The Apple Falls Far

by Whispering Tree

Rating: teen
Tags: Romance, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Mystery, Rainbow Dash, Adventure, Tragedy, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 7924

The bonds of family are stronger than the bonds of friendship.

The Apple family is as close as can be. They’ve faced tragedy and hardship, but they’ve always come out together.

The day comes when the Apples don’t come out together. They are torn apart in tragedy by a dark figure unbeknownst to time. The following chapters tell the tale of a long, hard journey of loss, pain, and retribution.

Published 2017-01-23 01:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-02-01 04:11:04 UTC

A Secret

Author's Note

First off - welcome! Thank you all for joining me on this adventure!

I have been watching this weird little show for about a year now. I never imagined that I would get so sucked in as to begin writing fanfiction about it. However, I have long wanted to share my stories on an open stage, and I believe this could be it.

This is not only my first fanfiction; this is my first story ever. I often sit outside and dream up large worlds or dramatic scenarios, but I have never attempted to stitch them together into a coherent story. I very much appreciate any and all comments and critique.

Now, there are two points I'd like to make before the story begins. First of all: the "countryisms." I live in Texas, so I'm no stranger to this kind of talk, but in every story I've read involving Applejack, I've found her dialogue to be very slow and confusing. We don't have a specific dialect or accent we follow. We simply have lazy tongues. We'll pronounce "our" like "are," "it's" like "i's," "what you" like "wha'choo," and so on. Trying to translate this into writing is very difficult, and people who don't speak like it every day won't be able to follow the story (read Tom Sawyer, and you'll see what I mean). I've eased up on this sort of writing so that readers will (hopefully) be able to read their own way while still getting that country vibe.

Second of all, the pacing in this chapter is very inconsistent. I wanted to establish the Apples as I saw them, not as the show describes them. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure how to handle this without rewriting the whole chapter several times over. I hope I'll be able to fix this with future characters.

I have a lot planned for this story, so please enjoy!

A Secret

The bond of love is stronger than any chain, for it is a bond of both heart and soul.

Applejack awoke to the familiar feeling of quilted cotton on fur. The smell of chocolate and syrup spiraling up from the kitchen downstairs told her that Granny was already working on breakfast.

It's a special day - her sister's special day. None of the Apples could really believe it. Their little Applebloom had finally blossomed. It was her 16th birthday; she was now a legal adult. It felt surreal that her once baby sister had grown up. The cute, little filly was neither cute nor little anymore; she had grown to become a beautiful young mare.

Applejack thought these things through the haze of morning lethargy. She lifted herself up and down from the old bed and donned her iconic Stetson hat. She stepped into the hall to head downstairs. The trumpeting sound of somepony’s nose being blown gave her a double-take.

She followed her ears to the source of the disturbance: her big brother’s room. Slipping behind the door, she began, "Big Mac, what're you..." She stopped when she saw what her older brother held between his hooves. There, he had a framed picture of their late parents.

The mother and father in the portrait smiled lazily up from Big Mac's hooves. The mare boasted a freely flowing blonde mane that clashed with a mangy, yellow coat. She leaned against the side of an exceptionally large, red-coated stallion with a low-cut, orange mane. He was the spitting image of Big Mac, whose younger self stood between the two in the frame, working a sheepish smile. Applejack's mother held her infant self in one hoof.

Big Mac himself wasn’t crying – he hardly ever did – but something had unhinged him. He sat up in his bed and looked at his sister. Applejack fixed her eyes on her brother's and hopped up beside him. "Oh Mac, Ah haven't seen you like this in years." She would have wrapped a foreleg around him, but she probably wouldn't reach even halfway around. "Ah miss ‘em too, but you're too old for this now. Did somethin’ happen?"

Big Mac still wouldn't look at her. "Nope." To any other pony, even the other Apples, that one word would have betrayed none of the emotion Applejack’s brother had been feeling. Fortunately, Applejack was as close to her brother as caramel on a candy apple.

"Big Mac, Ah ain't leaving till I hear what you're really thinkin’."

Her brother took a deep breath, and smiled, "Ah never told ya, did I? When Pa was close to.. ya know.. he had me promise somethin’. He had me promise that Ah would look out for y'all two - you and Applebloom, Ah mean. He told me Ah was the stallion of the house, and I had to be strong. He said that.. that Ah had to be the stallion that he couldn't be." His smile shook, and he squinted his eyes, keeping them focused on the empty ceiling. “Mom was already gone, but we had Granny. I guess Pa thought Ah was the only one who could take his place. With Applebloom all grown up now, Ah figure I made it.”

Applejack laid her hat on the bed in front of her and arched her head over her brother's shoulder. "He must've been the proudest father in the world," she said. He closed his eyes as they glossed over with overdue tears, turning away from his sister. She continued, "I’d say you made it. Our baby sis is all grown up. The farm is expanding, and our parents' dreams live on through us." Despite himself, Big Mac cracked another smile.

"You're the one running everythin’, though," He said. "We would fall apart without you."

