//------------------------------// // 2 // Story: Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple // by Zaid ValRoa //------------------------------// The adrenaline coursing through her veins was able to fight back the weariness caused by the restless night. Apple Bloom appeared to be faring better this morning, at least. A side glance at the filly as they walked down the street leading to the train station showed her the uncharacteristic seriousness on her sister’s face. Applejack had to wonder how Apple Bloom felt. With how close the two fillies were, it was no wonder her sister had been so eager to run after those colts the day before. With a bit less control over her emotions, she probably would’ve done the same. “Remember the plan, Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked. The filly let out a hum of agreement. “We take the train downtown and go back and forth to those stations, checking the train every time until we find them again.” “Atta girl,” she replied. “Now, keep in mind we don’t wanna go and get ourselves into trouble. Once we find those colts again, we just make sure they can’t sneak past us again.” “How do we do that?” I urge you against trying to play vigilante. Somepony could get hurt. “AJ?” Applejack blinked, brought back to the reality of the gloomy Manehattan morning. She had to keep her head clear. She needed to focus. For Babs. She stared ahead down the street. The train station slowly grew in size as they approached it, with her jitters growing as well. “We have to get to them before they can leave the train. After that, we just corner them and talk to them until they fess up.”  “You think that’s gonna work?” She hoped it would, but she couldn’t say that to Apple Bloom. “They were blabberin’ about poor Cloudy Daze out in the open. Don’t think it will take much to get ‘em talking about something that will get them in trouble with the police.” The two stopped at an intersection, just as a traffic light changed colour. A few carriages hurried across them, and once more they found themselves almost alone, with few ponies walking down the street. An oddity for this time of day. “If you say so… I just hope they didn’t hurt Babs.” Applejack looked down at her sister. “Don’t think about that, Bloom. Just… Just focus on finding those colts. The sooner we do, the sooner we’ll find our cousin.” They made eye contact, and Applejack hoped she could project some courage onto her sister. “Just you wait. Soon, we won’t even remember we had such a bad couple of days.” Suddenly, Apple Bloom leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Applejack’s leg. “I want Babs to be back home… I want my friend back.” Her heart contracted painfully when she heard the hurt in Apple Bloom’s voice. How many more were in pain? Just because some sick colts were out there foalnapping fillies and colts. She wasn’t sure if her anger or her worry was stronger. At that moment, though, Applejack gently caressed the back of her sister’s head. Soft strokes to ease the anxiety they both felt. “Me too, Apple Bloom. Me too.” They stayed like that for a moment, until the traffic light changed colour once more. She pushed her sister to cross the street with her. “That’s why we gotta find something the police can use. Anything that can confirm those colts know where Babs and the other foals are. And then they’ll bring ‘em all back.” “I guess you’re—” “Shoulda ne’er come…” “Gah!” Applejack whirled around to see a homeless pony standing a few strides away from her. Just as dishevelled, just as tired-looking, and with that same frenzied look in his eyes as he had looked the day before. “Hey, you’re that pony from yesterday!” Apple Bloom cried, pointing a hoof at him. Regaining her bearings, Applejack’s brow furrowed in anger. “Are you following us? What’s your problem?” “Darned outsiders, thinking they know better,” he said, speaking in his half mumbled stupor. Applejack could feel her face twitch as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. As rude as he was, this pony was obviously not playing with a full bag of marbles, and it wouldn’t be fair to take out her frustration on him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With an expression that made it clear she wouldn’t tolerate nonsense, she spoke. “Now listen to me here, mister,” Her tone dropped, and she made sure to carefully enunciate every syllable. “My family and I are going through a very, very difficult time and the last thing we need is some crazed pony threatening us! I get your life must be tough out in the streets, but you ain’t got no business messing with me or my—” “You won’t find your cousin there.” Shock overrode all other brain functions. “Wha… What did you just say?” The stallion spat on the floor, but never broke eye contact. “You heard me. Down that line there’s nothing but trouble. You think the city’s bad, but you’re messing with something far, far worse. Far worse… A city of the damned that is.” The stallion’s voice quickly devolved into incoherent mumbling. Somewhere, Applejack heard the sound of the train reaching its stop, and anger once more took the front seat in her mind.  “I ain’t gonna repeat myself,” she said with barely contained anger clear in her tone. “Stay away from me and my family.” She didn’t give the bum a chance to speak more nonsense. Without breaking eye contact, she reached towards Apple Bloom and walked backwards away from him. The crazed stallion never stopped looking at her. Not as they walked down the street. Not as they reached the next corner. “Applejack?” “Just walk, Apple Bloom.” She then pushed her sister forward, sparing the briefest of glances at the empty street to make sure there were no taxis or carriages coming their way. Throwing one last look at the dishevelled stallion, she kept the same unwavering stern look. However, for the briefest of moments, she could’ve sworn his eyes took on a sad edge before he turned around and walked away. Blinking, she forced herself back to the present, and the matter at hoof. Finding those colts. Getting clues on what happened to Babs. And getting their cousin back. “Let’s go,” Applejack said. Apple Bloom nodded, and both sisters walked the last couple of blocks in silence. With a lurch, the heavy locomotive sprang into motion. Way in the back of the train, the two sisters silently looked through the group of ponies in their cart. Mares. Stallions. A couple of older teens. An elderly stallion that was dozing off near the door. And yet, there were no traces of the colts they’d seen yesterday. Or… any foals for that matter. Then again, it was the weekend. She supposed most would be at home or hanging around in their neighbourhoods. “Don’t see ‘em,” Apple Bloom said. Without a pause, she stood up and walked to the door at the other end of the cart. Applejack followed, never more than a few steps behind her. With a swift motion, she opened the door at the end of the cart and the one on the next one. “Watch your step, Bloom.” “Mhm…” Upon first glance, the second cart seemed normal, if a bit quiet. Ponies of all kinds either sat, or leaned against the safety bars, yet there was no sight of colts anywhere. Her nostrils were hit by the smell of grease and faint cigarette smoke as they walked through the cart. A steady gait. Quick, but not so much as to garner unwanted attention. A mumbled “Excuse me” or “Beg your pardon” as they made their way through the ponies, throwing furtive glances at them just in case any of them happened to be the colts from the day before. No success. The train left the underground and the morning light came through the windows. Today’s skies were clear, so the city enjoyed the full strength of the early Spring sun and a hint of comfortable warmth. It was almost insulting. Pushing those thoughts aside, Applejack opened the traincart’s doors, and moved on. She wasn’t all that surprised to notice she’d started to feel uneasy. As soon as she’d stepped into the next cart, a lot of the ponies in it had turned to face her and were following her with their eyes as they walked. There was a part of her that felt self-conscious about this. Staring at all the ponies who just wanted to reach their station and go about their day. Getting ogled by a random mare wasn’t part of anyone’s morning routine, she was sure. Applejack took a deep breath, and fighting over the slightly disgusting scent of sweat and smoke, she forced herself to think of her cousin. They had to find whoever took her and get them to talk. She did her best to fight off the unease growing in her and kept her gaze steady as she looked at the ponies around her. Thankfully, there were fewer of them in this cart, and they could quickly move on. “Applejack, hurry up.” Apple Bloom was already at the door, waiting for her. The train jolted as it started to take a curve. Applejack walked up to her sister and opened the door to the next cart. After a while, it became harder to focus on each pony as they looked for their targets. It became much easier to just feel the ponies around her as a single thing. An ocean of ponies through which they waded. Why? She wasn’t sure. Part of her wanted to blame how she wasn’t used to so many ponies, but… With a shake of her head, she gave one final look around, and moved on. Not much changed as they went through the rest of the carts. Either on the ponies inside the train, or the thoughts stirring inside her mind. Whatever. They still looked through the mass of ponies. Some carts had more. Some had less. Some minded their own business. Some stared back at her. Some pretended they weren’t. None were the colts they’d seen the day before. The sisters exchanged nervous glances as they opened the doors to the last cart. The warm sunlight cast a cosy glow, but Applejack barely felt it. They scanned the faces, a sea of indifference, and walked past the few commuters to the other end of the cart. “Nothin’,” Apple Bloom said, her voice barely a whisper. “Chin up, Bloom. It’s still early.” She set a hoof on her sister’s back. “The next station is coming up soon and more ponies will get in. We just gotta keep checking.” Even though it seemed the filly wanted to say something, she ultimately remained silent and offered a small nod. Swallowing, Applejack kneeled until she was at eye level with her sister. “We’re gonna find her, okay? It’s gonna take us some time, but we’re gonna find Babs Seed, y’hear me?” The train rattled as it entered a tunnel, and the darkness surrounded them. “It’s gonna be alright.” It had been a couple hours since they started their little patrolling, with nothing much to show for it other than tired legs and a mild headache. They’d gotten faster at it, at the very least. Now they had a couple of minutes before they reached the next station and the train filled with a new batch of ponies. Until then, Apple Bloom and her would just sit in the available seats of the boring train cart, staring at the city passing them by under the sunny Spring afternoon. If she were to be honest—and she tended to be—Applejack felt she was wasting her time and yet… there was nothing else