A Heart of Change

by SilentBelle

Chapter 16 - Eyes of Fear and Hate

Scootaloo opened her eyes and shook her head. A dream again? Why can't I ever get some real sleep? Whatever happened to getting dreams where I could just laze around on a cloud, or fly on the wind for hours at a time? She groaned and quickly took in her surroundings. She was in a small building with wooden walls on all sides. The single room was filled with numerous tools: hammers, nails, countless types of saws, power-tools, and various metal tongs and braces whose purpose Scootaloo could only guess at. All the tools were neatly organized amidst a carpet of sawdust.

It took her a moment to realize where she was. While what was inside was vastly different than the hodgepodge of items the three crusaders had gathered year earlier, the walls of their clubhouse still maintained their unmistakable slough of scrapes, scratches and dents. Just with a cursory glance, she remembered Sweetie's attempts to dry the paint with her magic, or her own attempt to jump the clubhouse with her Scooter. While the window had been replaced, the windowsill still showed signs of the botched trick.

Along the walls of their old clubhouse, Scootaloo noticed two pictures hanging on the wall. One held the entire Apple family in front of a brand new barn, and right beside it was one of herself with a hoof slung over Sweetie Belle's shoulder. They were both covered in splotches of paint and grinning in such a pure manner, while behind them, the newly repaired clubhouse sat pristine in the sunlight.

“That must be the picture that Apple Bloom took of us,” she mused to herself aloud. “So I guess she uses this place as some sort of workshop or storage shed now? Huh, I guess that doesn't surprise me.”

She paused and shook her head curtly. No, I can't let myself get drawn into this dream. I need to get out of here! She turned away from the room of memories and moved to the door.

“Turning away from your friends so soon?” a deep voice hissed from behind her.

Scootaloo spun on the spot and searched for the snake amongst the numerous tools. “You bastard! Get out of my dream!”

“You always do run away from your problems, don't you, Scootaloo?” the voice mocked from within the room.

“You don't know anything about me! Get out!” Scootaloo shouted and shoved forward with her mind, blowing a shower of tools against the opposite side of the clubhouse and breaking a sizable hole in the wall.

Where the tools had just been, a shadow lay upon the floor, coiled and writhing. “And when you can't run, you lash out. Be it friend or enemy.” The shadow's voice said with deep amusement. “How deep the anger runs, it's what makes you such a valuable specimen. Oh, I've seen your memories girl. Indeed, it is you who doesn't know anything about me.”

Two slits opened in the shadow, revealing the wooden grain of floorboards, but then they began to glow a sickly green and violet as the snake rose from the floor. The onyx serpent lengthened and deepened, forming solidly before her, all while undulating around itself. Its mouth opened to a dark chasm, with two opalescent fangs playing gatekeeper on either side, threatening to consume her in a single bite.

“As if I'd listen to a word you have to say! It's my dream. You can't do what you want here! I won't let you!” Scootaloo shouted and blasted the snake with a crushing wave of will. You don't exist! she thought to herself. With a deafening crash, all the walls of the clubhouse burst apart, and the snake’s scales rippled, and some were torn free, revealing only a deeper, shadowy darkness within the beast.

The snake only laughed at her attack, while the building slowly began to flow back to its natural form. The wooden splinters and numerous tools all floated back to where they had been, in an ethereal manner. “Just like this dream, your struggles shall not last very long, girl.”

Scootaloo scowled at the snake, preparing another blast if the beast should move so much as an inch toward her.

“Yes, that's the glare. Anger, contempt, confusion, and fear. Yet amidst it all, you stand strong and defiant. You take it all and make it a part of you.” The snake slowed its writhing as its damaged scales idly reformed. “Pain is but a fleeting thing in a dream, and physical damage, even more so. Yet, you fear me coming close.”

“Get out of my dream!” Scootaloo repeated. “You damn nightmare! I'm not afraid of you!”

The snake hissed out a scathing laugh. “Oh yes... You are not nearly as afraid as last time. But I wonder... What you will make of this...”

The snake slowly uncoiled, revealing a white figure, with a curled pink and purple mane. Her green eyes blinked for a moment in surprise as she looked around the clubhouse. Then she noticed the shadowy form that coiled around her and her eyes widened in fear.

“Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo called out in disbelief. “But you can't bring another pony into a dream with you...”

Then in the next moment, the snake struck, driving its fangs into her neck.

“Perhaps I should reach into her dreams as well...” the snake mused aloud. “She must dream about some very interesting things.”

“No! You can't! I won't let you!” Scootaloo dove toward the snake and willed the snake off her friend with a blast. The snakes mouth was rent open and wrenched free from Sweetie Belle's limp form. Small pools of crimson puddle from the holes in her neck. “No! No, Sweetie! You can't take her too!”

“But I already have her,” the snake replied snidely.

