Modulation

by ProBrony

Chapter 6 — Cacophony

Go forth, my servant. Your weakness now yields purpose.

— Chapter 6 : Cacophony —

Applejack woke with a start, covered in sweat. Another restless night. Another nightmare with Twilight Sparkle, face covered in red.

She sat up in bed, and found herself panting. She jerked her head around, glancing around the darkness for hidden eyes. Finding herself alone, she wiped her forehead with her hoof, and felt icky. She got up and showered in the cold, then headed downstairs.

She found herself alone in the kitchen. Usually Big Mac was up cooking breakfast, but it wasn’t dawn yet, and wouldn’t be for a little while. Applejack felt a twinge of sadness, as she would love to talk to her brother over some of his grits, but she was by herself in the dark. The morning crickets were the only sound keeping her company.

She poured herself a glass of water and grabbed a hay biscuit from the fridge, not bothering to warm it. Sitting down, Applejack bit into the biscuit, took a swig of her drink, and lost herself recounting the dream. It was like looking at a broken mirror with every cracked piece reflecting jagged memoires.

She saw flashes of Twilight staring silently from a forest, watching the town, watching her. She was in the library, still painted crimson, with Rarity’s scream still ringing in her ears. She wept as her friend suffered molecular destruction, and she was helpless to stop it.

Applejack heard a clatter on the floor. Flinching, she gasped for air and coughed, the spell broken. She reached up to cover her mouth, and found her face wet. She opened her eyes to a watery room, but quickly blinked away her grief.

“Why did Ah do that to myself?” she asked no one. Her visions answered the question. She couldn’t let the others deal with that. And yet, she swallowed hard. She was made out of strong stuff, but this was a new kind of problem. As much as she’d love to, she couldn’t just buck it till it budged. She picked the glass off the floor. It was trembling in her hooves. She was thankful she was alone for this.

Applejack refilled her glass. Slow, drawn out swigs emptied it, and periodic trips to the sink kept it full. She drank in the silence, and did her best to empty her mind. Time passed indiscriminately.

She first heard the rhythmic footfalls before she looked up. Big Macintosh stepped into the kitchen. Meeting Applejack's gaze, he stopped, one hoof inches above the ground. Applejack kept her face even, but Big Mac's eyes knew what they saw. Applejack never said a word, so Big Mac continued his routine.

Big Mac was awake, so Applejack looked outside. As expected, through the windows, she could see the sky warming up. She rose from the table to meet the day, leaving her half empty glass behind. She didn't see Big Mac retrieve it for her and deposit it in the sink.

Applejack opened her front door to a promising day. Looking out, she could see light breaking on the horizon, slowly creeping across Sweet Apple Acres and Crunchy Carrot Fields next door. Ponyville was in the distance, just beginning to be touched by sunlight. It was a sight she loved. Her anxiety finally began to slip through her hooves. Her heart was still.

As she stared longer, she noticed three figures approaching from the road. Applejack shielded her eyes from the rising sun. They walked with purpose, their gait driven by their dark armor. She had seen them once before, last Nightmare Night. They were Lunar Knights, Luna’s infamous right hoof. Applejack tensed.

“Big Mac,” Applejack whispered into the house, and waited. She wasn’t sure exactly when he arrived, but suddenly she could feel his presence behind her on the porch. “Listen, Mac. Ah know you’ve probably noticed how Ah’ve been actin’ lately. Ah’ve been all skittish like a newborn foal. Ah appreciate you keepin your questions to yourself, but Ah’m gonna have to ask you to keep some more.”

Applejack turned to Big Mac, and looked him in the eyes. “We got some visitors comin’ up the road. It looks like they’re pretty important. Ah’m not sure what they want, but let me do the talkin’. If the young ones wake up, keep ‘em upstairs too, will ya?”

He held her gaze. Big Mac raised an eyebrow. Applejack remained steadfast, never breaking eye contact. Eventually he simply nodded. “Eeyup.” He returned to the house. Applejack turned back to the knights.

The Lunar Knights were curious ponies. To Applejack, they looked like pegasi crossed with bats, with their pointed ears and featherless wings. Their skin and coats were all various shades of grey or blue. They looked odd in daylight, their armor reflecting the excess light they were not used to operating in. Twilight had mentioned they used to be more prevalent, but The Fall stripped them of their status and drove them into seclusion. Applejack guessed they were appearing more now that Luna had been redeemed. Whatever the reason, they were here, now.

The center one stepped right up to the Apple’s porch while the two flanking guards looked around. She scrunched her eyes. “Good morning, pony citizen. We are representatives of Princess Luna, and are acting upon her request. May we please speak to the head of the household?” Her voice was surprisingly warm, not at all what Applejack expected. Surprisingly young, too. She was sure she had a few years on the Knight.

Applejack raised the brim of her hat. “Speakin’.”

“It has come to our attention that something may be... amiss, in Ponyville. Has anything seemed out of place to you?” Her flanking accomplices were scanning the farm, but kept one eye on Applejack.

“Oh, yeah,” she began boisterously, “uhm, there’s been an accident—” Immediately, the flanking guards’ attention snapped to Applejack. Applejack gulped. “Y’see, there was this... uh… there was...”

The center one spoke again, her expression unchanged. “Please go on, miss.” She leaned in. Again, her voice struck a chord with Applejack. It sounded like an echo.

“Yeah, there was... one of mah wagon wheels got busted, all suspicious-like. Normally they’re made sturdy as mah brother Big Macintosh, but Ah was surprised at how fragile it was. Very suspicious,” she nodded enthusiastically. “Ah don’t have any enemies though, so Ah can’t tell who did it.” Applejack worked up her face, and tried to convey earnest concern. She hoped her mask was convincing. The look on the leader’s face indicated otherwise.

“Let me be a little bit more direct.” The veil hiding the danger in her warm voice lifted. “We’ve been lead to believe there’s been a disturbance in the Elements of Harmony. One may be missing. Have. You. Heard. Anything?”

One of the other Knights coughed excessively at the remark. She took no notice of him.

