There was a bite of cold in the air as Scootaloo stepped out of the tent, an early taste of fall. She took a pause just to breathe in the crisp air before getting on her scooter.
The weather wasn’t the only thing that had changed overnight.
A line of tents had started to form next to their own. Scootaloo could count maybe five or six at the moment. The one right next to theirs was a garish pink against the grey of early morning. As Scootaloo got ready to head off to school, a head popped out of the entrance.
“Well, good morning, Scootaloo!” Pinkie Pie said. She hopped out of the tent. “You and Rainbow Dash sure had the right idea! You got here super-duper early this year!”
“Hey, Pinkie Pie,” Scootaloo said. She yawned. It seemed impossible to have that much energy so early in the morning, whether or not you’d had a dream like the one she’d just woken up from. “When did you get here?”
“I got here last night! Gee, I thought I was early, but how long have you been here?” Pinkie said. “Rainbow Dash is seriously serious about her cider this season.”
“Yeah.” Scootaloo nodded as she fastened her helmet.
“I totally never expected to see her here already, but then I showed up and there she was! I wanted to say hi to you, too, but you were sleeping like a log, even though logs don’t really sleep. So I guess you weren’t sleeping like a log at all! But me, I’ve been way too excited to get any sleep, so I was up all night! Can you believe cider season starts tomorrow?”
Scootaloo leaned forward on her handlebars. “I’ve really gotta get to school, Pinkie. I’ll see you later, though.”
“Okey-dokey!” Pinkie said. “Tomorrow’s gonna be so much fun!”
Before she could start talking again, Scootaloo got her wings moving and raced past the line of tents down the path.
Scootaloo pulled up to the school earlier than usual. The other students were still just starting to trickle in, and she paused outside the door as she scanned the scattered clusters.
She hadn’t been waiting long before Sweetie Belle came sprinting up the path, looking around frantically until her eyes met Scootaloo’s.
“Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo said.
“You’re okay?” Sweetie Belle said. She let out a sigh of relief. “I wasn’t sure what happened back there.”
“Me neither. But the important thing is that we found Apple Bloom. At least we know what she’s doing now.“
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “That wasn’t Apple Bloom.”
“She wasn’t exactly herself, but—“
“She tried to kill us!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice cracking.
“Not so loud!” Scootaloo said, raising a hoof to shush her. A few of their classmates had turned their heads, but then went back to their own excited chatter.
Sweetie Belle let out a deep breath, and composed herself. “But she was saying that she wanted to tear down the farm, and… you saw the way she looked at my cutie mark, didn’t you?”
Scootaloo shook her head. “No, I guess I was a little distracted. There was a lot going on.”
“I tried to tell her it didn’t matter that I was the first one…” Sweetie Belle brought her tail close to her side, covering up the small musical note on her flank. “I still want to help her find her own cutie mark. I want to help you, too. And I’m not trying to boss you guys around or anything.”
“I know that,” Scootaloo said. “And Apple Bloom probably does, too.”
“Princess Luna told us that there’s something else that’s making ponies have all these nightmares,” Sweetie Belle said. “What if it’s making her say things like that? Trying to keep us away from her?”
“Maybe. You weren’t exactly what I’d call ‘normal’ in your own dream.”
“This is different!” Sweetie Belle said. “I mean, I never did anything like that, did I?”
Scootaloo shook her head. “But all I’m saying is that we just need to help Apple Bloom see straight. We’re the only ones who can get her out of there. Besides, the Cutie Mark Crusaders always look out for each other, right?” Scootaloo gave a weak smile, and held out her hoof.
Sweetie Belle hesitated, then put her own hoof on top of Scootaloo’s. “You’re right.”
The school bell rang, and both of them jumped. They hadn’t noticed that all of the other students had cleared out of the front yard, leaving them alone.
“Come on. Let’s get inside,” Scootaloo said. “We’ll figure this out after class.”
Another day of school came and went. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo headed into town, occasionally discussing some plans for the night, but mostly lost in their own thoughts. There was nothing that could be done while the sun was still shining.
