//------------------------------// // The Tour, and The Truth // Story: Blanked // by Salnalus //------------------------------// Once Apple Bloom walked out of the house, she saw what appeared to be a peaceful village. She noticed that the house she emerged from was directly across from the entrance of the town. When Apple Bloom recognized the yellow pony from earlier, she also recognized where exactly she was. "Ah can't believe it... Ah'm back in Sunny Town." "Of course you are!" Another voice called out. When Apple Bloom looked forward, she saw a grey stallion with black hair. Standing around him were many other ponies of different colors. Their expressions ranged from genuineness to pure happiness. But Apple Bloom kept herself wary, especially after the night she had. The grey stallion stepped forward, nodding his head to the filly. "Good morning, little filly! I can see you're quite surprised to be here again in Sunny Town! I just know you're going to enjoy your stay here." If anything, Apple Bloom's unsure look completely disagreed with his statement, no matter how peaceful the town or its residents looked. "Since you'll be staying here now, it's about time you get to know Sunny Town's most important ponies! Normally, we accept all ponies as equals, but... well, allow me to explain. We'll start with introductions. I am Grey Hoof, and as I've told you before, I love to throw a good party! I am also the head of Sunny Town." Apple Bloom didn't have it in her to say anything. She was still scared of the predicament she was currently in. Her eyes looked to the right as the yellow stallion from before stepped forward with a smile. "Hello. You saw me already. I was the one who saw you when you woke up. In fact, you were sleeping in my house." He chuckled as Apple Bloom looked back at the house she exited. She thought nothing of it and returned her expression to him. "My name is Roneo. I'm glad to meet you." He expected her to say something. When she didn't for a moment, he raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you a shy little filly? That's ok, we have somepony around here who knows what that's like." He turned his head to his right toward a white mare with orange hair. She reeled her head back a bit, but Roneo placed a hoof around her neck to calm her down. "Don't be shy. Introduce yourself to our new friend. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." The mare slowly nodded and stepped forward a bit. "My name's Starlet. It's, uh, nice to meet you." "There you go, sweetie!" Roneo cheered before turning back to Apple Bloom. "She's a bit shy. But when it comes to her hooves, boy is she outgoing." Starlet caught the meaning and turned away with a blush on her face, shuffling her hooves on the grass beneath her. Apple Bloom caught on to the meaning as well, recalling her earlier experience. Don't tell me she was that fast-movin' zombie... sweet Celestia, she was quick! One of her eyes twitched upon remembering. Luckily everypony was focused on Starlet. But they soon turned back to Apple Bloom as a slightly taller, brown stallion with yellow hair stepped forward to make his introduction. "Greetings, young filly!" He bowed his head forward courteously before speaking again. "You may call me Gladstone. It is a fine pleasure to meet you." To Apple Bloom, that pony sounded a lot like Canterlot ponies. The only difference is that he wasn't stuck-up, or even a unicorn. The last of the bunch, a bright green mare with dark green hair, enthusiastically stepped forward, a large grin on her face. Seeing how this pony tried to kill her before made Apple Bloom question her eccentricity. "And last but certainly not least, I'm Three Leaf! You know, that pony you saw waaaaay over there watering those plants yesterday? That pony! So glad to have you here in Sunny Town with us!" "Ok, Three Leaf," Grey Hoof interrupted. "I think the little filly's had enough of an introduction." Apple Bloom lowered her head toward the ground, a frown on her face. "Ah'm not a little filly..." Grey Hoof turned back to her after hearing her voice. "Did you say something?" "Ah'm no little filly. Ah'm a big girl." Gladstone chuckled at her cuteness, and looked quite adored by the sound of her voice. "Of course you are! What may we call you?" "My name's Apple Bloom..." she spoke hesitantly with a soft voice. It sounded a bit shaky, but then again, she wasn't exactly in a comfortable position. "Good, then!" Grey Hoof cheered. "Apple Bloom, these guys are my closest friends. Pretty soon, you can be close to us too." Her eyes narrowed, and she brought her head up, shooting a glare straight into Grey Hoof's eyes. "Ah don't wanna be close to y'all. You tried to kill me! And... then you did kill me!" She paused, reeling back a bit with a saddened expression. "At least, Ah think... Ah feel