It was common knowledge between Scootaloo and her friends that the three of them were different, that each of them had a role that helped them keep their group together. Sweetie was the smart one, Applebloom was the strong one, and Scootaloo liked to think of herself as the resourceful one. These traits did a great job in keeping them safe since they came to this strange world. After a few weeks of getting by here, she was pretty sure that her Persona was as far as this place was able to go in surprising her. The Hunter and her new surroundings very quickly showed her that there were still plenty of things the Abyss could do to throw her for a loop.
On the way towards the mansion's dining room, it was revealed to the young teen that her room's aged condition was not limited to it alone. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the hall she was being carried through were all made of sturdy dark oak that had shown signs of being polished at one point. Now, said polish had faded away to a near memory, leaving the wood beneath exposed with dust and cobwebs as its only protection. They passed by a few equally withered doors, the few open ones showing nearly identical rooms to the one Scootaloo had awakened in. Like in her room, the wooden furniture was aged, but lacked the dust and webbing that covered the hallway and, presumably, the rest of the mansion's walls and ceiling.
As Screwball hummed her way further into the aged home, other rooms passed them by. While it was hard to see through the dust, they passed by a pair of large glass double doors that lead to what may have been a study. Another was an equally large and heavy oak door with a placard on it that read, Library, in faded blue print. Some time after that, they passed another named door, this one made of gleaming steel who's placard marked it as the mansion's armory.
While they passed by other, more mundane rooms, Scootaloo noticed just how plain the mansion seemed to be. From what she had heard from Diamond, most people that owned these kind of homes were not afraid to show off. Aside from the odd glowing orbs that hovered around the ceiling, there was nothing even remotely flashy to see.
Another thing she noticed was how cold it was.
It didn't feel like an ordinary chill either. It was as if something was actively pulling the warmth out of the air itself. Thinking that maybe it was just her imagination, Scootaloo took as deep a breath as she could manage and let it out. Sure enough, she could see a faint hint of mist billow in front of her for a few seconds.
"W-Why is it so cold?" she asked, fighting back a shiver. "It's never been this cold before."
Screwball snorted.
"See those balls up there?" she asked, pointing to the orbs. "They pull heat from the air to make light."
"Really?" Scootaloo blinked, trying to stare up at the orbs. "How?"
"Heck if I know," she shrugged. "You can ask the boss lady if you want, but don't expect to get a straight answer."
"Oh, okay," she frowned, still staring at the orbs as they lazily drifted about.
The next few minutes passed in silence, Scootaloo letting her thoughts on her possible new shelter wander. Between the aged look and eery chill, it almost felt haunted. The impression was so strong that she was sure she saw a varnished suit of armor watch them pass by it for a second. Not helping was the air of sadness that seemed to mingle in among the chill. The building felt as if it was in mourning, but for who was something she couldn't figure out, yet.
"Here we are," Screwball cheered, coming to a stop.
Knocked out of her thoughts, Scootaloo had a few seconds to brace herself before her caretaker set her on the ground. After grabbing the older teen's leg for support, she looked ahead and had to quickly pick her jaw up off of the floor. Two massive oak double-doors towered over her, each decorated with grapevines intricately carved into their surfaces. Like the armory, a placard set to the left of the doors labeled the room beyond as the dining room.
Smirking at her reaction, Screwball grabbed one of the doors' brass handles and shoved it open. The room beyond made Scootaloo's jaw drop faster. The dining room was twice the size of the school's gym, the middle of it dominated by an aged hundred-yard table straight out of a medieval-times movie. Tall, stain-glass cathedral-style windows lined the wall opposite the door, each of them showing morbid images of various people suffering different forms of execution. A massive cluster of blue orbs hovered at the center of the room's high vaulted ceiling, filling it with a blue light that was just as eery as the arctic chill that filled the air.
