//------------------------------// // The Little Thief // Story: Earthbound Journey 2: Reign of the Magic Queen // by ShadeJak //------------------------------// Applejack hung her head dejectedly. "If ah'd just gone with 'em, instead'a stayin' home, maybe she'd still have a sister," she muttered, the guilt from leaving Sweetie Belle without the only family she had evident on her face. "That's not gonna change anything, now, Applejack," Daring replied. "For now, just go visit your brother and your friends. It might do you some good," "Maybe you're right..." the farmpony sighed and headed down the path leading to the cemetery. Daring shook her head as Applejack left. After last night, and everything Scootaloo had told her, it was clear the time had at last come. Tonight would be the most important night of their lives... ~ Night had fallen, and Daring woke from her nap on the couch. She heard small hoofsteps upstairs above her. "Hm, guess she's back," the pegasus mused. Scootaloo had been visiting Sweetie Belle at Sweet Apple Acres all day. "Scootaloo! Come on down here!" Daring ordered sternly, and immediately the filly rushed down and stood alert in front of her. "Yeah, Aunt Daring?" Scootaloo asked, a smile on her face. "I take it Applejack and Twilight have gotten back home?" Daring asked. "Uh... nope. They still haven't come back yet. Amethyst offered to foalsit Sweetie Belle till Applejack returned, figured she owed her one for saving Dinky the other night." "I guess they still gotta figure out what's going to happen to her," Daring muttered to herself. She shook her head. "Either way, that's not important right now... at least not compared to what comes next." "Oh? What's that?" Scootaloo asked, cocking her head. "Kid, I've been training you for a while, now. The exploration trips weren't just to see more of these islands, but because of this specific mission... one I wish never had to come, honestly," Daring explained as she began pacing back and forth. Scootaloo blinked, still as unclear as before what her aunt was getting to. "Scootaloo, this is going to be your big chance, to try out everything I taught you!" Daring said. "What you told me about those costumed ponies, that... thing they sent on you and Applejack, the message whoever's controlling them left... we still don't know enough about this enemy yet, or what it'll mean for us in the long run, but starting now we'll need to change the way we live if we want any chance of fighting back." "But... Aunt Daring..." Scootaloo looked downcast, her normal cocky demeanor diminished by memory of that fight. "Applejack and I barely handled that monster together! I dunno if I'm ready for this." Daring sighed. "Well guess what, kid? Something out there killed Big Macintosh and Rarity and I'll bet my wings this enemy you ran into is responsible for it!" she snapped, stomping her hoof on the wood floor to emphasize her point. "Waiting's not an option, and everypony's gotta grow up sooner or later! I'm so sorry it came sooner then you would have liked!" Her words did nothing to raise the filly's spirits, instead Scootaloo looked all the more worried. The older pegasus sighed and facehoofed in frustration. "Scootaloo... maybe we'd have been better off in another time and place... a less... stressful era then this. I put all this training on you and you're only a filly," she said, her tone becoming softer. "You didn't get to spend much time with the friends you made in school, you missed out on things Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom did together. If you resent me for that... well, honestly I don't care because it's not important. What is important is this mission, understand?" Scootaloo gave a silent nod. "Good," Daring replied, and she began pacing again. "The mission is that you will sneak into the Eclipse Castle just north of this village, where a valuable treasure that has been kept there for a very long time lays hidden, and bring it to me." "Oh, okay," Scootaloo replied, trying to muster some confidence and get her aunt to show some towards her again. "But what is this treasure? What's it look like?" Daring snorted. "Kid, if there's anything I've learned in my adventures... at least as I recall, anyway..." she rubbed her chin with her hoof as the cloudy recollections distracted her for a moment. "Well, point is, kid, if you're a real treasure-hunting explorer then you'll know. Somepony calling themself a treasure hunter that can't tell the value of what they take on their adventures is a disgrace to the title, and as my niece I like to give you more credit than that. Still... I guess since you're still a filly it won't hurt to give you a little guidance if you want to know a little bit about it." "If that's okay," Scootaloo replied. "It's very valuable-looking, and really shiny. Hidden away in a place that took a lot of effort to get to. That's all you get" Daring answered. "Also... that little second-rate explorer pack I let you practice with isn't going to do you an ounce of good on this mission, so I'm letting you use my stuff, I got it all stashed down in the basement. Get packed and hurry up." she said firmly, getting a quick salute from the pegasus filly who rushed downstairs and returned moments later with a saddlebag sporting a compass rose on its clasp. "Now, this bag's special, made with an enchantment so you'll have no problem carrying all the tools you'll need and whatever else you may find. Lay the stuff out and let's go over each of my special tools." the older pegasus ordered, the filly complying. "Okay, what's this one?" she asked, tapping a small copper medal with a swirl on the front. "The hypno-pendulum!" Scootaloo said with an enthusiastic smile. "An enchanted medallion that will put my enemies to sleep when I sway it in front of them, allowing me to