Chapter 3 Apple Family Secret

The rest of the night was uneventful. You made your way back to the library where Twilight resided and told her what you learned from Vinyl. Twilight said that you were welcome to stay with her as long as you want. She told you that her and her friends embody the Elements of Harmony and are committed to bringing peace to the land. You had heard stories about the power the elements wielded and figure it wouldn’t be bad to have them on your side.

“I’ll introduce you to my friends in the morning.” Twilight said.

You figure with nothing else to do you may as well turn in.

The next morning the sun warms your body. You wake up and find Twilight who kindly changes your bandages.
“This wound looks a lot better.” Twilight smiles.

“Well you’re to thank for that” you say. Twilight finishes changing the dressings as you wiggle a bit to work in the stiff bandages. “So I’m to meet your friends.”

“Yep I told them to meet us at Sugarcube corner for breakfast.”

“Sugarcube corner?” you question not having heard of the place.

“You’ll love it!” Twilight giggled “My friend Pinkie Pie runs the place along with Mr. and Mrs. Cake.”

“What do they serve?”

“Mostly sugary treats but they should be able to get us some breakfast muffins. Come on.” Twilight says opening the door and trotting out. “Spike look after the Library while I’m gone.”

“OK Twilight!” you hear from upstairs.

You follow Twilight out her door and into town.

“So 27 days?”

“26 days now.” You say letting her know you were counting.

“Well just please……… be careful”

“Don’t worry about me. Nothing is going to stop me from doing this.”

“Normally I wouldn’t approve of ………killing a pony” Twilight says looking worried.

“It’s not a pony anymore it’s a damn monster.” You say boldly.

Twilight twists her head and looks at you with sad eyes.

“You think differently?” you question.

“I just………I don’t know, I mean maybe, what if they can’t help it what if they don’t mean to be bad. At the core they are ponies.”

You open your mouth to say something but stop yourself. You were going to explode on this mare. How dare she say such things. She doesn’t know what you’ve seen. How you had to stare at your mothers stiff dead body devoid of all she was.

“Well here we are.” Twilight said.

In front of you was a quaint shop that looked like a gingerbread house. It was quite obvious this was the town bakery. A small wooden sign hung from the door welcoming all ‘Sugarcube Corner’ The sign read. Something about this place just radiated with energy and happiness. You place a hoof up to the door and begin to push it open.

“Oh I should probably tell you to watch your wounded side” Twilight says.

You open the door and look at her “Why what do y- OOF” You get tackled by a Pink blur that seemed to shoot out of nowhere. Your vision is blurred with a ringing in your ears. You see a pink figure over you and watch as its mouth moves at lightning speed. Your vision focuses back and sees a pink mare with bright blue eyes and a curly pink mane. The ringing in your ears stops and is faded into a mush of gibberish.

“OHMYGOSHYOUMUSTBENEWAROUNDHERECAUSEINEVERSEENYOUBEFOREANDMY NAME IS PINKIEPIE WHAT’S YOURS?”

You barely manage to catch the tail end of what she said but you know this is Pinkie Pie the mare who runs this place and she asked for your name.

You tell her your name at which she bounces up and down on you bursting out more gibberish.

“Uh Pinkie Pie um do you think you could get off me” The pain of her bouncing up and down on your injured body was starting to hurt.

“Oops yeah heh heh sorry.” She says blushing; she quickly leaps off you but then slams a hoof down on your chest.

“Oh my gosh your hurt what happened.” She says bending in close to examine your wound.

“Oh I just had a run in with a Timberwolf.” You say casually.

“Wow you’re lucky to be alive.”

“Well I guess I owe that to Twilight here.” You say motioning a hoof to Twilight.

“I’m just glad I could help.” Twilight says.

Pinkie Pie lifts her hoof off you and Twilight helps you up. As if on cue three other mares enter, one Unicorn and two Pegasus.

“Hey everypony, ready for breakfast?” Twilight looked at her friends at the door.

“Oh I’m simply famished darling.” The white unicorn said. She had a beautifully styled mane as if she was going out to attend a formal event.

“So is this the new guy?” the cyan Pegasus questioned hovering over to you.

“Yeah! Girls this is Anon.” Twilight said introducing you. “Anon this is Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy.”

“h-hi.” Fluttershy barely squeaked out.

