Chapters 1: The Present Day (Edited)
"CHAPTER 1: THE PRESENT DAY"
Green for the link, black to stop.
Written by HB_DS2013
Part 1Edited Proofread by 8542Madness
PART 1
"Instrumental is this test, potential in alchemy you have. " Zecora commented as she added the herbs onto the brew. "This has been passed down from mentor to apprentice for many generations, this salve."
"Wait... what kind of salve is it?" Apple Bloom inquired.
"Made from Hearts' Desire and chamomile dust, it is capable of fostering trust." The zebra took a quick glance toward her window and said, "Gather the herbs before sunset, but watch the timberwolf threat." She gave the lemon-coated filly a basket and a blue amulet before sending her apprentice off into the depths of the forest.
Thick trees and the pitch-black darkness surrounded the filly with trepidation, with every step forward was a crunch on the forest floor. She gave a long sigh as she trotted about in the darkness and tried not to think about the fate that befell her parents.
Ah cain't believe it. At this rate, ahm gunna be gettin an alchemy cutie mark! The filly thought and did a double take before continuing in her mental monologue, cringing at the musky scent. The last thing I want to try is Rainbow's cooking. Ah dun think it's possible to even set oatmeal on fire. She shuddered and cringed at the memory while trying to keep herself focused.
[Apple Bloom's Memories, One Year Ago, Golden Oaks Library]
"You think alchemy exists!?" Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Alchemy is just a more complicated way of mixing things."
"Alchemy is more than 'mixing things', Rainbow. Alchemy is a science aimed at transmuting two or more objects." Twilight answered, then frowned at Rainbow. "Cooking, on the other hoof also involves mixing two or more objects to create a meal... like oatmeal.
"Like what!?"
"For example, it is impossible to set oatmeal on fire." Twilight frowned once more, then slowly turned towards me with a tired look.
"Heya, 'Twahlaht. Rainbow." I greeted the two with a cute grin. "What choo 'talkin 'bout?"
"We were talking about my terrible cooking skills." Rainbow answered plainly.
"Well, what brings you here, Apple Bloom?" The lavender mare spoke with a questioning tone.
"Do yah have any books 'bout alchemy?" I inquired.
"Alchemy cutie mark?" Both mares tilted their heads in confusion.
"Ahve bin workin with Zecora so long, that ah maht git mah cutie mark in alchemy." I squealed with joy and leaned closer to the lavender mare with a smile on my face so wide it kin cut offa mah face.
"I don't think I've seen you with an interest in books before." Twilight commented. "I thought you were into carpentry."
"Me too. But ah did better potion-makin than patchin' up Sweet Apple Acres." I replied. "I'll still patch up Sweet Apple Acres every now and then, though."
"If it means having to improve your skills, then okay." Twilight grinned at Rainbow, who responded with a glare.
"Oh, come on! My cooking's not THAT bad!" Rainbow complained.
"There's a reason why I never let you cook in the library." The librarian deadpanned." At least Applebloom has more potential-"
***
"It shouldn't be too hard..." The filly mumured. "I hope this torch will last me the entire trip to the potion ingredients and back home."
With a basket on her back, she procured herbs needed for the potion, ignoring the Poison Joke nearby, chuckling at a memory of Applejack and her friends' experiences. Needless to say, poison joke is not to be underestimated.
Fostering trust... fostering trust... Apple Bloom wondered and sighed. "It doesn't make any sense at all."
Her comfortable silence was suddenly broken by a loud crack from the floor, alerting the filly of several shadows. Applebloom backed up slowly until her hindhooves felt wood... and heard a snort. Her pink bow flared up like wings while chills ran down her spine from the musky scent.
She turned around slowly and lifted her head at a pair of glowing square eyes and flinched. Applebloom gradually lifted her head and was greeted by a snort and a loud roar. Her heart began to beat rapidly. Either way, being timberwolf food is not a great way to die.
Apple Bloom breathed heavily while cantering away from the eyes. Her hooves tripped over a root and landed on her face. Wincing from the pain, she pulled herself into a fetal position and groaned softly. It was only some time ago that she realized that they were the very same pack that devoured her parents, according to her older siblings. Not too far from her, the basket rolled over, spilling its contents onto the ground. Upon lifting her head, the entirety of the pack loomed over her, and had only enough energy to scream before blacking out.
Zecora paced on the dirt floor of her tree, with a hoof in her muzzle. My mind is filled with lead, and it is almost time for Apple Bloom to go to bed. Stepping out into the forest, a distant scream of a filly echoed out from the darkness and a chill ran through her spine in response.
If dear Applebloom is dead, then the timberwolves will have reason to dread. With only a small pouch of green dust equipped and a strong desire to rescue her dear apprentice from the Forest, Zecora then cantered off into the darkness...
