Give It A Day (Unofficially Edited)
Author's Note
Probably the worst thing I've written since Bars and Rainbows Forever.
Oh, well - you're the judge of that one, not me. As always, feedback is always very appreciated, be it constructive or a personal opinion on the story!
Now, go forth and give yourself said voice! Make haste!
Give It A Day (Unofficially Edited)
''We'll find 'em! We have to!''
''Rainbow, stay calm, we have to be patient!'' Twilight said, hovering beside her rainbow-maned companion, whom was clearly way past the borderline of agitated.
''Patient?! How can I be patient with my sister out there?! She could be hurt or worse, and your answer is to ''be patient''?!'' She argued, throwing her hooves up and narrowing her eyes at her recently alicorn-made friend.
''It's not only Scootaloo, Rainbow. Applejack's sister and Rarity's sister is with her, so we don't know how either of them are doing or where they are.'' Twilight said simply, holding her composure. It was only around an hour or two after the defeat of Tirek, the town of Ponyville where the glorious stand-off between Twilight, her friends and Tirek took place. Unfortunately, said stand-off was not without its consequences as they worked their way to bringing down the behemoth.
Twilight's home, almost everything else and structures were lost in the devastation. Fires that had started during the fight had tinted the sky an unearthly orange and yellow that mimed the rays of the sun on a cloudy, early morning. Fortunately, they had burned themselves out a while ago, leaving nothing but simmering and scalded, scorched skeletons of what once stood in their place.
===---===---===---===
''S-So...co-cold...''
''Sweetie, ya'll be fine, we all will be.'' Apple Bloom said soothingly as she lightly had her hoof tucked around the young unicorn's barrel, careful not to cause any more discomfort to her being. At least, not anymore than she was already experiencing. She was laying beside her injured friend, keeping a close eye on her.
Their third friend, Scootaloo, was currently sat beside a tree, clearly distraught with a mix of fear and worry for her friend. She could only stare over at the other two, her eyes fixed upon the wound cut into the skin of Sweetie Belle's hoof.
''But it hurts s-so b-a-bad...'' The unicorn whimpered painfully, looking down to her large wound acquired shortly after the destruction began.
''Ah know, Sweetie, Ah know. Ya'll gotta relax. There. That better?'' Apple Bloom shifted her hoof gently from around her friend's waist, relieving some of the pressure she was applying from her hug.
''A little.'' She managed the tiniest of smiles.
''Rainbow will find us, I know she will. I hope.''
===---===---===---===
''Sweetie Belle!''
''Apple Bloom!''
''Scootaloo!''
Applejack called the names of the three missing fillies. When her other five friends opted for a vote of splitting up to form a search party for the trio, they all decided upon areas to search. Applejack being partnered with Rarity to search the town's borderline, Pinkie with Fluttershy to search what's left of the town and leaving Rainbow Dash and Twilight to search by means of flying overhead for bettering their chances of finding their missing sisters.
''Ah really hope they're alright. Ah swear, if anythin' bad happens to mah li'l sister, Ah'm gonna kill Discord for betrayin' us!'' Applejack seethed, sucking a breath through her teeth.
''Applejack, please! It's not only your sibling that's missing; Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were with her, too, so Celestia knows where they've gotten to during that brute Tirek's destruction of Ponyville and my beautiful boutique!'' Rarity said with a puff of anger, yet her eyes held a glaze of sadness behind them for the loss of her home and workplace.
''Sounds ta me like all ya'll care about is that boutique of yours. Sometimes, Ah think ya'll care more about yer business than the well-being of yer sister.'' The Southern-accented mare deadpanned at her fashionista friend.
''That is simply not true, Applejack! I do too care about my sister's life and well-being! Why, without her, I'd have nothing! Nothing, I tell you!'' Rarity said with a dramatic swoon, throwing her hooves into the air before clamping them tightly around Applejack's shoulders, her muzzle pressed against hers, forcing the emerald eyes of the farm pony to stare into the icy depths of the col blue that made up Rarity's eyes.
