There's a grove of trees on the far side of the farm where no pony goes. Across the creek bed, the grass grew tall and the trees wild. No pony ever harvested the apples that grow on the trees there. When I asked Granny Smith about it, she said, "There are sinkholes there. It's not safe. It's not a place where anypony should go."

I started going there after school sometimes. Within the first week of flight camp, Scootaloo got her cutie mark, ironically a picture of her scooter, nothing to do with flying. Sweetie Belle got her microphone cutie mark singing for a bunch of Rarity's hoity-toity friends and Fancypants took her touring through Canterlot. And suddenly, I was the last blank flanked crusader. "Any day now," they said. "Any day now you'll get your cutie mark." As though that were comforting. Other ponies were worse though. The first question everypony asked, "Did you get your cutie mark?" And then the shallow condolences when I answered. The conversation never went any farther. So I tried to get away from other ponies. The old clubhouse felt wrong without Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle there. The farm kept me busy, but every chore was a burst of false hope, that I would finally do something worthy of a mark, but I never could. And as a blank flank at my age, school was even worse. So I went to the old grove, where no pony ever goes.

It's not hard to see why. Even the grassy fields hide patches of swamp, ready to grab an errant hoof. While I was first leaning the place, I lost a few shoes, nails and all, in the greedy muck. But besides the danger of muddy hooves, the fields aren't bad. The grove is where the real danger lies. These trees are ancient, even older than those in the Everfree. Their gnarled trunks betray the harshness they've grown through and their branches intertwine as though supporting each other is the only way to survive this place. When the rains come, the creek flows through the ground below, eroding away the life-giving soil. Their roots, stubbornly twisted together, keep the grove above ground. This is where the danger lies. One wrong step, into a bare patch or onto a breaking root, can send a pony plummeting down into the unknown depths below. Even the animals seemed to know not to come here. But something about the forest spoke to me and it was one of the only places I felt comfortable lately. Even barely past the edge of the farm, it felt another world away, somewhere I could get distance from my normal life.

I think the silence is what I found so alluring about the place. No ponies or animals came here, the creekbed drained quickly after a rain, and no wind could penetrate through the thick undergrowth. My heartbeats and shallow breaths were the only sound through the entire thicket. Such consuming silence meant I was truly alone here. I would hear anything else.

The air here was cold and still. The autumn sun never made it through the canopy above, so the light barely filtered through. It was like winter, with constantly overcast skies blotting out the sun and a grey coating over everything. I felt a bit of a shiver and began my slow trot out. I guess I had cooled off enough.

Back at the farm, I remembered why I was heated.

"Apple Bloom, I was looking for you. Applejack is pulling the buckets out of storage to prepare for the upcoming harvest. I thought we could help." I recognised her smirk and knew what was coming next. "Who knows? Maybe you'll get your cutie mark."

Silver Spoon left for Manehattan around the same time that Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went away. With our main friends gone, Diamond Tiara decided to spend most of her time tormenting me. Of course, we weren't fillies anymore and she'd figured out that by acting "supportive," she could rub my blank flank in my face and play the victim when I got mad about it.

"Why don't you—" A hoof grabbing my ear interrupted her tongue-lashing. I traced the hoof to my sister and I knew I'd be getting a tongue lashing of my own.

"Apple Bloom, may I have a word with you?" I wanted to say no, but I knew that would only make things worse for me. Resigned to my fate, I followed as she dragged me into a quiet part of the barn. She sat me down on and leveled her eyes at me. "Care to explain what you were trying to do there?"

"She was bullying me!"

"I heard what she said, Apple Bloom. She was tryin' to be nice." I dropped my shoulders and stared at the ground. Applejack put her hoof on my chin and moved my gaze back to hers. "Look AB, I know she bullied you for a long time, but you need to give her a chance. You're not the only pony whose friends moved away."

I yanked my head away. "I don't want to give her a chance. She's still the same mean bully, always bugging me about my cutie mark. Do you know what she did at school today?"

"What'd she do?"

