Chapters "I think I'm going to cry. My little sis, finally going on her own grad night. All grown up," Cliff Chaser said as he pretended to cry, wiping away fake tears. "Scarlet, you are going to love it. You will make so many memories and lifelong friendships, just as I did four years ago."
Scarlet Flare pulled out of her brother's suddenly suffocating hold, giving him a look. "Cliff, you didn't make it past security. You were arrested for trying to sneak alcohol on the airship as an underage student. What memories are you talking about?"
"Okay, one: technically, I was no longer a student for two hours since I had already graduated. And two: I still made memories. It doesn't matter where they happened. I still made friends. A relationship shared by the commonality of being ex-felons."
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "You were in jail for three hours, Cliff. That doesn't make you some gangster badass ex-felon. And besides, your crimes were misdemeanors, not felonies."
"You know what, you hair-brained brat, I have half a mind to–"
"Mr. Chaser!" A voice said behind Cliff.
Cliff Chaser practically jumped in the air, turning around to see Principal Cinch standing behind him, tapping her hoof, already expecting him to be starting some sort of mischief.
"Principal Bit—I-I mean, Principal Cinch. Fancy seeing you here!" Cliff stammered, making Scarlet put a hoof to her forehead. Scarlet was embarrassed for him at this point.
"Not really, seeing as I am the Principal of Manehatten Prep Academy and this is a school-funded event. Though it is a surprise to see you here, Mr. Chaser seeing as you already graduated."
"Oh. You know. Just droppin' my little sis off." Cliff put a hoof on Scarlet's back, trying to act casual, as though he didn't just embarrass himself in front of his old principal.
Scarlet rolled her eyes and took a step away from him. He was such a jock. The only problem was, that he graduated from high school four years ago, leaving behind the high school stereotypes. But nope. Scarlet was surprised he even survived his three hours in jail without getting his ass kicked.
"Well, that is awfully nice of you. How has life been since we saw each other last?" Principal Cinch asked, sounding as though she was just asking to be polite and not because she actually cared.
"Oh, you know. Just trying to make ends meet. The struggle is real for past criminals and all that. Nopony wants to give ex-convicts a chance." Cliff said dramatically, in a woe-is-me tone, causing Scarlet to groan in annoyance.
Principal Cinch raised an eyebrow at Cliff. "Perhaps you should have thought of that before you tried to sneak alcohol onto the airship during your grad night."
"I know, Principal Cinch. So many regrets." Cliff hung his head, making a whole show out of this.
Principal Cinch just stared at him for an awkward moment, her eyebrow raised at him. To his credit, he kept up his act the whole time, sighing dejectedly and hanging his head in shame. Ugh. He was a total player.
Principal Cinch rolled her eyes, before finally turning to Scarlet, making it perfectly clear she didn't believe him. "Miss Flare. I came to tell you that you need to join the rest of your class at the boarding docks so we can start boarding the airship."
"Of course, Principal Cinch," She quickly said, wanting nothing but to prove how completely different she was from her annoying older brother.
"Good." The three of them stood in awkward silence, Scarlet and Cliff not sure if the conversation was actually over or not.
Cliff may have been the daredevil and Scarlet may have been not afraid of much, though definitely not a daredevil like her brother, but both of them feared Principal Cinch yelling at them. Though, Cliff obviously didn't fear it enough to stop him from pulling pranks around the school whenever possible.
Principal Cinch seemed to get even more annoyed. "Now would be great."
Scarlet's eyes widened before she quickly said, "R-right Principal Cinch. Sorry." She turned to her brother. "Bye Cliff. You can go now."
"Bye wittle sis," Cliff said in a voice you'd typically use for a puppy as he wrapped his hooves around her in a tight hug she tried desperately to get out of. She swore Cliff lived just to embarrass her. "I'm gonna miss my wittle sister so much!"
When she finally squirmed free, she glared at him, earning a pinch on the cheek, to which she set his tail on fire with her magic. She then walked away as he tried to stamp the flame from his tail, cursing her the whole time. Scarlet made sure to be out of sight by the time he was done, a smug smirk on her face the whole time.
When Cliff finally finished stamping out all the flames, he lit his horn and looked up, only to find his sister gone, leaving him alone with Principal Cinch who was no longer annoyed but pissed off, but there was the smallest hint of a smirk on her face.
"That little…" He started, only to be interrupted by Principal Cinch.
"Do I need to call security because you continue to pull useless pranks, or are you going to prove you actually have matured a year or two from when we last saw each other."
Cliff's eyes widened at the idea of security coming and dragging him away. "N-no, Principal Cinch. I'm going right now." He would not give his sister the satisfaction of seeing him being dragged away from wherever she was hiding. But he vowed his revenge when she returned.
On the other side of the docks, Shadow Step grabbed her saddlebag and book from security and casually flew towards the boarding docks, opening her book to read as she flew. It was called 'Tropic of Cancer' by Berry Miller. Its synopsis intrigued her, mostly because it caused so much controversy.
Suddenly, she ran into somepony, making her and the pony fall to the ground. She looked up to see a dark blue pegasus stallion that was around her age, with a black mane that had a teal stripe going down one side of it that looked like a lightning strike.
She rolled her eyes. Lightning Bolt. Of course. Captain of the Buckball team, a total popular colt.
Lightning chuckled nervously, looking up to find a grayish purple mare with a black pixie cut mane with one tuft of it a couple of shades darker than her coat, with green eyes, and wearing a leather jacket with no sleeves.
"Sorry…umm…" He started to say with a nervous smile but trailed off when he realized he didn't know her name.
"Shadow Step." She said flatly.
"Shadow Step. I'm sorry, Shadow Step. I'm not usually so clumsy but I can't find my mare friend. I guess I was so busy looking for her that I forgot to pay attention to where I was going."
Shadow blew out a bubble from her pink bubble gum before flying up, and grabbing her saddlebag from the floor. "It's cool. I wasn't exactly paying attention either."
Lightning picked up Shadow's book, glancing at it before handing it back to her. "Here's your book. Have you seen her, by the way…my marefriend I mean."
She popped another bubble of bubble gum. "Don't know who that is?"
Lightning chuckled nervously. "Right. Scarlet Flare?"
Shadow popped another bubble. "Nope. Sorry. Thanks for the book."
And with that, Shadow flew off. She almost felt bad for the guy. She probably either ghosted him or was trying to avoid him. He seemed like a nice colt.
Scarlet stared at the huge airship as she waited in the line of ponies. For some odd reason, her stomach filled with dread as one pony went on after another. She looked around for her coltfriend. Whenever she'd get anxious, he'd always be able to calm her down. But he was nowhere to be found.
"Ahem. Excuse me? The line is moving forward," a red stallion said in a black beanie.
"Red. Quit being so rude!" A dark pink and tan mare with a mane that matched her coat and green eyes said from behind the stallion. She had a pink bandana and multiple ear piercings, though they were just on one ear.
Scarlet Flare recognized him. Red Haze. He was known for having the worst temper in the whole class, if not the whole school. The only one who'd be able to calm him down was his marefriend, Melody Note. She was the shyest mare in the whole school, but when it came to Red Haze, she somehow always got the courage to tell him off. She was somehow a whole different mare.
"But the line is moving forward and she's just standing there."
"Well…maybe she's scared. Flying can be…super scary…" Melody trailed off as she looked at the airship with fear. She was also scared of almost everything. She shook her head and looked back at Red Haze. "You need to show more sympathy. If it were me in front of you doing that, would you yell at me?"
Red Haze scowled, looking away from Melody. "No." He grumbled, glaring at the crowd around them.
Scarlet was being ridiculous. These airships were supposed to be safe, right? She swallowed nervously and walked up the ramp, filling the gap between herself and the pony in front of her. She looked around, part of her wishing she had her idiot of a brother with her, the other part telling her she was being just as idiotic as him.
Cliff may have been stupid sometimes, but he was her big brother. Whenever she had to fly, he'd always make a game of it, making her forget her fear. They'd play eye spy, or twenty questions, though she was always asking the questions. She knew now they were just distraction techniques, but they still worked.
Once she was on the airship, she found a seat near the back and closed her eyes. She quickly buckled herself in, and she'd stay like that until they touched back down. She hated flying.
She took deep breaths as sweat began to form on her brow. She could feel the swaying of the airship back and forth as it hovered in the air. She had no idea how long this ride was, but perhaps a quick nap would make it go all that much faster…
"Umm…excuse me? Hellooo…Equestria to orange unicorn mare…"
Scarlet opened her eyes to see two done-up mares standing next to her seat. She looked around and found her coltfriend standing a couple of rows before her, watching her closely with a concerned expression. He was three seconds from jumping out of his seat and making sure she was alright. The seat next to him was empty.
"Hello? We're talking to you," A yellow mare with a light purple lavender mane said, looking annoyed. Next to her stood a blue mare with a pink mane. Both of them were unicorns.
Ugh. Scarlet knew these mares. Dazzle Flash and Diamond Blossom, the two most annoying mares in their class, who also happen to be the most popular. Mostly because they were the richest. Normally Scarlet would have some snappy comeback for them, but Scarlet was too stressed out.
"Yeah. We were wondering if you'd trade seats with us, so we can sit together." Diamond Blossom asked, who was always the nicer of the two.
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever, you overgrown dress-me-up dolls." She said as she grabbed her saddlebag and walked away to Lightning, sitting down next to him.
"What did you just call us?!" Dazzle Flash yelled back, making Scarlet smirk.
"You okay, babe? I know how much you hate flying." Lightning asked, holding onto her hoof.
She sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'll be fine. The sooner we get there, the sooner we get off this damn airship."
"Hello, passengers, this is your captain speaking." A voice said on the intercom. "I just wanna start by calming everypony's mind and say that this night is a wonderful one to fly in. Clear skies, perfect breeze, full moon. Now, as we're about to take off, I'd like to ask each and every one of you to take your seats and put on your seat belts. The lovely air crew will be walking down each aisle to make sure your seat belts are fastened tightly. We'll be taking off in less than five minutes. I wish you a good flight and my congratulations to you seniors on graduating. You earned it."
As the captain said this, everypony on the airship cheered and hooted, clapping each other on the back. However, seven specific ponies, could not get into all the roughhousing. Shadow Step was too busy reading her book, Red Haze kept Melody Note calm, Lightning Bolt was keeping Scarlet Flare from freaking out, and a midnight blue colt hurried to his seat, sitting next to a white mare with a pink and yellow mane and orange socks that went all the way up all four legs.
Once the flight attendants all made sure everypony was buckled in, they took their seats and buckled themselves in. The whole airship was alight with conversation as it took off, the workers untying the ropes that kept the ship in place. With a honk of its mighty horn, it took off, turning a wide west.
Scarlet took a deep breath as everything seemed to be going to plan. Everything was well and good. She gripped Lightning's hoof, squeezing her eyes shut as the ship continued forward. Shadow barely glanced up from her book, glancing around the ship before going back to it, blowing and popping a bubble of gum.
And then it shook. And then it shook again. Everypony was suddenly silent as the ship seemed to stop midair.
And then it fell and all chaos broke loose.
Everypony screamed as the ship continued to fall. There was a burst from above and Scarlet could've sworn she heard one of the flight attendants say that the balloon blew up, catching the deck above them on fire. The whole thing lasted less than a minute, but it felt like hours.
From the heat above and the fall pressure, all the windows shattered. The wood of the ship began to weaken from the heat and began breaking apart as the rudder tried to operate but failed and eventually also blew up from the pressure building from it trying to work. The ponies in the back were the first to go, Dazzle Flash and Diamond Blossom screaming as they caught on fire and their seats fell from the ship, falling to the ground.
Wooden boards, saddlebags, and other machinery circulated the cabin, a particular chunk of sharp pointed wood going straight through Principal Cinch's chest, killing her instantly. Students fell through the holes in the falling-apart airship, falling to the ground from the air. Another piece of wood hit Melody Note's head, also killing her instantly. Red Haze yelled with tears in his eyes as he saw his marefriend's dead body.
The airship fell apart as it fell to the ground, students and teachers, among other passengers, falling to their deaths, the pegasi unable to catch themselves in time. Shadow Step's wing ended up breaking from being hit with debris, pieces of her skin burning from the flames. She dropped dead, succumbing to her injuries.
Suddenly, one of the side engines blew up, catching what remained of the airship on fire, burning the remaining passengers to their deaths as the remains fell to the ground, not a survivor in sight.
"Umm…excuse me? Hellooo…Equestria to orange unicorn mare…"
Scarlet opened her eyes wide in panic to see two done-up mares standing next to her seat. She looked around desperately and found her coltfriend standing a couple of rows before her, watching her closely with a concerned expression. He looked three seconds from jumping out of his seat and making sure she was alright. The seat next to him was empty.
"Hello? We're talking to you," Dazzle Flash said, looking annoyed.
Scarlet's whole body shook, a cold sweat forming on her fur. She tried to calm herself down. It was just a coincidence. Just a coincidence. Just one. No big deal, right?
"Yeah. We were wondering if you'd trade seats with us, so we can sit together." Diamond Blossom asked.
Scarlet's heart stopped. Okay, two. Two coincidences. Scarlet knew the saying. One was a coincidence, twice was a clue, and thrice was proof. There was nothing to be scared of, right?
Scarlet stood up without saying a word, grabbing her saddlebag, and walking up to Lightning Bolt, her heart racing and panic ensuing in her mind.
Once she got to Lightning, he grabbed her hooves and asked, "You okay, babe? I know how much you hate flying."
