Earth prologue: Is it real?

by Szalhi

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Main 6, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 3770

Unicorns can cast magic, Pegasi can fly, Alicorns are hybrid. What can Earth ponies do? What happens when Earth ponies find out that Earth really does exist?

Unicorns can cast magic, Pegasi have flight, Alicorns are hybrid. What can Earth ponies do? What happens when AppleJack discover a world called Earth. A world where they are meant to be. A world where they would be equal. No magic, no flight.

This will be the prologue to the Earth trilogy i'm planning so don't get too sad if it's short.

Published 2014-08-03 11:30:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-12 07:06:54 UTC

1 What's our purpose?

A typical day in ponyville. Sun shining, birds chirping. Business blooming. Business blooming? This was a rare sight for the Apple Family to be blooming with customers. Customers wanting apples. Lots and lots of apples. Maybe a side of cider to go with it, but mainly just apples.

"Big mac, we need some more apples. We're getting low!" shouted AppleJack serving her customers. I wanted to have success but this is a bit too much for one day.

Big Mac returned with a cart full of Apples right when AppleJack was short on Apples. Out of all the days for success, it had to be this day.

"Thanks Mac, Business is hard today, I don't know why they can't Just come every other day? It doesn't seem like there's anything special about the apples today compared to every other day." AppleJack was furiously serving the customers that it seemed like she was just doing the same action in a loop that she wasn't really focusing.

"Hey AppleJack, WOAH, you have alot of customers today." said Pinkie Pie walking up besides her.

"I'm kind of busy here, can we talk later?"

"But it looks like you're just doing the same thing in a loop. You don't even have to concentrate for that."

"Ok fine. I Don't know why business is blooming today. It doesn't seem like there's anything different about them"

Pinkie Pie grabbed an Apple and took a bite out of it. Mouth munched loudly as here taste buds got all the flavour out of it.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NOTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEM? THEY TASTE LIKE STRAWBERRIES!"

"You didn't happen to eat a strawberry cupcake before this did you?" replied AppleJack looking confused as to why she thought they tasted like strawberries.

"I ate about 10 of them" replied Pinkie Pie with a Big Grin on her face.

Later that day, AppleJack and Pinkie Pie were walking through Ponyville on their way to Sugar Cube Corner.

"So there was like 10000 customers, and your hoofs were like juggling all the bits and apples as you tried to serve them, it looked HILLARIOUS!" said Pinkie Pie Remarking how AppleJack was working so hard then.

"I guess i was really working hard. It's hard to hold bits with hooves so i kept dropping them all the time"

"Was that what you were doing the whole time? I thought you were just hyperactive."

"Aren't you the one who's..." AppleJack stopped in the middle of the sentence as she saw some Pegasi clearing the clouds in the sky.

"I'm the one who's what? TELL ME NOW!" shouted Pinkie Pie nudging AppleJack.

"Oh nevermind."

Pinkie and AppleJack continued walking with Pinkie Trying to figure out what AppleJack was saying about her.

The two Earth ponies walked into Sugar Cube Corner where AppleJack took a seat at one of the Cubicles and started to look through the menu.

"So you were like Not now Pinkie i'm really busy and you were heavily juggling Those bits and Apples it looked so hillarious. You remember that huh?" said Pinkie in remark to what happened early today. "Are you ok AppleJack?"

AppleJack awoke from her Trance where she replied to Pinkie Pie.

"Yeh, Yeh. I'm Fine. I'm ok"

"You don't look ok. Is there anything wrong?"

AppleJack looked up and turned to Pinke pie.

"No, Everything's fine. I was Just thinking about Something."

"So, What is this Something?" asked Pinkie Pie in confusion.

"Just about us. I was thinking about us."

"Us? and how awesome we are?"

"Pinkie, Do you ever wonder what is our purpose to be here?"

"And what excactly do you mean by that?"

"Like why are we here?"

"Oh it's so simple. We're both here to be great friends to everyone!"

"No. I meant, Why Do we exist? Why do us Earth ponies exist?"

"I told you, to be great friends to everyone."

"I mean, Unicorns can cast Spells and Pegasi can Fly. We can't Do any of those things, So why are we here?"

Pinkie Pie saw the depression in her friends face as she tried to come up with an answer.

"Well, We can't fly or do magic but we can make great food and grow stuff."

"Anyone can Make Food. It's not just us Earth ponies that make food. I'm sure Twilight makes her own food with her magic and I see Fluttershy making food and caring for her Animals all the time."

"But you make the best food ever. Like awesome pie and stuff."

AppleJack lifted her hoof and placed it against Pinkie Pie's Mouth.

