//------------------------------// // Chapter Six // Story: Envy and Arrogance // by Mindblower //------------------------------// Chapter Six ******* The Elements of Harmony, still wearing their jewelry, woke up in a rather strange predicament. “Heh,” Dash murmured. “I remember having a dream kinda like this once.” Twilight tried to move, but leather straps held all four of her limbs in place. Her back was pressed tightly against a padded wooden board. That seemed to be the case for all of the other Elements, as well. Wow, am I stiff, Twilight thought, trying to twitch her limbs a little bit. Slight echoes of pain resounded throughout her body. It was pitch-black, so instinctively, Twilight summoned her magic and made her horn glow. However, it did more than glow. With the radiance of a small sun, Twilight almost set the room on fire. “Ahh! Bright!” Applejack yelled. Since she couldn’t bring her hooves to cover her eyes, the orange mare shut them as tight as they could go. “Sorry!” Twilight said, toning down her magic. I barely have to put any effort into it! Usually it takes me a lot of concentration to do any magic at all. “Ugh,” Pinkie muttered, her eyes starting to adjust. “Next time, warn us!” “Sorry,” Twilight apologized. “It’s never been that easy for me to do magic before.” “You’re crown is glowing too,” Rarity observed. “Maybe it has to do with your wearing it.” “Speaking a headgear, where’s mah hat?” Applejack asked, looking up at her bare head. She looked at the others. “Ya know what happens when Ah don’t have mah hat.” Pinkie gasped. “Twilight, we have a situation! Applejack has to get her hat back right away or there’ll be a zombie infestation!” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Can we git outta here, Twi? Ah think Ah’m gettin’ a nasty brush-burn.” Twilight nodded. The surroundings were simple; quite bare-bones, actually. They were in a black room with six of the devices that were used to hold them. There was a hatch in the ceiling with a ladder leading up and through it, supposedly the way out. Using as little magic as she could, Twilight snapped the bonds that had kept them restrained. Fluttershy rubbed her ankles, which had thick red rings around them where the pelt had worn off. “There are marks,” she observed. “We must have been here for a long time.” “But I’m not hungry or thirsty,” Pinkie said. “How long could it have been?” “Obsidian said something about some kind of Dorme-something spell,” Dash said. “Have you heard of anything like that?” “We can talk ‘bout it later,” Applejack said. “Let’s git outta here. Ah think we’d better find out what’s been goin’ on all this time, ‘cause this don’t look like mah bedroom ta me.” Pinkie looked up the ladder. “Hey! Let’s go this way; I can see light up ahead,” she said, starting to climb. “Well, let’s git a move on!” Applejack said. She and Pinkie went up first. Dash pawed at her necklace. “Do we have to wear these things all the time? I mean, they’re awesome and stuff, but I’m not the biggest fan of, you know…” “Once this is over, I guess we won’t need them any more,” Twilight shrugged. “Are you kidding me? I’m keeping mine until the absolute end of time!” Rarity exclaimed, staring at her necklace. “Isn’t it gorgeous? I wonder why I ever let it out of my sight in the first place.” “Calm down, Rarity,” Twilight said. The purple mare started to make her way up the shaft, followed by Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy. Pinkie stuck her head out of the bottom of the shaft. Or, at least, that’s what it looked like. “Hee-hee,” Pinkie giggled. “Somepony forgot to flip the gravity switch!” She had poked her head out of the ceiling in Sugarcube Corners. “Um, girls...” Pinkie began, looking back up (down?) the shaft. “This might be kind of tricky.” “What’re ya waitin’ fer?” Applejack asked. “Git goin’!” Pinkie awkwardly squeezed out of the tunnel and landed lightly on her feet. Applejack, not so much. The orange earth pony rubbed her head. “Why didn’t ya tell me we were gonna drop outta the ceilin’?” “Because you didn’t ask!” Pinkie said with a cheerful smile. “Ah’ll remember that fer next time, then,” Applejack grumbled. “This looks like a Portable Hole,” Twilight said after nimbly landing on the ground. “Only nobles or powerful magicians have them.” Once the others had made a somewhat soft landing, they examined the situation. Sugarcube Corners was a wreck; the paint was peeling, the tiles were falling off, and there were various smells floating around in the air, most of them unpleasant. The curtains were torn, and most of the windows were cracked or broken. “Where are Mr. and Mrs. Cake?” Fluttershy asked. “I dunno,” Pinkie said. “How ‘bout we have a looksie?” “I’m game,” Dash said, looking out the window. “Seems like Ponyville’s deserted. I wonder why.” “We’ll find out sooner or later,” Twilight said. Her ear twitched. “I think I hear something outside.” “Ah’m on it,” Applejack said, going out the front door to check. She glanced