“So, maybe if we… no, we’ve tried that, haven’t we… Well… nope. Done that… Hm…” The Cutie Mark Crusaders assembled in their clubhouse, planning how they’d finally get their marks. All their plans so far had resulted unsuccessful.
“Ya thank we can jus’ keep doin’ the same stuff over ‘n over? We need ta thank logicly, ponies! Now, what’re ya good at, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom asked.
“If I knew, dear Apple Bloom, I’d already have my Cutie Mark. Scootaloo? What can we do for our Cutie Marks?”
“Yeah, well, I guess the same as Sweetie Belle. I’m not sure. I guess I like my scooter…” Scootaloo responded diffidently, “How about you, Apple Bloom?”
“Geez, fellas… Um… ah guess ah like appl’s… But how’ll I git ma Cutie Mark fer it?” Apple Bloom asked.
Everypony sat in silence, wondering what Mark they’d get and how they’d get it. All until the calmness was annihilated by Scootaloo shouting,
“Ah-ha! We can try brewing! I’m sure Zecora will teach us! That’s a foal-proof plan! There’s no way we won’t succeed! We’ll have out marks in no time!”
“Yeah! Great idea, Scoot!” The other two exclaimed in unison. The Crusaders pranced out of the clubhouse, eager to obtain their marks. This has to work!
“So… Um… Where’s Zecora’s house? Wasn’t it back that way or something?” They were in the Everfree Forest and nothing looked like how they remembered it. Everything was black and corroding.
Sweetie Belle looked around tentatively. This wasn’t familiar to her at all.
“No, no! It’s definitely this way!” Scootaloo called, but she didn’t sound too sure of herself.
“Are ya’ll sure? Ah r’member that tree bein’ on the path…” Apple Bloom scratched her head.
After walking around aimlessly for what seemed hours, the CMC stopped and rested down. They were lost. Hopelessly, hopelessly lost.
“Hey! You hear that? Voices! We aren’t lost! HEY! HEY! OVER HERE!” Scootaloo called, waving her front hooves in the air trying to catch attention.
Sure enough, Twilight Sparkle emerged from behind a large shrub with blue flowers hanging out of her mouth. She looked peculiarly excited to see the Crusaders.
“Um… ha Twalight…” Apple Bloom said awkwardly. The mare stood silently, staring at her.
“Oh, hi Apple Bloom!” Twilight sounded very excited, “We’re so glad you came at the time you did! See, Zecora and I are working on a potion to cure the Everfree Forest Decay,” she pointed towards a large oak tree with black leaves and a gray trunk, “And we really need your help! Can you help us?”
“Well… um… okay, I guess…” Scootaloo stared at Twilight. Her eyes didn’t blink; they just stared blankly at Scootaloo.
“Um… are you ponies feeling alright?” Sweetie Belle asked tentatively.
“Oh! I’ve never felt better! Now follow me, we need to get back to Zecora’s hut to make the potion!” Twilight began to trot off into the forest.
Apple Bloom shrugged and began to ensue Twilight. The others cautiously followed, unclear why Twilight and Zecora needed them so badly. But so long as they’d get their Cutie Marks from it, what could go wrong?
When they arrived at the hut, Zecora stood at the front door with the same eerie expression Twilight wore.
“Ah! You’ve brought guests! We can now commence the potion tests!” Zecora cooed.
“So, uh, Twalight? What’s up ‘n causin all this d’cay?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Well, Apple Bloom, everything in Equestria contains something called ‘mana.’ It’s the life-force for all living things. Without it, nothing would be alive. See? The mana is draining from the forest, causing the plant life to die. If we don’t stop it, the forest will be gone forever!” Twilight exclaimed.
“So how da we stop it?” asked Apple Bloom.
“As I said, every living thing contains mana. Trees, bushes, rabbits, even ponies!” Twilight explained.
“Ah still don’t git it. Whaddaya mean? How ‘r we involved in this?” Apple Bloom scratched her head, muddled by Twilght’s vague explanation.
