[WIP] /snek/ Honeysickle

AN: Initially this started off as a low-effort cyoa, then evolved into a much higher-effort greentext. Due to a hiatus and a desire to restart from a fresh perspective, the story abruptly cuts and jumps. The earlier section can be found in a separate paste, located here: https://pastebin.com/xF4j9dun It does set up some early plot events and introduces a character or two, but is not essential by any means (I think).

Art made by cool people
Honeysickle: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/505824416689815552/738468833643200582/honeysickle.png
Eucalyptus: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/505824416689815552/738468834075213954/eucalyptus.png
Eucalyptus RD Boop: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/505824416689815552/738468830254465040/eucalyptus_boop.png

>>34820263
>Be Applejack
>You stood on the porch, hoof tapping, eyes scanning the skies
>Something ain't right
>Fluttershy was supposed to stop by this morning to drop off some of her gardening equipment to get fixed
>Fluttershy always comes on time, except when something comes up
>Even if something tends to come up a lot
>You figured it was whatever, she'd stop by when she had the time
>The hours passed, bucking apples all day makes time fly quicker then a crow diving for some carrion
>You thought nothing of it, until afternoon rolled around
>You were supposed to get Rainbow's help taking care of some varmints nesting in the barn's rafters
>She didn't show either
>Rainbow would never let you down like that, especially without any kinda notice!
>Unless something came up
>As my great-grandaddy always used to say: "If it happens once, it's an oddity. If it happens twice, there's something going on."

>Movement, caught in the corner of your eye
>Something was slinking around in the orchard
>There it was again, diving into some bushes
>It looked kinda like a pony, except... not
>Too long...
>"Heya big sis, watcha looking at?"
>You jumped a little when Applebloom sauntered up next to you
"There's something out in the orchard, Applebloom"
>"What kinda something?" she says as she tilts her head up to you
"Not sure yet, only seen glimpses of it"
>"Well shouldn't we go find out?"
>You look down at her
>The 'we' stuck out in your head
>Having another pair of eyes would be real helpful to find whoever, or whatever, it was down there
>Not to mention she could watch your back, and run off for help if something horrible happened
>But, something horrible could happen to her as well
>If whatever was down there was dangerous, you'd be putting her right in the line of fire
>Too much you didn't know
>"Well AJ? You just gonna stand there and stare until it eats our trees dry?"
>She was right, you had to get moving
>Question is, do you take Applebloom with or leave her behind?

>>34833221
>"You got it big sis!" she said as she saluted
>You stepped forward off the porch, hoof making contact with soft grass
>You pulled your lasso out of your hat, eyes darting across the orchard for any sign of activity
>You cantered forwards towards the bush where you saw it last, the pitter-patter of your and AB's hoofsteps punctuating the peaceful afternoon ambience
>After a quick inspection, there were no signs of any kind of critters hiding in the bush, and no signs leading away from it
>"Hol' on a sec, I think I see something!"
>You turn to where she's pointing, eyes squinting
>She's right, there's something shaking one of the apple trees!
"Good eyes lil sis, I knew I brought you along fer a reason!"
>Applebloom's smile stretched across her whole face
>You reared up, hooves kicking
>"Well, let's go get 'em!"
>With that, the two of you were off to the races
>Both of you were heading towards the ruckus at top speed, making quite the ruckus of your own
>When you were halfway there, the tree branch suddenly stopped shaking
>A pony popped out from the tree, hanging upside down with it' head turned towards the two of you
>You saw it's eyes go wide as it dropped from the tree
>That's when you knew for certain that this was no ordinary pony
>It dropped down from the tree, front hooves touching the ground and skittering forwards trying to gain grip; but it's body stayed in the tree, or at least part of it
>It's body just kept going
>Whatever this was, it was too long to be a normal pony
>The tree branch it was resting on snapped, falling to the ground
>The rest of it's body fell with it, revealing the whole length
>The whole thing was around eight ponies long, with a tail that ended with some kinda bauble
>You could hear a faint *shka shka shka* as it fled

>>34833224
>"It's gettin' away AJ!"
>Applebloom was right
>Whatever it was, it was faster then the both of you combined, and it was high-tailing it out of here!
>It dove into some bushes, obscuring itself from view
>By the time the two of you caught up to it, it had vanished without a trace
"Consarnit! Whatever this pest is, it's a wiley one!"
>"It's just too fast fer us! We'll never catch it at this rate!
>Applebloom plopped down on the broken tree branch dejectedly, her face in her hooves
>You sat down next to her, head running a million miles an hour
"We'll never catch it if we try to run it down, we gotta outsmart it"
>Applebloom nodded in understanding, getting a quizzical look on her face
>Looking around, you noticed something interesting
>Or, to be clearer, a lack of something
>The branch you were sitting on was picked completely bare of apples
>Looking around, you didn't see any apple cores lying on the ground
>What kinda pony eats apples whole?
>Then again, what kinda pony is eight ponies long?
>You wracked your head, trying to come up with some way to catch the beast
>What do you do?

