06
No break, not dislocated, a torn muscle maybe. This leg is ready to come off! Why did you stop you fool. Should have run when you had the chance. Thought they could fool me! Ha! Free indeed, what a joke. That little...she did this to me. That Fluttershy. She made me...how did she do it? Alright, think. Priority is treatment, find water, food can wait. Have to rest. Too tired. The ground is so soft here, smells nice. Now...yet another shadow comes to me. It’s alone though, one of them.
“Keep back!”
What do you want with me, let me pass in peace. I wonder if...I should, it’s alone after all. Looks very different. Maybe... Who will miss it. Come then...closer.
*
Being back on the farm again brought indescribable solace to Applejack. Only a week had flown by since their return to Ponyville. Big Macintosh, her brother, a large dark red, non-talkative stallion, had injured himself again and she was keeping busy with her friends working on the farm. During the weekends though she chose to continue her work alone preferring the silence to allow thoughts to collect. As everypony else's, those thoughts were focused on the monster that had escaped. Even though Fluttershy had explained what happened down there, even though it left peacefully, she was still weary of the tree line. Her farm bordered the forest and after all, there were a lot of trees to hide behind. It was not a stretch of the imagination to see it walk amongst the trunks of her orchards stalking prey. Owing to her vivid imagination she was still afraid to sleep alone at night, laying with her brother or sister close by. It was impossible to sleep in the same room as Granny Smith, an apple green old mare with more wisdom that she could figure out what to do with. Her old sayings brought a great deal of comfort to her worries at this time. Applejack was one of the bravest yet she was plagued nightly by apparitions in her dreams of the monster.
In the daylight those fears always seemed belittled and silly, at night though they rose in her again only allowing her to sleep when she was too exhausted to stay awake. Her family had noticed the plight despite the front she tried to put on. Every time they asked she was always honest but in an obscure manner. Blaming her exhaustion on bad dreams but not mentioning what lurked in them. She felt like a silly foal afraid of the dark. Although when she thought this another quick reminder came to make her shudder. Foals are afraid of stories, what she was afraid of was real and she knew it was out there.
Cleanup and relief at the castle was difficult, the descriptions of what happened more exaggerated as they were told. The golems had swept through an a cloud of black smoke. It had only faded when they reached the castle keep. Princess Celestia and Princess Cadence awaited the first charge taking King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis head on with the legion. They were quickly subdues under the numbers they faced, their magic bouncing off the mirror surfaced bodies the darklings now wore. The after math had not been easy either. May soldiers had been injured, she helped as many as possible before finally resting at the entrance to talk to her friends. Rarity was, to her surprise alright despite the ordeal, Fluttershy was shaking from the shock, Rainbow was excited yet humbled by the encounter, Pinkie Pie however did not change to their relief. Twilight on the other hoof was profoundly impacted upon hearing news of the monsters escape. Applejack could see her friends eyes harden as the guard gave their report. She had questioned Fluttershy about its condition but was dissatisfied with the end. At least there was some relief when a frightened Spitfire limped up to the new princess, tripping over her words apologising to Twilight for striking her. Ever the benevolent there was no resentment held between them. Like Twilight though nopony believed the monster was gone, no body had been found yet.
The beginning of these dreams and thoughts that perforated her calm was from a late afternoon stroll around her farm, Apple Acres. During this stroll in the younger orchards bordering the Everfree forest she had found a strange marking on the tree, it was a triangular shape carved deep in. When she came closer to examine it though there was an unexplained gripping in her chest. She had an urge to turn and gallop away without looking back. As she drew closer the feeling became more intense until she had to succumb to it. Rushing away the emotion pushed her, carried her onwards until she returned to the farm locking the door behind her and watching around the house the entire night. It was as though she could feel something there without seeing it. Her imagination was unfortunately very apt and birthed a gruesome facsimile. The beast from the cell was always the form, the teeth somehow sharper every time, it's eyes more bright and piercing than when it lay the cell.
The incident in the castle had left them all shaken and confused. She still felt sore from the fight and less confident after what had happened. In her entire life there had never been a challenge such as that of the golem. How she had kicked hard enough to uproot a tree but it refused to budge. She had spent all her life bucking and was one of the strongest in all Equestria, with the medals to prove it, yet it still wasn't enough. She would never admit it to her friends but when that monster came to their aid she was more relieved than Granny smith when she thought she had eaten her good going out teeth.
That beast had hurt them very badly, more than any physical pain. Twilight was still reclusive, avoiding them to use her time researching spells. According to Spike, with a little encouragement from Rarity, Twilight was searching ancient spells and redesigning them for the creature if it came back. Although her fear could be justified there was still that problem it had revealed to them. Although they tried Twilight was difficult to talk to, always having random thoughts about things Applejack couldn't understand. They chose to allow their friend to work through her troubles in her own time. All they could do was be there when she was ready.
