//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: PonyFall: Mile High Apple Pie // by Flint Easthoof //------------------------------// Ponyfall: Mile High Apple Pie Prologue         Spring, a season of new life and the gate to warm weather. Newborn critters followed their mothers from their dens or sat contentedly in their nests, eagerly awaiting their next meal. Trees showed new leaves, proudly displaying their abundance to all. Some even began to bear fruit early on. Many in particular stood tall and firm, planted deep in the soil of Sweet Apple Acres. All of them were under the careful watch of one Applejack, a pony that knew each tree by heart and cared for them like family, nurturing each one with a green hoof and motherly love; something only a true earth pony could do. After all, she didn’t wear three apples on her flank for nothing. It was her Celestia-given talent, and if that wasn’t enough, she loved it. Every part of her life on the farm was a pseudo-ecstasy for her. “By golly Jasper, ya done started early!” Applejack praised one tree in particular that was already showing signs of an abundance of Norland Apples. Of course, the tree didn’t respond. It couldn’t, but that didn’t stop the farm pony from showing her gratitude. “Why, if Ah didn’t know any better, Ah’d say you were flirtin’ with me.” Moving on, Applejack approached yet another tree. Examining it carefully, she took note of everything about it: the color of it’s bark, the color of the leaves. She even went as far as to kick it to make sure it wasn’t in a sickly condition that might spoil the apples it would bear. After all, Sweet Apple Acres was driven by quality, and every tree, apple, leaf and product they were made into had to be perfect. “Lookin’ good Buford!” She resumed this routine for a good hour until she reached her final tree of the day, one she lovingly dubbed ‘Bloomington.’ Yet as she came closer, something seemed... off. “Bloomington, ya’ll doin’ alright?” Edging closer, she noticed the tree somehow looked reflective. “What in the hay...?” she muttered. Bringing up a hoof, she tapped the tree. She had expected a soft thud from contact, yet she was met with nothing but spongy relief. “That, just ain’t right.” Sensing something was up, she glanced around. All the trees looked odd now, almost as if they weren’t real tree’s anymore. She looked at Bloomington one more time before she turned around to buck at ‘his’ trunk. Applejack positioned herself in line with the tree, quickly brought her hind hooves up, and bucked hard. She didn’t get the resounding ‘THWACK’ she had hoped for. Instead, the tree gave in, bending at her force. Before she could realize what had happened, it sprang back into place, sending her airborne and into a rather ungraceful faceplant. Suddenly she heard screaming and crying. Lots of it, from all around her. She pushed herself up and looked around. The trees each held dozens of apples with... mouths? They were screaming at her, terrorizing the poor orange mare almost to the point of tears. “Please help us!” “Oh woe is me!” “Applejack! We’re scared!” “No no no no no, this can’t be happenin’.” She panicked. “This has ta be some kinda messed up dream!” “It hurts!” “My stem is broken!” Of course, life in Equestria is not always so nice and forgiving. In the vain attempt to check for reality, Applejack punched herself with a forehoof. The pain was real; it wasn’t a dream. To make things worse, there was only one logical explanation, if you could call it that, for what was going on. “Discord...” Applejack broke out into a dead gallop toward Ponyville. She had to find her friends and Apple Bloom, and make sure they were all safe. ~ After she had met up with Twilight Sparkle, she and the purple unicorn set about to find their other four accomplices. First came Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, the former being carried by the prismatic pegasus after her house had gone from simple cottage to sentient, fat, fire-breathing dragon. Then came Rarity, looking rather odd being wrapped in licorice and coated in ice cream, who was found near her home-turned-tacky-saddle. Finally came Pinkie Pie, prodding glumly at the crumbs that had once been Sugarcube Corner. With everypony found, and Apple Bloom sent off to safety, Twilight Sparkle led Applejack and her friends to where she could sense their Princess was located. They had all hoped to find Discord seized by the Princesses of Day and Night. Their hopes, however, had been crushed. On the ground lay a battered and beaten Princess Celestia. Within the grasp of Discord was Princess Luna, struggling fruitlessly against the grip of the Deity of Disorder. “Oh, now isn’t this so very delightful,” he bellowed, casting a wicked grin from Celestia to Applejack and the other five Elements. “I do hope you didn’t really think that brute force could overcome my stunning wit and charm.” Her heart sank. If anypony could beat Discord, it was Celestia and yet, somehow, she hadn’t. It was catastrophic. “Do my words not impress you?” Discord wailed, dramatically heaving his free arm out wide, expressing his fake distress at an overly thespian-esque level. “What about my latest interpretation of Ponyville, hmm? Does it not scream chaos?” His expression of anguish faded to that of apathy, shattering any hope the ponies had. “Very well then. I suppose I’ll just have to make things more interesting for you all.” With his free arm still cast out wide, he summoned a pink flame of chaotic magic, taking a brief moment to admire it’s power. He then thrust his paw at Luna, making his intentions certain to all that he was, in fact, not fooling around.  Rainbow Dash bolted forth. If Loyalty hadn’t been her thing, bravery certainly would be. She was too slow, however, for when Discords magic made contact with Luna’s muzzle, things went haywire. A magical pink aura exploded from her essence as she transmogrified from full grown mare to filly, then vanished completely. “Oh for the love of...” Discord deplored as he too, was engulfed in the pink explosion. “Sister!” the Princess of the Sun cried. Rainbow Dash was next to go. She refused to slow down, and flew straight into the growing mass, disappearing before Applejack’s eyes. “Run, my little ponies,” Celestia pleaded. “You heard the princess,” she heard Rarity say as she stood by Twilight, who was casting some sort of spell. “Let’s get out of here.” Applejack didn’t need to be told twice. She bolted, looking back only once to see if the others were following. To her dismay, one by one, Celestia, Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and then Pinkie Pie were consumed. “NO!” Applejack wailed. She turned back. She had to be with her friends, no matter what. Charging headlong into the storm, she tensed for impact. As the pink essence enveloped her, she felt nothing, and all she saw was a flash of white, and then blackness.