A/N: A VERY long chapter today! Just to make up for the previous short chapters. :D Enjoy
Zecora walked up to the pair of ponies that that retreated into the darkness of the shadows when they noticed her coming for them. The zebra was calm although both her wise eyes betrayed fury. She stopped a few feet in front of them, though not enough to see their faces, and when she spoke it sounded menacing, "What rights have you two, to come and knock down my door? Who are you and what do you want Twilight for?"
The two ponies looked at each other. One said in a girlish western accent, "Ma'am, we are only 'ere ta git Twilight, nothin' else."
Zecora studied the confident shadow before asking the other one hoping to get a good answer, "And who are you?"
The pony that spoke was tall and bulky, as if its body was too small for its weight. His tone was deep and western, and for a second Twilight relaxed thinking it was Big Macintosh. But only for a second.
"Well, if'n ya must know, we are 'er loyal friends – Applejacks and Big Manzanita," the deep-voiced pony grumbled.
Zecora looked back at Twilight, who was now standing looking ready to kill. By judging her expression, Zecora didn't even need to ask who in the world Big Manzanita was, or Applejacks. She already knew they were imposters by Applejacks' name, so she closed the remaining feet and exclaimed, "I do not know of you two, and you have interrupted me while a potion I must brew."
The two imposters didn't speak for a while, but both advanced on Zecora making her step back seconds after she spoke. They were now fully into the light and Twilight's eyes grew wide as she took in the sight. The two ponies were huge! The deep-voiced one had a brown mane and a black coat. His Cutie Mark wasn't that of an apple, but that of a money bag. His eyes were the blackest of night, and his nostrils flared as he smiled murderously.
The second pony was a little smaller and more feminine then her companion by far. Her mane was a pale ivory color and her coat midnight black. She was a Unicorn unlike the first one; her hooves were polished and how she walked was with pure evilness and slight arrogance. The Cutie Mark was what a knife looked like a white flash behind it.
"Claire, this here zebra doesn't want anything to do with us, what you think we should do?" the deep-voiced pony asked looking at his sister, while no longer speaking in the fake western accent but in an English one instead.
Claire looked back at her brother and smiled wickedly, "Why Ashton, I think we should take the money," she then looked at Twilight before returning back to her brother. "And run."
What do they want with me? What did I do? Twilight thought, her eyes growing wider by the second.
Zecora then looked back at Twilight and shouted without rhyme but in riddle, "Run, dear Twilight! You'll find your voice in the hollow of hollows. Its hidden deep within the crust of what you hear, think, see, taste, and feel. Courage and mind power will help you, but you must journey all over Equestria without ever turning back! Now run out the backdoor and don't come back until you've found what you're looking for! Take nothing with you but two friends you will find soon, I promise you will get your voice back!"
Twilight didn't need any more explanation and ran out the back door, but not after seeing a knife flash in the air and coming rapidly down with a giggle following it…
"I wonder if we should check Zecora's place," Applejack asked Big Macintosh.
Both were in the Everfree Forest and both didn't like it one bit. Not only was the place covered in moss, trees, bushes, oddly shaped shadows, but not too long ago they came across a sleeping manta core. It scared Big Macintosh half to death, but Applejack just signaled to go another way. But she had to drag her brother because he couldn't move, only shake.
"Eyup," Big Macintosh said.
The two siblings were just about to walk further down the path when Applejack saw something lurking in the shadows move. She put a hoof out to make her brother stop moving, he did. But just then something – which Applejack guessed was a pony – came rushing out at them and hide behind Big Macintosh, trembling.
"…Twilight?" Big Mac asked looking behind him.
Applejack looked too and saw her friend Twilight trembling looking like she had just seen a horror story happen in real life. "Twilight, what's wrong?" Big Mac asked again.
Suddenly, the trio heard voices; Twilight nearly jumped out of her skin and hide further behind the big pony.
"…When I lay my hooves on her, I'll demand where in all of Equestria her voice is," a deep-voiced pony sang menacingly.
It was followed by a giggle far too high pitched to be the same pony. "Perfect. And if she doesn't write to you where, I'll torture her until she does."
Applejack looked at where her brother should've been standing, but obviously wasn't. The voices were drawing closer and there was no time for her to run and hide, so she stuck her ground and pretended to inspect something.
Finally, in what Applejack thought was a hundred years or more, there came two ponies that you could barely see due to their coat color, talking profusely about something. They stopped when they came across Applejack.
"What on Earth is a Mare doing in the Everfree Forest by herself, Ashton?" the female asked.
"I have no idea Claire, shall we ask her?" Ashton replied. Both grinned wickedly.
Applejack stopped inspecting and acted as if she was joyful, "Well howdy do! How are ya two?"
"Plenty good thank you very much," Claire said slightly annoyed that Applejack wasn't scared.
"Well that's jest swell now ain't it?"
"Yes it is, now what in Equestria are you doing out here?" Ashton asked.
"Well, my farm needs some Zap Apples ya see, an' so's I came out 'ere ta git some. Unfortunately, I can't find any," Applejack acted like she was sheepish.
"Yes, rather unfortunate. Now, may you please excuse us, we are in the middle of a conversation."
"Oh, well… I fear that's Claire's fault ya two had ta stop by an' talk ta me. Right, Claire?"
The pony Claire looked like she had been struck by her older brother. "Excuse me?"
Applejack stepped aside and held out a hoof signaling that the path was free. "There ya two go. Free ta plan yer murderous ways how ya wish. Gotta tell ya though, ponies can hear ya'll from a mile around by how loud yer two are talkin'," she winked.
Claire opened her mouth to say something mean in retort but Ashton just pushed her along the path, highly annoyed.
Once both were gone, Applejack let out a big sigh, and then began to look for her own brother and Twilight.