A Reaper's Travels

by KillerSteel

Chapter 7: Words That Hurt

"Mmm..."

Light streamed in through the curtains in four beams, split by the window's supports as they offered a dim glow to the room within. Fluttershy shifted under her covers, rolling away from the light as she struggled to prolong her stay in Dreamland, but sadly, as the light glimmered off a picture on her endtable and right into her eyes, her ticket was made void. Her eyes opened up in a squint, staring at the picture so deviously aiming the light into her sensitive blue orbs.

"...Gotta move that sometime, sun rises right in front of it..." She sighed and pushed herself up, mane falling around her in a pink, lustrous waterfall as she took a look around the room. Still just as she left it, her cabinet and vanity mirror off to the right, dresser filled with clothes in front of her, and a pile of tools and aprons all hung up on the wall to her left. Another bleary blink passed before she made the effort of climbing out of bed, only one hoof setting down on the ground before she felt that ever-familiar kicking against her leg. She looked down towards the side of the bed, spotting a white bunny staring right back up at her, holding up an empty plate. "Don't worry, sweetie, I'll feed you soon. I just need to wake up first."

She yawned before sliding off the bed fully, stretching out on the floor. Her muscles stretched and relaxed, her bones popped back into place, and with a last arch of her back, she felt her spine settle into place. The cooling feeling of her blood flowing through her body helped wake her up, and she took a deep breath, shaking her head. "A shower sounds nice right now." The bunny simply frowned at the suggestion, deadpanning before giving her another kick, and making his gruff, upset leave. She didn't even make a squeak of protest, simply smiling and shaking her head softly before heading for the bathroom.

Her morning routine began as she turned the water on, setting the shower for hot before setting about getting her bathroom supplies together. Toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush, tail brush, three bottles of shampoo, two conditioners, and a look in the mirror followed by a thought. I still don't understand how all these things help me bring out my beauty, Rarity... not to mention how expensive it all is. She frowned as she rubbed her face, staring at her slightly bloodshot eyes and saggy bags under them. 'The prim and proper Fluttershy, shining for all the world to see...' You make it all sound so easy.

Ultimately, the disaster that was her morning face was unsalvagable, so she retreated to her shower, sticking a hoof into the cascading waters to check the temperature. Some adjustments were made before the water became satisfactory, and she climbed in, raised her head, and let the water spill down all over her sleep-racked body. Shower, teeth and face, breakfast... feed Angel, then go out back and feed everyone. Hmmm... I should have all the feed set up out back. Then I have to go meet with Pinkie... Scootaloo should be coming home soon as well, come to think of it. She turned her head down towards the drain in front of her, humming. Her wings spread out, feathers spread as well to accept the warming waters coming from the shower head. She giggled, a smile crossing her face as she imagined Scootaloo marching through Ponyville, wearing her graduation letter like a gold medal around her neck. I'll have to ask Pinkie about setting up something nice for her.

After a few minutes spent thinking and soaking, she reached for the soap and shampoo in the little rack hanging off the side of her tub, and got to work cleaning up.

---

Fluttershy's ears perked as she heard the delightful chirping of songbirds in the trees beyond her backyard's fence, and she lifted her head, tipping her hat back to try and catch a sight of them. The two pigs zipped up towards the trough she just filled with feed and started eating away, mud still dripping from their underbellies from a recent tumble in their pen, and after a gaze down at them, she nodded and gathered up the bag. "Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Oink, that should be everything." She bowed lightly to them before hauling the bag up over her back, and headed back over to the feed shed near her home. She found her eyes wandering over the backyard, noting all the changes from her recent redesign. She frowned at the placement of the chicken coop at the far back right of the backyard, right next to the fence keeping all the more dangerous wildlife out of her property.

The pigpen right next to chicken coop, the opening leading off towards the Everfree in front of both off to the right of her yard. Then there was her new additions, a vacant playpen for two bear cubs, a birdhouse fit for the large birds native to Ponyville's northern forests, and possibly the most odd addition to the place.

A tea table for Angel.

Fluttershy pursed her lips at the side as she stared at the table, a small tea set still sitting on it from yesterday's party. Her hoof found its way to her chin, slowly rubbing before her ear picked up the sound of trundling footsteps from around the corner of her house. She looked over, tipping her sun hat down slightly over her eyes as a manticore walked around into the backyard, carrying a letter in its mouth.

"Joey? What's that?" Fluttershy got to her hooves and trotted over to the manticore, meeting him halfway as he deposited the letter into a raised paw. He shrugged lightly before holding it out to Fluttershy, the mare bowing with a smile before taking it in a hoof and looking it over. "Hmm... Rainbow Dash?" She raised her eyebrow as her smile shifted to a frown, staring at the name on the letter in confusion. A lavender envelope, folded and sealed neatly, and as she checked the back of the letter, she noted the red wax seal on the back. She looked back up to Joey, nodding to him. "Thank you, Joey."