Scarlet clenched her jaw as her eyes widened, looking up at Lightning and then at the airship around her. "I…umm…I…"
"Hello, passengers, this is your captain speaking…" A voice said on the intercom. "I just wanna start by calming everypony's mind and say that this night is a wonderful one to fly in. Clear skies, perfect breeze, full moon. Now, as we're about to take off, I'd like to ask each and every one of you to take your seats and put on your seat belts. The lovely air crew will be walking down each aisle to make sure your seat belts are fastened tightly. We'll be taking off in less than five minutes. I wish you a good flight and my congratulations to you seniors on graduating. You earned it."
That was when Scarlet lost it. She stood up dramatically, the airship suddenly feeling very small. She hyperventilated, her entire body shaking as she looked around, trying to find some kind of exit. She needed to get off this airship and take as many ponies with her as she could.
"Is there a problem, miss?" A flight attendant asked, walking towards Scarlet and Lightning.
"The airship's going to explode," Scarlet muttered under her breath, the realization hitting her like a punch to the gut.
"What was that, babe?" Lightning asked, grabbing Scarlet's hoof in comfort.
"What's your bucking problem?" Red Haze yelled angrily.
"Get me outta here!" Scarlet yelled, trying to push past Lightning to get the hell out of there. "The bucking airship's going to explode!"
Everypony tensed as they tried to process what Scarlet Flare just said, wondering if they should take it seriously, or shrug it off as paranoia, or some sick joke.
"Shut the hell up, Flare!" Red yelled as Melody Note asked in a quiet panic, "The ship's going to explode?!"
"If this is a joke…" The flight attendant started, only for Scarlet to interrupt.
"This isn't a damn joke!" Scarlet tried yet again to push past Lightning but in vain. He stayed rooted in place, trying to calm her down.
"Dear sweet Celestia, somepony please shut that bitch up!" Red yelled, trying to console Melody at the same time.
Principal Cinch stood up, about to intervene when Lightning beat her to the punch. "Hey! Talk like that about my marefriend again and see what the bucking hell happens!" He yelled, turning to Red and taking a threatening step forward.
Shadow Step had put her book down and was currently watching the altercation silently, her eyes never leaving Scarlet. Shadow didn't know Scarlet all that well, there were over a hundred students in the senior class alone, but something about Scarlet's behavior seemed to grip Shadow, dread building up in her stomach. And it wasn't due to a pre-existing fear of flying. No, it was something else. Something Shadow couldn't put her hoof on.
Shadow put her book in her saddlebag, grabbing it, but not yet getting out of her seat, wanting to see where this went, but ready just in case. If Scarlet got off the airship, so was Shadow.
"Then shut her up, for Celestia's sake!" Red yelled, standing up and taking a step into the aisle, all thoughts of comforting Melody gone as his anger began to take over. "Or I'll do it for you!"
"That's it, you dick! Threatening my girl is too far, you good-for-nothing prick!" Lightning yelled, charging at Red.
Red gladly accepted the challenge, following suit and the two stallions collided, throwing punches this way and that. Flight attendants tried to split them up, and Melody tried to grab Red, even pounding his back, begging him to stop with tears in her eyes, but the two colts were locked in battle, refusing to stop until one of them conceded.
"The ship is going to crash! It's going to explode, get me out of here!" Scarlet yelled, trying to force her way past the fighting group and out of the ship.
Principal Cinch and another teacher then hurried past the panicking Scarlet, hoping to help the flight attendants with the fight. A white mare with a pink and yellow mane and orange socks that went all the way up all four legs stood up, concern for the panicking unicorn growing. She didn't believe the ship was going to crash, but she knew a panic attack when she saw one, experiencing a couple herself, and since everypony's attention was on the fight, she took it upon herself to help the mare.
She walked up to her, putting a hoof around the mare and leaning close to her. "Shh…it's okay. It's going to be okay," Candy Jolt whispered in her ear.
"No! It's not!" Scarlet yelled. "The ship's going to explode we need to get off now!"
"That's it!" The pilot yelled, coming out of the cockpit, wondering what the hell all the chaos was about. "Everypony that's in the aisle, get the hell off the airship. Now! Before I call the air marshals and get all of you arrested!"
It was then the flight attendants began pushing all of the ponies who were involved off the airship. Shadow, taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, put her saddlebag on her back and slipped past, following the five ponies and group of flight attendants off the airship.
Midnight Blue, Candy's best friend, who happened to be a bit late, was waiting at the end of the aisle for the fight to be broken up so he could get to his seat, but the fighting group had him stumbling back to avoid getting a wayward punch, and with no other way to go, Midnight ended up stumbling down the ramp the led off the airship.
"Whoa, hey, that's my seat!" Midnight called, just wanting to get to his seat and not get involved in whatever the hell this was. "Just, let me get to my seat! It's right over…" Midnight trailed off as he realized there was no point. He'd just have to get back on after the fighting ponies got off.
The royal guards were already running towards the ramp and were helping to break up the fight by the time they got to the bottom. The two colts were separated and were forced to sit on opposite benches. Lightning and Red glared at each other, Melody trying to get through to Red to calm him down.
Candy and Scarlet were next. Scarlet hysterical and Candy trying to calm her down. When Lightning saw Scarlet's panicked behavior, he stood up, wanting to comfort her, but was quickly forced back down by a guard.
"Nopony goes back on board! That's my call!" The pilot yelled before walking towards the ramp.
That got Principal Cinch's attention. "W-wait!" She called, hurrying after the pilot, who was fortunate enough to stop for her. "I've got a hundred and fifty students on that ship. You have to let me back on."
"You understand my position?" The pilot asked, looking resolved to not let anypony else on board, no matter the situation.
"I do, and I apologize for Scarlet, but I have a hundred and fifty students on that ship, one of us has to be there…"
As the pilot and Principal Cinch argued, Shadow slipped down the ramp, nopony noticing her since their attention was other places. She quickly found a bench off to the side and sat there silently, happy to fly under the radar.
As Shadow sat down, Red stood up, ready to fight Lightning all over again as his anger boiled his blood, causing Lightning to stand up in response, but two guards grabbed them and forced them back down, Midnight helping with Lightning and the other teacher helping with Red.
"Sit the fuck down, Red!" Midnight yelled as he helped restrain Lightning. If he was stuck out there for a bit, he might as well help where he could.
Principal Cinch came back, sighing heavily, taking the other teacher aside as they discussed the situation. The pilot would only allow one of them back on the plane. The teacher tried to stay, but Principal Cinch insisted that he go instead and that she and the rest of the students could take the flight that departed two hours later.
Reluctantly, the other teacher agreed and hurried onto the ship. When Midnight saw the teacher hurrying up the ramp, he tried chasing after him. "Hey wait! I was in the bathroom and the lock, it was stuck and…I didn't even fight with anypony!" But before he could follow them, the ramp was already being pulled back and it was too late. "Damn." Midnight muttered under his breath.
Candy Jolt came back, carrying an icepack in her mouth. She handed it to Principal Cinch, who grabbed it with her magic and began pressing it against Scarlet's sweating face, her face for once full of sympathy.
Red Haze, Melody Note, and Midnight Blue stood at the window of the docks, staring as the airship began to prepare for take off. Lightning sat next to Scarlet, a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder. Shadow Step still sat where she was, watching Scarlet, listening to every word she said.
"Scarlet, dear, talk to me. What happened?" Cinch asked concern all over her face.
Scarlet looked at Lightning, who nodded encouragingly. Scarlet took a deep breath and tried to explain it to the best of her ability. "I...I saw it...like, I don't know...the airship took off. I saw it leave the docks...I looked down…and saw the ground..."
Principal Cinch and Lightning exchanged concerned glances.
"And then the cabin banged and the back exploded. The…the whole airship just...blew up. It was so real. Exactly how everything goes." Scarlet looked down, her gut twisting with anxiety, thinking about all those still on the airship.
"Been on a lot of airships that blew up?" Lightning asked, trying to calm Scarlet dow through logic. She glanced up and gave a small smile, but there was still fear in her eyes.
"You must've fallen asleep," Principal Cinch reasoned.
Red Haze clenched his jaw, turning to face Scarlet and Principal Cinch. "We get thrown off the airship and blow half of grad night because Flare has a bad bucking dream?" Red asked, before saying in a mocking tone, "It's going to explode! It's going to explode!"
"Buck off, Haze!" Lightning yelled, starting to stand up, but Scarlet gripped his hoof, causing him to sit back down.
Scarlet stood up, her nerves a fraying wreck. "You should be thanking me, Red. Because if you'd stayed on that damn airship, the only trip you'd be taking is to the damn afterlife!"
Red stalked towards Scarlet with anger, but before he could reach her, Lightning intercepted, and the two went at it like cats and dogs again. Security came back, trying to break up the fight again.
"You wanna take a damn trip? How about a trip to the BUCKING HOSPITAL!" Lightning yelled, swiping a punch at Red.
"You're paying for my damn trip, Flare! I'm serious!" Red yelled as he struggled against the security guards, ignoring Lightning's words.
"If what Scarlet said was actually true, I wish you were on that damn airship!" Lightning yelled before Scarlet could say anything else.
Midnight Blue had stayed at the windows the whole time, watching as the airship took off. "There they go…and here we stay…" He muttered to himself.
It only took a few minutes, but soon, the airship exploded, just like Scarlet predicted. Midnight stumbled back in shock, as he was watching the window, but nopony else noticed. "Oh shit!" He yelled, before dropping to the ground, two seconds before the glass exploded, the blast from the explosion reaching them, and knocking all of them off their hooves.
Shadow stood up, her eyes wide, as she watched the remains of the airship fall to the ground. Candy and Melody began screaming. Red and Lightning, who were already on the ground from the security guards trying to separate them stayed where they were, staring at the explosion in open-mouthed shock.
The entire docks were silent for a moment as it seemed like everything froze in time, before security guards, and air marshals jumped into action, hoping to retrieve any survivors as quickly as possible. Midnight stared out the window in shock, still on the ground. Shadow was the first to turn her shocked gaze to Scarlet, before everypony followed, staring at Scarlet with shock and horror, Principal Cinch looking at her with grief, and Candy and Melody looking at her with tear-filled eyes.
But Scarlet just stared at the now empty black sky, her eyes shocked. Her legs suddenly felt weak and she collapsed to the ground, her mouth hanging open. She knew there were no survivors. She experienced the explosion herself. But that didn't stop her from hoping in vain.
Author's Note
Alright…new story…
Thought I'd do my first and only crossover…this was meant for Halloween, but I couldn't wait!
I also wanted to get this one published before I have to start work. Super excited!
You can probably guess which characters are who in the movie, but, feel free to guess in the comment section anyway.
Hakuna Matata!
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
The entire room was dead silent, except for the ticking of the clock, as all seven ponies waited to be released. Everypony was in utter shock. Red Haze, for once in his life, was at a complete loss for words. He had his hoof around Melody as she silently sobbed into him.
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
Shadow Step sat on one of the tables, tears filling her eyes but not streaming down her cheeks. Midnight Blue had his hoof around Candy Jolt, staring blankly at the seat across from him, while Candy laid her head on his shoulder, tears streaming down her face.
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
Lightning sat next to Scarlet, his eyes still wide with shock. Scarlet stared blankly at the wall before hers. She didn't move, she hardly even blinked. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face, but she made no move to wipe them away.
She could feel everypony's staring at her. She blinked back tears of her own. "I didn't cause this," she muttered. She glanced around the room, seeing everypony still staring at her. All with a mixture of fear, shock, and, in Red's case, disgust. "I didn't!"
All of them looked away, making a conscious effort to do so. Still, though, eyes kept drifting her way, trying to just subtly look at her. Scarlet sighed, giving up.
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
"Were…" Principal Cinch started, her voice wavering and shaky, as though it would break at any moment. She cleared her throat, swallowing, before starting again. "We're there any survivors?"
Nopony had to wonder who she was asking. Scarlet was silent for a moment, staring at the wall in front of her, before muttering, "How should I know?" Which was all the answer any of them needed. Everypony looked away, but, again, their eyes kept drifting to Scarlet.
All except for Shadow. She knew Scarlet didn't have all the answers, and that's if she had any to begin with. And she knew staring at her wouldn't give her them. She just stared down at her hooves.
That was when the door opened, getting everypony's attention off of Scarlet to the four ponies that walked in, to which Scarlet was grateful. Two of the ponies had the royal guard uniform, while one had a doctor's uniform and the final pony had a nurse's one. Scarlet barely glanced at them before looking straight ahead.
"Hi. I'm Doctor Healing Charm, and this is my assistant, Tender Touch. We're from Manehatten General. Is there anypony here who feels they might need…medical attention or spiritual counseling?"
"What's going on?" Principal Cinch asked, standing up. "Are there any survivors?"
The doctor stammered and stuttered, as though not sure how to answer this question, before one of the guards interrupted him, stepping forward.
"I'm Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guards. This is Private Spearpoint. I understand how you all must be feeling…and I know it's going to be difficult…but we need to ask questions regarding today's events…while they're still fresh in your mind. This will prove invaluable to our rescue attempts…and any potential criminal investigation."
As one everypony looked at Scarlet again, including the guards and medics. Clearly, word of Scarlet's outburst had spread and it was obvious who they wanted to interrogate. They just didn't want to single her out.
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
"You said: 'Get me outta here. The bucking airship's going to explode'. How did you know that?" Shining Armor asked, putting down a file on the table that sat between him and Scarlet with his magic, standing in front of it.
Scarlet was sitting on the other side, her hooves on the table. She stared down at them. She wasn't stupid. She knew that as soon as she started spouting about premonitions and visions and gut feelings, they'd throw her in the loony bin and throw the key away.
Though, if the expression on Captain Armor's face was anything to go by, if she didn't start explaining herself and soon, she was going to be held responsible.
"I…umm…I just uh…got this weird gut feeling…" Scarlet muttered.