back at the rest of the group. “Hey, ya’ll might wanna come lookit this.” The others headed outside and saw an orange pegasus with a spiky purple mane hopping around on nearby rooftops. Her eyes were tiredly scanning the town, her wings limp at her wide. “Hey!” Dash yelled. The pegasus turned and gasped, life suddenly flooding back into her body. “Sweetie Belle!” she yelled to somepony nearby. “Is that…?” Dash asked, squinting. It doesn’t look like the Scootaloo I know. The pegasus rushed up to the group, gliding across the ground and then tackling Rainbow Dash. “Dash! Where have you been?!” “Woah!” Dash laughed as the pegasus hugged her. “Well, you tell me; I just woke up. And who are you, by the way?” The pegasus looked up, a bit disappointed. “It’s me, Dash. You know, Scootaloo?” Dash gaped at the new Scootaloo, but she wasn’t the only one shocked by Scootaloo’s change in appearance. The orange pegasus had grown a lot since Dash had last seen her, to be sure, but there were several other factors. Scootaloo looked extremely dirty, as if she hadn’t bathed in months. She was also very thin. But the most defining feature, by far, was a long white mark that travelled from Scootaloo’s left cheek down to her neck. Scootaloo had never flown before when I knew her. That must have been what really confused me, Dash thought. “Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked, bewildered. The yellow mare shook her head in disbelief. “How long have we been gone?” “What’s going—Rarity!” a white unicorn with a grayish-rose mane yelled in excitement. “We found you!” Rarity’s sister was also a lot thinner, but not quite as dirty as her counterpart. There was a mark on her flank as well; a roll of bandages. “Sweetie Belle?!” Rarity asked in shock. She ran up to hug her sister, but quickly pulled away due to the condition of Sweetie Belle’s pelt. “Celestia, Sweetie Belle, are you filthy!” Twilight couldn’t quite comprehend the situation. “Wait, what? Somepony fill me in; I’m lost.” “Ohmigosh, I have so much to tell all of you!” Scootaloo said. “I mean, we’ve been looking for you for three years!” “Three years?!” Fluttershy asked in shock. “Yeah!” Scootaloo chirped, as if she was discussing a major upset in a competition. “And I can fly, and Sweetie got her mark, and there’s the Daymare, and Ponyville is deserted, and we’ve been on our own, and—and…” the orange pegasus trailed off, too many thoughts travelling through her mind for her to say them all. “You can tell us all about it later,” Fluttershy said, fretting over Scootaloo’s features. She was poking and prodding in various places like an overprotective mother whose child has just come home from a fight. “We need to get you fixed up right away! How long have you been on your own?” “Three years,” Scootaloo said, as though it was a regular occurrence. “We ran out of food a couple days ago, though. I guess it was lucky we found you.” “Lucky my flank!” Rarity scolded. “You should never have been out here on your own. Oh, you’re so dirty…” she muttered, shaking her head. “Sheesh, it’s no big deal,” Scootaloo said nonchalantly, flinching as Fluttershy examined her. “Hey, that tickles!” “Heh,” Dash murmured, gazing at Scootaloo. I’m trying to remember what’s she was like, but all of my memories are fuzzy for some reason. I have the gist of it, but... But wow. Scoot’s a teenager and I haven’t aged at all. “So what ya’ll are sayin’ is that we’ve been gone fer three measly years and all this’s happened?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m not buyin’ it. Had ta be more time than jus’ that.” “You think we’d be lying?” Sweetie Belle asked. “We’ve been looking for you day and night for years. I think we’d know how much time it’s been.” “Aww, I’m just playin’ with ya sugarcube,” Applejack said, nudging Sweetie Belle. “Ya grew up too darn fast.” “Where’s Apple Bloom?” Twilight asked. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at each other, their expressions a new shade of worry. “C’mon, spit it out,” Applejack said, a tad nervous. Did something happen to Apple Bloom? “She’s really sick,” Sweetie Belle said. “At first we thought it was just a cold, but she hasn’t gotten better, and it’s been a week now.” Applejack paled slightly. “Ah think ya better show us just how bad she is,” she suggested. Sweetie Belle nodded, and swallowed. “This way. We’ve been staying at Fluttershy’s.” Just then, Pinkie felt a sharp sensation in the back of her head as her Pinkie Senses flared. She slowly turned her head to the left. “Girls, we have trouble.” ******* The group’s heads shot around to the roof of Sugarcube Corners, where a blue earth pony with a blue-green mane was lying down, peeking over the edge of the roof at them. She was about Scootaloo’s age, but much healthier. “Wah!” she yelled, hastily getting up and running away. “Huh?” Sweetie Belle asked. “What’s going on?” “She works for the Daymare!” Scootaloo yelled. “After her!” Dash took to the air, and Applejack took off on