~ Story of the Blanks I - Relics of the past ~ (remastered)

by TheRainbowBlitz

First published 3rd of June, 2012

A story about friendship and its abillity to last even beyond the grave itself.

The Everfree Forest, a mysterious place deep in the heart of Equestria. No pony knows much about this particular forest, not even the princesses themselves. Legends tell that somewhere inside of it lies much more than just magical creatures, dragons and old ruins... it is said, that a small village was once sleeping in its depths. A small village... struck by a terrible fate.
A village without a past, a present or a future.

This is a story about friendship and its ability to last even beyond the grave itself.
This is the story of the blanks.

Credits to:
The creator of the game Donitz
and the creators of MLP FIM Hasbro

Prologue - The Daughter (re-written)

'Run... I have to run!' Those were the only thoughts shooting through my head for hours. My lungs were near their breaking point, but I could not stop, could not escape.
I could still hear their voices, their hooves crushing on the ground behind me, chasing me like the death itself.
My head ached and my sight got more blurry with every minute passing, it would have only been a matter of time
until I collapsed... and once they got me... no, I couldn't think about that. I had to try, to concentrate as best as I could, focusing on survival and escaping this nightmare I was in. The darkness surrendered me, Luna’s sacred moon was gone and with it all the light that led my way a few minutes ago. Running blindly through this narrow passage of the dark forest slowly drove me insane, exhausted, hungry... my stamina ran low with every step. On top of all that was the cold wind and fog that tore on me, the trees that seemed to close in, getting closer together and building up into horrible faces, blocking my way... almost even talking to me with a soft whisper.
“Run... run... run...“ they said.

Then the inevitable happened and my legs finally gave up, making me fall down onto the muddy ground. The enormous speed I had and therefor the momentum, the sudden stop and the impact onto the cold hard ground, made the burning pain of a giant rock falling down onto me, stretch through my entire body. A loud sound of thick breaking branches was echoing through the small forest passage and paralyzed me for a few seconds. It took me a while to realize what happened, but it became clear once I tried to stand back up. My right leg started to hurt, to twitch. Like a numb brick it was laying on the ground and teased my body with a aching sting during every attempt of moving it.
'Was it broken?' I thought to myself. 'Great Celestia... what shall I do now?' I did not want to die, but even nature itself seemed to want me dead... but why?
"Huh...? A... a cabin!" Relieved I cracked a little smile in exhaustion, trying as hard as I could to stand up and to limp over to the cabin. It worked, if not without cost that is. Every step was like a sharp knife, curving inside of my bone. Tears of pain and fear were constantly rolling over my cheeks and I was starting to think about my mother who left me, the only one in my village who really loved me... at least, that’s what I thought.
"Why mommy... why?"

"ANGH!" I collapsed again and again and again. Blood and dirt started to become a muddy scab on my leg,
burning like wild fire, leading to more tears of desperation. With each and every move I could hear the bone itself crack a bit while slowly slipping further out of the wound, bit by bit. Finally after what felt like an eternity, I arrived at the old wooden door of the cabin. Grasping for air, I went through the heavy door and immediately began to search for something I could use to block it.

"There!" A big wooden beam was leaning against the window, perfect for blocking the door from the inside. Of course it was quite heavy, but what other choice did I have? Somehow I was able to drag it in front of the door and place it in a way that it would stop anything from coming in... at least I was hoping for that. I surely wasn't much, but It had to do... I was safe at least for the moment. The large room was dipped in darkness, but at least my leg stopped hurting after a little while... maybe it was already numb because of the pain, whether if that was good or bad was something I could not find out anyway. For the moment I was glad to be out of the cold forest, as long as I could escape from this village that was all I cared about and to be honest I was glad this infernal pain was gone...
"I... can do this mommy... I can do this." I gasped, slowly limping over to a small chair, trying my best not to let my hurt hind leg touch the ground. I sat down for a moment and pricked up my ears, trying to hear them... anything.
Seconds were drifting away as slow as hours, hours become days, days become weeks in my tired head.
"Everything... will be okay..." I took a deep breath and tried to relax. I escaped from the village, escaped the ones who wanted to hurt me. In the morning I would be able to sneak out of the forest for good I thought to myself. Nearby was another village, free from any forest surrounding them, free of pain and suffering... But was I able to even get this far?
I looked down my right leg and shook, the once white shin was now outside of the flesh, still bleeding and slightly burning around the edges. I knew I had to do something... but what? I knew nothing about medicine at all and mommy was not there so... I had to improvise a little. I tried to push the bone back inside with my hoof. Unimaginable pain ran through my leg, my body, my head. Big tears of pain were landing on the dirty floor, as the bone cracked further under my hoof as it slowly began to slide back inside. At this moment all I thought about was the picture of my mommy, holding me tightly in her arms... telling me I could make it.

After many attempts, the bone was finally at a point were it did not move any further, no matter what I tried. I bit my bottom lip to hold back the tears of the pain as my body started to shiver and grow colder. Finally I fell back down to the ground, staring at the tall empty ceiling.
"I... can't do this... anymore..." At the end of my strength... I started to pray to the princesses. Celestia and Luna, pray to any pony who could come and help me... a friend. But nothing happened. Who was I kidding, I was completely alone, I was barely able to walk and even if I would survive this forest and make it out I would still die of starvation or dehydration...
maybe blood loss or poisoning even. My head started to spin and my body was gently drifting away as my eyelids started to fall.

After what could not have been more than maybe a few minutes, I woke up again. Passed out from exhaustion and fear, I tried my best to get back up. For a quick moment I felt relieved, thinking it was really just a dream, but the second I moved my leg the burning pain made clear that it was all too real. I decided to look around the room, to maybe find some kind of weapon to defend myself, just in case they’ll find me, but even some water for my dry mouth or even an old apple would have been a blessing. Lucky me, there was not much inside of this room except for an empty bookshelf, an old table and a big empty fireplace with a rusty kettle nearby.
"Mngh... I-It's so c-cold..." I have never felt this weak in my entire life, maybe my body was slowly getting ready to die... but I could not let that happen... not now... not before I found my mommy! I wanted to live! I wanted to have friends... a family again! Anything...
“Hyaa!” But then reality came back crushing down on me. I would never see my friends and family ever again. A bunch of shadows rushed passed the window. First I assumed those were trees, butt no, I have noticed the piercing red that followed them. They found me!
"No... no, please... no!" I whimpered quietly.

I rolled under the table, trying to hold my breath and to continue my prayer, tried my best to remember the good days
when everything was alright. The sweet candies, the funny days playing in the sun with my friend T-
*CRACK* Suddenly the door flung open, the wooden beam that I used to block it simply crushed like wet paper. I covered my face and rolled up into a tiny ball as the heavy slit over the ground and into the corner. Dust and tiny pieces of wood were flying through the entire room, forming a big fog around the door and effectively taking my sight.
I made myself as tiny as I could and peaked through my hooves, but all I could see were their silhouettes through the dusty cloud... neighbors, former friends, they were all standing in front of the table, spreading through the room searching for their victim... for me. I tried to be as quiet as I can while watching them.
Then they began to talk, their deep scratchy voices echoing through the dark and trying to lure me out of hiding.

“Come out dear, we just want to help you. It wont hurt I'll promise!”

“We will free you, free every pony in this world.”

“Don’t be afraid kid, your mommy is already waiting for you.”

'Mommy? So she didn’t leave me after all...?' I asked myself silently.

“FOUND YOU!” My heart could not react as fast to even stop when all the sudden two hooves came out of nowhere, grabbing my legs from behind and pulling me out from underneath the table.
"AAAAAAAAH! NO! LET ME GO! PLEASE!" I screamed as loud as I was able to, but at this point it would not have helped anymore.

“It's okay little one, don’t be afraid. We know it's not your fault and we know you did nothing wrong... It's a curse my poor girl. But don’t worry sweetie, we will free you.” My throat began to dry up even more than it was, my heart began to hurt and pull itself together, my eyes tired and burning from the tears.
"Please... I am not cursed... please believe me! ITS JUST A CUTIE MARK!" Two of the ponies were closing in, holding me tightly and placing me onto the table. The other ponies were standing in a circle around me, one of them searching for something inside of her bag.

“Please... don’t.... I don’t want to die... I don’t...” I whimpered yet again, my lower lip shivering as more and more tears were falling down onto the dusty table.

“Turn her around and press her down!“ She pulled out a long sharp knife, reflecting the mad eyes of the ponies around me as they stare down onto my cutie mark. Her red piercing eyes glowing slightly in the dark, burning my soul from the inside. Not even the pony of death itself could have had such horrible eyes...

“NO! NO PLEASE! NOOOO!” They turned me around and began to press their hooves onto my back. I couldn't breath, my heart was crying out for help, my mind flipping and screaming.

“Don’t worry, it will only hurt for a little moment.” The mare with the knife whispered softly.

“NO! PLEASE!” I struggled as best as I could but I was weakened by pain and fear, crushed under the hooves of my attackers. Then it happened... My left flank began to burn and my breath stopped.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" I could feel the sharp knife wander through my flesh, cutting skin, muscles and fat as it mercilessly made its circle around my beloved cutie mark. The pain was impossible to describe, numbing my body and mind as my throat started to hurt from screaming. I heard the blood run down and fall onto the ground with each drop, my body starts to shake as I keep struggling to no avail...

Then finally... after several minutes of blind pain, it stopped.

“Here you go dear.” I heard the soft noise of a piece of meat landing on the ground right next to me. A big piece of my flank along with my cutie mark on it, bathing in a puddle of fresh blood and muscle fibers was resting on the dirt in front of my eyes. Tiny muscle strings and fur were floating away with my blood, scattering in the small lines between the stone. My mind was exhausted... I was crying yet I did not feel the tears anymore that ran down my cold cheeks. I stopped screaming... stopped struggling... stopped hoping.

“Only one more left to go.” So it started again, now with the other side of my flank. This time though... it did not hurt anymore. I could only hear myself talking inside my own head.
'... plea... se... don’t... don’t... ple...' I did not want to scream anymore... didn't want to talk... nor live... I accepted my fate and my body prepared itself to die. Then the next piece of flesh landed on the ground next to the other... my beautiful cutie mark... gone forever...

“That’s all my dear, it wasn’t so bad at all, right? You're a big Pony now so don’t cry~ So... now that your curse is gone, do you want to see your mommy again?” The crazy mare whispered softly.

"M... mommy...?" I tried to remember her face, her voice... I wanted to cuddle mommy, where was she?

“Hey little one, do you want to see your mommy?” She continued.

“... yes... please... mommy...” My body was completely numb, the only line I kept repeating in my head was 'mommy please take me into your arms, heal me... please, make it stop...'.

“As you wish... Glad, light the chimney.” Two of the ponies started to walk to the big fireplace, filling it with all sorts of dry branches and grass and lit it on fire. The warmth spread rather quickly through the room as the fire began to crack and dance, painting long shadows onto the wall. It was strange, in these shadows they all looked so normal, just like I remembered them. It felt so good... it felt like the love I was waiting for...

“Don’t worry little one, your journey and your fear will end now.” They pulled me towards the flames, to my mommy. She would take my pain away... she would hold me in her arms and tell me it was all just a dream... as she always did.

“May your soul find re-”

“NO!” Suddenly a familiar voice appeared from behind the crowd. Every pony began to look around, I was able to hear ponies screaming... what was going on?

“YOU DIRTY WITCH! I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL KILL YOU ALL!” I could still hear screams of pain and crushing wood. It sounded like a fight, but who would rescue me? The two ponies who grabbed me earlier disappeared, letting me fall onto the now warm ground in front of the flickering fire. Soon after... everything turned silent again with exception of the rustling fire.

“... I’m sorry... Ruby... honey...” That voice again... it sounded like...