''Rarity, get offa m-me! Calm yer tail, sugarcube, we've gotta keep lookin' for 'em. We'll have to continue lookin' through the night if we have ta.''
===---===---===---===
''Scootaloo! Scoots! Darnit, doesn't that pegasus know it ain't safe out there?'' Apple Bloom, the youngest of the Apple family, called out, hoping to make contact with her pegasus friend, now also missing. She had no clue as to when she actually slipped away, but she could only make the conclusion that she possibly went to do her business someplace away from the site they were held up at.
They were in the Everfree Forest; the most dangerous forest known to the pony race for its mysterious history and nature. Creatures of an unholy, spooky and scary inheritance shroud the areas for as far as they stretch. It is avoided by everypony at all costs, mainly because those that venture into its tangled, maze-like depths and thickets full of hidden horrors sometimes never come out, and some dare not know their fate beyond the entrance of the forest.
''Apple Bloom?''
''Yeah, Sweetie? What's the matter?'' She asked, looking down to her tired, faltered face.
''I feel cold.'' Sweetie mumbled, hardly able to form a barrier of strength in her words, resulting in an almost ghostly voice, below a whisper. Apple Bloom leaned down and touched a hoof to her head, quickly retracting it upon finding her to be shockingly cold.
''Oh! My Celestia! You're freezing! We need to get ya to a hospital, that wound ain't lookin' pretty.'' Apple Bloom said, eyes slightly wide and voice alarmed.
''Where'd Scootaloo go?''
''Ah don't know, Sweetie. Ah'm sure she'll be back soon, wherever she is. 'Specially with those...timber wolves...'' She choked back a gulp on that last part.
===---===---===---===
''Pinkie Pie, we need to find the girls. We don't have time to waste by trying to find your party cannon.'' Fluttershy tried to reason with her hyper-active pink party-pony friend, of whom was currently digging through the remains of Sugarcube Corner in search of her prized and iconic party cannon. Some would say it's her little baby. In her mind, nopony could truly define her obsession with the tool.
''But how else will the others know when we find them, Fluttershy?! We need it, pronto! The second we find them, we can set off the cannon into the sky-'' Pinkie Pie stopped briefly in her hyper-digging session in the rubble of the building's remains to pause in thought, hoof tapping her chin lightly.
''Pinkie...''
''I mean, how else would we send a signal? Through a cake into the air after stuffing it full of explosive cake filling?'' She mimed a cake in her hooves, throwing it into the air and flailing her hooves around frantically to mime an explosion.
''Pinkie...''
''I mean, I know it would be tasty and all, but it'll make a bigger mess than there already is! Although, I suppose we could use cake batter as wall filler or cement, but how would we make cakes if we do that?! Ponies would go on strike and-''
''Pinkie Pie!'' Fluttershy exclaimed loudly, this time, thankfully receiving the other pony's undivided attention and causing her to freeze in her random movements and speech to stare sheepishly at the butter pegasus's unamused, annoyed glare.
''Or we could find the girls. I gotcha.'' Pinkie said, a nervous grin plastered upon her lips.
''Thank you.''
===---===---===---===
''Oh, why'd we have to try to get our Crusader Scout cutie marks?'' Scootaloo asked herself as she walked along a dirt path, speckled with leaves and twigs. It seemed that wherever she went, the landscape appeared exactly the same as everywhere. The Everfree was definitely putting her brain in a spin along with her perception.
''I think I'm lost...'' She said, ears drooped and eyes cast down to the floor as she continued in her venturing, watching the shadows around her. Behind every tree, hedge and thicket, shadows of pure darkness, so thick that not even the pony eye can pierce their shroud, the dark seemed to be slowly folding inwards towards the filly, slowly creeping its way to envelope her and leave her prey to whichever horrors were lurking in the depths of the black veil.
''Giggle at the ghostly, giggle at the spooky...'' She nervously sang to herself, her voice trembling with fear as she continued looking every which way around her. In her chest, her heart began to pound with anxiety, the start of the sensation of what she knew all too well was fear. It was the kind of fear that made itself known to her that night in the woods with Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and their sisters during the campfire story about the Headless Horse.
