The Long Year

by The Red Parade

March

March.

‘Malus prunifolia.’

The start of March was marked by a rather unusual heatwave. While the ponies themselves were eager to file away the winter season as done, the weather office had other plans. The Farmer’s Market was a prime example of this: the streets felt empty and barren, with only vendors sweating behind their stalls.

“Gosh! I don’t understand why the pegasi felt the need to do this,” muttered Roseluck, fanning herself with a hoof.

“Something to do with that wet season we just had, I bet,” Daisy replied.

Cheerilee wiped her brow and tried not to drip sweat onto the trio’s selections.

“You know what I heard?” whispered Lily. “I heard that it’s from the Everfree, and that the forest is mad at us.”

Roseluck wrinkled her nose. “Why would the forest be mad?”

“I heard it’s because of something Fluttershy did!”

Daisy sighed and shook her head. “Something that no-good Discord put her up to, I bet.”

“I don’t know… She’s been strange ever since that horrible thing happened to Applejack,” Roseluck said as she fiddled with a bouquet of flowers.

“Wellllll, you know what I heard?”

The other two sisters leaned in as Lily began to whisper. “I heard that before she croaked, Applejack was getting lazy! Haven’t you noticed that she wasn’t at the market for weeks?”

Cheerilee flinched, staring down at the dirt.

“And I thought the Apples were meant to be hard working! Slacking off, I bet.”

Something wrapped itself around Cheerilee’s stomach and began to squeeze. She gasped, stumbling away from the flower stall as her eyes began to blur. She forced a few deep breaths to steady herself, and slowly the noise of the market began to return to her.

She staggered down the street, swallowing hard and trying to re-salivate her throat, when she nearly crashed into a stall. “Sorry, sorry,” she muttered as she popped four berries into her mouth.

“Now… Where did you get those?”

As her head began to clear, Cheerilee looked up to see a pair of green eyes piercing through her soul. “I’m… Sorry?”

The eyes sparkled mischievously and Cheerilee was able to make out more of a face. “I don’t think a single stall in Ponyville sells those. If I could get some seeds, then I could corner the market!” The mare laughed and popped a plump red strawberry into her mouth.

“Um… I’m sorry but these aren’t for sale,” Cheerilee said as her heart began to settle.

The mare giggled. “Oh, don’t be silly! Everyone has a price.” She batted her eyelashes at her. “What if I say pretty pretty please? Isn’t that the magic word?”

Cheerilee shifted on her hooves uncomfortably. “They’re a special gift from a friend, I’m sorry.”

“Shame,” said the grinning mare as she clicked her tongue. “Your friend must have gone somewhere very far away to get those!”

“What are you saying?”

The mare just giggled again. “Some mares just stick their noses where they don’t belong. Every now and then they stray too far from the Apple orchard!”

Cheerilee was suddenly overwhelmed by a desire to run, but she found herself rooted to the ground in terror. The mare continued to grin, leaning back in satisfaction.

Discomforted, Cheerliee made to escape but ended up crashing into… “Oh! I’m so sorry, Sugar.”

Sugar Belle laughed, brushing it off gracefully. “It’s no problem, Cheerilee! Are you alright? I know I’m not exactly the softest pony to be crashing into.”

“Yes, yes, I should really watch where I’m going,” Cheerilee replied as she brushed herself off. Her gut started to even out, enabling her to say, “I feel like it’s been ages since I saw you!”

Sugar nodded. “It has, it has. How are your students? Everything going alright down there?”

“As well as they usually are. I’m terribly sorry, I’ve been meaning to stop by the farmhouse but work’s kept me busy.” She cleared her throat awkwardly. “How’s Mac? Hopefully he’s coming out of his room by now?”

Sugar faltered for a second. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “He’s… trying. But I can tell this is still hard for him. Every now and then I’ll catch him staring off into the forest with that look in his eyes.” She kicked at the dirt. “I still can’t believe we’ve heard nothing at all about what happened. How can nobody know what… What did this?”

“I don’t know,” Cheerilee admitted.

“Honestly… I’m a bit more worried about Fluttershy,” Sugar said, glancing around nervously. “She’s just been getting worse and worse.”

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I catch her lurking around the farm, speaking with Mac quietly. He won’t tell me what they talk about! And he usually tells me everything. One night in January I think, I was up a bit later to finish preparing food for tomorrow, and I looked out the kitchen window…” She shuddered. “And I swear that she was standing outside by the trees. Just… staring.” Sugar put a hoof on Cheerilee’s shoulder. “I’m worried about her. Cheerilee, I hate to ask this of you, but… Could you check on her?”

Cheerilee tried to fight off the nervous flutter in her heart. “Yes, of course. I can stop by later tonight.”

“Oh, thank you so much. I’ll make some of those fritters that you love and drop them off when I can.”

“That really isn’t–”

“Nonsense! You truly deserve more than that,” Sugar said, giving her a quick hug.

Cheerilee tried not to think about why the embrace made her feel cold.