“M-... mo.... mommy...?” Very slowly I turned my head to the side, using any last remaining bit of my strength. The dark ponies were laying motionless on the floor, their bodies covered in blood. In the corner of the room was another pony, leaning against the wall and covered in bite marks and several other wounds, her red blood gently reflecting in the light of the flames. She looked familiar... just like-

“YOU... you dirty... daughter of the devil! I swear... I will... BURN YOUR CURSED SOUL!" Screamed the mad pony who cut out my cutie marks, strongly bleeding and breathing, her narrow pupils piercing me with her rage. She limped over to me with her knife stuck deep inside of her chest, shining in the light of the fire.

"I hope... you will never... EVER find your mother again... I hope you WILL BURN IN TARTARUS!" With her last strength she picked me up and threw me into the dancing flames. I could feel everything. The fire... the warmth, how it ate away on my fur, I could smell my flesh burning from my bones, my eyes melting slowly... and with it the last bit of light, the last sight of my collapsed and dying murderer... and the pony who tried to save me.

But did not matter anymore... my journey was over and with it all my fears, my pain... both my nightmares... and my dreams.

“... I forgive you mommy... I forgive you...“

Chapter I - The Blank Filly (re-written)

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAhahahahahahaha! That was just AWESOME!” Scootaloo bellowed through the forest.
“Yeah, that really WAS funny!” Sweetie Belle added with a giggle.
“Ah don’t know girls, it seemed kinda... unnecessarily dangerous this time.” It was yet another day in which the three of us tried to finally get our cutie marks. At first we thought to ourselves 'how could this week's idea possible go wrong?', but that was BEFORE we almost became bear chow. Usually Ah would have been one hundred percent into that idea, but ever since mah sis and Ah got attacked by a family of angry bears last summer, Ah had mah share of doubt.
“Oh Apple bloom, don’t be such a naysayer! We AAAAAAAAlmost got our cutie marks this time!” Of course Scootaloo would have said that, the hungry fur ball wasn't chewin' on HER ribbon after all. Ya' see, our glorious idea was it to get our cutie marks by becomin' park rangers! What does a park ranger do? Heck if Ah knew, but it sounded fun. Half way down into the forest the three of us came across a lil' cub. So naturally we wanted to park ranger that cub... whatever that meant. Unfortunately for us we didn't even get the chance to figure that out because it's mommy had a severe lack of humor, which she demonstrated by chasin' us through the whole area. Thank Celestia for Granny Smith's sandwiches Ah had in mah backpack since they distracted mommy bear just enough for us to get away.
“Well, maaaaaaybe it was a bit dangerous though.” Sweetie Belle admitted slowly.
“Oh come on Sweetie Belle! You agreed with me just a minute ago! It was so thrilling when the bear jumped out of the nowhere and started to chase us! Wasn't it?” Scootaloo ran ahead, turned herself around and went into some kinda huntin' position Ah guess. She lowered her body and bend her knees as she glared at us from afar.
“You were so lucky I was there, because if I wouldn’t have been around by then... GRROOOOAAAAARR!” With an epically failed attempt of growlin' menacingly, she leaped forward at Sweetie Belle and nailed her onto the ground.
“AGH!, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle squeaked as she hit the grassy ground, while the 'great' Scootaloo raised her body, makin' sure to stretch out her 'heroic' chest.
“Hehehe, see? The BIG and AWESOME Scootaloo saved the day once again!” Oh brother.
“Oh c'mon Scootaloo, even YOU ran away like a little chicken when the bear started growlin'!” After sayin' that, her heroic pose and grin quickly turned into a frown.
“T- that's not true! I... uhm, just wanted to...”
“Naw naw it's fine... for a chicken~" Admittingly, maybe the chicken noises and gestures were a lil' mean, but after almost gettin' mah flank bitten' off Ah didn't care 'bout it. Ah was almost half way done with mah chicken dance when Scootaloo suddenly jumped at me and pushed both of us downwards a small hill.
“AH! APPLE BLOOM! SCOOTALOO!” Sweetie Belle screamed with a lil' crack in her voice and ran to the rim of the hill, meanwhile me and Scootaloo kept rollin' down the hill. Stones, ripped grass and some pieces of dried mud were flyin' all over the place, pushin' us on a painful and uncomfortable way from on side to another.
“AGH! Scoot you stupid chicken! AH, you, OU, are, EEK, such, OOF, a, AH, DODO!”
“Stop, OW, calling, UNGH, me, MNGH, a, GAH, DODO! OU! And I'm NOT-A-CHICKEN!” Finally after what seemed to have been hours, we arrived at the bottom. The dull and painful impact made us roll apart and fly into separate directions.

"Guh... Ah don't... feel so well..."
"I think I swallowed a rock..." Still jarred and dizzy both of us decided to keep layin' there for a little while longer, mah stomach and eyes still rollin' 'round in circles it seemed.
"Uhm... girls? Are you still alive?" Sweetie hesitantly shouted down from the top of the hill. Heavily breathin' of exhaustion, the two of us slowly started to get back up and began to laugh.

“Ahahahahahaha!”
“Hehehehehehe that was AWESOME!”
“Scootaloo! Applebloom! Are you two alright or not?” The slowly impatient growin' Sweetie Belle began to jump up and down and ran down the hill takin' the narrow path next to it. Her expression grew more worried as she came closer, yet
as soon as she saw that we were actually laughin', she changed her expression from worried to angry... to confused.
“... W- what's going on? Is any pony hurt or not?" Followed by a disappointed lookin' stare and raised eye brow.
"... did you girls hit your head or something?”
“Hehe don’t worry Sweetie Belle, do you really believe such a small pity hill could harm me?” The great Scootaloo bellowed yet again as she jumped up and tapped the dirt off her fur.
“Oh and what about you Apple bloom?” Sweetie asked hesitantly.
“Don’t worry Sweetie Belle, Ah'm aaaalright... just a little bit dirty maybe.” Ah stood back up aswell and stretched mahself a bit. Dirt wasn’t such a big problem for me, Ah mean, Ah WAS livin' on a huge apple farm together with mah big sister Applejack, mah big big brother Big Macintosh and mah granny of course. Honestly though... our family was much bigger, like, much, MUCH bigger than that. But whatever, it was a fact that workin' in the mud or helpin' buckin' apples from the trees wouldn't keep ya that clean all the time anyway. Sweetie Belle on the other hoof was Rarity’s lil' sister so she was much more familiar with tidiness than me or Scootaloo for example. Yet even Sweetie liked to make her hooves dirty from time to time, especially when we go on adventures together! Other than her big sister of course. Scootaloo was a pure adventure filly herself, makin' her hooves dirty was basically her life. She was always searchin' for danger and an adrenaline rush, although she was kinda... anxious some times. Although we were different in some ways, we had one big goal in our life: 'We wanted to find our Cutie Marks!'

“Hehe, alright girls it's getting dark, lets go home. We have to be physically fit if we want to go surfing tomorrow!” Scootaloo said. Gettin' our cutie marks by surfin' was plan B. Plan C would have been free climbin' and to be honest we ran out of ideas before we ran out of letters, but that never stopped an adventurer before!
“You're right Scootaloo." Sweetie yawned.
"Are you coming too, Apple bloom?”
“Huh? Yeah, but... uhm, Ah have to take the short cut this time. Ya see mah sis wanted me to help her bringin' the today’s apple harvest into the barn.”
"Aren't those like... a billion apples?"
"No Scootaloo, but it sure feels like it. Hehe, a looot of work!" In the end that was not entirely true. Applejack was mad at me 'cause ah smashed the last harvest a few months back with a... cow. Yeah Ah know it sounded kinda strange, but Pinkie Pie once told me that it’ll bring you luck if cows may fly, or maybe it were pigs? Anyhow Ah tried and Ah had to admit that buildin' a catapult wasn’t the best idea to make that happen.
“Working at dusk? That’s really stupid! Are you still able to sleep enough? It would be such a bummer if we had to blow the trip off tomorrow.” Scootaloo asked with a raised eyebrow. Ah on mah hoof took a deep breath and answered straight out, hopin' Ah was actually right this time.
“Yeah of course! It surely won't be THAT much work.” Which honestly... was another lie.
“Oh okay then Apple bloom." Sweetie smiled.
"I hope you will have a good rest and-” Before Sweetie Belle was able to complete her sentence, Scootaloo already cut her short and yet again bellowed in her semi scratchy 'hero' voice: “Blah, blah, blah! C'mon Sweetie Belle! First filly home wins!” Aaaand so Scootaloo dashed away, leavin' the confused lookin' Sweetie Belle far behind in a tiny cloud of dust.
“W- wait Scootaloo! That’s not fair! YOUR HOME IS CLOSER THAN MINE ANYWAYS! I WANT AN ADVENTAGE! SCOOOOOTALOOOO!” And so the chase for Scoot began, makin' both of 'em soon disappear at the horizon, leavin' me all alone out here in the field somewhere at the border of Ponyville. There really wasn't much 'round me except for a bunch of trees and tall grass... and Ah guess a sleepin' mommy bear somewhere nearby.
“Heh poor Sweetie Belle. Oh well let's go home before sis goes berserk again...”

It wasn't much of a short cut rather than a detour in the end, since a part of me really didn't want to go home yet. Reason for that was that, if mah sis would have seen me with mah friends, she would have just gotten mad, lecturin' me about me needin' to be more dutiful. 'After your work is done, ya have all the time in the world to play 'round Apple bloom. And ya can do all that with the satisfyin' feelin' of a job well done on ya back!' ... or somethin' like that. Yeah Ah know Ah was basically doin' just that in the end and tryin' to win time. This way Ah could still say Ah got lost on mah way home ya know.
On the other hoof maybe Ah wasn't all that wrong about that....
A looked mahself 'round a bit. Since our apple farm was not far away from the border to begin with, Ah should have ended up gettin' there anyhow sooner or later. All Ah basically had to do was to just keep walkin' along the border past the Everfree Forest. From afar the forest was very intimidatin' already, especially since Ah couldn't look deeper into it than maybe a few inches. Nothin' but trees and weird noises, birds flyin' through the treetops and into the cloudy orange sky above. The empty and silent dirt road to Sweet Apple Acre Ah was on, didn't make that experience any less scary. It was pretty much a no-pony land out here and the Ponyville town hall alone was pretty far away, a quiet and isolated road between the ponies and the spooks of this ominous forest here. At this point Ah was askin' mahself if any pony could live in that forest, yet alone survive. Not countin' Zecora of course. She was... scary in her own way sometimes.

The sun was slowly settin', stainin' the sky into a beautiful orange-red color. Rainbow Dash and the other pegasus ponies were really doin' a great job today, not even a single cloud was hangin' in the sky. Since it was 'round night night some of the clouds started formin' again, at least 'round the forest area. Ah wonder if it was true and the Everfree forest really WAS takin' care of its own weather... however that would work. Ah didn't try to let that confuse me, in the end Ah was lookin' at a marvelous sight! The grass around me had a wonderful deep and juicy green color, the sweet mid-autumn breeze of the wide open country side was blowin' softly through mah mane and the last few birds were chirpin' as they flew through the trees. Even the leafs on the trees themselves slowly started to turn into all sorts of yellow-red-ish colors and slowly sinkin' to the ground. While ah was keep marvelin' at the scenery some more and with mah head sunk in thoughts, ah was slowly recappin' 'bout today and our adventures as Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Every pony in Equestria and beyond has a cutie mark on his or her flank. A special magically symbol-thingy which appears when the time is right and you've found your very own special talent in life. Naturally it was hard for a young filly like me, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to find their special talent, 'specially since some of the fillies at school could be really mean 'bout that, callin' us blank flanks all the time. Ah mean sure, we could've just sit and wait 'till it popped up on its own one day... eventually, OR we could've tried as hard as possible to FIND it ourselves! By this time It seemed as if almost every other filly in Ponyville already got their cutie mark... except for us. That was kinda depressin' to be honest, but if Ah thought about it some more... our friendship and our adventures were much better than every cutie mark in Equestria all together! Ah couldn't imagine a world without Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo... and well, mah sis and family of course.
“Wait... AH! Darn it! Ah forgot that Applejack was waitin'!” Ah was so drifted away that ah didn’t realize at all how the time literally ran away! The sun almost disappeared behind the mountains and Applejack was surely already waitin' and more than angry because Ah was too late... again. Or... Ah guess she would be worried since, well, if she met mah friends along the way lookin' for me, tellin' her Ah walked off, maybe she would think Ah was lost and injured?
"AH! No matter what, Ah will get in so much trouble!" Ah picked up the pace and ran down the long plane path untill Ah arrived at a T-shaped crossroad. Now all Ah had to do was go right and get ready to get lecture and put over the knee...

