The Shadows Of A Crusader's Heartby scootaloo55ChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 5 1/2Chapter 1Chapter 1 A key. Why was it always a key? I stared at the lock before me with great curiosity. It was different from other locks, that was true, but with a little concentration, I should be able to forge a key to unlock it. I pulled a lump of clay out of my satchel and began moulding it into the correct shape. An Alicorn paced around impatiently as I continued with the clay. “Look, I know you’re tryin’ to free them and all, but I feel really uneasy about this. What if we get caught?! What’ll we do then?!” As annoying as it was, he kept walking around in circles with a worried look on his face. I didn’t look up. “your point?” I answered in a muffled voice. he just looked at me In disbelief. “My point?! My point is that if we get caught we could end up rotting in jail, or worse!” “what’s so bad about rotting in jail?” “you are unbelievable. How could you not be just a tiny bit stressed? CAUSE I AM!!!” “Shut it. You’re just gunna draw attention to yourself.” That made him stop. He may be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Just a few more spikes and there! Finished! The key was absolutely perfect! “YES! WHO’S AWESOME?! I AM!” I yelled out in victory. When I heard hoofsteps galloping towards us, I only just realised what I had done. An armoured Pegasus guard grabbed the pale blue Alicorn and another grabbed me. I struggled under his grasp, I kicked, I attempted to fly, I had to get away before… “Well, if it isn’t the elusive Scootaloo. You have been quite the problem. you have escaped from all the jail cells in Equestria and been seen thieving from more than three hundred expensive shops. What drove you to do this, I do not know but now that you have been successfully captured, I have a better imprisonment solution for you--” I stared into the now cold, dark eyes of Princess Celestia. Fear boiled in me for the first time in years. For once I was afraid of her. “--One thousand years imprisonment in the moon!” Her horn glowed and my body started to disintegrate. I knew this was the end for me. -------------------------------------------------- Two Weeks Earlier ------------------------------------------------ My hooves hit the ground hard as I ran. Shadows leapt off my every step and my ears flew back. I turned my head slightly and caught a glimpse of my partners in crime. They were running fast, but were they afraid? No. they were having fun We giggled as we ran. Adrenaline rushed through me as bounced away every time the lizard made a grab for me. With bags of jewels and other stolen goods slung over our flanks and big slimy, scaly dragons in hot pursuit, we smiled. I winked at the girls and they lied down on the ground and the peanut-brained dragons toppled right over them. Dirt kicked up from my hooves as I skidded to a stop. The two ponies got up and we ran back the way we came, Only hoof-prints were left in the dirt to prove our presence. We were the Cutiemark Crusaders, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and the most Wanted of the group, the leader. Me, Scootaloo. I felt hot breath on my neck. The lizards had awoken and they had followed us, angrier than before, and they were gaining on us. Their large muscular legs were much faster than our small delicate hooves. One of the creatures made an attack at Sweetie Belle and she closed her eyes and put a hoof to the large bleeding gash across her flank. her eyes opened and glowed red. I knew what was coming. I grabbed Applebloom and flew into the air to watch Sweetie smash those overgrown sewer lizards. Her horn glowed a sort-of purply-green and a huge tsunami came from the depths of the forest and circled around the unicorn . I gave an evil smile as she unleashed it’s full power. It Twisted and turned around the dragons before finally drowning them in the force of the waves. I dumped Applebloom gently on the ground and we ran into the Dragon’s cave to collect more gems and to just talk. “what gem do ya’ll find more facinatin’?” Applebloom quired looking into the swirls of an opal. Sweetie was quick to answer. “Diamonds. They are a mare’s best friend, after all.” I thought for a little bit. That question had me thinking. I liked any gem that was valuble in any way. “I dunno… uhh…. Emeralds or Sapphires I guess.” “Let’s see what we ended up getting.” The three of us emptied out our satchels and looked at its contents. Sweetie had nabbed an expensive gold watch, a floral dress (which if you asked me, did not suit her at all) and an iphone. Applebloom grabbed a whole stack of cash and as for me, I got a whole bunch of food because I was hungry. “Ooh, Sweetie that dress looks on yah.” Sweetie gave a show-offy twirl. “I know right?!” she said with sparkles in her eyes. I just coughed. “It looks good Scootaloo.” Applebloom said when she nudged me for being disrespectful. “Yeeeaaahhh….. I uhh just choked on my pie.” I really wanted to change the subject. “are you all ready for the heist tomorrow?” “Of course!” “As ready as ah’ll ever be Scoots!” That was settled. After a good night’s rest, we were going to rob the most guarded secured jewellery store for the largest diamond ever mined in Equestria. As soon as the sun rose the next morning I woke the girls. This was it. This moment would make us famous for sure. The jewellery store wasn’t far from where we were staying, probably a 5 minute trot at least. When we arrived at the shop, we noticed the doors were barred, the windows were double-barred and the whole place might as well be inaccessible. I gritted my teeth. There were guards everywhere. This wasn’t going to be easy. I paced around slightly. It took skill to get past all that security. There was only one possible way I could get in. there was a sewage pipe I could sneak through, but It would be messy. Very messy and Sweetie most likely won’t go willingly. I tried to handle this in a casual way. “Hey, Sweetie, since you are the best friend a gal could ever have and you—“ “I’m not going through the sewer.” “What? How did you---“ “I am not going.” I frowned. There was only one solution. “You distract then! ”She just raised an eyebrow and then sighed. “Fine.” Then she went to work her magic around those guards. Disguising herself, she ran up to the guards with panic in her eyes. “Halt!” I heard the guard shout. “P-please!” she pleaded with tears streaming down her face, “you just have t-to h-h-help me! My p-purse was stolen and it h-had my life savings in it!” a guard put his wing around her as she wailed like a three year old filly. “what did the thief look like?” “ I-It was large… h-had scales… wings… I-it burnt my tail!” Sweetie’s magic was creating a beautiful illusion of a hurt mare with a charred tail and dress. Her hair was also a different colour. The guard looked serious. “we need all our men. Sounds like we have a dragon to punish!” all the guards saluted and ran after their leader. Sweetie smiled and trotted back to the bush we were hiding in. “Go!” she said. “this is your chance! I’ll keep watch.” We nodded and jumped down the slimy drain and plummeted into darkness. The sewer was dark, damp and smelt absolutely vile. Each step I took made a slight squelching sound in the water. The quicker we got out of here the better. My mane was almost fully covered in some sort of disgusting green gunk by the time we got out and I looked at Applebloom who was attempting to brush it all off her crème coloured coat. She nodded towards a glass case in the distance and a large diamond, almost as big as an Ursaminor’s paw, glittered invitingly. We tip-toed over to the large box and were about to open it when Applebloom stopped. “What’re you waiting for?!” I said impatiently. “ah’m worried ‘bout Sweetie Belle. Ah’m gunna wait outside with her.” “Okay… just make sure she’s alright.” Applebloom nodded and swiftly left the way she came. It was all up to me. I carefully opened up the box and peeked inside. It was enormous and looked extremely heavy. How could I ever lug it out of here without being seen? I flapped my wings and took flight, perching the diamond between all four of my hooves. It weighed like, six hundred kilos! An alarm began to buzz and I realised I had triggered a trap. I quickly flew down the sewer and into the bush just as the guards came running. “We got what we came for! Let’s go!” I said, but no-one was listening. No-one was there. “Sweetie? AB?” I instantly became worried and alert. “Ha ha reeeaaaalllyyy funny girls……” there was something I hadn’t noticed before. There was a slip of paper on the ground. Maybe they had left me a note. I dropped the gem and picked up the note.it was made of a strange kind of paper. It looked like an old sepia photo. I began to read it. 'You should never have left. We never fell for your friend’s stupid plea. We were here all along. Your friends tried, but failed in their mission. We weren’t idiots. We knew your plan. Your friends were caught and now Everypony is on the hunt for you. You won’t last one second without them by your side. Turn yourself in and nopony gets hurt. We may even let them go. It’s you we want, not them.' Signed, The Equestrian Police Service. I couldn’t believe it. A ransom note?! They were joking right? I mean, that is so old. Why didn’t they just leave me a text or email me? Whatever. I just left the jewel and flew off in search of my companions. But I wasn’t planning on turning myself in. no way. I was panning something much more… Chapter 2Chapter 2 What was I going to do? My friends were in danger because of me. I flew down and landed in the thick branches of a tree to shield myself as I thought of a plan. I would’ve preferred a cloud but I would be too exposed and easy to spot. With Everypony after me, I couldn’t stay in one place for too long. I sighed quietly to myself and looked down from the branches. Two mares were sitting underneath, un-packing picnic baskets ready for a snack. I grumbled a little. The longer I was stuck up here, the farther away my friends went. The two girls below me were giggling like a pair of schoolgirls. As I looked closer, I recognized the pair. No way. it couldn’t be… could it? Yes there was no mistaking the grey coat of the one on the left and the pink coat of the one on the right. