Apples in the mountains

People ask me where my parents are, and why did they abandon me, my big brother, and our newborn sis, here at Sweet Apple Acres. Truth is, I don't really know. Shoot, I don't even know if they abandoned us, they just left for a vacation in the mountains and never came back. Sometimes I wonder if they even went to the mountains. Ask anyone and they will tell ya that the farm was at rock bottom. Sales where almost nonexistent, the barn had collapsed, and the crops where in drought. Even I thought about giving up a few times myself. I guess... no one will ever know what happened to my Ma and Pa...

6:45...
Apple Butter looked up into the blue sky. It was more vivid that anything she had ever seen.

Just like the sapphire from my paint set! She thought to herself, smelling the beautiful mountain air.

"We're gonna take the middle path tonight. A little slower to get us to the cabin, but a better view I think." Jon Mac said checking to be sure his harness was secure. They had hiked all day, and they were feeling it.

"How much longer hon? I'm pretty tuckered out. Not to mention hungry." Butter said shuffling her saddle bags.

"Just around this bend here." he said pointing to the path ahead.

"C'mon!" he yelled, beginning to trot ahead. Butter quickened her pace to catch up. When they made it around the bend they were met with a pallet of green hues; from very bright all the way to a dark olive drab. The only break in the blanket of color was the line of bright blue, splitting the scene like a thread in a quilt.

"Oh my lands! Mac, this is fantastic! I've never seen anything so amazing!" she said leaning onto her husband`s shoulder. He shared her embrace and sat down onto the path, taking a break from their hike. They sat there for a while just gazing out into the scenery. Butter had noticed an eagle soaring out over the forest, limitlessly flying about, riding the thermals.

"Well, we'd best be headin' for the cabin. The temperature will be dropping quickly as soon as the sun goes down, and its already freezing out here." Mac said, tightening his saddle blanket.

They continued down the narrow path that wound down the mountain, being careful where they placed their hooves. Being so high up above the ground they were kind of nervous, but Mac was an experienced mountain climber, and he wouldn't take her anywhere unsafe... intentionally...

7:30 ...

They had made their way about half way down the mountain when it got very narrow, about three hoof lengths to be exact.

"Man... these paths are always too narrow..." Mac said, leaning towards the mountain. He had just looked back to check on Apple Butter, when he heard a "CRACK!" They both stopped and leaned into the mountain.

"Ok, don't move! I need to figure out-" He was cut off when suddenly the path shifted downward.

"Quick! Hook your rope harness into the wall!" Mac cried, fastening his harness. Butter quickly struggled to grab the bit out of her saddlebag, but before she could reach it, the path began to crumble; slowly at first, but then, quickly totally giving way. Butter began to plummet into the ravine, but stopped suddenly when the rope that connected the two of them got tight. She jerked at the sudden stop, as she dangled from her husband's harness. He looked down to make sure she was ok.

"Butter, baby... I'm going to need you to climb up the rope, and hang on to my harness, so I can climb up with you on my back!"

"Can you do that?!?" She yelled back turning herself upwards as she dangled in the air.

"I have to! Back up is the only way we can get on the trail again!" He said yelling over his shoulder.

"Ok... I'll try!" Butter said, grabbing the rope between her hooves. She began to climb upwards, and made it about halfway, when she began to cramp up.

"Mac! I'm slipping! What do I do!?!" she cried in desperation.

"Ummm... Just hang on! Let me think of something! Just don't let go! He shouted, looking around frantically. Every second felt like an hour as she started slipping faster and faster. And suddenly, she fell. Not very far, but far enough that when the rope suddenly jerked, the fastener in the rock wall slipped out, causing them both to plummet down the mountain...

8:49 ...

At first all Mac saw when he awoke was blurriness... red blurriness. He blinked a few times and realized that his eyes had blood in them. He wiped his eyes and cleared them as best he could, and looked at his surroundings. He saw that he was lying in a huge pile of rocks, and wondered how they could still possibly be alive. Then he realized that Butter was missing. He franticly began to search the rubble to find her, when he remembered the rope that connected them. He grabbed it, pulled, and was devastated when the rope tightened leading into a rock pile.

She was buried.

He ran to the pile, and began to dig like a mad pony. After several large rocks, he saw the yellow of her mane, and the red of her bandanna. He pushed aside a few more rocks, and he could finally see all of her.

"Butter! BUTTER! Wake up babe! Please wake up!" he cried shaking her by the shoulder. Her eyes slowly opened, and she gave out a squeaky groan.

