The Advent of the Princesses

Applejack's game

Applejack heard clanging footsteps from a catwalk above.

"Who's there?" she asks the noise.

"Don't worry Applejack, it's only me." Celestia replies.

"What in tarnation is goin' on." AJ asks trembling slightly.

"I'm not going to answer that, but if you want to save Applebloom, you will play my game." Celestia explains.

"Game? What're ya talkin' bout?" the orange pony asks worried.

A light shines on Applebloom, whom was stuck in pit below AJ.

"You have 5 minutes to her before the walls close in and crush her." Celestia adds, "In front of you is a box with 73 keys, search for the right one and put it into the mechanism."

AJ began immediately digging through the pile of keys, "Ah need tah hurry."

"Hurry Applejack, I don't wanna die." AB says in the saddest way you could imagine.

AB scooted to the center of the closing room.

"Ah'm tryin' ah'm trying." she had tears in her eyes and fumbled around a lot.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6"Celestia counted down.

AJ grabs a key, and shoves it into the mechanism.

"0." Celestia says as the walls pancake shut on AB.

"NOOOO!!!" AJ shrieks, "Ah had it!!"

"You were too late." Celestia adds as she wanders back through the door she emerged from.

AJ was left alone as the small room lifted up and the walls spread apart slick with the blood of the filly, dropping AB's bloody red bow to the floor.

AJ quickly grabs the bow and squeezes it into her chest, "Ah'm so so so, sorry Applebloom."

She bursts into hysterical crying.

Celestia was smirking with satisfaction as she listened to AJ's anguished cries of sadness and anger.

"This is so much fun." she giggles to herself.