Secrets of the Everfree

by ancientdragonduelist

Into Darkness

The climb to the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse seemed longer than usual for Big Macintosh. Maybe it was the worry and pain weighing down on his heart. Even so, the clubhouse itself brought some warm memories back to the Red Stallion. He'd helped Applejack build this little fort when she was just a filly who loved to tussle with her big brother at night. They were so happy and carefree back then. Before the Dark Plague…

Big Mac arrived at the meeting room to find a full-on brawl going. Such a thing was uncommon, but not unusual. Sometimes he didn't know why the three fillies were such good friends. Shaking his head, the massive Earth Pony waded into the fight. Now, Applejack might have needed to shout at the girls for a while, but Big Mac just separated them. He held his baby sister in the air by her tail, and kept one of her friends under each front hoof. A few minutes later, they noticed him.

"Oh, Heya Big Mac! Whatcha doin here?" Apple Bloom seemed pretty happy for somepony hanging upside down from her brother's mouth. "Uh Oh, is it time ta collect the bad apples? Ah tried to… Ow!"Big Mac had dropped her.

"Now listen close, I a'int playin." The three fillies shut their mouths. Big Macintosh doesn't talk much, and when he does, you better listen. "I don't want none of you inside the house for a few days. Applejack is sick; real sick. I can't tell for sure, but I think it's the Plague. You understand what I mean?"

Apple Bloom looked like she had been paralyzed. She didn't move a muscle, her hooves were shaking, and the pony could barely breathe. She forced out a single nod to acknowledge her brother. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo felt a little left out. "No. What's the Plague?" Sweetie Belle asked, as if she didn't understand a problem for one of Cherrilee's tests. The young unicorn didn't understand the dark look in Big Mac's eyes at all.

"The Plague," the enormous Stallion stated, in a rather cold tone "is why our ma and pa a'int here no more." Any response Sweetie Belle had died on her tongue. The little unicorn may be naïve, but even she understood the implications of that statement, and why she had never met Apple Bloom's parents. The pony shrunk back, embarrassment and shame on her face. Next to her, Scootaloo cringed, as if those words had brought back a terrible memory. Big Mac let his words sink in before continuing.

"I've arranged for Granny Smith to help out at the hospital for a while. That way she'll be right there if the Plague catches her. I'll take care of Applejack, I can take whatever this Plague dishes out. Apple Bloom, I want you to stay with your friends until the danger is past. This sickness is very strong, I don't wanna know what would happen if you caught it."

Apple Bloom found the strength to force out a few words. "Applejack… Is she gonna…"

"Not if I can help it!" Big Mac cut her off, his voice filled with a deadly determination. "I've already lost two of my family to this Plague; I'm not losing my little sisters. Either of them." He added, leaning in to nuzzle Apple Bloom.

The little Earth Pony threw her forelegs around her brother, tears in her eyes. "Big Mac, I'm scared."

Big Mac gathered his sister into his hooves, wetness forming around his own eyes. "Me too Apple Bloom, me too…" They stayed that way for a while, brother holding sister, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked on. The entire situation was wrenching their hearts in more ways than one. For that moment, it seemed the entire world was still. All there was were two ponies holding each other, letting their love and fears flow between them. Unfortunately, these moments can't last forever.

Big Mac stood up. "I'm going to make Applejack some hot tea. Maybe it'll help purge her body of this sickness. Remember, none of you are to go into the house. I'll get Apple Bloom when it's over." Then he left. Everypony noticed how he said "When it's over", not "When Applejack is better". It was a while before anypony said anything.

Scootaloo was the first to move. "Don't worry Apple Bloom; I'm sure Applejack will get better." The young Pegasus did her best to sound encouraging, but it didn't come out right. The Plague was scaring her more than she let on. Sweetie Belle quickly added her own encouragements, which were much more genuine. The white filly was the only one of the group not to have lost somepony close.

Apple Bloom took a long time to reply. The shock still hadn't worn off of her. Yet as it did, her creative mind went into overdrive. In those few minutes after Big Macintosh left, the impatient Earth Pony came up with more ideas than she had over her entire career as a Cutie Mark Crusader. Finally, one popped up that satisfied her, and Apple Bloom galloped out of the clubhouse, yelling for her friends to follow. They only managed to catch up to her at the edge of the Everfree Forest.

"Apple Bloom, where are you going?!" Scootaloo called out.

"Zecora's. She's gotta have somethin to help mah big sis!" Apple Bloom replied, not bothering to slow down.

"But it's almost nighttime! We aren't allowed into the forest after dark! Remember the Cockatrice?" Sweetie Belle yelled, desperate to deter her friend from the very dangerous forest ahead.

