Ponyville was a relatively young town, founded by Applejack's great-great-grandfather, Jedidiah Macintosh, under royal permit from Princess Celestia. However, the town considered itself to have a long, and colorful history, as the rich, fertile valley that spread around the Epona River had a long history of population. A town would grow up around some enterprising farmer's land, and it would survive for anything from a few decades to a few centuries, before some plight or other would drive the ponies there out, be it plague or drought or, in most cases, the monsters of the Everfree.
The denizens of Ponyville, however, considered themselves to be a pretty hardy sort, unlikely to let a few timberwolves and bugbears drive them out. They adopted this spirit from the Apples themselves. Nopony in town had been hurt worse by the Forest, and yet the family had not only pressed on, but by all accounts were flourishing as much as their farm.
As such, Ponyville liked to stay upbeat, and keep smiling through the hardships. They enjoyed festivals, celebrations and parties of all sorts, and had even before their local Pink ball of Chaos had shown up to make a party for every occasion. Perhaps that, more than anything else, was why the town had accepted Pinkie so openly, in spite of her oddities.
With a festival like the Summer Sun Celebration going on, especially with it being held in town, no less, everypony who was anypony was off at a party, banging their head to good music, laughing at cheesy jokes or some other pony's drunken attempts at dancing, and enjoying the company of good friends and even better food.
All except for two.
One was a young purple unicorn mare who had been sent to this town by the Princess herself, after having the warnings she had given out ignored and pushed aside. She was angry enough, before the silly Pink mare had decided to shock her senseless at the door of the Library she was meant to stay at with a party of all things. She hated parties and social gatherings, they were too loud, too rowdy, and had too many ponies all talking at once. She'd rather be reading, but instead, the music too loud to focus, she had simply chosen to sleep through the night.
The other was Big Macintosh. He wasn't partying because, at present, he was limping back home, a worried scowl on his features, while he favored his right front leg and right side, breath hissing in through his nose slightly with each step.
Everypony being off partying and celebrating had meant that nopony was around to see or hear when the big stallion had come flying out of the mouth of the alley, only to come to sudden stop against a lamppost, the steel pole shaking like a baby's rattle on the impact, before listing to the side, the magical light inside flickering out, as Mac had fallen hard to ground beneath and laid still.
There was also nopony to see the large, furry figure which rushed out of the alleyway in a blur of motion, running past the fallen stallion with barely a second glance, before making a beeline to the South, towards the Everfree Forest.
Had it been any other pony, the impact alone would have killed them, or at least left them crippled. As it was Big Mac, he had managed to push himself up to his hooves barely a few minutes after hitting the ground. He had considered trying to go after his sister, but feeling the pain in his side and leg, he knew it would be foolish. He'd never find her, anyway. He could only pray that she stayed in the forest, and didn't do anything regrettable.
And so, grunting, he'd turned and begun the long, painful limp back home to the farm. He figured, from the feel of it, he had a fracture in his right pastern, probably where he hit the ground and a couple broken ribs from hitting the lamp post.
The Wolf had picked him up and tossed him like he was a toy, but that was all . . . It hadn't bit, or clawed, only threw him, and ran off. He grunted, seeing the lights of Sweet Apple Acres coming into view up ahead. Granny and Apple Bloom were probably still up. Gritting his teeth, unsure of what to tell them, he continued on up to the house.
This was gonna be a long night.
FREE!
She was free! Paws rushed across stone, then dirt, then grass and finally, the thick loam of the forest floor. As teh tree branches closed in overhead, she stopped, shivering in excitement, before tipping her head back and singing her joy to the moon above.
Then she felt it again. The same feeling that brought her to the surface to begin with. Flooding down from the figure in the face of the moon, was an ocean of hate and rage and . . . Loneliness.
It was a feeling she knew all too well.
She stepped back, paws scraping the dirt as her song died in her throat, ears folding back and she whimpered. Fear crawled up her spine as she looked at the moon. Something was wrong, and she wasn't sure what it was.
She only knew she had to hide. To hide from that anger that was trying ever so hard to scorch the earth below.
