Day 4 in Cleo's house. The rain was only just starting to die out and the weather control team had managed to get as high as the lower range of clouds. The fire had died out because the wood had run out and now the house was chilly and damp. Everything about the past couple days gave her something to think about, not much but something. She really had no idea what was going on, all of a sudden she is having nightmares, sleep walking, apparently, and can't help thinking about the boys in her old, recently graduated class.
Hell stared down at her flank. She got her cutie mark only just after Dizzy, if not at the same time. Her cutie mark was a black X, except it had two lines that came down from the left. They weren’t straight lines, more like claws, the two that came down from the left and at the end was wobbly marks, like dripping blood. The one that went straight down from the right was straight. There really wasn't anything fancy to it. There wasn't with Dizzy's either. Hers was pretty plain, it looked like a green diamond which is known as a doom seed which was interesting, to Hell anyway.
She reached over and felt her cutie mark with her right foreleg. There weren't any bumps where it was but that didn't matter, she still knew where it was by heart. She remembered the day that she got her cutie mark which also reminded her of the dream she had last night. It had consisted on the memories of her childhood, all she had to remember anyway. She told Cleo and Dizzy she would be upstairs as soon as she got the dream out of her mind. Well that didn't exactly work, she's thinking about it again.
Tuesday Morning and Hell didn't want to go to school, she was supposed to be helping AJ with Applebuck Season anyway. She insisted but AJ just said no and that was that. She couldn't help AJ. Earlier AJ said that she was too young, had to be at least a yearling. Hell just snorted at the idea and shook her head. Now she was trotting her way to school, grunting all the way. It was sport day and it was ridiculous that she had to trot all that way from home into town and to school, especially in the summer heat that’s coming up quickly. Even for one as 'young as her'.
Almost an hour had gone past and she finally reached the bridge leading into Ponyville. It wasn't what it used to be, according to AJ. Apparently the town thrived once, before Hell came.… Well it thrived now too Hell thought bitterly. She still wasn't happy that AJ wouldn't let her help with Applebuck Season. She let Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and even Rarity help but not her.
"Its only a stupid Wednesday" she said to herself, "it's not like I haven't missed almost every other day of the week every other week." She huffed and moved her shoulder blade, shifting her saddle bags. After the short lesson she has to attend she has to go to Rainbow's for flight lesson and Rarity's for beauty tips and to be the model for her new designs. She had to learn to get a better taste or something like that but she didn't see why, like, the mare was almost crazy when it came to fashion. Literally, she was nice and all but gosh could she go on and pick out the smallest of stains, or even a single hair out of place.
Hell shivered. She hated having soo many jells and clothes thrown onto her all at the same time. At least Rainbow was more considerate. No offence she thought towards Rarity, she meant it in the nicest of ways. Besides, what was wrong with her taste and her behaviours and stuff anyway. Its not like Applejack's never eaten a bug or buried herself in the cemetery. She's done that before, surely, hasn't she?
When AJ looks at Hell in disgust because of what she does when she is mucking around, it hurts. She feels the slightest tug of rejection, every time. Sure she would learn someday, maybe, but why, half the stuff she did didn't seem gross to her. And what's wrong with her choice of clothing again? Too dark or something? She could wear bright colours but black makes her look different, not like she looks different anyway. She stands out that is something Hell doesn't take notice of anymore, well soon won't anyway.
Hell learned not to care about anypony's negative or 'scary' thoughts about or for her apart from Dizzy's through the months and year. Especially after Applejack left. She said it was work but Hell really didn't know what to think.
She reached the school and walked into the building, nopony was there. "What the? I am only a couple minutes late, they are supposed to be here still." What's going on, was she telling the time wrong from the sun? she looked down on her right foreleg, her black bracelet shone, oddly. Her dress was turned into shorts and a short shirt that attaches as a one-piece of clothing over her back. Rarity's idea. She said she looked terrible with the dress that laced all the way up her right hind leg. It was a short dress. Shorter than the ones Rarity usually made.
Hell shrugged, maybe we get today off. She turned and made her way to Rainbow's. rainbow lived in the clouds which is common sense. She's the leader of the Weather control team so she would have to call out to Rainbow for a bit of a boost to get up there first. When her home cloud came into view she saw a black pegasus thing land abruptly and shoot off in the opposite direction of Hell, pushing back on their wings for a boost in speed. The wings were not quite pegasi wings. They looked more angular and bent more. They looked like they had extra joints.
