I don’t think any of us spoke during the rest of the journey to the Acre’s. Marelyn had come to a few minutes after we left the cottage but she drifted off again. I couldn’t think of that hut as Fluttershy’s home anymore, I don’t think she’ll be able to either, I think if we all get out of this we’ll burn it down. That nameless tune was howling in my ears the whole way there, I knew it was her, the mare in the snow, I thought she was near somewhere but too far to be seen, I prayed she was far enough away that the snow could cover our tracks before she caught onto them. Then again I had the feeling if she (it?) was really predisposed to find us she probably could, I don’t think she saw in the same way normal ponies do.

The great orchards started to show up soon enough, true to form Mac had brought us to the Acre’s, the snow-covered trees were wilting in the unnatural cold. In spite of everything that had happened found myself worrying about Applejacks’ business, would she recover? She was going to lose the entire crop unless we brought things back under control quickly. I smiled softly to myself as I banished the thoughts from my head, even there in walking next to the cart that carried Fluttershy who was cradling her mutilated forelegs and Mayor Mare’s, sleeping fitfully as she nursed fractured bones and bruises, I still thought everything would be ok. What a foal I was.

“Twilight?” Fluttershy’s soft tones came out from beneath the dozen or so blankets covering the cart.

“Fluttershy?” I trotted back to her through the snow, “A-are you ok? Can I get you any-” I stopped at the look on her face as she shook her head.

“Twilight… I have to know… Did you… see Angel?”

My heart dropped out of my chest, it must have shown my face because her eyes suddenly became distant.

“O-ok… I didn’t think… but… I hoped... that… I…” Her voice cracked and broke for a moment as tears started to flow unbidden down her cheeks, “Thank you Twilight. You saved my life, I owe you everything.” Fluttershy huddled back into the blankets that kept her wounds warm and safe from the ruthless cold of the winds that were roaring outside the cart. I heard dry wracking sobs coming from the shadows, Spike wrapped his arms around her and Sweetie Belle nuzzled against her side, my heart broke all over again for her.

I shook off the grief and hardened my gaze, I wasn’t going to let this be the end, this had an end and I was going to find it, the princess was giving us time and I was going to use it. I saw the peaked roof of the Apple family household, the huge barn next to it and all the trees surrounding, I prayed again, this time begging whatever fate might be watching that we’d find refuge in that house, not another nightmare.

+=+

I muscled my way through the snow, my joints and muscles were screaming at the exertion, I didn’t have a lot left and it was telling as I finally made my way up the steps to the porch of the Apple Family house and slammed my hoof against the door a few times, I was ready to run, I had enough left burst to throw me back to the cart. Mac was ready to bolt in case things got bad again.

“W-who’s there?” a tremulous voice came out, “ain’t never heard a monster what knock’d afore.”

“Granny Smith?!” I exclaimed, joy leaping in my heart. Granny Smith was the venerable matriarch of the Apple Family and was from a generation of frontiersponies who helped settle large portions of the land. Braeburn and his ilk were only the latest in a long line of Apple ponies who have settled the fringes of ponydom.

“Is that little Miss Sparkle ah hear?” The door creaked open and Grannies wrinkled countenance peered out. “Oh dearie, come in now, it’ll be yer death out there if’n ya stay in the cold.”

Her face was well-worn and full of a lifetime of family and kindness, the ponies of Ponyville call her the core of the apple, and it’s no wonder why. As soon as I was inside I found myself swaddled in a thick knit blanket, I let out a soft sigh as I sank into its warmth before remembering everypony outside.

“Big Macintosh, bring everypony in, it’s safe!” I called out Big Mac just smiled and nodded before beginning the process of unhitching himself, “Spike! Is Mayor Mare awake?” The little purple dragon popped out of the blanket covered back of the cart at my question, leading a shaky but thankfully conscious and mostly recovered Mayor Mare by the hoof as she found her footing in the thick snow. “Big Mac, when you’re done bring Fluttershy in!” I called out before turning back to Granny Smith, “Uhm, Granny, our friend Fluttershy… she’s hurt really badly and… do you have anything that can help?”

