Happy Hollow

by Devnul

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Applejack, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Adventure, Tragedy, Gore
Length: 13811

Applejack and the Cutie Mark Crusaders get detoured on their way to Appleloosa and find themselves in a ghost town. Things seem normal enough at first, but there's definitely something strange going on in the quiet hamlet of Happy Hollow.

SYNOPSIS
The Cuite Mark Crusaders, with Applejack as their caretaker, head out on a train bound for Appleloosa, ending up in an eerie ghost town. Although things seem nice enough at first, it doesn't take long for the fillies to realize something is amiss. Applejack does her best to protect Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo, but the young fillies' curious nature gets the best of them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders become reluctant heroes as they slowly uncover the mystery shrouding the darkest corners of an ancient town called Happy Hollow.

Story Cover Art by Jitterbug Jive

Author's Note:
This is the first story I'm submitting to fimfiction and I personally thank you if you plan on taking the time to read it. I've been working on this story for some time now, and I plan on releasing new chapters as soon as possible. This particular story will consist of five chapters. This is the first work of prose that I've created involving ponies, although I do write a web comic called "Ask Crapplejack", which you may or may not have heard of. If you have seen it, you may know what to expect from my work. I can guarantee you this is going to be a fun ride if you wish to take it with me. Thanks again for taking the time to read this. I hope you like grimdark. - Devnul

Published 2013-02-04 05:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-06 03:58:54 UTC

I. Detour

I. Detour

“Have a safe trip!” Granny Smith called to Applejack and her younger sister.

“Bon voyage!” Rarity shouted, “And make sure you keep an eye on Sweetie Bell, Applejack. She’s quite a handful!”

“Beg’n your pardon Rarity, but she’s a delight compared to this little rascal.” Applejack joked as she hefted Scootaloo up on her shoulders.

“Hey, quit it!” Scootaloo giggled.

“Now y’all better listen to Rarity, Applejack.” Granny Smith scolded, “Can’t let them little fillies out of your sight for one solitary moment!”

“Oh come on, Granny!” Apple Bloom whined, “We’re big fillies! We can handle ourselves! We don’t need Applejack to hold our hoof all the time.”

Granny Smith smiled gently, “Your granny’s just looking out for you, dear, that’s all.”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh chimed in.

Apple Bloom huffed and gave in. She knew her granny was just worried about her, but she didn’t have to baby her all the time. “Yeah, alright.”

“Now don’t forget to write once you get to Appleloosa!” Granny Smith said as AJ and the Cutie Mark Crusaders began to walk away from the group bidding them farewell.

“And please do send a gift, darling, I’m sure it will be charmingly rustic!” Rarity called out to Sweetie Bell.

“Don’t fret, y’all! I got everything covered.” Applejack said as she escorted the fillies onto the train that sat idle at Ponyville Station. “See y’all later, everypony!”

Applejack, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell waved to their friends and family that stood on the platform, seeing them off. Applejack thought this was all a bit much considering she was only taking Apple Bloom and her friends on a short vacation to Appleloosa, but she appreciated their kindness nonetheless.

Applejack’s newfound responsibility was still sinking in as she guided the ponies to the sleeper cars at the end of the train. At first, only AJ and Apple Bloom were going to go on this trip seeing as it was just to visit some family, but Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell jumped at the opportunity to get out of Ponyville for a few days. Applejack agreed to take the fillies along after Apple Bloom prodded her relentlessly for a few hours. Having this many ponies to keep track of while traveling was a bit of a headache for Applejack, who, despite being hard working and dependable, wasn’t exactly the best at managing three hyperactive young fillies.

Applejack had just brought the kids to their bunks when the train groaned and began chugging forward. She plopped Sweetie Bell into the bunk in front of her while her sister and Scootaloo hopped into the bunks behind her.

“Alright, now listen y’all, this is gonna be a long trip so I need yer full attention and utmost cooperation.” Applejack began addressing the fillies in a lecturing tone, “First of all, there can’t be no-”

Applejack’s speech was abruptly cut off as a pillow gently whacked her in the back of the head. Her face immediately drooped and her eyes narrowed as she glared off into the distance, staring at nothing in particular. A small cacophony of giggles could be heard emanating from behind her. She violently swivelled around and glared at Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, who were doing a terrible job at containing their laughter.

“Aw c’mon, sis, it was funny!” Apple Bloom laughed.

“Don’t gimme that, Apple Bloom.” Applejack scowled as their laughter was curtly silenced, “Now I want y’all to have fun on this here trip, but at the same time you have to listen to me. I’m accountable for all three of you and if anything were to happen to ya, your mothers would kill me!”

Scootaloo averted her eyes to the ground.

Applejack noticed Scootaloo’s change in disposition but didn’t want to bring any attention to her own faux pas, “So y’all just have to listen to me, understand? I don’t want nopony wandering off and getting lost, or worse yet - getting hurt. That won’t happen so long as you listen to me, okay? That’s all I’m askin’ of ya.”

The three fillies silently nodded in agreement.

With a sigh of relief, Applejack added, “Good. Now who wants to get some supper?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell instantaneously bolted from their seats at the prospect of some nourishment, but Scootaloo was a little more lethargic. Without waiting for Applejack, the two excited fillies dashed down the narrow corridor into the next car. Applejack watched as Scootaloo followed suit at a less enthusiastic pace.

“Hey, listen.” Applejack said. Scootaloo stopped in her tracks. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean nothing by it, sugarcube. Slip of the tongue.”

Scootaloo smiled, “Hey, no problem. It’s cool.”

Applejack returned her smile but knew Scootaloo was being a bit less than genuine. Applejack didn’t want to be patronizing, however, and just left the conversation at that. She took up the rear as the gang made their way to the dining car.

* * * * *

That evening, after everyone had their fill at dinner, Applejack and the kids nestled into bed. The soft clacking of the train’s wheels against the track in addition to the mellow rumble of the engine at the far end of the train created a soft, comforting pink noise that lulled everyone into a deep slumber. The train swiftly sped down the tracks, the earth pony engineers working overtime to make it to Appleloosa by morning. Shovel after shovel of coal was being hefted into the furnace to keep the train barreling down the tracks. The 8:10 to Appleloosa seemed to be moving right on schedule. Wind swept across the roof of the locomotive as it passed endless tracts of sand on its journey south.

Several hours later, once AJ and the young fillies had been asleep for a while, the train approached something uncharted on any railway maps. On the far right of the locomotive, faint lights flickered in the distance. There seemed to be a small village just a few minutes from the tracks. Before the train managed to clear the outskirts of the town, blaring sounds of screeching metal echoed throughout the valley as sparks cascaded off the front wheels of the engine. The train decelerated rapidly, rattling the tracks beneath it. After a few shouts from the engineers, the entire train lurched forward and finally came to a rest.

A sudden, heaving jolt knocked Apple Bloom and Sweetie Bell awake.

Applejack continued to snore and Scootaloo was completely unphased - heavy sleepers evidently.

“What was that?” Sweetie Bell squeaked.

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom jumped out of her bunk and rushed over to AJ, jostling her shoulder, “Applejack, wake up! Something happened!”

Applejack’s eyes slowly creaked open, “Sun ain’t even up, sugarcube. What is it?”

The noise and clamour of ponies from other cars began to escalate. By this time, Scootaloo woke up as well.

“Hey guys, what’s going on?” Scootaloo said as she groggily hopped out of bed.

“I don’t know!” Apple Bloom turned her attention to Scootaloo, “There was some loud noise. Now we’re stopped!”

“Do you think we hit something?” Sweetie Bell wondered aloud.

By this time, the conversation had piqued Applejack’s interest, “Wait just a darn minute, what’s going on? We haven’t had an accident or anything, have we?”

Before any of the fillies could answer Applejack’s inquiry, the door to their sleeper car hissed open. One of the train’s ticket collectors stepped through, carrying a flashlight which shone in the faces of the drowsy ponies.

He addressed Applejack, stating, “Sorry to bother you, miss, but there’s some technical difficulties with the engine it seems. We’re going to have to ask you to please exit the train until the issue has been addressed.”

“We have to get off? What time is it?” Applejack grumbled.

“It’s around three o’clock AM, miss.” the ticket collector said, “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but it will be a lot easier for the engineers to work if the train is not occupied. We will let you know when the train is up and moving.”

“What the hay are the children and I supposed to do at this hour, sir?” Applejack said, a bit pissed off, “Can’t we just stay here in our bunks and sleep till the issue is fixed?”

“Sorry, miss, I’m just doing what the conductor instructed me to.” the ticket collector said, shrugging, “I know it must be a pain, but we would really appreciate it if you cooperated.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and groaned, “Fine.”

