The Hunted
Chapter 5
The Hunted
Applejack snapped awake with a cry and knocked her head on the rocks above. With a shout of pain, she rose into a crouch and frantically searched the dimly lit space as the nightmare rapidly faded from her memory. Finally realizing where she was, she closed her eyes and sighed with relief as her racing heart began to slow.
With a wide yawn, Applejack crawled out from under the rocks. She inhaled the fresh air deeply as she turned her gaze up at the sunlight filtering through the canopy, and with a start, realized that it was morning.
"Land sakes!" Applejack exclaimed. "I've been asleep since midday yesterday! I guess I must have really needed the rest."
Feeling refreshed, invigorated, and very thirsty, Applejack trotted over to a nearby tree that had curved leaves and sipped the water out of them. The cool water felt wonderful as it passed her dried lips and down her parched throat.
With her thirst quenched, but her stomach growling, Applejack made her way toward her last landmark and continued her trek through the Everfree Forest.
About an hour later, Applejack's gaze landed on a bush full of red berries. Grateful for the food, she rushed forward and pausing just long enough to ensure that they were not poisonous, greedily consuming every last one.
As she was finishing, she felt a sudden chill and the fur on her neck stood on end. Applejack glanced at the surrounding forest warily, unable to shake the feeling that she was being watched. Her ears up and alert, she strained to hear anything that would alert her of immediate danger, but heard nothing more than the buzzing insects.
"Who's there?" she called. "I know you're out there. Show yourself!"
Without warning, the feeling abruptly left her. Breathing heavily, Applejack continued to watch her surroundings but after several long moments, she realized that she was alone once again.
"What in the hay was that?" Applejack wondered fearfully.
The whole experience had left her deeply shaken. It had felt as if another presence had tried to envelop her, and then fled when she had called it out. But what in Equestria could it have been?
Everypony in Ponyville knew the stories of the Everfree Forest. How the seasons changed without the help of the Pegasi, how plants grew on their own, and how the animals looked after themselves. It was a mysterious place that didn't follow the same rules as the rest of Equestria, and most ponies simply avoided it.
Still, Applejack had never heard any stories that resembled what she had just experienced. Not even Granny Smith, who had spent her entire life living closer to the forest than anypony else, had ever mentioned anything even remotely like this.
With no idea of what it could have been, or where it was lurking now, Applejack could do nothing more but continue east and hope that it would lose interest in her.
She turned her gaze upward once more; she had much more pressing things to worry about as well. Before long, it would be noon, and she knew that this was the day of the fourth sign of the zap apples. When she had freed herself from the balloon and escaped the tree, she had been certain that she would be home in time for the zap apple harvest, but now she wasn't so sure.
"If I'm not back by sundown tomorrow," Applejack fretted out loud, "then I won't be able to help Big Mac harvest the zap apples. That's gonna spell big trouble for the farm."
Anxious to get back home before it was too late, Applejack picked up her pace, but came to a skidding halt after emerging from the thick brush to find an unexpectedly steep incline directly ahead.
As she slid over the edge, she quickly caught an overhanging branch in her mouth and hung on until her hooves gained solid purchase. Carefully backing away, she glanced down to see a harrowing slope littered with large rocks and numerous bushes.
"Well...doggone," Applejack mumbled, then immediately began to chuckle.
A couple of months ago, Applejack and her friends had been following Zecora through the Everfree Forest to find the Sun Glow flower, and cure the hypnosis that the Sleeping Weeping Willow's eyes had inflected upon the others. During this adventure, Pinkie Pie, whom at the time had Fluttershy's personality, had become so upset with Applejack's foul mood that her true self had surfaced long enough to tell a joke.
The joke's punch line had been "doggone," and although it hadn't been one of Pinkie Pie's best, it had made Applejack chuckle. That chuckle had been just enough for Pinkie Pie's true self to overpower the hypnosis, and moments later, she was herself again.
Since that moment, anytime that Applejack uttered the word "doggone," which she did quite frequently, it always made her chuckle and brought the silly Earth pony to mind.
Still grinning, Applejack began to slowly work her way down the treacherous slope. She tested each step before placing her full weight, knowing that once she started sliding there would be no stopping, and that it would end with a world of hurt for her.