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. They both left high school the day I took DT’s signature tiara. I got some good cash for that. 200 bits, and I don’t know how they would react if the saw me, with a scar through my eye and a black spike collar around my neck, but I don’t care. I really needed to get going. I flew down and landed in front of the mares who dropped their food in shock. “Y-you?!” Silver stammered. “Haven’t seen you for awhile.” I said with a smug smile on my face. DT stared at me with her mouth agape. “what happened? Diamond? Lose your tiara?” I mocked. “you took it!” she snapped back. “that is one of my personal qualitys.” “what made you like this?” “I learn from the best.” I walked up to the girls and grabbed a hay sandwich. “Why, Girls, you shouldn’t have! Thankyou, for your kind donation to the hungry.” “but we didn—“ I sat on my haunches, winked at the girls and then took a bite out of my sandwich. “yeah, yeah save the details for somepony who actually cares.” Silver Spoon leaned in towards Diamond Tiara. “If we capture her, we could be rich, AND famous!” she whispered. “you may have a point!” DT whispered back. They both gave an evil-like smile and looked at me, and I was just casually sitting on the grass with a bored expression on my face. I raised an eyebrow at the advancing girls. The both lunged for me but I easily flew out of the way. I hovered just above them with my arms crossed. “what’s your problem?” I said rather grumpily. “You’re a wanted criminal. We just thought that if we—“ “whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on! I was only lookin’ for a friendly chat!” a said in a sarcastic tone. “Anyway. I got stuff to do, places to be… you know.” I flew higher and threw a ruby into Silver’s hooves. “We do NOT want to be part of your petty little scheme!” she said. instantly alarmed that a guard would throw her into jail. “I never said you would be.” I gave a little smirk. “I just don’t really fancy rubies.” And before I could get another earful from those crazy mares I flew off. I sighed. I wasted ten whole minutes talking to those worthless ponies. I still had bigger problems to figure out. First, I had to find out where my friends were being kept. There would be something on the news about it at least. I know it sounds stupid to do this when I’m trying not to be seen, but I flew to the nearest town and landed on a building. H-how? When? Why am I back in this stupid town? I was banished by mayor mare for stealing from Sugarcube corner when I was just a hungry homeless filly. Right now I was standing atop Carousel Boutique. I cannot stay here. I will get caught for sure. Rarity and Applejack will murder me where I stand for turning their little sisters against society. There was only one mare I could trust enough to give me directions. She wouldn’t turn me in would she? Only time would tell. “R-Rainbow D-D-Dash?” I stuttered nervously as I landed on her cloud home. There was no answer, so I suggested she was out. As I attempted to leave, the door squeaked open and a cyan pony poked her head out. “Who is it? S-S-Scoo—“ “Yeah, it’s… me….” I stared at the clouds and hoped she would understand why I was here. “you can’t be here!” she said in a hasty whisper. She looked around her with concern in her eyes. “Please Rainbow… I need your help… I know you most likely will decline because… I haven’t really done any right by anypony these last few years and im not really worth it.” I looked down and a single tear slid down my cheek. “I-I umm… look Scoots, I’m only gunna help you because you have always been so loyal to me… what do you need?” “I need to watch TV!” I said in a serious tone. Rainbow just looked at me with a confused expression. “ugh. That didn’t come out right… um… just let me in.” Rainbow Dash moved aside and I walked in. I dunno why she was so dumbfounded, I mean, just because I’ve grown about 5 times taller since she last saw me but whatever. I wandered around the house and then I finally found the television. I switched it on and waited awhile. Then it eventually came up. ‘This just in! two of the ever menacing Crusaders have been captured and are being held at the Canterlot Jailhouse. There is a large reward for anypony who can successfully capture the one remaining member, Scootaloo Chicken Fuchsia.” I cringed and went bright red. why’d they have to say my middle name? Honestly. I got teased so much as a filly because of that. I bowed me head slightly and Rainbow came sat next to me. “Hey kiddo, it isn’t that bad. I know you. You can get them out of there, I know it.” I turned to Rainbow and gave a weak smile. “Thanks” I muttered. “but what will the consequences be? Will it be—“ “R-Rainbow Dash?! W-what… She! H-her! How? W-why?” A tiny voice pierced my ears and I turned suddenly to find Fluttershy standing at the doorway. Rainbow’s cheeks went crimson and she nudged me to leave before things could get out of hand. I nodded and flew by Fluttershy, leaving her gobsmacked. Her best friend was talking to a wanted criminal in her own home! Dashie had a bit of explaining to do. Canterlot. They were both in Canterlot. How in Equestria was I going to free them without being noticed? That place was packed full of Royal guards, Princesses and lots of famous ponies with paparazzi, nearly every one of them with a camera or two. This was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it. I left Rainbow’s home with a new purpose in my step. I knew that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were okay for a start, but Sweetie couldn’t handle the dark dirtiness of a jail cell. She would be like Rarity. Galloping back and forth screaming ‘ahh dirt!’ I ripped my stud collar off my neck and threw it down to the ground below. I will defiantly have to go super stealth mode, free them and leave. I paused mid-flight and sighed. It was no use. Even a newly born foal would know that was only wishful thinking. I had to come up with a new plan, and fast. Because every second I wasted put my fellow Crusader’s lives at a greater risk. The terrain was tough. The ground was covered in rocks and rubble and I found it extremely hard to walk, resulting in my hooves becoming bloodied and bruised. I would fly, but my wings were aching and I gave a quiet yelp every time I attempted to move them. I lied on the dirt and massaged my wings. I could rest here but I would be easily seen by other ponies. I knew one place though, one place I could rest with no fear. Only a zebra lived there. I had to hold out long enough until I got to the Everfree. Nopony could stay in the Everfree, unless of course you are a devious, Cunning, Sly Pegasus, namely me. I Trotted up to the boundary of the Everfree, the place where sunlight meets shadows, where peace meets danger and where I find a way to rescue my friends. It was dark in the forest. Spooky trees loomed over me and if I was still a filly, I would probably be running around in circles screaming my muzzle off. All the creatures there were dangerous in a way, Poisonous or not, but did kinda jump every time I heard a twig snap of a bush rustle. I sighed quietly to myself and attempted to build a hut to stay in for the night. I pulled a few large leaves off a tree, grabbed a couple of sticks and a large grub. No, I wasn’t going to eat it, that would be gross. I was simply going to use it. I squished it up on a rock until it formed a sort of paste I could use as a quick-drying glue. All I needed to do was put the hut together. It took a good hour or so, but the end result looked pretty good. I stood back and admired my handiwork. There was a creak and the roof caved in. I tried not to scream. Normally Applebloom did all the D.I.Y stuff. Oh well. I tried to force myself to sleep before the noises could keep me awake. I just hoped it wouldn’t start to rain. With new dawn brang new adventure and I woke early to pack and leave the forest, hopefully forever because that place stank real bad. I packed up my belongings and placed them in my satchel and threw it over my flank. this was it then. No turning back. Now the real trek to Canterlot would really begin. Eerie sounds began to enter my ears and I began to have second thoughts. Was this such a good idea? My wings drooped and my ears flattened as twigs and dead leaves crunched in the distance. I wasn’t really known for my bravery, and I ran behind a tree and eyed off the forest before me. Something was out there, I knew there was. There was a flash of blue and I backed behind the tree even more, when a quite large arachnid perched on my shoulder. I tried not to scream, the spider was at least the size of a small puppy and it’s enormous fangs were secreting a bright green poison. It inserted them deep into my shoulder and my vision became hazy before I collapsed and the whole world around me went black. Chapter 3I rubbed my eyes and snuggled deeper into my pillow. Pillow? What? My eyes snapped open and I rose to meet the gaze of an Alicorn, one that looked fairly young, with a pale blue coat and a dark blue short mane and tail, with a single blond streak. What stood out most of all was the bright fiery comet cutie-mark that was sitting in the centre of his flank. “W-who are you?” I stammered. he took a step towards me and smiled. “I am Comet Frost. I am a hunter in the Everfree forest. I personally bring back rare and exotic game back to the princess.” He paused and winked at me. “…But this is one prized catch I won’t be putting on her wall.” I