"Uugh... I can't feel my legs..." She said, struggling to move.

"Don't move! I need to find something to splint your legs..." He said examining her disfigured limbs. He ran up to the nearby tree line, and grabbed two thick sticks. He gently picked up her back legs, and straightened them out. He started to slowly wrap them with rope, and lined it carefully. When it was wrapped properly, he looped it back through.

"I am going to need you to be strong for me ok? This is going to hurt."

She nodded, tears running down her face. He put one hoof on the splint, and the other on her flank. Grasping the rope in his teeth, Mac pulled it tight with a jerking motion. At the sudden motion of her shattered legs, Butter howled in pain, leaning on her shoulder. Mac finished tying up the splint, and then tended to his wife. He lay down next to her, wiped her tears, and put his arm around her.

"Shhhh... it's ok... it's all done now." he said, snuggling up next to her.

"So... what now?" She asked, resting herself in his mane.

"Well...I think we are close to the cabin, and we won't live long, out here in the cold... I figure I'm gonna have to carry you there." He said, looking out into the woods. Suddenly, both their hearts started to race as in the distance, they heard the long unmistakable sound of a wolf howling into the oncoming night...

8:58...
After he had let Butter rest from having her legs splinted, Mac got up.
"Ready? We need to move if we don`t want to freeze."
"...yes..." Butter said weakly. Mac rolled a big rock over to her, propped her against it, and bent down under her, and lifted her up onto his back. This wasn't a great effort because he was used to carrying large loads at the farm. He rose up and readied himself for the road ahead.
"All Set?" He asked looking back to ensure she was stable. She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck, and they were off. He chose every step carefully, because he could feel her cringe in pain as they walked.

They had been moving for a while, but now it was getting dark. Mac was focusing on the deer path he had found, but Butter was looking out into the woods, half dazed from the pain, when suddenly she jumped at the sight of a shadow, bolting through the trees. Mac stopped.

"What is it?" he asked looking back to her. She stared off into the trees, but there was no movement.

"nothing... I thought I saw something but... nothing..." Butter said, burying her face into his mane. He started back up, and trotted along the path. Suddenly they came to a clearing, edged on the near side by a river. They started off into it to cross, but when they were halfway out, Mac stopped. Ahead of them was a pair of wolves, stepping out into the moonlit clearing. Slowly he began to backup, but stopped when out of the corner of his eye, he saw two more approaching from the flank. He turned, and saw the full danger of the situation; three more behind him. He started to back towards the river, and the wolves began to advance.

"What?... Hun what's-UHH!" Butter gasped, waking out of her husband's mane. "What are you going to do?" She whispered gripping her love tightly.

"Un-strap my harness."

"What?"

"My harness! Take it off me!"

"You can't fight them all!" She cried, counting them with her hoof.

"I have to! We're cornered!" He said quickly backing to the water's edge.

Looking out into the raging river he formulated a plan. Butter unfastened his harness, and he set her down. She whimpered at the pain, as her leg popped from being moved too quickly. The wolves where exited by the sound of a helpless prey, and advanced faster. Mac opened his saddle bag, and drew his pick. Pressing a button in the handle, a switch-blade thrust out of the backside of the hammer. He stepped in front of Butter, and braced himself. The last moments of sunlight disappeared, and the clearing was now in full moonlight. The wolves moved like shadows, smoothly slipping closer and closer, their growls getting louder as they approached. Mac's eyes darted back and forth searching their faces for any sign of the first move. Suddenly he saw it: one of the wolves lowered himself bracing himself for his leap.

Finally, it happened. The wolf soared though the air like a bird, and honed in on his prey. Mac stepped aside, and allowed the wolf to make his mistake. It missed him completely, and plunged into the river, and in seconds was consumed by the torrent of foaming whiteness. After a second of hearing the wolf yelping, there was nothing. Mac eliminated one of the seven threats. Seeing this enraged the wolves, causing them to charge. The one in the lead leaped at Mac, making sure not to make the same mistake as his unlucky brother. Mac drew his head back, and plunged the pick's blade into the wolf, causing it to hit the ground with a loud yelp, and a crack. Two down. Even though two of the wolves had suddenly met an untimely end, they continued to charge. Suddenly Mac was attacked from both his left, and his right, as two wolves jumped on his back. They buried their fangs into his hide, causing him to cry out in sudden pain. Three of the wolves approached Butter, thinking about an easy kill. Mac, still carrying the two wolves on his back, charged the group, with a burst of adrenaline. Two of them saw him and ran, but one was too focused on Butter to care about anything else... This was his downfall. Mac turned in place, bucked with all of his might, and one more wolf met his destruction. Another ran at him, preparing for the kill: a bite to the neck, tearing the jugular. Mac saw her, and whipped his head stabbing her in the shoulder, and then stomping her into the ground... Four. Mac tried to shake off the wolves on his back, but crazed at the taste of blood, they refused to let go. Distracted for the moment, Mac didn't notice the last wolf creeping in to attack Butter.