alive, but a few minutes ago, Ah thought Ah saw myself as a zombie." Grey Hoof smiled, and turned his head to the left. "We'll have to discuss a few things later, but first, let's show you where we all live, just in case you ever need to find any of us. If would be so kind as to follow me..." He walked off to his left, Gladstone and Three Leaf following behind. Once they proceeded, Apple Bloom could see the entrance to Sunny Town directly in front of her. My only way out. Maybe I can lose these zombies after all... Roneo could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her, As soon as she took a step forward, he stepped directly in front of her. "Wrong way, Apple Bloom. Grey Hoof and the others went that way." "Ah'm leaving this place. Ah'm not staying here with you zombies." Roneo started to chuckle, and surprisingly, Starlet giggled a bit along with him. This just seemed to unnerve Apple Bloom as she stepped back. "You're one of us now. You can't leave Sunny Town once you become a blank." "A... what?" Roneo just realized what he had said to the filly, and scratched the back of his head. "Grey Hoof will explain later. Now come along. They're waiting for us." Before Apple Bloom could make a counter argument, she found herself being forced away from the entrance toward the other ponies. They stood before yet another house, but it seemed a bit larger than Roneo's house. Grey Hoof cleared his throat once the other three ponies joined them. "Now then Apple Bloom, this would be my house. If there's any sort of trouble you may seem to have concerning Sunny Town, my door is always open." "Are you sure?" Three Leaf interrupted with a raised hoof. "I tried to open your door two days ago. It wasn't open!" "Did you read the sign on the door? It said, 'DO NOT DISTURB'. I was busy doing something." "Oh..." Three Leaf lowered her head in embarrassment. "I didn't read it. I can't read." "Let's just move on, shall we?" Out of nowhere, Three Leaf quickly returned to her cheery self while silently following Grey Hoof, followed by the others. The town looked pretty empty with the six being the only ponies around, yet Apple Bloom saw many, many more houses the first time she came through. She presumed they were the houses that belonged to the many other zombies who were chasing her the previous night. The thought of them made her shudder, but at least they didn't retain their terrifying looks, as was evident by the ponies she was now following. They ended up near a house not that far away from Roneo's house. In fact, it was next door. "This would be Starlet's house. She likes to read a lot, so her home is filled with many books." "Yeah," Starlet replied from behind the group. "If you want to read something from my house, I don't mind much. Just, as long as you bring them back when you're finished. That's ok, right?" Starlet glanced over at Apple Bloom with a pleading expression as if to ask if she could be trusted. But just staring at the white mare instilled fear into the filly knowing how fast she moved. She hadn't seen anything move that fast since the last time she had seen Scootaloo performing tricks on her scooter. To know that a zombie moved with such swiftness scared her stiff. She didn't reply to Starlet, who in turn frowned when she didn't get an answer. "Apple Bloom, why didn't you answer her?" Roneo asked, slightly disgruntled. Gladstone shook his head. "Perhaps she is still uncomfortable around us. Do not forget, she is new here. Give her time, and she will open up." "Well said, Gladstone," Grey Hoof commented before turning to his left and continuing forward. All of the other ponies followed afterward. After about three more good minutes, they came across a rather fancy-looking house. While it looked just like any other house, the porch was decorated with fancy fixtures that made it a bit more unique compared to every other house they've seen yet. "This would be Gladstone's house. While he mostly likes to keep to himself, he is an excellent conversationalist, and likes to help ponies through speech." Gladstone nodded in acknowledgment. "Think of me as a therapist of sorts. I have once helped out Three Leaf with a problem of hers, and... well... alright, she has many problems, but I am usually the one to consult should you ever require a lending ear." Even though that promise sounded comforting, it felt anything but to Apple Bloom. Ah think you wouldn't be able to help me out with any new problems Ah'm goin' to be havin' now... Silence filled the air once more between the group of six. It was getting awkward, to say the least. After about six seconds, Apple Bloom could feel one of her hooves being pulled by a certain green mare's hoof. "My turn, my turn!" the ever-so-cheerful Three Leaf chimed, dashing away with Apple Bloom against the filly's will. "Come with