Granny Smith gave a good-natured huff, “Girlie, ah’ve been stitchin’ up hurts of all kinds since ah was a filly, comes with workin’ the farm, accidents happen, some of’em a lot worse’n others.” Granny began trying to pull out a large chest from beneath the stairs, I gave a little help with my magic but even that small effort brought on a sickening wave of vertigo. “Here ya go, we got anythin’ ya need in that there trunk. Ain’t a doctor’s office but it’ll do ya right for.”

I nodded thankfully as Mayor Mare joined me, still a little shaky on her feet but otherwise unharmed from her knock-around with that… thing.

“Where’s Spike?” I asked quizzically as she moved slowly into the living room and found a spot next to the roaring fire, something I fully intended to take advantage of once Fluttershy was settled.

“He’s helping Big Macintosh get Fluttershy onto his back,” her eyes fall at the name, “That poor dear…”

I nod, “I know Marelyn, but there’s nothing more we could have done, we saved her life though, that’s worth the world to me, and I don’t want to lose another friend.”

“Oh mah, you poor thing…” Granny Smith’s voice cut in from the entranceway, Big Macintosh must have brought Fluttershy in. “James, take her upstairs ta yer ma’s old room, noponie’s usin’ it anyway, ah’ll get the wrappin’s fer her new bandages.”

“Uhm, Granny, is Applejack around? I haven’t seen her,” I asked, shivering as I came in from the warmth of the living room.

Granny slid the door closed and nodded, “She’s out about the barn ah reckon, gettin’ the harvest below grounds where it’s dry, when the snow started a’comin down everypony ran out to save what we could o’ the apples.”

“Ok, well when she comes ba-” my voice died in my throat as my ears pricked up, the song, and it was louder… no… it was getting louder, even now I could hear more clearly than a moment ago. I rustled through the medical trunk, it had every manner of basic necessity a farmhouse might need, painkillers, gauze in thick swathes, splints, etc… I grabbed some of the stronger painkillers and dropped three down my throat. “Granny, do you have any restorative draught like they have at the clinic? I need energy, something is coming and if my magic is worn out then I’m no good to anypony.”

Granny Smith didn’t ask any questions, she just disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before reappearing with a thick clay jug. “Not too much now y’hear? I conjure this’ll put the shimmer back in yer horn right quick.”

I nodded as the painkillers started to kick in; I levitated the jug to my lips and took a generous swig. The effect hit me like Big Mac’s kick, my head swam for a moment before warmth started to spread through my limbs. It wasn’t quite like the draughts the medical clinics use to keep ponies awake or give them energy; it had a liquorish taste to it as well.

“Careful now Missie, ah’ve seen unicorns on this stuff, makes things ok for a spell but after it wears off you’ll be cursin’ yer mother’s womb.” She warned, I could only nod and grab my scarf and winter coat, I didn’t have a choice, if I didn’t go out there and warn them about the mare… I didn’t want to think about Applejack being caught unaware by that bitch.

“Take this for Applejack,” Granny said as I was stepping into the cold, she handed me a saddle-flask, probably full of the same drink I’d just had a sip of.

“I’ll be back with her and everypony else I find,” I said as I stared out into the forbidding cold, the song of the mare wailing its despairing timbre in my ear.

+=+

The wind had become a whiteout, yet another sign that she was close, too close by half. I remembered where the barn was easily, I had walked the ground with Applejack more times than I could remember, happier times when we were all still whole and certain events at Sugarcube Corner had yet to be exposed to the horrible light of day. I focused and reached the well of magic within me more easily this time, I projected a soft shell around myself to break the worst of the wind and snow, I didn’t want to wear myself out too badly but I needed to see where I was going. Soon enough the massive barn doors came into view; they were partially ajar though it looked as though they were twitching… I decided somepony must be inside attempting to close them against the gale so I pressed forward, reaching the closest thing to a gallop that I could in those conditions.