"And i'm sure you're cakes are good too, but Anyone can make Cake and pie. I'm sure if someone found my recipe they could make it as yummy as mine. Is there any real reason for us to exist? Is there any purpose for us to help others? Unicorns and Pegasi can do all the things we can do but even more than that." AppleJack Slumped out of the cubicle and started walking out of S.C.C.

"AppleJack, Where are you going?" Pinkie Pie Called out after AppleJack.

"I'm not hungry. I'm going back to the farm."

"What is our purpose in life? Doesn't AppleJack know that we are here to be great friends with everyone and to live a great and happy life? Not to mention to eat cupcakes." Pinkie Pie said to herself. Not truly understanding what AppleJack was saying right before.

2 Strike

The next day, Pinkie Pie went over to where AppleJack's stall is to find it not there. Usually it was here these days and Pinkie Pie got worried. This normally didn't happen. AppleJack would never stop working unless it was very important to stop working.

"Oh no, no, no. AppleJack's not there! WHAT IF SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPENED TO HER! DUN DUN DUN!"

Pinkie Pie, Fed up with being all worried decided to do something about it. What's the point of being worried anyway if you can do something about it? Pinkie Pie decided to go see if AppleJack was at the farm. To her surprise no-one was working. She thought they would've been stocking up on apples for the store which is the reason it isn't open because of Business yesterday.

"AppleJack? You in here?" said Pinkie Pie entering he building with a lower worried tone in her voice. "She's got to be in here somewhere, otherwise where else would she be?" Pinkie Pie went upstairs and into AppleJack's room to find her sleeping.

AppleJack, sleeping on this kind of day? Pinkie Pie thought. Better tell her she slept in. Pinkie Pie started nudging AppleJack around in the most effective but least annoying way.

"AppleJack, wake up, you slept in."

"Huh what?" asked AppleJack awakening from Pinkie Pie. "What is it Pinkie Pie?" AppleJack Gave off a Yawn showing that she didn't really appreciate being woken up like this.

"You slept in and now there's no one to run the Stand on time! What are you going to do?" answered Pinkie with the most concern in her voice. Pinkie Pie hasn't seen the last time AppleJack not awake before 8am. If there even was a last time in the first place.

"No, i'm not running the Stand today. So you can stop worrying now?"

"But why not? It's Wednesday. You always run the stall on weekdays. Why wouldn't you run it today?"

"Because i'm on Strike Pinkie. That's why."

"Say again. It sounded alot like you were saying Strike"

"That's because i did say strike"

Pinkie Pie started to get worried. Strike = No Stall = No Customers = No business. But more importantly no apples!

"But, but, Why are you on strike? What led you to be on strike?"

"When i realised that the only thing us Earth Ponies can do is grow food and stuff. Heck The other ponies can do that. Not as good as delicious as ours but still enough to live. So i'm going off to minimum work which means enough to keep this family alive."

"Does that mean, No Apples?" asked Pinkie Pie worried.

"Yes, it means no apples. Unless there's any apples to spare, no apples are leaving this land. Heck if i were you i'd also be on strike."

"But why would i be on strike? I love making Confectionery for other ponies even if they can do it because i know i can do it better."

"The point i'm trying to make is, i want to see if Ponyville can go with 1 less Earth pony to do stuff they can do. To pretend that us Earth Ponies never existed."

"Well if you're going on strike, than you can do that. hmmph." replied Pinkie Pie with slight fake anger in her tone walking back to Ponyville.

Pinkie smashed through the doors of Twilight's castle eager to tell Twilight the news.

"Twilight! Twilight! I've got big news!" Pinkie Ran into the Library where she new Twilight would be stationed at the time being. "I've got really big and bad news!"

"What is it Pinkie Pie? Did Gummy Disappear?" asked Twilight not having a clue what is going on.

"AppleJack's on strike!"

"Say again?"

"AppleJack is on strike!"

"I'm sorry Pinkie Because it sounded like you said Strike."

"That's Because i did say Strike."

"But why would AppleJack be on Strike, for what reason?" questioned Twilight wondering why a hard working pony would be on strike.

"She said she is fed up with doing things ever other pony can do and not being special as an Earth pony."

"That sounds ridiculous. How 'bout i go talk to AppleJack and fix everything?"

"Oh yes, please do that, i don't want to lose apples! The second best thing to Cupcakes and candy and chocolate and cake and frosting and muffins."

"AppleJack, why have you stopped working? Why are you on strike?" asked Twilight.

"You know what Twilight. I figured something out. Unicorns can use magic to help through life. Pegasi can maniuplate weather and fly. But all we seem to do is grow food."

"But You ponies grow great food. The best food in all the land."

