That one town no one knows about.by LethalAuroraChaptersChapter 1. Sweetie's disappearance.Chapter 2. Love LockChapter 3: The talentless town.Chapter 1. Sweetie's disappearance."Ugh, what is taking her so long?!" Scootaloo complained for the third time already. Sweetie Belle was pacing around in their club house, peeking out the window every now and then. "I'm sure she'll be here soon, she said that she'll drop by Zecora's house to fetch something super amazing that will help us get our cutie marks!" Sweetie smiled at scootaloo, trying to get the other filly to smile back, but Scootaloo required more than just a false hope and a smile to abandon her scowl. She got up from the table and calmly started heading towards the door. "Well I can't wait any longer! I'm going over there myself!" She insisted, but the lighter-colored filly stepped in front of her, blocking her way. "No, let me! You hurt your hind leg the last time we tried to get our cutie marks, so you should rest it!" Scootaloo hesitated. She was in a bit of pain, but such a brave pony as herself would never admit it. "No, I'm fine Sweetie Belle-" "No you're not!" Sweetie let out a pout and stomped down with her front hoof. "Just stay here, okay? Guard our base! I'll be back in two slits of an apple!" She said cheerfully and headed out the door. "Were you taking talking lessons from Applejack?!" Scootaloo called after her, but was replied with only a giggle as Sweetie Belle dashed off in to the Everfree forest. Once inside the woods, Sweetie slowed down to a light trot as she merrily looked around the flora of the forest. Despite Everfree being a spooky place most of the time, on a bright sunny day in this weather it looked quite charming. So many unseen flowers were blooming all around, the bright colors and the sweet scent calling any pony towards them. Sweetie was no exception and soon she trailed off of the path and in to the meadow. "Maybe if I make a pretty bouquet, I'll get a flower arranging cutie mark?" She asked herself, but without waiting for any pony to reply, she started picking some of the flowers. Sweetie got so in to her role of a flower arranger, that she started getting picky about which flowers to add in to her bouquet. The young filly walked around and around, trying to find the most perfect flowers she could, thinking about maybe presenting her older sister with her result. Rarity loved pretty things, and a bouquet filled with the most beautiful flowers the Everfree forest could offer was sure to put a smile on her face and earn her a praise! Sweetie Belle wandered out of the meadow, picking the oddest little plants her eyes could spot, some of them weren't even blooming. She believed they added to the originality of he bouquet, who'd want to get one filled with just plain old flowers anyway? Her search for different looking plants made her lose her way completely and only when the sky started to turn a shade of red did Sweetie realise that she was now completely and utterly lost. "...A...apple Bloom?" She called out timidly and looked around. Sweetie was so focused on looking at the plants that she paid no attention to the path she was taking, so now she had no idea what direction she even came from. "Z...zecoraaa?!" She called out again and whimpered. Fear had rendered her immobile for the time being and tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. "R...rarityy...." Her last yell came out more of a timid fluttershyesque whisper. Sweetie Belle huddled up in to a small ball of a pony and began sobbing, a tremble running up and down her frightened little body. Suddenly a buzz and a hiss were heard nearby and made Sweetie jump up. "w-who's there?!" She called out and quickly wiped away her tears, but the gloss in her eyes was still clearly visible. Another buzz and a hiss were heard from a different direction now. And another. And another. Sweetie was frightened and she would've ran, if not for the sounds coming from every single direction. "Blaaannkkkk...." Something hissed out in a raspy voice. "Blaannkk!" A similar voice repeated, but louder. "Blaaaank!" "Blaank!" "Blaank!" Suddenly many hissing voices were heard, repeating the word over and over. They got louder and closer. Sweetie Belle was not able to handle much more and she let out the loudest, most high pitched scream she could muster up. "Stay away! Stay away from meee!" Sweetie yelled, tears dripping from her eyes as shadows started forming all around her. Blue lights in shape of eyes appeared in these shadows as they started surrounding Sweetie, engulfing her in to their darkness. Her final scream was not heard by anyone in the Everfree forest, as she was now gone, leaving behind only a crumpled bouquet. This was not the end of Sweetie Belle however, for the shadows have not harmed her. Using magic, these misshapen creatures carried Sweetie in to a small town in the middle of nowhere and left her by the entrance. It took a few good moments for the young filly to realise that she was still very much alive and now somewhat safe, as the shadows disappeared. "Where am I?" She whispered to herself and looked around. On the entrance gate there was a sign. An old, partly rotted wooden sign that welcomed ponies to the town Markone. That was an odd name for a town, but this was no time to question such things. It was getting dark and Sweetie wanted to get home. Hoping that somepony will know how to get back, Sweetie Belle ran towards the houses as quick as she could. "Hello? Anypony? Can somepony help me?" She called out, but no one seemed to answer. She called out again, trotting through the empty streets. "Is... somepony outside?" A faint voice called out. It was not hissing, nor raspy, just sounded a bit tired. "Yes!" Sweetie called out, feeling so relieved!" Where are you? Could you please help me?" Sweetie looked around. From one of the houses exited a young mare, coat a faded salad green and long blonde mane with light red streaks. "We're beyond help..." The mare whispered silently, making Sweetie Belle at a loss for words. Beyond help? What did she mean? What was going on? Chapter 2. Love LockSweetie shook her head and frowned lightly. "B-beyond help? What do you mean?" She asked. The mare opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly froze still as her ears stood at attention. "Are you-" Sweetie asked, but was cut off by the now very concentrated pony. "Shh!...Get in, quickly!" She rushed the younger one inside before closing the door. Without another word to the filly, the older pony rushed to the window and quietly peeked outside. Sweetie followed her, wanting