Luna stood across the other Equin with bewilderment and disbelief. Never had she come across someone, or something remotely resembling her. Even if they were a Monster, they were a Monster with a mind. “Who...are you?” Luna asked.
“Heh… been so long since I spoke to someone. About darn near forgot it. I'm Applejack.” The southern Equin Windego spoke.
Sam stood on guard. Like it or not this Applejack was still a monster. He hated that the first of Luna's kind they came across was now a monster. This also put forth a fear Sam and Dean had for years. Infectious monster transformations can affect their little sister too. She's not immune like they hoped.
“How did you get like this?” Luna asked.
“Heh… you got time?”
Location: Black Water Ridge, Colorado
Year: 1834
Settlers in the Colorado wilderness are used to the strange and harsh environment. The scorching Summers and Sub-Zero winter's make it a harsh land to thrive in, the plants and animals evolved to be tough, and the people who make it here are learning to become just as tough as the area.
One man proved made for this place. His name was Many Romero. A half Mexican who kept mostly to himself. His wife Irma and child Oscar were his most valued treasure. Oscar was many things, a handyman, a rifleman, and quite the farmer. He had his farm far from.the nearby town, the locals a bit on edge and racist after the war. He didn't blame them, and chose to let them live their way rather than get involved.
He chose this place because wild Apple trees grew here. In this place such a thing was practically an act of God. The soil so fertile and rich. A well was dug and a house was built, everything else just came along with time. The first harvest was about ready and the few pigs and chickens old enough would soon be perfect meat for meals. Still both were a while away, so for now, it was time to hunt.
These woods gave plenty, a buck or doe lasted a week, smaller bird's, squirrel and such some days. A bear, the pelt would make great leather and the fur for insulation. The meat alone would last a month. With Winter so close the animals would be chasing more food, eating to fatten up before sleeping. Perfect opportunity to catch something large.
Many had his rifle, but kept a knife and bow as extra safety. Scouting the woods, he caught the track of something small. A bear cub? No, tracks are all wrong… a horse! Young. A workhorse would make life much easier… but these were small even by infant horse standards.
Tracking the creature, he found himself at a cave, where inside he found a sleeping bear, and in it's paw, a small tan, no, orange? Colored young horse… Many was about to curse his luck, thinking the beast killed the creature of labor until he saw the small filly kick. She was alive, she was… asleep?
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Many crept slowly into the cave, rifle end above the bears head. A clean shot in the eye should kill it. The sound will spook the filly though, but he can track it again easy of it escapes the cave.
He fired, the beast roared before collapsing and the filly awoke kicking and scared, backing up into a corner in the cave. It was now Many got a good look at the small labor creature and noticed… it's eyes were huge! It gave far more expressions than any animal he had seen before, and it was clearly afraid.
Many stood before the small horse, it's size on par with a three year old. He got on one knee, putting his now empty gun down and let the filly take his scent in from his outreached hand, not touching her, but close enough for them to examine.
Hesitantly, the filly took a sniff, then another, getting closer. Many expected them to lick their hand, but the filly kept sniffing past his arm, to his satchel. Pondering, Many remembered his Apple, taking it out and giving it to the filly, who after a single sniff of it are the fruit in one bite, chewing with a clear smile. Picking up the filly, Many made note to return for the bear pelt and meat, and headed home.
Upon arriving, his wife Irma greeted him. “Hello love.” She spoke with a voice sweet like honey, a perfect English with a Hispanic accent that made each word smooth. “You found a wild horse? That's perfect! Oh… it's so small… and those eyes! Where did you find them?”
Many didn't speak, rather pointed in the general direction of the cave. “That far out huh?” Irma asked. “Well she's rather adorable. Must be a new breed or… something. I guess for now put her with the pigs til we can build a small stable for her.”
