Author's Notes:

I'm doing something a little... special in this chapter. There's a fight scene, with music, with linking approval from the composer.

I don't generally agree with music sequences. It's more troublesome to the reader than anything else. You simply can't pay attention to two things at the same time, so you're forced to either:
- compromise and make an effort to keep the song playing in the back of your head whilst reading, or
- read the whole thing once so you know what happened, and only THEN read a second time with the music playing.

Personally, I suggest the first option.

If anything, you can figure out the tension in the fight by listening to the song where I say the fighting starts, then going through with the combat sequence all pumped up and ready to go.

This is the link. Tell PsychGoth how awesome the song is so he stops shying it away from Youtube.

Anyway. During the fight, you'll figure out my personal opinion as to why the Iron Pony Competition was entirely biased. Need I remind you that Big Mac is capable of dragging an entire house no problem? I'm pretty sure that it's not just because of him being big enough to break a brick wall, should he ever forget to cover his mouth before sneezing. No creature that size should be able to do something like that without help.

---

Index of time in the song when stuff happen. In case anyone cared. They're censored for a reason.

0:00 Big Mac stops the giant tree branch.
Every beat at 0:03, 0:07, 0:10 etc are branches or roots hitting the ground, making it shake every time.
0:20 Big Mac opens a can of whoop-ass on the Everscreech.
0:35 Close-up on the army of the dead (apple trees) that are now marching forward.
0:42 Doc suddenly “kills” one of them. The others are none too happy about it.
0:49 He starts walking towards the mob, charging up his weapon cupboard repair tool.

0:56 They gradually start getting offed.
1:06 Doc almost gets crushed by a giant rope of roots
1:14 The Everscreech means for a change in tactics.
1:20 The trio start beating on the smaller eggs, which were still bigger than them.
1:28 Creeper punches Big Mac.

1:35 STALKer Shoryukens Big Mac.
1:42 Big Mac holds his ground, Doc talks, Climber does her thing. Doc and Ditzy need an adult.
1:49 Big Mac does an earth bend. There was salad everywhere.
1:52 He dodges and makes more salad everywhere. Does this count as gore?
The Everscream hatches…
2:00 …uncovering a Trojan Applejack.

2:07 She gives them all one last chance to surrender. Then she charges at the greatest threat.
2:21 Big Mac successfully Blocks.
2:28 They talk.
2:35 Big Mac uses Bitch Slap! It’s not very effective…
2:49 Trojan Applejack uses Widespread Strikes!
3:03 They charge each other and explode dust everywhere DBZ-style.

The door to Rarity’s boutique creaked open, letting in the morning sun’s light for the little time it took a certain brown time pony to trot inside.

“Unlocked. Why am I not surprised.”

He was wearing his saddlebags full of equipment. Which was saying something, considering they were bigger on the inside. Sure, it might’ve not been a good idea to go back home to retrieve them since he might’ve risked being found once Ditzy noticed he’d snuck out. Regardless, if he wanted to investigate what was happening, he’d need two things. His tools, mainly his screwdriver, and his coat.

You have to look the part when you’re saving the day, after all.

He looked around, finding the greeting area about the same as it was the last time he was here. There was nothing out of the ordinary, nothing out of place, and no sign of any kind of struggle.

“I wonder where she might have put my coat…”

He entered another room which presented another separation screen and a set of mirrors. It seemed to be a dressing room.

“If this is the dressing room, then why was there a separation screen in the other room? Count to think of it, why even have one? They’re always naked!”

He found a few drawers on one wall, and stopped to stare at them with an indecisive look on his face.

“I shouldn’t…”

No, he shouldn’t. However, he really wanted his coat now.

“…I’m certain she will understand.”

He opened a few doors and ruffled through a few clothes and fabrics until he started hearing a menacing cat’s rattling. Removing one final fabric, he uncovered a white furball which promptly jumped on his head and started scratching viciously all over. He frantically threw the ferocious feline off.

“What was that for?!”

Opalescence hissed in response.

“Yeouch! I’m not sure which one was worse; Your assault, or your manners!”

“Meow! Hiss!”

“Yes, I can understand you!” he contradicted in a hushed tone. “Now keep it down, or we’re going to have a problem!”

“…Mew?”

“Yes. How many times do I need to repeat myself?”

“Mew meow!”

“I know what this looks like, okay? I only wanted to retrieve my coat, if Rarity finished it, that is.”

She growled again.

“…Okay. Fair enough. But if…”

“Meow!”

“What? What do you mean you don’t care?”

“Meeow meow!”

“I’m busy!”

“Hiss!”

“Fine, where’s your bowl?” he sighed.

Turns out the cat was just grumpy because she hadn’t been fed today. She couldn’t care less about his suspicious circumstances.

“Opal.” he read the letters on the cat’s dish. “That your name, Opal?”

“Mew. Meow.”

This is getting ridiculous. Initiating translation.

“Gee, genius. Did you figure that out all by yourself?” Rarity's cat grumbled sarcastically.

“Well, it wasn’t really that hard to figure out.”

“…Are you really that stupid?”

“Are you hungry or not?”

“Alright. I take it back. Now feed me already!”

Needless to say, she did not sound honest in her apology. The Time Lord rolled his eyes and did what he was told.

He looked around the room some more. “I don’t suppose you could tell me where Rarity keeps her finished products, do you?”

“Upstairs, in her work room.” Opal answered before she returned to her food bowl. It was surprising to him that she even bothered stopping her meal for his sake.

