Chapter 2-Foundation

Foundation:

I never wanted this.

I never wanted my parents to die.

I never wanted to work from age thirteen for thirteen hours a day in harvest when other fowls my age were playing around and making friends.

I never wanted to have to tell my little sister why she doesn’t have a mother or father.

But most of all I never wanted to have to wait here, in the waiting room of a worn down hospital to find out how sick my baby sister really is. All while being given a run around by government type ponies rather than getting straight answers from the doctors that I have known for years Like Dr. Stable and nurse Red Heart.

The rest of the family of course wanted to come too, however we can’t leave the farm completely unstaffed even with hire-ons like Thunderlane and Carrot Top picking up the slack. Goodness knows Granny and big Mac both need their rest at this time of night.

So I did something I hate to do more than anything in the world, I lied.

I told them that it was just a bad cold that would keep her out of school for a few days tops and she would be right as rain in a few days with plenty of rest.

I told them that instead of the truth, which is ever since she go that nasty cut from that piece of a shooting star that fell in our south field she has been battling a fever that makes me afraid; Not for myself but for her.

I hate lying, I hate sitting here reading the same magazine article over and over, but more than anything I hate being so gosh darn powerless.

But if there is even a snowball’s chance in Tartarus of helping my flesh and blood than I’ll endure anything, cause if there is one thing I am it’s the most reliable of ponies.

And that’s because when it comes to the important things in life, I never back down, I never give up, and I walk to the end of the earth if I have to; all to see to it the job gets done.

“Number fifty six, Number fifty six, the Government reprehensive will now meet with you, once again the Government representative Twilight Sparkle will now meet with you.”

My name is Applejack and I’m about to get some answers.

……………….

Slumping out of her chair a orange earth pony mare with a purposeful look in her eyes stares that the slip of paper that she was given when she asked to meet the pony ‘in charge’. Satisfied that she is indeed the pony whose turn it is, she picks up her hat, a worn brown Stetson and parks it on her head with a sigh “Give me a Break…….”

The orange well-built farm mare slips the hat on her head like she had done it a million times before, her dark green eyes narrowing as she glances towards the double doors in front of her that lead to the inner labyrinth of the hospital. Her golden blond mane thought obscured by her hat and untrimmed still reflects light with a golden hue as even her blond tail seems to reflect an inner light. Her Cutie mark, that of a trio of Apples, marks her as not only a farmer, but a member of the illustrious Apple family, a family known throughout Equestria for their strength, endurance and adamant personalities that could move the earth itself with their sheer stubbornness.

Narrowing her gaze towards the double doors that she was told to enter when her number was called the mare paces forward. Yet despite her eagerness and endless frustration at the night’s events the mare manages a leisurely gait towards the door as if her sister’s life didn’t currently hang in the balance. Pushing aside the double doors with a glancing shove from her hoof, Applejack walks inside to the hospital proper to see an unfamiliar face if ever there was one. A purple unicorn mare with a cutie mark of a sparkling purple star whose demeanor and behavior practically scream high class canterlot stands talking to one of the many extra doctors that were ‘reassigned’ to ponyville following the  mysterious outbreak that had affected her sister. Walking right up to the new faces in the middle of the hall Applejack clears her throat, not willing to wait any longer for bureaucratic processes to claim more of her time. Only for her voice to go ignored by the two ponies who are currently engaged in a heated conversation.

“….. and make sure that the youngest of the patients receives the best of the medicines.” The purple mare orders.

“And as I said before Mrs. Twilight.” The grey unicorn stallion with a black mane claims as he pushes up his glasses on his face. “You may have been directly assigned to this little burg by the princess. But I am a senior doctor from the RSD, who in case you didn’t realize specializes in these kinds of cases.”

“Your status doesn’t mean a thing here Doctor.” The unicorn snaps back.  “We aren’t here to progress any agendas, our only goal should be to help those ponies. So I am ordering you to get these civilians the best of the medicines from Canterlot, NO excuses.”

Countering back the doctor gets up in the mare’s face as he too refuses to give any ground “Now who is trying to pull rank? As I already tried to explain to you Mrs. Twilight, we need to conserve the best of the medicines if the situation changes. Rationing the rarest of the medicines and only using them when absolutely necessary should be our policy not doling them out on every John Doe.”

Before the unicorn mare can retort she is cut off by another loud throat clearing noise that draws their attention to the orange mare that has seemingly appeared out of thin air. “Pardon me there, DOC.” Her voice dripping with enmity “But from what ah was gatherin there, yawl were talkin about denying yer patients, patients like my sister, the treatment they need, cause of some issues of supply an demand?”

The doctor sneers at her allegations. “Humph I wouldn’t expect some…. Some…. What is it you do for a living Mrs…….”

“Applejack, Mah name’s Applejack and yes, Ah’m a farmer.”

The doctor grins evilly “oh yes a farmer, forgive my impudence Mrs. Applejack but I wouldn’t expect a lowly farmer to understand the nuances of advanced medicine. You see….”

“Ah don’t need to see to tell a snake from a sheep, Mr. ‘I’m too good for other ponies’.” A Sly grin crosses the mare’s face “Ah just thought the ‘lowly farmers’ and common ponies of this town would feel about yer ‘rationing’ of medicines when their loved ones are sick.”

The doctor’s pale coat turns even paler “That would be a gross breach of contract to reveal that information. I’ll have you know that violating the nation of Equestrian’s secrets can elicit a penalty ranging anywhere from….”

“That ‘lowly farmer’ is right Doctor Healthy Flesh.” The Purple unicorn interrupts. “And you were right about one thing, I am pulling rank. Celestia the monarch of the sun put me in charge of the patients in this town and if I even hear a whisper that you are denying any one of them the best treatment that you have to offer, you will be cleaning medical supplies by hoof for the rest of your life.”

The previously overconfident doctor visibly blanches at this threat, fumbling with any proper response. “But… I was….. Special clearance…….. And…….”

“Do I make myself clear?” The unicorn finishes

Grimacing at the trap he has now found himself in the doctor suppresses his rising anger as he hides behind his own indifference. “Fine Mrs. Twilight, since you are pulling your rank, I guess I have no choice but to follow your lead….. For now.” The doctor backs of as he begins to trot away from the purple mare. “But if we run out of supplies before the day ends don’t come crying to me!” The doctor unceremoniously flees the scene of his defeat allowing the purple mare the space to breathe.

“Whew. That was exhausting;” Twilight clutches her chest as she begins to breathe freely for the first time that night. “I have to deal with dozens of concerned family members and now this. Forgive me for the ‘esteemed doctor’s’ behavior.” The Purple mare extends her hoof to the orange mare in front of her “my name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“Twilight Sparkle?” The orange farmer asks as she cocks her eye at the mare before her. “Are you sure it ain't Twibright Sparkle?”

“Urgh?! Why do ponies here always think that?” Twilight asks with a twinge of frustration “Is there a Twibright Sparkle here in ponyville or something? I swear you’re like the fourth pony to make that mistake.” The unicorn states with her hoof still outstretched a small smile crossing her face demonstrating the fact that she is pleased to meet a new pony. “No, my name is Twilight Sparkle, I’m the newly appointed princess representative here in ponyville.”

Looking suspiciously at the hoof for a few seconds, Applejack swallows her suspicions of the unicorn before her and shakes hooves in a dignified and proper way “Applejack, Proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres.”

Breaking their hoof shake, the unicorn puts on her best face as she tries to make a positive impression on the embittered pony in front of her. “Well Applejack let me be the first to assure you that whoever your friend, coworker, family member, or significant other is, they are currently receiving the best treatment in Equestria right now.” Twilight walks down the hall as the farmer mare follows on her heals. “The moment that we heard about this epidemic that is going around, we allocated spare doctors and medical supplies from canterlot to better face the problem at hand. I can assure you that we have everything under control.”

“Everythin under control hunh….” The orange mare muses “that’s pretty good considerin yawl arrived not a few hours ago.”

Twilight beams with pride at this compliment as she trots down the hall “what can I say? We move fast when our subjects are in danger. It’s one of the great things about Equestrian healthcare.”

 “……And yawl received news of this here, epidemic when was it? Like I said yawl moved awful fast.”

Twilight’s pace slows to a crawl as she struggles to properly answer the Orange mare’s accusations “He He….. well we received news from scrying pool sometime this morning so we just got everything together and rushed over here as soon as we heard how bad it was here in Ponyville.”

“That’s mighty impressive!” Applejack says with mock gratitude “Ah mean, the day that an outbreak happens yawl just happen to respond in under half a day. I mean I knew that Canterlot doctors were fast but whoee, that’s really fast.”

The purple mare stops in her tracks as she begins to break down in the face of Applejack’s piercing insinuations. “Well…. That is…….. Canterlot doctors are just better! I mean it is the capital of our kingdom for a reason after all!”

Applejack giver the purple filly a deadpan stare, it is obvious as the hat on her head that she is not buying any of what Twilight is selling “Shug, let’s quit the act and stop talking turkey like this.”

“What?” the shock on Twilight’s face is readily apparent “I mean whatever do you mean Applejack? I’m not talking like a turkey! Turkey gobble, I’m a pony not a turkey! I know let’s check on your sister, that will dissuade any further questions! I mean that will…...”

