//------------------------------//
// Act IV - Ch. 29 Devil in the Orchard 
// Story: Justice Itself 
// by Autocharth 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 29 Devil in the Orchard


***


Applejack’s sleep, pleasant and dreamless, was abruptly shaken by, well, being shaken. Little hooves rattled her desperately, and her sister’s worried voice intruded on her peace.

“‘m ‘wake!”  she yelled, throwing herself out of her bed and hitting, with all the reliability of gravity, the floor. That certainly jarred her awake. She groaned, blowing her mane from her eyes. Apple Bloom was looking down at her from the bed, her eyes still wide with fright.

Apple Bloom hopped down. “Its Big Mac!” she cried. The filly wrapped her hooves around one of Applejack’s, trying to pull her out of the room. “Come on!”

“Whoa, ‘Bloom, wait a sec, what’s wrong with ‘im? Is he hurt?” Pushing the haze of sleep away, Applejack climbed off her back. 

A slam interrupted Apple Bloom before she could even start. Another thump, hard enough to rattle pictures on the walls. Applejack’s hat bounced off the bed post, rolling on its brim past her. The whole house was practically shaking with each thump. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped.

Applejack stared at Apple Bloom in the silence, the only sound the loud cursing of their grandmother about tanning somepony’s hide.

“....Mac?”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Eeyup. He’s havin’ a nightmare or somethin’, tossin’ an’ turnin! He woke me an’ Granny, an’ he’d’a woken you if ya didn’t sleep like Tom!”

Picking up her hat, Applejack screwed it on. “Apple Bloom, we don’t talk ‘bout Tom. Ever. Anyhow, ain’t my fault Ah sleep deep. Come on, sugarcube, lets see what we can do.”  She gave Apple Bloom a reassuring smile, leading her out.

Had Apple Bloom been able to read thoughts - and Applejack thanked the sun and the stars she couldn’t - she would have seen a different picture. In her entire life, Macintosh had never had nightmares. He was a rock, solid and steady, always there to lean on. A sneaky part of her suggested, perhaps, that rather than not suffer nightmares, he had never told her about them if they plagued him. She had just assumed.

‘Think ‘bout that after Mac ain’t bringin’ the house down around us!’ she scolded herself. They reached the door to Mac’s room, half open. Another bang jerked the door, and the whole house. Applejack pushed it open, peeking in. She winced at the destruction her brother had, in his sleep, unleashed.

“Do we wake him?” Apple Bloom asked in a stage-whisper.

Applejack frowned. Mac’s room stunk of cold sweat, and even from the doorway she could see the look of terror that plagued her nightmare  gripped brother. He called out, a wordless cry of fear, and thrashed again. Her hooves rose an inch, the whole house practically jumping. Something crashed downstairs, and Granny’s foul mouth resumed.

Something bounced towards Applejack,  She caught it on reflex, staring down into the shockingly tough glass. Flat bottomed and round, even the potion bottle’s mouth was untouched despite the force it had likely been subjected to. On a whim she raised it to her nostril, sniffing.

“Whoa! Smells like...huh, not sure, really. Kinda hard to...to pin it down. But its strong. Smells like somethin’ Zecora would make.” Applejack considered it for a moment, then passed it to Apple Bloom. “Ya spend plenty’a time with her, smell like somethin’ of hers?”

The filly took a hesitant sniff. “Y-yeah, Ah think. Ah know she’s got bottles like this. Maybe Mac took somethin’, an’ its makin’ him all like this?” Given her personal experience with Zecora’s potions, she knew all too well how perilous they could be if not used correctly.

Applejack knew better than to suspect foul play. She glanced between the bottle and her brother. Zecora tried to be responsible with giving out any cure that had side effects, and Macintosh was simply too reasonable and calm to do something silly like take a potion without permission. He was also far too honest. Yet it seemed a potion of Zecora’s was the cause for this. She shook her head, sighing.

“Apple Bloom, Ah know its late, but Ah want ya to run to Zecora’s- wait, no, Ah want ya to take a detour an’ run to the west field. Wake up Dash. If she’s got the same schedule she told me, she’ll be nappin’ in Branchford till mornin’,” Applejack rattled of instructions. “Then get her to ‘port to Zecora an’ bring her here, quick as she can. Take the bottle too.”

Nodding, Apple Bloom was down the stairs and out the door in seconds. Despite the urgency of her mission, she couldn’t help but eye the destruction Big Mac had caused. A dozen ways to restore them sprung to mind. No! To improve them! Even unbroken, they had not been perfect. She was sure she could make them perfect. She could put things back to order.

She was out the door before the thought was fully formed, and by then it was obviously too late to act on it. Applejack was trusting her, and Big Macintosh was relying on her. Anything else could wait for later.

Back in the house, Applejack prepared for one of the most dangerous tasks she had ever undertaken; waking Mac from a nightmare.  He was enormously, perhaps freakishly, strong when he wasn't minding himself with utmost care. Like many large ponies, he was at heart gentle. She really hoped he was like that while he was asleep.

He rolled, a hoof lashing out at some imagined terror and kicking a hole in the wall. Applejack gulped. 

“Maybe not,” she muttered. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to try option number one. It was the traditional Apple family method for dealing with many problems, from bats, to hyenas, diamond dogs, vermin, dislocations, rashes, spiders, ogres and that last apple that just would not fall no matter how many times you bucked the darn tree.

“BIG MACINTOSH!” screamed Applejack. “WAKE UP! YER TEARIN’ THE HOUSE APART”

She paused, waiting to see if this had the desired effect. A few seconds passed, and she concluded it had not. She gave it another go, just in case.

“WAKEY-WAKEY, BIG BRO! ‘S BREAKFAST TIME, AN’ WE’RE GONNA SHOW RAINBOW DASH YER FOAL PICTURES!” Food plus imminent embarrassment from a pony who wouldn’t hesitate to exploit it. She held her breath, watching expectantly.

What she had hoped was the beginnings of him stirring turned out to be another bout of moaning in agony and thrashing about that left his floor scarred and scored by his flailing hooves. Once she was steady once again, Applejack turned and hurried to the bathroom for option number two. The first glass of water she filled ended up in her face, thanks to Mac giving the house another demonstration of his now irritating strength, but she managed to get the second to his room safely. It singly failed to rouse him when thrown on his face.

This left option number three. Resolving to herself to see this through, Applejack steeled her heart...and let that steel flow outwards. Delicate patterns of apples and leaves cast in silvery steel wrapped the mare, clothing her in armour that fitted perfectly. Even her hat was not immune to the adornment in angelic steel. Clad in her protective armour, Applejack prepared for option number three.


***


Rainbow Dash was not a happy camper. She wasn’t even camping, which just goes to show you how very unhappy she was. She was tempted to go camping, just so she could really be an unhappy camper.  She was aware that this wasn’t entirely reasonable, but neither was being woken up from sleeping in a tree - which was, apparently, named Branchford - by her best friend’s little sister screaming in her ear.

Unfortunately, teleporting required some mental focus to get off the ground, as it were, and so she had been forced to become fully awake and aware. It was vexing. That was a good word. Vexing. She liked it.

She was, perhaps, still a tad loopy from tiredness. Just a touch.

“Here we are!” Rainbow Dash crowed, slumping to the ground outside the farm house. “Sweet Apple Acres! If you look to your right, you’ll see apple trees. If you look to your left, you’ll see apple trees. In keeping with their theme, if you look ahead you’ll see apple trees!  In a burst of originality, if you look behind you, will see, wait for it….apple trees!”

Apple Bloom looked at Zecora. “Yer sure ya didn’t give her nothin’, or that she didn’t take anythin’?”

The zebra shook her head and said, “Nay, my young friend. This madness is her own natural blend. Let us be about our business; I must cure your brother’s sickness.”

“Ya still haven’t explained what it is,” Apple Bloom complained. She led Zecora inside, trailed by a sleep deprived Rainbow Dash. “Hey Granny! Ah’m back with Miss Zecora! She’s gonna help Big Macintosh!”

Though Dash had grown able to handle her issues with closed spaces, it still sent a shiver up her spine as she stepped in and wished she had Applejack or Fluttershy with her.

“Well its about darn time! Ah’ve been fixin’ all the stuff that boy done knocked down fer the last…” Granny Smith floundered at the question of time. She eventually settled on,”Last long while! Ya like apple strudel, Zecora?”

The zebra blinked in surprise at the sudden question, nodding. She looked at Apple Bloom, who just shrugged.

“Good! Now head on up, ‘Jackie did somethin’ ta stop all that bangin’ but he ain’t fixed up yet,” the elderly mare ordered, nodding to herself in apparent satisfaction. She let them go, save for Rainbow Dash who found herself being requisitioned by the Apple matron.

The short journey to Big Macintosh’s room ended in a rather remarkable visual demonstration of Applejack’s angelic gift. The armoured mare was astride her brother, straining to keep him covered enough to hold him down. He was, amazingly, still asleep.

“Zecora!” Applejack looked up, ignoring her sister’s giggling. “Am Ah glad to see you! There’s so much of him Ah’m havin’ trouble keeping him covered!”

“You use a mighty power, an angel’s gift, to keep your brother still so he does not shift?”  Zecora raised an eyebrow.

Applejack rolled her eyes in reply. It was hard to notice within the helm. “Well, it was that or let him bring the whole darn house down around our ears. Ah don’t think Paladin’ll mind me using it to keep my brother from hurtin’ himself.”

 Shaking off her mirth at the sight, Zecora stepped closer to inspect him. “The potion I gave him was to force away the terrors that haunted his sleep, but I warned him that it would only push them deep.”

Applejack looked at her uncomprehendingly. “What?”

“A single drop for a single night, but his terrors he must valiantly fight. I warned him that it was no cure, that I could do nothing to make his mind pure. Whatever drove his dreams to fright, only he could make right.” Zecora looked at the bottle Apple Bloom had given her before sighing and reaching into medicine pouch she had brought, hanging around her neck. “Another of this kind I have brought, but it is not the true cure you sought.”