"And Ah would fall apart without you." She stretched up on her back-legs and pecked her brother on the cheek. "Buck up, big bro. We still gotta give Applebloom sixteen years of birthday blessings," She winked. Big Mac faced his sister and grinned. She hopped down and grabbed her hat. "I'll see ya downstairs, Mac." She slipped back through the doorway, closing it behind her. Smiling to herself, Applejack donned her hat once again.

As she headed for the stairs in front of her, Applejack thought back to just how much Applebloom had grown in the past few years. She was now nearly the same height as Applejack, though she was a little leaner near her rear; she hadn't had quite as much time to build up her bucking muscles as Applejack had. Her cherry mane had grown so long, she had forgone her big bow in favor of a thin, yellow ribbon that held her hair to the side much like Applejack's.

Applejack left the last few stairs behind and came into view of the kitchen. Granny was hobbling along as fast as her old hips would take her. Chocolate chip pancakes were piling up in a steamy pile on the table. A pitcher of apple juice was loaded and at the ready.

"Howdy Granny!" said Applejack.

"Mornin' Applejack. Won't you c'mere and gimme a break from all this cake-makin’? I’m gettin’ too old for this…"

"Sure thing, Granny." Applejack came over to relieve the old mare right as the remaining Apples came trotting in.

Applebloom staggered in behind Big Mac, obviously exhausted. "Sigh - I feel old already." Apparently, she had decided to stay up late to observe her birthday early. She, Big Mac, and Granny sat around the table as Applejack finished the last of the pancakes, launching them directly from the skillet to the table. She then took her place between Applebloom and Granny.

Big Mac caught her eye with a mischievous grin. She winked back, returning the expression. Applebloom had her eyes shut throughout this exchange, as she was putting all her energy into staying awake.

Suddenly, Big Mac reached around Applebloom and held her forelegs to her sides.

"H-hey! What’re you doin'?!"

"Sorry Applebloom," said Applejack. "It's just tradition." She snickered evilly.

"GRANNY! HELP ME!" Applebloom pleaded.

"Sorry child. Ya can't mess with tradition," said a rather aloof Granny.

Laughing manically, Applejack sauntered over to her sister. "It's time for yer birthday noogies!"

"NO!" Applebloom was in hysterics, yet her older sister showed no mercy. She lifted her right hoof to Applebloom’s head and proceeded to torture the mare with sixteen long seconds of bombarding head noogies.

"One, two..." Applejack counted. She lifted her hoof for a moment at the end of each second. "Five, six, sevennn..." She started to slow down.

"APPLEJACK," Applebloom yelled. "Don't you dare!"

Applejack laughed and continued at normal speed. "... fifteen, sixteen!" She stopped the torture and leaned back in her chair. Big Mac let Applebloom go and snickered at her mutinous expression.

"I hate that stupid tradition..." Applebloom’s eyes were attempting to bore through her siblings’ jovial faces.

"Ya never seem to think so when it's one of our birthdays," Applejack said.

Applebloom gave the most fleeting smile. "Only cause y'all deserve it."

"Enough of that!" Granny exclaimed. "Let's get to eatin’ already!"

"Now we're talking!" Applebloom said. She dropped her grumpy facade and grabbed as many pancakes as she could get her hooves around. The mountain of cakes swayed in her hooves as she maneuvered them onto her plate.

"Eep!" Applebloom squeaked, and a dozen cakes flopped onto the table. Winona barked from her newfound position in Applebloom's lap. She pounced on a pancake and scurried off with it between her teeth.

Big Mac burst out laughing at the fleeing thief. Applejack's voice shook as she tried to retain her own laughter. "Winona - n-no! Bad dog! Go to jail!" Winona whined and dragged her sorry tail to jail - the kennel in the corner. She still had her prize from the table.

"Honestly," Applejack said, "you'd expect an old dog like her to lay around bein’ lazy, not jumpin’ on us and our food."

"Ya can't teach and old dog new tricks," Applebloom smiled. "You never taught her how to relax."

"Yeah, Ah guess I can't teach her what Ah don't know myself."

The Apples smiled knowingly. "Ya got that right," Applebloom said.

With Winona in jail and the sun leaving the horizon, the Apple family made short work of the remaining pancakes. Big Mac was given dish duty for the day. The girls moved to the living room next door. Granny left through the front door to get a head start on her gardening, but Applejack and Applebloom sat on the sofa.

"So sis," Applejack said, "ya made it. You're all grown up now."

"Woo-hoo.." Applebloom grinned.

Applejack shuffled uncomfortably. "Sigh - well, Ah guess I can't hide it any longer. I've been keeping a secret. You won't like it."

Applebloom lifted an eyebrow and dropped her smile. "O-okay."

Applejack turned away from her sister. She didn't want Applebloom to see her face just then.

"Ah waited this long so that you would have a choice. You can live on your own now, so I figure..." Her voice cracked. Her body seemed to shiver with anticipation. Applebloom's throat was dry.

"You're adopted."