me, and I'll show you my house!" Apple Bloom didn't have a chance to object Three Leaf's actions, and they both left in a huff, leaving a cloud in their wake. Everypony else was rather confused about the whole ordeal. "Well, that's weird," Roneo stated with a raised brow. "She never gets that excited about showing a new pony her house." "Well, this is a special case, I'm willing to admit," Grey Hoof answered with a cheerful smile. "This is a filly we have brought into Sunny Town. We haven't seen any young ponies since we got rid of the cursed one. So I'm willing to excuse Three Leaf's excitement. Besides, when doesn't she act this happy?" Roneo chuckled, and nodded his head in agreement. "Good point. Let's catch up to them so Three Leaf doesn't ramble her into submission." That may have already been too late for Apple Bloom. They were already at Three Leaf's house were the overzealous mare was rambling on and on while Apple Bloom stared at her awkwardly. "So yeah, this is my house! I know it looks like a bunch of other houses, but it's very much different! For example, you can see my garden right here in the front, which I watch over all the time! I am also a great cook, and I love to help Grey Hoof set up his parties! Though, most of what I do is make the cake and punch and chips and other foods, but yeah! Though that's not all! I also have a back garden where I grow lots of plants and stuff! Oh and fruit trees too! Do you like apples? I'm guessing you do since your name has 'Apple' in it!" Dear Celestia, this mare is hyper... she could probably compete with Pinkie Pie. "Three Leaf!" Grey Hoof yelled, which snapped Three Leaf back to reality. "Oh, did I ramble on again? Sorry, but it's just so exciting to have a filly here!" Grey Hoof rolled his eyes, but then turned to Apple Bloom with a smile. "Anyway, that's all you'll have to know around here. Of course, there are lots more ponies that live here in Sunny Town, but..." Before he continued, the other four ponies gathered to either side of him, with Roneo and Starlet to his left, and Gladstone and Three Leaf to his right. They all had genuine smiles on their faces. "These four are my closest friends. I hope that maybe you could be a great friend of ours as well. But yes, all five of us hold a special meaning to this town." "Wait, you forgot about Mitta!" Three Leaf alarmed with a raised hoof in the air. Grey Hoof sighed as he lowered his head. "I was trying to avoid having her mentioned... but yes, Apple Bloom. You probably remember Mitta. I'd rather not talk about her, but..." Grey Hoof walked past Apple Bloom a few more steps, and the little pony followed. Not that far away stood a lone house with a rather bare lawn compared to the other houses. "That is Mitta's house. If you want, you may see her, though if I know her right, she's still crying in there about her daughter. I'm going to go set up for a party now." Grey Hoof turned away from her, walking back to his group of friends. "It would be nice if you joined us later. After all, the party's about you joining us." A smile curled on his lips before he walked away, as did the others. Apple Bloom didn't turn away from Mitta's house. She had a sense of wonder about not only the house itself, but the pony living inside. She cautiously stepped forward, unsure of whether or not she should even be stepping on the property with the permission of its owner. But being a filly, Apple Bloom didn't know better to have that on her young mind. Out of the curiosity that got her into this mess in the first place, she decided to move forward. Without a second thought, she reached up to the doorknob and slowly turned it clockwise. With a slight push, the door opened with a quiet, audible creak. She didn't even think that the homeowner may have had the door locked. The room was very dark, save for the light pouring in from the windows, as well as the now-opened doorway. Taking Grey Hoof's hint and attempting to meet this Mitta pony, Apple Bloom entered the house and quietly closed the door shut. ---------- Back in Ponyville, the early morning sun shined through Twilight's window. The bright rays had slowly crept toward the lavender mare's bed until it hit her eyelids. Her body was sprawled out on the bed in a rather uncomfortable position. What made her sleep even more uncomfortable was the fact that she was still wearing her saddlebag on her back. Eventually, Twilight woke up from her slumber, her eyes feeling heavy from the somewhat lack of sleep she had experienced in the night. She didn't have a headache, but after she rose herself up from the pillow, a sense of dizziness attacked her head. It took more than a few seconds of clearing her head to regain her senses. After rubbing her head and groaning for a good seven seconds, she tossed the covers aside and left her bed