“Ain’t like we can do much else. So, what, the thing ya gave him just kinda...postponed his nightmares? How long’s he been havin’ them?” Applejack was glad her helmet hid her no doubt guilty look. What sort of sister had to ask somepony else about their brother’s nightmares?

Zecora inched closer with the potion, trying to find the angle to pour a drop in, and said, “I may not yet be a doctor by law, but for those I help I will keep what secrets I heard or saw.” She sensed Applejack’s unseen expression and gave her a gentle smile. “His sleep will be sweet this night, but he will need help to make this right. Surely he will need his sisters for this fight, once we come to morning’s light.”

A single drop fell before Applejack could answer. It slipped between Mac’s lips, and like a puppet with his strings cut he went limp. Within seconds he was snoring quietly, a surprisingly soft sound. 

“It worked!” Apple Bloom cried. She winced at the look Applejack shot her, feeling it even though she couldn’t see her sister’s expression. In a much lower voice, she hissed “It worked.”

It was with a sigh of relief that Applejack stood back and let her armour fade. With Zecora’s help she got her brother into his slightly damaged bed and left him to finish sleeping.


***


“Thanks a bunch, Zecora,” Applejack said as they sat in the kitchen minutes later, yawning. She had to hide a smile at the sight of Rainbow Dash, scowling sleepily, as Granny made her help with fixing the kitchen. It was just the four of them, Apple Bloom fast asleep next to Zecora. The zebra endured the sleeping filly leaning against her with good grace.

Zecora said, “No thanks are needed. My words your brother should have heeded.”

“Darn tootin’ he shoulda!” Granny agreed empathetically. “An’ if ya won’t accept thanks, ya can come over fer dinner tomorrow night. Ah won’t hear a no to that, ya hear?”

The zebra gave Applejack an uncertain look. The farmer grinned back.

“Ya might as well just accept it an’ come over, Granny really won’t take no for an answer,” she advised.

“I see. What time would this dinner be?” Zecora smiled. “I am honoured by your kindness, Greatmother Smith. Such an invitation is truly a gift.”

“Great-wha?” Granny lifted a hoof against her ear, looking confused. She did not look the slightest bit confused when Rainbow Dash snickered, and the elderly mare poked her in the flank. “Back ta work, missy! Ya don’t think Ah forgot that tree ya broke last week, do ya? ‘Course ya don’t, since ya ain’t been by the house until now!”

Rainbow Dash groaned, banging her head against the wall repeatedly until Applejack took pity on her. It was pretty late, and she knew Rainbow Dash had actually been working today.

“Come on Granny, its too late for that. Let’s let Zecora get back to sleep, an’ Dash, ya wanna crash on the porch? We got a spare mattress ya can take out, an’ ya might as well, since yer already here,” she offered.

“Alright! Err, I mean, yes please.” Dash gave Granny a nervous grin, 

The old mare sighed dramtically. “Young’uns these days, can’t even stay awake all night! Back in my day…”

Zecora apparently had grandparents of her own, as the term ‘in my day’ signalled to her that it was time to make a hasty departure. Sleep once more claimed the Apple family home.


***


Spike groaned, pushing hard. All of his muscles strained, aching, but he refused to give in. He was doing this for one of the most awesome ponies he knew, he couldn’t give in! How could he, after Paladin had galloped for hours? This was a trial only he, Spike, could dare attempt! The little dragon refused to give in,  though his body felt exhaustion sweep over it, his arms shaking, his legs trembling. This was his time to shine!

“Spike,” Twilight called from the doorway. “Do you need help with that? It is a pretty big bookshelf.”

He took a step, nearly falling over, the massive bookshelf threatening to tip over. After another step it swayed back, under his control for a few more steps before the bookshelf began to lean a bit too far. With a groan, Spike forced it back up.

“I’m fine,” he huffed.

Twilight sighed but nodded, levitating a few more bits of furniture with her.  She may have also applied just a little bit of magic to the bookshelf to help Spike without him noticing, but only a little. It was all a bit more effort than if they had hired some help, but this way Twilight didn’t need to worry about having furniture dropped on her head at the most narratively hilarious moment, which was something of a relief.

Their destination wasn’t too far away. The modest home stuck out a tad. It sat on the edge of the town, right on route Twilight usually took to Fluttershy’s home. There was nothing too different at first glance, but something simply different. A few moments studying would reveal that the windows, while as wide and open as others, had reinforced glass with thick steel frames and the thick oak door was banded in metal. The shutters for the windows, Twilight noticed as they got closer, were only noticeably thicker when she was nearly at the door, thick enough that she could imagine that when they were shut over the windows they became nearly as strong as the door.

She sighed. “Why does he have to live in a fortress?”

“Because it’s awesome, duh,” came Rainbow Dash’s voice. The pegasus had begun to fly just above and behind her at some point, and the sudden intrusion of her voice into Twilight’s thoughts made the unicorn jump. Her magic wavered, nearly dropping her cargo as Rainbow Dash laughed.

Twilight gave her friend an annoyed look. “Did you really have to do that?”

Rainbow Dash grinned unabashedly, the mirth in her eyes doing a lot to counter the obvious lack of sleep she had gotten. “Yeah, I totally did.”

Shaking her head, Twilight caught the edge of the bookshelf in her magic and helped Spike get it stable. Landing in front of her, Rainbow Dash knocked on the door.

“Hey! Pally! You in?” A strange look came over her. “Wait, tch, where else would he be?”

The door opened before Twilight or Spike could reply. The pony who greeted them was not, however, Paladin. It wasn’t any of their friends they would have expected either. The Mayor blinked in surprise, already halfway through stepping out.

“Oh, girls, I do apologise,” she said, moving out of the way. “Good morning to you, and...oh, Spike, I didn’t see you back there.”

“It’s alright. Finalising details, I take it?” Twilight nodded to the scrolls poking through the flap of the older mare’s saddlebag.

“Oh, yes. Ponyville hasn’t had anypony as its Justice before, so we had to sort through a few details and formalities. Hopefully we won’t need his services so soon, but it never hurts to be prepared, does it?” The Mayor reached out to stop Spike from falling over, apparently not hearing his complaints that he could get it through the door on his own.

Rainbow Dash’s saddle bags hit the ground with a thump, or would have if Twilight hadn’t caught them at the last second. She chuckled nervously at Twilight’s look of disapproval. Any confusion the Mayor had vanished when she heard the tinkle of glass in the bags. She grimaced. Trusting Rainbow Dash to carry anything fragile just seemed like a prolonged exercise in property destruction.

“I hope the moving goes well, I had best go file these.” The Mayor hesitated before she could leave. “Miss Doo isn’t-”

“We’re helping Paladin ourselves,” Twilight assured her quickly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Mayor dismissed her plans to warn the hospital and left them to it. Best to stay clear anyway, in case it became ground zero for anything more interesting than a day of moving furniture. Knowing them, it would be some haunted closet, or something like that, with a lion or a witch inside it. Possibly cursed. She had nothing against any of the six mares who made up the Elements of Harmony, or young Spike, but nopony could deny things tended to get...interesting around them.

The Mayor had heard that in far distant land, telling somepony to have an interesting day was a curse. She would never had understood before.

Twilight, meanwhile, had finally just teleported Spike inside.

“I could have gotten it inside,” he muttered sourly with a scaly pout.

“I’m sure you would have, eventually,” Twilight soothed him. Spike just crossed his arms, refusing to accept it as anything but a lack of faith in his abilities. “We just couldn’t let you take up the door. What if one of the others arrived? Applejack should be bringing the bed sometime around now.”

The clop of hooves on hard floor announced the homeowner’s approach. Paladin arched an eyebrow at them, his ears flicking towards Twilight. His mouth twitched as he resisted frowning.

“I could have arranged furnishings and delivery on my own, you know,” he said by way of greeting.

“Good to see you too!” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Don’t say thanks or anything.”

Paladin paused for a moment. “My apologies. As I was saying, I could have done this on my own, you needn’t have inconvenience yourselves.”

“Eh, it’s nothing. Wasn’t there a whole thing about you learning to accept help? We’re saving you bits, time and effort.” She looked around his spartan home. “And, come on, you need all the help you can get. We gotta get this place lived in!”

“Uh, Rainbow Dash, you don’t mean…” Spike grinned. “Housewarming Pinkie Party?

“Housewarming Pinkie Party!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“Must we?” asked Paladin, sighing wearily. 

Rainbow Dash furrowed her brow, looking at him for a moment. “I...guess not, if you do-” 

He held up a hoof, interrupting her with another much put upon sigh. “Very well. If you insist. I can only give in before your passion for such a thing.”

“Huh?” Rainbow Dash exchanged a confused look with Spike and Twilight.

Paladin adjusted his wings, pretending to fix a feather as he looked away from them. “I am, of course, completely against such an affair, but as this is my home, I will be forced to attend. If Pinkie brings some of that ‘angel cake’, I will have to partake. To be a good host, of course. All of this under protest, obviously.”

Understanding brought a wide grin to Rainbow Dash’s face, a smile shared by Twilight and Spike. Paladin’s lips twitched at the corners as he resisted actually smiling as well.

“Well, if we’re forcing you into this, I better go make sure its worth the effort,” Rainbow Dash laughed.

“Oh yes, we wouldn’t want to make you do something like this and have it not live up to your expectations,” added Twilight, trying to resist giggling out loud.

Spike beamed, his toothy grin growing as a familiar voice called out to them.

“I do hope I’m not late!” Rarity trotted in, bearing stuff saddlebags at her side and bundles of clothes in her magic. She looked about the room with an arched eyebrow. “You all seem to be in a chipper mood. Did I miss something?”

“We’re having a housewarming party!” Always one to claim credit where credit was due, Rainbow Dash quickly added, “It was my idea.”

