Author's Note

Hello, it's Fireflower as always, ready to give you another chapter to this story on the way: of course, like the second one, this will contain references to certain subject matters and thusly is the reason why this story has been rated M for Mature; the only thing I can say is that I hope you are not under eighteen, easily offended, and/or quickly nauseated.

In addition, I would like to take this time to inform you that this chapter is only filled to the brim with nightmare fuel, capable of bring shock, awe, and outrage out of you in ways too horrible to imagine so it's with a generous heart and mind that yours truly has uploaded another chapter after this as well on the same day no less, like before: for those of you amongst themselves wishing to skip ahead, please do so; I promise, this one will help calm your nerves a bit for the most part.

As always, My Little Pony, or rather Friendship Is Magic, including its settings and characters belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro; however, this concept of my fanfic belongs to me so I will say this line one time only: please do not steal this story or I will sue.

Lastly, let me also say that I hope you can withstand this chapter now and stay tuned for future chapters later on then again, you have but a few options: stop right there and wait, go back to the beginning, or skip ahead to the next chapter; whatever decision you make, I won't blame you but consider yourselves warned.

Core

All throughout the very way, there was only but an abysmal unknown of a rather complete whiteness where such factors of sight, substance, and scent lay buried in obscurities referred to as an ethereal void. The exceptions that started to give out some key clues to the location’s identity were none other than surface, sensitivity, and sound: such were the plain gentle breezes that were being close to comfort anyone that would cross its path. The most important quality that had been able to remain discovered was a far from desolate wasteland that defined the quaint landscape; after all, this bright light all around the way proved to be outright temporary to say the very least.

As a matter of fact, there was at least one living being that had stood out and about amongst the void: it was a bright skinned female lying supine even as the wind was still blowing onward. A set of some straight hot red hair was found to be already running past the nape of the neck with its loud and proud color solidly like an old snake slithering upon the solid ground thereof. She’d on a simple white hat that was resting upon the colorful tresses that matched both her belt and blouse adorning the petite body beneath the neckline, its texture refusing to be assimilated into the fold. Resting firmly underneath them both was a long and plain jet black dress that was also being accompanied by a short skirt that stood out in contrast to the blank landscape that she had already been quickly found in. In addition, the redhead had even worn some thick black shoes upon her very feet albeit being a few shades rather brighter than the rest of her current attire thereof.

“Applejack…” she had murmured about at once as she slowly opened her eyes of orange at once, signaling an attempt to being conscientious of her current state thereof.

When the redhead started coming to her senses, she was surprise to find herself in a rather peculiar location at once as the minimal surroundings all across the way. She was fortunate to find that the visibility already provided for her was beyond exceptional in the very least. The airstreams that were brushing up against her ears were tender and gentle, save for the rustling of leaves dancing about. The scent was bearing the qualities of a crisp and cool breeze over the redhead’s skin that was floating above her current standing at once. Given the fact that the white ethereal void was already lacking any semblance in substance whatsoever, she was able to move about slowly without restriction in the very slightest degree. Because of all these factors that were presented, it was possible for the redhead in question to paint whatever picture that came to her dear mind.

As soon as she started to saunter about slowly, a small voice was heard sneaking into her ears as it spoke out, “Apple Bloom…?”

“Hmm…” the eponymous listener spoke back, turning around to find that no one was around at all in the slightest, “what…?”

“Run away, Apple Bloom… you must run away…!” the voice repeated at once in spite of the inquiry.

As the redhead stood out and about in confusion, she heard laughter echoed into her very ears at once; once again, she was aware of her loneliness but this time left an aura of fear all around the way.

Trembling about, she slowly asked, “who was that…?”

“You must run away at once, Apple Bloom; you don’t want to know what will happen if they catch you…!” the first voice had said to the aforementioned listener rather frantically, “run, they’re going to catch up to you if you don’t…!”

“Muahahahaha…!” more laughter had echoed into the redhead’s ears again, this time now increasing in volume no less to the point where the dread had also increased itself in density alongside.

