Young Love: Part 3
Branches whipped and scratched at her as she just ran and ran, cursing herself for her stupidity.
How could Ah do somethin' so stupid! Now he'll never like me back. Ah just know it.
She thought she heard something like a voice calling her name, but she ignored it. She didn't want to talk to anyone anyway, so she kept running. She didn't really have a destination, nor was she even paying attention to where she was going. It wasn't until she slammed into a tree, breaking it at the base, that she stopped and, wiping her tears, took in her surroundings.
“Ah, pony feathers,” she grumbled, “Applejack's gonna be so mad.”
The dark, foreboding trees of the Everfree Forest loomed overhead, casting their shadows to the forest floor below. Applebloom wasn't really worried about the monsters, she could take any of them without much trouble, even a hydra. What she was worried about was the fact that she didn't know where she was or how she got there. Not to mention the peal of thunder signaled the approach of wild weather.
Her concerns about Midnight temporarily set aside, the filly set about looking for shelter. The Everfree Forest, she knew, was littered with caves. Unfortunately, visibility was so poor she might have walked within ten feet of one and not noticed.
She had nearly given up hope, when a sound drifted through the air. It sounded like singing, but who would be singing way out here? Thinking it could be either a way out of the forest, shelter, or a lost pony that needed help, Applebloom made her way toward the sound's origin. The possibility that it was one of the many strange, predatory denizens of the forest didn't slip her mind, of course. She was ready to pummel any threat into a pulp if need be.
After about two or three minutes, the singing stopped, but she could see where it was coming from. A lone tower stood above the trees, one of the many ruins that dotted the forest. Trapped pony or not, it was shelter, and just in time, too. The first of the raindrops began to fall, bouncing off Applebloom's snout.
The filly ran to the entry. The steel door rusted shut, but it gave easily under the Element of Strength, creaking and groaning in protest as its millennium long rest was interrupted. Applebloom slowly peeked her head inside. It looked like an old church of some kind. Windows lined the walls with multicolor shards of glass along the edges, being the only indication of what was once likely grand, stained glass windows. Sconces lines the areas between the empty windows, their light long extinguished. A podium stood on the raised dais, its worn brass tarnished with age. Finally, there were rows and rows of stone pews. Some of them were knocked over or broken in half, but one in the front had a feature that she didn't really expect.
A unicorn filly - no older than her - was sitting there, staring at the front, humming a beautiful tune. As Applebloom approached, she took in the unexpected sight. Her coat was a dark indigo and her short mane was an incredibly vivid violet, but... there was something off about her. Another question, why didn't she react to the door opening?
Approaching slowly and cautiously, Applebloom decided to announce her presence, “That's a beautiful song.”
The filly yelped and darted off to a closet to the side of the room... and passed right through the iron barred door. Applebloom furrowed her brow in confusion as she approached the closet. A quick tap told her the bars were in fact real, despite the filly moving through them as if they weren't there.
“Um, hello?” Applebloom asked the door in as soft a tone as she could. “Ah'm sorry Ah scared you. Ah was just lookin' to get outta the storm and Ah heard you singin'.”
Applebloom almost jumped as she looked into the darkness if the closet, and a pair of silver eyes suddenly looked back. A sweet, but melancholic voice asked, “Y-you can see me?”
Applebloom chuckled at the question. “'Course Ah can... er... not so much anymore, but that cause you're in the dark. Now come on outta there and talk to me. What're you doin' out here anyway? Don'cha know there's monsters out here that'll gobble you up?”
The dark filly giggled. “That's okay. They can't hurt me,” She walked back out, her form shimmering as she once again passed through the bars. “I'm already dead.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
“She ain't here either!” Applejack called back to Midnight, as she searched yet another of her little sister's hiding places, this one in a hollow space among some bushes. “Come on, we still got a few more places to look.”
Midnight rubbed the back of his neck as he said, “Maybe we should give her some time to herself.”
“While she's upset and in heat?” the farm mare replied, her worry evident in her voice. “You know how many fillies are taken advantage of their first heat? Ah ain't gonna let that happen to mah little sister. We gotta find her, Midnight.”
“Alright, I'll get Slash out here. He's fast and can help search.” Midnight took a breath, ready to begin, but stopped when he saw a familiar yellow figure heading their way at rather high speeds considering who it was.
“Applejack!” Fluttershy called out when she got close, “I've been looking all over for you! Applebloom just ran into the Everfree! I tried to call her back but she didn't hear me. We have to hurry before something attacks her!”
“I don't think anything in that forest could hurt her,” Midnight said, trying to comfort the mare. “Anything short of a dragon would get clobbered.”
“That's why I'm worried!” Fluttershy cried. “What if she hurts Mittens or Stinky?”
Applejack and Midnight chuckled a little at that.
“Come on then,” Midnight said, “Let's go save your manticore friends.”
“Actually, Stinky's a hydra.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
“This is so great!” The little dark filly bounced excitedly around the still stunned Applebloom. “It's been so long since anypony has been able to see me! I have so many questions about the outside! So, did Luna really come back? And Discord, too? Who are the new Element Bearers? Are they nice? Of course they are, that's a dumb question. They're the Element Bearers!”
“W-w-what do you mean you're... d-dead?” Applebloom finally managed to get out.
The filly stopped her excited circling and questioning. The jovial smile fell in an instant to a fearful, pleading look. “P-please don't run. Most ponies that see me run, and-and-and... I'm just so lonely. Please, I'm sorry I’m dead! It's not my fault!”
Applebloom's fear melted away at the sight of the pitiful filly. She realized that, if her appearance was any indication, she died around her age.