"Did you take any sleeping pills before getting on the airship? Any narcotics or drugs?" Private Spearpoint asked, to which Scarlet just shook her head. "Are you sure about that? I know you're underage and all that, but trust me, right now getting in trouble for taking drugs is the least of your worries."
"Look, we know about your fear of flying. Maybe you…I don't know…took something to get the edge off? You know, something to help you relax a bit, something to help you sleep so that by the time you woke up–"
"I didn't take anything!" Scarlet snapped, looking up at Shining Armor. When she saw him glowering at her, she swallowed down her defensiveness and looked back down, biting her lower lip, before muttering. "I didn't take anything…sir."
The two guards looked at each other before turning their attention to Scarlet again. "Tell us what happened."
"I saw it," Scarlet admitted reluctantly. "I saw the airship explode."
"Does this weird feeling have anything to do with what you said to Red earlier? How if he stayed on that airship, he'd be taking a trip to the afterlife? Just moments before the airship exploded?"
"No…" Scarlet muttered, looking at the guards with wide eyes. Were they insinuating…that she'd take down a whole airship…with all those innocents…just to hurt Red? Why…why would she do that?
"Then why'd you say it?" Private Spearpoint asked.
"B-because I…I didn't think it was actually going to happen. I…I thought it was just…just a bad dream or whatever."
"If that was the case, then why did you get off the ship?"
Scarlet remained quiet at Shining Armor's question. She didn't know why, in all honesty. It was…it was just a gut feeling. A instinctual moment. Looking back now, it was ridiculous. Had she had the same, semi-calm mindset she does now, she probably wouldn't have. So, she didn't say anything at all. She just shrugged.
"…I just saw her panicking," Candy Jolt said to the two guards, looking each of them in the eyes. "I just…wanted to help. I didn't actually think the airship was going to crash. I just, understood what it was like to have a panic attack and she was scaring the other passengers…" Candy trailed off, thinking about all those passengers who died on the airship. All of those who didn't listen. Candy didn't listen either, not really. She just wanted to help Scarlet.
"How well do you know Scarlet Flare…?"
"…she's one of my best students. Unlike her prankster of a brother, Cliff Chaser. Those two are such opposites and yet, so much alike." Principal Cinch sighed heavily, as she thought about the teacher she sent back on that ship. Tears came to her eyes as she thought about him. "I…I sent him back on the airship…" she muttered.
"Why? Why did you insist you stay off the plane…?"
Shadow remained silent, blowing a piece of bubble gum. She knew whatever explanation she said, she'd sound like a crazy pony.
"You said you weren't friends with anypony who got off. You said you hardly knew them apart from their reputation. Why'd you get off?"
Shadow shrugged. Well, these guards weren't gonna stop until they got her answer. "I saw and heard Scarlet. I don't know…I…I guess I just…believed her."
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
Scarlet paced the waiting room they were all back in again with that infernal clock. She couldn't sit still. Not after everything that happened. Everypony else sat, all of them in utter shock. They were all waiting for their parents to come get them.
Again, everypony was silent. After all, what else was there to say? Everypony kept glancing at Scarlet, as though it was her fault the airship crashed. Scarlet could feel them, but she just ignored them. There was no point. No matter what she said, no matter what they believed, they were going to keep staring. She was the freak who knew about the airship exploding before it actually exploded after all.
Suddenly, the doors burst open and a brown unicorn with a tan mane came rushing in. "Scar!" He yelled, running up to Scarlet and embracing her in a tight hug. "Thank Celestia you're okay!"
"Cliff," she responded with relief, glad to see her idiot of a brother.
Scarlet's parents came in next, and the other parents weren't far behind, rushing to their corresponding children.
Shadow looked at the passing parents, wondering if her step-parents even bothered to show up, hurt but not the least bit surprised that they didn't. She had still hoped though.
Everypony hugged their family, all the moms in the room crying happy tears that their babies were okay. As Scarlet was hugging her parents, she noticed Midnight Blue sobbing, along with his parents, though she didn't understand why.
Shadow watched all the kids and their happy reunions and she couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards them. She knew it was stupid, and that it wasn't their fault, but still, it wasn't easy. She wished her father was still here. At least he'd give a damn…
"…forty-four days have passed since we lost a hundred and forty-four loved ones…friends…a teacher…"
Scarlet tuned the speaker out as she sat next to her parents and brother, at the memorial that was being held for the graduating class. For all one-hundred and forty-four of them.
For the past month and a half, Scarlet couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew she shouldn't. It was…just a fluke. A coincidence, as her brother told her many times. He'd ask her the question she needed to hear, even if she needed to hear it every day: had it been anypony else who had that vision and insisted they get off, would she have listened and gotten off the airship? And her answer was probably not. It helped, but it didn't ease the guilt.
She looked up at her coltfriend and his family. Lightning had his head in his hooves to hide his tears. He lost a best friend. A pony he grew up with since kindergarten. She looked at Midnight's family. Midnight had a non-identical twin brother on the airship. She understood now why Midnight and his family were sobbing in the waiting room of those docks.
His father looked back up at her, accusation in his gaze. He clearly blamed her for his son's death. It wasn't hard to understand why. She turned her gaze to Red and Melody. Both Melody and Red had good friends on that airship. Red's eyes were red, but he wasn't crying right now. Melody on the other hoof was sobbing again. She always did feel with her heart more than most ponies.
Candy Jolt's family wasn't sitting far from Midnight's. Candy was hugging Midnight who was sobbing into her shoulder. Apparently, they'd been best friends since the day they were born. Their whole lives had been one big coincidence. Well, their upbringing had been. Their parents had been best friends, growing up together. Their parents got married in the same month, they both got pregnant at the same time, and Candy, Midnight, and his twin were all born on the same day. Midnight and his twin, Fire Flash, just happened to be born six weeks early.
Finally, she looked up at Shadow. She was the only one who seemed to feel her gaze and look back up at Scarlet. But there wasn't accusation or fear or anything like that. In fact, Shadow looked…curious. Scarlet made it her mission to find out everything she could about the ponies she saved. She tried finding out about Shadow Step, but there wasn't much to find. Shadow remained a mystery.
She turned around to see Captain Shining Armor and Private Spearpoint standing in the back, in their guard uniforms. What were they doing here? Captain Armor turned his gaze from the speaker to Scarlet, who promptly looked away. Captain Armor's and Private Spearpoint's were the only two dry eyes in the whole audience. She could feel Armor's gaze on her back a little while longer before he turned his gaze back to the speaker.
They took the sheet off the statue, and ponies began to walk up to the stadium with roses either in their magic, in their hoof as they hovered to the stage, or in their mouths. Soon, it was time for Scarlet and her family to put their roses on the statues. Her parents stayed sitting, but Cliff joined her.
Of course, she ended up behind Red and Melody. He was silent for a good long moment, but, as always, he couldn't help himself.
"I hope you don't think, Flare, that just because my name ain't on this wall... that I owe you anything." He muttered, curling his lip at Scarlet. She could feel Cliff tense beside her. Lightning told her brother all about Red's irrational and misplaced anger toward Scarlet, but Cliff usually let Scarlet fight her own battles until it went too far.
"I don't," she muttered, it being the truth. He didn't owe her. None of them did. They already paid a hefty price, losing their loved ones. They didn't need to pay anymore.
"All I owe these ponies is to live my life to the fullest," Red continued, glaring at Scarlet.
Scarlet was not in the mood to deal with Red's infamous temper. "Then why don't you lay off the W.G., huh Red?"
Red turned to Scarlet, getting in her face. She barely flinched, barely even moving, glaring up at him. He wasn't gonna hit her. He may have had a very quick temper, but even he had gentlecolt values. He'd never hit a mare. Ever. "Don't you ever bucking tell me what to do, Flare! I control my life, not you! And I'm never going to die. Ever!"
However, Cliff felt it was time to intervene. "You must be Red Haze, the colt with the infamous temper I've heard so much about," Cliff said calmly, stepping between Scarlet and Red.
Red twisted his lips, sizing Cliff up. "Who the fuck are you? Flare's personal bodyguard?"
"Cliff Chaser. You've probably heard about me. Got quite the reputation around here." An awkward silence followed, Red with a WTF look and Scarlet putting a hoof to her forehead. "Nevermind. Not important. What's important is that you know me as Scarlet's older brother. So, here's something I hope you'll only have to hear once to understand. Buck off my sister, or you'll see who really has a temper. Got it?"
Red glared up at Scarlet's brother, before glaring at Scarlet herself. He scoffed, turning away. "Whatever." He muttered.
Melody stayed where she was for a bit before hurrying after Red. Cliff and Scarlet put their flowers on the statue before walking away, Cliff walking off to talk with some of his old friends, while Scarlet kind of just stood there, numb to nearly everything. She cried so much for the past month and a half, that she didn't think she had any more tears left in her.
Suddenly, a mare who was a year younger than Scarlet came rushing up, who was also a unicorn. She and Scarlet got along pretty well, and would sometimes sit together, despite being in different grades. She'd be a senior this coming year. Scarlet wondered what her grad night would entail.
"Scar, guess what. I passed my magic test. After high school, I'm going to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns! Can you believe it? I mean, I got eighty percent which is the lowest you can get but still! Isn't that exciting!"
"Yeah, Frosty. It is. I'm proud of you. You earned it." Scarlet said, feeling bad that she wasn't in the mood to talk to Ocean Frost, but at the same time hoping this conversation would end soon.
"Yeah, but…umm…the…the weirdest thing happened. Umm…one of the professors who…uh…evaluated me…she said, 'Young lady, you're going to die at a young age'…" Ocean Frost paused before chuckling nervously. "That's…that's not gonna happen…right?"
Scarlet sighed heavily. "I don't know Frost. I sure hope not." And here they go, ponies now thinking that just because she had one premonition about the future, she was all-seeing now.
"Right. Thanks. Well, I uh…just wanted to uh…let you know about my test. See you later!" Ocean Frost hurried off.
Scarlet felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to see Shadow Step behind her, holding a black rose. "Umm…because of you…I'm…I'm still alive so…uh…here." Shadow gave Scarlet the rose before flying off and out of sight.
It was eleven forty at night, and Scarlet lay on her bed, staring at the most recent newspaper about the memorial service yesterday. She couldn't stop staring at it, reading the article over and over again. She practically had it memorized. She hadn't left her room since the memorial service yesterday. Cliff had brought the newspaper with her breakfast this morning.
Her parents were growing worried, and it was only by her brother's slick-talking that he kept them from barging in there and demanding they have a forum circle where Scarlet shared her feelings.
Scarlet didn't understand why she had that premonition. Why her of all ponies? She wasn't anything special. Just a unicorn who went to a high-level school and got decent grades. If fate really wanted to save her class or stop the airship or something, why not somepony like Principal Cinch or Princess Celestia, somepony who had power? Not…not somepony who could only save a measly eight ponies, and even that was just by some happy coincidence.
Scarlet levitated the newspaper on her nightstand and grabbed a magazine about fashion, something she cared about in her old life. Something she struggled to take up an interest in again. As she flipped through the pages with her magic, her gaze drifted to the newspaper with the article. She stared at it, guilt welling up in her at the sight of a picture of Midnight and his family.
She levitated the magazine with her magic and was about to put it away when something slammed against her window, startling the hell out of her. She turned towards it to see an owl trying to fly into her damn window. With a huff, she threw the first thing she could think of at it. The magazine still held in her magic.
She threw it at the window behind her desk, scaring away the bird. She sighed, turning away from the window, sitting back down, and setting the newspaper back down on the bed in front of her.
As she stared at the article, the pages of the magazine, which landed on her desk, got caught on the blowing fan, ripping some of the pages up into small pieces, before scattering them around the room in the wind the fan made.
One very specific piece landed on the newspaper, on top of the picture of Midnight and his family. Scarlet squinted at the piece before her eyes widened in fear. No…no way…not…not again…
Meanwhile, Midnight Blue waved goodbye to Candy Jolt. She had offered to stay the night, but he told her he wanted to be alone for now. To sort things out. But…that was only half of the story.
The truth was that he knew she was grieving too. She knew Fire Flash almost as well as Midnight did. They used to call themselves the Summer Triplets since they were all born on the same day in summer, despite not being related by blood, though, Candy was so close to the two of them…they might as well have been.
Midnight knew that as long as Candy, CJ as her friends called her, was here, consoling him, she'd never get the chance she needed to sort out her own grief. He sent her home for her own sake as much as his. They both needed to grieve, and they couldn't do that by pushing their own grief aside to help the other through theirs.
Sighing heavily, he walked up the stairs to the bathroom, hoping that maybe a warm bath would calm him down. He turned on the tub faucet before walking to the window, cracking it open so steam wouldn't build up too much. He then walked to the bathroom sink, turning it on to splash his face with cold water, hoping to get as much of the grief out of it as possible, not wanting to scare his parents, glancing at the mirror to see how well of a job he was actually doing.
As he looked at himself in the mirror, he could've sworn he saw a shadowed silhouette behind him, one that didn't resemble a pony or any figure he could name, but rather a big black blob. He whipped around, only to see nothing there. He shook his head, clearing away his thoughts, turning back to the mirror to dry his face. It was just paranoia.
A small wind blew in from the cracked window and knocked over a nearly empty shampoo bottle that had accidentally been left open, causing it to leak and spill off the rack that held it, drip dropping onto the edge of the tub and leaking to the bathroom floor. It created a small puddle on the tiled floor, one that slowly and discreetly grew.
A pipe from the ceiling began to leak, drops dampening the ceiling before dripping down onto the floor and one side of the rod, making where the rod held itself up by the wall a little unstable. The water that fell on the floor only made the shampoo that was there all that more slick.
