Everypony had been looking forward to the winter weather for the year. With the summer season being so hot it wasn’t surprising, especially for such a rambunctious filly as Scootaloo. Playing with her friends and trying to outdo her own personal times on small events wore her out faster than she thought. It was refreshing to finally feel that cool air stirring and even notice the ponies settling down more.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had been busy with helping a few other ponies in finding their cutie marks so Scootaloo took it upon herself to venture out and try some tricks on her scooter. The handlebars had always felt a bit loose but she was good with steering it. The help of her small wings kept her speeding along to hit plenty of makeshift jumps or ramps around the town.
Every bit of the cooler air seemed to urge her on. She didn’t want to admit she was late for the clubhouse meeting, which is why her friends weren’t there, but she knew. The orange pegasus zipped along the area as she tried thinking of where they may have gone for the day. There had been no note left, though that was hardly unusual. If they could manage without her then it just gave her more time to impress them once they got back.
Hitting a rock and nearly careening off into a wall, Scootaloo grit her teeth and jerked the scooter to the side as she toppled over with it. The fall was harsh but nothing she hadn’t experienced before. A dull thump on her helmet reminded her how thankful she was to be wearing it.
“Ouch,” the filly said simply as she sat up and assessed the situation. Minor scuffs and some grass stains. Nothing too bad.
Her attention turned to the chosen mode of transportation only for her gasp. The handlebars had finally taken their last topple. The metal pole lay separated on the ground from the board though it didn’t seem to be any worse than that. She silently regretted the various refusals of having it looked at by several ponies but the filly knew it could be fixed. It had to.
Struggling to stand up on all fours, Scootaloo grunted and looked at the metal beam before picking it up and laying over the board. Perhaps walking back would be a better idea to lessen any further damage to it and herself. At least it looked like only the screws had come out or popped off.
The clubhouse had a small array of tools for her to work with. If she couldn’t get it fixed herself then she could ask her awesome friend, Rainbow Dash, on how to help. It was a thought that made her smile visibly while walking the scooter along.
“Oh, hey there, Scoots,” called a voice not too far off. It was the owner’s wife from the hardware store. Scootaloo couldn’t recall her name. “I see you took a tumble pretty bad. Needing any help?”
“Oh, nah! I’m okay!” the filly mentioned before stopping. “Actually, do you got any screws to fit my scooter?”
“Hm,” the older mare mumbled in thought. “I don’t quite know. I’d ask my husband but he’s not around right now.”
“It’s cool. Where did he go?” Scootaloo asked, her head turning to try and spot him nearby.
“That’s the thing. I’m not sure he said where. He just mentioned going out and one of his friends wanted to get him to look at something,” the wife explained while looking a bit bored. “I guess whatever it was couldn’t be brought in so easily.”
“Yeah,” the filly replied though not quite certain about the story. “I guess I’ll check back later then.”
“Okay, dear! You be careful now!” the mare told the filly before waving a foreleg goodbye.
“Drats,” Scootaloo grumbled under her breath. She had slightly hoped that she could get her scooter fixed sooner rather than later.
The only thing she could think of doing would be leaving it at the clubhouse and waiting for her friends to return. Nothing else really caught her interest as much. The sudden stop in speed must have also had boredom catch up with her. Great.
Walking back somehow made it feel like the wind was colder than before. Perhaps it was the lack of attention on things, the adrenaline running through her, and even the excitement of riding. Whatever it was it surely made her shiver once or twice. The slight overcast from the rather sunny morning could have also played a part in it.
She couldn’t remember how much time had passed until she finally got back to the wooden tree house set up near Sweet Apple Acres. It felt like hours though she knew better. The lack of speed just had her feel like everything went at a snail’s pace. Idly, she wondered if Dash felt the same way.
Tossing the board and pole into the open door, Scootaloo looked around only to find it still empty. Must have been a big task they had to do. A slight tinge of worry ran through her as she stepped in and closed the door. She felt uneasy at the thought of where they may have gone and whether they needed her help.
Scootaloo was tough, however. Her eyes closed as she furrowed her brow and pushed all the stressful thoughts away. To replace them she thought of the times things were dire and they pulled through easily. Well, somewhat easily.
