But for the Grace of the Sisters go I
AN: I don't own My Little Pony. Thanks to Raven, Marine Marksman, Sweetie Belle Derelle, Lynolius, Cupcakesarenice, Apocalypse Pony, Fernin, Black Alicorn, HybridNecros, Punisher143, GraysonPaladin, Hanzo Of the Salamander 2.0, Wing Zero 032, Mr. Denim, Amaya, MasterRaptor77, Webcam875, and Overactive Mind.
Special thanks go out to Modern Warmare over on DA for letting me use her art!
Warning: This chapter may end up being heavily revised.
On with the show.
Whoops! Now has proper name.
Chapter 3: But For the Grace of the Sisters Go I
What remained of the school day passed by mercifully quickly. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara were reluctant to do anything more as Cheerilee seemed to have turned a blind eye to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
After school the other crusaders cornered her.
“What was that all about?” Scootaloo asked.
“Yeah! What was that about?” Echoed Sweetie Belle.
“Ah don't know girls. And Ah don't know if Ah want to. Ah better get goin' home now though,” Apple Bloom answered before heading off toward home with a wave.
It was looking to be thankfully uneventful walk home—Apple Bloom didn't usually take the shortcut through the fields but after today she didn't feel like dealing with the road.
The air was crisp and clean and the skies bright and sunny. As far as the weather was concerned, it was a perfect day, one for the weatherponies to be proud of.
Far from both farm and Ponyville, she spotted Ditzy Doo walking towards her. Huh, maybe there was something wrong with the other path Ditzy usually took. Ah well, she'd enjoy having the company after the buck-up this day had been so far.
The Doo family was an odd one, but Apple Bloom had always enjoyed having them as neighbors. Come to think of it, Dinky didn't have a cutie-mark either. She'd have to ask Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle about the possibility of adding a new member.
Ditzy Doo was walking along, having returned from Sugarcube Corner bearing a large basket of muffins to share with Dinky.
She had only recently returned to Ponyville with her little muffin. Granny Derpy had just passed on with Dinky and Ditzy holding her hoof.
Despite this, she was the picture of happiness, bouncing along, eyes askew, not a care in the world. Derpy had had a good life, and it was nopony's fault.
Nopony's fault.
She didn't have tears in her eyes.
Apple Bloom and Ditzy had reached the junction at the field's edge.
Nopony's fault.
She didn't care at all about the family curse.
Ditzy was breathing rather heavily, and Apple Bloom looked at her in concern.
It was Nopony's-
“Miss Doo?” asked Apple Bloom.
Ditzy looked up and felt something sweep over her.
“My daughter-”
WHAT'S BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER?
Ditzy screamed and took to the air, swooping in maddened circles and loops that might have made Rainbow Dash look on in envy.
Suddenly, a clarity sank over her, wings snapping taut, flight leveling out perfectly.
She knew somehow.
It was Her fault.
The enraged pegasus flew at her like some great raptor, snarling in rage. Apple Bloom held her ground up until the very last minute, diving to the side and snatching at one of Ditzy's wings as she rocketed by.
The gray mare's wing crumpled at the sudden resistance, sending her tumbling to the ground. Being a properly trained pegasus, she tucked her rear and middle extremities and protected her neck and head with her forelegs. She rolled through the dirt for a few seconds and leaped to her hooves, steam snorting out her nostrils.
Apple Bloom saw this as another chance to possibly talk this out.
“Listen Miss Doo, Ah'm not sure what's-”
Ditzy gave another inarticulate cry of rage, pawed twice at the ground and charged
Apple Bloom figured that meant that diplomacy had failed. Buck that, who wants a diplomacy cutie-mark anyway.
Besides, though she would never admit it, she had never felt more alive than she did right then. Not even the rush of dealing with the necromancer had been anything like this. That incident had been over in a few moments, dealt with by luck and decisive action.
This was another thing entirely. Analyzing an enemy, picking them apart and forcing them to engage her where she was strongest.
Ditzy reached Apple Bloom, but the filly was ready for her. The pegasus was bigger than her, heavier than her, faster than her. But they were on the ground, and little Apple Bloom was an earth pony.
Apple Bloom may have only had one prior experience with fighting, and just the night before at that, but she instinctively understood the concept of home turf. Hoofball teams always did better on their home field. Vinyl Scratch, traveling mare that she was, always did her best shows in Ponyville. And Apple Bloom fought best on the ground.
