Scootaloo's leg kicked in her sleep, pushing her blanket down. The sun had already been raised and cast a bright light through the window. It made Scootaloo's eye twitch, but wasn't enough to rouse her.
"Mmmm...." she mumbled. "...No, she's... she's a good dog. She didn't kidnap the princess..."
On the nightstand next to the bed, her Wonderbolt alarm clock steadily counted down the seconds remaining until it was set to wake her up. Oblivious to this, Scootaloo kept mumbling, still preoccupied with her dream.
"Shmmmm... Shesagood..."
The final minute was up and the alarm went off. With a sudden, reflexive jerk, Scootaloo immediately sat up in the bed and slammed her hoof unto the clock. "I said she's a good dog, darnit!"
She blinked and looked around, momentarily wondering what happened to her room. "Uh..."
Recalling that she was now living at Fang's place, she yawned and stretched her hooves to the ceiling. "...Seriously, what's the deal with the dog dreams? I really need to ask Luna about that."
Blinking the last bit of sleep out of her eyes, she climbed out of bed and wandered into the corridor outside of her room, trying to recall how to find the bathroom. As strange of a place as it was, Scootaloo was already starting to feel more at home in the Rook than she had in her old house. That did make sense, though, since 'feeling at home' in that place was apparently impossible.
Be that as it may, Scootaloo still hadn't quite memorized the layout of the Rook's surprisingly expansive interior and she opened the wrong door twice. The first one revealed a room with walls full of exposed clockwork, pipes and strange pumps and levers coming out out of every available inch not occupied by slowly turning gears and strange machinery. Recalling Fang's advice to not mess with anything she didn't understand, Scootaloo closed the door and moved on. The second one led to a room with red walls displaying a large collection of masks of varied and highly stylized designs. Their painted-on eyes turned to look at Scootaloo when she peeked inside. She closed that door a lot quicker than the previous one.
She finally found the right door and warm steam washed over her when she opened it – presumably Fang had used the bath earlier while Scootaloo was still asleep.
Calling the place a "bathroom", while technically correct, seemed like an understatement: The room was fairly large and fashioned out of beige marble, lit up from the ceiling by a sun-shaped inlay of glowing yellow crystals. At the end of the room a round pool had been constructed directly into the floor, easily large enough to accommodate half a dozen ponies. Directly behind it, within an alcove in the far wall, towered a marble fountain in the shape of a roaring dragon. On the wall next to the alcove was a brass control panel with two levers and several knobs.
To Scootaloo, who was used to showers or a one-pony bathtub at the most, this seemed almost excessively extravagant. Not that she was going to complain about it. No matter what the Rook looked like from the outside, it was essentially a small castle – even if Fang's preference for keeping her possessions in complete disarray had robbed it of some of its splendor.
Hopping into the pool, Scootaloo trotted over to the control panel. She knew from the previous tour that the two levers opened and closed the water flow and drain, respectively. Two of the color-coded knobs were for hot and cold water, and the rest supposedly added stuff like bath salts and ointments, but Scootaloo didn't care to experiment with them. She did feel tempted to fill the whole pool with water and just soak for a while, but decided against it as she didn't want to lose track of time. Instead she just pulled one of the levers, causing hot water to spray out of the marble dragon's open mouth.
Too hot, as it turned out. The moment Scootaloo tried to step into the stream she let out a little yelp and quickly adjusted the levers. Once she had achieved a more tolerable temperature, she relaxed and just let it wash over her for a while. It was like standing in a small, cozy waterfall.
While standing there she turned her inner eye towards the bond and looked for Fang. As far as she could tell, the sorceress was somewhere in the vicinity of the grand study – probably in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Scootaloo guessed. It seemed that her perception of their bond had grown clearer now, but at the same time it also felt more natural than before and it was easy to forget it was even there. Scootaloo was starting to see how Spike could have remained unaware of his own bond with Twilight.
She wondered if Twilight had mustered the courage to tell him about it yet, and part of her hoped she had. Having another familiar to talk to about their experiences might be nice. She just hoped those two would be able to keep the ensuing drama to a minimum.
A short while later the young pegasus had finished cleaning and drying herself and, feeling hunger start to set in, trotted through the stone corridors towards the kitchen. Even as she passed through the study her nose picked up a lovely scent hanging over all the usual smells and when she stepped into the kitchen she had to stop to take it all in for a moment. The roomed smelled like a bakery.
Fang turned her head and smiled. She seemed to have just finished setting the table, and it was covered in baked goods of various types. "Good morning, Scootaloo."
"Morning, Fang," Scootaloo replied. "Sure smells nice in here. What's for breakfast?"
"Oh, I just pulled out whatever I could find this time," Fang said. "We have some crostatas with juniper berries, a bunch of apple dumplings, a few assorted breads and cheeses, exotic butters... Just help yourself to whatever strikes your fancy."
They both sat down and Scootaloo reached for some of the bread that had already been sliced, put some butter on it an bit in. It had a certain character of potato, and she hummed in appreciation upon finding that it seemed freshly baked. "That pantry of yours is pretty handy, isn't it?"
"True," Fang said, having just devoured a piece of crostata. She eyed the pantry with a slight frown. "I really should have restocked it sooner, though. We're starting to run out of vegetarian cuisine."
"Down to the chicken and deer meat, huh?" Scootaloo said.
She'd tried to make it sound like a joke, but Fang averted her eyes and gave an awkward cough. "Yes."