The attitude of the filly changed as well to keep herself from worrying too much. They should have had her tag along if they wanted it done quickly, she thought. If Scootaloo was there then the cutie marks would be shining in an instant! After all, she was the fastest filly around and that could easily take to helping others acquire their own marks. Couldn’t it?
Instead of thinking more on it, the filly pulled out the small box of various utensils ranging from markers to hammers and began sifting through it. Out of the seven different screwdrivers she had no idea which one to use. A very small assortment of screws were against the bottom corners of the box and also looked to vary from each one.
“Oh, great,” Scootaloo mumbled as she tried figuring out which screws would work.
During her guesswork and light grumbling, the door to the clubhouse slowly began to creak open. The hinges moaned out as the wooden door slowly moved until eventually resting. Scootaloo stayed motionless as she waited to hear a voice or maybe see a pony trot inside. It was the waiting that got her little heart beating harder.
“Scootaloo,” came a familiar voice just outside. “Come with us.”
“Sweetie Belle? Where have you guys been?” the small pegasus asked, feeling relieved she wasn’t going to meet some stranger that wandered on in.
“We need to show you something,” came Apple Bloom’s voice in the same spot.
“Why? What is it?” Scootaloo asked and pushed her work aside. “Are we going to help another pony with their cutie mark?”
“We have to show you something. It’s really neat!” the unicorn squeaked and peered into the room.
Avoiding the question and not answering unsettled Scootaloo a bit. The fact her friends were also acting a little off was already making her uneasy. If they had something to show her then couldn’t they just say what it was?
“Why don’t you bring it here? I got to work on my scooter,” the pegasus mentioned and glanced down at her attempt of repairing it.
“Silly! We can’t do that!” Sweetie told her before motioning with her head to outside. “Come on. It’s too big to carry.”
“Eh, fine!” agreed the orange filly after letting out an exasperated sigh. They had a reason for not bringing it at least.
“You’ll like it!” Bloom said as Scootaloo joined them and they began walking.
“Can’t you just tell me what it is?” the pegasus asked as she walked between her two friends.
“Nope! Ain’t gonna tell ya!” Bloom replied though none of them seemed to hurry to wherever it was.
Instead of pressing for more answers, Scootaloo resigned to staying quiet as she let them lead the way. It had grown increasingly gloomy with the clouds but it didn’t seem like it would be too bad. At least, she hoped it wouldn’t. It had started as such a nice day but everything seemed to have taken a rather weird turn.
The fillies continued on their way, passing a few ponies but otherwise avoiding any other social contact as they crossed the river. From where they were going Scootaloo could tell it was headed in the direction of Everfree Forest. A sinking feeling began to weigh heavy in her stomach.
“Hey, why don’t we go tomorrow?” the pegasus asked, trying to keep her nervous tone somewhat normal.
“Nonsense! We’re almost there anywho!” Bloom said without turning around. “Trust us, you’ll love it when you see it!”
Somehow, that statement felt like the worst lie Scootaloo had ever heard. She felt so cold and it wasn’t from the climate. There was something very wrong but she couldn’t place it. Her friends were acting rather strange and wanting to lure her someplace yet refused to say what. The whole thing raised red flags for her as she knew it was going against all she had been taught and learned.
“Listen, I really don’t think I want to go,” the nervous filly mentioned as she slowed her pace to lag behind. “Maybe I’ll go see it later.”
When both of her friends stopped she felt herself wanting to run. Why was she feeling so afraid of them? They were her best friends and they had gone through thick and thin together. Nothing should be dividing them much less making her scared.
“No. Let’s go see it now and then you’ll understand,” Sweetie Belle said in a lowered tone almost as if trying to restrain from dragging her along.
“Come on, Scoots. Ya know you wanna see it!” Bloom chimed in with a somewhat forced excitement.
Silence grew between the three as two of them waited on Scootaloo to continue. The worry only increased for the filly being brought along as she thought of excuses or attempts to run. None of them seemed to lead to her getting away completely in her mind.
“Okay,” the small pegasus said slowly. “I’ll go. Just to look though. Only looking.”
“Of course!” Bloom said and began to walk with Sweetie in stride.
That seemed to be enough for them to continue on. If push came to shove then Scootaloo felt she could tell them that they agreed in only looking at whatever it was before she left. Her heart was almost thumping so hard she could hear it.