she could do. Now they were just hanging out in the train, waiting for something. Yet nothing happened, and her mind wondered… Everything since arriving at Manehattan had been a frenzy. The shock of finding out Babs was missing, trying to figure out what to do, finding out her friends were also missing, coming across those colts in the train, the fiasco with the police. A sense of righteous anger settled somewhere deep in her chest. Why couldn’t the police just do what they were doing? Send an officer or two to check the trains. Then again, the detective yesterday mentioned how they were short on ponies. If they had to chase leads on Babs Seed, Barley Grind, Cloudy Daze, and Bluenote, on top of who knew how many ponies… Her thoughts stopped at that. She hadn’t actually paid it any mind before. That colt referred to Babs and her friends as a haul. Who was to say they were the first? They were supposed to be new to their school, but there were several schools in the city. How many foals had they taken before? Did they only take foals? There was no way those colts were working alone, they had to have accomplices, other ponies working with them. In all likelihood, adults. She thought back to the day before. That mare told them Bluenote’s parents had vanished, too. And Barley Grind’s house had been empty. She had no way of knowing if Cloudy Daze only had his mom or if there had been more disappearances in his family. Just how deep did the whole thing go? What were they dealing with? The train jostled as it slowed down, bringing her to the present. “Last downtown station, AJ,” Apple Bloom said, jumping off her seat. She turned to face her with a blank stare, showing no emotion as she waited for her big sister to stand up. “Right… Let’s get going.” From that point, the train would branch into a different district. At that moment, they had to disembark and get on the train going the opposite direction, just as they’d been doing all morning. The noise of the machine slowly died down and was replaced by the chatter of ponies as they approached the station. Colourful blurs began to take shape, and once they entered the building, she could see the sparse mass of ponies waiting on the platform. Once more, her mind wandered. Now that she actually stopped to think about it, there had been times where she’d seen fewer ponies than she’d expected for a city such as Manehattan. Just as they’d arrived, some of the streets, uncle Cortland’s building… She was so used to the smaller number of ponies back in Ponyville that any crowd felt huge, but…  The train lurched as it came to a stop. After a few seconds, the doors opened and the sisters walked onto the platform. Even though there were plenty of ponies around them, Applejack couldn’t help but feel that there should be more here, especially on a weekend. Silently, she followed her little sister’s lead as they changed trains. Before boarding, they looked around the platform, scanning the crowd—if it could be called that—of ponies in case the colts were there. Nothing. With a huff, they stepped into the cart closest to the front. They hurriedly made their way to a corner of the cart as they eyed the ponies coming in. Mares and stallions, even the occasional foal. Yet, once again, not a sight of those colts. Not that she’d seen many foals in that age range… ever since she arrived at Manehattan. No… No, she couldn’t keep thinking like that. She pressed a hoof against her forehead, as if she could squeeze those intrusive thoughts away. If she let her brains get busy with these wild thoughts, she’d end up paying less attention to the ponies around her. The doors closed and the train started moving. Just as she was about to look around the ponies in the cart again, Apple Bloom nudged her. “They ain’t here,” she whispered, and started moving. Applejack eyed her sister warily, but followed her anyway. Just as she opened the door, she asked her, “Are you alright Apple Bloom?” Her sister only offered a non-commital grunt as a reply. As they stepped into the other cart, she noticed each step her little sister took was charged with… anger. She wouldn’t pretend she didn’t understand why she felt that way, but… “Bloom?” “I—” Just as abruptly as she’d started talking, she’d shut up, focusing instead on the ponies around them. Applejack should, too… but her concern over her sister trumped that. “Apple Bloom, if you’re not feeling well, just tell me and we can—” “I ain’t gonna stop, Applejack,” Apple Bloom cut her off. She turned around and looked up at her. “Not until we find those colts. It’s only been a couple hours, and Babs has already been missing for days. We can’t let her down.” Even though the sunlight came through the train’s windows, Applejack could barely feel its warmth anymore. The eerie feeling from earlier threatened to return as a shiver ran down her spine. She didn’t have to look around to know there were stares upon them. With finality, Applejack held her head high and took a deep breath. Pushing away the discomfort took a lot of energy. More than she thought she still had. But she forced herself to do so. “Y-you’re right, Bloom.” She swallowed to ease the knot in her throat. “Let’s just keep going.’ The filly merely nodded before turning around and walking to the end of the cart. Ignoring the stares of the ponies around them, she followed her sister. There were fewer ponies in the next cart. That made the search easier, but it did little to ease Applejack’s nerves. Celestia, what was she? Afraid? What was wrong with her? Apple Bloom was right, Babs needed them. She couldn’t afford to act like this. They moved to the next cart, the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels echoing beneath them. Each cart looked the same, filled with ponies lost in their own worlds, oblivious to the sisters' desperate search. Applejack's steps were heavy with the weight of worry, a feeling of unease gnawing at her insides. She couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong, but she couldn't put her hoof on what it was. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom's patience seemed to be wearing thin. "Ugh… This is about a station before where we saw them yesterday. Where are they?" Her voice was a mix of frustration and worry, her eyes darting around as if hoping to catch a glimpse of anything that might lead them to Babs. Where, indeed… Applejack had been well aware this was a long shot, but it was their only lead. Short of going to school and hoping they were given information that was probably confidential just because they asked. Fat chance… No. Finding those colts was their only hope. Still, what if they didn’t take the train today? What if they just walked? What if they took another route? What if they didn’t even go out on the weekend? What if they were just wasting time? As hard as Applejack was trying to remain optimistic, her determination was wavering. The police weren't helpful, and they had just spent an entire morning wandering around a train going back and forth a few stations. Applejack felt a pang of guilt and fear twist in her chest. She was doing a terrible job at keeping the dark thoughts at bay, and she was doing an even worse job at being there for her little sister. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her own frustration in check, and knelt down to Apple Bloom's level, placing a gentle hoof on her sister's shoulder. “I know it's hard, sugarcube, but we gotta keep lookin'. You just said it yourself, we can’t let her down.” “I know that. I just…” Apple Bloom’s tone was dry, in contrast to the way the corners of her eye threatened to let out a few tears. “I just… I just want her back, Applejack. I can't stand not knowin' where she is.” Applejack pulled her sister closer and into a reassuring hug. “I feel the same way, Apple Bloom. But we'll get through this together. We just gotta keep our heads clear and our eyes open.” Applejack stood up, giving her sister a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's keep movin'. We're bound to find those colts sooner or later." Reluctantly, Apple Bloom nodded, the anger in her eyes giving way to determination. Applejack, for her part, did her best to focus on moving ahead and ignoring the stares of the ponies around them. The next cart was slightly more crowded. All seats were taken and a few ponies stood in the central passage, staring out the window or simply standing there as the train moved. Still, no sight of the colts. Darkness enveloped the train as they entered the underground. With only the fluorescent lights to brighten up the inside of the train, the two moved forward onto the next cart. A slightly fuller cart. Only slightly. She walked right behind Apple Bloom as they crossed the hallway, throwing sweeping glances around them and hoping anypony would look familiar, to no avail. Near the back, there was a young mare who had a coat of a similar shade to Babs, and Applejack felt a twinge of sadness in her chest. It only served to further fuel her determination, though. They were already halfway through the train, and just under ten minutes until the next station. Apple Bloom was at the door, waiting for her. She caught up to her and motioned to open the door. She threw one last glance over her shoulder and froze. Were… were they…? No, she must’ve imagined it. Just as she turned around… she could’ve sworn several ponies had looked away right at that moment. “Applejack?” She turned to look down at her sister. “Ah. Yeah. Let’s… Let’s keep going.” If she let her nerves get out of control like that again, she was only going to make things worse. She shouldn’t pay any mind to whatever other ponies did. As far as she should be concerned, they either were or weren’t the colts they were looking for. And she shouldn’t bother to think about anypony who wasn’t who they were looking for. They were probably looking at her funny because she was an outsider. Yeah. That was probably it. With a sigh, she pushed away the thoughts about what those ponies were or weren’t doing and opened the door to the next— She saw them through the dooor’s window, a flash of that reddish brown and sickly green. The same colours of the coats she’d barely gotten a glimpse the day before. Two colts in roughed up jackets hanging at the other end of the cart. Her hooves immediately grabbed onto Apple Bloom. “Don’t make noise, Bloom.” Her sister looked up at her, but quickly turned to see what she’d seen. “Applejack,” Apple Bloom spoke in hurried whispers, “it’s them!” She nodded. “We ain’t gonna let them get away this time. Move slow and quiet. We don’t want to catch their attention.” A quick glance around showed that the cart was just crowded enough to mask their approach. Good. “Follow me.” With as little fanfare as she could, Applejack opened the door and stepped in. Feigning disinterest, she walked by the seats, muttering a few apologies under her breath. The rattling of the train felt so loud to her ears, although that could’ve been her heart beating twice as hard in her ribcage. Another step. Leaned to the side to walk past a stallion. Avoid