As the sun began to ascend on Ponyville in the early hours of the morning, the frost could be seen shimmering on the trees and rooftops, It was one of those things you had to see with your own eyes to believe the stories. Stories of a sky filled with such wonderful colours, but this is not a story about colours, this is a story about a door.
"Miss Cheerilee, can we take a break? We've been walking for too long and my hooves are aching," cried Sweetie Belle as she crawled up to a tree and collapsed in the shade.
"Alright then, everypony feel free to explore the surrounding area. Remember that we came here to study the wildlife, not the other way around," she replied, chuckling at Snips as a squirrel began tugging on his horn.
As the fillies and colts all dashed away excitedly, Sweetie Belle was quickly joined by Scootaloo and Applebloom.
"So are we really going to do this here?" questioned Scootaloo.
"It's worth a shot, but we need to decide who has to do the seeking." Sweetie Belle pulled herself up from the ground.
"Ah'll do it," piped Applebloom gleefully. "Just don't none of y'all be hidin' too far away," she added, her eyes narrowing on Scootaloo.
"I already promised that I wouldn't use my wings to help me hide places," she moaned, rolling her eyes.
"Go stand by that tree and count to one hundred, make sure you close your eyes too. You might ruin the chances of getting a cutie mark if you keep them open" Sweetie Belle giggled.
Applebloom proceeded toward the tree and covered her eyes. Within moments, Sweetie and Scoots had already vanished from the area.
"Five, six, seven..."
"Hey, let's cut through these bushes." Scootaloo pointed out a small clearing to the right, they quickly pass through and discover there is nowhere to hide in this area.
"Twenty three, twenty four, twenty five..."
"She's going to see us easily in here with those astronomically big eyes of hers," groaned Sweetie Belle climbing out of the bush in which they hid.
"What are you, a dictionary?" Scootaloo snapped, quickly following her out of the bush.
"Quickly find somewhere Scoot, she'll be here any minute," said Sweetie Belle.
"Alright, uhh... Let's go this way," Scootaloo picked up Sweetie Belle and shot off towards another clearing, using the full effect of her wings they had picked up a small amount of speed.
"Watch where you're flying you big goose," said Sweetie, but Scootaloo didn't pick up on her cries and soon they quickly collided with something in the clearing.
The two fillies collapsed directly in front of the object they had hit, groans of pain could be heard from both of them.
"Found you!" a shadow quickly loomed over them, Sweetie Belle let out another groan as she saw who it was.
"How'd you find us so quickly" She asked, trying to untangle herself from Scootaloo.
"Ya'll were making so much noise, hide and seek is about being stealthy, like a ninja," Applebloom replied with a big smile. The smile from her face quickly turned into confusion as she saw what they had hit. This thing was very tall, it looked like it hadn't been used in a long time too.
"What's a door doing in the middle of nowhere?" she questioned, the others soon picked up on what they had crashed into.
Applebloom stepped up to the door and tried pushing it, to her dismay it would not budge. She peered through the keyhole but there was nothing but darkness on the other side.
"What's this message on the door?" pondered Scootaloo, she scratched at her mane trying to figure it out.
I will provide the thing for which you yearn, but heed my words you shan’t return.
"Maybe Twilight has a book about something like this?" Sweetie Belle gave one last effort into trying to push the door open. "It's no use, this door isn't budging" She added.
"Girls, where are you?" Cheerilee shouted, she pushed through some bushes and stepped into the clearing. Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were sitting in the middle of it. "What are you girls up to?" She asked.
Scootaloo turned back to where the door once stood, but it was gone. In it's place lay dirt mounds and grass.
"You know us, Miss Cheerilee. We were just crusading," Scootaloo replied, the others nodding their heads in agreement.
"Alright then, it's time to head on home now. I hope you collected enough information for your homework." Cheerilee ushered the three fillies back through the bushes and they soon rejoined with the rest of the class.
"Homework?" questioned Applebloom.
"Yes, I want everyone to write a short essay about the wildlife in the Everfree Forest," Cheerilee addressed the class, the crusaders gave a chorus of sighs as everyone began to pack up.
***
"Twilight, are you home?" asked Scootaloo, standing in the entrance to the Treebrary.
The library was silent, a small mess of books could be seen in the center of the room. Scootaloo stepped inside and examined the pile of books that lay there.
"Looks like she had something really important to attend to," sighed Sweetie Belle.
"I'll go check over here, you two go check those shelves there and there." said Scootaloo, the others giving nods of agreement before going to their designated places. "Remember, we're looking for a book on Equestrian Myths and Legends." She quickly added.
A few moments and a large pile of books later, the girls were on the verge of giving up. They all stopped when the front door began opening.
"Quick, hide!" Whispered Scootaloo.
Twilight soon emerged with a saddlebag full of strange things, she set them down on the floor and trotted to the pile of books in the middle of the room.
"Ugh, I told Spike that I only wanted a few books to read when I got back, I never asked for a hundred," said Twilight, she began using her magic to place the books in there natural positions. She was interrupted by a knock at the door. "I guess i'll finish these later." she sighed.
As she opened the door she was surprised to see Sweetie Belle standing there, a small look of panic was on her face.
"Twilight, I need your help over at Sugar Cube Corner," she begged, slowly dancing on the spot.
"I'm not even going to question what you need help with," said Twilight, she stepped outside and closed the door.
After a few short moments Applebloom and Scootaloo erupted from the pile of books in the center of the room, both giving each other the highest of fives.
