Chapters For as long as I can remember, the only thing I know was pitch darkness. The room I’ve been chained and strapped in had no lights, nothing to provide color, the room only had a bed. A bed that has in a sense, been my closest companion for most of my life, but the only time that I do see light a change from my eternal existence in the dark, is when these people in dark clothing come to my room. And when they come, the first thing they do is cover my face, putting a mask on me, one that’s stuffy and makes hard to breath.
After the mask was put on I feel the men un-due my bindings from the bed, and quickly use the straps to tie them to my body, and then they lift me up and attach something to both sides of my neck. Once all that is down the people haul me off my bed, and make me walk, to where to I don’t know as the mask prevents me from seeing anything. After a long time of walking, which was due to the fact I rarely get to walk, but we eventually got to where the people took me which was another room. I only get to see it when the mask is off my face.
It was basically featureless, with pale grey walls, a simple ceiling lamp was the only light source, and even if it was really dull, the light still stings my eyes. The only other thing in the room was a wooden chair, which looked old and worn down…but there was always someone strapped to it…and that person is always writhing and screaming in pain as they were forced to look at me. And I was forced to keep my eyes peeled open and keep eye contact.
My head hurts, my eyes feel like their being squished or pressed, and something wet always trickles down my cheeks from my eyes. As I keep staring at whoever was strapped to the chair, my vision becomes blurry, and the pain that my head and eyes are in grow stronger and stronger, it honestly feels like my head is going to explode! But through the excruciating pain, the screams of the people in that chair always filled my ears.
“NO! Please leave my son alone, don’t hurt him!” a woman screamed as she thrashed about, the straps digging into her skin.
“Margret! Margret come back!” a man shouted as tears powered from his eyes, a look of sorrow etched into his face.
“No, on, no stay away from, get away from me!” another woman screamed as she tried lean back into the stiff chair.
There were many people that had varied and yet similar reactions as these three people. I don’t know why simply looking at me would cause them to act this way. My curiosity of this fact plagued me for years, until one day, when the person that feeds me came to me and I dared asked, why people are driven to madness simply upon looking at me. The woman graciously answered my question and explained why people are driven mad at the mere sight of me…I wished I never asked that question.
The woman told me that my eyes apparently transmit, or send psionic waves to people who stare at them, these psionic waves trigger dreadful hallucinations, hysteria, and paranoias within a persons mind to the point where they see things that are not there, and have their worst nightmares imaged, or even hear voices that they can’t stop. I then asked my feeder why I had this ability, and why other people are using it on others, and gleefully should me the reasons why I am even kept alive. I was nothing more than a tool, a mere instrument to torture those that my keepers deemed guilty.
I would have not part of this any longer!
At least, that’s what I told myself.
Now when the people come to take me to torture people, I struggle and resist as best I could, at first my struggles were nothing more than minor wiggling as I had no strength. But as time went on, it became harder, and more difficult to get me out of my room. However my keepers started to crack down on me. The people used cattle prods to shock me, or used iron bars to beat me to get me to stop, they even constructed a contraption to keep my eyes open as a person was subjected to my power.
This went on…for twelve years.
~~~~~
I was now twenty years old since then, and my body was more bruised and damaged flesh from the abuse of my keepers. I was even more weaker and frail because I refused to eat most of my food, but they didn’t mind, so long as my keepers can keep me functioning to do my role for their Foundation, the state of my being is of little concern to them. so many times I begged and prayed for something, anything to stop this. I may not know what it is people subjected to my power sees, but my own mind is plagued with their mournful wails, defeated, and horrified expressions. These have become so dreadful to deal with that I couldn’t sleep most nights, and I believe I have started to become an insomniac.
“I want this all to end.” I said to the darkness, receiving nothing than dull silence as a reply. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”
My voice cried as I began to tear up, my mouth quivering. Tired of this supposed life of mine, infecting people with madness and insanity, and unable to do anything to prevent it. I weakly raised my bony hand as much as I could, trying to reach towards the imaginary sky that I could only picture in my mind.
“…if there is a god in this world, please answer this one prayer…end this. Please!”
I pleated as I could only stare blankly at the ceiling. As I laid their whimpering on my bed, my hand flopping to the side…something happened. I felt my binding loosing, slowly but surely becoming undone! My arms, my legs, even the new straps to restrain my head undid themselves, allowing me to move about. As I moved around in my bed I, heard something.
