An Adventure Sure to Leave a Mark

by Muffinmallow

...Always

Apple Bloom awoke from a pleasent slumber. She got up quickly and went to the window. She smiled, "oh good, the sun is just startin' to rise, Ah thought Ah slept in." She looked over at Dinky. Her smile dropped to a frown when she saw her; Dinky's face was nearly covered in sweat and the expression on her face showed pure horror and agony.

She trotted over to Dinky and shook her awake. She shot up, nearly headbutting Apple Bloom. "Ya alright?" She asked while giving Dinky a rag.

She took the rag, "yeah, I'm fine," she wiped her face, "you didn't have to wake me. Just the same old nightmare."

"What about?"

"Just me failing everyone I love, not that I have anyone who loves me anymore."

"That's not true, Ah love you... in a totally friendly way Ah mean."

Dinky smiled, "I know what you mean. I really appreciate you doing this for me. How about we get breakfast, I wanna beat the other two to the clubhouse."

Apple Bloom got up and opened the door for Dinky, "Ah love the way you think." Dinky giggled as they went downstairs.

---

Scootaloo laid in bed in Sweetie Belle's grip. She hadn't known how long she had been awake, but Sweetie had not budged. She tried shaking her awake and saying her name, both didn't work. Now she's trying to wiggle out of her grasp. Sweetie only held tighter. Scootaloo stopped moving in an effort to loosen her grip. She did and, in addition to that, nuzzled the back of her neck. Scootaloo let out a girly yelp and jumped out of the bed. Sweetie Belle said after, "I'm sorry!" A blush started to form.

"What the heck Sweetie Belle?!"

"I'm sorry, I thought you were... my blankie," her face was getting redder

Scootaloo fought really hard to hold in her laughter, "your blankie?"

"I don't use it anymore. I've just never shared a bed with anypony before. And I guess I-"

"Stop, I get it," she opened the door, "do you need me to pour you a bowl of oat flakes, little filly?" She walked out snickering.

Sweetie facehoofed, "ugh! Now she thinks I'm a baby."

"Oh, and we need to stop at my house first!" Scootaloo yelled from the kitchen. She then said, "do you need me to hold your hoof on the way there?!" She laughed after that.

She facehoofed again, "why can't I fast talk like Rarity can?" She got out of bed. She got out a pen, ink pot, and paper. She dipped the pen in the ink and started to write.

---

Apple Bloom and Dinky waited in the clubhouse. Dinky looked out the window. Apple Bloom looked at Dinky, then at a newly installed clock, then back at her. She started to get worried, "you alright? You've been starin' out that window for an hour," Dinky continued to stare out the window, "Dinky?" She moved closer to her.

"Look up."

Apple Bloom looked out the window. She didn't even see a cloud, "what am Ah lookin' at exactly?"

Dinky mumbled something to herself.

"Ah didn't catch that."

She repeated herself in a quiet, yet audible voice, "she's not dead. I see her, up in the sky."

"Dinky-"

"Not dead."

"Yer freakin' me out. Please, this ain't the Dinky Ah met a couple months ago."

Apple Bloom put a hoof on Dinky's shoulder. Dinky snapped back to reality, "I'm sorry. It's just, I always see my mom, which makes me think-"

"Hey, it's okay," Apple Bloom thought about parents, "y'know, Ah never had parents. Applejack said she got angry at me 'cause they passed away after Ah was born," she chuckled at the memories of stories, "what Ah'm gettin' at is, it's better to have once loved then to have never loved at all. Mah older brother told me that."

"Wow, words to live by, I guess."

The door flew open. An orange pegasus flew in and crashed into the wall. She got up with a spinning head, "oh man, that one needs work."

Sweetie Belle followed after, "so cute."

Apple Bloom trotted to Sweetie Belle, "what took ya so long?"

"Blankie problems."

"Ya got a blankie?"

"Well... that's not the point! Where's all the stuff you were going to bring?"

"It's all outside, didn't you see it? Or y'all lovestruck?" Apple Bloom developed a wide smile.

Sweetie Belle's face started to redden for about the fiftieth time, "I don't like Scootaloo like that!"

"Ah never mentioned Scootaloo, Ah asked if yer lovestruck, y'know, Button."

"Who? Whatever, let's just load the wagon."

The four fillies walked out to pack the wagon full of supplies. Apple Bloom moved closer to Dinky and said, "ya don't have to help us load the wagon, the three of us got it."

"Whenever the three of you touch anything, it explodes, so I think I'll help."

Apple Bloom chuckled, "well yer one of us now, so you'll be blowin' things up too."