PART 2
In the darkness of the Everfree Forest, a pair of golden eyes glowed and a tower of neck rings chimed, warding away any other timberwolves that dare come close. Apple Bloom slowly lifted her head and groaned softly, the rest of her voice obscured by the low growls of the pack. Her life was about to end when all of the timberwolves were suddenly enveloped in a blue mist.
Sniffing the air, the timberwolves turned around and whimpered as if a higher presence frowned upon them. To ponykind, the Everfree Forest was unnatural. The sun and moon moved on their own, plants and animals took care of themselves and the weather also operated on their own. But... it was also as if there was something stronger than all of them, save for the Ursa Major.
All of the timberwolves felt a burning sensation and a crackling sound intensified, howling in pain as the embers ate away at their bodies. Apple Bloom averted her gaze for fear her eyes may be burnt from the light illuminating the depths of the Forest. Time seemed to slow as the howling intensified, the equine shape trotting closer. The chime of neck rings jingled, and the golden eyes briefly flickered. Lurching forward, Zecora fell to her knees as a blue mist escaped from her body, briefly coalcesing into a fox-like aura before entering Apple Bloom's amulet.
"I am glad you are alright." Zecora gave a relieved sigh. "Did the timberwolves bite?"
"Ah don't think so." Apple Bloom's left hindhoof seemed to be fine, but winced trying to stand up. "Ow."
"I take it back. But at least you are not a snack." She chuckled softly and noticed a basket with some trampled herbs nearby, frowning at the wasted effort, then gave another relieved sigh at her apprentice. With a quick nod, Zecora lowered herself and motioned Applebloom to climb on her back.
****
Still left in the pitch-black sea of trees, Apple Bloom flinched when the amulet started pulsing with a dark blue aura. Zecora found herself wrapped in the same dark blue aura until her hooves felt a distortion in space. Pulling back briefly, her eyes took note of the various talismans taped around the trees, all of them having been written in runes and in a language she did not know. And yet, her days in the Everfree Forest acquainted her to this presence.
Upon stepping through the portal, Apple Bloom and Zecora were greeted by the soft crunch of grass and a stone fox statue holding a dark blue ball with its vulpine maw, imbued with an ancient magic from a distant time. The two found themselves awed by the leaves falling gracefully from the trees, bathed in moonlight.
"What is this place?" The lemon filly inquired.
"This glade I found some time ago, long before the Poison Joke woe." Zecora answered.
Pulsing slowly in sync with Apple Bloom and Zecora, the amulet on the former's neck resonated with the orb, held by the fox statue's jaws, both of them in a dark blue aura.
"The darkness of the Everfree touches not this hallowed sanctum." Zecora commented solemnly. "Time is frozen, but we can hear its silent anthem." She trotted closer to a fox statue in a dynamic pose, its paws spread wide while its two of its four tails shot skyward and its size to be slightly larger than an Ursa Minor. Upon a closer look, the orb had an area with a diamond-shaped indent. Another quick glance towards Apple Bloom's amulet, then at the indent put two and two together.
Giving the vulpine statue an affirmative nod, Zecora trotted closer and her body was quickly wrapped in a leaf swirl. Applebloom watched in concern as her mentor was lifted into the air, her blue eyes slowly shifting into a bronze yellow. She watched as the dark blue flames covered her mentor and drew back in fear, the orb on the statue's mouth pulsing with increasing frequency.
Before she can cover her eyes from the harsh flames, the entire glade became wrapped in a dark blue light and the ground beneath them trembled. Straining under the immense power given to her, Zecora's eyes shifted into a golden yellow color and the flames were released skyward, manifesting into a massive pillar that can be seen all the way from Manehatten. The trembling stopped once the resulting energy receeded, robbing the alchemist of her energy and dropped to the ground with a loud thump.
2: Wandering Flame (Edited)
"CHAPTER 2: WANDERING FLAME"
Green for the link, black to stop.
Written by HB_DS2013
Proofread by sunnypack
Sunlight poured down the glade, marked with a peaceful silence. Apple Bloom gave a light groan, then shook her head and rose to her hooves. Her body became filled with a soothing, timberwolf ash-fueled warmth. A dull pain throbbed in her left hind hoof. She sighed, thankful for her earth pony heritage. Other than her hoof, she was otherwise protected from the magic blast. Her relief turned to icy despair when she spotted Zecora nearby, unconscious. What was left of the vulpine statue had already turned into rubble.
