The Monster of Canterlot Castle
Ditzy Hooves was not having a good night. It was bad enough that the grey mare was running errands in the small hours. It wouldn’t be long until she had to get up for her mail round, and she had additional duties for the Summer Sun festival after that. That same festival meant torrential rain had been scheduled by the weather patrol for the days before. The extra water might tide over the farmers, who needed their crops to thrive through a few days of blistering summer heat, but knowing that didn’t make her any happier in the moment.
Her head and legs were soaked. She’d had the presence of mind to change into her postal garb, a blue waterproof windbreaker which covered her torso, but it did nothing for her drenched mane and muddy fetlocks. She was cold; even near the height of summer rain and darkness ensured that she shivered like it was the depths of winter instead. She wished the mayor had invested in some proper cobblestone roads instead of these dirt paths that dissolved into mud when water fell on them. She wanted nothing more than to run home and curl up in her bed. It lay just a room away from where her youngest daughter was sleeping peacefully.
She couldn’t yet. Dinky might have been able to sleep, but she had a sister now, and she couldn’t. That was why Ditzy stood in the town square of Ponyville, in the middle of the night, with rain beating down so hard she could feel it smash against her wings. She sought a fragment of rainbow. It was the one thing she knew might put her eldest daughter’s troubled mind to rest, a memory from home that wasn’t horrifying. She turned her one good eye to the sky, dragged her scraggly blonde mane out of her face, and moved into a trot. Great grey wings, each easily the length of her body, unfolded from her back. She began to canter, ready to propel herself upwards through the rain so fast that even the refracted light couldn’t escape her grasp.
The town square was a good enough runway. Admittedly, it was more of a town circle than a square, but the town hall was the same shape, and it was a bit more open than the grassy paths that ran through the rest of the village. Even moving at an angle her canter became a gallop, and her gallop a charge. Many pegasi couldn’t fly at all in these conditions. Her feathers might have been waterproof, but the sheer weight of the water beat them downwards, and the cold sapped her endurance and made it hard to gather enough air under her wings. Ditzy, however, was the strongest flier in Ponyville, and she did this for a living every day. She felt the exhilarating sensation of her hooves becoming weightless, and her wings began to lift her up into the air. She was ready to soar…
A wail brought her down to earth again in an instant.
“WAIT!”
Ditzy’s blood ran chill with a cold that had nothing to do with the rain.
“PLEASE!”
She floated to the ground, her eyes and hooves momentarily frozen to the path. The terror she'd just heard in that young mare's cry of anguish would have filled the strongest heart with dread… and yet, it carried an earnest desperation that could have compelled the most jaded soul into action.
“YOU HAVE TO HELP ME… please…”
Suddenly, the voice was on top of her. Ditzy’s head twisted on its own. She couldn’t direct it, and what she then saw was the most frightening thing she had seen in her life.
The pony that stared back was a filly, but only just. She was the right height to be an adult mare, but her face carried the shape and proportions of someone who hadn’t quite seen that crucial eighteenth milestone. It was contorted by terror and pain, and yet in her purple eyes, Ditzy saw not blind panic, but a ferocious, unwavering focus, an indescribable sort of manic determination that belonged either to an indomitable will or fanaticism. No teenager should have been able to muster that sort of intensity with their eyes alone. The sight unnerved her.
“You have to get this book to the Princess.”
Ditzy stared, her daughter’s rainbow forced back into the recesses of her mind. The filly’s words had been quiet and humble, respectful even through her fear, and yet there was a deep conviction in them that rendered Ditzy speechless.
It didn’t help that she was struggling to process the visual bombardment that played out in front of her. The filly was a unicorn, as evidenced by the short, squat horn on her head, too short to stab with and yet an indescribably dangerous weapon. Her fur was a garish pink which clashed violently with the regal colour of her eyes. That combination just seemed wrong. It was as if the two colours belonged to entirely different paintings that were ruined the moment they mixed together. Her mane was even stranger; an obnoxious candyfloss colour redeemed only by a soft magenta streak that was the only part that seemed natural.
It was matted against her head by the rain. She was drenched from head to tail, and she had been for far too long. She shivered violently. Her legs trembled as her frozen, depleted muscles fought valiantly to remain upright. Her breaths came in ragged gasps. Before Ditzy’s brain could finish processing the magnitude of what had just been asked of her, the filly shoved a tome directly into her open mouth. The bright violet light that encircled it poured out of her jaws, and the grey mare stumbled back. Her clumsiness betrayed her as she fell back onto her rump, but she held onto the volume.
Suddenly, she saw figures in pursuit behind the filly. Ditzy stood up. She was ready to drop the book, to scream at this exhausted foal to run and get help while she had the strength, but the filly was already turning around. For just a moment, Ditzy could see a fell look form across her face. Nothing could have removed that much fear, but the anger mixing into it was creating a volatile, potent cauldron of contained emotion as flight turned to fight in an instant. Her jet black tail fell flat, her hooves planted firmly in the muddy ground. She was going to fight, and it was only now that Ditzy could make out the two figures that were chasing her.