Sure enough, she became driven to run off at once, moving into one direction in an attempt to escape the feelings of dread at once, “okay… I gotta get out of here soon… that way no one will get me…”

“Apple Bloom, where are you…?” the titular runner quickly heard as it was far different from the first voice that had appealed to her very ears, “don’t you go leaving me high and dry here, sweetie.”

“Just run, they’re dangerous…!” the first voice warned the redhead who heeded such short barrage of words.

She'd found herself increasing her pace at once, fearful of the rather unknown threat that remained hanging overhead from behind. Despite the fact that nothing would've seemed to be after Apple Bloom, she'd refused to even consider the thought of taking any chances whatsoever. Needless to say, the achromatic aura of dread that was swirling around the timid redhead had refused to stop tailing her in the very slightest.

As she kept on running about, the second voice now invaded her ears again, speaking slowly but surely all at once, “what’s wrong, Apple Bloom; don’t you even want to see your big sister Applejack again?”

“Applejack…?” was all that the eponymous runner choked out as she started to slow down a bit, “you know where Applejack is…?”

“Don’t believe those lies; they just want to trick you into lowering your guard…!” the first voice quickly said as the redhead kept on moving, afraid to turn around and look what would be behind her current location.

She hesitated for a moment to contemplate these thoughts: on the one hand, her fears had the possibility to manifest itself within an instant; on the other hand, this had prompted a response, “what about Applejack…?”

“Just get away already…!” the first voice echoed back all at once, “it’s just a trick for them, Apple Bloom…!”

“BUT WHY?!” the aforementioned listener had then shouted out rather loudly all at once in due time.

As the redhead expected an answer, only the second voice was able to coo her trembling ears, “oh, Apple Bloom, what a silly lady…”

“I’m not silly… I’m not silly…” she mumbled to herself while running about, the orange eyes shaking and shrinking about in the process, “I just want Applejack back…”

“Apple Bloom, watch out…!” a warning ranged into the titular runner’s ears but it was too late; she quickly found herself stumbling over something that sent her face down into the otherwise even terrain.

The redhead rubbed her face and started turning around to find what had impeded the pathway; as a result, what she had found caused the face upon the bright skin to contort into sheer horror: it was a blackened corpse smoldering about at once. Given the very size of it, it would perhaps be safe to say that was sharing the same frame as her; of course, the remaining dry weight of it all had presently left a lot of room for guessing about here and there. Despite possessing the texture that bore some damage sustained in a common fire, the fabric it worn was similar to the attire that she wore on her own body; as such, it was easy to assume that the cadaver was of the same gender as well. Some portions of skeletal matter were instantaneously found to be upon the skull and arms while the rest was just a pile of smoke and ashes that lay nearby the burnt yet otherwise identical textiles thereof. The smoldering shoes that were donned upon the corpse’s feet remained still, having been directly fused to the red dead skin trailing up to the wearer’s legs in a series of markings that left behind a brutal picture.

Apple Bloom felt her own heart beating against the ribcage underneath the skin, shaking about before suddenly screaming at once, “NO… NO… NO… NO… NO…!”

The shock of finding something like this in such a strange area caused the redhead to weep uncontrollably, creating a flood of tears that fell onto the cadaver’s clothes. Even as she shut those orange eyes away with her hands, the image that was burned into them refused to leave the lugubrious Apple Bloom at all. The redhead struggled to wipe her own tears away as she came to find more in their place as they moistened the hands upon them as she wailed all so seamlessly nonetheless.

“I’m sorry…” Apple Bloom heard as she lost the strength to resume chase while crying loudly over the charred corpse that tripped her gait; during that time, the voice from before said, “you didn’t have to see this…”

“WHY?!” the redhead bawled as she couldn’t bear to open up her eyes back in the midst of such overwhelming sadness.

As Apple Bloom stayed put, something had happened: the cadaver struggled to move and said, “don’t cry… it’s not your fault here…”

“Who said that…?” the redhead sobbed as her ears perked up to what had already been told at once, “where are you…?”

