//------------------------------//
// 33 - Getting to the Bottom of Things 
// Story: The Apple Falls Far from the Tree 
// by David Silver 
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Scootaloo plummeted into the darkness, her wings pumping wildly in a vain attempt to catch herself. Just as they felt like they were starting to catch air properly and slow her descent, she landed on something warm and soft and a little on fire. Kalik growled softly as she was pressed to the ground under the enhanced bulk of Scootaloo.

Willow stood nearby with a measured frown. "Are you alright?"

With shaking legs, Scootaloo got to her hooves and off of Kalik. "I think so? When did you get here?"

Apple Bloom pointed a hoof accusingly from on top of Scootaloo. "How do we know ya aren't one of them... things?"

Willow gave a soft grumble before pointing into the darkness. "Those 'things' as you call them have my son. I tried to pry him away, to little avail. Your big sister is also in their clutches, so let's not waste any further time accusing one another."

Scootaloo shook her head. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but I still wanna know when you got here."

Sweetie slid down off of Scootaloo, wobbling on her legs before she recomposed herself, still panting with excitement and lingering dread.

Willow sighed. "I was always here, following. I tried to follow Applejack but that was quickly a bust. I think there's magic making everything in here a maze. Then I followed you, only for Sunflower to go running off. By the time I realized the futility of reaching him alone, I had lost you all as well. It amazes me that you three have managed to stay together."

Apple Bloom grinned as she sat up on Scootaloo's back. "We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders. One little haunted house ain't gonna bust us apart! Right girls?"

"Right!"

"Yeah..." Sweetie didn't look as enthusiastic. "Do you know the way out?"

Willow shook her head. "I do not, but that is not our destination regardless. I'm not leaving without Sunflower, and I don't imagine you care to abandon Applejack so easily. Come, we'll move and face the demons together."

A new voice came from the darkness. "That'll be just fine." Applejack emerged into the dim light, her eyes closed, and her body covered in bruises and cuts. "Ah knew ya'll would find me eventual-like."

Apple Bloom slid off Scootaloo quickly and rushed towards Applejack. "Sis! Yer OK!"

Applejack knelt down a little and reached out a hoof that Apple Bloom swiftly filled. "It hurt so bad. Ah thought ah'd be stuck forever."

Apple Bloom shook her head violently. "You're OK now! Everything's gonna be OK!" She looked Applejack over closer and recoiled when she noticed those closed eyes had thick leather bands tying them shut. "Oh Celestia!? What have they done to ya?"

Applejack smiled a queer smile. "They opened mah eyes. Ah can see everything now. They could open yers too. Come with me." She pulled at Apple Bloom, but the smaller pony wriggled away and fled to the others. "Now now, that ain't the way a little sister's supposed ta act. Ah'll have ta punish ya." She drew out a long whip and cracked it on the ground with a loud snap. With a sudden intonation from Willow, she fell into a pit that wasn't there a moment ago.

Willow snarled. "That was either not your sister, or she is lost to us. I choose to believe the former. There is no time to lose, let's get to searching."

The Crusaders nodded before they all moved swiftly around the pit, leaving it behind. The gloom didn't allow them to see Applejack, or the thing that looked like Applejack, but they could hear her, crying in pain. Apple Bloom pressed tightly to her friends as she ran, shuddering at every noise it made. She was thankful after they had dashed far enough to not be able to hear it so clearly. Just as she started to relax, a new shrill scream of torment echoed down the hallway.

Kalik snorted loudly. "This place is most unnatural."

Scootaloo shook her head. "You're telling us?"

Willow approached the next door they came across and tried the knob, finding it locked. She growled with obvious frustration. "Would that we had little Sunflower here. His bad habits would come in handy. Kalik, remove this door."

The fire cat stalked forward and looked the door over a moment before she threw herself against it. On the second try, the door swung inwards, revealing a small operating room. It was clean and empty. They continued like that, leaving no door unopened in their quest to find their companions.

"What are you doing down here?" Cindy came into view with a quizzical look on her face. "Only doctors and patients are allowed down here."

Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "You're not either of those. Why are you here?"

Cindy smiled. "I was asked to fetch something for one of the doctors, of course. I work here. Come along, I'll take you to the lobby."

Willow grunted before waving a paw around. "How is any of this alright with you?"

"Any of... what?" Cindy looked baffled. "Come along." She stepped towards them, and the darkness seemed to recede away as if her presence banished it, at least in part. "I don't want the doctors to get angry."

Scootaloo blinked, noticing that she could actually see further than a few feet away. "Hey, uh, how'd you do that, with the shadows?"

Cindy shook her head slowly. "What shadows? It's perfectly well lit in here. Are you alright? I could fetch a doctor for you."

