• Chapter Twenty-one: Edible Abode •

…

"Scootaloo? You there?" Rumble began to waver his hoof in front of Scootaloo's face in concern. She had been staring into space for a few minutes now and it was beginning to frighten him. "Scoots! Come back!" Rumble gulped, before slapping her across the face. "Snap out of it!"

Scootaloo shook her head, before jittering around in fear. "Oh no... we're doomed! Doomed!" She began to hyperventilate, as she skittered around.

"Scootaloo!" Rumble slapped her face for a second time. "Calm down!"

She rubbed her face, before glancing at him. "Thanks."

Rumble shrugged. "No problem, now I have a plan. We still have plenty of bread left to survive on, so all we need to do is start a campfire, and we'll try get back home tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Scootaloo nodded. "Good... the fire will scare away all the animals, and besides- me and my friends made the timberwolves extinct six years ago."

"As dark as that sounds, I'm just going to agree with it, and think of timberwolves as vicious, good-for-nothing predators other than puppy-dogs. Now come, let's get some wood." Rumble lead Scootaloo further into the forest, as they began to gather some twigs to start the fire. Rumble noticed that Scootaloo was less confident now, and that she was staying very close to him out of fear. It made him pleased to think that even Scootaloo had her flaws. Once they had started a reasonable campfire, they began to share the remaining bread they had. It wasn't half as good as it would have been when it was fresh, but it was better than nothing.

"Rumble," Scootaloo looked up, as she was chewing on the crust of the bread.

He looked up, from the other side of the campfire. "Yeah?"

"Are you ever afraid..?"

This question surprised him. He especially hadn't been expecting it from Scootaloo, who had showed herself as tough and independent through all the time he had known her. Maybe now, she was less confident, but she still didn't seem too phased about the insects which constantly attempted to cling onto her fur, or the bruises and cuts she had on her hooves, or the sounds of the wilderness around her. He finally answered. "Everypony has their fears. I'll share mine if you share yours."

"Okay." Scootaloo clenched her teeth slightly, before she finally spoke. "I am afraid of being... judged."

Rumble raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well... I don't share this with much ponies... but I can't really..." She closed her eyes out of fear, before she blurted it out. "I can't fly!"

This took Rumble by surprise. He hadn't expected this from Scootaloo, and he was shocked.

"Yeah, go ahead... judge me..." Scootaloo began to peer at the ground, as tears clung to her eyes. "I'm used to it."

"Don't be sad Scoots," Rumble trotted over and brushed the tears from her eyes. "I'm not judging you. Everypony has their flaws, and your flaws are what makes you special... so have you never flown in your life?"

Scootaloo shook her head. "No... I can't get much further than a hover off of the ground, and even that's only for a few seconds. I have tried so hard... my wings just won't take me off the ground. I understand if you don't like me anymore..."

"Scoots- you'll always be my friend no matter what," Rumble declared.

Scootaloo sniffed, before smiling warmly. "Now what are you afraid of?"

Rumble gritted his teeth. "I'm afraid of being alone."

"Alone..? But you have always been around ponies," Scootaloo protested.

"Yeah... but my brother was always very distant, and I never had anypony to talk to. Most the time of my life, I found I was alone, and it scared me..." Rumble sighed. "Sounds pathetic, right?"

"Not at all!" Scootaloo laughed. "Not as pathetic as me being unable to fly!"

"I doubt it," Rumble interfered. "My fear's definitely the most wimpy!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

The two pegasi found themselves laughing.

"Did we just argue over that..?" Scootaloo chuckled.

"Yeah..." Rumble grinned. "Let us never discuss this again."

"Agreed," Scootaloo giggled, as she finished the last bits of the bread she had been eating.

Rumble yawned. "Time to go to sleep..." He was about to get up and move to the other side of the fire, when Scootaloo stopped him.

"No- stay here with me. I don't want you to be alone ever again..." Scootaloo looked down to the ground in embarrassment.

Rumble smirked, before settling down next to her. Scootaloo curled up into a neat little ball, before closing her eyes. "Goodnight Rumble."

"Goodnight Scootaloo."

…

When Scootaloo awoke, she felt the cold grass beneath her. She yawned, getting up, and noticing that the fire was now out. Rumble was still asleep, snoring softly. Scootaloo mischievously grinned, before plucking a feather from her wing. She gently brushed it against Rumble's nose, before he irritatedly batted it away. Scootaloo tickled him again, this time Rumble sneezed, and rolled to the side.

