Monsters & Other Foalish Things

by _Medicshy

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Gummy, Pinkie Pie, Cheerilee, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 41181

Life as a filly isn't always easy. Making friends, trying not to be weird, living with the hard times of your past. But when a new filly comes to town stealing Scootaloo's attention and other ponies start to disappear, well, what do you bla

Life as a filly isn't always easy. Making friends, trying not to be weird, living with the hard times of your past. But when a new filly comes to town stealing Scootaloo's attention and other ponies start to disappear, well, what do you blame?

A dark tale following Scootaloo and her friends as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the newcomer, the missing ponies, and the nightmares that accompany them.

(Special thanks to Razorbeam, my professional heckler, and Aziraphael, my crossout artist for their help editing the later chapters.)

Published 2012-12-22 05:30:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-07 13:12:32 UTC

Burning Resolve

Scootaloo enters the hallway, looking up at the pure white walls. So clinical, so clean... they'd been home for a long time now, but now they seemed to be filled with dread. After what had happened, those visions... She'd smashed down her door to get away, curled up in Firebug's room, and cried until the older yellow filly had come to comfort her. She'd run an incredibly hot hoof through her mane, soothing and shushing her into an uneasy sleep.

She’d gone, and following her Scootaloo found herself walking the halls, waiting for a vision or a monster to appear.

She finds not a monster, but her closest friend. “Firebug!” she calls out, running to her.

The earth pony jumps, turning around, her red mane tied back in a ponytail and her copper eyes seeming to glow with an inner heat. When she sees who it is her look softens, but only barely. “Scootaloo... You can't follow me. Remember that book I showed you? Go get it, and then go find the others.”

Scootaloo is confused, looking up to the larger filly with sad eyes. “But... The house is so scary now. I'm afraid of the monsters...”

Firebug almost tears up for a moment, her smile radiant, but sad. “Scootaloo, don't be afraid of monsters. You, me, the others... we were made to stop monsters, whatever form they take.” She looks over at the door to the 'Adults Only' section of the orphanage, her tears beginning to flow but her face determined. “I'm going to do exactly that.”

Scootaloo sees Firebug's tears and hugs her leg, looking up at the other filly's face. “I'll help you! Let me come!”

“No!” The word comes immediately and Scootaloo is pushed away by a gentle, firm hoof. “No... I'm doing this for all of us. Grab the book, get going. I'll... I'll meet you outside.”

Scootaloo starts to cry, looking at the fierce gaze in Firebug's eyes. “But Firebug... I don't want to be alone again...”

Firebug's sad smile deepens as she leads Scootaloo down the corridor, a caring hoof on her back. “You won't be alone, I promise. You'll have the others, and as soon as I'm done here I will find you. I promised I'd be watching over you, and I always will.” She hugs the small orange filly tightly, tears from both falling on the other's coat.

“Firebug, I-”

“I love you, sis. Remember that.” She opens a door gently, disengaging herself from the hug. “Scootaloo...” The younger orange pegasus looks to her friend... no, her sister, and it seems to sap Firebug's willpower for just a second. But her determination doesn't leave, and she is as strong as ever. “Get out of here. Go.” She gently nudges Scootaloo through the door, then shuts it, a soft click letting them both know it’s locked.

Scootaloo stares at the door, slightly confused tears in her eyes, but knowing that Firebug had a plan and a reason. She'll have to to trust her sister. She walks down the hallway, doing what she was told, when fire rushes her from behind and an explosion shakes the house to its core, throwing Scootaloo against a wall. Her vision blurs on impact.

Scootaloo turned over in her bed, feeling the tears running down her cheek, but not doing anything about it. This was the first night she'd returned to one of her 'normal' dreams... A 'restful' night without that horrible monster. Even though she still had tears down her cheeks, she smiled. At least my dream's acting normal for once. With a tired yawn only a Pinkie Party could bring on, Scootaloo turned over in her bed and tried to go back to sleep, the party replaying in mind in her few waking moments.

The party was as wild as any Pinkie Pie had ever thrown, even though it began with Bluebell showing up on the brink of tears, her knees scraped and her doll missing from her hooves. Everypony yelled 'Surprise!' which caused her to brighten up after the initial shock. She said she'd tripped on the way there and hurt herself and that her doll was at home. When asked if she wanted somepony to go with her and get it she shook her head, not wanting to leave the amazing party just for her.

And it was amazing. Cake, music, streamers, punch, and not an unhappy face in the house. The only ponies missing in town seemed to be the ones that were always too grumpy for a Pinkie Party and the terrible twosome, who nopony except Snips and Snails really missed. It went late, later than normal for most of the parents, who didn't want to take their foals away before Bluebell got picked up, but her father never arrived.

Eventually the party broke down like it normally did, and while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were taken off by their sisters, Scootaloo ended up helping Pinkie Pie clean up while Cheerilee talked with Twilight Sparkle over something or other. Those two always seemed to be talking about something, and Scootaloo was well used to it going on forever. However, three other ponies seemed to be hanging around as well: Bluebell, Twist, and Dinky. Despite being tired and in the middle of cleaning, Scootaloo couldn't help but wonder why they were there, so she moved over to a table near them and listened in.

“I dunno girls, I don't think that my papa would be too happy if I just showed up with two more ponies... He worked hard to keep Ms. Pinkie away.” Despite her words, Bluebell didn't seem fully convinced, tapping a hoof against the ground, her voice sounding very regretful.

Twist shook her head. “Nonthenth! What kind of dad wouldn't let you have a thleepover? Bethideth, I already athked my parentth and they thaid it wath fine! For the whole weekend, if we want.”

Dinky hopped up beside the other two. “And I asked Auntie Harvest and she said it was alright too, as long as we were safe and I was back before dark Sunday night. So can we? Please?”

Bluebell looked at her two friends’ pleading faces, her own showing how little she was sure of her decision. “I really don't think papa would like it, and my house is all the way by the Everfree, and then there's Nightshade...”

Dinky just laughed. “We're not going to tease you over the doll! We didn't at school, right?”

“And if your dad didn't want you over, he thould have thaperoned you here! Thinth he didn't, I don't think he thould get a thay.” Twist adjusted her glasses, nodding an affirmative to her own argument, which caused Dinky to giggle a little more.

“I think that settles it. So can we come over?” Dinky had a huge smile, Twist was still looking definitive, and both were looking expectantly at Bluebell.

Bluebell continued to hesitate, seeming to weigh her options. “You know... I... Um...” As she looked at the others, however, her face slowly set itself into an almost defiant look. “You know, you're right! You can come over if you want, and if somepony doesn't like it, then tough cookies!”

The three had a small celebration over their impromptu slumber party and Scootaloo, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but smile. Sure, she still didn't know if Bluebell was the pony from her dreams, but she had learned two things: Bluebell had a father, whether or not he'd shown up, and Bluebell was social enough to come to a party and even have friends as close to her as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are to Scootaloo, and neither of those fit the image of the blue pony she didn't remember nearly well enough to be obsessing over like she had been. As she took an empty tray off the table to the stack Pinkie was forming near the kitchen, Scootaloo made up her mind. The investigation was off, and starting now she'd try to work her way back to normal.

She was almost disappointed at how easy that decision was.

When Cheerilee called her over a few minutes later, asking if she was ready to go, Scootaloo didn't complain or hang around or stall or anything. She saw the other three asking Twilight to walk them to Bluebell's house and smiled a tired smile as the day caught up with her, heading home with her guardian.

Saturday morning had started with the normal weekend meet up at Apple Bloom's for Crusading at the clubhouse. Scootaloo walked into the room, feeling lighter than she had in a while, though reality seemed intent on crashing into her. “What is he doing here?” She pointed at the offending interloper, face shooting from flushed surprise to tough anger.

Sweetie Belle innocently nudged the pegasus in question towards Scootaloo. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You know exactly what I'm talking about Sweetie Belle! Where's Apple Bloom? She can't have agreed to this.”

“Umm... If you don't want me he-”

“Apple Bloom had to help Applejack with some last-minute chores, but she wouldn't mind at all,” Sweetie said with a defiant pout. “There's no rules against inviting guests.”

Scootaloo huffed angrily, running over to Sweetie Belle and doing her best to fight down the heat in her face. She was starting to blush, and worse than that, that energy she always felt when threatened was starting to rise again. She wasn't going to be weird, especially not in front of him. She grabbed Sweetie's cotton candy tail and swung her around, putting both of their backs to the confused guest. “Sweetie Belle, it's in the second article. 'We will not cause any one of our gal pals, crusaders, compatriots, compadres, bosom buddies, best friends...' right, well, we don't bring in anything or anypony that might distract them from crusading!”

Sweetie Belle fixed Scootaloo with her most devilishly innocent look. “How could Featherweight possibly be a distraction?”

Scootaloo could feel her wings standing on end, her blush beyond hiding from Sweetie, though luckily hidden from the wiry colt behind her. She grit her teeth angrily, voice dangerously low. “Just get him out of here!”

“Oh, come on Scootaloo! After all that attention you've been paying Bluebell I thought-” Scootaloo slapped a hoof over Sweetie Belle's mouth, sending a quick nervous smile to the chestnut-maned hunk behind her, who seemed to be entirely puzzled at the situation. She then ducked low, hissing into Sweetie's ears. “I've stopped watching her, alright? I'm done with that! And I was never in love with her, so don't do this to me!”

“On't oo aht?” Sweetie mumbled around the hoof in her mouth.

“You know exactly what you're doing, so stop it!” She pushed Sweetie Belle over to the pillows stacked in the thinking corner, then turned to Featherweight, her smile beaming. “Look, I'm really sorry for the confusion, but Sweetie Belle forgot the number one rule of the Cutie Mark Crusaders: no Cutie Marks allowed.”

Featherweight fixed those dreamy brown eyes on Scootaloo and shrugged. “Right, club things. Whatever.” He fiddled with his front hooves, and it was only then that Scootaloo noticed the camera he'd brought with him. He slipped its harness over his neck. “I was just out photographing birds anyway when Sweetie grabbed me. I'll just go back to that.”

“Are you sure there isn't anything you want to say to our guest before he leaves, Scootaloo?” Scootaloo froze, her eyes darting to the side to where Sweetie was laying, still smiling innocently. “It might help you get your cutie mark~!” she sing-songed sweetly.

Cutie Mark in what? Awkward silence? Featherweight was there, right in front of her, and it wasn't a secret that she'd had a crush on him for a while now, ever since she'd gotten into a fight with him over the whole Gabby Gums thing. She started out by threatening him over the pictures, then they got to arguing, then they were talking, and then he'd shown her some of the photos he'd taken more recently and smiled just the cutest smile...

Scootaloo turned to butter whenever she thought of it, and hadn't dared to talk to him since. Sure he was a twiggy brainiac, but something about his little grin just-

She stopped that thought right there. “Nope. Sorry. It's against Crusader policy to even let you be in the clubhouse. Afraid I'll have to ask you to leave, Featherweight.”

Scootaloo led him to the door, pushing him out and about to close it behind him when she paused. This was going to look bad no matter what, but maybe... “And show me whatever pictures you get sometime. You're really good with a camera.” She shut the door after that, knowing for a fact that he'd be looking at it and smiling, the gap in his front teeth completing his cute face so-

“Sweetie Belle! What was that?!” she exploded with bright red cheeks, only the knowledge that he was so close keeping her from actually yelling. Especially knowing how stealthy he was taking pictures.

Sweetie was still smiling, though it had grown a little more mischievous. “I thought that, since you were so focused spying on Bluebell, maybe if I showed you another option you'd snap out of it. Unrequited love isn't healthy, you know.”

“I don’t love her!” Scootaloo stomped across the clubhouse, feeling the energy seeping into her hooves... she had to calm down, but Sweetie Belle was pushing buttons she really didn't want pushed. “I wasn't spying on her because I loved her. It was... It was for something else.”

“And what might that be, Scoots?” said a familiar voice from the door, causing Scootaloo's angrily spread wings to visibly droop. “And anypony mind tellin' me what Featherweight was doin' at the bottom of the steps with a big dopey grin on his face?”

“Scootaloo just set up a date with him, and-”

“I did not!” Scootaloo glared at Sweetie Belle, then at the smile appearing on Apple Bloom's face. “I didn't set up any date with him! I said...” She hoofed the floorboards nervously, a blush appearing on her face again. “I said he took good pictures.”

“Aw, ain't that sweet? Scootalove. Maybe now you'll get that freaky doll pony outta your head.”

“It's not-” Scootaloo started off angry, but sighed in defeat a moment later, realizing she'd have to explain. “I'm not in love with Featherweight! And I wasn't with Bluebell either. I had a dream and a pony that looked like her showed up in it and I wanted to know if they were the same pony.”

Apple Bloom didn't look impressed as she walked over. “Pony of your dreams, huh? No wonder you've been actin' so weird.”

“She was the pony of your dreams?” Sweetie Belle ran over, her eyes shining and her face apologetic. “I'm so sorry! I wouldn't have pushed you towards Feather if-”

Scootaloo pulled away from both of them. “It's not that kind of dream! The normal, not romantic kind!” The kind that Twilight said I should probably visit a therapist for... The kind you'd go mad seeing nightly... She turned around, pouting at a wall and trying to get her thoughts straight. “I'm not into all that mushy stuff, alright? But I've stopped 'being weird.' I don't think they're the same pony and I'm not gonna focus on her, so can we just stop this?”

Apple Bloom smiled at that. “Well, you sound about right, I'll take ya at your word. Welcome back Scoots.”

Scootaloo sighed, but smiled nonetheless. “Glad to be back. So what's the plan for today?”

“I dunno, Sweetie Belle was in charge of planning for the weekend. What'd you come up with?” The two crusaders looked over to their unicorn comrade, seemingly puzzled as she mulled something over.

After a few seconds, she frowned and poked Scootaloo in the chest. “Are you sure you don't want to ask Featherweight out? You've been blushing a whole lot around him, and-”

“Can we just drop it, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo groaned.

“Fine! Fine! But don't come crying to me if you missed your chance~,” Sweetie called. Apple Bloom laughed at both of them, and for the first time since Bluebell entered the class, something lifted and the three of them felt like a real team again.

Eventually Apple Bloom stopped laughing, smiling a genuine smile. “Enougha that! It's time to get Crusading. What's first?”

Sweetie Belle pulled out a list, pointing to the top slot. Scootaloo rolled her eyes, knocking Sweetie's hoof down a line from 'Bird Watching' to 'Fire Twirling.' The unspoken signal ran between them, moving them all in unison.

”CUTIE MARK CRUSADER FIRE TWIRLERS, YAY!!!”

By Sunday evening the Cutie Mark Crusaders were almost done with that week's list of things to attempt, the last one getting burned off the list by its failure. They were singed, sore, and covered in tree sap from the bush they'd all hidden in once they got outside, but at least they now knew why Applejack had been so against the Cutie Mark Crusader Pyrotechnicians. “I didn' even know sawdust exploded like that,” said Apple Bloom as she looked at the smoldering remains of the old shed. “I always thought it would just kinda burn.”

Sweetie Belle was holding her tail, tears in her eyes as she looked at the charred black remains of her favorite curl. She let out a quiet huff. “At least we didn't actually get our hooves on real stuff. I might be missing a hoof too...” She looked over towards Scootaloo, who was sitting near a tree, eyes locked in the distance. “Thanks for pushing me out, Scootaloo. I think I'd be in much worse shape if it weren't for you.”

Scootaloo said nothing, watching the burning building with horror as the energy left her system. We can't do anything with fire ever again... I'm not reliving it anymore. Every night is enough. She continued to stare at the house, mind miles away, until a hoof collided with her back, making her jump. It didn't hurt, no part of her did, but it did kick up the ash that had settled into her fur and feathers. “Yeah, thanks for blockin' the blast like that. You sure you’re alright? I could have Big Mac look ya over if'n ya don't wanna go to the hospital.”

Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom with haunted eyes, shaking her head slowly. It sped up soon enough though, her face looking a little more normal by the time she responded. “Don't worry about it. I'm fine. It didn't get me hardly at all.” It wasn't true in the least. She could still feel the heat washing over her, the flames licking over her wings and at her face as she stood in front of the others, blocking them with herself. It had been an automatic reaction when she saw the danger: protect her friends. Energy built up, time slowed down... she'd seen the gates of Tartarus open up before her, the flames bursting and blooming in front of her, eating at the building. For just a moment, she was a younger filly, the building altogether different...

She realized she'd been shuddering when Apple Bloom's hoof returned to her shoulder, comforting instead of congratulating. They looked at each other and Scootaloo could see the question in the other filly's eyes. It was cut off, however, by Sweetie Belle's magic pulling lightly on Scootaloo's mane. “It didn't even burn your mane or feathers! You must have been in just the right spot once you got us out.”

Apple Bloom, with the image of Scootaloo wreathed in fire still burned into her eyes, frowned a little and looked curiously at Scootaloo. “Musta been...” Something wasn't adding up. The way she'd broken that wall a few days ago, the speed she'd shown, the focus on Bluebell, and now this. Between her being untouched by the fire and that ingrained fear those purple eyes had shown her... There was something Scootaloo was hiding, and Apple Bloom didn't like it.

Before she could go anywhere on her hunch, Sweetie Belle was talking again and the moment passed. “Anyway, the fire took care of fireworks making, fire twirling was a failure, as was underwater basket weaving, garden farming, professional wrestling, and bird watching, though I think we could have done better if Scootaloo hadn't hidden behind a tree every time Fea-”

“I already said I was sorry,” said the orange pegasus, a lot less conviction in her voice than her denials normally carried. “Just... is there anything else on the list? Or should we call it a night and tend to our burns?” She was getting tired, or maybe drained was the right word for it... either way, Scootaloo wasn't sure how much she was up to.

Sweetie Belle looked at the lightly charred scroll she had with her. “Umm... we could try stargazing. By the time the smoke clears the stars will be out, and I know it's a school day tomorrow, but mom's going to have a cow when she sees my mane and I'd rather not face that quite yet...” She sighed a little. “It's going to take me weeks to get it perfect again...”

Apple Bloom, already thinking about her stargazing cutie mark, didn't have time to think of what her own sister would do when she saw the shed. “Alright, I'll get the telescope from the clubhouse, you two find a good spot.”

The three set about their respective tasks, leaving the remains of the shed to burn itself out. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle traveled through the apple orchard until they found a clear hill near the Everfree Forest and waited for Apple Bloom. When she showed up, sunset was just starting to fade away, the deep, brilliant orange of the sky turning into the purple tones of night. “Okay... so stargazing's just looking up at them right? With a telescope and stuff?” Apple Bloom asked as she set up the telescope Twilight had given them for their clubhouse.

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “I have no idea. I think you're supposed to look for constellations and name stars and things.”

“What, like givin' the stars names?” Apple Bloom looked through the telescope at a distant white blur. “'Cause they all look like they'd be named 'Twinkly.'”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, I think you're supposed to take the names from a book or a star map. I think Twilight had one with her at the meteor shower.” She then looked through the telescope, turning a knob on the side and making the glowing fuzzy dot a glowing fuzzy blob. “Besides, that star looks a lot more like a 'Madame Shinysides.'” Sweetie saw the incredulous look Apple Bloom was giving her and frowned. “What?”

Apple Bloom just shook her head. “Nothin'. I ain't thinkin' that's the silliest name I've heard for a star, no way.” She then looked at Scootaloo, still sitting tiredly, eyes not really focused on anything. “How about you, Scoots? What d'ya think the star's called?”

Scootaloo snapped to attention from the drained haze she was in, looking at the star the telescope was pointed at from where she was. The stars... didn't look like much of anything to Scootaloo. They were really pretty, the night sky always was, but trying to name all of those stars out there seemed like a silly idea. And what if somepony else had named it first? “I dunno... Why don't we ask Twilight. She always seems to-” Scoootaloo's ear twitched, her head turning towards the Everfree. She wasn't sure about what she'd heard since she was talking at the time, but it sounded suspiciously like a filly screaming.

She turned to the other two to ask if they'd heard it, but the attentive, slightly frightened look they were also giving the forest answered it for her.

After a moment, Sweetie Belle spoke. “Did either of you hear a scream too?” They all nodded as they sat in silence, listening for another sound, but quiet covered everything like a cold mist. Even the bugs of the night had shut up, the tense, heavy chill in the air tangible. Try as they might, the three fillies' ears couldn't pick up another sound from the dark woods.

It took a long while, but Apple Bloom finally broke the spell fear held over all of them. “It musta been nothing. Just one of the weird critters of the Everfree. They always make noises like that.”

“I never heard one like that when we found the cockatrice...” Neither of the others wanted to confirm Sweetie's story, but just because nothing had screamed before didn't mean it couldn't now, right? After an awkward pause, Sweetie Belle spoke again, ever the one to voice what everypony was thinking. “Maybe it was a monster...”

Apple Bloom frowned at her. “You've been listening to Pinkie Pie too much. There's no such thing as monsters!” After a nervous look at the dark and twisted branches of the Everfree, suddenly uncomfortably close to her orchard, Apple Bloom started to pack away the telescope. “Still, after the fireworks thing I reckon we should all be headin' home. Don't wanna keep family waitin'.”

This seemed like a sensible idea to everypony, and in no time at all the telescope was taken down, returned to the clubhouse, and Apple Bloom left at the path to her house. This just left Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle alone on the long, dark walk back to Ponyville. Sure, Scootaloo had her scooter, but something told her that she didn't want to be going along the path alone, no matter how fast she was doing so. The same something seemed to be talking to Sweetie Belle as they turned to each other in unison.

“Do you think we could go back together?”

“Mind walking with me back to town?”

The two of them let out a nervous laugh at what just happened, then nodded to each other, setting off down the road to Ponyville on hoof. Even though Scootaloo had one hoof on her scooter to guide it along with her as she walked back, she couldn't help but notice the way Sweetie Belle was huddling close to her. She wasn't going to complain, even the few inches separating them seemed like an impossibly cold distance with the eerie chill in the air, but... she couldn't help but think Sweetie was hiding behind Scootaloo like one hid behind a bodyguard when things got tough.

She also didn't know whether to be worried or take pride in that fact. Still, the two traveled back to town in silence, fearfully watching for the monster both of them internally knew lurked in the night.

Scootaloo walked into her home and immediately heard Cheerilee talking to somepony in worried tones, and while she wasn't nearly as stealthy as Apple Bloom, Scootaloo did her best to sneak over and catch some of the words. They were in the dining room, Cheerilee and a silver maned, grey stallion Scootaloo was sure she'd seen before. Cheerilee seemed much more worried than the stallion did. “Are you sure that they've been missing that long?”

The stallion nodded. “I am afraid the young mistress and her friend both disappeared on Friday evening, and while it is not uncommon for the young mistress to disappear on weekends, it is almost unheard of for Master Rich to have no account of his own daughter. The young mistress may be prone to pleas for attention, but Mistress Tiara is given much more attention by her father.”

Cheerilee's kind brow furrowed at the words. “And you really think they both ran away?” As Cheerilee spoke, Scootaloo connected the dots on the stallion. It was Silver Tray, the butler to Silver Spoon and her parents. Come to think of it, Scootaloo hadn't ever seen Spoon's parents. It was always Tray that picked her up and came to Cheerilee when conferences were held...

The butler's face was impassive. “It is not above the young mistress to run away, sometimes for days at a time, but she always tends to turn up by the third night at either Master Rich or my own master's house. This time that has not been the case.” He let a weighty silence settle between the adults as he looked to the door, noticing the purple mane sticking out from behind the frame. With a small nod to himself he addressed Cheerilee once more. “I do believe there was mention of a party by Miss Pie, which I assumed the young mistress would be attending. I was wondering if you or perhaps Miss Scootaloo had seen her before the event?”

As Scootaloo heard her name mentioned she walked into the room, greeted with a distracted nod from Cheerilee. “I didn't see her at the party, but I do know that she left the schoolyard with everypony else. Scootaloo, did you see Silver Spoon or Diamond Tiara while crusading this weekend?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “Haven't seen them since school let out on Friday. Did something happen?”

“They've gone missing...” said Cheerilee, whose face continued to show concern for her pupils, concern that only grew when she saw the ash on Scootaloo's coat, though she said nothing.

The butler sighed. “Thank you anyway, Miss Cheerilee, Miss Scootaloo. If you could ask around for them it would be greatly appreciated. I shall continue my inquiries elsewhere. Good evening.” With a polite bow to the other occupants of the room, Silver Tray left neatly, closing the door behind him.

