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Pomp and Circumstances1,505 words
Master of Puppets1,616 words
Little Talks1,605 words
(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You1,957 words
Behold the Machine1,854 words
Moral of the Story1,791 words
Lateralus1,315 words
Ode To My Family2,714 words
Back In Black1,055 words

Moral of the Story

Takes Place Concurrently with Chapter 5

Scootaloo walked slowly into the entertainment sector of Appleloosa. She glanced at the movie theater that was new. It had only been built a few weeks ago and the line stretched around the theater because of the newly arrived double feature of “Night of the Undead” and “Evil Zombie.” Scootaloo remembered Dash talking about the movies when she spent her money that she got from her most recent job.

Scootaloo shrugged and turned towards the bar. Applejack might have some fun story to listen to. Her ears picked up when she heard a conversation through the swinging doors of the establishment. She pushed the doors open with a hoof and saw a small yellow earth pony and a white unicorn trying to help the two ponies in the middle of the bar.

“But, sis...I wanna help y’all with the bar...I promise tha’ I ain’t gonna break anything.”

“You said that last time. And you- oof- gave some of my customers the wrong drink.” Applejack groaned, remembering the incident.

“But I didn’t know tha’ difference between vodka and water.” the small earth pony tried her best to make AJ feel guilty by attempting her best sad face but the orange mare was unamused.

“This ties back into why I said I don’t need your help until when you’re older and I know you want to be a big pony but you just have to wait for your cutie mark.”

“Awww” Applebloom cantered off into the back of the store.

“Darling, I know that our parents kind of dropped you off here and went on their merry way. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t just do whatever you want...Miss Cheerilee told me that your magical studies have been lower than most of your other classmates...are you sure you don’t have a problem...oh my goodness, don’t let it be Magical Blight” Rarity began to pace back and forth worrying about her sister, who had completely tuned out the conversation; the white unicorn dragged Applebloom towards Scootaloo and sat down.

Scootaloo stared at her companions. Finally the two newcomers gained their voices.

“I’m Sweetie Belle.”

“I’m Applebloom.”

Scootaloo pointed at the older mares. “What was that all about?”

“The usual. We want our cutie marks but nopony wants to help us.”
Scootaloo thought long and hard on this statement. “What if we took it into our own hooves and went out on an adventure?”

One Short Lie Later

“Now y’all be careful playing. We don’t want to worry ‘bout ya.” Applejack waved the girls out of the bar and cantered back to the counter.

The three fillies ran off giggling into the sunset. Straight into the San Palomino Desert. Its flora and fauna were used to the extreme temperatures. It was also one of the few places in Equestria were the natural magic of the place caused weather to be wild and free. And the three fillies might have walked into a deathtrap if they weren’t adept at causing chaos.

“I know we shoulda brought a map!” Sweetie tiredly limped through the now dark desert. Her hooves hurt because of how long the three of them had been walking in circles.

“Well, so-oory.” Scootaloo was tired of her new friends. She liked them but they weren’t used to the work that came with outdoors fun. Applebloom was the only one that seemed to have the most fun right now.”

“Oh my gosh, this is so cool!” Applebloom poked a large rock and squeed in joy. “These rocks in the desert, I heard, hold the most ore for airships and..”

BLAH. BLAH. BLAH.

Scootaloo was almost ready to yell at her friends about being completely utterly lost. Then she heard a noise that Dash had told her about when the orange filly needed an adventurous bedtime story.

Sand sharks.

Think Scootaloo, what did Dash say about the things? She began to remember what Dash had said.

The memory Dash turned and faced Scootaloo. Her prismatic mane shone in the fake sunlight and the awesome mare opened her mouth.

After Scootaloo finally picked her jaw off of the floor, Rainbow turned to her and began a much more scary monologue. “Sand sharks are able to eat the smallest of fillies in one bite. You won’t even see them coming because when you do it will be too late...too late...too late.

Scootaloo snapped her eyes open as the rustling sounds stopped. The fin of the sand shark tore the ground and she saw the teeth that had broken the surface. Sweetie and Applebloom were screaming in fear; their voices carried through the night as the incoming pain was going to come. Scootaloo scrunched her eyes tight and prayed to the Princesses to stop the creature.

The shark did not eat them.

Scootaloo opened her eyes and was surprised to see three ponies. Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stood against the shark which was huge. if it wasn’t in the sand it might have been thirty feet long.

“I’m surprised that one of these things still is alive.” Applejack grunted as she tightened up the lasso that she held in her mouth.

“And you guys thought my Pinkamena Sense is just something I made up for ponies to leave me alone.” Pinkie brandished a pickax and charged the sand shark.

“Yes, dear, we are going to pay attention to you more often.” Rarity levitated a few of her rocks that were surrounding her and began pelting the creature.

Scootaloo realized that these were the friends that Dash had talked about when she was tired from a long day’s work. The orange filly stood dumbfoundedly in the middle of the battle. She fainted from a mix of relief and sheer awesomeness.

“Yoo hoo? Hello, Scootaloo? Ya okay?” Scootaloo focused and saw Applebloom shaking her hoof in front of her face. “Sweetie said that you just spaced out for a few moments. Or fainted.”