Midnight, completely unaware, walked over to the tub, which was halfway filled with water. As he began to bend down to feel the temperature of the water, his hooves slipped on the puddle on the floor and he fell head first into the half-filled tub, his head underwater, half his body over the edge.
He tried to lift his head by grasping onto the edge of the tub, but the shampoo there made it slippery, and his hooves only slipped every time he started making some sort of progress, dropping his head deeper into the water. He tried using his back hooves, but they too slipped.
In a desperate attempt to get to his hooves, he accidentally grabbed the shower curtain and pulled, hoping to use it to help himself up, but the rod, already a little unstable from the slick wall, fell and landed on top of him, immobilizing his wings so he couldn't use them to help get his head out of the tub. He began to breathe in water, it going down his throat and into his lungs. His chest began to burn as his body naturally tried to heave the water back up, but more only went down his throat. His eyesight became blurry. The pressure of the water gave his eyes and ears a stabbing pain. He tried to scream, but it was muffled by the water as the tub continued to fill.
Soon, his body began to relax as he lost consciousness, slowly becoming limp. His breathing slowed to a stop, his head under the water, his lower half lying over the tiled bathroom floor.
Scarlet burst into her brother's room, catching him by surprise, the piece of paper in her magic. Cliff practically jumped six feet into the air, quickly hiding magazines under his pillow as though they both didn't know what they were about, even though it was painfully obvious.
"Cliff! I need an address!" She said with no preamble, ignoring her brother's sad attempts at hiding anything, despite being a full-grown colt…legally. Mentally, he should still be in High School. "Midnight Blue's address!"
"W-what…w-who…what are you talking about?!" Cliff asked, completely lost.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Dammit, Cliff. I don't have time for your games! Midnight Blue. One of the survivors of grad night. I need his address."
Cliff looked at his sister, at a complete loss for words. Finally, he seemed to find his tongue. "W-what makes you think I got it? He's your classmate."
"You have connections all over the city and it's been the hottest story for the past month and a half! Surely you got something! C'mon!" Scarlet looked at the clock. Eleven fifty-five. "We don't have much time!"
"What do you even need it for anyway?!" Cliff asked, his eyes still wide in surprise. "What the hell has gotten into you, Scar?"
Scarlet bit her lip. She glanced at the piece of paper in her magic, the same one that landed on the picture in the article. The one that had the words …ul midnight blue d… written on it. She knew exactly what dress those words were from. It was one of her favorites, though it would totally clash with her color scheme. It was from a piece called Midnight Sky.
Normally, she'd pass it up as a simple coincidence, but she had that feeling. That same feeling she had on the airship. The same one that told her to get off it. Her stomach had filled with dread and her mind began to panic against her will. That feeling saved her life once, she'd be a fool to ignore it now.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Just give me the damn address!" Scarlet said, her mind and body panicking.
"Scar, look–" Cliff started, only for Scarlet to interrupt.
"Now!" Scarlet yelled. She had a feeling she didn't have very much time.
Cliff sighed heavily but relented. It wasn't very often Scarlet asked anything of him and it was even rarer for him to say no. "I got a couple of buddies who live around the same block as a couple of the survivors. One of them lives across the street from this Midnight colt. I'll write down his address for you. If you promise me one thing," Cliff said, raising his hoof when Scarlet began to protest. "You want the address or not."
Scarlet rolled her eyes. "Fine. What is it?"
"Promise me you won't go stirring up trouble. That family, as well as most of this part of town, has had enough tragedies. Please don't make it worse."
Scarlet sighed. If she was right, then it was only a matter of time and it wouldn't be her stirring up trouble. But she couldn't tell Cliff all that. So, pressed on time, she nodded. "Yeah yeah, I won't. Now, give me that address."
Cliff wrote down the address, and just as he was about to give it to her, she snatched it out of his magic. Without another word, she bolted for the door, barely glancing at the address before leaving her house, just as the clock struck midnight.
Tik…tok…tik…tok…tik…tok.
Author's Note
F.Y.I: W.G stands for Wakeupgrass
One down. Seven to go.
Scarlet ran to the address Cliff gave her. She didn't know which house was his, but she'd figure it out when she got there. She just had to get there first. He didn't live too far from her, considering, but it still took a good ten minutes of running.
About a block away, she saw flashing red lights. Oh no…no no no no. She pushed herself faster, praying like hell she wasn't too late, but deep down, she already knew the answer, even if it wasn't one she wanted to accept.
By the time she got to the street, she saw an ambulance and a guard carriage. She rushed up to one of the medics, her mind a panicked mess.
"Excuse me, sir, w-what happened? D-do you know where Midnight Blue lives?" She asked the medic, but he just ignored her.
"Scarlet!" A voice whispered from behind her.
She turned around and saw a pony hovering in the shadows, lurking behind a tree in the front yard next door. She took a step forward, squinting her eyes against the dark. A beam of light passed by them, and the pony quickly ducked behind the tree, but not before Scarlet saw a flash of purple.
Scarlet's eyes widened. It was that Shadow mare! The one from the airship…and…and the memorial. What in the hay was she doing here?
Shadow Step peered from around the tree when she was sure no light was pointed toward them. She then turned to Scarlet. "Get outta here!" She whispered harshly. "You shouldn't be here!"
Shadow glanced at something behind Scarlet, who turned around to see Captain Shining Armor and Private Spearpoint stepping out of the guards' carriage, catching sight of Scarlet. Shit. These guys were everywhere!
That was when a couple walked out of the house, their faces full of grief. Scarlet turned around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She recognized the stallion from the memorial. It was Midnight's father. She gasped as behind him, two medic ponies rolled out a gurney, a black body bag on top.
She gasped as tears filled her eyes. No. She couldn't…she wasn't…she was too late. She already knew who was in that body bag. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Tears filled Scarlet's eyes as she stared at the gurney that was being rolled into the ambulance carriage.
"Hey!" A voice called to her.
She jumped, her heart stopping when she saw Midnight's dad stalking up to her, his stride purposeful, his glare chilling, his eyes red from tears.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" He said, stomping up to her.
She stumbled back, tripping on her own hooves but catching herself in time. "I-I just came t-to…w-what h-happened?!" Scarlet stammered, her ears flattened, as she walked backward while the stallion did not stop stalking towards her.
"Didn't you see it?" He asked sarcastically, and even though it was a rhetorical question, she shook her head anyway. "He…he took his own life! Because of you!" Tears filled Midnight's father's eyes. "Because he felt guilty for leaving his brother on that damn airship!"
The stallion was getting closer and closer. She couldn't keep up with him. Suddenly, quick as a flash, in a literal flash of pink, Captain Shining Armor was between the two of them, putting a hoof up toward the stallion.
"Leave the young mare alone. Before you do something you'll regret." He said sternly, not moving as the stallion got close to his face.
"Get the fuck out of here!" The stallion yelled at Scarlet.
Scarlet blinked back the tears that were streaming down her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, turning away from the pair. "I-I'm so s-sorry. Th-this wasn't s-supposed to happen."
Scarlet ran off, tears in her eyes. She ran into one of the medics by accident, who happened to catch her in time. She gave a grateful nod, running off down the street, catching a glimpse of a white earth pony mare with a pink and yellow mane.
Scarlet stopped and they stared at each other for a moment. She was in the front yard of the house next door, hiding behind the bushes. She stared at her with wide eyes, bloodshot from crying. She looked at Scarlet as though for confirmation that what she thought happened…actually happened.
Scarlet took a deep breath and nodded, tears filling her eyes. Candy squeezed her eyes shut and began sobbing, shaking her head and collapsing to the ground in utter despair. She cried out, tears streaming down her face.
Scarlet stood there, unsure of what to do. She couldn't just leave Candy there, alone with her sorrow. But she also didn't want to overstep any boundaries either. Scarlet looked around, but nopony seemed to even notice she was there.
Sighing heavily, Scarlet walked to the sobbing mare, gathering her up in an embrace, and letting Candy cry into her. Tears fell from Scarlet's own eyes. Why…why couldn't she just get here sooner? Why couldn't she just save everypony? Why was she getting these premonitions if she just kept failing?
"Candy! Candy, dear, where are…oh, dear sweet Celestia. Candy!" A mare's voice called.
Both Scarlet and Candy looked up to see a pink unicorn mare with an aquamarine mane hurrying up to them.
"Mom!" Candy called, leaving Scarlet and rushing into her mother's arms.
"Oh, my baby. Are you okay? We heard what happened."
But Candy didn't answer. She just continued to sob into her mother's chest. Candy's mother glanced at Scarlet before whispering something in her daughter's ear. They hugged for a bit before Candy reluctantly separated from her mother and slowly walked to a stallion in the doorway who had a worried expression on his face. It looked like it took everything she had just to walk.
Candy's mom turned to Scarlet, a wide-eyed look on her face. "Are…are you…Scarlet Flare?"
Scarlet nodded, softly closing her eyes, prepared to be bashed in again like with Midnight's father, but instead, she found herself wrapped up in a tight embrace. Scarlet opened her eyes wide in surprise. This…was not what she was expecting.
"Thank you," the mare said, squeezing Scarlet tightly. "Thank you for saving my little filly."
And with that, the mare hurried off to her house, with her family. Scarlet just stood there, staring after the mare with disbelief, at a complete loss for words, even once the mare was safely inside.
In the past month and a half, she'd been scorned for her one premonition. Blamed. Feared. Pitied. But never had she been thanked. She didn't know what to do with that.
No. She did know. She had to fix things. Something wasn't right. She didn't know what that meant or how she knew, but something was…wrong here. It was like…something was taunting her. Giving her these premonitions, just to be a little too late. Something in her gut, almost instinctual, was gnawing away at her. And she had to find out what it was and what it meant before anypony else got hurt.
Scarlet looked at the tree on the other side of Midnight's house. And she had a feeling she knew where to start.
"Scarlet!" A voice called from behind.
Scarlet sighed. For the past month and a half, if she charged one bit to anypony who called to her like that, she'd have enough to buy herself ten new spellbooks by now. And those things were not cheap.
Scarlet turned around, only to stop, her irritation replaced by sympathy. It was Candy. She was jogging down the street, trying to catch up to Scarlet. Scarlet froze, letting Candy catch up to her.
She hadn't seen Candy since the night before, and she certainly didn't expect to see Candy now. And especially not with a small smile on her face. It was sad, and her eyes were still red from crying, but it was there.
"Candy Jolt, right?" Scarlet asked, pretending to still only be acquaintances and not having used her brother's connections to find things out about everypony she "saved".
"Yeah. But…everypony just calls me CJ. Except…except for my mom. I…I just wanted to…thank you for…for being there…you know last night. I didn't…mean to uh…to put that…that burden on you or…or anything."
Scarlet shrugged. "It's no big deal. You're allowed to break down like that. You had just lost your best friend." CJ flinched and Scarlet instantly felt bad. "Sorry."
"N-no, it's…it's fine," CJ said, nodding and swallowing back tears. "It's…it's still a little raw…you…you know?"
"Yeah…I guess…" Scarlet trailed off before she started to turn around and walk away.
There was silence for a moment before, "I don't blame you, you know. F-for Blue's death? I…I don't blame you."
Scarlet sighed heavily before turning around to look at CJ. "Well, that's a relief."
"S-sorry, that…that came out…wrong. I mean…I know Blue's father blames you but I…I don't."
Scarlet just nodded, not quite sure how to respond to that. She flashed Candy a grateful smile before turning back around and continued walking, just wanting to get to the address her brother gave her.
At least until she heard CJ yell, "You had another premonition, didn't you?"
Scarlet turned around, looking at CJ confused, saying nothing.
"That's…that's why you were there. Last…last night. Cause you had a premonition."
Scarlet was silent for a moment, not sure if she should tell CJ. On the one hoof, she deserved to know. It was her best friend's life that was on the chopping block and Scarlet was the one who was too late. But, on the other, Candy may start blaming Scarlet for not being in time. And Scarlet couldn't decide if that blame was misplaced or not.
Scarlet sighed, making up her mind. Honesty was the best policy after all. "Kind of. More like…half of one?" At CJ's confused look, Scarlet clarified. "Let's just say there was an owl…and a fan…a-a dress…and a slip of paper. Well, kind of on the dress part. It's…it's a bit…complicated."
Candy raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Must've been some vision, huh?"
Scarlet nodded, and the two of them stood in awkward silence. Candy wanted something, Scarlet knew that much, but she just didn't know what. Obviously, it was a big ask, if Candy's hesitation said anything.
Scarlet sighed, deciding to help out CJ for the sake of time. "What do you want?"
CJ swallowed, taking a deep breath. "W-well…you see, umm…I know what…what everypony says happened but…umm…I…I know Blue didn't…didn't kill himself."
"CJ…" Scarlet started, sighing heavily, but Candy interrupted her.
"No! I know Blue! He…he wouldn't have…have done that. He…he wouldn't have taken his…his own…life…"
Scarlet sighed. She, more than anypony, understood that ponies you think you know, do entirely different things when they're grieving. Like taking their own life, or…or abandoning their family.
Scarlet shook her head, banishing the thoughts. "Look, CJ, Midnight was grieving…he…he lost a brother. Maybe it wasn't something he'd normally think about doing but…well…he wasn't in his right state of mind…"
"No! Blue wouldn't have done that! He wouldn't…he wouldn't have left me like that!" Candy yelled, tears in her eyes. "He knew I needed him as much as he needed me!" Candy was silent for a moment, before she roughly wiped her tears away, and hardened her face into a determined mask. "And…and I'm gonna prove it."
Scarlet shook her head, knowing she was about to be dragged into something, but not knowing what it could possibly be. "And how are you gonna do that? Gonna ask him with an Ouija board?"
"No. I'm gonna break into the morgue."
