"Now dearest...it is important to relax. Remain calm, and the situation will be quick-"

"Calm!? CALM!? How can you expect me to remain calm?! It's back, HE'S back! How could this of happened, what did we do, what didn't we do!? Oh my ponies, my little ponies are being murdered by their nightmares once more! How can we stop it, stop him! Oh stars and planets above what are we going to-"

"Celestia please! Calm thyself sister, we have taken steps to ensure that the virus will not consume our world again. Fail-safes are in place and they are being executed as we speak! We will restore order again, this I promise you."

"But Discord...DISCORD! He has broken free Luna, the father of our terrible affliction. He breathes this sickness, seeps his chaos into every living, loving soul he can. He'll be coming here for us soon enough! What fail-safe do you have for HIM of all things!?"

...

"Luna...? Tell me there's a plan for Discord....Luna?"

...

"Oh gods above...Luna?"

"I said don't worry about it."

~~~

Applejack grumbled quietly to herself as she drug her belly across the muddy dirt, crawling with extra care and carefulness between her apple trees. She could hear the low growling and the shuffling of diseased hooves somewhere around her, the harsh panting of a sick pony looking for a red, raw meal. Or in this case, a certain orange flank that looked as delicious as the three apples that adorned it. The country mare moved only a few inches at a time, pulling herself into a large clump of tall grass. She was already playing a very dangerous game with her life, having taking a roll through a pool of infected blood before venturing out into the fields, the smell of the disease covering her scent.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash had taken overwhelming precautions to ensure the mare didn't have any open wounds or scratches that could risk her getting infected, although that still didn't play very well on her nerves. She had some pretty nerve-wracking close calls, including one afflicted pony coming within at least two feet of her while galloping on through the trees. "Why me?" she thought bitterly, her eyes looking left and right into an endless darkness outlined by thick apple trees. "This is Twilight's fault...stupid diseased unicorn. She shoulda just stayed away! She shoulda just kept her darn sickness away from the rest of us...now look at this place!". She stilled herself as a group of three Pegasai soared overhead, one of them clipping a few leaves from the tree above her. When she was sure the coast was clear, she started inching her way forward again. "Ah coulda' been managing my farm, spendin' time with Shadow-Mane, livin' a normal damn life!". She narrowed her eyes, spotting her barn in the distance and the farm house just beyond. "Buck you Sparkle...and damn you to Tartarus...".

As she reached the edge of the tall grass, she thought back on the moments before she began her venture out into Sweet Apple Acres, the last words she said to Twilight...

"I don't know what it is bout' em...but the varmints look like they're gettin' smarter." Applejack had whispered from her secluded hiding spot in one of the many berry bushes lining the treeline just on the other side of the fence lining Sweet Apple Acres. Beside her, a nestled Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes as she scanned the empty vegetable field just beyond the fence. The country mare sighed as she ran a hoof through her straw-colored mane, grumbling as she watched at least ten diseased ponies walking about in precise patterns. "Looks like they're patrollin', or somethin' like that."

Rainbow Dash chewed on her lip for a moment, grumbling quietly to herself before whispering "It's Discord, remember they said it was one of his artifacts or whatever that housed the disease? I bet you his magic has got a pretty good influence on the Ravage. He can manipulate it, make it stronger probably...make his minions stronger."

"So why can't Twilight just up n' purge em again?" Applejack shot back "She smothered all of Equestria with that golden magic o' hers, can't she just do it again?" The mare was already upset that she had to go and roll in the blood of a dead, diseased pony already, and her upcoming mission was certainly doing nothing to improve her mood, much less the return of Twilight whom she continued to blame for bringing back the source of her nightmares.

At this, Rainbow merely shook her head and muttered "I don't think it's going to be that simple this time around AJ...a lot of ponies who were infected before have been infected again. There's not going to be a second chance for most of us, and with Discord about, he'll know about Twilight's magic and is probably going to do whatever he can to capture or kill her to prevent her from even trying." The Pegasus shared a long, sad look with her friend as she finished with a small crack in her voice "I...don't think we're walking away from this one AJ...not this time around."

"So what do we do?" Applejack whispered, staring back out towards the fields "If there's no hope for most of the populace, what're we supposed to do?"

"Save as many as we can..." whispered a third voice from behind them, causing the two mares in the bush to jump slightly. Turning around, they watched as Twilight Sparkle crept into the bush with them, nestling between the two and staring out towards Applejack's old fields. She whispered as she finally settled in on her belly "My purge will barely be as effective as it was the last time, so all we can really do is save who we can, and get them someplace safe."

"Oh yeah? And exactly where the buck is that?" Applejack spat, pointing her hoof out towards the ravaged ponies milling about "If ya haven't noticed, nowhere is safe from these things. Appleloosa, Manehatten, every major city fell to this disease Twilight, and that was WITHOUT Discord's influence."