“I’m sure it was, darling, and a wonderful idea at that,” Rartiy said in a sugary tone just on the edge of being patronizing. She rushed on before Rainbow Dash would reply, although the look of confusion as the pegasus realised that something hadn’t been right about her tone. “Now, Paladin dear, where do you want these?”

Spike peeked at the bundle of floating cloth, lifting part to look into the folded mass. “What did you bring, Rarity? I’m sure it’ll be the best!”

She smiled at the dragon’s praise. “Oh, just a few pillows, some throw rugs, that sort of thing. Why, I even used some spare cloth to make some towels, initialed just for you.”

Paladin looked over an example she floated to him, giving it a perplexed stare. “...right. Wherever you think they go best. Interior decoration is not my strong suit. Nor will it ever be.”

“Perfect! Rainbow Dash, wait just a minute and I will accompany you, assuming you are indeed going to let Pinkie know. I need to go that way to pick up the rest of my housewarming gifts. Hmm, yes, I think they’ll do nicely.” Rarity quickly unpacked her saddlebags, knowing how impatient Rainbow Dash was. Besides, she really did need to give her friend some advice on getting her beauty sleep.

Leaving her to that, Paladin retreated deeper into his new home. It was strange, to think that he had a home of his own. A house. The bare, empty kitchen was...bare and empty. But it was his. To do as he wanted. To ruin or to improve. He could let it become a mess or he could keep it in pristine condition. It was up to him if he used it, or visited it only with take out. This kitchen, this house, were his.

The thought made him smile. If only, he mused, it wasn’t so empty.


***


Rainbow Dash and Rarity weren’t even halfway to Rarity’s home, let alone Sugarcube Corner, when they ran into Pinkie Pie. To be fair to them, this was because it was currently impossible to miss her. Not that she was easy to evade, intentionally or not, at the best of times, but right now she was as difficult to miss as a bonfire in an igloo.

“...what.”

Rarity nodded, silently agreeing with Rainbow Dash as they stared at Pinkie. She was...bouncing. But it wasn’t her usual bounce. No, this was a special bounce. It was a bounce that radiated joy, the spring in her step sending her flying through the air with her mane and tail bouncing cheerfully along with her. At the apex of each jump, she seemed ready to burst into song, yet somehow she managed to keep from ever actually starting the song no doubt blossoming in her heart, ready to burst free. Ponies she passed felt inexplicably happy, which wasn’t unusual when Pinkie was trying her best, but normally she had to at least do something other than bounce past. One pony with a bag of sweets would later swear blind that they had tasted nicer and sweeter after a few moments of being basked in her metaphorical glow.

Then there was the smile. Pinkie Pie beamed. It was only just a bit away from being so intense that it hurt to look directly at. It was practically a real glow. If it had been anypony else, it would have been magical or, possibly, angelic. Instead, Rarity soon realised it was just her teeth. Pinkie apparently brushed very well...she hoped. It was easier to explain it like this. 

“Rarity…” Rainbow Dash muttered. “...should I be scared?”

Rarity gulped. “I have no idea. You don’t suppose the Cakes forgot to lock the sugar-vault again, do you?” There was no time to ponder the answer to that question; Pinkie Pie was upon them. She landed in front of the pair.

“Hiya girls!” she cheered, her voice burning with joy.

“Hey, Pinkie,” Dash returned uneasily. “So, what’s got you so…” she searched for the right word.

“Oh, darling, you seem...happy,” Rarity said nervously, taking over for the speechless pegasus, a note of anxiety in her eyes. “Has something happened?”

“Ye~eeeeperoonie!” Pinkie bounced in place, her smile so wide she almost looked like she was going to split her own head in half.

They waited a few seconds, but Pinkie just kept bouncing. It didn’t take much longer for Rainbow Dash’s patience, all two thimbles of it, to run out.

“What are you-” the impatient pegasus began.

“I got tickets!” Pinkie threw her hooves up, cheering.

Rainbow Dash scowled at the interrupting. Her expression lit up, however, when an explanation occurred to her. “To what? The Wonder-”

“Orchestra!”

Rarity spent a moment fussing with her mane, since the windblown look was more for Rainbow Dash than her, and just having somepony scream a word at you was an undignified way to go about changing your mane style anyway.

“Orchestra? You are excited about an orchestra?” Rarity didn’t waste time questioning if that had been what Pinkie had said; it was hard to not know exactly what word had been bellowed at them. She was fairly certain ponies in Canterlot knew what Pinkie was happy about now.

The party pony nodded, heading bobbing up and down so rapidly it became a blur. She was just too happy for words, it seemed, and could only communicate that through violent body motion.

“Seriously, Pinkie, orchestra? That stuff is laaaaaaaaame,” Rainbow Dash dragged the word out, just to make sure they knew just how lame she thought orchestral music was.

Rarity frowned at Dash’s dismissal. “Orchetsra is not ‘lame’. It is refined and dignified, Classical music is, by its very nature, such a mature art. Quite unlike that ‘music’ I have heard you listen to.”

“Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaame,” Rainbow Dash drawled.

“Just because it’s not the sort of wild, undisciplined music you listen to, darling, does not mean it is ‘lame’.” Sniffing haughtily with her head held high, Rarity didn’t let that distract her from her curiosity for long. She looked at Pinkie, hoping for an answer that would make something resembling sense. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, Pinkie darling,  but I must agree with the thrust of Rainbow Dash’s question. Orchestra is...not something I expected you to be interested in.”

“You know its not a kind of party, right?” Dash asked, taking a step back as Pinkie’s smile dimmed.

“Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie spoke, her tone serious and reverent. “Anything can be a party. All you need is a smile! And cupcakes. And maybe a party canon. It’ll definitely be a party if I bring my party cannon!”

Rainbow Dash and Rarity exchanged worried looks. It wasn’t that they couldn’t imagine Pinkie Pie attending the orchestra. They could. That was the problem. Pinkie rambled of on another tangent, quickly losing herself in the simple joy of rambling. It was, in her opinion, an underrated activity.

“Pinkie, dear, please focus. Why are you so happy about tickets to the orchestra?” asked the fearful fashionista.

Snapping her attention back to her friends, Pinkie grinned once more. “Because its from Octa~aaaaaavia!” Pinke sung, pulling her friends into a hug.

Blushing at being hugged so publically, Rainbow Dash failed at pushing Pinkie away. “What, you mean that mare from Canterlot who was ignoring you? That Octavia? Are we talking about the same pony? She sent you tickets?”

“A little...tight, darling. That is a surprise. Perhaps she has decided to give you another chance,” said Rarity,  taking the hug with more grace, but curiosity tugged at her features. She was as surprised as Rainbow Dash. It took a lot of effort to totally ignore a pony like Pinkie Pie. Whether it was horrified fascination or fascinated horror, or even simple curiosity, Pinkie had a way of getting attention. It was hard to look away from her, when somepony began happily bouncing over social norms without a care the world.
 
Pinkie’s hug relaxed a tad, enough for her friends to slip out. Rarity set to fixing her mane - again.

“Are you sure its from her, darling?” she asked cautiously.

Pinkie nodded. “Sure as sure can sure.” Bouncing past her bamboozled friends, Pinkie let out a happy giggle. ‘She wants to be friends! She doesn’t hate me anymore! “Yay!”

Shaking off her confusion, Rainbow Dash flew over to Pinke, holding out a hoof to stop her. “Pinkie, wait a second! We-”

“Tickets?” Rarity interrupted, a sudden gleam in her eyes. She advanced on Pinkie.”Tickets, plural? More than one?”

“What’s that got to do-” Dash protested ineffectually.

“Yep! Four! So I can bring friends! Wanna come?” asked Pinkie, looking between them. 

Rarity beamed. “Why, of course, darling, I would never say no to such an offer! It will be fabulous, oh yes, and I’ll have to make appropriate wear!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Listen, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash growled impatiently. She was interrupted for the third time. Now it was a fierce hug from Pinkie.

“Yay! Now we need to find somepony who wants the last ticket!” cheered Pinkie. Her hug collapsed on empty air without warning.  She looked up at Rainbow dash, the nimble pegasus hovering above her once she had slipped to freedom.

“Finally! Okay, we need...wait, last? You and Rarity make two, and you said four tickets, so you have two left, not one!” she interrupted herself with her own mathematical musings.

Pinkie just stared at her, smiling, and Rarity gave Dash an amused little look which had a touch of smugness to it. It took Rainbow Dash a few seconds to run backwards, and her eyes finally widened in realisation.

“Me? Whoa, wait a second, I can’t go to the orchestra!” she protested furiously, her cheeks lightning up.

Pinkie’s lower lip trembled, her mane hanging every so slightly with a sad lack of curl to the very tip.”Y-you can’t?”

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Rarity watched her party obsessed friend’s mane. She was fairly certain that it took more than that to make Pinkie undergo what Dash had described as an unpleasant personality shift, and the corresponding mane-straightening. The unicorn nearly burst into fiendish giggles as she realised what was going on, watching Pinkie play their friend like a fiddle.

“Alright, fine!” Rainbow Dash snapped, giving barely a minute later. She scowled. “I’ll come. But I won’t enjoy it!”

“Yay!” Pinkie hugged her friendly tightly. “Now, let’s go get those party supplies for Pally’s housewarming party!”

She bounced back the way she had come, her friends following her with mixed expressions. Dash paused mid-step and looked at Rarity.

“Did you mention the party?” she asked her fashionable friend.

Rarity blinked. “...I did not.”

They looked at Pinkie, who turned to face them and waved, calling for them to hurry up. Time lost was time not spent partying, after all.

“Its Pinkie Pie,” they said at the same time.


***


Fluttershy paused, hesitating. She glanced at her saddlebags, then at the door before her, then back again. Her brow furrowed.

