//------------------------------// // The Ticking Heart // Story: Flesh and Blood // by PajamaHam //------------------------------// Dark storm clouds choked the sky above Equestria and smothered Celestia's shining sun, no longer allowing it to spread its warmth throughout the region. The birds hid away from the rain while a cold, stormy breeze washed over the panicked citizens of Ponyville. The ponies in the market place impetuously ran for cover from the unpredicted storm, bumping into one another and dropping their recently purchased groceries to the muddy roads. Other ponies in the rolling hills just outside of town frantically gathered their belongings, their fun picnics ruined. The rain soaked everything in sight while thunder shook the world and lightning assaulted the Earth, reducing anything in its wake to fiery rubble while restoring the land to light for a fraction of a second. The Ponyville weather team bravely battled the terrible storm, risking life and limb to keep their town and the ponies that lived there safe. It was no average summer day for anypony, especially for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. The three perturbed ponies sat in the middle of the Everfree Forest, cold, distraught, and alone. Sweetie Belle laid by the lake despite the storm, her face remaining covered with her front legs, quietly sobbing into the moist grass. Her neatly groomed coat and mane were drenched while her complex, exposed metal body clanged every time a rain droplet struck it; a constant reminder of this nightmare that had become her reality. Applebloom and Scootaloo stood under a thick tree canopy, using it as a shield against the downpour. They could only watch their mechanical, miserable, unicorn friend feebly sit prone by the reservoir. Both of them were reminiscing the entire day up to this horrible, unexpected point. The day started out filled with such opportunity; the sun was shining, there was no school on Sunday, it wasn’t too cold, nor was it too hot, and they had another awesome plan to earn themselves their cutie marks. Their spirits were held high and they were ready to jump head first into this fantastic new day, it was absolutely perfect, but that all seems so distant now. It was almost as if the weather cruelly mocked how their adventure had played out, from the bright and optimistic beginning to the dark and depressing end. Applebloom sympathetically watched her broken friend piteously allow the cold flood from the heavens to run its course. The pink-bowed filly tried to imagine what kind of emotional afflictions Sweetie Belle must be going through right now, but it was unfathomable. So, she decided that whatever it was, nopony should have to face it on their own, especially a good friend. With her mind made up and determination in her heart, Applebloom stepped out from under her organic umbrella and into the grim downpour. Suddenly, the red-maned earth pony was forcibly brought to a halt by a strong yank from her tail. With a short yelp, she jolted around. Applebloom came face to face with an alarmed looking Scootaloo, her brow slightly furrowed. “What is it?” asked Applebloom with great concern. “Well, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there’s something extremely wrong with Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo whispered sarcastically, part of it sounding serious. Applebloom gave the feathered filly a blank stare momentarily before responding, “Yeah, Ah noticed. Ah’m goin’ over there ta help her.” “Look, what I’m trying to say is; I don’t think she’s the real Sweetie Belle.” “What? Of course she is!” “I don’t know, Applebloom. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” “Well, neither have Ah. An’ judgin’ by the way Sweetie’s acting, I don’t think she has either! She needs help… our help, an’ Ah’m goin’ over there whether ya like it or not!” “Ok, humor me here. What if you go over there and she turns out to be some sort of super ninja spy assassin sent to kill you? What are you going to do then?” “Yer bein’ ridiculous! She’s no super ninja- whatever ya said. She needs our support now more than ever. Are ya just gonna sit there an’ accuse her of bein’ somethin’ she ain’t?! Don’t be that kind of pony, Scootaloo!” “Look, I’m just a little worried about all this. Ok?” “An’ everypony else was worried about Zecora. Ah went with mah gut an’ Ah was right, she turned out ta be just fine.” “It’s just… this is completely different!” “How different?” “W-well… we didn’t know a thing about Zecora, but we already know all about Sweetie Belle.” “It’s pretty much the same, Scoots. Zecora was new and different an’ so is this…” Applebloom paused, trying to think of an appropriate expression, “new side of Sweetie. We’ll just have ta figure it all out as we go along.” The two silently stared at each other, waiting for the other to say something. Their lack of focus on their conversation allowed the sounds of the world around them to reach their ears. They were immediately immersed into the hypnotic rhythm of the rain splashing down to the dim Earth below, the occasional thunder and lightning kept their senses on edge. The low sound of Sweetie Belle’s whimpering was hardly audible, but still was able to remind the ponies of their previous debate, snapping them back to the delicate situation they were in. “Anyways,” Applebloom said, breaking the silence, “Ah’m goin’ over there ta help her. Ya comin’ or what?” Scootaloo grumbled as she spoke, “Fine! But if this all goes pear shaped, I’m blaming it all on you.” “Sure thing, Scootaloo,” the irritated earth pony responded, rolling her eyes. Applebloom stepped further out into the rain, motioning Scootaloo to follow her. The purple-maned pegasus peered from under the trees and looked up at the dark sky. Reluctantly, she leaped out into the cloudburst. Unfortunately, she landed awkwardly and slipped, causing her to fall face first to the muddy ground. The orange pony, soaked and covered in mud, let out a groan of frustration as she stood, Applebloom couldn’t help but let out a giggle at the sight. A cross Scootaloo quickly shot the crude pony a menacing glare, causing the earth pony to sober up and regain her composure. The dreggy pegasus sluggishly moved her hooves and made her way towards Applebloom. The duo ever so slowly approached the tormented Sweetie Belle, not wanting to startle her in any way that could make this complication even worse. Applebloom stood at the unicorn’s left, while Scootaloo stood off to the right. The red-maned pony gently sat down on the moist grass right next to Sweetie Belle, although Scootaloo decided to stand while peeking at the unicorn out of the corner of her eye, still a little cautious. Applebloom was taken aback for a moment on closer examination of Sweetie Belle’s mechanical interior, almost astonished by such a concept. Gradually, she raised her right hoof and hesitatingly set it on the distressed pony’s back, attempting to comfort her. Unexpectedly, Sweetie Belle quickly pulled away from the worried pink-bowed pony. “Get away from me,” Sweetie Belle said sternly, “I’m a monster.” Applebloom blinked a few times, stunned by Sweetie’s abruptly cold and grim attitude. “Sweetie, yer not a monster,” the farm filly spoke softly, trying to sympathize with the unicorn, “yer just-“ Suddenly, Sweetie Belle sprung up from her lying position and spun towards Applebloom, leaning up close into the yellow-coated pony’s face. “Then what am I, Applebloom?” Sweetie Belle interrupted harshly, tears still welling from her good eye. The unicorn’s robotic eye bore into the earth pony’s soul, making her feel very uncomfortable. However, Applebloom was able to ignore these