The mid-afternoon breeze blew through the air as Applejack and her younger sister, Applebloom, walked through the Everfree forest. The little filly had just finished helping Zecora with gathering a few ingredients for some potions that the zebra had been wanting to make. Applejack, being the protective older sister that she is, decided to escort the young one through the forest in case any monsters that she had the unfortunate pleasure of encountering had decided to try their luck on a lone filly. Fortunately though, this passage so far was rather calm and peaceful.

"So what'd Zecora need ya to get her?" The older sibling asked as they trotted down a dirt path.

"She just needed my help in getting some more poison joke plants." The little one replied. Before Applejack started freaking out over what effect those darn plants had on her, Applebloom shot her sister a cute smile. "Don't worry, big sis. Zecora gave me some protection so that way none of the leaves touched me."

"That's a relief." Applejack replied, wiping one of her front hooves across her forehead. "Hey! Once we get back to Sweet Apple Acres, you wanna watch me and Big Mac get some more apples for that big order?"

"I would." The little filly replied. "But Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo asked me if I wanted to go over to Sugarcube Corner after I got done with Zecora."

"Ah." Applejack replied. "Alright then. Just make sure to be back before sundown."

"I will." Applebloom said in response. "I still can't believe how huge that order is though. Every apple we have?"

"Yep." The elder sibling replied. "All of it going to Manehattan for some big festival. The planning committee said it picks a random orchard each year and this year, they picked Sweet Apple Acres!"

"Ain't that festival still a few months away?"

"Yes. But better to get the apples down now so we can put them in those special preservation boxes we got from the committee."

"How many trips are we makin'?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Well, it's gonna take a lot of trips from here to there to deliver all those apples."

"That's the best part!" Applejack exclaimed. "We don't have to take them all the way to Manehattan."

"Well... how else are they gonna get there?" Applebloom asked in a confused tone.

"We'll be shipping the apples by train. All we gotta do is get them to the station."

"Huh." Applebloom replied in relief. "Well that'll be easy then." As the two ponies walked along down the dirt road, the calm sounds of leaves rustling around them in the breeze were suddenly drowned out by a loud roar, startling both ponies. "Applejack....?" The little one asked, visibly shaking with fright. "W-what was that?"

"Sounded like a timberwolf." Applejack replied before grabbing her sister. "Stay close." The young pony nodded her head in compliance and both she and her sibling carefully progressed further on down the trail, keeping their eyes peeled for any enemy. "So far, so good." The older mare thought while both she and her sister trudged on. Slowly, the forest around them returned to a state of calm as the only sounds that were heard were once again the leaves blowing through the gentle wind. "Well..." Applejack said while loosening her grip on the young filly. "Looks like things have settled d-"

Before she could complete her sentence, another noise had pierced the tranquility of the forest. A noise that neither pony had ever heard before. "What in the name of Celestia is that noise?!" Applejack screamed internally before tightening her grip on Applebloom's body.

"Uhh... sis?" The little one said.

"Y-yes?"

"Could you.... not squeeze me so..... tight?!"

"Oops!" Applejack replied, loosening her grip again. "Sorry."

Only seconds after she had done so, Applebloom was once again being held tight within her sister's grasp as another sound, a much louder sound, echoed across the forest. This time though, the little filly clung to her sister for dear life until the noise faded. "What's going on, Applejack?" She asked, looking up at her sister who was frozen in fear.

"I think it's high time we get out of here." Applejack said after a few minutes of silence, her sister nodding quickly in agreement. The two ponies didn't have much farther to go before they would enter a clearing in the forest. From there, it was only a 5-minute trot to the treeline. As they both began trotting nervously forward, Applejack kept a weary eye out for anything looking for a throw down with two of her friends, Bucky McGuillicutty and Kicks McGee.

"Applejack?" The young one asked, making Applejack break from her pattern of looking around to look at her little sister. "You think some kind of creature made those noises?"

"I'm not sure." She replied. "But whatever it was, I ain't gonna let it hurt ya."

"I can protect myself, ya know." Applebloom protested, making her sister chuckle.

"I know." She replied as they continued on down the trail. "I'm just lookin' out for ya, that's all." Right after she said that, a third noise broke the peace of the forest before both ponies looked up and saw something glowing in the sky before exploding with a loud bang. "Huh." Applejack said as she looked at the sky. "Maybe Trixie is out practicing some new fireworks spell for her shows."

"That blue unicorn who likes to show off?"

"Eeyup." Applejack said in a way that sounded similar to her older brother.

"Maybe she's the one makin' all those noises too."

"I don't think that she's capable of makin' those sounds." The older pony said as both she and her sister walked around a fallen tree before entering a clearing. "I don't know. Maybe Twilight would know, right Applebloom?" However, once they got past a final tree, both ponies stopped as something neither one of them had ever seen was smack dab right in the center of the large clearing. "On second thought..." The older pony said. "Maybe Twi wouldn't know after all."