She lost track of time as she cautiously descended, her mind concentrating solely on her hooves and where she placed them. Twice, the dirt shifted beneath her, and she was forced to fall back onto her rump while quickly finding purchase with her forelegs. Finally, as she was nearing the bottom, she saw a clear path down, and allowing herself to enter a controlled slide, she landed expertly on leveled ground.
Thankful to have put that experience behind her, Applejack did her best to pick another landmark and started toward it. She knew that she was no longer heading perfectly east, but she believed that she was close enough.
The memory of Pinkie Pie's joke worked its way back into her thoughts as she trotted on. With another small chuckle, she recalled the first time that she had spoken to the Earth pony.
She had been running the Apple family's apple cart in the marketplace when she noticed that there seemed to be an awful lot of laughter. Bemused, Applejack had tried to locate its source, but it seemed to be erupting sporadically around her without any particular pattern.
Suddenly a pink mare with a very poofy mane and tail came hopping into view and headed straight for a little filly standing with her mother only two stalls away. Unable to help herself, Applejack began to laugh as she caught sight of the ridiculous pair of glasses the pony was wearing.
The mare came to a halt in front of the filly, and honked the red nose that protruded from the end of her glasses, which actually made a honking sound, before proceeding to juggle three cupcakes while performing a completely absurd dance. As she finished her dance, she tossed the first cupcake into the filly's mouth, then the second into the mother's, and finally, she threw the third high into the air and caught it in her own mouth.
As the mare turned toward her, Applejack waved for her to come over. With a bright smile, she obliged.
"That was some mighty fine hoofwork just then," Applejack commented as she approached.
"Thanks," she replied happily as she raised the glasses onto her head and eyed the cart's apples. "These look delicious."
"Delicious?" Applejack repeated. "You can bet your poofy lil' head that these apples will be the sweetest, juiciest, most crisp apples you've ever tasted."
"You're on!" she announced, then grabbed up two apples, and tossing them into the air, chomped them both in two giant bites.
"And how did ya like them apples?" Applejack asked once the mare had finished chewing.
"They really are the sweetest, juiciest, crispiest, most wonderfuliest apples I've ever tasted!" she exclaimed. "I'm super glad too, cause I would have hated to lose that bet and have to give up my poofy little head. I'm kinda...attached to it!" She giggled and snorted at her own joke, causing Applejack to chuckle as well.
"The name's Applejack, newcomer," Applejack greeted her, holding out a hoof. "It's nice to have a pony with such a colorful personality round here. You plannin' on stayin' long?"
"I'm Pinkie Pie," she replied, shaking Applejack's outstretched hoof enthusiastically. "And yes, I'm hoping to live here permanently. I think I found a job at the Sugarcube Corner. The Cakes are seriously considering hiring me, and they even have an extra room on the second floor they're willing to rent to me!" Hopping up and down, her mane bouncing wildly, she cried, "I'm so excited!"
"Pinkie Pie..." Applejack thought for a moment. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"I don't know, maybe." Pinkie Pie shrugged. "I get around."
Applejack studied her intently for a moment. "Let me see your cutie mark."
As Pinkie Pie turned to allow her to examine her cutie mark, Applejack stated, "I remember you now. You threw a party here in Ponyville when we were all just filllies."
"Yup!" Pinkie Pie responded, thoroughly pleased that she had been remembered so well. "That was one of the first parties I ever threw! It took me forever to convince my parents to let me come here to plan it!"
"I know what ya mean!" Applejack laughed. "I had to beg my Pa all week before he would let me come to it!"
Pinkie Pie beamed brightly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." She glanced at the apples. "What do I owe you for those two apples?"
"They're on the house," Applejack told her, "and you can take a few more, if ya please. Just remember to come on down to Sweet Apple Acres if ya get a hankerin' for more."
"Sweet Apple Acres!" Pinkie Pie repeated, her sky blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "Are you an Apple?!"
"I sure am," Applejack confirmed, swelling with pride. "I reckon you've heard of us?"
"My mom used to travel here every year to buy your apple cider," Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. "I love love love your cider!"
Delighted, Applejack offered, "You should come on up to the farm sometime and meet the rest of the family. I know they'll like ya as much as I do."
"Really?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, thrilled. "I would totally love to see the famous Sweet Apple Acres and meet the Apple family!" Suddenly rearing up and leaning over the cart, she enveloped Applejack in a huge hug that lifted her off the ground. "We're gonna be the bestest of friends!"