The grey mare tried to shoulder check the filly, but Apple Bloom dodged out of the way, and managed to get a good hard buck in on Ditzy's right flank.
“Horseapples,” Apple Bloom cursed to herself as they both circled around. She had been aiming for the injured wing, but had managed to miss.
The two of them stalked around each other, moving in a small and steady circle, Ditzy bruised and limping, but Apple Bloom still relatively unscathed.
This realization brought a small, cocky smile to her lips.
Apple Bloom was fighting a fully grown pegasus.
And she was winning.
Ditzy's eyes unfocused for a moment, one staring at the ground, and one remaining focused on Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom gave a wicked grin. This was her chance. She charged at the limping mare, ready to flip around and disable the pegasus' undamaged rear leg.
Ditzy Doo gave a wicked grin. This was her chance. In one smooth motion, she reached down with her good wing and managed to fling a good hoof-full of dust at the yellow filly's face.
Apple Bloom felt like an idiot. Her eyes began to sting with the dust, tears blurring her vision as she stumbled back to recover, her mind racing to find some method to deal with this handicap.
Ditzy was on her in a second. Apple Bloom took a right hoof to the face and tumbled to the ground.
The yellow filly cursed silently. Her head was reeling, and her eyes were still screaming at her. Her legs felt like jelly and the wind had been half knocked out of her. She was losing. She cursed the single moment of cockiness had completely turned the tables. She would be left to whatever semblance of mercy remained in the crazed mare. She didn't have much hope.
No.
No.
NO!
She was Apple Bloom. She had apples in her blood. She had the earth in her bones. She had a zebra's lifeblood on her hooves.
She. Would. Not. Lose.
A grey blur barely identifiable as a hoof swung at her, and she blocked with her left foreleg. Something sharp on the mare's hoof scraped down her leg, and as she stumbled to her hooves once more she could feel the blood trickling down. What in Equestria had caused that?
Ditzy stumbled as the young earth pony redirected the force of her blow, and beat her good wing to drive herself backwards. Her injured wing was throbbing, and she was probably missing a few pinion feathers, which only served to make her even more furious. It had to have been her fault. That old terrible feeling was there, and there was no mistaking it.
Having recovered from the imbalance, she rushed forward again, hoping to avoid giving the filly more time to recover.
Apple Blooms lucky block and the subsequent pause in the fight gave her time for her eyes to fully clear out. Though the nasty grit still clung to the edges of her eyes, she could see again, and she realized what she had missed in her initial assessment.
That bucking mare was shod.
They were light duty horseshoes, but they were still made out of metal. Apple Bloom felt lucky that most of the energy had been spent sending her tumbling.
The mare charged again, and Apple Bloom dodged with ease. She managed to buck Ditzy again, but missed her target of the wing, instead catching her just below the neck. Apparently Pegasi were very protective of their wings. All the same, Ditzy screamed as her hooves connected, so that had to have at least done something.
Once more having the advantage, Apple Bloom knew she should take this moment to talk the madmare down, to see what was wrong. It would be the right thing to do, and most definitely the smart thing.
But she was alive! Her blood was thrumming, her heart was racing and her mind was moving as fast as Rainbow Dash could fly. She felt a deep, primal urge and longing within her that she didn't know the name of.
A black and white voice whispered in her ear.
“Bloodlust...” it said.
“Bloodlust,” she whispered, and she found the word tasted strange and new and oh so sweet on her lips.
She liked it.
But this new feeling called for more than just the fight. It needed to end, and it needed to end in a glorious fashion with her as the victor.
As the pegasus whipped around once more, Apple Bloom charged straight at the rearing mare, feeling the thrill as she raced toward what would be the end of the fight in one way or another.
The pegasus reacted in in instant, managing to bowl the filly off her hooves.
It was exactly what Apple Bloom had hoped for. On her back, she had a clear shot at Ditzy's vulnerable belly. It also put her in range of those damned shod hooves, but the pegasus would be to busy bleeding out to act on it.
Apple Bloom ready the killing blow, but long repressed memories swamped her.
Bleeding out from the gut was one of the more painful deaths a pony could have.
The Apple family knew that better than most, having lost Ma and Pa Apple to a freak cart accident.
