Adventures in Crusading

Chapters

Sugarcube Corner
Audition
What Is This Feeling?
Sweetie Belle and the Magic Wand
Daring Do and the Eye of Ahuizotl
Candymare

Sugarcube Corner

The day droned on. Class after class of boring topics were drilled into the minds of the tired students at CHS. In a rather packed classroom sat a group of four friends known as the Crusaders: Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and one of the most recent additions, Diamond Tiara. Now, there would usually be one other person here, but Silver Spoon was busy visiting family… during the school year no less...

The seconds advanced closer and closer to the ringing of the last bell. Ms. Cheerilee had finished today’s math lesson and had moved on to discussing something that made the students perk up: the school yearbook. This time, the school would be holding a special challenge: to find the craziest story of the year. The bell rang. The students exited, overjoyed that the day had finally ended. While most ran for the nearest sports field, the girls had gone to hang out at a nearby park instead.

“So how’d ya reckon we make our mark on the school yearbook this time?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Hmm. We could start a journalism club! I’m sure we’d find lots of stories to tell,” exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

“No,” said Scootaloo.

“How about we run a MyStable account? We’d get lots of stories that way,” said Apple Bloom.

“Double no. It needs to be something exciting, and waiting on others is gonna take too long,” said Scootaloo.

“So what do ya wanna do?” asked Apple Bloom. The rest of the group shrugged.

“Well, we’re not going to get anything done on an empty stomach,” huffed Diamond Tiara.

“Diamond’s right. How about we stop by Sugarcube Corner for a quick snack?” said Sweetie Belle. The other girls nodded in agreement.

Sugarcube Corner was unusually busy this afternoon. It was practically overflowing with customers. The girls made their way through the mass of people and sat at the main counter. Big mistake that was.

“Oh thank god, am I so glad to see you girls here!” The girls jumped and turned around, coming face to face with Pinkie Pie, who looked on the verge of her biggest meltdown in forever. (If that was even possible) Before any of them could say a word, Pinkie instantly transported them into the kitchen.

“Uh… Hi Pinkie… Is everything alright?” asked Apple Bloom.

Pinkie began to freak out: “Is everything alright? Is everything alright?! Of course not! With the Cakes out of town, I can’t keep up with all these orders! Do you know how many milkshakes I need to make?! And I haven’t even started the cupcakes! And-”

“We can help you!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

“Really? Cause I was just gonna vent to all of you about my frustrations,” said Pinkie.

“Of course we’ll help you! Plus, this will be a great story for the yearbook!” said Scootaloo.

“Well Pinkie, where do we start?” said Apple Bloom.

Pinkie brought them over to the milkshake station. Across the counters were bowls of ice cream, cups of sugar, cartons of milk, and a bunch of other sweet stuff. Immediately, Pinkie and the girls got to work. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo poured the milk and ice cream into several blenders. Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara poured in some chocolate syrup, graham crackers, and whipped cream. During all this time, Pinkie had made two extra shakes.

While Sweetie Belle was busy blending the first batch of shakes, the others had begun a new batch of milkshake orders: ice cream, milk, strawberry syrup, and chocolate chips. Diamond Tiara had insisted on adding edible gold sprinkles “for the flavor”. Under normal circumstances, that would be the most ludicrous request, unless you’re one Pinkamena Diane Pie, that is. Soon, all the milkshakes were ready for serving. (Except for the burnt one)

With most of the customers having been served, the group moved onto the next set of orders. “Alright, now it’s time for cupcakes!” Pinkie went over to the kitchen fridge to get the necessary ingredients. “Hmm. Looks like we’re all out of milk!” she exclaimed.

“Guess we’ll need to make a quick trip to the store,” said Scootaloo.

“No need! We got it all right here!” said Pinkie.

“Then me and Diamond could go an’ get it for ya. Where’s it at?” suggested Apple Bloom.

They looked high and low, two fridges at a time, for what seemed like hours. “Why does this storage room need so many fridges?!” Diamond complained. “Pinkie” was the only answer Apple Bloom gave. They searched and searched, until they had reached the two final fridges. The left one was nearly four times as large as the right one. Diamond went over to the right fridge and, to her dismay and annoyance, found nothing. Meanwhile, her partner in milk-finding had climbed the other fridge. “I got it!” yelled Apple Bloom as she fetched the milk carton from the largest fridge’s top shelf.

Having gotten what they needed, the two girls were making their way back out. Just as they had reached the doors, Apple Bloom slipped on a pool of water on the floor. Rather quickly, she found herself falling, the milk carton slipping out of her hands and launching straight into the stratosphere. She expected to land on the cold hard floor, but instead found herself in the warm embrace of Diamond Tiara. The two stayed still for a moment, taking in the sudden physical contact between them. The faint smell of perfume reached her nose. It was pleasant. She felt Diamond’s arms around her, holding her tightly. ‘This feels nice, relaxing even. I could get used to this’ Apple Bloom thought. As soon as that thought appeared, she jolted upright and dusted off the non-existent dirt from her overalls.

“You okay, Apple Bloom?” asked Diamond Tiara.

