Their Beginning

by SilverMistMLP

Rating: mature
Tags: Dark, Sad, Romance
Length: 7224

Can Scootaloo and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders find their way back to their normal selves? Or will their newly found hobbies take over their life and make them believe anything is true?

By: Silver_Mist

Scootaloo finally found her purpose, whether it be for the good or for the bad, she doesn't care anymore. All she has ever dreamed about in life was getting her cutie mark, finding her sole purpose in life. She found it, and being the first of the CMC, she wants to see if she can get them to join her.

~Not my art~

Edit: If you don't like grim-dark material, along with some sexual scenes, don't read this. The cover suggests it's about the CMC, so yup…
Also, I'm not like this normally, I'm more into romance type things along with some mild grim-dark, but again, this is a story idea and I wanted to see if I'm really any good at writing grim-dark.
If you don't like this story, I'm sorry it is not of your liking, I am not changing it though.
EDIT TWO: Please go check out my other story. It would very much be appreciated. Click here for the story

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-09 00:19:33 UTC

Chapter One: Scootaloo's Findings

Scootaloo's POV ________________________________________________________________________________

*Standard disclaimer: This is nonprofit fan work.  My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is copyright of Hasbro, Inc.  I make no claim to any copyrighted material mentioned herein.*

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The orange filly smiled wickedly, staring down from her step-stool on what used to be her idol. "Hey Dash," she began, "remember when you said you'd be there for me? When you said you'd help me fly?" she chuckled softly and continued again, "how are you going to help me fly and achieve something I've dreamed of when you can't even fly for yourself? Huh? Answer that for me, Dash."

The filly shook the cyan mare violently, her smile fading as her idol still lay there unconscious. "Wake up you scum! Wake up!" she screamed at the pegasus, the soundproof room around her silencing any noise for the ponies outside couldn't hear it.

Just then, two fillies, one being a yellow earth pony and the other a white unicorn, trotted in the room, closing the door behind them. "Is she awake yet?" the earth pony spoke.

"Not yet. So much for the bravest pony in Equestria," the orange pegasus spoke, her short purple mane barely moving as she shook her head in disgust.

"Don't ya start sayin' that now, Scoots. You adored Rainbow," the yellow filly pointed out.

"Yeah! You wouldn't be saying that if she had taken you to Manehattan with her," the white unicorn added.

Scootaloo retorted, "Shut up, Apple Bloom! You too Sweetie Belle!" she picked up a small scalpel from a silver metal tray nearby and held it to Apple Bloom's neck before turning around again, flexing her wings. "She failed and she left me. So now," she placed the scalpel against the left side of Rainbow Dash's flank, making a circle around her cutie mark. "She'll pay the price for it," she then began to pull it off, blood occasionally spewing out onto Scootaloo's coat, but she hadn't got a care in the world. Some blood would drip down slowly onto the sheet-less operating table beneath her. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at each other skeptically, keeping their mouths shut from there.

Rainbow Dash stirred, looking at the young pegasus by her flank. "Oh my Celestia!" she squeaked, a small trail of blood seeping down her thigh and onto the operating table she was strapped to. "Scoots, what are you-" Dash cringed as Scootaloo yanked the remaining parts of her cutie mark from her flank, a loud yelp came from her along with a single tear falling from her cheek. "Agh! It burns!" she yelled out after Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom squeezed some lemon juice onto the fresh wound. Thrashing uncontrollably to avoid the immense pain again, Rainbow kicked one of the younger fillies in the jaw, sending them to the ground. She sat up as best as she could, and, to her horror, Scootaloo sat atop of her.

"Hello Dashie. It's time to die," said a sadistic Scootaloo as the scalpel came into contact with Rainbow's neck, leaving a thin gash. Blood flow and spewed from the cyan pegasus' neck, splattering Scootaloo's orange coat and purple mane. She sat there, watching her idol's life be taken slowly with a sinister smile spread across her muzzle.

The image began to fade away as Scootaloo awoke in her bed. She slowly opened her dark purple eyes, staring up at her cloud ceiling before rolling lazily onto her stomach and groaning loudly into her Rainbow Dash pillow. She then sat up, rubbing her eyes with her hooves and slid out of bed, stretching her wings and walking over to the mirror. "Another one of those dreams. When will they end?" she asked herself in the mirror. Dark circles lay under her eyes as she gazed at herself for another long minute before combing her mane and walking out her room.

*      *      *

The two other Cutie Mark Crusaders awaited for Scootaloo's arrival outside the clubhouse. Suddenly, she burst through the bushes with her scooter at top speed and skid to a halt just before she hit the ramp to get into the clubhouse. "Sorry I am late," Scootaloo said in a hushed tone before removing her helmet and placing both her scooter and helmet underneath the ramp. She trotted slowly up the ramp, her head and tail hanging.