A glance skyward only revealed the dim light trying its hardest to peek through the murky and dark clouds. The cooler air swept by as a reminder that winter was around the corner as well. It looked almost like the clouds had grown even darker than before when she studied them a moment longer. They spanned all across the sky she could see as well. Were they scheduled for heavy rain? Dash had told her nothing of the sort.
As they drew closer to the edge of Everfree, Scootaloo could feel panic rising. Many ponies had told them to stay out before they met Zecora. Even after, they had told them to be wary and always be careful. The treeline looked foreboding with how gnarled some branches were and the twisted trunks that refused to let you get a clear eye within the forest. It never felt like a fun place for Scootaloo.
“Are you sure it’s in there?” she asked, unable to keep the waver out of her voice.
“Of course,” Bloom said simply and moved in closer to the trees. “Come on. We want to see it better while there’s still light.”
The idea of being in the forest after dark was something Scootaloo certainly didn’t want. It was even more odd to see her friends not in the least bit showing any sign of uneasiness. With what little daylight they had left and could peek through the clouds, the pegasus hurried along just to see this important thing and be out right away.
Into the dense forest they went. The fillies all moved closed together and weaved through the numerous bark covered nightmares. Every second was beginning to make the orange filly more nervous. It all seemed like such a bad idea but she was also afraid of her friends for some unknown reason.
The snap of twigs or rustle of some various plant life would cause Scootaloo to pause and look around. It almost felt like they were being followed yet there were no signs of such. The strange part was that the further in they went the more it began to feel as if somepony or something was watching her. It was an idea that she did her best to push out of her mind.
“Look,” said Sweetie in almost a fascinated voice.
Stumbling over a curled root, Scootaloo hobbled forward before glancing up. The trees seemed to suddenly space out and create quite a clearing within the forest. She had never seen the spot before though it was possible she never went this far in or maybe just in the direction they had led her. The three stepped into the murky clearing where a lot more came into focus.
A coil of fog blurred most of the center until they stepped forth. The filly pegasus could make out the shape of other ponies and something else. About a dozen ponies sat on the ground paying no mind to the fillies that had entered the clearing. Instead, their focus was set upon the abomination placed right in the center.
At first, Scootaloo thought she was having a nightmare or maybe even the fog rising and playing tricks on her eyes. It was a statue. Though hardly just any statue. The proportions were off in many areas and in odd ways. The figure or sculpture was impossible to identify other than it clearly not being of equine origin.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Bloom asked, sitting herself down where she stood and gazing up at the abhorrent horror.
“Are you nuts?” Scootaloo said while having to physically turn her head to look away. “This… This thing is horrible!”
The outburst looked to have caught nopony’s attention. In fact, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom remained silent as they sat and stared as if it were some kind of fascinating play. Just what did the ponies get out of it? Nothing about it looked pleasing to the eye.
It pained her to admit it but the orange filly did have trouble not trying to catch another glimpse of the thing. As horrible as it was there was a part of her that wanted to check again just to see if it really was what she first saw. Doubt weighed heavy in her mind as she looked to both of her friends before finally chancing one more peek.
Her heart hammered that chest rapidly as she looked on with a grimace. The filly could feel herself gritting her teeth more by the second the long she stared. Nothing was right about the statue at all. It almost looked impossible to be made. She could have sworn she could see it shifting or moving in some manner but focusing on one aspect only seemed to make everything outside of her line of focus move more erratically.
“H-How is this possible?” Scootaloo asked in fear. The dread of what the statue might be was starting to crack her sanity.
No reply came. She was by herself despite being near her friends and various others. The filly even noticed the hardware store owner up ahead but she dared not to move closer to that thing they looked upon. Her eyes eventually lowered with her head to finally break the hypnosis or trance she was in.
Breathing heavily, Scootaloo stared at the ground and watched the fog sift mindlessly around her forelegs. Nothing natural came of that statue, if should be called as such. The stone look was apparent, was it not? Or was it? It became harder for her to justify any facts the longer she thought on the thing.
“Okay,” the filly breathed out while trying to calm herself, “I saw it. I’m going to go. You guys need to come back with me.”
“No,” finally came a reply, though not the one she wanted to hear, especially from Sweetie. “Stay with us.”
