Chapter 1: Circumstances

When will she learn nothing will ever be easy, especially if you started out thinking it was going to be.

A long time ago, back when Apple Bloom was a filly, she was told that the Everfree Forest was strictly forbidden and was very dangerous to even approach. That was of course before her older sister Applejack and her friends entered the forest to fight a mythical monster named Nightmare Moon. Since then, the forest was sort of...changing throughout the years. Granted, it was still unwise to go deep into the forest at night or without protection of sorts but it still became less of a threat and more of a fascinating place of enchantment. Apple Bloom still looks back fondly at the days when she would walk to Zecora’s hut and began to master the art of alchemy. But perhaps those days have long past. She heard rumors from her late grandmother that the Everfree Forest changes throughout the years. One generation could have it become tranquil while the next generation seems to deal with nothing but monsters and abnormal beasts bursting out of the forest. Like the seasons, the forest seems to go through a cycle of peace and terror. It is just unfortunate that Apple Bloom happens to enter the forest at the wrong time.

The leaves barely made the distinguishable crunching sound that happens when you step on them as Apple Bloom ran down the bump trail that was winding down a small hill. Partly it was because of the recent rain but also was the fact that Apple Bloom was galloping at full speed that her hooves didn’t leave much of an impact as they barely touch the ground. It would be impressive if not for the fact that a fully grown manticore was chasing her down with the full intention of eating her. It was in her carelessness that Apple Bloom forgot to bring anything to ward off a manticore. Now she was paying the price by pushing her body to the absolute limit, which for an Earth pony, is saying something.

Ya know, Apple Bloom thought as her body began to burn with pain, if I was back in Ponyville I could so participate in the Running of the Leaves. Maybe even do it solo.

Just then the manticore roared loudly behind her, it’s massive body closing the distance between them.

Damn it, Apple Bloom! she chided herself. Now is not the time to get your head in the clouds. We have to find a way to outmaneuver the manticore.

She spotted another winding path that was hidden in the undergrowth. Immediately, Apple Bloom bolted to the left and leaped over the bushes and fallen logs and landed on the dirt below. It was just in time as the manticore swiped at the place her head was at moments ago. Apple Bloom uses the momentum to carry herself over the zig-zagging path, cutting across the plant's trees. The manticore leaped and bounded to get back in catching up with her. Apple Bloom didn’t look back but instead began jumping down the hill, hoping gravity would help her. It was for a little bit. Apple Bloom was able to gain some distance. She, however, made a mistake by not paying attention as she went to turn and her right front hoof got caught on a hidden root that caused her to trip.

Oh no, Apple Bloom realized what would happen next.

Suddenly her body was sprung forward and flung down the hill and towards the edge of a cliff. Apple Bloom realized where she was falling to but the momentum was too great. After bouncing three times on the ground, Apple Bloom tumbled off the steep hill and right above a deep ravine. Luckily, Apple Bloom spotted a tree branch sticking out and lunged for it. One of her front hooves managed to snag it and she was able to hang on and stop her body from falling down. The branch creaked and sagged but did not break. Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief. She was beginning to make her way back to the safety of the high ground when she heard a low growl emitting from above her head.

She looked up to see the manticore perching above her. Saliva was dripping down from the monster’s gaping maw. It inched closer to the edge, tensing up for the perfect strike. Apple Bloom was trapped. She either had to move away from the cliff and risk breaking with her weight or she had to get closer to the cliff face and be in the range of the monster’s strike. Apple Bloom gulped, paralyzed with fear.

Then the manticore attacked. It didn’t use its body, however, but the large, barbed tail instead. The strike was instant. The barb grazed across Apple Bloom’s shoulder, barely missing her neck which would have been proven fatal. The tail recoiled just as quickly but managed to cut a hairline crack on the main branch as it did so. Apple Bloom felt her grip slipping. Her hooves were just not made to hold onto things. Especially wet, thin tree branches. She realizes she only had one option. Swinging her body with all her weight, Apple Bloom kicked the trunk with one of her hind legs. The force caused the crack to widen and began to splinter. The manticore realized what was happening. It struck again but the time more wildly. The barbed tail hit the main truck instead, causing the entire thing to rip in half. Wood splinters flew everywhere and Apple Bloom felt gravity take hold. Before she could react or do anything, she fell down to the ravine.

Eventually, she let out a scream but it was only after she realized how fast she was falling. Her body spun in midair. Wind howling past her. She tumbled and twisted as the bottom came closer. Then one of her hooves was scraping against the rock face. Apple Bloom realized she had to slow down or she would die. Using all her strength, she put her four hooves against the rock wall to slow herself down. Whether it was nearly successful or not was unknown to her for once she began to slow down, her body was suddenly flung away and she tumbled onto a large, dry, tree trunk that was wedged in between the two cliffs for centuries. But alas, she finally stopped.

In pain, bleeding from her various cuts, and dizzy from the blood and adrenaline rushing through her body, Apple Bloom groaned as she tried to stand up. Just as luck would have it, one of her legs was either twisted or broken as a sharp pain emitted from her limbs when she tried to move them. Well, this was certainly a mess you’ve gotten into, Apple Bloom, she thought. But at least she was safe from the manticore and nothing else can go wrong.

Then the fallen log began to creak and groan. Apple Bloom looked up, fully alert.

“No,” she gasped in horror.

Then the entire thing shook as one side became loose.

“No, no, no,”

The wood creaks slightly before the entire thing started to slide down and began to tumble loose, with Apple Bloom still on it.

“Oh, COME ON!” Apple Bloom yelled.

Apple Bloom closed her eyes as she felt herself plunging deep into the river. The cold water shocked her as she tumbled around in the rapids. Eventually was able to breach the surface and gasped for air. Her best bet was to find a way to get to a small bank and island. But the current was too strong. She tried to move to the edge of the river but each time she did, a wave would knock her against a sharp rock. At this rate, she will drown before she can make it to safety. That thought scared her. She realized that this will be the day she will die. The last day she will ever see her friends or Applejack. A cold, dizziness was gripping her mind. Another dull thought erupted in her mind when she realized that she was poisoned by the manticore.

Alone, poisoned, drowning, her body certainly broken, this seems to be the end for Apple Bloom. But a fiery emotion was consuming her. It was telling her these three words: Don’t Give Up. And like that, anger and determination took over. Apple Bloom braced and tense up as she found a small rock breaching the water surface. Using the only limb that seems to be working, her front left leg, she tackled the rock and put it in a vice grip. Then using her mouth and neck, she slowly crawled up the rock and out of the current. It was slow going but Apple Bloom managed to get out of the river.

Just then a light was shining above her. She strained her neck as she looked up to see what the light was. A luminous being was hovering above her. Some sort of angelic being? Whatever the case, it was saying something. It was reaching out with a strange appendage of some sort. It seems to be offering help.

“Do you need help?” it sang.

“Yes,” Apple Bloom managed to groan out.

“Then take my hand.”

Apple Bloom didn’t know what that meant but did what it wanted. Her hoof touched the luminous being and felt warm light coming across her. Then bliss and nothingness watch over Apple Bloom. Her thoughts before she passed were at least this was a good life. Then she wasn’t there.

Apple Bloom woke up with a sudden gasp. For a brief moment, she couldn’t recall what happened to her. Then the entire disaster flooded back into her mind. The manticore, the fall, the river. All the memories and pain from her extrusion came upon her like a shift in temperature. Apple Bloom began to panic. Then she remembered what Applejack told her what she did during her darkest hours. How she had to be calm and remain focused on the task ahead, how she told herself that she will get through this. All she had to do was control her breathing, clear her mind, and think of the one thing that will get her through this. So, that is what Apple Bloom did. Once she got her breathing under control, she then took in her surroundings.

Apple Bloom was in a cave of some sort. The cave was much wider than she anticipated. The ceiling was tall enough for a grown dragon to stand up comfortably in without even touching the closest stalactite. Across the cave was a smooth floor of soil and sand that seems to be made over the centuries by a bed of water that once formed over it. Wherever she was, it was massive and most likely hidden underground.

Okay, am I in Hell? Apple Bloom thought.

She didn’t think that she did anything to deserve that kind of fate. Looking around, she didn’t see any other pony with her. It was just her.

Ain’t no other pony in sight, then. Apple Bloom got up. She noticed a large cloak was wrapped all over her body. The silk felt fine and soft. Like very soft. That not even a pony like Rarity would be able to get her hooves on this kind of material. Apple Bloom also felt off. Her balance felt weird. And her hind hooves were aching fiercely. Apple Bloom noticed that right by the spot she woke up was a dying fire. She had concluded that somepony brought her here. But then why would they leave her alone?

Apple Bloom continued to go forward, towards the center of the cave. It was then she noticed a light was coming from that direction, light intense enough to illuminate most of the cave. Apple Bloom doubled her pace. She was able to climb over a small hill with a slight slope. Once she reached the crest, she let out a small gasp. In the center of the cave was a small groove with the remains of a lake receded in the crease. Above the lake, however, were small balls of lights that hover over the surface like fireflies or a cluster of stars. They were beautiful and mesmerizing. So much so, that Apple Bloom didn’t look where she was trotting to and ended up tripping again and sliding softy down the bottom.

Apple Bloom managed to tangle herself in the giant cloak as she tried to get up. It seems that her body was just uncoordinated and just not listening to her. She let out an annoyed groan as she tangled her legs from the unyielding fabric. Dirty, sore, and lost as ever, Apple Bloom had enough of this confusion. She was about to let out a scream of frustration when a voice called out.

“Hey! You are awake!”

Apple Bloom paused, not entirely sure she heard a voice to begin with.

“Hello?” she said to the emptiness that surrounded her.

Suddenly one of the balls of light came flying down, shimmering with a new glow. Apple Bloom covered her head. She feared that ball of light was going to hit her. Instead, the small ball of light came to a stop and began to float just at eye level. Apple Bloom opens her eyes slightly to see that this was a weird creature. She could see small, glassy wings like that of a dragonfly. She could also see multiple appendages were sticking out. But it wasn’t the usual four that Apple Bloom could deal with but about eight. The skin was also green and had the texture of flora. Well, that is what she could see. The creature was emitting a very bright light from the center of its body that makes it hard to get much of the details. Apple Bloom had to shield her eyes to prevent herself from being blind. The closest thing she could think of that this resembles was a parasprite.

“So glad you are awake, I sense that my nats are working correctly and that you will be in your new form and be in primary condition in approximately 380 seconds.” The small voice said, emitting from the strange creature.

“Who the hay are you?” Apple Bloom said, trying to avoid looking directly at the creature.

“Oh, how rude of me, I guess introductions are in order.” the creature chirped. “My registered name is Echo Sigma-4. You can call me Eos if you prefer. My previous models will sadly not be able to protest if you go by our unified name. My masters were unable to keep them alive long enough during our journey. My sources on conversation protocol indicated that I have been speaking about myself without giving you a chance to let you speak. So, I inquired, what is your name and species?”

Apple Bloom was slightly taken aback before she answered.

“Uh, Apple Bloom,” she told the creature.

“Response is acceptable,” it said monotony. “Greetings ‘Uh, Apple Bloom’.”

“Wait, no,” Apple Bloom corrected it. “My name is just Apple Bloom.”

“Response is acceptable,” it said again. “Greetings ‘Just Apple Bloom’.”

“No!” Apple Bloom yelled, getting slightly annoyed. “My name is Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom! Apple! Bloom!”

“Response is acceptable,” it repeated once more. “Greetings, Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom.”

Apple Bloom just gave up and planted her face into the dirt. Eos titled its entire body slightly.

“My internal sources indicate that your name is Apple Bloom, singular,” it said. “Is this correct?”

“Yes,” Apple Bloom groaned, her voice muffled by the dirt.

“I do apologize,” Eos said, voice having a slight hint of remorse. “My masters made me to be the best in communications and culture protocol but some things do slip by my response mechanisms. But I do welcome you to our journey and hope that I can be of any helpful guidance to you until the journey is complete.”

Apple Bloom jumped up suddenly, removing her face from the ground. A small shiver came over her body. Suddenly, she felt cold. It occurred to her that this being may have saved her but also took here to Celestia’s knows where. As far as she is concerned, she has been trapped here for days or maybe even weeks. She had to get back home. She turned to Eos.

