Not All Is Set In Stone

by Tails_155

Biting Off More Than They Can Chew

Scootaloo eventually drifts off for a couple hours, but once the sun rises, she stirs awake, though drowsy. She sneaks out of the brush to check if they are still safe. She also finds some fruits were knocked from the trees and she brings them back to the others. "Hey guys! We need to get going! Come on. Here, I found some fruit on the ground. Must have fallen from the trees." The other two slowly stir awake.

"Ten more minutes, Rarity." Scootaloo raises an eyebrow and tilts her head.

"Sweetie Belle, where do you think we are?"

"Huh? Wha--Oh. Uh, h-hi Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle takes a share of the food that Scootaloo discovered. "Thanks."

"How far did we get? How much longer do we have?" Scootaloo paces at the edge of the brush, checking repeatedly over her shoulder.

Sweetie Belle pulls out the book and looks at the map. Apple Bloom stretches and stirs. "Hey y'all. Scootaloo, you look tired, are you okay?"

"Wha? Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm... I'm fine." Scootaloo continues to pace, fighting off dizziness and a noticeable fatigue. "Once we get to moving I'll be okay. The-uh, th-the ground was just uncomfortable."

"We made it about, hmm. I think at this pace we'll get there in a couple more days. We were only moving for about six or seven hours, yesterday. We can get a good twelve to sixteen in if we keep movi-"

"Then let's go. Let's get moving." Scootaloo drags her hooves a bit, but starts walking. The others scramble to their hooves. Sweetie Belle tucks the book away. "Scootaloo! Scootaloo, wait! Your bag!"

Scootaloo groans. "Oops."

"Are you sure you'll be okay? You look exhausted."

"I'll be fine, let's go."

"Scootaloo, it's no good if we wear ourselves out. If you need to rest we-"

"Let's. Go." Sweetie Belle turns to Apple Bloom who shrugs and shares a concerned look.

They wander for hours through the trees. Only once or twice do they need to seek refuge in the brush.

"I thought we were in trouble, that time. That thing didn't even seem to care. I'm not really... sneaky colored." Scootaloo turns to her pals.

"Sneaky colored?"

"You mean camouflaged?"

"That. I swore it saw me."

"Well, it didn't seem to care, so I guess we're fine."

"Maybe it just didn't find us important? Maybe--"

"No maybes, the coast is clear."

"Scootaloo, stop. Just stop."

"Stop what?"

"You're wearing us out. You're so determined. You need to-"

"I just want-"

"No. Stop. Let me finish. You keep interrupting us. Look. You're worried, we're worried. We understand, but you don't have to be some superpony. Just be realistic. We're all freaked out. You're acting like we have to destroy ourselves to do this. We won't do any good by anypony if we drive ourselves into the ground."

"I'm just..."

"Scared? We're all scared."

"No." Sweetie Belle gives a dubious glare. "Y-yeah."

"Look, Scootaloo. I know you're having a lot of trouble, we're all dealing with this."

"You didn't lose your--"

"I did." Scootaloo stops in her tracks as Apple Bloom stares at her.

"Yeah, well... you... you didn't even know your parents."

"Scootaloo!"

"It's not the same, okay?"

"I didn't say it was the same." Apple Bloom's voice becomes slightly bitter. "But we have a job to do, and yes, we may have a limited amount of time. Yes, we may be in some hurry, even if we don't really know that, but we can't stumble through this. We have to have a plan. We can't just assume we'll be okay. We need rest. We need food. We need breaks. Don't put us in more danger because you want to hurry too much."

Scootaloo continues to walk. Apple Bloom sighs and turns to Sweetie Belle. "Let's go." Her voice betrays her underlying hurt.

The group continues for several minutes when Scootaloo turns back to the others, who are several yards behind, but visible. "Look, I'm... I'm sorry. I just--I just can't lose them again. I didn't get to say goodbye to Mama and Papa, I can't do it again. I just..." She loses the battle against her tears. "I can't deal with it again." Scootaloo slumps down in the middle of the greenery.

"Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle sighs. "You could have just talked to us. We could have helped you deal with this. We're worried, too. We're not hiding it. Why do you have to act so tough? It's us! We're not going to judge you."