feelings and remember what was really important. With a serious look spread across her face, she boldly stood up straight and met Sweetie Belle’s eyes with her own. “Ah… Ah don’t know what ya are, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom said with full honesty. “Ya might not be like everypony else, but Ah know one thing for sure,” she continued, “you are our friend, an’ definitely no monster.” Sweetie Belle backed off. How could she ever of convinced herself so hastily that her friends wouldn’t accept her? To add to that, she also had just snapped at Applebloom for no good reason. She lowered her head, silently castigating herself for even doing such a thing. Upon dropping her eyes to the ground, she spotted her hooves. Her right hoof was completely intact, while her left appendage was much like the rest of her body; nothing but pistons, gears, wires, and other mechanical contraptions. Sweetie Belle couldn’t even be angry about it at this point; she just wanted to return to normal. Suddenly, white hot sparks flew from the exposed wires in the left side of Sweetie Belle’s steel skull. She faltered away from the sudden jolt as her vision became fuzzy and distorted. She tripped over her own hooves and stumbled towards the edge of the lake. With quick reflexes, Applebloom reached out with both front hooves and grabbed the unicorn’s robotic limb, saving her just in the nick of time. However, her grip quickly started to slip from all the mud and water that lingered on the smooth, slick surface. To make matters worse, Applebloom didn’t have a good enough of a foundation with her back hooves in the muddy ground. She cautiously began to move her rear hooves back in order to try to stabilize herself and pull Sweetie Belle away from the reservoir. But in one false move, her hooves shifted too quickly in the mud and she slipped backwards, losing her hold. Without thinking, Scootaloo jumped into action and dashed to the tilting unicorn. She tightly wrapped her hooves around Sweetie Belle’s middle and endeavored with all her might to yank her away from the lake. Unexpectedly, the orange pegasus’ rear hooves were lifted off the ground and she started to tip along with the mechanical pony. With all of her other options exhausted, Scootaloo intensely beat her wings to try to stop them both from falling into the water. Sweetie Belle’s momentum began to slow; however, the winged pony was already starting to lose it. She strained to keep the rhythm of her feathery appendages as her muscles started to burn, making it unbearable. “Any… day… now!” Scootaloo spoke through rigid breathing and clenched teeth, craning her neck around to eye the aghast, muddy farm pony. Applebloom quickly scrambled to her hooves and made a beeline towards the struggling pegasus. Acting on her wits alone, she clenched Scootaloo’s tail in her teeth and started to haul them both back, digging her hooves deeply into the mud with every step. Despite feeling like her wings were about to break off, Scootaloo fought through the pain and tears as she strived to sustain herself long enough to pull Sweetie Belle away from the water. Even though they managed to combine their efforts and get themselves where they were now, it still wasn’t enough; they needed just one more push. Applebloom, determined not to ever give up, clamped her jaw even tighter shut around Scootaloo’s tail and yanked back as hard as she could. Sweetie Belle began to tilt back towards the shore and things started to look better. Scootaloo bit her lip when she began to feel a very painful sensation at the dock of her tail as Applebloom continued to pull backwards. Like a spark lighting a fire, a loud pop emanated from the orange pegasus and she let out a prolong shrill cry in pain. Sweetie Belle’s weight finally shifted towards the land and was safe from the lake. Taking note of that, Applebloom released her grip on Scootaloo’s tail and rushed to her aid. “Scootaloo are ya ok?” the panicked Applebloom spoke quickly in alarm, “Ah’m so sorry.” “I’m fine, I’m fine!” Scootaloo winced through clenched teeth, elevating her tail slightly with one hoof. “Just get Sweetie Belle out of the rain before something worse happens,” she adjured while motioning her free hoof towards the filly in question. Applebloom nodded her head once before rushing to the front of the mechanical pony. “C’mon Sweetie Belle, ya’ve gotta get under the trees,” the red-maned earth pony said, gesturing towards the vast forest in front of them. However, the unicorn didn’t so much as twitch. Noticing this, Applebloom carefully walked over to the paralyzed pony. She quickly waved her hoof in front of the white filly’s face trying to get some sort of response, but she didn’t even blink. “Sweetie, are ya ok?” she cautiously asked out. All of a sudden, Sweetie Belle started to sputter and shake violently. Fearing the worst, Applebloom backed away from her without haste, all the while on her guard. It ended almost as soon as it started. Sweetie Belle stood silently and blinked a few times before turning her head towards the farm filly. “W-what just happened?” Sweetie Belle gradually asked with a perplexed look spread across her ravaged face. “Ah’ll tell ya in a minute, just get yerself under the trees an’ out of the rain,” Applebloom directed calmly, pointing back towards the forest. Sweetie Belle nodded in acknowledgment before briskly trotting over to the canopy. Applebloom looked back towards Scootaloo who was already hobbling over to, ironically enough, the safety of the forest. The pink-bowed pony ran up to the side of the crippled pegasus who was walking on only three hooves, her last one kept her tail from dropping. “That pop sounded really bad, Scoots,” Applebloom stated, walking alongside the pegasus, “Maybe Ah could take a look at it for-“ “I said I’m fine!” Scootaloo barked as the two walked under the green foliage and were finally safe from the downpour. Unfortunately, they were met with another few splashes of water as Sweetie Belle shook herself dry. “Woops, sorry,” Sweetie Belle apologized, scratching the back of her head bashfully. “It’s alright Sweetie Belle, ya need to stay as dry as possible after that little fiasco we had out there,” Applebloom reassured. “Oh, um, Applebloom? I’m also really sorry for snapping at you like that. I was just so scared,” Sweetie Belle said, “I didn’t mean it.” “Think nothin’ of it, Sweetie Belle. It happens ta everypony now an’ again.” “I’m not buying it,” Scootaloo heedlessly said, giving the mechanical pony a suspicious look. “Not buying what?” Sweetie Belle asked a completely confused. “This… act. How do we know you’re the real Sweetie Belle and not some fake?” Scootaloo heartlessly said. Applebloom smacked a hoof to her own forehead. Sweetie Belle was crushed by such a question, her facial features clearly displaying how hurt she was. Applebloom scolded Scootaloo for saying it so coldly and direct, the unicorn looked like she was on the verge of tears again. However, her somber look unexpectedly faded away and was replaced by a mischievous grin. “I’ll tell you how,” the robotic equine said in a sneaky manner as she slowly approached the pegasus. Scootaloo gulped as Sweetie Belle leaned up to the side of her purple-maned head and positioned her muzzle right next to the pegasus’ ear. The unicorn carefully began to whisper something to the wary pony, making sure Applebloom was just out of hearing distance. The farm filly started to ponder if she could get close enough to eavesdrop on this little session. But before she could act, she saw Scootaloo’s eyes go wide in alarm as a furious blush spread across her face. Sweetie Belle backed away from the stunned pegasus