The Everfree Shadows

by The Ohvist

Rating: everyone
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Granny Smith, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Adventure, Derpy Hooves
Length: 2879

[i]This is the impossible story of one Filly and a Fruit Tree. This is the Tale of Applesmith, The Architect of Ponyville... and beyond.[/i]

Darkness, eternal and complete... Silence, strong and imposing... These are what one would describe the Everfree Forest of long ago, the old-growth that defined the reaches of a long lost empire, of the mysterious order that defined Equestrian Society of the modern ages, and of the verboten Arcana that commands its design. Yet nopony asks what happened in that desolate Wood on that fateful night in the scores of its history, nor of the impossible story of one Filly and a Fruit Tree. This is the Tale of Applesmith, The Architect of Ponyville... and beyond.

Note from The Ohvist: This is my first ever Fimfiction, as well as my first Fanfiction in about (Checks DeviantART) 1 year, 3 months and 6 days time.

Subsidiary Note from The Ohvist: I personally feel that "Granny Smith" is a nickname everyone calls her later in life, whereas her real name is "Applesmith" (I might be wrong as I haven't seen anything past the Canterlot Wedding Episode yet). I even went as far as to come up with names for the other members of her family as seen in the flashback in Family Appreciation Day, in a way that befits the naming practices I've dictated as seemingly accurate enough (Again, not seen anything of season 3 and beyond just yet so I might be wrong with this list of names).

Appleseed: Patriarch
Loomsmith: Matriarch
Shoesmith: Maternal Sibling
Applesmith: Younger Daughter
Appletune: Elder Son

Categories of the Cast will be updated regularly with the chapters.
Enjoy the story, shmoes!

Published 2014-01-03 05:20:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-05 03:37:26 UTC

a Sunrise of Recent Memories

Author's Note

By-BOOGITY!!

a Sunrise of Recent Memories

Celestias' sun rose over the eastern horizon, it's divine brilliance marred only by the Canter and Cower ranges as it cast down a long and ever-shirking of the glow. However, one area within Equestria remained within perpetual shadow. At the base of Mount Cervidae -host to Canterlot City- stood the untame and masterless Forest of Everfree, where creatures roamed and clouds floated on the mysterious Natural Magic bound within the wood. T'was a place nopony dared to enter, let alone settle alongside. Save for the ancient Elkine and Alicorns of aeons past, none have truly lived along the Everfree Forest, A fact that stood firm as the mountains and as stagnant as the heavens above... Until recently.

A simple farmhouse, no older than two-and-a-half months, stood against the edge of the Everfree. Belonging to the Smith Family, their patriarch Appleseed raised this abode so his family could settle from three years of endless traveling, journeying the length and breath of the Untrodden Frontier in pursuit of fortune and family. Accompanying the Smith Family included Appleseeds' wife and her brother, along with Appleseeds' two children. And it was on this coming day that we find Applesmith, the younger of Appleseeds' children, resting against a bench outside of the farmhouse, sleep draped across her rest-filled eyes as she struggled to stay awake, in her mouth was a cooking pot as she intently eyed the treeline of the Everfree Forest.

"Come on, Smith. Ungh! You can sleep when everypony else is awake." Struggled the filly to herself, resisting to close her eyes for even a spare moment, as recent memories flooded her mind, of finding a wild orchard in the forest, of wolves made of wood and black smoke, of running away from the wolves and reaching back home. Applesmith was so lost in her thoughts, she couldn't register the front door opening and a lime-green coated, pale-blonde maned stallion step through and approach her.

"Criminy, Applesmith. Were you up all night?" Asked Shoesmith as he slowly approached the tired filly, only to see her slump forwards as the pot slipped from her mouth and hit the grassy acre with a dull thud, frightening the stallion as he rushed over to his nieces' side, "Applesmith! Y'alright?" Shoesmith put his hoof against his nieces' neck and an ear against her back. He felt her breath and heard her heartbeat, before sighing with relief as he realized she just passed out from exhaustion and sleep deprivtaion.