“...do you think he’ll like them?” she asked her passenger. The little white bunny on her back rolled his eyes, giving her an uncaring shrug. The pegasus bit her lip as she turned back to the door.

Since the award ceremony, she and Paladin had been...well, she wasn’t sure if there was a single word for it. They were something. Things between them were. What they actually were, she had no idea. This was new to her, and Fluttershy wasn’t sure entirely what she was meant to do now. Or if she was meant to do something.

Paladin spent more time, outside of his now less intensive work hours, with her than with anypony else. She knew that, after very carefully asking her friends leading questions, and she was sure it meant something. He didn’t need to help her fix the fence, or help her feed the animals who lived with her, or any of a dozen other little tasks. She hadn’t even asked, but he had been there, and simply...did them, helping out.

Friends helped friends. This was a basic fact. It could just be that. She had told herself it probably was, and found, to her surprise, that she was worried that it was. She didn’t want it to be. 

Gulping, Fluttershy timidly knocked. The door lurched open nearly instantly, despite her characteristically quiet knocking. She drew back, ‘eep’ing in surprise. Paladin was on the other side, and for a moment he was wearing a strange expression. She blinked and what could, possibly, have been anxiety was gone from his eyes. Angel Bunny scowled on her back as he was jostled by the moment.

“Fluttershy, good afternoon. You are perfectly on time,” Paladin said. He wasn’t quite looking at her.

She nodded. “Y-yes, I am.”

Silence stretched between them. They stood either, Fluttershy slowly relaxing, neither quite looking the other in the eye. Although they were still and unmoving on the outside, both stallion and mare were busy kicking themselves on the inside.

Evidentally growing bored of this, Angel Bunny squirmed about. A click signalled his success, followed by one of Fluttershy’s saddlebags hitting the ground. The sound of the soft impact was enough to break the strange awkward trance.

“Your bag, allow me to-”

“No, no, y-you don’t need to bother-”

Bam!

Fluttershy, right next to the bag, had reached for her bag as Paladin, faster to react, rushed to help. His hoof had curled around one strap as Fluttershy’s had on another, and unfortunately, both saying they could do it, he pulled it towards him without thinking. With the most possible grace, which given the circumstances  wasn’t all that much, Fluttershy found herself crashing into Paladin. The bag was sandwiched between them, the smaller pegasus pulled slightly up by her hoof tangled in the strap. They stared at each other, neither quite sure what do make of this.

Angel Bunny had already jumped off Fluttershy’s back. Twilight looked at him in confusion, the rabbit strolling past her in the living room. Glancing out the front door, she raised an eyebrow, mentally taking this moment and filing it away for future reference.

“Hey, Twilight, which shelf did you want those books by Brilliant Steel?” Spike called, padding down the hallway. She jumped, too distracted by the odd sight to notice him come up next to her, and barely looked back in time to catch Paladin and Fluttershy fumbling free of each other.

Twilight sighed, giving Spike a narrow eyed look. He looked a bit surprise by the annoyance on her face.

“What?” he asked, looking past her. He waved. “Hi Fluttershy!”

“Hi,” added Twilight.

“Hello,” Fluttershy replied. She let Paladin take the bag, and they stepped towards the door at the same time. He stopped to let her go through, at the same time that she stopped to let him go first. They were back in that same situation only seconds after getting out of it.

Understanding dawned, and Spike exchanged a look with Twilight. She sighed, shrugging. Shaking his head, Spike turned back to Paladin and made up for his earlier interruption by mouthing a phrase to him.

“Ladies furs,” Paladin said, getting the message. Mostly. He blinked, taking in the slower, clear repeat from Spike. “First.” 

Fluttershy blushed, mumbling a thanks and trotting in quickly. Her blush intensified at the knowing looks her two friends gave her until her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Paladin just narrowed his eyes at the pair in a half hearted glare, refusing to allow his body to express his embarrassment.

“Your, um, your house is very nice.” She looked around. “Although, uh, it could use a little bit more...furniture. If you don’t mind, its just, you need a bit more to really live, I think.”

“Most of that has been taken care of. Big Macintosh is apparently a skilled carpenter, enough to help make some chairs and a table, things like that,” Twilight explained. She nodded at the bookshelf. “And we’re giving Paladin one of the old bookshelves, and some books to go with them.”

Fluttershy smiled. “How nice. Is there anything else you need? I only knittted some quilts, a-and maybe something to help...make it a bit more colourful. Anything I can do to help.”

“A bed shall be arriving today,” Paladin said. He frowned at the mares. ‘Why are they both blushing?’ He looked at Spike questioningly. He must have missed something. “So that should be everything.”

The little dragon shrugged, silently conveying his own lack of understanding. “I helped him pick a couch,” Spike said proudly.

Twilight coughed, nodding as she tried to push the conversation on. “Yes, Spike’s been there often enough to buy quills. This place came with everything in the kitchen, so that’s fine, and the laundry.”

“Hopefully, nothing will be damaged in whatever madness Pinkie brings,” Paladin remarked. He looked over the pristine floors and clean walls, imagining them laid to waste with cake, spilled punch and the tiny holes of badly aimed tails that weren’t quite managing to get pinned to the donkey. He shuddered.

“Well, if that ain’t somethin’ ominous to hear as soon as Ah arrive.” They all looked at the open door. Applejack knocked anyway, waving at them. She looked as sleep deprived as Rainbow Dash, but she gave them a sunny smile that wasn’t entirely forced. “Howdy y’all. Mind if Ah come in?”

“Of course. Rainbow Dash and Rarity have gone to inform Pinkie Pie that we’re having a ‘housewarming party’. We’re just waiting for the rest of the furniture to arrive,” Paladin explained. 

She exchanged greetings, then motioned to the front door. “Looks like good timin’. Mac’s outside with the cart, got yer a nice new table an’ plenty a’ chairs. Some’a Mac’s best work, Ah know he appreciated the chance to make somethin’ other than stable doors.”

Paladin smiled. He trotted past her. “My thanks, and I will pay you back. Lets not argue again, I insist.”

Fluttershy stopped unpacking her knitwork. Fairly standard results of her hobby made up most of her baggage, but one particular item was parceled. With Paladin gone to help Big Mac bring the chairs in, she hurried into his bedroom and placed it there. 

She sighed, unwrapping the gift. It was, more or less, a statuette she had knitted. She had won a competition in Canterlot with a large scale one, but this was made for less dramatic, but no less important, use. She left it there for him to find.

Mac was having no trouble carrying anything in, and between him, Paladin and Applejack they had unloaded the cart quickly. There seemed to be some sourness in the air, something that made Applejack and Mac awkward around each other. Fluttershy emerged in time to see him chuckling at something, and she wondered if she had missed Paladin telling a joke. That would have been remarkable, to say that least.

Nodding at her as he went past, Big Mac placed the table down gently. He patted it, looking over his handiwork. The legs had surprisingly artistic designs carved into them, reminding Fluttershy of the more artistic cloud-columns in Cloudsdale.

“You did that all yourself?” Fluttershy asked, admiring it.

“Nope,” he replied. A proud smile spread across his muzzle. Mac tapped one of the legs. “Apple Bloom.”

“Oh my! That’s beautiful.” She leaned in to trace the designs in greater detail. “I never knew she was so artistic.”

Mac nodded, silently indicating he agreed. “Eeyup.” He grunted, clearing something from his throat. “Practice makes perfect.”

He stepped aside to allow Paladin to put down his burdens. The pegasus craned his head to look at the carvings they were admiring. He ran his gaze along the curving, beautiful designs. They were beautiful, without a doubt, and there was something familiar about them.

“Fascinating…” he murmured.  Shaking his head, he moved so Applejack could get in. “Once again, my thanks. Furnishing a home is something I have never had a need to do.”

‘Ain’t nothin’,” Mac said, adjusting the chairs into place.

“We are, apparently, having a housewarming party. I hope you’ll both stay for it.” Paladin belatedly realised that moving had left him standing next to Fluttershy. It shouldn’t have been an important fact. For some reason, it was.

‘Cursed body,’ he thought irritably. ‘Why does it desire a mating so much?’

He blinked, realising he had just missed what Applejack was saying. He focused on her, trying to catch up. Something about chores, and Apple Bloom. His body was being far too distracting.

“-an’ Ah’ll be back with her later, sound good sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

Paladin nodded. “Yes, of course.” He really hoped he hadn’t agreed to something foolish.

“Great! Have fun Mac, Ah’ll see y’all later.” Sharing a grin with her brother, Applejack trotted out.

Twilight and Spike departed as well, promising to come by later when the part would be, leaving just Big Mac, Fluttershy, and Paladin. She stood there awkwardly, not sure what do to now. Silence stretched between the three of them.

“Fluttershy,” Paladin finally said. “Do you play chess?”

She stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Uh, not much, I mean, Mama taught me but I never really kept playing...”

“Its fine. We’ve done all we can for now. Would you like to play? Macintosh and I haven’t played in what feels like weeks.” Paladin began to search around, seeking a chess set he was sure he had somewhere in one of the two boxes he had.

“You….play chess?” Fluttershy looked between the two of them.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded. “”Every week.”

Paladin added, “Save for the past few.We’ve both been busy, sadly. Macintosh is a skilled player. Although our current score is in my favour. Nine to five.”

“Oh my,” she said with a suitably impressed look. After all, the way he said it sounded good, so it must be. His chest swelled slightly. 

“Our previous game lasted quite a while, but in the end my experience won out.” Was it just her imagination, or was Paladin bragging? He seemed to realised what it might sound like himself, clearing his throat. “Well, regardless, we can show you, if you want.”

Big Mac chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. He reached into the other box of Paladin’s few possessions. Some gifts, odd and ends he had acquired and such made made most of the small collection. Fluttershy sat at the new table, between Paladin and Mac, slightly afraid she was about to end up bored to tears.

An hour later, Pinkie Pie bounced into the house. She opened her mouth, ready to call a greeting to Paladin.

