Chapter 5.
Attack Of The Timberwolves.

"Applejack?!" Applebloom cried as she saw her sister round a corner. She had been walking with Sweet Step for around 30 minutes now and was losing hope of ever finding an exit to this accursed forest. Seeing her sister was comforting, but the wolves behind her weren't.

"Apple Bloom!?" Applejack shouted as she rammed into the two fillies. In a moment, all three ponies were in a tumbling mess on the forest floor.

Applejack was the first to recover as she looked at the scene before her.

Apple Bloom and Sweet Step were both on the ground while the wolves rose up around them. Their growls and barks ran shivers down her spine. If she was going to act, she had to move fast.

In an instant, she rose to her hooves and took a defensive stance over the fillies. "If y'all want ta get ta them, ya gotta go through me first!"

With a growl, the wolves lept forward, teeth bared and claws sharp. Applejack sidestepped and bucked the first wolf in the jaw. Wood flew as the wolf let out a howl of pain before scurrying away.

Applejack had not a moment to spare, however, as another wolf came in from behind and bit down on her tail. The pain was immense, but she pushed through. She spun on the spot and punched the wolf squarely in the chest. Splinters pierced her skin as the wolf's chest shattered.

Her hooves were stained green from Timberwolf blood. Her mind was in a frenzy, trying to keep her sister and this filly safe. She had to stay focused, for all of their sake.

She looked to her left as another wolf went in for the attack. She ducked to the side and delivered a bone-shattering kick, which disintegrated the wolf. Her hooves should have been aching from the blows she dished out, but years of work on the farm made the pain tolerable.

Applebloom, coming back to her senses, watched as her sister fought against monsters twice her size in a fight to the death. Her sister would swing left, sidestep right, and throw the occasional punch when she could. She needed to move. She needed to get up.

A scream to her left brought her back to reality as a wolf started walking towards Sweet Step, green drool pooling from its mouth. The look on her face said all Apple Bloom needed to know. She was petrified.

Apple Bloom got to her hooves and charged the creature down. She might not be able to buck apples out of a tree yet, but she knew how to throw a punch. She swung her right hoof into the side of the beast as it fell to the ground. Growling in anger, it stood back up and howled to the moon, calling in reinforcements. Apple Bloom walked back to Sweet Step and grabbed her hoof.

"Ya gotta get up!" She cried as she pulled Sweet Step to her hooves. The sudden movement gave Sweet Step a headache, but she recovered and looked towards Apple Bloom. "Follow Applejacks hoof prints outta the forest!"

Sweet Step blinked. "But what about you two?!"

"I'll stay behind and help my sister with the Timberwolves. But ya need to get out of here!" Apple Bloom shouted as she looked back to her sister. She knew her sister was strong, but even Applejack couldn't fight off an entire pack of Timberwolves by herself.

Sweet Step hesitated, not wanting to leave the two behind, but Apple Bloom put a hoof on her shoulder. "We'll be right behind you. Ah, promise."

Sweet Step smiled and hugged her, "Thank you." before making her way down the path Applejacks hooves created.

Apple Bloom watched as the filly run off without another word. With a sigh, she turned and observed the situation. Wolf after wolf relentlessly lunged at Applejack with vigor. She saw claw and bite marks on her sister's coat as she fearsomely fought against the wolves.

In a moment, Apple Bloom raced to her sister's side a delivered a kick to a wolf that was near inches from getting a good hit on Applejack. It tripped to its side and retreated from its attack. "Thought you could use some help."

Applejack looked to her right and saw her sister taking a defensive stance next to her. "APPLE BLOOM! What do ya think you're doing!"

Apple Bloom looked to her sister indignantly. "You can't fight them all by yourself!" She said, pointing a hoof towards the wolves.

"Doesn't mean ya'll need to get hurt fighting my fight!" Applejack then looked back to see the Timberwolves regrouping in the distance. "Ya need to go! NOW!"

Apple Bloom puffed her chest. "Not without you! If you're stayin, I'm stayin."

Applejack glared and scowled. "APPLE BLOOM! DO AS I SAY AND G... LOOK OUT!" She said as a Timberwolf sprang forward and tried to snatch at Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom was quick on her hooves, however, and sidestepped out of the way of the wolf, causing it to skid passed her and fall to the ground.

Apple Bloom and Applejack looked at the pack of wolves, now closing in on them. Applejack steeled her nerves as she saw the oncoming storm. She took a glance at Apple Bloom, who also sported a defensive position, eyes narrowed.

How could she keep her sister safe if that dang filly always ran head first into trouble? No matter the situation, it never failed. Apple Bloom constantly found herself in a position which required Applejack saving her flank.

But she knew how Apple Bloom worked. If she was going down, she was going down swinging. She was much like her sister in that way.

"Ya ready?" Applejack timidly asked, looking in the direction of her little sister. Apple Bloom looked back with a timid smile herself.

"Ready when you are, sis." Apple Bloom said as both ponies readied for a fight. They were surrounded and outnumbered. It was all or nothing now.

Sweet Step sped her way through the Everfree Forest, taking out the occasional branch or two as she passed by. Tears filled her vision as she thought about Apple Bloom and Applejack.

"Oh, why did I leave them there? Mom's going to be so mad when she finds out about all this." She skidded to a stop to check her surroundings. She was, thankfully, still on the path Applejack's hooves made.

She took a glance behind her, hoping to see Apple Bloom and Applejack running up the trail. She saw nothing. Not a single creature was in her sight.
For some reason, the forest grew colder. It wasn't like the wind kicked up or anything. Everything just froze. The trees were still. The wind was silent. The only thing Sweet Step could hear was her heartbeat, which was increasing by the second.

