Ben

It's sometime around Oone AM.

I look up at the stars, those beautiful stars, wishing that I could fly up and touch them, if only to get away from this life.

"Hey!" I hear somepony call from the ground.

I look down.

It's Scootaloo, looking very tired and holding one hoof in an awkward manner.

"I need help!"

I immediately jump down. "What happened?"

She holds out her other hoof, sitting on her haunches strangely for a moment, while panting for air.

"Are you hurt? What's going on?"

"Took... Applebloom..." She gasps between breaths, "I..." She holds her head as she tries to get her breath. "Orphanage... No guards..."

"Hold up, breathe, take a moment."

"Breathe."

She nods, leaning on her one forehoof for a minute to catch her breath.

She hiccups awkwardly. "Bad ponies took Applebloom; kidnapped her to the Orphanage. But don't ask for guards.. Won't help." She says quickly, awkwardly hiccuping at various intervals.

"What? The orphanage?! Why?!"

She gulps her spit down, "I-I dunno really. I ran away from there when I was really young, they... They did really bad things to the kids. Some disappeared forever." She shakes her head, "The guard are paid off, calling them makes it worse." She shakes her head, "I've tried.."

I shake my head in horror. "I can't believe it.. Here, come inside, let me patch you up."

She shakes her head, "No time."

I frown, then raise my hand and channel energy. My door flies open, and my medical kit flies out. Within seconds, her hurt legs are bandaged. "You stay here."

She stops me, "Wait, do you have a cell phone?"

I nod, pulling it out and showing her.

She pulls out her own old flip phone, "Number... Gotcha."

She gleans your number off your phone and adds it to her phone. "I'll help in any way I can."

"Alright, but you stay here. You have my permission to utilize anything in my house you need."

She nods.

"Now, tell me exactly how to get there."

She points to a yonder bridge, "You gotta follow the brim of the Everfree forest around until you find it. You'll know it when you see it."

I nod. "Alright." I think, trying to remember if I have any weapons in my house.

I raise my hand, and out flies a feather duster, smacking solidly into my grip.

"... Apparently not."

I sigh, tossing it aside. "Okay. I'll be back with Apple Bloom as soon as I can. Stay here, rest. Okay?"

She hobbles in on three legs, "I can't go help? I sorta know the layout of the place..."

I shake my head. "I won't put you in danger like that. No, I'm going by myself."

"B-But..."

"No, Scootaloo. You being safe is most important right now. I won't let you get hurt, not if I can help it."

"She's my friend too!" She yells, stomping her hoof and yelping loudly, "Buck!"

I look her in the eye. "Scootaloo, you're injured," I tell her calmly. "If I take you along, you could get hurt even worse. And if that happens, I don't know what I'd do. And, being perfectly honest, I wouldn't be able to focus completely on rescuing Applebloom, I'd have to make sure to protect you the whole time, too."

"It's safer for you, it's safer for me, and it's safer for Applebloom if you stay here."

She frowns, not saying anything else but just staring at me.

"I'm sorry, okay? I would bring you if I could, but I gotta keep you safe."

She furrows her brow, "What if..."

I shake my head. "Nope."

She shakes her head, "No, no. What if I drew a map? I don't remember much but..."

"Oh. Yes, alright. That'll give me some time to prepare. How quickly can you have it drawn?"

She sits and scratches herself in an awkward place, "Uh..."

"Five? Ten minutes?"

"Alright." I levitate some paper and drawing instruments over to her. "Go ahead."

She grabs the pencil with her mouth and shakily starts sketching. "I'm bucking shaking too much... Celestia damn it..." She mutters around the pencil, trying to steady herself.

I gently stroke her mane. "It's okay, I know you can do it."

She flinches away from me, "Don't… Don't touch me, please."

"...Sorry. I just wanted to comfort you."

She continues drawing without saying anything else. I leave her to it, going through my house to see if I can find anything that could be used as a weapon.

While searching through my bathroom, staring at my shaving razors in thought, it suddenly occurs to me. "Oh. Kitchen knives. Duh."

I grab my messenger bag and run to the kitchen, grabbing every knife and putting it in the bag.

I also grab a frying pan, because they're surprisingly good at both offense and defense.

She hands me one piece of paper. Then another.

"Thank you," I say.

"I ran out through the kitchen, so it's... probably safe. But this is all I remember... The rest is a blank"

She frowns, "The bedrooms are up the stairs, My room is this one and... This one was my old friend who lived there. I dunno if she still does but..." She points the two rooms out, "There... Sorry I don't remember anymore."

"Thank you, Scootaloo. I'll do my very best. Now, can you tell me about what happens there?"

"I need to know what to expect."

She stares at the pencil, sitting on the floor in front of her. "Have you ever heard of the Sombran market?"

"Uh... no."

She pokes at it, "The Sombran Market is kinda like... Imagine a market stall that will sell and buy anything. Nopony likes to admit they exist; the guard say they're trying to get rid of them, but even they know it's important to the economic standing for the country." She pokes at it again, nudging it away from her. "Imagine a store that sold illegal crystals, that sold plants you couldn't normally grow without a permit." She sighs, "Imagine a store that sold ponies, or just their bodies, or even parts of them."

"...You've got to be kidding me."

"Let's say they use that market a lot. That's about all I know."

"They contribute to it a lot."

"..."

"And they make enough money to pay off Mayor Mare and the Ponyville guard so they just kinda... Don't look there."

"....."

She stares anywhere but at me

"...I'm going to burn them to the ground."

She snorts.

"I can't believe a disgusting organization like that even exists."

She looks up at me, "You're blind then. Ponies aren't as peace loving as Princess Celestia boasts to everypony else in the world. We all have a cruel side, we all have horrible thoughts, and nopony is innocent of harming another at some point in their lives." She frowns even more, "Time to open your eyes."

My fists clench. "Buck that."

"I don't care if it takes me a month, a year, or the rest of my life, but I'm gonna tear down every evil organization I can possibly find."

"...even if it costs me my life."

She does that kinda laugh where it's just little hisses, "Yeah. Sure. You don't get it at all."

"What do I not get?"

She shakes her head. "Look. We just have to try and find Applebloom. Don't worry about anypony else, just find her. Okay?"

I cross my arms. "Fine." I grab a few bottles of water from my fridge, pouring them down the sink.

She tilts her head, "What the hell are you doing?"

I don't answer her, going into my garage. I pick up a red canister, filling the bottles with the foul-smelling liquid.

I tuck them in my bag, then walk back out. "I swear to Celestia that I'll bring back Applebloom, or die trying."

I walk out, the door slamming behind me.

I set off at a run, heading where Scootaloo had directed me.