“CHECKMATE!”

Pinkie’s expression twisted into bewilderment. She opened her mouth, shoving a hoof in and digging out. Aside from a few squeaks, a honk and a quack, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“Huh,” she said. “I don’t remember thinking about chess. Or shouting checkmate. Or doing a Fluttershy impression.”

Rainbow Dash, following along behind her, rolled her eyes. “Pinkie, I think that was Fluttershy, not you.”

“Oooooooh! That makes more sense!” agreed Pinkie. She bounced on into the house, calling out. “Anypony home?”

A big red head looked out. He nodded at them. He had a slightly sour expression.

Pinkie frowned, cocking her head to the side. She ran a hoof along her chin in an expression of intense concentration. “Playing chess with Fluttershy?”

“Eeyup.”

“She’s really good?”

“Eeyup.”

“She gets reeeeeeally excited when she wins?”

“Eeyup.”

“Lost a game of chess to Fluttershy?

“Eeyup.”

“Oooh, can I play?” Pinkie beamed, bouncing past him. Her saddlebags rose at the pinnacle of her bounce, coming off her and landing neatly in a corner of the room. “I brought everything to make this housewarming party the best housewarming party ever!”

“Hello, Pinkie Pie,” Paladin said. He didn’t look up from his game, putting the pieces into their starting position.

Fluttershy murmured a soft greeting to her friend. She was staring at the chessboard, fixed to it like a hawk fixed on a mouse wandering through a clearing with a limp. Not that she would appreciate the comparison, but that didn’t make it any less true.

“Chess?” Rainbow asked as she trotted in. Arching an eyebrow, she handed her bags into Big Mac’s politely extended hoof. “Boring.”

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, maybe if you tried it you might like it,” Fluttershy replied with a smile.

“Nah, I’m way too awesome to waste time playing chess. Not fast enough for me.” Shrugging, Dash began to look around. She had left so quickly last time.

Paladin chuckled. “Perhaps she’s simply afraid you’ll beat her.” He gave Dash a confident smile that was verging on a smirk. “Chess requires tactical skills, or at least the ability to think more than a few seconds into the future.”

“Now, Paladin, that’s not fair,” Fluttershy said. She flicked her mane out of the way. “I’m sure Rainbow Dash could do well...uh, probably.”

He gave her an exaggerated look of disbelief look that barely hide his amusement. Rainbow Dash scowled.

“Maybe?” Fluttershy suggested. She ducked her head, hiding a giggle at the pout on Rainbow Dash’s face. Oh, her friend would call it a fearsome scowl, of course.

“I could totally play chess if I wanted to,” Rainbow Dash protested. “And I could do it awesomely!”

Pinkie Pie giggled, the sound muffled by the fact her head was shoved deep into her bag. She came out, her head essentially encased in party supplies. They all watched as she flailed about with her hooves, making odd, muffled sounds.

“Ah think,” Big Mac finally suggested after half a minute of watching. “She’s tryin’ ta talk.”

Dash looked at him in surprise. “Dude, that was a whole sentence. You... used grammar.”

He gave her a cool look and said, with great deliberation, “Eeyup.”

The party-supply helmed Pinkie held up a hoof as if to tell them to wait, not that they had actually been doing anything. She stuck the hoof into the mess, rummaged around, until finally finding something which she gave a sharp tug. A quiet hissing sound followed, and then a tick. Like a clock.

“...wh-”

Bang!

Party supplies flew in every direction, blinding them all for a moment. A chorus of blinking later, eyes were opened to discover the room had been thoroughly decorated. Pinkie sat there, beaming, as they looked around.

Paladin went to speak, but stopped. Curious, he picked up one of the chess pieces and, in a move that was something of a surprise, took a bite. His jaw worked for a moment.

“White chocolate,” he announced. The pegasus looked at Pinkie. “But it wasn’t...when did you…”

“Uh…” Fluttershy gave him a reassuring if slightly awkward smile.

Paladin sighed. “Yes, I know,” he said wearily. “‘Its Pinkie Pie’. But, still…”

A grunt got his attention. Big Mac sighed, looking at the clock regretfully. Paladin nodded in understanding.

“A shame. My thanks for spending your lunch break here. Have a good day, my friend. I shall see you at the party tonight, I trust?” he asked.

“Eeyup,” Mac nodded. He gave the mares respectful nods as he left, evading an aggressive farewell glomp from Pinkie with remarkable finesse and just chuckling as he trotted past her.

“See ya, big guy.” Rainbow Dash grinned at the big earth pony. As he left, she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hey...think he’d be any good at an Iron Pony contest?”

“I couldn’t say,” said Paladin, who frequently hoof-wrestled him. He finished the rest of the white chocolate knight he had taken a bite of. It was only polite to finish what he had started. Before he could blink another one had been placed in the vacant spot and when he reached for it, a newspaper appeared in a pink hoof to gently bap him on the nose.

“That’s for the party!” Pinkie said sternly. Something in her expression ruined it, probably the way she looked like she was on the verge of giggling. She thrust the newspaper at Fluttershy. “Take this! Guard the chocolate chess-”

Fluttershy let out a quiet eep, PInkie Pie suddenly appearing above her, looming with a serious look on her face.

“-with your life! And this newspaper!”

Paladin tapped Pinkie’s leg. “Pinkie, you just trod on the dark chocolate tower.”

“Huh?” Pinkie looked at where she was standing; on the table, on the chessboard. “Aww, fiddlesticks. Good thing I brought spares.”

“Yeeeh,” Rainbow Dash agreed with a full mouth, burping slightly as finished devouring a white chocolate knight. “Real good.”

“Dashie!” whined Pinkie, jumping to the floor. “Stop eating my chocolate army!”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, but nodded. There was a mischievous gleam in her eye, glancing at something behind Pinkie. “Yeah, I’ll stop until the party.”

With only the hint of Rainbow’s amused grin and look of humour, Pinke whirled. She gasped. throwing her hooves up as though she had just unearthed a great and terrible discovery.

“Fluttershy!”

The pegasus, her mouth full of white chocolate pawn, blushed. She swallowed and said, “S-sorry, but everypony seemed to like them so much I just, um, didn’t think one pawn would do any harm….I’m sorry.”

Pinkie Pie gave her a very stern, if equally silly, pout. “After I trusted you with the plus two newspaper of Paladin smiting….Gasp!” Pinkie literally said gasp. She pointed at the board. “Who ate the white chocolate queen?!”

Paladin thought for a moment. “I passed it to Macintosh on his way out,” he finally said. He shrugged at Pinkie’s accusing stare.

She didn’t say anything as she reached into her bag, retrieving the missing chocolate chess pieces and placing them on the board. Her eyes never left them, giving a slight shake of her head in disappointment at them.

“Those poor, poor chocolate warriors! Eaten before their time, before party time!”  Pinkie wailed in despair as she laid out the new ones. “Oh well! Let’s get this place ready to paaaaaaaaart-tay!”


***


Against all odds, no disaster struck Ponyville. No ravening monsters ripped their way into town, terrifying the locals and forcing a unique and cunning method, created with the phrase ‘its crazy, but it might just work’ immediately following it, to be crafted against it. No curses or cursed artefacts; no potions or poisons; nopony even overheard others talking and took what they said out of context. All in all, it was a disappointingly boring day in Ponyville.

This seemed true in Sweet Apple Acres too. Applejack felt a bit bad for how pleased she was that Apple Bloom wasn’t crusading on the farm today, but a moment to remember what happened the last time-

‘Ugh,’ she thought with a shudder, shying away from the memories. ‘All that dancin’!’

- put any guilt to rest. Disco just wasn’t Applejack’s thing, although Macintosh had proved remarkably proficient. She whistled to herself, enjoying the last hour of light in peace. After this morning...she tried not to think about it. Mac had clammed up when she tried to interrogate him about his nightmares. When a pony like Big Mac clammed up, it was grade-A clamming.

The sun’s creep towards dusk reminded her of tonight’s plans. As enjoyable as it was to have some peace and quiet, one of them needed to check on Apple Bloom before going to the party. Big Mac was already finishing tidying up his day’s labours , wiping the sweat from his brow. He gave her a simple nod.

“Gotta grab Appple Bloom. Ya wanna get her, or me?” she asked.

Mac shrugged, a stiffness in his shoulders. He said, “Ah’ll go.”

“Ya sure? Paladin’s yer friend as well, Ah’d hate for ya to be late,” Applejack pointed out. She gave him a teasing smile. “Not like ya ta go to many parties either.”

“Ah’ll go,” he repeated. The stallion chuckled at his sister’s exasperated look.

She ran a hoof along the brim of her hat. “If ya say so, jus’ don’t take too long. He don’t need to say it, but he’ll like havin’ ya there. First party at his place, an’ y’all were the first friend he made who hadn’t been told ta help him by the princess.”

“Eeyup,” was all she got, prompting another sigh. Mac just gave her an amused look as he trotted away.

“Fine, fine, just don’t be late!” Applejack called as he went searching into the orchard. She shook her head at his departing silhouette.  The only sign her brother gave that he heard was a casual wave without looking back. 


***


Apple Bloom sat in the shed, staring. Everything her brother used to make furniture for Paladin was neatly and carefully put away. Tools of creation. She had watched, fascinated like she never had been before, when he had worked in here. She always did. She loved watching Big Macintosh making things, but this time something had been different. She wasn’t sure what. Despite the enjoy she felt watching him saw and sand and fit things together, there had been something lacking this time.

The filly frowned at the empty room. She groped for a word to describe it. She wasn’t even sure what ‘it’ was, not really. There was just a...a lack! Something not there in Mac’s work. The feeling had built as she watched, an internal pressure that she only found relief from when her brother had offered to let her help. Apple Bloom smiled. Working on the legs had been fun. The designs she carved in just came naturally as she worked. It felt less like woodwork and more like reshaping, taking what was and making it what she knew it could be. Except...she hadn’t known what she knew it could be. She felt it somewhere inside. A well of certainty that told her exactly what she needed to do without such a crude medium as words. Her smile grew as she thought about how Big Mac had praised her work.

