Warmth . . . I could feel warmth surrounding my entire being, as it seemed to cradle me. I could feel the warm rays of the sun shining down on me as I tried to rouse myself, but found that I couldn't move. My eyes opened slowly and I stared up blankly at . . . a ceiling. What the hell was a ceiling doing above me? I remember collapsing in the orchard after the fight . . . so why am I here? I looked around the room I found myself in, noticing that it somehow seemed familiar. I tried to rise up once more, my plan to get a better idea of my situation, however I was still unable to move. I looked down at my body and froze, a mix of shock and confusion taking hold of me, as I saw several straps in place to hold me still. Why the hell was I here? Why was I strapped to this bed? How in the name of Celestia did I even get here? My mind raced, thoughts of the worst possibilities filling my head, and my heart pounded within my chest. I didn't like this . . . this restraint. I had to get free, I had to somehow slip free of these bonds. I struggled and tried to wriggle out from beneath them, only to have them feel as if they tightened with each movement. Please . . . please somepony get me out of these things.

I was on the verge of tears when my heart stopped, and my eyes turned their focus to the door of the room. I could hear hoofsteps drawing near, along with a soft hum that steadily grew louder. I could feel my heart start to pound once more, and swallowed hard as I anticipated who, or what, would soon be in this room with me. Until this unknown being arrived, however, I would try to get a better idea of where I was . . . but first I had to calm down. As I looked around I was filled with a sense of nostalgia, almost like I had been here before. Despite that I still couldn't shake the unease I felt, the foreboding sense of dread that slowly spread throughout my body. The hoofsteps continued to draw nearer and just as I was about to put forth another attempt to free myself, I caught sight of a small picture frame. My eyes focused on the frame and the photograph within, and I finally realized why this place felt so familiar. I was inside the Apple family home . . . but that still didn't answer why I was restrained, or any of my other questions.

The hoofsteps I had heard earlier came to a stop just outside of the room. I stared at the door as my body tensed, and tried my best to push back the unease that gripped me. The door opened slowly and I held my breath in anticipation, waiting to see who was responsible for my current situation. A slender earth pony mare stepped through the door, her red mane, and pale olive coat ragged . . . unkempt with a bow. “Apple Bloom! You're alive!” I shouted as soon as I saw her. There was no mistaking it, despite everything I believed to be true, there stood Apple Bloom. The bit of happiness I felt was quickly replaced with guilt, as I found myself thinking about all that Apple Bloom must have been through. She lost her entire family, her home, her very way of life . . . all of that she had to face alone.

“Of course I'm alive, silly. Why wouldn't I be?” She continued to smile as she spoke, making her way to the bedside. “Now what in tarnation made you think I'd be dead?”

“I . . . I Thought everypony in Ponyville was dead. I mean . . . I watched those Diamond Dogs kill so many ponies, I never would have imagined you survived.” I couldn't find any other words than those, retreating back into my thoughts after I spoke. Had she been here this whole time, waiting out some never ending storm? She had undoubtedly believed, just as Braeburn had, that AJ would return . . . that the elements would be victorious. So she sat here, hiding, waiting for a reality that would never exist. Suddenly I pulled myself away from those thoughts, forcing my mind back to the present. “Why do you have me tied down?” Apple Bloom just sat at the bedside, her smile ever present, as she listened to me intently. She finally moved, standing and turning from me, as I asked her about the straps holding me down.

She walked to the far corner of the room, stopping as she stared at the photo I'd noticed earlier. That's when I swore I heard her whisper faintly under her breath, just quiet enough for her words to elude me. It was then that I looked her over more carefully, taking note to how she'd grown over the years. I bet AJ would have been happy to see her sister alive, to see how she's grown. Last time they met she was barely half our size and now, as I looked at her, it was easy to see she was just as tall. Despite that she looked thin and frail, as if she hadn't had a decent meal in ages. I was so caught up in my thoughts of AJ and Apple Bloom, that I didn't even notice the later had now turned to face me again.

“Rainbow Dash I found you in the orchard, nearly dead, and brought you back here. I'm guessing that big ol’ diamond dog was what did it to ya, but he looked a lot worse for wear.” She moved back to the bedside and sat back on her haunches, moving a forehoof to one of the straps. “When I got you here we tried to figure out what to do with you, and finally we decided to put you in here. Now you were pretty messed up, keep that in mind, so we reckoned it was best to restrain you. That way you couldn't move around and hurt yourself.”

