• Chapter Thirty-four: Thoughts Restricted •
…
It didn't take long for the two colts to arrive at Apple Bloom's shed, and as soon as she heard the sound of glistening magic, the yellow filly began to feel goosebumps etch up her legs. At this moment, did she remember that she still needed to sacrifice an item to the gold-spinners, and it made her more nervous than ever, her stomach cartwheeling. She could have made more straw dresses to offer to them... but then, Apple Bloom's supply of hay was downright limited as it was, and she couldn't afford to have any less than the perfect amount of straw to create gold with.
This caused thoughts to ravage through her mind, deleting off any other data which lay hidden. Why did she even bother to pay for this gold in the first place? The two snobby fillies would come in the morning anyway, and would it be too hard to just sneak passed them without any gold?
At the back of her mind, Apple Bloom's thoughts would come towards the more humane option, and she knew that she was being far too friendly for her own good. It was as though she believed that every situation could be solved with kindness. It was not true, and it never would be, when it came to situations like this.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would never let her go until her years came to an end, and the last apple fell from the tree. Hunger was slowly gnawing at Apple Bloom as it was, and not having any food or water for two days was definitely not doing her any good. She may have lied, since she had gotten lucky with a storm, causing some rainwater to leak into the barn. She had had thirstily lapped it up to prevent her dehydration. To prevent her hunger- just the fact that hay is actually a prime source of a pony's diet, and what this barn had a lot of was hay.
Regretfully, Apple Bloom's hunger was one of the reasons why the stock of silage was limited.
Apple Bloom's mind snapped back to reality, as she peered at the two colts staggering across the room, as though drunk and recovering from dizziness.
Teleportation did take up a lot of energy, and for those two amateurs, it was an alarming rate of magic being used. That would be a pretty decent reason why the two were so... kooky.
Being an earth pony, Apple Bloom didn't know, and didn't care, as she gritted her teeth. "Hurry up!"
The foals eventually regained balance, and straight up demanded for their donation.
Apple Bloom glanced to the side guiltily. "Ah... have nothin'."
"Nothing? We came all this way for nothing?" the taller colt's eye twitched. "Well that was a waste of time... and magic."
"No- wait!" Apple Bloom bumbled forwards, raising her hoof in a stopping gesture desperately. "Please... ah need this gold... mah life is at stake! If ya two have any goodness in yer' dark, evil, twisted hearts, then please... please do this fer' meh'."
The colts exchanged glances, before shaking their heads.
"You don't get it, do you?" The shorter colt blared. He paced forwards in a threatening manner. "We do not care about your weird, dumb life! We only want the money- it gives us a sense of achievement. You either pay, or you get nothing! That's how the society works!"
"Yeah," the lanky one shrilled. "Soci-tee!"
"But... but..." Apple Bloom closed her eyes, hopelessly trying to think of ways to convince the foals otherwise. "Ah can pay ya afterwards?"
"We don't trust you."
"Ah can do yer' chores fer' a week?"
"Not interested."
"Ah can-"
"-look," the tall colt sizzled. "I thought we has made our point, but obvio-sy we has not. We is not interested in anything, and I meant anything!"
"That grammar though..." Apple Bloom muttered.
"Yeah, he was the one who teleported us here and he's been a bit topsy-tervy since," the stubby colt mumbled, before glowering. "But he proves our point. We. Don't. Care."
Apple Bloom's ears drooped. "And to think ah' was about to offer anythin'..."
"Anything?" Both colts' dimming attitude lightened slightly, as they glanced at her, curiousness lurking in their eyes.
Hiding her smirk, Apple Bloom nodded. "Yep-idy-doo. Too bad, because... y'know- anythin' is a lot."
The two unicorns dubiously glanced from her to each other, sharing a few whispers, before speaking up. "Okay, we will spin your gold... on the condition that the next friend you make... belongs to us!"
