The Lost Firefly

They walked down the streets together, Scootaloo and Firefly did. The two have been inseparable ever since they found each other. Pulling them apart would make both of their hearts rip in two. So when it came to the point where both of them had to go home, they felt as if something was pulled from their body.

"This is your home?" Scootaloo asked, peering up at Firefly's house. "Neat."

"Well, I'm exhausted, and I haven't been feeling well..." Firefly smiled. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Pinkie promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" Scootaloo did the actions to the words.

Firefly's smile turned into a small grin. "I'll keep in touch." The mare opened her door, went in and closed it tight. Afterwards, Scootaloo paused, then flew off to her home.

She now lived with Rainbow Dash, as she had taken her in as her sister. Scootaloo adored her, and Dash needed an admirer. They loved each other in an odd sisterly way. When Scootaloo arrived back at home, she expected a proud Rainbow Dash waiting for her, about to boast about her day, but instead she came home to a worried Rainbow Dash.

"Where have you been!?" She asked, concerned.

"Out with a friend..." Scootaloo stepped back a bit. "What's wrong?"

"Let me guess; Firefly?" Rainbow Dash stopped flying, and landed near Scootaloo.

"Yeah, why?" Scootaloo replied.

"Well, she hasn't really got a good past, does she?"

"You think that she'll kill like her mother." Scootaloo stated. "Don't you?" She waited for Dash to answer, but she could already tell what she was about to say. "I knew it."

"S-Sorry, but-"

"Dash, she's a good pony! She told me that ponies thought that she would do the same thing, but she hasn't! No one has gone missing, she's just as innocent as she was when her parents tricked her into thinking that the corpses where teddies!"

"I'm sorry, but I was just worried about you..." Rainbow Dash slumped down, never feeling more ashamed in her life.

"It's okay, I know you were." Scootaloo put her hoof on her sister. "But don't worry about me, I'm fine! Just stick to being Rainbow Dash, and not an overly-protective mother, okay?"

"Okay." Dash sat up, putting her hoof to her head. "Got a headache, anyway. Stress must've worn me out."

"Get some sleep." Scootaloo smirked. "You've got a Wonderbolts show on tomorrow."

Night seemed like it was never-ending. All throughout it, Firefly was twisting and turning in her bed, not being able to shake the fact that her parents wanted her to kill like them. She kept asking herself: what if I agreed? What if I decided to kill? She kept on thinking about the outcomes: prison, death row, killing innocent ponies... She had various nightmares about these situations.

In her mind, ponies kept chanting 'murderer! murderer!'. The sound of their voices wouldn't go away... It was the same chant that they sung to her parents when they were dragged out in handcuffs. Ever since that day, she couldn't stop hearing the words of those ponies...

Finally... A dream she liked. A dream of where all of her friends that she made were there with her. Pinkie, Scootaloo, even Sweetie Belle... And Applebloom was alive too! And all the other ponies! She felt happy, she felt warm. Something inside her made her smile. The dream made her smile. Finally, she had a peaceful night.

Then she woke up. The light hit her eyes. She woke up at the crack of dawn, in her bed, and Applebloom was dead.

Applebloom's voice kept echoing through her head throughout the day. Her country-isms bounced on the walls of her brain and her face was always in the corner of Firefly's eye. She felt guilty... She thought that there was something she could've done. If only she was never friends with her, maybe she would still be alive.

Even though guilt was heavy on her shoulders, she tried to be positive. She went out to the market when the sun was at its highest and bought some goodies for herself; some fruit. Later on, she came across Applejack. She felt guilt-stricken ever since that day, and thought that it would be nice to let Applejack know that.

"H-Hello, Applejack." Firefly greeted as she trotted towards the pony.

"Howdy, Firefly." Applejack replied, trying to remain happy for Pinkie Pie.

"L-Listen, I know you probably don't like me..." She sighed. "B-But I want to let you know... That I am deeply sorry for what happened with Applebloom... I... I wish I could've saved her..."

Applejack paused, looking Firefly up and down. She was crying. "It ain't your fault, sugarcube."

"B-But it was..." Firefly started forming tears in her eyes. "I-If I wasn't her friend, then she wouldn't be..."

The orange earth pony lifted up Firefly's chin and stared into her eyes. "Listen, Firefly, I know it ain't your fault. It was your cursed mother that did all that junk! I've moved on, but ah still am angry. If there is anyone that ah would get mah revenge on, it'd be your mother!"

Firefly smiled. "Celestia as my witness, I wanted to kill that mare when I met up with her. She told me that my cutiemark had something to do with what she does, so I told her to kill herself. Would've spat in her face, honestly."

"That's mah girl." Applejack chuckled. "Now, stop feelin' sorry for ya damn self and think about who's the real murderer, got that, sugarcube?"

Firefly nodded. She saw in the corner of her eye Pinkie Pie, who was examining Applejack closely, but soon realised that she had made peace with Firefly. Her grin widened to the point where it would take up half of her face, and galloped off, but still keeping her eye on the two, just in case Applejack tried something bad.