A few puffs of breath caught Scootaloo's attention just enough for her to notice that the room wasn't empty. Five other teens sat at the table, four of them familiar to her while one of them sitting just short of the head of the table was a mystery. She instantly recognized her friends sitting near the middle of the table, both of them looking drained, but unharmed as they took sips from steaming mugs. Sitting across from them was a light blue girl with long silver hair. Her eyes were a sharp shade of purple that perfectly matched her T-shirt and complimented her gray jeans. She could see that her build was similar to Screwball's, with a lithe build better suited for running . Sitting a few chairs down the table from her was a light orange boy with wavy blue hair. Like the girl, he wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, only his were white and blue respectively, along with a heavy black jacket and boots. While the jacket made it harder for her to tell, Scootaloo could see that the boy was not particularly athletic, but he was still in fairly good shape. Both of the older teens were reading, sipping from identical steaming mugs as her friends every now and then.
While they held her attention for a bit, the boy sitting near the head of the table had it in a stranglehold. His skin was an ash gray while his messy black hair was cut short. The whites of his eyes were a vibrant yellow that only made his red pupils stand out even more. Even while sitting, she knew that he was at least a head taller than the other boy in the room. His build was lanky, but not in a way that looked awkward or frail. He wore what, at first glance, appeared to be a multicolored dress shirt and slacks, but a longer look revealed that both were actually made out of pieces from different colored versions of themselves.
He casually lounged in his chair, playing solitaire with a knowing smirk and taking occasional sips from his mug.
"She lives everyone!" Screwball cheered.
Everyone flinched, save the older boy, from the cry before giving the pair their attention. Scootaloo's friends shot out of their seats and ran to her, almost knocking her over in a tight hug. The rest of the teens got up at a more sedate pace, closing in on a still smirking Screwball.
"How bad was she?" the orange boy asked. "It took you longer with her than the other two."
"Yeah," she sighed, her smile wilting as she gave the younger teen a passing glance. "I think her Persona took the brunt of it all. Her nervous system was thrashed and her lungs almost collapsed a couple times. She's really lucky you guys found them when you did."
The boy let out a small relieved sigh.
"I'm glad you could save her. I don't think Sunset's friends would've been happy if anything happened to these three."
"Still have a thing for her, Flash?" the taller boy asked, giving him a crooked smile.
"Sh-Shut up," the boy, Flash, frowned, glaring up at the older boy. "You know it's not like that."
"Really, Discord?" the blue girl frowned.
"Oh, relax Trixie," Screwball chuckled, giving the girl a playful smack on the shoulder. "You know my bro's just screwing with him."
"Trixie still doesn't like it," Trixie frowned, crossing her arms.
The siblings traded knowing smirks at that.
The trio of younger girls watched the exchanges, one with actual interest while the other two simply let out exasperated sighs.
"Anyway," Discord chuckled, kneeling down to Scootaloo's level. "Let's introduce ourselves properly. I am Discord, head of the Theater Club and second in command of this group of misfits."
As he said that, he held out a hand to shake. When Scootaloo accepted, she noticed an odd bracelet was wrapped loosely around his wrist. The second her eyes landed on it, she felt an odd pull from it. When the shake ended, the pull quickly passed, leaving her slightly dazed for a few seconds.
If Discord noticed, he didn't show it as he gestured towards Flash.
"This is Flash Sentry, our eyes and ears out in the Abyss."
He nodded, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
"And that's our sniper, Trixie," he chuckled, pointing at the girl in question.
Trixie puffed out her chest, arms still crossed, but her scowl was replaced with a cocky smile.
"Trixie does what she can."
"And you've already met my baby sister," he winked, pointing his thumb at Screwball.
"Brooooooo, c'mon!" she groaned.
He smiled at her misery as he stood up straight and pulled her into a half hug.
"Even in hell, you'll always be my screwy little baby sister."
"SHUT UP!" she roared, hiding her blushing face in her brother's chest.
He laughed harder as he gave her a full hug.
"Love you too, sis." He smiled, pulling out of the hug.
Screwball pouted, crossing her arms and turning her burning face away from him.
"You're an ass," she grumbled.