They looked like Celestia’s guards, unicorn soldiers armoured head to hoof in golden plate, their swords held aloft by magic and dreadful spells charged within their glowing horns. Yet they shouted no warnings, and Ditzy saw what these stallions truly were as they barrelled towards their prey. The book dropped from her mouth. She stumbled forward. Words that years of parenting had conditioned her to say fell from her mouth before she knew what she was saying.
“Get away from th-“
A bolt of deadly green light shot from one of the soldiers’ horns before she could finish. It raced up the street towards them. Ditzy came to a halt. Her words died in her mouth. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks as she shut her eyes.
I’m sorry Dash.
She found that she could open them again.
A great wall of regal violet light transposed itself across the entire street. It extended far above the buildings, and an eerie purple light played across the neighbourhood. The soldiers stopped in their tracks. Ditzy’s eyes shifted to the foal that stood between her and these false guards; no servant of Celestia would ever have behaved like that. She couldn’t see her eyes and frankly, Ditzy didn’t want to, but they glowed with a faint purple light. The filly was terrified and cold, and yet she carried herself in battle like the strongest knight in the land.
The light from her horn played such sinister games with the hue of her coat that it created a reddish tinge. It was almost the colour of blood. The assassins that had been so gung-ho moments earlier now hesitated, their cheers of triumph replaced by sombre, battle-ready faces.
The filly spoke.
“Listen to me,” she began, her voice cracked like broken ice, “I’m already dead. I don’t-“
Her words choked into a sob, yet only for a moment.
“…You have to get that book to Celestia.” she said, her tone grim as bone. No trace of her former hesitance remained.
Ditzy’s felt her heart drop in her chest. This wasn’t the voice of someone throwing their life away. There was a painful, suicidal undertone to her words, yet she intended to spend her remaining time, not reject it. She couldn’t pass away until that purpose had been achieved.
In that moment, Ditzy would have thrown herself into a dragon’s mouth for her sake.
“Please just-“
The unicorn cut her plea short as the soldiers charged. For a moment, Ditzy saw her body begin to glow, yet the grey mare was already turning, her body moving on its own. Colours danced behind her like a demented rave, only to be overwhelmed by the flash of a lightning bolt’s return stroke. She picked up the book and threw herself into a gallop as the world behind her exploded into a rumble of thunder. Ditzy hurled herself into the night sky with such force that she parted the clouds. She barely avoided a deadly rain of glass shards as the noise shattered windows into lethal confetti.
Somehow, she still had the presence of mind to pick up a few precious pieces of rainbow on the way up. It would have been so much easier at dawn, yet any light was enough. The light from the moon, the light from the lamps...
...the light from the life or death struggle that was occurring down on the streets below. Ditzy hoped her daughters would never know the origin of that dreadful light. She hoped that Rainbow would look after Dinky in her absence. She so wanted to fly home and protect them from whatever darkness had shown its hand in her town, yet the young mare’s voice echoed through her mind and drove her onwards.
You have to get that book to Celestia.
Whatever threat those soldiers posed to her daughters, it was nothing compared to the nightmare that the book she clutched in her jaws must have warned of. She pushed herself as hard as her stamina would allow.
Ditzy had enough experience flying at night to orient herself by the light of the moon. Castle Canterlot was a few hours away. As urgent as her errand seemed, she didn’t relish her chance to meet with royalty. Celestia’s seat of power, once glorious, now cast a long, grim shadow over the world. It might have been a necessary shadow, but Ditzy often thought thankfully of the fact that Ponyville was an autonomous and mostly self-reliant settlement on the edges of Equestria’s power, and she was far from alone in that. Children’s tales told that the Princess had once been a warm and welcoming figure, but even Ditzy’s grandparents hadn’t been around to see her grow aloof and distant, a silent figure of dread that emerged only when drastic and often unpopular action needed to be taken. It deterred troublemakers; no one who opposed Celestia’s mandate expected to live. If she didn’t get you, her many agents would.
Still, she almost never appeared in public, and it was impossible to feel at ease under a distant, unrelatable monarch with the power of a goddess. Celestia was someone who you prayed to and at the same time prayed that you would never have to meet. The legends that surrounded her were innumerable, and yet there was something in that castle that cast an even deeper shadow than her. A cold, clammy sweat broke across Ditzy’s brow that had nothing to do with her exertions.
A monster was said to live at the heart of Castle Canterlot. A filly of such enormous power that she could level a whole city district. A child who held a demon inside her that was capable of destroying the world. The citizens of Canterlot whispered about Celestia’s pet abomination with such vicious fear and loathing that the rumours had spread across the continent.
