Apple Picking

Chapter 1

A New Place

I woke with a start. It was some sort of dream but I couldn’t remember. Everything was very white and there were voices.  Remembering what they said would be too much of an effort, and reading into a dream that much could hurt. So I stopped caring. Where I was though, that was worth my attention.

“Seriously? Uncle why did you… I mean… I know we’ve had our differences, but a forest, that’s low even for you.” The middle of a forest.  I couldn’t believe uncle would do something like that. He was an ass most of the time, but I learned how to deal with that easily enough. This was new. To move a sleeping person, a relative no less, into an unknown wooded area. It’s just not right.“Oh when I find the house you’re in for one hell of an argument.”  With vigor I got to my feet, only to fall on my face. “Dammit, that hurt.”  I went to pick myself off the ground but I didn’t feel my hands moving or my feet. “That can’t be good.”  Rolling over on my back, I looked for the problem. With that I discovered something new, and possibly, dangerous to my mental health.

“Hooves? Hooves? Why do I have hooves?” I was hoping this was some sort of joke or a concussion from the fall. Shaking, I moved what I thought to be my hand, but the hoof followed the order. “I’m delusional I can’t be a…oh…Oh my.” I saw the rest of my body, noticing its certain equine features. Most of it covered by my clothes. My heart was racing, my ears were thumping and my face felt like it was on fire. I was in panic mode. Wild screams left my mouth,I was thrashing violently,and the whole scene was something out of an exorcist movie. This went on for a few minutes, only stopping to catch my breath for another wave of screams. Everything was a blur and I passed out from the insanity of the situation.

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I woke again. It was later than before, I judged it was about 6:30 at night. “When did it become ni…? Right, I must’ve passed out from that episode.”Remembering what happened was scary and I looked once again at my body. The clothes covering me were small and my pants were nowhere to be seen. With grim thoughts as to who took my pants, I rolled over and used a new tactic.I tried getting up again but this time using all fours, and it came with ease.  Standing, I looked back at myself again, I found that my eyes didn’t betrayed me. “At least I ain’t some sort of monster.” I said “But it will be a few months before I get over this.”

My surroundings looked nothing like the Wisconsin woods, more like a southern swamp but hold the water. It was really eerie, and a strange fog was clinging to the ground. Creaking noises could be heard from the trees, everything screamed spooky. I wasn’t having any of it. “Yeah this place isn’t creepy at all.” I rolled my eyes. “It looks like some child’s nightmare version of a forest, all of these hues of green and brown, it has to be fake.  Then again, I am a horse thing now so I shouldn’t be surprised.” I chuckled slightly at the thought. ‘A horse thing yeah that’s a good name for me.’

I was still in a predicament. I didn’t know how to walk like a horse. It seemed like as good of a time as ever to learn though. “Baby steps now, just take it slow.” Sometime later, I got the movements down well enough. My abilities to start again from a nonmoving position however, those still needed to have their kinks worked out. So I kept moving in a small circle. “Alright, problem number two, how to get out of this forest? Let’s see.” My eyes wandered to the sky and what I saw was amazing. A very bright moon and a galaxy full of stars. “Oh wow, and I thought the woods in Wisconsin were far enough away from civilization to see the stars. This, it’s something else.”  It may have been a pretty sight but I should have been focusing on where I was walking. “So coo-OH SHIT!”

Down on my face for the second time today, but it was a rock to blame. I grumbled and got back to my feet, err, hooves. There was sure to be some swelling later but it didn’t matter, I still had to find my way out of this forest. “Okay let’s see, its night so following the sun isn’t an option. There isn’t a stream nearby here so that is out of the question. It’s almost winter so the mountains aren’t a good idea.  Keep walking this way I guess, I’m bound to find something.”

It took a few hours of walking but I did find something. “Yes, a path!” It was a sign but not a good one though. “Thing is, where does it lead and which way do I go?” The first question I couldn’t answer, not for sure at least. The other could be decided by a coin toss. “So, which way to grandma’s house?” I couldn’t decide and it was really late. I was tired from walking and the mental breakdown I had earlier. I needed to find a place to sleep in relative safety, though in this forest nowhere is safe.