"Hey Scoots, ya alright?" Apple Bloom asked curiously as she came up behind the down pegasus.

"Oh, yeah, uhm, I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Scootaloo managed before taking a seat.

"It was another dream, wasn't it?" Sweetie Belle questioned, taking a seat next to the orange filly.

With a long sigh, she nodded. A shiver of fear and thrill coursed through her body. She was confused as to why it made her feel so, well, odd. She shook off the feeling and looked at Sweetie Belle. "It's fine though, as long as it doesn't actually happen, I'll be okay," Scoots said in a reassuring voice. I don't think I even can believe my own words. Scootaloo thought to herself. I want to keep everyone around me safe, but are these dreams going to happen?

Apple Bloom studied the pegasus quietly. "Are ya sure ya believe yourself, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo has always hated being questioned. Out of instinct, she said defensively, "Of course I'm sure! I mean, why would I kill anypony?!"

Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were taken aback by the sudden outburst from Scootaloo. With a sorrowful look, Scootaloo stood, shook her head, and trotted out of the clubhouse. Before they knew it, Scootaloo was speeding back into Ponyville.

"That was odd," Sweetie Belle spoke after several silent moments.

"You're tellin' me. Ah don't think Ah've ever seen Scootaloo so upset with herself. Do ya think...?" Apple Bloom's voice trailed off as the two young fillies began to question their dear friend and fellow crusader.

"No, of course not. Scootaloo wouldn't harm a fly, Apple Bloom. She may not be acting like herself lately, but that doesn't give us any right to judge our friend," Sweetie Belle replied with a hint of skepticism in her voice.

Apple Bloom looked at her friend and shook her head, her red mane and pink bow moving with her. "Ah sure hope you're right Sweetie, or we might lose our friend because of this."

Sweetie Belle nodded her agreement before she trotted back inside the clubhouse, touching her chin with her hoof deep in thought.

*   *   *

Scootaloo sped through the small town of Ponyville skillfully on her scooter, flapping her wings as fast as she can. She jumped over a barrel with a large jump, barely sticking the landing. Her head was unraveling questions faster than she could think or answer for that matter. "Why me?" she asked herself, not paying much attention to her surroundings. She couldn't help but start crying. Scootaloo was officially out of it. Almost on cue, she crashed into a cart of apples being pulled along by Big Macintosh. Rubbing her head as she lay flat on her back with her scooter wrecked, she rubbed her head and blood was on her hoof when she looked at it. "Sorry Big Mac, I'm just out of it," Scootaloo dismissed herself before Big Mac could say anything and, picking up her totaled scooter and placing it on her back, she continued her journey to the place she went to in order to think.

*   *   *

With a heavy heart and deep breath, Scootaloo placed her scooter next to her and looked over the cliff. "Why can't I dream like a normal filly can? Why can't I be like Dash? Be fast and unbeatable? I just want to be anyone but my flightless self," she sobbed softly, curling up into a ball of shame and despair by the cliff's edge. Tears of hopelessness and unsatisfied thoughts were soaking the grass her head lay upon, her depression deepening.  "I want to be special. Unique. Different. How can I be that without being able to fly like a normal pegasus?"

Suddenly, Scootaloo had a realization. After three long, unsuccessful years of trying to obtain her cutie mark and know her sole purpose in life, she knew what she'd do. Maybe, just maybe, she'd kill animals. Not Fluttershy's, oh no no, just a random animal to see if she gets an adrenaline rush. If that all works out, she'll move up gradually. With a small possibility, she'd get the other crusaders to join her in her quest of hunger and destiny finding. She sat up, wiping the remaining tears from her face with her foreleg and stood as tall as her frame could manage. She outstretched her small wings and, with a small but evil grin, she dove down the cliff, frantically flapping her wings. With much effort, she was flying. Flying away from everything. Something in her gut was tugging her back and she retreated to the cliff side just before her wings gave out. "I'll practice every day...until I am good enough to fly a vast distance," she muttered to herself.

Catching site of a small forest creature, she gave chase to it. Catching it, she snapped its bones, one by one, watching its facial expression change every time she did. She found a shard of glass and, walking back over with the squirrel in her jaw, she tied its limbs to sticks with some vines after embedding the sticks deep into the ground. Using the shard of glass, she cut an "I" shape on the squirrels stomach. Opening the flaps slowly, she could see the poor animals heart racing. Seeing this, it made hers race, too. Not out of fear, but from an abnormal adrenaline rush. She peeled the flaps all the way off and, poking around on the inside of the squirrel, she ripped out what appeared to be a kidney. She continued ripping out organs and examining them with a close eye before burying them in a hole she dug nearby. She had one organ left. The heart. With a evil grin, she broke the rib cage protecting the vital organ and, with a swift movement, she removed the heart from the animal. It lay the limp now, lifeless and blood coating the grass around it. Scootaloo laughed at it and threw the corpse over the cliff into the crashing waves and razor sharp rocks below. She felt a new feeling bloom inside of her as she looked at her blood coated hooves. It was a new beginning for the small filly.

