A Dash Of Obedience

Immediately after the trio hoofed through the entrance, they all shared a look of uneasiness and felt a tinge of regret. This forest was renowned in Equestria, especially Ponyville. Having the forest sit on the outskirts of the populated town made it a topic for many discussions.

The CMC gulped nervously but continued sauntering. The sound of their hooves on the dirt path echoed through the dense and lush green. Even the wind, which currently billowed as a small gale, felt different, almost unnatural. All three friends heard of the perilous tales of this place. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle heard from their sisters how the Everfree Forest was full of abnormal happenings and relayed it to Scootaloo. The clouds moved of their own volition. Animals tended to themselves. Plants grew in peculiar and strange ways.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were having second thoughts about Scootaloo’s idea, but Sweetie Belle put on a brave face and broke the silence.

“So, any idea what treasures we can find here, Scootaloo? Or how to even get it?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Not exactly. This is one of those ‘sounds great on paper’ ideas. But maybe if we find something interesting, we may get our cutie marks. Perhaps something that nopony has ever seen before. That should do it.”

“Yeah! This forest is full o’ stuff we can nab. Ah'm sure the three o’ us will find sum’n worthwhile” Apple Bloom added.

An owl hooted in a nearby cluster of trees. The CMC jumped in unexpected startlement. They craned their heads towards the sky, noting how dark and dim this area was. The sunbeams from Celestia’s sun could barely be viewed in the gloomy and gray cloud blanket that covered the horizon. Putting that out of their minds, all three ponies pressed forward.

For a while, the only sound they heard was the clip-clopping of their hooves on the dirt path. The air was getting chilly and the crusaders huddled together for warmth. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle thought about their sisters and how they’d be punished if their older kin found out about their escapades today. Neither wanted the risk of being discovered, so they hoped this journey would be quick.

“Hey, Scoots?” Apple Bloom said.

“Yeah, Apple Bloom?”

“Ahm pickin’ the idea next time we’re brainstormin’ Crazy adventurin’ o’ not, this is real dangerous.”

“Got it.”

With a waned expression, Scootaloo glanced at Apple Bloom. The orange tomboyish filly knew the perilous danger that they could face. Yet she had a fantastic feeling about this idea. Her mind and gut willed her to do crusading in the forest.

“Oof. Hey! Watch where you’re walking, Scootaloo.” Sweetie squeaked in mild annoyance.

In the midst of Scootaloo’s musings, she inadvertently leaned to the side and walked directly into Sweetie Belle. The small butch pegasus grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry, sorry! Was lost in my thoughts.”

Apple Bloom had an idea.

“Say, Sweetie, since we’re o' heah treasure huntin’ can ya cast that ‘gem findin’ spell ya said Rarity told ya abou'? Ah'm sure plenty o’ gems are heah, probly righ’ und’r our hooves!”

Sweetie Belle looked at her friend, then at the ground.

“What’s wrong, Sweetie Belle?”

“Well, um. I would, but, that spell is too advanced for me to cast. I’m not super gifted in magic, and still learning basic and elementary skills for now. Levitating sticks, teleporting rocks, that sort of thing."

Apple Bloom frowned, then looked at the sky again. The clouds had covered the sunbeams, immensely darkening the area. Visibility was very scarce now.

“Please tell me ya can cast a lightin’ spell.”

“Ooh! That I can do!” Sweetie Belle stated proudly.

The young white-pasteled unicorn concentrated. Her horn pulsated as the magic worked its way upwards. The tip of her horn emitted a lime-green hue that formed a bright light and illuminated their view.

“Much bet’r! Thank ya, Sweetie!”

The unicorn filly gave her friends a warm smile and they both reciprocated.

All three crusaders huddled closely together as they continued their gait. An owl hooted in the distance and fog was developing.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were discussing the camping trip to Winsome Falls they had gone on a week ago. The two of them, Sweetie Belle, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash had all banded together for a weekend of camping and sisterly bonding time.

“Yeah! Ah remember ya seemed lots more jumpy n’ on edge. So those campfire stories were keepin' ya up?”

“Sorta, yeah. Plus I wanted to seem super cool to Rainbow Dash. She’d never wanna hang out with me if she thought I was afraid of some creepy tales.”

“Ya had a funny way o’ hidin’ it, Scoots.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Hey! Hearing those stories at nighttime in those woods made each one seem more real. My mind was full of fright. After I heard the tale of The Headless Horse, I wasn’t able to get any rest. Every noise made me jump and I sat awake each night clutching my sleeping bag.”

“Wow! Ya mean ya were think’n the headless horse was comin’ afta ya?”

“Well, I didn’t want to take a chance falling asleep. I’d be a sitting duck if I did and who knows what the headless horse could’ve done to me.”

