Apple Jack's small family in Pony Ville is in danger! Will she be able to save them in time?
Apple Jack is a hard working pony that spends most of her time out on the range usually bucking for apples. But one night she comes home to hear that no pony in her family could be found. After finding a note in her basement she struggles to find the pieces to her family's safe keeping. Will she find what was asked for? Will she finish in time? Or will her family be killed off?
After a long day Apple Jack decides to go home and enjoy some alone time. As she slumps on the couch she had taken into notice that no pony decided to say howdy when she walked in. Not thinking about Apple Jack curls up in a blanket and with the faint sounds of yawns falls asleep. A few hours later she wakes up only to still not hear any pony walking around in the kitchen.
“Hello, is any pony home?”
Apple jack had said out-loud as she trots into the kitchen. As she steps hoof into the dusty room she notices shards of bowl pieces have been shattered into small fragile pieces. With her ruff hoof she pushes the broken bowl pieces to the side and continues into the darkness of her home.
“Big Mac! Apple Bloom! Granny smith! Any pony home?”
The home breathes quietly under Apple Jack as she gets no response from any of her family. Now confused she decides to head into the basement to see if any pony was working and couldn’t hear Apple Jacks voice over the sound of hard labor. She walks down the creaky stair case breaking it free from all the cobwebs that had collected over time. To her dismay no pony was down stairs. As she examined the place she found a note on the ground that she had read aloud.
“Sugar Cube Corner 9:30 sharp. What in the hay is that supposed to mean?”
As Apple Jack set the paper down on the table she thought to herself that her family wanted to surprise her with something and without a second more thought she trotted up the stairs past the shattered bowl and out the door to Sugar Cube Corner. As she arrives she can see the lights are out and only Mr. Cake can be seen from the front door.
“Uhm Mr. Cake have you seen ma family here at all?”
“I can’t say that I have but some pony left this note here for you. Maybe this can help you out”
Mr. Cake handed over the note which smelled of black coffee with a dark stain in the corner from a coffee mug as Apple Jack stuck her hoof out to mutter the few words on it to herself.
“School yard 6:30-6:40 tomorrow morning. What is this leading to?”
After Apple Jack read and reread the note to a few times she thanked Mr. Cake and home she went. Now with fear and confusion in her heart and mind she couldn’t sleep for more than an hour. When the time came she headed to the school yard to see Apple Blooms bow lying on the ground. She picked it up dripping water and smelling like cigarettes. On the back of it was another note taped to it.
“You have 24 hours to get what’s mine back to me, you will find another letter in your mailbox describing more of our new game and if you lose. Your family will be my new wall prints”
Apple Jack now terrified scurry’s home to open her mailbox to which she found another letter this time with blood on all four corners. She opened it up and read it out loud.
“The game has officially started; you can find notes in the most places you have spent with your siblings and Grandmother. Be warned though, I am always watching and know what you are doing. If at any point in time you contact the Princess or the PVPD I will slit the throats of the ones you love. If you do not get what is mine in the next 24 hours the same thing will happen. With every piece of my belongings you find set them at the corner entrance of Sweet Apple Acres and when you find the last piece I will give you the location of your family. Let the games begin.”
Apple jack puts the paper in her hat as tears streak down her tan smooth face. Remembering that she is timed she hurry’s to the first place she spent time with Big Mac and Granny Smith, the well of Pony Ville, as she stands there thinking of everything that happened there she has a flashback.
“Grandma is it true that if you make a wish and toss a coin down the well it will come true?”
“Darlin if you reach for the stars and wish hard enough anything can come true”
Granny Smith put her hoof around Apple Jack and gives her a bit to toss in the well. As Apple Jack closes her eyes she makes a wish and toss’s the golden tinted coin down the well and listens closely for it to hit the bottom. As it was being tossed down she caught a glimpse of the faint bent design of the coin and cherished that her wish would happen.
“I hope my wish comes true!”
“One day sweetheart it will, one day”
Apple Jack shakes clear of the memory and searches for a note, as she trots up to the well she notices something in the corner of her eye with a dull shine. Under a piece of ruined molded wood is the same coin she made a wish upon years ago. As she moves the wood away from the still bent coin she finds a note underneath it. She picks up the coin and the note. Whilst hoofing with the coin she reads the note out-loud.