Hell reached the cloud and shouted as loud as she could "RAINBOW?!" she didn't look up, but there was no response. "where is everypony?" she asked herself than called out to Rainbow again. Still no response. That's it! She was going up there no matter if she fell half way up. If this was a trick to get her up there well it worked but now Hell is angry. She was good at gliding but not lift off, take off, what ever you call it and gaining altitude.
Hell crouched as she remembered how Rainbow took off. Maybe not a good idea, she told herself, last time she did that it didn't end well. Luckily it was on a cliffs edge and it was a big one either wise she would have gone splat, and luckily Rainbow was there to help her.
She trotted away from the house a fair way than turned. She half galloped and half cantered back towards the house whilst flapping her wings, trying hard not to let them hit the ground. She got the feeling of the momentum than put them up, ready to make the first few beats for lift off. In the middle of a stride she brought her legs forward and crouched when they came into contact with the ground. Almost as instantly she bounded off the ground like she had springs and pushed on her wings to get down so she could have even a couple metres of height between her and the ground. It worked, now to keep herself up.
Her wings were shaky and faltered every few minutes and she made her way to Rainbow's house slowly. She beated the air with her wings constantly. Barely stopping to glide and rest. It made sense though. She had the smallest wings out of all the ponies in Ponyville if not all of Equestria.
Hell shook her wings at the thought of herself back than.
She landed heavily on Rainbow's doorstep. Her forelegs almost gave way under the impact. She could have sworn the house was lower, oh well, it was a cloud after all. She shook her fringe and short mane. She may as well have been related to Zecora, so she was told. Apparently her mane was a matt of fur, just like hers. It didn't matter, Hell liked it.
Hell, crinkled her nose, poked her tongue out and opened her mouth in distaste. There was a terrible smell that came from the house. That wasn't right. It usually smelled like flowers, surprisingly. Hell always expected it to smell odourless. Like clouds. Maybe a little bit of damp smell but nothing more. Now there really was and a damp smell but what damp smell.
Nopony came to the door so Hell slowly opened it. She didn't want to be 'breaking in' as some ponies would call it.
"Rainbow?" she asked slowly and looked around. Nothing moved in the house. "If you plan on jumping out on m-" she cut herself off with a gasp and her mouth dropped. "No, nononono, this isn't happening" she said, again, just like the previous couple nights.
"Its just a dream, I will wake up soon." She raised her right wing and brought it down over her face. One the count of three she told herself, one… two… three! She lifted her wing. Nothing changed. She dropped her mouth again. "Come-on!" she moved her wing infront and out of her vision several times, still nothing changed.
She lifted her left hind led subconsciously. It hit her left foreleg causing her to mouth to gag as she crashed into the hard floorboards. She bit her tongue. The taste of blood quickly rushed into her mouth.
Her muzzle came into contact with Rainbow's bloody snout. Tears flooded Hell's eyes. There wasn't really much left to Rainbow. Her mouth was wide open in horror. Its like she died screaming, but silently. There was a cut along her muzzle and chest that stretched to her ribs. Blood stained the floor under her body. Her right foreleg was obviously broken, the bone popped out. Her wings were featherless and in a slump against her back. Her flanks were shredded, strips of skin and fur stuck to her, still barely attached. The rainbow in her mane and tail was short, obviously torn out and was now black and red.
Hell couldn't bare the sight anymore, she backed out of the house. Something in her enjoyed it but most of her found it repulsively mean especially for the fact that whoever done it just murdered not only an innocent pony but also her teacher. A fire lit inside her, she wanted revenge but something cooled it. She knew it wouldn't end well.
Reluctantly Hell turned. She stretched her wings with a quick graceful flick-of-a-movement. She snorted and lowered her head in a challenge while she hooved (pawed) the ground. She leapt into the air and off the cloud. Her wings stretched to their full length and this time didn't falter. She landed on the ground with a light click of hooves and cantered her way to Rarity's.
As she made her way through the streets, she noticed that nopony way out which made things all the more scary. Was it her again or was it something worse. Pony's tended to keep their distance from her but never recoiled all the way back to their houses, and they definitely didn't hide in the shadows. Hell raised her chest. Cantering through the ghostly town by herself made her feel like 'the lone ranger'. A saviour.
She rounded a few more corners and saw Rarity's house. She sighed, relieved that this house still looked the same and smelt the same. About 5-hoofs away a head popped out from the side of the house. It was the strange figure again. The fire built up in her again. "HEY!" she shouted. Well she couldn't exactly tip-toe over too the weird lookin' pony, no, weird was an understatement, PHYCO and say BOO! The head turned in her direction, noticed her and before she could make out his/her face, they disappeared. "That’s just not on!" She tossed her head as if saying no and pushed herself forward with her wings just as she had seen the pony do at Rainbow's. It really did work. She was already in a gallop after him/her but the second she pushed on her wings the movement gave too much speed almost causing her to loose her footing and almost trip and face-plant. That’s been common during the last couple days for her, face-planting and going flank-over, but she couldn't do that now. No way. Rarity and who knows who else depended on it.
