Applejack slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry and she had a terrible headache. She was leaning against a tree at the edge of the Vampire Bat sanctuary. What was she doing there? She slowly got up, her bones creaking.
"Why am I so sore?" She wondered aloud. She felt heavy. She looked at her back and saw full saddle bags which she opened out of curiosity. "Seeds?" She began to understand why she was there, collecting the stronger seeds, but why didn't she remember anything. Her eye began to sting as something sticky and sweet flowed down her forehead.
Reaching into her hair she pulled out an apple, too hard to be ripe but split open and trailing juices. "Been awhile since I hit a tree too hard." She laughed to herself before wincing. The apple seemed to do a number on her head and she would need to have Granny or Mac check it out. She adjusted her bags and began trotting through the pain.
She stopped when she heard a dark, soft, evil laugh and the whoosh of something large flying through the leaves. She spun about in time to see only a few leaves flutter softly to the ground. "Who's there!" She called out angrily. No response came from the dark. She looked up at the mid day sun and journeyed into the orchard with her flashlight.
***
She searched the orchard for hours until the sun had long ago set, and the moon reached its peak. Exhausted and in pain Applejack gave up the folly of her search, returning home. When she finally got back to the house the lights were all off. Funny... She thought, Usually Granny leaves a light on when I'm out late. Too tired to pursue the issue she dropped her bags inside the door and went straight to bed.
She slept for only a few hours before she heard a scream. Followed by a Big Mac saying in a threatening tone, "What do you think you're doin' here! Out! Out!" Her head shot up to see whom he was yelling at and in her confused state it seemed like he was screaming at... her? She turned around to see nothing but an empty room behind her.
Throwing the covers off she slowly got out, "What're you yellin' at Mac?" She hazily walked toward him.
"As if you don't know beast!" He spat.
"How... how can ya say that?" She recoiled backing away in fear. She turned and saw her sister Applebloom looking at her terrified. "Applebloom! What's goin' on!" She only backed away more.
"You leave her out of this!" Granny yelled from behind Mac wearing a pa on her head as a helmet.
"Granny it's me! Applejack!" She pleaded.
"Out!" Big Mac screamed as he lifted Applejack and threw her out the window into a nearby haystack.
Applejack shook herself in shock. What is goin' on!? She panicked. Twilight will know what to do! As the thought raced across her mind and she ran through the early dawn towards town; stopping only long enough to grab her hat. The sun had risen slightly by the time she arrived in the town and everywhere she looked Ponies were closing windows or rushing back inside as she passed.
"What in tarnation!" She huffed as she galloped towards the Golden Oaks Library and hopefully, answers. She reached the door and began knocking furiously. "Twilight! Twilight! Everypony is actin' strange! I need yer help!"
"What do you want Applejack?" An irritated Twilight sighed as she opened door with her magic.
"I need help." Applejack began as she walked in. Twilight was up in the loft brushing her mane. "Please Twilight, everypony is acting weird. Big Mac THREW me out of Sweet Apple Acres. Through a window! And Applebloom looked terrified at the mere sight of me..."
Twilight rolled her eyes as she explained, "You can hardly blame them after all you did. Now if you'll excuse me I have some studying to do." Twilight pointed to the door.
"But Twilight..." Applejack whispered at the edge of tears.
"Look I don't have time for your silly antics, go buck a tree or something." Twilight picked up a book and began reading.
"Twi..." The name got caught in her throat. "Fine... I'll fix this without you." She slumped and slowly moved to the door, glancing back at her "friend" before exiting. What am I gonna do now? She wondered.
About her ears perked up as she heard a familiar bubbly voice bouncing through the lyrics of a silly song.
"Welcome to Ponyville, the very bestest of towns!
With the help of Pinkie you will never see any frowns!
Come back when your own domicile..."
The song stopped and she heard the voice continue, "Domicile? Hmmmmm.... That's a toughy..."
Applejack ran towards the voice and rounded the corner just in time to run head first into Pinkie Pie. "Oh I'm sorry! When I get caught up in a song sometimes I don't look where..." Pinkie then saw whom she was speaking to and glared. "Oh... It's you, you big meany pants. What are you doing here?"
"Oh no... not you too..." AJ backed away before running the opposite direction. Her trusty hat gliding to the ground. She stopped in an alley next to "The Carousel Boutique."
"Oh hey AJ!" A high pitched voice called from above. Applejack looked up and saw Sweetie Belle looking at her from her window.