---

The path down to Fluttershy’s cottage was normally tidy and well-kept. Zecora did her best to maintain the more-traveled sections of the forest in a bid to bolster its reputation and make it generally more pleasant.

But now, it seemed that the forest was moving to reclaim its lost territories. Branches and leaves scattered the path, mixed with rocks and pebbles and puddles. The brush overhead fought hard to block out the sunlight. Leaves rustled and wood creaked, as if the entire forest was gawking at Cheerilee’s presence.

Every other step made Cheerilee look over her shoulder in worry, as if something was lurking two steps behind her. The dead leaves beneath her hooves sounded like firecrackers as they snapped, and the sharp nip of the unusually warm spring wind felt like a Timberwolf’s breath against her spine.

It wasn’t long before she saw Fluttershy’s tiny cottage breaking through the treeline. The yellow thatch hut was nestled amongst a wild brush of leaves and branches, nearly hiding it completely from prying eyes.

Usually, one could hear the chirping and chattering of various creatures emanating from nearby, but on Cheerilee’s approach the forest was completely still and silent. She paused, shuddering.

Was this what had greeted Applejack when she came here? Nothing but silence and stillness, with no signs of life for miles around? Was this how she had died? Alone and silent?

She blinked several times, biting her lip. What an awful, wretched place. The atmosphere did nothing to settle her nerves, or slow her rapid heartbeat. She closed her eyes but couldn’t dispel the visions dancing on the back of her eyelids: Applejack lying in a pool of blood, staining the leaves and soil. Her hat resting still on the ground like a wilted flower. Her lips still carrying the ghost of a scream.

Cheerilee gasped and reached for her bag, only to remember that it wasn’t there: she had left it at home.

She pushed forwards, determined to finish her task and get out of this damned forest as soon as she could. Cheerilee raised a hoof and began banging on the shut door. “Fluttershy? Fluttershy, it’s Cheerilee. Are you here?”

“Come… in,” crooned a voice from inside.

She hesitated, heart in her throat.

“Come… in.”

With a creak, Cheerilee pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Fluttershy?” The foyer was barren, dark, and empty. Cheerilee proceeded into the living room, where sunlight streaked in through the curtains flapping in the wind. “Fluttershy?”

“Come in!” There was a squawk and fluttering of feathers. Cheerilee watched as a green and red parrot rested on the edge of Fluttershy’s couch. “Come in! Come in!” it said in her voice.

Squinting against the darkness, Cheerilee realized that a strange plant-like matter had grown its way through her window and was snaking its way around the room. There was a stench in the room like that of dead leaves, and Cheerilee suddenly realized how quiet it was. There were no other animals. No signs of life.

The parrot squawked, ruffling its leaves. “You don’t belong here!” it squawked. “You don’t belong. Don’t belong.”

Cheerilee turned tail and sprinted out of the house. She made it halfway back to Ponyville before she threw up.

---

Sweet Apple Acres was still and quiet.

Cheerilee stood on the hill just overlooking the farmhouse. The smell of fresh apples lingered in the air, and the trees rustled and bent in the wind behind her. It was comforting: more than the Everfree was, at least.

Still, the hoofful of berries that she had downed earlier probably helped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The uneasiness and discomfort from earlier was gone now, giving her ample time to think.

She hadn’t been able to locate Fluttershy, but she figured that if anyone knew where she was, it’d be Big Macintosh. The two had found solace in each other a long time ago as the quiet, soft-spoken ones who always preferred to linger in the background, whether that be at Pinkie’s parties or at Ponytones Concerts.

Cheerilee set off for the barn. The lanterns outside were lit, meaning that someone was either inside or nearby. She still remembered the fuss when it had been erected: the entire Apple Family had come together and invited all of Ponyville to help, observe, and/or celebrate the affair.

It was one of the first nights she–

Cheerilee flinched as a sudden, sharp pain stabbed at her. She shook her head and took another breath before putting a hoof on the red-painted door to steady herself. Whatever half-thought she was forming was gone, and the pain was beginning to fade along with it.

Carefully, she slid open the door and stared inside. “Mac?” she called. The barn didn’t reply.

Cheerilee ventured further inside, loose straws of hay kicking around beneath her. Crates and barrels were stacked around the walls, shrouded in shadow. The moonlight served as her only companion as she headed for the middle of the room, where a few candles were flickering on the floor. “...Mac?”

Something thick and red stained the floor. Cheerilee followed it with her eyes and found that it formed a wide circle. In the middle, a series of curves and lines splintered into various directions. Interspaced between them were smaller red circles, where candles flickered in the darkness.

“Mac? Are you in here?”

She began to feel uneasy again, as she walked across the room. Something sank in her stomach as her breathing quickened. With a trembling hoof she reached for her bag, but as she removed it from her saddlebag, a single yellow berry fell out.

It rolled across the barn floor until it came to a stop next to a candle.

That was when Cheerilee realized that the symbol spanning the entire floor was now beginning to glow.

“Mālum. Mălum. Malum.” A low voice began to mutter from somewhere nearby.