the leg of the mare who fell asleep on the seat. She kept her eyes fixed on the door at the end of the cart, only seeing those colts out of the corner of her eyes. It was hard not to let the anger show. Anger at those colts for taking away her cousin and those other foals, and at the police who seemingly couldn’t do anything for her cousin. For a moment, the rattling of the train faded away, and her mind managed to block the acrid smell around her. Even the metal floor didn’t feel cold to her hooves. Her mind was focused on the colts at the end of the cart. She could see them clearly now. Just two of them, talking merrily as if they weren’t the cause of the pain of so many families. With a final step, both Apple Bloom and her stood in front of the duo. Taking notice, they stopped talking amongst themselves and turned to face the sisters. “Evening, everypony.” The one standing closer to them gave her an odd look, lifting his nose to look down at them. The one on the back barely moved. His eyes focused on Applejack and lingered on her for a few seconds before moving to Apple Bloom. He then smiled a warm and welcoming smile that felt almost mocking. “Yes?” he said. Applejack tried not to let any emotion show on her face. “There are a few things we’d like to ask you.” The colt on the back made no attempt to reply while the other one still kept his nose held high as his eyes filled with defiance. “You are the ponies from yesterday,” the colt on the back said, no doubt in his tone. “Remember us? That should make this easier.” “What’cha want?” the other colt finally spoke. His voice was a raspy hoarse monotone that made Applejack’s heckles rise just from hearing it. “You know where our cousin is,” Apple Bloom interjected. Not a question, but a hard statement. A demand for more information. Her voice had a forced firmness that hid the anger simmering beneath. “I know lots of cousins, filly.” The colt in the back, with his sickly green coat and condescending tone, seemed determined to get a raise out of them, it seemed. Before either could reply, he hummed for a while before his smile got wider. “What’s so special about yours?” Applejack had the right mind to smack those two for their attitude, but she knew an adult hitting a child is something that the police were more likely to care about, especially with all the other ponies in the train with them. “Yesterday,” Applejack started, ”I heard you talk about Cloudy Daze. Y’see, I happen to know of a foal with that name.” “So?” Celestia, she really wanted to give that runt a good kick in the flank. “She’s a friend of my cousin. It just so happens that the foal has gone missing. Just like many of her other friends. And. Just. Like. My. Cousin.” Each of those last words was marked by a firm step towards those colts. The other colt—the brown reddish one with the defiant look—took a step forward until she could see herself reflected in his eyes. His breath stank. “I said:’So?’” Her anger was dangerously close to morphing into full-blown fury. What was wrong with this colt? There was no wavering in his eyes. If not for the fire of rage burning in her, she would’ve almost felt… unnerved. “Hey…” the greenish colt said, his vowels dragging in a way that grated her ears. Applejack tore her gaze away from the colt in front of her and looked at the other one. “You’re apples too, huh?” If his words were enough to make her blood run cold, the way he licked his lips as his smile grew wider reignited the hunger for justice in her. Screw the law and screw proper behaviour. She was going to make these colts pay. The moment of distraction cost her greatly, though. With strength she wouldn’t have believed a colt would have, the colt with the reddish swept at her front hooves, making her fall down on her face. “Sis!” Apple Bloom hurried to help her get back up, just as the colts took that chance to run away. “Come on, Applejack! We can’t let them get away!” She was quick to regain her bearings and looked up at the fleeing colts. “Dagnabbit!” “Let’s go!” Apple Bloom yelled as she pulled at her sister’s leg. They ran to the open door at the end of the cart. Applejack could still see the two colts rushing through the ponies up ahead, and wasted no time in following them. A part of Applejack’s mind felt bad for not even excusing herself as she pushed aside the ponies standing in the middle of the cart, but she was too preoccupied with not letting those colts escape her again. Halfway through the cart, though, she noticed ponies seemed to be… Stepping aside and letting her pass. The colts opened the door and that put a stop to those thoughts. They were going to the last cart. Good. Now they couldn’t escape. Gritting her teeth, she pushed forward and ran the last few strides after them. “Go, AJ! Go!” Apple Bloom screamed as she ran past her. Applejack followed right after her, jumping the gap between the train carts and landing in the mostly empty last cart. The few stragglers in there with them didn’t even look up, as if chases were a commonplace occurrence in the subway. Up ahead, she could see the colts huddled at the very tail end. “Stop right there!” yelled Apple Bloom. Though a bit short of breath, Applejack was still more than energetic enough to stare down a couple of troublesome kids. She drew herself up, putting every ounce of authority and resolve into her stance, and made sure her voice was as stern as possible when she spoke.  “Enough already! Y’all got nowhere to run. Now stay still, you rascals.” For a second, she felt a surge of energy and triumph. She had them. Finally, she had them. They might actually get something to show the police. Something that would help get Babs back home. The thought of bringing justice and closure for her cousin and uncle filled her with a fleeting sense of hope and accomplishment. But it was not meant to last. The colt with that sickly green coat shot her what ought to have been the most malevolent expression Applejack had seen come from a pony. There was so much ill-intent in those eyes, in that twisted smirk, she actually had to do a double-take. In that brief moment, the other colt opened the door and jumped out of the train, followed closely by his companion. “I said stop!” Apple Bloom cried out in anger, running after them. It happened way too fast. Before Applejack could think to put a stop to it, her little sister jumped after those colts. “No!” Applejack hollered, her heart lurching in her chest. She sprinted faster than she ever had, jumping through the open door before she could really think about what she was doing. Startled, she did her best to brace herself for the impact. With a hard thud, she landed on the gravel carpeting the inside of the tunnel, managing to roll a couple of times to lessen the impact. The rough stones scraped against her coat, but she gritted her teeth and endured it. Behind her, the train sped away, its rattling becoming distant just as its light did. Every part of her body shot waves of pain and it took considerable effort to keep herself conscious, though the adrenaline coursing through her veins was doing a good job at that. With shaky legs, she stood up and wobbled to the side of the tunnel. It was dark, not that she’d expected any different, but it didn’t take long for her eyes to adjust and start to notice some faint shapes around her. The train tracks, the curved ceiling of the tunnel, the grimy brick walls. Somehow, it felt more oppressive than the smaller train cart had been. Enough of that. She couldn’t dawdle any longer. She had to make sure her sister was alright. Slowly, putting a lot of effort into silencing her body’s protests as she took each step, she pushed forwards. “Apple Bloom!” The crunch of the gravel marked her steps, echoing eerily off the tunnel walls. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat a drum of worry and desperation. Her breathing came out in ragged gasps as she struggled to calm herself down and keep walking. She couldn’t afford to slow down, not now. “Apple Bloom!” she called again, hints of desperation seeping into her voice. A faint noise reached her ears—a soft whimper. It was enough to spur her on, her legs moving faster despite the objections of her battered body. She stumbled over the uneven ground, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of her sister. The tunnel walls seemed to close in on her, but she pressed forward, driven by sheer willpower, concern, and not a small amount of fear. Not long after, she noticed a small shape with a messed ribbon walking amidst the darkness. “Bloom…” Applejack said, her voice barely a hoarse whisper. She hurried her step in spite of the painful protests until she finally reached her sister. A cursory glance told her that she was okay. Beaten up, sure… But safe. She immediately brought the filly in for a hug, and a grand wave of relief washed over her. “They went ahead…” her sister whispered. Now that the adrenaline had run its course, a single thought overwhelmed her: This was too much. Just about everything that had happened over the last day came crashing upon her mind. The odd behaviour Babs had shown before vanishing, how her friends had disappeared as well, how the police seemed to both know something yet not know what to do, the weird feeling she’d gotten from ponies in the train all day, and those really weird colts… Celestia, what was wrong with them? Applejack had the feeling they were in way over their heads. However… They could be close. She couldn’t forgive herself if it turned out she could’ve rescued Babs if she’d just walked a few more steps. In the end, she knew what she had to do. There was no way she was going to abandon her family. “C’mere. Lemme help you.” Carefully, she took Apple Bloom by her barrel and lifted her. The filly groaned in protest, but didn’t offer resistance. After making sure her sister was alright, they started walking. In the darkness of the tunnel, she could barely see a few steps ahead of her, but they made their way with measured steps. In spite of the darkness, she could feel the determination in Apple Bloom. Perhaps she was projecting part of her feelings onto her, but even with the pain of their landing, the siblings walked down the rails with determination. They were not going to let those colts escape again. One way or another, they’d be reunited with their cousin. A minute. Twenty. An hour. Neither was sure, but they pressed on. Thankfully the tunnel was big enough for them to walk without fear of facing an incoming train. In fact, the tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly before them.  After a while, they found a discarded jacket. One that the colts had been wearing. Why throw it away? No… That didn’t matter. They were getting closer. One hoof in front of the other. The carved stone walls of the tunnel seemed to catch and reflect even the tiniest bit of light, making them feel surrounded by dancing shadows. As they walked, every blurry shape in the dark seemed to hold innumerable surprises.  