//------------------------------// // Never Stop The Journey // Story: Moonlight // by JasonTheHuman //------------------------------// Sugarcube Corner was packed with ponies, and despite the fact that this was Sweetie Belle’s party, she didn’t even know half of them. That tended to happen whenever Pinkie Pie was organizing the party, though. Sweetie Belle sat with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo at one of the tables as they took a break from cupcakes and party games. She kept glancing down at her flank, as if to make sure the heart-shaped music note there hadn’t vanished. “Don’t worry, girls,” Sweetie Belle said. “Until all of us have our cutie marks, we’re still going to be the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” “I still can’t believe you finally got it!” Apple Bloom said. “Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later. But how come it’s never shown up any of the other times you were singin’? Like at last year’s talent show?” Scootaloo noticed the look that crossed Sweetie Belle’s face, just for a moment, when Apple Bloom mentioned that show. But then Sweetie smiled. “Something was different this time. Usually I can’t get up in front of such a big crowd by myself.” “So what changed?” Scootaloo asked. Sweetie Belle gave a shrug. “I just thought that maybe this time it could actually be pretty fun. I don’t know why.” “You’re sure?” Ever since Sweetie Belle had woken up from her nightmare, Scootaloo had been trying to figure out what she remembered, but it seemed like the entire ordeal was a blank in her mind. But how else would you explain the sudden change? Standing in the spotlight a few nights ago, she’d looked exactly as she had when she addressed her subjects in the Crystal Empire. Applejack stopped by their table, and gave a tip of her hat. “Thought I’d come over and congratulate you properly, Sweetie Belle. Heard you put on a real show.” Sweetie Belle grinned. “Thanks, Applejack!” Applejack chuckled. “You girls are always runnin’ around the place tryin’ to get those cutie marks. Gonna be real quiet once y’all have ‘em.” “That’s why we can’t stop now!” Apple Bloom said. “If Sweetie Belle’s got hers, then it’s only a matter of time ‘til me and Scootaloo get ours, too! We’re already makin’ plans for tomorrow.” “That’s fine and all, but you might need to put the crusadin’ on hold for a little bit. Cider season’s just around the corner, and we need all the help we can get,” Applejack said. “But I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunities to find your cutie mark while you’re helpin’ me out on the farm.” “I guess…” Apple Bloom sighed. “Sorry, girls.” “No problem. We know how it is,” Scootaloo said. “We’ll just have to work extra hard once cider season is over,” Sweetie Belle said. “I can’t wait!” “Guess I’ll be on my way, then. You girls enjoy yourselves!” Applejack said. As her sister trotted off to join the other partygoers, Apple Bloom shook her head. “I can’t believe I forgot it was cider season already. There’s a lot to get done before then.” “Well, maybe Applejack was right,” Sweetie Belle said. “The rest of your family has apples for cutie marks. Maybe you just need to keep trying.” “Maybe…” Apple Bloom muttered. She stared down at the table. Scootaloo stood up. “I’m going to get some more punch,” she said. “Be right back.” As she made her way through the crowded room, weaving between the clusters of ponies talking excitedly, dancing, or playing party games. She did a quick sidestep to ignore a blindfolded filly playing Pin the Tail on the Pony, and ran headfirst into Twilight. “Sorry about that! Excuse me,” Twilight said, tucking her wings closer to her sides. “Have you seen Rarity anywhere? I wanted to talk to her.” “Yeah, I think she was sitting over there.” Scootaloo pointed out a table near the punch bowl. “Thanks!” Twilight turned and trotted away. Scootaloo shrugged, and headed over to the punch bowl. As she filled up a glass, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation taking place right next to her. “Hope I’m not too late, Rarity,” Twilight said. “I’ve just been really busy doing some research lately.” “It’s quite alright. I think Sweetie Belle’s a little overwhelmed with all the attention, to be honest,” Rarity said. “She’s been absolutely overjoyed for the past few days, though. You know how she’s wanted her cutie mark for the longest time.” “If you don’t mind me asking, Rarity…” Twilight’s voice dropped low. “Did you ever find out what was wrong with her last week?” “I’m afraid we never did,” Rarity said, frowning. “Mother and Father took her to the doctor, and he said she was as healthy as ever.” Twilight tapped her chin. “Strange. It’s just that I was doing some research to find out what it could have been. There was nothing in my books that seemed to match the symptoms, but then I found out that there have been similar cases reported all across Equestria just recently.” Scootaloo’s ears perked up. She pushed her way into the table. “What do you mean?” Twilight stared at her in surprise. “Scootaloo? Well, I guess you