The First (and Last) Chapter
"This way!" a small orange pegasus bursts through the brush beneath the trees. A white unicorn filly gallops closely behind her, though at a considerably slower pace.
"Slow down, Scootaloo!" she shouts ahead, "I haven't run this fast in ages!"
Scootaloo looks behind her and groans, "We don't have time, Sweetie Belle! I know for a fact that was Applebloom screaming, and I'm sure it came from this way."
"I know, and you might be right," Sweetie Belle says, "but we haven't heard anything for a while. You don't think. . ." she almost says the inevitable before Scootaloo cuts her off.
"NO! I refuse to give up," she says angrily, "If it were the other way around, wouldn't you want us to come looking for you?"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Sweetie Belle counters, "I meant if it's something serious, then there might not be anything we can do."
Scootaloo looks at the ground," Well, there's only one way to find out!" and with that, she quickens her pace, leaving Sweetie Belle in her dust. She eventually stumbles upon the remains of a large rotting oak tree, which disintegrates upon contact. Hundreds of thousands of bees swarm the air around the log, and Scootaloo pauses for a moment to swat them away from her face. As she does, however, she hears a low groan, almost like a sob; she scans the area and spots a flash of bright yellow and red underneath a cluster of smashed beehives.
"Ohmigosh, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo shouts and drags her friend from the carnage. The yellow filly is completely covered in large red welts, her eyes are swollen shut, and her cutie mark is indistinguishable on her flank. Sweetie Belle soon appears through the bushes and gasps at the sight.
"Oh, no, Apple Bloom!" she squeaks in horror, "She's allergic, right?"
Scootaloo wastes no time, "Quick! Look in her saddlebags, she's bound to have something to help with this!" Sweetie Belle finds and brings her bags back, fighting against hordes of bees in the process, and Scootaloo rummages through, looking for something - anything - that will save their friend's life.
"Found it!" she gasps as she pulls away with a pen-looking thing. After quickly reading the directions, she pulls the cap off, turns a few dials, and slams it into Apple Bloom's side. A few seconds pass, but nothing changes; Apple Bloom continues her shallow breathing, hanging on by a thread.
"Why isn't it working?" Sweetie Belle asks Scootaloo.
"There's a lot that the medicine has to attack," Scootaloo responds, "We have to get her to Ponyville General now!" She scoops Applebloom up onto her back, using her wings to stabilize her, and together they trot away from the scene. The bees continue to swarm around them; some of them even fly down and sting the fillies multiple times. They bravely ignore their own pain in order to save their friend from experiencing any more of it herself. Since Scootaloo is held down a bit by Apple Bloom's weight, Sweetie Belle gallops out of Whitetail Woods faster than the duo in hopes of flagging down a passing carriage. She eventually spots a firewood cart making its way slowly along the path and tells the stallion pulling it what had happened.
"Where's your friend?" he asks concernedly as Scootaloo emerges from the thicket carrying a dying Apple Bloom. The stallion trots over quickly and helps her load Apple Bloom into his cart; she and Sweetie Belle then climb aboard and he gallops as fast as he can to the hospital, praying that they are not too late to help her.
* * * *
"Where's mah Apple Bloom?!" a concerned voice calls out as an orange mare, followed shortly by an elderly green mare and large red stallion, enters the lobby of Ponyville General. "I need to see her!" she panics, tears in her eyes, as she tries to push past the nurses holding her back.
"Calm down, AJ," Rainbow Dash, who had also been told about the incident, floats over and pulls her friend away, "They've already taken her to the emergency room, she's in good hooves now." Applejack eventually complies and walks towards a couple of benches, where a stallion, two fillies and a white mare sit and hold hooves for comfort.
"What happened?" she asks the smaller two of the three, who look up with tears in their eyes as well.
"We're sorry we didn't get to her sooner!" Scootaloo cries, worried that Applejack blames them, "We galloped as hard as we could, but we weren't quick enough."
"Please don't be mad at us!" Sweetie Belle wails and buries her head in her sister's chest, who proceeds to stroke her mane in comfort. Rainbow Dash flies back over and scoops Scootaloo up in her arms.
"Don't blame yourselves, it was an accident," Rarity coos softly.
Applejack sighs and gives each of the fillies a hug, "I'm not mad, and I certainly don't blame ya for what happened. Ah'm sorry if I snapped at ya, I just want to know that she's gonna be alright."
"How did this happen?" Big Mac asks the fillies gently, who begin to relay their story.
"We didn't see it happen," Scootaloo says, wiping the tears from her eyes, "We just heard Applebloom screaming and found her in the Whitetail Woods surrounded by bees. She was in pretty bad shape"
"Oh dear, that's terrible," Granny Smith gasps, "I hope she had her pen on her."
"She did," Sweetie Belle continues, "We gave her the medicine and left as quickly as we could when I flagged this stallion down and he brought us here."
"I can see," Applejack says and turns towards the dark brown stallion, "Thanks again, Burnt Oak. We're eternally grateful for your help today."
"It was my pleasure," Burnt Oak, who had been listening silently until now, says solemnly, "I'd do anything for Bright Mac and Pear Butter's foals." The group sits in relative silence after that until one of the doctors emerges from the emergency wing and trots over to them.
"Ah, you must be with the little filly that just came in," he says, "I'm Doctor Redwing, and I just wanted to let you know that your sister is starting to come out of the coma we put her under."
"Is she gonna be alright?" Applejack pleads, tears threatening to spill over again.
"Well, she's recovering, but it's slow-going," Doctor Redwing responds, "Her body was completely covered in stingers, and some of the venom made its way into her bloodstream. Thankfully, she responded well to the antibiotics we administered, which made our job a little easier."
"How long will it be until she's fully recovered?" Granny Smith asks, to which the doctor reveals his first signs of uncertainty.
"It's hard to say right now," he answers truthfully, "The swelling is under control, but with that much venom still in her body, it may be weeks before she can function properly. I'm sorry that I don't come bearing better news," he adds seeing their crestfallen faces, "but so long as she's here, we will do our very best to ensure a speedy recovery."
"Thanks, doc," Big Mac responds as Doctor Redwing departs, leaving the family in their sorrow.
"What does that mean?" Scootaloo asks the others desperately, "Will she be okay?"
"I don't know, sugarcube," Applejack says and pats the filly gently on her head, "It ain't good news, but it ain't bad news, either."
"It could certainly be worse," Burnt Oak adds, "You two were lucky to get her to me that quickly."
"And it's a good thing you gave her the medicine when you did," Rarity joins in, "Had you waited any longer, she might not have made it."
The two fillies sniff sadly; "You make it sound better than it is," Scootaloo says, "that we're some kind of heroes."
"But that doesn't change the fact that Apple Bloom's still in there," Sweetie Belle adds.
Applejack sighs sadly, "No, it sure doesn't." She then scoops them into her lap and hugs them tightly, "but the best thing we can do fer her now is pray to Celestia that she'll come out safe and sound. Maybe, if ya wish hard enough, she'll be outta here within the week," she adds, winking at them.
The fillies smile up at the orange mare, "Thanks, Applejack," Sweetie Belle says, "I don't know how you of all ponies can be so calm about this."
"Well, blame it on our 'sisterly' bond," Applejack says lightheartedly, "but I have a feelin' we'll be seeing Apple Bloom back on her hooves sooner than ya think. . ."