//------------------------------// // Waking Up From The Dead // Story: The Black Apple // by Duke of Canterlot //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle never expected life to get so much better after Apple Bloom was locked up. The friendship formed between the three fillies was destroyed forever. Apple Bloom originally appeared to have a just cause, but she quickly showed her true colors as a psychotic and cold-blooded murderer. Sweetie Belle would never forget the look in Bloom's eyes when she was caught. Apple Bloom felt zero remorse for her criminal misdeeds. She seemed to be thinking about when it would be opportune to kill again. No pony was safe now that Apple Bloom has allegedly escaped. With that said, life did get better. While Silver Spoon was killed, Sweetie's friendship with Scootaloo became even stronger than before. Both fillies were fearful followers of the charming sociopath. They even found a new member for the trio: Twist. Twist was the younger sister of Bon-Bon and had a peppermint twist for a cutie mark. Twist had a lisp and was a total dork, but she wasn't a killer. They had to move their clubhouse to Scootaloo's moms' house. It wasn't quite as private as the clubhouse, but at least they weren't murdering any ponies. The three fillies hung out in Scootaloo's bedroom after school one day. "Hey guyth, what do we want to do today?" "Rainbow Dash has been training real hard to be a Wonderbolt", piped Scootaloo with excitement, "let's watch her train." "We've been doing that like every other day", groaned Sweetie Belle. "Think about it", responded Scootaloo, "Rainbow is going to be the most famous and most awesome Wonderbolt soon. Don't you want to be a part of history?" "Ooh, I like hithtory", said Twist. "I knew you would be with me, Twist", said Scootaloo, "c'mon, let's go!! We don't want to miss the best part." Sweetie Belle looked at the ground and sighed. Apple Bloom was a lunatic, but she was a lot more fun than these two. Perhaps she was wrong about things being better. Scootaloo was horrendously obsessed with Rainbow Dash. Apple Bloom tempered those obsessions with her ideas on how to keep things interesting, even before Apple Bloom became horrendously obsessed with killing. Twist was Twist. A simple dork with simple needs and desires. Suddenly, they heard "Daddy's hoooome!" They saw a drunk and balding pegasus stallion carrying a bottle of whiskey. Wasn't the guy drunk enough already? "Scootie, didn't you miss your daddy", slurred the drunk. "Mom will be mad if she finds out you stopped by." "Who me? I'm gonna show that lesbo a piece of my mind." "You would if you had one." "Dat's my girl. Where are you ladies going?" "Out to play." "What happened to that yellow filly? The one with the red bow, she said her gramma could beat me in a drinking competition." "Who, Granny Smith", chimed Sweetie Belle, "the poor old mare is on her death bed right now... So I think you'd win." "Don't encourage him", groaned Scootaloo softly to Sweetie Belle. "I like her the best of your friends, Scoots", slurred the drunk, "we would talk about philosophy and shit. Why did I have to be stuck with a daughter who can't even fly?" "Fuck you, dad", snarled Scootaloo, "you know full well that you led my mom to alcoholism, you sick bastard. I am so mad that I could.." "Kill me, why that's what the yellow philosopher filly with a red bow would have done." "She's even more psycho than you. I'm calling the police." "Hold on there, Scootaloo", said her father, "you ain't doing nothing of the sort." "Why not?" "I got a gun", said Scootaloo's father, "once your moms get home. We are all going to have a nice little chat." Sweetie Belle gulped. What the hell were they going to do? Let this drunkard hold them hostage? Spike opened his eyes. What the hell happened? How did he end up in Zecora's hut? Spike could barely remember what happened for him to get there. The last memory Spike had was finishing up his chores and then going to sleep, but that was at his house.. not here. He could feel something furry. Spike saw the giant three-headed dog, Cerberus, sleeping. Spike got scared and yelped, jumping off the beast. What Spike saw next scared him even more, there were two others who had died.. but they were very much alive and sleeping: Gilda and Silver Spoon. What was going on? Spike walked around the hut. It looked like Zecora was brewing something mysterious. He heard bouncing. It was Pinkie Pie. What was she doing here? "SPIKE", shouted Pinkie Pie, "oh, thank Celestia, you're okay!!" Pinkie Pie embraced Spike in a hug. "What happened to me", asked Spike. Spike turned around and saw that Pinkie's loud voice caused both GIlda and Silver Spoon to stir. "It definitely worked", said Pinkie Pie, "I can't believe it! Zecora is a genius!! Omigosh!! Omigosh!!" "What happened?" "Umm.. this will probably come as a shock to