Today was a pleasant day under Celestia's sun, the orange sun beat down upon Sweet Apple Acres with a furious gaze, a calm cooling breeze swept across the land; it was the height of summer in Equestria. The perfect weather to lay out in the sun and soak up it's rays for most, myself included at the time. But oh boy was I wrong... so, so wrong... This is the tale of betrayal, murder; pure vindictive malevolence. I shall never forget today...
Earlier that day, mid-morning.
Wow, today is wonderful, Celestia has really outdone herself this time, truly fantastic; it's been at least -- what, two days since a major disaster? -- I could not be happier. Not regretting that I decided to get up earlier for today either; I don't like it when they interrupt me when I'm thinking... damn family, always loving me! My grandma always says that I shouldn't fall too far from the apple tree, but I want to become a painter when I grow up, so keeping everyone happy will be difficult. The rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres are perfect for scenic painting: lush trees, thick grass; a fantastic view of both the sunset and the sunrise. However, there is a problem, the only art school even near here is in Canterlot... My family would rather that I stay on the farm, but I can't if I want to achieve my dream, surely though if they love me, they will let me go. Wont they? Yes, yes they will, of course they will!
That's one of the reasons why I got up so early, to think about my future. That and to memorise the landscape of Sweet Apple Acres, it would be rather hard to paint on observation, when I'm all the way in Canterlot!
Oh, looks like the family are starting to wake up. Great.
Later that day, in the afternoon.
Well that was painful, but I love them really. How couldn't I? They help raise, guide and help me through all the situations I found hard. They still do, and they always will...
You know diary, I find it so easy to talk to you. You're the friend that always listens to me, you don't judge me for what I say, for what I've done, or even for what I intend to do, you just sit, and listen to what I have to say. Don't get me wrong, I love them all to death, but sometimes I need to be able to be understood; even if it's by an inanimate object.
Wait. Are they calling to me again!? No, no it's much more distant... Wait, it can't be. Can it?!
Same time, not so far away.
"Hooie Big Mac. Sure was hot today."
"Eeyup."
"Ya ready to harvest the last batch?"
"Eeyup."
"Well, lets get to it!"
Back to where we were before.
The Keepers, it's them! I never thought I would see the day! Wow, what should I say to them; can they even hear? No matter, I better be on my best behaviour, I hear they're very picky.
Hmm, sure it a strange way to get the job done, sort of invasive, forcing us out of our homes like that... Whatever, I'm sure they know best!
Mass transport as well? I thought it would be a little more private, never mind, I get to see all my neighbours, friends and family again to say goodbye. Boy, they really think of everything; they know how to treat us right!
"Last one sis. You think you can do it in one?"
"You're on!"
"Hehe. On the count'a three: one, two, THREE!"
I was suddenly shook, I had never felt anything like it before; even in the most heavy and furious of storms, I had not felt such a thing. I fell, fell, fell... Then all was black.
I awoke, but I wish I didn't; all I could hear was crunching; chewing, disgusting, horrifying... Words cannot express my horror; even in my dazed and barely-concious state, I could register what I saw. The Orange One, Apple-jack i think was chewing on my mother!
SHE WAS ENJOYING IT!
How could she?! After all they did for us, raising us, for what?! To eat us?!
It's all been a lie... all of it. The realisation was coming for me, Sweet Apple Acres was not a nursing ground, it was a concentration camp; a battery farm!
I have to save them! But I can't, I can't move. All I can do is watch, nay, I was forced to watch, both by my positioning and the morbid captivation; I was engrossed. All I could do was weep as I saw her pick up another of my family, another one to be savagely murdered.
Her screams filled the air, could they not hear them? Could they not hear how much hurt it causes? No, there is no excuse, how could anyone not hear that. They appeared to relish in the pain, the suffering.
I watched again as another of my friends and family were killed. Something about an 'end of day reward', sick; disgusting. This time it was The Red One, he opened up his mouth and broke my friend in half! How was that even possible?!