Applebloom seemed to shrink. "I - no... that can't be true..." Her whole world was shattered. She had lived on the farm her entire life. She had grown up alongside her brother and sister... or so she thought. Had she been living a lie?

Applejack snorted and rolled off the couch in uncontrollable fits of laughter. "Hahaha! Ah got you good! Hahahaha! You should see your face right now!"

Oh yes, Applebloom had an expression of undeniable fury. Unfortunately, it served only to fuel her sister's cruel hysteria.

"You... you... you..." Applebloom could not seem to find harsh enough words. She compensated by expressing herself through physical means.

"I'll teach you to laugh at me..." Applebloom grinned devilishly. Applejack had just begun calming down before Applebloom executed a relentless barrage of tickles on her exposed belly.

"Haha - Apple - ha - BLOOM! STOP!"

"Nuh uh. Ah wanna make sure ya get it out of your system."

Applejack writhed in agony, yet her sister would not let up.

"Uh..."

Applebloom froze and looked up. Big Mac had just walked in. He stood in the doorway and gave a look that quite plainly asked 'What in the world are you two doing?'

Applejack and Applebloom looked at each other for a moment. Then, they started laughing.

"Haha - ow - I'm getting stitches from laughing so much!" She took a few deep breaths and staggered onto her hooves. Big Mac was being unusually quiet for the situation. "What's up, bro? Is someone here?"

"Eeyup."

That figures. He always clams up when other ponies are around.

"Alright. Give me a minute." She took a few more moments to relax and headed for the backdoor.

The Other

Applejack opened the back door to find Rainbow Dash waiting on the padio. Rainbow grinned at her friend.

"Wassup AJ? What was all that screaming in there?"

Applejack smiled guiltily. "Ya know that thing you'd talked about yesterday? About my sister?"

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "No way - you actually did it?! I was only joking!"

"Ha! I know, but it was so worth it." Applejack turned her head inside. "Righ’, Applebloom?!"

A horseshoe flew over Applejack's hat and barely missed Rainbow Dash. "Shuddup!" yelled Applebloom.

Applejack faced back at her friend. "I reckon she took it well."

Rainbow Dash shook her head in bemusement. "Honestly, I don't get siblings."

Applejack smiled empathetically. "But why’re you here? The sun's barely off the ground."

"Applejack.. the Running of the Leaves."

"But that's not until - " Applejack face-hoofed. "Aw, right! We were gonna practice racing!"

"Don't tell me you forgot!" Rainbow Dash looked hurt. "You can still come, right?"

"Uh - yeah, yeah! There ain't much work to do this time of year. Just gimme a minute to get ready."

Rainbow Dash relaxed. "Alright, but get a move on."

Applejack slipped back inside to the living room. Big Mac and Applebloom were waiting in silence, apparently eavesdropping.

Applebloom broke the silence. "Can I go with y'all? There's nothing Ah need to do, and ya know I can beat you in a race." She smirked.

Applejack lifted an eyebrow. "Maybe in your dreams."

"Oh please; an old mare like you's got no change ‘gainst me."

"Ex-cuse me?" Applejack grinned. "You're gonna eat those words. Get up so I can kick your rump."

Applebloom hopped up with a satisfied smile. "You okay by yourself, Big Mac?"

Big Mac smiled. "Eeyup."

Applebloom nodded and turned back to her sister. "Let's go then!"

She and Applejack headed outside to where Rainbow Dash was impatiently hovering. She saw Applebloom and gave Applejack a questioning look.

"This one thinks she can take us on. Ah say we see what she's made of."

"And I say we keep a stretcher ready," Rainbow Dash snorted. "Let's just go already."

She landed next to Applejack, and the three ponies headed for the farm's border. Applebloom stayed behind the other two like a third wheel.

Rainbow Dash trotted next to her friend in silence, keeping a leisurely pace. She held her gaze forward, not looking at Applejack.

Applejack nudged Rainbow Dash with her shoulder. "So how's the Wonderbolts? Ya hardly ever talk about them anymore."

Rainbow Dash looked up at the sky with a frown. "It's fine." She moved a little ahead of Applejack.

Applejack caught up to her and said, "Oh c'mon Ray. We all know something's bothering you. You've got to tell us why some day."

Rainbow Dash lowered her head and sighed. She muttered, "It's not what I thought it would be. I've wanted to be a Wonderbolt my whole life, but now that I am, I just feel like I've lost something." She sped up. "I want to be the best, but where can I possibly go from here?"

Applejack kept her eyes forward, concentrating on keeping up with the pegasus. "I don't know, sugar cube. How is being a Wonderbolt holding you back?"

Rainbow sighed. "There's no room to stand out in a team like this. I can only be as good as the worst flyer." She sped up some more. They were almost running now.

"Why don't you do some coaching like Spitfire?"

"Ha! Spitfire may love yelling at ponies, but I would rather train."

Applejack thought for a minute. "Quit, then, if you don't like it. Find something that will test you again."

Rainbow Dash grimaced. "I can't. I've spent my whole life training for this; I'm not about to let it go."

