One sunny morning as Celestia's sun rises in the sky, the beloved and famous small town's favorite apple orchard is already active with its morning routine. After breakfast, they go straight to work with their chores which includes working the field for at least a few hours before going to other chores including today's task of recognizing the barn. Which is where an energetic mare is hard at work at shifting through boxes to figure out what can be saved and what time turned to trash.
Much to her delight, one box she deemed trash had some embarrassing memories that had fallen apart over time. Holding up the remains of what she believed was an old attempt of her making a noodle picture of her big brother. Thankfully most of it fell into the trash box before she dropped the rest in it.
Applejack sat in as she looked through some of their old belongings. She was filled with nostalgia at the different things she found in the boxes that were still good.
As her brother entered to tell her about lunch, he froze at seeing her hold up a small dolly. Blushing he bit his lip trying to think of what to say before spotting a chest covered in chains. As she was about to look at it he quickly cleared his throat to catch her attention.
Looking at the big guy, Applejack laughed. “Hey big guy. Lunch time already?” She asked, getting up. “My how time flies when you're reminiscing.”
As she walked out, the brother took a moment to go over and grab the chest. Glaring at it, he thinks for a moment, he slipped out with it and tossed it down a well before returning to the house with a soft smile.
Later that afternoon as Applejack helped her grandmother with dishes, the youngest of the siblings was at the well to fetch water. To her surprise, as she brought up the bucket, she found a chest. To her surprise, she was able to feel magic coming from the chains. With a smile, she decided it was best to bring it to the smartest pony she knew when it came to magic. Setting it on her back, she quickly made her way into town calling to her family to let them know where she was going.
As the little one rushed off, the stallion made his way over and gasped in shock at the wet spot where the box was set.
Applebloom thanked the purple dragon named Spike for letting her in as he went to one of the doors that led upstairs. Watching him go into the other room, she set the chest on the table and glared at it as questions flashed through her mind.
After a few minutes a purple unicorn came out with a book floating in front of her face. “From what Spike told me. It sounds like the spell was placed on the chest in order to keep ponies out… or something in.” She explained as she set the book on the table before looking at the chest.
“Is there a way to find out which? Or what's inside?” Bloom asked.
“Not without opening it.” Twilight replied as she examined the chains. The more she looked at it the more she got the itch to open it grew.
“Can you?”
Twilight laughed and hit a hoof to her chest. “I haven't met a lock that I wasn't able to open yet.” She proudly replied. After a few moments she realized what she had implied and blushed before turning back to the chest and after casting a scanning spell, she smiled.
A loud click sounded as the chains vanished and the chest opened.
Back in the barn, Applejack was just hopping into bed and passed out after a long day unaware of a whisper that passed through the wind.
A young Applejack sighed looking around as she calmly made her way down the street. She didn't fully understand what she should do. But she had a feeling that once she got to her relatives house, she hoped that everything would be OK.
Not long after her aunt and uncle welcomed her in, they eagerly helped her wash up and get her a “proper” meal.
Applejack thought her chance of living a life of a city pony would be more exciting than her prior life on the farm. Not only that, but she had a chance to be away from her grandmother's strange traditions and unexplained hate for pairs.
A part of her wondered if her relatives would be able to tell her something about her family her granny had refused to explain.
Her aunt agreed to tell her about her family. But sadly to Applejack's dismay, the stories she heard shrouded them in a dark light.
None of them however were aware of how this would affect the mare and the path this would put the mare on.
As the large stallion was putting the last box away in the barn, an old mare made her way in and looked around with a sigh. “Ya didn't find it. Did ya?” She asked.
“nnope.” He replied with a sigh.
Granny rubbed her chin. “I reckon that only leaves one option.” She mused before turning back to the door. “Y'all gonna just stand there? Or ya gonna explain why you came.”
A smiling white stallion entered and gently took her hoof and gave it a kiss. “Perceptive as always, lady Smith.” he teased. “I have some good and bad news.”
“So the little whippersnapper took it.” She sighed while trying to hide her embarrassment. “So what's the good news?”
He smiled and turned to the house. “Well… other than me winning a bet. This may end up being the best outcome for them. If their friendship survives.”
Granny and the large stallion move to stand next to him and look at the house as Granny gives him an ominous warning. “No matter what happens, Big Mac. Don't talk about what ya heard or saw.”
The next morning, Applebloom returned to Twilight's home to check on the box she had left in her hooves. As she entered the room, she saw the unicorn deep in her study. It was clear that even Twilight was confused about the box.
“Twilight? What's wrong?”Applebloom asked.
“This box… it's not made by ponies.” She replied with a defeated sigh. “No matter how I look at it or how many languages I use to try to unlock it… Nothing works.”
Applebloom tilted her head. “How many is that?”
“A lot.” Twilight sighed motioning over to a pile of books.
Applebloom looked in amazement at all the books. She wondered if opening the box was even possible. As Twilight turned away from one of the books to examine the box and add a scroll to a pile to be sent to Celestia, she looked at the page before gasping and fleeing out of the room.
Confused, Twilight looked back at the page and at the name of the image.
“Demon”
Applejack hummed happily as she worked the orchard. She didn't think anything was different. Even when she kicked an overripe apple into the tree, she thought today was like any other.
As she worked, her older brother watched from a few trees away. He didn't know why, but ever since that box was found, she had begun to act strange.
As he watched, she hummed a song he didn't recognize. And what bothered him more was when she noticed him watching, she didn't call him out on it. Instead, she seemed to be showing off.
Deciding he's seen enough, he returns to the house and reports to granny. If anypony knew what to do, it'd be her… he hoped.
Luna sat up in bed panting in shock as her sister rushed in. “What is it sister?”
Luna looked to the window of her room before getting up and quickly moving to her dresser and digging through boxes. “where is it?” she muttered.
“Sister?”
Stopping for a moment Luna hung her head and looked over her shoulder at her sister. “Remind me sister. Why did you use a glamor spell on my guard?”
Author's Note
A short chapter. Partly testing an idea, partly setup.