“Oh, good evening Applebloom~”
"Huh?" Ah was a lil' startlet when Ah suddenly heard the familiar voice of one of mah sisters best friends callin' out for me. When Ah looked down the right path Ah was even able to say who that certain somepony was as she walked torwards me in a rather quick tempo. A tall light-purple unicorn with dark-purple eyes and a very dark blue mane, lined with both pink and yet another purple strand... there's just so much purple. It was Twilight Sparkle! Accordin' to mah sister and what she told me herself, she came directly from Canterlot and was even Celestias personal student! Ah have barely seen the princess mahself, but it was still excitin'. She started to smile as she quickly came closer to the crossroad.
“What are you doing out here all on your own?” She started.
“Hey Twilight! You’ll never guess what we did today! So this morning-” Seein' Twilight made me actually really happy at that moment. It was a relief, sorta, since she could've talked with Applejack and maybe even save mah flank in the end. In pure excietement Ah began to tell her about mah day, the CMC adventures as park rangers! ... without mentionin' the almost bein' eatin' part. At that moment ah remembered the adrenaline shock Scootaloo mentioned before, after we've been chased by that bear. Ah had to tell her what happened, it tickled in mah hooves when Ah thought of all of that again!
“That’s okay Applebloom, I just-” She tried to interrupt me, but ah continued anyway.
“But then Scootaloo was all like 'CMC Park Rangers!'” Twilight nervously looked around and tried again to stop me from talkin'... which didn't work.
“Well, I’m sure you had-”
“And then she said 'That’s NOT what a bear sounds like!'” Ah kept talkin' for another few minutes 'till Twilight suddenly started to raise her voice.
“Applebloom! I... uhm, I’m sorry but I REALLY have to get going! Take care now okay?” Twilight turned away from me and went down the left path leadin' right into the Everfree Forest, while Ah was still floatin' in mah dialogue.
“Every-single-one! Huh? What? Ooooh, where are ya goin' Twilight?” Ah couldn't let her run away, not before she would have talked to mah sister at least, mah flank was on the line! She looked back at me and sighed.
“I promised Zecora to bring her some books and local herbs. I wanted to go earlier but Spike messed up a special delivery to Celestia... guess who had the honor to correct that.” Ah was a lil' confused at first, only now noticin' the saddle bags on Twilight's back, one bag each side. From where Ah was standin' Ah was able to see a bunch of green, red and other colored plants and some scrolls stickin' out of them. She nervously looked up at the sinkin' sun. The sun was now almost gone and Applejack surely would have killed me for that by now. One thin' was for sure: Ah had to go with Twilight and make her give me an alibi for my tardiness!
“I better hurry. I rather get home before it's dark.” She said before turnin' back 'round. That was mah chance!
“Oh! Oh! Can ah come, too?” Twilight's face turned back over to me, carryin' a simple frown that should probably tell me 'Uhm, no Apple bloom? Ah am NOT takin' you to an amazin' adventure?' ... or somethin' like that. Ah tried mah very best to convince her, usin' the sweetest and brightest smile mah cheeks could offer.
“I- I’m sorry Applebloom, but the Everfree Forest is no place for a young filly like you!”
“Ah'll be extra careful! Oh please, please, please?” It was time for my secret weapon... the sad puppy eyes! Ah opened mah eyes as far as ah could and made mah cutest face, flappin' my lips into a pout and made them shiver a lil'. Twilight on the other hoof started to get more nervous, yet tried to block me off again, but Ah remained tenacious!
“Apple bloom I- I don’t think-”
“Pluuuuuuueeeeeeeeee...”
“It's just too-”
“... eeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...”
“There are many-”
“... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...” And then, thank Celestia, she FINALLY gave up.
“Hmpf, aaaaalright, aaaalright! BUT you MUST promise me to stay close at ALL time... you hear?” Twilight was just the best! In a sudden rush of glee and excitement Ah began to jump circles around her.
“YES! Thank you Twilight! Come on, lets go! Lets goooo!” Ah was so excited! This would've been mah second... maybe third visit to the Everfree Forest! The first time was way back then when Zecora once again appeared in Ponyville and Twilight and the other ponies got ill because of some weird flowers. To find somethin' to help Applejack Ah then followed Zecora deep into the forest and she invited me into her home, which is just as creepy as the forest itself... even if Ah would never admit that in front of her. Oh! And the second time together with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle when we were searchin' for one of Fluttershy's runaway chickens! Hehehe that’s where Ah got that nickname for Scootaloo: 'Chicken'. Ah was so amazed and lost in thoughts that Ah didn't even notice Ah ran far ahead of Twilight, 'till she shouted out for me.
“Applebloom! APPLEBLOOM WAIT!” It didn't take long for her to catch up with me, after all she was taller than me and had more endurance... or maybe it was because she bit into mah tail and pulled me back.
“Slow down! Remember what you've promised me!” Twilight grumbled down at me with a frown.
“Oh right, hehe... sorry Twilight!” After Ah apologized to her, her frown started to light up and a smile began to decorate her face instead.
"Let's go Apple bloom." And so the two of us began to walk down the lonely road that lead into the depth of the Everfree forest. Ah couldn't wait to tell Sweetie Belle and Scoolatoo about this in the mornin'! ... if Ah would survive 'till then.

Chapter II - The Ever-free Forest

It took a few minutes, but finally ah managed to get mahself under control again. It was kinda boring, no monsters, no ghosties not even animals were around. Nothin' special happened at all,
we just kept on walkin' through the huge forest. Big broad trees all around us, the wind which were blowing through their leaves and branches, dark green grass underneath our hooves. The sun was still sinkin' down very slowly, although it was quite hard to see 'cause of the enormous heights of the trees. It was just a suspicion, but it seemed that even Twilight was gettin' much more nervous and scared with every step we're goin'. Her ears were lowerin' and her eyes rushin' from on
side to another.
“Uhm, Twilight?” Suddenly she cringed and looked back at me.
“Great Celestia! Please, don’t startle me like that Applebloom!”
“Are ya really afraid Twilight? Ah mean, you are the greatest magician in ponyville, no, the whooooooole world! You even defeated the great ursa!” That was so amazing! She just carried him away with her magic AND made him fell asleep at the same time!
“Well, it actually wasn’t the great- Uhm, nevermind, you're right. Okay, maybe I'm not
THE greatest magician in the whole world, but it should be more than enough to stand against some ghosties and monsters.” She smiled, then we started to laugh.
“WATCH OUT APPLEBLOOM!” Twilight suddenly shouted.
“WAAAAH!” She bit in mah tail again and pulled me back with a strong hitch.
First ah didn’t realized what actually happened, then ah saw it.
“What the hay?!” There was a gigantic dark abyss right in front of me. For what ah saw, it seemed to be bottomless, nothing to see except for a giant empty dark space at it's... end?
“That was close, are you alright Applebloom?”
“Yeah, everythin’s fine, but what are we goin' to do now?” Twilight looked around and tried to find a way over the gulch. The other side was too far away to jump, neither was there any way around it.
“Blank...”
“Huh?” A strange voice appeared from behind, ah turned around, tried to find it's
origin, but it was nothin' there. It was a female voice. Ah couldn't recognize the voice so it
couldn’t have been any pony from Ponyville. Maybe it was a native pony like Zecora?
“Applebloom look!” Twilight said surprised. Ah looked in her direction and saw a huge tree which was placed like a bridge between the two sides of the abyss.
“A tree? But it wasn’t there a minute ago! Who could have placed it there in such a short time?
Do ya' think it... it was a ghost?” Thinkin' of it brought me a creep, but ah never saw a ghost before so it was kinda thrillin', too.
“Haha, oh Applebloom don’t be silly. Ghosts doesn’t exist. It surely was Zecora, she's a magician too you know. So don’t worry. It seems to be stable enough to pass, let's go it's almost dark.”
Twilight could say what she wanted, but it had to be a ghost! Ah mean that voice ah heard before was very suspicious and the trunk which appeared all of the sudden, that couldn’t have been a coincidence! Or maybe it really was Zecora? Whatever ah followed Twilight over the gulch and we continued our journey to Zecoras home. We've passed a small road between some big rocks, a few minutes later we came to a lawn. A wide open area with only a few trees and a bleak brown ground, Zecoras home wasn’t far now. It was gettin' darker and the wind stopped blowin', the Everfree Forest started to get colder and scarier. Then we've finally arrived at Zecoras place, a big tree right in the middle of this empty area surrounded by many other tall trees. Her tree was something special. It had a special shape, windows, very exotic paintings with stripes and many voodoo masks,
hangin' all over the place. Zecora already waited at the door and began to smile.
“Applebloom, you wait her okay?” Twilight whispered.
“What? But ah wanted to say he-” She cut me short and continued.
“There’s no time for small talk! I'll give her the bags and we're out of here. We'll visit her again some other day when it's not that late, okay? Wait a moment, don’t run away!” Twilight ran ahead
to Zecoras tree.
“Hey Zecora, I brought you the things you wanted.” Twilight turned her head to the side, took the bags from her back and placed it against Zecoras door.
“Kind ponies, I thank you for delivering what's told.”
“Glad to help.” Zecora and Twilight started to smile on each other.
“Blank...” That voice again! Suddenly Zecoras expression grew much more serious.
“Hm? What's wrong Zeco-” Zecora cut Twilight short.
“You do not want to remain for the events that will unfold! Hurry back to Ponyville you must, for the darkness this night you cannot trust!” Twilight’s expression grew concerned. She looked into Zecoras eyes, shortly after she ran back to me.
“What the hay did that mean?” Ah asked her.
“I don’t know, but we should better hurry up and go home. Come on Applebloom!” Twilight
walked ahead. Ah looked back to Zecora who was still watchin' me from her door.
“Run little filly...” Soon after she disappeared inside of her house.
“What? Why did she-”
“Applebloom!” Twilight shouted from behind.
“Uhm, yeah ahm comin'!” Ah turned around and followed Twilight back to the bleak area.
The sun was gone now and the darkness overcame the Everfree Forest. Silence and coldness took it's place. Princess Lunas moon was shinin' from above, givin' us barely enough light to see where we had to go. Nothin' happened, well although things were kinda weird since we came here in the first place. Ah looked around a bit. Suddenly ah noticed that some moonlight were shinin' on Twilight flank, reflecting her cutie mark. Twilights cutie mark was so awesome and beautiful.
It was a big purple sparkle surrounded by some smaller white sparkles and stood for her mind blowin' magic abilities. Mah sis' Applejacks cutie mark was a group of three red apples, standing
for her roots of our apple buckin' family. Every pony in our family had a cutie mark like this.
Big Macintosh for example had a green apple half and grandma Smith a apple pie, sooooo ah firstly thought that mah cutie mark had to be somethin' with apples, too. Maybe ah was mistaken.
Sweetie Belles sis' had three diamonds on her flank, 'cause of her glamorous lifestyle and fashion. Pinkie Pie had three balloons, standin' for her ability to throw amazing parties and cheering every pony up. Fluttershy with her three butterflies was standin' for her ability to tame and talk to
the wildest animals around Equestria. Finally there was Rainbow Dash, a pegasus pony with a cool rainbow colored mane and remarkable flying skills. Rainbows cutie mark was a cloud with a rainbow colored bolt. Oh and she was also Scootaloos biggest idol. Sometimes it was a bit strange how that little filly idolized Rainbow Dash... well whatever~
After a few minutes we arrived at the small passage again.
“What in Celestias name?!”
“What's that?” A big trunk blocked the way between the two rocks! It was way too high to climb and too thick to push it away.
“How in Equestria did this tree came here? I didn’t even heard a sound.”
“Maybe it was... a ghost?” Twilight looked back at me and laughed again.
“Oh silly, I already told you that there aren't such things as ghosts. Nevermind, lets see what we have here.” Twilight went past me and examined the trunk.
“Hmm, maybe I could to carry it away with a bit magic. Stay behind Applebloom!” Twilight spread her arms and legs, lowered her body and concentrated herself. Her horn started to glow and with it the trunk itself, soon after the trunk lifted a bit. Twilight seemed to be really strained, beads of perspiration were rollin' down her forehead. Hardly clenchin' her teeth she started to lift it even
a bit more.
“Hnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaargh!” She sway her head to the left and threw the big trunk far away into the forest, a cumbersome loud echoed through the silence of the night. Twilight sat down for a moment and tried to catch her breath.
“Woooooow, Twilight that was AWESOME!” Ah ran to her and saw her exhausted face, it surely was more than difficult to throw that thing that far away, even for her.
“Hah, hah... thanks! Phew, it wasn’t easy, but now we- OU COME OOOOON!”
Ah looked ahead and could feel my throat gettin' constricted. The whole passage was blocked by about hundreds of those trunks! It was nearly impossible to get pass them, even if there were ten Twilight Sparkles! One thing was clear, it MUST have been ghosts!
“Hah well, don’t worry.” Twilight moaned.
“Stay right there Applebloom, that will take a while.” She tried to move the next one, and the next one, and the next one. After about six trunks, Twilight fell back on her butt.
“Hah, hah, hah... almost... done!” She was really exhausted, it barely hurt seeing her like that, knowing that ah couldn’t help her. But maybe ah could find another way outa here! Ah just had to look around a bit and-
“Blank...” That voice again! It appeared from behind like last time! Ah turn mahself around and...
“A Pony!” Ah could see a beautiful grey pony, she seemed to be really young just like me.
Her sweet orange mane with blond strands were hangin' over her face, makin' it impossible for me to see her eyes.
“Blank...” She went to the left through a small void between some trees. It was strange because ah couldn't remember that void when ah first went through here. Ah ran over to Twilight to tell her that there was another pony beside us around here.
“Hey Twilight! There's-”
“Not now Applebloom, I have to concentrate!”
“But-” Ah tried to explain, but she just didn’t let me finish.
“Please, just wait there okay? I'll do my best!” She didn’t wanted to listen? Fine! Ah decided to check it out mahself. Ah turned around and followed that mysterious pony through the void.
Ah was kinda scared, but waitin' here watchin' Twilight nearly dyin' 'cause of pullin' those trunks away would've hurt me, too. Ah had to do somethin'! Ah went through the void, eternal darkness surrounded me and ah could barely see my hooves in front of mah eyes.
“Hello? Who are you?” Ah asked, but no one answered so ah decided to look mahself around.
Luna’s moon and even the stars were gone, the trees were watchin' me and the coldness surrounded me. Ah was thinkin' of goin' back but- The passage was gone!
“What is happenin' here? Twilight? TWILIGHT!” Ah nervously looked around, searchin'
for a way back, but the trees were takin' every sight. It was just like this place wouldn’t even
belong to Equestria anymore! Ah felt a queasy feelin' spreadin' inside of mah belly, mah heart started to rush.
“Blank...” That voice appeared again, it echoed from around the corner.
“Well okay, If ah can’t go back, then ah'll find that pony instead! Maybe she knows a way
outta here!” Ah ran ahead, followin' the echo of that voice, which was gettin' louder and louder with every step.
“You out there?” Ah turned around, looking out for her, but there was nothin' but endless trees.
The ground under mah hooves felt muddy all of the sudden, the green grass was gone and the coldness raised. Ah continued through the forest, a thick fog was startin' to grow, takin' away mah sight and made mah heart beatin' insanely. The echo disappeared and silence took it's place.
Ahm was alone now, alone in the darkness of the Everfree Forest. Ah wanted to cry so badly.
Ah couldn’t go back and Twilight maybe didn’t even noticed that ah was gone, lost in this horrible labyrinth of trees and darkness. The fog grew bigger and bigger, soon mah whole sight was vanished. Cold wind blew through mah mane, silent moanin' whispered through the wind and gave me the creep.
“What the hay is goin' on? Who's there?” Ah looked around, searchin' for a way outta this fog, Finally ah've found somethin'! Ah could see a light at the end of the path, some kinda music approached from there too, there MUST have been somepony around!
“What the hay?” Ah started to run as fast as ah could. Whatever there was, it couldn’t have been much more horrifyin' than this place. The fog became thicker, it got colder and it seemed that the light was gettin' further away with every step. Finally ah've reached the end of the path and what ah've found was something ah would've never expected to find there.