“Right here…” an answer was heard as Apple Bloom slowly opened up her eyes; unfortunately, this was the part where things had gotten worse: she had found herself in front of the corpse, this time with it eyes glowing yellow.

At that point, the redhead screamed at the top of her lungs and crawled away from the newly reanimated feature at once, “WHO ARE YOU?!”

“Aww, you don’t even remember me, do ya…?” the cadaver cooed at once rather soothingly before casting it aside, “I used to be the one gal that had helped you escape from those bastards before I have gotten burned here; it’s all coming back to you, ain’t it Apple Bloom? All those fucking floors that you used to scrub, the damned whips on your back and hands, the time you were pushed aside onto the ground…”

“Stop that already…!” the eponymous listener had cried aloud, shaking her head as she edged away from there at once.

Nevertheless, the bright–eyed corpse followed the young observer and had only replied, “why should I want to do that; after all, didn’t I sacrifice my life just to save you so many years ago? Of course, you wouldn’t even seem to understand what I had gone through; besides, I did a lot more than just cooking and cleaning all sorts of shit here and there: I had to give up my own body as well…! I could go into detail about how they made great use of myself but I believe that all you’ll get is the results of what that fucker did to me the minute she tried to take you to your sister…!”

“Please… stop saying things like that…!” Apple Bloom wept as she closed her eyes and turned away from the ghastly sight, “Ah didn’t know they would even do such things…!”

“Ah, but they did and if it weren’t for me, then you could have end up just like all of the others in the Cavern: a bunch of thieves and whores…!” the cadaver cackled a cacophony of callousness cruelly carved into the redhead’s ears at once.

As the cold laughter reached a higher volume, Apple Bloom cried desolately as she shook her head thinking, “no no no, she’s just only lying; but, if that’s the case, then why is it that it sounds so…?”

“Deny all you want, Apple Bloom; it ain’t gonna change the fact that you are alive because of me…!” the corpse said to the titular redhead while pointing a finger at her, “besides, you already have someone to live for, am I right…?”

“What do you mean by that…?” the young observer had whimpered, reopening her recently shut eyes.

The cadaver now moved her own finger away from the trembling Apple Bloom and had quickly answered, “more like ‘who’ exactly to be precise; as a matter of fact, why don’t you go on ahead and ask her already…”

“Her…?” was all that the fragile redhead had peeped out as she turned her head away from the cruel giggling ghoulish corpse; upon doing so, the former was met with a heart–stopping sight, “Applejack…?”

At this point, the young onlooker came face to face with another being, a female just like herself and the reanimated cadaver but with a different attire instead. A wide brimmed hat was now resting firmly upon Applejack’s golden locks, giving off a shadow that eclipsed over the freckled terracotta skin on her face. The tanned blonde’s body was adorned with a dark blue jacket, already overlaid by a yellow reflective vest that remained open up. Applejack also wore a jet black fabric upon her long legs, reaching down long enough to touch her tall brown boots all at once.

“In the flesh and in the blood unlike me, of course…!” the corpse jeered as she started clapping her hands, unsettling Apple Bloom even more.

The tanned blonde seemed to have ignored the laughter and said to the redhead at once, “Apple Bloom…”

“Applejack…” was all that the young observer could even peep out only slowly in response, “is that you…?”

“Apple Bloom…” Applejack repeated anyway, disregarding the question her aforementioned sister had only asked.

Slowly regaining her composure, Apple Bloom tried to speak to the tanned blonde upfront again, “Applejack, are you okay…?”

“Apple Bloom…” the tall female had called out once more, this time with feeling, “Ah want to ask you something…”

“Yeah…” the eponymous redhead replied only reluctantly within due time.

All of the sudden, Applejack started to bleed out from her eyes and growled, “DO YA HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT AH HAD TO GO THROUGH SINCE YA GONE AWAY?!”

“What?!” the young observer choked out as she retreated from where the tanned blonde stood up, “don’t ya remember what happened? Ah was taken from our home by the bad men who’d killed Granny Smith…”

“RIGHT, BUT THAT’S NOT ALL…!” Applejack snarled as she moved towards Apple Bloom at once, blood still pouring out of the former’s eyes

This sight now made the redhead wince in fear as she stuttered, “w–w–what do you mean, Applejack…?”