“Where am I?”

“Your inquiry is unspecified,” Eos replied. “Our current coordinates suggest that we are in Quadrant Three, section 81-”

“I meant this cave!” Apple Bloom holds the cloak tightly around her body for some reason. “You took me here. You rescued me, correct?”

“That is correct,” Eos said. “Your body was in risk of premature expiration and had to act at the moment to ensure that you had lived. It was also necessary as it gave me the only opportunity to complete my latest directive for this journey.”

“So, where are we from where you took’en me from?” Apple Bloom asked. “I have to get back to Ponyville as soon as possible.”

“This location is approximately nine kilometers southeast from our original meeting point and about twenty-five meters below the surface of the planet. The closest civilization is determined to be thirteen kilometers to the north, sitting on the edge of the forest’s boundary-”

“That’s Ponyville!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “I need to get there right now!”

“I believe that is unwise, though,” Eos’s body came down a notch. “Your body is currently in the undertakes of a biological remaking that requires minimum strain on your physical self. It requires that I keep you monitored and prevent you from doing unnecessary damaging tasks on your physical form until an hour after the transformation. Once that is done, I will evaluate and test your body to see that it is fit for extensive activities and able to leave sanctuary zone without a proper escort.”

There was a slight pause. Then Apple Bloom responded. “What do you mean ‘after the transformation’?”

There was a slight pause.

“Oh, dear”

Eos seems to shy away from responding. Its body looked away from Apple Bloom and down to the ground. If Apple Bloom had to guess, it realized that it made a mistake and didn’t know how to correct it. Now it was giving a distinct feeling of shame and guilt. If Apple Bloom didn’t know that this thing involved had done something to her, she would feel sad for it. But this admission of guilt had given Apple Bloom a clear sign that something was going on and she intends to find out. Now.

“What did you do to me?” Apple Bloom growled.

Eos backed away slightly.

“I’m ask’n what you do to me,” Apple Bloom stepped towards the creature of light. “So, you better spill it. What did you do to me?”

“Any response I give will not result in a positive manner that-” Eos begin

“No response will result in my hoof being shoved into your so-called face,” Apple Bloom cut Eos off. “Now I think I’m entitled to some answers, so you best be ‘splaining.”

Eos hesitated, looking to the various directions that surround them. Realizing that there was no out for this, Eos finally begin to come clean and began to explain.

“I never intended to have done this spell-program this way,” Eos told her. “It was always meant to be a voluntary measure, to ensure that there was no risk or danger to my masters and the safety of the crew. Desperate times call for desperate measures, however, and I was given one final directive to ensure that the journey wasn’t in vain. That my masters would be able to recover even after such a terrible blow.”

“You masters?” Apple Bloom inquired. “Just who are your ‘masters’?”

“They are known officially as Homo Sapiens,” Eos chirped. “They also have been called the Patrons of the Sol System, Scourges of Misery, The Mysterious Ones, The Lost Children, dead scum, stupid apes, and various other names. They prefer to be called human beings or humans at least. They are the ones that created me.”

“Created you?”

“Well, they gather the materials necessary to build me, grew my needed organs and tissues, and infuse my body with the gift of magic and life along with integrating my cortex with the required knowledge for me to perform all my basic tasks. So, yeah, they created me.”

Apple Bloom was taken aback. “I may not be the sharpest tool in the barn,” she stated. “But from my understanding, creating life with magic is one of the hardest spells to do. Not even Princess Twilight was able to keep something like that going for very long. Ain’t nopony able to do such a thing.”

Eos, in Apple Bloom’s surprise, let out a small chuckle. Or something creepily similar to one.

“Well, from my master’s initial scanning of your planet and species, that is to be expected,” it explained to her. “They have estimated that your specie’s knowledge and abilities have only ranked you about 3.6 on a scale of 7. Yes, you are able to tap into and manipulate the quantum magic field for various tasks including weather control, telekinesis, and plant harvesting. But my masters didn’t see anything extraordinary that would tip the scales to an advanced civilization that would require additional contact. In fact, that is why they chose to hide away here on your planet. Your species and the planet was beneath everyone else’s notice.”

Apple Bloom was about to ask something when she felt a sharp pain in her lower barrel region. She winced involuntarily. For a moment she felt like she was going to puke. A wave of nausea came over her causing her senses to become dull. Then things seem to return to normal. Except something was off with her eyesight. And her hearing. They seem to be reduced a little bit.

“Sorry about that,” Eos said once again. “My biological profile suggests that your species do have a slight advantage in the departments of sight, hearing, smell, and most of the other sensors that provided the data for the body’s perception.”

Apple Bloom suddenly put two and two together. She turned to Eos with a sharp glare.

“You’re transforming into the species of your masters?” she hissed. “You’re turning me into a hu-mon? What for?”

Eos once more hesitated before replying.

“It was one of the final directives I was given,” Eos answered. “It was also the only solution I had available. When I came across you in the river, my latest scan indicated that you had high levels of neurotoxins in your bloodstream and that many of your organs were highly infected. Along with the initial trauma you’ve sustained, your body was severely damaged from your recent exertion. My nas are working endlessly to undo the damage you’ve had sustain but to prevent doing permanent damage I need a perfect biological layout of the subject’s species before I can do a complete healing spell. The only perfect biological layout I have right now is that of a human.”

“So, you figured just to transform me into a human without telling me why or trying to find a way to heal my full body?”

“Again, this is not how I normally would have preceded.” Eos elevated to a position out of Apple Bloom’s reach. “But my final directive was very clear and circumvent all other protocols I was given. I had to find a sapient being who would be able to carry out the rest of the journey and was able to guard my master’s most prized possession from any danger. You happen to come across my safety perimeter when you were dying and you happen to be a perfect match for the requirements of the transformation spell. As my masters would say, I killed two birds with one stone. Or was it two stones with a bird. Maybe it was killed one-two with a bird stone. No, I think it was killed one stone bird with a two.”

Apple Bloom felt anger rising inside her. You know, she didn’t ask for much. Sure, she may have been a bit rotten when she was a filly, always begging for a cutie mark and doing the occasional prank or two. And sure, she and her friends went on an adventure and got in a wee bit of trouble now and then. But now that she has grown out of that phase and started to move on with her life, she hopes to keep everything normal and settle down. No more crazy adventures for her and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Yet of all the times she could be in such a dilemma, fate had to pick now to thrust into a mess like this. Apple Bloom wanted to take her anger out on something and there was only one option. The option of this annoying creature who is doing this to her.

“Hey, Eos,” Apple Bloom said in a sing-song voice. “I have a question.”

“Ooh, an inquiry” the creature came down from its spot, unaware of the fiery look Apple Bloom was giving it. “What is the question you have, Miss Apple Bloom? Do you wish to learn more about your current transformation status?”

“No, my question is something different” Apple Bloom said quietly. Then she proceeded to yell at the top of her lungs. “WHAT THE HELL WERE Y'ALL THINKING?”

The last words echoed loudly across the cave. Apple Bloom could hear her voice repeating about six times despite her reduced hearing. Once the words stop echoing, a stunned silence came upon the cave. It seems both of them were holding their breath for a solid minute. Then a new noise emerged. A low growling noise that seems to be coming from above.

“Uh, Eos” Apple Bloom whispered. “What is that?”

“Scanning the interior of the cave semantics,” Eos began to hum and then clicked. “It appears your latest vocal disturbances have alerted something. We are not alone. ”

Just then a large figure landed nearby on the ground, causing the earth to quake. A low growl was emitted as the monster began to approach them. Apple Bloom got a closer look and realized that it was the freaking manticore!

Only there was something off about it. Parts of its skin were covered in a metal coat And there was this giant red eye on the top of the monster’s head. The movements of the creature were also tainted. Like it couldn’t utilize it’s movement fully because it was either numb or in pain. It didn’t matter because the manticore was approaching them, ready to lunge at the delicious pony in the cave.

“Follow me!” Eos said.

Apple Bloom had no choice but to do so. Without hesitation, she galloped down after him. The back of her mind realized that there was something wrong with her movement. Her hoofbeats were off. And it was getting more painful to keep doing this speed. But Apple Bloom paid no attention to this changing development. Right now, she put all her focus on chasing the weird fay creature to a safe place.

Eos began leading her to the center of the cave, along the shoreline of the lake. A loud roar erupted from the manticore. It echoed all over the cave, causing the sound to sound terrifying by tenfold. Apple Bloom prayed to the heavens and stars above that something will save her. The manticore started to give chase and it will be on top of the handicapped pony in mere moments.

Suddenly Eos veered to the left sharply. At first, Apple Bloom thought he was flying above the lake and didn’t consider that she couldn't swim. But once she looked at the path, she saw that Eos was following an isthmus that cut across the body of water. Apple Bloom veered her body to this path and not at a moment too soon. The manticore struck the ground behind her, causing chunks of dirt and gravel to fly against the pony’s skin.

Apple Bloom doubled her pace despite the protest of her body. She looked ahead and saw the destination ahead. Rising above the cave floor was a large structure that towered over the lake. The thing was shaped like a pyramid but with various shapes surrounding the base. The entire outside was made a lustrous material that seems to be a combination of metal and glass. It gave off a sense of power and fear. Apple Bloom felt a sense of foreboding as she looked at it. It looked...wrong. Like it shouldn’t be here. Nevertheless, if it was between taking cover in this place or facing the manticore, Apple Bloom will take her chances in the strange building.

“Hurry!” Eos called out. “I wouldn’t have much time to keep the doorway open.”

Apple Bloom pushed herself to run the remaining distance. She kept nearly tripping on the giant cloak that was wrapped around her body. But she couldn’t stop to take it off unless she wants to be overrun. It also didn’t help that spams of pain kept hitting her body at the wrong moments. Thankfully, it was just a short sprint. Eos came across the metal wall. It chirped and a circular door suddenly opened up inside the wall. There it was, safety. Yet there was a moment of fear. Not from the danger behind her but what could be in front of her. For there will be no telling what will happen to her when she enters that threshold. The manticore reared up, its body preparing to pounce. The situation was never so dire. Apple Bloom took a diving leap and entered the door.

Chapter 2: Changes

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Apple Bloom felt her body crumple suddenly as gravity came upon her. She fell and hit the smooth surface below. She skated across the floor and bumped against the wall. All at once, a wave of distortion came across her body, and for a moment, she felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach clenched in pain. Her vision darkened. Then the feeling quickly faded away just as fast as it came. Apple Bloom lifted her body up, trying to shake herself in order to get the feeling back to her appendages. But no matter what she did, her body couldn’t remain steady. It was like she was a newborn foal trying to take its first step.

Apple Bloom looked around the room she was in. The interior of this structure was very clean and very bright. It looked a lot more fancier than any place Apple Bloom has been to and that includes the Crystal Empire and Canterlot. The ceiling seems to be emitting a bright light that shined across the clear metal floor. The hallway seems to curve with the outer wall.

Yet this place didn’t seem right. The air was stale. It left a bad taste in her mouth. The floor and the walls felt too clean. Moreso it felt like something was watching her. Like a million eyes were looking down upon her. Apple Bloom suddenly felt small and vulnerable.

“I shouldn’t feel this way.” Apple Bloom muttered to herself. “Nothing is happening to me. I’m perfectly alright.”

The lie didn’t help though. Apple Bloom couldn’t ignore the various pains and numbness that plagued her body. She turned her head only to be hit by a sense of dizziness and vertigo. Once it had passed, Apple Bloom steadied her head. Everything returned to normal except she felt something was off with her ears. She could feel them twitching for a little bit but then they suddenly stopped moving. Slowly they had become numb. Apple Bloom couldn’t feel them anymore. She tried to reach up to them but her front hooves were unresponsive.

“Oh, no” Apple Bloom squeaked. The changes were actually happening.

She needed a mirror. She needed to see her reflection.

Apple Bloom looked around the foyer to see what was the best direction to go in. Her right way, which was running up the structure’s base counterclockwise, had no discernible features. That direction seems endless. Just a continuation of the same piece of the hallway is divided into different sections. But the left way that went clockwise had the remains of a door. It looked like it led to a corridor that went deeper into the structure. That seems to be the best direction.