“Look, this is… something. I need to go and Rarity and Applejack will be worried sick about you two!” Scootaloo yelled. Her foreleg lifted as she avoided one of them trying to hold her there. It was almost surreal seeing her friends nearly attack her.
“Look,” was repeated back but not by just Bloom. Several other ponies spoke it while staring ahead.
That seemed to be enough to get Scootaloo to back up and turn away. Physically facing away from the object somehow made her feel much better. She had to get help. Without looking back, the filly ran back into the wooded area in what she hoped was the same direction they came. Something terrible was going on. Tears streamed from her eyes as she thought of who to ask for help.
Applejack and Rarity would obviously want to get their sisters. Dash could probably help too being how great she is. Twilight maybe could zap the thing away, right? Her mind was whirling as she ran and tried her best not to cry but to no avail. The sudden figure popping up in front of her had the scared filly let out a startled yell.
“Do not fear me, little one. For why is the reason that you run?” Zecora asked calmly, satchel full of various plants poking out from under the flap at her side.
Scootaloo was shocked to find the zebra so abruptly, yet her heart welled with hope. In an instant, words came out of the filly’s muzzle that sounded like a bad dream. Zecora’s expression seemed to remain the same until the attempt at describing what was seen was uttered.
“Come, let us get out of here. There will be nothing more for you to fear,” the zebra rhymed as she walked with the filly and guided them both out of the forest.
“Thank you,” Scootaloo said while sniffing and rubbing at her eyes.
“It is thanks to you that I know what I must do,” the striped equine mentioned before glancing back into the treeline.
There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment until Zecora gave her attention back to the filly. As much as the pegasus didn’t want her to go she knew that the zebra had to work on some concoction or something to help break the spell of the others. It also dawned on her that without her scooter, Scootaloo would have to run the length of getting to Applejack and Rarity to inform them of things as well as Twilight.
The two parted ways with Zecora slipping into the forest quickly and the filly left alone. It wasn’t a run she wanted to do but something was really wrong. The filly gathered herself as best she could before making a mad dash in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
Over the river and across the land, Scootaloo ran as fast as those small legs could carry her. Even though she made it back to the farmland in record time it didn’t feel like it. There many things on her mind and every small moment that passed just seemed to drain her hope a little bit more.
“Well, howdy, Scoots!” Applejack welcomed. Her dirty look suggested she had been working hard.
“Applejack!” Scootaloo called, her little legs galloping in a tired effort. “Applejack, help! Apple Bloom! Sweetie Belle!”
It only took those names for the mare to run up and do her best to calm the filly. She tried getting as much information as she could from the gasping breaths though the farm pony only really understood that her little sister and Rarity’s were in danger from something in Everfree. The serious look almost frightened Scootaloo when she told her.
“You stay here,” Applejack ordered with her hoof pressing her hat down upon her head more. “I’ll go get Rare and the others and we’ll head up there to get Bloom and them. Just relax, sugarcube. Everything will be okay!”
Once again, in such a short amount of time, Scootaloo was alone. The feeling didn’t hurt any less the second time but she did have hope that Applejack and the others would get everypony back. She didn’t want to go back home right then. Her room may be comfortable but it would be so lonely with nopony else to talk to on the matter. Instead, she made her way towards the clubhouse to rest a bit and wait.
With such a rush of stress and fright, it wasn’t hard for her to lay down once inside the wooden structure. Her eyes grew heavy but would quickly open for fear of seeing it again. That cursed statue. It almost seemed to be haunting her even though she didn’t look at as long as all the others.
“Everything will be okay,” she told herself and grabbed a tablecloth Sweetie Belle had used for a tea party recently to cover up.
The air was stale and cold. It didn’t help that the clouds blotted out the sun so much that it was hard to tell what time it was and that gentle warmth couldn’t reach the land or the filly. She just wanted her friends to stop acting weird but there was something seriously wrong with that statue. Did it do something to them?
Closing her eyes again seemed to conjure up many moving images of the oddity. Its strange form constantly shifting even if just a bit. It didn’t make sense and only hurt to think about. How they could look at it for so long she had no idea.
Eventually, the filly found some semblance of peace through exhaustion just long enough to let sleep take hold. Dreams were only a distant wish for the nightmares that clouded her mind during her slumber only made her squirm and kick. Scootaloo was just a mere victim to the terrible images.