“Huh?”

Scootaloo looked around at her surroundings. She noticed that they were not in the desert anymore and that she was laying down in an unknown bed. “Where am I?” Applejack walked in on Scootaloo and asked if she was okay and that she had some news from Dash.

“You’re here in the Zap Apple Bar. Ya kinda passed out after we dealt with the sand shark. I finally found Rainbow Dash and told her about it. She wants you to come back as soon as possible, though she didn’t tell me why.”

“Okay.” Scootaloo thought about how the day went. It hadn’t been a complete failure and she got some friends out of it. Plus, she finally saw some of Rainbow’s other friends for once. She liked Fluttershy, but the mare was always silent about her past and became cold whenever she innocently asked about it. But these ponies, her friends, took her with them and listened to her for once. It was a nice feeling and she didn't know how to take it. Scootaloo felt wetness run down her coat. Applebloom noticed this and had to speak up in her drawl, which had begun to grow on her.

“Ya okay, Scoots?”

“Yeah, just fine. I realized something and sorry but I have to go home,” The orange filly began to walk out of the bar but she turned one last time to tell Applebloom something that she had never shared before. “AB, if you want me on any more adventures...just ask your sister about Rainbow Dash's house...I e-enjoyed being with you and Sweetie.”

“Don’t worry, Scoots. I think we all sorta liked it. Friends?” The yellow filly held out a hoof.

Should I? I don’t know, but I think that its going to be okay.

Scootaloo decided to hoof bump her new friend. “Bump...”

“What?”

“I’m going to have to tell you about a special hoof bump one of these days.

Twilight sat in her room in the sheriff’s quarters. She had to send Pinkie away after she had came back because today had just been too much. With Rainbow’s story about Fluttershy hiding something about that magebot that had appeared. The magebot was in her custody right now and she stared at the thing. It had reacted violently when she tried using her magic on it and she had to stop using her magic because it had activated the weapons and tried to shoot her.

Then there was AJ’s story about how her sister and her friends went off on their own and found a sand shark. That was a dangerous thing to do but there was something else. Sand sharks were one of the largest things in their habitat. Besides the errant dragon in the San Palomino, there was almost nothing that made them move out of the central breeding grounds this time of year.

And Twilight looked at the last straw. The letter.

Dearest Twilight Sparkle; Discipulus Caelestia et Vicecomiti de Appleloosa

I am informing you that my sister and I have lost the mental link with Cadance. After searching for the disturbance, Shining Armor contacted us about what happened. The Crystal Ponies are relocating into Equestrian borders and Cadance wa taken by some strange constructs that reacted violently towards any magical influences. We believe that these automatons are dangerous and you should tell us anything if a creation comes near your district. Also, do not count on help from us because the madpony who created these monstrosities has some sort of weapon that reverts Alicorns like my fair sister and I into our original mortal forms. Realize that the nation of Equestria is headed towards a state that we have not seen in a millennia. Outright war towards an enemy that attacked one of us.

Principem Luna; Dictator de Sphaera Lunae

Cadance woke up. She didn’t know where she was, but she knew one thing. Somehow one way or another...somepony brought her back to her Pre-Ascension level. She hadn’t seen the world like an earth pony in what, two hundred years? Either way...it brought back recent memories of a wedding. She heard footsteps and a strange buzzing that she took as just a trick that her mind created. Her heart dropped out when she saw her new friend.

“Well, Doctor Whooves said he had a present for me. This takes all my hopes and dreams of ruining your life and makes me feel like this makes my day. Especially after you and your stallion threw me out of Canterlot.”

“Hello Chrysalis.”

Author's Note:

Sorry this took so long. I really don't know what happened. (Really, I started it the day after I sent in chapter 5.) Also for those who were wondering, Scootaloo noticed the ponies in the first scene lining up to watch a ponified double feature of "Night of the Living Dead- the original version and Evil Dead- also the original version. Blame me for liking these movies but I like the cheesiness of the movies. Also they are some of the few scary movies I will watch throughout. (I am a total wimp when watching any horror film.)

Also, I named the bar that Applejack runs. Sounds like a familiar name? It is just yet another shout-out to one of my characters in an older story. (Most of you know the one. Hint: I still say that she was my favorite OC to make up in my head. Natura is my second, which is saying something since she was supposed to be a one-off character and yet she has gotten a life of her own.)

And even though this seemed like a useless chapter (sue me) I chose to set it during the day of the previous chapter to show what was happening during RD's and Fluttershy's episode. And tie up any loose ends of how it will affect the story. And I have to say that these two chapters are making me head off towards the trajectory I want in the story. (P.S. I know the ending of this story- which then would lead into the other one. You'll see how that'll happen.)

Is the chapter title a hint of something? You'll see. Things are finally coming together. And fair warning. I will not do any of the seasonal episodes of season 1 and try to put in my story. They happen too out of order. E.g. "Fall Weather Friends" happens almost right after "Winter Wrap Up" which is really weird. And also Appleloosa is further South than Ponyville and in the middle of a desert. Brace yourselves. Winter is not coming.

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