The soft crunch of leaves underhoof was an interesting, but altogether confusing sensation for the wayward unicorn. She stopped and stared down at the brown leaf that lay crushed beneath her hoof. She could already feel another headache coming on as she looked around to see more of the dry leaves, despite the fact that it was the middle of spring. She scratched her head and looked up through the tree top. At least she thought it was spring.

She shook her head and walked over to a tree at random. Its bark looked like that of a typical oak tree, everything else about it seemed to indicate that it was just that; a typical oak tree. Save for the fact that its leaves had changed color and were falling to the forest floor. She put a hoof to her chest and breathed deeply, forcefully putting away the thought and chalking it up on an ever growing list of random phenomena that she would look into when she had the time.

She resumed walking towards the orchard, growing only slightly more annoyed when she realized that the trees, that for whatever reason were acting as though it were winter, were increasing in number. Yes, they were just as sporadic, but as she got closer to the supposed orchard, the number of the odd trees increased. Worse still for her sanity, she also noticed that the shrubs and bushes that dotted the ground became fewer than normal, making the walk easy and the path straight.

Twilight groaned, something told her that she was going to have to learn to accept a certain amount of randomness to her life if she was going to survive the forest and Pinkie Pie.

Sure the general chaos was annoying, but when put in contrast with Canterlot, a picture of control, the difference was a bit much for Twilight. She idly wondered if there was a way to weaponize it, to throw a wrench in that bitch Celestia’s plans. The unicorn unconsciously ground her teeth together in anger, not noticing the blackened hoof prints marking her wake on the grassy path.

When her walk eventually devolved into little more than angry stomping, she forced herself to stop and breathe. She was in the middle of a short breathing exercise when she heard a branch snap to her right. She spun around instantly to face the potential danger, the lack of travelers on the road had not helped one bit and her paranoia had run high. Her horn glowed with the first part of a mana bolt spell.

She squinted into the woods, but only saw the the numerous trees and underbrush that made up the forest. Staying still for a few moments longer proved equally as useless and she shook her head and dispelled the magic. “Must have been my imagination,” she mumbled, not noticing the dark lumbering form of a predator a mere thirty feet away.

Her ears swiveled at every sound, but she forced herself to remain calm. I am still close to town, I’m sure it's just another animal. It might even by Fluttershy!

Her fear pushed from the forefront of her mind, the unicorn held her head high and tried to look like she was not ready to jump at every single sound the forest made. While she walked, the surrounding foliage had grown more and less uniform at the same time. The trees began to form neat orderly rows, but they also seemed to be in various stages of different seasons. A group to her right was budding with new leaves while a tree in its midst was ready to drop its deep orange leaves. Each one appeared to be the same species though, and her nose could smell the distinct aroma of apples carried on the slight wind. Up ahead she could see the source of the smell.

A small basket of apples sitting beneath a tree drew her attention and was the first indication she had received that anybeing tended to this odd orchard. There were no mailbox, fences or signs that anybeing worked here. She walked a little further, glancing down at the basket of apples and licked her lips at the sight of the pile of fresh fruit with a single green apple sitting atop. Only the single green apple tempted her, but even if she was tempted, Twilight wasn't going to take it, that would be stealing after all. She retracted her hoof from the basket and kept walking. Even if it was only a single apple, it still felt wrong to take it. She made a note of asking this mysterious Applejack individual if she could have one of her good apples, assuming she found this illusive being at all.

She stopped in a random row of trees and looked back and forth, trying to find any sign of civilization like a house or barn, but only the sight of hundreds of twisted and chaotic trees could be seen in either direction. The mare’s frown deepened and she continued along the path, unsure if she was going in the right direction, but stubborn enough not to try anything different. She was on a path, so it must lead somewhere, right?

After several minutes spent walking seemingly in a straight line, she came up to a very familiar basket of apples. Twilight stopped and blinked, she was absolutely sure that it was not the same basket, as such a thing was obviously impossible. She looked to the right and back, noting that there was the very familiar group of odd trees, but that could be a simple coincidence.

Her steps became hesitant and she couldn't help but fear what she would see, she remembered the single green apple and hoped that it would not be there. Hesitantly she peaked over the side of the basket and stopped.

A single solitary green apple stood atop the pile of red ones, staring definitely at the now visibly annoyed unicorn. “Damn this stupid forest to Tartarus,” she cried angrily, stomping in circles and mumbling obscenities.

“Well, that seems downright uncalled fer, what did the Everfree ever do to ya, huh?” asked a small, but clearly annoyed voice.

The unicorn spun back around and was shocked to see what looked like a completely normal earth pony looking back at her. That couldn't be right, could it? She leaned closer, inspecting the filly with a sharp inquisitive eye.

She wore a large pink bow tied into the back of her vibrant crimson hair, it was almost as large as the filly’s head and Twilight had to admit it looked incredibly cute on her. The orange eyes looked up at the unicorn with disgust, which Twilight also had to admit looked pretty cute on such a tiny pony as well. Something caught her eye though, the filly’s light yellow fur was marred by a spiderweb of green, spreading across her body like tiny roots and a small patch of what looked like bark covered several inches of her back.

The filly snorted angrily. “Well?”

Twilight blinked twice, realizing she had been staring. “Well, I just wanted to meet this Applejack pony, but it seems as though I got turned around somehow.”

The filly rolled her eyes. “And that's the forest’s fault how?”