Sweetie Belle's form managed to move shakily and she reached out a gentle hoof. “Scoots. I'm right here, Scoots,” she spoke quietly, as if to mimic the draining colour of her once-silvery coat. “It's just a dream.” With her final words spoken, her eyes closed.

“Sweetie?” Scootaloo called out as she pulled her friend into a tight hug. The sanguine streams from her friend soaked into her coat. “Come on, it's just a dream. Your body will fix itself; it always does. Dreams can't hurt you!”

“You still think this is just a mere dream?” the snake asked as he reformed himself on the far side of the clubhouse. “I am much more than that, girl. I'm always here, always hunting you. You will never escape, and eventually, you will fall.” The snake hissed as its form melded back into a mere shadow on the floorboards. “And when you do, I'll be there, waiting...”

Scootaloo discarded the mockery of Sweetie Belle. Glaring at the descending shadow, she willed a lance to strike the snake. However, she felt her will diffuse upon an unseen bulwark of the creature’s own, and her strike never took form.

“...in the darkness...” the voice finished in a low hiss, and in an instant, the shadow spread through the entire clubhouse, until all was covered in an inky blackness. Alls she could see was herself, and Sweetie Belle's dead form just before her.

With tears forming in her eyes, Scootaloo sat in the darkness. Why? The question ached in her mind. Why me? Why is he doing this? What does he want? Damn it all! What did he do to Sweetie?!

With a sharp knock at the door, Apple Bloom's eyes bolted open. She peeked out from her covers and saw the shadowy figure of a pony filtering through the semi-translucent crystalline door.

Blinking in confusion, she took a quick survey of the room and pieced together where she was. The room filtered the sun's light from above, within an hour to its noon zenith, transforming it to an aquamarine skylight. As a result, the room was adequately lit, with no need for alternate sources of illumination. Right; we're in the Crystal Empire.

She saw Scootaloo in the other bed, kicking what little remained of her bedding onto the floor as she groaned her protestations at being woken up. The pegasus' mane and tail looked to be nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. Have you always been this bad at getting up, Scootaloo? I thought you used to do early morning practices all the time. She couldn't suppress a small grin from tugging at her lips.

The loud crack of hooves on crystal echoed through the chamber. “Right, right! Come in, it's unlocked!” Apple Bloom called as she got out of her bed and ran a quick hoof through her mane.

She saw the silhouette nod and gently push open the door. A light amethyst mare entered the chamber with an apologetic smile. “Sorry for disturbing you,” the crystal pony's gentle voice chimed in.

“Oh, don't worry none.” Apple Bloom idly waved away her apology. And gave the pony a look-over. Her body was crystalline though not as translucent as Apple Bloom remembered from her previous visit to the Crystal Empire. At the mare's flank was a triangular cutie mark, with three different coloured lines marking it.

Apple Bloom wondered at the story behind the mark, but soon gave up her speculation and shook her head. “It was high time we got up. By the way, Ah'm Apple Bloom, pleased ta meet ya. So what brings you here, miss…?”

“Oh! My name is Prism.” She gave Apple Bloom a deep bow. “Lady Apple Bloom, I'm to deliver a message to you. You have been granted an audience in the throne room in an hour's time. I'm sorry it's not much time to get ready...”

“Nah, quit apologizin', an hour's plenty fine,” Apple Bloom replied, the slightest bit of discomfort leeching into her voice. “But honestly, Prism, don't go callin' me 'lady' nothin'. Ah'm as far as ya get from a lady. Just call me Apple Bloom.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, Apple Bloom.”

Scootaloo groaned at that moment, echoing Apple Bloom's own thoughts on the crystal pony's over-apologetic responses. The pegasus rolled over one last time, and fell right out of the luxury-sized bed. She hit the ground hard, waking with a start. “Sweetie!”

“Geez, Scootaloo. Ya sure have a way of getting' up in the mornin'.” Apple Bloom let out a small giggle. “Don't mind her, Prism. She's just not a mornin' pony.”

“Right.” Prism shot the bleary-eyed pegasus a concerned look.

“And before ya ask, she ain't no lady neither.” Apple Bloom smirked.

“Sweetie,” Scootaloo muttered as she wrestled herself into a sitting position and gazed about the room frantically. Her eyes held deep bags, as if she hadn't just spent the last nine hours sleeping. Her gaze fell upon the empty end-table and she paused as a look of fear overcame her. “Apple Bloom, where's Sweetie Belle?!”

Apple Bloom' grin quickly fell flat as she noticed that the end-table was completely bare. “Ya left her on the table, didn't ya?” Then that means- “Shoot! Ah should've remembered ta lock the door!”

“She's gone, Bloom!” Scootaloo frantically jumped to her hooves, scowled and gave the bed beside her a sharp kick. “It was him, damn it! He must have taken her. We have to go look for her!”

“Whoa, hold on there, Scootaloo! Yer makin' a scene. Just calm down,” Apple Bloom protested and eyed Prism.