would be concerned about what happened to her, too.” “Of course. I mean, it’s pretty weird.” She took a seat, trying to act natural. “But what did you find out?” Twilight nodded. “To be honest, not much. There have been reports from Trottingham, Manehattan, even one in Fillydelphia. Every so often, foals about Sweetie Belle’s age just fall asleep and can’t be woken up for days. One colt from the Hollow Shades was asleep for a full week.” “That sounds dreadful!” Rarity said. “So you’re saying this is the same thing that happened to Sweetie Belle?” “I can’t say for sure,” Twilight said. “The one thing all these cases have in common is that there doesn’t seem to be any cause, and there are no lasting effects after the foals wake up. Obviously ponies don’t have much to work with if they want to study it.” “Did you try asking Luna about it?” Scootaloo said. “Luna?” Twilight tilted her head. “Well, it might be worth sending a letter to Canterlot to see what they know. I’ll have Spike get on it.” “And you said it’s only affecting foals? Did any of them say anything after they woke up?” Twilight shook her head. “I don’t think I—“ “Oh, please. There’s no reason for you girls to get so upset,” Rarity said. “The important thing is that Sweetie Belle is doing just fine now. More than fine, in fact. We should be celebrating her accomplishment.” “Just be careful, Scootaloo,” Twilight said. “I’ll try to figure out what I can.” “Sure,” Scootaloo said. “Thanks, Twilight.” She made her way back across the room, and took her seat with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. “There you are. What took you so long?” Sweetie Belle said. “Just the crowds,” Scootaloo said. “Now, let's get back to planning our next move, Crusaders!” Scootaloo zipped down the street, weaving between ponies, and pulling off awesome midair spins. Everything was going great. It had been a few days since she’d last seen Princess Luna, but what was that old saying? “No news is good news,” or something like that? Today she was on her own. Apple Bloom had been going straight home every day after school to help out on the farm, and Sweetie Belle was spending the afternoon with Rarity at her shop. The weather was great for a ride anyway, so Scootaloo couldn’t complain. The marketplace was open today. As she turned the corner, heading into the busy street, she spotted Rainbow Dash hanging out by one of the stalls. “Hey, squirt, I’ve been looking all over for you!” Rainbow Dash said, waving. Scootaloo made a sharp turn and skidded sideways to a halt. “Really? What’d you want?” “I have something in mind. It’s a little different than our usual stuff,” Rainbow said. “You’ve got some time, right?” “Oh, yeah!” Scootaloo nodded enthusiastically. “Plenty! What’re we doing today?” Rainbow nodded her head in the direction of her cloud house. “Let’s head over to my place. There’s some stuff we need to pick up.” Scootaloo’s mind was reeling at the possibilities. Maybe they’d go to Cloudsdale again, or maybe Rainbow Dash was working on a new stunt. It could be anything. “See, I’ve been thinking. Ponies like you and me? We’re different from the rest of the crowd,” Rainbow said as she led the way. “We’re the kind of ponies who never finish last. It takes a lot of hard work, but we always come out on top.” “You really think so?” “Yeah. I thought of everypony I know, but I need somepony I can trust to be my wingpony on this. And you won’t let me down, right?” “N-No, of course not,” Scootaloo said. Scootaloo was breathless. She followed Rainbow Dash down the street until they were out of town. Rainbow Dash’s house was pretty much the coolest place ever—except for Cloudsdale itself, maybe. It tended to drift around, based on the wind, but today it was near the edge of Whitetail Woods. Scootaloo couldn’t reach the front door on her own, but she’d been inside a couple times before. They stopped under the house’s shadow. The rainbow waterfalls flowed and evaporated above their heads. “I’ll head up and get what we need. Just a minute,” Rainbow said. She flew up to the door and disappeared inside. For what seemed like ages, Scootaloo waited on the ground until finally Rainbow Dash poked her head out the front door. “Here. Catch!” She tossed down a canvas bundle, and Scootaloo jumped to catch it in her front hooves. The weight of it nearly knocked her over. She set it down on the grass to examine it more closely. She’d seen this before. “It’s a... tent?” She looked up at Rainbow Dash, who swooped down in front of her. “Are we going camping?” “Something like that,” Rainbow said, with a smirk. “Follow me.” Scootaloo slung the bag over her shoulder and hopped back on her scooter, following Rainbow Dash down the path. They circled around the edge of town, crossing the bridge over the river. Maybe they’d go to Whitetail Woods, or get on the train and go somewhere even farther away. They stopped in front of Sweet Apple Acres. A wooden fence ran along the side of the path, closing off the edge of the orchard. Scootaloo stared up at the fruit hanging from the trees towering over her head. “Here we