“What wish you make is yours to take, but hesitate and you will regret to not make the bet”
After reading this out-loud to herself she had wondered what it could’ve meant. Still fiddling with the coin she remembered the story behind to why it was bent. Granny Smith was visiting Los Pegasus when she bet a young stallion that had lost his golden horse shoe to what he believed he was cheated. After pulling a knife and stabbing the poor old mare he was tackled to the ground and taken out in hand cuffs. But every pony’s disbelief the poor old pony that was stabbed in the side was fine. She opened her purse to find the bent coin that had just saved her life. Apple Jack snapped back to reality once more and realized that the golden horse shoe belonged to the stallion that had kidnapped her family. She gallops home and searches everywhere for the golden shoe. Apple Jack then trotted upstairs to Granny’s room to find the golden horse shoe hanging above her bed.
“Okay first piece found now let’s get this to the corner quickly”
Apple Jack took the picture frame in which the shoe was placed in and smashed the glass. After smashing the glass Apple jack had started bleeding from her hoof.
“Dag nabbed Apple Jack why’d you have to be so foolish!”
She quickly bandaged herself up and took the golden horse shoe to the corner entrance of Sweet Apple Acres. When she got to the corner there was another note waiting to be read. She put the horse shoe to the corner of the gate and picked up the note. When she unfolded it she couldn’t believe what had fallen out of the enveloped paper…
Apple Jack paces back and forth struggling to remember what her and Big Mac had found years ago when they were just filly and colt. She tinkers with what she had received from the last note. It was Big Macs single harness that had fallen off of his reign long ago. She reread the note once more. The paper was rough and the words were scribbled barley readable but she could manage.
“You stole from me the mellow rift, but left this as an unwanted gift.”
Hours had passed and her time was thinning out quickly when she realized what it was that the stallion wanted. She quickly trotted to Big Macs room and without a doubt it was surely to be under his bed. As Apple Jack poked her head under the bed then her hoof she slipped back out with an hour glass in hoof, with picking it up she has a flashback.
“Race you to the bridge!”
Apple Jack screamed running past Big Mac. Both had reached the bridge at the same time and argued about who got there first when Big Mac had pointed out something shiny underneath the bridge.
“What is it big brother?”
Apple Jack asked.
“I’m not too sure, it looks like some sort of clock but only tells by the hour”
As Big Mac picked it up an older stallion came from under the bridge yelling.
“Gimmie that you little foul or I will gouge your eyes out!”
As Big Mac and Apple Jack ran with the hour glass in mouth Big Mac tripped and snapped part of his reign off leaving it behind. Apple Jack snapped back to reality still with hour glass in hoof. This was no ordinary hour glass. It was made out of platinum and when flipped to start the time played a mellowed tune that helped you sleep. She quickly ran it to the corner and waited an hour inside. Apple Jack quickly trotted back to find another note this time it had nothing inside and only had one word written on the back of the paper.
“Shift, what in the hay is this supposed to mean! This doesn’t help me whatsoever!”
A few more hours passed by and Apple Jack still didn’t know what to do. As she sat slumped on the couch thinking some pony knocks at the door. As Apple Jack gets up and slowly makes her way to the peep hole the pony keeps knocking. As she looks through the peep hole she sees that it’s Mr. Cake.
“Howdy Mr. Cake what can I do you for?”
“Well uhm it seems I had a visitor who wasn’t too happy about something that happened in the past. He told me to give this to you and to well uh… Solve the rest, and I have no idea what he meant by that”
Mr.Cake then proceeds to hand over what looked like a puzzle box and left. Apple Jack sat down and fiddled with the box for a minute when it hit her. It was a trick box that locked itself and could only be opened by moving the right pieces on it to coordinate the opening of the side. After playing with it for an hour she had finally got it open and pulled out a lever and knew right away what to do with it. She trotted out to the barn and started up the tractor putting the lever in a socket and shifting the gear the tractor engine blew a piston. She quickly repaired it and hooked up a huge plow on the front. Apple Jack then dug up a section behind the barn which uncovered Granny Smiths hidden wine cellar. Apple Jack pries open the hinge doors with the lever she had received.
“Come on you stupid door budge!”
With a final buck to the metal lever the door flew open and the hinges. Apple Jack slowly walks down the old wooden stairs watching her every step.
“Now to find that stupid bottle”
Apple Jack came across multiple bottles some open some closed. Some that was even shattered or was home to the multiple spiders that could be found in the cellar. As Apple Jack made her way to the back she saw a hidden trap door. It was locked with a combination which was unknown. Apple Jack glanced around and remembered what Granny Smith had told her long ago.