The crystal pony was backing out the door casting the pegasus nervous glances.

“You!” Scootaloo jumped into the air as she shouted at Prism. She flew over to the cowering pony. “Who would have come into our room while we were sleeping?!”

“I-I don't know, I-I'm sorry. P-please.”

“Stop it, Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom moved forward and pushed the pegasus aside. “Ya can't just go shoutin' at ponies like that!”

“But we have ta do something, Bloom!” Scootaloo's voice had grown desperate. “She doesn't have a body, and she's been taken captive! Stolen! We can't afford to slow down. We have to find her now, or she might be gone forever!”

“Ah agree; we have ta find her, Scootaloo. But darn it, we need ta figure out where we’re goin’ ta rush to before we go rushin' anywhere. Let's grab some food quickly, and plan out what to do. We have a meetin' with the princess in an hour. Maybe she can use scryin' spells for us, or knows somepony who can track Sweetie down,” Apple Bloom offered, giving what she hoped would be a look of reassurance.

Scootaloo's violet eyes quivered, her wings were half-spread in anxiety, and she looked on the verge of tears. Something's terribly wrong.... Apple Bloom couldn't help the thought, but she couldn't ever remember seeing Scootaloo this scared before. When trying daunting aerial tricks, when falling and nearly dying before she got her cutie mark, or when facing a dragon, she knew Scootaloo would and had gotten scared. But she would always face that fear down and overcome it; yet this time, it was different. The pegasus had a nervous twitch that caused her wings to spasm as she started frantically digging through Sweetie Belle's saddle bags.

“She's helpless, Bloom, and every second we spend not searching is a second that she's being taken further away from us.”

“But ya can't know that, Scoots,” Apple Bloom argued back. “It was probably just some thief that thought her the amulet looked nice.”

“No!” Scootaloo's eyes hardened into an indignant glare. “He has her, Bloom! I'm certain of it!”

Apple Bloom shook her head. “Darn it, Scootaloo! If he was in our room, then why didn't he just attack us? He was fine with tryin' ta kill us just the other day.”

“How in Tartarus should I know what he's thinking?!” Scootaloo pushed past Prism and moved through the door. “All I know is that I have to find her. I have to save her!”

“Wait! Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom shouted as she leaped out the door in chase. “Damn your fiery head! Get back here!”

Her words went unheeded and Scootaloo quickly made it to an open balcony down the hall and dove off into the sky. “Darn it!” Apple Bloom stomped a hoof in frustration. Something must have happened... How would she know that Sweetie was taken by him? She shook her head and forced herself to take a deep breath. Some leader I am...

Apple Bloom turned her attention back to Prism, who was taking slow apprehensive steps away from her while turning her gaze to the side. She doesn't want ta be a part o' this? Apple Bloom sighed. Well too bad, Prism. I don't really want to be a part of this either, but we can't always choose our battles.

“Prism,” she said firmly, and the mare jumped slightly. “I'm sorry about my friend Scootaloo, but I need you to do something for me.”

“Yes?” Prism asked, still not meeting her eye.

“I need you to bring me to the Captain of the Guard, here in the palace.”

“B-but, I can't bother Captain Snowfall at a time like this. I'm just a steward-”

“Prism!” Apple Bloom interjected forcefully. “There has been a robbery, and one—if not both—of my friends' lives are in jeopardy. Ah think that only with his resources will we be able to mitigate this. And Scootaloo was right about something. We have ta act now!”

“But what will I say?” Prism asked, as fear leaked into her voice.

Apple Bloom stomped a hoof. “What I just told you! That both my friends—sisters to the Elements of Harmony—lives are at stake, and I think only the captain and his guards will be able to save them! This is an emergency, for Celestia's sake! Ah'll be headin' to grab some food quickly, then Ah'll meet with the princess. If Ah'm not at the kitchens, then I'll be headed there. Send him as quick as you can; this is urgent!”

The crystal pony shuffled her hooves nervously and Apple Bloom let out an irritated sigh.

“Look, if you’re worried about overstepping your bounds, don't be. Ah'll take all the responsibility fer mah orders. As the Element of Honesty's sister, Ah promise.”

She watched as Prism sped off down the hall, and Apple Bloom felt a little guilty about pulling out the 'Elements of Harmony' trump card, but she didn't have any time to waste. Apple Bloom had little reason to doubt that Scootaloo had been telling her what she thought was the truth. And if Scootaloo was right, and that nameless voice was behind it all, then this could be Sweetie's only chance. Overreactions be damned, Ah'm not 'bout ta risk losin' Sweetie Belle.

At a fevered pace, Apple Bloom ran back into the guest room and checked her saddle bags. With a sharp intake of breath she loosened the side-clasp and sighed to see that the fragment of Discord remained within. So he didn't know that we kept a fragment with us? The gears in her mind began turning as she resealed the pouch, shouldered the saddlebags, and harnessed it onto her back. She cast one last look at Sweetie Belle's lone pair of saddlebags then shook her head. Stay safe, you two; I'll do what I can from here.

