• Chapter Twenty-seven: Please Be Dreaming •
…
The dwarves trotted through the undergrowth, only just having left their house. They were prepared for their upcoming hunt, determined expressions on their faces. They trotted further away from their house, which was only just visible through the flora. A sharp breeze whizzed passed them, tickling their noses. Cheese Sandwich suddenly stiffened, staring hard into space helplessly.
"What's going on?" Shining Armour spun around, seeing the earth pony begin to vibrate ever so softly.
"Oh no..." Fancypants' eyes widened. "He's having another Cheesy Sense!"
"The last time he ever had one of those, it sent all of the pegasi falling from the sky, and landing into mounds of delicious chocolate moose..." Big Macintosh shook his head, grimly.
A harmonica played in the background, causing all the stallions except Cheese Sandwich to turn around and glare at the one responsible. "Not now!" The pony quickly ran away.
"What do we do?" Soarin gulped, as Cheese Sandwich was now literally jittering across the ground.
"Duck for cover!" Flash Sentry cried, before pouncing into a bush.
The other stallions were swift to respond, as they ran towards possible hiding places.
Cheese Sandwich continued to rattle, before he went whizzing up into the air. He went hitting into a passing bird, which let out an annoyed squawk. Out of nowhere, several different musical instruments appeared besides Cheese Sandwich in the air- a drum, clarinet, xylophone, accordion and a piano. They all went all crashing down to the earth alongside the crazy colt.
Flash Sentry let out a yelp, as the piano was flying down in his direction.
Reacting quickly, Shining Armour powered up his horn, jetting it towards Flash Sentry, and surrounding him with a pulsing pink shield. The piano crushed down onto the shield, shattering into one million pieces, and making a horrible clanging sound at the same time. The sound was of all the keys being pressed at the same time, with colliding notes which did not sound good together.
Flash Sentry let out a relieved sigh, as Shining Armour removed the shield from around him, and bits of the piano's debris scattered over the ground.
Cheese Sandwich shook his head, the same old goofy expression on his face. "Wow- that was a doozy!"
"What did that mean?" Fancypants cried. "It'd better be good- you nearly killed Sneezy!"
Cheese Sandwich went dazing off, deep in thought. "Shush- I am working out what it means..." He hesitated, before twitching his ears, different images flickering through his lime green eyes. "Danger..."
"Yes?" All five stallions stepped forward, beckoning him to continue.
"Nearby..."
"Yes?" They went right up to his face, ravenous for knowledge.
"Snow Flutter..." He shook himself like a canine, before smiling widely. "That's all I got."
Shining Armour glanced to the side, before turning back. "Wait- danger nearby... involving Snow Flutter?"
"Yep." Cheese Sandwich continued to smile broadly, before it began to fade as actual meaning from those words came to him. "Oh my stars! We have to save her!"
The six stallions went bolting through the undergrowth, nearing their house. The first thing they noticed, was the door swung open... it had definitely been closed when they had left.
"Someone's been inside... what if they took her?" Soarin cried, as he began to fly as fast as his wings could take him.
"Just hope for the best," Fancypants rapidly answered, as they all entered the house.
"Snow Flutter? Snow Flutter?" The six dwarves peered around the house, before their eyes rested on a crippled, butter-yellow pegasi sprawled across the floor. Her eyes were wide open, a cloudy grey, and her limbs were compressed- making her look twice as skinny as usual. The thing responsible for this, was a green dress, tightened around her.
"Queen Chrysalis, no doubt," Big Macintosh muttered. "Only a demon like her would do somethin' like this to a poneh' as innocent as Snow Flutter."
"But... she can't be..." Cheese Sandwich's lower jaw was literally touching the ground. "She couldn't be..."
Tears gushed from their eyes, as they cautiously approached the small pony.
Shining Armour narrowed his eyes, examining the creature. "Give me a knife."
"What?" Soarin stammered. "No..."
"Give me a knife!" Shining Armour ordered, glaring daggers at the other dwarves. "Do you want to be blasted by a shot of my magic?"
The dwarves vigorously shook their heads, while Fancypants reluctantly levitated the sharp object to Shining Armour.