“Yup. I’m just fine! Ain’t got no scratches or nothin’ ” Apple Bloom replied hastily, her face reddening slightly. “Now, where’d the milk go? ”

“Into orbit,” Diamond replied sarcastically. “Come on, I’m sure there’s more somewhere-”

“Hey girls! How’s the milk coming along?” said Sweetie Belle as she entered the storage room. And just then, the fabled space-carton had landed, splattering onto the floor between the three of them.

The rest of the afternoon had gone smoothly. The four girls had helped Pinkie prepare the absurd amount of cupcakes. With all the customers satisfied, the girls walked out of the diner, exhausted yet prideful about all the work they had done. As Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Diamond Tiara struck up a conversation between themselves, Apple Bloom remained lost in thought. She looked straight ahead, not daring to look in her friends’ direction. The events in the storage room replayed endlessly in her mind, with only one thought on the brain:

“Why her?”

Author's Note

Published: November 13th 2024

Audition

Students swarmed the halls of CHS in the early morning. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were leaning against their lockers, busy trying to fix Scoots’ crutch. “How’d you even bend this thing anyway?” asked Sweetie Belle. “Crashed my scooter on a downhill,” Scootaloo replied, her face beaming with pride.

“Howdy girls!” exclaimed Apple Bloom as she arrived at the neighboring locker.

“Hey Apple Bloom! How was your weekend?” said Sweetie Belle.

“Oh, jus’ doin’ chores on the farm an’ all that. Helped our neighbors rebuild their barn,” replied Apple Bloom.

“You have neighbors? Since when?!” said Scootaloo.

“Uh, since forever. The Williams’ are some real nice folks. I should invite y’all to meet ‘em some day,” Apple Bloom began until something else entered her train of thought, “Hey, have any of y’all seen Diamond?”

“Yeah, she’s in the language class submitting the Prench assignment early. Like, who does that?!” said Scootaloo.

The bell rang and all the students began making their way to their respective classes. As she walked to the homeroom, Apple Bloom was relieved she wouldn’t be sharing any classes with Diamond this morning. Those feelings from last Friday still tormented her like bats do to orchards.

Later on, the Crusaders sat at their regular table to enjoy today’s lunch. Well, most of them, anyway. Apple Bloom had run off, claiming she was busy with something. The three remaining friends viewed her statement with suspicion, but decided to leave her alone anyway. So here they were, munching Monday’s mystery meat, until a flyer fell onto their table. “What’s it say?” asked Scootaloo.

“It says: Audition Call - The Canterlot Community Theatre Troupe is looking for performers for the fall musical: The Wizard of Oz,” said Diamond.

“Oooh! Can we go! It seems like a lot of fun!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, nearly jumping out of her seat.

“Yeah, maybe for you. You’re probably just excited because you’d get to sing,” Scootaloo said teasingly. Sweetie Belle stuck her tongue out in response.

“Well, if you want to audition that much, then I don’t see why not. And we’ll be by your side no matter what. We should totally stop by later today and see what it’s all about,” said Diamond.

“Sure. I’ll text Bloom to meet us there,” said Scootaloo.

It was now late afternoon, when the Crusaders had gathered in front of a small, shabby theatre in the heart of Canterlot’s art district. Half of the building’s lights had been blown out. The marquee remained stuck-in-time, forever performing the latest musical The Sound of Music. The interior wasn’t much better. The Main stage was crumbling. Entire rows of seats were replaced with a void.

The group made it to the poorly advertised Hall A, where the supposed community theatre troupe was holding auditions. Stepping inside, they noticed the place was a large room, with tables of craft and tech supplies filling the back end. In the front was a stage, lit by a singular spotlight, and surrounded by horribly uncomfortable chairs. There were people running around left and right. Among the chaos were some fellow Canterlot High students, along with the unmistakable Crystal Prep students. A group of five older teens appeared to be running amuck as well.

“Hi there friends!” an overly eager voice shouted behind them. The Crusaders jumped.

“Um, hi-” said Sweetie Belle before getting pulled into a vigorous handshake.

“I’m Izzy Moonbow! Welcome to the show! It’s always great to see new faces!” Izzy had directed them towards the center of the room where the other four teens now stood together.

“Who are these people?” Diamond whispered into Scootaloo’s ear.

“These people, including me, are the founders of Maretime Bay High School’s very own drama club! And now we’re in charge of the Canterlot Community Theatre Troupe! You’ve got Sunny Starscout, head of the props and set department, Hitch Trailblazer, the general director, Zipp Storm, head of the tech department, and Pipp Petals and I are acting coaches! So what brings you four here?” said Izzy.

“Well we’re here cause Sweetie Belle over there was lookin’ to audition for a part in your play,” said Apple Bloom.

“Oh! That’s great! Feel free to pick up a script and choose one of the available characters! See you in thirty minutes!” said Izzy before leaving to see other students.

Immediately after, Sweetie Belle had run off to the backstage area where the scripts were.

“I’ll go help Sweetie with her audition. You girls can go wander around a bit,” said Scootaloo.