Sweetie Belle mulled over the last few hours, as retracing her thoughts and memories were just about the only actions she could do anymore. If I can even call it an action, she thought to herself wryly. All she could do was sit helplessly as she watched the world move around her. And watched she had.

She remembered seeing Scootaloo as the nightmares had set in, and that poisonous looking magic that had poured from the pegasus' eyes. She was calling to me and I tried to help, but he was there. He's attacking Scootaloo with some foul magic, and my bracelet wasn't enough to stop it. Maybe if I'd fused the discord fragment with the amulet and used the magical outburst to pull that foul magic from Scoots...

But when she had tried to interact and stop the magic, she'd been drained of her resonant magic in mere moments. And without that, I can't do anything.

“Except for brood,” a familiar voice quipped. “Oh, all the centuries I've spent brooding. A story can only be looked at so many times before it becomes naught but boring.”

Well, that's true, Scoddri, she admitted. However, if I were to stop brooding, then I may as well stop living. It's the only thing I have left keeping me sane.

“That, and a voice in your mind.” Scoddri laughed. “It appears we share something in common. Such maddening company.”

Call me crazy all you want, Scoddri, but I'm not giving up. I'll figure a way out of this. Though I am curious, Sweetie Belle considered the voice's faint magic which was forming the words that she 'heard'. Why are you only talking to me now, after all these years? I thought you were dead for the longest time.

Scoddri let out a bellowing laugh. “What makes one dead, girl? I have no body, and for a time all I saw was a splintered world swirling around me as countless shards of glass. At first I very well hoped that I might have been passing on, but it never ended, girl. The shards began to slow and the pieces began to reform around you. Try as I might, my magic was no longer mine to control. So I waited until the fractured world became clear enough for me to make my presence known.”

So you've been watching me from the amulet? And you've seen the world through all the different fragments... all at the same time? Sweetie couldn't even begin to imagine what that would be like. And eventually they all drew close enough for you to see a coherent picture.

“It's not as simple as seeing a picture. It is about living in a coherent world. The world becomes clearer bit by bit, and sometimes the clarity vanishes,” Scoddri sighed. “But alas, it is out of my control. A truer chaos I've never seen.”

Well, I'm not about to give in to this 'chaos' of yours anytime soon. I'll find a way out of this and get my body back.

“And I'll watch you struggle from every angle.” Scoddri snorted a laugh. “Was an end truly too much to ask for?”

Sweetie Belle didn't know how to respond to his question. While she was sincerely glad for his company, she was still irked about the decision Scoddri had made those five years ago. She wished she could go back and do something, to stop Scoddri’s or Twilight’s decision. The memory was still held within her as a tightly knotted ball of regret.

She knew that at least in the last few hours, if not for Scoddri, she'd probably have given up her struggles. She was also pretty sure that Scoddri knew it.

With the voice falling silent once again, Sweetie turned her thoughts back to a few hours prior. Just after she'd lost her hold of the magic from the fragment.

It had been a quiet noise, quieter than Scootaloo's own restless movements, and Scoddri's raucous laughter. A pony had entered the room, and before she knew what was happening, Sweetie Belle had felt the world shift as she had been stuffed into a young bluish crystal pony colt's coat pocket. The colt's eyes glowed with a greenish-purple haze that she had seen from Scootaloo only moments before. He moved slowly, as if sleepwalking.

The colt had then moved quietly through the palace and taken too many turns for Sweetie Belle to remember correctly, and eventually ended up on a windowsill. Sweetie Belle was surprised as the colt jumped from the balcony, but the magic in his eyes flared into a familiar feather spell, and he hit the pavement below with a sound quieter than the late summer breeze.

The mystery colt kept to the shadows and lurked his way between the palace guards. Eventually he made it to the palace entrance, as quietly and slowly as before. As he approached the two guards at the entrance, his eyes flared.

It was a spell I've never seen before... The guards just kept up their watch and didn't seem to notice as the colt walked out right beneath their noses. It wasn't invisibility, but it was small, yet complicated and went straight for their eyes. Some sort of ocular spell? she reasoned. Maybe a subtle blinding spell?

After the display of canny arcana, the colt had made it into the city, and the glow from his eyes had finally dissipated. The changes were instantaneous. The colt's hooves came to a stuttering stop on the pavement.

“Where...?” Sweetie Belle heard the young crystal pony ask aloud. He tossed his head about as he scanned the area. “Sleepwalking again? Mom's gonna kill me...”

Sweetie Belle remained in the colt's coat pocket, and was currently stashed in the closet of what appeared to be an emergency homeless shelter. Ponies who lost homes due to the storm... Sweetie Belle had figured as she had peered around the structure during the night. It appeared to be some sort of community recreation center that contained a bare minimum of supplies. The large room housed a number of families that slept upon simple pallets which clustered into groups.

