Once Upon a December

by FlimFlamBros.


Snow Apples

6 months earlier…

“How long has it been snowing?” asked Sweetie Belle, as Scootaloo and she were pulling a sleigh up the hill.

“What do you mean? Like how long how it’s been snowing today?”

The little unicorn shook her head. “No, I mean how long it’s been snowing period. For Luna’s sake, it’s snowing in the middle of August!”

“Yeah…..” murmured the orange pegasus. “That is weird, when you really think about it.” She looked back behind her, where Applebloom was trailing behind sluggishly. “Hey Applebloom! What’s taking you so long? Hurry up!”

The yellow farm filly didn’t say anything. She didn’t even acknowledge her, all she did was keep trekking up the hill.

“She’s still upset, isn’t she?” wondered Scootaloo.

“Well, what did you except?” replied the filly unicorn. “Her sister been gone for over half a year and it’s only been a month since…” She peeked over her shoulder to make sure that Applebloom wasn’t within earshot. “The ‘incident’ and she’s just hasn’t been the same since.”

“Yeah I know… But that doesn’t mean that she still needs to be a big mope about it.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be saying that to her face,” hushed Sweetie Belle, looking back at the farm filly still trailing behind them. “She’s really sensitive right now and doesn’t need her best friends making things worse.”

“Well, she can’t keep feeling sorry for herself forever,” frowned Scootaloo. “And as her friends, don’t you think that we should try and help her move on?”

“I know that and we will, but right now we just need to keep her happy. If she’s still like this in a month then we’ll confront her with it.”

The orange filly looked at Sweetie Belle skeptically. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Alright then,” said Scootaloo. “I think we’re almost at the top anyways. Where’s Applebloom at?”

“I think she’s still trailing up. We did get really far ahead of her,” Sweetie Belle admitted. “We can always just wait for her.”

“Well I’m not waiting forever…”

*****

“That was rather clever of you, Mistress,” said Frostbite. “I would have assumed that your confrontation with your friend would have ended like the other one.”

“I try not to solve my problems with violence,” droned the mare. “It’s terrible for the soul… No puns intended of course.”

“Of course,” sighed the ghost drake. “But I do wish that you wouldn’t place yourself in those situations. It’s my job to escort you Isis, and I would rather avoid conflict rather than subvert it.”

“Wouldn’t we all,” smiled Rarity. “Wasn’t it a philosopher that said, ‘Don’t look for the fight, because the fight will find you?’”

The spectre chuckled. “I fear I’ve never heard of that one.”

“A friend of mine told me it…” sighed the unicorn. “She…always loved those sort of things, books and all that.”

“I’d advise against such memories,” suggested Frostbite. “The mind is its own brand of hell. There is no need to be in both when one is still avoidable. Regardless, we are approaching The Forest.”

“Ah yes… The Forest,” Rarity muttered. “I which what one of my friends resides here to kill me? Applejack? Rainbow? Maybe Twilight has a killer tree house.”

“I hope that’s sarcasm.”

“I hope so too…”

The duo stopped at the edge of a snowy, pine tree forest. The woods seemed thick and shadowy, with no sign of life within the wooden maze. It was such a peaceful setting that there was no doubt that it held untold terrors.

“So this is The Forest?” Rarity asked. “There isn’t anything really remarkable about it.”

“Then you do not see the forest for the trees,” said Frostbite.

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

“This is a forest in the depths of a frozen underworld. Nothing is as it seems and this forest is no exception. It is said that those who become lost in the thickets of leaves are doomed to wander forever in its dwells, their only companions the trees that mock them and their thoughts that slowly decay into madness.”

“So we shall not get lost,” said Rarity. “And be done with this forest sooner rather than later.”

“Then let us proceed,” smiled the drake. “Stay by my side and do not follow the screams of the forest. They only wish to mislead you.”

“I’ll take that to heart,” said the mare, readying her azure-flamed torch as the two took their first steps into the forest.

It was almost an instantaneous darkness with only the dim glow of the flames of hope to light their way. The shadows seemed to dance in the flicker of the fire’s light, like dancing ghouls stalking them behind their backs.

Every step they took seemed to lead to more and more darkness, and Rarity began to fear of losing her dragon guide. Even his faint glow seemed to start to disappear into nothingness before her very eyes.

“Frostbite,” she called. “Frostbite, are you still with me?”

He did not answer her, he just kept floating down the path ahead of them, fading ever more as if he was just an illusion.

“Frostbite! Frostbite! Please say something!” the mare begged as the dragon finally disappeared. “Frostbite! Where are you going? Don’t leave me!”

But it was useless. He was gone, and she was left in the darkness.

“Okay, Rarity, no need to panic. Just stay calm and nothing in here can hurt you.”

