//------------------------------//
// Mirage Madness 
// Story: Deserts and Dragons 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 12:
Mirage Madness


After escaping the hideout, the Cutie Mark Crusaders wasted no time putting some distance between themselves and the Bull's Eye Gang.  They traveled for a long time until Scootaloo collapsed against her scooter panting for breath.

"Alright, we managed to escape those bandits," said Sweetie Belle. "Now what?"

"We find another gem deposit, I guess," said Apple Bloom with a shrug. "I don't think it matters where we get the gems from as long as those Dragon Magi are fed."

"Yeah, I'm still not convinced those guys are on the level," said Babs Seed. "I mean, why didn't they tell us we were wanderin' into a bandit's hideout?  That was kinda important."

"Maybe it's another test," said Sweetie Belle. "Y'know, to see if we're truly worthy of their help."

"Now why in tarnation would they give us another test when we already passed the first one?" asked Apple Bloom, starting to become skeptical herself.

"I dunno, I'm not them," said Sweetie Belle. "I guess they'll tell us once we get them their food."

As if on cue, the four fillies heard a low, all-too-familiar growl emanating from their tummies.

"I reckon their food can wait," said Apple Bloom. "Right now, we'd better eat somethin'."

"Yeah, I could use a drink, too," said Scootaloo, picking herself up and wiping some sweat from her brow. "Man, is it just me, or did it get hot out here?"

"Well, we are in a desert, Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes.

"No, I mean it's hotter than it was before," said Scootaloo, taking out her canteen.

"I haven't noticed a difference," said Babs with a shrug. "Uh, then again, you're the one pullin' the wagon."

"Yeah, don't remind me," Scootaloo groaned.  She then started to take a swig from her canteen.  When she noticed that there were only a few drops of water in it, her eyes went wide.

"What the hay?!" she exclaimed, looking over her canteen. "This is insane!  I should have more water in here!"

"Well, maybe you weren't careful," said Apple Bloom, reaching into her own saddlebag. "Here, you can have..."

She then paused as she felt something odd in her saddlebag. "Huh?  How did my saddlebag get all soggy?  An' where are all the apples I packed?"

Sweetie Belle swallowed. "H-hold on, I have to check something," she said, looking into her own saddlebag.  She then gasped. "Oh no!"

"What's da matta?" asked Babs.

Sweetie Belle pulled out her canteen and pointed to a small hole in it. "I think we're in trouble."

Quickly, the other Crusaders checked their own canteens.  Sure enough, each one had a hole in it, and they were all practically empty.  Babs snorted.

"Those rotten bandits!  They must be the ones behind this!" she roared. "I have half a mind to go back over there an' give 'em a piece of my mind!"

"Babs, no!" said Apple Bloom. "Remember, we Pinkie Promised to stay outta trouble!"

"Didn't we break that a while ago?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Technically not, seeing as we promised to try and stay out of trouble," said Scootaloo. "And that's all the more reason why we shouldn't go back there."

"But then, what're we supposed to do?!" asked Apple Bloom frantically. "We've got no food, no water, an' we're in the middle of the desert!"

"C'mon, don't get hysterical on me, Cuz," said Babs, although she seemed very nervous as well. "I-I know it looks bad right now, but we've still got each other, right?  We just need to think of somethin'."

Scootaloo turned around and did a double take. "Guys, look!  I see some water up ahead!"

The other Crusaders looked up.  Indeed, there appeared to be a pool of water just off in the distance.

"Well, that's a relief!" said Sweetie Belle. "Full steam ahead, Scootaloo!  I'll get to work on fixing the canteens."

"Roger that!" said Scootaloo with a salute.  She then flapped her wings with all her might and pulled the wagon to where the pool of water was.


***


When they arrived at the pool of water, they all took a moment to stare at it with hungry eyes.

"First the Dragon Magi, then the jewels, an' now we found some water," said Apple Bloom. "Y'know, this really isn't turnin' out to be that bad."

"I call first dibs!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she leapt off of her scooter and scooped up a hoofful of water.  She placed it in her mouth, and immediately spat it out.

"Blech!  Ptooey~!" she gagged.

"What's wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"The water tastes like sand for some weird reason!" Scootaloo griped.

Apple Bloom's expression drooped. "So much for our luck holdin' out," she said glumly. "We probably were jus' seein' things."

"Ugh.  Wish I figured that out earlier," Scootaloo groused. "While I'm at it, I wish we had some apples.  I'd do anything to get this taste out of my mouth."

"Sorry, Scoot.  I checked my saddlebag several times," said Apple Bloom with a sigh. "Them bandits took 'em all."

"Alright, we need a new plan," said Babs, blowing back her combover. "And before anypony asks, no, I don't think we should pack it in and head back to Appleloosa.  After all, we're the Cutie Mark Crusadas!  We shouldn't give up that easily!"

"Outta curiosity, what qualifies as that easily?" inquired Apple Bloom, folding her forelegs and giving her cousin a stern look. "Because I think being ponynapped by bandits an' running out of food an' water ain't easy."

Babs sighed and shook her head. "No, Cuz.  I don't wanna give up," she said. "We've come this far, after all.  It can't be for nothin'."

"I understand how you feel, Babs," said Apple Bloom, letting out a deep sigh and staring at the ground. "I'm jus', scared is all."

"We all are, Apple Bloom," said Scootaloo. "But, that's why we can't give up.  We need to face our fears and overcome them."

"And, how do we go about overcoming this particular fear?" asked Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo opened her mouth to respond, but then placed a hoof to her chin. "Hmm, that's actually a good question..."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "Look, let's just go back to the Dragon Magi.  Maybe they can help us."