“We can harvest the mana from living things by using this device.” Twilight pointed to a hatch on the floor.
“Um, Twilight? That’s a trapdoor, not a machine.” Scootaloo pointed out.
“Okay, wise-plot. Open the door.” Twilight commanded. Scootaloo did. Underneath was what seemed to be a grinder of some sort. Little pieces of leaves and tree branches shone through the gears inside it.
“So what’re you gonna use to harvest mana?” Scootaloo asked.
“Well, this is our first time trying it, but… You.” Twilight stepped behind Scootaloo as the machine sprung to life, smashing the residual leaves and branches of the machine into a green pulp. She promptly pushed the orange filly into the crusher.
“Aaaaagggghhhh!...” Scootaloo screamed as she fell hooves-first into the machine. The machine began shredding at her hooves. Her cries began to evolve into bloodcurdling screams.
Her body began to shrink under the machine gears. Little shrapnel from the crushed bones began flying out of the pit. Eventually, her head was completely submerged under a pool of her own blood, skin and organs. The others watched in horror, but Twilight and Zecora just smiled and stared at the hole.
“You can’t do this to us! Others will find out! Oh please stop! Please! I won’t tell anypony if you let me go!” Sweetie Belle pleaded, but Twilight showed no signs of compassion.
“Follow me or you will meet the same fate.” Twilight commanded. The two remaining Crusaders, scared witless, did as they were told.
Twilight entered another trapdoor. “You said you want to see how we fix the Decay, correct? How we harvest mana? Here’s how.”
The trapdoor led into a small room. The bottom of the crushing machine had small pipes running out of it in all directions.
“This is how we get mana, crushing living objects and taking their mana. With this mana, Zecora and I brew a potion which brings life to the area…” Twilight turned around. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were nowhere to be seen. She smiled a sick smile. They just had to choose to die, didn’t they?
“Come on, Sweetie Belle! Pick up the pace!” Apple Bloom barked. Although they were lost in the forest, at least they were away from that psychopath Twilight.
Where are you?…” A voice softly cooed. Both of the CMC's stopped in their tracks. "Where are you?..." the voice repeated.
The voice sounded so friendly, so familiar.
“Over here! Hey! Over here! Twilight and Zecora killed Scootaloo! We need help! Please help us!” Sweetie Belle cried.
"Oh, hi there, Sweetie Belle!"
Fluttershy appeared from the brush along with Angel.
"Angel got sick after he ate something from the decaying forest, so we were just looking for Zecora to cure him but we got lost. Do you know where she is?" Fluttershy asked, barely audible.
"Listen to us! Zecora and Twilight k-" "Oh, there you two are! I thought I lost you for a second! Come on, my little ponies, we need to go save the forest! Fluttershy, would
you like to come with us?" Twilight stood behind Apple Bloom.
"Oh! Most certainly, but only if Angel can come, too." Fluttershy replied.
The two CMCs were too stunned to respond. They sat with their mouths agape.
"Come on, you two. Or will I have to teleport you?"
Twilight's horn began to glow and a mystical purple beam shot from it, enveloping Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.
A warm tingling sensation burst through their bodies. The sensation was strangely comforting, as if all the bad thoughts and memories had drained from the two filly's brains.
When the feeling ended, they were in cellar Twilight had tried to bring them into earlier. Both Twilight and Fluttershy stood solemnly, watching the two little ponies.
"Hey! Hey! Look! See that machine?" Sweetie Belle called to Fluttershy, "Twilight smushed Scootaloo in it! Go tell somepony, anypony! Please! She's trying to steal the banana, or something like that, from us! Help!"
"Twilight! Is that true?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, yeah. It is." Twilight shrugged.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Fluttershy gushed.
Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were bewildered by the reaction.
"Ya know that means she killed Scoot'loo, raght?" Apple Bloom was completely vexed.