The thought in question did leave all her friends pondering an answer. Together they had many encouraging ideas but Twilight was able to pick them apart quickly. Optimism was not going to win her over. Applejack did not know why they had let it go, probably Fluttershy’s words or it's clear anger to them. It was clear however back then that forcing it to stay would not be a possibility. She caught herself wondering if it had the capacity to understand what distress it was causing.
Seeing the way it fought brought the word ruthless to mind, an horrible thought came as to what would have happened should the monster have fought them. The golems were enemies of course, yet she felt sad watching them struggle to fight. It was the first one it broke that scarred her. Each blow from the creature only splintering the face even until it finally collapsed. How it refused to let it fall to the ground ending its life there. There was still a chance that the changelings were alive and unharmed seeing the black smoke flutter from the remains. However that did not make the scene any less haunting. There were no remaining golems when the monster was done. It had executed all of them without mercy, the word execute being more appropriate. It's fighting was almost artful as it swayed between it's assailants every strike anticipated and every return decisive. When her nightmares came she could see it attacking them instead of the golems. The gruesome actions repeated but on ponies, each tear and hit as brutal.
There was one golem though that she kept seeing over. Before the brute finished it its eyes looked upon her pleadingly. The golems unsuccessful swing had left it crippled, breaking the arm off the elbow. The monster then stepped on the back knee of the golem forcing it down, then in a swift motion it grabbed he head and twisted it clear. Execute was more appropriate.
She had a conversation with Fluttershy where she confided in the simple Earth pony. Along with Rainbow Dash she had apparently visited the Pegasus with the missing wing. The outpouring of the cloudsdale community was prevalent and she was adjusting to her new life gradually. Speaking with her there we a lot of crying yet immense determination to recover. Apparently her condition had brought about many scientists keen to test their works and regain her flight, so far a glider was the best they could do. Financially she was secure now living off the risk fee Princess Celestia supplied. It was a token of her gratitude for her laying her life down for the good of the kingdom. The description had been parroted to Applejack; ‘I though it was going to to tear me in two’ my ribs had been broken but it kept pulling, laughing’, monster was too kind a description. Although her wings were lost to her, she was grateful to be alive. In her description the beast eyes were ever prevalent, the eyes that haunted Applejack now.
Of all of the things she had seen and heard that night, the ease with which it had escaped was one of the most shocking. It seemed that the monster was prepared to flee, only waiting for the opportunity. The pain it pushed through to do so, after the prolonged depravation and weakening it was more formidable than they could imagine.
When she was out in the orchards there was always a nagging voice in her mind indicating there was something not safe now, leave now and go home. It was difficult to explain but every time it grew too strong she listened to it without question. Such instinct she could not refute. The concern was great, however she chose to keep it to herself and not concern the others with useless ramblings of an insane mind. There were soldiers all over and she was safe, it was not a foolish monster and it would stay away or risk being captured.
The rumours around the beast in equestria had earned a staggering reputation, deserting the streets at night leaving only guards to patrol. The soldiers around did not help reassure the populace to the lingering threat of Queen Chrysalis or it. Seeing their heavy presence in ponyville only illustrated the concern Princess Celestia had for her student. They had not spoken with her since the attack, she had taken personal charge of the search for their enemies managing to clear Canterlot of any suspected changeling in disguise with incredibly efficiency. Princess Celestia And Princess Luna were not speaking to each other after their public disagreement over pursuing the creature. Every day a new patrol dug around the borders of the forest, searching for what they hoped were its remains. Applejack suspected Princess Celestia needed the closure, to know what happened to it and rest peacefully taking comfort it was gone.
Today though had been a good one, the sun was bright and the host of birds chirping around her to break the silence was comfortable. As she worked to move another basket of apples she felt the warmth of the sun on her face as it heated up every contour to soothe her tired body. It was rejuvenating. Placing the basket down she had a wonderful idea. If she could not sleep at night then why not during the day? Stealing every wink counted and here amongst the birds and open sunlit plain she felt safe. Alone and at peace she lay back under the shade of one of the larger trees, apples removed, looking up at the bark and seeing the fresh hoof indentations. As her fatigue settled and weighed down it pulled the body into the soft ground she let her mind free, focusing on the birds and repeating a phrase over in her head. I will not dream. I will not dream.