Applejack raged. She railed and fought, but to no avail. She felt herself floating, detached from everything, and yet so very aware of all the was happening outside, of what her body-
No. It's body, was doing, while she was trapped inside her own mind, looking out through the beast's eyes like she was staring through the bars of a prison cell. It had been so long since she'd been this conscious after a transformation, that she couldn't even remember the last time. Not that this was anything new to her. There were a lot of things she couldn't remember.
The reason for her rage, however, was for more than just the circumstances. The damn Monster had hurt Big Mac. Had rushed up and thrown him out of the way like he was a ragdoll and just kept right on running, elated to be free, while Applejack was forced to watch in horror, terror clawing at her throat.
Was he alive? Or . . . Had she just killed one of her own family?
Again.
Applejack did not remember much at all of her foalhood. She remembered she used to like to play in the Old South Orchard, when it was still an operational part of the farm, pretending to be an intrepid guardmare, holding back the evil forces from within the shadowy depths of the Everfree Forest.
She remembered her Pa had built her a little treehouse up north of the house, on a rise near the duck pond, to act as he 'watch tower'. She would spend a lot of her time up there, when she was too young to help her parents and big brother on the farm, keeping a lookout for baddies and monsters.
She remembered walking 'patrol' through the South Orchard one day, eleven years ago, now.
She had been seven, and it had been a bright, sunny summer morning. The sort that, in fiction stories and stage plays, nothing bad ever happens on. She had been skipping along, her mane up in twin pigtails while her green eyes had danced with joy and laughter.
Her family was spread out in the South Orchard, bucking the trees there. Applebucking season had started a few days before, and it was a busy time. In a little while, Applejack herself would be busy, helping to load wagons to haul the baskets of apples up to the barn, but mostly helping Granny prepare lunch. She was still too young, too weak, to really be of help in the fields, a fact which always left her feeling a little down. She just wanted to help, to pull her own weight and get the work done that much sooner. Of course, in her mind, she was already bigger than she really was.
Still, it was important, walking patrol! Pa had told her so, that the Everfree was a scary place, and to not ever go in without him or her Ma with her. So, if it was so dangerous, it made sense to her that it was important to keep an eye on things, especially now, with Applebuck season going on. The family was busy enough, and she was the only one who couldn't help in the fields, and she mostly jsut got in Granny's way around the house, it seemed.
So, she walked her patrol, and felt important, same as she had everyday for a while.
That day, so bright and sunny and happy, with the warmth of Celestia's light shining down on them all, would be different. It would spell the end of her foalhood, and the start of a decade long nightmare for the entire family.
She did not remember what it was, now, that caught her attention. So much of that day was a blur in her mind, now, but she still knew bits and pieces. She remembered being in the South Orchard, and so much closer to the Forest than she was supposed to be. Her Pa had not been far away, when she was playing patrol, just up the hillside, but now when she turned, she could not see him or hear him.
Again, she didn't remember what it was, but something made her turn, and go further towards the trees, picking up her pace, as a sense of urgency wormed its way into her mind. Why so urgent? Why run towards the Forest? She had wracked her brain over and over trying to remember, but she simply couldn't.
One way or the other, she had wound up standing just a few yards off from the dark, shaded, imposing edge of the treeline. There was no fence separating it from the farm. The Everfree didn't like fences, or other ponymade things, and it tended to leave them dismantled or simply no longer there, the day after putting them up.
Applejack had stood, staring into that abyss, and without really knowing why, had felt her hooves beginning to move further into it.
Next she had known, she was in the forest, running. Running, from something that was fast, and angry, and emanated a feeling like the air before a lightning storm. A sense of power contained and controlled, but barely. A flicker of green, glowing eyes and wooden teeth had the filly screaming as she ran all the harder, mindless of what lay before her as she tried to get away.
It was no wonder, really, when her hoof caught on a root and she went flying to land in a heap in shaded, dark clearing. Her pastern throbbed, and she felt her eyes stinging as tears ran freely down her face. She looked up, and saw it.