“Are ya sure you’re okay doin’ it on your own, Scoots?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Pfft. It’s just acting out some lines. We’ll be fine. And we’re all gonna see the audition in half-an-hour anyway,” Scootaloo said as she hastily moved towards Sweetie Belle, leaving Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara behind.

“So, um, where do you want to go?” asked Diamond as awkwardness filled the air.

“Uh, how ‘bout the prop section. Seems like fun don’t it?” said Apple Bloom as she looked straight ahead.

The two of them went over to a table in the far corner of the room. Craft supplies, pieces of cardboard, and paint cans were strewn about haphazardly. A group of students were busy making houses for the Munchkinland set. “Y’all need any help over here?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Well, we do have one problem. We don’t have enough glue to keep these houses upright,” a student said just as one of the houses toppled over.

Diamond observed as Apple Bloom thought for a moment and got to work cutting and adjusting the cardboard house. Apple Bloom had crafted interlocking joints into the roof and walls to make the structure sturdier. Diamond found herself admiring her friend’s practicality and resourcefulness. How the determination in her eyes was mesmerising, hypnotic even. How her vibrant red hair would toss around in the most perfectly imperfect way. And how cute she looked as she assembled that house. Wait what?! As soon as that thought had run through her mind, Diamond could only follow up with one question:

“Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be her?”

Meanwhile, Scootaloo had helped Sweetie Belle recite her lines until her performance was as perfect as could be. What’s more, the two of them had encountered some of their classmates, as well as a member of the local dance class, who were eager to play a part in the production.

With the half-hour now up, auditions rolled in. With Button Mash cast as the Scarecrow, Tender Taps cast as the Tin Man, and Pipsqueak cast as the Cowardly Lion, it was now Sweetie Belle’s turn to walk on stage and audition for the role of Dorothy.

All of the students were gathered around the stage, while Izzy sat to the side, a clipboard in hand. As Sweetie ran through her lines with grace and charm, her friends silently cheered her on. Soon enough, the audience had become enthralled by her performance, following her every move. To top it all off, she sung a rather moving snippet of Over the Rainbow.

As the sound of clapping reverberated across the room, Izzy had gotten up and proudly exclaimed: “Looks like we’ve found our Dorothy!”, which prompted another, louder, round of applause. Once all was done, and all the props cleaned up, the Crusaders left the theatre, still excitedly cheering for Sweetie Belle.

What Is This Feeling?

It had been happening for several nights in a row. Her pulse was rushing. Her head was reeling. Her face was flushing. Something strange had been building up inside of her, and she knew exactly what the cause was.

It was the early morning when Apple Bloom walked into the kitchen, the familiar scent of Zap Apple jam hitting her nose. After an entire night of tossing and turning, she had decided to confront her worries straight on.

“Hey sis? I, uh, got somethin’ to ask ya,” said Apple Bloom as she approached the nearby stove.

“Sure thing sugarcube. I’m all ears” Applejack said while stirring a pot of Zap Apples.

“I think somethin’s wrong with me,” said Apple Bloom.

“What d’ya mean?” asked Applejack.

“I’ve been havin’ these thoughts for a few nights now. I… I think I have a crush on a girl,” said Apple Bloom.

“And that’s a problem because?” said Applejack as she poured a pot of jam into jars.

“You’re not mad?” asked Apple Bloom, slightly confused.

Applejack interjected: “Why would I be? Look, Bloom. There ain’t nothin’ wrong with likin’ girls. And ain’t nobody in this family gonna treat ya any different based on who ya like. Everythin’s gonna be alright. Just look at how me and-”

“Yeah, yeah, thanks, I get it. But what if my crush don’t feel the same way I do?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Well, maybe she will, maybe she won’t. But I wouldn’t fret on that. If it ain’t her, then that just means ya haven’t found your special someone yet,” said Applejack.

Apple Bloom took that advice in stride, grabbing her bike and departing towards a certain someone.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Diamond Tiara was busy venting her feelings about a certain Apple over a video call with Silver Spoon.

“And that’s what I’ve been feeling since the past few nights! I can’t get her out of my head!” Diamond practically shouted at the computer on her desk.

“Well, if you like her so much, then just tell her,” said Silver Spoon.

“But what if she doesn’t like me back? Things could get awkward between us. But if she does like me, it could affect our friend group. And what would my parents say?” said Diamond.

Even through choppy, pixelated internet connection, Silver Spoon held a visible expression of annoyance towards her friend’s indecisiveness.

“Di, listen to me. Who cares about what could happen. Who cares what your parents think. You don’t want to miss the shots you don’t take,” said Silver Spoon.

Diamond stood there silently, thinking things over. “You know what Silvie, I think you’re right. I’ll go see Apple Bloom right now,”

The plan was simple: reach Apple Bloom and confess to her. Now, getting over there was anything but. Having spent a lifetime within the city and its suburbs, Diamond hadn’t a clue how to get to the outskirts of the city on her own. She figured, however, that the simplest option was to ride her bike. And so she did just that, going through the familiar suburban view, watching as the homes became replaced by tall strands of grass.

