Knocking on the gates

I am about to end my life, for reasons I am still piecing together. Maybe I will be able to fully understand my situation should I write it down, perhaps someday somepony else will piece it together. My name is Nightwake. I am a unicorn mare, twenty years of age. I have a dark gray coat, and a black mane and tail. My Cutie Mark is a brown burst. Probably my most defining feature is my unnatural red eyes. I have died five different times, in five different ways already.

    I awoke to the smell of summer. Flowers, fruits, trees. The birds chirping happily. The bugs buzzing busily. It was peaceful. So peaceful in fact that I resisted getting up out of bed. Eventually I had to open my eyes, as I could not fall back asleep. I was in a room with a window in the wall to my right. To my left was a door. Behind me was a solid wall with a simple landscape painting, and in front was a dresser. I was in a soft bed with light gray sheets and a yellow blanket. I smiled as I looked out the window, seeing a birds nest on the branch just outside my window. The window was open, letting the slight breeze flow in. The air smelled sweet, like fresh peaches. This scene was peaceful, putting my mind at ease for a moment. I sat up in bed, stretching and rubbing my eyes. I smiled as I stood up and looked out the window. I put both of my forehooves on the window frame, lifting myself up to get a better view. My room was on the second story, with a window that looked out over an orchard of various fruit trees. The one by the window was a peach tree. I smiled as I took a peach in my magic and brought it up to my lips. It was sweet and juicy. I could tell it was a early morning, the sun low in the sky. It felt like home, but at the same time I knew nothing of this place. It was in that moment I realized I knew nothing of myself. I couldn't remember anything. It was like having who you are stripped from you.

    I scratched my forehead with a hoof and frowned.

    "Ya'll come on in now. Got ya'll some breakfast!" I heard somepony call from downstairs. I assumed they were related in some way. I came downstairs to be greeted to the smell of eggs cooking. I walked through the sitting room and into the dinning room to be greeted to a table with one other pony sat at. She was an older mare with a kind face. Earth pony, like the rest of her family who came in just about that moment.

    "Please, sit down." She said as she smiled at me. I sat down at the table and looked over the plate in front of me. Eggs, pancakes, and orange juice. It smelled heavenly, and looked yummy. I didn't eat it, waiting until somepony said I could. "Ya know where ya are? Where ya from?" She asked me. I shook my head and she frowned.

    "No, I don't remember much at all." I said.

    "Taint a problem. Ya can stay here till somepony comes lookin' for ya." She smiled again, just before the rest of the family came in. One earth pony, about the same age as the one I was just talking to. Another two ponies came in after him. One was a young stallion, maybe twenty years of age. He had a sandish colored coat, and a light brown mane. The other one was a younger mare, maybe sixteen. She had an yellowish orange coat, and a blonde mane. The older stallion was a red color, with a gray mane. The older mare had a yellow coat and gray mane to match. They all sat down at the table and looked at me.

    "Ya ought to say hello to the family. I'm Apple Tree. My husband is Apple Whiskey. This is my son, Carmel Apple. Last, but not least, Apple Smith." Apple Tree, the older mare, introduced me to her family. All earth ponies, each sporting a cutie mark that resembled a fruit of some kind. Except for Apple Smith. Her cutie mark looked like an apple pie.

    "Ya look hungry, go ahead n' eat." Apple Whiskey said, then smiling. I felt the skeptical face form.

    "I don't feel like I belong here." I muttered.

    "It's fine, so long as ya keep yerself out of trouble." He said, meanwhile everpony else had dug in.

    Carmel Apple ate politely compared to the rest of his family. Taking the time to swallow before getting another mouth full. Smith was at least somewhat polite, chewing with her mouth closed. I ate quietly, filling my hallow stomach.

    "So what's your name?" Carmel Apple asked me. I thought for a moment, but drew a blank.

    "Not sure, I don't remember anything." I pushed my plate away from me, wiping my mouth with a napkin. He smiled.

    "Alright, guess you can stay here a while." He stood up from his chair and went to the door. "I'll show you around."

