//------------------------------// // Mayhem // Story: Slender // by The Wizard of Words //------------------------------// “Okay, you know how I said before the room was creepy,” Dash began, hoof waving over the paper. “This kind of turns it up to eleven, maybe twelve.” Twilight could find no reason to disagree with the statement of the pegasus. She felt her hoof cover her mouth, hoping that it would be enough cover to hide her slack jaw and open lips. Her eyes however, could do little more than stare horrified at the simple piece of parchment portraying a far from simple message. Everything about it told her that they were on the right track. Princess Luna was correct in her assumption that this was where Pip contracted his illness, Twilight was right that it was likely the only time the foalnapper was alone with the young pony. But leaving this note, a symbol that could be taken as nothing less than a warning, what did it mean? Was this pony on to them already? Was he, or she, preparing for others to follow the obvious clues? And if that was the case, then what was the end game? Intimidation? Fear? If anything, all it did was confirm that they were on the trail of the foalnapper. It didn’t make any sense. “Hey princess!” Twilight heard Dash shout next to her. “We found something you really need to see.” The unicorn let her eyes move from the note briefly enough to see the dark alicorn and pegasus filly trotting closer to them. Scootaloo still held the expression of a curious foal, but Luna appeared just as stern as she had when they met in the town square. “What is it Rainbo…” Luna’s voice trailed off, her eyes doubtlessly finding themselves on the page hanging from the tree. For whatever reason the unicorn could name, the air seemed heavy to her, making the contraction of her diaphragm more difficult than normal. “Dash?” The voice of the youngest in their group spoke up. “What’s that?” True to her name, the pegasus dashed to an answer. “Nothing to worry about Scoots.” She spoke so easily, it marveled Twilight. Unfortunately, the unicorn was focusing too hard on her ability to breath than to bother giving Rainbow the proper look of appraisal she deserved. “Just proves that you were right on the bits about Pip coming here.” “Really?” “Absolutely.” Dash put her hoof over the filly’s purple mane, ruffling her hair. “You really helped us out. So-URGH!” Twilight gave a glance towards the pegasus when she heard the grunt, but returned her gaze to the ominous paper as she saw Scootaloo giving a ferocious hug to her prismatic maned friend. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” The filly’s cheers didn’t give any sign of dying out any time soon. Twilight licked her lips as she let her lavender eyes run over the paper again. The paper and ink were unmarred aside from the simple nail that kept it attached to the tree. There was no running, cracks, bleeding, or any other signs of age about it. That meant the paper couldn’t have been exposed to the elements for long. “This is not what I expected to encounter here.” Twilight didn’t have to look to know that it was the princess speaking just beside her. “I was hoping for hoof prints, perhaps a discarded piece of clothing or cloth, but not a… taunt.” “Logically speaking, the foalnapper must have been aware of the trail being left behind, but then why would he try and do this rather than cover it up?” The unicorn asked her question aloud, rubbing a hoof down her leg. Her hair was standing on end, and breathing had yet to become any easier. “Perhaps… Pip returned here without Scootaloo’s presence, and he used this as a means to attract him.” The theory developed as the princess spoke, but Twilight lightly shook her head. “That’s unlikely. This page looks new, very new, and Pip was sick for almost a week under the constant care of his mom. There’s no way this has been out here for that long, especially with the rain storm from last night.” She bit her lip as she finished, letting her mane fall over her eyes. Something was wrong. “So then… the fiend placed this sometime today?” Luna spoke the fact as if a question, raising a hoof to her chin in thought. “That seems rather bold for any criminal, yet unwise for a crime such as this, where discretion would be the greatest defense.” “Y-Yeah.” Twilight agreed, with all the enthusiasm of a terrified Fluttershy. Her tail curled around her form, hugging her coat as her forehoof wrapped around her shoulder. Despite the lack of change, she felt… exposed somehow, vulnerable. “Maybe… i-it’s a trap?” That earned the curious gaze of the lunar princess. “A trap?” Luna inquired. “However would you think that?” Something wasn’t right. Something was very wrong. Twilight’s mind was spinning in three different directions. What was going on with her? Was the air supposed to be this thick? Was the note supposed to be this obvious? Was she close