Your vision is overtaken by a rainbow blur as two large magenta eyes sparkle right in your face.

“So did you really fight a pack of Timberwolves?” Rainbow dash said almost at Pinkie’s speed.

You roll your eyes. “Yes one of em gave me a nice scratch too before I chopped its head off.”

“eep.” you see Fluttershy seem to hold a hoof to her mouth as her eyes almost quiver… ‘was she about to cry, or is she just really, really scared?’ you think to yourself.

You feel a hoof caressing you bandages slowly unwrapping the tight mesh to reveal your wound. You trace this hoof to a cyan Pegasus moving her head in close with a look of awe on her face.

“That …Is…SOOO AWESOME!!!” She practically squealed when she first saw the long red crooked ravines where the Timberwolf dug its claws into you. “Does it hurt?”

You gave her a deadpan look “What do you think?” you say annoyed.

“Hey girls where’s Applejack?” Twilight said.

Rainbow rewrapped you bandage then looked to Twilight “She said she had some work to do at the farm they just harvested the trees.”

“Breakfast Everypony!” Pinkie Pie yelled out hopping out on one hoof attempting to balance six plates. She laid them all out on the table between two booths.

You along with the others slide in to your respective meals taking in the sweet aroma of the muffins.
The next half hour is spent telling these ponies about your past. You were met with the same reaction twilight gave you. All of them expressed their sorrows for you. After eating some of the greatest food in your life Rarity said she had to get back to the boutique and Rainbow and Fluttershy said they needed to get back to helping with weather duty. You all say your goodbyes and Twilight suggests you head back to the library.

“So Anon, What do you think you’ll do when all this is over?” Twilight asks.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if you kill”

“WHEN I kill.” you cut her off correcting her.

“WHEN you kill V-Venator” She asks if she’s got the name right, you nod “When you kill Venator, then what will you do? Where will you go?”

You shrug as the question kind of took you by surprise.

“Honestly I’ve never thought about it.” You scan your brain for a potential answer “I guess I’ll just go where I’ll go.”

“That’s no way to think, you should settle down?”

“Are you coming on to me?”

Twilight deadpans “No, I’m just saying you should think about moving to Ponyville.”

“Ha what would I do, how would I make a living, a pony who has hunted a beast all his life.”

“You’ll find a way look at the Apple family. When Applejack’s grandma came here she planted one apple tree and now it’s turned into one of the largest orchards in Equestria. Not to mention how big the Apple family is.” Twilight pointed out towards the orchard.

It looks like something out of a painting a wide lush field lined with apple trees looking like soldiers in an army. Across from them a bright red barn with white stripes looms up on the hillside. Just barely you can make out a quaint farm house nuzzled next to it. The apples dotting the trees like…..wait.

“Twilight something’s wrong.” You say.

Twilight immediately gets a concerned look on her “What are you hurt?”

“No Twilight look at the farm.” You say pointing.

“What about it?” She asks you.

“The trees have apples on them.”

“It’s an apple orchard Anon.”

“No but didn’t your friend say that Applejack just finished harvesting the apples. I don’t doubt her skills as a farmer from what you’ve told me, but I doubt that even she could grow a whole new bumper crop in half an hour.”

“That is weird.” Twilight said with a quizzical look as she raised her hoof scratching her chin.

“Would she lie to you?” you ask.

“No way, she’s the element of Honesty; I don’t even think she can lie.”

You start to trot towards the orchard when Twilight grabs you with her hoof.

“Where are you going?” She asks.

“To check it out, something may be up.”

“Anon I’m sure it’s fine, Rainbow Dash probably heard wrong she has had trouble hearing ever since she started going to this stallion’s rock concerts.”

“Well look at it this way, I’ll get to have met all your friends.” You say to twilight.

Twilight sighs “Fine.” she grunts annoyed as she trots after you.

You eventually arrive at the farm after a short walk you discard your bandage then lift off and begin hovering near Twilight allowing her to take the lead. Twilight trots ahead and begins leading you through the orchards as you hover just under the trees. The smell of fresh apples fills your nose with a pleasant aroma. Emerging from the rows of apple trees you come upon a bright red barn. Outside you see a small cart filled with apples and the pony in question Applejack sporting a brown Stetson. Her mane is tied back into long blond pigtails as she picks up a basket of apples and deposits them into the wooden cart.

