White Haven was a fairly big city. Ponies would crowd the streets, their voices heard through the whole city even during the dead of night, a mixed blend of nobles and poverty-stricken people. The sweet scent of baked goods and cooked meat flowed through the marketplace, while the castle smithy smelled of burning griffon leather and the hammer against heated metal spread through the air. Witty banter and mugs slamming down on wooden tables echoed from taverns; the booming voices of griffon storytellers and the laughter of ponies listening just one example of griffon and pony friendship. Children would play in one of many puddles accumulated on on the cobblestone, splashing water on each other and having adults shout for them to either move out of the way or return home. Chapel bells rang and ponies left the safety of their homes to be embraced by The Gods of Old, while others stayed home and practiced their own faith.
Now, soldiers marched through the streets creating a cacophony of metal and orders being thrown by captains. Taverns grew quieter, though the conversations inside could barely be heard from across the street. The smithy was still busy and the markets were almost empty of any stands. Stores and restaurants were open, but lacked customers or families. While the chapel bells rang above the commotion of soldiers, but when one entered, they would find most of the seats to be empty and devoid of any followers of The Old Gods.
Grand Healer Rarity looked down from her apothecary at the sullen city, watching as it withered and died before her very eyes. She remembered when the city was full of life, not just anything, but actual happy ponies roaming the streets not just soldiers acting as ordered replacements. As much as she enjoyed order in the city and her own workspace, she needed to see some kind of chaos, but not be a part of it.
“This war is destroying our lives,” Rarity told herself with a whisper. “Nopony is gaining anything from this.”
The Divine Rebellion was the last war The Followers were ever involved in and since then, the military has only grown by laughable amounts. Rarity didn’t agree with going to war with The Order with such a weak military. She had heard the atrocities committed by The Order and the Lord Commander, most notable, how they handled her fellow brothers and sisters in Manehattan.Rarity shivered at the thought of having her powers stripped from her or even...
No, Rarity threw the last thought deep into her brain and avoided it altogether. They may have branded her a heretic, but she knew where her loyalties were. She’d rather die than bow down to some all-seeing goddess and her lunatic followers.
A bang erupted, sending vials and flasks full of remedies of all kinds, unbelievably none of them breaking upon impact with the ground. Rarity turned with a start. “Sweetie Belle!”
“Oh Gods, I’m so sorry!” The small filly cried, laying on her rump and covering her face. Her small blue robes collected dust on the silky fabric while the circular pin holding it all together on her shoulder popped off and landed on the ground and her robes fell completely. Rarity thanked Tilena Sweetie Belle had taken to wearing clothing under her robes, even if it was just a shirt and pants with a mantle thrown over. Rarity’s black mantel. “Don’t hit me again!”
As Sweetie tried to get up, she knocked down more and more jars and flasks, managing to save those with her magic. Ultimately, she stayed on the ground and waited for her sister’s judgment.
“Sweetie Belle—that was an accident mind you—I can’t have you rummaging around in here and destroying all my potions,” Rarity said sternly, lifting Sweetie up to her feet. “The coming days are going to be full of casualties and soldiers and civilians alike are going to be in dire need of healing.”
“I didn’t mean to,” Sweetie Belle picked up a few of the dropped potions, read the labels and placed them back in their respective spots on the shelves. “I was looking for something.”
Rarity bent down and took Sweetie’s smooth, silky robes in hand, picking up the large gold pin with her magic. “If you need anything, you needn’t be afraid to ask. What is it you’re looking for?”
Sweetie Belle remained silent as her sister wrapped the clothing around her small frame with remarkable speed and finesse. She brushed Sweetie’s mane from her eyes and smiled. “Well now, don’t be shy, ask me!”
“It was a...” Sweetie muttered.
“Speak up dear.” Rarity let go of Sweetie and scanned through her vast collection. “I am sure to have just about anything you need, so long as the purpose be just and it’s for the betterment of a pony.”
