//------------------------------// // Blooming light // Story: Aeternitas Book I: Lunar Shadow // by Shadowlight Wanderer //------------------------------// Chapter 10 A wind howling through the branches of the apple trees... A sun warming her face... Applebloom sighed, shifting slightly on the ground, feeling the grass under her back. So peaceful, so quiet. Her thoughts were flowing really slowly. But finally, after a couple minutes, she managed to form one question that rather needed to be answered. How did she got here ? The last thing she remembered was Twilight shielding her and the other Crusaders from some invisible enemy and now she was here... on that soft and warm grass... if only she could lay there forever...she didn't feel so relaxed in ages. If only she could be here a bit longer... The heat in her body was rising. She shifted again. No...something here was not right "Applebloom..." That voice... Applebloom... She knew that voice... Applebloom, help !!! Applebloom's eyes suddenly opened and she was immediately welcomed by the rays of the sun. She raised up to semi-sitting position, still fighting off the urge to stay and lay on that grass forever. What was going on ? Something was wrong, she was foolish to not notice that earlier. She looked down the grassy hill. She seemed to be on Sweet Apple Acres. Applebloom slowly raised an eyebrow. Both she and Applejack were known for their pragmatic thinking style and on this occasion, there was no exception. "Wait an apple pickin’ minute. There a few things I don't around here. Firstly, I am not in Canterlot anymore. And the weather also changed. I have a feelin' that somepony is messin' with me..." red manned filly thought, slowly trotting down the hill. She could not stopped the feeling of being watched as she trotted through the familiar countryside, through the maze of apple trees. "Maybe this is just a paranoia. After all, what could possibly..." She didn't finish the sentence when she spotted familiar but yet unrecognizable location She leaned on the nearest tree, covering her face with her hoof "Why the universe hates me ? I didn't even finish that sentence " she whispered before galloping to something that partially resembled the Cutie Mark Clubhouse. She slowly ascended the ramp and got inside. Inside was a mess. Cracked walls, spider webs, bird nests and many other signs of degeneration and destruction of once clean place of many joyfully spent days. Tears formed in Applebloom's eyes. She quickly blinked rapidly to suppress them. That was not possible. How long she was asleep for the word to change so much ? This was her home. Her, Sweetie Belle's and Scootaloo's. Applebloom was devastated. She painted and decorated that tree house by herself. She looked through the enormous whole in the roof. What could have happened here ? She slowly walked through devastated room. She looked around . All the furniture was still there, all the posters, thinking corner... It looked like a place left in a hurry. She heard something cracking under her hoof. She recoiled and looked down It was a photo of her, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in a photo booth during their short trip to the Crystal Empire with Spike. It was always hanging on the wall, but now it was lying abandoned on the floor and the glass cover was shattered. Applebloom looked closely. Something bothered her and she finally saw what it was. Sweetie Belle was headless. The part of the photography was ripped off. Applebloom's breath hitched. She saw something like that before. She asked Applejack why some of the family photos lacked the parts. She answered that it allowed to move on more easily... move on... "No. Not you" Applebloom screamed as she started to run faster than ever. She must reach Scootaloo. It could not happen. She dashed through Sweet Apple Acres and shortly afterwards, she found herself on the outskirts of Ponyville. Luckily Scootaloo's home was nearby. After a million eternities she reached the door and knocked furiously. After some time, a familiar violet eye peaked out. When it noticed Applebloom, it narrowed. "OUT" was the only command. Applebloom shivered from the hatred in Scootaloo's voice. She waved her hoof timidly. "Hi, Scootaloo, it's Applebloom. Yer friend. I was just in a clubhouse and it was kinda...trashed. Can you explain to me what happened ?" The eye kept looking through the small rift "You are kidding, right ?" hissed the voice in the darkness Applebloom shrugged and hesitated for a moment before slowly answering "Noooooo...." The door suddenly slammed against the wall, opening widely. Applebloom watched as the orange silhouette emerged from the shadows. She gasped. "Scootaloo..." her voice broke The orange pegasus was a mess, lightly speaking. Her coat was dirty, her mane twice her usual length. But what was most terrifying was Scootaloo's face. It was covered with lots and lots of bruises and cuts and her one eye was covered with eye