“Maybe a tree will find me and keep me company.” I look to my left. “Oh hey I didn’t see you there, mind if I sleep under you?” The tree says nothing as it is a tree. “No objection?” Not a word was spoken. “Great! Thanks so much you have no idea what this means.” I looked for a comfy nook in the roots of the tree, and one seemed to call out to me. “Ah this will do just fine.” I sat down, squirming to find the right spot. “Come. Ugh. On. Err. Ah, that’s the stuff.” It wasn’t the Hilton but it would have to do. I took a look up at my savior thanking him one more time before I drifted off to a deep sleep.

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“Wow this is awesome! Why can’t everyday be like this?” Higher and higher, it was a rush. Clouds passed me by. Only the open sky was ahead and I was climbing further into the blue.

A lone cloud was the only thing left in my view and headed right to it. Landing and yet not falling through, I sat down perched on my view above the world. The landscape was amazing, hues of orange and pink stretched across the sky. Dark greens covered the land below. Mountains piercing the sky, casting dark shadows.

An easel awaited me on the cloud, already set up with canvas. I headed over pulling out my color palette and brush. The painting came to life as I painted. Beautiful colors crossed the canvas the brush creating the picture. It ended up exactly how I saw it.

The colors started to run. The picture deformed and massed into one giant blob of black. A pair crimson eyes opened, a toothy smile soon followed. “You’re worthless you know? Come up here to paint a picture, it is very quaint.”

“W-What do you want. I don’t owe you anything anymore, we had a deal!” “Oh you thought I kept to my promises? Think again pal, because I have plans for the both of us.” “No you listen to me! We already settled our dispute, why can’t you leave me alone?” “Because, I can’t let you have all the fun. We are done here goodbye.”

I was falling after it muttered those last words. The ground was ever present and it wanted me. I couldn’t help but look. I was accepting my fate all that has come will no longer matter.

It was time.

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A gasp of air left me, and I was wide awake. My eyes darted from left to right, hoping for signs of safety. They were met with a dark forest. I couldn’t tell if it was day yet but I felt well rested, despite the dream. So I could only guess it was before dawn. Wanting out of that forest as soon as possible I went to get up, only to find I was stuck. “Oh you have got to be kidding. I’m not in the mood tree.” A tug here a pull there,and soon only my back leg was stuck. “Listen I know you don’t get much company, but you’re acting like an overly attached girlfriend. Now if you don’t mind.” One more pull and I was free. “Thank you, I best be off now.”

With that I came back to my position I was in last night. “Right well I could go left,” Looking left I saw a much darker jungle and vines everywhere. “Or I could go right.” To the right was a lit path though it looked untraveled. “That wasn’t there before, that could mean civilization though.” I was at odds with myself, a way to town or a way to death. Against my better judgement I headed to left ,remembering a small passage.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” With those words I became engulfed in a mass of vines and a dark abyss, and my journey began again.

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The forest was unforgiving. I had been attack by wolves made of wood, lion things with scorpion tails,  and the flora itself. I was able to escape most of it, but the plants did the most damage. My clothes were with small tears here and there, but a giant gash was on the back of my jacket. That lion thing got a bit too close and was able to take a swing at me with it’s tail. I was saved thanks to the jacket, but now it was ruined. Damn good jacket too, hopefully I could get it repaired.

I took a brief respite near a small pond, drinking it’s contents greedily. After all that has happened, the cold water felt refreshing. Due to my imbalance I teetered a few times ,but never falling. I was getting better at being 4-legged. As soon as I finished I let out a quick sigh. “Damn. Water never tasted better. Back to the road I suppose.” I walked back to where the path was and started walking again. This wasn’t a journey filled with much excitement, more or less. The demeanor I had soon left me, and my walk soon became a slight jog. The things in the forest could surprise at any moment, and I wasn’t about to find out what was waiting.

The light at the end of the tunnel, or rather the forest, could now be seen. At first I dismissed it as a lightning bug. It didn’t leave and it only grew brighter as I moved along. Now it had my attention and it was begging me to come closer. My pace quickened until I was at a full blown sprint, instincts having taken over. The light became a giant sun and I was Icarus, I had to close my eyes due to how bright it was. I didn’t stop until the warmth of the sun hit me.

My eyes creaked slightly and I was slowly adjusting to the difference in light. That forest was too dark for it’s own good. I never wanted to go back again. Not even if it turned into Candyland. I returned from my thoughts to beautiful place. Sparse white clouds hung high above the land, green grass was growing everywhere. A picture I would have loved to paint if I had my hands. It was, and still is, too beautiful to put into words. The sun was high in the sky and I felt a renewed sense of vigor rise up.