Applejack rolls her eyes not knowing what is worse, the mare’s blatant lies or the fact that the mare in front of her was about as bad as a liar as she was. “Yawl are a terrible liar and an even worse pony if you can keep the truth from us common ponies like we’re stupid or somthin.” In the wake of the unicorn’s weakness Applejack decides to push the advantage of her intimidating presence. “Now hurry up an spill! What’s’ really goin on round here! Ah’m a tax payin citizen and ah reserve the right ta know what’s’ goin on around here!”

“What!? I’m not a bad pony…….” The mare states as she is mentally backed into a corner, flashbacks of her failure with the Red Stone demolishing her self-esteem as she tries to repel the Farmers’ sharpened words.

The sudden meek response of the unicorn in front of her makes the farmer realize painfully that she might have pushed the mare too hard. With a steady deep breath farm mare quiets her growing rage as she prepares to discuss things like a civil pony. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to insult ya none. I’m sure that yawl are at least better than that snobby doctor I just met. However it’s clear as the blue sky that Yawl are hiding somthin from the common ponies, and that somthin is currently threatening the life of my little sister.”

“H-h-h-hiding something?” Twilight asks fearful of discovery “What do you mean?”

Raising her voice ever so slightly, just enough to display urgency the orange mare counters “I mean this whole setup here! First off all tha normal doctors are replaced with these here shifty canterlot types, and now the entire hospital is guarded by the soldiers and all the medical staff that weren’t kicked ta the curb are as silent as a mouse in the cupboard.”

Twilight attempts to counter with a well-rehearsed bluff “That is because the princess is very worried that this infection will spread to others in the town. She’s just making all the efforts necessary to insure that the ponies in the town are safe.”

“And about all that sudden help.” Raising her voice even more. “An infection breaks out infecting tens of ponies in a single day, directly after that little light show in canterlot.  And not a day later doctors arrive even before news reaches canterlot ready to ‘help out’.”

Twilight literally backs herself up against the wall as her arguments fall completely apart. “Well… that’s…..”

“AND FINALLY!” Applejack practically shouts “The Apple Family is known for being as strong as the earth itself. I got the pony pox when I was six and I was back up on my hooves in under two days. This ‘little pandemic’ must be something deathly powerful if it can make one of our kin this sick.”

Applejack presses her muzzle directly up to Twilight pressing her further into the wall “Now I’ll give ya one chance ta come clean. What is mah sister, my flesh and blood really sick with, what crazy magic ya unicorns conjured up is responsible for this, and just what in the hay are you covering up. Talk darn you or so help me…..”

Twilight babbles incoherently at Applejack’s scathingly accurate observations, as she struggles to find a story that will convince the orange mare of her good intentions. Perhaps had the situation gone on a brief few seconds longer, Twilight might have spilled the beans on everything and things would have been different. However just as the purple mare was beginning to crack the orange farm mare was sent falling back on her flank by a sudden blow. Her Stetson flying in the air as the but of a guard pony’s spear comes to rest on Applejack’s chest pinning her to the ground.

Dressed in the armor of the solar guard a pegasus mare with a mane of various yellows stands over the orange pegisi glaring down at her with piercing yellow eyes. Her helm though obscuring most of her face cannot obscure her hostile gaze or hide her light green coat well brushed and maintained even after long hours. Her cutie make that of a lightning bolt surrounded by stars stands as a testament to her speed and suddenness of her arrivals as well as her powerful blows. With flair the mare flips the spear around pointing the business end of her spear at the orange mare's’ throat in a display of her power over the hostile threat beneath her.  “I’d keep your hooves off of the princess’s personal protégé if I were you. The penalty for assaulting nobility is usually one hundred hours community service minimum, and that’s if you’re lucky.” Turning her head to face the recovering purple mare “Sorry for not arriving sooner Mam, I’ll get rid of this troublemaker now.”

Straightening her head out and now able to think clearly after being mentally and physically backed into a corner Twilight rises to her hooves. “No…. that’s not necessary Sergeant Lightning Dust. I can handle this from here.”

The solder chafes at this, glaring at the orange mare with an even more hostile stare “Permission to speak freely Mam? This mare is a troublemaker who just assaulted you; she is an obvious threat and needs to at least be taught a lesson against assaulting ponies in clear view of the guard.”

“……. Dismissed Sergeant”

“But Mam!” Lightning Protests.

 Walking over to the orange mare lying on the ground Twilight begins to speak “this mare is just concerned about her family she’s just distressed and worried.” Twilight pushes the spear away from applejack’s chest with a brief push of her magic “you can understand how that feels can’t you?”

Looking at the orange mare with a slightly softer look in her eyes the mare suddenly breaks out in a snide smirk “looks like you get off easy, farmer. It’s a good thing the princess’s protégé is a kinder mare than me.” Removing her spear from Applejack’s’ chest she returns to her normal guard pose. “However don’t let it get to your head, I’ve got my eye on you and this spear isn’t for show.” Saluting sharply to the purple mare the Pegasus dismisses herself, her cutie mark rippling along with her toned flank as she trots out of sight.

Applejack rubs her throat where the point of a spear was a few moments ago as she rises to her hooves. Internally she thanks her lucky stars that Twilight was forgiving like that. As much as she hated to admit it that guard was right, that was far too out of character for her to just back a mare into a wall simply because she was being lied to. Just as she is about to apologize to the purple mare for her behavior and thank her she is cut off by an apology, from the mare she just offended, to her.

“Sorry about that.” The unicorn states “Lightning Dust is a good soldier and she means well despite her demeanor, she was just trying to do her job.” The unicorn lifting the orange mare’s Stetson off the ground as she presents the hat as a peace offering to the orange farmer.

Picking up the Stetson in her grip the mare puts it on her head “thank ya kindly Twilight.”

“Don’t mention it Applejack.” The purple mare gives a warm smile “Forgiving others is a part of life. I just hope that you can forgive me….” The mare lowers her head in shame rubbing her arm “You see…..  You are right Applejack; I am hiding something from you about what is going on, something that I can’t tell you about. No matter what.”

“What?!” the farm pony is surprised at the mare’s sudden confession. She expected after that display of her authority, that she would cling to her story like a captain clings to their sinking ship. Instead the purple unicorn in front of her came out and openly confessed to lying, even when she could have easily gotten away with it.

 “But I promise you Applejack, your sister will be fine. I give you my word, not the word of a government employee, that she will be fine.” Twilight crosses her heart “That is all that you need to know right now.”

Stunned by the sudden truthfulness of a mare she has just met, a mare she has wronged, the orange mare stares into Twilight’s eyes, searching for a confirmation of her words. She wants to believe the promise of the purple mare she’s’ just met; she wants to blindly believe that she sister will recover. However years of being able to tell a fib from the kernel of truth and the uncertain look in the unicorn’s eyes tell her all she needs to know.

“Horse Apples.”

“What?”

“Ah said Horse apples Twi.” The orange mare states “Twi it may not be the best policy in every situation I know, but I am a mare that needs the truth. Ah can’t just stomach yawl telling me what I want ta hear just cause I’m concerned about my sis. Ah don’t want some government horse apples, I want the truth, no matter how painful it might be. And if yawl respect me than you’ll give me it.”

Applejack looks into her eyes “Do you have a sibling?” she asks almost pleadingly.

“Yes….. Yes applejack I do.” The mare replies.

“Then yawl understand that I need to hear how my sister is doing, an what’s goin on with her, not some false assurances. Please.”

They both stare each other down for a few seconds neither one willing to break under the pressure of the other’s argument. However eventually Twilight caves in to Applejack’s demands, sighing deeply as she prepares to become the bearer of bad news. “Your sister’s name is Apple Bloom, correct?”

The look of sadness in the purple mare’s eyes almost stops Applejack’s heart cold in its tracks “Ye…. Yes.”

“Your sister…… like all the other ponies here has experienced an adverse reaction to a magical substance that is a matter of national security.” She breathes in deeply as she prepares to deliver more bad news “Her condition was….. bad…… so we, in order to better treat her……”

“Yea? Spit it out!” the orange mare wrings her hat in dreadful anticipation.

Twilight fumbles with the next words choosing every one carefully “So…. We put her into a magical induced coma in order to better treat her.”

Applejack’s heart stops. All her vital reactions slow as her mind tries to vaguely comprehend the magnitude of what she has just heard. The first stable thought that passes through her mind is one that chills her soul down to the bone ‘my sister may never wake up again’.

As if sensing the mare’s internal turmoil the Purple mare rambles on “It’s only a temporary procedure Applejack!” she shakes the shocked mare with her hooves to bring her out of her stupor “She is fine your sister is fine! We just put her into a deep sleep to slow her conditions until we acquire more medicine for the patients to better treat their conditions. Once she is better stabilized we can work on bringing her out of the coma, all we need is a few more pounds of poison joke in order produce more of the medicine, I promise.”

At the mention of this applejack’s shocked mind immediately snaps back into the conscious world “Then we Just need more of that plant?!? If we had more of that poison joke plant, mah sister would be okay?”