It was far too late to turn back. Celestia’s abode beckoned.
Unbeknownst to Ditzy, a small slip of paper, smaller than the smallest bookmark, fell from the book. She needn’t have panicked even if she’d realised; there was no urgent message there. Just two plaintive words and a title that were devoured by the rain in moments.
I’m sorry, Princess.
Author's Note
We're off.
This is a sort of pilot/prologue for me. I've had the bones of this story in my head for years, so it's up to me to make it live up to my hopes. If you've made it this far then I hope I've at least entertained you for a little while.
01/05/24: Did a bit of quality of life work, plus I fixed the one typo I could find. I wrote this in a bit of a rush, so it's not really surprising I missed something. This was a definite beta on first publish.
It's What We Do In The Moment That Counts
Operation Orchard Sun is a go!
The bedroom door swung open as slowly as planned.
I just have to be quiet-
CRREEEEEEAAAAAAKKKKKKKK…
Oh no! That was the opposite of quiet!
Operation Orchard Sun had immediately hit a snag.
A little yellow head poked itself furtively into the corridor, screened by a lock of rose red mane. Two bright brown eyes scanned the corridor frantically, and a pair of little ears twitched and strained for any sounds that might indicate grown-ups were about. The filly waited for a full five seconds. She could hear her own heartbeat.
All clear.
She took in the tactical situation.
Applejack is probably up already. Big Mac too. Granny’s probably still asleep, but she’s been keeping weird hours lately. They don’t know I’m awake yet, so I have the advantage of surprise!
She indulged in some sinister evil laughter. The Apple family’s youngest usually woke up at 7AM on her own, at least when school wasn’t in session. Torrents of rain had given way to glorious sunshine however, and the sun had stirred her early. Apple Bloom was on the prowl.
Entering the forbidden hallway!
She crept out like a villain tiphoofing in a comic strip. One near-stumble later, and she was walking normally. Quiet, good balance, and standing on the edge of one’s hooves apparently didn’t get along. She made her way towards a simple wooden staircase leading down. Portraits of disapproving elders stared down at her, although her cheeks coloured slightly as she suspected that a few of them were quietly laughing.
Does anything from the comic books actually work?
A knock on the farmhouse doors sent a bolt of anxiety through her, and she froze in place, expecting giants to come rumbling out of hidden bedrooms and secret bathrooms. She breathed a sigh of relief as the sound of double doors opening reached her from the floor below.
Guess everypony’s already downstairs.
“Can I help you sir?”
That drawling voice was all too familiar. It used to be that Big Mac would always handle visitors, but Applejack had beaten him to the punch more and more often over the past few months. This was no different. Apple Bloom’s heart sank, even if she was quietly happy about her sister’s growing social graces. She could still hear a bit of strain in Applejack’s voice, but the overriding emotion was excitement.
She’ll be there for a while. So much for my freedom, she groaned, If she catches me, I’m going to spend half the day doing stuff around the farm.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to help Applejack, but she’d hoped to at least have a few hours to play in the morning sun first. With nothing better to do, she leant against the wall, and opted to eavesdrop on the stallion that had come to the door.
“I’m sorry to bother you Miss Applejack, but there is an ongoing situation.”
At least Mac might have let me off! And there’s no way I’ll be able to get past her while she’s at…
…a situation?
Apple Bloom forgot about her game in a moment. She peered timidly around the corner, and tried to ignore the seed of anxiety that was growing in her stomach. Keeping low to the ground, she was able to get a glimpse of the visitor. He had a tidy jet black mane with a brown coat and grey, piercing eyes, shielded by square, sharp glasses. Apple Bloom guessed that he was probably from the mayor’s office.
He looks scary.
Applejack had gone rather still.
“I think you’d better come inside,” She insisted, quietly this time.
Apple Bloom’s tail began to swish anxiously.
This isn't going to be a normal house call.
The stallion waved Applejack off politely with his forehoof.
“Thank you, but I’ve got ten other farmsteads to visit. Is your brother around?”
“Uhm… I think he’s in the bathroom. I can take a message!”
Her enthusiasm faltered a little. The stallion studied her closely. His expression wasn’t unkindly, but Apple Bloom’s heart fluttered with sympathy as she watched Applejack get scrutinised.
At just a couple of months past eighteen, Applejack looked the part of a full grown mare. She was an average height for ponies, but few mares, or stallions for that matter, were broader shouldered or had stronger muscles. Her copper coat and blonde mane were vibrant and dynamic, and she wore a gigantic cowboy hat on her head that had once belonged to her father.
She hadn’t always been so confident, and Apple Bloom considered what was unfolding before her eyes to be a minor miracle, albeit one that was the result of months of patient practice. However, Applejack must have passed whatever test she’d been given, because the stallion let out a short, conciliatory sigh. He continued.
“Very well. At around quarter past two this morning, there was a magical altercation in the vicinity of the town hall. We believe there were three ponies involved. All of them from out of-“
“Is the mayor ok?”