The decision became affirmative when a loud bang exploded next to Apple Bloom, causing her to jump a little. Beside her, she turned to see that the outer metal wall was dented. A small barb had pierced the material. It was quite obvious what it was. Despite half her body not functioning, Apple Bloom quickly got herself to move to put distance between herself and the rampaging monster. Her back legs were still working a bit, so she was able to scoot herself down the hallway and around the corner of the broken door frame.

Apple Bloom was able to push herself to the other hallway which was pure white. The floor, the wall, the ceiling, all of them were emitting a light that hurt Apple Bloom’s eyes. Her body started to shiver as she went down the hallway. She couldn’t tell if it was from fear or if she was cold. For whatever reason, the chill was making her feel weak. The act of moving her body this way somehow was giving Apple Bloom fatigue. She had to rest for a minute.

At the end of the hallway was another door frame although this one was round. It led to a similar hallway except the right side was pure glass. This gave Apple Bloom a perfect place to rest and to look at her changing body. The knowledge allowed Apple Bloom to gain a second wind and quickly close in the distance between herself and the door. Which seems to be the right time as a series of thumps echoed up the ceiling. The raging manticore was trying to break in.

Apple Bloom musters her earth pony strength and hops over the metal door frame. It wasn’t enough to clear the rim and her right back hoof got caught, causing her to tumble in. Apple Bloom let out a small oof as her body tucked in and rolled. It was during her tumble that she spotted a small metal lever that was sticking out of the door frame. Apple Bloom put together that this could be used to close the door. After untangling herself from the cloak, Apple Bloom leaped up at the lever and pulled it down with her mouth. The taste was unpleasant but the lever quickly gave in. A large, heavy door came down and shut Apple Bloom inside the hallway.

Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief. Then her eyes turned to her reflection which appeared on the surface of the shiny door.

She could tell at once that her body was changing. Her muzzle was smaller, her eyes became narrowed, and her fur had almost completely receded. But the most telling feature was that of her ears. They were no longer on top of her head like they should be. They were instead on the side, right below her temple and underneath her strands of hair. Apple Bloom let out a startled gasp as she realized how different she looked. Even the shape of her ears was all wrong.

“My ears!” she exclaimed. “My beautiful ears!”

A flash of light and Eos appeared with a slight pop. It looked around until it found Apple Bloom freaking out about her recent discovery. Eos fluttered down to her level. The pony looked like she was either on the verge of tears or anger. Eos, however, couldn’t notice.

“It seems the transformation is going smoothly,” Eos noted. “You will be having a functioning, proper body in just a few minutes time.”

Apple Bloom turned to face Eos with a fiery glare.

“You bastard,” she hissed. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“No errors have occurred to my systems since the last time we spoke,” Eos replied. “If you want, I could run a diagnostic check to ensure that my program is functioning as intended-”

“That is not what I want,” Apple Bloom interrupted. “I mean why are you acting so cheerful about the changes happening to my body? You have crippled me at the worst time. In case you didn’t notice, there is a pony eating manticore out there!”

“There is no need to worry little one,” Eos said calmly. “This is one of my master’s advanced ships. It is quite capable of keeping us safe from any threats out there. There has to be an assembled horde of those monsters to get through that door.”

“That’s not the problem,” Apple Bloom paused “….wait, ship?”

“Yes, this is my master’s ship to travel spacetime,” Eos told her proudly. “It was one of the finest ships in my master’s fleet and I’m proud to be its custodian. It is such a shame it fell into such disarray.”

“How is this a ship?” Apple Bloom asked. “It is nowhere near the ocean or the sky. Does it fly, sail, or float?”

“Yes,” Eos answered.

This explanation just infuriated Apple Bloom.

“But how?” She said as she let out a frustrated groan.

Before Eos could answer something large impacted the outside of the structure causing a loud thump to echo across the metal hull followed by another one. Then a series of bangs came next causing the entire ship to vibrate. Eos received a sensation of danger as the defense of the ship was being ripped apart and the monster on top was tearing into the ship. Whatever kind of hope that Eos had was suddenly squashed. Its purpose was to protect this ship and the master’s closely guarded secret. It failed. Now, they were in danger.

“It seems that we have a slight problem,” Eos stated, its voice carrying a slight hint of sadness.

“Ya think?!?” Apple Bloom yelled at Eos.

“It would seem that a hostile entity has breached my safety perimeter and is intended to destroy the remains of my master’s ship. I believe this entity had put on cybernetic enhancements upon the species known as a manticore in order to breach the exterior of the ship... “

“I don’t care!” Apple Bloom interrupted. “You better transformed me back or I swear to the Alicorn Sisters that I will buck you into the next century!”

“Even if I could, I can’t right now,” Eos said, slightly annoyed. “The transformation requires time to finish. Time that we don’t have right now. Besides, if I revert you back into your original form now, the ship’s defenses will knock you into a coma. Only human beings are allowed to operate in the interior of the ship. It was a defense mechanism to prevent hostile lifeforms from entering the ship.”

There was a crashing noise that came out from the other side of the door. Sounds of metal and glass being thrown to the floor and the walls.

“Although, I don’t think it is going to prevent this current hostile from entering,” Eos commented. “Perfect offensive tactic though, have a regular beast enter my defensive perimeter and then activate the cybernetic enhancements once it is inside. A perfect blend of magic and technology.”

Suddenly a metal barb pierced the door, causing sparks and shrapnel to fly out.

“Is there any way to stop it?” Apple Bloom asked.

“There is,” Eos replied. “This ship does have a small cache of weapons on board. However, we needed to get to the center of the ship quickly. If my calculations are correct, I might be able to hold this monster off long enough for your transformation to be complete. Follow me.”

Apple Bloom tried to follow but her hind legs suddenly began to spasm. She looked down to see that her hind legs were becoming longer and were turning backward. The muscles and bones were shifting into a different position. Most startling, however, were the bottom hooves. They were no longer covered with hardened keratin but instead soft, pudgy skin. And Apple Bloom could suddenly feel everything down there. It was as if that bottom of her hind hooves were as sensitive as her mouth was.

Another metal barb tip entered and pierced the door. Eos suddenly swooped down and carried Apple Bloom by the bottom of her chest and began to drag her down the hall. Apple Bloom felt her lengthening body bumping against every obstacle and edges that were all over the hallway. Eos took a few sharp turns that caused Apple Bloom’s longer bottom appendages to smack against the metal wall from the shift in momentum. Once they reached a small, dark room, the ship suddenly vibrated violently as a loud thud echoed across the hallway. The door to the room quickly shut on them, leaving them in total darkness. Then a slight hum and lights appeared on the edge of the room.

Apple Bloom fell to her new knees. Her entire body was shaking. Whether it was from the transformation placed upon her, the raging monster outside, or the storm of stress and anger brewing inside her, she couldn’t tell. She was just crouched down, her entire body flopped uselessly underneath this giant cloak. Apple Bloom happened to look down at her front legs which were starting to transform too. They were also becoming longer. Her front hooves also were beginning to turn into a different shape. She could feel the tips of her front hooves becoming sensitive like her bottom hooves. Maybe even more so. This did not relieve any of the negativity she felt. She turned to Eos.

“Why?” she asked.

Eos was taken aback.

“Why what?” it replied.

“Why did you pick me?”

“I have gone over this,” Eos said, now getting annoyed. “You were the only valuable candidate I came upon in thirty years and it was the only option I had left. I couldn’t find any other way-”

“So, you decided to just experiment and transform my body without consulting-”

“It was the only way to save them!” Eos yelled it’s body flared up in an angry red light.

“Save who?” Apple Bloom did not back down. “Why couldn’t your humans do it? Where are even these humans at? Where are your so-called masters?”

“My masters are dead.”

Apple Bloom flinched as Eos snapped right in front of her face.

“For a hundred years before you were even born, my masters and I were stuck down in the depths of this earth, hidden away.” Eos continued in a low voice. “The entire human species were under attack by an unknown enemy. Billions were suddenly killed, turned to dust. This ship managed to escape the initial attack but we were hunted down ever since. Eventually, this colony realized it couldn’t go on like this forever. After one final effort, my masters managed to teleport and destroy most of the enemy's forces. But in doing so, we were forced to split the ship into pieces. What you see now are the remains of what is left. I don’t know whether other parts of the colony survived or not. All I know is that any of the original crew here had passed away a long time.”

“So, there are no humans left?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well…”

Eos grimly turned to the back of the room. A thin, glowing appendage emerged from the bottom of its body. It twisted around like a string in the air and then began to press something on the wall. A small beeping noise came out that was then followed by a click. The floor next to Apple Bloom suddenly jolted. The floor began to move, revealing a hidden door. A large glass container on top of a large metal cylinder rose out of the hidden door. The monolith rose until it was about approximately the same height as Apple Bloom standing on her new hind legs. Which in fairness did give her an advantage in the height department.

“In the event of my demise,” Eos explained. “My masters knew there would be only one option left. We did everything to ensure that it would not come to this but this has become the worst-case scenario. As we speak, the monster is tearing this ship apart. It wouldn’t be long until they find us. It seems that my final duty is to inform you of my task and ask you to carry it out.”

Eos turned to Apple Bloom.

“Now stand up,” it commanded.

Apple Bloom moved her four appendages so that they spread out but it did little in giving her height.

“No, stand up.”

Eos seems to be pointing with his appendage at the hind legs of Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom shifted her hind legs until their bottoms purchased some floor. Then she pushed with her leg muscles. It was able to lift her off the floor for a little bit. But the legs slip and she collapses to the floor. Apple Bloom let out an angry groan but knew she had to keep trying. It’s one thing to complain and whine about the situation given to you. It is another to become completely helpless in the face of the danger surrounding you. And if her family taught her anything, it is that the Apple Family is never helpless.

Apple Bloom tried half a dozen times to get her back legs to remain on the floor. Around the eighth try, she began to use her front legs to gain balance. The remains of her front hooves, which began to be split into five different digits, were able to help push Apple Bloom off of the floor. Once she did that, her hind legs were able to carry to momentum and help Apple Bloom start to stand up on her new legs.

It was freaking weird. Her new appendages kept low to the ground, just in case she loses her balance. But it seems to be working just standing on the back legs. The balance seems off. Normally, her tail would be able to compensate but she can’t really feel it. Apple Bloom turned around to see her rear end. She let out a sad but not at all surprise moan. Her tail was retreating into her body, disappearing amongst the hem of the robe. Guess these humans didn’t have tails.

Eventually, Apple Bloom was able to stand somewhat at full height.

“You are getting the hang of it,” Eos commented. “Guess the biological interface is helping you gain control of your new body. You should be able to walk and move like a normal human soon enough. Your mind also will soon be able to differentiate the new biological features of a human. Give you new instincts and information.”

“Hold a sec,” Apple Bloom held out one of her front legs which displayed the new feature instead of her hoof. “You be messin’ with my mind too?”

“Only the bare minimum in order to help you survive as a human as well as other things!” Eos let out in a panic. “I’m hardcode not to interfere with a sapient mind unless it is absolutely necessary to help them adjust to a new body.”

“You know,” Apple Bloom closed her eyes and tried to calm herself a bit before she continued speaking. Keyword ‘try’ “I had hoped that I can keep myself calm and figure a way out that you will help me return back to normal. But if you keep withholding information from me, then I’m gonna have to buck you so hard, y’all would wake up till next Tuesday!”

Eos seem to shrink a little as Apple Bloom gave the artificial creature a fiery glare. There was then a loud thud coming from the hallway. The lights above them began to flicker and then dim. Apple Bloom didn’t have her superior hearing but even now she could hear the footsteps of the killer monster coming to them.

“It has found us,” Eos said as its body began to flicker.

“What’s happening to you?” Apple Bloom asked.

“The beast is destroying my power reserves,” Eos replied. “I estimated that we have four minutes and thirty-four seconds before this ship is rendered powerless and I am disabled. It wouldn’t take long for it to break into this room. I have no choice. I have to save him.”

Eos seems to be looking at the glass cage. Apple Bloom took a look inside the clear container and saw something completely new. Inside the container was a metal basket that held a small, living creature on top. It was like one of those primates from way down in the south except it only had fur on top of its head. A small face. No fangs. No claws. There was nothing like it around here. The creature was just totally different. It looked so helpless. But Apple Bloom knew almost instantly that this was a human. A human baby. Apple Bloom looked at the somber Eos.