hoof to where the girl had supposedly gone. For being an earth pony, she was surprisingly agile, and Dash had to weave around lamp posts and into alleyways just to keep up with her. Applejack saw the blue earth pony run into an alleyway. “Ha! Gotcha!” she yelled, swerving inside, just in time to see the pony running off on the top of an adjacent building. How...? Applejack scratched her head. Not pondering it for long, she took off again. Dash managed to corner the young earth pony on the roof of a building that was about four stories tall. Scootaloo was fast approaching. “What’s your name, and who do you work for?” Dash demanded. The young earth pony was trembling. “S-Saphira,” she stammered. “Get b-back, before I have to hurt you!” “I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to know what’s going on, and you’re going to tell me!” Dash stated. “Now!” That was enough. In a flurry of motion that even Scootaloo barely saw, Saphira took down Dash and jumped off the building. Dash was seemingly uninjured, but she was unable to pick herself back up, grunting in frustration as some of her legs refused to move. Saphira somersaulted on the ground and continued running. Scootaloo landed next to Dash. “Are you okay?” she asked. “Ngh,” Dash mumbled, her mouth pressed up against the roof of the building. “What are you waiting for? Get her!” Applejack chased the earth pony and managed to corner her again. “Yer not gettin’ away from me!” Twilight rushed up to see the blue earth pony take down Applejack, but slower this time. Saphira first reared up and hit Applejack in a specific place above the knee, tripped her, and then hit her again above her back knee. Applejack felt two pops before collapsing to the ground. Saphira ran toward the woods and disappeared within the foliage. ******* ===================================================================== “Are you both alright?” Fluttershy asked worriedly. “Yeah, Ah am,” Applejack said, only two legs functioning. “But mah legs aren’t.” “I don’t know what happened, it just all stopped working!” Dash complained. “Sweetie Belle, now’s a good time to use your ability!” Scootaloo said, motioning to the two wounded ponies that had been moved near the town square. Sweetie Belle looked nervous. “Um, yeah, maybe…” “You got your cutie mark!” Rarity gasped, looking on the verge of tears for having missed so much of her sister’s life. “And I wasn’t there…” Twilight nudged Rarity and looked at her. This isn’t the time, Rarity. Rarity sighed, but stopped talking. “What’s your ability, Sweetie Belle?” Dash asked. “Wh-when I sing, I heal ponies,” Sweetie Belle said. “But I don’t have much practice.” “You have all the time in the world to get it right,” Twilight said. “And our friends really need your help. Can you try?” “Yeah, sure,” Sweetie Belle said. She sat down next to Applejack, who had found a somewhat comfortable position. Sweetie Belle took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and started to sing. ******* “Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry, go to sleep my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses. Dapple and grays, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses. “Way down yonder, in the meadow, poor little baby cryin’ mama, birds and the butterflies flutter ‘round his eyes. Poor little baby, cryin’ mama. “Hush-a-bye, don’t you cry, go to sleep, my little baby. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses. Dapples and grays, pintos and bays, all the pretty little horses.” Sweetie Belle finished the lullaby with a brief hum, but it already had its effects. Positive energy started to flow throughout Applejack and Dash’s veins, revitalizing them and fixing their dislocated appendages. ******* However, it did more than that. Fluttershy and Rarity had started to cry because of the song’s beauty, and Twilight, Dash, and Pinkie could do little to hold their emotions back. Once the song was over they quickly recovered, but the calm feeling they had in their hearts would last much longer. Scootaloo hadn’t cried, probably because she had heard the song before, but she was still appreciative of its beauty. Sweetie Belle opened her eyes and smiled weakly at the group. Her eyelids had almost slid over her eyes. “Hehe,” she giggled weakly. “That was breathtaking, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity said, giving her sister a tight squeeze. “How in the world did you find such a glorious ability?” “I’m sleepy,” Sweetie Belle said, yawning. “Oh, dear!” Rarity said, suddenly shifting her weight to keep Sweetie Belle standing. She had suddenly gone limp on her feet. Twilight helped lie Sweetie Belle down. “The magic must have drained her. I’ve never seen anything quite so powerful, even in my own talents,” she admitted. “I guess it was pretty obvious to everypony that her talent had something to do with singing,” Dash began, “but that just blew me out of the water.” “Yeah,” Applejack said wistfully. Three years... That’s