One Last Mission

by Show Stopper

An Amazing Discovery

Chapter 1: An Amazing Discovery

Rubble, structurally unstable, or worth looking into. After seven years of warfare, most of the houses in Canterlot fell into the first two categories. The once pristine city lay in ruins: the marble scorched, the glass shattered, and anything on the streets that could have burned long since vaporized by the blast that had rendered the city inhospitable all those years ago. Scootaloo walked down these streets now, looking for any building that might hold something to make their trip worthwhile. It wasn't that Canterlot was too far from HQ, just two days away on hoof. No, the danger lay in who else might be in these ruins. The unicorns of Utopia hadn't been seen in Canterlot in a few months, but carelessness was how ponies got themselves killed.

Scootaloo stopped to regard another building, what looked like an old bar of some sort. Deciding that the roof would hold, she shrugged and walked inside. Scorched tables lay strewn about the bar and the glass of the bar's display case was shattered. Scootaloo cringed as she recognized where she was: Pony Joe's, that old doughnut shop that Twilight and the others had taken her and the girls to that one Harthswarming. She scanned the shop for anything useful, but it had obviously been scoured many times before.

Just like every other building in this ruin of a city, Scootaloo sneered. I don't even see why we keep coming back... No, that was a lie. She knew exactly why she and the girls returned to these ruins every year. She'd just given up on anything coming of it.

Scootaloo stepped into the restroom, figuring it to be the most likely place to have been left alone. As she tapped around the walls and floor, looking for any sort of hollow where she might find something useful, she caught sight of herself in the mirrors that hung over the sinks. Well, she thought, sneering at her reflection, I certainly don't fit the propaganda figure now, do I? Scootaloo's air force uniform, usually washed and ironed, was dusty and wrinkled from two days of travel. Her usually well styled mane and tail were now purposefully messy, just the way she liked it. The hilt of the sword sheathed at her side shined far less than usual, having not been polished for a few days, and she knew that if she pulled it out that the blade would show the wear and tear of several years.

"You can actually tell that I'm a soldier for once," she muttered as she exited the bathroom and made her way back into the streets of Canterlot. "That stupid mane-style get in the way, the polish for my sword tastes terrible, and it's such a pain to clean my uniform every single morning. But of course," she rolled her eyes, "we have to maintain an image. The Crusaders: A Symbol of Hope. Bah!" She shook her head. "The only hope we have is to finish this war on our terms and kill Discord once and for all. We can't keep waiting for Rain- for the Bearers to come back."

She sighed and her scowl dropped into a sorrowful frown. "No matter how much the girls want to."

She reached an intersection and peaked down the street to either side. Ducking her head back, she took mental stock of what she'd seen. Single unicorn to the left. Wasn't facing my way, so she hasn't seen me yet. She carefully peered around the edge of the building at the corner of the intersection and sighed in relief at the familiar pink and purple curls. She trotted around the corner and called out. "SB. Find anything?"

Sweetie Bell jumped around, magic already gripping the sword at her side, but she relaxed when she saw who it was. "Nothing to report, Scoots," she replied. "The west side of the city is even more barren than last year."

Scootaloo sighed, not that she'd expected to hear anything different. "Yeah, south side's the same," she said. "AB's already checked the east and set up camp in the usual spot. Let's head on over."

Sweetie nodded and the two friends turned north towards the large, dilapidated castle that somehow still hung onto the mountainside. "Yeah, I guess," said Sweetie. "Do you think we'll find anything in the castle or the maze tomorrow?"

No. I think it will be just like the last 6 times we came here to search. No sign of the Princesses or the Bearers. "Who knows?" Scootaloo replied. "Tomorrow makes 10 years exactly since the Bearers vanished. Maybe something will happen." When pigs fly.

"Yeah, maybe," said Sweetie, unconvinced. The two walked in silence after that until they reached Ground Zero, the impact site where the Element of Magic had been used to destroy most of Canterlot. 3 tents had been set up on the north end of the crater, along with a small cooking fire. It was mid July, so they wouldn't need a bigger one for warmth.

Just as they reached the campsite, a yellow Earth Pony wearing a stetson took a pot off of the fire. "Soup's on, girls," said Apple Bloom, her accent coming through as strong as ever. "Find anythin'?"

Both Scootaloo and Sweetie shook their heads. "Nothing worth mentioning," said Scootaloo. "Stumbled into Pony Joe's. Can't believe that old place is still standing."

Apple Bloom sighed. "Well," she said, gazing up towards the castle, "maybe we'll find somethin' tomorrow."

Scootaloo shrugged. "Hey, you never know, right?" she said, sounding far more upbeat than she felt. "10 year anniversary and all that. This might be it, you know?"