Gnarled roots for claws, interwoved branches and vines connecting like muscle, bone and sinew to form and shape a body that sprouted with leaves and flowers here and there. Green eyes gave settled upon the filly in a hungry, baleful gaze that left her frozen in place, mouth working as she tried to decide what to do.
With a vicious snarl, the timberwolf leapt, and the filly screamed, turning to run. She stumbled, but adrenaline was pounding and she barely felt it as she ran again, the pain in her leg ignored in favor of the terror clutching at her heart. She could feel it, the breath like ozone on her flanks, along with a cool spot on her right flank, just below where her Cutie Mark would be one day, if she managed to survive the moment.
Screaming and crying, Applejack put on a harder burst of speed, trying to outrun the demon of the forest, before, with a gasp, she felt her leg give out from under her once again, sending her tumbling and sprawling.
She landed half on her back, and in a flash, the timberwolf was atop her, snarling and thrashing, trying to flip her over, to get to her soft tummy or throat, and she screamed, scrambling, trying to get away, sobbing in desparation. . . .
And then a pale figure came from nowhere, body slamming the timberwolf and throwing it off of the filly, who looked up, shaking in terror, to see a mare with a ginger mane and lighter ginger coat, standing over her, jaw set, eyes glaring in righteuos fury at the wolf who rolled to its paws, shaking its head and snarling.
"Momma!" Applejack exclaimed, as Buttercup set her stance so the filly was between her rear legs, and stamped the ground with one forehoof.
"Stay still, Sugarcube!" SHe said, narrowing her eyes as, with a snarl, the timberwolf leaped, racing towards them in a blur of green magic.
"MOMMA!" Applejack screamed, watching as the beast bore down on her and her mother, who lowered her chin, lifting one foreleg in preparation. . . .
And anotehr figure, a bright yellow with a brillaint red mane and tail, came bursting out of the trees, catching the monster off guard. The timberwolf went down with a yelp under the hooves of teh stallion, who didn't stop until splinters were scattered here and there and everywhere, and the brilliant glow of the beast's eyes had faded away.
Buttercup stood, panting, before sighing, and looking up at the stallion who came quickly trotting over, checking the pair of them over, making sure they weren't hurt. "You took yer time." She said, and he stopped, looking at her.
"Y'all ran out ahead!" Bright Macintosh said, frowning at her, and she snorted, lifting her chin.
"My girl was in danger. What'd you expect?" She said, filling Applejack's heart with happiness.
"For you to not endanger the other one." Bright Mac said, voice and eyes soft with love and worry, as he walked over and put a hoof on his wife's stomach, who stepped back, chuckling.
"We're fine." She said, while Applejack was simply confused.
"W-What are y'all talkin' about?" She asked, and the two ponies turned to look at her, and she knew immediately she should have stayed quiet. Her father's expression said it all; she was in trouble. However, that trouble never came to pass. She remembered her Pa looking down at her, then his eyes taking on a worried look.
"Girls, I need y'all to stay calm. We need to get to the hospital." Bright Mac said, already moving to pick up Applejack, while Buttercup frowned, opening her mouth to ask what was wrong, before she looked down at her daughter and paled.
"What is it?" Applejack asked, feeling oddly, before she turned and looked down at her right flank. All she really remembered was thinking that there was a leaf or something stuck to her, hanging by a few threads of something, while something dripped. . . .
Her head spun, and her world seemed to slow and speed up all at the same time, while her stomach and mind rebelled, before her vision went hazy and she fell, and fell, and fell-
-and rolled into the snow, feeling it cling to her winter coat. Panting, she was up, paws racing over the packed, frozen dirt of the forest trails while her nose worked overtime, tracking, hunting, searching for prey, for food, for the thrill of the thing.
She was free, freer than anything else in these woods, not bound by magic, or chains, real or imagined that she did not allow to touch her. Nothing could hold her unless she let it, and she would never allow anything-
She was interrupted in her hunt, in her freedom, by a sound, somewhere in the distance. A voice, calling a name, a name that was familiar. Her own. She stopped, lifting her head, ears perking up and twitching. Her head tilted as the sound called again.