The manticore smiled and leaned in, giving her a little lick and a snort before heading off back to the front yard, doffing his guard's cap back on his head. Fluttershy watched him go before turning the letter back over to the front, checking it again.

From: Rainbow Dash

To: Fut

Flt

Fl

Fluttershy

She blinked a few times at all the crossed out lines on it, furrowing her brow gently with worry. "Rainbow... why didn't you just come speak to me? Why send a letter?" After a moment more of thinking, she turned and headed back to the back door on her porch, quickly opening it with her free hoof and heading on inside.

---

Angel looked up at the clock in the living room. 8:00 AM. An hour after he was supposed to be fed, and two hours since Fluttershy woke up. He furrowed his brow and frowned. A whole hour since Fluttershy told him she just needed to check a letter, then he'd be fed right away.

What hogwash.

With a quiet sigh, he rolled his eyes and retreated to the kitchen, deciding to see what was taking so long.

And there he found Fluttershy, sitting in her chair, quaking as a shivering hoof held an open letter in front of her. Angel blinked, before he finally picked up the sound she'd been making, quiet enough for even his ears to miss it.

Sobbing.

He quickly bounced over to his side and made a mighty hop into her lap, then another up onto the table, turning to face her. She hadn't even noticed his presence, hindlegs crossed over each other, with a forehoof over her mouth as pinprick eyes stared at the letter. Her mane had become a frazzled mess, make-up running down her cheeks in thin, black streaks, growing longer with every fresh wash of tears that spilled down from her eyes. Angel's ears splayed back, matching Fluttershy's own as he looked on in horror, before slowly looking over to the letter in her hoof. He slowly walked over to a spot just in front of her, not obscuring his sight, then took a look over the letter.

The first part, expertly written in perfect cursive, listed off numbers. A whole lot of words.

Nothing Angel really understood, as he furrowed his brow and looked back at Fluttershy, raising his eyebrow in a silent question. After failing to get her attention, he hopped back into her lap, and hugged onto her belly, feeling a gentle, quivering hoof return the hug.

For Angel, the meaning of the letter had been lost entirely, and all he knew was that something had his owner distressed. Hugs always fixed situations from what he could understand. It would help here.

For Fluttershy, though, her eyes kept scanning over the confession over and over and over. The exact same motions they'd been making ever since her first reading of the letter an hour ago.

And after a fresh reading, and a revived, rotting comprehension of the contents, she fixed on the P.S at the bottom of the letter.

P.S: Fluttershy. I-

A few lines had been scribbled out behind thick strokes of a pen, a tear in the paper seen as well.

What can I even say to someone like you? Start from the beginning, jump to what all this means, just talk off the top of my head? I don't know. I guess I should just start from the top.

Fluttershy, you know that you mean the world to me. Ever since we were kids, we worked together in Flight School to see each other through to the end. We did everything we could to help each other through the tests, the studying, all the hard questions you helped me with, and all the physical tests that I helped condition you for. We bonded, like sisters, and you always had my back, even if it was just in the privacy of our dorms.

The paper crinkled as Fluttershy's grip tightened, though the words could still be made out.

I know you weren't the most social of ponies, and that there were times when I wish you were there. When I was first starting to look at boys, or dealing with all the peer pressure after becoming one of the best athletes in our gym class, you always stayed in the background, quiet and out of the way, even when I got swarmed by ponies all asking me to do stuff.

I kept saying yes, over and over, and kept going off to do stuff. When things went wrong, I'd come back and vent, start shouting about stuff, and you were always quiet. I'd scream at you, say I hated life sometimes, or how some jerk blew me off, or a cute guy dumped me for some other girl, and I'd take all that anger out on you. You were an incredible friend, amazing in every way... patient, kind, caring, and you always knew how to make someone feel better, even if it was just with a quiet hug.

But, I know that you didn't always believe me. That what I said was overblown, that guys couldn't be that bad. And, with this, I wish I was blowing things out of the water. I wish it was just me saying I broke a speed record, or showed a bunch of ponies up, or made Spitfire drop her jaw at my awesomeness.

"Rainbow..." The word took the last of the air of Fluttershy's lungs, and she gasped, struggling to stay steady.

I wish it was something that'd put a smile on your face, make you laugh at how crazy it all was, make you want to give me a little smile and a wink while you said you totally believed me.

But, now, I need you to believe me. Because everything you read before I started writing this, it's all true.

I'm a monster, Fluttershy. And there's no way to make up for that, push it aside, or even say sorry. I can't justify any of this. I was being drugged, I was pressured into it, the management at the Rainbow Factory told me over and over that I had to do it. But I never said no, and I never did anything against them.

They said it was for my city, so pegasi could hold up their pride, and mean something to the country. Unicorns had their magic and moving the sun and moon and stuff. Earth ponies made things grow, provided food and water for the country.

What'd pegasi have? Weather control? Unicorns could just give themselves cloud-walking and move clouds themselves. It didn't matter if we were here, it didn't matter if we had that magic ourselves naturally, because they'd just replace us.

