//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 – Second Chances // Story: Ponies in the Attic // by Digodragon //------------------------------// Applejack stared at the warm cup of tea before her, but her stomach twisted at the thought of drinking it. She sighed and pushed the cup away. Her two siblings and father also did not partake in the tea, but Zecora, Granny Smith, and Cara drank their cups with all the reverence of a ceremony. Another thing that bothered AJ was the presence of Granny Smith. The old mare was very quiet and had come home from her vacation awfully quick. The timing didn’t add up in AJ’s mind and it gave her another headache. The handle rested on the table in front of Bramley. He tapped it with a hoof thoughtfully. “That clock is… complicated,” he said with a huff. “The Everfree Forest is full of strange things, including a few artifacts from ages long forgotten. In our youth, Cara and I explored those woods. We mapped a great deal of it and even recovered a few interesting relics. Museums are always interested in things that have been touched by old magic. However, this clock is more than just a fancy timepiece.” Cara put her cup down to explain. “Starswirl the Bearded was commissioned by a prince of a faraway kingdom to build this clock,” she said softly. “We don’t know what it does, but from the stories we pieced together, the clock somehow healed the prince of an illness. However, he only lived a few weeks before he was overcome by madness and took his own life.” A cold shiver shot down Applejack’s spine. The prince killed himself in madness? She didn’t want to suffer the same gruesome fate. AJ hoped there was a way to save her own mind before she lost it completely. “Starswirl wanted to destroy the clock,” Cara continued, “But all accounts end without mention if he had succeeded or not. When we found it, the clock caused us terrible troubles; Animals gone mad, errant weather, malevolent apparitions. We felt it was right to honor Starswirl’s wish by destroying the clock ourselves.” “Thus you need Spell Driver, but what does it do?” Zecora asked. “Starswirl had mentioned this tool in a clue.” “Ah,” Bramley said with an interested expression. “Spell Driver was a hammer that Starswirl built. It was one of his first magical tools. See, a smart stallion like Starswirl knew that there are risks when you experiment with magic. This hammer had the sole purpose of destroying errant objects that came about from a bad experiment. We thought that if we found Spell Driver, we could use it to destroy the clock.” “Why not just take a regular big old hammer to it?” Apple Bloom asked. “Be my guest,” Bramley said casually. “Just don’t come crying to me when you’re picking out bits of hammer from your mane.” Cara elbowed her husband with a disapproving glance. “Apple Bloom, the clock’s magic protects it from harm,” she explained to her youngest daughter. “We tried to destroy it by other means, but nothing would break it. The best we came up with was to remove some pieces that made the clock’s magic go dormant.” The three siblings sank in their chairs. AJ knew exactly what those ‘pieces’ were that Cara referred to. All this trouble began because they ignored granny’s warnings and fixed what they thought was a mundane grandfather clock. Good intentions were often found to be excellent paving material. “So, what do we all do now?” AJ asked. “We do nothing,” Bramley corrected. “Cara and I will retrieve the head of Spell Driver, destroy the clock, and put this mess behind us. You kids stay here where it’s safe. Granny is in charge until we return.” He stood up and took AJ’s saddlebag for himself. Cara ran upstairs and retrieved an oil lamp, a map, and Bramley’s Stetson. As her father put on the hat, Applejack remembered the night her father gave her the Stetson. She loved it and happily wore the hat everywhere. Sadly, two nights after that event she was told that her father was never coming home. AJ felt dread as old memories began to replay themselves before her. Bramley and Cara were about to venture into the Everfree alone and at night. History was repeating that tragic night for the Apple family. “Wait,” Applejack said to her parents as she stood up. “Are you sure you don’t want us to come along? At least wait until mornin’ so you can see your way.” “We’ll be fine, AJ,” Bramley assured them. “We’ve traveled through the Everfree for years. Your friend Zenora lives there without a fuss, right?” “Zecora,” Bloom quietly corrected. “I know, but,” AJ replied, “I just have a real bad feeling that there’s somethin’ dangerous roaming around in the woods tonight.” Granny Smith waved away AJ’s