"Sweetie Belle? You aren't going to scream or run away?" Applejack smiled.
"Why should I? Rarity is home and a bearer of an Element of harmony, besides I don't see why everypony thinks your such a bad pony, none of the Cutie Mark Crusaders do!" Sweetie Belle smiled. "Wait a sec, I'll come down!" Sweetie disappeared from the window and reappeared at the edge of the alleyway.
Applejack had thought of a million questions before she had finally returned but one burned more than anything else. "If the Cutie Mark Crusaders don't think I'm bad then why did Applebloom seem so afraid of me?"
"Applebloom was just here! She said you were in her house, you probably just surprised her is all." Sweetie Belle explained. "But what is it like being able to control ch-"
"SWEETIE!!!!" Rarity screamed as she rounded the corner, "What are you doing with... her!?"
"I was just asking questions." Sweetie moaned.
"She's not safe to be around! After all she did. Get back inside now!" Rarity commanded.
"But-"
"NOW!"
"Fine... See you later AJ..." Sweetie skulked off head low.
"You most certainly will not! You are not to leave your room for the rest of the day!" Rarity scolded her. "And you! What are you doing luring Sweetie down here!?"
Applejack grew only more depressed as she saw what little hope she had get grounded, "Nothin' I guess, I just needed Somepony to talk to I guess."
"Well you ruffian you should leave sweetie out of your games!" Rarity scolded her.
"Will you talk to me? Explain why everypony seems to suddenly hate me?" Applejack pleaded.
Rarity scoffed, "As if you don't already know. If you want somepony to talk to, why not Fluttershy? She seemed to hit it off with you, but leave me out of it. Now go! Before you scare away customers."
Applejack sighed and got up, at least it was a lead. "Thank you kindly Rarity." She slunk towards the forest. Before she made it out of the town she was forced to witness ponies speaking in hushed tones while glancing at her. She was running by the time she made it half way to the bridge. To her dismay Rainbowdash was leaning on a rail and bragging to an annoyed Amethyst Star.
"But you gotta admit it was pretty Amazing." Rainbow gloated.
"Sure, can I go now?" Amethyst sighed, until she saw AJ, "Oh my... Hey Rainbow, maybe you can prove your awesomeness by getting rid of Applejack?"
"You kiddin'? Applejack wouldn't dare show her face in Ponyville after all she's done!" Rainbow laughed. "At least not while we have the Elements..." At this point she had turned and saw Applejack running towards her. "What!?"
I don't have time for this! Applejack thought as Rainbow dashed towards her.
"What'd you think you're doing here!?" Rainbow snarled.
"Leavin'! AJ retorted.
"Oh... Well... Leave faster!" She yelled as AJ basically leapt over the bridge.
***
Applejack approached the small cottage nestled close to the Everfree Forest, in which her friend Fluttershy lived. She could see Fluttershy in the back feeding her chickens. Applejack didn't call out her name and stopped. The worry of being rejected again almost drove her to flee into the forest. I have to try an' figure this out! She steeled herself and trotted up.
Fluttershy saw her and... smiled... she smiled! It felt so good for Applejack to see somepony smiling at seeing her. "Hi Applejack! You came earlier than your letter said you would! I'm sorry I don't have any tea ready."
"Oh Fluttershy it is so good to hear you say that." Applejack sighed happily. Something pulled at the back of her mind; What Letter? She pushed it back into her mind, to be dealt with later.
"Really? I thought you liked my tea... Well come on inside. I'm sure I can make some in a few minutes."
AJ followed her inside and sat at a cluttered table. "Hey Fluttershy, I seem to be having a slight memory problem, why is everypony so mad at me?"
"Wait you don't remember?" Fluttershy said, aghast.
"Not a bit." She said as she looked at a particularly interesting piece of parchment.
"Well there was the time you tried to take over Equestria and destroyed Ponyville..."
"What!?" Applejack guffawed. "What exactly happened?"
"Well..." She began a little intimidated. "You began causing crazy things all over Equestria and made Ponyville the chaos capital of the wor-"
"That wasn't me! That was Discord!"AJ huffed.
"Discord?" Fluttershy giggled. "He helped defeat you with the Elements of Harmony."
"No I helped defeat him!"