Chapter III - The Semblance

“What the hay?” When ah opened mah eyes, ah firstly couldn't believe what ah saw. A beautiful village full of lushly fields and grass, many picnic tables and amazin' lookin' houses with straw roofs on top. Everythin' was so idyllic, just like at home at Sweet Apple Acre! The lanterns which were hangin' all over the place were illuminating even the darkest corners of this village.
“That’s amazin'!”
“Haha, why hi there little filly!” A tall grey colt came up to me, passin' through the shadows of the forest and welcomed me with a big smile. He had a short and shaggy black mane which reminded me of mah big brother Big Macintosh.
“Welcome to Sunny Town!” He continued.
“Uhm, thanks but... who are ya' anyway?”
“Oh right, pardon me young lady. Grey Hoof at your service- Celebration planner extraordinaire!”
He saluted and began to laugh. He really was a funny pony and from his attitude even a bit like Pinkie Pie. He jumped over to the picnic tables and continued to speak.
“The party just started! Please help yourself with food and drinks. We have cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins and-” Ah knew it wasn't very polite to interrupt ah strange and kind pony like him, but ah still had to find that filly and a way back, too.
“Wait, wait, wait. Uhm, sorry but ah have a question...” Grey looked confused, but soon after he jumped in front of me with a big smile again.
“Oh okay, what is it little lady?“
“Uhm, ah was searchin' for a, uhm, nevermind.” Ah didn't knew if it would have been such a good idea askin' him about a filly that probably doesn’t even existed.
“Hahaha, you're a silly filly, I like that! You know, it's not often that we get visitors out here, so enjoy your stay okay?” After finishin' his sentence he jumped away and disappeared behind the corner of one of the houses. He really had to be related to Pinkie Pie somehow.
Everythin' was so weird, that mysterious filly, all those happy ponies around here and, well, just the whole forest itself! Ah went through the small village, across some fields with many cornstalks, tomatoes, melons and many other vegetables and fruits, till ah saw a white mare standing beside a picnic table. Her beautiful long red mane ranged to the ground and her shiny white fur was
finely brushed. She looked just like Rarity, so graceful and vain. She seemed to look very sad.
Her eyes were wet, starin' to the ground in front of her. Ah went up to the white mare to ask her about the reason for her sadness, maybe ah was able to cheer her up a bit.
“Uhm sorry, miss? Is everythin' alright?“ She didn’t answered nor does she even seemed to
notice me. After a few seconds though she started to mumble somethin'.
“He hasn’t said a word to me all night...“ She sighed. What did she mean? That mare made me curious. Ah tried to talk to her again, but this time ah a bit louder than before.
“Uhm miss, MISS?” She widely opened her eyes and looked in mah direction.
“Oh? What do we have here? A cute little filly~ I don’t know you, are you a visitor?”
“Yes, ah am. Oh and may ah say that your village is just beautiful! It's just like mah home back in Ponyville.”
“Is that so? Hahaha well, you are a very lucky filly, having such a nice home I mean. Of course
feel free to make yourself at home here, too.“ She was very kind and smiled the whole time.
“Hehe, thanks I will.”
“No problem sweetie. Oh my where are my manners? May I introduce myself, my name is Starlet, the beautiful white diamond of this town.” Oh yeah, she REALLY was like Rarity,
no doubt about it!
“Nice to meet you. Ahm Applebloom, one of the founders of the CMC!”
“Haha how cute you are darling and that pink ribbon on your head is just so adorable!”
“Hihi thanks again miss Starlet. Uhm, may ah ask you somethin'?”
“Sure darling, what's the matter?” She kindly asked.
“You seemed to be very sad a minute ago, is everythin' alright?” Her smile faded away and her expression grew sadder again.
“Oh well, uhm, that pony over there... Roneo. He, well, I thought he likes me and he wants to ask me out tonight, but.... Nah, it doesn’t matter, it's not your problem honey. Go and have some fun okay? But thanks for asking, I really appreciate it darling.” She smiled again, then she went over to the bowl filled with punch which was standin' on one of the picnic tables.
“Roneo, huh?” It was so romantic! The moon, that idyllic night with all those lanterns and those two ponies in love... ah had to help them! But who was that Roneo guy?
“Wait, did ah just said moon?” Ah looked up to the sky, Lunas moon was there again, shinin' brightly from above right onto the peaceful village. That was weird, it was gone just a few minutes ago! This forest really gave me the creep! I had to distract me somehow.
Ah looked around, searchin' for another sad lookin' pony. Suddenly ah noticed that Starlet was watchin' in a certain direction. Ah tried to follow her eyes to the point were she was staring at and-
„Found ya'!“ A sad lookin' colt were standin' in front of a big house not far from here.
That must have been Roneo, so ah ran up to him.
“Hey you!” No reaction, maybe he tried to find the right words for his great love? Wait, maybe
he was just shy? He had a lightly orange fur and a short blue mane which covered one of his eyes. Something about him seemed familiar, too.
“... hi.” He answered hesitantly.
“Everythin' alright?”
“Oh, nothing.” He looked to the side and sighed. Ah kept starin' at him, lookin' with big puppy-like eyes. It took a while, but soon he gave up and started to talk again.
“Fine, I'll tell you. That pony over there, Starlet, the beautiful white pony.... I was going to give her a gift tonight as a proof of my l- lo- uhm...” His face turned red and he looked down to the ground, he was totally lovey-dovey that was for sure! A few seconds later he started to shed a tear.
“B- but, I lost it! It's nowhere to be found! It was so pretty... just like her. She loves diamonds
and jewels you know?” Ah never would have guessed.
“Don’t worry, ah'll find it!” He looked back up with big eyes.
“W- would you really do that for me?”
“Haha, sure why not? Ah'll give you mah word as a member of the CMC!”
“That’s wonderful! Thank you dear filly, thank you very much!” He started to smile very brightly,
at this point it was totally clear to me: He totally was the colt version of Fluttershy!
What a weird town, but at least the ponies around here were very kind and funny.
“So... where did ya' lost it?”
“Oh, wait a second. Uuuuuhmmmmm, I'll think it was over there. I was running down that street
when I suddenly tripped over a stone or something like that. I fell hard but I’m okay, just my bag was empty when I checked it a few minutes ago.”
“Okay, ah'll start mah investigations over there the-” Suddenly ah heard some kinda cryin' comin' out of his house. It seemed to be female, was it maybe...
“Uhm, excuse me but is there another pony inside of that house?” His expression turned from a smile to a shocked state.
„Errr, uhm n- no i- it is just, uhm... please hurry up! Starlet is getting sadder with every minute!“
He silently stuttered.
“But-”
“Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaassssssse?”
“Hmpf okay, wait here.” That was really strange, but whatever. It was getting darker and Twilight surely already waited for me. First ah had to search for the jewel, after that ah would ask him again about that mysterious filly and for helpin' Twilight and mahself getting' outta this forest.
On mah way through the village ah've checked every stone, every well and every bush, but nothing that looked like a jewel at all. Then ah saw another colt, he was brown with a very short and cheeky orange mane and- wait a minute... his flank was blank! Was it maybe just a coincidence?
Ah wanted to ask him, but he seemed to sleep.
He lay in a big haystack, his hooves behind his head and his eyes closed. Dimmed lanterns and a few unfinished decorations were scattered around him.
“Hey, uhm... hello?” He didn’t answer so ah tried it again.
“Helloooooooo?”
“I can hear you! Leave me alone Grey! I already told you that I'll hang the decorations and
lanterns once I'm done with my nap!” He grumbled.
“Uhm, noooo? Ahm Applebloom.” He opened his eyes and looked at me.
“Oh, sorry I thought you were that crazy colt Grey. He's really funny, kind and stuff, but a bit annoying too you know?” Oh ah knew where this was headin'.
“Oh and what's with all those decorations around here? Didn’t ya' promised to hang them?”
“Yeah maybe I did, but I also trained the whole day for the big race airing this weekend. I’m totally tired and I need my nap. You see, without my nap I would never be able to make the first place again.” Lazy and sporty at the same time, was that even possible?
“Oh? You're a racing champion?” He jumped out of the haystack and stared at me.
“Are your kidding me? I’m THE Gladstone! The fastest Pony in whole Equestria!”
“Really? That’s awesome! You definitely have to race against mah friend Rainbow Dash sometime! She's very, very, VERY fast!” He raised one of his eyebrows and started to laugh.
“Bwahahahaha! Sure, anytime! Just tell when she's ready to lose!” Eeyupp, he was definitely like Rainbow Dash.
“Alright.”
“Great. Good night!” He went back to his haystack, lay down again and closed his eyes.
“Uhm sorry, but there’s one more thing ah wanted to ask you.” Gladstone opened his eyes again
and turned his head into mah direction.
“What now? Spit it out little one, I want to sleep a bit till Grey arrives again.” He grumbled.
“Okay so, how come y’all don’t have any cutie marks?” Without sayin' a word he kept starin' at me for a while, silence took place in this conversation. After a few minutes he answered with a
smile on his face.
“Cutie whats? Hahahaha, sorry little filly, I have no clue what you're talking about. I'll go back to sleep again, okay? Enjoy the party little one!” He sank down in his sleepin' position again and napped away. That was strange, why did he never even heard about cutie marks? Every pony in his age should have at least heard about it. Did at least the other ponies around here had a cutie mark or... hm whatever. Ah guess only ponies from a bigger town like Ponyville knew about these marks. Ah turned around and continued my search for that jewel. Time passed by and ah already wanted to give up, but suddenly ah saw somethin' glitterin' behind some rocks.
“Huh? Somethin' is stickin' in the dirt. Oh mah gosh!” It was a magnificent big red gem!
Ah could see mah own reflection on it's polished surface. It was round and about as big as mah hoof. Rarity surely would kill for such a marvelous jewel! What a perfect gift for Starlet! Ah took it in mah mouth as best as ah could, it was quite slippery so ah lifted my head a bit to hold it's balance somehow. Ah carefully ran back to Roneo who was already waitin' for me at his door.
“D- did you've found it? YOU'VE FOUND IT!”
“Eeyupp here ya' go!” I let the gem glide out of mah mouth and onto mah hoof. After cleaning it a bit with mah other hoof, ah handed it over to Roneo. He took the gem into his mouth and started to stumble somethin'.
“Pfank you! Pfank you very mupf!” As soon as he stopped stumblin', he jumped over me and ran directly to his big love Starlet.
“Oh ah don’t wanna miss that!” Ah silently followed him and hid behind a bush, watching the lovely couple from the distance.
“R- Roneo?” Starlet began.
“Hey Pftarlet... uhm, one pfecond pleaff.” He lay the gem on the ground and began to blush.
“Sorry, uhm, I err... have a present for you. If you want it I mean. Before you're wondering yourself why, I- I mean, I just wanted to tell you that...” She blushed too and began to smile.
“Oh Roneo, you shouldn’t had to, your love is more then enough! I love you, too!” She went
over to him and gave him a long, softly kiss on his cheek.
“Ah? I-” His whole face turned red while Starlet started to giggle.
“There’s no reason to be shy darling, come here.” She got closer, then both were sharin' a much longer and more passionately kiss. Normally it was kinda disgustin' seein' ponies kissin' each other and stuff, but it was kinda romantic and cute, too.
“D'aaaw.” I sighed.
“Hm? Oh, hey sweetie~” Starlet giggled into mah direction. Ah came out of the bush and
slowly walked up to them.
“Oh uhm, ah didn’t wanted to peek! Ah just-” That was so embarrassing!
“Darling, darling don’t worry, we have to thank you so much!” She warmly smiled.
“She's right, without your help I think I would never had the courage to speak with her tonight. Thank you very very much!” Roneo grinned.
“Hihi, you're welcome~ Ahm just glad both of you are lucky now, by the way ah gave you a CMC promise! Well, ah have to go now, c'ya!” Ah turned around and was about to ran down the rest of the village.
“Oh, wait darling! What does 'CMC' means?” Starlet shouted.
“It means Cutie Mark Crusaders! Ah really have to go now, see ya!”
“I see.“ She silently mumbled.
