//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The last crusade // Story: The Unforgiven // by Trigger_Finger //------------------------------// The Everfree forest was calm. The air was still and the temperature was only somewhat discomforting. Birds chirped and a lone gust of wind blew in the forest. Suddenly a group of hooves accompanied by a single set of feet thrashed through the forest undergrowth. Giggles could be heard as three fillies trotted along fairly quickly. A small purple dragon behind them. “And ah’m sayin tain’t no way we’re gettin a cutie mark by simply walkin through the Everfree” said the southern voice of the young filly known as Applebloom. Scootaloo face-hoofed, “Well duh, we have to adventure. Like Daring Do… that mare from the books that Rainbow Dash always reads. If we get adventuring cutie marks we’d be the coolest fillies in school”. The trio continued on with Spike trailing close behind them. “Uhm… girls… why exactly am I here again?” he asked hesitantly. They all stopped and looked back to Spike. “Awe come on Spike, what’s the worst that could happen?” Sweetie Bell asked acting like nothing at all could go wrong. “Well… for starters we could run into a group of pony eating Timberwolves and” Spike began but Scootaloo cut him off as she began to make chicken noises. “Hey look, Spike’s a chicken” Scootaloo teased. Spike frowned. “Hey I’m no chicken… I just don’t know if it’s safe to be in here” he said cautiously. Scootaloo continued to taunt him as she made chicken noises. “Alright! Cut it out already, I was just asking why I’m here” he told them with irritation in his voice from Scootaloo’s teasing. “Oh come on Spike, it ain’t that bad. Besides it’s only a quick walk through the forest” Applebloom assured her dragon friend. “Okay whatever you say. But this place creeps me out” Spike said as they continued ‘adventuring’ through the forest. Soon they came to a large fence with several signs reading ‘Keep Out’ or ‘No trespassing, violators will be prosecuted’. “Ooooooo spooooooky” Scootaloo said in her best scary voice, which didn’t frighten her filly friends but made Spike shake in fear. “Come on, let’s go see what’s inside” Scootaloo said but Spike grabbed her shoulder to stop her. “Hold on Scootaloo… the signs say to keep out… I think we should listen” Spike stammered. Scootaloo made more chicken sounds, “Spike the chicken” she teased. “I’m not a chicken… I just don’t think it would be a good idea to go in there” Spike told her. Scootaloo raised the bottom of the fence linkage and allowed her friends to sneak under the fence. Applebloom looked back. “Come on Spike, it’ll be fun ah promise” she told him. “Yeah and besides, you could always tell my sister that you heroically defended us in the Everfree. I’m sure that’ll make her melt in your arms like butter” Sweetie Bell squeaked. Spike fantasized about Rarity. ‘Ooh Spike… you were so courageous the way you saved my sister from imminent demise… please kiss me’ the imaginary Rarity said. Spike lost track of what was going on and began to make the motions like he was going to make out with Rarity. In his lack of attention he didn’t realize that it looked more like he was trying to kiss Scootaloo. “Hey knock it off, I’m not Rarity” Scootaloo piped up. Spike quickly shook off his fantasy and focused at the task at hand. “Oh… all right, but make sure you tell your sister that you were helpless against a Manticore and that I came to your rescue” Spike said as he crawled under the fence. “Yeah, sure… I’m sure she’ll melt in your arms like butter” Sweetie Bell said casually as the group continued into the perimeter. “Oh man, if Twilight finds out I’m gonna be grounded for a month” Spike muttered to himself. “Oh stop worrying so much. Everything will be fine” Scootaloo told the worried dragon. As they continued Scootaloo became bored. “Man… why would some-pony want us to stay out of here? It just looks just like the rest of the forest” she complained. “Maybe because of that giant metal monster made entirely of scrap metal!” Spike blurted out in fear and pointed at a large formation of scrap metal. The Cutie Mark Crusaders all laughed at Spike’s fear of the scrap metal pile. “You silly, that’s just a scrap yard” Sweetie Bell squeaked. Spike realized that she was right and let out a relived sigh. “Hey come on, maybe we can get our cutie marks in… whatever it is that gives you a cutie mark from scrap metal” Scootaloo suggested. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Scrap Metal WORKERS!” they cheered and rushed off, Applebloom grabbing Spike by his hand and dragging him along with them. They approached the entrance to the scrap yard and Scootaloo gawked in awe as she gazed upon the scrap yard. “Whoa… this place is sooo awesome. Hey we should make this our new secret clubhouse” Scootaloo told the others. “I don’t think that would be a good idea. Some-pony probably already owns this” Spike said fearfully, not wanting to be here any longer. Applebloom looked over to the worried dragon. “Oh come on Spike, what’s the worst that could happen? A giant metal monster bursts out and eats us?” she asked and Spike nodded. “Yeah that’s a good reason, let’s get out of here before that happens” Spike said hastily. But as he turned to run Applebloom held onto his hand with her hoof. Spike tried to run but couldn’t, his feet kicked up dust as he tried furiously to break free from her grasp. “Come on Spike, yah ain’t gonna leave us all alone are yah?” she asked. Spike cursed himself for going along with them. ‘Why did I let myself get into this?’ Spike asked himself then sighed as he reluctantly followed the others into the scrap yard. Scootaloo was fascinated by every little piece of junk she came across. Sweetie Bell looked to a few interesting things but nothing really caught her interest. “Hey cool look at this!” Scootaloo called out to her friends. The others walked over to see some machine that kind of looked like the mechanical skeleton of a pony. “What do you think it is?” Scootaloo asked. “Ah duh-know, maybe it’s some sort a deformed freak a nature that’s gonna rise from the scrap yard grave and chase us tah the ends a Equestria” Applebloom laughed. “Hey girls look… it’s some sorta… thing” Sweetie Bell called out as she banged on a large metal plate on the side of some sort of carriage. They all trotted over. “What do you think it was?” she asked the others. It had a sort of box like shape with tires and only bits of its original green colour were left. There was some writing on the side that had been faded out over the years. Scootaloo squinted her eyes as she tried to read the writing. “Myst… myst… mysty… mysty macine… what the hay is that supposed to mean?” she asked then banged on the side of the metal carriage looking thing. “Can we please go… I don’t like it here” Spike pleaded. “Oh come on Spike. This is excitin” Applebloom told her friend. “No it’s not… it’s nerve racking” he replied. “Exactly, that’s what makes it fun” Applebloom told him but he was still fear ridden. “Come on, let’s go explore some more” Scootaloo said and both she and Sweetie Bell trotted off as Applebloom tried to convince her friend to come with them. “I don’t like this… Applebloom can we please go” Spike pleaded, almost in tears. Applebloom sighed to herself and quickly leaned forwards, pressing her lips up to his. Spike was caught off guard from the sudden advance. He came to odds with himself and embraced her then very slowly she pulled back from the kiss. “Yah ain’t gonna leave me here all alone are yah?” Applebloom asked as she fluttered her eyes. Spike was choked up and couldn’t seem to talk, his heart was fluttering. ‘Did she just… Applebloom just kissed me… on the lips!’ Spike thought to himself. “Ooooh, Applebloom and Spike sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N” Scootaloo began but then suddenly Sweetie Bell screamed and ran past them. Scootaloo turned around just as a large stallion charged forwards and clocked her square in the face with a baton, knocking her out cold. “Ruuuuunnnnn” Sweetie Bell screamed. Spike and Applebloom both turned to run but the stallion lept on them and tackled them to the ground. Sweetie Bell raced around the corner and slide underneath a pile of scrap metal. She was breathing heavily in fear. Three large stallions raced past her. “Where the fuck’d she go… spread out!” ordered a terrifying voice. She waited for a few minutes then snuck out from under the pile of metal. ‘I’ll go get sis, she’ll make everything right’ Sweetie Bell thought to herself as she raced back to where she thought she had come in. But as she turned another corner she realized that she was lost inside the scrap yard. She thought to herself quickly ‘If I just go in one direction than I’ll have to find the end of this place eventually’. She ran straight forwards. “HEY THERE SHE IS!” yelled a voice. Sweetie Bell scampered along and a big stallion burst out from behind a pile of metal. She dove between his legs and quickly scurried along. “Get her!” ordered a voice. She skidded around a corner then lept into a crevice inside a wall of metal. Several stallions charged passed without even noticing her. Sweetie Bell turned around to run but as she turned around she found herself looking down the barrel of a Model 29 .44 magnum revolver. “Dumb bitch” said the stallion as he slammed the hilt of the revolver into her forehead, knocking her out cold. “I GOT HER” the stallion yelled out. The others quickly regrouped. “Hey Daffodil… I think the bosses are gonna be pleased with this catch” said one of the stallions as he held up Applebloom who was struggling to break free. The stallion known as Daffodil stepped forwards and examined the young filly. He let out an evil smile “Yes… yes indeed… I think the bosses will be extremely pleased”