“Applejack!” Twilight yells waving to her friend.

“Twi! What are ya’ll doin here!?” Applejack looks at her friend shocked “And who in tarnation is this?” she says pointing a hoof at you as you land in the dirt.

“Applejack this is Anon, Anon meet Applejack.”

“Hey!” you say extending your hoof with your blade wrapped around your foreleg.

“Oh uh hi Anon it’s a nice to meet you.” Applejack says.

“No hoofshake? I thought you farmers were all proper.” You chuckle.

Applejack flinches, “Oh uh I actually hurt my hoof, uh mind shaking with the opposite.”

“Ok” you say pulling back your foreleg and raising your other one.

Applejack graciously grabs it shaking and formally introducing herself.

You look at her other hoof and indeed notice that about halfway up her foreleg the area is wrapped tightly in a bandage, you see a small red stain probably where her blood soaked through.

“So what happened to you?” you ask gesturing towards her injury.

“huh, uh oh, mmm, farming accident, yep I hit the dang thing right on a steel wheel of a cart cut me right open it did.” She says smiling wide.

She’s obviously lying why would she hide it, not to mention she couldn’t think you would actually buy that story, especially since all the carts you can see at least have wood wheels.

“How bout you?” She asks looking at your wound.

“Oh just had a run in with a Timberwolf.” You say.

“Ouch.” Applejack flinches, “So uh Twi can I help you with somethin’ or ya just come by to visit?”

“Just visiting AJ we missed you at breakfast this morning.” Twilight smiled.

“Oh uh Yeah since I cut my hoof I just couldn’t make it all the way to town.”

“Don’t worry AJ” Twilight says.

“You want me to take a look at it looks like the bandage needs changi-“

“NO, uh I mean that’s really kind of ya but I’ll be just fine thank ya.” Applejack stutters “S-so uh Anon what brings ya’ll round these parts?”

“I’m hunting a Lycan.” You say flat out.

Applejack flinches “R-really a-a Lycan?”

“Yes one that killed my family”

“Well what are you going to hunt it with, I mean from what I hear Lycans are pretty strong.”

“This” you say whipping out your hoofblade.

Applejack squints at it “Woo wee that’s some mighty nice silver.”

“Thanks my father gave it to me.”

“My father gave me this hat right before he….” Applejack trails off.

“Seems like we have more in common then we first thought huh.” You say trying to comfort her.

“Y-yeah.” Applejack stutters out, you can see tears welling up in her eyes.

Applejack holds up a hoof. “Hey uh you uh maybe wanna give me a little help here with the harvest? I can’t work at full capacity because of my.” She holds up her bandaged hoof.

“I’d love to AJ but I need to do some shopping” Twilight says. “The new Daring Do book came out today and Rainbow will be expecting the library to have a copy.”

“Oh ok”

“I’ll help.” You say volunteering.

Applejack’s mouth hangs open.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Twilight smiles, “It will give you two great time to bond more.”

Applejack hangs her head as if she disapproves of the idea, but you don’t care.

The next eight hours are spent bucking apple trees and helping Applejack carry the bushels back to the barn. Needless to say you two didn’t bond very much, not at all actually since you didn’t talk to one another unless it was a question.

The sun was now setting leaving behind an orange glow yielding to a purplish night. Twilight was now trotting back up the path approaching the barn.

Applejack turns to you “Well thanks for the help partner, here you earned it.” She says throwing you a small sack of bits.

“No I can’t accept that, you’re injured.”

“Please I insist.” she pleads with you.

“SIS!” a small squeaky voice shouts out. You turn around to see a small red haired filly walking next to a large red stallion.

“Hey Applebloom, did ya have fun with Big Mac today!” AJ asks bending down nuzzling the little filly.

“Yeah we played in the park all day!” Applebloom shouts.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac reiterates.

“Who is this guy?” Applebloom questions pointing at you.

“This is Anon Applebloom, Anon this is ma sister Applebloom and ma brother Big Macintosh.” AJ says introducing you.

You kneel down “Well it’s nice to meet you Applebloom hey that’s a really nice bow you got” you say with a smile.

“Thanks mister!” Applebloom says before her belly rumbles. “Say sis I’m real hungry I’m gonna go see if ol granny’s got dinner on yet.”