That's what Red Line told me. That's what everybody there told me. That pegasi that couldn't pass the final exam weren't good enough to represent Cloudsdale.

They said that about every kid that came to the second floor. They said that about all those terrified foals.

And... they said that about you.

Like every previous pass over the line prior, Fluttershy flinched, sniffling. Just beside the line, a few wet spots could be seen.

After I did my Sonic Rainboom, and found out that you'd fallen from Cloudsdale and didn't come back. I

The word 'god' could barely be seen through the scribbles and scratches, the writing deteriorating slowly into barely legible printing as the note went on.

I thought you were dead. I thought you fell from Cloudsdale and hit the ground, and nobody cared.

I missed a week of school because of that. I wouldn't even leave my room, even if our gym teacher came shouting for me. I didn't go.

Losing you hurt too much to carry on. And, if I didn't get that offer from the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation about them wanting to hire me. If they didn't hire me then.

Fluttershy stopped reading, shutting her eyes. She knew the rest to come, but like every time before, she stopped again. It took her a minute to build up her courage, will, endurance. No word that passed through her mind fit what she had to build. All she could do was prepare, and open her eyes before continuing.

I'd probably be dead. I would've been carted off with all those other kids, failed my test because I screwed up or got distracted, and I would've been turned into a rainbow, too.

The mere mention made Fluttershy's stomach flip, a dry heave escaping her.

Fluttershy, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all of this. I told Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity and Spike, and I just

The rest of the words on the line were obscured by a set of scribbles and scratches, part of the page torn right out by a pen. Distinct rips could be seen in the middle of wet spots, where the pin did more notable damage.

I couldn't do it, not to you. Not to the pegasus who helped me through so much. Not to someone I swore never to hurt. But, here I am, sending you this confession, this massive note, everything.

I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'll keep saying it all the way up to when I die, and even past that.

I'm sorry that I did all this. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this face to face. And I'm sorry I'll never see you again.

I'm probably already in Canterlot, confessing to Captain Shining Armor about my crimes, getting locked up and giving him all the evidence he needs to take down the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation. I don't want you to remember me like all those times I came home early. I just want you to remember me as that confident little filly at school.

Please, Fluttershy.

Fluttershy's eyes kept turning downward, expecting some more words to magically appear past the bottom of the page. But all she saw was Angel clutching onto her belly, held softly against her coat by her own hoof. She couldn't manage the words, eyes slowly turning back up to the paper, before she sniffed one last time and threw it across the table, right off onto the other chair before lifting Angel up and trapping him in a tight hug.

And she wailed. She screamed to anyone who would listen.

The two pigs outside looked up from their trough, their snack interrupted by a curious screaming. After a few moments of thinking, they looked to each other, then went back to their eating.

---

Sweet Apple Acres, host to a single orange mare standing outside on her porch, holding an open letter in her hoof. One that she'd opened about an hour ago.

A breeze brushed past her, shifting her mane and tail off to the side, the golden waves unhindered by her usual red ribbons. Today, she only had her Stetson on, rim tipped down to shade her face from the sun as she read over the letter for the fifth time that day. Next to her, rocking lightly on a chair, was Granny Smith, gazing at her with her hooves steepled in her lap.

"...Gran." Applejack spoke the word softly, folding the letter up against her chest before sticking it up under her hat.

Granny Smith simply nodded softly, looking back over the field in front of her. "You can. I'll have Big Mac cover some of your part of the orchard. It ain't crunch time yet, so you take all the time you need."

AJ nodded softly at her grandma before walking down the steps off the porch, turning, and heading off to the Eastern portion of the orchard. Apple Bloom stuck her head out of the bedroom on the second floor, shouting out to her sister and waving, but AJ didn't even pick up the sound. Bloom simply frowned before turning her head, raising her brow as she heard Big Mac shouting for her. The mare popped back into her room and out of sight.

The walk was silent, except for the gentle winds that flowed past AJ. Her hair and tail flew freely on the wind, but the letter was held securely by her hat as her eyes focused on the path ahead. A familiar dirt road leading towards a hill in the distance, green surface unmarred by trees, except for the tall apple tree at its peak. A smile dared to make its way onto her face at the sight of it, a ghostly laugh fading in and out of her mind, though it was snuffed out in only a moment as her frown remained resolute.

A few minutes rolled by as her hoofsteps disturbed the earth under her, barely visible hoofprints along the central part of the path being stomped back into clear marks, though they did not form a straight line. Even so, AJ kept her eyes fixed on the hill in the distance, letting her mind wander.

Rainbow Dash resting up in the tree, half obscured by the rim of AJ's hat before she had the mind to tip it up and give her a proper scolding for, once again, sleeping in a tree and blocking a branch trying to grow new apples. Rainbow, again, waved it all off, calling AJ a worrywart.

The word echoed in her head as the image faded away with her tipping her hat back down, turning around, and getting ready to buck the tree with her hind legs.