The ticket collector seemed sincerely apologetic, and a bit worried that he had annoyed the young mare. He nervously spoke up, “If it’s any condolences, miss, we’re lucky that we’ve broken down just outside of some settlement.”

“A town?” Scootaloo queried as she raised a single eyebrow, curiously, “Way out here?”

“Yes, indeed.” the ticket taker explained, “Seems we’re just outside of a town called Happy Hollow. I’ve never heard of it myself, but it looks like a quaint little town. You could bide your time there until everything’s fixed up.”

“Well, I reckon that’s a mite bit consoling.” Applejack grunted as she grabbed her hat off a small hook on the wall and placed it on her head, pulling the brim down. She looked at her sister and her friends, “Any of y’all want to check out this here town?”

“Sure!” Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Sounds awesome!” Scootaloo added.

Applejack chuckled to herself a bit, “Yeah, alright. But keep in mind this is past yer bedtime, and we’re only doing this coz of certain circumstances.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Apple Bloom said, “C’mon let’s go, sis!”

The Cutie Mark Crusaders darted past the ticket collector and out the door behind him.

“Pardon their enthusiasm.” Applejack smiled.

The ticket taker just nodded and stepped out of AJ’s path as she made her way out of the car and outside. As she stepped her hoof onto the oddly dry soil she could see that the young fillies in her care had already run several yards ahead of her and were playing around. Those girls sure had bundles of energy.

Applejack’s age showed as she struggled to wake herself up. After shaking her head a few times, hoping to rattle herself awake, she took a moment to observe her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was how quiet it was. There was no wind, which was very uncommon for that area of Equestria, and not a natural sound could be heard - not even crickets chirping. The only sounds she could hear were the faint commotion of conversation in the distance and the clanging of metal made by the engineers. She could see a few other ponies making their way out of the train, most looking either dazed, unaware of what was going on or extremely annoyed. When she turned her gaze back on the kids, she noticed something interesting out of the corner of her eye. A small crowd had formed around the engine.

“Hey girls!” Applejack called to the young ones, “Want to take a gander at what’s holding up the train with them folks over there?”

They all nodded and galloped over to her, excitedly.

“What are those guys doing up there?” Apple Bloom asked when she caught up with her sister, “They look awful confused.”

“That ain’t a good sign.” AJ mumbled to herself.

When Applejack and the fillies approached the crowd, they could hear disconcerting murmurs from the strangers that were gathered around in a semi-circle. They all sounded nervous, worried or angry. When AJ broke through the crowd to see what everyone was staring at, she understood. They weren’t looking at the engine, they were looking at the track - or lack thereof.

“Track’s gone for what looks like a mile.” an older gentlecolt standing next to AJ pointed out.

“How could this even happen? This is insane!” a young mare cried out.

Apple Bloom climbed up on Applejack’s back so she could see over the crowd and find out what everyone was making such a fuss over.

“Wow.” Apple Bloom whispered when she saw the huge expanse of barren land, devoid of rail tracks, that lay ahead of the train.

“What’s going on?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“Yeah, we can’t see anything!” squawked Scootaloo. She attempted to hover over the crowd with her wings to get a better vantage point, but to no avail.

Applejack turned her head to the fillies, “It ain’t the engine that’s the problem, the whole track’s gone! Looks like we’re stuck here for the time being, girls.”

“Shucks! Are we even going to make it to Appleloosa at all at this rate?” Apple Bloom pouted.

“I don’t rightly know. Ain’t my place to say.” Applejack said with a little hesitance in her voice, “Ain’t much we can do about it, neither.”

Applejack saw the conductor pass by, sneaking behind the crowd of angry ponies. He was an older pony, with a curly white mustache and a grey coat. A blue conductor’s cap sat upon his head which matched his blue eyes. In the dark it was hard to see, but AJ could just make out a steam engine as his cutie mark.

“Hey!” Applejack yelled, “You the conductor?”

Luckily for him the rest of the crowd was not paying attention to AJ and was instead keeping themselves occupied arguing with the engineers. After clearing his throat he announced, “Yes, I am.”

“Then can we kindly go back to sleep on the train?! We did pay for those sleepin’ car tickets after all.” Applejack snorted, not even attempting to conceal her anger.

The conductor took out a hankie and patted down drops of sweat dripping from his forehead, “Fraid not, miss. You’ll be refunded for your troubles when we finally get to Appleloosa, rest assured. It’s just I’d rather not have the responsibility of keeping two dozen passengers in order on my locomotive. Not to mention that in situations like this, it’s best to give the engineers free reign to work wherever and whenever they need to.”

“Refund, huh?” Applejack’s face contorted into a skeptical scowl, “Well alright. I’ll take yer word for it.”

“Again, sorry for the inconvenience.” the conductor scratched his head, “To be honest, I don’t know how the hay the track went missing, but we’re going to have to figure something out.”

Applejack could clearly see that the conductor was a worn out old stallion and didn’t need her giving him a hard time. He had enough on his plate given the perplexing situation they all found themselves in. She decided to just drop the issue and turn her attention to her charges.

“So what are we gonna do now Applejack?” Sweetie Bell asked.

“I’m not even tired any more!” Scootaloo said as she hopped around, “I’m hungry now!”

“Yeah, I’m pretty hungry, too.” Apple Bloom said, wincing as her stomach growled.

“Alright,” Applejack said, “here’s what we’ll do...”

Applejack looked around until her gaze finally came to rest on the flickering lights in the distance. She could see the outline of a few buildings and figured there must be some place in Happy Hollow that was still open. It seemed like a very small town, a lot smaller than Appleloosa. She wasn’t surprised she had never heard of it or even seen it on a map for that matter. But the lights must be on for some reason and it seemed in everyone’s best interest to at least check the place out.

“We were going to go to see this here Happy Hollow anyway,” Applejack said, her eyes still steady on the far off buildings, “I reckon we could look for someplace to get some vittles while we’re there. Not sure how many places are still open at three in the morning, though.”

* * * * *

After a fifteen minute walk, Applejack and the fillies entered the town center of Happy Hollow. It was just about as small as AJ assumed; the entire town consisted of one long road with buildings on either side. Everything seemed bunched together in the town square, save for a few outlying farm houses and windmills. All the buildings looked run down and in disrepair. To a passerby, it would look like a ghost town - completely uninhabited.

However, there was a bounty of signs that ponies lived there. Trash littered the alleyways and hoofprints covered the dirt road, not to mention there was a light coming from the far end of the street. Despite this, the entire town was dead silent. Not a soul could be seen at all and no signs of life stirred.

The strange colored glow caught the attention of Applejack and the kids, who could see it emanating from down the road. Its source, however, was completely unknown.

“Where’s that light coming from?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, we might as well find out.” Applejack said, although she felt a bit uneasy escorting three children towards an eerie light in a run down old town she’d never heard of.

After walking about a hundred yards, the light’s origin became clear.

“A diner!” Scootaloo cried out.

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief, “Well if that don’t beat all! Just what we were lookin’ for!”

The town’s diner had a very retro feel to it; its shiny metallic exterior sharply contrasted the surrounding wooden buildings. On top of the building was a buzzing neon sign that read simply “DINER”. The unnatural-colored lights cast a bizarre glow around the diner and the sides of the neighboring buildings. Through the huge front windows, AJ could see a single pony sitting at a long counter, where a young mare stood taking orders. As the crew approached the door they could see a big sign hanging from it that read “OPEN 24 HOURS”.

“Still open too!” Applejack’s mood began to brighten up a bit as she opened the door, “Go on in, girls. I’ll get you all a little something.”

The three excited fillies cheered as they frolicked onto the black and white checkered linoleum floor of the restaurant. A bell above the door jingled and alerted the waitress of the new customers.

“Howdy!” a chipper young mare called out, “What can I get y’all this evening?”

When Applejack stepped into the diner, she saw Apple Bloom and her friends had already hoisted themselves onto the stools that lined the counter. A young female unicorn with a white coat and a blonde mane, done up in a bun, was standing behind the counter. She wore a reddish-pink shirt with a nametag on it that Applejack couldn’t quite make out.

“Sorry, where are my manners?” she giggled, “My name’s Daisy. And good evening, miss!”

Applejack looked around to make sure this waitress was talking to her and then spluttered, “Uh... hey... evening to you too.”

AJ was a bit taken aback by the waitress’s demeanour which seemed a little out of place for a dreary diner in a hick town just a few hours before sunrise. Despite this young mare being quite odd, Applejack was pleasantly surprised. She expected everyone in Happy Hollow to be rough, tough and unfriendly based on her analysis of the town. Instead she was greeted by somepony who was the complete opposite of all her expectations.