Scootaloo paused for a moment to finish her bread. "So, you normally eat meat?" she asked.
"...I'm what you would call an omnivore," Fang replied. "My kind eats a wide variety of things."
Scootaloo was getting the distinct feeling that Fang was trying to avoid the question. "Including meat?" she prodded.
Shrugging, Fang sighed. "Fine, yes."
"Hey, it's okay," Scootaloo said. "Like, I'm not dumb, I know some creatures have to eat that stuff. I just don't want to keep you from eating what's healthy for you just 'cause it makes me a bit uncomfortable."
Fang blinked a few times, then broke into a chuckle. "Aw, you're worried about my health? That's sweet of you, but it won't be a problem. Suffice to say, I can survive just fine on anything you can eat. Especially in this form."
"Oh. Well, that's good to know." Scootaloo felt relieved for more reasons than one.
Still, the exchange had just made her more curious about her teacher's true nature, and it frustrated her that she still had no clue what Fang really was. Luna had said she hoped Fang would tell her eventually, but Fang herself still seemed intent on keeping it a mystery. Scootaloo could only think of two reasons for this: Either Fang was personally ashamed of what she was for some reason, which seemed unlikely given her personality, or she was concerned about Scootaloo's reaction. The theory that Fang was actually something really ugly or frightening – by pony standards, at least – still seemed like the most likely candidate. Scootaloo wondered if she should try to reassure Fang that she wouldn't mind. Then again, if Fang didn't feel ready, pressuring her probably wasn't a good idea.
Before she could come to a decision, Fang decided to change the subject: "So, looking forward to our trip today?"
Scootaloo perked up: "You bet! I can hardly wait to get through school so we can be off."
"Speaking of school, you better hurry up with your breakfast," Fang pointed out. "Don't want to be late."
Realizing she had allowed her musings to distract her, Scootaloo continued eating. Whatever Fang really was, that issue would just have to wait, and Scootaloo had a feeling the truth would be revealed sooner or later.
Scootaloo left the Rook via the front door of her house and got on her scooter. It was a nice day in Ponyville, the warm sunlight making up for the slightly brisk morning air, and various ponies were already going about their business. Despite the eventful weekend, Scootaloo experienced a pleasant feeling of normalcy as she started buzzing down the familiar street.
It occurred to her that it had been two whole days since last she saw her friends, and she had a lot to tell them. She hoped they'd had better luck staying out of trouble than she had: Scootaloo had no idea what sort of outcome she could expect from Sweetie's magic lessons, but since the full moon had passed on Saturday she assumed that Apple Bloom's werewolf problem at least wouldn't be an issue for another month.
She approach a crossing and, preoccupied with these thoughts, barely noticed a young colt appearing from behind a corner and trotting into her path. Snapping to attention, she managed to turn her scooter into a skidding halt just before colliding with the boy, who stumbled backwards and almost fell over in surprise.
"Whoa!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "You okay?"
"Y-Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Just got a bit startled. Sorry, I didn't mean to get in your way."
Scootaloo shook her head. "No, my bad. I didn't pay attention."
"Oh, it's okay," the colt said. "At least nopony got hurt."
He was an earth pony and looked to be about Scootaloo's age, maybe a year or so younger. Mostly out of habit, she noted that he still didn't have a cutie mark. His coat was a brilliant snow white, as was his mane and tail with the exception of a few stripes of dark grey. His eyes were bright blue like a clear sky. Scootaloo didn't recognize him, and it occurred to her that he seemed to be heading away from the school.
"I haven't seen you around before," she said. "I'm Scootaloo, what's your name?"
"I'm Caboozle," the colt replied, now with a nervous smile on his face. "I'm just visiting Ponyville with my family. We're here for the Running of the Leaves, you see."
"Cool," Scootaloo said. "I'll be in the race this year, you know."
"Wow, really?" Caboozle looked suitably impressed. "Heh, maybe we'll run into each other again?"
Scootaloo chuckled at the pun. "Yeah, maybe. So, anyway, I need to get to school now..."
"Oh, right!" Caboozle nodded. "Didn't mean to hold you up. Have a nice day, Scootaloo."
"You too, Caboozle," Scootaloo said and continued on her way.
He seemed nice, she thought. And who knows, maybe he needed help getting his cutie mark? Turning the corner she looked back to where he'd been standing, only to find that he was no longer there. Scootaloo figured he must have been in a hurry.
It didn't take long for Scootaloo to reach the schoolhouse. Many of the other foals had also just arrived, and she spotted Sweetie Belle and Diamond Tiara among them. Scootaloo hopped off her scooter and waved at them. "Hey girls!"
"Hi Scootaloo!" Sweetie replied. She seemed to be her normal cheerful self. "You have got to hear about my last magic lesson, you guys won't believe what happened!"
"Going by last time, you're probably right," Diamond commented dryly.
Sweetie ignored her, still facing Scootaloo. "What have you been up to, anyway? I haven't seen you since Friday."
"Yeah, I kinda had a really crazy weekend," Scootaloo scratched her mane. "Lots of stuff happened."
Diamond's eyes narrowed. "You don't say? Don't tell me you got into another fight with some horrible monster?"
"Heh, well... I'll tell you all about it later," Scootaloo said, not meeting her eyes. "It's kind of a lot to go over. Anyway, where's Apple Bloom and Silver Spoon?"