“Rarity…”

The cold voice cut through the icy air, causing the unicorn to slowly turn her head. Far in the distance, she could make out a figure crying. It was a pony, perhaps stuck under something. Part of her wanted to rush in and help, but she knew that it was probably just a trick of the forest. Even though he had disappeared, Frostbite’s words of wisdom were still clear in her head. But now she had to go and traverse the forest without his guidance.

It was difficult though. The forest seemed to cry out at her, flashing images of ponies in distressed, withered and scarred from a year’s life in this forest. She wanted so desperately to help them, to try and ease their burden if even a little. But she kept heading away from the ponies and in the direction she hoped was the right one.

“This is getting ridiculous,” she said. “It’s like a never ending darkness. And where is Frostbite? I do hope he’s okay.”

“Rarity…”

“Will you please stop calling my name?!” the mare growled, shouting into the darkness. “I’m sorry that this happened to you! But I really need to be on my way.”

“You’re not sorry…”

“Yes I am! If I could help you then I would! But you have no idea what I have had to endure to get this far and I’m not about to let you lure me into some sort of trap!”

“Typical Rarity… Always thinking about herself…”

“How dare you!” Rarity huffed. “What gives you the right to accuse me of something like that?”

“Because I know you… And it’s the honest truth.”

There was a flash of blinding light and the darkness was obliterated. When she opened her eyes, Rarity found herself standing in the middle of the forest, surrounded by grey, withered and dead trees. It was like she had stepped into an old movie without the bad sound quality. Where was she?

“Hello?” Rarity called out. “What’s going on now? I swear, this place gets more confusing every second.”

“Mistress?”

“Frostbite!” chimed the pony happily, seeing her ghost friend gliding through the trees. “I’m so happy to see you! I’d hug you if that weren’t impossible.”

“It’s good to see that you’re alright as well,” said the spectre. “I was afraid that I had lost you there for a moment.”

“I was about to say the exact same thing for you as well,” smiled the mare. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

“The very heart of the forest I’d imagine,” suggested Frostbite. “Although I can’t say for certain.”

“So… we’re lost?”

“Not necessarily,” said the dragon. “While I’m not sure we are, I do know where we need to go, and that is more direction than your average lost soul will have.”

“Then what way do we need to go?”

“I…cannot say for certain.”

“So we are lost?!”

“I suppose so…”

“Wonderful,” grumbled Rarity. “Just wonderful. Now what’s going to happen? Do we just wander around aimlessly like stray sheep until we die, go mad, or escape?”

“Perhaps,” sighed Frostbite. “I am truly sorry about this, I wasn’t aware that the forest would be this confusing. It seems different since last time I was here.”

“That’s right, you’ve travelled this world before…” said Rarity. “In fact, that’s actually quite peculiar. How did you travel these plains only to end up frozen at the gates of this world?”

“That…” the dragon paused, “...is something that I would rather not talk about, if that’s alright with you?”

“Of course, dear. Sorry if I was prying.”

“Not at all,” he said. “It’s just better if we don’t talk about it.”

“Very well,” said Rarity, looking around the forest. “But it still doesn’t solve our predicament. You know this is usually the time I would ask for direction. I guess that isn’t really an option out here.”

“Afraid so… Shall we venture forth and hope for the best?”

“It sure beats sitting here in the cold.”

*****

7 months earlier

The snow continued to fall over the farm of Sweet Apple Acres and the snow piles surrounding the fields seemed to grow more and more each day. It had been a harsh year for the Apple family. They, more than anypony relied on good weather to grow their orchards of apples and their fields of other crops, and with Applejack no longer with them, the situation seemed all the more dire.

Big Mac had taken it upon himself to try and do all the chores since then been worked to the bone. Too tired to pursue other things in life or a marefriend, he had to give up everything. Applebloom seemed to just slouch around all day, hardly ever leaving her room or helping out anymore, she was just too depressed to do anything. Granny Smith felt helpless, her back had finally given out a few months earlier and she had been stuck in her bed ever since.

It had been so long since Rarity had visited, but she had told her parents that she wanted to pick up Sweetie Belle for Applebloom, even though both fillies had grown into their adolescence. However, she looked for any excuse to leave her home and stretch her legs in the snow.

“Oh my…” gasped Rarity as she gazed upon the dead orchard of trees. As a result of the seemingly endless winter and loss of an important family member, the Apple family had to forsake over half of their land, preserving only a small handful of trees. Even then it didn’t seem nearly enough to support all their wasted land and utilities.

