In Another Life I: Week One

by Bateman66

Apple Smashin'

Two pebbles gently tapped against the window. After a few seconds, two more pebbles followed. Finally, a rock was sent crashing threw, shattering the small old thing.

Twilight quickly jerked awake at the sound. Peering out her window, she saw all her friends right outside the house.

She tiptoed around the sleeping Spike and slowly crept down to the ground floor. Grabbing her saddle bag off the side hook, she gently shut the front door and jogged over to her friends.

"Seriously you guys, the window was-"

All five of Twilight's friends hushed her in unison. This was an important night, a night that could not and would not be ruined by some egg-head.

Gesturing to her friends, Applejack began to gallop toward Sweet Apple Acres. The rest followed right behind her.

When they got close enough to the farm, Applejack veered off along a less beaten path and into the orchard. After some time, Applejack skidded to a halt. Turning to her friends, she spoke.

"Alright y'all, this is where most of them apples have been disappearing. I reckon we handle this exactly as we planned."

AJ pulled from her saddle bag a large rolled up map of Sweet Apple Acres. She unfolded it onto the ground.

“So, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash circle around the sky and try to cover anything we miss while we search. The rest of us will split into groups of two. So ummm...I'll go with Twilight and Pinkie and Rarity can be a team. Any questions?

"Not a one!" chirped Pinkie.

"Then let's move out everypony!"

With Applejack's word, the group dispersed into their groups, and for the next few pre-dawn hours, searched the entire highlighted area of the farm.

The section they were in was on the northwest corner of the property. It was a very destitute part of the land, close to the Everfree Forest, frequented by coyotes and overgrown with weeds. Under such conditions, only rigid sour apples grew, not even the squirrels would eat them.

While walking through mazes of trees, Twilight couldn't help but ask Applejack some questions.

"Applejack, why exactly do you think some pony is stealing your apples? Couldn't it be any old squirrel or bird eating them?"

Applejack continued to walk while she responded.

"You ain’t seen some of the stuff here. Smashed apples, burnt apples, apple skins are all lyn' about. It's got to be the work of some pony!"

"Then why look for this mystery pony at night? They would be easier to find in the day.”

"Becaaaaause sugar-cube, that's when it all happens! Nothin' at sunset but a sunrise, the place is a pig-sti!"

Twilight shook her head in disbelief. “But this doesn’t add up, what about the-?"

Twilight was interrupted by Rainbow Dash yelling in the distance. Without a delay, Applejack ran in Dash's direction. Twilight followed in suit.

The shadows and trees rushed past AJ as she sprinted. She could here Dash's voice getting closer. The intruder was somewhere nearby, she could just feel it.

Applejack came to the edge of a creek. She was just at the rim of the farm, right next to the Everfree Forest. Hearing something below her, she slid down the muddy slope, into the creek.

It was dark and quiet, but she could still feel and hear the soft water running through the rocks and small patches of dirt islands. It was just the water she had heard, a red herring, but still…something was nearby.

She continued to listen for the noise; it was close, getting closer, a rustling, heavy breath, cracking of twigs, more breath, and a silent curse. Applejack looked up.

A hooded pony stood at the top the slope into the creek. It waited there for a second, looked to its right, looked to its left, looked to the sky, then quickly dropped down. The pony landed with a tiny splash of water over its hooves then slithered over to a nearby rock and sat down.

Catching its breath, it pulled something out of its pocket and began to drink greedily a bottle of something. Done, the pony tossed the bottle back into its pocket, it continued to breathe heavily and rest.

Minutes went by and it didn't see Applejack.

Silently, she tossed open her saddlebag and pulled out a flash light. Steadying the heavy metal tube, she pointed just in the pony’s direction. She flipped it on.

The beam startled the figure and they took off galloping, water madly splashing underneath their hooves. Applejack went right after it, determined as ever. She held her flashlight as steady as she could in her mouth, while yelling to her friends:

"The varmint’s right here! I got'em!"

The pony weaved and ducked through the creek as best as they could but there was no shaking an apple-bucking earth-pony!

AJ was closing in. Just a few inches more and she'd tackle the vandal.

She could see a large cliff was approaching. It was drop off, leading straight down into the Everfree Forest.

Applejack could see what the pony was going for and she wasn't going to follow. As the pony ran up the cliff, Applejack screeched to a stop.

Taking a running leap, the vandal thrashed its legs madly in the air, then plunged down into the black abyss. There was no way to see through the tangle of vines and massive trees. The mystery pony was gone.

-------------------

The Mane 6 regrouped at the orchard gates. The sun was just peaking over the mountains as dawn began to shine on all of Ponyville. Applejack was covered in mud and leaves as she met back with her friends, but she didn't let that bruise her spirits.

"YEHAH! I think we've seen the last of that pest! No more apple destruction for us, no sir!"

"But darling" cooed Rarity, "You did not catch the perpetrator, only scared them away. If one would be so determined, they would simply try again."

"Rarity you didn't see. That varmint took a fall all the way down to the Everfree Forest! If that didn't hurt em' it would at least scare em', no pony would ever try somethin’ so foolish and not learn from it.”

Applejack turned to all of her friends.

"Thank you all for helpin' with this little crisis. It sure was mighty sacrificen' for y'all to come here in the dark of night. Now *yarn* I think I'll hit the hay. I reckon y’all should do the same. See y'all tommorow!

And with that, the ponies went their separate ways, back to their homes to get some proper sleep.

Comments

[Sky Hooves]

You have my interest with this Story. I hope the next chapter is coming.

[Bateman66]

2480931
First of all, thank you for the comment! It's stuff like this that can really brighten someone's day As for the story, the entire thing is almost finished, I just need to edit certain sections, just some quick fixes here and there. I hope to get the next chapter done by the end of the week.

[ShagDragon]

Nice start. It seems rushed however, and could use more detail. It's not bad though.