The sun was shining over Ponyville's local school. The birds were chirping, and grass was flowing gracefully with the wind, only to be disturbed by a sudden *whoosh* along the dirt path, followed by the voice of two screaming ponies.
Scootaloo drove her scooter as fast as she could; sweat pouring down her face, her eyes dead set on the goal that was the small playground in front of the school. Her cargo, a red-maned filly with a yellow coat, and a pretty white pony with a curly, purple mane, were screaming and holding onto each other, and the cart their friend was pulling at a speed that showed no sign of stopping. Neither dared open their eyes. ‘Slow down, Scoots! Ah wanna get there, but ah wanna get there alahve!’ – The red-maned filly exclaimed. ‘Oh, I can’t look, I can’t look’ – the white filly continued. ‘Don’t worry guys! I’ll get us there safe and sound and we’ll even have time to comfortably pack out our bags!’ – Scootaloo said with confidence as she sped down the road, approaching the schoolhouse. ‘Cheerilee won’t see us late to her class!’ she exclaimed as she started flapping her wings more rapidly, speeding every faster on the rugged Ponyville dirt road.
After some blind twists and turns, Apple Bloom could stand it no longer, and opened her eyes only to be faced with a rapidly approaching bump in the terrain, just as the scooter sped up on it, launching them into the air. Apple Bloom couldn't look, she shut her eyes again. She was no longer screaming; Sweetie Belle did that for the both of them. She could swear she felt her hooves lifting off the cart. 'Oh gosh, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die. Why did I trust her?' - Apple Bloom was filled with regret and anger for her friend as she felt herself soar through the air. 'How could she be so reckless? I trusted her...' her anger swelled as she felt her flight reaching its deadlock, and the forces of gravity overcome her as she fell. She was waiting to land, as soon as she did; she was going to give Scootaloo her life’s scolding.
Her anger however was soon replaced by pain. Horrible, stinging pain and the taste of metal and blood. Lots of blood, her mouth full of it. By reflex, her eyes shot open. In front of her eyes, a double vision of a fence pole drenched in blood. Her muzzle was impaled on it. Blood was everywhere, it was pouring down her face and into her mouth, and down from there. Her focus was not on the pole however, but on what was behind it; she saw a blood-drenched Scootaloo, a pole through her belly and a hind leg as well. But the orange pegasus’ expression was not one of pain, despite the two metal poles piercing her body. She too was horrified at the sight of her friend in pain. ‘I’m sorry… oh goodness Apple Bloom, I’m so sorry…’ – Scootaloo coughed, no, vomited blood on the ground – ‘Please forgive me…’
She now turned her head to the side; Apple Bloom could only shift her focus, her unfortunate state not allowing for head movement. ‘What have I done?’ In the corner of her eye, the earth pony met a horrible sight; It was Sweetie Belle, another pole going straight through the back of her head. Her eyes were still shut. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both knew enough about pony anatomy to know she was killed instantly, and they knew it was coming to them soon enough as well. ‘Aaaah…’ Apple Bloom let out what seemed to Scootaloo as a relieved sigh. Seemingly, she picked up on what her friend meant. ‘At least she didn’t have to suffer…’ – she remarked with whatever voice passed for relieved in her grim situation.
The little orange filly’s eyes began pouring tears – ‘Why did this happen? Why… I should be the only one… on here. I…’ – she vomited another load of blood – ‘I killed you!’ – She wailed – ‘We’re going to die… and it’s all my fault… I deserve this, but not you!’ – She started weeping to herself, no longer having the energy to wail or vocalize strongly. ‘I don’t deserve to be your friend…’
Apple Bloom could feel her eyes swell up as well as she started weeping with her friend. Although it hurt, she managed to do what would resemble a smile. She forgave her.
However, Scootaloo felt herself drifting. ‘I feel cold, Apple Bloom. I think it’s my time. Why me… Why is it you who has to suffer the longest?’ Apple Bloom let out another moan, the most she could do with her impaled muzzle to signal something to the likes of ‘It’s okay…’ She gathered all her strength and attempted to lift her side hooves, with some struggle managing to reach them out to Scootaloo. ‘Apple Bloom… you…’ Scootaloo struggled her hooves up to Apple Bloom’s, and they were holding each other’s. ‘I’m so sorry. We… we’ll be with Sweetie Belle soon, okay? It’ll be all right. If… if you get there… to the other side… before I do…’ the orange pegasus closed her eyes ‘tell her I’m sorry.’ Apple Bloom took this as her own cue to make her peace.