Nothing could bind her, nothing could hold her, nothing could call her down, unless she allowed it. Tuning into the sound, her paws picked up their pace, turning to follow the sound back to its source. . . .
Applejack awoke in a scramble of hooves, thrashing left and right, breath heaving as she choked back a scream. Her hooves dug at mulch and loam, while her back struck something hard and organic, that scraped at her skin through her fur. She gasped, squeezing her eyes shut, fighting at the rising bile and fear in her throat, before coming to a stop.
She stood, legs trembling, mind racing yet frozen at the same time, as she fought to breathe. She choked, a sob escaping from her chest as she felt her eyes burn and dampen. She couldn't keep doing this . . . she couldn't. These half remembered flashes and imaginings of a life once lived, of happy times and foal's games, all shattered by . . . Her eyes opened, turning to look at her right flank, at the patch of thinned fur that made the apples there look paler, fainter than the ones on her left. The scar, from when the Timerwolf had bitten her.
Only her family knew, and not even all of them. Apple Bloom couldn't know. She could never know the truth. Granny and Big Mac knew, of course, because-
Her eyes widened and her breath caught. "Big Mac!" She snapped, turning and looking around. She was in some kind of cave or something, the floor of it was dirt, covering an area a few meters around, while the roof seemed to soar up into darkness above her. In fact, everything was dark, the only light coming inside through the mouth of the cave seemed to be moonlight. Frowning, she scrambled up to her hooves and staggered outside, turning briefly a looking back at a great, ancient oak tree that had been struck by lightning at some point, or so it seemed. The hollowed out interior formed a natural hidey hole.
Anger. Rage. Alone. So alone. Afraid. Angry. Vengeance. Jealous. Angry.
The emotions bore down on her, making her teeth grind and head pound. She remembered . . . . the Beast was . . . afraid. Of whatever was making those emotions well up. Applejack's frown deepened as she forced herself to stand. She had always thought the Beast itself was responsible for those emotions that led to the transformation, but now . . .
Applejack looked up, through the overhanging boughs of the dense forest canopy, seeing the flickering face of the moon. She frowned, thinking it seemed paler than normal, almost as though something were missing from its surface. . . . Not important! Big Mac! "Right, right." She snapped to herself, turning away from the moon and starting to run. She seemed to know exactly where she was in the forest, some flicker of memory or understanding left from the Wolf in her mind, and she used that knowledge to move to the north, to the edge of the forest.
Applejack found herself exiting the forest into familiar land. It was the Old South Orchard on the Acres. Applejack felt a moment's surprise at this, but she didn't stop to ponder on it, instead racing through the thinning shrub and trees, leaping over rocks and roots, hooves pounding the ground.
As she got closer to the farmhouse, she saw a familiar figure, small and yellow, with a big pink bow in her red mane. Apple Bloom was apcing back and forth on the porch, a worried frown on her face while Granny sat behind her in her favorite rocker, her grandpap's old boomstick, Ol' Betsy, resting across her lap. As Applejack rushed up to the steps, Granny sat up, blinking as she looked her granddaughter over, while Bloom shot out to meet her big sis.
"Applejack!" The filly hollered. "Where've ya been?! We been worried sic-" She was interrupted as Applejack blew past her without a word, face a mask of worry and fear.
Granny pointed a hoof to the door. "On the couch." She said shortly, recognizing that Applejack was in no mood for blathering right now. The orange mare rushed through the door, past the coat rack in the foyer and turned left into the living room, a soft fire crackling in the fireplace, and lamps lit up here and there, making the cozy, homey room well lit.
A recliner rocker sat off to her left, facing the fireplace and the coffee table that was the centerpiece to the room, although the lovely, embroidered rug under it really did tie the room together. Family photos hung here and there around the room, along with some quaint decorations and artwork.
And, center of the room, facing the fireplace, was a big old comfy looking sofa. At present, it was occupied by a big lump half covered by a blanket. Applejack raced around the sofa, nearly tripping over the table in her rush. "Big Mac!" She yelped, seeing the stallion properly for the first time. He didn't really look that bad, actually, and seemed more annoyed than anything. His jaw was a might swollen, and he had bandages wrapped around his barrel and his right front pastern.
