Warning: This is just a comedic start for a serious story, please do not judge the entire story based on this prologue. Please, if you don't like comedy or humor, or if this just isn't your humor, skip this chapter, I'm sure you can figure out what it leads up to in the second chapter.
The day was bright, shining warmth all over the new spring that had dawned over the village as Winter Wrap Up had finished. The land was filled with pegasi flying free as they should through the brisk cool air. All but poor Scootaloo had set their hooves off the ground. She, along with her Crusaders friend had nothing to do on this fine day.
Nothing, but to annoy Rarity.
“Ugh! Sweetie Belle, can’t you take your friends and go crusading somewhere else? I need to fill this order in tonight and I still don’t have the gems I need to finish it,” complained Rarity, attempting to sew more padding into the fine, feathery pink and black dress.
“Maybe we could help you get the gems?” spit Sweetie Belle, jumping with her friends, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Gem Finders!”
“Well, I’m sorry fillies, it’s just too dangerous with all those diamond dogs out there, besides I need Spike to dig up the gems. Do any of you have the claws to dig into the rough dirt and get them for me?” They all shook there heads in unison.
“Maybe we could go get Spike for ya?” asked Applebloom, a disfigured smile on her face.
“Oh, I suppose you cou-”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Dragon Poachers!”
“Wait, what?” The three fillies darted out the door before an answer was to be given.
They ran out that door and into the streets of Ponyville, struggling onto Scootaloo’s scooter due to the harsh speed that they gathered. Sweetie Belle had tripped, scraping her hind hooves. But she did not care, for crusading was her mission. Scootaloo started her scooter, of which had grown rusted from the snow of last winter from her not covering it up. They sped slowly down the street, about half as fast as they could run.
“This ain’t getting us nowhere!” shouted Applebloom, an aggressive pulse inside her demanding herself off the scooter.
“Come on, we got to get Spike!” demanded Sweetie Belle, jumping off the scooter.
“Oh ah uh...” the confused filly spurted.
“Are you coming?” Sweetie Belle directed from down the road.
“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed, abandoning her scooter in a safe spot, next to a pile of trash. They wouldn’t need it, as Ponyville is not a very large town.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
A voice confronted back, “Spike, get the door! Spike, get the bucking door!” Twilight continued to call his name for the door several more times.
His claws screeched against the metal, as if he were digging his claws into it on purpose. Spike swished the door open, causing an utter halt in Twilight’s calling of his name.
“Hi Spike!” the three yelled in unison, “Rarity wanted us to get y-” The dragon took off immediately as the unicorn’s name was mentioned to have need of him. The fillies chased after him, leaving the door to the library open.
A lone squirrel found its way to the door of the library. It was rugged, shagged fur, and fluffy ears, along with its wing flaps. It was a beautiful squirrel, its blue eyes sparkled beauty into anypony who looked deep into them. This was a special squirrel it was no ordinary squirrel, this squirrel would take a very important part in the years to come, perhaps not in this story, or perhaps it would.
“Eek!” Twilight screamed, sighting the squirrel attempting to enter her library. She ran, frightened of the small creature’s stereotypical disgustingness, slamming the door in its face.
The Crusaders finally caught up to Spike, who had sprinted all the way to the Carousel Boutique. Well, more like right outside of it, passed out in a puddle of his own sweat and filth.
“Ya think he ‘lright?” Applebloom asked, poking his body with a stick she had picked up next to the shop.
“He’s still breathing,” Sweetie Belle said, grabbing Spike’s arm in an attempt to drag him inside the shop. “Want to help me out here?” Sweetie Belle directed to Scootaloo.
“Sure. Ah could use the exercise anyways.” Together they carried the scaled beast into the shop.
“Oh, Spike, my darling, what happened?” Rarity examined the seemingly unconscious dragon.
Spike tried to form words, only to pronounce feeble mumblings like a mad pony.
“You did good, girls.”
“Does that mean we can come with?” Sweetie Belle jumped excitedly, expecting a ‘yes.’
“Well...” Rarity stalled, creating a frown upon the faces of the fillies. “I suppose so.”
The fillies jumped with delight, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Gem Collectors!”
“But we have to wait for Spike to come out of... whatever you put him under...” Rarity reminded, not even giving another glance to the dragon.
He mumbled some more, some things about Rarity and him being together, and some things about a lone weed in a garden of beautiful flowers.
“Sweetie Belle, would you be so kind to wake up the poor dear?” said Rarity, nudging hints towards a bowl of water, not far from the table where she had lain various fabrics and glitter.
Her sister walked over, grasping the bowl with her mouth and headed over towards Spike’s body, splashing him with the liquid. Spike awoke slowly, wondering to himself if this was his own fluid.
“Wh-What’s going on?” Spike rose into confusion.
“Oh nothing, Spike, we’re just going to head out into the scary gem fields, I’m sure we won’t need your help though, unless... you want to...” Rarity swayed herself closer to the now conscious dragon, continuing her attempts to seduce him to come along. “Don’t worry about us, we’ll be fine. I really just hope those Diamond Dogs don’-”
“Diamond Dogs?” Spike jumped up, right to her side. “So, when we heading out?” The fillies rejoiced. Applebloom and Scootaloo sprinted out the door to gather their Crusader’s capes.
They returned in a swift few minutes, sweating and panting when they arrived. They had already placed their capes on, trading Sweetie Belle’s over as soon as they could.
“Y-ya’ll ready to go find us some gems?” Applebloom asked, still panting.
“Well, we are, but are you two fillies? I suppose we could just go on-”
“No!” They all yelled united, as if they had wired brains.
“Let’s get going!” Sweetie Belle bolted out the door, gathering Applebloom onto her back and continuing onward towards the gem fields.
The land was flat, mounds and holes everywhere, but relatively flat compared to the lands surrounding. Every crevice filled itself back with dirt and water, giving off sparkles for anypony who came within a certain distance of its latent glamour.
Rarity’s horn lit up into a light blue, tracking gems in the area. She followed the pulling of her horn. Spike stayed close behind her, the fillies did the same with Spike.
“Ah bet Ah can find dem gems before ya’ll!” Applebloom took off.
“Hey wait!” Rarity yelled out, only for Applebloom to ignore her completely.
“Oh! I think I see some over there!” Sweetie Belle darted in another direction. “I’ll get some before you, Scootaloo!”
“Girls, wait!” Rarity stomped her hoof.
“You’re on!” Scootaloo shot herself towards a cliffside.
“Girls, come back!” None of them listened, leaving Spike and Rarity alone together.
“I guess it’s just you and me-”
“Don’t touch me”
Scootaloo ran as if her life were in the balance, as if this challenge was her parents or her ability to fly. It was the challenge that she longed for in life, not an easy one.
She found herself along the side of a hill, which was rugged due to a landslide that had occurred not too long ago. Part of the terrain stood out, sparkling with specks of green. She headed herself directly for it, determined to beat her friends.
“Ha!” She celebrated, even though she wasn’t sure if the others had found some gems already, cancelling this win for herself. She leaned herself in to dig the gems out with her hooves. The surrounding rocks made the gem almost unobtainable, causing anger in the orange filly. She retaliated with kicks from her hind hooves, rattling the ground beneath her.
The land rumbled beneath her, breaking and sending her into the depths. Rocks fell down, covering the hole, enclosing her into this newfound tomb. Small stones fell upon her head as she attempted to get out of the confusion. Darkness overtook, and she fell into a forced slumber.