*   *   *

Flapping lazily back to her home after leaving her scooter purposefully at the cliff, she finally arrived back at her home. She trotted into her restroom and a new wave of happiness coursed through her veins and a mischievous smile was spread across her muzzle as she looked at her reflection. She turned on the water for her shower. The water fogged up the mirror as she stepped in, soaking before she washed her mane and coat with a thick lather of soap. She washed off and stepped out, grabbing her towel with her teeth and drying herself as she walked to her room. Brushing her mane on the way to the kitchen, she set her purple brush down on the table and pulled out a pre-made lettuce sandwich from her fridge. "I deserve this, as a reward," she said to herself. She bit into it, enjoying her meal and savoring every bite. She finished, having a glass of water and retreating to her room. Exhausted, she climbed into her bed and lay there peacefully, nothing clouding her mind. She pulled the covers over her body and up to her muzzle, shutting her eyes and seeing darkness. A smile of joy spread across her face before she let sleep envelope her in its trap and take her to her dream world. Then, as if on cue, where she left off in the dream she awoke from so frightened from came back. Instead of it being Rainbow Dash she was taking the life of, it was Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara and a sinister smile was spread across her newly found purpose.

Chapter Two: Sweetie Belle's Adventure

Sweetie's POV

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Sweetie Belle lay restless in her room, Rarity all tucked away in her bed with her lavender night mask over her eyes and her blanket over her body. It was a hard day for the mare as she worked and sewed a new dress for the Grand Galloping Gala once again for all of them this year. Sweetie sighed long and turned onto her side, looking out her bedroom window and at the moon. "I wonder how princess Luna and princess Celestia figured out their destinies. They never really talked about it. Then again, princess Luna was trapped in the moon for a thousand years," Sweetie Belle spoke aloud quietly, staring blankly at the moon. "I wish, at least once, my dreams would lend me a hint of who I was to be." Finally letting her eyes close for the night, Sweetie drifted into a deep sleep, only to be afraid of what lie ahead in this dream world.

*   *   *

The room was dark, barely lit by a single candle in the middle of the room. A figure facing the opposite direction of Sweetie with their back to her began to speak in a raspy voice. "You think you have what it takes to be here, Ms. Belle?"

With a strong nod of her small filly head, she said, "Yes sir!"

"Ma'am, thank you very much!" the figure spoke before turning around. "This is Killer Camp, the camp where we train you to kill. If you fail, we kill you! Got it?"

Sweetie Belle was scared out of her witts but she dare not to show it in front of Sergeant. "Yes ma'am!" she said in her loudest voice.

Sergeant placed two weapons in front of the unicorn, the two weapons being a butcher knife and a chainsaw. "Choose one, and kill anypony you'd like."

Sweetie Belle looked from the knife to the chainsaw. Knives are quiet, and chainsaws are too loud. She made her decision quick and stuck with the knife, carrying it in her mouth. "Thiz ghood?" she spoke with the handle in her mouth.

Sergeant struck Sweetie hard across the head with her hoof, causing her to drop the knife. "You're a damned unicorn you fool! Use your magic!"

Sweetie looked up at Sergeant. She choked back tears that were forming in her pale green eyes and began enveloping the knife in her magic. "Better, ma'am?" Sweetie asked.

With a stern nod, Sergeant pushed Sweetie into an arena where another filly was waiting. "Kill him, and you live. You don't kill him, well, you die." Sergeant said before shutting the gate behind Sweetie.

Sweetie's eyes widened. "I...die?" she swallowed hard and stared at the unicorn across from her. It was Snails, that bozo of a pony. He was an insult to her kind. Sudden rage filled her tiny body as the go signal was shot. She threw the knife at him with her magic, dodging his attempts to go straight for her juggular. She growled as Snail's knife came in contact with her side. She overthrew his magic and had control over both knives, backing him up against the stadium wall.

"P-Please Sweetie," he begged, "I can't die...please..."

With a cold laugh, Sweetie threw each of the knives at him, literally nailing his front hooves to the stadium wall. "Why should I?" she spoke without even a hint of sympathy.

"Because I have a cuti-" Snails was cut short after Sweetie's back hooves bucked him hard in his muzzle, blood streaming from his snout. "You little bitch!" he screamed at the young filly.