sneak away!" she said, proud that she'd memorized her aunt's teachings. Daring then pointed to a bone whistle carved to resemble a bug. "The siren beetle," Scootaloo answered. "I blow on it and it lets out a loud shriek that distracts my enemies so I can get 'em with a surprise attack they won't see coming!" she explained with a wide smile. Daring nodded and put them, along with a stick with a blank white screen atop it, a box full of small black pellets, and stick with a feather on it into her bag. "I trust you already know the rest," the older pegasus said, closing up the saddlebag. "Scootaloo, what's hidden inside that castle is a treasure that can change the world as we know it... the ones who once ruled that castle... yes, that was when I hid it there, a long time ago, they requested me to put it someplace where nopony else could find it... at least that's what I remember, it's been so long, really," she mused, shaking her head again. "The point is, though, Scootaloo, this enemy, I'm sure they'll be looking for it, too, so there's a chance you may run into them." "Can't you come with me?" Scootaloo blurted out before realizing she'd said her thoughts aloud. Instead of getting angry, though, Daring just sighed and placed her hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Normally, I'd handle this all myself, but a broken wing and everypony's insistence I stay at home... infuriating as it is..." she grit her teeth a little, "...means I can't. You're faster then anything in town on that scooter and you're stealthy and careful when you need to be, and if you'd just believe in yourself I'm sure all the tricks I know are hammered into you. Try to handle this mission yourself, have a little faith in yourself and you may be surprised." "O-okay..." Scootaloo nodded and headed for the door. She knew she should be excited about this, being able to go on an entire mission on her own and impress her aunt, but at at the same time she was a little scared after what she'd seen those costumed ponies had been capable of. She wouldn't have Daring or Applejack watching her back this time. "If you're still feeling unsure, there's a mini-storm cloud in the box behind the house, take it along and it should be more then enough to get you out of a tight spot," Daring said, getting a smile from the filly as she headed out the door. Circling around the cabin, Scootaloo opened a wooden box and took out a dark gray cloud, tucking it into her bag. Managing a smile, Scootaloo put her helmet on, hopped on her scooter, and with a quick kick and buzz of her wings, she bolted down the path leading into town. Back inside, Daring winced from the sharp pain caused by her injured wing and sat back down on the couch. "Scootaloo..." she muttered to herself. "...Don't make me regret this..." ~ Sweetie Belle's eyes snapped open when she heard a knocking on her hotel room door. Drowsy and noticing it was night out she climbed off the bed and to the door, opening it and finding Scootaloo outside with what looked to be a bag that belonged to Daring judging from the image on the clasp. "Scootaloo? W-what's going on?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused why her friend would be here this late at night. Even odder still was how alert she looked. "Oh, hey!" Scootaloo said with a cheerful smile. "Guess I forgot you were asleep!" "Yeah, Amethyst and Dinky are in the other room, they offered to let me sleep in their room with them but... I kinda wanted to be by myself for now," the unicorn filly said softly, looking downcast and watery-eyed. Scootaloo immediately gave her friend a tight hug. "Sweetie Belle, this wasn't your fault. We both know your sister loved you and she wouldn't wanna see you this way," Scootaloo said softly, drying her friend's tears. "Rarity was wonderful, she was sweet and generous, and you gotta remember that!" "I know, I know," Sweetie Belle replied, "But it's so hard... the last time I saw her, was when that monster came! Sh-she told me and Apple Bloom to run as fast as we could to the river..." She returned the hug, sobbing. "Scootaloo, I miss her so much! And what if something happens to Apple Bloom because I let her go off by herself?" "Applejack's gonna find her! One way or another, I know she will!" Scootaloo said gently. She wanted to cry, too, but she knew she had to be the strong one right now; both for her friend and for everypony else now that her aunt expected such an important mission out of her. "She loves her sister just as much as she loved Big Mac... just as much as Rarity loved me..." Scootaloo sighed a little. "I gotta admit I'm a little jealous. I kinda wish Aunt Daring was like that with me..." "Scootaloo, she cares about you a lot!" Sweetie Belle replied quickly, her grief fading for a moment. "She just... she just wants you to be the best you can be. How many ponies can say they got an aunt as awesome as her? How many of the kids at school can say they go on adventures all the time?" Scootaloo smiled. "I guess you're right. But now I've got a chance to prove I'm not a screw-up and make her proud!" "Oh?" Sweetie Belle asked, cocking her head. "Heh, right, kinda supposed to keep this to myself. That reminds me, why I came here!" Scootaloo said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "You got that zompony paper you, me and Apple Bloom came up with when we got scared of those stories about the cemetery?" "Uh... back at home... why?