The Riverbed Village
The sound of laughing, playing fillies filled the streets in the quaint little town of Ponyville. It had been the last day of school, the sun was high in the sky, and the fillies were now free of the wretched house of horror known as 'Ponyville Elementary'.
Three fillies in particular were full of energy and overjoyed. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were walking along the road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. With smiles on their faces and pep in their step, they eagerly discussed all the things to do in order to get their cutie marks this summer.
“We can go river rafting, bungee jumping, snowboarding and a ton of other awesome things!” Scootaloo exclaimed happily.
“An' how are we s'posed to go snowboardin' when it's summer, Scoot?” Apple Bloom pointed out.
“We'll just get Twilight to magic up some snow for us, of course!” Scootaloo retorted with a grin.
“I don't think Twilight is going to help us after last time”, Sweetie Belle mumbled.
“Yea', alligator wrestlin' wasn't exactly the smartest idea. An' neither was askin' Twilight to help us.” Apple Bloom shot Scootaloo a dark look.
“Pfft, you guys are a bunch of chickens”, Scootaloo replied. “Besides, nothing bad happened.” Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stopped dead in their tracks and glowered at Scootaloo.
“Both me an' Sweetie Belle got grounded for a week, an' Ah got extra chores at the farm”, Apple Bloom said dryly. Scootaloo gave them a weak smile and scratched her neck.
“Oh yeah, that's right”, she said quietly. The three of them began walking towards their destination once more.
“Maybe we should try less dangerous stuff this summer”, Sweetie Belle said to the others. “Rarity wants me to be more like a lady, and you know how mad she gets when we get in trouble.”
“Yea', the last thing we want is to get grounded durin' summer holiday”, Apple Bloom said with a nod.
“All right, all right, we'll skip the awesome stuff for now”, Scootaloo sighed. The smile quickly returned to her young face as she added: “Besides, today is our day off. We should just relax and have fun!” The two other Crusaders smiled and nodded in agreement.
Having reached the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, the Crusaders switched from walking to full gallop. Apple trees covered the entirety of the field behind the white fence to their right. Red, delicious apples hung in masses from the trees. The harvest was going to be one of Sweet Apple Acres' best in years.
Amongst the trees walked Applejack and her brother, Big Macintosh, both in full swing with apple bucking. They spotted the three little fillies on the road and gulped nervously; pearls of sweat were forming on their foreheads.
“Hi, big sis'! Hi, Big Mac!” Apple Bloom called out with all her might as she and her friends came to a stop. Which was surprisingly loud, considering her small frame. Applejack did her best to smile and wave as naturally as possible.
“Hey there, Crusaders!” Applejack replied as calmly as she could. “What are y'all doin' here?”
“We're jus' gonna go to the river and relax!” Apple Bloom exclaimed happily. Applejack shot Big Macintosh a nervous look.
“So, uh, what plans do y'all have for yer Crusadin' today?” It took all of her concentration to calm down and simply smile at the fillies. Even Big Macintosh was having a hard time keeping his calm demeanour.
“Oh, we ain't gonna be Crusadin' for our cutie marks today!” Applejack and Big Macintosh simultaneously let out sighs of relief. “T'day's our day off! Well, see y'all later!” The three fillies giggled and ran off towards the river.
“Thank ya kindly, merciful Celestia”, Applejack mumbled through her smile.
*** *** ***
At the river running close to Sweet Apple Acres, all was peaceful and quiet. Even the normally loud and uncontrollable Cutie Mark Crusaders were lying silently in the grass, enjoying the sun and sound of critters.
“I could almost get used to this”, Scootaloo said with a sigh of content. The eyes of both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom grew bigger.
“Ya mean no more zip-linin'?” Apple Bloom asked in shock.
“Or parachute jumping?” Sweetie Belle added.
“Or stunt racin'?”
“Or bear poking?”
“Or-”
“Hey, I said almost!” Scootaloo cut them off with a chuckle. “I'm not gonna give up all the awesome things we do. I do need a death-defying cutie mark of awesomeness after all!” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled.
“Ah almost thought we lost ya”, Apple Bloom said and poked her fellow Crusader. Scootaloo retorted by pushing her into the river with a hearty laugh. Apple Bloom wasn't amused in the slightest; until Sweetie Belle grabbed Scootaloo and jumped into the river with her.
*** *** ***
The remainder of the day had consisted of playing in the river, planning their adventures for the summer and eating a ton of apples. The sun helped paint the sky with magnificent hues of red, orange and yellow. It was truly a masterpiece of Celestia and Luna, working together on creating a beautiful painting as the sun was setting.
On a little hill next to the apple orchard lay the Cutie Mark Crusaders, all admiring this grand piece of art above them. Many mares and stallions had tried calming these particular fillies, and all had failed. It seemed their energy knew no bounds. The sight before them, however, seemed to have done the impossible. At least for a short while.
“Hey Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked calmly.
“Mhm?” The orange filly responded.
“How come you aren't up there?” With a hoof she pointed towards the infinite sky.
“What do you mean 'up there'”? Scootaloo asked, turning her head to look at her friend.
“You know, in Cloudsdale”, Sweetie Belle explained. “That's where all the pegasi live when they're fillies, right? I know Fluttershy didn't stay up there, but she's the only one I've heard of.”
“Yea', how come you live here on the ground?” Apple Bloom asked.
“'Cause my parents live on the ground”, Scootaloo replied matter-of-factly. “I thought that was obvious.”
“Well, that does make a lot of sense”, Sweetie Belle said. After a minute of comfortable silence, she continued: “Scootaloo, who are your parents?” The orange filly was drawn from her deep pondering and sat up on her rump.