are,” Rainbow Dash said. “And it looks like we’re right on time.” “Is Applejack coming too?” Scootaloo said. “It’s kind of short notice for another camping trip. It’s not even the weekend yet.” “Nope. Help me pitch the tent right here.” Rainbow Dash stepped over to the end of the fence and tapped the ground with one hoof. “Uh… okay.” With Rainbow Dash’s help, the stakes were in and the tent was pitched in just a few minutes. Rainbow stepped back to survey their work. “Great work, kid,” she said. “Now, here’s the plan. We have to hold the fort until cider season opens. Nopony’s getting in front of me this year.” Scootaloo frowned. “But… cider season isn’t for another three days. At least, that’s what Apple Bloom said at school today.” “Ponies get ruthless around this time of year. You can’t let your guard down. Ever,” Rainbow Dash said, jabbing a hoof towards Scootaloo’s chest. “At least one of us needs to be on duty at all times. Are you up for this?” “S-Sure,” Scootaloo said. “You can count on me.” “Great!” Rainbow Dash gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. “I was planning to take the first shift, but then the weather ponies called me in for tonight. And if I waited ‘til tomorrow, I just know somepony’s going to beat me to the punch. Or cider. Anyways, you’re really helping me out here.” Scootaloo blinked at her. “You’re leaving?” “I’ll be back tomorrow. You’ll have to take the first shift until then,” Rainbow said. She took off into the sky, leaving a trail of color behind her. Scootaloo watched as she vanished into the distance, then turned and stared at the tent. Well, she couldn’t let her sister down. The sun was just starting to set as she headed inside the tent. She unrolled one of the two sleeping bags and slipped inside. She stared at the wall for a while, remembering all the hours she’d spent this summer lying awake in here. She yawned. She had a feeling that wouldn’t happen this time. The air was getting chilly. She could hear the branches outside creak and rustle in the breeze. The wind ruffled the walls of the tent, but the cold wasn’t too bad as long as the entrance was closed up. Scootaloo dug herself deeper into her sleeping bag, and closed her eyes. Everything went silent. Once again, she woke up in the forest. Scootaloo picked herself up off the ground and looked around, blinking in the dim blue light. It wasn’t exactly surprising that she’d ended up here. In a way, she’d expected it. She caught a glimpse of movement beyond the trees—a flicker of Luna’s mane shining in the dark. She took a deep breath. Last time had gone well. There was nothing to worry about. She trotted over to her. “Hey, Luna. So I’m guessing you’ve got another job for me?” Luna turned around. “Ah, Scootaloo. You are correct. The nightmares continue to spread, and I’m afraid I am no closer to discerning the source.” “It’ll be no problem at all,” Scootaloo said. “I can handle whatever this thing throws at me.” “I admire your confidence, but do not allow yourself to grow careless,” Luna said. She gave a small smile. “Though you have exceeded my expectations already.” “Yeah! Sweetie Belle’s dream wasn’t too bad. And she even got her cutie mark,” Scootaloo said. She paused. “Did you know that was going to happen?” “It was an unexpected result,” Luna said. “You were meant only to free her from the nightmare, yet you were able to reach something much deeper inside of her. The strength of your friendship allowed you to do something that even I could not.” “About that…” Scootaloo said. “Twilight told me that there’s been foals falling asleep all over Equestria, just like what happened to Sweetie Belle. That’s because of this, isn’t it? And you’ve been helping them get better.” Luna nodded. “This went on for some time before I asked you to help me. I have done all I could, but it was not enough.” “Twilight didn’t know anything about it, though. She doesn’t even know you’ve been helping them.” “Twilight Sparkle has done much to protect Equestria, but this is not her task to complete. I chose you, and you have proven your ability.” Luna lifted her head, gazing beyond the tangled branches of the trees. “Our unknown enemy is gaining in power, even as we work against it. There is no telling what you may find in tonight’s dream.” She looked down at Scootaloo. “Though you will not be alone this time. “You mean you’re coming with me?” Luna shook her head. “I must attend to other matters. You will be joined by another... Though it seems she is not yet asleep.” She glanced down at Scootaloo. “You are here earlier than usual.” “Uh, yeah,” Scootaloo said. There hadn’t been much else to do while she was camping out, so it was probably about an hour or two before her usual bedtime right now. “It’s been a weird day.” “It will not be a problem. I trust you will help guide her once she arrives,” Luna said. Her voice seemed to echo and grow distant. The light around them faded away. Scootaloo heard muffled voices, wheels clattering down a brick road, the far-away sound of uptempo music. She couldn’t see anything. It was dark. As her eyes adjusted, she