“Ok Applebloom, run along.” AJ says. She turns her attention back to you. “Now take the bits I insist.”

Big Mac interrupts “uh AJ isn’t it about time for your, you know.”

“I know Brother.” AJ stares daggers at you.

“Fine I’ll take the bits but I will repay you someday.” You say reluctantly taking the small sack.

“Well Anon we better head home.” Twilight says.

“Yeah, It was nice meeting you AJ!” you call out as you trot away with Twilight.

“Come on Sis.” Big Mac says putting a hoof around AJ who begins to sob.

You and Twilight walk through the streets of Ponyville, Luna’s moon was now out and the cool night air once again enveloped you.

“I hope the Lycans aren’t out.” Twilight says.

“I doubt it, they only forcefully transform on full moons, except for newborns they do every night until the learn to control it.” You explain.

“How do you know so much about them?”

“The same way you do, through books.” You say.

“Still it’s fascinating.” Twilight says, “the only thing I know is that they hate silver”

You freeze in your tracks. Twilight trots forward before noticing you stopped. She rushes back to your side and asks what’s wrong.

“She knew it was silver.” You whisper to Twilight.

“What do you mean? Who?” Twilight asks.

“Applejack she said nice silver when I showed her my hoofblade. It could be made out of steel or iron.”
“So it was a lucky guess.” Twilight said.

“No…. the wound on her foreleg was high up. She didn’t want to shake hooves with it. Her hoof would have been fine. She didn’t want to touch the silver.”

“Anon you’re sounding ridiculous.”

“We have to go back!”

“What? Anon, Applejack will think we’re crazy!”

“Then she thinks we’re crazy! I have to know!” You say as you whip around and rear up before taking off and flying full speed back to Sweet Apple Acres.

Again you arrive at the Orchard. You rush up to the barn and see Big Mac waiting at the barn door.

“Where is she!!!” you shout so loud probably half of Ponyville heard.

Big mac hangs his head low and gestures to the barn. You see that the door is bolted shut with a big makeshift lock with a two by four.

You scarcely believe what is happening. Slowly you approach the barn door and place a hoof to the hard wood feeling each crevice. Suddenly the whole barn door swings outward but gets stopped by the two by four. You shove yourself away as you hear a feral growl. Your breathing becomes choppy and short. You turn to Big Mac who is still hanging his head.

“WHEN WAS SHE BIT!” you ask.

“Last night, she was walking home from the South orchard.” Big Mac is now starting to tear up, his words becoming as choppy as your breaths. “Said it came out of nowhere, one of those bastards must’ve wanted to mate with her. Sunk its teeth into ma little sister!” Big Mac yelled.

“You mean AJ’s a…” Twilight can’t even finish her sentence.

You sit there panting, trying to wrap your head around what is going on. The ravenous growls and barks from in the barn fill your ears. You sigh to yourself thinking about what you are going to propose.

“Let me in!” you say.

“What?” Big Mac and Twilight both reply.

“Let me into the barn.”

“Are you NUTS!!! You’ll be killed……or turned!”

“ She’s a newborn, Part of her is still…..her” you say desperate. “If I can get her to recognize me she may be able to fight the Lycan curse. You have to let me try!”

“Ain’t anything left of ma sister in that monster.” Big Mac says with tears flooding his eyes and streaming down his red cheeks.

“Twilight please. I promised her I would repay her, and while this isn’t the way I thought I would be doing it, I need to do this.” You say with one last desperate hope.

Twilight looks at you; she stares into your mind, into your soul.

“Open the door Big Mac.”

“WHAT!” Big Mac flinches.

“You heard me.” Twilight sighs.

“Thank you!” you say standing back up and facing the door.

The large red barn door, the only thing that stands between you and a girl trapped by a monster. You don’t care what happens to you as long as she’s safe.

You swipe your hoof at the ground and take a deep breath. You look to Big Mac to give him the signal.

Big Mac undoes the locks and the door swings open revealing a creature from your nightmares.

A Lycan.

Author's Note

FINALLY CHAPTER 3!!!!

Thank you all soo much for reading I'm sorry this took so long November was a crazy month for me and I couldn't do too much writing. I hope you all have happy holidays and spend time with your family I may have a special story that will release around Christmas. Again thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed it.

Wish you all the best!

-Zeta