Apple Sleep Experiment (Expanded)

by SirVindicator

Prologue (part 1): WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?! (Bow and Quiver)

(Almost a week after Applejack's disappearance)

It was a beautiful day outside, but by no means was it a peaceful or pleasant time for anypony or creature. The town of Ponyville was racked with fear and there was a drought throughout Equestria. It's been almost a week since Applejack disappeared and along with her disappearance came the disappearance of a number of ponies; everyone was instructed to remain indoors by order of the princess, Twilight Sparkle. The problem is that it's only delaying the inevitable and ponies will only get more worried, at least that's what I think. Who am I you ask? My name is Bright Bow, a park ranger and practicing bow stallion. A pegasus who became surprisingly good at shooting bow and arrow with my wings and hooves, no unicorn magic. I got a lot farther than I expected in competitions, even winning a few metals. I can't use unicorn magic, but I know about it in good detail and how to make potions and other remedies, mainly things to help treat creatures when they're sick or injured. You can thank Zecora and Fluttershy for that. I met them because of my job, but mainly because of my curiosity for the unknown and my constant want to explore as a pegasus. Both of them were so kind to me, along with the princess and her friends. It was...it was refreshing to say the least and it helped me greatly when moving here several months ago.

My past wasn't exactly the best nor was it the worst and that's all I'm going to say about the matter because I have another one to attend to right now. The Mane 6 are looking for Applejack and I'm going to find her and that's why I'm in one of the forests next to the Everfree forest. I can't stand to see Twilight worried, she has it bad enough with so many ponies counting on her to find a solution to the drought. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Starlight and the village and many other ponies and creatures are suffering badly. Ponies needed to be together to face this drought and help each other. In this moment, I really didn't care about anyone's orders to stay indoors, friendship and staying together was far more important.

It was so hot outside and I am much more into the winter weather than the summer’s to begin with, although I kept myself distracted from that for the most part by practicing my archery by shooting a hay bale that I found and set up 20 yards away. I just needed a 20 minute break; I have been searching for hours and already I have had enough. I also need to conserve my energy in order to prevent myself from succumbing to a heat stroke. It also helped that Fluttershy gave me this nice pet falcon to keep me company. I named him Quiver because he's just as important to me as my quiver is to my bow and arrows. He's also helpful on the job especially whenever I'm trying to find injured foals or ward off troublemakers. And now he's trying to help me find Applejack. I decided to send him ahead to scout. It was 10 minutes into my 20 minute break and I decided to stop shooting my bow and just lay my head down on a log. I needed just 10 more minutes.

Twenty minutes later...

I was about to fall asleep until my falcon came back and informed me, in his own way that my break was over and that there is something that I need to come and see. I really started to regret ever coming here in the first place as the stench of death filled my nostrils as I left the forest and approach to rather secluded part of Sweet Apple Acres. I arrived at my destination and found dead bodies parts scattered everywhere, stuck to trees and in mounds. I would estimate that there were eight dead ponies. And then I saw it, the reason that all these Ponies were going missing in the first place. An eerily familiar figure who just made it nine dead ponies, by killing another pony via splitting his or her head open with a shovel. Fortunately for me and my pet falcon, we hid in the bushes before the figure could see us and lucky enough we did not make any sounds. Unfortunately for us, a twig from a tree that was above us snapped and it fell on the bushes that we were concealed in. What was worse was the fact that part of a pony's face was attached to it. It was that piece of flesh that startled me and my pet and gave away our location. There was no point in hiding now. The figure immediately took its attention away from the now dead horse and focused its eyes towards us. It was Applejack and she had the most deranged look I've ever seen on her face.

https://img00.deviantart.net/8925/i/2017/325/0/5/an_apple_sleep_experiment___mlp__by_speedycat1234-dbuh3lo.png

She ordered for me to come out now and asked me who I was and if I was a spy working for Filthy Rich. I did so backing away a few steps in the process. I then said in shock "WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?!" In this moment, I failed to exercise the part of my job training that said to NOT raise your voice around crazied creatures.

She then shouted, advancing towards me, “I am the beginning and the end! I am the representation of life-and-death! I am the nightmare of the gods themselves! I am the thing that keeps ponies off at night!! AND I AM YOUR DOOM, YOU FOOOOOOOLLL!!! She then cackled maniacally as we were left speechless.

“Applejack? It was Applejack that murdered all those ponies?” I said with a tremble in my voice.

I then backed away a few more steps and stopped. I had two options and I didn't like either. Option one was to go back and tell Twilight about this whole mess. Then there was the second option. That if I decided to go through with option one that in the time that it would take me to get back to town she could kill more ponies and in order to stop that from happening I would have to subdue her at best or kill her at worse. Could I really bring myself to kill somepony? I didn't even hunt smaller animals with my bow. It didn't matter my body decided for me, drawing my bow back with my wings. I was going to have to go with option two...no. I would have to go with an option that I didn't consider--a third option. I decided to send Quiver back to Fluttershy and have him inform her of the situation, while I stop this insane pony.

Author's Note:

This is my first story and I hope to make it a good one. I wanted this one to focus more other ponies and creatures either not referenced, mentioned or barely mentioned in the original story, Apple Sleep Experiment. I love this story, please go read it if you haven't already. My OC is Bright Bow and has a pet falcon named Quiver. I may go over his past later on, especially if people are curiously enough.