Shining Armour took the knife with his magic, and lowered it to underneath Snow Flutter's snout, where her neck was.
The other dwarves cringed, as it slid closer to her skin.
"What are you doing?" Flash Sentry uttered, peering away.
Shining Armour didn't answer, as he stared at the blade.
"Why isn't he slitting her throat?" Cheese Sandwich turned to the other dwarves.
"Jumping to conclusions, much?" Soarin muttered, before cocking his head. "You're right though- why isn't he?"
Shining Armour stared at the blade for a few more seconds, before he caught a whiff of what he was looking for, and removed it from under her nose. He then levitated it to her back, to where the laces of the dress were. He shot the knife through them, cutting the laces apart. Almost instantly the dress broadened, falling apart.
"What's going on?" Fancypants questioned, appearing at Shining Armour's side. "What did you do?"
"She's still alive- faintly though," Shining Armour murmured, turning to the dwarves. "I put the knife under her nose to see if she was breathing... I saw the knife fog up slightly, and that's how I knew."
"Oh! That makes a lot more sense! I thought you were going to decapitate her or something," Cheese Sandwich grinned.
"She's still alive?" Flash Sentry's ears perked.
"Barely. We need to give her proper treatment. Fancypants, get the first aid kit. Flash Sentry, clear the table for us to lay her on. Soarin, get a blanket, and some food. Big Macintosh, get some cold water from down by the lake and Cheese Sandwich, gather as much supplies as you can from behind the forth wall. Go ponies- pronto!"
The ponies instantly scattered into different directions, doing what that could to keep their friend alive. Shining Armour levitated the small pony into the air, laying her down on the table which Flash Sentry had just set up. Shining Armour quickly removed the bits of the green dress from her, making sure it would not harm her again. Fancypants appeared with the first aid kit, running an X-ray over the pegasi with his magic. It was a difficult spell to conduct, but in desperate measures, a pony could do anything to protect their friends.
"Nothing is broken fortunately, but her rib cage is slightly ajar, thanks to the dress. As long as her diaphragm stays in place, which I think it has, her lungs won't be affected. Her heart is all right- the ribs haven't been pushed inwards far enough to catch ahold over any major arteries or veins," Fancypants nodded seriously, levitating a doctor's coat onto himself. "Now it's time my medical classes to pay off... I only learnt it for three years... but I will just try and remember what I learnt."
"Thank you," Shining Armour nodded, as Fancypants levitated a few medical supplies from the first aid kit.
Flash Sentry watched the operation for a few seconds, before turning to Shining Armour. "Is there anything else I can do to help?"
"Here," Fancyoants plucked a feather from Flash Sentry's wing. "Thanks. I'll use this to try and wake her up once her heartbeat rate has increased."
"Ouch..." Flash Sentry rubbed his wing, before glancing at Shining Armour hopefully.
"Be a royal guard," Shining Armour nodded. "Do what you used to do- stand at the doorway, and make sure nothing bad happens."
"On it, sir." Flash Sentry saluted, before marching away.
"I got the blanket!" Soarin returned, tugging a long quilt blanket behind him.
"I just checked her temperature, and yes... we'll need the blanket... just put it lightly over her- and not over her head," Fancypants instructed.
Soarin nodded, laying the blanket over the pegasi, before trotting to the kitchen to receive some food.
Big Macintosh returned with some water, laying it on the floor, and stepping back. Cheese Sandwich returned not long after, carrying more intellectual hospital supplies with him.
"Found these!" He handed a large machine to Fancypants, who nodded, taping a few cords around Snow Flutter.
"Great! These will record her heartbeat!" Fancypants switched the machine on, and watched as a straight line begin to slide across the screen... then it bumped up slightly. A small beep sounded every three seconds. "Okay... this may take a while..." Fancypants sighed, before receiving more supplies out of the first aid kit. "Let's just hope that she'll get better."
…
Four hours had passed- Snow Flutter's heart was now beating every one and a half seconds, and her breathing was becoming more constant. She was no longer in her coma- she was just unconscious, and colour had faded back to her face.
"I think she's going to survive," Fancypants nodded. "But now we'll have to discuss what we are to do with her once she wakes up."
