Apple Bloom must return to Sunny Town to defeat the curse that has been placed on it, with the help of her sister and her ghost friend... and this time, the world is at stake.
fanmade sequel to "Story of the Blanks". after Apple Bloom escaped the Blood Hooves, she brought something with her. Ruby, the ghost, is now inside of her. with her, nightmares related to the creepy "Sunny Town" appeared in the poor filly's head...
but they were nothing, compared with the danger that loomed now from the Everfree Forest.
now, Apple Bloom and Twilight, along with Applejack, will go to Sunny Town, defeat the Blood Hooves... and discover what happened eight years ago, with the Apple parents.
“AAAAAAHHH!!!” Apple Bloom woke up, sweating. It was the third time in a row she dreamt of the ‘Sunny Town’, home of the Blood Hooves. It was bad living it, but also dreaming with it every night.
“Celestia Damn it, why do ah keep dreaming that…” the Earth filly wondered.
As in cue, a grey filly materialized in front of her. She looked like a normal pony, but the yellow, glowing, lifeless eyes showed she was completely dead.
“Applebloom, are you ok?” The entity said, making Apple Bloom look at her, sadly.
“Oh, Ruby. Ah’m tired of those dreams, that’s all.”
“I fear that that may be because I’m still in the town… my mortal parts, I mean.” The ghost said, her ethereal face filled with worry.
“and ah don’t want ta return ta tha’ darn forest, at least not without help.” The red-haired filly said. She still remembered the soulless eyes of the Zombie Ponies, and how they chased her, ready to “save” her.
“and when you told your sister about that, she didn’t believe you.”
“Ah don’ know. Ah know mah sis, and ah know when she spits a lie.” Apple Bloom said.
“but why would she lie to you, if she believed what you said?” Ruby pondered.
“Ah don’ know, but-” Apple Bloom stayed silent.
“Apple Bloom? What’s-” Ruby said, but got silented by the filly, who was hearing something.
“no way ah’ll let mah sis’ ta return ta the Everfree, not today!”
“That’s… Applejack!” Ruby exclaimed.
“but Applejack, she may be the only hope of Equestria!” another mare’s voice was heard for the filly and ghost.
“an’ that’s Twi!” Apple Bloom exclaimed, though too soft. “an’ what’s all this ‘bout hope of Equestria?”
“Ah don’ care! Mah sis won’t return to that darn forest! Ah lost mah family there once!”
“mah… mah family? Mom? Dad?” the earth filly thought. Gathering all of her courage, she opened the door in front of her. Ruby noticed it, and she dissipated and entered into the filly, her eyes gaining a faint yellowish tint.
“but, Applejack, the Bloody Moon-” Twilight tried to say.
“Ah won’t let mah sis go back, an’ that’s all!” Applejack shouted.
“an’ ah don’t have anythin’ ta say ‘bout this?” A voice was heard from behing both mares. When they turned around, they saw Apple Bloom, annoyed, but also with too many questions.
“A-Apple Bloom! return ta your room!” Applejack shouted, though her tone was weaker than the one she spoke to Twilight.
“No! ah wanna know what’s that ‘bout a Bloody Moon an’ all!” Apple Bloom shouted, act that destabilized her sister. She didn’t know how to deal with that… and the filly had an aura, that resembled the Everfree Forest’s. it scared her.
Twilight felt that aura, but she was more acclimated to it, so she spoke. “Apple Bloom. How much have you heard?”
“since mah sis’ forbid me ta return ta the Everfree.”
“oh… then, you want to know, I bet.” Twilight said. Without waiting for the filly(or the ghost inside of her) to answer, she started. “I received a letter of Celestia, telling me that there was going to be an event of catasthropic magnitudes, related with an event, where evil, blood-thirsty cratures will exit the Everfree Forest , and destroy everyone around. Houses, families, entire towns will be destroyed if the event happens.”
“an’ what’s that event?”
“Celestia only told me the name of the species; Blood Hooves.”
The two words, seemingly unimportant to Twilight, sent chills to Apple Bloom’s back. The things that tried to kill her, to “protect” her from a Cutie Mark, would be set free, roam across Equestria, and would try to do that to everypony she knew… it made her pale.
“she knows. Please, Apple Bloom, let me go.” Ruby said, in Apple Bloom’s mind.
“ah… ah… Don’ know…” Apple Bloom said, between the shock.