I hate you, Sweetie thought angrily. I hope you die. She bucked the colt in his gut before yanking a knife from his right hoof. She started leaving small, light cuts on his torso, but every time he struggled or try to whack her with his hooves, she'd stab him in his thighs and shoulders. "I'm not a bitch," Sweetie said as her pupils constricted as a wicked smile appeared on her muzzle. "I am THE bitch, you ignorant colt."

Snails struggled against the other knife embedded in his left hoof, the blood spewing on his and Sweetie's coats. He hadn't realized it, but as soon as he looked away, the knife Sweetie had been welding came across his face, being dragged from one ear to the other, forming a Glasgow grin. "Don't forget to smile," she grinned as she drove the knife down his throat and pulled it out through his esophagus with her magic.

His last breaths came short as she cut his torso repeatedly with the knife before licking up his body, cleaning the blood from him as it poured out. He looked down at her, a look of pain shined from his eyes as tears stained his orange coat. His green mane was ruffled and he looked more like a punching bag. Yet, after seeing this, Sweetie Belle only wanted more. She drove the knife straight through his asshole and out his mouth before burying it deep in his back. He was dead after this. Sweetie enveloped the knife in his hoof in her magic and walked back to her corner. Sergeant came out with a chainsaw.

"You're going to die anyway," Sergeant said as she started the chainsaw and the roar of it being brought to life rung out around the stadium.

"Not today I'm not," the white-blood coated unicorn said as she launched both knives at Sergeant. Ironically, Sergeant dogged the used attack and charged at her, chainsaw at the ready and coming down, aiming to decapitate Sweetie on the spot. Sweetie ducked just in the neck of time. Picking up the knives in a field of magic, Sweetie bucked Sergeant hard against the stadium walls opposite of Snails' corpse. Pinning her there with the knives embedded deep in Sergeants front legs, much like how she did to Snails. Instead of making the two deaths similar, she decided to cut off Sergeant's hind legs. With Sergeant's hind legs now missing and thrown to the side. Sweetie began to kiss Sergeant's neck, in an attempt to arouse Sergeant before she killed her. "You...won't-" Sergeant let a small moan escape as Sweetie's hoof barely touched her clit. "Get away with this," she finished.

"Think again," Sweetie said, sticking her bloody tongue out and pressing it against Sergeants sensitive neck. After another small moan escaped from Sergeant, Sweetie had her fun and grew bored. Stabbing Sergeant in the chest and neck, Sweetie backed up and started catching the spewing blood in her mouth and on her coat. Sergeant was then dead before she even bled out onto the ground and on Sweetie, but Sweetie sure as hell wasn't done. She picked up the chainsaw, cutting up Sergeant and eating her, piece by piece. The act of cannibalism made Sweetie wet with pleasure. Her hoof traveled south as she began to rub her clit whilst munching away on what remained as the black coat, red maned pony named Sergeant.

*   *   *

Sweetie awoke in shock, sitting up right in a cold sweat. She rubbed her head and she checked her body thoroughly before getting up and getting a glass of water. She pet Opalescence and retreated to her room with her head pounding and her mane ruffled. She shook her head. "There is no way in the name of Luna's Moon that will ever be real," she told herself as she lay back down in her bed and snuggled up against her pillow and pulled the covers over herself. "Definitely not real," she said again as she closed her eyes once more before they shot open again to Opal laying next to her. "Opal, can you see me eating anyone?"

Opal, being just a measly cat, meowed her opinion and curled up into a ball beside Sweetie.

"I know right? I think that's just gross, I mean, having somepony else's blood and body go down your throat," with a pause, Sweetie gagged. "So gross!" she squeaked as she threw up into the garbage pale by her bedside. "Thank Celestia I will never do that." Ew. she said in her head before laying down on her side to avoid throwing up in her sleep. "Goodnight Opal, sleep well."

Opal purred and meowed in response to Sweetie's goodnight words.

"Hopefully that never happens," Sweetie said once more before closing her eyes again.

*   *   *

Sweetie awoke the next morning with no more sickening dreams throughout the rest of her night. Lazily, she rolled out of her warm bed and trotted into the work shop to see Rarity already working away. "Sis?" Sweetie began carefully.

"I can't talk now Sweetie Belle, I have to get so much done. Why don't you go out early today, but you can't come back before dinner, got it?" Rarity replied while looking at designs floating mid-air and sewing away.

"Okay, I guess," Sweetie said as she trotted past Rarity.

"Oh, and Sweetie darling?" Rarity called after her.

"Yes, sis?" Sweetie asked, popping her head back into the room.