Her gaze slid over to the new fence posts. It was simple work, cutting planks into the right shape, and nearly done. They were neatly stacked, the bare wood just awaiting a coat of paint before Macintosh took them out. She knew her brother thought the work was pretty much done, but she could tell there was more to be done. They were incomplete. The pressure grew as she stared at them, seeing what they could be, if only she would oblige. 

Her hoof twitched, and it took Apple Bloom a moment to realise she was feeling an almost magnetic pull towards the tools. She gave in to the pressure pushing her over, and she picked up one of the tools. There was an odd weight to the tool for a moment as she lifted the medium of creation, yet she felt the pressure being relieved as though drained into the steel.

Taking the tools to the planks, Apple Bloom smiled again. She didn’t know what exactly she was going to do to finish these planks, but she knew with iron clad certainty that she was going to finish them. They would be perfect.

Beginning her work, Apple Bloom didn’t try to plan what she was doing, at least not consciously. Her hooves, following something that welled up from within, knew what to do. Wood chips fell as she carved and shaped, the wood becoming almost pliable to her will.  The smiling filly paid the debris no mind. It was cast-off, the imperfect, obstacles to her creation.

The first post was done before she knew it. Apple Bloom had no idea how long it had taken. A few minutes, hours, it didn’t matter. She moved to the next post, still smiling, unphased by the ease with which she was reshaping the wood. It was natural. It should bend to her will. She was giving it a perfect form, perfect order.

Her eyes flashed pure white-silver.


***


Paladin surveyed his domain, and the party decorations now brightening it, and he found it good.

“This is good,” he said.

The colours were bright and varied, a rainbow of shades pleasing to the eye in arrangement, the result of a master of her craft plying it with eagerness and joy, and Paladin found himself pleased.

“I’m pleased,” he announced.

“Great, write a song and dance about it,” Rainbow Dash muttered. She was glaring intensely at the chessboard. Her eyes flicked up, fixing Fluttershy with a flat look. “There is no way you could get this good so fast.”

Fluttershy smiled. Shyly, but that hardly needed saying. “You’re doing really well,” she said warmly. “Um, checkmate in four moves.”

Paladin watched with a smile. He felt a little bit bad for Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy’s mother had clearly taught her well, and time had failed to dull her skills. He looked at Pinkie, who was busy with the finicky work of adjusting some decorations. Her tongue poked out the side of her mouth as she worked with a surprising amount of focus and concentration.

“I said,” he repeated, louder. “that I’m pleased with it. You can stop and relax now, Pinkie, really.”

“Nuh-uh!” Pinkie shook her head.

He groaned. “Pinkie, please, stop. It’s perfect.”

“Not yet!” she whined. Sitting up, she looked out the window. The sun was beginning its descent, a little bit earlier than usual. “I guess the Princesses are still tired! I hope they’re feeling better. Oooh, should I throw them a ‘Hope-You-Get-Better-From-Exhausting-Yourselves-Fighting-Nasty-Windigoes’ party? We could have moon pies! And blackjack!”

“I think...wait, blackjack?” he gave her a confused look.

Pinkie blinked. She shrugged. “Silly me! Not blackjack! But maybe they need a party to cheer themselves up!”

“Perhaps. In fact, you should begin planning it while its fresh in your mind. I’m sure I have some paper you can borrow,” Paladin suggested, a note of hope in his voice.

“Hmm...nah! I can do it later!” Pinkie smiled brightly at the pegasus. “But your party has to be great so I’m gonna get it perfect!”

His expression fell. Muffled giggles drew his gaze back to the chess game, where Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were studying the board very intently and not at all holding back laughter. He sighed, slightly more melodramtically than was needed, but left Pinke to her dubious work.

“Ah ha! Check!” Rainbow Dash grinned wildly.

Fluttershy gently moved a piece, taking Dash’s threatening knight, and said “Checkmate...i-if you don’t mind.”

Dash banged her head on the table. “I hate this game,” she growled. She began to put the pieces back. “Another game! I’ll get you this time!”

Shaking his head, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Paladin went to make sure his meagre belongs were unpacked. Fluttershy watched him trot into his room out of the corner of her eye, a nervous tremble in her bottom lip.

He stopped. There, on the bed, sat...well, a circular wooden base formed the stand for a figurine. It wasn’t made of plastic or metal or wood; it was instead the product of knitting, a woolen figurine of all things. White and grey wool made up the bipedal figure, the wooden frame within pushing the wool into angular shapes. Despite its material, it nonetheless managed to capture a sense of hard edges and strength. Blue wool was held up by thin wooden struts on the back, only a few used and on the whole seeming to defy psychiques as if frozen in place. It was beautifully made, and he couldn’t imagine how it was possible for just wool to be used. It was a work of art compared to the crude, rounded thing wool figures he had seen before.

It was Ardleon.

 He stared at it, unsure of what to feel. He blinked, fighting back an odd tingle in his eyes. Sadness and regret tugged at his heart, the loss of another lieutenant he had trusted stinging. Yet he felt some joy, for the woolen figure was not Ardleon as he had become, not the windigo-bloated monster or the insane, broken thing that threatened the world with unending winter. The foot tall figure was Ardleon as he had been, pure and untarnished. Black wool was visible within the helm, between gaps, forming the shadows that hid an angel’s features.

He reached out, his hoof shaking slightly as he touched it. There was wood inside it, he guessed from the feel of it. His eyes burned. No matter how many times he blinked, the feeling didn’t go away.

Something soft came to rest against his side. Paladin didn’t flinch when a butter yellow hoof came to rest atop his. He had been so distracted her approach had gone unnoticed, but now he felt her, as much with his mind as with his body.

“I thought you might want to...remember him,” Fluttershy murmured. “How he was...b-before.”

A knot caught in his throat when he tried to speak. Paladin lowered his head, finding his chin resting atop her mane. He sucked in a breath, screwing his eyes shut. Fluttershy’s warmth was more than just the comfort of a friend, her emotions drifting to him across their bond.

“Thank….thank you,” he managed at last. He couldn’t put into words how he felt. Despite all Ardleon had done, Fluttershy had created something beautiful in his image. Fortunately, he didn’t need words with Fluttershy. She knew how he felt.

Bang!

They jumped, separating in an instant. Adrenaline shot through them both, looking like they had been caught with their pants, metaphorically speaking, around their ankles. Paladin searched for the source, his face burning, while Fluttershy opted for hiding behind her mane.

“Howdy y’all! Ready ta party?” came the call from the front hall, and they both relaxed. It was just Applejack arriving. The sounds of voices adding their hellos . The party was, it seemed, about to begin.

“We should, um, go out,” Fluttershy suggested, standing on shaky legs. She was blushing furiously still, and it grew suddenly. “O-outside, to the others, I mean.”

The heat in his own cheeks wasn’t fading quickly either. Paladin said, “Let’s give it a minute or two. Going out like, uh, this will be…”

“Oh, yeah,” they heard Rainbow Dash saying loudly and deliberately in answer to some question they couldn’t hear. “Paladin’s just in his bedroom making out with Fluttershy.”

The pair of pegasi froze, neither quite looking directly at the other. 

“Or perhaps not,” Paladin growled, eyes narrowed. His glare softened when he looked at her. “You can stay in here, if you want, until you’re composed.”

Forcing herself to breath, Fluttershy shook her head, saying, “I’m fine, but, thank you for your concern.” 

Paladin nodded. “Very well. Come, let us go…” he hesitated. “‘Party’.”

She giggled, nodding. They stepped from the bedroom, and Paladin fixed Rainbow Dash with an unamused stare. She smirked at him.

Squatting in the corner, Angel Bunny fixed Paladin with a glare that could not just kill, but flay, grill and serve with a side of deathcap mushroom.

“Excuse me for not greeting you at the door,” he said, turning to look at Applejack, Twilight and Rarity. “Fluttershy and I were looking at something she made. That is all.”

Muffled giggles all round brought Fluttershy’s blush back, but Paladin refused to be brought low by their amusement. He glanced about, frowning. Something fairly obvious was missing.

“Hey, what’s everypony laughing about?” Scootaloo, scrambling past the older ponies, asked. Sweetie Belle appeared behind her, although she remembered enough of Rarity’s enforced lessons on manners to say hello to Paladin.

“Hey Scoots. Don’t worry about it.” Ruffling the filly’s mane, Rainbow Dash grinned at Paladin.

“Indeed. Shall we get this started, then?” He looked around the decorated rooms. “Pinkie has prepared it all.”

“I sure have! Its time to par-tay!” Pinkie squealed happily, bouncing around. Though her voice held no magic, her friends were helpless to resist. 


***


Big Macintosh frowned. The house had been empty, and so had the barns. The hard-working stallion was a patient pony, but he didn’t particularly appreciate how much time he was losing looking for his little sister. Wherever she had gone to play, it was too dang far.

He had no trouble finding his way through the farm at night, easily finding the path to his woodworking shed off to the side. He wasn’t sure why his father had built it so far from the house or barn. He had just never thought to ask. 

The shed came into sight, and Big Mac sighed in relief. There was light under the door, visible even from this distance. He hurried closer, yet with each step he found his relief replaced by a sense of wrongness. Something wasn’t right. He couldn’t put a name to the feeling, but it made his expression turn guarded and his posture wary. Mac hadn’t forgotten what happened when the Nightmare invaded Ponyville. When he reached the shed, he hesitated for a moment, but in the end there was little choice. What else could he do but go in? He just had to check for Apple Bloom.

As his pushed the door open, Macintosh had a moment of belated realisation; the light had not been the steady, warm orange of a lantern. It had been brighter, a pale glow he had been too relieved to question. His chance to back out was gone, his hoof already sending the door swinging open. White-silver light washed over him.