to know what was going on, but she was too short to reach the window... she backed up from it, enabling her to partially see the outside, and what she saw made her tremble. "Those are-" "I said shh!" The mare silenced her before looking out the window again. The sky was darkening, but not because the sun was setting, no, it was getting filled... filled by creatures, the shadows that had attacked Sweetie Belle and brought her here. "Oh no..." The mare bit her lower lip and pulled the curtain over the window. "Young one, quickly, under the bed!" She rushed Sweetie. "But I-" "We'll talk later, now hurry!" The mare hurried under the bed and Sweetie followed after her. Just seconds after both of them hid, the ground started rumbling and loud, very loud buzzing was heard outside. It circled the house for a few moments before passing on to another house. Several moments of this rumbling and buzzing passed until it got broken by a loud scream. A second one followed shortly. "NOO! No, please! I'll get it! I promise! I know I can!" "J-just give us one more day! Honest! We can do it, please!" The ponies screamed for their lives, but it seemed they were not listened to, as the terrified shrieks faded away, so did the buzzing and rumbling. For a few moments everything stayed silent and still, neither of the ponies daring to move a muscle. Finally, the mare let out a relieved sigh and crawled out from under her bed. "It's over, we're safe..." She told Sweetie, who was still cowering under the furniture. The mare walked over to an oil lamp and lit it, revealing the dim and bare little house she lived in. There were no paintings on the walls, no carpet on the floor, no actual lamps on the ceiling and not even a pillow on the bed. It did have a table and a door leading to a rather small and simple bathroom, but there was no kitchen, just a basket of some old, but still edible, fruit next to the table. "What... what was-" "Who are you and how did you get here?" The mare frowned at Sweetie, but the little filly has had enough of getting cut off! "Will you just let me finish?!" She pouted as she crawled out from under the bed. "Who are you and what is this town? What were those things and what happened to those other ponies? I want to know and I want to know now!" Sweetie had raised her voice but more out of panic than anger. This was frightening, no, beyond frightening to her! Like a nightmare come true this was, and she was all alone in an unknown place... the more she thought about it, the more Sweetie's eyes got wet. Pretty soon she hiced and sniffled, making the older mare's scowl soften and then fade away. "Listen... I'm sorry... I've been gone away from my home for such a long time.. I forgot how to be nice to little fillies like you..." The mare slowly walked up to Sweetie Belle and lightly nuzzled her laid back ear. "Listen, I'll tell you what's going on, ok? But not now... you're scared and tired and most likely hungry... what I will tell you is a bit hard to deal with, so it's better if you're rested and calmer before I do..." "But I can't rest, I need to get home! My friends are waiting and my sister is probably worrying about me..." The mare's face saddened as she walked over to the fruit basket and gently slid it over towards the filly. "My name is Love Lock, but you can just call me Lock... here... these aren't much, but eat up." "It's a very nice name, Lock, but I really need to get home! I'll be in big trouble, I probably am, it's already so late!" Lock just sighed a bit and walked over to her bed, climbing on it. "I am sorry, young filly, but you cannot leave this place." "Why not?! I can just walk out the way I-" "You can't." "But what if I just-" "You can't." "Even if I-" "You can't, young one." Lock sighed. "Listen, this is a long story, but no matter what you try, you'll end up here in this town. It's best that you eat and rest for now. I am tired as well, so we should both get the best sleep we can tonight... come, you can sleep on the other side of the bed. I don't think I kick in my sleep, so you should be safe." Lock smiled faintly at the little saddened filly. Sweetie Belle looked towards the door then back at her and then towards the window. The curtains were covering most of it, but at the very corner she could still see some of the outside. The sky was already very dark and it seemed like clouds were gathering... it might even rain tonight... It was strange seeing the clouds move by themselves with no pony in the sky to guide them. She must still be somewhere in the Everfree Forest! But even if Sweetie went out now, she'd get lost no matter what in THAT darkness! And what's to stop the shadows from before from attacking her again and this time maybe even hurting her? With a heavy heart Sweetie walked over to the bed and climbed on to it. It wasn't a very comfortable bed, but you could sleep on it. Lock got out of the bed and tucked Sweetie in. "You sure you don't want an apple before bed?" "I...I'm not hungry..." The little filly mumbled. "I can't blame you..." Lock commented silently and walked over to the oil lamp, putting it out. She headed back to the bed and curled up on the other side of it, carefully covering herself with the blanket, making sure not to tug it off of Sweetie. "Good.... night..." Lock whispered, knowing full well that this night will be anything but good for the filly. "M-mhmm..." Sweetie Belle could only reply with a trembling little hum as she curled up in to a little ball, trying her best not to cry. It was silent for the following minutes, just enough for Lock to start dozing off. "S-Sweetie..." The filly mumbled. "Hhmmmhh?" Lock cracked an eye open. "Did you say something?" "I said... my name is Sweetie Belle... I never told you it..." Lock smiled briefly before closing her eye and sighing. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Sweetie Belle... that's a very nice name you have. Be proud." She mumbled before things went quiet again. The night was dead silent for the following hours until some faint thunder was heard in the distance. As the second thunder echoed, the clouds lurking over the town burst open, unleashing a very strong shower of rain. The sound of water hitting the glass was rather calming, so it didn't wake Lock, but Sweetie had never fallen asleep. Her thoughts were filled with so many questions and so many sad thoughts that she ended up crying to herself, but when the rain broke out she started concentrating on the sound it made. The never breaking lull of the water calmed the now exhausted filly and pretty soon Sweetie fell asleep as well, only to be plagued by the same thoughts in her dreams. Chapter 3: The talentless town."Sweetie Belle. Rise and shine little filly..." A soothing voice gently broke through the haziness of a dreadful dream. Sweetie let out a groan as she turned on the other side, mumbling something about not going anywhere today. "Come on now, we have things to do..." Lock gently nudged the little filly. "M..mhh? Rarity? Where ...where am I?" Sweetie mumbled, finally opening her eyes. She expected to see her sister, but instead was met with the sight of a hesitantly smiling earth pony she met the night before. Her eyes shot wide open and the filly quickly sat up. "T-that wasn't just a bad dream?" She asked, somewhat hoping that the answer would be different from the obvious one, but alas. "I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle. If I could, I'd make this all just be a bad dream, but it's not, and we should get going. It's already a late morning." "Where... are we going?" The little unicorn asked, getting off of the bed and following the older mare. "We're going to town to get some breakfast." Lock explained calmly. "You haven't eaten in a long while, you must be hungry." "And when will you tell me what's going on here?" Sweetie remembered their talk from yesterday. She still wondered why she couldn't just -leave- the town. "After we eat." Lock opened the door and calmly walked out. The morning was rather beautiful, if not a bit damp from the storm. The bright rays of the sun caressed the lush grass on the ground, drying up the last of the morning dew. Some puddles had formed here and there, but none were on the main path the two were taking, so their hooves were safe from the dirt. Sweetie followed Lock silently, looking around the place. The houses where ponies lived in seemed nothing special; just bare wooden houses, the kind you'd rent if you went camping somewhere for the night. They didn't seem like the kind you'd call a home. No paint, no decorations and if Lock's house looked anything like the rest of the houses, then no furniture either, decorative or practical. This was rather strange... Sweetie glanced towards the entrance of the town, just behind a few small houses still being built. The entrance seemed so far away... surely it didn't take her that long to get from it toward's Lock's door step, but now it seemed like it would take a good long walk just to reach it. Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle looked in front of her, concentrating on where they were going. She then noticed something; Love Lock was an adult mare, but her flank was just as bare as her own. That was very odd and Sweetie would ask her about it, but... back in Ponyville, she got teased for being a blank flank, and she was just a filly. It must be hard to be a blank flanked adult. Lock must have gotten teased a lot back in her own home and might be very sensitive about the subject. Not wanting to add salt to a wound, Sweetie kept shut about the matter and instead started looking around again. A short walk later, the two were in the center of the town and the little filly couldn't believe how different this place was! So many buildings, all of them beautifully decorated with the most gorgeous of pastel colors! None of the buildings were the kind one would live in, though. They were shops in one way or another. Bakery store, fruit stands, clothing shops, accessory booths, you name it! There was an empty playground further away, but it was no ordinary one! Along with the usual swings and a teeter totter, there were carnival-esque rides! a carousel, some carts and several other rides! Sweetie got a little bit distracted for the moment, but shook those unwanted thoughts away and focused back on Lock, who guided her in to one of the bakeries. Inside The shop there were a few ponies already eating, two standing in line and one taking orders. All of them glanced at the fillies briefly, taking a moment to eye Sweetie Belle before getting on with what they were doing. There were a few things odd about this place, as Sweetie had noticed; Firstly, there was no cash register. None of the ponies that stood in line paid any bits, nor did the serving pony ask for them. Secondly, none of them talked to each other. They didn't greet Lock, nor did Lock say hello first. Despite eating tasty pastries, the ponies looked rather down and without any motivation. Lastly, the most eye catching oddity that got Sweetie's attention was the fact that none of these ponies had cutie marks... She wasn't going to ask Lock about hers, but when the town is full of blanks, it does raise a legitimate question. She won't ask yet, though. Those stranger ponies were so un-welcoming that Sweetie didn't feel like talking in their presence. Lock had taken her place in line while Sweetie was busy thinking and had gotten them their breakfast. She calmly walked them both to a table and gave Sweetie her share. "Eat up. I hope you like it." Lock said before digging in to her on meal. Sweetie carefully eyed the odd-looking meal and the strangely shaped dessert. This looked edible, but not something you'd buy at a bakery. The food looked a bit over-cooked or sloppily made. Good thing Lock didn't pay money for this, because it certainly wasn't worth the bits. Despite the critique, the little filly was ,indeed, very hungry, so even if the food did look a little... 'home made' she ate it without a problem. Not sugar cube corner quality, but it was okay. "Thank you." Sweetie nodded at Lock, who only returned the gesture with a light smile. "Come, let's leave." She offered and got up. With no objections, Sweetie followed out and as soon as they had left the building she spoke up. "Why is everyone here without their cutie marks?" She frowned lightly in confusion. "It's.... well, it's complicated, Sweetie Belle..." Lock sighed, glancing away. "You said you'd tell me about everything after breakfast. We ate. Tell me!" The little unicorn pouted,demanding an answer. "Oh, how about we visit the playground first, hmm? There's really no reason to rush to the story. It won't go anywhere!" And without waiting for Sweetie to protest, Lock hurried over to the rides. "B-but wait, I-..." Sweetie pouted. Lock could use a lesson in conversational manners, that's for sure! Not having much of a choice, Sweetie Belle followed the older pony. Once at the playground Lock smiled at Sweetie Belle. "Don't these look neat? Which one you want to go on first?" "I want to know about the-" "Carousel? Great choice!" Lock rushed Sweetie to the carousel before getting on one of the seats. "Hey, wait, I-" "Should get on before I start