The dwarves nodded, settling down into a circle, and discussing their topic.
"We can't leave her at home anymore. Chrysalis has proven us this. That changeling menace will stop at nothing to have her dead... it's now too dangerous here for Snow Flutter to stay during the day." Flash Sentry retorted, preening the feathers on his wings.
"We should bring her along then," Fancypants shrugged. "With our protection, she won't get harmed."
"Woah, woah, woah... are you saying that we're going to take her to steal with us?" Soarin questioned in shock.
"We should just go ahead with the stealing plan. She can help us..." Cheese Sandwich murmured.
"But... are you all hearing this? Can you even imagine her-" Soarin pointed towards the little pegasi, sleeping peacefully, "stealing?"
"He's got a point..." Flash Sentry spoke. "She's too *sneeze* innocent... she'd never harm a fly... not even a fly!"
Fancypants narrowed his eyes. "We aren't expecting her to actually hurt a pony... she can be... more a distraction. Besides, after we train her, she should be fit to do some actual pick pocketing."
"Are you all serious? What do you think of this Shining Armour?" Soarin slitted his eyes at the unicorn.
"She's ready." Shining Armour declared. "However, it will take a lot of training... we may as well organise it all now... does everypony agree on this?"
The stallions exchanged glances, before nodding.
Shining Armour nodded, before organising her training sessions. "Okay... her agility and flight defences will be organised by Flash Sentry and Soarin. Never forget that she has wings just like you two... she may not be as skilled with flying, but she should be able to increase her speed and stamina with the help of you two. Cheese Sandwich and Big Macintosh... you two help her with strategy. You two have the best insight on outcomes; what will happen at certain actions, and you two can educate her the reactions she must pose in certain situations. Fancypants and I will help her with the stealing part of things... how to take and what to take. How to be sneaky and not get caught." Shining Armour narrowed his eyes, before turning to the sleeping pegasi. "This training may take a while... but at the cost of her safety, we are willing to put in the effort."
…
"Red orchid, eh? What do you want me to trade for it?" The sales pony tilted his head to the four foals standing at his stall.
"We jus' want food," Apple Bloom wistfully peered at the crate full of apples at the side.
The pony slowly nodded. "Okay... looking at your stock of red orchid... how about ten apples?"
Babs Seed was about to talk, but Scootaloo butted in. "Hmm... don't you think you could do... maybe a teensy bit better?"
"Scootaloo, what are you doing?" Rumble hissed, cocking his head. "We're four underaged foals living illegally in a house with absolutely no parental guidance, breaking the laws each day! Any food is good enough!"
"What was that?" The pony tilted his head, trying to decipher Rumble's muffled sentence.
"Nothin'," Apple Bloom put up a fake grin, which seemed unnaturally wide. "Ah ain't know what he was talking about... aye?"
"Fifteen apples," Scootaloo put up a confident and daring expression.
The sales pony narrowed his eyes. "Want to negotiate? Okay then. Nine apples. Not an apple more."
Scootaloo let out a disbelieved huff. "Fourteen apples then. Not an apple less."
The pony bit his lip, beads of sweat running down his head as he glanced longingly at the red orchid the Crusaders were offering. "Twelve apples."
"Twenty."
"... Thirteen."
"Twenty three."
"Okay... okay! Fifteen! You've gained five apples from the original offer... happy? Take it or leave it," the pony hopefully glanced at the assertive pegasi.
Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak.
"Take it!" Apple Bloom shrilled, cutting her friend off.
"That's what I was going to say," the orange filly muttered, as she gave the red orchid to the sales pony, and retrieved her apples.
"Well we should go now, without any more... wastes of time," Babs Seed insisted, beginning to trot towards the Everfree Forest.
"That was still pretty cool with all the negotiating and stuff," Rumble spoke to Scootaloo, who pridefully nodded.
"Yes, the performance was quite impressive, wasn't it sister?"
"Like, totally agreed!"
The four Crusaders spun around to face two fillies sitting down. They were clapping their hooves together, devious expressions on their faces.
"Um... thanks?" Scootaloo backed away, standing a slight bit behind Rumble.