"AJ." He said, simply, nodding his head to her, and Applejack shook her head, gritting her teeth against the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I . . . I'm so sorry, Big Mac! I don't . . . It ain't never been that bad before!" She said, shaking her head, before sitting forward. "Are ya okay?" She asked, concern in her voice and glistening in her eyes. "I didn't . . . I mean, she-"
He put a hoof on her nose, quirking an eyebrow, and she blinked, leaning back again, gritting her teeth as he set up, grimacing a bit. "I'm fine." He said, nodding. "Can't walk too good, but I'll be fine. Y'all di'n't use claws or teeth on me. Just tossed me like a salad." He said, chuckling, before flinching as he was reminded about his broken ribs. Not that he'd actually forgotten.
She frowned, shaking her head and looked down at her hooves, grinding her teeth together. Big Mac was hurt. No, maybe he wasn't dead, and maybe he wasn't cursed like she was, but he was still hurt, and it was all her fault. She felt his eyes on her head, and she sighed softly. "Bit Mac . . . I'm sorry. Y'all-"
He put a hoof on her shoulder, and she looked up, seeing him frowning. "Ain't important, right now." He said, before nodding to the window. She looked at it, seeing only her own reflection in the glass, the outside too dark to see from the well lit room.
"Why's it still night time? She don't ever tire out before dawn. And, it was weird, Mac, like . . . She was afraid or somethin'." Applejack said, frowning and looking back at her brother.
"Eeyup." He said, sighing. "Somethin' happened. I dunno what. None of us do, but . . . Welp." He nodded again, this time towards the ticking wall clock, and Applejack turned again, looking up at it, and blinked. It took her mind a moment to register what she was seeing. According to the Clock, it was nearly seven-thirty.
"I . . . I only been gone a half hour?" She asked, feeling like she was missing something big. There was no way it had only been that long, unless. . . . Her eyes went wide as the broadside of the barn and she looked at him, swallowing hard, and he nodded grimly.
"Eeyup." He said, simply.
It was seven-thirty in the morning.
Applejack came back up to her hooves sharply, breathing hard, eyes flickering slightly. "How?!" She asked, and he shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, before they were interrupted by a comotion from outside, with the front door shortly being knocked inwards hard enough to bounce of the wall. This somehow did nothing to slow the pink figure that pronked inside, rapidly bouncing left then right off the walls, before coming to a stop in the doorway into the living room, blue eyes looking over Applejack standing next to Big Mac, who was sitting up on the couch.
"Awwww! I was hoping you'd still be leaning over him and I could make a 'Sweet Home Applebama' joke! You're no fun!" Pinkie Pie said, frowning at the pair of them, before Applejack took a deep breath, pushing one tangled strand of mane out of her face.
"Pinkie Pie. What're you doin' here?" She asked, stiffly, a frown on her face.
"I'm here for you, silly!" Pinkie said, before prinking over, leaping completely over the sofa and landing beside Applejack, before promptly leaning into the farm mare and giving her a shove towards the door.
"Hey! What in the heck are y'all doin'?!" Applejack yelled, trying to push back but finding, to her surprise, that she was unable to stop the short, chubby baker from pushing her across the floor of her own house.
"Oh, don't worry, Applejack! Everything will be just fine you'll see we're just going over to the Golden Oaks to talk to Twilight and the others OH! That reminds me I need to grab Fluttershy on the way and Rarity too can't do this without them I mean duh they're main characters afterall-"
"PINKIE PIE!" Applejack snapped, sidestepping the pink mare, who just kept walking straight ahead as though nothing had happened, leaving Applejack to pant from the exertion of trying to fight the little mare's momentum. "What is goin' on?! Why would we need to go to the Golden Oaks? And what's Rares and . . . wait, who's Fluttershy?" Applejack asked, frowning.
"For Lauren's Sake, Jackie, don't WORRY!" Pinkie said, giggling, before her tail suddenly reached out snatched Applejack around the withers, pulling her out of the farmhouse with a yelp.