Scarlet raised her eyebrows, her shock clear as day. Candy was gonna do what? What the hell would breaking into a morgue do? Midnight was already dead. It wasn't like she was gonna find answers on his body, especially since she had no idea what to look for. And…why was she telling Scarlet about it? Oh no. She wasn't gonna ask Scarlet for help, was she?
"You're gonna do what?!" Scarlet asked, her eyes wide.
"Break…break into the morgue," Candy repeated, though it was a little more uncertain. "Look, maybe…maybe the coroner found…something. You know, on his body. Something…something that proves Blue didn't commit suicide. You know?"
Scarlet was silent for a moment before asking, "So you want to break into the morgue instead of knocking on the front door and asking him like a normal pony?"
"I…I would but…you see…I'm…I'm not family. He can't tell me cause of…of confidentiality and…and all that. So maybe…maybe he has something on file or…or something."
Scarlet blinked, not sure she was understanding exactly what it was Candy wanted to do. "So, let me get this straight. You want to break into the morgue, steal legal documents to prove Midnight didn't kill himself, and then…what?"
Candy looked away. "I…I haven't gotten that far yet…"
Scarlet sighed heavily. Of course she hadn't. This was a half-baked plan that was probably going to blow up in their faces and they both knew it. "Yeah, you're probably gonna have better luck with the Ouija board."
Scarlet turned to walk away. This mare was crazy. Sure, something weird was going on, but breaking into a morgue to steal confidential papers? That was…well, that was what most ponies called crazy. This was…unbelievable.
That was when Scarlet felt a hoof on her shoulder. "W-wait. Please…just…I need your help."
"Why? You think I have experience breaking into morgues or something?" Scarlet asked sarcastically.
Candy was silent for a moment. "Truthfully? You're the only unicorn friend I have that…that would even hear me out. Let alone agree to help. I…I just thought a little…a little magic couldn't hurt."
Scarlet sighed. Ugh, what was she getting herself into? She had to admit, something wasn't right. Ever since the airship accident, Scarlet felt like something was watching her. Something lurking in every shadow, just waiting for her. Everything's just been…off. There'd been this dread building up like some kind of countdown to a bomb or something. She just…couldn't put her hoof on it.
Scarlet sighed again. She was so going to regret this. She just knew it. "Shit." She muttered to herself. This was the most asinine thing she could've ever agreed to. She chuckled bitterly. This may even top her brother's most idiotic prank, and he brought a fake bomb to school. "Fine. Whatever. But we need to make another stop first. I think I know somepony else who wants answers as much as we do."
The sound of machinery could be heard as the two mares approached the small, two-story house. They turned to see sparks flying around the path to the front door, and a dog lying on the ground not too far away.
When the dog noticed them, he stood up and started barking, running up to them, getting the attention of the owner. The dog sniffed them out and they gave it a few pets before turning to the pegasus hovering in the air. At the sound of their dog barking, they had turned off the machinery that had been creating the sparks and turned to their new visitors, wearing a dark grey jumpsuit and a welding mask.
As the two of them walked up to the pony, a leaf fell from the tree, making them pause for a moment. It felt like everything was dying before its time. Too early. Before it even got a chance to truly live its life.
"It's almost autumn." A mare's voice said as she took off her welding mask.
The two mares shook their heads, snapping away from those thoughts and walking up to the pony.
"It's only the end of June," Scarlet responded, wondering what this mare thought as soon seeing as autumn was another three months away.
"Yeah, but everything's always in transition. If you focus, even now, just one week into summer... you can almost feel autumn coming. I like being able to see the future. It's predictable. You can prepare." Shadow nodded her head to Candy. "Who's that?"
"This is CJ. She's one of the survivors of the airship explosion. Midnight Blue's best friend."
A sympathetic look appeared on Shadow Step's face. "I'm sorry about your friend. That must've been…tough."
"Why were you at his house last night?" Candy asked, getting straight to the point. At Shadow's confused look, Candy quickly clarified. "Scarlet…Scarlet filled me in on the way."
Shadow grabbed her welding mask before flying into her house as she answered, the two mares following her. "I'm not stupid. The Captain of the Royal Guards doesn't come down from the Crystal Empire for a simple teen suicide."
"He was already down here for the explosion. He was already in the area," Scarlet argued.
"Yeah. He ought to be investigating that. Instead, he comes down after hearing word of the suicide of one of the survivors? It can mean only one of two things." Shadow began to take off her jumpsuit. "Either they still have no idea what caused the explosion. Or they haven't ruled out anything…and the fact eight ponies got off the airship, is probably weird enough. Not to mention, one of those ponies had a vision," Shadow turned around and, seeing Scarlet's mouth open to argue the words used, shook her head. "Feeling or whatever you had…it was of the airship exploding minutes before it actually did, and that's highly suspicious. And it doesn't help that one of the survivors the visionary saved committed suicide."
"Blue didn't commit suicide," Candy said firmly, to which Shadow just shrugged.
Scarlet sighed. "Why were you there last night?" She repeated.
"In four years of high school…we haven't said one word to each other. But at that moment, on the plane, I felt what you felt. I didn't even know where those emotions came from…until you started freaking out. I didn't see what you saw, but I felt it." Shadow walked closer to Scarlet, standing just inches away from her. "You can still feel it, can't you? Something from that day is still with you. I know because I can still feel you. That's why I was there last night."
Scarlet blinked, turning away from Shadow. She had no idea what the hell Shadow was talking about, but she was right about one thing. Something from that day was still with her. And it felt like Shadow knew more than she was letting on. It just…didn't make sense. None of it did.
Shadow turned to Candy. "You feel it too, don't you? The connection?" Candy stared wide-eyed at Shadow but nodded all the same. "We're…we're connected now. I'm…I'm not sure why or…or how, but it's there. Something about surviving that explosion, when we all got off that airship, it…it connected us somehow."
Scarlet sighed, not sure what the hell these two mares were talking about. "You know, I've never dealt with death before. It just…feels like it's all around us."
"It?" Candy asked hesitantly, taking a step towards Scarlet.
"What if Midnight was just the first? Of us, I mean?" Scarlet wasn't sure where the hell she was getting these ideas, but she felt deep in her gut this was right. That she was on the right track.
"All the more reason to break into the morgue!" Candy exclaimed. "That way, we can see the body. We can see what's really going on here."
Shadow looked at the both of them, clearly confused, when Scarlet clarified. "CJ wants to break into the morgue to prove that Midnight didn't commit suicide."
Shadow was silent for a moment. "Breaking into a morgue," she said slowly in thought. "Sure. Why not? I'm free tonight."
Scarlet sighed. "Okay, it's a date, I guess. Tonight, we are gonna break into a morgue."
The moon shone high in the sky as the three mares climbed the roof of the building. Earlier that afternoon, Shadow had scoped out the building earlier and found there was a skylight they could enter in from.
Once they got to the skylight, Scarlet lit up her horn in a red aura and soon, the skylight was lit in the same magical aura. Scarlet floated the glass onto a flat part of the roof and softly set it down, trying to make as little noise as possible, all of their bodies tense.
They all breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened. Shadow was the first to go, dropping herself from the skylight and using her wings to softly glide down to the floor. Candy was next. She was levitated by Scarlet and softly set on the ground. Scarlet then levitated herself, landing on all four hooves.
After glancing around the room, they quickly left it, sneaking down the hall, keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of another pony. They finally got to a set of double doors with a sign that said 'Post-Mortem Examination Room'. Taking a deep breath, Shadow took out her pick set and began picking the lock until she heard a click.
Smiling, she slowly opened the door and snuck in, with Scarlet right behind her. Candy hesitated before she too entered, small tears building in the corners of her eyes. When they entered, they found the room was rather small. The shelves against the wall were filled with medical supplies and tools. In the middle was a silver metal table and on top of it lay a body.
"Is…is that…him?" Scarlet asked, putting a hoof to her nose to block out the putrid stench that only came with decaying bodies.
The body before them was so pale, so grayish. His once vibrant dark blue coat was now a pale grayish blue. It was so limp, so still, it was impossible to mistake him as sleeping. They understood where the saying "as still as the dead" came from. The face was hardly recognizable, and his skin and fur looked…waxy.
Even Candy hardly recognized him, but she did. She knew who that was. "Y-yeah. That's…that's him…" Candy said through the tears, trying her best to hold back a sob. She swallowed back tears, though her voice still wobbled. "But…whatever it was that…that made him…him is…is definitely gone."
Suddenly, as they stood there staring, one if his hooves spasmed, jumping up before dropping back down on the table, scaring the hell out of the three ponies.
"Holy sweet mother of Celestia!" Scarlet exclaimed, her heart racing, wondering if this would be a real life version of the book The Walking Dead .
"Careful where you tread, or you will wake the dead," a calm, mysterious voice spoke up.
All three ponies looked up to see a creature with a light grey body with dark grey stripes, teal eyes, and gold hoop earrings, neck rings, and bangles. She smiled softly at the three ponies before approaching the body with a curious expression.
"W-who are you?" Scarlet stuttered, her heart still racing with fear, and surprised that this…creature isn't the least bit upset to find them there.
"I am Zecora of the Everfree Forest. I was asked to come by Captain Armor for my particular…skill set. We have a mutual relation. He said this was a…delicate case that was top priority. He wanted somepony he could trust implicitly."
"W-why did his hoof…move like that?" Candy asked, pointing at the body.
"Chemicals. The vascular flush creates cadaveric spasms that do something identical." Zecora answered as she pulled out a small fabric bag and started putting candles around the body.
"Um…I-I'm his…his friend and…" Candy started, only for the mare to interrupt.
"I know who you are, Candy Jolt. You three are the few who left before that airship could explode."
Zecora turned her gaze to the three ponies, a knowing twinkle in her eyes. The three of them felt a bit uncomfortable around the strange mare, but at the same time, she felt like the only one who would understand what they came here for.
That was when Shadow noticed something. "What…what are those markings…on his back?" She asked, pointing to the purple blobs on his back and wings.
Zecora smiled a knowing smile. "Those are bruises formed by something from above. Perhaps something held him down when he tried to push himself up."
The three mares were silent before it seemed to click for Candy. "Push himself up. Like…up out of the water. So, if something was holding him down…" Candy trailed off, hoping this was the evidence they were looking for.
Suddenly, the candles lit, catching the three mares by surprise. They didn't see Zecora light the four candles. The three mares blinked, but the strange mare ignored them. She looked over the body once, before glancing back up. The smallest golden glow appeared but disappeared as soon as the three ponies looked at it.
Zecora leaned in closer before smiling to herself softly. "It seems your friend did not take his life. I hope this alleviates any strife."
"How…how do you know?" Scarlet asked, tilting her head, confused.
"Right here, you see. A cut and bruising are forming. It suggests rather than dunking his head willingly, it was forced down and hit the bottom quite harshly. And a bruise here on his gut. Perhaps the way he landed on it was quite abrupt."
"Which means…it was an accident!" Candy exclaimed, smiling widely.
Suddenly, the candles went out, leaving them in the dim light of the room. All the mares turned to Zecora, who had a dark look on her face. "In Death, there are no accidents. No coincidence, escapes, or mishaps."
Scarlet chuckled nervously. "You talk about death as though it's a living being."
"Death goes by many things. You might know the name Grim Reaper, known for its popularity."
"Grim Reaper? You mean the creepy pony with a cloak and scythe that stands on a boat and takes bits for passage to hell?" Shadow asked.
"I think your combining myths." Candy whispered to Shadow. "Charon is the one who gives ferry rides to the underworld. The Grim Reaper just has the cloak and scythe."
"I assure you death has neither. It was ponified so others could understand it better. Death is as real as you and me, though instead of something physical, it's a force you can't see. Every single move we make…from the monumental…to the mundane…it's all part of Death's sadistic design...leading to the grave."
All the ponies looked at each other, the fur on their back rising. A chill went down Scarlet's back, and while she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't help the feeling in her gut that told her this sounded right. That this was the answer she was looking for.
"Design…" Scarlet muttered in thought, thinking of how she saved eight souls, including herself, from dying in the accident. "Does that mean if…you figure out the design, you can cheat Death?"
"Scarlet, you've already done that by walking off the airship. Your friend's departure shows that Death has a new design for all of you, a new written script. Now you have to figure it out…how and when it's coming back for you the second time round."
The three ponies shivered as their hearts raced and their bodies tensed, and it suddenly felt like there was something else in the room with them. Something they couldn't see.
"Play your hunch... if you think you can get away without getting in deeper." The striped mare continued. "But remember...the risk of cheating the plan... of disrespecting the design... could incite a fury to terrorize even the Grim Reaper."
Suddenly, another hoof spasmed and the ponies were all so tense and focused on what Zecora was saying, that they all screamed and jumped back, causing Zecora to chuckle darkly.
"Wow…Death does not sound like it wants to be fucked with," Shadow muttered bitterly.
"Can we please call it something other than Death? Calling it that just…just gives me the creeps." Candy asked, shivering again.
"Umm…quick question…if Death is such a stickler for patterns and such, why did Scarlet have that premonition…you know, of the airship exploding?" Shadow asked.
"Death is apart of us all. It's how we age, getting closer and closer to the end we try so desperately to stall. But even Death has its weak spots, and it seems Scarlet, here, had access to one."
The three of them were silent for a moment before Scarlet sighed. "Right…well…thanks. We should really get going though. But it was nice to meet you and… you've been a big help. Thank you."
"Of course, dear fiillies. But we shall see each other again, sooner than you might think."
Author's Note
AND YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO FUCK WITH THAT MACK DADDY!
"Zecora said that Eberron has a design," Scarlet explained as the three of them sat at a table outside a cafe, awaiting their orders.
