Pretend
Equestria was dark, the land was devoured by a never ending stream of darkness. Things were uncannily quite at Sweet Apple Acers, the pigs did not snore and the wind did not blow, every hoofstep, every creek in the floorboards were amplified. Applejack's ears twitched as she opened the door to Apple Bloom's room, she saw three fillies sitting on the ground with gloomy frowns as they looked back to her.
"How are yawl doing?" Applejack asked in a soft voice.
"We're doing good," Apple Bloom faked a smile as she looked at her sister's neck which held a element.
"Power is going to be cut out soon, yawl can light your candle. Also, make sure you three are turned away from the door and windows," Applejack said with a tired smile.
Scootaloo instinctively turned to the window and forced herself to look away from it. Sweetie Belle took out a match and after a few swipes she caught a flame, the white filly moved the lit match to the candle in the middle of the room. Apple Bloom got up and trotted to her sister, they both looked at each other with sorrowful eyes.
"Ah can't wait till Ah see yawl tomorrow, good luck," Apple Bloom's eyes formed tears as she looked down.
"Me too, and thank you, we are going to need it," Applejack hugged the yellow filly as tears rolled down her fur.
After a few moments of their sibling hug, they let go of their strong grips and Applejack trotted out into the hallway, she turned back and gave the three fillies a smile before closing the door. Apple Bloom wiped tears from her face as she locked the door, afterwards she trotted back to the group and joined them on the ground. The group stared into the flame before them, Sweetie Belle played with her hair while Scootaloo held her head. There was a silence.
"Hey Scootaloo," Apple Bloom started. "What cutie mark would you want the most? If yawl could choose."
Scootaloo let go of her head as she brought her hoof up to her mouth in thought. "I'm not sure, maybe a scooter getting struck by a lightning strike. Wouldn't that be awesome!" the orange pegasus faked a smile.
"What does the lightning strike mean?" Sweetie asked with a small smirk.
"Obviously how fast I am," Scootaloo smiled.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle giggled quietly while Scootaloo's grinned pridefully.
"What about you Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom turned to the white filly.
"Hmm, maybe a shiny microphone?" Sweetie continued to play with her hair.
"You are a really good singer, have you ever took singing lessons?" Scootaloo asked.
"Oh, I'm not that good," Sweetie blushed.
"That's a total lie, yawl are an amazing singer," Apple Bloom said honestly while Scootaloo nodded.
Sweetie shook her head with a smile. "Then how about you Apple Bloom?"
"Well, Ah'm thinking it would be a apple in a potion jar," Apple Bloom smirked.
"You have gotten a lot better at potions recently," Scootaloo fiddled with her hooves.
"Have you mastered any potions ye-" Sweetie stopped herself.
"Nah, Ah was getting a lot better though," Apple Bloom shook her head.
Sweetie and Scootaloo watched as Apple Bloom got up and trotted to her closet, she dug around and pulled out a bag, she trotted back to the group and rummaged through her bag.
"What are you looking for?" Sweetie asked with curiosity written on her face.
"These," Apple Bloom brought out six pieces of paper and held it above her head.
As the two fillies looked at their friend with confusion the lights went out. The three fillies jumped and Scootaloo threw a hoof in her mouth before she could make a sound. The room was lit up by the candle, everything but the eight corners of the room were fully visible because of the light. Scootaloo shook slightly, the two other fillies frowned as fear filled their hearts. The group of three heard as things downstairs were being moved.
"We will draw the cutie marks we want on these papers and then we can tape them to us," Apple Bloom's smile twitched.
"T-That sounds like fun. Don't you think so Scootaloo?" Sweetie smiled as she turned to her shaking friend.
"Y-Yeah, sure," Scootaloo answered half heartedly.
Apple Bloom slid two papers to each of her friends and laid some crayons down next to the candle along with some tape. They drew for a couple minutes as the noises from things moving downstairs continued. Scootaloo finished first, she took some tape and put both papers on her flank.
"It looks good Scootaloo," Apple Bloom smirked at the orange pegasus.