>>34836909
>Catching this thing would be trickier then catching a snowflake in the summer
>There was no way you'd be able to run it down, so you had to think smarter
>You looked down at the barren tree branch, and you got an idea
>Looking over at the filly next to you, you got another one
>There's no way you could!
>But if you didn't, this varmint would keep swiping apples out from under your nose
>At this rate, they'd pick the orchard clean by next harvest!
>But was it worth it?
>Could you really use your only little sister as bait for some unknown creature, just to keep a few apples safe?

>"I can't believe you're really gonna use your only little sister as bait for some unknown creature, just to keep a few apples safe!"
>Applebloom crossed her hooves and pouted as you placed the third and final basket of apples next to her
>Between all the apples and a sweet lil filly, there's no way that whatever beastie was stalking your orchard could resist this bait!
"Hush now, if we don't snag this critter soon we won't have enough money to feed ya!"
>"Well, I guess that if this turns belly-up you'll have to worry about one less mouth to feed"
"And if it works out, we'll be able to keep you stuffed until the next time we need some bait!"
>"Har har har, very funny" Applebloom says with a poorly-disguised smirk
>She was so cute when she tried to act all serious-like
"Don't you worry about a thing," you said, ruffling her hair, "yer big sis will be right here, ready to snag that beast!"
>Applebloom swatted your hoof away
>"Well, I reckon that if I /do/ get eaten, I'll just haunt ya for the rest of eternity!"
"That's the spirit!"
>Applebloom facehoofed
>"If you keep making puns like that, I might as well just throw myself down that beast's gullet!"
"Heh, you're right, that one was down-right awful"

>>34836916
>Your ears perked up, that faint *shka shka* you heard earlier was starting to come back
>"Alright lil sis, it's go time. Try not to spook it before I can get my lasso 'round it's head"
>Applebloom nodded, audibly gulping as she steeled her resolve
>You dashed off, leaping into one of the nearby bushes
>You pulled your lasso out of it's hat, ready to rope at a moment's notice
>The *shka*'ing was steadily getting closer and closer, coming from your right
>You shifted on your haunches, ready to spring out
>The noise stopped, silence ringing out throughout the clearing
>Applebloom looked around nervously, eyes peeled for any sign of trouble
>You could see that she was shaking a little, but despite her fear she held her ground
>By Celestia, your parents would be proud of her
>Everything was still for a moment, until you heard faint slithering coming from your right
>The bushes parted, revealing a dark brown pony with wavy black hair
>Her eyes locked on the pile of apples and the filly at the center of it
>Applebloom jumped a little when she saw it peeking out at her
>The pony smiled ravenously, revealing sharp teeth and a set of fangs, before it slid forwards
>Fur parted way for scales as it's long snake-like body was revealed
>The scales alternated between dark brown and a light brown, with white highlights
>You were no expert on whatever this thing was, but you had to wonder if they were all this thin, or if this one was starving
>You could see the ribs poking out on the pony portion of it, and it's face seemed gaunt and narrow
>It slithered forwards, steadily making it's way towards the pile
>Then it surprised both you and Applebloom when it spoke
>"What's this? A little filly left all alone with a bushel of apples? Why, what a pleasant offering!"
>"A-Applejack!"

