Mystery Misadventure Miscalculated!

“Come on Sweetie Belle, harder!”

“Get into position, Scootaloo!”

“Applebloom, use more energy, pump it faster!”

“Is Sweetie Belle flying yet?”

“No, she’s not.”

“OH COME ON!”

“Girls, we’re not going to finish this routine if we keep going the wrong direction…”

“THEN GET INTO POSITION APPLEBLOOM!”

It was another interesting day in the town of Ponyville, or more specifically the tree house in the apple orchards. The cutie mark crusaders were once again trying to get their cutie marks. Naturally, to no avail as always.

“I can’t believe we still don’t have our cutie marks yet! We tried every possible position, posture, everything!” Sweetie Belle groaned.

“Well, you can’t expect everything to go right on the first try… This is all our first times doing this right?” Scootaloo said sheepishly. It was pretty obvious who thought of this idea.

“Well I had it! Heck, even Sweetie Belle’s had it! Can we please do something else? How about a trip to the Everfree forest? I want to visit Zecora!” Applebloom remarked.

“Sure, why not?” Sweetie Belle chirped.

“Of course you would say that…” Scootaloo snorted.

Before Scootaloo could finish her sentence, she was already face to face with an angry Applebloom.

“And WHAT does that imply’? Are you still, I don’t know, SCARED of Zecora?” Her sudden anger caused Scootaloo to jump before replying.

“No…it’s just that the way she talks is weird…”

“Well, are you chicken, or are you coming?”

“Fine…let’s go to the Everfree forest, sheesh.”

And with those words, the trio dropped their circus equipment and left the tree house, heading towards the gloomy woods.

Passing by the apple orchards, Scootaloo remarked: “What’s the point of visiting your zebra friend anyway?”

“Yesterday Zecora told me that there would be a strange event that would affect the whole town of Ponyville! I’m just curious to see what she means by that, since her predictions improve when the event comes closer to its unknown date.” Applebloom replied.

“And how in Equestria does she actually do that?” Sweetie Belle asked, being as confused as Scootaloo, tilting her head.

“I’m not really sure actually. She says that all zebras have the ability to sense natural or artificial disasters and situations by picking up the vibrations on the ground. Zecora uses these sensed vibrations and translates them into a message. She even says that my family all have the same ability as well, only less powerful. What’s more interesting is that she says that Pinkie Pie’s sense is stronger than hers. I wonder what that means?”

“Who knows? Maybe Zecora was just pulling your hoof…”

“Well, since we’re already here, it wouldn’t hurt to find out…” Sweetie Belle interjected.

The trio looked forwards and the dark forest welcomed them silently, revealing the thin road in the darkness.

“Um…are you sure you want to visit Zecora? I don’t think its safe for any of us to venture in this place…” Scootaloo whimpered.

“Oh please. The Everfree forest isn’t scary at all! We always see our sisters venture into the forest for fun and always come out unharmed, and even Applebloom does too!” Sweetie Belle giggled.

Applebloom groaned. “Since when was the forest dangerous? It’s all the silly rumors and claptrap that made it scary anyway. Ponies are scared of the forest just because it’s different, just like they were all afraid of Zecora at first.”

“I remember that! Rarity used to lock me in her room every time she showed up! I got to see her through the upper window though, and she didn’t look that bad to me, just different.” Sweetie Belle remarked, not before smirking a bit.

“Well, not as bad as that one time Scootaloo tried to impress Rainbow Dash by introducing herself in a cool way and ended up tripping on a log and…”

“Ok ok ok! I get it! Let’s go into the forest…” Scootaloo sighed.

Chucking they set off onto the dirt path. The forest rustled quietly, the draft of a spring breeze falling victim into an inescapable hole.

“Aren’t any of your scared? I mean I’m not, but didn’t we get attacked by a cockatrice here before?” Scootaloo said quietly.

“Yeah…but since then I have been constantly going in the forest and nothing has attacked me so far, so I’m not scared at all!” Applebloom quipped, walking in front of the trio.

Another rustle came by the forest, this time artificial.

“But doesn’t the forest actually have dangerous creatures?”

“Yes it does Scootaloo, but most of them only come out at night.”

The rustling of the leaves became louder, but still not noticeable.

“Um…Applebloom? What kind of creatures?”

The rustling was highly noticeable now. Scootaloo was hiding behind Sweetie Belle while the latter was not amused.

“Darn it are you really that scared? Fine, I’ll tell you. There are cockatrices, manticores, hydras, hippogriffs, even…”

The creature glided out of the darkness, its teeth baring, sharp and unforgiving. The ghostly texture was pale, yet it held the presence of fear in its body, fear that was reflected in all of the fillies faces.

“A Tara…Taraxippus!”

“Everyone, RUN!”