lost hearts

Chapter one changeling menace

   The sun's heat beat down on Big Macintosh as he plowed the fields southern fields of Sweet Apple Acres. As he finished the field he took time to stand back and admire his three hours of hard labor, and as he did so he noticed something wrong with one of the younger tree. When he got closer to the tree he noticed small hoof marks that had been imprinted on the trees soft bark. Big Macintosh let out a deep sigh as he set of to find the culprits responsible for the damage done to the farm.

  Has he headed into the fields he saw increasingly more damage to the trees. With every damaged tree he passed Big Macintosh could fell his anger beginning to boil. "Darn it Apple Bloom." He muttered under his breath has he picked up spread now in a full on sprint. "I knew ya couldn't handle this, but Applejack insisted that ya needed to learn how to work the farm." He smirked to himself has thought crept into his mind. "Well, since it was her idea she'll pay for every broken branch, every hoof Mark, and even those three gashes on that tree over there."

He stopped dead in his tracks when he thought about what he had just said. He slowly turned and walked up to the tree. With every step he took towards the tree the marks became even more visible. They were deep enough to penetrate the soft wood underneath the tree's bark. The tree's sap leeked out of it forming a small puddle at the tree's basin. He began to look for clues around the tree for what did this. As he looked he found something that made his heart skip a beat, small hoof prints about the size of Apple Bloom 's hooves. He immediately jumped onto his hooves and run has fast as he could through the orchard desperately looking for his little sister. Has he approached the family barn he could see Apple Bloom and her friends the Cutie Mark Crusaders giving there all to buck a couple of apples out of a tree.

"Applebloom!" Big Mac called as he ran forward and scooping Apple Bloom into a very tight hug.

"Apple Bloom are ya all right" Big Mac asked as the other two crusaders bucked the tree causing a single apple fall down and hit Sweetie Belle on the head.

"What hay Big Mac of course I'm fine, and why are you hugging me so tight?" Apple Bloom said as she struggled to pull herself free.

"I was thinking that y'all was endanger from some wild animal that was chasin ya" Big Mac said has looked her over to see if she was hurt. "There's nothing chasin us except you Big Mac, so there's no reason ta worry ok"  Apple Bloom said as she tried to calm down her big brother "Well that's good ta hear, but you still have ta explain why you and your friends where bucking the saplings" upon hearing this Apple Bloom whipped around and looked at her older brother in complete shock.

"Now don't look at me like that I know it was ya three cause there ain't no one else on the farm that could do it"

"What do mean" tears filling her eyes as she spook, "ya know we would never would do that or that I would ever let that happen, ain't that right guys"  she said as she turned around to look at her friends. She saw Sweetie Belle had been knocked out by an apple that had fallen from the tree and that Scootaloo staring in a completely different direction in the orchard.

"Scoots what are ya staring at" Apple Bloom asked as she went over to check on Sweetie Belle.

When Scootaloo did not answer her Apple Bloom looked up at her to see what she was looking at in the orchard. As Apple Bloom followed her gaze till she saw a black figure with large blue eyes staring straight back at her. It's head tilted to one side as it stared at them with its seemingly soulless eyes. It slowly began to walk towards them as a sly grin slid across its face.

"Big Mac what is that?" Apple Bloom screamed in panic as it moved even closer to them.  Scootaloo could fell her panic welling up inside her and all she could think to do was to run away. The creature began to pick up speed in till it came to a gallop heading straight for them. When Scootaloo saw this she screamed and ran as fast as she could to the barn. Which only encouraged the beast to run faster heading straight towards Apple Bloom. With in few seconds the creature had begun to close the distance between it and Apple Bloom.

  When the creature was with in about foot of her it pounced on her knocking her to the ground. Apple Bloom immediately put her hooves up to prevent the creature from biting her. As it snapped at her Applebloom could see it's sharp menacing fangs dripping with drool. She could feel it's breath against her fur as it let a ear splitting screech that made her heart skip a beat. Just as Apple Bloom thought it was the end of her a large hoof swooped down and hit the creature square on the chest sending it flying through the air. Apple Bloom turned to see her big brother standing over as he stared down the creature. The creature jumped back on to its hooves and hissed at Big Mac before running back in to the Apple orchard.

" Big Mac what was that thing?"Apple Bloom asked as she got back on her hooves.Big Mac thought for a moment before he  answered "I don't now but ah do now we gotta get you and your friend Sweetie Belle ta the hospital ta see if ya'll are all right."

"That sounds like a good idea " Apple Bloom said wanting to any excuse to get away from here as walked over to pick up Sweetie Belle when Big Mac stopped her. "I'll get her you go get Scootaloo out of the barn ok"

"Ok" Apple Bloom went over to the barn to get Scootaloo as Big Mac picked up Sweetie Belle and carried her over to other two crusaders.

"Are you sure that things is gone Apple Bloom, I mean not that I'm scared or anything" Scootaloo asked as she peered her head out of the barn door.

"Yay I'm sure Big Macintosh scared it away and now we're gonna head to the hospital to see if me and Sweetie are ok"

"Oh ok do think I could come you now in case you need a brave pony like me to protect you" Scootaloo lied through teeth as she tried to make it seem as though she wasn't scared, when the truth was that she was terrified of this unknown monster that might come back at any moment. Apple Bloom of course saw through this act, but decided that a real friend would agree with it.

"Okay thanks Scoot" And with that the two fillies followed Big Macintosh as he carried Sweetie Belle to the hospital. As they walked they knew that in every tree they passed the creature could jump out and attack them, but unannounced to them the creature had left in confusion on how it had failed in it's mission.