All i could do was hurt, wait for them to go, or for me to be next...
The time is sunset, on the grass.
I was spared, whether it be from some sort of perverted luck, or some intentional leaving so that I could feel the most amount of pain... i do not know. All I know is that I am alive, barely. Bruised, no one will want me now... I'm a cripple.
My dreams lay scattered on the ground before me, surely there is no hope of schooling now? No, no I will not let them down. They would of liked me to try; I'm sure of it. So i will not let them down.
The sun was setting now... my life is changed forever; I can no longer weep, I must push on... I heard my 'masters' talking about sending an 'Apple Bloom' to an art school; that's where I got the idea.. whatever an 'Apple Bloom' is. Maybe it's one of them, a kind one of them; one I can talk to.
Yes, I will do that then. Pursue me dream, try to escape this mad, terrible place.
My name is Red Delicious, and I'm a survivor of the 'Sweet Apple Massacre'.
A life cut short, for what!? To sate a hunger... a hunger only apples could satisfy.
I am an apple.
The night after the events at the end of the last chapter.
The night is cold and the sky is dark;
Still no relief from the weight on my heart.
The maniacal monsters and their insatiable lust,
Now my compassion is turned to dust.
No ability to forgive,
Now that my heart is gone.
I lay here alone;
Totally forlorn...
Racked brain is all that's left;
The fear that I'll never rest,
Will put my judgement to the test.
Fight hard to do my best.
Several days after the 'incident'.
It took forever to get out of that dreadful place, it went on and on... I thought that I would never get out. But I showed them! Apparently they didn't think that we were smart enough, so there is only a shallow fence guarding the perimeter of the camp. That or they thought we wouldn't want to... NO! I'm not going to think like that again, it was all a lie! A terrible, terrible lie.
I can't look back now.
At this point I find myself on a dusty path, the small granules of the road sticking to my bruised skin. Not that I have anyone to keep my image for now. In fact it's a wonder that I even got this far in the first place, I can only remember not moving; never actually -- no, that's a silly line of thought, of course I moved on my own. How else would I?!
Oh well, better get a move on; don't want the day to waste away...
A couple of hours later, closer to Ponyville (home of the devil's).
Here I am, dare I enter? How will I be welcomed, if at all? No matter, I've made my mind up, I'm going to Canterlot, and the train from here is the easiest way to do it. Or at least that's what they said, if what they said is even true then a train leaves every 2 hours from here. I think the real task will be actually be getting on the train, from what I can tell, it wont be easy if they were designed for the Murderous Devils.
Looks like there's a hill down to the town, if I use it roll down there I should be able to get there in double-time!
A short while later, after the roll down the hill obviously.
Okay, looks like the station in somewhere north-east of this road, due to the tracks coming down from Canterlot. Should I go trough the outskirts, or brave the centre of town? Might as well brave it suppose, I've come this far; it wouldn't hurt to know more about my enemy.
I'll just travel though the grass by the sides of the road so that I'm not seen, that should do well enough for now... I need a disguise I think.
In the town square.
Wow, there are so many. First I never see any of them for -- like, ever -- now I see at least twenty in one place! What in the brown leaves of autumn could they all want?! Maybe this is the time to make myself a disguise; by the sound of it the last train left about thirty minutes ago.
Hmmm... where to go... Ah! There seems to be a fabric stand over the other side of the square. But how to get there? Let me think...
Over at the other side of the square.
Well that was quick, and ingenious if I do say so myself! Now all I need to do is -- wait, it can't be -- they're here, oh no... and they have some of my friends with them in those wicker prisons, I have to help them!
Oh bright blessed days of summer, what will I do?! Okay calm, calm; I'm sure I'm making this out to be more than I think... NOPE! He's a freakin' apple pie maker! This is without a doubt, the end. Unless... I pretend I'm not an apple! Yes, that could just work. Now all I need to work out is what the mortal enemy of an apple is...