"She got everyone in class together and they all said how sorry they were about the Crusaders breaking up and that if there was anything they could do to help, they'd be oh so happy to help out."

Applejack blinked a couple times. "Uh, ok."

I jumped up. "She's taunting me!"

Applejack sat me back down. "Or maybe she's trying to help."

I turned away. "That's just what she wants you to think." I laid my chin on my hooves. "That's just what she wants everyone to think."

Applejack sighed. "Look, I'll talk to her about givin' you some space and backin' off about your cutie mark. But you have to be nice too."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine," I said, getting to my hooves. Still avoiding eye contact, I started to walk out of the barn.

"Apple Bloom, one more thing." She leaned in close. "There are places where ponies, especially fillies, shouldn't go."

"I'm not a filly," I mumbled.

"I know, I know. Yer a big pony," she said, mussing up my mane. "And I know you need a place to go and be alone. Just— Be careful, alright? I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I can take care of myself," I said, squirming away. "I'll be fine." I broke into a gallop and hurried away from the barn.

Diamond Tiara was waiting outside. "There you are, Apple Bloom. Are you ready—" I didn't slow down.

As I ran off, I heard Applejack call Diamond into the barn.



I slowed down as I reached the tall grass. My comings and goings had tamped down the grass and the path was easy to navigate, even with my head elsewhere. I kicked out at the grass, imagining it was Diamond Tiara. She'd even corrupted my sister.

Pretty soon, I'd made it into the depths of the thicket. Even without a worn path, I navigated through into the heart of the forest. I couldn't stop playing that voice in my head. "Maybe you'll get your cutie mark," it taunted.

I jumped from root to root and with each landing, the voice rang out. "I'm so sorry about the crusaders."

"I'm sure you'll get your cutie mark soon."

"You won't be a blank flank for long."

"Not for long, blank flank."

"Blank flank."

"Blank flank!"

"BLANK FLANK!"

I bucked out at the gnarled root in front of me. It cracked and a hole opened up in front of me. I froze as the root disappeared, dragging vines and foliage down into the darkness with it. Everything was still, with no sound but my frenzied heart. A few seconds later, there was a soft thud from down below.

I looked down at my hooves. A few inches of moss separated them from the cavernous darkness below. I scrambled over to the nearest trunk and climbed in. This had happened before, but it always scares me just as much. Even weirder, I knew when I came back tomorrow, the hole would be gone, covered over with moss and roots. Holes never stayed for more than a day. There was some old magic here.

I laid down on a branch and let the silence envelop me. Mercifully, there were no sounds except my gradually slowing heartbeat. The sinkhole frightened the voices away. The cool air gently picked away at my fur, sending calming shivers down my spine.

Suddenly, another crack rang out, quickly followed by a yell. A yell in a voice I'd been avoiding. I sprinted out of the forest back to the farm.



The next morning, a hoof gently nudged me awake. But instead of her customary smirk, Applejack's face was solemn. "I've got some bad news, sugarcube." She took a deep breath. "Diamond Tiara never made it home last night. The whole town is out searchin' for her."

I moved to get up, but Applejack gently guided me back down. "Whoa, there filly. School's been cancelled, but I don't want you goin' anywhere. The last thing this town needs is two fillies missing."

"But—"

"Promise me, Apple Bloom," Applejack interrupted. She grabbed my hoof and stared into my eyes. "Promise me you won't leave the farm." Her stare intensified as she pulled my hoof close to her chest.

I opened my mouth for a moment, but then turned away. "Alright," I said, looking back at her. "I promise."

She hugged me. "Thanks, Apple Bloom. Me and Big Mac are goin' out to join the search party. Granny's makin' breakfast for you. We'll be back later."



I spent most of the day on the far side of the farm. I paced back and forth, fighting with the voices playing back and forth in my head. One was a familiar foe. "You'll be a blank flank forever," it said. I knew what I needed to do to get rid of it. The other two were less combative, but still a force to contend with. Everytime I took a step into the creekbed, they started. "Promise me you won't leave the farm," said a voice full of love. "Alright, I promise," came the second voice. Each time I heard that voice, I would jump back onto clean soil and each time, I hated that voice a little more.