toward her mirror. Staring at her mirror, Twilight appeared to be a bit shocked, though the result wasn't surprising. Her mane was rustled to the point where it was almost poofy. Not as close as Pinkie's mane, but still rather unnatural. Her tail wasn't as rustled, but it still wasn't the same as it usually looked. Twilight even had noticeable bags under her eyes. She yawned loudly for a brief moment before her horn glowed a magnificent magenta hue, picking up the brush on her dresser. "Dear Celestia... I've had better nights than this. Luckily, I don't have anything planned today. I feel dead tired." Before the brush started to streak her mane, she took a pause. "Dead... Apple Bloom..." Just then, the mirror had swirls moving around the shape of Twilight's reflection, almost like a portal to an alternate dimension. Her eyes blinked at the strange phenomenon, and she raised a hoof to touch it, expecting her hoof to pass through. However, her hoof stopped at where it touched the swirl, and it still felt like glass. Soon, the vision shifted to a new image, not of Twilight's reflection, but of the image Twilight had seen the night before. There was Apple Bloom, surrounded by six of those creatures, those monsters, those... zombies. Twilight's ears folded downward as she could only stare and witness them tear the little earth pony filly to shreds. One by one, they pounced forward and proceeded to make her one of them. And just like last night, it was unbearable to see. Her heart clenched upon watching that scene unfold before her very eyes. The more they attacked her, the more it hurt inside to watch. Twilight had wanted to end the assault, but before she could prevent any permanent damage, it had already been too late. Twilight still felt very tired, and rubbed her eyes with her hoof. Upon uncovering her eyes again, she found herself face-to-face with her reflection once more. "What... are my eyes playing tricks on me?" she asked herself while bringing her head closer to the mirror, her reflection following suit. "I didn't want to see that again... I didn't want to be reminded of my failure back in that clearing..." Her magic released its grip on the brush, sending it landing back down on the dresser with a loud thump. A bit of tears formed in her eyes again from the memory of the past night, and her inability to save one of her best friend's younger sister caused her much distress. Her ears perked up rapidly upon hearing a slight groaning sound coming from behind her, and she quickly spun her head around. She made a sigh of relief when she only saw her number one assistant rise up from his bed, accompanied by a stretch of his small arms followed by a yawn. He looked up at Twilight as soon as his vision cleared. "Twilight?" muttered a still sleepy Spike. "Is it morning already?" Twilight sighed. Things were getting to her, so she tried to remain calm. Usually, she would try to, but things weren't usually this bad. "Yes Spike, it's morning." Groaning, Spike climbed out of his small bed by the foot of Twilight's much bigger bed. When he regained full control of his senses, he finally noticed Twilight's hideous wake-up look and reeled back in surprise. Twilight had expected this. "I know, I look horrible. I could hardly sleep last night." "I can tell. You look like a pony that recently came across zombies or something." Twilight's right eye twitched. How exactly did he know that? Or maybe it was just a lucky guess. Either way, Twilight just giggled nervously at the small guess. "Heh, yeah. We both know there's no such things as zombies..." she emphasized. Luckily, it seemed like Spike didn't catch on to the meaning of the emphasis of the word zombies, and shrugged it off. "Well, whatever's bothering you, I'm sure it can be fixed with a nice talk. That is, if you don't mind, of course." Twilight shook her head. She couldn't really tell him what happened, especially about Apple Bloom. She had to break the news to Applejack and the Apple Family first. "It's alright, Spike. How about you just get me a nice cup of coffee? I really could use the energy." Spike beamed with a hand raised to his forehead, presenting a salute. "A cup of coffee, coming right up!" With that, Spike ran out the door and down the steps. After he was out of sight, Twilight exasperated a deep breath. "I just need time to think about how to tell them. Just, what do I say? Something like, 'Hey, umm, I went to the Everfree Forest last night, and I'm sorry to say, but Apple Bloom went with me and she got killed by zombies'?" She facehoofed, and dragged her hoof down her face in exhaustion. "That's not going to work at all! I need to think of something quick." Meanwhile, Spike arrived at the main floor of the library. Normally most mornings, Twilight would have Spike check something like a list, or one of the