with a cocksure grin, her job done. “I told you to NEVER talk about that again!” Scootaloo yelled at Sweetie Belle with a furrowed brow, her face as red as an apple from both embarrassment and rage. “That’s right, YOU told ME,” Sweetie Belle recapitulated. The anger on Scootaloo’s face quickly faded and was soon plastered with complete realization. “I’m as real as a Sweetie Belle can be,” she concluded. “S-Sweetie Belle…oh geez…” Scootaloo tried to muster her words, feeling like complete trash, “I… I’m so sorry for suspecting you. It’s just… I’ve never seen anything like this before, none of it makes sense.” “It’s ok Scoots, I don’t blame you. I didn’t want to believe it either, I still don’t want to believe it,” Sweetie Belle sympathized. “So,” Applebloom bumped in with a big, stupid grin, “what got yer feathers all ruffled, Scooty?” “Just drop it… like, forever,” Scootaloo ordered, she was blatantly not in the mood. “Fine,” Applebloom sighed. Silence fell upon the trio again; the sound of the rain striking the leaves above graced their ears. Light squeezed through the small gaps in the tees every time lightning struck, displaying a strange yet beautiful pattern upon the Crusaders. “Oh!” Applebloom suddenly remembered, “Scootaloo, about yer tail.” The pegasus simply turned away from the farm pony, not wanting to talk any further about it. “Listen,” Applebloom reasoned, “Ah know yer probably a little sore at me for yankin’ too hard, but a dislocated cockaga- cokagable… coccyg- tail bone can get much worse if it’s not treated right away. It’s a common injury on the farm, so Applejack taught me how ta fix it. If ya could just let me help…” she offered with an extended hoof. Scootaloo simply mumbled angrily in response while she slowly attempted to let her tail down. She cringed in pain almost instantly before lifting it back up again. “Fine!” she groaned in defeat, “Do what you need to do.” “Don’t worry, Scoots, it won’t take long,” Applebloom explained as she approached the pegasus’ right flank and took the tail from her hooves, “Besides, it won’t hurt… much.” “Much?!” Scootaloo squeaked, spinning her head to the earth pony with wide eyes. “Ok…” Applebloom confessed, “it’s gonna hurt a lot more than when it first got dislocated.” Scootaloo’s lower lip slightly quivered at the words. She gulped hard before giving Applebloom her finale decision, “O-Ok, j-just do it fast, like ripping off a b-band aid.” Applebloom nodded before she turned her attention back to the purple tail and started examining it. Scootaloo looked away from the red-maned pony, not wanting to watch her work, and her eyes fell back on Sweetie Belle. The metal filly sat against a tree as she fiddled with her exposed appendage. She studied all of the gears, pistons, and motors working together when she moved it. Sweetie Belle was astonished by it, Scootaloo as well. The unicorn brought up her right hoof, still sealed in skin, and pressed it against her steel skull. She was able to feel the cold metal on her hoof, but she was not able to feel her hoof touching it, yet she knew it was there, though. It was the strangest feeling. Meanwhile, Applebloom began to have difficulties finding the dislocation. She ran her hoof up and down Scootaloo’s lower spine a number of times, feeling every bump in it. Alas, she was not able to distinguish the dislocation from the rest. She began move higher up on the spine, stopping at a point that could be the dislocation. Cautiously, she pressed the tip of her hoof down on it to see if Scootaloo would react to it painfully. Instead, an odd sensation rode up the pegasus’ spine, causing her wings to flare out. Scootaloo let out a squeak the instant it happened, a blush of embarrassment slowly growing on her face. Sweetie Belle looked up to see what had happened. It took her a second to figure it out before she was rolling around on her back, kicking and laughing her mane off. Scootaloo spun her head around to face the pink-bowed filly. “C-could you quit fooling around back there?” she stammered in a panic. “Yer wings say otherwise,” Applebloom chuckled. “Shut up,” Scootaloo demanded, giving the pony an unamused look. “Well excuse me for tryin’ ta fix yer dislocation. If yer havin’ a problem with how Ah’m doin’ it, then ya could maybe, ah don’t know, help out?” “How?” the aggravated Scootaloo growled, Sweetie Belle’s high pitched guffaw piercing her ears. “Just show me where it hurts,” Applebloom plainly explained. “Oh. Right here,” Scootaloo responded, pointing her hoof directly at the point just above where her tail and coat met. Before she was able to get Applebloom’s acknowledgment, Sweetie Belle’s giggling assaulted her ears again. Fuming, Scootaloo twisted her neck back around and gave the pony a wicked glare to shut her up. Immediately, Sweetie Belle’s laughter began to die down as she got up from off the ground, dusting herself off and regaining her composure. Feeling slightly less embarrassed and aggravated, Scootaloo began to continue her instructions to Applebloom, “Ok, before you start could you let me know? I want a minute to-“ But before she could finish, a few loud cracks and an insane amount of pain shot up the filly’s spine. Scootaloo let out a throat shredding cry causing Applebloom to go deaf for a few seconds, Sweetie Belle wincing at the scene before her. The pegasus bounded away from the earth pony and cradled her now relocated tail. “Applebloom, you jerk! I told you to let me know before you started!” Scootaloo blared at the farm filly, speaking as she cringed from the slowly dissipating, stinging pain. The pink-bowed pony rubbed her temples as she retorted, “Ya were distracted, it would have been a lot worse if Ah let ya build up yer fear. Like you said, Scoots; ‘rippin’ off a band aid’.” Scootaloo groaned as she was beaten with her own words yet again. “So,” Sweetie Belle piped up, “what do we do now? Can we turn to anyone?” Applebloom tapped her chin, “Maybe Twilight knows something; she’s got all kinds of knowledge under her belt,” she suggested. “Yeah, she’s got a bunch of gadgets and gizmos in her lab, too,” Scootaloo concurred. “Plus, I’ve gotta get this book back to her,” she said, suggesting at the ‘Mythical Creature Encyclopedia’ in her saddlebag. “Speaking of saddlebags,” Sweetie Belle brought up, “weren’t you wearing one when we came in here, Applebloom?” “Oh shoot,” Applebloom recalled, “Applejack’ll kill me if Ah loose that. Ah’ve gotta go back an’ get it.” “We’re coming with you,” Scootaloo announced, “The last thing we want is for one of us to get separated.” “After that we can get back to Ponyville,” Sweetie Belle added, “Wait, which way is it?” “If we walk away from the mountain, Ah’m sure we’ll find it,” Applebloom assured. “So, it’s settled then?” asked Scootaloo, looking between her friends. “Yup,” said Applebloom. “Mhmm,” Sweetie Belle responded. “Let’s get moving then,” Scootaloo motivated as she took the first step towards the thicker part of the forest. “Um…” she paused, turning around to face Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, “where do we start?” “Like Applebloom was saying; let’s try going back to the mountain,” Sweetie Belle suggested as she pointed at an opening in the tress where it was visible, “maybe we can retrace our steps from there.” The other two nodded their heads, prompting Sweetie Belle to lead on. In less than a minute, the girls had covered the short distance and were now about to cross the opening that led back to the death trap they were in moments ago. “Yuk,” Sweetie Belle suddenly said in an extremely disgusted manner. Applebloom and Scootaloo peered out from behind the unicorn, expecting to see the manticore