//------------------------------// // Return V: Clubhouse // Story: Return: Tales of the Lost // by Dustchu //------------------------------// War, war never changes. -ooo000=+=000ooo- Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo just sat in silence, as a few of the Elements of Harmony, Celestia, and Starlight just looked at them in abject horror. What Scootaloo asked them, in regards to getting something to eat was an innocent question, maybe some donuts, hayfries or something along those lines. Instead, they have learned something incredibly horrible about the CMC... They had tasted meat... And wanted more. "I'm s-sorry, I t-think I must have misheard you." Starlight stammered, glumping as she asked, "Did you say... meat? As in... flesh and blood, meat?" Scootaloo, Sweetie and Bloom nodded their heads, Scootaloo noting the unease on all of their faces. "Yeah, meat, you guys happen to have any lying around?" She asked, as if that were a completely normal thing to ask someone. Everyone else, begged to differ. "Yo-you a-a-all... e-eat m-meat?" Fluttershy barely managed to say, shaking violently as her ears pinned back against her skull. The young mare hadn't expected to hear such a thing come out of the CMC's mouths, it was... horrifying, disgusting, and above all, went against everything ponies stood for. "I knew this was gonna happen, ugh." Scootaloo groaned, shifting from where she was laying on her side. "Yeah, we eat meat." Clearing her throat, Princess Celestia turned to the young mare, and gave her a hard look. "Scootaloo, ponies... do not eat meat, its... not exactly... appropriate." "We can handle it just fine." Bloom spoke up, as Fluttershy whimpered. "Besides, it being appropriate wasn't something we had to deal with." "Yeah, just gotta cook it right," Scooaloo added with a little grin, obilivous to Fluttershy's teary eyes. "And besides, shit like hay and donuts weren't exactly are the menu." "Well... I... I'm sure there were other alternatives..." Celestia started, slightly disturbed with how lightly Scootaloo was talking about it. "Nope, it was either meat, two hundred year old food, or death." Scootaloo told her bluntly, snorting as she shuffled her metallic black wings. "Why? What's wrong with eating meat?" "What's wrong?" Rarity started, "What's wrong!? Its meat! Ponies do not eat meat! Its... its atrocious! Its unheard of!" She practically yelled, every one of her friends could tell she was outraged at this. Her tone, her very postue spoke of someone disgusted with the mere thought of eating the flesh of another creature. "How could you even think of doing something like that!?" "Ah gotta agree with Rarity on this, that's a mite disgusting you three." Applejack agreed with her friend, shaking her head as she took off her hat. "Eatin' another creature... it just ain't right." Scootaloo just rolled her eyes however, looking over at the apple mare. Fluttershy had gulped, before speaking up, looking between the two. "I... I c-can sort of understand." She said in a meek tone, drawing several sets of eyes towards her, questioning ones. "Ah'm sorry? You can understand why they've practically turned into cannibals?" Applejack asked, sounding disappointed. "Them eating meat just ain't right Fluttershy." "Its horrifying!" Rarity fanned herself, as Sweetie rolled her eyes. The butter yellow pegasus nodded her head, looking between everyone. "I... I can, I m-mean, i-if it w-was done o-out of survival... t-then I can understand." She spoke softly, but loud enough so everyone could hear her. "I've haven't h-heard enough to fully understand but... I'm sure it was do-done purely out of survival..." Everyone didn't look so sure about it, all except Luna. "I agree with young Fluttershy, in a harsh enviroment such as the one they have described, one must adapt in order to survive... even if it means resorting to cannibalism." Luna explained, eyes calmy looking over at Scootaloo, who locked eyes with her. "While it is not entirely proper, and seen as taboo, our bodies can in fact handle meat to some degree." That last bit seemed a little shocking to some of them. "Really?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head. "OOooo! That makes me think of a new cupcake idea!" Pinkie giggled happily, clapping her hooves as her friends all gave her horrified looks, except Rainbow Dash. "Please no." Rarity shook her head, looking and feeling faint. "That sounds disgusting." Twilight added, sticking out her tongue. "I don't really see any problem." Rainbow shrugged as Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack looked at her, "What?" "How can you see no problem?" Rarity asked, eyes wide at Rainbow Dash. "I've eaten meat before, its not all that bad, sure its kinda stringy and stuff, but you get used to it." Rainbow explained, adding, "Besides, Pegasi burn a lot of calories when we fly for long periods of time, and with all the cloud work we do we need a lot of protein to keep going." The mare sniffled, wings fluttering slightly as her sides. "Sometimes I grab me a fish or two when