Incubus

As summer came to a winding close, the air soon picked up a hollow chill. When the wind drew leaf noise, the breeze was strong enough to kick some down and around. A harsh whistle struck Ponyville and shook loose the barn doors just outside. Applejack stayed silent and put her hat in a downward tilt, obscuring her snout from the biting wind. Her newest farmhand struggled too, wobbling on her recovering, bipedal legs. Sonata Dusk shrieked as her favorite, straw hat sprung off and onto the top of some tree. She pursed her lips and dragged her feet back to the barn, pitching more hay for the upcoming Hay n' Hashgrass Hoedown.

Hashgrass was one of her own favorite equestrian dishes. It was rich and smooth unlike the original, main ingredient. After she left for the barn, Applejack saw her old friend Twilight trotting over. And, like most times, she was alone. No friends. No bodyguards. Just a mare and her will to survive.

"... Uh, hey, Twi. You don't look too happy." Applejack greeted, some wheat between her teeth.

Her hello was enough to draw an honest smile, keeping them both in pleasant silence. It took a while, but, the alicorn kept her distance approaching her next subject. Her work-weary friend had to look closely to see her expression. She flinched, wincing at Twilight's braced and bandaged foreleg. The left foreleg. Applejack winced because it was soaked in cherry.

"Wh-what happened? What did you do?" She panicked, trying to rub away the double-vision.

"I could say the same to you, Jacquelyn. You're supposed to lay off that stuff, remember? This whole barn smells like hard cider."

Despite the concern, her blonde friend only kicked her hoof about. The grey quiet of the skyline shadowed her disposition toward the subject. They were both strapped for time and strapped patience. Jacquelyn tried to ignore the fact of who she was talking to. Instead, she bucked the frustration away on some, unsuspecting apple tree.

"Yeah. I am supposed to stay away from drinking. But you're wrong if you think I'm not being careful. I'm drinking because it's a family reunion. So what happened to your leg?"

Ha, Twilight chuckled, closing her eyes as she trot about the orchard. As she moved and paced, Twilight Sparkle helped her friend pick fruit.

"Haha, I'm just concerned about you, you know. My leg was hurt in a chase in the Everfree. Looks like the changelings really do want conflict. And the cult I've been spying on... I know they're up to something. So. I've been scouting all week. Don't worry. I won't get hurt again. I have this on me, now."

After her explanation, she presented a dagger from her pack. It had familiar qualities. Even the old blood stains matched the way it was intended to be used. It's triangular blade rose secrets from the dead, each one swarming Applejack's mind. An old friend of her's, she noted, taking the dirk and feeling it's linen-wrapped handle.

"You're... jokin'. This isn't real, right? I thought the Reds were all gone and done. How- how could they still be alive? I don't understand." She murmured, her eyes wide like her gaping maw.

"The Red Scarab were hunted, yes. But I found something interesting. When they stabbed Lilith with one of these, her blood was sucked dry. The blade literally siphoned her life away, if you saw how weak she'd gotten. Maybe... just maybe, there aren't more. Maybe they've found a new queen. And you know how it's been ever since. Bigger and badder jackasses show up to fuck us over."

Sombra. Nightmare Moon. Discord. Even Tirek. They were all growing less equine. Less... capable of being more than cruel and twisted.

If she'd known the elements of harmony were creating stronger black magic, by bolstering white magic and forcing the opposite to catch up, Twilight would've been more careful. Now, she explained with one, grim scowl, time would bring them to reality-warping radicals; Equestria would soon return to its primal state of magic warring magic. Applejack understood very little, but she'd seen the damage in her service of the princess.

Magic was the muscle of reality. If it were used and drawn upon, the utility grew more potent. If Equestria continued to use such large supplies of magic and reinforced the potency even more, the supply might crush the other foundations of existence. Skeletal muscle, after all, could peel off the very bone it was supported on.

Sonata Dusk approached her new friends.

"So, Equestria's weird. But I'm really hungry. Can we not talk about cults and just have some mashed grass and hay fries...? I couldn't find any tacos."