“What do you mean?” she asked with a confused look on her face. “They're my parents of course.” The remaining two fillies sat up alongside her friend.
“Yeah, but I've never seen them before”, Sweetie Belle asked quietly. “Have you, Apple Bloom?” The farmer filly shook her head.
“Nope, Ah haven't either. Ah ain't ever seen 'em pick ya up from school or at the school plays or anythin'. Now that Ah think 'bout it, we ain't never even been at yer home.” Scootaloo tried her best to calm down her nerves before she began speaking.
“Well, uh, I do live kinda far away from Ponyville; if you're on hoof, that is. That's why I use the scooter.” She smiled her widest at her two friends who now sported furrowed brows. “Besides, there's nothing special where I live. If we wanna get our cutie marks, there are way more opportunities around Ponyville.”
“Ah guess”, Apple Bloom said and shrugged. “Ah jus' think it's strange we ain't ever met your parents before. Ah mean, we're yer best friends after all.” Sweetie Belle nodded with a smile.
“Well, I think it's time for me to go home”, Sweetie Belle said and yawned. “Rarity wanted to teach me how to make marshmallow treats the right way.” The little filly beamed.
“Don't ya jus' put 'em over a fire and eat 'em?” Apple Bloom asked with a furrowed brow. Sweetie Belle responded with a shrug.
“You know how Rarity is”, she said. “There's a right way of doing things and a wrong way. It's like there's rules for everything she does. But I'm not going to say no to marshmallow treats!”
“I, uh, I better get going as well. It's getting kind of dark”, Scootaloo added. Her eyes were darting around as the three fillies walked towards the edge of the farm.
“Didn't you leave your scooter at the school, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Shoot!” Scootaloo said and kicked a pebble. “I completely forgot that. Now I really have to hurry up. I'll just run ahead; see you guys tomorrow!” And with that, she was off.
When Scootaloo was out of sight, Apple Bloom spoke. “Was it jus' me, or did Scootaloo seem really weird when we asked 'bout her parents?”
“She did seem really nervous”, Sweetie Belle replied, a hint of sorrow in her voice. “Do you think she's ashamed of them or something?”
“Ah dunno”, Apple Bloom said with a sigh. “Maybe we should jus' ask her tomorrow instead of thinkin' too much 'bout it. Ah mean, we're her friends. She'd tell us if somethin' was wrong, right?”
“Yeah, we should do that. Well, I better get going. See you tomorrow, Apple Bloom.” Sweetie Belle smiled at her friend and began trotting in the direction of the Carousel Boutique.
*** *** ***
Sleep didn't come easy to the young Apple Bloom. Her mind raced on and on about her fellow Crusader and friend, Scootaloo. Although the thought of her parents had occurred in her mind before, Apple Bloom had never paid it much attention. Now that she did, however, she could not think of anything else. Scootaloo had never spoken a word about them before, and Apple Bloom was filled with worry for her friend.
Applejack had at dinner assured her younger sister there was no need for worry. Scootaloo was probably just embarrassed about her parents. Maybe their jobs weren't much to speak of, or they had some weird habits. But Apple Bloom didn't believe her. Scootaloo was one of her very best friends, and she knew Sweetie Belle and herself wouldn't care about embarrassing family members, especially after Family Appreciation Day.
After a long time spent twisting and turning in her bed and mind, the young Apple Bloom finally drifted off to a deep and peaceful slumber.
*** *** ***
On the first day of summer holiday, the sun was high in the sky and there was not a cloud to be seen. Many mares and stallions were out enjoying the perfect weather in the streets of Ponyville. Apple Bloom had to watch her step in order not to bump into strangers all the time. After a very successful sale of apple-made food at Ponyville Square (mostly due to her older sister's ability), Apple Bloom was making her way to the Carousel Boutique. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had agreed upon meeting there at noon to start their day of crusading.
Upon reaching her destination, Apple Bloom saw Sweetie Belle near the front of the Boutique practising her magic. She was desperately trying to levitate a small stick; the only result being frustrated grunts and the stomping of hooves.
“Hey there, Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom called out cheerily. “How's yer magic comin' along?” Sweetie Belle released her magic around the stick and looked to her friend with a grumpy face.
“Not good at all. I can't even levitate a stick for pony's sake!” She sat down hard on her rump and grumbled. Apple Bloom patted her friend on her back.
“Don't worry 'bout it”, she said with comfort in her voice and a smile on her lips. “Ah can't do anywhere near as much as mah sister can either. Ah think we jus' gotta wait a few years.” Sweetie Belle smiled at her friend and jumped to her hooves.
“Yeah, you're right. Besides, today is the day we are going to get our cutie marks! I can feel it!” she exclaimed with joy. “As soon as Scootaloo shows up, it's time for crusading!” A muffled gasp came from inside the Carousel Boutique. Within a few seconds, Rarity's head was sticking out of the now open door.
“Did you say 'crusading', my dear?” she asked with a nervous smile. Both fillies nodded eagerly and smiled at the mare. “Are you, perchance, going to be crusading... here?”
“No, Rarity”, Sweetie Belle replied. Rarity sighed quietly in relief. “Not today.” Rarity chuckled nervously before going back into the Boutique, slamming the door behind her.
“What's the matter with her?” Apple Bloom asked. The two fillies were still staring at the spot where Rarity's head had been mere seconds earlier.
“I don't know. She was probably just busy”, Sweetie Belle shrugged. “Well, Scootaloo will probably be here in a few minutes. Do you want to play 'Twenty Questions'?”
*** *** ***
One game of 'Twenty Questions' quickly turned to many and an hour passed. It was unlike Scootaloo to be late, especially for Cutie Mark Crusader adventures, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle patiently waited. Another hour passed them by, and the two friends quickly grew worried.
