Chapter 1.
Applejack's Beginning.

It was a cold autumn day in the quiet little town of Ponyville. The leaves on the trees were an assortment of colors, and the sky was a slight gray tint from the rainstorm scheduled for the following evening. Ponies were trotting along the streets, going about their daily business. Amidst these ponies was an orange mare named Applejack. She's a well-known farmer from Sweat Apple Acres and friendly to most. While her circle of best friends was quite small (or non-existent), she did have one, very obnoxious, best friend.

"Hiya AJ!" A pink pony that came from literally nowhere said in her usual upbeat voice.

Applejack stumbled back in surprise, which was immediately halted due to the cart she pulled behind her. "Pinkie! How many times do I gotta tell ya, stop sneakin up on me?!" she hollered at the pink pony.

Pinkie Pie, as was her name, jumped up and down in front of the farmer with a gleeful smile on her face. "Sorry AJ! It's just that I'm so excited for this year's Nightmare Night! It's just a month away! A month I tell you!" she exclaimed from where she stood in front of the orange mare.

Applejack regained herself as she rolled her eyes with a knowing smile. If there was one thing Pinkie liked more than planning parties, it was all the sweets that came with it. She couldn't think of a single pony that could consume that much sugar and not gain a pound from it. Then again, Pinkie did tell her what her mother said it was. Extremely high metabolism or something?

"So, where ya going?" Pinkie asked as she bounced to the left of her orange friend.

Applejack continued walking on her way after she noted that none of her apples fell out of the cart, "Just headin off ta the market ta sell some extra apples, and you?"

"Bouncing around talking to you silly!" Pinkie exclaimed as she continued to follow Applejack to the marketplace.

"Of course you are," said Applejack as she and Pinkie entered the Ponyville town square. The square of the small town consisted of a few shops and eateries. There was the Gilded Horseshoe restaurant, the Ponyville Spa, and Sugar Cube Corner which is where Pinkie Pie works and lives. There was also the Golden Oaks Library off at the far end. Applejack didn't need any books that weren't already back at the farmhouse, so she never really went to the library. The market was pretty much in the middle of Ponyville as well.

"So, are you making caramel apples for this year's Nightmare Night again? I remember them being such a big hit last year." Pinkie asked as she continued to follow Applejack throughout the Ponyville market.

"Yup. I gotta few baskets of apples all ready ta go for it." Applejack then came to a stop next to her custom-made shopping stall. "Um, Pinkie? Don't want ta sound rude or nothin but I gotta get ta work here. Can we talk later?" She asked as she started setting up her pre-owned market stall.

"Okie Dokie Lokie Pokie! See ya later AJ!" Pinkie exclaimed as she bounced her way out of the marketplace.

Applejack stood there for a moment and then proceeded to set up the stall in her name. She was exhausted from all the work around the farm as of late. With Nightmare Night coming up, she was busy double-timing her apple-bucking. Her brother Big Mac was away in Appaloosa to help in rebuilding a railroad that got damaged in a storm a few days ago and granny was as old as Ponyville itself, so that left her and her sister Apple Bloom to do all the work.

With a sigh, she finished setting up the stall and got to work.

The school bell rang, and a large group of fillies and colts rushed from the building. Amongst the group of younger ponies was three little fillies named Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. The three were trotting and talking about their plans for the upcoming Ponyville Nightmare Night party.

"So let me get this straight. You think we should go as the Power Puff Ponies?" Scootaloo, an orange pegasus filly with a purple mane and tail, questioned as she walked alongside her two other friends.

Sweetie Belle, an off-white unicorn filly with a pink and lavender mane and tail, replied, "it was either that or the Three Bridleteers."

Scootaloo's eyes widened to the name, "The who now?"

Apple Bloom, a yellow-pale earth pony filly with a red mane and tail, jumped into the conversation. "Y'all never heard of the Three Bridleteers?" she questioned with a quizzical look.

Scootaloo shook her head at the question and proceeded on, "well, I guess the Power Puff Ponies isn't the worst idea, but I think I can come up with a better one," she stated proudly. In all honesty, she didn't have any better ideas, yet.

"Ya, like what?" Apple questioned again. She knew her friend well enough to know she was at a loss. The look on Scootaloo's face only proved it.

The little orange pegasus huffed indignantly, "give me time, I'll think of something."

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as she kept walking. "Uh-huh," she then looked to the Ponyville clock tower ahead and started a brisk trot towards home. "Sorry I can't stay and chat longer, but with Big Mac in Appleloosa Ah'm needed more on the farm. We'll catch up more on this tomorrow though, ok?"

"Sure. Bye Apple Bloom," both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said in unison as they went their separate ways.

On her trot back to the farm, Apple Bloom began running ideas through her head about what to do for Nightmare Night. She had conjured up some ideas for decorating the farm, but her sister had said it would get in the way of work. Her sister was like that though. Ever since their parents passing, Applejack was more of a work mare than a sibling. She still loved her sister, but she wished she could spend more time with her that didn't involve work and chores.

As she looked up from her muse, she noticed the farm appearing in the distance. She continued her walk until she saw something else out of the corner of her eye. Sweet Apple Acres was usually a quiet farm, but its neighbor wasn't so forgiving. Across the distance was a large wooded area called the Everfree Forest. She remembered the stories her parents had told her about the enchanted forest. The stories about little fillies and colts going missing only to be found days later in the Ponyville river. She, along with everyone else, was told to never go into the forest. Then again there was a zebra that lived there.

Zecora wasn't the only occupant of the forest, but she was the only resident that wouldn't eat a pony for dinner. She had come into town one day looking for supplies, but because no one had ever seen a creature like her before, no one approached her. Accepted for Apple Bloom that is. She was trying to prove she was a big pony to her sister, which got her into more trouble than she would have liked.

Zecora agreed to tell the townsfolk how she lived in the forest mostly undisturbed, in exchange for her freedom to come and go from the town as she pleased. The townsfolks did accuse her once of fillynapping the young ponies that would enter the forest, but she explained that it was not her. It was the Timberwolves. They were said to be ferocious beasts with razor-sharp teeth and claws. With the body of a wolf but a hyde as strong as bark, they are the dominant creatures of the forest.

No pony ever saw the Timberwolves and lived to tell the tale. Apple Bloom, however, did.

One night, when the moon was high in the sky, a loud howl came from outside the barn. Apple Bloom awoke from her sleep the moment she heard it, and ran to her window to find the source. She didn't see any creature, but she did see paw prints.

Quietly running down and out of the house, she examined the prints before her. They were bigger then their dog Winona, with long claws protruding from the center of the paw.

Smiling in childish excitement, she ran down the path of paws. She didn't know what creature the large paws belonged to, but she was going to find out.

The path led her to the Everfree Forest, but not deterred from the ominous looking forest, she ran right in. After runing for a minute or two, she found she was lost. Nothing was around her.

A growl to her right told her she wasn't as alone as she thought.

"Puppy!"

Apple Bloom shook her head. She continued her way to the apple orchard to start her workday. She would usually work as close to the farmhouse as possible, but being low on hooves as it were, she had to work in the southern field today. It was the closest field to the forest, but that didn't deter her from her work. She might be a small pony, but she believed she could handle the load. What's the worst that can happen, right?

Author's Note

First fic. YAY. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Just to clarify, Apple Bloom is around 3/4 years old in the flashback and Applejack is Apple Blooms current age in the story. This is relevent for a later chapter.

Edited 9/4/2018