Applesmith shook herself awake again, the bags beneath her eyes weighing down her eyelids as she looked intently in the direction of a stallion right next to her until her sight managed to focus enough to see who it was. "Uncle Shoe?" Yawned Applesmith as she dunked her head into a bucket of water next to the bench, "Did something happen?"

"I'll say something happened. Somepony didn't get back to bed once she woke everypony else up last night." responded Shoesmith as he walked around her to the other side of the table, "Why were you out here instead of inside?"

"I just felt uneasy about those Tree Wolves in the forest." responded Applesmith as she ran her hooves across her face before shaking the water off, "But you don't believe me." Applesmith remembered how she alerted her parents several hours ago to the oncoming Timberwolf pack, only for them to run off back into the forest before her parents awoke. How she tried to tell them that she had found an impossible fruit growing in the forest but had lost her saddlebag when she fled from the Timberwolves. And how none of her parents even bothered to listen and were more concerned about how they would support themselves without any food.

"Shoot, Applesmith. I don't think that's the case at all, we just never heard of Tree Wolves attacking for no good-given reason is all." Shoesmith proceeded to adjust his Boss-of-the-Plains with his left foreleg, "I doubt Princess Celestia herself would've told yer' Pa about this before we settled down here."

"I dunno, I distinctively remember hearing others talkin' that the princess likes to play practical jokes or perform trials-of-character on others unsuspectingly." Applesmith then looked up as Shoesmith continued to adjuct his hat still, "Why are you doing that?"

Shoesmith looked indignantly at his hat before flicking it off of his head in defeat. "It's this dang hat I got up in Canterlot when we were there. While you lot were off talking to merchants and traders, this bloke in a blue coat and hat walks up to me and says to me 'I told you I could do it, don't tell her over there I did this though.' than gave me the hat off of his head and took mine, both hats looked alike fer' some odd reason. I tried to ask for my ol' one back, but he ran off somewhere. Never told me who he was."

"Canterlot Unicorns are too wierd, it's best to ignore them." Said Applesmith as she saw her uncle reach to pick up the hat again.

"But it wasn't a Unicorn, it was an Earth Pony." Replied Shoesmith as he tried to stretch and reshape his hat in fultility before putting it back on again, "Regardless, I'm not gonna get used to this hat of mine."

"With luck, we'll find yer' old hat sometime or a better one than this one." Yawned Applesmith as she slumped on the bench.

"Maybe you should get some rest, niece." Stated Shoesmith as he saw Applesmiths eyes close slightly, "nothing much to do around here these days til' the crops grow in a few weeks."
"Sure. Thanks." Spoke Applesmith as she slid off of the bench before stretching and turning her neck, "Think I'll go 'fer a walk. This vale sure is nice to sleep in during the day." Without another word, the young filly trudged off to find a nice spot to sleep in the Everfree Vale.

The Strange Arrival of a Lost Wife in the Vale

Midday was met with a slight rainstorm and distant thunder within the confines of the Everfree Forest, it wasn't considered unlikely for a stray raincloud to make its way to the edge and spill it's contents across the open vale.

"Good that I'm used to the weather here." muttered Applesmith as she sat at the base of a lone tree as the rain pattered against and through the leafy canopy she took shelter at, "We're running low on food, the provisions that the Princess gave us are almost used up. If we cannot make something work, we'll have to abandon this land and go traveling again. I may enjoy traveling, but I doubt the others see it my way." Applesmith brushed her hoof against her snout as a raindrop falls through and hits her on the nose, as she noticed something grey out of the corner of her eye flutter past to take shelter in her tree as well. Applesmith craned her head up as she heard the sound of a branch cracking as she saw the same greyness fall right to her and land on top of the startled filly and sending them both into the wet grass.