Now it is Twilight being shaken by a fanatic Applejack her head being shaken back and forth by Applejack’s sudden display of strength. “Y-y-y-yes A-a-a-a-applejack, stop sha-a-a-a-aking, m-m-m-me-e-e-e.”

The orange mare relinquishes her hold “That’s better and yes Applejack the poison Joke is a light blue flower with dark blue marking that has many mysterious powers.” Twilight repeats as if reading the response from a textbook “If brewed properly the transformative nature of the plant can be made to better combat changes in magical auras. Once we gather more of it we can begin better treating the patients.”

Applejacks’ body surges with hope. “Then we just need to gather more of that there flower! I’ll gather up members of the town and we’ll gather it lickedy split!”

Applejack is about to turn and run out but is stopped by Twilight’s telekinetic aura grabbing her by the tail “NO! Applejack, you can’t just go running around rallying up the town to search for Poison joke, the flower is rare and only found consistently in a few difficult to reach places.”

“Like where?” the pleading mare asks “where can it be found? I’ll go get it, you name the place an I’ll be there!”

Twilight gulps “W-Well applejack the nearest place, that is the place that you could conceivably reach within the shortest amount of time is……”

“Yea? Spit it out filly!”

The unicorn gulps again “the Everfree Forest.”

Applejack’s blood runs cold “the Everfree forest?” The mare asks with a twinge of fear “Like the same everfree forest that is filled with quicksand, and timberwolves and poisonous plants and…. “Applejack nearly passes out as she mentions the next part “Manticore?”

“Yes.” Twilight nods her head as she prepares to deliver even more bad news. “That’s why I didn’t want you rallying up the town’s ponies or tell them that we need more of the flower to treat their loved ones. The Everfree is a dangerous place Applejack. For Any pony that is not completely prepared, it would be suicide to walk into its depths, especially now that night has fallen.”

Applejack falls to her flank in despair as tears begin to fall gently from her eyes. In an act of almost divine irony the farm mare was told her sister was dying and shown the smallest light of hope, only for it to be extinguished before her very eyes. It is a level of despair that few should ever know.

“I’m sorry Applejack.” Twilight apologies knowing her words are an empty balm for the mare in front of her. “I’ve already assigned a contingent of the guard to scour the forest in the morning to search for more Poison Joke. Until then you should go home and get some rest.”

“So…. So there’s nothing that I can do?” the mare sobs “there’s no medicine for mah sister?”

Twilight nods “It’s why the flower is in so high demand, it’s almost impossible to cultivate the plant in natural settings and due the great demand across Equestria we have almost none of it here. We have to ration what little of it we have for the most high profile cases, and those who need it the most.”

Applejack’s ears perk up at this the sorrow in her blood begins to take on a new form that of anger. “Those who need it the most hunh? So my sister who’s in a coma right now doesn’t fit on that list?” Applejack asks menacingly.

“What? No Applejack of course all patients get the best treatment it’s just some ponies need more treatment than others and….”

 “So mah little sister isn’t a ‘high enough’ priority for her to get the best treatment?” Applejack growls.

“What? No applejack that’s not what I…”

Backing Twilight into a corner Applejack gets into her face with all the aggression of a raging bull is it because we’re ‘lowly farmers’ that we ain't getting the proper care!?  We all get pushed off to the side while you the fancy government unicorn gets to decide who gets treated while others like my sister are dying!”

The Unicorn begins to visibly cry at this point “A-Applejack, Please….”

“Shut UP!” Applejack screams as she stomps her hoof into the ground “Ah know yer type Sparkle. Yer just another callous stuck up unicorn from canterlot that thinks that she can tell all us ‘common folk’ what to do cause she’s naturally better than anypony else!!”

Twilight falls to the floor under, her legs losing their support under Applejack‘s allegations “A-A-Ap-p-p-plejack……”

 “Does playing with our lives give ya a thrill? Does it?!?”

Suddenly for the second time that night Applejack’s rant is cut off by the well placed but of a spear that knocks her flat on her back. Standing in front of the sobbing mare Lightning dust stares the farmer down with anger equal in intensity to the anger Applejack had displayed moments prior.  “Mam, you may have told me to let you handle this, but from the look of it you were handling it poorly.”

Taking a menacing step towards the orange mare she strikes an aggressive pose, her wings unfurled as if she were prepared to strike the farmer down at a moment’s notice. “Now you, the farmer with an attitude problem. Harming a government official is a serious crime as I stated before. So if you are aiming to start a fight then I can oblige you, if not then get the buck out of here, and leave Miss Twilight alone.”

Raising from the floor the orange mare straightens her Stetson as she stares at the Solar guard. “That’s fine then, cause ah was just leavin.”

Turning towards the double doors that lead to the lobby Applejack walks towards them with the same controlled gait at which she entered as she prepares to leave the hospital behind. However just as she reaches the door she turns her head to look behind her, her eyes locking with the Purple unicorn mare whose eyes are still dripping with tears. Then not willing to stay a second longer Applejack walks out the swinging door leaving behind the scene of her shame.

……………………………………….

“STUPID STUPID APPLEJACK! Why in Tartarus did ya go an do that!” the farm mare berates herself as she walks the long dirt road home; The cold night air doing nothing to alleviate her fiery anger at herself and the world.

“She was just tryin ta help and what do yawl do? Ya blow up in her face not once but twice!” She bucks a tree off to her side casing the wood on it to splitter and crack from the force of her blow.

“Shoot ya even forgot to give her that piece of the shootin star ya got from Applebloom!” fumbling through her apple emblem saddle bag, she produces a small black stone with jagged edges that seem to glisten in the moonlight.

“Maybe had ya given it ta the fancy doctors then they might have been able to help her better, but no! Ya plumb forgot on account that ya have pa’s fiery temper!” Putting the stone back in her bag the mare walks along the fence posts that border her property slightly relieved that she has finally reached home. The mare sighs heavily as she trots along the path leading up to her house, utterly disgusted in herself as she slowly stews in her own guilt and self-loathing.

Finally after what seems like days she reaches the gate to her home, the sign ‘Sweet Apple Acers’ clearly visible in the moonlight. “Well home sweet home as they say.” Suddenly Applejack’s hoof stops mid stride as she realizes that she returned without Applebloom her thoughts reeling as she realizes that she is the one who will have to explain why she hadn’t come home with her. She knows now she will have to explain to the other members of the loving family why her sister has neglected to return home with her.

Applejack collapses in the dust, face dripping with tears as she finally begins to release all the pent up anger and sadness that had been brewing in her. Applejack cries, she cries for her losing herself to her anger, she cries for lying to her family, but most of all she cries to herself for once again being so powerless in a hostile world that seems dead set to destroy her. She sobs in the dust as she finally raises her eyes to the stars above her the brightest ones that are still clear enough to be seen in the glow of the moonlight. “Ah’ve already lost mah parents! Do ya want mah sister now? What’s next?!? Mah farm? Big mac? Granny? mah friends?”

Applejack screams up to the sky “What more da ya what from me?!?” Applejack snivels as she is greeted to her questions by the same thing she has always been greeted with whenever she asked life why it could be so unfair, silence.

Wiping her eyes with her hoof Applejack finally picks herself off the ground “heh, it’s not like I was expectin an answer or nothing…..” adjusting her Stetson applejack prepares to walk through the door when for the first time in her life she is answered.

………To be strong.

All the hairs on applejack’s neck stand on end as a mysterious voice seems to emanate from nowhere. Her body freezing in place “what!?”

The world, and the ponies in it, wish for you to be strong. That is why tragedy befalls you mare of apples.

Spinning around the mare tries to locate the source of the voice that has decided to speak to her. “Who’s there? Come out where ah can see ya!”

You call yourself the most trustworthy of ponies and you are correct for you are a foundation upon which others can base themselves. You are a pillar of strength in hard times, and that is why trouble seems drawn to you, because you alone can endure it.

The mare wheels around again backing up past the gate to her property, confusion taking the place of the surprise that dominated before. “Who’s there? What are ya doing on mah land?”

If you wish to be the kind of pony that others can depend upon you must be like a rock in a stream, unmoving to the trials the world throws at you.

The mare spins around and around, the source of the voice seeming to elude her as she tries to find the source of the wisdom seemingly coming from nowhere. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

You must find your own resolve and found yourself on the rock that is your resolve. Only then will you possess a firm foundation which cannot be moved in times of trouble. Only then will you be strong.

“AH said who’s WOAH!” the mare shouts out, succumbing to her circling around herself as she falls flat on her flank in the dust. Scrambling around on the ground in surprise, her saddle bags fly open from the force of her fall sending her personal effects skidding across the ground. Spitting out the dust from the road for a few moments Applejack jumps to her hooves again her face a mask of anger and confusion.

“Ah won’t ask again! Who’s there?!” Yet once again as before the mare is only greeted by silence.

“Now I may be a patient mare but I won’t take being made a fool of, I’ve had a rough day so yawl come out NOW!” silence again.

“…..hello?” once again only silence greets applejack as her pulse returns to normal.