Another image, the sound of whistling wind filling her ears as she raced through the roads of Ponyville, Rainbow Dash laughing as she kept pace easily in flight, both of them swerving and weaving through the crowd's during the town's lunch hour. Laughter, happiness.

Until AJ caught the rim of the fountain, and the image faded away as her face made contact with the water inside.

And as she climbed up the hill, her eyes turned to the sky. Streaking through the air was a ghostly image of Rainbow Dash, grinning as she always did, with Applejack riding on her back. The earth pony squealed in terror as Rainbow Dash spiralled and flipped through the air, laughing like the madmare she was.

Guess 'madmare's literal now, huh.

The image faded away as AJ reached the top of the hill, and placed her hoof against the bark of the tree. And another hoof came into view, placed right next to it as she looked to the side, seeing Dash's grinning face there. Again, a smile dared to appear on her face, but it just couldn't win the war against her frown.

She turned and sat down against the tree, slowly retrieving the letter from under her hat, and she opened it. She skipped the confession, and just went down to the P.S at the bottom.

P.S: Applejack.

There's not really a lot I can say to you. Honestly, you'll take this the best out of all the girls I think. You've always been a mare who could handle her feelings.

Better than I ever could, anyways. I guess you were an inspiration in that case. Definitely not because of your strength, or speed, or anything like that! Bec

The word promptly ended in a bunch of scribbles, starting again below the line.

Well, it's not like you can fly! I had to

Another scribbled out line.

I

The words after were all scribbled out as well. AJ just turned her half-lidded eyes down further, seeing six more lines, every single one scratched out in a more furious manner. The last scribbling couldn't obscure the massive curse word at the very end, before the letter began again.

No. This is a confession, after all.

Applejack. Out of everyone I've ever met, you've been the single strongest, most dependable mare I've ever come across. When I went to Fluttershy before for emotional support, I came to you for physical stuff. Making myself stronger, tougher, always looking for ways to improve my wings, or legs, or form.

I know you saw me as a rival, probably even more than as a friend. We've butted heads more times than I can count. We've insulted each other, gotten in fights, competed over and over again.

And there was one thing I could never admit to myself. Never admit to anyone around me, because it'd just tear me down. No, that's not the word for it. Embarrassment? Shame? I don't know.

But I'll say it here.

AJ blinked softly, moving the letter up a little higher as she looked down to the next line. No emotion betrayed her face, a neutral frown present as she sniffed lightly, her breathing seeing no other interruptions.

You were better than me.

And AJ paused. Another blink passed, some kind of light appearing within the dark stillness of her mind. She carried on after a few seconds of staring at the line.

You've always been better. At running, at fighting, at jokes, at style, at cooking, at everything.

And I couldn't say any of that to you. My pride wouldn't let me.

And now I won't have the chance to say any of it to you. I can't admit anything. I can't proclaim anything, or even feel anything for being stuck at silver under you. I don't even know what to feel.

I know that I'd try and cover it up with jokes, or boasts about my flying, but all that would fall through just because you don't have wings. You don't need wings.

Twilight doesn't need them. Rarity doesn't need them, Pinkie doesn't, I bet even Fluttershy'd be great without them.

A pony isn't her wings, or her horn, or even her amazing skill with farming.

A pony is just her skills. And every single one I can think of, I'm behind you.

I can't make plans, I break down when I'm stressed out, and I definitely can't stick to a task and skip sleep for days because of it.

So everything I couldn't admit before, I'm saying now, because

The line abruptly ended. AJ looked on after it, seeing no scribbles, and below it, blinking. There was a few illegible lines scribbled at random amidst wet spots, whatever it was that hit the letter having blurred the ink.

I hate myself. could be made out amongst the droplets. AJ simply carried on after staring at that line for a couple more seconds.

Applejack. I can feel it now. You hate me. You hate me with every single fibre of your body, because I did the one thing that you hate above all else. I lied. I lied constantly. Every single time I came home, and you asked me about work, I told you it all went well and that I just needed to rest.

Every time you and the girls were worried about me, I'd shrug it off like nothing was wrong.

Everything was. And I lied to your face. Looking back, I can't believe I even got away with it all.

Hate me. Hate me like all those foals I killed hate me. I deserve it. I deserve every single burning, hateful knife stuck into me. And I hate myself even more for not having the courage to say this to your face. Do you know why?

You wouldn't spit in my face. You wouldn't curse my name. You wouldn't even kick me.

All you'd do is stare at me. You'd stare at me with those eyes that have always burned with the determination I wanted to beat.

And all they'd say is that I lost. I lost my one chance in life to finally stand next to you as an equal. I didn't even want to beat you. All I wanted, all I needed, was to say that I was just as good as you.

More wet spots stained the page as AJ reached the end of the page.

I'm probably already in Canterlot, helping Captain Shining Armor in his investigation of the Cloudsdale Weather Corporation with my confession. And all I can hope for, is that you can look towards the city, and think one thing for me. Just one little thing.

Think that I'm doing the right thing, and that I grew just a bit in your eyes.