Smiling at the memory, Applejack stated, "We didn't even know the half of it, Pinkie."
With these happy memories circling in her head and uplifting her spirits, Applejack was able to keep her worries at bay as she continued her trek through the Everfree Forest.
Although that strange presence had been frightening, it had been gone for at least an hour or two, and she couldn't imagine any creature keeping an interest in her for that long. Whatever it had been, she was sure that it was far away, probably stalking some other poor creature. And as for the zap apples, Applejack now felt more certain than ever that she would return home in time to help with the harvest.
Like her parents, Applejack believed that as long as you never gave up and always put forth your best effort, things always worked out in the end. And that was exactly what she planned on doing, she was going to keep pressing on and refuse to let her fears stop her from getting home.
Applejack came to a halt as her ears perked up. Listening closely, she thought that she could just make out the distant roar of a waterfall. Looking forward to being able to drink her fill of water, Applejack turned away from her current landmark and headed toward the sound.
Without warning, an unexpected chill cloaked her entire body. Shivering uncontrollably, she noticed that she could see her breath pluming out in front of her before it vanished in the warm air.
Her features twisting into a mask of rage, Applejack viciously kicked a tree hard enough to knock its leaves loose. "Pinkie Pie, that filthy, despicable swine! If she were any sort of friend, she'd have her useless rump in this here forest searchin' for me! I'll bet she's too busy partyin' to even worry bout me!"
Suddenly, she realized that the unknown presence had returned, more intensely than it had before, and it felt as though it were probing at her mind.
She quickly spun around and shouted, "Get outta here, ya varmint! Leave me be!"
As if startled, the presence hastily retreated, and the chill fled with it. Panting as though she had just physically exerted herself, she remained perfectly still for several long moments, determined to catch a glimpse of the creature, or at least hear it make a sound.
Finally, Applejack began to slowly walk backward, her eyes carefully scanning the trees for even the slightest movement.
What is that thing? Whatever it is, it ain't natural. I know for sure that there ain't anything like it anywhere else in Equestria.
Applejack hesitantly turned away and started off at a canter, fighting her desire to break out into a full gallop. She knew that running through this forest in a blind panic would be a very bad idea, and yet it took all of her willpower to prevent it.
Endless questions circled in her head as she hurried along. Had the thing really been trying to invade her mind? Had it been the source of that strange chill? And why had she said such horrible things about Pinkie Pie?
Remembering the words she had spoken of one of her closest friends, Applejack suddenly felt ashamed of herself. How could she have said something like that? Even if there hadn't been anypony around to hear the words, it was inexcusable that she had spoken them.
Did she really have those despicable thoughts in her head? Was there really that much resentment in her heart? If so, then she couldn't imagine how she could have ever considered herself a true friend to that lovable Earth pony.
First, she had felt hatred toward Twilight and Rarity, and now, she had turned that hate on Pinkie Pie. That hatred flew into the face of everything that she believed about herself. Was it possible that she wasn't the pony that she had always prided herself on being? Could it be that she wasn't the likable, dependable pony she had always thought she was?
Trembling, Applejack shoved all these doubts from her mind. Her friends loved her for who she was, of this she was certain. If it turned out that she wasn't the pony she thought she was, it wouldn't matter, they would still care about her.
As she concentrated on the love that she knew her friends held for her, Applejack felt the last of her panic slip away, and she started to breathe easier. She wondered if, by letting her fear get the best of her, she was giving her pursuer more power over her than it should have. After pondering this for a while, she decided that it wouldn't do her any good to dwell on this in her current situation, and instead focused on finding her way to the waterfall.
About a half hour later, she abruptly stumbled upon the edge of a wide river. Eagerly plunging her face into the cool water, she drank her fill, relishing the refreshing taste.
Once she had finished drinking, she stepped into the river and began to scrub the mud away from her underside. Although she was nowhere near as prissy as Rarity, she still didn't enjoy the feeling of dried mud caked on her coat.
"Thank Celestia I found this river," Applejack said appreciatively as she climbed out of the water. "That was just what I needed."
Turning her gaze further up the river, Applejack's breath caught in her throat. It looked to her as though the river was running east, straight back home.