to Dash? Where was she? “Twilight Sparkle?” The muffled voice of the ruler washed over the unicorn, gaining neither attention nor reaction. Instead, the lavender pony stumbled forward, hooves knocking against one another as she dizzily made herself move. Her body swayed with every step she took, each one feeling heavier than the next. There was a rumbling in her ears, like a tiny dragon snoring into a pillow. It was loud enough for her to recognize, but there wasn’t anything to focus on. Just like her vision. There was some brown, a lot of green, a little blue, but no shapes, no lines. It wasn’t long before there was only one thing she could describe in any detail. That was the pain rising from her gut. Twilight emptied her stomach behind a tree. “Twilight!” The shout of Dash pierced her sick haze, like a sharp ring of a bell while she was submerged in water. With the thickness of the air, she felt like she was in water. A groan rolled from her sore throat as she felt her body being pulled backwards, against any kind of force she had. A cool sensation washed over back, something wet and clingy. She couldn’t tell if it was mud, tears, or even a river. She just felt very tired. Consciousness returned with a fresh breath of air. Twilight sucked in a precious and near hallowed pocket of oxygen, untainted by Carbon Dioxide or Nitrogen particles. She felt her diaphragm straining itself to allow in as much of the precious air as possible, stretching the alveoli in her lungs to their maximum size. Her chest groaned in appreciation. Her eyes drifted open, hazy colors all she could distinguish, but dark colors. There wasn’t any bright blue, no soft green. There was just a dark blanket with patches of brown and a rainbow of colors swimming around it. The breath left Twilight as the sky blue returned again, squeezing her chest tightly. She wheezed in dissatisfaction. “Thank Luna you’re alright.” She heard the voice speak clear as a crystal. It was soft, but hardly collected, each word falling over the next as they came out. Twilight raised a hoof to push against the color gripping her, succeeding in only straining her leg. “Allow her some space Rainbow Dash.” Another voice spoke from above, far more collected than the one she heard before. The grip around her left, hesitantly as the shivering objects over her chest were evident of. The colors around her gained edges and curves, turning form blurs into definable shapes. It wasn’t until she began to see stars high above her that she realized she was on her back, looking upwards into the night sky. Where did the sun go? How long was she out for? Her head shook lightly, focusing her jumbled mind. Her body twisted slightly, allowing Twilight to push herself back onto her four hooves. As soon as she did, she quickly took a seat. All of her limbs felt like twigs, ready to snap under the smallest of forces. She felt a familiar feathery appendage wrap around her, holding her steady. “What happened to me?” The question left her lips before she was aware of the thought. “I am not aware how, or even when, but it appears that you have contracted some illness similar to that of Pipsqueak Pinto.” Luna’s commanding tone stated. “Your weakness is clear, the vomiting even more so.” Twilight nodded slowly at the words. The princess was right, that she couldn’t deny. Still, she thought, with a bit of her lip, it was an odd sensation, displaying the symptoms of the foal they were searching for. From the illness or not, she felt her nerves jitter on edge. “And… where are we now?” This time, the answer came from just beside her. “Just outside the library.” Dash answered earnestly. “Since Pip probably got sick in there, there’s no way we’re gonna keep you in there.” The unicorn continued to nod her head, blinking her eyes as well. That made sense as well. It would have been poor judgment to try and treat her illness in the very area they suspected it originated from. Her lips felt dry, but she spoke nonetheless. “Should… I go to the hospital?” Twilight asked carefully, lavender eyes peering up to the taller alicorn in question. A tight lip and stern eyes were the reply the unicorn received for a moment, only before the princess released a slow sigh. “No.” She admitted. “Unlike Pip, who I was unaware was in need of aid, I was able to treat you quickly. Rest should be the only thing you need to recover from this short, but dangerous, ordeal.” A sigh of relief rolled from her lips before she realized it was there. Her ears didn’t miss the same sound coming from the pegasus next to her. “But seriously, thank Celestia that… Princess Luna was there.” Rainbow awkwardly praised, earning a raised brow from the monarch in question. Dash moved her attention to the unicorn still in her winged grasp. “I mean, when you spewed out breakfast and lunch, I thought you were going down for the count. Scootaloo and I were