•••••
It was late in the night when the filly awoke. Her eyes opened and the reality of everything came to her all at once. In an instant, she was up and shaking off her tiredness while looking out the windows of the clubhouse into the darkness beyond. The nightmares that plagued her sleep weren’t just in her head. They were real.
The sky was a void of the unknown. Not even the moon could be seen nor almost any light. The temptation to call out for Applejack or her friends was held back at the uncertainty of what lay beyond the lurking dark. Had they come back and just missed her?
A distant roll of thunder made the filly duck slightly. There was a storm coming but she hadn’t heard Dash tell her anything of the sort. They were scheduled for three more days before rain and it was supposed to be gentle.
Waiting any longer seemed out of question. Scootaloo took a deep breath and opened the door to the clubhouse. It was unsettling to see barely a meter ahead. The distant lights of things seemed so foreign and scary. Some looked like hovering eyes peering at her from afar.
In a hurry, the pegasus rushed across the land to the farmhouse and quickly began rapping at the door. Various names were called out numerous times but nopony answered. Like the light outside, her hope seemed to be diminished. It took her a few more minutes before she finally let herself in and tried looking around.
With so little to see by it was a fruitless effort for the most part. Nopony called back from the loud shouts and the only sounds were that of approaching thunder and small creaks along the floorboards. The only luck she seemed to happen by was finding a lantern set aside with a candle ready to be lit.
Scavenging in all the drawers she could reach, Scootaloo found her prize and quickly set alight to the wax pillar before biting the lantern’s grip and carrying it out. The light helped plenty though it also made the whole area seem so much more unsettling to her. Shadows in corners grew far more stark while walls lit up as if they were trying to hide from being seen.
Another roll of the storm brewing overhead made the pegasus tense up slightly. It sounded like it might rain very soon. The urgency seemed to double with the fear of cold rain and a heavy storm looming near. Her fear of thunderstorms didn’t help the situation.
There was another quick pass through the house before she finally decided to head out. Her only issue was trying to figure out where to go. If the Apple family wasn’t home then they probably went to get others for help. That would probably mean Twilight had gone as well, so there would be little meaning to head to her castle.
It wasn’t an easy choice but she knew that the one place she had to check would be the forest. If they had succeeded and destroyed that statue or got everypony out then she wanted to make sure. They obviously weren’t at home.
Scootaloo sighed and took a moment to try and strengthen her will before stepping out of the house and looking out at the town. The small lights still looked like beady little eyes waiting for her. At least it appeared there were ponies still around if those candle lights were anything to go by. The thought did set her mind at ease slightly.
Direction was a little hard to judge in such darkness but listening for the river made it easier. Little Scootaloo followed along it until she met the bridge to cross and slowly tread on in the area she thought Everfree lay. The lantern made finding her hooves easier and at least dispersed the darkness around her some.
Shadows leered and loomed while she walked along scaring her greatly. The nervousness in her gait was apparent as she tried not to keep looking at the flicker of darkness ahead or the vacant void above. It just all seemed to be too much for her. Instead, her hooves and the ground most of what she stared at, only giving occasional glances up to make sure she was still heading the right way.
Minutes passed by though the time was unknown. Scootaloo had seen the sky give partial light here or there from lightning dancing in the heavy clouds. It almost gave the sky itself some unnatural life that shouldn’t exist. She didn’t like it.
The sudden grow of trees by the light caused the filly to pause and look around. She had found Everfree without too much trouble but she didn’t wish to go in. The idea of going back to ask for help again or see if she could find other grown ponies to come with her was sounding like a much better idea.
Her head shook and with it the lantern. The light danced all across the trees and made them almost look like they beckoned her. Scootaloo’s stomach turned while she weighed her options and looked back at Ponyville. While her friends might be in terrible trouble of some unrecognizable entity, she did want company to assure her things would be fine.
A sudden clap of thunder from directly overhead had the pegasus scream out and drop the lantern at her hooves. Her head ducked which she then covered with her forelegs and cowered in fear. It would only get worse the longer she waited, she knew.
Instead of waiting, the filly grabbed the lantern again and hurried into the thicket of trees. Her heart was racing while she stumbled and trudged along. Roots tried bringing her down with their awkward hoops and coils through the ground as she did her best to keep going. It was a hard walk through Everfree at night in the cold dark but Scootaloo didn’t stop.