Apple Bloom shook her head and trotted closer. Nearby the rubble was an unidentified creature. She wondered why the creature's forehooves were shorter than its hindhooves, but shook her head and continued. It had a tan body and a mane that resembled a hedgehog's quills. She fell over with a startled squeak. Clamping her hooves over her mouth, nothing of immediate consequence happened. Waiting a few tense seconds more, Apple Bloom darted forward and prodded the chains that seemed to be clasped around the creature's claws. Instead of clinking like she expected them to, the chains disintegrated into dust, sifting onto the ground as Apple Bloom stared on with wide eyes.
"I have seen this one before. This one tried to give a cockatrice what for." Apple Bloom jumped at the sudden rhyme and flinched. "Without your power, Apple Bloom would have met her end. And I am now in your debt." Zecora addressed the space in front of the rubble.
"How did—" The lemon filly gasped, then regained her composure. She turned to her mentor with a raised eyebrow and a questioning tone in her voice. "Ah don't get it."
"The boy speaks with his heart. Telepathy is a skill he can impa-" Zecora winced from the pressure and let out a pained groan as blue mist continued to escape from her body. A crushing pressure bore down on her hooves, buckling like a crate bearing down on a doll. She closed her eyes for a moment and groaned once more. Her body became filled with a grey aura. Blue mist evaporated into tiny wisps, converging towards a glowing dark blue orb with tiny white specks. "Come Apple Bloom. It is time to return home before Applejack goes boom."
"Wait, what's gonna happen to him?" She looked up to her mentor. "How did you know he is a guy?"
"That I do not know. Perhaps he has something to owe." The alchemist glared at the figure. "This dodo did not get the memo."
****
"Ah don't get it."
Overwhelmed by a pounding sensation inside his head, the stranger’s golden eyes fluttered open to the harsh sunlight and a sea of green. He blinked and shielded his eyes, raising his left arm. The squeaky and western-sounding voice washed away the pain in his head, but at the same time piqued his interest. Close to his vision was a dark blue, onion-sized orb with tiny white dots spread all around its surface, giving the appearance of solidified night sky. It glowed with a calm cyan aura, prompting the boy to reach out. To his surprise, the orb felt icy cold and part of its smooth surface seemed to be missing a diamond-shaped piece.
With some difficulty, he took a tentative step forward. He tripped over, but shook it off and stood up once more and stepped out of the glade. Tightly held within his grip was a dark blue ball, about to serve as a makeshift lamp.
The trees here blocked most of the sunlight. Golden square eyes gleamed in the darkness as the creature found himself unable to move, held airborne by a magenta aura. His grip loosened and his head now felt like it was being pressed. Gritting his teeth together, he winced as he watched every ounce of energy in his lanky body ebbing away into the gate. With his emptied mind, the stranger's vision began to blur. The dull sound of hoofsteps echoed and the trees tilted and his hands loosened, dropping the ball onto the ground. All he saw was a mass of light grey and dark grey before blacking out.
3: Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres? (Edited)
"CHAPTER 3: WELCOME TO PONYVILLE?"
Green for the link, black/grey to stop.
Written by HB_DS2013
Proofread by sunnypack
Overwhelmed once more by a pounding sensation inside his head, the stranger’s eyes fluttered open to the sight of wooden equine masks, various flasks hanging from the ceiling, other ones resting on several wooden tables attached to the walls, candles and a large pot. Taking note of a firm cot below him, he was greeted by the earthy scent of herbs greeted him along with the sounds of bubbles popping and dull hoofsteps filled the silence.
"The danger has passed, and the weather cannot be forecast." The rhyming voice had a masculine sound, but high enough to be feminine. "At the edge of the Everfree, where my hut lies. However, this is a complete surprise."
The boy flinched at the voice, startled by the striped horse standing in front of him. Towers of gold contrasted with the dark grey stripes in a sea of grey. Most horses he had seen in his life had various shades of brown and were incapable of speech.
"This ball is yours, am I correct?" Zecora spoke, breaking the silence while she set the dark blue orb on the bed. He nodded slowly and turned towards the orb, then towards his host with a curious expression; watching her pour spices onto the pot.
With the orb stowed away in his clothes, the mild scent of mushrooms pervaded the air; beckoning him to stay. A cyan light shone brightly, his eyes flickering for a moment. The unnamed boy looked around and stood. Torn between staying for breakfast and leaving outside, his heart won out. With gravity on his side, he crouched down and assumed a feral stance.
'Good. I still know some things.' He smiled to himself as he crept slowly and catiously, taking care not to be alerted. Once he was close to the door, his hand took hold of the door and slowly pulling the door closer, cringing from an audible creak. His heart pounded, now that Zecora heard the creak. Panicking mentally, he quickly opened the door and bolted!
"Where are you? I made some... stew?" Zecora looked around, perplexed with the shifting of dust and the absence of her guest. With no one else to share breakfast with, she returned to pouring out soup and went on to start on her own.