From behind the thick cape of shadows, a loud series of crunches could be heard nearby, stopping the filly dead in her tracks, her heart and blood put on pause as they froze. what was that?!''
Without a doubt, she knew she was being watched.
===---===---===---===
''You know that this is Discord's fault, right? If he didn't choose to betray us and go behind our backs to help Tirek get his power back, we nor Ponyville would be in this mess, especially your library, Twilight!''
''Rainbow Dash!'' Twilight said with a harsh scowl. ''As much as it hurts, Discord learned from his mistake and is very apologetic for what he did, mostly because he hurt Fluttershy more than he hurt us.'' She said, somewhat matter-of-factly through her mask of hurt by the mention of the loss of her home and library.
''He's ''apologetic''? You kiddin' me?'' Rainbow zipped in front of Twilight, forcing her to stop with an annoyed, questioning expression, her brows raised at the stubborn pegasus. ''The snake practically aided the destruction of the town! We don't even know if everypony is okay or alive, or anything! Not everypony is counted for, Twilight! It doesn't matter if Tirek is back in Tartarus where he belongs, it's us that were affected by it, not him! He wanted to get rid of ponies for good, and look around you - the cost is definitely not worth it!'' She ended her argument, shoving her snout into Twilight's, her hot breath of anger pulsing on her muzzle.
''Are you finished?'' The alicorn pushed her friend out of her face with a firm shove. ''We don't have time to argue, and we've got even less time to find the Crusaders. Besides, why can't you just fly somewhere and scout for them? It won't take long, plus you can cover a wider span than anypony looking in a split second. They could be anywhere!'' She said with her hooves outstretched in front of her to emphasize her impatience with the stubborn pony in front of her. This only prompted a groan and roll of the eyes from Rainbow.
''Fine, I'll scout ahead. We're not done with this conversion, though!'' And then she zipped off, leaving a rainbow trail in her wake as she disappeared out of sight.
===---===---===---===
''Aaaaaahhhhhh!''
Scootaloo screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She didn't know where she was going or what was about to possibly pop out in front of her, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to get away from the creatures behind her, giving chase.
Timberwolves.
She occasionally gave a glance to her rear end, only to see that the wooden pack of wolves, three in total, were only gaining a closer distance to her. Every second, they inch closer and closer to their target with intentions to kill.
''No, no, no! Gotta keep running! Keep running!'' The young girl told herself, lest she becomes more than simply missing. Adrenline fuelled and heart pumping blood furiously throughout her small frame, she kept on running, her legs merely an orange blur at their current pace.
''Apple Bloom?! Sweetie Belle?!''
===---===---===---===
''Stay with me, Sweetie! Ya'll be fine, just try ta stay awake and you'll be fine!'' The unicorn in the young farm filly's hooves had grown cold and weaker from her loss of blood mixed in with a cocktail of shock. Her energy had become drained to the point in which she was struggling to keep her eyes open and her mind focused.
''App-Apple Bl-Blo-om, I'm tired. S-so, very, ve-very tired. I wanna sleep.'' She mumbled, her vocal chords energyless and sapped. Every so often, her head would droop into Apple Bloom's lap. All that was holding her up was the hooves of the farm filly, whom was also growing tired.
''No, ya'll have ta stay awake! Scootaloo should be back soon, hopefully with help!'' She said sternly, giving Sweetie a gentle nudge.
''Aahh!'' A scream echoed from somewhere amongst the blanket of trees ahead from the two filly's location. It sounded familiar in tone and pitch. As a matter of fact, it sounded like...
''Sc-Scootaloo?''
===---===---===---===
''Nice timberwolf...good timberwolf...'' Scootaloo said slowly and nervously from her position on the ground, her back laid out in the mud that was already slathered into her coat as she ever so slowly backpedalled towards a tree. She was surrounded from all corners by timberwolves, and she knew there was no way out of this one. She was vulnerable and defenceless, unable to make a stand.
Snarl. Growl.