“I can help. You know that.”
“it’s too much… ah’m scared…”
“What is she doing?” Twilight asked.
“beats me. She’s been doin’ that since she returned from the Everfree.” Applejack said, now more calmed.
“an’ now they think ah’m crazy… good job, Ruby.” Apple Bloom deadpanned.
“Ruby? That name sounds familiar…” Twilight said. After seconds of thinking, she had an answer. “of course! Ruby Hoof, the filly whose death caused the Everfree to curse the original Blood Hooves!”
“yeah, is tha’ same… she’s inside of me… so ta speak.” The earth filly said.
The room turned silent. Applejack was scared, Twilight was shocked, and even Ruby shut her inexistent mouth.
“ya mean…” Applejack said.
“well, so much to be inside of you…” Ruby said, rematerializing outside of the filly, the latter’s eyes losing the yellow tint. “I see you know about me. How is that?”
“w-well, I saw some info about you from Celestia’s letter, so…” the alicorn said, still a bit confused for the ghost in front of her. Then she recovered. “do you think you can exit Apple Bloom completely? I’ve heard ghost possessing is bad for the mortal body, even if the ghost isn’t possessing per se.”
“I would do it if I could…” Ruby said, sadly. “my soul and Apple Bloom’s are interviened. If I was separated from her…”
“I see…” Twilight said, fully understanding the problem.
Unfortunately, so did Applejack. Her mind was already troubled, but now…
Now she lost it.
“Mah… mah sis’… gah…GAHHHH!! AAAHHHH!!” the earth pony could only make those noises, alerting the two living ponies and the ghost.
“Applejack, what’s-” Twilight couldn’t finish her phrase, because Applejack threw a hoof to her face. Even with her demi-godess enchanced body, she couldn’t make it on time, so she was hit with the full force of the hoof. Twilight was sent to the other side of the room, her snout with a droplet of blood coming from a nostril, and unconcious.
“Applejack! What are ya doin’?” Apple Bloom shouted, clearly scared. Applejack was out of control. Ruby was no better. The Blood Hooves were sadistic, sure, but they didn’t attack friends or family.
Applejack saw Apple Bloom, but her wiew shifted to Ruby, her rage now directed to her.
“DIE!!!” the cowpony screamed at the top of her lungs, and threw herself to Ruby. As she was materialized, she was hit with force for the orange hooves. She continued punching Ruby, unaware of Apple Bloom, who felt the hits with the strength they were sent.
“no… leave Ruby alone…” Apple Bloom tried to reason with her sister, but with no avail. The young filly’s fury and body were on her limits, so she could only think on one thing…
Use it.
“Ah said… LEAVE HER!!” with her-now white-eyes, Apple Bloom shouted in a way that would make the Royal Canterlot Voice sound like a baby screaming for mommy. Then, a white aura surrounded Applejack, stopping her attack. When she turned her eyes around, she saw her sister infused in the same aura. she turned to see Ruby, her dead eyes now filled with an emotion: fear. absolute fear.
She didn’t see when she was flung across the floor to the basement, still in that aura. The last thing she heard from someone was from Ruby:
“stop, Apple Bloom!! you know what happens when you use your psycho-quinetic powers!”
The first thing Applejack noticed was that she lost her hat.
The second thing was that she was inside of a pink-purple force field, and still in that blue aura that she was covered in before losing conciousness. The one that…
“Apple Bloom…” she said, trying to escape of the aura, without result.
“please, don’t do that, Applejack.” The Earth Pony heard somepony talk. That’s when she saw outside of the force field. She saw a recovered Twilight, using her magic to maintain the sphere active, and Apple Bloom, still glowing. Her eyes, however, were normal again, instead of the blue orbs that were moments ago, but with the yellow glow that showed that Ruby was inside of her. “Ruby’s controlling Apple Bloom’s sub-conscious enough time for you to explain why did you hurt me and tried to do the same with her, and she will lose the grip if you continue struggling.”
“that Ghost is doin’… what?” the cowpony stopped struggling, after hearing those words, confusing her.
"when ah’m really mad, and for mah connection with Ruby, ah can use Psycho-quinetic powers." Apple Bloom explained.
“ah… ah’m not an egghead… but, shouldn’t it be called psiche-”
“no, ah really mean Psycho-quinetic. When ah’m using it, ah… ah lose control, unless Ruby stops me.” The filly said, a bit sad. “and now… she is doin’ that?” Applejack asked, now fearing for her life, and pleading for Faust to the ghost to maintain the grip.