Cheerilee continued to sit at the table with a frown on her face for a little while, eventually saying one thing. “I guess I'll have to ask the class about them tomorrow.” She then looked at Scootaloo, noticing the ash once more. “Are you hurt? Or either of your friends? Do I need to contact the hospital?”

Scootaloo shook her head, pulling herself up into the chair Silver Tray had emptied. “I'm fine. There was a small accident while we were crusading but nopony was hurt. The worst injury was Sweetie's mane getting a little burnt.”

Cheerilee's look changed for a moment, almost as though she were going to go into a lecture, but then it froze there. Scootaloo had gotten dozens of lectures on being safe while crusading, but she was never the one that was hurt during them. In fact, she always seemed the most safety oriented for her friends, even if she was the most reckless when actually crusading. So, while Cheerilee was worried about Scootaloo's safety, right now a lecture wouldn't help with anything, and she knew it. Especially not with a filly run away from home. Giving another filly reason to, no matter how unlikely she would, would not be a good idea.

The moment passed, a pleasant smile making its way onto the teacher's muzzle. “Well, if you're all alright, then no harm done. I finished making dinner a little while ago, I'll go heat up your portion.”

Scootaloo smiled, glad Cheerilee hadn't pushed the issue and even more glad to be back in her safe, warm home after the monstrous chill outside. “Thanks Cheerilee. You're the best.” She smiled from the table, her own mind running over the butler's words, the uneasy feeling outside, and the scream she'd heard earlier... I wonder who went missing just now?

She abandoned that frightening train of thought when her food arrived. Scootaloo began to eat as Cheerilee headed to her study, the way she walked showing the news to still be affecting her. The news was affecting them both, and had their minds running, but nothing was going to be solved tonight.

Scootaloo awoke in a cold sweat the next morning, her same dream returning, ending abruptly as her younger self hit that wall. The fire had been extra strong this morning, probably a remnant of last night, but there was still no sign of the monster... With how scared she and Sweetie Belle had been, she'd almost been expecting it...

However, as Scootaloo began to contemplate going back to bed, she heard voices trailing up from below. She looked out the window, the light of dawn only barely beginning to fight against the darkness of the night, and yawned. Who could possibly be talking to Cheerilee at this hour? She rolled out of bed, curiosity getting the best of her as she made her way to the top of the staircase.

One of the voices was near tears, and as the door came into view, she saw the orange mane she knew at once to be Carrot Top's. Or, well, Golden Harvest, but Dinky never called her that, only Cheerilee did. “Golden Harvest, please, calm down for a second and say it again slowly.”

Carrot Top sniffled a little, then nodded slowly, looking into Cheerilee's face with eyes that hadn't slept all night. “I think that Dinky might have run away from home. She didn't come back last night.” Cheerilee's face darkened, the thought of another filly out there somewhere filling her with dread. Carrot Top then worried her hooves against the ground, her tired eyes roaming without really focusing. “I just don't know where she could be! Ditzy will be livid if I let her out of my sight again, but I didn't think there'd be any harm in a sleep over!” She looked over her shoulder, like Dinky would just be walking along the streets. “I don't know what to do, but I was hoping you might be able to ask the class today if they saw her?”

Cheerilee nodded. “I'll be sure to ask around and look for her. I don't like the thought any more than you do, Golden. But go home and try to calm down a little. There's not much you can do while worked up like you are.”

Carrot Top nodded. “Right... right... I need to calm down. I need to be thinking calmly.” She smiled quickly and extremely nervously, circled herself on the doorstep, then sighed into the early morning air. “I am so sorry to bother you. I tried not to.”

Cheerilee smiled kindly, hiding her worry to bolster the other mare. “Don't worry about it, Golden, I understand how you feel. But we'll find her. I promise.” Golden smiled back, slightly more genuinely, then set off for her home. Cheerilee watched the yellow mare go, then closed the door, turning around and puzzling on the news.

Scootaloo was thinking it over as well, but her thoughts were much darker than her guardian's. Dinky went missing last night... Was it her that was gotten?

And if she was gotten by something, what's to say Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara hadn't been? Scootaloo sat at the top of the stairs, an icy chill starting to descend her spine as she heard Cheerilee call out to her. “I'm sorry, what?”

Cheerilee repeated herself. “You didn't see Dinky last night, did you?” She knew the answer just from the way Scootaloo was thinking. She was worried for her classmates too.

If only Cheerilee knew just how worried Scootaloo was.

She shook her head, walking into the kitchen. “Three missing fillies in one weekend... I'll have to help organize a search party after school...”

Breakfast that morning contained no love, steeped in the foul mood the house had fallen under from the news. And while Scootaloo didn't go with Cheerilee early to school this morning, she did not return to her room for sleep. She reached into her hiding spot, pulling out Firebug's journal. The monsters were coming... she needed her big sis there to fight them off. And, for once, Scootaloo didn't think Rainbow Dash would do.

Things were tense at the schoolhouse too, everypony on edge from an uneasiness in the air. The worst off, however, seemed to be Bluebell, who looked really angry, and Twist, who spent the entire class time staring at Bluebell's bag, situated much further from her chair than it normally was. Twist had the look of a rabbit about to flee a wolf, and all three Crusaders noticed this, nodding to each other to do something about it when recess came around.

Only Scootaloo, however, noticed Twist's hesitation as Cheerilee asked about the missing fillies. She looked moments from speaking, but looked at Bluebell's bag and stopped, her pupils dilating behind her glasses. When nopony had any information for Cheerilee, she released them for recess to lighten the tension her announcement had caused. Scootaloo saw Bluebell take her bag and walk to the tree she liked to sit under. She thought it odd how far Bluebell threw the bag from her, but decided to ignore it for more important matters as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle corralled a very flighty Twist against the school wall.

Apple Bloom was the one who started the conversation, hoping to help her old friend. “Twist, what's wrong with you? Why d'you look jumpier than a salmon in spawnin' season?”

Twist looked at the three fillies effectively walling her off from the rest of the school yard and sat down, realizing she wouldn't be running while they were talking to her. “I... I thaw thomething that I don't think I ever want to thee again...”

“What was it, Twist?”

“Yeah. You can tell us!”

“Was it something to do with your sleepover at Bluebell's?” Scootaloo drew the connection before the others, though her being the only one that knew Twist had stayed there probably helped.

Twist seemed to jump at Bluebell's name, looking around and instantly zeroing in on Bluebell over by the tree. She didn't look at the filly, though. Her eyes focused on the bag sitting a meter or so away. “No... The thleepover was fine, we had a great time even! It was when I wath walking home. I...” She placed her head in her hooves, cradling it in guilt. “I thould have thaid thomething! I jutht felt tho thtupid! It'th not pothible!”

“What's not possible?” Apple Bloom prompted, not wanting to push Twist too hard. The others just nodded behind her, urging for the answer.

Twist's head didn't leave her front hooves. “We were walking home latht night from Bluebell's houth on the edge of the Everfree and right as we got to the edge of the foretht... Dinky wath...”

Last night? In the Everfree? No... “She was the scream...” Scootaloo said in a knowing whisper.

Twist looked up, tears leaking from her big eyes. “Dinky wath eaten by a monthter!” She leaped forward, grabbing Apple Bloom and looking into her eyes. “I don't know how it happened! Monthterth don't exitht! But we were thurrounded by darkneth ath we walked, and I thaw thethe tharp teeth and horrible yellow eyeth and then... I jutht left her there! I ran as fatht ath I could, only moving fathter when I heard her thcream! I... I don't know what to do!”

The other two Crusaders gasped at Twist's story, each in varying levels of belief but both shaken by it, while Scootaloo was already piecing things together. Dinky is eaten by a monster after going to Bluebell's house, Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara disappear right after picking on her in the schoolyard. My dreams started on the night she moved into town... Is she the monster? Or... what was it that Pinkie said about them? Weren't they bonded somehow? If she's not the monster, then... Scootaloo watched Bluebell, who was looking very angrily at her bag, or more importantly, her doll sitting in the side pocket.

“Hey there everypony! You all having fun at school today?” At the school gate stood Pinkie Pie, just the mare Scootaloo wanted to see. She looked to her friends, both trying to calm down and get more information from Twist. She figured she wouldn't be needed as she started running over to Pinkie at the gate, who was waving away some disappointed foals. It seemed Pinkie hadn't brought school day sweets this time and didn't seem intent to play. Well then she's here to help. As Scootaloo ran up, Pinkie smiled at her. “Hey Scootaloo! You been sleeping as well as I have the last few nights? The dream beastie seems to have left.”

Scootaloo jumped up at Pinkie's side, grabbing the mare around the neck to lower her head into whispering range. She was a little too on edge right now to be polite. “I think the monster's still around, but I need you to tell me about them again. What did you say about monsters and little fillies?”

Pinkie looked confused, lowering her voice to match Scootaloo's whisper. “I said that they had one they were bonded with, and liked to scare other ones more than anything. But it's funny you should say there's a monster around, because last night-”

“AAAAAAAAHH! THTAY AWAY!!!!” Twist screamed, pushing aside Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and sprinting around the schoolhouse. Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie ran over to the other Crusaders, Scootaloo in the lead. “What the hay happened to her?”

Sweetie Belle shrugged. “I dunno! One minute she was talking, the next she was screaming and running off!”

Apple Bloom was looking towards Bluebell, or more importantly, the bag that had seemed to frighten Twist so much just moments before. Something was missing from it... Something she was sure had been there just a second ago.

Pinkie started shaking in place, talking low to herself. “Knee pinch, eye twitch, nose itch, stomach stitch...”

Scootaloo remembered the combo and felt that energy rise, matching the fear tightening like a knot in her stomach. “Which way's it coming from?”

Pinkie's ears twitched for a moment, as though scanning the air, then she pointed in the direction Twist had run off. “Over there!” Scootaloo ran off that way, rounding the schoolhouse and legging down the hill behind it as fast as she could. The area behind the school was large and clear, just a couple of hills and a few bushes with Ponyville to one side and Whitetail Woods to the other. However, despite, or perhaps because of, the chill running down Scootaloo's spine, she was very worried by something missing from her vision. She couldn't spot Twist anywhere.

Seeing a bush near the bottom that looked disturbed, Scootaloo plotted her course, crashing through the foliage like she guessed Twist had not long ago. As soon as she did, her hoof caught on a branch low in the bush, tripping her and sending her into the branches and leaves deeper in the leafy plant, suspending her above the ground, where something glinted at her. She looked up at it, heart dropping when she did.

Glittering in what sunlight that penetrated the bush were Twist's glasses, the filly normally attached to them nowhere to be seen.

Just as Scootaloo managed to struggle her way free and grab the glasses, Pinkie Pie pushed open the leaves of the bush. “Scootaloo! Did you find the monster?” She then saw the glasses, her trademark smile disappearing. “Are those...?”

Scootaloo nodded, a determined scowl appearing on her face. “Pinkie Pie, I know where the monster is. I need you to tell me how you beat it.”

Pinkie looked about to say something, but stopped, contemplating for a moment before actually speaking. “Go to Sugarcube Corner, I'll let Cheerilee know what happened and meet you there.”

Scootaloo heard the words and started running, anger burning in her chest, boiling the energy as it spread throughout her body. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to wait for Pinkie to get there. This was it. She was angry, and there was one sentence sitting in her mind. That monster has eaten its last.

Apple Bloom watched Pinkie Pie and Scootaloo run off, then looked back at the bag, still trying to figure out what was missing when Blubell's own yelling answered the question for her. “Nightshade! Where'd you go? NIGHTSHADE!”

Apple Bloom stomped a hoof against the ground. “That doll! I knew it was creepy! It's what scared Twist away!”

Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Bloom, frightened. “You... you don't think it's the monster, do you? Pinkie said they were very good at hiding in plain sight.”

“There's no such...” Apple Bloom frowned at Sweetie Belle, about to yell at her for being such a fool when she remembered Twist's words. She instead just looked back at Bluebell, glaring at the filly. “I dunno, but we're gonna find out.” Sweetie Belle looked confused. Apple Bloom ignored her. “We're going to follow Bluebell home after school. She's connected to all of this somehow, and I aim to find out how.”

At the door to the school Pinkie Pie ran up to Cheerilee, whispering in her ear, which caused the teacher's face to darken. She'd been worried enough when Twist ran off, but to get the news she'd disappeared too... “Are you sure?” Pinkie Pie just nodded solemnly. Cheerilee looked grave. “You tell the others in town to get here. We'll organize a search party.” Pinkie Pie saluted, then ran off down the path from the schoolhouse in the direction of Ponyville. As soon as she was gone, Cheerilee turned to the schoolyard. “My little ponies! I'm afraid I'm going to have to end school early today. Please go to your homes and stay safe, I expect to see you all tomorrow.”

Amid the uproar of happy fillies and colts running for the gate, Apple Bloom grabbed Sweetie Belle and jumped into a bush, watching Bluebell slowly make her way in the other direction of the others, heading towards the Everfree. “Now's our chance! We're followin' her.”

Sweetie looked worried. “But what about Scootaloo? Shouldn't we wait for her?”

Apple Bloom pictured her friend, shielding her from the flames the night before... the friend that acted strange all week around the filly they were about to follow. She shook her head. “We can't get her involved in this one, and we can't wait for her anyway. We're just gonna have to figure it out by ourselves.” Before Sweetie could protest, Apple Bloom's hoof was already covering her mouth. “No time! She's gettin' away!” The two transferred to another bush further down the path, focused on an unaware Bluebell.

Apple Bloom fixed the blue filly with a glare, noticing that her doll had reappeared. It still creeped her out, but its presence steeled her resolve. One way or another, I'm gettin' to the bottom of this.

Monster

Scootaloo burst into Sugarcube Corner through the front doors, energy high as she entered the dark room. What was normally a bright, candy-filled interior was dim, the glow from a single candle on the counter illuminating Pinkie Pie sitting behind it in a large padded chair, rear legs crossed as she stroked Gummy with a forehoof. Gummy apparently didn't notice the hoof, staring blankly at something miles away like he always did.

Scootaloo wanted to know how Pinkie got there first, not to mention how she'd had time to set all of this up, but her curiosity was burned away when she saw Twist's glasses sitting on the counter. Face locked in determination, Scootaloo spoke. “I know who controls the monster. How do I kill it?”

Pinkie's grim face grew a slight smirk. “You didn't listen to me when I told you about monsters, did you? The monster isn't controlled, it's its own creature.”

Scootaloo took a step forward, not in the mood for games, even from Pinkie. “Whatever! I know who it's friends with, so how do I kill it?”

Pinkie's smirk grew into a smile. “Killing a monster... that's a tricky one. The problem is, you see, monsters are invincible. Weapons, magic, loud noises, pies to the face... Nothing can damage a monster except for four things.” She held up a hoof. “One, you fight it with another monster.” She held up a second. “Two, you hurt the filly it's bonded to, and through that bond, it will feel the same pain. Kill the filly, kill the monster... and, of course, the reverse.” She held up another hoof. “Three, a pony bonded to another monster fighting the monster. The power of the bond gives foals attached to monsters the same strength in fights.”

“There are no other monsters to fight the first one! If it can't be hurt by magic or weapons or anything but another monster, what can it be hurt by?” Scootaloo was annoyed with the pony before her. Why go through all of these theatrics and get her hopes up if she was just going to tell her Twist couldn't be avenged? Why not say it back in the field? However, there was a calm sureness in the pony before her, something utterly foreign from normal Pinkie Pie, and it caused her to quiet.

Pinkie put down the three hooves she'd been using for counting, which seemed to Scootaloo to be separate of the two hooves used to pet Gummy or the two crossed in the chair... but she couldn't for the life of her figure out how. The feeling was gone in an instant as Pinkie kept speaking. “You didn't let me tell you the fourth way to hurt a monster. It's the one you're probably interested in. You see, the answer is a weird little pony like yourself.”

The fire in Scootaloo's veins burned cold as the words chilled her to the bone, the pink party pony before her suddenly seeming like her worst enemy. How much does Pinkie know? And if she does... Who else has figured it out?

Apple Bloom ducked into another shrub, dragging Sweetie Belle along and never letting her eyes off of Bluebell's form. The brush had been slowly growing denser, the Everfree Forest's fearful effect on ponies causing the paths near it to grow much more unkempt than those further away. But a pony that lives this close to the Everfree has somethin' to hide. She could feel Sweetie Belle hesitating and shaking behind her, tuning into the unease in the air. There was tension, not just that from the two of them as they worried about being caught, but a heaviness in the air, like an angry predator sitting dormant, just waiting for something to let it strike.

It seemed to be affecting Bluebell as well, who was determinedly staring down the road, seemingly focused on the path ahead of her. Or, as the crazy thought occurred to Apple Bloom, purposefully not looking at her doll. Anypony this close to the forest, even Apple Bloom, who visited Zecora on a fairly regular basis, couldn't help but look at the surroundings fearfully, it was just the nature of the shadows and old magic in the ancient trees, but Bluebell stoutly refused to even consider the world around her. Either she lived a protected life without fear of attack, or she really didn't want to look the wrong way. And with the way her doll sat so prominently in her bag, as though just waiting for her to turn around, the second option seemed like a real possibility.

However, something about the way she moved made the first feel likely too...

The two crusaders worked their way through the tall grass until they saw a run down two-story house surrounded by the gnarled claws growing from the Everfree's trees. The house was worn beyond belief: broken and boarded up windows, holes in the wall, an almost rotten, dull grey to all the siding, a darkness in the grass... This wasn't a home for a family, it was a ghost's playground. Ain't no such thing as ghosts. But at this point I almost wouldn't be surprised. Sweetie Belle squeaked quietly just at the sight of the house, a sound thankfully ignored by their quarry.

As Bluebell climbed the front steps and reached up for the doorknob, she finally looked back suspiciously. Not on the road she'd traveled, not at the bushes where a pink bow had ducked away moments before, but at her backpack and the doll grinning at her. “We are going to talk about this, okay? I don't like your jealous streak.” She said the words coldly, then opened the door on squealing hinges, calling into the house. “Dad! School got out early. I'm going to my room.” The door shut behind her, shaking the unstable wall it was held in.

The second it was closed Apple Bloom was out of the grass, running up to the house. If her dad was home, then maybe she could just talk to him to let her inside. Then all she had to do was corner Bluebell like she had Twist and maybe she should get some answers, like why everypony was acting so weird about her, or why Scootaloo felt so weird to be around! But why would she know that? And when did I start thinkin' it?

Sweetie Belle ran up behind her, grabbing Apple Bloom's tail in her teeth and pulling her to a stop right before the step up to the creepy porch. “Apple Bloom!” she hissed in a whisper once both of them had stopped. “I don't want to be here! Let's just go back and ask one of the grown ups about it.”

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, answering in her own angry whisper. “No Sweetie Belle! I want an answer, and I want it now!”

Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Bloom with puppy dog eyes. “Please? Can we go? I don't like the feel of this place, and it's rude to invite ourselves to her house.”

Apple Bloom didn't even register the eyes, her scowl not lessening. “Look, I'm findin' out what's happenin' whether you want to come along or not! Now do you want a chicken cutie mark, or a detective one? 'Cause the forest didn't scare you when we found that cockatrice, and that's the scariest thing we get out here. Now are you comin' or not?”

Sweetie Belle looked worriedly at the house, then longingly back up the road, knowing the answer she wanted to give. But she also knew that her friend came first, and she wasn't going to leave one of her best friends and fellow crusaders in the lurch. I wish Scootaloo was here... She'd make sure we got out safe. With a tremble and a nod, since any sound she made would probably be a terrified squeak, she followed Apple Bloom up the front steps to the house.

Pinkie's smile held firm as she gazed at the orange pegasus before her. “You see, a weird little filly like you, in the right circles, under the right circumstances, isn't a filly anymore. A weird filly, when their true nature is seen, is a monster in other ponies' eyes. And while you've done very well in hiding that fact in fear of just that kind of reaction, to some ponies, in some situations, you are a monster. And because of that, you can fight it.”

Scootaloo shook her head. “I'm not weird and I’m not a monster! I'm a normal filly, just like anypony else.”

Pinkie's smile faded slightly, no longer feeling like the pony everypony knew and loved. “Oh? And how long have you been telling yourself that? Suddenly appearing under a park bench, a lone filly covered in soot from a fire she wouldn't talk about. The few friends carefully chosen over the years, the strange powers you try so hard to hide, detailed in a diary from another pony, the last possession you took from a burning orphanage–”

Scootaloo jumped forward, placing her front hooves on the counter, tears on the edge of her eyes, adrenaline coursing through her body. “How do you know about that? Who gave you the right to look through it?”

Pikie's smile disappeared completely, but her position didn't change, and her hoof didn't stop stroking Gummy. “I have my ways, and since it was the only thing you had with you when I found you, I looked into it for clues... I didn't want to hurt you, and I know it's a touchy subject, but-”

Scootaloo stomped on the wood flooring, restraining herself from doing much worse. She felt violated, by a pony she'd thought she knew so well. “You had no right! What happened to me is private! It's in the past!-”

“It could save your friend's lives!” Pinkie stood up from her chair, Gummy attaching himself to her mane as she walked around the counter. “I know what I did was wrong, and I'm sorry, but I kept it quiet because you deserve a normal life like everypony else. Nopony else knows, not even Twilight, but now is the time to put that aside.” She knelt down, placing a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. “You're a special filly Scootaloo, not weird, just unique. And right now, only you have the power to fight for your friend's lives. You can still save them.”

Scootaloo looked at the floorboards, at the hole her hoof had left in them when she stomped, and sighed, a few tears dripping down her coat. “I'll lose them... if they found out, they'd hate me, and the others are already gone.”

Pinkie put a hoof under Scootaloo's chin, bringing the pegasus' purple eyes to look into her baby blues. “You don't know anything until you try, and you can never give up hope. Monsters don't eat the same way ponies do. They don't get nourishment, they don't eat because they have to, they eat to grow strong, and that process takes time.” She stood up, looking at the candle on the counter. “Each monster is different, so it's hard to say, but if you stopped it now, if you managed to destroy it and get the ponies it’s eaten free, they would probably still be alive. Monsters eat ideas, relationships, and what makes a pony a pony, not the flesh off of it. Ideas are much, much harder to kill than any pony, and strong relationships take a long time to erode away.”

Scootaloo took in the information slowly, the spark of hope getting past the anger, the fear, and everything else she was feeling right then, and putting her mind back on focus. “You mean I might still have time? Dinky? Twist? I could still save them?”

Pinkie smiled, glad to see Scootaloo was as bright as she'd hoped. “Even Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, if we're lucky. All you have to do is kill the monster, and with your special powers, I bet you could.”

Scootaloo began to smile. It was possible, she could save them, could even be a hero like Rainbow Dash! All she had to do was... “But if I kill the monster, won't I kill the filly? You said they were connected.”

Pinkie's smile faded. “I don't know. It's never come down to it while I've been around. This is the first string of monster attacks in I don't know how long. We'll just have to hope it doesn't come down to that.” Her smile reappeared immediately, all the tension in the room seeming to disappear, even the lights brightening. “Well, good luck with the monster fight! You can do it!” Pinkie tried to bounce past Scootaloo, but was stopped when the small pegasus grabbed her tail.

“Wait! Aren't you going to come with me? You could help me fight it.”

Pinkie Pie tilted her head in confusion. “You don't need help, silly! Weren't you listening? I'm just an adult, I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to.” She bounced in place, a wide grin on her face. “Besides, there's a search party forming at the school, and a party's not a party until Pinkie Pie shows up!” With one more hop Pinkie Pie pronked out of Sugarcube Corner, Gummy latched onto her tail and bouncing behind.

Scootaloo watched her go, frowning. You get happy at a search party and I'm the weird pony... Scootaloo sighed at the cruelty of the world, then looked at the path before her, face setting as she thought about what she had to do. It's all on me. I won't get help... I just hope I won't need it. She then set off after Pinkie Pie, both going down the same road, one to seek, one to destroy.

Apple Bloom knocked on the front door to Bluebell's house, a puff of dust and the smell of rotting wood accompanying each hit. She waited, not hearing anything or anypony coming. But Bluebell just went in there...

