"So, did your parents tell you guys yet?" asked Scootaloo, glancing around the clubhouse at her friends. "Y’know, about the wedding?"
"Yep," replied Apple Bloom, nodding her head.
Sweetie Belle nodded as well. "They just told me last night."
"Are you excited?"
Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo, her lips pursed. "About being a stupid flower filly?"
"Sure." Scootaloo kicked off the clubhouse wall and walked over to the window. Crossing her forehooves, she rested her chin on the windowsill and looked outside. It was a beautifully bright day, and the birds were chirping, and basically all the animals were having a really great time, not that anyone cared. "I mean, being a flower filly is whatever, but at least we get to go to Canterlot again, right? Last time we went was the Grand Galloping Gala, and a chandelier crushed me. Wasn't really the best time, so I want a do-over."
"Well, shucks," said Apple Bloom, kicking her hooves against the wood floor. "I'm pretty darn excited. I ain't never been to a wedding before, well not since my cousin's wedding, but we don't talk about that anymore."
Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. "Was it because your cousins were... you know?"
"What? No," said Apple Bloom, waving her hoof, "it's because my uncle ate too much pie and choked to death. It was pretty devastatin' for the whole family."
"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry," said Sweetie Belle, hanging her head. "I didn't know."
"Jeez, Sweets, pry much?" Scootaloo shook her head.
"It's fine though," Apple Bloom said with a shrug. "He was a real mean drunk."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged glances, their faces flat. With a bit of an awkward silence hanging in the air, Scootaloo cleared her throat. "Aaaaaaanyway, since we're all going regardless, we should decide what we want to do while we're there right now, that way we won't have to worry about while we're doing flower filly stuff."
"Why even bother?" asked Sweetie Belle. "You know every time we make plans for anything it just falls apart immediately and then you somehow always end up dead."
"I come back, don't I?"
"That's not really the point..."
"Come on, you're with me, right, AB?" Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom, an eager expression on her face. "We could sing a song about it!"
"Oh, Celestia, please no," groaned Sweetie Belle. "Can we not?"
Apple Bloom grimaced. "Yeah, your songs tend to have a habit of killing you by the end."
Scootaloo grinned, puffing out her chest. "Not that last one," she said with a knowing wink. "It'll be fun, I promise! Just a quick little song, and then I'm done." Scootaloo tapped tapped her hoof against the floor, bobbing her head. An acoustic guitar could be heard playing quietly in the distance while Scootaloo started to tap in time.
"How is she even doing that?" asked Sweetie Belle, her mouth wide open.
Apple Bloom glanced out the window and sighed. "It's my sister practicing her guitar. I can't believe she still plays that thing."
Both fillies turned to Scootaloo as she gave a cheery smile and started to sing.
"Since I am just a filly,
It seems a little silly
But I gotta say you girls are bummin' me out.
We've got the whole city,
Let's make some plans and we'll see
How much fun we can have in Canterlot!"
Bouncing to the door, Scootaloo flung it open and headed onto the balcony of the clubhouse. She fluttered her wings and leapt off, landing hard on the ground below. She spun around and looked up at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom who'd followed her outside. Kicking a nearby tree, Scootaloo caught a falling apple with her wing then tossed it up to Apple Bloom. She caught it, but not before jumping back a bit. Grinning, Scootaloo continued singing.
"There's the park by the castle,
I swear it's no hassle, see?
It's the city built on a mountain.
Like no place else in the clouds it's super freakin' awesome!
It showed me how great the world is.
(Built on a mountain)
The towers that soar overhead.
(Super freakin' awesome)
It makes me hope; it lets me dream!
Guess you girls don't wanna go back, it seems..."
Scootaloo hung her head, heaving the saddest most pathetic sigh she could manage. She turned slowly, her eyes wide and her lip trembling. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stared at Scootaloo for a moment, then exchanged glances. They both sighed and clambered down from the balcony to stand next to Scootaloo. Apple Bloom smiled at Scootaloo and put a hoof around her shoulder. Sweetie rolled her eyes, shrugged, and then joined Apple Bloom. Together, they sang.
"It's the city built on a mountain.
Like no place else we know you think it's super freakin' awesome."
"All right!" shouted Scootaloo. "So, you're with me then?"
They nodded.
A wide smile on her face, Scootaloo sucked in her breath for the last verse. She pointed her hoof towards Canterlot.
"I know it seems so far away.
I promise it won't stay.
We'll board the train and be there
Tomorrow...
Tomorrow..."
Scootaloo let out a contented sigh and dropped back to all fours. She glanced at Apple Bloom, then over at Sweetie Belle. "I promise, girls, nothing bad is gonna happen this time. It's smooth sailing for the S.S. Cutie Mark Crusader!"
Apple Bloom wrinkled her snout. "Wait, shouldn't it be Crusaders? Y’know, since there's three of us?"
Scootaloo took her hoof off Apple Bloom and stepped back. "Well, yeah, but in this scenario I'm talking about a boat. Like... there'd only be one boat." She glanced over at Sweetie Belle. "You got what I was talking about, right?"
Sweetie Belle shrugged. "Mostly."
"Well, whatever, that's not the point," said Scootaloo, waving her hoof dismissively. "The point is that we're going to have a great time in Canterlot and there's nothing that could possibly prevent that from happening!"