Twilight merely sighed, staring out towards the trees and sniffing slightly. She couldn't see any of the monsters out there...but she could sure as hell smell them. They were out there...watching, waiting, hunting. She figured Discord would try to cut her off from the rest of their friends, and especially her kin...something that Twilight was happy was still safe, for now. "I don't know Applejack...but we can't give up." She whispered to her country friend "I know you're angry, and you have every right to be, but now is not the time!" She locked eyes with Applejack for a moment, looking at her with a worried and pleading expression and receiving only a hateful one in return "We need to unite and stand together if we're going to have any chance of beating Discord. We can stop him again with the Elements of Harmony, but only after we ensure all our friends and family are safe! To do that, we need to make sure we work together, not fall apart!"

Applejack grimaced and looked away, narrowing her eyes towards the trees. She couldn't see nor smell them like Twilight could, but she knew they were out there too. "Ah'll be willin' to put mah differences aside once ah make sure Macintosh n' Shadow are safe...and after this is all done, ah don't care what happens," she took a moment to shoot Twilight a venomous look with her eyes and whisper harshly "But you WILL answer for what you've done to us. Ah swear it Twi', ya'll gonna pay for what you've done."

Twilight looked away, sadly nodding to the mare. She had explained to her friends as best as she could have as to what happened after she had released the Great Purge in Canterlot, how she faked her death and disappeared to ensure the disease wouldn't be unleashed yet again. But when she returned to Canterlot, Discord's seal was already on the quick path to breaking, and there was no time to do anything about it. She had tried to convince Applejack that all the death and chaos in the previous months made Discord's return inevitable...but the country mare was convinced that the re-infection was Twilight's fault, that Discord broke out because of her intense magical connection to the disease in her blood. There was sadly...nothing she could do to convince her. Trying to change the subject, Twilight went back to discussing the plan "Alright...anyway, Applejack's going to try and sneak into Sweet Apple Acres, and make sure Macintosh and the others are ok. Twenty or so minutes after Applejack starts her approach, Rainbow Dash is going to cause a big distraction on the other side of the farm, and buy Applejack some time to get them out of the house and into the Everfree Forest. Take them straight towards the ruined castle, ok?"

Rainbow Dash nodded and rolled out of the bush, slithering her way along the treeline in the direction of the far fields while Applejack merely nodded and grumbled "Fine...but you better pray to whatever heathen Gods still watchin' over ya that none of em' are hurt..."

"Please Applejack..." Twilight whispered, the unicorn fighting back the tears she felt heating up her eyes "Just...just work with me for awhile...and I'll disappear for good, ok?" The country mare acknowledged her with only a snort as she begun to inch her way out of the bush, her ears picking up one final, whispered plea from Twilight. "Please...don't tell Macintosh."

"Well ya shouldn't have even gotten close to him in the first place if all you were gonna' do was hurt him...give him a filly with no mama..." Applejack growled quietly to the air, sliding quietly against the outer wall of her barn, approaching the front corner slowly. She found it completely irresponsible and downright cruel that she would birth a filly, only to abandon it with its father to run and play dead. Moonlight Sparkle...daughter of Twilight Sparkle and Big Macintosh. Under the circumstances, Applejack still thought it was wrong of Twilight to do what she did and run, hurting Macintosh...but that little filly, in Applejack's opinion, was the last thing Twilight Sparkle did right. Regardless of the situation, that little filly was really the only thing that gave Macintosh any real reason to smile anymore.

Applejack peeked her head around the corner of the barn, the screeches and howling of the Afflicted around the area crying out all around her. In the far distance, she could vaguely hear the voice of Rainbow Dash screaming "Here I am ya big morons! Come and get it, Rainbow's served!!!!" The country mare merely rolled her eyes as a small horde ran and flew off towards the other side of the farm, giving Applejack the window she needed. With a final check to see if the coast was clear and a huff of breath, she burst out from behind the barn and galloped as fast as she could towards the farmhouse. She reached the porch in seconds, shoving the door open and looking about quickly. The front hall, the kitchen, and the living room were abandoned from what she could tell, but there was indications that there were still ponies living there. A basket of apples, eaten and fresh, and personal belongings and blankets laid out in the living room.

When she spoke, she did so in a raised voice, being careful not to be too loud. "Mac'?! Shadow? Where ya'll at?!" She called, trotting quickly through the doorway and letting the door slam behind her. "Macintosh, ya'll better call out n' lemmie know that yer alright!"

"AJ!?" Came the muffled sound of Big Macintosh's voice from behind the door that led to the cellar "That you!?"

Applejack gasped, rushing over to the door as it started to open, the familiar red face of a certain work horse poking through. "Brother!" Applejack wheezed, tears building up in her eyes as she pushed past the cellar door and into the open hooves of her dearest brother. Big Macintosh hugged her sister to him tightly, his own tears building up slightly.

"Oh mah stars, what in the hay are ya doin' all the way out here at night?!" Macintosh half scolded, half pleaded to her "Ya'll coulda got bitten or worse! Don't scare me like this Sis, taint' good for mah heart!"

Applejack shook her head, staring up at her brother before saying "There's no time Mac', me and..." She paused for a second, remembering Twilight's request to keep her presence a secret from him, for the obvious reason of keeping him calm and to not freak out over the realization that his true love was still alive. "Um...me n' Dash and the other girls are tryin' ta ferry as many ponies as we can to the castle in the Everfree Forest, you were one of our stops!" Applejack looked past her brother and into the darkness that rested at the bottom of the stairs "Who all do ya have left? Do ya have everypony?"