Applejack was at a loss. She understood wanting to be the best, and she understood that her friend was loathe to give up on her life-long dream. Though she didn't know what could possibly be more prestigious for a pegasus than the Wonderbolts.

"Would y'all slow down!!" came Applebloom's voice from behind them.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack dug their hooves into the dirt and skidded to a halt. They turned around and burst out laughing. Applebloom was several yards behind them, trying to catch up. As she closed the gap between them, Applejack tried to repress her satisfaction.

"Still think you can beat me, little filly?"

Applebloom was still catching her breath. “Huff - shuddup..." “Sigh - did y'all even watch where y'all were going?"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned back around. The western edge of the Everfree Forest loomed just ahead of them.

"Whoops," said Rainbow Dash, "guess not."

Applejack peered along the line of trees. "C'mon, we don't want to be here."

The other two agreed with silent nods. They faced down the path they had taken but didn't move. Two figures were walking towards them, crushing the decayed leaves and branches in their path.

The ponies were covered head to hoof in black robes and cowls that hid their faces. Unicorn horns protruded from their cowls, but they too were hidden within black cloth. Prominent muscles pushed against their thick robes. A strange insignia shown upon their chests. It depicted a crescent moon looping under a red sun.

Applejack felt very uneasy. Who were these ponies? What were they doing so near the Everfree Forest? She stepped in front of her sister. Rainbow Dash quickly followed suit.

"Who are y'all? It's not safe out here." She felt stupid for being so obvious.

"Obviously," said the pony on the right. He was slightly taller than his friend and spoke with a deep, powerful voice. "We've been waiting out here for weeks. It's about time some fools came out here."

Applejack frowned. She knew that voice. "Big Mac, I swear, if that's you, I'm gonna buck you into next week."

The pony flinched and looked back at his friend. He shook his head, confused. The bigger pony turned to face Applejack. He came a little closer.

"Who are you?"

Applejack was getting annoyed. "I'm Applejack, as you damn well know! What do you think you're doing?!"

The big stallion froze. Something about Applejack's name had hit him. His friend looked from him to the ponies before them. Finally, he moved slowly forward and laid a hoof on the big pony's shoulder.

"We've got a job to do." His voice was gruff, but not unkind. "We don't need her or the pegasus. Just take the yellow one."

Applejack's eyes widened and glanced at Rainbow Dash. She had the same lost expression. They must have been thinking the same thing: clearly, this wasn't Big Macintosh.

They looked back at Applebloom. She was snarling in anger.

"Hey boneheads! Do you know who you're dealing with?!" she yelled.

The gruff stallion faced Applebloom and took the hoof off his friend. "Oh yes. Believe me - we do." He took a few steps forward. "In fact, we're willing to offer a deal." He stopped about two body's lengths away from Applejack.

Rainbow Dash spoke up. "We're not interested. You need to leave before somepony gets hurt."

The stallion laughed. "You're in no position to bargain with us, pegasus." Rainbow Dash bared her teeth in rage.

"What did you-"

"Silence!" interrupted the stallion. "We've journeyed farther than your collective little minds can comprehend. Do not test me." He paused. "We require earth ponies to sustain our land. We have been ordered to capture any that we see, whomever they may be.

"However, we are willing to let this one go," he gestured at Applejack, "in exchange for that one." He pointed at Applebloom.

"No way!" said Rainbow Dash. "You're going to have to get through us first!" She jumped up and hovered just above the ground.

Applejack stared at the stallion. She couldn't believe that a pony would ever do something like this. There were bad ponies in Equestria, sure, but not to this caliber.

She faced Applebloom. Applebloom was looking less angry and more terrified.

"They want you, not me," she whispered. "When we charge them, run."

Applebloom nodded. She took a step back.

"Please," said the larger stallion from the back, "understand. We must do this. If we don't, we'll die. Our people will starve."

Applejack's mouth opened, but she couldn't speak. Rainbow Dash had no such reservations.

"Yeah right. We'll send you back in a box!" She rose up in the air.

"Applebloom! RUN!" Rainbow Dash flew at the shorter stallion.

Applejack reared up and charged the stallion with Rainbow Dash. Applebloom galloped towards the Everfree as fast as she could.

The dark stallion laughed and lit his horn with a gray aura. In the blink of an eye, he stopped the pegasus with a grip of steal and hurtled her through a great oak, splitting the wide trunk in half.

Applejack stopped in horror as her friend fell to the base of the tree. The top half of the trunk fell on top of her with the crunching and cracking of branches and hollow bones.

The stallion lunged forward with cruel malice and swatted Applejack into the dirt.

"NO!" screamed the larger pony. "Leave her! Capture the yellow one!"

The gruff pony swore and reached for Applebloom with his magic. She had almost made it to the Everfree when she was engulfed by the stallion's deathly aura. She bucked and screamed, but there was no sound to be heard.

"No..." muttered Applejack. She could hardly think through the pain in her skull.

The larger pony stared at Applejack and came forward. Applebloom struggled in agonized silence overhead. He lowered his head to hers and whispered.

"I'm sorry, Applejack."