“Apple Bloom . . . who is 'we’?” I asked after she spoke, trying to fully grasp everything.

"You sure are acting strange,” she said with a chuckle. “I mean who else could we be? I'm talking bout the rest of my family. AJ was worried sick about you, I could tell. She kept coming in and checking on you every few minutes.”

I stared at Apple Bloom, completely silent, as I thought over her words carefully. She said her family was here . . . the family that I knew were dead, hell I had buried them. The only survivor was AJ and she was in Van Hoover, no where near us. Apple Bloom believed she was here, that her entire family was here and alive. I suddenly felt the need to be free of my restraints grow, as more and more questions emerged from the depths of my consciousness. “Apple Bloom can you take these things off me? I'd like to go and thank the others.”

Apple Bloom’s smile quickly faded as she took a tight hold of the strap across my chest, tightening it until I felt my chest heave against its bind. “You haven't healed up yet Dash, so I can't let you out of bed,” She moved to the next strap and tightened it as well, as she spoke, causing a small pain to shoot up my injured hind leg. “Granny will give me a whooping if I don't take proper care of you.”

“Apple Bloom stop!” I shouted as I tried get her to listen. “I don't know what Granny told you, but it'll be alright to set me free. You'll even be taking better care of me if you do.” My words fell on deaf ears as she continued tightening the straps, until they were all satisfactory to her.

“Sorry Rainbow, but I ain't going against Granny. She really knows how to be a mean one when I don't listen, and I'd rather avoid getting yelled at.”

“The hell do you mean? Granny would never yell at you. I'm sure you're just over exaggerating . . . “ I trailed off when I noticed the look she gave me, and the vacancy in her eyes. Those eyes of hers, once filled with youth and passion, now we're like voids of darkness. They didn’t shine or sparkle, but instead reflected my very soul back at me. This young mare was gazing into my very being, judging my every word, and weighing its merit . . . it's worth. Why did she look at me in such a way? It was as if I was suddenly no more than a stranger, who said something she didn't wanna hear. I was almost frightened by her gaze as I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“Are you saying you know what Granny Smith wants? You claiming to know what she told me herself, Rainbow? Or maybe you're trying to say I'm crazy, is that it?” She suddenly slammed her hoof down on my injured leg, a cry of pain escaping me after. “You can't know what Granny wants . . . only I can. She doesn't even tell Big Mac, or Applejack, what she wants. That's because I'm the only one she trusts.” Her hoof twisted against my leg, as my body began to ache and I felt pain filled tears begin to form.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please forgive me. I wasn't trying to speak for Granny Smith.”

Her smile slowly returned as I frantically apologized and she was suddenly back to her old self. “I'm gonna take real good care of you, Rainbow Dash, so don't worry. You'll be right as rain in no time.” She stood up and stepped back before giggling, covering her mouth with a forehoof as she did. “Just remember to be a good house guest and we won't have any problems, understand?”

I nodded my head and swallowed before replying, my mind racing in thought. “Y-yes . . . I understand.”

“Good!” She replied with an overabundance of excitement. “Then I'm gonna go get supper ready. Everypony else is starving and I’m sure you are as well. Now don't be going off no where, cause I'd hate to have to come looking for ya.” With that she turned and quickly made her way out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

After I heard the door shut and Apple Bloom head down the hall, my first thought was freedom. I had to get out of this mess, to get away and forget what just happened. She's nothing like that little pony you have in your memories. I'm not even sure that is the pony you remember. I heard the darkness call out suddenly and gritted my teeth in frustration. In fact I think she's more like you, in a sense. She's broken and clinging to memories, lost within a self burdened weakness, as she slowly loses touch with reality.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” I mumbled as I continued to struggle, in vain, against my restraints. “The last thing I need is you chiming in with your idiocy.”

My idiocy? Well if that's how you choose to take my council, then so be it. I suppose I'll just stay quiet and let you face this trial alone. Wonder how long it'll take you to break.

“Your council? I don't know if you actually pay attention to the shit you say, but it's most certainly not any council.” There was no reply after I spoke, just silence that slowly regained its hold over the room I was in. No hoofsteps, no darkness, only the beating of my heart and worried breaths.