bookcases, or some other such thing. But all he was doing now was getting a cup of coffee. As he made his way across the room, a sudden knock was heard at the door. "Huh? Who knocks this early in the morning?" Spike asked while he scratched his head. He switched route and walked to the door. When he opened it, Applejack stood there with a smile on her face. "Howdy, Spike!" she greeted with a tip of her stetson hat. "Ah know you ain't used to seein' me here in the mornin'. Just thought Ah'd stop on by since we ain't so busy at the farm, and won't be until a few more hours. Where's Twilight?" Spike was rather intrigued by the fact that Applejack had shown up at the library of all places, in the morning of all times. But he just shrugged it off as nothing. "Twilight's upstairs. Come on in." Applejack gladly stepped inside as Spike closed the door behind her. He went back to getting Twilight a cup of coffee. "I guess you just wait for her to come down, I guess." Applejack didn't have to wait, though. As soon as she turned her head the other way, she saw Twilight walking down the stairs. Her dark blue mane and tail were fixed to the way they normally looked so as to be presentable. She had to remain calm for the Apple Family. "Howdy, Twilight!" Applejack greeted with a wave of her hoof. The sudden voice fully woke up Twilight, who jumped in surprise, which made Applejack chuckle from the sight. "Sorry there, Twi. Didn't mean to scare ya." Twilight continued down the stairs uneasily, and her shock came from more than just the sudden greeting. "Applejack, why are you here so early? I mean, I know you like to get up early in the morning, but why come here? I said I was going to meet you at Sweet Apple Acres." Twilight's plan was normally to spill the beans, figuratively of course, in front of the whole Apple Family, and that included Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. The way she planned it, she was going to walk there while coming up with a perfect way to explain everything that happened. Now, with Applejack here, she no longer had time to think. "Yeah, Ah know that. But Ah asked Big Mac if he'd take over the farm for a bit while Ah check up on lil' Apple Bloom. Where is she?" Twilight gulped. Applejack was known for getting straight to the point, but without even trying? Twilight didn't even mention her yet. But it was now or never. "Listen, umm, can you come up to my room? I'd rather not have Spike close enough to hear." Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Why not? All Ah wanna know is where my sister is." "Just come with me," Twilight responded before she turned back and trotted back up the stairs without waiting for a rebuttal from Applejack. "What in the hay is her deal? Something's goin' on here, and Ah'm goin' to find out what." She narrowed her eyes as she followed Twilight up the stairs to her room. Applejack was a blunt, straight to the point mare, and when it came to the safety of her family, she was willing to up her attitude. When they reached the top of the stairs, Applejack closed the door behind her with a hind leg. "Alright Twi, spill it," Applejack demanded bluntly, startling Twilight a bit. "Ah know somethin's up here, and Ah want answers, now." Twilight had no escape now. It was just her and Applejack in the room, and nopony else. Twilight wanted more time to think, as she always did in situations like these. But now that her cowpony friend was here and demanding answers, she had no more time. She relaxed herself and took a deep breath, then exhaled before looking Applejack straight in her eyes. She figured she would wing it and hope for the best. "Applejack, your sister is... gone." Applejack's narrowed eyes let up a bit, with one of her eyebrows raised. "Gone? What do ya mean, gone? Where did she go?" Twilight sighed. She was being too weak. There was no point in making her explanation subtle, or stalling for more thinking time. She had to explain now, whether she liked it or not. "Ok, fine... there's no use in sugarcoating it or lying anymore. Applejack, Apple Bloom wasn't spending all day with me yesterday. She only joined me a bit late, right before sundown." "You... lied to me? Ah'm one of your best friends, Twilight. And this is about my lil' sister!" Twilight winced a little from the forced yelling. "Yes, I know. But I'm telling you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth now." "Ah'm listening..." Twilight nodded before beginning her explanation. "I was walking toward the Everfree Forest to deliver some herbs to Zecora. By then, it was nearing sundown. Before I left Ponyville, Apple Bloom appeared, and when I told her what I was doing, she begged me about taking her with me. I just couldn't say no. We did go to Zecora's hut, and I watched her at all times to make sure she was kept safe. When we