Eventually, hours later, the colt had woken up along with the other ponies, and he donned his jacket once again and headed out to the streets with a group of four other foals from the emergency shelter. Carefree and running about with youthful vigor, Sweetie Belle was reminded of her own days spent crusading with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.

And whoever it is that caused the storm is also using this kid, Sweetie thought with disgust. An image of Sweetie Belle and her two friends with magic leaking from their eyes filtered its way into her mind. It's sick. I have to do something...

“So you're back to the beginning, where you decide whether or not to brood once again,” Scoddri japed.

Sweetie ignored the voice, and took in her surroundings. The colts and fillies played a game of tag in the streets as they explored many of the different roads. While Sweetie was being jostled about in the coat pocket, she made out a number of buildings she hadn’t seen before. Along the street, she saw many adults had stopped in their somber duties to watch the kids as they ran by. Many of the adults allowed smiles to reach their lips as they ignored their troubles for a moment before continuing on with whatever endless tasks awaited them.

The children moved quite a bit through the city as they ran about. Although the palace remained as an ever-present backdrop to their antics. At least I know where I am.

“So you've figured out where your body is?” the voice teased. “Is that where you are? Or are you here, stuck in this child's pocket? It can be so very hard to keep track of.”

“So, wanna try and get construction-worker cutie marks?” the colt whose pocket she was in asked. “That way we could help rebuild our homes.”

The other children put forth varying choruses of agreement and they got to work planning on how they could assist their parents in making new houses.

If only the world were as simple as that... Sweetie Belle thought idly. I guess I was once just as idyllic and naive. But four children can't build a house from scratch no matter how well intentioned they are. It's impossible.

“All goals and dreams are impossible; it is the nature of such things.” Scoddri laughed bitterly.

A carpenter pony watched the group of fillies and colts for a moment before resuming his lathing with a restored vigor and a smile on his face. I guess, even if it's impossible, some good will still come of it. Sweetie Belle then considered Scoddri's words. Everypony has dreams, and we all strive toward them. But if we assumed they are out of reach then why would we bother?

“Why, indeed... An answer I may never find.”

Surely you still have a dream, Scoddri. Sweetie Belle insisted as she watched the group ask the carpenter to borrow some wood and tools. I still have stuff that I want to do, that I'm going to do, that I'm striving to do. What about you? What are you going to do once you get your body back?

“Hah! Your naivety clings to you, more palpable than ever, girl. There is nothing past this. I only dream of an end.”

Oh? Then why talk, Scoddri? Why not stay quiet and wait for it all to end? I know there's more to you than that.

Scoddri laughed bitterly. “Ah, yes, perhaps you are even sharper than before. Perhaps I do still have a dream. If I could only remember what it was like to sleep...”

Sweetie Belle knew the weight of those words. For the past three days, she hadn't slept... couldn't sleep, even though she wanted to. She couldn't blink, or breathe. The idea of sinking into a plush bed and drifting off to sleep was tantalizing, in the same way that walking, talking, or somehow expressing her existence to the world was.

Am I trapped for good? The doubtful question percolated to the forefront of her mind before she forced it down once again. For once she was glad that Scoddri didn't reply.

The children that she was unwillingly observing managed to obtain a bundle of scrap planks, hammers and some nails after leaving a promise that they'd return the tools in a few hours. Afterward, they moseyed on as a group to a nearby street alley. Once there, they began planning how they were going to build their 'house'.

Sweetie Belle figured she may as well pay greater attention to their antics, if just to ease her mind away from circular contemplations. She was quickly certain that the most the children's plan would ever amount to would be little more than a large box that the four might be able to squeeze into.

“But it's not going to be big enough, Azure,” the other colt whined. He was a reddish coloured crystal pony.

Azure, the pony whose pocket the amulet was in waved a hoof dismissively. “We've got plenty of wood, Sunburst,” he argued back.

“Well, we do, but we only have nails and hammers,” the red colt muttered. “It's like they don't trust us with real tools.”

“We'll just have to prove that they can trust us then,” one filly with a green coat spoke up.

“Yeah, we'll just make it the best house they've ever seen and prove it to 'em.” Azure said confidently and Sweetie felt the world around her move as the colt began pointing to his friends. “Alright, you two each grab a board, Vienna, you hold the nails in place, and I'll hammer them into place.”

“Why do I have to hold them?” The green filly asked. “What if you miss with the hammer?”

“I won't,” Azure assured her. “I'm really good with a hammer.”

“Sweet!” the final pony, a yellow-coated filly, chimed in with gusto as she held a large plank upright between her hooves. “This is just like the time we built that quinzhee!”

“No it isn't!” Sunburst argued back as he grabbed his own board and placed it adjacent to hers. “Quinzees are made of snow, not wood. This isn't anything like that.”

