"Running parallel to the Magical Land of Equestria, there is a seventh dimension. A dimension of Honesty and Lies. A dimension of Kindness and Cruelty. A dimension of Laughter and Misery. A dimension of Generosity and Greed. A dimension of Loyalty and Betrayal. But it's also a dimension of Magic and Mind. It's a nightmarish land whose boundaries are that of imagination. I am the key, the door, the guide, and the signpost of this world. Your next stop: The Twilight Sparkle Zone."

The door to Applebloom's bedroom slowly creaked open, and the orange mare tentatively stuck her head in.

"Applebloom?" she asked softly.

Applejack only received a series of violent coughs as a response.

The orange mare frowned as regret and despair pained her heart. She walked into the room and approached the bedside of the ill filly. The bed was surrounded by a magical anti-germ bubble to prevent the spread of the disease, similar to the bubble used to contain Discord during his illness.

Applejack did her best to keep her tears in as she placed another wet, cool rag on her little sister's fevered brow. The bubble shielded her own hooves as placed the rag new cold rag, and used the old one to wipe away the nasal discharge on her face. Applejack tossed the dirty rag into a red, glowing incineration orb Twilight had given her. She gently stroked Applebloom's sickly face with her shielded hoof. Giving a sigh of helplessness, Applejack turned away and left Applebloom to rest.

Applejack exited the room, and was met by Granny Smith.

"She'll hang on in there," the older pony said in a tone that was serious and subdued, and yet had the slightest hint of hopefulness. "She's strong like her Ma and big sis. She'll make it. There's some smart ponies working on a cure right now."

"That ain't fair," Applejack said quietly, her hat casting a shadow over her eyes, "That ain't fair. That just ain't fair."

"Ah won't lie, it ain't lookin' good," Granny Smith said, but then she lifted Applejack's chin and said, "But what kind a' family would we'all be if we gave up on our king folk when they still got a fighting chance left in 'em?"

Applejack closed her eyes and nodded. "You're right of course, Granny." Then a dark look grew on her face as she opened her eyes. "It's almost funny, in a sick kind a' way. Applebloom got infected by some germ right when Equestria itself is."

". . .Say what now?" Granny Smith asked in confusion.

Applejack gently pushed Granny Smith's hoof out from under her chin and said, "Changelings, that's what. Thinking they can just come in here after what they did to us. Twice! Filthy manipulating deceiving bugs. What were Celestia and Luna thinking? What was Twilight thinking? They expect my friends and Ah to meet with some stankin' ambassador?" Applejack turned and angrily stomped down the stairs towards the front door. "Well, Ah ain't keeping quiet for another second. Ah'm gonna give them a piece of mah mind!"

Granny Smith watched in shock as her granddaughter slammed the door behind her. Her shock soon turned to disappointment as she shook her head slow and mournfully.

Twilight Sparkle stood quietly watching in the far corner of the living room.

"Applebloom. Nine years old. A young filly stricken with a deadly disease known as Glanders. However, her older sister Applejack also happens to have an infection of her own. Not Glanders, or Erbovirus, or the Trots. It is a sickness known as hate. Not a virus, not a microbe, not a germ - but a sickness nonetheless. Highly contagious and deadly in its effects. Especially in - The Twilight Sparkle Zone."

Ah Am Xenophobia- Color Me Orange

Applejack pushed the doubles doors open and walked into the main Council Room. Everypony else, with the exception of Spike, was already there.

"Ah, Applejack. I'm glad you could make it, considering. . ." Twilight's voice trailed off a bit as a look of sadness passed over her face. This look of depression and worry was reflected on the faces of the other ponies as well. Pinkie Pie's mane even deflated slightly.

"Ya said that there were scientists in Cloudsdale and Canterlot working non-stop to cure all these Glanders victims that keep popping up all over Equestria," Applejack said as she strode over to her throne, giving Twilight a withering stare. "Applebloom is gonna pull through. Ya said some ponies have survived it but lived on as carriers. But thanks to magic it's always containable. Not lie it's an epidemic or anything. So all that needs to be done is for that cure, vaccine, whatever to be made so Applebloom and everypony else can be themselves again. That's simple!" Applejack sat down on the Throne of Honesty hard, and slammed her hoof on the arm of the throne. "What's really irking me is the reason we're all gathered her right now!"