a lot of time to miss. She turned to Scootaloo. “Where’d you say Apple Bloom was?” “Oh, over at Fluttershy’s,” Scootaloo said. “I’ll lead the way.” ===================================================================== Like most houses in Ponyville, Fluttershy’s abode was a mess, but it didn’t help that three teens were staying in it. Fluttershy didn’t mind, of course—you do what you have to do when the situation’s dire. Scootaloo had set most of the animals free, something that upset Fluttershy greatly, but again, you do what you have to do when you know that keeping them tied up won’t do them any good. Their first priority was Apple Bloom, though. Scootaloo led them upstairs, where Apple Bloom was staying. “Um, this way, and watch out for that step,” she said, pointing to a cracked board on the stairway. When they were all on the verge of the room, Scootaloo stopped them. “I… I think that only Applejack and Fluttershy should go in. I don’t think we should stress her out; she’s pretty bad.” Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, and Dash, though disappointed, complied and left to clean up the ruins of Fluttershy’s house. Applejack slowly creaked open the door. ******* This room was better kept than the rest of the house. There were no dirty dishes or wrappers like in other spots in the house; most of the trash had been evacuated. All in all, it looked fairly normal, except for the shivering mound in the center of a bed. This mound was an earth pony mare, the same age as Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle. Her coat was a pale olive color, with a rose-red mane, although both looked messy and haphazard. She clutched tightly to a red bow. Applejack slowly approached her. “A-…Apple Bloom?” she asked. The mound slowly opened her eyes. “Sis? That you?” Applejack rushed to her sister’s side and felt her forehead. “She’s burnin’ up,” Applejack told Fluttershy, who was now also now at the teen’s side. “Did mah friends finally find you?” Apple Bloom asked, her hoarse voice barely above a whisper. She was incredibly thin, even thinner than her counterparts. “Ah knew they would.” “We’re here now; everything’s going to be alright,” Fluttershy said. The teen’s state was dire; she was plastered with sweat and shivered violently as she tried to turn and face Applejack and Fluttershy. Her breath was shallow. “Ah’m not goin’ ta let anythin’ happen to ya now,” Applejack said, nuzzling Apple Bloom’s neck. “Yer finally here,” Apple Bloom murmured. She opened her orange eyes and smiled. For a moment, she looked like she had only just woken up from a nap. Then she closed them again with a grunt of pain. “How do you feel?” Fluttershy asked. “Not too good,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah have this nasty headache, ya see…” she looked like she was about to continue, but the effort was too much. She quivered and wrapped herself tighter in her covers. “Oh, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said, holding the sick mare close. How could this happen? Please don’t die, Apple Bloom. Fluttershy was already in tears, she could barely examine the pale lump lying in front of her. She had a basic knowledge of diseases from her work with animals. She’s... she’s not looking very well... “Sis, you still there?” Apple Bloom whispered. “Yeah,” Applejack said. “And Ah’ll always be here by your side.” Apple Bloom’s head moved slightly, probably a nod. She was going to speak, but no words came out. “When did you last eat?” Applejack asked. “A few days ago, not—not too long,” Apple Bloom said. Another wave of pain washed over her, and she cringed. A few days, Fluttershy thought sadly. “Oh,” Apple Bloom said, her eyes lighting up for the briefest of moments as she opened them and turned over, pointing at the nightstand. A light brown Stetson hat was resting there. “Ah found yer hat a couple years ago. Thought Ah’d keep it…” she drifted off. “Ah’d keep it safe.” Applejack hugged her sister. She was warm to the touch. “Thanks, sis,” she placed her hat back on her head. It was cold, as if it hadn’t been worn in a long time. “How’s it lookin’, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked. Fluttershy nodded. “She… sh-she’ll be fine.” “That’s good,” Apple Bloom said. “Sis, you still there?” “Ah have ta answer that?” Applejack prodded Apple Bloom affectionately. Apple Bloom smiled. “I’m…” she didn’t finish. Her breathing steadied somewhat, and she fell into slumber. Fluttershy wiped her eyes and turned away. “I can’t. I-It’s too much.” I’ve never seen anypony this sick before. Applejack sighed, and looked at her shivering sister. Her heart shattered and fell into pieces in her chest. The orange mare looked at Fluttershy. “Just how ‘fine’ will she be?” Fluttershy drew in a shaky breath, and exhaled. “I think it’s the flu aggravated into pneumonia by malnutrition. I-I don’t think that sh-she’ll…” Fluttershy couldn’t finish; she was crying too hard. Applejack gritted her teeth. I want to