it, come on, it will be fun!" With an annoyed pout, Sweetie got on to one of the seats and Lock started the ride. As much fun as the ride normally would be, Sweetie just couldn't enjoy it. She had to know everything, but Lock didn't seem willing to talk about it. Time was passing by and with each minute she was sure her friends and family were growing more and more worried. She couldn't do this any more, if Lock wasn't going to talk, some pony else will! Determined to get her questions answered, Sweetie jumped off of the ride and started walking away. "H-hey, where are you going, Sweetie?" Lock stopped the ride and quickly followed her. "You aren't answering my questions and I need to get home, so I'm going to ask other ponies for help." "I told you, you can't leave." "But WHY?!" Sweetie raised her voice in frustration. She lightly stomped the ground with her front feet a few times, expressing her annoyance."I need to know, but you've been avoiding my questions! I can't just take rides and be happy when my friends are all probably worried and looking for me! So please, just tell me!" Lock watched the stressed little filly for a moment before glancing away and biting her lower lip. This was hard to say just as it was hard to listen and accept it. With a sigh, Lock gave in. "Very well, sit down." Sweetie instantly plopped her plot on the ground, staring at Lock intently. "Well?" "...Are you sure you don't want to grab a drink first? You must be thirsty and-" "Lock!" Sweetie huffed. For an adult, Lock sure was childish! "Okay okay, fine! just.. give me a moment..." The mare inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly. "Well... I can't say if everything I'm about to tell you is true, since I've only gathered rumours... see... no pony stays in this town for longer than two months, so most information has been passed on by word of mouth, or by little hidden notes here and there that were found around the village." "Where do they go after that?" Sweetie inquired. "I'll get to it... lets start... from the beginning." Lock paused a bit, gathering her thoughts. "You've already noticed that this town is filled with ponies that have no cutie marks... It's rare, but sometimes ponies don't ever get a cutie mark, or get it very very late." Sweetie Belle got a bit concerned. What if she or any of the cutie mark crusaders never get theirs? "But... I have never ever seen an adult blank before..." She commented. "Most likely because they've ended up here. Us blanks... well... we are looked down upon by other ponies. We're talentless, useless ponies without a purpose. Most of the time we run away from home in search of a place more accepting of our little flaw and more often than not we get lost." "I got lost!" Sweetie interrupted. "I wasn't that far though, I think... but then these... dark shadows, like the ones in the sky last night... they brought me here!" "They brought all of us here. When they find a lost blank, they bring it to this town. Markone is a town no pony knows about, unless you're here yourself. It's surrounded by strange magic I believe, so no matter how far you run for the woods or how high you fly, you'll just end up going nowhere..." "But why do they want to keep us here? And you said ponies stay here for two months the longest, don't they leave?" Lock kept silent for a bit. "We... we are here... well.. this town is created so that we get a chance to earn our cutie marks. Every day the stores get new cooks, new tailors, new gardeners and such. We rotate between each and every job we can think up in an effort to find our cutie marks. We are given two months for it... I heard, that if we get a cutie mark, we can leave..." "And what if we don't?" Sweetie blinked. "...You heard those ponies last night, didn't you? ...They both had arrived here exactly two months ago..." Sweetie froze up in fear. Why... why did this place exist? What do those shadows do with the ponies? "What.. what are they? What do they want with us? " Locke looked around, hesitant to answer. "I'm not.... I don't know Sweetie... I don't even know if everything I've told you is true or not... if the ponies that get their cutie marks can leave, how come no one has ever heard of this place? Surely the cutie marked ponies would've spoken up! Warned the others about running away... It just doesn't make sense... And why get rid of the ones who fail? Where do they take them? Can't they leave them here forever? Can't this village be dedicated to all those poor blanks that search for a better life? Why can't this be the sanctuary that we've all been looking for..." Lock had to stop talking as a word more and her voice would've cracked. Her eyes were glossy, full of sorrow and remorse, but she didn't want Sweetie to become upset as well, so she took a moment to calm down and dry her tears. Lock inhaled deeply then sighed slowly again. "You shouldn't worry though, Sweetie Belle. We can't change anything. Most of us adult ponies have had out whole lives to try and earn a cutie mark, the situation is pretty hopeless for us, but you... you're just a little filly. There's so much potential in you and so many things you can try that you haven't tried yet... I'm sure you'll earn your cutie mark in no time and be out of this cursed place..." "But... what about what you said earlier? About ponies who get cutie marks and leave not telling anyone else about this place... it' suspicious, isn't it?" "I'm guessing that whatever magic binds us here erases our memory of this place as soon as we leave, that's all. I guess those shadows just want to keep this place a secret, for good reason too." "But what if I can't earn a cutie mark? Me and my friends have been trying so hard, we even made a club dedicated to finding our cutie marks!" "I'm sure you'll get yours here." "But what if I-" "You will." "Even if I-" "You will." "And if I-" "You will, Sweetie Belle." Lock smiled at her softly. It was a rather sad smile, but she tried her best to be sincere about it. "Now lets go and do some work around here... we can go try and pick some berries for our nightly snacks. The fruit I've gathered last time is close to rotting anyway..." Lock started to walk off slowly. Sweetie Belle felt awfully confused and... she couldn't even put the feeling she felt to words... Hopeless, maybe? The situation sure seemed like it was, though... No matter Lock's efforts to cheer her up about her future, Sweetie knew that she wouldn't earn her cutie mark here... And poor Lock! How long has she been here already? How long does she have left? Even if Sweetie got to get out of here, leaving behind a friend like that wasn't right. There must be some other way around this... there must be another way out.