The letter ended. AJ blinked softly before folding up the letter again, and she set it on the ground, slipping it under her hip so it would stay still. Her eyes were fixed on the grass under her, the sound of the wind no longer reaching her ears.

She'd since fallen into another memory, one of Pinkie's birthday party at the barn. A surprise party, one that Rainbow designed. Nobody could tell Pinkie about it, and AJ and her friends had to avoid the poor mare and lead her on a chase while they got everything ready. Lying to her face, but in the end, it lead to one of the greatest days of their lives. Another golden memory for the scrap book.

Her eyes turned towards Canterlot, her head lagging behind before it turned as well. And she looked on at the ivory city on the mountain, an image of Rainbow Dash appearing in front of her. She weakly reached out with a hoof, only to see her friend turn, shame in her eyes, before walking away to the city. And in silence, she faded away, AJ's hoof falling back to the grass.

Her body was numb. Her eyes were dry. Her mouth was frozen in her frown.

Tranquil, as she stared on at the city.

And she stared for a good ten minutes, blinking only so often to keep her eyes moist, before she turned back to the letter held under her hip. She picked it back up, and gently placed it between her teeth, clamping down softly. She removed her hat and checked inside it, pulling out a matchbook.

With a smooth motion, she drew one of the matches, lit it on the scratch pad of the matchbook, and lit one corner of the letter. She removed it from her mouth and held it out, watching the fire spread across the letter.

With another blink, the letter once filled with Rainbow's words was cast to the wind as ashes, a burn left behind in AJ's coat. One she couldn't feel, as she settled her hoof back in her lap, and she turned her eyes to the sky.

"Rainbow..."

The word was released softly, carried by the breeze in the direction of the city. She closed her eyes, and her cheeks registered the first new feeling since she'd read the letter that morning.

Moisture.

"You've grown." She opened her eyes again. "Into what, I dunno. But you did. I can't lie."

She looked back towards Canterlot, brushing some of her hair away from her eyes as she stared at the city. "Now you have to stop lying... and tell the Captain the truth. The whole truth. And help him bring those monsters down."

"Y' can't be forgiven. But I can't say you aren't still my friend." She smiled gently and closed her eyes, raising a hoof towards the city.

"Give 'em hell, sugarcube."

---

"Still weird how I can't open this letter..." Apple Bloom pouted as she looked over at her big brother, the lavender envelope sitting in front of her. She was sat at the family dinner table, the living room seen through an open door frame in front of her. On her hip rested a familiar mark to her family, an apple sitting behind two crossed hammers. A combined talent in farming and carpentry.

"It's what Miss Dash said, lil' sis." Big Mac looked over to her, giving her a pat on the head with a hoof, looking stoic as ever. "Y' said she looked pretty grim when she handed those letters to ya."

"Yeah. Gotta open this with Sweetie Belle. I'm gonna head out to the treehouse and wait for her." Bloom reached back to her bow and untied it, frowning with her tongue stuck out as she fiddled with it. After some work, she managed to untie it, and used it to tie the letter to her leg, letting her short red mane fall down over her shoulders. "Aright, that should work."

"Y'all come home for lunch, alright?" Mac gave her a light punch on the shoulder, smiling as she rubbed her shoulder lightly and giggled. "And if anything comes up..."

"Yeah. I'll come home and talk to ya about it. Don't worry! I'm sure it's nothin'. Probably just a note about Scootaloo." Apple Bloom smiled and shrugged, creasing her brow lightly. "Scootaloo passed, but not with the super high grade she wanted, I bet. She and Rainbow probably sulked a ton and didn't wanna tell us to our faces, so they just wrote a letter to get it all out of the way!"

Mac chuckled lightly, grinning as he moved around the table and off towards the living room. Bloom kept up the grin until Mac had left the room, and she let it fall as she looked down at the letter.

Still, it don't explain why she was wearing that cloak. Or why Princess Luna was with her... or that other guy.

She sighed and shrugged, hopping off the chair and trotting on towards the living room. Well, guess I'll find out once I'm there! Crusaders Treehouse, here I come! Heh, Scoots' probably waitin' for us there already! She giggled as she passed the gateway between the dining and living room, wearing a cheery smile as she headed on past Big Mac.

And as she left the homestead, she picked up a few words being exchanged between Big Mac and Granny Smith just before they were out of earshot. Something that made her eyebrow rise as she looked back towards the house. Wait, AJ's got the day off?

She blinked at that, furrowing her brow in thought as she turned back to the path in front of her. Well, she has been workin' pretty hard over the last few days. Guess she earned it, but I'm gonna make sure she plays with me after work! She grinned and giggled, picking up into a gallop towards the dirt path leading towards the treehouse. "I ain't missing my chance today, big sis!"

And as she raced along, the letter was protected by the dirt kicked up by her hooves. Her little heart beat with determination, and a playful light danced in her eyes as she raced between the apple trees, a smile crossing her face as she thought of all the silly things the letter would have to offer her.

Don't worry, Scoots, I'll be sure t' give you lots of hugs once I see you!

