In the last two days, Apple Pie met with many ponies in Ponyville. Some older ones recognized her but for mostly she was new. Everybody wanted to taste her apple pies, since Applejack always took a pause to talk to them about it. A.J. was very happy of being able to sell those famous pies again, since their rooftop had a hole in it due to Rainbow Dash's crash in it and their were in a lack of funds to repair it. Apple Pie, though, started to lack of her special ingredient. She knew very well that the small amount of it that she made on road to Ponyville wouldn't of lasted long. And she knew that she had to keep it until she does more. But the problem is, she couldn’t keep it much longer, due to all her lovers.
She had to restart making more Apple Pie Ingredients. But she didn't like to do those. She got unused doing them and she hesitated a while, since she didn't even know if she will be able to get any of it.
She was sitting on a chair behind the counter where the delicious pies she made disappeared one by one. Applejack was so happy of all the founds that it brought. "Hey, Ae think we could do an extra for Granny Smith with this! Right, Cloudee?" she awaited for an answer while picking up the money left by the costumer, but Apple Pie didn't answer. "Cloudee?-" "Don't call me like that," the apple-colour mare quickly interrupted her. "Ae told you to call me A.P." Applejack turned around to look at her cousin. Apple Pie was sitting on the chair, her legs slightly spread to leave a place to her two hands that were joined together on the rusty seat. She has her head down, like each time she was thinking about something.
"What's wrong, A.P.?" asked Applejack as she turned around and sat down on the floor next to her, looking up to see her lost face. Big MacIntosh took the lead of Applejack while she wasn't there.
"Ae won' be making apple pies for very long," her cousin replied. The orange mare got surprised for a second, but before she could say a word, Apple Pie continued: "Ae don't have any of the special ingredient anymore."
Applejack then fell into her thoughts as well. When A.P. was a child, she sometimes said that, but rarely. Normally, she always filled up her special ingredient from time to time, at unawaited moments. Applejack was always aware when she didn't have any anymore, even if she could never see the special ingredient itself. She knew she will have to wait.
:"It's alright, cousin," smiled Applejack. "We've got a full stock for now, and Ae think it will remain full for a while. You could go get some whenever ya want." To those words, Apple Pie smiled slightly as a sign of reconfort, which permitted Applejack to get back to work.
--
Apple Pie was walking in town in direction to her house. She was exhausted after selling so many pies. A very excited pony stopped straight as soon as she saw her, and ran up next to her. "Oh my gosh! Are you Apple Pie?" the pony asked. The exhausted pony sighed with a smile. "Yup, it's me," she replied. The pony in front of her seemed very excited to see her, though she swore that she didn’t know who it was. Her hair was of a dark pink and attached into two ponytails, and her skin was pale turquoise. “I’m Strawberry Cake,” the stranger happily introduced. “I am a big fan of your pies!” she added. “Ae see,” smiled Apple Pie. “You like cookin'?” she asked, seeing that Strawberry’s cutie mark was a chef’s hat. “Yes!” the pony yelled, still excited. “I’m a beginner though,” she explained. “But I’d like soooo much to be able to make pies like you do!” cheered the aqua pony. “Could you show me one day?”
Apple Pie turned herself to stare at the pony. She was talking about the pie, yes, not the special ingredient, which was okay. An idea suddenly crossed the mind of the apple-color pony which made her grin. “Yeah! Sure, why not!” she said happily. Strawberry Cake’s hopes bounced up. “Really?!” she screamed. “Of course,” the pony replied. “You could come tomorrow afternoon. Though, you will have to leave when Ae’ll add the special ingredient,” the pony told, the grin on her face going up to her cheeks. Strawberry thought it was weird that the star she beloved enjoyed the warning, but she was too excited to even care. “Yeah! Alright! Tomorrow afternoon!” she repeated to herself so she doesn’t forget. “Where?” she asked.
“Here,” the apple-color pony gave her a map, smiled at her again, then left.
“Thank you! Oh, thank you Apple Pie!” she yelled to the pony who was a bit further away now.
“Please,” Apple Pie stopped for a second to turn her head around and smile at her. “Call me A.P.”
--
The next day, Strawberry Cake bounced around all day. At her school, she kept annoying the other colts and fillies about the luck she had to meet her star. She couldn’t wait for that afternoon.
And Apple Pie either.
As soon as the filly left school, she took out the map that the apple-color pony gave her the day before. And X was placed at the end of a deserted street that was going around the Everfree forest. At least it’s not inside, thought the mare.
As she followed the path made by the Everfree forest’s trees, she looked at the map every now and then to see if she is going I the right direction. She once slipped on some mud which made her fall between two trees, and she freaked out and got away from there immediately. Many ponies at her school sent the rumours that you are in danger at every second you pass over the line that the trees make. She was too scared to take the risk, so she took a good distance between the trees and her.
It took a long while before Strawberry Cake ended at the weird shed Apple Pie asked. She checked the card many times today and when she encountered the pony, she dared to ask if they will bake the apple pies over there. The mare simply answered that it was just a meeting spot that she always chooses with her friends because it’s deserted. Strawberry was feeling a bit better as she reminded herself of the pony’s words as she saw the shed.
It was a rusty old thing made of dried wood. Some parts were broken and it was very dirty. The grass around it has been cut, since there was just some very dark earth. The shed was of a moldy yellow color. The door was not locked, even it was a third open. The shed didn’t seem very welcoming, but Strawberry Cake took a breath of courage and shot in.
“Hello?” she asked as she was in. The shed was completely dark, and the only light inside it was the bite of sunlight coming out of the door. Though, she closed mostly of the door with her hoof as she stepped in, so the light was now only a thin line of yellow on the floor. The place seemed deserted, but she didn’t give up. “Hello? A.P., are you there?” she asked again. Her voice echoed around the four small walls.
No answer.
Though, the filly’s eyes got slightly used to the darkness and she was able to see what was in the room in a blur. The shed was completely empty. Absolutely nothing inside, except one thing.
It was there, indeed. The shadow of a tall pony was at the left of the room. She couldn’t see any color of the pony, though she did see it was holding something. The pony was standing straight up, and was staring at her. Strawberry got a chill down her spine as she saw the scary shadow. “Hello?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Who is there? Apple Pie, is it you?”
As she blinked for a second, the dark shadow was gone. She quickly turned her head in all direction to look for it again, but no sign everywhere. “Hello?” she asked desperately. She was now officially scared. She blinked again before receiving something made of cold metal straight on her forehead. She let out a quick moan of pain before being unbalanced and falling down her feet. Her head was filled with pain and she was very dizzy. The world spun around her before getting completely black. She closed her eyes to try and calm her pain, but no use.
As she did a last effort to open her eyes, the last thing she saw was that same shadow, standing up in front of her. Her shining blue eyes were making an incredible amount of light and she was grinning widely. Her blood red tail swept the floor near her. The object that she was holding in her hands was now very visible: a frying pan. It was the shape of an apple and the handle was the leaf.
“Oh, please,” said the shadow happily, her grin getting bigger as the world got darker. “Call me A.P.”