Willow held up a paw quickly. "That will not be required. Lead the way... Cindy was it?"

"Cindy Meadows." Cindy smiled gently, then turned around. "This way. We're in the basement. The stairs are over here." Her attitude was cheerful and uncaring, seemingly entirely unaware of the oppressive nature of her place of work. She walked along at a relaxed pace ahead of the others, who hurried to keep up, lest the shadows press in on them again and cut them off from the seeming island of sanity presented to them.

Sweetie suddenly clonked herself on the head. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

Cindy paused and looked to Sweetie. "Hmm?"

"The doctors." Sweetie smiled. "They asked us to join them with Applejack, some kind of new treatment?"

Cindy nodded her head. "Oh! That makes sense. No wonder you were down here. How innovative. I've never seen them try to use family before. I hope it works well." She changed directions, leading them along through the maze of hallways with no trouble on her face.

Apple Bloom leaned over towards Sweetie Belle. "Good thinkin'! Ah owe ya one."

Willow joined the whisper. "I truly think that one is innocent. How, I could not say, but she is clearly blind to the madness of this place."

Scootaloo bobbed her head even as she shrank, her growing spell wearing off. "Let's not rock her boat then. She's not a bad pony, just has a bad job."

No demons or ghosts of the past approached them while they followed Cindy, and they soon arrived at a door like any other. Cindy knocked on it gently before pushing it open. "Doctor?" She poked her head in, then looked at the others. "The doctor's not in. It's just the patient, resting."

Sweetie Belle raised a hoof quickly. "Oh that's alright. We'll wait here for him. Thank you for being so helpful."

"Any time." Cindy smiled once more and moved to trot away to other tasks. As she left, the darkness creeped quickly back in on them.

Apple Bloom rushed the door, hopping up to grab the handle and practically falling inside. Applejack was strapped to a bed, belly-side up, but appeared intact. "Apple Bloom? S'that you?" Apple Bloom rushed to the bed and scrambled up onto it. "Oh it is! Thank tha stars!"

They took a moment to figure out the straps, but soon had Applejack free. Sweetie found her things in a small box by the door, and Applejack looked much better back in her armor and saddlebags. "Ah can't even express how happy Ah am to see y'all. The 'doctors' round here are plum loco. Good thinking getting Willow."

Willow shook her head. "They did not retrieve me. I was already here. My son is still lost in this place."

Applejack frowned severely. "The thought of a little one being stuck in here... Let's go."

As they stalked out into the hallway, Willow spoke to Applejack, "Most of the things you will see in here appear to be false, but don't assume false means harmless. They are quite physical."

Scootaloo perked an ear towards them. "We saw Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon."

Sweetie Belle grit her teeth. "Don't forget Twist."

Apple Bloom shook her head a little. "Ah... think we took care of Twist."

Scootaloo frowned with thought. "Huh, I guess you're right..."

Sweetie suddenly lit up with realization. "They're our demons! Like one of Luna's dreams! Once we face them, they don't have power over us."

Willow raised a brow. "Does that mean Cindy simply has no inner demons to torment her? She is more innocent than I gave her credit for."

Rounding the corner up ahead was a true horse of a pony. The stallion looked down at Applejack with disapproving eyes. Applejack recoiled away from the vision before gritting her teeth. "Ya ain't real! Ya can't be!"

"I trusted you." The stallion stepped forward towards Applejack. "This is where you bring yer sister? Ya were supposed to protect her, and here she is, in more danger than ever before."

Applejack closed her eyes. "Stop talking! Stop stealing his voice! It ain't real! It ain't!"

Apple Bloom drew out an explosive packet and hurled it at the stallion, but the flames washed over him with little obvious effect. "And now she attacks me, her own father... Ya've failed me, Applejack. Ah thought Ah could trust you... Ah thought you were better."

Applejack sunk to her belly, hooves over her eyes. "No no no no no! Yer just a lie, lahk everything else in here! Go away!"

Willow conjured a pit, but Applejack's father stepped clear of it. Kalik charged ahead, leaping at the horse and inflicting small oozing black wounds before, with a mighty swipe, the horse sent Kalik flying. "If ya won't listen to yer father, you'll listen to his hooves!"

He stomped forward on those heavy hooves, the ground rumbling with every step. "This'll hurt me more than it'll hurt ya, but it's gotta be done. Ya done let me down, girl, and now yer in for a whoopin'."

Scootaloo jumped in the way and stabbed with her rapier, but it slid off of the horse's tough hide like it was made of rocks. A heavy hoof crashed into her and sent her flying to the side to bounce off a wall. Nothing could stop Applejack's father from reaching her.