Scootaloo yelled at them, "hurry up you two, Sweetie Belle and I aren't doing all the damn packing!"

Apple Bloom yelled back, "we're comin!" She then said to Dinky, "she's seriously gotta cut down on her shoutin'," they both watched her drop something, she cursed, "and her swearin'."

---

Sweetie Belle paced back and forth, "okay, we've got food and water in case something bad happens, clothes in case it gets cold, first aid for-"

Scootaloo cut her off, "you've said this a thousand times in a matter of thirty minutes, we'll be okay," she went back to tying down their cargo.

"But what if-"

"We'll be fine."

While those two argued, Apple Bloom and Dinky sat next to each other, "y'know, ya don't have ta go with if ya don't want to," Apple Bloom said in a considerate voice, "Ah'll understand."

"No, I wanna go, this is a choice I'm making."

"Good, Ah was really hopin' you'd come with. In case ya haven't noticed, those two get on my nerves," she stood up, "Ah'm gonna go make sure everything's set."

Dinky sat there, thinking about what is to come, "what do ya mean ya forgot the extra pair of skis?!" Her ears perked up.

Scootaloo shrugged, "guess I'm used to it being just us. Guess Dinky can't go now."

Sweetie Belle shook her head, "she can have my skis, I'll just ride on the scooter with you."

"Yuck! What're you gonna do, hold the back of my neck again?"

"That's exactly what I'll do!" she said as she got on the scooter and held on to Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom looked around, "oh shoot! Ah forgot the crusader cloaks. Dinky! Can ya go and get 'em?" she nodded and went up the ramp and into the clubhouse.

The moment she walked in, she found the cloaks on a table. She walked over and grabbed them. When she turned around, she dropped the cloaks and nearly screamed. The reason why she didn't scream was because it was her mother. She silently went in for a hug. The apparition felt so real to her, as if she was there with her. "You're making a good choice going with them Dinky. A terrible fate will come upon them, you'll be the one who saves them from it."

Dinky retreated, she was confused, "how will I do that? These are the first friends I've ever had. How will I even know when this 'terrible fate' will happen?

Ditzy started to disappear, "you'll see it. I love you and I miss you."

"Wait don't go!" In mid sentence, she was gone. Dinky let out a sigh and said, "I miss you too." She grabbed the cloaks and walked out the door.

When she was outside, Scootaloo asked, "who were you talking to?!"

"Like you care!" She said back.

She walked down and gave a cloak to each crusader. The three had theirs, but there was one more Dinky held, "whose is this?" Scootaloo rolled her eyes as Dinky asked that question.

Apple Bloom smacked Scootaloo in the back of her head and replied to Dinky, "it's yers."

Dinky was shocked. She has been a crusader for technically less than a day, and she already has her own cape. She tied it on and said gratefully, "wow, thanks."

"Not a problem. Get yer skis on, yer headgear too."

When she finally did that, Scootaloo asked, "is everypony ready?" The fillies between the supplies and the scooter nodded their heads.

Sweetie Belle tightened her grip and said softly, "always."

"Then let's go!"

Scootaloo started flapping her wings, and they rode off.

---

When they reached the entrance to the Everfree Forest, Scootaloo said, "okay, do you three really wanna do this?"

Apple Bloom replied, "yeah, we do. Why ya askin'? Are ya chicken?" She took a deep breath, "SCOOTA-"

Scootaloo raised a hoof, "don't start that again unless you want me to jam my hoof so far down your throat, you'll wish a breathing tube is all you needed afterwards!"

"Alright, Ah get it, just go already."

Scootaloo started her wings, then they went into the forest.

---

They rode on the trail. "We're at least five miles away by now!" Scootaloo sounded excited. They rode out of the forest and were met by a cliff. Scootaloo turned the scooter around, but it was stuck, "get unstuck!" She kicked the dirt under it. Then the ground beneath them gave away and they fell. They all screamed in terror as they plummeted helplessly to the ground.

Comments

[Kenshinryuu]

Yay for Ghost Ditzy! Now eventually the other Crusaders besides Dinky should start seeing and hearing her since she's watching over them. And now the Dinky/Bloom and Sweetieloo ships have sailed! I can't wait to see hwo things go for our four adventurous fillies... and how frantically their friends and family try to chase them down only to constantly miss them

[Muffinmallow]

4678925 I'm actually writing a side story that has to do with the adult perspectives. The ships, yeah, friendshipping and romance shipping are present here. As for Ditzy, she'll get a happy ending, she has to!

[Kenshinryuu]

4680482 Glad Ditzy gets a happy ending, but I can still see her showing up to give the Crusaders grownup advice when they need it.