splattered under the tree again. Alas, this was not the case anymore. The two let out gasps of pure terror at the scene in front of them. The tree that had crushed the monster was now flat against the ground, a long and vivid red trail led away from it. At the end of the trail was the mangled, broken, bloody corpse of the manticore. Applebloom felt like she was about to have a heart attack. “It… it was still alive?!” the farm filly uttered, disturbed and horrified on many levels. “If we had stayed there any longer… it would have killed us!” Scootaloo said in a full panic. “Wait,” Sweetie Belle began, not fully understanding the situation, “are you two saying-” “That thing was smashed under that tree!” Applebloom affirmed, tears of pure fear welling in her eyes, “Ah saw it take its last breath, it didn’t even twitch! It was DEAD!” “But, it’s dead now at least,” Sweetie Belle stated as she forced a smile. Fate, however, wasn’t done proving these ponies wrong. Almost as if on cue, the Cutie Mark Crusaders each perked their ears up one by one to a low, horrible, gurgling noise. The girls turned their heads to the source of the sound and found that the manticore was now closer. The trio backed away swiftly as the creature began to spit up pints of blood while it continued to make such a hideous noise. Slowly, the behemoth proceeded to drag its claws across the muddy ground, hook deeper into the soil, and pull itself closer to the ponies. “Dear sweet Celestia,” Applebloom murmured at the nightmarish sight. “We’ve gotta get out, now!” Scootaloo shouted, trying to keep her wits. Sweetie Belle ignored the mess in front of her and looked beyond the manticore at the mountain. She promptly positioned herself so that that the ridge looked as symmetrical as possible. Turning exactly one hundred and eighty degrees, she found what looked like the correct direction. “This way! Follow me,” Sweetie Belle called out to her friends. Without any second thoughts, the trio darted away from the manticore and back into the dark, lush forest. Sweetie Belle led the ponies onward for about a minute until their environment began to look familiar. Soon, they made it to where they had first encountered the monster. “Hold up a second girls, gotta get mah saddlebag,” Applebloom announced, coming to a halt. The other two did the same. With a fast sweep of the area, she easily spotted her bright green and red saddlebag lying on the grass of the forest floor. Quickly, Applebloom snatched the satchels and rested them on her flanks. She popped one of the flaps open and began to take an inventory check. “Got everything you need?” asked Sweetie Belle, urging to get out of the Everfree Forest. “Just about,” the pink-bowed pony responded, “Ah’m just missing mah net. Ah threw it at the manticore before we all high tailed it outta here.” “Um… is this it?” Scootaloo asked, holding up the shredded remains of the net. “Consarnit!” Applebloom shouted in frustration, “Ah spent all last week making that net an’ that stupid cat with wings had to go an’ rip it up.” “Actually, Applebloom, it may have provided just enough of a distraction we needed to get away. I think it saved our lives,” Sweetie Belle explained. “Yeah, Ah guess it did,” agreed the farm pony. She giggled at the silly thought of the net being a noble hero who had sacrificed their life for the greater good. As the ponies sat around and began to think their own thoughts, they opened their ears for the sound of the rain to disrupt the canopy overhead. However, they did not hear the melody they had become so familiar with, not even the boom of thunder could be detected anymore. The powerful lightning no longer lit the sky, instead, a different light with a recognizable hue did. The girls stared at the gaps between the leaves before putting the pieces together. “Hey, did it stop raining?” Sweetie Belle asked her friends. “Ah think so. Maybe the weather team was able ta clear up the sky,” speculated Applebloom. “Well of course they did! Rainbow Dash is their chief after all!” Scootaloo said seriously as she basked in the greatness of her idol. “Uh huh… anyways, if’n it’s truly stopped rainin’, then that means it’ll be a lot easier ta get ya back ta town, Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom pointed out. “Then let’s get out of here before something else happens,” Sweetie Belle highly suggested, walking towards where they had first entered the Everfree Forest, Applebloom and Scootaloo by her side. “Hey Applebloom, I never got an answer from you,” the mechanical filly brought up. “’Bout what?” asked Applebloom. “What happened by the lake? All I can remember is a bright flash, then everything went all fuzzy. The next thing I knew, you were standing in front of me staring blankly and Scootaloo was limping away,” Sweetie Belle described. “Well, a bunch of sparks flew from that there gash in yer head an’ ya sorta froze up. After that, ya started ta tilt towards the water. Ah tried to stop ya from fallin’, but mah grip slipped from all the mud n’ stuff. Then, Scootaloo grabbed a hold of ya an’ tried ta pull ya back ta shore, but she wasn’t able ta do it on her own. So Ah grabbed ahold of her tail ta try ta help. Thankfully, our teamwork gotcha back to safety. But Ah ended up yanking too hard on Scoot’s tail, an’ ya know what happened after that.” “Geez, I’m really sorry girls. I didn’t mean to cause so much trouble.” “What are ya sorry for, it ain’t yer fault that happened, right?” “Besides, we’re your friends, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo added, “Nothing’s gonna happen to you as long as we can help it!” “Thanks girls. It means a lot to me, considering,” Sweetie Belle said gratefully. The fillies cut through the final bit of shrubs and were back at the edge of the forest. “There’s town!” Scootaloo hollered out, pointing to Ponyville in the distance. “Ah don’t think Ah’v ever been so glad ta see home in all mah life,” Applebloom said, sighing in relief. The girls exchanged smiles before galloping towards town in glee, feeling the horrors of the Everfree Forest fade away. They started to cross the large field that covered the land all the way to town, the same field where many ponies had their picnics set up earlier that day. Some of the same ponies could be seen in the distance, running back with all their supplies, ready to continue their activities now that the terrible storm was gone. Happiness was in the air. Sweetie Belle, however, felt like she was forgetting something important. She looked upon the faces of her friends as she ran with them. There was something different about her and them, not just that she was a unicorn. Her metaphorical and literal gears turned as she racked her mind for the answers. Suddenly, it clicked, she remembered everything. Her brain, whether it was real or not, must not have wanted to accept the events that happened today as true. Slamming her hooves into the soaked landscape, Sweetie Belle slid to a halt. Applebloom and Scootaloo stopped just ahead of her, confused looks spread across their faces. “What’s wrong?” Applebloom asked fearfully. “I can’t go to town like this,” Sweetie Belle announced, gesturing at her robotic body, “I’ll probably send the whole town into panic!” Before Applebloom or Scootaloo could protest, Sweetie Belle reared up and sprinted back towards the forest. “Sweetie Belle, wait!” Scootaloo called out as she and Applebloom pursued after the unnerved unicorn. With a flick of her elbows, Sweetie Belle easily cleared the top of a small shrub and was now back in the dark forest. “Sweetie Belle!” Applebloom shouted, attempting to gain the mechanical pony’s attention, but to no avail. Quickly, they made it