"The next friend ah make- goes t' ya? Friend? Mate? Pal? Buddeh'?" Apple Bloom stuttered, slowly adding up all of the equations of the sentence. "And that's it?"
"Pretty much." The two nodded simultaneously.
Apple Bloom unsurely gritted her teeth, before nodding. "Alright. Deal. Now get t' work!"
…
As soon as Snow Flutter awoke, she helped the dwarves unpack the stolen items from the crates and boxes.
"We may have taken a bit more than we needed this time," Fancypants stated, as he levitated a few bags of flour into a pile of food supplies.
"Yeah." Everypony automatically agreed, their voices slightly mechanical, bland and lazy.
Snow Flutter peered up. "Should we return some of the items then..?"
"Na, it's too late for that now." Flash Sentry groggily retorted. "We'll just need to wait a few days until we gather again- and be more resourceful."
Snow Flutter didn't reply, as she unpacked more bags. Eventually, she came across the diamond-encrusted comb in which she had bought, and quickly picked it up, attempting to hide it under her wing.
Unfortunately for her, Cheese Sandwich noticed the shiny, glittery hairpiece. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Snow Flutter's eyes darted to the side, and she bit her lip nervously. All readable clues that what she was saying was untrue.
The nutty orange earth pony wasn't buying it. "I can't believe you lied to us! You secretly bought an expensive comb from this old pony behind our backs when we were gathering!" He exaggerated most of the adjectives.
"Expensive? It was two bits!" Snow Flutter frantically protested.
Every dwarf gasped in shock, looking at her the same way a pony would look at a mass murderer. "Priceless!"
"And you just admitted that you bought it!" Cheese Sandwich tweeted. "For this crime, your penalty shall be... death!"
"Death?!" (Incorrect punctuation used on purpose to prove a point).
"Woah, woah- calm down there," Soarin rolled his eyes, turning to Snow Flutter. "Pass me the brush."
Wistfully, the butter-yellow pegasi took the comb from under her wing, and tossed it to the ice-blue dwarf. Examining it, Soarin glanced at her in disappointment.
"This is what proves the point that we take way too much," Shining Armour announced, levitating the comb out of Soarin's hooves, and looking it over in displeasure. "We don't steal expensive, valuable objects like this. We mainly take food. If you wanted a comb, you could have at least stolen a more cheap, trashy one."
"I don't trust that comb- something about it seems... off..." Cheese Sandwich commented, giving the comb a quizzical glower. "I've got my eye on you!"
Ignoring the nutty pony, Snow Flutter spoke up. "You don't understand the full story- the pony would not leave me alone- she just kept nagging me to buy the comb, it was doing my head in. Eventually I just gave up, and bought it."
"Giving up is a crime as itself!" Fancypants barked, grouchily. "I am ashamed. So very ashamed."
Shining Armour levitated the comb into Snow Flutter's hooves. "Everypony makes mistakes. Just try to only take something which will be beneficial."
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh simply agreed, using his famous catch phrase. He had silently listened through the conversation.
Snow Flutter nodded. "Okay, I promise I will- and I will try to make as good a use out of this comb as possible- starting now." The cotton-candy-pink maned pegasi was about to raise the brush to her hair, when she lowered it again, remembering the big amount of work which still had to be conducted. "As soon as I have finished with all of this unpacking."
"That'd be wise," everypony agreed, before casually getting back to work.
…
Sweetie Belle watched, as the sun began to lick the ground, inviting a frosty layer of nighttime. Tiptoeing towards the door, the white unicorn skilfully avoided getting shards of glass in her hooves, before making her way out of the door completely. She'd converse with herself, but she didn't consider herself completely insane yet. Loneliness just tugged at her, and made a pang pulse in her heart. As Sweetie Belle emerged from the door, she could almost immediately feel a cool breeze whiff around her. Ignoring the cold bite, the filly trotted on, allowing her hooves to take her where they knew was right. And that was towards her friends. She knew they couldn't be dead- they were far too tough, and she was one with them- if anything happened to them, them she'd know. She'd feel it deep in her heart, before the news had even reached her ears. Her friends seemed fine... just divided somehow?