Diamond rode through the bucolic landscape, passing an endless expanse of wheat fields and quaint little barns. An eternity later, she had arrived in front of a winding path that led to a farmhouse and a signature red barn, telltale signs of what place she had come to: Sweet Apple Acres. Diamond walked towards the barn where Apple Bloom would often be waiting before Crusader meetings. Peeking inside, she found that Apple Bloom wasn’t there. Instead, she found a blonde stacking crates of apples.

“Um, hello Applejack, is Apple Bloom around? I need to see her,” said Diamond.

Applejack put down a crate she was carrying and adjusted her Stetson. She quickly turned to face her.

“You’re lookin’ for Apple Bloom? Well, she ain’t here, that’s for sure. Went out lookin’ for ya bout a half-hour ago. Though when ya do find her, tell her to get inside. It’s gettin’ mighty chilly out here, ‘specially for fall weather,” said Applejack.

And so, Diamond thanked her and went on her way.

The weather had begun to worsen. Snowflakes were swirling in the sky as a chilly gust of wind blew in every direction. Diamond made sure to make a quick stop at a clothing store, purchasing two coats before riding off. Finding Apple Bloom was going to be a rather strange task: she had to think of where she, herself, would be. Diamond had checked the usual locations where Apple Bloom could be: her house, the school, and the bakery. She wasn’t there.

Diamond thought for a moment. Where else would she go? One last place sprung to mind: the Canterlot Mall. Diamond raced through the streets until she had reached a small bridge going over a brook. A familiar someone was pedaling across it. She’d recognize that red hair anywhere.

“Apple Bloom!” Diamond called out.

The girl had stopped right at the top of the bridge, looking in Diamond’s direction. The two of them got off their bikes.

“Here,” Diamond handed her a coat to a slightly shivering Apple “You look like you’re freezing,”

“Uh, thanks Diamond,” Apple Bloom smiled nervously while putting it on “Look, Diamond, I, uh, have somethin’ to tell ya,”

“Oh. I, um, also have something to tell you too,” said Diamond, suddenly unsure of how to proceed, her plans having been chucked out the window.

“Well then, maybe you should go first,” said Apple Bloom.

“No, you should go first,” said Diamond.

Apple Bloom thought up another idea: “How ‘bout we do it on the count of three. One, two, three,”

“I think I like you,” they both said in unison. For a moment, silence prevailed, until realizations set in. They looked at each other, the weight of their words making them go from shock to confusion to relief, and then settling for a strange form of happiness. They gazed at each other, their eyes locked in a trance. They leaned in, getting closer and closer.

Unfortunately, a poorly timed phone call cut the moment short.

Sweetie Belle and the Magic Wand

On this fine morning, in the evergreen woods of Canterlot, two girls were searching for strange and mysterious creatures. Now, why would two girls be out looking for elusive creatures? Why, for fun, of course. And also in the hopes of making it into the school’s yearbook.

They were venturing deep into the woods, soon finding themselves knee-deep in foliage. So much, in fact, that it was getting hard to see. They were walking single file when the girl in the back had tripped over something, sending her crashing into the backpack of the girl in front. After getting themselves back up and clearing the dirt around them, they got a clear look at whatever object it was. Its shape was elongated and thin. It was glowing and pulsating and possibly moving.

“What is that?” asked Scootaloo as she stared at the object with confusion and curiosity.

“It looks like a stick,” said Sweetie Belle as she leaned in to get a better look.

She leaned in even closer as she became strangely fixated on the weird stick. She found herself entranced by it. The stick glowed brighter as she felt herself getting pulled towards it like a magnet. It was almost as if it were calling out to her. Impulsively, she grabbed it. As if on cue, the ground began to freeze over, while a flurry of snowflakes danced around branches. Cold winds began to blow, unnerving, haunting whistling following in their wake. Snow stuck to the now hard and clumped dirt. It was accumulating, layer by layer, rather quickly.

“What’s happening?!” said Scootaloo.

“I don’t know! All I did was pick it up!” said Sweetie Belle.

“Well we need to stop it! Try letting it go,” said Scootaloo, who was shivering slightly.

Sweetie Belle attempted to do just that. It did not fall. She shook her arm in increasingly erratic movements. Try as she might, the stick remained stuck to her hand like glue.

“Why isn’t it dropping?!” said Sweetie Belle, panic rising in her voice.

“I don’t know! But we need to fix this!” said Scootaloo, her expression that of worry and dread.

“But how?!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo pondered for a moment. “We need to find Sunset! She knows a ton about magic! Maybe she can help us!” she said. Quickly, she opened her backpack and unfolded a scooter, gesturing for Sweetie Belle to hop on. And so the duo departed, racing out of the forest, while the air around them was getting colder by the minute.

They made their way into town, riding across a frozen pond that was forming before their eyes. Now, on such a day as this, finding Sunset would actually be fairly easy. At this hour, she would be just about arriving at her waitressing job. The only problem was getting there.

The usual route of Main Street was now engulfed in snow. Multiple cars were piled up, and with emergency services blocking the way, riding down this road clearly wasn’t an option. The duo turned into the smaller side streets, zig-zagging their way around until they reached a rather large intersection. Now, all they needed to do was cross, and they would arrive at Sunset’s workplace a few blocks down. Scootaloo pushed with all her might, sending the scooter flying across.

