The Green Room

by Toodle Flip

Prologue: The Green Room

Trotting along the street, Ginger Snap, readied herself for the big Filly Scout hike for the day.

Today is the day, thought Ginger, as she moved past Sugarcube Corner, taking in the sweet aroma of the bakery. Today will be the day I will get my Cutie Mark. I just know it!

She spots Featherweight and Pipsqueak and waves to them. The two stop talking, and turn towards Ginger. She stops for a moment, thinking about Featherweight. Feather looks different. He almost seems smaller. I wonder when he will start growing?

Collecting her thoughts, Ginger noticed the two were waving to her, and she was only able to catch the last few words losing the rest of the sentence, “Hope you do well today!”

Smiling, and on her way Ginger trots along until she reaches the Carousel Boutique, where a large group of fillies, and one stallion waited. Ginger thought as she continued down the dirt road, Odd, the clock at home said I was on time. I didn’t spend that long with Pips or Feather, so I wonder what happened?

Quickly adjusting her sash, she moves towards the group and asks Archer, “Am I late or is everypony early this morning?”

Archer, flipping her cobalt blue mane, turned her head around and addressed Ginger, “We all came early because the Crusaders said we needed to start early if we wanted to get our patches.” Archer shifted, “I can barely contain myself, I mean, we get to hike up on a mountain near the Everfree! Think of the adventure, the opportunities!”

Ginger responds, “Always to the point, are we, Archer? Who knows, the CMC might get their cutie marks. Doubtful though, none of them seem like hiking would be their special talent.”

All the fillies quiet down as Magnum, a large white stallion with a brown mane and three hoofballs as a cutie mark, speaks, “Alright Filly Scouts, we are beginning our hike today. Any questions?” Three zealous fillies raise their hooves. “And no, I can’t guarantee a Cutie Mark coming from this hike. You do however, get another badge for your sashes!” Magnum holds a small badge in his hoof showing an earth pony with a walking stick.

Ginger thinks for a moment, ‘With this badge, I might finally be able to move up in rank!’ She begins to dance in place, and the others begin to stare. She looks at the others and sheepishly smiles at them saying, “I’m really excited?”

Magnum laughs for a moment, “I remember when I was young and enthusiastic. I’m glad to see you are too. Before we go, remember to check your equipment and buddies!”

The fillies pair up, leaving Ginger alone. She doesn’t speak however, thinking, this is my chance to prove myself and show the world who I am! Who knows how far this could get me?

Ginger checks her saddlebags, seeing a canteen with water and some trail mix. Looking up again, she sees the other with an assortment of things, ranging from walking staffs, to even a small tent or sleeping bag carried by Scootaloo. Ginger thinks for a moment about the Orange Crusader, I wonder why she has a tent? Maybe she is going camping afterwards… Scootaloo begins to hum with excitement, her wings beating like hummingbirds, and for a moment, she achieves flight. She looks and notices, but crashes into the ground, causing her purple mane to become covered in dirt and dust.

Magnum states, “We’re moving now,” and begins walking towards the mountain. Time seems to fly for Ginger as soon the town fades into the distance, and the looming mountain where smoke once came from grows larger by the second.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders are jumping around, asking Magnum questions about whether or not they will get their Cutie Marks. Ginger thinks and giggles to herself, They probably won’t get it if they keep asking…

The soil turned almost suddenly to rock, and turned uphill. The sheer rock face was intimidating to Ginger, who, without a partner, had only herself to talk to.

Ginger thought back to the time when the dragon lived up on the mountain, and the Elements of Harmony went up there. She thought, I wonder if the dragon left anything behind? Who knows what I might find? I think that is an adventure for another time though…

Magnum eventually stops and says, “We need to be careful here, as rock slides are very common. Keep an eye on your buddies.”

All the fillies move closer together, looking out for danger, while Ginger hops along. The rocks begin to skitter, and most of the fillies freeze, looking for falling boulders. Ginger looks over the edge of the mountain, looking deep into the Everfree.

Magnum turns his head towards the group and whispers, “Let’s keep moving, we can’t finish the hike if we sit here.”

The fillies murmur amongst themselves, eventually calming themselves and following magnum down the path. With that, the clouds became larger, and seemed almost like cotton candy. The danger had passed.

Ginger, following at the back of the group, decides to take a small break, drinking some of her water. After fiddling through the saddlebags, she drinks from her canteen and replaces it. She can still hear the CMC talking to Magnum. She takes a step closer to the edge, to get a better look at the forest. To her, the forest looked a carpet of green spreading across the world. The greens all coming together into a beautiful pattern, until her cream and orange mane drops in front of her eyes. I think the wind must be getting pretty strong up here.

Her hat becomes aloft, and she moves towards the cliff edge to grab it. She places it atop her head, and sighs. If only I could go on an adventure. Like something out of a Daring Do book.

At the top of the mountain, a wind blew. It had not started there… No, it had been moving for thousands of years; it was an end. It had seen many things in it’ days, so many strange things from the Mountain of Mist. At the last leg of its journey it did the unthinkable, it made a change. Instead of flowing freely like some, having indirect changes on the world, it decided to do something different and challenge the Earth itself. It only had enough strength to push a small rock. The rock tumbled down, deep into the earth, and a crack was made.

A lone filly scout, standing on the edge of the cliff was this change. One life, changed forever. A crack spread behind Ginger Snap. It grew in size, and when she saw the crack, she could only gaze in fear. No scream was made, just silence. The world a passing flow of colors until black strikes her eyes.

Time passed, and after the wind’s battle with the earth, a great fall, and sheer luck a small filly makes a comment, her eyes spinning in circles like a certain grey mare from around Ponyville, “Why am I in a green room right now?”

Author's Note:

I would like to thank Scintillance for proof-reading and editing the story. Without Scintillance, I might not have published the story,

Comments

[arcum42]

Trying to prevent her hat from flying off, she moves her

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