Ah ran past the house from before and stopped for a moment, thinkin' about that whinin' voice.
Maybe it was that filly ah was searchin' for? Ah had to check it out! Ah went over to the door, just to find out that it was locked,
“Wasn't it obvious?” The door was maybe locked, but that wouldn't be a problem for a CMC member like me! Ah searched for an alternate entrance.
It took a while but then ah've found some stacked crates at the side of the house, leadin' to an
open window.
“Bingo!” Ah jumped up the crates and slipped inside. It was dark, ah couldn't even see mah own hoof. Ah tried to walk through the crates which were stacked everywhere. It was a huge house with only a single floor and a high ceiling, maybe it was a storehouse or somethin'. Many of the
windows were boarded up or covered with crates. Dust was flyin' through the room, very small beams of light were passin' through the cracks of the wooden barricades, coverin' the dirty windows high above. These few beams of light weren't enough to see clearly, I had to slowly grope mahself ahead somehow. After a while ah could see a light shinin' from behind one of the crates. Ah slowly sneaked around, tryin' to look for it's origin.
In the back most corner of this house ah could see another pony, layin' on the floor, silently crying for her own. Her grey fur and dark red mane were totally rumpled and tears were runnin' down her exhausted, lifeless face. Sometimes she opened her eyes. With her red colored wet eyes she were constantly lookin' to the ground, silently stumbling something. Unfortunately it was way too silent to understand, but there was one sentence ah could hear.
“It's not right... this... is NOT RIGHT! The same thing again... and again... and again...” She repeated herself many times, until she started to cry again. She was kinda scary so ah decided to turn mahself around and leave before she might-
“Ouch!” Ah tripped over a metallic object which was placed on the ground behind me. Ah felt hardly on mah butt, the object itself made a shrill sound which echoed through the storehouse.
“W- who is there?” Oh darn, she heard me! The sound of crushin' hooves on a wooden ground was replacin' the shrill echo and kept gettin' louder. She ran around the corner and looked down at me.
“No... not again! A filly, just like... her.“ Her red eyes were growin' bigger, startin' to glow, piercin' directly through the darkness and more tears were rollin' down her cheeks.
“S-sorry ah didn’t wanted to-”
“Run...” She silently whispered.
“Ah- ah didn't-”
“RUN! YOU HAVE TO RUN!” She screamed hysterically.
“B-but Twilight-”
“RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!” She screamed insanely and started to stomp on the ground. Ah screamed up and ran out of the window again as fast as ah could. Mah heart was
rushin' and mah body was shakin'. Ah fell down on the cold grass and closed mah eyes to calm mahself down. Ah couldn't stop shakin', couldn't move. Ah only wanted to go home!
“Everything alright little one?”
“KYAAA!” Ah screamed as ah heard a deep voice from behind. When ah turned around ah saw
a tall and strong lookin' silhouette in front of me. It was Gladstone, starin' at me from above.
“Wowowow little one calm down. What happened?”
“Ah- ah just...” Ah was unable to speak, mah limbs were still shakin' and mah eyes were gettin'
wet. Ah wanted to go home so badly, back to Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith and-
“Nah nah little one, don’t cry.” Gladstone gently said.
“GLADSTONE! I’ve finally found you! Where are the decorations and the missing lanterns?” Ah could see a jumpin' silhouette comin' closer, it had to be-
“Grey! Shut up, okay? Our little filly here is scared to the bones! Poor thing.” Gladstone came
closer and hugged me tightly, it helped a lot fightin' against mah fears. The nice warmth of his fur was so comfortin', it was just like Big Macintosh himself would hug me.
“Oh? Hey, uhm... Applebloom, right? What happened?” Grey asked.
“Ah- ah just wanted to...” Ah kept shakin', but after a short while ah calmed down a bit.
“Don’t be scared Applebloom, we're here now and we will protect you! You hear?”
“Yeah he's right, we will protect you against every evil!” Both Grey and Gladstone were smilin'
at me. Ah suddenly fell secured, mah heart stopped beatin' that hard and the shakin' stopped, too.
“O-okay... thank you, thank you very much!” Ah whispered.
“You're our sister now, it's our job to protect you.” Sister? Oh Applejack, how ah wished you
could be here, no matter how angry you are.
“Hahaha Grey's right little one. Now come, take a few muffins and everything will be fine again.”
A muffin would have been great, mah stomach already started to hurt because of all this
stress and fear.
“Hey, what's going on here?” A female voice appeared from behind Gladstone and Grey Hoof.
It was a green pony with a long green mane, lookin' down at me with her poisonous green eyes.
“Who's that filly?” She asked.
“Oh mayor Three Leaf, good evening my dear. This is Applebloom, a visitor from another city.”
Grey Hoof answered with a bright grin.
“A visitor? Hihi really? That’s fantastic! We don’t have that much visitors out here you know,
please take some cakes and something to drink.” At first, she seemed very mean, but maybe ah was mistaken. She was really kind and her smile kinda heart warmin', too.
“Thanks, ah will. Hah, ah didn’t even knew that they're ponies living in the Everfree Forest.”
She giggled and answered: “You're not the first visitor to say that. You see, we’ve got everything
we need right here, so we rarely, if ever, leave the forest.”
“Oh ah see, that’s quite handy.”
“Hihi yepp. But what happened to you anyway? Why do you look that exhausted honey?”
“The poor girl was scared like a cow in a thunder. I've found her shaking and crying on the ground.”
Gladstone said.
“Really honey? What in Equestria happened?” Leaf asked.
“Well, ah was searchin' for a certain filly. She's grey and has a orange mane with a few blonde strands in it.” Suddenly all three ponies got silent, their faces became serious.
“Did ya' maybe saw-”
“No we didn't!” Three Leaf cut me short with a dark voice.
“What she, uhm, we're wanting to say was that we haven't seen a filly with that description.”
“Yupp, maybe she's a visitor just like you, or maybe she's just in your imagination?” Grey and Gladstone answered softly. Grey hooked me up and gave me a muffin.
“Here you go Applebloom, have a muffin. I made them myself and I have to add that they're the BEST muffins in whole Equestria!” He grinned.
“Yeah, just like your strawberry cake last time huh?”
“HEY! I'd told you that I didn’t meant to put mud into it! Roneo wanted to help me, but he was that tired that he messed up everything!”
“Hah right Grey, whatever.” Gladstone turned himself around and went back to the party.
“Hey you! GLADSTONE! I'm not done with you yet! Come back you stubborn colt!” Grey Hoof
jumped after him, leavin' me alone with the major mare Three Leaf.
“Hey I’m sorry because of my harsh voice before. I’m just a bit stressed you know, because of all that planning for those parties of Grey Hoof and the big race for Gladstone and many other things. It's hard to be the major, but without me, everything would go nuts in no time.” At that point,
she sounded just like Twilight. Well, Twilight wasn't our major in Ponyville, but she was the organizer of the annual winter wrap up and that’s a bunch of work, too. Somehow ah could understand Leaf a bit.
“Oh no problem, it's okay ah'll guess.”
“Hihi thank you honey. Now go and enjoy the party, okay? See you later.” She went past me and straight ahead to the other ponies on the party. Mah stomach was still growlin' and that muffin looked so delicious, just like our apple cupcakes at home or those at Sugarcube Corner.
“Blank...” That voice! Ah turned around and saw that grey filly again, she was walkin' back into
the forest. Ah lay the muffin down on the ground and rushed after her. It would be a waste of time askin' the other ponies for help. Who knows, they wouldn't even believe or listen to me... just like Twilight did. Back in the dark forest again, ah was followin' the footsteps of the filly.
The trees were starin' at me and it seemed that they were tryin' to talk to me, too.
Was it some kinda warnin' or somethin'? At least the moon was still there, it gave me a secure
feelin' knowin' that princess Luna was watchin' over me in this darkness. It took a long time,
maybe a half of an hour, but finally ah've found somethin'. There was a small old cabin right in
the middle of the forest. It was a kinda creepy place, but maybe the filly ah was followin' was a poor pony or a visitor who got lost in the forest, hidin' herself here?
Ah had to find it out! Ah followed the trace to a stable lookin' door. For what ah saw, the wood
of the door seemed to be different from the rest of the house. Maybe they've replaced it some day because it got broken or somethin' like that. Ah tried to search for another entrance like earlier with the storehouse, but all of the windows were boarded up with wooden beams. It was impossible to get through them so ah've checked the door again.
“Oh darn it! The door is locked, too!” Ah just wanted to turn around to head back to Sunny Town, but then ah heard somethin'.
“Huh?” It was a familiar shrill sound of somethin' metallic. Ah followed the sound around the corner of the cabin and found a old well behind it. Right at the side of it, layin' in the tall grass was something sparkly. As ah got closer to examine it, ah've found a well known metallic object.
“A crank?” It looked just like the object from the warehouse with the scary mare in it!
Was she still around? Ah looked from one side to another, but there was nopony there. No place to hide after all, but how did it get here? Ah stood there for a few seconds, not knowin' what to do.
Then ah decided to use the crank on the well. Carefully ah looked down into the dark and deep emptiness. There was no water inside, just-”
“Oh, ah can see somethin' down there!” Ah turned the crank further and further till a wooden barrel appeared out of the dark, inside of it was a rusty old key.
“Yay!” Ah turned around and just wanted to use the key on the door as ah suddenly recognized somethin'. There was a bright light shinin' through the carves of the wooden beams.
Was somepony inside? Mah heart started to rush again, the fear took place in mah mind and ah could feel sickness raisin' inside of me.
“C'mon Applebloom, you're a Cutie Mark Crusader! You're an elite filly! You can do it!”
Ah took all of mah courage together and opened the door with the rusty old key.
The door opened very slightly. As ah walked inside ah had to make another discovery.
“The light is... gone?” The whole room was totally dark. The only kinda light in here were the small beams of moonlight, shinin' through some of the cracks of the cabin. There were also no life signs, no clues and no traces that somepony were here for years.
“Where did she go?” Maybe it was really just in mah imagination? Ah walked through the room to investigate the cabin a bit more carefully, but all ah could see was an old wooden table with a glass and some papers on it. At the back most wall of the room was an old chimney, directly opposite of the entrance.
“Nothin' in here. Nothin' but-”
“Blank...”
“What the hay?!” Ah turned mahself around and looked through the room again... nothing!
“Blank...” The voice got louder and louder. Ah went closer to the middle of the room were the sound seemed to had its origin.
“Blank...” Ah was now standin' in front of the old chimney, the voice disappeared and was placed
by a whinin' sound of a little filly. Mah blood turned to ice, ah felt somethin', no, somepony nearby.
“Who- who is there?” Mah legs were shakin' again and mah heart was goin' to explode. The air around me turned colder and colder.
“Mummy... save my mummy... please, save her and yourself! I’m begging you!“ The voice was
near, it felt like the filly was whisperin' directly into mah ear. Ah was paralyzed, but ah thought
ah knew where the voice was coming from.
“The chimney...” Suddenly it got warmer at mah back, a shiver ran down mah spine.
That light from before appeared again and know ah knew where it came from. The whole room
was now plunged in a bright red colored light. Mah shadow grew bigger and got stretched across the whole floor. Ah slowly turned mahself around, mah heart stopped beatin'.
“No...“ A skeleton... a small filly-sized skeleton! The bones... they were totally charred.
At the side, just where its flank should have been, where deep carves inside of the bone!
“No... no...” Ah was stumblin' backwards, hittin' the table behind me. The glass and the papers were fallin' to the ground. The glass got shattered and its content was spreadin' all over the floor.
One of the papers were landin' right in front of me. It was a old bloody letter, which was written
about two hundred years ago!

