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// His Bet, His Prize  
// Story: The Pit In The Woods 
// by SterlingCabin 
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     It was difficult, near impossible to drag the unconscious Sweetie Belle by the scruff of her neck from the pit. The end of the pit had always seemed miles yards away. The darkness was engulfing and the walls slowly heaved in on it's self, like it was breathing. Applebloom had to waver through a sludge-like substance that paved the ground, and she'd rather not know what it really was. 

Trying not to listen to the songs and not to give into the hallucinations of the pit proved more challenging than she had first thought. Applebloom tried to calm herself down, but even her own thoughts were not safe. She saw horrible visions of her family and friends and of an deserted Ponyville. That they were just that, hallucinations brought upon by the pit. She didn't know what the pit was, heck she doubted that even Discord truly knew. Pain burrowed itself her hooves and chest, it was almost debilitating,  but she wouldn't leave her friend behind to be consumed. 

Despite her determined attitude she quickly crumbled to the ground as a wave of putrid decay flooded over her. She heaved over Sweetie Belle's body and nearly vomited from the stench. Her skin started to burn and sting like she was being attacked by bees. She doubled over further, gripping  her sides in pain, and leaving Sweetie Belle unattended.

Applebloom fell against one of the sides of the cavern and felt wet skin graze her cheek. She couldn't hold it anymore, vomited rushed up her throat and splashed on the ground next to her. Applebloom's entire core shook from the empty feeling she got in her stomach. Regaining herself she looked back towards the still Sweetie Belle. Suddenly a black, slimy claw reached out of the darkness and gripped the filly's leg. Applebloom lunged after her friend and quickly tried ripping her away.

The claw squirmed and wiggled like a worn, but it would not let go. Applebloom could feel another round of vomit rise in her throat as she starred at it's fleshy scales that glistened in the low light. She bit her tongue and finely manged to wrangle her friend free free from it's disgusting grasp. Without another breath of air Applebloom threw Sweetie Belle on her back and rushed up the steep path.

With her muscles sore and seemingly on fire, Applebloom desperately crawled towards the fleeting light of the exit. The light from the camp bled into the pit. Each painstaking step she took was slower and more stiff. The ground under her had thickened with the same black goo that oozed from the walls. Applebloom could feel the cool breeze of the night air kiss her cheek as she shoved a slimy hoof into the grass. Feeling her heart flutter and rise, she nearly cried as she shoved her face into the dirt.

With her victory gained Applebloom, and with the last bit of energy she could muster slide Sweetie Belle onto the surface with her. She looked barley recognizable, thick black muk had ingrained itself into Sweetie Belle's coat. Her face was still but her eyes twitched like she was in a nightmare. From where he sat Discord could see the two slime-covered ponies, he nearly jumped through the fire in a panic when they cried out.

Discords's body tensed when he did not see Sweetie Belle move. Thoughts of somepony dying by his actions made his figure brittle and his palms sweaty. He didn't even know what that place was, he thought it was some random fox den in ground. But instead of angry foxes scaring them away, and him getting a full cooler of food to himself.... This happened.  

Dawn had started to emerge and the first bursts of pink and orange appeared, and shadows danced among the trees. Discord usually found entertainment in such things, but now the sun made him fear for his life. The thought of Celestia finding out....  His mind snapped back to the situation that laid in front of him; he had to act fast.

Quicker than a whip of his tail Discord frantically stumbled towards Sweetie Belle, his heart racing too fast to keep his fluid movements. Discord put a ear to her chest and felt a slight thump, so slight that it might just of been his own heart. A put a leathery claw and a furry paw together and pressed down on Sweetie Belle's chest. Nothing happened, and Discord felt like he was in a dream, or a nightmare. Again he pressed hard on her chest, and again nothing. 

After five minutes of trying to breath some life into her, Discord's heart sagged as realization slowly set in. The only reason he did not fully give up was because Sweetie Belle still had some sort of pulse in her, faint as it might be. In one last desperate move, Discord Held the filly above his head with his tail and shook her harshly. It was he only thing he could think of.

At last when nothing happened Discord looked at the faces of the unconscious faces of Applebloom and Scootaloo, their chests slowly rising and falling. His eyes started to water and the hot tears of defeat washed over his face. He was a murder. As the awful realization struck him, he could hear coughing. With eyes wide, alert eyes Discord sprang up and saw Sweetie Belle coughing uncontrollably above him. He quickly laid her out on the grass and held her head up. His heart nearly sprang from his chest when he saw Sweetie Belle's bloodshot eyes look up at him.

They were filled with sadness, but Discord was glad they were even opened. After Sweetie Belle violently spat up a disgusting ball of hair and slime, her head tilted back. Fearing she wouldn't wake Discord put his ear to her chest once more, he felt the soft beat of a heart. This time more strong and consistent. Quickly Discord gathered the three and wrapped them in a blanket that they had at the camp and flew off towards Ponyville, leaving the cooler behind.