freaking out, badly. Scoots just kept asking what was happening and she wouldn’t let go of me, a-and I didn’t know what to do so I was yelling too then.” “Dash.” The calm whisper of her name visibly calmed the pegasus, who was growing more and more agitated with every word she spoke. “Sorry,” she muttered in an almost bitter tone. “Princess Luna though, she did her mega voice to shut me and Scoots right up. She told me to take Scootaloo home a-and to meet her outside the library, here, where we are now.” Twilight nodded, keeping calm as Rainbow clearly was losing that state of mind. “It took much convincing for Rainbow Dash to listen to my words, however.” The dark alicorn continued where Dash left off, earning the gazes of both ponies. “She was more than simply determined to stay by your side. When I was able to sway her into taking Scootaloo home, however, she hesitantly agreed. That was when I levitated you onto my own back and took off for here.” “It… couldn’t have taken that long though.” Twilight listed out loud as her eyes looked skywards. Luna followed her gaze, gaining a smile of adoration for her night. “In truth, Twilight Sparkle, the day had escaped us during our visit to the Everfree, so by my return here, it was time to begin my night. Nevertheless,” the princess spoke, earning back her train of thought. “I deduced that some form of infection had contaminated your bloodstream. It is still unclear just how you obtained it, but it required only simple spells of transfusion and purification to set your body back into a proper state of care. The oxygen was something… new. A recommendation from a colleague back in Canterlot.” The talk of medical knowledge brought a smile to Twilight’s lips. “The delivery of pure oxygen is a sure means to reactivate the hemoglobin count and activity within the veins and capillaries of the body.” Twilight listed automatically. “It’s from Dr. Careheart’s Case Report of long term patient care, usually in the recovery of leukemia or other blood deficient conditions.” “Yeah, I’m stopping the nerd talk before it begins.” Dash spoke before Luna could let air pass her lips. “Sorry, but I hate being left out of conversations, and there’s no way I’ll have anything to talk about with medicine and stuff. Besides, we got just a few more important things to talk about.” Luna gave the pegasus a harsh gaze before speaking again. “Yes….” She conceded with another sigh. Twilight hesitated to think that Dash was annoying the princess, more than necessary at least. When the dark alicorn let her eyes fall upon the unicorn and pegasus again, however, the eyes were not those of a ruler. They were, dare Twilight say it, tired eyes. “As my night has risen and my court is near, it is unlikely that I can continue to search for Pip. However, and I use this in the lightest of terms, your misfortune with the illness came at the opportune time. You can now rest while I perform my court. Tomorrow, I will begin the search again.” That tired gaze Twilight watched with unease turned almost pleading. “May I trust you two to with aiding this search again?” The question was as unneeded as a starless night. “Of course!” Dash was unendingly enthusiastic with her words. “There’s no way I wouldn’t help out with this! It’s like I promised Rumble your highness, I’m gonna find Pipsqueak.” A relieved smile washed over the alicorn’s features. “I agree with Rainbow, Princess Luna.” Twilight spoke up, still in the embrace of the pegasus next to her. “I’m sorry that I didn’t see… this coming, but I’ll use counter measure spells and wards tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll find the pony behind this, and see to it that he’s brought to the courts.” The smile along the lunar princess’s lips turned joyful. “Good, excellent.” She spoke with a comforting sense of peace. “Then I must be off.” As elegant as her night, the wings on the alicorn’s back began to spread, extending to their fullest length with the soft light of the moon above shining down upon them. The feathery appendages flicked once, twice, then the princess was hovering in the air. Eyes skywards, Princess Luna ascended into her starry night, her coat a match to the dark canvas of the lights. Her form grew smaller and smaller as she flew higher and higher. The two remaining ponies watched the alicorn fly into the night, disappearing from sight. “I’m going to head inside then.” Twilight announced to Dash. “Yeah, no kidding.” The sarcasm was as thick to the unicorn as the air that seemed to surround her still. “Not just because I’m… not doing alright.” Twilight explained with a thoughtful expression. “I have a feeling that if the foalnapper is using the Slenderman tales as a means to intimidate and frighten Pip, and us, then he might have left a few clues he wasn’t aware of.” “Like what?” Dash asked back. “I don’t know… something. Maybe… maybe he took