//------------------------------// // Why do we learn to fall first? Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo // Story: The Source Of Our Chaos // by Pinkieshyrose //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle's point of view “Spiiiiiike!” I cried hysterically. My heart pounded like lightning, but it was also slightly intriguing being positioned on the racing book a mixture of fun and plain horror. The book made me think of being on a speedy adult pegasus’ back, or a horrible roller coaster. But it was way too apparent that I would be able to keep this up, I was barely clinging on as it is. “Sweetie Belle, are you alright?!” He answered, yelling awfully loud. His voice was coming from behind me. It was the first time that he had answered in a while. Cute Angel also thumped me with his little feet softly, probably to show that he was still on my back. I had gotten use to his presence; the bunny felt like some kind of strange pillow backpack. “C-can you help me?” My stutter was mostly from me feeling breathless. Strangely, I wasn't nervous anymore. One question in my inner monologue would be answered if his voice was of any indication that he was alright. “When it became dark, some books that were still on the shelf fell on me. It took a while to get free…” He paused. His voice sounded nervous. I was happy that he sounded okay, but the quick erratic levitating book kept moving me away from his voice. The darkness fell again, and the flashes of light died away. “You have to get down. Just jump!” Spike’s voice seemed to croak urgently. Was he hurt more than he had said? I didn't exactly know much about Spike, other than my sister used him as an assistant a lot, so it might be that he could have lied about something like that. Right? And the idea of jumping, now that I thought of it, was tempting, but scary at the least. Who knew if something would break my fall or not? Suddenly the light flashes started again, kind of similar to a camera flash. I could now see clearly around the library. “Do I have to?” I asked anxiously. A thousand ‘what ifs’ were now floating in my brain. I turned my neck sharply. I could see Spike’s face. His concerned expression was enough motivation to make me jump, and the slightly scary fact that I was barely holding on helped a lot as well. Banishing my thoughts, I leaped drastically in a random direction off the giant rapidly-speeding book, yelping the whole way down with my forelegs spiraling downward. The breeze hit my face in a downdraft of air, and I could feel the desperate cling of Angel Bunny, who was feeling heavier than the expected weight of a bunny. In a moment I had landed on a large uneven pile of books, clumsily in a heap. My hard impact had caused a small portion of books in the uneven pile to wildly scatter. A normal-sized bright, blue book was on the top of my head. Completely through with books for today, I pitched it away from me in another pile with an irritated frown. I could see Spike coming to me in the distance; he looked alright. I sighed with relief, then tunneled forcefully using my head out the mess of books, avoiding most of the cold wet puddles. Why were the books not soggy? As I got to the original path that was less littered with books, I collapsed momentarily in a tired heap, my four legs splayed out lazily. I could feel Angel lightly jumping off my back. Spike was a couple inches away, slightly examining me. “Uh…you okay?” He asked kindly, his tender dragon eyes were showing signs of slight concern. “I'm fine.” I smiled, then stood up slowly, dusting myself off for an act of self-reassurance. “Just so you know, your cutie mark was flashing a lot!” He pointed directly at my flank. “It’s what led me to you.” I nodded. That explained it, but was it really flashing unpredictably, or was something triggering it? “Let’s get away from here!” I pleaded. It was clear that the flying book and the sudden darkness were likely caused by the magic of the S creature. It must have invaded the library. But we could talk about the other things later. “Alright, I got the quills and paper for the letter.” I hadn't noticed them before in his claws. I was happy he had. The letter to Princess Celestia might save the other ponies from whatever happened to them. She is our princess after all, and Miss Cheerilee had made long discussion to us at school about how immense an alicorn’s power is rumored to be. Not to even mention Twilight and my sister’s conversation about the topic. Alongside Spike and Angel, I hurriedly exited the library, before my Cutie mark randomly ceased illuminating. _______________________________ Scootaloo's point of view We were presently still huddling in a circle, each of us glancing in different moments at the two bullies who had somehow successfully kept their colors. They were also still at the train station, having a conversation we couldn't hear. Applebloom and I had already discussed everything about today to Babs, and Babs had discussed what had happened to her. She seemed the most shocked. Finally parting the huddle, Applebloom and I noticed something shocking. “Your cutie mark is the same as ours!” I pointed out. Applebloom and Babs Seed’s mouths largely widened in response; I think we were all connecting the dots on part of this cutie mark mystery. “I have a cutie mark?” Babs asked in nonbelief, while looking at her flank for concrete proof. Saying nothing, I headed closer to the bullies Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, while Applebloom followed. Babs Seed however, was still staring at her flank in an awestruck expression, speechless by her new very own cutie mark. It was clear that, labeled on the bully's already-achieved cutie mark, was in fact another circular flashing mark that the rest of us all had, but they probably hadn't noticed yet. Most ponies with cutie marks didn't look at their flank as much. I reasoned that the design had long been embedded in their minds, their shining moment of having one. Anyway, a cutie mark wasn't like a mane. It wouldn't change much. At least not normally... “So this whole time our new cutie marks have been somehow guarding us from our moods, changing all quick, like mah family?” Applebloom asked, coming mostly to my same thoughts. “Yeah, I know. I think you were right before, these totally aren't cutie marks at all.” I deduced a little too loudly. “So looks like you're still....blank-flanks!” Diamond Tiara chirped hauntingly, moving closer to us and showing an angry evil glare, complemented by the starting of Silvers Spoon’s evil laugh. We had been too close to her. She probably had heard the entire conversation. Babs had long ago snapped out of staring at her cutie mark, and marched to our aid. “Look, now that I'm here, no bullying my friends, or I'll tell you parents. Got it?” She began using the frightening expression that she had used during the last time I had seen her. She was positioned very close to Diamond Tiara, so the look was especially effective. I also noticed that Babs’ new circle cutie mark was flashing a bright shade of green. But Diamond Tiara, instead of backing away slowly, like Silver Spoon was already doing (and what I would do if I ever saw Babs Seed’s terrifying expression), openly directed it to me, grinning sadistically. “Oh, that’s funny. You blank-flank babies think we didn't hear you? All the adults are acting odd, aren't they Silver?” Diamond Tiara snickered evilly. I definitely didn't like where this was going. Silver Spoon edged her way back, being caught in the act of slowly walking away, her expression quickly changed to an evil smile that she had probably practiced. “Yes, Diamond.” Silver Spoon answered mockingly. She pulled her glasses back as if to pretend she was examining some pony dramatically. “I think it looks like they'd never even bothered to punish anypony, even the ones for instance that lame blank-flanks come to whine to!” Then they began chuckling evilly. The other Crusaders and I looked around, trying to look unalarmed by this, but our expressions were not very convincing, except Babs’ . “Fine....let’s just leave !” I suggested back in direction of my fellow Crusaders. Babs, Applebloom and I quickly walked away from the bullies before they did their annoying, special flank-shake or more teasing. Then the sound of thunder hit. It had apparently even followed us here. We all, even including Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, became jumpy, fleeing frantically back to the safety of the straw-roofed train station like extra scared little foals on Nightmare Night. I found that my forelegs were automatically gripping both Applebloom and Babs in an awkward hug. Judging by the sudden swift wind and the already pouring rain, we couldn't run away from the storm creature again. We were all trapped, and as if it couldn't get any bad enough… …with Diamond Tiara.