found that she was in an alley somewhere, a narrow space between two brick walls. Some trash was piled up a few steps away. In the other direction, she could see some light, and the shapes of ponies walking back and forth along the sidewalk. Scootaloo emerged from the alley, and found herself in a busy city street. There was plenty of light from the lampposts and the windows. The buildings around her were all at least five stories tall. Above them, the sky was a grimy brown haze of clouds. The ponies around here didn’t seem to notice her at all. Carriages rolled past, bumping along down the cobblestone street. The first question was where to get started. No matter which way she turned, no landmarks really stuck out to her. The streets ran on farther than she could see, and the buildings all looked the same. And Luna had said something about meeting somepony else, somepony who would help her. Ponies were hurriedly pushing their way past her, trotting quickly in all directions without saying a word to her. Mostly gloomy-faced earth ponies, but there were a few unicorns in fancy clothes, too, like you might see in Canterlot. A stallion bumped into her shoulder, hard. “Hey, watch where you’re going!” Scootaloo yelled, but as she turned around she noticed he didn’t even look back. “Scootaloo? Is that you?” A squeaky voice came from somewhere in the crowd. Scootaloo spun around, trying to find it, when Sweetie Belle pushed her way through the unending tide of ponies. “What are you doing here?” Scootaloo squinted at her. “Wait, are you… real?” It was odd to see her in a dream again. Sweetie Belle looked the same as she did in the real world, although a little bit confused. There was no fancy dress or tiara this time, and her cutie mark was instantly noticeable on her flank. “What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle stared up at the tops of the buildings, and the dark, cloudy sky. “What is this place? How’d we get here?” “I think I get it… Princess Luna said I’d be meeting someone who could help me. Did she send you here, too?” Sweetie Belle cocked her head. “Princess Luna? What are you talking about? I don’t even know how I got here. Or where ‘here’ is.” “It’s... a long story. Come on, we need to look around,” Scootaloo said. She looked around, then dashed off down the street, weaving through the crowd. “Luna has been pretty busy. I guess she wants me to fill you in. For starters, this is a dream right now.” “Ooh…” Sweetie Belle said, nodding. “I guess that’s why what you’re saying doesn’t make any sense.” “But it’s not either of our dreams. It’s somepony else’s, and we need to find out who.” Scootaloo slowed down so that Sweetie Belle could catch up. “It’s not hard. I’ve already done this once before.” “You’re still not making sense.” Scootaloo stopped and turned around. “You really don’t remember anything, do you?” “Remember what?” “The only other time I did this, it was your dream. You were a princess in the Crystal Empire. I helped you give a speech to your subjects. Ring any bells?” “I was a princess and I missed all of it?” Sweetie Belle’s jaw dropped open. “I guess not…” Scootaloo sighed. “Come on. I’ll tell you about it on the way, but we should keep looking around.” Scootaloo told her the entire story, tea party and all, as they made their way through the city. Sweetie Belle listened attentively, occasionally coming up with a question, but remaining silent for the most part. As they went on, she seemed to relax. As much as anypony could relax in such a weird place. They followed the street as far as it would take them. The city seemed like an endless grid of identical buildings. They could have been going in circles. “And the next morning was when you signed up for the talent show,” Scootaloo finished. Sweetie Belle glanced back at her flank. “So if it wasn’t for you…” “You probably wouldn’t have gotten your cutie mark,” Scootaloo said. “Or woken up at all.” Sweetie Belle was silent for a moment. “So, uh... What are we supposed to be looking for?” “The pony who’s having this dream. If we can even find them,” Scootaloo said. “I didn’t have any trouble finding you in your dream.” This dream really wasn’t like the last one. The atmosphere felt heavy, somehow. The clouds in the sky seemed to hang low, threatening to smother them at any moment. Scootaloo was starting to feel glad to have Sweetie Belle with her this time. “It feels like we’ve been walking for hours,” Sweetie Belle said. “How are we supposed to know if this is the right way?” “We... don’t,” Scootaloo said. They stopped at an intersection, waiting for a chance to cross the street. She watched the ponies on the opposite corner. “Just keep an eye open for anypony who looks different. Maybe somepony we know from school. We’ll probably know who it is when we see them.” “Face it. We’re lost.” Scootaloo ignored her, and led the way across the street. The ponies sitting in the carriage seemed impatient with them, and started moving the second they were out of the way. They passed by a store window, and Sweetie Belle stopped to check out the clothing in