"No problem- oh aren't I so generous?" The pink earth pony snickered.
The grey one energenically nodded.
"Hey... you two look familiar... awfully familiar..." Scootaloo slit her eyes. "I just can't put my hoof on it..."
The two filly's eyes widened as they spun around and spoke between each other quietly.
"Oh my Chrysalis... that is Scootaloo! Remember her when she became a student at our school?" Silver Spoon's eyes flittered around.
"Yeah! She was only there for a week because she was too much of a coward to deal with the ponies picking on her for being a blank flank and flightless!" Diamond Tiara spat.
"Didn't she leave because she was expelled for beating up one of the foals?" Silver Spoon tilted her head.
"Never mind about that! If she recognises us, we're done for! We were the main ponies bullying her," Diamond Tiara peered to the side, to see the four Crusaders standing there in confusion. "Hmm... she probably went to lots of schools! I doubt we were the only ones picking on her. She probably won't recognise us... just... keep going on with the plan and deny what she says."
Silver Spoon nodded, before spinning around alongside Diamond Tiara and confronting the four young ponies again.
"Sorry about that... but anyways, for ponies as pointless as you all... I can see why you wouldn't have your Cutie Marks yet!" Diamond Tiara yapped, her blue eyes baring towards the four.
"Did you just say... pointless? Well that's a mild change in personality," Babs Seed muttered, her eyes having a protective tint in them as she peered towards her fellow Crusaders.
"We're just saying." Silver Spoon shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if you... never got your Cutie Marks."
"Seriously, you do not know who you're messing with. These girls have slaughtered timberwolves before!" Rumble beckoned towards the fillies. "I bet neither of you have done anything exciting with your lives for as long as you've lived."
Diamond Tiara gasped, before demolishing her anger. The words 'play it cool,' vibrated through her head. "We just haven't seen you do anything beneficial with your lives for the passed five minutes. Doesn't the concept of Cutie Marks interest you?"
"Well bein' part the Cutie Mark Crusaders is a privilege as it is! If we ever have spare time, we always go out crusadin' t' see if anyponeh' gets luckeh'. But we're more for havin' fun than workin' ourselves up over Cutie Marks," Apple Bloom explained, a smile on her face.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon forced their grins, before they spun around and discussed quietly between each other.
"Should we just go? It's already like, totally clear that they aren't interested in the topic," Silver Spoon muttered.
"No, it's too late now to back off now! We just need a different topic which may perk their interests!" Diamond Tiara peered around to the four, before her eyes widened as she saw the apples they had with them. "I know what topic we should use! Wealth! If they actually had any bits, they wouldn't have to trade for their food."
"I hope you're right," Silver Spoon muttered, as the two sisters turned around again.
The Crusaders exchanged uncomfortable glances at the iciness the two fillies were portraying.
"Ah really don't like the looks of these fillies," Apple Bloom whispered.
"None of us do," Babs Seed whispered.
"Hey, you're being quiet Scoots. Everything alright?" Rumble peered at the pegasi.
"They just seem so familiar..." Scootaloo stared into space.
"Sorry... again," Silver Spoon gave an awkward giggle, before glimpsing at Diamond Tiara.
"Anyways... why are you trading? Why aren't you just paying?" Diamond Tiara narrowed her eyes. "Do you think I am talking to poor ponies?" Diamond Tiara turned to her friend.
"Oh my- ew! I think we are!" Silver Spoon backed away, disgust on her face. "Don't let them touch me, they are probably diseased! For all I know, they could be homeless!"
"We aren't homeless," Babs Seed growled slowly.
"Oh, but you're still poor. For ponies at our rank and status, you are no different from grotesque animals," Diamond Tiara sneered. "Well, well, well."
"Shut up!" Apple Bloom snarled. "We ain't poor! We're way more rich than you two are by heart!"
"By heart," Silver Spoon repeated, before laughing cruelly. "Wow, you all really are pathetic."
"By heart, and by actual wealth!" Rumble snapped.
"Oh!" Diamond Tiara played with her mane and batted her eyelashes, flirtatiously. "Quite a fighter, hey?"
"What?" Rumble stepped back. "I... uh... Scootaloo..."