The CMC came to a huge grove of oak trees. Each tree was gargantuan, standing hundreds of meters high. The fillies couldn’t see the tops.

“Shush! Girls, did you hear that?” Sweetie Belle asked her fellow Crusaders.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were silent, concentrating on detecting any odd sounds. Both tilted their heads in all directions, trying to listen. Then they heard it. The noise seemed very close, so they carefully peeked from around a tree to investigate.

Standing perhaps two-hundred feet away was a cloaked figure of a stallion. His face was shrouded in a black hood. He had a brown coat and two wings adorned his backside.

“What’s the big deal? It’s just a pegasus pony. Maybe out for a walk?” Scootaloo began.

“Shush!” Sweetie Belle repeated.

The CMC continued to watch the mysterious stranger. The unknown pegasus opened his knapsack and pulled out an item. It was impossible to know what it was due to the distance and darkness.

All three fillies stared at the scene with confusion and mild curiosity.

“This terrible item has caused a lot of stress and suffering. I’m glad to get rid of this awful contraption where nopony will ever find it.”

The pegasus put a hoof to the soil and dug a crevice two feet deep. He quickly dropped the object in the hole and hastily covered it, smoothing the dirt.

“Good riddance.”

He sighed in contentment and kicked off the ground, taking to the skies, flying high and away from the Everfree Forest.

One at a time, the CMC stepped out from behind the tree and looked back to where the stranger had just been.

“Well, Crusaders? You know what we have to do, don’t you?” Scootaloo said with a mischievous grin.

“Ah was hopin’ we could jus’ go home now.”

“No way, Apple Bloom. That pegasus could’ve buried some treasure and I want to dig it up.”

Apple Bloom looked at her friend in bafflement. “Didja heah what he was sayin’? Whatev’r he buried ain’t somethin’ ah wanna find o' fer mahself.”

Scootaloo waved a hoof dismissively. “Pssh. Come on. Quit being such a scaredy-pony and embrace the thrill of adventure!”

“Hey! Didn’t ya jus’ admit ta bein’ scared a spell ago?”

The orange filly grunted.

“Ahm tellin’ ya, Scootaloo! Whatev’r is und’r that dirt pile should stay there!

Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle. “How about you? Aren’t you curious to see what that guy buried, Sweetie Belle?”

“Well, kinda, yeah.” She admitted. “But I’m sorta with Apple Bloom on this too. If that pegasus rushed to get rid of it, then I bet it can’t be anything good.”

The tomboyish pegasus gave both of her friends a scowl. “Oh, come on! We walked far into this forest, our possible cutie marks in our minds. We’re so close and now you both want to give up? Sure, it’s probably not treasure, if that guy was hasty to hide it. Unless he was a pirate captain trying to stash his hoard. Heh. Heh.”

Scootaloo released a nervous chuckle at her lame joke, and the other two crusaders raised their eyebrows.

Sweetie Belle sighed in a despondent manner.

“Alright. It kinda would be a pointless waste of time to come all the way here, just to back out now. Let’s check it out. You in, Apple Bloom?”

“Ah suppose. Bu’ if anythin’ funny starts happenin’ then ahm hoofin’ it out o’ heah!”

The three fillies unearthed the dirt and revealed a small black bag. It took only a few seconds for the CMC to open the bag, and their eyes widened with shared excitement of what they’d find.

“Huh? What is this?” Scootaloo said.

Inside the bag was a black metallic circular hoop. The object was lightweight and looked pristine. Adorned with several rhinestones, giving the outer edge a more rigid feel.

“It looks like a bangle.” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “My sister makes and wears them all the time.”

“A bangle?” Scootaloo repeated.

“Yeah! Sorta like a hard anklet. Commonly made of metal or plastic. They’re fashion accessories and nice jewelry too!”

Scootaloo stared at the bangle with dubiety. “I don’t get it. Why would that pony want to bury something as common as a bangle? This doesn’t look like anything special to me.”

Apple Bloom studied the object carefully in her hooves, inspecting the item at all angles. “Lookie, Scootaloo. Seems this ‘un got somethin’ embedded in it. Ah think it migh’ be a gem.”

There, on the underside, was an oblong, diamond-shaped artifact lodged inside the bangle. Scootaloo gawked at it, noting the blood-red color and the alluring, almost hypnotic effect it had. Aside from the small artifact, the bangle lacked any distinctive qualities.

“Huh. You’re right, Apple Bloom. That’s weird. Sweetie Belle, do bangles usually have these in them?”

“Nah. I’ve never seen my sister make or wear one with those markings.”

Sweetie Belle cast a levitation spell, causing her horn to glow lime-green and the trinket floated into her line of view. “Let me take a look at that, Apple Bloom.”

