//------------------------------//
// A Simple Traveler 
// Story: Known as Thy Pony of Timber Wolves 
// by Razor Blade the Unicron 
//------------------------------//

	The green-maned and whited-coated Earth pony stepped off the train with a neutral expression on her face, and looked around the station with minimal interest.
Interesting... she thought, Last time, this station was painted blue.
She started walking into the town, when a pink-maned and pink-coated Earth pony popped up in front of her with a large smile.
"Hiya!" cried the pink-coated Earth pony, "My name is Pinkie Pie, but you can call me Pinkie!"
"Is that your full name or a nickname?" asked the white-coated Earth pony.
"Well, my full name is Pinkamina Diane Pie!"
"Then I would prefer to call you Pinkamina."
"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkamina bounced happily in place, "So, what are you doing in Ponyville? Are you visiting Sugarcube Corner? Because we have all sorts of super tasty treat there!"
"I am looking for Sweet Apple Acres. Could you direct me there?"
"Sure thing!" she pointed past a building towards a grassy area, "It's right over there!"
"Thanks." the white-coated Earth pony instantly walked off in that direction.
"Wait!" called Pinkamina, "You didn't tell me your name!"
"Maybe later." she then walked out of Pinkamina's sight, and towards Sweet Apple Acres.
She arrived at Sweet Apple Acres within two minutes, and walked up to a yellow-maned and orange-coated Earth pony who was currently bucking the apples off the trees.
"Excuse me," she said to the orange-coated Earth pony, "Is this the farm where zap apples are grown?"
"Yup!" said the orange-coated Earth pony, pausing from her task, "Sweet Apple Acres is the only place in all of Equestria where zap apples are grown! Though, they haven't started grownin' yet. No howls from the timber wolves means no zap apples growin'! They'll probably been startin' soon!"
"Do you think that I could look at the zap apple trees? I study rare and magical plants."
"Ah don't see why not! Just follow me!" the orange-coated Earth pony started walking, with the white-coated Earth pony following her, "By the way, mah name's Applejack; what's yer's?"
"I prefer for ponies to guess my name."
"That's rather odd. Don't ya want ponies ta know who you are?"
"Maybe in due time."
Applejack simply nodded, and continued towards the zap apple trees. She stopped in front of a large area of barren trees, and pointed at them proudly.
"These are the zap apple trees!" she said, "They may be barren right now, but they'll have leaves by the second sign!"
"Sign?" asked the white-coated Earth pony.
"Well, there are five signs that the zap apples are grownin', or full grown. The first is that the timber wolves in the Everfree Forest howl. The second is that the sky gets covered in dark clouds, then a spark jumps across the branches, and the zap apple leaves form. The third is when a flock of crows circle above the farm in an apple shape, and blue flowers appear on the trees. The fourth is a meteor shower, which causes the flowers to blossom into small gray apples. And finally, the fifth is when there's a lightning storm over the orchard, and the apples become rainbow-colored with a rainbow-colored aurora shinin' behind 'em!"
"Interesting..." her voice faded off, and she approached one of the trees, "These trees are so beautiful in the light..."
"Uh, are you okay?"
The white-coated Earth pony didn't respond, and simply stared at the tree with wonder. The gently reached her hoof up, and placed against a small indent in the tree, when howls suddenly resounded from off in the distance.
"The timber wolves?" asked Applejack in surprise, "But they usually howl at night! Why are they..."
She trailed off as her eyes shifted back over towards the white-coated Earth pony, who was frantically trying to pry her hoof away from the tree, but it wasn't moving. However, she didn't have a look of fear or surprise on her face, only determination. A green glow began coming out of her hoof, and she gritted her teeth.
"Cover your ears." she said.
"What?" asked Applejack.
"Cover your ears! Do it now!"
"But-"
"Just do it before-" the Earth pony cut off as her eyes snapped closed, and she let out an ear-piercing scream.
Applejack stared at the Earth pony in complete shock, before she quickly sprinted away without a word. The Earth pony continued screaming, and dark red tears slid down her cheeks. She fell down on to the ground, but her hoof stayed in place on the tree. Her hoof finally slid down from the tree, and she stopped screaming. The dark red tears continued to pour out of her eyes, and the Earth pony slowly got back to her hooves.
"No..." she whispered, "She wasn't supposed to see... Nopony was supposed to ever see..."
"Hey!" called Applejack, running back with five ponies following behind her, "Are you okay?"
The Earth pony's eyes snapped open, and she sprinted away from the six ponies, towards the Everfree Forest.
"Where are you going?" called a blue-coated pegasus that was part of the group, "Are you crazy?"
"Stay away from me!" screamed the white-coated Earth pony.
"Why?" cried out a purple-coated alicorn.
The Earth pony turned around to face the six ponies, just a few metres from the Everfree. Her eyes were no longer green as they had been earlier, instead, her eye sockets were completely empty, and all that she had were two glowing red orbs.
"Stay away from me!" she screamed.
"Who are you?!?" cried the alicorn.
"My name is Darkwood!" she turned, and sprinted into the Everfree Forest, "And I am Thy Pony of Timber Wolves!"