Chapter 2

Fire and Stone

Applejack dodged past the terrified ponies sprinting away from the burning Ponyville, as she sprinted towards the Mayor’s house, where the Mayor  was seen trying to calm everypony down.  Applejack was only a couple hundred yards away when one of the town homes started to collapse. As it was starting to tilt over, Applejack noticed a small newborn foal, who hadn’t learned to walk yet, was crying for its mother and was lying directly in the path of the collapsing building. She took every inch of energy to sprint over to the foal, knocking a few ponies over to make them get out of her way. Her heart was racing, she couldn’t let this little foal die right in front of her when nopony else was doing anything to save it. She reached the foal just as the building that was closest to the ground was giving away. Applejack grabbed the foal by the diaper and rushed it away 20 yards, when she dived onto the foal, protecting it from the debris that the collapsing building was shooting out. She stayed over the foal, until she knew the building was no longer a threat. Standing up, Applejack looked at the foal to make sure it was okay, and then she proceeded galloping to the mayor to find out what was going on.

“Applejack!” the Mayor screamed when she came up,”that took a remarkable amount of bravery; if we had the time I would give you the Medal of Bravery.” The Mayor paused and coughed in her forehoof from the smoke, “come inside, hurry.” Seeing that the Mayor was concerned, Applejack followed her into the house. She put the foal gently on the ground, and looked directly at the Mayor.

“Mayor, what the hay is going on? What happened? “Applejack became angry and quite concerned, she looked down and smiled at the foal who took a liking to her tail by giving it tiny little tugs here and there.

“It all started last night” the Mayor replied, “dark creatures of the night came down from the skies, and started to abduct the unicorn ponies. These creatures were dark, red eyes, sharp teeth, and claws.” The Mayor shivered while she said this. “But as the creatures started to take the unicorns away, they started to fight back. And those awful creatures started shooting balls of fire at the town.”

“WHAT?! But Mayor who took them and why? Are there any still here? Are they Dead? TELL ME” Applejack screamed at the Mayor’s face, her eyes started to tear up as she continued her story.

“Only one unicorn was not taken, she tried to protect the others by fighting off the creatures..” Her sobs were getting worse with pain, she tried to continue in a manor where Applejack could still understand her. “And, and, those creatures, those creatures, TURNED HER INTO STONE!” The Mayor could not hold her emotions any more; tears were streaming out of her eyes like waterfalls, Applejack hugged her until she wanted to break it.

“Mayor” Applejack said in a calming voice, “Where is this pony? The Pony of stone?”

“ In the park, by the fountain” the Mayor replied , who seemed to calm down a bit, “I’ll look after the foal and find it’s parents, go Brave Applejack, help us.” The Mayor picked up the foal, who now has slept through the entire conversation on Applejacks tail. Applejack saw the sign that it was time to leave.

Applejack trotted out of the house and towards the park. She wanted to make sure the pony of stone, was somepony other than what she thought. The sky has turned black as night, when it was only about 10:00 in the day. Thousands of thoughts crossed her mind, hoping that she herself could answer some questions.

When she reached the park, it was black everywhere. The trees the scorch marks, and the fountain was spurting some sort of black ooze. But the scorch marks were the deepest and the darkest by the Pony of Stone. It was obvious a fire ball had turned her into stone, but it must have had some magic qualities to it. Applejack approached the statue; she was only a few yards away when she recognized that familiar stance the pony was in. Her eyes were squinted tight, and her legs were spread far apart, and her horn was pointed directly upwards; Applejack only saw her in this stance when she was performing her most powerful spells. The Pony of Stone was Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack froze, tears were swelling up in her eyes and her legs were caving in. Slowly Applejack fell to the ground close to her friend’s hooves. “T..T…T…Twi??” Applejack said chokingly,”no…no….no..no,no,no!” Applejack yelled, getting up to the ground to hug her frozen friend. Sobbing Applejack hugged her tightly hoping to never let her go. Suddenly a splitting headache attacked Applejack, similar to the one she got at Sugercube corner.

Ha,ha,ha the dark figure said in her mind, You will thank me later… The headache left as soon as it arrived.  Applejack opened her eyes and broke the hug with Twilight. She ran a few yards, with all the anger she has built up in the last two days, she screamed.

“YOU BRUTE! YOU HAY SPITTING, SON OF A MARE BRUTE!” She was kicking and screaming, hoping that thing would get the message.

“Applejack?” said a worried voice behind her. Applejack turned around only to see Big Mackintosh with some severe burns on his shoulders and flank.  His harness was torn badly, he was fighting those things.

“Big Mac, you’re okay!” Applejack yelled with a bit of happiness and turned around to give her big brother a hug.

“What happened?” He asked when Applejack let go.

“Those creatures, turned Twi into…into” But she couldn’t finish what she was trying to say, she was breaking down again. Mackintosh came and hugged her again.

“It’s okay Applejack, Where going to fix this” He replied with confidence. “In fact Granny Smith wanted to see you, she needed to tell you something.” Applejack looked up at her big brother,

“well if it has to do with what’s happening, then I’ll go, if not I’ll just stay here awhile and look after my friend.” She said quietly.

“She said it has to do something with the Pegasus and the Unicorn ponies going missing.” Big Mac replied. Applejack looked up and started to walk away from Big Mac, “hey where are you going?” he asked.

“I’m going back to the farm” Applejack yelled back, “if it has to do with saving my friends and my home, I want to help in every way I can.”

It took them a while to get back to the farm, when they reached the door of the farm house, there was a note attached to it:

Meet me by your father’s Tree Aj, Bring Big Mac with you.

Applebloom is with me.

Love you! XOXOX

Granny Smith

Applejack thought this was odd, but yet again Granny Smith did a lot of odd things. So she and Bic Mackintosh walked down to their father’s tree. They saw Granny smith in a serious mood, and Applebloom looking scared. “Um, Granny, what’s going on?” Applejack asked as they approached.

“Haven’t you been looking around today?” Granny snapped “the fire, the creatures, seriously Applejack were you born yesterday?”  Granny walked toward Applejack “This has to do with your father, and where you came from.” Granny said calmly. She turned around and walked up close to the tree. There was a knot in the lower part of the tree, and Granny Smith just lightly tapped it. Suddenly the roots began to move, and a hole in the ground formed showing a flight of stairs that go deeper into the earth. Applejack, Applebloom, and Big Mackintosh were shocked.

“Granny, what is this?” Applejack questioned and giving Granny Smith a look of surprise on her face.

“Come on now Applejack,” Granny Smith replied, “You didn’t possibly think your father was just a hard working farm horse did you?” looking away from Applejack, chuckling Granny Smith continued down the stairs into the dark abyss, where the three Apple children followed in curiosity.