to the forest’s edge and were ready to barge through the low plant. Unexpectedly, Sweetie Belle popped out from the leaves, unintentionally surprising her friends. Scootaloo and Applebloom attempted to stop, but the ground was too wet and slick for them to gain enough traction. They slid into the bush and crashed right into Sweetie belle. Applebloom groggily opened her eyes, her head pounding from the collision. Sweetie Belle stood in front of her with great concern in her eyes. “Are you ok?” Sweetie Belle asked, reaching out a hoof to help Applebloom up. “Yeah, Ah’m good,” Applebloom responded, taking Sweetie Belle’s hoof. Eyeing to her right, she spotted Scootaloo rubbing her forehead. “Yer not hurt, are ya Scoots?” Applebloom asked the pegasus. “I’m fine,” Scootaloo stated. “What about you Sweetie Belle?” Applebloom questioned, “We both knocked inta ya at once, Ah think ya had it worse than us.” “Actually,” Sweetie Belle retorted, “I didn’t really feel anything.” “Huh? But how couldn’t ya?” “I dunno, I felt you guys bumping into me, but I just couldn’t feel it… I don’t know how to explain it.” “It probably has something to do with this,” Scootaloo spoke up, poking Sweetie Belle’s metal cranium. “Yeah, probably,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “Maybe you’re like one of those things we hear about in campfire stories,” Scootaloo began to speculate, “Oh, what are they called…” “Ah think we’re gettin’ a bit off topic here,” Applebloom said, derailing Scootaloo’s train of thought. “So, Sweetie Belle, if ya think that the towns ponies are gonna start a fuss n’ all, how are we ta get ya back ta town?” “Maybe a disguise or something,” Sweetie Belle suggested, “Maybe a cloak will do it.” “Oh! Applebloom, don’t you still have those cloaks we used for the school talent show last year?” Scootaloo recalled. “Yeah, Ah think Ah’ve still got those,” Applebloom acknowledged, “ya think it’ll do the trick?” “I think if we could yank the hoodie down just a bit more, we could cover up my face well enough. I might have some difficulty seeing where I’m going, though,” Sweetie Belle confessed. “That’s what we’re for then,” Scootaloo said. “Alright then! The two of ya stay here; y’all will be safe as long as ya don’t go deeper inta the Everfree Forest or run out into the fields. Ah’ll go home and getcha a cloak Sweetie Belle.” “Roger that!” Scootaloo understood, giving Applebloom a military salute. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but, please hurry. I really want this over with,” Sweetie Belle requested. “Dontcha worry a bit, Ah’ll be back faster than you can say…” Applebloom paused, thinking of a proper word to say, “erm… just think of something Applejack would say, Ah need to go before the whole town is back outside from the storm. See y’all soon” She concluded as she galloped off to Sweet Apple Acres. Thankfully, the further Applebloom got from the forest, the more stable the ground became. With each passing second, she was able to slightly increase in speed without risking slipping and breaking something. By the time she reached town square, she was already running at top speeds. Plus, the lack of ponies wandering the streets allowed her more freedom and room, making it easier still. However, just as she had suspected, ponies started to unbolt their doors and windows. The trip back will not be as easy. In no time at all, Applebloom was already able to see the lush apple orchards that covered over a mile of her family’s farm. She barreled down the dirt path and passed rows upon rows of apple trees. After a minute, she was able to see the hot pink and purple building that she called home. She sped under the archway that welcomed ponies to Sweet Apple Acres and quickly bounded onto the front porch of her house. She tried the door handle, and to her surprise, it was unlocked. Normally the whole farm would be under lockdown in the event of a storm. But now that she looked around, it didn’t seem that any part of the farm was actually touched by it. Opening the door, Applebloom was immediately met with the delectable, mouthwatering aroma of a freshly baked apple pie. She was also greeted with two familiar voices from the kitchen, they seemed to be in their own conversation and hadn’t notice that she had entered the house yet. There was no mistaking it; the voices belonged to none other than her sister, Applejack, and Cloudsdale’s daredevil herself, Rainbow Dash. “I can’t thank you enough for this apple pie, AJ,” Rainbow Dash’s said with a mouthful. “It’s the least Ah could do, Rainbow,” returned Applejack, “After all, ya did save Sweet Apple Acres.” “It was no biggie.” “Course it was a biggie, Rainbow. If you an’ yer weather team didn’t get up there, why, the whole farm could have been torn apart.” “Meh, just another day being chief of the weather team,” Dash bragged. Applebloom was so busy eavesdropping that she had forgotten to close the door. A strong gust of wind blew into the house, catching the door and slamming it shut against the wooden frame. “Applebloom?” Applejack suddenly called out from the kitchen, “Is that you?” “Yeah sis, it’s me,” answered Applebloom. “Oh thank Celestia yer allright, Ah was a bit worried that ya got stuck out in the middle of that nasty storm. Where were ya anyways?” asked Applejack. “Ah was hanging out with Scootaloo an’ Sweetie Belle, kinda gotta hurry back ta them” Applebloom explained as she ascend the stairs. “Alright then, Ah gues-“ “Want some pie?” Rainbow Dash blurted out with another mouthful. Applebloom’s stomach growled angrily and the smell of the pasty teased her taste buds. Dash’s offer sounded pretty darn good right now. “Oh alright, Ah guess Ah can stay for just one slice,” Applebloom gave in, climbing back down the stairs and into the living room. “Ah’ll fix ya up a plate, sugarcube,” Applejack alerted. “Thanks,” Applebloom acknowledged before she crossed into the kitchen. Rounding the corner, she spotted Rainbow Dash, who had her side to the pink-bowed pony as she swallowed another bite of pie. Applejack was across the room and faced away from the table, searching in the cupboards for a plate. Rainbow Dash was just about to take another bite before her eyes wondered over to Applebloom. Her expression completely changed however. She closed her mouth, set down her fork, and gave the filly a half serious look, an eyebrow cocked. “Geez Applebloom, did you get into a fight with an ox or something?” Rainbow Dash joked with a smirk. “Huh?” Applebloom asked, slack jawed. Applejack turned around, finally finding a proper sized plate. “What are ya on about Rainbo-” she began to ask, but stopped at the sight before her. “Applebloom!” Applejack shouted as she rushed over to the filly, tossing the plate onto the table as she passed it, “What happened ta you?!” “N-nothing,” Applebloom said in a panic, however, she wasn’t even sure how true that was. “This ain’t nothing, Applebloom,” Applejack said sternly, looking the filly in the eye, “Rainbow Dash, get me the mirror from the livin’ room.” “On it,” Rainbow Dash announced before she leaped across the room from her chair. She returned a mere second later, wheeling the reflective glass surface into the kitchen. Applejack hustled over to the sink and snatched a washcloth. She flicked the tap to hot and began to soak the small towel. Rainbow Dash pushed the mirror in front of Applebloom so she may understand what the mares were talking about. Surprised, Applebloom shot her eyes wide open with a gasp. She was covered with scrapes, cuts, and bruises from her head to her hooves while her coat, mane, and tail were caked with a small layer of mud. But what really stood out was her left eye; the skin