''Forgive me, Apple Bloom. I should have stayed with you instead of leaving to get help.'' She whimpered, tears beginning to sting her eyes as she curled into a ball, protectively wrapping her hooves around her head so that she was curled up into a ball, her eyes tightly shut as tears began to leak from behind her eyelids and run down her small, orange cheeks.
Growl.
She could hear the timberwolves ever so slowly advance on her, their wooden, rickety paws crunching the twigs and dry leaves on the ground. It was only a matter of time before they would get to her.
''Aah!''
''Scootaloo! Hold on!'' Surprised, the young, orange pegasus filly opened her eyes, head snapping towards the skies to where she heard the source of the voice. It wasn't long until she managed to locate the owner of the voice darting towards her at ferocious speed. Rainbow Dash.
''Rainbow Dash? Rainbow, hurry!'' She called back to her, a tidal wave of relief washing over her at the sight of her sister and heroine.
''I'mma comin' for ya, sister!''
===---===---===---===
''I want Rarity.'' Sweetie Belle said as she cuddled next to Apple Bloom for warmth.
''So do Ah. Ah wish Applejack was here.'' Agreed Apple Bloom, frowning.
''Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle! Over here!'' A voice called out, one that the two recognised as Scootaloo's. It was coming from a short distance away.
''Scootaloo?'' Asked Apple Bloom, narrowing her eyes to see around the darkness that was generated by the thick tree canopy of green, much to no avail.
''We're coming!'' A second voice chimed in, recognised as Rainbow Dash's.
''Rainbow Dash? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!'' The Southern-accented filly said with a new radiance of hope in her heart. She slowly picked herself from the floor, standing beside Sweetie. When Rainbow and Scootaloo came to meet them, Apple Bloom only smiled with grateful tears, hugging one of Dash's hooves tightly and giving it a soft nuzzle.
''Easy there, kid, you're safe, don't worry. Wait, is something wrong with Sweetie?'' Rainbow asked, lightly giving the filly a nudge to let go once she took notice of the injured Sweetie Belle on the floor beside her. She instantly saw her wound, prompting way to a face of worry. ''What happened?'' She asked.
''She's hurt. She got injured when that monster attacked Ponyville an' very nearly destroyed everythin'. She needs to get to the hospital!'' Apple Bloom explained as Rainbow Dash approached the filly with ease, gently moving down to wrap her hooves firmly but comfortably around the dirty white-coated unicorn filly before picked her up in her embrace. Sweetie's eyes were half closed and drained of energy and life, but she was thankfully still conscious.
''Sweetie, come here. You'll be fine, you hear me? I promise you that.''
===---===---===---===
After a while of searching from the air, Twilight noticed both Applejack and Fluttershy still searching, yet there was no sight of Rarity nearby. If she had to guess, Rarity had more than likely stayed out to search by means of a classic stubborn refusal between her and Applejack.
However, according to Fluttershy's partner, Pinkie, she was still scavenging around for her party cannon at the pile of debris that was formerly Sugarcube Corner.
As for Rarity's whereabouts, she was maybe still searching around the borderline of town and had previously offered to meet the rest of her friends soon, according to Applejack, whom was currently in the middle of an argument.
''But what if they don't find 'em? What are we meant to do then? We can't up 'n' abandon them like that, they're family!''
''Yes, Applejack, I know. We're not going to leave them, so don't worry. Nopony is going to stop searching until we find the three of them and we make sure they're safe and in good health.'' Twilight said reassuringly, placing a hoof on the farm pony's shoulder, even if she had some doubts about ever finding the fillies' herself. The town had been searched top to bottom with no luck or leads as to their whereabouts.
''Ah sure hope so, Twilight. Me and Rarity had no luck searchin' near the borderline of town or the White Drops Forest.'' Applejack had long grown gradually distressed at the thought of losing her sister for good, as emphasised by her agitated mood and frosty eyes.
''What about the Everfree? Or the Thicket?'' Offered Fluttershy. Applejack only shook her head dismissively.
''Nope. What in tarnation would three, young fillies even be doin' out near that forest? The Everfree is home to all sortsa wildlife, and I mean the kind that ain't a force to be reckoned with. There's no way they would be near there, let alone in it!'' She said, hardly able to withdraw from her angered tone.
