> The Land of Equestra > by Equestrian Writer > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > The Lost Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The night was a cold one for SweetApple acres. An orange earth pony walked through the midnight fields and hummed a small tune to herself. It was always her job to walk through her family property to make sure nothing was out of place or stolen. Not only was it a chilly night, but a windy one at that. The Appletrees sang and danced in the wind, as Applejack clung her hat to her head. She was especially fond of that brown, old, Stetson hat for as long as she could remember, and the last thing she wanted was for her last sentimental gift from her parents to become part of natures song. As the young mare marched through the farmland, she spent the time thinking about tomorrow. Now on any other day she would not be so fixated on a single day that wasn't harvesting. But tomorrow was special. Tomorrow was her 18th birthday. She would finally be seen as a mare, and not a filly anymore. "Maybe then, I'll be able to run this farm with more responsibility" "Without Big Mac double checking everything I do" Big Macintosh had always trusted his closest sibling, but given the fact that his hoof was almost amputated by his own grandmother thanks to Applejack, he still kept an eye on her. Big Mac was not the only sibling Applejack had, she also had a 7-year-old baby sister named Applebloom, who had to be asleep by now. Maybe tomorrow she c- Her thinking was cut off. A sound emerged from the ever free trees. It was a weird sound, not one that she had ever heard. It was a sharp cracking noise, followed shortly by a blinding light. The light burned the eyes of an unsuspecting earth pony, startling her to the cold, dark dirt that made the apple family roads. "WHAT IN TARNATION?!?!" But the blinding light and the deafening sound was over as quickly as it started. Within minutes, she just sat upright on the ground, shell shocked. The incident transpired just beyond the white picket fence that divided the apple property. What in equestria was that? Applejack asked herself this question for longer than she would like to admit. She decided that it would be best to sort this one out by herself. Gathering as much courage a nearly 18-year-old earth pony can gather, she started to get closer to where she saw the blinding light. She climbed over the fence with ease. It was getting very, very dark. * SNAP * Applejack stopped in her tracks. Something else was with her, something alive. Applejack head spun, she was getting more and more scared by the second. Breathing hard, eyes clenched she said the only thing that came to her mind. "H-Hello?" she said making it clear to her, and whatever else was out there, that she was indeed very scared. She closed her eyes not wanting something horrible to happen. She wanted to find out what had made that noise, so she opened her eyes agen, and what she saw she was not prepared for. It was a creature, laying down on a bed of grass and twigs. That wasn't what Applejack was expecting. The figure was sprawled out on the ground like a tangled marriennet, with a very bad puppenter. It was still breathing. Applejack got a closer look at the figure, it only had fur on the top of its head, but the rest. . . . . The rest of the creature was covered in clothes. Clothes that Applejack had never seen before. Applejack felt its skin. It was sharp cold, that's when the young Applejack realized that the creature was shaking. Not of fear, but of coldness. If this creature, whatever it is, stayed out here for much longer, it will die. So, the young earth pony did what any other would do. She dragged the mysterious creature on her back, which to her surprise was a perfect fit. Applejack began the long walk back down to the barn. What will granny think of this, she thought. Well after all, maybe granny will know what kind of creature this is. She trotted up the stairs of the porch and opened the front door. Both Granny and Big Mac was in the living room, waiting for Applejack to come back to report that everything was in "tip top shape" but they weren't expecting what their eyes showed them. Applejack was greeted by stares from her family. Even Big Mac was uncomfortable with the silence that followed the door opening. Applejack was the first to break the silence. "Hey Granny, I-I-I found this here creature in the forest near death." Granny Smith got up from her wooden rocking chair and walked up to Applejack to examine the "creature". She looked it over and over with a worried expression until Applejack asked the question she had wanted answered for so long now. "Do you know what it is?" Granny didn't answer, she instead just looked at big mac and asked a similar question. "Do you. . . . . . . . Mac?" "Eenope" came his short but nervous reply. Before Applejack entered the room, Granny was as relaxed as one pony could be, and Big Mac was almost asleep. Now Granny was worried and Big Mac was wide awake, both where alert. Applejack placed the mystery figure on the family couch as Granny paced the living room. Granny Smith paced for a good long while, both Applejack and Big Mac knew to never interpet Granny when she was thinking. Granny started to think out loud. "Maybe tomorrow I can- well. . . . . that won't do much. We need to do something now." Granny now spoke with determination. "Big Mac!" Big Mac jumped, ears shot up. When Granny wanted to make herself known, she did a darn good job of it. Granny continued. "Take this creature up to the Applejack's bed, the couch is far to uncomfortable." Applejack began to protest. "But Granny wh-" Granny fired back. "YOU LISTEN HERE YOUNG MARE, YOU WHERE THE FILLY WHO BROUGHT IT IN!"