At the same time, a truck came speeding down, coming at them from their right side. Fortunately, the truck managed to swerve, ejecting the barrels it was transporting straight onto the streets, including their own. Barrels raced down towards them. Luckily enough, the two girls dodged the dozens of barrels, swerving left and right to avoid being crushed. Having narrowly avoided a horrible fate, the duo rode as fast as they could towards their destination.

That is how, in record time, Scoots and Sweetie arrived at the Canterlot Mall parking lot, much to the confusion of one Sunset Shimmer. “What’s going on with you two?” she said.

The two of them explained to her what had just occurred earlier in this chapter. To say Sunset was perplexed would be an understatement. The ‘stick’ that was stuck to Sweetie Belle’s hand was a magic wand, and it appeared to have cast a spell upon being grabbed. No wonder it had gotten so chilly today. Now, solutions to magical problems did not come easy in this world. Unfortunately, and much to her dismay, magic in the human world appeared to defy Equestrian logic with a vengeance.

Sunset thought for a moment, before settling on a solution that would hopefully work. “How about we try the power of friendship,” she said. The two other girls looked at her with doubt in their eyes. “What? It worked before,” she said. Just then, the three of them began getting pelted by increasingly large amounts of hail.

“Quickly! Scootaloo, grab the wand!” shouted Sunset. Scootaloo did exactly that, and the weather noticeably subsided, only to swell up again.

“We’re gonna need more people!” said Sweetie Belle.

“I’m calling Bloom!” Scootaloo exclaimed, pulling out her phone, and struggling to dial the number one-handed. Thus, unbeknownst to them, on a bridge not far from where they were, a poorly timed phone call cut a moment short.

Not long after, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara had arrived on their bikes.

“What’s goin’ on?” asked Apple Bloom.

“No time to explain! Both of you, grab on!” said Scootaloo, pointing at the wand. Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara quickly rushed over as snow blanketed the parking lot.

With all four of them taking hold of the wand, massive gusts of wind blew all around them while shiveringly cold air was on the verge of freezing them solid. Then came a much calmer breeze. The horribly chilly winter weather had vanished as soon as it came.

“Phew! For a minute there, I thought I’d have to kiss ya in the middle of a snowstorm!” Apple Bloom said, looking directly at Diamond Tiara, who was blushing slightly.

The others could only look on in disbelief at what had just been said.

Daring Do and the Eye of Ahuizotl

It was a fine morning at the Canterlot Comic Con. The Crusaders, along with Rainbow Dash, were here to attend the Daring Do panel. The Crusaders (and Rainbow) were dressed as adventurers, safari helmets and all. Well, all except for Diamond, who had opted for a 19th century blouse and skirt.

“I can’t wait to see the totally amazing Daring Do panel! Who knows, maybe they’re gonna show a sneak peak of the upcoming movie!” said Rainbow Dash.

“I know! I can’t wait! I hope we’ll see some amazing stunts!” said Scootaloo as she picked up a crutch she’d accidentally dropped.

“Well, I’m just here to see Chestnut Magnifico. She’s a wonderful actress,” said Diamond Tiara.

“Yeah! I loved her in that space wizard movie. Or that sci-fi film with the robots. Or that film where she played the President,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Ain’t she gonna be playing the President again? In one of them superhero movies?” said Apple Bloom.

The girls walked around for a bit, admiring and gushing at all the cool cosplays they saw.

“Hey, any of you guys thirsty?” asked Rainbow Dash.

The Crusaders nodded in unison. Rainbow quickly left to get some drinks, leaving the Crusaders to wander around.

As they wandered around the convention center, the Crusaders noticed a girl in a baker’s outfit who had dropped her messenger bag. The group rushed after the girl as she walked away. Apple Bloom recognized the bag as belonging to none other than Derpy Hooves, one of the students at their school. Apple Bloom picked up the bag, unaware that it was faintly glowing. “Miss Derpy! You forgot your bag!” she said.

But it was too late. The woman had turned a sharp left, and in one fell swoop, had vanished into a sea of cosplayers. The bag glowed brighter and brighter. A powerful force erupted from within it, sending The Crusaders flying into a nearby stack of Daring Do novels before being engulfed by a blinding light.

The air felt strikingly humid.

Sweetie Belle opened her eyes, coming face to face with a bright blue sky. As she slowly got up, she felt the distinct texture of an earthy ground underneath her. She looked around, spotting patches of tall grass as well as the rest of the Crusaders who had just gotten up.

“Uh, where are we?” asked Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo stared at a dense patch of trees in the distance. “Looks like we’re near a jungle,” she said.

Diamond looked up at the sky, observing as a biplane was landing in their direction. “Um, girls, we need to move!” she said.

The girls dodged, narrowly avoiding the biplane by mere inches. An individual wearing an adventurer’s get-up hopped out to face them. “You kids are lucky I’m the greatest flying ace there ever was, or I would’ve hit ya right on,” she said. The girls got up and stared in amazement. Before them stood none other than Daring Do herself.

“You’re Daring Do!” exclaimed Scootaloo.

