Through the shattered doorway strolled a... a what? Apple Bloom didn't know. It was a dragon thing, but it was smaller than any dragon she had ever seen in the books she had read. It also had the wings of a pegasus... and legs of a lion. How many crazy creatures were in this crazy world?
Before she could react, she felt something grab her and lift her up into the air. She screamed, but calmed down when she saw the arms holding her belonged to Scootaloo. "What are you doing?!"
"We're getting out of here! Fast!" Scootaloo flew through one of the windows near the top of the room. She barely managed to squeeze through, and Apple Bloom smacked her knees against the window sill. She held her cries of pain as she was carried away. They landed outside the castle walls with a little tumbling.
When they heard the roars of the monster they both sprung up and charged back into the forest. After a few minutes of running, they stopped to catch their breath, sure they were safe from the monster.
"Scootaloo..." Apple bloom said between breaths. The darkness of the forest was once more closing in on them. She couldn't wait until they were out of here. "Are you okay?"
The orange filly nodded. "Of course! I'm... I'm fine..."
Apple bloom pulled Scootaloo into an embrace. "It's okay... you had a close call... but we're fine... no need to be scared."
Scootaloo jumped away. "Hey! I'm not scared! I'm... I'm... I'm concerned! Yeah!"
Apple Bloom shook her head, handing the satchel she was carrying to her friend. "Can you carry this? I banged my knees on the way through the window... and this bag is sort of heavy..."
Scootaloo smiled at her friend. "Of course!" She slid on the satchel, then her eyes brightened. 'Hey! I know! i'll fly ahead and take this satchel back really fast! That way, we can get the whole thing done sooner, and by the time you get back, Sweetie will be able to see!"
The orange pegasus dashed into the sky, flying over the trees. "Scootaloo! Wait!"
It was no use... she was gone, and Apple Bloom was alone. She made her way through the forest, but her knees where aching, making it hard to walk. She examined them again to see they were bleeding a little...
Damn it Scootaloo... leaving her alone and wounded in a forest. Rain had begun to fall, so now she was wet on top of everything else.
The darkness of the forest seemed to worsen as she made her way deeper and deeper. The pressure of the unseen evil seemed to be trying to crush her soul. She shivered in the cold... her skin tingled with a sense of dread and fear... like something was going to jump out and get her. The same thoughts of doom returned from earlier.
She hit a log she didn't see and stumbled forward. She tried to catch herself, but there was nothing to stop her fall. She fell down, tumbling through bushes and sticks and leaves, causing all sorts of racket. She hit the ground with a bounce and landed on something soft yet hard. She shook the disorientation from her head and slid to the ground from where she lay. She looked at what she had landed on.
It was... big... and seemed to be orange in this dim light. Then it moved.
Apple bloom jumped back with a squeak. The form stretched out, claws extending and tail un-curling... it let out a thunderous yawn and looked around trying to find out what had awoken it. It's eyes came to rest upon the shivering filly in front of it...
Then the manticore pounced forward.
Author's Note
If you want to know why Zecora was being... weird... it's because of a few things. One, she was tired. Two, she was trying to scare the fillies away from their quest, because she wouldn't stop them physically. Three, was busy.
Scootaloo was almost there. She was so close to the edge of the Everfree. Soon, she would be in Ponyville, and then she'd give Sweetie the orb, and then everything would be better. Sweetie Belle would be happy, and then they could all go adventures again. Just like they always did. It would be perfect again.
She blinked her eyes to clear the rain that was now falling. Then she thought of something. She didn't know what to do with the orb. And chances are, nopony in Ponyville would either. She would have to go and get Zecora first. She would know what to do.
Fortunately, Zecora's hut was nearby, only a short detour from her original flight course. The rain was getting thicker, falling more heavily, but Scootaloo fought on. Her training with Rainbow Dash and her big wings gave her an advantage. She managed to make it to Zecora's with relative ease, but the wind still blew the rain into her face and eyes, causing them to be rather irritated.
She landed and noticed how different the place looked in the middle of a rain storm. Water dripped down into grooves in the ground, filling them up. Plants sagged and the dark forest took on an even more dreary look. It looked like a bog, like something straight out of a fantasy horror tale or something.