concerns. “Don’t fret about it,” she assured. “There ain’t nothing out in those woods. Bramley and Cara will be just fine, child.” The parents gave their children a wave goodbye as they stepped outside. Cara quietly shut the door behind them. Applejack looked worriedly to Zecora for support, but the zebra could only shrug with equal apprehension. Granny smith stood up and walked out to the living room. “It would be best if you all went back to bed,” she said on her way out of the room. As the old mare left Zecora and the siblings alone, AJ caught sight of something unusual. Granny’s shadow cast from the candles in the living room had a pair of butterfly wings. The orange pony quickly pointed out the unusual shadow to everyone before it left the room. “I’m confused,” Apple Bloom whispered. “Is that not our Granny Smith?” “Well, yeah. I mean, she is, right?” Big Mac said hesitantly. “Of course she ain’t,” AJ explained. “Think about it. She said pa wrote her a letter to come home because I was going crazy. Even if he wrote it first thing Friday mornin’ and sent it by spell, it would still take Granny at least a day to take the next train home. She came back way too quickly and I know she don’t teleport.” Big Mac frowned. “Right, but didn’t she, you know?” The red stallion stumbled over his words. He stared at his sisters for a long moment before continuing. “How did I not question Granny suddenly showing up before? I didn’t even hear her come in the door.” “I don’t know,” AJ admitted. “Maybe this mare has some magic to muddy up your thoughts. Whatever it is, it seems to have worked on our parents too. I reckon we ought to take her down and find out for ourselves who she really is.” “How do we do that?” Bloom inquired. AJ thought for a moment, but the pain in her mind quickly drowned out her ideas. She sighed and stood up. “Let’s just confront her. It’s four against one.” “Are you sure we could take her?” Big Mac asked. “I reckon if she’s a magical critter and not an old mare…” “Pony up like pa told you!” AJ snapped. The group got up and marched into the living room. Granny Smith stood silently in front of the grandfather clock. The shadows waved softly in time with the clock’s pendulum swings. Applejack stood in front as the group approached the old mare. “Listen you,” she began. The old mare struck AJ down to the floor. “Do not stop me!” she hissed angrily. “I have waited far too long for this night!” Big Mac lunged at her, but the old pony ducked away from his grasp. She grabbed him and threw him against the couch. Apple Bloom charged at the granny imposter, but the old mare was too fast to be caught. The fake granny darted around Bloom and lifted the little filly off the ground. Zecora snuck up on the distracted imposter and swung a chair at her back. The furniture hit hard and stunned the old mare long enough for Bloom to break free. Zecora lifted the chair again for a second blow, but the imposter grabbed the chair and shoved the zebra away. Applejack charged and met the business end of the chair as the imposter shoved the furniture hard into AJ’s chest. Big Mac jumped off the couch and landed on the fake granny. The chair tumbled away as the red stallion flattened the old mare with his hefty weight. The zebra picked up the chair and set it over the imposter. She sat down to keep the old mare pinned. “Alright then,” Applejack said loudly, “Just who are you?” The old mare said nothing. AJ studied her face and saw a pair of very old and weary eyes look back at her. She began to understand who this creature was. “You’re the fairy that Prince Horos loved, aren’t you?” AJ asked in a calmer tone. “Why are you so angry at us?” The old mare remained silent. “Hey now,” AJ said softly. “Maybe we could work this out if you just explain what’s going on.” She still received the silent treatment from the old mare. Either this creature refused to help, or it wasn’t who AJ guessed her to be. The orange pony wished she had Smarty Pants for the spirit’s advice, but her dad took the bag that the doll was in. “What do you reckon we do now?” Apple Bloom asked. “Perhaps now we should call upon our friend Twilight,” Zecora said, “To help us out in this supernatural fight?” AJ took in a deep breath. “No, we don’t have the time to explain all this to her,” she stated. “I have a bad feelin’ our parents are going to be attacked in the woods. We have to hurry and catch up with them before those cold shadows do.” “Fine, but where in the Everfree did they go?” questioned Big Mac. “The forest ain’t exactly an easy place to go searching for anything short of danger.” Applejack braved the pain to think. Memories flashed randomly in her mind. Among