Applejack breathes out a nervous sigh of relief “Heh, I really be plumb tired. Now I’m hearin things when no pony’s there.” Applejack takes one last look around seeing the various items that have spilled out of her saddle pack lying on the ground. Apples for a snack, Applebloom’s medical records, and various pieces of garbage litter the ground beneath her.

“Heh, look at me chasing after voices in the dark like this, ah must be crazy.” Applejack states to herself as she begins to pick up her lost items.

Finally she manages to pick out the last of the items of the ground, the strange piece of stone Applebloom discovered as she holds it cautiously in her hoof “seriously ah may even need ta get mahself...… checked out….” The stone in Applejack’s hoof, as if possessing a life of its own slowly moves on her hoof inching towards the path lying in front of her. And looking up from her hoof Applejack can clearly see the direction the path leads in, the Everfree Forest. Yet even with the dark forest in front of her the stone moving on her palm seems to be pointing unflinchingly towards the path ahead of the mare without wavering in the slightest.

‘The Everfree is a dangerous place Applejack.’ Twilight’s voice courses though Applejack’s head ‘For Any pony that is not completely prepared, it would be suicide to walk into its depths, especially now that night has fallen.’

Looking behind her Applejack glimpses for the first time the fork in the road that she had never noticed before. One path, the road to sweet apple aches, the road home. There she can close her eyes for a moment and forget the tragedy of the world around her. There she can wait for her sister to hopefully recover while she lies safe in her bed.

And on the other road, the path to the Everfree, a forest filled to the brim with hundreds and hundreds of the most vicious monsters known to Ponykind. But at the same time it is the path that holds a chance, the smallest of chances, of helping her sister recover, of seeing her sisters’ smiling face once more.

Applejack looks back and forth between the two paths each one holding possibilities that could decide her fate. “Give me a Break……..” Applejack straightens her Stetson on her head “Like there was any choice in the matter anyways.” Mustering up all her courage and resolve applejack stuffs the stone back in her pack and bolts at the fastest speed that she can manage down the path leading straight into the heart of The Everfree Forest.

…………………………….

At the same time walking down the hallways of the nearly empty hospital, Twilight sparkle is faring little better than she was two hours ago. Her mane is disheveled, her eyes bloodshot, her body jittery from several dozen cups of coffee and her attitude sour from a long day’s work, far past her bedtime. Her sour attitude not just the result of a long day but also the fact that the hospital will soon run out of the much needed medical supplies without a resupply by next day’s end. Yet these things are far easier to deal with than the still lingering words left by a mare she might have called friend.

‘Yawl are a terrible liar and an even worse pony if you can keep the truth from us common ponies like we’re stupid or somthin’

“No, I don’t think I’m better than any pony.” The purple mare tries to assure herself  “I didn’t mean to lie; I just had to, for the Princess.”

‘Ah know yer type Sparkle Yer just another callous stuck up unicorn from canterlot that thinks that she can tell all us ‘common folk’ what to do cause she’s naturally better than anypony else.’

“NO! I’m not a bad pony! I’m just……. Just trying my best to help every pony that I can…..”

‘Does playing with our lives give ya a thrill? Does it?!?’

Finally Twilight sparkle has had enough and with a single deft blow she slams her head into the wall in front of her. Her head throbs from the impact however for the price of being able to purge her mind of the infecting thoughts, it was well worth it.

“Ms.?” A nearby doctor walks up to the disturbed mare “Are you okay?”

Waving her hoof in an assuring fashion the unicorn responds “I’m fine nurse Fair Weather, just a little distracted. You can carry on now.”

“As you say milady.” The nurse bows and without another word walks off.

Finally able to breathe again Twilight stares in her reflection in the glass window to her side and is greeted by her horrid reflection. “Eek. No wonder the nurse asked if I was okay. I look worse than the time my brother told me that changelings laid their eggs in pony’s stomachs while they slept.” Twilight chuckles as she remembers the panic she instilled in the castle when she, a twelve year old filly, triggered the emergency wards and locked down the palace under the guise that changelings were infiltrating canterlot.

Conjuring up a steady glow of her magic the adept magi straightens her mane, clears the bang from under her eyes and soothes her rumpled coat as she grooms herself after a stressful day. Finally after five minutes her reflection is back to her good old self. Twilight smiles that at least one thing has gone right today. “Okay, Twilight focus. There are still patients who need your amazing supervision skills. Get it together.” Recalling an exercise taught to her by Celestia, twilight raises her hoof to her chest and breathes in. As she slowly extends her hoof she breathes out, falling into a steady, relaxing rhythm.

Breathe in

Breathe out

Breathe in

Breathe out

Breathe in

Breathe o- BOOM!

Before the mare can even respond she is bowled over flat on her back by a pink torpedo that pops out of nowhere. “HI THERE! I’M PINKIE PIE!”

“Guhhh!” Twilight screams in terror as she thinks of calling for backup to protect her fragile body from further assault.

 However much to Twilight's’ apparent relief the mare standing on top of her seems to be anything but a threat. Her cotton candy pink coat, silky smooth to the touch seems to be wilder and haphazard as a fox in a hen house. While her matching Pink mane, so wild and curled that Twilight believes that it has never been brushed a day in her life, bobs up and down with every single movement the pony makes. Her Cutie mark, that of a trio of balloons designate her as some kind of ‘super-duper party pony’ informing any pony that stares at her flank that her goal in life is to have a blast. Yet the earth pony mare’s most distinguishing feature is her smile, a broad cheerful and brutally honest that says to the world “I am genuinely happy just to be alive, and there’s nothing you can do to take that away.”

However even Twilight’s razor sharp mind is having trouble thinking while the pink mare above her rants on with the speed and careful foresight of a summer thunderstorm.

“Oh my gosh, are you okay, not from the flying tackle to the ground but from the saddies that you were going through. I was bouncing in the cool night air when my pinkie sense told me that some pony was feeling crummy. My pinkie sense is always right and it told me that you were feeling crummy so I WOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHed right on over to cheer you up because I’m pinkie and I love to see ponies smile on the inside and on the outside. And not on the inside in the literal sense because I got in real trouble for that when I tried to swallow a pair of dentures.  What I really mean I want my smiles to come from the heart because if you aren’t smiling in your heart then you aren’t smiling at all. So annnnnnyyyyyyyways are you smiling in your heart?

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.” Twilight’s one in a million genius mind falls to pieces as she tries to comprehend what the pink disaster is saying “I’m sorry, can you go back to the part where you said that you swallowed a pair of dentures.”

“YEEPERS! I certainly did, you see old mr Flanagan was having a ‘I got a new pair of dentures party’ so I decided to try and swallow a pair of those chattering dentures that are SO funny so that when I broke out into a musical number I could open my mouth and they would be sitting on my tongue! That would have been a riot! But it actually turned into a riot when the chattering dentures got a taste for pony blood and went on a rampage of death. Cause that’s what I do I throw parties for all the ponies of ponyville, HEY you may be able to help me out with something mrs. ‘I’m not sad anymore’.”

“uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh.”

“Come on it's real simple!” Pulling out a magnifying glass from her hair the mare scours the surrounding room with the precision of an ace detective in a dime store novel. “My pinkie sense told me that there’s a new pony in town! And not a new pony in the sense of all the guards and doctors that are here to treat all the sick ponies cause I already threw them a party with lots of cake!”

‘hummmmm so that’s why the entire break room was covered in frosting. And silly me I thought it was a prank to spite me. Instead it was just an out of control hyperactive party machine.’ Twilight muses cynically.

Leaning in as close as physics will allow the pony puts her magnifying glass directly up to twilight’s muzzle. “So have you seen any new pony around here? Is she hiding from me? I just want to throw her a party? Why is she hiding from me?!”

‘I can think of half a dozen reasons why a pony would be hiding from you’ clearing her throat Twilight responds “well I don’t know if you are looking for a pony that is moving here with your ‘pinkie sense’.” Twilight makes air quotes to emphasize how ridiculous it is that a pony could have a sense that could detect new ponies. “But I am a princess Representative staying here in ponyville for an extended period of time, or at least until all the patients are better and……. other business has been taken care of.”

The pink party pony’s face beams as she points at the lavender unicorn. “SOOOOOOOOOOOO you’re the new pony!”

And in the space of time of hearing those five words, Twilight sparkle, genius realizes that she has just made a terrible mistake. “Wait hold on there Pinkie!”

Pulling out no less than an entire carnival style wagon, four flippers, a pair of fake mustache glasses and a small toothless alligator from out of thin air the party pony beams with joy. “Do ya hear that gummy? A new guest for ponyville! And you know what that means!”

“no……” twilight stares in abject terror at Pinkie pie.

“That means we get to sing our patented ‘WELCOME TO PONYVILLE PARTY SONG’!” Pulling out a tuba from behind her back the party mare fills her lungs to the brim as she prepares to blow the loudest most offensive sound known to musical instruments. Thankfully however before the offending note could be blown the mouth of the pink pony finds itself zipped shut by a magical zipper, courtesy of none other than Twilight Sparkle.

“Pinkie pie was it?” Twilight asks with the level of care a bomb maker might use. “Look I know you just want to make me feel better, but this is a hospital and it’s the middle of the night! In case you didn’t know ponies are sick and need their rest and the doctors here don’t need any of your distractions!”