Chapter 1. Sweetie's disappearance."Ugh, what is taking her so long?!" Scootaloo complained for the third time already. Sweetie Belle was pacing around in their club house, peeking out the window every now and then. "I'm sure she'll be here soon, she said that she'll drop by Zecora's house to fetch something super amazing that will help us get our cutie marks!" Sweetie smiled at scootaloo, trying to get the other filly to smile back, but Scootaloo required more than just a false hope and a smile to abandon her scowl. She got up from the table and calmly started heading towards the door. "Well I can't wait any longer! I'm going over there myself!" She insisted, but the lighter-colored filly stepped in front of her, blocking her way. "No, let me! You hurt your hind leg the last time we tried to get our cutie marks, so you should rest it!" Scootaloo hesitated. She was in a bit of pain, but such a brave pony as herself would never admit it. "No, I'm fine Sweetie Belle-" "No you're not!" Sweetie let out a pout and stomped down with her front hoof. "Just stay here, okay? Guard our base! I'll be back in two slits of an apple!" She said cheerfully and headed out the door. "Were you taking talking lessons from Applejack?!" Scootaloo called after her, but was replied with only a giggle as Sweetie Belle dashed off in to the Everfree forest. Once inside the woods, Sweetie slowed down to a light trot as she merrily looked around the flora of the forest. Despite Everfree being a spooky place most of the time, on a bright sunny day in this weather it looked quite charming. So many unseen flowers were blooming all around, the bright colors and the sweet scent calling any pony towards them. Sweetie was no exception and soon she trailed off of the path and in to the meadow. "Maybe if I make a pretty bouquet, I'll get a flower arranging cutie mark?" She asked herself, but without waiting for any pony to reply, she started picking some of the flowers. Sweetie got so in to her role of a flower arranger, that she started getting picky about which flowers to add in to her bouquet. The young filly walked around and around, trying to find the most perfect flowers she could, thinking about maybe presenting her older sister with her result. Rarity loved pretty things, and a bouquet filled with the most beautiful flowers the Everfree forest could offer was sure to put a smile on her face and earn her a praise! Sweetie Belle wandered out of the meadow, picking the oddest little plants her eyes could spot, some of them weren't even blooming. She believed they added to the originality of he bouquet, who'd want to get one filled with just plain old flowers anyway? Her search for different looking plants made her lose her way completely and only when the sky started to turn a shade of red did Sweetie realise that she was now completely and utterly lost. "...A...apple Bloom?" She called out timidly and looked around. Sweetie was so focused on looking at the plants that she paid no attention to the path she was taking, so now she had no idea what direction she even came from. "Z...zecoraaa?!" She called out again and whimpered. Fear had rendered her immobile for the time being and tears began to form at the corners of her eyes. "R...rarityy...." Her last yell came out more of a timid fluttershyesque whisper. Sweetie Belle huddled up in to a small ball of a pony and began sobbing, a tremble running up and down her frightened little body. Suddenly a buzz and a hiss were heard nearby and made Sweetie jump up. "w-who's there?!" She called out and quickly wiped away her tears, but the gloss in her eyes was still clearly visible. Another buzz and a hiss were heard from a different direction now. And another. And another. Sweetie was frightened and she would've ran, if not for the sounds coming from every single direction. "Blaaannkkkk...." Something hissed out in a raspy voice. "Blaannkk!" A similar voice repeated, but louder. "Blaaaank!" "Blaank!" "Blaank!" Suddenly many hissing voices were heard, repeating the word over and over. They got louder and closer. Sweetie Belle was not able to handle much more and she let out the loudest, most high pitched scream she could muster up. "Stay away! Stay away from meee!" Sweetie yelled, tears dripping from her eyes as shadows started forming all around her. Blue lights in shape of eyes appeared in these shadows as they started surrounding Sweetie, engulfing her in to their darkness. Her final scream was not heard by anyone in the Everfree forest, as she was now gone, leaving behind only a crumpled bouquet. This was not the end of Sweetie Belle however, for the shadows have not harmed her. Using magic, these misshapen creatures carried Sweetie in to a small town in the middle of nowhere and left her by the entrance. It took a few good moments for the young filly to realise that she was still very much alive and now somewhat safe, as the shadows disappeared. "Where am I?" She whispered to herself and looked around. On the entrance gate there was a sign. An old, partly rotted wooden sign that welcomed ponies to the town Markone. That was an odd name for a town, but this was no time to question such things. It was getting dark and Sweetie wanted to get home. Hoping that somepony will know how to get back, Sweetie Belle ran towards the houses as quick as she could. "Hello? Anypony? Can somepony help me?" She called out, but no one seemed to answer. She called out again, trotting through the empty streets. "Is... somepony outside?" A faint voice called out. It was not hissing, nor raspy, just sounded a bit tired. "Yes!" Sweetie called out, feeling so relieved!" Where are you? Could you please help me?" Sweetie looked around. From one of the houses exited a young mare, coat a faded salad green and long blonde mane with light red streaks. "We're beyond help..." The mare whispered silently, making Sweetie Belle at a loss for words. Beyond help? What did she mean? What was going on?