“Well, nopony home, let's go!” Sweetie said in a peppy voice, already two steps back towards ground level. Apple Bloom gave her a look, then pushed open the creaky portal, holding her breath and wishing to the princesses that nopony heard her. While she'd wanted to talk to the dad to come in, if she was sneaking in it was better not to be seen.

Her wishes seemed granted when the door opened, but the house it revealed provided little solace. There was a carpet by the door, so worn and moth-eaten that the original shape and color couldn't be determined, while the depressing grey exterior continued into the house, with holes, dust, and cobwebs the only decorations to be found on the walls, floor, and ceiling.

And that was it. Peeking her head in to look further only resulted in a nose full of dust and the noticing of a dying plant just inside the door. Apple Bloom's head shot out quickly as, with Sweetie Belle's helpful hoof and a lot of willpower, she held back a sneeze. While she recovered from her tingling nose, Sweetie walked into the house, frowning sadly at the drab, dusty walls. “Who could live in a house like this? Even the bats probably found it too creepy.”

Apple Bloom motioned to Sweetie Belle to lower her voice past the whisper it already was, entering and taking another look around. The hall had two doors on the left side, one on the right, one at the end. A staircase was to their immediate right, a worn track of cleared dust going up it. There were matching tracks leading to and from the front door, the one on the right, and the second one on the left, but otherwise the house looked untouched.

It definitely didn't look like a house a pony would live in. It didn't even look like one a pony would be caught dead in. She immediately regretted that thought. “If a barn got anywhere near this condition AJ woulda knocked it down. I guess the only reason the town didn't was 'cause it was so close to the forest.”

Sweetie looked around, one step out of the pre-worn pathways causing dust to rise onto her pristine white fur. “Well, Bluebell and her dad both moved in recently, didn't they? Maybe they just needed someplace cheap to settle in.” She brushed at the dust with a hoof, managing to smear a patch of her coat into a grey that matched the floor and doing very little else.

“Settle right into the graveyard...” Apple Bloom muttered under her breath. She then pressed forward into the house, the stuffy, dusty air not stopping her. “Come on, let's just find Bluebell and get out of here.” The air was heavy and dead, and yet something lurked in it, pulling it like a weight against the two fillies. The less time they spent in here, the better.

Sweetie Belle roamed the hall, back on the path to avoid any more dust in her coat, but she felt sadness overtaking her fear. This house... it wasn't a home for a happy family. The dust, the cobwebs, the still air, they all spoke of a building not even used to sleep in. A place where a family reluctantly continued to be, and that helpless, frightening feeling radiated from the walls, sending a shiver down her spine. When I get home I'm hugging mom and dad and never letting go.

As the thought passed from her mind, her eyes slowly focused on a small black blob that appeared in front of her. She barely registered the many moving legs before her voice sounded, the start of a shrill squeal cut off by a dusty hoof slapped over her mouth. Apple Bloom frowned at her, brushing aside the hanging spider, then pointing to the door on the left of the hall. It was cracked open slightly, and while nothing came out of it but a feeling, the unease was there.

The two crept forward, cringing at every squeak of the floorboards as they did before they peered into the crack in the door, Apple Bloom gently pushing it slightly wider to let them see.

It was a study, or must have been once. All that remained were musty bookshelves and curtains drawn tightly shut. The stale light that managed to worm its way into the room fell upon just one thing: an old leather chair, aged and used for what looked like an eternity, and the only thing with any real color in the house. Within its deep red confines something moved, the bottom of a bottle appearing over the top of the chair, followed by a deep, heavy sigh.

Apple Bloom made to move on, but four steps later found herself alone. She turned to see Sweetie Belle's tail disappearing into the study, making her scramble to keep up with it so they wouldn't get separated.

Sweetie Belle took a wide arc around the chair, curiosity besting her fear, but not so much that she wouldn't give herself as much running time as possible. However, when she began to round it, it was not the monster she had been fearing, but rather a stallion. He looked very old, his blue fur having a faded look to it, so much so that it almost matched the walls. He looked as though he had been around for centuries, though his body wasn't nearly that old. And his eyes seemed to be looking back through all of that time, locked on some point infinitely far from where they were. He hardly seemed to breathe or move, just staring endlessly.

Sweetie Belle took a step forward, cut off by Apple Bloom's scowling face as the yellow mare tried to move her friend. However, in the silent argument the two had, Apple Bloom heard movement behind her, followed by four simple words. “Get out of here.”

The voice was strong but worn, and when Sweetie Belle finally managed to get around Apple Bloom, she saw him look at her, those eyes young, but still staring through her and aged far before their time. The stallion in the chair didn't rise, continuing to watch the two fillies until Sweetie Belle spoke. “Are you... Mr. Brambles?”

The aged pony raised an eyebrow slowly, contemplating the pair before nodding and letting out a long sigh. “I suppose you're Bluebell's newest friends?” The smell of hard apple cider hit Apple Bloom's nose as Mr. Brambles spoke; the adult stuff she wasn't allowed to touch yet. “I tried to tell the last two to get away. I warned them, did everything to kick them out before he interfered... If you have any sense in your heads, run away from here and never come back!” He stood up on wobbly hind legs, gesturing them away with the bottle. “Go on! Get! Before he gets you!”

Apple Bloom looked at the old pony like a challenge, her interest peaked. “Who is 'he?' Where's Bluebell?”

“He's the cause of all this mess, all this suffering... what feels like an eternity of moving from town to town... Until I end up rotting in a house like this.” Mr. Brambles slumped, his voice quivering. “Oh, Daffodil...” He took a long hit from his bottle, which Apple Bloom followed with her eyes, wondering what could make a pony want that stuff so badly.

Sweetie Belle's eyes had locked on what was in his other forehoof, a bright, happy picture. A younger him, a beautiful mare, and a younger Bluebell held between them, all smiling at the camera. But from the age of Bluebell in the picture, for him to look this bad... He was a broken stallion.

The bottle came down and Brambles caught Sweetie Belle's gaze, bringing the picture up to his chest and holding it protectively over his heart. “Happier times, little miss... You won't see them now.” He advanced on the two foals, looking almost like he was going to attack them. Neither of them backed down, Apple Bloom showing defiance, Sweetie Belle showing sympathy. He looked at both of them, then sighed again, dropping to three legs and letting the empty bottle roll away. “If you want to see her, she's in her room downstairs. I won't stop you.” He worked a crooked path to the door, then stopped, looking over his shoulder at the two fillies who'd disturbed his contemplation. “Just... don't let Nightshade out of your sight. You won't get to make that mistake twice.”

As the drunken pony left the room, eventually to have his hoofsteps fall on the stairs to the upper level, Apple Bloom turned to Sweetie Belle, confused. “What was all of that about?”

Sweetie just shook her head, looking at the floor. The way he'd looked at her: like he had seen horrors uncountable, surviving without living, and, with how much he'd aged since that photo, perhaps he had... She looked to her fellow crusader sadly. “Nothing that we can help.” She then nodded determinedly, seeing her own importance in their task here. “Bluebell's downstairs. Let's go.”

Still confused by the turn of events, but glad to have her friend now after the same goal as her, Apple Bloom nodded. “Let's.” She then walked to the door, looking across the hall at the only other door with dust disturbed nearby. She grabbed the handle, swinging it open to reveal a staircase down to the darkness of the basement.

With one last nod between the two crusaders, they began their descent.

Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie arrived at the schoolhouse quickly, and Scootaloo would have kept going had she not been called for by Rainbow Dash. “Woah there Scoots! What's the rush?” She saw the determination on Scootaloo's face and frowned. “You alright?”

Scootaloo stopped her run, fighting internally with herself. On the one hoof, she wanted to keep running and get to the monster before anything else happened. On the other hoof, this was Rainbow Dash, coolest pony in Ponyville and her unofficial big sister. If she couldn't help with this, then nopony could. Scootaloo could feel the tension resting in her hooves, urging her to move, but she forced herself to remain still to talk to her idol. “Hi Rainbow Dash! Listen, I kinda need to get moving but I could really use your help with something.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, the confident smile she always had staying on her face. “Sorry, I'm a little busy. There's a search going on for the missing fillies and I've been asked to help with air recon. But since you're here, Applejack said her sister didn't come back after school, and Rarity's parents were wondering why Sweetie was so late. You haven't seen them, have you?”

Time stood still as the words sank into Scootaloo's head. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are missing... There was no reason to panic, as the two could be anywhere, but the feeling of ice seeping into her stomach said it all. She looked to Pinkie Pie, seeing the matching vision of worry appear on her face. Scootaloo might have had time before, but she had none now.

The ice must have crept into Scootaloo's face too, because Rainbow Dash's smile started to fade. “Hey, Scootaloo, you alright? It was just a question.”

“I've got to go!” Scootaloo let loose the brakes on her legs, pounding down the pathway towards the Everfree and leaving Rainbow Dash watching the departing dust cloud in puzzlement.

“Huh... I didn't know she could move that fast. I need to challenge her to a race one of these days. She might even beat me.” After a moment to think about it, Rainbow shook her head. “Nah, nopony can beat me.” She then followed a smiling Pinkie Pie into the schoolhouse to find out Twilight and Cheerilee's plan.

The basement, for all of its foreboding darkness when looked at from the top of the stairs, was not at all like either filly expected. For starters, the stairs down didn't squeak, not even once, and actually seemed to be in good order.

Then came the fact that the room was decorated like a little filly's room should be. Posters on the wall, a dresser, a tea set, a shelf of games, a four-post bed... it was a dream room dressed in purples, blues, and blacks. A gothic filly's paradise. Light even filtered in from the high windows, framed with purple curtains, though the color palette of the room left it feeling dark.

The two crusaders didn't have a lot of time to take the whole sight in, though, as their thoughts were dominated by the argument Bluebell seemed to be having with herself. “I can't believe you! You promised when we left Feather Falls that you wouldn't scare away friends! You saw how Twist ran screaming.” There was a pause, but the silence was filled with something inaudible, more a presence than a sound, letting them know Bluebell was being heard. “I don't care if she didn't like me anymore! She was freaked out after Dinky disappeared in front of her... How could you be jealous? I'd never forget you, how could I? You're my very best friend! You even got rid of those bullies in no time flat... I've known you forever, do you really think I would abandon you that easily?...” She giggled, skipping to the center of the room and showing to the two fillies snooping at her door that the other half of the conversation was her doll. She smiled, nuzzling against the unresponsive mass. “Alright. I forgive you.”

Apple Bloom chose then to step into the room, that last conversation holding too many questions not to. “Bluebell! I want some answers and I want them now. What were you sayin' about Dinky disappearin'? Or the bullies, huh? And what was this about scarin' Twist?”

Bluebell was startled, whirling around on her accuser and fixing Apple Bloom with a solid glare. “What do you think you're doing in my room? I didn't invite you over, so get out!”

Apple Bloom walked forward, trying to look menacing to the filly that stood an inch taller than her. “Me and Sweetie heard more than enough. All this weird stuff's been goin' on since you got here, and we wanna know what it's about! Ain't that right, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom turned around to see Sweetie Belle paying almost no attention to her, the unicorn's green eyes focused solely on the tattered doll sitting on the table. “Sweetie Belle, what are you doin'?”

Sweetie didn't hardly react, just took a step to the left to get a better visual. “He said not to let Nightshade out of my sight, and I'm going to do that. There's something wrong about that doll.”

Apple Bloom looked from Sweetie to the doll, only then feeling the predatory air the room now held. The doll looked no different; yellow bead eyes, stitched smile, worn look, and yet... what was simply creepy and worn now felt hostile, like that mouth was going to bite down on your head any moment. “Get out of my house! I'll call daddy. I'll call in someone meaner. Stop picking on me and leave!” The voice broke Apple Bloom's frightened stare, causing the two earth ponies to lock eyes.

Apple Bloom then took a step forward, leaning up to gain height on her counterpart, her pink ribbon looming over Bluebell's head. “Why is Scootaloo actin' so weird? What did'ya do to her?”

Bluebell didn't back down at all, even as the confusion showed itself on her face. “Who the hay is Scootaloo?”

Sweetie Belle's eyes left the doll for a second, the nerve of the question asked enough to make her angrier than she cared to admit. However, before the words could leave her mouth her eyes darted back to the doll.

Or rather, the table the doll had sat on.

An icy chill ran through the room, the light from the windows dimming as the world descended into a maddening purple abyss. From the darkness came Bluebell's voice, almost gloating, cold, and angry. “Do you know what happened to the last ponies who picked on me? Nightshade gobbled them right up.“ The two fillies looked around, the whole room disappearing until they were two floating bodies over a yawning nothingness, vast and powerful and straining the mind simply to look into.

Then, far away, white dots appeared, stars in the cosmos. One, two, ten, a thousand, thirty million... They appeared and multiplied faster than could be counted. Then, as if a flip was switched, all of the movement stopped, the white surrounding Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle swirling together, condensing into one massive mouth, all crooked snaggle-teeth and ruthless efficiency. Above them two yellow glowing slits formed, opening into vicious, intelligent eyes that focused on the two tiny fillies.

Sweetie Belle began to cower, hooves over her head as the place and the monster took form, twisting her mind and making her hover on the edge of screaming. Apple Bloom held out longer, eyes tortured from the impossible void, but her trembling legs and terrified mind hid under a paper mask of defiance. She stood between the monster and Sweetie Belle, ready to defend her friend to the death. It wouldn't be a long fight.

This realization prompted a laugh from the massive master of the void, a frigid and cruel sound that should never have left those mangled lips. Freezing air washed over the two fillies, whipping from the massive maw as it spoke in a mildly amused voice that came from the entire darkness. “You think you can defy me?” Apple Bloom held her ground, but behind her Sweetie Belle squeaked, curling into a tighter ball and shaking the small amount of resolve Apple Bloom held on to.

Noticing this, the monster laughed again, the giant face leaning in until the teeth were nearly touching Apple Bloom's muzzle. It fixed them with an evil glare, its insane, twisted smile spreading out all around them. The word hit them like a Wendigo's hoof, not a suggestion, not a command, an inevitability, the power behind it freezing both fillies to the core. “Scream.”

Sweetie Belle broke down first, yelling into the ball she'd curled into, and as the monstrous face reared back, laughing maniacally, Apple Bloom felt the last of her will fade. As it swept forward, her voice joined her best friend's.

A third voice joined their screams, a battle cry filtering through infinity, and then a fourth voice, a cry of pain echoing around them in the darkness. Apple Bloom managed to force her eyes open, only to be amazed by what she saw. The giant face was reeling, massive teeth spiraling through the air before swirling into oblivion, while standing before her, body set for fighting, was a small orange pegasus.

“Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle was the one to call out, causing Scootaloo to turn and look at them for just a moment. Her eyes were gone, replaced by a swirling purple aura that seemed to pour from her eye sockets, something more than magic; Something unnatural, powerful... terrifying.

“Why you little-!” Nightshade recovered himself, the massive mouth gnashing in anger and the yellow eyes focused solely on the intruder to its realm. From all around came liquid dark tentacles, striking out at the pegasus that dared to defy their owner. They shot with lightning speed from every direction...

And she dodged them all. She leaped over one coming from behind her right side, spinning past two more in midair, both of which nearly clipped the feathers on her wings, before she tumbled between two more thrashing tendrils. Sweetie Belle screamed as a sixth attack shot towards her and Apple Bloom, much too fast for either of them to dodge.

Apple Bloom saw the approaching doom, holding up her forehoof to block the blow... and finding that it never came. Peeking open her eyes she saw Scootaloo before her, forehooves crossed and the dark mass smashed against it, having no more effect than a paper ball has on stone. She could feel the energy radiating off of Scootaloo, thrown out in excess with every movement. It felt like the sun was held within the pony before her, and being near that much power... being saved by that much power... it took her breath away.

She had no time to breathe anyway as Scootaloo reacted instantly, grabbing onto the tentacle against her with one hoof and leaping towards the giant face, dragging the solidified shadow towards it. The void around all three fillies warped, more tendrils reaching for the attacker, all missing by mere inches as Scootaloo's wings spun her between attacks. She still was not flying, but the way she controlled her jumping it was hard to tell.

The mouth yawned wide, lurching forward to snap up the small orange attacker, and Scootaloo pulled hard, yanking the tendril held in her hoof and managing to somehow pull the floating mouth off course. She sailed over it, catching on one giant eyeball and kicking it with all of her might. The monster thrashed and roared, more dark tentacles shooting out, sharp as spikes. One slammed into her shoulder, impacting as though it had hit rock, and she released the eye to grab this new gift.

A tentacle in each hoof, Scootaloo fell behind the giant free-floating mouth, the tentacles catching on the upper edge and swinging her around the bottom and back up. The crooked gash was snapped shut, the snaggle-teeth digging into unseen lips as the tendrils the monster provided tied up its largest weapon. They wrapped around once, twice, and on the third upswing Scootaloo let go, soaring into the air off her own momentum. All eyes followed her as her arc peaked, her body falling into a rapid spin as she came back down.

As she fell past the mouth, nearly free from the monster’s struggles against itself,, she stuck out a rear hoof, the energy from her fall and rapid rotation smashing into the top of the massive maw and shattering not just it, but the entire void itself. Space crumbled around the three fillies, the maddening infinity cracking like glass before swirling away in a chilling velvet mist.

Apple Bloom looked around hurriedly for more danger only to find they were back in the basement. Behind her Sweetie Belle still cowered, and over to the side, a look of horrified shock on her muzzle, Bluebell watched it all. And then the wave of force, almost solid, swept through the room, bringing Apple Bloom's attention to her savior.

Scootaloo still thrummed with energy, standing on her rear hooves, eyes locked on the point before her where darkness swirled around the doll. It was angry, murderous... the room radiated with a pure, cold fury as the shadows condensed, solidified, and unfurled. Thin, powerful legs dropped to the ground, arms growing out of a thinning body, a head cracking into position on top. The proportions were like the small cat doll, but the details much more menacing. Wicked claws graced the front paws of the beast, while disjointed legs with untold speed held in their twisted muscles sprang out. A tail thrashed behind the body, scything the air both figuratively and literally as the blades along it seemed to shred the silence with their keen edge. Where shabbiness marred the doll's features, scars ran over the midnight fur of the cruel shadow beast in front of them.

But the worst part was the face, the same twisted mouth locked in a feral growl, a snout grown out, long and ravenous, sitting beneath two eyes full of nothing but malice and hatred. As the transformation finished, the massive shadow, five times the size of its opponent, dug its claws into the floor, letting out a roar to put a lion to shame. The deathly growl formed into words, reverberating, deep, and cold, bringing flames of ice with them that burned all heat from the room. “You may think you have won, little pest, but know this. The King of Monsters, Nightshade, slays you now in his true form.”

Three fillies watched Scootaloo fail to move, the slicing whip of the monster's tail upon her in the blink of an eye. And then she was embedded in the wall, blood dripping down the stone. Sweetie called to the injured pony, but Apple Bloom could only stare at the monster before her, mind freezing as the impossible beast grinned and leaped at her.

Scootaloo was silent when she hit the wall, wind knocked out of her system as she slumped, a coolness burning through the heat in her body. When she managed to move, the call to fight too much to ignore, she saw no monster.

She sees a house in flames. She stands shakily from where she hit the wall, continuing her run to the thing she promised to grab for Firebug. Firebug will meet her outside, after she deals with the monster. She promised! She never came... she disappeared with the rest of the house among the flames...

Scootaloo runs through the hall, opening the door to find the flames gone, Firebug standing before her. “Scootaloo, don't be afraid of monsters. You, me, the others... we were made to stop monsters, whatever form they take.” Made to fight monsters, and every one of us is gone...

Every single one. Except for me. The door slams behind her, the burning all returning, and now she is running, Firebug's diary beneath her wing. She is running behind the others, Shimmer and... I never did know the blue filly's name... But Bluebell, she never was. They jump through the collapsed front door, but for Scootaloo the halls stretches on forever, the fire closing in on all sides. Burning debris crashes around her, trapping her inside. Frightened, she clutches to the diary. A beam collapses from above, smashing into her hooves and knocking the book from them. She scrabbles for it, her one source of comfort. It has opened to the last page, and there a message awaits. The pages were lost. I never read it through...

She skims through the words quickly, the fire and the ashes too large of a distraction to let her focus, and her young mind, still struggling with reading, having too much difficulty with the words. “Scootaloo... You will be a great pony one day... I only regret not doing more... monsters will threaten, and I know you will answer. … protect, unlike us. We can only destroy.” The confused, frightened little filly doesn't know what to make of the words, squeezing her eyes shut as another beam collapses behind her. She closes the book, pulling it to her chest.

Another explosion rocks the house. The fire surges, impacting against Scootaloo's chest and sending her through the wall. She soars through the air, smoke trailing behind her, and crashes to the earth far from the destroyed house, the flames billowing into the night air. She slumps forward, burned face touching cool stone...

Scootaloo placed her hooves down firm, pushing herself from where she'd impacted the wall. There was blood beneath her, dripping from near her eye, but that wasn't what worried her. She had a headache, and a feeling of weakness where once there was strength. She'd lost control as the fight began, focusing on the battle to save her friends, going all out, but this was not a sprint. She didn't know if her power ran out; it never had before, but she was always weak after using it. It had to stop somewhere. She'd need to be careful as she continued on.

As Scootaloo worked on building up her strength, she heard Sweetie Belle call out to her, the headache making the sound seem distant. She slowly turned her head to see what the matter was. She saw the dark shadow beast, she saw her friends, she saw the filly watching them all in fear.

She saw the monster leap.

It was as if time slowed to a crawl, both for her and the others as her mind reacted to the sight. Apple Bloom was in danger, and, headache or no, Scootaloo was going to save her. One image blazed on her mind: The fire-licked diary, the one word that had stood out above the others. Protect.

Scootaloo pushed from the wall, feeling the surge of adrenaline start her movements, then the power, sitting at the core of her being, spreading through her blood and making her speed past the rest of the world. Her vision went purple as the energy radiated out, trailing from her eyes. A second glow above her head caught her eye for just a moment as a drop of shining purple blood fell before her, tumbling through the air before staining her coat as she ran through it.

To say she moved like lightning would be giving too much credit to electricity. Both fighters rushed towards Apple Bloom, covering the distance in no time at all, but what felt like an eternity to Scootaloo's frightened mind. As she got close the world finally sped back up, reaching full speed just in time for her hoof to connect, sending the beast spinning backward and herself digging her hooves in the stone flooring to stop her momentum, leaving trenches behind her.

Nightshade growled, his twisted mouth curling almost to the back of his head as he showed hundreds of razor sharp teeth. “You dare to defy me you little whelp?” There was a moment of hesitation as he stared the filly down, but it disappeared after only a moment. After all, what filly could defeat the king? He leaped forward once more, swinging his tail around for another strike.

This time it met between two orange hooves, Scootaloo glaring at him past the caught weapon. “I don't care who you are. I will not let you hurt my friends!” She gripped the bladed tail with one hoof, the dark edge cutting through her defenses and into her skin, bathing the blade in crimson infused with the purple light. She paid it no mind, her other hoof raising high, then smashing down with force enough to shatter steel.

Two screams sounded in tandem: the monster, thrashing the stump of his tail as it spewed sticky black smoke into the air, and Bluebell, almost louder as she winced and tucked her own tail between her legs, protecting it from the pain. Scootaloo couldn't help but look over at Bluebell, doubt crumbling her resolve. Could she really hurt this monster if it meant killing an innocent filly? The blade fell from her hoof, the blood there losing its light as the fire around her eyes faded ever so slightly.

Nightshade took the advantage and swiped at his distracted foe with a vicious claw. Scootaloo reacted on instinct more than anything, only just feeling the chill approach and barely seeing the claw flash into her vision before it had caught her left cheek, sending her upper body towards the ground. The glow in her eyes rekindled as she used the force of the hit to her advantage, spinning with it and smashing the back of her right forehoof into his claw, removing it from his body with a sickening crack.

The dual screams sounded once more, but Scootaloo would not be fooled again. She charged after her attack, catching the huge beast in the stomach and sending him toppling, still gripping onto the stump on his arm. With her on all fours and him on his back, she slammed a kick straight between his legs, sending his shadowy form skidding across the bedroom. She then broke into a sprint, leaping into the air and reeling back the punch that would end this mess once and for all.