"Could you remind Fluttershy about our spa day? I only have an hour to go though," Rarity said, "Thank you darling."

Sweetie Belle nodded her okay and trotted out of Carousel Boutique, bumping into Applejack.

"Hey Sweetie, are ya and the rest of the crusaders gonna try anythin' else for yer cutie marks?" she asked.

"Honestly Applejack, I don't know what they want to do anymore," Sweetie replied, hanging her head.

"Whatcha mean, sugarcube? Ah though y'all were gonna go do some hang glidin' today?" Applejack questioned, clearly confused by Sweetie's sudden sadness.

"I could ask them, but they're starting to do things on their own," she answered.

Applejack smiled softly, placing a caring hoof on the young filly's shoulder. "Everything'll work out Sweetie, just try, for me?"

Sweetie Belle looked at Applejack like she was some foreign creature.

"Alright, fine, for the crusaders?" Applejack finally said.

"Alright, only for the crusaders," Sweetie said before taking off. She stopped and looked back, "Thank you, Applejack. You're a great friend."

Applejack simply nodded her head as a thank you and continued on her way.

*   *   *

Sweetie Belle arrived at the Crusader clubhouse and trotted merrily inside, sitting next to the agitated looking Apple Bloom. "Hey Apple, you alright?"

"Yeah, Ah'm fine, but where's Scootaloo? She's late again," Apple Bloom responded, looking out the window.

Sweetie followed suit, glancing out the winder in hope for Scootaloo to randomly burst out of the bushes but to no avail. "I honestly don't know Apple Bloom, but wherever she is, she might be trying to get her cutie mark."

"That's all she wanted," Apple Bloom recalled before looking at the bongos Scootaloo loved to play. "Ah just don't want her gettin' in trouble. Ya know what my sister always says, stay outta trouble."

"Scootaloo is trouble," they both said in unison.

Just then, Scoots ran through the bushes and up the ramp and said while trotting in place, "Hi Apple Bloom, hi Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo greeted them both, before banging on her bongos a few times. "I have a suggestion for the next cutie mark idea," Scootaloo began as the other crusaders took a seat in front of her. She paused for dramatic effect and pulled out a flashlight, shining it under her chin and said, "Why don't we kill somepony?"

The other two fillies gasped in horror and sat there silently. "Who has a cutie mark of killing somepony?" Apple Bloom yelled.

"Yeah! Who does that?" Sweetie Belle questioned before her dream traveled back into her head. She shook her head quickly to try and rid herself of the disgusting dream.

Scootaloo shook her head and explained her reasoning, "It's the only thing we have yet to try, maybe even kill a forest critter. I don't know, I just wanna try something new," Scootaloo's voice was full of hyperness and excitement.

"How in the name of Celestia did ya come up with that anyway Scoots? That's just plain out weird and gross, not ta mention bad and illegal," Apple Bloom noted.

Sweetie Belle looked around nervously. This conversation was, for some odd reason, making her cunt feel kind of weird and had a wet-ish texture to it. She closed her legs and stood up. "Why do you want to kill something or somepony anyway?"

Scootaloo was skittish right now and her eyes kept darting to every corner of the room. "I already told you why you silly fillies! We haven't tried it so why not give it a shot? If we don't get our cutie marks after two or three kills, then we'll stop, alright? C'mon!" Scootaloo begged, "please? Just one shot! Please, please, please!" Scootaloo begged and pleaded repeatedly, showering the other two crusaders with the word "please" in many different languages.

Finally,  the two snapped. "Fine!" they said, rubbing their temples with their hooves.

"Yay!" Scootaloo said enthusiastically.

"But," the Sweetie said.

"But what?" Scootaloo said, disappointed and sat down.

"Only once for Sweetie and Ah if we don't like it," Apple Bloom finished.

Scootaloo was jumping with joy and her heart raced with passion and excitement. "Deal!" she said. Yes! They're finally letting my plan get under way! Now we'll all be craving for murder soon. Scootaloo thought sadistically to herself as the other two crusaders looked at each other in confusion and regret. Don't worry you two, you'll understand sooner or later, hopefully sooner. Scoots said, a sly grin making it's place upon her muzzle.

Chapter Three: Apple Bloom's Dream

Apple Bloom's POV

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Waking up in a cold room, Apple Bloom lay on the pale gray tile floor. She sat up, rubbing her head softly before her hoof came across a small bump. "What the?" She began.

"Silence!" a voice demanded.

Instinctively, Apple Bloom shut her mouth, remaining seated on the cold tile floor. "Before you ask," the voice began again, "you're here for one reason and one reason only. That reason being to kill, no matter who it is, you must not stop yourself. Got it?"

Apple Bloom simply nodded her head in response.