A yell erupted from below the castle, in the streets somewhere or in the castle courtyard. Sweetie Belle jumped and Rarity placed a comforting hand on the shoulder. “There, there. It’s just Grand Paladin Trixie bolstering the troops’ resolve. At least I hope that’s what she’s doing. Nopony’s cheering yet so one can only assume what she’s doing down there.”
“Will the war come to us?” Sweetie asked with a hushed voice, like she didn’t want an uninvited guest to hear her.
Rarity paused. “Well...It has a chance of coming to White Haven, but I doubt we’ll ever be hurt.”
“Why?”
“Why?” Rarity asked herself silently, tangling a finger in a curl of her violet mane. “Why, why, why?” She wasn’t sure if her answer was correct, but before she could even think, it just came out of her mouth like it had a will of its own. “Because we’re much too important for anypony to want to hurt us.”
Sweetie cocked her head.
“Look at the work we do together,” Rarity gestured to all the shelves full of the finest remedies in all of Equestria. “The head of The Church will likely see value in us and spare us of any punishment The Templars will throw at us. We’ll have to convert to their faith, but it won’t count if we don’t actually believe.”
“You really believe that?”
Rarity bit her lower lip. She wasn’t sure what to believe in, but a lie to a child can change their whole view of an outcome to a situation and right now, the children of White Haven desperately needed hope.
“Grand Healer Rarity!” A voice boomed from the door. Healer Lotus burst through the door, a mixture of panic and fear in her eyes. She looked briefly at Sweetie Belle and back to Rarity. “Please, come quickly!”
“What has happened?” Rarity stepped in front of Sweetie as though to protect her from any harm. “Is everything okay?”
Lotus took a moment to catch her breath. “It’s Queen Evergreen! She’s—I don’t-”
“Calm yourself!” Rarity felt herself panic internally, but turned to Sweetie Belle, unsure if her sister should watch the process or stay to watch the apothecary. In the end, she didn't utter a single word to her. “Take me to her Lotus.”
“No need!” Aloe shouted from down the hallway. She led a group of guards escorting the fairly young Queen Evergreen, sweat on her brow and her royal dress swapped out for something more modest. But now wasn’t the time to judge Queen Evergreen’s fashion. Each guard stormed in, Rarity dragging out a table and led The Queen to it. She lay herself on top, guards scrambling to make sure she was okay.
“Queen Evergreen!” Rarity placed a soft pillow for Queen Evergreen to lay her head. “What ails you?”
The Queen faced Rarity, head glistening from the oncoming sweat. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Rarity moved herself closer, Aloe and Lotus spread out an assortment of potions and poultices to an already crowded table behind the Grand Healer. The Queen made an attempt to speak again, but resulted in her crying out in pain, one hand on her stomach and another reaching lower. Groans and screams were all she could muster, Aloe and Lotus pushed the guards away while Rarity scrambled to find the root of the problem.
Another scream erupted and pierced the ears of all the ponies in the apothecary, attention from servants and other healers gathering from the door to the Grand Healer’s work chamber. An aura surrounded Rarity’s hand before she pressed it against The Queen’s stomach, moving her hand out of the way, The Queen now stuck clutching the edge of the table. Rarity’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened.
“By Tilena,” Rarity almost fell down on her knees, but she willed herself to stay standing. Words were caught in her throat, but the constant screams and cries urged her to spit the words out. “Lotus! Aloe! Take her hands!”
The healers flanked The Queen on both sides and did as they were told while Rarity worked her way past the tight space between the guards and the table and spread The Queens legs. “Forgive me Your Grace. Give me space guards! Leave!”
The metal clad ponies all rushed away, but remained behind Sweetie Belle, watching as Rarity tossed lifted The Queen’s skirt slightly. “Aloe, give her the golden flask!”
Aloe, without question tried to give Queen Evergreen the contents of the flask, although it mostly splashed on her face, she managed to take in enough from what Rarity could tell. “What’s wrong with her? What are you doing?”