“STOP! Please! Don’t hurt him.” Bluebell rushed to her monster's defense, standing before the downed beast, forelegs outstretched protectively as Scootaloo hurtled towards them both. Scootaloo instantly lost focus on the punch, her muscles kicking into overdrive to make her wings buzz and pull at the air. She landed hard, taking a few running steps before putting all four hooves down, skidding to a halt in front of Bluebell. “He's my best friend...”

Scootaloo stared at the filly before her, unable to comprehend how she could still be defending that... that thing! “He ate four ponies! He attacked my friends and tried to kill me!”

“You attacked us!” Yelled Bluebell, gaining the courage to stand up to the pony that had bested her monster. “We were defending ourselves against the ponies that snuck in, and you attacked us.” She turned around, fixing Nightshade with a look a pony might give a wounded puppy. “He won't attack anypony else. I promise to keep him in my sight. Just... please don't hurt him anymore...” She looked up at Scootaloo, eyes full of tears. “He's my only friend in the world...”

And then Bluebell did something that nopony else in the room would have ever considered. She climbed into Nightshade's arms and began to cuddle with him. The horrible beast and the little filly snuggling and holding onto each other as both began to whimper and cry in fear. Though Scootaloo couldn't begin to understand why, she could tell that there was a true connection between the two in front of her... Deeper, she hated to think, even than her own to her friends. How could she destroy something like that?

Scootaloo breathed heavily, everything in her mind telling her to attack the monster, to destroy it and save the ponies it had devoured... but her will was fading. Her body was calling for a rest, and now that the surge was gone for a moment, the emptiness left behind in the energy's wake was a yawning chasm, threatening to pull everything about her into it. Only her mind was egging her onwards, and now it was doubting itself. If she kept fighting, she'd just hurt these two. Truly, who was lost? The Terrible Twosome, Twist, and Dinky. No real loss to pony kind, no friends of hers, just four little fillies...

Four little fillies with loving families and worried parents. Four little fillies who could just as easily have been the four in this room. The energy in Scootaloo's eyes faded as her battle turned inward, angry at herself of even thinking those thoughts. Look at you, unleash a little bit of power and suddenly you're deciding the worth of a life. You're no better than you were back then! Her eyes stayed on Bluebell and Nightshade, but her mind was elsewhere, dragging itself from memories to consider the dilemma before it. Does her life weight more than theirs?

If she had been looking, actually looking, she would have caught the intelligent gleam in Nightshade's eye. She might have noticed the way his muscles tensed, or the way only Bluebell continued to cry. But she was locked on the display she had seen, not what she was seeing, and thus she didn't even react until the blue filly was smashed towards her. The purple fire poured from her eyes in an instant as Scootaloo caught the unconscious filly in her forehooves, leaving nothing to defend her against the beast leaping onto her, his mouth spread wide like a spike-lined abyss. She turned away, shutting her eyes, as her friends let out a gasp and did the same.

There was a grunt of pain, the sound of blood dripping to the ground, and then silence for a long time. And yet, when Apple Bloom finally opened her eyes, fearing for the worst, she wasn't sure what she saw was much better.

Scootaloo's tiny wings were spread, holding back the vicious mouth and the monster behind it, though the teeth dug into them. She held Bluebell safely, tears in her eyes as the pain caught up with her. Not just pain of the body, but from deep within. I knew this was a trap! How could this be anything else? And I fell for it. Some monster fighter I am, couldn't even keep my own friends safe. She felt like the stupidest filly in the world, even more so than the one she held would have, had she been awake. Betrayed by her one and only friend. A 'friend' that scared away ponies who actually wanted to know her. A 'friend' that ate the only ponies who ever did get close and threatened those that had tried to stop him. And now, a 'friend' that hurt and used her just to survive a little longer...

Scootaloo closed her eyes, anger building up inside of her. If he gets out of here, he will hurt others. He will kill Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and then who knows who else? She could feel her wings starting to give out, the edges of the mouth getting closer and closer to her, the icy cold breath just seconds from devouring her. I was made to protect against monsters, whatever form they take. She felt the weight of Bluebell in her hooves, pulling her down as the teeth dug further into her wings, sapping their strength. She wasn't going to protect anything. She was going to die here, and she hadn't even said goodbye to Cheerilee! And the worse part is not that Nightshade will continue on. It's that he will drag Bluebell along, always saying it's for her good, always promising the world while looking out for only himself, using her until she's no longer needed, then tossing her aside...

There is no greater monster than that.

Apple Bloom looked on in silent horror as Scootaloo's wings gave way, the giant mouth snapping shut on both Scootaloo and Bluebell, with Nightshade smiling evilly to finally have won. Behind her Sweetie Belle gasped, the only sound that pierced the silence, none of the three figures in the room moving a muscle as they came to grips with the outcome.

They quickly had to reconsider as purple blades of energy lanced through his maw, his entire mouth exploding into the shadowy mist it was created of as Scootaloo burst free. The energy poured from her eyes, blazing like the sun, and it was no longer restricted to just her face. Behind her it burst from her back in magnificent wings of purple light, while her mane and tail danced in their own inferno. Even the blood that still dripped from her shined with power, which refused to burn away even as it hit the floor. The whole room hummed with the energy Scootaloo gave off, and yet her wings and gaze held no actual heat. It was a fire born from within, one that could burn cities, and level mountains without even a hint of flame.

This radiant being of power walked slowly towards the two crusaders, ignoring the screaming beast behind her to place Bluebell gently at their hooves. Then, with her cargo safely delivered, her gaze fell back onto Nightshade, who was cowering in fear of this new threat. “Please! I am sorry! No more tricks! No more lies! I will not hurt another pony as long as I live!” The voice, horrible as it was as it slipped through mangled, shredded lips, sounded genuine, and yet the gaze on it did not soften. Scootaloo slowly walked forward, deadly intent focused on the monster before her. “No! Come no closer! The King of Monsters commands you, you wretched beast!” Another drop of blood dripped as Scootaloo kept going forward, the words doing nothing to stop her.

When she walked right up to him, less than a fifth of his size, even with her wings, he crumpled to the floor, whimpering and pleading. “SPARE ME AND I WILL GIVE YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT!” Scootaloo stopped at that, tilting her head curiously. And it was just the opening Nightshade wanted.

He leaped up at her, his advance stopped instantly by her forehooves, both holding onto the tattered edges of his gaping maw. And then, in a voice even colder than his, she spoke. “I want my friends back.”

Without any sign of exertion her hooves began to move apart. Nightshade's eyes widened and he tried to plead once more, but all was lost to the horrifying scream Bluebell let out as Nightshade was ripped in half. From mouth to the stump of his tail, top to bottom, his body was torn in two by the determined hooves of Scootaloo, a piercing chill filling the room from his ventilated form. And when she finished, she threw the halves aside, letting them swirl away into the dark mist as she stalked up to the last remains of Nightshade: his doll. It sat lifeless in the center of the room, a new jagged scar running straight down the center of it, its evil grin sewn on, but its beady yellow eyes no longer staring at anything. But Scootaloo wasn't taking any more chances. She raised her hoof, then sharply brought it down on the stuffed head.

The doll disappeared, as did half of her leg into the solid stone flooring. The next moment reality rippled, the air crackling with energy as four fillies blinked out of the darkness and into existence once more. Silver Spoon, Diamond Tiara, Dinky, and Twist all appeared just above the floor, their bodies flopping to it as gravity took control. And then the room fell into silence.

Scootaloo surveyed the room slowly, absentmindedly wiping the black goop off of her hoof as she checked the spoils of her victory. The room was a mess, with indents and trenches in the walls and floor from the fight, but... The chill in the air was gone, the feeling of being hunted gone with it. The monster was dead. All seven were protected. Her job was done.

Still high on her victory and the power in her veins, Scootaloo turned to her friends. She didn't realize she'd had a smile on, but even if she had it would have disappeared when she saw Apple Bloom's face. It chilled her heart much more than the monster ever did.

Apple Bloom's eyes were full of fear and shock as, behind her, Sweetie Belle trembled, unable to look at the sight. Scootaloo took a step towards them, not sure what she could say to make the situation better. She didn't have a chance to try as Apple Bloom stepped defensively between Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, fixing Scootaloo with a fearful glare that told her everything she needed to know. It was the look of a desperate fighter, of one who wouldn't give up and wouldn't be pushed aside. The look of somepony willing to lay down their life for their cause, worn on a paper thin mask.

It was a look you gave a monster.

Tears leaked out of the corners of Scootaloo's eyes, glowing faintly on their own as they trailed down her face, holding on the tip of her fur for just a moment as both fillies looked at each other. So that's it then... The tear dripped from her cheek.

By the time it splashed against the ground, Scootaloo was gone. All Apple Bloom saw was a blur of orange and purple, but she wasn't focused on that. She was focused on the powerful, dangerous energy still hanging in the room, the blood stains, the crushed stone, the fear pounding in her chest... But most of all, the six other fillies left in the battle's wake.

Friendship

The basement of the old house on the edge of the Everfree was nearly silent, the only noise the gentle breathing of five unconscious fillies and the fearful panting of one young apple farmer trying to calm herself down. Apple Bloom was looking over the room, busying herself with trying to figure out what to do with the others in order to forget the mind-bending battle she had seen.

She could still feel the chill of that giant mouth, its breath pouring over her as it grinned inches from her face. And then it was replaced by all of that power, crashing against her like a wave on the shore, held in a little orange body. It was a body she thought she knew, but... No pony should be able to tear apart a beast like that. Scootaloo wasn’t a pony anymore... just another monster. Apple Bloom had never believed monsters were real, and it was making her mind ache to allow that fact to be real, but there was no denying it. Not after she'd seen two of them fight.

As she walked around the room a voice like a trembling bell rang out from near the ground. “What's going on? Did Scootaloo win? Where is she?” Sweetie Belle had finally peeked out from her defensive ball, her cotton candy tail still wrapped protectively at her side as she looked around. She saw the other fillies, surprise showing when she did, but even they didn't stop her search for her protector.

Apple Bloom walked up to her, helping her up onto her hooves. “It's okay Sweetie Belle, she's gone. She won't be around to scare you no more.”

As Sweetie stood she felt the change in the air, knowing that the monster was gone, and yet she looked at Apple Bloom strangely. “Apple Bloom, she saved our lives! Why would I be frightened of her?”

Why wouldn't you be? She ain’t a pony anymore! The words were on the tip of Apple Bloom's tongue, but before they could be said there was a terrible crash, followed by roaring and the stomping of heavy feet on the stairwell. Both Cutie Mark Crusaders turned to the stairs to see a giant reptile running down them, all jaws and teeth, with a pink bit of fluff on its head screaming at the top of its lungs. “RAAAAARGH! ALRIGHT MONSTER, IT'S TIME FOR A PARTY YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!” That was all either of them saw or heard as they both hunkered down to the ground, throwing their hooves over their heads and screaming.

The roaring stopped, followed shortly by the end of the battle cry, a much friendlier voice replacing it. “Oh! Sorry girls! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you! It's just me and Gummy, see?” Apple Bloom continued to tremble, her pink bow quivering in the air, while Sweetie Belle peeked out from under her hooves, the confusion evident in her voice.

“Pinkie Pie? Is that you?” Standing before the two friends was Pinkie Pie wearing an apologetic smile, Gummy sitting in her mane and blankly staring out at the world. Whatever vision they'd just seen was nowhere to be found.

Pinkie Pie giggled at Sweetie's words. “Of course it's me, silly! I was trying to scare away the monster, but I guess I scared you two instead!” She smiled brightly at them. “But I'm frightfully happy to see you all okay, so I can see how it happened.” Sweetie Belle caught the bad pun, giggling a little at it, while Apple Bloom kept looking around for that new monster she'd just seen. “And I found all of the missing fillies! Just sleeping in Bluebell's basement...” Apple Bloom frowned, sure she'd seen a giant lizard with Pinkie, but she was stopped in her puzzling by a hoof placed on her head, twisting her around to face Pinkie before having her mane tousled. “Were you all having a slumber party down here and didn't tell anypony?”

Apple Bloom shook her head, taking a step back from Pinkie's hoof. “No! We were attacked by a monster, and then Scootaloo showed up and tore it in half, an' now she's gone too. And good riddance.”

Both Pinkie and Sweetie looked confused at Apple Bloom's words, but Sweetie somehow managed to edge out the party pony's chatterbox. “What do you mean 'good riddance'? She saved our lives! And she's out there somewhere injured.”

“Good! She's just a monster, and if she just goes somewhere and dies then we-”

Sweetie Belle's horn sparked, the green aura of her magic wrapping around Apple Bloom's bow and pulling their heads together. “Apple Bloom, what are you saying? Scootaloo is our best friend, and you want her to die? What's gotten into you?”

“What's gotten inta me? What's gotten inta her?” Apple Bloom wrenched herself out of the magical grip. “After Bluebell showed up she started followin' her, started actin' all weird, and then she shows up here! She weren’t Scootaloo anymore! She was just another monster under Bluebell's control.”

“Yeah, that's why she fought off the one that was trying to kill us despite Bluebell screaming for her not to.” Sweetie Belle was furious, anyone who knew her could tell, but she was holding it in, her face carefully chosen. She wasn't going to scare away a friend tonight, even if she almost wanted to.

Apple Bloom clung onto her fear. “Maybe she wanted to be the monster in charge, I dunno!” Seeing the accusing look on both of the others' faces, Apple Bloom backed up, but didn't back down. “Look, all I know is after she tore that creature in half, she turned on us with those glowin' eyes and giant wings... No pony can be that strong. It was like lookin' into the heart of the sun. And she was comin' right at us!”

Sweetie Belle's face didn't change, sure that that couldn't possibly have been Scootaloo's intent. “And what did you do when she did?”

Apple Bloom glared at her, not sure why she was suddenly the bad guy. “I jumped in front of you! I didn't want no monster to hurt you, an' when she saw I was ready to fight her she ran off.”

She saw Sweetie Belle's shoulders square, but she was not at all prepared for the outburst that followed. She'd thought Scootaloo's power was frightening, but an angry Sweetie Belle was almost worse. Her voice started low, then grew louder like an oncoming train until the full force of her unstoppable fury almost bowled Apple Bloom over. “Scootaloo found out about our plan here, which we went on without her, followed us as quickly as she could, saved our lives, attacked the monster, defended us, got injured, nearly got eaten, and somehow defeated the monster in spite of all of that, and you reward her by challenging her to a fight? By assuming she'll attack us and immediately defending me from harm? NO WONDER SHE RAN!”

Apple Bloom was backed up into the indent in the wall where Scootaloo had impacted, and Sweetie Belle was still advancing on her. “I bet you didn't even let her talk, did you? Didn't even ask her if she was okay. Didn't even CONSIDER that she might have wanted a friend to comfort her!”

Apple Bloom stumbled backwards into the pegasus-shaped hole, and as she sat there, Sweetie Belle vibrating with anger before her, she felt something wet drip onto her face. She put a hoof up to it, pulling it away to see her yellow fur stained crimson. Blood? Seeing the confusion on her face, Sweetie's rage calmed down a little, her body still tense, but calm on the outside. “You just called her a monster and scared her off. After all of that...”

From behind Sweetie Belle, Pinkie Pie spoke. “If I'd been hiding a secret for years and only revealed it in front of my best friends, I would be devastated if they didn't accept me for it. Even more so if I'd scared them.”

Apple Bloom was literally backed into a corner as she looked between Pinkie's thoughtful face and Sweetie's disappointed one. Everything she'd said was true, but... she hadn't seen Scootaloo. She hadn't been inches away or felt the power radiating off of her. Anypony would have been frightened of her after that. And yet, the more she thought it, the more Apple Bloom felt like a jerk. Maybe... maybe Sweetie's right. I'll give her one chance. “What can I do about it? She's gone now.”

Sweetie Belle's look softened, but she still was determined. “We find her, we apologize, and we get our friend back.”

“But what if she's changed? What if she isn't the same pony, or what if she's–”

Sweetie Belle cut off Apple Bloom right there. “We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, on a quest to find out who we are. How long do you think she had been hiding this from us? How much do you think we don't actually know about our own best friend?” She turned around, walking back towards the center of the room, alongside a fissure Scootaloo's hoof dug into the ground. “I don't care if she's a different pony, even though I doubt she will be. She is still my friend, and yours too. That hasn't changed.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both looked at each other, Apple Bloom eventually backing down as she walked towards the center of the room. Why the hay have I been so freaked out by her? It was the monster that was hurtin' me, not Scootaloo... And yet, as she looked around the room, the blood, still faintly glowing, the gouges in the stone, slight traces of that unnatural power still radiating in the confined space... She looked to the ground, trembling at the memory. It ain't right for a pony to be that strong. Even unicorns get tired, but she just kept going. As she looked down, though, she saw another faintly glowing spot on the stone. It wasn't blood, it was much lighter, just a few tiny drops of water right where Scootaloo had been standing.

Apple Bloom looked at the drops, not quite understanding, until she replayed what she'd seen. Scootaloo, those wings ablaze behind her, face in a smile matching that monster's terrible maw... Apple Bloom moved into position, Scootaloo took a step back. From her eye something glowed, moving slowly down her face... What did I do? Apple Bloom's head shot up, looking worried instead of scared, for once. “Where do you think she went? We have to find her!”

Sweetie Belle held no answer, but Pinkie Pie looked thoughtful. “When you're feeling down, you go get comfort from your family, right? I bet Cheerilee will know.” She then looked at the rest of the fillies in the room, smiling. “You run back to the school and ask Cheerilee about Scootaloo, I'll take care of these girls, okay?”

“That's a great idea! Thank you Pinkie!” said Sweetie Belle as she headed to the stairs. Apple Bloom reached them at the same time and together they started running up and out of the house.

Pinkie Pie waved them off. “Of course! Just make sure you find Scootaloo, okay?” As their hoofsteps disappeared from the floor above, Pinkie Pie looked on the scene in the basement. The terrible fight... But one Scootaloo won. Hopefully her friends would find her before it was too late. “She deserves at least that much...” Shaking her head of the sad thoughts inside it, Pinkie Pie smiled at her pet alligator. “Alright Gummy, let's get to work!”

A deep, rumbling voice reverberated through the basement, the giant alligator beside her nodding. “Let's.” He gazed upon the room with his all seeing eyes, then opened his mouth, reaching inside and pulling out a party noise maker, which he gave to Pinkie Pie. She blew it. Confetti popped out.

And then the basement was empty, a little confetti floating to the battle-scarred floor the only tell that anypony had even been there at all.

The two Crusaders ran down the path from Bluebell's house, paying very little mind to the trees of the Everfree so close by. They were too busy looking for their third member, who might as well have vanished without a trace. As they reached the schoolhouse, both panting and out of breath and no closer to finding Scootaloo, they found a lot of older ponies dispersing, talking happily and congratulating each other on a job well done.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom worked their way between the legs of the search ponies and into the actual schoolroom just in time to see Cheerilee waving off the last volunteer in the group. She noticed her approaching students and smiled. “Why hello there you two! Did you hear the news?” She gave them just enough time to not quite respond before going on. “Pinkie Pie found the missing fillies unconscious in the Everfree and checked them all into the hospital to make sure they're alright. We just got the message and broke up the search party.” She smiled warmly, as though a great weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, before continuing. “Anyway, what brings you here?”

Apple Bloom wondered for just a second how Pinkie had managed to do all of that when she'd been back at the house when they left, but she chalked it up to 'just being Pinkie Pie' and asked her actual question. “Ms. Cheerilee, do you know where Scootaloo is? I kinda wanted to talk to her.”

Cheerilee frowned, tapping a hoof on her chin. “Scootaloo? No, I haven't seen her since school ended. Though I thought she might have gone off with you two. Did you know your sisters were looking for you? They haven't gotten back yet, but I'll tell them you're alright when they do.” She noticed the worried look that passed between Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom and leaned in. “Is something wrong?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, we just didn't catch up with her when she left, so we were hoping you knew where she was.”

Apple Bloom nodded behind her. “Important Crusader business.”

Cheerilee shook her head a little, smiling knowingly. “Well, I wish you the best. You could check at the house, and if she's not there then she's probably riding her scooter around town somewhere. When you find her, please tell her the good news, if you could? I've still got to thank and release the last few volunteers, so you'll probably see her before me.”

The two little fillies nodded, running out of the schoolhouse and calling their thanks behind them. “Of course Ms. Cheerilee.” “Thank you Ms. Cheerilee!” Cheerilee just smiled, shaking her head again as she wondered what they could be up to, though her thoughts were soon interrupted by more volunteers to thank and dismiss.

Sweetie Belle ran up the front porch of Ms. Cheerilee's house and tried the handle, finding it to open in her hoof. She walked in, Apple Bloom right behind her, and called up the stairs towards Scootaloo's room. “Hello? Scootaloo? Are you here?” Silence hung in the house, and Sweetie stood by the door, catching her breath from the run while Apple Bloom started up the steps.

“Scootaloo... I didn't mean what happened back at Bluebell's. Can we talk?” There continued to be no sound until Sweetie Belle called for Apple Bloom's attention, pointing to the area by the door. When Apple Bloom looked confused, Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.

“No helmet or Scooter. I think she's gone.” She started to go for the door, but stopped as Apple Bloom continued up the stairs. “Where are you going?”

Apple Bloom stopped at the top. “No harm in checkin', right? Maybe there'll be a hint in her room.” She went down the hall, heading towards Scootaloo's room. They hadn't done much crusading from Cheerilee's house. Scootaloo had always felt nervous about putting too much of a hassle on Cheerilee, so they tended to have their base of operations be the clubhouse or, in desperate times, Sweetie's parents' or sister's house. Still, they had been there once or twice and knew where the room was.

When she got into Scootaloo's room two things struck her as odd. First: that it was almost exactly the same as when she'd first seen it a few years ago. Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom's rooms had gone under some kind of redecorating, Apple Bloom's accumulating all kinds of stuff while Sweetie's posters changed on an almost weekly basis, but the only addition to Scootaloo's room was the Wonderbolts poster. Otherwise it was just the same room.

The second odd thing was the note sitting on her bed. She walked over to it, picking it up and reading, and her ears drooped almost instantly. “Oh no...”

“What is it?” Sweetie Belle entered the room behind Apple Bloom, seeing how sad her friend seemed to be. However, instead of an answer, she was given the note.

It was in Scootaloo's writing, which was kind of messy on a normal day, but seemed to have been made all the messier by speed and emotion. The note was simple, but the words were strong enough to make Sweetie Belle sit on the ground, holding the note in both forehooves, mouth agape. On the tear- and blood-stained paper it said simply this:

Dear Cheerilee,

I am running away from home. Thank you for everything you have done for me, I'm sorry I couldn't have been better for you.

Don't come looking for me. –Scootaloo

“Scootaloo, no...” Sweetie Belle let the paper drop, on the verge of tears as she looked over at Apple Bloom. “She's–”

Apple Bloom had her own tears in her eyes, and a weight in her heart that'd make Big Mac fall to his knees for making Scootaloo do this. But she also had a defiant look on her face. “No! We're gonna find her. She can't have gone too far, even with them big glowin' wings, and somepony musta seen her.” She walked over to Sweetie Belle, picking her friend up off the floor. “We're gonna find her, alright?” Sweetie nodded, wiping another tear from her eye. Apple Bloom nodded back. “Good.” She picked up the note, tucking it into her bow for safekeeping. Cheerilee don't need to see this. She can't be far, and I ain't lettin' her run away 'cause of me.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ran down the stairs, out of the house, and up the street, both asking if anypony had seen anything of Scootaloo. A direction, a clue, that was all they needed. Because neither of them were going to lose their friend. Not if they could help it.

The sun began to set on a happy day in Ponyville. Four missing fillies and the friend found with them were all being taken care of, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and there was even a party stirring at Pinkie Pie's in celebration of the search party going so well. However, the happiness failed to extend to the Cutie Mark Crusaders as two of them stood at the fountain in the center of town, panting and looking defeated.

They had asked around and searched the entire town, Whitetail Woods, out near the Everfree, by the lake... they'd even started heading out towards Diamond Dog territory, but there wasn't a single clue of where their third member had disappeared to, and it was starting to wear on them.

Sweetie Belle listened to the music pounding from the doorway of Sugarcube Corner and sighed, shutting her eyes. Her legs ached from running around town, but the thought of losing her friend was stopping her from being tired. “It's getting late... Mom and dad are going to start getting worried.”

Apple Bloom leaned against the fountain, still catching her breath. “I can't think 'a where she's gone to! She wouldn't be fool enough to run into the Everfree, would she?”