“Scootaloo is never this late for anything”, Sweetie Belle said, her voice full of concern. Apple Bloom was walking rapidly back and forth in front of her. “Do you think she crashed on her way here?”
“Scootaloo is too good with that thing to crash”, Apple Bloom pointed out. “Maybe it has somethin' to do with us askin' 'bout her family yesterday.” She turned towards her friend, her face distorted in a mix of worry and sadness. “Do ya think she's mad at us?”
“Scootaloo would never get mad at us for something like that”, Sweetie Belle reassured her. “Maybe we are overreacting; she could just be sick.” Apple Bloom nodded and sighed.
“Maybe we should visit her; see how she's doin'”, she suggested.
“Yeah, that's a great idea”, Sweetie Belle replied. “... I don't know where she lives, though.”
“Neither do Ah”, Apple Bloom said with a hint of defeat in her voice. Both fillies fell silent for a few moments, pondering their next move.
“I know!” Sweetie Belle suddenly exclaimed. “We can ask Cheerilee!” Apple Bloom gave her a quizzical look.
“Cheerilee has all sorts of information about all her students”, Sweetie Belle explained. “She's gotta know where each of us live, including Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom cheered up and smiled at her friend.
“Ya're right! If we find Cheerilee, we find Scootaloo! Easy as apple pickin'!”
*** *** ***
Finding Cheerliee on a busy summer day in Ponyville had been far harder than the two fillies imagined. Looking for a specific pony in the streets had been almost impossible, especially when one was just a small filly. Furthermore, everypony they asked either didn't know or hadn't seen Cheerilee at all. It was only due to the dumb luck of Cheerliee actually calling out for them, that they had found her. She had just exited 'Quills & Sofas' and spotted her students walking along the street.
“Finally”, Apple Bloom said with a sigh. “We've been lookin' all over for ya!” Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement. Cheerilee's face was one big questionmark.
“The two of you. Have been looking. For me?” The tone of her voice perfectly matched her face. “But this is the first day of summer holiday. Shouldn't you be out being as far away from school as possible?” Cheerliee returned to her normal, happy self with her final question.
“Well, we'd like to”, Apple Bloom replied. “But Scootaloo didn't show up for our Cutie Mark Crusader meetin', an' Scootaloo is never late, so we need yer help.” Sweetie Belle simply nodded in agreement yet again.
“Sorry girls, but I haven't seen Scootaloo around anywhere”, Cheerilee said warmly.
“We already figured as much. But ya know all 'bout yer students, so can ya tell us where exactly Scootaloo lives?” Cheerliee blinked slowly at the question.
“You don't know where she lives?” Both fillies shook their heads. “But you girls are the best of friends, aren't you?”
“Yea', we know it's really weird, so can't ya jus' tell us?” Apple Bloom asked quickly. Cheerliee let out a small sigh.
“Actually, girls, I'm not allowed to give out information about other students without permission. As a teacher, I'm under the law of confidentiality.”
“That's horsefeathers!”
“Apple Bloom! Watch your language!” Cheerilee scolded. Both fillies winced at the rare tone of voice from their teacher.
“Look, Miss Cheerliee”, Sweetie Belle started. “She's our best friend and we are really worried about her. You know we're her friends and just want to help her, so can't you tell us just this once? Please? Please, please, please, pleeeaaase?” Sweetie Belle's eyes grew almost large enough to fill the entirety of her face and she was pouting. After mumbling something about 'against the rules' and 'my head on a stick', Cheerliee sighed in defeat.
“Follow the road from the 'Ponyville Spa' out of town and you will eventually see a small settlement on the edge of a little forest and a river. Scootaloo lives in number four. But if anypony asks, you didn't hear this from me, understand?” Both fillies nodded furiously and ran off.
“Thanks, Miss Cheerilee!” they called out in unison before vanishing from sight around a corner.
*** *** ***
After the hassle of finding Cheerilee and having travelled for about an hour, the day was growing late and the clock struck five. On the dirt road walked two fillies whose tummies were rumbling loudly.
“Ah know Scootaloo said she lived a ways off, but this is ridiculous”, Apple Bloom whined. “Ah ain't never been so hungry in a long time.”
“Yeah, maybe this was a stupid idea. We should at least have brought some food”, Sweetie Belle replied. “We really need to start planning things better from now on. Where are we anyway?”
Ponyville was long gone from sight; as were the lively sounds it produced. Only the sound hooves hitting the ground could be heard. The area around the fillies were nothing but fields of grass and a few trees, bushes and other sorts of plants. Due to it being summer, the sun was still shining brightly in the sky, much to the appreciation of the fillies.
“Look!” Sweetie Belle suddenly exclaimed, her hoof pointing forward. “Up ahead!”
“Ah don't get it”, Apple Bloom said after looking around for a minute. “What am Ah s'posed to be lookin' at?”
“There's a small bridge made of rocks!” Sweetie Belle replied cheerily. Apple Bloom gave her friend a quizzical look.
“An' how exactly is a bridge going to help us?” Sweetie Belle chuckled at her friend.
“Remember what Cheerilee said? Scootaloo's home was near a river! So if there's a bridge, that must mean there's a river! And we've been walking for so long now, so it's gotta be just up ahead!” She gave a triumphant smile, proud of her deductive work.
“Hey, ya must be right!” Apple Bloom said, now smiling herself. “Good work there, detective Sweetie Belle! Let's hurry up!” The two fillies galloped towards the bridge; Sweetie Belle giving her flank a hopeful glance at the same time. No detective cutie mark had appeared.