Suddenly, they stopped. Up ahead, there were… Sounds. Steps? They had a wetness to them. Probably a water leak that caused puddles. But where? In front of them, the tunnel continued. Applejack felt herself become lightheaded, but she pushed on regardless. The crevices and irregularities started to become more frequent. More marked. The tunnel started to feel less like a structure made by pony might and ingenuity, and more of an unforgiving cavern moulded by nature. Where did the light come from? The tunnels themselves didn’t have many light sources. Just a few tiny lamps spread apart for maintenance workers, she supposed. They hadn’t come across one of those in a while, yet the tunnel remained faintly illuminated. That… Wasn’t right. And it wasn’t the only thing. Just as she was processing this, they slowed down. “Applejack? What’s the matter?” When did the train tracks stop? Looking down, Applejack could see that they were now walking over plain gravel. No sign of the metal tracks. How? They’d been walking in a straight line. At least, she thought they had. Navigating the tunnel in the near total darkness had been hard, and she’d been following… her instinct, really. Still, how could they have wandered off from the train tracks? “Ah… It’s just…”  She looked up and let out a choked gasp at the sight before her. A gash in the wall.  “What… What in Celestia's name?” Right on the wall’s surface, there was an opening. The rock gave way to an entrance wide enough for a couple of ponies to walk side to side. It looked not so much carved as it did… Broken. As if the wall itself had been pulled apart to make that hole. Had those colts or whoever was with them torn down part of the tunnel system to make this? How long would that have taken? Why? For Celestia’s sake, what was going on? The shock must’ve worn off quickly, because she could sense Apple Bloom about to run into the cavernous entrance. Reacting as quickly as she could, Applejack leaned forward and bit down on her sister’s tail. “Apple Bloom, don’t!” “No, Applejack! You don’t.” The filly turned around and looked up at her with gritted teeth and wet eyes that managed to shimmer in the dim light of the tunnel. “Babs has been missing for several days already. Her friends have been missing for longer. Who knows if those colts did the same before they came to Babs’s school. The police ain’t helping. And this is the only lead we have! Our cousin needs us!” “Bloom. This… This ain’t right. There’s something else going on here. We… We’ve got to talk to the police again. Or the Guard. The Princesses. I… We can’t—” Applejack’s voice was filled with urgency and fear, her eyes drifting towards the dark hole in the wall and whatever it may hold. This was very, very wrong. “Didn’t you tell me the Apple family stuck together through thick and thin, no matter what?” “Bloom—” “‘No matter what’ means no matter what, AJ! We don’t know what could be happening to Babs, but she’s only got us, and she may not have long, either. I don’t know about you, but I ain’t gonna leave her hanging!” Apple Bloom’s words were fierce, a stark contrast to the vulnerability of her small frame. She stood tall, the echo of her heated words bouncing off the tunnel walls until it faded away, leaving only the panting of the sisters amidst the silence. Somewhere deep into the cavern, she could almost make out something that was certainly not just the wind. “We… We’re going in together.” She glanced at Apple Bloom, the little filly’s unwavering determination bolstering her own courage. Nevertheless, the silence was almost oppressive, wrapping around them like a shroud.  “It’s gonna be alright. Right, AJ?” “Yeah… It’s gonna.” With pain, and more doubt than determination, the sisters walked into the opening in the wall, and continued down the winding path. The gravel slowly gave way to unevenly sized rocks. Every now and then, she’d step in such a way that something would get lodged in the underside of her hoof. Painfully. But she’d still push through, as if wanting to spite the pain itself with sheer determination. Applejack feared they’d be plunged into total darkness and be helpless to whatever it is whoever they were against could try. As they got deeper and deeper into the tunnel, a warm glow started to reach them. She didn’t know what that was, but was grateful for having some sort of light all the way here. The way the light made shadows dance on the rough walls of the passage. They walked. They walked, walked, and walked. Perhaps it was the uneven ground that wouldn’t let her make a proper guess, but she felt they may not be at the same level they just were. The air got stuffier, thick with the scent of damp earth and something else she couldn’t quite place. Applejack wondered where they could possibly be. It was as if there was a whole ‘nother city beneath Manehattan, one that ran far deeper than the subway itself. Just as the words of the vagabond resonated in her head, the sisters heard… Something. What, neither could tell for sure, but it hinted at movement. They ought to be closer. They had to be getting closer to whoever, or whatever had taken those ponies. Gathering their strength they hurried the last stretch of the tunnel before it opened into a larger room from where the glow seemed to come. Applejack could feel the blood pumping through her veins with each step, as her lungs greedily sucked in the musky air. “Just wait, Babs,” Apple Bloom said. “Your family is—” The words died in her throat just as they walked out of that corridor, and into the open. A vast cavern opened before them, lit with dozens of unattended fires. An underground