Sweetie Belle looked worried just from the sound of the words. “No... she wouldn't. There are monsters in there! She wouldn't...”

“She might after what I did ta her... And she's not afraid of monsters.” Apple Bloom kicked at the fountain, berating herself. Over the course of the hours of running she'd almost completely lost the fear she'd held when she'd looked on Scootaloo's empowered form. She could remember the energy, the power, the feeling that she was nothing more than a twig waiting to be snapped by that cruel glowing gaze... But she'd also remembered all the times they'd played together, the adventures they'd been on, the friendship they shared... She was amazed she'd forgotten it, even if her friend was suddenly a monster. Because the monster part didn't matter, the friendship did.

But even if she realized her mistake, it was no use if she couldn't apologize to Scootaloo. “We just need to keep lookin', and there's really only one more place to look.”

Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Bloom. “We're going in after her?” It wasn't said in fear, more a confirmation of what they were both thinking.

Apple Bloom nodded. “We're gonna need supplies if we're goin' into the Everfree. I've got a map at the clubhouse that'll get us to Zecora's no problem. If she ain't heard anythin', we just keep lookin'.” Apple Bloom stood up, starting towards Sweet Apple Acres before she stopped, looking back at Sweetie Belle. “A'course, you don't need to go in, if ya don't want to. I wouldn't want your parents worryin' or nothin'.”

Sweetie Belle cut off that line of thought before it came as she walked past Apple Bloom. “They know there's a party tonight, and then they'll think I'm at your house... I hope. But I'd rather get grounded then let you go it alone.”

Apple Bloom caught the few steps up quickly, smiling. As the two came side by side, they both broke into a run, using the energy they'd saved up at the fountain to speed themselves into the apple orchard. Light was fading, and it would only get more dangerous the longer they waited.

Again breathing heavily and trotting slowly, the day taking its toll on the two, they reached the clubhouse and started up the ramp to the door. It was dark in there, even more than the night, which held the silvery glow of the moon and had stars twinkling brightly. Sweetie Belle looked up at the happy stars angrily. Didn't they know there was a pony missing?

As her eyes descended from the sky to Apple Bloom nearing the door, they caught a glimpse of something at her hoof. She let her eyes keep falling until she was looking right at what she'd almost missed: a few little red dots on the ramp to the clubhouse... A few little blood drops staining the walkway.

She looked up just in time to see Apple Bloom open her mouth to speak, the expedition to the Everfree already on her mind. Sweetie Belle moved quickly, taking the last few steps to the top and placing one hoof over Apple Bloom's mouth, the other stopping her hoof on the door. Then, when Apple Bloom's struggling had stopped and her confusion started to settle in, she silently turned the doorknob, swinging it in on well-oiled hinges.

The light in the clubhouse was far too dim to see anything by, which annoyed Sweetie Belle since this meant that she'd have to work to make her point seen, and Apple Bloom was getting antsy. Any moment now she'd start trying to talk, and if Sweetie Belle was right, noise was not the best option. She fumbled over the room with her magic, the soft green light eventually surrounding a candle on the planning table in the corner. With a little concentration, a spark flared, one of the few tricks she was good at, and soon the candle's glow was putting edges on the dimness, not enough to light it up, but enough to put shapes on the shadows. She then pointed to the side of the room.

Curled up on a pile of pillows was a shivering form, facing the far wall where a scooter sat. In the orange glow of the light it was hard to make out details, but the dark spots on the ends of her wings were a definite clue, as were the little dark drops that trailed from her to the door, right under Apple Bloom's hooves.

Both crusaders looked at each other with hesitant relief, glad she was safe, but not knowing what to do now. Sweetie bobbed her head inside, looking at Apple Bloom expectantly. It took a moment for the message to get across, and then Apple Bloom shook her head. “She's sleepin'! I can't bother her,” she whispered.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes, matching the whisper when she spoke. “We've been looking for her for hours! If you're actually worried I don't think she'll mind!”

Apple Bloom certainly had looking worried down to a science. “What if she runs away again?”

“I'll make sure she can't, you just make her hear you out.”

Apple Bloom's eyes locked on the bloody form in the corner of the clubhouse, but her mind was back in the basement..., the pained cries of the monster as that little filly ripped it in half effortlessly. “... what if she attacks–”

“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie Belle looked livid, causing Apple Bloom to step back and realize what she said. Her ears drooped, her head dropped, and she looked to the little blood drops on the ground for courage. Scootaloo had bled to defend them, she could fight her fear to apologize. Mind set she made her way inside on tiphoof, Sweetie Belle coming in and grabbing the candle holder with a hoof. Both approached quietly, creeping forward until the light on Scootaloo left no question it was her.

Quietly, barely enough to be heard over the breathing of her sleeping friend, Apple Bloom cleared her throat. When that got no attention, she spoke. “Scootaloo? Is that you?”

Immediately Scootaloo tensed, a dim purple glow surrounding her as she shot up from her makeshift bed and onto her hooves, her injured hoof clutching a book close to her. That power was back, strong as ever, and Apple Bloom felt like little more than dust in an oncoming storm. She was even able to catch Sweetie Belle freezing, gasping sharply as the pure energy washed over both of them. Scootaloo had just enough time for her glowing purple eyes to scan the room and the power radiating off of her to hit Apple Bloom in the face before the pegasus cried out, losing her balance as she cradled her head in her arms.

As Scootaloo fell the tension was broken, both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom rushing to her side, an injured friend more than enough reason to forget the fear that had pulsed through them just a second before. Sweetie placed down the candle as Apple Bloom reached out a hoof, only for Scootaloo to pull back.

Apple Bloom backed up from the spooked pegasus, holding out her hooves placatingly. “Scootaloo. It's me, I just want to make sure you're alright.”

Scootaloo looked at her angrily, but the fear was plain in her eyes. “You weren't too worried about it after the fight! You were just worried the big scary monster was going to get you. Well, here I am! Are you going to run or are you going to fight?” The tone was accusatory, pained, and punctuated by her eyes glowing, though it faded a moment later. Scootaloo held her defensive stance, but before the other's eyes, a drop of crimson rolled from her nose, down to her chin, and dropped on the floor.

Apple Bloom watched it with horror, but made sure not to show it. She wasn't afraid of her friend anymore. She was much more worried for her right now. “Neither, Scootaloo... I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinkin', but I'm pretty sure I wasn't. I'm not runnin' from you, and I ain't fightin' ya, I just don't want to see you leave.”

Scootaloo's look softened, hope creeping onto her face as she looked between the two ponies before her. “So... you're not scared of me?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “I was, but I'm not anymore.” It sounded horrible, but she couldn't seem to find the words to make it any better.

Luckily, Sweetie Belle was there to help her. “You're a Cutie Mark Crusader and our best friend, Scootaloo, and nothing will ever change that.”

Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom after that, who nodded that that was exactly what she wanted to say. Still, the pegasus looked worried, like what was happening in front of her was about to shatter if she dared believe it. “...You still want me to be a crusader?”

Apple Bloom nodded again, smiling. “A'course we do! We're on a quest to find out who we are, and you just proved we've got more looking to do.” She then held out a hoof, looking apologetic and hopeful. “But we can't do it without ya. So... you think you can stay?” Sweetie Belle matched her look, placing her own hoof on top of Apple Bloom's to show they were a team.

Scootaloo looked from one face to the other, then down to the floor, her legs starting to shake as she did. After a moment, something clear dripped from her cheek onto the floorboards. Slowly a chuckle rose from the room, Scootaloo looking up with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. She looked at both of them, still chuckling, then placed her own hoof on top of theirs. “Of course I'll stay.”

The three friends looked at each other, a group smile crossing their faces. ”CUTIE MARK CRUSADER FRIENDS FOREVER, YAY!” The three hooves shot in the air with the group cry and the ensuing laughter. And the laughter continued right up until Scootaloo collapsed onto the pillows.

The delight was sucked from the room, the worry of losing a friend in one sense replaced with another version entirely. Sweetie Belle fell to Scootaloo's side, holding her in a comforting hug and talking quickly. “Scootaloo! Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Scootaloo shook her head weakly, her body trembling and cold in Sweetie's hooves. “I'm fine. No doctors. I'm just really tired still...” She forced her head up, looking over at Sweetie with a lot of effort. “I think I pushed myself too hard.”

Apple Bloom frowned, remembering that Scootaloo had been sleeping when they'd come in. “Pushed yourself too hard how?”

Scootaloo lay her head back down, mumbling into the pillow. “The fight. I saw you two disappear into that ball of darkness and I just let the energy flow and jumped in after you. The whole fight I let the power surge through me, too worried for you guys, and when it finished... The last thing I was worried about was stopping it. I ran to Cheerilee's to write the note and get... that... and then I was running out of town until I neared the orchard and just... ran out. I hit the wall, all the energy that had kept me going disappearing at once. Everything hurt, my vision blurred, my head started aching... I needed to lay down, so I came here, hoping nopony would look for me here before I left in the morning...” She laughed weakly, laying heavily on the pillow. “I'm glad my hiding spot was horrible.”

Sweetie Belle smiled, squeezing Scootaloo lightly in the hug, “We searched for you ever since you left. I'm just glad we found you when we did.” She looked into Scootaloo's eyes, seeing the weakness in them, and frowned. “Do you need anything? Can we help you? Are you sure you don't need a doctor?”

Scootaloo shook her head. “No doctors. I don't trust them...” When she saw the serious look on Sweetie Belle's face, she sighed. “But I'm a little hungry and thirsty, and it's gotten a lot colder since I got here...”

Sweetie Belle smiled, glad she could do something to help. “Say no more, just lay there and leave the rest to us.” She got up after that, getting some apples and water from the snack supplies and looking for a blanket for her shivering friend. As she did this, Apple Bloom stayed near Scootaloo, wanting to be there in case she needed anything else. It was then that the charred book next to Scootaloo caught her eye and she leaned over to look at the cover.

“'My Diary, by Firebug',” she read aloud, fixing Scootaloo with a slightly confused look. “Who's Firebug?”

Scootaloo peeked an eye open, looking up into the curious face of the blurred yellow filly above her. “Firebug...?” It made no sense... she'd left years ago, what was she doing here? Scootaloo pulled herself up, trying to focus the sight before her. It looked like her, but... the bow, the slightly different eyes, and the accent... Scootaloo seemed to remember where she was and who she was with, laying back down on the pillow to ease her pounding headache. Blood pooled in her nose.

“Firebug is, was, like a sister to me. She was with me at the orphanage when I became... weird.” She looked down at her hooves, the blood and black goop still staining both of them. And normally she'd have started healing by now... Something was definitely wrong. “I'll tell you about her if you want to know, but... not tonight.”

Apple Bloom smiled at her friend and, seeing the fear settled on Scootaloo's face, decided to comfort her, rubbing her back with a gentle hoof. “It's fine. You just rest, okay? You saved our lives today, we can make sure you get a good night's sleep.”

Scootaloo closed her eyes, leaning into the hoof rubbing into her aching muscles, her smile growing with her friends' attentions as Sweetie Belle returned with a couple apples, a canteen, and a blanket. “Thank you. Both of you. Sorry I ran off...”

Apple Bloom cut her off there. “There's no need to be sorry. If anypony should be apologizin', it's me, and I am. Sorry for ever doubtin' ya and bein' fool enough to be scared of ya, even for a moment. Can you forgive me?”

Scootaloo's weak smile widened as she lay there, still leaning into the hoof Apple Bloom was rubbing on her back. She was sure she'd lost her friends to her weirdness, and here they were treating her like a princess and accepting her like she was still the pony she'd always been... what could she possibly hold against them? “Of course I can. I already did.” She then took the apples from Sweetie Belle, leaving one in her hoof and tossing one to Apple Bloom. “And these taste best with friends.”

The three shared an apple together, smiling and just glad to be in each others' company. And Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle started laughing as Scootaloo ravenously ate four more apples and emptied the canteen in one long pull, her strength returning as she did so. Their impromptu sleepover might not have been planned, but, after Scootaloo got pampered and cleaned up by the other two, they all snuggled together under the same blanket, resting easy to know the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be intact for a long, long time.

A few days later Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle all stood in the lobby of Ponyville Hospital looking slightly anxious. Life had gotten back to normal after the monster attack, with school even continuing the next day, though the ponies Scootaloo had saved were absent as they healed. All of them had been having headaches and couldn't seem to remember anything that had happened, but the worst were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who took a fair bit of convincing just to remember their own names. However, Cheerilee was confident that they could all make up what they would miss, and so class went on without them.

However, when school let out that day the Crusaders had gone there to meet their friends as they were released. Twist was happy to see them, as was Dinky, though she always seemed happy to see almost anypony. However, when asked, they didn't remember a thing: not Bluebell, not the monster, none of it, which Scootaloo felt was probably for the best. Having the trauma of being eaten couldn't have possibly been good for them. At least they didn't have to remember it.

As the friends talked, the terrible twosome both came out looking somewhat hesitant, scanning around for a friendly face. When they saw the five fillies standing in the lobby, however, their faces lit up in evil delight. They fell into their well known gait, walking up on the reunion like a pair of tigers approaching their prey.

“Well look who it is, Silver Spoon. The Cutie Mark Crybabies and their nerdy friends! What were you in for, chronic lameness?” snarked Diamond Tiara, looking down her nose at the ponies there.

“Ooh, you're going to need more than a bandage for that. It's going to need a complete coolness transplant. Right. About. Here.” Silver Spoon punctuated the last three words with a hoof pointed at each of the Crusader's blank flanks, then both of them joined in an fiendish giggle. As the bullies laughed, the Cutie Mark Crusaders all caught each other’s eyes, nodding the silent message to each other.

“Hey Diamond Tiara! Thtop making fun of them! Jutht becathe they don't have their cutie markth yet doethn't mean-” As Twist talked, Sweetie Belle walked over to her other side, pulling the bullies’ attention to her and away from her friends.

“I'm thorry, Twithhhhhhhht, what wath that?” interrupted Silver Spoon. “I couldn't underthtand you.” Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara high-hoofed, bringing an angry frown to Twist's face as she was mocked. However, before she could respond, Sweetie Belle held out a hoof, smiling mischievously.

“Tiara, Spoon... are you afraid of the dark?” Sweetie, flanked by Dinky and Twist, fixed both of them with a friendly, and yet somehow piercing, stare.

The two looked baffled, Tiara the one to speak for them as they saved face in front of the trio. “Pff, as if! What kind of little baby is afraid of the dark?”

As soon as her sentence finished a shadow loomed over them and immediately they froze, faces the picture of fear. They may not have remembered the experience, but deep down they trembled in fright. They turned around slowly, each looking up at the dark shape towering over them. It lowered down, its face obscured by the light behind it, but the sinister intent could be felt beneath it. Two glowing purple eyes formed, both completely captivating the twosome as they edged together, cowering before the monster. Its eyes roved over both of them, then it spoke one word.

“Scream.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon clung onto each other, screaming their lungs out as they ran out the hospital's front door and into Silver Tray, toppling over the butler that had come to retrieve them in their haste to get away. Behind them laughter erupted from the dark shape as it fell over, rolling on the floor and coming apart as it did so. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo untangled themselves from the dark blanket they had found left on a chair nearby, holding their sides and wiping away tears at the reaction they got. The other three fillies joined in on the fun, causing the two outside to huff in embarrassment when they figured out the joke. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stomped away, leaving the Crusaders, Dinky, and Twist to enjoy a good laugh at their expense.

When finally the five fillies had calmed down they bid farewell, Twist and Dinky leaving the hospital while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo entered it. There was one pony still checked in, Bluebell's case being different from the others, and Scootaloo felt she should visit and apologize. After all, despite the fact that her wounds from the battle had already healed, a slight messiness to her fur and feathers where they were growing back the only tell of the fight, it was a direct result of Scootaloo's actions that had put Bluebell in the hospital in the first place.

They found the room and entered, coming across a sad sight. Bluebell was in a bed, alone, rolled over with her back to the door. There weren't machines monitoring her health, but there were three balloons tied to the end of the bed, two blue and one yellow, 'Get Well Soon!' written across them. Next to the bed, looking tired, and yet much better than he had when they first saw him, was Mr. Brambles, who smiled at the fillies as they entered. Already he looked younger, healthier, and even though the bags under his eyes were prominent, they suggested he hadn't slept in a day or two, not their previous lifetime.

As all three fillies entered, Mr. Brambles touched his daughter's shoulder lightly. “Bluebell, you have guests.” Bluebell stirred from the bed, her eyes red and puffy and clear tear stains on her cheek. She slowly turned her head to see who'd come to visit her, and once she did, she recoiled in horror, jumping to the far end of the bed.

“What is she doing here? Get that freak and her two friends out of my room! Nurse! Nurse!” Bluebell clung to her father's coat as she cried out and he tried to calm her, but the words were said, and they stung Scootaloo like a flame.

Still, she had come for a reason, and she wasn't going to leave without doing it. She took a step forward, holding up a placating hoof. “Bluebell, please, just hear me out for a second, then-”

“Hear you out? You murdered my best friend! You didn't listen to me, why should I listen to you? Nurse! Dad! Make her go away!” Bluebell turned to her father, snuggling her face into his shoulder for protection. Scootaloo was about to start talking when one of the nurses came in, a worried look on her face.

“Is everything alright? I heard shouting.” Bluebell started to say something, but it was muffled as Mr. Brambles held his daughter's head where it was, making her words sound like crying. He then smiled sadly.

“Yes, Nurse Tenderheart, everything's fine. Bluebell just got a little worked up. I'll try to calm her down.”

The nurse nodded, then looked at the three other fillies in the room. “Are they bothering you? Would you like some privacy?”

Again Bluebell tried to speak, her forehooves flailing against her father, but he ignored it calmly, holding her close to stop her movements and speaking gently. “No, no, they are just fine. Don't mind them. But make sure to close the door behind you, could you? Thank you.”

The nurse left, closing the door, and Mr. Brambles released his daughter, who gave him a look of betrayal before burying herself in the pillow, sobbing for real as she held it close, like she might hold a doll. Mr. Brambles just sighed, looking at Scootaloo and her friends. “Please, you don't have to listen, dear. You don't have to believe it, but just let the fillies talk. I'll make them leave when they are done.” After a moment to let Bluebell continue to cry, he nodded for Scootaloo to start talking.

Scootaloo had almost lost the nerve as she watched the scene, the sound of Bluebell crying and the words she'd said cutting her like a knife. But the father could see how important this was too, and so she continued. “Bluebell... I wanted to say that I am sorry for what I did. If there was any way I could have done something else, I would have, but Nightshade wasn't your or anypony's friend. He was a pure monster.” She could see Bluebell dig deeper, hiding from her words, but she soldiered on.

“He ate four ponies, and was going to kill them if I hadn't come in when I did. And while two of them were bullies and need to be taught a lesson, the others were innocent. Heck, they were your friends! None of them deserved to die. And neither did the ponies in the towns before Ponyville, if I guess right...” Bluebell gave no response, but Mr. Brambles nodded again, urging her to keep going. “He said he was your best friend: protected you from bullies, came to you when you were sad, made you feel safe in your bed each night... I can only imagine how nice that is, but he was using you. He kept you from making real friends, hurt your dad, the ponies around you, and he even hurt you.” Scootaloo remembered Bluebell flying through the air at her, the shadow beast leaping behind her, his massive maw ready to snap them both up...

She sighed, letting the memory fade. “I know what it is like to lose somepony very dear to you, somepony you never thought you would live without, and that's why I want you to know I really am sorry that I took Nightshade from you. I just hope that someday you can forgive me.”

Silence hung in the room for a long while, everyone waiting for the reaction to Scootaloo's apology, one Apple Bloom didn't think she had to give and Sweetie Belle commended her bravery for. Even the sounds of the hospital seemed to stop, time freezing as everypony waited on the response. Then, quietly, without removing her face from the pillow, Bluebell spoke. “Get. Out.” Her voice was cold as ice, but Scootaloo obeyed, turning and walking to the door. The hate in those words stuck into her like a spike of ice in her back, telling her she'd never be forgiven. She had taken away a best friend, the one thing somepony had counted on... She knew that pain, and now she knew the other side of it.

As she went outside, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom followed, catching her in the hallway just beyond the door. Scootaloo's ears were low, her tail dragging against the ground as both of them moved to her either side. Before they could get far at all, Apple Bloom stopped her. “Hey, don't feel so bad about it. You killed a monster and saved a whole buncha ponies, includin' her, if she ever sees it. You should be proud of yourself!”

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement, trying to cheer Scootaloo up. “Yeah! Nightshade was evil and mean, bullying small, weak ponies and looking out only for himself. You just let her stop being friend with an evil monster and start making friends with ponies! You did her a favor.”

Scootaloo continued to stare at the tile floor beneath her, feeling like a monster. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo had learned, had been so young she hadn't known her parents before they died, and Sweetie Belle had yet to lose a family member, but Scootaloo? She remembered the pain of finding out her parents were never coming to pick her up from the orphanage, and, even worse, the feeling of despair as she lost not just her home, but her big sister and new family all in one fell night... Her killers had burned with her, and to this day a small part of Scootaloo still felt that that was too good for them. Even Cheerilee's love and Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom's friendship had never removed the pain of that night.

And now she had killed Bluebell's best friend. What pain was being wished on her right now? What torment was Bluebell imagining... At least she still has a father that loves her... Scootaloo shut her eyes, the tears that had been building falling to the ground beneath her as both of her friends resolved to hug her, unable to imagine what she was going through, but hoping their presence helped. And it did, like a candle helped fight the cold of a blizzard.

Hoofsteps approached the three on the ground, a kind voice speaking to the crying pegasus filly. “Scootaloo... Thank you for everything you've done.” Scootaloo, confused at hearing the genuine happiness in that voice, lifted her head, looking up at Mr. Brambles, who smiled down at her. “I mean it, thank you for giving me my daughter and our life back.”

Scootaloo shook her head, her eyes trailing back down to the floor. “I just killed her best friend...”

Mr. Brambles nodded, his smile fading slightly. “Yes, you did. And, in doing so, you freed us from the nightmare he'd created.” He sat down next to the three fillies, looking at the wall across from them. “We traveled to so many towns... moved after every incident, so much that Bluebell could never grow, could never become anything less than completely dependent on Nightshade for affection. He scared off her friends, even me... I was scared of my own daughter thanks to that monster... and you stopped that. You saved us from an everlasting Tartarus and let us move on with out lives, and for that I thank you, even if Bluebell never will.”

Scootaloo sat in silence, much like Bluebell had, though her tears had stopped. She just listened as Mr. Brambles slowly stood up, then placed a hoof onto her shoulder. “You are a hero, Scootaloo, and I will never forget what you have done for me. If she does not forgive you, I already have, and once more, I thank you with my entire heart. If I can ever repay you... just let me know.” He then walked away, heading back to the room to comfort his grieving daughter.

Scootaloo watched him leave, confused the whole time. He was thanking her for making his daughter sad, for giving her a pain unimaginable to carry with her... and yet, he knew she had saved her. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and even Mr. Brambles were telling her she had done the right thing, and, as Scootaloo looked at it more and more, she knew she had too. 'The right thing' might have been painful, it might not have left everyone smiling or changed everyone for the better, but... Fairy tales always ended so neatly. Life, she knew, was never so nice.

She still felt the icy stab at her heart where Bluebell's hatred lay, but she could also feel the warmth of a job well done melting it away. It didn't hurt any less, but maybe someday she could at least bear it with a smile.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Scootaloo stood up, heading towards the exit to the hospital. Apple Bloom followed her, looking at her sideways. “You alright there, Scootaloo?”

“Yeah. I'm going to be okay.”

Sweetie Belle was a few paces behind her, but Scootaloo could hear the smile in her voice as Sweetie spoke. “I think I know a way you can feel even better.” Scootaloo turned to look back and, as she passed one of the halls, saw him there, looking at her. The brown mane, the cream coat, the camera around his neck... She slowed for just a moment, eyes darting forward again, when she heard Sweetie Belle speak. “Go talk to him.”

All three of them stopped, Scootaloo, turning to her. “I can't! I just... I can't, okay? I came in with you two and my head's being all emotional and I can't-”

Apple Bloom cut her off, nudging her in the side. “Go on. We'll meet you back at the clubhouse, and we won't even laugh or nothin'.”