Chapter 2. Love LockSweetie shook her head and frowned lightly. "B-beyond help? What do you mean?" She asked. The mare opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly froze still as her ears stood at attention. "Are you-" Sweetie asked, but was cut off by the now very concentrated pony. "Shh!...Get in, quickly!" She rushed the younger one inside before closing the door. Without another word to the filly, the older pony rushed to the window and quietly peeked outside. Sweetie followed her, wanting to know what was going on, but she was too short to reach the window... she backed up from it, enabling her to partially see the outside, and what she saw made her tremble. "Those are-" "I said shh!" The mare silenced her before looking out the window again. The sky was darkening, but not because the sun was setting, no, it was getting filled... filled by creatures, the shadows that had attacked Sweetie Belle and brought her here. "Oh no..." The mare bit her lower lip and pulled the curtain over the window. "Young one, quickly, under the bed!" She rushed Sweetie. "But I-" "We'll talk later, now hurry!" The mare hurried under the bed and Sweetie followed after her. Just seconds after both of them hid, the ground started rumbling and loud, very loud buzzing was heard outside. It circled the house for a few moments before passing on to another house. Several moments of this rumbling and buzzing passed until it got broken by a loud scream. A second one followed shortly. "NOO! No, please! I'll get it! I promise! I know I can!" "J-just give us one more day! Honest! We can do it, please!" The ponies screamed for their lives, but it seemed they were not listened to, as the terrified shrieks faded away, so did the buzzing and rumbling. For a few moments everything stayed silent and still, neither of the ponies daring to move a muscle. Finally, the mare let out a relieved sigh and crawled out from under her bed. "It's over, we're safe..." She told Sweetie, who was still cowering under the furniture. The mare walked over to an oil lamp and lit it, revealing the dim and bare little house she lived in. There were no paintings on the walls, no carpet on the floor, no actual lamps on the ceiling and not even a pillow on the bed. It did have a table and a door leading to a rather small and simple bathroom, but there was no kitchen, just a basket of some old, but still edible, fruit next to the table. "What... what was-" "Who are you and how did you get here?" The mare frowned at Sweetie, but the little filly has had enough of getting cut off! "Will you just let me finish?!" She pouted as she crawled out from under the bed. "Who are you and what is this town? What were those things and what happened to those other ponies? I want to know and I want to know now!" Sweetie had raised her voice but more out of panic than anger. This was frightening, no, beyond frightening to her! Like a nightmare come true this was, and she was all alone in an unknown place... the more she thought about it, the more Sweetie's eyes got wet. Pretty soon she hiced and sniffled, making the older mare's scowl soften and then fade away. "Listen... I'm sorry... I've been gone away from my home for such a long time.. I forgot how to be nice to little fillies like you..." The mare slowly walked up to Sweetie Belle and lightly nuzzled her laid back ear. "Listen, I'll tell you what's going on, ok? But not now... you're scared and tired and most likely hungry... what I will tell you is a bit hard to deal with, so it's better if you're rested and calmer before I do..." "But I can't rest, I need to get home! My friends are waiting and my sister is probably worrying about me..." The mare's face saddened as she walked over to the fruit basket and gently slid it over towards the filly. "My name is Love Lock, but you can just call me Lock... here... these aren't much, but eat up." "It's a very nice name, Lock, but I really need to get home! I'll be in big trouble, I probably am, it's already so late!" Lock just sighed a bit and walked over to her bed, climbing on it. "I am sorry, young filly, but you cannot leave this place." "Why not?! I can just walk out the way I-" "You can't." "But what if I just-" "You can't." "Even if I-" "You can't, young one." Lock sighed. "Listen, this is a long story, but no matter what you try, you'll end up here in this town. It's best that you eat and rest for now. I am tired as well, so we should both get the best sleep we can tonight... come, you can sleep on the other side of the bed. I don't think I kick in my sleep, so you should be safe." Lock smiled faintly at the little saddened filly. Sweetie Belle looked towards the door then back at her and then towards the window. The curtains were covering most of it, but at the very corner she could still see some of the outside. The sky was already very dark and it seemed like clouds were gathering... it might even rain tonight... It was strange seeing the clouds move by themselves with no pony in the sky to guide them. She must still be somewhere in the Everfree Forest! But even if Sweetie went out now, she'd get lost no matter what in THAT darkness! And what's to stop the shadows from before from attacking her again and this time maybe even hurting her? With a heavy heart Sweetie walked over to the bed and climbed on to it. It wasn't a very comfortable bed, but you could sleep on it. Lock got out of the bed and tucked Sweetie in. "You sure you don't want an apple before bed?" "I...I'm not hungry..." The little filly mumbled. "I can't blame you..." Lock commented silently and walked over to the oil lamp, putting it out. She headed back to the bed and curled up on the other side of it, carefully covering herself with the blanket, making sure not to tug it off of Sweetie. "Good.... night..." Lock whispered, knowing full well that this night will be anything but good for the filly. "M-mhmm..." Sweetie Belle could only reply with a trembling little hum as she curled up in to a little ball, trying her best not to cry. It was silent for the following minutes, just enough for Lock to start dozing off. "S-Sweetie..." The filly mumbled. "Hhmmmhh?" Lock cracked an eye open. "Did you say something?" "I said... my name is Sweetie Belle... I never told you it..." Lock smiled briefly before closing her eye and sighing. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Sweetie Belle... that's a very nice name you have. Be proud." She mumbled before things went quiet again. The night was dead silent for the following hours until some faint thunder was heard in the distance. As the second thunder echoed, the clouds lurking over the town burst open, unleashing a very strong shower of rain. The sound of water hitting the glass was rather calming, so it didn't wake Lock, but Sweetie had never fallen asleep. Her thoughts were filled with so many questions and so many sad thoughts that she ended up crying to herself, but when the rain broke out she started concentrating on the sound it made. The never breaking lull of the water calmed the now exhausted filly and pretty soon Sweetie fell asleep as well, only to be plagued by the same thoughts in her dreams.
