“The songs over now, Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle walked over to her friend, who was lying on the ground with her hooves over her ears to block out the singing from the other ponies.
“Thank goodness.” Scootaloo sighed in relief as she sat up. “I’ve had enough sappiness for one day.”
“Come on, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom smiled. “Today was fun! And I’m sure out of all the stories we heard today, one of them could help give us an idea about how to earn our cutie marks!”
“Mm hm.” Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.
“Yeah!” Scootaloo jumped up. “And I think I know what we need to do. Come on crusaders! Before they decide to sing again!” Scootaloo pushed Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle out the door of Sugarcube Corner with a big grin on her face.
****
“Do we really need to bring a watering can, Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked looking over the various objects Scootaloo was throwing into the wagon on her scooter.
“Trust me.” Scootaloo answered as she placed a bucket of apples in the wagon. “It might come in handy.”
“For what? Watering flowers?”
“That or catching monsters.”
“How are we going to catch monsters with a watering can?”
Scootaloo grabbed the handle of the watering can in between her teeth. “Like this.” She walked over to a sleeping Winona and stuck the can on her head.
Winona jumped up with a yelp and ran around barking trying to shake the watering can off.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle laughed as they watched Winona run around in circles.
“What the?” Apple Bloom’s eyes widened as she walked over to her fellow crusaders, and crashed into Winona, causing her to fall on to her back on the ground. Apple Bloom shook her head and stood back up, looking down at Winona, who was trying to kick the watering can off with her hind leg. She bite down on the neck of the water can and pulled it off of Winona’s head.
Winona emitted a small whine as she shook her head, and then took off into the barn.
Apple Bloom shot a look of disproval at the other two fillies, who were still giggling. “Aren’t ya’ll supposed to be packing things for the trip?”
“We did.” Said Scootaloo. “Look.” She pointed to the tower of items in the wagon. “We have everything we need.”
“And then some.” Sweetie Belle added.
“So all we need to do now is figure out where were going to head off too.” Apple Bloom pulled a map from the wagon and spread it out on the ground. “Which direction should we travel in? Where should we go?”
“That’s easy.” Scootaloo said. “There’s only one place where we can find a cool way to earn our cutie marks.” She placed her hoof on the spot on the map.
“I don’t know, Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle said unsure. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? Last time we went there things didn’t go to well.”
“But this time we’re prepared. And this time I’m sure we’ll get our cutie marks!” She put on her helmet and hopped on her scooter. “Come on crusaders!”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle exchanged glances, then put on their helmets and hopped in the wagon.
“Alright!” Scootaloo grinned. “Now our quest for our cutie marks officially begins! To the Everfree Forest!”
****
“Apple Jack! Apple Jack!” Rarity came trotting through the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres looking around for Apple Jack. “Apple Jack!” She called.
“What’s that now?” Apple Jack threw an apple into a nearby bucket when she spotted Rarity. “Howdy, Rarity.” She said. “What can I do you for?”
“Oh Apple Jack, there you are. I’m here to pick up Sweetie Belle. She and the other girls were here were they not?”
“Yep indeedie.” Apple Jack replied. “They should be over by the barn.”
She and Rarity walked over to the barn, expecting to find the young fillies, but instead were met by Big Macintosh.
“Hey there Big Macintosh.” Apple Jack said. “You haven’t seen Apple Bloom or her friends have ya?”
“Nope.” Big Mac replied.
“Now that’s odd. I wonder were those youngins could have run off too.”
“Oh, I do hope they haven’t gotten themselves into trouble.” Rarity said.
“Now what in the hay is this doing out here?” Apple Jack asked looking at the Watering can lying on the ground.
“Arf! Arf!”
Apple Jack looked up. “Is that Winona?”
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh tilted his head towards the dog.
“Arf! Arf!” Winona barked.
“Is she trying to tell us something?” asked Rarity.
“What is it Winona?”
“Arf!” Winona ran up a small hill by the barn, and pointed her nose out in a certain direction.
The three ponies walked up next to Winona and looked out in the direction she was pointing.
“Did the girls head this way?” Rarity tried to find where they might have gone too.
“I reckon they did.” Apple Jack replied. "I can see tire tracks from Scootaloo's scooter."
“But why would they head out that way? There’s nothing out there except…”
Apple Jack’s eyes widened. “Oh no. They didn’t”
“I think they did.” Rarity gasped.
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh did not sound pleased.
Apple Jack’s ears went down. “Those fillies went into the Everfree Forest!”
“Apple Bloom!”
“Sweetie Belle!”
“Where are you?!” Apple Jack emitted a small sigh.
“Those girls could be anywhere.” Rarity whined. “How are we ever going to find them?”
“Now lets stay calm, Rarity.” Apple Jack tried to hide the worry in her voice. “They couldn’t have gotten far.”
“Don’t worry.” Fluttershy tried to reassure her friends, hiding her own fears of the forest. “We’ll find them.”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash nodded. “And we’re not leaving ‘till we do!”
“We’re here to help.” Twilight added.