Macintosh looked away slowly, his voice and tone thin and weak "We...have most o' everypony..." Applejack looked at him with a frantic, worried expression. A voiceless question was etched in her eyes, one that Macintosh was reluctant to answer but knew he had to. "We...have Miss Lyra and Roseluck, as well as Thunderlane. Mah little Moonlight and the Cakes' twins are ok, so are Apple Bloom, Catie, and Sweetie Belle...but-"

"Sweetie Belle?!" Applejack whispered in surprise, her mind wandering back on the infected Rarity that was tied up back at Zecora's hut "What...ah thought she was with her parents...?"

"Train was late Applejack...it never came for her." Macintosh simply answered, which didn't play well on Applejack's already breaking nerves. "That's...that's it. That's all we have" Macintosh finished, her sister's ears drooping at the names not mentioned.

"But...what about Spike...? What about Shadow-Mane?!" she breathed the Lunar Guard's name as more of a desperate plea than a question, but the Stallion could only look away as he whispered quietly.

"Shadow..." he said "He...went out the day Discord came back...said he was going to pick up something he ordered for you. He...never came back." He looked back towards his sister, tears freely flowing down her face as he whispered "Ah don't know what happened sugarcube...nopony does."

"W..what about Spike?" She choked out "Is he...is he missin' too?" Macintosh opened his mouth to answer her, but the words just couldn't, wouldn't come out. He bowed his head slightly as Applejack whispered "N..no. He wasn't, he didn't get...Macintosh he's not one of em!?!?".

The work horse merely sighed gravely, looking into his sister's eyes as he whispered "Catie and him were out and about, and they were taken a nap. They woke up late and were attacked...Catie got away, came back and told us that Spike was..." He couldn't bring himself to finish, the stallion ignorant to the unimaginable rage building up inside Applejack's gut.

"Another innocent youngin' victimized by Twilight...and this time it was her own baby dragon..." she seethed in thought to herself, her right eye twitching slightly. She pushed her feelings aside as best as she could, looking up at her brother and whispering quickly "Whatever's happened Macintosh, it doesn't matter now. Somehow, someway we'll fix all o' this, but right now ya gotta get the others and follow me outta here. Rainbow's gone n' distracted the monsters outside so we'll have a chance to go, but we gotta go now!"

Macintosh nodded, pulling away from his sister to run down to the cellar. In just a few minutes and after all the hellos and greetings were passed between Applejack and Macintosh's group, as well as a warm, tearful reunion between Applejack and Apple Bloom, the ponies had grouped up by the farm house's back door. "Alright..." Applejack whispered "Lemmie see if the coast is clear..." She gently pushed against the screen door, poking her head about and looking around into the night. The moon above was casting its gentle glow across the fields, the cloudless sky twinkling with an endless sea of stars. The last peaceful element left in Equestria, according to Applejack. "Looks clear..." she whispered, inching her way outside and trotting into the soft grass. In the distance, Applejack could still hear Rainbow Dash hooting and hollering like a mad mare, the sounds of pissed off monsters continuing to echo about. "Alright, let's go ya'll!" Applejack called back, waving her hoof towards the treeline.

The group was headed by Big Macintosh, the work horse trotting with a very secured basket on his back containing his young filly, followed by Roseluck with the twins, Lyra with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, and a very scared-looking Thunderlane bringing up the rear with Catie on his back. They galloped past Applejack and towards the trees, the country mare staying back to ensure nothing was following them. She scanned the area slowly as Macintosh reached the trees, rushing into the orchard with the others close behind.

She was just about to turn and gallop off to join them when a small sliver of movement caught her eye. Her eyes instantly snapped towards one of the far off trees in the distance to her left. She narrowed her eyes slightly, staring hard at the outline of what looked like a pony standing under the dark shade of one of her trees. Peering closer, she could see the frayed whites of bandages and what looked like...bat-like wings. She gasped as the pony-like shape bolted back into the trees, her voice calling out after it "Wait! Shadow!?"

"Applejack, come on!" Macintosh called after her, his voice frantic and his eyes darting about every which way, checking for any monsters coming back, only to discover that their trapped quarry was trying to escape.

The country mare looked back towards her brother, and then back out towards the trees a few times before she finally shouted back "Ya'll go ahead! Apple Bloom knows where Zecora's hut is, she'll direct you in the direction of the castle!"

"But what about you sis'!?" Apple Bloom cried out, the young filly extending a hoof outwards towards her "Where are ya goin'?!"

"Ya'll don't worry bout' me!" Applejack shouted, turning and bolting towards the spot where she thought she saw Shadow "Just get to the castle and fast!" Ignoring the continuing calls out towards her, Applejack barreled into the other side of the orchard, whipping her head about to the left and right. "Shadow!? Is that you!? Where are ya sugarcube!?" she called out into the night.

Shadow-Mane...Captain turned General by Princess Luna in her Royal, Lunar Guard for his heroic actions in defending Canterlot and all of Equestria against the Ravage Virus. A true war hero in Applejack's eyes...a true friend, a true special somepony. Or so...she secretly found herself hoping. She had invited him and Seargent Nightfire, his best friend, to stay with her at Sweet Apple Acres during Ponyville's reconstruction. Ever since the fall of Cloudsdale, the two Lunar Guards had nowhere to go, and thus agreed to Applejack's offer. The Seargent was called back to Haven City however by a very urgent letter from Princess Luna, leaving Shadow to help Applejack tend her growing apple orchard.