“Follow.” It was like a voice, but, shallow and distant.
“Follow.” It said again, still nearly silent, and far away.
Just then the door to my room opened, which I thought at first was because one of my keepers was coming in. But as the door fully opened, no one was there, it was like, the door opened itself.
“Follow.”
The whisper called to me again. Call it fate, or sign, all I know is something was beckoning me to leave the room. I then rolled myself off of my bed. I tried to stand but as I stated, my malnourished state rendered me weak and almost feeble, so I was forced to roll myself off the bed. After landing on the floor I began to drag myself across the floor, making actual progress instead of moving at a sluggish paste, but I wasn’t as speedy as I would like. As I continued to drag myself across the floor I came upon a few of my keepers, but they were all knocked unconscious, and every time I came across one the whisper beckoned me to keep moving.
Eventually I willed myself to stand, with the help of a door that was left open. While I was still unable to walk on my own, the walls provided excellent aide as I trudged through wherever I was kept in, all the while the whisper occasionally called to me to follow.
“Where are we going?” I asked in between breaths. While walking with the aide of the walls was helping, walking on my own was still a tiring task for me.
“Follow. Nearly there.” the whisper said, but this time adding a few new words to its statement.
“Nearly there to where?” I questioned as I turned a corner.
And what stood before me was, something I couldn’t explain. The thing before me was like a, hole, in the middle of the air in the shape of an oval. I could smell fresh clean, and not stagnant or sanitized air, and a nice cool breeze brushed over me. I could also see grass! While I’ve never been anywhere except my room, and the torture chamber, I was shown what some things of the world were like, via one of my keepers bringing me picture books in my younger years.
Willing myself to move away from the wall, I wobbled my way to the hole in the air, dead set to feel that soft green grass. And see what the world outside my captivity was like.
“That’s it.” the whisper said, but now it was louder, as I could hear the person talking to me.
“That’s it. Nearly there.” I was now one foot, one foot from the hole, and it was that time that I made my first jump.
Leaping through the hole, and collapsing onto the grass. I was taking in huge gulps of the fresh crisp air. As I laid there, catching my breath, I ran my hand through the blades of grass, feeling them run through my fingers and their soft yet ridged texture.
“Freedom.” Was all I could say as the exertion of my travel, took its toll on my worn and weak body, before I felt myself drift off to sleep. Wither this was a waking dream, or reality, at this very moment…I could care less.
~~~~~
“HO-WEE! Nothing like kicking off a productive morning than a good lunch!” Applejack said as she trotted through the fields of her families properties, with her big brother and baby sister trotting alongside her. Apple Bloom especially was very energic as she was trotting about in between her older siblings.
“So Applejack are you ready for the Sister Hooves Social coming up tomorrow?! The little filly asked, to which both Applejack and Big Mac could only chortle at their sisters excitement.
“Sure am little sis. But I think your more eager for the social, than I am.” The older sister commented as they reached the meadow on the very edge of the farm, which has a nice view of the town of Ponyville.
“Well last time I had to swap with Sweetie Belle, just so we could get her and Rarity talking to each other again.” Apple Bloom replied as they reached the top of a small hill, where one could really see the town of Ponyville from a good vantage point.
“Hey!” Big Mac said, slightly surprising his sisters, as he rarely says anything other than E’yup or E’Nope. “What’s that down there?”
The two sister looked to where Big Mac was pointing to…and their eyes nearly leapt out of their socket! Laying in the grass was a tall clothed creature, with various belt tied to its limbs. The apple siblings galloped down the small hill, and skidded to a halt as they were a foot from the creature, where all three of them began examining the creature. Applejack pulled back the shirt it was wearing, and saw that the creature was nothing but skin and bones…and covered in horrible bruises and burn scars.
“Big Mac can you carry this thing?” the older sibling looked the creature over, before giving Applejack a nod. “Alright then. Hoist the poor feller onto your back, and Apple Bloom—” the filly stood to attention.
“Run back to the farm and tell Granny we got a injured creature, and rustle up a lot more grub.”
“You got it sis!”
