//------------------------------// // I Am Here by the Misery Tree // Story: Apparition Amphitheater Presents: Misery Tree // by Nightmare_0mega //------------------------------// Three hundred years ago, on a night just like this, there was a lonely unicorn mare in high society Canterlot. She was as beautiful as a clear night sky and as talented as she was wealthy. Her life of pampering and upper crust tradition were constant, keeping her life as stress free as possible, away from the toils common folk deal with daily. However, her passions lied in true romance. She dreamed of love ever since she discovered it when she was younger. The knight in shining armor coming to rescue the princess. The dashing and charming rogue come to sweep a mare off her feet. The excitement of love at first sight from an unlikely place, a real diamond in the rough. It was the magic she wished to experience, but there was a problem. She was sick of life living on the highest, and it didn't help that her potential suitors all came from wealthy, boring, unadventurous families as well. Every time they would come to court her, to dance, to converse, and to woo her, the mare did not but shut them down, denying their advances. All efforts were wasted on this most beautiful and talented mare. When asked why by her parents, she'd explain to them that she sought adventure and excitement. A change from her life, and love that was honest and comfortable, rather than the groomed and formal courting that was constantly presented. Of course, they disapproved. All of her fellow members in high society disapproved. They warned about how it could tarnish her good name, how it could rob her of her wealth and beauty. They even warned her that adventure from commoners breed rogues and villains. It was far too dangerous for a young mare like her to associate herself with those beneath her, they said. Despite all of the warnings, though, she ignored them. In fact, on one of her evening walks, she found a charming gentlecolt of the street. A black unicorn stallion with a winning smile, a quaint but cute little cap atop his dark grey mane and the most brilliant red eyes you could see. She fell hopelessly in love with him. They were together in secret, enjoying the city life, keeping each other company, sharing each others interests. They seemed inseparable. True star crossed lovers. However, it wasn't long before the mare's friends and family figured out where she had gone and who she was with. One night, they confronted her, scolded her, and barred her from seeing him again, claiming he was nothing more than a stallion with a devil's smile, not to be trusted. She took it as well as someone that was hopelessly in love would, but she went further than going through a meltdown. Knowing her family was wealthy to a fault, she stole away some of the riches, sold some of her higher end belongings, and sought out her dashing stallion. Upon finding him, he told her to meet her by the Tree of Love at midnight, a famous and unique tree that sprouts only red leaves, which was an hour trot to the southwest of Canterlot. He promised her, there, they would meet again and elope to a place far away from scorn and disapproval. He promised her that she would be free of everything. She did as she was told, coming to the tree earlier than she was asked to, and waited for her tall, dark, and dashing stallion to show up. The cold air nipped at her coat as the red leaves swayed back and forth to the wind, with the mare in the moon herself shining down on the lonely and beautiful sight. She waited, and waited, and waited still, watching the forest around her, the tree behind her, and the moon above. She watched restlessly, and noticed something was wrong. Midnight had passed, and everything was quiet. The darkness seemed to get tighter, despite the silvery light of the full moon shining upon her, and the wind almost hushed warnings. Her eyes darted about the forest around her, looking into the trees, hoping for her knight in shining armor to arrive and take her away. Everything in the back of her mind screamed to abandon this foolish thought of running away with romance and just go home. Phantom shadows skipped between the trees, just out of direct sight, putting the poor mare on edge. She heard something snap behind her, causing her to turn around in alarm, calling out her lover's name in a panic. But there was no one there. Leaves swayed as the wind picked up, as if screaming for her to run away and never come back, but she stayed. She stayed for her love. She stayed for the life she actually wanted for once. She stayed... The sudden feeling of metal pierced her back, catching her off guard and took the wind from her lungs. Pain shot through her body, and her mind swam and fogged over, causing her to collapse from the horrible sensation. She tried to lift her head up, but could barely have the strength to even move. Soon, though, she could feel something search her person, and grab the bits she was carrying, tearing the bag from her body. She wept silently, afraid of losing her chance at love and her own life, and hoped that she would make it out of this. She wept, until the hooves of someone very familiar stepped into her vision. His black coat almost blended with the shadows around him, but the light of the moon lit his crimson eyes like malice itself. He tipped his quaint little hat to the mare, and gave her a