Pip to a specific spot the Slenderman takes his victims, to keep Pip in a state of distress. That could easily create a level of Stockcolt Syndrome would he, or she, be able to play the part of the Slenderman as well as a fellow captive.” Dash’s brows rose with every word Twilight said. “That’s… some serious thinking.” Twilight waved the comment off. “It’s just a spontaneous idea. The point is, there’s never such thing as too much information. If I can learn all these small details about Slenderman, I might be able to have a better idea of where to look tomorro…” Her voice trailed off as a wide yawn ended her sentence. Dash couldn’t hide the smile that grew across her face. “You’re adorkable when you yawn like that.” A light push on her shoulder was all the response Twilight gave, though done with half lidded eyes. “But be careful, the princess told you to rest, and I don’t want you reading all night. Maybe… Maybe I should spend the night again.” This time however, the lidded eyes of Twilight gained a hard edge. “No,” she spoke adamantly. “If I am sick still, the last thing I need is the guilt that I got you sick as well. I’ll be fine, honest. When was the last time I disobeyed a direct order from a princess?” The light jab at herself did the trick, putting an easy smile back on the lips of the pegasus. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry about that.” Dash admitted with a hoof behind her head. “Can’t blame me for being too careful though, right?” Twilight released a small giggle before responding. “Good night Dash,” the unicorn spoke easily, already trotting home. “I’ll see you tomorrow with Luna.” “Yep, bright and early. Oh and Twilight?” Said unicorn stopped to look at Rainbow. “Make sure you take it easy. Like I said before, I don’t’ want anything bad to happen to you.” “Thanks Dash.” Twilight replied easily, allowing a calm smile to spread over her lips. “I’m sure I’ll be better by morning. I’ll see you then.” “Yeah.” With that, Dash took to the skies. The blissful feeling of air rushing past her wings made her previous smile turn to a bright gleam. The rush of speed, the freedom of the air. It always seemed to free her from the reality of regular life. Especially on a night like tonight, cloudless over Ponyville with Luna’s stars high above her. The euphoria of flight almost felt like receiving a gift after the day now passed her. She took it graciously. Her lithe body spun and dove through the air, heedless of any obstructions in her path. Thankful, there were none. No cloud, no pony, nor any other object in the sky she could touch. She was totally and completely free. Dash let her body begin an ascent, rising into the dark sky above, guided by the stars that hung in the air. She let the visage of the town below quickly shrink until it became nothing but a small collection of dots along the expansive field it was made in. Flaring her wings, she stopped herself. She let herself hang in the air, suspended high above the world, away from the sight of any prying eyes or wandering curiosity’s. Luna had her night, Twilight had her books, but Dash… Dash had her sky. She had the entire skyline to enjoy, to sail and soar and embrace with her speed. She couldn’t name a time she didn’t enjoy the sensation of air passing through her feathers. Gravity slowly reclaimed her, pulling her to the ground far below. Dash let herself fall like a ragdoll, descending through the sky free of her control. Breath was dragged from her as the wind rushed past her. The smile across her features had yet to fall. The force of the wind fighting her muscles almost made her drool. Then with a flare little different than before, her wings caught the air, pulling against it with strength few other pegasi could conjure. Her muscles groaned under the pressure, fighting the incredible amounts of drag force against them. Dash’s smile had opened further with glee. Her descent quickly slowed, the wind grabbing at her eagerly, helping her to fight the pull of gravity. She felt her insides continue to pull against her the forces of inertia holding truer now than they ever did out of a text book back in flight school. Slowly though, carefully, she reached a speed that was anything but deadly, letting her hooves slowly touch down on a wisp of cloud hanging in the air. As soon as Dash’s hooves touched the spongy material, her legs gave out beneath her, leaving her to pant with the remnants of the flight still inside of her. It was brief, quick, and there was no other way around that. The whole display had taken her all of a few minutes to perform, but it was still something she never tired of. Turning onto her back, she let the starry night of Princess Luna surround her vision. There were no trees, no homes, no clouds or wisps of smoke. There were only stars above her, bright and brilliant. She never had really cared for them before. Granted, she