She surveyed the rest of the diner before taking her seat next to the children at the counter. An old stallion sat at the opposite end of the bar, reading a newspaper. A cup of coffee lay on the table in front of him; steam did not rise from it and it looked as though it was cold and had been sitting there for some time. An old jukebox covered in dust rested against the wall just behind him. After getting acclimated and comfortable in her seat, Applejack again turned her attention to the waitress.

“Well, can I get y’all anything?” the waitress asked with a smile.

“Uh... let’s see...” Applejack said, glancing over the menu that the waitress had just handed her. She turned to the fillies, “Y’all know what you want?”

“Pancakes!” Scootaloo exclaimed, jumping up on her hind legs on top of the stool, “Stacked way up here!” She made a gesture with her front legs implying she wanted some sort of mountain made of pancakes.

“Sounds good to me.” Sweetie Bell said, “I’ll get that too.”

“I reckon I could go for some flapjacks.” Apple Bloom agreed.

“Well alright then.” Applejack said without taking her eyes off the menu, “Short stack for each of the girls and I’ll just have a cup of coffee myself.”

Applejack closed her menu with a flourish and handed it to the cheery waitress.

“Aw!” Scootaloo complained, “How many come in a short stack?”

“That’d be three, hun.” the waitress replied.

Scootaloo scowled at Applejack, who didn’t even turn her head to witness the expression.

“Is that all, dears?” the waitress cooed.

“Yep, that’ll do, miss.” Applejack said.

“Please, honey, call me Daisy.” the waitress said with a playful smile.

Applejack was a bit unused to such informality and found it impossible to fully comply. “Alright, thanks Miss Daisy.”

Daisy slipped into the back room of the diner with the order. The heavy, hinged door swayed back and forth a few times before coming to rest. Sounds of pots and pans clanging together could be heard through the small window giving the customers a tiny glimpse of the kitchen. The kitchen looked very ordinary, with a few pots hanging from what looked like a rod on the ceiling. After a few moments a soft hiss replaced the sound of the banging pots - undoubtedly Daisy pouring pancake batter onto the stove.

However, after a few moments that sound subsided and a thick silence filled the small room. The only sounds that could be heard were that of the buzzing fluorescent lights and the ticking of a clock that hung above the kitchen door. The fillies sat quietly awaiting their food, an unusual occurrence for the three energetic kids.

The sound of scuffling hooves caught Applejack’s attention, who looked to her right, past the children and to the other side of the room. The old stallion reading a newspaper had gotten off his stool and walked over to the dusty old jukebox. He placed a bit in it, which entered a slot in the side and rolled down the machine. After a few seconds a soft, lilting old-timey Western song echoed through the building. The muffled sound of a relaxed steel guitar and slow drum beat replaced the unearthly silence that hung in the air before. The old pony grunted as he sat down again at the counter.

“Y’all ain’t from around here, are ya?” the old stallion bellowed in a gruff voice, placing his paper down on the table and looking over at the strangers, “Ain’t often we get visitors.”

The considerable distance between the two parties made the conversation a little unexpected, not to mention awkward.

“Uh, no, we ain’t.” Applejack spoke for the group.

“Where y’all hail from, then?” the old pony asked in a disinterested monotone.

“Ponyville!” Sweetie Bell piped up.

“Ponyville?” he grumbled, as if in disgust. He turned his attention back to his newspaper, “Never heard of it.”

“You’ve never heard of Ponyville?” Scootaloo asked, laughing a bit, “Are you serious?”

The old stallion grimaced and turned his sharp eyes again towards the group at the other end of the diner, “No, I ain’t never heard of no Ponyville. Y’all ever hear of Happy Hollow?”

“Well... no.” Scootaloo admitted.

“Then why should I have ever heard of Ponyville?” the old stallion snapped his attention back to his paper, muttering something under his breath which Applejack only assumed were nasty words directed at the newcomers.

Applejack, without taking her eyes off the stallion said to the children in a loud voice, “Seems people round these parts are mighty hospitable.” It was clear she wanted the old stallion to hear her sarcasm. He either did not care or didn’t hear, because he had absolutely no response.

For a few awkward moments, the grainy Western tune coming from the jukebox was the only thing breaching the wall of silence the two parties had put up around each other.

“Here y’all go, little darlin’s!” Daisy called as she opened the back room door with her rump. She levitated three plates of pancakes with her unicorn magic as she entered the main room of the diner. After carefully placing each plate in front of the fillies, she turned to Applejack and said, “Don’t fret, hun, I didn’t forget about your coffee.”

After pouring AJ a steaming cup of coffee, she asked, “I don’t remember seeing your faces in here before. Newcomers?”

“Yep.” AJ said, taking a sip from her cup. It burned the roof of her mouth a bit and she winced after putting the cup to her lips.

“Yeah, careful, shug’. That’s hot.” Daisy said with a wink, “So where y'all from? We don’t get many tourists ‘round here.”

“So I’ve heard.” Applejack grumbled with a sidewards glare at the old pony across the room.

“We’re from Ponyville!” Apple Bloom said.

“Ponyville!” Daisy squealed, “Oh, ain’t that the most darling name for a town I ever did hear!” She giggled, “Ain’t surprised such cute little ones like yourselves came from such a cute little town!”

Daisy pinched Sweetie Bell’s cheek, who laughed and squirmed in response.

“I reckon you’ll be seeing a lot of us folks around here for some time.” Applejack explained, “See, our train broke down just outside of town and there’s one or two odd miles of track missing from the railway.”

“That’s awful odd...” Daisy pondered.

“You can say that again,” Applejack shook her head, “Darned conductor won’t even let us sleep on the train! That’s why the children and myself are here at this hour.”

“Oh my!” Daisy gasped, “You poor dears! Tell you what, there’s an inn right across the street. Talk to the innkeeper, his name’s Gourmand. You tell him Daisy sent you and I’m sure he’ll find you a room, possibly even one at a discounted price.”

“Aw shucks, Daisy, that’s mighty neighborly of ya.” Applejack said bashfully.

“No trouble at all!” Daisy beamed, “After these tykes here finish their meals, why don’t you head over and see what he says? If there’s really gonna be a big demand for rooms tonight like you said, best get a jump on it.”

* * * * *

Applejack and the fillies made their way into the lobby of the Happy Hollow Inn. After a few seconds it was apparent that no one was there to greet them. Dim candle light illuminated the spacious room. Shadows danced across the walls as Applejack surveyed the ground floor, looking for somepony to talk with. A large front desk sat directly across from the front door. To the left and right of the desk were great wooden staircases. The entire building looked ramshackle; dust and cobwebs were found in nearly every corner. It was obvious by the condition of the inn that Happy Hollow didn’t see much business by way of travellers. Most curious of all, however, is that directly above the front desk a large oil painting of an old bearded pony hung on the wall. The portrait’s frame was covered in dust and from the pony’s style of dress it appeared to be an antique.

Applejack approached the front desk. A thick guest book filled with blank pages sat facing her, but what really caught her eye was the silver bell that shone in the light of a nearby oil lamp. She gingerly tapped the top of it, and a ding rang out. The room was so quiet that the sound from the small bell sounded like an explosion.

“Anypony here?” Applejack hollered.

After a brief moment of completely static air, the sound of creaking wood could be heard from the staircase on the left. After a few thumps that were obviously hoof falls, a pony appeared, descending the rickety stairs.

“Evening, stranger.” the middle-aged male earth pony said, “You lookin’ for a room tonight?”

“Uh, yeah,” Applejack hesitated, “Daisy sent us.”

“Daisy!” the pony chuckled, “Fantastic! I’ll set you up with a room right away. Name’s Gourmand. I run this here inn. I don’t get much business at this here inn, but the rooms are warm and the beds are comfortable. I’ll only ask the humble price of forty bits for all of y’all tonight, seein’ as y’all are friends of Daisy.”

“Well that’s mighty generous.” Applejack said, a bit in shock of the bare minimum price, “I appreciate it very much, sir.”

“Now,” Gourmand said as he took his place behind the front desk and took out a quill, “If y’all can sign the registry here I’ll take you up to your room.”

Applejack did as he said, and signed for each of the children as well.

“Ah, right this way, Miss...” Gourmand hesitated before looking down at the registry, “Applejack!”

Gourmand gestured for the party to follow him up the stairwell. He was gripping a lamp in his mouth as he began leading them up to their rooms. As they walked, the fillies were taking in the scenery and remained silent. Sweetie Bell appeared to be a bit frightened by the rather eerie accommodations they had received for the evening. The Happy Hollow Inn was a far cry from Carousel Boutique. When they finally reached their room for the night, which was situated on the fourth floor, Gourmand hung up his lamp on a hook next to the doorway.