"Anypony can grow food. It may seem the best but is growing food all that we're good at? It's not like taste comes to play when ponies need to live. That's why i've decided to start minimum work which is enough to keep this family going. I don't think 1 earth pony is going to make a huge difference, but i want to see what Ponyville can do."

"This is ridiculous AppleJack, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that i'm not going off strike no matter how hard you try to convince me. Better yet I'm going to get every Earth pony in on this. Than let's see if we really do have a purpose." AppleJack replied walking away from the two ponies.

"You're not in on this are you Pinkie?" asked Twilight.

"She doesn't understand any of this yet!" answered AppleJack.

3 Earth Evidence.

"Why can't Pinkie Just understand what i'm saying... is it really that hard to understand?"

"What is it you're complaining about?" asked Granny Smith.

"It's the fact that Pinkie doesn't understand that us Earth ponies are basically useless."

"So you don't appreciate being here?"

"I wish there was a place where no magic existed and us Earth Ponies could live alone."

"SO... you ever heard of the planet called Earth?" asked Granny Smith eager to tell a tale.

"Earth... No i haven't." replied AppleJack.

"Earth is a mystical land that is similar to Equestria. There are some notable differences, Earth has no Magic and is home to different types of animals. Some called Horses that are related to us. They're bigger but way less smart than us."

"And how would one get to Earth?" asked AppleJack thinking of this wonderful place that they would be equal in. No magic to outsmart them and no flight capable ponies.

"They say that there's a portal out somewhere in Equestria that leads there. But it's heavily guarded by who knows. But of course, this is all legends."

"But what if it happens to be true? Do you know where it is?"

"I don't know where it is and if it is true than i'm sure somepony is going to go out there and find it."

And we're going to be the ones who find it. All us Earth ponies.

Twilight was walking home. after finishing off her last errand for it was Thursday and Thursday is Errand day, and no matter what, you don't skip errand day. Never

"Ok so that's the last errand done so i guess it's alright to go back now" said Twilight going over the list for the 22nd time. Twilight entered the library to find AppleJack rummaging through the books.

"Hello AppleJack, It's quite a scene to see you actually looking through books." Said Twilight curious with the fact that AppleJack, for once was actually looking through books. "Say, What are you looking through anyway?"

"Oh Nothing." That was more nothing than what was actually nothing. I can't let Twilight know what i am doing.

"It doesn't look like you're doing nothing."

"Well, when the Library is open, do you come in and snoop around in everypony's business?" replied AppleJack still rummaging through some books.

"Ugh.... No... No i don't."

"Uh huh, But isn't that what you're doing now?" AppleJack replied, staring at Twilight with a snoopy face.

"Ok, well i guess i'll just pretend that never happened..."

Maybe Twilight's so much a bookworm, she's trying to turn others into book worms. Now surely there's a book here about Earth

Looking through more books, she finally settled on a book called "Earth: The non-magical world"

There are many rumors and legends regarding whether Earth is real or not. Whether it is real or not, there's no real evidence of whether any pony has gone there before.

It is said that two Earth ponies discovered the world when wandering around the wilderness outside the land of Equestria. One stated that there was a puzzle that was required to be solved but didn't know what the puzzle was about and that the other  randomly triggered it. The other entered the portal and didn't return. After 5 days of waiting the pony got a message describing the world that's on the other side. With that, it was stated that the other pony didn't know how to return and suggested that the other should tell somepony about this "world"

It isn't known exactly where the portal is located, but it is known that it is located outside of Equestrian land and the journey is quite dangerous. The path the 2 ponies took went through various ravines and mountains that it was a feat that they even made it.

The world was described as similar to Equestria, but inhabited by different animals and some that looked like ponies, but where larger and of lower intelligence. The pony had no mean of communicating and was left to survive there. The world seemed to have no  magic to hold itself. The world was named "Earth" after Earth ponies

No one else has managed to find the portal so ponies may question the existence of this world.

AppleJack stopped reading after that. That was only the first section of the book that summarised the discovery of Earth and was enough to give her the information she needed.

"Twilight, you mind if i take this book out? You know, for such reasons?"

"I guess, Does it have a special label? If it does, i can't allow you to take it out." replied Twilight from the kitchen.

AppleJack looked to see if it had any significant labels. In fact, it didn't seem to have any labels. The Book looked like it was left there and Twilight forgot it exists. Does Twilight even known this book is here?

"No, it doesn't, It's not one of your special books."

"For your information, Not all the labeled books are in that way special. They just can't be borrowed out because of their usage like history books etc."

"Ok, ok, it's not like i'm saying you love them so much." She definitely loves them, Loves them alot

Twilight let out a groan being slightly angry with AppleJack and her use of words.