>>34836920
>She was right, this thing was getting too close for comfort
>You crouched down, then sprung forwards into the clearing with your lasso at the ready
>The snakepony's head darted in your direction just as you let your lasso loose
>It started to move backwards, but was too slow to react
>Your lasso fell squarely around it's neck, which you quickly tugged on and tightened
>The snakepony's hooves shot up to it's neck to try and pull the lasso off as it pulled away, but it couldn't slip it's hooves underneath the rope
>You tightened the rope even further, cutting off it's air supply
>The snakepony's eyes widened as it found itself short on breath, and it started thrashing around
>"Watch out Applejack!" Applebloom cried
>The snakepony lunged at you in a desparate gambit
>You leapt back at it, tackling it in the chest and knocking it over
>It's hooves battered at your face and at the rope, but the strikes were too weak to do anything
>It's tail tried to wrap around your neck, making a faint rattling as it did, but with your free hoof you threw it off and pinned it to the ground
"Pin the back end down, Applebloom!" you shouted through clenched teeth
>"On it!" she replied, springing into action
>The snakepony's struggles grew fiercer, it's attempts at throwing you off growing more and more desperate
>Applebloom made quick work of the snake portions, wrapping them up and pinning them down
>The snake looked you in the eyes, it's own wide with regret and fear
>"P-please" it croaked out, hooves weakly pressing against at the rope around it's neck
>Your gaze grew stern
>Moments ago this thing was ready to eat your sister, and now it was begging for mercy?
>Then again, this thing could talk
>It was clearly intelligent, maybe you could come to some kind of arrangement
>Or you could choke it out and toss it back into the Everfree where vermin like it belongs
>How do you want to deal with this snakepony?

>>34862342
>You decided to show a bit of mercy to the mysterious creature
>After all, it looked pretty thin, and pretty desparate
>You loosened the rope around it's nek a hair, just enough to let it breath
>It sucked in a huge gasp of air, coughing and sputtering
>To be honest, you felt a little bit guilty watching it
>You kept the rope around it's neck tight enough that it wouldn't be able to slip away
>The snakepony looked at you with fear and trepidation in it's eyes
>You reached down and scooped up an apple off the pile, holding it out to the snakepony
>It's eyes went wide and it hesitated
>Applebloom looked up to you, head tilted to the side
>You pushed the apple into it's hooves and stepped back
>The snakepony looked down to the apple, back up to you, then down to the apple again
>It's face wrinkled up, it seemed torn inside
>"What's with you ponies and treating your prey with kindness?"
>"Prey? Whadda mean by 'prey'?"
>The snakepony looked down at Applebloom, then back to the apple in her hooves
>"I wasn't strong enough, or quick enough, or smart enough. You two completely and utterly bested me. You could've easily ended my life with that rope of yours"
>She rotated the apple around in her hooves, eyes caught on the crisp sheen of the light on the surface
>"Yet not only did you let me live, but you give me the very thing I tried to steal from you earlier."
>The snakepony looked back up, into your eyes
>"Why?"

>>34862348
>You spit the lasso over to Applebloom, freeing up your mouth to talk
"Cause you're no ordinary beast. You're intelligent, just like us. We've all been hungry before, and you look a mite down on your luck, so I figured I'd lend a helping hoof."
>The snakepony looks down to the apple again, face contorting at some memory
>"But that doesn't answer my question. Why help me? What do you get out of it?"
"Do I have to get something out of it to make it be something worth doing?"
>The snakepony opened it's mouth to respond, but nothing came out
>It's brow furrowed as it looked back down to the apple in it's hooves
>"Nothing aboaut this makes sense to me, yet you ponies come out on top time and time again..."
"Hold on a second, what do you mean 'time and time again'? This is the first time we've met!"
>The snakepony shakes her head, a wave of emotions sweeping over her
>Sadness, anger, regret, and was that... guilt?
>"There was another one, who went by the name "Ren-Bo". I was stronger then I am now, yet she was still able to best me. She captured me, just as you have; and she showed me kindness, just as you have."
>Your eyes shot open wide, she had met Rainbow?
>Maybe she knew what had happened to her
>Seeing that wave of emotions pass over her face earlier put a sinking feeling in your gut already
"Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait, you met Rainbow? She's a friend of mine, and I was supposed to meet her earlier today. Do you know what might've happened to her?"
>The apple landed on the ground with a thunk
>The snakepony curled up in on itself, eyes cast downwards
>"I wasn't strong enough then either."
>That sinking feeling in your gut just got a whole lot worse

>>34862353
>You shared a concerned glance with Applebloom before the snakepony started speaking again
>"She came to me looking to rescue one of her friends, a yellow one. There was another snakepony that had swiped her. I... I attacked Ren-Bo, and she bested me."
>The snakepony shifts in her coil pile, hooves scraping against the ground
>"She showed me mercy, and we struck a deal. I'd help her rescue her friend, and in return they'd help me find some food."
>The snakepony looked off into the distance, deep into the Everfree
>"Things... didn't turn out so well."
>You leapt forwards, startling the snakepony
>"What happened to her?! Rainbow's my friend, if she's in trouble I gotta try and help out best I can!"
>The snakepony's expression dropped
>"We weren't strong enough. She was enslaved, just like her yellow friend."
>You gulped
>Applebloom piped up
>"Enslaved? Like, with collars and chains?"
>The snakepony shook her head
>"Their thoughts have been coiled and constricted, dazzled by Eucalyptus' shining scales. They're slaves to her every whim and desire."
>You shook your head, the concept unimagineable to you
"If it's a spell, there's gotta be some way we can break it! We can rescue them and bring them back to Twilight!"
>The snakepony shook her head
>"They'd fight you every step of the way. They care for nothing but serving their master now. Although, if you were to keep them away from her for long enough, the spell would start to weaken."
"Sounds like a plan then"
>You pick up another apple and place it in the snakepony's hooves
>She looks up to you, confused
"Eat, get your strength up, cause first thing in the morning, you're gonna lead me to 'em."