never thought they were boring, but it was just a none too gentle reminder that even the largest things in life are easy to miss. Twilight had taught her that. Twilight had taught Dash a lot. She rolled over onto her stomach, letting the cool touch of the cloud suck away the heat permeating from her coat. A low sigh of relief rolled from her lips as it did. The ground below wasn’t nearly as visible as the sky above. Just dark shapes and even darker shadows. It was easy to tell when the moon wasn’t full in Equestria. Dash’s pink eyes rolled over the vast landscape, looking for anything that was interesting enough to keep her attention. Something, anything, that could give her an excuse to stay on the cloud and not fly back home. Rainbow saw just that. It was brief, quick, but noticeable enough for it to not be a mistake. It was small shape, smaller than her if she was on the ground, but bright enough to easily be visible against the light of the stars. It darted back and forth across the ground, hiding from building to bush to tree to building again. Dash watched with wide pink eyes, keeping track of it’s every move. Despite all the zigzagging she saw it doing, she could tell easily enough it was traveling in a certain direction. It was hard for her to tell without looking away, but it looked like it was heading south. There were a few places that were towards the south. The outer edges of the Apple Farm, Fluttershy’s home, a few wild animal fields, nothing that she could think of that would be interesting this late at night. Dash licked her lips, leaning further over the cloud as she nestled herself into the spongy substance. The figure was so familiar to her, the color, the size, but something about it was just… off. The thing stopped briefly, hiding underneath a house awning. It was huddled close to the wall, looking back and forth over the empty night street. That was when Rainbow got a good look. She was looking right down on Scootaloo. For just that moment, Dash forgot to take a breath. Confusion riddled her mind at the sight of the filly scurrying around the town so late at night, and without another pony around her either. Not to mention the clearly deceptive nature of the way she was moving. Everything about was just… wrong. What was she doing? Where was she going? She had dropped her off at home, so… what was going on? A part of her was close to flying down and asking her, jumping right in front of the filly to gain her answer. But another side of her, a side she really hadn’t ever cared to listen to, said to wait, to watch, to be patient. Three things she hated almost as much as Discord himself. Scootaloo began to move again, still heading further and further south. Dash followed close behind, high above on her small cloud. The filly slowly left the borders of the town, entering the open fields clear of any domestication. That was when the foal really took off. She was no runner, not without her scooter, but she certainly had energy. Dash flapped her wings a bit harder to keep pace with her, unconsciously biting at the soft material she laid on. The question of where Scootaloo was going kept nagging at the prismatic pegasus. There was nothing more out here. There wasn’t really any need for her to go to the Apple’s farm, especially if Luna had offered her food. It would be pointless to go to Fluttershy’s house this late at night, let alone her being gone. Why would Scootaloo want to be out here? Dash didn’t think of the answer, she saw it. Her pink eyes traced the path the filly pegasus was running, straight and truer than her zigzagging from before. There was only one thing that she was running towards, one object that was impossible to miss. The edge of the Everfree forest. When Dash stopped above the forest’s edge, the orange foal jumped in without second thought. It took Dash just as much time to start to follow up above. Dash glided high in the air, being sure to watch for the clouds that could block her path. A small drop, a twist left, a flip right, but never anything that could be considered a turn. Her path was straight and sure, following an object that was far below her, scurrying through the dense forest. Her pink eyes traced the orange object, darting beneath the canopy of the trees, visible only by the brightness of her coat. It darted left and right between the trees, slowing for nothing, but quickening with every few bounds of open space it had. Still, it was nothing that Dash had any trouble keeping up with. Rainbow let her eyes turn skywards for a moment, looking ahead for any obstructions before looking back down. The small form of the pony below still moved ahead without patience. But that was when something else caught her eye. It wasn’t any one object or thing, rather, it was a collection of them. She recognized the tree the small form below jumped over. She knew that rock the orange