Apple Bloom stepped backwards as the creature's long bony arm reached down towards her. The arm didn't swipe, but it grabbed at something Apple Bloom felt the witch pull at her mane until something gave. The filly looked up with wide eyes as the key dangled from the Beldam's black, pointed fingertips.
"We can't have you running around with this now, can we?" The Beldam held the key up high sticking inside the keyhole and locking it. Then to Apple Bloom's amazement, she opened her mouth and swallowed it.
There would be no escape now.
The Beldam's expression changed to pure sympathy in that instant. "You poor little dear, your family just up and left you all alone like that."
"They didn't leave me! You took them!" Apple Bloom shouted.
The Beldam turned her back to the young pony. "Did I? Maybe they grew bored of you?" she suggested.
Apple Bloom didn't respond. The thought did cross her young mind... for about ten seconds. Her family would never do that. They loved her. The Beldam could pick up on that.
"Fine," the creature sighed, "so I did." She twirled around to face her young captive. "What of it?"
Apple Bloom took a full glance at the Beldam's current form. She had long shed the form of her sister, mostly that is. She still held the transformed state she had taken from before. The orange skin stretched against the elongated body. The only remainder of the pony form were the hooves. The rest of the body however seemed like a poor imitation. Maybe it was the length of the body or perhaps just the lingering equine features. Something seemed out placed.
"You poor thing, you must be hungry." The Beldam spoke in a soothing tone. "Now to come to the kitchen for breakfast dear." The last request was spoken more like an order.
Before the young filly could bravely retort, the creature sauntered out of the room. "Well......that didn't go like Ah planned." Apple Bloom had expected to dash in and save her family from the so called Other Sister. But so far that plan had yet to be realized. The key was gone and she had no way of getting home.
For a moment she felt defeated. She was trapped once more. So what else could she do? At the moment there didn't seem to be an option. The only other option was breakfast and that more than likely was a trap. Had she come this far to fail? That thought occurred to her just as long as the possibility of her family abandoning her: ten seconds.
So therefore that failure was nonexistent.
Her brave face returned.
She would see this to the end. Even if that meant going to the kitchen. So she did.
As bravely as she trotted she couldn't help but feel a slight fear in the air. It felt as if the walls were watching her. Then again, maybe they were. As she neared the kitchen she could hear a faint humming. Memories of her first arrival played back in her head. She kept going despite the seemingly cheerful melody. She wouldn't be fooled this time.
Just as before she could see the Beldam preparing some kind of meal giving off the cheerful undertone. As stated before, she wouldn't be fooled.
"So you've decided to join us sugar cube." The Beldam greeted cheerfully.
Apple Bloom hated that phrase. At least coming from a certain mouth. Reluctantly, the filly took a seat at the table. A clang of porcelain broke her serious look of determination.
"Eat up."
Below her was a simple meal of hay browns, waffles, and fruit. The Beldam really had pulled out all the stops. Next to the plate however she noticed a box. Unsurprisingly, there was a needled and thread next to a pair of black buttons.
Apparently the button eyes were not up for discussion.
"Like I said Apple Bloom, you're being awfully difficult. This could be so easy." Chided the Beldam. "But now you're here so we can discuss your living arrangements." She added that line with a giggle.
Apple Bloom didn't find it funny. She knew the Beldam would not let up. This meal would have one result and it lay beside the needle. That is unless she did something. She had one ace up her metaphorical sleeve. Would it work? She didn't know. But what choice did she have?
"Actually, Ah was wondering if we could play a game?" Apple Bloom posed the question.
A curious thing happened just then. The Beldam stopped. "A game?" a glint appeared in one of her button eyes. "What sort of game?" she asked curiously. The witch turned around slowly advancing towards the filly.
"Well... Ah," Apple Bloom felt a twinge of intimidation as she watched the creature's steps. "thought it could be a game where you hide something and Ah try to find it." Apple Bloom presented the notion of the game.
The Beldam held a consideration in her face. Her mind went over the details and Apple Bloom attentively watched. "And what would happen if by some chance you win this game?" the Beldam inquired. "What would be at stake?"
For a moment Apple Bloom grinned. Zecora's idea had worked! She hid the grin away; now it was time to do what her sister did when haggling with a customer. Putting on a straight face, she gave the details. "If Ah win, you have to let me go," that was part one, "but not just me, my family too and the dead ponies you trapped here." Apple Bloom kept her "business" face plastered on, trying her best to imitate Applejack. "Take it or leave it!" The filly added with emotion in her voice.