“Queen Evergreen,” Rarity tried to take the fear and worry out of her voice. “I need you to push as hard as you can!”
The atmosphere changed in the room. The shock spread through the room while everypony attempted to take in what had just been asked. Even through the grunts and cries of Queen Evergreen, silence between the ponies managed to overpower The Queen’s voice. Aloe and Lotus firmly gripped her hands while she tried to do as Rarity had ordered. The crowd of guards and the few onlookers from the nearby corridors of the castle watched as their queen writhed on the hard wooden table with only a single cushion for her comfort.
“Keep pushing,” Rarity was muttering by now, the head of the newborn in her hands. Soon the body and arms followed, each inch of the foal coming out making Rarity’s heart slow down and her head spin. When the baby was out, Rarity cradled it in her arms like it were her own, but it was out of pure fascination of the divine pink foal in her arms; a far cry from Queen Evergreen’s forest green coat. She shielded the child from sight with her body, turning her head to the gather crowd. “Guards! Servants and healers! Leave us now!”
And they did as Rarity had ordered, Sweetie Belle shutting the door after the last of the ponies had left. Shortly after, she approached Queen Evergreen, who was breathing heavily and her eyes closed. She opened them and reached with both arms. “Bring me the child.”
Rarity slowly approached, her legs feeling like lead while holding the silent baby in her arms. Sweetie Belle’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of the foal, Aloe and Lotus pressing their hands against their mouths. Queen Evergreen’s brilliant amber eyes widened at the sight of the foal and her arms seemed to have grown weak. Rarity helped support her arms until she brought the foal to her chest. It’s eyes were closed and it remained curled, protected by its messy wings. Queen Evergreen brushed the violet mane of her foal, running her fingers between the streaks of pale gold and rose, and smiled at the sight of its innocent face. She ran a finger across the foal’s face, as if to confirm for herself that it was really there in her arms. Her fingers brushed lightly against the face and up to the tip of its horn. Her heart stopped beating at the touch. She swallowed hard and tried to catch her breath. It was real.
The silence was broken by the sudden hard knocking on the door. “Grand Healer! Queen Evergreen!”
Aloe rushed to the door, raising the iron bar and opening it, letting the glistening, armored pony in, but slamming it on the other guards with her. Trixie looked back at her with confusion, reaching for her blade. Queen Evergreen’s weak voice rose in protest. “You will stand down Grand Paladin. And your men will calm themselves.”
The commotion behind the door ceased briefly and soon after the shifting armor plates vanished altogether. Trixie gazed down upon The Queen. “We heard your screams from the courtyard. We thought you were in danger.”
Her gaze shifted lower to the foal in Queen Evergreen’s arms. “Coretha’s blood!”
“Quiet!” Rarity hushed. “Please keep your voice down!”
“You expect me to keep calm?” Trixie approached Rarity, fists curling. Sweetie Bell stood between her, a feeble attempt at defending her older sister. Trixie closed her mouth and backed away, calming herself. “Do you not realize what is in our queen’s arms?”
“How can I not? But what we all have seen here does not leave this room. Nothing here.” Rarity looked over all the ponies, making sure the point came across.
“The Templar Order must never find out about this,” Queen Evergreen managed, still looking at her child and playing with its mane and tail. “This must become the most heavily guarded secret in all of Equestria.”
“The first alicorn since The Divine Sisters?” Trixie scoffed. “Let The Templars know, strike fear into them.”
“The Templars killed the last two alicorns to have grace Equestria,” Lotus reminded. “A baby alicorn would pose no threat to The Templars nor The Church. The least that foal will become is a martyr and that will be all. This-”
“Enough!” Queen Evergreen shouted. Her wings tensed, but her positioning denied them any freedom to be stretched completely. “I know what I will do with my child. Plans will be made and secrets must be kept. I thank Brenna that I have trustworthy ponies in my presence. For now, I must rest.”
“The foal needs a name,” Sweetie blurted out. She grew read when the ponies, even Queen Evergreen, lowered their heads to look at her. “Apologies.”