“Yep. The one and only! And you four must be the intrepid young explorers sent to help me! It’s a pleasure to meet you!” said Daring Do.

“Uh, likewise, Miss. My name’s Apple Bloom, that’s Scootaloo, over there’s Sweetie Belle, and that’s Diamond Tiara,” said Apple Bloom.

“But wait, how is this possible? How did we get here?” asked Diamond Tiara.

“I think it’s that bag Bloom’s holding. There was a stack of Daring Do books behind us when it exploded. I guess something in it sent us into the books themselves,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Come to think of it, what is in this bag anyway?” said Apple Bloom as she opened the bag. She pulled out a familiar looking magic wand, a magic handheld mirror, and Pandora’s pizza box.

“So, anything that can get us home?” asked Diamond.

“Home? You want to give up an adventure with Daring Do just like that?” said Scootaloo.

“Ya know Diamond, I think Scoots is right. These items appear to be useless right about now. It looks like it was the mirror that sent us here. It says: only when the story’s done, can your traveling be undone,” said Apple Bloom as she observed the mirror. Diamond sighed in defeat.

“Great! Then let’s get ready for adventure!” said Daring Do.

And so the group departed into the jungle. With Daring Do’s expertise, they cut through the foliage, played hopscotch over a river, and swung across large ravines. They soon made it to a small brook where they rested for a short while.

“Miss Daring, what exactly are we looking for?” asked Scootaloo.

“Well dear Scootaloo, I, on behalf of the Trottingham Museum, am here to recover the Ancient Eye of Ahuizotl, found only within a local Temple in the village of Teotlan. It is said the Eye can grant the ability to fly,” said Daring Do.

Now, what Daring failed to realize is that the Ancient Eye of Ahuizotl belongs to the villagers of Teotlan. In fact, it is one of their most sacred items. But readers, do not fret, for Daring will learn her lesson come the next A.K Yearling book.

The group continued trudging through the jungle for what should’ve been hours, if not for narrative pacing. They were currently slashing their way through a field of strange misshapen dangerous plants. Though the farmers of Teotlan would beg to differ. (Another season of crops, Wasted!)

They soon arrived in the heart of the village. Teotlan was a place of exotic views. Traders markets lined the most populous streets. They served local foods that Daring grabbed without even bartering for them.

“Shouldn’t we be payin’ for these?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Nah, it’s fine. They won’t mind,” said Daring Do. “Here, try this weird bread-thing,” Daring tossed a few pieces to the girls. They walked through busy streets until they reached the village’s edge, and thus a trek through expansive fields began.

Finally, after an hour of wading through tall grass, they had arrived at the Temple of Ahuizotl, a towering, crumbling pyramid that shone like gold. At its base, double doors slid open, revealing a dusty stone hallway with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. Scootaloo stared in awe and excitement. Diamond recoiled in disgust.

“Alright explorers, all we need to do is go inside and climb to the top. And that’s when we grab the Eye,” said Daring Do.

Thus the group began their ascent and encountered their first obstacle. It was a small hallway with rhythmically protracting and retracting spikes.

“Alright, all we gotta do is run through and don’t get impaled. These spikes look pretty quick though. Hey Scootaloo, are you sure you can handle it, cause maybe I can carry-” said Daring Do.

“No, it’s fine. I can do it myself,” said Scootaloo with a hint of annoyance.

“Are you sure?” said Daring Do.

“I’m sure. I can run just fine in crutches. Come on, let’s get going,” said Scootaloo, growing slightly more annoyed.

All five of them ran as fast as they could, making it to the end in record time.

The group made it to the next hallway, which was more of a long ramp than anything. Huffing and puffing, they slowly made their way up. What they had failed to see was a cleverly hidden tripwire at the top. A slight trip opened a door, revealing a very large boulder that was now barrelling towards them.

“Run!” exclaimed Daring Do.

And run, they did. The boulder was gaining speed. Luckily, the ground gave way, sending everyone falling into a deep hole. The boulder rolled straight past them.

So there they were, trapped in a hole, surrounded by debris.

“How are we going to get out of here?” asked Diamond.

The magic wand had fallen out of the messenger bag and rolled towards Sweetie Belle. Said Crusader had grabbed it, as if by instinct. Immediately, some of the rocks around her began levitating. They danced around her like leaves in the wind.

“Sweets, what are you doing? Remember the last time you touched a magic wand?” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah, but this time it’s different. I feel like I can control it,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Ooh! Try it on me!” said Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle pointed the wand at Apple Bloom, who began rising higher and higher.

“Girls, I think I got an idea,” said Apple Bloom.

One by one, they were each levitated out of the hole. And so, the journey continued. They climbed, passing scores of passed out, dehydrated henchmen who belonged to none other than Dr. Caballeron. Daring cursed under her breath. I should’ve known he’d be here, she thought.

And with that, the group rushed up the stairs to the top of the Temple.

“Dr. Caballeron! Hand over the Eye! It doesn’t belong to you!” said Daring Do.

“Oh, Daring. Can’t you see? You’ve already lost! I will pawn this Eye for a fortune! Such a shame you can’t fly!” said Dr. Caballeron as he floated up in the air.