“Well, at least it’s the weekend,” Scootaloo said, putting forth a quick burst of speed on her scooter before pulling back again.
Sweetie Belle said nothing as she paced by Scootaloo’s side. She watched as an orange flyer blew across the street, flapping and turning in the wind. The logo for this year’s Running of the Leaves was briefly visible before the poster vanished behind the corner of a house.
As they passed beneath the shade of the library, the door swung open towards them and Applejack trudged out, with Twilight trailing close behind.
“You really should have come to me sooner, Applejack,” Twilight was saying. “This kind of thing has been happening all over Equestria. Surely Rarity told you about what happened to—“ She noticed the two fillies watching them. “Oh, Sweetie Belle!”
“Hey, Twilight,” Sweetie Belle said.
Applejack’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Apple Bloom said she visited Sweetie Belle back when she was sick. Do ya think this might be catchin’?”
“There’s no way to be sure,” Twilight said. “Nopony really knows anything about it.”
“You’re talking about when Sweetie Belle was, uh… asleep that one time, right?” Scootaloo said.
Twilight nodded grimly. “And now it looks like the same thing’s happened to Apple Bloom. But you’ve probably noticed that she hasn’t been at school.”
“I really thought she was just tired, Twi,” Applejack said, shaking her head slowly. There were dark circles under her eyes. “We called in a doctor, but he said he couldn’t find anythin’ wrong with ‘er.”
“That’s not surprising,” Twilight said.
“And with cider season comin’ up, there just wasn’t much else we could do. We can’t afford to miss out on all that business if we wanna keep the farm runnin’…” Applejack sighed. “I’m startin’ to realize just how much we’ve been countin’ on Apple Bloom lately. She’s practically ready to run the farm herself.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle briefly exchanged a glance.
“Well, I’ve brought all my books on magical afflictions and sleep-related illnesses,” Twilight said, lifting the flap of a saddlebag slung over her side with one wing. “I’ll see if any of them match what’s happening to Apple Bloom. Maybe we’ll notice something that ponies in other towns haven’t.”
“You really think this could be some kind of magical illness?” Applejack said.
“That seems to be the most widely accepted theory. We’re still trying to figure out a cause, and why there don’t seem to be any lasting effects…” Twilight paused, and looked at Sweetie Belle. “Speaking of which, how have you been since your case?”
“Well, I… uh…” Sweetie Belle looked over at Scootaloo. “It’s hard to explain, but…”
“You’ve been fine, haven’t you?” Scootaloo cut in.
“Huh?”
“In fact, we were just on our way to work on one of my new tricks.” Scootaloo tapped the handlebars of her scooter.
“We were?”
Scootaloo ignored her questions. “You guys should probably check up on Apple Bloom. Don’t let us keep you.”
“She’s probably right, Twi,” Applejack said. “Cider season opens tomorrow, and I really can’t afford to lose any more time.”
“Hmm…” Twilight said. “Thanks anyway, Sweetie Belle. We’ll do the best we can.” She started to trot down the street towards the farm, then paused. “And Scootaloo, just make sure you’re careful. You’re lucky this hasn’t affected you at all.”
“Yep,” Scootaloo said, smiling nervously.
Sweetie Belle watched as Twilight and Applejack trotted away and vanished into the crowd. “They really have no idea what’s really going on, do they? Why didn’t you let me tell them?”
“Somehow I don’t think Applejack would want to hear that her sister’s trying to level their entire farm,” Scootaloo said. “Even if it is just a dream.”
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “I know that wasn’t really her.”
“But what if it was?”
Sweetie Belle was silent for a moment. “Well, maybe Twilight will figure out what’s going on. She knows a lot about magic.”
“Luna said this wasn’t Twilight’s job,” Scootaloo said. “I think the only way to stop this is for us to face it head on. And Luna chose us to do that.”
“I’m really starting to think this isn’t as cool as I thought it would be,” Sweetie Belle muttered.
