Lost Land of Equestria

by SweetNSour

Chapter 2

It was about midday when Scootaloo had reached her destination on the edge of the everfree forest. The trip took her a little longer but that had been her intention. She was still exhausted from her escape from where she was imprisoned so she decided to take it easy. Once she had landed near where she believed to have hidden her pack, she shook herself free from the dew that had collected on her fur during her flight. Scootaloo let out a short yawn and tipped her head up straight as she started looking around for the signs she left herself. After about ten minutes of walking she saw a scratch on a tree she had made prior to her capture. Once she got to the tree she took an immediate left towards a few boulders that were protruding from the ground. The boulders were not that big, but they were big enough for creatures only with wings to be able to reach the top. She fluttered up to the top of the boulders and sure enough her things were right where she had left them.

“Thank Celestia, it's all still here.” Was all she said. She opened her saddle bags, just in case, to make sure everything was still in there. It was, and she pulled out a necklace that had an old faded red colored wooden wheel on it. It was a small wheel, just big enough for a scooter. Her childhood scooter in fact. The one that Rainbow Dash had given her on her thirteenth birthday. It was the best gift that Scootaloo had ever gotten, but it was all that was left of it. and all she had to remember her adopted big sister by.

She grabbed it up with her mouth and gently tossed it up and over her head. Once the necklace was securely on, she put the rest of her saddlebags on and fluttered down off the boulder. Now she had to get on her way, but she hesitated for a moment. She would have to cross the Everfree either on foot or by air. It was a dangerous trek, but it had to be done. The more dangerous creatures would be sleeping during the day, so they would be active at night. it would be foolish for her to sleep at night when one of those creatures could easily kill her while she slept. she she decided to sleep now, and fly over the forest at night. It wasn’t often that she had to traveled through the forest, but when she did, she made sure she was as cautious as she could be. With that she made a small pillow out of fallen leaves and layed down to rest.

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Scootaloo woke up just before sunset. She yawned and stretched the way most ponies do, and shook herself of the remaining leaves on her body.She took some dinner out of her bags and ate a little. She gave herself a half an hour to eat and wake up before leaving. After eating she took a journal out of her bags that one of her companions gave to her before she started her journey two weeks ago. It was a journal that had belonged to Star Swirl the Bearded, telling of one of his magnificent journeys. This specific journey was that of him exploring the land and discovering if certain myths and pony-lore happened to be actual events that had transpired, or if they were nothing more than fairy tales. She had gotten to the myth specifically about the elements of harmony and all the potential powers that the elements themselves could manifest and grant unto their specific bearers.

“ After a few days of flying I finally decided to rest my wings on the edge of Saddle Arabia. The ancient ruins are not far now, maybe a half of a days journey due South through the desert. After I found incriminating evidence detailing the location of more information on the Elements of Harmony, I decided to head to these ruins myself to find out exactly what information I could gather. I do hope the information consists of how to better harness the Elements for the good of Equestria. The hidden scrap I found depicted there to be a false wall somewhere in said ruins, now that will be the challenge. I have no idea where this wall is, or what hides behind it, but I have to find it, of it still exists that is..."

Scootaloo was deep into reading and had lost track of time, only for a short while. It had failed to come to her attention that rain clouds had moved into the area and it had started to sprinkle lightly. This had snapped her out of her reading. She put the journal back into her bags, latched them shut, and slowly took off into the air flying across the start of the forest just above the trees.

The Everfree Forest was almost twice the size it was when she was a little filly, even at the highest altitude her body let her fly she could not see the other side where the ruins of Ponyville resided. That was her destination, more specifically the library where Princess Twilight Sparkle had first lived when she came to Ponyville. Thinking about where she needed to go brought back memories of her childhood. Memories that brought a tear to her eye. She didn't bother wiping it away due to the rain steadily getting heavier. The trees below her passing by in the dark looked rather beautiful. She slowed her flying a little to to enjoy the sight, which calmed her down and allowed her to focus on her plan. Contemplating on what she read before leaving her camp. Still looking downward she came across a small clearing where she noticed a wild deer getting chased by a timber wolf. Even though she knew it was a horrible experience for the deer, such is the way of nature. She smiled, however, knowing that with everything that has happened in Equestria the Everfree Forest had been untouched. No match for the invading forces, the Forest had almost grown to Canterlot. The rain had grown even heavier and had started to worry her so she decided to try and find somewhere to land till it had passed.