{([<>])}

I was working hard, plucking various fruits from trees and plaint them in the large barrels

they belonged in. I was able to get more trees faster than them because of my magic, so I offered to take half the orchard.

"Nightwake." Carmel Apple said as he approached me.

"What?" I asked as I turned to look at him.

"Dad woke me up last night cause he found you out here. It was night, I had to wake

because of you. There you go." He tossed an apple in the air with a hoof and caught it in his mouth. I chuckled.

            "Fair enough." I continued gathering fruits, coming close to finishing now. The sun was high in the sky, almost noon, and I was getting a bit hungry.

            "So, why is it you blush every time I talk to you?" My magic imploded upon hearing that, causing fruit to rain down upon us.

            "Could you not?!" I shouted, my cheeks burning bright. He just chuckled as he walked away; leaving me to gather all these oranges myself.

{([<>])}

            I looked at the setting sun, the orange sky fading into the night. For a moment it felt

incredibly peaceful after a long day working. I still knew not of my past, but felt confident about my future here on the farm. I sat in the hayloft with Carmel Apple, looking over the small orchard and fields. From what I'd learned, this land was valuable. Many farmers had tried to take the farm by force. Still, this family kept the farm going.

            "So you planning to stay long?" Carmel asked me as the moon fully rose above the tree line. "I think so, don't know where else I'd go." I answered with a yawn.

            "I'm glad. This farm could use some more eye candy." He said with a chuckle. I rolled my

eyes.

            "Of coarse. That's all I am, a bit of eye candy." I joked. We both laughed a bit.

"Well, maybe a little more." He said as he put a hoof on my shoulder. "Maybe a little

more."

{([<>])}

            The morning sun rose again, waking me from a peaceful sleep. I'd fallen asleep in the barn last night while talking to Carmel. Today felt much like yesterday, except something in the air was off. I didn't mind it much because I could smell the eggs from there. I quickly trotted off to get myself some breakfast. Today the Apple family had friendly conversation, making breakfast feel warmer. I was involved of coarse, but listening to them talk of old times was something different. I felt left out because I had no memory, but at the same time I felt like I could have been there with them. Of coarse after breakfast the day started off. Most of the trees were finished off except a few peach trees out back, and the field needed harvested. It was harvest season, from what they told me, and soon the snow would fall and kill the plant life. It was also the season when most plants were ready for harvest.

            "I'll take the trees out real quick, I'll meet you in the fields shortly." I said as they began for the fields.

            "Alright. We'll be just out past the barn." Apple Whiskey stated.

            I stood out behind the house, gathering fruit and humming a little tune to myself when it happened. I heard a loud bang off in the distance a bit, by the farm. A fruit I had brought up to my lips to eat suddenly exploded in my face, making me jump back.

            "Damn it!" I heard yelled out. The juices from the peach blinded me for a moment before making my vision gray. My vision stayed gray, making things a little harder to spot. I got up against the side of the house, breathing heavily. I spotted an open window up on the second floor and began to look for any other way up. No other options.

            "He little filly, we ain't gonna hurt ya. We just gonna kill ya in one quick shot." I heard another stallions voice state from nearby. I began to panic and wrapped myself in my own field of levitation. I concentrated with every once of strength I had in me. Slowly but surly I began to rise of the ground. I strained, feeling my magic grow weaker. I would burn out if I didn't stop soon. I kept going anyway. "Hey now, taint no reason ta be fraid of me." The voice said again, he was right around the corner, and I was just starting to reach the window. I saw him round the corner and look up at me. "What? Don't cha wanna play?" He said with a chuckle.

            "No, not particularly!" I shouted as I finally pulled myself into the window. I let myself drop to the floor and sigh. I breathed heavy for a moment, catching my breath and resting for a few seconds. After awhile I stood up and looked out the window. The stallion had moved on, looking either for a way in or another victim. I looked about the small room. It was an office type, but had gun safes and cabinets instead. I figured Apple Whiskey wouldn't mind me using a gun, seeing as the farm was under attack. I didn't know much about firearms, so I chose the most simple looking one. It was short and had a revolving clip. I picked up a few extra bullets and shoved them in my saddlebags. Hopefully I wouldn't need them.