raised an eyebrow and screwed up my nose. “Do you know who I am?!” I screeched. He gave a slight smirk and laughed. “Of course I do, Scootaloo. How could I forget such a pretty face?” I stomped a hoof to silence him. Was he flirting with me? What was he hoping to achieve? All I learnt in the last few years was to trust no-pony. I am the boss and it was about time he knew that. I stood up and tried to flap my wings. I couldn’t fly… why? I turned my head slowly and what I saw caused a lump to rise in my throat. I stood in silence for a few minutes before I fainted. I woke a few hours later to see Comet dabbing my head with a wet cloth. I immediately sat up and looked behind me. So it wasn’t a nightmare… what I saw before me was pure reality. One wing… I-I only had o-one wing… but… how? I put my head in my hooves and began to cry. I had only learnt to fly a few weeks ago and now the only thing that separated Pegasus ponies from those of the ground was taken from me sooner than I imagined. An arm was placed around my shoulder and I turned to see Comet looking at me reassuringly. “im sorry.” He whispered “I truly am.” I stuffed my face back into the pillow and continued sobbing my heart out. “…when the spider bit you… the poison seeped from your shoulder… into your left wing…” I lifted my head to look at the lump on my back and took a moment to re-collect myself before answering. “and then what?” I asked. “… your wing turned purple… and then black… I tried all I could to keep the circulation going but…” “But what?!” “..i-it… just… shrivelled and………… dropped off…” That was it. I stood and began to walk off. I really needed to be alone right now… how could I cope with only one wing? I-it was just so strange… and it was hard to walk. My only remaining wing felt like a heavy burden I now had to carry everywhere with me and it made me walk awkwardly and kinda lop-sided. “Where are you going?” I flattened my ears. All my sadness had turned to anger and it was just boiling away inside me. I gave a slight growl and turned on the Alicorn. “This is all YOUR fault!” I screamed. “it wasn’t the spider’s venom! It was YOU wasn’t it!? YOU cut it off to teach me a lesson DIDN’T YOU?!!” Comet Frost stood his ground and addressed me calmly, “look, Scootaloo, I know it may seem like a sudden shock, but… I had nothing to do with this. When I found you, you were knocked out and your body had changed from it’s usual bright orange to purple… honestly, if it wasn’t for me… y-you… would be dead…” The thought quietened me. I had accused him of hurting me… “I’m sorry…” I whispered. I covered my mouth quickly. What was happening to me? Im a bad girl with a colt-ish attitude and spiked up hair! Theres no way I would ever, EVER, feel sorry for anyone, especially myself. I turned to leave once again. I couldn’t stay. “I’ll ask again,” came a solemn voice. “Where are you going?” I stared at the dirt and sighed. He wouldn’t leave me alone till I told him the truth. “Look,” I whispered. “I did something… something that resulted in my only friends getting thrown in jail… I have to rescue them… or at least… find out if they’re okay…” “So, there’s a soft side to you after all.” “W-what?!! I am NOT soft!” “haha sure.” “Look,” I muttered. “I really need to go, like, now.” Comet frost Walked up beside me and lowered his head. “you are not fully recovered, but if you really need to go…” He looked at me with caring eyes and nodded. “I’ll come with you.” The news itself was a shock to me, and yet, I had no idea what to think, this… hunter, this Alicorn, who was a personal guard of the princess herself, the very princess who wanted her locked up, was going to help me find my friends and help them escape from the rusty jail cell. Chapter 4“Okay, so how are we going to do this?” Comet Frost and I were standing at the border of Canterlot, watching the bustling city from our hiding place, watching all the ponies trotting from shop to shop, Paparazzi following the stuck-up divas and fashion models and the Pegasus guards soaring the skies. I shrugged and looked out towards the horizon. I could see the jailhouse out on the distance and it didn’t take a genius to know that the place would be swarming with armoured guards. I looked away from the crowds of ponies and looked at Comet Frost, who understandably looked just slightly worried, and nodded, a look of determination spread across my face. “We need to go stealthy. You know, backstreets, alleyways, we’ll get there sooner or later.” Comet Frost shook his head and smiled. “We could do that,” he lifted his hoof and pointed at the large banners that laced the tops of buildings. They all read ‘Wonderbolts performing live! Get your tickets today!’ I looked at the ground and a weak smile appeared on my face. How Rainbow Dash would love to go to that performance. I gave myself a mental note to take her to one after all this mess I had created was fixed. “Uh huh. What about them?” I said quietly. “Well, I thought that we could maybe, run along the tops of the buildings and hide behind the banners.” “How?” Comet Frost raised his wings and flapped them sarcastically. I frowned and raised my one wing and looked at him with an annoyed expression. “Oh…. Sorry I forgot.” He Apologised I rolled my eyes. “Have any other bright ideas?” I mumbled. “I…Uhh… err…” he looked around hastily before smiling, probably to himself. “What? What are you going to do…?” The alicorn’s horn lit up a bright blue before my body was surrounded with a sparkling ribbon of magic. Slowly, it dispersed, leaving a quite pleased stallion before me. I looked at him questiongly before asking him the simple question; “What did you do…?” “Take a look for yourself!” he said happily, noting towards my back. I turned my head slowly, not being sure what to expect. But what I saw made me jump for joy! Well, theoretically, of course. It’s not like I would actually embarrass myself by bouncing around like a Pinkie Pie. But I was quite in awe. My lost wing had returned! I flew up happily, did a few flips in the air and landed. “Be careful,” Comet Frost whispered, “That wing isn’t genuine, after awhile it will disappear. Now let’s go!” I nodded as we both flew up to the rooftops of the brightly coloured buildings. We quietly snuck behind the large Wonderbolt banners, being careful not to be seen. Well, almost not seen. A local Canterlot unicorn mare may have snapped us with her camera. I dunno if she did or not, but I did see a flash and then a unicorn. When I glared at her, she sped off, so she obviously saw us. “Scootaloo, look, We made it!” I looked up, and sure enough, there it was. The Canterlot Jailhouse. old, dusty and rusted. No doubt Applebloom would be wanting to renovate the place. But, like stated earlier, the place was crawling with guards. I cringed and trotted quickly around the back of one of the cells which I could tell was Sweetie’s And Applebloom’s, before finding a small crack in the brickwork. I cast my gaze over towards Comet and stared at him, hoping that he could read my mind in some way or another. “W-what are you looking at me like that for?” he said worriedly. I gave a small smirk before nodding towards the Alicorn’s horn. “C-mon! youre the magic one here aren’t you?” I pointed my hoof towards the tiny hole in the wall. Find us a way to get through there!” “S-Scootaloo?! Is that you?!” “of course it is yah dummy! Who else has that voice?! Honestly, Sweetie Belle!” “Well… you never know, Applebloom…” My ears flattened and I became only slightly annoyed. I could hear the girls arguing from outside! “Can you two shut up?!” I said hoarsely, “We have to try to be quiet if I have any chance of getting you guys out!” It instantly went silent. I knew there was a way to get them out! There was a keyhole not far above my head. As I stood up on my hind legs, my replacement wing evaporated. I cast a sharp glance towards Comet Frost but he just shrugged. I knew this was it. I would finally free my friends. Chapter 5Back To The Present… A key. Why was it always a key? I stared at the lock before me with great curiosity. It was different from other locks, that was true, but with a little concentration, I should be able to forge a key to unlock it. I pulled a lump of clay out of my satchel and began moulding it into the correct shape. An Alicorn paced around impatiently as I continued with the clay. “Look, I know you’re tryin’ to free them and all, but I feel really uneasy about this. What if we get caught?! What’ll we do then?!” As annoying as it was, he kept walking around in circles with a worried look on his face. I didn’t look up. “your point?” I answered in a muffled voice. he just looked at me In disbelief. “My point?! My point is that if we get caught we could end up rotting in jail, or worse!” “what’s so bad about rotting in jail?” “you are unbelievable. How could you not be just a tiny bit stressed? CAUSE I AM!!!” “Shut it. You’re just gunna draw attention to yourself.” That made him stop. He may be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Just a few more spikes and there! Finished! The key was absolutely perfect! “YES! WHO’S AWESOME?! I AM!” I yelled out in victory. When I heard hoofsteps galloping towards us, I only just realised what I had done. An armoured Pegasus guard grabbed the pale blue Alicorn and another grabbed me. I struggled under his grasp, I kicked, I attempted to fly, well, attempted… I had to get away before… “Well, if it isn’t the elusive Scootaloo. You have been quite the problem. you have escaped from all the jail cells in Equestria and been seen thieving from more than three hundred expensive shops. What drove you to do this, I do not know but now that you have been successfully captured, I have a better imprisonment solution for you--” I stared into the now cold, dark eyes of Princess Celestia. Fear boiled in me for the first time in years. For once I was afraid of her. “--One thousand