He offered a short thanks before heading for the stairs, only to stop halfway. “Why were you hiding in the dresser, anyway?”

The cat stopped eating to give him a nervous look.

“Did something scare you?”

Nervousness intensified.

“…Last night?”

Silence for a while. Suppose the cat was just wishing she didn’t need to speak, as would usually be the case up until now. She eventually spoke up, “…I’m not sure what I saw.”

“Try to explain as well as you can.”

“I woke up when I heard the window creak open on its own. From seeing my keeper use it so much, I'll make a wild guess and say it was magic, since I couldn't see anyone. All I saw was a dark glow melding in with the already dark room, the only reason I could notice it was because it seemed to drink up any of the light that came from outside. Then, my keeper started to shift violently in her sleep as though she was having a nightmare. Or several at once. And then, she just vanished into the dark.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“She just vanished, just like that?”

“I said, yes!”

“And you ran away and hid in the drawer, because…”

“What! I didn’t want to risk dissolving into the dark as well! I still need my beauty sleep.”

“Uh huh…”

Not getting anything else out of the cat, he just went ahead upstairs

Once he did climb, he found several doorways. First one he tried went into what appeared to be a guest’s room. Second try was where he found his mark. He didn’t take long to find his coat. It was hung neatly from a hanger inside one of several drawers.

It would appear that Rarity took a few liberties with it. Some rather generous liberties. The buttons were made out of cut gems, the trimmings were also gold colored on the outside and silver on the inside.

"There seems to be a trend of that going on."

He changed, noticed how well fitted it was and put most of the stuff he previously had in his saddle into his coat’s pockets.

“Screwdriver first, psychic paper, although not likely I’d need it for now, toy mouse, rubber ball, yo-yo, compact umbrella, water assimlator, night vision goggles, spare toothbrush, glasses, emergency sandwich…” He took a while to finish transferring everything.

When he was done, he went to check on the remaining doorway. It led to Rarity’s bedroom.

He decided it’d be a good time to check around for clues, this time with proper equipment, since he’s already here.

He looked around. Again, the bed sheets were similarly left in their odd fashion. On the bedside, he found a family picture. Four ponies smiling from ear to ear in what seemed to be a trip to a city, a metal statue in the middle of a large expanse of water in the background.

“That must be Manehattan,” he figured.

The picture showed two adults, obviously Rarity’s parents, seeming to be truly enjoying themselves. The older of their two siblings, a white-maned filly with dark-purple styled hair (did she actually style it that early, or was it natural for her?), apparently around her teens. Aside from her, clinging to her mother’s side, was what seemed to be a little sister.

He looked at the picture for a while. Focusing on what he was doing.

Yes, it was, arguably, the most interesting thing that had happened to him ever since he arrived here. But still. The people… the ponies that are actually missing. They do have family and friends that are worried about them. He might like to distance himself from any emotion he might have that might interfere with his ability to resolve such circumstances, but that doesn’t mean he’s able to do so thoroughly, despite what he might sometimes try to let on.

He turned his head back towards the bed, pulling out his trusty sonic screwdriver. “No use, her magic left traces everywhere. Unless…”

He narrowed the settings on the tool in his mouth (surprising how well ponies can talk with things in their mouths), until he found what the most recent traces were.

“That’s certainly different from anything anywhere else in the house. A lot more bitter, at least, if not anything else.”

He traced his tool towards the window.

“So whoever did this did enter through the window after all… That’s odd.”

He tinkered with his sonic for a while, going through several functions.

“No heat residue, no molecules left over, nothing! Nothing except magic. That certainly is odd. It’s as if no body had actually been here.”

He pondered this oddity, then got back to tracing the magic. He locked on to its unique, although bitter and dark frequency, and pointed his tool upwards. Then eastwards.

“East. About… a few miles into the Everfree Forest. Two… five… at least seven sources. Well, there’s that, I guess. Seven, as many as the missing ponies and dragon respectively. Or at least I have a general area. It is rather blurry for whatever reason.

"Okay then! I have a lead. That’s certainly a welcomed change. Allons’…”

He was cut short by the image of a rather large, red furred stallion in the doorway on his way out.

“…Huh. Guess you figured out I snuck out, didn’t you?”

“Eyup,” was the large farmer's judging retort.

“Of course you did. Suppose you also had ample time to find me during the time I took to finish my fooling around here.”

“Eyup,” Big Mac repeated, just as judgingly.

“Good show. But I don’t suppose you also happen to know how I managed to sneak out, do you?” as he paced to the side.

“Nnope, not really.”

“Good, then. Let me show you. You see, what I did was,” as he opened the window, “use the window.”

The Time Lord jumped again in surprise during his attempt at exiting the stage, because somepony else barred his way. He recovered quickly enough.

“…Of course he couldn’t have found me on his own. Hello, dear,” the Doctor offered as he slumped his head slightly with a hint of a sheepish smile.

She flew in through the window and eyed him more closely. “Hello, Doc. Nice coat.”

“Thanks.” The Time Lord's eyes darted around the room nervously as he maintained his cool composure. Which Ditzy didn't have trouble seeing through.

“You weren’t trying to get away from me, were you?”

“Who, me? Of course not! I was just… ergh…”

The mailmare raised an eyebrow at him expectantly, forelegs crossed. If she could, she would be tapping her hind hoof.

He sighed when he drew a blank, and decided to just be honest. So he answered with a sigh, “…investigating. But only because there was no time to lose!”

She seemed somewhat surprised by his honesty. She faltered in her posture and sighed. “And you were going to go looking for them on your own, weren’t you?”

