Prologue
Princess Luna's moon shone brightly over the lonely and quiet expanse of Equestria. It would be another couple of hours before her sister's sun would be raised again. The town of Ponyville virtually had any citizens out at night. They were enjoying a good night's sleep and sweet dreams, with those that needed help with their nightmares being given a helping hoof by Luna with her dream walking ability.
Just outside of Ponyville, the Apple Family of Sweet Apple Acres is also sleeping after another hard day's work of bucking apples off of trees. All of its members--Applejack, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith--were all lying peacefully in their beds. However, not all of the family members were in their covers. Only one bed is empty--Apple Bloom's.
Out in the harsh and haunting Everfree Forest, Apple Bloom is standing over the cliffs outside of the castle of the regal alicorn sisters. She was panting, as if she had run a great distance just to reach the cliffs. Her right foreleg also had multiple cuts and blood was dripping down her hoof like raindrops. She looked back behind her and returned to look back at the expanse of the cliffs and closed her eyes, accepting her fate.