There was a long pause. Applejack said nothing. The leader unfolded her wings and spread them out as she stepped forward. Her eyes narrowed under her helmet and she opened her mouth to speak.

“—Ah’ve heard not a thing from nopony. Ah had a minor row with some of my friends, but it’ll blow over soon,” Applejack blurted out. She tried to put on her best smile, but inside she was reeling.

The leader huffed, and refolded her wings. Her companions turned and began heading to the road. “I don’t have time for this.” She trotted up to Applejack, and jabbed her in the chest. “You think long and hard about what you’re saying, and I’ll ask again later. In the meantime, I need to do my job.” She leaned in, her helmet centimeters from the brim of Applejack’s hat. “You think this may be funny, but I doubt this farm could suffer a spell with its hardest worker indisposed for very long. My Goddess could use a new lawn ornament.”

Applejack’s stomached dropped. Her mind shot through several thoughts. Applebloom. Big Mac. Granny Smith. My friends. “Hold on now—!”

“—In the meantime,” she turned, “I’ll be going.” She began followed them back to the road. Applejack’s heart was in her throat as she desperately tried to say something, anything, to the mare. Before she had a chance, the knight spread her wings and quickly flipped back around. “Wait. I feel I know you. I know you, or I know of you.”

“I’m nopony,” said Applejack. Her words flowed automatic, all inflection dropped.

Her amber eyes burned into Applejack’s, but neither wavered. She waited for more questioning, but it never came. A moment later, she was back to following the other Lunar Knights off the farm. Applejack watch them march to Carrot Top’s place next door and let out a huge breath when they were out of listening distance.

She listened to the sound of the wind in the trees on her farm. She stepped out and felt Equestria beneath her hooves. The earth pony in her felt the comforting touch, and responded with the quiet joy she and all earth ponies felt standing on earth. She thought of that joy being replaced with a ornate pedestal and a display stating her crimes.

Then, she felt ill. She felt it deep down, under the internal graveyard that housed the memories of stubbornness with Twilight, abandoning her friends after the rodeo, and Discord’s trickery. A lie? Me, a lie? And to a royal official? Her head bobbed in an ocean, and she needed to come up to breathe.

“Big Mac,” Applejack called inside, shaking the water off her mind, “let Sweetie and Spike have mah share of breakfast. Ah’ve got something to Ah have to take care of. Now.”

Without waiting for a response, Applejack was dashing down the road. There were ponies she needed to talk to.

***

Applejack's mind turned over on itself as she walked the winding lonesome road to Fluttershy’s cottage. She had to get her thoughts off her chest. She had questions that had been building up all morning. What she had found out worried her. Worse, who she hadn’t found was incredibly troubling.

The dirt path took her away from town, winding up the gentle hills to the solitary dwelling. As she approached the door, she heard a raised voice, full of intensity. She paused, just out of range to hear what was said. She didn’t want to eavesdrop on Fluttershy.

Fluttershy is home!

A weight was lifted from her shoulders. Then, there was a shout. Applejack galloped up to the door and tried the handle.

Locked.

“Fluttershy, are you ok in there?” She shouted at the door. Listening intently, she heard a meep, and a glass shatter. Swiftly, AJ crouched, at the ready.

“Alright you varmint, Ah’m comin’ in there, and if there’s a hair hurt on Fluttershy’s head—!” Applejack turned around, prepared to give the door a savage kick. She heard a click. Looking over her shoulder, Fluttershy's face appeared in the crack of the door, darkness obscuring the room behind her..

“Oh. S-s-sorry I took so long to answer the door, Applejack.” Fluttershy looked shaken, like she hadn’t slept in too long. Most importantly, Fluttershy was there.

Applejack’s face flipped from apprehensive to overjoyed. She reached into the doorway and pulled Fluttershy out for a tight hug.

“Thank Celestia you’re here, Fluttershy!” Applejack practically sung, previous danger forgotten. “Ah thought Ah was all alone for a second!”

Applejack whooped as she spun Fluttershy around in joy, causing the pegasus to get disoriented. Applejack finally noticed, and sat her down, smiling. Fluttershy shook her head, trying to rid herself of stars.

“Heh, whoops,” Applejack said bashfully.

“I-i-it’s OK, Applejack,” Fluttershy said as she tried to rid herself of stars. “What’s got you so excited? What do you mean alone?” She stood up and started walking to her door.

Applejack was breathless. “Sorry there, Shy. Mind if Ah come in? There’s some things Ah really need to talk to you about.”

Fluttershy froze. Without turning around, she said “Uh, sorry, Applejack. Now’s not a good time. It’s... messy, in there.”

“Well shucks, Fluttershy, no need to be so modest. Ah live on a farm, remember? Ah've got critters just like you. Ah’m sure you’re cottage isn’t as bad as mah barn.” She stepped towards the cottage.

Fluttershy turned, and stepped in front of her. “Oh no, Applejack. I just couldn’t, you know? It’s just so bad inside, and, and some of my animal friends are sick. It would be best if we stay out here. You can’t get sick at the beginning of applebucking season.”

Applejack side-stepped Fluttershy and continued towards the door. “Jeeze, girl, it ain’t that serious. Besides, Ah have something I really need to—”

“No!” Fluttershy yelled.

It was Applejack’s turn to freeze. She had heard that tone before. There was an edge to Fluttershy’s voice, a timbre that triggered dark memories. The voice dug at her skin, a million soft bristles being pushed into the flesh, but it was still light and fair. Subconsciously, she shivered, and quickly stopped advancing.

Then that Fluttershy was gone, replaced with the one Applejack remembered. “Sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy said sweetly as she floated past her. “I just can’t let you inside right now.” She grabbed the handle with her hooves. “How about I make you some tea next time, to make it up to you?” Fluttershy gently closed the door. “I hope you understand.”

Fluttershy's tone sounded as nurturing as ever. The change made Applejack feel queasy.

“Now,” Fluttershy said as she turned around, “How about you... accompany me to Froggy Bottom Bog! I have to check up on how the frogs are doing. They’d be lost without me. I hope you don’t mind. We can talk along the way.”