Chapter 3: The talentless town."Sweetie Belle. Rise and shine little filly..." A soothing voice gently broke through the haziness of a dreadful dream. Sweetie let out a groan as she turned on the other side, mumbling something about not going anywhere today. "Come on now, we have things to do..." Lock gently nudged the little filly. "M..mhh? Rarity? Where ...where am I?" Sweetie mumbled, finally opening her eyes. She expected to see her sister, but instead was met with the sight of a hesitantly smiling earth pony she met the night before. Her eyes shot wide open and the filly quickly sat up. "T-that wasn't just a bad dream?" She asked, somewhat hoping that the answer would be different from the obvious one, but alas. "I'm sorry, Sweetie Belle. If I could, I'd make this all just be a bad dream, but it's not, and we should get going. It's already a late morning." "Where... are we going?" The little unicorn asked, getting off of the bed and following the older mare. "We're going to town to get some breakfast." Lock explained calmly. "You haven't eaten in a long while, you must be hungry." "And when will you tell me what's going on here?" Sweetie remembered their talk from yesterday. She still wondered why she couldn't just -leave- the town. "After we eat." Lock opened the door and calmly walked out. The morning was rather beautiful, if not a bit damp from the storm. The bright rays of the sun caressed the lush grass on the ground, drying up the last of the morning dew. Some puddles had formed here and there, but none were on the main path the two were taking, so their hooves were safe from the dirt. Sweetie followed Lock silently, looking around the place. The houses where ponies lived in seemed nothing special; just bare wooden houses, the kind you'd rent if you went camping somewhere for the night. They didn't seem like the kind you'd call a home. No paint, no decorations and if Lock's house looked anything like the rest of the houses, then no furniture either, decorative or practical. This was rather strange... Sweetie glanced towards the entrance of the town, just behind a few small houses still being built. The entrance seemed so far away... surely it didn't take her that long to get from it toward's Lock's door step, but now it seemed like it would take a good long walk just to reach it. Shaking her head, Sweetie Belle looked in front of her, concentrating on where they were going. She then noticed something; Love Lock was an adult mare, but her flank was just as bare as her own. That was very odd and Sweetie would ask her about it, but... back in Ponyville, she got teased for being a blank flank, and she was just a filly. It must be hard to be a blank flanked adult. Lock must have gotten teased a lot back in her own home and might be very sensitive about the subject. Not wanting to add salt to a wound, Sweetie kept shut about the matter and instead started looking around again. A short walk later, the two were in the center of the town and the little filly couldn't believe how different this place was! So many buildings, all of them beautifully decorated with the most gorgeous of pastel colors! None of the buildings were the kind one would live in, though. They were shops in one way or another. Bakery store, fruit stands, clothing shops, accessory booths, you name it! There was an empty playground further away, but it was no ordinary one! Along with the usual swings and a teeter totter, there were carnival-esque rides! a carousel, some carts and several other rides! Sweetie got a little bit distracted for the moment, but shook those unwanted thoughts away and focused back on Lock, who guided her in to one of the bakeries. Inside The shop there were a few ponies already eating, two standing in line and one taking orders. All of them glanced at the fillies briefly, taking a moment to eye Sweetie Belle before getting on with what they were doing. There were a few things odd about this place, as Sweetie had noticed; Firstly, there was no cash register. None of the ponies that stood in line paid any bits, nor did the serving pony ask for them. Secondly, none of them talked to each other. They didn't greet Lock, nor did Lock say hello first. Despite eating tasty pastries, the ponies looked rather down and without any motivation. Lastly, the most eye catching oddity that got Sweetie's attention was the fact that none of these ponies had cutie marks... She wasn't going to ask Lock about hers, but when the town is full of blanks, it does raise a legitimate question. She won't ask yet, though. Those stranger ponies were so un-welcoming that Sweetie didn't feel like talking in their presence. Lock had taken her place in line while Sweetie was busy thinking and had gotten them their breakfast. She calmly walked them both to a table and gave Sweetie her share. "Eat up. I hope you like it." Lock said before digging in to her on meal. Sweetie carefully eyed the odd-looking meal and the strangely shaped dessert. This looked edible, but not something you'd buy at a bakery. The food looked a bit over-cooked or sloppily made. Good thing Lock didn't pay money for this, because it certainly wasn't worth the bits. Despite the critique, the little filly was ,indeed, very hungry, so even if the food did look a little... 'home made' she ate it without a problem. Not sugar cube corner quality, but it was okay. "Thank you." Sweetie nodded at Lock, who only returned the gesture with a light smile. "Come, let's leave." She offered and got up. With no objections, Sweetie followed out and as soon as they had left the building she spoke up. "Why is everyone here without their cutie marks?" She frowned lightly in confusion. "It's.... well, it's complicated, Sweetie Belle..." Lock sighed, glancing away. "You said you'd tell me about everything after breakfast. We ate. Tell me!" The little unicorn pouted,demanding an answer. "Oh, how about we visit the playground first, hmm? There's really no reason to rush to the story. It won't go anywhere!" And without waiting for Sweetie to protest, Lock hurried over to the rides. "B-but wait, I-..." Sweetie pouted. Lock could use a lesson in conversational manners, that's for sure! Not having much of a choice, Sweetie Belle followed the older pony. Once at the playground Lock smiled at Sweetie Belle. "Don't these look neat? Which one you want to go on first?" "I want to know about the-" "Carousel? Great choice!" Lock rushed Sweetie to the carousel before getting on one of the seats. "Hey, wait, I-" "Should get on before I start it, come on, it will be fun!" With an annoyed pout, Sweetie got on to one of the seats and Lock started