Twilight gazed at her friend in shock. "Applejack, I wouldn't blame you for having a slight grudge against the Changeling-."

"Slight grudge!?" Applejack shouted, "Are you kidding me? Have you lost your mind. Have ya all lost your minds?" Applejack pointed directly at Twilight and said, "Those creatures. They kidnapped Cadence, brainwashed your brother, attacked Canterlot, kidnapped three fillies we all care about, and tried to kill us all! And you want to sit here and talk to some bug eyed ambassador? They started a war, and we should have should have finished it! Finished them!" Applejack leaned back on her throne and caught her breath. "What good do those ugly things do, anyway?" she asked quietly. Then she sat up straight again and shouted, "None! They lie and deceive, then they steal! The land they walk on or fly over turns black and ugly, like they are. A bunch of freaks with holes in their bodies and bug wings-"

"Don't judge a book by it's cover!" Fluttershy exclaimed suddenly, after which she quickly covered her mouth and slid back on her throne.

Applejack turned to Fluttershy, giving a look of disparagement to the yellow pegasus. "If you ask me, the cover matches the pages just fine in this case," Applejack replied calmly. She lifted the brim of her stetson hat and said, "Evil parasites who steal love while in disguise. Spit up green goop all over the place. They look like freaks. they act like freaks. They are freaks."

Fluttershy shuddered a bit, and hid her face behind her mane. But she managed to squeak out, "But. . .they were just. . .hungry. . ."

Twilight heard Fluttershy loud and clear, and she nodded and said, "Correct, Fluttershy. They were hungry. Desperately hungry. Queen Chrysalis is the mother of the Changeling Hive, so she felt some maternal instincts to feed her children. So, she saw how much love Equestria had, and decided to take it. When she failed, she felt resentment and anger over her failure, and hatched a revenge scheme. That also failed. Ergo, there's a difference between someone who does evil just because, and someone who performs questionable actions out of desperation or retaliation."

Twilight folded her forelegs and turned to Applejack, who looked like she was shimmering with anger. "Applejack. You said that they started a war, and we should have should have finished it. Well, that's what we're doing right now. There's more than one way to finish a war. One of those ways is with a peace treaty. What's more, a proper peace treaty is a sure fire way of making sure the fighting never starts again in the future."

Applejack slammed her hoofs down hard on the arms of her throne and stood up tall on her hind legs in fury. "You think a darned peace treaty is gonna stop those vermin from attacking us again? Are you really get sit there and lie to me? To us? To Equestria? To yourself?" Applejack fell back down on all fours and said, "They're. Not. Ponies. They're monsters. I don't care if they're 'hungry'. It ain't natural and it ain't right to turn into something ya ain't and suck the love out of innocent ponies. It ain't right to kidnap my sister neither! Changelings are like them Timberwolves. You have to burn them, or they'll keep coming back. No amount of talks or pieces of paper are gonna change what they are. They're a warmongering, lying, deceiving, pile of uncivilized bugs!"

"Applejack! Queen Chrysalis is not every Changeling!" Twilight argued. "The average Changeling just wants food. They don't even need romantic love. Just standard Friendship can sustain them. They can live, get educations, and work steady jobs all over Equestria. The Crystal Heart broadcasts a background of hope and love across Equestria, which means they'd never get hungry enough to try to drain ponies. And they can take on pony forms so other ponies aren't creeped out by them. We don't have to keep fighting them-"

"They should not exist!" Applejack shouted back, "They attack our loved ones and you just wanna forgive them? We should have exterminated them! All of them! What part of 'They're evil' don't you understand, Twilight? Why do you and Celestia and Luna want to show sympathy to a race without a shred of good in them?"

"They do have good in them, Applejack," Twilight said sternly, "You just have to let go of your grudges, let them atone for what they did in a proper way, and let yourself see it."