Applejack was rooted to the spot. “Uh, are you ok, Sugarcube?”

Fluttershy turned, and gave Applejack a sweet smile. “Just fine.” Applejack knew it was empty.

***

The walk to the woods was silent, but as soon as they crossed the threshold into the Everfree Forest everything became alive around them. Birds sang from the canopies. Many unseen creatures spoke from the underbrush. Animals bounced around the air between the trees, barely registering to the pair. Occasionally, a roar that could easily belong to a manticore could be heard in the distance, declaring the creature’s dominance. Fluttershy led, while Applejack flanked closely behind her. Fluttershy didn’t mind, and secretly enjoyed being the lead for once.

Besides Everfree Forest generally being a place Applejack didn’t enjoy spending free time in, Fluttershy's reaction was eating away at her. It was eerily just like her breakdown the day in Twilight’s treehouse, only she had snapped out of it just as fast as it came. In addition to that, the trees were steadily getting thicker, and light was dimming. Applejack felt increasingly uncomfortable.

She must still feel it, Applejack mused. Shucks, I still feel it. I'm losing my mind, knowing Twi and Rarity aren't here. And now... How do I even bring this up gently?

Applejack continued to follow in silence, trying for once to be tactful with someone she cared about. All the topics on her mind swam around her, and every time she tried to play out a conversation in her head it ended with her stumbling to get her point across.

“It’s been a while, Applejack,” Fluttershy spoke up. “I haven’t seen you since...”

Applejack didn’t need Fluttershy to finish her sentence to know what she was talking about. She gulped. This was not how she had hoped this would go. "Uh... Sweetie Belle’s doin' alright,” she said conversationally. Internally she grimaced.

“How is she?” Her sweetness remained, ignoring the deflection.

Understanding as always, thought Applejack.

“Sweetie Belle is dandy,” she continued. “Overjoyed she gets to romp around with Apple Bloom all times of day, since school hasn’t started yet.”

Applejack slowed, and looked at her hooves. Fluttershy noticed and slowed as well.

Applejack’s voice fell. “Ah hate lying to her. Every day is another one to me.”

Fluttershy placed a hoof on Applejack’s back. “But you have to, Applejack. Even if she deserves to know, it’s not your place to tell her.”

“But there’s no tellin’ when her parents’ll be back. Vacationing is easier than wrangling hens when your other daughter's old enough to foalsit. Ah still feel it’s unnecessary to be gone so long. There’s always work to do.” Applejack thought vacations longer than two days was a waste of time. “Spike’s there too.”

“How is he?”

“Quiet. Silent even. Never says a peep, never notice him till you trip over him. As far as Ah can tell, he hasn’t told Sweetie Belle. He hasn't spoken to anyone. No letters, even. Ah wish Ah could say something to him.”

“Let him grieve,” Fluttershy said solemnly. “He lost everything. We lost everything, too. We all react differently.”

Both of them had experienced loss before. Grief was part of the business when caring for animals. Applejack had nothing to say. Fluttershy began to walk again, and she followed.

***

Applejack could hear several splashes as they continued through the forest, and soon enough they broke through the trees, into the bog. True to its name, Applejack spotted plenty of frogs at play in the shallow waters of Froggy Bottom Bog, more than she’d have the patience to count. Fluttershy took this cue as to start trying to corral the amphibians.

Applejack watched on as Fluttershy spoke softly to the frogs. She still hadn’t brought up why she sought her out in the first place.

“Fluttershy? Ah think…” she took a deep breath, steeling herself. “Ah think Canterlot may know about... Rarity. Luna’s Knights came to my farm this morning.”

The effect was immediate. Fluttershy dropped the frogs she held in her hooves. Spinning around, Fluttershy’s face flashed through emotions too fast for Applejack to catch. None of them were reassuring.

Carefully, slowly, Fluttershy asked, "What did you tell them?"

“They asked about us, the Elements. Seems someone reported something about the ruckus.” She rubbed one foreleg with the other. “Ah... shrugged her off, Ah guess. Ah hated doing it, but Ah wanted to talk to you girls first.” She looked to Fluttershy with a pleading look in her eyes. “It's like every day Ah'm tellin’ more lies; at least it wasn't completely untrue.” Fluttershy didn’t meet them.

“As soon as they left Ah looked for you girls— you're the only one left, did you know that? It’s odd, where is everypony?” She kicked a stone into the water, sending ripples everywhere. Finally, it was out. “When I couldn’t find Dash or Pinkie…” She trailed off.

“Danggit, Ah hate all this.” She cast her eyes downward. “The knights even threatened me, ‘Shy, threatened to turn me to stone, to take me away from my family. Can you believe that? Ah bet Luna would be livid if she heard about it.” Or so she hoped. Her lips curled into a cruel smile. “Maybe that’s more Celestia’s cup of cider. Discord did say Celestia had a penchant for it in days gone by.” She chuckled weakly.

Fluttershy smiled warmly. She approached Applejack, fluttering on her wings. Landing softly, she reached a hoof to Applejack's cheek, raising her head. "Aww, don't be that way. Now, Applejack," she cooed softly, "what did you tell the guards?"

“Oh it was nuthin’, Shy. But Ah felt so wrong. Ah’m more than scared. My family needs me; how can Ah put Twilight or Rarity before my family?” She made a face, realizing what she said. “Why do Ah have to make that choice?”

“Applejack.” Fluttershy’s eyes flashed. Applejack felt weightless. She felt her conscious lull into a freefall. "You need to tell me, Applejack. I need to know."

Applejack sunk lower. Fluttershy’s profile grew to dwarf her, like a mother’s to a filly. She would be there to take care of everything. The problems of the week peeled off of her, one by one, and Applejack began to wonder if there was ever anything worth worrying about at all. As she sunk deeper, she found her rock.

Of course, she thought, my family.

Applejack jerked away from Fluttershy's hoof and instantly felt the ground beneath her hooves again. She give her a long, hard look. Fluttershy’s mouth hung open, but didn’t speak for herself. The frogs were silent in the bog. "Like Ah said, Fluttershy, Ah didn't say nuthin’. Mentioned we were in the midst of a dispute, but nothing else. It felt like lying.”