Apple Bloom nodded. “but ah won’t be calm until ya explain me what in the hay hap’ned with ya.” She said, blue glow exiting her eyes, like King Sombra’s dark magic. That scared even Twilight, who experienced it first hoof(and later first-hand, after the whole Sunset incident) twice.
Applejack, knowing that her sister would be a time bomb if she didn’t speak the truth, sighed. “Ah don’ want ya ta go… ‘cause that’s how we lost mom an’ dad.” Apple Bloom’s grip and aura lost power, as the filly looked at her sister with curiosity, but fear that what Applejack knew about her parents. Twilight also lost the force field, but the Alicorn managed to maintain it.
“wha… what are ya talking ‘bout?” Apple Bloom asked.
“it happened some time after ya were born… mom an’ dad were runnin’ to tha Everfree. Ah was curious, an’ followed ‘em. It wasn’t long ‘till they reached an small town inside of tha forest.”
“Sunny Town.” Apple Bloom said. Her sister nodded, and continued.
“when they reached it, mom an’ dad started usin’ costumes. Ah followed ‘em, secretly, as they gave a ruby ta an stallion.”
“that ruby cost my life… life’s ironic, don’t you think, Apple Bloom?” Ruby said inside Apple Bloom’s mind, with a tone of pain. Due to the connection, Apple Bloom felt her sadness.
“after that, they reached an old home… and that’s when a mare saw me. she was so distracted by me, that didn’t notice mom an’ dad...”
“then everytning went ta Tartarus.”
For Apple Bloom and Ruby, they understood what she was referring with that. Twilight didn’t, but assumed the worst.
“mom an’ dad were runnin’ from some zombies, while tha stallion became another. But she helped me, when tha zombies looked me.” Applejack said the last part with a tiny smile in her face, which later disappeared. “but then… mom an’ dad were trapped, and… and…” she couldn’t continue, and started to cry. She let herself out a pained scream, and continued. Twilight and Apple Bloom(who was already in the same form Applejack was) released their powers, and hugged the element of Honesty. “sorry… ah… ah can’t…” she said, between sobs.
“it’s ok, we are here. You don’t have to carry with that burden anymore.” Twilight told her. Some minutes happened, in which Applejack released the sealed pain of 10 years. After she calmed, Twilight summoned an apple juice for Applejack, to recover the liquids she lost.
“but… ah don’ understand somethin’…” Apple Bloom said. “how did ya escape from the zombies? Mitta wouldn’t have keep ya safe forever. Ah know.”
“oh… ah don’ know… a light… an’ ah appeared outside of the Everfree, with mom’s bow an’ dad’s setson.” Applejack said, recovered now. “then ah returned ta home, an’ made it look like it was a Timberwolf attack. Ah didn’t want ta reveal Big Mac or granny what hap’ned.”
“an’ ah understand. But, if ah’m the only hope Equestria has, then ah must go.” Apple Bloom said, decided.
“but ah don’ want ta lose ya! Please! Ah already lost mah parents, an’ now you ask me ta lose mah sis?!” Applejack exclaimed.
“no… but ah have ta go. Ah think what were they trying ta do… an’ ah know how ta finish it.” The filly said, taking her red bow, and releasing her red hair. “if ah finish it… maybe, just maybe… the curse will be broken, an’ they will rest.”
“Apple Bloom…” Applejack and Twilight said. The former pony picked up her setson, and sighed. She felf and remembered her father, her mother, and how happy they were before they entered into the Everfree. She put it back, a spark appeared to gleam in her eyes. “ya won’t go… at least, not alone.”
“Applejack… are ya-”
“ah’m goin’ ta go wit’ ya- an’ show that Pinkie knockoff what are the Apple capable off!” Applejack exclaimed, surprising the two ponies around her. Apple Bloom smiled a bit, followed by Twilight.
“and I will go with you two.” Twilight declared.
“uh… not ta sound rude, but… ah didn’ see Pegasus or unicorns on Sunny Town, so…” Apple Bloom said.
“I didn’t see any unicorns until I met Sweetie Belle.” Ruby said.
“don’t worry about that now. I have something for that.” Twilight said, winking at the earth ponies.