Knock-knock-knock!

Twilight's wings sprang open and she gasped. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, that's Spike with the Ambassador right now!"

"Changeling-Pony Peace Party!" Pinkie exclaimed, tossing some confetti she got out of nowhere into the air.

"Assuming Applejack doesn't screw this up," Rainbow Dash said as she gave the farm pony the stink-eye.

Twilight quickly teleported and pushed Applejack back on her throne. "The other Princesses are counting on us, Applejack. Changelings aren't ponies, but they are just like us at heart. They deserve a chance, not to be wiped out just because they had a bad Queen. This has to work out. Who knows what this new culture has to offer us? So, I ask you, Applejack, as a friend. . ." Twilight leaned close to Applejack's face and said with fire burning in her eyes, ". . .to keep your mouth shut if you have nothing nice to say. Understand?"

Applejack didn't speak. She just glared back at Twilight with a cold stare of her own.

"Ahem," Rarity interjected, "It helps to imagine that you're talking to a pony in a very realistic Changeling costume when you're looking at them." Rarity smiled innocently, hopping that her piece of advice was helpful.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Twilight quickly teleported back to her throne. "Enter," she called out in an official royal sounding tone.

The doors opened, and Spike stepped into the room. "Announcing, the Ambassador from the Changeling Hive, Lord Cocoon," the young dragon declare.

In walked a Changeling about the size of an average pony. His insect-like wings were slightly larger than normal, and he wore thin, bronze armor, which was oxidized to a shade of green. Like Chrysalis, he had a torn up mane and tail, with some holes in them. He also had a short gnarled horn on his forehead. The ambassador had a medium sized black box balanced on his back.

"Greetings, Elements of Harmony," Lord Cocoon said, his face not betraying any emotion, "I believe we all know why were are here together at this time and place. And as you can see, I come bearing gifts which you will find very much rewarding." He gently set the box down on the ground, and then focused his attention on the six ponies. "I am very much looking forward to this. I'm sure we are all more than willing to finally forget about how you sent hundreds of starving creatures flying through the air."

Applejack ground her teeth so hard it was almost audible.

Twilight cleared her throat and struck a regal pose. "Ahem, with all do respect, your Lordship, surely you understand that we were being invaded by an enemy army who seeked to conquer us. Surely it is expected of a nation to fight back when war is declared upon us."

Lord Cocoon nodded his head at Twilight a few time, and then moved his mouth into a jovial smile. "Ah. . .but I kid, I kid, Your Majesty. Surely we were at fault due to some lack of communication on our Queen's part. My previous statement was meant to lighten the mood. Changeling humor, you understand."

Pinkie Pie instantly began to burst out laughing, and her laughter sounded compeltley genuine. "Oooooh! I get it! I just got hte joke! Ha-ha-ha-haaa! That was funny!"

"Their slime on our land is not a joke," Applejack said aloud with her hat over her eyes.

"Hmmm?" Lord Cocoon said as he glanced at Applejack.

"Pay no attention to her!" Twilight shouted nervously, "She just doesn't understand the benefits that could arise from our two nations working together!"

"Yeah, having your sister kidnapped by you bugs can do that," Applejack said bitterly.

"Applejack, please," Twilight said sternly, panic beginning to set in.

"Oh no, Your Majesty," Lord Cocoon said as he held up a hole filled hoof, "If this mare wishes to blame all of us for the actions of one foolish Queen, who has gone through a major attitude adjustment that we. . .persuaded. . .her to go through, then so be it. Her loss."

Applejack's head shot straight up. "So now you're making me out to be the villain here?" she said accusingly.

"Applejack, you promised-" Twilight began.

"Ah didn't promise nothing!" Applejack shouted. She jumped up and walked over to look at Lord Cocoon face to face. "Let me tell you something, bug. When your filthy Queen was pretending to be Cadence, and Twilight was trying to warn us and we didn't listen, do you know what that did to me? We'll Ah'll tell ya. It took away all the confidence Ah had in myself that Ah was a good friend. You Changelings made me look like a sucker and fool. Ah lost my title as the most dependable of ponies that day, and Ah lost it because of you!"