around it was a sickening, dark purple. Applejack walked across the wooden floor and back into Applebloom’s line of sight. She shoved the washcloth into the filly’s face, causing her to jolt back from the sudden rise in temperature. It took a second for Applebloom to regain her bearings. Applejack held out the rag with her hoof, an angrily worried look on her face. The pink-bowed pony took the washcloth from her older sister and began to scrub off the mud. Once Applebloom was done cleaning up most of the mud, Applejack kneeled down so she was now eye level with the filly. “Applebloom, what happened ta you?” Applejack asked, placing her beloved Stetson to the side. “Well,” Applebloom gulped, “Scootaloo an’ Ah got into a little fight, Ah know we-“ “Again?” Applejack interrupted disappointment in her voice, “You told me that it would never happen again after Ah had ta pull you girls apart.” “Yeah, well…” Applebloom started. “Wait a minute,” Rainbow Dash bumped in, “You had to stop them from fighting too, Applejack?” “Yeah, why? Did something similar happen with you?” asked Applejack with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah. About two weeks ago, I was cleaning up all the clouds that were accidently released from Cloudsdale early. When I was circling Ponyville’s perimeter, I saw Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle standing at the outskirts of town. I got closer after I heard them shouting. The next thing I know; Scoots and AB were trying to take each other’s heads off.” Applejack turned towards her little sister, a hurt expression on her face. “Applebloom, is that true?” she asked. Applebloom hung her head low. “Yes, it’s true,” she said dejectedly. “Consarnit, Applebloom! Ya promised me, ya gave me yer word!” Applejack spoke with a raised voice, her brow furrowed. “Ah’m sorry, Applejack. We didn’t try keeping those promises good enough. But, we finally buried that hatchet this time, Ah can just feel it!” Applebloom concluded with a hopeful smile. “That makes me wonder,” Rainbow Dash spoke, “You never got this messed up before, where were the adults?” “Well, nopony was around,” Applebloom explained. “An’ why’s that?” questioned Applejack. “Twilight lent a book ta Scootaloo, it was an encyclopedia for monsters or somethin’,” Applebloom started, “We found this page about this thing called an orthrus; it’s like a two headed dog. We figured we’d be able ta catch one of ‘em in the Everfree Forest. So after some planni-” “The forest?! Applebloom! Ah told you ta NEVER go in there again!” Applejack spoke angrily. “Yer lucky this is the worst that happened to you. Ya could of run into a manticore or somethin’!” “Applejack, ah-” “The three of you could have died out there and nopony would have known for sure for a long time, Applebloom! We would be searching all of Equestria for months an’ we would have never have known you were dead!” “Ah’m sorry, Applejack! Ah wasn-” “Ah don’t wanna hear it,” Applejack said earnestly, dragging Applebloom to the stairs. “Ah want you in yer room for the rest of the day an’ yer comin’ straight home from school tomorrow. Ah’ll be bringin’ supper ta ya when it’s ready.” “But Applejack, Ah need ta get back to Sweetie Belle and Scoot-” “Go!” Applejack shouted pointing up the stairs. Applebloom didn’t say another word; she just made her way up the steps. Applejack had never yelled at her like that before. But her big sister was right, they should have never of gone back into the forest. Once she heard the sound of Applebloom’s door click shut, Applejack turned around and faced Rainbow Dash, tears in her eyes. Seeing her friend’s distress, the rainbow-maned pegasus opened her arms, offering a comforting hug. Applejack quickly accepted it and threw herself into Rainbow Dash, tightly wrapping her hooves around her. “Ah didn’t wanna do that!” Applejack sobbed, “Ah just love her too much, Ah don’t want ta lose her.” “It’s ok, AJ,” Rainbow Dash comforted, stroking her friend’s mane, “I would have done the same if I was in your place,” Applebloom sat down on her beige bed comforters, taking in their softness when her hooves pressed down on them. She sighed, feeling terrible for worrying her big sister like that. Applejack may have a strong exterior, but Applebloom can always tell when she’s hiding her pain. She didn’t know what to do; she felt that disobeying by leaving her room would only make things worse with Applejack. But she had to leave if she wanted to help Sweetie Belle. Applebloom’s heart was torn, no matter what decision she made, it would come with massive repercussions. She laid down on her bed and stared up at the canopy hanging over her bed. She weighed her options intensely, unable to come with a conclusion. A few minutes passed and Applebloom was in a full on war with herself. Suddenly, there was a knock at her door, breaking her concentration. Before she could get off the bed, the door slowly creaked open. Applejack stood in the opening with a woven basket filled with various things clenched in her teeth. She walked out from the hallway and across the room to Applebloom’s dresser, the wooden panels creaking below her with every step. She set the basket down in front of the large mirror that was attached to the blue painted dresser. Reaching into the straw container, Applejack pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, one bowl of clean water, two fresh wash cloths, a pint of apple juice, a box of pain killers, a roll of gauze, a small case of bandages, and a wrapped up bag of ice. “Applebloom, Ah want ya ta clean out any open wounds, put some disinfectant on then some bandages,” Applejack instructed, turning to her little sister sitting on her bed, “Take some pain killers with the apple juice if yer still hurtin’. After yer all done with that, ah want ya ta put that ice on that eye. But for fifteen minutes only, an’ don’t push on yer eye, don’t want ta make things worse. An’ if yer gonna take a nap, lay down on two pillows ta keep yer head elevated, just in case ya’ve got somethin’ more than a black eye. Ah’ll bring up dinner in a few hours.” With that, Applejack walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Applebloom watched the door silently, waiting to see if her big sister had anything more to say. But she didn’t, she could hear Applejack’s hoofsteps going downstairs. The red-maned earth pony shuffled to the edge of her bed, sliding off the side and landing hooves down. She grit her teeth, the pain of her injuries finally starting to sink in. Applebloom walked over to her dresser and hopped up onto a stool. She peered into the mirror and sighed, disappointed in herself for fighting with Scootaloo again, but glad it wouldn’t happen again. Noticing that her pink hair bow was awfully dirty, she undid it and tossed the material into her dirty cloths hamper. Turning her attention back to the top of her dresser, she looked over the supplies spread out in front of her. Grabbing the box of pain killers, she read the instructions to check to see how many pills she should take. She found the proper dosage and shook two capsules out of the box. She popped the tablets into her mouth and took a swig of apple juice, washing them down. Reaching across the dresser, Applebloom slid the bowl of water closer and snatched a washcloth. She dipped the fabric into the liquid and looked over her cuts in the mirror. She wiped the small towel across all of her open wounds, cleaning out any dirt. Applebloom prepared the second washcloth with the disinfectant. She quickly started to wipe her wounds, wincing as the disinfectant stung each time she reached a cut. She set the washcloth aside before grabbing hold of the case of bandages. She