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie hopped up and down. “Like how recipes help you bake things! Like cakes! Although, the recipes don’t actually help you do any of the baking. They just tell you what to do. How rude!”
“Uh, anyway.” Twilight said. “we should head over to Zecora’s place.”
“Do you really think the girls we be there?” asked Rarity.
“I’m not sure but it’s a place to start.”
“We’ll come on ya’ll!” said Apple Jack. “We got to find those youngins before they get into trouble.” She ran off towards Zecora’s, the other five ponies following behind her.
****
“Remind me again what we’re supposed to be doing out here.” Apple Bloom asked her unicorn friend.
“We need to ask that question to Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle huffed. “If she would get back here.” The young unicorn flopped down and lied on her stomach, her legs stretched out in every direction.
Apple bloom sat down next to her, her eyes scanning the wreckage of their wagon.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders had entered the forest, Scootaloo using her wings to propel her scooter through the trees, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rode in the wagon attached. As Scootaloo increased her speed, she failed to notice a surfaced tree branch in her path. She hit the branch, the force stopping her scooters movement, and sent the three fillies and their supplies flying forward. The Crusaders were left sprawled out in the dirt, their wagon turned upside down with all it’s contents scattered around it. As the girls picked themselves up off the ground, making sure nopony was hurt; Scootaloo had discovered that one of the wheels of her scooter had been torn off. She went off to try to find it, leaving her friends to dust themselves off.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked up as the herd a rustle in the bushes. A few seconds later, Scootaloo emerged from the plants a frown on her face. “I couldn’t find the wheel.” She sighed. It must have rolled off somewhere.
“Now what are we supposed to do?” Apple Bloom whined.
"We could start by cleaning up.” Sweetie Belle suggested.
The three fillies looked at each other, then, together, flipped the wagon right side up again, and began reloading their supplies.
“So why are we here again, Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom asked.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “To earn our cutie marks, duh.”
“We know that!” Said Sweetie Belle. “But how are we going to earn them?”
Scootaloo was slightly annoyed. “Did you guys learn anything from the stories we heard?”
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at each other, then back at Scootaloo.
Scootaloo shook her head, speaking in an annoyed tone. ‘”Fine I’ll tell you again. Apple Bloom, you’re sister earned her cutie mark by going somewhere far away, and same with your sister Sweetie Belle. Twilight and pinkie pie earned their cutie marks by trying something new and working hard. And Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash earned theirs by taking a risk in an area they were unfamiliar with, and fell in love with it.”
“That still doesn’t answer our question.” Sweetie Belle stated.
“If we try everything they did, were sure to earn our cutie marks! And what better far away, new, risky place to do it then the depths of the Everfree forest!”
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom said. “We aren’t off to a very good start.”
Scootaloo finished putting the last of the supplies in the wagon, and then threw her scooter in too. “We can’t stop because we hit a bump in the road. Rainbow Dash wouldn’t quit! And I won’t either! Now come on!” She said as she began pushing the wagon from behind. “We have some forest crusading to do!”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other again, then walked over and helped Scootaloo push the wagon.
****
Twilight walked up to Zecora’s door and gently knocked. “Hello? Zecora? Are you home?”
Zecora answered the door and greeted the ponies. “Welcome my dears, may I ask what brings you here?”
“Apple Bloom and her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, ran off in the forest.” Twilight explained. “Have they come by here?”
Zecora looked surprised. “The young fillies have run off in the forest you say? Unfortunately I can not tell you that they have come this way.”
“Now what are supposed to do?” Rainbow Dash complained. “We don’t even know which way they went! How are we supposed to find them?”
“’We’re just going to have to start looking.” Twilight sighed. “We’ll head in one direction and hope we can find them, or at least traces of them.”
“Yes. We must find them.” Rarity said. “Even if it takes all night.” Only for Sweetie Belle would Rarity ever give up her beauty sleep.
“All-all night?” Fluttershy squeaked.
“You ponies had better scurry, and find those fillies in a hurry.” Zecora said. “Tonight the forest is no place to be, because tonight is when the Roc feeds.”
“A rock?” Pinkie Pie said confused. “Why would a rock need to eat? They don’t even have mouths.”
“Not a rock, Pinkie.” Twilight informed her. "A Roc. R-O-C. I’ve read about them. They’re giant birds that are a mix between a vulture and eagle.”
“Two mighty birds combined together, with a razor sharp beak and dark feathers.” Zecora began. “It is a fierce predator who will spook, anypony who catches a look. One night a week it leaves its nest, hungry after a long rest. It flies through the forest in between the trees, and it will eat whatever it sees. If something catches the Rocs’ eye, that creature might as well say goodbye.”
“Oh no.” Apple Jack’s ears went down and her eyes widened. “We have to find them fast!”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity called.
“Come on girls!” Twilight said. “Thank you, Zecora.” She said as the group left.
“Beware of the forest night!” Zecora called out. “The Roc knows how to stay hidden from sight!”
Not sure if I really wanted to hear that… Twilight thought.