She did her best to push past the gates of the ranch, but the snow had built up and jammed the gate. So she hesitantly climbed over the fence, careful for her cloak to not get caught on one of the poles. When she was finally over, she trekked through the snow and towards the tired old farmhouse. It proved quite difficult, the nearly three feet of snow making a short walk into a small journey to the door.

When she did finally make it to the door, she heard voices coming from inside, familiar voices. Rarity went to the frost-ridden windows and saw two red and white-mane ponies talking to Granny Smith and Big Mac.

“You see here, Miss Smith, my brother and I are willing to make you a very generous offer,” Flim said, sliding some papers onto the table in front of the crippled Granny Smith. It looked like it took a small crane to get her out of bed and even then she laid flat on the moth-eaten sofa.

“We understand that you’re granddaughter is recently deceased,” Flam said. “And with this hellish weather, we can only understand that you aren’t capable of paying your taxes to the crown.”

“Ah told you two buffoons before!” Granny grumbled from the couch. “Ah ain’t selling the farm for no reason! My father built this farm with his bare hooves and ah ain’t about to sell it to some fancy, city slicking, con ponies!”

“Granny, be reasonable,” sighed Flim. “We’re willing to take on all of your debt and even give you enough financial support to retire. Your grandson would have to work for us of course but our wages would allow your family to move to a new home. I hear that they’ve open some new condos in downtown Ponyville.”

“Ah ain’t living in some little box!” Granny muttered. “And you ain’t going to put me in no home, either! I’d rather kick the bucket than be jammed in some sardine can of an old folks home.”

Big Mac started to look over the papers. His slow and cautious eyes studied every single word on the contract. “It’s a lot of money, Granny… I don’t think it’d be smart for us to pass this offer up.”

“Macintosh! Ah hope my hearing is going, cause Ah have better not of heard you actually considering the home you’re ma and pa grew up in, that you and your sisters were born and raised in, that Ah was hoping to see you raise your own family in.”

“How can I have a family if I spend all day working?!” the stallion barked back. “I can’t do this anymore! Not alone… Not without Applejack. I don’t know how she used to do it but I can’t do this without her!” He pushed the bundle of papers towards the sale ponies. “Mr. Flim, Mr. Flam, we all accept your offer.”

“You’re making the right choice,” smiled Flam. “My brother and I already have the plans for what we’re going to do with the land. I recall that you have a history with construction?”

“A bit.”

“Then won’t you join us in the kitchen?” Flim asked. “We think that’d you could use your knowledge of this land to help better plan our building placements. Are the east fields flat? We were thinking of placing the main shedders there for the apples.”

“I would recommened using the south fields…” Macintosh said as he led the two brothers into the kitchen.

Rarity stepped aside from the window, her back hitting the wall of the house in a panic. She knew that she probably shouldn’t have been eavesdropping on their conversation. Maybe she should just leave, Sweetie Belle knew that her parents wanted her back before dinner and would come in a few minutes.

“Rarity?”

She looked to her side to see Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle all walking through the snow and towards the house.

“Oh, hello girls,” Rarity smiled weakly. “I was actually looking for you. Sweetie Belle, mother wants us home for dinner.”

“Okay,” said Sweetie Belle, turning to her friends. “I’ll see you girls tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah,” grinned Scootaloo. “We still have plans to go egg Diamond Tiara’s house in the morning.”

“Hush you,” grumbled Applebloom. “Y’all are going to get us in trouble… Hello Miss Rarity.”

“Hello to you too, Applebloom. It’s so nice to see you again.”

“I guess…” she muttered. “Are Granny and Big Mac still in the house talking to those FlimFlam Brothers?”

“I think they’re just about done with their business,” Rarity said. “Why? Do you not like them?”

“They’re alright, I guess,” the farm filly mumbled. “But it’s Granny Smith that I’m more worried about.”

“Why so?”

“Ever since Flim and Flam started coming over here, she’s been getting angrier and angrier with my brother. I’m worried about what’s going to happen. I mean Mr. Flim and Flam are just trying to help but Granny’s being stubborn as a mule! She’s too proud to sell the farm even if it kills her!”

“APPLEBLOOM!”

“Big Mac…”

“APPLEBLOOM! GET IN THE HOUSE! THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH GRANNY! HER HEART…”

“G-g-granny?”

*****

“Trees… Trees… There really is no end to this, is there?” Rarity asked Frostbite. “I want to say like a never ending forest…but that’s a little too literal.”

“Literal… Such a proper choice of words to be said in a place like this,” said the dragon ghost. “But a clearing approaches.”

Pushing past the last of the trees, Rarity and the spectre finally managed to get into a grey, snowy meadow in the forest, barren and striped of all life, the dormant trees hung sorrowfully down with their leafless branches, like demonic claws swooping down for the kill.

“Well this is rather unsettling,” Rarity muttered to herself.