I couldn't control the thoughts that ran through my mind, as I tried to make sense of all this. Apple Bloom had saved me, in a sense, but now she had me tied down at the request of a dead pony. None of this made any sense to me, and I had this foreboding sense of dread still swallowing my entirety. I tried to calm myself, pushing aside all the chaos within my head, and think of a way out. I was beginning to feel panic take hold as I continued my pointless struggle for freedom, finally deciding the straps wouldn't budge. I wonder what AJ, or Trixie, or Redheart would do in this situation? I wonder if any of them would have even gotten themselves into this mess? It's pointless to try and think about things like that, when the truth is . . . I'm stuck in this mess by myself. I sighed as I had these thoughts cross my mind and soon found that those three, the three I had abandoned, were all that I could think about. Why had I run away? Did I really fear my own darkness so much, or did I fear becoming close to them? It took all that I had not to break down into tears, thinking about the precious moments I'd spent with them. I was quickly ripped from those thoughts when I heard the door open once more, and soon after Apple Bloom appeared carrying a tray on her back. The smile she had earlier still graced her face, though it seemed a bit twisted, as she walked to the bedside.

“I hope you're hungry, Rainbow Dash, I worked really hard on fixing up this stew,” she said through her smile as she sat the tray on the bedside table. “Granny and the others thought it was great, so I hope you'll think the same.”

I was about to reply and try to reason with Apple Bloom to release me again, but then I was overcome by the scent of her stew. It was putrid and fetid, causing my stomach to turn as I fought the urge to gag. “The hell is in that?” I asked as I turned my head from it, trying to find even a small breath of fresh air.

Apple Bloom’s smile slowly faded and I turned back to see her pick up the spoon she'd brought, dipping it into the viscous bowl of broth. “Now, now, Rainbow . . . there's no need to be rude. My family thought this was good enough for them, so it's plenty good enough for you.”

I didn't have a chance to reply, to protest, or voice any thought I may have had about Apple Bloom’s words. Suddenly she slammed a hoof down on my injured leg, causing a loud shout to escape me, and I felt the spoon she held jam into my mouth. The pungent aroma of the stew overtook my senses as she force fed me, and then her hooves clamped down on my muzzle until I swallowed. I could feel the vile substance make its way down my throat, causing my body to convulse, as I desperately tried to break free of Apple Bloom’s hooves to spit it back up.

“Don't even think of getting sick, you shouldn't waste the kindness of others . . . and if you do I'll just have to shove it back down your throat by force.” She said in a crazed whisper as she released my muzzle and began stroking my mane. “Why do you keep making me hurt you, Dash, I just want to help you. I mean you think everypony is dead, so something has to be wrong with you.”

“They are dead!” I shouted back in reply, my patience running thin. “They're all dead, every pony in Ponyville is dead! I know because I buried them!” Apple Bloom fell deathly silent, her eyes turned down to gaze at the floor, as I shouted at her. I even felt bad afterwards . . . until she raised her head back up and glared at me, a sinister grin on her face. I was shocked by the sight, finding myself suddenly envisioning my dark half and that damn smile of hers.

“I'm gonna hurt you, Rainbow Dash.” She said after a moment. “I'm gonna hurt you, until you're free of these thoughts. I'll cure you with the only truth that exists . . . pain.”

“What the bu- “ I started to shout in protest, only to have Apple Bloom quickly grab the bowl of stew and slam it down onto my muzzle. My entire being was assaulted by the stench and foul odor of the stew, while I choked on it.

“Make sure you eat it all, Dashie,” she said as she laughed, watching me struggle with some kind of joy.

I continued to fight for air, finally turning my head enough to shake the bowl from my muzzle. This whole situation was more than I could handle, as I laid there at the mercy of a pony who was once Apple bloom. What bothered me the most though was what she called me . . . Dashie. Of course it wasn't anything I hadn't been called before, but it was usually my darkness that reserved that name for me. The longer this all went on the more I was convinced Apple Bloom had lost all her sanity, and I was almost certain she held a darkness in her, just as I did. She must have surrendered to her darkness, to the voice that Clawed at her mind . . . would I suffer the same fate? Between my thoughts and coughing up that abomination called stew, I didn't even notice the twisted sense of joy displayed in Apple Bloom's smile. Not until I found her hooves wrapped around my throat.

“Why are you even here!?” She shouted as she bared all her weight down on me, her hooves trying to squeeze the very life from my lungs, as she straddled my body. “You're not real! Applejack told me you're not real, you bucking changeling!”