“Y’all are lucky, as a matter of fact. This is one of the only rooms we got left.” Gourmand explained, “A lot of other ponies have been renting out rooms tonight. Peculiar to have such a boom in business.”

Applejack sighed and began, “Yeah, well, see... thing is we all were on board a-”

“A train,” Gourmand interrupted, “I know, I know. I heard the story about a dozen times tonight from a dozen different ponies.”

He smiled as he handed Applejack a key, “This here’s the room key. Don’t lose it, but if you do you can always ask for another one down at the main lobby. If I’m not there, my wife will be.”

“Thank you.” Applejack said, a little embarrassed that she was about to bore him with a tale he’s heard so much this evening. AJ wasn’t one to waste another pony’s time.

Applejack unlocked the door to the room as Gourmand made his way back down to the lobby. Once AJ opened the door, the three fillies burst through and started examining their temporary home. The room contained four beds as well as a dresser, a mirror and its own bathroom. All this was crammed into a tight space, however, and the room appeared far from luxurious. Every piece of furniture was made from bare wood and the only form of decoration in the entire space was the red velvet curtain hanging from a single, large window located in the center of the far wall.

“Alright, kids.” Applejack said in a stern tone, “Bedtime. It must be almost four by now and I don’t want y’all waking up at noontime.”

* * * * *

After several minutes of lying still in quiet darkness Apple Bloom realized she was alone. Her last whisper across the room to Scootaloo remained unanswered. Everyone was asleep but her. Apple Bloom usually had a hard time falling asleep, and trying to sleep in a strange room in a strange town was nearly impossible. The muffled sound of morning birds beginning to chirp outside the window frustrated her. It was still pitch black outside, but she knew morning was coming and she wasn’t even tired.

Giving up on trying to sleep for the time being, Apple Bloom carefully got out of bed. She tried to make her movements as subtle as possible so that she wouldn’t wake anyone, especially her sister. Applejack would most likely get mad at Apple Bloom for not at least attempting to sleep; but futile attempts at sleep were just too aggravating for Apple Bloom. She decided to get up and open the window so that the sounds of the night could lull her to sleep, or at least make her feel a bit more relaxed. As Apple Bloom approached the window, she was expecting to hear the sounds of birds and crickets flood into the room as soon as the window was opened.

Once she opened it, however, all she heard was silence.

Apple Bloom paused a moment. She was confused; she could have swore she heard birds chirping outside. She scanned the area and saw no birds and not even any bird nests. She scratched her head. Weird.

Then, Apple Bloom heard a noise. It sounded very similar to the muffled sounds she heard before. Now she was able to recognize the sound, though. It was the sound of a pony’s voice! It was faint but it was shrill and high-pitched, like that of a bird. She couldn’t make out any words, though. They just sounded like noise - like chirps. Apple Bloom searched for the source of this sound as she peeked her head out the window.

Apple Bloom spotted an orange glow emanating from the alleyway beside the diner across the street.

II. A Light in the Dark

II. A Light in the Dark

The light Apple Bloom saw in the alleyway beside the diner appeared unnatural; it was certainly not any type of light she could recognize. It didn’t have the flickering, dancing glow of candlelight, it didn’t have the droning hum of electric light and it didn’t have that sparkle found in light created by magic. It was completely unlike anything she’d seen. There was something unsettling about it, but Apple Bloom couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. Despite her initial trepidation, curiosity reigned supreme in the court of her mind and demanded that she investigate further.

Apple Bloom turned away from the window and took a look around the room. Everyone was still asleep. Good. She didn’t want her sister or any of her friends questioning her before she attempted to leave the room. She began closing the window, trying not to make the old window frame creak any more than it had to. Once the window was slid shut the odd chirping sound coming from outside was silenced. The only sound left in the room was that of Applejack’s soft snoring. The snoring was gentle and comforting; it let Apple Bloom feel like she wasn’t alone in the realm of the living. However, this didn’t break her resolve to find out what was going on across the street.

Apple Bloom began quietly walking across the wooden floor, trying not to make the rickety boards groan under her weight. As she walked by her sister’s bed, she swiped the room key from the bedside table. She approached the heavy door to the room and slid the key into the slot; the pins within the tumbler lock shifted inside the door. To Apple Bloom the tiny metallic pins moving inside the lock sounded like glass bottles shattering on the floor. The whole room was so incredibly quiet that even the softest disturbance seemed like a cacophony of thunder that could wake even the heaviest sleepers. Apple Bloom turned the key until she heard a click. After the door seemed to be unlocked, Apple Bloom turned the knob and pulled.

It didn’t budge.

She pulled harder. The door knob was not even turning. She yanked on it a few more times, and the entire door swayed as Apple Bloom attempted to force it open. Applejack moaned and shifted under her covers, which made Apple Bloom’s entire body freeze up. Once she realized AJ was not waking up anytime soon, she calmed down and took a moment to think. She must have just locked the door - meaning it was unlocked before. She re-inserted the key and tested the theory. Sure enough, the door clicked open when she turned the knob again. She thought this was incredibly strange, as she could have swore that Applejack had locked the door just before they all went to bed. Despite this, she put the thought behind her and pressed on.

Apple Bloom stepped into the hallway fastidiously, taking a peak around. She could hear hoofsteps coming from down the hall. She retreated back into her room, expecting to see Gourmand or a hotel guest walk past her in the hallway. She stood at the door, peeking through a tiny slit she left in the doorway. To her surprise, no one passed by. She opened the door again and listened carefully. The hoofsteps she heard were fading away; probably walking down the stairwell into the main lobby. Apple Bloom took this as her all-clear sign to begin her own descent.

All the stairsteps in the Happy Hollow Inn were old, dusty, and uncomfortably noisy, much like the floor throughout the entire building. However, the staircase leading down to the main lobby was exceptionally loud. After every step, Apple Bloom had to stop and listen to see if anyone had noticed the sound of her hoof colliding with the grainy wood beneath her. Despite her own paranoia, Apple Bloom could never hear anything but the sound of her own breathing. Her breathing patterns became more shallow as she attempted to maintain the silence that hung heavy in the stairway. While she was going down the staircase, her heart began to quicken its pace. She was so nervous that she would be found that it felt exhilarating. Maybe too exhilarating. Her legs began to shake slightly as she made her way downstairs. Before she got too worked up, Apple Bloom paused and thought about what might happen if she was caught. Contrary to what may be expected, her anxiousness actually subsided. In Apple Bloom’s mind, the worst case scenario was that she would simply be scolded by an older pony and sent back to her room in the off chance she was spotted. The present danger paled in comparison to the exciting mystery that awaited her across the street.

Just before Apple Bloom exited the stairwell and walked into the main lobby, she peeked her head out from behind a wall. She wanted to make sure the coast was clear before moving into the open. It was very hard for her to see since it was so late at night and the room was nearly pitch black, save for faint moonlight casting a gloomy glow over the rug in the center of the room. She could make out the outline of the main desk and a few other objects in the room, including the door. Just before she was about to dart across the room and out the front door, she heard a soft sound coming from behind the desk.

She squinted her eyes and attempted to focus on the source of the sound, but was having a hard time. Her eyes were still trying to adjust to the lighting in the room, and the only thing she could see was an amorphous blob of shadow standing behind the front desk. The dark figure moved again, and this time the sound it made was far more distinct and clear. It sounded like fabric rustling. By this point Apple Bloom was sure it was a pony - most likely a pony that worked at the inn. She just stood in the stairwell, waiting for the pony to leave the inn or at least move to another room. Apple Bloom didn’t dare move a muscle, for fear that the pony moving in the shadows might hear.

As Apple Bloom continued to observe the figure, she was suddenly blinded by a flash of red light. She quickly shut her eyes and her face wriggled in response. When she opened her eyes again, she could see that the pony behind the front desk was in fact a unicorn casting a light spell with her horn. The female unicorn was wearing a dark, hooded cloak and appeared completely red from the strange glow her horn was casting. At least, it looked like she was wearing a cloak to Apple Bloom. Maybe it was a parka? Or a sweater? She couldn’t really tell, but she was almost positive it was a cloak or a robe.

