//------------------------------// // Separated // Story: Pony Zero: Crimson Fluttershy // by pmcollectorboy //------------------------------// Separated Apple Bloom crashed through the door of the study room and back out into the foyer, her coat ice cold all over and her mind reeling from the attack she had just suffered. A strange, dirty gray stallion carrying a wicked pitchfork had just walked out of the bookcase and wielded the sharp instrument at her. She fumbled for the Camera Obscura, almost dropping it in her state of fear, and hastily raised it, facing the study room. However, she noticed that the filament was glowing faintly. "Where are ya?!" she exclaimed. Panicking, she wheeled around this way and that, trying to locate her phantom attacker. Then suddenly, as she turned around yet again, she spotted the gray stallion, its face a terrible visage of scars and two milky white eyes. Its mouth was open in a horrible scowl. Fearing that the next blow would end her life, she brought the camera to bear. She spotted the red of the targetting circle and hurriedly snapped the ghost's picture, exorcising it from the spirit world. Its departure left behind another crystal. Blue memory orb(sadness) "This place is so depressing. It's almost like the very air is filled with despair. I don't know how much longer I can go on in this place without wanting to kill myself. But I have to stop her... before she hurts more ponies." Apple Bloom blinked in surprise. The memory orb sounded just like Fluttershy. Although she couldn't explain it, Apple Bloom got a renewed sense of hope, like she somehow knew that Fluttershy was still alive. However, her victory came tainted. Sweetie Belle seemed to have gone missing. She tried the door leading out to the hallway, calling Sweetie Belle's name. * * * Scootaloo's journeys took her to a lengthy foot bridge that crossed a lake and led to the rear courtyard of the strange mansion. As she crossed the bridge, the mist that she saw in the forest once again rose up to embrace her feet, and she felt the chill in the air again. A quick wind blew across her body from behind her. She shivered against it and sat down to rub her shoulders when she noticed the strange stone her odd friend had given her was glowing blue. She shot to her feet and looked around, wary of her surroundings as her heart started racing. "They killed my boy! They killed my boy!" came a slow, wailing voice. Scootaloo slowly turned around, her body nearly frozen in fear, and spotted another white spectre, advancing towards her on the bridge. "They killed my boy!" came the wail again. Scootaloo tried to run, but fear gripped her legs, and she merely tumbled backwards. The apparition got even closer. Tears streamed down Scootaloo's cheeks as her lips quivered from her fright. "No! Go away! Leave me alone!" she exclaimed. The spirit lantern around her neck flared a bright white, and the ghost disappeared. Scootaloo gasped and frantically looked around but saw only the bridge, the lake, and the mist. Then suddenly, a little bit farther up the bridge, in the direction she had been headed, Scootaloo heard a splash. She whipped her head in the direction of the sound. The ghost pony had fallen in the water and then silently faded out one last time. In the spot where the apparition disappeared, Scootaloo found another gem. Bereaved mare--A suicide victim Purple memory orb(regret) "What's it like to be caught between two worlds? I feel so rejected and neglectful at the same time. It's no use. I'm a freak. Bumblesweet is the one with power but I'm the freak. I found Apple Orchard dead in the river. I must've driven him away. Dear Celestia it's all my fault! *sob* It's almost time for another ritual, another earth pony to die. It'll never come to that. I can hear the villagers now. They are shouting 'Kill the witch. Kill the witch.' I'll offer myself to them. They'll believe me because I'm a unicorn. Bumblesweet will never know." When the words in her head faded, Scootaloo could hear a rising chant, a series of angry words on the wind. "Kill the witch. Kill the witch." The chant started low like a drone but soon rose in volume and sounded like a war cry. Scootaloo broke into a run and headed for the far side of the bridge. She pushed the massive gate open and entered the rear courtyard. She found herself in an area that was reasonably well lit by torches that remarkably still burned. Several stone totems lined the cobblestone path going across the courtyard and another path perpendicular to it. A piece of paper on the surface of one of the totems caught Scootaloo's eye. She went over to the totem and snatched up the paper to read it. I fear my archeological pursuits have alienated my wife. She is nowhere to be found. Even more sadly, Shutterbug's daughter seems to be deteriorating in condition. The poor dear seems to have nightmares frequently. She often describes in great detail the archeological site around the supposed Hell Grove, a place she's never been. I've recommended to Shutterbug that they relocate for the safety of her daughter and indeed for my own Platinum Finish. Shutterbug would have none of it, but her husband graciously offered to take his daughter and my own on a "temporary relocation". They're thinking of heading towards Germaney tomorrow. My work, thankfully, has hit great strides. Most of the villagers would clam up about the ancient lore surrounding the Hell Grove, but one quietly slipped me a book before beating a hasty retreat. It seemed several hundred years ago, this mansion suffered some kind of supernatural calamity that blighted the land for years afterwards when a ritual failed to produce the desired results. The legend went that the head mistress of the mansion was a cruel xenophobe who felt pegasi were superior to the others, but she hated earth ponies most of all and demanded that the first born earth pony of every family to be sacrificed to the ritual. Hundreds of ponies were said to have died in the calamity, but the lore mostly centers around the two children who died. The book doesn't mention how they died, though. I am not satisfied with this answer. Tomorrow I will try to pierce the mysteries of the giant hole in the Hell Grove itself. Scootaloo heard some bells jangle and froze. She looked up and saw a procession of pegasus ponies, each dressed in garbs resembling something monks or priests would wear. They carried a stretcher bearing something recognizable as a body and calmly marched past her towards one of the courtyard's gates. Her stone charm suddenly blazed to life. "That's me. Isn't it?" Scootaloo gasped and turned her head. It was her strange friend who had rescued her before. "What do you mean?" Scootaloo asked, swallowing a lump. "I'm not really alive. That's me on that stretcher. I've never really realized it until now, but I've been repeating the same events over and over. They're probably going to try sacrifice my dead body to the ritual because they couldn't find a suitable earth pony, but it won't work. Anyway..." He turned to face her. "There's still something I have to do before I can leave this place. I suggest you be very careful where you go from here on in." He then darted down a path and disappeared through a door. Scootaloo chose a different door. She found herself outside again, in a sparsely wooded area. There her world shattered in two. In the distance she spotted a small congregation. Angry shouts filled the air as the congregation surrounded a tree. Hanging on the tree was a noose. Slipped into the noose was a familiar pony. "Sweetie Belle?!" Scootaloo exclaimed. The villagers kicked away the chair. The young pony dropped. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Scootaloo fell to her knees and wailed.