The Crusaders screamed as they fell, bouncing down the stony slope, brambles and branches ripping at their manes.
Scootaloo was certain they’d hit every rock, tree, and thorn on the way down the hill. Her whole body felt so bruised, she wouldn’t be surprised if it were as purple as Twilight Sparkle.
Apple Bloom tugged at a prickly bush in an attempt to rip her bow loose from where it had snagged. With a riiiip, the fabric gave way, sending her head over hooves.
“Whooaaa! Oof.”
Sweetie Belle spit out a mouthful of leaves as she sat up, then brightened.
“Look! We made it out of the Everfree Forest!” She pointed happily. Scootaloo sighed with relief. Twilight’s castle wasn’t too far away. The sooner they could put their problems in the Princess of Friendship’s hooves, the better. Scootaloo was sure Twilight would be able to reverse whatever weird mind control Auntie had over Ambermoon and Lilymoon. She just hoped her friends could hang on until then.
But the three fillies hadn’t taken more than two steps when dark storm clouds drifted across the sky.
“That’s funny,” Apple Bloom said. “I could have sworn those weren’t there a moment ago.”
A jag of lightning ripped through the clouds, followed by a boom of thunder that momentarily deafened the fillies. Rain began to pour down in sheets, drenching them.
“Of course it happens when we’re out of the Forest,” Scootaloo grumbled, looking around for trees they could take shelter under. There wasn’t so much as a shrub nearby.
“Over here!” Sweetie Belle beckoned. Scootaloo looked to see that her friend was heading for a rickety fruit stand on the side of the road. She dashed after the Unicorn.
A soggy Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle ducked into the shelter. Matilda the Donkey and Mr. Cake were already inside. They greeted the Crusaders.
“Come in, come in! My goodness, I don’t know where that storm came from!” Matilda said. Mr. Cake nodded, wringing out his tail with his hooves.
“Good thing this fruit stand was here,” Apple Bloom agreed, patting the wall with a hoof. The weathered wood groaned under the impact. Scootaloo watched in horror as the ancient wall began to tilt.
“Uh-oh,” said Mr. Cake. He leaped to brace the wooden beams before the whole stand collapsed.
“We need something to prop it up!” Matilda announced, looking around.
“Try this!” Sweetie Belle called, struggling to lift a bench at the back of the stand. Scootaloo hurried to help her. Attached to the bottom of the bench was what looked like a large melon. Except, Scootaloo noticed, it was buzzing. That was weird. Unless…
“Uh, Sweetie Belle? Maybe we shouldn’t move this,” Scootaloo said, gently lowering her end of the bench. Too late. The “melon” suddenly shook as hundreds of furious wasps flew out.
“Wasps’ nest!” Mr. Cake yelled. He let go of the beams he was holding and raced out of the lean-to. The wall, no longer supported, began to collapse. Matilda dove to hold it up, but just then, a wasp landed on her rump.
Scootaloo winced as the angry insect stung the Donkey’s sensitive hindquarters. With a bellow of pain, Matilda bucked, her flying hooves knocking down another wall. It was too much for the ragged fruit stand. Timbers creaked in protest, and the whole thing collapsed.
The Crusaders dove out into the rain, a cloud of humming wasps hot on their tails. Matilda stomped down the road toward Ponyville. Scootaloo tried to follow, but the ground was so slick from the downpour, she slipped and fell face-first into a mud puddle. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tripped over her prone form, and with a murky splash, the three Crusaders were covered in muck. The wasps, disgusted, flew away.
“At least the rain will wash us off,” Sweetie Belle said. Scootaloo appreciated her friend’s attempt to always see the bright side of things. Of course, it was at that moment that the storm clouds chose to part, hot sun beaming down on the mud-soaked trio. Scootaloo could already feel her coat starting to itch as the wet dirt baked into it. Walking to Twilight’s castle was going to be miserable.
The mud-encrusted Crusaders slowly trudged toward Ponyville. Hearing the clatter of approaching wheels, Scootaloo turned to see a familiar magic caravan trundling toward them. “It’s Trixie! I bet she’ll give us a ride!” she said. The Crusaders waved their hooves frantically as the wagon approached.
“Who hails the Grrrrreat and Powerful Trixie?” the blue Unicorn asked as she trotted up. Scootaloo was surprised she didn’t recognize them.
“It’s us, the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Apple Bloom said.
“Really? You look more like mud trolls.” Trixie sniffed.
“Can you take us to Twilight’s castle? It’s really important,” Sweetie Belle begged. Trixie frowned. Scootaloo knew she wasn’t a big fan of Twilight.
“Like, the fate of Equestria important,” Scootaloo added.
“I suppose.” Trixie sighed and gestured to her caravan. But as the Crusaders headed for the entrance, she held up a hoof. “After you scrub yourselves off. I don’t want you tracking mud on my magic carpet.”
“If she has a magic carpet, why does she drive a cart?” Apple Bloom grumbled to her friends.
“I think I can clean us up,” Sweetie Belle said. “Rarity taught me a spell for getting stains out of silk!” Her horn glowed, and magic washed over the Crusaders.
Scootaloo immediately knew something had gone wrong. Her mane and tail felt funny. She looked at her friends to see that though they were clean, every hair on their body was standing straight out. They looked as if they’d been blown dry by the wind-force of a hundred Dizzitrons. Trixie nearly fell over laughing.
“Maybe it works better on clothes,” she chortled.
The embarrassed Crusaders climbed aboard the wagon. After their long trek through the Forest and everything that had happened since, Scootaloo was grateful for a rest. She’d just gotten comfortable when the wagon hit a bump.
A box of smoke bombs jarred loose from a high shelf.
The Crusaders barely dodged in time as the box