“Dear Mitta,

you probably already know that your dearest daughter is infected by that curse, which already took that many lives. It's a shame, it's a waste. Your daughter really is a smart, cute little filly... but you also know that there’s no other way out for us... for her.

We will free her and her soul from this devilish curse my dear.
It breaks my heart to tell you that, but I have no other choice.
Please forgive me...

I will free her... I will save her... our little daughter.

-G.H.”

Mah heart stopped beatin', mah blood became cold like arctic water.
“That filly was never even here, she's a ghost... which means the other ponies in this village-”
Before ah could end my sentence, ah saw the content which was filled inside of the glass.
“KYAAAA!” It was a big bunch of rotten flesh along with some remains of fur and blood on it!
It was spreadin' over the floor and smelled like rotten apples.
It also seemed that it was once a part of a pony flank! On the fur I could barely see a weathered cutie mark, but it was nearly impossible to recognize it. The whole flank was already corroded by maggots and some sorta sticky liquid. The ponies in this village, a curse, CMC... great Celestia!
They knew that ah was Cutie Mark Crusader!
“No... no... NONONONONOOOOO!” Mah eyes got filled with tears, mah mind twirled.
Ah just ran, ran through the door back out into the forest, hopin' that ah was just mistaken.
Ah was hopin' that the ponies in the village didn’t had somethin' to do with this!
“Please, oh great Celestia, Luna! That can't be... please let it just be a nightmare!”
Ah ran as fast as ah could, the trees were startin' to scream, the wind began to blow and the fog appeared again. Ah was rushin' through the passage, the trees were comin' closer, gettin' louder
with every step ah took.
“Run... run... run...” That voice inside of mah head, where did it came from?
“Please, let me just wake up already!” Please...

Chapter IV - The Salvation

Ah arrived back in Sunny Town, but it changed.
“H- hellooo?” Everythin' was dark, no lights, no signs of life. The houses were broken, only ruins
of their former selves. Just a few moments ago, everythin' was wonderfully decorated, illuminated by bright shinin' lanterns and big tables filled with food and drinks.
But now everythin' was gone. It seemed like there wasn’t anypony livin' in this village for about a hundred years. So did it mean that they were all... ghosts? Gladstone, Roneo, Starlet, Leaf, Grey? No that couldn't be! That was just ridiculous!
Twilight herself said that there aren't such things as ghosts after all!
“There was no other way!” That voice... Grey Hoof? Ah ran through the broken village, searchin' for him. Ah had to be sure that he couldn't have been a ghost!
“She was going to spoil the party!” Who was 'she'? Did he mean-
“KYAAA!” Suddenly somethin' came out of the ground, a dark silhouette which looked like... no!
“Three Leaf? Is that you?” She came closer into the moonlight so ah could see her very clearly.
Mah breath stopped. Mah mind wouldn’t believe what ah saw, but it was her, the major mare of Sunny Town - Three Leaf.
Her flesh and fur was black like the darkness itself, her eyes were soul piercin' red. Some flesh
was missin' at several parts of her body, blank bones were reflectin' the moonlight, shinin' right through these holes of missin' flesh. Her ruffled fur was covered in dirt and blood, the half of her mane was missin' too, revealin' her face which was covered with rotten flesh and maggots.
Her face just seemed to melt away, no lips, no nose, barely enough fur to cover her cheeks and ears. And that smell... the smell of old rotten fruits, bakin' in the sun inside of a airless room.
Mah stomach churned and mah eyes began to tear.
“Dear Celestia... that can't be!” She was alive, just a few minutes ago! And now she
was a... zombie? She came closer, step by step... until she stood right in front of me. Her red
glowin' eyes were lookin' down at me. She opened her mouth and released a terrible gush of stench into mah face.
“The curse had befallen her this very night... she had the mark... she had to go!” The 'mark'?
“So you... YOU did this back there in the cabin? No... NOOO!” Ah ran past her, the smell of rotten flesh rushed through mah nose, causing a massive sickness in mah stomach. Mah adrenaline rush kept me runnin', no matter how sick ah got. Suddenly ah crashed against a big stone, which was blockin' a small passage between two of the ruins.
“W-what? How did that came here? That can't... wait! These trunks... so they were-”
“Please...”
“KYAAAAAA!” Ah turned mahself around and stopped breathin'. A tall, dark pony appeared
out of the darkness... it was Gladstone... well, at least what remained from him.
He looked at me with these horrible red eyes, tryin' to smile with a creepy rotten stare.
His cheeks were gone, givin' me a glimpse of his lower jaw, revealin' black broken teeth and
bloody red gum which was reflectin' in the moonlight. He had such a lovely, encouragin' smile just a few minutes ago, now he was nothin' more than a sad, creepy copy of his proud former self, rottin' and limpin' in mah direction.
“Pleeeaaaase stay with us! We'll never let the same happen to you!” He made another step and another... slowly gettin' closer to me. There was no way to run, no place to hide, besides one way!
Ah turned mahself around and tried to use all of mah strength to push that huge rock aside.
It was too heavy, ah could barely move it, but ah couldn't give up!
“Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase stay with us!” His voice got louder, but ah couldn't look back, ah had to concentrate on the rock, concentrate on survival!
“HNNNNNNNNGH! C'mon you darn rock! C'MON! Please, MOVE!” Ah pushed with all of mah strength, jumpin' against it, everythin' that may helped to move it away.
“Don't go... please, don't go away! Stay with us little one! Little one...” Gladstone... why?
Ah bit mah teeth together as hard as ah could, tears were rollin' down mah cheeks. Ah was thinkin' about Gladstone, the proud, lazy and fast colt ah just saw when ah arrived. The one who remembered me of Rainbow Dash and mah sister. Who could have done that to him?
After a few seconds ah reached the end of the ruins.
The void wasn't that big, but maybe it would have been enough to slip through.
Ah had to give it a try! Ah was pushin' and stretchin' as hard as ah could to get mahself through it.
“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase stay with us!” Ah now could feel his breath at mah flank,
but for Celestias sake ah made it to slip through the small void. Ah ran, further and further through the rest of the village, but ah still could hear Gladstone from behind that rock, cryin' and screamin'. What happened here?
“KYAAA!” Another dark zombie pony jumped in front of me.
“No please!” It was Roneo! His blue mane which covered one of his eyes, was now melted together with his right eye. Ah walked backwards the fields which now were nothin' more than a dead dry ground, while Roneo was gettin' closer, starin' at me through his bloody eyes.
“All we want is friendship! Don’t leave... the others won't like it!” Suddenly the former beautiful white mare Starlet came out of the shadows to mah left, Grey appeared from the right, both were zombies, too! Bones, guts, maggots, blood... no they weren't the same ponies like before.
Starlets wonderful fur was almost gone, only a few shreds were hangin' down from her bones.
Her remainin' mane was stickin' at her blank flesh, one of her beautiful blue eyes was missin', leavin' a black hole filled with maggots and sorrow. But, Pinkie... no, Grey... he was the worst lookin' zombie pony of them all. Almost everythin' was gone! His fur, mane, skin and flesh...
he looked like a pure nightmare made of skeleton. Why was he that decayed?
Oh mah gosh... his skull was broken! Maggots were droppin' outta a big hole were his left ear should have been, but wait.... His eyes were different, too! His red eyes were shinin' brighter than those of the other ones, but why? Oh Grey, you were so lucky and funny back then, what happened to ya? Ah tried to understand, but ah couldn't.... Everythin' was just too much for me.
Whatever... it didn’t matter anymore, ah was surrounded. There was no place left ah could run.
The dark ponies were comin' closer and mah heart started to beat like a wild storm. Tears were runnin' down mah cheeks again.
“Applejack, please help me! HELP MEEE!” Ah screamed.
“Applebloom!” That... that voice. Ah turned around and saw another dark pony behind me.
Although this one was different, not as rotten as the others. Her mane, her voice... everythin'
seemed normal so far. Could it have been...
“Mitta! This is your chance! Grab her and make her one of us, she needs our help!”
“Yes Mitta, this is your chance to correct your heresy! Touch her and turn her into one of us!”
“We need her, we need more friends! Please Mitta, do it for your family!”
So this was Mitta, the pony from the storehouse. Now ah got it, she just wanted to warn me!
“FOOLS! Even in death they do not understand! I should have protected her... but I made my choice. This is our everlasting punishment! This... is what we deserve!” She looked down at me
and continued.
“Applebloom, come to me!” Ah didn’t knew if ah could trust her, but there was somethin' about her that seemed familiar to me. She remembered me of mah big sister Applejack.
Ah slowly walked in her direction.
“Don’t touch me honey, or you'll end like we did.”
“A- ah don’t understand, what happened here?” Ah hesitantly asked.
“There’s no time to explain honey, the grey-white horse knows more than we do.”
“The grey-white horse?” The other ponies came closer. Mitta went in front of me and into a attack position, lowerin' her head towards the zombies. Once Grey looked in Mittas eyes he stopped movin' and started to look down to the ground. Was he afraid, ashamed or... no it couldn't be!
“Mitta, don’t do anything funny! If' you're turning against us, we'll rip you apart!”
“Just go on and try! You already took my heart and my soul away from me... there’s nothing
left for you to take anymore. There’s nothing more to lose. All that’s left for me to do now is to
save you, my little filly.” She looked back at me, her red eyes were startin' to dim, her mouth
turned into a lovely smile.
“Mitta...” At that moment ah felt somethin' special, somethin' that only a lovin' mother
could give you. It was love. Such a heart warmin' love, given from a mother to her child.
“Hihi you know, you remind me of somepony... somepony who's very important to me. My sweet little daughter.... The way she smiled, laughed, played... I miss her so much. Please, Applebloom...“ She closed her eyes, tears were rollin' down her cheeks, sparklin' in the bright moonlight while fallin' to the ground.
“Please...” She opened her eyes again, which now turned normal. Ah looked up and deeply in her orange colored eyes. Her heart warmin' sight took mah fears, mah sorrows, the coldness and filled mah heart with glee.
“Please run, live on for my little daughter... live on for yourself!”
“Mitta...” The other ponies came closer and closer, only a few steps were missin' until they
would have reached us.
“Run, run.... RUUUUUUN FOR YOUR LIFE!” Mitta jumped ahead and tackled Roneo to the ground, the other ponies were jumpin' onto her, bitin' and punchin' her like maniacs.
“MITTAAA!” Ah wanted to help her so badly... but ah couldn't!
It seemed like sometimes... you just couldn't help anypony. She sacrificed herself for me, for somepony she didn't even knew... why Mitta?
Finally ah did what she said, ah turned around and began to ran... ran.... ran for mah life.