“No, no, you are right. I think....” The Queen looked towards the ceiling. “Cadence. After the goddess of beauty. I would much desire a bed to lay in, if I may be so bold. I fear this rickety table will be the end of me and my daughter and stop what The Old Gods have planned for us before they start..”
Rarity smiled, but questions were waiting to be answered. With strong will, she stuffed those questions in the back of her mind. The answers must come later. As will the discussion with The Queen as to what will be done with the child in the days to come.
“You have a blade!” Lord Commander yelled at a Templar initiate. “Use it!”
The Lord Commander shook her head at the pitiful sight. Ponies slashed and their opponents forgetting to use their shields, while others shot magic at anti-magic armor and shields. If this was to be the latest generation of Templar soldiers, Lord Commander Twilight was not impressed. She watched from the safety of a castle corridor overlooking the training courtyard; renovated of all plant-life and expanded to accommodate more than forty initiates at a time. But it this was the best work initiates could manage, then the renovations to the ancient gardens of the Divine Sisters would have all been for nothing.
Lord Commander Twilight didn’t condone the destruction of such a beautiful garden, but as always, everything she didn’t want done was done before she reached the top of The Order. She missed the scent of lilies and roses, as well as the exotic plants from lands long since extinct or from other lands. Sometimes, she wondered if The Unicorn Rebellion was ever necessary, although she never dared to speak it out loud, added with the fact that she was content with the life she had chosen.
“Block! You have shields, use them!” Twilight yelled once more, feeling her expectations have been set way too high for most of these ponies. Dull blades met and shields were finally being raised by most. “Your magic won’t work, stop casting spells! And don’t burn the damn castle down with that fire Torch!”
She shook her head again, looking to the trainer. “Incompetent. Not all, but most.”
“They’re mostly conscripts,” Trainer Beam replied. “Most haven’t picked up a blade or worn a set of armor in their lives. Others are young, but too aggressive for their own good. The one’s who know what they are doing are holding back and trying to train the opponent themselves. A noble task, but not their job.”
“You mustn't be afraid to go hard on them,” Twilight said. “Know each initiate and make sure you watch all of them. I understand you're new to the job, but if we are to retain good soldiers and keep the status of our order, then training must be brutal for all, even if not all of them make it through to the end.”
“Understood Lord Commander.” Trainer Beam nodded. “I’ll get right to it.”
Twilight nodded. She turned to leave, but was blocked by a short stout stallion. “Lord Commander,” he huffed and puffed, but Twilight gave him a moment to breathe. He held up a scroll. “Crow for you. Glint’s crow.”
The Lord Commander jumped, shocked. “Glint? That traitor sent for me?”
“It’s urgent. He had directions to bring it to you first and have you and the council meet.”
She took the scroll in the palm of her leather glove and opened it. Her eyes skimmed through the first paragraph and she stopped, looking up with a faint smile. “Glint, you bastard, I knew you were still with us.”
She went back to reading it, walking down the interior corridor of Canterlot Castle. She was halfway through it when she stopped in her tracks and looked up from the parchment. She was the only one in the grand hallway. Pillars reached from the floor to the ceiling, stained glass flanking her left and right. She was the only sentient being in there. She reread each line carefully before rolling the scroll back up and rushing to Seraph Moonlight’s courtroom with speeds she had never before reached.
Twilight rushed through the maze of corridors, passing other Templars, leaving them stunned and confused. She stopped in front of the door to the grand court and slammed the doors open. Seraph Moonlight looked up from the ponies in the court, who all trained their eyes on the crazed mare.
“Everypony!” Twilight bellowed. “Leave this court! The council has much to discuss. Leave now! Templars, fetch Grand Cleric Lyra and Mother Fluttershy. There is much to discuss.”
Ponies looked to The Seraph for a response. “Well? Go now, we will continue this a later date.”
Ponies crowded the exit after Twilight walked the steps up to the leader of The Church. She bowed on one knee, staring at the ground. “Apologies, Most Holy.”