“then is decided! We are goin’ ta the Everfree!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. After preparing for some time, and including an spell to talk with Ruby while inside of Apple Bloom, the group of two mares, a filly and a ghost went to the Everfree… ready for the fight of their lives… literally.
The Everfree Forest. Usually, the sun rays weren’t able to pass trough the trees, making the forest scarier than normal. The Chaos magic sensed there was too strong, and even the animals weren’t there too long, even dragons. The one dragon who lived in the Everfree was a criminal, and sentenced to live on the cursed forest for 300 years. Steven Magnet, a sea serpent, usually roamed trough the waters of the Everfree, but he never stayed.
In short, the Everfree wasn’t a nice place.
However, this day was different. The sun managed to shine across the entire forest, showing a clear route for the Alicorn, the two Earth ponies and the ghost inside of the filly. It seemed like Celestia and… whatever the Everfree magic was, were joining forces to help them. Soon, the group reached the place where Ruby and Apple Bloom met.
“this is it. The entry ta tha cursed town is here.” Apple Bloom said.
"are you ready? Once we enter, there’s no way back, until we finish this… or we die.” Ruby said.
“we know. And we are ready.” Twilight said.
“hey, sis, ah have a question.” Apple Bloom told Applejack.
“yeah, sis?”
“is this because ya hated Zecora?”
“well, not exactly hate-hate, but somethin’ like tha’. ah was scared.” The cowpony said. “scared of wha’ever was on tha’ forest. But now ah know there are good things here, ah’m not so scared anymore.”
“some things you must not knoW. For You WiLl Die.”
A creepy voice was heard from the path. From it, a zebra appeared. Zecora, the only equine resident of the Eerfree.
Or, at least, something that looked like her.
The equine looked like the Zebra, but her eyes were big red balls, and her hind legs looked… putrid. They were oozing a weird red liquid, which didn’t look like blood, but something like it. The legs looked Like they were rotten…
Like zombie legs.
“behind me, girls!” Twilight declared, seeing the sick legs. Needless to say, both Apple sisters obeyed her. At the same time, Twilght put a shield in front of them.
Zecora(or the thing that looked like her) laughed. “yoU REALLy tHINk yOu Can defeat The Curse? NO!” suddenly, she threw her hooves to the shield. It started to break, for the alicorn’s confusion.
“How? This shield is strong! How are you able to break it?!”
“ThIS ZebRA’s MaGIC iS VerY StrONG! YoU’Re nothing COmpaREd wIth THE CURSE!!!” ‘Zecora’ said, pushing more of itself into the shield, effectively breaking it more.
“i… can’t… maintain it… much… longer!” Twilight exclaimed. Apple Bloom noticed the strain in her body, and immediately tapped into her powers.
‘Zecora’ felt it’s body heavy, and slow. It managed to see the teal aura on it, before being pinned down into the floor. It struggled to move, but Apple Bloom’s Psycho-powers were too strong for it.
“fREE Me! FrEe ME!” the zebra tried to escape, but the bonds were too tight. Applejack and Twilght used that streak of luck to use the rope the oldest Apple brought, and trapped her. However, Twilight stopped in the zebra’s leg. Applejack noticed it.
“Twi! Why did ya stop?! Mah sis cannot hold this thing any long!” Applejack said, looking at Apple Bloom, her eyes expelling that aura again.
“sis’ right Twi! If ya don’ end this now ah’ll lose mah control!”
“I know… is just that…” Twilight said. “she has a bite on her leg.” It was true. The zebra had a bite, and from it, the corruption seemed to expand. However, it stopped in it’s Cutie Mark, and returned from the other side. “it looks like a magical virus…good thing that Redheart taught me to use a healing spell.” Her horn glowed, and, while trapping the zebra with the lasso, she put it in the wound. At the same time, Apple Bloom released her powers, just before nearly losing control again.
The moment she did it, the equine started convulting, as possessed by a demon. It’s body twisted left and right, as if to escape from the spell and rope. However, it was futile- both things were too strong, and, finally, it stopped moving. It’s red eyes stoped glowing returning to it’s blue, normal coloration. it's-or her- hind legs began to fix themselves. When it was all done, Zecora, the zebra, returned to her senses.
“ow… what happened with me? I was searching for something, then I was here…” Zecora said, with her normal voice, and in her normal rhymes. Wiith that, Twilight and Applejack released her, the cowpony still careful.