It didn't make sense that they'd abandon home, unless they had a very valid reason. Answers would come as time passed, and she knew that.
For the time being, she'd just stroll into the night, and wait until something happened.
…
"Now usualleh' ah'd get Red Applehood t' buck for these suckers, but since she had t' go home, ah' will show ya'all this time."
The three foals watched, as the elderly mare hobbled into sight, and reared up onto her front legs. Strongly kicking backwards, she allowed her hooves to meet the trunk of an apple tree, and the red and green fruit came flying down into baskets. "And 'ats how ya' buck fer' apples youngsters. Ya'all give it a shot now."
"I got this!" Scootaloo shrieked, skipping towards the nearest tree, buzzing her tiny wings excitedly.
"Remember t' balance out yer' weight," Granny Smith croaked, sitting down on a wheelchair outside of her home, watching the orange filly patiently.
"Balance, shmalance." The orange filly remarked under her breathe. She clumsily pounded her wings as fast as possible, lifting her whole body off of the ground except her front hooves.
"Ya' need more weight on yer' front hooves. Ya' can't have yer' wings keepin' ya off the ground, ya' need yer' hooves t' help give yer' back legs more force." Granny Smith explained into the ignorant ears.
"Careful Scoots," Rumble called anxiously.
Scootaloo attempted to lurch forwards, into the tree, but her wings suddenly went crazy, flying her off into the opposite direction of the tree. "Woah! Help me!" Scootaloo attempted to gently lower to the ground, awfully failing, as she barrelled down, rolling over spastically once or twice, before slamming into a basket of apples, making it topple over and spill all of the fruit away.
"Well, you definitely managed to get apples to fall down," Babs Seed offered after a few moments of silence.
"Ya' ain't use yer' wings fer' apple buckin' rookie! Ya' need t' use yer' strength instead." Granny Smith cackled, turning to the other two foals. "Who's next..?"
"Um... I'll go," Rumble spoke, his voice wavering with uncertainty.
Reluctantly, the pale grey colt hopped towards the nearest tree, and knocked at it slightly with his hoof, examining how hollow the bark was.
Keeping his wings glued to his back, Rumble lowered all of his weight onto his front legs, and jerked backwards, knocking into the tree. The branches rattled slightly, some leaves breaking free, but not a single apple fell.
"Bah-hahaha!" Scootaloo choked, rolling onto the floor, clutching her stomach. "Great job Rumble! How much apples was that again..?"
"Like you did any better," Rumble teased. "At least I hit the tree!" Flapping his wings, Rumble ascended, swooping into the branches, and shook some of the thinner, more fragile branches.
With this, the apples allowed gravity to take them on a journey to the ground.
"Ain't apple buckin', but still effective. Next!" Granny Smith watched as Babs Seed cautiously trotted towards a tree.
The brown-orange filly peered at the tree, gritting her teeth, before raising her body, and giving the tree a hard smack with her back hooves. The tree swayed, but no apples fell.
"Congrats! Probableh' the best buck so far!" Granny Smith gave an appreciative nod.
"E-even if n-no apples fell o-out..?" Babs Seed faltered.
"Phhhttt! As if ah' expected aneh' one of ya'all t' succeed! Ah' wouldn't expect that of mah'self at yer' ages, even if ah' was gonna turn out t' be one of the best apple buckers in Equestria!" The tea-green mare gave a lonely sigh. "If only ah' knew what was gonna happen in the future, back in those days of saniteh'."
"What do you mean by that..?" Babs Seed questioned, trotting forwards and sitting in front of the elder, Scootaloo and Rumble not far behind her.
"Heh. Ya'all know what happened, with Chrysalis raidin' the world and crushin' our lives like the apples bein' mushed t' make cider. Ah' remember before her rebel, Celestia and Luna were actin' differentleh' from what they used t'. Less meetin's... their shows in public became less frequent... they almost seemed t' be hidin' from us..."