“I... er well…” Twilight scratched her head awkwardly, realizing just how dumb she would sound if she announced nonchalantly that she had been mysteriously teleported without noticing. “It's a lot more confusing than the forests I’m used to, is all.”

That seemed to appease the filly somewhat and her glare lightened. “Well, ya do seem like ya ain't from around these parts. Why are ya lookin fer my sister anyway? Are ya a spy?” The filly’s eyes narrowed and her glare returned with vengeance.

Twilight just rolled her eyes. “I am not a spy. I heard she might need some help and I’m a little short on gems right now.”

The sharp, but still cute glare lasted a few seconds before she suddenly turned around and bellowed in a voice three times louder than a filly her size should be able to produce, “Applejack! We got somebeing out here lookin fer ya!”

Twilight rubbed her ear and looked down at the filly with newfound appreciation, clearly whatever this being was, it wasn't a true pony. Which sounded awful now that Twilight thought about it like that. She made a note to not say that aloud.

“I’ll be there in a second!” hollered back an equally impressive voice, one that seemed to have been carried for what sounded like miles.

The filly turned back around and continued to eye Twilight up as if she expected the unicorn to jump at her and attack at a moment’s notice.

Twilight coughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. “So… how old are you?”

“I’m twelve.” The filly took what she thought was an intimidating step forward, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Why do ya want to know?”

“Like I said, I’m not from around here and I didn't want to assume you were a foal, it’s confusing enough with all those small bat ponies that make guessing ages difficult.” Twilight quickly realized what she had said might be taken the wrong way and her eyes went wide as her mouth tried to sputter out an apology.

The filly just snickered at the comment. “They are pretty tiny, aren't they? We Apples grow mighty big, so don't let my small statyour fool ya!”

The unicorn cocked an eyebrow at that. “Did you mean stature?”

“Yeah, what ya said.”

“So, you are saying your species is called Apples? Well, I suppose there are worse names out there, I’m pretty sure there are at least three species of beetles whose name means poop in another language.”

The filly recoiled as if she had just stuck her nose in a pile of cow manure. “What, no! We ain't called apples, my family is called Apples. I mean, we are the Apple family!” She puffed out her tiny adorable chest with pride, which brought a grin to the unicorn’s face.

“Good to know, little one. My name’s Twilight Sparkle, what's yours?” The unicorn leaned down and extended her hoof.

The filly reached out to bump it only to stop herself, her indecision did not last long and she shook her head and bumped her hoof against Twilight’s, receiving a slight jolt for her effort. She shook her hoof, trying to dismiss the strange tingling. "What did ya do to my hoof? Felt like ya shocked me or something.”

Twilight winced. “Sorry about that, I thought I grew out of that when I was a foal, but every once in a while my magic goes a little haywire and decides to zap someone. Are you hurt?”

The filly stomped her hoof a few times and shook her head. “Nah, just took me by surprise, is all.” Her eyes went wide and her brain suddenly caught up. “Did ya say magic?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I was studying to become a mage before…” She swallowed hard, unable to speak another word.

“Would ya know how to turn a being into a different species? Like a…”

“Now I know ya weren't about to ask this stranger what I thought ya were gonna,” said an authoritative voice from somewhere behind the filly. Instantly Apple Bloom gulped and closed her mouth with a snap.

“That's what I thought,” said the slowly shambling tree walking towards her.

Twilight’s mouth opened to ask who was there, but her voice was robbed by the sheer strangeness of the creature before her. It walked on all fours like a pony, had two large eyes like a pony and sported nearly every other noticeable characteristic of a pony, save for the tree growing out of the being’s back. The tree itself seemed to be an apple tree that was budding several small pink bulbs. It was only a few feet tall and reminded Twilight of the bonsai tree her aunt had given her when she was twelve. The bonsai tree had died, but not Twilight’s interest in dendrology. A stetson sat proudly on the creature’s head.

The tree’s roots seemed to wrap around the pony’s back, running down all four of her legs and up her neck and toward the pony’s muzzle, ending just shy of her nose. The roots varied in size and seemed half-burrowed into the pony’s body, half-running over the surface of her skin. Twilight couldn't help but wince at the sight of the poor being, its every movement must have been incredibly painful.

The being didn't seem to notice Twilight’s pity and extended a hoof and a wide friendly smile. “Hey there stranger, name’s Applejack and this here is my sister Apple Bloom and behin’ ya is my big brother, Big Macintosh.”

Something behind the unicorn snorted, sending her mane aflutter. Slowly she turned around to see the single biggest pony-like being she had ever seen. He was easily twice as large as the unicorn and where Applejack seemed as though she was slowly being consumed by a tree, this being was one with it. His whole body was a mixture of wood, roots, and short branches that covered nearly all of his skin. A good majority of his body was covered in a thick woody exterior, occasionally broken up by patches of thick bark. One eye had the look of a normal pony eye with a light green iris, while the other was completely wrapped in the strange wood and the eye within was pure green and glowed slightly.

The being’s eyes narrowed and he leaned in closer, causing Twilight to back up slightly. The wood-imbued stallion sniffed once, twice, then took a step back and eyed his supposed sister.

“Nope,” the stallion rumbled.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Come on, Mac, there is no need fer the scary big brother routine. We got ourselves a guest, and one that looks like she could use some Apple family hospitality.”

The woody stallion snorted again and shook his head, which made Applejack frown. “Now lookie here mister, just cuz ya got a bad feelin’ doesn't mean nothin’. It's probably that bad apple ya ate yesterday.”

