//------------------------------// // The Account of Applejack, First Part // Story: Shadow of the Necromancer // by Cynewulf //------------------------------// Account of Applejack [Recorded on tape.] I reckon she was like she always was, y’know? I mean, weren’t nothin’ really strange about it. We took our pets out to the park like we do sometimes and we had us some fun. She laughed, she talked about getting’ Dash to listen to some kinda poetry thing… Look, what are ya lookin’ for? I just… It’s not like there were any signs of some kinda calamity comin’. It was a sunny day. Ponyville was filled with happy ponies. It was a good day. I’m thinkin’, I’m thinkin’. Hold on just a cotton pickin’ minute. She did seem tired. Just a little, mind you, but she did. I noticed, but I didn’t wanna make a fuss. Rares asked her ‘bout it at some point, I remember that, but she kinda danced around it. We talked ‘bout it, actually, me and Rares, when I was walking her back to her shop. Fluttershy was with us, bein’ quiet. I asked Rares about Twilight, and I remember she said to me, “That girl is far too stressed.” And, of course, I asked her why, but she wouldn’t elaborate. I guess she didn’t really know, just got a good helpin’ of that old mare’s intuition hogwash. Well, I dropped her off with a kiss and the promise of a great dinner and me ‘n Fluttershy headed back home. I felt kinda bad for her, as she hadn’t seen Macintosh much that week. He’d been busy helpin’ us out. Apple Bloom was feelin’ sick and he knew I’d run myself ragged tryin’ to do it all. Sorry, sorry, got distracted. Let me think again. Fluttershy mentioned that too, ‘bout Twi being tired looking. I never saw it, mind you, until they started pointing it out. But Fluttershy insisted it was all obvious. Started talkin’ about visiting Twi and talkin’ to RD about helpin’ her ease the load. I guess that scare with the Everfree probably didn’t help, even though it blew over real quick. First time, it did. That was weird, really, just how quickly we all forgot about it. I guess… I don’t know, the sun was up and the days were gettin’ warmer and better and I reckon it’s hard to think about dark stuff in Spring, y’know. Everythin’ growing and the farm is starting to look pretty again after being dead all winter and it’s just… it’s good. So I guess it makes sense how we all let that slip our minds, all collective like. Twilight remembered though. She mentioned it, I think, at some point. Took me a minute just to remember what she was talkin’ about like I was some dern fool, but I remembered it. She’d never forgot. She’d been studyin’ and plannin’ and she’d made up all sorts of contingencies and what not. I was impressed, really! I thought it was a token of the kinda mare Twilight was, actually. She not only finds the answer to the problems around her, but she never rests. I understand that in her, I’m like that myself. The scare in the Everfree was more jumpin' at phantoms than anythin' substantial. Twilight could have... she really could have explained it better. Everybody was antsy, you know? I'd say the first sign of trouble was ponies claiming to have seen some shadow or creature on the edges of the Everfree. Didn't place much stock in it at the time and to be honest with ya I don't really place much stock in it even now. Even after everything. It weren't shadowy monsters in the woods that were the danger. So the rumor got started, right? Ponies felt uneasy. Scared. But then they felt more then uneasy. Some of the unicorns in town started gettin' these weird headaches. The farmers, myself included, started feelin' run down. Tired. Draggin' our hooves. Figure somethin' musta happened to the pegasi, but Rainbow seemed fine. There was some talk about a curfew. You know, I remember Twilight seemed really upset about that. Which was odd to me. Figured if anypony I knew could see through a crowd workin' out its tension, it would be her. Course there weren't a curfew. This is Ponyville. It... Sorry. It all came to a head about the time that Fluttershy came back into town. She was terrified, poor girl. Nopony had seen her in days, and Mac was lookin' more and more drawn and nervous himself. Filly was beside herself, talkin' lunacy about things in the night and sounds and darkness and all that sorta crap. Set everybody's nerves on edge, made the whole thing worse. But who could blame her? She was scared witless. I took her to the farm with me and called Mac in to tell him his mare'd had her self another episode and he went runnin' before I was even finished speakin'. Mac doesn't talk much, but he's the pony I would want by my side any day of the week. That riled the town right up, and Twilight ended up announcing she would do somethin' bout it. She'd investigate, that was her word. I was about to pull her aside after but she found me first. She needed an escort into the Everfree durin' the day and she trusted me enough to take her. See, this is why I didn't think this'd be worth nothin'. Far as I could tell, her investigatin' didn't do a thing. Her horn glowed and she muttered a lot and brought a little book with her and wrote in it. Two books, actually. Guess she needed some sorta reference guide? Heh. That... that sounds just like somethin' she'd do. After a few hours she told me that she had enough "data" or whatever and we headed home. That was the only real warnin' sign I had. Not much of one. The next week or two was pretty peaceful for me.