Seraph Moonlight stood, robes dragging behind her as she weakly took steps down to Twilight without the aid of her cane. The grey old mare placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder pauldron and the mare rose. “Interrupting my court is a bold move young Lord Commander. May it be for good reason. I should expect such from you.”
“I was ordered to give this to you,” Twilight extended her arm, holding the scroll in hand. Seraph Moonlight’s dark hand took the scroll, opened it and began to read.
“You called for us?” Grand Cleric Lyra stood at the door, alongside with Mother Fluttershy.
“Come, now,” Seraph Midnight spoke. “There is...There is much for us to discuss. Your spy, Glint, is still in White Haven?”
“Yes Most Holy,” Twilight responded. “Will I send a crow for him?”
“Yes. For now, we have much to discuss." Seraph Midnight gestured toward the Templars at the door. "Leave us."
Dirt erupted from the ground as soon as she hit the ground, dirt filling her mouth and grass trying to pierce her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly, fighting back tears and forcing the lump down her throat. She grit her teeth and curled her fingers, gripping the grass and dirt in her fists. When her eyes opened, the abandoned monastery in the valley vanished and she was right back where she started. The mountains in the distance slowly vanished with each blink, giving way to the familiar dilapidated slums of the pegasus alienage. Tears fell from her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to keep them from dripping down the bridge of her nose and her cheek.
A kick to her side flipped her onto her back, making her groan and clutch her rib tightly, her light leather armor replaced with the rags given to her since birth. When she opened her eyes again, the sun almost blinded her, but she could make out the outline of him. She almost heard his taunting voice, but her hard breathing and blurry vision managed to tune out his voice. He bent down closer, but she reached beside her and felt the handle of her blade and threw her arms in the air, curving up and slicing him from the chin and swiping down, bringing the blade down on his shoulder.
Blood sprayed on her face and rags, but she didn’t care. Her violet mane dripped sweat, dirt and crimson, with anger blinding her vision. The ponies around her circled around them, but not one did a single thing about it. They all just stared and watched in horror as he begged for mercy after every strike. No matter how many times she hit him, more blood poured out on her and he just kept thrashing.
“Scootaloo!” He yelled, but his voice was far and distant like he were screaming in an empty space. She didn’t listen to him. “Scootaloo stop!”
“Die!” She yelled back above the rising voices of the crowd. With each wild swing and swipe she yelled, “Die, die, die, die, die!”
“Scootaloo!”
She was back; the trash ridden streets having vanished and the crumbling, dead monastery returned beside her. Cobblestone was replaced with grass and hay, trash with leaves and puddles with wet mud. The boy was no longer there. Rainbow Dash snatched the sword from Scootaloo in a fit of understandable anger. Scootaloo looked around, seeing the grand vista from the top of the hill. The mountains were back in their place in the distance and hills rolled before them like waves of water.
Rainbow Dash sat on a broken slab of stone and brushed her mane aside. Scootaloo approached with caution, but Rainbow threw the dull blade at her, missing by mere centimeters. The battered mare spat a string of crimson at the ground which hung by a thin liquid thread on her lower lip. Steam left her mouth with each breath and she refused to even glance at the filly. She rubbed her newly bruised cheek, beginning to unlock the straps of her armor afterwards. She put a hand on her rib and flinched. “Fuck.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Scootaloo murmured. She picked up her practice blade and hung her head in shame. She stepped closer to Rainbow, but decided against it. She didn’t know if the older mare would wind up hitting her back or beating her half to death like she had just done.
Rainbow turned, trying to restrain herself of whatever infuriated outburst that would have spewed from her mouth. She grit her teeth, Scootaloo hanging her head even lower and keeping her eyes trained on the ground. The silence between them was deafening. Rainbow tried to think of the words to say, but her mouth just hung open, red from blood. Scootaloo felt a pang of guilt just seeing the external damage done to her. If they wanted a full review, a healer would have been worth the cost. And all their gold.