“Zecora! You are you again!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.
“ i…what happened right… oh, my…” Zecora saw the bite in her legs, remembering everything. “I was attacking… and controlled… by the devil… I’m sorry.”
“the…what?” Twilight wondered.
“there is a creature of full darkness living here in the Everfree. This creature is a zombie, you see.”
“and I’m glad Spike is home right now.” Twilight thought to herself. “he wouldn’t sleep tonight if he heard that…”
“a Blood Hoof, right?” Apple Bloom asked.
“I’m surprised you know about them. I presume you have a relation, then.” Zecora said.
“we are here for the prophecy of the Blood Moon.” Twilight explained. “and to finish some unfinished deals.”
“the Blood Moon, I know what it is. But you must hurry up, or dead all we’ll be.” Zecora said.
“about that, how do you know about the Blood Moon?” Twilight asked.
“I live here, in the Everfree. I told Princess Celestia about the curse, you see.”
“so that’s why she only told me until now, because she didn’t know about it.” Twilight said. Then she turned to the Apples. “ok girls, we need to run. If i’m right, we only have 2 hours before the night begins.”
“but how are we gonna’ go ta Sunny Town? Tis’ tha’ only way.”Apple Bloom said.
“there’s another way, but it is longer. An hour and a half, and you are set there.”
“what?! Isn’t there another way?” Twilight asked. Zecora shook her head. “alright…” she sighed. “then tell us where to go.”
Zecora leaded them to a hidden path near them. “follow this lead, and you will find the dead.”
“aren’t ya commin’?” Applejack asked. The zebra shook her head again.
“I fear I’m too scared to go back. If I go there again… I fear I might not return sane.” Zecora said. This time without rhyming. That scared the two Apple sisters and Twilight. They knew Zecora, and if she didn’t rhyme… things were really bad.
“… ok. Then we’ll see ya when we finish tha’ curse.” Apple Bloom said, cutting the silence that followed after that.
“thanks, and I pray, that your quest will be safe.” Zecora said, taking another path to her hut, looking at every side, scared.
“now I’m scared. If the Blood Hooves scared Zecora that much…” Twilight said, her wings and legs shaking a bit because of that.
“unless they bite you, they aren’t so scary.” Ruby said.
“really?”
“if they were so scary, ah woudln’t affered mahself to come.” Apple Bloom said.
“it scared me when ah was a filly, but lookin’ back, tha only feaky thing was tha color of tha moon… an’ maybe them flesh.” Applejack shuddered, though she was smiling. “that was Disgustin’.”
“girls…” Twilight felt more sure. “ok, let’s finish this curse once and for all!”
With that declaration, the group headed trough the way, ready for whatever they would find…
and aware, thanks to that meeting with Zecora, what would happen if they failed.
After an hour and forty five minutes(they wasted fifteen minutes going to the mares’ bathroom), the three ponies(and ghost) reached Sunny Town. The entry was unguarded, and Apple Bloom guessed it was because of the main entry to the road leading to that eldritch hole of Tartarus was guarded by Zecora. When Twilight tried to feel the inside of the “Town”, her magic didn’t react. The forest had put some kind of protective spell arroud the entire hole of Tartarus, in order for no pony to enter to it.
Of course, the curse was strong, and after some years, it found a way to the forest. To attract ponies.
That was the gate to Sunny Town.
“ok. Now, wha’s tha plan?” Applejack asked Twilight. “if they see us, we are zombie meat.”
“oh, don’t worry. i have everything planned.” Twilight said. “you can still make that impression of a Manehattanite, right Applejack?”
“ah reckon… I mean, I can, dear Twilight.” Applejack said, with the way of talking her aunt and uncle form the big apple(not pun intended) taught her. Apple Bloom tried her hardest not to laugh, and Ruby was speechless.
“right. Apple Bloom, can you do the same?” Twilight asked the filly.
“no, ah reckon ah can’t. Babs was gonna’ tell me how ta do it next reunion.”
“oh. Oh, well, it’s just a setback, but nothing to worry.” the alicorn said. “ok. This is an spell I learnt in order to hide myself from unwanted princess idols, and believe me, there’s A LOT of them in Canterlot.”
Preparing her horn, she encapsuled the three ponies in a cocoon of light, which was encapsulated by the sun rays, now almost in twilight. The cocoon glowed a bit more, and then it dissipated.