"Well, nothing besides you dying," said Sweetie Belle nonchalantly.
"Or you causing a scene while we try to keep you from dying," added Apple Bloom with a little shrug.
Scootaloo maintained her idiotic grin. "Absolutely nothing!"
Somewhere deep beneath Canterlot, in the crystal caves that littered the area like ant tunnels, a small figure approached one of the largest crystals. Staring at it, she viewed her reflection. An eyepatch covered one eye, and her mane was matted and scruffy. She grinned, showing off a chipped tooth. Suddenly, another figure appeared beside her. This one was similar size to her, but with a different colored coat and mane. A third figure appeared. This one had a bow in her mane.
The middle figure glanced sidelong at each of them, then said, "Are the preparations complete?"
"Prepar-what? Pepperoni?" said the bowless figure.
"What? No, you idiot, the preparations! The things we have to do before the plan starts?" Shaking her head, Eyepatch turned to Bow. "Please tell me we're ready for the invasion."
Bow sighed. "Yes, we're as ready as we can be. We must wait for her sign though. Until the wedding is complete, we can't do anything. The barrier is still up, and we have no backup until it's gone."
Eyepatch smirked, rubbing her hooves together. "Excellent. Soon..." she mumbled, "soon I shall have my revenge!"
"Y’know," said Bow, frowning, "far be it from me to tell you what to do with your life, but you know what they say about what happens when you go looking for revenge."
"Oh, don't worry," said Eyepatch with a wave of her hoof. "I'll be digging two graves, of that you can be sure. In fact, I'll be digging three graves this time!" She threw her head back and laughed maniacally.
Bow rolled her eyes. "Always with the evil laughing."
Stomping her hoof, Eyepatch's lips curled into a sinister grin. She watched her reflection for a moment, then grabbed her two companions by the neck, shoving their faces into the crystal. "Can you see it?" she asked. "Do you see the glorious dawn that awaits us?"
Bowless cocked her head to the side. "Uh... I see... I see me! Hi, me!" She waved happily asked herself.
Eyepatch groaned. "Look closer, idiot. In there you'll see a future without those three fillies. You'll see the future that awaits me!"
She released the pair of them and took a step back. Admiring her reflection, she spun around and bowed to herself. Eyepatch kicked a small crystal near her hind leg and picked up one of the fragments. Holding it up to her face, she stared at herself in crystalline fractals. She saw her broken grin a million times. As she tossed the fragment aside, she let out a sigh.
"Tomorrow will be just perfect.
Revenge, after all this time I'll have it at last!
Those three fillies will finally be
So near me, I can almost see
What it'll be like when I take away their past!"
She stomped her hoof, causing the crystals hanging overhead to rattle ominously.
Scootaloo stared out the train window, a wistful look in her eye. Canterlot was fast approaching, and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach dancing around. She turned her head to look at Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom who were sitting across from her. With a little smile, she nodded towards the castle.
"Tomorrow will be just perfect.
Canterlot, after all this time we'll be back at last.
Now here's my chance to clean the slate
To wipe away my past mistakes.
Even Ms. Cheerilee'll give to me a 'pass'!"
Eyepatch looked up as the crystals hanging from the ceiling came crashing down around her. She nimbly dodged each one, the evil smirk never leaving her face as Bow and Bowless watched with a mixture of amusement and bemusement. Each crystal hitting the ground punctuated a syllable in her singing.
“I'll make her friends meet their ends.
Choke and strangle, watch them dangle.
Fun, I'll be having it that day!"
She spun around in circles, her forehooves raised to the ceiling as crystals shattered around her
"The thought of them not breathing
Is enough to keep me dreaming
Of a day when they're all dead and gone!"
Dropping to her hooves, she kicked over a crystal and then shattered another with a stomp.
"Yes, I feel it coming soon!
Her ho~ur of reckoning looms!
But until then I'll wait to see them die!"
The train went dark as they passed through a tunnel. Scootaloo stood from her seat and pulled Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle up with her.
"Come stand with me and you'll see
Canterlot up in its spot.
Fun, we'll be having it that day!"
The lights came back suddenly as they passed through the tunnel. Now the castle appeared larger and even more imposing than before. But it wasn't an ominous presence. It was more like a kindly mother watching over them, and the bigger it got, the more secure it made one feel.
"I don't fear that I may die here.
I've got you guys by my side—We're
Gonna have one freakin' kickass day!"
Scootaloo pumped her hoof into the air.
"For I oh so love you guys
In sp~ite of how I die.
Oh, mountain city, we’re gonna have fun soon!”
Sticking her hoof out, Eyepatch seized one of the crystal fragments from the ground and carried it over to a large rock wall. She dragged it across the surface, scratching a straight line next to dozens more of the same straight lines. Tossing the crystal aside, she closed her eyes and tossed her head back.
“Soon enough the moment will arrive.
For me to claim all of their lives.”
Scootaloo slid open the window on the train and stuck her head out. As the wind blew through her mane, she took a deep breath. They were fast approaching the magical barrier, and Canterlot was no longer a distant dot, but a massive, looming city.
“This train better not be late.
Mountains, castles—I can’t wait!
Stick with me, guys, we’ll be—”
“Dead, all dead…” Eyepatch’s laugh echoed through the cavern.