“COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!”
The bantam, unsatisfied that one crow would fulfill the task of waking the residents of Sweet Apple Acres, inhaled deeply and prepared to crow again when a brown leather boot came flying from an upstairs window of the nearby farmhouse. Startled, the rooster lost his balance, tumbling from the henhouse roof to the muddy yard below. With no injuries - save perhaps his wounded pride - the rooster stalked back inside the coop, all the while grumbling to himself. “The cheek! I’m only trying to do my job. Somepony is obviously on the wrong side of the bed this morning...”
Inside the house, an orange earth pony turned away from the window, stifling a yawn behind one hoof. She knew she’d have to get that boot later, but at the moment she didn’t care. Why, wondered Applejack, had the rooster woken her up so early? It couldn’t be more than six o’clock in the morning... Just then her eye caught the luminous dials of her beside clock. She blinked to clear her foggy vision and looked again. But she had seen it right the first time. The dials clearly showed that it was seven thirty on the dot.
“What the hey?” said Applejack. Scrubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes, she called across the hall to her brother. “Say Big Macintosh? Yer clock say seven thirty?” A sleepy voice answered her. “Eeeyup.” “Well why in the hay is it still so dark out? Rainbow Dash should‘a cleared the clouds away by now.” said Applejack. “Well mebbe she forgot ‘cuz today be her first day of flyin’ with them fancy new Wonderbolts.” Macintosh replied.
Applejack smacked her forehead. Of course! How could she have forgotten? Today Rainbow Dash was living her greatest dream; joining the team of fantastic flyers known as the Wonderbolts! This had been Rainbow’s biggest dream ever since Applejack had known the blue pegasus pony. “Ah guess that makes sense. She probably got so ‘cited she done fergot ‘bout clearin’ the clouds this mornin’.”
Applejack glanced back out the the overcast sky. Was it her imagination, or were some of the clouds actually... moving? “Oh yer bein’ a silly filly Applejack” she said out loud to herself. “Clouds don’ move, ‘cept in the Everfree Forest.”
With that reasoning, Applejack trotted down the hall to the bathroom, where she was greeted by a cheerful “good mornin’ sis” from her little sister Applebloom. “Oh sis? Ah was wonderin’ if Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could be comin’ over today? Scootaloo said somethin’ ‘bout us bein’ ‘Cutie Mark Crusader tree climbers’.” Applejack noticed that her little sister could look especially pitiful when she wanted something. “Sure. But remember that me and Macintosh’ll be buckin’ the west orchard today. So don’ be climbin’ in those trees. It’d be a sorry day if we bucked down three little fillies along with all the apples. Yeh understan’?”
Applebloom grinned from ear to ear. “Surethingsisthanksgottagotellthembye!” The little yellow filly bolted out of the room, her red tail whipping around the corner. “Careful Applebloom!” Applejack called. “Slow down, yer gonna...” There came the sound of a loud thump from downstairs. “...hurt yerself...”
*****
After applying a cold ice pack to her sister’s bruised forehead, Applejack turned to Old Granny Smith. “Say Granny? Would it be alright if’n ah ran into town fer a spell? Ahm supposed to be helpin’ Pinkie Pie with some of her bakin’.” The elderly mare smiled at the orange earth pony. “Of course dearie! Jus’ be back in time fer lunch.” “Ah certainly will Granny.” Said Applejack. “Thank yeh!”
*****
As Applejack entered the outskirts of Ponyville the first thing she noticed was the silence. Where was everypony? “Ah ain’t seen the town this quiet since Zecora visited.” Applejack chuckled. “But that don’ make a lick o’ sense. Everypony loves Zecora now. So why are all the shops closed then?” As Applejack continued through the town she began to get worried. There wasn’t even a whisper, any sound whatsoever, just the oppressive quiet. And the grey clouds overhead. Applejack gasped. They were moving! “What be goin’ on here?” she wondered aloud.
As she turned yet another corner she finally spotted somepony. Two ponies. One appeared to be sleeping, the other standing over the first. “Oh thank goodness! There is somepony here. I was getting a little...scared...” The earth pony’s voice died in her throat as she took in the horror of what she was seeing.
The first thing she saw was the blood. It was everywhere. And most of it was coming from a gaping hole that was being torn in the side of the second filly. A shocked gasp escaped from Applejack’s lips as one of the...things snapped it’s head around to stare at her with empty bloodshot eyes. As it staggered toward her, Applejack noticed that one of the pony’s front legs dangled limply, held by a single bloody tendon. Its mouth was stretched in an impossibly large grin. It was a grin that looked...hungry.
Pure, untamed fear clutched at the heart of the little pony as she turned and tore away from the carnage as fast as she could gallop. A bestial scream and the sound of dragging hooves told Applejack that the thing was chasing her. She put on an extra burst of speed, but whatever this thing was, even with only three legs, it was fast. Fast enough to keep up with her. Applejack glanced over her shoulder. It looked like she might be able to outrun this creature.
She turned her gaze forward and saw a dead end blocking her path. It looked like somepony had cobbled together a makeshift barricade. Unfortunately, she was on the wrong side. She had to get over, and fast.
A low growl and heavy breathing on the nape of her neck told her the other pony was right behind her. She reacted on pure instinct. Whipping her hindquarters around she took quick aim and bucked. The kick caught the other pony on the flank, snapping the spine and sending it sprawling. But the creature continued to try and get and Applejack, dragging at the ground with one front hoof, literally clawing it’s way towards the horrified earth pony.
She had to stop this thing. This time the full force of her buck hit the other pony in the face, crushing the skull, and spraying Applejack with blood and brain matter. The other pony jerked and rolled over where it twitched briefly, then lay still.
As the adrenaline wore off, the full shock of what she had done hit Applejack. She had just killed another pony. In cold blood. “No!” She argued with herself. “It was self-defense. She was gonna kill meh. Ah had no choice.” Looking down at the remains she realized that she knew the pony she had brutally mangled. While the face was unrecognizable, the harp-shaped cutie mark told her all she needed to know about the turquoise pony’s identity.
Sinking down beside the body of Lyra, she tenderly cradled the other pony, stroking her mane. Tears streamed down her face and all the while she repeated the same words over and over: “Ahm sorry Lyra. I had to. I had to...”