pried the lid off and began the tedious process of peeling off the paper coverings and applying them to her wounds. These little things made Applebloom sometimes wish she was a unicorn. After two dozen bandages and what felt like an eternity, she managed to cover all open cuts on her body. Finally, she leaned across the dresser and grabbed the bag of ice in her teeth. Hopping down from her chair, she trotted over to her bed, tossing the cold pack onto the sheets. Leaping up, she grabbed both of her pillows and stacked them atop of one another. Applebloom crawled under the covers to keep warm while she had the ice on her eye. She grabbed the bag and her bedside clock. She checked the time; it was 3:40pm. She’ll remove the bag in fifteen minutes when the time reaches 3:55pm. Setting the clock on the bed next to her, she laid her head down on the soft pillows behind her. Closing her left eye, Applebloom slowly brought the wrapped up ice down onto it. When the cold touched the organ, it drove a weird feeling right into the filly’s brain. She sure as hay didn’t like it, but she decided to just bear with it, it was only fifteen minutes after all. She stared back up to her bed’s canopy, trying to think of a solution to her predicament. She could try telling Applejack the truth about Sweetie Belle, but she might not believe her. But if she did, she could freak out. Applebloom dismissed that plan and tried to think of another. She could try to sneak out. But what if she’s caught? Even if she does get Sweetie Belle to Twilight’s, the brainy librarian might bring it up in conversation with Applejack. As her mind swam with ideas, her eyelids became heavy. Staying up so late to work on that net was really taking its toll. Applebloom thought that resting might help clear her head. Maybe she’ll have an answer if she rests her eyes for only five minutes. “Where is she?” Scootaloo groaned while she stared at the setting sun. “Maybe she got held up,” Sweetie Belle speculated. “Maybe,” Scootaloo responded, turning towards her mechanical friend. A group of pegasi chased each other above the hilled field; Scootaloo looked up at them in envy. Suddenly, the lead pegasus dive bombed very close to the forest's edge. She pulled up right before hitting the ground, every other pegasi did the same. This caused a strong gust of wind to blow into the forest. The leaves of the trees shook and Sweetie Belle’s shredded skin flew in all directions as it clung to the side of her face. Scootaloo scrunched up her face as she looked at the unicorn, swearing she saw something. Sweetie Belle frightfully glanced over her shoulder before looking back at Scootaloo. “Oh great, what now?” She asked, a little annoyed by all these mishaps they’ve been having throughout the day. Scootaloo slowly approached Sweetie Belle, keeping her eyes fixed on a single point of her face. “I think I saw something on your face,” she spoke. “What?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, “Is it a spider?! GET IT OFF!” “Shh,” Scootaloo hushed, “No, it’s not a spider, or a bug, or any creepy crawly.” The pegasus reached up with a hoof, shuddering when she moved aside some of Sweetie Belle’s skin. She saw a letter followed by three numbers printed onto the white filly’s steel skull. “B, dash, nine, zero, six,” Scootaloo read, “What does that mean?” “Heck if I know.” Again, the flying pegasi started to pull off another dive bomb run. However, the last pegasus was flying too fast to pull up in time. He crashed right into the bushes in front of Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The fillies quickly scrambled to get behind the trees, attempting to hide from the colt. The wobbly pony stood up and dusted himself off. Sweetie Belle slowly peered out from behind the trees to see if he was gone, he wasn’t, but he was looking the other way. She recognized the pegasus, he was one of her classmates, Rumble. Scootaloo flailed her arms in the air, trying to signal Sweetie Belle to get back behind cover. The unicorn began to slowly back up into the trees again, whether it was from Scootaloo’s warning signs or not. Unfortunately, before the metal filly was completely back into the shadows, she stepped on a twig when she was readjusting her position. Rumble didn’t miss a beat, he spun his head right towards her. He just barely caught a glimpse of Sweetie Belle's mane as she reared back into the forest. “H-Hello?” Rumble asked out nervously. Scootaloo motioned Sweetie Belle to keep going back as Rumble kept walking forward. He had never been this far into the forest. He was always told of how terrifying and dangerous it was, but it didn’t seem so bad. A this rate, the curious Rumble would follow Sweetie Belle to the other side of the forest before anything happened. “Hey there, Rumble!” Scootaloo spoke loudly as she leaped out from her hiding spot, distracting the colt. “S-Scootaloo? Hi, w-what are you doing here?” Rumble asked, startled by the filly popping out like that. “Hey, I should be asking you the same question,” Scootaloo said light heartedly, walking closer to the boy. “I… I thought I saw something over there,” Rumble responded as he backed away. He wasn’t used to a filly getting this close to him. “Oh I wouldn’t bother with it. It’s probably something really boring,” Scootaloo said, keeping up the cheerful attitude while they exited the forest, “Hey, look. Your friends are doing something mega cool, though. Maybe you should join them. It looks like lots of fun.” “Are you sure, I thought I saw-” “Believe me, it’s nothing interesting.” “O-Okay,” Rumble reluctantly gave in, fluttering his wings a few times before flying back to his friends in the air. Scootaloo wiped away the sweat from her brow with a sigh of relief. She motioned to Sweetie Belle as she made her way back to the forest. All of a sudden, Rumble quickly flew by Scootaloo, spinning her around. “Rumble, stop!” Scootaloo called out in vain. Rumble flew blindly into the shadows and right into something adamant. Dazed, the young colt’s vision slowly came back to him as he stood up. Looking up, he came eye to eye with Sweetie Belle. Her metal body shone in the setting sunlight as her mechanical eye glistened. Rumble reeled back in horror, his face contorted in fear. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to try to say something to calm the pegasus down, but nothing came out. Rumble screamed bloody murder while flying as fast as he could back to town. The rest of the pegasi looked down at Scootaloo with confused and terrified looks. Scootaloo froze up for a moment as she tried to fabricate something to say. “WOLVES!!” she yelled out. A panic slowly started to spread among the pegasi before they were all flying back to town screaming, scaring away any lingering earth ponies and unicorns in the field. Quickly, Scootaloo ran back to Sweetie Belle. “C’mon, let’s get out of here before they come back with half of Celestia’s royal guard,” Scootaloo joked in a serious tone. “But where to, Scootaloo? I can’t just parade into Ponyville like this, that’s the whole reason Applebloom ran off,” Sweetie Belle said. “I know, which is why we’ll move along the side of the forest and get closer to Sweet Apple Acres.” Scootaloo explained, “Then I can make a run to the house and find out just what the hay happened.” “Oh, okay. Sounds good,” Sweetie Belle agreed before the two set off. Applebloom’s eyes shot open. “Ah don’t have time to sleep!” she shouted to herself, reaching up to take the bag of ice off her face. However, it was not there. She sat up and looked around; maybe it had fallen off during that short nap. As she searched, she noticed it was considerably darker in her