"Oh, yes! I'm very thankful for Twilight's generosity! She's going to help The forest and Angel recover from the Decay! All with this Mana you and Scootaloo donated!"
"Us?!?" Apple Bloom was taken aback, "Naw, naw, naw! Naw! Twalight, please lit us go! Please! We'll be good! Ah promise!" Apple Bloom began bawling.
This forced a sick smile to begin growing on Twilight's face.
"Well, you DID follow me into the cellar like I asked, so you won't be crushed up like Scootaloo. " she whispered to herself.
"Aw! Thank you! Thank you, Twalight! Ah swear, I won't tell anypony!" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle began to trot off.
"Whoa! Hold your horses! I said you wouldn't be ground into mana, but I never said you could leave!" Twilight posted a magical barrier in front of the two fillies, stopping them in their tracks.
"But..." Apple Bloom began.
"Nope. Stay here, my little ponies. I'll be back in a second."
As Twilight left the room, she whispered to Fluttershy, "Keep an eye on them." Fluttershy nodded covertly in response.
While Twilight was away, the two began scheming,"Well, we can sneak past Fluttershy, maybe she won't notice, but once we get upsta..." "Oh, hello!"
Twilight wore dual saddlebags on either side of her. One seemed to contain different types of plants while the other simply held wood, rope and some matches.
"Go into the antechamber, behind the crusher. Turn left then head into the room. Sit down on the benches and wait." Twilight instructed.
Unsure of what was about to happen, Apple Bloom took the lead and Sweetie Belle followed.
"So, er, what're we doin' here?" Apple Bloom asked.
The door swung shut and locked as Sweetie Belle entered the room.
Both fillies surveyed the room. The only noticeable things were two boxes labeled 'S' and 'A,' for Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom.
"Hello, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom. I want to play a game." a deep voice at the other side of the room spoke. "See those two boxes? As you might have guessed, A is for Apple Bloom, S is for Sweetie Belle. Open the boxes."
Both fillies cautiously trotted to the boxes. As they began to open them, they could smell something funny. Both just shrugged it off and continued opening the box.
"Aw gosh! Is that there..." Apple Bloom cupped her hooves to her mouth to prevent herself from puking.
"Yes. That is Scootaloo's body drained of mana, Apple Bloom." the voice laughed, "Isn't it beautiful? It took me a while to sew all the pieces back together, so I used a time spell to speed up the process."
Sweetie Belle held her breath and opened the final fold of the box. Nothing was inside.
"Um... The box is empty." Sweetie Belle was confused.
"No. It's not what you see in it, it's what you don't see. Right now, translucent toxic gas particles are instilling themselves in your lungs. You too, Apple Bloom. Those fumes are what caused the Decay. Soon, you will rot like the forest!" the voice laughed.
Both fillies stared at eachother.
"There is, however, a way to live. You must take the mana from eachother. A small crushing machine is hidden in this room. Whoever finds it first can steal the other pony's mana, drink it and leave the room alive. You have an hour and a half before the Decay consumes you, starting... Now."
Both fillies began scanning the room, searching for the machine. After about forty-five minutes, Sweetie Belle gave up.
"This is hopeless! We're both going to die and there's nothing we can do about it! We'll end up like Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle plopped down on the ground, head in hooves.
"Wait! There's one place we haven't looked!" Apple Bloom walked over to Scootaloo's box. The sight and smell of her old friend made her tear up, but she knew what to do.
Apple Bloom sucked in a deep breath, closed her eyes and plunged her hoof into Scootaloo's mouth. The hoof passed the dried-up uvula, down her throat and into the stomach. Apple Bloom's hoof clasped around a tiny box in Scootaloo's stomach.
As she pulled it out, she noticed a note attached to the box. 'Don't let the other pony know you have this.' it read. Apple Bloom looked at the note, then at Sweetie Belle. Should she?
"Di-did you find it?" Sweetie Belle sniffled. "Uh... Uh... No." Apple Bloom responded deceitfully. So, it had begun.