They wandered around town for a while longer before parting ways, knowing it would only be a few more hours until they met up again.
“Greetings, Scootaloo. Another long night lies ahead of us.”
Scootaloo turned at the sound of Luna’s voice. The princess walked slowly through the trees, her mane flowing gently despite the total stillness of the air.
“Yeah…” Scootaloo muttered. “Sweetie Belle isn’t here yet?”
“It would appear not.”
“She’s probably having trouble falling asleep. She was really shook up from last night.” Scootaloo stared at the ground, kicking at the dirt with her hoof.
“You appear to be troubled as well.” Luna walked over and knelt down in front of her. “If there is anything you would like to discuss, I would be happy to offer my help.”
Scootaloo lifted her head and met Luna’s eyes. “Apple Bloom, well… She wasn’t herself,” she said. “It was like she was mad at us. She didn’t want our help. And she was tearing down her family’s farm. Apple Bloom wouldn’t do any of that.”
A white shape began to materialize behind Luna. Scootaloo watched as Sweetie Belle appeared out of thin air.
She appeared to be dazed for a moment, then noticed the two of them. She stared at her hooves, as if making sure she was all there, then rushed over. “Princess Luna!”
Luna raised one hoof. “You must calm yourself, Sweetie Belle. This is no time to panic.”
“But Apple Bloom…” Sweetie Belle tried to catch her breath. “Something was really wrong with her. I think this thing—the one that’s causing the nightmares—it must’ve possessed her, or something.”
For a moment, Luna was silent. She closed her eyes, as if deep in thought.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Scootaloo said. “But we know Apple Bloom, and she’s never acted that way before.”
Luna slowly opened her eyes. “It may be hard to accept the things she says, but you must realize something. What you are seeing is a part of who Apple Bloom is.”
“What?” Scootaloo shook her head. “No, that can’t be right. This is totally different from the other dream.”
“It is a part of who she is,” Luna repeated. “But it is only a part.”
“Huh?”
“If you are to have any hope of helping Apple Bloom, you must accept that side of her for what it is, but you must also see past it. If not, it may grow until it consumes her entirely.”
Sweetie Belle gaped at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“This is the true nature of the threat that we face,” Luna said. “She has already been trapped in the nightmare for several days. There is no time to lose.”
Scootaloo swallowed a lump in her throat. “We should get going, then. You ready, Sweetie Belle?”
“I-I guess…” Sweetie Belle’s eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded slowly.
Luna lowered her head, and her horn began to glow blue. “I wish you both the best of luck.”
There was the now-familiar sensation of the world around them fading away, the air itself changing. The choking smell of rot greeted them, much stronger than anything they had experienced before.
It was completely dark. No streetlights, no windows. No sound.
As Scootaloo’s eyes adjusted, she could see the faint outlines of trees. The branches were nearly bare, and the few leaves that still hung on were dry and brittle. One of them trembled and fell, drifted past her nose, and settled on the weed-choked ground.
In the distance, the skyline of the city could be seen, a wide cluster of boxy shapes jutting out from the horizon. It was hard to tell through the haze just how wide it was, but it somehow seemed endless.
“Wait, why’d we end up out here?” Scootaloo stared up at the trees, and the dark clouds in the sky beyond.
“Isn’t this the farm?” Sweetie Belle said.
In its current state, it couldn’t really be considered a farm, but that’s what it had been at some point. Scootaloo kicked away a rotten apple on the ground by her hoof. “Maybe we won’t have to go very far to find her.”
“Lookin’ for me, are ya?”
They both spun around at the same time to see Apple Bloom walking towards them out of the darkness. She still wore the same smart-looking business suit as before, but she was alone this time.
“Thought you two had run back home to Ponyville with your tails between your legs,” she said. “So whaddya want? Make it quick.”
“P-please, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle choked out. “We’re your friends. You know that… don’t you? Why are you doing this?”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “You two are really set on draggin’ me back home, aren’t ya? Didn’t ya ever think it might be nice to get a change of scenery for once?”