>>34909803
>Be Applebloom
>The stars shimmered in the night sky as cold grass crunched underneath your hooves
>Each exhale left behind a misty puff, but was quickly stolen away by the chilly fall breeze
>The wind slapped your mane into your face, making you squint as you trotted towards the barn
>It creaked and moaned under the heavy winds, but it would stand strong as it always had
>You put an ear up to the barn door
>At first the only sound is your own shallow breathing, but then you hear a second set of raspy breaths in tune with your own
>Where yours sounded steady and smooth, theirs sounded ragged
>You pushed the barn door open, the hinges squealing
>In the center of the barn lies the snakepony you and your sis found earlier
>It was curled up on itself like a giant spring
>You step closer to it, the breathing growing louder and louder with each step
>It's head flicks up, eyes quickly settling on you
>"Oh? What's a filly like you doing out here alone?"
>You straighten your head and let out a breath
"It's a mite chilly out, chillier then we was expecting. Applejack already went to bed, but I just couldn't sleep knowing you might be out here shivering in the cold"
>You reached backwards, pulling a few blankets off of your back
"I didn' wanna wake my sis, so I figured I'd bring these out here myself."
>The snakepony blinked, at a loss for words
>"That's very... considerate of you."
>You held the blankets out towards it
>The snakepony's tail crept forwards, rattle making a very faint 'shka' sound
>The way it crept forwards felt like the way the snakepony was creeping towards you before, ready to claim you as it's next meal
>The thought made your hairs stand up on end, and sent a shiver down your spine
>The snakepony's tail suddenly stopped, flinching back like it had touched the stovetop
>It's head tilted to the side, eyes locked on yours as it's tongue flicked out

>>34909807

>"You're afraid of me"
>The tone of it's voice made it clear that it wasn't a question, it spoke it like an absolute truth
>You looked up into it's eyes, gaze hardening
"Yeah, I am"
>The snakepony's tongue flicked out again
>"Yet you're still here"
>It slithered forwards a little bit, fully turning it's body towards you
>You stood stock still
>The snakepony slowly crept forwards
>You thought you saw a flash of ravenous hunger in it's eyes
>It's jaw stretched, fangs bared
>Through it all, you kept it's gaze
>You kept glaring into those bright yellow eyes of it's
>The snakepony's tail shook, giving off a crisp 'shka'
>You felt a wave of some kind hit you, but it bounced straight off
>The snakepony frowned and shook it's tail again, harder
>The 'shka' echoed throughout the barn, bouncing off of every wall and rushing towards you
>Yet still the waves washed over you and dispersed, like the ocean before the cliffs
>The snakepony towered over you, easily reaching three times your height
>It's eyes bore into your own like a hawk staring down a mouse
>Yet still, you held your ground
>The snakepony leaned down to you, coming eye level with you
>Venom dripped from it's fangs, sizzling as it hit the ground
>It smiled
>It reached outwards, hooves wrapping around the blankets and lifting them out of your grip
>It threw one of the blankets around the shoulders of it's pony half, tucking the rest under it's arm
>"There's I like about you, filly. I can't quite put my finger on it yet."
>It paused for a moment
>"What's your name?"
"My name's Applebloom, what's yours?"
>The snakepony smiled again, this time a bit of wamrth leaking through
>"Honeysickle"