I'm working over the water." Applejack stared at Rainbow, seemingly disgusted with what she had just heard. "So you're tellin' me, you eat fish?" She asked Rainbow Dash, who nodded. "Yeah, like I said, pegasi need the energy reserves for when we're doing a lot of heavy work loads, moving clouds ain't all that easy, AJ." Rainbow told her with a sniff, shifting in her seat. "Flying takes up a lot of stamina and we need to eat a lot and sleep." "Is that why you're always napping?" Twilight asked, popping a notepad into existence and writing in it. "Uh... yeah, why? Did you guys just think I'm lazy or something?" The pegasus asked with a laugh... and just got several looks, making her slowly frown. "Hey!" "Alright, alright, come on guys!" Pinkie spoke up, stopping them before they got into an arguement. "So they eat meat, who cares! They're still our friends aren't they?" Pinkie asked nicely, looking between the CMC and her friends with a smile. "Well, Ah still don't thin-" AJ started, but Fluttershy stopped her. Fluttershy held up her hoof, looking over at the apple mare before she spoke up, "While... I... I don't like the idea, I'm sure it was for their own good." Fluttershy looked towards Apple Bloom, who nodded slightly. "After all, from what they told us, that world was... very bad. I know we haven't heard much aside from snippets, but..." "There were massive food problems in the wasteland." Sweetie told them, green eyes looking up from her knife. "Finding any kind of food that was actually edible was hard... we all had to turn to it at some point. I mean sure, there was other food, even vegetables and some other stuff that the wastelanders grew and sold, but meat was one of the main things on the list." "Can we please move past this? This is kinda annoying, probably should have kept my mouth shut." Scootaloo groaned, rolling her eyes as she stood up. "Where're you going?" Sweetie asked, to which Scootaloo just shrugged. "Out, sick of sitting down." She announced, and the young pegasus soon made her way out of the room and down the hall, eventually making her way to the front door and going outside. Back in the living room, Twilight looked towards Celestia who nodded her head, and then... Twilight vanished in a flash of white, following the pegasus as Applejack just sighed, then Apple Bloom and Sweetie stood up and followed the pegasus out of the room, quickly leaving the castle. A door slamming told her they had left the building. "Just ain't right." "I'm sure they had to, otherwise..." Fluttershy said, as Applejack shook her head. "Look, Ah'm not liking that my little sister had to eat the flesh of another living being, survival or not, just ain't how Ah was raised, Fluttershy." Applejack said, looking towards the front door with a forlorn look in her eyes. -ooo000=+=000ooo- The three fillies had gone outside, and begun looking around their surroundings in the daylight. The town of Ponyville hadn't changed much, it looked the same as it did six years ago, the houses all looked the same, the forest still as large and vibrant as ever. The townsponies didn't really stop to look at the CMC for long, only getting a passing glance or two as they continued on about their day, headed to work or setting up stalls nearby, or just meeting with friends. Apple Bloom chewed on her cheek as she looked around, everybody looked the same... it was as if they had never left Equestria and had been teleported to a world where it was kill or be killed. She had figured someone would have said something about them, maybe someone recognizing the three... however, she heard nothing, in fact, it was like no one recognized the three as they passed them all by. They had become a distant and faded memory, that which no one could remember save for the closest of kin. It was heartbreaking in a way. Apple Bloom had grown bored of standing, and decided to start walking, with her two friends following her. The three walked side by side, heading down familiar paths as they passed by shops and stores. They saw Lyra sitting by herself on a bench, looking down at a small magazine with a somber look on her face. Doctor Whooves was walking by a few shops, looking on with a distant look on his face as a small brown colt walked next to him. The entire town, despite looking bright, seemed solemn. A metephorical cloud of depression lingered over the town, blocking out the rays of Celestia's sun with the smoke from nearby factories. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo all noticed the factories sitting in places where the Everfree Forest had been cleared out acre by acre, twisted trees replaced with concrete fortresses with steel towers spewing black smoke, and the sounds of machinery chugging and metal claning replacing the sounds of wildlife and magic. The trio had lingered near one of the fences, the buildings were a stark contrast to the subtle farming lifestyle that was Ponyville. Massive complexes building weapons of war, amidst a town of simple farmers, dressmakers and home repair ponies, it was so odd to see such buildings in the town. They had seen a brief glimpse of the weapons being created inside, large metal beasts with cannons, they knew what these were. Equestria was building tanks. They were almost crude looking things, boxy iron beasts with small cannons and treads that took up the entire side, and only held two ponies. They were something that made Apple Bloom frown, as well as Sweetie and Scootaloo, they looked horrid, and prone to many mechanical problems. The apple pony recalled what a human had done with a tractor and steel plates back in the other world, they had made a tank of sorts, quite effective, considering how shoddy it looked, but it performed perfectly. They watched the ponies work tirelessly, building tanks and moving the completed ones into an area where several had been lined up for show. There were a few guards out and about, mostly earth ponies and unicorns armed with strange looking weapons that looked like shoddy laser muskets almost. They patrolled the grounds vigilantly, not paying much attention to the three fillies as they turned and walked away, headed towards AJ's farm. The road there was different, half of AJ's the farmland, to Apple Bloom's shock had been changed. One half of it had been turned into a barren looking grassland, with sandbags, concrete buildings that resembled human bunkers to some degree, as well as metal towers. Apple Bloom didn't know what was going on, but she didn't like it one bit, everything felt so foreign, strange to her as she ventured to her old childhood home. The farm eventually came into view, it looked somewhat the same as it always had, save for a few newer things, like more ponies working on the farm. Some had looked over at her and her friends, but she paid them no mind as she walked into the farm. The house was still there, as was the barn, and many of the animal pins. She saw the orchard where their old clubhouse was, and started for it, her thoughts turning back to their old crusades for their cutie marks. It was such a simple thing they all did, sure they caused such a big ruckas, but they were only doing it so they could find themselves... find what made them special. In the end, they had found out what made them special, even if those talents involved... death in one way or another. It was what made them special, and no one could tell them otherwise. Eventually, after some walking and passing by many confused workers, they had found their clubhouse. All three sets of hooves stopped once they spotted it, and they had come across quite a sight. The clubhouse had been the site of a mourning, as they spotted several things laying out among the ground and on the clubhouse itself. There were pictures of their younger selves in happier times, old spent candles that had been lit years ago and left. Wreaths and bouques of flowers laid out, dasies and roses, daffodils and lillies all weaved together in an almost artistic display of affection for the three originally lost fillies. Apple Bloom felt a pang of emotion hit her heart, she felt... touched that so many ponies cared to come out here and do such a thing. The entire area had been decorated with lowers, and pictures, candles and so many other things left behind for them. Scootaloo and Sweetie felt touched as well, as they moved closer to the clubhouse, seeing that despite six years of non-repair, it looked to be in good shape. Bloom took the first step onto the ramp, feeling it creak with her step... she kept moving up however, each creak a reminder of simpler times. When Babs Seed had become a bully. The Smarty Pants incident. When they had first gotten the clubhouse... There were so few, and yet so many memories in this clubhouse, that it brought the faintest of smiles to her face. Once she reached the door, her hoof touched it, and she turned it before pushing the door open. It swung open with a loud creak, and an old musty smell greeted her upon going inside, she saw their old Cutie Mark planning chart, a map of Ponyville drawn in crayon on the wall, their thinking spot, and the table they all used to sit at and plan their adventures. So many memories flooded through her mind in those few moments, causing her to become light headed as she sat down. She held her head, taking off her stetson as Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle sat beside her. The three looked around, a strong feeling of nostalgia hitting them like a freight train. It felt so strange to be back inside after so long, a lost part of their childhood they had missed out on for six year, nearly going on seven. "It looks the same." Scootaloo said, as she walked further in, and spotted an old piece of red wood nearby... with four wheels, and a handle bar. She had a faint smile on her face, when she saw it was her scooter, old as it was... it had stayed there in the same place it had always been in. Sweetie Belle saw the hooks on the wall, each one holding a small piece of dark red cloth with ablue patch on it, and a faded golden interior. The patch was of a shield, with a rearing filly inside of it, the