Apple Bloom looked at the small box. How was she going to fit Sweetie Belle into that tiny thing?
Apple Bloom surveyed the room once again. She looked at Sweetie Belle. She held something in her hooves.
"Sweetie Belle? What's that there?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Uh, um, nothing. Nothing at all." Sweetie Belle was a terrible lier and she knew it.
"Sweetie Belle, what is it?" Apple Bloom prodded. Sweetie broke into tears. "I-It's... It's a rock!" she cried and threw it across the room, barely missing Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom picked up the rock. It was quite large and sharp. Inscribed on the stone were three terrifying words that sent a chill down Apple Bloom's spine.
'Smash her skull.'
"Look, Sweetie, I got a confession. I do got the machine. Here." Apple Bloom slid the box across the floor towards Sweetie Belle. They both sat in silence until a voice broke through the air.
"Five minuteeesss," it sang, "Until you diiiiieeeee."
"Listen, Sweetie, smash ma skull and feed me to the machine. Please. You c'n live." Apple Bloom began tearing up.
"No. No you kill me." Sweetie Belle ALS began tearing. Soon they were both on the floor crying. They heard the sound of the machine revving to life, as if by magic.
"Sweetie, I'll do it. Just kill me." Apple Bloom stood next to the machine.
"Fine. Fine!" Sweetie Belle was almost too weak to pick up the rock, but when she did, she stood on her hind legs and lifted the rock over her head, stumbling towards Apple Bloom.
When she got close enough to strike, an evil glint appeared in Apple Bloom's eyes accompanied by a nefarious smile.
Apple Bloom jumped at Sweetie Belle, knocking her to the ground. Sweetie yelped in suprised. The rock tumbled down, striking Apple Bloom on the back, but that didn't deter her.
Apple Bloom slammed Sweetie's face into the ground, drawing blood from her nose. Apple Bloom then stood up and looked at the stunned white pegasus. Apple Bloom lifted the rock with ease and brought it down on the back of her exposed neck with extreme force.
A single cracking noise split the air, then silence. Apple Bloom exhaled heavily and looked at what she had just done. But she wasted no time as she dragged the carcass to the machine. Apple Bloom pressed Sweetie Belle's face into the top of the machine. A sanguine mist of blood clouded the air.
A small stream of bright green mana began to drip out of the bottom, mixing with the blood that coated the ground. Apple Bloom lapped up the substance. It tasted very sweet, almost like the cupcakes Pinkie Pie would make.
"Very well, I congratulate you, Apple Bloom," Twilight walked into the room with Zecora, "How did it feel to kill?" she asked with poorly-hidden glee in her voice.
Apple Bloom smiled sweetly, "Fine, just fine." The three left the room and walked outside. A beautifully bright rainbow lightened the sky and the renewed forest as they exited the hut.
"Hey, Apple Bloom! Wanna play hoofball with us in the Everfree Forest?" Snips and Snails called.
It had been almost a year since the incident. Everypony seemed to believe that the Crusaders had gotten lost and only Apple Bloom managed to get out. Or, at least, that's what she had told her friends. And the adults. And the police.
Since the incident, everypony showed a great deal of compassion and caring towards Apple Bloom. Even Twilight, Zecora and Fluttershy, though they all knew what had happened.
Angel was doing well, she'd recovered quite quickly after the Decay left the forest. Even so, she had a slightly darker, grayer tint to her snow-white fur color.
Twilight had also asked, pleaded almost, Apple Bloom to assist her next time the Decay returned which, she said, could be months, even years.
"Sure!" Apple Bloom replied.
The two colts were slightly suprised. They were expecting a definite no because of what happened last year. However, they decided to bring her along anyways. The more the merrier.
When they arrived at the forest, all the trees had turned a sick black. Though both colts were slightly repulsed by it, Apple Bloom felt fine. Just fine.
"Oh, boys, do ya'll mind if we don't play hoofball quite yet? Ah have somethin' I'd like ta show ya."