Apple Bloom saw herself as if in third person in her very first memories, her only memories of her parents. The cart, the hospital and the slow lingering deaths would stay with her forever.
She couldn't do it.
She couldn't take this pony's life just to satisfy that feeling within her.
She would die first.
And as the shod hoof came down at her head, she was darkly amused at how true that was.
~~~
Ditzy Doo brought her right hoof down square on the filly's head—or at least she tried to. She misjudged slightly, Apple Blooms head still taking some but not all of the blow.
“Do it now. Crush her. MAKE HER PAY FOR WHAT SHE HAS DONE!” A voice hissed at her.
Ditzy Doo stopped.
The past few minutes came rushing at her like a raging torrent, and she wobbled on her hooves, gazing in dull horror at the filly beneath her.
Steadying herself, she spoke up.
“No. NO! How could you make me do this!?”
“Hehehe, I think you'll find you did this all on your own. All it took was one little nudge,” said the voice. “But I think I'll leave you alone for now.”
Ditzy looked down at the unconscious filly guiltily, before picking her up and placing her on her back. Her pennapectorals and her flank protested the extra weight, but she would just deal with it.
Had she really wanted to murder this filly just minutes earlier?
She still knew without a doubt that it was Her. She didn't know how, but she knew. And after all, wouldn't that be just like the family curse. But the rage was gone, replaced by a curious numbness.
“Oh Apple Bloom, I'm so sorry,” she murmured.
Since the filly seemed to be in decent condition other than being unconscious, Ditzy decided to bring her home rather than face the Apple inquisition immediately.
She was met at the door to her house by a concerned Dinky, and realized that the muffins she had gone out of her way to surprise Dinky with were laying on the ground out in a field somewhere.
Dinky had more pressing concerns than the muffins that she was going to pretend to be surprised by. It wasn't every day Ditzy Doo came home battered and bruised, toting a filly in the same state.
“What happened to you two?” She asked, eyes wide.
Ditzy sighed.
“We got in a fight, muffin. But we're better now, we've just got to take care of Apple Bloom until she wakes up.”
Dinky helped Ditzy unload Apple Bloom into the guest bed, and eagerly helped to bandage the scratch from the loose nail on her regulation horseshoes.
Oh Celestia. Big Mac was her farrier, the only one in Ponyville willing to do pegasus hoof work. She'd have to go to Cloudsdale to find another who'd do the job right.
Wait a minute. She'd almost killed Apple Bloom and now she was worried about her shoes?
Ditzy looked in the rooms vanity mirror.
A beaten and bruised pegasus stared back at her.
She imagined her reflection warping, twisted and horrible, becoming a monster. She shook herself. She was Ditzy Doo, and she knew who she was, no matter what some voice said, no matter who was at fault for the family curse. Ditzy Doo was a child of Celestia, and a daughter of Luna.
She turned to face the sun through the window, and bowed.
“Princess Celestia, please forgive your child, and grant your blessing of growth and healing to this filly whom I have wronged. Princess Luna, forgive my transgressions, and release this filly from your realm of Dreams,” prayed Ditzy. She was about to end with the traditional Amen, but a small voice stopped her.
“Princess Celestia, please help Apple Bloom get better. She is a good friend of mine. Princess Luna, please help too,” Dinky prayed.
“Amen,” said Ditzy, smiling at little Dinky.
“Amen,” said Dinky, who smiled back.
“Amen,” said Apple Bloom, surprising the other two.
“Apple Bloom!” Cried Dinky, jumping for joy.
Ditzy's eyes started to glisten and her legs began to wobble. She tried to speak but her throat had clenched shut, and her breaths came in shuddering sobs.
She felt the embrace of two separate pairs of forelegs, and weight against her injuries.
“Ah think it's mah turn to pray now. Princess Celestia, we thank you for the Sun an' how it breathes life into the very earth. Princess Luna, we thank you for the moon that protects us while we dream. But most of all, we thank you both for teaching us to love one another. Amen,” Apple Bloom said solemnly.
“Amen!” Dinky echoed, but Ditzy was still too choked up to say anything.
Apple Bloom let go of Ditzy and looked her in the eye.
“Ditzy, I forgive ya. It's mostly my fault anyway. Ah think Ah know what happened. Please, don't ask why. Anyway, Ah've gotta go home,” Apple Bloom said, starting toward the door. Apple Bloom wondered once more if Princess Luna would forgive her.