"I don't think they've..." Sweetie began, then raised her hoof. "Wait, there they are, over there!"
Scootaloo turned her head to see her other two friends approach the school, walking together along the road. Apple Bloom... didn't look well. Not like last time – her mane and coat were clean and brushed, but she walked slowly with her head sagging, almost dragging herself along on unsteady hooves. Silver Spoon wandered beside her with a worried look on her face, seemingly ready to brace the other filly in the event of a sudden collapse.
"Hey girls," Apple Bloom said as the two came closer, her words a bit slurred. She seemed to have trouble keeping her eyes focused and a faint yet sharp and pungent smell hung over her, making Scootaloo involuntarily wrinkle her muzzle.
The girls took a moment to exchange looks, silently agreeing that whatever this was, it had to be cause for worry.
"Uh, hey Apple Bloom," Sweetie said. "You look, um..."
"Yeah, Ah know," Apple Bloom sighed. "Nothin' to worry 'bout, Ah'm okay."
"You are most certainly not okay," Silver Spoon said, looking at Apple Bloom in open disapproval. "You shouldn't even be at school in this condition."
"What are ya, my mom?" Apple Bloom growled. She was sweating. "Ah told ya, Ah ain't missin' classes over this."
"No, seriously," Diamond Tiara said. "You look like you're actually sick. And what's that awful smell?"
"That'd be garlic," Apple Bloom shrugged. "Mostly. Look, it's..." She suddenly jerked forward and seemed on the verge of throwing up, but managed to hold it back. "...It's fine. Ah ain't sick, 'less ya count bein' a werewolf. Now let's stop yappin' an' get to class."
She began walking to the schoolhouse and almost stumbled. Silver Spoon hurried to her side but Apple Bloom brushed her off and continued on her way, apparently determined to managed on her own. Still worried, her friends followed in silence.
Cheerilee nearly sent Apple Bloom home once she saw the state the filly was in, but Apple Bloom insisted on staying, claiming she was just a bit overworked. In the end, Cheerilee relented even though she didn't look entirely convinced. Scootaloo did her best to keep and eye on her friend during the lesson, and the usually chipper earth pony was clearly struggling to stay focused.
During recess the group assembled in their usual spot and while they all wanted to know what was going on with Apple Bloom, she simply groaned and asked that Sweetie Belle tell them about her magic lesson first. As usual, Sweetie didn't need much convincing and soon the entire story was pouring out of her.
"...But Starlight couldn't cast the spell, since the squid-thing was still messing with her head or something, so I had to do it. So I zapped it straight into its ugly, tentacled face! Then it screamed something weird I can't really remember and turned into green smoke and got sucked right back into the portal!"
Her friends just stared at her.
"Is... Is Starlight going to be okay?" Scootaloo finally asked.
"I think so," Sweetie Belle replied. "Apparently you're not even supposed to look at something like that, but Twilight said she wasn't exposed long enough for any permanent damage and she should be fine now that Twilight erased her memory."
"Then why didn't you go crazy?" Diamond Tiara asked, her tone suggesting she still didn't believe the story.
Sweetie shrugged. "I dunno? Maybe my magic protected me somehow? Twilight wasn't sure either."
"What about that portal thing?" Silver Spoon asked.
"Oh, it's still there," Sweetie explained. "We couldn't figure out a way to get rid of it."
"So let me get this straight," Diamond said. "You tried to cast a spell for boiling water, got it wrong, and now there's a mysterious and possibly evil stone gateway in Twilight's basement leading into some kind of bizarre extra-dimensional labyrinth which may or may not have a horrific squid-dragon monster inside it?"
Sweetie nodded. "Basically, yeah."
Diamond's mouth kept moving without making any sounds, her mind momentarily jammed by several conflicting statements trying to come out at once.
"So, what have you been up to, Scootaloo?" Sweetie asked happily.
Scootaloo frowned. "Before I get into that, I kinda want to know what in the hay is wrong with Apple Bloom."
"Ain't nothin' wrong with me," Apple Bloom groaned, trying to sit very still for fear of provoking another vomit attack.
"It's that awful potion she's drinking," Silver Spoon said. "She managed to talk Zecora into teaching her the recipe. It's supposed to suppress her lycanthropy."
"But there's no full moon," Scootaloo pointed out. "So shouldn't you be okay for now?"
"Yeah, well," Apple Bloom sighed, "turns out Ah ain't that kinda werewolf."
"What kind of werewolf are you, then?" Sweetie asked.
"The kind that don't need no full moon."
"We're... not really sure what she is, honestly," Silver said, giving Apple Bloom a worried glance. "I've been looking through the family chronicles but I can't figure it out."
"An' that's why Ah need the potion," Apple Bloom said firmly.
"Is that why you smell like garlic?" Diamond asked. "I thought that was for vampires, not werewolves."
"Oh, it ain't all garlic," Apple Bloom said. "Actually, it's mostly wolfsbane."
There was a brief silence.
"Um, isn't wolfsbane, like, really poisonous?" Sweetie asked.
Apple Bloom shrugged. "Sure, Ah guess."
"Apple Bloom, what are you thinking!?" Scootaloo almost shouted. "You've got to stop drinking that stuff!"
"It's fine!" Apple Bloom insisted. "Zecora said it was okay to drink."
"No, she said it was risky and only for emergencies," Silver Spoon corrected.