“…Maybe.”

“Maybe, or yes?” as she landed and drew closer to him aggressively.

The Doc gave in, not seeing any way around it. He sighed, “Yes.”

Give him a lie detector any day.

She sighed. “You know, I was kind of hoping we were closer than this. Sneaking around my back? Really?”

“You make it sound like I'm seeing someone else," he offered tentatively, leaning his head to the side.

"Doctor..." She left her words hanging expectantly.

He took a step forward aggressively. "Why was I supposed to tell you? Do I need to check in and ask for your permission for everything I do now?”

“No, but telling someone when you’re most likely about to go risk your life would be very appreciated!”

“What, I left a note, didn’t I?”

She sighed. In all honesty, finding a note saying he went to risk his life did not make her feel any better. She could swear he was dodging.

The Doctor started to push her along out of the door. ”Now if you could go back and, I don’t know, take Dinky to have some corn on the cob or something, I would very much appreciate it.”

Ditzy rolled her eyes. Which, of course, looked odd. “Sure. If you come with us.”

“Sorry, but no.”

She snapped her leg free. “Then I’ll have to say no too.”

Doc sighed. He was about to give another retort, but Ditzy cut him off with renewed vigor, “Why do you insist on wanting to go on your own?! The entire town would be willing to join you!”

“As much as I’d enjoy trying to organize a bunch of clueless bakers and gardeners how to not get killed by whatever might be behind all of this, I work best on my own.”

“Is that so? Well, sorry if we disagree. Someone needs to cover your sorry flank, and I’m sure as hay not going to let you out of my sight, especially not now. And you can also be sure that Big Mac isn’t going to just sit idly while his sister’s missing!”

“Why did you bring him along, anyway?”

“He noticed when you went missing, then followed me when I left, wanting to ask me what I knew. I couldn’t really not tell him, it wouldn’t be right!”

“Fair enough.” The Time Lord sighed, then he faced the farmer’s way. “I don’t think there’s anything that could possibly keep you from trying to find Applejack, is there?”

“Nope,” he glared back, his otherwise dull look hiding obvious fire within, eliciting a smile from the Doctor.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so either. And you,” Doc gave a cross look to the mailmare. “This is going to be dangerous. I don’t think I like the thought of endangering a mother’s life.”

“You know you're pretty selfish sometimes, you know that?”

“Believe me, I've gotten better..." he said, recalling how he'd often lead people he cared about into danger. "I won't be able to focus on what I have to do if I know you're in danger. Please.”

Again, she studied him with that bewildered, wide look on her face, focusing too much on looking in the same direction to bother giving any facial features obvious. She had grown to know him better by now, but she still had a ways to go.

“I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're going to need someone to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.” She narrowed her eyes and got to an inch from his face. ”As soon as you find out what the problem is, you’re not going to stop until you solve it." Her reaction took him by surprise. She drew away, "And quite honestly, I’m worried how you managed to deal with any of the monsters from your travels so far. Our monsters don’t have stop buttons at the backs of their heads, or severe pickle allergies. And neither will you have any technology to use at your disposal here. No security to hack, no hidden doors to get you out when you’re surrounded and no convenient radio stations to spread obscure... what did you call them again? Delta waves?” (like the river landing area, not the Greek letter)

Her berating had apparently managed to put the Time Lord in his place. All he managed was a defeated, “…I really should stop talking so much, shouldn't I?”

Ditzy's unbridled momentum seemed to finally falter when she took note of the Doctor's sorry state. She drew in tenderly and smiled, “I don’t know. I certainly don't mind your talking.”

“…Really?” he asked, completely bewildered.

She wrapped around his neck. “Really.”

Big Mac proved to have enough common sense to interrupt their little moment. “<Cough cough>”

Remembering they had an audience, as well as SOMETHING IMPORTANT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING, they drew away from each other awkwardly.

“Right. Sorry.” Were the Doctor’s words while Ditzy only brushed her hair in front of her eye. “Let’s, ugh… just be going.”

Ditzy smiled. “So you’re okay with us coming along?”

“Not really. I'd rather just leave you both here, but I imagine that if I were to do that, you'd just follow me anyway..." He eyed them judgingly, then shook his head and walked towards the exit of the room. "Dinky is going to be okay on her own, isn’t she?”

“Don’t worry. She’s not alone. And as I’ve already said, I can trust her to stay out of trouble as much as I can trust you to get into it.”

"I trust you both are going to follow my instructions exactly. When I say duck, you get down. Compris?" He turned around to find the other two nod in response. Satisfied, he lead the group out of the house. “Fair enough. Allons-y!”

While the trio approached the outskirts where the town meets the forest, Dinky was riding on her aunt's back in attending a town meeting. An older mare and her granddaughter to their right, two worried bakers to their left.

The meeting was held in order to organize a search party, once the mayor learned of the disappearances. She had earlier sent word for Canterlot to notify the Princess of her missing pupil.

The Everfree was as creepy and dark as it’s ever been. The trees were still wide apart, massive and towering high above; growing crowns that blotted out the sun. The air was still murky and feral. Yet for once, there were no longer the distant sounds of beasts echoing far away. Now, it was just quiet. Eerily quiet.

The group had been walking for an indeterminate period of time, following wherever the Doctor said his buzzing, pen-like tool was guiding them.

“We should be getting closer now,” he said, as it got darker and darker. A phenomenon which drew Doc’s attention. “This isn’t normal darkness,” he pointed out, looking around before tinkering with a few of the settings on his tool. “Radiation levels hadn’t changed, light rays shouldn’t have been any different from earlier. So why is it getting so dark?”