After crossing the small, rock-made bridge, the two fillies were finally at their destination. A small village consisting of ten or so houses was located near the river to the right and a small forest to the left; just as Cheerilee had said.
The two girls happily trotted into town where they spotted a grey earth pony in his garden, tending to his beautiful flowers. As his eye caught them, he stopped all other actions and simply stared at the two fillies with a look of confusion. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom noticed and tried their best not to stare back at him.
“Ya'd think the guy had never seen fillies before”, Apple Bloom whispered. Sweetie Belle nodded slowly as they passed the first pair of houses on either side of the road. Quickly glancing at the nearby buildings, they identified Scootaloo's house, number 4, as the second on the right. With a gulp and sudden sense of fear, Apple Bloom knocked on the door.
“I'll get it!” Scootaloo's muffled voice came from inside the house. The sound of small pony hooves grew louder with each second, until it came to a stop on the other side of the door. It quickly swung open, and sure enough, there was Scootaloo standing in the open doorway. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide at the sight before her.
A long and uncomfortable silence filled the air between the three friends.
“Uh, hi?” Sweetie Belle said with a squeak. Scootaloo shook her head furiously before replying.
“What are you two doing here?” she hissed, barely audibly.
“Ya didn't show up today, so-”
“Keep it down!” Scootaloo interrupted.
“So we came here to see if ya were all right”, Apple Bloom finished, whispering this time.
“How did you even find … Never mind, that can wait. You need to go back to Ponyville right now!” Scootaloo whispered. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both looked at her in confusion.
“Who's at the door, Scoots?” a male voice came from inside the house. Scootalloo's eyes widened in panic.
“It's, uh, nothing important, dad!” she called back. Her whole body froze in sheer panic as a much heavier set of hooves was heard coming towards the door.
“Get out of here, quick! Please!” she whispered to her friends. But it was too late. A sky blue unicorn stallion with a maroon mane appeared in the doorway behind her. He looked at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle in much the same way the grey stallion had.
After a nerve-wrecking silence, he finally spoke: “Who... are you?” Apple Bloom thought he sounded almost frightened. Scootaloo had closed her eyes and hid them behind her hooves, wanting to simply disappear from the scene.
“Ah'm … Ah'm Apple Bloom and this is Sweetie Belle”, she responded quietly while pointing at herself and her friend afterwards. After another excruciating silence, Scootaloo's father finally gave the two a warm smile.
“So you are the friends of my daughter”, he said warmly. His voice was almost as pleasant as Cheerilee's. “The fabled 'Cutie Mark Crusaders', I take it?” Scootaloo looked towards her father in shock. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle merely nodded and returned his smile.
“I've heard so much about you. My name is Cheval Cuisine, Scootaloo's father.” He extended his hoof and both fillies politely shook it. “Say, if you've walked all the way here from Ponyville, you must be exhausted. Please, do come in.” He stepped to the side and gestured for them to enter the house. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked to their crestfallen friend who nodded weakly in approval.
All three fillies followed Cheval inside the house, and he closed the door behind them. It was a plain home, much like most homes in Ponyville. Paintings of beautiful landscapes adorned the walls alongside family portraits and photos. Sweetie Belle smiled at the warm, homey feeling of the house, but quickly noticed Scootaloo had her head hanging low.
“I'm sorry we upset you, Scoot”, she whispered to her friend. “We were just so worried about you.” Scootaloo looked at her friend and gave her a weak smile.
“Thanks”, she whispered back.
“Darling!” Cheval called into the house. “We have visitors!” A gorgeous white mare with an emerald mane appeared in the doorway to another room up ahead.
“How lovely”, she said with a smile. “Who is -” She cut herself off when she saw the two fillies before her. For the third time that day, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle was met with that strange stare. The silence, however, was quickly broken.
“These are Scootaloo's friends, dear”, Cheval explained. “Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.” Cheval's wife gave them both a quick glance before she too smiled warmly at them.
“Oh my, I've heard all about you little rascals”, she chuckled. “Your adventures are the tales of legends. I'm Jade Brush, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet ya too, miss”, Apple Bloom said and politely bowed alongside Sweetie Belle.
“What an adorable accent”, Jade mused. “You must be the filly from the farm.” Apple Bloom nodded and followed Scootaloo and her parents into their living room.
In the room was a black couch, which looked very comfortable. The three fillies promptly jumped onto it and made themselves at home while Scootaloo's parents sat down on chairs on either side of the couch. Scootaloo still looked slightly panicked, though the initial shock of seeing her friends had worn off.
“So, tell me”, Cheval began. “Did you two walk all the way here from Ponyville?” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodded, which was followed by a low rumble; Sweetie Belle's stomach was still begging for attention. It managed to do so flawlessly.
“Sounds like the two of you girls are hungry.” Both fillies nodded furiously. “Heh, well it just so happens you're sitting in the home of one of the best chefs in all of Equestria.” Jade rolled her eyes. “I'll go make you some sandwiches”, he finished as went towards the kitchen.
None of the remaining ponies attempted any small talk. Jade was enjoying the last strands of sunshine for the day coming through the window. She sighed in contempt and looked quite peaceful. Apple Bloom looked at the mare before her and smiled. After a second or two, however, she noticed that the mare, although smiling, didn't look truly happy. There was no sadness in her eyes nor sorrow on her lips, but Apple Bloom just couldn't shrug the feeling that something was nagging her.
“I don't understand why you were so nervous, when we asked about your parents, Scootaloo”, Sweetie Belle said warmly to her friend. “They seem like the nicest ponies ever.” Although the comforting words calmed the filly a little, Scootaloo still seemed slightly nervous about the situation.
