Hello again! Here is chapter two. So, um, you know, enjoy!
The next morning, Sweetie Belle barely touched her breakfast. Thankfully, Rarity didn't question her. Sweetie Belle glanced over at the necklace she had found. Eventually, she decided to put it on. As she slowly made her way to school, Sweetie's mind kept going back to her dream. Even though quite a bit of time had passed, she still remembered every detail. Why was everything so familiar? Why was the song now stuck in her head? Why did the unknown filly she had seen feel as if she ought to have been known? And why were these questions making her head hurt like hay?
Sweetie Belle blinked and realized that she had almost walked right past the school's door. She turned and walked in.
"G'morning, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo called. Sweetie Belle smiled and went over to sit with her friend. Apple Bloom arrived a few minutes later, and the three fillies struck up a random conversation until Cheerilee called for class to begin. All throughout the lesson, Sweetie Belle's mind was still half-concentrated on the events of the day before.
At lunchtime, Sweetie Belle simply stared at her daisy sandwich and apple. Her friends shared a confused look.
"Sweetie Belle, are you feelin' okay?" Apple Bloom asked. Sweetie Belle looked up and blinked, seemingly waking from a trance.
"Oh, I'm fine…"
"Okay…" the redhead filly didn't look very convinced, but she dropped the subject. "So what are we gonna do after school? I thought maybe we could try water skiing again…"
"After what happened last time?" Scootaloo shivered. Apple Bloom frowned and nodded. A repeat of THAT disaster wouldn't be pleasant for anyone.
"Well, maybe we could try…"
As the other two fillies discussed different crusading ideas, Sweetie Belle continued to reflect on her dream. It was aggravating her that she didn't know what any of it meant. She absent-mindedly toyed with the crystal necklace.
"-what do you think, Sweetie Belle?"
"Huh?" Sweetie's head shot up. She blushed and looked down, embarrassed under the confused stares of her friends.
"S-Sorry. I spaced out for a minute."
"We were talking about whether we should try gem hunting or bomb diffusing after school. Which one should we do?"
"Uh…a-actually, I have something to do after school today. Sorry."' Sweetie faked a sad smile. The lie was in fact partially true; she wanted to go back to the lake after school, but she didn't necessarily HAVE to.
"Oh…well, okay then." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo exchanged curious looks. The bell then sounded, and the three fillies discarded their trash and filed back into the school.
Sweetie Belle was the first one out of the classroom at the end of the day. She walked along the path to the lake, her face set in a determined glare. As she entered the woods however, her determination diminished into a slight sense of foreboding. She wasn't really sure of what she'd find at the lake. What if something really bad was attached to this necklace? What if it was something mean, like a monster? Sweetie glanced down at her necklace. She suddenly felt a tingling warmth spread up her body. She didn't know how or why, but that warmth made her feel braver. Nothing could hurt her with this necklace on.
When she reached the lake, the sun had dipped down near the horizon. Sweetie's breath hitched in her throat when she looked out on the water. The reflection of the setting sun was beautiful! Quiet ripples slid along the surface of the lake, making a hypnotic image. And hypnotized she was. Sweetie Belle leaned closer to the edge and peered in. Her eyes seemed foggy, unfocused, as if she was exploring a far-off memory. Though she did not see it, the necklace was glowing faintly, and a shimmering mist was gathering around it. A faint humming sound filled her ears. It was the same tune, she noticed, as the song she'd heard in both her dream and the previous day at the lake. Something in that song was pulling her closer and closer to the lake. As she gazed onto the reflective surface, her reflection morphed into that of a nearly identical filly, but this one had shimmery blue hair with a light green streak. The filly opened her mouth, revealing clean, pearly white teeth.
"Sweetie Belle…"
The unicorn filly snapped out of her stupor and stumbled back from the lake. She looked at it in horror, a chill running through her body. But the reflection of the unknown filly was gone; the lake rippled just as calmly as before. Sweetie Belle looked around the woods: a light mist had gathered, and the light was quickly dimming. She cast one more look at the lake before turning and running back to the path out of the woods. What she failed to notice, however, were the two fillies watching her from the bushes with wide eyes.
"D-did you see that?" Apple Bloom stuttered.
"A filly…who was she?" Scootaloo stared at the lake.
"Ah know that no normal filly can walk on water…or appear out a' nowhere!" Apple Bloom turned to look at Scootaloo. "Somethin' is goin' on with Sweetie Belle, and we're gonna find out what!"
Sweetie Belle got home, thankfully, without Rarity making much of a fuss. At least this time she hadn't come home covered in mud. But when she crawled into bed that night, she could not sleep a wink. She tossed and turned, her mind focused on the filly in the lake. These thoughts were beginning to torment her. She was so frustrated!
Sweetie Belle stopped her tossing and turning suddenly, her ears perking up. She looked around for a second, then smiled nervously to herself. No, it couldn't be. It was just her imagination. It had to be. But she couldn't stop the tingly uneasiness from creeping up into her nerves. She turned over and pulled the covers up to her chin.
A few seconds passed, and Sweetie Belle sat bolt upright. There it was again. It was…music? A small, rhythmic beating, nothing more but well-timed taps. But it had a musical quality, almost like a piano…or a xylophone…or even…
Chimes…
Sweetie Belle turned her head toward her dresser, where she kept the necklace, reluctantly. She had a bad feeling, a really bad feeling, that something was there. She squeezed her eyes shut just before she turned completely to the dresser. She cautiously opened one eye. When her vision came into focus, both her eyes shot open in shock. She resisted the urge to scream.
A transparent unicorn filly was materializing next to her dresser.
And that's that! Review please!