"That was a brilliant idea Applebloom, but we still didn't find the book," she piped happily, frowning shortly afterwards.
"It's in Twilight saddlebag," said Applebloom pointed toward the front door, a lone book could be seen popping out of the top.
The girls quickly rushed over picked it out of the bag, leaving no evidence they quickly leave the library with the book in which they came for.
"Maybe we'll get cutie marks in petty theft," Applebloom chuckled, Scootaloo simply groaned and rolled her eyes.
***
The sky was once again filled with majestic colors as the sun began to descend on Ponyville, what was once a town filled with chorus noise was falling silent, all the townsponies had deserved their rest. They had spent all day preparing for the festival Princess Celestia had organised.
Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sitting just outside of the Everfree forest, they placed the book on the ground and began browsing the various pages of Myths and Urban Legends of Equestria, M.U.L.E for short.
"Wow! There are a ton of cool things in this book, maybe we can get our cutie marks in becoming mythbusters," said Sweetie Belle excitedly, Scootaloo raised her hoof and gave her a quick bonk on the head.
"We can do that another time. Right now, we need to find out why there was a door in the middle of the Everfree Forest," snapped Scootaloo.
"There it is," said Applebloom quickly puttting her hoof down on the page to avoid them skipping it.
"The Legend of the Lost Door. This is the myth of a door that can provide the user the thing they desire the most, but once entered the user can never return to their previous lives. Many have speculated this myth as being true but no evidence to support this theory," she added, the others both looked at each other with great confusion.
"How come Miss Cheerilee didn't see it?" asked Sweetie Belle.
"Maybe there is nothing she really desires, I'm not sure how Bic Mac would feel about that," Applebloom replied, almost immediately rolling on the floor in a hysterical fit of laughter.
Scootaloo raised her hoof again, this time bonking Applebloom over the head. "Let's just go find this door already," she prompted, they three of them finally setting off into the forest.
***
Twilight was startled by three loud knocks, so startling that she misplaced her hoof and fell down the remaining few steps.
"Agh, I really do need to watch where I step," she grumbled as she walked over to the door, she finally opened the door and was surprised to see Rarity and Applejack standing there.
"Twilight, have you seen Sweetie Belle and Applebloom?" Rarity asked, tilting her head slightly to notice the giant pile of books in the middle of the floor.
"Last time I saw her was when she told me she needed help with something at Sugar Cube Corner, I agreed to help but then she kinda freaked out and ran away from me," said Twilight, smiled sheepishly. "I have a feeling I know where they are," she added with a smile.
***
"There's the clearing where we last saw it," said Applebloom, they all picked up speed and burst through the bushes into the clearing.
All three of them came to and immediate halt in front of the door, the shadow from the moonlight made it look older and more mysterious. Sweetie Belle began trying to turn the handle again but again there was no luck.
"The darn door won't budge," she cried, finally giving up all efforts into trying to open it.
"We just have ta' think of something we really want," Applebloom sighed, picking the helpless Sweetie Belle up from the floor. "Let's all close our eyes and think really hard." She added.
They all stood side by side and closed their eyes, the wildlife around them grew louder as they fell silent. After a moment of thinking Applebloom groaned and turned to Sweetie Belle.
"Blast it, it's not working." said Sweetie Belle cried, she eventually gave up thinking too.
They both turned to Scootaloo who had remained silent the whole time, the moonlight shining on her mane, her head was hung down. A single tear hit the floor, the door creaked and was followed by a loud clicking noise.
Applebloom stepped up to the door and slowly turned the handle, she pushed the door open and a heavenly light shrouded the entire clearing. The three of them looked up in awe as they saw two figures standing at a distance, as their eyes adjusted to the light they could see two pegasi.
"Wh- who are they?" asked a puzzled Sweetie Belle.
"The book said if I enter I won't ever be able to come back right... right?" Scootaloo replied quietly, her head still hung low.
"Scootaloo, what did you think about?" Sweetie Belle begged, she didn't like what was happening.
"My parents," sighed Scootaloo, she lifted up her head and slowly approached the door. She stopped right outside of it, a deadly silence spread throughout the clearing.
The two figures came closer to Scootaloo, her mother extending a hoof. Scootaloo reached out, then quickly took back her hoof. She looked at Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, they both nodded at Scootaloo, trying to reassure her.
"Scootaloo, you have to decide, the book says you don't get a second chance," said Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo collapsed, crying into her hooves. She was joined by Applebloom and Sweetie Belle.
"I can't decide, I just can't," cried Scootaloo, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Do what your heart wants," said Applebloom, she pulled Sweetie Belle away from Scootaloo.
Scootaloo took a few moments to think about her decision, the awkward silence was killing them. She slowly pulled herself up from the ground, staring at her parents, a glistening tear on her face. She turned to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, the look of devastation on their faces.
"I'm sorry," whispered Scootaloo.
The door slammed shut, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle had tears streaming down their faces.
"There you are!" shouted Rarity. "What are you girls doing here, where is Scootaloo?" she asked.
An awkward silence spread out before a small orange pegasi emerged from behind the door.
"We were just crusading Rarity," Scootaloo replied with a smile.
"Well come along, it's getting awfully late," Rarity coaxed the filly's back through the bushes and they all set off toward home.
The door stood firm in it's place, the light from the keyhole was fading. A single whisper could be heard in the wind.
We're proud of you kid