With that, the little filly galloped as fast as her little legs could go, while Big Mac wedged his snout under the creature, before sliding it over his head, down his neck before finding purchase on his back. The creature didn’t weigh as much as the stallion expected, but then again, given how frail and scrawny it was that wasn’t a surprise. Applejack then wet around her brother, and positioned the creature so that instead of hang like a pair of saddlebags, it was rest along Big Mac’s body with its legs dragging across the ground.
“Guess lunch will have to wait till we get this poor thing some help.” Applejack commented as her brother nodded while the climbed the hill, as the siblings made their way back to the farm.
Chapter 1: Unfortunate Accident
Sweet Apple Acers, a quaint little farm that’s been the main source of agricultural foods for the town of Ponyville, for the past fifty years, and is considered by most ponies to be the bedrock of the town itself. But at the moment the ponies that live at the farm are not working on their crops. Just moments ago, Applejack the acting head of the Apple Family, and her siblings came back to their home just as they set out to have a nice picnic lunch, carrying the most unusual creature they’ve ever seen. It was easily bigger then Big Mac, as the other half of its body had to be carried by Applejack, but even then the last foot of its legs still hanged past her haunches.
When the two siblings reached the farm, their grandmare Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were waiting for them just outside the families house, and when they finally reached the old mare Granny Smith got a good look at the creature. And her heart instantly ached. Even through the close it was wearing; the old mare could tell that this creature was horribly taken care. The ponies quickly brought the creature inside the house, and carefully laid the poor thing on the floor, where Granny Smith began removing its clothes, exposing all the not fully healed injuries it bares on its withered down body.
“Just look at the poor thing!” Granny Smith said as she gently runs a hoof over the creature, feeling it brush over the bones through the skin.
“Is it going to be okay Granny?” Apple Bloom asked as she stood next to grandmare.
“I don’t know little one, this critter is in REALLY bad shape. I’m just more surprised that it’s still alive.” Granny Smith bemoans as Applejack and Big Mac went into the kitchen to make more food for the creature when it wakes. And given its size, it’s going to need a lot of food.
While the older siblings were carrying out their task, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom went to nearby cabinets and fetched the medical bag. Brining the bag to the creature, the old mare searched through it looking for antibiotics and some special healing ointment, once she found what she was looking for the old mare began treating the creatures wounds, starting with the more severe ones, and working her way to the less infected ones. As the mare worked, Apple Bloom stayed by her grandmare, simply watching, and looking the creature over, her little mind having hundreds of questions run through it.
“Granny. What do you think it is?” the little filly asks as Granny Smith applied the ointment to a particularly bad burn scar on the left peck.
“Not sure Apple Bloom, I’ve never seen anything like this creature in my whole life.” The old mare simply said. “But…” the filly looked away from the creature and up to her grandmare, while Applejack and Big Mac came into the room with a pot of fresh soup, and some lightly toasted bread.
“I remember when my grandmare, Ol’ Baldwin Apple bless her heart, told me of a story…a story about how she meet a big hairless creature like our visitor one day. The creature couldn’t speak a word of Ponish from what she’s told me, but apparently it knew everything she meant when she talked to it.”
“How did that work Granny?” Applejack asked as she placed the pot down.
“Ol’ Baldwin said it was like she heard a voice talking, a whisper, but it was in her head.” the three apple siblings gave their grandmare a curious look as she finished tending to the last severe bruise.
“Ya mean it was, telepathic?” Big Mac questioned as he sat down, and began eating one of the toasted bread slices.
“I think that’s what she called it. But I don’t quite remember all of the story she told me, after all, it was fifty or so years ago since she’s told me that story.” Applejack then looked at the creature with skeptic look.
“And great grandmare Baldwin said it was like, this thing?”
“That’s what she said. Unfortunately, she and the family didn’t own a camera back then, so they couldn’t take pictures of the creature. But they wouldn’t get a chance to either way.”
“Why?” Applejack asked.
“Well as she told the story, the creature disappeared the next morning, and since then she nor the family have seen no hide or hair of it.” as Granny Smith finished telling her little tale of family history, Apple Bloom looked towards the creature again, and noticed that it was stirring.
“Hey! I think its waking up!”
The other siblings along with Granny Smith looked at the creature, and indeed saw that it was stirring from its sleep. It didn’t move around to much, as it had not the muscle or apparently the energy to do so. But soon enough the bony claw of the creature slowly raised, and caressed its forehead before rubbing its eyes, while it gives a tired groan. Soon enough the creatures claw was removed from its face, and Apple Bloom watched as its eyes slowly opened…but that’s when everything went black.