''Alright, calm down, Applejack!'' Twilight said, only for Applejack to swat her hoof from her shoulder with a flick of her hoof, taking the alicorn aback.
''Anyway, why ain't that backstabber Discord fixin' this mess? He's the one that helped Tirek in the first place! It's his fault this happened to our town and the rest of Equestria!'' She said, motioning with her hoof around the landscape in a panning sweep, aiming at every last bit of destruction caused prior to the girls' going missing.
''Applejack! How could you say such a thing? You know he's sorry, and I, for one, believe him! Besides, he's our friend and my best friend! Next to Dashie, of course.'' Fluttershy said that last part quietly, albeit, with a blush. It wasn't unnatural for somepony such as Fluttershy to be quick to forgiveness, especially with her being the bearer of the Element of Kindness. Yet, despite this, she could understand the farm pony's frustrations and her pain.
''Ya'll can't be serious, can ya, Fluttershy? There is no being friends with a...a chaos-obsessed monster like Discord! Granted, he ain't as bad off as he used to be, but he still can't go for two seconds without either turnin' the world upside down or transformin' a stallion into a mare! He has no control settings or reasoning functionality!'' Applejack argued, clearly having no reason to believe that Discord is a ''reformed'' entity. She simply couldn't bring herself to see a single ounce of change to the mythical creature's being or attitude. Heck, she probably never will find it in her heart to forgive him for as long as she may live.
''You just don't know him as well as I do, that's all. Once you get to know him, he's a real, true sweetheart.'' Fluttershy said, perhaps a little too dreamily. However, her tone never broke away from her sturdy sense.
''Oh, gimme a break, Fluttershy.'' Applejack said with a roll of her eyes to the yellow pegasus.
''AJ! Twilight! Fluttershy!'' A voice called out.
''Is that Rainbow Dash?'' Twilight asked, looking every which way to locate the voice, eventually falling upon the flying form of Rainbow Dash. She was holding the barely conscious form of Sweetie Belle in her front hooves and both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo on her back.
''I found 'em!'' She said happily, triumph in her voice.
''Wait, what?! She found 'em?!'' Applejack exclaimed in disbelief.
''Applejack!'' Apple Bloom called upon seeing her sister again, happy tears welling behind her golden eyes. Both her and Scootaloo hopped off of Rainbow's back as she still hovered.
''Apple Bloom! Oh, thank goodness ya'll are alright! Ya'll had us worried sick!'' Applejack said as she pulled her sister into a hug before breaking off to glare into her eyes ''Where've you been, missy?''
''We...well, we were...promise you won't get mad?'' She shyly and sheepishly gazed into her older sister's eyes, seeing her nod. ''We were debatin' what we should all do next to discover out cutie marks, an' we decided on scoutin' in the woods, so we went to the Everfree.''
''You did what?!'' Applejack practically screamed, her voice ecstatic with shock. ''The Everfree Forest?! Oh, Apple Bloom, normally Ah'd be downright angry with you, but Ah can't. Knowin' ya'll are safe is enough for me.'' She hugged her baby sister close.
Fluttershy glanced over to Rainbow Dash, her eyes directed towards the form of the injured Sweetie Belle. Once she saw the wound, her eyes went wide with shock and concern.
''Oh, my! What in Celestia's name happened to Sweetie Belle, girls? She looks pretty worse for wear. Her hoof looks awful!'' She said, eyeing the wound up-close. Being a veterinarian for her animal friends back at her cottage, Fluttershy was really the only one out of her group of friends to have any medicinal knowledge and sense. With her hooves, she ever so gently raised Sweetie's hoof and slowly outstretched it, doing her absolute best to not cause her any further discomfort.
She winced at the wound. It was a gash, starting around halfway from her elbow and curving around the back of her leg and cascading downwards to the very bottom of her hoof. It was a rather deep cut, and the areas around her hoof were smeared with her blood, stained against the mud already matted into her fur to form a layer that caked into it. From the state of the poor filly, she has already lost quite a fair amount of blood to bring about nausea.