“What do you mean?” the mare asked, not appreciating being left out the way she was.

“I’m not certain myself. I only assume that it’s somehow linked to wherever we’re heading. The magical marks I'd found were rather blurry, but I got to suspecting a few things. For one, if this dark really does manifest the closer we get to our target, then maybe whatever or whomever we're after is doing this. The fact that it doesn't seem to be natural, or at all genuine darkness, works in my theory's favor as well.”

“You’re saying it’s magic?”

“I'm saying it's suspicious and possible. I don’t know for certain. I’ve studied all I could on your 'magic', and found your libraries lacking. Still, I suppose it would make sense in the end. It certainly explains the bitter taste.”

“…The taste?”

“Yeah," Doc offered simply. Ditzy decided to insist.

"Mind elaborating?"

"Well... do you know how unicorn horns glow different colors whenever they use magic?”

“Yes?”

"And do you know how sometimes, when a unicorn uses a lot of magic in a short period of time, then the air starts to smell a little fruity?"

"...No?"

“Well, it’s like that. Only instead of fruit, it's more a matter of whatever their magical auras turn out as. Which directly decides what color their auras are. It appears to be something to do with their decided magical proficiencies. It's a combination of atomic makeup and chemical density of the ethereal manifestations themselves. A unicorn with a knack for, say, playing music, would be likely to have a complex atomic makeup and light density in order to focus on finer yet elaborate tunes, while a unicorn that's good at some kind of simpler manual labor would have the opposite instead. Twilight seemed to have been an exception, in that her scales were both strong, and complex..."

"So... unicorn magic tastes fruity to you?"

"Kind of."

"...As in, their magic actually tastes like fruit?"

"That is what I said..." the Doctor half asked.

"What does Twilight taste like?"

"Lavender and grapes."

"But lavender isn't a fruit, though," Ditzy offered confusedly.

That caused the Doctor to stop in his tracks, a face of realization on his face. "Huh..." He then just got back to walking. "Suppose it isn't just fruit, then. No wonder I couldn't figure out what Vinyl tasted like. I think she might be Pina Colada... if a bit light."

The other two didn't know what to make of this new information. Ditzy already knew he had stronger senses, given his alien nature. She also happened to know about his skin smelling like honey... But the entire idea of unicorns' magic being fruit flavored made her head turn, despite her current circumstances. Looking over to Big Mac, he seemed to be just as conflicted as she was.

She whispered to the farmer, so as to not be overheard, "Do you think their horns taste different too?" Big Mac raised a questioning eyebrow in response. Ditzy drew back, "What? It's a serious question!"

"It sounds perverted." Mac answered.

"It does sound a bit on the perverted side, dear." Doc chimed in. "Also, we’re here.”

They took a while to register his last words. The two leaned forwards, studying the cliff ledge with nothing but darkness at the bottom.

“Here?” Ditzy asked.

“Yep.”

“You’re serious.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“How far do you think it goes?”

He buzzed his screwdriver downwards for a while. “Dunno. I can’t pick up on any ground.”

Big Mac threw a rock over the edge. They didn’t hear it land.

“So… what now?” asked the mare.

“Well, it depends,” went the Doctor, stowing his tool away.

“Depends on what?”

“Depends on whether you trust my judgment. We jump.” Before she could say anything else, the Time Lord did just that.

“Doctor!”

He didn’t answer back from the dark. Afterwards were a few moments of quiet contemplation.

“Well?” the farmer inquired.

She could fly, but she knew better than to mess around with magic. And according to the Doctor's earlier lesson giving, she was most likely messing with exactly that. That, and mailmare was also afraid of what might happen should they follow at all.

She gulped, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and jumped.

She heard the rushing of wind around her ears, as well as the sensation of falling, then nothing. After a while of waiting for something to happen, she decided she could open her eyes again.

The darkness had subsided, only not completely. She wasn’t falling anymore, she was standing on the ground. She looked around, and took a double take. Then a triple take.

There were apple trees for as far as the eye could see. Dead apple trees.

A murky darkness permeated the area, concentrating into what appeared to be an thick mist around the ground which hid anything below their knees. Hopefully there wasn't anything hidden in there. Turning around, she met Big Mac, who had followed her.

“Where are we?” she asked. “These can’t be Sweet Apple Acres, can they?”

“They are,” the farmer answered somberly. “Ah recognize these trees.”

“You’re both right and wrong at the same time, both of you,” they heard the Doctor speak from behind them. He was facing away, looking at something very odd and very, very disturbing in the distance. “These are Sweet Apple Acres, just not the real ones. They’re a reproduction. Unless you had that right in the middle of your fields.” he pointed.

There were only a few yards away they could see clearly. Which made the sight of the massive dead tree in the distance all the more foreboding. Like a massive, twisted beast trying to hide away its form.

He pulled his screwdriver back out of his coat, scanned, gave it a look then slumped and sighed. “And of course the giant, evil tree is where our destination is,” he breathed out in annoyance. "No surprise there."

"I'm more worried why we didn't land. It was quite a fall..."

The Doctor looked around again. "A very good question, Ditzy dear. Tell me, can you fly back out of here?"

She tried, but she couldn't lift any higher than a couple feet(or strides) off the ground. She strained. "It's like I'm just beating in vain!"

"I was afraid of this. Whoever or whatever's responsible for creating this area doesn't seem to want us to leave. We're right where they want us..." He switched from foreboding to idle from the drop of a hat, "Oh well."