“W-what's your name?” Applebloom asked.
“Um... N-Nightshade,” came the reply, “What's yours?”
“Ah'm Applebloom, nice to meet'cha.” Applebloom thought about asking how she died, but decided it might be a touchy subject.
“So, why are you out here, anyway?” Nightshade asked, “It is a dangerous forest, like you said.”
“Ah... You see, Ah've kinda had this...crush. Ah mean, not only is he ten years older than me, but he's married and has a filly... and Ah kinda kissed him.”
“Oh...” Nightshade looked thoughtful, “Well, you're, what, twelve? Thirteen?”
“Twelve.”
“Well, then you just have three years to go before you can be together... unless they changed that. If fifteen still an adult?”
“Yeah, but he's married,” Applebloom reminded.
“To how many?”
“Just one. Not many ponies have herds anymore,” the farm filly explained. “Ah mean, it's still done, but not much, plus him and his wife both said they don't want a herd.”
“No herds?! That's weird,” replied the ghost, “Aren't there a lot of lonely mares?”
“Nah, a lot of mares just marry another mare if they can't find a stallion,” Applebloom said, “There's still ponies that think it's wrong, but love is love, no matter who it's with or what they got under their tails.”
“That's really wise for a filly your age,” Nightshade said, clearly impressed.
“Ah kinda got it from Pinkie,” AB admitted with a slight blush.
“It's still a good way to think,” the little deceased pony said with a warm smile.
They sat in a pleasant silence for several seconds before an idea came to Applebloom. “Hey, you're out here all by your lonesome, right? Why don't you come home with me?”
Nightshade's smile vanished as tears began to well up in her eyes, “I... can't leave this place.”
“Oh... there ain't a way to break that?”
“Not unless I possess somepony, but I would never do that.”
Applebloom thought for a few seconds before asking, “Can you possess somepony, but still let them be in charge, kinda like hitchin' a ride?”
Nightshade looked up at Applebloom in surprise. “You can't be suggesting I... No, I couldn't. I don't know if it'll work, anyway. The second I leave your body, I might be sent right back here.”
“Well, why not try?” Applebloom pressed, “It ain't right, you being cooped up here all alone. I'll tell you what, if it don't work, I'll visit you at least once a week if Ah can.”
“I... Um... I...” Nightshade bit her lip in thought, “O-okay, but... I don't know if it'll hurt you.”
Applebloom grinned, “Ah'm a tough filly, don't you worry.”
“Okay... here I go then. You ready?”
Applebloom nodded.
Nightshade took a deep breath and said, “Alright... one, two... are you absolutely su-”
“Just do it already!”
With a nervous wince, Nightshade's body seemed to dissolve into a mist that hovered for a second, before flying at Applebloom. The yellow filly's mouth was forced open as the mist entered her. When the last wisp of smoke was gone, Applebloom fell to the floor in a fit of coughing.
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” Nightshade's voice sounded from within Applebloom's head. “I'm coming out!”
“No!” Applebloom managed, “Ah'm good. Ah just need a moment. Ah didn't expect you to come in my mouth.”
Nightshade snickered, “You say that a lot?”
“Wha?” Applebloom had think about that for a moment, but when it clicked her cheeks blazed scarlet with embarrassment, “Th-that's not funny! Ah ain't never done that before.”
“I know. I'm just teasing. Sorry if I upset you,” Nightshade apologized.
“It's alright, Ah've just been feelin' funny, and every time Ah think 'bout stuff like that, it makes it worse.”
“That's because you're in heat. Is this your first time?”
Applebloom groaned, “Great. Yeah it's mah first. Let's just get outta here. It's been a long day.”
“You know, I think I might... yeah, I can help out with your heat from in here.”
“Really?”
As if to answer her, the strange feeling she had seemed to vanish.
“Wow. Ah think Ah might like havin' you inside me.”
Applebloom heard another giggle from in her head.
“Oh shut up!”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Midnight, Applejack, and Fluttershy ran as fast as they could toward the Everfree. Despite his assurances of her safety, he knew the forest held a great many things that could potentially make the emotional filly their snack.
“Alright, AJ, you head north, Fluttershy, south. I'll go-”
“Hey, AJ, Fluttershy, Midnight!” a familiar voice interrupted, “Y'all lookin' for me?”
“Applebloom!” Applejack ran up to embrace the filly, “What were you thinkin'? Ah don't care if you can knock a dragon out, the forest is dangerous.”
“Ah know,” Applebloom said, averting her eyes from the others. “Ah didn't mean to, Ah was just so mad at mahself Ah didn't watch where Ah was runnin'.” She looked at Midnight. “Ah'm sorry, Midnight. Ah've had a bit of a crush on you for a while, and then with mah heat...”
“So you already know what it is?” the stallion asked.
“Sweetie told me what it was like, and Ah just put it together,” the filly explained. “Ah found an herb Ah remembered Zecora said treated a few different things, including heat urges, so Ah ain't gonna try nothin'. So... are we still friends?”
Midnight closed the distance in a heartbeat and joined in the hug.
“Always, Bloom,” Midnight said.
Applebloom smiled at the contact. She was just glad that they were still friends. Too soon, the hug was broken and farewells were said. As Applebloom followed her sister home, Nightshade finally spoke up.
“Hey, Applebloom... I know how I can repay you for helping me get out of there. I'm going to help you convince him and his wife to let you join them when you get old enough.”
Applebloom smiled and whispered, “Thanks.”
“What was that?” Applejack asked from a few paces ahead.
“Oh... nothin'. Just thinkin' out loud.”