“THESE BAD MEN DID MORE THAN JUST TAKE YA AWAY FROM ME…!” titular blonde answered at once, her once clean clothes becoming dirtier in the process, “WHILE YOU WERE GONE, THEY’D KILLED OUR WINONA AND THESE BASTARDS TOOK TURNS VIOLATING ME! AH TRIED TO FIGHT BACK AND SAVE YA BUT THEY HURT ME IN WAYS THAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT WHAT YA COULD HAVE GONE THROUGH! EVEN THEN, ALL I HAD EVER WANTED WAS TO FUCKING DIE BECAUSE OF THE THOUGHT THAT YA WERE DEAD BUT THEN I FOUND YA, YA OWN BODY ADVERTISED AS IF YA WERE A COMMON SLAVE! AH HAD FIGURED THAT IF AH HAD CAUGHT UP WITH YA, THEN AH COULD HAVE AT LEAST SAVED YA BUT AH WAS WRONG! THE MOMENT I AH SAW YA AGAIN, YOU WERE LAYING ON THE FLOOR WITH A BOTTLE OF POISON NEARBY; IT MADE ME CRY AGAIN, THIS TIME MUCH MORE THAN WHEN THEY RAVAGED ME LONG AGO BECAUSE OF IT! AH FIGURED THAT THE ONLY THING LEFT FOR ME TO DO NOW WAS TO PUT YOU OUT OF BOTH OUR MISERIES; AS A MATTER OF FACT, MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR ME TO FINISH WHAT AH HAD STARTED!”

“Applejack, please Ah beg of you: ya don’t have to do any of this; none of these men didn’t even do anything to me at all…!” the young observer pleaded as the tall woman now stood nearby her at once.

Applejack knelt down and stared into Apple Bloom’s orange eyes, the former’s still bleeding out and with a darkened sclera to boot while snorting, “IT’S TOO LATE…!”

“Applejack, just stop; Ah am your sister Apple Bloom…!” the aforementioned redhead had responded, “ya can’t do this, ya just can’t…!”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER; IT’S ALREADY IN MOTION…!” the tanned blonde spat as she raised up both her hands in the process.

Seeing as they were now nearing Apple Bloom’s neckline, she cried out, “well, throw it out of motion; everything is fine…!”

“NO… IT’S… NOT…!” Applejack roared as she seized her grip onto her sister at once, “JUST SAY HI TO GRANNY AND BABS WHEN AH GET THROUGH WITH YA…!”

“A–pple–jack…!” Apple Bloom stuttered as her neck was now being squeezed by the tanned blonde at once.

All that was being done now was Applejack was in the process of strangling her own sister with nothing to stop them. The tanned blonde had wheezed through her bright white fangs while the redhead coughed out from her opened mouth. Applejack found herself tightening her own grip onto Apple Bloom despite the latter’s attempt to put up a struggle. The scent of blood and hot air went up into the redhead’s nostrils as the tanned blonde refused to let go of her anyway. Apple Bloom struggled to speak but the slow decrease in oxygen made any attempt in reaching out to Applejack fail. Even so, the redhead watched as her vision of the ghastly being that was once her sister started to subside into darkness.

With Apple Bloom’s pupils now starting to fade out, Applejack murmured maliciously onward, “almost… there…!”

“App–le–jack…” the redhead exhaled haggardly as her neck was being tightened by the tanned blonde’s vice grip, “please…”

“That’s right… rest in peace… just… like… Granny…!” Applejack growled as a loud snapping crackled popped out into the fold.

Sure enough, Apple Bloom was now all alone once more, this time residing onto the surface with blood pooling out her own mouth. The once vibrant eyes of orange that had belonged to the redhead were almost completely devoid of life, save for a fluttering flicker. As she now laid dying, a flood of tears were now staining her weary face as she gurgled about with almost no end in sight at all.

At long last, Apple Bloom then breathed out at once with only one thing to say from her own lips, “why…?”