>>34921144
"Come on Applebloom, rise and shine!"
>be Applejack, up and awake at the crack of dawn
>"Can't I have 5 more minutes? It's not like they're goin' anywhere!"
>You rolled your eyes as you ripped Applebloom's blanket off of her bed
>Applebloom turned over, eyes narrowed as she shivered in the morning cold
"If you'd been captured by some snakepony, you wouldn't want your friends to dally around, would you?"
>Applebloom frowned
>"Ah'd want my friends to be well-rested and at their peak performance, so that they wouldn't get captured too!"
"Yeah well, you'd be well-rested if you hadn't stayed up so darn late!"
>"Somepony had to check up on Honeysickle, and you sure as hay weren't gonna!"
"Honeysickle? Wait a minute, you went out to see that snakepony in the dead of night?!"
>Applebloom stood up on the bed, eye level with you
>"Yeah, I did, cause showing a lil' hospitality and checking up on our guest is the right thing to do!"
>You leapt up onto the bed, towering over Applebloom
"But what if she tried to eat you again?!"
>Applebloom rolled her eyes
>"Like you had a problem with that last time"
"That's cause I was there to protect ya! I could never forgive myself if I heard you had gotten nibbled on by some creature I let stay in the barn overnight."
>Applebloom looked down, rubbing the back of her neck
>"I 'spose that's fair..."
>She looked back up at you
>"But still, she was half freezing to death in the barn! Celestia knows if she would've lasted the night if I hadn't brought out some blankets to her!"
>You paused
>She did have a point
"Alright..." you sighed, "but you should've at least gotten me to come with you. Next time, just let me know, alright?"
>"Sounds fair to me!"
>Applebloom beamed
>Despite how dangerous it was, she did act responsibly
>You were more then a little scared, but you couldn't help but feel a little smidge of pride as well
>She'd do a fine job running the farm someday
>You looked down at your hoof, checking an invisible watch on your wrist
"Well would you look at that, your '5 more minutes' just ran out. Come on, let's go wrangle up Honeysickle and get moving."

>>34921148
>You found yourself winding your way through a narrow forest path
>Honeysickle was at the head, leading the way; with Applebloom in-between you two
>You were hesitant to bring her along, but having an extra set of eyes and ears goes a long way
>Not to mention that if things /do/ go belly-up, she could always run for help
>Although you really hope it didn't come to that
>You trotted over to the side of the path and put a quick notch in a tree
>These woods were real easy to get lost in, and this method ain't failed you yet
>You looked to the snakepony at the front of the pack
>She hadn't said a whole lot this morning
>Just the bare minimum, really
>You could tell her mind was elsewhere
>From what she said earlier, you could only guess that she was thinking about facing down that other snakepony again
>The one that captured your friends
>That turned them into willing slaves
>A shiver went down your spine
>You can't imagine what it's like having your free will taken away like that
>You hope you'd never find out
>Honeysickle stopped
>You and Applebloom froze, eyes and ears peeled
>Honeysickle's tail gave an angry rattle
>"She's been here"
>You walked forwards, spotting a long winding track in the dirt
>It lead off towards the river
>"Wait a second, what's that?"
>You looked back at Applebloom
>That's when you heard it too
>Faint singing, unmistakeably Fluttershy's
>Both Honeysickle and Applebloom looked to you silently
>It dawned on you that there was a choice to be made, and that they both expected you to make the call
>Do you follow Fluttershy's singing, or the snakepony trail?

>>35475860
>You recognized the song as Fluttershy's humming
>Something about it seemed... off
>Her voice was as melodic as ever, but it lacked any real passion behind it
>"The singing is a trap," Honeysickle says
>Her eyes narrow and her tail angrily thwaps against the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dirt
>"Eucalyptus is a smart Lamia. She knows that her prey has friends, and that they'd come to save her. She's trying to bait us in."
>She looks to the side, a pained expression flickering across her face
>Before you could ask, you felt Applebloom tugging on your tail
>"Y'all right there big sis? You're shakin'"
>Looking down you realized that she was right, your hooves were clenched and shaking
>You felt a subtle rage inside
>How dare this Lamia rip your friends away from their homes and force them to live as slaves?!
>You couldn't wait to buck this serpent right in it's face
>Applebloom tugged on your tail harder, pulling a few hairs lose
>"Would ya quit that, AB?" you said
>"Maybe if you listened to me instead of zoning off!" Applebloom said, stomping a hoof
>You opened your mouth to shoot back, but realized that you had no idea she was even talking
>Applebloom must've seen your face fall, cause she blew a raspberry at you
>Wiping the flecks of spittle off, you sighed and motioned for her to continue
>"Listen to me big sis, we can't just charge in there with our heads running hot. You know Rainbow, that's prolly exactly what she did, and she got caught too!"
>Her words dumped a bucket of ice on the fire in your gut
>They seem to have sent a shiver down Honeysickle's spine as well, her coils flexing involuntarily