Apple Bloom winced. The stallion gave Applejack a sharp look. Applejack hadn’t been able to keep the worry out of her voice, and she'd obviously spoken without thinking. Still, she stood her ground. Having asked, she'd get her answer.
Way to go Sis.
“I know you’re fond of her,” the stallion continued. He was trying to be sympathetic, but at the same time he was very clearly irritated at being thrown off his gait. “She’s unharmed. Everyone got a tremendous fright when the windows broke, but thankfully no one in the town hall or the surrounding buildings was seriously hurt. It seems that one of the assailants set off boxed lightning in the middle of town.”
Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped. The seed of anxiety in her stomach grew into a pit. She looked to her older sister. Apple Bloom had expected to see her also recoil in horror. Instead, she watched with quiet respect as Applejack bristled with anger instead.
“They could’ve burned down half the village!”
“The bolt itself didn’t hit anyone,” the stallion stressed hastily, “Actually, it would be more accurate to say that it did, but it seems that the intended target managed to stop it. We’re still trying to understand how that’s possible.“
Applejack suddenly went very rigid. Apple Bloom tried to work out if her hearing had failed her for a moment. When she realised it hadn’t and that the stallion was, in fact, deadly serious, she sat bolt upright at the top of the stairs. Adrenaline started to course through her veins. The morning sun seemed to falter slightly.
That’s-
“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not impossible,” the aide said.
He sounds like he’s trying to convince himself of that.
“While only pegasi are capable of generating lightning, the bolt itself is still pure electrical energy. In theory, a strong enough unicorn could convert that energy into any other kind of energy-“
Applejack ended the physics lesson bluntly.
“You’re talking about the powers of a Princess.”
Apple Bloom knew there were exactly two ponies she could have been referring to.
“Princess Celestia remains on the throne in Canterlot,” the stallion explained, his voice growing stern again, “and while Princess Cadance’s whereabouts remain a closely guarded secret, the Mayor understands that she is not in the vicinity of Ponyville.”
He straightened his glasses.
“No, Miss Applejack. I assure you, this was someone else.”
Applejack fell silent, clearly digesting the uneasy information. Apple Bloom shuddered.
Are they still in town?
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that an enormous red stallion with a copper mane was standing by the bottom of the stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realised that her older brother and the eldest of her siblings, Big Macintosh, had finally arrived. He made no move for the door. He just listened closely and quietly.
He’ll step in if he’s needed.
That was what she told herself, but Apple Bloom couldn’t help but notice that he looked as uncertain as Applejack. She realised he might have been standing there for a while. All of them were out of their depth here. Even the mayor’s aide seemed uncomfortable.
“Was anypony injured?” Applejack asked, “You only said no one was seriously hurt.”
There was a quaver in her voice, but she was now driving the conversation. The way Applejack was handling all of this helped calm Apple Bloom down, but fear came rushing back as she saw the stallion’s face fall.
“A few ponies temporarily lost their hearing or suffered minor lacerations as a result of the broken glass,” he explained, “They’ve all been discharged already, but… Applejack, Macintosh, there was a reason I was asked to come to your house first.”
The air filled with sick anticipation. No one interrupted the stallion as he continued. Apple Bloom didn’t even notice that he’d quietly dropped the formalities.
“First of all, I regret to inform you that Miss Ditzy Hooves has gone missing from her home. Neither of her daughters say they heard her leave the house, but we found hoofprints which suggest she may have left of her own free will. We’re asking everyone to keep an eye out for her.”
Apple Bloom’s heart dropped into her stomach.
Dinky’s mom? Oh Celestia…
Big Mac finally spoke.
“Do you need help searching for her?” he asked.
Applejack moved to say something, but instead fell silent. She took a seat on the ground instead. A dark look formed on her face.
She’s still afraid to leave the farm, Apple Bloom thought to herself miserably, I know Dinky’s mom would never abandon her willingly. I feel like this is the start of something really bad.
“We already have every pegasus in the village out looking for her. It would be helpful if you could both keep an eye on the farm. She left no note and she had no business outside of the village, so if she doesn’t turn up soon, we will have no choice but to suspect foul play. In addition to that…”
It gets worse?
Even as she’d been listening, Apple Bloom had gotten the horrible feeling that the stallion had only brought up Ditzy’s disappearance because he had been putting something off.
“I’m afraid I only said that nopony was injured inside the buildings of the town itself.”
Apple Bloom could hear a ringing in her ears that had nothing to do with tinnitus. The stallion sighed.
“Applejack, Macintosh, what I have to say next may be disturbing. I just want you both to be prepared.”
Everyone knew what was coming next. Apple Bloom bit back tears as she watched her elder sister’s ears droop. Macintosh took a few protective steps towards the door.
“Applejack…” he began.