got there and I gave Zecora the herbs, she gave us a warning, something about something bad happening that night. So we left as fast as we could." "Ah have a bad feelin' about this..." Applejack admitted, rubbing her stomach as if she felt a bit ill. Truthfully, she was just feeling worried that something bad happened to Apple Bloom. "So we were going back the way we came, when a fallen tree mysteriously blocked our path. I wondered how it got there, and Apple Bloom thought ghosts put it there, but there aren't any such things as ghosts. I moved it out of the way with my magic only to see more fallen trees. I told her to stay put while I cleared the path, and once I did, I turned my back to see that she was gone!" Applejack gasped in shock. "Ya mean to tell me my lil' sister is lost somewhere in the Everfree Forest, and you walked back home without a care?!" Applejack's tone frightened Twilight, making her step back a step, probably for her own safety. She could understand why the orange mare would be furious, but she wasn't finished yet. "Please, Applejack. I'm not finished," Twilight pleaded, calming Applejack down. "I figured she went back to Zecora's hut, but when I returned there, she wasn't there. I told Zecora what happened, and she told me to hurry and find Apple Bloom. So I did, and I kept going until I found my way to a place with a few paths. And hanging from a tree, I saw... a torn piece of her bow." Now, whatever anger Applejack had stored inside her was soon replaced with more worry. Her heart beat a tiny bit faster at the suspense of what was to come next. "I ran down one of the paths, hoping to find Apple Bloom at the end while using light from my horn to guide me. But at the end of the path was a closed clearing, and what I saw terrified me... it was Apple Bloom, and she was surrounded by six zombies!" Applejack was surprised. She was expecting Twilight to mention something fierce and dangerous like timberwolves or a manticore or some other beast, not something as make-believe as zombies. "You're kiddin' me, right?" "Applejack, this is serious! Apple Bloom was cornered by zombies, and they killed her!" Applejack shook her head in disbelief. Normally, she'd appreciate a good joke, but when it was about her own little sister, or any family member for that matter, things got personal. "Twilight, Ah can't believe you'd joke about my sister like that. You know how much Ah care about Apple Bloom." "I'm not joking!" Twilight yelled back, but that didn't phase Applejack one bit, who narrowed her eyes once more. "How could you think I'm making this up?" "Zombies? They ain't real. Ah used to think they were back when Ah was a filly, but Ah've grown outta that phase." Twilight's heart was now pounding out of the situation Apple Bloom was in with her death, as well as the fact that Applejack wasn't believing a word she was saying. She had one more thing to bring forth, but it was a reminder of that fateful night; something that would definitely change Applejack's view. "Applejack, if what I said didn't happen, how do you explain the time I was out last night? How do you explain how I looked last night? How do you explain... how I have this?" Her horn started glowing, and a similar glow filled one of her saddlebags. When it opened up, the torn up piece of cloth she found on a tree branch during the search for Apple Bloom floated out and levitated in the air between the two mares. The sight of it was too much to bear for Twilight, as it was a reminder of her lack of responsibility to take care of Apple Bloom, including her failing to save the filly at the hooves of her attackers. The pain her heart was feeling caused tears to form in her eyes out of despair. Applejack picked up the cloth with one of her hooves, looking down at it with melancholy. "Apple Bloom's bow... and it's torn off..." She looked back at Twilight, who lowered her head and ears slowly. Her eyes stared back down at the cloth, tears coming to her eyes as well. "So, what ya said is true? She really was killed by zombies?" Twilight shook her head, unsure of how else to address the situation. "I'm really, really sorry Applejack. I should've never let Apple Bloom follow me into the Everfree Forest if I knew her curiosity was going to harm her. It's all my fault..." Twilight didn't get an answer from Applejack. They stood in total silence for about half a minute while the orange mare took in all of the information as she stared down at the small cloth. Without a word, she slowly turned around and opened the door. Twilight opened her eyes and lifted her head as soon as she heard the door open. "Where are you going, Applejack?" Applejack sighed without looking back. "Ah'm gonna step outside." Afterward, she closed the door, leaving Twilight alone. She sighed, willing to wait for her friend to return.