"How deeply do you sleep?" Scootaloo muttered, before she attempted to prod him. To her surprise, Rumble grabbed ahold of her, and pulled her down to the ground. To her shock, her wrapped his hooves around her, and held her close like a teddy bear. Scootaloo attempted to writhe free, but Rumble only held her tighter.

"Morning Scootaloo," he smirked, his grey-purple eyes meeting hers.

Scootaloo let out a disbelieved cry. "You were awake the whole time, weren't you?"

"Yes. Couldn't help myself. By the way, I'm not ticklish." Rumble grinned smugly.

"And I'm not a stuffed animal. Let me go!" Scootaloo attempted to get up.

"I'm waiting for manners." Rumble sneered in amusement.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Fine. Can you please let me go?"

"Hmm... I don't know..."

"Rumble!"

"Whatever you say."

As soon as Rumble released his grip on her, Scootaloo pounced forward, and pinned him to the ground, grinning slyly. "How I love revenge."

"Very funny. Now let me up." Rumble eyed Scootaloo in a daring manner.

Scootaloo glanced at her hoof. "I don't know..."

"Maybe you will know now!" Rumble grabbed ahold of her hoof, and hauled her to the ground next to him. The two burst into laughter, staring up at the sky above them.

"We should go now," Scootaloo caught her breathe.

"Yeah," Rumble panted.

The two pegasi got up, and began to trek through the undergrowth. They were now serious, and no longer joking around. They seemed unsure at the way they were going, but they kept going, hoping to find some familiar landmark. Unfortunately for them, all the trees looked the same, and they were growing more and more impatient.

Scootaloo felt her stomach begin to growl. "I'm hungry..." She murmured.

Rumble looked up, "so am I... but we ate all the bread last night."

Scootaloo peered to the ground. "What if we never find them..?"

"Don't think like that Scoots! Of course we will find them," Rumble explained, putting his hoof over her shoulder for comfort.

"But... we've been looking for ages... we could die of starvation... or frostbite," she eyed the snow which was softly drifting down.

"We'll find some food source, and so far, it hasn't been too cold," Rumble hesitated. "Let's just keep searching."

After clearing some more undergrowth, a scent suddenly began to waft through Scootaloo's nostrils. She felt her mouth watering, as she turned to Rumble. "Do you smell that too?"

Rumble nodded. "Yes... let's investigate."

The two Crusaders leapt through the forest, following their noses, as the scent grew stronger and stronger. Finally, they broke through some bushes, and laid their eyes on what the scent had come from.

"What in Equestria?" The two gaping ponies simultaneously spoke.

…

Sweetie Belle was still crying a river, as Apple Bloom and Babs Seed held up umbrellas.

"They must have gone searching for us," Apple Bloom whispered.

"And now they're gone," Babs Seed added.

Sweetie Belle wailed, as she continued to cry. "I'm sorry! I never meant for this to happen."

"Ah am sure they'll come back eventually. Ya both know how brave Scootaloo is, and ah am sure Rumble would be helpin' too. They'll come back, ah am sure!" Apple Bloom gritted her teeth.

Sweetie Belle slowly nodded, still stifling sobs. "I hope you're right."

"Should we go look for them?" Babs Seed turned to Apple Bloom.

"No," the yellow-cream earth pony replied. "They went looking for us, and just look where that took em'. Ah think we should just wait for them to come to us."

"Sounds like the wise decision," Babs Seed sighed, before slumping down. "I miss them..."

"We all do," Sweetie Belle stated. "We can only wish for the best..."

The three Crusaders bunched together, and began to eat the food they had gathered.

"It was a stupid idea leaving them," Sweetie Belle blustered. "It's all my fault for coming up with it."

"It wasn't your fault, Sweetie Belle. Ah agreed to the idea... so it's mah fault," Apple Bloom disapproved.

"No," Babs Seed insisted. "I had my doubts about the idea... if I had have spoken up, this would have never happened. It is my fault."

"I guess we were all part of it..." Sweetie Belle spoke. "We are all to blame. I think we all know what the first word we'll say to them when they return."

All three crusaders solemnly nodded. "Sorry."

…

Before Scootaloo and Rumble, stood a massive house. It was the most incredible thing they had ever seen, because the house was completely made up of candy. The walls were made of rich gingerbread, laced with icing, and the pathway to the house was splattered gumdrops. The windows were pure sugar, and the window panes were jet-black liquorice. The door was one big block of chocolate, and the water was jelly. The fertiliser growing the plants, were thousands of sprinkles- the plants were delectable candy canes. The seats were massive cupcakes, and even the clouds in the sky were dainty flocks of fairy floss.

