Not All Is Set In Stone

by Tails_155

Apple Bloom's Dilemma - The Sympathy Charge

The red-maned Earth pony follows the map to where the map says the village is supposed to be. She wanders for hours. "I don't see anything!" She shouts, then sighs. She keeps going, and the treeline breaks, revealing houses reclaimed by nature. She catches sight of a few small crystalline creatures, and breaks into a sprint. The creatures run off, frightened of the small pony. "Come back here!" She shouts. "When I get you I... Ugh!" She continues. "Do you see what you guys did to my friend?!"

She runs through the grass-covered streets of the former home of her kind. She follows the rabbit, still furious, an image of Scootaloo's defeated gait in her head. "Get back here!" She charges full-speed, arriving at the outer edge of the still-standing structures in the village, where walls begin to break away, leaving only overgrown foundations in their stead. She looks around, the rabbit hopping desperately away from her, approaching a stone base, cracked, but devoid of plants. The only plant life reaching as far as its center being old tree branches, some dead from age.

She sees a small dais, similar to the one back in the Cave of Warm Hearts and she chases a small gemstone rabbit to the foot of the altar, where lightning strikes without warning. The strike startles her, and she backs away from the pillar. The tree nearest the altar loses a branch, which catches fire. She stares at the burning branch and notices the small gemstone rabbit squealing and struggling beneath its weight.

"You! Ugh, you're one of them!" She shouts at the terrified creature as it covers its head with its ruby arms. "I should leave you right there! You're...." Her voice weakens. "You're scared. You're... alone... and helpless... like us..." Her lip quivers. She sighs, her broken scowl becoming a frown. Her heart fills with a determination to help. She approaches the branch.

"Here..." She begins to push the branch off the creature, bucking it away as quick as possible, to avoid receiving burns herself. The branch flies across the stone floor and eventually burns itself out. The rabbit stands up and stares at her. "You... you didn't hurt anypony. You're just a little rabbit. You're... you're just as scared as us." She stares, curious and upset with herself. She places a hoof on the rabbit, who accepts the contact. She gives it a soft pet, and sighs, again. The other creatures peek out from the foliage, another creature runs up to Apple Bloom. At first she winces, expecting to be attacked. The creature chatters with the other one, and both run off. The crystalline creatures all stare.

"Well then... Maybe Fluttershy was right." Apple Bloom looks around. A small wooden shack half stands, with an exposed, broken stone altar. "Maybe animals just need to receive care and compassion... What have I done? I'm... I'm so sorry." She backs away, her ears down. The creatures continue to stare, curious, but somewhat scared. Apple Bloom turns around, facing the dais. "Aw..." Her heart sinks. The lightning strike has split the dais into pieces. She approaches it slowly.

"I-I hope this thing still works..." Apple Bloom climbs up onto the now-broken piece of stone. She closes her eyes, a bit scared of another bolt of lightning coming from seemingly nowhere.

A cerulean beam flies from the stone, startling Apple Bloom at first, and the tiara in her bag glows from inside. She catches sight of the glow, bright against the dark inside of her saddlebags. She stares at it, staring at it, glowing with a blue glow in stark contrast to the gold of the apple's gem.

The beam emits a shock wave which shifts the trees, and illuminates the area. She places the tiara on her head and feels recovered from her exhaustion, and filled with a warmth and loving. The creatures all look at each other, then come closer. She smiles and pets the creatures, who seem to be far less afraid and more friendly. She loses herself for a moment, but realizes she has a job to do. "I'm sorry, guys, I gotta go!"

She runs back on the path from whence she came. I hope everypony else is okay.