I tried to say something, anything, but I couldn't even manage a single word. I tried all that I could, struggling with everything in me, as I felt my lungs burn for air. Was this how I was gonna die, at the hooves of Apple Bloom? No . . . I can't allow this to happen. I can't let her end my journey, not after all I've done, after all I've seen and slaughtered. Would I have to add Apple Bloom to that list, could I add her to that list? I was close to blacking out, when I realized my forehooves were slipping free of their binding. I strained to cast my gaze down, seeing my forehooves drenched in the stew I'd been forcibly fed and covered in. With what strength I could muster I pulled one of my forehooves free and quickly used it to bash Apple Bloom in the side of the head, sending her toppling from atop me. I made quick work of the straps, first freeing my other forehoof and then the rest of my body. I rolled off the bed and winced as my injured leg made contact with the floor, forcing me to shift my weight.

“I was, I mean AJ was, right about you! The real Rainbow Dash would never have hit me!” Apple Bloom shouted as she climbed back to her hooves. “I've gotta get rid of you before you can hurt the others!” Apple Bloom rushed me and I quickly sent her rolling back across the floor, causing her to slam into the dresser in the rooms corner. The photo from earlier fell from the dresser and slammed onto the ground, the sound of shattering glass ringing out. She went silent as we stared at each other, before turning and retrieving the photo. She examined it as she held it and offered me a quick glance, when she suddenly left the room without another word.

“What in the actual buck just happened? I mean for the love of Celestia, am I in some kind of nightmare? Surely Apple Bloom isn't this messed up.” I said aloud as I stared at the door of the room, the soft echo of hoofsteps moving farther away with each moment.

I think you wish you were in a nightmare, because you realize that this reality . . . is the most nightmarish thing you've come across.

“I thought you were gonna keep your mouth shut.” I replied curtly as I moved towards the door.

Oh I don't plan to say much more than that, well other than this. Somepony has to remind you that this is real, otherwise you'll convince yourself differently.

“Right now I'd rather convince myself of anything other than this, if we're being honest.” I pressed a forehoof against the door and pushed it open, peeking out into the hallway. I was immediately met with the overbearing scent of decay and rotten flesh, as I held back the urge to be sick. The stew had been bad enough and even though it covered me, it was nothing compared to the odor that now attacked my senses. “What . . . dear Celestia what is causing that?” I asked as I stepped out into the hall and slowly crept towards the stairs. The closer I got to the stairs the stronger the odor grew, making my eyes water as I coughed. Suddenly I could hear Apple Bloom's voice, as she carried on a conversation with some unseen partner. After the way things have gone so far, I was more than a bit cautious as I started my descent down the stairs. I wasn't prepared for what I saw once I got to the bottom step, and turned to look into the living room of the Apple house. There Apple Bloom sat on a molded couch, her brother's corpse next to her and Granny’s sitting opposite them in her rocking chair.

Both of their bodies were severely decayed with bone showing through eviscerated, disfigured, coats and scraps of flesh. The smell that permeated from them was horrendous, as festering remnants of organs clung to their rotten bodies or laid at their hooves. Apple Bloom just sat there talking to them, as if they were alive and well, moving Big Mac’s jaw with a hoof as she mimicked his voice. I watched in horror as Mac’s jaw suddenly fell away and landed on the floor, only to have Apple Bloom pick it up. There was a sudden crunch as she forced the jaw back into place, and she smiled as she took away her hoof to make sure it stayed in place.

I backed away slowly, accidentally backing into a small table, causing the various items on it to shake and topple over. I froze and swallowed hard, my eyes focused on Apple Bloom. She was silently facing Granny Smith, still as death, before a small chuckle escaped her. Her head turned slowly, tilting to the side, and soon I was staring at her. There was a large, twisted, horrifying smile that stretched across her face and I could feel fear well inside me. Without a word I suddenly found myself slammed against the wall, Apple Bloom’s muzzle just inches from mine and a knife at my throat.

“I was talking with Granny and Big Mac,” she said before pausing and looking over her shoulder at their bodies. “We all agree that you need,” she paused again and turned back to me, her bottom lip bleeding as she bit down on it with a sick excitement. “Some old fashion Apple family hospitality.”

Well now . . . I wonder what that could mean?