Apple Bloom then noticed that she was in a black room, or was simply in a bitch black void. There was nothing. There was no house, furniture, or even the family members that were just sitting with the filly a second ago.
“Granny?” the little called out, hearing nothing in response, not even an echo. “B-Big Mac?” again the filly was greeted with silence.
“Applejack!” she screamed as loud as she could, but sounded like she just spoke a bit louder. “IS ANY PONY THERE?!”
Apple Bloom was now starting to feel alone and afraid, and the corners of eyes were starting to swell up with tears. The filly continued to look around herself for any sign of life, or even some light, but there was still NOTHING but the endless void. The fear that was gripping the filly started to get stronger, so much show that she was shaking like a leaf in a strong wind. But the sense of fear shifted to surprise as Apple Bloom felt something wrap around her, and when she looked down to see what has her in its grasp, she saw an orange foreleg. Quickly looking up Apple Bloom’s worried expression turned to relief as she saw the smiling face of her sister.
“Applejack!” the filly spun in place and wrapped her little forelegs around her sister. “I thought I was all alone.” the older pony shushed the filly as her other hoof petted her head.
“It’s alright Apple Bloom.” The farm pony said in a gentle tone. “There’s nothing to worry about anymore.” Apple Bloom looked up from her sisters chest to ask where the others were.
But when she looked up to her sister…a horrifying expression instantly took over her little face.
The soft feature of Applejack’s face was still there…but the rest of the mare was a nightmare given form. Her body looked like she was just ripped to bloody shreds, with flesh, clumps of fur and entrails, all of which were clung and entwined to the body of what looked like a centipedes body. But with grasping claws like those of the creatures, with thick black nails and thorns growing out of them. Apple Bloom then watched in horror as the smiling face of Applejack was slowly ripped in half, blood, and brain matter spilling out of the crack as a pair of large spike filled mandibles emerged. Two antennas slowly emerged out of the heads ears, piece of the ear drums clinging to the twitching extremities, as they buzzed a horrid buzz.
“Don’t worry Apple Bloom.” The monstrosity said in a distorted version of Applejack’s voice. “I will keep. You. SAFE !”
The filly then screamed as the monster lunged at her, swiftly coiling around her in a flurry of blood and gore, before feeling the arms and limbs of the nightmarish thing tear her little body to pieces. The mandibles chomping and devouring the fillies pieces, all the while Applejack’s face still holding that soft smile, even as her face was smeared with blood.
~~Subject #105531~~
Wailing equine shrieks and whinnies was all that I could hear when I awoke. Looking around myself, I saw four, bizarrely colored and shaped horses all writhing, running, and crashing into one another, making so much panicked and frightened noises. One of them knocked over a large iron pot filled with, what looked like a mixture of vegetables in a slightly unclear liquid, a hint of spices tickling my noise. While the sound of hooves stomping on hard wood, or splashing in the pots contents filled my ears along with the whinnies, nickering’s and panicked cries.
The big muscular red one nearly trampled all over me, as it’s mouth frothed with foam as it bucked and ran around the room. the orange one was just as frantic as it darted around, before began rolling around like someone was on fire, and as it laid in one spot and struggled against an unseen threat, I saw tears! Tears pouring from its almost human like face!
"Your eyes." The whisper from earlier said into my ears.
"Cover them."
I wasted no time in looking for something to cover my eyes, but there was nothing in room I was laying in that could be used to cover my eyes.
Rolling onto my stomach I just barely dodged a craggily old looking green pony, bucking around as it dropped to the floor. I began dragging myself across the ground to get out of the equines who were affected by my eyes, I mean, what else could induce such madness in another creature? As I dragged myself about to avoid being crushed or stomped on, I spotted an open door, where a small dog came rushing in barking in alarm. And when it saw me its eyes widen, before it to begin to run around in a frenzy, barking and snarling as it charged about the building I was in.
Slowly and with great effort I got to my feet, and hobbled my way towards the door, seeking to distance myself from these poor animals. Tormenting other humans was bad enough, I did not want to instill poor innocent animals with horrors that my eyes grants to others. As I shambled to the door my foot came in contact with something, and when I looked down I swore my heart stopped, as I looked upon a small foal. Body twitching, tears pouring from its fear stricken eyes, as a look of horror was etched onto its face.
