Wicked Games

A young filly sat on the top of a hill, staring over Ponyville. The darkness reflected off of her blood red mane, giving her an ominous glow. Her sanguine eyes bolted around nervously. Her vision had told her to show up here .... but why? Her wings twitched, her anxiety surfacing. She sensed her purpose was fast approaching. She turned her head and faced the gravel path nervously. She heard a sound, almost like wheels attempting to maneuver smoothly through gravel, and tensed. A young, orange filly was approaching on a scooter at an enormously fast pace. "Stop!" the black filly shrieked, causing her company to shriek. She crashed her scooter and flew into the brush.

"What the hay is your problem?" the filly asked, getting to her hooves. She adjusted her saddlebags and helmet, before picking up her scooter to asses the damage. "I could have gotten seriously hurt!"

"I'm so sorry! Wh-what're you doing out her this late, anyway?" The black filly inquired nervously.

"That's none of your business, stranger. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm trying to head that-a-way." She pointed her hoof south, and when the filly turned, she gasped.

"The Everfree forest? You can't go there alone, especially in the dark! It's not safe!"

"Neither is where I'm coming from..." the orange filly muttered. "Now, if you'll excuse me." she scooted past her counter-part, only to be stopped again.

"Listen, I know this might sound crazy, but I was brought here to help you. You can't go in there." the black filly whispered.

"W-what? Who are you?"

"My name... is Darkest Shadows.."

"What!? As in the Shadows' clan? The devil-worshipers who sacrifice-"

"Young filly's like us in the heart of the forest? Yes.... I just escaped. I'm the chiefs daughter, you see, and I just came of age. I was due to be sacrificed to Asmodeus tonight, but I ran off. Please, get out of here." Darkness nudged the filly, in the direction of Ponyville. "Please, before it's too late!"

Chapter Two of Part One

Scootaloo woke the next morning to the sound of her parents screaming at each other. 'Ugh... Celestia forbid somepony sleeps around here..' She thought. She picked the water she kept on her nightstand, and took a long swig. Suddenly, her eyes widened, remembering the events occurring the night before. 'Was all that... a dream?' She shot out of bed, only to trip and get her hooves tangled in the bed sheets. "Owowowowowowow....." she said, rubbing her head. She looked around the room, and gasped. Her scratched helmet, her saddlebags, and her scooter were leaning against the wall. 'It did happen! I knew it!' She thought excitedly. She untangled her legs from her sheets, brushed her mane and tail, and ran out the door.

"You little cun-" her mother yelled behind her. Scootaloo ignored her, as she did every day. 'I have to go find Applebloom and Sweetie Belle and tell them what happened! They've got to hear about this!' She ran and ran, ignoring the tiredness her legs felt, all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. She asked Applejack where they were, only to find out that they were heading to HQ. She caught up with them on the way.

"Howdy, Scootaloo! What's the rush?" Applebloom asked, looking at her fatigued friend inquisitively.

"Yeah, you look like you just saw a ghost!" Sweetie chimed in.

"You girls are never going to believe what happened! So last night..."

Scootaloo went on and told her tale, not skipping a single detail. Apple and Sweetie stared at Scootaloo, mouths agape.

"Wow Scoots! A devil-worshiper left the woods? And she wanted to keep you safe? Golly... that's amazing! Apple said at the end of her friends tale. Sweetie nodded, astonished. She looked at Scootaloo, eyebrow raised.

"Well, now what?" She asked.

"What do you mean, 'now what?'" Scootaloo asked, confused.

"Well, how are you going to thank her? Maybe we can bring her some of my big sisters tasty apple fritters!" Apple said, perking up.

"Oh girls, that's a great idea!" The Cutie Mark Crusaders rushed over to the farm to tell AJ of their plan.

Chapter Three of Part One

"Uh, girls? I don't think yer friend would like these here apple fritters..." AJ said, with a bizarre tone to her voice.

"Why not?" Apple popped one in her mouth. "They're delicious!"

"I know, little sister, but..."

"But what!?" The filly's begged.

"The Shadows' are, uh ..... cannibals."

"What's 'cannibals?'" Sweetie asked. The other two filly's nodded, also unknowing.

"Cannibals.... uh, theyeatotherponiesinsteadofponyfood." AJ said quickly. It was too late, though. The girls had figured it out as she mumbled. Their faces contorted into countenances of confusion and disgust.

"Eat .... ponies? But why?" Applebloom trailed off, turning a gnarly shade of green.

"Well..." Scootaloo gulped, "we might as well try to give her these fritters so we can-"

"No way!" AJ shouted, giving no one else a chance to respond. "I'm sorry, but I'm not letting three little filly's go off to the Everfree Forest alone to try to give tasty snacks to some cannibalistic devil-worshiper!" She stamped her hooves, demanding all attention.

"She's not like them, AJ! I promise! She saved me! You of all ponies should be the one that encourages us to trust her, and give her her the benefit of the doubt! Give her a chance, dang it!" Scootaloo stamped her hooves back at AJ, refusing to give in.

"If you're so positive that this is what's right, then fine! But I'm coming with you. If I tell you to run, Celestia help you you had better run." She stomped out of the barn and onto the path outside of the farm. "Well, you comin' or what?" She called back. The Crusaders followed quickly behind her.