---

The treehouse came into view after several minutes of galloping, Apple Bloom slowing down to a walk as she grew close. She panted as she looked around, smiling brightly, and she called out once she'd caught her breath. "Yo, Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! Y'all here?"

"Up here, Apple Bloom!"

Apple Bloom looked up towards the window of the treehouse, seeing Sweetie Belle poking her head out of it and waving down at her. "Hey! Scoots up there with ya?"

"Doesn't look like it, but I just got here! C'mon up!" Belle slipped back into the treehouse after that, closing the window behind her.

Apple Bloom took pause at that, however, looking towards the ramp leading up to the door. "She's not here yet? Weird... she always beat us here whenever we were supposed t' meet up." She let out a little hum before heading on up the ramp, feeling a little more suspicious of the letter. The suspicion was soon cast away as she smiled again, having lasted up to halfway across the first ramp. Ahhh, what am I worrying about? Nothin'! Nothin' at all!

Still, the suspicion was only thrown to the back of her mind, starting to creep and fester.

Apple Bloom trotted up to the top of the ramp, squinting her eyes as the sunlight shot in through the canopy of leaves over her head in thick, yellow beams. One hit her right in the eye, forcing her to close it as she turned to the door and took hold of the knob, pulled down and opened it up. Her head poked in as she looked around, lowered so she didn't hit her head on the shrinking door frame thanks to her height, expecting an orange mare to be hiding somewhere inside, and she walked in with a confident smile. "Alright, Scootaloo, you can come out n' surprise me now!"

"Uh... Bloom? She's not here yet." Belle just blinked at her friend, sat down at one of the three cushions arranged around the table in the center of the room. On her hip rested a lovely Cutie Mark, a heart behind a songbird, singing a few happy notes. Her typically curly and uncontrollable mane had thankfully been pulled back into a short ponytail today. Apple Bloom looked over at her, then around the room proper, ears splaying back as she confirmed the strange lack of orange mare.

"Oh. Uh... my bad." She quickly shook it off and smiled, turning around and pulling the door closed before trotting over to the table. "I'm sure she'll be here soon!"

"Yeah! She's probably off hanging out with Rainbow Dash. The exam was supposed to be over a few days ago, so they're celebrating, I bet." Belle smiled brightly, and the two friends bumped hooves before Bloom sat down on her cushion. Belle took notice of the letter tied to Bloom's leg, looking down at it as the filly lowered her foreleg. "Hey, what's that?"

"Oh, this? Hehe..." Bloom grinned as she raised the letter, untying her hoof with her mouth and free hoof. After a bit of fiddling, the letter was deposited on the table, Bloom tying her hair back up with the bow as she continued. "Just a lil' confession note!"

"A confession? About what?" Belle tilted her head to the side in confusion before looking over to the letter, pulling it over to her to read the front.

"From Rainbow Dash! It's her and Scootaloo confessing that even those the exam was a cinch, Scoots didn't get the grade she wanted. They were so ashamed, they just couldn't say it straight to us!" Bloom grinned and shrugged, Belle giggling a bit at that as she looked over the front of the envelope.

From: RD

To: Crusaders

"Huh, it's to the both of us! Yeah, this is a confession note." Belle giggled, smiling as she flipped it over and ripped it open. "Alright, Scootaloo, let's see what grade you got!"

Bloom scooted on over to Belle's side, settling into her cushion after pulling it over to herself. Sweetie even put her magic to use, pulling the letter out of the envelope gently, a not-so-gentle grin playing on her face as she did so. She got a pat on the back from Bloom in congratulations, both of them smiling to each other as the note was unfolded.

And then they each read the first paragraph.

Their grins faded away. Slowly, though as they both looked through it, confusion started to take the grins' places.

Another read through.

Then another.

One more, and confusion started giving way to grief.

"Wait... what the heck is this?" Bloom blinked, leaning in towards the letter. "Why's Rainbow confessing? And... s-she, she did what?"

Belle went over the letter vocally, speaking softly as her eyes scanned along. "I, Rainbow... confess to crimes... Cloudsdale Weather... Rainbow Factory?"

Bloom shook her head as Belle looked over to her, shrugging with a look of distress on her face. "Never heard of it..."

The two quickly turned back to the letter, Belle continuing. "By order of supervisors... k... k-killed no less than... th-three hundred twenty eight foals? And, assisted in killing a hundred more?" Belle covered her mouth with a hoof, eyes widening in horror as her ears splayed back. "B-By the stars..."

Bloom carried on afterward. "Cover up operations, rank in social circles, help them t' cover up the deaths better... confess to every crime... accept my given punishment in court..."

Bloom just stared at the letter, even as Belle dropped it back onto the table, no longer able to focus on her magic. She reached over with a hoof and pulled the unicorn mare into a soft hug, staring on at the letter as Belle shivered.

"H-Holy Celestia... it's... s-she... i-it can't be true... s-she's lying!"