mark of the crusaders, their own little group to help fillies and colts alike find what made them special. She walked over to them, a hoof running along the aged fabric as she gave a thoughtful frown, they were too small... Apple Bloom nodded to what Scootaloo had said, as she walked over to the map and gave it a look over. It was one she had drawn, the same one they had used to seek out places in Ponyville to do their crusading. They had been at it for so long, that many places had been crossed out with red X's. Next to the map, was the newest list of their possible talents, the bottom most one being something regarding being good at Apple Juggling. She scoffed, shaking her head, We were so silly back then... She mused, as she spotted the chalkboard, along with the podium where she stood to make announcements. She went over to it, feeling of the aged wood as she went behind it, it reminded her of those she had found in a part of the wasteland with government buildings. If there was any slight chance... could she have become a leader like those back on the human world? She had no idea, it was an idea that had appealed to her many times... it even made her want to become a leader, having that much power over a single community, a city, or even a nation made her feel powerful. She liked the idea of it, she mused more about it, as she stood behind the podium, her thoughts drifting. The group of three stayed in there for some time, remeniscing about time lost, what they would have been doing if they hadn't been thrown into a world where they were forced to fight for their survival against mutated monsters., insane human tribals and groups, and the very elements themselves. They probably would have grown up living somewhat normal lives, with various things thrown in where the Elements of Harmony had to come in and save the day, while they watched on in awe, smaller parts of them wanting to be heroes just like they were. Ooooh... what being a hero meant... it was no easy thing to do, there was much respnsiblilty to be had when choosing to be a hero. These three, knew it all too well... from their many adventures, and struggles in the world of humans... -ooo000=+=000ooo- After teleporting outside, Twilight had ended up losing the three, despite her best efforts to following them... she lost them. She managed to keep following them for a good while, until she lost them at the Tank Factory, something that concerned her. She knew they knew nothing about what Equestria was going through right now, war had been looming for years now, and as such Equestria had to utilize its war funds so they could protect their interests. It was something that bothered Twilight, but she had said nothing, after the attack on their border from both griffons and zebras. The mare sighed heavily as she kept walking, keeping an eye out for the three young mares. Her mind drifted as she walked, to when they were so young, and wanting to get their marks. Such an innocent notion, but now they had them, and they were odd looking to Twilight... she pondered what their talents were, and made a note to ask them later... when she found them. With pursed lips, Twilight looked at Ponyville... So much has changed... With that in mind, she kept looking for the girls. -ooo000=+=000ooo- The CMC had left the clubhouse, too many memories had caused them to have flashbacks, making them leave the clubhouse. However, they didn't get far before running into a pair of young mares who were standing nearby looking at the pictures of them all. One was a young pink mare wearing a tiara, and the other was a gray mare wearing glasses. Both were terribly familiar to the CMC... There was a reason for that. Years ago, they had been bullied constantly by a pair of fillies, the two biggest bulies in all of Ponyville who picked on them for being blank flanks, ponies without Cutie Marks. They had contantly belitted them, insulted them, hated them for who they were, because they hadn't gotten theirs yet. And now... here they stood, in front of them, older but looking exactly the same. However, instead of scowls, instead of the looks of hate. They were given looks of surprise and shock from both fillies turned young mares, who stared at the three with with eyes. Sweetie Belle just stood there, staring at her schoolyard enemies, the pink one known as Diamond Tiara... and the grayish one known as Silver Spoon. Her emerald green eyes looked them both over, both mares obviously had changed quite a bit, they had grown taller and filled out. And on both of their backs, they saw a few flowers wrapped up in a sort of bouquet, roses and daises and such with pretty looking bows keeping them together. With the other two, Diamond Tiara wasn't expecting anyone else to be at the clubhouse, especially three mares that looked exactly like the fillies she had bullied when she was younger, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, the three were alive... standing before her with their cutie marks. There were no smiles however, just awkward silence... Just awkward silence...