When Apple Bloom managed to see again, she didn’t see her sister and Twilight.
She saw two different ponies. both were Earth Ponies. The first one was bright pink, and her eyes were blue. Her mane was red, and didn’t have Cutie Mark. The other mare was a red mare. She had a classy white hat, but not too classy. her mane was a lemon shade of yellow, and was tied in braids, and no Cutie Mark either. She had the same face of surprise Apple Bloom had.
“wha-wha´tha’ hay happ’ned?!” the red mare said, with a voice Apple Bloom recognized.
“A-Applejack?!” the filly said.
“shh! Not so strong! The Blood Hooves could hear us!” the other pony -Twilight, both Apples thought- whispered. “this is a glamour spell. It will last fifteen minutes, so we must hurry. Applejack, talk as your uncles. Apple Bloom, we’ll communicate trough Ruby. Don’t say anything, and we’ll manage to find her body and end with all of this soon.”
“and… ya planned this since when? ” Applejack asked.
“since we entered this road. Now, let’s roll.” Twilight said, entering into the portal that separed Sunny Town of the real world. The two sisters looked at each other, and nodded.
That was it. The end would be now. Either they ended the damned curse… or disappear in the darkness of the curse forever.
The three mares turned around, and saw a grey stallion, with black/grey mane. Applejack remembered him from her short time in the town, but Apple Bloom knew what would he do. “how did you come Here? We Don’t Have visiTors Usually.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “good… afternoon, sir. I’m Sparkly. Me,my friend and her sister were going to Ponyville, but we got lost.”she sounded scared, and, in a sense, she was. But she was also putting a show in order for the zombie not to kill them.
“oh, I See. And Who are you?” Grey Hoof asked the Apple sisters.
“oh, my. I forgot to introduct myself, didn’t i? sorry for that, gentlestallion.” Applejack said. In Apple Bloom’s mind, Ruby was laughing at top of her nonexistent lungs. “my name is Mapple Jaqueline. My sister is called Mapple Blossom. The poor darling is mute, sadly.”
“just for now, son of a Changelling.” Apple Blom thought, hiding behind her sister, to make an impression of a really scared filly.
“oh, poor sweetie. But you Know what’S ThE best medicine?” Grey Hoof looked at Apple Bloom, though not at her eyes. “A PARTY!" the way he said that reminded them of Pinkie Pie, but ten times more creepy and with the added effect of wanting to kill the stallion(of course, being a zombie and all, it wouldn't have worked). "In fact, we are pReparing ourselves for One right Now. Do You want to ComE?”
“u.huuh..uh.” Apple Bloom said, mimicking the way in how a mute friend she had “talked”.
“she’s saying she would love to stay here. The sun is setting down, and, to be frankly fair, this forest is really scary. I can’t even imagine how would it be at night.” Applejack said, knowing that the stallion in front of them was scarier than them.
“oh, RighT! Hope You like It!” Grey Hoof said, and ran to a close table, where he had a good-looking cake. It looked really good, and Twilight wanted to bite it. However, she saw Apple Bloom, who shook her head.
“concentrate, Twilight. We need to find Roneo and Starlet, then we can enter the room where mom is.” Ruby said. The unicorn nodded, and walked to the closest house, the one where cries were heard. Those tears were from Mitta, Ruby’s mother. Applejack could hear the cries of the undead mare as they got close to the house.
Applejack had heard those cries before. The night when their parents…
She shook her head. Now it wasn’t the time to cry for the past. Now they had to find that ruby, for the sake of Equestria!
… after thinking that, the thought that those were the weirdest thoughts she had placed together.
“oh, you three! coME heRe, plEASe! I need Help!” Roneo called the three ponies, as soon as he saw them. The girls reached him, with faces that showed confusion, but minds that were alert.
“uh, yes, sir?” Twilight said.
“thank the Founders somepony’s here!” Roneo exclaimed, and, for some reason, it sounded… sincere. Not like Grey Hoof’s pretensions for a party, but… real sincere.
“uh, and if I may ask, why?” Applejack asked.
“well… I nEED Help with sOmethIng.” The stallion said, his voice returning to the corrupted way of talking. “I LosT SomeTHing I Would Give to My MarefRiend, and I Can’T FIND it!”
“oh. And what is it?” Twilight asked.
