"I'm sorry ma'am she spotted me." Applebloom told someone.
"It's okay child, we all make mistakes." A voice replied.
"Even you?" Applebloom asked the voice.
"Yes, even I make mistakes." The voice replied.
Applejack went closer to the corner where the voice was and she gasped when she saw the white mare laying on a pile of hay. She actually felt smaller as the mare's piercing emerald colored eyes focused on her. Then Applejack noticed the gash on the mare's shoulder that was still bleeding slightly. The mare glanced over at a hole in the wall of the barn with a piece of wood pointing downwards.
"Don't worry about the wall." Applejack replied. "Did you give her anything to eat Applebloom?"
"No, she said that would be her stealing from us." Applebloom replied.
"It ain't a problem." Applejack replied as she grabbed a basket of apples in her mouth.
Applejack set the basket of apples down beside the mare but she didn't make a move towards it.
"Can you lift your head?" Applejack asked her.
The mare barely had any strength to shake her head.
"Applebloom, go get Fluttershy and Big Mac, and don't talk to any stallions in suits." Applejack told her. "If you run into one and he asks you a question about this mare just deny everything."
Applebloom nodded before galloping off towards Fluttershy's place. Applejack laid down beside the mare and nuzzled her neck with her nose.
"Why are you helping me?" The mare asked her.
"I can make my own decisions can't I?" Applejack asked her.
Applejack grabbed one of the apples in her mouth and nudged it towards the mare who slowly took a bite out of it. She swallowed the bite painfully and looked away from Applejack.
"This shouldn't have happened." The mare replied.
The mare tried to stand up but she fell heavily onto her injured shoulder.
"Calm down, you'll make your injury worse." Applejack replied. "There are stallions after you, why?"
The mare's eyes widened and started to freak out and tried to stand again but Applejack touched her uninjured shoulder gently.
"Woah there, I didn't tell them anything." Applejack replied. "What is your name?"
The mare looked at Applejack and let out a pained breath.
"My name is Alice." Alice replied with a sigh.
"Now, how did you end up here?" Applejack asked her.
"I don't know." Alice replied. "Alice isn't even my real name, it's the one they gave to me."
"Who, the stallions?" Applejack asked her.
"Them and the researchers." Alice replied.
"Do you remember anything?" Applejack asked her.
Alice just shook her head as the barn door started to open up. She stared at the front of the barn as Big Mac and Fluttershy walked in behind Applebloom. When Fluttershy's eyes fell upon Alice she gasped as Big Mac walked over to Applejack. Alice tried to back away but she eventually stopped when the pain was unbearable.
"It's all okay darling." Fluttershy told her.
"So she was in the barn this whole time?" Big Mac asked her.
"I wonder how she got in here in the first place." Fluttershy told them. "The bruises all over her body would make it almost impossible for her to move without a unbearable amount of pain, and now with that gash in her shoulder she won't be able to move until that heals up."
"No, I have to leave, as in now." Alice replied as she struggled to her feet.
Big Mac eased himself under her and lifted her off the ground.
"As long as you're at this house your hooves won't touch the ground." Big Mac replied.
Before anyone could react Alice shot into the air at about five feet and then slammed into the ground. Big Mac walked over and lifted her up again.
"Could you not do that again?" Big Mac asked her.
Alice huffed as she rest her head against Big Mac's back.
"It's not possible even if I tried." Alice replied as Big Mac walked towards the house.
"What do ya mean?" Applejack asked her.
"What I did should've of been impossible since I'm an ordinary pony." Alice replied. "I shouldn't have the ability to use magic in the first place."
"So how do you do it?" Fluttershy asked her.
"It's what they did to me." Alice replied.
"Who are 'they'?" Big Mac asked her.
"I don't want to talk about it." Alice replied.
Fluttershy was about to press the matter but Big Mac just looked at her.
"I understand that you are all curious about who I'm and how I got here." Alice told them. "I don't know anything about myself as it is."
Fluttershy trotted up beside her and gently touched her shoulder.
"If you need anypony to talk to, I'll listen." Fluttershy told her.