>>35475862
>Silence followed
>Applebloom's eyes poured into yours, silently begging you to keep your cool
>Honeysickle looked lost in her own head
>Yet in the silence, you could only notice one thing
>The silence
>"Now hol' on yall," you whispered, "what happened to the singing?"
>Applebloom and Honeysickle paused
>Their eyes widened as they realized the same thing
>The singing was gone
>Not just quiet, but gone
>You crept forwards, stealthily poking your head through the shrubbery in the direction you heard the singing from
>Ahead lay a small clearing, fruit trees scattered around
>Apples, oranges, lemons, pears, the whole works
>Almost as if someone had planted them here
>But the trees weren't what drew your eye
>What really caught your attention was the saddlebag haphazardly thrown to the ground
>It sat cocked in the grass, fruit spilling out across the clearing
>Imprinted on the side sat three pink butterflies
>You pulled your head back out of the shrubbery and turned towards your companions with a solemn expression on your face
>"She knows we're coming"

>>35619004
>You swear the tracks have been leading you in circles
>They've crossed over each other multiple times, yet you haven't found any of your notch marks near them
>You feel no closer to the river then you were 4 hours ago when the sun was high in the sky
>Now the shadows are starting to grow longer
>You sighed and moved to the side of the trail to carve a notch in the wood when you heard a faint rustling in the bush
>"Ooohhhhh Applejack~"
>Was that Fluttershy?
>A soft giggle from the bushes confirmed your suspicions
>You jerked backwards, tumbling head over hooves
>Honeysickle's head snapped backwards, serpentine eyes piercing the forest gloom
>"Applejack, what's going on?" Applebloom asked nervously
>"Fluttershy's back"
>Applebloom cocked her head
>"Then why don't we go rescue her?"
>You shook your head, eyes and ears scanning the forest for disturbances
>"Think about it for a sec. Last time she saw us she ran off, right?"
>"Yeah..."
>"So why would she have come back if she didn't want to face us alone?"
>Applebloom's eyes went wide as the pieces clicked together
>"Because she's not alone anymore" the two of you said
>Faint hissing laughter echoed from the forest around you
>"Oh Honeysickle, I see you found some new friends. How exciting!""
>The voice echoed out from all around you, reverberating between the trees
>Honeysickle's tongue flashed out of her mouth as her eyes narrowed
>"Eucalyptus" she said, venom in her voice
>"My my, no need to be so hostile!"
>Honeysickle's tail thrashed against the ground
>"After everything you've done to me, there's no reason I shouldn't be."
>"You act like you don't deserve it after the years you spent tormenting me." Eucalyptus snapped back

>>35619006
>"What I've done and what you're doing has a night and day difference between them!"
>" 'It's fine when I do it but when it happens to me it's wrong and they're evil!', typical."
>Honeysickle's ears folded back, her jaw warping into a menacing snarl as she let out an angry hiss
>The trees began to shake and shudder, leaves fluttering off and drifting to the ground
>You settled into a tense stance, ready to buck the serpent if it showed it's ugly face
>Applebloom stood by your side, eyes and ears on a swivel
>Even though she was shaking like a leaf in an autumn breeze, she was still being wary
>Looking back to Honeysickle for a moment, she seemed like a wholly different creature now
>Before where there was desperation, now there was a boiling rage barely kept in check
>Her tail twitched and whipped around angrily, her ears pinned back to her head, and her fangs bared
>The trees continued to stir around the clearing
>Laughter creapt out from the bushes
>Your heart ached as you recognized it as the laughter of your friends
>They sounded hollow, lifeless
>As if they were told to laugh, but can't find any humor in the joke
>Then, both the movement and the laughter stopped.
>Silence reigned supreme across the forest once more
>"I know what you're afraid of, Applejack"
>Where before the voice seemed to bounce around you, now it felt like it was swirlling around you and growing tighter
>Something dropped to the ground and rolled into the clearing
>You stopped it when it reached your hoof, and the familiar scent confirned what it was
>An apple from your own orchard
>"More then you fear for your own life, you fear for your sister's"
>Something darted across the trees above you
>Was that Rainbow Dash?
>You jumped to the side, pulling Applebloom along with you
>A blanket fluttered to the ground
>You recognized it as one of the blankets that Applebloom brought out to the barn last night