The stallion looked away from the unicorn and fixed his sister with his strange, intense gaze. “Nope.”

Applejack’s patience seemed to run out quickly. “Ya get on out of here, skedaddle now, ya got chores to do and ya ain’t helpin’ here.”

The stallion snorted and turned to leave. “Eeyup.”

Twilight watched him leave, amazed that she couldn't so much as hear a single step of his mighty hooffalls.

Applejack coughed politely, diverting Twilight’s attention back to her. “Sorry about him, got a little bit too much of the forest in him. Tends to trust his gut a little too often fer my likin’, but he means well.”

“Ya better not be saying our brother is dumb or I’m telling Granny,” Apple Bloom added.

The older sibling rolled her eyes and plunked her hoof down on the filly’s head. “I ain't sayin’ that, I’m just sayin’ he should use his head fer thinkin’ and not that belly of his. Now you skedaddle too or ya are goin’ to be late.”

“Sweetie Belle’s recital, that's right! Thanks, Applejack!” The filly spun around and dashed in a seemingly random direction, quickly disappearing into the forest.

“Don't stay too late ya here, ya got school tomorrow!” Applejack shouted at the now vanished filly.

“Sorry again about my kin, they mean well, but don't have much in the way of tact.” Applejack once again offered her hoof in greeting, which Twilight bumped with a smile. The mare retracted her hoof and shook it briefly. “Apple Bloom wasn't kiddin’, ya got some static built up in ya or something.”

Twilight shrugged. “Sorry about that. It usually doesn't last this long, must be from all this stress.” The unicorn rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, taking a mental note not to touch anybeing until she got her magic under control again.

Applejack waved a hoof, urging the other being to walk beside as she started to trot back up the path Twilight had just gone down. “Walk with me, sugarcube, and tell ol’ Applejack what the matter is.”

Twilight quickly picked up her hooves and trotted beside the strange pony... thing. “Old? You don't look much older than I am.”

Applejack gave the unicorn a sidelong glance before snorting and turning back to the path ahead. “Probably about right, never met a unicorn before though, so I can't rightly tell. Now what's buggin’ ya, friend? Ya look hungry, tired and in a mighty need of a bath, if you don't mind my sayin’.”

Twilight giggled. “No offence taken, I probably could use a good meal, and a good sleep and probably a good wash while I am at it.”

“Well, ya don't worry about that none, ya just follow me and I’ll get you right fixed up. What brought ya out here anyhow?”

Twilight smiled awkwardly, unused to the strangely common show of generosity. “I heard you might need some help with tending to the trees, but they seem to have some sort of affliction.”

“Affliction? What makes ya think that?”

“I noticed a few shed their leaves already and it's not even summer yet.”

“Ahh, I wouldn't worry about that. It's just the forest playin’ tricks on us again, ain't nothin’ anybein’ can do about that.”

Twilight cocked an eye at that. “What do you mean it's the forest playing tricks? Forests can't play tricks.”

“I don't know where ya’re from, but around here the forest does and will play tricks on ya if ya ain’t careful.” Twilight opened her mouth to ask something, but was interrupted. “Ahh, here we are. Home sweet home. I’ll fix ya up a slice of some apple pie and we can chat more about what ya can do to help out round here.” The tree-bearing being gestured toward an aged farmhouse, a wide grin on her face. “After you.”

The canopy parted, allowing rays of moonlight to illuminate the seemingly ancient farmhouse sitting across the clearing from them. She could also see a barn off in the distance and a shed as well, but they were less interesting than the house. It was huge, at least three floors high and with the looks of a basement to boot, though the top floor windows were empty unlike the others that had some sign of habitation, be it a candle or decoration.

Twilight smiled, some of her apprehension slowly dissipating, beaten down by Applejack’s unrelenting kindness and unspoken understanding. “Why thank you-”

The door to the farmhouse suddenly opened with a slam, the aged screen door flying open to reveal a startlingly old version of what Twilight imagined Applejack would end up becoming.

The small, shriveled prune of a being was nearly completely covered in roots and branches blotting out her eyes and almost every patch of fur on her body. “Applejack!” the aged tree-bearing being shouted through her cracked and broken lips.

The farm pony sighed. “Yes Granny, I’m right here.”

“Oh thank the stars, quick, get inside before the darkness shows up.” She opened the door wide, casting a quick and useless glance left and right.

Applejack turned to Twilight and shrugged apologetically, the unicorn understood the gesture and merely smiled gently and took a step away. Turning back to her still frantic-looking Granny, Applejack stepped closer, speaking in a low, reassuring tone of voice. “Remember what Doctor Mindseye said. There ain't no darkness, now get back inside, ya are gonna catch a deathly cold out here.”

“I know what that crook said and I’m telling you the darkness exists! I seen it in my dreams and now it's at our farm! I can feel it in my bones, young one. It’s watching us right now.” The old mare took a step back and ushered Applejack inside.

“There ain't no darkness, Granny, there is however a guest that ya are probably scaring the wits out of.” Applejack stood next to her Granny and waved Twilight over. “Come on in, err… I never did get yer name.”

“Twilight, Twilight Sparkle.”

The old timer’s face lit up and she grabbed Applejack’s hoof in an attempt to pull her inside. “It's the darkness, Applejack, it's right here! Get inside before it steals your soul!”

