Painting the Roses Red
All was well.
Well, not really. All was quiet is a better way to say it.
Spike and Sweetiebelle had been living side to side with each other without breaking into a yelling contest. But on the other hand, they weren't becoming any better friends. They only time something unusual happened was about a month ago when Sweetiebelle had kissed Spike's cheek in front of Lyvia. The reason why Sweetiebelle did this was still uncertain but Spike did guess that what she was telling him wasn't the whole truth. He suspected her main motive was lust and that she couldn't help feeding the greed of her inherit beauty... but that was just a guess, nothing more.
It just so happened to be one day, in Sweetiebelle's Singing class that something peculiar arose.
The time was 12:36 pm, exactly nine minutes before the end of class and the start of their half an hour lunch break. Sweetiebelle had just finished writing the second verse to her song called 'Painting the Roses Red' that she had to complete for an in-class assignment and he teacher, Miss. Melody was charmingly reading over her work.
As always, she was impressed with Sweetiebelle's lyrical talent but concerned by Sweetiebelle's inability to write anything that wasn't revolved around love or lust. It was openly clear to her that Sweetiebelle's mind was filled with romance and she was worried for the fact that she wouldn't get far in life if that's where her focus was. Never the less, she couldn't deny that Sweetie's work was profoundly impressive and Miss. Melody acknowledged this with a sticker or two.
The time was now 12:40 pm and the small class had started to pack away their work and prepare for the stampede towards the cafeteria. That's when another teacher came in, one that Sweetiebelle hadn't seen before. It was possible that he was new, but he looked too old.
"Sweetiebelle." he called out and surveyed across the class room, glaring at every student.
Sweetie stood up, "Yes?" she asked curiously and swung her bag-strap over her shoulder.
"Come with me please, there's a man with the headmaster requesting your presence," he said with a demanding voice.
"Okay?" Sweetie tilted her head and walked over to the teacher saying, "What is his name?"
"He won't say, only that he wants to speak with you." he sighed, "now come with me, I want to know what he wants so he can leave."
Sweetiebelle didn't reply, she didn't like the attitude of this teacher but she went with him anyway. She was curious to know who wanted to see her and why. She was also curious why what he had to say was so important that he could only say it to her, and her alone. She had to admit, it made her nervous.
In a matter of minutes they reached the headmistress' office and the teacher opened the door. Sweetiebelle saw the knew office for the first time. It was much like the old headmaster's office, but this one was less gloomy and more educational looking as bookcases surrounded the walls and letters of parchment littered Twilight's desk. The window was open to let the cool, Summer's breeze in and warm sunshine that illuminated the room with a warm, yellow glow.
"Hello, miss Sweetiebelle," Twilight greeted and looked up from her desk, "I hope your class wasn't interrupted?"
Sweetiebelle shook her head, "No, it wasn't. We were just packing up."
"Good to hear. Then would you be able to see what this man wants, he won't say a word to us." Twilight announced, pointed to a hooded man in the corner of the. His cloak was black and his face covered, he didn't even look up when Sweetie entered, he just kept his head down in order to keep in anonymity. He was familiar, well, not him exactly, but his outfit was. He was a member of the Black Apple Gang.
What were they doing here? Sweetiebelle asked herself. She gulped and looked at Twilight again, "Twilight... I don't want to talk to him." she admitted as she didn't feel safe.
"Why not?" Twilight asked.
"Because he's part of the Black Apple Gang. He's evil!" she yelled.
Twilight raised an eyebrow and stood up, "is that right?" she speculated and glared over to the cloaked man. "Are you?"
The man didn't respond, he just stood in the position he had been standing in for the past few minutes. He didn't even offer them any facial expression.
Headmistress Twilight sighed, "That settles it then." she motioned to the other teacher in the room, "escort him from the building and get Captain Blaze to handle the rest."
The teacher nodded and did as he was told, he grabbed the arm of the motionless hooded figure and started to walk him out of the room, and presumably out of the building too. He didn't return before Twilight dismissed Sweetiebelle and thanked her for informing herself that he was a Black Apple Member. She made a point to tighten the security in order to make sure it didn't happen again.
The time was now 3.30 pm and Sweetiebelle had finished her final class for the day; she was now heading back to her dorm room so she could go over a few sheets of homework with Cinder. When she eventually reached her dorm she found that Sky, who was chatting with Tyra, she also saw Cinder who was peacefully sitting cross-legged on her bed reading over her work. She was wearing her navy blue skirt and white buttoned-up shirt which was then standard female uniform.
Cinder looked up upon hearing Sweetiebelle enter the room. Curiosity shot through her eyes as she asked, "What did the man want?"
Sweetiebelle sighed, "he was part of the Black Apple Gang," she answered and sat not the bed next to her friend.
"What did he want though?"
"I don't know, he didn't speak, but I never asked, he was escorted out of the building and Captain Blaze has him now."
"Shit..." ... "So they've infiltrated the school?"
"I guess you could say that," ... "but why would they be here?"
Cinder paused and thought about before coming up with an answer.
"Maybe they're surveying the school, you know, mapping the area out for the ghastly plan?" she suggested.
"Maybe..." Sweetie pondered.
...
"Who are you guys talking about?" intruded the fox.
Sweetiebelle turnbed to face him, "the Black Apple Gang," she answer, "a group of heartless and motivated cultists."
"And they were allowed in the school?" he asked.
Sweetie shook her head. "No, they kicked him off the school grounds as soon as they found him out," she paused, "But it's been months since they've been sighted before... so why would they come back now?"
Sky and Cinder shrugged, but Tyra stayed out of it, she honestly had better things to care about. Sweetie sighed and looked down.
Pain shot through her abdomen as the thought of them raced through her mind. This pain wasn't an unusual occurrence but it felt like she was being sliced again. She felt along her gash line that still hadn't healed properly and was glad to find that it wasn't bleeding again.
Occasionally her gash would start bleeding as it was so close to a major blood vessel and she would have to go back to the infirmary to get it treated. Because of that her wound was taking nam abnormally long time to heal, but at least it was healing.
Another burst of pain shot throughout her abdomen and left her clutching onto her belly, wincing in agony. She looked up with a few tears dripping down her eyes and rolling along her cheeks, her face was red and she let out another whimper.
"Are you alright, Sweetiebelle!?" exclaimed Cinder in panic as she shot to her feet, not knowing what to do.
Sweetiebelle shook her head, "no..." she groaned and felt her vision getting weaker. Before she knew it, she had everyone crowding around her as she gently fell to soft pillows and blankets of the cushioned bed.
"Someone get the nurse!" she head someone yell out, although her senses blurred and she couldn't recognise who it was.
The last thing she head was the door slamming open before she fell into an unconscious like state. Feeling a warm liquid ooze out of her gash and form a puddle under her.