Every thundering bellow made her whimper and the small flashes of light from above did nothing to help her situation. Bright strikes of lightning illuminated some of the forest though not enough to matter with the dense cluster of trees and branches. The leaves seemed to keep much light from entering or leaving.
Finally, after feeling lost for an hour, Scootaloo could see the strange mist and fog from earlier. Her lantern was hindered greatly and didn’t seem to help more than it hurt in trying to see. The noiseless clearing ahead only made her more unnerved to check on things. With closed eyes, the filly made a few more steps and slipped into the clearing once more.
Hearing nothing caused her to open her eyes carefully only to gasp. The metal cage for the candle nearly dropped again but she held onto it. Before her sat far more ponies that last time. The Cakes, Mayor Mare, almost every pony from Ponyville.
Scootaloo’s heart thumped harder as she looked between them all and tried to find anypony not accounted for just to know there be some other pony to help. Her friends still sat in the same spot, staring up at the terrible thing she knew couldn’t have disappeared now. Beside them were Applejack and Rarity along with most of their friends.
The little pegasus felt numb. Her face grew cold as she took heavy breaths from witnessing the ponies she thought could help only succumb to the very evil. Calling their names did nothing and many of the pushes or shoves barely nudged any of them.
All the while, Scootaloo found herself so tempted to look. The thing that stood within the clearing was there. She could feel it. Should hear it. The whispers were entangling into her thoughts to encourage her.
Her head forcefully looked away as she walked around to account for all the lost. Ms. Cheerilee, Starlight Glimmer, even Trixie. Nopony was safe. It wasn’t until she nearly made it to the other side of the statue that her heart sank and the pit in her stomach grew immensely.
Suddenly, she spotted two other ponies enter the clearing. The first was Lyra with her friend Bon Bon tagging along. Scootaloo sprung up seeing other unaffected ponies and began to make her way towards them. Her momentum quickly came to halt when she saw Lyra gesturing up towards the statue. The two of them never noticed her as their eyes shifted up to the unnatural stone work.
Her eyes glanced away only to notice Rainbow Dash sitting just out of view from when she had first entered. The rainbow maned pegasus was seated on the other side of the statue staring as all the others and with a few of the Wonderbolts at her side. No wonder the weather was going to Tartarus. No ponies were there to keep it manageable.
A hoof on the filly’s back made her cry out and nearly faint. Her body buckled under the sheer fright before a foreleg scooped her up and carried her and the lantern out of the clearing safely. There was a confusing moment of who her captor was until the light from the lantern showed Zecora looking worried.
“Those ponies that you see are none which you can free,” she rhymed grimly.
“What do you mean? We have to save them! Don’t you you have any potions or anything to use and get them out of it? Maybe something to blow up that statue?” Scootaloo cried, trying to hide her tears in the small amount of light they had.
“That… statue is of nothing I can make. Looking at it makes my sanity break,” Zecora told her while setting the filly down and lightly brushing her mane.
“What is it?” Scootaloo asked quietly while being comforted by the gentle brushes.
“Only in tomes have I heard of this thing. It beckons all who hear its ring,” the striped equine tried to explain, then added, “From another plane this thing seems to be. I would vanquish it but I know not such a feat.”
“We have to do something!” the small pegasus called out and hugged the zebra’s foreleg.
“All of my potions did not seem to work, for this entity gets in their heads and wishes to lurk,” Zecora told her with a sigh. “I could not break their spell. I fear this will not end well.”
The silence that followed seemed to fill with the thunder happening overhead and the distant whispers of something unseen. Whispers of a strange language that couldn’t be spoken but was heard in their minds. Each second not trying to look at the statue only increased the voices in frequency. From small words and pauses between to near sentences and fewer breaks.
“I am sorry, little one, for this gloom. Equestria seems to be entering its doom,” was the statement that broke the silence.
Scootaloo was about to ask what Zecora could have meant until she heard the faint flap of wings. It pained her to turn and look into the clearing again but she had to see. She really wished she hadn’t.
Princesses Celestia and Luna glided into the circle, almost as if on purpose, before they both shifted focus from the ponies, to Scootaloo, and slowly to the abomination that demanded them to heed it. It was a horrible feeling to see them look away and give into the statue almost willingly then sit.