She closed her eyes and reminisced on all the good times they had together. How her friends protected her from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s bullying, how they worked together on their first concert, their first public embarrassment, all the crusades they’ve been through together… and now it’s all over. But she also couldn’t have imagined her life without these two fillies that came into her life when it seemed the worst and lifted her up and changed her life dramatically for the better. And now one of them caused that life to end. They wanted to get cutie marks together, but it looks like they never did end up finding theirs.
The pain in Apple Bloom’s mouth began to withdraw. She was drifting away. She could no longer feel Scootaloo’s hooves on hers. She was alone now, and she knew the end was near for her as well. While her friend’s reassuring words that they will meet on the ‘other side’ was calming to her, surprisingly, Apple Bloom never believed such things, even now when she needed it the most.
She wanted so badly to believe anything that meant she and her friends could stay together. She didn’t want to leave this world; she wanted so badly to stay, to continue living and crusading with her friends. But she realized nothing could save her now. Her friends were already gone, and soon so would she… here, sleeping with them. The pain the metal pole impaled in her muzzle caused had subdued significantly. Apple Bloom knew that it was time. Time to go, to drift off. There was no turning back. ‘But… I don’t want to go… Ah want to stay here… I don’t want to go…’
‘Apple Bloom… I’m so sorry… Please forgive me… Oh Celestia what have I done… Apple Bloom! Wake up! Please be okay!’ a familiar voice echoed, so close, yet so far away. Apple Bloom’s eyes shot open, this time to be greeted by the puffy, red, tear-swelled eyes of an orange pegasus. The earth pony herself was lying in the cart, curled up and crying. Her muzzle still hurt, and her head was cloudy. She was confused as to what happened to her, but after a few moments, it hit her; it was a dream. It was all a dream! The yellow earth pony’s face lit up, she jumped up and immediately gave Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle a big, tight hug, partly because she was so glad to see her friends alive and well, and partly because still being dizzy from the impact, she lost her balance and her friends were convenient hoofholds. ‘Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo!’ squeaked the yellow earth pony ‘Ah’m so glad you’re okay!’
‘You’re glad that we’re okay?’ the orange filly replied, clearly perplexed by Apple Bloom’s unexpected reaction. ‘Scootaloo barely landed that jump. I saw you bang your head into the side of the cart as the scooter halted.’ – Sweetie Belle explained – ‘You really shouldn’t have ducked into the cart. Clearly, you banged your head a tad too hard into the edge.’
Apple Bloom let out a relieved sigh, releasing her friends from the embrace. ‘So… Are you feeling… okay? You’re okay right?’ – a nervous Scootaloo inquired ‘Sure, ah’m a little dizzy, but ah feel fine otherwise.’- Apple Bloom replied. ‘We should tell Miss Cheerilee just to be sure’ Sweetie Belle suggested, still concerned about her friend’s well-being. Scootaloo nodded in agreement, and the three friends began trotting towards the Ponyville School.
However, Apple Bloom still felt the taste of blood in her mouth, and she began licking her teeth, looking for the source of the taste. She let out a small yelp and her eyes swelled up with tears from a sudden, sharp pain. Scootaloo immediately turned her attention back to the earth pony. 'Oh goodness, Apple Bloom, are you alright? What's wrong?'
Apple Bloom didn't say anything. She simply held out her hoof, and spit a tooth into it. 'Oh no, Apple Bloom! The crash took out one of your teeth?', asked the worried unicorn filly. Scootaloo's eyes began swelling up with tears again -'Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! It's my fault! I'll make it up to you, I swear! I... I'll let you knock out one of my teeth, just please, forgive me!' Apple Bloom only smiled at her pegasus friend as a warm, fuzzy feeling overcame her. She was so lucky to have such great friends, ready to sacrifice anything for her.
'My two best friends, who are there for me, who are more trustworthy than anypony else in the whole wide world. How could I doubt them for a minute?' - the yellow earth pony thought to herself as she stared down at the milk tooth in her hoof, the one that has been loose ever since that morning.
