A Night In The Never Free.

Scootaloo trotted across the empty path leading into The Everfree, her hoofsteps echoing high into the treetops as all light was almost blocked out by the overgrowth of the forest. It being mid-day still felt closer to midnight if anything else, the child wondering if the ad promising twenty bits a day for “Help” was worth it.

The tiny pegasus came to a large block in the path, thorns growing around many bushes and trees. She tilted her head to the side to make out a detour, yet could only see the twisted growth of this dark place.

Wondering if she should turn back the child spun around, the dark outline of a pony watching her from a nearby hill barely catching her attention. Bleak eyes and a shadowy frame gave haste as it bolted off, the figure fast for anypony she had seen.

Scootaloo swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing off the main path and into the tangled woods around her. Her violet colored hues keeping watch for the strange pony, she could feel thorns and branches claw at her coat like monstrous claws.

She let out small yelps of pain, the blood from the many scratches forming across her body trickling down towards the ground. Each new scratch stung like a lashing from a whip, she tried to call out but felt the words trapped in her throat.

Bursting out of the brush with many a new cut across her small frame, she came muzzle first to a small cozy cabin lost within the middle of this horrible place. Smoke wafting from the chimney giving hope that somepony was home, her tiny hoofsteps carrying her over to the old wooden frame.

“Knock-knock” Her delicate hooves pounded across the oak frame, the sound of her breathing starting to calm as she waited for a reply.

“Hello? I’m Scootaloo, I’m looking to answer an ad for help?” She spoke in a soft spoken voice, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

“I think...somepony might be out here? Can you please open up?” Scootaloo tapped her tiny hooves across the frame again.

She could feel those bleak eyes gazing into her soul, she swung around to catch a glimpse of the shadow. Yet she could see nothing but dying woods for miles, those eyes hidden somewhere deep within burning into her soul.

The pony was close she could feel it, blending in with the death around it. Taking joy in the fear it brought the small child, the pegasus could just stand out in the open shivering wildly. Her hoof lifting up to smack the door, her echoes wafting about to deaf ears.

“Anypony home!?” She spoke in a loud and frightened tone, walking over to a dust covered window and glancing inside curiously.

“Thwack!” The loud pop of an axe slamming down right next to the child's head, slicing deep into the wooden window sill like melted butter.

“Ahhh!”

“Whatcha doing buddy?” A mint colored unicorn mare giggled softly as she stood on her hind hooves, resting up against the shaft of the axe in a playful manner while watching the child fall to the ground with a thud.

“Did you try and hit me with an axe!?” Scootaloo felt her heart racing deep within her chest wildly, threatening to explode out into the open at any second.

“Phst. No! I always smack my axe there.” The mare gave a loud snort as she flaunted a hoof to the sill, indeed many axe like slashes could be seen across the surface.

Scootaloo gave a soft groan as she fell back first onto the cold moist ground, her eyes gazing into the hidden sky above as she took a minute to collect herself from the scare. The mint mare cantering over with a smile, glancing down to the child shaking her head softly.

“You must be Scootalong?”

“Loo”

“Ah! Loo right! Well I’m Lyra Heartstrings, but you may call me friend.” Lyra gave a soft wink and helped the child back to her feet.

“I thought you…”

“Lived in town? I do! But my marefriend Sweetie is hosting a La-de-da!”

“La-de-da?”

“A fancy pants party! I of course didn’t want any of that, so I’m holding up in our spare cabin for the weekend.” Lyra gave a small stretch as she galloped over to the front door, using her light green magic to float a key down from the roof.

“Um. What is it that you need help with?”

“I need a friend.”

“Umm.”

“I hate being out in the woods alone, so I thought what a better way to meet new ponies than an ad!”

“...”

“So yeah. No jobs really, I just need somepony to talk with and help me scarf down some junk food.”Lyra unlocked the door with a soft click, simply tossing the key back onto the roof afterwards.

Scootaloo tilted her head to the side unsure what to think about this, taking a few steps forward she peeked into the cabin. Within was a cozy set up for a weekend getaway, the fireplace had a dwindling flame and freshly bought supplies were set atop a nearby table.

The filly inched within as the mare clicked the door closed behind her with a soft click, the cabin was in great condition and very clean with various knick-knacks lining the wall.Scootaloo blinking confused at a wall to the left, across every inch of it were photos of just Lyra alone at different locations across Equestria.

“Um. Why are you alone in all the…”Scootaloo scrunched her muzzle, seeing a large self portrait painted to the right, the mare flashing a very forced duckface upon it.

“Well. This is my little getaway, I call this wall “The Me Machine!”.” Lyra giggled and softly inched the portrait to the side to keep it centered.