"Ah don't care! Ahm not about to watch mah big sis die!" Apple Bloom practically screamed.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo paused, taken aback by her words. As they stopped, Apple Bloom began to disappear into the forest. Scootaloo couldn't help revisiting herself a few months ago. As she remembered what happened, and what she would've done to stop it, the resolve of the young pony changed. Not even Rainbow Dash would have let her enter the forest at night, but this was very different. The little Pegasus would do everything in her power to help save Applejack. She wouldn't let what happened to her, happen to her friend. The little orange filly nudged Sweetie Belle. "Well? Come on! We're gonna lose her!" Then Scootaloo practically (but not quite) flew into the forest after Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle looked up at the moon. She didn't want to disobey her sister and cause another fight, but she couldn't let her friends go in alone! "Luna protect us." The white unicorn muttered, and galloped after her friends into the darkening forest.

---

Darkness wasn't the only thing to fill the Everfree that night. A strange, tri-colored fog was billowing in from somewhere within the forest depths. The shades of bright blue, hot red, and sharp yellow made seeing anything three feet in front of your face impossible. Zecorra, the master herbalist, decided to barricade herself in her hut that night, and Rainbow Dash brought in Cloud Kicker and Snowflake for weather patrol. They didn't want any of the strange weather to affect Ponyville. But as for the Cutie Mark Crusaders…

"Hey! Watch it!"

"You're stepping on my tail!"

"Ow! Stupid tree…"

"Apple Bloom, are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Course ahm sure. I've been to Zecora's tons of times, member?"

"Ahh! Help, I'm stuck!" Sweetie Belle's cry cut through the chatter.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo couldn't help rolling their eyes. Sweetie Belle could be so darn clumsy sometimes.

"What are you caught on?" Scootaloo asked, not particularly eager to leave the path in such thick fog.

"I don't know. I can't see it." Sweetie Belle yelled.

The other Crusaders promptly preformed a face-hoof.

"If ya can't see it, how can ya be caught on something?" Apple Bloom asked, rather incredulously.

"I don't know! It feels like it's wrapped around my leg though, help!" Sweetie Belle was starting to sound scared.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo went back to help their fellow Crusader. They found Sweetie Belle about a foot from a tree, tugging hard on something. It was like something had a grip on her right back leg with an invisible claw, and wouldn't let go. "Alright, let's see what… Ah!" Apple Bloom had tried to go between Sweetie Belle and the tree, and went sprawling into the dirt. Scootaloo cracked up laughing.

"Scootaloo!" the embarrassed Earth Pony yelled "Quit it! She's right, sometin's here." Scootaloo didn't stop laughing, but cantered over to her friends. Only to join them face-down in the dirt. Apple Bloom couldn't help but snicker. Usually this would be grounds for a fight, but given the current circumstances, Scootaloo settled for a death glare. Then they went to work trying to free Sweetie Belle.

"Ahl right, how do we break this thing? Apple bloom asked, poking at the invisible string. Sweetie Belle squeaked when Scootaloo tried just stomping on it. The string yanked her hoof back and sent her sprawling into, you guessed it, the dirt. While down there, the bright filly got an idea.

"Hey, let's see if we can find the other end! If we can't make thing let go of me, we can make it let go of whatever else it's holding!" Thinking creatively, Apple Bloom put her muzzle under the string and followed it away from Sweetie Belle. She soon found her nose in the ground, next to a suspicious looking piece of wood. Not one to spend too much time analyzing things, Scootaloo simply grabbed the wooden thing in her mouth and yanked up. Against all odds, it worked. However, the instant it was free, Sweetie Belle tugged at the string, knocking Scootaloo into Apple Bloom and sending both back into the dirt.

"I'm free! I'm free!" the excited unicorn squealed, bouncing around with joy. She was completely oblivious to the green glowing eyes materializing behind her in the mist. Nor did she hear the low rumbling growl emanating through the trees. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stared in horror as a massive Timberwolf emerged from the fog and approached Sweetie Belle. Sensing something was off; the naïve filly stopped bouncing and looked at her friends. "What?" she asked with carefree confusion evident in her voice. Then the Timber Wolf struck.

The wooden predator never got a bite out of Sweetie Belle. Seeing her friend in danger gave Scootaloo a strong burst of courage, and she rammed the fragile beast. Her blow knocked the beast back, but didn't kill it. A blow from Apple Bloom's hind legs did. The hard life of a Farm Pony had given the young filly a powerful set of hind legs. A gift she had just learned to appreciate. For a moment, it seemed as if the Cutie Mark Crusaders were safe. That is, until the rest of the pack arrived.