"Oh," was all Fluttershy had to say to that. Her mind was much more verbose. If Fluttershy knew anything, it was that her friend was deeply troubled by this, and yet it wasn’t important now, not immediately. She had her own concerns, and as much as she’d like to ask Applejack for help she could never. Slowly she lifted off the ground, and flew back to the frogs, who had started to get away. She resumed grouping them together, trying to count them.

Applejack took a deep breath. “But Ah know something. That night when I was cleaning up, Twilight appeared."

Fluttershy’s head snapped around like her neck had been broken. “What? What did you say? What was that mare doing in town? She’s not still here, is she, hiding under our noses? I can’t believe—” Fluttershy bit down on her words, but Applejack could smell the loathing off of them. She slowly lowered her head. Her eyes emptied out, focusing on nothing, and waited for a reply.

Applejack’s eyes narrowed. She took a step forward. “What is wrong with you, girl? What was that earlier, huh? Why are you so ornery about Twilight?” She could hear Fluttershy breathing hard. “You make it sound like she’s not our friend anymore.”

The snarl on her face was a blight on her normally motherly features. Applejack never thought she’d ever feel this uncomfortable in Fluttershy’s presence. Her expression gradually eased, the tension passing. Her eyes started to shimmer, and her lips quivered. “Why did you abandon us? We waited all night for you.” Her mind jumped to Pinkie Pie looking broken on the kitchen floor, and to her pouring her soul into her pillows as she wailed.

Applejack stared at her blankly, unsure what to say. Fluttershy looked into her eyes, and she could see the pain behind it. She should have known better. She wanted more than anything to tell her, to say how she was in a puddle of her own tears at the end of the night. She wanted to tell her how many times she emptied her stomach that night, or how she still smelled it to that very moment, and she didn’t know when that was ever going to go away. How could she expect her friends to be any better, especially Fluttershy?

She walked past Fluttershy, so she wouldn’t see her eyes misting over. “Ah’m sorry, sugarcube. Ah really am.” Her voice was barely over a whisper. “Ah spent all night cleanin’ the library. Ah had to go home after that. Ah had to sleep that off. Ah’m sorry.”

Fluttershy’s face became non-emotive. Applejack paused before continuing.

"Ah heard her in her room. Ah rushed to try and talk her out of leavin’, but she teleported away too quick, before she even listened to a word Ah said. However, she was in the middle of something, and she left this.” Walking to a dry patch of ground, Applejack lifted her hat and retrieved a folded sheet of paper and unfolded it on the grass. “Ah want you to read it.”

Fluttershy gave her a curious look, but walked over to the paper and began to read.

“Dear Spike,

I'm sorry you have to lose your oldest friend. You mean more to me than you ever know, but I can't stay any longer. You’re still my number one assistant, and I need you to assist me in taking care of the library. I love you.

Please Forgive me

Dear Friends,

To you girls, who have made my life so bright since I arrived in Ponyville. I'm so sorry. I should have listened. You’ve done so much for me since I’ve gotten to know you, and made me a better pony. I can't imagine my life without you in it, which makes this so difficult. I love you girls.

Please Forgive me

Dear Shining Armor and Princess Cadance,

I'm so happy for you two. I wish I could be around to meet your children. Take care of Shining for me, Cadance. He'll be lost without us girls. I love you both.

Please Forgive Me

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm sure you had high hopes for me, likely as high as my own. I'm sorry I've brought such a blight on our family. I thank you for all the opportunities you gave to me, and the times you pushed me to be better. I love you both.

Please Forgive me

Dear Princesses Celestia and Luna,

I am

Please please forgive have mercy on me

Dear Rarity,

What I did to you was unspeakable, an act of violence long forgotten to modern society. I've taken you away from everything you had, and everything you ever hoped to achieve. I violated our friendship, which you so generously gave to me. I seek atonement for what I've done, and I won't stop till I've traveled to the ends of Equestria and beyond—”

The ‘d’ in ‘beyond’ was scratched across the page, as if the pen was ripped away. Fluttershy looked up at Applejack.

Applejack waited. For what, she didn’t know. For something. Anything, to hear Fluttershy say the words she wanted to hear. After a while, she realized she had to speak. Fluttershy made not a sound.

“Maybe there’s hope?” Applejack said, half pleading with herself.

"You don't think she's looking for a way to help Rarity, do you? To bring her back? She's gone, Applejack.” Fluttershy spat out the word like it tasted of bile. “Both of them. Th-there's no coming back from what happened to her. What happened to us."

Applejack stomped hard. “What happened to us?” she asked the air tersely. Fluttershy flinched, back to herself for a moment. Applejack let the question hang in the air.

Applejack hooved at the ground. "Ah’m sorry, sugarcube. Ah wouldn't know. Ah think if anyone knew a way, it would be Twilight, with all those books she keeps. But now you see what Ah mean? Ah couldn't just tell them what happened. Twilight may still find a way, make everything right, and Ah wouldn’t want to jeopardize that. But it doesn’t change what she did, and doesn’t change what Ah have to risk, so maybe Ah should have. Ah... Ah don’t know."

Fluttershy’s eyes was cold, and she was silent. She hated in Applejack’s indecision, as it reflected her own.

Applejack continued. "The only other person who knows is Spike. Ah thought it would do him good to read this, but he’s still…” Her thoughts trailed as she thought of the baby dragon. She briefly wondered if the Lunar Knight’s appearance had anything to do with the dragon’s direct connection to the princess, but quickly destroyed that thought.

“The odd thing is, Ah haven't told any one of you girls.” Applejack tapped her chin. “So yeah, why are Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash gone? That’s why Ah showed up today. The Cakes haven't seen Pinkie, and are incredibly worried. The weather team is furious Rainbow has left them high and dry. They probably want her grounded for a long time. Do you know anything?”

"I'm sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy turned back to the frogs. “I don't know." She waded out into the bog.

Applejack folded the paper back up and slid it under her hat. “So, what do we tell them?” She asked. The extra kindness she sprinkled in her voice for Fluttershy was nearly gone. “The Lunar Knights?”