All around them, the barren trees started to shrivel up, creaking and moaning. The last few leaves turned black and shrank away to nothing.
“What’s going on?” Sweetie Belle edged closer to Scootaloo’s side, watching the trees as they changed.
“It’s all part of the dream,” Scootaloo said. She dug her hooves firmly into the ground. “Apple Bloom, what are you doing? This is Sweet Apple Acres!”
“Not anymore, it’s not,” Apple Bloom said.
The ground rippled as a cobblestone street broke through and rose up beneath their hooves, nearly knocking them off balance. Apple Bloom stood in the middle of the street as it appeared around her, not moving, simply watching them.
“What about Applejack? Big McIntosh? Granny Smith?” Scootaloo said, regaining her balance. “They’re your family. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “No. I’m not like them. I’m not stayin’ on some old apple farm my whole life. I don’t care what they say!”
The ground around them erupted, sending a cloud of dust everywhere as massive walls of brick shot up around them. Skyscrapers, at least seven stories tall, appeared out of nowhere, leaning over them as if making sure they didn’t try to escape.
“I don’t think this is working…” Sweetie Belle’s voice was almost a whimper.
Scootaloo gritted her teeth. “We have to get through to her. If we don’t, she’s never going to wake up.”
The dust cleared around Apple Bloom, her eyes glinting in the flickering light of the streetlamps. The orchard was completely gone, and they stood in the middle of a city street again. The filly standing in the street was barely recognizable as their friend anymore.
“If that’s all you have to say to me, then you’d be better off just leavin’,” she said. “If ya couldn’t tell, there’s still a lot more land left to clear.”
Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder, but there wasn’t anywhere else to go. The buildings were too close together. They were completely penned in.
“What about us?” Sweetie Belle said. “All those times we tried to get our cutie marks. We always had so much fun together. If… if you come back with us, I just know you’ll find yours soon!”
“Do you honestly think it’s that easy?” Apple Bloom said. “You think that just because you got a cutie mark, you know everythin’ about ‘em now, is that it?”
“I just want to help you. We just need to keep trying! I’m sure there’s still hundreds of things we haven’t tried yet, and one of them’s just got to work!”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “You don’t get it. It doesn’t matter what we do.”
All at once, the shaking stopped, and the streetlights stopped flashing. The street was completely still in the dim orange light.
“I—” Apple Bloom took a step back, and her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “I already know what my cutie mark’s gonna be.”
Scootaloo took a look around, hardly able to believe how quickly everything had calmed down. It seemed impossibly quiet. “Wait. You do?”
“Sure. Everypony in my family has apples for a cutie mark. It’s what the Apple family does,” Apple Bloom said. “Why would I be any different?”
“Then why are you trying to destroy Sweet Apple Acres? It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Because I don’t want to be the same as my whole family!” Apple Bloom said. “I started to realize that when I hung out with you guys. You’re right, Sweetie Belle. There really are hundreds of ways to get a cutie mark. But… none of them worked for me. I’m goin’ to be stuck doin’ the same thing as every other Apple.”
Sweetie Belle hesitantly took a step forward, keeping her eyes on the broken pavement, unsure if it was solid. “But that’s no reason to do all of this.”
Apple Bloom looked up at her. “They’re expectin’ me to run the farm someday when I’m old enough. Maybe there just shouldn’t be a farm.” As she spoke, the lights began to flash again.
“But you don’t have to be just like the rest of your family,” Sweetie Belle said. “I mean, I always thought I’d be a designer like Rarity, but that’s not what happened. A-And we’re both totally different from our parents…”
“You just don’t get how the Apple family works, do ya?”
A low rumble emanated from the buildings around them again. They began to grow again, new stories rising up from underground. Sweetie Belle dropped to the ground, staring up as if she was afraid the walls would move in and attack. And they probably could.
Scootaloo flew a short distance forward. “They’re not going to care if your cutie mark isn’t exactly like theirs,” she said. “They’re just worried about you right now. You can’t just leave them behind.”
