//------------------------------// // Apple Bloom 1 - Onward // Story: Dawn of a New World // by KingBrony //------------------------------// "Applejack?" The little filly approached her big sister. Earlier that morning, the sisters found themselves in Ghastly Gorge, just south of Ponyville. Neither knew how they got there, but the two have been heading south ever since. "Yes, sugarcube?" "Where are we headin'?" Applejack frowned slightly. "Apple Loosa. It's the closest place Ah know of to here, so it would be a good start." "What if there's nothin' left, sis?" "We can't tell for sure until we reach it, now can we?" "I guess so." Apple Bloom took a look around. Currently, they were just heading out of the gorge. Rock and salt gave way for sand and stone. The air was dry and still. The sky was a sea of orange and gray clouds as the sun lay sleeping on the horizon. The Equestria Apple Bloom knew was long gone. "Where did the others go?" Applejack kept walking. "Ah'm not sure...But I do know that they're all okay..." Except Rainbow Dash. The pony looked to the gem hanging around her neck. It was as lifeless as..."No." Applejack said out loud. "It's okay..." Apple Bloom tried comforting her sister. Everypony we know is dying. "Everything will be okay." "HELP!!!" A loud scream could be heard from the south. Applejack's ears perked up as she galloped off to the origin. "Hurry up, Apple Bloom!" She called as the filly followed behind. "Are ya sure we should be headin' to-" "HELP!!!" Apple Bloom recognized the voice this time. Scootaloo. The filly picked up her pace, eventually catching up with her sister. Applejack looked very tired and her mane was very unkempt. The knot she usually wore on her mane and tail were gone, leaving the two free to flow as she galloped on. Her hat was dusty and torn, but she kept it on. No, nothin' like this will keep her down! Apple Bloom thought as she followed behind. Scootaloo was in the air being chased by three figures. Apple Bloom thought at first that they were those "Sleeper" beings from the night before, but as she got closer they looked to be changelings. "Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom called out, causing the pegasus to turn her head. She swooped down, leaving the changelings to take time to change direction. They came down like thunder, hitting the ground with a thud. Sand flew up right into Apple Bloom's eyes and mouth, causing her to cough for a bit. When it settled, Apple Bloom saw three changelings. They all looked devilish, grinning as if they had won a prize. Applejack stood in front of her sister. "Ah won't let you take them!" She yelled. "Mah life was saved by someone who didn't deserve to die...Ah will not let her sacrifice be in vain!" The pony proceeded to jump onto the nearest changeling, who did not expect the sudden brawl. "Now!" She called to her sister. Apple Bloom took this time to get Scootaloo and make a run for it. "Ah won't leave you, sis!" She called back before getting too far from the battle. Applejack looked fine taking three changelings at once, but Apple Bloom was still worried. Ah already thought I lost you once...don't let me think that ever again. Applejack bucked one of the changelings right into the other two, leaving them all dazed and on the ground. She took this time to run. "Let's get going!" She yelled as the three ran away before the changelings could get up. It took a while before the three reached Apple Loosa. Because they didn't pass it on the way down previously, they hadn't seen the destruction that took place. The town was a mess; there were craters all over the place, the buildings were either knocked down or deserted, and nopony was around. It was a ghost town. Applejack trotted through as the fillies followed closely behind. "Braeburn..." Apple Bloom said quietly as she remembered her family. Are they all okay? Ah know Babs... Scootaloo floated up and tapped Apple Bloom. "Hey, thanks for saving me back there." The fillies smiled as Applejack came to a halt. "What's wrong, Applejack?" Scootaloo asked as she landed next to her friend. Applejack looked around the empty town. It was quiet, and Apple Bloom didn't notice anything out of place, besides the fact that this town used to be full of life. After a moment, she found what she was looking for and took off, motioning for the fillies to follow her. She headed for one of the buildings an jumped right through the window. Apple Bloom did the same as Scootaloo flew in. The building was a bar-like area. There were canisters of apple cider stocked up right against the wall. Tables were knocked over and the wood all looked rotted. Applejack was nowhere to be found. "Applejack?" Apple Bloom asked before being grabbed. Her sister was hiding under the bar and grabbed the fillies right down to join her. "Don't make a sound." was all the mare said. Sure enough, a commotion was heard outside. The flutter of wings followed by growls could be heard outside. Apple Bloom recognized the noises to be changelings. The filly huddled against her sister when she heard them enter the bar. They