Unzipping her magically sealed mouth Pinkie pie continues her tirade “But you HAVE to have a party! If you don’t have a ‘welcome to ponyville party’ how will you make friends! Or eat cake? Or eat cake while making friends?!”

Twilight gapes at the pink mare “how did you…… that spell was one of my highest silencing spell and you just……”

“Come on there Grumpy Mc. Grumpy pants!” Pinkie drapes her free arm around the mare. “This your first chance to have a real pinkie pie party! Come on It’ll be fun! I’ll make sure that it’s super quiiiiiiieeeeeeeet……” Preparing to blow another note on her Tuba the brass instrument is suddenly yanked out of the pink mare’s hooves and thrown off to the side by Twilight’s telekinesis.

“NO Pinkie Pie!” the purple mare yells “No parties, no music, no….. no…… nonsense... I have an important job to do here and ponies’ lives depend upon me and the decisions that I make. The fate of Equestria does not rest on me making friends! I don’t have time for silly parties and the ponies that throw them! I can’t…… I can’t be callous to the needs of others….. not anymore.”

Pinkie Pie visibly deflates at Twilight’s sudden statement, her mane losing its ordinary bounce and luster “oh…… I see.” The mare removes the flippers and the fake mustache glasses and with a halfhearted nudge pushes the cart off screen. “I understand, you just have too many important things to waste time with silly party ponies and their silly parties.” Pinkie Pie sighs as she prepares to walk off. “I’ll leave you alone then. Sorry for bothering you…..”

Seeing the normally happy mare this distraught fills Twilight’s heart with a sense of sorrow. Yet what stings even more is the fact that once again her words have hurt a pony who was only trying their best to help. Suddenly a great idea comes to Twilight, causing a deep smile to cross her muzzle “Wait! Pinkie!”

The pink mare’s appearance visibly brightens as her hair returns to its normal fluffy appearance “Yes Twilight! Did you change your mind about the party?”

Twilight shakes her head “no Pinkie, like I said I’m very busy.”

The party pony lowers her head again “oh..…”

“But there is a pony that I know that really needs some cheering up right now.” Twilight turns over to the clock on the adjacent wall. “Well not right now because it’s in the middle of the night, but you get the idea. Her sister is really sick and I may have hurt her feelings. Could you do me a favor and cheer her up for me?”

Pinkie Pie spirit fills with happiness at the idea of cheering up a depressed pony “You bet! What’s her name?”

“Her name is Applejack, and she lives in Sweet Apple Aches. If you could go by in the morning or just whenever and cheer her up that would make me feel a whole lot better.”

Pinkie laughs at this “Silly filly, Applejack isn’t at Sweet Apple Acers right now!”

“Really?” Twilight asks with a curious expression “I thought for sure she lived at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“She does! But I just saw her running into the Everfree Forest not too long ago, so technically Applejack isn’t at Sweet Apple Acres now, she’s in the Everfree Forest!” The pink pony bops herself on the head in a cute manner that completely ignores the fearful expression covering every inch of Twilight’s face. “Silly me! I forgot the reason that I came to the hospital in the first place was to get some medical supplies for Applejack including some manticore antivenin! My pinkie sense told me I would really need it. So I whipped over here and ran into you! Funny story hunh?”

Twilight turns pale as she thinks of Applejack wandering into those cursed woods in the dead of night. “The Everfree Forest? You saw Applejack run into the Everfree Forest?”

“Yep!”

“The same perilous forest covered in head to hoof in ravenous hungry animals and various dangerous forms of flora and fauna?!”

“Yep!”

“AND YOU DIDN”T TELL ME SOONER?!?”

Pinkie rubs her hoof on her chin “Well, it’s like you said, you have all this important stuff that you are doing here, so I thought that I would be rude to interrupt you. Plus this way we get to advance the plot!”

“Just what are you…. Never mind it’s not important! Because right now Applejack has gone into the everfree forest, and it’s all my fault.” Twilight stomps the ground in an attempt to relieve the intense frustration she feels towards herself. “If only I had never told her about the poison joke flower she never would have risked her life like that! I just didn’t think that she would be foolish enough to go into the Everfree Forest at night!”

Taking in several deep breaths, Twilight manages to calm herself down and think through the situation she now finds herself in. “Calm down Twilight don’t panic, panicking won’t accomplish anything here. We need to rescue Applejack, but I sent all that was left of the royal guard to fly in supplies from Canterlot, and I can’t leave the ponies here completely unprotected especially when they could manifest a dangerous out of control stand power.” Twilight looks down the hall glancing at the royal guards stationed there, each one willing to put their lives on the line at her slightest command “And I can’t order these guards to leave their posts to go on a suicidal quest into a dangerous forest in the middle of the night! Even if I am a princess Representative, I can’t go against Princess Celestia’s orders.”

Twilight looks at the door in behind her, the door that leads out of the hospital. “And if I try to leave and find her, then I can’t lead the guard in the case of an emergency or address the public on the outbreak if it begins to leak out that this infection is more than it appears.” Twilight stands like a statue unable to move one way or another “I can’t abandon the princess’s order….. but Applejack…...”

Twilight stands still, her eyes closed in intense thought as she weighs her options flawlessly debating the pros and cons of such a vital decision. Seconds pass as twilight weighs every possible choice and decision and how it could affect not just her, but the ponies in her charge whose very lives may hang on her decision. Even pinkie is silent as she pays witness to an enormous internal battle that rages in Twilight’s Psyche.

Finally Twilight opens her eyes. “Like there was any choice in the matter anyways… I can’t abandon my task, it’s too important to fail at…”

Pinkie gasps “Twilight! You can’t mean….”

“That is why…” The purple mare continues “….I have to go as quickly as possible and save Applejack. That way no pony will die on my watch.”

The party pony’s expression changes immediately from surprise to joy as she embraces the purple unicorn in a full on bear hug. “I knew deep down you weren’t a grumpy-mcGrumpy pants!”

With a little magic and a great force of will, Twilight manages herself from the hug of the boisterous mare. “Thanks…. I think, now Pinkie I know that it is dangerous but can you guide me to the entrance of the Everfree Forest?”

“Yeppers!” The pink mare states as she pulls out a first aid box from behind her back “I already got all the medical supplies that we’ll need while you were standing there all quiet so we’re ready to go!”

“That’s great Pinkie! Now hold on.” Clenching her face into a grimace of deep concentration the lavender mare’s horn glows bright purple as an aura of magic surrounds the two ponies. All of a sudden space snaps around them as both the mares find their locale dramatically changed. Now outside the doors of the hospital proper the lavender mare looks around as she manages to make out the outline of the scary forest off in the distance. Wasting no time the two mares begin galloping off at full speed towards the forest as Twilight turns continues her open dialogue with the party pony running at full gallop next to her.  “All right once I get to the forest, I’ll go in to find Applejack. But I can’t ask you to risk your life by going with me so you can go and get help if I don’t find my way out within an hour!”

Pinkie grins at this as she keeps pace with the purple unicorn to her side, “That’s okay Twibright! I can handle my little old self! Besides I would have gone into the forest to save Applejack if you hadn’t!”

“Wow pinkie! That’s really kind of you.” The purple mare suddenly is struck by a lingering thought “Wait a second! My name’s not Twibright, it’s Twilight! You’re the fourth pony to mistake my name this night.”

The pink pony points to a white sticker on Twilight’s chest reading ‘Hello My name is Twibright Sparkle.’  “Name tag.” Pinkie says like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh.” Twilight remarks. “I see…. And I don’t suppose that……”

“It was there the whole time.”

“And you wouldn’t be so kind to….”

“Nope! I’m telling everypony I meet!”

“Then could you at least……”

“YOUR NICKNAME IS TWIBRIGHT SPARKLE FROM NOW ON!!!”

Farr off in the distance the sound of Twilight’s monumental groaning can be heard as the two mares trot as fast as they possibly can in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

……………….

“Dang nabit!” Shouting out her mounting frustrations, the angry farm-mare curses as she chips her hoof for the seventh that night on yet another sharp and pointy rock. “Why the hay did ah think that this was a good idea to just go wanderin in the forest in tha dark? Ah should’ve brought a flashlight, or a rope at least.” She muses as she walks down the overgrown and ivy filled road.

Originally driven on by courage and optimism at the thought of finding medicine for her sister, Applejack had become bogged down by the endless winding trails that meandered through the Everfree. And worse even though she had avoided several nasty creatures in her time wandering, her attempts at evading danger or just trusting her instinct had left her hopelessly lost. Now the mare, though still not bereft of hope was beginning to doubt finding her way out of the labyrinth again. “……could of at least brought my rope….”

Looking over to a nearby tree, Applejack spies the same broken branch she left fifteen minutes ago as she kicks the tree in defeat. “That settles it, ah’m lost as a pig in a cornfield. Oh why didn’t ah think this through? Now whose gonna help little Applebloom……” a roar tears through the forest shaving the mare to the core “…. Whose gonna help me?” The mare hangs her head in defeat at her current situation.