She felt eyes on her. It terrified her.

In a panic, she looked around again, trying to find the source of her fear. When she saw it, fear was only the beginning.

"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

With a howl, the Timberwolves charged forward. Barks and growls sound off while claws scrape the ground. Anger and hunger, evident on their faces.

Applejack and Apple Bloom lept forwards as well. Applejack was the first to throw a punch, as the wolf she hit fell to the ground. Apple Bloom slid in the mud and bucked a wolf in the chest. It let out a howl of pain as another wolf came in from the right. Applejack jumped in the air and tackled it to the ground. They rolled around in the mud for a minute, the wolf bitting and clawing at Applejack. The claw marks on her skin were prominent, but she ignored the pain for as long as she could.

Apple Bloom saw her sister and the wolf's struggle in the mud. She wanted to help, but she would make matters worse for her sister if she tried to intervene. She looked to her left and saw two more wolves charging her way.

Applejack saw the wolves charging down Apple Bloom. In a moment, she pushed the one wolf off of her and ran towards Apple Bloom. As she tackled the wolves to the ground, one wolf scratched at her right eye, temporarily closing it. She tussled with the wolves a moment before they got the better on her and one bit her left foreleg.

She screamed in pain as the wolf's fangs bared down on her skin. She might have a high endurance from working on the fields, but this was nothing like the pain she felt in her legs after a hard day at work. Another wolf bared down on her neck, causing blood to fly through the air. In a moment, the fangs released, showing teeth mark running along her throat.

She bucked the wolves around her until there was nothing left and hobbled back to Apple Bloom's side. Seeing her wounds, Apple Bloom started to cry. When she was with her sister, she thought they were invincible. She was wrong.

"Come on Apple Bloom! We're leavin now!" Applejack said, grabbing Apple Bloom and throwing her on top of her back. Applejack tried to run but tumbled to the ground. Both she and Apple Bloom rolled in the mud, covering both of them. The wounds on her legs and the added weight of Apple Bloom made it impossible for her to move.

Apple Bloom recovered and saw her sister down on the ground. "Come on, Applejack! Get up!" She was openly sobbing now. "Dear Celestia, give her strength." She thought.

Applejack tried to stand, but her injuries proved problematic. Scratches and bite marks covered her body. Her bones ached, and her muscles spasmed. Mud caked her hooves and dirt covered her body. She wasn't dead, but she felt it. " Apple Bloom. Go. Just get out of here while ya still can."

Saddened by her sister's words, Apple Bloom bent down and nudged her. "No, sis. I ain't leavin here without ya."

Applejack coughed again. "You have ta go. I can't move."

Apple Bloom could see the wolves closing in around them. Any minute now, they would strike them down. Refusing to leave her sister behind, Apple Bloom crouched down next to Applejack and her sister wrapped a reluctant hoof around her.

As Apple Bloom cried into her sister's fur, Applejack cooed her. "It's ok Apple Bloom. Just go to sleep. It'll be ok. Ah, promise."

Apple Bloom whimpered in her side. "Could you sing me the lullaby Ma used to sing to us, please?"

Tears fled Applejack's eyes. If this was their last moments together, she was going to make the most of it. "Sure, surgecube."

With the wolves around them, Applejack painfully began to sing.

"Hush little Apple Bloom, time to sleep.
Drift off and dream of magic sheep."

"And whenever you think you're wrong.
Just remember that you are strong."

"Hush little Apple Bloom, lay your head.
I will be there when you go to bed."

"And when you finally find your spark.
I will be there with your cutie mark."

As Applejack finish, the Timberwolves were mere feet away. She glanced at Apple Bloom, who was still convulsing in her grip, tears streaming down her face. She lowered her head a closed her eyes. Maybe she could dream of magic sheep too. "I'm sorry, Apple Bloom."

Applejack sturred from her sleep, her head in a haze. As she opened her eyes, she noticed she was still in the forest. Looking around, however, she didn't see any of the Timberwolves. Had they all just left?

She stood up, finding it much easier to do than it was last night. Her injuries had healed overnight, but the marks were still there. Her foreleg was still torn up, but she could at least walk now.

Looking up, it seemed to be morning. The sun was breaking through the leaves in the trees. She could hear birds overhead and the tranquil sounds of the forest.

She froze, noticing for the first time just how alone she was. Looking around, she saw everything a forest would naturally have, except Apple Bloom. She panicked, racing around, trying to find her sister.

"Apple Bloom! Where are you?!" She called as she sprinted through the forest. Nothing, not even a whimper made its way to her hearing. But still, she tried.

She ran for what seemed like hours, calling her sisters name all the while. She never got a reply. She stopped to catch her breath near a hollowed out tree.

As she stood there panting, she looked down and at her hooves was a pink ribbon. It was part of Apple Bloom's bow.

She picked it up in her hooves and stared at it, tears building up again. In defeat, she fell to her knees and cried in despair. "APPLE BLOOM!"

Author's Note

YAY! Got another chapter done. And what a chapter it was. For any new writers reading this, don't be afraid to write action. It's not as hard as it looks. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. See you in the next chapter. Tally-ho.

All lot of pictures for this chapter.

Applejack protecting Apple Bloom from the Timberwolves.

https://www.derpibooru.org/1565822?q=artist%3Atheravencriss

Applejack fighting the Timberwolves.

https://www.derpibooru.org/563632?q=artist%3Anaterrang

Applejack holding Apple Bloom close as the Timberwolves encroach.

https://www.derpibooru.org/721669?q=artist%3Anaterrang

Applejack finding Apple Blooms pink ribbon.

https://www.derpibooru.org/271724?q=artist%3Anaterrang