Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, along with their thralls Spike and Rarity, now find themselves in the human world, attending Canterlot High to keep from being conspicuous. However, in order to, the human world counterpart of themselves had to go.
Now, just realizing how that could compromise their cover, the Coven must do what ever it takes to keep their cover, while still pursuing their Witchcraft studies in secret.
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom sat in class, listening to Professor Longwind drone on about old history of a place called England, and how the Colonist in America revolted because of taxes.
Scootaloo, using her note pad more for doodling rather than notes, wrote something, and slid her finger across it, literally shooting it from her note pad to Applebloom's.
“This is boring. Why do I give a buck about some place I never have plans to visit?”
Applebloom glanced up at Professor Longwind, just to make sure he wasn't noticing, then scribbled a reply, sliding it over, the same way it was sent.
“Who knows? But I find it mighty facinatin' that so few ponies, I mean people, could rise up and win like that.”
“You would.” Scootaloo wrote back. “And this helps us have a better coven becaaaauuusse?”
“Because we need to fit in to this world!” A new script appeared on both girls notepads. “Now, if you two don't mind, I'd really like to get a good grade here. Scoots, if you really don't want to be here, just go to sleep or something, but knock it off. What was that last date, Applebloom?”
Applebloom checked her notes. “1776.”
“Thanks.”
And so, the three sat in class until the bell rang, announcing that it was time for lunch.
“Ooohhh.” Scootaloo stretched in her seat. “That was boring as Tarturas.”
Sweetie Belle scribbled down a few more notes, before shutting her notebook and glaring at her sister.
“Scootaloo, have I ever told you how insufferable you are?”
Scootaloo made a face of thought. “Yeah. Yesterday, oh and the day after that. And the-”
“We get it.” Applebloom cut in, slinging her backpack on. “But, how does this help us fit in?”
Sweetie Belle, putting her things away, smiled sweetly. “Well, if all youth are required to know this, then we'd stand out if we didn't. Besides, attending school here might be a good way to keep cover, and so practice witchcraft unnoticed.”
Applebloom made an 'oh' face as Scootaloo merely nodded.
“I guess that makes sense.”
Three stomachs rumbled at once, announcing that not only was it lunch time, but that they were late too it. They giggled and made their way to the cafeteria.
“So, tell me.” Scootaloo started to ask. “What should we do after school?”
“HI~!” Any response Sweetie Belle or Applebloom had was completely diverted by a tackle hug and pink bouncing hair in their faces. “I'm Pinkie Pie! I haven't seen you three here before, and I know aaaall the student's here, which means you're new, and if you're new, you don't know anyone else, other than yourselves of course, but that's silly if you think about it, because how could you NOOOOT know about yourselves, because you, like, see yourself in the mirror everyday, unless you don't have a mirror, in that case you haven't seen yourself—” She gasped. “In that cause you don't know yourselves, and so you really don't know anyone! That's tragic!” She held all three tight, cracking Scootaloo's ribs a little, and squishing Applebloom like a rag doll. “You know me, so don't worry! I will find you a mirror so you can know yourselves.”
“How is she saying all that without breathing?” Applebloom squeaked.
“Can we hex her?” Scootaloo pleaded in gasps to her sisters.
“No,” Sweetie Belle wheezed. “Just let it pass. Normal kids, remember.”
It seemed like time stopped for a minute before Pinkie Pie let go of them, smiling brightly. “You've GOT to come over to my place after school, so me and my fiends can throw you the most amazingly, stunningly, awesomely, stupendously, incredibly cool party!”
“I'm pretty sure some of those words were made up.” Applebloom winced, feeling her tender sides.
“Sounds, er, great.” Sweetie Belle grinned, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her face. “But, uh, we can't.”
“Yeah.” Applebloom agreed. “We have, uh, stuff to do!”
“Yeah, stuff!” Sweetie Belle replied.
“OOOoooohhh?” Pinkie Pie gave them all a knowing smile. “What kind of stuff?”
“Stuff, stuff.” Scootaloo answered, giving a false grin herself.
“Very important stuff.” Applebloom added.
“Yeah.” Scootaloo nodded. “The kind of stuff that only stuff stuff can do.”
“Yeah.” Applebloom paused, before looking over at Scootaloo. “Wait, what?”
Pinkie Pie, hand to her chin, watching the three stumble over excuses, each lamer than the last. She held back a secret smile, knowing that she'd have a fun time with this party. For some reason, she thought that pink would be in order. Lots and lots of pink, at least eight bags of confetti, three cakes, pin the tail on the pony, some disco balls, streamers, Vinyl's latest mix mp3 and at least five crates of Apple cider.