"Thanks, I'll try to remember that." Alice replied before she blacked out.
Alice shot up her body soaked in sweat and her shoulder bandaged up. Big Mac walked into the room and sat down in front of her.
"It was sure a pain to bandage up your shoulder, with you bucking and all." Big Mac replied.
Alice noticed the hoof mark on Big Mac's shoulder.
"I'm about bucking at you." Alice told him quietly.
"Not a problem, you have pretty good aim for an unconscious pony." Big Mac replied.
"I've had practice." Alice replied as she rolled off the couch.
Big Mac was about to rush to her side but with one look he didn't move another inch.
"Sheesh, and I though that only a glare from Ms. Fluttershy could stop me cold." Big Mac replied.
Alice slowly made her way to the kitchen door where she smelled apple pies and a few fritters. Big Mac rushed forward and pushed the door open for her and she whispered something.
"What was that Ms. Alice?" He asked her.
"Just tell her how you feel." Alice replied.
"It's not that easy." Big Mac replied.
"You're easily one of the strongest stallions I know, and you're afraid to tell one mare how you feel?" Alice asked him.
Big Mac was about to speak when Fluttershy walked into the kitchen and his eyes focused on her.
"Something you want to tell her?" Alice asked him.
Big Mac looked from Alice to Fluttershy and took a deep breath.
"You look very pretty today Ms. Fluttershy." Big Mac told her.
Fluttershy blushed deeply before she spoke, quieter than usual. "T-thank you, Big Mac, you look nice today as well."
Alice huffed before leaving the kitchen and she almost left the house when she saw Applebloom staring at her.
"What's up kid?" Alice asked her.
Applebloom didn't say anything just ushered her closer. When Alice got to her level Applebloom quickly braided and tied back her mane.
"What was all that about?" Alice asked her.
"Last night you were crying in your sleep, and when my big sis had given that ribbon she told me it would keep away any nightmares." Applebloom replied. "You need it more than me."
Alice hugged Applebloom tightly and failed to hold back tears as she hugged her back. When they separated Alice forced herself to smile.
"Where's your sister?" Alice asked her.
"She's in the orchard." Applebloom replied. "Follow me."
Alice fell in behind Applebloom who easily lead her through the orchard but Alice sensed something was wrong.
"Applebloom get down!" Alice yelled.
Applebloom wasn't even able to react before Alice pushed her to the ground. An arrow buried deep into a tree millimeters from Alice's face. Two stallions in suits walked out of the bushes with a tied up Applejack in between then, her face and body bruised and bloody.
"Come with us and no one will get hurt." One of the stallions told her.
"I know you aren't telling the truth, you always say that and then I'd loss every mental connection I had with them." Alice yelled as her eyes started to glow a neon green. "I'm sick of it."
Suddenly the two stallions dropped dead that instantly and the binding and gag on Applejack disappeared. Applebloom ran up to Applejack as Alice just stared vacantly into the distance.
"Applejack are you okay?" Applebloom asked her.
"Yeah, I'm just fine, I'll just have to heal." Applejack replied.
Suddenly Alice was lifting Applejack onto her back before she could protest.
"What 'bout your shoulder?" Applejack asked her.
"What I did to kill those two stallions, it also healed my shoulder." Alice replied.
Applejack rested her head on Alice's shoulder and looked at the setting sun.
"It sure is pretty." Applejack told her.
"You are too." Alice replied.
"What?" Applejack replied.
"I said think it's pretty too." Alice replied quickly.
Alice heard Applebloom snicker slightly and she glared at the filly. When they got to the house Fluttershy rushed forward and guided Alice to Applejack room where she gently laid her onto the bed.
"Could you go fetch some water and a few towels?" Fluttershy asked her.
Alice vanished and quickly reappeared with a few buckets of water and five towels, but sweat coated her face.
"Whatever I did back in the orchard unlocked some of my magical potential." Alice told them when she saw Applejack and Fluttershy's shocked expressions.
"Just help me wash all this blood off of Applejack's body." Fluttershy replied.