Somehow she knew that the princess could tell she had taken a life.
Still, she did wake up to that prayer. Maybe there was hope.
“Wait,” croaked Ditzy. “I'll come with you. You'll need help explaining,” she gestured to Apple Bloom's injuries, “that.”
“Ah guess. Thank you,” said Apple Bloom.
“Apple Bloom. Before we leave, I should tell you something. My family line is cursed. I fear you have something similar. I wish I could tell you more, but, well, a curse is a curse.”
“Is Dinky coming?”
“No. She needs to stay here.”
Dinky looked ready to protest this, but was subdued by a look from Ditzy.
Apple Bloom and Ditzy set off for Sweet Apple Acres.
“What should we tell them, Apple Bloom?” Ditzy asked.
“We'll tell 'em that you crashed into me. Just do that eye thing of yours and we'll be golden.”
Ditzy wasn't too sure about that, but she didn't have any better ideas to contribute, so she stayed silent.
They came upon the gate just as the sun was approaching the horizon, and were spotted first by Applejack.
“Apple Bloom, Ditzy Doo? Are you okay?” She asked, seeing the bandages from a distance.
“We're fine, Ditzy just crashed into me is all.”
Applejack frowned, and after a cursory inspection that frown turned into an angry scowl.
“Ah know hoof marks from fightin' when Ah see 'em. You got another thing comin' Ditzy if'n you think you can beat on mah sister and get away with it!”
With that, Applejack began to stalk towards the grounded mailmare, who was starting to look decidedly nervous.
Apple Bloom stepped between the two.
“Applejack. We've settled it already. Leave it be.”
“Out of the way, Apple Bloom.”
“No.”
“Yer not too old for a spanking! Now move and let me show her why you don't mess with the Apple family.”
Applejack wasn't backing down. That was fine. Then neither would Apple Bloom.
“Stop it Applejack. If you wanna fight Ditzy, yer gonna have ta go through me.”
Apple Bloom stood firm, legs in a wide stance, glaring at her elder sister.
Applejack paused and gave her a hard look.
“And yer saying you've got this settled? She didn't force ya into it or anything?”
“That's right, sis.”
Applejack stared at Apple Bloom, and then peered around her to stare at Ditzy. Ditzy felt like her very soul was being examined. Eventually, Applejack seemed to find whatever it was she was looking for.
“Don't do it again,” she said. Ditzy nodded. “Stop by the barn before you leave, Big Macintosh'll fix you up. And Apple Bloom,” she said, facing her sister again. “We are going to talk. Ah don't give a hay what we talk about, but if my little sister is gettin' in fights with grown ponies then Ah think Ah don't know her as well as Ah thought Ah did.”
Apple Bloom nodded tiredly, and gave a yawn.
“Ah've had a long, terrible day sis. Ah know it's just sundown now, but Ah need some sleep.”
“Ah'll see you in the mornin' then sugar-cube. Sleep well.”
Apple Bloom headed into the house, leaving Ditzy alone with Applejack. The farmpony gave Ditzy another hard look.
“Whatever happened between you two, it wasn't just you two bein' stupid was it? It was somethin' unnatural, right?”
Ditzy nodded. Apparently her vocal chords had decided to take a hike when she stepped onto Sweet Apple Acres property.
Applejack rubbed at her face with her hoof in a weary manner, and sighed.
“Ah'm worried about her Ditzy. Ah know somethin' is wrong.”
Ditzy finally found her voice.
“But for the grace of the Sisters go I,” she murmured. “Love and friendship as my guide.”
“And even though the worst I fear, they will always hold me dear,” Applejack finished.
“Amen.”
“Amen.”
The two of them paused for a moment to reflect, and shook hooves in friendship.
Up in her room, Apple Bloom collapsed into her bed. The covers wrapped around her tightly, and she slowly drifted off to sleep.
Far away in Canterlot, Luna was sitting in her sister's private office.
“Sister, It was Her.. The Warmare is back.”
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Ghost: Soap, we've got a problem.
MacTavish: What makes you say?
Roach: Fucking ponies, figures.
I could just see their reactions
Makarov: Oh jeez...
MODERN WARFARE WOOT WOOT
Hmmm. While the fight was done really well, Some of the parts near the beginning and the end were a bit lacking in comparison to the first and second chapters. That being said, it was still a great chapter and I can't wait for the next one.