He started walking towards their target, the other two soon following.

As they got closer, they made out the monster’s features. It was about seven stories high, its bark was black, exposed in some places in star shapes to reveal stark white underneath. Branches twisting malevolently in all directions, spreading towards the sky like unholy blood vessels, as well as hanging low and clawing at the ground.

The claws had only one side where they would avoid growing. Like a sort of entrance, they led the three towards its base, where they found someone they almost didn’t recognize. Resting against its trunk was a pony, knocking her legs casually with her hat over her face.

“Hey there, big brother.” the figure spoke out without looking up, her words remaining in the air for just a little too long.

“…Little sis?” Big Mac was having trouble believing what he was seeing and hearing. It was Applejack’s voice, even if it was distorted. As for what he saw, it was even harder to recognize anything that resembled his sister either.

She was much larger now. A head taller than Big Mac, but even more slender than she was before. Her fur, once orange, and mane once blond, were the colors of ebony. Fur, sickly yellow. Hair and tail, as black as coal, flowing freely in their own invisible wind.

As for her eyes, they were just black voids. Twin abysses that threatened to swallow anything whole. “In the flesh n' ink.” She offered with an overcast smile. She put aside her hat on the ground next to her as she got up.

Walking in front of them, as to better present herself to everyone else. The apples on her sides were identical, orderly. All red, sparkling clean.
“Ah can’t say Ah’m surprised to see you here, Big Mac. After all, you’ve always been such a lovin’ brother. The other two, however, are unexpected. Doctor? Ditzy? What’re you two doing here?”

“Oh, you know. Nothing much. Just taking a walk into certain doom, trying to find out what’s happening so we can bring you and your friends back home.”

“Well ain’t that a surprise. Ya certainly didn’t seem the type to be ready to get yer hooves dirty." Her voice and words presumed surprise, but the only impression she gave was but an echo of arrogance. It was as if her head was floating. "Ya didn’t even know how to buck an apple tree the first time we met. It was like ya never even knew about telluric energy until we met.”

Big Mac cut in. “Would ya kindly explain why you’ve went n’ left like that last night?”

“It wasn’t really by mah choice, big brother. Ya see, Ah didn’t even realize what was happenin’ till it was too late.”

“A shadow came through the window." The Time Lord filled in. "That’s the extent of what I could guess. Care to verify?”

She gave him a cold, distant glare, before looking away. “Tell me, Big Mac. Do you remember when our parents died, an’ Ah wanted ta leave the farm?“

His head slumped to the side, upset at the memory. "Is this the best time tah talk about that?"

"We never really had a heart t' heart about it." as the sister started turning to walk away.

Behind her, the branches started to close up, cutting her off from the others.

"Ah suppose it weren't nopony's fault. After all, we were both too young to even understand what was goin' on." As she continued to walk away, becoming more and more hidden by branches and shadows. "How could we possibly be honest to one another, when we couldn't even be honest to ourselves?"

The great tree shook and creaked, like it was some great beast whining its woes at them. The ground shook as well, giving the three ponies reason to get away.

As they rushed, they could still hear Applejack quite clearly. "Last night, someone came to me in my dream. He showed me what Ah kept tryin' to ignore all my life. Life ain't fair."

The tree rose from the ground, supporting itself with its roots like myriad appendages.

"But it doesn't have ta be that way. He showed me that it can be different. That everypony can be happy, that nopony really needs to ever be sad again. Not like we were back then."

A grim face formed from split bark. White, glowing, malevolent Jack-o-Lantern eyes were staring at them.

"All Ah need to do is make everypony else see the same way. But before Ah can do that, Ah need to force them to open their eyes. Sometimes, the truth hurts more than they'd wish to bother with it."

A mouth formed, presenting razor teeth made of wood. It growled.

"Sometimes, it takes looking into yer worst nightmare to see the light."

The beast gave off an ungodly shriek as it started approaching them.

The group started to run away, finding it rather easy to outrun the new threat, but they soon noticed the surrounding trees starting to uproot and crack creepy faces on their trunks as well.

The Doctor stared back at the behemoth, as if he was trying to give an impression that he was holding his ground now.

"Okay then. List." he spoke, mostly for himself, but also so the other two could hear him.

"Running?" He noted the trees turning their way and starting to drag towards them. "Non option. Talking?" He regarded the wooden behemoth again. It was similarly heading towards them. "We just tried that. Fighting's no good either... I guess there's only one thing left for us to do."

The mailmare and farmpony regarded the Time Lord with wide eyes as he left back towards the great treant at a leisurely pace. He stopped a few feet away from it, facing it as it stared him down. "Alright then. You win. Show me my worst nightmare."

A branch headed straight for him. The Doctor saw it, but made no attempt to get out of its way.

(Initiating fight music)

A flash of movement, a red mass of muscle and fur appeared between him and the branch. Cracking like a great whip, it stopped where it met Big Mac’s left foreleg, only stopping an inch from his own head. It was trying to envelop him.

“Nope.”

The farmer lightly bucked away the Doctor, throwing him right next to the mailmare. Then he grabbed the branch tight in his teeth and gave it a sturdy yank, ripping it midway.

A pained shriek escaped the behemoth, soon changing into one of rage as it charged at him with new hatred. It attempted to whip and crush the farm pony, only for Big Mac to easily evade it’s extremely slow and telegraphed attacks, sometimes taking the liberty of either punching or bucking back, wood crunching under every retaliation, or bite down and rip another piece off.