"Well, my whole dang life is a darned emergency now!" Apple Bloom argued. "Without the potion, Ah could transform any time! Like, right here, at school! Ah could really hurt somepony, and Ah'm not gonna take that chance."
Diamond Tiara raised a hoof to her face and groaned. "You girls are seriously the weirdest friends ever."
Apple Bloom shrugged, turning to Scootaloo. "Speakin' of which, yer turn."
Scootaloo wasn't sure she was ready to drop the whole 'Apple Bloom drinking poison' subject, but the farm girl had now huddled up with her hooves crossed, evidently not in the mood to discuss the matter further. Scootaloo sighed. "Alright. Where do I even start? Remember Fang, that sorceress I told you about? Some stuff happened and I ended up becoming her familiar."
"What's that?" Diamond asked.
"Oh, I know that!" Sweetie piped up. "A familiar is, like, you know how witches in storybooks always have a talking cat or a raven or something? Like that."
Diamond gave Scootaloo a puzzled look. "So, you're her pet?"
"No, Diamond," Scootaloo replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm not her pet. I'm more like an apprentice. She's teaching me about magic."
Sweetie Belle let out a little squeak, all wide smile and sparkling eyes. "That's so cool! Now we'll both be magical fillies!" She reached out her hoof and lifted Scootaloo's mane, inspecting her forehead. "You didn't grow a horn, did you?"
Scootaloo chuckled. "Nah, I'm not an alicorn just yet. I mostly just signed up because Fang says she can teach me how to fly."
"But I thought you..." Sweetie caught herself and hesitated. She knew this was a touchy subject. "I mean, you told us you don't have enough magic to fly."
Diamond blinked. "What?"
"That's the thing," Scootaloo had been unsure of how to break this next part to them, but it seemed she had no choice now. "Turns out I don't have Rince Wind Syndrome at all. The reason I can't fly is because I'm cursed."
"What?" Diamond repeated.
"Are ya bein' melodramatic now?" Apple Bloom asked.
Scootaloo shook her head. "No, I mean I'm literally cursed. Apparently some evil magician put a spell on me or something, and it's messing with my magic, so..."
"Wait, wait, hold on a minute!" Diamond interrupted. "Curse? Rinse-Whatever Syndrome? Scootaloo, what are you talking about?"
Scootaloo frowned. Come to think of it, she'd never had the opportunity to tell Diamond and Silver about it. "Well, basically, some doctors did tests on me when I was younger and told me I couldn't fly because I was born with defective magic. Only now I know my magic is fine, it's just that I'm cursed so I can't use it. Fang promised she could show me a way to fly anyway, and she's working with Twilight to find a way to break the curse."
"But..." Diamond just stared at her for a moment. Then she put her face into her hooves. "Aaaaaaaaargh!"
"Oh my," Silver Spoon mumbled.
"Gaaaaaaargh! Daaaaammmiiiit!"
Scootaloo blinked in confusion. "Um, Diamond? You okay?"
"Nooo!” Diamond cried, looking genuinely distraught. "I... That one time, I made fun of you because you couldn't fly, remember?"
"What, you mean the time you and Silver messed with my head and almost ruined my self-esteem because you wanted to win a talent show?" Scootaloo didn't try to hide the sarcasm. "No, I'd completely forgotten about that."
"Aaaaargh!" Diamond actually started hitting her hooves against her head. "Stupid! Stupid!"
"Hey, hey," Scootaloo said in a gentler tone, now getting a little bit worried. "It's okay. I forgave you for that and we're friends now, remember?"
"That's not the point!" Diamond snapped. "I thought you just hadn't figured it out yet!"
"So?"
"I've never made fun of ponies with disabilities, Scootaloo! That's like making fun of Apple Bloom for not having any parents!" Diamond waved her hoof at the earth pony for emphasis.
"Yeah, yer a real angel," Apple Bloom muttered.
"I know I could be kinda mean to you guys, but I have standards!" Diamond carried on. "I can't believe I messed up that badly!"
"But I'm not disabled," Scootaloo said, mostly just to get Diamond to calm down. She opted not to mention that she didn't have parents either, just in case it made things worse. "Like I said, it's this dark magic kind of thing."
"Again, not the point!" Diamond put her head back into her hooves, practically shaking with frustration. "Ugh! This is really going to bother me now!"
Scootaloo suddenly felt an urge to laugh. Not in a mean-spirited or vengeful way, as she may have done in the past – the sheer overblown absurdity of Diamond's reaction just struck her as comical. Struggling and mostly failing not to giggle, she patted her former arch-enemy on the shoulder and tried to find words of comfort.
They really were a bunch of weirdos.
Scootaloo continued to tell them about her weekend, which took some time even though she omitted some of it for the sake of privacy. For example, she didn't feel it would be proper to share the details of Fang's past with her friends, nor was she comfortable elaborating on some of the more emotional – and therefore uncool – moments. The fillies marveled at the account, highlights such as the meeting with Celestia, the subsequent battle with the hivers, and Scootaloo's personal tutoring under Luna being especially appreciated. Even Diamond Tiara seemed impressed, albeit still mildly skeptical.
School carried on. At one point Apple Bloom excused herself to visit the girl's bathroom. She returned looking a bit shaky and Scootaloo suspected she finally did throw up. Her physical condition seemed to improve somewhat after that, though her mood did not. When the group left the schoolhouse for the day a few hours later, the other four decided to make one last attempt to talk some sense into the stubborn farmgirl.