“WAIT! WAIT FOR ME!” I cried out, I doubted anypony would hear me over the howling wind and that horrible song, but…

“Well c’mon sugarcube, ah ain’t waitin’ much long’r ya hear?” Applejack’s voice responded, I breathed a soft sigh of relief into my muffler, she was ok. Suddenly the song changed pitch, it became a wail, and it was hard to discern where it came from but…

“There…” I whispered mostly to myself, through a drift of snowfall I saw a cream-coated stallion fleeing; and behind him… “Oh Celestia, no…” I started towards him desperately but I knew it was pointless, I knew that I was too far away and the snow bank too thick to reach him, tears stung and froze against my eyes as I staggered towards him in time to see the mare burst out of a drift in a full gallop. She was moving over the snow in that eerie weightless manner, leaving only hoofprints but no other marks. In moments she was on him, Caramel Apple I think his name was, he was a nice pony, kind and sweet, he didn’t deserve to go that way; nopony deserves to go that way…

The leapt on him, bear him down to the snow, gravity seemed to assert itself on her once more as she brought him down beneath the icy white and out of my sight. Until the wind stopped, all the gale-force winds, the interminable howling, it all stopped for a split second. It picked back up centered entirely on her, the snow cleared in an instant, like leaves before a great wind to reveal the mare with her head outstretched to the sky, singing that sad and despairing song. Caramel struggled but the wind caught him like solid bonds, lifting him up in front of her, I could see him screaming but the noise of the winds that restrained him was too much. Then the cutting began, at first it was small, the wind shear a slice into his flank, tears began boiling down the mare’s face like hot pitch as she sang, every note sliced deeper into Caramel’s body til the snow around him took on a reddish hue.

I tried to tear my eyes away, I swear I tried, but I couldn’t… I just couldn’t. At first there was only the sound of the wind, the mare-song, and a dull droning that I think must have been Caramel screaming… then there was a sound like meat being ripped apart, a horrible wet tearing sound. Then the wind stopped. There was a dull cracking sound as the body was torn apart by the arctic winds.

The… thing… that was at one point the pony called Caramel Apple dropped to the ground. It wasn’t even recognizable anymore; it could have been almost anything. Anything that was red and ropy and smelled like a charnel house. I gagged, backing away as the mare continued to howl her dirge into the sky, she hadn’t noticed me yet, I backed slowly towards the barn and ran to the door, levering it open with magic before slamming it shut and dropping the crossbar over the lock.

“T-twilight?” Applejack stepped into the dim light of a sputtering lantern, eyeing me cautiously.

“Applejack, thank Celestia you’re ok, we have to… to…” Applejack backed away as I approached, “Applejack, what’s wrong?”

“Twilight… uhm… a-are ya’ll alright?” she asked carefully, she was defensive, I stepped back and blinked.

“Yea, I’m… well… no… not fine but… I’m not hurt or anything, why?”

“Cuz… yer… uhm… that’s… blood?” suddenly I recognized the look on her face; she was scared, and disgusted.

“W-what?” I answered shakily, lifting a hoof to my face; it came away sticky and red. “Oh… that…” My vision doubled. Blood. I was covered in Caramels blood. It was all over my face… I hadn’t realized it because I was numb from the cold but… “Applejack I… It’s… I mean…” Applejack began backing away.

“Darlin’ I don’ know whose blood that is but you got yourself some explainin’ ta do,” the look on her face was fierce, and angry.

“AJ, there’s a thing, outside, it looks… kind of like a mare, but it’s not, it’s a monster, a horrible horrible monster,” I started to explain, “It’s white with pitch-black eyes, and it makes a sound like a song. It almost killed Mac and me in town and… it… got Caramel…” I finished softly, unable to look my friend in eye.

“C-…Caramel? Wada mean gothic? Ya mean like it took him?” she asked hopefully, her eyes desperate for any answer than the one I had to give her. I shook my head. “Oh… oh no… that ain’t right… it’s just nah right… he wasn’t supposed ta go like that’… I…” she stuttered, tears started to stream down her face. I used a nearby cloth to clean the blood off my face before moving slowly over to her and wrapping my hooves around her shoulders, she buried her face in my neck and sobbed her heart out, curled up on the dirty barn floor as the mare sang Caramel a dirge over the miserable wreck of his corpse outside.