Fluttershy was paying her no mind. The frogs just would not listen. They would corral for a few moments, then hop away when Fluttershy turned her gaze. She was visibly irked by this, but pressed on.

Applejack approached the pond’s edge. “Fluttershy.”

Another frog jumped out of her grasp. She slapped the water with her hoof, causing a frog to jump noisily back out into the pond. The sound sent the others jumping away. Growling to herself, she began her task again. One frog, two frogs—

“Fluttershy, this is important, girl! Do we tell ‘em or not?”

She only had a few frogs left. “Come on, my babies,” Fluttershy cooed. She made a move for the last of the frogs with her wings, setting them down in front of her. Satisfied, she began counting. Halfway through, Fluttershy heard a loud croak. Looking up, she spotted a huge frog she had missed, his eyes meeting hers. He was perched on a log, and was preparing to jump. Fluttershy froze.

Her voice was barely a whisper, as to not disturb the frogs already there. It skimmed across the pond’s still surface to Applejack’s ears. “Don’t. You. Dare.”

The frog let out a giant croak, louder than before, and splashed heavily into the pond, sending out huge ripples. The frogs in front of her jumped away.

Applejack chuckled, but knew this wasn’t time for games. “Fluttershy, will you quit messing around and—”

“You! Why, I oughtta—! Ugh!” Fluttershy shouted incomprehensibly and began thrashing her hooves in the water. To Applejack, Fluttershy looked like a filly throwing a tantrum. It may have been endearing if she were one, but Applejack was irritated.

“Fluttershy, Ah’m serious!” Applejack entered the pond, reared up and kicked a huge wave of water at Fluttershy, soaking her. Immediately, she stopped. “Ah want, Ah mean Ah need to hear your thoughts on this, and Ah’ve been askin’ and askin’, and you’re just playing with those critters over there. Do we put our bits on Twilight or not?”

“You should know what I’m going to say!” Fluttershy growled through gritted teeth.

Even when angered, Applejack barely felt any force exude from the pegasus. She was just too dainty. Even in frustration, Fluttershy can’t help but be gentle. “Ah’d like to hear it,” replied Applejack.

Fluttershy stomped her hoof, getting herself even more wet. Applejack waited, satisfied she had her full attention. Fluttershy let the question hang in the air for as long as she could. Finally, reluctantly, she answered. “Twilight, of course.”

Applejack gave a small smile, but it quickly faded as she continued. “But what should Ah say to the Knights? “ Then, she heard it.

“I don’t care,” Fluttershy said dejectedly, finally collecting herself.

Applejack didn’t hear Fluttershy’s dismissal. She sensed something in the forest, something huge. She wasn’t sure if she heard it or felt it. “Shh, Fluttershy, something’s up,” Applejack said.

Fluttershy grumbled and went back to the frogs. Applejack froze, her ears straining to hear and her eyes doing her best to see into the trees that surrounded the clearing, trying to find the source of the sound she heard. Fluttershy chose that time to release another exasperated shout, and slam her hooves into the water creating more splashes. The splashes seemed to bounce back off the trees to Applejack, making them sound way too loud. Her eyes widened.

“Shy! Hush!” Applejack said harshly. There were no time for pleasantries.

Fluttershy’s head snapped around. “What is it?”

“The forest,” Applejack said softly, oblivious to Fluttershy’s annoyance. “When did it become so quiet?”

With little warning, Applejack’s entire body vibrated with noise. She felt her spine shake as her ears filled with the sound of a beast that couldn’t be of Equestria. Ahead of her she could see Fluttershy silently screaming at something behind her, her voice drowned out by the sound. Applejack turned around and was face-to-face with a roaring monster as she had never seen before.

Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what exactly was she looking at. The fear pumping through her wasn’t helping in the slightest. She only had enough time to think to herself that this thing was way too big to be a manticore when it lunged forward, catching Applejack off guard. It reached out with one of its many claws and sent Applejack airborne with a vicious swipe.

The earth and sky became a whirlwind of color. Her hat flew off as she flew past a yellow blur and skipped across the top of the shallow waters of the bog before hitting a tree on the other side. Immediately she scrambled to stand up. Her sides hurt, but Applejack was more dizzy than anything. She thanked Celestia that she was an Earth pony, or else that may blow could have been the end of her.

Fluttershy continued to scream as Applejack tried to collect herself and shook her head. Looking up, what had struck her slowly came into focus. From the distance, it looked like a huge stallion, several times larger than Big Macintosh. Its head was equine-esque, but it’s patches of dead skin and numerous forelimbs made it something else entirely. Its lumbering conveyed a deep hunger, and it was closing in on Fluttershy.

Wasting no time, Applejack got up and galloped as hard as she could, fighting the splashes from the bog that lapped at her underbelly. The blow still had her head spinning, and she had fight herself to keep as straight a line as possible. The creature was closer than her to Fluttershy, but its gait slowed it considerably; she could tell all of its speed was in its arms’ dexterity. As she ran, she saw it rear up, and open its gaping maw.

Applejack got as close as she could in the time she had, and leapt at Fluttershy. Her strength from years of applebucking sent her soaring through the air, shoving Fluttershy out of the way. She swore she could feel the monsters breath like a blow to the face as she passed under its bite.

She hit the ground and skid to a halt, immediately feeling the impact from where the beast’s deformed snout struck with the ground. She didn’t look back to see how hurt it was, instead electing to make sure Fluttershy was ok. Fluttershy rolled to a stop a ways in front of her, dizzy but unharmed.

“Run, girl! Get up and outta here!” Applejack shouted.

Fluttershy rose, shaking worse than she ever had in her life. She’d never had such a close brush with death.

“Fluttershy, please! Run!” Applejack tried again.

Shaking her head, Fluttershy blinked once, and caught Applejack’s eyes. Her fear scared Applejack almost more than the beast. She looked as if to say something, but nothing came out. She turned, and disappeared into the forest.