“It's settled.” She confirmed with a sagely nod, silencing the three. “You three will have the greatest welcome party in the history of welcoming parties of Canterlot-nay- the world!”
With that, Pinkie skipped away, singing “And so the gaiter asked, why the long face? Giggally foo foo, I got a riddle for you, what's got no teeth and big big eye? A toothless gaiter named guuummmyyy!”
The three witches watched the strange person parkour down the school hallway, laughing as she sang more.
“That, was the scariest thing I've ever saw.” Applebloom said, shivering where she stood.
“Good thing we whipped the history and memories of those three we look like.” Scootaloo laughed nervously. “Because that would seem really awkward to show up to a party that have you're dead relatives at.”
Sweetie Belle's face paled. “Oh horse apples.”
Applebloom and Scootaloo looked at her. “What?”
“Rarity is suppose to be one of the Elements of harmony here too.”
They thought.
“I don't get it.” Scootaloo admitted.
“Oh my stars!” Things just clicked into place for Appbloom. “We killed the Rarity here, so our Rarity could take her place, but she's a Thrall, 'n so can't interact like the others, so they'll know she's not their Rarity. 'n by taken their memories of who we look like. This is a big mess.”
“One thing at a time girls.” Sweetie Belle swallowed. “First, lets get through classes. Then, we'll survive this party.”
“And after?” Scootaloo asked, hoping for a good answer.
“I haven't gotten that far yet.”
They made their way to the large mess hall, suddenly not hungry.
The rest of the day was spent taking notes, passing notes, dodging dodge balls, taking more notes, and groaning at the amount of homework the three were given.
“Really!” Applebloom vented as they made their way back to the Rarity's studio apartment. “You'd think we had nu'thin' to do but sit around and twiddle our thumbs all day long with the amount they gave us.”
“Heh,” Scootaloo looked at her small hands. “These things are still wiered to me. I think I could twiddle them all day and not be bored.”
“Please don't.” Sweetie Belle replied. “I'd much rather you put them to more useful things.”
Both Scootaloo and Applebloom smiled wickedly.
“I've got an urge.” Scootaloo giggled.
“Me'h too.” Applebloom licked her lips. “An' I've been brewin' some special potions too.”
“Now girls.” Sweetie Belle chided gently. “We all have the lust, but we can't just kill any random person.”
“Ooohhh, who said anything about killing?” Scootaloo started to laugh, pulling out the small knife she had brought with her from Equestria. Intricate designs and strange letters were carved into the short blade, which seem to seethe with an evilness that purred at the thought of blood.
“Yeah.” Applebloom drooled. “Blood. That's all I need. Just the sight of it will-”
Sweetie Belle snapped her fingers, bringing them both back to reality. “Sisters! Control yourselves!” She took a deep breath. “Yes, while playing in a fountain of blood, tasting it on my tongue,” She shivered. “Smelling it in my hair,” A dreamy look passed over her face. “Feeling it like satin on my skin.” She shook herself. “We mustn't give in every time we feel our blood lust.”
“Y'a think that where we went wrong back home?” Applebloom asked, now feeling ashamed.
Scootaloo looked away, face reddening. “Home? What home?”
“Point is,” Sweetie Belle pressed on. “If we must have blood, we must do it discreetly. We can't have others find out.”
“Yeah.” Scootaloo nodded. “That would be bad.”
Applebloom signed. “Guess we better head on home and see if Spike 'n Rarity are home yet.”
Sweetie Belle cracked a grin. “For now, let's keep cover. Until we find some way to resolve our current dilemma, we can always play with our thralls~”
They all giggled as they headed home, thinking of unspeakable horrors that awaited them at home.
But those thoughts were cut short when a large sack was thrown over each of them, sweeping them off their feet and whisking them off to Celestia only knows where.
The fearless trio was reduced to pitiful, screaming prepubescents as they each confronted a different fear of what their reality would hold.
Five minutes later, which felt more like an hour to the terrified friends, they were plopped down and the sacks were opened, revealing the last face either of them thought, or even wanted, to see.
“Hi'ya~” The bubbly girl giggled, taking in a deep breath to sing. “My name is Pinkie Piiiiie, and I'm here to saaaaay, I hope you'll smile and stay for your party tooodaaaayyy!”
Confetti exploded, as if the Superbowl just started, spot lights flashing and flaring all around the girls as Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo cautiously climbed out of their oddly, potato smelling prisons.
