//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1: Contact (unfinished) 
// Story: Amperage 
// by bin4rym4ge 
//------------------------------//

        The girls made their long trek through the night to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Sure, the CMC were full of energy, but it was still a long walk. They stopped at the tree line to rest for a bit and check their gear. They wore their trademark Cutie Mark Crusader capes and each crusader was wearing a saddle bag.

        Sweetie Belle held up a checklist.

        "Food?"

        Scootaloo held up 3 daisy sandwiches.

        "Check!"

        "Water?"

        "Chesh," Applebloom said, holding a canteen in her mouth.

        They listed off a few more supplies and then turned to head into the Everfree Forest. Maybe this time they could finally get their cutie marks.

        But fate had other plans for them.




~( ( ( (oOo) ) ) )~




The CMC had been walking for a while and the dark forest was beginning to wear on their nerves.

        "Are you sure this was a good idea Scootaloo?" Said Sweetie Belle, whose tone was starting to weaver. She had a feeling, like the shadows were watching her.

        "Don't worry girls I'm sure everything will be fine." Scootaloo sounded confident

        Applebloom was still not convinced.

        "Well this is the Everfree Forest Scoot," said Apple Bloom, "there's all kinds o strange creatures in here."

        "Oh come on girls, what could possibly go wrong?"

        A deep growl sounded from behind them.

        The treo froze in their tracks and slowly turned their heads to the sound. Five meters behind them stood a huge
timber wolf easily twice the size a normal pony. It was probably the largest timber wolf they had ever seen, and its eyes were focused on the three tasty morsels in front of it.

        "Yall just had ta go an say it, didn't ya scoot," Applebloom whispered harshly, glaring

        Applebloom and Sweetie Belle both had annoyed looks on their muzzles while Scootaloo just smiled sheepishly.
They looked back at the timber wolf. It just stood there, waiting for an opportunity to make its move. The three fillies were shaking heavily trying to think of an escape plan, but fear and instinct started to cloud their minds, making it hard for them to think clearly.

        Just then the timber wolf lunged.

        Their survival instincts took over and turned and ran. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Scootaloo at the front, Applebloom behind her, and Sweetie Belle taking up the rear. They dogged under and over the gnarled and twisted roots and branches of the Everfree, going deeper and deeper into the dark forest.



        The three fillies were exhausted. They had been running for what felt like hours and their hearts were pounding in their chests. They had looked behind themselves many times but still saw the wolf following them. It was not even trying. The wolf just playing with its food, tiring them out, waiting for them to make a mistake.

        The CMC ran about 2 to 3 miles until they came across a large clearing. Luna's night sky showed through the thinning trees as they approached the edge. The full moon illuminated the clearing through a hole in the clouds above to the point where every detail was visible. It was as if the entire storm swirled around that one point but the crusaders were too busy to notice. They had been lucky so far, there had been almost no light at all in the forest and it was a miracle that they made it this far.

They were still running in a line: Scootaloo, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle. They had made it about half way across the clearing before they started to slow down a little. They were heaving and almost at the point of passing out from exhaustion but they knew if they stopped... they died. But they knew that they could not keep this up much longer.

Scootaloo turned her head to look back and failed to see the small but visible rock in her path. She tripped, sending her Applebloom and Sweetie Belle sprawling across the ground. They lay in a pile of tangled limbs as the wolf very, slowly, approached. Sweetie Belle was the first one to untangle herself from the pile. She tried to stand up but fell to the ground too exhausted to move. Applebloom and Scootaloo managed to untangle themselves and try to stand.

Applebloom was the same as sweetie belle too tired to move her legs. Scootaloo tried to move but screamed out in pain.

“AAAAAAAAAA!”

“*gasp* What's w-wrong *gasp* Scoot.” Apple bloom said, gasping for breath.

“I-I-I*gasp* t-think its broken.”

“A-Are you sure it's not just a sprain?” Sweetie belle replied, almost sounding hopeful.