The prompt:
“We’re running just as fast as we can,
Holding on to one another’s hand,
Trying to get away into the night.
And then you put your arms around me
As we tumble to the ground,
And then you say,
‘I think we’re alone now.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone around
You are to use these lyrics as your writing inspiration, but you are not required to use any exact quotes from these lyrics in your story. In fact, there is only one restriction: Your story cannot be a romance.
"Ah think we're alone now..." Apple Bloom said, reaching back behind her head to straighten her bow out.
"Of course we're alone now!" Sweetie Belle shouted at Bloom. "We're in a big dark cave and it's all your fault!" Bloom frowned and got up, pulling just enough so that she would make Sweetie stumble.
"Mah fault?" Bloom said, stomping one of her front hooves on the cold, wet ground. "Yer jokin', right?"
"As if!" Sweetie yelled. "You're the one who tripped!" She stomped her hoof for emphasis, forcing Bloom to do the same.
"Ah tripped 'cause YOU jumped an' grabbed me!" Bloom retorted, pulling the hoof that had just stomped towards her, Sweetie was jerked in Bloom's direction, and quickly adjusted her stance so that she wouldn't fall headlong into her.
"I jumped and grabbed you because YOU yelled!" Sweetie shouted back, and pulled her back left hoof towards herself. Bloom wasn't prepared for this and nearly fell on her face, but she was able to throw her right front leg out to catch herself just in time. This had the unfortunate side effect of throwing Sweetie's balance off as well, and the two both fell, rolling a little deeper into the cave before catching themselves.
"Ah yelled cause'f the big growl Ah heard!" Bloom said as she recovered. "Maybe ya woulda heard it too if'n ya weren't so busy concentratin' on not trippin' over yer own hooves!"
"Maybe if YOU would have kept the right rhythm, I wouldn't have had to concentrate so hard!" Sweetie shouted. "I don't even know why I agreed to join the six-legged race with you in the first place! And there was no growl, you're just saying that as an excuse!"
"Am not!" Bloom cried.
"Are too!!" Sweetie responded.
"AM NOT!!" Bloom screamed.
"ARE TOO!!" Sweetie shrieked.
"There was TOO a growl!" Bloom said. "And it sounded just like this!" Bloom opened her mouth to imitate the growl, but was stunned to silence when she heard the growl again. The scared little filly looked over to Sweetie to see if she'd heard it this time, and judging from the look on Sweetie's face, she certainly had.
"...That was a r-really good impression..." Sweetie said, starting to shake a bit.
"That weren't no impression..." Bloom said, shaking as well.
"I had a feeling you were gonna say that," Sweetie replied. The two stood silently for a moment, before both shouting in unison.
"RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!"
The two fillies began to run, almost completely forgetting about the bindings from the race. Bloom tripped in one direction, and Sweetie tripped in another, and the two both fell to the ground, the stress from the pulling tearing the bindings on their forelegs. Realizing that one set of bindings was broken, the two friends frantically reached to undo the bindings on their hind legs. As they did so, their efforts were interrupted by another, louder growl. Bloom and Sweetie shrieked, and their actions became more erratic. It took them a moment, but they finally undid the bindings that held their hind legs together. There was no time to celebrate this success, though, as an even louder growl shook the two to the core. They ran as fast as they could towards the cave entrance, then skidded to a halt when they saw a silhouette in the mouth of the cave. Bloom and Sweetie's legs grew weak, and they grabbed each other, hugging tight and whimpering in fear.
"PLEASE DON'T EAT US, MR. MONSTER!!" Bloom shouted out.
"WE JUST WANNA GO HOME!!" Sweetie yelled after her. The two fillies held each other and trembled, fearing the worst. The silhouette growled again, then stepped closer to the two. Both wanted to run, but were frozen in place, too scared to respond to the messages from their brains telling them to abscond.
"Ah'm sorry, Sweetie Belle!" Bloom blubbered as she held her friend close.
"I'm sorry too, Apple Bloom!" Sweetie sobbed in response. The two cowered in fear as the mystery attacker stepped closer and closer, growling louder and louder...until it started laughing. The beast laughed harder and harder, its voice changing from deep and intimidating to a voice that the two recognized instantly.
"SCOOTALOO!!!" Bloom and Sweetie shouted in unison.
"Gotcha!" Scootaloo laughed. "That's for going and teaming up for this thing without even telling me!" Scootaloo continued laughing as Bloom and Sweetie composed themselves and stood up. The two looked at each other as they calmed down, then looked back to Scootaloo.
"Ya scared the livin' daylights outta us, ya big dunderhead!" Bloom shouted.
"Don't call me things I don't know the meaning of!" Scootaloo yelled. "And I wouldn't have done any of that if you didn't leave me out of your plans!" Bloom and Sweetie tried to answer as Scoots turned around with a huff, but had nothing to come back with.
"...We're sorry, Scootaloo," Sweetie said sheepishly. "We heard about the race and signed up right on the spot."
"Yeh...we're real sorry," Bloom said. Scootaloo sighed, then turned around to face them.
"It's alright," Scootaloo said. "Just make sure to tell me next time!" Bloom and Sweetie nodded, then grabbed Scootaloo into a big hug.
"EWWWWWW!" Scootaloo said as her friends squeezed her. Bloom and Sweetie laughed, then let go.
"Ah guess we cain't race anymore..." Bloom said, looking back at the tattered bindings. "Cain't do a six-legged race if'n we ain't tied t'gether."
"Oh, who cares?" Scootaloo said. "We're in a big cave! You know what that means?" The three looked at each other, then smiled and jumped into the air.
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS CAVE EXPLORERS!" the three shouted. "YAY!!!" Without another word, they ran further into the cave.