them were images of trees and large stones in all directions. It was an old castle that was forgotten in the forest. Applejack fell over from the pain, but she recalled where the hammer’s other piece was. “Ma and pa went to the Castle of the Sisters!” AJ exclaimed as she sat up. “Zecora, you stay and watch over this critter just in case our parents come back first. Come on siblings, we got to get to that old castle!” “Deep in the Everfree at this hour?” Apple Bloom asked apprehensively. “I know it seems dangerous, sis, but trust me,” AJ responded. “Our parents are in grave danger if they get to the castle alone.” “The creatures of the night aren’t through with you,” Zecora said ominously. “Do you have a plan on what to do?” “Yeah,” AJ said boldly. “I aim to rewrite a little history of my own.” ~ ~ ~ The three Apple siblings galloped through the dark forest with only a single hanging lantern to guide them. Shadowy forms surrounded them and the eerie silence of the local creatures only heightened their fears. AJ concentrated on keeping the lantern steady as she led her brother and sister down the path. Upon her brother’s back was another saddlebag with bandages, matches, and a pint of oil to help get them through the woods safely. The trail widened to a small clearing by a calm riverbank. There was no bridge to cross, but the rocks that jutted out gave the appearance that the river was shallow. Applejack held the lantern high as she carefully stepped into the cold water. Two timberwolves in the bushes behind them growled hungrily. Apple Bloom jumped onto Big Mac’s back as the stallion hurried into the water. The trotted quickly through the river, but the depth was greater than AJ originally thought. Halfway across the water, they had to swim. The timberwolves slowly approached the river, but they hesitated. The Apples reached the shallows of the far side and galloped away from the two predators. Up ahead on the trail they saw a lone yellow light from a lantern and two familiar ponies. “Pa! Ma!” AJ called out. “Wait up for us!” “What in tarnation are you kids doin’ out here?!” Bramley shouted angrily. “I ought to ground you three so hard that the Filly Scouts will mistake y’all for tent pegs!” Cara nudged her husband. “Honey, don’t be so hard on our children,” she said. “If they are this serious about the ordeal, then we shouldn’t turn them away.” “Maybe,” Bramley muttered, “But Apple Bloom is much too young to trek into these woods.” Bloom stood tall on her brother’s back. “I’m a big pony just like my sis!” she said defiantly. AJ nearly butted her head against her father. “Pa, that clock has messed up my mind,” she said. “I’m just as invested in this quest as you two are.” “Same with us,” Big Mac added. “The Apple family never leaves a member behind! If one Apple is in trouble, then we’re all banding together through it whether you like it or not.” Bramley appeared impressed with his son’s sudden discovery of a backbone. “Well… I reckon there ain’t no convincin’ you kids otherwise. Alright, y’all can tag along. Just know this ain’t no place for the ladies.” “Ahem,” Cara stated loudly. “Mind pulling your hoof out of your mouth, honey?” Bramley flinched. “Sorry dear,” he apologized. He adjusted his hat and took the lead. “Alright, we’re goin’ to the old castle. I reckon we’ll stick to the main trail since you kids are comin’ along.” “That’s the long way around,” Cara stated as she looked over the map. “Besides, there are icky brambles all over that path. We should take this side path further up the river. It is shorter and we have a landmark to guide us.” “Alright then,” Bramley said as he adjusted the handle to Spell Driver in his bag, “As long as there’s progress.” The family trekked through the smaller trail that followed the river. Cara and Applejack kept the lanterns focused on the path. The dark storm clouds above churned with low rumbles of thunder. The Apple family stayed close together and watched their backs for danger. The trail turned away from the river and through an area of extremely gnarled trees. They twisted in very unusual knots as if they had not naturally grown this way. The darkness made it hard to tell where one tree ended and another began. “Weird looking trees,” Apple Bloom commented. “Eeyup,” Bramley said. “Knotted wood I reckon. Supposedly it grows that way to prevent ponies from using them as lumber.” “Well, they could still be made into firewood,” Bloom said jokingly. Thud! Thud Thud! Thud! Multiple creatures dropped from the trees above. Bramley stopped the family from walking into them. Several insects, each the size of a fully grown sheep dog, skittered toward them. Their