Finally, I'd had enough. I stepped into the creekbed and as if on cue it came. "I promise," it said.

I added a fourth voice, far more frazzled to the mix. "Shut up," I yelled and held my foot steady.

"I promise," it repeated, a little quieter.

"Shut up," I yelled again and pushed forward. And so it went, until I reached the far shore of the dry creekbed. Then the new voices faded away, replaced with a hushed familiar chanting. "Blank flank, blank flank, blank flank."

I plodded through the familiar tall grass, each step pushing the chanting a little quieter into the back of my mind. When I finally noticed the voices disappear, I was well within the thick of the forest. Even in the limited light, I could tell something was off. First, off to the right, away from my normal path, was a gaping hole. And, instead of the customary silence, there was breathing. Ragged shallow breathing.

"Hello?" a familiar voice called out. I'd been avoiding this voice, but something was different.

I froze, not daring to breathe. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, ringing out like a drum.

"Hello?" it repeated. "Please, get help."

I panicked and sprinted out of the forest.



I didn't tell anypony what I'd heard when I got back. I didn't say anything. I don't think I could have said anything. Applejack took my temperature and put me straight to bed.

My dreams that night were filled with voices. Well, one voice. The taunts and jeers were interspersed with new words, words from the day before.

"Please,

"Blank flank,

"get help."



The sun was high before I got out of bed the next morning. The taunts faded away and I was left with the desperate pleas. "Hello? Please, get help."

I told myself that they had to have found her. The forest had to be the first place they would search when a pony goes missing. Besides, she would be fine as long as it didn't rain. That quieted the voices a little. I wandered downstairs.

Around the breakfast table, Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny huddled around with graven faces. I walked in and asked, "Did they find her?"

They shared a glance. Applejack nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. "Apple Bloom, I have some bad news. There was a stallion who took the train away from Ponyville yesterday. He had—" she paused and looked back at Granny and Big Mac for a moment "—very bad pictures. When the guards tried to arrest him, he fought back." She stepped forward and enveloped me in a hug. "They—" She choked and took a deep breath. "They've called off the search. Diamond Tiara isn't comin' back."

She may have kept talking, but the voice screamed and echoed in my head. I sprinted out the door toward the far side of the farm.



The voice continued its harsh scream as I approached the dry creek bed. As soon as I set one hoof onto the far side, the voice stopped, replaced by gentle rustling of the long grass. The quiet continued as I got closer and closer to the forest, with the sound of wind fading away in the background. Soon, I was inside the thicket and the hole opened wide in front of me. For a moment, silence and then gasping.

"Hello?" came a raspy yet familiar voice.

I froze, but she knew I was there.

"Please," she cried, "help me. I've been trapped down here for days."

I slowly tiptoed around the sinkhole over to the trunk of a tree. I knocked into a branch laden with apples and one fell down into the hole. Several seconds passed and then a soft thud.

"I know you're there." I heard her scrabble around and pick something up. "Why don't you say something?"

My mouth went completely dry. Even if I tried, I doubt I could have said anything. Instead, I picked a few more apples. Then one at a time, I dropped them down into the hole. Each fell silently for a few seconds and landed with a thud. One thud was different and followed by a small squeak.

"Please," she repeated. I heard her eating now, bites coming rapidly from below. I stayed mute, and tried to quiet my breathing.

"My family is rich," she called out. "They'll pay you anything that you want."

I dropped another apple. It landed with a thud, not the different kind.

Her voice changed from begging. "You selfish jerk," she yelled. "What did I ever do to you?"

Familiar chanting flared loudly in my head. I jumped up and sprinted out of the forest.



I couldn't make the chanting stop. The forest was off limits and the running wasn't helping. I continued running, until something grabbed me. The chanting quieted, replaced by a different voice.