Scootaloo's eyes widened, before she butted in front of Rumble, speaking for the first time in a while. "He is off your limits, you witch! You'd better back away or I'll light your mane on fire, and slowly murder all of your loved ones before your eyes! If you have any loved ones, considering how heartless you are! Then I will behead you, and lay your pretty little carcass in a pile of mud. Got it?"
Diamond Tiara quickly nodded, not sure whether the filly was lying or not, but not wanting to take the risk. She quickly hid her frightened expression with a smirk. "Whatever, I wasn't that interested. But anyway did you just say that you were rich by wealth? Prove it. I bet you'll never contest us."
"Bring it!" Scootaloo leered aggressively, a raged expression in her face.
"Well my sister can get one thousand bits at her command," Silver Spoon quarrelled.
"So? We can find one thousand bits worth of crops in our backyard!" Scootaloo barked, determination buzzing in her purple eyes.
"Well I can actually afford to go to the Royal Dance!" Diamond Tiara looked at her hooves boastfully.
"Why would you go to a dance, when you can't dance?" Scootaloo taunted. "And yes, that was a threat."
"Dance then, if you think you're so good!" Silver Spoon sniggered.
"With pleasure," Scootaloo snorted, before twirling around, and flipping into the air. She landed back onto her hooves, sidestepping and giving a prim and smug curtsy. "I'd ask you to dance to prove yourself, but the results are pretty clear in who's the winner."
The two sisters were dumbfounded, before Diamond Tiara quickly spoke again. "Well I can buy then most elegant and expensive dresses!"
"Apple Bloom here can make dresses one thousand times better overnight," Scootaloo put her hoof around her friend's shoulder. "And Babs Seed can cover our manes! She is an incredible stylist!"
"Now I am certain she's bluffing," Silver Spoon gibed, giving a shake of the hoof, which spoke, 'oh, please.'
"No- she's actually telling the truth," Babs Seed shrugged. "And I wouldn't lie."
"Scootaloo- what're ya doin'?" Apple Bloom started, but her sentence was never answered.
"Well my sister's room is made of gold!" remarked Diamond Tiara.
"It is?" Silver Spoon began, but was cut off, as Diamond Tiara stuffed her hoof in the grey filly's mouth.
"Well... well Apple Bloom here can spin all the gold she wants out of straw!" Scootaloo bellowed.
"Wait- what?" Apple Bloom began, but was cut off, as the two nasty fillies leaned forward.
"She can?"
"Yes! She is always spinning gold! Out of... straw and stuff!" Scootaloo yabbered.
"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom peered around, before she felt that she was suddenly being dragged away. "Wait! Where am ah goin'? What?" Apple Bloom rapidly peered around, as she saw the two fillies were dragging her along behind them towards the opposite side of the town to her home. "What are ya doin'?"
"You now work for us, and you can't do anything about it!" Silver Spoon mocked, prissily holding her head high.
"Wait- no!" Apple Bloom tried running away, but the two evil sisters had her tied to some sort of chain. "Scootaloo was lyin'! She was! Noponeh' with a right mind would be able to spin gold from straw!"
"Yeah, we'll see about that, dimwit," Diamond Tiara taunted.
"Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo raced forward, followed by Babs Seed and Rumble. "Don't you dare take her away from us!" Scootaloo caught up to Apple Bloom, and began trying to haul her friend away, but it only strangled Apple Bloom, as the chain was tied around her neck.
"Stop! Ah can't breathe!" The yellow earth pony began to cough, as she clutched her neck which was going purple.
Scootaloo quickly released her grip, and glared at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "What sort of witchcraft is this?"
"It's called a choker collar," Diamond Tiara purred. "We use it on dogs and other stray animals."
"That was actually a really good comeback," Rumble murmured, earning glares from Babs Seed and Scootaloo. "Wrong time?"
"Very," Babs Seed muttered, before running up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in the front, and standing before of them. "Give our friend back to us!"
"If all goes well, yes," Silver Spoon spoke pompously. "I mean- if she passes the test, then we will set her free. If not, she'll be sent to Chrysalis's Canterlot dungeon for the rest of her pitiful life."