However just as quickly the mare snaps her head back up slapping herself in the face with her hoof “Snap out OF it filly! Yer an Apple and Apples never quit. This ain't no time fer doubtin yerself, now focus. All you gotta do is find a blue flower with blue markings. That shouldn't be too hard in a forest now shape up!” A sudden burst of resolve courses through Applejack’s veins as she prepares to once again resume her search.

Placing one hoof in front of the other, Applejack slips on another errant rock and with comic fashion begins a long tumble down a steep ravine. Desperate to stop herself applejack tries to slow her descent with her hooves, but is unable to get any traction as she slides down the steep cliff. Flailing her arms about in terror Applejack finally reaches a stop as her tumbling fall is stopped by a dense field of shrubbery. Lying in the bottom of a ravine the mare once again curses her own stupidity for bringing her to the everfree at night. Cursing her clumsiness Applejack slowly rises to her hooves her body sporting various cuts and bruises sustained though a night of fruitless searching.

“Who was ah kiddin common here alone at night.” Applejack says “ah could spend mah whole life searchin this here forest and never find it! It’s just too big fer one small pony like myself.” Looking up to the stars in the sky the the mare imagines the fates themselves laughing at her grand situation.

“But ah can’t just give up!” States the mare “Not like this! Ah can’t just go home empty hooved without that blue flower. So even if I have to search this entire forest, top to bottom ah’ll find…..hunh?”

Looking around her Applejack finds that she has tumbled down the cliff right into a large patch of blue flowers with distinct blue markings. Without even trying the mare has found herself in a field of the very flower she has searched for, the field of the Poison Joke. Applejack blinks for a few seconds, not quite convinced this isn’t some kind of elaborate hallucination, yet after clearing her eyes the flowers at still there. She rubs her face, convinced that the flowers will disappear the moment she looks away, yet he flowers remain, as permanent as the earth itself.

“Hunh…… Well would you look at that…….” A surprised Applejack pokes her head into the flower bed looking at it as if it was there all along. The flower moves gently as the orange mare’s breath blows the flower back and forth as the mare stares on.

Suddenly satisfied that she isn’t dreaming, Applejack leaps into the air with a mighty: “YEEHAW! Ah found it! Ah found it! Ah foun…..”

MUUUUUUURRRRRRRRAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!

The far off cry of a timber wolf cuts off the orange mare’s jubilation. Putting her hooves over her mouth to silence any further noise, the mare becomes aware of the fact that she is still in a monster infested forest. Nearly holding her breath the mare waits in silence for the sound of any approaching predators that seek to devour her. Minutes pass until the mare finally is convinced she is alone “…..nd it.” Applejack finishes with a snicker.

Chuckling to herself Applejack discards her worries for the future in the joyous celebration of the present. In her giddiness in finding her sister’s salvation and avoiding an untimely death the mare Applejack opens her arms wide and swan dives majestically into the poison joke, making flower angels by the faint moonlight above. Laughing all the while Applejack proceeds to roll around in the flowers her Stetson and her worries falling off to the side as she temporarily forgets her woes.

Finally the foalish behavior catches up to Applejack as she begins to realize how silly she is acting. Catching her breath from her antics Applejack reaches for her hat and places it back on her head giggling slightly to herself all the while. “Wowee! Would yawl talk about good luck. Ah still can’t believe that I just wound up findin the one flower I needed just by blindly gropin my way through the forest! Well enough ponying around, onto business.”

Emptying her saddle bags of any extraneous items, Applejack begins to hastily stuff as many of the poison joke flowers that she can manage into her bags. Needless to say she quickly she fills the first of her saddlebags, compacting the precious product with her hoof to enable her to fit as much of it as she can. She then switches the full pouch for its empty twin on her left and mechanically repeats the process.

In a few moments the task is completed and her bags are stuffed to the brim full of life saving medicine. Applejack nods to herself on a task well done and puts the bags on her flank impressed by the fact that they barely weigh anything at all. “Well that’s bout all ah can make in one trip.” She says to nopony in particular “an I doubt I’ll be able at find this place again, on account I found it on accident.”

The farm mare looks at her packed bags a faint look of pride on her face “….But on the bright side this is for sure enough flowers for little bloom to get better with. An all ah have ta do is….. Convince twilight ta make it fer her.”

Applejack remembers her previous behavior towards the lavender unicorn “dang nabit! Why’d ah have ta blow up on her like that.” Finding a faint path on the forest floor Applejack begins to follow it, hoping for a way out while she thinks over her options.

“Ok calm down Jackie, Twilight is a reasonable mare, ah’m sure she won’t hold nothing against ya on account her sister was sick. And ah’m sure that if ya give her some of the extra poison joke as payment she’s sure ta give bloom the best of that there medicine.” Applejack nods in confirmation  “Yes sir things are looking up for me.”

However staring into the mare’s dark green eyes sitting directly on the path ahead, Applejack makes out a glowing yellow pair of eyes staring deep into her very soul. These are the eyes of a predator, a creature that will tear ponies to pieces without mercy or remorse. The creature’s slight growling letting on that it has seen her and all of a sudden Applejack realizes that everything is not looking up for her.

Frantically Applejack looks around hoping to find some way to hide from the approaching creature moving closer to her by the second. However she is gravely disappointed as she sees the paths to the left and right of her surrounded by steep cliffs impossible for a normal pony to scale, especially when pursued by a hungry beast. The creature growls louder as applejack flees running back down the path behind her. Her mind empty of any ideas, she runs frantically back to the clearing of poison joke hoping beyond hope for a way to escape her looming demise. However yet again destiny has conspired against her as it appears that the valley is a dead end. As if rejecting the fact that he way behind her is the only way out Applejack frantically runs to every part of the clearing like a chicken with its head cut off. “Come on! Come on! This can’t be it! There’s gotta be a way out there’s gotta!”

Applejack knows in her heart that there isn’t, yet the belief that there is a way to escape is far more appealing than the fact that she is trapped. Suddenly Applejack hears the sound of a heavy paws brush through the foliage behind her. With terror consuming every thought she turns around to see a recurring figure for her nightmares.  The monster’s brown mane is stained with small splotches of dried blood, its teeth razors sharper than any knife made by pony hooves. It’s bat like wings possess several small holes as they are rise in a predatory stance. The scorpion tail rises above the creature’s head as it’s loin paws tread the ground as quietly as death itself. The creature that stands before the frightened farm mare is the same one that she fears more than any other for good reason. The creature before her is a manticore, but more terrifying is the fact that it is the worst kind of manticore, a hungry manticore.

Applejack falls to her flank, her bravery consumed by pure terror. “It’s……… It’s a m-m-m-manticore….. Just like the one that killed ma and pa!”

The monster growls with ferocity and that alone is enough to send the mare into a blind panic. Running with all the force that she can muster, the mare tries vainly to dash up the steep slope behind her. Yet no matter how much she struggles she gets no closer to the top of the gorge only succeeding in sliding back down to the bottom of the slope. The monster roars again, ready to claim it’s prey, as the farm mare finally lays down in the dirt and surrendering to her fate.

“This can’t be happening,” the mare tells herself lying on the ground “mah mom and dad died ta this beast, and now it’s going to kill me to? It just can’t end like this, this has to be some kind of bad dream!” However this is no bad dream, no comforting veil of sleep that she can shake off to free herself from the nightmare before her.

“An just as ah got the medicine for Applebloom! now I’m gonna…” Suddenly like a torch being lit in the dark or a supernova of a star Applejack’s thoughts turn in a flash towards her family. She remembers her first harvest she was allowed to help with, her fist slice of apple pie, and family dinner after a long day of work. Her thoughts turn to her friends in ponyville, and the impact they make in her life simply by existing. But most of all her thoughts turn to her family, her grandmother who raised her, her brother who supported her, and her little sister who needs her, now more than ever. Her thoughts turn to her parents, not their untimely deaths, but their lives filled with gratitude for the simple things: love, life and family as her thoughts turn to what they would do in her situation.

Suddenly it all becomes clear to her. Applejack’s shivering ceases, and with determination rises to her hooves staring the monster in the eyes all the while “……ah a pony who can be depended upon, It’s just like that crazy hallucination said.”

Applejack takes a step forward “Ah’m a pony that other ponies can depend on. Not cause ah’m strong or because ah’m special. ah’m a pony who can be depended upon cause ponies need ta depend on me.”

Her resolve steady and unwavering Applejack takes another step towards the ravenous monster baring her way. “An Right now I am the only pony that can get this medicine to my sister, an ah’m the only pony that can come back alive to my family.”

Another step and Applejack is now within striking distance of the hideous monster in front of her “THAT is my resolve on which ah base my strength on.”

Nearly muzzle to muzzle with the hungry manticore Applejack stares it in the eyes with a threatening gaze. “Ah’m getting this medicine to my sister, rain er shine. So ah guess that you are out of a meal, now anchya?”

Unwilling to be intimidated or surrender its meal, the manticore pounces on the orange farm mare. However this is not the same mare that was seconds ago cowering on the ground, now the hunter faces prey that is determined to survive.