She tried to stand, her breathing ragged. The stallion's horn glowed blood-red.

"Sleep..." he said.

Applejack's eyes drooped, her knees buckled, and she knew no more.

***

Applejack awoke beside a crackling fire. The stars glistened above a canopy of leaves. The moon was nowhere in sight. A tent stood in the corner of her eye.

Her head was throbbing. She reached up and grazed it with her hoof. There were bandages circling her head under her mane. She gasped when she touched a particularly sensitive spot.

A log cracked and the sound of crunching leaves closed in on Applejack. The silhouette of a pony draped in dark robes came before her and the fire.

The events leading to Applejack's incapacitation came flooding back to her.

"YOU," she shouted. She attempted to stand, but her legs were too weak. She buckled forward.

"Whoa there," said a familiar voice. "Don't try to move. You're still very weak."

Applejack rolled on her back and looked up at the pony. She sounded just like…

"Twilight?.."

The pony stepped back. "How do you know my name?" she asked.

Applejack was confused. Of course she knew one of her best friends' name. How could she not?

But that was not her biggest concern.

"Twilight, have you seen Applebloom? We ran into two ponies... they attacked us, but Ah can't remember much after that."

Twilight turned her head down and to the side.

"I'm sorry... I was too late."

“W-what?” Applejack gaped. She felt her heart thumping in her chest; she could feel it's pressure through her teeth as though she were being forced to chew rubber. Her mind went blank, and her eyes watered.

"No... no! NO! YOU'RE LYING! You're a fucking ALICORN! How could you let... my sister-" She choked on her tears.

Twilight faced Applejack.

"...I'm not an alicorn." She stated. Applejack stood up in anger.

"LIAR!"

Twilight backed up, not expecting the earth pony to have regained so much strength. As she did so, the flickering light of the fire fell upon her face.

Twilight's mane was disheveled. It was long and unkempt, sticking out at odd angles. A scar ran from her left eye to the corner of her mouth like a sickly smile. She was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry! I tried what I could, but I'm not powerful enough to take on two fully-trained unicorns, okay?!"

Applejack looked through the clouds forming in her eyes and searched for Twilight’s wings. Twilight noticed and blushed.

"Stop looking at me like that! Look, I'll show you..." She unfolded the robes covering her torso and turned to the side. "You see?"

Applejack was silent. Indeed, Twilight did not have her wings.

She sat down and closed her eyes. What did it matter? Her sister was gone, and she had no way of finding her.

Applejack sobbed openly. Her breathing was choked and forced. She didn’t care what this pony thought of her. Right then, she hated everything.

She opened her eyes and looked around. She had to do something. She had to save her sister. She stood up and paced around the clearing, searching for even the slightest bit of hope. After several minutes of aimless wandering, however, she screamed in agony, running her hooves through her mane. She had never felt so helpless.

Twilight seemed to guess what she was thinking and sat next to her. "I may know.. how to find her.. your sister, I mean."

Applejack looked up at the pony, her eyes wide and desperate.

"I can take you to her," she said. "But I'm not sure I can bring you back."

"I don't care," said Applejack. But did she? Granny and Big Mac were surely looking for them right now. And Rainbow Dash... she had just remembered.

"W-where's Rainbow Dash?" she asked, hesitantly. The last she saw of her was under a maze of branches.

"She's alive," said Twilight. Applejack sighed with relief. Twilight’s voice wavered, "She's not, well.. come and see."

Twilight was visibly shaking. She was afraid of this moment, however inevitable it was. She got up and headed for the tent. Applejack followed after her.

Twilight stopped outside the tent, staring into the surrounding forest. Applejack moved past her and into the shelter.

What she saw nearly made her faint again. She closed her eyes and backed out as quickly as she'd come. Her stomach lurched.

Rainbow Dash was alive and breathing softly, but she was not well. Her left wing was completely gone, the stump surely hidden beneath layers of bandages.

Twilight looked upon Applejack with pleading eyes. "I tried everything I knew, but I couldn't save her wing. Please... forgive me..."

Applejack looked at the pony with disgust. She didn’t care what she had to say. Her anger had at last found the outlet it had been searching for. "The Twilight I knew didn't make excuses. She certainly never gave up on one of her best friends." Applejack glared at the pony and went back inside the tent to be with her friend.

Author's Note

And thus the story truly begins. I'm much happier with the way this one turned out, and I hope all of y'all are too.

I find there's an interesting dilemma with Rainbow Dash's character. She's the element of loyalty, but what is she loyal to? Her friends? Her dreams? From the beginning of the show, she has wanted to be a Wonderbolt; however, her biggest flaw is she doesn't understand the "no 'i' in team" principle. Even now that she has fulfilled her dream, she struggles with simply fitting in. Teamwork just isn't in her character.

This seems to conflict with her being the representation of loyalty. How can someone who is so obsessed with her own self-image be the Element of Loyalty? Clearly, she must value a different kind of loyalty - a special kind - loyalty to herself.

Again, comments and critique are appreciated.