They were back at school, in the gymnasium, with dozens of students enjoying themselves to their heart's content. There were games like, corn toss, bobbing for apples, pin the tail on the pony, musical chairs and, for some odd reason, speed chess which, for some odder reason, was rather popular.
There were sweets and snacks, like eleven flavors of cake, ranging from strawberry, blue berry, chocolate, carrot, lemon, pineapple, and, oddly, tamale. Popcorn, candy corn, grilled corn, backed corn, broiled corn, and boiled corn were all served with butter, salt, pepper, chilli powder, white cheddar powerd and cinnamon. There were pies of all kinds and cookies and at least eight different types of soda.
The girls gulped, looking at all the erratic, yet organized, chaotic fun that was booming to life. Standing up, they looked around, wonder and awe written on their faces.
“Wow,” Sweetie Belle breathed.
“All this?” Applebloom started to ask.
“For...for us?” Scootaloo finished, tears standing in her eyes.
Pinkie Pie just grinned. “You bet'cha! This is a place where we don't judge! Just be who you want to be, and have fun!” She then woohoo'ed and started a Congo line as a DJ, looking an awful lot like Vinyl Scratch from back home, started up a hot salsa mix.
The girls just stood there, watching all the festivities.
“We found it.” Scootaloo said in disbelief. She then turned to her sisters, grinning wildly. “Just like you said, Sweetie Belle! We'd find a place where no one would judge us!”
“Yeah!” Applebloom sang. “Oh, oh! I wanna candy apple! Oh my stars! Is that caramel corn~?”
Sweetie Belle, however, felt a jolt that jarred her from the excitement around her. With a slow glance around herself, she saw one person who was not enjoying herself with the elaborate party. She was a bit taller than the girls, but that was to be expected. She wore a black leather jacket, purple skirt and had bright yellow and red wavy hair.
Sweetie Belle couldn't quite explain why, but she knew that girl knew who they were, and what they've done, yet wasn't afraid. On the contrary, she was staring spitefully at them.
“Yeah.” Sweetie Belle replied to Scootaloo, who was now hugging her, as if they'd just won the Equestrian games. “This is great. Hey, you girls take a look around. We'll meet at the door at the end of the part, eh?”
Her sisters agreed and hastily left to raid the food table while checking out as many games as they could. Sweetie Belle watched them for a moment, then weaved her way through the crowd to where the figure stood. Without a word, the girl turned to leave the gymnasium, with Sweetie Belle in tow, wonder what was going to happen.
“I know who and what you and your friends are.” The girl seethed once they were out of the building.
Sweetie Belle felt her gut drop. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Okay then.” The girl replied. “Let's get the formalities out of the way. I'm Sunset Shimmer. You're Sweetie Belle and your friends are Applebloom and Scootaloo.” That was true, but the whole school knew that. “You're also witches from Equestria.”
Sweetie Belle's mouth went dry. She knew in pony form she was stronger than an Alicorn, but she had no way of knowing how strong her magic was as a human.
“You know this, how?”
Sunset Shimmer held up an old looking book. “Twilight wrote me. She told me what you three did to her and the other princesses, but let me tell you little Missy.” She grabbed Sweetie Belle's shirt by the color, pulling her up on her tip toes to glare nose to nose with her. “You've walked into my stable now. You better enjoy your party, because come tomorrow, I will feel no remorse or pity in squashing your pathetic coven under my heel.”
She pushed Sweetie Belle away, forcing her down on her butt, where she just looked up with fear, reaching for the sliver of Alicorn horn, pointing it like a wand, focusing her might into it, but nothing happened.
Sunset laughed, a hardy laugh of a know it all being proved right. She stepped on the little girls chest, forcing her on her back.
“Welcome to the human world. Enjoy your stay, because when I send you three back, it will be with bloody noses and broken magic.”
Still laughing, Sunset Shimmer walked off, not looking back at the now crying Sweetie Belle, as she screamed strangled curses at her, while pointing the horn to no avail. Sunset let her smile fade, as she thought about where that horn came from, and just hoped that she'd be able to figure out the right kind of magic to fix things, somehow.
She opted to walk along the practice fields to ease her mind. She could still hear the soft sobbing of Sweetie Belle the Witch from where she left her, not twenty feet from the back door. As satisfying as those sounds were, Sunset Shimmer felt guilty. Guilty for, in the eyes of any who might have seen, bullying a girl younger and more helpless than her. No matter what angle she looked at it, she felt that she was in the wrong, and that troubled her.
“But I wasn't wrong!” She vented under her breath. “They have to be stomped out.”