You thanked me?
For what?
20445 I agree with you. I'm going to be revising this (probably heavily) in the next couple of days, but I felt compelled to post this (I even did a blog post about how I wanted someone to pre-read, but then on impulse I posted it anyway). I probably should have waited, but I think I'm going to leave it up.
Hmm. Should I take this chapter down folks?
20451 For being you, of course! I love reviews.
20445 Also, could you be more specific on what parts you think need work? I'm pretty sure I know what you're talking about, I just want to verify we're on the same page.
Me gusta. d^_^b
20418 LOL, I haven't played MW so I don't really get the joke.
Keep up the feedback on this chapter, I want to produce quality stuff. If someone were to volunteer to pre-read, that would be great.
~earthrise
Fight Scene, Listen to this song: Tragedy, by the Bee Gees
20468 LOL, how'd you come up with that? And was there anything in particular you felt needed work?
@ the author:
) If you need a pre-reader just PM me, i'll help where i can. Besides, helping others with stuff like that is a good way to start noticing mistakes in your own writing according to a friend of mine.
Fellow author here (albeit rather amature
20483 I would PM you, but for some reason I can't find that function. I'll send you the next chapter when it's done. What did you see that needed work on this chapter?
20489
for this chapter just three things after a re-read.
paragraph 6: dealing with the other ponies on the road -minor
paranthesies around the black and white and red all over line? if it's a thought or something like that italics would be better than capitolization
last line: "It was her sister... The Warmare is back." -nitpick
And that be it. need my e-mail?
20526 Hmm. That last line was supposed to clarify that the Her Luna referred to was the Warmare. Ah, here we go. Sister, it was Her. Changing now.
Wow. Maybe the big Buttons that say message, LOL. Can't believe I've overlooked that for this long.
20479
I thought of that because I bought a two-pack Bee Gees CD from Wal-Mart 3 days ago.
I thought it was fine, except it kind of sounded like it was hinting that Ditzy was the warmare instead of Sweety Belle.
Other than that, it was perfect.
Hmm, a little confused by the third chapter. Kinda feel like that stuff came outta left field, but I am curious to see what you're gonna pull off from it. Look forward to more!
20568
yeah if you need a pre-reader i'll do it. just let me know.
Only one complaint in an otherwise fantastic story:
"Granny Derpy had just passed on with Dinky and Ditzy holding her hand."
Dinky and Ditzy holding her hand
holding her hand
hand
A minor oversight, but one that stood out to me. Aside from that, great material, especially with the increased focus on the royal sisters as actual religious figures. And the Doo family curse, which definitely has me intrigued. And, of course, that unseen catalyst of strife. In short, I look forward to more.
22246
Feet and hands now fixed. I thought I'd fixed them earlier but I guess I forgot to save.
22246
It's amazing though how you can read over something you've written and totally miss stuff like that though.
I saw the title and thought "RAMIREZ"
22757
LOL, I had to look this up.
Ramirez! Stop distracting me from the chapter revisions!
Ramirez! Stop distracting me from the new chapter!
Ramirez! Do a Barrel Roll!
Ramirez! Tell me what the name of your Ponysona is!
23520
Ramirez! Do all the work while I sit behind and bark orders! (Basically what Foley does for the ENTIRE game.
A question, Apple bloom's cutie mark is the symbol of the SAS.
The apple family is the equivalent of a southern united states farming family.
That being said, there would be two possibilities for a U.S. Cutie Mark Equivalent, they would be:
Delta Force
U.S. Navy SEALS
13611
You kill him in the last mission?
I kill him in all the missions that he is present!
Trippy....
Man, reading this over I sure use the word rage a lot. RAGE RAGE RAGE ENRAGED! Will be fixed in next draft. Full story outline is slowly coming along.
Not what i expected. I am pleasantly surprised.
More proof that pony will be crossed over with just about everything. This is quite well done- I like the intensity, and the concept is intriguing. Your fight scenes are smooth and well-paced. I'm not sure Princess Luna would have freaked out like that, being an immortal goddess and all- will there be some clarification eventually? UPDATES PLEASE!
Lol I'm surprised your door hasn't been kicked down with potential pre-readers. I'll volunteer to preread as well and I'd point out a few things right now but I'm on my iPod and typing isn't that easy as well as rereading and editing etc.
Is this cancelled?