years imprisonment in the moon!” Her horn glowed and my body started to disintegrate. I knew this was the end for me. Or was it? I mean, I could try to reason with her…. “Please!” I pleaded, “I know you don’t want to do this, but I know you have every right to. These last few years I haven’t helped anyone. The only reason I had started this ‘crime spree’ was because it was all I knew. As a filly, I had no family and nowhere to live so I stole in order to survive… when the mayor of ponyville found out what I was doing, she banished me from town. I ran to the small town of Apploosa before I realised that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had followed me. It is my fault they turned out like this. So please, ive done everything to try to set them free, ive even lost a wing to help them so do whatever you want to me… just let them go…” I paused for awhile and then literally burst into tears. I hoped what I had said had changed her mind… if only a little. “Are you saying this sincerely?” the Princess Questioned. “y-yes! I will do anything! Get banished to the moon, get turned into a rabbit, give back everything ive ever taken… you name it I’ll do it!” Princess Celestia thought for a bit before raising her horn, making the glow around me disappear and what parts of my body that had disintegrated, return. “Okay,” she said softly, “I know everything you have done for the past eight years, which, understandably, I have to punish you severely for, but is there one thing, any one thing, you have always wanted to do? I instantly pointed towards the large banner atop the jailhouse and smiled. “I have always wanted to take my hero to see the Wonderbolts and go backstage and meet them after the performance.” I said thoughtfully. “Who, may I ask, is this hero of yours?” “Rainbow Dash… She is the one ive looked up to nearly my whole life… even now, she helps my and tries to get me to see the positive side of life…” “I myself had met Rainbow Dash numerous times and she is a good role model, I have to agree.” Princess Celestia nodded and unlocked the jail cell. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle galloped up to me and grabbed me in a tight hug. Sweetie cringed when she saw the lump on my back where my wing used to be. “Ew…” she whispered. “It’s uh… good to see you too, Sweetie.” Princess Celestia put her hoof on my shoulder and I looked up at her curiously. “Your punishment will be to return all your stolen goods, spend five days a week for two years in prison, with no escaping, am I clear?” I nodded. “And 200 hours of community service. If you agree to these terms, you may take Rainbow Dash to the Wonderbolt performance.” I could not believe my eyes as the very princess who had just pretty much condemned me to death, basically because I am not like Princess Luna and I can’t exactly survive 1000 years in the moon. Im not immortal like her… anyway, the princess gave an awkward smile as she placed two gold V.I.P passes to the latest Wonderbolt show into my hooves. “but why?” I questioned. “You may not remember, but I met you as a filly and you were an extremely happy-go-lucky kind of girl. You were so kind and loyal to your closet friends and I believe if you get the chance, you could unlock that bustling personality that had slowly fell deeper and deeper into your heart.” That comment got me thinking. I had done lots of ponies wrong, and I now intended to make amends, Starting with the ones that hated me most. “I’ll leave you with that thought” I said hastily before grabbing the girls and running off. I know that probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but still. She didn’t try to stop me. She just turned and looked at her once trustworthy game hunter, who just shrugged carelessly. The three of us galloped back through the streets of Canterlot, back through the Everfree and back into the tiny village of Ponyville. The two girls looked at me, confused, but I assured them that this was for the best. The three of us walked into a familiar bakery, the door jingling behind us. The entire bakery instantly went quiet and the familiar faces from my childhood saw us and their expressions went from happy to sour, and I skulked up towards Rarity and Applejack and managed a weak smile as they both ran up to their little sisters and squeezed them both into what seemed to be a massive group hug. “Why are you still here?” Rarity said in an annoyed tone as she and Applejack saw I was still standing there. I closed my eyes and began to leave before Sweetie Belle pulled herself away from her sister’s grasp and stood in front of me. “You heard her.” I muttered, “They obviously don’t want me here.” My friend’s loyalty shocked me, after what I had done, but I was also very proud to have a friend like her. “You cannot leave!” she cried “You belong here! I know it may take you awhile to re-gain all the other ponies trust but I believe you can do it.” I turned back to the group who was growing more and more confused. Applejack stepped forward and cast me a glance that seemed like she still really hated me. “Ah reckon she’ll never get mah trust aftah what she did tah mah sister!” Rainbow Dash walked forward and whacked Applejack over the head, knocking her hat off. “Ow! What the hay did yah do that fer Rainbow?” “Ah, no reason AJ, just that the kid really does want to make amends and try to fix what she has caused. So… just give her a chance. Even ask Fluttershy. Scoots was at my place about a week ago and she told me everything. Then Fluttershy turned up and asked what was goin’ on so I told her.” “Is this true?” Applejack asked Fluttershy sternly. The shy crème Pegasus mare cowered at her friend’s sudden outburst before saying “Yes.” Her tiny voice was barely heard and she lost her voice as quickly as she found it. Applejack closed her eyes and she knew she had to take that simple answer, for it was all she could get. “Ah still don’t trust her!” The cowpony said stubbornly. “I’m sure that if you just gave her another chance, she would prove you wrong.” The Ponies in Sugarcube corner turned to meet the gaze of Princess Celestia and a familiar blue Alicorn by her side. “Hey!” I said happily, “You came too?!” “Of course!” he exclaimed, “I never leave my friends hangin’” “Y-you consider me a friend?” “y-yeah, friend… Friend! Right…” he turned away for a split second before giving an awkward smile. All the ponies stifled a giggle and Applebloom and Sweetie Belle gave a sarcastic, “Oooooh, Scootaloo’s got a coltfriend!” Comet Frost went crimson and walked outside shyly, while I stared at them with a ‘say that again and you’re dead’ look. Rainbow Dash tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a box, I looked at her, confused. I didn’t really deserve a gift but I wanted to be polite so, I opened it. What was inside reminded me about the fun childhood days me and the other crusaders had had as fillys. My old blue scooter laid in the box and even as I lifted it out, it seemed different somehow. “I gave it a new coat of paint and new wheels.” She exclaimed, “but since you can fly now, you may not use it as much.” “Actually…” I looked at my back and flicked my one wing into the air. Rainbow looked pretty shocked, considering that she could never imagine having to lose the power of flight. I put my satchel on the ground and pulled out two fancy cut pieces of cardboard and gave them to Rainbow. She stared at them for awhile, silent. Twilight Sparkle looked over her shoulder at the tickets. “I think we lost her for good now… uh, Equestria to Rainbow? Uh… Rainbow Dash? Are you dead or something?” “S-sorry Twi… I-I…. This is AMAZING! H-how? COOL!” Rainbow’s eyes sparkled brightly with each second that passed. I winked to the princess and she giggled quietly. “I’m gunna make it up to you all by giving you each something.” I reached into my satchel and pulled out five other items. “For Rarity, a new gown, For Fluttershy, a rare breed of bird to keep as a pet, For Twilight Sparkle, the latest novel of the Unicorn Magic series, For Applejack, a new species of apple has been found so, a tree that sprouts that fruit… and last but not least, Pinkie Pie, well uhh… I got you… I wasn’t exactly sure what you were really interested in so… I got you… a ticket to the next Grand Galloping Gala and don’t worry, the Princess assured me that it has changed and it really is like a party now! Like, a proper party!” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” the bubbly pink mare said happily. I smiled and, knowing that it would take a long time to regain everyone’s trust back. But still, I knew it would be worth it in the end. Chapter 5 1/2Eventually, everything turned out all right… well… sort of… Rainbow Dash and I went to the Wonderbolt performance but… well… I tried to stop her, but she kinda crashed the whole thing. She tried to show off to Spitfire and the others and accidentally blew up the stadium. But at least the thought it was pretty daring and they liked it so I guess it went okay in the end…. Pinkie Pie took over the gala completely according to the princess. She knocked Vinyl Scratch unconscious, ripped the decorations, found an amulet similar to the Alicorn Amulet Trixie used and even though she isn’t a unicorn, it corrupted her all the same… so… now she throws a party every day and if you didn’t attend, she would run after you with an axe until you gave her a brand new three layer chocolate cake. Rarity became totally obsessed with her gown and wore it everywhere, threatening Everypony that if they stained it or ripped it in any way, she would pull a bazooka out of her handbag and blow Equestria to pieces. Twilight became depressed after her new book got lost in the library. Applejack’s tree got burned to ashes during a bushfire – or orchardfire in her case and Fluttershy’s pet bird ran amok and destroyed half of Ponyville. As for me, Comet Frost and I are travelling Equestria. Sounds boring but at least everything is sorta ok now……… right?