A small smile softened Apple Bloom's face. "Could be," she muttered. "Could be."

----------***----------

"Well," gasped Scootaloo, "that was- was a bust."

"Yeah," Sweetie said, panting just as heavily. "Great going, Bloom."

"How was I supposed to know that column was weight bearin'?" demanded Apple Bloom, barely even fazed by their most recent sprint from danger.

Sweetie shook her head. "Twilight's going to kill you for destroying her tower when they return."

The Crusaders made their way out into the gardens of Canterlot Castle, each pointedly avoiding looking back at the ruins of the castle that now sported one fewer towers. They made their way to the hedge maze, finding the path that they'd cut through last year to be completely overgrown, just like the rest of the gardens.

"Good thing we brought these babies with us again," said Scootaloo, drawing out a machete.

Sweetie sighed, breaking out her own machete and giving a few test swings. "An hour or two of hacking away at hedge and vines," she muttered. "Joy."

"What're you complainin' about?" asked Apple Bloom smirking. "Your magic does the work for you."

Sweetie deadpanned at Apple Bloom. "The same way your neck does all the work for you?"

Apple Bloom chuckled and swung said neck, slicing through the first bit of hedge without struggle. "You know it!"

Hacking through to the center of the maze was tiring work, and the Crusaders had to stop several times to rest and sharpen their blades. Finally, at about noon, they hacked through the last of the vegetation and were rewarded with...

The same empty, dilapidated courtyard as last time. Surprise, surprise. The stone of the small courtyard was pitted and cracked, with grass growing up all over. In the center stood an empty pedestal, along with a small plaque dedicated to the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony for their heroic sacrifice in "destroying" Discord. A sacrifice for nothing, in other words.

"Well," Apple Bloom sighed, "I guess we'll just have to wait a little longer."

"I'm not sure how much longer I can wait," said Sweetie, holding back tears. "It's been 10 years now since I've seen her. Even if she were back, would she even recognize me anymore? It's been so long..."

"Of course she would," said Scootaloo, wrapping a wing around her shoulders. "And it's not, 'if'. It's 'when'. They're coming back someday, I just know it."

Apple Bloom gave a determined nod as Sweetie sniffed. "How can you still be so confident, after all of this time?"

Because I'm lying through my teeth. Because just because I've lost hope doesn't mean that you have to. "Because they would never abandon us like that. Hay, one of them is the embodiment of loyalty itself! Nothing would stop her from getting everypony back! Nothing except death.

"Come on," said Apple Bloom, turning away. "We've got ourselves a long walk home, an' not much to show for it. Least we can do is get back in time to head out to help out at Appleoosa."

Scootaloo nodded and turned to follow. Sweetie stared out at the courtyard for a moment more before turning as well.

That's when she felt it.

"Girls! Wait!" Scootaloo and Apple Bloom turned to see Sweetie frowning back at the courtyard. "I feel something," she said.

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow. "Feel somethin'?"

"It's my horn," Sweetie explained. "It feels," she narrowed her eyes in confusion, "tingly? Kind of like I'm just about to start casting a spell."

Scootaloo sighed. "You're just imagining it," she muttered.

Sweetie shook her head, eyes starting to grow wide. "I'm definitely feeling something, Scoots," she said. "It's getting stronger, too!"

Scootaloo turned to tell her to snap out of it, but stopped. Her wing had begun to flex, as if she was about to prepare for takeoff. Apple Bloom felt it too, the tightening in her legs that always came right before a race.

"What is it?" asked Skootaloo, pulling out her sword. "Utopians?"

Sweetie shook her head again. "It doesn't feel like unicorn magic," she muttered. "Less controlled. More..." The little color that was in her face fled as her eyes widened. "chaotic," she whimpered.

Apple Bloom's eyes grew wide and Scootaloo glared around, searching for any sign of movement. "Discord?" squeaked Apple Bloom. "He's here?"

"We need to get out of here," said Scootaloo, still trying to look in every direction at once. "Get out of the maze. I'll cover the rear. We'll-"

She was interrupted as a sphere of light appeared right over the pedestal where Discord's statue once stood. It slowly began to grow until it filled almost the entire courtyard. Sweetie seemed on the verge of fainting while Apple Bloom and Scootaloo readied themselves for a fight. A sinister and maniacal laughter filled the courtyard, accompanied by a bright flash. As soon as she could see again, Scootaloo glared towards the pedestal, ready to attack the being who had made the last seven years a living Tartarus for everypony in Equestria.

What she saw instead stopped her heart. Her jaw dropped, her sword clattering to the ground.