"Y'sure we can just go back to them empty-hoofed?" asked Babs.

"If we explain the situation to them, they'll understand," said Sweetie Belle. "Besides, if they don't help us, they won't be able to prove that they're noble dragons.  Spike always talks about how that's important to a dragon."

"It didn't seem to be important to those dragon bandits," said Babs.

"Well, they are the exceptions that prove the rule," Sweetie Belle retorted. "Besides, we don't have any better ideas."

"But, how do we know where to find 'em?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Oh, that's easy," said Scootaloo, talking out her compass. "They said they'd be waiting for us, and we've been traveling west this whole time.  That means they're somewhere to the southeast.  We just head in that direction, and we'll bump into them."

"Makes sense to me," said Sweetie Belle with a shrug. "Onward!"

"Yeah, sure thing," said Scootaloo. "But it's gonna have to be half steam ahead this time.  At least until we find some water."

"That's fair, Scoot.  We don't want ya to tire yourself out," said Apple Bloom.

"Thanks," said Scootaloo with a nod.  With that, the Crusaders headed off once again.


***


Unfortunately for them, Scootaloo's theory seemed to be flawed.  They traveled southeast for what felt like an eternity, but there was no sign of the Dragon Magi.  The hot sun beating down on them didn't help matters.

"Guys, I-I don't think I can go any further," Scootaloo said weakly as she collapsed once again.

Apple Bloom sighed and looked up.  She then spotted something in the distance.

"Jus' a little further, Scoot," she said. "I think I see 'em."

Scootaloo looked up and squinted her eyes.  The heat made it difficult to see, but she could definitely make out two figures in the distance.

"Alright," she said, slowly picking herself up. "But I'm really at my limits here."

"After this, you can rest with us," said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo nodded and slowly pulled the wagon over to the figures.  When they got close, however, they turned out not to be the Dragon Magi.  Instead, they were created by a pair of cacti.  Scootaloo groaned.

"Great," she rasped. "Now we're going crazy."

"That's probably our stomachs and throats talkin'," said Babs. "Hey, I heard somewhere that you can get water outta a cactus."

"How?" asked Scootaloo, turning to Babs with pleading eyes. "C'mon, tell me!"

"Alright, alright.  Chill," said Babs.

"Kinda hard to do out here," said Sweetie Belle.

"Not helpin'," Babs growled through gritted teeth. "Anyway, from what I remember, you're supposed to poke a hole in the cactus and use something to drain the water out."

"I don't think we've got anythin' like that," said Apple Bloom, looking through her soggy saddlebag.

"Well, can't we use one of the cactus needles or something?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"That wouldn't get us that much water," said Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo tried to walk over to the wagon, but fell face first into the sand before she could make it. "Ugh, this is unbearable.  I-I think I'm done, girls.  I can't move another inch."

"I think we should, though," said Sweetie Belle, looking up at the sky.

"Why?"

"Because I think I see some vultures hovering over us."

Disbelievingly, the other Crusaders looked up.  Sure enough, several black bird-like silhouettes circles around above them.

"Right," said Apple Bloom, hopping out of the wagon and grabbing Scootaloo. "We're outta here."

"Cuz, you're not thinkin' of pullin' all of us, are ya?" asked Babs.

"Nope," said Apple Bloom. "You're gonna help me."

Babs paused for a moment. "Well, alright," she said. "But we're not goin' back to Appleloosa."

"Babs, c'mon.  I wouldn't do that to ya," said Apple Bloom, hefting Scootaloo into the wagon. "Sweetie Belle, you'd better take care of Scootaloo."

"Right," said Sweetie Belle. "Oh, I hope my special talent involves medicine."

"We'll worry about our special talents later," said Apple Bloom firmly. "Babs, c'mon."

"Yeah, sure," said Babs, leaping off to help her cousin.


***


Apple Bloom and Babs didn't fair much better than Scootaloo did.  In fact, they were even worse off.  After a few minutes, they both started to get exhausted.

"Watta...  Watta..." Babs panted as she crawled across the desert sands.

"S-stop sayin' that," said Apple Bloom. "Y-you're makin' me thirsty."

"S-sorry," Babs grunted.

"Well, it could be worse," said Sweetie Belle. "At least the bandits didn't take our sunscreen."

Apple Bloom gave Sweetie Belle a look.

"What?" said Sweetie Belle with a shrug. "Sunburns are dangerous, too.  Not to mention unfashionable."

Apple Bloom didn't have the strength to retort.  She simply continued to trudge onward.

"Must, keep goin'," she chanted. "Must, keep goin'.  Must, keep goin'..."

She suddenly felt her constitution fail her. "Aw, who am I kiddin'?"

With that, she collapsed to the ground.  Babs gasped in horror, but before she could react, she fainted as well.

"Girls?" said Sweetie Belle nervously, looking over at her unconscious friends.  She then gulped. "I guess it's up to me, then."


***


"This was a bad idea."

Sweetie Belle said this to herself as she now found herself pulling the wagon along with the rest of the Crusaders.  She was normally used to pulling heavy loads while jewel hunting or camping with her sister, but the oppressive heat of the sun's rays made it all the more difficult.  She couldn't even get a few feet without feeling tired.

"C'mon, Sweetie Belle," she grunted and groaned. "You can do it!  C'mon, c'mon!"

She took one last step before feeling light-headed. "I guess, this is what we get for breaking our Pinkie Promise..."

As soon as those words left her lips, she passed out as well.  As the four fillies lay in a heap, a small shadow was cast over them...