Immediately, her mind went to the river in front of Fluttershy's cottage. It ran all the way through town and off to the east, but if you followed it west, it led straight into the Everfree Forest. Could this be that river?
Her heart racing with excitement, Applejack hurried along the river's edge, believing with all her heart that she would soon emerge from the forest and see Fluttershy's cottage in the distance.
Inevitably, her mind drifted off to memories of her shy friend.
She had been told by several of the townsfolk while selling apples at the marketplace that there was a cottage being built on the outskirts of town. The rumor was that somepony's parents had paid a small crew to build it, but nopony understood why the pony hadn't simply moved into town.
Curious herself, Applejack had paid the cottage a visit once the building crew had left, and had found a Pegasus with a grayish gold coat pulling a cart full of furniture up to the front door.
"Howdy!" Applejack greeted her enthusiastically, setting the large sack of apples she had brought with her on the ground. "Are ya one of the movers helping the owner?"
"Oh, no," the Pegasus answered softly, quickly lowering her gaze to the ground. "I'm the owner."
"Ya don't say," Applejack replied, surprised. "It seems like a mighty...um...earthly place for a Pegasus."
"Well..." Her eyes flicked up to meet hers, then swiftly returned to the ground as she rubbed her foreleg with a hoof. "I'm not really much of a flier."
Applejack suddenly realized that she may be getting too close to a touchy subject, and hastily changed the topic. "Anyhow, it's nice to meet ya!" She held out her hoof. "The name's Applejack, I work the farm just a half mile up the road from here."
The Pegasus gently took Applejack's hoof and gave it a tiny shake. "I'm Fluttershy," she said in a voice that was barely audible.
"What was that?" Applejack asked as she leaned in closer. "Flutterby?" The Pegasus shook her head and repeated herself in an even quieter voice. "Flutterguy? Wait, that don't make a lick of sense...did you say Flutter...shy?" As the Pegasus nodded and smiled shyly while her mane fell over part of her face, Applejack commented, "Yeah, that is definitely a fittin' name."
Fluttershy turned her gaze back to the ground and started nervously poking at the dirt, obviously at a loss of what to say next.
"Well, howdy Fluttershy," Applejack began again. "The Apple family would like to welcome you to Ponyville, and I brought with me a complimentary sack of apples. Guaranteed to be the best you've ever eaten."
At the mention of the apples, Fluttershy perked up and grinned her pleasure. "Oh, thank you, Applejack." Opening the sack, she laid a single apple on the ground and called, "Angel Bunny, come get your dinner!"
A small white, fluffy bunny hopped out of the back of the cart and scampered over to the apple. Angel sniffed the fruit for a moment, then suddenly took an enormous bite that caused apple fragments to splatter everywhere as the juices ran down his face.
"Now, Angel," Fluttershy lectured sternly as she lowered her head to the rabbit's eye level. "What have I told you about manners when we have company?"
Angel made a face and stuck his tongue out, but took a much smaller bite and chewed appropriately.
"Oh my!" Applejack exclaimed. "That was amazin'! It's like he understood what you were sayin'!"
"He can," Fluttershy told her. "I have the ability to understand animals, and talk to them as well." She smiled sweetly as she stroked Angel's head. "But Angel and I have a special connection. He is the first animal friend I ever made, and we've been inseparable ever since."
"Wow," Applejack remarked. "That sounds like a mighty useful ability."
Fluttershy eyed her cart. "I don't mean to be rude, but it's getting late and I really should get to unpacking."
"Would ya like some help?" Applejack offered.
Fluttershy blinked. "You want to help?" When Applejack confirmed, she stated, "That would be wonderful. I don't know very many ponies that would be willing to help me."
"Ain't that a shame." Applejack shook her head. "Well, round here, you can always count on me." Walking around to the back of the cart, she started lifting a small crate, but stopped as soon as she realized that something was inside. "What's in here?"
"Oh, be careful with that!" Fluttershy warned her. "That's a newborn puppy in there. She's only one week old."
Applejack gazed inside and saw a tiny brown and white puppy slumbering peacefully. "She's adorable."
"Yes," Fluttershy agreed as she gently took the crate from Applejack. "She was the runt of the litter, and the owners were afraid that she wasn't going to make it, so they gave her to me."
Although Applejack never really had much interest in animals, as she gazed at the little sleeping puppy, she felt something stir deep inside. "What's her name?"
