Applejack Problems

"Pony-feathers!" Applejack grunted and she slipped and fell into the dirt. She got up again, putting her hooves on the large boulder and getting ready to push. She stood at the top of an earthen ramp that led from the floor of the cave to the roof; it was obviously at one time the entrance to the cave, but now a huge rock plugged up the way to the surface like a giant cork.

From the way Pinkie had described the Mirror Pool Cave, Applejack was pretty sure she'd discovered another way in. Too bad she hadn't discovered another way out, too. After a few more vain attempts to move the giant rock, Applejack finally slumped to the dirt in resignation, breathing hard from her efforts. "There's just... no way A'll ever get this rock t'move!"

Applejack glanced around the cave sadly, feeling her hope ebbing away. Her stomach rumbled hungrily. When was the last time she'd eaten? Three hours ago? It felt like an eternity.

Was this how it was going to end? Oh well. It was a nice cave, a nice place to die. Pretty vines with pretty flowers, a pretty pool with a pretty glow about it...

Wait a minute.

She sat up, something dawning on her. There ain't no way Ah can budge this thing by m'self, but what if... what if there were more of me?

Applejack jumped to her hooves and trotted down to the picturesque pool, still amazed at her own brilliance. Why hadn't she thought of this half an hour ago?

AJ looked into her reflection, feeling a bit nervous. Did duplicating yourself hurt? She sighed. "No time for the jitters now! If Ah'm gonna get out o' here, Ah'm gonna need some help."

What was that rhyme Pinkie had mentioned? She thought long and hard. "And into... uh... yearning for..."

Oh, just forget it.

Applejack jumped into the pool, swimming around doggy-paddle style. A moment later, another pony surfaced - bouncy golden mane, orange coat, cutie mark of three red apples, emerald-green eyes and three adorable freckles on each cheek... Applejack paddled over to her duplicate. "Why hello, uh... Applejack! Yer gonna need a name o' yer own; we can't both be callin' each other the same thing!" She looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "How's about Copy-jack?"

"That'll do it!" Copy-jack nodded, grinning at her creator. "Now that Ah have mahself a proper name... uh..." the duplicate glanced around the cave then frowned, turning back to Applejack. "How're we gonna get out o' here?"

Applejack pointed with a forehoof to the top of the ramp and the large boulder blocking the entrance. "Ah made you to help me get out o' here. C'mon, Copy-jack, wanna help me move that boulder?"

"Hmm..." Copy-jack rubbed her chin with a hoof. "No."

"No? Why?"

The copy eyed Applejack with distrust. "Cuz you'll just get rid o' me once we got the boulder all moved."

"Well..." Applejack hated to lie, but she couldn't just tell her copy that that was actually exactly what she'd been planning - she would never help her then!

Applejack sighed, seeing only one way around the situation. "Alright, CJ; if you help me out o' this cave, Ah won't send y' right back into this here pool after." She flapped her front hooves and planted one over her eye to show that she solemnly Pinkie Promised. "Ah promise."

Copy-jack jumped out of the pool, shaking out her wet coat until it was fluffy and dry. She grabbed one of AJ's hooves and shook it firmly. "Then we got ourselves a deal!"

"C'mon, keep shoving!" Applejack grunted, breathing hard. The two ponies had been pushing at the boulder with all their might for five minutes, and they'd barely moved it at all.

Copy-jack stopped pushing, shaking her head. "Applejack, we ain't gonna get this rock moving. Not without... help."

Applejack paused. "So, you're sayin' we need more copies?"

The duplicate nodded. "You just wait here, and Ah'll be right back with a few more pairs o' hooves."

A few minutes later, that last of Copy-jack's duplicates climbed out of the mirror pool, shaking out their orange coat. "Hey, watch who you're shakin' that water onto, Three!" Number One growled, shoving a brand-new copy Number Three back into the mirror pool.

She didn't resurface.

Applejack was still at the top of the ramp when she heard surprised Applejack voices from around the pool. She sighed, getting up and trotting down the ramp. "What is it y' done, Copy-jack?"

Copy-jack looked alarmed. "I swear it weren't me!" She jabbed a hoof at Number One. "She shoved Three into the pool!"

Number Two nodded. "And she hasn't come back up!"

Applejack nodded, and without another word dived into the Mirror Pool. She opened her eyes under the water, surprised it didn't hurt like normal water - well, it wasn't really normal water, after all - and glanced around. She could only see in blurs, but even at that she could tell she was alone in the pool.

Until a large dark shape popped up directly in front of her face.

Applejack panicked, adrenaline pumping as she swam for her life from the unidentified thing, kicking desperately for the surface. Her head popped back out into the air of the cave and she scrambled out of the water, still shivering from the scare that... whatever had given her.

Copy-jack, Two and One all looked at her quizzically.

"What? What'd you see?" said an Applejack voice.

Applejack watched as two more copies climbed from the pool. So that's what she'd seen! She suddenly felt really dumb when she realized she'd actually been scared of herself.

Number One fell over in hysterics. "Y... you actually swam for your life... from yourself!" She was laughing so hard she was starting to cry. Copy-jack and Number Two gave Applejack a sympathetic look.

Number Three and the brand-new Number Four glared at Number One. "Oh shut up," Four growled. "You're being mean."

After Number One's laughing fit finally subsided, Applejack briefed all four of her new copies on the plan.

"See that rock? I need it moved cause it's blockin' the only way out o' this cave. Now I know what you're all gonna say - so yes, if you help me I won't send you right back to the mirror pool. Now c'mon!"

All five copies followed Applejack to the top of the ramp. "Now on the count of three, push really hard!" AJ commanded. The copies put their hooves on the rock, ready.

"One... two... three!"