New Discoveries - Chapter 24

15 Minutes Earlier

       Sweetie Belle waited, as she heard her sister leave her bedroom and head to the main entrance of the Boutique.  When she was sure she was outside, she got up and made her way to the window, making sure she was out of sight but still able to see outside.  She saw Rarity trotting down the road into town, heading towards the library.  The filly knew that she wouldn't be gone for long, so she had to act fast.
       Immediately, Sweetie Belle grabbed her saddle bag in her mouth and began packing things the she knew she might need, even though she had no idea where she was going.  As she began packing some clothing, tears that had been in her eyes the whole time began streaming down her cheeks.  The guilt of what she was about to do was sinking into her subconscious, making her feel like she was some sort of criminal, trying to escape without being caught.
       When she thought about it, she knew that running away was a dumb idea, all because of what she did to Scootaloo.  However, Sweetie Belle knew that she would never be able to face her, either that, or Scootaloo would never want to see her again.  Furthermore, the thoughts of everypony already knowing about it and her being mocked and ridiculed for the rest of her life convinced her that she had to do this.
       After filling her bag with a few things she felt she might need for wherever she was going, she decided it would be a good idea to pack some food; since she didn't know where she was going, she had no idea when would be the next time she would eat something.  So, she headed down the stairs, making her way into the kitchen.
       When she packed the rest of her bag with some food, her heart began to race as the panic began to rear its ugly head in.  The tears continued to stream down her cheeks, as she decided that it was time for her to leave.  So, she began making her way to the back door, only because it was closer and she needed to leave without risking being seen by Rarity.  However, as the thoughts of her sister ran through her mind, she froze in mid-step.
       "Rarity," she whispered, as she wiped her eyes with a hoof.
       The thought of leaving without telling her own sister where she was going and that she wasn't coming back didn't settle too well with her.  In fact, thinking about it now, it made her feel even worse than before.  As a result, she decided to leave a note for her; nothing telling her where she was going, but letting her know that she was out.  Unfortunately, Sweetie Belle knew that she would be lying to her again, saying that she was going out but with no intention of ever coming back.  As a direct result, she decided to simply write that she would be leaving, not specifying when she would be back; maybe if she was lucky, Rarity would think that she was going out with her friends and leave well enough alone.
       Sweetie Belle turned and galloped back into her room, knowing that time was of the essence.  When she got there, she pulled out a piece of paper from her school book and grabbed the closest pen she could find.  Then, using her mouth, she wrote a short and simple note, the guilt and sadness sinking into her heart with every word.
       "Rarity," she wrote, trying her best to hold back the tears so they wouldn't get on the paper, "I needed to leave.  I'm sorry.  Sweetie Belle."
       When she was done, she left it on the bed, knowing that it would be the first place that Rarity would come looking for her.  As she put it on the bed, she stared at it for several seconds; the anxiety and panic preventing her from moving.
       "Rarity, I am so sorry I have to do this," she whispered, trying her best not to cry anymore, "Thank you for everything you've done for me.  I promise I'll be in touch, wherever I wind up.  I'll never forget you."
       Then, unable to hold herself from the pain of the situation, she began sobbing uncontrollably as she whispered, "Please forgive me."
       With that, she turned to the door, made her way down the stairs and out the back door of the Boutique.  When she was outside, she closed the door behind her and slowly began backing away, not sure if she could bring herself to do this.
       I can't stay here, she thought, as she wiped her eyes again.  I need to go now, before she comes back.
       With that, she turned and began walking away from her former home, knowing that she would never be able to come back again.

---

       A short time later, Sweetie Belle found herself nearing the edge of Ponyville.  She tried her best to make herself hidden from everypony; the worry of who knew and who didn't was getting the best of her.  The drizzle kept coming down, small but frequently as she kept her head low to avoid detection.  Although there weren't that many ponies out and about, she still made sure she wasn't noticed by anypony that happened to be around.
       Just keep walking, Sweetie Belle, she kept reassuring herself.  Nopony is looking at you.  Just keep walking and you'll be fine.
       Even her reassuring thoughts couldn't help her as she saw that she was passing Scootaloo's house.  Her heart began to race on overdrive as she tried her best not to look at the house.  Although she was able to prevent herself from looking, the thoughts of the Pegasus filly kept clouding her mind, making her feel worse and worse.  Her stomach began to churn from the anxiety, as the thoughts of her former friend kept racing in her thoughts.
       Just don't think about her, she thought, as she passed the house.  Just keep your mind on the road.  Everything will be alright once I leave town.
       After several moments, she found herself on a dirt path leading away from Ponyville.  When she got there, her heart had started to settle; nopony seemed to even notice the filly, which was fortunate for her.  She let out several deep breaths, hoping it would ease the panic and anxiety, but to no avail.
       "Where am I even going?" she whispered to herself.  Although nopony was in earshot, she still kept her voice low, just in case somepony was around.
       As she kept walking, she began to think about where she was going to go.  She had considered the clubhouse, for now, but immediately rejected the idea; her friends were always there and would spot her in an instant.  Sweetie Belle had thought about taking the Ponyville Train to somewhere far away, but, to her own dismay, she didn't have any bits to pay for it.  As a result, she found herself walking down a dirt path to nowhere.
       "There's got to be somewhere where nopony will find me," she said, her voice still low, "But where?  It's got to be somewhere where nopony will ever think to look.  Somewhere that nopony would dare to go.  Somewhere that..."
       As the thoughts crossed her mind, Sweetie Belle thought of the perfect place, sort of.  It was the only place that she knew would be a safe haven from the torment of Scootaloo and the rest of Ponyville, for that matter.  She had always been warned never to go there, but now, it was the best place she could go.
       She nodded her head, as her mind was finally made up.  Her heart raced at the very idea of going there, but it was better than nothing at this point; she had no other options.  Besides, she was pretty confident that she could take care of herself for a while, however long she would last.
       Soon, she had reached her destination, or at least, she was at the edge of it.  As she looked at the dirt path before her, she knew that there was no turning back.  It was either she left now or suffer for the rest of her life; knowing the latter of the two was a worse fate than anything, Sweetie Belle agreed to herself to leave.
       "Well," she said to herself, as she stared at the murky darkness of the Everfree Forest, "Goodbye, Ponyville.  I'll miss you."
       With that, she began to slowly walk down the road of the forbidden forest, not even caring about what could be there waiting for her.  However, she had only taken a few steps down the road, when a familiar voice that had called her name, stopped her dead in her tracks.