Revelations

An oil lamp flickered under the canvas ceiling of a beige tent. Ghostly shadows danced around the walls. A pony sat by her mutilated friend, desperately clinging to some last vestiges of hope.

Applejack ran her hoof through Rainbow Dash's prismatic mane, the smooth, repetitive motion as much a therapeutic gesture for her as it was for her friend. Rainbow lay prone on the dirt floor. Her back rose and fell in tandem to her slow, methodical breathing. The white cloth that wrapped around her body was stained red. Her one remaining wing laid limply by her side.

Applejack looked around the tent. She had been staring at the same crease in the tent wall for a long while now. Several hours had passed since she had left the Twilight outside.

Yes - that Twilight. She had known Twilight Sparkle for years. They had fought many battles and traveled long distances together. They had saved the world together. She knew her friend. This pony couldn't be her, but if this pony wasn't the true Twilight, who could she be? Applejack had plenty of time to think it over while her friend slumbered.

Why was Twilight wearing the same dark robes as the two stallions? She was missing the cowl and the emblem, but other than that, the clothing was exactly the same. She also seemed to know about the two stallions even before they had fillynapped Applebloom. Perhaps she was some sort of a defector? She continued to wear those robes, however - even now - which struck Applejack as suspicious; nonetheless, the doppelganger had saved her and Rainbow’s lives. That did count for something.

Applejack felt a little guilty for how she treated this pony, now that she had regained a measure of rationality. She thought she should go apologize, but she did not want to leave Rainbow alone. Beyond that, she did not fully trust this pony.

Applejack stood up and frowned. She was tired of guessing, and Rainbow hadn't so much as twitched for the entirety of the time Applejack had been sitting beside her. She pulled her eyes off her friend and turned away. Her limbs cracked like glow sticks for being forced to move after having been still for so long. The tent flap slid along her matted coat as she stepped out into the cool, forest air.

A violet haze seeped through the clearing. Lonely patches of grass burdened by morning dew swayed in the breeze. Patterns of bare earth snaked between the sparse foliage. The surrounding trees opened up to a purple sky, signifying the coming of dawn. Twilight sat on a rotting log before the dying embers of her fire.

Applejack was surprised to see Twilight up so late, or early, as it were. She moved tentatively closer, though she made no attempt her hide her advance. Twilight's ears flicked back to the sound of Applejack's hooves crunching on dirt and grass. She stayed deathly still as Applejack sat next to her, as though she were sitting in the front row of a poorly attended funeral.

There was a long silence as Applejack thought of what to say. She found herself staring at a particularly boring crack in the earth. The oppressive silence seemed to discourage either of them from uttering a single sound.

Finally, she said, "Thanks."

Twilight exhaled very audibly. She flicked her eyes at Applejack but said nothing.

Applejack took advantage of her silence. "Look, Ah'm sorry for how I acted last night. It was-"

"Don't worry," said Twilight. "I understand." She turned her head to face Applejack. "I'm sure you have many questions."

"Like why’re you still wearin’ those clothes?" asked Applejack. “Why’re you still dressed as the brutes who took my sister?”

Twilight shuffled uncomfortably. "They're the only clothes I have."

"But why’re you still wearin’ them?"

Twilight gave Applejack a peculiar expression. "What?.."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Those two stallions are probably long gone by now. Ya don't need to keep wearin’ that."

Twilight blushed at Applejack's words. She was utterly confused. "But then I'd be naked. Honestly, I don't understand why you're not wearing anything." She blushed harder and turned away.

Now Applejack was confused. She didn’t understand why this pony would be afraid to go around without any clothes. Even Rarity often went without wearing one of her fancy dresses in public. It was just... natural.

“Fine,” said Applejack. “I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

“No, it doesn’t” stated Twilight. She reached around her other side and turned back with Applejack’s hat between her teeth.

Applejack murmured a half-hearted thank you and pulled the hat down on her head. She had not even realized it was missing, what with all that had happened. She faced Twilight, who was staring between her legs. The prominent scar that ran down her face reminded Applejack of just how different this pony was from the Twilight she knew. “Just who are you?” asked Applejack.

Twilight sighed and looked up at the sky. The purple was dissolving into a grayish-blue. Birds sung a morning prelude. Dark Everfree clouds drifted through the sky.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"If ya don't tell me, Ah definitely won't believe you."

"Ha!" Twilight grinned. "I guess I have nothing to lose, then." Her smile lowered as she took on a more serious tone. "There are, of course, more lands beyond Equestria where ponies roam. They may be separated by the lands of other creatures or by vast bodies of water, but beyond them is a vast sea." She paused for a moment, lost in memory. "Our people call this sea Semperus.

"My home is what lies beyond Semperus. It’s like the perfect antithesis of your world, like the other side of a coin. It's where they're taking your sister." She looked down at Applejack. "How did you know my name?"

Applejack was taken aback by the sudden question. She was still trying to figure out what “antithesis” meant. "Uh, well, Ah know a pony named Twilight."

Twilight leaned back, her shoulders tense. "I guess we look alike?"

