//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Beyond the Forest // by SparkofLightning //------------------------------// Scootaloo ran as fast as she could to the forest. The sun was getting closer and closer to the bottom of the sky, and she needed to get back to her family. How could she be so stupid? What if she was still lost in the town and the sun set?! Why didn't she pay more attention? Why am I so careless? Suddenly, Scootaloo fell to the ground and held her head. She was so close to the forest, but holding back her powers made the trip way more difficult than it should have been. Just a bit closer! Come on! The small pegasus tried with all of her might to stand and walk, but only walked five steps before falling back down. The pain in her head and the ringing in her ears was unbearable. She felt herself give in and let herself transform. Her head instantly stopped hurting as her hair became a darker purple and let gravity pull it down. She grew sharp canines, and her nails turned into short, yet dangerously pointy, claws. She felt a strong urge to get the restriction off of her back, so she ripped her hoodie off and tore it to shreds. "Stop it!" The scream was distant but it made Scootaloo more aware of everything. Her body wasn't completely done transforming, but the headache she got from holding her power back partially through the transformation was much more tolerable than the nightmare she had to deal with a minute earlier. "You are a pegasus, aren't you?" Scootaloo couldn't hold her power back from heightening her sense of hearing, but she wasn't complaining about that. She had no idea how far away the voice was, but she knew that that was where Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were. Scootaloo ran into the forest, letting the moon and stars be the light as she followed where the sound came from and let her body complete its transformation. Rainbow Dash watched as the four girls tried to make sense of what just happened. Rarity shattered the silence. "She is a pegasus..." The tension in the air rendered all four of the girls unable to move. That is until one realized something. "Uh, girls...Ah don't know if I'm going crazy or what, but Ah didn't see her wearing the sweater we spotted...and the sleeve isn't hanging anymore..." Twilight got up, dusted herself off, and walked over to the tree. She didn't want a repeat of what happened with Fluttershy, so she got her magic ready. "Twilight! I told you we should leave! We need to go! Please!" Pinkie pleaded with Twilight. "We need to catch them and get them under control! If you want to leave, go and get guards or something!" "Yeah... This might be our only chance, so why don't ya go on ahead back to Ponyville." Applejack agreed. "I think I'm going to agree with Pinkie Pie on this one. I wish I could change your minds, but I don't want to do this," Rarity said as she turned to Pinkie Pie. "Come on, Pinkie Pie. Let's go back and get help." Pinkie Pie followed Rarity as she ran out of the forest, but looked back and Applejack and Twilight one last time. She opened her mouth to say something, but soon closed it and held back tears as she ran towards the town. "It's unfortunate that you didn't listen to her." Applejack and Twilight looked at the tree that Fluttershy fell out of and saw Rainbow Dash hanging from one of the branches upside down. Her eyes glowed a bright red and her hair turned into very dark colors of the rainbow. Two small, dark red horns protruded out of her forehead. Her wings were almost all black with dark blue feathers making up the bottom half of her wings. She smirked and one of her fangs stuck out of her mouth. "Twilight..." Twilight blasted Rainbow Dash with magic, but she remained in the same position. She was no longer smirking and scowled at the unicorn. "Don't you know it's rude to just hit people with magic beams?" "RUUUUNNN!" Applejack and Twilight screamed from the top of their lungs and ran out of the forest. Suddenly, something grabbed Twilight's leg and dragged her back into the forest. "TWILIGHT!" Applejack ran back for her and saw the figure holding on to Twilight. She ran as fast as she could and stomped on its arm to make it let go. She didn't catch what it looked like because she just helped Twilight up and ran back to Ponyville. I need to let go of her...I can't kill her... But she is a threat, therefore she must die. ...If she is such a threat, why am I stronger than her? What of her friends? There are more of them than there is of you. I have Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. All of us combined can take out all of their people without breaking a sweat. ...Fine. I'll let her live for now. I can go back to Pegasopolis and fight over there. Then I shall return. When I reached the area where the screaming came from I saw Rainbow Dash talking to the purple unicorn and Applejack. "Don't you know it's rude to just hit people with magic beams?" So they tried to hurt Rainbow Dash? They tried to hurt my sister?! The other girls screamed and ran away. I looked to Rainbow Dash and she smirked and nodded, giving me the signal to take one of them. I rushed at the unicorn because she was the attacker and grabbed her leg. She fell and as I dragged her back, Applejack came out of nowhere and stepped on my arm. That didn't matter, but when she lifted her leg up, she hit one of my horns and that's when everything started to get blurry. Stupid undeveloped horns! If I was just a little bit older that wouldn't have hurt as much! Nonetheless, I got back up a few seconds later and tried to chase after them again, but then Rainbow Dash put her hand on my shoulder. "They don't matter. I need to get to Fluttershy before she reaches Pegasopolis. They still don't know that you're a pegasus, so just stay here and try to lay low. It's not going to be fun going back..." I stared at her and was about to protest, but I knew she was right. If I went back, they would just kill me. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy at least had a chance to live. They were stronger after all. "O-Okay..." I stood up and looked at her. She was superior in every way, but wasn't like everyone else. She cared about me more than any of my family ever did. When I became her sister after they disowned me, I knew it was the best thing to ever happen. "I'll be back in a day if I find her in the forest. I don't know how long it will take if she already made it back, though..." "Just don't die, okay?" I started to shake and tried to hold back tears. I knew what awaited her back at that terrible place. Everyone is expendable since we don't die easily. "One child per family" is complete bullshit since they can just keep disowning everyone. Rainbow Dash's family won't help her. Fluttershy's family won't help either. No one will help them! They're done for if they go back... "Do you hear me, Rainbow Dash?" I hugged her as tightly as I could. I wasn't going to see her for a long time. I wish I came back to the forest earlier... Then they wouldn't have waited for me and we'd all still be in Ponyville. We couldn't even survive one night! All because of me! I should be the one dead! "Don't you dare die. And if you let Fluttershy die, I'm going to kill you, so don't let them kill you first." "I know. I won't let her die or stay there. I'm going to go get her now." She broke the hug and I couldn't stop crying. She started walking away, towards the forest. "Oh, and Scootaloo?" I looked at her. "Stop doubting yourself. You're mind's easy to read, and who cares about our former families. We have each other. Trust me, Fluttershy and I will live. I promise." With that, my rainbow-haired sister walked into the trees.