…
The elderly tea green mare tottered across the farm, and passed the sign, approaching the nearest village; Ponyville.
"Granny Smith?" The strongly accented voice caused the elderly mare to halt, and she peered around to see a young filly, her fur bright orange, and a golden mane tied up messily into a ponytail. Her cheeks were smothered with freckles, and a feisty glint sparkled in her green eyes. Her rump was blank, and she was about four years old. "Where are ya' goin' to?"
"Town, little Applejack. Ah'm goin' t' the town."
"Can ah' come too?"
"Not this time. Ya' stay here now- ah' promise ah'll bring ya' along next time. Ah' promise."
The little filly's eyes twinkled with anticipation. "Okeh'. Next time though."
Granny Smith waited until the little filly had scuttled back into the barn, before she walked off through the orchids again, reaching the village.
"Here ye, here ye! Citizens of Ponyville, we have an announcement to make."
The wise, tea green mare approached the stage, in which two royal guards were standing on. She curiously butted through the mass to reach the front row, and watched with aged, golden eyes, as one of the royal guards cleared his throat.
"Thanks to recent reports, our princesses will not be able to join us this year for the Winter Wrap Up."
Murmurs broke out through the crowds.
Waiting until the audience had hushed, the guard spoke again. "An unknown threat has arrived, and to take our two regal sister's place this year, we have Princes Mi Amore Cadenza!"
"Haha, thank you, whatever your name was!"
Everyone gasped, as a beautiful pink alicorn stepped onto the stage, her purple eyes, glittering. She had a curly tricolour mane, of pink, yellow and purple, and the tips of her wings faded into a nice mulberry. Her Cutie Mark was a blue Crystal Heart.
"Princess Cadance!" Cries of excitement broke out, everypony's eyes glued to the alicorn.
"Please, call me Princess Mi Amore Cadenza!" Striking a pose, the alicorn waited until the crowd had lulled, before speaking again. "I am very excited for this festival, and I hope that I can help brighten your day, while Celestia and Luna couldn't. Just before I go, I would like to altar the theme of the festival- don't you think that the theme of flowers, and the wrapping up of winter is a bit... bland, boring, childish..? I have decided to spice a few things up, making this festival for love- it's time to cherish those around us! Hehe, see all of you love birds on the day! Toodaloo!" With that, a green magic orbited from her horn and the alicorn teleported away.
"Ooh-la-la!" Some of the ponies from the mass let out excited cries, whilst others including the elderly mare gave shocked and annoyed protests.
"Quiet down everypony! The Princess's request will be upheld! Thank you for your time!"
"Ya' youngun's with no respect these days!" Granny Smith jumped onto the stage, her bones crackling slightly with the amount of effort put into the one leap.
"Excuse me ma'am, but can you please-"
"-don't ya' whippersnapper 'ma'am' meh! Ah've lived in this vereh' location generations before ya' were even born, and the Winter Wrap Up is what makes Ponyville special! It's important, celebratin' the year like we used t' back in the day! It would be wrong if we suddenleh' changed the theme! Princess-less or not, ah' refuse to allow this cretin t' destroy old Ponyville customs!"
"Yeah!" Cheers broke out through the crowds, but the royal guards did not look impressed.
"Did you just call Princess Mi Amore Cadenza... a cretin?" One of the guards snarled, his lip curling like a dog's.
A blush formed on the tea green mare's cheeks, as she realised what she had just done. "...Maybe..?"
…
"Heh. Had t' spend the night in prison because of that." Granny Smith wiped a tear from her honey-coloured eyes. "All of these memories make meh' realise how old ah' am."
"What happened after that?" Babs Seed questioned, begging for knowledge.
"Well it turned out..." Granny Smith suddenly cringed slightly, and clutched her cranium. Sparks of yellow flitted from her head. "It turned out... ouch! Mah' brain!"