"Test?" Rumble called, as he was desperately trying to work out a way to free Apple Bloom.
"Yes- if she actually manages to spin gold," Diamond Tiara smirked.
"Yer insane!" Apple Bloom persisted. "Ah can't do that, ah have already told ya!"
"It's true! That was the only thing I was lying about!" Scootaloo breathed, as she caught up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
"We really don't care. We are not giving her back until she succeeds!" Silver Spoon declared.
"Oh you little..." Scootaloo roared, leaping forwards and plummeting into Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, sending them to the ground, and kicking them scornfully.
The two fillies screamed. "Help! Royal Guards! We are Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, daughters of Queen Chrysalis- this scoundrel is abusing us! Help!"
Scootaloo's eyes widened. "Wait... those names..." Suddenly, she felt a green magic aura surround, her, as she was lifted into the air. She saw her fellow Crusaders were being taken by magic too... all of them other than Apple Bloom.
"You foals are in trouble for the harming of royalty," a changeling guard claimed, as he levitated the three away from their friend.
"No! Apple Bloom! First Sweetie Belle, now you!" Babs Seed cried.
Apple Bloom weakly grasped her hoof upwards, only meeting air. "Ah promise ah will try mah hardest t' get back! Babs Seed- ya're now in charge!" She could no longer see her friends, as she was hauled into the distance. "Ah will pass the test- ah don't know how, but ah will..." There was only the evil laugh of the two sisters ahead of her. "Bye..."
…
Snow Flutter felt whirls of white around her, as she was flung upwards to above. Monarch butterflies whizzed passed, and lifted her up so she was directly under the sun's warmth. The sun suddenly peeled apart, becoming flecks of yellow fireworks sprinkling down. Snow Flutter could no longer see the butterflies as she was trotting through some endless hills, the grass rich and green. The sky was a shining white, which should be making her squint- but it wasn't. She halted, as she arrived at a river, the trickling water lapping at her hooves. It might as well have been a lake, as the water was completely still... like glass, mirroring the sky above it. Snow Flutter peered at her reflection, which was perfectly clear, her teal eyes glistening. She reached her hoof down, and slowly dipped into the water. She swam to the bottom of it, and found herself in the sky, sitting on a cloud. Here, she settled down, thinking of the one which had been plaguing her mind since he had said the words which had torn her heart in two pieces. She could imagine him here, with her alive, yet dead. She could feel him next to her, his fur lightly brushing against her's keeping her warm even in the middle of a snowstorm. She hesitated. "Even when I am dead he will be here..." She hoofed at a tuft of cloud. It was surreal... the feeling. She wasn't sure whether it was true or false... whether it was a dream or a nightmare... whether she was something still, or just a lost memory. She sighed. "Discord will never leave me alone... not him, but the thought of him alone..." Alive or dead, she expressed her feelings, feeling light tears slipping from her eyes, to the ground and turning to ice in this chaotic world of insanity. If it was a world that was. She closed her eyes, as she began to feel a small melody begin to fall from her lips... she wasn't controlling it... it just happened.
"He said 'I got to leave this town...
escape all the cities- away from the crowds...'
I thought life can't help me now...
nothing lasts forever...
But this is going to take me down..."
She sighed, feeling herself slowly begin to fall through the clouds.
"He's so tall... and handsome as well...
He's so bad- but he does it so well.
I can see the end... as it begins...
My one... condition... is..."
She landed in a blurred world, splashes of purple, green and orange slivering across the sky like snakes, as she worked her way through the streamers of discordance... her way through the memory of the discord itself. Discord.
"Say you'll remember me...
Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset, babe.
Red lips, and rosy cheeks...
Say you'll see me again-
Even if it's just in your... wildest dreams... oh...
Wildest dreams... oh... ah..."
She sighed, laying her head down on what seemed like a pillow, before she felt the feeling of wind tickle her back. She gazed to the side, and her eyes rested on a whirlwind coming towards her. Panicking, the yellow pegasi got up, attempting to run away, but the twister was coming at her in alarming speeds, and devoured her into the ripping winds. In the centre of the tornado, she saw a small black portal opening up, and she was pushed gently into it... to an even more insane world... the waking world.