“Look mummy I've found your pendant!”
“Oh that’s great honey, you really have a special talent in finding things.”
“Yes, yes you're right! Oh and I also know what I want to be when I’m old enough!
Do you want to know? Come on ask me please, please, please!”
“Sure honey tell me. What do you want to be when you're older.”
“I want to be a private detective! You know just like those in the books grandpa gave me!”
“Hihi that’s a good idea my love, do you already have any cases right now?”
“Not yet... nopony seems to want any help from me.”
“Aww don’t worry honey. I’m sure one day you’ll find your greatest case ever!”
“Really?”
“I’m sure of it! Just keep believing in yourself and you can do everything!”
“Yeah! You're probably right!”
“Oh, by the way... here take this.”
“A present? For me? Yaaaay, thank you mummy! What is it?”
“Open it up.”
“A magnifying glass! Just the same like the ones they're using in the detective stories!”
“Hihi, yupp exactly. I hope you'll like it honey, it wasn't easy to get.”
“I LOVE it! Oh uhm, and of course I love you too mummy!”
“I love you too, honey.”

“Mum? Where's Daddy? Is he okay?”
“He's alright honey, don't worry.”
“You're lying... right?”
“No, I.... He's alright sweetie, really! He will be back soon.”
“... he's infected, isn't he?”
“... listen, dear-”
“He will die... right? Just like the others, just because of this curse!”
“Honey, there are things in the world we can't explain. Things that just happen without warning
or specific reason.”
“What do you mean mummy?”
“... one day you'll understand. Death is not the end, it's a new beginning.”
“Will... will you die, too?”
“No honey, I'll stay with you as long as you need me.”
“I WILL, I WILL! Please don’t leave me like daddy!”
“Don't worry honey, I'll never leave you!”
“... what about me?”
“Huh?”
“Will I... die, too?”
“No, no you won't! Not as long as I’m here to protect you!”
“Really?”
“I'll promise you sweetie! Remember honey~ Whenever you're alone, searching for the light...
I'll be with you, helping you to find.”
“Promised?”
“Promised!”

“... Ruby... ”