“W-Who’s there?!” Cheerilee tried to run, but found herself rooted to the ground. The candles around her began to flicker.

“Mālum. Mălum. Malum.”

A sharp pain stabbed its way through her forehead. She cried out and fell to her knees as memories suddenly overtook her, playing like a movie through her mind.

“Mighty sorry about all that trouble,” she said.

“No, no, no trouble at all,” Cheerilee replied. “These things happen, after all.”

She chuckled. “That they do.”

“You know, you don’t have to do this. I can always call for a carpenter.”

“Nonsense!” she scoffed. “It’s just what good neighbors do, and I’ll be darned if I’m anythin’ but.” She tugged on the brim of her hat. “Just the way it is.”

“Well, in that case, thank you.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to it.” Applejack smiled at her. “Schoolhouse is just as important as a farm is.”

Cheerilee giggled. “So you’re saying I’m more important than you?”

“Shucks, sugarcube.” Applejack began to ascend the ladder once more, eyes focused on the roof. “Now. Where’s this darned leak…”

Cheerilee watched her work.

“Say, uh… You doin’ anythin’ this weekend?” Applejack asked without looking down. “Appleloosa’s puttin’ on their County Fair again.”

Cheerilee BLINKED. “OH? THAT SOUNDS FUN. I DIDN’T HAVE MUCH IN MIND.”

“WELL, YA DO NOW!” APPLEJACK SAID WITH A WINK. “I CAN SCOOP US UP SOME TICKETS.” SHE BEGAN TO DESCEND THE LADDER AGAIN, CATCHING CHEERILEE’S EYE. SHE REACHED OUT TO TOUCH HER CHEEK–

Cheerilee screamed and fell to the ground, a roaring in her ears and a pounding in her throat. Her body pulsed in pain, like each one of her limbs and veins were pulling in a different direction. The chanting voice grew louder and louder with each passing second, words whipping themselves against her skull like waves against the shore.

But after a moment, the words began to fade, leaving behind a face. Her face.

Applejack.

Cheerilee couldn’t place the expression. Fear? Anger? Surprise? Was it even right? Why did her eyes look strange, why was her mane so disheveled?

It flashed away, and Cheerilee found herself on the ground, the candles around her extinguished. Lifting her head, Cheerilee made out a figure lurking in the corner, mumbling quietly to themselves.

She went over to them and put a trembling hoof on their shoulder. They snapped out of their stupor and whirled about to face her. “Apple Bloom?”

Apple Bloom blinked several times. “Wuh… Miss Cheerilee?” She turned to the circle, eyes widening. “Well, whaddya know! It worked!”

Cheerilee followed her gaze and felt her blood run cold. In the center of the sigil, where she had fallen to the ground, was an arrow: golden, glowing, and pointing towards the orchard. No, past the orchard.

Towards the Everfree.

---

“I’ll be honest with you. I never really liked this town much.” The deep blue pegasus squinted up at the moon above them. “Bad vibes all around.”

Her companion didn’t answer.

“I’ve done the math, and it doesn’t check it out. I know that everypony’s got something to hide, but here? It’s like the town itself is lying about something. Not the ponies. The town. You ever get that feeling? You’ve lived here most your life.”

“It’s a weird place,” the yellow pegasus finally replied. “But so’s Canterlot.”

The blue pegasus chuckled. “You’re funny.”

“Glad I could amuse you,” muttered the yellow one. “Why are you here?”

“You know why. A pony of her caliber dying under mysterious circumstances? Let me tell you, every agency in Equestria is looking to get their hooves and claws all over this case.”

The yellow pegasus wrinkled their nose. “You’re a cop?”

“That’s such a loaded word, don’t you think? I like to think I’m just a mare that asks a lot of questions. And boy oh boy do I have questions for you, Miss Sunrise.” The blue pegasus leveled her companion with a sudden glare. “I’ve worked with a lot of ponies over the years. Unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies. And I’ve found that each one has a sort of tell, one that shows who they really are. And you? You’ve got one that just doesn’t add up.”

The yellow pegasus stood stock still. “What do you want?” she whispered.

“It’s simple. I want answers.”

“Who are you?”

The pegasus flashed a badge in her direction. “Special Investigator Night Glider. And you, Strawberry Sunrise, are one fascinating suspect.”

---

Traditional Earth Pony Ballad, date unknown. Excerpt. Author unknown. Translated by A.K. Yearling.

There is a field in the forest
Where the wild brush grows.

Where the plants grow wild
And where the winter crow goes.

When the sun is gone and the cold sets in
There is a line so small and thin.

And when you stand upon the line,
A face above, you will find.

Who tells the tale of a love once lost
Down where the path begins to wind.

He tells you of a promise made
And of a magic that runs through the veins.

But as they grew, the young mare writhed
And as they ate she cried in pain.

And when she passed, the face laments
He tried to grow from her corpse a life.

But such magic was not ever meant to be
And left his world in violent strife.

The magic then would twist and burn
Until only a fraction sat in its place.

Such is the tale of the gift of life,
And such is the word of his solemn face.

End First Division.