“I have to be dreaming this is too good to be true.” Looking back I notice the dark forest that I came from. I shudder, that place has something wrong about it and I didn’t want to find out. Walking away seemed like the best idea at the time. So I threw direction to the wind and started walking once more looking for a spot to take a quick nap.

Judging from the sun and shadows, it was about 11-ish and lunch would have to wait. Napping sounded so much better than food and I wasn’t about to let that feeling leave me. I soon found a tree, much prettier than the one in the forest. “Sorry guy but you have been replaced. You, my man, are now my new favorite.” Another nook was found and I found myself off to a dreamless sleep.

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"Scoots, ah don't know about this." What now, all I wanted was a nap, can't I have that much?

"Don't worry AppleBloom, it's only a sleeping stallion,what can he do to us?" Maybe if I pretend they're not here, they'll leave.

"I guess you're right, but yah hav’ta wake him up." No, please leave me alone, I just want to sleep.

What came next was close to the worst experience I've had in the past two days.

"WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUP!" It was loud, very loud, but I could handle loud. The jumping, that’s something else.

"Alright! I'm up! Just stop jumping please."I was in no mood to deal with this, but I had no choice. I sat up and opened my eyes, and was greeted by three technicolor ponies.  I couldn't believe my eyes, I wasn't the only one.

"Hello, are you okay?" The orange one was waving it's hoof in front of my face. I shook my head.

"Yeah I'm fine just tired is all, what did you want?" The three ponies converse in a small circle, taking quick glances back at me. After about ten seconds, they return, the yellow one taking the lead.

"Well we were wonderin' what yah were doin' out 'ere, and why it looks like yah were mauled." I looked over myself,now in the light of the sun. My clothes looked like I came from a knife fight and dirt covered ninety-five percent of my body. My gaze returned to the three. All on the edge of their seats, so to say.

"Well I'm out here because I woke up inside of a forest a few miles back, and you're right. I was almost mauled by this lion looking thing and a bunch of wood wolves. So I wanted to rest, which you three disturbed." Their faces contorted with different expressions. First confusion, then awe. They pawed the ground with their hooves at the last part.

"Sorry, we didn't know." Aww, dude that is sad, but adorable,but sad. I gotta say something to fix this.

"Its okay though, I needed to get up anyways, no harm done." They looked back up to me and I smiled. No point in making enemies if I don't know where, or what, I am.

"Wait, you came from a forest? You mean..." Orange's voice drifted off and her face looked worried.

"You mean Everfree?" The white one spoke up. I had no idea what Everfree was but it sounded like they knew the place was dangerous. I should tell them, but would they see me differently than they do?

"We'll if you say it like that, then probably. I don't know what it's called but it was pretty dangerous.Made it out alive and I would never go back there, even if it was made of gold." They all looked at me, mouths agape, like I just told them it was Christmas. Orange spoke, almost yelling."THAT'S SO AWESOME.You must’ve been fighting like you were a judo master. HIYAH!” Orange goes into a “Bruce Lee” moment. Grey strolled up to me. “ Weren't you scared though?"

"Of course I was but it wasn't too bad, I had to stay tough so I could get out alive. What's your name kid?"

“Sweetie Belle, that's AppleBloom and Scootaloo." She said pointing to the other two. Weird names but I’m not going to say anything. Guess I should use a different name. Nah I'll just use my middle name.

"Cool name kid, names Macray." I held out my hoof , hoping she knew the gesture. I was rather surprised when I was tackled by the group. Questions were buzzing all around and I had to stop the nonsense.

"EVERYONE OFF, NOW!" They all jumped off faster than lightning, and looked at me with fear in their eyes. The situation needed to be diffused, fast.

"Look I don't like having to yell but I had to stop the questions. I have a feeling I'll be telling this story ,and who I am, more than once. So I'm gonna wait off on that, but you all will be told." Fear dissipated and formed into curiosity. AppleBloom spoke up.

"Well if yah say so, guess we should head back tah town. Yah comin’ with Ray?" I chuckled.

"It's better than staying out here and lost for the rest of the day. Seeing as it is almost noon, and my lunch isn’t out here.” The three laughed at that. I got up headed off with the kids and couldn’t wait to see what this place had to offer.