Chapter 1Chapter 1 A key. Why was it always a key? I stared at the lock before me with great curiosity. It was different from other locks, that was true, but with a little concentration, I should be able to forge a key to unlock it. I pulled a lump of clay out of my satchel and began moulding it into the correct shape. An Alicorn paced around impatiently as I continued with the clay. “Look, I know you’re tryin’ to free them and all, but I feel really uneasy about this. What if we get caught?! What’ll we do then?!” As annoying as it was, he kept walking around in circles with a worried look on his face. I didn’t look up. “your point?” I answered in a muffled voice. he just looked at me In disbelief. “My point?! My point is that if we get caught we could end up rotting in jail, or worse!” “what’s so bad about rotting in jail?” “you are unbelievable. How could you not be just a tiny bit stressed? CAUSE I AM!!!” “Shut it. You’re just gunna draw attention to yourself.” That made him stop. He may be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Just a few more spikes and there! Finished! The key was absolutely perfect! “YES! WHO’S AWESOME?! I AM!” I yelled out in victory. When I heard hoofsteps galloping towards us, I only just realised what I had done. An armoured Pegasus guard grabbed the pale blue Alicorn and another grabbed me. I struggled under his grasp, I kicked, I attempted to fly, I had to get away before… “Well, if it isn’t the elusive Scootaloo. You have been quite the problem. you have escaped from all the jail cells in Equestria and been seen thieving from more than three hundred expensive shops. What drove you to do this, I do not know but now that you have been successfully captured, I have a better imprisonment solution for you--” I stared into the now cold, dark eyes of Princess Celestia. Fear boiled in me for the first time in years. For once I was afraid of her. “--One thousand years imprisonment in the moon!” Her horn glowed and my body started to disintegrate. I knew this was the end for me. -------------------------------------------------- Two Weeks Earlier ------------------------------------------------ My hooves hit the ground hard as I ran. Shadows leapt off my every step and my ears flew back. I turned my head slightly and caught a glimpse of my partners in crime. They were running fast, but were they afraid? No. they were having fun We giggled as we ran. Adrenaline rushed through me as bounced away every time the lizard made a grab for me. With bags of jewels and other stolen goods slung over our flanks and big slimy, scaly dragons in hot pursuit, we smiled. I winked at the girls and they lied down on the ground and the peanut-brained dragons toppled right over them. Dirt kicked up from my hooves as I skidded to a stop. The two ponies got up and we ran back the way we came, Only hoof-prints were left in the dirt to prove our presence. We were the Cutiemark Crusaders, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and the most Wanted of the group, the leader. Me, Scootaloo. I felt hot breath on my neck. The lizards had awoken and they had followed us, angrier than before, and they were gaining on us. Their large muscular legs were much faster than our small delicate hooves. One of the creatures made an attack at Sweetie Belle and she closed her eyes and put a hoof to the large bleeding gash across her flank. her eyes opened and glowed red. I knew what was coming. I grabbed Applebloom and flew into the air to watch Sweetie smash those overgrown sewer lizards. Her horn glowed a sort-of purply-green and a huge tsunami came from the depths of the forest and circled around the unicorn . I gave an evil smile as she unleashed it’s full power. It Twisted and turned around the dragons before finally drowning them in the force of the waves. I dumped Applebloom gently on the ground and we ran into the Dragon’s cave to collect more gems and to just talk. “what gem do ya’ll find more facinatin’?” Applebloom quired looking into the swirls of an opal. Sweetie was quick to answer. “Diamonds. They are a mare’s best friend, after all.” I thought for a little bit. That question had me thinking. I liked any gem that was valuble in any way. “I dunno… uhh…. Emeralds or Sapphires I guess.” “Let’s see what we ended up getting.” The three of us emptied out our satchels and looked at its contents. Sweetie had nabbed an expensive gold watch, a floral dress (which if you asked me, did not suit her at all) and an iphone. Applebloom grabbed a whole stack of cash and as for me, I got a whole bunch of food because I was hungry. “Ooh, Sweetie that dress looks on yah.” Sweetie gave a show-offy twirl. “I know right?!” she said with sparkles in her eyes. I just coughed. “It looks good Scootaloo.” Applebloom said when she nudged me for being disrespectful. “Yeeeaaahhh….. I uhh just choked on my pie.” I really wanted to change the subject. “are you all ready for the heist tomorrow?” “Of course!” “As ready as ah’ll ever be Scoots!” That was settled. After a good night’s rest, we were going to rob the most guarded secured jewellery store for the largest diamond ever mined in Equestria. As soon as the sun rose the next morning I woke the girls. This was it. This moment would make us famous for sure. The jewellery store wasn’t far from where we were staying, probably a 5 minute trot at least. When we arrived at the shop, we noticed the doors were barred, the windows were double-barred and the whole place might as well be inaccessible. I gritted my teeth. There were guards everywhere. This wasn’t going to be easy. I paced around slightly. It took skill to get past all that security. There was only one possible way I could get in. there was a sewage pipe I could sneak through, but It would be messy. Very messy and Sweetie most likely won’t go willingly. I tried to handle this in a casual way. “Hey, Sweetie, since you are the best friend a gal could ever have and you—“ “I’m not going through the sewer.” “What? How did you---“ “I am not going.” I frowned. There was only one solution. “You distract then! ”She just raised an eyebrow and then sighed. “Fine.” Then she went to work her magic around those guards. Disguising herself, she ran up to the guards with panic in her eyes. “Halt!” I heard the guard shout. “P-please!” she pleaded with tears streaming down her face, “you just have t-to h-h-help me! My p-purse was stolen and it h-had my life savings in it!” a guard put his wing around her as she wailed like a three year old filly. “what did the thief look like?” “ I-It was large… h-had scales… wings… I-it burnt my tail!” Sweetie’s magic was creating a beautiful illusion of a hurt mare with a charred tail and dress. Her hair was also a different colour. The guard looked serious. “we need all our men. Sounds like we have a dragon to punish!” all the guards saluted and ran after their leader. Sweetie smiled and trotted back to the bush we were hiding in. “Go!” she said. “this is your chance! I’ll keep watch.” We nodded and jumped down the slimy drain and plummeted into darkness. The sewer was dark, damp and smelt absolutely vile. Each step I took made a slight squelching sound in the water. The quicker we got out of here the better. My mane was almost fully covered in some sort of disgusting green gunk by the time we got out and I looked at Applebloom who was attempting to brush it all off her crème coloured coat. She nodded towards a glass case in the distance and a large diamond, almost as big as an Ursaminor’s paw, glittered invitingly. We tip-toed over to the large box and were about to open it when Applebloom stopped. “What’re you waiting for?!” I said impatiently. “ah’m worried ‘bout Sweetie Belle. Ah’m gunna wait outside with her.” “Okay… just make sure she’s alright.” Applebloom nodded and swiftly left the way she came. It was all up to me. I carefully opened up the box and peeked inside. It was enormous and looked extremely heavy. How could I ever lug it out of here without being seen? I flapped my wings and took flight, perching the diamond between all four of my hooves. It weighed like, six hundred kilos! An alarm began to buzz and I realised I had triggered a trap. I quickly flew down the sewer and into the bush just as the guards came running. “We got what we came for! Let’s go!” I said, but no-one was listening. No-one was there. “Sweetie? AB?” I instantly became worried and alert. “Ha ha reeeaaaalllyyy funny girls……” there was something I hadn’t noticed before. There was a slip of paper on the ground. Maybe they had left me a note. I dropped the gem and picked up the note.it was made of a strange kind of paper. It looked like an old sepia photo. I began to read it. 'You should never have left. We never fell for your friend’s stupid plea. We were here all along. Your friends tried, but failed in their mission. We weren’t idiots. We knew your plan. Your friends were caught and now Everypony is on the hunt for you. You won’t last one second without them by your side. Turn yourself in and nopony gets hurt. We may even let them go. It’s you we want, not them.' Signed, The Equestrian Police Service. I couldn’t believe it. A ransom note?! They were joking right? I mean, that is so old. Why didn’t they just leave me a text or email me? Whatever. I just left the jewel and flew off in search of my companions. But I wasn’t planning on turning myself in. no way. I was panning something much more…
