Masks Chapter 4

When Applejack and Thomas got to the farm she immediately brought him to the nearest apple tree

Applejack: "Alright what we're gonna be doin' is applebuckin' now what you wanna do is..."

Applejack thrust her hind legs backward shaking the tree furiously causing most of the apples to fall into a nearby bucket

Applejack: "Think you can handle it?"

Thomas: "Shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Applejack: "Okay partner when you fill your bucket bring it over to the barn door."

Thomas: "Sure thing."

Thomas walked over to the apple tree next to him. Now apples don't usually fall perfectly into a bucket but then again ponies don't usually talk so he decided to suspend his disbelief. He raised his leg and slammed his foot as hard as he could into the side of the tree causing all of the apples to drop into the bucket.

Applejack: "Mighty fine buckin' but maybe not so hard next time."

Confused, Thomas looked back at the tree to see an indent of his shoe an inch deep into the tree bark.

Thomas: "Oh, sorry."

After a few hours of applebucking Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle came running up to Applejack

Applebloom: "Hey sis is it true? Is that thing from the Everfree Forest here?"

Scootaloo: "Is it? What's he like?"

Sweetie Belle: "Rarity said you left with him earlier."

Applejack: "Woah nelly! Slow down, he's right over there."

The three fillies ran side by side over to Thomas who had a bucket full of apples in tow

Applebloom: "Hey!"

Thomas looked over to the three wide eyed fillies

Thomas: "Hey Applebloom."

Applebloom: "Good to see you made it to Ponyville but why're you here helpin' my sis?"

Thomas: "Well you helped me get to Ponyville so I thought this was the least I could do."

Scootaloo leaned next to Sweetie Belle and whispered

Sweetie Belle: "No way! That's not true."

Thomas and Applebloom looked at Sweetie Belle

Applebloom: "What's not true?"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other.

Sweetie Belle: "Oh nothing!"

Scootaloo: "Yep nothing!"

Thomas: "You know lying isn't a good habit. Now what was is? "

Sweetie Belle: "Scootaloo said Applejack has a crush on you."

Applebloom: "What! Why do you say that?"

Scootaloo: "Well she's been staring at him for the whole time we've been talking."

They all looked over at Applejack who ,with a red face, turned abrutly to look a different direction.

Scootaloo: "See!"

Thomas waved her off

Thomas: "That's a little silly don't you think? After all i'm not really her type."

Applebloom: "Yeah!"

Thomas picked the bucket of apples up

Thomas: "Alright girls i've got to store these apples."

The three fillies watched Thomas haul the apples over to the barn door then ran off. As he set the bucket down he thought

Thomas: "There's no way she likes me...is there?"

When the sun was close to setting Applejack called out to Thomas

Applejack: "Alright that's enough for today, it's getting late you wanna sleep here tonight?"

Thomas: "I do, thanks."

They walked towards the house

Thomas: "Hey Applejack i've been meaning to ask, where's Big Macintosh?

Applejack: "He and Granny Smith are down in Appleloosa. One of their workers is out sick and Granny Smith wanted to go sight seein'."

Thomas: "They just left you and Applebloom here to do all the work?"

Applejack: "I can handle Big Macs load while he's gone and Granny Smith hasn't taken a vaction since I was a fillie."

Thomas and Applejack walked into her house.

Applejack: "I'm about to get supper started do y'all wanna help?"

Thomas: "Sorry but I don't think you'd eat anything i'd make."

Applejack: "What do you mean by that?"

Thomas: "I only know how to make human food."

Applejack: "What do humans eat anyways?"

Thomas: "Meat and veg-"

Thomas turned to look at Applejack to see her with a shocked expression

Thomas: "What's wrong?"

Applejack: "Did y-yall say m-meat..."

Thomas realized how that must've sounded to an herbivore

Thomas: "Well yeah I'm an omnivore."

Applejack: "Omniwhatsit?"

Thomas: "It means I can eat both meat and plants."

Applejack: "Alright..."

Thomas: "don't worry I wouldn't eat pony meat."

Applejack: "Oh okay. Well i'll go get supper started."

After a few minutes Applebloom came through the door covered in blood and splinters. Thomas rushed over in horror. She collapsed in his arms.

Thomas: "APPLEJACK! HELP!"

Applejack rushed into the room to see Thomas holding the bloodied filly. She rushed over to her sister

Applejack: "Applebloom! Applebloom what happened!"

Applebloom: "T...timber...Wolves...

Applebloom fell unconscious

Applejack: "APPLEBLOOM!"

Thomas grabbed Applejack

Thomas: "Take her to the hospital fast."

Applejack: "What about the Timber Wolves?"

Thomas: "I'll take care of them just get her to the hospital as fast as you can."

Applejack picked up her unconscious sister and ran faster than she knew she could in the direction of the Ponyville Hospital. Thomas went into the kitchen and grabbed a cast iron pan and a spatula. He remembered that Timber Wolves hated the sound of metal clanking together.

When he got to Ponyville he saw blood streaks in the streets and Timber Wolves scratching and gnawing at the doors of pony homes. Through the windows he saw ponies huddled in fear some bleeding but not fatally. He slammed the spatula into the center of the pan catching the attention of all the Timber Wolves however they did not flee like he'd expected, instead the crept closer to him. He slammed the spatula harder into the pan, he realized that the Timber Wolves weren't afraid of the sound anymore. As they inched closer to him he gripped the pan harder.

One of the wolves lunged at Thomas's neck. He slammed the cast iron pan into the crown of the wooden wolves head. The pan broke the bark with ease killing the wolf immediately. The other wolves all rushed Thomas tearing at his arms and legs. He swung wildly at the wolves but he missed every time, they were too fast and the pan was too heavy. He dropped the pan and grabbed the closest Timber Wolf by the neck, picked it up, and broke it's back over his knee. He was suprised how easily he was able to lift the Timber Wolf was but he chalked his newfound strength up to adrenaline. He took the dead timber wolf's tail and used it's body as a flail to crush two of the nearby Timber Wolves. He looked around at the rest of the wolves. They didn't back away they stood their ground snarling louder than felt his vison fading as he became more and more aware of the punishment his body had taken. By this time he was bleeding heavily from the many slashes that littered his body. Thomas thought he should run. He wanted to turn around and try to escape. He knew how this would play out. He knew he was going to die if he kept fighting but he saw the eyes of frightned ponies looking at him hoping he'd drive off their attackers. He smiled and charge forward.

Suddenly a magnificent ball of light erupted between Thomas and the wolves. Princess Celestia looked at the Timber Wolves who began whining and backing away. She raised her horn and all the Timber Wolves shattered. She looked at Thomas now stopped, head hanging and said

Princess Celestia: "I do not know who you are or where you came from but I must thank you for risking your life to prot-"

Before she could finish Thomas fell to his forward onto the ground. A small pool of blood began to accumulate where he fell. Princess Celestia quickly lifted him into the air with her magic and teleported to Ponyville Hospital.

Applejack ran into Ponyville to see a pile of shattered bark, injured ponies shuffling out of their homes, and Thomas's black and yellow stripped sleeve covered in blood laying on the ground before her. Tears rose to her eyes.