Equestrian Myth

by StarRibbon

Years Later

"Is that it?"

"I'm sorry girls, but that's all we have on this subject." Twilight was, originally, pleased when the Crusaders had decided to do research as a chance to gain their cutie marks, but, like whatever they had done, they weren't very quiet about it and weren't very successful. She was very reluctant to leave them in a room by themselves, but they heavily insisted. She honestly had no choice in the matter either way, Spike had gone to Rarity's to help, and she had matters that were too important to hold off with Pinkie Pie. So, going against better judgement, she left them there hoping they wouldn't do too much damage.

"Ah told ya that humans weren't real." Apple Bloom pushed away a book that was torn and black. It looked well read, like Twilight or somepony had continually read it. It wasn't often a pony went to the library, so she guessed the latter. "Ah'm sure you were dreaming hooey again." Scootaloo's ears perked to a sound of a pony grabbing another book. She wasn't sure whether this was Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle, but she was hoping Apple Bloom had, but tried not to dwell on the idea that she stopped.

"But it wasn't hooey!" Scootaloo turned away, her eyes focusing on the book. She never liked to read, it was always her most difficult subject, so she never bothered to read. She never expected to be in the library, none the less be reading in the library. "I am so sure..."

"Are you sure about this?" Sweetie pushed away some books that were on the subject, but never touched the story they heard so much about. It was vague, but that's what enticed them to the story. She wasn't sure it had substance, but she knew ponies tried to find out the truth. The stories they came back with were grim, but they sounded like they found something. Sweetie Belle wasn't sure if Scootaloo was looking for answers for her dreams or whether she wanted to look into the myth itself. "I never heard of a pony having dreams like that, well, except for Lyra."

"Ah think ah found something!" Apple Bloom called out. Scootaloo turned to face the southern filly, a smile crept on her cheeks. She certainly thought this as good news after the hard time they had for this search.

"Are you sure this time?"

"Ah'm positive!" Scootaloo ran to Apple Bloom's side and nearly swiped the book away from her hooves. She mumbled something that sounded like an apology and went to read the book. Sweetie Belle trotted towards them, but didn't bother to get closer. She was mildly amused by Scootaloo's antics, seeing how the the pegasus filly was actually interested in reading, but didn't purse the subject further.

"This sounds like the story Rainbow told me, this can't be right.." Scootaloo kept on trying to read the pages. She wasn't great at taking scenes and analyzing them very thoroughly, she was hoping to find something she didn't understand earlier, a piece she never found until now. She found herself at a loss again. All it droned on for was about some group that (mostly) died from trying to find some red path. She was familiar with this tale, it was often used as a campfire story to scare the fillies and colts into not entering the Everfree Forest, but something drew her into reading on about it.

"Are all tales this lengthy?" Scootaloo mused. "Or is this real?" Purple eyes widening like dinner plates showed she found something. Apple Bloom looked wearily towards Sweetie Belle, who just shot her a comforting, yet naive look.

"It says there's a book somewhere in the forest! If we found it maybe..just maybe---"

"Maybe what Scootaloo? We're not supposed to even be near the entrance, nevertheless, in it!" Sweetie Belle seemed to cower behind the book pile that resided in front of Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. It wasn't very big, but big enough to hide the lower half of her body. "Rarity gave me a huge speech last time she heard I entered. It took, like too whole hours from crusading and even then, I wasn't allowed out!" Scootaloo cringed at the reminder.

"Beside's, didn't they try the same thing?" Apple Bloom looked away. "Ah can't be apart of that. Apple Jack cried the last time Ah went there. Ah never seen her cry before!"

"Fine, your right. We can't go." Scootaloo turned away. "I can go alone of course! I've been in there plenty of times and look? Nothing!" Standing finally after time sitting was a blast, she hadn't felt the satisfaction for a while.

"S-Scootaloo, you can't be serious!" Sweetie Belle's voice cracked when she yelled, like life was on the line. "Y-You can't really be thinking--"

"Ah think ya lost yer mind!" Apple Bloom's gaze looking more of concern. "Ya can't be serious!"