The yellow filly smiled back at him. “We're building something though, so it's the same.”

If Sweetie Belle had been able to, she would have smiled as she watched the group go about building their small 'house'.

Across the street, she could see the noontime crowds moving about. Many of the ponies carried numerous supplies of wood and structural crystals. Among the prevalent crystal ponies, she spotted a few pegasi, earth ponies, unicorns and even a couple diamond dogs. There was a shared dull expression among the folk, and quite often a few of them would train a wary eye upward as if searching for signs of the storm's return.

A gasp and sudden movement brought Sweetie Belle's attention back to the children around her. Azure dropped his hammer and sloped against the alley wall for support. Sweetie noticed a purple and green bit of magic spark from his eyes. For a moment, she saw the magic stretch off, arcing and fading into the open air. Sweetie Belle followed its trajectory and was surprised to see an orange pegasus alighting upon a rooftop, with her face scrunched in pain.

Scootaloo!

“Azure! Are you okay?” Vienna asked as she dropped the nail she was holding and rushed over to him.

“No!” the colt cried out. “Keep it away! I don't want it to come again!”

The rest of the children abandoned their project and the half-formed box collapsed without the supporting hooves to hold it up.

Sweetie Belle looked up to see Scootaloo staring down at the alley from her perch. The pegasus looked scared for a moment and a poisonous spark of magic flickered in the mare's eyes, then she scowled and shot into the air.

Darn it, Scootaloo! What can I do?

“Another question without an answer,” Scoddri snorted dismissively.

Scootaloo sped out under the near-noon sunlight as Apple Bloom's calls faded behind her. Damn it, Apple Bloom; I have to find her! He has her!

Frantic, she peered out into the city that nestled around the palace. She waited only a moment before flying in a random direction, and looked over the bustling streets. She hoped that perhaps she'd spot the amulet being worn, or somepony trying to hide the stolen piece from sight.

Moving from rooftop to rooftop, she peered down alleys and into crowds, hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden chain or a twinkle of the emerald. But no matter where she looked, the only sight that came close were the few green crystal ponies that passed by on whatever errands they were running.

Apple Bloom was right... Scootaloo admitted to herself. Flying off was a stupid idea; she could be anywhere now. But she wasn’t about to sit and wait while others did the searching.

She shook her head and looked down an alley where a bunch of kids were playing around with some wood and hammers. No matter how unlikely it is, I have to try! I'll save Sweetie, and I'll find the pony behind that voice! And when I do... he'll wish he never crossed me! She stomped a hoof in anger and she felt a twinge in her eyes as her vision suddenly blurred save for the figure of a small blue crystal pony in her sight. She saw the child's figure suddenly slump to the side of the alleyway, dropping the small hammer he had been holding.

There was a quick chorus of concerned shouts from below, but it was quickly overcome by a virulent green hiss that circled around her, and the twinge deepened and began to burn acidly. It took all her effort to hold back a shout and to keep her balance on the slanted rooftop.

“No, Keep it away! I don't want it to come back!” a child's voice rasped through Scootaloo's mind. It sounded as though the air were being choked out of the child's lungs.

No! she forced herself to look away from the kid and pressed a hoof against the mounting pressure in her eyes. As she wrenched her sight away from the alleyway, she felt the pressure lessening and the pain subside from her eyes. Did I cause that? she wondered. What just happened? Why am I hearing voices? Am I going crazy? Her questions all seemed to point her in one direction. That bastard! He's causing all this. First my dreams, then Sweetie Belle, and now my mind? I won't let him take it! I'll fight him, struggle against him, and beat him! If he's doing this to me then maybe I can use it to track him. Didn't Sweetie say there's always a link between the caster of a spell and their spells? And for that, I'd need somepony who knows about magic. She took a quick glance at the palace and scowled. I should head back. Damn it, I'm such an idiot!

She took off from the rooftop leaving the scene behind. There were already a few adults en route to the scene. The kid should be fine, she assured herself. It wasn't even my fault anyway. This bastard will stop at nothing, and will even hurt children if he wants to! The thought sickened her. And he's there, in my dreams...

Apple Bloom had waited in an antechamber outside the throne room for a while, but the Captain of the Guard never made an appearance. Either Prism bailed, which wouldn't surprise me, or the captain is otherwise preoccupied. She sighed. Well, it was worth a shot.

She sat on a comfortable plush chair and tried to sort out what she was going to say to the princess. How should Ah address her? Ah know they're busy recovering from the storm, but how do Ah convince her that mah friends are a more pressing issue here? Do Ah even have any right to suggest that? Darn it, why'd they both have ta go missin' like that? And how'd Ah forget ta lock the door?