"Well maybe i do love them, just not in that particular way."

4 You don't have to go, but i'd like it if you did.

"Granny Smith, do you see what this means?" said AppleJack pointing to the book that she brought from Twilight's library. "It means that Earth could actually be real, The portal could actually be real, we may be able to find the world we are meant to be in!"

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"What am i going to do about it? I'm going to find it for all us Earth ponies here, but most importantly for the Apple family."

Granny Smith was confused, how was AppleJack going to get to this so said portal? it's not like she is going to walk and than 45 minutes later 'wow i found the Earth portal already'

"How do you expect to get there?"

"I'm going to walk there and you're coming with us. Trust me, when i tell everypony, than you'll understand."

important meeting at sweet apple acres. Earth ponies only, tommorow night.

"Important meeting tomorrow? What could that be for? Doesn't matter, i have to be there for AppleJack." Said Pinkie Pie on her way back to Sugar Cube Corner. Being confused with what AppleJack said before, she asked Twilight if she knew anything about what's going on. But Twilight didn't understand.

Entering Sugar Cube Corner, she found Mrs. Cake on the register.

"Hello Pinkie Pie, you back already?" She asked.

"Yes and i'm eager to bake some cakes. And there's a meeting at AppleJack's, we should go tomorrow."

"Is it urgent?"

"AppleJack said it was really important."

"I'm sure we can go then."

Approaching Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie Pie was met with a crowd of Earth ponies gathering around a set up podium. Pushing through the crowds, she made her way up to the front of the crow closer to the podium. She could hear the muttering of everpony as they wondered what news AppleJack was going to make.

AppleJack made her way up to the podium where she set up a sheet of paper. Upon seeing her arrival, the noise died down as everpony turned to listen to her.

"Ok, Thank you everypony for coming. I know y'all thinking, What's so important that i dragged myself up here? and What good new does AppleJack have? " She paused to see if everypony was still following her. Happy that no one has left yet, she continued on.

"Well have you all heard the legends of the world called 'Earth'?"

"Yeh, so what?" a pony from the crowd called out answering AppleJack's question.

"Well i've found sources that there's a portal to Earth. We don't know exactly where it is, but i'm sure it is real" Taking a gulp as everypony started to look confused, she continue on.

"We're all Earth ponies here, Have you wondered why we're here? What's the purpose of our existence here? The Pegasi and the Unicorns are always telling us that we grow the food and bake the food. But guess what? They can do that too. Sure we do it better than them, but that's because they don't do it naturally. We have blood that makes us good at that, but they don't need us too survive. We're useless here."

Noise erupted from the crowd as the speech got through to everypony. Were they really not needed in this world? If they didn't exist, than it effect the lives of the other races.

"But on Earth, there's no magic. There's less flight. The Clouds move their selves and the moon and sun raise their selves. This is the perfect world for us."

"Even if we don't find it, we've tried. What better would we of done if we stayed here? There's no gain, without risk".

"So what i'm asking, is that tomorrow, you join me as we travel to find that portal. If we find it, We will be rewarded. A place where we can live without the other ponies looking down over us!"

"You don't have to journey with me, you can take your own way to get there. I don't care, as long as we make it to Earth and build a city there, Than i'm happy. If you don't come tomorrow that's fine. I don't need an applause right now. I just need you to fully make up your mind."

AppleJack left the stage as everypony started leaving the farm. Tomorrow would be the day that tells her who's coming, and who's not.

She turned to her family expecting them to say something.

"Well, We don't really want to go. I like it here on the farm. I'm not sure if i want to let this place go" said AppleBloom as Big mac and Granny Smith backed her up.

"Are you sure? I'm sure everything will be better on Earth. We will feel even. No Pegasi or Unicorns" asked AppleJack.

"But what about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? I don't feel like letting them off now."

"I'm not ready to let off my friends too. But i know in my heart, that it would be better for us. I'd give up my friends, but i really don't want to leave my family."

AppleBloom desperately tried to think of someway to counter this. She didn't want to leave her friends, but she didn't want AppleJack to go.

"But we'll give it a thought" Granny Smith assured AppleJack attempting to make her feel better as they made their way inside.

Earth: The crusades

This is the end of this story. But don't worry, it continues in the sequel Earth: The crusades. Sorry if this felt short, but it's only a prologue to the Trilogy/Saga. I'd like to say thank you for reading this and i'd like to see you over on the crusades with me and the Earth ponies. There's no confirmed date for the first chapter, but I know you want to see how the journey goes through. If AppleJack goes alone, with family, or with a string of Earth ponies.