She heard thunder and quickly ran for Zecora's house. Not a rain storm, a thunder storm. Thunder storms were terrible, always loud and scary.
The hut was well lit, and Zecora sat in the middle of it, with her pot brewing with some new potion. It bubbled and hissed and she could only guess what was inside it.
Zecora spoke without turning. "Dear filly from before, what are you doing out in this fierce storm?"
"I..." Scootaloo took a few breaths as she shivered from the cold. "I n-need your help, Zecora." She held out the orb. "I d-don't know how to use this." She handed the orb to Zecora then walked over to the fire place and warmed herself up.
Zecora took the orb and examined it. "Indeed, this orb is the orb I of which I told you, but tell me, where is your friend, Apple Bloom?"
"She's... she's coming... I flew ahead to get here quicker."
Zecora looked up startled. "You left your friend alone in the Everfree?! Do you know not what her fate will be?!"
Scootaloo shook her head. "Um... n-no..."
Zecora shook her head, a frown on her face. "No... no this is not good. Go... go to your friend! Find her! And prevent her from meeting her end!"
Zecora rushed out of her hut towards Ponyville, leaving a startled and frightened filly behind. Scootaloo was still trying to understand what had just happened. What was going on? She had flown ahead and left Apple Bloom behind... Apple Bloom was alone, in the rain... in the Everfree... Zecora had said she was going to meet an end?
Scootaloo dashed out of the house and took to the sky. The rain had gotten stronger, but she didn't let it phase her. She had a mission, and a duty to protect her friend. Guilt began to creep into her mind for leaving her in the first place.
She scanned the ground, trying to find the yellow earth pony. She should be at least sort of easy to find. She was yellow and red in a black and blue forest. She wouldn't exactly be camouflaged.
She saw a manticore below, seemingly feasting on something. Then she saw that dragon thing from before sleeping in the rain. Wait.
She spun around back to the manticore. It was mauling something. And through the rain, Scootaloo could see that something yellow and red. But the red seemed to be more from blood than from the little filly's mane and tail.
Apple Bloom laughed. Amidst all the pain she felt, she still laughed. Her ending was kind of funny. Who would have thought she would die because her best friend left her alone in a evil forest and she got mauled by a manticore? It was just kind of... outrageous, something nopony would ever expect.
She felt the beast clamp down on both her hind legs, lifting her into the air. She could see the beasts chin from her position, dangling from death's jaws. She tried to feel something. She tried to feel the wind blowing her mane, making it dance despite her situation. She tried to feel the rain, which washed away the blood as it flowed out of her body. She tried to feel the leaves and dirt and sticks stuck to her fur, gained from her predicament. But all she could feel was pain.
The beast bit down hard, shattering her legs and splattering blood across her face. She didn't cry in pain. She cried from sorrow, from the fact she would never see her friends again, or her family. She would die here... and she could do nothing about it.
She dropped and hit the ground with a light splat, due to the fact the ground was wet and because of all her blood. She was a little surprised she hadn't passed out yet. So much blood had been lost, she felt lighter. Or maybe it was lightheaded.
Then her chest exploded with pain. She looked down to see the manticore piercing her chest with a claw. It dug in deep, and this time she did cry out in pain. She tried to scream but felt like she had no breath. She cried from pain now. All thoughts left her mind save one.
She was going to die now.
The manticore was flung to the side without warning, letting out a yelp of pain. It's claw painfully retracted from her chest, and she glanced down at the whole it left. More blood poured out the new hole, squirting out at times. Maybe her heart had been slightly pierced?
She tried to look over to see what happened to the manticore, but she just felt so weak. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep. She was so tired. Maybe just a little nap and she would be okay. Then something flew past her face, jolting her eyes fully open. It was orange, she had seen that. Had Scootaloo came back for her?
She felt the tiredness return. Then her whole body felt really weird. Like something was pulling her... her soul or something. She felt like she was in her body and not. It was the most... interesting thing she had ever felt.
Then she saw something blue, something with wings, maybe., Everything was so blurry now she couldn't see much. She thought that maybe she heard shouting, but she was trouble hearing now. She felt at peace, despite all pain and loss of her senses.