“Why?” she said, taken aback. “How? I thought you said they all died.”

“They did,” Eos said. “This is their legacy. This is their living will. They knew that even if all of humanity was eliminated, they needed someone left to avenge and retake their old worlds. Unfortunately, I couldn’t keep him in stasis for long. He was born right before the final members died off. And I was using all my power reserves to keep him alive and hidden until I could bring back a sizable colony.”

“My best estimate was that I had ten years left. Well, the keyword was that I HAD ten years. But now, most of my power is being drained as we speak. My only hope is that I will use my last reserves to stun the beast into a coma. That will hopefully give you time to run and return to your land.”

Eos floated back to the door.

“You were right,” it muttered. “It was devious of me to transform you into a human. It was not my decision to make. I apologized for that. I just was hoping that my masters would be able to recover from this. But it seems that alas, fortune is not on our side.”

“Wait!” Apple Bloom cried out. “What about the child? What will happen to him?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Eos said. “There are no humans left to take care of him. I cannot judge how long stasis will hold him. If you want, you can take him to your nearest town. Have your authorities determine what is best for him. See how I failed him and my masters, my only option is to give you enough time to escape.”

“You’re not coming?”

“My primary memories are stored on the mainframe of the ship and being subjugated to the stress of the attack. Even if we have the time to transfer to a backup unit, the lack of maintenance will no doubt hinder my physical body. I am bound to this ship and I am unable to go far from it. Whatever happens to this ship will happen to me.”

Apple Bloom began to say something but then her face went numb. Part of her face began to twist up a bit. She looked down. Her cute muzzle began to shrink and disappear. It was changing. Her nose and mouth were separating. Apple Bloom let out a slight cough as she tried to get her mouth to work again.

“What I’m-” Apple Bloom paused as she ran her tongue over her teeth.

Wow, talking felt weird.

“What am I going to do?” Apple Bloom resumed asking. “How can I help fight?”

“Fight?” Eos let out a small chuckle. “This monster just destroyed half the ship. Even if I could retrieve the weapons, it wouldn’t do much. We will need time and better defenses. None of these weapons can stop the beast for long. Even if we kill the biological component, the machine brain will simply take over. The enemy may have found us. They had figured out the weakness of my systems and my ship. They disabled my delivery system. Put every weapon on lockdown.”

“That leaves us with nothing then!” Apple Bloom yelled.

“Well,” Eos paused. “I guess there is one thing. If I can bypass the security protocol and have a short time to the delivery program, I could reroute enough energy to create a giant leap for you, the child, the weapons, and the rest of the supplies we have left. It might be enough to get you guys out of here. If there is one thing I could ask, it is this: take care of him. Take care of the child. Take care of him for me. And if I do survive this, I will do whatever is in my power to restore you back to your true form.”

BOOM!

The door began to buckle. Smoke and flames sputter out of the gaps and whip around the door frame. Eos let out a loud squeak. It’s body flickering. The inner light began to fade.

“What’s going on?” Apple Bloom asked

“I-I-m-m-I’m d-dying.” Eos stuttered. “I-I must not let them get a hold-”

BOOM! The door crumbled a bit more.

“You can’t just die, there has to be something I can do.”

BOOM! The entire room shook.

Eos floated up to Apple Bloom’s new face.

“P-P-Promise me you’ll keep the child alive!” Eos practically yelled.

“I-I-I” Apple Bloom wanted to say something else. Like she can’t do this. This isn’t something she had signed up for. She was way over her head. If she was a filly, then maybe she would agree to do something like this. But she was not the young, adventurous pony she once was. She just wanted to go back to Ponyville and return to normal. Yet Eos was looking right at her and demanded an answer.

“Promise me!” Eos pleaded

“I -I promised!” Apple Bloom said.

Then the door fell down and at the threshold stood the monster of death. The cyber manticore tense up, ready to pounce. Eos started to glow brighter and brighter. Then within a blink of an eye, Apple Bloom felt herself vanished from the spot.

*Plip-plop*

Drops of rain were hitting her face. Apple Bloom jolted up and realized that she was outside again. But this time it was night, cold, and windy. She also realized that was almost...naked? The word felt foreign to her yet didn’t. It occurred to her that she was in a new body. And it felt like this body required clothing. Then Apple Bloom felt her body begin to shiver. She can see why they did so. She wrapped herself in...arms? Was that what it was called? Apple Bloom then felt the need to try to stand. But try not to use all four of her appendages. Instead, use just the back legs. It felt so unnatural to stand like that. But she had to start moving eventually. So, shakily, she stood on her hind legs. Her body wobbled and titled. Something on her new body jiggled. Somewhere in the front area. She did stumble a bit. But eventually stood up. This body... It will take some time to get used to.

Then she heard a cry. A cry of a baby. She looked down and saw that it was the human child. It was lying there in his basket. Alone and no one else to take care of him. Apple Bloom felt a tinge of guilt. She could just leave this human out here, let fate decide what to do with him. But even she knew that she wasn’t that heartless. She knew what she had to do.

She kneeled down and began to cradle the baby like so many mothers would. She shushed it and rocked it gently.

“It is alright,” she told the human. “ I'll figure something out for you.”

She spent a good amount of time cradling the baby, protecting it from the elements. The baby eventually began to calm down.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you,” Apple Bloom paused as she just realized something.

“I guess you need a name…”

She looked down to see the human was already asleep. She wrapped it tightly in the large cloak that was provided to her. She kept the human tight against her body to protect it from the harsh, wet winds. Suddenly, Apple Bloom thought of a name for this child.

“Well, welcome to Equestria,” Apple Bloom greeted. “Autumn.”

And now she had to figure out how to get back to Ponyville like this and in this terrible weather.

Chapter 3: Child

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Wind was rustling the treetops.

Rain was relentlessly hammering against her body.

The forest floor was nothing but a mishmash of wet leaves, grimey puddles, gritty mud-covered soil, and a ton of slimy tree roots that breach the ground in all directions. It made walking out of the forest difficult for multiple reasons, the first being that she nearly tripped several times. Which wouldn’t be as bad normally except for the fact that she was using her new legs which controlling them was already difficult. In between that and holding the human child in which is a weird experience itself, Apple Bloom was having the extreme difficulty of walking out of the Everfree Forest. And if there is one thing that was breaking her right now is that these ‘feet’ were the most sensitive thing on her freaking body. It seems that every step she takes, she keeps stepping on rocks, sticks, and various other hard, painful items scattered across the forest floor. It was enough to make her want to scream. But she held it off. She had to save her strength until she reached home. That was the goal. First, home and then everything else later.

Apple Bloom managed to find a suitable direction eventually. The trees were spaced apart and the branches seem to be getting thinner. The rain and wind were also coming from her left side. If she could recall what her sister-in-law said about the weather correctly, the weather and the wind above the Everfree Forest tend to favor coming from the west. Apple Bloom was hoping the direction she was heading to was about northwest, the general direction where Ponyville was.

“I'd only hope there are no more manticores between here and Ponyville.” Apple Bloom muttered.

The hour of her walking was getting exhausting which was strange since her earth pony strength should give her a lot of endurance. But then this is a new body. She wasn’t even a pony anymore. For all she knew, she wouldn’t be able to buck a tree until she returned to normal. That is if she could ever return to normal. Apple Bloom felt that thought crept up on her but she pushed it to the side. There was time to deal with it later. She will get her old body eventually. Still, it was a damn shame that she lost her fur because the weather was brutal. The tempest above was not relenting and the autumn air was chilling her to the bone. Thankfully this cloak Eos provided was retaining her body heat. The only part of her body that seems to be truly affected by the exposure to the cold were her feet. They were throbbing at first but now they were becoming numb. Apple Bloom didn’t like this.

Apple Bloom’s trek to thinner woods eventually bore fruit when she came upon a small creek that was running in front of her. The water was flowing down past her right side, down deeper into the woods. If Apple Bloom was correct, this creek would be crossing a small yet familiar path that led out of the Everfree Forest. Now that she got her bearings straight and a destination in mind, it was time to get moving. It was hard to gauge how this body could withstand the cold weather but Apple Bloom wasn’t willing to find out. Besides, it wasn’t just her body she had to take care of, it was the human child’s body as well.

The human child remained asleep. It was snuggling against Apple Bloom who was holding him close to her body in order to retain their body heat. It was strange. Apple Bloom only dealt with fillies and colts from time to time. But each time it took a while to calm them down and bond with them. She wasn’t natural mother material, Apple Bloom always thought. Yet this alien baby seems to grow an attachment to her. Of course, he wasn’t awake yet. So she had to wait and see on that part.

Eventually, she found that familiar path. It crossed past the running water and led deep in the woods, towards Zecora’s hut. Although any other day, Apple Bloom would go down to see her mystic teacher, but not now. Apple Bloom turned left and hurried out of the woods. By the time she had gotten on the dirt path, the rain began to lessen. The wind was still fierce and her appendages were still frozen but now she can hope to be dry soon.

Ten minutes later and Apple Bloom was stepping out of the Everfree Forest. She looked up to the star scattered sky above her, just to enjoy the beautiful works of Luna and thanking her for her guidance. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Relief came flooding in. She made it. She was in familiar territory. In front of her was the town of Ponyville, laid across the land and hills. It seems everypony was turning in for the night. The streets were deserted. It was just Apple Bloom and the human child. Which is good because Apple Bloom just realized that she has no idea how to hide her transformation.

Apple Bloom looked around the outskirts of the town, scoping out the best way to get to her family farm without getting seen. Once she found a path, she quickly dashes past the houses and away from the center of the town. There were a few close calls. Twice, Apple Bloom had to dive behind a garden wall because a pony was walking by. She was delayed several times but soon enough Apple Bloom managed to get on the winding path to Sweet Apple Acres. After a harsh and eventful day, she was home.

Oh no, she was home.

If there is one thing she was dreading, it was revealing to Applejack what had happened to her. Applejack was a difficult pony to explain things to. Stubborn and quick to recoil from the unusual, it is a problematic dilemma to face right now. Several questions were erupting in Apple Bloom’s head. How can she tell Applejack who she is? Would her own sister even recognize her? What will she do if she can’t stay here? Where would she go? And most importantly, what about the human child that Apple Bloom was holding?

None of these questions were easy. They were only going to get worse the more she delayed this. There was a plan forming, however. Not a great plan, but it was a plan that she had to go with. She was going to hide in the barn for now. Of course, it sounded like a plan that she might have done when she was a young filly but it was a simple one. Things might go wrong but Apple Bloom wasn’t one to usually think things through and right now she didn’t have any time.

Apple Bloom unlocked the barn door and pushed it open gently. The door only opened slightly but it was enough to allow Apple Bloom to squeeze through. Apple Bloom took a quick look around. Good, nopony was here. It was near complete darkness but Apple Bloom practically lived in the barn most of her life and knew the outline of every object in this room. Which made finding the matches and oil lantern very easy. After a few tries and some burn marks, Apple Bloom managed to bring light into the barn.

After setting the lantern down, Apple Bloom decided to lay the child down on a small haystack. The baby was starting to squirm and move. His eyes were beginning to flutter open. He was waking up. There was a slight pause as Apple Bloom watched the human open his eyes. She held her breath. The room became still for a small moment. Then the child opened his mouth and began to wail. It was a few bursts of anguish that turned into a full-blown howl of misery, the volume slowly rising to higher decibels. Apple Bloom realized she had to do something quickly.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Apple Bloom went to the child and tried to calm it down with some suggestions. “Are you scared? It’s okay I’m here.”

The human baby continued to cry.

“Alright, what can I do to help?” Apple Bloom racked her brain for ideas.

“Are you tired?” Well, the child just woke up.

“Are you hungry?” Oh, no. That would be awkward.

“Do- do you need to be changed?” Okay, that’s just worst.

Then Apple Bloom felt a slight breeze and shivered.

“Oh, you are cold.” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Here give me a second. Let me try to get a fire going.”