The Beldam had her back turned the entire time as Apple Bloom explained the game. Then at last she turned around. "Now what happens if you lose?"
That was a good question. As much as Apple Bloom didn't want to think of loosing, she did have an idea that would sink this whole thing in. "If Ah loose, then Ah'll stay and let you sew the buttons."
As Apple Bloom's voice grew low, the Beldam's smile grew larger. "I have to say sugar cube, I'm intrigued; you have a deal." the Beldam agreed at last.
Apple Bloom had succeeded. Although happy as she felt she still had one thing to make certain. "Ya promise y'all do what ya said if Ah win?"
A creak gave away, an almost metallic sound as the Beldam raised her right hand. "I swear on my right hand." The creature offered her hand to the pony. Apple Bloom was confused for a moment at the action but realized what it meant. Taking her hoof, the Beldam grasped it and they shook. The deal was solidified.
"Hmm you better get started." The Beldam suggested with a chuckle.
Indeed she should. Problem was Apple Bloom had no idea. "Wait! Can ya give me a hint?" Although the quest had begun, Apple Bloom had no idea where to look.
The Beldam could see that as well. "Very well." she spoke as she turned, her body moving in symmetry with her words. "In three wonders I've made for you." She moved her hands over Apple Bloom's eyes. "I have hidden three things for you to find." she moved her hands away as she finished.
"That's it?" Apple Bloom asked. "How am Ah supposed to understand that? Can't ya give me another hint?"
A smirk crossed the Beldam's face as she tapped her button eye. "Oh dear, if I gave away everything the game would be no fun." The smirk grew larger as she placed her hands on her hips. "Any more and we would have to call the whole thing off." That sentence made Apple Bloom understand what the button tap meant. Semi vague as it was, the filly had nothing else to go by.
"Fine." Apple Bloom sighed with a slight defeat in her voice. Turning her head, contemplated everything. "Ah'll do it."
The smirk shrank. "The game starts…. now." that was the last thing the Beldam said. Apple Bloom turned around for more but found no trace of the Beldam. She was alone. Getting up from the table her hooves made the only sound as she trotted out the door and into the outside. Although she had no idea what "three wonders" could be, she figured it had to be something.
"Come on Apple Bloom think." She told herself. "Three wonders? What in the hay does that mean?"
Her tiny mind wrapped around the word "wonders". It had to relate to something. She had mentioned three. Something inside her clicked. Besides the house, she had been to three other places in this world. At last the gears inside turned the clock that was her brain. The rest of the gears followed in suit as she gazed towards the apple orchard. Best place to start.
Her trots to said orchard were not filled with joy as before. She would not be filling her belly with the succulent candy apples that hung from the branches. Something else was here and she sure as heck had to find it. Easier said than done for she didn't know what she was looking for. Her mind first drifted to the apples. Perhaps they could be what she sought. That or her appetite was craving sweets. Apparently this would be another thinking situation.
Really she had no way of finding anything. She had no tools or even magic to help her. Then she remembered she did have something in her knapsack. Setting herself down, she rummaged through the gifts Zecora had given her. All she had was the glass jar. Looking at the contents she knew those wouldn't be any help and she certainly didn't want to open it. Then there was the little green triangle. Apple Bloom gazed at it as it fell to the ground. She attempted to pick it up but it proved rather hard with her hooves Each time she would try to grab it, it would slip and fall upon the grass. At last she managed to trap it in between her two hooves and held it up for examination.
"Just what exactly is this thing supposed to do?" she asked herself. About now she wished she had asked Zecora but she didn't want to sit through another rhyme. It was a curious little thing, green like an emerald with a hole in the center. Apple Bloom held it closer to her eye and peeked through the hole, and inside she noticed a glow.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed at the suddenness. Holding it close again, she peered through the hole once more and realized this was no ordinary trinket. Through the hole Apple Bloom saw an entirely different world. Everything was lit in an emerald glow. It made her wonder where Zecora found such a thing. Presumably she must have picked it up before she settled in Everfree Forest.
"Wow." Apple Bloom remarked with a childish joy at the wonder. Her eye trailed thought the jewel vision but then stopped when she noticed a certain illumination. Settled just between a branch, there was a round shiny object. It glowed far more brilliantly then the surrounding orchard. Taking the triangle away, she put it inside and trotted over to the tree. Sure enough situated in the branch was some kind of ball. It was too far up to make out, but a little buck could set it loose.