“Why, thank you, Sweetie Belle”, Cheval said with a chuckle as he returned from the kitchen, levitating three plates with sandwiches upon them. He put down the plates in front of the three fillies, who, after thanking Cheval many times, dug into the food. Although nothing more but simple hay sandwiches, they were extraordinarily delicious. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom noticed Cheval's cutie mark was a white toque alongside a kitchen knife. Even though he had been boasting in jest earlier, there was some merit to his words, Apple Bloom thought.
“I do think I know why Scootaloo didn't want you visiting, however”, Cheval continued as the fillies were eating. His tone of voice had become more stern, yet understanding. Scootaloo looked her father in the eye and gulped, to which he simply nodded slowly.
“Well...” Scootaloo began. Her small body was visibly trembling and tears were forming in her eyes. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both stopped eating and looked at their friend.
“Our family... is... well.” After exhaling deeply and mustering all her courage, Scootaloo finally spoke: “We're carnivores.” Wincing from hearing the words coming from her own mouth, Scootaloo closed her eyes and let a tear creep down her cheek.
“Carni-what?” Sweetie Belle asked perplexed. Scootaloo replied quickly this time.
“We're meat eaters, okay? There, I said it.” Once again she hung her head in shame and looked at the sandwich in front of her, appetite gone. Her fellow friends and Crusaders were in a state of shock, their eyes glued to their friend in front of her. Apple Bloom's legs were heavily shaking.
“WHAT?!?” Apple Bloom exclaimed, her voice filled with horror. She quickly looked from her friend to her sandwich and then to Cheval. His eyes were full of worry and almost apologetic to look at.
“I know what you're thinking, but don't worry; they're 100 percent vegetarian”, he said as he pointed to the fillies' sandwiches. Wanting to make sure, both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom lifted the slice of bread to look at the contents of their meals. A wave of relief rushed through the fillies as there was nothing out of the ordinary in their hay sandwiches.
“I know you m-must think I'm a m-monster”, Scootaloo stammered through her sobbing. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably. “I – I'm sorry.” Putting her hooves in front of her eyes, she let herself cry freely. Jade moved from her chair and sat down next to her daughter, wrapping her hooves around her and holding her tightly. She, too, looked at the fillies with an apologetic look, her aching heart almost visible in her eyes.
“All the residents here are carnivores”, she explained, a hint of sorrow in her voice. “While not illegal, it is severely frowned upon by most ponies in Equestria. We settled here to protect our families from harassment and live our lives in peace.”
“Most ponies don't know about this village”, her husband continued, letting his wife focus on comforting their daughter. “And those who do, don't know about our carnivorous nature. We ask that you keep our secret. If the residents of Ponyville caught wind of this, they would surely force us to move.” Apple Bloom sensed the sincerity of his words but did not respond. Her mind raced at the speed of light, processing all the new information.
“What … What exactly do y'all eat?” she asked nervously. Sweetie Belle had moved closer to Scootaloo and was focusing on comforting her sobbing friend.
“Mostly fish”, Cheval stated, his voice noticeably more calm. “But sometimes small animals like hares and birds, too.” Apple Bloom did her best to contain the look of shock and horror on her face.
“Well, Ah … Ah guess we can keep yer secret.” Even her voice was shaking. “Right, Sweetie Belle?” The white unicorn filly joined the conversation for the first time since the revelation.
“Scootaloo is our friend”, she said, surprisingly calmly. “Maybe she does things we don't agree with, but that doesn't change anything. She's still the very same Scootaloo we've always loved.” Scootaloo finally looked up from her hiding spot in her mother's coat. A few tears were still running down her cheeks, but she was no longer sobbing or shaking.
“I think eating meat is kinda gross”, she continued. Scootaloo giggled quietly at her remark. “But Scootaloo is a nice pony and one of my best friends.” With that, she wrapped her front legs around Scootaloo and gave her a tight hug.
With a warm smile, Apple Bloom joined her friends in their hug, sandwiching Scootaloo between her two friends.
“Sweetie Belle's right”, she said. “Ah don't agree with it, but ye're nice ponies and so is Scootaloo.”
“Thanks, you guys”, Scootaloo said and hugged her friends close. Although not a fan of sappy moments, she could make exceptions.
Knocking on the door interrupted their moment, and Cheval went to take care of it. All three fillies, now visibly more cheery, once again pointed their attention towards their food. Apple Bloom perked her ear at the sound of hushed voices coming from the front of the house, but was quickly distracted when Sweetie Belle spoke.
“So, is your special talent painting, Miss Brush?” she asked politely. The mare chuckled with a warmth equal to that of Cheerilee and nodded.
“You are quite observant”, she said. “Yes, I'm a painter. I did most of the paintings in this house, in fact.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked around the living room, truly taking in the beauty of her work for the first time. The majority of the paintings magnificent renditions of nature: grand forests, mighty waterfalls and endless fields of colourful flowers.
“Ya sure are mighty good at it”, Apple Bloom said in awe. “Ah'd love to have one of those at mah farm.”
“That's very nice of you, Apple Bloom, but we try to avoid unnecessary attention”, Jade replied with a smile.
“Oh, right, sorry”, Apple Bloom said sheepishly. “It's too bad. Ya'd be famous all over Equestria if ponies saw yer paintin's.” Jade chuckled once more and gracefully bowed her head.
“Wait”, Sweetie Belle suddenly spoke and turned her attention to her orange friend. “We still don't know why you didn't show up today, Scootaloo.”
“I'm really sorry about that, girls”, she answered. “But mom and dad kept telling me today was some sort of 'special day' and I needed to stay home.”
“That's because it is, Scoots”, Cheval replied as he returned to the living room. “Today is a big day for you.”