"Yeah, we're your friends. We'll be there for you no matter what!" The three hug each other. "Now c'mon, I think it's time for a snack, maybe even a nap."

"I really don't need a nap. I'm awake now. Promise." Scootaloo sighs. "But... I could use a bite to eat."

They wander to a nearby thicket and hide under the brush. The brush is lower than their previous hiding place, but they don't complain.

"I uh, grabbed this just in case we needed a bit of a pick-me-up." Apple Bloom digs out a jar of Zap Apple Jam.

"You still have Zap Apple Jam?"

"Sure, we don't use it all up right away. Sometimes we have it with Hearth's Warming treats."

"We ate all ours in the first two weeks we had it." Scootaloo eyes the jar, showing its brilliant colors, even in the shade of the brush.

The trio eats and takes a breather. "Anypony seen a spring, lately?"

"Well, this map says there's a river if we go this way." Sweetie Belle points to the right.

"Good, my bottles are empty."

"I have a bit if you're thirsty." Apple Bloom offers a mason jar of apple juice.

"Thanks." Scootaloo drinks the liquid. "I haven't had anything but water all day, this is amazing.

"Keep it, I have another, well, half of another."

"Then we should stop by that river, I think." Sweetie Belle nods, leading the way.

The group reaches the river, refilling their bottles and filling empty jars. "Well, this is a lot heavier again." Scootaloo sighs.

"Need help carrying anything?" Scootaloo stares off at the water. "Scootaloo?"

"Huh? No I'm fi--" She pauses as Apple Bloom stares at her incredulously. "Well, could you?" Scootaloo offers a smile.

"I can probably take a couple jars of water." Apple Bloom returns her smile. Scootaloo passes the jars over. They cross the river at its slowest point.

"We'll need to head back left, or we'll end up wandering in this forest for a lot longer. The trees open up back over this way." Sweetie Belle looks through the trees at the sun, then back down to the map. "I uh... I think. What time is it, anyway?"

"I can fly up and see if I can find where it opens up."

"Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah. I've done this a few times, now. I'll be fine."

Scootaloo flaps her wings, and after a big struggle, she lifts into the air. She stops on a branch after getting some height and rests.

"You okay, Scootaloo?"

"Yeah, just... just taking a breather!"

"Don't overdo-"

"I know, I know!" Scootaloo sighs. Sweetie Belle scowls. "Sorry." Scootaloo lifts up into the sky, and catches sight of a clearing. "We're gonna have to head that-- uh, that.. way... over..." Scootaloo's vision begins to spin, and starts losing altitude.

"Scootaloo?"

"To... the... left. Like.... like you said!" Scootaloo says, and her wings stop flapping. She begins diving downward, her eyes half open, suddenly adrenaline kicks in and she begins fluttering, flailing her limbs. She slows her descent, but collides with a tree branch, which cracks below her, and she stumbles to the ground with a thud.

"Scootaloo!" The two race over to her body, slumped awkwardly, marked with a few bruises and several branches and twigs stuck in her mane.

"I'm... I'm okay, maybe we should... maybe we should rest after all."

"We told you! Come on, let's sit down for a while."

The three pile up into a ball, and within moments, all three are asleep under the cover of brush. They rest for roughly an hour and a half before the rumbling and thudding of heavy footfalls stirs them awake. Within mere seconds, they are all on their feet, ready to run, should they be discovered.

Scootaloo pushes the other two backward, instinctively. "Ouch! Careful!" Sweetie Belle whispers, attempting to kick some burrs out of her leg.

"Sorry. Shh!" Scootaloo turns back for a moment.

Sweetie Belle fights her thoughts. You shh.

A pair of ruby creatures, large and ugly as ogres stomp past. They knock over a large tree and pass by, oblivious to the existence of the three concerned ponies.

"That was close!" Apple Bloom crawls out from the brush and knocks the leaves out of her mane.

The trio creeps around with concerned caution for a few more hours, dodging large amethyst and tourmaline wasplike creatures, ducking into the brush once more.

"Look! There's the end of the forest!" Sweetie Belle shouts. A grin peeking against the cheeks of her now dirt-covered face.

"I've never been happier to see fields." Scootaloo grins and sighs a sigh of relief.