…
Snow Flutter groaned, before flickering her eyes open, and peering to the sides. She let out a surprised squeal, as she realised she was miles above the ground... being lifted higher into the sky be some force. She peered up in shock, and her eyes rested on two pegasi carrying her higher and higher. Recognition whizzed to her head.
"Soarin! Flash Sentry! Are you two dead as well? Wait- why are you carrying me into the sky? Why do I have to be up here?" When they didn't answer- not even glance at her, she began to panic. "Please put me down! Boys!"
Not answering, the two pegasi colts carried her up another metre, before they stopped smack bang in the middle of the sky. They exchanged glances, before nodding.
Snow Flutter began to feel their grip release around her. "What? No! Stop!" She felt their grasp disappear, and she desperately peered down to the earth... miles and miles below her. The yellow pegasi squeaked, her wings locking to her sides, before she went diving down to the ground, wind turbulence whipping at her eyes, as she inched agonisingly closer to the floor. Snow Flutter began to weep, as she descended further down.
"Snow Flutter... you can do this! Please... just... don't be scared. Say... an animal is falling. I have to save it... I have to..." She gulped, before closing her eyes, and thinking of all the happy things in her life... the end of her drop was coming closer as she continued to shoot through the sky.
"Just... fly... please..." She finally opened her eyes, forcing her wings to spread open. She was still falling, but her drop was softened, as her wings picked up a cushion of wind, slowing her down. She felt to the ground touching her hooves, and instantly dropped to her belly, rolling over, and looking herself over. "Thank Celestia... only a bruise." She brushed some leaf debris off of her, as she got up and peered around. "Now what in Equestria were Soarin and Flash Sentry doing?"
"Yes, I wonder." A voice sounded, as a white unicorn emerged from the bushes.
"Shining Armour? I mean... do you know what happened? What is happening? Am I dead or alive?" Snow Flutter trotted up to him. "And where are we? I don't recognise this part of the forest..."
"Good... this is faraway from any town, so nopony will know what happens." Shining Armour narrowed his eyes in an unwelcome manner.
Snow Flutter stopped trotting forwards, and etched back. "What is going on? Where is Fancypants, Cheese Sandwich and Big Macintosh... and what were Soarin and Flash Sentry doing?"
Shining Armour let out a laugh... it sounded like a perfect combination of fearsome, scary, daunting and mocking... it made Snow Flutter shudder. "The first three? I killed them!"
"Wait... who? What?" Snow Flutter gasped. "Fancypants, Cheese Sandwich and Big Macintosh? What? That makes no sense! Why would you kill them... aren't they your friends?" She distanced herself further away, shivering, with tears lacing her eyes.
"Haha... they were, weren't they?" Shining Armour curved his lips into an evil grin. "I convinced them well- they weren't expecting it when I made my move!"
"But... why?" Snow Flutter stuttered, her heart quickly beating.
"Why not?" Shining Armour guffawed. "They were always useless and pathetic- I was just spying on them for Chrysalis. I did a good job, destroying their hopes of ever meeting their loved ones again."
"You... you traitor!" Snow Flutter mewled. "How could you? We trusted you! And what is with Soarin and Flash Sentry?"
Shining Armour rolled his eyes. "I messed with their minds- altered their beliefs... corrupted their knowledge. They are now under my command... they don't know they are, and they will never be the same again." With a signal of his hoof, the two pegasi lowered from the sky, and appeared on either side of Shining Armour, peering blankly into space.
Snow Flutter trembled, before gulping, and holding her head slightly higher. "You monster..!"
"Monster's a bit harsh a word, isn't it Snow Flutter?" Soarin cackled, his eyes still seeming distant.
"I am only following Chrysalis's orders. I want to keep my job," Flash Sentry continued, speaking as if he was Shining Armour himself.
"And what... what are you going to do to me?" Snow Flutter faltered, feeling her tiny heart begin to blast like an explosion with fright.
Shining Armour stepped forward, the pegasi minions closely following, truculent and hostile expressions on their faces. "Why, we are now going to kill you!"
Hehe, a cliffhanger ending. I'm so evil. By the way, the song Snow Flutter sung is Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift. I love her songs :)