“Oh yeah? Sweetie Belle, commence levitation!” said Daring Do.

Sweetie Belle pulled out the wand, ready to cast the spell. A purple aura surrounded Daring, lifting her off the ground and flinging her straight into Dr. Caballeron. After a brief catfight in the air, Daring successfully snatched the Eye from him. Dr. Caballeron fell to the ground and survived because… plot-armor.

“Yeah! We did it!” exclaimed Scootaloo as she high fived Daring and the rest of the group.

“Uh, girls, I think the mirror’s actin’ up,” said Apple Bloom.

“Aw man! It’s already over?” said Scootaloo. The Crusaders waved goodbye as they began to get engulfed in a blinding light.

“Thanks Daring Do! It was nice to meet you!” said Sweetie Belle.

And with that the Crusaders were ejected back into the Comic Con lobby, a stack of books crashing on top of them. Onlookers stared in slight confusion, including a very perplexed Rainbow Dash.

“What happened to you guys? And what are you doing with Derpy’s bag?” she asked.

“Long story,” said the now tired Crusaders.

Candymare

Author's Note

tw: gore (after the girls go to sleep)

Inspired by the Something Sweet to Bite series by Knackerman

Also, Happy (Belated) Chinese New Year!/Lunar New Year! for anyone that's celebrating.

Candymare

It was a calm afternoon when the Crusaders departed from Sweet Apple Acres. They were on their way to the farm next door to have a sleepover with Apple Bloom’s neighbor. They rode their bikes along a dirt road until they reached a quaint little area of land with a very imposing carrot shaped building. As they parked their bikes at the farm’s entrance, a girl their age came to greet them.

“Hey girls, glad you could make it! Name’s Megan... Megan Williams... but I guess Bloom already told you that. Come on in, I’ll show you girls around,”

They wandered through the Williams’ farm, passing by the horse stables as well as the neatly lined carrot patches. Megan talked endlessly about every nook and cranny of the farm, everything from the mysterious well in the backyard to the shed nestled in an unkempt grove.

They made their way inside Megan’s house by a small patio door that led directly into the kitchen. The interior of the house was warm and cozy. It had a certain old school charm to it. There was a landline on the wall. It appeared to still be in use.

The girls went up to Megan’s bedroom. It was a sight to behold. It was as if walking into a bizarre time capsule of everything from the 1980s to the 2000s. A boxy television, complete with a VCR, sat in a corner. A bulky laptop sat on a desk near a window. Shelves were lined with toys, most of them being maned wolf figurines from the first generation of “My Little Maned Wolf”.

“So what do you girls wanna do?” said Megan.

It had been a few hours since the sleepover began. The girls talked, danced, sang karaoke, and played video games. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom ended up in a fiercely competitive game of Mario Kart 64. After all that, the group ordered some pizza for dinner. That is when they found out Diamond carries around her very own fork and knife.

It was now early evening when the girls finished dinner and were now wondering what they should do.

“What do you guys wanna do now?” asked Megan.

“Hmm. We could watch a horror movie?” Scootaloo suggested.

“I’m down for that,” said Diamond Tiara. Apple Bloom also nodded in agreement.

“So, what horror movies do you have?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Megan pulled out a box of VHS tapes and began rummaging through them.

“Let’s see. We’ve got: The Glistening, Tennessee Buzzsaw Massacre, Tuesday the 13th, A Nightmare on Oak Street, Candymare-”

“Wait. What’s that last one about?” asked Scootaloo.

“Candymare? That one’s about some urban legend. Something about a killer candy horse that haunts a neighborhood on Halloween. They say if you say her name five times, she’ll appear and shank ya with a candy cane,” said Megan.

“Ya know what, that actually sounds kinda interesting. It’s the only one of these we haven’t seen anyway,” said Apple Bloom.

The group made themselves comfy on beanbag chairs. Megan put the tape into the VCR and pressed play. 90 minutes of thrilling suspense, mystery, and gore graced the screen. They watched eagerly, jumping at every jumpscare, feelings of dread filling up as the movie progressed.

As the film came to a close, the girls soon became rather bored. They found themselves twiddling their thumbs, trying to figure out any way to finish off the night.

“How about we try summoning the Candymare!” Scootaloo said eagerly.

“Summoning her? Scoots, are you insane?!” said Apple Bloom.

“You chickening out? It’s just an urban legend anyway. Are you scared she’s gonna get you?” said Scootaloo teasingly.

“I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?” said Megan.

So the girls all filed into the small, cramped bathroom. Looking straight into the mirror, Megan began to chant:

“Candymare, Candymare, Candymare, Candymare, Candymare ”

The wind howled outside. The lights flickered. Then there was nothing. Underwhelming , thought the girls.

And so the night’s activities came to an uneventful close. The girls snuggled into their sleeping bags, ready for another day of adventure.

The night edged on. Moonlight crept in through the open window. All were now sound asleep. Then came a low pitched neighing. It increased in pitch, sounding more and more distressed. The girls woke up confused, Megan most of all.