"You're going to end up in the hospital if you keep this up," Diamond said. "You know that, right?"
"Or worse," Silver said under her breath.
"Ah'll take my chances," Apple Bloom muttered.
"How is Applejack possibly okay with this?" Sweetie asked.
"Haven't exactly told her 'bout the potion yet."
"But don't you still have work to do on the farm?"
Apple Bloom shrugged. "Nah, not really. Applejack's cut back on my chores seein' as the critters are all scared of me now, an' last time Ah tried bucking apples Ah snapped one of the trees clean in half. AJ won't say it, but I reckon she'd rather Ah stay out of the way for now."
"What about the Running of the Leaves?" Scootaloo tried, knowing Apple Bloom had been looking forward to that just as much as she had. "I doubt you'll be able to keep up with me in this state."
Apple Bloom hesitated, then sighed. "Y'all wouldn't keep up with me without the potion, Scootaloo. Trust me."
Scootaloo meant to keep arguing, but in the same moment she heard a familiar voice call out: "Hey, Scootaloo!"
Fang came trotting down the road to meet them, her mane flowing in the breeze. She smiled. "It was getting time to rendezvous with Rainbow Dash, so I decided to come pick you up right away. I hope you don't mind."
Scootaloo shook her head. "No, that's fine."
Next to her, Sweetie and Diamond made wide eyes at the tall golden mare. "Woah," the both whispered in admiration. Silver Spoon stared as well, but remained silent.
"Oh, these are my friends," Scootaloo said, gesturing towards them. "Girls, this is Fang."
"Hi," Sweetie Belle said, looking a bit nervous. "Nice to meet you, Miss Fang. Scootaloo's told us a lot about you."
"Hello," Diamond Tiara greeted, while Apple Bloom managed a: "Hey."
"My pleasure. I've heard a bit about you girls too," Fang replied. When she laid eyes on Apple Bloom, she suddenly looked thoughtful and stepped closer, silently regarding the filly for a moment. "Hm?"
Apple Bloom frowned. "...What?"
"You've been drinking wolfsbane potion, haven't you?" Fang asked.
Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "How did you...?"
"The wolfsbane flowers you use, are they small, violet and shaped sort of like a funny hat?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"That's aconite," Fang said. "They are quite toxic and notoriously difficult to dose properly. You want to use arnica instead, since they have basically the same effect and are much safer. They look like tiny sunflowers, bright yellow. Make sure to compensate for your weight as well, you don't want to be taking doses meant for adult ponies." She sniffed. "Probably safe to cut down on the garlic too. It's mostly to improve the flavor anyway."
"Oh." Apple Bloom looked a bit surprised at the unexpected advice. "Um, thanks."
Fang just grinned slightly and turned to Scootaloo. "So, ready for our trip?"
"...Yeah. Yeah, I am." Scootaloo realized she was smiling. Maybe Apple Bloom would be okay now? Falling in at Fang's side, she looked to her friends over her shoulder. "Gotta run, you guys. See you later, okay?"
"You girls have a nice day," Fang added.
The four fillies watched Scootaloo and Fang trot off side by side, none of them saying anything until the pair was out of earshot.
"Wow, " Sweetie Belle finally said. "She looked like a model or something."
"I don't think she was even wearing makeup," Diamond commented. "That's just unfair."
"Ah guess," Apple Bloom just rolled her eyes. "Sure seems smart, though. Arnica, huh..."
They noticed that Silver Spoon was still staring quietly in Fang's direction, having taken a few cautious steps backwards during the previous conversation. The earth pony looked tense and had a worried – even frightened – expression on her face.
"Silver?" Diamond frowned. "You okay?"
Silver Spoon shivered slightly. "That... wasn't a pony," she said in a quiet voice.
"Well, yeah," Apple Bloom said. "We knew that already. So?"
Silver Spoon didn't answer, her brow furling as she kept looking at the pair heading down the road ahead. "I just hope Scootaloo knows what she's doing."
White Tail Woods was practically glowing in fiery shades of red and orange when Scootaloo, Fang and Rainbow Dash arrived. It was almost a shame, Scootaloo thought, that it would all soon be shaken down by the thundering hooves of racing ponies, even if to give way for the gleaming white purity of winter. The weather was perfect for a trip to the woods and the crisp air smelled of earth, mushrooms and sleepy trees. Scootaloo felt invigorated, looking forward to forgetting her troubles and just enjoying herself for a while. Fang and Rainbow were both in a good mood as well and there was no sign of yesterday's tension. It was looking to be a perfect day.
A few other ponies were already at the site when they arrived. Scootaloo spotted Applejack, who seemed to be organizing the others. Rainbow swooped ahead and waved at her. "Yo, AJ!"
Applejack turned her head and smiled at her friend. "Glad to see ya finally showed up, Rainbow."
"Well, I had these two tagging along," Rainbow gestured at her two companions. "Gotta give 'em a chance to keep up, you know?"
Applejack chuckled. "Hey there, Scootaloo, hope y'all have fun today. And..." she looked at Fang. "Well, howdy. Don't think Ah've had the pleasure? Applejack's the name."
"A pleasure to meet you, Applejack," the sorceress greeted. "You can call me Fang."
"Turns out she's an old friend of Twilight," Rainbow said. "And she's teaching Scootaloo magic."
"Ya don't say?" Applejack's eyes widened somewhat. "Huh. Didn't reckon y'all pegasi could do that magic stuff. But hey, Ah'm just a simple farmgirl, so what do Ah know?"