“a RUBYYY!” Roneo said, in a way that sent chills to Ruby’s unexistant spine. Of course, Apple Bloom felt it too. That triggered a few memories, when Ruby was…
“not now, Ruby. if he feels something , we are dead.” Apple Bloom thought to the Ghost “possesing” her. That was enough for the ethereal pony to be calmed, At least for now.
“I wAS in that place, and I lOSt it!” Roneo exclaimed. From what the girls knew about him, he may had lost a lost more than it. “caN You HelP ME?”
Apple Bloom nodded, still “acting” scared. The acting part was because some of the images of Ruby’s death were really graphic. And as a ghost, Ruby could feel them every time they appeared in her mind. Obviously, that hurt Apple Bloom.
“thanKS! Can You Go looking there? I feel you may find something there.” Roneo said.
Again, with that normal voice. For some reason, he sounded sincere, contraire to how he sounded when he said he lost the ruby.
“uh-uh.” Apple Bloom said. “uh-uh…uh.”
“dear Mapple Blossom said we will go there.” Applejack said.
“thanks! My rElatIoN, no, my life is in danger!” he said, and returned to guard the door house.
After he left, Apple Bloom talked, via Ruby. “this was really weird. I felt something when he talked normally. Did you-”
“me too. There must be something different with them, if you didn’t feel that before.” Twilight said.
“they weren’t like that, even when I was alive.” Ruby said. “there must have something to do with the Blood Moon.”
“then we must hurry up. If they are panning something, we don’t want to stay here.” Twilight said.
“and neither you nEEd to.” Another new voice was heard. This time, though, the voice was not… alive. “we haven’t seen in a FeW Days, right… what was your name?… Apple BlOOm?”
The three ponies were paralized with fear. In front of them, there was a green mare.
Three Leaf, one of the original Blood Hooves, knew who they were.
“Th-Three Leaf!” Apple Bloom said, shutting her mouth after that.
“Behind me girls, we won’t go out without a fight!” Twilight declared. The two Apples stayed behind the “hidden” unicorn, as she charged her magic, almost nullifying the illusion spell. Three Leaf saw that, and opened her eyes wide.
“What? Stop! You will ruin your mission if you do that!” the zombie-mare said, as strong as she could without revealing herself to Grey Hoof.
That confused the girls.
“Huh? Why do you-”
“Silence! if Grey Hoof discovers you, game over! He’ll summon the other Blood Hooves and kill you three-or four, if I’m right on Ruby being inside of one of you.” Three Leaf said, atonishing the girls(and ghost) more.
“Wait, YOU want to help US?” Twilight asked.
“Of course I do! Do you think everyhoof likes being commanded by Grey Hoof? That we love to kill?”
“Ya didn’ have tha’ problem wit’ Ruby.” Apple Bloom said, her eyes glowing a bit blue.
“I know, and I want to apologize for almost all of us, even if I know that doesn’t change anything.” The mare said, knowing what she did years before. “We were blinded by Grey Hoof, and his idea of curse marks…” Three Leaf kicked the ground under her. “How idiots we were.”
“Y-yer sayin’-”
“Yes. I’m sorry, and I’ll help you to end this curse, even if it means that we get sent into Tararus.”
The three ponies were confused.
“i… I trust her.”
“R-Ruby?!” Apple Bloom shouted, softly.
“I don’t know why… but I know she’s telling the truth. Also, if she were going to kill us, why don’t doing It now?”
The three mares looked at each other. Ruby had a point. But they couldn’t forget; that was one of the zombies under Grey Hoof’s curse.
“And, Don’t you feel it, Apple Bloom?” Ruby told her host. “Her spirit, she’s pure in what she’s saying.”
“Yes… I did. But…”
“No buts! If you felt it, then you know what she’s saying is true, that her mind and soul are clear and want to end this hellish curse.”
Apple Bloom sighed. “Okay. Ah’ll trust ya. But if ya do anyhin’…” She said, her eyes glowing again.
“I’ll remember it.” The mare said. “Okay, by now Gladstone is looking for the Ruby. We can’t touch it, except for Roneo and Starlet. Is part of the curse.”
“I see.” Twilight said, as she saw a brownish stallion reaching the three mares and two undead.
“Found it! Is near that tree this time.” He said, pointing to a close tree. Under it, a ruby was glowing with fire, though there was almost no light in the town by now.
“Thanks, Gladstone.” Thee Leaf said, as Apple Bloom and Twilight saw the red gem in front of them. That was when Gladstone saw the filly.