bodies were made of moss and woven grass. The mossy insects snapped their mandibles at the family. “W-What are they?!” Bloom asked her father. “Tree ants!” Bramley replied worriedly. Cara grabbed Apple Bloom as Big Mac and Bramley kicked at the tree ants. AJ rushed the two nearest Cara and shoved them both away. Bramley stomped the tree ants with his full weight, crushing them against the ground. The insects began to bleed amber sap out of their broken bodies. Applejack wrestled one of the tree ants to the ground, but the other moved around her and attacked Cara. The burnt orange mare swung a rear leg and kicked the mossy insect in the face. Apple Bloom held on to her mother tightly as Cara continued to deliver a series of spinning kicks at the tree ant. “Get away from my little girls!” Cara yelled. Several tree ants converged on Applejack and grappled her with their sharp mandibles. She struggled to get above the insect pileup as they cut into her flesh. She swung the lantern and crushed it over the head of one of the insects, killing the ant, but losing her light. Big Mac galloped over and grabbed his sister by the forelegs. The tree ants bit into his legs to wrestle him away from AJ, but Big Mac shrugged off the insects with his incredible strength. “Hold on, sis!” Big Mac shouted. “We’re going to crack the whip!” The red stallion pulled his sister out of the tree ants’ grasps and swung her around like a bat. Applejack kicked out her legs as she arced around her brother. Her hooves collided with the mossy insects and knocked them away. Cara stopped her spin kicks and grabbed a dizzy Apple Bloom before the filly fell off her back. The tree ant she attacked doubled over from the force of her blows. Bramley came over to her as two more tree ants jumped down from the trees. “Honey, we need to get away from their nest!” Cara said to her husband. “Yeah, sure,” Bramley replied sarcastically. “Let me ask them to point us in the right direction.” He snapped off the mandible of the tree ant that darted at his head and then impaled the insect with it. “Does any pony have oil or spirits?” Cara asked her children. “Big Mac does,” AJ replied. She and her brother retreated back toward their parents as the tree ants gathered around them. Cara grabbed Big Mac by the saddlebag and retrieved his flask of oil. “Bloom, take out the lantern’s wick and hold it up at the ants!” Cara commanded. Apple Bloom carefully removed the burning wick by its housing and held it up. Cara took a gulp of lantern oil in her mouth and then spat it out as a stream at the flame. The oil ignited into a wave of flames as it soaked the tree ants. The insects scurried away from the fire and left a path for the family to escape. “This way!” Bramley commanded. Cara nearly collapsed as she wretched out the remaining oil from her mouth. Bramley and Big Mac supported her while Applejack carried Bloom. They jumped over the bushes and fled off the path. The tree ants clicked angrily, but were not as fast as the ponies were. Bramley plowed through the foliage as the family continued to run blindly. Tree branches slapped them in the faces and shoulders repeatedly until they reached a small clearing. Applejack listened for the chatter of the tree ants, but she did not hear them. They had eluded the insects. Bramley gave Cara a canteen of water to wash her mouth out while AJ and Bloom relit the remaining lantern they had. Big Mac retrieved some bandages from his bag for the cuts that he, AJ, and Bramley received in the fight. They rested for a few minutes to give Cara time to recover. “Where did you learn a trick like that?” Apple Bloom asked her mother. “It was something I saw Manehattan gypsies perform when I was younger,” Cara explained. “Just… it works better with alcohol.” She clutched her aching stomach after a sudden burp of foul gas. “Where do you reckon we are?” AJ asked her father. Bramley took out the map and studied it while Big Mac held the lantern. “We ain’t far from an animal trail here,” he said as he pointed out the area that they were located at. “We could follow it back to the main path.” Apple Bloom let off a sudden shriek as she tripped over backwards. Everyone turned their attention to her with worry. Bloom pointed to a ragged cloth wrapped around a soiled white object. AJ walked up and carefully brushed off the dirt. As she turned it over in her hooves, she recognized it as the decayed remains of a saddlebag and what might have been a pony leg. The gory sight caused Applejack to drop the object and shiver. Bramley approached and poked at the bag until he found a scrap of paper inside. He held it under the lantern’s light. Although it was