*
Applejack woke with a start from her sleep in time to see a beautiful sunset over the orchards. The sight that greeted her filled her being with comfort. At least now the rest was more restful, Princess Luna did not appear to calm her and she could let her shameful fears go. Of all the ponies in Equestria there were not many who knew of the Apple family fully and understood where their heritage had come from, and the circumstances brought about by it. Princess Luna was the one who had invaded her sleep to stumble on that terrible night. She pushed the thought down as she always did, ignoring it successfully for yet another day. Though she was in a different position and sweating profusely she could not remember the nightmare that caused her to wake. Her heart beat hard enough that she was afraid it would explode. Taking in deep breaths and laying on her back she covered her eyes again to savour the sweet feeling of waking up fresh. A tapping drew her attention to see Winona, her beloved pet dog wagging her tail ferociously and ready to play.
“Hey girl,” she sleepily greeted the enthusiastic animal, rolling not her side to rest her cheek on the foreleg. Upon hearing her Winona ran over and began licking her face. She tried to fight it back but had to play rough to get Winona tired so she would sleep well tonight.
After an exhausting scramble with her, it was getting late. Applejack would have to go home and get dinner ready for Big Mac and Applebloom, lest he try himself and burn another barn down. Although she did enjoy building them again with the family. The problem was he always wanted the meal very quickly and turned the heat too high, either burning or incinerating it each time. Then he would throw the flaming contents out the window and always hit the nearest barn. It was unavoidable. The last time he did an unbelievable bank shot off the first barn to have it land in an harvester and catapulted over the house to the adjacent side where the silo was. Granny smith could still cook but rarely did, it did her good to rest, they needed her for the harvest soon to come. And she grew tired quickly. Applejack wondered how it would be with Twilight when she grew as old.
As she reminisced each disaster she smiled and laughed seeing his childish face refusing to accept she could take care of herself. He was ever the big brother from dominating any colt who would court her to the way he still checked in before she went to sleep to provide a listening ear. They were especially close. Applebloom, her sister, a blonde coat with an apple red mane, was always a close second in his eyes although she did wish he would pay more attention to the little rascal, and less attention to the colts after her. Thanks to him she had never felt her first kiss, something she could only be angered yet flattered about. Then again neither had he. The nickname Big Mac had what Twilight might say, a paradox effect. While the colts were all afraid of him, the mares were all curious about him. He had put aside such ‘childish’ things for now until ‘both his special ladies were happy’. When he said it was alright of course.
Her thought was interrupted by that feeling. This time it grew although she held still. As she searched for Winona she saw her sitting before the grown hedge bordering the two year old orchards, her tail had stopped wagging and the ears stood tall. There was something wrong now and the invasive beast took shape, visualising the form prone and obscured by the foliage. The fear rose in her again as she felt the cold sink in with the ever fading sunlight. She listened carefully, ears twitching in all directions as her eyes darted from each corner every time searching for those sinister teeth or piercing eyes. There was complete silence now. She could not hear any birds or rustling, only her own heartbeat and breathing. She swallowed hard to relive her dry throat, feeling the wrinkling in her lip.
Winona growled and held her ears back snarling at the invisible threat. Applejack stopped breathing as a deeper growl came from the bushes sending Winona running away and yelping at the unseen threat. He growl was not like the monsters, very loud and deep enough to be felt in the ground she sat on. Immediately her thoughts ran all around again and more beasts took shape. Whatever it was it would not leave that bush. If it was a wolf turning and running would only encourage a chase. The tractor was too slow for an escape.
Her legs began to shake and could feel the draw of the safety of her home. She wished Big Mac was here now. Thoughts suddenly diverted to her family. This thing was stalking them too. It may be after the others and not her.
Amidst the fear that drowned her a revelation pushed though; the whole time she had been hiding from this monster she had never truly seen it. It was possible this was a prank, not a funny one but enough to make her question. Why else wouldn’t it attack? A creature of this nature, a predatory animal would attack once its position had been discovered. Yet it waited for something. Her anger boiled the fear away and she could no longer see the monster but a certain blue Pegasus sniggering to herself. All that fear was her fault.
“RAINBOW!” She gritted her teeth and charged for the bush. Diving through to pin the culprit. She fell on top of something hard yet soft with a hard thud. A large shadow in front of her with brilliant golden eyes spun around to kick dirt in her face. She did not panic though as she heard the shadows steps grow more quiet in its retreat. She was right, there was something stalking her. It was a relief knowing it ran away instead of attacking.
Rubbing the dirt clear and allowing the vision to return an odd bobbing sensation under her hooves drew her eyes down. There looking straight up at her was the monster. Her eyes were locked into its own, wide whit horror. She had it now under her. Pinned.
It was not as terrifying as the beasts she dreamt of. Now it was there, she had it under her, she would not let it escape. For her family, to stop the nightmares and the fear, end the madness to protect them all.
She pressed her hooves deeper into the claws as it tried to lift them, becoming more panic stricken with each moment that passed with it under her. She could only feel its incredible strength fighting back. Thanks to her industrious work ethic and extra hours she put in at the farm she enjoyed the reputation of one of the strongest in Ponyville, if not the strongest. Despite her best efforts she felt the claws slipping loose and opened her mouth to call out for help.