***


“Applejack, where is your brother?” Paladin asked. The party was in full swing, and though he was enjoying himself, the lack of the stallion he had spent hours silently working with was distinct. Big Mac was, after all, hard to miss. Being larger than nearly everypony else, and red, he was not a stealthy pony.

“He said to head off myself, he had some stuff to finish first. He’ll be here any minute, with Apple Bloom,” the farmer answered. She smiled at his concern, hiding it with a sip of cider. “Gonna grab Caramel on the way too.”

Paladin nodded, smiling back. “Good. It would hardly be a party without all of my friends, would it?”

She grinned. “Good to hear! Ah gotta say, Ah’m glad y’all became friends. Mac ain’t a very social pony, an’ Ah worry he ain’t doing enough with other ponies. There’s that singin’ thing Rarity got him to join, but he still don’t do enough.”

“Doesn’t that mean you have more work to do?” Paladin pointed out with an arched eyebrow.

Applejack winced. “Ah know, but Ah get plenty of time off. Whenever one of the girls needs help, Ah can go thanks to him pickin’ up the slack. Its about darn time he took a little time off for himself, an’ doin’ stuff like playin’ chess with ya gives him a reason to.”
 
“Indeed. Macintosh is a fine player, and a good friend. You all are. Although I doubt I could spend an hour with any of your with under four words being exchanged,” he said with a chuckle.

Laughing in agreement, Applejack looked away at a call from Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, AJ, open up!” 

“Huh-gah!” Applejack caught a chocolate pawn in her mouth mid-confused-huh.

“Boo yah! Told you I could do it!” Rainbow Dash crowed to Spike.

Applejack bit down on the chocolate chess piece. “‘scuse me,” she grunted, heading towards her flighty friend.


***


Big Mac stared. His mouth hung open. His nice neat shed was...well, it was even neater. A sense of order pervaded the place. His tools had been moved, rearranged, reordered. With only a cursory glance he saw the perfect, logical methodology and reasoning in the arrangement. It was perfectly clear, and the way the certainty struck him scared Mac. His mind was his own, not the plaything of some outside force. He had never known such lack of doubt or room to think. The order encompassing what had been his shed left no space to question it, to look for improvement, no flexibility to imagine. 

Recoiling, Mac saw the red and yellow shape, nearly lost to his sight in the veritable glow of the paradise of perfection around it. Apple Bloom, it had to be, next to what should have been a pile of fence posts. Without thinking he dived back into the shed, trying not to look at anything. It hurt to focus on anything in there for too long. His sister wailed and protested as his hooves wrapped around her, but he ignored her cries until they were out. He barely heard them, his skull throbbing painfully.

“Mac? Big Mac?” A voice cried in his ear. Opening eyes he didn’t remember closing, he found himself on the ground outside, Apple Bloom looking at him in concern. “Mac! Are ya okay?”

“E-eeyup,” he mumbled, pushing his chest off the ground. He tried not to retch, looking past her and trying to focus on something beside the ache in his skull. After the utter order and perfection, the dark orchard felt messy and chaotic.

She looked at him uncertainly. “Ya sure?”

He nodded. “How long’ve Ah been out?”

Apple Bloom said, “Only a couple minutes. Are ya sick? Ah’m sure Ah could make somethin’ to help!” She looked past him, at the shed, and tried to trot around him.

“Nope,” he replied, catching her and putting her square back in front of him.

“Maybe its that stuff Zecora gave ya for yer nightmares,” she asked. Apple Bloom gave him a wide, puppy-eyed pout. “Come on, big bro, Ah’ll make ya a...a...a dreamcatcher! Just lemme back in, ya busted up the door!”

Frowning, confused, he glanced at the door behind him. The simple latch’s padlock hadn’t been used. A far less elegant, but eminently simpler, method had been used. The bar that extended a few inches past the latch had been bent, curled around the latch. A pair of large hoof marks were scored deep into the iron from where he had pushed it it, though he had no memory of it. His gaze was driven down to his own hooves. Mac gulped.

“Nope.” Shaking his head, Mac lifted Apple Bloom onto his back. he was getting his sister away from this place, and he didn’t reply to her protests.

“Come on, Ah was nearly done! It was just so right!” Apple Bloom wailed, eventually forcing him to curl a foreleg around her to kepe the filly from running back. He little hooves flailed, trying to break free. “Ah was gonna finish ‘em!”

Mac grunted and held on tighter until she finally ran out of steam. She hang in his grip limply, pouting with all the fury of a filly wronged.

“Why’re we goin’ towards the Everfree?” Apple Bloom whined petulantly after a while. He began to tell her they weren’t, but even in the darkness she knew she was right. Mac’s brow furrowed as he came to a stop.

‘How did Ah get turned around?’’ he wondered. He had played and worked among these trees since he was a foal. He did not get lost in them, not ever. He should have noticed they were going in the wrong direction. He should have, but he didn’t. Memories of darkness seeping into him, stealing his body and turning it against his family began to rise up, but with a shudder he pushed them down. There was no time for that.  The rustling of leaves in the wind underscored his thoughts ominously.

An unpleasant insight nudged its way into the forefront of his mind. It was unwelcome, but he couldn’t help but think it.

‘Why are the leaves rustling when there ain’t no wind?’

“Macintosh? Apple Bloom asked, worried at her brother’s silence. It wasn’t even like his usual silence, which was comfortable and reassuring.

His ears were twitching, twisting like radar dishes and he was scanning the darkness around them. “Applebloom,” he murmured. His serious tone had the filly listening intently, despite her anger at him pulling her away from her work.

“Yeah?”

There. He spotted something moving through the trees to his left. “Ah’m gonna put ya down. Ya gotta promise me, promise, that yer gonna run towards town. Fast as ya can. Get yer sister an’ her friends.”

“Huh? What for?” the filly wondered.

“Apple Bloom, promise me!” he barked. The sheer un-Macness of this took Apple Bloom aback, and she nodded.

“Ah-Ah promise.”

“Good...now…” Mac gently lowered her. “Run!”

As he gave the command, the powerful stallion threw himself at the thing watching them. Apple Bloom was off like a shot, her little hooves beating at the dirt. The vague, indistinct watcher in the shadows was frozen in shock for only a moment, and the force of Mac’s hooves bucking the tree nearly knocked it down. Another buck was aimed upwards, in the path of its fall. 

The shadow shot away from him, darting over the mighty blow with the whip-crack of leather wings snapping open. Long, hairy limbs stretched ahead of it, curving talons aimed at the fleeing filly. She galloped away, glancing back at the sound of her brother shouting. Something crashed through the foliage behind her, its form nearly obscured by branches and darkness. Her eyes widened in horror, the few details she saw in that moment’s glance hinting at the monster’s dreadful appearance. Their eyes met for a single moment of frozen terror.

Its fanged maw spread in a monstrous grin. “Got you,” it hissed.

She almost believed it. The creature’s expression suddenly changed. Apple Bloom had time to realise it was surprised before its ugly face, and indeed the rest of it, reversed direction. It shot backwards. Mac, with its lion-like tail clenched between his teeth, smashed the monster into a tree. He did it again before it could get up, and then flung it as far from Apple Bloom as he could.

“‘Bloom, go!” he barked. The stallion’s hooves slammed into the ground, a bulwark between the monster and his little sister. Some of the tension in him left at the sound of her scurrying hooves getting more distant, until at last he could no longer hear her.

The creature slowly stood. Long, gangly limbs stretched, the moon passing from cloud cover for a few vital moments.A shaft of silver light revealed its dark fur, thick and rough from its head to its feet. Where its hands and feet lacked fur, thick, leathery hide replaced it. Its dark eyes narrowed, and with a snarl it leaped at the farm-pony. Its lion-like mane, darker than the rest of its fur, whipped about as it attacked, curved talons slicing through the air.

Mac grunted as he retreated, trying to evade the deadly talons. He was no fighter, despite his great size and strength. He felt something slash past his ear, so close he could hear it, as he desperately tried to keep those razor claws from hitting him. With a grunt he threw himself forward, ramming his forelegs into the monster’s chest.  A hot line of pain ran across his cheek, and the creature launched back with a bloody smear on one of its claws.

“You delay me, pony,” growled the beast. It straightened to its full height, somewhere over six feet.

“Ain’t gettin’ yer claws on my sister,” Big Mac all but snarled back.

It spread its wings, talons stretched. “Stand aside.”

“Nope.”

It smiled. “Then die.”


***


Applejack checked the clock again. It had been nearly two minutes since the last time. Lifting her drink of cider, she tried to distract herself. This worked for another thirty seconds, and she was looking at the clock again.

‘Where’s Mac? Did somethin’ happen?’ she couldn’t help but wonder. ‘Is it cause...’

“Huh?” A tap on her left drew her to look there. The unoccupied chess table greeted her. Applejack’s brows drew together, looking it over in confusion. 

A snicker on her other side told her what had happened. Applejack looked to her right, where Rainbow Dash was holding a hoof over her mouth.

“What? Something wrong?” the pegasus asked cheekily.

Rolling her eyes, Applejack gave her friend a brief smile before checking the clock again. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at that. She had been expecting - hoping - for an annoyed retort or something to get into an entertaining argument. Not Applejack staring at the clock like it was about to explode.

After a quick check to make sure Pinkie hadn’t done anything to the clock in her decorating, Rainbow Dash ruled that out. So clearly it was something else. Not being the subtle sort, Rainbow took the direct route from ignorance to knowledge.

“What’s got up your plot?” Dash demanded. “Last night?”

Applejack sighed. “Nah. Mac ain’t here yet. He shoulda arrived with Apple Bloom a while back now...but ain’t no sign of ‘em. Ah’m gettin’ worried. Ah hope it ain’t to do with last night.”