They make their way out of the forest and down an overgrown path. Then, a booming, terrible roar comes from their side. They freeze in place, turn to look, seeing a huge emerald sharp-toothed saurian creature and a small pack of smaller sapphire would-be-reptiles.

The three run as fast as their little legs can carry them into a small cave where they collide with something solid, which gives. A huge citrine scorpion chitters and swings its tail toward the trio, who only dodge by the grace of sunlight bouncing off the tail in time to give warning. They run screaming from the cave. Scootaloo sees another tiny cave. "Guys, over there! Go!" She shouts and turns back toward the creatures, which have converged, and after a small tussle, change their attention to the filly racing toward them.

"Scootaloo! What are you doing?" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both cry, keeping their pace.

"Don't worry guys, get to that cave!"

"But..."

"Just... trust me, please!" Scootaloo bellows, eyes half closed.

The two look at each other, then take their friend's advice, running for the cave. They hear the creatures running off in another direction. They don't dare look back; they dive for the cave.

Once they are inside they look at each other. "Scootaloo? Scootaloo?! Where'd she go?!"

In the distance, they hear a scream, followed by a very large racket of thuds.

--------------------

Scootaloo charges toward the pile of creatures, whose attention has shifted the only noncrystalline being still within sight. They scramble forward, the smaller creatures gaining speed. Scootaloo looks left, and sees a cliff. She closes her eyes and hooks a left. Please, don't give up on me now, wings. Please, please, please. For my friends... for my family... She spreads her wings and begins flapping wildly, her heart pounding harder and harder as he runs out of land. Now! She hops for the sky, flapping with as balanced a rhythm as she can hold. She closes her eyes and begs to herself. Please! Don't give up. Don't give up. You can do this.

The cacophony below becomes louder, then softer, followed by a significant crash as gemstone creature after creature slides off the edge, a couple of the reptiles scrambling to grab onto the edge. The scorpion catches itself, closing and opening its pincers a couple of times, then staring at the cliff edge. Scootaloo looks down, her vision spins slightly, but she grits her teeth and continues to flap her wings. She begins losing altitude, her shoulders and wings aching. She fights herself. The scorpion loses interest and wanders back for its cave. Scootaloo releases a sigh of relief between panting, and begins fluttering toward the cave she told her friends to hide in. She slowly sinks, and stumbles to the ground, landing on her chin, slumping and groaning.

"Scootaloo?!"

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Better than those things, anyway."

"Get in here!" Her friends both run out and roll her over.

"Ow. Ouch! Hey! Come on, cut it out. I can move myself!" Scootaloo rolls to her feet and pulls herself up. "Also, Sweetie Belle, pushing with your head, really? You remember you have a horn, right?"

"S-sorry."

The three share a laugh.

"That's the first time I've laughed since... well..." Scootaloo's ears droop.

"Come on, lets get into the cave and rest. I think this is far enough for now. The sun is setting, anyway."

"I brought bandages, just in case. Here, let me wrap that." Sweetie Belle offers.

"Th-thanks." Sweetie Belle dresses Scootaloo's back left leg, and puts the extra bandages back in her bag.

Scootaloo looks out of the cave anxiously. "We can make it a bit further.

"What did we tell you?"

"Come on! At least to the edge of the rocks. There's another pile of rocks right over there we can hide under. It looks like we could fit under there." Scootaloo's friends look at each other, then back to her. "Come on... please?"

"We stop there. We go no further."

"F-fine."

The trio takes a slow pace, as Scootaloo limps along. They eventually arrive at a craggy area of the field. They make their way around, constantly glancing behind rocks, fearful of what could be hiding. The sun getting low in the sky, they look to each other fearfully.

Scootaloo looks at her planned spot.

"This...uh seems like a really bad idea."

"Scootaloo, it's dangerous to be wandering around a place like this at night. At least when we can see, we can know where things are. When it's dark, we're just waiting to be grabbed up." Apple Bloom replies.

"You gave up our cave. This is all we have, now. There's no way we can get back to that cave before it's dark."

If something happens.. this is all my fault. Scootaloo gestures for the others to go in first, and takes the position closest to the edge of the rocks. I hope everypony at home is okay.