The Crusaders concernedly peered at each other.
"Are you alright, Granny Smith..?" Scootaloo worriedly questioned.
"Of course ah' am- ow..." Granny Smith closed her eyes and shook her head, the sparks still flashing like electricity. "Just a headache."
"I'm going to get her some water." Rumble dashed away.
Babs Seed and Scootaloo nervously nodded, and watched the elderly mare drift into a painful slumber.
"She'll be fine- it's just as if something is keeping her from bringing back memories..." Babs Seed murmured.
…
Snow Flutter tossed the final crate into place, and rubbed sweat from her brow. "That was difficult."
"The main thing is that we all worked hard, and with hard work comes great achievements," Fancypants hummed, as he brushed some dust from a few boxes with his blue tail.
"Great job everypony. We don't have to gather for about a week now, looking at what we gained this time." Shining Armour announced.
"Huzzah!" Everypony cheered, before trotting towards their wooden home. Snow Flutter skipped alongside them, a grin plastered onto her dainty face. The events which she had accomplished for the past few months would be impossible to achieve if she was herself from the past. How she had grown since she had been living with the dwarves had been amazing- she used to be fragile, a pushover, shy- she still was, but she had also scored more traits now. She was stronger, smarter and braver. It just showed that living in the woods with six colts which were basically her brothers and having to work hard to survive changed even the most insignificant of ponies.
Trotting inside the house, Snow Flutter quickly went to the kitchen, and prepared some vegetarian curry which she had been cooking throughout the day for dinner. Finishing the seventh, Snow Flutter quickly put the bowls at the dining table. "Dinner time!"
Instantly, the dwarves blitzed into the room, fighting over whatever bowl had the most food.
"Thanks Snow Flutter!"
"I don't know what we'd do without you!"
Rolling her eyes, Snow Flutter scoffed down her meal. "Honestly, I don't know what you'd all do either."
Once they had finished their meals, Snow Flutter trotted into her room, an evident nighttime glow illuminating the space, shining through the window. Her life was great right now- she would never consider it bad, and she had a group of amazing friends. Her life just missed one...
Sighing, Snow Flutter sat on her bed, the pink, frilly blankets, cosy underneath her complex.
Someday... I don't even know when.
Someday... I see it every now and then.
Someday... I will go out, and-
Someday... Is when I will see you again.
Giving a small smile, the yellow pegasi cooed the melody, her teal eyes misty with water.
But if... The darkness has invaded light.
And if... There's just wrong which is killing off the right.
I will... Blank out all the sights which near.
Because... You are the only one that I want with me here.
All Snow Flutter saw was a pit of emptiness. Realising her eyes were closed, she opened them, knowing that she was still in her room. She peered at the ground, and noticed the diamond encrusted comb, sitting on the ground, reflecting the moon's light onto the walls. Shadows danced in the light, taking the forms of ghostly creatures, just through the reflection of the comb. Snow Flutter was unaware.
"Oh, I forgot about this." Picking it up, Snow Flutter twisted the object around her hooves, an unreadable expression on her face. "All the drama you've caused- well, I may as well make the most of you... while I have you." Snow Flutter raised the comb to her mane, and caught it in the cotton-candy-pink strands. The bristles clamped down, twining into her hair, refusing to move.
Her face suddenly paled, and she lowered her hoof from the brush, it still stuck in her hair. "H... help..." Her voice was no more than a squeak, quieter than a mouse, as she fell to her knees, peering into a throbbing space, her eyes wide with sheer terror, and her pupils as small as raisins. Before long, her breathing lacked, coming out in strained gasps, and her yellow fur now ghostly white. "Pl...please..." Her teal eyes clouded, turning into a pale grey, like a dove's feathers, and she dropped to the ground, a feeble figure, laying perfectly. Even when dying, she was a beautiful image. The diamond encrusted comb was still tangled in her mane, glowing green, pulsing as though it were alive. Something alive, living on the as though dead.