Before she had a chance to stand up, Applejack felt a claw grip her hind leg. One of the beast’s grotesquely lanky griffon-like arms had her. She was dragged backwards, hooves leaving deep grooves in the dirt, and was soon airborne again. The beast pulled her in an arc, and slammed her into the ground. The air rushed out of Applejack, who was thankful she passed on breakfast. Before she had time to think anything else she was off the ground again.

The second blow gave her double vision. Her teeth painfully smashed together as she felt every bone in her body vibrate from impact. She tried to move, but the beast roared and she was slammed her again.

On the way down, Applejack braced herself. She landed on her back facing the creature, and instinctively curled in her free leg. Sure enough, it leaned in, convinced its prey was out cold by now.

It opened its maw, revealing rows and rows of teeth like knives, its saliva sloshing around as it anticipated its meal. Gobs of it spilled out of the creature’s mouth and dripped onto Applejack. Its breath was almost worse than the library. This beast wants meat, Applejack thought, but she wasn’t inclined to give it any.

“Big mistake!” she shouted. Her leg shot forward like a train’s piston into the bottom jaw of the creature with a satisfying crunch. The beast’s head whipped back on its thick neck, sending spit flying. It flipped over onto its back from the force of the kick, and howled, writhing in pain. It flailed about, slamming its bevy of claws into the ground creating divots and sending up soil, but it stayed down.

“You must’ve never tried to tangle with a real earth pony before,” Applejack taunted, breathing heavily. Satisfied, she stood, hearing several of her joints crack. She could feel that her insides were sore, and that she would be out for at least a week of applebucking, but she had her life and had saved Fluttershy’s.

She looked over the beast while it thrashed. Its multiple arms all spawned from fleshly lumps where its forelimbs should be. Its body had dead and diseased skin with bits hanging loosely, and on its head, she could see the muscles and moving beneath the holes in some spots. From where she stood, it looked as the other side of the beast’s face was horribly deformed. She walked around to try to get a better view.

As the beast’s spasms began to die, the beast’s wound came into full view. Applejack gagged. Half of the beasts face was a crater. Something had blown out the left side of its head. Above the jaw, a gaping hole of charred flesh yielded a cross section of twisted flesh, oozing a pale fluid. Strings of skin that remained flapped like streamers. She thought she saw it's brain through a smaller hole in it's cranium.

She sucked in a quick, deep breath. That thing shouldn’t even be alive.

She averted her gaze, and spotted her hat resting in the bog. The frogs had long since abandoned the clearing, leaving the hat floating on the still waters. Walking past the squirming, shrieking creature into the shallows, she retrieved it, wrung it out, and replaced it on her head. Before turning back, she heard another gut-shaking roar, several thumps, and turned just in time to see the beast run into the forest.

“Horse apples!” It was the same spot where she had saw Fluttershy disappear into. Instantly, she was on the chase. If that thing catches Fluttershy—!. Applejack disappeared into the treeline, leaving the bog, hoping she’d never have to find out.

***

Trees raced past Fluttershy’s vision as she ran through the woods. She was nowhere near a path, just running in one direction as fast as her weak legs could take her. Branches whipped her face as she stumbled through the brush, causing her to flinch. The canopy kept everything dim, despite her being sure it was still before noon.

She was lost. For all she knew she was running further and further into the forest, eventually trapping herself and letting that beast get her, or any of the numerous creatures that resided in its depths. Encountering a manticore or a hydra would only make this waking nightmare worse.

Hitting a clearing, Fluttershy’s eyes were hit with the bright light of the sun, causing her to instinctively raise a hoof to shade her eyes. As her body leaned to land on the raised hoof, she tripped. She tumbled a few times and landing awkwardly. Quickly she pulled herself together and dashed across the open space to the trees on the other side, hiding behind one.

She drank the air into her lungs, trying her best to hear any signs of danger. Her wings were flared, letting off as much body heat as she could. Seconds passed and as her pulse slowed, she could hear the forest buzzing softly. Not as loud as before, but enough to giver her some comfort.

Maybe the beast got lost? Maybe It’s still fighting Applejack? She gasped. Maybe it’s eating Applejack! The very thought made Fluttershy physically sick, tearing up at the thought of losing yet another friend.

She knew creatures of the forest rarely chose ponies for snacks (and she couldn’t remember a time when one was ever successful, even the mighty hyrdae), but that beast was unlike anything she had ever seen in the forest, or even heard of existing. She noticed its malnourished skin and horrific head wound as soon as she saw it, but her empathetic connection to animals was dead to that creature. Her nightmares couldn’t have conjured such a monster; in her wildest dreams she couldn’t imagine caring for it. The dragons she feared had nothing on that abomination. At least they were sentient.

Wiping her face, she walked back into the clearing and looked around. It was a very tranquil meadow with small, soft hills. It was the kind of place she would visit to meet with the critters of the forest, the ones who didn’t want her for lunch. Pockets of flowers flourished all around. The whole place had a warm glow.

A long-dead tree was in the center of the meadow, surrounded by several yards of dirt, as if the forest shunned it away from its healthier specimens. It possessed horrible scorch marks along the bark, and a sudden end to the trunk several stories up. Above its highest branches there was a clear shot of the sky. Fluttershy wondered how such a tree with such ample room to grow had been robbed of life.

Looking up at the sky was like seeing a sea above the forest, a forest she desperately needed to leave. Fluttershy felt like she could fall right in if she wasn’t careful. She found the sun. She had lost track of time, but unfortunately the sun’s position did nothing for her. She spread her wings, and ascended, leaving the ground behind on muted wing flaps.

Fluttershy cleared the canopy of the forest to a welcoming sight. In front her, still a ways away, was the end of the forest. Beyond that, in a soft haze of colors, lay Ponyville. She had been running towards the town at a angle, but was closer than she dared hope. It was still too far for her to fly the rest of the way, but she was faster on hoof anyways.

She smiled, embracing the moment of hope in the grimness of the— she checked the sun— morning. Maybe she would be able to wake up soon, and pretend this never happened.

The tranquility was ruined with a shout from below.