>>35619010
>Your little sister pressed into your side
>You could feel her rapidfire heartbeat and her shaky breaths
>You wrapped a hoof around her and pulled her in close
>"Ya better not touch her you crazy varmint, or else I'll send ya straight to tartarus!" you said, grinding your teeth
>You stomped your hoof, punctating the statement
>A laugh echoed out
>"You chose to involve her when you decided to bring her along. You're just as responsible for what happens to her as I am responsibile for doing it"
>You were about to snap back but you bit your tongue, considering your next words carefully
>Applebloom spoke before you had the chance to
>"Why are you toying with us, like this why not just attack and get it over with?"
>"Because I'm not here to attack you, little one. I come with an offer."
>You and Applebloom glanced at each other
>"Applejack, you chose to involve your sister, so I'm giving you a chance to uninvolve her. To uninvolve both of you, in fact. Leave my home, return to your own."
>The tree branches in front of you swayed and bent
>Underneath, hanging from the branch, sat the silhouette of a snakepony
>Your eyes narrowed
>"And why would ya do that? How do we know ya ain't gonna pick us off on our way out?"
>"I've seen the sisterly love you two hold for each other, and I don't want to come between that. Watching you two makes that hole in my own life sting even more, but I can't bring myself to tear it apart. Unless you make me."
>Honeysickle's tail thrashed again at the mention of 'sisterly love'
>Silence subsumed the clearing
>You swear that Applebloom'd be able to hear how angrily your heart was beating in your chest
>The snakepony shifted

>>35619012
>"If you fear for the lives of your friends, don't. I only tend to eat my servants as a last resort. They're much more useful to me when they're still breathing."
>The tense moment stretched on
>Her offer was worth considering, at the very least
>On one hoof, your close friends were being used by this tartarus spawn as her personal meatpuppets
>On the other, your family was in potential danger because of your reckless decision to bring her along
>"And if I say 'no'?" your gaze shot up to the silhouette
>You heard the tree limb crack and shudder
>"Then you'll be hunted down like the prey that you are, and I'll offer you and your sister the chance to serve me. And I can be /very/ persuasive"
>You paused
>Could you really take her down and rescue your friends, or were you just throwing your sister's free will away in some kind of desperate gamble?
>You looked down to your little sister
>She looked back at you
>She was afraid, her heart pounding like a drum
>Yet in her gaze you saw nothing but resolve
>She nodded to you, and you nodded back; knowing that the two of you were sealing your fate and deciding to go all in
>You stomp your hoof to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust
>"I can't just leave my friends to waste away out here. I'm sorry, but I'll have to turn ya down."
>Eucalyptus let out a sigh
>"I wish we could've solved this peacefully, Applejack. I really do. However, I do love seeing such a strong will."
>The tree branches groaned
>You tensed up, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice
>"They're so much more enjoyable to break."

>>35648989
>The brush rustled
>You stood tall and defiant, ready for anything
>Honeysickle swirled around in a fluid circular motion
>Her thin frame exposed the ribs beneath, but muscle tensed and stretched above
>Applebloom stood behind you, shaking like a leaf but with her senses keen
>For a second near silence reigned over the clearing
>The only sound you could hear was the beat of your heart, and the faint drawing of breath
>Then Eucalyptus lunged
>She darted out of the trees towards you like a hawk diving for a field mouse
>Her scales shimmered a faded lavender in the sunlight peeking through the trees
>Her pale yellow hair whipped in the wind as her rainforest green eyes pierced through you
>Yet her face held the ghost of a smile
>That's when Honeysickle lunged, smashing into Eucalyptus' side and knocking her off course
>Her face was contorted into a fangs-bared snarl
>Hatred burned in her eyes
>Eucalyptus whipped her midsection outwards, smacking Honeysickle's face up and out of the way
>However, Honeysickle's momentum carried her forwards
>The two lamia crashed into each other and careened off to the side
>Eucalyptus spun around and snarled at Honeysickle
>Honeysickle snarled back
>The two serpents coiled around each other, each fighting to gain an edge
>"Applejack, behind you!"
>As you turned your head around, Rainbow Dash exploded from the bushes
>Instinctually you bucked at her
>Your hooves landed with a solid thunk, but her momentum was too strong to overcome
>She crashed into you, sending both of you tumbling head over hooves across the clearing

