//------------------------------// // Moonlight Chases // Story: Curiousity Maintentance Crew // by Masterweaver //------------------------------// Apple Bloom looked at the mirror as she untied her bow. Another day done, another lie told. Well, all right, it was technically the same lie she’d been using over and over and over. Still, as the mare in the mirror faded into something else, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Walking alongside the ponies of Ponyville and pretending to be like them was uncomfortable, but she knew they wouldn’t at all like to know the truth. Especially after that whole changeling kerfuffle up in Canterlot... With a shameful sigh, she turned away from the mirror. She couldn’t stand to look into the glowing red eyes any more, she needed to get to bed. And sleep. Yes, that was probably the best word for it. Sleep. She stretched, ignoring the unusual sounds her body made, and glanced at her rotted hoof. Well, it hadn’t been a bad day, other than the lie, her and her friends had managed to avoid getting into too much trouble looking for their prankster cutie marks. “...not like Ah’ll ever get a cutie mark. Not anymore.” She took a wistful look out the window. Then she took a more careful look out the window. Somepony was running through her orchards... somepony oddly familiar... *** Sweetie Belle looked at the mirror as she shook her mane. Another day done. And, hopefully, another problem avoided. She lived in constant fear that ONE DAY somepony would figure it out. Maybe it would rain and she’d start sparking. Maybe she would get a rip in her skin. Maybe her lack of growth might tip off the observant, or walk in on Pinkie’s experiments with her. And then they’d... well, locking her up was one of the better possibilities. She was terrified Twilight might just try to take her apart in the name of Science. The rational part of her realized that these fears were ridiculous. Twilight wasn’t that kind of pony, and most of her friends might be weirded out but they’d probably understand. And really, it had been a good day, right? Her and Scoots and Bloom had almost nearly found their cutie marks. Well, Scoot’s and Bloom, anyway. She’d have to stitch one onto her skin eventually. With a shrug, she prepared to power down and translate her memory to long term storage. She ran a final evening system’s check on herself, checking everything. Then she flicked her ears. Was she picking up a scream? Eyes wide, she dialed up her audio input... *** Scootaloo briefly caught her reflection in a passing window, noticing a panicked pegasus running though a bunch of apple trees. What was going on?! WHAT THE HAY WAS GOING ON?! She glanced behind her, eyes wide in fear at the ponies still chasing her tail and wielding weapons. Every last one of them had a mask on, a mask designed to terrify with fanged grins and flaming eyes. It was like something out of a comic book, except she wasn’t a superhero... “Capture the sacrifice!” That got Scootaloo running extra fast. She had been hoping to hide in the Apple family’s home, but now they were far too close-- Suddenly a screaming black THING jumped out of one of the windows in the home, pouncing on one of the cultists who screamed in unholy pain. Scootaloo barely had time to think, just running faster as she yelled in fear; whatever that thing was she just knew it would come after her once the cultists were dealt with. Lights were already going on in the Apple family home, but one of the cultists tossed a torch through a window with a smash before returning his attention to the chase. The, the bridge. If she could make it to the bridge... Her body was already aching from the sheer pressure put upon it already, somehow managed to bring forth another surge of energy. Her head was almost exploding from the pressure, though; if she had been any other filly, they would have caught her long ago. But she was SCOOTALOO, personal friend to the world’s most awesome pegasus and founder of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club, and no way would she OH GODDESSES THEY WERE THROWING SPEARS!!! “Scootaloo!” The pegasus filly whipped her gaze to the bridge. There stood one of her truest friends, a unicorn who was waving her furiously over. “Run Sweetie Belle! It’s me they’re after!” She was still too far away, they were going to get her--She skidded to a stop as a spear landed right in her path. Seconds later she felt the hoof wrap around her neck. “GOTCHA!” The cultist grinned. “And you even brought us a friend for next time!” “Let her go NOW!” The unicorn filly stomped a hoof. “Ha, right. Gents, go deal with her.” The other cultists wove around, clutching their spears in their mouths expertly. “I said LET HER GO! Or you’re going to regret it!” Laughter roared from behind Scootaloo’s head, the breath pushing over the trembling filly’s mane. “Little miss, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.” “...I don’t need to.” Sweetie Belle’s sides popped open and two machine guns unfolded out. Scootaloo blinked, unable to process this development. Without any other warning, the machine guns activated, sending a volley of pellets at the cultists with a powerful whirring sound. Screaming in shock and surprise, the wounded ponies scattered from the apparition; the one holding Scootaloo balked, turning and preparing to flee. But the BLACK THING was in front of him, glaring with angry red eyes. “AAAAA! Take her! I don’t care!” The cultist dropped the pegasus, running for his life. He didn’t get far, though; the black thing bounded after him, and he screamed as it clambered onto his back. Scootaloo briefly noticed how small it looked-- “WHY THA HAY DID YA TRY TA HURT MY FRIEND?!” --before hearing an all too familiar voice come from its mouth. “I can’t, I can’t, the master--” The cultist was babbling. “Please don’t eat me please don’t--” With an annoyed grumble, the black thing backhoofed the cultist and smashed his head into the ground. She hopped off, walking gently toward the pegasus who was still staring at her in shock. Another group of hoofbeats caught Scootaloo’s attention; she turned to see that Sweetie Belle, machine guns inactive but still deployed, was joining them. “Scootaloo? How are you doing?” “Yeah, are ya’ll okay?” She looked from one face to another. Her head hurt, her chest burned, her legs flet like they were made up of bruises... “...Never better,” she managed weakly, before disappearing from the world of the conscious. *** They’d taken her to the clubhouse. “Ah’m sorry Ah wasn’t there ta help earlier. Those ponies set fire ta mah home, Ah had to put it down before it spread.” Apple Bloom glanced at Sweetie Belle. “Where’d ya get them guns anyway?” “Oh, Pinkie Pie gave them to me.” “Oh. That’d explain why they’re loaded with gumdrops.” The two of them fell quiet, looking at the sleeping Scootaloo. After a short while, Sweetie gazed casually at the ceiling. “Soooooo. Zombie.” “Ghoul, technically.” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Had a run-in with a cursed village in tha everfree, Zecora managed ta lock the curse so it couldn’t spread from me.” “You usually look more normal.” “Mah bow has a built in illusion spell.” She glanced outside. “It uses moonlight ta recharge, so Ah leave it out on the windowsill every night.” “Ah.” There was another period of silence. “....Soooooo. Robot.” “I prefer the term mechanical life form.” Sweetie Belle gave her own shrug. “Apparently my parents found me while Rarity was off for a year learning fashion... things. I didn’t even know I was a robot until a shelf fell on my hoof.” “Ouch.” “Yeah. Pinkie and Rarity were a big help though.” “That was tha week ya were depressed, right?” Sweetie Belle laughed. “Ha, yeah...” The stars watched over their soundless vigil. “....so who were those ponies chasing Scootaloo?” “Ah don’t rightly know. But Ah know Ah want ta give them a piece of mah mind.” “You and me both.” The unicorn paused. “Er, you didn’t mean that literally, did you?” “What? Hay no! Don’t be gross!” “Oh, sorry. I just thought... well, um--” “Ya just thought just because Ah was a zombie Ah’d throw mah brains at a bad guy.” “...stupid of me...” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Listen. Ya’re mah friend, Sweetie Belle, and Ah don’t mind a few zombie jokes here and there, okay? So long as ah get to throw around some robot comments of my own.” Her mouth formed a ghoulish grin. Sweetie Belle smiled back after a moment. “This is going to be interesting, isn’t it?”