"When we get to the edge of the forest, everypony be quiet, got it? She seemed very shy when we spoke, and I don't want her to get scared and run off." The ponies walked for another twenty minutes or so before they reached the edge. Scootaloo tentatively stepped forward. "D-Darkest? Are you there?" Scootaloo called quietly. Silence engulfed the ponies, and Scootaloo swallowed hard. "Darkest? Are you out there?" Again, silence. She turned to her friends. "Maybe she found somewhere safe to live?" Scootaloo asked, hopefully.

"Or maybe Scoots, it was just a dream." Applebloom said comfortingly.

"But my helmet, and my scooter were all damaged..." Scootaloo said, trying to convince herself.

"I-is somepony there...?" A voice squeaked from the trees. Scootaloo's head shot up and looked around.

"Darkest, is that you?" Scootaloo heard another squeak.

"Yes.... please help me."

Chapter Four of Part One

"Where are you?" Scootaloo begged, hoping to find her before she got hurt.

"Um... I'm up here, in the tree with the blue flowers." Scootaloo searched, and when she saw the tree, she looked up. She couldn't help but giggling at what she saw. "I got caught in a Shadows' trip-trap. Please, get me down before they find me... please... I don't want to die." Darkest started crying,

"I'll get you down, little filly! Don't you worry!" AJ darted over to the ancient tree, and started searching. She looked around for the peg that held the rope, and finally found it. She bucked it out of the ground, and heard a loud thud, followed by a quiet 'Ouch...' AJ strutted back to the Crusaders and faced the woods.

"Okay .... I'm coming out now..." The voice said, almost as quietly as a whisper from Fluttershy. She shakily stepped out of the woods, and what the ponies saw amazed and appalled them. She had a long, blood red mane and tail, and a pitch black coat. Each ear of hers was pierced from base to tip. There were three gauges in each ear as well. One big one, at the base, one medium one in the middle, and a small one near the tip. Her eyebrows and lips also had off-white colored beads in them. Her neck was covered in matching off-white bangles, as was the base of her tail. Her back, from shoulder to hip, was pierced with bones, her wings also pierced. You could see one end of the bones on her right side, and when she turned, the other end. It was horrifying. (Image Soon To Come)

"Are those..... real pony bones?" Applebloom whispered. Darkest nodded, pursing her lips.

"It's a custom in my clan to wear the bones of the dead as tribute of their great ... sacrifice." Everypony started backing away. "Please.... wait! I don't want to be like them! I don't want to kill anypony, or worship Asmodeus." The other ponies looked warily at each other. "Please... they're going to sacrifice me... don't leave me." She started crying again. Scootaloo walked over to her slowly, and placed a hoof on her head. Darkest looked up with wounded and hopeless eyes.

"I'll do everything I can to help you... I Pinkie Pie promies." She smiled at the ponies confused but hopeful smile.

"You will?" Scootaloo grinned at her in assurance.

"C'mon over here and meet my friends!" Scoots pointed a hoof at each pony as they introduced themselves. "Welcome to the family!"

"It's so nice... you know, not having friends who want to sacrifice you and eat your flesh." Darkest smiled.

"Ahahaha... yeah." Sweetie laughed, trying to make Darkest more comfortable.

"Oh my Celestia, I almost forgot!" Applebloom randomly burst out. "We brought you something!"

"Oh yeah!" Scootaloo laughed. She reached into AJ's saddlebags and pulled out the bag of fritters. "These are apple fritters. We figured that since you haven't eaten..... regular pony food, you might like to try it." Darkest reached into the bag and nervously grabbed one. She looked up and saw the excited ponies nodding in encouragement. She slowly popped it into her mouth and chewed. The first look on her face was pure surprise. Confusion, disgust, thoughtfulness, and finally euphoria passed along her face as well.

"These are so.... I don't know how to explain them. Are there more?" She stuck her head in the bag and started eating ferociously. Scootaloo gave AJ an 'I-told-you-so' grin, and AJ tipped her hat back at her. Suddenly, a stick snapped in the woods. "Oh no..." Dark gasped and looked up.

Part One Chapter Five *Part One Final*

Dark stood up straight, then darted behind AJ, shaking. "What's the matter sugar cube? Do you feel okay?" She asked the frightened pony. She turned and hugged her in an attempt to comfort her. There was another cracking sound, followed by hooves shuffling over brush.

"Everypony, we have to get out of here." Dark whispered. "They're coming."

"Who's coming, sugar?" AJ asked, with a not-so-confident tremor in her voice.

"The Shadows." Suddenly, they were surrounded by the smell of rotting flesh. Everypony shut their eyes in an attempt to stop the smell from burning them. Applebloom wailed in pain. Everyone opened their eyes to see a huge bite was taken out of her flank. Dark whinnied and ran, the vile fog following her back into the woods.

"Applebloom!" AJ sobbed/shrieked, running to her aid. She threw her baby sister over her back and started running, Sweetie Belle following close behind. Scootaloo stared at the Everfree forest, shaking. She had to save Darkest. She ran in after her, the darkness soon enveloping her. She had no idea where she was. She ran for hours, calling Darkests' name. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing. Suddenly, she smelled fire. She looked up and squinted, her head darting back and forth trying to find the source. A faint glow was radiating from the edge of her vision. She shot up and ran hopefully towards it, hoping her friend had escaped and made camp. What she found, however, was so vile and repulsive she started vomiting on the spot.