“Move it, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy had never heard Applejack’s voice had so full of panic. She looked down, and almost fainted. On the ground, she could see Applejack in a full sprint breaking the tree line of the clearing, but directly underneath her, ascending the tree to meet her with a low rumble, were the jaws of the beast. Several rows of teeth shined in the sunlight, and several gangly arms ending in claws reached out to her, too many to count in the heat of the moment. She squeaked, choking on the fear.

Down below, Applejack thought quick, and never stopped running. She approached the dead tree in a full sprint, hoping this would work.

To Applejack, an earth pony’s four hooves belonged to the ground, but Fluttershy was more important than that. She jumped as hard as she could to the highest branch she could reach, letting instinct carry her. Feeling a sturdy branch under her hind hooves, she thanked Celestia and braced her forelimbs against the trunk before pushing off again to the next highest branch, quickly gaining on the monster.

Collecting herself, Fluttershy began to flap away from the tree. The beast occasionally lost ground when hollow branches gave away, but was already near the top, and she could see its massive hind legs preparing for a jump. Try as she might, she knew her wingpower would not put her out of its range. The beast was a big cat, and Fluttershy was a hopeless canary begging to become food.

It roared, and lunged. The tree swayed heavily, almost shaking Applejack from her place and causing her to brace herself, losing time. Fluttershy had nowhere to go. Her wings froze up, and she began to fall. She watched the beast fill her vision, it’s multiple arms spread out to grab her. She closed her eyes, the wind whipping the tears from her face.

As the tree swung back around, Applejack harnessed the momentum and launched herself after the beast. The tree propelled her faster than the monster could ever hope to jump, and she quickly gained on it. Taking a page from Rarity, she extended her leg in the form of a vicious kick, and tried to make her body as aerodynamic as possible.

Fluttershy wondered what would Applejack think of her when, after this beast devoured her, she visited her abandoned house to collect her things. She wondered what Applejack would feel, finding her secret. The thought almost caused Fluttershy grief, but at that point, though, it wouldn’t matter.

Fluttershy never felt the jaws close around her.

Applejack violently connected with the beast’s side, knocking it just enough out of it’s trajectory to miss Fluttershy with its mouth. It’s arms swiped uselessly at the pegasus, suddenly off course from its prey. Applejack was in top form, her face in a tight snarl, and doing her best to plow through the abomination to the other side.

As Fluttershy fell, the beast passed above her. She couldn’t help but break into a smile as Applejack soared above her. She was so happy that, of all her friends, Applejack was still with her. Her smile quickly became a grimace as a stray arm reached out, and a talon made contact with her wings. The pain almost blacked out Fluttershy, and the blow sent her into a spiral. Applejack watched as she tumbled out of view below.

Applejack found herself way higher than she expected. Out of the corner of her vision she could see the monster fly way off target and into the trees. She began to flail, her hat flying away as gravity reclaimed what belonged to it. Her momentum rotated her view towards the ground, which was all too eagerly trying to embrace her. Her earth pony strength wasn’t going to protect her already strained bones from this height.

A few breathless seconds later she felt a sudden jerk and a much kinder embrace. She looked down to see yellow hooves holding her, and looked up to see Fluttershy struggling to carry her. If there was any wind left in her, she would have whooped at the sight. They coasted to the tree line opposite the beast, and crashed landed, tumbling over themselves.

Applejack was first to recover, stood up, and looked herself over. Despite the ugliness of the landing, she was still alive, and able to walk. Her muscles screamed obscenities at her, but she had to ignored them. She spotted her hat a few steps away, and snatched it up. She looked over Fluttershy, who was slowly rising.

She looked hurt, with scratches all over. Her fur was clumped with patches of dirt and dust. A wing hung limply to her side but, to Applejack’s knowledge, it didn’t look broken. Fluttershy sat on her haunches, coughing hard.

Applejack walked over and yanked her into a tight hug, taking care to mind her wing. Fluttershy hung limp in her arms, caught off guard. Applejack nuzzled her deeply then released her, and smiled. Fluttershy collected herself and, after a while, smiled too.

She cried. “I’m sorry.”

She smiled. “Ah know.”

An earth-shaking roar filled filled the forest. Thunder claps sounded as trees were broken aside. Giant choked footsteps were nearing, beating an odd meter into the earth.

Looking over, Applejack could see the beast almost upon them, only a few steps away. She only had enough time to push Fluttershy away and cock her legs before the beast was upon them. A swift kick deflected the monster away from them. It kept running, its momentum carrying it a couple paces. She turned to face it, placing herself between it and Fluttershy, who was crawling along the ground away from the monster. Before the beast could correct its path, she kicked again.

The arms hit by the repeated strikes were writhing in pain, like a dying spider. The beast roared at Applejack. She stood her ground.

“Now git, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy scrambled to her hooves, and took off for Ponyville, breaking the tree line. The beasts’ eyes followed. It saw what it needed to see: the slight limp, the hanging wing, the frail body. It made a lunge for her past the orange, rigid, frustrating pony.

Applejack side stepped and planted another kick to the intact side of the creatures’ face. She felt something shift beneath her hooves as her blow knocked the creature on its side yet again, more arms broken and squirming on its upturned side. Its thick hind legs kicked at the ground, slowly spinning itself and moving chunks of earth. It thrashed about like a wounded animal, and howled at Applejack for letting its meal escape.

Paying no mind to its screams, Applejack ran over to it before it could recover. Three of its five arms on its exposed side flailed uselessly at her, broken in various places. Its two others pawed at the ground, trying to bring the creature back to its feet.

Applejack gave it a swift kick to its face, feeling bones crunch. She thought she shouted something, but she was too in the moment to hear what it was. The beast instinctively swiped at her, catching her off guard and sending her careening into tree nearby.

Still, she slowly rose. She knew Fluttershy only had so long to get to the town, and hopefully she’d warn everyone. She had to buy her all the time she could. In front of her, the beast rose as well. It reached around itself with several good arms, and audidiably reset its damaged limbs back into place with several loud cracks. The roar from its pain and frustration shook Applejack’s insides, and she gulped. She said a quick prayer to Celestia, hoping she could afford the miracle she was buying. Yanking her hat down, she crouched, prepared to do what she could.