All of a sudden, no more than a couple hooves infront of her came a purple tail and an orange flank. The crash was inevitable. There was literally no way to avoid it. She was already too close and too fast to go around or jump whoever it was. Dust flew everywhere and the other pony was gone, the one she had been chasing.
"There you are" said a voice behind Hell. She got up slowly, dusted herself off and than turned around.
"Scoot?! Wha-? How? Aarrgh!" There was a pause than Hell's eyes widened, "what do you mean there you are?"
"I have been looking for you all morning, an-" Scoot started but Hell cut her off.
"What do you mean, and why? I am supposed to come to yours after Rarity's…"
Scootaloo shrugged, "meh, you can catch up with her later, me and Iron Blade have been waiting for you" she started walking off and turned around. "Ya coming? Or not?"
Hell nodded and started following Scootatoo. Who was this Iron Blade? She had to figure out a way to get back to Rarity. They got up to Scootaloo's porch and Hell said "oh crap," just loud enough for Scoot to hear. The filly turned around, and twisted her head, as if asking what. Hell pretended to apologise deeply which she actually was, in a way, and said she forgot something at Rarity's and it is important to her. Something AJ gave to her and told her not to loose. She said she'd be right back and she bolted around the corner and out of sight. She phewed and continued to Rarity's house.
She wasn't actually friends with Scootaloo. Scoot was nice to her and all but she could tell making friends with Hell wasn't in her best interests. The name said it all apparently.
She rounded the last corner and there was Rarity's house, still untouched. Hell walked up to the veranda and carefully walked across it to the door. She knocked. The response she got was a moan. She knocked again. Another moan, this time louder. Hell took a couple steps back, maybe she should leave.
The door swung open and two eyes stared at her. It was slightly dark. Hell went to walk inside but stopped in mid-air when Rarity shouted "no! you mustn't come in!" she said with a note of fear and her eyes twitched. Hell put her foot back down and took a couple steps back.
"Aaarrrgh, RUN! You stupid filly!" she screamed and clutched her head. She tugged at her ears and screeched louder and louder with every second, than it stopped. Rarity was in a bundle on the ground.
"Rarity?" Hell questioned. There was a moan. Five seconds later her nostrils flared and her head shot up. She was on her feet quicker than Hell thought of the graceful-attempting mare. She came dangerously close so Hell backed up, almost falling down the stairs. Rarity's eyes were like Hell's now. Blunt and slit-like. The mare turned her head from side to side playfully considering something, she looked hungry. Her nostrils were large and she was inhaling Hell's scent. Hell jus continued to back up until Rarity pounced on her like a cat. What she hadn't noticed was the Fangs Rarity now had, they sliced Hell's neck.
They both tumbled to the ground and Rarity's fangs sunk deeper. Fear spread through her whole body. Rarity had her binned down and water was pooling on the ground.
Hell squirmed and Rarity flinched.
"You are mine! All mine!" Rarity sneered into Hell's face. Hell growled and pushed her legs under Rarity. With a powerful push she through Rarity off of her. She scampered to her feet and fled in the opposite direction of Rarity's cottage.
Rarity followed in hot pursuit of Hell to the edge of Ponyville. She didn't dare continue through the Everfree Forest. Even as evil as Rarity acted and Hell looked, they both still thought twice about the Forest. Hell hid there for several minutes till she was sure Rarity had retreated. Even with the security of her thoughts she stayed on the fringe of the forest. At least until some twig snapped. That means there is something else in the forest with her. Twigs just don't snap by themselves.
Hell turned around and scanned her surroundings. Nothing. She scanned the area a second time. A few pairs of glowing red eyes stood out. But what form owned them?
Wood logs and branches moved and snapped and leaves rustled. The trees! The tree's were alive. Figures by the hundreds began to appear. All coarsely shaped and devilish. One in particular stepped forwards. Eyes glowing a dangerous and bloody red. Its bulk and size told Hell that he was the leader.
The creature sized her up than barked. The last thing Hell saw was the fangs from the leader clamp down over her head.
All the thoughts flicked through Hells mind time and time again till the clock began to strike. Hell felt oddly dizzy until the 6ths strike.