the darkened display. “It’s like they have stores for everything here,” she said. “It’s almost like a real city. But it’s not, is it?” Scootaloo shook her head. “It’s like last time. I can tell something’s not right, but it’s hard to say what it is.” It was getting quiet out here. She noticed the crowds had died down, and not as many of the buildings had their lights on. “Maybe we should turn around,” Sweetie Belle said. “I bet there’s a lot of places we haven’t even seen yet.” “No, I think something’s up there,” Scootaloo said. She started running ahead. “Just a hunch.” The buildings in this part of the city were unfinished. A crane sat abandoned in the street beyond some roadblocks, and everything was covered in a newly-settled layer of dust. “Well, there’s something different,” Scootaloo said. “Come on. Let’s check it out.” As she slipped past the barrier, Sweetie Belle hung back. “Are you sure we’re allowed to go in there?” “It’s a dream, remember? It doesn’t matter.” Sweetie Belle took a nervous glance around, but there were no workers on duty, and only a few ponies walking around this part of the city. She quickly ducked under one of the roadblocks and trotted over to catch up with Scootaloo. The pavement ended shortly after entering the construction site. Some of the buildings near the barrier were nearly finished, but others were still only steel support beams. Soon enough this would be just another part of the city, completely indistinguishable from the rest. At the far end of the street, a mountain of dirt marked the edge of the construction zone. The dark clouds of smoke in the sky seemed to thin out beyond it. “Is that the end?” Sweetie Belle said. “I thought this place would go on forever.” “Let's look around. Maybe we’ll find something.” Scootaloo wandered over to one of the lots, passing beneath the scaffolding and staring up into the skeletal rafters marking out the outline of a new skyscraper. This place didn’t go on forever, but it was still expanding. It was hard to say just how big it already was. And they had to find just a single pony, somewhere in there, imagining all of this. If they just had a single clue... “Scootaloo, come over here!” Sweetie Belle suddenly called out from somewhere. “What? Did you find something?” Scootaloo said. She hurried over to where the sound of her voice was coming from. Sweetie Belle stood at the top of the ridge, staring out at whatever lay beyond it. Her hooves were rooted to the spot, and she didn’t move. Scootaloo climbed the hillside to see whatever Sweetie Belle was staring so intently at. When she finally got high enough to see, she understood why. Beyond them were endless rolling hills. There were apple trees far in the distance, and a few still standing in the fields closest to them, but for the most part there was nothing left but stumps. They littered the fields like tombstones. “It looks like Sweet Apple Acres,” Sweetie Belle said quietly. She looked over at Scootaloo. “But it can’t be, right? It’s nowhere near a city in real life.” “I don’t think that matters,” Scootaloo said. It could have been just any apple orchard, but somehow Scootaloo could tell this was Sweet Apple Acres. Or, at any rate, it had been. A voice broke the silence. “What in tarnation?” Scootaloo picked her head up at the sound of the voice, blinking, as she regained her bearings in the real world. The floor of the tent was slightly damp with early morning dew. The entrance was open, and Applejack stood there staring at her. “Oh, uh… Morning, Applejack!” Scootaloo said, yawning. “Now just what’re ya doin’ out here? Did Rainbow put ya up to this?” Rainbow. That was right. It seemed like so long ago. “Yeah,” Scootaloo nodded. “She wanted to make sure she was first in line for cider this year, so I’m holding her place. She said one of us needs to be here at all times.” “Now, of all the selfish—” Applejack shook her head. “I’m gonna have to find Rainbow and have a little talk with ‘er. I wanted to think she’d be a good sister to ya, but I just knew she’d pull somethin’ like this… Listen, you need to get to school, y’hear?” “But… Rainbow’s not back yet,” Scootaloo said. Applejack sighed. “I’ll keep an eye on the tent for ya. Doubt anypony else is crazy enough to line up this early,” she said. “Least, I hope not.” Scootaloo pulled herself out of the sleeping bag, stretching her stiff wings, and stepped outside of the tent. She noticed the apple orchard beyond the fence, still standing, not a single tree out of place. She shook her head, and found where she had left her scooter. “Wait a minute.” She turned back to Applejack. “Where’s Apple Bloom? Isn’t she coming to school?” “Uh…” Applejack scratched the back of her head. “Maybe I’ve been pushin’ her too hard. We’ve been so busy with cider season comin’ up, and she just looked exhausted. I was thinkin’ I’d give her a day off.” “Really?” Scootaloo was starting to put things together. “Well, uh... Hope she feels better. See you later, Applejack.” With one more glance back at the apple orchard, she revved up her wings and headed down the path to school.