With no ponies to manage the sun or moon, things would never be the same. Scootaloo was losing everypony that seemed dear to her and all that could help. The tears streamed silently down her cheeks as she buried her face into Zecora’s neck. The two stayed like that for several minutes as the rain began to finally fall.
Cold and dark was the world. The ponies could not break from the grip that held them. There would be no telling if other ponies across the world would yield to its call or even come.
Scootaloo felt her body tip as Zecora pushed by. The lantern dropped and the candle inside snapped while the light went out much like the filly’s hope. A bit of a confusion came to mind as she sat up and called to the zebra.
“I… must not stand at the border. I must yield to its order,” Zecora spoke back as she too entered the clearing.
For the third and final time, Scootaloo was alone.
It was hard for the filly to pull herself away from the area and head back out of the forest. To think she was scared of entering such a place but now wished to not leave was a strange turn. Her head hung low as she eventually turned and walked out, leaving the ponies to their fate. The thought scared and hurt her more than any other as she barely navigated through the trees without her lantern.
If she hadn’t told Applejack of the issue then they would still be there to help. Scootaloo shut her eyes tight as she thought longer on the subject while exiting the forest. It was her fault that the ponies had been lured by the beacon of a statue, she thought. The filly was responsible for leading Applejack there and even her adored Rainbow Dash despite not meaning to send them to such a fate as she had known.
There would have to be other ponies within Ponyville. Even just one. Her tears were invisible with the rain as she stepped out of the treeline and looked to the town across the river. If there were any other ponies to help she had to find them.
A slight turn of her stomach only indicated her own reluctance of them able to help the issue even if she did find somepony. Things only seemed to get darker and more bleak with her thoughts. Zecora would still be there to help if only Scootaloo hadn’t told her of the statue. That cursed thing from somewhere unknown.
Gradually, the filly moved along and began to cross the bridge. The sound of the rain still couldn’t drown out her own thoughts, much less the hushed whispers at the back of her mind. It was cold and unforgiving with no ponies to care for the weather. How long such a thing would last was something she didn’t want to think about.
Looking up, several lights had winked out of existence from before in the town. Possibly candles left out in the rain or just low in their wax. The few still flickering in the night didn’t bring forth the promise of others not affected but only felt to make it more apparent that they had gone.
Scootaloo was just as lost but in her own mind. Things had gone from bad to worse and there looked to be no way of fixing it. She just wanted to find another pony and keep them safe. Maybe run away from Ponyville and try to ignore what had happened. Anything but still be in or near the empty town only for it to remind her of everything.
Her hooves carried her along through the rain and chilling air as she walked into the town and began to look from window to window. Every building seemed to be empty. Ponyville was devoid of life seldom herself the more she checked. Doors were left open, windows lifted, even various plates set out as if meals were being prepared.
Everypony had got up at the call and left in the middle of whatever they were doing. Some houses just looked normal within the rain with their shut doors and windows, though it was clear none were inside. Scootaloo found herself beginning to run to each and every building in her desperate attempt at finding any kind of pony within.
The rain poured heavily as she went from structure to the next, glancing in windows and knocking on doors. Her hooves were caked with mud as she moved on. House after house was checked, sometimes doubly so. There were a few times she even thought she heard noises within but the rain made it hard to tell.
It wasn’t until those haunting whispers from a voice unseen rose more in her mind that she knew there had been no sounds in the houses. No call from any other pony. The only voice that wished to see her was that of the statue.
Scootaloo shook her head trying to rid herself of the noise and voices. Water sprayed from her wet mane but did little to dry it as the rain continued. She wanted things back to normal. Everything needed to be right again.
Instead of pursuing the rest of the town, the small pegasus found slight shelter at the town center. Her wings fluttered uselessly as she tried to dry off and figure out what houses to check later. Twilight’s castle might be a good idea. Perhaps the alicorn had some books to cure this madness.
It was small but it was at least some idea. She had nearly prepared herself to head to the crystal looking castle when movement caught the corner of her eye. Scootaloo’s head turned swiftly as she waited for another sign, just to be sure. A tail.
“Hey!” the filly called out above the rain as best she could. “Hey! Help!”