"Ugh, my head." Spoke the thing on top of Applesmith, "Never gonna get used to flying is all I'll say." Applesmith turned to the right and was met with the gaze of a yellow eye facing her, as she focused out more Applesmith noticed that it was actually a Pegasus Mare that landed on her.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hello there." Responded the Pegasus as she climbed off of Applesmith, "Sorry about that miss, still getting used to having wings." Applesmith got a better look at the Pegasus now that she was off of her, the Pegasus in question had a muted blonde, unkempt mane and tail along with seven white bubbles for a Cutie Mark on her flank that was visible to her. What caught her attention was the Pegasus' wall-eyed look, her left eye was pointing to the ground while her right was pointing upwards into the canopy, a facet of the Pegasus that she immediately took notice of from Applesmith as she brought her left hoof up to cover her eyes "Sorry but I don't like it when you stare at me like that. It's uncomfortable." Applesmith coughed as she looked away to her side nervously, hoping that it'd help mend the awkward situation the two found themselves in.

"It's been a while since I last saw a Pegasus before," Spoke Applesmith as she ran her hoof along her other, "let alone a Pegasus here near the Everfree. Why are you out here?"

"Would you believe me if I say it was my husbands' idea of a trip?" replied the mare sheepishly as she looked around, "You haven't seen him around here have ya? Earth pony, brown mane? Ringing any bells?"

"Sorry, you're the first I've seen of anypony -aside from the occasional Royal Dignitary delivering us supplies- in the past month." Spoke Applesmith as she hung her head and yawned, "Sorry, had a bit of a nighttime experience, my entire schedule is knocked out of whack today."

"Traveling the Everfree Forest were you?" The mares' response was a simple slow nod by Applesmith as she sat down, resting her back against the tree.

"I was searching for food to feed my family," Said Applesmith as the Pegasus followed suit, "I even found this strange fruit tree in the forest until I lost my saddlebag I filled with it."

"D'you know where the fruit tree is?" asked the Pegasus.

"Yes."

"Do you have an idea where your saddlebag is?"

"Yes."

"Than all you need to do is go back into the forest to find the tree and your bag and continue from where you left off." Explained the Mare as she patted Applesmith on her shoulder with a smile, "Plain and simple."

Applesmith chortled at this notion. "Not plain and simple. Do you even know where both of those things are in? I'll give you a hint: it's big, it's dangerous, it's scary, it's filled with creatures that can easily tear a pony limb-from-limb, and it's right beyond that treeline." Applesmith pointed in the afforementioned direction, "It's called the Everfree Forest."

"Oh, he didn't tell me about that one." Muttered the wall-eyed pegasus to herself, "Well, I wish I could help you; I really do, but I think that I must find my husband now. Poor boy must be worried sick since I can't fly that well."

"Why can't you fly well?" Asked Applesmith, jumping slightly as she saw lightning out of the corner of her eye, "It's pretty bad out there, why not wait at our place for him to come find you? Nopony else lives in this vale."

"Well..." The sound of thunder solidified the decision for the Pegasus as she jumped into the canopy before poking her head back out at the Earth Pony sheepishly, "...Maybe he won't mind me seeking shelter with someone else." With no other words, the Pegasus followed Applesmith across the vale to her farmhouse, it's shadow growing in the distance as the two approached.

Author's Note

Uploaded the second chapter, where we're introduced to a familiar wall-eyed face of long significant standing in the Brony community, though I've left her name out for reasons my own. Consider this that I am still ongoing with this project. Also, I think you might know who her husband is she is describing, but it is not him.

Leave any comments folks.

Heavy Rain and Rotten Mail

While the rain began to let up slightly, most of the family decided to retire indoors already and began to huddle around a simple fire and recount the events of the day.

"It can't be all bad dear," Said Shoesmith as he comforted his sister solemnly as she grasped a tear-streaked scroll in hoof, it's scroll band resting on a table with the insignia of a smithing hammer, "Cousin Blacksmith will find a new job. But we have to make-do without his financial support. Hard to believe that his business was bought out by a conniving two-bit con artist without paying him even a fourth of what that business was even worth."