She had one last thought. She would never get to say goodbye to her family. The thought brought one last tear to hear eyes.
Then everything was white.
Scootaloo fell through the sky faster than she ever had before. Without thinking, she had a plan. She would save her friend.
First she collided with the manticore. It was sent flying to the side with a yelp of pain, the impact sending her rolling across the ground. She felt a little dizzy, but bounced right back up. She couldn't afford to lose here. It was all or nothing.
The manticore got up and pawed the ground, growling savagely. Scootaloo readied herself to fight. She also pawed the ground, her cape tattered and blowing in the wind. The wait lasted only a second.
The beast pounced, intent on ripping Scootaloo to pieces. Scootaloo rolled to the side, dodging the monster and coming up in a standing position. She thanked Celestia she had actually paid attention when Rainbow Dash taught her self defense. It might just save her life. She jumped forward and kicked the manticore in the jaw. This got a nice roar and a swipe from its paw.
She jumped backwards but was still caught on the side of her face. She sucked in some air and held her breath. That stung really badly. She looked up to see she didn't have time to nurture her wounds. With a roll she was behind the enraged beast. Her mind was in overtime. One little slip up, and she would be dead.
She tried to calm her mind, but she couldn't. She was too stressed, and the cut on her cheek only added to the mess her brain was in. She could only go off instinct. So she stopped trying to think this through and acted.
She flew over the beast, landing a blow on its face, then dodged its counter attack to bring a kick to its groin. It roared in pain and lost some of its control, swinging and biting wildly.
She managed to dodge its mad advance and landed a blow on its back. She realized these attacks were doing nothing, so she grabbed the first thing she could. A nice big stick.
With a deep breath, the Pegasus found herself flying through the air, over her foe's back, with the stick ready to strike. She closed her eyes and thrust her stick down.
It snapped off about halfway into its eye socket. The manticore howled in pain, trying to get the stick out of its eye. Scootaloo smiled. Looks like she might win. She actually had a chance. She grabbed a rock this time and flew right into the beast.
It spun around, paws up, claws out, smacking her across the chest. She flew backwards, crashing into a tree. She lost her breath, and tied desperately to regain it. Her breathing steadied just a bit, but enough for her to stand. Then her fore legs were clamped down on by the manticore.
She cried in pain as it lifted her up. Her legs bled, the redness pouring onto the ground below. She had never seen so much blood before.
Then it smacked her against the ground. She cried out as her head shook, her brain rattled. She felt the headache instantly. Then she was lifted up and smacked against a tree. She was certain she heard her hind leg bones crack. She was thrown into the air and let go. She felt weightless for a while, like she was floating up. Then she fell, but a branch caught her. She looked down at the manticore, who now was attempting to beat down the tree she was in.
She looked around. Amidst her pain and haziness, she made out a few things of use. Like tree branch right next to her. It was sharp and within reach. She grabbed it in her mouth and snapped it off. It was long and seemed like it could kill. Maybe even pierce the manticore.
She smiled. This was it. Either she killed the manticore now, or passed out from pain and was eaten. Either way, she would go down fighting.
Her smile melted into grim resolve. With a deep breath she pushed herself out of the tree, holding the stick with her last good leg. She spread her wings and used them to propel herself towards the monster. The manticore looked towards her, seeing her falling. It opened its mouth and prepared to eat.
Scootaloo let loose a feral war cry and drove her weapon home. Right through the manticore's throat. She fell into it's mouth but scrambled out as it coughed and choked on it's own blood and the stick. It tried to dislodge it, but Scootaloo was now clinging to its face, thrusting the stick further in, twisting it and screaming the whole time.
She felt one of it's paws smack her off its face, and she tumbled to the ground. She felt her right wing snap, but she didn't cry out. It was over, she had won.
The manticore gave one last cry before falling to the ground, dead.
Scootaloo looked over to try and find her friend. She saw her, laying in a pool of blood. Her breathing was shallow, and her yellow coat was now red. Scootaloo pushed aside all thoughts of guilt for now. She had to help her friend.
With slow, painful movements, she slid herself closer. She had to help her. She had to keep her safe. She was...