Chapter 2Chapter 2 What was I going to do? My friends were in danger because of me. I flew down and landed in the thick branches of a tree to shield myself as I thought of a plan. I would’ve preferred a cloud but I would be too exposed and easy to spot. With Everypony after me, I couldn’t stay in one place for too long. I sighed quietly to myself and looked down from the branches. Two mares were sitting underneath, un-packing picnic baskets ready for a snack. I grumbled a little. The longer I was stuck up here, the farther away my friends went. The two girls below me were giggling like a pair of schoolgirls. As I looked closer, I recognized the pair. No way. it couldn’t be… could it? Yes there was no mistaking the grey coat of the one on the left and the pink coat of the one on the right. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara. They both left high school the day I took DT’s signature tiara. I got some good cash for that. 200 bits, and I don’t know how they would react if the saw me, with a scar through my eye and a black spike collar around my neck, but I don’t care. I really needed to get going. I flew down and landed in front of the mares who dropped their food in shock. “Y-you?!” Silver stammered. “Haven’t seen you for awhile.” I said with a smug smile on my face. DT stared at me with her mouth agape. “what happened? Diamond? Lose your tiara?” I mocked. “you took it!” she snapped back. “that is one of my personal qualitys.” “what made you like this?” “I learn from the best.” I walked up to the girls and grabbed a hay sandwich. “Why, Girls, you shouldn’t have! Thankyou, for your kind donation to the hungry.” “but we didn—“ I sat on my haunches, winked at the girls and then took a bite out of my sandwich. “yeah, yeah save the details for somepony who actually cares.” Silver Spoon leaned in towards Diamond Tiara. “If we capture her, we could be rich, AND famous!” she whispered. “you may have a point!” DT whispered back. They both gave an evil-like smile and looked at me, and I was just casually sitting on the grass with a bored expression on my face. I raised an eyebrow at the advancing girls. The both lunged for me but I easily flew out of the way. I hovered just above them with my arms crossed. “what’s your problem?” I said rather grumpily. “You’re a wanted criminal. We just thought that if we—“ “whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on! I was only lookin’ for a friendly chat!” a said in a sarcastic tone. “Anyway. I got stuff to do, places to be… you know.” I flew higher and threw a ruby into Silver’s hooves. “We do NOT want to be part of your petty little scheme!” she said. instantly alarmed that a guard would throw her into jail. “I never said you would be.” I gave a little smirk. “I just don’t really fancy rubies.” And before I could get another earful from those crazy mares I flew off. I sighed. I wasted ten whole minutes talking to those worthless ponies. I still had bigger problems to figure out. First, I had to find out where my friends were being kept. There would be something on the news about it at least. I know it sounds stupid to do this when I’m trying not to be seen, but I flew to the nearest town and landed on a building. H-how? When? Why am I back in this stupid town? I was banished by mayor mare for stealing from Sugarcube corner when I was just a hungry homeless filly. Right now I was standing atop Carousel Boutique. I cannot stay here. I will get caught for sure. Rarity and Applejack will murder me where I stand for turning their little sisters against society. There was only one mare I could trust enough to give me directions. She wouldn’t turn me in would she? Only time would tell. “R-Rainbow D-D-Dash?” I stuttered nervously as I landed on her cloud home. There was no answer, so I suggested she was out. As I attempted to leave, the door squeaked open and a cyan pony poked her head out. “Who is it? S-S-Scoo—“ “Yeah, it’s… me….” I stared at the clouds and hoped she would understand why I was here. “you can’t be here!” she said in a hasty whisper. She looked around her with concern in her eyes. “Please Rainbow… I need your help… I know you most likely will decline because… I haven’t really done any right by anypony these last few years and im not really worth it.” I looked down and a single tear slid down my cheek. “I-I umm… look Scoots, I’m only gunna help you because you have always been so loyal to me… what do you need?” “I need to watch TV!” I said in a serious tone. Rainbow just looked at me with a confused expression. “ugh. That didn’t come out right… um… just let me in.” Rainbow Dash moved aside and I walked in. I dunno why she was so dumbfounded, I mean, just because I’ve grown about 5 times taller since she last saw me but whatever. I wandered around the house and then I finally found the television. I switched it on and waited awhile. Then it eventually came up. ‘This just in! two of the ever menacing Crusaders have been captured and are being held at the Canterlot Jailhouse. There is a large reward for anypony who can successfully capture the one remaining member, Scootaloo Chicken Fuchsia.” I cringed and went bright red. why’d they have to say my middle name? Honestly. I got teased so much as a filly because of that. I bowed me head slightly and Rainbow came sat next to me. “Hey kiddo, it isn’t that bad. I know you. You can get them out of there, I know it.” I turned to Rainbow and gave a weak smile. “Thanks” I muttered. “but what will the consequences be? Will it be—“ “R-Rainbow Dash?! W-what… She! H-her! How? W-why?” A tiny voice pierced my ears and I turned suddenly to find Fluttershy standing at the doorway. Rainbow’s cheeks went crimson and she nudged me to leave before things could get out of hand. I nodded and flew by Fluttershy, leaving her gobsmacked. Her best friend was talking to a wanted criminal in her own home! Dashie had a bit of explaining to do. Canterlot. They were both in Canterlot. How in Equestria was I going to free them without being noticed? That place was packed full of Royal guards, Princesses and lots of famous ponies with paparazzi, nearly every one of them with a camera or two. This was going to be a challenge, but I was up for it. I left Rainbow’s home with a new purpose in my step. I knew that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were okay for a start, but Sweetie couldn’t handle the dark dirtiness of a jail cell. She would be like Rarity. Galloping back and forth screaming ‘ahh dirt!’ I ripped my stud collar off my neck and threw it down to the ground below. I will defiantly have to go super stealth mode, free them and leave. I paused mid-flight and sighed. It was no use. Even a newly born foal would know that was only wishful thinking. I had to come up with a new plan, and fast. Because every second I wasted put my fellow Crusader’s lives at a greater risk. The terrain was tough. The ground was covered in rocks and rubble and I found it extremely hard to walk, resulting in my hooves becoming bloodied and bruised. I would fly, but my wings were aching and I gave a quiet yelp every time I attempted to move them. I lied on the dirt and massaged my wings. I could rest here but I would be easily seen by other ponies. I knew one place though, one place I could rest with no fear. Only a zebra lived there. I had to hold out long enough until I got to the Everfree. Nopony could stay in the Everfree, unless of course you are a devious, Cunning, Sly Pegasus, namely me. I Trotted up to the boundary of the Everfree, the place where sunlight meets shadows, where peace meets danger and where I find a way to rescue my friends. It was dark in the forest. Spooky trees loomed over me and if I was still a filly, I would probably be running around in circles screaming my muzzle off. All the creatures there were dangerous in a way, Poisonous or not, but did kinda jump every time I heard a twig snap of a bush rustle. I sighed quietly to myself and attempted to build a hut to stay in for the night. I pulled a few large leaves off a tree, grabbed a couple of sticks and a large grub. No, I wasn’t going to eat it, that would be gross. I was simply going to use it. I squished it up on a rock until it formed a sort of paste I could use as a quick-drying glue. All I needed to do was put the hut together. It took a good hour or so, but the end result looked pretty good. I stood back and admired my handiwork. There was a creak and the roof caved in. I tried not to scream. Normally Applebloom did all the D.I.Y stuff. Oh well. I tried to force myself to sleep before the noises could keep me awake. I just hoped it wouldn’t start to rain. With new dawn brang new adventure and I woke early to pack and leave the forest, hopefully forever because that place stank real bad. I packed up my belongings and placed them in my satchel and threw it over my flank. this was it then. No turning back. Now the real trek to Canterlot would really begin. Eerie sounds began to enter my ears and I began to have second thoughts. Was this such a good idea? My wings drooped and my ears flattened as twigs and dead leaves crunched in the distance. I wasn’t really known for my bravery, and I ran behind a tree and eyed off the forest before me. Something was out there, I knew there was. There was a flash of blue and I backed behind the tree even more, when a quite large arachnid perched on my shoulder. I tried not to scream, the spider was at least the size of a small puppy and it’s enormous fangs were secreting a bright green poison. It inserted them deep into my shoulder and my vision became hazy before I collapsed and the whole world around me went black.