Scootaloo turned on Apple Bloom, shocked that she would agree, when Sweetie Belle chimed in behind her. “Just give it a shot” Scootaloo rounded back on Sweetie Belle, who was smiling gently, genuinely. “Do what makes you happy, okay? You deserve that much, hero.”

Scootaloo looked from one friend to another, both of them urging her on, and for once she had no reason to fight it. Moving reluctantly, even as her heart began to flutter in her chest, she walked over to her reward. “Hey Featherweight... What's up?”

Featherweight smiled as she approached, then seemed to pull himself from his distracted mind and reach into a satchel he had at his side. “Oh! Well, I heard that you had come here after school, and since you asked me to show you the pictures I got... I was wondering if now would be an alright time?” He offered a small stack of photos to her with his wing, a nervous smile on his face, the gap in his teeth making it precious in her eyes.

Scootaloo nodded, smiling back. “Yeah, sure.” As she took the pictures and started looking through them, she spied Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom walking off, a knowing giggle shared between them. She blushed a little, but kept looking. Featherweight was really talented with his camera, some of the birds captured on the film looking even more dazzling than they did in real life.

As she looked through the pictures, Featherweight talked. “I try not to wait for the birds too much, just coming across most of them as I'm traveling normally, but a couple, like that one,” he said as she came to a stunning picture of a cardinal and a blue jay singing together, “I had to sit in the right spot for hours to get right. I develop all of my film at home too, in a dark room I set up in the basement.” His smile faded a little bit as he pulled out a couple more photos. “I also have a few shots for the next edition of the Foal Free Press... if you want to see those early.”

Scootaloo, confused by his change in tone, returned his bird photos, taking the new ones from him. There were a couple of Bluebell, Dinky, and Twist, and a very familiar creepy house on the edge of the Everfree. The missing ponies story had to be the biggest thing in town right now, it would only make sense these were what he was shooting. As she went to the next photo, however, her heart stopped, her pupils shrinking.

It was a picture of the battle, taken from one of the basement windows. Gouges in the floor, the impact in the wall, and her, eyes glowing, leaping at Nightshade. Ice formed in her chest as she moved to the next one, a picture of the monster reeling in pain and her standing there with wings of fire, the unconscious Bluebell in her hooves. At the last one her hooves trembled, and one look was enough to make her eyes shoot to the floor as she gave the pictures back. It was her running from the house, eyes glowing, wings shimmering, blood-stained and battered, a tear trailing behind her face as she left the scene.

Featherweight took the picture from her, holding it like something he was ashamed of between them. “I was going to run a story on their disappearance... I just wanted you to see them first.” Scootaloo closed her eyes, heart sinking. He knows... he's going to think of me as a freak... a monster... And soon everypony will know... “I also wanted to say I can get rid of them... if you want...”

Scootaloo looked up from the floor, studying his face. “What?”

Featherweight looked at her, smiling weakly. “Well, nopony knows why Tiara, Spoon, Dinky, or Twist disappeared... Pinkie Pie gave me a story that I'm more inclined to believe than this monster business, but I wanted to leave that choice up to you.” He looked at her seriously. “Do you want me to print your pictures or no?”

If those pictures got out... if anypony ever knew... Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Pinkie Pie were sworn to secrecy with a Pinkie Promise and Mr. Brambles certainly wasn't going to tell and ruin his new life, but Featherweight... he was giving her the choice. The story of a lifetime, and he was letting her decide... She shook her head. “No. I'm sorry, but I don't want anypony to know.”

Featherweight nodded. “Alright. Then nopony will.” With one quick motion he tore the pictures of her in half, stuffing the shreds of them into his bag to be taken care of later.

Scootaloo looked at him, surprise at the action melting into worry. He still knew... “You don't think I'm some kind of monster, do you?” She kicked nervously at the floor, wishing with all her heart for a certain answer.

Even her wish was mild compared to this. “Are you kidding? Scootaloo, you're the coolest filly I know, and after I saw you fight that thing, you only got a million times cooler!” He realized what he was saying and blushed after that, looking away nervously and, strangely, perfectly mirroring Scootaloo's reaction to what he said.

She peeked nervously at him, cheeks glowing pink. “You... you really think that?”

Featherweight smiled back, heat radiating off his scarlet face. “Well... Yeah. I have for a while.” He then fluttered his wings nervously, looking her in the eyes. “And, um... I was wondering, and don't think you have to because of the pictures or anything, because they won't be printed either way, but... would you... like to, maybe... go on a date with me?” He winced away from his own question, afraid of the reaction when the words left his lips.

And Scootaloo stared at him, speechless. He knows and he still asked me out? He... he doesn't think I'm weird? She stopped for a moment, heart pounding as she realized the more important part of the question. Featherweight asked me out?! She squealed with delight inside, only barely keeping it at bay by her massive efforts to try to look cool. Still, her smile grew even wider as she spoke, pumping her hoof in happiness. “Yes!”

The two hugged in the hall, then hurried out of the hospital, talking about their plans and giggling with relief and nervous excitement. For both of them it was a dream come true, something Scootaloo never would have expected when she'd been hiding in the clubhouse.

And yet she didn't think of that, or Nightshade, or Bluebell, or her past, or even her powers. For once, if only for a little while, Scootaloo didn't even remember she was weird at all.

New Faces

Sunlight blared on the leather balloon of the airship, the white clouds below and the chill high-altitude air doing little to relieve the heat. Studs gleamed on the wooden hull of the ship, which looked something like a seafaring boat with large brass propellers hanging from a gigantic balloon. The ship wasn't that large at all, perhaps a yacht at most, but on it's side gleamed the symbol of the Equestrian Royal Air Force, revealing it to be on patrol.

Wind whipped above the shining clouds, buffeting against the balloon and prow of the lofty sailboat, threatening to throw the ship off course. However, it was held steady by the pegasus on the bow, her hooves solidly holding the wheel in place. She wore the Captain's helmet, which held the biting winds from her eyes and kept her purple mane from blocking her vision. The only things in motion about her were her fur, mane, and feathers, all of which were tousled by the breeze, the rest of her completely focused on the flight.

Her mission was important. This was a well-used trading route between Equestria and the Zebra Nations on the southern continent, but lately it was bombarded with pirates eager to get in on the bits the easy way. Many a fighter was flying the skies alongside the merchant ships, but she was alone this day, hoping to catch the pirates out with stealth. Her ship had a three mare crew: herself, the engine pony, and the cannoneer, both of which were below deck. With its small size, fast speed, and nearly undetectable crew count, hopefully it could beat out the pirates at their own game.

The Captain took in a deep breath, the cool, sharp air sending another wave of energy to her already alert mind as she scanned the skies. It was all clear, as the forecast for today had promised, and there wasn't a single thing in sight. It was almost disappointing, and soon the Captain grew bored of the tranquility. But then, just as she was ready to turn back for a different route, her eyes caught something suspicious. Sure, it looked like a simple small cloud bank floating higher than the rest of the clouds, but the Captain knew camouflage when she saw it. She grabbed the speaking horn that sat next to her wheel and smiled. “Officer Belle, keep the engines low. Officer Bloom, ready the cannons. We're going in for an approach.”

“Yes Captain,” came the unison response, and with a slight turn of the wheel they flew for the cloud bank.

The approach went very smoothly, with no contacts or cannon fire or anything all the way to the edge of the clouds. They hadn't been spotted, the perfect way to ambush a pirate. Slowly they entered the bank, visibility dropping fast as the water vapors scattered the sun, surrounding the ship in a swirling grey haze. The Captain throttled down to nothing, slowing the ship to a slow drift and leaving the steam engines to idle ready. As soon as they saw something, anything, they would open fire. The pirates would be destroyed and the skies made that much safer.

The Captain watched the swirling mists with anticipation, her eyes nearly straining as they tried to discern ship from shadow, but it was nothing but wet and whispers. Everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

A scream echoed from the communication horn, her officer's voice ringing out, followed by the sounds of fighting. The Captain called into it, panic in her heart. “What's going on down there? Somepony, respond!” The fighting continued, blades clashing in the background, and just as she was starting to feel useless, tied to the wheel as she was, a familiar voice answered, not from the horn, but from behind her.

“Captain, pirates below deck! A squad of unicorns teleported into the cannon bay!” The Captain looked behind her, glad to hear her crew mate respond, though immediately fearful as she saw only one. Officer Bloom stood before her, her sword in her teeth and her red mane thrown about from the fighting, her pink bandanna in disarray.

The Captain's blood froze as the sounds of fighting continued, cut off by a slamming door. “Where is Officer Belle?”

Officer Bloom shook her head, looking worriedly towards the door below deck. “I don't know. I think she's still in the engine room, but the only room it connects to is... Oh no.”

The Captain's eyes widened in horror. “The weapon's bay.” Officer Belle was not a very good fighter in close quarters, but she was on board because she worked magic with the engines. If she was caught below deck alone, she'd never make it.

A blast shook the whole ship, staggering the two ponies by the wheel. Fire and smoke billowed over the side, right from where the cannon normally was. Officer Bloom looked stunned, but the Captain's mind was already whirring. They must have blown it up! They're aiming to disable or crash the ship. To do that most effectively, there'd be two targets. The weapons...

The sound of a door splintering came over the horn, followed by a shriek from Officer Belle. ...and the engines. “Take the wheel!” Before the sound had even ended, the Captain's order was shouted and she left the wheel, immediately sending the ship into a curving dive that Officer Bloom fought to halt. The Captain didn't care, one thing on her mind as she pulled free her sword and ran below deck. I am not losing anypony! Not here, not today!

The stairs below led to a narrow hallway, or they normally did. Instead they now lead to a gaping hole in the ship, both walls blown out and wind whipping smoke and fire through. As soon as her hoof touched the lower deck, she saw Officer Belle through the smoke, the smaller white unicorn standing alone against six more. The Captain surged forward, brandishing her sword at the boarders, who dodged by teleporting very short distances, just enough to keep the blade from hitting them. Each time they blinked, though, they encroached a little more on Officer Belle, eventually forcing her right to the hole in the wall.

And then one of them pushed her through.

Time slowed to a crawl for the Captain, watching Officer Belle's cry of terror leave her in slow motion as she sank into the clouds. No... I can't lose her. I can't lose another friend. An energy burned through her, fueled by her sorrow and creating a heat throughout that screamed to escape, pushing against her eyes and wings. With it came a feeling of immense power, which flowed through the Captain and brought her mind back to the slowly falling unicorn before her. I won't.

The Captain ran between the invading unicorns, her steps at normal speed while their teleport spells seemed to take ages to engage. However, she ignored them, sprinting at a full gallop to her falling friend. She reached the edge of the deck, throwing out a hoof that missed the slowly falling one by a hair's breadth. She looked into the terrified face of her friend, helplessness trying to take over again, but the heat fighting against it. No. She will be saved.

The Captain ran back a few steps, spinning around to feel the wind slowly caress her fur before she took off, sprinting to the end and leaping for her friend. After just a moment of falling they collided in the air, the Captain's speed much more than she thought as they shot away from the ship, which smoked and spiraled before becoming invisible in the clouds. The Captain spread her wings, feeling the wind rush through them, and squeezed her eyes shut. Please. Just once, work! They kept falling, her wings flapping about, but doing nothing. She looked at the fast approaching ground, then at her friend in her hooves, and put as much will as she could into the thought. FLY!

WHUMP!

“Ow! Scootaloo! What was that for?” Sweetie Belle said as she pushed Scootaloo hard in the chest.

Ignoring the shove, Scootaloo's heart soared. Sweetie Belle was alright! And they were in the clubhouse, safe and sound! Wait... the clubhouse? Scootaloo looked around the Cutie Mark Crusader's Clubhouse, embarrassment growing as she remembered what had been going on. They were pretending to be Cutie Mark Crusader Air Marshals when she got really into it and... and had that feeling flare up on her again. That rush of energy, just showing up because she was all scared for Sweetie Belle... who she was still laying on top of. “I guess I got carried away.” She rolled off of Sweetie, who stood up and gave her an upset glare. Scootaloo just got angry when she saw it. “Well I'm sorry, did you want me to let you die?”

Sweetie huffed, her glare not backing down. “I thought it would be dramatic! I didn't think you'd tackle me for it!”

Apple Bloom stepped between the two of them, trying to calm things down with a change in subject. “I ain't never seen you move that fast, Scootaloo. I'll bet that was faster than Rainbow Dash could fly!”

Instead of looking proud, Scootaloo backed away, looking uncomfortable at the attention. “Nah. I can't have been going that fast...”

Sweetie shook her head, her anger mostly disappearing. “No, I think she's right. All I saw was a blur before I went flying.”

Scootaloo waved the comment away, hiding her face behind her mane. “You must have seen things wrong. It just looked fast because it was such a short gallop.”

Sweetie started contemplating the thought, questioning her own eyes, but Apple Bloom pointed to the wall they'd hit. “You were going fast enough to break the boards.” Scootaloo quickly stood in front of them, a small blush on her face as she tried to hide the evidence from her friends. Not taking the hint, Apple Bloom's eyes lit up as she thought of an idea. “You should challenge Rainbow to a hoof race!”

Scootaloo's eyes shot wide. “What?!”

Sweetie Belle nodded her approval. “Yeah! If you beat Rainbow in a race, then she'd HAVE to put you in the Wonderbolts too!”

The picture tantalized Scootaloo as it always did, her and her idol soaring across the sky in formation, the matching uniforms making them blend in seamlessly with the wind... She shook her head, turning to watch the clouds change color in the sunset through a nearby window. “But the Wonderbolts need fast flyers, not fast runners.”

“Oh...” Sweetie's eyes dropped, knowing how touchy the whole flying subject was with Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom cut in at that, striving to stop the awkward moment. “Or you could win a rodeo with that kind of speed! I think Applejack was talkin' 'bout one comin' up. If we started training now, we'd be sure to win!”

Sweetie perked up, nodding at that thought. “Hey, yeah! If we all entered, one of us would have to win, and maybe even get our cutie marks!”

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER RODEO PONIES, YAY!” the two yelled in unison, getting caught up in the moment. However, when they realized their yell was a duet and not a trio, they looked in confusion at Scootaloo, who was now leaning against the windowsill.

Apple Bloom walked over to her, just a hint of worry in the way she moved. “You alright there, Scootaloo?”

Sweetie Belle's voice came from behind her, quiet as she let an idle thought slip out. “It's not like we're going to get it for airship piloting...”

Apple Bloom shushed her, then turned back to Scootaloo just in time to see her sigh and say, “We can't be rodeo ponies.”

Apple Bloom brushed off the comment. “O'course we could! With my practice with a lasso and your speed and Sweetie Belle's...” she looked at Sweetie for a moment, trying to think of a quality the smiling unicorn had shown for rodeos. “Uh...” Drawing a blank, she grasped at what she could “Sweetie Belle's drama, we'd be a shoe-in!”

Scootaloo shook her head, still looking out the window. “No we wouldn't. I can't move that fast in front of other ponies.”

Apple Bloom tilted her head puzzled. “Why not?”

Scootaloo turned around, about to say something when she saw the expectant confusion on her friend's faces. “Uh...” Her eyes darted around the room, from where they had been playing to her friends and then to the broken boards on the wall. Then the thought clicked. “Because I can only go that fast when my friends are in danger! At a rodeo it's all safe and we'd be all practiced, so my speed wouldn't be enough to win.” She smiled at her explanation, proud she could come up with one.

Apple Bloom wasn't impressed. “Wouldn't the possibility of a cutie mark and a victory be enough?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “It hasn't been before.” Apple Bloom continued to frown, but couldn't actually find fault with the logic. As she thought about it, there was a knock at the door, followed by Applejack poking her head in.

“Howdy girls! Sorry to bug ya, but it's gettin' a might late. It's time for dinner sis, and you best be gettin' along back home.”

Apple Bloom looked at her sister with dewy eyes. “Aw, Applejack, do they hafta-?”

Scootaloo cut in with a big, sincere frown as she inched towards the door. “Aw, really? That's too bad. Welp, see you tomorrow!” She shot past a confused Applejack, galloping down the ramp, grabbing her scooter, and disappearing into the Apple Family Orchard.

As she left, she could just barely hear Sweetie Belle's voice behind her. “Hey, did Scootaloo seem a little weird to you?”

Only when Scootaloo was all the way past the wooden fence that surrounded Sweet Apple Acres did she slow down, Sweetie's last comment never once leaving her mind. Weird...

There were a lot of things that a filly could call Scootaloo that would annoy her: a snitch, a crybaby, a chicken, a dweeb, but none of those really got to her for long, and she could get over insults with the best of them. But there was one set of words that just always struck a sour note, no matter what: odd, weird, freaky, un-awesome. Okay, maybe that last one was just to keep up appearances as Dash's sister, but she didn't like it either.

But being weird she couldn't handle, and had been fighting that image ever since she came to Ponyville. Admittedly, everything around that was weird and, while she did her best to keep it out of her mind, it still kept her up at night sometimes.

Scootaloo drove past Sugarcube Corner, her mind wandering to that night five years ago. She'd wandered into town, so tired she couldn't walk straight and so hungry she couldn't even cry, her few possessions clutched tightly beneath her tiny wings. She'd collapsed under the park bench, and there was found by Pinkie Pie and immediately taken to Sugarcube Corner where she was fed and asked about herself. She'd been silent except for two things: she was homeless, and she was an orphan.

She turned down her street, coming up to her house, the house of the kindest pony in the world. Scootaloo buzzed up to the humble town cottage as the light of the sunset bathed its cream walls orange. Going inside, she shut the door quietly and hurried to the stairs, not really wanting to talk to anypony. However, it was like the house's owner had a sixth sense about these things, and she popped her head out of her study with a bright, though slightly puzzled, smile on her face. “You're home early, Scootaloo. Have a good time?”

Scootaloo sighed, shoulders drooping as she got caught, though she stayed facing the same direction, hoping the conversation would be short. Trying to hide her thoughtful mood, she quickly responded, “Yeah.” She could hear the study door open behind her and hoofsteps coming out and her shoulders drooped more. That's not gonna be the end of it...

“Are you alright? You sound a little down.”

Scootaloo turned around with an exaggerated smile. “I'm fine, Ms. Cheerilee, honest.”

Cheerilee just frowned, her green eyes seeing straight through the forced smile. “Scootaloo, you know better. It's just 'Cheerilee' at home. Now tell me what's the matter.”

“Nothing. Just a long day crusading.” Scootaloo yawned theatrically, stretching out a hoof before looking downhearted. “Still no cutie marks...”

Cheerilee's soft smile appeared, wiping away any worry she had. “It's alright, Scootaloo. You'll get it some day. Would you like me to call you when dinner's ready, or bring it up to you?”

“Could you bring it up? I'm too tired to talk much right now.”

Cheerilee nodded. “Of course. Just try not to fall asleep before I get up there, okay? You ran out before breakfast, I'm not having you miss every meal today.” With that she turned away, trotting happily into the kitchen and leaving Scootaloo to her own on the stairs.

Scootaloo let a relieved smile reach her face. Cheerilee was an amazing pony. So kind and helpful, and not nearly the doting mare she seemed to be at school. Scootaloo shuddered, walking up the stairs to her room.

School was an... interesting subject in their house. It was well known that Scootaloo didn't have the best marks in class, and every so often she could overhear a pony asking Cheerilee about it while she was in her room or stuck in detention. But Cheerilee always gave the same answer, one that stunned the questioner and Scootaloo alike. “If I help Scootaloo, then I have to help everypony else with their homework, and then nopony would learn. Scootaloo is young, she'll have plenty of time to fix her mistakes.” Sure, she would be disappointed in class, and at home Scootaloo would get reminders, but Cheerilee respected Scootaloo's choices and privacy, something she appreciated deeply.

She entered her room, a cozy space decorated in cyan blue and rainbows, a color scheme to match her hero and mentor, Rainbow Dash. There was even a poster on the wall, the first one printed after she'd become a Wonderbolt, signed by the whole team and gifted to her by Rainbow herself. However, Scootaloo ignored that, instead rushing to the corner of her bed and shifting it a little, moving the loose floorboard and pulling out the old, charred diary.

This was her one thing, her secret happy place, the item most important to her in the whole world. Even more than her Wonderbolts poster or her scooter, and not even Cheerilee knew about it. She lifted it out, rubbing a hoof over the worn cover slowly, tracing the letters with just a touch of tears in her eye. 'My Diary, by Firebug' was all that was on the cover, but... that was all that it needed.

Scootaloo sat on her bed, carefully turning each heat damaged page and reading the nigh-memorized words. Whenever Scootaloo was feeling... weird, she could always count on Firebug to keep her calm. Even over five years later, there was just no replacement. Not the Crusaders, not Rainbow, and definitely not Cheerilee.

A tear dropped from her eye onto the page. All of them have been gone for five years...

The door creaked open suddenly, causing Scootaloo to jump and shove the diary under her pillow. She wiped at her eyes, silently kicking herself for letting herself get worked up. By the time Cheerilee's pink mane popped into the door, Scootaloo was all smiles, patiently waiting as Cheerilee brought in the plate of spaghetti. Scootaloo remembered at the last moment to unfold a small table kept under the bed, setting it up for the plate to be placed down.

The spaghetti steamed lightly, fresh cooked, with perfect looking sauce and cheese on top. Cheerilee also placed down a glass of juice and a fork, then looked at Scootaloo and smiled. “Looks like I made it just in time! You must be about to fall asleep, your eyes all red like that.”

“Uh, yeah...” Scootaloo rubbed at her eyes again, trying to lessen the redness before digging into the food. As she ate, Cheerilee stood nearby, looking at the room and waiting to take the plate back downstairs.

“Scootaloo, before I forget, tomorrow there's a new filly entering your class.” Scootaloo's ears perked up, showing that she was listening as the food rapidly left the plate. “I want you to try to make friends with her, alright? Her and her father just moved in from another town and she could use a smiling face her age.” The sounds of sipping juice was the only response Cheerilee got. “And, who knows, she might want to join your club! She hasn't found her special talent yet either.” The eating stopped for a moment, followed by a nod before and the slurping of noodles started up again. “Anyway, that is for tomorrow.”

Cheerilee turned around, finding the food gone and a smiling pegasus looking at her. “Well, I'm glad you enjoyed that. Get a good night's sleep, alright? I'll see you in the morning.”

“Okay.” Scootaloo lay down in her bed, getting comfy. “Goodnight Cheerilee!”

Cheerilee smiled, kissing Scootaloo lightly on the forehead. “Goodnight Scootaloo.” She then picked up the plate and glass, turned off the lights, and left, closing the door behind her.

As soon as it was closed, Scootaloo brought back out the diary, turning on the lamp by her bed to read it once more. There weren't many pages left, but she carefully read each one, slowly letting her residual worries of oddity slip away. She was normal. Sure, she acted odd, and she'd done something unexplainable, but Sweetie and Bloom would forget by morning...

Actually tired, she hid her book beneath the floorboard once more, turned off her light, and drifted to sleep, the flames of her burning ship lingering in her mind.

Hoofsteps pound creaking floorboards as the three tiny fillies ran from the blazing inferno. They run two in front and one far behind, threatened to be left in the smoke and the ash if she can't keep up. The tiny orange pegasus runs her heart out, clutching the book held in her teeth, the thing she went back for, with every fiber of her being. Ahead of her first the white, then the blue filly jump through the front door, escaping into the cool night air. The hall seems to stretch on forever, the heat closing in on all sides, but the pegasus persists, weakly flapping her wings to give her just that little boost.

Boost or no, her running is in vain. She reaches the door only to find it blocked, burning debris collapsing down on her head and trapping her inside. The pegasus curls up with her book, huddling against the rage of the inferno. She rocks, chanting to herself words of comfort. “It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a dream...” It happens every night, and yet, it is no less frightening than the first time.

Suddenly, the fires stop, the heat replaced with a creeping, bone chilling cold. She opens her eyes, finding instead of fire, void. All around her are clouds of pure, limitless darkness, pulsating and swirling and looking more dangerous than a fire ever could. They make the pegasus curl up smaller, the old terror almost comforting by comparison.

And then they appear. Yellow eyes, filled with malice, glow from the darkness. New pairs appear all around her, and with each one, a cruel, twisted smile cobbled together from wickedly sharp, crooked teeth. Before her eyes the darkness condenses, forming one mass of nothingness so large the house disappears around her. She stares up, body locked in fear, as the many small eyes become two large, dangerously intelligent orbs piercing her soul. It leans forward, its icy breath washing over her, before one word exits its mangled lips. “Scream.”