“Weird. The horses never act up at night,” Megan said “I’ll go check up on them,”

“Ya want us to come an’ help?” said Apple Bloom.

“Nah, it’ll be quick. It’s probably nothing. You girls just stay here,” said Megan.

Megan descended the stairs, hastily put on an outdoors outfit, and went out through the kitchen’s back door. Outside, a thick fog had settled over the farm. As she walked over to the stables, Megan noticed the branches of the nearby trees were growing in a strangely crooked shape. The cold autumn air pierced her skin. The frantic sounds of neighing got ever closer. In the suffocating darkness, she could only faintly make out the silhouettes of her equine companions. Megan rushed over to the stables and turned on its lights.

In the soft orange glow of the lights, Megan could finally see the horses clearly. And those things weren’t horses. They appeared to be made of various candies, with gaping holes in their sides. Fruit roll innards piled out of their bodies. Their pink glowing eyes stared into Megan’s soul. The poor girl stood frozen in fear. Those things advanced, easily jumping the stables. Their licorice manes squirmed around like tendrils before lunging straight towards Megan.

A blood-curdling scream could be heard from the second story window.

The Crusaders were on edge. What the hell just happened? , they all thought. They rushed out of the house and ran directly to the stables, where they were greeted with a horrifying sight. Megan was slumped over, blood pooling out of a gash in her side. Her intestinal tract had been freshly ripped out. Small bits of candy were growing on her arms. Something stood next to her. It resembled a little girl, only every part of her was made of candy. Her wispy, red licorice hair flowed in the wind. And her eyes, sunken in like a decaying corpse, yet their vibrant shade of pink indicated anything but. It stared at them, its intent clear.

Its body shifted and contorted. Its neck stretched and jutted out. Hands turned into hooves. It got on all fours. It became apparent who this thing really was: The Candymare .

The Crusaders had no time to think. They ran into the woods. The Candymare galloped behind them before it vanished between the trees. The girls ran and ran, until a small shed came into view. They heard rustling along the forest floor. They quickened their pace. Their hearts were racing. They heard the thundering, rythmic thumping of hooves getting ever closer. And closer. And closer.

The Candymare came charging through, its jaws at an unnatural angle. Three Crusaders ducked out of the way. Diamond Tiara did not.

“Diamond!” Apple Bloom cried, tears falling down her face.

A sickening crunch. The ripping of flesh, muscles, ligaments. Garbled screams of pain and terror. The Crown had given way to the guillotine.

The Crusaders kept running. They couldn’t dare to look back now. They made it to the shed. Inside, the faint moonlight gleamed through a small window, illuminating a scattered collection of tools.

“What do we do?!” said Sweetie Belle.

“I say we fight that bitch,” said Scootaloo.

“With what?!” said Apple Bloom.

“Who cares? She needs to pay for what she’s done,” said Scootaloo.

Shuffling could be heard outside. Bizarre, distorted groans could be heard through the walls. They almost sounded like speech. They sounded like their fallen friends. They sounded like they were moving towards the front of the shed.

The Crusaders quickly grabbed the nearest weapons: shovels.

The door had flung open. The Candymare ambled in, its candified, zombified victims following suit. The Crusaders stood their ground, their hands tightly gripping their shovels. The limping, rotting, candied forms of Megan and Diamond limped towards them. As much as it hurt to harm them, they needed to be dealt with. And the Candymare needed to be distracted. It was three against three. One for each. And as they say, to divide is to conquer.

Except division was an idiotic strategy. All three enemies rushed for Sweetie Belle. The poor girl hadn’t any time to react before being pulverized. The candy creatures bit into her, tearing flesh and limbs. The Candymare swung a candy cane hook into her back before hoisting her up and leaving her hanging. The hook gouged itself deeper and deeper into her back. Sweetie Belle screamed and screamed, her voice growing hoarse, until The Candymare went for the jugular, silencing her for all eternity. Once all was done, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo could only stare in sheer horror. Then, the creatures’ eyes snapped in their direction.

They ran. They ran out of the shed as fast as their legs could carry them. Their minds kept thinking back to the sickening sounds of Sweetie Belle’s demise, the events replaying like a broken record. Their legs ached, but their adrenaline carried them all the way back to the house. They barged in through the kitchen’s back door.

“We need to get our bikes and get the fuck out of here,” said Scootaloo.

“Shouldn’t we call somebody first? We could tell ‘em we need their help?” said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo was about to retort that there were no working phone lines, when the Candymare appeared out of thin air. It lunged towards Apple Bloom, yet she never got hit. Scootaloo jumped in front of her, suffering the brunt of the Candymare’s attack. She became wrapped up in the mare’s licorice mane, before being slowly digested through the mare’s mouth.

Apple Bloom could only watch in horror as her friend let out muffled screams that grew weaker and weaker. All that remained was a pool of blood, its vibrant color seeping into the floorboards. The Candymare grinned, its sharp teeth on full display. Its eyes glared at her, as if it were sizing up its next meal.

It lunged towards her.

Apple Bloom jolted up, taking in uneven breaths. She looked around her. Everyone was fast asleep.

Oh thank god, Apple Bloom thought, It was just a dream.