{([<>])}

            We had all gathered together in the barn, keeping an eye on the large gang watching from the woods. Each was armed, waiting for a perfect shot. I loaded my gun back up, after having encountered several bandits on my way out of the farm house which now was on fire.

            "What'll we do now?" Carmel Apple asked his parents with a voice of sorrow. "Ah'm not sure. For now we ought to take care of the rest them bandits." Apple Whiskey said with a low voice. I sighed.

            "Listen up y'all! Just go on and git yerselves home now!" Apple Tree yelled out to the tree line. A single shot rang out, hitting the side of the barn.

            "Y'all just come on outta that barn! Make it easier on yerselves!" One bandit called back. "Else we'll be forced to come and git ye!" I looked at Carmel Apple with sorrow filled eyes.

            "You ready for this? They're about to storm the barn I'm sure." I said. He nodded. "Everypony up in the hayloft! We might have a better chance up there!" I said. Quickly everypony climbed up the ladder and made themselves ready.

            "Why don't you all come and get us!" Apple Smith yelled out. Shot range out, hoof steps quickly approached and stallions yelled out various profanities. Like I expected they came into the barn in groups of four at a time, easy pickings. I sat by the opening in the wall and watched as ponies came rushing from the tree line like an endless faucet of evil. Eventually they all wised up and put two and two together that we were up in the hey lofts. So rifles fired out from the tree line, peppering the walls with holes. The barn wouldn't last much longer if it wasn't already giving out on us. The five of us eventually put down what seemed like the last of them.

            Blood soaked the dirt beneath our hooves as we looked at all the bodies. Why so many stallions would work so hard just for this small plot of land was hard for me to understand. I had slipped my gun away into my saddlebags and begun looking about as well. One stallion laying on the ground gasped for each dying breath. He looked at me and I saw his blood stained teeth. He was near his end. He looked at me with hatred. I ignored him, passing him off as nothing. I passed him, but heard behind me something struggling to even move. I turned to find he had rolled over and picked his gun up in his teeth once more. I gasped as I desperately tried to find my gun in my saddlebags, but it was to late. A bullet pierced through my chest and I staggered backwards. My breath was sort, shallow, and dying as I fell. I reached hoof to Carmel Apple who was now approaching me. The look of fear and sadness mixed in his face as he rushed to my side. The stallion that had shot me had finally bled out, leaving me the last dying pony on the farm.

            "Damn! Nightwake! I- I don't think I can help you." He said as he looked at me. "Let's get you somewhere less cluttered." He said, pulling me out of the pile of bodies I'd landed on.

            "S- so close. So f- far." I said weakly as I laid on his back bleeding.

            "Yeah. I guess so." He said. I could hear the tears in his voice. The pain he felt. I thought a moment and remembered last night we'd fallen asleep in each others arms. How before I drifted of he said he loved me.

            He sat me down in front of the burning farmhouse and called the rest of the family.

"Momma! Come here, quick!" He yelled. Apple Tree came galloping to us in a hurry. When she saw me I saw her frown and a tear formed in her eye.

            "Taint be anything I can do fer the poor girl." She said sadly. I felt tears forming in my eyes now. I was facing death so early in life.

            "I- I don't w- want to die..." I trailed off mid sentence, feeling an overwhelming sense of weakness flood my body. The Apple family stood over me, watching me die slowly. "Carmel. Come here." I whispered softly. He lowered his face near mine and I kissed him on the cheek.

            "I- I'll be okay." I whispered as tears fell from his face to mine. "I promise."

With those last words the world around me faded. I was unaware of any time passing in this dark afterlife. Unaware of anything but myself. For a moment I saw the farm, Carmel and the rest of the family. In the next instance I remembered nothing. Next thing I knew I opened my eyes to a blinding light.

To Be Continued...