room. Quickly, Applebloom looked out the window; the sun was just barely visible over the horizon. In a panic, Applebloom fumbled for her alarm clock, it wasn’t where she had left it. She spotted it sitting back on her bedside table. She reached over and turned on the lamp that was next to the time telling device. Grabbing the clock, she held it in the light to see the time. She nearly dropped it out of shock; it now read 6:23pm. “Oh… ponyfeathers,” Applebloom mumbled. She threw her hooves over her mouth, she had never swore like that before. It came so naturally, though. Maybe she was spending too much time with Granny Smith. The old mare would sometimes forget she was talking to a filly. Applebloom looked over her shoulder at her blue painted closet; she had to make a decision now. She through her covers off and briskly walked across the room. Opening the doors, she yanked one of the dark cloaks from its rack. She held it in her hooves, her heart racing, still unsure of her decision. She heavily weighed her options, letting each choices conciseness run through her head one last time. Making her final choice, she looked up with determination on her face. “Ah’m sorry, Applejack, but this is just too important,” she thought aloud. Quietly, she made her way to her bedroom window. Pulling up on the wooden frame, Applebloom easily opened it up and was greeted by the coolness of night. She reached inside her toy chest that sat against the wall just to the right of the window. She pulled out a rope and tied it to one of her bed posts before tossing it outside. She walked up to the edge, ready to descend. But before she could, the rope straightened out. Applebloom gawked at it in confusion for a second. She loomed over the side of the windowsill. To her surprise, she saw Scootaloo dangling halfway up to her bedroom. The pegasus had the rope wrapped around her hooves and was climbing the house like a mountain. “Scootaloo?” Applebloom whispered, puzzled. She leaned over the side and grabbed her friend’s hooves, pulling her into the bedroom. “What are ya doin’ here?” “I should be asking you the same question,” Scootaloo whispered angrily, “You said you’d be back in no time.” “Things happened… Look, it’s a long story.” Scootaloo looked over Applebloom’s shoulder, seeing the bed in its current state. “Were… were you napping?” Scootaloo whispered loudly. “Ah’ll tell ya tomorrow at school, just get Sweetie Belle ta Twilight,” Applebloom instructed, shoving the cloak into Scootaloo’s face. Suddenly, the sound of hoofsteps moving up the stairs reached Applebloom’s ears. “Go, go,” Applebloom said while pushing Scootaloo along. Scootaloo gripped onto the rope and quickly scaled back down to the ground, immediately hauling tail into the apple orchards. Realizing there was no time to pull the rope back up into the room; Applebloom untied its knot and threw it out of the house. Before she was able to close up the window, her bedroom door creaked open. Applebloom looked to the doorway and saw her big sister holding a tray of food in her jaw. Applejack walked into the room and set the platter on the bed. “Good ta see yer awake,” Applejack greeted her little sister, “Whatcha doin’ by the window, Applebloom?” “Oh, just gettin’ some fresh air,” Applebloom responded, leaning her face closer to the open window. Applejack saw right through the lie, but decided to disregard it. “Well, food’s hot n’ ready,” Applejack informed before heading to the door. “Give me a holler when yer done,” she instructed, closing the door as she exited into the hallway. Applebloom looked back outside; she could vaguely see Scootaloo running through the apple orchard. “Good luck, girls,” Applebloom prayed. Twilight Sparkle flipped the page of the book she was enjoying before taking a sip of tea. It wasn't every day that the library was this peaceful. She had the whole house to herself; Spike was off helping Rarity with some gem collecting and the place was closed on Sundays. This was absolute bliss for Twilight. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door. “Come in,” Twilight called out, readjusting her glasses with her magic. The doorknob turned and the fashionista, Rarity, entered. Spike was fast asleep on her back, his snoring filling the room. “Good evening, Twilight,” Rarity greeted in her typical, elegant manor. “Hello, Rarity. How’d the gem farming go?” Twilight asked. “Oh it went swimmingly, darling. But poor dear Spike fell asleep when we made it back to the boutique,” Rarity explained, nuzzling the snoring baby dragon, "I came here to bring him home." Twilight couldn't help but slightly frown at those last words. The thought of her quiet night being altered by Spike's snoring upset her. However, she didn't want to feel like she was burdening Rarity. Instead, Twilight let out a small chuckle, “Oh Spike. He was up all last night helping me reorganize the books.” Rarity easily saw through Twilight's facade, “Speaking of books, I can see you are in the middle of one right now. If you want I can take little Spike off your hooves for tonight.” “Oh Rarity, you don’t have to do that.” “No, I insist, Twilight Sparkle. It’s always nice to have a night just to yourself every once in a while.” “Well, if you insist… Ok Rarity, thanks.” “It is no problem, Twilight. Goodnight, enjoy your book,” Rarity concluded as she made her way to the door. “Goodnight.” “Oh, I almost forgot,” Rarity remembered, stopping in he tracks, “You wouldn’t have happened to come across Sweetie Belle recently?” “No, I haven’t seen her all day. Why?” “Mother and Father are preparing dinner and they wanted me to remind her to be home by seven o’clock. If you happen to see her tonight, would you mind letting her know?” “Sure thing, Rarity. I’ll let her know if I see her.” “Thank you, Twilight. Well, goodnight… again,” Rarity giggled as she walked out the door. “Goodnight,” Twilight responded, waving goodbye. Rarity closed the door behind her and all was quiet again. Twilight sighed gratefully as she looked back down at her book. But before she started reading again, she decided to a look up and check the clock. The time read 6:46pm. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to her book, excited to dive back into it. She had almost finished four pages before there was another knock at the door. She looked up at the time; it hadn’t even been five minutes since Rarity was here. Sighing, Twilight sat up straight and regained her composure. “Come-” Twilight started but was interrupted by the door flying open and slamming against the wall. “-in.” There in the doorway stood Scootaloo and a pony about the same size, shrouded in a cloak. “Hello, Scootaloo and…” Twilight paused, trying to determine who the hooded pony was. “It’s me,” Sweetie Belle spoke up. “Oh. Why are you wearing a cloak, Sweetie Belle?” Twilight questioned. “Is anypony else here?” Scootaloo asked, dismissing Twilight’s question. “No, why?” Scootaloo did not respond. She simply shut the front door. “Sweetie, why are you wearing a cloak?” Twilight reiterated. “It'll be easier I just show you. Do you promise not to tell?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I promise,” Twilight assured. “Pinkie Promise!” Scootaloo demanded. Sighing, Twilight went through the motions, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” “Ok. Sweetie Belle, are you ready?” Scootaloo asked, turning towards her caped friend. “Yes, do it,” Sweetie Belle instructed. The decision was made; Scootaloo gripped the top of the hood. Twilight prepared herself for whatever she was about to see. With one swift tug, the cloak flew off Sweetie Belle’s body and landed on the cold wooden floor. There was no turning back now.