---

Words cannot accurately describe the terror felt by the three little ponies that night. The cool night air stung their lungs as they desperately gasped for breath. Every single leg was burning as if it were on fire, and only grew worse with each galloping step they made. Pure adrenaline surged through their veins, and pumped more into their system with each excited howl from the bloodthirsty pack. Their minds were that of a primal beast escaping a predator, but a single thought kept resurfacing in each of their young minds. I don't want to die.

Apple Bloom kept seeing her sister wasting away on her bed, waiting in vain for her to come home. She wouldn't be there to comfort her big sis, and if Applejack ever learned that she had lost her sister, it would break her. Then Granny Smith could only hold on so long, and Big Mac would be all alone… All the little filly wanted was to go home, hug her family, and have them tell her that it's all going to be all right. That she isn't about to be torn apart by a pack of Timber Wolves…

Sweetie Belle wasn't faring much better. She was regretting every mean word she had ever said to her big sister. Sometimes Rarity could be petty and dramatic, but she's family! Some of her best memories were competing with the mud-covered pony at the sisterhooves social. The little white unicorn had had no clue her somewhat vain and occasionally snobby sister would be willing to get so dirty just for her! Now she'd never be able to tell Rarity how much she loved her…

Scootaloo alone wasn't hoping to see her family again. She'd given up on that long ago. The only pony the flightless Pegasus considered family now was Rainbow Dash, her surrogate big sister. Just looking at the best flyer in all Equestria lifted Scootaloo's spirits and filled her with a powerful resolve. When she was with Rainbow colored mare, sometimes Scootaloo even found hope that she might fly again someday. Yet the orange filly would've traded both of her wings to be back in Ponyville with Rainbow Dash right now. A wish she was quickly giving up on.

The pack chased the little group of fillies deep into the Everfree Forest. Far deeper than Zecora's hut, into an area that hadn't been visited since the last Summer Sun Festival. It was so dangerous, that nothing smaller than a Manticore would dare make it it's permanent residence. The castle of the ancient pony sisters was once the capital of all Equestria, but is now just a crumbling ruin in the most forbidden part of the land. The castle once held a secret older than Equestria itself as well. But, as evidenced by the strange fog covering the land, no spell lasts forever.

Through blind luck (and perhaps divine intervention), the Cutie Mark Crusaders spotted the old rope bridge before they plunged straight into the misty gorge. Breathing hard and about to collapse, they fell into single file and thundered across. The pack tried to follow, but only one wolf made it across before the rotting planks snapped and sent the unlucky predators howling into the abyss. Yet one made it.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo collapsed at the door of the castle in utter exhaustion. Their lungs felt as if they were filled with magma and screamed for air. Every muscle in their bodies burned in raw agony and felt as weak as jello. The poor fillies couldn't have run another step if their lives depended on it; makes things pretty easy for the surviving Timber Wolf. Tree sap dripped from its jaws as it approached the helpless, trembling, beaten ponies. After a moment of indecision, it placed a paw on the orange pony's back and prepared to deliver a killing bite. Scootaloo couldn't hold it back anymore; she started crying, wanting nothing more than to go home. Then the world blew up.

For a moment, the night sky was lit up as if Celestia's sun were just overhead. There was a sound like a thousand thunderclaps going off at once, and a shockwave not unlike the Sonic Rainboom rattled the trees. It only lasted half a second, but it's aftereffects would ring in the ears of the living for several minutes. The Timber Wolf was not among this category, and collapsed onto Scootaloo like a pile of twigs. The young Pegasus trembled in absolute shock. Her little body had taken about as much punishment and trauma as it was capable of. Still, something inside pushed her to turn her head. What she saw was something out of fairytales.

There stood a strange creature that would've towered over Princess Celestia herself. It balanced on two legs, which seemed to be colored the same as the forest. Further up, it changed color, to a lighter brown with a series of white dots up the middle. It also had a long pair of arms with strange looking claws at each end. These claws seemed to be colored a pale white, as did the creature's face. It had a small pointy nose, two strange-looking ears on the side of its head, and a pitiful excuse for a mane on top. One claw held something shiny and billowing smoke. This was too much for the little filly, she passed out. The last words Scootaloo heard were "Guys! Look at this!"

Comments

[omega-ze-wargod]

INTERESTING MAKE MOAR PLZ

[FasDap]

>Dark Plague
That has to be most unoriginal name for a plague that anyone can think of without getting ironic or redundant.
Other than that, the story's ok.