Apple Bloom gathered a few bricks and stones to make a fire pit. She put them near the front entrance, away from all the hay. She kept the door slightly open to allow the circulation of air and for the smoke to dissipate. Apple Bloom quickly sneaked to the side of the barn to gather the needed firewood. Even out here she could still hear the baby’s cry. Apple Bloom took a glance at the main house. No lights were on. Her brother must be still out and her sister must be still asleep. Thank the alicorns above that both her sisters-in-law and her nephew were out of town right now. They were the ones that usually stayed up.

After taking as much firewood as she could trust herself to carry, Apple Bloom went back into the barn and began to start the fire. Like the lantern, it took a few more tries than Apple Bloom was willing to admit to getting the fire going. After she ensured the fire was sustainable and contained, Apple Bloom went to the human child and began to soothe him. She wrapped him and herself back in the giant cloak. She rocked the baby and soon he slowly settled down and stopped crying. Eventually, he began to make cooing sounds and look up at Apple Bloom with a docile look. It remained this way for quite some time. Apple Bloom would hope this would last until daybreak. That illusion was shattered, however, when the sounds of the howling wind were interrupted by voices coming from the outside.

Apple Bloom snapped to alertness. There were ponies outside and they were approaching the barn. She could hear two of them having a conversation. A sense of dreadfulness came upon Apple Bloom as she recognized the voices becoming all too familiar as they were approaching the barn’s door. At a speed that would rival a Wonderbolt, Apple Bloom gently placed the human down on the ground and dove behind a wooden beam.

Not even a second later and the barn door opened.

“S’mpony has been here alright, Big Mac.” The voice of her sister Applejack said.

“Yep.” spoke the voice of her brother Big Mac.

“Hello?” Applejack called out to the barn. “Anypony here?”

There was a pause. As if they were expecting somepony to answer. But Apple Bloom kept still. She knew she had to come forth but did not know how to approach the situation.

“T’is alright if y’all are using our barn as a shelter but we need to know who you are.” Applejack said as she crossed the threshold and into the foyer.

Apple Bloom can only imagine that Big Mac was standing by with a shovel in case something was dangerous.

“We know you’re here.” Applejack told the barn. “Please, come out.”

That is when the human child let out a gurgling noise. Apple Bloom peered around the corner, only allowing her a slight look without giving away her position.

“What the hay?” Applejack took a step back in surprise and looked down at the source of the noise.

The human child looked at the pony, curiosity plastered on his face. Applejack revolted a bit, her hoof halfway out as she seemed hesitant to touch the living thing. Big Mac soon entered the barn. He peaked around Applejack to see what she stumbled upon. They both looked at the baby and wondered out of curiosity what they were looking at. Big Mac was about to reach out and touch the human child when Apple Bloom couldn’t take it anymore. She let out a slight gasp causing both her siblings to look up. Apple Bloom mentally kicked herself for making a noise but knew that this was inevitable. So she took a deep breath and spoke to her family as she remains hidden behind the large wooden post.

“Don’t touch him,” Apple Bloom warned them. “I don’t know if he is dangerous or not. But I'd rather that y’all stay back for now.”

“Apple Bloom?” Applejack now turned her attention to the back of the barn.

“STAY AWAY!” Apple Bloom yelled loudly. “I mean it! Something has happened to me. I can’t let you guys see me. Not now. I don’t want any harm to come to you. Please, trust me.”

Apple Bloom held back a sob on the last word but her plea seems to have done the trick. Applejack didn’t move any closer and instead remained rooted at her spot. Big Mac softly put down something as Apple Bloom heard a distinctive ping of metal hitting the ground. Big Mac shuffled his hooves but he too stayed where he was at.

“Apple Bloom?” Big Mac spoke in a soft voice. It was a tone that Apple Bloom rarely heard from her older brother if at all. It carried defenselessness, concern, but most importantly of all, fear. “Please tell us what’s wrong,” he begged. “What happened?”

Apple Bloom closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Her mind was torn. Part of her wanted to just hide here until the end of eternity. To hide away from family in hopes that they will forget about this whenever she returns to normal. That this was just a small incident that shall never be repeated. But the other part of her came to the conclusion that it was pointless to hide. She didn’t know when she would return to her original body. Her knowledge of transformation magic was sketchy at best. She can’t remain hidden in her barn forever. Eventually, everypony would be looking for her. She would have to come out and reveal to her family that she is no longer a pony. If that was the case, then it was better now than later because at least she could have a better chance of controlling the situation. Apple Bloom just hopes that her sibling would believe that she is who she said she is. They just have to trust her on this.

That is the kicker. The fact remains that she may have her voice and her mane unchanged but everything else was so different and alien that nopony would guess that Apple Bloom was this weird ape-like creature. She has to establish something that would convince her brother and sister that she is the real Apple Bloom. That she was no imposter.

Think Apple Bloom, think. Apple Bloom concentrated on her memories, searching for something that would prove that she is their little sister. Then she got it. If she could convince Big Mac then Applejack would follow suit.

“Big Mac, remember the time you were Orchard Blossom for the Sisterhood Social,” Apple Bloom said in a hurry. “You did it to cheer me up because Applejack went to Manehatten because of the Cutie Mark Map.”

Neither of them said anything, so Apple Bloom continued now that she had their attention.

“You felt sad because you felt left out. You got nostalgic because you found an old toy I had when I was a filly. It was a wooden...wooden dragonfly on a...on a...on a stick! Applejack was with Rarity on that trip. They were helping Coco with clearing up a stage or something. I can’t remember what. But it was definitely when the Sisterhood Social happened. And Big Mac you cheered me up with vegetables on your face or something like that.”

“Apple Bloom, why are you bringing this up?” Applejack finally asked.

“It is because you have to trust me!” Apple Bloom particularly shouted. “Y’all have to know that I’m Apple Bloom. That I’m the real deal. Because something happened to me during my trip in the woods. My appearance was altered, I was transformed.”

“What are you saying?”

Apple Bloom controlled her breathing as she braced herself. Then she stepped out from her hiding spot and out to the open. All at once, her two siblings fell to their hanches. Their eyes widen, their jaws slacked. They saw Apple Bloom standing tall over them, a cloak draped over her body.

“I’m no longer a pony,” Apple Bloom told them.

The three of them sat huddled around the fire as Apple Bloom explained what happened to her in the past twelve hours. For the most part, they kept their focus on her as she was speaking. But every so often, they steal glances at the human child. Apple Bloom kept him quiet by alternating between rocking him, holding him, burping him, and for one time feeding him. Thankfully her trusty, warm cloak was able to provide privacy. The baby for his part was either napping or curiously looking around at his surroundings.

After answering several questions multiple times and telling them all the information she could, it seems like Applejack and Big Mac accepted that she was Apple Bloom. It was beginning to feel weird though. For one she was about an inch taller than Big Mac which Apple Bloom didn’t think would ever happen. Another was that Apple Bloom didn’t have to mind her tail when she sat down as her siblings did when they took a seat. Apple Bloom however misses being able to move her ears and having her warm fur coat.

The conversation was winding down after some clarification on what happened today and how this was going to change the near future. This is good news for Apple Bloom who was feeling the exhaustion of the long day starting to hit her. She had to stifle several yawns as they were getting to the end of the conversation. It must be nearly three in the morning.

“So, you’d believe this ‘ship’ has been destroyed?” Applejack asked, wanting clarification.

“Yes, Eos was pretty sure that he was going to die and had to purge his ship,” Apple Bloom told her. “Of course I don’t completely know. I never went back there and I would certainly not know how to find that damn cave again.”

“But you ain’t completely sure.” Applejack said. “For all we know, there could be a dozen of those things scattered across Equestria. And who knows how many ponies could be forced to be these...humans. These things pose a threat to Equestria. We have to tell somepony. I’ll have to tell Twilight. She is the expert on this.”

“Do you’ll think that will help?” Apple Bloom put her hand to the bottom of her forehead. A gesture that was foreign to her yet felt very fulfilling. “Eos told me that these humans were more advanced than us. Maybe she could decipher what their magic is like but it might involve getting all of Equestria involved. I don’t think I can’t handle that. Especially if I’m taking care of...” She looked down at the child below.

It felt weird that she never considered speaking the name she thought of giving him. Yet she did name him. Well, sort of. If she did start calling him by his name, then it would be a point of no return. This child would be her responsibility. There would be no going back. She would be like a mother to him. It was a scary step. Yet she felt like there were no options left. Sure, she could pawn this child to Princess Twilight. Let the authorities take care of him. But how guilty would she feel if something happened to him in their custody? It was unthinkable.

“Well, I still think we should at least tell Twilight.” Applejack said. “And the sooner the better. If there is something out there that can transform a manticore like that, then it could be dangerous to all of Ponyville.”

“If you think that will work, be my guest.” Apple Bloom saw the human child starting to squirm. And decide right then to truly care for him. She picked him up and began to calm him down.

“Shhh, it’s okay Autumn.” Apple Bloom told him. “We’re going to sleep soon. I promise.”

“You’d named this creature?” Applejack was taken aback.

“Yes I did,” Apple Bloom said proudly. “I can tell this is making you uncomfortable, Applejack. But I can't just abandon this child. I have to take care of him until we find more humans. And every child deserves a name.”

“Yeah, but why Autumn?”

“I don’t know,” Apple Bloom stood up and held the child to her hips. “I find it fitting. Autumn Scarlet.”

And then suddenly the rain returned. Hard. A downpour began again with the howl of wind accomplishing it. The weather of course had to get worse just as Apple Bloom was ready to hit the hay. Come to think of it, was there supposed to be a storm scheduled for later tonight? All three of them looked out towards the cold woods nearby. Apple Bloom peered out to get a closer look. She thought she saw something move.

Apple Bloom felt a prickling feeling on the back of her neck. It felt something was out there watching them. Suddenly, Apple Bloom didn’t feel safe. She felt herself backing away from the outside and deeper into the barn. A chill came upon her body. She clutched Autumn closer to her, tightening her grip.

“There is something out there.” Apple Bloom whispered.

Instantly her siblings went to full alertness. Applejack stepped out and took a quick look around. Big Mac went to grab a shovel from off the floor. The four of them waited for a few moments. They all listen for the sound of twig snapping or hoofbeats or even the low growl of a predator. The only sound was the crackling of the dying fire nearby.

Suddenly a gust of wind erupted from the front entrance. The force of the wind was strong enough to blow out the lantern light and reduce the bonfire to dying embers, purging them all in near-total darkness. Wet leaves were being flung everywhere. The barn doors were slowly being pried open as the strength of the howling wind increased.

As the atmosphere continued to worsen, Autumn began to fuss. Apple Bloom tried to calm him down but he was not having it. The stormy conditions were irritating him to no end. He started to squirm and cry. His noises were escaping out of the barn and into the seemingly empty field. Whether it was parental instincts or reading the child’s emotions, Apple Bloom felt it was time for them to head indoors. Quickly.

“Come on,” Apple Bloom told her siblings as she headed towards the entrance. “Let’s get into the house now.”

She took a few steps, her aching feet protesting in pain as she did so. Yet the wind was too strong. Her taller frame came into a disadvantage as the air kept pushing her back. Apple Bloom however wasn’t going to stand in the barn like a sitting duck. She bundled up against the cold wind and pushed as hard as she could to the doorframe. Yet every step that she took was more exhausting than the last. She shot out a hand to grab the wooden frame as firmly as she could. She pulled herself to the outside and rested against the wooden wall. The entire barn was shaking. Even Applejack and Big Mac were struggling against the wind and they were no slouches in the strength department.

Apple Bloom was ready to head to the house when a bit of movement came across her vision. She looked up to see that something was lurking in the tilled field a couple of yards away. It stopped moving and then began to raise its head. Apple Bloom froze as a coil of dreadfulness tightened around her body.

No, she thought. Not here. Not now. Not with her family close by.

Yet it was true. It was more machine now than a beast. The appendages were all metal with various spots emitting light. Half of its face was gone, replaced by a metallic and glass casing. The machine whirled and clicked as it brought the creature to full height. The eyes of the monster glowed with eerie contempt as it came upon the new human. For a moment there was nothing in the world but them, two beings with their eyes locked into each other. Then reality came crashing back when the beast let out a mighty roar that shook the heavens.