It was the next day and Scarlet, Shadow Step, and Candy Jolt met up to talk about what Zecora said the night before. It kept them all up, but it especially stayed in Scarlet's mind.
Scarlet knew there was something up, ever since that day on the airship. Just twenty-four hours ago, she was no closer to figuring it out than she was the day the airship exploded. But now, with what Zecora said, it felt like they were so close to seeing the big picture. To seeing what all this meant. To untying the knots. There were just a few loose ends that prevented them from seeing the full picture.
"I'm talking about omens," Scarlet continued. "How do we know, that just by sitting here…by sipping a drink or breathing the air…or…or even crossing the intersection, we haven't started in motion the events that will someday lead to our death…forty years from now, or ten years, or even tomorrow?" Scarlet paused, a small smile forming on her face as it all slowly started to make sense, piece by piece. She paused, looking at both mares before continuing. "We don't unless we open ourselves up to the signs we're given." Scarlet levitated a scrap of paper with Midnight Blue's name and set it on the table between the two mares. The same one that landed on the newspaper article two nights ago.
A waitress walked over to them, levitating a tray of three drinks their way, setting each drink to their respective pony, a black tea for Shadow, a smoothie and piece of pie for Candy, and a latte for Scarlet. They were silent until the waitress walked away, completely unaware of their grim conversation and the tragedies that had befallen them all.
"Umm…I…I don't really…understand anything you…you just said. All I know is that I'm now scared to drink my smoothie or…or eat my pie." Candy said, staring down at her food fearfully.
"Yeah, I agree with Cotton Candy over there. None of this makes any sense." Shadow looked down at the piece of paper, her eyes widening briefly before looking up at Scarlet. "Did you see Midnight die?" Shadow asked, wondering if she did, what the hell was the point of breaking into the morgue if she already knew it wasn't a suicide? "Did it happen again, like on the airship?"
Scarlet shook her head. "No, it didn't, but it might as well have." She said simply, not wanting to get into those details when she was on the precipice of something huge. A revelation of sorts.
"Yeah, apparently there was an…an owl and…and a dress…and a paper, which I…I guess is that one," Candy gestured to the piece of paper. "Oh! And the fan. Can't forget the fan."
Shadow blinked, looking thoroughly confused.
Candy shrugged. "Apparently it's…it's complicated." Candy gestured to Scarlet with her head, to whom Shadow promptly followed with her gaze at Scarlet, clearly wanting an explanation.
Scarlet shook her head, wanting to get back on track. "That…that doesn't matter. What does matter is that this," Scarlet put a hoof to the paper. "This is a message, guys. Or somepony hinting at some kind of design."
"Or something . Like Eberron." Candy muttered, it finally starting to click together.
Upon the insistence of Candy, they decided to call Death Eberron, instead of…well, Death. According to Shadow, Eberron was the ancient Equestrian God of Death. Seemed fitting enough.
Scarlet nodded. "Exactly." A small smile appeared on Scarlet's face.
Shadow shook her head. "Bullshit. If that were the case, you'd be able to find omens anywhere. It'd be all about perspec…"
Shadow's voice faded into nothing but background noise as something caught the corner of Scarlet's eye. She looked towards the window of the cafe and saw the reflection of a PVC pipe swinging directly towards them from across the street. She spun around, ready to jump out of the way, only to see nothing.
"…with a C and ends with an E, but so does choke. So, does that mean we'll choke to death?" Shadow said when Scarlet tuned back into what she was saying. She had that same feeling of panic and dread. The same feelings she had on the airship and when she saw the scrap of paper the night Midnight died.
"Shadow's right. We…we want to hear you but…but we'll go nuts if you start with this…this crazy stuff." Candy agreed.
She shook her head, turning to her friends again. "Alright, look, Zecora said that Eberron has a design, right? Now, what if you two, me, Midnight, Red, Melody, Lightning, and Principal Cinch messed up that design? For whatever reason, I saw Eberron's plan... and we cheated it…"
Meanwhile, across the street, on top of a building, construction was going on to add another story or two to the building. The building was almost complete and ready to open, and they already had tenants lined up to live in the new apartments it'd bring.
"…but what if it was our time…?"
They lined the structure with PVC pipes, just to get the layout. It was a new technique their boss wanted to try, and while the workers weren't happy about it, what the boss wanted, the boss got.
"What if we weren't meant to get off that airship…?"
"Yo, B!" One of the construction workers yelled from the edge of the roof.
A brown earth pony stallion turned around, a clipboard and pen in his hooves, the sheet full of tally marks from counting materials. "What's up!"
"What if it still is our time…?"
"I gotta get going. My kid had an accident and is in the hospital. I'm gonna need you to operate the machines today!"
The construction worker's eyes widened in nerves. "I…I don't know, man. I'm not so confident about working them machines…"
"If it is, then it's not finished...and we will die…"
"C'mon B, you got this! You're trained in the basics. Everypony is. Look, everypony here are newbies! Which means I need you to step up. It's no big deal. You're just gonna move a couple of PVCs."
"Now, not later…"
"Can't we just do it tomorrow?" The worker asked.
"We could, but we're already behind as it is and if we get any more behind, the boss ain't gonna be happy! And you know how he gets when he ain't happy!"
The construction worker bit his lip. "A-alright. Yeah, sure, whatever."
"Thanks, dude! You're a lifesaver!"
"…unless we find the patterns and cheat it again." Scarlet finished, and she could practically see the gears turning in their heads.
The three of them were silent for a moment, not sure what to make of this. They glanced at each other, both of them still not comprehending. Sure, it was one thing to believe that fate had a hoof in their deaths, but a whole nother to think that Death itself had a vendetta against them for not dying the way they were supposed to, and was now plotting its evil revenge against them. It just didn't make sense.
"I'm…I'm sorry, Scar, but we're…we're just not understanding. I mean…it's just something that's difficult to…to wrap our minds around, you…you know? And not…not because you're…you're not explaining it right cause you're…you're doing a great job. It's just…"
"Crazy. It's just crazy." Shadow interrupted harshly. "That mare had no idea what the hell she was talking about. I mean, she lives in the middle of the Everfree Forest, for fuck's sake! It's just some old forest superstition shit!"
Across the street, Red was walking with his marefriend, when he spotted Flare chattin' up with two mares he thought looked vaguely familiar. He sneered, staring at them. He was already in a bad enough mood as it was. He had been in a whirlwind of emotions the last two days and he had no idea where the hell they came from.
He tried to look the other way, but he couldn't. Shaking his head, he abruptly changed course, stomping his way toward the three mares, stomping across the street. Ponies hauling carriages skidded to a stop, not wanting to run into the pissed-off stallion. Melody was close behind him, trying to talk him out of it, but he didn't listen.
It was then Principal Cinch walked out of the cafe the three mares were sitting outside of. She froze when she saw Scarlet. She tried to avoid that mare as much as possible, and lately, she had been doing a pretty good job. Until now. Now she stood just a couple of hoofsteps away.
Something about Scarlet terrified Cinch. How could it not? She just predicted an entire airship exploding. Not to mention, she was there when Midnight was found dead. Wherever that mare went, death followed closely behind and Cinch didn't want to be anywhere near it.
"Oh, looks like we got ourselves a bit of a reunion here," Red said in a tone that made everypony uncomfortable as he approached the group, the air thick with tension. "So, when ya movin'?"
"Red, please. Just let it go," Melody begged, practically on Red's tail.
"A…a couple of weeks," Principal Cinch answered with as much dignity as she could. Stiff upper lip. It was a motto she lived by and she was not about to let some deathbringer change that.
Scarlet stood up as Lightning approached, seeing the altercation forming from the sports store he was browsing in. Scarlet counted. Melody Note. Shadow Step. Red Haze. Lightning Bolt. Candy Jolt. Principal Cinch. And herself. That made seven. Good. They were all here.
Lightning was by Scarlet in an instant. "Hey babe. How are you doing? I tried coming by a couple of times, but your brother said you didn't want to see me."
"I'm…I'm fine. I…I was just uh…dealing with some stuff. Actually…it's stuff I need to talk to you about." Scarlet raised her voice to address the chatting group. "To all of you, actually."
"…lived here your whole life," Red turned to Scarlet. "And now she's got to move, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!" Red yelled at Scarlet, who, at the same time, yelled in Red's face, "…because WE'RE IN DANGER!"
"ENOUGH!" Melody Note yelled at the top of her lungs. "BOTH OF YOU!"
Everypony immediately fell silent, looking about as shocked as they were when the airship exploded. Nopony had ever seen this side of Melody, not even Red. Melody was kind, shy, and sweet. She didn't yell at the top of her lungs.
But Melody was frustrated. All she wanted to do was move on with her damn life, but ever since that day, a month and a half ago, all it's felt like was that her life was at a standstill. Like she was just stuck in that day, over and over. It was stupid. It was like she might as well have died on that airship right along with them for all her life was worth right now. And that was not how she wanted to live it. She got a second chance at it and she was gonna be dammed if she wasted even one second.
"They died!" Melody continued, tears in her eyes. "And we lived! Get over it. Because right now, it feels like we've died right along with them." She turned to Red. "I will not let this ship explosion be the most important thing in my. Life!" She hit Red in the chest twice as she said the last two words, her anger finally boiling over.
Back across the street, up on top of the building, the stallion climbed into the crane, feeling a little uneasy. He started it up and moved the arm down on the pile of PVC pipes on the ground below, lowering the wire down until it hit the ground. The workers below hooked it onto the wire that held the pile of PVC pipes together.
The workers then gave a nod to the stallion at the top of the building, who was looking over the edge. The stallion then turned to the worker operating the crane, nodding to him and stepping back.
As the crane began to pull up the PVC pipes, a strongish wind blew through, rocking the pile of pipes. It crashed into the wall of the half-finished building, and while PVC pipes were typically durable, one was manufactured wrong by accident and the end chipped off, creating a good-sized staked end.
One of the workers noticed this and tried yelling at them to lower the pile back down, but the ponies at the top couldn't hear them. Suddenly, the pile of PVC pipes began swinging back and forth. Up above, the crane was jamming, which was odd since the crane was only two years old and it shouldn't be malfunctioning now. The worker tried to pull the lever that made it go backward, but it would jam up before the whole vehicle jerked backward.
The PVC pipes began swinging dramatically, back and forth, as the crane and its arm moved sporadically. The pipes kept spinning until the pointed end was pointed across the street. That was when the wire slowly began to unravel from the stress on it, even as the pipes were swinging back and forth.
Suddenly, the crane jerked and the wire broke, sending the PCV pipes flying…
"…but I'm moving on, Red," Melody continued, tears filling her eyes, but she would not let them fall. She loved Red Haze, she really did. Under all that anger was a kind and sweet soul. But it was time she started looking out for herself too. She turned and started to walk across the street, but when Red called after her, she stopped and turned around, glaring at him, her back to the half-finished building. "I'm done. It's over, Red. We're over. If you want to waste your life beating the shit outta Lightning and everypony else who even looks at you wrong, then…then…you can just drop fucking dead."
Suddenly, the sharpened point of the broken PVC pipe flew straight into Melody's forehead, smack dab in the middle, blood spattering on the five teens and former principal.
For a moment, for one blissful moment, time seemed to stop. Everything froze as the world came to a standstill. The six ponies stood there open-mouthed, and though that moment was only half a second at best, it was one they hoped could last forever.
And then that moment was over and reality came crashing back in. Principal Cinch, her mind the first to process what the hell just happened, screamed a high-pitched wail, Candy following not far behind. Shadow stumbled back in shock, a hoof to her mouth, her eyes wide and filled with tears. She crashed into the cafe table, knocking it over.
Red screamed and hurried over to Melody's dead body, holding it close to him, blood and all, screaming with tears in his eyes, rocking back and forth. Scarlet pushed herself face first into Lightning's chest, who wrapped his hooves around her in a tight embrace, not wanting to look at the body anymore, but that image would forever be ingrained in her head. She'd see it for as long as she lived, however long that would be, always sitting in the back of her mind, just barely visible.
The six of them just stood there, as chaos littered the streets and screams filled the air.
Scarlet stared blankly at the wall before her, tears streaming down her face. The entire scene, every horrible minute of it, played through her head, over and over, all the way from the PVC pipe she saw in the window and promptly ignored, to the horrifying moment the PCV pipe went through Melody's forehead.
She could still see Melody's dead body, clear as day. Those open, wide, vacant eyes that had no soul to them. Melody's mouth resting half open. If it wasn't for the lifelessness that permeated her body, it almost looked like Melody was gaping at something. And the hole in her head, that still had the PVC pipe sticking through it.
Scarlet heard a knock on her bedroom door. She didn't say anything as her brother stepped in, holding a glass of water in his magic. He softly set the glass of water down on the nightstand next to her and sighed heavily.
He couldn't imagine what his little sister was going through. To predict an airship exploding, but only able to get a few off, then to watch in real-time as it happened, see her friends killed like that, and know every detail of it from the premonition. And then to have one of the survivors she saved kill himself and witness the other one get killed by some freak accident. It was a trauma he couldn't imagine.
He just knew his little sister was gonna be fucked up for years, if not the rest of her life.
"I uh…brought you some water…in…in case you were thirsty…" Cliff trailed off, waiting for her to say something, only for her to remain silent. "Are…are you doing okay?"
"I…I saw a PVC pipe go through my former classmate's forehead, killing her instantly, and I could've stopped it. I just washed her blood off of me an hour ago." She looked at her brother with wide, shocked, eyes that were both emotionless and full of them. "You tell me."
Cliff swallowed. "Y-yeah, you're right. Dumb question. Well…umm…there are some friends here to…to see you…"
"I don't want to see anypony…" Scarlet muttered.