"What in all of Equestria... is that thing?" Applebloom asked as she stared at the massive object. From what they could see, the object looked entirely made of metal with part of it buried in a mound of dirt. "Ohh... if only the others were here. We could be.... CUTIE MARK CRUSADER MYSTERY SOLVERS!"

"What?!" Applejack cried out before trying to grab the young one. But she had already started running off toward the yellow, silver, and red colored object. Applejack groaned in protest before following her sister. "I got a bad feeling about this." She mumbled to herself.

As the two ponies got closer, Applejack could see that there were letters and numbers painted on the side of the metal monster. "Union Pacific? What the hay does that mean." She said internally before she saw her younger sister actually hop onto the thing. "Applebloom!" She scolded. "Get down from there this instant!"

"Don't worry, sis." The filly replied. "I'm fine." Applebloom then started walking along the metal walkway towards the small hut shaped structure on the other end. Applejack nervously followed closely, but from the ground. Once the filly reached the metal door in front of her, she gazed up and saw a handle on it. She jumped up and tried grabbing it, but couldn't hold on, landing on the metal with a thud.

"Are you okay?!" Applejack cried out.

"I'm fine!" Applebloom replied before she looked back at the door in time to see something appear behind it through the glass. The handle turned before the metal door swung open slowly. Applejack's pupils shrank in fear as a creature walking on two legs emerged from inside.

"What... the buck... is that?!" She screamed internally as the creature just stood there, looking at both her and Applebloom repeatedly. As she looked, she could see that the creature looked to be in pain, judging by the expressions on its face. Its right hoof was clenched tight around the other. Looking closer, Applejack could see red dripping from where its right hoof was. Upon seeing that, Applejack instantly could tell that this creature was wounded. But a wounded creature could still lash out.

As her sister looked on, Applebloom could only sit on the metal and watch as the creature turned its attention back to her and bent down, extending its left hoof out toward the filly. She shut her eyes tightly, expecting something bad to happen. But instead, she felt something softly rub against the top of her head. Her eyes opened to see the creature's left hoof gently pat her on the head before being pulled back.

"Such an adorable little pony." She heard the creature say before it suddenly fell forward, landing on its front just inches from the side of the filly.

"Applebloom!" Applejack cried out before jumping onto the metal walkway. "Are you okay?! Did that creature hurt you?!"

"I'm fine." She replied before both ponies looked at the strange, now motionless creature. "But this thing just spoke to me."

"It can talk?!" Applejack asked in a surprised tone. "Well, what did it say?"

"That I was an adorable little pony." The filly replied with a smile on her face. This answer made Applejack raise one of her eyebrows in disbelief. "Honest to Celestia! That's what it said."

"So...." Applejack replied. "It didn't hurt you and it can speak Equestrian. So it could be peaceful." She looked at the creature again as she began to see more red appearing around the same area, only now that she was closer, she could see splinters protruding from the wound. She looked at Applebloom, who just sat there, staring at the creature. "Whatever this thing is, one thing though is for sure. It's hurt." She said, pointing her hoof at the red coming from it's left hoof. "It must have been attacked by the timberwolves we heard earlier."

"What should we do?" Applebloom asked.

"Well..." The elder sibling said as she looked at the creature. "If we both leave, this thing might get attacked again." She then looked up at the surroundings for a few minutes. "Okay. Here's what we should do. I'll stay here and keep watch while you run to Ponyville and find Twilight and the others. We'll need to get this thing some medical help."

"You sure, sis?" The filly asked. "Ponyville ain't that far away."

"I know." Applejack replied. "But I don't wanna take the chance. Timberwolves don't venture that close to the treeline, so you should be fine."

"Alright, sis." Applebloom replied before jumping off the metal and landing on the grass. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

As she watched her younger sister sprint off across the clearing and disappear into the trees, Applejack turned her attention back to the strange creature. Gently but hesitatingly, she placed a hoof on the creature. "Don't worry, pardner." She said. "Help is coming. Just hang in there."

Applebloom sprinted into Ponyville faster than she has ever ran before. Darting her head back and forth, she kept her eyes peeled for Twilight Sparkle. As she ran towards the center of town, she wasn't looking as to where she was going. Before she knew it, her search came to an abrupt halt when she collided with somepony.

"Oops." She said, looking over to see that she knocked Spike the dragon to the ground. She then could see that gems were scattered across the area. "Sorry bout that, Spike."

"Ow." Spike said while getting up. "What's going on, Applebloom?"

"I'll explain it to ya later." The filly replied. "Right now, I need to find Twilight. Where is she?"

"Oh. Well, she's over there by the fountain with Dash and Rarity." He replied, pointing his claw to the fountain at the center of town. Applebloom looked and, just as the dragon said, saw Twilight and Rarity standing by the fountain with Rainbow Dash hovering just off the ground, talking to each other.