"Without that money, we won't be able to make ends meet before our orchard is even half a year old." cried Loomsmith as she dropped the scroll to the floor, "I don't want to leave here, the Princess was so kind to let us have this land for us."

"I suppose I'll have to find a job over in the next burg." sighed Appletune as both he and Appleseed looked out at the site of the ungrown orchard through the windows; already the slightest green bulbs beginning to emerge from the dirt patches, "Me and Pa heard about a mining business being undertaken at the San Palomino. Perhaps we can start there."

"Don't you dare say that, Pa." stated an alarmed Applesmith as she gazed at her father and older brother intently, "You know as well as I do that nopony can make it through that desert and survive."

"We survived that desert crossing." Responded Appletune firmly, "These ponies are falling on hard times too, many of the folks are searching for decent work but can't seem to make ends meet. Your uncle Blacksmith for consideration has been forced out of his family-run business by bigger ponies than him, and all that money needed to support us is about to run dry because of that." Appletune saw as his kid sister slink back in her chair and stare off into the fire, "I know that it's not fair for all of us. But it is all that we can really do. It's not like we can go out and get a job when there's nowhere between here and Canterlot for miles around. Unless there's some way of having ponies pack up and move here, than nothings' going to change for us." The Pegasus shifted her forehoof, looking to the wall. Only been here half an hour, she told them that she was a guest for the evening and would be gone soon as she found her husband.
"Tundra is the only Pegasi city nearest to here save Canterlot. Why are you and your husband out here anyway?" Asked Appleseed to the Pegasus.
"The two of us travel a lot of times and just wander wherever we end up in." Responded the Pegasus Mare, "Nothing big or grand like that, just casual exploring here-and-there. Sometimes it's scary, but most of the time its' pure fun."
"Sounds like it's great." Spoke Applesmith as she stared back to the fire as it crackled and glowed distantly in her eyes.
"The rain seems to be letting up now." Spoke the pegasus as she walked towards the door, "Maybe my husband will come find me. He always does."
"Why are you out here in the Everfree Vale?" Asked Loomsmith, "You never did answer that one for us."
"My husband heard about an old ruin that he wanted to explore, he told me to wait until late at night for his return." Spoke the Mare.
"Isn't that dangerous?" Asked Shoesmith, "I've never heard of anypony exploring an old ruin at night, especially on one like this."
"Nah, he can handle himself on his own." Smiled the Mare as she stood up from her chair, "Besides its' only a small ruin anyways; nothing like that castle out in the Everfree Forest I keep hearing about."
"Oh, that's right." Said Appleseed, his attention grabbed, "Rumor has it that there's an old castle out in the forest that the princess once lived in."
"It used to belong to something else long ago, though I'm lost on who it was that lived there before the princesses reign." Affirmed the Mare as she grabbed her saddlebag, "Anyways, I think I can already hear him out there now. Best not keep him waiting." As the Mare approached the door, the Smiths heard a strange sound followed by a pale green light emnating from the Everfree Forest, only to hear their front door swing open as the Pegasus stepped outside.
"Wait. You still didn't tell us your name miss." Said Appleseed, as the Mare turned back around to them and smiled.
"I'm not from around here is all you'll know now." Replied the Mare as she turned her attention to Applesmith as she looked back, "I just wanna say one last thing for you and you alone Applesmith. I just want to say: if at first you don't succeed, try again and again."
A sudden gust of wind blew the door shut on the Smiths. By the time Appleseed got to the door and opened it up again, the Mare was nowhere to be seen at all, neither in the distance nor in the still darkened skies above.

Author's Note

I'll try to make edits as soon as I can, hopefully this story will pick up more in later chapters like I imagine it will be. Keep your spirits high, I've not yet pulled in the catch yet...