“I’m sorry,” Scootaloo repeated, louder this time.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and spit out another stream of blood. “You’re...sorry? That’s it?”
Scootaloo didn’t answer.
“You’re sorry? For what, almost smashing my fucking face in? Breaking all my damn ribs?I’ll give you one thing kid, you’ve got the anger, but you gotta work on when it comes to play in a fight. When I got you down on the ground, I could have killed you in a real fight. I’m lucky that’s not a real sword. Next time we train? Keep the damn anger in check.”
Scootaloo remained silent, watching as Rainbow sat and stared off into space. She was unsure of whether or not it would have been a good idea to sit next to her, so Scootaloo crept away and opened the grand door to the monastery, stepping in and taking in the sweet dusty and rotting scent of the old temple. Her makeshift leathery bed sat in the corner beside a stained glass window of one of The Old Ones. She couldn’t say who the pink alicorn goddess was, but Scootaloo prayed that she wasn’t watching over her like the ponies in Sanctuary said they were.
She grit her teeth and threw her practice blade against the wall, dust rising as the single stone she threw her blade upon shed a layer, pebbles crumbling down onto her bed. Her hands curled into fists as she threw them against wooden beams, punching wildly and kicking against the beam with all her built up fury. Scootaloo’s vision went blurry again, her cheeks feeling warm and her knuckles soaking the in all the pain like a sponge.
When she finished, she leaned on the beam and fell on her rump. The stones were cold, but she ignored it, bringing her legs to her chest and holding herself tightly and banging the back of her head against the wood in a fit of irrational anger. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why do you have to go around screwing everything up? First I get my parents killed and now I’m gonna lose the only pony caring for me. What else after that, huh?”
Scootaloo looked up at the pink alicorn on the glass. “If you’re so holy and divine and care for all ponies, whoever you are, why am I so damned useless?! What’s the point of watching over me if you aren’t going to help me out every now and again? If you’re so powerful, why the hell don’t you just give me my parents back? If you’re so damn powerful, why don’t you just kill me?!”
Scootaloo stood silently in under the gaze of the alicorn, waiting for some kind of answer, but like she expected, there was no answer. “Of course. What was I expecting from an alicorn? We killed all of you, so what am I talking to a dead god for?”
The door opened, Rainbow Dash coming in, staring at the ground as she moved to the darkest edge of the room, where all her equipment was. It was like she had tried to put as much distance between Scootaloo as she could when not traveling side by side. “You’re doing it again kid,”
“W-what?” Scootaloo stammered.
“Talking down to yourself again,” Rainbow rolled the bed and strapped it against the side of her bag and worked on stuffing everything else she owned inside. “Or berating or whatever the hell you wanna call it.”
“I’m just...Everything’s...” Rainbow approached Scootaloo, trying to stretch her arm enough to get it through the loop of her bag, wincing in pain. “I just have a lot of...things built up inside, too much for me to handle. I never get a proper release like you do when you...”
“When I kill somepony,” Rainbow finished. The two stared solemnly at each other. Rainbow looked up at the pink alicorn herself, the first time she had since arriving two days ago. She bit her lip and looked back at Scootaloo, tears of her own forming in her eyes, but unlike the filly she was looking at, Rainbow had done a much better job at keeping them from falling. “That doesn’t give me any release kid, and it won’t for you neither. Trust me on that one. Now get you stuff together. We got a hike to make. I’ll give you some time to..uh...calm down.”
With that, she left Scootaloo alone in the monastery. She didn’t leave a single second for Scootaloo to call for her like she wanted to, but she thought that may have been for the best. She wasn’t sure of what she’d say to Rainbow.
When she finished packing her bag, she checked inside her pant pocket, making sure her mother’s journal and father’s stopwatch was still in there. She released a long sigh when she felt them in there safe. She stepped outside to find Rainbow Dash throwing rocks at various pieces of land, a glum expression plastered on her face.
“I’m ready,” Scootaloo said.