"I haven't decided yet," Fluttershy answered. "It's just so difficult to name them. It's such an important choice..."
"Can I give it a go?"
Fluttershy blinked, then smiled brilliantly, "Sure, go right ahead."
Applejack peered into the crate for only a short moment, then declared, "I think ya look like a Winona."
"Winona." Fluttershy giggled. "That's a cute name. I like it."
"That settles it then," Applejack announced with a grin. "Winona, I just know that the two of us are gonna get along just fine."
Smiling pleasantly, Applejack's thoughts returned to the present as the roar of the waterfall became deafening, and rounding a bend, she found it.
As she stepped up to the edge of the cliff and gazed out at the land that spanned before her, Applejack felt her heart sink.
There was nothing but forest for as far as the eye could see. Nowhere was there even the slightest sign of Ponyville, or anything else for that matter. Nothing, but the Everfree Forest rolling on and on without end.
Stunned, Applejack flopped down on her rump and stared out over the forest in disbelief. She knew that the winds had been strong the night of the accident, but she had never in her wildest dreams believed that she had been blown this deep into the Everfree Forest. For the first time, Applejack realized that it was entirely possible that she wasn't going to make it home.
With frightening force, a seething hatred for her friends filled her as a frigid chill ran through her body.
"Why ain't they lookin' for me?!" she screamed at the spanning forest before her. "They're probably all just sittin' around, the lousy, stinkin'..."
She trailed off as an overbearing presence pressed forcefully against her mind. Terrified, she cowered from the malicious evil intensity that seemed to envelop her.
Suddenly, Applejack knew without a doubt that the creature was finished toying with her. It was coming in for the kill.
Her heart racing and her body trembling from both the cold and fear, Applejack desperately searched for a means of escape, but knew that there was nowhere to go. It was too close, it would catch her in a matter of seconds if she tried to run.
Behind her, the water cascaded off the cliff and down to a large lake below. It was her only escape.
Although she had no idea if she would survive the fall, she knew perfectly well what would happen if the beast caught her, and made her decision.
Applejack
She heard a voice whisper her name from directly behind as she leaped off the cliff. As she plummeted over the edge, she was sure that she felt something graze her tail, as if it had only just missed her.
Tumbling through the air, Applejack cried out in terror as the lake raced forward to meet her. She crashed into its surface with terrifying force, and was engulfed by the churning depths as darkness embraced her.
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Oooooh
New chapter! I'm always happy to see something new from you! *goes to read it*
EDIT.
Wow. It was good. Really good. I could really feel her fear and sadness and it means something. In fan-fiction I always look for emotions and here I have them. You don't just tell us how she feels, you SHOW it to us and for that I'm really thankful. I wonder what's attacking her and if Rainbow is going to find her.. Anyway, good job! Can't wait to read the next chapter
This keeps getting interesting. I really want to see what's next.
OMG ok I have never been so excited for the next part I wonder if that was like RD or some thing
4390006 Thanks!
Emotions are definitely my forte, they really bring the character to life and makes writing that much more satisfying. If you like emotions so much, you ought to check out my other story, Love Your Difference, it made some of my pre-readers cry...and they weren't even MLP fans!
4391942 Your excited comments make me lol every time I post an update.
4392376 well that's me
but I do REALLY like your story it makes me EXCITED so.. don't blame me blame your story lol 
4392544 LOLZ!
Ok, I'll blame my story.... which actually means I blame myself.....
So now I'm gonna log off and go give a stern talking to myself. Gotta keep these hooligans in check before they start getting out of line, ya know?
4392630 lol well maybe I should do the same thing with my excitement.. oh who am I kidding do you know how many times I've tried that!?
it only works for about 5 seconds then I go crazy again
but.. I guess that's just how I wok
4415591 Thanks for all the compliments, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Does this mean you have finished Love Your Difference? If so, I'm dying to hear your opinion.
I never realized how dirty that sounded until just now....
The McIntosh brand name of apples have a capitalized I, so I decided to go with that spelling. As for weathervane, is it two words or one? I didn't notice that I had it both ways...good catch!
Okay.....this is getting creepy.
I think the forest segments are where this story shines. You do a good job of the atmosphere and environment, and really nail the feeling of strangeness and exploration.