"I-I know, and I tried telling them that but…they said…they needed to talk to you about…Eberron? And they say it's urgent. Does that name sound…familiar to you?"
Scarlet flinched, blinking back tears. "Yeah…yeah it does. Send them in."
Cliff hesitated. "Scar…I don't know who or what this Eberron guy is but…just…promise me you're being careful. I…I can't lose you too."
Scarlet was silent for a moment before answering, "If things go to a plan, being careful won't matter."
Cliff hesitated before turning away and walking out of the room, sending in Shadow Step and Candy Jolt. They rushed in, their eyes wide, their bodies tense. Upon seeing their panicked faces, Scarlet stood up, her face worried, her mind thinking what now?
"What is it?" Scarlet asked, not liking the looks on the two mares' faces.
The two of them glanced at each other. It was Candy who spoke. "They found the cause of the explosion."
Scarlet blinked. "They…they did? Wait…how do you know?"
"My stepfather, he's a part of the Royal Guard." She paused before reaching into her saddlebag and grabbing a rolled-up piece of parchment. "Might've broken into his house and stolen these."
She unfurled the parchment and laid it out on the bed, revealing a map of some sort. "And what are these?"
"Blueprints. More specifically, airship blueprints."
"And…and there's something we need to…to show you. We…we may have found a…a connection between the airship explosion and…and Blue's and Melody's deaths."
Scarlet joined Candy and Shadow at the bed, looking down at the blueprints. Scarlet was full of anticipation, just hoping this would give her the answers she needed, but worried that what Shadow had to show her would only raise more questions than answers, putting them back at square one.
Okay, look." Shadow pulled out a pencil. "This is where Midnight and Melody sat." Shadow marked the corresponding seats with MB and MN. "CJ and I sat in these two seats." Again, a mark of CJ and SS. "You and Dazzle Feathers–"
"Flash." CJ corrected. "Her name was Dazzle Flash."
Shadow shrugged. "I like my version better. Anyway, you and she switched seats, putting you and Lightning here." Another two seats labeled, SF and LB. "And Principal Cinch and Red sat in these two spots. Am I missing anypony?"
Scarlet and CJ looked the blueprint over, counting each initial, before shaking their heads.
So, Shadow continued. "There was a gas leak, causing the balloon to blow up. The wood that made up the upper deck was weakest here, right above Midnight's seat, which was where the wood would broken and fell apart first. One of the wires that held the wood together fell and would've cut up his neck, causing him to drown in his own blood."
"Just like he drowned in the tub…" Scarlet muttered.
Shadow nodded. "He would've been the first to die."
"N-no. That's…that's not right. I remember the vision. The ponies in the back would've been the first."
"Are you…sure about that?" Candy asked. "It…it was an airship crash after all. Things were…were chaotic."
Scarlet took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and did something she swore she'd never do again. She thought back to the vision in detail, this time however, noticing new details she didn't notice before, seeing ponies she hadn't known then, but recognized now…
Once the flight attendants all made sure everypony was buckled in, they took their seats and buckled themselves in. The whole airship was alight with conversation as it took off, the workers untying the ropes that kept the ship in place. With a honk of its mighty horn, it took off, turning a wide west.
Scarlet took a deep breath as everything seemed to be going to plan. Everything was well and good. She gripped Lightning's hoof, squeezing her eyes shut as the ship continued forward. Shadow barely glanced up from her book, glancing around the ship before going back to it, blowing and popping a bubble of gum.
And then it shook. And then it shook again. Everypony was suddenly silent as the ship seemed to stop midair.
And then it fell and all chaos broke loose.
Everypony screamed as the ship continued to fall. There was a burst from above and Scarlet could've sworn she heard one of the flight attendants say that the balloon blew up, catching the deck above them on fire. The whole thing lasted less than a minute, but it felt like hours.
From the heat above and the fall pressure, all the windows shattered. One of the glass pieces flew into Midnight's neck, causing him to drown in his own blood. He choked and grabbed his neck with his hooves, trying to stop the bleeding, but he couldn't. Candy screamed as Midnight's body fell limp.
The wood of the ship began to weaken from the heat and began breaking apart as the rudder tried to operate but failed and eventually also blew up from the pressure building from it trying to work. The ponies in the back were next to go, Dazzle Flash and Diamond Blossom screaming as they caught on fire and their seats fell from the ship, falling to the ground.
Wooden boards, saddlebags, and other machinery circulated the cabin, a particular chunk of sharp pointed wood going straight through Principal Cinch's chest, killing her instantly. Students fell through the holes in the falling-apart airship, falling to the ground from the air. Another piece of wood hit Melody Note's head, also killing her instantly. Red Haze yelled with tears in his eyes as he saw his marefriend's dead body.
Candy, distraught over her friend's death, cried her heart out before she was beheaded by a stray piece of metal. Red, so heartbroken over his marefriend's death, unbuckled himself and let go, falling to his death.
The airship fell apart as it fell to the ground, students and teachers, among other passengers, falling to their deaths, the pegasi unable to catch themselves in time. Shadow Step's wing ended up breaking from being hit with debris, pieces of her skin burning from the flames. She dropped dead, succumbing to her injuries.
Suddenly, one of the side engines blew up, catching what remained of the airship on fire, burning the remaining passengers to their deaths as the remains fell to the ground, not a survivor in sight.
Scarlet gasped as she came up from the depths of her memories. Candy and Shadow were looking at her with concern and worry, watching her carefully. Scarlet blinked back tears, the whole room suddenly feeling small, gasping for air that never seemed to be quite enough.
She looked up at Candy, but all she could see was her headless body. Shadow was no better, only able to see her bruised and burned body. She blinked away tears, trying to calm herself down.
"Scar, what'd…what'd you…see?" Candy asked concern and fear in her voice.
Scarlet clenched her jaw. "You guys were right. Midnight did die first. But it wasn't by a wire. It was by a piece of glass. And…" Scarlet paused, looking away.
"There's more?" Shadow asked, raising both eyebrows.
"Melody Note and Principal Cinch both died at the same time…which means, if Eberron really was trying to take us out, and was doing it in the same order as it happened during the explosion…"
"Cinch is next," Shadow muttered, her eyes wide. "And she's soon."
Author's Note
I had to put the drop fucking dead quote. It was one of my favorite parts. I'm a sucker for irony
"Scar, hold up, we don't even know if this whole Death is a force not to be reckoned with theory is even real. I mean, it probably isn't. We shouldn't just barge into Principal Cinch's house and scare her for no reason." Shadow said as they trailed Scarlet through her house.
As soon as the three of them put the pieces together about Cinch being next and that she was going to be dead soon, Scarlet was already on her hooves, leaving her bedroom to hurry to Cliff's, making it perfectly clear what she intended to do. She just hoped she wouldn't be too late.
"Eberron. Not Death. Remember?" Candy corrected, before agreeing. "And Shadow's right. I mean…what would we even say? Eberron is coming after you and we have to…to read some sign, so we know how you're going to die so we can stop it but…but we have no clue as to what that sign could be because it could be anything."
"Yeah, well it's something. And how can it not be true? Two survivors dead within three days of each other? You really think that's a coincidence? And besides, do you seriously wanna take that risk with Cinch's life on the line?" Scarlet asked right before barging into Cliff's room, leaving her two friends to silently, and reluctantly, agree.
Again, he practically jumped six feet, before glaring at Scarlet, quickly hiding a magazine under his pillow. He was about to get after Scarlet when he saw the determined yet panicked look on her face. "Scarlet, is something wrong? What is it?"
"I need Principal Cinch's address," Scarlet demanded firmly, levitating a piece of paper and a quill over to her brother. "Now."
Cliff blinked, looking at the paper before looking back at his little sis. "That mare and I never liked each other. In fact, I think she full on hated me. Why would I have–"
"You faked an armed robbery at her house in the middle of the night for your damn senior prank. And nearly gave the mare a heart attack in the process. Now, what's her address? Don't make me ask again."
Cliff was about to refuse. This couldn't be healthy for Scarlet and he just wanted to help his sister move on from this tragedy as much as possible. But as he watched his sister, something about Scarlet's look, and the look of the two mares behind her, made dread well up in him. He hesitated, watching her closely, before relenting with a heavy sigh.
He grabbed the quill with his magic and wrote the address on the piece of paper, which was still held in Scarlet's magic, before giving the quill back to her. Scarlet dismissed the quill by turning away, glancing at the paper before the three of them rushed to the door.
"Hey, Scar, wait!" Cliff called. Scarlet skidded to a stop, turning to her brother, wishing he'd just hurry up, but immediately felt guilty when she saw the concerned and worried look on his face. "What are you three up to?"
Scarlet hesitated before finally answering as honestly as she could. "With a little bit of luck? Saving somepony's life."
Principal Cinch sighed as she finished wrapping one of her vases in paper and setting it in the box. She closed the box and sighed, softly closing her eyes. She was so tired. Ever since that day, she's hardly been able to sleep. She gasped as Melody Note's body flashed before her mind, her eyes snapping open. Whenever she closed her eyes, whether it was to fall asleep or even just blinking sometimes, she'd see Melody Note.
She knew she just had to get the fuck out of town. As soon as possible too. This place…it once brought her so much happiness. She loved her job, she loved her students, even if it didn't seem like that most of the time, but now…now it'd only bring her pain. She didn't belong here anymore. The guilt of sending that teacher, Professor Tally, back onto the airship would overwhelm her until she felt like she would drown in it. Sometimes, in the silence of the day, out of nowhere…she'd hear the sound of her voice in her head…hear the words she said to him, insisting he get back on the airship.
Everything reminded her of that day if felt. The school, the cafe, the store. Everywhere she went, she was bombarded with memories. She just couldn't escape it and it was dragging her down. Melody's words rang through her head: "They died! And we lived! Get over it. Because right now, it feels like we've died right along with them."
Melody was right. They were letting this airship explosion dictate their lives, and it was time they moved on, time they lived their life to the fullest. And Principal Cinch knew that the only way she was going to do that was by leaving this town and that day behind her. She hoped a change would help her with that.
Sighing heavily, Principal Cinched walked over to her living room window, looking out of it onto her front yard. It was just that…it was hard. She lived here her whole life. She loved this place. Before, everywhere she looked, all she saw were great memories. But now all she saw was Tally and those seniors, dying before her very eyes after she swore to protect them. To educate them, teach them, and make sure they entered the world as smart and responsible young adults, ready to face their whole lives. But, now those lives were cut short. Even just looking out at her own front yard, even right now, made her feel nothing but fear. Fear that their ghosts would be standing out there on her front lawn, accusing her of failing them in the worst way possible.
She paused when something caught her eye. A silhouette. No, three. Three she recognized very distinctly. Scarlet Flare, the death bringer and two of the survivors.
Her heart began to race as panic set in. She had to tell Captain Armor. He had told her if she saw anything out of the ordinary, to send for him right away. She hurried to a desk, grabbed a piece of parchment and quill and ink, and quickly wrote the Captain a letter. She quickly rolled it up, tied it to the leg of the bird Shining Armor gave her so she could send a letter quickly, and released it out through her kitchen window. She then went back to the living room again, waiting with bated breath, hoping the guard would come soon.
"Okay, fan out. Look for anything that could be a sign." Scarlet instructed as she, Candy, and Shadow stood on the front lawn of Principal Cinch's house.
"Umm…yeah, but…what…what are we looking for exactly?"
"Anything that's out of the ordinary," Scarlet answered. "Anything that seems too coincidental to be…well, a coincidence. Something that sticks out like a sore hoof."
The two mares were silent for a moment before Shadow finally said, "Uh…maybe it could help if you gave us an example of what a sign from the Lord of Death looks like."
"Eberron, remember." Candy corrected again before she turned to Scarlet. "But she's right. How…how did you know Blue was going to…you know?"
"I didn't…" Scarlet said simply, looking away.
When she looked at her friends again, the look they were giving her told her to stop acting stupid because she knew exactly what they meant. How did Scarlet know something bad was going to happen to Midnight Blue?
Scarlet sighed before she reluctantly explained the whole thing. How she was looking at the article about the memorial in the newspaper, but then she tried to distract herself by reading a fashion magazine. How an owl ran into the window so she threw the magazine at the window, but it got caught in the fan, and pieces of paper from the magazine pages went everywhere, and a specific one landed right on top of Midnight's picture with Midnight Blue's name. How she had that feeling, the same one she had on the airship.
When she was done, they both stared at her in silence for a moment. It was Candy who spoke first. "Oh. So…so that's what you meant by it being a little too coincidental."
"Right. Well…we should probably fan out then. Now that we kind of know what we're looking for." Shadow said with finality.
The three of them nodded before fanning out, Shadow going to the backyard since she could fly over the fence that wrapped around it, Candy going to the sides of the house, and Scarlet staying in the front yard.
As Scarlet wandered, looking for anything that could be…well…deadly, she heard hoofsteps and the sounds of a carriage. At first, she didn't think anything of it. This was Manehatten after all. Sure, it was the middle of the night, but the streets were always busy. Perhaps not in neighborhoods, but there was no reason to be alarmed.
Until she heard, "Scarlet Flare!"
Scarlet froze. She knew that voice. In the last month or so, she's become quite familiar with that voice. Scarlet stood up and slowly turned around. She was in the process of checking the front windows, seeing if any of them were loose in case somepony were to break in or if they were at risk of being broken. She knew how it looked. She wasn't stupid.
"What are you doing here?" Shining Armor asked, giving Scarlet an irritated look.
Scarlet bit her lip. "Um…checking the windows?"
Suddenly, Shadow and Candy came to the front of the house. "I didn't find anything in the…" Shadow trailed off when she saw the guards and stopped in her tracks. Candy did the same.
"Get in the carriage. All three of you. You're coming with me." Captain Armor stated bluntly.