Applejack popped to Apple Bloom's side as her eyes came upon the infamous beast of the day.

“I’d thought you said this thing was killed!” Applejack shouted to Apple Bloom.

“Eos blew up an entire cave!” Apple Bloom replied. “It was kind of the assumption there!”

Then the monster slowly approached them. Immediately, Applejack and Big Mac came in between the machine manticore and Apple Bloom. They both braced themselves, their hooves dug into the ground. They were putting themselves in danger as the monster was getting ready to attack. Apple Bloom didn’t know what to do. Retreat or fight? And during all this time, Autumn kept crying.

“Go,” Big Mac told his little sister. “Run. We’ll fight the manticore here.”

Apple Bloom remained still.

“Do it!”

With that Apple Bloom snapped out of her fear and risked moving away from the danger. She took a step towards the house but didn’t get further than that as the wind picked up twice as strong, pushing Apple Bloom back into the barn. Whether it was wind or magic or perhaps a combination of both, Apple Bloom felt her body being lifted off of the ground. She was rendered helpless as she was thrown back into the barn easily as if she was a leaf.

Apple Bloom felt her body tumble and Autumn slip from her arms. Autumn rolled over a few times before coming to a complete stop. The force of her tumble wasn’t too strong to hurt her, so Apple Bloom was quick to recover. She got back up on her feet and went to grab Autumn. She hoped that she could be able to find a way in the back to escape. Yet within the second that she tries to pick up Autumn, two things happen.

The first thing that came to fruition was the manticore’s move. The manticore suddenly sprinted across the field and then leaped up into the air. The beast easily vaulted over Applejack and Big Mac and right into the barn. The wooden structure was no match for the metal horror as the force of the leap caused the manticore to burst through the gambrel area. Wood pieces flew everywhere. They rained upon Apple Bloom as she shielded Autumn from the monster.

Then the second thing happened. A warm glow came over Autumn as suddenly bits of energy came over his body. He suddenly stopped crying. He looked into Apple Bloom, his expression blank. It was as if he was staring far away, deep into something mystic and unknown. Then a glow erupted from inside his body. Apple Bloom had little time to react as she tried to reach for him, to save him. Then his two feet came in contact with the ground in a wiggly thump. The moment Autumn hit the ground with his heels, a burst of magic tunneled across the ground and into the smoldering pile of wood that was the dying bonfire. There were only a few cinders and a lone ember left. But it was enough.

In a flash of light and magic, a towering inferno erupted from the charcoal remains. It hit the manticore straight on. The connecting blow came with enough force to shoot it straight through the roof and into the sky, sending sparks and fiery debris everywhere. In a fluid and uncoordinated movement, Apple Bloom managed to scoop up Autumn and stumble away from the column of flames.

Then like that, the fire was extinguished. The cold rain and wind return, more so now that half the building is gone. Apple Bloom looked down at the human baby in her arms. Autumn was returning to normal, the magic fading. His eyes rolled back to his head and he started to drift into unconsciousness. Apple Bloom wrapped him tightly into her cloak. Applejack and Big Mac came galloping back to her. All of this happened in just a few seconds but it felt like an hour to her.

“Are you okay, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, putting a protective foreleg over Apple Bloom’s waist. “What happened?”

“I-I-I-I don’t know.” Apple Bloom stammered. “One moment the manticore was upon us, the next moment it was hit with a blast of fire. I think Autumn might have done it. I think he can cast magic.”

“You think he did it?” Big Mac said, pointing at the human child.

“That’s...That’s my guess.” Apple Bloom said. Then she turned to her brother. “Why?”

“Apple Bloom, I want you to think this carefully and don’t take this the wrong way.” Applejack turned her sister’s head towards her. “Do you think it is wise we take this creature into our house? It is already proven to be dangerous. We need to take it to an expert in magic. We need it somewhere away from here.”

“But it is not his fault!” Apple Bloom protested. “He didn’t want to be in danger. He can’t control this.”

“Apple Bloom,” Big Mac said in a quiet tone. “We may have no choice. This human could hurt us accidentally. It could hurt Rainbow Dash, it could hurt Sugar Belle, it could hurt Apple Crisp. We are in danger if we keep him here.”

“He isn’t that dangerous,” Apple Bloom said.

Just then the manticore crashed into the ground in a pile of flaming pieces right next to the barn.

“Anymore” Apple Bloom amended.

Both her siblings stared at her with incredulity. Apple Bloom wanted to protest but in the back of her mind, she knew they were right. She can’t keep Autumn here. Even without the occasional magic explosion, there were just too many ponies here that would notice the new human. Too many ponies that would be in harm’s way. She can’t just expect everypony to have their daily lives to be interrupted by this turn of events.

Apple Bloom gave out a hesitating hiss of air. It seems her only choice was to go to Princess Twilight. She was the only pony who was qualified to handle this situation. She can study the magic connection, stopping anyone from hurting Autumn, and find a way to return Apple Bloom to normal. She just hopes that Twilight won’t go too far into looking for answers. That the princess will stop when Apple Bloom tells her to. The last thing Apple Bloom needed was to have guilt for bringing Autumn to the government.

“You know I’m right, sugarcube.” Applejack spoke. “We don’t want any harm happening to this human but we can’t keep him in our house. Not now at least.”

“I...know” Apple Bloom sighed. “I shouldn’t expect him to live here. I should take him to his people. The only way I can do that is through Twilight.”

“So, we agree?” Applejack at first seems taken aback with Apple Bloom agreeing but a wave of relief quickly overtook it. “Good. If that is the case, maybe I can get Twilight to come over tomorrow. I’d contact her first thing in the morning-”

Applejack stopped as her eyes set upon the fiery remains of the manticore. The moving fiery remains of the manticore. The moving fiery remains that were coming back together. Apple Bloom shook her head in disbelief. She wanted this nightmare to be over. She wanted this to end. But it seems fate was just too cruel.

The three Apples watched as the manticore was being built back together. This time not much flesh was left. Instead, it was all metal and machine. The technological terror was slowly reforming its body. Legs were snapping back to place. Deadly tail molded back together. Jaws snapping back into their right location. The eyes began to light up.

“Oh hell,” Applejack let out. “What are we going to do now?”

Apple Bloom looked at both of her siblings. They both looked frighten and petrified. She was hoping that the two of them would do something. She gave them a pleading look. But both of them were just looking at the undefeatable monster with a defeated outlook. They were helpless against a creature like this. What can they do? Yet Apple Bloom felt the little living being in her arms. If they were to fail now, then Autumn would be taken. She would fail Eos.

Then Apple Bloom felt herself standing up to her new full height. It was like she was a new person. A resolution was building in her. She knew there was no way she was going to surrender now. They were so close! She can’t accept that this is how they were going to fall. No, this is how they will fight back. She will NOT fail Autumn. She will fight for him no matter what.

Apple Bloom stepped out of the barn. The manticore was still trying to get back together. The blow might have not killed it but it did put decent harm on its body. That means it can be stopped. It can be killed. They just need to find the means to keep Autumn away from the jaws of this monster until they put it down permanently. An idea was occurring in Apple Bloom’s head. A dangerous idea but it might just work.

Apple Bloom turned to her siblings.

“I have a plan,” she told them.

Chapter 4: Commitment

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Apple Bloom stood her ground, the random gusts of wind were blowing from all directions at her. In front was the mechanical monstrosity that has been chasing her for nearly twelve hours. This beast wasn’t a living creature anymore. What remained was a metal puppet whose strings were being pulled by an unknown enemy from across the cosmos. It came here, pursuing Apple Bloom all the way to her home, to her sanctuary, in order to harm a living creature. Apple Bloom wasn’t going to let that happen. Not on her watch. She must protect Autumn from whoever will go this far to hunt him down.

The manticore was nearly finishing up its self-repair sequence. The paws were back in place. The tail was finishing the adjustment it was making. Wings became erect, allowing the membrane to be fully healed. In less than a minute, the beast will be fully alive and functioning. It will not stop for anything, not until the human kid is dead. With it being able to pull itself from the brink of death, there was nothing she could think of that would keep it down for long. But she would have to try.

Another gust of wind and the manticore stirred a bit. Then it began to move. It took slow steps, approaching Apple Bloom cautiously. It seems to have learned its lesson last time. For a moment, the two opponents looked at each other, sizing each other up. Apple Bloom took a few steps to her right, her new body was still a bit unsteady but she is starting to get used to being on two legs instead of the usual four. The manticore repeated the same movement, keeping a respectable distance from her. Neither of them was in the range to strike the other down.

“Are you going to attack me now or wait until later?” Apple Bloom finally said, breaking the stilled silence.

The metal manticore tilted his head slightly. There was a pause. A small bit of peace. Then at lightning speed, the monster attacked. Apple Bloom was ready. She was able to backway and sidestep enough that the first attack missed completely. Her new legs felt weak and won’t be able to keep her at a good running speed. It won’t be pointless to retreat, The manticore would keep chasing her. That is why this time she wasn’t going to run. This time, she would strike back.

As soon as the manticore came upon the spot she was just at, Apple Bloom was able to grab something attached underneath her cloak. It was a jagged piece of metal with a sharp end. With a quick strike, Apple Bloom stabbed the object right into the monster’s left eye. The manticore left out a loud howl of pain. It wasn’t long before she did the same to the other eye. The manticore was blinded but angry. The large scorpion tail came right to Apple Bloom, aiming for her heart. It nearly got to her but suddenly a rope came out of the darkness and lasso the appendage, stopping any momentum. The manticore thrashed at the ground as it turned toward the direction of Applejack who had a firm grip of the rope in her mouth. She was able to keep the rope pin underneath her front hoof. Her Earth Pony strength would have been enough to hold back a raging steer. But the manticore had enhanced strength and better position. The tail simply gave some slack and then with a quick stroke snapped the rope in half. What it didn’t know was it gave Apple Bloom a quick few seconds. Seconds that she needed.

Apple Bloom was able to get around and flank the manticore. She was watching intensely. It was becoming difficult as the rain and gust were intensifying and getting into her eyes. The manticore was gearing up to attack, this time at Applejack. Its vision may be impaired, but it was dangerously close towards her that it would be able to hear and sense her location with great precision. Apple Bloom was about to call out, try to get it to go after her instead of Applejack. But that would ruin the plan. She needs to have faith in her family. They trust her, so would she.

The manticore moved, this time in a sprint instead of a pounce like usual. It was able to reach Applejack in a mere second. Its clawed paws outstretched, swiping at Applejack. Applejack reacted by a smooth crouch, nimbly getting under the attacking paw. Before the manticore could strike again, Applejack sprung up into the air. She turned her body around. Her back hooves position right in at the muzzle of the manticore and with a small adjustment Applejack let a powerful buck. The impact broke bones. The sound of a sickening crack was released. Applejack was able to roll away and retreat. She took a few steps to where Apple Bloom was standing.

“Great move,” Apple Bloom commented.

“Thanks,” Applejack panted. “Learn that trick from Rarity. How long has it been?”

“Thirteen,” Apple Bloom said quietly before her words were cut off by another roar from the manticore.

The manticore was now lashing out wildly. Furious that it kept missing its targets, it was now looking for a new position to strike from. A position in which it was able to keep the two of them from escaping and was able to continuously thrash them repeatedly. Its vision was getting repaired and soon it would have its sight restored. But for now, the manticore was guided by blind rage. Something that was making it more dangerous.

The manticore finally got a bearing on the two Apple sisters and decided to charge from a curved angle. It was moving in for the kill when it was intercepted by a powerful stallion that knocked the manticore a few yards down the field. The manticore skid down the muddy soil, leaving large grooves in its wake. Big Mac stood at the interception point, unperturbed by using such force. The manticore shook itself and then turned towards them once again.

By now the eyes were reformed and very angry. They came upon the Apple siblings. Another mighty roar erupted out of its decaying mouth. But before it could charge again, Apple Bloom stepped up. She pulled up a bundle of blankets that was sitting next to Applejack and held it firmly next to her body. Autumn has been quiet thus far but has been looking around in stunned curiosity.

“Hey, you big monster!” Apple Bloom shouted at the metal manticore. “Is this child what you want?” Apple Bloom held the child up above her head. “Then come and get him!”