you, but..." "But what?" "You were dead", said Pinkie, "but.. the spell.. it worked." "I was what?" "You were killed two nights ago." "Huh, who?" "We don't know for sure", said Pinkie, "but we have some ideas." "Apple Bloom", muttered Spike. "Most likely, we have good reason to believe that she escaped. The fact that we were able to bring Cerberus back from the dead indicates that he died due to something." "Holy shit", said Spike with worry, "if Apple Bloom is out there.. she could kill so many more. At least, Zecora can bring ponies back to life.. right?" "Well", said Pinkie, "the spell could only bring four back to life.. so we chose you guys." "You idiots", whined Spike, "what if she kills Twilight or someone really important? Oh my god, better to bring her back to life than any of us..." "We're not going to let Apple Bloom do that", said Pinkie, "she will be stopped. Do you remember anything about the night you were killed?" "I went to bed after my chores and I ended up here." "You weren't killed in your bed.. your body was found outside." "I could have still been killed in my bed, they could have dumped my body outside." Suddenly, they heard a feminine scream. It sounded like Silver Spoon. "Get away from me, you griffon creep", shouted Silver Spoon. "I don't want to do anything with your lame ass", said Gilda, "stop screaming." Pinkie and Spike ran over to them. "Welcome back to life", said Pinkie with a smile, "you two might be wondering how you got here." "Yea", said Gilda with a grunt, "I killed that little bitch and she's here acting like a little bitch." "Holy shit", said Silver Spoon, "you killed me? I was thinking it was Apple Bloom." "Apple Bloom hired me to kill you. How the hell did I end up dead then?" "Easy", said Pinkie Pie, "Sweetie Belle escaped when you tried to kill her. You almost got her too, but my sister killed you with her rock gun." "Sweetie Belle doesn't have to worry", said Gilda, "I'm done with you pony losers." "Wait, you worked with Apple Bloom", asked Pinkie. "Yea, Apple Bloom was total psycho", responded Gilda, "you ponies never scare me, but that filly freaked me out. I hope I still have my money." "Ummm", said Pinkie, "your money was turned over to the Equestrian Empire after you were killed. No way, Apple Bloom was getting her hooves on it." "That money is mine", snarled Gilda, "I am only going to help you if you get me my cash back." Pinkie wanted to say no, but Gilda's death had caused greater friction between the ponies and the griffons. The griffons threatened war. They were such brutal and violent creatures. Gilda would probably fly back to the Griffon Kingdom and talk shit about the ponies.. particularly that they stole Gilda's "earned" money. Spike realized that neither Gilda nor Silver Spoon could recall what happened when they died, just like him. Who knew? Oh, of course.. Apple Bloom. [/hr] "Daddy", said Apple Bloom sweetly, "everything is ready." "I knew you could do it", said Tirek. "My blood did it." "Ah", said Tirek with a smile, "perhaps, you're capable of even greater evil than I am. There's an old legend - over a thousand years old - about a pony which could kill others with her blood. I am sure your Princess Celestia didn't tell you about all the mares who were rounded up and killed for being suspected of carrying the poison blood. I am sure her star student, Twilight Sparkle, would have been horrified by that tale. Ponies have become much more gentle since the darker days, including Celestia." "Ah love the idea", said Apple Bloom, "killing Celestia with my blood, if it's possible." "I think it is", responded Tirek, "no promises of course, but immortality is a myth. Everyone dies.. especially those without alicorn magic." "Of course", said Apple Bloom with a smile, "we take Celestia's magic first and then kill her, but how do we take away the magic?" "I'm an expert at it", said Tirek calmly. "I was thinking though, I could be so much more useful if I was an alicorn." Tirek shuddered at the thought of Apple Bloom being an alicorn, she was terrifying enough as an earth pony filly, but she was his daughter. Perhaps, Tirek should share. "You still can create that shrinking potion, right?" "Already conjured it up." "Perfect. I'm glad you're my daughter." "So, about the Alicorn Apple Bloom?" "I suppose killing Princess Celestia is good enough reason for you to acquire enough magic to become an Alicorn." "I love you Daddy", cheered Apple Bloom embracing her father in a tight hug. "Are you planning to test the poison first to see if it works?" "Ah know it works, but I'll gladly put it to the test. I'm going to stop by Ponyville. Some pony is going to die tonight." "Who?" "Not sure. It's certainly going to be an undesirable." "Sometimes I think you're capable of greater evil than me." "Perhaps. I am your daughter, after all." The two of them hugged and Apple Bloom trotted off to Ponyville.