knocked over tables and floated around the place, growling and hissing as they did. Apple Bloom held her eyes shut as she waited. What if they find us!? "Apple Bloom!" Applejack whispered, causing the filly to open her eyes. Applejack found a trapdoor and beckoned to her sister to follow. The three entered the door just as the changelings peered under the bar. The trapdoor blended in with the rest of the floor, causing them to gloss right over it. Apple Bloom found herself in a cider cellar. It was pretty dark, with only a few candles hanging from the greenish walls. There were barrels of cider stacked as a path led to the back of the room. Applejack kept moving. "This must lead somewhere else. Come on, girls." Apple Bloom couldn't do anything else except look at her friend and continue on. However, after taking a few steps, Apple Bloom stopped. "Applejack?" The mare looked back. "What's wrong?" "Can we...have some cider first?" The filly asked. She was getting thirsty, and they haven't had anything to eat or drink since the night before. Applejack smiled and went to the nearest barrel. She opened the thing, revealing a full barrel of cider. She found three mugs and dunked them in, filling each to the brim with warm cider. "Ah suppose we can have a little break." Applejack said as she handed the fillies the mugs. The next hour was filled with Scootaloo telling stories of what happened to her after the night before. "...And then, I woke up somewhere in the desert!" She said as she floated around the room. "It did look familiar, so I tried going to find those zebras we ran into earlier..." Applejack then spoke up. "That's it!" she interrupted. "We can go find the zebras again! They seemed friendly enough last time...surely they'll help us out!" Apple Bloom smiled. "Yeah!" She rather enjoyed the zebras, even though they didn't spend too much time with them. Even Scootaloo was excited as she forgot all about her story. After the excitement died down, Apple Bloom cleared her throat. "Why are the changelings down here? Weren't they in the Crystal Empire before?" "Ah'm not sure, sugarcube." Applejack replied as she went for another helping of cider. "All Ah know is that Ah have to protect you lot. Besides, there's much worse out there than those changelings." Those Sleepers, Apple Bloom thought to herself. Applejack hesitated. "...Rainbow Dash would have been strong for all of us. We have to do the same. When I find that 'Sleeper' that done ate Rainbow Dash, Ah'll buck him right in his eyes!" Applejack jumped right onto another barrel and held her cider mug up in the air. The fillies clapped and cheered on. "But first," Applejack continued. "Ah think we should get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us...possibly much longer than before." Apple Bloom found a nice place to rest in the corner, next to a barrel of cider. She was actually able to get full on the beverage and felt exhausted. As she tried to sleep, images of all of her friends danced in her head. Ah hope the others are okay... The yellow filly didn't dream that night. She woke up easily and sad. Scootaloo was sitting right across from her, while Applejack stood in a corner. "Sleep well?" Scootaloo asked the waking filly. Apple Bloom shook her head. "It's okay...my dream was the same again." Scootaloo looked down. "I was in a forest, with nopony around. I kept running, but I would always pass the same tree...Luna wasn't around to make my dream any better." "Ah went up to check on things a while ago. It's silent, so we can get out and get moving." The back of the cider cellar led to another door. As Applejack opened it, an orange light from outside poured into the dark room. As Apple Bloom poked her head out, she saw that the sky looked exactly the same as it did before. She wondered if she actually did get some rest. It seemed as if time stood still since the death of the princesses. The door led the ponies behind the bar, in a small alley in between buildings. Applejack quickly beckoned the fillies to follow her. "While we have the chance!" ********* "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, how would you girls like to go beyond the zebra lands?" Applejack asked the fillies. "Well, what's down there?" Apple Bloom asked back. "Ah don't know...maybe we'll find paradise." Applejack said as she looked at the sleeping sun. "Doesn't the sun look peaceful, sleeping on the horizon?" Apple Bloom looked at the sun. Looks more like a dead sun to me... "What about the others?" Scootaloo asked as she floated along. The orange filly had gotten very used to her wings by now. If Rainbow Dash could see her now... Applejack paused for a moment. "Right now, Equestria is not safe. Ah honestly don't know how safe the rest of the world is neither...but Ah do know that the others will be okay. We are the elements of harmony, after all. Ah need to keep you lot safe right now. That's what matters most. Don't worry...everything...will be just fine." As the three continued walking, into the harsh desert, Apple Bloom couldn't help but wonder if Applejack had just lied.