"Good, now, let's begin," the voice said, stepping out of the shadows. Her magenta eyes were cold as they stared down at Apple Bloom. The pegasus' face was covered with a black ski mask, hiding her mane accompanied with a dark gray jumpsuit covered with blood stains and smears along with holes cut into it where her cyan wings rested on her sides.

"Rainbow?" Apple Bloom began.

With a quick action, the cyan pegasus drew a knife from her hoof-satchel and, flying quickly passed Apple Bloom, she slashed the young filly's left side, leaving a thin but deep cut down the length of it. "You do not know my name, therefore you do not speak. Is this clear?" the pegasus questioned.

Apple Bloom fell to the floor on her good side, whimpering from the cut. She nodded her head in response as tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh stop being such a wuss! Shape up, filly! Or you'll die out there!" the cyan mare screamed, her voice echoing off the steel walls. "Not that I wouldn't mind that," she added. "At least I wouldn't have to worry about some useless, pathetic filly ever again."

That was what made the little earth pony tick. "Ah'm not useless," she muttered.

The mare spun, her cyan blue hoof connecting with Apple Bloom's frail head and leaving a small gash. Blood began to seep down onto her face and Apple Bloom, still being just a filly, was outraged. She turned around, and with as much power she could muster, she bucked the cyan pegasus hard in her muzzle. The yellow pony looked at her from over her shoulder, blood seeping down her muzzle and into her mouth. The pegasus now was glaring hatefully at the young earth pony.

"How dare you!" she screamed angrily before launching herself at the filly and slamming her against the wall with brute force.

Being pinned against the wall, Apple Bloom had no other options. She bit down hard on the mare's neck as blood began to drip into her mouth. She didn't care, she just wanted this psycho pony off of her. Apple Bloom was pinned against the wall harder and harder as the mare growled hatefully at her from the pain she didn't want to notice. Apple Bloom opened one eye after her shoulder dislocated from the amount of strength the mysterious mare had on her. She was bigger and stronger, thus, Apple Bloom could die at any moment. "Leave me alone!" she yelped, flailing her back hooves until she kicked the mare hard enough so she backed off.

Moments later, the filly caught a reflection of light off what appeared to be silver. The knife. she thought as she dove out of the way right before the mare's hind legs connected with her jaw. Right before the mare had pinned Apple Bloom down, she had grabbed the knife in her hooves. "You are worthless," the mare said just before she grinned evilly.

Apple Bloom rubbed her muzzle on her yellow coat, a red smear appearing on it. "Not as worthless as you," she spoke calmly as she drove the knife into the esophagus of the older pony. Blood spewed from the wound as Apple Bloom began twisting it in a counter-clockwise motion.

The mare collapsed on top of Apple Bloom, blood only squirting out onto Apple Bloom's upper chest and neck. With an extended amount of effort, the filly finally managed to roll the pegasus off of her. After she had gotten that over with, Apple Bloom stood, looking at her side. The blood was still oozing out but slowly now, beginning to clot. She smiled. "Today was a good day," she spoke before she stepped over the pegasus, not bothering to look at whom it was who tried to kill her. "Ah may have hit a bump in the road, but that ain't gonna' stop me," she finished before stepping out into the light of what looked like a battle arena. "What in the name of Celestia?"

Four other fillies were visible in the star shaped, blood stained arena. The announcer said, "Let round one of the filly killer begin!" With that, the other eight baron flanked ponies charged at one another. Apple Bloom, still being confused and injured with the earlier fight, stood there motionless until a green coat, red maned pegasus colt flying at her with a knife clenched tight in his jaws. She finally began to come back to her reality, side-stepping the colt's attack and bucking him in the side. He dropped the knife and fell to the ground with a cracked wing and rib. Just before he was about to sit up, Apple Bloom pinned him down, slitting his throat with a quick motion.

More and more fillies and colts died, each being either slaughtered slowly or being thrown over the edge of the battle arena. Apple Bloom, getting a sudden rush from all this action, jumped in. She cut the flanks of two fillies with the knives they dropped before stabbing them each in between their shoulder blades and stepping hard on it when they collapsed to the floor, driving it through their chest and racing heart, ending their life. There were only three ponies left. One being herself, and the other two being what looked like two unicorn colt twins, aside from the reverse coloration. The one on the right had a yellow coat with an orange mane while the other had a orange coat and yellow mane, both having red eyes.

They both charged at her, knives held high with their magic. Apple Bloom took this into account and bucked one in the side and just before the other had stabbed her with his knife, she then moved in the neck of time, allowing the colt to stab his own brother in the back of his neck, killing him instantaneously. Her cunning ability made her unbeatable. While the other colt was busy having a realization of what he had just done, Apple Bloom bucked him hard, causing him to slide close to the edge of the arena.