“Oh, you are that girl… Sorry for what happened.” He said, lowering his ears. “And tell Ruby I’m sorry, too.”
“And why should ah believe yah?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Because I’m tired of this. Killing living ponies, making them “Safe”… I’m repulsed.” The zombie explained, the sober in his voice too strong. “He… he blinded us for a long time. Now, it’s our turn to be safe. To escape this.”
Apple Bloom only looked at him, with her eyes looking at the zombie’s own eyes. They were filled in despair and sorrow. He was saying he truth.
“…Ah’ll trust ya too.” Was the only thing that left Apple Bloom’s mouth. And these words made the stallion happy. Meanwhile, she used a little of Psycho-quinesis to attract the gem to her hooves.
“We have it. What now?” Twilight asked.
“Now we’ll give tha’ gem ta Roneo. If they really want ta end tha’ curse, we need tha’ help of Mitta, Ruby’s mother.” Apple Bloom said, as the mares reached the confused stallion.
“Here, we found your Ruby... Darling.” Applejack said. Roneo looked at it, and smiled. A good smile.
“Thank you! Now I’ll go see Starlet!” Roneo said. “This gem… it holds our dreams and hopes… And if I could say anything… Is that I’m sorry.”
“We talked with Three Leaf. We understand.” Twilight whispered. Roneo smiled more.
“Thanks! Now I’ll talk with Starlet!” He said, running to his lover, not without whispering a “Good luck…” to the girls.
The three mares turned to the door he was guarding. Mitta’s cries were strong now. They entered.
The cries were stronger inside of the house. Apple Bloom heard them, and couldn’t stop feeling sad. And that wasn’t because Ruby was inside her- though that helped. She felt sorry for the mother that lost her filly to the ramblings of a mad stallion. She felt sorry for the mother that was cursed for doing nothing to save her daughter, even if she tried to.
“M-Mom?” She heard Ruby talk, now outside of her. The ghostly mare stopped crying, and turned to see the three mares, and the ghost in front of them.
“R-Ruby…” Mitta muttered, in shock. Locking her almost souless eyes in the eyes of the ghost, she jumped in glee to her. “Ruby!!!”
“Mom… I missed you…” Ruby said, between tears. At her side, Apple Bloom, Applejack and Twilight smiled at the reunion.
“But…” Mitta stopped hugging her daughter. “Ruby, what are you doing here?”
“Mom… I’m here to save Equestria from the curse.”
Mitta’s eyes widened. “What? Is today?!”
“The Blood Moon? Yes, and we are here to stop it.” Twilight said.
“… How do you know about the Blood Moon?” The Zombie pony asked, a bit suspicious.
“A friend of ours told us.” Apple Bloom said. It was then when Mitta’s eyes widened when she saw the pony.
“You… You are that pony! The last one who entered the Town!”
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened with shock. She lifted her hoof… Only to see it was back to normal.
“Girls!! Tha spell!”
“Oh no!! The spell is over!” Twilight exclaimed. “fifteen minutes have passed already?”
“If that’s so, tha moon will be out soon!!” Applejack declared. “We must hurry our hooves up!”
“You want to end the curse, and for that you need Ruby’s corpse.” Mitta said, as she moved some boxes in the back of the house they were in. “Follow me, this door leads to Grey Hoof’s house.”
“Was that there when I was alive?” Ruby asked.
Mitta shook her head. “It appeared a few years after that. I don’t know how it happened, It just did.”
She opened the door, which showed the house of the big bastard that had cursed his entire town for his fear.
“Tha door is locked, Twilight.” Apple Bloom told the alicorn.
“Don’t worry, I have perfected a lock-picking spell.” Twilight said, proudly.
“Then why didn’t ya use it with tha box?” Applejack asked.
Twilight hung her hear in shame. “I tried. It didn’t open.”
“Shameful things later, first we need to end this curse.” Ruby said. Twilight nodded, and used her spell to open the door.
“Ready everypony? When we cross this door, there will not be turning back.” Ruby warned.
“I’m ready.” Twilight said.
“As ready as a bunch of fresh apples!” Applejack exclaimed.
“I’ve been wishng for this day for a lot of years.” Mitta said.
“Ah won’t come back to mah home… Until we end this once an’ for all. For mah parents.” Apple Bloom said.