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Ehhh..." Scootaloo laughed nervously. "Look, Aunt Daring's got me doing something that sorta requires crossing through there, I'd just feel a little less... uh... I mean a little more prepared if I have it, so can I go get it?" "I guess..." Sweetie Belle looked concerned, but decided not to question what her friend was up to. If Daring wanted this kept secret and felt sure Scootaloo could handle this then she wouldn't press... she had already learned how bad she was at keeping secrets today, after all. "Well, I should get going, then! Goodnight, Sweetie Belle! Remember, I'm always here for you!" Scootaloo said, smiling again and giving her friend another hug. "Cutie Mark Crusaders to the end!" she declared before heading back out the hotel doors. "Goodnight," Sweetie Belle said softly as she slowly closed the door and looked out the window at the starry skies, hoping her friends... both of them... would be alright. ~ Her and her friends' personal invention tucked safely away in her bag, Scootaloo hummed to herself as she rode her scooter through town square and towards the exit that lead north to the Eclipse Castle, her next destination once she made it through the scary graveyard that stood between it and the town. Seriously... how could a place that looks so peaceful in the day be so spooky at night? How does Zecora manage there... she wondered, only for her thoughts to come to a halt when she crashed into something, or more precisely somepony. "Oh sorry about that!" Scootaloo said frantically, getting up and getting a look at the pony she'd run into. It was a mare, around Applejack or Twilight's age, with a sky-blue coat. The turban and cloak she wore were certainly eye-catching, but she didn't seem like anypony Scootaloo recognized from Tazfilly. "It's alright," the pony said. "I wasn't watching where I was going!" Scootaloo cocked her head. The pony's tone seemed friendly, but there was something off about it, something that sounded almost... forced. "I was in a terrible hurry with my precious little angel Lulu here! She's just soooo tired!" she said, gesturing to a small darker blue unicorn filly about half Scootaloo's age with a crystal collar of some kind around her neck, a small engraving on the front of a star-tipped wand and a trail of smoke on it. The younger filly kept quiet, with a smile that looked as forced as the other pony's friendliness. "You wouldn't happen to know where a hotel might be, would you?" the mare asked. "Oh, uh, sure!" Scootaloo said. "Right down that way!" she said pointing with her hoof. "We've had quite a day but there should be a room left!" "Oh, thanks so much!" the mare said with a grin. "Come along, little Lulu! We have a lot to take care of tomorrow!" she said, walking to the direction of the inn. The unicorn filly slowly followed in silence, then paused for a moment, looking back at Scootaloo before running off to join her companion. "Huh... well that was weird," Scootaloo mused, preparing to resume her trip to the castle. "Pssst! Hey! Scootaloo! C'mere!" the pegasus filly paused as she turned to the source of the voice calling her and saw Diamond Tiara hiding behind the arch gateway leading into town. "Diamond Tiara? What're you doing up this late?" Scootaloo asked, approaching. "I could ask you the same thing, you know..." Diamond replied dryly. "Anyway, I gotta show you this!" she explained, sticking her head into a nearby bush and dragging out a bag with her teeth, laying it out in front of herself. "Uhhh what is it?" Scootaloo asked, cocking her head. The pink filly grinned and opened it, revealing a big pile of shiny yellow disks inside. "It's called "money"! Pretty awesome, don'cha think?" "Uh, sure!" Scootaloo said with a smile, deciding to humor her classmate. "What's money?" "You don't know what money is?!" Diamond Tiara asked indignantly, a silent pause later she rubbed her chin inquisitively with her hoof. "Well... honestly I don't know either. I've never seen anything like it before, but that pony said it's gonna start being in Tazfilly soon, and when she bought Berry Punch's fruit bushes she assured me that I'd not only be the first pony to have this "money" but I'd have more than anypony else, so I'm sure Berry Punch will get over it." "So wait, you just... gave up somepony else's crop for those?" Scootaloo asked, growing concerned about the other filly's behavior. "I mean, yeah, she seemed a little weird at first, but she was nice to me so I decided to trust her!" Diamond Tiara explained. "I mean, friends should trust one-another, right?" "Yeah... I guess," Scootaloo replied, unsure how to respond. "Good! Because now that I showed you this, we're obviously friends so I've decided to trust you with one more thing!" the pink filly said cheerfully, motioning for Scootaloo to follow as she took up the bag of money in her teeth and slung it onto Scootaloo's back and began leading her back into town square towards the well. "Diamond Tiara? What's this all about?" Scootaloo asked as the other filly took the bag off her back and dropped it into the well bucket. "Isn't it obvious?" Diamond Tiara asked. "That pony gave it to me! So it's mine, right?" "Uh, if you wanna get technical it's Berry Punch's, those were her bushes you gave away for this stuff, so-" "Fine, fine, whatever!" Diamond Tiara snapped, taking Scootaloo by surprise as she'd never seen her act this way before. "Mine! Hers! Mine! Point is, it's nopony else's! I can't let somepony run off with it while I tell Berry Punch about it! So, as my friend, can I trust you to keep this a secret between the two of us that it stays here until then?" "O...kay," Scootaloo said with a nod. "Great! I knew I could count on you!" Diamond Tiara replied, giving Scootaloo a quick hug and running off to her house. "What is going on around here?!" Scootaloo wondered aloud as she returned to her scooter and got on, giving herself a boost and riding closer to the castle in the distance, only to come to an abrupt halt when she heard the sounds of an odd music. Looking up, Scootaloo noticed a large flying object hovering over her intended destination, and several small shapes descending from it...