"AJ you're acting crazy, you turned all of our personalities backwards and we defeated you with the Elements of Harmony, Twilight as magic, Rainbow as Loyalty, Rarity as generosity, Pinkie as Laughter, Discord as Honest-"
"No I'm the Element of Honesty!" AJ interrupted angrily. "I am!" She looked down at the parchment. It was a letter. "See!" Tears streamed down her face. "This letter says from Discord! He was gonna meet you!"
"That's strange I thought it said Applejack..." Fluttershy whispered. "Oof my head hurts."
"Fluttershy I need yer help. I need you to go to Twilight's house and read our letters to Celestia! Please." Applejack begged.
Fluttershy looked at her strangely, "Alright... we'll go see Twilight."
***
Fluttershy knocked on Twilight's door, "Twilight... it's me Fluttershy."
The door opened and Spike looked up at them, "Hey Fluttershy! Oh... and you too Applejack..." He looked at them nervously.
"Fluttershy I'm in the back! Give me a second!" Twilight called from the back room. "Sorry, I'm in the middle of re-shelving." She began as she entered the main room. "Oh... hi AJ. So what can I help you with Fluttershy?"
"Applejack would like to have us read our letters to Celestia, she claims Discord was the one whom tried to take over Equestria-"
Twilight laughed, "That's impossible! Discord is the Element of Honesty!" But after seeing the resolute look on Fluttershy's face she sighed, "Alright. I keep them in a cupboard in the back follow me." She lead them into the back room where piles upon piles of books lay on the floor. "Sorry about the mess, re-shelving like I said. Hey AJ you know why I have these letters, right? You turned all my friends against me and I needed them to remember what I was fighting for."
"It wasn't me, and they will prove it." AJ said resolutely.
Twilight scoffed, and began reading them aloud the first proved nothing, but then Twilight began to read the second, "My friend Applejack is the best friend... What!?" Twilight looked confused. She flipped through all of them, "Here's another one, Dear Princess Celestia, I didn't learn anything! It's signed by Applejack... This makes no sense! I'm getting Discord down here now to get this sorted out." She touched her head, "Oh I have a head ache..."
***
A few minutes later a Draconiquis appeared, "Oh why hello Twilight! You wanted to see me?"He smiled.
"Yes, we need you to explain these." Twilight held up a couple letters proving Applejack as the Element of Honesty.
"Now what are these?" He read them quickly, "Oh why these are um..."
"They're proof I'm the Element of Honesty!" Applejack yelled from behind Discord.
Discord merely smiled, "Well done AJ, you caught me. But before I fix everything... How did it feel?"
"How did what feel you varmint!" She huffed in rage.
"Why, being me?" He smiled. "After all, I did just trade places with you for a day. As per our agreement." The two disappeared in a flash of light and a snap of a talon.
***
"Pfft!" Applejack saw herself huff in response to something the nearby Discord had said, "As if your life is so rough! You don't do anything but annoy ponies. I have responsibilities. I need to go in there and gather seeds while probably bein' attacked by bats!"
"Oh if I have it easy how about a deal? I gather ever seed in there and complete all your chores for the evening, but tomorrow you will be treated as I am."
"I don't see why not!" She saw her annoyed self exclaim in frustration. "One day, in exchange for not havin' to... go... in there..."
"Good then we are agreed, but to make it fair, you won't remember this conversation..."
"What do you me-" Discord snapped his talons and an apple struck her head as they returned to reality.
***
"See? You agreed, but as the day is over..." Discord snapped his talons and suddenly Fluttershy, Twilight, and all of Ponyville shook their heads and felt awful for how they had treated Ponyvilles greatest friend, Applejack. "So I ask you once more, how'd it feel?"
Applejack looked up at Discord and honestly replied, "Terrible. I'm sorry for how I treat you Discord. Nopony... err... Nobody deserves that kinda treatment."
"I accept your apology and I hope everypony accepts mine for pulling the wool over their eyes for this to work?" Discord turned to Fluttershy and the baffled Twilight.
"Of course." Fluttershy smiled, still confused.
"I guess if AJ isn't mad..." Twilight sighed confused.
***
That night Applejack wrote in the journal about what she had learned that day. It read,
Sometimes it can be hard to forgive, but if you don't when the ones
who wronged you are truly sorry you can make them miserable. And that
just isn't right. Even when you find it hard to let it go, they don't deserve it.
No one does. Sometimes you just gotta be the bigger Mare. Besides,
Sometimes just because honest apologies can be hidden by one's nature,
or how you perceive their nature, doesn't make it any less true.