“I’m fine, Big Mac.” Applejack warned.
She hadn’t been able to keep her voice steady. The aide closed his eyes for a moment. He sighed.
“We found the bodies of two stallions on the road leading up the road towards the Everfree Forest, not far from your home. I need to emphasise immediately that we know you had nothing to do with this incident, but it is crucial that you remain-“
“Apple Bloom!”
Apple Bloom nearly let out a scream as her sister called her name. She wanted to remain hidden, to not want to have to deal with this herself, but two pairs of baleful eyes soon turned on her.
They know me, she thought helplessly.
Applejack sounded more frightened than angry. That somehow made it worse. On the surface, Big Mac looked calm and grave, but Apple Bloom could read her brother. That slight raise of the eyebrows meant he was scared too. Apple Bloom stood up shakily. Her ten year old frame cut a puny silhouette as she hovered at the top of the stairs. She met her sister’s eyes, and her own went wide. She’d never seen that look on Applejack’s face. Her eyes glinted in the light, and there was a horrid sharpness in them. Apple Bloom couldn’t look away.
“To your room, now. Don’t you come out until I say.”
Despite clear direction, Apple Bloom couldn’t seem to get her legs to work. She stood frozen, waiting helplessly for angrier words to come, but the moment came and went. Applejack, Big Mac, and the mayor’s aide simply waited quietly for the instruction to translate into motion. With hooves of lead, Apple Bloom trudged back to her room with her head held barely above the floor. She closed the bedroom door behind her.
All the cheerful energy she’d brimmed with when she’d gotten out of bed that morning seemed to drain through the cracks in the floorboards. The sunshine that flowed through her window was cold and unfulfilling. She slumped down onto the wooden floor and fought to hold back tears.
I don’t know what to do. Is Applejack going to be ok? What about Granny?
A horrid pang of guilt shot through her as she realised she hadn’t even considered Big Mac. It wasn’t just that Applejack was closer to her in both age and gender. For a long time, Big Mac had been the adult of the household. He’d had to be. That didn’t mean she didn’t love him to bits, but it was a different relationship. She could relate to Applejack.
Big Mac told me she was a completely different pony before our parents went missing in the Everfree. She still hasn’t been able to leave the farm. I still don’t understand how her head works, even if I know she’s been getting better. She spent hours bucking those trees yesterday, harder and harder, like she was one of those pendulum things Miss Cheerilee showed us in science. It’s like she’s trying to be some kind of hero.
It had been seveen years ago that their parents had disappeared, and it wasn’t the only incident involving her sister. Apple Bloom had her own theories about exactly what might have happened the night Applejack ran away on her sixteenth birthday. She tried not to think about any of them. The day was dark enough.
Still, that when she changed. That night Miss Harvest brought her home, it was like some kind of shadow lifted from her. She still works hard on the farm, but she doesn’t slave away at it anymore. She’s not sad all of the time, and she actually plays with me sometimes. I think she’s trying to become like ma and pa.
Her thoughts drifted back to her current predicament.
I know she won’t stop if she thinks there’s a danger on the farm. But she can’t do anything against someone who can stop a bolt of lightning.
Something new stirred within Apple Bloom. Ropes of danger intertwined themselves with the worry she had for her sister. For the first time in her life, she understood responsibility in the sense that it meant to an adult.
I’ve watched Big Mac try so hard for us. Now Applejack’s trying too… but she’s going to get herself killed if she finds that monster.
Her face hardened.
I have to find out where it is before she ends up meeting it!
She got to her shaking hooves, and trotted over to the bedroom window. Quietly, she swung it open.
The grown-ups will be watching all the doors. This is the only way I’m getting out!
She forced herself to look down. Vertigo greeted her. The drop to the ground was as a cliff, and even more intimidating given the farmhouse’s sheer walls. She couldn’t look for long. Sweat broke out on her brow as her stomach churned.
Am I really going to do this?
She looked around her room. Pale yellow bedsheets that matched the colour of her fur covered her bed.
If I can tie the duvet cover and the bedsheets together, I can make a rope! I’m still small, so it’ll definitely hold me.
She wrestled the sheets off her bed and, with a lot more effort, managed to disentangle the large duvet sheet from the duvet. Waves of guilt ran over her as she ruined the painstaking work that Applejack had done to prepare her bed in the first place. A cloak of doubt settled around her shoulders as she began to twist the sheets into knots.
This is the last thing in the world they’d want me to do, she thought to herself gloomily.
Apple Bloom had been warned, repeatedly, about the dangers of going off on her own. One fateful day, her sister had done the same.
It almost ruined our family. It’s why I don’t have parents, it’s why Big Mac had to work himself almost to death, and it’s why my sister has been stuck on the farm for the past seven years. She still won’t talk to me about it.
Her face hardened.
But if Applejack or Big Mac find that dangerous pony first, then I could lose them both. I’m just gonna have to make sure that things end the way they’re supposed to this time!