Lord Cocoon stared at Applejack with a clam, cool, and collected facial expression. Applejack looked at that face, and the hatred she had for his kind grew. She crouched down low and said, "And now, you deceiving liars wanna move in and spread your filth all over our land. After what you did to me, mah friends, and mah family!? I'LL SEND YOUR BUG EYED FACE TO TARTARUS RIGHT NOW!"

Applejack sprang and tackled Lord Cocoon to the ground. The Changeling truly did not expect Applejack to actually attack him, so he was completely caught off guard. As Applejack threw punches at the Ambassador, she could hear the voices of her friends behind her.

"Eeep! Oh no, oh no, oh no!"

"T-T-Twilight, do something! Stop this uncouth tussle!"

"I-I-Oh-Um-Wha-She-I CAN'T THINK!"

"Applejack? Ambassador guy? Aaaaah, this is not awesome!"

"Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh; this is just like when Daring Doo was fighting those bad guys and we were all too surprised and shocked to do anything until the fight was over!"

Applejack's strong farmer's body had the Changeling pinned down. She then reached over, grabbed the black gift box, and slammed it against the Changeling's head. The box crumbled, and there was the sound of glass breaking.

Suddenly, Applejack was immobilised, and levitated off of the terrified Changeling Ambassador. Twilight dropped Applejack to the floor in front of her, and then looked over at Lord Cocoon. The Princess was completely mortified.

Lord Cocoon got up shakily, and glared with wide eyed amazement at the ponies in the room. "We're quite through!" he gasped out, and he ran past a very scared looking Spike and straight out the door.

The room was completely silent. Then, all eyes fell upon Applejack. The farm pony didn't flinch. She just kept looking straight ahead and out the door the Changeling had fled through.

"How could you?" Twilight asked softly. It wasn't in anger, or fear, or grief. It was said in near monotone, as if by someone in shock.

"Ah don't care what you girls say, think, or feel; because Ah know Ah did the right thing," Applejack said sternly, "After everything those Changelings have done to me and to the land of Equestria, Ah'll do whatever I can to make sure they are not welcome here."

Twilight looked around at her friends. Fluttershy was trembling and pale. Rarity's jaw was dropped in shock. Rainbow Dash looked very mad, but was controlling her anger. Pinkie Pie's mane was flat. Spike was slowly edging towards the door.

Then, Twilight turned to Applejack and said, "I can't change your heart, Applejack. Nopony can."

Twilight then got up, and walked to the smashed box. She sighed, and picked it up with her magic. The bottom flap opened by itself, and shards of glass fell out, along with a stream of an odd looking, viscous liquid. This was followed by a damped piece of parchment that fluttered out and landed right at Applejack's hooves. Curiosity led the farm pony to look down and read it.

Greetings to the ponies of Equestria.

We come as friends and in peace. In light of your moderate struggles with the disease you call "Glanders," we bring you this gift. The contents of the enclosed two-liter vial is a serum. It is a cure for all forms of the bacterium which causes Glanders-

Applejack couldn't bring herself to read further. She just stood there helplessly as her entire body began to slowly turn to ice. From the tips of her hooves to the tips of her ears.

"That ain't fair," Applejack said quietly, her hat casting a shadow over her eyes, "That ain't fair. That just ain't fair."

"The best laid plans of Changelings and Ponies...and Applejack...the small mare in the stetson hat who wanted nothing more than to see an enemy nation destroyed. Applejack, who will soon find herself as just a part of a landscape smashed by war, just a piece of the rubble, just a fragment of what blind nationalism, ethnocentrism, and xenophobia in high places has doomed her nation to. But as for the present; the true illnesses are fear, hate, revenge, blame, and forgiveness. The cure: a little more faith. An Rx off a shelf - in The Twilight Sparkle Zone."

Author's Note

References:
"I am the Night - Color Me Black"
"The Gift"
"Time Enough at Last"