very faded, they could make out that it was a piece of a map. “Another explorer, you reckon?” Big Mac asked. “Maybe,” Bramley replied softly, “But… no, this can’t be.” His voice sounded agitated. “Oh my,” AJ muttered as a horrifying thought came to her. She took Bramley’s map and compared the pieces under the lantern light. AJ moved the scrap around until it matched up perfectly with a section of her father’s map. “I think we know this explorer,” she said with a frightful expression. Applejack picked up the tattered bag and turned it inside out. Bramley’s name was embroidered on the hem. It was the very same bag her father was wearing right now. A dead silence came over the family as they stared at the decayed impossible duplicates. “N-No, that can’t be,” Apple Bloom squeaked with tears. “H-How is that even possible?” Cara hugged her youngest daughter tightly to comfort her. She was at a loss for words. Applejack dug at the ground and recovered two more bones and part of a comb that had the same orange cutie mark as her mother. Big Mac angrily stomped his hoof. “That has to be an illusion! It ain’t real!” “It feels pretty real,” Bramley said as he examined the comb. “Then again, no pony really knows how the Everfree Forest works. This could all just be a trick from some older magic we don’t understand.” “Like, from the clock?” Bloom asked weakly. Bramley nodded. “It’s possible. Perhaps that clock is tryin’ to scare us away from reachin' the castle.” He put the map away and grabbed the lantern from his son. “I admit I don’t know everythin’, but what I do know is that we got a job to do. Let’s get that other piece of Spell Driver and put this mess to bed.” The family nodded nervously. AJ put the map back in Bramley’s saddlebag, but she quietly removed Smarty Pants without being noticed. Her father led the way out of the clearing. Applejack hesitated before she followed. She looked back at the remains on the ground. “This isn’t a trick of that old clock, is it?” AJ whispered to the doll. “I reckon this was where they died the first time. Killed by… tree ants I guess.” She waited for a reply, but the doll remained silent. Crestfallen, AJ quickly reburied the remains before she limped away to rejoin her family. Her heart pounded loudly from the fear that she was going to lose her parents again. They still had a tower to traverse when they reached the ruins, and the cold shadows awaited them inside. ~ ~ ~ The castle ruins stood silently in a clearing untouched by time. Its moat, long since dried out, was an impressively deep trench filled with fog. Bramley inspected an old rope bridge that hung over the trench before he led the way across. The wooden boards creaked under the weight of each pony, but they held up and allowed them to cross. The Apples looked around the ruins for signs of danger. Applejack’s head began to ache as the memory of her only time here came to mind. It was a couple of years ago, but the ruins appeared to have not aged at all since. She watched her father read through the notes in the back of his photo album. “I can’t imagine living here,” Apple Bloom said, “In the middle of the Everfree away from every pony.” Cara patted her daughter lovingly on the head. “I read a legend that said this forest might have been nothing more than a little garden when the castle was first built.” “This forest was a garden?” Bloom asked with surprise. “I sure won’t skirt weeding duties ever again.” She shared a soft chuckle with Cara. Bramley put away his map and pointed to a nearby tower. “Alright Apples, that should be Starswirl’s private lab. There might still be some traps lingerin’ about, so keep close and don’t touch anythin’ unless I tell you to.” He ensured he still had Spell Driver’s handle secured to his bag before he led the way over. The tower didn’t appear very impressive. It was the second widest tower here, but hardly the tallest. It was only three stories high, and it appeared no different than the other towers; the windows were completely covered in a thick layer of grime, large masses of ivy grew off its walls, and the entry door was warped and decayed. Bramley carefully pulled the door open. It rested on just one hinge and threatened to fall off. Beyond the entrance was a dark spiraling staircase going up the tower. He motioned to Big Mac to bring the lantern light closer. There were no decorations or furniture inside, only a few rotten piles of wood and rocks. “It don’t seem like much is here,” AJ commented. “That’s usually the point with traps,” Bramley retorted. He picked up a stone and threw it inside the tower. The rock skipped around the dusty floor, but came to a stop without