be angry, but... but at what? I can’t fight an invisible foe. I can’t outsmart disease. “Let’s go tell the others,” Applejack sighed, taking one last glance at her younger sister before leaving the room. ===================================================================== Applejack and Fluttershy came back downstairs to a slightly cleaner room. “How is she?” Dash asked, though she didn’t really need to. Their expressions said it all. Applejack shook her head. “It just ain’t right!” she exclaimed, stomping the floor in frustration. “Ah shoulda been here; Ah coulda helped her!” “Is she going to… you know?” Scootaloo looked at Fluttershy. Fluttershy sighed and repeated her diagnosis. “If we had food, I’d really only be worried about her surviving tonight, but unless you found any, we’re…” her bottom lip trembled. “Food?” Pinkie asked. “Well, I have a secret store.” “There’s no food left in Ponyville, or we would have found it already,” Sweetie Belle sighed. “We’ve been looking for days.” “There’s no harm in checking,” Pinkie pointed out. “How about you come with me, Sweetie Belle?” “That’s a good idea,” Twilight said, adjusting her crown to scratch her forehead. “How about you two, Dash, and Scootaloo go searching for food while Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy stay here to watch Apple Bloom?” “What about you?” Rarity asked. “I think I might have a healing spell I could use to help Apple Bloom; I’d just have to get it from my library,” Twilight suggested. “It’s better than nothing.” Applejack took a deep breath. “What about that Saphira girl? We might git some trouble later on down the road,” she pointed out. “Our first priority is our friends,” Twilight said sternly. “Apple Bloom is in danger, and we have to do everything we can to save her. Everything else comes second.” “Right!” Pinkie said determinedly. “We’ll save her, mark my words!” “Then that’s that,” Twilight finished. “We should get going right away.” ===================================================================== ******* A blue-green unicorn stallion with a greenish mane was walking outside the ruins of Canterlot. His cutie mark was of a theatrical mask, the kind used to show either comedy or tragedy. If you wanted me to be here at precisely three o’clock, then you better be here at three o’clock as well! The unicorn thought angrily. I have been standing here for a full five minutes! “Took you long enough,” said a blood-red pegasus mare who stepped out of a shadowy alley nearby. She had a short-cut, dark red mane and sharp metal tips on her hooves. “I’ve been here two minutes and counting.” “Ha, ha,” scoffed the unicorn, who had a known taste for punctuality. “How’s Saphira?” “Huh? Oh, a little flustered, but the tyke’s alright,” she shrugged, looking at the unicorn. “Why so concerned about her all of a sudden? I thought you preferred to think she didn’t exist.” “I prefer to think that she’s of no implication to my life until I’m out of the mess I got myself into. The same goes for you, Lyvia,” the unicorn said coldly. “Aw, how sweet,” Lyvia laughed, putting a hoof under the unicorn’s chin and fluttering her eyelashes. “You’re a real charmer, Lorey, you know that?” Using telekinesis, Lorey thrust Lyvia’s hoof to the floor. “My patience is limited.” “Duh,” Lyvia said, rolling her eyes. Her metal-tipped hooves sparked with electricity, and Lorey clutched his forehead, suddenly in the throngs of a powerful migraine. “Mine, too,” Lyvia scoffed, resetting her hooves. “What’s with you today, anyway? That time of the month again, or what?” “I’m not always as peachy-keen as I usually am, Lyvia,” Lorey hissed. “Today, much less so. I fear that she has been seeing me again, with more power than ever.” “Aw, that hag? Why not just plug your ears?” Lyvia suggested. When she received an irritated glance, she added, “Y’know, figuratively speaking and all.” “Never mind,” Lorey sighed. “The Daymare sent you, correct?” “Yeah,” Lyvia nodded. “And she has a job specifically for you, too. It’s your lucky day.” “Hmph,” Lorey said. “Has Luna finally amassed a force worthy of being recognized by our ruler? Or are you just pulling my leg?” “Yes, but it’s not like she knows it yet,” Lyvia laughed. “Saphira came back with news that the Elements of Harmony are active for the first time in years. In Ponyville, too.” Lorey raised his eyebrows. “Oh, did she now? Well, then... What is my mission?” “Oh, c’mon, take a guess!” Lyvia proposed. When she once again received an irritated look, she said, “You’re so boring.” “I wasn’t hired to entertain you,” Lorey said. Lyvia rolled her eyes. “Well, the Daymare has something a little tough in mind for you, actually.” “And what would that be?” Lorey asked. “Infiltration,” Lyvia stated. “Shouldn’t be too hard, right?” ===================================================================== [Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.          This entire storyline takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.