Apple Bloom shook her head. “No. That’s…”
“Maybe you’re right. Your special talent might not be like theirs,” Scootaloo said, keeping her gaze locked on Apple Bloom, ignoring the chaos around them. “And it won’t matter. But if you keep doing this, then you really are going to lose them.”
Apple Bloom lifted her eyes, until they met with Scootaloo’s. She didn’t say anything.
Then, slowly, the buildings sank back down. Blades of grass poked out between the cobblestones, brushing against their hooves. The wrought-iron streetlights seemed to shimmer, and transformed into apple trees before their eyes.
The grew brighter, but it wasn’t the dingy light of the streetlights. Scootaloo looked up and saw the dark clouds of smoke drifting apart, and a pale blue sky shining through.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am,” Apple Bloom said as the last traces of the city vanished into thin air. “I don’t know what came over me.”
Sweetie Belle’s eyes were wide with shock. “Y-You mean…”
Apple Bloom stared around at Sweet Apple Acres, the hills bathed in early morning sun. She reached down and touched the suit she was still wearing. “Good grief, I don’t know what I was thinkin’.”
“Same here,” Sweetie Belle muttered under her breath.
“I didn’t mean any of those things,” Apple Bloom said. “At least, I don’t think I did.”
“We know you didn’t,” Sweetie Belle said, though she didn’t exactly sound that sure of herself. “We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders. We’ve got to look out for each other, you know?”
“Yeah…”
Sweetie Belle extended one hoof, and Apple Bloom stared at it for a moment. Then she smiled, and placed her hoof on top.
Scootaloo smiled wearily, and headed over to put her own hoof in the center. But before she could reach them, she felt a pair of hooves clamp down on her shoulders. Hard. She let out a startled cry as she was pulled backwards.
Somepony was shaking her.
“Come on! You can’t sleep through this now, not after all we’ve done!”
Scootaloo blinked, and rolled over to see Rainbow Dash staring down at her with a frantic look in her eyes.
“Huh?”
“Cider season’s officially open! They’re about to break open the first barrel, and it’s got our names on it!” Rainbow said. “Well, our names aren’t actually on it… Maybe I should do that next year. Anyways, would you just get up already?”
Rainbow turned around and left the tent. Scootaloo wiggled her way out of the tangled sleeping bag and stretched out her legs. She could see through the entrance flaps that it was still dark outside, and the sun hadn’t come all the way up yet.
As she stepped outside, blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she saw that the line of ponies now extended well beyond the last of the tents. She looked around and spotted Rainbow Dash waiting impatiently in front of the cider stand.
Applejack nodded to Big McIntosh and Granny Smith, then stepped up to a megaphone next to the stand. She stared out at the line stretching off into the distance, and cleared her throat. “Attention, everypony! Cider season is officially open!”
“Don’t mind if I do.” Rainbow Dash strode up to the stand and set a few bits down on the counter.
Applejack let out a sigh, then cranked the lever to pour out two mugs of cider.
Rainbow Dash grabbed one away from her and took a long gulp.
“Ya happy now?” Applejack’s eyes narrowed.
“Very,” Rainbow Dash said, wiping the foam from her mouth. “So was this a good year for you guys, or is that just the sweet taste of victory?”
“Thanks for your business,” Applejack said, her voice flat and expressionless.
Scootaloo trotted over and took the other mug. It did taste pretty good, especially after the night she’d just had, but she didn’t exactly feel calm yet. She glanced over anxiously at the Apple’s farmhouse, sitting up on a hill in the distance.
The line continued moving, with Pinkie Pie bouncing up after Scootaloo left, and she headed back to where Rainbow Dash was standing to watch. The three Apples working the stand were like a well-oiled machine—Applejack poured the cider, Granny Smith handled the money, and Big McIntosh kept the barrels stocked. They were managing customers just fine, but they looked exhausted somehow.
“Wait up!”