Sighing heavily, the three of them walked to the carriage, glancing at each other as they did so, Scarlet flashing Candy and Shadow an apologetic look, Shadow glaring at her. Scarlet hesitated before she entered the carriage, looking back at the house to see Principal Cinch watching them through the window. The very same window Scarlet was inspecting.
Principal Cinch watched the three mares be put in the carriage by the two guards, feeling a tad bit guilty, but she knew she did the right thing. Wherever that mare went, only death followed in her wake, and while Principal Cinch felt immense and crushing guilt for the students who died and the teacher she sent back on the airship, she was not ready to die herself yet.
Once the carriage was out of sight, she sighed heavily and turned away, walking back farther into her house, to continue packing. She heard something that sounded like a wind blowing in from the window she was just looking out of. She paused, turning to look at the window, which she knew for a fact was closed.
She shook her head. She was just getting paranoid. This mare was getting in her head, just by her presence alone. She walked to her kitchen.
"I believe that uh…that Principal Cinch is…is next," Scarlet said hesitantly. She knew exactly how she sounded, but what else could she say? She was found outside Principal Cinch's house, checking her window. She had the choice of looking like a grieving teenager who was trying to make sense of the situation she was in by coming up with random crazy theories…or looking like a criminal. The first one typically didn't get arrested.
"Next?" Shining Armor asked. They were at a police station, in an interrogation room, which looked similar to the spare room they were using at the docks that day when they were interviewing the survivors. Shining Armor sat on one side of the table while Scarlet sat across from him.
Scarlet was silent for a moment. "Y-yeah, next cause…um…there's this…this pattern that's occurring.
Shining leaned in. "Yeah. Right. A pattern. You noticed that too, kid?" He asked sarcastically. Scarlet simply looked down. She didn't expect him to believe it. She just wanted to get the hell outta there before it was too late.
Cinch looked through her closet, turning on the light and looking through the small boxes on the floor, hoping to keep her moving boxes as neat and orderly as possible. Optimal organization.
That was when she saw a vinyl record and smiled softly to herself. It was her mother's favorite. She had beautiful memories that came with the songs on the record, memories that luckily weren't yet tainted.
She stood up, grabbed it in her hoof, and walked over to the record player she kept in the living room. She put the record on the flat surface, carefully put the needle on the record, and pressed play. Slowly, the disc began spinning in a circle and, soon, music began to fill the air. Don Henver. Her mother's favorite country singer. His voice still soothed her soul.
A small, genuine smile began to form, the first one seen on her face since the accident.
"So what about this pattern, Scarlet?" Private Spearpoint asked. "Did you see it in one of your 'visions'? Did you read it in the stars? A lucky horseshoe, maybe?"
Scarlet sighed heavily, flashing a glare at Spearpoint. She knew these guards wouldn't believe her. Hell, she barely believed it herself. It wasn't like she was drowning in evidence. She didn't even have enough evidence to fill a kitchen sink. All she had was a feeling, a vision, and a zebra's old superstition.
"You know, I never asked for what happened on the airship. I never wanted it. You guys are going to sit there and make fun of me? Whatever. It's fine. I'm used to it. But I saved eight lives on that ship. Eight lives, and instead of thanking me, or just staying quiet and being grateful for another chance at life, everypony…thinks I'm a freak. Now, I'm not suffering from post-traumatic stress. I don't have a narcissistic deity complex. I'm not going Hayhmer on you guys. This just is. There is a pattern for us all. And that's a fact. There is a pattern for you. There is a design for everypony, and I don't know how yet…but I'm going to break this one."
The two guards were silent for a moment after Scarlet's speech, just staring at her before looking at each other. There seemed to be some kind of silent communication between the two of them before they looked back at Scarlet and she could see in their eyes they didn't believe anything she just said.
As Don Henver's music filled the air, Cinch grabbed a tea kettle off the stove with her mouth, walked over to the kitchen sink, and filled it with water. When she saw water had gotten on the outside of it, she took a towel and began wiping the kettle. However, as she did so, she saw a black shadowy blob in the reflection of the metal.
Her heart stopping, she turned around, only to see nothing there behind her. She continued standing where she was, just staring behind her, waiting for something, anything really, but the hall and kitchen behind her was void of anypony or blobbed shadows.
Slowly, she turned back around to finish wiping the kettle, completely unaware of the force that was lurking around her. Once she was done, she walked to the stove, dropped the towel she was using over the knife rack she kept next to the stove, and set the kettle on top of the burner. She turned on the gas, only for the flame to be blown out just as it was forming.
Confused, she picked up a small cardboard pack and lit a match, slowly putting the lit end into the burner to jumpstart the flame. The flame came to life and stayed that way.
Captain Armor sighed heavily, looking down at his notebook before looking back up at the young mare that reminded him so much of his little sister. He wanted to help this mare, really he did, he just didn't know how. "Look, Scarlet, you came to our attention…because you were under suspicion in this airship explosion. Now…I know you didn't blow up the plane. It was a complete accident and coincidence. Alright? We were ready to move on…but…then the other survivors started to die. First, Midnight Blue…then Melody Note, while you were at the scene. And tonight, we pick you up at Cinch's house."
Shining Armor sighed again, hoping he could just talk some sense into this mare. "I know you want to believe that you can save the ponies you already saved by finding out some mysterious pony's design about how their all going to die but…nopony has control over life and death…unless they are taking lives and causing death." Shining Armor paused before continuing, looking Scarlet in the eyes with a pleading look. "Can you promise me nopony else is going to die?"
Scarlet was silent for a moment. She wanted to make that promise, really, she did, even if it was just to get out of here and help Cinch, but that wasn't a promise she could, in good conscience, make. It'd be a lie. Because she, and only she, had the means to find Eberron's design and stop it. Only she was given the signs, only she could decode them. And as long as she was in here and not out there looking for them, she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that Cinch was going to die. And it'd be sooner than later.
"No. I can't. I'm sorry. As long as I'm in here, it's out of my control." She said simply, looking away, making it clear she was done with this conversation. There was no point and it was going nowhere.
The two guards looked at each other, seeming to silently communicate again before Shining turned back to Scarlet. "Alright. Fine. Go. Get out of here."
Scarlet's eyes widened, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She jumped up, quickly thanking the guards before hurrying out of the room, and running out of the building. She didn't know how much time she had left, especially with all that time wasted, but she just hoped she had enough.
When she burst through the station's doors, she saw Candy and Shadow waiting outside. When they heard the doors open, they turned around, both of them looking very relieved. Candy hurried up and hugged her, thanking Celestia she was okay. Shadow gave Scarlet a small rare smile, but that was all she needed to know that Shadow cared for her.
Before the explosion, the three of them hadn't even spoken a word to each other. This whole experience, the last couple of days, had all brought them closer together. They were friends now, and they knew they always would be. How could they not, after everything that happened?
"We need to get back to Cinch's house. Now." Scarlet said firmly when Candy was done hugging her.
"Why? Did you see another sign? Have a premonition?" Shadow asked, worry filling her voice.
Scarlet shook her head. "No. But I have that same feeling. The one I always have right before something bad happens."
The two mares were silent for a moment before Shadow sighed. "Fine. Whatever. Let's go. Just to prove this theory you have, is a bunch of bull."
As they ran, Scarlet saw little glowing dots floating around in the air. She reached up for one, but when she grabbed it, it singed her hoof a little. She realized they were embers. She looked at her friends and she could tell they saw them too.
They looked around and saw an old stallion raking leaves on his front porch into a pile, which was on fire, humming a tune to himself. They watched him, a feeling of dread building in each of their stomachs.
As they watched, they saw the embers floating in the small summer breeze. The embers wandered in a small thin trail in the direction of Cinch's house before burning off into nothing. They stared with wide eyes, at the trail of embers, knowing exactly what that meant.
"Is…is that the kind of…of sign we're looking for?"Candy asked, her voiceshaking tremendously.
Scarlet could only silently nod, speechless. With one more glance at each other, they bolted off, knowing they didn't have anymore time to waste. There wasn't a whole lot of time between the moment Scarlet saw the sign and when the death actually happened. They needed to book it to Cinch's house before it was too late. Scarlet just prayed that wasn't already the case.
The tea kettle whistled as though it was singing right along with the new Don Henver song that was playing. Cinch grabbed its handle and poured the hot water into her mug, setting it back down on the burner and putting a teabag in her mug.
As she picked up the mug, she was just about to blow on it so she could take a sip, when she saw her old school's logo on its side, making her jump, startled, and accidentally throw the water out of the mug as a barrage of memories of that day played through her head. She sighed heavily as she tried to push them back.
So much for a cup of tea to clear her mind.
"Stop this. You have to stop this. It was just a stupid mug." She said to herself, hoping that by saying it out loud, it would calm her racing heart and banish her fear. It didn't, obviously, but she still hoped. "You're outta here. Soon, you'll be gone."
She stood there for a moment. Yeah, self-help speeches weren't gonna do shit. She needed something stronger. She reached into the freezer and pulled out the tequila she kept stored there for…necessary occasions and some ice cubes. She dropped the ice in the mug and poured the ice-cold tequila, the mug cracking at the bottom from the sudden temperature change, unbeknownst to her.
As she poured, the liquid inside slowly leaked through the crack on the bottom, making a small ring around the mug on the counter. Cinch set the bottle down and picked up her mug, walking out of the kitchen. As she walked, completely oblivious, and sipped on her drink, the mug continued to drip drops of alcohol onto her hardwood floor. She got to her desk in the living room and resumed her packing, setting the mug on the desk.
As she packed, the alcohol that had dripped onto the counter slowly began to travel in the direction of the burner she forgot to turn off. It dripped and fell onto the flames, causing them to grow bigger and bigger.
Cinch could smell smoke and ran into her kitchen just in time for the burner to explode, causing a well-aimed piece of glass from the vodka bottle to fly at her and cut her throat deeply. She stumbled back from the explosion, falling back into the counter behind her, her hoof immediately finding her throat. She tried to take a step forward as she gasped and wheezed for breath, but her vision began to blur and she began to feel lightheaded. She tripped over her own hooves and fell to the floor, right beneath the counter by the stove.
She tried to breathe, but every time she did, the blood gushing out of her throat would be forced back up and would bubble out of her mouth. She could feel the heat of the fire as it threatened to burn her, but she knew that wasn't the most pressing concern. She was losing to much blood and she knew she had to get the bleeding under control first if she was going to live. If she didn't do that soon, she was either going to die of blood loss or drowning on it, whichever came first, and she could feel herself slowly slipping away.
She looked up and saw the towel she had put on the knife rack earlier when she was wiping the water off the outside of the tea kettle. Wheezing for breath, she weakly reached up for the towel so she could press it against her throat. She was barely able to reach it, but fortunately was able to grab it with the tip of her hoof.
She pulled it down, slowly, however, the end got caught on the handle of one of the knives, and as she slowly tugged the towel down, she accidentally tipped over the whole knife rack she set the towel on earlier. It fell on its side, dumping out all of the knives it held.
All of them missed her, except for one, which landed smack in the middle of her stomach, sharp end down, causing her to scream out in pain, even as she felt herself fading.
Scarlet, CJ, and Shadow were outside Cinch's house when they heard a scream from within. Without hesitation, Scarlet bolted for the front door, knocking down the locked door with her magic, and barging inside. With only a moment's hesitation and a glance at each other, Shadow and Candy followed Scarlet inside.
"Principal Cinch!" Scarlet called once she was in the house.
She twirled around in a circle in the living room, trying to find some sign of where Cinch might be. But the smoke was so thick, it was hard to see where it was coming from, and where Cinch was. She tried to listen for Cinch's voice, but the smoke detector was screeching so loud, she could barely even hear herself think.
"Over there!" Candy yelled, standing right next to Scarlet, pointing a hoof in the direction of what looked like the kitchen. They hurried in that direction, but skidded to a stop when they got there.
"Dear sweet Celestia," Shadow muttered with wide eyes as they saw the scene before them.
The stove was on fire. Their eyes widened in horror when they saw their former principal on the floor, bleeding profusely out of her neck, a knife sticking handle up out of her stomach. But they could see she was alive. She was alive for now and that was all that mattered.
Scarlet skirted around the kitchen table and dropped to the floor next to Cinch. It wasn't too late. As long as Cinch was drawing breath, there was still time to save her. "It's okay. You're gonna be okay. Alright, just…just…just stay still, okay?"
As Scarlet was trying to figure out what to do, a small wind blew, spreading the fire from the stove onto the counter. The fire weakened the wood of the cabinets until they fell from the wall that was holding them up, also dumping the contents that were within.
"Scarlet, look out!" Candy yelled just as the cabinets began to fall and dump the contents within.
Scarlet looked up and quickly grabbed the contents of the cabinet and the cabinet itself with her magic, breathing a premature sigh of relief. However, it wasn't Scarlet or the cabinet they had to be worried about. A small explosion of smoke and fire blew the three mares back, causing them to slide on the floor. The kitchen chair blew back from the force of the explosion, tipping over and landing right on top of Principal Cinch and the knife that was buried in her stomach, sinking it in deeper.
Scarlet, without thinking, sat back up and crawled to Cinch, quickly moving the chair off of her and grabbing the handle of the knife with her magic, pulling it out, just wanting to save her. As she pulled out the knife, she stood up, and looked down at Cinch. Her eyes were half-lidded as she stared blankly up at the ceiling. Her breathing had come to a stop and now her whole body was unnaturally still as the life left her body.
Tears filled Scarlet's eyes as they were all silent, staring at her body, one question running through all of their minds.
What was the point of seeing all these signs if they couldn't use them to save the ponies they loved?
Author's Note
Well…you know what they say about tequila.