Everyone witnessed Big Mac’s impressive display of strength. Ditzy barely believing what she was seeing, while the Time Lord was more irritated than anything else. “Looks like there’s nothing else we can do but fight now."

During all of this, the hordes upon hordes of monstrous apple trees behind them had stopped moving. The Doctor took note of their curious inactivity.

Big Mac continued to present a most determined pest for the nightmare-crossed Whomping Willow. He eventually was caught unable to dodge a rather massive bundle of roots, needing to grasp it and wrestle against it. Surprisingly, despite the fact that the great monster was putting most of its weight into that strike, it managed to sink the farmer’s hind legs rather far into the ground, and nothing else. With another strong yank, Mac managed to pull hard enough to make the monster lose its balance.

He intended on taking advantage of this.
(At the 20 second marker,) He jumped and dove for a buck with his front hoof, the bark cracking and some of it falling off. Soon followed several more piston-like thrusts, further removing small quantities on the large scale, but a lot more than the abomination would’ve liked. Its shriek was deafening, it shook and flailed wildly in order to remove the much smaller pest. Although slow, it was still very forceful and the farmer was thrown off. Big Mac rolled away a few feet, got up and started running back in.

(0:35) The other trees then simultaneously reawakened, all with the singular purpose of joining in the fight against the red menace. The Doctor noticed this.

“Huh. That’s odd. It was as if they weren’t even alive for a while there.”

The Time Lord pulled out his screwdriver and approached one of the trees dragging itself jerkily like a puppet, to assist in fighting the red-maned bane to their much larger peer's existence. The tree didn’t seem to acknowledge him at all as he buzzed and studied it.

He switched through two different frequencies, as Ditzy reproached him. “Doctor, I don’t think now is a good time to be playing scien-”

(0:42) …Once he went into a third frequency, the tree suddenly broke apart and collapsed in on itself, eventually turning into smoke, and the smoke melding into the mist all around them.
As suddenly as that happened, the other trees stopped in their tracks and turned to stare at him. Now they noticed him.

“Huh,” the Doctor let out sluggishly, looking around more awkwardly than anything else. “…Sorry?”

The Wooden Terrors simultaneously shifted their priority on him.

(0:49) The Time Lord started off to meet the mass of Mangy Malus. Tweaking at his tool until it started in the same frequency as it did moments before, only this time so strongly that it seemed to be glowing.

(0:56) Quickly, more and more of them dispersed into smoke, further and further away from the Doctor’s position, until the nearest ones left were a hundred strides away.

The Darkwood Minions seemed to have gotten the message, and stopped moving altogether.

The large Evershriek shook terribly in apparent pain. The Doctor turned around to see it bring down a large rope of roots right towards him.

(1:06) He jumped out of the way, covering his head as he was pelted by quite a few rocks projectiled out of the crash area. He was grateful for that magic Equestrian fur. If he was still humanoid, some of those rocks might’ve hurt him quite seriously.

When he focused his blurred vision, he found Ditzy at his side, pulling him further away from the massive menace.

Soon after they arrived a fair distance to relative safety, they heard a loud smack, and were greeted by a red projectile landing a few feet further away from the Abominable Tree-Monster than them.

(1:14) Finally getting some breathing room, the massive monstrosity took its chance to try changing its tactics. It dove halfway into the ground, leaving only a thorny dome exposed.

(1:20) It seemed that the tree was drawing in the dark mist around it, concentrating it within the confines of its own crown, eventually developing a luscious, black eggshell.

At the same time, around the new shape grew out three sprouts similarly enveloped in pitch black eggshell, similarly fastened with branches as a sort of exposed exterior spine.

No time to rest, apparently.

“That doesn’t look good for us.” The Doctor offered before sprinting off. “We need to stop whatever it is that they’re doing!”

The Doctor attempted the same method he used to stop the Darkwood Malus', while Big Mac and Ditzy went for a physical approach. The shells were holding fast to kicks, and neither was the Time Lord getting any results.

“I hope it’s not because of the wood…” He changed through frequencies, with little result. All he managed was to confuse and slow down the growth within. “Wait. Is it empty?”

He was distracted when he heard a large cracking sound from Big Mac's location. For a moment it seemed that the farmer had managed to break the egg he was working on, until it turned out that that wasn't the reason it was breaking apart. It wasn't shattered, it was hatching. Before the Doctor actually reacted in time to turn around, there was a startled cry and the farmer was sent flying a few feet away. Where he used to be, instead stood a very large creature covered in leaves, dripping with dark green sap, only vaguely reminiscent of a pony. If said pony was twice Big Mac’s size, with tree trunks for hooves and musculature reminiscent of a buffalo.

The figure looked their way with glowing white abysses hidden underneath a thick layer of vegetation, before turning to walk towards where the farmer had been thrown to. Black vines and roots dragging along.

Big Mac got up, rubbing his chin, staring daggers back at the one who hit him. The Creeper stared back eerily.

(1:35) Another quick cracking sound, then something burst out of Ditzy's egg, rushing towards the farmer. Before Big Mac knew it, he was seeing stars again. Then he finally registered a sharp pain at the side of his head and the thankfully unfamiliar sensation of having the wind punched out of his chest.

Suffice to say, being able to comprehend whilst one is unable to perform such a menial, yet important task such as breathing, is not a very pleasant experience.

Suffocating is not fun.

What had actually happened only took a few short moments. Moments which Mac was unable to register because he was on the receiving end of a blind-side sucker punch, then an uppercut in the jaw and buck in the stomach, propelling him even further away from the other two ponies by his sister’s “prison”.

