//------------------------------//
// #BeforeWeForget 
// Story: A Vignette of Apples 
// by Draxonos135 
//------------------------------//

The group of Vignette, Sunset, Twilight, and Spike stood in front of the entrance to the Everfree Forest, a dark forest whose mere atmosphere screamed unnatural and threatening.

"Alright, everybody get mentally prepared," Twilight stated. "Once we head inside, we'll need to use all of our willpower not to get overwhelmed. Now, any questions before we go in?"

"Um, I have a question," Vignette blurted, raising her hand... Er, hoof. "I'm new here, obviously, so what's up with this Everfree Forest place?"

Twilight took a deep breath. "Okay, listen, the Everfree Forest is a magical forest that works differently from the rest of the world."

Vignette blinked once, and tilted her head. "How?"

"Well... The plants grow by themselves!"

Vignette lowered her eyelids. "Mhm?"

"And the weather changes all the time, independent of Pony input!"

"Uh huh."

"And it's home to dozens of dangerous magical creatures!"

"Doesn't Equestria fit that last point too?" Vignette rolled her eyes. "I mean, L.B.R.: Let's Be Real, the only thing separating you from those monsters you mention is that you're civilized and sentient. To an extent."

"She's got a point there, Twi," Spike spoke. "Besides, being new here, everywhere is home to dangerous creatures in her eyes."

"Hmm, I guess I can see where you're coming from," Twilight shrugged. "Well, there's no point delaying the inevitable: let's head in."

"Wait, I just had a thought; what if a magical incident's happening while we do this?"

"Vignette's right," Sunset remarked. "Ever since Equestrian magic began leaking into the other world, magical problems have popped up more and more frequently. There's the chance something's happening as we speak."

"Well, neither of you need to fret," Twilight stated with a smile. "I know just who to send in case something's happening!"

"Sorry, Twilight, but I don't plan to go back to that world ever again," Spike stated plainly. "It was weird enough to be stuck in a dog's body, can you imagine how much weirder it'll be now that I grew wings?"

"I wasn't talking about you, Spike."

"Oh... then, who are you planning to send?"





At the castle library, a lavender unicorn Pony with a purple mane and light blue highlights was carefully using magic to levitate a card onto a house of cards, a bored look on her face.

The house quickly fell apart, however, when the book the house was built upon opened and spread, revealing Twilight on the other side.

"Starlight, I need your help with something."

Starlight did the "yes sir!" gesture. "Corporal Glimmer ready to serve!"

"When did you get a rank up?" Twilight blurted. "Anyhow, I need you to go to a specific building in Canterlot, a red building with a couple open windows. There's a mirror there that functions as a portal to another world; I need you to cross through it, see if some magical chaos is happening, and if possible, fix the situation."

Starlight raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know there's such a thing happening?"

"Tsk, Starlight, I'm me."

Starlight lowered her eyelids.

"I was visited by someone who lives on the other side, who suggests it might happen. It's a very long story, though, and we don't have much time to discuss it in detail, so please, just do as I'm asking you."

"Got it, Twilight," Starlight nodded and waved her hoof. "You don't need to worry about anything; I'll fix the situation before you can say quesadilla!"

"Quesadilla?! Where?!"

But by then, Starlight had teleported out of the library, leaving the princess to look everywhere in sheer terror.

Vignette looked at Sunset, but she was just as clueless as her, and she turned to Spike, all he said was:

"It's a long story."

Then, he snapped his fingers, and the princess returned to reality.

"Ehem, anyway, that should take care of whatever's happening right now."

"A single Pony? A.Y.S.: Are You Serious?!"

"Starlight's one of the strongest Ponies I've ever met that are still living on this world; she can handle herself just fine," Twilight replied before spreading her wings. "Now, let's not waste any more time and head in."

Twilight flew into the forest, while Sunset conjured an aura around herself and levitated up before following the alicorn.

"G-Girls, wait!" Vignette cried, frowning as she added, "I don't know how to fly."

"I could teach you."

Vignette turned to her side to see Spike giving her a reassuring smile, which she eagerly returned as they began a quick lesson.

"Okay, so, first try opening your wing like this..."





The trip to the house Twilight talked about was fairly quick; Starlight teleported to Canterlot, headed for the spoken house, then hopped through with nary a second thought.

Once she was out in the other world, Starlight slowly opened her eyes, and blinked twice as she scanned her surroundings.

She was in a small room, with an open window revealing that it was noon, a messy bed, and other stuff that was commonly seen in a house.

"Whoa, cool!" Starlight chirped. "It's like one of those fancy buildings in Equestria! What were they called again? Stables?"

Then she tried to move.

"Huh? Why do my hind legs feel longer than usual?"

Starlight looked behind her, and shrieked as soon as she saw her hind legs had turned into human legs, different joints included.

"What happened to my legs?!"

She backed away from her "deformed" legs as she could, until she hit a wall.

"Ow!"

Suddenly, a piece of paper fell on her head. She grabbed it, and inspected it up close: it was a simple, dusty drawing of the difference between pony and human anatomy, though the latter was titled "hairless yeti" instead.

Then Starlight noticed the tiny things connected to what would be her hoof.

"GAAAH! WHAT DID I TURN INTO AND HOW COULD ANYPONY GET USED TO THIS BODY?!"

Suddenly, an explosion was heard outside, and Starlight headed to the bed and got on top of it.

Once she saw out the window, however, a horrified chill went down her spine.

A giant mass of black magical energy was causing chaos in the center of... Wherever she was. Not only that, but the mass had taken the form of a distorted mix between a "hairless yeti" and a Pony; the upper half resembled a pony trying to stand up, while the lower half resembled the creature Starlight had become, the spot where the head would be serving as a bridge between both halves.

It didn't take long before Starlight realized what the creature's main component probably was:

"The Pony of Shadows..."