The manticore didn’t hesitate and neither did Apple Bloom. The manticore lunged forward and began to sprint. Apple Bloom then ran down the hill, pushing herself forward, carrying Autumn tightly to her chest. She hoped that her two legs were as powerful as her old four legs. She will need them for the coming chase.

Not a few seconds later and she heard another roar of pain from the manticore. This time Apple Bloom didn’t look back. She would assume that her siblings did their part of the plan. If all went well, then it wouldn’t be long until Applejack arrives. Sure, enough she could hear the hoofbeats of Applejack coming right beside her. The two of them ran down the muddy field, getting as much distance as they could from the pursuing predator.

“Ya…think..it’s… going to work?” Applejack asked as she panted from the large sprint she did to catch up to her sister.

“I can only hope so!” Apple Bloom replied.

Large booms echoed across the ground as something large was running towards them.

Applejack looked back, an ounce of fear in her eyes.

“Just trust me Applejack,” Apple Bloom said, not daring to look back.

The two sisters shared a brief look before they parted ways. Applejack went left towards the house and Apple Bloom went right, down towards the farm fields. It was becoming an uphill battle, sometimes literally. The rain and wind didn’t help either. Still, Apple Bloom clutched the bundle of blankets tightly to her as she went towards the edge of the farm. Soon there will be nowhere else to run.

The manticore was soon upon her, trying to corner her. Apple Bloom did her best to leap over a hay barrel and nearly fell doing so. She stumbled over the wet straw. Her newly acquired hands were used to gain balance and push her body forward. The momentum was enough to get her an extra foot of distance. It may be small but it was large enough for her to gain the needed distance. She was near the edge of the field. Next to the fence was a large oak tree with branches hanging overhead above the field. A place that Apple Bloom walked past all the time. She aimed and with all her might took a leap of faith.

Her right arm shot up on instinct and grabbed the nearest branch. Somehow she was able to keep a grip on the wooden object despite the wet surface. With all her might and strength, Apple Bloom pulled herself up. She managed to keep herself from falling by putting her legs on the other branches and pushing her closer to the trunk of the tree. Slowly, the new human climbed up the oak tree. She sat on the last branch she could manage to get to, her strength waning. Apple Bloom held her breath and looked down.

For the last few moments, the manticore came barreling down the field and crashing against numerous farm equipment. Its vision was slowly being restored again. But it lost track of Apple Bloom the moment she got into the tree. Its hearing was being interfered with. Something had damaged it when it was repairing itself. The countless raindrops didn’t help narrow Apple Bloom’s location either. Still, the predator will soon regain the use of its eyes again and will be able to find Apple Bloom soon. She had very little time before she had to fight back again. But hopefully, it will be enough.

It was deadly quiet fell upon the world when the next few moments came by. Even the rain and the wind cease their sounds. The manticore sniffed the air. Machine parts give off a whirring sound with every movement. Apple Bloom remained still. She focuses on not breathing loudly. Everything had to be so silent. Just then something fell from on top of her head. Apple Bloom glanced down as a single leaf drifted towards the ground. It fell with utter slowness. But once it hit the ground, all hell broke loose.

Suddenly the fence was broken into several pieces as a claw just smashed it with a precise swipe. The manticore leaped onto the trunk of the tree. The force was enough to nearly upheave the tree from the ground, creaking the roots below. Apple Bloom closed her eyes tightly and held desperately to the bestowment she held to her body. To say she was prepared to die would be a lie. It would be an even greater lie to say that she managed to escape by jumping down the tree and continued running. But there will always be a point that she couldn’t run any longer. This was that point.

Instead of using the last few moments to escape, Apple Bloom held on and didn’t move an inch. She didn’t see the manticore’s next move as she had her eyes remain closed. All she felt was a fast movement as something struck the air and then pinned her shoulder to the trunk. She let out a cry of pain. However, it wasn’t a stabbing pain. It was just her new shoulder hitting the rough bark. Apple Bloom turned to see the manticore’s tail stabbing her cloak and pushing her shoulder in an immovable position. She was trapped! Apple Bloom tried to wiggle out but it was no use. The manticore was now coming towards her. It opens its mouth.

And words came out.

“...give…me…the child…”

It wasn’t clear and it sounded distant. There was interference with voice. Apple Bloom noticed the manticore wasn’t speaking. It was just a puppet. A meat puppet that has been dragged out for far too long. Whoever was doing this, was doing it from far away and had no qualms of harming various lifeforms to do so. This manticore was a simple relay.

“Who are you?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I...am…an unrelenting force….” the voice rattled inside the manticore. “To…fight…me… is to…d-destroy… you…yourself. My…name…is…too…great…for…your..kind. Only…a privileged…few…are…allowed…to speak… it. I…am…the…unrelinquishing…god…of this…universe…Thousands…of…species…have fallen…before…me.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom struggled to get her shoulder out but it was no good. The vice grip was too much. “But I'm not dead yet!” Apple Bloom let out a grunt as she tried to wiggle out some more. If you are sooo powerful, then y’all better tell me why you have failed to kill me? You surely must be desperate if you want Autumn so bad. Yet I have beaten you this far. So, why are you keeping me alive, huh? Or do you really just suck at killing your enemies?”

A rattled breath escaped from the manticore and suddenly the air became heavy as the pressure came upon Apple Bloom.

“Believe…me…puny…one…” the puppeteer spoke in a soft yet dangerous voice. “If…I…wanted…you…dead…you…would’ve…been…killed…a hundred…times. Even…from…a…million…lightyears…away…I can…ended…your…entire..world! Only…time…and…space…can…limit…me…and…I have…burn…through…nearly half…of…this…Universe’s…life…along…with traversing…through...countless…galaxies!”

“So?” Apple Bloom retorted. “Imma supposed to be impressed?”

A dark chuckle came. It was like a deep rumble from the darkest cave in the abyss of the world. It scarred Apple Bloom. No, she can’t lie about that. This was a deep dark rumble that will haunt her for as long she can remember. She remembers seeing Nightmare Moon and hearing stories of Tirek and the Pony of Shadows from Applejack. It was like all their evil was embedded in this laughter. It shook Apple Bloom to the core.

“I…see…that…they…have…granted…a…form..known…as..a…human.” It remarked. “They…were…the…latest…to fall..before..me. Now…I’m going..to enjoy…ripping…your…new…body…into pieces…if you don’t…surrender…the…human...child!”

It was then that Apple Bloom stopped trembling and then looked up. There was a glimmer of realization. Then suddenly a smirk came upon her face. Like a complete switch, instead of shaking with fear, Apple Bloom was radiating confidence. She let out a small snort of smugness as she straightened her body and held up the bundle of blankets in her arms.

“Y'all know, I really did fear that you were going to kill me for a second there,” Apple Bloom said. “But now I’m calling your bluff. You can’t kill me because your puppet is failing. The manticore is in too much pain to keep pushing through. You’ve exhausted the beast’s body. You ain’t even feel the manticore’s trauma, aren’t you?”

“I…have no need…to…equip..myself…with such…a burden.” The controlling evil force said.

“So, you don’t even smell, taste, or feel what this manticore is going through?”

“Feeling is…for…the weak…” it replied. “I…only deem…the sense…of sight…and sound…worthy of my…presence.”

“Then y’all must realize that you have been on a wild parasprite chase,” Apple Bloom said as she unwrapped the blankets. “Because I’d haven’t had Autumn in the past five minutes!” The blankets gave way and revealed a sack of flour. “I have been tricking you this entire time. I didn’t think blinding the manticore would work. Especially twice! But I noticed you have trouble repairing the beast’s body and that manticore had trouble locating me. Everypony knows manticores are excellent hunters with their smell and sense of vibrations! That’s the thing with puppets. No matter how good they are, they can’t replace the real thing!”

The manticore inhaled. So did Apple Bloom. She braced herself for what would come next. She hoped that somepony would rescue her. She was so used to having her old friends, her siblings, or even Twilight herself saving her whenever she gets in too deep. But now she has to face the reality that this might be it. Still, at least she can die knowing she saved an innocent creature from being killed by a merciless monster.

Apple Bloom felt her new hands curling up into a solid lump of flesh and bones. A fist is what humans called it. It then occurred to her that she can at least fight back. Go down swinging as they say. It may not do anything but it was at least an effort. She tense her muscles up and left her arms up, ready to strike.

That was when something sharp came through the remaining flesh of the manticore. The manticore let a sharp gasp as the weapon pierced its lungs. It was enough to cause the tail to slack and allow Apple Bloom to tumble out of the tree.

Her small scream of terror was cut short as something large caught her before she hit the ground. Apple Bloom let out an oof of air as she was being taken away from the enemy and towards the safety of her homestead. She had enough time to register that it was Big Mac who saved her by the slight tint of the orange mane before a change of air pressure came upon them followed by a loud erupting noise that nearly deafen them. An explosion of fire and wooden splinters were flung from the area behind them. It peppered them with debris as Big Mac scrambled down the muddy field.

Apple Bloom turned her head and saw something large coming out of the darkness behind them. An appendage of silver came out of the air, flying right at them. “Big Mac, look-” she couldn’t even finish her sentence before the metal object collided with her brother, knocking him off his hooves. The blow knocked her down causing her to tumble onto the ground for a few seconds. In pain, she let out a groan. The world was unfocused for a moment. The large ‘Thump’ shook the earth. Apple Bloom looked up to see the metal monster striding towards her.

There was no flesh left. It was all metal and gears. Silver plates of unknown substances cover the entire body. It was shaped like a manticore but it wasn’t a manticore anymore. It was even more confirmed as the creature stood up on its hind legs like a large, metal dragon with red menacing eyes peering down at her. It still possessed a large scorpion tail that was rising from the shadows behind the behemoth.

“I got to say you are full of surprises and tricks,” the dry voice came out once again, this time in a normal pace that didn’t sound like it was broken to pieces. “You exploited my weakness at a crucial moment. I have to admire that. Fortune does favor the bold, after all. But your luck is running out. I’m going to give you a painful death now, one from which you can never escape from.”

Apple Bloom scrambled to get up. There was no plan left to follow. Her only hope could be a few minutes away. But that was too long. Time was precious and she would have to fight for it. Apple Bloom looked around. There has to be a weapon or something! Next to her was a large stick. Apple Bloom reached over to grab it. Apple Bloom stood, her human body remaining firm as she held the stick up in a defense position.

The monster looked down and then the unsettling laugh came again. It was then that Apple Bloom saw a large pitchfork still embedded in the monster’s body. It must have been what Big Mac used to stab the manticore. Apple Bloom turned to her left to see where her brother ended up. She saw Big Mac getting unsteady up to his hooves. But he was in no position to move.

The monster finished laughing with a quip, “You going to stop me with that?” it said. “You and that small pathetic stick are going to save that precious human child? Unbelievable.”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom turned angrily to the enemy. “Just me.”

“Well then,” a menacing growl rumbled with these words. “So be it.”

The tail strike. This time for Apple Bloom’s head. Apple Bloom let out a battle cry as she charged forward with her stick and hoped for the best. Just as she gained her stride, a powerful feeling was growing inside her. The energy was building up. She was channeling something! Something was happening! The two forces met and then sparks flew as something scarlet yet transparent came in between her and the metal monster. It was strong enough to deflect the tail. And then it came again only to be stopped again by a scarlet air that was shimmering around Apple Bloom. She looked at her hands and saw the telltale glow of a magic spell being cast. Around her was a large bubble-like shield that was radiating power.

Apple Bloom barely had time to comprehend that was she actually doing arcane magic when another tail strike came and hit her shield, this time forcing her to move a few feet backward and causing her shield to fade for a split moment. Another blow and this time Apple Bloom felt her arms straining and pain shooting through her new shoulders. Apple Bloom groaned as she held her ground. A few more blows and suddenly she is gasping for air.

“Casting a standard shield spell,” the monster spoke softly. “No matter. I’ll just simply break through it.”

Then the tail came again and exploded with her shield, the blow sending her upwards. Apple Bloom felt herself hurling a few feet into the air before crashing down on the ground again. Pain shot through her legs. She staggered and fell to her knees. A few moments of cold air entered her lungs as she tried to stand up again. But it’s no use. Then the soft rain that was coming down began to pick up again. Soon, she was soaked. Apple Bloom looked up, holding on to her stick. Tears in her eyes, pain wrecking every part of her body. Apple Bloom hopes that something will happen. Anything! But no, only she can do it. Only she stood in the way of this monster and Autumn.