"You made me kill my brother! Now, I'll kill you!" the colt yelled before enveloping the knife he dropped in his magic and tried to cut Apple Bloom's blood-smeared coat.

Apple Bloom simply laughed, skillfully dodging everything the young unicorn tried. "Ya can't kill me silly," she said, her pupils dialating and then constricting as she galloped towards the colt, still dodging every swing of his knife, "but Ah can kill ya!" she yelled, bucking him over the edge and throwing the knife over the edge, ending in his chest. She heard the sound of bones cracking as he finally hit the bottom with an echoing thud and she grinned sadistically. "Ah win."

*   *   *

Apple Bloom stirred in her bed, the yellow filly still tired and processing what went down the previous day, along with her odd dream. Scootaloo had come knocking on her door at four in the morning and she literally almost blew up on her. She sighed before rolling out of bed effortlessly and hit the floor with a thud, sweaty from her dream. "Ah don't wanna kill anypony at all," Apple Bloom muttered to herself as she walked over to her bedroom door and nudged it open with her muzzle. "Ah don't understand why Scootaloo wants to anyway," she continued, walking down the steps into the kitchen of the Apple Family's home.

"Hey Apple Bloom," Applejack began while making a batch of apple fritters, "are ya gonna try again today to see if yer cutie mark'll appear?"

Apple Bloom stood there, still confused and trying to conjure up a way to lie to her sister about today. "Uh, Ah dunno sis, we were actually just going to hang out today and see if we can uh, think of anythin' else we haven't tried," Apple Bloom paused before adding more to her lie, "but if we do think of somethin', Ah'll make sure ta tell ya, alright?"

Applejack nodded, dipping another apple slice in the deep fryer before placing it in a skillet on the stove. "Alright, now, be careful."

Apple Bloom hadn't paid attention to Applejack's last words as she darted out the door after taking three apple fritters in a basket and into the direction of the Crusader clubhouse. "Ah juz hope dis all worz out," she said with the basket handle clenched between her teeth as she dashed through ponyville.

*   *   *

Arriving at the Crusader clubhouse in a matter of minutes, Apple Bloom waited outside for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. They stepped out of the clubhouse, wearing camouflage clothes. "Put these on," Scootaloo ordered while trotting behind a bush and waiting with a backpack upon her back.

Apple Bloom did as instructed and put the suit on, picking up the basket once she was done and walking over to the bush. "Apple fwitter?" she asked them.

Scootaloo replied, "After we're done with our crusading for the day, as a reward."

Apple Bloom sighed and said, "Alright, but ya know these won't be tasty if not eaten right away."

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said and plucked an apple fritter from the basket and ate it whole, swallowing in seconds. "Can we get going now?"

Sweetie Belle had taken one as well, savoring every bite. "Why the rush, Scoots?" she asked curiously with a mouthful of fritter.

"I want to start early," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom glanced at each other momentarily and finished their fritters, standing up. "Alright then Scoots, let's go if you're in that much of a rush," Sweetie Belle said, skeptical of the situation.

Scootaloo nearly jumped out of her skin as she stood up, galloping ahead before turning around, "Let's go! There's not a moment to lose!" she yelled out to the two other fillies.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle trotted up to Scootaloo slowly, not aware of what might happen. "Okay, before ya lose yer head, let's go," Apple Bloom replied, galloping next to Scootaloo with Sweetie Belle close behind.

*   *   *

The three fillies found themselves at a cliff, Scootaloo in the lead. She looked uneasy, her eyes darting in every direction. "We're here," she spoke, laying out a small blanket and pulling out some scalpels.

"Not to be a bother Scoots, but," Apple Bloom began, "where exactly is here?"

Scootaloo cast a glance at Apple Bloom before returning to organizing the materials. "This is where I come to, well, think," she spoke without as much as a small sense of happiness.

Sweetie Belle was by the edge of the cliff, "Scoots?"

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Why is there a stain of blood in this part of the grass?" Sweetie Belle asked, curious as to what her friend was up to.

"I hit my head one day," she orange filly lied.

Apple Bloom looked at her, "Didn't ya go get it checked?"

Scootaloo shook her head in response, her purple mane barely budging.

"It could be infected," Sweetie Belle noted before trotting back over to her friends.

Scoots simply shrugged, "Oh well, I'm fine, aren't I?"

Apple Bloom sighed. This filly, I swear to Celestia. she thought silently.

"Alright," Scoots said, "let's begin."

Begin what? Becoming murderers? Oh, what fun, Apple Bloom thought sarcastically. "Can we please get this over with? Ah don't want Applejack questioning me when Ah go home tonight," she muttered.