After about a half an hour she came to a protrusion in the ground and she saw a cave entrance. It was there she would decide to ride out the storm. She glided down and landed right in front of the cave. She had to look up at the sheer size of the entrance, it was much larger than what it looked like from the air. After admiring the enormous cave entrance she turned around and started examining the surrounding area for any signs of recent movement. The last thing that she needed was to run into one of the Everfrees notorious creatures. After about ten minutes of examining the area from what she could tell there hadn't been any animals around for a long time. It was then she decided to head into the cave. Once out of the weather she reached into her saddle bags and took out this thing she stole from the Invaders not too long ago. It had a switch on it that, when flipped on, produced a light from one end. She decided to call it a flip light. She held the flip light with her mouth and looked around the cave, now flooded with light. She walked for a while before coming to the end of the cave it wasn't a very deep cave, but was lengthy enough to be dry at the end. She set the flip light down on a rock and preceded to fetch her bedroll from her bags. After getting everything set up she settled herself on the bed and started reading where she had left off earlier that day.

“...I have finally reached the ruins, it was more difficult than I anticipated. Reason being is the ruins had been built alongside the wall of an enormous gorge. I didn't find much but what I did find were some hieroglyphs on a wall in what I believe used to be the throne room. It's going to take some time to decipher them, but I do hope they lead to something promising... "

Scootaloo's reading was cut short by what she thought sounded like a latch, but she was in a cave. There couldn't be a latch here of all places. She decided to brush it off as a falling rock and after her paranoia passed she decided to call it a night and sleep for a while. Tossing her flip light into her bags and setting them close to her bed roll, she laid down and closed her eyes.

Scootaloo awoke suddenly as a flash of light suddenly came from the end of the cave. She was startled and confused at the sudden surprise. The mare shot up to look at the direction of the light, but winced from the pain the light caused her eyes. She could hear voices but there were too many to depict what they were saying. “Who's there and where did you-” Scootaloo started to question her new invading friends. But was sent flying back a few dozen feet. She let out a shout as she collided with the wall of the cave and let out a groan when she hit the ground. With a terrified look on her face the winded mare faced her attackers with disbelief. She was being surrounded by who knows how many of them. In the center of the group, however, one of the figures had a horn. A horn that was glowing! It was then that she realized all the figures now looked like ponies… but they were different. She couldn’t put her hoof on it, but the shapes were very familiar and pony-like, she has definitely seen it before.

‘Wh-what… magic?!?! Who the hell is this? Why are they attacking me if they have magic?’ Scootaloo thought in a panic.

“I'm not going to ask you again. Who are you and why the hell are you attacking me?” Scootaloo said raising her voice. She was trying to stand back up, but didn’t see one of them coming from the side. It took advantage of noticed and charged. Scootaloo saw it almost upon her and jumped out of the way, but wasn’t fast enough. They both hit the ground hard in a pile of limbs and dirt. Somepony shouted and, as if on cue, the rest charged in and jumped on her. She tried to fight back, but the pain in her back only caused her to shout. Scootaloo looked up and saw rope encased in a greenish aura.

‘I’ve seen that color magic before but… but it’s impossible, I thought they all died a long time ago?!?’

“ Hurry and tie her up, we need to take her to the queen immediately " Scootaloo heard one of them hiss to the rest. “And you, grab this ponies stuff and bring it with us.” The same figure spat out. Hearing the word queen just confirmed her suspicions. They had to be Changelings, and just about a hundred questions started to fill her mind. Scootaloo was snapped back to reality when she was jerked into the air, her body surrounded with the green magic. They started through the hidden door when Scootaloo spoke up

“Where are you taking me?” She demanded. “And are you really Changelings? No pony has seen any Changelings in almost 300 years, where the hell have you been all this time?” Scootaloo asked all the Changelings, hoping for an answer from at least one of them.

“Unlike you Ponies, we got smart and hid under ground. Now enough talking, you’ll have plenty of time to talk when you meet our Queen.” The Changeling said while giving her an annoyed look. Scootaloo looked back towards the cave they had left and saw the Changeling with her belongings closing a set of double doors that were disguised as the wall itself. It was so well crafted that if she didn’t just come through it herself, she would have never guessed it was there. Now she turned her attention towards the direction they were heading. They were walking down a rather roughly carved corridor lit with torches lined down the walls on both sides. She let her gaze follow the torches until they were a blur, however, she couldn’t see the end of the corridor.

‘Oh this is just perfect.’ She thought. ‘This can’t possibly end well for me.’