“...”

“I painted this one by hoof on a warm winter day…”Lyra gave a soft sigh and spun to face the filly, her eyes locking upon the many cuts covering her guest.

“Well you are torn apart. Follow me and I’ll clean you up!’ The mare ruffled the mane of the child, galloping off into the kitchen at top speed and vanishing near the corner.

“Uhhh.”

“C’mon pokey!” Lyra poked her head out of the corner, her ears twitching in place cutely.

Scootaloo took each step slowly into the kitchen, a odd smell wafting from someplace nearby as she lifted a hoof to cover her muzzle. Eyes looking to a loose plank of wood on the floor, a very dull almost black substance covering the edges.

Her attention was pulled back into reality as Lyra lunged out at her from a small bathroom, it was tucked away near the kitchen a single lit candle keeping it in view. Lyra couldn’t help but giggle at the cute filly, watching her back up and curl into a corner after she lunged out.

“Don’t be such a scaredy cat! I come baring health!” Lyra gave a squee holding up a small white rag and a old jar of yellow liquid.

“I’m fine really.” Scootaloo gave a weary giggle as the mare inched close, popping open the jar and dabbing the rag into the odd warm liquid.

“Don’t be silly filly! If you don’t use some of this, you are just asking for trouble.” The mare gave a soft coo, gently dabbing the rag onto the cuts covering the child’s hooves.

Scootaloo winced as her ears folded back, it was warm and stung her many scratches. Yet left a tingling and cool sensation behind, she had to admit it did feel nice after the fact. Standing in place she allowed the mare to gently dab the wounds, a sweet and gentle hum lifting into the air.

“So what made you think this job was right for you?” Lyra broke the soft hymn with a question, eyes locking upon her work and not the child.

“I just like helping other ponies.” Scootaloo gave a reply as her head turned away, looking out a nearby window as the sun began to set outside.

“Oh? Is that so and the bits mean nothing to you?” Lyra gave a firm dab onto a large cut, causing the child to wince slightly.

“I guess it’s good pay…”

“Going to buy a new toy?” She scraped roughly across a bleeding cut.

“No…”

“Eat lots of candy?” The mare pressed her hoof hard against the smaller hoof, the pressure causing the child to fold her ears back.

“Ow…”

“Maybe go out and just get something you don’t need.” Lyra spoke in a stern and harsh tone of voice, sending a shiver down the child’s backside.

“No! I need the bits to help my family!” Scootaloo gave a yelp as she pulled away from the mare, curling up in her corner fighting back a flood of tears.

“Oh!” Lyra bit her lower lip, floating a long stream of bandages across the air that very tenderly wrapped around the child’s hooves.

The mare folding her own ears back and trotting out of the kitchen, leaving the jar open and rag thrown onto the floor. Scootaloo gave a glance down to her freshly bandaged hooves, taking a small moment to gather her thoughts and calm her soul.

“Thud!” “Thud!” “Whack!!”

The filly eased herself into the dining area, the mare sitting on a nearby chair. Her head banging up and down on the oak table, her forehead turning a dull red color as each smack seemed to hit a little bit harder.

“What are you doing?” Scootaloo spoke up in worry, the mare slamming her head down hard on the surface as her whole body went limp.

“Lyra?” She spoke in a shivering tone, her hooves carrying her a bit closer to the mare.

Lyra never gave a movement, her body as still as the dark and cloudless sky outside. Scootaloo extended a hoof to the mare, her tiny touch pressing in on her side for any sign of life.

“Whut!?” Lyra gave a grumble aloud as the child jumped back, her heart racing again as the mare lifted her head up a small stream of blood cascading down in front of her left eye.

“I,,,”

“Bits are right there.” She flaunted a hoof in front of herself, the child glancing to the edge of the table a bag bulging with coins sat alone.

“That looks like more than twenty.”

“It’s five hundred…”

“Why?”

“You need help…”

“Are you ok?”

“I need...yes.”

“You sound sad.”

“Sweetie is gone…”

“What about the party?”

“Gone…”

“I…”

“I’m sorry I told a lie, she left me today...I don’t want to be alone.” Lyra folded her ears back, hiding her muzzle away on the table surface again.

“I won’t leave you.” Scootaloo inched closer to the mare, nuzzling her muzzle on her side tenderly.

“They all leave.”

“I won’t...I promise.”

The mare lifted her head again, eyes weak and broken as if full of a deep internal struggle.Lyra gave a small huff as she lifted up a hoof, the child cuddling in close as she gave the mare a warm hug.

Silence filled the air around them, the night had finally fallen completely. With it bringing the chill of loneliness and the promise of the warmth of friendship, if only Lyra could open her heart and accept it.