"Of course," Scootaloo said before giving chase to another squirrel, snatching it up in her jaw. "We'll start off small. First, we snap some of the critters bones."

Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo as she broke the poor critters forelegs and then its hindlegs in a quick snap. With her mouth agape, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom sat down, the three fillies forming a triangle around the animal.

Apple Bloom, getting a feel for the violence, picked up a scalpel in a steady hoof and skinned the animal alive, placing the skin and fur to the side as the muscles twitched violently.

Scootaloo gave a nod of approval before following through and tearing the young creatures legs off. "Now, we remove the muscles," she stated, place a scalpel on each tender muscle before cutting it, blood spewing on onto her orange fur. "Damn it! Why is this so messy?" she yelled at the squirrel before continuing her cutting. She stopped once all the muscle was cleaned from the animal, it's heart slowing down rapidly from the amount of blood loss from it.

Sweetie Belle was, once again, feeling that odd way again. Unsure of this, she turned to Scootaloo. "Can you come with me? I have to tell you something."

Scootaloo looked up, "Okay, here Apple Bloom," she said, passing the scalpel to the yellow filly. She got up, blood on her chest and trotted over to the awaiting Sweetie Belle by the forest's edge.

Apple Bloom heard the bushes rustle, letting her know that her friends we now out of view. She drove the knife deep into the squirrel's left eye socket, blood squirting from the eye as it splashed onto Apple Bloom's yellow chest. "My bad," she smiled as she removed its other eye with what looked like an ice cream scooper.

The other two crusaders came out of the bushes, one looking shocked and the other looking shy. Apple Bloom shrugged it off and continued, cracking each rib and removing the remaining organs before she came to the heart. "Leave that for me," Scootaloo said, walking back over to an Apple Bloom with constricted pupils. "Are you okay, Apple Bloom?"

Apple Bloom snapped out of it, her pupils dilating again as she shook her head. "Ah'm fine, it's getting dark. Can we hurry?"

Scootaloo looked up, dusk was approaching as the sky of Equestria was turning a beautiful shade of orange, red, and yellow. With a nod of her head she said, "Alright." Scootaloo yanked the heart from the squirrels corpse, or what remained of it, and put it in the hole she dug from the previous time. "Done, all that's left is--"

"Can I...eat it?" Sweetie Belle asked, sounding ashamed and curious.

"What? Ya want to EAT that?" Apple Bloom said, disgusted.

Scootaloo smiled, passing the heart to Sweetie Belle after cleaning it off on her fur from the dirt. "Here," she said.

Sweetie Belle's mouth watered. She took the heart and bit into it, the sweet crimson splashing onto her tongue. She savored it before eating the rest as if it were one of Applejack's apple fritters.

Apple Bloom sat there, mouth agape and her eyebrows furrowed in disgust. She then ran over to the cliff, throwing up into the crashing waves and razor-sharp rocks below. She trotted back slowly to the group, laying on her side to calm her churning stomach. "That was gross, Sweetie," she grumbled, wrapping her forelegs around her stomach.

Sweetie Belle hung her head. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to try it," she apologized, explaining her reasoning.

"It's fine, just, please, never do it around me again. Ah don't wanna see it," Apple Bloom complained before standing up shakily. "Ah'm gonna go home. Applejack should be worried sick by now. Ah'll see y'all later. Night!" she yelled back, galloping in the direction of her home, Sweet Apple Acres.

*   *   *

Apple Bloom arrived home, her mane a mess and her bow half untied and lying over her right shoulder. She hadn't cared as she trotted up the stairs and pushed her door open with her muzzle. Applejack must have heard her for when she lay in her bed, ready to sleep, Applejack knocked.

"Huh?" Apple Bloom said, turning over onto her back but remember she had a blood stain on her chest and quickly turned back onto her side.

"Hey Apple Bloom, did ya find anythin' ya could use as yer cutie mark?" she asked, curious.

"Nah sis, we just wrote down some ideas all day and we went to the park," Apple Bloom lied.

Applejack nodded. "Well, ya better go bathe. Ah'll talk to ya more tomorrow," Applejack yawned wide, "Ah dunno about ya, but Ah'm beat," she told Apple Bloom before escorting herself out of the room and into her own, closing the door with her hoof, letting Apple Bloom know she was safe to roll over again.

Apple Bloom got up, trotting into the bathroom holding only a shower and she turned the water on, allowing the steam to fog up the mirror before she got in and rinsed off the events from today. She stepped out, feeling clean, and dried herself. She went to bed with a semi-dry mane and tail and her bow on her end table. "Goodnight," she muttered softly before slipping into the long awaited sleep her body needed.