The beast wasted no time, and moved for the treeline.

“Oh, no you don’t!” shouted Applejack as she charged. Throwing her weight into its side, she found the beast much more sturdy than she anticipated. It had to catch itself, but immediately grabbed Applejack with a couple of talons and slammed her on the ground in front of it. The blow knocked the wind out of her, and she struggled to get free. Using two more of its talons, it pinned all of Applejack’s legs down.

The beast roared. Saliva and blood trickled down like plasma from its gaping mouth onto Applejack’s belly, matting up her fur and ruining her coat. She struggled to get free, but she smelled her death. Despite the situation, she couldn’t help but laugh imagining how Rarity would react in if she was in her horseshoes.

She could feel her rear left legs being cut into from the sharp talons, their grip like a vice. She had to have been bleeding by now, but should couldn’t give in. She fought through the increasing pain, her mind and mouth screaming incoherently against the beast. She fortified herself, preparing for whatever the abomination had in mind for her.

She wasn’t prepared for the beast to lazily toss her over its back. Flipping a couple times in the air, Applejack landed in a heap in a tangle of limbs, as the beast resumed its pursuit out of the forest.

Applejack lay on her back, catching her breath, staring at the sunbeams piercing the canopy. She was stiff, and her breathing was ragged, but she had her life. That wasn’t wright. She had expected a thrashing.

She blinked. “What the hay?” But she didn’t have time to ponder. She sprung to her hooves and began running.

In front of her, the beast was making its way through the trees, mostly by knocking them over and snapping their trunks. Applejack thanked her stars she was built out of stronger stuff. She used the path it was creating to catch up. Shortly, she was right behind it.

“Hey you ugly brute!” Applejack shouted, sure she was destroying her voice. “Hey, you stay away from ‘Shy, you hear?”

The beast glanced over its back, spotting the pursuing pony. It half-heartedly flung one of its useless limbs at her. It flung awkwardly, not getting anywhere near Applejack. It looked forward and continued its trek to Ponyville.

Applejack’s paced slackened, trying to work out the beast’s angle. Still determined, she broke off the path and starting running alongside it through the trees.

Applejack plowed through the underbrush, electing to ram most of the brush out of her way. The situation was too urgent for anything less. This monster can’t reach Fluttershy, I have to stop him. But he’s too big, I’m going to have my morning oats beaten out of me before I can stop this thing. At least he seems pissed off enough to ignore me.

As the beast’s loud trek through the forest started to quiet behind her, Applejack began to drift over into its lane. As she ran, she was scanning all around her for the best place for her to hold her ground. She hoped Fluttershy was running for help, but something told her it was unlikely.

Eventually she lucked out and found and adjacent path. Following it, she jumped a log and dodged a tree, and through the dim light finally saw what looked liked a clearing ahead of her. Her heart leapt, and she surged forward.

Breaking into the light, she could feel the sun’s rays on her, a comforting glow. As her eyes adjusted, however, her heart sank. She looked out in front of her, and she almost fell to her knees. In front of her, in the valley, was Ponyville

“How the... I’m back?” She had broken the tree line, and found her self only a little ways down from where Fluttershy and herself had entered the forest earlier today. She looked up at the sun, which was still rising into the sky. “It’s still morning?” She said with an exasperated shout.

Applejack strained her eyes, but she could catch no glimpse of a pink mane running towards the town. Ponyville looked incredibly placid, like it looked every day. She couldn’t see any sign of trouble. “Well, Ah guess that’s not exactly a bad thing,” she said to herself. She racked her brain for a solution to the monster. “Ah wonder if the Lunar Knights can—” She heard a treetrunk whiz past her, flying down into the valley in front of her. It struck the ground, creating a wave of soil.

Applejack only had a second to feel the ground tremble beneath her hooves before her world exploded. The ground beneath her erupted. She went airborne, joined by trees and chunks of earth. Her ears were pierced with a horrible sound, like the cry of a newborn colt, but hideously distorted as if impossibly old and cruelly tortured . Her insides shook.

She was sure she was still rising when hit the ground. Sprawled in a heap, she looked up to see the beast walking past her. It stepped over her, its ten forelimbs moving in a hypnotic rhythm, with its massive hind legs thundering over her.

She called out to it. “You better... stop right there you... m-monster.” Her voice frightened her; she couldn’t hear it. Wait, is that my voice? It’s so... weak...

The beast reared up on its hind legs, and flared out it’s seven unbroken arms and roared again. Following it’s gaze, she noticed it had seen Ponyville.

“No! “ She strained with all her might to be noticed. “Stop, leave them alone!” Her mind went out to the girls. Pinkie Pie. Rarity. Rainbow Dash. Twilight Sparkle. They were gone, Fluttershy was out of her mind, and no one in town had any idea what was coming or how to protect it. She was crying. “Leave mah home alone! Take me instead, just leave them!”

The beast ignored her, and began its descent down the hill towards the town. She could do no more in her current state. Her eyes were heavy, and Applejack shut them. She was too sore to stand up, so she laid there. There was nothing she could do now, and did what her body demanded of her. She closed her eyes, hoping that when they open there would still be a town to save.

Applejack passed out, as the ground beneath her rumbled with hunger.

Comments

[Lord Destrustor]

I know a Chekhov's gun when I see it.
That unfinished letter is still in the forest and will return later, more important than ever.

Wow, talk about a late comment...

And now I'm wondering if that zombie thing is a side-effect of Twilight's spell somehow. Guess we'll have to wait and see!

Nice story, guy/guyette. I love it, and will wait patiently for the updates.

[ProBrony]

3297090

Thanks for reading. I'm working on monthly updates. I'm writing right now! I'm glad you're still around.

[ProBrony]

My editor has been missing for the past month and a half. Because of this, I'm looking for a new one, and Chapter 7 and 8 are being held up. If you have read my story up till now and would like to help until he shows up again, please let me know.

[ProBrony]

3297090

Obviously, monthly updates was a lie. However, a new chapter should be out within the week, if I can get editor to stop screwing around.