"Apple Bloom, we need to talk for a little bit." I immediately recognised the voice of my sister and my gaze lifted a little. "I know that it's been really crazy with everything that happened to Diamond Tiara. But I've been watching the way you act and something ain't quite right. I don't think it's sadness you've been feelin'." My throat clenched. Voices started rising in the background. I looked up at my sister, locking into her piercing green gaze. "I think it's guilt."

Suddenly, my heart dropped. The voices went completely silent. My hooves gave out and I felt tears drip down my face. "A-Am I a bad pony?" I rasped through my dry lips.

Applejack wrapped me up into a hug. "Of course not, AB. I know how much you went through with Diamond Tiara bullyin' you. With everypony mournin', I understand why you would feel guilty for not feelin' the same way. You're still healin' and right now, not havin' Diamond Tiara around probably feels like a win."

I took a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding.

"You're not a bad pony for feelin' that way, but it does show that you ain't moved on yet. You're still letting the childhood bully control you. And until you can let it go, that's goin' to hang over you for the rest of your life." Applejack released the hug and we looked into each other's eyes again. "I've been worried about you, Apple Bloom. You haven't been like yourself lately, even before everythin' with Diamond Tiara. And I know stuff hasn't 'xactly been easy for you, but you can't let that keep you from movin' forward."

She took my hoof in hers. "I may not understand everythin' that you're goin' through, but I still love you and will love you no matter what. And I'll do anythin' I can to be there and support you with whatever you need." She let go of my hoof. "But right now, I think there's some stuff you need to work out on your own."

I nodded. My gaze, completely unfocused, dropped toward the ground.

She gave me a one-hoofed hug. "I'll let you alone now. But if need somepony to talk to, I'll be here."

As she walked away, I felt the tension release. I noticed my pounding heart and gasping lungs. I held my hoof up and it wouldn't stop shaking.

I wandered aimlessly. My racing heartbeat faded into numbness all over. My mind felt completely blank. There may have been voices, but I didn't notice or care. Somehow, I ended up at the clubhouse. I plodded up to the door and turned to doorknob. It wouldn't budge. I shoved my weight against it and still it held closed. Something in me snapped and I bucked at the door as hard as I could. With a loud crack, the door flew forward out of the doorway.

I breathed hard as I gazed into the old clubhouse. I expected memories to come flying back, but all I saw was neglect. The window was broken and rain had blown in. The podium laid on its side and the floor was rotting from water damage. I realised how long it had been since I last came here, since the first day after Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle left.

Over in the corner away from the broken window, tools and building materials laid in a neat pile, as though someone had put them there for me. I trotted over and grabbed a hammer. The hardwood handle felt right in my hoof. I held it out in front of me and it stayed steady. I looked over at the door that laid flat on the ground. It had come off the hinges and the wood was a bit splintered on that side. With an involuntary chuckle, I realised that it opened out, not in as I'd been pushing. I grabbed the hammer and a few nails, pulled the door into place, and started to work.

I don't know how long I worked for. There were more than a few tears as I worked and I'm sure I hammered a few nails too hard and tightened a few screws too tight. Sleep came and went and I'd find myself waking with a tool in my hoof. I kept working though, continuing right where I left off. I didn't want to think, just to keep working.

A knock on the door broke my cycle. "Apple Bloom, are you in here?" Applejack stepped in and smiled. "Is this where you've been all this time?"

"I guess," I mouthed, as though coming out of a daze.

"Wow, you sure got a lot of work done." Her eyes wandered all around the room and finally rested back on me. "Feel better?"

I paused. I felt sharp hunger pains in my stomach and my hooves became weak. Despite this, I felt more like a pony than I had in a long time. Almost like part of me had come back from a long voyage. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Glad to hear it, sugarcube." She picked me up onto her back. "Now, let's get you home. There's a storm coming."

---

There's a grove of trees on the far side of the farm where no pony goes. Across the creek bed, the grass grows tall and the trees wild. No pony harvests the apples that grow on the trees there. When I ask Granny Bloom about it, she stares off into the distance and, with her voice cracking says, "There are sinkholes there. It's an evil place. It's not a place where anypony should go."