"What do we do?" Scootaloo asked, her eyes locked on the house in awe.

"What do you think we do? Eat!" Rumble scampered forward, and began to chow down at the candy canes. Scootaloo let out an ecstatic cry, and leapt forward, eating some ice cream which was portraying the snow. The two ponies were overexcited, and high on sugar, as they began to take all they could eat. Scootaloo was nibbling on the chocolate door, when it suddenly began to creak open. Scootaloo gasped, before jumping back. Rumble peered up, as a pony stepped out of the house, grinning. Rumble froze in the spot, his mouth agape.

"Thunderlane?" Rumble gasped stepping forward to his brother. "What are you doing here?"

The black pegasi with the light blue mane smiled warmly down at the colt and the filly. "I've been looking everywhere for you two! Come inside," he beckoned the two ponies forward.

"You were looking... for us?" Rumble gasped. "But you never even want to be near me! And you don't even know Scootaloo!"

Thunderlane continued to grin, but now it seemed forced. "I changed my mind... and I don't know Scootaloo, do I?" He quickly shook his head. "Come inside... it must be freezing out there."

Scootaloo glanced uncomfortably towards Rumble. "Do we go inside?"

"I don't see why not... I don't know what's going on, but we might as well check the place out." Rumble and Scootaloo slowly followed the pegasi inside the house. The door shut behind them, making Scootaloo jump. For some reason, her instincts told her to flee, but if Rumble trusted this, then she would just go along with it.

"So why are you here, Thunderlane? How are Flitter and Cloudchaser? How come you want me back?" Rumble scuffed his hooves anxiously.

"Oh, I don't know!" The black pegasi spat, making the two ponies jump.

"But you're my brother..?" Rumble gasped, as a green flame began to zip down the black pegasi. Thunderlane faded away, and was replaced by the form of a pony. She was a very pale pink colour, and her mane was greyish-violet. Her eyes were greyish-brown, and her Cutie Mark was three buttons- one purple, one aqua and one light yellow. She wore a blue scarf, and a yellow headband. She was an earth pony, and her mane was done up and curly. The pony grinned deviously.

"Who are you...?" Rumble gaped. "And what have you done to my brother?"

The pony laughed. "I have no idea who your brother is- I was only disguising myself as him so you two would come inside. My name is Suri Polomare!" She began to laugh. "And you two have so foolishly fell into my trap!"

Scootaloo squeaked in shock, and began to bang at the door, desperately attempting to free herself.

"It's no use, filly! Nopony has ever escaped me, so why should you?" She giggled. "Now the colt... you..." She spun around, her eyes flailing, before she sniffed the air, and located Rumble, who was attempting to get away.

"You!" She cackled, picking him up by the scruff in her mouth. "Will be locked up!"

"No! Scootaloo! Help!" Rumble flailed around in the air, as Suri stuffed him in a large cage, and locked the door.

"Rumble!" Scootaloo raced forward, pressing her face against the bars. "Are you okay?"

"Yes..." Rumble muttered, before gasping, as he peered down in the cage, and his eyes rested on a skeleton. Scootaloo noticed it too, and her face went pale, knowing that this was probably going to happen to them too.

"I'm sorry," the two mouthed, before Scootaloo was dragged away from the cage.

"You, filly," Suri gibbered. "Fetch me some food for your friend! As soon as he's fat enough I am to eat him!"

"Eat him?" Scootaloo gaped. "No..."

"Fetch some food, you disobedient foal!" Suri menaced forward.

Crying, Scootaloo dashed into the kitchen, and returned with some candy, giving it to a Rumble though the bars, still crying.

"You don't deserve to die," she whimpered. "What are we to do?"

Rumble just shook his head. "I don't know." He began to cry with her. "I don't know."

…

The next few days passed, and a Rumble was still locked in the cage. Every single day, Suri would order Scootaloo to get some food, which she did, and she would feed it to Rumble. Then, Suri would ask Rumble to stick his hoof out of the cage, so Suri could feel it, and see how fat he was. The first time she had ever asked that, Rumble had been protesting and complaining, and Suri had been harsh. Eventually, Rumble had grabbed ahold of the skeleton in his cage, and used that instead- and Suri had fallen for it. Now knowing that Suri was blind, the two ponies were able to take advantage of it, but they were still nervous. A few days had passed now, and Suri was getting more and more impatient that Rumble didn't seem to be making any progress with growing fatter. Finally, the day the two ponies had been dreading had arrived.

"Scootaloo, dearie, come here." Suri narrowed her eyes in cruelty.

Scootaloo nervously crept up peering up to Suri and awaiting her commands.