Her view darted downwards and a clump full or dirt was pushed into her mouth tasting the orchard floor. Spitting it out she looked up now bewildered, the monster had somehow switched their positions. It lay on her now seated on her belly with its tremendous weight, restricting her breathing. She only managed to exhale a silent call for help. She was terrified knowing what it could do and her nightmare was becoming real. The monster pushed its claw to her muzzle with its head darting around searching for something.
She gasped with relief for the air as it powered itself up to dash into the distance nearly tripping on an out-sticking root. It was not wise to do what she wanted to do. It was considerably dangerous and foolish yet seeing it panicked and afraid was empowering. To see the mighty monster have fear, the beast that haunted her run away. She did not want to have another night of suffering, another nightmare. She did not want to have it threaten her family any longer. So she darted forward after it tracking the clumsy movements with ease. She would stop this things hold on Equestria, for Twilight, for the wingless mare, she wasn’t afraid anymore.
*
Another failed visit brought Princess Luna form her sleep as the soothing sunlight shone on her bed. She was breathing heavily form her daymare, the irony of it sickened her. The first one she had since she returned to equestria. It was less a dream than a memory, seeing that brute again. She lay on the bed and curled up closing her eyes trying to avoid thinking about it by feeling the smooth linen stroke her. The anger and those terrible eyes focused on her. The image was sadly burned into her brain now. She rubbed her throat remembering what it had done, how it sought them that first night, and the horror she felt watching limp as it took that mares wings from her.
How her sister charged in and fought to save her. How it laughed at the attempt and dragged Luna up to be suspended by her throat, the air growing less with each moment. She could not understand why at that point she was crying, for the first time in her life she was genuinely afraid her lights would fade. Such ferocity and madness amidst the chaos and she felt was more alive than ever before. As she wiped the tears away she thought about the creature with fluttershy. How it had nestled in her chest like a frightened foal. She smiled seeing the dumbstruck look it had when she turned her tail and sauntered out.
The stories of the battle were incredible. Some more exaggerated than the others but it was truly a battle to behold. One she regretted missing. The descriptions from the others of how the monster had torn through the golems defeating the entire army, then the king and sending the queen running with her tail between her legs. And its benevolence in sparing the lives of Twilight and her sister. It was unlikely the battle had been as one sided as they specified, seeing the monster stagger out made that certain. Cadence had described its helping the ponies recover her in the aftermath, the iron frame seemingly weighing nothing for it.However exaggerated the stories were though its actions were always the same. It had done as they had hoped. As she had hoped.
Even with the light shining at its peak in her room she could still not return to sleep, the erratic fears returning quickly. Her heart was still beating quickly and she place a hoof on her chest to feel it shake with each pump.
She smiled thinking about the beast again, how it strolled out into the forest wondering where it was now, and what it was doing. It had survived but she kept that to herself for now. Every night she visited it but its resistance to her grew stronger. She had tried to visit its dreams but that was a disaster. The same animalistic rage forcing her to retreat as its twisted imagination spun images and scenes that would have made the most iron stomach turn. It was truly a tortured being, long so before them. Yet as she saw it in that cell each day, each time, she did not understand why it was resisting. All their efforts to gain its favour and trust ending up in regret and heartache for both sides.
She was fighting now with her sister over their conflicting decisions. Whereas Luna wished to leave it in peace her sister sought it out daily from either spite or fear. She had suffered much at its actions, extraordinarily overprotective of Luna and Twilight ever since she nearly succumbed to the beast. Her confided fears in Luna knowing the monster was above her and her student, gliding its talons over their throats as though toying with the ideas it had.
Again its eyes flashed before her and she had to look into the room again to drown the image. Thus beast was strange yet familiar to her. She remembered seeing the arms tense up as the second bowl had poured, such inner strength and hatred all channeled to resist the need to scream out. She always admired such resilience in any being regardless of their nature, is was truly strong. The tired eyes came to view again as she closed hers, this time they held over her and she could feel the gentle stoking of her mane as she tried to speak up. That was shortly after she had been overpowered by the golems. She was relieved seeing it, knowing it was with them. How she had dragged herself up those stairs to witness the fight, only to have Applejack carry her to it.
It was terrifying to hear that roar, agonising to feel the way the monster felt. As it drew nearer to the line of the captain there was a malevolence in the eyes, glinting against the dim room. Her relief became sadness, for she had hoped the monster would surrender and allow its actions to speak for itself.
As it had left the cell and nodded gratefully to her, she felt her heart beating faster and her breath become restricted.
“Perhaps I shall visit you again. I cannot say what compels me. I should abandon you...but I cannot.”