Every object in the room was a bright, crimson red due to the unicorn’s horn being the only light source available. Apple Bloom couldn’t make out the color of the unicorn due to the red light distorting her natural palette. She attempted to more keenly eye the unicorn and see if she could recognize her by any other physical traits. However, lighting aside, the pony didn’t look familiar at all. Although her face was veiled by the shadow cast from her hood, Apple Bloom noticed that she appeared to be quite a few years older than Applejack. The only part of the unicorn’s face that could be seen clearly were her glistening, piercing eyes. The unicorn scanned the room, as if she had expected something to be there. Apple Bloom held her breath, her fear returning to her. This unicorn seemed a lot more intimidating than your average inn employee. After a thorough visual scan of the room, to Apple Bloom’s delight, the unicorn just turned around and entered a back room through a door behind the front desk. Apple Bloom assumed this must be the storage room or an office.

The young filly watched as the light dissipated from the room when the unicorn closed the wooden door behind her. The lobby returned to darkness, save for the crimson luminescence that shined through a small window at the top of the back door. Although it was eerie, the light was not enough of a deterrent for Apple Bloom to turn back. Granted, it was quite off-putting, but it wasn’t exceptionally weird. It still had the gentle brilliance of magical light that Apple Bloom had come to recognize from her sister’s friend, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight would often use the exact same spell to cast a red light on her horn whenever an area was especially dark. When Twilight used that spell while looking after Apple Bloom, she actually felt comforted. The light would permeate every crevice of whatever dark, creepy area they might find themselves in, even if it’s just the cellar of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. Its warm glow was normally soothing and would help ease the young filly’s nerves. Given the context that Apple Bloom presently found herself in, however, the same light became a beacon of danger and fear of the unknown. The glimmer of magical light seemed odd and out of place in the rickety old hotel. Apple Bloom couldn’t figure out exactly why, but it made her uncomfortable.

Apple Bloom used the rush of adrenaline she had received from the whole experience to scurry across the floor of the lobby towards the exit. While frantically trying to sprint for the door, she made the rug slip under her hooves and she nearly tripped. Before her head collided with the floor, she regained her balance and continued to shamble across the room and out the door. So much for subtlety. She hoped to Celestia that the hooded unicorn had not heard her fumbling around. Apple Bloom waited a second to see if she could hear any noise coming from inside the lobby. After listening for a while and realizing no one was coming after her, Apple Bloom triumphantly trotted down the front steps of the veranda and onto Main Street.

She escaped the hotel without any alarms going off, no watchdogs waiting for her outside and no guards rappelling down the side of the building. Apple Bloom laughed to herself at how silly she had been, pretending that the Happy Hollow Inn was like some sort of high-security prison. She realized that in reality no one was paying attention to her and she wasn’t going to be whisked away, locked in her room and forced to listen to Applejack chewing her ear off for hours. Apple Bloom thought that perhaps uncovering the source of the mysterious light across the street would be equally anti-climactic, but it doesn’t hurt to take a look.

At that hour the entire town was blanketed in darkness. The only light that Apple Bloom could spot at all came from the diner across the street, and of course the source of the strange light she saw from her window: its cellar entrance, located in the alleyway. The diner’s enormous windows cast ample light onto the street for Apple Bloom to see the road in front of her, which was covered in hoof prints. Most of those prints lead to the diner. The contrast between the diner’s bright interior and its dark exterior let Apple Bloom see everything inside. It almost looked like a painting; everything was so bright and vivid and yet so still. She examined the inside of the diner, expecting to see some ponies sitting at the counter, especially considering all the fresh tracks left in the dirt leading right up to the door. However, no one was there - not even Daisy, their excitable waitress.

Apple Bloom hoped that maybe if she could sneak into the cellar, she could not only find out what was making that chirping noise, but also where all the ponies are. Do they have parties in the cellar? Is that where Daisy lives? Maybe she has friends visiting? Does she keep birds in the basement, like some kind of aviary? All of these thoughts crossed Apple Bloom’s mind, and every one seemed valid. Hoping to surprise whoever was down in that basement, she began sneaking across the street. Considering the fact that no one was around, she went a bit overboard with her precautions. She hid behind every trash bag and piece of refuse that littered the street, keeping her head low to the ground. She advanced in an overly-dramatic, stealthy manner. She felt like a secret agent, but her skills were a bit lacking. Had anyone actually been watching, she would have been clearly visible.

She slowly made her way across the thoroughfare until she was just a few meters away from the cellar door. The door was only slightly open - just enough to let light out. The light was incredibly bright, however, and it was no surprise that Apple Bloom could see it from across the street. It was an eerie glow and Apple Bloom’s mind diverted from its previous train of thought; she now thought about a few scarier possibilities for the source of the light. Maybe it’s a monster? Or a dragon? Apple Bloom shook off these thoughts, though. Her friends would be laughing at her if they could see her right now, especially Scootaloo. Apple Bloom thought she was acting like such a scaredy-pony. Furrowing her brow in determination, she took the first step towards the cellar.

She inched closer to the door, slowly but at a steady pace. Everything was silent. She could hear her heartbeat getting faster with every step she took. After a few shaky moments of hesitation, she put her hoof on the door, preparing to open it. She gulped. Here goes nothing.

As Apple Bloom began to open the door, it creaked. It was pretty heavy and Apple Bloom struggled to lift the door past a few inches. She grunted as she strained herself, when suddenly a sharp cry shot out of the cellar. Apple Bloom let go of the door and fell back on her rump. The cry rang out again, but this time it was muffled since the door slammed shut. It was high-pitched and shrill, like that of a bird. But now that Apple Bloom was close enough to make out the sound, she could clearly tell it was no bird. It sounded like a pony crying out in pain.

Apple Bloom began to sweat a little as she attempted to scurry back onto her hooves. She turned around to dash across the street and back inside the inn, but she was stopped by a dark figure in front of her.

“What are y’all doing out here, darlin’?”

Apple Bloom’s fear briefly subsided and was replaced by confusion. It was Daisy.

“Uh...” Apple Bloom attempted to gather her thoughts, but her mind was racing, “I uh... well I just...”

“You now, hun, a little filly like you shouldn’t be wanderin’ around a strange town at night. Does your sister know you’re out here?” Daisy reprimanded.

“Not exactly.” Apple Bloom slunk back, nervously.

“Not exactly?” Daisy smiled, “I bet she thinks you’re still asleep in your hotel room. Now what in Equestria are you doing out here? You still haven’t answered me, sweetie.”

“Well, I heard a noise coming from the cellar of the diner here, and I just came to see what it was. Just a quick peak. I wasn’t going to snoop around or anything, honest!” Apple Bloom’s voice was shaky.

“Calm down, honey, you sound mighty worked up.” Daisy patted Apple Bloom on the shoulder, “That scary noise coming from downstairs is just my little brother. He’s got a touch of the stomach flu, I reckon. He’s been down there all night, poor thing. I’m sorry if he woke you up, but that’s no reason to come all the way out here. Why, imagine if your sister were to wake up and find you not in your bed? She’d be worried sick!”

“Really? Your brother?” Apple Bloom said quietly as she turned back to look at the cellar. She could hear somepony crying faintly from behind the door.

“Aw, shucks.” Daisy cooed. She frowned as she directed her gaze at the cellar “He sounds like he’s having an awful time. I think I ought to go down there and take care of him.”

Apple Bloom shuffled anxiously as she waited for Daisy to speak again, but she just stared at the cellar for a few more moments. The situation made Apple Bloom uncomfortable, who felt the need to break the silence, “So, uh... I guess I’ll just head on back to bed now?”

“Now wait just a minute there, shug’.” Daisy blocked Apple Bloom’s path as she attempted to walk away, “I won’t let you get off the hook that easy. It ain’t right for a young’n such as yourself to be snooping in on other folks, especially at this hour! And I know for a fact y’all ain’t gonna learn nothin’ unless you’re taught a lesson. I’m gonna escort you on back to the inn and let your sister know exactly what you’ve been up to tonight. I think she has every right to know, anyhow.”

Apple Bloom sighed heavily, admitting defeat, “Yes, ma’am.”

* * * * *

“Apple Bloom, what the hay has gotten into you?!” Applejack shouted, looking fraught with worry, “You do realize that Granny Smith would tan my hide if anything at all happened to you while I was supposed to be looking after you, right? For Celestia’s sake, why would you ever go running off in the middle of the night?!”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Apple Bloom said softly.

“No, I don’t think you do know, Apple Bloom. Otherwise you wouldn’t have done this in the first place!” AJ was shouting very loud but she caught herself, quieting her voice so as to not wake the other guests at the inn, “Anything could have happened to you! And it would be all my fault, you realize that right? I’d have to live my whole life knowing that I screwed up if something bad happened. C’mon now, Apple Bloom, you know better than this.”

Apple Bloom stared at the floor, too embarassed to make eye contact with her older sister. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell were still in their beds, giggling to themselves as Apple Bloom got shouted at. They both knew it was a little mean to be laughing at another’s misfortune but they reasoned in their heads that she got what she deserved - considering she didn’t wake them to take them along.