“But you never told me why”, Scootaloo complained. She shot her father a cross look, to which he merely chuckled.
“Well, I guess I do owe your friends an explanation for keeping you home all day”, he said as he sat in his chair again. He cleared his throat and began explaining: “Our community is shunned by most of Equestria. So when a filly is old enough, we celebrate the fact that there is one more like us. Tonight, Scootaloo is going to participate in a small ceremony our grandparents came up with and then we celebrate with music, dancing and so forth. A party, if you will.” After finishing, he smiled at the thee fillies who all looked very perplexed.
“I've never heard about a ceremony before”, Scootaloo said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “What's it about?”
“It's not too terribly important”, her father answered. “So it really isn't discussed all too often. And I've already told you more than I wanted to. This is supposed to be a surprise, after all.” Scootaloo looked sceptically at her father for a while before finally shrugging.
“By the way, I'd like to invite you to stay for the event”, Cheval said to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. “As an apology for keeping Scootaloo from your day of 'crusading'. It's the least I can do.” Now it was Scootaloo's friends' turn to wear the sceptical expression.
“Ah dunno”, Apple Bloom started. “Mah family doesn't even know Ah'm here in the first place. They'd be awfully worried if Ah didn't come home tonight.” Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.
“My sister would faint from worrying if I didn't come home tonight.” Despite their protests, the look on Scootaloo's face calmed their worries and warmed their hearts. While none of them knew exactly how important today was, Scootaloo's expression told them she would love for her friends to be there to experience it with her.
“Well, shoot”, Apple Bloom relented, now bearing a joyful smile. “Ah'd never let mah friends down. Ah'll stay.”
“Me too”, Sweetie Belle said. “Besides, we've done worse things than this before. I'm sure our sisters won't mind.” The three Crusaders giggled and ran off to play.
*** *** ***
When Celestia's glorious sun had set and Luna's moon had risen, the three fillies found themselves walking through the village along Scootaloo's parents. None of them had spoken a word since leaving the house, at the request of Cheval. The air was chilly and the sound of owls hooting in the nearby forest filled the lack of conversation.
As they passed the final pair of houses in the village, the three fillies saw the entirety of the townspeople, which consisted of about twenty ponies, gathered around a modest scene. It was a simple wooden floor elevated by short poles underneath it. Aside from the moonlight, the only illumination came from torches; some planted in the ground and some held by ponies.
When they reached the small, hoof-made stair for the stage, Cheval gestured for Scootaloo to join him and the rest to stay behind. Scootaloo gulped nervously, but found her characteristic courage at the sight of her smiling friends, and walked up on stage. Hushed conversations between residents quickly died down as father and daughter stood before them.
“My friends”, he began. He spoke with an authoritative tone and looked sternly at the crowd. “Today is the day, where my daughter, Scootaloo, is ready to fully join our ranks.” Sweetie Belle looked to Apple Bloom with a quizzical look. Her friend shrugged in response.
“We are here to celebrate the continued thriving of our little village, represented by this young filly. But before we get ahead of ourselves and start the festivities”, his warm demeanour returned for a split second. “We are here to first and foremost watch Scootaloo go through her rite of passage. And to that end, I would like to invite our special guests, Scootaloo's two friends, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, up on stage.”
Both fillies felt all eyes fall upon them at the mention of their names. Now it was their turn to battle their nerves as the slowly made their way to the stairs. Looking up, they saw only the new, authoritative Cheval. Apple Bloom quickly glanced at Jade in the crowd. She, too, looked different from before. Gone was the warm smile and motherly eyes, replaced by an expression the young filly could not decode. Her eyes seemed every so slightly wet, yet there was a determination burning in her. Slowly she nodded at the filly, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle went onto the stage.
On the other side of the stage stood a wooden table covered with a dark blue table cloth. Several small objects were placed underneath, as evidenced by the small bumps in the cloth. Whatever it was, was impossible determine.
“Scootaloo will now, with the assistance of her friends, prepare her very first meal”, Cheval finished. The crowd stomped their hooves in applause.
“Eww, gross”, Sweetie Belle whispered, her voice covered by the noise from the crowd. Apple Bloom's face was a mix of shock, horror and disgust, and she did nothing to hide it.
“Scootaloo's countin' on us”, she whispered back with a gulp. “Ah jus' hope we don't have to do much.” The noise died down as the crowd stopped their stomping. Cheval levitated the table cloth off of the table with a graceful flick, revealing a variety of knives, including a meat cleaver.
With a soft 'thump', Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom fell to the floor. Both winced from the sudden impact and tried to get up. However, an unknown force kept them pinned to the wooden floor.
“Hey! What's goin' on?!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, only to find her mouth being forced shut. Sweetie Belle let out muffled groans as she, too, attempted to speak. Apple Bloom turned her head, the sight before her freezing her blood and sending jolts of panic through her young body. In front of her stood Cheval, horn glowing and eyes piercing her very soul.
“Dad!” Scootaloo called out. Confusion and anger filled her voice. “What are you doing?!” Cheval looked at his daughter with what seemed like pity.
“My dear”, he said, prompting Scootaloo to take a step back. “This is the day where you become a fully-fledged member of our village.” He sounded more proud than a father hearing his child speak its very first words.
“What are you talking about?!” Scootaloo yelled at her father. “Let them go!” Cheval slowly shook his head, causing another jolt of panic to shoot through the two fillies.
“Scootaloo, my dear”, he began, fatherly love smothering his words. “Your friends will also become part of our community through your efforts.” Scootaloo looked from her friends to her father multiple times. When it was apparent his loving daughter didn't understand, he explained in full.