Scootaloo spoke up first.
''It happened during that monster's reign over the town. She got hurt when we were on the run to the Everfree.'' She explained, just as concerned as Fluttershy.
''You three went into the Everfree?!'' The nature-loving mare said with a disappointed scowl. ''Girls, you have no idea what could have happened to you out there! What were you thinking? What would we do if something bad happened to you, such as if you were all as bad as Sweetie and we had no way to find you? Anything could have happened to you!'' She said, gently placing back the unicorn's bloody hoof and turning to face the other two Crusaders. They winced at her tone and edged backwards a few paces.
''We're sorry, Fluttershy. Really, we are! What else could we do? While that thing was destroying the town, we could have been hurt, regardless.'' Scootaloo said, not making an effort to make eye contact with the older mare. Fluttershy only continued to lecture them.
''Be that as it may, Scootaloo, it doesn't excuse you from what you three did. I'm very disappointed in you, and I'm sure your sisters are, too. Just wait until they find out what you've been up to.''
===---===---===---===
''She's waking up! Rarity, get in here!''
''Jeez, can you holler any louder, Pinkie Pie? You're gonna startle the poor kid.'' Rainbow Dash said, scolding the hyperactive pink pony at the bedside of Sweetie Belle, who was now patched up, a roll of gauze and bandage expertly wrapped and enveloped around her injured hoof, secured in place by a small safety pin.
''Sorry, Dash, but it's so exciting! She's finally coming around after a few days!''
''Wha-what'd you say? Sweetie Belle's awake?! My sister's awake?!'' The voice of Rarity asked happily. ''My goodness, I'll be right along!''
''Now you've done it, Pinkie.'' Rainbow said, stepping back in preparation for what was about to happen.
''Done what? All I did was announce Sweetie's waking up. What's so wrong about that?'' Pinkie shrugged, clearly unaware of what she started.
Sure enough, Rarity came bolting into the hospital room, instantly darting to the bedside of her younger sister, throwing her hooves around her and hugging her tightly in her warm embrace.
''Oh, my sweet sister! Thank Celestia you're alright! You had us all terribly worried it was serious!'' She cried, nuzzling her and occasionally kissing her on the forehead. Sweetie Belle could only accept her fate.
''Rar...Rarity? Rarity? E-Everything hu-hurts...where am I?'' She asked, squirming occasionally between her words as she was being hugge mercilessly. Thankfully, Rarity pulled off of her to answer her question.
''Yes, my darling, it's me. Don't worry, you're safe in Ponyville hospital, with thanks to our dear Rainbow Dash, of course. She's the one that brought you in and rescued your friends!'' She motioned a hoof towards Rainbow Dash and her two Crusader friends.
''R-Really? Rainbow Dash saved us? And...me?'' She asked gratefully, a sparkle in her eye.
Rainbow Dash beamed with pride. ''Well, of course! I am awesome, after all. You were lucky I found you when I did, otherwise you might have been one less in your group. Scootaloo here almost got mauled by a timberwolf.'' She cast a glance to Scootaloo, whom shrank back at the stares she was receiving from everypony in the room.
''She what?!'' Pinkie blurted out, stunned. Her outburst caused everypony present to cover their ears in order to preserve their ear drums from imploding. Rainbow gave a harsh look to the pink pony.
''Hey! Mind keepin' it down, Pinkie? A bit too loud! And yes, you heard right. I had to get in there and snatch her up before anything happened to her, along with the other two when she scouted me to them.'' She smiled to Scootaloo and the others.
''Rainbow Dash, I don't know what to say...you saved all of our sisters' lives! Oh, thank you! I could kiss you right now!'' Rarity said, eyes welling up with tears of thanks and inching uncomfortably close to the rainbow-maned mare. Too close. So close that it made even Dash uncomfortable. As politely as she could, she touched a hoof to Rarity's muzzle, declining her offer of a thank-you kiss with a light push.
''Uh...Rarity? As much as I appreciate the gesture, please don't. You're welcome, too.''