“Want me to ‘port over there and check on them?” Rainbow Dash offered. A pang of guilt shot through Applejack at the offer, her eyes lingering on the shadows of fatigue under Dash’s magenta orbs. Once a day was enough, as far as emergency teleports went.

“Nah, Ah...Ah think Ah’ll go myself. Let Paladin know for me, would ya? Ah’ll be back in a bit.” Applejack put her cup down. With a nod from her friend, she slipped from the party. The door shut behind her, the sound of Paladin giving a demonstration on how if you put your hoof just here and twisted just so you could rip a minotaur’s head clean off. The Crusaders were eating it up.

The town was quiet in the evening, and Applejack enjoyed the cool air on her fur. It calmed her, helped her relax and clear her thoughts. Surely, she decided, it was nothing serious. Mac would have come to get her if it was. It would take a broken leg to stop him. She chuckled.

‘Naw, more like two broken legs,’ she thought. Her smile slowly died away. ‘Broken legs….or a tree fallin’ on him….or Granny fallin’ down. Or a snake sendin’ the cows on a stampede into a ravine when Mac goes to get Apple Bloom outta one an’ she climbs into an old tree but he’s too heavy an’ they run over him an’...’

At some point in her dire internal monologue Applejack had started to pick up speed. Her trot slowly became a gallop as her thoughts ran in very dark circles. What ifs were enemy number one on her mind, and she couldn’t stop thinking about more and more horrible possible events.

Back at the party, Fluttershy paused in her lecture on why it was wrong to teach fillies how how to do serious harm to other species. Applejack felt really, really worried. Frightfully so, in fact. She bit her lip. Applejack just seemed to be worried, but not actually in danger or afraid, and Rainbow Dash had said she was going to check on why her brother and sister were delayed. Fluttershy sighed, deciding to leave it for now. If it got worse, however…


***


Big Mac left a trail in the dirt. He had never left one like it before, but then, he had never been dragged through his family’s orchard with blood from nearly a dozen cuts across his body. Even if it had been day, the red of blood would have been hard to see against his coat. He thrashed, the only action he could do aside from grunt with the thick bands of shadow-stuff binding him.

The bipedal beast was silent as it pulled him ever closer. Macintosh had no idea how long they had been going, but he ached all over and they were getting no closer to the farmhouse, which meant Apple Bloom was further and further away. He would have let this monster drag him over pointed rocks if it meant his little sister got away.

His face struck something, drawing a gasp of pain from the stallion. He blinked until his vision was clear. The roots around them were twisted and gnarled, their shapes strangely twisted and savage. Mac’s eyes widened in horror. Even in the dim moonlight, he recognised them; roots of the Everfree’s wild flora.

They came to a stop. There was, obviously, no warning for Big Mac. He lay there, panting harshly. Some of his fur had probably been scraped off from being dragged like that, or at least it felt like it. Again he thrashed, trying to break free of the magic constraining him. There had to be something he could do.

As sudden as the stop had been, a presence blotted out the moonlight. Mac blinked, distressed at the loss of his only source of light. Whatever he had been brought to, it was something that made the very air foul. Each breath felt tainted, and even the unruly soil of the Everfree felt as though something disgusting corrupted it.

“My lord,” hissing the voice of the monster.

A new voice, deep and powerful, thundered in reply. “Scorpan, my loyal servant. Or so I thought.”

Scorpan. Well, at least he knew what his attacker’s name was.

“I am loyal, my lord, truly,” grovelled Scorpan. From the sound of it, he had just prostrated himself before what it was here. “The vessel escaped. Had I followed, I would have risked violating your command.”

“So you bring me some mortal filth?!” boomed the lord. The ground shook at the stamp of tremendous hooves.

Scorpan nodded, his forehead pressed against the earth. “Yes, great lord. This one is the brother to the vessel, and one of the Bearers of the Heart. He will be of use to us.”

“Nope,” Mac finally weighed in. He managed to shift around slightly, trying to see the unseen speaker. Silence greeted his words, as though his even joining the conversation had been unconsidered.

“Fool!” Scorpan struck, his talons racking across the pony’s back. Mac's pain filled the night for a few moment before he swallowed the cry.

“N-nope,” he grunted, shaking his head against the ground. “A-ain’t gonna help ya.”

Fury burned in Scorpan’s eyes as he advanced on the impudent pony. His stained claws spread, but another beating was forestalled. The shadows around Macintosh constricted. He lurched into the air, held aloft by the will of the unseen speaker.

“Ah, how loyal. Don’t you admire that, Scorpan? Loyalty,” spat the beast, a growl building in his thunderous throat. “You refuse to allow yourself to be used against your family, do you?”

Big Mac slowly revolved. He nearly blacked out from pain, the shadows constricting cruelly across his wounds. He was pretty sure he was light headed from bloodloss. Or maybe he wasn’t. After all, if he was, he might be a bit too lightheaded to work it out, right?

His thoughts on that particular topic fell away. He looked up the expanse of red skinned torso, his eyes drawn to the hateful yellow orbs watching him and the harsh face that surrounded them. There was a question in that gaze, in those eyes that screamed wrongness and evil.

“E-eyup. Ain’t gon-grah!” Mac gasped, shuddering his bindings as they tormented his wounds.

The creature before him chuckled. “Of course not.” 

It drew something out as it spoke. For a moment Mac thought he was hallucinating. Why did it have a sack? A grotty burlap sack.

“After all,” laughed Tirek, drawing a fistful of writhing, twisting shadows in seven shades from the sack. “That would be a betrayal.”


***


Applejack’s galloped carried her swiftly out of Ponyville. The edge of the farm was right ahead, the fence barely any barrier to her at all. She was an athlete, and iron pony. A fence was nothing to her! She charged, jumping over with hardly a grunt of effort. She was muscled and strong, not even raising a sweat.

Thats why, when she hit the filly clambering over from the farm side, Applejack was barely slowed. She was, however, surprised. More crucially she was thrown off by the collision, which is why her landing was rather Rainbow Dash-esque in that the preface ‘crash’  fit right in. They rolled a few feet, ending up with Applejack’s weight atop her little sister.

Applejack blinked, backing up and looking down. She stared at the dazed filly. “Apple Bloom!”

“Applejack?” Apple Bloom rubbed her forehead. Her eyes widened, realising it really was her sister. “Applejack! Its you!”

The older mare was nearly bowled over again. Apple Bloom did the jumping this time, throwing herself at her sister. Catching her, Applejack just held on as Apple Bloom’s mouth worked at a thousand miles an hour.

“Ah’m so happy to see ya, Ah was just workin’ a in the shed an’ Mac stopped me an’ wouldn’t let me back in an’ a monster tried to grab me but he grabbed its tail an’ Ah wanted to help but he made me promise to get ya an’ we gotta go back to help him ‘cause it had fangs and claws an’ wings an’ it was real super scary!” Apple Bloom said in one breath in rapid-fire, heaving in a breath once she was done.

Applejack stared at her, the sound of gears turning in her head almost audible. She had to process everything she had heard in that abrupt burst of sound that could be loosely defined as words. This first required translating it from Apple Bloomian to Equestria. Her brow furrowed. Her mouth opened and closed, silently mouthing words. Apple Bloom bounced in place, urgently looking between the way she came and Applejack every few seconds.

“You were...he stopped...wouldn’t...a monster…” Applejack repeated in fits and starts. She gasped. “Mac’s fightin’ a monster?!”

Apple Bloom nodded frantically. “Yeah! We gotta help him!”

“Why didn’t ya say so?” Applejack threw Apple Bloom onto her back. “We gotta go help him!”

Rolling her eyes, Apple Bloom clung to her sister. Her eyes drifted to the receding fence behind them and her worries, for a moment, vanished. If she could get her creations from the shed, she could improve the fence. She could make it more. It would stand tall and proud, a barrier around the farmer, around her home.

Applejack stormed through the farm, putting everything she had into her gallop. She knew her way around the farm as proficiently as either of her siblings. Even in the dark she could name every tree she passed.

Deep into the orchard, following Apple Bloom’s direction, they were buffeted without warning by an intense roar, a thunderous sound that shook them both. Applejack was able to put her tree identifying skills to use as a tree passed her, overhead.

“Leafsworth!” she cried. Another roar, reptilian snarl that shook the very ground, was followed by a dreadful shattering sound. Applejack couldn’t help but flinch, knowing somewhere one of their trees had been destroyed. “Must be the monster!”

She jumped in the direction of the roar, too fast for Apple Bloom to tell her the monster she had seen hadn’t sounded like that at all. The only thing the filly could do was hold on and hope. Or at least try to hope. Her thoughts kept getting distracted, pull off-kilter by a tug that told her she needed to get back to work. There were so many things to create, to put to order and refine.

“Right, we’ll find this monster an’ give it a good ol’ Apple family what-for!” Applejack grinned fiercly. She could make out something thrashing about in the darkness. They were near field a little east of the shed, so she was certain Mac would be there somewhere. 

“Sis, that don’t sound like the mons-” Apple Bloom began to warn her.

“Don’t worry, Ah got this!” Steeling her mind, preparing to draw her armour out, Applejack threw herself out of the trees and into the open field with a confident grin. Whatever this thing was, it was about to be surpris-

The earth trembled beneath her hooves and they went down in a tumble. A plume of dirt was raised by the slap of a great scaled tail, the monster roaring its rage once more. Each step sent vibrations out, its claws digging out monstrous grooves.

They stared numbly at the beast. It was no mere cragadile from the Everfree Forest, dwarfing such creatures with its thicker, sharper hide. It resembled nothing so much as a cragadile grown even larger, replacing its rocky scales with those of several dragons in varying shades of black. It blinked huge eyes of green shot through with black veins, slapping its lengthy tail against the ground as it stared at the two little ponies before it.

Apple Bloom asked from beneath Applejack, her tone dry, “Ya still got this?”

“Uh…” Applejack gulped. “Ah’ll let ya know in a minute.”


***