Many quickly placed the small filly with the pigs, then went inside to wash up. He exited a time later, to find a strange sight. The filly was free… and carried a large basket of apples in her mouth. She walked with closed eyes and despite the object in her mouth, a clear smile as she bumped into Many. She looked up, and placed the Apples by his feet. Many didn't remember any of the apples had fallen off the tree. Or them being so large and ripe!
Once the apples were places, the filly walked over to the corn crops, still half way till proper height, and began, it seemed, placing pressure on the soil at the base of the plant. Many fell backwards as one of the corn plants grew an inch, then two, then three til it was proper height and had many ears of corn along it. She began doing the same to the other plants with the same outcome. Large, ripe crops.
Years passed, and this filly became a godsend to the family. To the surprise of Many and Irma, she could speak, small, simple words like young Oscar. Ad the years went by the filly, named Applejack, after the beverage both Irma and Many drank after her first words, and Oscar grew up like siblings. The two got along great, but they could not be more opposite. Applejack like the farm word, disliked and could not consume meat, and was profoundly honest. Oscar lied from time to time, mostly to avoid punishment, preferred hunting to farming and loved meat, and disliked the farmwork. Despite all this the two were inseparable.
Oscar would return from school and teach Applejack the lessons, since they kept her very existence a secret. “So nine plus ten becomes?” Oscar asked. He was now ten, not a man, but not a boy truly anymore.
“Nineteen. Right?” Applejack asked, now the size of a large dog. For some Reason, she managed to develop a southern accent, despite never heading such a voice in her life. As far as her adoptive family knew.
“Yes.”
“Oscar, Applejack.” Irma spoke, entering the room. “Your father wants help in the cabbages. Pests again.”
Applejack for up with a nod while Oscar grunted. “What's it this time? Rats or mites?” He spoke with a spiteful attitude.
“Attitude.” Irma warned verbally. “And not sure. Your father is looking for tracks.”
The children arrived at their father's side. Applejack and Oscar were told about why their father never spoke. His own father cut his tongue out at a young age, because he cried too much as a toddler. He got by well enough to live, more than enough. “Found anything Pops?” Oscar asked. His father gentured down. Tracks… of a person. “Thieves? Outlaws?”
Many shrugged, carefully walking with the kids behind him, Applejack hidden behind her brother. The trio arrived at a camp, a small fire with soup cooking was at its center. “These are our carrots, potatoes and corn.” Oscar growled.
“Thought you didn't like veggies?” Applejack teased.
“Not my preferred food, but doesn't give people the right to take them from us.” Many felt some pride that his son held a torch for justice. At the very least, knowledge to not let crimes like thievery pass by unpunished.
As the trio explored the camp, suddenly Many and Oscar were levitated up by an unseen force, thrown to a large trees trunk and held there. “Pa! Oscar!” Applejack cried in fear.
“Well we'll now, what have we here.” Spoke a woman, dressed in simple garments, curly red hair tied in a ponytail. And a Scottish accent. “A wee little boy, his father… and one of you lot.” She said, eyes falling on Applejack. “Hmm. Similar magical aura, but no horn or clear means of using your kinds unique magic.”
Applejack's mouth went dry, fear dug into her heart by this woman. A witch. “I-i make Plants grow faster…” She spoke nervously.
“Oh. Hmm… useful for agriculture but for me not very useful at all. Too bad, you're the second lot of odd creature I've seen like you.”
“S-second?” Applejack asked.
“Yes. And as much as it's been fun meeting you, you are useless to me. Now then, what would be most fun way to dispose of you all… what would make the most chaos… oh. Oh that might do it nicely.” She said, looking over at the boy, Oscar. “Rarity, Wendigo curse. Time to use what I taught you.”
“Yes mother.” Spoke an elegant, young voice from behind Applejack. She turned around, seeing… one like her. Pure white coat, a glowing blue horn and a purple mane curled elegantly. Oscar became covered in the same blue aura as her horn, the color changing to black.