“Ain’t that the truth…”

“There’s that voice again,” the mare frowned. “Look, leave me alone, whoever you are!”

“You really don’t recognize my voice, do you?” it said from beyond the trees. “That’s a mighty shame… Cause y’all are all I’ve been thinking about…”

“Wait a minute… ‘y’all’? Applejack?”

“Well, it’s about time I jogged your memory,” the southern drawl of Applejack snickered as the earth pony drifted from beyond the trees. “Boy, have I missed you.”

Applejack was standing on her hind hooves, strapped and bound by barb wires, the metal spurs digging into her skin and scabbing over the cuts. Her front hooves were cracked and callused from the wind, and her blonde mane was dirtied to a soggy brown. She continued to walk forward, dragging her hooves menacingly in the snow.

“Did y’all miss me?” She asked.

“A-applejack! What happened to you?”

“Well that’s actually quite the story!” Applejack hollered. “You see, after I was killed at a party I didn’t even want to go to, me and the girls all got trapped in this hellhole! And one by one that demonic bastard picked us off! Drove Fluttershy feral, Pinkie Pie went all cupcakes, and me? Well… It should be so obvious.”

“I’m sorr-“

“Hush! I ain’t finished!” she roared. “Now what was I going to say… Oh right! So I was busy being strapped with barbed wires to a tree when all of a sudden, wouldn’t you know? HE comes walking by like some Canterlot bigshot! And he tells me that my good friend Rarity was coming to save one of us, and sugar cube, I dared to hope that you’d save me…”

“It was a hard choice!” Rarity cried. “I could only save one!”

“So you saved the dragon? What about me?!” Applejack sneered, her eyes pulsing with an unhinged fury. “Did you even think about my family!? That I had loved ones to go home to? That I had a little sister and a brother and a grandma? But y’all are just selfish! You didn’t give the rest of us a second glance! It was just your slimy little boy toy!”

“I did think about it! I thought about it every day! It was the hardest thing to deny any of my friends life again but I had to choose… I had to choose.”

“Well, ain’t that just precious,” the cowpony mumbled. “Those tears paint a pretty picture, sugar cube. But do yourself a favour and shut up. It’s time for me to go home…”

The wires on her flesh suddenly ripped off her skin in a spray of blood, dangling around like tentacles of an octopus.

“I’m going to rip your soul out and see my family again!” she roared, the razor wires whipping towards Rarity. One of metal wires wrapped around her stomach and squeezed into her fur, the spikes digging into her flesh as she screamed. The barbs kept digging into her skin as she was dragged towards the crazy Applejack.

“Gah! Please Applejack! Stop!” Rarity begged. “This isn’t going to solve anything!”

“SHUT UP!” she scowled, dragging the screaming white mare closer to her. “You’re mine now! I’m going to enjoy wringing that pretty little ne—“

Her sentence was cut short as a wooden spear was thrown from the forest and straight into her neck. The barb wires around Rarity’s waist went limp and Applejack collapsed to the ground. Rarity slowly got up from the ground, clutching her bleeding stomach and inspecting the motionless mare.

She inspected the spear that had slain Applejack, her blood slowly leaking on the snow. What had happened? And who had saved her?

“Mistress!” Frostbite shouted. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine dear…” Rarity said, doing her best to put on a strong smile. “It’s just a little scratch, I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive, darling,” she said. “Although I can’t say the same thing for poor Applejack… You didn’t happen to see who threw this spear, did you?”

“I was too busy being terrified for your safety to notice,” the drake said, floating over to the unicorn. “It’s a shame about your friend… I imagine that she wasn’t always like this, just like Fluttershy?”

“Not at all!” Rarity huffed. “She was a wonderful friend and now she’s dead. I’m afraid to admit but my pity for her isn’t as high as I wish it was.”

“That is to be expected,” nodded Frostbite. “I know I would hold no love to the friend that tries to kill me, no matter our relationship beforehand.”

“Yes… But I do see what could have driven her to her madness. I fear that I would do the same to see my family again.”

“Best to not dwell on it too much when there are other things worth dwelling on… Like the mysterious spear thrower.”

“It’s mine…”

The drake and mare turned around to the sudden whisper from behind them. Rarity gasped when she saw who it was.

The blue pegasus’s feathers were worn and shedding, unlikely to be able to lift her more than a few feet off the ground. Her multi coloured mane was faded and wet from the fallen snow, and her cracked magenta eyes reeked with the faint glimmer of exhaustion and paranoia. Rainbow Dash looked like death as she retrieved the spear from Applejack’s neck.

“We need to get out of here,” Rainbow muttered solemnly. “We only have a few minutes before she comes back to life.”