The tail whisked away around a corner almost as quickly as she had noticed it. Did they not hear her? The rainfall had been quite loud, so perhaps not. Scootaloo looked around warily as she tried to quickly check windows for any ponies looking out but they were absent.
Instead of waiting any longer, her muddy hooves plopped onto the wet ground as she hurried over to where she last saw the tail of a pony. Lucky for her, it had been just barely within the light of a lantern nearby. Her eyes scanned for anything once she rounded the corner only to find hoof prints walking away from the spot in the mud.
Squinting at the water-filled imprints, her eyes tried their best to make sure the tracks went in a proper line. The lighting would make it impossible to see further out. Slowly, she followed along and tried to keep the prints seen as best as possible. There was at least one other pony out and she had to find them.
Time felt like it had halted but also so very precious. If just one pony was unaffected by the statue then she had to keep them away from it. Where they went became a guessing game about half-way through the town, back the way she came. Her mind was already rattled as she tried to grasp the current situation without breaking down.
It wasn’t until she had nearly reached the edge of Ponyville when a look up showed the silhouette of a pony standing just several yards out. They didn’t move at first but were clearly watching her. The whole scene made Scootaloo feel extremely uneasy but she had to save them.
“Mister? Or, miss?” the filly called out while trying to get a better visual. The rain probably drowned out her voice so she stepped closer.
Seeing more of the pony in a slight bit of detail did come with some relief, even with the lightning. They were aware of her and watching keenly but the staring was still unsettling. Did they just not understand where they others were? Maybe they were just as scared as her.
A few more steps forward and Scootaloo looked around to check for other ponies. The heavy rain was almost freezing but she persisted. Her voice rang out again as she waved a hoof to try and get them to respond in some manner. She suddenly wished they didn’t.
“Follow,” the pony said in a calm voice. “Come see.”
Scootaloo’s heart almost felt like it stopped. The statue had somehow sent yet another pony to lure her back. The whole interaction felt fake and extremely forced. This had to be how other ponies had been pulled away from their homes and jobs. Just lured to a beacon that refused to stop.
The two of them stood still. Scootaloo didn’t want to go but it seemed the other pony wasn’t about to leave. Running sounded like a good idea but the thought of having the pony chase after her was scary enough. There would be no way she could outrun the grown equine without her scooter.
Limited options and a breaking mind only left the filly with little else to do, especially with how insistent those voices were getting. Her head lowered as he stepped forward and waited until the stranger turned and began to walk. Slowly, she followed along always staying behind a bit and letting the pony lead the way.
Even with another pony near her, the whole worlds felt so isolated and cold. Scootaloo felt alone. The winds blew to chill her more as they walked along in the rain. Crossing the bridge showed the river rising slightly from such a storm.
Thunder boomed and lightning struck but Scootaloo didn’t jump. Her mind was far away from the storm and the idle thoughts of what her and her friends would do the next day. There was no pause for them at the treeline to Everfree either. The stranger slipped into the trees with the filly right behind them.
There was no fighting it. She wouldn’t get away from such a thing and she knew it. There were no ponies left to come to her aid. Roots from trees stayed their gnarled mess but hardly got in the way for them. It was almost like everything paved the way for their travel to such an unspeakable object. Not something that sat well with the filly but she couldn’t help but think it.
Once the pony made it to the clearing they went in and sat down almost instantly. Scootaloo stayed back for a moment longer as she thought about her options once again. Her eyes surveyed the area as best they could before seeing so many familiar faces, all of them focused on the one thing. Zecora sat at the edge of the clearing with her mane wet and down along her head from the rain.
The sight of her made Scootaloo look down before peeking up again. The once amazing Rainbow Dash still stayed where she had first been noticed. Nothing had changed. There would be nothing to change. Scootaloo cried as she tried to fight herself, accepting this was all her fault.
Eventually, the small pegasus gave in and walked into the circle. Her eyes stayed down as she moved through the ponies, her friends, and found a spot near Dash then sat down. There was nothing she could do at all. A small shove to the blue pegasus next to her changed not a thing. Rainbow Dash stared up without taking any notice.
“I’m so sorry,” Scootaloo whispered beneath the sound of the storm and leaned against the rainbow maned pegasus.
Slowly, her eyes raised as she yielded to the call.