Apple Bloom took a deep, calming breath and looked at the clock on the wall. Just three minutes left until the meeting. Ah can't lose mah head in front o' the princess, that won't do anypony, least of all, Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle any good. We'll figure this out, she reassured herself. Just as the last couple minutes ticked away, the door to the throne room opened to reveal an opalescent, gray-attired crystal pony. The uniform covered the mare's cutie mark, making Apple Bloom wonder for a moment.

The mare gave her a curt nod and held up a small clipboard that seemed to be attached to her foreleg. “Apple Bloom and Scootaloo of Ponyville?” she asked, looking slightly surprised that only one mare was waiting for her instead of two.

“Ah'm Apple Bloom. Something sensitive came up and Scootaloo couldn't make it. But Ah'm still good for the meetin'.”

“Very well,” the crystalline mare nodded, retrieving a pen from her coat pocket and scribbled a note on the clipboard. “Shining Armor is awaiting within, please follow me.”

Shining Armor, and not the princess. Apple Bloom trained her face so her concern wouldn't form into a frown. It's just one thing after another, ain't it?

Apple Bloom followed the mare into a large, sparkling chamber. Sunlight filtered in through the entirety of the ceiling and it filled the room with warmth. It reminded her of stepping into a greenhouse. Idly, she wished she could study all the walls, supporting columns, numerous arches along the walls, and intricate placement of the translucent bluish ceiling tiles.

Regrettably, Apple Bloom peeled her eyes away from the pristine architecture and scoped out the ponies present in the room. There was the mare leading her toward a table that stood before the throne. The throne itself was currently vacant. Standing just to the right of the throne, Shining Armor stood, there were bags under his eyes, yet he stood tall and stalwart in a glistening outfit which looked to be half cloth material, half crystalline plate. His cutie mark of the starred aegis with three stars above it was emblazoned in the center of his outfit. He was looking over numerous papers that were haphazardly spread across the large circular table.

Aside from Shining Armor, a fully armoured stallion with a silvery gray coat stood off to his side at the table. His ice-blue armour was emblazoned with with the sigil of the crystal heart. The stallion frowned at Apple Bloom's approach. Ah guess that's where the Captain of the Guard has been.

To the other side of Shining Armor, two other ponies stood, watching her approach. One was an orange-coated crystal pony mare clothed in plush red robes. She shot Apple Bloom a small comforting smile, though the creases around her eyes spoke volumes of her own tired state.

The other pony was a cyan unicorn who held a short staff, topped with a crystalline orb. His gray hair spilled out from under a small rounded black chapeau, which clashed with his yellow flowing robe. Apple Bloom was quite certain that the unicorn had the fashion sense of a bat, and it nearly brought a smile to her face just looking at the colourful mishmash before her. Although, she did get the sense that she was significantly under-dressed. And it did irk her that none of the ponies before her had their actual cutie marks displayed.

“Apple Bloom of Ponyville,” the gray robed royal steward called out across the room as they approached. “Sister to an Element of Harmony, arrived late last night a few hours after the storm abated. Claims to have a message from the diamond dogs as well as 'sensitive information' regarding the Elements of Harmony.”

Feeling the weight of four new sets of eyes locked on her, Apple Bloom approached the table with more than a bit of apprehension. “Prince Shining Armor,” Apple Bloom said with a sloppy bow, “Ah'm Apple Bloom.”

“I see,” Shining Armor replied, and offered her a tired smile. “There's no need for the formalities. You are... Applejack's sister are you not?”

“Yes, Ah am-”

“And where's your companion?” the guard captain asked with a frown.

“That's something we need to discuss...” Apple Bloom said nervously. “I actually had two friends with me when I arrived, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. But we have reason to believe that Sweetie Belle was abducted last night by none other than the pony who's behind the storm.”

“What?!” the captain shouted. “You know who's behind the storm?!”

“Most interesting,” the colour-clashing unicorn chimed in and smiled. “It sounds like we'll need to hear the whole story. But first I do believe it would be rude not to introduce ourselves to this fine mare. Young Apple Bloom, I am Sky Chaser, royal magician of the Crystal Court. This here, is Sunrise.” He motioned to the red-garbed mare. “She's the head of all stewardship in the palace—looks after resources, staffing, as well as delegating tasks and projects around the palace.”

“Pleased to meet you, Apple Bloom. I do hope you found our accommodations most fitting,” the mare offered with another smile.

“That there's Blank Slate,” the magician continued, motioning to the crystal pony who had ushered Apple Bloom into the throne room. “She's the personal steward to the prince and princess. Bit of a grump, if you ask me.” Sky Chaser tossed the mare a smile which was only reciprocated through a scouring glare.

“I'm just efficient at what I do, you jester.”

“Perhaps I do jest from time to time,” Sky Chaser admitted. “But it helps lighten the mood, especially with Captain Snowfall here, trying to live up to his icy namesake.”

“Enough of this buffoonery,” Snowfall rebuked. “Girl, tell us your story. We don't have time to waste here.”