settlement? Could this be what that homeless pony had been talking about? As her eyes adjusted to the new light, she looked around. Though the rocky surfaces were uneven, she thought she could see other entrances similar to the one they’d used on the far ends of the cavern. If there were more entrances, and they lead to other parts of the tunnels, or even other parts of the city… Then this definitely involved more than her cousin and her friends. The two slowly walked deeper into the cavern, eyes open and ears perked. However, it was a different sense that alerted them of danger. Smoke rose towards them, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of death. The air was thick and suffocating, every breath a struggle against the overwhelming stench. Blood. Puddles of blood. Trails of red grime, as if something had been smashed against the rocks and then dragged away. Looking ahead, that something turned out to be the worst possible thing. Flesh. Piles of flesh, still bloody. Flayed hides of all colours laying in heaps, like grotesque mounds of discarded fabric. Applejack heaved as she fought to keep the bile rising in her throat. Next to her, Apple Bloom was frozen in place as her voice degraded into a whimper. The courage that had fueled their steps had been replaced with sheer terror glueing them in place. The gruesome scene before them stretched endlessly, a scene from Tartarus itself brought to life. “What… in Celestia’s name…” But Celestia was nowhere to be found. Instead, deeper still. Way down at the bottom of the room… Were the culprits. Who they thought had been the ponies they’d been chasing were ponies no more. Spindly limbs jutted at odd angles, moving in ways she’d never seen before. Distended maws with jagged teeth that snapped at each other. Wet, bare skin that glistened in the flickering light of the fires surrounding them. Orifices that could’ve been noses, eyes, or ears all over their misshapen heads. And even more biological details that challenged what she thought she knew animals could look like. Shocked, she fell back with force, her hooves hitting the ground with a series of snapping sounds. Looking down, she realised that what she’d assumed were rocks were actually hundreds of bones, picked clean and with clear gnashing marks all over them. Not all were small. An unearthly scream made her snap back to reality. Apple Bloom couldn’t take it anymore, the sound echoing through the cavern like a banshee's wail. Down in the bottom of the pit, the creatures turned their bulbous heads towards them, and for a second all stood still. The silence was deafening, an ominous prelude to the chaos that was about to unfold. And then the creatures jumped and started going towards them. The prime, animal instinct inside of every pony kicked in, and Applejack barely managed to grab Apple Bloom before she turned and fled. The filly continued screaming like there was no tomorrow, and Applejack ran so they’d have one. Had to get out of there. Had to get Bloom to safety. Had to get out. Out. Get Twilight. The Elements. The Princesses. Whoever. And smite this misplaced bit of Tartarus into oblivion. And then she tripped. Her hooves must’ve gotten caught in one of the many clean bones laying on the ground. She stumbled once. Twice. Each time losing more and more stability before she finally crashed down on the bed of bones, ribs and femurs poking and scratching her body. “Apple Bloom!” she yelled, her voice hoarse with panic. “Apple Bloom!” She heard bones snapping in the distance as Apple Bloom landed just ahead… And she heard the loud stomping and shattering that got closer and closer from behind. “Apple Bloom! Run!” She heard her sister’s small steps turn and come back towards her. “Applejack!” “No… No! Bloom! Please!” Applejack pleaded, her heart breaking with her sister’s approaching steps. Her legs shook uselessly as she tried to push herself up. She could barely move them. She… She… “I can’t leave you!” She could see Apple Bloom's terrified face, piercing her heart like a knife. Pulling at her sister’s leg with all her might, she cried out again, “Applejack, we have to go!” “Bloom… You’ve got to—” Applejack tried to speak, but her words were cut short by the roar of the approaching creatures, the ground trembling under their weight. Her mind raced. The only thing that mattered was getting her little sister to safety. But it wasn’t meant to be. She felt the creatures already behind them. The scent of decay and death grew thicker the closer they got. And as her sister’s expression morphed from fearful to one of abject horror, her hopes were snuffed out. “Applejack! Please!” Apple Bloom’s ragged screams were nearly drowned by the gurgling screeches all around her.  She sensed when one leaped over her, landing with a sickening thud behind her sister. As she felt herself being lifted, her thoughts didn’t go to her cousin Babs, to uncle Cortland, to her family back in Ponyville, or even to her friends. No, her mind could only think about the look of utter despair in her sister’s eyes. Applejack felt her heart break at the same time as her flesh ruptured and blood sprayed out. The agony was unbearable, but even worse was the sight of Apple Bloom, her small body trembling, eyes filled with tears and terror. Claws and talons enveloped her sister just as the last vestiges of light left her vision. Just as numbness took over her, a few garbled words mixed with sounds of torn meat and dripping liquids reached her ears. “You said everything would be alright.” She closed her eyes.