“You're going to kill them and eat their flesh.”
The world fell silent.
Cheval's words seemed to echo throughout the night, fading into the stars. All three fillies waited for the adults to laugh; to call off their joke. Tell them all how foolish they looked as they bust out the party with silly little hats and streamers. But the silence persisted, clawing its way into their minds, laying its pulsating eggs of realisation.
“WHAT?!?” Scootaloo's tiny, fragile voice, magnified by the power of her disbelief shattered the silence into a thousand pieces. Her father did not answer, choosing instead to let his words sink fully in.
“Wha – I – Yo – WHAT?!?” Scootaloo stammered her way to the same question. “WHY?!?” she finally mustered.
“Scoots, sweetie”, Cheval finally spoke again. “It's time to open your eyes.”
“What are you talking about?!” Scootaloo roared at her father, blind fury filling her little body. “Kill my best friends and EAT them?” Tears were slowly forming in the corners of her eye, but her fury didn't let them drop.
“But, Scoots”, her father said with a warm smile. “You've been doing so for years.”
Once more, the world fell silent.
This silence was, however, quickly broken by the sound of a little orange filly emptying her stomach on the stage over and over. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle would have followed suit, had it not been for their mouths being forced shut.
“I know this all a little sudden”, Cheval said with a sugar-coated chuckle. “But this is how all of us first learned. How we all became part of this community. And now, it's your turn.”
Scootaloo stepped far enough back that she hit the table with a bump. Nausea filled the young filly's body, and her stomach threatened to spill its contents once more.
“N-No”, she whimpered, fighting to hold back tears. “I won't.” Despite her predicament, she did her best to keep her head held high.
“I'm afraid you have to”, Cheval replied with a sigh.
“Or what?” Scootaloo hissed.
“Or you'll have to join them”, he replied matter-of-factly. “And I don't want to see my baby go down that road.”
Scootaloo looked to her father, finally letting her tears flow freely. Realising she was looking into the eyes of a madman, her eyes quickly found her mother's. The fanaticism was nowhere to be seen, only the pained heart of a loving mother. With a nod, Jade urged her daughter to continue.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle helplessly watched their friend's struggle. Sweetie Belle had given up all signs of struggle when she soiled herself. Her eyes were plastered to the floor beneath her, the soft tree beneath her eyes slightly wet.
Only barely able to walk due to the heavy trembling of her legs, Scootaloo turned around to face the table behind her. Moonlight made the shiny knives in front of her glisten in the darkness. She felt as if merely observing the sharpened blades cut her eyes into pieces. Realising she had no idea which blade was designed for what, she hastily grabbed the handle of the biggest one on the table with her teeth: the meat cleaver.
Once more, the crowd showed signs of life. Odd murmurs and mumbling crept throughout the scene. Hearing things such as 'one of us', 'glorious' and 'nice meal' made Apple Bloom mentally shut her ears. She tried forcing out the whispers and find peace, but when the reflection of the moonlight struck her face, adrenaline kicked into her young body.
Above her stood her orange, fuzzy friend, meat cleaver at the ready. Renewed power flowed through her body, but Apple Bloom didn't even attempt to move. As Scootaloo slowly lined up the blade with Apple Bloom's neck, her mind was screaming at her to move. Yet still she lay, forced to accept her fate at the hands of a fellow pony.
As Scootaloo lifted the blade into the air, Apple Bloom saw Applejack. Then Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. One by one, images of her family and friends shot past her eyes. And in the end, she saw herself. Her little body tumbling around in the orchard, pestering her sister during work. A happy little filly without a care in the world. She didn't even notice Cheval's scream of terror as the shiny meat cleaver tore into his leg, sending out a cascade of blood.
“RUN!”
Apple Bloom snapped out of her stupor as the loud voice of her friend left her close to deaf. In a split second she registered blood on her hooves, Cheval screaming in agony, meat cleaver stuck inside his front right leg, and most importantly: her ability to move. Instinctively she got on her hooves and ran alongside Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle towards the front end of the stage.
As if having trained for this very moment, the three fillies simultaneously jumped over the crowd of shocked ponies, using their elevated position to do so, and landed behind them. Not stopping to care about the pain in her hind left hoof from landing awkwardly on the ground, Apple Bloom galloped as fast as her adrenaline-infused little body would take her.
“GET THEM!” Cheval roared with the fury of Cerberus. Immediately spinning 180 degrees, the crowd of ponies gave chase.
Although the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gotten a head start, their burning lungs and short legs did nothing to help them outrun their pursuers. Apple Bloom realised their escape was going to be short lived unless Celestia herself came to their aid. Normally a trio of many ideas, their minds failed them as the horde of cannibalistic ponies drew ever closer.
Only paying attention to their legs and getting away, the Crusaders did not notice the pegasus speeding ahead of them overhead. It was only when she landed directly in front of the fillies, blocking their path, that the trio skidded to a halt, each eliciting screams of panic.
Scootaloo, in particular, felt the breath of the Reaper Pony himself on her neck, as she saw the white coat and emerald hair of the pony in front of her. None of them managed to do or say a single thing before the mare before them spoke.
“I'll stall them”, Jade said, fierce determination apparent in both her voice and face. She was staring right into the heart of the mob, not giving any of the fillies a single glance. Scootaloo wanted to speak, ask her mother so many questions, but was cut off before even beginning.
“GO!” The yell kick-started the three little ponies, and their legs once more moved them as fast as they could.
Scootaloo felt the tears stream from her eyes, but not the sorrow in her heart, as she ran. She dared not look back at what was going to unfold; she was intent on pushing forward.
“What are we going to do?!” Sweetie Belle yelled, her fragile voice on the brink of cracking.