Applejack sighed, easily resisting the older being’s attempts to pull her inside. “Sorry about this, Twilight, ol’ Willbor got in her brain a few years ago and she ain’t been the same since. Just wait by the barn while I get her back to bed.”

“Consarnit, Applejack, get inside and quit talking to the darkness already!” the old being screeched, still frantically tugging on the other being’s leg.

“I’m coming, I'm coming, hold yer horses already.”

The pair disappeared inside, leaving Twilight alone, confused and a little bit intrigued. The older being had fur the same color as Big Mac’s eye color, and the bark around where her eyes would be the same as that of Applejack’s fur; bright orange. The older being also had a clearly more advanced case of whatever Applejack was afflicted with, the tree growing out of her back was large and despite the old mare being scarcely taller than a foal, the tree growing on her back was taller than Applejack’s, and with large, leafy branches that shook as she moved.

Twilight wasn't sure what or how one ended up with a tree growing out of them, but whatever the affliction was, it was obviously hereditary. The older mare’s movements were choppy and one of her back legs had looked like it didn't move at all, so covered in wood and roots that it was unable to even bend. Stranger still was her lack of eyes and the strange coloration of the bark where they should be. Maybe there was a difference between Big Macintosh and this Granny character?

Twilight shook her head, clearing her mind of the curious thoughts. She would have time for questions later, for now Applejack had mentioned a barn she should wait by. She looked around the clearing, searching for the barn she had seen earlier and finding it far to her left, half-hidden amongst a group of apple trees.

The unicorn gulped nervously, suddenly unsure of waiting by the kind of spooky barn when the clearing she was standing in was perfectly bathed in moonlight and was way less creepy. She gulped again and looked back towards the house. Applejack probably did have a reason for asking though, maybe…

Twilight stopped and slapped her hoof to her forehead. “Stupid aura.”

She felt like an idiot for having forgotten about the fear aura that had made her life difficult since as far back as she could remember. She grumbled and stomped over to the barn, her angry hoofsteps the only sound save for a distant unknown type of bird. Midway to the barn, she stopped suddenly, a thought occurred to her. But the nurse hadn't noticed it, neither had Pinkie, or Applejack or Big Mac or even the filly. What had changed? Her mother had mentioned the fact that those with a strong will didn't become fearful, but surely someone as young as Apple Bloom didn't fit in that category?

She trotted over to the barn and plunked down on a bench, deep in thought. Was it the forest? No, that was silly. Maybe it was due to her magic fluctuating? Possible, but she had never figured out why her magic fluctuated, it hadn't happened often and it only seemed to happen when she was forced to be alone for an extended period of time when her parents and brother were out of town. Loneliness, maybe? No, that was equally as silly.

As she ran through every possibility in her mind, she slowly became aware of a small set of glowing green eyes looking up at her from the corner of her eye. She turned quickly, startling the tiny timberwolf and making it scramble backward, its small paws ripping up the dirt as it tried to get away.

Twilight placed a hoof on her chest and forced herself to breathe. It wasn't the timberwolf that had attacked her, it was just a baby… or something. She looked over to the edge of the barn where the wolf had run off to, spying its small eyes peering curiously at her from around a tree.

When their eyes met, the wolf ducked behind the tree. Twilight couldn't help but smile despite the unpleasant memory the creature’s appearance brought to mind. “You’re not a big scary timberwolf, are ya? You are just a little one.”

The unicorn’s soft tone drew the wolf from its hiding spot and it edged around the side of the tree, eyeing the pony cautiously.

“D’aww, you’re adorable.” The unicorn got up off the bench before sinking down close to the ground, trying to be as nonintimidating as possible.

The wolf, emboldened by the mare’s nonthreatening posture and kind words edged closer, its body low to the ground and ready to leap away at a moment’s notice.

“C'mere, little guy, I won't hurt you,” Twilight commanded, unaware of her horn glowing a soft reverse light.

Instantly the wolf stood up, suddenly unafraid and trotted right up to the unicorn, expressionless. Twilight cooed softly and ran a hoof along its chin, noting that despite it being made up of wood and bark, it was surprisingly soft. “I wonder if you like ear scratches. My neighbor’s dog used to love it when I scratched behind her ears… until they stopped letting her outside for some reason.”

The mare reached behind the pup’s ears and used her hoof to scratch the soft bark that made up the back of the wolf’s head. The pup’s ears instantly went up and its tail began to wag. “You are just the cutest little thing and so docile too!” She continued to gently scratch the back of the pup’s head, unsure of how much pressure to apply to the strange wolf-thing made of sticks.

“Well, I’ll be. Winona likes ya more than Granny.”

Twilight looked up to where Applejack stood a few feet away, startling her. “Wha... how do you guys do that? You are so quiet.”

The mare just laughed and ambled up next to the timberwolf pup, who was pouting adorably and looking up at Twilight expectantly. “Apple family secret. Now then, I promised ya pie and I never break a promise, specially when pie is involved.” The mare reached behind her back and pulled out a plate absolutely filled with one enormous slice of pie the size of a whole meal.

Twilight smiled, and though she still felt hungry, the pie didn't seem appetizing. She couldn't figure out why though. It looked good, she leaned in close and sniffed it, it smelled good, but she felt no desire to eat it. She shook the thought away and grabbed the fork and plate in her magic.

“Woo nelly, is yer horn supposed to do that creepy black light thing?” Applejack asked, taking a subtle step back.