"Well, yeah," said Applejack, "’cept she's an alicorn, and she doesn't have that scar." Applejack looked away in embarrassment as she was reminded of her outburst from the night before. She rarely swore like she did that night; Granny would have beaten her silly for it. When she looked back, Twilight was holding a hoof to her scar, her mouth agape.

"She... doesn't..." Twilight stared into the distance. “She’s a…” Her eyes glossed over, threatening tears, but all she did was sit in shocked silence.

Applejack waited politely for Twilight to snap out of her stupor. A few minutes later, however, she ran out of patience and got up. She stepped in front of Twilight and waved a hoof in her face. Twilight jumped in surprise.

"Sorry, sorry! I got a little lost for a moment."

"That's alrigh’, Twilight," said Applejack, "but Ah need to get going; Ah don't want to leave Rainbow alone for too long."

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight jumped up. "The sleeping spell I cast on her should be wearing off soon - we need to-”

Applejack was already moving. She grumbled angrily as she swept across the clearing; Twilight fought to catch up. As they approached, Applejack strained her ears to pick up the familiar, sequenced breathing of her friend. She hoped their hoof-steps were covering the sound.

They reached the tent, and Applejack pulled back the entrance flap. Rainbow Dash was not there.

"Dammit," swore Applejack.

Twilight's eyes were wide with worry. "What do we do? The forest is too dangerous to search through."

Applejack fixed her eyes on Twilight’s. "We search anyways."

***

Rainbow Dash lay on the dirt floor. Her old friend sat beside her, stroking her mane with despondent affection.

Suddenly, the Earth Pony stood up, apparently having had enough. She slipped outside, leaving the pegasus alone in the small shelter.

As the entrance to the tent closed behind Applejack, a cool breeze of morning air wafted over Rainbow Dash. She shuddered on the floor as the biting air shocked her into consciousness. Her eyes creaked open, her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, and her brain whirred itself into gear. Slowly, her senses came back to her.

Her mouth was dry and pasty from having spent half a day in silence. Her body felt cold and stiff from lying in such an uncomfortable position. She could smell the fire burning in a lamp somewhere above her head, and she could hear the rustling of the tent canvas as morning air swept by.

She closed her eyes, rolled onto her right side, and tried to remember how she had found herself on the floor of somepony's tent. Her thoughts were consumed by a blinding pain. It stood like a wall before the memories she sought. She willed her stubborn mind to relinquish the events of the previous day.

She remembered walking with Applejack. They had been talking about the Wonderbolts; she remembered because it was absolutely the last thing she had wanted to talk about. Another pony was with them, but Rainbow couldn’t remember why. They had come to the Everfree Forest and turned around. There were two ponies in their path… They were talking – no – fighting. They wanted…

Applebloom! Rainbow's neck snapped as she bolted up. She toppled down painfully and swore. Her torso was burning with sharp pain. It felt as though a knife had been twisted into her side. This disturbed her. She was very familiar with sports injuries like broken bones and rough scrapes... She had never felt such a pain as this. A sharp, crippling pain - right under her wing.

She craned her neck and swiveled her head around, though she was unsure whether she would see anything. She could feel thick layers of bandages wrapping around her body.

When her eyes came into view of her back, Rainbow Dash's face dissolved into an expression of horror. Layers upon layers of wrappings enclosed her mid-section. She could see her right wing shaking feebly through a hole in the bandages. Her left wing, however, seemed to be hidden under a broad patch of blood-stained cloth.

Her mouth hung open, and her vision blurred for a moment. There was no bulge under the crimson cloth to signify the presence of her wing. An unfamiliar numbness stemmed from the joint where her wing should have connected. Despite this, she tried flapping her wings. Maybe she could see the wing push against the inside of the bandages? Her right wing twitched up and down feebly, but she could neither feel nor see anything from where her left wing was assumingly hidden. She reached a hoof around to feel the spot, hoping to find that her wing was, in fact, still attached to her body. She had barely grazed the area, however, when her entire body seized with unbearable agony. It was exactly what she had felt when she had attempted to stand just a moment ago.

Her mind went blank. Her heart sunk. Her eyes closed, and her cheeks glistened with tears. She turned away from her back, unable to bear the sight.

No…

Her chest heaved, and her body shook. She pounded the ground to alieve the pain surging from both her back and her shattered soul. She refused to believe that her wing was gone. She refused to believe that she would never fly again. She refused to believe the unendurable pain she felt was real! Flying was such a central part of her life; without it, what did that life matter?

She lifted her eyes and ground her teeth in pain. She refused to lie here and wallow in depravity. There had to be something she could do – anything! Her body screamed in protest as she forced herself onto her hooves. She buried the pain under her rising anger and focused on making her way outside.

One hoof lifted off the ground and hovered forward. When it landed on the hard ground, a shockwave flowed through her body, initiating another wave of pain. She hissed as the muscles in her back convulsed involuntarily, but she didn't stop moving. She repeated the process, each wave of pain giving her more anger with which to bury her suffering.