coated filly pushed off of. It was hard to forget something she had seen just hours prior. Little Scootaloo was following the same exact path she had shown them earlier. Dash bit her lip as a million and one thoughts filled her mind. There were so many possibilities to consider about this, and she didn’t have the brain capacity of an egghead to sift through them all. Was Scootaloo trying to search for Pip as well? Did she remember something that she didn’t want to forget again? Had she hidden something from them? It all seemed… possible, but then all around improbable at the same time. Rainbow let herself drift lower to the canopy’s cover, grabbing a floating cloud to hid herself as she did so. Sure enough, just as she had thought, the familiar clearing appear just ahead, Scootaloo popping into the open. The young filly looked left and right as she surveyed the open area, unchanged aside from the fresh set of hoof prints left behind not too long ago. One part of Dash wanted to fly down and confront the filly, demanding answers to the questions that were flying around her head like parasprites. But another, more cautious, part of her, a side she usually ignored, told her to wait. Listening to that side of her made her scoff. Twilight really was wearing off on her. Scootaloo didn’t do much more than wait herself. The filly bounced around the open section of the Everfree forest. It was impossible to see anything besides what her body was moving. Dash couldn’t see if her eyes were wide with panic, scrunched in curiosity, or twisted with malice… the last one was born in her mind but drifted from her thoughts faster than even she could catch it. But slowly, the filly stopped moving, her eager spinning and bouncing ceased. Soon, she started to relax on the forest floor, the small opening that gave her a view of the sky above. Scootaloo turned onto her back, looking high into the night air. That was when her eyes found Dash. A stiff moment was left between the two, both frozen where they were. One with fear, one with confusion. Scootaloo jumped to her hooves, quickly barreling for the forest again. This time, however, Dash didn’t wait. The prismatic pegasus flew right in front of the orange coated filly, stopping the foal right in her path. “Scoots.” Dash spoke evenly, to the filly, watching as the orange pegasus shivered beneath her gaze. “What are you doing here?” “You shouldn’t be here.” It was a reply quicker and more cryptic than Dash expected. Scootaloo back pedaled against the grass in an attempt to turn, but Dash caught her with her own forehooves. She didn’t know what was more confusing, the fact that Scootaloo was out here at all, or the degree of which she was trying to run from her. “Scootaloo!” Dash spoke just shy of a shout, earning a quick shudder followed by a stiff posture from the filly. Rainbow heard Scootaloo swallow on something before she looked up. Those eyes were filled with guilt. Dash’s were filled with confusion. “What in the hay are you doing out here? Forget just not being in bed, why are in you the Everfree forest?” Now the filly’s gaze fell from Dash’s own. “C’mon Scoots, I’m not mad at you. I’m just… you know we were looking for Pip out here…” she let her voice trail off. What she wanted to say, she couldn’t say, not to a filly like Scootaloo. “…ink…” The low mumble from the pony in her hooves caught Dash’s attention instantly. The cyan mare leaned closer to the filly. “What was that?” Scootaloo answered only by curling in deeper to herself. She wasn’t making this easy. “C’mon Scoots, you know I can’t just walk away from this without some kind of explanation of some kind.” “You wouldn’t get it.” The utter loathing in the tone turned Dash’s confusion into shock. Her neck bent back with wide eyes, mouth open just enough to let a stray fly have entrance. Of all the things she could imagine Scootaloo doing, out right pushing her away was last on the list. Below last, not even there. “What wouldn’t I get?” Dash tried again. Her hooves slowly released the filly, letting her settle her four hooves on the forest floor. Still, Scootaloo avoided her gaze. At least she wasn’t running. “Scootaloo. You’d be surprised what I can understand. I bet that there’s nothing you can say I won’t believe.” The filly’s head whipped to match her gaze. Dash saw nothing but anger in those small eyes. “You’re lying!” She accused outright to her mentor, screaming. Dash didn’t just gasp, she stepped back. “That’s what everypony says! They say that there’s nothing wrong with it, that I’m brave, or smart, or… or other dumb words. But then all they do is just pity me.” Her voice snarled as she looked away, her eyes glaring into some part of the Everfree Forest Dash couldn’t see. All the prismatic cared about was the filly just in front of her, biting with a voice that would give a Timberwolf pause. “He’s the only one who’s ever