“If you would please, Apple Bloom,” Shining Armor spoke up in a softer tone than the captain had, but no less serious. “I'd like to know where your other two companions are first.”

“Well, it may sound strange,” Apple Bloom began while trying to commit the new names to memory, “but Sweetie Belle ended up trapped inside an amulet. That very amulet was gone when Scootaloo and I woke up this morning. We believe that somepony must have come in and taken it. Though it was mostly my fault fer not lockin' the door.”

“A theft in the palace?” Snowfall shook his head. “See, Prince, this is what I'm talking about. We can't afford to have half the guard mobilized to rebuild the city; it compromises palace safety. If whoever was behind the storm decides to attack, we aren't in the proper position to defend either you or Princess Cadence.”

“Inside an amulet, you say?” Sky Chaser raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I can't say I've ever seen magic quite like that. How, if I may be ever-so-bold to ask, did she come to be trapped inside an amulet?”

“We're not sure,” Apple Bloom replied. “But that's not as important as the fact that she's been stolen. We have ta save her before she ends up Celestia knows where. Scootaloo flew out into the city ta look for her, but Ah doubt she'll be able ta find her. Scootaloo doesn't know this city or any o' the ponies here. For all I know, she could already be in the clutches of that mad pony behind the storm.”

Shining nodded. “Worry not, Apple Bloom. We will rescue her.”

“But, Prince... our resources are spread so thin already,” Snowfall protested. “We don't have any more members of the guard to spare to do a full-on search.”

“You may not have the resources; however, with some magical aid, I'm certain we can locate her friend in no time at all. My Prince,” Sky Chaser said with a smile, “allow me to take on this task. It shouldn't take too long.”

Snowfall snorted derisively and shook his head. “For once I agree with the buffoon; let him take on the task. We can't waste our resources on a fruitless search. Do you know what the ponies would think if they saw a platoon or two of guards just walking through the city on a wildgoose chase?”

Shining Armor nodded. “Very well, Sky Chaser. I shall leave this in your capable hooves. Once you have located Sweetie Belle, call on the guards and they will retrieve her.”

“Thank you so much,” Apple Bloom said earnestly.

“Saving ponies from harm is my duty as Prince, and all our duty as the Crystal Council. Now please, Apple Bloom. If you would quickly regale us with your story. Tell us how you came to arrive here, what the diamond dogs have to do with this, what happened to my sister and her friends and who is behind this storm. This information is sure to be vital in mitigating the damage that has been done here, and perhaps it will help us prevent future damage as well.”

Apple Bloom looked to each of the ponies around her and finally rested her eyes on the prince. “Alright, Ah'll start at the beginning, but Ah might not be able ta explain half o' what happened as well as Sweetie could.”

She quickly decided on which parts to share and which to leave out. Talking about the other Sweetie and Discord would just add to the confusion. With a nod, she began to tell the story.

Scootaloo stood before the doors to antechamber outside the throne room. The entrance was blocked by two bulky crystal pony stallions. “Come on, you have to let me in!” Scootaloo nearly shouted. “Apple Bloom's in there, we were both supposed to have an audience. Can't you just let me in?”

“We told you before. We are not allowed to let anypony in during a council meeting. Now, scram!” The guard put a hoof on the pommel of his sheathed sword. “We aren't interested in your antics. Don't force us to escort you to a private holding cell.”

They're serious? Damn them! Why does everypony have to keep getting in my way?! She scowled at the guards and felt a familiar twinge behind her eyes. The world around her turned fuzzy, save for the guard on the left who had been brandishing his weapon; he was as clear as he had been.

In a moment, she saw the guard's eyes spark with fear. “What? Where am I? No, keep it away! No!” The guard's scream echoed in her mind and a sickly hissing of a snake coiled around her. She heard the sound of teeth sinking into flesh and one last terrified scream echo in her mind as she saw the guard suddenly collapse against the wall and slide to the floor. His eyes glazed over and he stared forward into the distance.

No! Not again! Scootaloo felt warm tears flow from her eyes as the burning behind them intensified. Her legs grew weak, and it took all her effort to tear her gaze away from the guard. After a second the other guard shouted to his companion and rushed over to catch him as he fell. Scootaloo bolted down the hall in fear and jumped out a nearby balcony, taking to the sky. Damn it, what's happening to me?!

Tears flowed freely from her eyes in an attempt to quench the burning behind them. She shot upward, seeking a solitary cloud in the far above the city. Scootaloo collapsed onto the cloud and buried her head in its soft embrace until the burning in her eyes subsided.

What have I done? What has he done to me? Her mind spun in circles around half-formed numerous unanswerable questions. Eventually, her frantic questioning solidified into one concrete answer that she could cling to. A furnace of anger pulsed in her heart. An anger deeper than any she had felt before burst forth from within, and she let out scream into the open air. He's going to pay for this! For Sweetie and for me! I'll make sure of it!