"MAC!... AAH!" She cried as the wolf bit into her legs. Mac suddenly turned, enraged by the sound of Butter's cry, he reared up, and crashed down upon the wolf, killing him instantly. Five. The wolf's body flew into Macs saddle bags, causing all of their apples to plop into the river, along with his hat. At this point Mac had lost a lot of blood from the wolves biting and clawing into his back. He reared up again, but this time he fell backwards onto the wolves and rolled over one of them. It didn't get back up. The other wolf leapt to its feet, and Mac did the same. The wolf gave a loud bark that rumbled into a growl. Mac pulled the pick out of the body of the body of the fourth wolf, and readied himself again. The wolf saw that Mac was ready for more, and started to back down. (Wolves of course find courage in groups, but cower alone) The wolf slowly turned and ran. Mac thrust his head in a circle motion, throwing the pick directly into the wolfs back, causing it to yelp as it crashed to the ground. Mac huffed, and turned to tend to Butter.

"Why did you kill it?!? It was running away!" Butter cried. Mac chuckled.

"Even after it tries to kill you, you show it mercy... heh... that's why I love you Butter. If I let it live, it would go get more, and return to finish the job, and we don't need that." He said falling down on all four knees next to Apple Butter."How bad did they get ya?" He asked catching his breath.

"Don't worry about me! Look at you! You're bleeding out all over the ground! Oh babe... You`re all pale!!! You are losing too much blood, here..." she said pulling him closer. "My turn..." She said pulling some Gauze out of her saddle bag...

11:33...

Butter had bandaged both Mac and herself up, and luckily she had brought extra blankets. The two injured ponies settled down to try to gather their strength and rest. They had been laying there for quite a while, when Butter suddenly noticed something strange. She'd had her arms around Mac, and she must have fallen asleep.

"Mac!... Babe! Wake up! You're all cold! Too cold! Hun, wake up!" She cried shaking him hard.

"Hmm?...oh...I'm fine... go back to sleep babe..."

"No, Mac...something's wrong!" she cried pulling off the blanket. She was hit by a sudden jolt of horror as the scene unfolded before her: Mac was bleeding through the bandages and blanket. The pack of "wolves" must have actually been Mountain Beasts. The saliva of a mountain beast keeps the prey bleeding, to ensure the kill.

Butter hung her head and sobbed as she realized the situation. She began to cry as she brought herself to reality: they weren't getting off this mountain alive. Mac heard her crying, turned over, and held her closer.

"Shh... babe. It`s ok. We tried. If it's our time, it's our time. Nothing we can do about it."

"Yeah... But it's not fair! What about Little Macintosh? Apple Jack? And what kind of life will Apple Bloom live without even knowing her parents? It's just... not fair!" She cried stamping her hoof into the ground, beginning to cry.

"Shhh... Hush now, quiet now..." Mac said beginning to hum a familiar tune, as their final night together began, running into darkness...

"Now, I can't say `fer sure... but when I was a little older, Big Macintosh and I went to the mountain area to get some answers. About half the day in, we stopped for a break. We came to a nice lookin' spot, and began to get our lunch out, but even before Macintosh opened the Picnic basket, I smelled apples! So I ran to the source of the smell, and looked out into a little island in the river, and there, growing all on their own, where three little apple trees! I ran out into the water, Macintosh yellin' all sorts of this n that, but I finally made it, and there really where three apple trees!

Now you could say, "Oooh that's just a coincidence", but Macintosh caught up, holding the apple family`s signature apple: Pony Pink, and in the trees? None other than the Pony Pink apple! I began to jump for joy, and I started yellin', "THEY WHERE HERE! THEY WHERE HERE!" and suddenly, I landed on somethin' soft. I looked down, and there half buried in the dirt was my father's hat! I picked it up, dusted it off, and we moved on. And I never took it off. So, say what you want about my Ma and Pa, but I know that they really where there. All thanks, to those apples in the mountains.