//------------------------------// // [7] Applejack // Story: Fate Sealed in Ink // by DeadlyKDPonys //------------------------------// --Sweet Apple Acers-- It was now morning in Sweet Apple Acers, though it wouldn't be a nice day for Applejack. Since she and her friends agreed to go through with the ritual they have to wait a whole week. Applejack had woken up early this morning, how? She has no idea. She paced back and forth in her room. "It's only the first day. You can do this, Applejack" She said to herself. She looked up at her calender. She has set up the day of the ritual on it. She bit her lip. "I know, i'll do some early Apple Bucking. That can get my mind off that darn Ritual" She said and started her way down stairs to the orchard. She found a tree full of apples and placed a couple of buckets around it then went to position. She lifted up her back legs and then kicked the trunk of the tree and all of the apples fell down. Though some of them landed on the ground. What she found a bit odd is what they formed when landing. It almost looked like the shape of a circle, but was bitten off at the top [*Cough* Bendy's head *Cough*] She rubbed her eyes, but when she opened them again. The apples were scattered, not forming that shape. Applejack stood there, blinking, but then shook her head as she startded gathering them. She has moved the buckets back to the barn and started thinking. 'Should i keep going or should i do something else?' She asked. She looked back at the orchard with a slight nervous look on her face. "I guess i can start making Breakfeast" She said, going back inside. She prepared some bread and braught some apple jam. She also started making some apple cider for drinks. She sighed. She was so lost in thought, she didn't hear the hoofsteps of a filly running down the stairs. "Good morning, Applejack!" The voice of Applebloom said, scaring Applejack. The country pony was so startled that she fell to the floor. "Goodness, Applebloom, you almost scared me to death" She said, now sitting up. The filly frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but do you wanna see what Sweetie Belle Gave me yesterday?!" She asked, her smile returning. Applejack sighed and stood up. "What is it?" She asked, returning to her chores. She had grabbed a plate in her mouth when she looked over at her little sister, who had pulled out a jar filled with some black luquid. Applejack's jaw dropped, causing her to drop the plate to the floor, shattering it. She didn't bother as she hurried over to her sister and grabbed the jar. "Hey!" Applebloom said, trying to take the jar back. "Applebloom, you said Sweetie Belle gave this to you, did she say what this is?" Applejack asked. Her little sister began to think about that. "She said it was a gift from the one who saved her from that failed cloud walking experiment. I asked her what liquid it was and she said it was ink" She said. Applejack's eyes widden and started to slightly twitch. 'That Demon gave a little filly, a jar of his own ink. Of his own flesh and blood. As a gift' She looked at the Jar and was almost disgusted. 'That is Disturbing in so many ways! What went Through that guy's thick head?! I better have a conversation with him when we perform the Ritual' She thought and sighed. "Look Applebloom, i don't think it's safe to have this" She said. The filly glared. "And why not?" She asked. Applejack had to be carfeful, don't wanna say too much. "I mean, don't you think it's a little weird that a guy that saved her, that she's never met before, gave her a jar of ink out of all things?" She asked. Applebloom began thinking. "Well, when you put it like that. It is pretty strange. But can't i keep it? I promise not to open it!" She said. Applejack paused. "All right, but don't break it and don't open it" She said, giving her sister the jar. Applebloom smiled and went back up stairs to put the jar back. Applejack sighed. "I hope i'm not starting to go nuts here" She said and went back to clean up the shattered pieces of the plate she dropped. The Entire family was now outside, working. Though Applejack was so lost in her thoughts that she sometimes missed hitting a tree and landed on the ground or ending up kicking the bucket instead. It was like that time when she said that she was gonna buck every singe tree in the orchard and didn't get a single night's sleep. But this time she is fully awake, but it seems that by thinking about the ritual the entire day, she has began growing anxious, and it takes most of her energy. 'Come on, Applejack. You can't just chicken out so early, in fact you can't chicken out at all. You agreed to do it, so you will go though it' She kept telling herself things like that. She noticed a growing feeling in her that doesn't want to go through with the ritual when she keeps thinking about things that can happen. She even thought that what if there's that small chance that she can Die if something goes wrong! All those thoughts keeps filling her head, and so fast too. She ended up going inside the barn and up in her room. She looked over at the calander and that is how she realized it. "Can i wait?"