Neither did he register the four times he skipped across the ground before stopping. Or Ditzy yelling his name.

He spent a few seconds on the ground before he finally managed to gasp a full breath of air, then got up shakily on his side looking for whatever hit him that time.

Looking for his assailant he found a second figure, standing still. Much smaller massed than his counterpart, but still much taller than the farm pony. It was also only vaguely equine in appearance. That was where the similarities ended.

It was sporting six long legs, bending at odd intervals like some sort of insect. The head was cone shaped, the body aerodynamic. Comprised entirely out of slick, sickly yellow bark. The dark green liquid covering him gave him an almost chitinous appearance.

In a flash, the Stalker rushed off again.

The Doctor and Ditzy could hardly believe how quickly it was moving from where they were standing. Big Mac only barely had time to lift his guard up before he felt a blow intended for his head again.

The farm pony braced himself that time, so he managed to hold his ground. But his aggressor didn’t give up. It just kept on delivering blow after blow. Assaulting shoulder, sides, back, legs, the back of his head…

Somehow, Big Mac managed to hold his own whilst on the ground.

(1:42) The mailmare attempted to go for the air to try to help, but found herself unable to lift herself. Her hooves were rooted. The Doctor noticed having the same predicament. He looked towards the last egg’s location. All he found was a hole in the ground. It already broke apart and crumbled back to the dark, thick mist which composed it. As he figured, whatever was inside escaped the Doctor's attempts and continued its development underground.

“Let me guess. We have the creeper plant, the one that can stand upright on its own, and now we have the climber one? Suppose we should be happy you forewent the carnivorous, thorny and poisonous varieties.”

Surely enough, they both felt something climb up their legs and around their barrels.

Ditzy gave a startled yelp.

“Okay, this is getting uncomfortable,“ the Time Lord offered with a grimace.

It was straddling them, forcing the screwdriver out of the Doctor's hoof. Once it was satisfied it was safe to show itself, the two prisoners could make out a vaguely female equine head, neck and upper body form where their vines interjoined in betwixt them, looking off impassively towards where Big Mac was trying to hold his ground.

Macintosh had managed to get back on his feet by now, as well as get a hold of his breathing. However, he was now also sporting quite a few darker patches of fur, as well as a few bloody scrapes. He stood fast nonetheless, still looking for some sort of opening.

There was also the Creeper, who was only a few feet away from him now. If he was going to do something, he needed to do it now.

He took in a deep breath, then hit the ground as hard as he could. The area around him split, creating fault lines and upturned rocks.

The Stalker tripped on a crag.

That was all he needed.

(1:49) Before his adversary could get back up, Big Mac brought down a thunder clap with his front hooves.
There were splinters and sap everywhere.

A low rumble escaped the Creeper in response. It was over Big Mac now, reeling back for a hammer strike with both forelimbs.
Big Mac dodged easily. Bits of rocks spraying everywhere. He turned around, reeled in and bucked.
(1:53) Now there were splinters, sap, weeds, rocks and more sap everywhere. As well as a few craters, cracks and fault lines in the ground.

The red farm worker was breathing heavily, whilst admiring his handywork. He was just glad that he finally got out of that bind.

A loud cracking resounded in the air. He looked towards the… egg, and witnessed helplessly as it opened. Its branches and the darkness that formed its shell fell away, dispersing and merging back into the mists near the ground.

The first thing that could be distinguished from the inside were a pair of eyes glowing white in the middle of the area (2:00). Before long, the rest of the figure could be made out from the rest of the darkness.

That is to say, she was left completely black. All jet black, save for her now completely white eyes, and a few lines running around and down her eyes, as well as making up her mouth and running down her legs, mostly straight.

She paced forward, looking around curiously, like an alien on a new world. She stopped for a few moments upon seeing the Doctor, almost as if she was only now recognizing him for the first time in a long time. Her gaze broke off towards Big Macingosh, only offering an echo of emotion for her battered brother.

Without opening her mouth, she spoke in a low whisper. Still, everyone present was able to hear her clearly. “This is your last chance to join us willingly.”

Their resolves didn’t falter. They weren’t going to give up, and Grimjack saw it. “Very well.”

The former farm pony dashed towards her brother, with speeds not as great as the Stalker’s, but still far beyond anything which any normal equine should ever have any right to exhibit. Unlike the Stalker, however, she would crumble and upturn the ground under her hooves.

She reached him within a couple heartbeats. The world seemed to slow down as she reached inches away from her target, about to strike diagonally from his upper left.

(2:21) The older sibling blocked her strike, the impact resulting in a shockwave that blew away the dust around them. He saw it coming. He had time to brace himself and draw whatever magical resources he had at his disposal, which was the only reason why he was still standing. He didn't have any specialized training, but like most earth ponies, as well as like the mythical Antaeus, he gained a subtle boost which he unconsciously tapped into in this time of need.

Now, if ever, he needed to live up to his name. So he imagined himself to be as big as a mountain. It was barely enough.

“Damn it, girl! Snap out of it! I don’t wan tah fight you!”

The only response he received was another strike, this one somehow harder than the first one. He grit his teeth upon blocking, skipping a few paces away.

“Applejack! This isn’t you! You have t-”

She cut him off. “You’re right. This ain’t Applejack. This is someone else. Someone better, without fear or regret.” She walked closer. “I only wan ta do the same for you, if only you’d let me. But you won’t, will you? You will struggle and fight for your preferred version of me.”