“If in any case of emergency you go in my wine cellar the combination to my lock is 777. But be careful with the contents inside. They mean a lot to some pony and they would be very disappointed if anything were to happen to it. You have been warned”
Apple Jack then opened the safe only to find an unopened letter on the inside and next to it a tag that read shift on it. Without hesitation she quickly grabbed both objects and quickly ran them up to the corner and when she got there she found another letter sitting there. As she went to pick it up Apple Jack saw a pony hidden in the bushes across the way. She acted as though she didn’t see the stallion staring at her and picked up the letter. Acting like she was reading it she walked up to the bush and set the letter down. Apple Jack then tackled the stallion inside the bush.
“Where’s my family! What have you done to them! I’m gonna kill you!”
“Get off please I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Apple Jack then tide the stallion to a tree with a rope. It was tight enough that it was cutting into the stallions brittle skin making him bleed under the rope.
“Where’s my family!”
“Look all I know is that you need to find some pieces and put them at the entrance. I take them back to the boss and he gives me letters to give to you! I have no idea what’s going on!”
Apple Jack then proceeds to buck the stallion in the gut twice.
“Where’s he hiding?”
The stallion struggles to catch his breath as with every deep inhale he takes the rope gets tighter and his ribs begin to crack under pressure.
“Look lady”
He gasps.
“I have just as much clue as you do to where he is! I just drop the pieces off in front of the school yard and there’s a note waiting there for me to give to you! I don’t know anything else please I don’t know what’s going on!”
“Pleading for mercy huh? Well if that’s all I can get from ya then there’s no point in keeping you here”
The young stallion sighs relief and starts to calm down.
“Maybe I’d have better luck if I castrated you?”
The stallion quickly perked his ears up in panic.
“No please that’s all I know!”
“Yea I think that’ll do it, oh look and I already have my tools”
Apple Jack picks up the rusty knife the stallion had with him and moves closer to him.
“Come on you can save your stallion hood if you just tell me his name”
“Please I don’t know anything else! Don’t do this please!”
Apple Jack puts the knife right up to the stallion’s family jewels and right before she makes her first incision the stallion yelps.
“Okay, okay. His name is Trot Sorbate! That’s all I know!”
“That’s better now I can’t let you leave here until this is all over so”
Apple Jack then turns around and bucks the Stallion in the back of the head knocking him out unconscious. Afterwards she then picks up the letter and reads its print. This time it’s clearer and professionally written.
“Past the hills and over the veins, what’s in the grave is surely mine”
Apple Jack had to think on this one. She then grabs her shovel and heads for the hills.
After searching for hours she finally found it. Winona’s grave, it had been years since she passed and it still upset Apple Jack. She dug up the little box she was in and pulled the top off. There was just a few bones, a neck collar, and the rest was dirt. She grabbed the collar and properly buried her again.
“Go get ‘em sweet heart”
Apple Jack slowly got on all four legs and walked away as she stared into the sunset. She realized her time was running thin so she picked up her pace and rushed to the park. As she got to the park she put both the golden tag, unopened letter, and the golden poker chip from Winona’s collar on the ground. After half an hour a stallion came around the corner.
“Trot Sorbate, I believe this is all yours now where’s my family!”
“Congrats Apple Jack. You even delivered my last request”
Trot picks up his belongings and slowly walks towards Apple Jack.
“Come with me I will take you right to your family. But be warned what you might see could make you sick”
Apple Jack started following but from a distance just to be safe. After an hour walking they reach a farm just outside of Ponyville.
“I’ve never seen this place before, how long has it been here?
“It was my family’s farm and it’s been here for about fifteen years, enough talk lets go inside shall we?”
Trot opens the door as Apple Jack steps hoof in to find her family tied to three posts unconscious, blood all over their bodies, and even burn marks all over their bodies.
“Dear Celestia are they even alive!”
“Of course I only beat all three of them inches from their lives, now take them and get the hell out of my face. I don’t want to see you around here anymore, oh and you can put them in the cart outside. That’s how I got them here.”
Apple Jack quickly untied all three of her family members, first Granny Smith, then Big Mac, lastly Apple Bloom and one by one she took them out to the cart hitched up and trotted home to safety. After what felt like a life time she was finally home. A few hours had passed after she put each of them in their own bed, but not before she had hoof washed all of them and aided them. Apple Jack had stayed awake for the rest of the night into day.
“Ap-Apple Jack”
Granny Smith slowly came down the stairs. Knees weak she had both hoofs on the railing. Apple Jack quickly helped her down the stairs and on to the couch.
“Granny I missed you! Are you feeling any better? Do you want som-’’
Granny Smith put her hoof up to Apple Jacks mouth and started.
“Now dear I am forever thankful for what you did. I don’t know how to repay you such an honorable and brave thing you did. I want you to have this”
She handed Apple Jack the deed to the farm, but Apple Jack was quick to refuse the offer.