patch. "You dare going back here after everything that happened... after that accident, I told you to never to contact me or else..." "Scootaloo, please, just explain what happened here. I...I don't seem to remember" Scootaloo suddenly jumped on top of her. Applebloom fell to the ground, eye to eye with the furious pegasus. "Scootaloo... please let me go... I don't know what happened, but can't we just talk about it... as friends ?" Scootaloo growled, a hint of an oncoming storm of sorrow in her heart "You are not friend of mine, Applebloom. Nopony would ever trust a pony who killed the one they loved." Applebloom's heart froze, then slowly cracked, breaking and falling apart. "Do you mean... Sweetie Belle ?" she whispered "Who else ? If I need to remind you, she died, trying to protect her baby, which you failed to take care of. She trusted you. She beloved that being a mother was in a way of our cutie mark duties. But you just could not do it right, could you ? There was that big fire... and she burnt in it, trying to save the baby from the flames. I tried to help, but even I could barely survive. Oh and I also got this as an extra" She unfolded her wings and Applebloom noticed that one of them is made of metal. She recalled a glimpses of Twilight's stories about different realities. In one of them, the warrior Rainbow Dash had a very similar wing. "Scootaloo, I am terribly, terribly sorry but.." "Oh, you will be sorry. I warned you to never see me again" Scootaloo raised her hoof up. "It all had to end like that anyway. After all, how did you want to be a mother. You never even had one" Tears flew down Applebloom's cheeks "Scootaloo, stop!!! This is... this is..." "True" said a quiet voice inside of her mind, as she watched Scootaloo's hoof descend slowly. Whole world went grey, andtime seemed to slow down. Applebloom watched her incoming fate with blank expression Scootaloo was right. Applebloom was afraid her entire life that her friends won't be a together forever. They were more of a family to her and she always wanted them safe, But this whole scenario was...sadly realistic enough. Applebloom never felt like somepony successful. Sure, he had a talent in seeing others talents but she also felt that none of her talents could help her became a better mother or a wife. She didn't want to be alone. But it was clear that she could not be as responsible as her older siblings. Well, she knew that she wasn't such a failure since she got her cutie mark in something really special and she worked really hard to discover it. But she didn't think that she will be able to build a stable family. After all, her own was broken, no matter how much they tried to keep it together. And if she fails in keeping around the most valuables of treasures she had, her two dearest friends, was there anything to stand for ? Moving on could easily turn into cowardice. If it really was her destiny, she should just give up. There was no way to change the past anyway... "But it isn't. Can't you see it, dear Applebloom ? Open up your eyes !" A spark igniting overwhelming grey and dull world. Something shivered in Applebloom's soul. That was the voice from before. Yet it was still unrecognizable. "Applebloom, this is not true. This is just an illusion. You must trust me and you must believe in yourself. You still got a power to change your fate, young Apple." The world lightened up even more. She had the power ? It was not too late ? "Fight well, young one. Don't be afraid. Use your strength." the voice started to fade "No, wait ! " shouted Applebloom " Who are ya ? Why are ya helpin' me and why I hear ya in my head ?" The voice was silent. Applebloom looked at Scootaloo, her hoof nearly reaching her by now. She made her mind. She maybe not be able to change what was destined to come. But she can had faith in yourself and her friends. Applebloom had faith that it was not too late their destiny for the better. She believed. And believing in truth meant facing the illusions and destroying them, if necessary. She was still looking at Scootaloo "I am sorry" she whispered Before Scootaloo's hoof collided with Applebloom's face, orange pegasus was bucked in stomach with full force. Applebloom was shocked by the sight in front of her. She only meant to knock Scootaloo off her. But the pegasus was blown across the room and crashed to the wall, which then collapsed on her. Applebloom slowly raised and trotted carefully to the remainings of the wall. "Scootaloo !!!" she cried Suddenly, entire room began to shake and tremble. Applebloom had only time to thought " Darn it, what now ? " before she fell into the abyss of the darkness. ********************************* "Oooow..." Applebloom massaged her head, opening her eyes and looking around. She was in some dark chamber, filled with cloud of dark mist. She smiled. So mysterious voice was right. It was just an illusion after all. She could at least hope that it was. She felt a paranoid sensation. Some