“Good,” Rainbow replied walking back onto the trail overrun with weeds and dead leaves. “C’mon, Templars’ll be catching up with us if we don’t hurry up into Follower territory.”
Scootaloo nodded and followed the rainbow maned pony down the trail, trying to keep a decent space behind her. The walk down the path was long and silent. Their stolen boots crunching over dead leaves and the contents of their bags shifting together proved to be the only sound besides the forests creatures. Leaves rustled together and squirrels sent leaves falling off and dropping their food on the heads of the pegasi below. Dead twigs and branches littered the ground like arms and legs of the old and brittle. It reminded Scootaloo of what she thought the supposed massacre of Manehattan; limbs ripped from Followers of The Old Gods and left in the streets in full view of everyone.
Dirt began to give way to mud as rain began to pour through the forest. Their boots sank deep, requiring extra effort just for them to move forward. Both suffered from the problem of brushing their damp mane from their eyes while trying to ignore their clothes sticking to their fur. Trees became more abundant as the dou trudged through the path, still maintaining the same five foot distance between each other since leaving the monastery grounds. Scootaloo wanted the rolling hills back and the trees gone, hoping to see more of the mountains their destination was supposedly located in. Then again, if they were going to be in a town at the mountain’s base, the hope for trees to disappear seemed like a childish wish.
The trail soon gave way to cobblestone stuffed lazily into the ground followed by a marker jutting out of the ground, crooked and the words almost unreadable. Rainbow Dash approached it, looking both ways of the road before she did so.
Scootaloo felt the color and warmth of blood leave her face and her heart fall deeper in the pits of her body. “We’re on a main road,” she said.
“Not anymore it isn’t..” She took out a dirt covered parchment, yellowed with age and blotches covering it where water had fallen. Rainbow placed a hand on the hilt of her blade, but didn’t take it out. “We can take it, but there may be trouble down the road. Whatever you do, just stay back and we should get to the actual main road without a problem with only a mile left to Follower territory under the mountain. Outdated or no, the sign’s got the right directions and we’re headed the right way anyway.”
Scootaloo, reluctantly, took a step forward with the mare, following closely behind her.
Blood soaked the very fabric of her clothes, staining her coat with crimson. The two bodies on the ground lay with barely any life left in them. Scootaloo watched as the mare made a feeble attempt to crawl over to her, but Scootaloo’s body was as still as a statue. Her mind drew up blanks as she watched the pitiful figure try to crawl without scraping her wounds on the pebble ridden surface of the ground. Scootaloo had seen this mare before. Lived with her and loved her more than anything in the world.
“Mother...” Scootaloo managed. She moved her arms, but they were too weak for her to even lift them all the way up. She tried to crawl on her hands and knees, but her muscles refused to allow even the slightest movements. “Mother!”
The mare shifted on her side clutching the wound tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. She looked over at the other figure beside her, managing a weak cry. Her gaze turned to Scootaloo and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words left.
Scootaloo shot up, not from the ground, but in her bed. She looked about in the room, realizing she was no longer covered in blood. She wasn’t even in her wet clothes from earlier swapped out for something more civil and clean. The long sleeves were gone, replaced with shorter ones stretching only inches past her shoulders. She stared at her arms with shock and surprise, looking from her bicep to her forearm.
When did I get so...big? Scootaloo thought, turning her arms for different angles. She never thought she’d earn herself a few well toned muscles, especially at such a young age. Her hands were calloused from weeks of using her dull, practice blade with Rainbow Dash. She smiled, feeling satisfied knowing she had more muscle than most of the boys in the alienage.
The alienage, She thought. Anger replaced satisfaction in an instant, but Scootaloo released it with but a few deep breaths, although it still lingered like an infection. She thought back to the dream. Or were they memories? Scootaloo wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it was vivid. The look in her mother’s eyes. The pain and anguish. So many years of life all undone with one swift action.