“You two hush up!” AJ snarled at the other fillies, “There ain’t nothin’ funny about this situation at all! If you two did this, I’d be telling you the exact same things. You best be counting your blessings and be glad that Apple Bloom didn’t have y’all tag along.”

Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell’s laughter was quickly stifled.

Applejack groaned and scratched her hoof to her forehead, “But thankfully no harm was done. Just don’t go doin’ this again, Apple Bloom or I’ll be sure to tell Granny about this. We’d both get in a heap of trouble, but I don’t care so long as you learn your lesson. You got that?”

Apple Bloom silently nodded. Applejack let out a sigh.

“Don’t worry, hun.” Daisy said, who had been standing next to the doorway the whole time, “I can guarantee you that Apple Bloom won’t be causing any trouble any time soon. She’s a smart filly, I’m sure what you’re telling her will stick with her. She doesn’t seem like the trouble-making type.”

Applejack smirked, “Clearly you don’t know Apple Bloom.”

AJ ruffled Apple Bloom’s hair and laughed softly to herself, which got Apple Bloom to smile. The tense atmosphere in the room appeared to lift a bit, which seemed to happen whenever Daisy talked. She had this uncanny ability of comforting anypony around her just by speaking. Apple Bloom was glad that it was Daisy who found her and not that grumpy old pony they all had seen at the diner the night before. She could only imagine what kind of nightmare that would have been.

“Apple Bloom means well, but she always seems to get into some sort of mess that most of the time I end up cleaning.” Applejack joked.

“Well, shoot,” Daisy giggled, “seems I’m an awful judge of character then.”

“No, Miss Daisy, I’m just pullin’ your leg. I think you’re right. Apple Bloom would be mighty silly if she tried anything like that again.” AJ smiled, but also gave Apple Bloom a stern look.

“Don’t worry, sis’, I won’t.” Apple Bloom said, finally shifting her eyes back at Applejack.

“Oh, well look at that!” Daisy pointed to the window, “Sun’s coming up already!”

Everypony else turned their attention to the window and could see that the sky was changing color from black to a deep purple. The horizon had shifted to a dim yellow as the sun peaked over the mountains, far in the distance.

“Why, look at that.” Applejack chortled, “It’s just about the time I wake up back home on the farm. You kids can rest here if you want, but I think I’m gonna go downstairs and see if there’s any news on the train situation.”

“I think I’ll join you, Applejack,” Daisy said in a bright tone, “I’m a mite bit interested in finding out what’s happening myself. It ain’t every day that something like this happens. Happy Hollow is such a dull town, after all. Plus, there ain’t many mares my age around town. It’d be nice to spend some time with a pony whose hair ain’t grey for a change.”

Applejack laughed, “I hear ya.” She turned to the fillies, “Alright, now y’all stay put. If I see any of you kids trying to sneak out that door downstairs, I’ll have half a mind to whoop your behinds.”

“Don’t worry about us, Applejack!” Scootaloo said as she hopped to the front of her bed, “We’re not as dumb as Apple Bloom.”

Scootaloo proceeded to throw her pillow at Apple Bloom, who giggled in response and cried, “Scoots, cut it out!”

Sweetie Bell slid out from under her covers and approached AJ, “Trust me, Applejack, we’ll stay here.”

“Well, at least I can trust one of y’all,” Applejack smirked as she eyed the other two girls, “Alright, well I’m headin’ out now, so keep in mind what I’ve said.”

Applejack walked out the door with Daisy. She shut the door behind and it closed with a loud thud. After a moment of silence, the fillies could hear the door being locked from the outside.

“Hey!” Apple Bloom yelled.

The fillies could hear AJ and Daisy laughing from the other side of the door.

“Safety precaution, I guess?” Sweetie Bell said as she forced a smile. She could hear Daisy and Applejack’s voices fade down the hallway.

“Oh, can it, kiss-ass.” Scootaloo threw a snide look at Sweetie Bell, “I bet you’re glad she locked us in here. You’ve been scared this whole time! I can tell.”

Sweetie Bell shuffled uncomfortably, “Y-yeah? So what if I have? This place is scary!”

“Actually, I wouldn’t be ragging on Sweetie Bell if I were you, Scootaloo.” Apple Bloom said nervously, “I didn’t tell y’all what I saw last night when I left the hotel.”

“No way!” Scootaloo said, jumping in the air. Her tiny wings fluttered at a humming bird’s pace and she zipped around the room, coming to a stop in front of Apple Bloom, “Did you see something? Was there a monster outside or something? Or a ghost?”

Apple Bloom reeled back a bit from Scootaloo’s sudden invasion of her personal space. She was also taken aback by her enthusiasm, “No, nothin’ like that. Well, actually I didn’t see anything per se...”

Scootaloo moaned and flopped over, “Oh, of course. Silly me, thinking this hick town would actually be interesting.”

“You think ghosts and monsters are interesting?!” Sweetie Bell squeaked.

“Yeah!” Scootaloo said as she jumped back on her feet, “Remember that camping trip we went on? I was so terrified of those ghost stories... I felt like a total namby-pamby! Since then, I’ve read a bunch of ghost stories and now I just get excited when I hear about them. I mean, it’s not like they’re real or anything. Don’t you think those stories are pretty cool?”

“Well, uh... sure.” Apple Bloom stammered, “But not when it’s actually happening to you!”

“So what, now you’re saying ghosts are real or something? Make up your mind!” Scootaloo groaned.

“Just let me spit it out!” Apple Bloom growled, frustrated, “Last night I went across the street to the diner and the cellar was open. I think I heard somepony screaming inside!”

Sweetie Bell lifted a pillow to her face and hid behind it.

Scootaloo beamed, “Really? That’s totally crazy! But what did Daisy say about it? If somepony was screaming in her basement, you’d think she’d know about it.”

“She said it was her little brother. He has the stomach flu apparently.” Apple Bloom stated.

“Oh c’mon!” Scootaloo whined, “That’s nothing then. I’m sure she’s right. You’re just like Sweetie Bell - totally scared! You’re just imagining things because the town is really old and creepy. You’re misinterpreting things and letting your imagination go crazy. Trust me, I used to do the same thing all the time. It takes awhile to get over it, but you can. Just relax.”

Scootaloo threw her hoof over Apple Bloom’s shoulder, “Listen, Apple Bloom. I’m sure it’s nothing. Daisy is one of the nicest mares I’ve ever met in my whole life! There’s nothing scary about her at all. I think you’re just overreacting. Hopefully the train will be fixed today and we can get out of here so that you won’t freak out anymore.”

“Hmm... well,” Apple Bloom looked at the floor and scratched her chin, “I guess you’re right. Maybe I am just being a big scaredy-pony.”

“But Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Bell whispered, “what if that wasn’t her brother in the basement?”

“Cut it out, Sweetie Bell,” Scootaloo scolded, “don’t let your own scaredyness freak out everypony else here. We’ll be fine. I’ve learned from experience that just about every time you’re scared over something it’s just because you don’t know what it really is.”

Scootaloo looked at Apple Bloom and gave her a warm smile, “Don’t worry, okay?” Apple Bloom returned her smile and nodded.

* * * * *

Applejack and Daisy had just finished their descent down the dusty staircase to the inn’s lobby when AJ decided to examine her surroundings again. To her surprise, everything looked even worse during the day. The morning sunlight that shone through the windows illuminated every nook and cranny of the room, displaying it in all its grotesque glory. AJ could see even more dust and dirt over everything then she had previously noticed. When she inhaled she noticed a pungent, musky odor that wafted through the air, no doubt due to all the moisture that the morning dew brought. Since the entire building appeared to be made of wood, Applejack imagined there must be a lot of mold all over the building. Her assumption was confirmed when she saw mold growing around the foggy old windows near the doorway. Dust particles floated in the air and reflected off the strands of light breaching the ramshackle windows. Although everything seemed a bit more disgusting than before, there was a certain sense of serenity Applejack took from the atmosphere. The morning light changed the lobby from an eerily quiet realm of shadows to a peaceful, quaint little space that was charming in its imperfections, even if it was in shambles.

“Is the place always this pretty?” Applejack sarcastically queried, coughing as she inhaled a clump of dust.

“Well, pay it no mind, honey,” Daisy replied, “I don’t think Gourmand really has the money to hire a cleaner. I’m sure he’s told you how slow business typically is for him.”

“Are you telling me he couldn’t do it himself?” Applejack said sharply, “If he’s got so much time on his hands, why doesn’t he just clean up the place?”