harm. Satisfied, Bramley walked inside. The family slowly ascended the stairs. The stone steps were gritty with years of dust upon them. AJ noted the small mounds if tiny insect husks that littered the corners of each windowsill. As the family ascended, Bramley checked every few steps to ensure there were no hidden dangers. He tapped the stairs several times, tested his weight, and then moved on when he was satisfied that it was safe. At the top of the staircase the family found an old wooden door. Something was written over the door knob in an ancient script. Bramley waved his wife forward. “Think you could read this, hon?” “If I can read your chicken-scratch,” Cara playfully replied, “I can read just about anything.” She stepped forward and studied the old writing for just a moment before she recited it to her family. “Mind the gap.” Apple Bloom snorted with a smile. “That’s it?” she asked. “Just watch out for a little gap beyond the door? That would be easy as pie to mind.” “I wouldn’t mind some pie right now,” Bramley muttered. “Yes,” Cara mused aloud. “I suppose I should mind that gap of yours with some apple turnovers in the morning.” Bramley happily stepped forward and leaned against the door to test its strength. “You always know how to make me happy,” he said to Cara. “Well,” the burnt-orange pony replied, “You are easier to read than your chicken-scratch.” The two exchanged a quick, happy kiss as the children looked on with varying expressions. Bramley turned around and then kicked the door wide open. The old wood shattered and tumbled down a wide pit into the darkness. After a long moment the family heard a faint splash of water. “Ah, I see,” Bramley said with slight concern. “That… that’s quite a gap.” The other side of the pit was about ten feet away. Bramley picked up Apple Bloom and backed away for a running start. He adjusted his Stetson and then galloped toward the wide gap. Bloom held on tight to her father’s back as they cleared the pit in a long jump. Big Mac went next and jumped the pit with the lantern, but stumbled on his landing. Bramley caught the light before it hit the floor. The red stallion retrieved a coil of rope from his saddle bag and tossed one end to Cara. “Hang on to that end just in case,” Big Mac stated. Cara held the rope in her mouth as she made a running leap. Cara gracefully sailed over the pit and Bramley caught her to ensure she didn’t slip backwards. Big Mac tossed the rope next to Applejack. AJ held up Smarty Pants. “You’ll want to hold onto this first.” She threw the doll across the pit to her brother. Big Mac caught the doll and turned it over to Apple Bloom. AJ backed up and ran for the pit. She jumped and sailed through the air, but a gust of icy cold air rose out of the pit and caused her to shiver. AJ tumbled onto the stone floor on the other side with her rear legs hanging over the edge. “You alright?” Bramley asked as he helped her stand up. “Yeah,” Applejack replied, “but that breeze felt like there’s somethin’ down in there.” Bramley nodded. “Let’s find the hammer head and then we can skedaddle.” The family backed away from the pit and scanned the room eagerly for the head of Spell Driver. Among the scattered debris around the room there were two wooden tables covered in glass, a rusted metal chest under one of the tables, and a significant pile of rotten books in the room’s center. “This seems obvious,” Bloom remarked as she pointed to the rusted chest. “You reckon it’s a trap?” Bramley grabbed one of the rotten books and threw it at the chest. It collided hard with the container and broke apart. Several iron spikes popped out from the box and pointed menacingly at Apple Bloom. “Yup, definitely a trap,” Bramley stated as he patted his youngest daughter. “I reckon you might make a pretty good adventurer when you put a few more years behind you.” Big Mac and AJ sifted through the ruined books and found another large chest beneath the pile. They stepped back quickly. Bramley pulled out the handle and nudged the chest. The container didn’t react. However, there was a significant padlock on it to prevent access to its contents. “Allow me,” Cara said as she pulled a pair of mane-pins from her hair. Her hooves and lips were steady as she worked the lock with the pins. In quick succession, the tumblers fell into place. Click, click, click, click… After only seconds of work, Cara unlocked the chest and lifted the lid. Inside was the gilded head of Spell Driver. Bramley inserted the handle into a small slot and the two halves locked to each other with a loud click. He passed the lantern off to Big Mac as he carefully lifted up the completed tool. The family looked on