(2:35) She was cut off by a hoof strike right in the kisser, although she only offered an inch in response. The voids she had for eyes only offering for faltering surprise, before returning to her cold, impassive state. The previous bout of infuriating nonsense, together with his inability to reach out to his younger sister, only prompted despair in her brother. He leaned his hoof into her cheek with all he had, “If yer not her, then what’s keeping me from beating ya into a heap?”

She stared at him, lethargically, unimpressed for a while, intent on treating the discomfort with disinterest. On driving home that he couldn't beat her, no matter how much he wanted, no, he needed to. She then answered in kind, “How about this?”

(2:49) Before he knew it, she was punching him relentlessly all over, like a wide-spread jackhammer, terminating with a haymaker to his own cheek.

It felt like he’d chipped a tooth and broke a rib. Possibly two ribs. He couldn't determine that until after he stopped skipping off the ground though. He took a few stubborn breaths to adapt to his new pains, got up, shook his head and spit half a tooth out. It wasn't looking good for him... it was clear that there was no way he was going to win, save for some kind of miracle. But he couldn't give up. Even if there really was nothing he could do, he couldn't give up. He couldn't fail!

He steeled himself and jumped back in to deliver the last piece of fight he had in him. A regular charge, Applejack smacked him away easily. He actually had the chance to surprise her however, using the momentum to turn around and buck her in the chest. The younger sibling was as solid as a steel wall, but she still got pushed a few feet away. A small victory, but a pointless one. Applejack decided she had enough of dragging this along, and Mac recognized it. Every fiber of his being demanded he move, do something to save his sister, but... he couldn't fight his own sister any more.

(3:07) All he could do was stare her down as she rushed him for a final strike. He closed his eyes, then welcomed unconsciousness, praying to whatever gods there were that the Doctor would figure something out where he couldn't.

When the dust settled, Big Mac was unconscious at Grimjack’s hooves. She pulled him over her back and carried him over to the other two.

Ditzy’s mouth was left agape during most of what happened, now she dropped her head in fear as Applejack approached. Beside her, the Doctor had a dark look to him that, for a moment, seemed to have actually made the former farmer flinch.

She grit her teeth and got over it.

The farmer dropped her limp brother in front of them, where Climber started entangling him and forming an eggshell around him, leaving the two behind in the process.

Ditzy and the Doctor were no longer held as tightly as before. They had access to some degree of motion, but that was the extent of it. Finally being able to move, Ditzy slumped on her haunches, in an attempt to become as small and hard to see as possible.

The Doctor didn’t look away for the longest time, even after Applejack had taken a break from their stare-down.

Despite herself, Ditzy couldn’t help but try to confront Applejack, looking to understand what was happening around her.

“Why would you do this? He’s your brother! What could you possibly have to gain from any of this!?”

The dark mare regarded her earnestly with her hollow eyes. Nothing to hide at all. “Ah’m not gonna say Ah’m proud of what Ah did. All Ah’m gonna say is that it was fer the best.”

“Stop.”

One single word. The Doctor’s remark set the tension overhead, like a lead blanket.

“Just let me get this part out of the way. We’re going to argue that what you did was terrible, and that you should be ashamed of yourself. You’re going to insist that whatever the reason you’re doing this is a good one. It may even be a noble one.”

She didn’t object.

“…But honestly? You could be working to save lives, for all I care. The fact in the matter remains, that you’ve gone about achieving your goals through petty violence and manipulating others. That, I cannot abide.”

“Ah assume you’re tryin’ to address Nightmare?”

“I don’t know. Is that the name of whoever did this to you?”

The tone of her voice certainly was strange. As if the real Applejack was somehow being smothered, drunk on some external influence.
The Doctor didn’t know the extent of what was going on, neither did he need to know. She wasn’t being herself. Most likely since last night, when whoever this Nightmare is did whatever he did.

Finally, the Doctor was in no position to offer an ultimatum at the moment, however he didn’t need to do any such thing either way. It was clear from his posture and demeanor, despite the constant tugging of the vines around him, that he wasn’t going to relent no matter what.

“Either way, if this Nightmare’s listening, I’d like him to know one thing.”

“What would that be?”

“That whatever he has planned, he’s not going to succeed.”

“Bold words, Doc. Ah’m guessin’ you’re plannin’ on stopping us? All of us? Not only Nightmare, but me an’ mah friends s'well?”

“Yep.”

“Just the two of you?”

“Eyup.”

It seemed odd, almost unnatural, but she managed a smile out of surprise and admiration. “Ah said it already, an’ Ah’ll say it again. Ah honestly didn’t think you had it in ya. Ah certainly didn’t guess yah’d have this much spine a couple days ago."

Her smile faltered, and she walked over to a few inches in front of him. "Yah’ve seen what Ah’ve done to Big Mac, haven’t ya? Jus’ consider this much. Ah’ve been holding back. Imagine what Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in Equestria can do now. Let alone Twilight.”

He didn’t seem too impressed. "Yeah, I noticed as much from your fight. Specifically when you let him tire himself out by punching you, without even so much as blocking his blows.”

Then, she started to laugh. A sinister laugh if there ever was one. Ditzy felt a chill run down her spine every time Applejack shook in glee, walking around the Doctor, towards her.

Halfway through her manic shakes, a second voice started to accompany hers. A male one. A very unnerving, demanding, raspy one that seemed to make the very act of laughing so very cold.

That voice spoke out in a tone as uncaring as despair itself. “We’ll see how long your determination lasts you.”