Apple Bloom was no scout. Repeatedly, she fumbled with her teeth and her four hooves, contorting herself on the ground as she tried to manipulate the ends of the bedsheet and the duvet into something resembling a knot. She repeatedly had to pass the sheet from her teeth to between her hind hooves while holding the duvet cover in her forehooves, or pass the duvet from hooves to mouth with her hind legs as the anchor. She’d never once regretted being born an earth pony, but it wasn't the first time she'd really wished she'd had some telekinesis.
Her first knot came apart in seconds to a sharp tug. She tried again. Her second knot passed the tug test, but Apple Bloom didn’t trust it with her weight. It took a few more tries, but eventually, she ended up with something she thought might at least work long enough. She didn’t realise it, but she’d stumbled upon the Ashneigh Bend knot, a knot favoured by earth ponies.
Once she’d done it once, it was much easier to intertwine the mattress protector with the other end of the duvet. She now had a rope that would get her almost to the ground. Getting back in would be the hard part, but she reckoned she could find something to stack against the wall down in the yard.
She wouldn’t be coming back through the window anyway if she actually found something. Truth be told, she didn’t care whether she got into trouble or not.
Now I need something to tie it off to.
After dismissing a host of furniture legs and bedposts as too fragile or too prone to sudden failure, Apple Bloom elected for the lock on her sturdy toy chest, a solid piece of oak that Big Mac had made for her fifth birthday. This knot was even harder, and by the time it was finished, her jaw ached, and she was beginning to sweat. A lot of time had already passed.
They’re probably already checking the yard. I need to do this now!
Apple Bloom took one last glance out the window to check for adults around the back of the farmhouse. Then, she slung her improvised rope out of the window. She stared down at the distant ground. The wind was up, and she could see the flimsy bedsheets she was supposed to climb down twisting in the breeze.
She gripped the rope in her jaws. Her heart pounded in her chest. Time seemed to slow down. The faint chill of the summer air gripped her legs as she swung them out into empty space. Pony jaws and teeth, even for a foal like Apple Bloom, were quite capable of supporting their weight. For a moment, she clung on with her forelegs to the windowsill, but she couldn’t stay there forever.
She released her grip and swung free.
She almost panicked and let go of the rope as the wind carried her along the side of the building. The weight was heavier than she’d expected, and her jaw screamed at her to get the job done quickly. Tears flickered in her eyes as she wrapped her forelegs around the rope. She’d have to slide down, controlling the speed of her descent with squeezes from her legs and using her teeth as an emergency break. She began to slide towards the ground.
Too fast!
A cry of fear became a muffled yell of pain as her jaw took the full force of her arrested fall. She whimpered in place, and looked up at the window from where she’d came.
It was now less scary to keep lowering herself than to try to shimmy up the rope to her bedroom again. Apple Bloom blinked away a few tears, fought to get her breaths down below two per second, and let gravity take her in its grasp.
She was at the bottom of the rope before she knew it. Another hard jolt of pain in her already bruised jaw signalled that she’d managed to avoid falling off the rope entirely. Her hind legs dangled in mid-air, the pressure against her teeth almost unbearable as she lost the stability of her brace against the rope.
I’ve got to drop… but I’m still so high up! I don’t want to break my legs!
She let out a muffled cry of pain. It felt like her jaw was going to dislocate any second.
I’ve made it this far… there’s only one way out of this now! Come on!
She let go of the rope. Immediately, she hurtled towards the ground, but she twisted herself around to hit it the right way up. Her abdominal muscles cried out in protest.
Let me land on all four-
As her legs hit the ground, she let them bend, and then threw herself into a sideways roll. It felt like being kicked in the flank by a stray hoofball player, but after a tumble through the muddy ground, she came to a halt. Apple Bloom was from a rough and tumble family, and she’d long ago been taught how to take a fall.
I’ve never taken one that big before.
She tried to steady her ragged breathing. Every muscle in her body ached, and her jaw felt heavy and swollen. There was a dull ache in her left side, and she was covered head to hoof with mud and dust.
Even if I manage to get back, my sister is going to kill me.
Apple Bloom trembled, and only partially from the rush of adrenaline.
She’ll be so disappointed in me. Both of them have warned me so many times about going off on my own. I thought I’d always listen. Is she ever going to trust me again?
Tears shimmered in her eyes. She looked up at the rope. Despite everything, she felt a cold note of pride when she saw where she’d come from.
I bet no one in my class did something like that.
She looked at the ground pensively for a moment, and then back at her flanks expectantly. No mark appeared. She kicked the ground in disappointment.
Not even a silver lining.
She scanned the courtyard for anything out of place. There were a few chicken coops. Ponies might have been vegetarians, but they appreciated the odd bit of protein in their diet, and chicken eggs provided that. The gate to the carrot patch was closed. She couldn’t see any tracks from her position by the house and there was a good chance the rain had washed most of them away anyway. The sun glanced off small, evaporating puddles of water into her eyes, making it even harder to make out any differences.