Daisy took a peek around the corner and into the back room as Applejack spoke to her. Seeing that no one was around, Daisy slammed her hoof down on the shiny metallic bell that sat atop the front desk, hoping that the noise would get someone’s attention.

“Well, that’s because Gourmand has a second job working on over at the general store,” Daisy explained, “In reality, his wife handles most of the day-to-day business of the inn. He’s got to have that job in order to pay the bills. He might be over there already, as a matter of fact. He is a very early riser. The general store gets a lot of business from the local farmers ‘round here who love to wake up at the crack of dawn.”

“I know exactly what you mean, Miss Daisy,” Applejack grinned, “I run an apple orchard back home and I always get frustrated that stores in Ponyville are never open when I’m up early and need some supplies. It’s nice to see that Happy Hollow is so farmer-friendly.”

“I can imagine, shug’,” Daisy said in a very consolatory tone. She paused and looked around, “But where is Gourmand’s wife? She should be answering the desk right now.”

“I’ll be down in a minute!” Applejack heard an aged female voice call from somewhere in the building.

“Figures.” Daisy giggled, “For an innkeeper, Autumn is really unorganized. Her guests complain a heap about how she’s never around. Don’t mind her, she’s a bit of a scatterbrain sometimes.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I understand. My granny is the same way. She’s as sharp as a tack, but comes off a little...” Applejack paused, “eccentric.”

The two mares quietly laughed together for a moment, but the room quickly fell silent again. Applejack shifted her body uncomfortably. Applejack had expected Daisy to keep running her mouth about all manner of things; she just seemed like the type. Instead, Daisy just stood there, calmly swaying back and forth, humming the country tune Applejack had heard the night before on the jukebox. She wanted to get to know Daisy, but she didn’t quite know what to talk to her about. AJ scanned her surroundings, looking for a conversational piece.

It didn’t take her long to look up and notice the large, grimy portrait hanging above the desk directly in front of her. She scanned the oil painting closely; a greyish-blue unicorn with sharp blue eyes stared keenly at nothing in particular. He looked to be quite old and sported white sideburns and a curly moustache. He was wearing a silver necklace and what seemed to be a very dark, purple hooded cape. It was such a deep shade of purple, in fact, that she had a hard time telling if it was black or purple. After examining his face, Applejack noticed his expression looked quite grim, as if he was in pain. She wondered what an oppressive painting was doing in the lobby of an inn. If this were a traveller’s first impression of a town, she imagined they would be pretty put off by this.

“Hey, Daisy,” Applejack began, “who’s that grumpy old stallion there?”

Daisy snapped out of her humming-induced trance and turned to AJ, “Oh! You’re talking about this big ol’ painting right here? Why, that’s the founder of Happy Hollow! His name was Dusty Briar.”

Daisy looked at the painting with a fond look in her eyes, “He’s the very reason we’re standing here today. Or, at least me, rather. He’s actually my grandfather. Now I’m not sure how many ‘greats’ he is, but I can sure tell ya, it’s a heap.”

“This painting looks really old.” Applejack narrowed her eyes, eyeing the piece intently. “I bet he posed for it himself.”

“You got it,” Daisy laughed, “Yep, that there painting is as old as the town itself. It’s been here since the beginning, but so many generations of ponies were born and died here since this town was founded. I’m not sure anyone remembers the exact date anymore.”

“Wow, this town is that old, huh?” Applejack was surprised, “I figured this place was a pioneer town, like Appleloosa.”

“Yeah, it’s old as dirt, believe you me,” Daisy sniggered, “In fact, why don’t I show you around the town later today? You can take the fillies along, of course. I’m sure they’re bored as all get-out right now.”

“Well, if the train isn’t ready this morning, then I’m sure we’ll have some time to kill. I’d be glad to. Although, to be honest, I’m hoping they mended the track by now.” Applejack sighed.

“Ah, don’t fret, darlin’,” Daisy winked, “I’ll take care of you till the train’s all set to go.”

Applejack shifted her eyes from Daisy. While she appreciated the sentiment, Applejack was still very uncomfortable with Daisy’s verbal affection and flirtatious personality. Sometimes she felt as though Daisy was trying to make a pass at her. The awkward silence that followed their exchange was brief, however. Gourmand’s wife, Autumn, entered the room through the door behind the front desk. She was an orange mare with crimson red hair; her coat matched the color of the leaves in fall. Applejack assumed that’s where she got her name. She wore glasses and shifted them on her nose as she looked at Applejack, then at Daisy, then back at Applejack.

“Who’s your friend, here, Daisy?” Autumn lowered her glasses and peered at AJ intensely.

“This pretty young mare here’s named Applejack.” Daisy beamed.

“Applejack?” Autumn looked befuddled, “Now I don’t remember hearing that name before.”

“Oh, well, I guess I should explain myself, ma’am.” Applejack said as she took off her hat, nodding in respect, “Like Miss Daisy said, I’m Applejack. I’m from Ponyville. I ain’t too sure if y’all have heard of that place before. Well, a bunch of us folks from Ponyville had hunkered down in your inn for the night. We were taking a train to Appleloosa, but the track was damaged so we had to stop here the night. I’m guessing your husband took all the reservations for the evening. You can check the registry if you like.”

“My, my,” Autumn shook her head, “Somepony staying in my very own inn and I didn’t even realize it? I must seem like an awful host.”

Autumn chuckled to herself and opened up the registry that sat in front of her. She traced her hoof across its pages until she eventually came to a stop. “Aha! Right here. I see your name: Applejack. But, oh now... what’s this?”

Autumn’s face contorted in confusion, “Says here you’ve got three children with you.”

Autumn leaned to her right to take a look behind Daisy and Applejack, “I don’t see no children with you, Miss Applejack.”

“They’re still up in the room,” Applejack explained, “I actually came down here to ask you if you had heard any updates on whether or not track has been repaired, but I can tell you don’t rightly know.”

“I’m afraid not,” Autumn said softly, “I figure your best bet is to just head to the railway and see for yourself.”

Applejack nodded and put her hat back on. She turned to Daisy and said, “I think I’ll go get the kids and have them come with. Do you want to come along?”

“Oh no! Sorry darlin’, but I’ve got to head into work in a little bit,” Daisy looked apologetic, “But I’ll tell you what; you come to the diner afterwards and I’ll whip up some breakfast for you and the girls on the house!”

* * * * *

As the sun crept higher into the morning sky, Applejack and the three fillies made their way to their train. They could see engineers still scurrying about, looking like they hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep the night before. They had an air of nervous energy about them. Applejack found this odd; they looked even more stressed than they should be, given the situation. Applejack looked at the amalgamation of shoddy track in front of the train and could see that there was next to no progress made since last night. AJ huffed in frustration. She tried getting a few of the engineers’ attention, but the area around the train was so noisy her attempt proved futile. Between engineers shouting orders at one another, the clanging of metal and copious amounts of steam shooting out of pipes around her, Applejack was sure she was practically invisible.

She turned to one of the workers and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Who in tarnation is in charge here?! What have y’all been doing for the past five hours?”

One of the engineers pointed behind him. Applejack turned her attention to where he was pointing and saw the conductor inside one of the freight cars. As if sensing Applejack’s glare, the conductor froze and turned his head towards her.

“Oh, howdy, miss!” the conductor looked very frazzled and scrambled to make his way to the window, “How are you doing this morning?”

“What the hay are y’all talking about?!” Applejack was getting more irritated and her voice cracked as she yelled, “You haven’t done nothing this whole time from the looks of things. Are we even going to make it to Appleloosa at all?”

“Well,” the conductor scratched his head, “I can’t give you a positive answer at the moment. We’ve ran into all manner of problems since last night.”

As Applejack walked over to the window to hear the conductor better, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell stayed several yards away from the noisy locomotive. They were all bunched together, attempting to stay out of the engineers’ way. Stallions maneuvered around them, looking completely oblivious to their presence.

Applejack cupped her hooves around her mouth to better project, “What kinda problems?!”

The conductor’s green eyes rolled, “Where to start? For one, there ain’t no raw materials anywhere in Happy Hollow for us to repair this track with, and we don’t got nothing on the train that would help, neither.”

Apple Bloom could just barely make out what the conductor was saying over all the noise. She nudged Scootaloo and asked, “Do you remember the conductor talking like that before?”

“Like what?” Scootaloo looked confused.

“I dunno, he just kinda sounds... funny.” Apple Bloom pondered.

“He sounds like you and Applejack,” Scootaloo giggled, “I guess that is pretty funny.”

Apple Bloom scowled, “That ain’t what I mean!”