Scootaloo picked her head up at the sound of Apple Bloom’s voice. She turned around to see Apple Bloom running at full gallop to the cider stand.
“What?” Applejack stared at her in surprise.
“I’m here!” Apple Bloom stared at the crowd of ponies. “I thought we were s’posed to wait till the weekend to start sellin’ the cider! What happened?”
“Uh…” Applejack scratched her head. “Are ya sure you’re okay?” She reached over to feel Apple Bloom’s forehead. “No fever or anything?”
“I’m fine. Do ya need me to help out or not?”
Applejack nodded. “S-Sure do. We’re as busy as ever.”
Apple Bloom leapt into action, taking over the tap as Applejack managed the customers. The line started moving visibly faster.
“Wait, uh…” Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “Did I miss something?”
“Apple Bloom’s been sick the past few days,” Scootaloo said. “It’s, uh… It’s probably nothing.”
“That’s good.” Rainbow took another huge gulp of cider.
Rarity came trotting up the path. “Honestly, Sweetie Belle, if you hadn’t taken so long getting out of bed we could have made it out here much earlier. You know what the lines are like the first few days of cider season.”
Sweetie Belle trailed along beside her. “Sorry…” She caught sight of Scootaloo. “Uh, you can go ahead, Rarity. I’ll catch up.”
“That’s…” Rarity’s voice trailed off as she noticed the line. “Oh, dear.”
“Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle trotted over. “Where’s Apple Bloom? Is she...”
“She’s busy helping Applejack.” Scootaloo nodded towards the booth.
“Oh,” Sweetie Belle said, glancing over.”That’s… good, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. That’s good.”
Sweetie Belle lowered her voice. “You were amazing back there in the dream, Scootaloo,” she said.
“Me?” Scootaloo looked at her. “I hardly knew what was going on. I still can’t believe we did it.”
“I don’t think I would’ve been able to talk to her if you hadn’t been there,” Sweetie Belle said. “Is it really over?”
“For now, anyway.”
“That’s it for today, everypony!” Applejack called out. There were a few disappointed groans, but the crowds had thinned out as the evening went on.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were finishing up their cider near Rainbow Dash’s tent when Apple Bloom trotted over to them.
“Hey, girls!” she said. “Sorry I couldn’t come say ‘hi’ earlier. Real busy and all.”
“That’s fine,” Scootaloo said. “Are you, uh… doing okay?”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Never felt better. Applejack says I was sleepin’ for nearly three whole days, but I sure don’t feel like it… What’d you guys do all that time, anyway?”
“Uh, nothing much,” Sweetie Belle said.
“I was busy helping Rainbow Dash save her spot in line,” Scootaloo said. “There’s not much you can do staying in a tent for three days, you know?”
Apple Bloom took a seat next to them and watched the setting sun over the apple trees, sipping her cider slowly.
“Well, I know it sounds like it’s comin’ outta nowhere, but…” She scratched the back of her head. “I was thinkin’ I’d ask Applejack about visitin’ Manehattan sometime.”
Sweetie Belle spit out her cider. “What?” she said, coughing. “Why would you want to go back there?”
Apple Bloom looked at her strangely. “I ain’t never been there before, though,” she said. “Actually, that’s kinda the reason I wanna go. I’ve been hearin’ all about it from Babs in her letters, and it just sounds like nothin’ I ever seen before. There’s a lot more to Equestria than just Ponyville.”
“Well, yeah, but…” Sweetie Belle frowned. “You’re not going to forget about us, right?”
“It’s just a visit,” Apple Bloom said. “Of course I’m not gonna forget you.”
“What does Applejack think?” Scootaloo said.
“Well, I haven’t asked her yet. Thought I’d wait for cider season to be over,” Apple Bloom said. “I’ve still gotta help out around here, after all. ‘Til then, we’ve still gotta figure out how to get our cutie marks, right?”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Scootaloo said.
They stayed out late into the night, even after the last of the crowd had gone back home—or back into their tents—for the night, and the full moon rose high above their heads.