time ago, her fears trapped her in a series of dreams-in-dreams, from which she was saved by Princess Luna. What if her current situation wasn't different ? She started to move forward, trying not to think about that possibility. This place had a really strange aura. Heck of a frightening spot. BUMP!!! Applebloom was thrown to the floor when all of the sudden somepony collided with her. "Ow, watch where ya..." she looked up to see Rainbow Dash, staring furiously at something behind Applebloom "Rainbow Dash ?" Applebloom asked, unsure what to think about terrifying pegasus. "I would move from my way, if I were you " Rainbow's voice was angry and vibrating with emotions. Before Applebloom could answer, Dash jumped over her and resumed running. Applebloom followed her. Rainbow was heading towards a shadowed silhouette that appeared in the mist. "Pinkie Pie ? What is she doing here?" thought Applebloom. Then she saw Rainbow pounce and she screamed. She didn't see a knife wrapped by RD's wing. She didn't saw it at all. Rainbow was directing it at Pinkie "Pinkie !!!" Appleboom shouted, trying to alert the pink mare. Pinkie turned back from... Applebloom's eyes narrowed. Pinkie was with somepony else. That other pony was lying on her back. But before he could see the identity of the mysterious shadow, she was distracted by loud "hiyyyyyyaaaa!!!" There was a lightning of whiteness that crashed with Rainbow Dash and changed her trajectory. She fell into the shadows. Applebloom ran along, keeping the safe distance. She left Pinkie behind. On the floor, she saw two ponies struggling fiercely with each other. The second one was Rarity. Applebloom's jaw dropped. She heard a gossip that the elegant fashionista was not all as soft as it seemed. But that was clearly too much to take in. "Rainbow, darling, just stop !!" Rarity, trying her best to hold down the struggling pegasus "Let me go !!! She killed her. And I didn't even say... Let me go before I make you. I will have revenge" "Rainbow, please, just listen to me. This is all not real, this is just an ilus-" Rarity was kicked off of Rainbow, who stood up and looked into direction where was Pinkie. "I will avenge her !!! And there is nopony who can stop me !!!" She tried to fly away, but she was suddenly consumed into blue magical aura. "Rainbow Dash, you ARE going to listen to me. Cause you are my friend and I want to save your unappreciative flank." said Rarity, pulling the cyan pegasus into her reach. "How are you doing this ???!!!! Gah, let me go !!! Go to Tartarus !!!" Rainbow Dash growled, spilt flowing into the air Rarity smiled "No darling, I am going to send to Tartarus that dreadful thing that hides in your head" She pulled Rainbow even closer. She quickly put her hooves on Rainbow's temples and closed her eyes. "******* ******* ******* ****** !!!!" Shouted Rainbow Dash. Her moves and screams were getting quieter and quieter until finally her whole body collapsed to the floor with a deep sigh. Applebloom was amazed and terrified at the same time. She looked at Rarity. Her hooves were ignited and bathed by blue light, her mane flowing on the invisible wind, constantly emanating the waves of the deep blue magic. Her irises were turned into the deepest shade of blue that Applebloom has ever seen. "BY THE POWER OF HARMONY, BE GONE !!!" The voice was filled with wisdom and compassion and certainly didn't belong to Rarity Rainbow Dash's body shivered profoundly. Rarity put her hoof to her own forehead "Oh my..." She collapsed and magical aura vanished, melting into nothingness. "What was that ? I did not know that I can do that ?" "Neither did I. Powerful stuff, whatever that was " Rainbow coughed, rising from the ground . "So, are you okay now ?" Rarity asked, carefully approaching the pegasus. "Rarity, I...I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I never felt that much rage in my entire life. But it turned out to be a bad dream. Thank you so much. But anyway, where did you learn to do the stuff that you did ?" Rarity blushed slightly "I just tried to perform a trick that one noble stallion preformed on me, freeing my soul from that darkness. But I didn't expect it to work at all, not to mention with such power." "Anyway, thank you. That was really cool. And I am sorry that I almost hurt you " Rarity shook her head with the tears of joy visible in her eyes "Apology accepted, darling. Now we must hurry and find the others" Rainbow gasped "That is right. Applejack !" She dashed through the dark mist "Wait for me darling !" Rarity followed her, trying her best to keep up. Applebloom tried to reach past the clouds as well but suddenly she smashed to wall. "What the- ? This place is sure messin' in mah mind with all those crazy directions" She walked through the hallway and entered the corridor. She noticed a pony lying under a beautiful stained glass window. She reached her hoof to touch pony's back. But then the pony turned around and looked her in the eyes.