"Let's just say I enjoy a challenge," Fang said with a wink. "So, you have a farm?"
"That's right!" Applejack stood a little straighter, raising her head in pride. "Sweet Apple Acres, the best darned apple farm this side of Macintosh Hills, an' don't ya forget it."
"You know my friend Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo said to Fang. "Applejack's her big sister."
"Um, yeah..." Applejack's expression turned to one of concern and she averted her eyes. It was clear that the mention of Apple Bloom made her uncomfortable, and Scootaloo silently wondered how much Applejack already knew about her sister's condition. Quickly regaining her composure, Applejack gave Fang a slightly strained smile. "So, Fang, yer gonna join us for the Runnin' of the Leaves?"
"Well, I haven't made any plans," Fang said, drawing a breath of the fresh air while letting the breeze caress her features. "But I could never resist a beautiful forest."
"Ah know what ya mean," Applejack said. "Sure is somethin' special 'bout the woods this time a' year."
"So what are these preparations you're up to?" Fang asked.
"Oh, nothin' much," Applejack replied. "Just makin' sure everythin's set for the race. Ya know, checking that all the paths are clear, getting' fallen branches outta the way..." She glanced at Rainbow. "...Makin' sure the signs point the right way."
"Ehehe," Rainbow scratched her mane, looking awkward. "Yeah, don't wanna go taking a wrong turn out here."
Scootaloo had begun to feel a bit antsy. All this talk about the race was making her legs itch and standing around wasn't helping. "Um, is it okay if I go for a practice run now?"
"Don't see why not," Applejack said. "We've cleared most of the route in this here area. Just follow the path an' don't take any of the turns we've marked off and ya'll be fine."
"Want me to come with you?" Rainbow offered.
"Oh no, ya don't," Applejack said before Scootaloo had a chance to accept. "Yer supposed to be helpin' us out, remember?"
"Drat," Rainbow mumbled.
Scootaloo turned to give Fang a questioning look. Fang smiled. "You run along, have fun. Maybe I'll catch up with you?"
Scootaloo grinned and started trotting. "Yeah, good luck with that." She headed off down the path, her trot steadily building up to a gallop.
"Remember to pace yourself!" Rainbow shouted after her.
Applejack smiled as she watched the filly run off. "That girl sure got a lot 'a spunk."
"Heh, you got that right," Rainbow chuckled. She turned to Fang. "You know, she's seemed happier since you showed up. Or, I dunno... More sure of herself, I guess. Whatever you're doing, I think it's working."
Fang raised her eyebrows at this, then shook her head. "Oh, I haven't done anything much. Scootaloo is just stronger than she seems, that's all."
"Yeah, sometimes Ah forget how much them kids've grown," Applejack sighed. "Well, enough chattin'. Come on, Rainbow, we've got work to do."
Rainbow sighed. "Fine." She caught a glance of Fang and noticed that the sorceress was standing still, looking into the forest with a thoughtful expression. "Hey, Fang? You okay?"
"Hm?" The words brought Fang out of her reverie. She shook her head. "Ah, it's nothing. I just had this strange feeling of... nostalgia, I guess. I'm fine."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Okay, if you say so. Come on, knowing AJ I'm going to need you along for moral support."
"Hey, what in tarnation is that supposed to mean?"
Wandering off together, the two ponies quickly descended into friendly ribbing. Following them, Fang looked over her shoulder towards the path where Scootaloo had already disappeared behind a bend. Fang said nothing, but her eyes narrowed.
Scootaloo raced along the path, her gallop having reached a steady rhythm – quick but not enough to truly push her stamina. Her small hooves hammering against the ground were not enough to fell any leaves, though she thought she noticed a slight shiver through the trees as she passed them by. Then again, perhaps she was just imagining things.
Regardless, it felt nice to run without a care in the world. She was more used to getting around on her scooter, but she was still in good shape and couldn't wait to test herself in the real race. The adrenaline started to kick in and she felt a desire for more speed. With the wind in her back she spread her wings and flapped them.
It was something she had figured out earlier that year: Though she couldn't fly, she could still use her wings while running to generate thrust, much like what she did with her scooter. It made her feel lighter and dramatically increased her speed. It almost felt like flying, except without the flying part.
Of course, she didn't intend to use this trick in the actual Running of the Leaves, since it felt like cheating. Then again, if Apple Bloom had been serious about her increased physical abilities, perhaps she would have to. Assuming Apple Bloom had stopped poisoning herself by then, of course.
Lost in thought and letting her body move on instinct, she soon found that she had made it fairly deep into the woods. The path had been curving for a while and she wondered if she was already halfway, perhaps more. She folded her wings together and began running normally again. She was supposed to be training her legs and enjoying the scenery, after all. Rushing wasn't the point.
"Somepony..."
Scootaloo's ear twitched. She wasn't sure, but she could swear she heard a voice. Where there other ponies nearby? Applejack had said they'd already cleared that part of the forest.
"Somepony! Please! I need help!"
Scootaloo stopped, suddenly taking care to listen. She had definitely heard that, and it sounded like a foal's voice. "Hello?" she called out. "Is there anypony there?"
"Yeah! Over here! I really need some help!"