“I’m sorry.” I weakly whimpered as I felt horrible for the poor creatures as I carefully walked over the foal.
“Follow.” The whisper again spoke to me as I leaned on the small doorframe.
“Follow.”
Pushing myself off the doorframe, I shambled out into the world, the high afternoon sun stinging my eyes as a light cool breeze wafts over my naked torso. As I wobbled, I looked around to get a better look, but everywhere I looked I saw more animals, all looking at the house with actual looks of concern.
“Your eyes! Cover them!” it was to late for the whispers warnings.
When the other farm animals looked away from the building to me, I meet their eyes with mine, and the familiar look I’ve become accustomed to in last twelve years came over them. That’s when cries of pigs, chickens, every kind of farm animal echoed in the air, creating a chorus of dread and suffering that I’m sure could be heard for miles! It was all too much, I shut my eyes as hard as I could, feeling something wet escape my eye lids, as I covered my ears to try and drown out the horrid cries.
“Follow! Quickly!”
I heard the whisper say to me, but I couldn’t move. My legs buckled from under me, causing me to collapse to floor, where I just curled up and just kept trying to block out all the screaming, and cries of horror.
Chapter 2: Events Set In Motion
Something terrible was going down at Sweet Apple Acers, as ponies could hear frightful screams, and various animals shouting far off in the distance, as if a horrible nightmare was occurring. And because of these cries and screams, Rainbow Dash and the rest of her friends were making their way to the farm as fast as they could, spurred on by the continuous cries of distress, and the painful wailings.
“I don’t know what’s going on down there, but I really hope Applejack and the others are okay!” Pinkie Pie said as she gallops as fast as her legs can carry her.
“If its some kind of monster that causing all the ruckus, I’ll make sure to send it running for the hills!” Rainbow says as she speeds up a little.
Let’s focus on figuring out what is causing all the ruckus, and then we’ll—”
Whatever Twilight was about to say got stuck in her throat as she, the others came a screeching halt as they reached the front gate to the farm, and found the source of the horrible cries. All of the animals of the farm were running around, faces showing absolute terror as they cried out in horrible pain and fright, while crashing into each other. cows and large pigs were tramping over chickens and flattening them, sheep were also running around ramming into each other, and getting under the cows tripping them when the bovines legs get tangled up with the body.
But what frighten the five mares were the sight of seeing the members of the Apple family, running around in their home through the open door. They could not only hear Big Mac, Granny Smith and Applejack scream and shout in terrors, occasionally screaming something that was incoherent over the rest of the noises, but they could see them bash into things in the house, including each other. the five mares ran towards the house to see if they can help the Apple family, dodging past any of the rampant farm animals. But as the group got close to the house, Fluttershy stopped in mid-flight as she spotted something in the corner of her eye, something laying on the ground amongst the dust being kicked up by the panicking animals.
“What is that?” the pegasus muttered as she floated over to the object in the dust, but when she saw what was on the floor she nearly dropped out of the sky.
Laying curled up on the floor, covered in some kicked up dirt, and small prints from pigs, chickens, and sheep, was a frail looking creature. The poor thing was basically skin and bones, with wounds that looked to be treated, but the ruckus from the rampaging animals seem to have to have caused some to become worst, while also creating new wounds. When the pegasus landed next to the creature, she was able to hear that the creature was mumbling something, but the mare couldn’t tell what exactly what the poor thing was mumbling. Fluttershy also noticed that the creature was using its claws to cover its face, quite tightly as the pegasus can see the nails of the creatures digits digging into the skin on the side of the face.
“Fluttershy!” the pegasus perked up when she heard Twilight’s voice call out her name.
“Where are you?!” looking down at the poor creature the pegasus gave it a gentle pat on its shoulder as she spoke to it.
“I’ll be right back.” Giving the creature a few more comforting pats, and making sure that none of the farm animals would com tramping over it, Fluttershy quickly made her way to the farm house.