Turning around on her front legs Applejack coils her back legs like a spring as the monster’s pounce comes within range of her most powerful weapons, her iron hard back legs. Just as the monster is almost upon her Applejack converts all her strength and timing into a single attack as her legs snap out like a shotgun blast. The resulting blow pounds the monster straight in the nose sending a crack like thunder reverberating through the clearing as the manticore falls backward in pain.

The resounding feeling of her hooves smashing into the monster’s unprotected flank causes Applejack to rejoice prematurely. “HA! Take that ya varmint, ya may be tough but ya aint apple tough! Now just stay down an let me pass, unless ya want another round of punishment from Bucks Mcgillicutty and Kicks Mcgee!”

As if responding to this taunt the monster pulls itself shakily off the ground leering at Applejack with its eyes. The farm mare now realizes her mistake in celebrating too soon as small drops of blood fall from the monster’s muzzle. Now the creature in front of her isn’t just hungry, now it is hungry and enraged.

The manticore sweeps forward with its claw each one sharp as a razor that slices the air itself with every swing the monster throws. Keeping on her hooves Applejack manages to barely dodge each swipe of the claws as the monster attacks again and again. ‘ah can’t win like this.’ Applejack thinks to herself as she ducks underneath another swipe ‘ah may be tirin this fellow out with mah dodges but ah gota finish him off soon or one of these swipes is gonna get me.’ Suddenly the manticore overextends its blow, tumbling on its face with a loud thud.

Seizing her one and possibly only chance Applejack changes her dodge into a spinning back kick. With the precision and strength of a mare who can buck trees from their foundations Applejack’s blow hits true for the second time that night landing upside the manticore’s head. As the monster skids back on the ground Applejack is rewarded with the monster’s yelp of pain as sign that she has scored another decisive blow.

Weaving back out of the monster’s range Applejack watches as the monster rises from the dirt yet again. “Heh, ah’ll give it to ya that yer mighty stubborn, but from where I’m standin it seems that ah’m the prime contender.” Confident in her sudden victory applejack prepares to advance once again and finish the monster off only to stumble and fall to her knees in exhaustion. “What the? what’s goin…” Applejack’s eyes widen in horror as she looks to her flank behind her and her eyes spying a large detached stinger protruding slightly above where her cutie mark is. Shifting her gaze back to the monster Applejack realizes she was the one who had lost their last exchange.

With a quick jerk Applejack rips the stinger out of her flank and throws it off to the side, yet from the mare’s reeling senses and shaky posture Applejack begins to realize that it is far too late. Sensing the prey’s weakness and hungry for revenge the manticore advances claws extended, and this time Applejack barely is able to turn off to the side as the creature’s claws rake painfully across the side of her barrel. Applejack screams in agony as she falls to the ground from the pain, pushing herself as far from possible from the advancing monster. The manticore licks its bloodied lips eager to satisfy its hunger for the first time in a week as it advances upon the prone pony with bloodlust in its eyes.

Applejack attempts to stand up against the monster but the poison has done its lethal work, as she falls quickly back on her injured flanks. Applejack looks back on the monster in front of her, her eyes still burning in the same intensity that she possessed when she wandered into the forest. “Ah can’t die. Not here…. Not now….. mah….” Applejack hacks up a small glob of blood “…Mah sister needs me….” The monster spreads it’s paws apart preparing for another pounce on the prone mare. Applejack mustering what remains of her willpower rises to her hooves, barely managing to stay up as she stares down the creature.

“Just….. Just one more buck…….” She cries to herself begging her body on the verge of shutdown to give just a little more energy. “If ah can throw just one more buck….. ah can win! Just one more buck…. I can stand mah ground an send that critter flyin!”

The manticore leaps once more with a mighty roar.  Its wings spread in a predatory fashion it’s bloody claws glistening in the moonlight as it prepares to strike.

“JUST…. ONE…. MORE….BUCK!” Spinning around with all the remaining strength in her body applejack swings out her back legs to intercept the charging monster.

A flash of light and the blow connects, and in a single instant the six hundred and fifty pound manticore is sent flying into a tree behind it with a level of force that would be impossible for any normal pony. “What the….I can’t believe ah had that much strength left…. “ suddenly Applejack’s eyes catch sight of a creature off to her side her mind reeling not from the poison but the strange appearance of the creature standing beside her.

The ghostly figure’s body, almost half as large as the maincore and covered from hoof to toe in wooden armor is built like a tank it’s every limb rippling with muscle and sinew. Its wooden armor knotted and worn with age covers its entire body save it’s green leafy face, which is covered only by a layered helm. Surrounding its head sits a large set of deer horns that seem to form around the Creature’s head as majestically as any crown.  Bushes of the finest green leaves blossom where its tail and mane should be giving it a majestic earthy appearance that makes it look like a spirit of the earth. “what the…. Am ah halucinatin again? What…. what are ya…”

Turning it’s empty gaze at the orange mare the spirit speaks with a voice that seems to resonate in the core of her very being “FOUNDATION……”

“Foundation…..” the mare repeats absent mindedly. Applejack blinks once, then twice before finally shaking her head “All right, now ah know that ah’m crazy.”

The Manticore, peeling itself off the ground growls menacingly at the farm-mare with magical powers. Though any normal creature would have run in terror at such a display of strength a manticore is the top of its food chain in the everfree forest, not even dragons mess with one willingly. The enraged creature roars loudly as it charges swinging its razor sharp claws at the mare that has angered to the point of blind fury.

Unable to dodge the sudden blow applejack raises her hooves to defend against the sudden charge, her mysterious shadow moving between her and the monster almost instinctively. The claws fall upon the magical construct and with a furry of blows the manticore attacks the prone pony with enough strength to send the flowers in the field flying left and right as if in a fierce windstorm. After a straight minute of blind attacking the manticore relinquishes its assault, satisfied that no creature could survive such an assault backs up, expecting to see a scene of bloody carnage. Yet as its eyes focus on the scene before it the monster is shocked to see that not only is the orange pony still alive, but the strange plant pony has taken every single blow from its razor sharp claws without retaining a single scratch. The manticore barely has time to comprehend the scene before it as it feels a sharp throb in its front paws. Looking down the monster sees that it’s paws are indeed covered in blood, its own blood. The mangled paws and broken claws a testament to the intense toughness of the magical plant creature that has come to the pony’s aid.

For the third time that night the monster screams in pain as the mare looks on in awe at the sight of the fierce monster whimpering like a filly with a skinned knee. “All right then, hallucination or not this is mah only chance, an I’m gonna take it!” Swinging her front hoof forward in a quick jab the mare is surprised to find that the mysterious plant mimics her actions producing a fierce result, the light jab breaking even more of the monster’s sharpened teeth. The manticore screams in pain as it tries to raise its paws to swipe at the invader however the monster is quick to find it can’t even raise its paws against the plant creature’s savage attacks. Struggling as if it has been rooted to the ground itself the manticore tries vainly to raise its paws in defense or even move out of the way of the orange mare’s barrage of fast light punches hit one after the other.

‘Amazin’ the mare thinks ‘ah don’t know if what’s ah'm seein is real er not, but this creature seems ta follow mah lead like a shadow, an boy howdy is it a strong sucker!’ Blow after blow hits the monster as applejack begins to wind up for a finishing attack. Shouting at the top of her lungs Applejack feels the very earth itself lend its power to her as her very life force surges within her.

‘Mah heart, is beatin! beatin with the breath of the earth itself!’ Winding up a powerful buck Applejack succeeds in launching the half ton monster into the air as easily as a fowl might toss an apple.

As the monster falls down towards her Applejack raises her hooves to intercept the monster’s fall, all her fear and doubt replaced with burning resolve. “UuuuuuuuuuuuooooooooooooTake this!”

The monster falls its’ body directly over the poised stand, its hooves ready to strike “Raging Earth…….”  With all the strength remaining in her body and the mare and her stand working side by side inflict a countless number of punches on the falling form of the monster as both stand and master cry simultaneously to the heavens above

“OOOOOOOOOOOOVVVEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRDDDRRRIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVEEEEE!”

With all the grace of a falling rock the monster is sent tumbling into the darkness of the forest beyond. It’s every bone broken, its tail shattered, it’s claws shredded as it barely manages to crawl whimpering back into the dark from which it came. The mare breathes in once, twice, three times as she listens for the sound of another predator, another obstacle in her way home, only to be greeted by silence. Every inhabitant in the forest stands in awe as the victor in the struggle for survival puts her Stetson back on her head. “Whew, that was…… tough, but I did it.“ the mare limps forward her previous adrenaline all but extinguished “now I just got to….. get that medicine….. to Bloom……”

Her body finally calls it quits as she collapses on the forest floor unable to endure anything more. The mare tries to move, to get back on her hooves yet she fails to accomplish anything aside from a few twitches in her legs. “heh, I can’t believe I came all this way just to die here.” The mare comments on her current situation not with hopelessness and fear but with a strange sense of peace. “Oh well I guess life’s funny like that.”

Applejack accepted the idea of her own death quite well, no fear, no pain, no remorse “I did what I could”. That is what she tells herself as her consciousness begins to blur as the poison obscures her vision. Face to face with absolute finality she is only offered an icy and lucid look at her own demise.