She heard something. Shouting. Lots of it. She looked up to see something, no, a lot of somethings coming closer. As they neared, she could make out their form. Pegasi.
She tried to wave to them, but her whole body ached. She tried to move, but her wounds were shutting down her mind. She had never felt so much pain before.
Rainbow Dash flew out of the sky and landed next to Apple Bloom, checking her to make sure was still alive. Then she saw Scootaloo. Some other Pegasus landed nest to her, Soarin, maybe. It was hard to tell with all the pain she was in.
She made out a few words amongst the rain.
"Is she okay?"
"No, she needs a hospital!"
"Same with this one! Let's go!"
"Wow, a dead manticore! These fillies did that?"
"Hospital, now!"
And then everything was black.
Scootaloo awoke inside a hospital. The lights were dim, but she could still see her room. It was a small room. There was the bed she was in, a table, some machines, some chairs, and a door. She felt terrible. Her whole body was aching and she couldn't seem to remember why. She tried to recall what had happened to warrant her being in a hospital, but nothing came to mind.
She heard the door open and looked over to see a nurse step in. Scootaloo didn't recognize her at all.
"Hi, how are you feeling?"
Scootaloo shook her head. "Um... I feel terrible..."
The nurse nodded. "You would. Anypony who survives a manticore attack is bound to be in pain."
Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Wait, what? I was attacked by a... a manticore?"
The nurse nodded. "Yes, you were. But you're alive, so that's all that matters."
Scootaloo closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah... I guess..."
She drifted off into an peaceful slumber. She had no dreams, no nightmares, just sleep. When she awoke, she was greeted with the faces of several ponies she knew.
"Hey kid. How are ya feeling?" Rainbow Dash's face was plastered with concern.
Scootaloo shook her head. "Not good."
"You were amazing!" Sweeite Belle said. "I heard you killed a manticore!"
Now her mind was trying to sort through everything. She had been attacked by and killed a manticore? So what had happened? She couldn't remember. Her brain just drew a blank when she tried to think about anything for the last few days.
Wait a second.
"Sweetie Belle?"
Her white unicorn friend nodded her head. "Yep! I can... I can see again! T-Thanks to you and Apple Bloom!"
Scootaloo smiled. "But.. but what did we do?"
Rainbow Dash looked really concerned. "You really can't remember?"
"Nope."
"How much can you remember?" Rainbow asked.
"Um... the last thing I remember is that Sweetie was blind... and she had been crying..."
Scootaloo looked over to Sweetie Belle. She was definitely not blind. She was looking around the room, taking in all the details. How had she gotten her eye sight back? What had she done?
Rainbow Dash told her all the events that had transpired. Using what she heard from Zecora and what she saw herself, she filled in her little sister on all she needed to know.
"When Zecora came to us in the rain, she told us Apple Bloom was alone in the Everfree. I told the weather team to hold off the storm while we searched for her. We looked everywhere, but couldn't find her. So we decided to check further into the forest, thinking it wouldn't be possible for her to have wandered out that far. We found her, and you, both near death, and a dead manticore nearby. We rushed you both to the hospital, where you've been since."
Rainbow Dash looked towards Sweetie Belle. "It's been three days. While you were out, Zecora said she needed to see Sweetie Belle at her hut. When Sweetie came back, she could see again, though Zecora never told us why. Only that "A dark magic has been repelled', whatever that means."
Scootaloo looked to Sweetie Belle, who smiled at her. Scootaloo couldn't help but smile back. Then she looked at Rainbow Dash. "So... Apple Bloom was hurt too? How is she?"
Rainbow Dash frowned. "She hasn't woken up. She uh..." The cyan mare took a deep breath. "She was dead when I found her. The wounds she had sustained were fatal. We got her to the hospital and they revived her... but she hasn't actually woken up."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "But she'll wake up soon, I know she will!"
Scootaloo felt tired again. "I hope so... I just wish I could remember what had happened."
She drifted off to sleep again with her big sister and her best friend beside her. She was safe, and everything was going to be fine... everything was going to be perfect.
Author's Note
TIME TO WRITE THE THIRD STORY!!!
*charges forward riding Pinkie Pie*