"Watch me!" Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. "I NEED to do this. Jeez, what's got your manes in bunches? Its not like I don't know what I'm doing!" Scootaloo looked around again, wondering where in the name of hay did she place her saddle bag. Pleas of desperation fall on deaf ears, Scootaloo was more determined to get her bag and leave then continue on. Finally she found the bag wedged between the others. Not hesitating, she had placed it on and secured it enough so that it wouldn't fall off.

"We can't let you leave! Y-You'll be..." Sweetie Belle was always emotional, and Scootaloo didn't want to put her on edge again.

"What'll we tell them?" Apple Bloom looked down, her bow drooped and her ears lowered. "A-Ah can't lie to my sis..." Lifting her head with a hoof, Scootaloo smiled.

"I'll totally be safe. There is nothing wrong. Just....don't tell anypony okay? I'll be back tomorrow, I Pinkie Promise." Scootaloo smiled when Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle seemed mildly relieved. "Besides, I can totally handle anything myself." She gave a slight smirk. Same old Scootaloo. Scootaloo's ears perked from silence. No Pinkie Pie? Odd, but okay. She stepped on her scooter and waved before scooting off towards the forest. While zooming past town citizens that, at times, often cursed or yelled in anger when they sometimes had to jump out the way from her driving, she had her doubts. Passing stores that sold candy, baked goods, fruits, and the sorts made her more doubtful.

"What if she's right and this really is a bunch of hooey?" Scootaloo's thoughts were ranging from doubtful to screams of rage that showed how stupid she would look if she broke her Pinkie Promise. She didn't want to hear Diamond's voice ring around town calling her a chicken more than anything else. The dream really needed to be answered. She never dreamed of humans before. She never knew what humans were before the dreams occurred. The feeling of deja view was startling. "The dream starts here...with something called a Zorua."

By the time she managed to get to the forest entrance, she already wanted to turn back, but her pride swelled. Taking a breath in, she immediately zoomed into the entrance, hoping that by doing so, she wouldn't turn back. The figures around her stood in black, eerie silhouettes that stood more terrifying then the rest. Funny how Rainbow described it the exact opposite of what she saw now. The trees looked more and more like faces that were distorted. She swore she saw these before in her dream, but on creatures she deemed as "humans". The paths were dead with soil marking the ground. making it almost a terrible ride. This did stop her. It never stopped her when she saw the light was getting dimmer and dimmer by the moment. She expected this.

"Where the heck is that book?" Her eyes were failing to do their destined job! Why do we have eyes if you can't see with them? The dark was starting to continue to lurk in her direction. Slowing down after what appeared to be an hour of nonstop darkness and the same setting, she saw the light. It was still pretty dim, but you could see the trees and the road. "Finally!" She stepped off the scooter to rest her wings. All she saw around her seemed to be the dead, hard grass, the darkening trees that were starting to get more sad then terrifying, and then the road.

Oh, she wished she never saw the road. It was red and brown. "Please let this be paint." The "paint" was wet, and when she returned to the scooter, her hooves were red. If only she had stopped and had paid attention more, then she would have seen the warning signs and the letters that were plastered from the last's attempt. If only she noticed the scratches on the tree with the saddest face. Then she would have returned the next day.

"I'm sorry Passion Fruit..I'm sorry."

Sitting on a tree branch, a creature stayed silent. Her fingers that were sharp like claws were tapping the tree with satisfaction. She smiled a toothy grin that sported a set of canine teeth. Her other arm held a book clenched tightly. Pushing her brown hair away to reveal glowing eyes that held almost no color, like they were soulless. "Yet another child who enters. Such a pity Alices don't last long, I pity such youthful conduct. Lets just see how she fares for now" Green light flickered as she jumped from the branch, her form changing. "Now, let the games begin."

Author's Note:

I can't do her accent. I'm sorry Apple Bloom.

Comments

[Blue Streak]

This seems promising.