Apple Bloom smiled proudly to herself. "Apple Bloom ya outdid yourself!" a bold exclamation but she felt elated enough to do so.
"I wouldn't do that little un." Apple Bloom halted at the voice. It sounded like an all too familiar baritone mixed in with a growl. Behind she could hear trots against the grass; deep, heavy ones. A gust of hot air hit her backside creeping up her neck. Slowly she turned around and gasped.
"Nice to see ya again sis." The Other Big Macintosh greeted. What Apple Bloom saw however was not the carbon copy of her brother. Besides the change in voice, there was also a change in body shape. His already large frame had bulked up considerably. His coat and mane had turned into a shaggy dressing of fur. Just past the hair, Apple Bloom could see the button eyes peeking through the crazy mop. Then she noticed the teeth or rather fangs that hung out as he spoke.
"What ya doing here girly? Ya snoopin' around?" his hooves practically thumped against the ground. Apple Bloom trotted backward in fear. "Hee… you've been a bad girl… sister says Ah gotta give you your medicine." He flashed his fangs again. Drool dribbled down into a slowly forming puddle.
Apple Bloom didn't want to find out what this kind of "medicine" was. The Other Big Macintosh didn't give her a chance. The demon pony charged forward like an angry bull. Apple Bloom turned tail and ran with as much strength her little legs could carry her.
Behind she heard the thumping of her demonic false brother.
"Where y'all going? No place to run honey! Besides, the family just wants to say hello." the demon pony spoke.
Apple Bloom didn't bother stopping. That is until she tripped. She didn't hit the ground hard but it hurt. She cursed silently figuring she must have hit a rock. Suddenly she heard a sound from behind. It wasn't the thumping of hooves. It sounded more like digging.
"Told ya they were coming. Aunt Brown Betty wants to see how big y'all gotten." The Other Big Macintosh grinned.
Apple Bloom could see she hadn't tripped over a rock. From the ground, several colored bumps emerged. The bumps shoed themselves in full now. They were heads, pony heads that is. These ponies however were not healthy so to speak. Their coats were horribly discolored, patches of skin even missing revealing muscle and bone. One thing they all had in common were the black pair of buttons for eyes. That wasn't the worse of it though. All of these ponies, they were doppelgangers of the Apple family. Her cousins, aunts, uncles, they were all there.
"Well howdy Apple Bloom!" a zombified Braeburn greeted in a raspy voice. "Been a while since Ah seen your bright face! Ya'll should come on down to AAAAAPAAAAALOOOOOOOSA!"
"Oh Apple Bloom come over here so Aunt Apple Brown Betty can see you!"
"Hey cousin how's it going? Why don't you come over here?"
Their voices all mixed in together. The sight was frightening to the child. She turned to run, but was cut off by the rest of the herd. Decayed as they looked, they were still fast enough to surround the filly. Apple Bloom frantically turned her head looking for any sign of escape. Yet there were none available. She was boxed in. In the back the Other Big Macintosh grinned wickedly.
Apple Bloom hoped for a miracle at this point. Luckily one answered. From out of nowhere, a flash of purple landed in front of Apple Bloom leaping from the branches it seemed. In it's hands, it held a long stick, more than likely a branch.
"Spike!" Apple Bloom cried happily. Indeed it was the Other Spike. The tail, scales, and green spines were a dead giveaway.
The Other Spike swung the branch in the faces of the zombified pony. Whilst they tried to avoid it, Apple Bloom followed after the dragon knowing that was his intent. Through the tron they went. Apple Bloom could feel then snapping at her tail. Their dead bodies brushed up against her as they ran. Relief washed over the filly as soon as she could see the apple trees clearly. Now if she could just head back to that tree. Suddenly it came again: the thumping. She looked to see a red bulk literally charging through the crowd of zombies. The Other Big Mac held a furious look on his face as he emerged. He looked intent to kill any that got in his way.
The Other Spike turned around.
"Why did ya stop!?" Apple Bloom asked.
The Other Spike said nothing and merely pointed towards the area they had just come from, or at least behind the crowd of death.
Before Apple Bloom could question him further, the dragon was off. With branch claw, he dove right at the large earth pony. The Other Big Macintosh bit down hard on the wood attempting to wrest it free. The dragon however wasn't ready to just give up though. Apple Bloom did not waste in taking her chance. She ran as fast as she could. She remembered where she had fled from. The zombified Apple clan chased after her. They were fast, but not fast enough to deal with an adrenaline filled earth pony. Apple Bloom looked about the numerous trees that surrounded the area.