Where upon entering the building, found Twilight using her magic to pin Big Mac down to the floor, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie trying to keep Applejack pinned, and Rarity managing to keep Granny Smith confined to her rocking chair. The only Apple that didn’t need to be watched over was Apple Bloom as she seemed to be just, laying on the floor, a look of pure terror etched onto her face. As Fluttershy stepped over to the collapsed filly, she also noticed that the other members of the Apples stopped their shrilling cries, but it was due more to Twilight’s magic surrounding the three ponies heads.
“Twilight, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know, we’ve tried talking to them, but they don’t seem to be able to answer us.” Twilight said as she keeps Big Mac pinned.
“Fluttershy, fly back to the library, and have Spike send Celestia a message. Maybe she can figure out what is going on.”
“Alright.” Fluttershy took to the air flew as fast as she could for the Golden Oaks Library, while her friends try to keep the other ponies pinned. Flying as fast as she could the pegasus made her way back to town, and to the library.
~~???~~
Deep done in the darkness of wherever, where hardily any light was visible except for small luminance mushrooms, allowing shapes to be seen. Humanoid body shapes…but not fully human. the light from the mushrooms revealed that while the figures in the dark had the forms of men and women, there were parts of them that were not human.
One had the upper body of a man, perfectly normal with nothing unusual. But looking down to the man’s lower section, showed a body that is long like a lizards, and has six insectoid like legs sticking out on each side. Another unusual human was a woman whose entire body seems to be normal, but the light of glowing mushroom show that her head is anything but normal, as a writhing mass of tendrils surround the head, only showing a pair of glowing blue eyes amongst them.
Within the darkness of wherever these individuals resided in, there were a total of eight of them, four men and four woman. Each one having their own deformities. And they all seem to be talking frantically about something.
“We have to…help new comer…he won’t survive…on his own.” A woman with a distorted voice said as her long arms and legs shift around.
“But we can’t leave the ruins.” A man with a body so thick and ripped with muscles that borders on grotesque, said to his peers. “If the ponies see us…no I can’t!”
“So what are we suppose to do?! Leave him!” the woman with head of tendrils said to the others, her ‘hair’ writhing about like octopus tentacles.
The other members of the darkness continued to banter with one another, as they all tried to come up with someway to help the new human that was brought to this world. But they kept being side tracked by others saying their plan wasn’t good enough, or being fearful of causing unnecessary pain to the ponies.
“Calm yourselves~”
The group of seven mishappened humans ceased their bantering, and wild discussions, as they heard a gentle and soothing female voice speak directly into their minds. Looking to the back of their little dwelling where the eighth member of the group is, the leader of this band of forgotten failures and monsters. Attached to the stonewall of the dwelling and surrounded by luminous mushrooms and glowing vines, a tall woman with roots growing from her body stitches her to the wall, leaves, moss, and other various types of vegetation. Her skin was like human skin, but it was also like petrified bark, and while her eyes were closed the other deformed humans could feel her gaze upon them.
“We will not abandon our newest brother to suffer alone, like we did.” The voice of the petrified woman spoke, calming the rattled minds of the denizens of the dark.
“But Evangelion, we cannot traverse the world in daylight, otherwise the ponies might see us…” a man covered in viscous black slime said, his words slightly blubbered because of slime oozing from his head.
“Not if we act quickly.” Evangelion said as her voice echoed in their minds.
“Johnson.” The human male with the long serpentine body and insectoid legs stepped forth, as the petrified woman’s head slowly turned to face him, pieces of her bark like skin chipping off. “With your speed and agility, you should be able to retrieve our new brother, and with Adam’s help you should be able to about without being seen.”
The monstrous man and the one covered in black sludge looked at each other, before looking back to Evangelion and giving her a nod. The petrified woman’s closed eyes then started to emit a faint pale green glow, which the eyes of the two men started to glow the same color, visions of where the newest cursed human who was brought to this world is, laying on the ground. Raving animals still running around in frightful panic.
“Bring him home to us, before more pain is brought upon him…and the poor little ponies who should never witness our horrors.”
~~Sweet Apple Acers~~
At the front gate of the Apple’s farm, a burst of golden magic occurred where Celestia and Fluttershy appeared a second later. Upon arriving at the farm the alicorn could tell, that something wrong was at hoof here. The shy pegasus of kindness then guided the alicorn to the farmstead, where the rest of her friends were still keeping the Apple Family pinned down.