Lying unconscious in the middle of the courtyard were 6 ponies: 2 unicorns, 2 pegasi, 2 earth ponies, and 6 heroes who hadn't been seen in 10 years.

Nopony spoke. Nopony moved. The Crusaders barely dared to breathe. Apple Bloom bit her lip over and over, sure that this must be a dream. Scootaloo ran the same thought through her head over and over: It can't be. She's dead. It can't be. She's dead. It can't be. She's dead. Sweetie was the first to move, slowly walking over to one of the unicorns, the alabaster coat and perfectly styled purple mane just like she remembered them. Gingerly, as if afraid the mare would shatter, Sweetie poked her.

Her restraint giving out, Apple Bloom darted over, jumping atop the orange earth pony and calling out her name over and over. "Applejack! Applejack!"

Sweetie Bell knelt down and drew her own sister into a gentle embrace. "Rarity," she whispered. "You came back. Rarity."

All Scootaloo could do was stare at the pegasus she had hero-worshiped all those years ago. The same blue coat, the same rainbow striped mane, the same lightning cutie mark, the same...

"Apple Bloom," Scootaloo said, a tone of caution in her voice. "Sweetie Bell, you might want to take a good look at them."

Sweetie's head shot up, worry evident on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking over her sister for any injuries. "Is something wrong with her?"

Apple Bloom glared up at Scootaloo. "Don't you listen to her, SB. She's just bein' paranoid!"

Scootaloo shook her head. "It's not paranoia, Bloom. There's something off about them."

Apple Bloom's glare hardened. She took off her stetson, placing it carefully back on it's rightful owner's head. "There ain't nothin' wrong with them!" she seethed. "Just look at them. They're exactly the same as-" She stopped, scowl gradually dropping into a look of confusion as she realized what Scootaloo meant. "Exactly... the same as... we... remember..." She looked back down at her sister again. "But, that's impossible," she whispered. "It can't be."

"What!" shouted Sweetie, her worry increasing by the second. "What is it?"

"Sweetie," said Scootaloo calmly, still not taking her eyes off of the pegasus, "how old was Rarity when she vanished?"

Sweetie's worry was instantly replaced with confusion. "18," she said. "But what does that have to do with-"

"And how long has she been gone?" Scootaloo interrupted.

"10 years," said Sweetie, starting to get annoyed. "Everypony knows-"

"And how old does she look now?"

Sweetie opened her mouth to answer, and her jaw dropped even lower as she realized what Scootaloo meant. Her eyes dropped to her formerly older sister. "But, that's not... it can't... she's... they're..."

"Exactly the same age as when they vanished," they chorused.

Sure enough, none of the unconscious mares looked older than they had 10 years ago.

"But, but how?" asked Sweetie.

Scootaloo scowled and spat into the dirt at her side. "It's Discord's magic," she said bitterly. "Doesn't need to make sense."

"Which means," reasoned Apple Bloom, "that they prob'ly don't know anythin' about, well, anythin'."

Silence reigned again for a while until Scootaloo cleared her throat. "So, who's going to be the lucky mare to tell them everything?" She looked up to see Apple Bloom and Sweetie, each with a hoof touching the tip of their muzzles. "Nose goes?" she deadpanned. "Seriously girls?"

Apple Bloom shrugged, leaving her hoof on her face. "It's how we've solved all of our problems up 'till now."

Scootaloo sighed, which grew into a chuckle. "Fair enough," she admitted. "Let's get them set up in the tents."

Author's Note:

Warning, exposition ahead.

To everyone who has read this so far, thank you for taking an interest in my story. Please comment on/like/share/throw moldy fruit at this story. I'll take any feedback I can get!

Comments

[TheMusicalBoy93]

Interesting idea so far. There's some clear head canon with the Mane Six's ages - (Lauren Faust has confirmed the Mane Six are in their 20s), but that's not a problem. Looking forward to seeing more

[Blue_Thunder]

I wonder... Do they have their Cutie marks in this story? The CMC I mean.

[Show Stopper]

5018570
Good question. You'll just have to wait and see.

[Shift]

Well, helmets on...

Scootaloo was running the same though through her head over and over: It can't be. She's dead. It can't be. She's dead.

Missing letter "t" on thought.

"Sweetie," said Scootaloo calmly, still not looking away from the pegasus, how old was Rarity when she vanished?"

Missing quotation mark before "how old."

Sure enough, none of the unconscious mares looked older than had 10 years ago

Missing word. "than they had" (I believe...)

That's all I spotted. Interesting so far, and I loved the bit at the end with the nose goes. For some reason I keep imagining them in the uniforms from Attack on Titan.