>>35648992
>Rainbow's hooves darted out in lightning quick jabs
>Some of then you brushed aside
>The rest you took to your chest as you threw a sucker punch of your own
>Your hoof landed on Rainbow's jaw, her glazed eyes going wide
>The two of you seperated, each coming to a stop in the far end of the clearing
>You manipulated the momentum of your roll to spring to your hooves
>Rainbow slammed her wings down in a powerful upwards thrust, shooting up into the air and cancelling her sideways momentum
>You looked at her as she looked at you
>Both your chests were heaving as you gasped for breath
>"Rainbow, I know yer still in there somewhere. I'm gonna bring ya home, even if I gotta beat this slavery outta ya."
>She smiled, glassy eyes looking down at you in pity
>"Applejack, you don't understand. I don't wanna go back. This is my home now. Serving the mistress feels so good. I just want to share it with you. I don't get why you won't just give it a chance?"
>You snorted and scrapped a hoof against the ground
>"I dunno what kinda magic spell that snake's put on yer mind, but the Rainbow Dash I know would never abandon her friends to chase after something that tickles her brain"
>Rainbow laughed; a dry, somber laugh
>"Don't you get it? I'm not abandoning all you. In fact I'd love nothing more to have you, me, and all the girls here to bask in the pleasure of her scales."
>"I can honestly tell ya that none of us would be interested in that, and that I'm gonna fight until I can show you why you wouldn't be either."
>"And I can tell you that I won't abandon my friends and let them suffer because they refuse to give this a chance."
>You dug in to the dirt
>"Seems like we're at a bit of an impasse."
>"I don't wanna do this to you, but it's for your own good."
>Rainbow took off, darting upwards
>"Likewise" you muttered

>>35675667
>Rainbow Dash pierced the heavens
>She swirled and twirled upwards like a hawk riding an updraft, in an almost graceful way
>Yet you knew how deadly this was going to end up
>All of that height would be turned into speed when she plunged
>You had to be ready for it, or else you'd be decimated by it
>You glared at Rainbow Dash, keeping your gaze focused on her
>"Applejack, help!"
>You jerked to the side
>Applebloom was dodging and weaving as Fluttershy tried to grab her
>You saw a few bruises on Fluttershy's side, Applebloom's been putting up a fight
>But it was pretty clear she was reaching her limit
>You hesitated
>One one hoof, Rainbow was about to strike
>Knowing how bull-headed she could be, you could probably counter her dive and take her out of the fight entirely
>Who knows, you might even be able to snap her out of her hypnosis and bring her back!
>However, your little sister was in danger
>She couldn't last much longer
>Who do you choose, your friend or your sister?
>...
>The choice was clear
>It wasn't even a choice, really
>You took off, sprinting towards Applebloom
>You'd be damned if you were going to let your sister suffer at the hooves of some monster's servant
>Halfway there, Honeysickle and Eucalyptus erupted in front of you
>Eucalupytus seemed like she was trying to get some space from Honeysickle, but Honeysickle pressed her advantage
>Even in her weakened and malnourished state, Honeysickle was still able to overpower Eucalyptus
>Eucalyptus was just barely keeping her at bay
>She slid around Honeysickle's lunges and strikes like water water flows around a stone
>She even took a few hits here and there, but kept up the flow regardless
>Despite her desperation, she didn't seem like she was aggresively lashing out
>When Honeysickle left openings after her attacks, but Eucalyptus never took advantage
>In fact she seemed to be staying on the defensive

>>35675671
>If only you had more time to dissect it, but you had your own concerns to worry about
>You skirted around the side of the serpentine brawl and rushed to the aid of your sister
>As you closed in, Applebloom let out an excited whoop
>You smashed into Fluttershy's side, knocking her out of the air and sending her tumbling across the ground
>She was so focused on Applebloom that she never even saw it coming
>You let out a triumphant hollar
>Which is exactly when you heard wind whistling to your side, and felt a freight train smash into you
>You tumbled head over hooves sideways, gasping for breath the whole time
>You were pretty sure you felt a few ribs crack
>You tried to claw your way back to your hooves, but they slipped out from underneath you every time you thought you found purchase
>The spots swimming in your vision sure didn't help
>Neither was the broiling fire in your stomach threatening to blast out at any second
>Or your head spinning faster then a windmill on a breezy day
>You're not sure how long you were down, but when you finally came to your senses you noticed two things
>First, Eucalyptus' scales were shining bright
>So very bright
>The pattern shifted and swayed, luring you in and whispering in your ear
>Everything was alright
>There was nothing to fear
>Just relax
>You felt a small tingle in your head as your anxiety melted away into pure mind-numbing bliss
>Secondly, you saw Applebloom, limper then a sack of potatoes, being hoisted up by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy
>Thirdly, you saw Honeysickle in a disoriented puddle on the ground
>Eucalyptus was pretty roughed up, Honeysickle gave better then she got
>Neither of you could do anything as you watched your little sistervanish before your eyes
>You screamed internally, but only a garbled mess jumbled out
>Your body was made of pudding, and you couldn't do anything but watch as you melted away
>You couldn't do a thing as you watched Eucalyptus smile while she disappeared into the Everfree