The pegasus does, letting the full power of her lungs blare out a wail. The darkness just laughs, each rumbling sound able to rattle the pegasus where she lay, forcing her into silence. She looks up to see it looming, and has just enough time to scream once more before the darkness descends.

Scootaloo shot up in bed, feeling the cold sweat clinging to her body and her heart racing in her chest. She also heard a shrill voice, and it took her more than a moment to realize it is her own scream. Immediately she shoved her hooves in her mouth, listening intently to the sudden silence that filled the dark space.

She couldn't place her hoof on it, but the room felt wrong, as though something horrible had just left it. She looked around, seeing her door and window both shut, nothing out of place except her sweat-soaked sheets. Shivering, though she can't tell if from fear or cold, she pulls her blankets closer, wrapping them into an impenetrable barrier. What... what was that thing? It felt so real! There were nightmares, and then there was whatever that had been.

Hearing no reaction from Cheerilee to her scream brought on conflicting emotions. On the one hoof, she was relieved not to be thought any weirder, but on the other, she suddenly felt more alone than she had in years... Reluctantly, skittishly, she curled back into bed, clutching her blanket close. After nearly ten minutes of tense silence, she spoke to the darkness. “Princess Luna, I know you're watching... Please keep me safe.”

Whether she was heard or not, the feeling of the room shifted, no longer quite so hostile. Still uneasy, but too tired to fight it, Scootaloo drifted back to sleep.

The next day went as any weekday did. Scootaloo was woken up far too early by Cheerilee and given her breakfast, which she ate alone in silence while her guardian went off to prepare the classroom. After dozing for about an hour, Scootaloo realized she was running late and grabbed her backpack, the due homework still undone, and rushed out the door. At the stoop she turned, locking the front door behind her before jamming her helmet on her head and hopping on her scooter. Buzzing through town like an orange and purple blur, she reached the schoolhouse just seconds after the bell started ringing, landing in her seat just as the bell went quiet.

Scootaloo quickly asked Sweetie Belle if she could copy her homework and was already starting to write when Cheerilee began her morning routine. “Good morning class!”

“Good morning, Ms. Cheerilee,” the class sing-songed back in unison.

“Today is a special day! Can anypony tell me why?” Cheerilee let her vision sweep over the class, smiling at the three eager faces and choosing to ignore the plethora of bored, tired ponies that weren't paying attention or were trying to finish their homework last-minute. As she did, a cream colored hoof shot into the air. “Yes, Twist?”

“Ith it becauthe we're thtarting a new chapter?” she said, her slight lisp doing nothing to dampen her burning, knowledge-hungry eyes.

Cheerilee chuckled. “No, it's not that, though that is true. It's because we're getting a new classmate today!” She clapped her hooves together, an action joined in again by those eager faces, but ignored by the rest. Not letting it bother her mood, Cheerilee motioned for the new student to enter. “Now class, I would like to introduce you all to Bluebell! Come on in and say hello.”

Scootaloo worked feverishly at the homework, copying down math problems as fast as her pencil would move, but she heard the timid steps of the new pony walking to the front of the classroom, followed by silence. In front of her she heard Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon snickering, apparently not liking the look of the new pony. “Blank flank!” she heard one whisper to the other, followed by another snorting giggle.

“Look! She don't have a cutie mark neither. Maybe she wants to be a crusader?”

“I dunno, she hasn't said anything. She's just standing there.”

“Maybe she's nervous?”

“No, I think she's just shy. But if we get her to join our group, then it'll totally balance out our 'outgoing and energetic frenzy of chaos and deconstruction.'”

Scootaloo scribbled down the second to last problem in the resulting silence.

“What the hay does that mean?”

“I dunno, but Rarity said it and it sounded so cool!”

“Yeah, whatever. Hey, Scootaloo, what do you think? Should we ask her to be a Crusader?” Scootaloo finished the final problem, looking up as she did to find her view completely full of Apple Bloom's inquisitive face.

Not put off by this, she slipped Sweetie Belle's paper back to her. “Dunno. I haven't seen her yet. But if she doesn't have a cutie mark, that automa-” Scootaloo's sentence froze in her throat as her eyes fell on the filly standing in front of the class.

It was a blue earth pony with messy navy blue hair that dropped in front of her blue eyes where it wasn't pinned up with a small black bow. “Scootaloo?” On her back was a small black backpack, from which stuck the head of a fabric deep purple cat doll, which lolled out to stare at the class with small yellow beads, a crooked smile stitched on its face. “Scootaloo, are ya alright?” Scootaloo watched the new pony like a hawk, not taking her eyes off of her as she was led to a seat on the other side of the room. “Can you hear me? Hello?” Her look wasn't pretty or powerful or particularly outstanding, it just had one special quality that held Scootaloo firm.

She looked just like the blue filly in her dream.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked over at Scootaloo, confused as to why their friend was spending recess hiding in a bush and staring at the new pony. “You think she's alright?” asked Apple Bloom, who hadn't been able to get Scootaloo to respond at all despite numerous attempts at prodding. There was even a paper airplane stuck in Scootaloo's mane from one attempt, which she didn't even bother to remove.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “I don't know. I haven't ever seen her act like this.”

Apple Bloom looked at their friend again, a frown growing on her face. “Well I don't like it. It ain't right.”

Sweetie Belle thought for a moment, her hoof poking her cotton fluff mane. “Hmm... It all started when she looked at the new filly, right?”

Apple Bloom nodded, no idea where Sweetie was going with this. “Bluebell? Yeah. She was fine until she saw her, then she just froze up.”

“Maybe she's in love.”

Silence hung in the playground air as Apple Bloom gave Sweetie Belle a puzzled stare. “What?”

Sweetie nodded, her confidence in the idea rising the more she thought about it. “Yeah! Like in the stories Rarity's always reading. A stallion always comes and then they look at each other and immediately fall in love, and then that can't think about anything except each other. That's gotta be it!”

Apple Bloom thought about the explanation, feeling it have more weight than it should have. Except there were a few problems. “But Bluebell ain't a stallion.”

Sweetie Belle just huffed, looking disappointed at her friend. “Apple Bloom, love isn't always a stallion and a mare! It's wherever it is found, whoever it may bring together.” Sweetie Belle finished the sweeping, grand gesture that went with her explanation, then suddenly dropped it, shrugging. “This time, it's two fillies.”

Apple Bloom nodded slowly, still not sold on the idea. “Alright, but then why isn't Bluebell acting the same?”

Sweetie looked confused. “She isn't?”

Pointing to where the pony in question sat, she shook her head. “Nope. She's just sitting under that tree talkin' to her doll.” Except, now that she looked at it, that doll seemed to be looking at her. And the filly looked really dark, with shadows under her eyes. Somethin' about her sets my fur on end.

Sweetie looked at Bluebell, a puzzled frown forming before it was replaced with a gasp. “Oh no! Bluebell didn't look at Scootaloo, so now her love is unrequited.”

Apple Bloom managed to wrench her own gaze from the creepy pony, the new word enough to draw her attention. “Unrewhatnow?”

Sweetie let out an exasperated sigh, tired of explaining something so simple to her friend. “Unrequited! It means Scootaloo loves Bluebell, but Bluebell doesn't love her back!”

Apple Bloom looked between the two, suddenly feeling very sad for her friend. “Should we tell Scootaloo?”

Sweetie nodded solemnly. “Of course. It's the right thing to do.”

The two Crusaders approached their compatriot, joining her in the bush without her even noticing. Apple Bloom was the first to say anything. “Scootaloo, I'm not sure what you're doing, but I don't think it's healthy.”

After Sweetie Belle pulled the paper airplane from her mane, she leaned herself on Scootaloo's head, trying a different tact to get at the paralyzed pegasus. “Scootaloo, are you having fun stalking your girlfriend?” Scootaloo didn't even budge, causing her two friends to look at each other worriedly. Sweetie got off of Scootaloo's head, hoping she hadn't inadvertently hurt her friend. “This is bad.”

Apple Bloom kicked at the dirt. “It's worse than that love poison! Why's love always got to make everypony act so weird?”

As if she'd said the magic word, Scootaloo sprang to life. “Weird? Who's weird? I'm just... you know...” Scootaloo nervously looked at the situation, the bush and the hours of staring doing nothing to help her case. After a moment she weakly finished her thought. “... scoping out the new Crusader.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow at her excuse, then looked over at the pony talking all alone with her doll, which seemed to stare directly at the bush. Something about it was really... creepy. “I dunno. I'm not so sure she should be a crusader no more.” Sweetie Belle looked slightly confused at this, but it was nothing compared to Scootaloo's reaction.

“What?! Why not?” Scootaloo seemed genuinely freaked by the thought, only confirming Apple Bloom's fears.

“Well, she's talkin' to her doll when everypony else is playing.” Apple Bloom gestured around, pointing out the ponies playing jump rope and tag near the center of the field. She then looked back over to the doll. It's still starin' at me... She shook her head. “That ain't normal.”

Scootaloo's head popped in front of Apple Bloom's face, cutting off her gaze with her defense. “She's only doing it because she doesn't have any friends, that's all! And we aren't playing either. We're all sitting in a bush arguing.”

Apple Bloom frowned at that, trying to look around Scootaloo at Bluebell again, not wanting to not be able to see her. “That ain't normal either. And after you got all lovestruck-”

Scootaloo blushed, her wings popping out at the comment. “I was not lovestruck!” She composed herself really quickly, looking back at the pony in question, though the red wouldn't leave her face from her embarrassment. “She's just...”

“There's something about her...” Sweetie continued, now also drawn into watching the odd pony under the tree.

“Like...” Apple Bloom picked up, watching the filly and the doll like you'd watch a fox in a hen house. “Like you don't want to take your eyes off her 'cause she'll getcha when ya aren't lookin'.” Sweetie nodded next to her, while Scootaloo now looked at them, worry on her face. Something was eating at her, but before she could say it, Apple Bloom kept talking. “She's just weird, and I don't think we want to be friends with her.”

Scootaloo seemed to struggle with her next words, taking a moment before actually speaking. “But what about Zecora? She was weird, and you made friends with her!”

Apple Bloom shook her head, tearing her focus away from the new pony and back to Scootaloo. “Zecora's different!”

“How?”

That was a very good question. How was Zecora different? I mean, yeah, she was scary, but she was alright. So why is this pony... Apple Bloom got the feeling of being watched and looked back over, again swearing she was making eye contact with the yellow beads of the doll's eyes. And the way Bluebell with her shadowed eyes was talking to it so intently; like she was giving it life, like she was making it whole...

Apple Bloom shook her head, getting rid of that thought in an instant. “She just is, alright? She's weird, and it's makin' me feel weird just watchin' her 'n that doll.”

Scootaloo seemed angry, pushing her point hard. “If she had friends, then she wouldn't need to play with the doll! We could be those friends! And we've got to get to her before-”

Sweetie cut in, the only one still looking at Bluebell. “Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” said Scootaloo, looking over with Apple Bloom. All three of them saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walking straight towards the new pony, mischief in their eyes and purpose in their steps.

“Uh oh,” all three of them said as one as they watched it unfold.

“Aww, Nightshade, are you sure you don't want to come out and play? I'm sure the other fillies would love to meet you!” Bluebell sat with her doll beneath the tree, him set against the bark while she sat on a mossy rock. Nightshade looked over at a nearby bush, his yellow bead eyes dead set on it. “No, it's not weird at all for them to be hiding from us. If I weren't your friend, I'd be hiding too.”

“Ooh! Silver Spoon, would you look at that? The new blank flank's playing all on her own.” Diamond Tiara stalked right up to Bluebell, her namesake tiara glinting in the light.

Silver Spoon was right behind her, looking condescendingly over her glasses. “Yeah, what a loser. Not even cool enough to join the Cutie Mark Crybabies.”

Bluebell just looked at them, obviously hurt by their words, but remaining silent. Annoyed by so little a reaction, Tiara pushed a little harder. “What's the matter, blank flank? Just too dorky? Or maybe it's your stupid doll!”

That got a reaction, as Bluebell grabbed her doll and pulled it closer. “Nightshade is not stupid! He's a mean and powerful king of darkness!”

The terrible twosome smirked evilly at each other as Tiara took the lead. “Whatever. I bet it falls apart on the way home.”

“Yeah,” said Spoon. “Who even stitched that horrible thing. Your mother?”

Bluebell held her doll closer, lowering her face until a shadow covered her eyes. “You don't want to make me mad.”

Tiara scoffed at the threat. “Or what? You'll throw a tantrum? You'll cry about it?” She and Spoon shared a snorting laugh, but it was cut off midway when the doll flew at Tiara, knocking off her namesake headpiece and getting tangled in her mane. Tiara screamed, bucking around to try to dislodge the doll. “Eww! Get this gross thing off of me! It's going to get fluff everywhere! And why does it feel so icky?”

Silver Spoon immediately ran and picked up the fallen headpiece, though when she came back, she was stopped in her tracks. The doll's head was almost backwards, staring at her, those yellow beads locked on and the twisted smile not fading.

Diamond Tiara glared at her, stomping a hoof in the dirt. “Silver Spoon! Get this thing off of me and give me back my tiara!”

Silver Spoon took a step back, eyes locked on the doll. “But it's staring at me...”

“Silver Spoon! Ugh!” Diamond Tiara flicked a hoof through her hair, knocking the doll back into Bluebell's waiting hooves before marching over to Silver Spoon and grabbing her tiara back. When it was back in place, she turned to find Bluebell giggling at her, that creepy crawly doll looking somehow smug with itself. “How dare you throw your stupid doll at me!”

Bluebell shook her head. “I didn't! Nightshade threw himself at you! He doesn't like mean ponies, and neither do I!”

Tiara huffed, stomping closer towards Bluebell. “I'm not a mean pony! You're just a weirdo with a creepy doll!”

“Yeah, freak! Take that scary thing away.”

“You two leave her alone!” A cream colored pony with a frizzy red mane walked up between Bluebell and the twosome. “Being in a new thcool is hard enough without bullieth.”

“What, weirdo? Can't defend yourself so you get the nerdy 'Twithhhhhhhht' to do it?” said Tiara, putting extra emphasis on the 'lisp.'

“They said to leave her alone!” a second voice called from behind the bullies, followed soon by a lavender unicorn filly with a bright blonde mane.

Silver Spoon rolled her eyes. “Oh, and Dinky too. The nerd with the freaky mom.”

“At least my mom pays attention to me,” said Dinky smugly, drawing a surprisingly hostile reaction from Silver Spoon. However, she was held back by Diamond Tiara.

“Come on, Silver Spoon. Lets leave before these weirdos nerd up the place.” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon walked away, glaring the whole time. They were done, but not defeated.

Twist and Dinky watched them go, then turned to Bluebell, who was hugging her doll close to her. “Don't mind thothe two. They're jutht a couple of bullieth.”

Dinky smiled at Bluebell, taking care not to look at the doll, even though it seemed to be looking at her. “You alright?”

Bluebell nodded. “Yeah... thanks...”

Apple Bloom pointed to the three ponies under the tree, all talking and laughing. “There, see? She's got friends. She don't need us now.”

“But she still doesn't have a cutie mark!” said Scootaloo, not willing to relent. “She can still be a crusader!”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “It ain't happening Scootaloo! I don't want her to be a part of the club!”

Scootaloo turned to Sweetie Belle, hoping to beat Apple Bloom on numbers. “You're with me, aren't you Sweetie Belle?”

Sweetie didn't look too thrilled. “I dunno Scootaloo... She's kind of weird.”

Apple Bloom nodded at that. “Good! So we're in agreement. No Bluebell in the club, right?”

Sweetie nodded. “Right.”

Apple Bloom looked towards Scootaloo. “Right?”

Scootaloo looked at Bluebell and her friends, then back to Sweetie and Apple Bloom. After thinking about it for a few moments, she sighed. Weird was the one thing she didn't want to be. “Right...”

Apple Bloom smiled. “Right!”

“Alright class! Everypony come back in!” called Cheerilee from the doors to the school. Immediately everypony started to filter back, including Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, Twist and Dinky. Two of the last ponies to move were Bluebell and Scootaloo. Scootaloo waited as long as possible, staying in the bush and spying on the new pony, but when Apple Bloom let out an exasperated “C'mon, Scootaloo!” she finally started to back away.

But before she left, she cast one more look at the blue pony and her doll. You look just like her... And whether or not you are, I'm gonna find out.

Dark Carnival

”Scootaloo! Get out of here, go!” yells the older yellow filly, pushing the small Scootaloo out of the door and slamming it shut behind her. Scootaloo stares at the door, confusion in her eyes from the frightened determination she'd heard in the yellow filly's command. She begins to walk down the hallway, doing what she'd been told when the house is rocked by a large explosion, throwing her against a wall. She is stunned for a moment, but when her vision clears she is surrounded by smoke and fire.

Terrified, she runs for the exit, nearly there before she realizes she forgot something. She runs back into the burning building, passing the blue and white fillies as she dives into her sweltering room, her hoof closing around a diary. She turns to run-

The building is gone, the void filled with a freezing chill. In all directions, apart from the fire-bathed patch of woodwork she stood on, there is swirling nothingness, a maddening void from which nothing but terror flows. Scootaloo tries to press the diary against her chest, but it disappears, leaving her well and truly alone. At least until the eyes show up.

All around her, from all directions, yellow glowing eyes and twisted, gnarled smiles track her cowering form. Slowly they coalesced into one being, only different from the darkness by sense of presence. It comes closer to the cowering Scootaloo, tendrils extending and freezing rancid breath running over her face. It smiles widely, snaggle teeth poking all directions as it whispers in a low growl.

SCREAM.

Scootaloo does, the wood beneath her crumbling away and sending her spiraling into a giant abyss, the crooked mouth open, ready to devour her whole.

Scootaloo shot up in bed, clutching her blankets to her chest as cold sweat poured down her body. She was trembling and screaming, though she stopped that as soon as she realized, staring into the darkness of her room with pure fear in her eyes. Where is that beast... it's in here somewhere... watching me...

She heard steps coming closer to her door and pulled her blanket tighter, watching the door like a bunny watches an oncoming wolf. When it opened, she screamed again, throwing the blanket over her head and yelling at the bed. “NO! DON'T EAT ME! GO AWAY!”

However, instead of the searing pain of being eaten or the low growl of the beast, what reaches Scootaloo is a gentle hug and a comforting voice. “Scootaloo! Scootaloo! It's alright, it's just me! It's just Cheerilee.” Scootaloo threw the blanket off of her head, looking into the caring green eyes of her guardian. She wrapped Cheerilee in a tight hug, almost crying in relief, while Cheerilee rubbed her back lovingly. “There, there. It's alright. It was just a nightmare.” The sound of Cheerilee's voice was relieved too, as though from the scream she'd expected a burglar or worse.

Scootaloo hugged her tighter, not wanting Cheerilee to go, even whimpering slightly when Cheerilee moved. She looked into those green eyes, fear behind her own. “Can... can I sleep with you tonight?”

Cheerilee met the fearful look with a soft smile. “I'll do you one better. Scoot over, Scootaloo.” Scootaloo does, and Cheerilee gets into the bed next to her and placing a motherly kiss on her head. “That any better?”

Scootaloo nodded, hugging herself close to Cheerilee, comforted not to be alone. “Much. Thank you.”

Cheerilee just shook her head chuckling, lightly. “Of course. Sleep well, Scootaloo.”

“You too, Cheerilee.” Scootaloo laid down on her pillow, a soft smile on her face now that she wasn't alone, though the memory of the nightmare still haunted her. It was just so real... She shivered slightly, hugging Cheerilee a little closer before finally falling back asleep.

Scootaloo woke up with Cheerilee the next morning, bright and very early, still shaken slightly from the memory of the night before. However, Cheerilee's smiling face soon brought the little pegasus out of it. “You alright? No more nightmares I hope.”

Scootaloo smiled back, shaking her tired head. “Not a one... Thanks again.”

Cheerilee gave her ward a warm smile. “Of course. Now wash up and come downstairs, I'll have breakfast ready when you do.”

Scootaloo nodded, getting up and going to the bathroom to wash her hooves and face. When she came out and went downstairs she found toast, jelly, and juice waiting for her, along with a Cheerilee, who was moments from walking out the door. “Here you go! I'll see you in class. And try to be punctual for once.”

Scootaloo stopped her from leaving, an idea forming in her mind. “Actually... could I go with you today? If that's alright?”

The teacher looked at her student like she'd just burst into flames. “You want to come in early?” She then placed a hoof on Scootaloo's head. “Are you sure you're feeling alright? Do you have a fever?”

Scootaloo pushed the hoof off, slightly indignant. “Stop that! I'm serious! I want to come in early.” Even she could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth, but her curiosity demanded it be sated, and there was only one way.

Cheerilee looked at her as if debating the options, hesitance on her face. “I don't know... I have a ritual I normally do, and having a student there, even if it is you, could...” She looked at the puppy-dog eyes Scootaloo was giving her, holding out for only a few seconds before caving. “Oh, alright. But I need to focus on my class setup, so can you be quiet for me?” Scootaloo nodded eagerly, causing Cheerilee to smile. “Good! Then hurry up and eat. I don't know what suddenly gave you scholastic interest, but I'm certainly not going to stop it.” With that she left the room, leaving Scootaloo to inhale her food as quickly as possible.

As soon as she was done, she ran back upstairs, grabbing her bag from the bed, a smile on her face as she realized how simply her plan was going to work. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom don't come in until right before the bell. I can pick Bluebell's brain before they show up! I won't be weird, I'll get to know what I want, it's foalproof! She ran back downstairs, meeting Cheerilee at the door, the teacher's bags laden with books whose weight she didn't even seem to notice.

Cheerilee gave the young pegasus a smile. “You ready?” Scootaloo nodded, putting on her helmet and grabbing her scooter. When they went outside, locking the door behind them, Scootaloo buzzed slowly down the street as Cheerilee walked at a leisurely pace, the early rays of sunrise only now bathing the world in a light golden glow.

The pace they took was painfully slow to the filly, who was eager to talk to her mystery classmate. But Cheerilee would not be rushed, walking with a pleasant smile on her face, every so often taking in a deep breath, eyes closed, before sighing contentedly. After another of these, the mare looked over to her strolling partner. “I just love early morning, before most ponies are even moving yet. The air's so fresh and sweet it's almost like candy. Don't you agree?”

Scootaloo nodded, a pleasant, if quick, smile on her face. “Yeah! It's great!” As soon as Cheerilee's gaze was elsewhere, Scootaloo slumped, leaning her chin against the handle of her scooter and mumbling to herself. “Just wonderful... Even the roosters are still asleep...” Despite her grumbling, Scootaloo kept Cheerilee's pace, not rushing the morning walk through sleepy Ponyville.

It seemed like ages before they reached the schoolhouse, and by then Scootaloo had to use every ounce of her will on to just lean on her scooter and groan in boredom. They'd left with sunrise just starting, and as Cheerilee opened the door to the class, the sun was over the tallest hill, the pinks and peaches of early morning giving way to the clear, wonderful blue of morning proper. Cheerilee went to her desk, setting down her bags before sitting, pulling out a book and a pencil and marking things off. Scootaloo put her scooter and helmet in their cubby, sitting at her desk and looking out the window towards the clock tower.

Her jaw dropped. There's two hours until class?! I only thought I ever slept for one... She was about to groan loudly until she remembered Cheerilee working silently, getting the class in order. Instead she silently slumped in her seat, head dropping back and sighing. This is going to be a loooong wait.

Scootaloo waited. And waited. And waited some more, shifting in her seat, leaning on her desk, playing with her pencil... She blew a lock of hair out of her eyes, letting it fall back into place to give her something to do. She watched Cheerilee, watched birds and pegasi in the sky outside, balanced her chair, tossed and caught her notebook... Anything to pass the time. And then she looked to the clock tower, heart sinking at the sight. It had been ten minutes, and she was already bored out of her skull.

With an exasperated moan she flopped forward onto her desk, too bored to stop her forehead from hitting it with a resounding 'Thunk!' After an eternity in that position, the only sound the scratching of Cheerilee's pencil and the gentle humming of whatever tune was in Cheerilee's head, Scootaloo looked up, her eyes falling on her notebook and the homework she'd left undone the night before.