"Which one was it!?" Apple Bloom asked to herself.
Her eyes darted around for anything out of place. In the dark it was hard, but she managed to spy something at last. There it was, just in-between the branches. Apple Bloom rammed herself forward as she bucked the tree with her hind legs. Nothing doing apparently. The thumping came once more. The Other Big Macintosh thundered through the zombies again. Apparently family didn't matter in fake terms.
Apple Bloom bucked again and again, then finally it shifted.
"Almost there little sis!" the Other Big Macintosh roared.
Apple Bloom became more frantic in her bucking. Each kick moved it closer and closer and closer. And then it rolled right off. As soon as it landed, Apple Bloom put both hooves atop it.
Crack!
The sound came out of nowhere. The moment she had touched the ball, something began to spread. A strange whiteness spread like an infection. The white ness quickly covered the whole Orchard. From every square inch. It was as if everything had died.
"Thank you miss! You found my eye!" Apple Bloom was startled by a sudden voice. It was coming from the ball. The ball in question was actually a false apple. A very small apple that is. There was a face that appeared. The face of the ghost pegasus colt. So this was it? A ghost eye? Apple Bloom had to smile, she was actually helping those poor ponies as she promised. The face then disappeared. Opening her sack, she deposited the ghost eye inside for safe keeping.
Accomplished pride welled up inside her. She had passed part one of the game. But still there were two wonders left. Suddenly she remembered something. "Spike! Ah better go-agghh!" Apple Bloom nearly screamed. Staring right in front of her was the Other Big Macintosh. Frozen in place that is. The copy of her brother was stuck in his position just as dead and white as the land. Apple Bloom sidestepped him and travelled back towards where she had run from. The entire fake Apple clan was frozen just as she expected.
"Spike?" Apple Bloom called. "Spike?" There was no sign of the dragon. Apple Bloom continued to search for him. It was discomforting to walk through the frozen bodies but she sucked up her fear. Just then past the immobile form of Braeburn, Apple Bloom saw a limping purple figure. "Spike!" She trotted happily toward the dragon. The Other Spike didn't budge when he heard his name called. He just stood there, his branch broken in two.
"Spike! You saved me! Thank you so much! Ah would have been done for if you hadn't come!" Apple Bloom knew how to react when a dashing hero saved her. At least Sweetie Belle said that was what her sister Rarity told her.
Apple Bloom noticed something about the dragon. Something she hadn't noticed before in the tense situation. He was wearing a mask. Closer inspection she recognized the pattern of the shape. It was one of the oven mitts she had seen in the kitchen now stretched to accommodate the face.
"Spike?" Apple Bloom reached for the mask pulling it away before the dragon could stop her.
Immediately she dropped it. Spike's face was held up in a smile; literally held up. His faced had been stitched up into a perpetual smile.
Amidst her shock, Apple Bloom asked. "Spike what happened?"
Spike attempted to speak, but with his face the way it was he could only get out some form of gibberish.
"Did she do this to you?" Apple Bloom asked.
Spike tried to speak again, but she caught the confirmation. Giving him a look of sympathy, the filly bit down on one of the threads pulled it out then with the other one. With his face free, the Other Spike rubbed his sore cheeks.
"Better?" Apple Bloom asked.
Spike nodded. "She didn't like I helped you so she punished me." The dragon replied with a frown.
"Punished you? You mean your face?"
A clattering reached her ears, along with a whimper from the Other Spike. At his feet were a small pile of purple scales; his scales. They had fallen from Spike's right claw along with bits from his arm. Underneath was nothing more than withered pink flesh. Withered was right. The claw itself began to shrink even further. Spike swiftly hid it behind his back.
Apparently the punishment had shown itself. Apple Bloom found it nothing short of cruelty. How could anyone do this to a child? Heck the Other Spike was younger than herself and the real Spike. Just how twisted was the Other Sister? Sympathy rising, she proposed an idea. It came so sudden she didn't know if it would work.
"Spike, please come with me. Ah'm trying to save everyone she trapped here." Apple Bloom explained. The Other Spike listened attentively. "Maybe if Ah win, you can come with me."
The idea sounded half comforting at best. Neither of them knew if it would work. Then there was the matter of the punishment. Would it be on a limit? Again, neither of them knew. The Other Spike held the same worries as the filly, but that didn't matter to him. All that mattered was helping her.
"Okay." At last he grinned. So did Apple Bloom.