Chapter V - The Reunion

Everythin' was so terrifyin', disturbin' and sad. Mah feelings were spinnin' around inside of mah head. Mah mind... ah was so confused and just, hnnnrgh, ah couldn’t even concentrate on mah own feelings anymore! Ah was totally exhausted, mah nerves were at their breaking point.
Ah just wanted to go back home, to wake up... SOMETHIN'! That couldn’t have been true! Somethin' like that couldn’t even exist!
Suddenly the colors of the ground, the trees, even the sky itself were changin'. The ground turned bloody red like the sky, the trees were faintin' to black and Luna’s moon disappeared.
“That’s impossible!” Suddenly there was a sound, a creepy sound like crackin' bones and movin' earth. Ah looked around and stared to the ground behind me. I got paralyzed...
“No... please, NO!” Zombies everywhere! They were comin' outta the red ground, their faces crowded with maggots and rotten flesh. Great Celestia, this was more than just a normal nightmare!
Ah turned around and began to run again. Hundreds if not thousands of Zombies were spreadin' behind and in front of me. They kept on comin' outta the ground, chasin' me through the forest.
Endless waves of dark undead ponies were approachin' me. Ah tried to evade every one of these ponies as best as ah could, jumpin' from side to side, still runnin' as fast as possible.
Mah breath was runnin' out and mah sight got tarnished. Mah hunger, thirst and tiredness grew bigger and bigger, ah couldn’t hold on any longer! Ah ran through a small passage, the ground was shakin', the sounds of crackin' bones and cryin' ponies were everywhere.
Ah looked back for a second and could see hundreds if not thousands of red dots approachin' me from behind. Dead red eyes were cuttin' through the dark fog, piercin' mah soul again and
again and again.
“No! Go away! GO AWAY!” Ah continued to focus on the road in front of me again, jumpin' over several stones and trunks. Ah could feel that the zombies were gettin' closer, feelin' their cold
breath on mah tail.
“Why are they so fast? They're just zombies!” After an endless race of survival through this nightmarish forest, ah finally gave up and fell on the hard ground. Mah legs were too tired and
mah head was spinnin' around... mah strength ran out. Ah could hear the Zombies gettin' closer.
Mah heart kept beatin' and big tears were coverin' mah cheeks. “
“A- ah can't go on anymore... ah can't! Why can't ah just wake up?”
Ah closed mah eyes, hopin' to see mah friends and family again... one last time.
Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, mah friends from school, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike... mah family. Ah could see them in front of mah closed eyes, smilin' at me like everything’s was alright, like in the good ol' days... but it wasn't... and it'll never be that way again!
“So this is the end now? This is how it ends? Dyin' without ever even find mah special talent
in life, mah own cutie mark? ... dyin' all alone in the middle of a nightmare?”
Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Granny Smith... all of you. Mah friends, mah family.... Ah would never see ya again, but how ah wished ah could. Ah wished ah could tell ya all how much ah loved you! Sis... ah was so sorry... ah was so sorry for breakin' mah promise!
Please forgive me!
“Applebloom...”
“Huh?” Ah opened mah eyes and looked around... the zombies were gone, along with the red
ground, the sky and even the trees. Ah was in the middle of the darkness. No lights, no path, just endless darkness and silence. The coldness, the fog even the wind was gone, too... did that mean
ah was already... dead?
“Don’t cry Applebloom... stand up and follow me.” That voice sounded familiar.
It was the voice of that young... dead filly. She was here somewhere, did she saved me from those creatures? Suddenly ah could see bloody hoof-prints appearin' in front of me, leadin' far away into the emptiness.
“Follow me Applebloom... follow me.” The voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere at the same time and although ah was scared to the bones and totally exhausted, ah stood up and tried to follow the hoof-prints.
“Follow me Applebloom.” The voice was gettin' louder with every step, mah whole body hurt,
but ah don’t wanted to give up, not now! Seconds turned to minutes, minutes became hours.
Step by step ah was followin' the bloody trace. Then, after a long time of wanderin' around, ah
could finally see her... the beautiful grey filly with long orange mane and blond strands.
She stood right in front of me, her back turned into mah direction. Ah was still unable to see her face, but ah wanted to know what happened here, or at least... what would happen now.
“Uhm, hello? You're that pony from the entrance of the Everfree Forest, right?” But there was no response... she just sat there, starin' into the darkness. Ah didn't knew what ah should say,
but it didn’t even matter anymore. Ah went beside her and sat down, too. Total silence took place
in this world. Ah now only wanted to sleep... so ah could wake up, knowin' it was just a nightmare. But it wasn’t a nightmare, right? No, it was real. The town, the ponies... mah death. It was not a dream at all.
“You're not dead young filly.” She began to talk. Mah heart stood still while a cold shiver was runnin' down mah spine.
“Ahm... not dead?” Ah asked her.
“No, you're not dead. It's not your destiny to reside here.”
“But isn't this, well, the end of life?”
“No, it's not. It's neither heaven nor hell if you mean that.”
“So... what is this place?”
“... it's my home. The only place where I can live in peace.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I was a young filly like you, I dreamed of getting my very own cutie mark, something that would make me special. Everypony in our village had one... until one day.”
“What happened?”
“... a terrible disease appeared in our village, causing many deaths and sorrow in our little town. There was neither a cure nor any help from the outside. This disease was like a mark... like a cutie mark to be certain. Soon after the major spread the rumor that normal cutie marks were the actual disease and started to hunt down everypony which were carrying cutie marks on their flanks.
Many died that time, those who tried to escape where found and killed... there was no place to hide, nowhere to go. One day though, the major and the rest of the villagers got attacked and killed....
They took their tradition into their graves, at least that's what it seemed.”
“You mean the night when-”
“Yes... it was the night I got murdered. My mother, she.... She tried to find help,
she knew about my cutie mark and tried to protect me... but it wasn’t enough. One day she disappeared without a trace. I thought she left me because she wanted to save her own life,
but instead she... just searched for help... and she found someone who helped her.”
“The grey-white horse?”
“So she already told you about it?”
“No, ah mean, not really...”
“I know that horse, that zebra you're thinking of right now, right? But it's not her.
She's too young to possibly could have been there that time.” How did she knew what ah
was thinkin'? She was definitely not a normal ghost, that was for sure.
“Oh ah see, makes sense.” One moment ago, ah really thought it would be Zecora,
but she was right, it couldn't have been her. Zecora had to be about two hundred years old by now.
“So, what did that grey-white horse do?”
“My mother went back to the village, carrying a secret spell inside of her, a curse if you want.
In fact, she let herself get cursed so everypony who got killed, or those who would kill her,
would get that curse, too. That curse was called 'The Everlasting Punishment'.
Unable to die, without a past, a present or a future... they'll just reside there forever.”
“What? Was there no other way out?”
“It was the only thing she could do, she sacrificed herself to punish those who harmed her little daughter... who harmed me.”
“So ah was right... you're Mittas daughter.” She stood up and turned around.
From the first time since ah met her, ah could now finally see her eyes. They were glowin'
brightly orange. Lookin' into her eyes made me feel kinda... happy and safe for some reason.
“Yes, my name is Ruby... Ruby Hoof.” Hoof?!
“Wait, does that mean-”
“Yes, Grey Hoof is... was my father. Even he was afraid of this disease, he wanted to
help me too, but... even he couldn’t evade the inevitable. I don’t know if he felt any regrets or
sorrow for what he did, but I still do love him. You know...” Ruby lowered her head and closed her eyes again, little sparkles were flowin' down her cheeks, landin' softly on the dark ground.
“My father he... he was infected with this disease, too. He suffered from heavy pain, memory loss and heart attacks. Mummy never wanted me to see him, but I was young and curious so one night
I sneaked into the building he was held. It was a old storehouse near the entrance of the village.”
A old storehouse? Was it the same storehouse where Mitta was held?
“Then I saw him... my once so funny and hyperactive daddy, bounded on a dirty bed, connected with several wires and devices. That sight was... it was...” She pressed her eyes together and
started to sob very hard. Poor Ruby.
“Ruby, ahm so sorry to hear that.” She opened her eyes again and looked down at me.
“No, I’m sorry Applebloom! I didn’t mean to bring you into this... I was just curious.”
Ruby looked deep into mah eyes. Ah could feel her regrets, although it wasn’t her fault at all.
“Don't be sad, ah don't blame you.” She looked surprised, then she softly started to smile.
For a little moment everythin' was fine, but it shouldn't last long. Her expression switched,
it went sadder and sadder, endin' in a frown.
“KYAAA!” No, not again! Not here, too! The zombies from the village were appearin' all
around us, watchin' us with those stabbin' red eyes.
“Nooo, what shall we do now?” Ah silently asked.
“Don’t be afraid, my mother will save us.” Ah looked up into Rubys face, it turned into a
smile again. A single tear ran over her cheek, fallin' silently into the darkness.
“Do you see my cutie mark?” Ah looked at her flank and could see a wonderful big cutie mark.
“Your cutie mark... it's a magnifying glass, right?”
“Haha, yes it is. When I was younger it turned out that I’m really good in finding things.
That's what my mother said. Now I can also remember what she once told me, about
life and death. I do now finally understand what it means.” She closed her eyes and slowly
began to glow. Her light was pushin' away the zombies and started to extinguish the darkness around us.
“I will find you a way out of this!”
“Ruby wait! What will happen to you and your mother now?”
“We're finally free now... thanks to you, dear Applebloom.”
“But ah didn't do a thing!”
“You did more than you could ever imagine. Thank you so much! Now, it's time for you
to go home... farewell Applebloom~”
“RUBY!” Suddenly she disappeared in a brightly white shinin' light. It was so glarin' that ah had
to cover mah eyes, makin' it impossible for me to see where she went. Maybe she...
“APPLEBLOOM!” That voice... TWILIGHT!
When ah opened mah eyes again ah could see a purple unicorn runnin' into mah direction...
it was Twilight Sparkle!
“Applebloom! Oh Applebloom! Thank Celestia I've found you!” Twilight took me into her arms and started to hug me as tight as she could. Her big wet purple eyes were lookin' down at me,
then she started to smile.
“Is everything alright?” She softly asked.
“TWI!” Ah immediately returned the hug. Ah was so glad to see her again!
When ah felt her warm fur on mah face ah started to cry, makin' her hug me even tighter.
“It's okay Applebloom. Come on, let's get out of this creepy place! Who knows what
lurks around here!” Oh Twilight... you had no clue. We stood up and began to run.
Twilight ran after me, illuminatin' our way through this cursed forest usin' her horn.
“What's with the trunks?” Ah almost forgot about the trunks which were blockin' our way out!
“They disappeared soon after I heard you screaming. I don’t know why, but that’s not important
for now isn't it? For now let's just get the hay out of here!” They... disappeared? Nevermind Twilight was right, the most important thing now was to escape!
We were runnin' through the forest as fast as we could, past the trees, over the trunk and the abyss right to the exit of the Everfree Forest.
“Hah, hah, hah finally we're out of this crazy forest!” Twilight gasped.
We finally made it out. The sweet nightly breeze cooled down mah sweaty fur and mane. Lunas brightly shinin' moon was back again and Ponyville was waitin' for us.
Ah didn’t mind how angry mah sister would have been, ah just wanted to hug her for the next few month, no matter what!
“Come on Applebloom, I'll bring you home.” Twilight lay herself down and smiled at me.
“Hop on my back.” That was just what ah needed. Ah was way to exhausted to stand or to walk,
ah couldn’t even hold mah eyes open. Ah hopped on Twilights back, then she lifted
herself up again.
“Ready Applebloom? Time to go home.” Twilight whispered.
So we've started our travel to Sweet Apple Acre... mah home. Ah cuddled mahself into Twilights
softly warm mane and closed mah eyes.
“Thank you, Ruby.” Ah silently mumbled, then ah fell asleep.
“Huh? Did you just say something Applebloom? ... Applebloom? D'aaw she fell asleep.
Oh well, it surely was a really stressful day for that little Applebloom. I'm so glad she's okay.
Sweet dreams, dear Applebloom.”

“See you later... friend.”

Epilogue - The Story of the Blanks (re-written)

Old scrolls of Equestria report of a once idyllic and peaceful little village inside of the cursed forest of Everfree,
which was confirmed to be the origin of one of the greatest diseases in Pony history. The princesses' researchers, aswell as the head mage of the crown, Starswirl the bearded, called this by then new found Virus the 'Mark-disease'.

The Everfree forest, a forest cursed by ancient creatures long before ponies walked the lands, has always been a mystery to researchers, mages and philosophic ponies alike. Up to this day barely anything is known about its origin or purpose. Unexplored and untouched by any hoof it still resides near the borders of a village called Ponyville. The only things ponies know for sure, is that deep within its twists and turns hide terrible creatures of immense power. Chimeras, dragons, Changelings or worse. But one does not have to be huge or magical in order to be dangerous... or deadly.

'The Mark-Disease' or 'Cutie-Mark-Disease', broke out about a little more than 1000 years ago, claiming lives in the thousands, if not even more over the course of many years. This disease, caused by a microscopical Virus found in various vegetables in Equestria, lead to a mortality rate of nearly 90% without the right treatment. The treatment itself, a mixture consisting of various rare ingredients from all over the world, was the only thing that stopped the virus from spreading. Because of its rarity and its high value, only a few big cities were able to receive it for a high price. After the new millenium has started and the virus stopped spreading, the medicine began to spread further through the lands and the disease itself was extinct... or at least thats what the ponies thought.

After the virus was pushed back, researchers of Canterlot castle were send out to search for the origin of this plague. It took them many years, but in the end they have stumbled upon its source: the dreaded Everfree Forest. This virus, found only in these specific plants and vegetables found growing in said forest, spread through the bodies of their victims, slowly destroying their white blood cells aswell as their brain cells, causing not only an outbreak of madness, but in later stages even complete loss of sanity. They became immune to pain and it took a long painful time until the victim was finally released from it by internal break down of its organs. For those who didn’t know about its existence, the disease was just looking like an ordinary 'cutie mark', visible to every pony yet hiding a cruel secret. After it came to the public, mass hysteria and paranoia took hold of ponykind.

Although there was no immediate danger of contagiousness from one creature to another, not through water or air, the virus had no problems to spread through most parts of Equestria. The only thing, other than direct consumption of the spoiled vegetable, was a bite of another infected pony. The virus itself could not survive without its protecting host and died after a short time when extracted from the vegetable.

After the virus was banned and the source of it was discovered, guards of Canterlot slowly began to lock down any entrance to the forest with magic barriers, hoping this would have been the last horrible thing that cursed forest would throw at them, but the protection should not last. After the banishment of princess Luna, the order of the regime in Canterlot was shattered and the barrier was opened to conserve magic and resources to the rest of the kingdom.
After years of peace and knowing the virus was beaten, the ponies began to live their normal lives and the researches started to forget about the Mark Disease. Some of them still argued about possible ponies who would still live inside the forest might be exposed to the same threat, but their worries got pushed back with the simple argument that 'nopony would ever be able to live in a forest such as that.'

Because of that theory, no pony was searching for possible late victims inside of the forest, or even traces of their existence. Yet one question remained: 'Who grew the vegetables and send them into the world?'

About roughly 1000 years later, royal guards investigated the sight of a specific incident reported by a young filly living in Ponyville. According to her there was a hidden village somewhere inside that forest, filled with a horrible tragedy and walking corpses. The investigations lead to the discovery of the ruins of said old village. However, there were no signs of fights, no traces of dried blood or even bodies far and wide around the village. The bodies of a few specific ponies told by the yellow filly were also never found, including the burned remains of a young pony. The guards stopped the search for clues and bodies not long after arriving and the whole affair was flagged as 'A wild imagination of a young filly'.

However... the village was never marked on any map known to the guards and if it would not have been for a strange unexplained circumstance, this village might have never been found in the first place.
What happened in that village? Was it really just imagination? And why was no pony aware of its existence?
No pony would ever know about this disease, its history or even the name of the town itself. Long forgotten in the ancient history books of Equestria.

“Zecora? Are you there?”

“Wha-? Oh it's you Twilight Sparkle, what a surprise~ I didn’t expected your visit twice.”

“Uhm, yes well... you know I just brought you some things a few weeks ago?”

“Aah, yes I remember those things indeed! It was quiet helpful and more that I'd need.”

“I’m glad I could help you with your... uhm, what did you need those things for anyways if I may ask?”

“Twilight, Twilight... magic is mysterious and hard to explain, but if you wait, learn and understand, there will be no more complain.”

“Well, that’s right, I guess... I was just wondering you know...”

“Hm? What's wrong Twilight? You're looking so deep, is there something taking your sleep?”

“Actually yes, it's about Apple bloom. She's... well, she became really anxious and timid. I don’t know, she just seems to be changed out. I just hope she's not traumatized or something like that because of our last visit in this forest. I could never forgive myself if that would be the case!”

“... don’t worry, maybe she is just scared of the forest at night. Give her some time and she will be quiet alright.”

“I... hope you are right Zecora. I just hope Applejack won't hate me...”

“Trust me, Apple bloom is very brave and strong! There is no fear in the world that will last that long.”

“Well, If you say so Zecora... okay. Although, I will still watch her for a while to see where this goes. Just in case.”

“Keeping an eye on her wont be bad I admit... but Twilight, for now just stay near her as a friend and she'll get the grip.”

“I will, thank you Zecora! Well, it's getting dark again and I would like to leave before the same crazy things happen like last time. Those stupid Tree trunks... ugh. See you later Zecora!”

“See you later my friend~ ... escape from the night... sometimes it needs a miracle, to find back to the light."

Throughout Equestria, relics of the past lay forgotten and alone.
Never truly resting... awaiting recognition.