“Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, we´re we made the best apples in whole of Equestria! All made with love!” the farmer said, offering a shiny green apple.

Rainbow Dash took it and smiled in a bit awkward way. There was no reason to, she thought, they were a simple family of farmers. A mare, a big stallion and a little filly. The perfect picture of a pony family.

Perhaps, too perfect. Something about them seemed unnatural. It was the smiles, they were too bright and wide. They didn't seem right.

Soaring groaning at her back took Rainbow Dash away from her suspicions. She had more important matters to attend, namely that both she and Soarin were injured from their fall after that thunderstorm.

“Thanks. Hey, do you have some medicines to spare? I think my friend here is badly hurt,” Rainbow Dash said, pointing at Soarin.

“Yah two can come inside and we´ll fetch you some bandages,” the farmer said.

“Thanks, umh...”

“Name´s Applejack. Here´s Big Mac and little Apple Bloom. mah siblings.”

The big stallion nodded while the little filly kept smiling, both making Rainbow feel uneasy.

“Now, follow me.”

The entire family marched at once, like a line of well trained ants. Rainbow Dash shivered, the whole place was frightening. It seemed there were no more ponies than this three, which seemed wrong for such a big place. And besides, for being an apple farm, half of the trees were dead. She wondered if they have landed in dry season.

The whole place seemed terrifying and Rainbow was already regretting landing there. They didn't had much of an option after they got struck by lighting, to be honest. They needed a place to rest and sent a letter to Spitfire. Rainbow could already heard all the yelling she was going to get for disobeying orders and taking a wrong turn. She then looked right and saw at the porch an old mare in a rocker. She seemed wrong somehow, just like this entire place.

“It´s Granny Smith nap time. Please, try to be quiet. She doesn't like being disturbed,” Applejack said.

Was she even moving? She was rocking back and forth but Rainbow could swear the mare wasn't breathing. Applejack and her siblings kept walking, passing by the house.

“Uh, I thought we were going to the house...”

“Medicines are kept at the barn. It´s safer there,” Applejack bluntly explained.

By this point, Rainbow wanted to grab Soarin and flew as far away as possible but, she knew she wasn´t in any condition to carry him. She entered the barn and heard a strange sound coming from behind the haystacks. She was about to ask what was that but she regretted it, Applejack didn't seemed that trustworthy, anyways. She didn´t wanted to keep talking to her.  

“Now, sit down in the hay. Apple Bloom, go get an apple pie from the window.”

“Yes, sister.”

Rainbow and Soarin sat at the hay, with the siblings standing at the door, looking at them. Rainbow didn't liked the way they kept looking at them. She leaned over to Soarin and whispered

“This place is giving me the creeps. We should get out of here.”

“Auh. Fear I can´t move, let alone fly, rainbow. My wing hurts and my side is even wo-” Soarin couldn't even finish the sentence.

Rainbow hugged him to offer him support and he responded with a soft nuzzle. Rainbow blushed a little. She didn't mind that Soarin was affectionate in public but she didn't liked the audience they had right then. Apple Bloom returned to the barn, bringing a hot apple pie. Soaring recovered some of his energies and grabbed the pie, chewing on it like he had´t eat in days. Rainbow was angry too but she didn't feel like eating, something was telling her to not eat anythign she was offered. And besides, she couldn't stop paying attention to that sound.

“Aren´t yah going to take a sample, miss?” Applejack asked.

“No thanks, not hungry,” Rainbow lied.

“Come on Dash, we have been flying for almost a day without stopping once. I bet you're as hungry as me,” Soaring said and right on queue, Rainbow´s stomach grumbled. Blushing, she chewed at a bit of the apple pie.

The siblings were still staring at them and she was starting to move from uneasy to downright frightening. Plus, there was that buzgsisin soud nsitll coming from the haystacks.

“Did you heard that?” she asked Soarin but he kept chewing at his pie, not listening to her.

“Are yah two in love?” the little filly asked.

Soarin and Rainbow smiled, both blushing and were about to answer when Applejack punched her sister in the face, making her bleed.

“Don´t yah talk that way to the guest, young miss.”

“Hey hey, calm down! She didn´t do anything wrong!” Rainbow yelled and got up, ready to fight Applejack but then she took a look at Big Mac. Rainbow wasn't afraid of facing stallions and got quite a reputation on the team but she knew better than facing such a large pony.

“She knows is rude to ask such personal questions,” Applejack said.

“Hey it´s okay, we don´t mind. We really are a couple, we have been dating for a few months now,” Soaring explained.

Rainbow was angry and wondering why he was giving explanations when there was a hurt filly in front of them but then again, Soarin was the type who wouldn't hurt a mare no matter what. Had Big Mac raised a hoof, Soarin would have probably jumped at once, not caring about his injuries. Rainbow admired his chivalry at times and at others find it annoying, this was right in the middle, considering the circumstances.

“Well, ain´t that cute. Yah two do look like a nice, loving couple,” Applejack said.

“Yeah, good. hey, what about those medicines you were supposed to give us?” Rainbow asked.

“An apple is the best possible medicine. An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” Applejack retorted.

“Okay, I had enough! We´re leaving!” Rainbow said, getting up but Big Mac moved to block her way. This got Soarin to stand up too but he was obviously in no conditions to fight. “Look, we don't want any troubles, just let us go and w-” Now the sound was loud enough for Soarin to hear it too. “Okay, what in the hay is back there?”

“Aw shucks, miss. Ah would´ve preferred to explain things after dinner but since yah´re in such a hurry,” Applejack said and moved past Rainbow Dash. She moved some haystacks, revealing what was behind them.

Rainbow and Soarin almost puke at the sight of the creature. It was big, not large but wide, like it had done nothing but ate and roll in its own filth for years, growing into a giant blob. It resembled a pony at apts but at others it resembled an insect. It made some horrible noises and kept spewing a green substance.

“What in Celestia´s name in that?” Rainbow yelled.

“Yah fancy city folks call it a shang- gelin or something. Mah papa called it a gift, a gift to keep our family alive. Yah see, when ah said that our apples are made with love, ah really meant it,” Applejack explained and put her hoof inside the disgusting creature, taking a shiny green apple.

Soaring no longer hold it and puked all over the floor.

“This little fella ´ere feeds with love. The younger and passionate, the better,” Applejack said and nodded at Big Mac who grabbed Rainbow Dash, holding her tight.

“Hey!”

Rainbow looked at Soarin, asking for help but he was already unconscious. Apple Bloom stood next to him, holding a bloody hammer on her mouth, still smiling despite her broken snout.

“Yah see, our family had been in a bit of a downhill the past couple of years. Not many ponies come ´ere to the outskirts of the Everfree. Good thing yha two are so dumb that decided to fly in a stormy day. Ah guess Celestia does takes care of her children;” Applejack said, taking off her hat in a sign of respect.

Rainbow couldn't  even begin to process what was going on. She cried and shivered, vainly trying to get free form Big Mac´s steel grip. The stallion marched over the large beast who spread its mouth, revealing set of sharp fangs.

The last thing Rainbow registered, was the scent of fresh apples coming from its mouth.