Definitely a young colt, Scootaloo figured, and the voice sounded familiar to her. It was coming from deeper within the forest, well beyond the path. Scootaloo hesitated for a moment. He couldn't be too far away. As long as she could remember her trajectory and the position of the sun, Scootaloo felt sure she would be able to find the path again. Besides, worst case scenario, Rainbow and the other ponies probably wouldn't have much trouble finding her. Fang could probably just sense her location through the bond. By the sound of it, the colt might be in danger, so that took priority.
Having successfully rationalized her decision, Scootaloo left the path and made her way into the woods. "Okay, I'm on my way!"
"Thank you! Please hurry!"
"Keep talking so I know where you are!"
"I'm straight ahead of you, I think! I'm heading towards your voice too!"
Scootaloo could tell by his voice that they were closing in on each other. She was just about to call out again when she heard the sound of twigs and branches snapping from some bushes ahead. In the next moment a white colt stumbled out of the vegetation right in front of her, his blue eyes widening when he spotted her.
"Oh," he said. "Hey. You're that girl from this morning. Scootaloo, right?"
Scootaloo recognized him as well, the same colt she almost ran into on her way to school. He looked a bit disheveled and tired, and he had streaks of grey-brown dirt in his snowy coat, but he seemed unharmed. "Um, yeah. You're... Caboozle?"
Caboozle nodded. "Yep. Wow, when I said we might run into each other again, this wasn't what I had in mind."
"No kidding?" Scootaloo frowned. "What are you doing out here?"
Caboozle scratched his mane. "Well, see, my parents found out we need to go back to Manehattan early, so we'll be missing out of the Running of the Leaves this year. But we figured that since we came all this way, we'd at least visit White Tail Woods before we leave.” He paused, deflating somewhat and continued in a smaller voice: “So when we got here I, um, kinda got a bit too excited. So I sorta... got a little bit lost?"
Scootaloo cocked her head. "A little bit lost?"
Caboozle sighed. "Well, okay, more than a little. Very much lost, actually."
"Well, you don't need to worry," Scootaloo said, trotting over to him and giving him a comforting smile. She pointed in the direction she had arrived. "The path is just a bit over that way, and if we follow it there's grown-ups who can handle the rest."
"That's great," Caboozle said. "But there's another problem. My little brother was with me and he's still out there."
Scootaloo stared at him. "You left your brother alone in the woods?"
"I know! I know!" Caboozle groaned. "Look, he hurt his leg and I wasn't sure it was okay for him to walk, so I told him to stay still while I went looking for help or landmarks or something. I was just about to head back when you found me. I'm pretty sure I know the way back to him, it's not very far. Please, we need to go pick him up. I can't just leave him there."
Scootaloo didn't really like the idea of going even deeper into the forest. Still, she remained confident that she could find the way back and all the previous reassurances she had given herself remained valid. She'd just have to trust that Caboozle wouldn't get himself lost all over again, and her along with him.
"Okay," she said, nodding. "I guess we should go find him, then. You lead the way."
"Thanks," Caboozle said and turned around. "It's this way, hurry!"
Scootaloo followed the colt, who wasted no time starting to trot at a brisk pace, jumping over tree rocks and tree roots as he went. His previous fatigue seemed to be gone now – Scootaloo assumed he had just been stressed and frightened, and that the prospect of getting himself and his brother back safely had reinvigorated him. She smiled a little, allowing herself a bit of pride for doing a good deed. Caboozle was obviously to blame for this incident, but he seemed like a nice enough pony. She just hoped his parents wouldn't scold him too much once they were reunited. Granted, she had no personal experience with such matters but from what little she'd seen, that was how parents usually expressed relief.
They kept going for several minutes, further than Scootaloo had expected. Along the way she tried her best to keep track of the sun and the direction they were heading, though she was growing increasingly worried that wouldn't be enough to bring them back to the path. Given Caboozle's story, she wasn't sure she trusted his sense of direction much either.
"Hey, how much further is it?" she asked the colt trotting in front of her. "You sure you know where you're going?"
They'd reached a small clearing and suddenly Caboozle stopped. "I think this is far enough."
Scootaloo looked around, but couldn't see anypony besides the two of them. "What do you mean? Where's your brother?"
Caboozle chuckled. "Oh, I don't have a brother. I just made that up."
"What?" Scootaloo frowned. "Why would you..."
She fell silent, the words catching in her throat. The colt had turned around to face her, but he had changed. His pupils had shrunk into small black dots while the blue of his irises expanded to nearly cover the eyes completely, leaving only a hint of sclera that had turned from white to black. His mouth widened into a grin that seemed to split his face in two, with rows of sharp pointed teeth gleaming.
Scootaloo took a stumbling step backwards on shaking legs while a wordless voice in the back of her head screamed at her to run. "...W-What are you?"
"I'll give you a hint," the creature said, the timbre of his voice shifting and deepening as he spoke. "I'm not a pony."
He stepped forward and his entire body seemed to ripple, shifting and morphing. His coat grew thicker and gained stripes. Hooves turned into clawed paws. He kept growing larger and larger. Scootaloo stared, terrified yet too mesmerized by the display to move.
The transformation only lasted a few moments and then the earth pony colt was gone. Instead, Scootaloo found herself standing in front of a great beast: a large tiger, white as snow with silver-grey stripes. It towered over her, radiating power and menace, two long serpentine tails swaying behind him. It opened its jaws, baring ivory fangs, and roared.
Scootaloo snapped out of it and immediately turned to run.