Chapter 3I rubbed my eyes and snuggled deeper into my pillow. Pillow? What? My eyes snapped open and I rose to meet the gaze of an Alicorn, one that looked fairly young, with a pale blue coat and a dark blue short mane and tail, with a single blond streak. What stood out most of all was the bright fiery comet cutie-mark that was sitting in the centre of his flank. “W-who are you?” I stammered. he took a step towards me and smiled. “I am Comet Frost. I am a hunter in the Everfree forest. I personally bring back rare and exotic game back to the princess.” He paused and winked at me. “…But this is one prized catch I won’t be putting on her wall.” I raised an eyebrow and screwed up my nose. “Do you know who I am?!” I screeched. He gave a slight smirk and laughed. “Of course I do, Scootaloo. How could I forget such a pretty face?” I stomped a hoof to silence him. Was he flirting with me? What was he hoping to achieve? All I learnt in the last few years was to trust no-pony. I am the boss and it was about time he knew that. I stood up and tried to flap my wings. I couldn’t fly… why? I turned my head slowly and what I saw caused a lump to rise in my throat. I stood in silence for a few minutes before I fainted. I woke a few hours later to see Comet dabbing my head with a wet cloth. I immediately sat up and looked behind me. So it wasn’t a nightmare… what I saw before me was pure reality. One wing… I-I only had o-one wing… but… how? I put my head in my hooves and began to cry. I had only learnt to fly a few weeks ago and now the only thing that separated Pegasus ponies from those of the ground was taken from me sooner than I imagined. An arm was placed around my shoulder and I turned to see Comet looking at me reassuringly. “im sorry.” He whispered “I truly am.” I stuffed my face back into the pillow and continued sobbing my heart out. “…when the spider bit you… the poison seeped from your shoulder… into your left wing…” I lifted my head to look at the lump on my back and took a moment to re-collect myself before answering. “and then what?” I asked. “… your wing turned purple… and then black… I tried all I could to keep the circulation going but…” “But what?!” “..i-it… just… shrivelled and………… dropped off…” That was it. I stood and began to walk off. I really needed to be alone right now… how could I cope with only one wing? I-it was just so strange… and it was hard to walk. My only remaining wing felt like a heavy burden I now had to carry everywhere with me and it made me walk awkwardly and kinda lop-sided. “Where are you going?” I flattened my ears. All my sadness had turned to anger and it was just boiling away inside me. I gave a slight growl and turned on the Alicorn. “This is all YOUR fault!” I screamed. “it wasn’t the spider’s venom! It was YOU wasn’t it!? YOU cut it off to teach me a lesson DIDN’T YOU?!!” Comet Frost stood his ground and addressed me calmly, “look, Scootaloo, I know it may seem like a sudden shock, but… I had nothing to do with this. When I found you, you were knocked out and your body had changed from it’s usual bright orange to purple… honestly, if it wasn’t for me… y-you… would be dead…” The thought quietened me. I had accused him of hurting me… “I’m sorry…” I whispered. I covered my mouth quickly. What was happening to me? Im a bad girl with a colt-ish attitude and spiked up hair! Theres no way I would ever, EVER, feel sorry for anyone, especially myself. I turned to leave once again. I couldn’t stay. “I’ll ask again,” came a solemn voice. “Where are you going?” I stared at the dirt and sighed. He wouldn’t leave me alone till I told him the truth. “Look,” I whispered. “I did something… something that resulted in my only friends getting thrown in jail… I have to rescue them… or at least… find out if they’re okay…” “So, there’s a soft side to you after all.” “W-what?!! I am NOT soft!” “haha sure.” “Look,” I muttered. “I really need to go, like, now.” Comet frost Walked up beside me and lowered his head. “you are not fully recovered, but if you really need to go…” He looked at me with caring eyes and nodded. “I’ll come with you.” The news itself was a shock to me, and yet, I had no idea what to think, this… hunter, this Alicorn, who was a personal guard of the princess herself, the very princess who wanted her locked up, was going to help me find my friends and help them escape from the rusty jail cell.
Chapter 4“Okay, so how are we going to do this?” Comet Frost and I were standing at the border of Canterlot, watching the bustling city from our hiding place, watching all the ponies trotting from shop to shop, Paparazzi following the stuck-up divas and fashion models and the Pegasus guards soaring the skies. I shrugged and looked out towards the horizon. I could see the jailhouse out on the distance and it didn’t take a genius to know that the place would be swarming with armoured guards. I looked away from the crowds of ponies and looked at Comet Frost, who understandably looked just slightly worried, and nodded, a look of determination spread across my face. “We need to go stealthy. You know, backstreets, alleyways, we’ll get there sooner or later.” Comet Frost shook his head and smiled. “We could do that,” he lifted his hoof and pointed at the large banners that laced the tops of buildings. They all read ‘Wonderbolts performing live! Get your tickets today!’ I looked at the ground and a weak smile appeared on my face. How Rainbow Dash would love to go to that performance. I gave myself a mental note to take her to one after all this mess I had created was fixed. “Uh huh. What about them?” I said quietly. “Well, I thought that we could maybe, run along the tops of the buildings and hide behind the banners.” “How?” Comet Frost raised his wings and flapped them sarcastically. I frowned and raised my one wing and looked at him with an annoyed expression. “Oh…. Sorry I forgot.” He Apologised I rolled my eyes. “Have any other bright ideas?” I mumbled. “I…Uhh… err…” he looked around hastily before smiling, probably to himself. “What? What are you going to do…?” The alicorn’s horn lit up a bright blue before my body was surrounded with a sparkling ribbon of magic. Slowly, it dispersed, leaving a quite pleased stallion before me. I looked at him questiongly before asking him the simple question; “What did you do…?” “Take a look for yourself!” he said happily, noting towards my back. I turned my head slowly, not being sure what to expect. But what I saw made me jump for joy! Well, theoretically, of course. It’s not like I would actually embarrass myself by bouncing around like a Pinkie Pie. But I was quite in awe. My lost wing had returned! I flew up happily, did a few flips in the air and landed. “Be careful,” Comet Frost whispered, “That wing isn’t genuine, after awhile it will disappear. Now let’s go!” I nodded as we both flew up to the rooftops of the brightly coloured buildings. We quietly snuck behind the large Wonderbolt banners, being careful not to be seen. Well, almost not seen. A local Canterlot unicorn mare may have snapped us with her camera. I dunno if she did or not, but I did see a flash and then a unicorn. When I glared at her, she sped off, so she obviously saw us. “Scootaloo, look, We made it!” I looked up, and sure enough, there it was. The Canterlot Jailhouse. old, dusty and rusted. No doubt Applebloom would be wanting to renovate the place. But, like stated earlier, the place was crawling with guards. I cringed and trotted quickly around the back of one of the cells which I could tell was Sweetie’s And Applebloom’s, before finding a small crack in the brickwork. I cast my gaze over towards Comet and stared at him, hoping that he could read my mind in some way or another. “W-what are you looking at me like that for?” he said worriedly. I gave a small smirk before nodding towards the Alicorn’s horn. “C-mon! youre the magic one here aren’t you?” I pointed my hoof towards the tiny hole in the wall. Find us a way to get through there!” “S-Scootaloo?! Is that you?!” “of course it is yah dummy! Who else has that voice?! Honestly, Sweetie Belle!” “Well… you never know, Applebloom…” My ears flattened and I became only slightly annoyed. I could hear the girls arguing from outside! “Can you two shut up?!” I said hoarsely, “We have to try to be quiet if I have any chance of getting you guys out!” It instantly went silent. I knew there was a way to get them out! There was a keyhole not far above my head. As I stood up on my hind legs, my replacement wing evaporated. I cast a sharp glance towards Comet Frost but he just shrugged. I knew this was it. I would finally free my friends.
Chapter 5Back To The Present… A key. Why was it always a key? I stared at the lock before me with great curiosity. It was different from other locks, that was true, but with a little concentration, I should be able to forge a key to unlock it. I pulled a lump of clay out of my satchel and began moulding it into the correct shape. An Alicorn paced around impatiently as I continued with the clay. “Look, I know you’re tryin’ to free them and all, but I feel really uneasy about this. What if we get caught?! What’ll we do then?!” As annoying as it was, he kept walking around in circles with a worried look on his face. I didn’t look up. “your point?” I answered in a muffled voice. he just looked at me In disbelief. “My point?! My point is that if we get caught we could end up rotting in jail, or worse!” “what’s so bad about rotting in jail?” “you are unbelievable. How could you not be just a tiny bit stressed? CAUSE I AM!!!” “Shut it. You’re just gunna draw attention to yourself.” That made him stop. He may be stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Just a few more spikes and there! Finished! The key was absolutely perfect! “YES! WHO’S AWESOME?! I AM!” I yelled out in victory. When I heard hoofsteps galloping towards us, I only just realised what I had done. An armoured Pegasus guard grabbed the pale blue Alicorn and another grabbed me. I struggled under his grasp, I kicked, I attempted to fly, well, attempted… I had to get away before… “Well, if it isn’t the elusive Scootaloo. You have been quite the problem. you have escaped from all the jail cells in Equestria and been seen thieving from more than three hundred expensive shops. What drove you to do this, I do not know but now that you have been successfully captured, I have a better imprisonment solution for you--” I stared into the now cold, dark eyes of Princess Celestia. Fear boiled in me for the first time in years. For once I was afraid of her. “--One thousand years imprisonment in the