The pastel-white unicorn filly curiously peered at the mysterious object. Aside from the odd engraving, the bangle looked like the dozens of others Rarity would wear and show off. It didn’t seem special or different.

Sweetie Belle released her spell and caught the bangle in her hoof. The jewelry felt similar too.

She dropped the item and it fell on the ground with a *clink*

“Reveal your secrets!” Sweetie Belle squeaked with excitement.

The artifact remained inert. Nothing happened.

“My turn, Sweetie Belle!”

Scootaloo carefully slid her hoof into the bangle then snapped her foreleg up, causing it to slide upwards from the force. It was a snug fit.

The rambunctious orange filly gazed at her accessorized hoof and frowned. “It doesn’t seem to do anything. Kind of a worthless trinket if you ask me.”

“Ya look the same, too. Didn’ change ya appear’nce or nothin’.”

Scootaloo rubbed her chin with wonder. She wanted to figure out what this artifact was. It didn’t seem very special, but the filly suspected there was more than met the eye.

“Would you girls be okay if I held on to this for a bit? I’m curious what we’ve found.”

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had no objections.

“Yeah! It was your idea to come here, so I think it’s fair that you get it first.”

“Ah agree with Sweetie Belle. If ya find ou' what that doohickey is, fill us in”!

Scootaloo nodded and then replied. “Of course I will! Thanks, crusaders! I’m getting pretty tired and think we three have done enough crusading for today. What do you say we head outta here?”

“That’s a great idea, Scoots. Let’s go.” Sweetie Belle stated.

“Yeh, it’s probly time fer mah aft’rnoon chores. Ah gotta head back ta the farm.”

After the confusing and slightly terrorizing trek, The Cutie Mark Crusaders exited the forest, galloping at full speed. The three fillies rested by a clearing stationed between the Everfree Forest and Fluttershy’s Cottage.

“We ran out so fast, none of us checked to see if we received our cutie marks. Apple Bloom? Sweetie Belle? Did you get one?”

“Nope. Still a blank flank.”

“Ah didn’ get one either.”

Scootaloo glanced at her own coat, seeing the same lack of cutie mark yet again.

“Guess we can cross off treasure hunting as our special talent.”

All three fillies exhaled sadly.

“Well, come on girls. We should say goodbye to Fluttershy before heading home. Probably a good idea not to mention to anypony what we were up to.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle shared a look.

The CMC ran towards the cottage, very happy to be out of the dinghy and dark forest, and back in the lively and colorful sunshine and safety.

They had made their way back to the squirrel sanctuary when a loud anxious voice rang through their ears.

“GIRLS!”

All turned towards the voice and saw Fluttershy with a strained expression. The timidness was gone, replaced with a stern and serious demeanor.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was? Woke up from my nap to find all of you gone? Not inside my home or around my animal habitats. I was in full panic mode wondering where you three went.”

The trio bowed their heads sorrowfully and their ears flattened against their heads. They all felt awful for worrying Fluttershy, especially after her being so nice and kind, agreeing to their request. Sweetie Belle was the first to reply.

“We’re sorry, Fluttershy! I know we shouldn’t have disappeared like that, but we were…”

Scootaloo quickly chimed in.

“We left for a bit because Apple Bloom was hungry.”

“Hungry?” Fluttershy repeated.

“Hungry?” Apple Bloom stammered.

Scootaloo nudged Apple Bloom in the ribs and the farmpony spoke up.

“Oh! Uh, yeah! Aft’r feedin’ your lovely n' sup’r cute critters, ah felt hungry too so ah took Sweetie Belle n' Scootaloo ta Sugarcube Corner fer a sweet treat. Ah usually spend mah allowance there n' since ah got it today, wanted ta get sum delicious cupcakes.”

Fluttershy stared at the three friends and released a long exhale.

“If you girls were hungry, you all could’ve helped yourselves to some salad I had in the pantry. I was so worried when I woke up and you all had disappeared.”

“We’re sorry, Fluttershy.” All three said in unison.

Their apology was genuine. Not just for sneaking away, but for lying to her. They felt guilty, but didn’t want to reveal their escapade.

“Oh, what a relief. You all were fine, enjoying a nice snack. I forgive you girls, but please don’t sneak out like that again. I was about to get Twilight to help me search.”

The soft-spoken voice and bashful demeanor were back for Fluttershy and the CMC collectively embraced her in a tight hug that the caretaker happily reciprocated.

“Thanks again for letting us try our hooves as ‘animal-feeders’, Fluttershy. But we should go. Apple Bloom has chores to do, and Sweetie has some plans later too.

Fluttershy softly nodded.

“Alright, girls. Please be careful. Thanks so much for coming by and I hope to see you soon.”

They broke the hug and parted. Fluttershy returned inside and the CMC went separate ways, saying their goodbyes.