“What has happened here?” Celestia muttered in disbelief, as she could feel a sense of magic, dark and twisted magic at work.
“Princess! Please help us, we can’t snap Applejack and the others out of whatever is happening to them!” Twilight said with worry in voice, as well as a twinge of heartbreaking pain, pain at seeing her friends in such horrible states and unable to do anything about it.
Celestia took a step into the house, but her hoof brushed against something small and rigged. Looking down Celestia’s heart ached, as she looked at a catatonic Apple Bloom, a look of pure horror on her face. But the alicorn could see more. Whatever has befallen the poor filly, was still plaguing her, as well as the other members of the family. Igniting her horn Celestia tried to use her magic to peer into the minds of the Apple Family, to see what it is that is terrifying them…but the moment she did her eyes nearly popped out of her head. she only got a glimpse at what they all were seeing, but it was enough to cause the aged mare to scuttle back, and literally fall to her sizable flank.
“Princess!” all of the five mares said in unison, their grips on the Apples waiting for a moment, which was enough for the earth ponies to wriggle free and continue to gallop about. And free to scream their lungs out without being silenced by Twilight’s magic.
“Quickly, grab them before they hurt themselves!” Rarity said as she was about to leap at her panicking farm friend.
But before the mare, or her friends could do anything, the three family members were all surrounded in a golden aura. Looking to the doorway the mare’s saw that Celestia has recovered from her shock, but still looked slightly disturbed by whatever it was she saw.
“Celestia, are you alright?” Twilight asked as she trotted up to her mentor.
“I’m…I’m fine. But what was the cause of all this?” the alicorn asked the five ponies.
“We don’t know princess.” Pinkie said as she wipes the small amount of tears in her eyes away. “We all heard the screams, cries and other horrible noises from town, and when we came to see what was happening—”
“This is what we found!” Rainbow finished as she gestured at the members of the Apple family.
“Can you help them princess, I can’t bare to see them like this.” Rarity bemoaned as she pleaded to the princess.
“I doubt I can on my own.” Celestia said as she brought the four Apple’s outside. “Whatever has caused this has powerful magic, very potent magic. I will need Luna’s help in this matter, she’s more than adept in dealing with the mind.”
As the princess brought the ponies outside, Twilight and her friends followed in suit, but that’s when all five mare’s noticed that Fluttershy wasn’t anywhere near the house. However it didn’t take them long to find the pegasus, as she was only a stones throw away from the house, but what surprised the ponies was what she was doing. The pegasus was sitting on the floor, cradling a bizarre thing, and when they got closer they saw that the thing was some gangly creature that was more skin and bones, with various wounds that appeared to be recently treated. But there were clear signs of new injures in the form of hoof marks, and scuffs on its body. When the group were a foot from the pair, they could hear Fluttershy muttering something while seeing her gently pet the creatures head, who seems to be very weakly trying to get out of her embrace while making shallow snarls and chitters.
“Fluttershy what is this thing?” Rarity asked as she looked to poor thing over.
“I don’t know, I found it among the farms panicking animals, but it’s in horrible shape.” Fluttershy said as she continues to try and calm the creature. “I can’t leave it like this.”
“Then we'll just have to take it with us.”
Celestia’s horn grew brighter as she focused her magic, and in an instant she, the five ponies along with the Apple Family, and the strange creature vanished. Leaving the farm in its own chaotic state. A minute after the whole group has vanished from the farm, a thin layer of what looks like black smoke or fog started to pool into the farm grounds.
On the outskirts of the farm, where the apple orchard and the boarders of the Everfree forest meet, a tall bipedal figure stood. Its body covered in a think black sludge, with the surface of the vicious substance around the figures face bubbling, and releasing the black fog out into the farm. Once the farm was covered in enough fog, something came bolting out of the forest with great speed, easily traversing the orchard to the farms household in a minute. When the bizarrely shaped creature reached the house, dodging the animals as it raced around the property, looking for something. Stopping in front of the structure, the creature lets out a wailing screech as its long reptilian tail slams onto the ground.
After crying out in defeat, the creature raced back to where the other creature was, who has stopped creating the black fog and started talking to the other monstrous being. The two chittered, snarled and growled at each other for a moment, before they went back into the Everfree, heading back to wherever they resided in the dark and wild forest.
Chapter 3: Investigation & Promises.
Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter. 