Twilight frowned and looked up at her horn. “I don't know why, but it’s been doing that for a few days, it's not painful and on the walk over, I went through all the steps I could remember to self diagnose any magic-related illnesses and came up with nothing. I think it might just be the forest, I’ve felt… strange ever since waking up here.”

“Waking up here? Now that sounds like quite the story. I won't bother ya fer the details though, it seems like ya are still hurtin’ in a way us Apples know all too well.” Applejack’s usually kind and gentle eyes grew dark and Twilight’s heart fell.

“Thanks, how did you lose your? No, I’m sorry, I shouldn't have asked, especially after you were so kind not to.” Twilight winced, expecting anger.

She did not expect a sympathetic sigh and for the mare to wrap a hoof round her shoulder, squeezing her gently. “Ain't much to tell. My ma got sick and joined the forest, my pa couldn't live without her and just faded away until they were together again. That's the thing with us Apples, we grow deep roots. Pun not intended.”

Twilight smiled back. “Well, at least they are together again?”

Applejack pulled her limb from around the mare’s shoulder and gave it a shake in an attempt to get the pins and needles out. “Yeah, that's what I like to believe anyway.” The apple pony adjusted her hat and stood up suddenly. “But I’m sure ya are not here to listen to my life story, how can I help?”

“Well…” Twilight tapped her forehooves together nervously. “I need to get home but that's going to take money, money I don't have. Never mind the fact that I don't have anywhere to stay, or anything to eat for that matter.” The mare’s ears fell flat and her eyes drifted to the ground, staring down at the tiny timberwolf that looked up at her with an equally forlorn expression.

“Well shucks, I can help with most of that. We got an old cabin out back that an uncle of ours used to live in, he joined the forest decades ago and it's sat empty ever since. Shouldn't be in too bad a shape. I go down there once every few months to make sure nothin’ nasty has tried to move in. As fer food, well, we got plenty of apples that are ready to go bad that still make fer good eatin’, but I don't feel right sellin’ ‘em. Aside from that, ya could work as a scout and let us know which trees need buckin’.” The apple farmer smiled. “What do ya say?”

The unicorn would have been taken aback by the sudden generosity, but it seemed as though every being was more than ready to open their hearts and homes to a stranger like her. She had to make it up to at least one of these generous beings and it would start with Applejack. She would be the best damn scout this farm had ever seen!

Something caught her and started a chain reaction of thoughts in her brain. She blinked, the tears forming at the edges of her eyes disappearing. “Could that work, no… maybe.” She looked past the apple farmer, her mind churning with ideas.

Applejack cocked her head and followed the unicorn’s gaze, after finding out she was just staring at a seemingly random tree she scratched her head awkwardly. “ Ya alright, sugarcube?”

“More than alright! I think I know how to fix your forest affliction!”

“Wow, slow down there girl, it ain’t really a problem and trust me when I say the Apples have tried everythin’ over the years and the forest didn't like none of ‘em.”

“It wouldn't fix the problem, but it would fix the symptoms. I’m afraid whatever crazy magic is in this forest is a bit beyond me, but I could make a er…” The unicorn scratched her head and cast a quick spell to create a small illusionary picture of the farm.

“Diorama? Scale replica?” Applejack offered.

“Yeah, pretty much but not just that.” Her horn lit with its strange reverse light and one of the tiny illusionary apple trees had grown several large healthy apples. “It could indicate which trees are ready to harvest, so you wouldn't need a scout.”

Applejack frowned. “I dunno, the forest don't much like spellcraft or meddlin’.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “That's just it though, it wouldn't directly affect the forest, it would just scan it in order to figure out which trees were ready. It wouldn't change the trees in any way. It would take a while as I don't have much in the way of reference material for that type of spell, but with time, I think I could do it.”

The mare stood suddenly, scaring Winona who scrambled behind her owner’s legs while watching the strange unicorn make her way over to a tree and pick up a rotten apple from the ground. “All I would need is a few dozen apples in various states of maturation and maybe a few crystals but where would I find a…” Her face scrunched up in thought, oblivious to the growing smile on Applejack’s face.

“Ya could really do somethin’ like that?”

Twilight blushed slightly, glad she was facing away from the farm pony. “Well, like I said, it would take time and a few base components that I don't have, but it shouldn't be hard and the spells wouldn't try and manipulate the forest in any way, so we should be fine in that regard.”

“Well shoot, if ya could do that, ya would make us a whole mountain of gems! The rottin’ apples are good compost, but we got so much of the darn things we can hardly use half of it, we usually just end up tossin’ ‘em into the creek.” Her face grew stern suddenly and her voice flat. “I need to ask ya something first though, Twilight.”

The unicorn turned, tossing aside the rotten apple and scraping her hoof on the grass. “Sure, go ahead, Applejack.”

“Can ya really do somethin’ like that? We are used to hearing gussied up words from busy bodies tryin’ to make a dime off our hard work and, no offence, but ya wouldn't be the first to offer a solution to our problem.”

The mare eyed Twilight with a sharp critical eye, reading the unicorn like an open book. “Well, I, uh, never did something like that, but how about this; I’ll give you the completed rune array and everything for food and lodgings and if it works I’ll take a cut of the profits. We can talk numbers later when I get it working.”