"Light the furnace for me."

Scootaloo tilted her head. "How come?"

"I am going to be eating Rumble today."

Scootaloo trembled, and a Rumble looked up from the cage in surprise. Scootaloo and a Rumble exchanged frightened glances.

"But ma'am! Please reconsider! Rumble isn't even fat enough yet!" Scootaloo protested, her voice faltering in fear.

"He should have grown big enough a few days ago! I will just give up on him now, now light the furnace!" Suri listened, as Scootaloo hesitantly began to light the furnace up to maximum heat.

"What now, ma'am?" Scootaloo shuddered.

"You crawl into the furnace. I want you to make sure that it is ready." Suri devilishly grinned, awaiting Scootaloo's movement.

Scootaloo was frozen in shock, before she shook her head, and turned to Rumble, mouthing 'what do I do?'

Rumble desperately shrugged back, but shook his head frantically, when Scootaloo took a step towards the furnace.

"What's taking you so long?" Suri hollered.

"I... uh..." Scootaloo began to sweat, as she peered at the heating metal. She knew that if she entered, Suri would close it, and let her incinerate into ashes. "I don't know how I'll fit into it..." Scootaloo gulped, glancing at Rumble who nodded at the excuse.

Suri Polomare rolled her eyes. "You disrespectful twit. Youth these days- disgusting. All you need to do, is crawl in! Head first!"

Scootaloo's eyes were so wide, that the veins could be seen bulging out the sides. "But ma'am... won't it hurt?"

Suri menaced forward. "You know what would hurt more? It would hurt more if you continue to disobey my orders, oh what I am willing to do to you and your pathetic friend..."

Scootaloo felt tears gushing from her eyes. "But ma'am... I don't think my head is small enough to fit through the furnace,"

Suri huffed. "I am an adult mare, and my head will fit through the furnace. See, now you have no pitiful excuse." Suri bent over, and put her head into the furnace.

Taking this as a chance, Scootaloo charged behind her, and shoved the mare into the furnace.

"Scootaloo! What are you doing?" Suri gasped in shock, as Scootaloo closed the door behind her, and watched Suri get taken over by the flames, as she began to burn into coals.

Scootaloo turned away from the horrible sight, as Suri began to swear, as she finally vaporised into an icky tar.

"Scootaloo, here!"

Scootaloo spun around to Rumble's cage, and she quickly unlocked the doors. As soon as the door was open, Scootaloo was attacked by a full out tackle from Rumble, as he pinned her to the ground and hugged her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Scootaloo giggled, as she returned the hug. "It wasn't your fault. Neither of us knew."

Rumble nodded vigorously, before he noticed tears welling in Scootaloo's eyes. "You're crying."

"I'm just so happy... I've missed you so much." Scootaloo blushed slightly, at the fact that his face was so close to hers.

"I missed you too," Rumble cried too, before getting off Scootaloo. She got to her hooves, still shaken from having killed a pony, and looked around the house.

"Now we need to escape," she murmured.

"Here," Rumble called, leading her to the window, and bashing himself against the sugar. It shattered, leaving a reasonable opening... the drop was long though.

"Come, Scootaloo!" Rumble spread out his wings, and flew out of the gap. Scootaloo just stood there though, peering at the ground in sorrow.

"Scootaloo..?" Rumble glanced at her in confusion.

"I can't-" Scootaloo's voice was muffled, as a hoof was aggressively shoved into her mouth.

"Scootaloo!" Rumble screamed, as he realised who was responsible.

Suri Polomare laughed as the half-burnt structure of herself, kept Scootaloo restrained. "You won't get her back!"

Scootaloo bit Suri's hoof, and began screaming as soon as she could. "Get off of me!" The little pegasi attempted to squirm out of Suri's grip, but the earth pony was too strong.

Rumble gaped. "How did you survive?"

"I'm a changeling! We're used to feeling flames!" Suri giggled, as she hauled a struggling Scootaloo further into the house.

"I'm coming Scoots!" Rumble soared into the house, and hurtled against Suri. Scootaloo went flying across the floor as Suri let go of her in panic. Rumble furiously began to wrestle with the pink earth pony. Although Suri was a lot bigger than him, he still managed to hold his own in the fight. Scootaloo dashed up to the broken sugar-window, and picked up the sharpest looking shard she saw. She raced up behind Rumble, before pouncing on Suri, and holding her neck down with the shard. Suri gasped, before flailing around, blindly attempting to pinpoint where the filly and the colt were.