Before the thought had fully formed in her head, Scootaloo yelled: “My scooter! I got the cart hooked up! Let's GO!”
Once more the trio moved as a cohesive unit, all switching their direction towards Scootaloo's home. Up ahead they spotted the small, wooden scooter and the attached, red cart outside in the garden. With their salvation in sight, the trio pushed their bodies to the very brink of capability.
In one sudden moment the sound of a horde of murderous ponies chasing three innocent fillies drowned out under the heart-aching scream of agony. In that one moment, Scootaloo wanted nothing more than to turn around and run to the aid of her mother. In that one moment, the remaining intact pieces of Scootaloo's heart shattered in her chest.
Yet the filly pressed on. For she knew that turning around would not only doom herself, but also her friends. However, when she got onto the scooter and her friends had jumped into the cart, she hesitated. Wanting to know the final fate of her heroic, deranged mother, Scootaloo looked back, immediately regretting her decision.
Four earth stallions were getting dangerously close to their position, a psychotic hate raging in their eyes. Behind them, many of the residents had stopped in the road, chomping on the flesh of the mare beneath them; they were not intent on missing their celebratory meal. With her front left hoof, Jade was giving a last ditch effort to crawl away from her cannibalistic comrades. It was no use.
“WHAT ARE YA WAITIN' FOR?!?” Now it was Apple Bloom's turn to snap her friend back to reality. With a scream of exhaustion and sorrow, Scootaloo began flapping her tiny wings faster than ever before. As the scooter took off, one of their final pursuers threw himself at the wagon, jumping far enough to latch onto the edge of the cart. With her heart in her throat and a scream of panic, Sweetie Belle did the first thing that came to mind and poked her horn into the eye of the stallion preventing them from moving.
Instinctively putting a hoof to his eye as he screamed in agony, the cannibal pony lost his firm grip on the cart, and the fillies were off at the speed of light, quickly creating distance between their followers and themselves.
As they reached the edge of town, a final, female scream filled the night under Luna's magnificent sky.
*** *** ***
In Ponyville, all was peaceful and quiet in the starry night. All the ponies had gone to bed, resting until the morrow. Except for three young mares and a big, red stallion standing in Ponyville Square, speaking in frantic voices.
“We've looked everywhere!” Rarity said, trying her best to remain level-headed. “Oh, my poor Sweetie Belle, what have you gotten yourself into?”
“Ah knew this whole crusadin' thing would end up bad!” Applejack added. She was trotting nervously back and forth near her friends.
“I'm just as worried as you are”, Twilight Sparkle began. “But we have to remain calm and think.” Applejack looked to her lavender friend in complete and utter worry.
“Twilight, mah sister is gone!” she exclaimed. “An' so is Rarity's! How am Ah s'posed to stay calm?!”
With a loud groan, Big Macintosh fell over, dragging Twilight down with him. A cloud of dust enveloped the air around the four ponies, who all coughed violently. When the dust settled, Rarity spotted an all too familiar little scooter and gasped. With a racing heart, she looked around and spotted a white hoof sticking out behind Big Macintosh.
“Sweetie Belle!” Her worried voice woke up several ponies inside their homes as she quickly went to embrace her sister. The little filly clutched her sister tightly, letting open the floodgates and crying out her little pony heart.
Applejack quickly found her own sister and shared with her and Big Macintosh the most intimate hug they had had in a long time.
Although not a relative, Twilight had felt a need to comfort Scootaloo to the best of her abilities. After pushing forward and leading her friends home, Scootaloo had finally broken down, letting exhaustion and sorrow claim her body.
Many minutes of pony tears passed, not a single word uttered. A few ponies had come outside the nearby houses, wondering what all the commotion had been this late at night. None of them dared interrupt the scene to which they were witness.
When an eternity of tear-filled reunion had passed, Rarity finally loosened her grip on her sister and looked upon her. With a gasp, the panic that had left her returned in full force.
“Sweetie Belle, is that blood?!” Rarity exclaimed as she noticed the red stains on her sister's horn. Sweetie Belle was only capable of producing bits and pieces like 'cannibals' and 'going to eat us' in between her sobbing. More ponies started filling the streets, some of them having overheard the white filly's words.
Scootaloo was the first to have depleted her storage of tears, leaving only a hollow feeling in her entire body. With great pain, the orange filly began to explain the events occurring in the riverbed village.
*** *** ***
In the wee hours of the following morning, a search party had been sent to the village near the river. Celestia herself had lead the investigation, bringing along two dozen of her royal guards. Volunteers from Ponyville had joined as well, the most notable being Scootaloo. She had ignored the protests from Twilight Sparkle and her friends, explaining her need to go back in order to satiate her aching heart and mind.
The ponies had found the village completely deserted with not a single trace of anypony having lived there being found. Upon the road in between the houses, they did, however, find a single, red stain. At the sight of this, Scootaloo had cast herself upon it and cried once more. Nopony had dared interrupt the orange filly, not even the Goddess herself.
After a thorough search of the town and nearby areas, the royal guards had found unimaginable amounts of pony bones at the bottom of the river. Even some of the most hardened veterans had to empty the content of their stomachs at the sight.
Having found some proof of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' story, Celestia had sent out word of the crimes committed by these monsters, who called themselves ponies, and ordered their arrest. With the help of Scootaloo, they had been able to describe and name about a dozen of the former residents, hoping this would greatly improve the chance of their discovery.
Back in Ponyville, the atmosphere had changed. The story had quickly spread throughout the town, and nopony seemed capable of performing even the most mundane of tasks. It was as if time had stopped in the town.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders never became quite the same after the events of the final adventure.