the ride. As much fun as the ride normally would be, Sweetie just couldn't enjoy it. She had to know everything, but Lock didn't seem willing to talk about it. Time was passing by and with each minute she was sure her friends and family were growing more and more worried. She couldn't do this any more, if Lock wasn't going to talk, some pony else will! Determined to get her questions answered, Sweetie jumped off of the ride and started walking away. "H-hey, where are you going, Sweetie?" Lock stopped the ride and quickly followed her. "You aren't answering my questions and I need to get home, so I'm going to ask other ponies for help." "I told you, you can't leave." "But WHY?!" Sweetie raised her voice in frustration. She lightly stomped the ground with her front feet a few times, expressing her annoyance."I need to know, but you've been avoiding my questions! I can't just take rides and be happy when my friends are all probably worried and looking for me! So please, just tell me!" Lock watched the stressed little filly for a moment before glancing away and biting her lower lip. This was hard to say just as it was hard to listen and accept it. With a sigh, Lock gave in. "Very well, sit down." Sweetie instantly plopped her plot on the ground, staring at Lock intently. "Well?" "...Are you sure you don't want to grab a drink first? You must be thirsty and-" "Lock!" Sweetie huffed. For an adult, Lock sure was childish! "Okay okay, fine! just.. give me a moment..." The mare inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly. "Well... I can't say if everything I'm about to tell you is true, since I've only gathered rumours... see... no pony stays in this town for longer than two months, so most information has been passed on by word of mouth, or by little hidden notes here and there that were found around the village." "Where do they go after that?" Sweetie inquired. "I'll get to it... lets start... from the beginning." Lock paused a bit, gathering her thoughts. "You've already noticed that this town is filled with ponies that have no cutie marks... It's rare, but sometimes ponies don't ever get a cutie mark, or get it very very late." Sweetie Belle got a bit concerned. What if she or any of the cutie mark crusaders never get theirs? "But... I have never ever seen an adult blank before..." She commented. "Most likely because they've ended up here. Us blanks... well... we are looked down upon by other ponies. We're talentless, useless ponies without a purpose. Most of the time we run away from home in search of a place more accepting of our little flaw and more often than not we get lost." "I got lost!" Sweetie interrupted. "I wasn't that far though, I think... but then these... dark shadows, like the ones in the sky last night... they brought me here!" "They brought all of us here. When they find a lost blank, they bring it to this town. Markone is a town no pony knows about, unless you're here yourself. It's surrounded by strange magic I believe, so no matter how far you run for the woods or how high you fly, you'll just end up going nowhere..." "But why do they want to keep us here? And you said ponies stay here for two months the longest, don't they leave?" Lock kept silent for a bit. "We... we are here... well.. this town is created so that we get a chance to earn our cutie marks. Every day the stores get new cooks, new tailors, new gardeners and such. We rotate between each and every job we can think up in an effort to find our cutie marks. We are given two months for it... I heard, that if we get a cutie mark, we can leave..." "And what if we don't?" Sweetie blinked. "...You heard those ponies last night, didn't you? ...They both had arrived here exactly two months ago..." Sweetie froze up in fear. Why... why did this place exist? What do those shadows do with the ponies? "What.. what are they? What do they want with us? " Locke looked around, hesitant to answer. "I'm not.... I don't know Sweetie... I don't even know if everything I've told you is true or not... if the ponies that get their cutie marks can leave, how come no one has ever heard of this place? Surely the cutie marked ponies would've spoken up! Warned the others about running away... It just doesn't make sense... And why get rid of the ones who fail? Where do they take them? Can't they leave them here forever? Can't this village be dedicated to all those poor blanks that search for a better life? Why can't this be the sanctuary that we've all been looking for..." Lock had to stop talking as a word more and her voice would've cracked. Her eyes were glossy, full of sorrow and remorse, but she didn't want Sweetie to become upset as well, so she took a moment to calm down and dry her tears. Lock inhaled deeply then sighed slowly again. "You shouldn't worry though, Sweetie Belle. We can't change anything. Most of us adult ponies have had out whole lives to try and earn a cutie mark, the situation is pretty hopeless for us, but you... you're just a little filly. There's so much potential in you and so many things you can try that you haven't tried yet... I'm sure you'll earn your cutie mark in no time and be out of this cursed place..." "But... what about what you said earlier? About ponies who get cutie marks and leave not telling anyone else about this place... it' suspicious, isn't it?" "I'm guessing that whatever magic binds us here erases our memory of this place as soon as we leave, that's all. I guess those shadows just want to keep this place a secret, for good reason too." "But what if I can't earn a cutie mark? Me and my friends have been trying so hard, we even made a club dedicated to finding our cutie marks!" "I'm sure you'll get yours here." "But what if I-" "You will." "Even if I-" "You will." "And if I-" "You will, Sweetie Belle." Lock smiled at her softly. It was a rather sad smile, but she tried her best to be sincere about it. "Now lets go and do some work around here... we can go try and pick some berries for our nightly snacks. The fruit I've gathered last time is close to rotting anyway..." Lock started to walk off slowly. Sweetie Belle felt awfully confused and... she couldn't even put the feeling she felt to words... Hopeless, maybe? The situation sure seemed like it was, though... No matter Lock's efforts to cheer her up about her future, Sweetie knew that she wouldn't earn her cutie mark here... And poor Lock! How long has she been here already? How long does she have left? Even if Sweetie got to get out of here, leaving behind a friend like that wasn't right. There must be some other way around this... there must be another way out.