Bloom just stared on at the letter as Belle drove her muzzle into the mare's neck, starting to break down. She quietly carried on with the letter, and sadly, the very first complete line hit her like one of AJ's famous kicks.

P.S: Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.

I'm sorry, but I need to say something outright. There's no sugar coating this. There's no hiding it either. I can never say sorry enough, and even then, my apologies would be worth nothing in the first place. All the same.

Scootaloo isn't coming home.

She failed her exam, and for it, she paid the price. The one thing no filly should have to give up for their city, their race, or even their country.

And I was the one who forced her to pay up.

"Rainbow..." Bloom blinked, and unknown to her, a grimace started to spread on her face as a fire built in her heart. Belle couldn't bring herself to read further, still reeling from the shock of what was already said.

Bloom, Belle, there's never anything I can say. Nothing I could say to my friends, and especially, nothing I could say to you two. Because you're both the ones who'll be hurt the most by this.

Scootaloo's dead... I killed her. I killed her, and hundreds of others. I can't deny it, and I can't hide behind any excuses.

This is a horrible way for you to learn about how the world works... and believe me when I say that, what I've been doing, it's a rare case. I was well-connected, and management assured me that there wasn't any other Rainbow Factories being run in Equestria. They'd never be able to get away with it, since Cloudsdale's the only pegasus-only city in the country.

And after I confess to Shining Armor and the Royal Guard, I'm gonna make sure they're shut down for good.

"T-Too tight..."

Bloom stopped at that line as Belle squeaked in her ear, snapping the girl out of her trance as she looked over to Belle. She quickly let go and stepped away from Belle, letting her take a breath. "S-Sorry, Sweetie!"

"I-It's okay..." Belle gulped, holding up a hoof to Apple Bloom. It took her a few moments to put the question together in her head, and she lowered her hoof, along with her voice before speaking. "But... S-Scootaloo... s-she's okay, right?" She blinked, tears starting to build in her eyes as she put on a shaky smile. "R-Right? S-She'll come through that door..." Her shivering hoof pointed towards the treehouse's front door. "A-And wave, and... a-and ask if w-we missed her..."

All Apple Bloom could do was frown and soften her stare at Belle, turning to follow her hoof. She looked at the door for a long while before turning back to the letter, then to Belle. She quietly nodded to the letter before moving over to the cushion, and as she sat down, she pulled her friend into another hug.

The fire still blazed in her heart, but it was easier to manage. Rainbow can wait... gotta help Sweetie through this first.

And together, they went through the start of the note. And as they reached the confirmation of Scootaloo's death, Apple Bloom closed her eyes and held Belle close as the mare's jaw dropped. Tears spilled from her eyes as her hooves rose up to her head, grasping just behind her ears as she stared at the words. "S-She can't... s-she's not...! S-Scootaloo's not dead...!"

"She's not! She's not! She can't be!!"

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow as Belle screamed and tackled her in a hug, burrowing her muzzle into the earth pony mare's neck as she tightly closed her eyes. Bloom simply took the crushing hug with a numb look on her face, softly rubbing Belle on the back.

"Scootaloo! No! No! You aren't dead! You can't be dead!" Belle just kept on wailing into Bloom's neck, sobbing as her heart fell to pieces inside her. "We j-just found our Cutie Marks! Why!? Why'd you die!? Why'd she kill you!? Why? Why!? Why!?"

The questions just kept rolling out of her mouth, hindhooves digging into the cushion as she shoved against Bloom over and over. Light shoves, as she couldn't get a whole lot of leverage.

But one in particular took her surprise as Belle roared, shoving Bloom right back and off her cushion. "Why aren't you saying anything!?" Bloom winced at the shriek as Belle fixed her with a glare of pure despair. But it wasn't the only thing in her eyes as her horn started to spark, tears spilling down onto the floor.

Flames of rage burned within her eyes, starting to appear as pools of white light swirling around her pinprick pupil. "Say something! Anything!"

Bloom found herself at a loss for words, stepping back a bit as she looked on at her friend. "B-Belle..."

"Scootaloo's dead, and she was killed by her idol! Why aren't you saying anything about that!?" Belle's voice had full on shattered, constant high-pitched squeals accompanying her screaming. "Don't you care!?"

"Of course I do! Scootaloo was my friend! Is my friend! I just..." Bloom paused again, looking over the floor for the words.

"Just what? What!? Or do you want me to put the words in your mouth!?" Sweetie stomped the ground, shutting her eyes tightly as she sobbed, sniffling as her magic started to kick into gear. Random objects around the room started hovering into the air, attracted to spot above her head. "Aren't you angry!? Sad!? Anything!?"

Bloom just looked up as the objects started to swirl around the spot above Belle, as if they were paper boats starting to swirl around a whirlpool. She quickly looked down at Belle, mouth opening as she tried to find the words. Anywhere on the walls, the floor, the ceiling, her eyes sought the answers desperately as the magic tug grew more intense.