It seemed like hours before Rainbow Dash made it to the entrance of the tent. She stuck her head outside. Two ponies sat on a log in the middle of a clearing in the Everfree Forest. Dawn had nearly arrived. The dark sky was tinged with gray and birds tweeted a cheerful, mocking melody.

She cared not who sat before her, blissfully unaware of her suffering. She left the tent and headed into the forest.

***

Applejack ran through the underbrush. Stray branches scraped against her sides, cutting through her fur. Insects buzzed hungrily around her ears. Small rocks and fallen trees intruded her path. The light of the sun was all but hidden behind a thick canopy of leaves.

It was dangerous to be in the Everfree. Many strange creatures prowled through the maze of trees and other greenery. Most of the more dangerous monsters were nocturnal, but that didn't mean they would be content to release a pony who stumbled into one of their dens.

Applejack had only been searching for a few minutes, but she was already sweating with exertion and worry. She wasn't confident Rainbow Dash would be able to handle herself if the situation arose. She was actually amazed that Rainbow had managed to hide herself so well in her condition, but she knew she had not been searching for all that long.

Applejack paused to breathe. Rainbow couldn't have gone very far. Her injuries would have incapacitated any other pony for several days, at least; only Rainbow’s stubbornness would be driving her now. She may be more likely to hear her than she was to randomly stumble across her.

She walked forward quietly and swung her head around like a lost filly trying to find her mother. The forest buzzed with the sounds of nature, rendering her silence almost useless. Insects continued to crowd around her ears, wind rustled through the tree tops, and small animals called out in strange cries. It seemed she would have to rely on her other senses after all. She followed the sound of a nearby stream. The bank that enclosed the flowing water would be free of foliage, so perhaps Applejack would find her friend in the open area. Maneuvering through the trees before her, Applejack came into view of the water. Long, green grass hugged the edges of the bank. Tree roots extended into the water like thick straws. Rainbow Dash sat on the bank, a stray ray of sunlight casting her in the spotlight.

Applejack stopped in her tracks. She had not really expected to find her friend here, and now that she had, she realized she had no idea what to do. What can you say to somepony whose whole world has been turned upside down? She ran her eyes along the back of her friend and stopped at the patch of blood stained into her bandages. It looked wet; Rainbow must have opened the wound by coming all the way out here.

Applejack walked forward. She may not have known what would assuage Rainbow’s suffering, but dammit if she wouldn’t stay by her side anyways. She came up to Rainbow’s right side and sat on the edge of the bank. The water flowed about a foot below where they sat. Small fish swam with the stream, occasionally pausing to dig through the pebbles that covered the floor of the stream.

Rainbow stared down at the water, her expression blank. Her forelegs were stretched out between her back legs as she hunched over the bank. Applejack mirrored her position, not wanting to look her friend in the eyes.

The two of them sat like this in silence for several minutes. The sounds of the forest and the stream clamored around them. A cloud of leaves descended upon them when a particularly strong gust of wind blew through the tops of the trees.

Rainbow Dash sniffed under the cover of the wind. “What do I do now?” she asked. Her voice was choked, the words forced.

Applejack looked at Rainbow. The tone of her friend’s voice shook her; she wasn’t at all prepared to handle this kind of situation. “Oh Ray.. what do you want to do?”

Rainbow did not answer. She looked away and turned her back on Applejack.

Applejack felt her eyes well up with tears. She could not bear to see her usually brash and bold friend so helpless and lost.

She scooted closer to Rainbow and pulled her into a hug. “I may never understand what you’re going through, but I’ll stay by your side – for as long as you’ll have me.” Rainbow shook as she tried to suppress her sobs. “Never forget that.”

Rainbow Dash melted in Applejack’s arms. “I-I’ll always have you…” And she let her sorrows be absolved by her friend’s embrace.

There is no true love; there are merely different ways of expressing it. A mother may take time off from her job to spend time with her children. A chivalrous knight may ride to the far corners of the Earth to save a princess. A friend may take a lost one into her arms, swearing that she will never let go.

***

The night sky was dark and empty. The stars had already faded into blackness, and the moon had long since disappeared below the horizon.

“If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now. The boss doesn’t forgive stragglers. We’re already several days behind as it is.”

“I know. If she has a problem, pin it on me.”

“Why don’t we just leave? It’s not like we’ll ever be coming back here. Hopefully, anyways. This place disgusts me…”

“My thoughts exactly… We will make these ponies know what it is to suffer. They dare to live such happy lives while our people struggle simply to get by. No more…”

The gruff stallion sighed as his friend finished his little monologue. They stood atop the crest of a hill overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. Applebloom hung limply above and behind them, unconscious.

Big Macintosh lit his horn and began.

Author's Note

Again, I am much happier with how this chapter turned out. I put more focus into keeping the tone of the story more or less the same, which helped with the pacing.

My biggest struggle was with capturing the emotions of the ponies. I've never lost a limb or a close loved one. Part of my love for reading stems from the ability to empathize with emotions or scenarios that I have never faced - but I've found it is very difficult to create such a situation without that experience.

As before, I appreciate comments and critique.