“A ill place stomped will not solve the issue, my dear, you look like you need a tissue.”
Sunset literally jumped as the kind, musical voice invaded her melancholy thoughts. She looked to see a woman with beautiful ebony skin, and hoops around her neck, hoop like earnings adorning her own eyes, and eyes of kindness and sympathy.
“Zecora.” Sunset breathed, sniffing as she took the offered tissue. “Was I wrong in how I handled things?”
“Blame, I fear, you wish to lay, yet the story is more complicated than a three act play.” The wise woman offered.
“I don't get it.”
“Shall I speak in plain, so my words are more easily obtained.” Zecora replied. “These three witches you see, are not really what they seem to been; For dark magic is at work to warp their minds, and by that evil spirit have they done their crimes. It is not their fault this road they took, but that of a little black book.”
Sunset Shimmer thought on this as she wiped her eyes. “But, they killed guards, Applejack and ripped Twilight's horn out.” She felt her anger bubble up again the more she spoke of it. “They turned Rarity and Spike into thralls! Those things can't be forgiven!”
“Dear Sunset,” Zecora said calmly, sitting down and patting the grass next to her. “You hear one story and pass many judgments. Listen to two before you act, or it may be you who regrets.”
Reluctantly, Sunset Shimmer took a seat next to the wise woman, who seemed to know the whole story.
“It all started with a quest for that which was not there, for the lack of a cutie mark can cause young minds to become unaware. And so the three who you blame went to claim, through thoughts and actions a cutie mark and fame. It was then that the darkness saw young light, that could easily be warped by it's might. The black book they did find at a Princess's library, and so they tried it's contents and found it to be favorably. A cutie mark it did bring, and their lives were complete as it seemed. But the magic of the dark did swell, and so did their anger at their injustice well.”
“Injustice?!” The idea surprised Sunset Shimmer. “What injustice?” The idea seemed observed, but a look from the rhyming woman silenced her.
“To them there was much injustice given, and so with this power to give punishment they were driven. First was a young pony of privilege who's cruel actions were never acknowledge. In her guided mansion sh had more than enough room, I believe her name was Silver Spoon. To another who was spiteful, they did an act truly frightful. Diamond Tiara's hair was once fair, now her head is forever bare.”
Sunset Shimmer shivered as mental images of what Zecora told her popped up in her mind, creating a gruesome play in which Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo played their parts with wide innocent smiles.
“They're monsters.” She cried, new tears flooding her eyes. “Nothing but monsters.”
“Be wary of who you call that here, for through all this there is a cure.” Zecora warmed. “They are witches, this is true, but so is a woman here, sitting next to you.”
Sunset Shimmer stared wide eyed at the black skinned beauty, who just flashed a pearly white smile at her shocked face.
“But-”
“A witch I be, but good you see. I have sworn loyalty, to Princess Celestia true I will be. These three need guidance, for you see, all who are victims were seen as threats and so they acts are of defense that grew into violence.”
Sunset sat quietly, mulling all this over in her mind. What the witch said made sense. More than sense, she felt it true in her heart.
“Very well.” She decided, standing up. “I have a few conditions first.” Zecora merely tilted her head to the side. “If you wish I don't exterminate them.” Sunset took a deep breath. True, she might be ready to go back to her old ways, the word exterminate held a finality she wasn't sure she could ever do, or forgive herself for, but she continued. “They must undue what damage they can. Rarity and Spike must be released and the horn of Princess Twilight must be sent back to Equestria.”
Zecora laughed. “You speak wisely but without knowing, to accomplish these things will be slow going. Magic is used in ways you don't think of, but here their magic minute, to speak of. But I agree of the road, but if things are taken too fast, they themselves will be sleeping down below.”
The implication that these three could die from their helter scelter ways was alarming to Sunset, and thus reassured her that she had a hear.
“Very well...What do I do in the mean time?”
“Do as you did yesterday.” Zecora shrugged. “For tomorrow is only a future yesterday, just held at bay while today is at play.” She stood up, and put a hand on the young lady's shoulder. “Fear not about wrong, for without wrong, right has not song. It will all be sorted out in the end, please don't despair my friend.”
Sunset nodded. “You are wise. Is that why you always rhyme?” She asked.
Zecora laughed. “Wise and rhyme is like rocks that are hot. Rocks there are plenty, but how many are hot?”
Sunset laughed. “I guess it makes others listen to what you have to say.”
“Hear it maybe, but listen yes. That is why speaking in rhymes is for the wisest.”
As they just stood there, smiling at each other, they both heard the heart retching sobs of a filly who had lost everything she thought she had.