So many nights spent on the hilltops talking, sharing each others hurts and worries, their experiences. So many tales she was told by the weary veteran about how he had personally delivered Discord's diseased ridden artifact to Celestia, the very artifact left behind by the King of Chaos, hidden away and the sole source of the terrible Ravage Virus that was now plaguing their poor, over-burdened population for a second time. She hurt for him, wished there was something she could do to ease his misery. She found they were alike in many ways...stubborn...proud...willing to do whatever it took to win and work through the day.

She cared about him...cared about him to rush into the deadly darkness in search of him, regardless of whatever evil danger there was lying in wait for her. If there was any hope that she could bring him home, and clue or indication of his whereabouts. She'd chase it. She'd hunt for it. It was this feeling that drove her deeper into the trees, her eyes focused and searching, her hooves quick and swift in carrying her through the trees. "Shadow...where ya at!? Come on Shadow speak to me!"

Another flash of movement drove her ever more desperately into the orchard. For fifteen minutes she chased the figure through the trees, emerging out of the treeline and onto the edges of a creek that split off a fourth of her orchard. It wound its way through the area, and was often commented on by other ponies that it was a great place to take a swim or two if the hot weather was just too much to bear. There were often times Applejack admitted it as well, although to herself more than others since she often found herself slacking off of work to take a quiet, secret dip by herself if she found herself too stressed out by the overwhelming amount of tasks and duties she had to do around the farm.

She looked up and down the creek quickly, panting as she struggled to catch her breath. She couldn't see any sign of the fleeing pony around, causing her to swear under her breath and plop her flank down at the edge of the creek. She let out a heavy sigh, looking out into the darkness of the orchard and whispering "Shadow...where are you...?"

Her ears perked as the sounds of galloping sounded off behind her, causing her to whip her head around. All she could see was grey fur and bat-wings as she was tackled over the edge and straight into the creek with a thunderous splash. Applejack tried to cry out, but all that came forth was a shrill gurgle of bubbles. She felt her heart hammer in pure shock and sorrow as she saw two orbs of red moving about in the water, the eyes of a diseased, monstrous pony upon her. She couldn't clearly tell who it was, the country mare wrestling violently with her attacker in the water. It continuously made an effort to bite and beat her, hoping to kill or infect her. She blocked as much as she could, holding a leg against its neck, under its chin in attempts to hold back her assailant.

When some of the thrashing water cleared, she felt her heart catch. Her irises shrunk as she beheld the once peaceful, war-scarred face of Shadow-Mane looking upon her with a look of pure rage and anger. His once golden eyes, now a diseased red, bore into the bright emerald of hers. A set of five or so bite marks littered his back and legs, indicating he had been mauled by the monsters she hated the most. She let out a sorrowful, rageful roar underwater, her voice coming out in a harsh gurgling of water and bubbles. She shoved back her diseased friend, clambering her way to the surface as her air was starting to run out.

She burst through the water with a heavy gasp, her screams penetrating the thick darkness. She scrambled up onto the bank, shrieking as tears spilled down her face and sorrow overwhelmed her heart. She let out a cry as Shadow burst out of the water, grasping onto one of her rear hooves. She kicked back her other hoof on instinct, bucking the bat-pony in the face and sending him back into the water. "Oh goddess above not you!" She cried towards the water, scrambling back away from the creek and choking out a sob as Shadow once again broke the surface, his snout bent slightly with fresh blood leaking out of his nostrils. He shrieked at Applejack, swiping his hooves towards the banks and trying to get a good hoof hold to pull himself out.

Applejack looked about quickly, spotting a rock just nearby. She quickly rushed over to it, swiping it up with her hoof and looking back towards Shadow with a panicked, yet sorrowful look etched on her face. "Oh sugarcube, Ah'm sorry! Ah'm so sorry!" She cried, chucking the rock at his head and wincing as it clonked him in the forehead. She made sure that her throw wasn't a lethal one...but a good enough one to knock him out. He dropped like the rock that bounced off his skull, the bat-pony falling into unconsciousness quickly.

She let out a few heaving breaths, her body finally finding the strength to move her trembling hooves towards her once beloved friend. She looked down on him, tears streaming down her face and dripping down onto Shadow's gently. He looked so peaceful, she thought, the pony looking like he was merely sleeping. He'd wake up, full of life and that old vigor she adored, ready for another day and another fight if he had to. She sniffed, wiping her eyes and nose as she whispered "Ah swear...ah don't care what it takes...ah know you haven't been sick before, so ah know you can be saved." She leaned down, planting a small kiss on his forehead and whispering into his ear "Ah'll save you...ah promise..."

She stood back up slowly, her eyes narrowing in rage. She looked up towards the direction of the Everfree Forest. She heaved for breath as she felt an unspeakable anger boiling in her blood, her hooves carrying her forward at lightning speed towards Twilight Sparkle's predetermined meeting point. No one would ever believe it...but in that moment...Applejack's rage was greater than the rage any Ravaged pony would ever feel.