How am I going to search an entire courtyard by my-
The door to the milking barn was ajar.
Brash as Apple Bloom had been, actually finding danger had been low down her list of expectations. She suddenly found it hard to think clearly. It was very warm.
They never leave that door open.
Herds of nomadic cattle sometimes used the barn to unburden themselves of excess milk, which was a rare and limited commodity. The equipment was valuable, a legacy from better times, and the extra revenue had saved the family from bankruptcy on at least one occasion. They would never leave it open to thieves.
I need to go tell Applejack and Mac about this.
Her legs didn’t move. Something didn’t seem right. The gears in Apple Bloom’s mind began to turn as she tried to piece together all the discrepancies. The ringing in her ears was back.
If somepony was trying to hide, then why would they leave the door open? Maybe they’re already gone?
Her mind flashed back to what she’d heard the mayor’s aide say.
‘The bolt of lightning didn’t hit anyone, or rather it did, but it seems that the intended target managed to stop it. We’re still trying to understand how that’s possible.’
“It was raining cats and dogs last night,” she muttered to herself.
They were in a really bad fight. Maybe they’re hurt.
Apple Bloom found herself cantering across the open courtyard before she fully registered what she was doing. The sun beat down on her bruised body, and she was parched from thirst after not breaking her fast, but she reached the barn doors.
What?
The lock on the door had been melted through. It was an unclean cut, like somepony had been using a blowtorch that didn’t quite burn hot enough, but the two formidable bars of steel that kept the door sealed had been cut in half. They now hung limply from their holdings. The great metal padlock that looped through both the bars and two holes that each punched through one of the double doors behind lay discarded on the ground. There was a sizeable hole in the padlock’s shackle. Apple Bloom could see that the metal was sharp at one point.
It looks like they couldn’t finish cutting through and had to snap it off at the end.
Some of the terror she’d felt upon discovering the scene faded into concern as she realised that whatever had broken in had run out of strength before it could complete the cut. Still, she couldn’t comprehend how anyone could have produced the heat needed to cut through a solid steel lock. Big Mac had specified that it be able to resist someone taking a blowtorch to it. She checked the ground.
The rain might have washed away the hoofprints from last night, but it ended before dawn. There should be tracks here where they left!
Come on. Please don’t tell me!
Apple Bloom let out a frantic whine as she desperately searched the ground for hoofprints. It didn’t matter how many times she spun around.
There aren’t any.
She struggled to keep from hyperventilating as the conclusion raced towards her with chilling finality. Someone, or something, was still in that barn.
What do I do?
She could still turn back. She could go and get help.
That was the whole point.
Something pushed her on. Maybe it was the lingering knowledge that however horrible they might have been, someone might be in need of help. With shaking hooves, she pushed the door ajar. It felt like entering a dragon’s lair. The musky stench of damp hit her nostrils immediately. That scent that should have been alien to a waterproof barn.
Lying motionless on the ground was the body of a unicorn. Apple Bloom bit back a shriek.
I can’t do this.
She turned tail and galloped back towards the farmhouse so quickly that it felt like she was going to pass out.
“SOMEPONY!” She cried, “ANYPONY! HELP! PLEASE!”
She didn’t have to call out for long. Her brother and sister were barrelling across the field towards her before she was halfway back to the farmhouse.
Applejack ran the length of a hoofball pitch in less than ten seconds. As she descended on Apple Bloom, her little sister skidded to a frightened halt. Applejack wasn’t sure if she was going to hug her or kill her, but love won out as she swept her up into a deep embrace.
“I’ve got you.”
Apple Bloom curled up into a ball in her hooves, obviously too deep in shock to say anything. Applejack could feel her shivering. Her brother was by her side a moment later, only beaten in the hoofrace because his sister had suddenly become more bullet than mare. He didn’t say anything. He could only look on with a shocked expression as he silently asked Applejack for answers. Applejack, for her part, could only turn to the quivering mess in her arms.
“Somepony’s in the barn.” Apple Bloom bleated.
Applejack and Big Mac looked at one another sharply.
“Get her back in the house.” Big Mac ordered.
He took a few steps towards the milking barn.
“And just where do you think you’re goin’,?” Applejack snapped, exasperated, “Y’heard the mayor’s message!”
“I also heard ‘self-defence’.”
Apple Bloom’s head rose in confusion. It only deepened as Applejack let her go and rose to confront her brother.
“Just because the guards acted like a pack of morons doesn’t mean that she’s some kind of innocent filly! For all we know, they were acting before she could try somethin’ worse! She stopped a bolt of lightning Mac.”
“She could be in trouble.” Big Mac insisted. His voice wavered slightly.