with great interest. “Seems strange,” AJ remarked, “That it was just sittin’ here all this time with no magic wards or nothin’ to keep it safe.” “That is a curious observation,” Cara said in agreement. “Perhaps Starswirl did not hide the item here personally?” A black cloud of smoke and shadow crawled out of the nearby pit. It hissed loudly at the Apple family as it churned and formed the shape of a large dragon. Bramley and Cara instinctively pushed their children behind them for protection. “See, this is what I’m talkin’ about,” Bramley complained as he pushed his kids away from the creature. “A big impossible monster thing always guardin’ the treasure.” “Oh hush,” Cara interrupted. “You say that on every adventure!” The smoky dragon slammed four large tendrils of shadow on the ground like legs. Thick clouds of dust billowed off the floor from its pounding. The Apples scattered to keep away from the monster as a pair of golden eyes tracked them. “I’m just sayin’,” the annoyed Bramley said as he swung the magical hammer at the creature. “Where do these dunderheaded ancient unicorns get their guardian monsters from? Were there forgotten summonin’ spells for them? Maybe there was an ancient monster ranch they raised them in?” His swings met smoke and went through the smoky dragon with ease. The monster hissed and struck back. Bramley tumbled backwards as he dropped Spell Driver on the ground. The weapon clattered around and caught the dragon’s attention. The monster reared up and came down with its forelegs to crush the hammer. Big Mac dove for the weapon and rolled away with it before the monster could stomp the magical tool flat. He stood up and swung the hammer, but Big Mac also had no solid hit against the creature. “Honey,” Cara stated loudly, “Now is not the time to argue the origins of magical beasts when one is attacking us!” She threw several ruined books at the creature. The first flew through its body unhindered, but the second and third books bounced off the smoky dragon’s head. “Aha! I have found a weakness!” she cheerfully exclaimed. “Little Mac, aim for its head!” Big McIntosh swung upwards and the hammer connected with the dragon’s jaw. The creature reeled back in pain from the blow and swiped a smoky tendril at the red stallion. It struck Big Mac hard and toppled him over. Bramley got up and grabbed his son, but the hammer dropped out of their grasp. Applejack and Apple Bloom raced toward the dragon. The monster swiped at them, but the two sisters quickly dodged the attack. Bloom rolled under the creature and grabbed the hammer while AJ leaped up and kicked the dragon in the right eye. Her hooves collided with a solid mass and crushed it like a hammer against a hot iron. “Yee-haw!” Applejack exclaimed. “Bet you didn’t see that one comin’!” The monster reared back and hissed loudly from the pain of its lost eye. Apple Bloom dropped Smarty Pants on the ground as she dragged the magical hammer away from the dragon. Big Mac picked up both the hammer and his little sister, raced past the monster, and jumped over the pit to the doorway. He turned to throw the rope for the others to follow. “Escape with the hammer!” Bramley shouted. “We’ll be right behind you!” Big Mac hesitated to leave without the rest of his family. Applejack was about to reiterate her father’s command when a thought struck her. She remembered something her brother said in a dream… or was it a vision of the future? Her brother’s words echoed loudly in her ears. ‘You should of held onto the hammer, sis.’ AJ ran up to the edge of the pit. “Throw me the hammer!!” she yelled at her brother. The dragon dove down at the little orange pony as Big Mac threw the hammer over the pit. Applejack jumped up and snatched the magical weapon with her teeth. The smoky monster collided with her and the two skidded across the ground until they met the solid impact of one of the tower’s big glass windows. The two crashed through the dirty window with a resounding shatter. Shards of glass sailed around Applejack as she lifted the hammer up in her hooves. The monster clenched its hold around her as they fell down toward the ground. Its grip was so cold that AJ felt it burn against her body. She closed her eyes and swung the hammer downward against the dragon’s head. There was a loud ‘crack!’ in the air as a heavy force knocked all the air out of Applejack’s lungs. Something jerked her upwards for a moment before she felt the ground strike her hard in the back. She tried to open her eyes, but stars swam around her blackened vision. Her lungs gasped for air, but she could not breathe. She felt a warm touch against her chest just before she passed out.