“You put up a good struggle,” The monster came walking to her at a slow pace, knowing she can’t last long. “But I’m afraid that this is your end.” Apple Bloom could hear the finality in the voice. She knew that this monster was done fooling around. “You’ve been a worthy opponent but it has been foolish to keep you alive for this long.” Then the red eyes looked up. Right towards the house. “Although, I did say I will bring you a painful death. One in which you can never recover from.”

Then the beast roared and a sphere of magical energy came out. Apple Bloom had no time to react as the ball of magic came soaring past her and right to the farmhouse. The ball erupted, blasting the front of the house off. Fire and smoke engulfed the structure. Apple Bloom felt tears coming in her eyes, she felt her heart stop. She turned to kill the monster. She moved despite the pain.

She only got a few inches when the metal tail came down on her and pinned her to the ground this time. The monster flexed its claws as it strolled forward. Then another spell came from the monster. This time it seems to be a telekinesis spell. Or it somehow feels like one. Apple Bloom felt something coming out of the flames from yards away. A small object. Her eyes went to the flames and saw that a figure was being pulled across the air to them. Apple Bloom recognized it as Autumn.

“Alas, the child is mine now.” the monster boasted as he brought Autumn closer.

Autumn began to cry. Apple Bloom didn’t know what to do. She had failed again. But despair didn’t come. No, she was still angry. She was still fighting. Her hand gripped the stick. She had done magic once before. She had to do it again. This time, she had to attack. This time she must kill. With her good arm, she aims her stick and channels her rage into it.

A bolt of scarlet lightning came out following a pink tint. It zapped its way across the sky and then right onto the chest. Right into the protruding pitchfork. The magic was able to bypass the monster’s defenses and into the soft center underneath. There was a brief pause and then a pink light erupted out and ripped the metal beast's entire arm out. The force of the spell pushed Apple Bloom a yard or two back, giving her enough space to roll out from under the tail.

Another cry came out and Apple Bloom saw Autumn tumbling down to the ground. Without even thinking about it and bypassing all the pain that she was experiencing, Apple Bloom divided to catch the human child. Her one arm curled around him and held the child to her body. She stumbled and staggered but in the end, she kept him from hitting the ground.

“You’re safe, Autumn” she whispered to him. “You’re safe with me.”

Suddenly a shadow loomed overhead. Apple Bloom turned to see the monster approaching them, cradling its arm.

“A beautiful lie,” it hissed. “But a lie nevertheless. No more safety. No more protection. No more miracles. THIS ENDS NOW!”

The beast raised its remaining clawed appendage and came right at Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom could only close her eyes and clutched Autumn tightly to her body. She waited for the deadly blow. But it never came. For at the moment, a beam of brilliant gold and white light burst from the sky above and smacked into the ground, sending tremors across the ground.

The whole world was shaking. Apple Bloom found herself getting far away from the terrible force. First on her own account, then by something dragging her away. She was able to peek from behind her arm that was shielding her face from a powerful glare. Bolts of lights in every color were just bombarding the ground where the monster stood. Each explosion was just tearing the ground up. A large crater was forming underneath.

In the midst of the attack was the remaining body of the monster that was now trying desperately to escape. But each bolt burns away its body, destroying it even with the enhanced power of healing. A dying roar managed the escape out of the burning light followed by broken words.

“You…will…pay…dearly…for…this!” the distorted voice said. “You…and…your…species…will..perish!”

BOOM Legs were gone.

“We…”

BOOM! Another explosion took off the other arm.

“Are…”

BOOM! BOOM! Twin explosions took care of the remaining body.

“The Astraios!”

Boom! Head shattered out into a million pieces from one last explosion.

And then with a blink of an eye, the light was gone followed by another couple of bolts that finished the job.

Apple Bloom was put down on the ground. Big Mac let out a painful moan as he flopped to the ground. A large figure came flying down. Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief that was followed by her painful groan. Time began to distort as figures came rushing to her. She couldn’t remember anything except Autumn crying and the sound of rain hitting the leaves. Darkness was falling upon her.

The darkness didn’t last and the time came crawling back to normal. She couldn’t have been out for long as the pain came rushing back just as intense as it was before. It was still raining. A few figures were moving around her. She didn’t know who they were yet. Her vision was still blurry. But she recognized them. One was Applejack. She was describing the situation. She was still alive! It seems that she got out just in time. The pony she was talking to gave an affirmative answer that Canterlot will do whatever it takes to help. It was a familiar voice. One that she hasn't heard in a long time. Then she heard a baby gurgling. Autumn was still alive too. Which means they had survived. They have won. A burden seems to be lifting off of Apple Bloom’s shoulders.

A warm glow came in front of her eyes as it approached her head.

Twilight Sparkle appeared in front of Apple Bloom. The alicorn princess gave a small smile. She seems to be surveying the damage that was done to Apple Bloom’s body. She looked over to Applejack who was looking at Apple Bloom with fearful apprehension. Apple Bloom tried to give signs that she is still alive and is alright. But her body absolutely refused to move that much.

“She will be okay, Applejack,” Twilight said to her friends. “She probably has a concussion and dislocated limb along with other various injuries. But my healing spell should steady her over until we get her to my healers and doctors in Canterlot. Granted, I’m unfamiliar with this species for the most part. My research has indicated that these humans should be biologically impossible. I’ll have to consult with Sunset’s notes. But her body shouldn’t be too hard to manage.”

“Can-Can you change her back?” Applejack asked.

Twilight let out a ‘hmmm’ of concern before speaking again. “I might be able to but not now,” she said. “Transformative magic is dangerous to do on an injured creature even if you have the biological inputs and structure ready. The problem lies in that Apple Bloom now has a magical defense system that is beyond my understanding. It’s like it wants to disable any spell that might affect her new body. It only allowed my healing spell after it analyzed what I was trying to do. It is the same for this human child down there.”

“Hss. n-me… is..A-ttum.” Apple Bloom mumbled. For some reason, her mouth was just not forming words.

“Relax, Apple Bloom” Twilight turned to her immediately. “Your body has been through a lot of trauma. I’m glad I was able to get to you in time. Whoever that monster was, I felt unique chilling energy coming from it. I have never seen magic work like that. But don’t worry, I can assure you that no amount of healing will save it from what I just did to it.”

Apple Bloom felt her body slowly coming back to functioning. It was like a small journey that began with a few steps. Then after some time passed, she found some progress. It was taking nearly an hour or two to be able to move. But now several Royal Guards came to the farm and were taking care of various tasks such as helping Big Mac and damage survey. Twilight was talking to Applejack and then some guards as Apple Bloom got up slowly and went to retrieve Autumn from off the ground.

For some reason, she could detect that a calming spell was placed on him. But it was quickly dissipating. Soon, he would be back to normal and would want things a regular young creature would want. Food. Comfort. Shelter. And a guardian. Apple Bloom looked at all the commotion that was going on around her. Here Autumn was amongst strangers and yet no one cared for him. No one but her. It must be sad to be alone and abandoned. Probably the last remaining human. And a vengeful god was coming after him. What can she do? What should she do?

A cold chill came upon her. If she was cold, then no doubt Autumn would be too. If they survive until now, they should get to a safe place and recuperate there before they invite death to take them soon. She looked at Twilight Sparkle who was staring at the Everfree Forest as a guard was speaking about the best paths for them to patrol it. It sounds like they were going to find the so-called ship that Autumn is from.

“Good, informed the sentries to set up a perimeter around the northeastern section of the forest and began the investigation at first light,” Twilight Sparkle commanded the guard. “Any findings informed them to me immediately. I want daily reports and weekly updates on this investigation until we find out what Equestria is facing this time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” the guard said and trotted off.

Apple Bloom took a painful step and Twilight turned to her.

“You will be happy to know that I have arranged accommodations for you and the human child until we figure out how to fix the situation you are in and what to do next.” Twilight informed Apple Bloom. “Rest assured, we will not allow any harm to come to you or him while you are under my protection. As for your family and their farm, I let Applejack know that I am putting my best construction teams to work and I’m ready to compensate them for the damages this monster has done. You don’t have to worry. This isn’t your fault by any means. You did well, Apple Bloom. I’m proud of how well you have handled this. To think you were once that rambunctious filly I met in Ponyville many years ago. Now you have taken the responsibility that no pony should have to take.”

“I mean, who else was going to help Autumn?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked down at the child she was holding. “It would be heartless to leave him in the woods to die.”

“But now we have to figure out where these so-called humans are,” Twilight noted. “Until we find out how they got here unnoticed and if there are more of them out there, we have to assume that this human child is the only one here. But I will do everything in my power to make sure he is taken home safely and that no harm will come to him again. Until then, however, I would recommend you stay with me and my researchers until we get a general idea of what is going on. The carriage will be arriving to take us to Canterlot shortly. It should only be a few days after we have healed you completely.”

Apple Bloom realized what was going on. “So, Autumn and I are going to Canterlot?”

“Yes, it is the safest place for you two right now.”

“But-but,” Apple Bloom looked at her family and then back to Twilight. “What about home? What about my life? What about him?” She looked down at Autumn and then back to Twilight. “You aren’t going to hurt him or experiment on him, are you?”

Twilight looked horrified at that prospect.

Of course not!” Twilight answered “I can assure you that we will not do anything that will hurt, um Autumn as you named him. But until we can verify that you two are okay from this strenuous night, we should go to my Canterlot facilities just in case. I will also be able to hide him until my little ponies are ready for such…revelations. I’ll let you bid Applejack a goodnight and a farewell before we leave.”

Apple Bloom stood there for a moment to mull it over. Her legs felt bruised and the ankles below felt like they might be sprained a little. A healing spell can only do so much. Eventually, she will need to rest. After all that has happened today, it is something she deserves. It is just going to be in a strange location in a strange body.

Applejack came up to her. It was strange to be looking down at her still. She still looked alright and uninjured for the most part. Her fur was singed in a few places. Apple Bloom gave her a small one-arm hug with her unoccupied arm.

“You take care of yourself, sugarcube.” Applejack said, her voice muffled by Apple Bloom’s body and wet cloak.

“You know I will,” Apple Bloom told her sister.

“And don’t worry about us,” Applejack said, looking up to Apple Bloom. “We will recover. Just do what you can to help Twilight and her doctors. We will wait as long as it takes until you are back to normal.”

“Hopefully soon,” Apple Bloom said and then a thought occurred to her and she let out a small chuckle. “Looks like once again I’m the big sister now,” she added.

Applejack laughed a little too. “Now don’t let that go to your head,” she told her.

Just then a large flying ship of gold, silver, and amethyst came landing down a few yards away. Several pegasi guards came flying around it, each one holding a weapon of some sort. There were a few hisses and small thuds as the boarding ramp was coming down. One of the guards approached Apple Bloom.

“Madam Apple, we’re ready for you,” he informed her.

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom felt her eyes stinging. “I guess I should get going.”

“Now don’t ya worry bout anything.” Applejack said, rubbing her hoof against Apple Bloom’s arm. “Before you know it, things will be back to normal and you will be running the farm. Just go with Twilight and you will be fine.”

“If you say so,” Apple Bloom said softly as she began to walk to the ship but a stretcher was being brought down for her.

“Just trust me, Apple Bloom” Twilight assured her as she walked up to her. “Everything will be just fine.”

AppleBloom just nodded and then allowed herself to be put on the medical stretcher. She didn’t think her body would be able to make it to the ship. Then she looked to Autumn who was looking up to her in wonder and awe. Like he is growing attached to her. Together, they were wheeled up to the ship and finally out of this miserable fall evening.

“Well, I guess onto the next adventure,” Apple Bloom told Autumn as they were being lifted onto the ship.

“I just hope they have clothes on board because I have been naked and cold for the past eight hours and it's been driving me crazy.”

Autumn Scarlet

by IgnitedSage

Prelude

Chapter 1: Circumstances

Chapter 2: Changes

Chapter 3: Child

Chapter 4: Commitment