“Nonsense Granny, I did it because I am loyal to family. I don’t want a gift other than to know that my family is safe”
Granny Smith looked over to Apple Jack starring deep through her eyes into her soul. She knew what Apple Jack really wanted. What the whole family wanted. It was served cold but sweet and it’s not ice cream. It was revenge, and the whole family couldn’t agree more with the decision. The next few weeks had gone by and there was little to no talk to what had happened.
“Apple Bloom come on its time to get ready for school sugar cube!”
“I’m coming sis!”
Apple Bloom quickly trotted down the stairs and out to her two friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
“Bye sis love you!”
“Love you to sugar cube have fun at school!”
Apple Jack shut the door and turned to Big Mac.
“You alright big brother? Is something bothering you?”
“AJ he has been watching us, he knows what we are planning”
“Good I don’t want it to be a surprise, if he knows what’s coming to him then he can look forward to eternal pain and regret”
The day went on and everything was going just as planned. Apple Bloom came home and headed up to her room only to return a few minutes later.
“Do you have everything you need to stay the night over at Sweetie Belles?”
Apple Jack had asked from the kitchen.
“I sure do! I’m leaving now love ya sis!”
The door quickly shut and the house grew quiet quickly. Apple Jack threw the pie in the oven set the timer and went into the living room where she sat down next to Granny Smith who was reading a book.
“It’s almost time Granny, Big Mac will be back soon trust me”
As Granny Smith put down the book the both of them held each other in a warm embrace.
The door opened as Big Mac quickly rushed in with what seemed like a stallion struggling what also looked like a body bag. In one swift move Big Mac unzipped the bad and threw Trot on the couch. The oven dinged and the pie was done and ready to be eaten. Apple Jack quickly grabbed the pie, four forks and four glasses of milk. After setting up the coffee table with four plates she set up the food and the utensils along with the drinks.
“Here’s your last meal for your last day Trot! Aren’t ya excited, I know we are!”
After realizing there was no way out of this Trot calmed down and sat up, he questioned.
“What makes you think you can kill me?”
“Oh sugar cube we aren’t gonna kill you yet! In matter of fact we want you to suffer just like you made us suffer. Now eat your pie before it gets cold, I spent all day on it”
Trot sat up and began to start eating the pie. With little bites at first and few sips from the milk he was enjoying his last meal. Trot finished his last few pieces of pie and gulped down the milk.
“I’d offer you more but Apple Bloom loves it when I make apple pie and she can never get enough of it so I have to save some for her”
Apple Jack takes all dirty dishes out to the kitchen only to notice one of the forks was missing. At the point in time Trot stood up and stabbed Big Mac in the arm. As both stood there for a few seconds Big Mac pulled out the fork and tossed it on the table laughing off the pain;
“You going to have to do a lot more than that to stop me fella”
Big Mac grabbed trot by the mane and dragged him out to the barn as the rest of the family followed close behind. After opening the barn door Big Mac walked over still with Trot at hoof to the back of the barn were two long rusty nails thicker than Granny Smiths cane stuck out of the wall. Slowly placing Trot up to the wall Apple Jack grabbed a small hammer and pounded both of his front hoofs to the nails. Only screams could be heard from the barn.
“Please stop! Please don’t kill me!”
Now crying Trot begged for mercy only to receive a buck to the gut which left him gasping for air. With every breathe he spit up blood.
“Show no mercy for the ones that don’t deserve it”
Apple Jack said under her breathe as she pulled out a meat pounder and broke Trots hind legs.
“Ahhhhhh! Please don’t kill me! I don’t want to die!”
Granny Smith tapped his mouth up to keep him quiet. Apple Jack turned to both Big Mac and Granny Smith.
“Do as he did to you” She then turned away as Big Mac bucked Trot in the stomach multiple times breaking his rib cage and even puncturing his lungs. Slowly drowning in his own blood Granny Smith grabbed a small knife and said under her breathe.
“Feeling comfortable yet?”
She then sliced the front of Trots forehead open not causing too much damage but enough to make sure she got Apple Blooms revenge.
“It didn’t have to end like this Trot it really didn’t”
Apple Jack said as she caught Trots final breath, he then closed his eyes and drifted off to the burning depths of Tartarus.
Time flew after the death of evil. Without a doubt Apple Jack knew that the princess knew of what had happened. She also knew that the Princess did not frown upon it for it was a justified action. The Apples continued their lives as if the kidnapping never happened, as if the murder was but a beautiful nightmare. No guilt, no regret, not even a peep to what had happened months ago. The blood was still a stain on their lives but one that would only be looked upon on a stormy day. Life as they knew it was back to normal.