"Don't you dare," Rumble hissed, as Suri attempted to grab at Scootaloo. "If you attempt to hurt her again, you'll have to deal with me."

Scootaloo smiled to him, before digging the shard deeper into Suri's neck.

"You're trying to kill me, hey?" Suri rasped, before letting out a throaty laugh and coughing out blood. "You'll regret it later..!"

Scootaloo dug it in deeper. "Likely story. You have tried to kill Rumble- I will not regret anything I do if it's for him."

Suri grinned at them mockingly. "My sister Chrysalis going to be visiting soon. If she finds me dead, she will find you and cause pain to you and everyone you love."

Rumble turned to Scootaloo in alarm, but Scootaloo only shook her head. "I'm not taking any chances..."

"But she has a point Scoots!" Rumble began. "Maybe we shouldn't kill her..."

Scootaloo shook her head. "It's a lose lose Rumble... even if we keep her alive and escape, when Chrysalis comes, she will tell her about us anyway. You don't want to take that risk, do you?"

Rumble slowly nodded, before helping Scootaloo dig the shard as far into Suri's neck as possible. Suri flailed around, gaping for air, before going limp, as her heart stopped beating altogether.

Scootaloo began to softly weep. And Rumble wrapped his wing over her back. "I remember what you were trying to tell me earlier when we were trying to escape... I'm sorry for being so inconsiderate..."

Scootaloo smiled softly. "It's not your fault. Everyone forgets things. We'll just have to find a new way out which doesn't involve flying."

The two trudged around the house, until they finally found the keys to the front door in the kitchen. As soon as they'd opened it, the filly and colt galloped away from the house as fast as they could go, not turning around once.

…

It was 9:00pm, when the sound of a knock on the door was heard. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Babs Seed all looked up at the same time, exchanging glances. It had been a few days since Scootaloo and Rumble had gone missing, and the three Crusaders had basically lost all of their hope.

Sweetie Belle pricked her ears, as the knock sounded again, her green eyes glistening. "Do you think it could be..?" She glanced from Apple Bloom to Babs Seed.

"Won't know unless we find out," Apple Bloom murmured before getting up. Babs Seed and Sweetie Belle followed, before they reached the door. Apple Bloom slowly raised her hoof to the knob, and opened it slowly. Finally her eyes rested on the two ponies standing there, and she let out an overexcited squeal. Sweetie Belle and Babs Seed cried even louder, and all three rushed outside, bombarding Scootaloo and Rumble with questions.

"Where were you?"

"Were you lost?"

"What did you eat?"

"Where did you sleep?"

"How did you survive?"

"When did you leave?"

"Why did you go?"

Then all three of them cried. "We're so sorry!"

Scootaloo and Rumble exchanged glances.

"Why are you sorry?" Scootaloo asked.

The three Crusaders guiltily glanced to the side, as they began to explain that they'd had a scheme to get as Scootaloo and Rumble to get along.

"Well it's all over now, and you have been forgiven," Rumble sighed. "Really, I just wanna sleep now."

"Yeah," Scootaloo yawned. "We'll tell you everything tomorrow."

The three other Crusaders glanced at each other restlessly, before allowing the two to enter.

"Oh and Rumble, we built you your own room-" Babs Seed was cut off, as both Rumble and Scootaloo collapsed to the ground an exhaustion and fell asleep, cuddled up next to each other.

Sweetie Belle giggled slightly, before leaving the room. She came back with a blanket, and layed it over the two pegasi, turning off the light. "Goodnight you two. Sweet dreams."

Hello readers! Firstly, let me explain Suri being a changeling. At first I was going to make an OC the changeling, and name her Silasyrhc, because that is Chrysalis with the letters backwards, but then I thought, why use an OC when I could always use an actual character. After I looked through all the antagonists, my eyes finally landed on Suri, and I decided she would be best for the job. She is basically a changeling, but kind of possessed... like Twinkleshine, Lyra and that Minuette as bridesmaids in A Canterlot Wedding. So ya... now that I've explained that, let's keep rambling on aimlessly. Yes, Rumble and Scootaloo are Hansel and Gretel. All the Crusaders going to be part of their own Fairytales :D and I found a way to add Button Mash into this... Hehe, not saying yet! Anyway, thanks for the reviews, and for an answer to some of the reviews from Guests: I don't ship Fluttershy with an OC and definitely not with Big Macintosh... ew. And Discord works with Chrysalis, because he doesn't want to be banished or turned to stone... he feels that if he has an alliance with the changelings it will make life a lot more easier- also the fact that Chrysalis doesn't care about the amount of chaos Discord creates, as long as it doesn't involve her.