devilishly charming smile, tying the bag of bits she had around his neck. The poor mare was utterly heartbroken. The stallion she got to know, that she fell madly in love with, that promised her a life of adventure and true romance and freedom, had stomped on her heart, stole from her, and was going to leave her to die. Something snapped in that foggy mind of hers. Through the pain of the knife still inside of her, she got back up to her hooves, and stared down at the now confused rogue that tried to kill her. She stared at him with eyes that burned like the pits of tartarus. In a voice only ever close to Celestia's infamous Royal Canterlot Voice, she said this: I loved you, I trusted you, and you betrayed me! I was willing to give my life to you, and you tossed it away! If I die here, I curse you! I curse you to a life of misery. A life of misfortune after misfortune, for generation to generation! And, if your blood returns here, I curse you once more in that I will return here as well, and enact the passion of my broken, furious heart! May Celestia have mercy on you, for I will not! The dark rogue fled from the tree and his former lover, never to be seen again, leaving the mare all alone in the cold, dead night. With the last of her strength and will taken, with the pain and all other feeling finally leaving, she collapsed back to the ground. Her wound leaked and soaked into the soil below, changing the color of the grass around the tree from green to red ever more. As if in sorrow for what happened, the crimson leaves shed from the branches, and drifted down with the gentle wind, and covered her tragically tarnished body. From that day forward, the tree never sprouted new leaves ever again. -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- "No one knows for sure what happened to that stallion. Some say he moved into the city of Vanhoover, staying away from trouble and lived off of the bits he stole, still encountering misfortunes, one after another, just like the mare said. Some say he mysteriously disappeared, without a trace or warning. Some say that he still managed to have foals with another, and they too went down the same path that dark rogue did, inheriting the same curse of misfortune." Diamond Tiara paused, letting the story sink in for a moment or two, before she continued. "However, one thing is for sure. When the Royal Guard looked for the mare the next morning, after receiving a report on her missing and following her hoofprint trail left behind, all they could find was bits of fabric from her torn bag, and the tree, leafless. On top of that, there was something wrong with the tree now. Not a soul dared to get near it, feeling as if their own heart was about to be ripped form their barrels. Feelings of unexplained loneliness, sadness, and misery almost infect those that get close enough, driving all who try to leave. To this day, to those that know about this story, it's why we now call it The Misery Tree." The students around the fire had been leaning forward throughout the entire story, entranced by the surprisingly gothic tale, invested up to the very last word. As Diamond Tiara leaned back with a smug look on her face, the rest of the students sat back as well, mulling over what they just heard. The young heiress to the Rich family looked about her students, waiting for the words of approval and amazement. "Wow," said Snails with a gobsmacked expression upon his face, "that was sure a really good story, there. How'd you know all of those fancier words, though?" Diamond Tiara scrunched her face at such a question. "I'm just telling the story how my daddy told it. I mean, yeah, I had to look up some of those words, but that's beside the point." "I wonder if he's still out there, stealing bits and knocking over mares," Snips said, turning to his friend. "I don' think that mare were just knocked ovah," Pipsqeak said to them both. "I have to admit," started Sweetie Belle, "That was a pretty good story." Her friends were about to turn and scold her for praising their bully, but Sweetie interrupted them and continued. "Though, I have to say, that story wasn't really scary. It was more sad if anything. That poor mare. Her poor family, even..." "Are you kidding?" Diamond Tiara blurted, "She was just attacked by some commoner thief and-and, her bits were stolen, a-and the tree! What about the tree and the grass! And that she disappeared! Isn't that a little freaky?" "Sorry, Di," Silver Spoon said with a look of regret, "I didn't think it was very scary either." "I thought it was scary," Twist chimed in with a slight nervous twinge in her voice and a shiver up her back. Diamond Tiara huffed at the reactions. Granted, she adored the fact that the story was so good, but the point of it was missed. She gritted her teeth, looking back to the fillies across from her, whom were chatting amusing themselves. Except for Scootaloo, whom was staring right at the rich filly. "I didn't really like the story," Scootaloo said flatly, "In fact, I don't think it's true at all." "Scoots?" Apple Bloom addressed, "What the hay are ya doin'?" "The story's a bust," she answered her friend, before turning back to Diamond Tiara, "You loose points for using the oldest cliches in the book. Come on, three hundred years ago? Star crossed lovers? A romance plot? I've heard of 'better' namby-pamby stuff in one of Rarity's secret books!" Sweetie Belle blushed from