A short while later.
This is absolute genius, only minimal effort for something that changes my disguise in both a direct and indirect way! I am Big Delicious, the tomato! When I come to power, all fruit will proverbially kneel before my genius. It's in their best interest; they just don't know it yet. No self-respecting individual would bring a tomato to work as a fruit (even though it is), it's simpler to avoid the inevitable argument by not brining one at all...
Oh, it looks like he's coming to a stop. Maybe this is the place, and if so, I wonder if some of the harvest from Ponyville will be here. I doubt they would have major competition so close to one another, but then these ponies don't do anything much in a logical way; after all, they don't even photosynthesise! Well, the place seems very average looking; no strange looking torture machines within sight, at least they have the decency to at least try and hide their audacious crimes from the prying eyes of the population. I wonder if they sell these apple pies on the black market? After all, they are made from the processed inners of sentient beings; without their consent, in the form of a donor card from a death from a non-related incident.
Hmm, I wonder why he left me in this small closet... perhaps it's where they keep those strange 'external storage devises for additional resources', or "bags" for short. Ponies are so strange, why would you need to wear anything other than the skin you were born with? Never mind, it looks like he wont be coming back for a short while at least; better get comfortable.
A couple of hours later, in the lunch room.
"Ugh, a tomato! You're the worst fruit, and you should be ashamed."
"Tomatoes, a fruit? Don't think so."
Well, that could of gone a little better; it turns out he's allergic to tomatoes. Still, it's no need to throw me out of the window. It seems I underestimated the bigotry of these ponies... tomatoes may be disgusting, but that's no need to attempt to murder them. In any case, I wasn't really a tomato, and apples after all are hardier. But if I didn't land in that bush, I would of probably have been splattered all over the road; a welcome meal for the local wildlife. Thank the Royal Sisters that wasn't the case!
Shortly after looking around for any dangers, I saw a sign leading straight to the school. The only thing I would need is a mode of transport...
A short while, and one convenient mode of transport later...
What am I going to do?! Well, I could try and trip one of the ponies up; maybe knocking over the stand. But I don't want my friends to become bruised like me... and as much as I want to save them, I'm not sure I'm ready to die by being crushed underhoof to do it.
I might have to resign myself to the possibility that I wont be able to save everyone; perhaps I should come to terms with that possibility. W-wait, what's that?!
Before I could so much as chain my next thought together: it happened; the Blue Comet came down from the sky and smote them. Why? I cannot say... All I can say it that it was if hundreds of voices cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced... it was an unspeakable horror to witness; such a fickle thing life is, the mistress of fate takes no quarter. At that point there was no need for me to continue seek out a way in which to save them, for obvious reasons. I left that dreadful square to the sound of the Orange Horror chastising the Blue Death with a passion; swearing that she would 'make her pay' for 'damaging her property', her lack of thought of equality was sickening...
A small amount of time later, on the train to Canterlot.
Somehow I managed to get on the train; if I were to tell you how, I would have to kill you. No matter however, as if you were to ask I would be most surprised: after all, no one noticed my arrival.
The the train chugged along the track at a lethargic yet steady pace; the view from the windows were most stunning indeed. For one, the orchard was much larger than I first thought, and it covered an area that at least out-sized the town two-fold. Hills were cut to accommodate the track between them; forests were torn to not approach the moving locomotive: the brutal ease in which they change their scenery is both amazing, in a positive and negative light.
I felt that the train my slowing it's pace, so I rolled myself off a seat into the bag of a currently slumbering pony. He will take me pass the gates; then I'll be able to make my way to the school where Apple Bloom is currently studying.
Or at least, that was the plan... Canterlot was a much bigger place than I was expecting at the time. While I made it to account for my tale (otherwise this would be quite unlikely; it's not like this is made-up! HAH!), it took a little more effort than I was expecting. Because, as it turned out, the pony whose bag I had willingly fell into, was an apple pie maker...