"I've been called worse," he shrugged.
She let out a huff, then raised a brow when she gave her group a passing glance.
"Hey, where's Zef?"
"Same place as always," Flash sighed. "Seriously, I'm starting to think he's obsessed at this point."
"Starting?" Trixie asked, raising a brow.
Before anyone could reply, a cold breeze washed over the room, making everyone pause. A second later, the door behind Scootaloo slowly crept open. The older teens instantly stood at attention, all merriment knocked away in favor of militaristic stoicism. Confused, Scootaloo turned to face the door to see who could've caused such a sudden change in atmosphere. Her heart sank into her gut the second she saw who was standing there.
At first, she thought Sunset Shimmer was standing before her, but it didn't take her long to notice a few key differences. First, the woman looked far older than Sunset, like a version of her set in her mid to late thirties. Her red and golden hair was tied back into a tight ponytail that reached the middle of her back. She wore a thick black female military officer's uniform, complete with gold buttons polished to a brilliant shine that matched her ebon dress-shoes. Her build was lean, toned, and held a rigid posture that only years spent serving in the military could achieve. None of that held Scootaloo's attention for very long compared to the woman's more prominent features. The woman's left arm was missing, the long sleeve of her uniform for that limb looking as if it had been bitten off at the shoulder. There was a deep scar on her right cheek, starting just below her eye and moving down to her neck. Her eyes were a milky gray and blank, not taking in anything in particular or moving. Strapped to her left hip was a jet black sheath, housing a gladius with a gleaming golden capulus and brown leather grip.
The woman turned her head towards each of the older teens, her blank eyes unmoving.
"At ease," she said, tone void of emotion.
Everyone let their poise soften, but a sliver of tension was still present in the group. They quickly returned to the table, with the sole exception of the CMC. Each of them were frozen in place, unable to take their eyes off of the woman that stood before them. Shivers ran through them, both from the cold the woman gave off and the pressure her presence summoned. They flinched when she turned her head towards them, face just as blank as her eyes.
"You have recovered," she stated.
Scootaloo nodded.
A moment of silence passed between them.
With a scowl, the woman asked, "Have you recovered?"
Scootaloo blinked, then gave her a confused nod.
Another moment of silence.
A hint of anger entered the woman's voice as she said, "Give your answer child, or I will have you thrown from my house."
"Y-Yes! I'm good!" Scootaloo stammered, taking a panicked step back.
Is she blind?
The woman's features turned blank again before she gave them a small nod.
"Good. Take a seat."
Not wishing to push her luck, Scootaloo bolted towards the table and took a seat. Sweetie and Applebloom weren't far behind her, quickly taking a seat on either side of her. Curious and cautious, she watched the woman slowly make her way to the head of the table. Adding to her theory, she saw the woman carefully reach towards the head of the chair, slowly pull it back, then use her hand to guide her into her seat.
"Fool, has anything of any merit happened in my absence?" she asked, turning her head towards Discord.
"Only Scootaloo's recovery," he shrugged, gathering his poker cards.
She nodded, turning her head towards the girl in question.
"I see. That will make this a lot easer to manage then."
"What do you-" Scootaloo started only for Applebloom to cut her off with a hand over her mouth.
A faint glare was the only sign that the woman noticed, but her tone remained cold as she continued.
"First, I should introduce myself. I am Asphodel Grove, the lady of this manor and leader of this faction.
Shooting a glare at her friend, Scootaloo pulled her hand off of her mouth and nicely said, "Nice to meet you. I'm-"
"Not worth knowing," Asphodel coldly stated. "I have no interest in or use for people who are weak."
"What?" Scootaloo frowned, a faint growl entering her tone.
"Was that too difficult for you to understand?" she frowned. "Then I shall make this simple. You are too weak for me to acknowledge. All three of you are."
"Are you picking a fight?" Scootaloo snapped, jumping to her feet.
"Simply stating a fact," she calmly stated, snapping her fingers.