Oscars skin became pale. Eyes black, teeth falling out as needle like teeth replaced them. “Oscar!” Applejack cried, ready to buck the unicorn, until she found she could not move. The which.
“Her too Rarity, might as well see how this spell affects one of your kind as well.”
“Yes mother.” Rarity said again, eyes meeting Applejack's. “It's nothing personal, you're just lesser than us.”
Luna has her mouth covered in shock, Sam felt off. They've rarely known the backstory to the monsters they kill, who they once we're. Ghosts sure, often. It was part of those cases…. Vampires, werewolves, Wendigos… never. “After I became this they knocked me out… Oscar… ate, Ma’ and Pa… those first few years he kept slipping in and out of what he was turned into. I swore to try and keep him in check… whether he was in there or not.”
“But he still eats people.” Sam spoke.
“Yeah, but kids and such I make sure he doesn't touch, and if there is a lot of people I force him to take the bare minimum.”
“But he is still killing people, he's still a monster!”
“I know that!” Applejack yelled, ice thickening along the walls of the cave. “I know it ain't right… I know it's wrong, and so very twisted… but I can't just forget our past, our happiness, the fear on his face every time he snapped back to himself, seeing the dead faces of those he ate! I promised Ma I'd look after him… even if he is mostly just… Wendigo now, some bits of him are still him.”
“Applejack…” Luna spoke, a heavy held breath escaping her lips. “What bits of Oscar that are there must be in so much pain, and suffering being like that.”
“Ah’ know…”
“I can't even begin to imagine the pain you are in either. How are you… still you?”
“I don't know. And it made me feel sick. While my brother was changing into this… beast, I only looked different. I kept my mind, so why did he have to be so alone with this…”
“Must just be a perk to being different.” Sam spoke up. “That witch said you and the others like you and Luna have a unique magic in you, so maybe it's that magic that kept you… you.”
“Maybe…”
“Luna, come on.”
“Hmm?” Luna questioned.
“Applejack, if you love your brother, if you want to make him happy, for the first time in a long time, let us do our job.” Sam said, a cold yet sorrow filled expression on his face as he looked Applejack dead in the eyes.
Applejack took a step back. She knew what needed to be done… She teared up, the tears falling down as snowflakes down her cheeks. She only nodded. Her mouth could not say yes.
With the Wendigo, formerly Oscar, now dead, Sam informed Dean of the story, and Applejack. They helped her bury her brother, and the girls brother was alive, little beat and scratched, but well and would recover quick. The trio was at the cave, Applejack's spot in the cave was where they buried Oscar.
“What will you do now?” Luna asked.
“Can't exactly go anywhere.” Applejack replied.
“This witch that cursed you and her brother, did you get her name?” Dean asked.
“Not her name, just of the unicorn that was with her that.. actually cast the curse. Rarity. She's got pure white coat, and a curled purple mane.”
“Witches live a long time, if this unicorn is using witchcraft also then chances are they are both alive. If we find them… we'll kill them.” Sam promised.
Luna had many thoughts racing through her head… and an idea came to mind, something Bobby once said rang in her head. It would work, and Applejack won't be alone. “I think I know where you can go Applejack.” Luna said, gaining her brothers and Applejack's attention.
One Week Later
Bobby was a man of many regrets in life. Never did he think he'd regret complaining about his old freezer costing him an arm and a leg in electricity.
Now he keeps it unplugged, cause a ghost/Windigo pony of same race as Luna now lives in it, keeping his frozen goods frozen amd chilling his beer to almost frozen. While the company is nice, he and Applejack share a lot on life views, he wondered just how much of a common occurrence this was going to become. He was now considering a heavy remodel of the garage and backyard. Perhaps a taller fence made of brick. Thankfully his scrapyard paid well, but to afford this project he might need to put in some overtime.
“Well, she likes hard work, no harder work than scrapping.” He thought aloud, figuring out more ways than just keeping his frozen foods frozen Applejack could repay her new housing arrangements.