With literally nothing else to do, she got out the text book, opening to the math problems for the day and placing her pencil in her mouth. She chewed on the eraser lightly as she thought, not enough to leave marks, just enough to have something to do, carefully thinking out the problem before her.

At first it might as well have been written in ancient Chineighse for all the sense it made. Scootaloo hadn't been paying attention in class for... How long ago did the school year start? At least a year before that. However, as she set herself on it, really thinking it out, slowly it made sense. Eventually, suddenly, it just clicked, and while she wasn't sure she was fully right, she at least was getting the gist of it. She was almost even proud of herself, of how well she was able to make the numbers work, until she realized exactly what she'd been thinking.

Wow. I am bored if this is fun. Still, she finished her homework, without help or copying for once, and closed her notebook, looking out at the clock tower again. It had taken her an hour, probably way too long for how many problems there were, but at least her wait wouldn't be so long. As she was turning back to her desk, she caught Cheerilee looking at her out of the corner of her eye. The purple mare didn't say a word, and her pencil kept moving on the page below her, but she had a wide, proud smile on her face which said it all.

Scootaloo began to blush, realizing how much Cheerilee must have been waiting for this day and how long she'd been putting it off, with more than a hint of embarrassment. But before her cheeks could even warm, the door opened, the first of the students coming into the classroom. Scootaloo held her breath, heart rate picking up as she realized this was the moment she'd been waiting all morning for, hoping her time wasn't in vain...

A navy blue mane peeked in the door, the little black bow holding it back bringing glee to Scootaloo's face. This was it! This was exactly what she was waiting for! She stood up, ready to walk over to the filly, when a noise caught her ear, causing her to sit back down. It was the giggling of multiple fillies, as behind Bluebell walked in Twist and Dinky, all three of them laughing and chatting and excited for the day. They quieted when they saw Cheerilee working, giving her a friendly wave, which she returned, before going back to chatting and making their way to the front of the class.

Right... she's a nerd. Of course she'd be coming in with those two... Twist saw Scootaloo, visibly confused before she gave a friendly wave, which Scootaloo half-heartedly returned. The other two noticed her, and Dinky waved as well, though she was even more confused than Twist.

Bluebell didn't even give her a second glance.

Scootaloo tried to muster up the courage to walk over, to talk to Bluebell, to ask her a few questions, but... after all of that waiting, after doing her homework, she'd just be weird if she went up now. She saw the looks the other two had given her, and Bluebell didn't even know her. They were already a pod, quickly becoming fast friends, and trying to force her way into that would just make her stick out like a broken pinion.

Scootaloo sighed to herself, suddenly tired for the sleep she'd missed earlier as she looked over at Bluebell, wishing she could talk to her without it being weird. I just need to know... Why does it have to be difficult? As she looked at Bluebell, her eyes were drawn to the black bag beside Bluebell's chair, and more specifically, the yellow beads and stitched smile of Bluebell's doll. She couldn't place her hoof on it, but that doll was only making it weirder, like it was watching her, judging her...

Shaking her head to clear it, she then let her head rest against the desk, trying to get in a quick nap before her friends arrived and class began. But no matter what she did, the room just felt wrong. And it wasn't like she hadn't slept in class before, there was just this presence... like a timberwolf in the bush that you know is there, but you couldn't see...

Try as she might, she remained awake up until everypony else arrived, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle coming in just before the bell, both surprised to see Scootaloo there. However, before they could ask, the day began, leaving Scootaloo and her uneasy feelings alone amongst her friends.

Class crawled by for Scootaloo as she watched Bluebell like a hawk, waiting for the perfect time to talk. Of course, she had to keep up appearances, so she played dodge ball at recess, which, with her distracted, resulted in only the loud ring of rubber against her head and a strong stinging in her ear when she picked herself up from the ground. She was always the fastest dodger, so being taken out first to sit on the side and stare at the blue filly and her doll just got her strange looks.

And not just from her friends. The terrible twosome made a point to call her out for her obsession, calling her Stalkerloo, and even Dinky and Twist ended up making sure never to be too far from Bluebell when Scootaloo was around. In fact, the one free moment she thought she could have used was when Bluebell requested to use the little filly's room. Within seconds Scootaloo's hoof was also in the air, asking for a break, but Cheerilee just frowned at her. “You know the rule Scootaloo, only one pony out of class at a time.”

Finally, after the endless torture of the day, the school bell rang, everypony leaping from their seats and rushing for the door. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were out first, as always, but when the three got outside, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle realized they were two. Scootaloo, who had been right behind them, nowhere to be found. “Alright, this is jest getting ridiculous,” Apple Bloom said, searching the road outside the schoolhouse. “Where the hay could she have gone?”

“She's still in love with that other filly! We should have kept better track of her. Weird things always happen when it's unrequited...” As Bluebell left the front door, alone for perhaps the first time the entire day as Twist and Dinky waved her off and went towards their homes, Sweetie Belle rounded the corner of the school, searching for her friend. She was immediately bowled over by a mass of orange, tumbling and rolling into the bushes in front of the school. The two fillies shook their head, both surprised by the other's arrival. “Scootaloo?”

“Dang it! She's getting away!” Scootaloo leaped from the bush, wings buzzing to give her just a little more lift as she cleared the school's fence, following Bluebell down the path towards the Everfree. Her eyes were fixed, she was finally going to get her chance to talk to her, finally get a moment alone.

A pink bow appeared in front of her, causing her to do her best to brake her jump with her wings and dropping her in front of a very disappointed Apple Bloom. “Scootaloo, I don't know what's gotten inta you, but it's downright creepy. How long are you gonna keep up this stalker act?”

“Yeah!” said Sweetie Belle, pulling herself from the bush and brushing some of the twigs from her mane. “I can only guess how hard it is when somepony doesn't love you back, but you can't just go stalking them unless you're a vampony or something. If you aren't going to add them to the followers of Luna it just doesn't work.”

Apple Bloom gave Sweetie Belle a very confused look, which just brought an eye roll from the unicorn. “Sheesh! Haven't you read anything? It's a common rule of romance: anything involving a creature of the night is no longer creepy.”

Apple Bloom's look went from confused to flat. “Now I see why AJ keeps takin' the books you give me. That makes no sense at all!” She then shook her head, looking Scootaloo in the eyes. “But that don't matter none! Why're you being so weird lately, Scoots?”

Scootaloo wasn't paying attention to Apple Bloom, edging to the side to watch Bluebell's tail disappear behind a stand of trees. That way leads to the Everfree... Why would she live so far out of town? Must be trying not to be weird either... “Scootaloo!” huffed Apple Bloom, moving to cut off the pegasus' vision. “Stop doin' that!”

Sweetie Belle came up behind Scootaloo, wrapping a foreleg around her and patting her on the shoulder. “There, there, Scootaloo. It's alright. We'll find you somepony else to love, somepony who loves you back.”

Scootaloo blushed bright red, pulling away from her friends. “I'm not in love with her and I'm not acting weird! I just...” What? Think she's the filly from my dreams? Yeah, that'll sound normal. And then that means I'd have to tell them about that... Scootaloo's wings and ears drooped, her decision suddenly infinitely harder. Did she tell her friends that and make herself the biggest weirdo in town to talk to Bluebell, or give up on knowing the truth to keep her friends? “I... uh.... um... I just... well...”

The others gave her an expectant look. “Well...?”

Scootaloo shrunk back, what little resolve dwindling at the pressure of her peers. “Well... I...”

“Hey! Do you three want to come to a party?” a bright voice asked from down the road Bluebell had followed, catching the Cutie Mark Crusaders's attentions immediately.

Scootaloo, thankful for the distraction, ran over to the voice's owner, none other than Pinkie Pie herself. “A party? Count us in! When and where and who?”

“Why, in two hours at Sugarcube Corner, silly!” said Pinkie, smiling brightly at the three. Her usually free and frizzy pink mane was nestled under a small top hat, a matching tailcoat over her fur. She gave a snorting giggle, then looked at Scootaloo, amused and confused. “Where else would the party be?”

“Well,” chimed in Sweetie Belle, “you throw house parties all the time, it might have been one of those.”

Pinkie's face turned into a rare frown. “I tried that! But every time I did the mean old Mr. Brambles would catch me and throw me out of his house, and he refused to leave for me to set up the surprise! So I decided, since I couldn't hold a surprise party for him at his house, I'd surprise the town with his party at mine! That way he couldn't possibly stop it.”

“Mr. Brambles? Who's he? I ain't seen any new ponies around 'cept for Bluebell, and my sister ain't mentioned anypony new either.”

“Mr. Brambles is Bluebell's father,” said Pinkie.

Scootaloo frowned. Bluebell has a father? Oh...

Not knowing Scootaloo's thoughts, Pinkie continued. “The two of them moved into town last weekend, and I was only able to give them their welcome today! It's the latest welcome party I've ever given somepony! The injustice couldn't be allowed to continue!” Pinkie brought one of her forehooves into the other, a serious expression on her face. Then, after a moment, it switched to panic. “And I didn't decorate yet! I was too busy leaving invitations around... I knew I was forgetting something. Girls, would you like to help me decorate for the party? There's extra cupcakes just for eating while setting up!”

Scootaloo was about to accept, realizing there'd have to be a spare moment at the party to corner Bluebell and clear things up, but before she could say anything Apple Bloom piped up. “I dunno, Pinkie. We might be too booked up crusadin' to help! Plus the last time we tried to decorate anything, Sweet Apple Acres ended up lookin' hit by a ribbon twister.” Apple Bloom gave Scootaloo a disapproving look, like she knew what Scootaloo would try to do. Anything tied to Bluebell was a bad idea while Scootaloo was acting so weird. “We might have to miss this one.”

However, nopony had given the message to Sweetie Belle. “Miss a Pinkie Party? Are you crazy? Pinkie always has the best parties! Nopony's ever left one without having fun.”

Scootaloo nodded eagerly. “Yeah! And we even get free stuff if we help out! It'll be great!”

Apple Bloom frowned at the two of them. “Scootaloo, I don't really think...”

“And we haven't tried a party planning cutie mark yet...” said Sweetie Belle mostly to herself, as if just realizing that fact. “Just ones for shindigs, meetings, get-togethers, and hoe-downs...” Sweetie gasped, grabbing Apple Bloom by the shoulders and shaking her. “We might be missing a chance to get our cutie marks!”

“And free cupcakes!” chimed in Pinkie, joining Sweetie in shaking Apple Bloom.

“Come on! You can't do better than that! We've got to go now!” said Scootaloo, joining the other two to shake her friend even harder. After a couple seconds of that, all three of them stopped in unison, giving Apple Bloom matching puppy-dog eyes and quivering lips. “Please!”

Apple Bloom held her head for a moment, watching the nine wobbly ponies in front of her condense down to three, all pleading at her irresistibly. She didn't even last ten seconds. “Fine, we'll go help decorate.”

“YES!” exclaimed Pinkie, jumping into the air and pumping her hoof in victory. In a flash she had the other three on her back, galloping at seemingly light speed as she headed into Ponyville. “This is going to be the best Surprise Surprise Party ever!”

The decorating went off without too many hitches, though the third time all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had to be untangled from the streamers and de-caked they figured out that party planning cutie marks probably weren't in their future. Still, they were able to bring out and arrange pastries as Pinkie told them to, and the store was decorated and ready with time to spare for even the earliest of party guests.

As the girls sat eating their helper cupcakes, Sweetie Bell reached for her cup of punch, pulling it up and drinking from it when something bumped against her nose. Opening her eyes, she found herself looking into vacant purple reptilian eyes, and she did what any normal filly would do in that situation. She screamed and flailed. Punch flew one way, Gummy another, latching deftly onto Apple Bloom's tail as she ran to calm down Sweetie.

When she skid to a stop, her weighted tail kept going, whipping Gummy off of her and onto the outstretched hoof of Scootaloo, who was watching the ensuing scene and laughing hysterically, trying her best not to have punch fly out of her nose. After a moment she calmed down, giving the toothless alligator a quizzical look. “Hey there Gummy, how're you doing?”

Gummy stared at her blankly, then, after a moment, quickly detached himself, almost like he was spitting Scootaloo out. He then landed on the floor, tottering over to Pinkie, who was trying to calm down the frantically shivering Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie! It's alright! It's just Gummy! You know Gummy! He couldn't harm a fly! He doesn't have any teeth. No, if you wanted something that can hurt you, I had a nightmare last night with this monster in it, big yellow eyes, huge angry mouth, coming at me like 'RAAAWWWWWRRRR!!!!'” Pinkie threw up her hooves and gnashed her teeth for added effect, which only served to make Sweetie jump, still startled from the sudden gator attack.

However, it had a very different effect on a certain orange pegasus, who looked at Pinkie, surprised. “Wait, you had that dream too?”

Pinkie nodded happily. “Mhm! But it's fine, he's a monster in a dream! Monsters in real life are way scarier.”

It felt real enough when I woke up last night thought Scootaloo, but before she could finish it, Sweetie Belle squeaked in fright at just the mention of monsters, causing Apple Bloom to pat her on the back. “It's alright, Sweetie Belle. Monsters ain't real, everypony knows that.”

Pinkie Pie turned to Apple Bloom, giving her a playfully serious look. “Oh, no, monsters are very real! They have their own combo and everything. Knee pinch, eye twitch, nose itch, stomach stitch. Though I only had that happen once...”

Apple Bloom frowned at Pinkie. “No they ain't real. I mean, sure, manticores and Ursa Majors and cockatrices and other large scary critters are real, but 'monster in the closet' type things are just stories to scare little fillies.”

Pinkie gasped when she heard that, giving Apple Bloom her full attention. “You don't know about monsters? Yes, the one in your closet is told to scare you, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist!” She jumped up and sat on one of the tables, gesturing to a couple of the chairs in front of her. “Come have a seat and let Aunty Pinkie Pie tell you all about monsters.”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all sat down in front of her in various states of attention, Scootaloo interested, Sweetie Belle frightened, and Apple Bloom dismissive. “We ain't little fillies anymore, Pinkie. We don't believe in monsters.”

Pinkie gave them a sad smile, reaching her tail down off the other side of the table. “Then you missed out. But don't worry! I'll set you straight.” She lifted up her tail in a flash, Gummy on the end of it like a fish on a hook before he flipped off, opening his mouth wide to snap down on the end of Pinkie's mane. When he was in position, she leaned forward, ready to begin her story:

“Everypony says that monsters aren't real, but they would be wrong. Monsters are all around us, and they fight and laugh and talk and eat like anypony, except we can't see them. You see, monsters are really good at hiding, which they do to keep from being bothered by everypony being scared by them all the time. Of course, ponies have good reason to be scared. One of every monster's favorite foods is pony, and they sometimes hunt it endlessly. And you can't fight them, because they're invincible except to other monsters. With their big claws and sharp teeth, they are very dangerous, and if you ever come across one you don't know, you should definitely run away.

But sometimes, when a little filly or colt is lonely, or sad, or sometimes for no reason at all, a monster will come up to them and offer to be their bestest friend! And what filly would say no to having a big, friendly, invincible monster as their friend? And instead of eat them or hurt them, the monster plays with them and protects them. And monster play time is the best, because they can do anything! Take you to the moon, go deep under the sea, enter dreams... but what they like to do more than anything is play tricks on ponies that can't see them and fight other kid's monsters.”

“Wait, if'n monsters are so big and amazin', how come we never hear about them? How come I never met one?”

Pinkie shrugged at Apple Bloom's question. “Like I said, they're really good at hiding, and most of them got sent away a looooooong time ago. But every so often a monster will find some special little filly or colt, maybe one in ten thousand foals, and they will be inseparable. They will do anything to protect their foal and see them happy, even if it's sometimes destructive or mean to do it.”

Scootaloo was the one who piped up next. “But, if they're friends to somepony, why would they show up in dreams or scare other ponies? Wouldn't their pony stop them?”

Pinkie smiled mischievously. “See, that's the interesting part. Remember how I said they like to play tricks on ponies? Well, some of their tricks are meaner than others, and the pony they're friends with might not know, or might not care, that the monster is so mean. And monsters like being scary, even the nicest ones, so if they can scare a pony, they will.”

Sweetie Belle shivered in place, causing Apple Bloom to give Pinkie an annoyed look. “Yeah, yeah, monsters, scary, whatever. You're just trying to scare us before the party. I still don't believe you.”

Pinkie hopped off the table, her mischievous smile still there. “Suit yourself! But don't come crying to me when a monster comes to get ya!” She loomed over the three fillies menacingly, a dark shadow coming over the group, before turning around and bouncing away, humming brightly and happily, Gummy still attached to her hair. Right as she was about to leave however, she looked at her knee, rubbed her eye, itched her nose, and rubbed her side... she gave a thoughtful look, then shrugged, continuing into the kitchen.

Apple Bloom huffed, taking a bite out of her cupcake before nudging Sweetie on the shoulder. “Eh, don't let Pinkie Pie scare ya. She's just being Pinkie.”

Sweetie nodded, picking up her own cupcake. “Yeah, I know... There's no such thing as monsters. It's just a scary thought, huh?”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Don't let it get to ya. She's weird.” Sweetie nodded, and the two of them finished their cupcakes, waiting for the first party guests to arrive.

Scootaloo, however, looked at the dark purple frosting on her cupcake, picturing the glowing yellow eyes and gnarled teeth that had haunted her dreams the last two nights... What if it is a monster... And does it have a foal, or is it on its own? She thought about it for a few more moments before she was pulled aside by her friends and Pinkie to set up the last party games and warm up the dance floor, losing her train of thought in the process.

On the edge of the Everfree, in an old house on the edge of town, Bluebell returned home from school, placing her bag on the table and reaching to grab Nightshade out of it. However, as she did, her hoof fell across a pink envelope, three balloon stickers sealing it shut. Curious, she opened it, and it folded out in an explosion of confetti, the writing beneath it bright and welcoming.

“There is a party at Sugarcube Corner today and you're invited! Come by for fun, games, cake, and more! -Pinkie Pie.

P.S: Welcome to Ponyville!”

Bluebell smiled. She'd never been invited to a party before. In a bright voice she picked up Nightshade, reading the time on the back to make sure she wasn't late. “C'mon! We've only barely got time to run there before the party starts!”

“Don't go, dear.” Bluebell turned around to find a dark green stallion, face gaunt and tired and his mane brown, though it was greying before its time.

Bluebell whined. “But daaaaaad! I never get invited to parties! Why can't I go?”

“I just don't think it would be the best idea. Now be a good girl, go to your room and start on your homework.” He then turned around, plodding heavily out of the room and into his study.

Bluebell wanted to complain, but wasn't going to. He wouldn't have listened anyway. However, her ear perks up and she looked at her old, worn doll, looking straight at his yellow bead eyes. After a few moments, she smiled evilly. “You're right. He won't even know we're gone. Let's go!”

Quietly, Bluebell tip-hoofed her way to the door, her doll safely balanced on her back. She opened it carefully, not even letting the squeaky hinges make a sound, as she slipped out and closed it again, sneaking off the porch, then galloping as fast as her little legs could carry her down the path back to town.

After the long walk past the other houses, past the school, and into the heart of Ponyville, Bluebell had the feeling she was being watched. It was passing, but it was constant. Six eyes, eight little hoof steps following her everywhere she went, but when she turned, all she was the normal Ponyville traffic, a faint giggling reaching her ears. Still, after the third time it happened, she took her doll off of her back, clutching it to her side. “Maybe dad was right, Nightshade... maybe this wasn't such a good idea...”

When she looked up this time, she saw a figure blocking her path... Startled by its appearance and not wanting to run into it, she turned, taking a side street. Except, waiting for her at the end of that street was another figure, this one looking meaner than the last. She avoided it too, turning down another street before reaching it, only to be cut off by the first figure again. Frightened and moving a little quicker, she ran into an alley to escape the figures. Unfortunately, the alley was a dead end, and when she turned around, the two shadowy figures were cutting her off, that evil giggling loudly emanating from them.

A grey hoof stepped forward, four eyes resolving into two behind blue glasses, condescending pink eyes glaring at her. “Looks like the little freak is all on her own, Tiara.”

Next to her a pink hoof stepped forward, the glittering tiara above matching the smug smile below perfectly. “So it would appear Spoon. Where are your little friends now, blank flank?”

Bluebell backed up against the wall, clutching Nightshade in front of her, hoping he'd protect her. “D-don't call me that! I just want to go to the party at Sugarcube Corner.”

Diamond Tiara sighed, shining a hoof on her fur. “Oh, who wants to go to that lame place? This will be much more interesting. Silver Spoon?” The name started off as an offer, but became a question as Tiara realized Spoon had already been advancing, an angry look in her eyes. “Spoon?”

“So, cowering behind mommy's doll again, huh? Think that is going to save you?” Spoon stalked forward purposefully, a cold fire behind her eyes.

Bluebell hid the doll, the incoming filly causing her to shake in her horseshoes. “I-it's not my mom's doll! I d-don't even know my mom. Please, just leave me alone and let me go.”

Silver Spoon's face slowly formed into and evil smirk, her eyes glinting dangerously behind her glasses. “Oh, is that so? Don't even know your mother, yet feel it's fine to pick on other pony's?”

“What?” “Silver Spoon?” Both of the other fillies in the alley were confused now, one in fear, the other not sure where the third was going with her actions. Silver Spoon didn't listen to either of them, stalking towards the cowering Bluebell once more.

“You have your little friend to hide behind, your doll, your little barbed wall of loving ponies, and you walk into class flaunting it. What do you think that's going to do to the rest of us, hmm?” Bluebell brought Nightshade back up, using him as a makeshift shield, which was knocked aside as Silver Spoon shoved Bluebell hard, scuffing her knee and getting dirt in her fur and mane. Spoon then picked up the doll, glaring at it. “Some ponies might get jealous. Some ponies might get angry...” She twisted the doll's head, pulling slowly on the old stitching. However, the doll was surprisingly resilient, no matter how hard she pulled, it refused to tear.

Angry and dissatisfied, she tossed it over her shoulder, focusing on its owner. “You think you're so good, so amazing, don't you? So loved, so perfect? Huh?”

Bluebell looked up at Silver, tears in her eyes. “I... I don't-” The hoof was fast, striking across her face like a whip and bringing more tears with it.

Spoon's cold smile spread further. “That's right. Cry. You're worthless, forgotten by your mother, just a useless little-”

“Silver Spoon! That's enough!” Spoon's hoof stopped in mid air, slowly lowering to the ground as she slowly regained her composure over the crying pony. She then turned to Diamond Tiara, adjusting her glasses. “Silver Spoon, what was that?”

The grey filly cleared her throat. “I'm sorry, I just... her friends defending her yesterday really... rubbed me the wrong way.”

Tiara rolled her eyes. “Leave your issues at home, Spoon, we don't want to kill her.” She sighed, closing her eyes, and thus unable to see the darkness that fell over the alleyway. “We're just going to have to pick on one of the others until you're under control again.” She opened her eyes, looking at Silver Spoon, whose eyes were locked in fear at something over her head. “This is supposed to be fun, Spoon, not work. Now who was the one that angered you? Dinky, right? We'll get her tomorrow, and I think I know the perfect... You aren't even listening to me, are you?” She waved her hoof in front of Spoon's face. “You awake? What are you looking at?” Silver Spoon, carefully lifted a hoof, turning Diamond Tiara's head to face what she was looking at.

Where once the alley led to Ponyville, there was a void, dark, silent, swirling, maddening, icy cold, the only real things the alley and the three fillies in it. Then a million eyes appeared in the dark, like stars, glowing yellow, focused on the two bullies. They came together, warping from each and every spot in the infinite darkness to form two large eyes, each as large as the filly they locked onto. Beneath them the void ripped open, gnarled, razor sharp teeth poking from the crooked smile in space time.

A cold putrid breath washed over the silent onlookers as dark tendrils, like licks of flame, slowly began to surround them, the twosome caught in the beast's grasp. And then, as they were surrounded, still too stunned to think, the beast spoke one deep, guttural word that shook the very stone beneath their hooves.

SCREAM.

In unison the two fillies shrieked, their wails overrun by a booming, cruel laugh as the tendrils closed in on them.

And then the alley was silent.

A few minutes later, Bluebell limped out of the alleyway, her knees scraped, tears running down her face, and her doll clutched against her as she walked towards Sugarcube Corner, leaving the empty alleyway behind.