"Thanks, Spike." Applebloom said before rushing off to talk to them.

"You're welcome!" Spike called back before he started picking up his gems.

"Twilight!" The little filly shouted as she ran up to the group.

"Oh, hey Applebloom." Twilight responded in her cheerful tone. The look on her face changed once she was able to see the little one's face. "What's wrong?"

"Applejack... and I found... something." She replied while trying to catch her breath.

"What'd you find, kid?" Rainbow Dash asked as she landed beside her.

"We found this strange metal object in the Everfree Forest. But there was a creature inside that we've never seen before."

"WHAT?!" Twilight yelled as her eyes lit up. "A new creature living in a metal home?" She began to jump up and down in excitement. "Sweet Celestia! A chance to study a new species! Did it do anything you would say was fascinating?"

"Well, it can walk on two hooves and it speaks perfect Equestrian." Twilight's eyes grew at what Applebloom said.

"It c-can s-speak Equestrian?" Applebloom nodded. "Dear Luna!" Twilight cried out. "You and your sister found an intelligent new species!"

"Speaking of Applejack...." Rarity said as she looked around. "Where is she?"

"She's still in the forest." Applebloom replied. "She's watching over the creature. But we gotta get going now!"

"What's the rush, kid?" Rainbow asked.

"Applejack said it was hurt! She said it might've been attacked by a timberwolf before we found it." The words that came out of the filly's mouth made Twilight stop jumping in place, a worried look instantly replacing her cheerful one.

"Well then." Rainbow replied. "We'd better get going." She then bent down slightly. "Hop on my back! We'll get there faster if we fly." Applebloom nodded before carefully climbing onto Rainbow's back.

"If this creature is hurt, then we'll need to get it some medical attention." Twilight said as she spread her wings out. "Rarity, go find Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Tell them to meet us at the hospital."

"On it!" Rarity replied before rushing off towards Sugarcube Corner.

"Come on Twilight!" Rainbow said before taking off with Applebloom holding on tight. "We don't have any time to waste!"

"Right!" The alicorn called back before flapping her wings, slowly rising off of the ground. Soon, both mares were flying through the air toward the Everfree Forest. As they got closer, Rainbow and Applebloom couldn't help but chuckle at Twilight as she struggled to stay on course. "Rainbow!" She called out. "Could you maybe teach me to fly better later on?"

"Sure thing, Twi!" Rainbow called back as both she and Twilight were now flying above the forest.

"There it is!" Applebloom yelled, pointing her hoof at the clearing. Both Twilight and Rainbow let out simultaneous gasps as their eyes immediately locked onto the metal object sitting in the middle of the clearing. Flying around, Twilight immediately saw Applejack as she sat next to something that was half orange and blue. Soon, both mares touched down on the grass next to the object.

"Hey there, Twi." Applejack said as she jumped down from the metal walkway. "Thanks for coming out here so fast."

"No problem." Twilight replied. "So... is this the creature that Applebloom told us about?"

"Eeyup." The earth pony replied. "It hasn't moved since it fell down next to Applebloom, but when I looked closer, I could see it was still breathing. I think it might just be unconscious." Twilight stepped closer to get a better look. She then placed a hoof on the creature.

"Definitely not fur." The princess thought as she continued to look. "A patch of brown hair on it's head. Torn clothing. Appears to still be breathing." She then looked at Applejack as she stared at the creature. "You said it was attacked, right?"

"Eeyup." Applejack said again, pointing her hoof to the pieces of wood protruding from the creature's hoof. "I'm not sure how long it's been here. But it's already been attacked by a timberwolf."

"Well then..." Twilight replied as her horn lit up in a violet aura. A similar colored aura formed around the creature's entire body. "We'll need to hurry and get this to the hospital!" Applejack watched as Twilight levitated the creature off of the walkway, keeping it suspended in the air with her magic. "Don't worry. The doctors there will take good care of it."

Applejack nodded her head in agreement. "I'll just go ahead and take Applebloom home then." She said. "I'll meet ya'll at the hospital once I drop her off."

"Sounds good to me." Rainbow replied. "Who knows. Maybe once this thing wakes up..." She said, pointing to the creature. "It can tell us what the buck this thing is." Her hoof then pointed towards the massive metal object.

"Agreed." Twilight added. "Come on, Rainbow." And with that, both mares were airborne once again with the creature flying alongside Twilight, securely being held within her magical grasp.

As she watched the two mares fly away with the creature, Applejack turned her attention back to her younger sister. "Well..." She said, placing her hoof around the filly. "Betcha didn't think that we'd be doing something like this today, aye?"

Applebloom looked up at her sister and let out a small sigh before both ponies began walking back to Sweet Apple Acres. "Nope."