"Oh, no you don't." The tiger raised its tails and a blue glow appeared between the tips. An aura of magic enveloped Scootaloo and yanked her off her hooves. She swung around in the air as the tiger levitated her, pressing her against one of the trees and holding her in place.
"I can't have you running away on me, Scootaloo," he said. His voice was deep but soft, like faraway thunder. "Not after I went through all this trouble to lure you here."
"W-Who are you?" Scootaloo's heart was hammering in her chest. She struggled against the spell and felt her panic rising when it proved fruitless. "What do you want from me?"
"I don't want anything much from you, little pony," the tiger replied. "You see, you and I have a common acquaintance whom I am just dying to meet again. You are just the messenger, so to speak." He leaned forward and locked his cold blue eyes with hers. "I want you to call Fang Jinhuo."
"What?" Scootaloo tried to stay calm even as her mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening, trying to find some way – any way – to escape. "You know Fang?"
"Oh yes!" The tiger grinned. "I know all about her. Far more than you, I reckon. For instance, I know that since you are her familiar, her heart is bound to yours. She should be able to sense you, and if you call out to her in your heart I'm sure she'll come running to find you. She's predictable like that."
"What... What do you want with her?" Scootaloo asked.
"It's a personal matter between me and her," the tiger said. "You don't need to know more than that. No more questions, Scootaloo. Call out to Fang, now."
"I can't!" Scootaloo cried. "The bond doesn't work that way."
The tiger rolled his eyes. "This is really not a good time for you to lie to me, pony. I told you, I know perfectly well how familiars 'work'."
"It's true!" Scootaloo said. "Fang can't sense me that way."
"Did she tell you that?" the tiger asked. "Because Fang is quite the liar as well, you know."
Scootaloo hesitated. Had Fang lied to her? Had she been able to see into Scootaloo's heart all along? Once again, Scootaloo was reminded how little she really knew about the sorceress. Fang definitely hadn't said anything about a giant magical monster tiger, at any rate.
Scootaloo shook her head, trying to clear it of doubt. "Well, whatever! Even if I could call her, I wouldn't. Ponyfeathers, I don't even know how to do that!"
The tiger regarded her in silence for a moment. Then he sighed. "You do seem to be telling the truth. Or what you think is the truth, at least. But that puts me in quite a predicament. Quite a predicament indeed." He cocked his head. "Still, perhaps you're just lacking the proper motivation? Sometimes the bond simply needs a bit of a jolt..."
Pacing to the side he raised his tails again and electricity sparked between them, ending with a large blue arc crackling and dancing between the tips. He pointed them at Scootaloo, who immediately started to struggle again. However, she remained trapped by his previous spell, just as helpless as before. She felt terror like an ice-cold grip around her heart when she realized what he meant to do.
Fang!
"Fair warning," the tiger said. "This will hurt a lot."
FANG!
In a different part of the forest, Fang suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, her head snapping around and her ears twitching as if she caught a sound only she could hear.
"Scootaloo," she mumbled under her breath.
"Somethin' the matter?" Applejack asked, turning around along with Rainbow when the two of them noticed their companion stopping.
Fang shook her head. "...No, it's nothing. I was just thinking that Scootaloo has been gone for a while now. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to go meet up with her now."
Applejack and Rainbow shared a frown. Applejack shrugged. "Ah guess Ah don't mind."
"Want me to go with you?" Rainbow asked. "That's okay, right Applejack? Just long enough to check up on Scoots, I mean."
"Ah suppose..." Applejack began.
"Oh, there's no need," Fang interrupted. "I'm sure Scootaloo is fine. You two should carry on with your duties, I'll be right back once I've found her." She turned her back to them so they couldn't see the grim look on her face. “I have a pretty good hunch where to look."
Her horn lit up and she vanished in a golden flash, teleporting away.
"Huh," Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Ya know, Rainbow, she's awfully fussy 'bout that filly. You sure she's just Scootaloo's magic teacher or whatever?"
Rainbow frowned. "Whaddaya mean?"
"Shucks." Applejack shrugged. "Ah don't right know what Ah mean. Just a feelin' Ah got, is all. Anyhoo, she's right, there's probably nothin' to worry about. Less just wait for 'em to get back."
"Yeah..." Rainbow still looked a bit doubtful. "Nothing to worry about."
It vaguely occurred to Scootaloo that, as far as getting herself into trouble, this was probably her crowning achievement so far.
The bright arcing current between the tiger's tails had yet to actually touch her. He kept it poised in front of her, slowly bringing it closer, occasionally making little jabbing motions and briefly intensifying the sparks.
"I know you may find this hard to believe," he said, "but I'm not the bad guy here, and I'd rather not have to go this far. Last chance, kid."
He brought the current closer than ever before. It was almost touching Scootaloo's chest now. She braced herself and hoped she'd be able to endure it. She shivered and her eyes were tearing up.
There was a bright flash and Fang materialized a few yards behind them. "Scootaloo!"
"Fang!" Scootaloo cried just as the tears started running down her cheeks. "You came!"
The tiger lowered his tails and the current disappeared. "Finally," he whispered.
"I don't know who you are," Fang growled through her teeth, "but if you don't release my familiar right now I'm going to..."
She fell silent as the tiger turned around and looked at her. A gasp escaped her lips. "...No. Impossible."
"Hello, master," the tiger said. "It's been a while."
Fang just stared at him, her previous angered expression gone, replaced by one of shock and disbelief.
"...Byakkasha!"