Much to his surprise, the hut behind him turned out to be a large, hollowed out tree. Most of the path ahead was covered by thick fog and a large bed of blue flowers. The boy’s chest started to glow a faint green, his vision shifting from normal to grayscale. With his dark blue body intertwined with a faint, green mist in a sea of grey, he took off into a sprint, rushing through roots and rocks and the occasional manticore. None of the denizens of the natural forest paid attention the dark blue blur flying past pillars of brown and seas of green running like a dog, eventually stopping at a patch of sunlight between a pair of trees.
Stepping onto the light, the boy was greeted by clear skies and houses with straw roofs. Next to him was a sign with letters of some sort written in another language and ahead of him were a sea of trees with red fruits. He also took note of a big house with leaves on top and a pale pink aura.
'So far, so good.' He grinned to himself as he took in his new surroundings. Until the green aura coalesced into an equine shape, and seemed to gather around his body somewhat. With the green aura coming closer to his general direction, he scanned the area and leapt into the closest bush. When he peered through, the sight in front of him prompted a wordless gasp.
The green aura emanated from a small, lemon-coated, amaranth-maned horse. He slapped his forehead and frowned as the hoofsteps grew louder. The shard around the filly's neck pulsed with increasing frequency and as he tried to sneak away, a pair of lemon hooves parted the bushes.
"Gotcha!" Applebloom yelled. "What-"
'-the heck!?'
Gold and gamboge stared at each other as the scent of leaves and apples mixed together in a cool, refreshing breeze. Silence pervaded the air. Creature and pony stood near the edge of the Everfree, a ways off near Sweet Apple Acres.
"Ahm not gunna hurt 'cha." Apple Bloom assured and stepped back. "Stan' up so ah can see what you are." The filly beamed and watched as he stood to his full height.
'Hurt me? I doubt it.' The boy frowned.
"Wow. Yer awful tall fer a new creature." Apple Bloom whistled.
'Then you're small for a horse.' He rolled his eyes and shook his head, giving Apple Bloom a flat look.
"That's because ahm a filly." Apple Bloom replied.
'Oh.'
"Anyway, ah don't think ahve seen yah 'round these parts." Apple Bloom commented. "What's yer name?"
'Uh... my name?' He pointed to himself.
"Yeah, your name." The filly grinned.
'Doe. John Doe.' John rubbed leaves off his clothes and crouched down to her eye level.
"Mah name's Apple Bloom. Nice tah meet 'cha." She reached out and stared in wonder as her hoof was wrapped in John's hands. They had a rough texture from numerous nicks and scratches, filled with a faint warmth from touching the forest floor.
"What's wrong, John?" The filly asked with concern.
'How are you able to understand me?' John furrowed a brow and frowned while tapping his chin with his fingers.
"You mean this thing?" Apple Bloom grinned as she presented a familiar dark blue shard. John Doe gaped and shook his head, immediately presenting the orb. Both pieces shone brightly as if imbued with an ancient power. Both pieces pulsed twice, his dark blue mixing with the filly's green. The orb radiated with the earth and its gestalt body shone with his dark blue aura.
"John, right?" He nodded. "How'd you end up in the Everfree Forest?" She raised her brow and lifted up her head, blinking at the towering figure of her friend.
'I'm... not sure. I remember running from something, a flash of green, then a flash of grey.' He took a deep breath and scratched his head while rotating his shoulders.
"Running from what?" Apple Bloom asked.
'I think I was running from the guards.' John nodded, then tapped his chin and continued, 'Anyway, uh... The Everfree used to be bigger back then and the Royal Guard was chasing after me because I stole a lotta weapons and armor.
"Why would you do that!?" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "What about the grey flash?"
'Heck would I know! I was too busy running. John rolled his eyes and froze.
The scent of apples pervaded the air, the midday sun looming over Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh was nowhere to be found and Applejack can be seen bucking trees with her mighty hindhooves. Granny Smith snored like a hibernating bear in winter as she sat in her rocking chair near the main house. Apple Bloom breathed the scent of home while John Doe took in the acres and acres of trees. Nearby the duo was a tree filled with delicious, savory apples waiting to be bucked.
With wondrous curiousity and their mild scent, John opened his mouth to sample the mild and sweet mist, but the manacle on his neck flickered with a magenta aura. The moment the pink mist tried to enter his mouth, it scattered away from him and dissipated into motes of light. John closed his eyes, hung his head and gave a resigned sigh while his stomach responded with a loud growl. A loud growl that was followed by a faint bark. A seemingly faint bark that echoed through the farm.
A chilled spark flew up John's spine and his eyes shrank. He stepped back from the tree with a fearful look in his eyes and winced. It came from a brown dog with white splotches and semi-pricked ears.
BARK! BARK!
John gulped.
