“Thanks for yur help, Twi. Sure made this season a lot easier.”

This is what Applejack said to Twilight as the two carried buckets of apples on their sides. They were in the vast array of apple trees belong to the Apple Family of Sweet Apple Acres. The farm was near the outskirts of Ponyville, one of the various towns in Equestria, and it was the time of year to harvest the apples once more. Applejack had lived in Ponyville from most of her life after finding her calling was going to be at the Apple family’s farm. She made friends along the way and even found her role as the Element of Honesty, one of the various elements of friendship spoken of in equestrian history.

“You’re welcome, Applejack,” Twilight replied as they headed back to the Apple farm. “Hey. I need to ask. Could you help me out with an experiment of mine later?”

“I’d love to Twi, but I’m havin’ the Cutie Mark Crusaders over,” Applejack said while letting out a sigh. “Rarity has some fashion show she’s stressin’ herself about.”

“Well, she has told us these events are really important to her and we know how she can get during them,” Twilight said with a small giggle. “As for the crusaders, those fillies will learn one day, don’t worry Applejack,”

“Hopefully,” Applejack said with a small chuckle. “Sorry for letting you down on this one sugar cube. You could get one of the others.”

“That’s kinda why I hoped you’d be able to help,” Twilight replied, stopping for a moment, “Pinkie Pie is a bit busy helping out Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Rainbow Dash is taking the day for extensive training, and Fluttershy is caring for her animals, plus I doubt she would want to take part in the first place.”

“I see…” Applejack said as she gave the matter some thought, “We’ll finish up here and I’ll help ya. I’ll just have Big Macintosh watch them for the time I’m gone.”

“Thanks, Applejack,” Twilight said with delight, “I promise, you won’t be gone long.”

"WoooooooHOOOO!"

The date was September 19th around 11:56 in the afternoon and Frank West had just leaped from a helicopter. He was a freelance photographer at the prime age of 31 and dressed in a white button-up shirt with a black jacket over that, a pair of green pants, and brown shoes. In his leap, he was parting ways with his hired pilot, Ed Deluca, after getting him close to the roof of the mall in Willamette, Colorado. Being freelance, he had gotten the tip something big was going on from an acquaintance of his. Helicopter proved to be the best choice as he noticed a military blockade just outside the town. The ride through the main part of town was a rather...question raising one. He had seen what appeared to be rioters attacking a single man, a mass of people of had converged on a single school bus, a woman being pushed off a building along with a few other people, and a huge explosion at a gas station with several people...still walking while engulfed in flames. Things hadn't gotten easier when they arrived at the mall as three helicopters intercepted them and Frank was hell bent on getting onto the roof. He kept a hand over his camera as he felt himself start to fall towards the ground below. There was a moment he felt something blinding him but took it as a glare from something reflective on the roof. Once the glare was gone he felt himself collide with something in midair and throwing his descent off. He found himself going in a rough roll which took part of the impact off, but found himself tangling with something before finally coming to a stop. He felt his muscles aching where he made contact with the helipad as he got up to sitting position while rubbing his head with one hand as he felt something lodged near his feet. His vision returned and adjusted to see…an orange pony with a brown cowboy like hat lying unconscious.

Darkness…that’s all that Applejack saw. She could remember exactly what had happened before going into darkness… She had arrived to helpTwilight with the experiment…something went hay wire…then nothing… She tried to shove it off as she found her vision returning. Daylight met her eyes and she quickly figured she was just waking up for the day after a night of a strange dream. However…she could feel herself caught on something. As her vision cleared, she was greeted with…a creature with a face of shock and disbelief. Applejack quickly moved to get away. She managed to get from the grip she was in and got in a stance ready to buck-kick the creature at a moments notice. She saw the creature rub its eyes not losing the look on its face. Applejack kept her doubts on the creature’s nature as she began to take in her environment. She had hoped in the back of her mind it was Sweet Apple Acres, but it was a barren looking place…not as lively as Ponyville or Equestria for that matter.

“Where am I?” Applejack demanded as reality began to sink in, “And what in tarnation are you?!”

The creature didn't reply right away, but rather moved cautiously towards her. Applejack tensed up as the creature was no more than a few inches away. She spun around and slammed her hind legs right into the creature’s chest. It sent the creature right onto his back while skidding a bit against the hard ground they were on. Applejack turned back around expecting a harsh retaliation, but found only the creature on the ground with his wind knock out.

“I warned ya,” She stated while walking over to the creature moaning in pain.

“Well…at least I KNOW I’m not dreaming….” The creature mumbled before getting up to a sitting position.

“Now, Ah’m gonna ask again,” Applejack repeated as she glared at the creature, “Where am I?”

Applejack watched the creature rub where she had kicked with a look of pain on his face.

“Willamette, Colorado,” The creature answered as he got up, “Planet Earth.”