the sudden blurt of such touchy information as Scootaloo continued, "And to call it true is so hokey. There's no way something like the 'Tree of Love' is actually real. It sounds like it's out of some little foal's coloring book." Apple Bloom averted her eyes from her friend, remembering Applejack talking about some of the love and harmony related things she and her friends were a part of, and not wanting to correct the out-bursting Scootaloo. Murmurs began to bubble among the little fillies and colts, now beginning to doubt the quality of the story from Scootaloo's accusations. Diamond Tiara fumed for a moment, before she calmed down and returned her own retort. "How about this, then. We're in the forest of where it happened. How about I DARE you to go out and look for it?" "And why would I go and do that?" Scootaloo asked, trying to call her bluff. Diamond Tiara smirked for a moment, before she spoke with a smug expression, asking, "Are you chicken?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle both turned to their friend, hoping to catch her before she ended up saying something she'd regret. Unfortunately, due to the resounding sounds of awe from the sudden insult, Scootaloo ended up ignoring her friends and addressed Diamond directly. "I'm not a chicken!" she growled. "Scootaloo, wait!" "Prove you aren't, then. I'll even give you an intensive. If you go out and look for it alone, for real, I'll eat my own tiara. If you FIND it, even though I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I was right, I'll not only eat my Tiara, but I'll dance the jig in front of the class at recess in the beginning of next week. BUT, if you don't... If you stay in your comfy little tent with your little loser blank-flank friends... YOU have to polish my Tiara. For a week!" "Scoots, don't do it!" The young pegasus smiled at that former notions and weighed her options. If she at least tried, she couldn't lose, though she WOULD run the risk of getting into trouble. On the other hand, if she didn't go, she wouldn't get in trouble, but she'd have to touch that silly froo-froo crown of Diamond's. She thought about it for a moment, but the competitive streak in her pushed forth her decision, right before exclaiming, "Deal!" Scootaloo's two friends wailed out a lengthened "NO!", bemoaning their friend's stubbornness. Diamond Tiara simply smirked, before she rose form her seat, followed by Silver Spoon, and addressed the other foals. "Let's get one thing clear, though. IF Ms. Applejack or Ms. Cheerilee hear a word of this, the deal's off. Now that that's settled, I'm heading off to bed. I've got to rest up if I want to properly enjoy the rest of this camping trip! Ta-ta!" With that, the two rich fillies, followed by a begrudging and nervous Twist, left to retire to their tent. A few seconds later, Applejack returned to the campfire with the collected firewood, looked about to the remainder of the group, and said "So, what'd ah miss?" -o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o- Late at night, the crusaders laid in their tent. The night was still too young for them to sleep, giving Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle ample time to talk. They discussed the situation, the potential consequences of what would happen if Scootaloo actually went through with it, and how they were going to stop it. "She's too stubborn not to take it," Sweetie reasoned, "But, I don't understand why Diamond made that deal in the first place. Scootaloo leaving is almost guaranteed, so why would she condition it so she FAILS if that happens? Where's the benefit?" Apple Bloom sat for a moment, considering the followed discussion, before throwing in her assumption. "Maybe she just want's to be proven right? Scoots did seem to hurt Diamond's pride a bit. Either that, or she wants to get Scootaloo in trouble for wandering around in the middle of the night in a minorly dangerous forest." "That last one is more likely," Sweetie replied, "Ugh, this is so backwards... Do you know of a way we can keep Scoot from leaving?" "No," Apple Bloom said, turning around, realizing the tent suddenly felt less crowded, "'Cause, I think, she already left." The two rose from their sleeping bags, and poked their heads out from the opening flaps of the tent. Just as they did so, they noticed the small frame of their friend about to disappear into the woodland beyond. "Scootaloo, stop." they said in a hushed voice. The eager and determined pegasus stopped and turned around for a moment, before Sweetie continued. "Come back, please? We know you feel you have to do this, and no one want's to polish Diamond's tiara, but it's not worth getting into trouble." "Or, gettin' lost," Apple Bloom added. "At least, if you're still going through with this, take us-" "I can't," Scootaloo interrupted, "I can't let you come. She told me to go alone. It wouldn't be fair... and I wouldn't want you guys to get into trouble for MY dare, on the chance I do get caught. Don't worry. I'll be back in no time, I promise." And with that, the little pegasus disappeared into the shadows of the night. The two fillies sunk back into their tent, before plopping onto their haunches, dumbstruck that their friend just took off. They looked at each other, before looking to their sleeping bags, and decided the best thing they could do is get some sleep, and pray their prideful friend makes it back unhurt, and soon.