~~~

Twilight looked at the small watch clasped across her leg near her hoof, looking back up into the trees. She was resting on the edge of the large, foggy chasm that, a mile or so to the north, passed under the wooden bridge to the old castle. Rainbow Dash had only arrived a few minutes ago, letting Twilight know that she had led Macintosh and the others to the castle safely. "They said Applejack stayed behind to check something out but that she'd be following after them soon, I did a quick fly over but didn't see anything yet." Rainbow told her, sitting next to her carrier friend.

The unicorn sighed quietly, shaking her head as she whispered "I wish Applejack didn't hate me so...I wish she'd see that this isn't my fault."

"Well she's upset Twilight...she thought all the worst was behind her." Rainbow whispered back "She's just...she'll come around eventually, I'm sure of -"

Her sentence was suddenly interrupted as a thunderous roar of a mare exploded out from the trees, Applejack blasting through the thick foliage and barreling right towards Twilight. "Applejack!?" Twilight gasped, watching as the country mare flew at her with immense speed, a look of pure rage on her face. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought Applejack was infected herself. "What are you do- ACK!!" She started to ask but was cut off as Applejack body slammed her, hooking her front hooves around her and tackling Twilight Sparkle over the edge.

Rainbow Dash had let out a yelp of fright as Applejack roared past her, and cried out as the two mares tumbled into the thick fog below.

Author's Notes:

It's good to be back! More updates to come!