understood.” Any kind of shock or fright Dash had left at those words. “Who Scootaloo?” The filly turned again to her mentor, trying to bare her mad eyes with a snarl, but was met only with her idol standing far above her, wearing a gaze that was as commanding as the princess’s voice. The strength in the filly slowly left her. “Is he the same pony that took Pip?” Now those eyes widened in fear. It was sick, it was wrong, but Dash couldn’t suppress the feeling of achievement at the sight. “Yo-I…” Scootaloo’s voice stuttered and died, slowly backing away. For every hoof step she took backwards, Dash took one forwards. The cyan pegasus let her wings flare with her trot. Kindness didn’t work, so a little force would have to do. It was good to a nice pony, up until being nice no longer mattered. “Tell me Scootaloo.” Dash’s voice was anything but kind. “Who are you waiting for? Who is he?” “I-I… I promised.” The timid voice whispered. Now Dash was snarling. Scootaloo jumped as her mentor’s hoof slammed the ground beside her. The pegasus’s face was right in front of her own, pink eyes nearly red. Scootaloo was nearly in tears at the sight. “You promised to help hurt another pony? You promised that would keep a foalnapper safe?” The filly’s eyes began to leak liquid. Dash didn’t relent. “All you’re doing is keeping the wrong kind of promises here Scootaloo. I got it before, I understood then. You didn’t want Pip to get in trouble.” The tension slowly ebbed from her muscles, lettering Dash’s face relax to a far more calm position than the snarl she held it in just before. “I’m glad you want to honor those kinds of things. But,” Her voice sharpened like a sword’s edge. “You don’t keep promises that hurt other ponies. Ever!” Scootaloo flinched at the rise in volume, hooves curling under her petite frame. The tears had yet to stop. “I-I-I-B-B…” The filly’s lip quivered horrendously as she tried to regain control of her slipping emotions. She rubbed at her eyes with a shaking hoof, clenched her teeth with a trembling jaw, but all she succeeded in doing was curling closer to herself on the ground. Her whimpering cries soon followed. Dash stood above the miserable foal, her eyes losing their edge as her mind cooled itself. The miserable sobs that emanated from the filly tore down no walls within the brash pegasus, but they did succeed in ebbing the stress from her thoughts. With careful trots, Dash put herself next to the terrified Scootaloo, draping a wing over her. The filly quickly huddled into the warmth of her elder’s fur, letting her bitter tears stain the cyan coat of Dash. Rainbow spoke nothing as she did so, no words of comfort or questions for her more than curious mind. Instead, she listened to her other side again, the side of her that Twilight had nurtured through their frequent contact and many talks. A low sigh left Dash’s lips as she realized that. The sobs of Scootaloo turned into low gasps, eventually falling into the gentle breathing of a calmed mind. Though Dash’s coat was stained still with the salty liquid, cooled to a frigid temperature against the cool night air, no more of her fur was stained by the filly’s torment. “Scootaloo.” Dash whispered carefully to the filly, earning a turn of the young pegasus’s head. “Huh?” “What are you doing out here?” Rainbow felt Scootaloo curl deeper into her side, pulling at her wing like a comforting blanket. It was hard to tell the foal off. “C’mon Scoots, I’m not going to get mad. Not again.” She leaned her head close to the smaller pegasus, nudging her gently. “You gotta help Pip, now more than ever. No pony will get mad at you for breaking this kind of promise.” “How do you know that?” Dash barely heard the words mumble from beneath her, muffled by her own coat and Scootaloo’s hanging head. Fortunately, the elder pegasus was ready for this one. “Because I’m promising you that I’ll protect you, just as long as you help me out here.” That earned the adoring gaze of the filly again, looking up at her with bright hopeful eyes. Dash returned it with her signature grin, never once losing her composure. “And that’s the kind of promise you’re supposed to keep.” The hopeful eyes turned into a joyful smile, tears collecting again at the edges of Scootaloo’s vision. She bit her lip, pensive about letting another bout of tears to fall. She held them back, but it looked almost as painful as letting them out. “O-Okay.” The filly agreed. “I promise I’ll help, for real, honestly.” “Awesome. Now,” Dash began slowly, making sure with every logical part of her mind that Scootaloo knew how serious she was. “Who foalnapped Pip?” With an equally serious expression, the twist and bend of features familiar to one who was preparing to betray a dear friend, Scootaloo spoke the name Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Princess Luna had searched the entire day for. “The Slender Man.”