For a second Applejack’s eyes narrowed, but Twilight didn't falter, she knew her possible array could work and she didn't feel like she was asking for much. After a few more seconds of intense scrutiny, the apple farmer smiled. “Well, I’ll be. That's the fairest offer anyone’s ever given us. Ya got yourself a deal.” The pony suddenly spat in her hoof and presented it to Twilight, who grimaced. “Oh, I suppose ya city folk ain’t used to such tradition.” The mare put down her hoof and wiped the spit off before extending her other, non spit covered hoof.

“It's a deal.”

Their hooves connected with a brief jolt of electricity passing between them. Applejack shook her hoof again, trying to regain feeling in the appendage. Twilight grimaced. “Sorry about that. I’ll try to get my magic under control soon.”

“Well, so long as ya don't light my farm on fire, I think we'll be fine.” The apple farmer turned back towards the farmhouse and beckoned the unicorn to follow her. “C’mon, I’ll grab ya the keys and in the evenin’ we’ll grab ya a few bushels of apples to stock yer cupboards fer now while we work out the details.”

Twilight smiled and followed the mare. “Sounds good to me. Thanks again, Applejack.”

“Don't mention it, helpin’ folk get back on their hooves is what any good Ponyvillian would do.” The mare grinned at the unicorn before making her way up to the farmhouse and disappearing inside.

Twilight’s smile lingered and she couldn't help but wonder how lucky she had been to meet the beings she did. Fluttershy’s kindness, Pinkie Pie’s gift of healing and laughter, Rarity’s generosity and finally Applejack’s honest and straightforward nature were all things Twilight would have to repay, but for now she thanked the stars they had been delivered to her.

She shook her head and looked down at the little timberwolf that had dutifully followed her owner. She was suddenly struck by the realization that this wolf or dog had died alone and lost in the woods, taking up residence within the wood it had probably died near. She pushed that thought away, Winona looked happy, if a little shy. No point in getting depressed over something that might have happened decades ago for all she knew.

She looked up to the farmhouse to see Applejack’s strange form stepping across the threshold with a silver pair of keys in hoof. She tossed them to the unicorn, who in turn caught them in her magic. “Nice catch. The cabin ain’t far, though I warn ya, it's a mighty bit creepy round that part of the orchard, we ain't had the hooves to tend it as much as we'd like to.”

Twilight smirked. “I think I can handle a few spooky trees.”

Applejack shrugged. “If ya say so. Stick close, don't want to get turned around in here, mighty easy to get lost if yer new to the orchard.”

Twilight followed suit, confidence building in her chest by the second.

A mere ten minutes later and said confidence was completely and utterly gone, replaced by a vague anxiety and a building paranoia. Though they weren't that far from the farmhouse, it felt much further than it was, the path had become overgrown and the majority of the time spent so far was used up clambering over fallen logs and leaping over puddles that persisted despite there not having been rain for days.

That wasn't that bad in Twilight’s mind as the real thing that had begun to bother her was the cramped nature of this part of the orchard. The canopy, which was usually soared to incredible heights, seemed just beyond the tip of Twilight’s horn and though she had crossed through parts of the forest like this, it was in the company of Fluttershy. If she lived here, she would have to travel this path often, and alone, which was an unpleasant thought.

She looked down at the shy timberwolf pup that followed close beside her. Maybe not completely alone anyway.

“Not too far now, how’s yer leg doin’?” Applejack asked.

“Not bad, it's feeling a lot better, but I should tighten it once I have a moment to sit down.” Applejack nodded knowingly, stepping carefully over a small, but thorny bush. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions, Applejack?”

“Sure, got a minute or two till we’re there anyway.”

“I was wondering what you were called. Err, what your type of being was called.”

Applejack stopped in the path and tilted her head to the side. “Ya mean what type of pony I am?”

“Yeah, sorta.” Twilight scratched her head. “I mean, you look like earth ponies, but with the whole tree thing...”

Applejack smirked and turned back to the path. “Well, ya are kinda right. Our ancestors were earth ponies who made a deal with the forest, they didn't want to clear it to make a farm and we couldn't grow or find enough food in the forest. Or so the legends say anyway, not sure if I buy the whole deal with the forest, it don't seem the type to make deals. Anyway so, apparently this,” the apple farmer waved a hoof towards the tree growing out of her back, “was part of the deal.”

Twilight’s muzzle scrunched up in thought and she nearly tripped over an exposed root as she mulled over the farmer’s words. Thankfully Applejack was quick on the draw and pulled her back up before she even hit the ground.

Twilight blushed. “Thanks.”

“No problem, sugarcube, but ya should save the deep thinkin’ fer when ya got a roof over yer head.”

Twilight’s blush persisted and she looked away from the tree-bound mare.

After a few more minutes and a few more close calls with things getting in Twilight’s way--which was something she was becoming increasingly annoyed by--and they had reached their destination.

Applejack smiled proudly and swept her hoof towards the small structure nestled atop a slight rise that was devoid of trees, save for one right next to the building itself. “Here we are, Uncle Crab Apple’s cabin.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow at the structure, noting that it was little more than a shack roughly the size of a large outhouse. “Uh, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but is that it? There aren't even any windows.”

“Great Uncle Crabby was a strange one. Was convinced that Sol herself was goin’ to come down here and torch the whole orchard, so he built the whole cottage underground, what ya see there is just the exit. Hope ya ain’t claustrophobic cuz it's big on the inside, but the climb down can be somethin’ else.”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not claustrophobic, nor am I overly fond of the sun, but I am curious as to how he got the well, waste, out. I don't see an outhouse.”