Scootaloo hit the bed, not realizing she might have hit Rainbow. She turned to apologize, but the cyan pegasus was nowhere to be seen. Scootaloo’s heart skipped a beat. “Rainbow Dash?”
She hopped off the bed and on her feet. The dampness of the wood diffused through her socks and chilled her to the bone. The room was fairly small, only able to fit the double bed, a nightstand beside it and a mirror adjacent from the door. Their bags were tightly packed in front of the nightstand, crushing whatever food that wasn’t rotten inside and the glass jars full of water. A single candle stood atop the nightstand, while two were placed on the walls in front of the door opposite from each other.
Scootaloo opened the door slightly, surprised to see nopony in the inn from the small crack of vision the door allowed. The drunk keeping her awake most of the night was gone from his chair beside the fire pit, which was still burning despite nothing being cooked. It granted enough illumination for Scootaloo to make out the dark frame of Rainbow Dash, sitting by herself at the counter in the far end of the inn. Scootaloo opened the door wider, feeling it safe to come out.
A hand touched her gently on the shoulder, but Scootaloo punched it away, jumping back from the innkeeper who recoiled from the filly’s reflex. The griffon’s purple eyes flashed with brief fear, but her weak smile betrayed any signs of it. “Apologies little one,”
“No,” Scootaloo said relaxing herself. “I’m sorry about that.”
The innkeeper knelt down slightly to Scootaloo’s level. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine,” Scootaloo said, swallowing. She personally didn’t know how she felt. Confused seemed to have summed it up and the griffon was able to see that.
“Come young one,” She gestured for Scootaloo to the bar in a seat besides Rainbow Dash. “We should get you something to eat.”
Scootaloo silently carried herself up the high stool, looking at Rainbow. She was passed out, glass of ale half full still in her hand. Her head rested on the table mane draped sloppily over her eyes.
The griffon slid a wooden bowl of soup to Scootaloo. Carrots, broccoli seemed to be the main contents, but Scootaloo didn’t mind it at all. It felt like days since her last meal and she was much too hungry to be picky about what she wanted in her soup. The first spoonful was hot, almost making her spit out all of it. Instead, she forced most of the soup down her throat while continuing to chew on the vegetables. Her tongue burned hotter than the sun on summer days, but she tried not to make it seem apparent to the innkeeper.
“You were causing quite a racket in the bed earlier.” The griffon poured water into a cup with a tender smile. “I was going to come in to make sure you were okay.”
“Is it late?” Scootaloo asked after finishing a mouthful carrots. “Or is it early in the morning?”
“I’d wager about two hours after midnight,” she placed the cup beside the wooden bowl. “I’m surprised you hadn’t woke the other guests.”
Scootaloo looked at Rainbow Dash again, snoring lightly. “How long was she out?”
“Only recently,” The griffon took the ale from the pegasus. “She has quite the tolerance for Black Griffon Brandy. Have you two been traveling together long?”
Scootaloo grew silent for a moment. “We’ve traveled quite a bit together.”
“Where from?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Alright then,” She poured the alcohol into a bucket and placed the glass on a counter where other used glasses sat. “Can I at least know where you are headed?”
“Someplace safe,” Scootaloo blurted out without thinking. The griffon looked with a raised eyebrow, but she remained silent. “We’re both in a mess. We needed to come to Follower territory to get away from...things.”
“The Templars,” the innkeeper finished solemnly. Scootaloo nodded. “Your friend has quite the mouth on her. She may be drunk, but I’ve heard enough of what she’s said.”
Scootaloo sat there quietly, eating her soup staring at the bowl as she ate. She was much too tired to even know what she should have thought at that moment.
“Speak no more young one,” the innkeeper said with a smile. “In the land of The Old Gods, you are safe. Tell your friend to see me before you decide to take your leave. I believe I can help you to your next destination.”
Scootaloo only nodded again, watching the griffon as she cleaned the glasses with a simple wet rag. Her vision drifted to Rainbow Dash who slumped over and hit her nose against the counter. Despite the thud against the timber, she managed to stay asleep.