Scootaloo got up with excitement and she trotted around to a mirror. "It would've been amazing. Rainbow Dash would've been so proud for me and I would've exploded from happiness," Scootaloo's eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Yeah, Applejack had a whole plan for when Ah got mine. Ah guess mah one wish is that we could have gotten them together," Apple Bloom laid her hoof on the back of Scootaloo as they both looked in the mirror.
"As far as I'm concerned these are our 'real' cutie marks," Scootaloo smiled as she looked at her crudely made image of a lightning bolt and a scooter with Apple Bloom's image of a decently well made apple in a jar.
Both fillies turned around to find Sweetie Belle's face filled with tears, the water rolled down her face and fell onto the papers below her, both held an image of a microphone with sparkles. The two fillies rushed over to her and hugged the unicorn.
"It's okay Sweetie Belle, we'll get through this," Apple Bloom held back tears.
"T-There is soo much I still w-want to do," Sweetie whimpered.
After a few minutes of the warm hug Sweetie stopped crying and the three fillies sat there in silence, they stared into the flame. The light was smaller then before, the edges of the walls were now filled with darkness and it continues to slowly bleed to the candle awaiting for the light to subside.
CLASH! The sound of glass breaking came from downstairs, immediately after they heard yelling.
"IS THE BIRD IN THE NEST?" Rainbow yelled.
"YEAH!" Pinkie answered back.
The fillies shook in terror and Scootaloo threw her hooves into her ears as she closed her eyes.
Many hoofsteps were heard as they all entered the room that the original sound was heard.
"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" Rainbow shouted.
"RAINBOW DON'T, YOU HAVE TO-!" Twilight yelled.
"SHOW YOURSELF!" Rainbow yelled once again.
Two thuds came from downstairs immediately followed by screams from five ponies. Scootaloo shook more as she tried to cover her ears to block out all sound.
"TWILIGHT PLEASE SAVE THE GIRLS FROM THIS THING!" Applejack yelled over the screams and the sound of something dragging and being snapped soon followed. The screaming only continued, now from four ponies.
"G-GIRLS, STICK TO THE PLAN!" Twilight yelled.
"I CAN'T PRETEND ANYMORE!" Rarity yelled as sounds of a spell being cast filled the air. The sounds of cracking followed and a bloodcurdling scream was heard.
"CALM DOWN, WE CAN STILL- WAIT PINKIE, THE CANDL-" Twilight yelled.
Nothing but silence, not a sound was heard except for the fillies breathing. Apple Bloom's and Sweetie Belle's ears twitched at the quietist of sounds while Scootaloo hid within her hooves. Apple Bloom brought her bag close, she opened the front pocket and took out a paper bag. The filly opened the bag as tears filled her face, she took out three pills and placed each one in front of her and her friends. Sweetie Belle tapped the shaking pegasus while tears formed in her eyes, Scootaloo looked up from her hooves and found a pill in front of her, sorrow overtook her fear.
"I wish we could have went on one last crusade," Apple Bloom smiled with remorse.
"I'm so glad I met you two," Scootaloo's voice cracked as she picked up the pill.
"Thank you two, for everything. I didn't want to do this alone," Sweetie wiped the tears from her damp fur as she picked up the pill.
The three fillies threw their pills in the back of their throats. Scootaloo was the first to feel woozy, she could hardly sit as she wobbled and she found herself on the floor with a smile as she closed her eyes. Sweetie fought it as she tried to stay upright, she landed on the floor but fought as her eyes threatened to close, she looked at Apple Bloom which sat as more tears fell from her face.
"Apple.. Bloom..." Sweetie barely got out as she lost function in her hooves.
"Ah'm sorry, there was only two pills. Ah'll join yawl soon," Apple Bloom said with immense sadness.
The yellow filly sat as the flame of the candle flickered, it began to run out of wax and the light only grew smaller. The light only covered Apple Blooms front while her back was covered in darkness. The filly couldn't wait any longer. Apple Bloom blew out the candlelight.