Applejack made her way over to the door and beckoned Twilight to open it. “He got some Arachni from Cliffsdale to come down and do a bunch of enchantments on the place to handle that sorta thing. Runnin’ water, waste disposal, even got a little stand thing to teleport down the heavier furniture cuz he built the stairs too small. Though I believe that part’s busted, now that I think about it.”

“Well, so long as I don't have to pee in the woods, I’m fine,” Twilight commented while levitating the keys down. “Are they both for the door?”

“The round one is fer the door, the other is fer a safe he kept in there, darn thing is too heavy to take out, so I figured ya might find some use fer it.”

Twilight nodded and placed the round key in the hole and turned. The door opened with a lot more resistance than Twilight thought it would, and it turned out to be much denser than its seemingly crude exterior would indicate. The room inside was much smaller than what Twilight had seen on the outside, indicating it was far more reinforced than was normal.

Directly before her was a staircase spiralling down with a metal plate hinged to it, allowing someone inside to pull the plate down and seal themselves inside. Shrugging off the strangeness of the situation, Twilight stepped back, allowing Applejack to take the lead, which she politely declined. “If it's all the same to ya, I will leave ya to the tour, stairs don't much agree with me and Bloomberg here.” She motioned to the tree on her back. “Hard enough to amble up and down those stairs every few months or so and they ain't gettin’ any easier, I’m afraid.”

Twilight looked down the tight, worming stairs and back to Applejack, forcing a confident smile onto her face. “Yeah, of course. Thanks for everything, Applejack, anything I should know about the place?”

Applejack shrugged. “Not much really, there is a little doohickey on the wall that controls the magic torch thingies he bought. Other than that, it's a normal cabin... thing.”

“Alright, thanks, Applejack. Oh, before I forget, I don't suppose you'd mind if I could have any green apples lying around?”

“Sure! There are some in the barn, I can rustle ‘em up fer ya by tomorrow. Oh yeah, ya almost forgot yer pie back there at the barn, here ya go.” The mare reached around to her back and passed Twilight a familiar pie-filled plate. “We got to talking so much I darn near forgot about it.”

“Oh thanks! I’m going to eat this inside where there is a table.” Twilight turned, only to stop. “There is a table, right?”

“Well shoot, of course there's a table. Enjoy!”

Twilight nodded and closed the door and sighed. For whatever reason, the pie still did not look appetizing. She admitted it looked aesthetically pleasing, but whenever she looked at it, her hunger seemed to dull and she couldn't help but recoil slightly at the thought of eating it.

She glanced down to the stairwell and shrugged, relying on kindness had gotten her this far, surely Applejack wasn't leading her into some sort of trap, was she? No, that was silly, she shook her head and started down the wooden steps. She quickly remembered the rune on the wall and pressed her hoof against it. The stairs and the room instantly lit up in a pale blue light emanating from several small torches lining the wall and stairwell.

Her pace slowed as her mind imagined all the things that could be down there, lurking in wait for her in the unknown depths. She forced the thoughts away once more and made her way down with firm confident steps.

After a few more twists of the stairs, they suddenly stopped and a large room opened up. The room she was in was about the same size as her living room back home, but the roof was slightly taller and the walls made of harder wood and without any windows to speak of.

Looking around, Twilight could see a couch, a small, nearly empty bookcase, a table complete with three chairs and a small kitchenette with a stove and a sink.

“Well, would you look at that.”

Against the wall to her right was an open door that appeared to lead into a bathroom. To the left was another opened door, presumably to the bedroom. She glanced into the bathroom first, noting it had a sink, a toilet and a shower like every other bathroom she had ever known, save for the slightly cramped nature of it. Other bathrooms also didn't have everything wooden, but the earthy color of it was relaxing to the unicorn.

The couch was old and dust-covered, but appeared to be in a good shape and quite comfortable despite its age. She looked closer at the bookcase and smirked when she noted the titles. Farming, the basics. Several other books were next to the first, all on the same topic, though it varied from an entire thick book solely about manure to a thin one about the effects of magic on crops.

Despite her curiosity about the last tome, she moved on to the bedroom and was happy to see a large bed and a small writing desk with a chest of drawers along the wall to her left. The walls were made of the same wood as the rest of the ‘cottage’ and the blankets and pillows were all the same, deep brown color.

She gripped the bed in her magic and moved it into the corner. “There, perfect.”

She turned around and deposited the pie next to her bed on the small desk. Maybe she would be hungry later.

“Alright, what's next?” she asked the empty room.

When the said empty room did not respond in any meaningful way, she started a mental checklist as per usual. “First, learn more about the cottage, then maybe read that farming book and finally get to bed within a few hours in order to better align my sleep schedule to the local population.”

Nodding to herself, Twilight set about her first task, ignoring the ever present pang of hunger that troubled her, instead she drank deeply from the surprisingly fresh tap water and hoped it will help. It didn't.

Eventually, she retired to bed and when sleep did not come as easily as she hoped, she once more was forced into simply zapping herself asleep with a spell. This time while she lay slumbering, her body did not find any readily apparent source of energy and in its desperation, it extended its aura, seeking something, anything to satiate itself.

The pie that still lay on a plate next to her began to mold rapidly before disintegrating entirely, becoming little more than a small pile of dust. It was not enough, it needed more and so it continued to expand, hoping to find more sustenance.

