The Applegrove

by Princess

The Party

The quick wash helped Applejack recover her thoughts, and now, she laid in a patch of sunlight through the canopy of the massive forest to dry herself. It occurred to her only then that she might be so far into the woods, that she may never come out. This thought was quickly dismissed as she huffed at her own imagination, for no forest could ever contain the likes of her. She'd make it out of this forest if it took ever last year of her life. Tired from the walking she did early, she settled down for a quick nap to regain her strength. A dream hit her quicker than a bullet train as soon as she closed her eyes...

Applejack shook her head at Pinkie and sighed. Pinkie Pie always seemed to want a party, even after a party she'd ask everyone if they would attend the next one without an actual time specified. It could be days, weeks, or even mere minutes. "Look Sugarcube, I don't know if I can attend... I have so much work to d-" She began to say, before having a cupcake shoved into her mouth and recieving a full-hearted giggle.

"Look silly, I'm just asking if you're interested!" A bright face asked her, and a smile from eye to eye displayed ever so cheerfully. "You don't have to come if you can't, I know some ponies work so very hard these days."

Applejack eyed down the energetic pony with a quick thought, and shrugged her shoulders with a faked smile. "Yeah sure... I'll try to make it if y'all can have me whenever... have any idea when you'll be uh... breaking it down?" Reaching her hoof out slowly for the parchment that Pinkie usually gave.

Pinkie Pie gave an excited snort, and an invitation practically flew from the basket on her head into Applejack's out raised hoof. She squenched her nose, and looked at the sky. "Maybe like... a few days or so. It'll take a while to clean up the mess from this one! How do you even glue an entire sofa to the ceiling using only cupcakes, I'll never know..." She muttered to herself, and then bounced away as she usually did, defying all forms of the social etiquette.

Applejack gave a sigh as she moved away from the area, going back to her house with a note in her hat, and a sidelong glance to the next gathering that would occur, which would seem like mere minutes in time. Hopefully I can get all those apples down before sundown Applejack thought to herself, eyeing her home in sight. She longed for the nice, warm covers of a bed full of hay, but she had to do a little bit of work before having such comforts.

Applejack gave a small gulp as she approached the bustling Sugarcube corner. It always disturbed her how it seemed every pony always arrived at these parties with no indication that they had other plans, it seemed only the ponies she knew ever objected to Pinkie's enthusiastic greetings. Applejack didn't fear the crowd, but there were rumors that sparked a bit of fear in her heart that some ponies were being dragged away into the night, and never to be seen again. Shaking herself silly, the thought of that actually happening sounded absurd in itself. Who would want to take a pony? Every pony were friends here. Clopping over to the entrance, Applejack stuck her head through the door and announced her presence with a loud "Howdy, y'all!" and forgot all about the ponynappings. I really need to stop listening to Applebloom, she thought.

The party went fine up until the part where Applejack poured herself a cup of her own Apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres. She felt proud to drink the delicious nectar before her, bucked with her own hind hoofs. However, before she took a sip, a familiar pink hoof hooked itself around her neck and dragged her, with a startled protest, into the throng of ponies.

"Hey Applejack, lighten up! You've been as stiff as one of your cornstalks all this time, I've been watching you know!" Pinkie Pie yelled at her, and then Pinkie giggled as pony fell into her. "Oh Twilight! I notice you came in. Where you been, you crazy pony?"

"I've been... trying to find you." She panted softly, looking as if she ran the 5 mile marathon. "Those rumors every pony has been spreading... I think they're true. Some ponies have- aaahhh!" Twilight gave a startled yelp as another pony blundered into her, and she became lost in the crowd once more.

"Oh well, don't mind the party pooper. You came here to part-eh, right Applejack?" She beamed at her orange coated friend, and it almost made Applejack laugh at how serious she looked for once.

"I came here to... yeah I reckon I came to party... just give me a minute, my throat's been as dry as an Everfree forest pond." She almost cracked a smile at her own joke, since the desolate forest probably didn't even have a dry pond by how unruly and unnatural it ran.

Pinkie pie released her of course, but Applejack lost track of her since like Twilight, the crowd seemed to shift her somewhere else. Going back to her drink, she stopped to sniff it when a weird odor hit her. Well that's weird... it smells like rotten apples... how is that... She grumbled to herself, shaking her head. Just my imagination. No apple on my farm was sold rotten! Applejack hooked her lips on the side of the cup, and threw her head back, taking large gulps as the warm, cinnamon flavored liquid rolled down her tongue. It stung a little, and Applejack winced. What kinda things does that cart-wheeling pony put in these things... She mumbled drowsily, and from then on, Applejack knew no more.

Waking up with a start, she found herself oddly wet again. Taking a sniff at herself, she shivered as the cold sweat rolled over her hide. Must've been a really bad dream... jeez... Applejack thought to herself. Picking herself up, she gave a vigorous shake to be rid herself of the liquid on her flank. Taking in a big breath, she crossed the stream with a longing glance, and then checked to make sure her hat was securely set on her hair. It seemed funny to her, that she always checked even though the occasional itch came from her scalp because of sweat. Applejack's hat was a prized possession of hers of course, but she seemed to always make sure it was there before anything happened thereafter.

Trotting on, she noticed the apples started to shift colors. The usual red apples she was familiar with were turning to green, and all other colors of the rainbow like blue, purple, pink, and even her own flank color, orange. Raising an eyebrow, she didn't dare to question the integrity of the situation. It was already weird enough to her that she mysteriously popped up in a forest in the middle of no where, and had no way to go back home. However, it did make her judge her situation, and wonder if the apples were painted by some pony. "Hello?" She called out, coming to a complete stop. "Is any pony there? I need some help finding my way back to my Sweet Apple Acres..."

If the wind could talk, it probably would of said "No pony is here, just me." as it rolled past Applejack's cheek, making her frown a bit. It's summer... why is it suddenly getting colder? She thought to herself, bring her tail around to act like a blanket to her belly. She started up again, and then froze short as a distant, but a recognizable sound of a wolf howled over the breeze, chilling her to the bones. Hope there ain't no wolves in these parts... She comforted herself, trotting on and warily looked over her shoulder ever now and then. This forest felt like going into the Everfree forest all over again...

Comments

[Banksyt]

so applejack must be one of the ones who got taken... interesting
will continue to follow... keep it up!

[Princess]

If you want constant updates on the story, I suggest reading my blog. I try my best to summarize the events happening and/or if I am able to push out another update today, tomorrow, whenever. I will also gives ideas on the story's progression, since this story has taken a new turn, where as there might not be as many flashbacks.

The reason why there will not be as many flashbacks is because Applejack is trying to survive, so dreams will become less when the survival instinct comes in. I might put in a few here and there, but they will be to summarize how she came to the strange forest she is in.

This will probably not be a rated for everyone fanfic, so sorry for those who came here hoping it was. I misjudged entirely the direction of the story, and it seems just changing the ratings and what not does not help the fact everyone loves a good, non-violent story.

This isn't the case for my writing, since it involves some sort of violence if it ever progresses to this point. (Not all the time, but my imagination runs on a tight schedule. It goes in one direction, and if I don't follow it, I will not be able to complete the train of though.)

Sorry everpony if I disappointed you, my imagination tends to not run into the innocent sort of view.