“I think she is in trouble,” Apple Bloom cut in, “She wasn’t moving any when I found her. I… I don’t think she’s breathing.”
Her voice retreated to a whisper. Big Mac and Applejack both shared a long, meaningful look. Some kind of hidden exchange must have taken place under its auspices, because when Applejack looked away first, it seemed she’d conceded the argument. Big Mac started towards the barn.
“Hey, I’m coming with you!” said Applejack.
Big Mac sighed.
“Fine.”
They both started galloping towards the barn as if some invisible thread connected them. Apple Bloom stumbled to her feet as she realised she was being left behind.
“What are you gonna-“
“Go back to the house, Apple Bloom!” Big Mac and Applejack said in unison. Not unkindly, but the message was firm.
Apple Bloom watched her siblings depart. She’d already worked out that they’d been party to some kind of revelation that she hadn’t shared in. Still, the whole point of the expedition had been to keep them out of danger. There they were, sprinting headlong towards it like it was sunshine.
Did I make any difference at all? she asked herself.
She didn’t realise it at the time, but her selfless decision to put her own life on the line had just made all of the difference in the world.
Big Mac hesitated when he saw the damage to the barn.
“Maybe you were right sis,” he conceded, audibly shaken, “This kind of damage shouldn’t be possible.”
Applejack shook her head.
“The mayor’s aide said that she waited until she was out of town to take those two out. Not exactly the heartless hoodlum archetype.”
Both of them took a breath as they saw the unicorn lying on the ground.
“That doesn’t look good.” Big Mac said. He was already preparing himself for a talk with the town’s coroner. To his surprise, Applejack moved first.
She’s been doing that a lot lately.
Applejack cantered gingerly towards the body. Her eyes studied it intently. A small gasp escaped her lips when she realised how young the filly was.
She’s the same age as me. Maybe even a bit younger.
She fought back tears.
I don’t care what happened out there. She’s not even an adult. Someone should have protected her from this.
Her eyes couldn’t help but turn to the filly’s odd appearance. The bright pink colour by itself wasn’t abnormal, but the shade was off. It didn’t look natural, like plastic trying to mimic fur. Applejack let out a sob as she noticed the next detail. Most adult ponies had a mark on their flank, just to the front of their hindquarters. Ponies called it their cutie mark, a magical sigil that reminded them of their purpose in life.
This mare didn’t.
She’s a blank flank. Just like me.
She rested a hoof gently upon the mare’s side. She was cold, but Applejack was surprised at just how much heat there still was. Her fur was damp; she’d been soaked through the night before. Applejack had been prepared for terror when she entered the barn. Now she just felt sick. She shivered with grief and rage.
“Applejack,” Big Mac began. “Maybe you should come back.”
Who let you down? Who let you end your life in a milking barn so many miles away? Don’t you have a family?
There was a nasty cut across the back of the mare’s neck, although Applejack doubted that was what killed her. It was shallow, and the wound had already clotted.
She felt something move beneath her hoof.
Applejack let out a strangled cry. She stumbled back. She could feel her heart start to pound in her chest, and her voice caught in her throat for a moment. Big Mac moved towards her, his eyes wide with shock.
“What’s wrong?”
“She’s alive!” she gasped, “She just breathed!”
Big Mac rushed over, understandably a little less unnerved than the pony who had just had a corpse come back to life under her hooves. He still shivered on the approach. Pony hooves didn’t have a lot of sensation, so he instead sat down and ran the side of his leg against the mare’s neck. He found the spot he wanted, and then pressed down. Applejack didn’t interrupt; she’d taken a pulse before. She could now see the mare’s barrel ebb and swell with tiny breaths. They were so weak and slow that she’d seemed still as the grave in the gloom of the barn.
Her brother didn’t move for a long time. Eventually, he murmured.
“She’s got a pulse. I don’t think it’s strong. We need to get her help.”
“She’s probably got hypothermia,” Applejack said.
Determination hardened her voice.
We need to save her.
Big Mac thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Go and run a bath back at the house.”
Applejack didn’t need to be told twice. They’d been unconsciously honing the barely-spoken sibling plan since she was three. She was outside before Big Mac could finish standing up. He put a hoof to his snout in thought. After a moment, he let out a sigh.
First of all I have to figure out how to get you back to the farmhouse.
Author's Note
Well, I managed to complete the actual first chapter. Now I guess I get to find out if this thing's actually got any legs.
EDIT: And now I know Apple Bloom is two words. This is the kind of information you really want to know prior to your chapter being posted for two full days. I also got rid of every reference to 'ah' instead of 'I'
01/05/24: Did a similar clean up to the one on The Monster of Canterlot Castle. There was quite a bit of optimisation to do. Doubt I caught every problem, but that's about the best I can do without the help of an editor I think.
05/05/24: ...and I only realised now that I can't count. The year in which Applejack's parents went missing is now consistent.