A second later, two blue mannequin-like figures dressed in butler's uniforms entered the room. One of them forced scootaloo back into her seat while the other moved to Asphodel's side.
"Beef stew with a glass of red wine," she said, addressing the odd being.
It nodded before moving on to Discord.
"That being said," she continued. "I do see some potential in you three. It is for that reason alone that I am giving each of you a choice."
"What kind of choice?" Scootaloo asked.
"A simple one. I will allow you to live freely in my home for one week. If you want to stay after that, you will have to do so under my training. If not, then you will be forced out."
"Wait, so you're gonna throw us out if we don't train here?!" Scootaloo gaped.
Asphodel nodded.
"As I have said, I have no use for weaklings. My home is not a hotel or shelter. If you wish to stay, you must prove yourself worthy of it."
Scootaloo continued to glare at her.
Naturally unfazed, Asphodel continued.
"These terms are unnegotiable. Either stay and become strong or leave. You have one week to make your decision."
***
Scootaloo furiously paced her room, her mind running in two completely different directions. She knew that Screwball mentioned that there was a chance she and her friends might get kicked out. What she didn't expect was how deceptively difficult the conditions for staying would be. She knew that she needed to get stronger, but Asphodel's cold demeanor made her hesitate to accept her "help". At the same time, the mansion was a lot safer than the houses and the food was great. On top of that, if all of the other kids had to live under the same conditions, they must be pretty strong on their own. A shiver ran down her spine when fragments of their battle against the Hunter flashed through her mind.
We got lucky that time.
Pushing back the dread in her heart, she turned towards her bed. Applebloom and Sweetie sat on it watching their friend, their own conflicted thoughts plain on their faces.
"What do you think?" she asked. "I mean, you two have been up longer than me, so...."
Applebloom sighed.
"Ah, think we should stay. We don't know what other things are runn' around out there and Ah don't think we should chance it."
"I was thinking the same thing," Scootaloo nodded.
"I think we should leave," Sweetie frowned.
Scootaloo gawked at her while Applebloom let out an exasperated sigh.
"Sweetie-" Applebloom started.
"You saw what the others have to do to stay here!" Sweetie cut in, anger and fear coloring her features. "We'll get destroyed!"
"Asphodel said she'd ease us into it," Applebloom countered. "And Discord said that was all the advanced trainin'."
"Easy for you to say," Sweetie scowled. "You can still call your Persona!"
"That's even more of a reason to stay!" Applebloom snapped back, her patience starting to run thin.
"DON'T YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!" Sweetie screamed, tears running down her face.
"Then why are you fighting me on this?" Applebloom demanded, hands clenched into trembling fists on her lap.
"BECAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE SUNSET!"
Both girls flinched back at that, a bit of guilt creeping onto their faces. Sweetie, on the other hand, was visibly seething. An awkward silence settled between them, neither of them sure what they could say to get their friend to calm down. Before they could even attempt to, Sweetie shot to her feet and ran out of the room, slamming the door hard behind herself. Both girls cringed from the sound before letting out a collective sigh.
"She still hates her, huh?" Scootaloo asked, flopping back first onto her bed.
"Eeyup," Applebloom frowned, doing the same.
Scootaloo frowned at that, staring tiredly at the ceiling.
In a lot of ways, she could see where Sweetie was coming from. Even now, Scootaloo was more than willing to put up with almost anything if it meant having a safe place to sleep. After everything she and her friends had been forced to endure sense coming to the Abyss, some hell-training seemed like a fair price to pay for that. However, the fact that Asphodel looked like Sunset complicated things for her.
That was were things differed between her and Sweetie.
Where Sweetie was coming from a place of spite, Scootaloo's hesitation came from someplace else.
"Ah'm takin' her offer," Applebloom sighed, tone voided of argument. "Ah don't want to end up like I did if somethin' like the Hunter shows up and Ah need to know if my sister's okay."
"I get it," she sighed. "I.....I just need to think about it, okay?'
A long pause settled between them.