“Since the track seems nigh unrepairable, I figured our best bet would be to try to get this train moving in reverse and just take it back to Ponyville.” the conductor continued, “But the engine just blew out! I have no idea how we’re even going to get this train back up and running. Trust me, miss, we’re trying our best to get this locomotive fixed. If we can’t, that’s over a million bits that the boss will be taking directly out of all of our paychecks!”

The conductor looked very flustered. His eyes were darting back and forth and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. He began fidgeting as Applejack gave him a once over. Eventually she figured this issue wasn’t something to argue over and she turned away from him, letting him get back to work. As Applejack began walking back over to the fillies, Apple Bloom kept her eyes affixed to the conductor. Their eyes connected and Apple Bloom immediately felt uneasy.

“Hey, Applejack!” Apple Bloom called, her gaze still locked on the conductor.

“What is it?” AJ sighed as she stepped closer to her sister.

“Wasn’t the conductor’s eyes blue?” Apple Bloom could see the conductor turn away from the window and recede back inside the train.

“I guess they were. To be honest, I wasn’t paying much attention.” Applejack turned back towards the train, “Why do you say that, anyway?”

By the time Applejack was facing the freight car, the conductor had already disappeared from sight.

“I coulda swore that the conductor from last night had blue eyes. But that stallion had green eyes.” Apple Bloom gave a concerned look to Applejack, “You don’t think that’s weird at all?”

“Oh, c’mon now, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said as she rolled her eyes, “Your memory might just not serve you right. Plus, maybe they looked blue last night but they look green in the morning light. Sometimes your eyes can play tricks on you, ya know.”

“Apple Bloom’s just scared,” Scootaloo said as she jostled Apple Bloom’s shoulder, “She’s been freaking out ever since she got back to the hotel last night.”

“Oh, I see,” Applejack chuckled, “Well, I’ll give it to ya - Happy Hollow isn’t exactly a luxurious vacation spot. I wouldn’t worry too much, though; this is just temporary till we can get to Appleloosa. I know it might seem a little creepy, being such an old town and everything, but the local folks don’t seem too bad. Daisy’s a peach and the innkeepers seem hospitable enough.”

Applejack smiled, “And plus, you got your big sister Applejack to look after you.”

Apple Bloom returned her smile and gave her a quick nuzzle, “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I’m just letting my mind play tricks on me or something.”

“Now who wants to get some breakfast?” Applejack asked.

Scootaloo jumped in response and squealed, “Oh! Me! I’m starving!”

Apple Bloom also agreed and the two fillies began following Applejack as she trotted back to town. Sweetie Bell hadn’t moved an inch, however. She seemed to be entranced by the train, peering at it, deep in thought. After a few moments frozen in place, she turned to the group that was walking away from her. They had already gotten a few dozen yards away without even realizing Sweetie Bell wasn’t following them. She swallowed hard and chased after them, wailing, “Hey! Wait for me!”

* * * * *

Applejack, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle all sat neatly in a row at the counter of the diner in Happy Hollow. The diner was bustling with activity - much busier than the night before. Ponies were constantly coming in and out of the front door and making their way through the narrow restaurant, occasionally knocking into each other. Applejack took notice of the appearance of the townsfolk. They all seemed significantly older than herself and Daisy. That wasn’t the only irregularity, however; most of the older stallions had bushy grey beards. Facial hair was pretty uncommon for male ponies back in Ponyville, but it seemed to be the norm in this town. On top of that, their coats were mostly muted earth tones, unlike the bright and vibrant colors that were typical of residents of Ponyville. There was definitely something different about the citizens of Happy Hollow, but Applejack took their peculiarities in stride. If there was anything she learned from Granny Smith it was not to judge a book by its cover.

Applejack’s train of thought was derailed when Daisy slammed a notepad on the counter in front of her, “Howdy, Applejack!”

Daisy was standing on her hind legs, leaning one of her front legs on the counter while the other was holding her hip, “What can I get y’all, shug’?”

Daisy winked and Applejack flinched a bit, “Uh... hm, well shoot. You barely gave me any time to look at this here menu.” Applejack stammered.

“You mean you needed some more time to daydream?” Daisy chuckled, “Ah, you know I’m just messing with you sweetheart. Do any of you little ones know what you want yet?”

“Can I get a big stack of pancakes, Applejack?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.

“No.” Applejack sighed, “You’re kiddin’ yourself, Scoots. We both know that your eyes are bigger than your stomach. You wouldn’t even finish a pile of flapjacks that big. It ain’t worth the money.”

Scootaloo crossed her front hooves and slumped, ruffling her nose in defiance.

“I don’t rightly know what I want yet,” Apple Bloom said, looking over the menu, “There’s so many things, I just don’t know what to choose!”

“If that’s the case, then might I suggest the special?” Daisy took her hoof off her hip and slowly waved it in the air, as if painting an invisible rainbow across the sky, “Daisy’s Breakfast Surprise! You can take my word for it, it’s delicious! It’s a secret family recipe that’s been passed down for generations.”

“What’s in it?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Aw shoot, hun’, where’s your adventurous spirit?” Daisy said as she leaned forward, resting her head on both her hooves. She pouted a bit as she whined, “If I told you, then it wouldn’t be a surprise then, would it?”

“Hmm...” Applejack pondered, “Well I reckon not. Tell you what, I’m in the mood to try something new today. Might as well get the special all around, huh? And at two bits a plate, that’s an absolute steal!”

“I can afford to keep the prices so low coz it sells like crazy.” Daisy explained, “But alright, I can do that for y’all. Four plates of the special, coming up. I’ll put a little extra on your plate, free of charge.” Daisy ruffled Scootaloo’s hair before disappearing behind the kitchen door.

“Wow, Daisy’s so nice!” Scootaloo giggled, “I wish waitresses were like that back in Ponyville.”

A few moments went by where everyone sitting at counter passed the time with idle chatter, but it didn’t take long for Daisy to return from the back room levitating four plates in front of Applejack and her wards. After letting the plates come to a rest, the group leaned forward to inspect their breakfast in unison. What looked like a lonely omelette sat in the middle of their huge plates, swimming in a shallow lake of brownish-red sauce. The omelette itself was covered in yellow and brown bits. Applejack couldn’t exactly tell their origin and so she was eying it thoroughly. Without a second thought, Scootaloo started digging in. Although it didn’t look the most appetizing thing in the world, Applejack took a bite as well so as not to be rude.

“How’s it taste?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Can you tell what’s in it?” Sweetie Belle queried as she took a sniff of the steam rising from her plate.

“It tastes pretty good! I dunno what’s in it though.” Scootaloo said.

“It’s kind of spicy, kind of salty. Has a crunch to it, too.” Applejack explained as she let the food slosh around in her mouth, “The sauce is mighty good. Tastes kind of like... salsa. I can’t exactly tell what these salty bits are, though. Maybe peanut butter? It kind of has a mushy texture inside of it. The whole thing’s mighty different but sure has a kick.”

“Yeah, don’t be afraid of it, kids.” Daisy laughed, “It’s not like it’s gonna bite or anything.”

“Hey Daisy, mind if I get this recipe?” Applejack smiled.

“You’d have to be a member of the family for you to get this here recipe,” Daisy winked, “Plus, I’m far too busy right now to talk. I’m gonna let y’all eat.”

Daisy walked toward the opposite end of the diner and left AJ and the fillies alone with their food.

“I don’t wanna eat it. It smells weird.” Sweetie Belle said softly.

“Aw, c’mon. It’s good!” Scootaloo gurgled with her mouth full.

Apple Bloom took a bite, “Eh... this is pretty weird. I don’t think I like it.”

Applejack sniffed, “Alright then. I’m not gonna shove it down your throats, but y’all are gonna have to tell Daisy you don’t wanna eat it then.”

“Please don’t make us do that!” Sweetie Belle said, “I don’t wanna upset Daisy.”

“Why would it upset her?” Applejack said, “If you don’t wanna eat her food, you’re gonna have to tell her.”

Sweetie Belle paused and looked down the aisle at Daisy. She then turned back to her plate and took a deep breath. She shoved a piece in and grimaced as she chewed. Apple Bloom did the same, only with a bit less reluctance.

“That’s the spirit, kids!” Applejack chuckled as she tapped Apple Bloom on the back, “I’m proud of y’all! Now you know why you don’t turn down the generosity and hospitality of a kind stranger. Don’t want to go offending our host.”

Applejack took another bite from her plate. She was really starting to enjoy the flavor. She wasn’t sure why, maybe it was because she was so hungry, but she felt like it was one of the best things she had eaten in months.

Daisy stopped for a second just before she rushed back into the back room, “So how’s the food?”

“Totally awesome!” Scootaloo said as she shoveled the food into her face.

Applejack responded with a gentle smile and turned to Daisy, “Breathtaking.”