Applejack only had more questions arise with the answer as she continued to watch the creature carefully. He towered over her easily by a several feet. Applejack watched as he reached for some object hanging around his neck and brought it up to his face. Applejack was ready to deliver another buck-kick before she heard a ‘click’ noise before the creature let the object hang from his neck once more. The creature didn't waste a second before walking off.

“Hey!” Applejack shouted agitated while following the creature, “Where ya’ll think you’re going?”

“Well, I’m going to find out what’s going on in this town,” The creature replied while keeping his attention from her, “And...”

“So you both came by helicopter?”

Applejack turned her attention with the creature over to another one with the same height of the first. This one, however, had a slightly darker coat (or lack of one) and a longer black mane then the first one. There was something rather…intimidating about him.

“Well…” Applejack heard the first creature begin while motioning to her, “I don’t know about…her.”

Applejack, knowing she wouldn't be an asset to the conversation, gave the first creature a glare before she trotted over to a jut up in the ground they were on as the two creatures conversed. She placed her front hooves on the top of the jut and hosted herself up to find it was a ledge to a building’s roof several feet off the ground. She got a good view of a nearby town, which reminded her of Manehattan somehow. However…it was less lively and every figure that she could make out seemed to be lumbering about aimlessly. She looked down towards the ground and saw a mass of them converging on something blocked by a wall of the building and that’s when the conversation of the creatures came to her ears with full attention.

“It’s too quiet for civil disobedience,” She heard recognizing the voice of the first creature.

“Almost as if,” The second creature’s voice said as Applejack was noticing the rather…mindless behavior of the figures in comparison to the ones she had met already, “Everyone’s already dead…”

Applejack then heard the faint sound of….groans and moans coming from the figures below her as she gave a shiver at the statement from the second creature. She tore her attention from the view on the ledge to find the second creature leaning against a smaller building on the roof and the first one going through the door to it.

“Hey, wait up!” Applejack shouted as she went into a full sprint towards the door.

She butted it open with her head before turning towards a flight of stairs that the first creature was descending down. Letting out a sigh, she began to descend the stairs knowing getting home wasn't going to be easy.

The clock had just hit 12:00pm as Frank West descended the stairs from the roof with a weird feeling in regards to what the man on the roof had said, combined with what he had witnessed on his helicopter ride in. Part of his mind was still processing the existence of that…pony. He figured it was some hallucination conjured up by the fall he had taken to the helipad, but he wasn't feeling any gash in his head and the man on the roof had seemed to register that there was an orange talking pony there.

Speaking of which, Frank thought as he heard the sounds of steps coming down the stairs behind him.

Frank turned his head to see the pony coming up along his side with her stern look still present. She seemed to have something on her mind to ask but didn't ask as they approached a door leading to a small control room filled with monitors. A thought finally crossed Frank’s mind as he stopped in the middle of the room and turned to the pony.

“I would suggest you stay here,” He explained bluntly, “I don’t think everyone who may be here is ready to see a talking pony considering what may be going on here.”

“If you’re expecting me to stay here and not try to find a way home,” The pony replied, in a country accent, “You're sadly mistaken….what in the name of Celestia?”

Frank turned his attention to a single monitor showing…a woman being pried from a car by several people and one….biting into her neck and ripping a vein right out. Frank looked on in horror as the recent memories of the flight in and the words of the man from earlier snuck back in to his mind. He didn't wait another second as he turned toward the other door of the monitor room. He quickly entered the room to find part of the mall’s vent system, easily accessible to anyone.

Ignoring the ventilation, Frank quickly moved to the metal door in the room and proceeded through it,finding a long corridor with various pipes running the length of it. He quickened his pace with the pony following despite what he had suggested. To him, as long as she didn't cause any trouble for him, it didn't matter despite the inevitable confusion and panic any folks left in the mall would have at the sight of her. At the end of corridor, he was greeted with another door as he began to hear the faint sounds of voices coming from the other side. He quickly opened the door and was greeted with the interior of the mall. He found he and the pony were on an upper level of the area and giving it a quick pan he was able to see various stores placed along the walls ranging from comestics to sporting goods.

As he scanned the area from high up, Frank saw it was the main entrance of the mall as he recognized it from his helicopter flight by glass windows above the main doors. On the main level, there was a small group of people and a makeshift barricade at the entrance, which a few were assessing while… a group of those ‘people’ was behind the glass doors. Frank knew it was now or never to find out the truth as he began his descent down a curved set of stairs getting his camera turned on…with that pony following closely behind.

Author's Note

First off: I want to apologize for the commotion this fic started. I didn't intend for it to go the way it did, but the damage is done and I must learn from this. Thank you commenters for setting me straight in regards to the faults in how the fic was going and telling me what I shouldn’t do while telling how I could improve. Sorry for the trouble and thanks again.