Then, with a tired sigh, Applebloom gave her a nod and said, "Alright. Just.....whatever you choose to do, don't do anything stupid, okay?"
"Yeah," she snorted, a rueful smile gracing her lips. "I'll try."
***
Sweetie wandered aimlessly through the mansion, anger boiling through her like water in a kettle. How could they be so willing to stay here? Intense training aside, how could they look at Asphodel and not have their blood boil? No. There was no way she could stand being here if it meant being anywhere near that woman.
"As soon as I can use my Persona again, I'm going to knock her ugly face off," she growled, smacking a nearby wall out of frustration.
"Is that a fact?" a familiar voice asked behind her.
Sweetie froze, a mix of rage and terror swirling within her as she slowly turned around.
Sure enough, standing before her was the very woman she was ranting about. Asphodel looked down at her, a small frown slipping past her impassive expression. Sweetie stared back at her, jaw clenched with barely contained fury as she met her useless eyes.
"How exactly are you going to do that?" Asphodel calmly asked. "You lack a weapon. I do not. You lack a Persona. I do not. You lack training. I do not."
She leaned down to Sweetie's level, face as blank as her tone as she continued.
"The way I see it, if you were to try it, you would be the one missing a head, Moon."
"Don't! Call me that!" Sweetie screamed, whole body trembling with a wild fury. "My name is Sweetie Belle!"
"The name of a seedling is not worth noting," Asphodel coldly stated. "Until you grow, Moon is the only thing I will call you."
"SHUT UP!" she cried, throwing a punch.
Asphodel easily sidestepped her, lightly smacking the girl across the back. Sweetie stumbled forward only to turn around a second later to take another swing. The two continued this back and forth for a few more minutes, the older woman always staying just out of reach of the younger girl's clumsy attacks.
Eventually, Asphodel grew tired of this game.
Stepping just out of Sweetie's striking range, she reached up and tapped a key hanging by a golden chain around her neck. A second later, a pillar of ice covered Sweetie's body up to her chest. Fear mixed with the anger already present on Sweetie's face as she banged her fists onto the ice.
"You hate me," Asphodel more stated than asked, slowly closing the distance. "Why?"
"Why shouldn't I?!" Sweetie grunted, glaring at the older woman. "You tried to take my sister from me!"
A confused grimace crept onto Asphodel's face.
"What do you mean? Who is your sister?"
Sweetie gawked at her for a second, then let a spiteful smile grace her lips.
"So, you forgot about her? I knew you didn't love Rarity!"
Asphodel was unmoved by the girl's rage.
"I have never come across a seedling with that name or any others," she intoned, kneeling down to Sweetie's level. "And had I ever, there would be no love for me to give."
Sweetie flinched back at that, her anger snuffed by the woman's arctic aura.
"Let me be blunt, Moon. I have no use for the emotions that rule you. Anger, love, sadness, all of them are worthless chains that get in the way of true strength. Even without sight, I can see that you're emotions have lead you to make many foolish mistakes. That being said, they should be able to help you take steps to become truly powerful."
"W'-What?" Sweetie asked, the cold of her prison finally starting to hit her.
"Everyone present has their own reasons for being here," she continued, a tiny hint of compassion entering her robotic tone. "It is from those reasons that they all find strength. If you'd like, I could help you find that reason and the strength needed to take root."
A weak glare formed on Sweetie's face, teeth chattering in her clenched jaw.
Asphodel stayed at the girl's level, unmoved by the girl's hostile display. Letting out a slow breath through her nose, she stood up and slowly walked away. About ten steps away, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at the teen.
"The choice is yours, Moon. Remember that."
Sweetie watched Asphodel walk further into the gloom of the hallway. In time, the older woman walked out of sight, but Sweetie's eyes never left where she had been. Even when the ice encasing her crumbled away a second later, she continued to stare. A tiny frown graced her lips as she turned and went the opposite way down the hall.
As much as she hated to admit it, she had a few things that she needed to think about.