moon!” Her horn glowed and my body started to disintegrate. I knew this was the end for me. Or was it? I mean, I could try to reason with her…. “Please!” I pleaded, “I know you don’t want to do this, but I know you have every right to. These last few years I haven’t helped anyone. The only reason I had started this ‘crime spree’ was because it was all I knew. As a filly, I had no family and nowhere to live so I stole in order to survive… when the mayor of ponyville found out what I was doing, she banished me from town. I ran to the small town of Apploosa before I realised that Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had followed me. It is my fault they turned out like this. So please, ive done everything to try to set them free, ive even lost a wing to help them so do whatever you want to me… just let them go…” I paused for awhile and then literally burst into tears. I hoped what I had said had changed her mind… if only a little. “Are you saying this sincerely?” the Princess Questioned. “y-yes! I will do anything! Get banished to the moon, get turned into a rabbit, give back everything ive ever taken… you name it I’ll do it!” Princess Celestia thought for a bit before raising her horn, making the glow around me disappear and what parts of my body that had disintegrated, return. “Okay,” she said softly, “I know everything you have done for the past eight years, which, understandably, I have to punish you severely for, but is there one thing, any one thing, you have always wanted to do? I instantly pointed towards the large banner atop the jailhouse and smiled. “I have always wanted to take my hero to see the Wonderbolts and go backstage and meet them after the performance.” I said thoughtfully. “Who, may I ask, is this hero of yours?” “Rainbow Dash… She is the one ive looked up to nearly my whole life… even now, she helps my and tries to get me to see the positive side of life…” “I myself had met Rainbow Dash numerous times and she is a good role model, I have to agree.” Princess Celestia nodded and unlocked the jail cell. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle galloped up to me and grabbed me in a tight hug. Sweetie cringed when she saw the lump on my back where my wing used to be. “Ew…” she whispered. “It’s uh… good to see you too, Sweetie.” Princess Celestia put her hoof on my shoulder and I looked up at her curiously. “Your punishment will be to return all your stolen goods, spend five days a week for two years in prison, with no escaping, am I clear?” I nodded. “And 200 hours of community service. If you agree to these terms, you may take Rainbow Dash to the Wonderbolt performance.” I could not believe my eyes as the very princess who had just pretty much condemned me to death, basically because I am not like Princess Luna and I can’t exactly survive 1000 years in the moon. Im not immortal like her… anyway, the princess gave an awkward smile as she placed two gold V.I.P passes to the latest Wonderbolt show into my hooves. “but why?” I questioned. “You may not remember, but I met you as a filly and you were an extremely happy-go-lucky kind of girl. You were so kind and loyal to your closet friends and I believe if you get the chance, you could unlock that bustling personality that had slowly fell deeper and deeper into your heart.” That comment got me thinking. I had done lots of ponies wrong, and I now intended to make amends, Starting with the ones that hated me most. “I’ll leave you with that thought” I said hastily before grabbing the girls and running off. I know that probably wasn’t the best thing to do, but still. She didn’t try to stop me. She just turned and looked at her once trustworthy game hunter, who just shrugged carelessly. The three of us galloped back through the streets of Canterlot, back through the Everfree and back into the tiny village of Ponyville. The two girls looked at me, confused, but I assured them that this was for the best. The three of us walked into a familiar bakery, the door jingling behind us. The entire bakery instantly went quiet and the familiar faces from my childhood saw us and their expressions went from happy to sour, and I skulked up towards Rarity and Applejack and managed a weak smile as they both ran up to their little sisters and squeezed them both into what seemed to be a massive group hug. “Why are you still here?” Rarity said in an annoyed tone as she and Applejack saw I was still standing there. I closed my eyes and began to leave before Sweetie Belle pulled herself away from her sister’s grasp and stood in front of me. “You heard her.” I muttered, “They obviously don’t want me here.” My friend’s loyalty shocked me, after what I had done, but I was also very proud to have a friend like her. “You cannot leave!” she cried “You belong here! I know it may take you awhile to re-gain all the other ponies trust but I believe you can do it.” I turned back to the group who was growing more and more confused. Applejack stepped forward and cast me a glance that seemed like she still really hated me. “Ah reckon she’ll never get mah trust aftah what she did tah mah sister!” Rainbow Dash walked forward and whacked Applejack over the head, knocking her hat off. “Ow! What the hay did yah do that fer Rainbow?” “Ah, no reason AJ, just that the kid really does want to make amends and try to fix what she has caused. So… just give her a chance. Even ask Fluttershy. Scoots was at my place about a week ago and she told me everything. Then Fluttershy turned up and asked what was goin’ on so I told her.” “Is this true?” Applejack asked Fluttershy sternly. The shy crème Pegasus mare cowered at her friend’s sudden outburst before saying “Yes.” Her tiny voice was barely heard and she lost her voice as quickly as she found it. Applejack closed her eyes and she knew she had to take that simple answer, for it was all she could get. “Ah still don’t trust her!” The cowpony said stubbornly. “I’m sure that if you just gave her another chance, she would prove you wrong.” The Ponies in Sugarcube corner turned to meet the gaze of Princess Celestia and a familiar blue Alicorn by her side. “Hey!” I said happily, “You came too?!” “Of course!” he exclaimed, “I never leave my friends hangin’” “Y-you consider me a friend?” “y-yeah, friend… Friend! Right…” he turned away for a split second before giving an awkward smile. All the ponies stifled a giggle and Applebloom and Sweetie Belle gave a sarcastic, “Oooooh, Scootaloo’s got a coltfriend!” Comet Frost went crimson and walked outside shyly, while I stared at them with a ‘say that again and you’re dead’ look. Rainbow Dash tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a box, I looked at her, confused. I didn’t really deserve a gift but I wanted to be polite so, I opened it. What was inside reminded me about the fun childhood days me and the other crusaders had had as fillys. My old blue scooter laid in the box and even as I lifted it out, it seemed different somehow. “I gave it a new coat of paint and new wheels.” She exclaimed, “but since you can fly now, you may not use it as much.” “Actually…” I looked at my back and flicked my one wing into the air. Rainbow looked pretty shocked, considering that she could never imagine having to lose the power of flight. I put my satchel on the ground and pulled out two fancy cut pieces of cardboard and gave them to Rainbow. She stared at them for awhile, silent. Twilight Sparkle looked over her shoulder at the tickets. “I think we lost her for good now… uh, Equestria to Rainbow? Uh… Rainbow Dash? Are you dead or something?” “S-sorry Twi… I-I…. This is AMAZING! H-how? COOL!” Rainbow’s eyes sparkled brightly with each second that passed. I winked to the princess and she giggled quietly. “I’m gunna make it up to you all by giving you each something.” I reached into my satchel and pulled out five other items. “For Rarity, a new gown, For Fluttershy, a rare breed of bird to keep as a pet, For Twilight Sparkle, the latest novel of the Unicorn Magic series, For Applejack, a new species of apple has been found so, a tree that sprouts that fruit… and last but not least, Pinkie Pie, well uhh… I got you… I wasn’t exactly sure what you were really interested in so… I got you… a ticket to the next Grand Galloping Gala and don’t worry, the Princess assured me that it has changed and it really is like a party now! Like, a proper party!” “Okie Dokie Lokie!” the bubbly pink mare said happily. I smiled and, knowing that it would take a long time to regain everyone’s trust back. But still, I knew it would be worth it in the end.
Chapter 5 1/2Eventually, everything turned out all right… well… sort of… Rainbow Dash and I went to the Wonderbolt performance but… well… I tried to stop her, but she kinda crashed the whole thing. She tried to show off to Spitfire and the others and accidentally blew up the stadium. But at least the thought it was pretty daring and they liked it so I guess it went okay in the end…. Pinkie Pie took over the gala completely according to the princess. She knocked Vinyl Scratch unconscious, ripped the decorations, found an amulet similar to the Alicorn Amulet Trixie used and even though she isn’t a unicorn, it corrupted her all the same… so… now she throws a party every day and if you didn’t attend, she would run after you with an axe until you gave her a brand new three layer chocolate cake. Rarity became totally obsessed with her gown and wore it everywhere, threatening Everypony that if they stained it or ripped it in any way, she would pull a bazooka out of her handbag and blow Equestria to pieces. Twilight became depressed after her new book got lost in the library. Applejack’s tree got burned to ashes during a bushfire – or orchardfire in her case and Fluttershy’s pet bird ran amok and destroyed half of Ponyville. As for me, Comet Frost and I are travelling Equestria. Sounds boring but at least everything is sorta ok now……… right?