Outside Applejack hummed a small tune to herself while walking back to the farmhouse, mumbling the melody of some song she had forgotten the lyrics to. She ducked under a low hanging branch before hopping over a puddle, silently making a note to clean up the path a little if Twilight was going to end up staying there for awhile.

Thinking about the strange unicorn, Applejack couldn't help but speculate. She had lost family, that much was obvious, her pain was intense and familiar, but she also seemed angry and guilty. She had always been receptive to the pain of others before, but it seemed especially easy to pick up on what the strange being staying in her cottage was feeling.

She brushed the odd train of thought aside, as Twilight seemed a little sheltered, which was probably why she was so easy to read. Poor girl’s probably not used to hiding how she feels and Applejack couldn't help but smile at the accidental honesty. What else did she know about her? She was from a city, judging from the reaction she had to AJ’s city slicker comment. Probably hasn't worked much either as her legs were twigs and she looked almost sickly, then again she was awfully gangly too, so that might explain it.

She was startled out of her reverie by a shape moving in the forest to her right, however one glance was enough to rob her of any anxiety she might have felt.

“Come on out, Big Mac, ya ain't gonna be able to sneak up on me and I know ya got somethin’ on yer mind, so just spill it.”

Sure enough, the shape stopped and sullenly made its way over. Once close, the moonlight was enough to illuminate the stallion, who stood tall and opposing, which meant little to the orange mare, who merely snorted at her brother’s attempt at intimidation.

“She ain’t with me, so ya can knock off the tough guy routine.”

Big Mac shrunk slightly and looked around before walking up beside his sister, joining her on the hike back. They walked in silence for a few minutes, though Applejack could tell he wanted to break the silence, it usually took him a while to gather his thoughts. So, in the meantime she merely waited.

Finally, he looked from Applejack back to the cottage with questioning eyes.

Applejack frowned. “What are ya gettin’ at?”

He rolled his eyes and looked back the way they came, before pointing in the general direction of Canterlot.

“So? Who cares where she's from, she needed help,” Applejack responded indignantly.

The stallion stopped his sister and placed a hoof to her heart before pointing back at the cabin, the quizzical expression returning to his features.

“Why do I trust her?” He nodded. “She lost somebein’, somebein’ close to her and recently no less.”

The stallion frowned and drew one hoof over his face and smiled at his sister, only to draw the invisible curtain over his face, which had grown cold and with an evil grin.

“She ain't fakin’ it, mister.” She placed a hoof over his own heart and leaned in close. “I know ya could feel it too, that filly is hurtin’ and needs our help.”

He seemed to mull it over, half-agreeing with the mare, but still stubborn. To which she just snorted. “Ya trust yer gut on everythin’, but trustin’ other beings.”

The stallion frowned at her and pawed the dirt nervously.

“Look, I know ya are anxious and I get it, I am too. She's a stranger from the mountain, a unicorn to boot and she's got a weird aura about her.”

He raised an eyebrow at that.

“Ya know what I mean, I know ya felt it, hell even Granny could feel it clear inside the house.”

He put his hoof slightly off the ground, the exact height of their sister, before casting a glance at Applejack.

“I dunno about Apple Bloom, but she's awful fierce fer her age, wouldn't surprise me if she ignored it.”

He looked doubtful, but didn't ‘voice’ it.

Applejack sighed. “Look big guy, I got a good feelin’ about her, plus she might have a way to make our jobs easier with the trees. Says she might have a way to use magic to tell us which trees need buckin’ and when.”

He raised an eyebrow and frowned deeply.

“I know that look, but trust me, her solution don't meddle with the forest none and it don't cost nothing to upkeep. Hell, she didn't even ask fer money up front like those other idiots.”

His eyebrow fell and he looked down at her with more curiosity, and less disdain.

“I know it sounds too good to be true, but all she wanted was a place to stay, a little food and maybe some gems down the line, but only if her idea works. If not, she volunteered to scout fer us.”

This got him intrigued and he got up, and the pair proceeded towards the farm house.

“I got a good feelin’ about her, I’m telling ya, Big Mac, she's gonna help turn this place around and help us go from barely able to supply ourselves to feedin’ the whole gosh darn town.”

He rolled his eyes with such intensity she could almost hear them in their sockets.

“I know I talk big, but think about it. Imagine if we could harvest every bushel of apples when they were at their peak. No more harvestin’ ‘em before or whenever we happened to get lucky enough to see ‘em get ripe.”

He looked over, studying her features and after finding no hint of deception he allowed a small smile to spread across his face.

“Besides, if she does end up hurtin’ somebein’, ya can tell me ya told me so.”

He snorted and stomped his hoof before sharing a laugh with his younger sister, the pair proceeding inside the farmhouse in high spirits.

Far above the world and its pain, a distant star flashed in the sky. It wasn't the brightest, or the biggest, but it was centermost in the small collection of strange colored stars. Its light was warming, calming and made one think of home and family and its resurgence made the others shine brighter.

Even the dim teal star that weakly shimmered in the night sky joined in. Though it was small, unsure of itself and unconvinced by the other’s light.

All that was overshadowed by a lavender star becoming darker, its light fading into nothing until eventually it began to absorb the light of the others. Whatever was the cause of this sudden shift would need to be remedied, and soon. For every second the formerly lavender star thirsted for the light of its sister stars, the others dimmed and threatened to go out altogether.

Until the pink star, liveliest of the bunch moved to investigate and grew a little too close.

Editing done by the wonderful everfree pony!
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