"Apple Bloom!!" Belle's eyes snapped open as she screamed, shining white as she lost herself, even the table and cushions being dragged up by her magic as everything started to swirl around her, compressing in towards the single space above her.

"I can't think of anything!" Bloom screamed back, shutting her eyes. "I can't think of a single damn thing! I've never been good with words, and all this just makes me so damn angry that I can't think straight!" She shivered in place as Belle grit her teeth, staring on in pure agony at her friend. "But that's not gonna solve anything! Throwin' a tantrum is just gonna cause more problems! Scootaloo's... S-Scootaloo's dead, I know that! I, I still think she's gonna walk right in and disprove everything, but..." Bloom gulped, before her eyes suddenly snapped open, the lightbulb of an idea shining in her head. She quickly turned to the door, then looked back to Belle, putting on a smile. "M-Maybe she's out in town!? Maybe this is all a really bad joke!"

And that made Belle take pause, the rage in her expression slowly fading away as she blinked at Bloom. The objects above her slowed down, approaching a stop. "...W-Why would they m-make that kind of joke?"

"I..." Bloom's smile shivered, turning into a crooked expression of happiness as she looked back towards the door. "I-I can ask 'em later, let's just go look for her! It's not like we'll get anything done here, throwin' a fit, right?" She looked back to Belle, some droplet of hope trying to shine through the stress and fear in her eyes. "Right? She's out there, just... j-just distracted by something! We'll go find her, give her a good scoldin', then do the same with Rainbow! Then everything'll be back to normal!"

"W-Well..." Belle looked down at the floor, the light beginning to fade from her eyes as things started to fall all around her. The cushions, the table - thankfully missing her by a mile as it clattered to the floor -, crayons, paper, drawings.

Even one of their capes. This one bore the emblem of a running foal, wings spread wide and high. They both looked down at it, walking towards it subconsciously. Bloom reached out with her hoof, picking it up off the floor, before she quickly tossed it over her shoulder and got to work on tying it up. "C'mon, Belle, we've got a lost mare t' find!"

"Right!" Belle quickly nodded, though she took a hazardous glance to the letter. "But, what about—"

"Fuck the letter!!" Bloom suddenly burst out, Belle recoiling at the shriek, backing away a few steps as she looked at Bloom. After realizing what she said, she quickly shook her head and held up her hooves in a peaceful gesture. "S-Sorry, I mean... look, the letter might be fake. Maybe the Rainbow Dash who gave it to me was fake, too! H-Hey, maybe this is a whole mystery!?"

"A m-mystery?" Belle blinked, rubbing the tears from her eyes with her foreleg. "W-Whadya mean?"

Bloom grinned as she stood up on her hind legs and planted her forehooves on her hips, letting her cape drift on an odd breeze moving through the room. "Someone's tryin' to frame Rainbow for a crime! A whole load of crimes! And we're gonna hunt 'em down and bring them to justice!"

"...C-Cutie Mark Crusaders... Private Eyes?" Belle said, a smile starting to cross her face. It only grew wider as Bloom gave her a confident grin, coming back down on all four hooves.

"Yeah! C'mon, smile n' say it with me!" Bloom reached out with her hoof, determination burning in her eyes. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Private Eyes!"

Belle sniffed hard and nodded, thrusting her hoof into Bloom's in a high hoof. "Cutie Mark Crusaders Private Eyes!"

"Let's roll out, Dr. Belle!" Bloom grinned as she trotted away to the door, Belle nodding before she realized the role she was just handed, and she quickly took off after Bloom.

"H-Hey, I should be the detective!"

"I got the sharper eyes, though!" Bloom laughed as she threw open the door and ran outside down the ramp, shouting back towards it as Belle left the treehouse and shut the door behind her. "Maybe if y' catch me, I'll consider switchin' us up?"

"You're on!" Belle grinned as she took off after Bloom, and the air once more filled with the laughter of fillies.

As one lonely orange mare watched on, sitting on top of the treehouse. She looked down at her hoof, noting the new blue bracelet around it, and thought back to earlier that morning when she'd received it. Words of a promise made by the God of Death as he handed her the bracelet, the slight sting of it latching onto her wrist after she slipped it on.

I can visit them one last time... just tap the crystal on the bracelet, and I'll become visible to anyone near me. Scootaloo closed her eyes and sighed gently, sniffling as she set her hoof back down on the roof. She lifted her head and spread her wings, gazing out towards the mares running off towards the town. "One last time... don't worry, girls, I'll make it count."

And with a flap of her wings, she vanished from sight, racing off after her best friends.

Author's Note:

Kinda hoping this gets me back into the roll of things. Got work again, so we'll see where things go.

Comments

[Alitaher003]

So... is this dead?

[KillerSteel]

8895019

I mean... ahhhhh, at this point, I'd have to say it probably is. Just haven't gotten much motivation to write anything these days, full-time job plus friends taking up time in my day.

Loads of plans to do for this, but I dunno if I'll ever get them down on paper. I'm proud of what I did do, though.

[Oblivions eye]

*gasp* Right in the feels