“Ah only hope….. ah only hope that ma and pa are still proud of me.” The mare’s words stumble out “even if ah failed, ah hope that they don’t think any less of me for qutin before the task is complete.” Applejack’s consciousness starts to falter as her vision darkens around her, a shadowy figure standing before her as her soul is prepared to embark upon the final journey.

“heh… I never….. imagined… that the darkness………. Was so………blue…………” finally Applejack’s vision falters as she finally succumbs to sweet unconsciousness.

…………………….

 “Applejack.”

“hunh I can even hear mom’s voice, I guess it won’t be long now.”

“Applejack.”

“Wow she sounds cross. Guess she was more angry than ah thought fer letting bloom down…..”

“APPLEJACK!”

“hunh that doesn’t sound like ma’s voice.”

“Oh sweet Celestia she’s not breathing! She’s bleeding all over! Quick Pinkie make room!”

“what’s going on, who’s moving me am? I already dead?”

“She’s shows signs of being poisoned too, her injuries are too severe for normal magic, I didn’t want to use the red stones I found so far but saving her life takes precedence..….”

“that’s strange…. The voice sounds familiar…… but where have I…...’

Applejack’s internal monologue is cut off as something almost foreign courses through Applejack’s veins. Her body recoils in shock as warm nutrient rich blood begins to course freely through her veins once again. Her mind is shocked back into reality as her body becomes filled with copious amounts of energy that seems to well up from within her very being. Suddenly her eyes comprehend the purple and pink blobs before her as her friends the exceptionally worried Twilight Sparkle and none other than Pinkie Pie.

“Oh thank merciful Celestia!” Twilight remarks “It looks like she’s going to be all right. Pinkie great call on bringing that portable defibrillator, it was just what I needed to give her a jump start. Now you just need to tell me how you had the foresight to carry a defibrillator around.”

Pinkie breaks out into a salute. “A wild flower scout is prepared for any situation any time! Rain or shine, sleet or shine, I never fail to protect what’s mine!”

“…….uhhh I’ll just file that away as ‘coincidence’.” Twilight turns her head back to the orange mare “Applejack how are you feeling? well obviously you feel great since I used the vital energy of a red stone to rejuvenate your severely depleted life source but I mean I the sense how are you doing mentally, because let’s face it, WHAT WERE you thinking?!”

Twilight embraces the orange farmer in a tight hug only to break off and slap her face. “What in the world were you thinking Applejack? Running into the everfree at night?! I know that you were worried about your sister but you could have died! You almost did die! What were you thinking?”

“Twilight?” the orange mare makes out “what are ya doing here? How did ya find me?”

“O O O! pick me pick me!” the pink mare raises her hoof enthusiastically. “I love story time! Can I tell the story please?”

Twilight sighs “Pinkie I really don’t think…”

“It all started on a dark stormy night! Just like this one except there wasn’t a storm at all. We were prowling through the forest filled with hundreds of horrible pony eating creatures looking for a lost mare when suddenly out of the shadows…..”

Placing her hoof over the pink pony’s mouth Twilight breathes a sigh of relief. “What pinkie is trying to say is that we were worried about you so we ran into the Everfree looking for you. At first we couldn’t find one way from another and we ourselves were getting lost. However I saw a pony shaped figure rustling in the bushes and thought it was you, so we followed the figure to a clearing where we found you just lying there.”

Applejack stammers “Ya….. ya mean a pony of shadows? Like a ghost er somthin?”

“A pony of shadows…” Twilight muses to herself  ‘could it really be her? But why would she be here of all places?’

Twilight’s sudden silence earns stares from both of the other mares “Ummmmm Twilight?” Pinkie asks knocking on her head “Earth to Twilight are you there? It wasn’t really a shadow pony right? Cause if it was I need to throw it a ‘thank you for helping us save Applejack party’!”

Shaking of her suspicions Twilight returns to the present “No Pinkie it was probably nothing, just a trick of the light.” Twilight turns back to her patient concern etched on her face. “What is important is we got here just in time. Another few minutes and you would have……. Anyways I’m just glad that you are all right.”

Looking down at her previously injured side and flank applejack finds that her gruesome wounds have been completely healed. Looking at her injuries,  Applejack begins to tear up as she realizes the extent which the mare in front of her risked her life. “Ya, yawl came to help me? Even after all the horrible things ah said?”

Twilight smiles “Applejack you were worried about your sister you didn’t mean any of that! And even if you did mean it that’s no reason to let you die.”

“Yeah Applejack!” Pinkie chimes in “and you should have seen Twilight, I thought you were in pretty bad shape even I was worried but Twilight just whips out her horn and this amazing sparkly stone and whoosh! You’re all better just like that. I mean I knew that the princess’s student was going to be really talented but WOW she was so awesome! Almost like a super magical version of Rainbow dash!”

Twilight blushes at the copious amounts of praise as she modesty begins to kick in “Like I said it was nothing Pinkie! You provided the manticore antivenin, all I had to do was give her body a quick jump start with the red stone that I had on me from earlier that day to strengthen her regenerative capabilities and amplify her magical energy. Any pony could have done that, I’m nothing special, really!”

Applejack is about to launches into another barrage of praise commending the unicorn for saving her life when something the mare says strikes her as funny “Hold on their shug. Just what do ya mean by these Red Stones?”

Twilight freezes “Red Stones? What do you mean? I didn’t say anything about red stones? Did I?”

Ignoring the mare Applejack continues “From the sound of it, this red stone thing seems to be the thing that can heal any wound er somtin.” Rising to her hooves “so if it can heal anything, why isn’t it being used to help these there ponies in the hospital?”

Twilight freezes on the spot unable to deny or confirm Applejack’s suspicions once again. And once again she begins to stammer on like a broken record. “wellllllllllllllllllll ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.” Applejack narrows her gaze, ready to pursue the thread of truth that she has followed to this point when her tongue stops dead in its tracks.

‘Ah’m doin it again!’ Applejack thinks to herself ‘Gosh darn it! This is what I did last time, I dogged Twilight so much about the truth that I ended up hurtin her somtin fierce, well no more.’

Suddenly applejack’s face takes on a kinder expression surprising the purple mare’s preconceived expectations. “You know what Twi? It aint important none. If ya say I don’t need to know then I don’t need to know. Simple as that.”

Twilight is shocked, she had fully expected to have to fight tooth and hoof to keep the truth from the mare and she’s giving up without a fight. “Hunh? Really Applejack?”

“Yep, it aint worth losin a friend over now is it. And as long as this here medicine will help my sis then I trust ya.” Applejack nods as she slowly rises to her hooves pointing down at the path ahead of her “now let’s get home now, time’s a wastin here in the middle of nowhere. We got ponies like mah sis ta treat.” With eager steps Applejack begins to walk down the path out of the clearing when she finds herself stopped by a familiar voice.

“Wait!”

Applejack turns around to find her purple friend, Twilight Sparkle trapped with a look of great internal conflict plastered on her face. “Yeah Twilight? What is it?”

The unicorn rubs her arm with as she looks at the ground in front of her “Applejack… the red stones, are what’s making the ponies here sick.”

Applejack stops dead in her tracks “WHAT?”

“Yeah twilight! What gives?” Pinkie states while scratching her head “I thought that red stone thing helped ponies? Why is it making them sick? That makes even less and I’m me!”

“It’s not supposed to make ponies sick!” Twilight continues “Red stones have the power to draw out a special kind of power from a pony’s soul called a stand.”

“Stand?” Applejack asks curiously.

“Yes applejack, stand power.” Twilight nods her head “It works by drawing out the pony’s magical essence, their soul, out of their body so that it can take a psychical form and stand beside them, hence the name. However if a pony doesn’t have a sufficient supply of magical power or doesn’t possess the will necessary to control a stand, the stand itself slowly draws the life-force out of the pony.”

“But you used the stand to help Applejack right?” Pinkie says “something that makes ponies better can’t make them sick right?”

“The Red Stones don’t just draw out stand powers..….” Twilight shamefully admits “The Red Stones amplify all magical reactions, including magic, strength and regenerative rate, meaning all I had to do was use the stone to amplify my healing spell. If you had a stand I could have just fed it to and that would have increased your regenerative rate through the roof healing your wounds.”

Twilight lowers her head in shame “But exposing you directly to the red stone might have caused you to succumb to the same stand illness that affected your sister. The process of creating a stand from your own body's manna would have started to drain your own life force  It’s only because a Stand takes so much magical power to form that causes ponies with lesser wills to get sick. Otherwise any pony would be able to call a stand after being exposed to Red Stones”

Twilight raises her eyes to the sky looking at the rapidly disappearing moon on the horizon as she contemplates her part in the tragedy occurring in Ponyville. “You were right Applejack, it was a magical disaster that caused your sister to get sick. We attempted to use the stone to amplify a powerful magical reaction, but it went out of control and the stone exploded scattering it across Equestria.”

“That’s why I was really sent to ponyville.” Twilight admits shamefully as she rubs her arm “Not just to help ponies but to keep this entire incident secret so we could search for the pieces of the red stone. You were right  all along Applejack; at the end of the day my job is just a self-centered excuse to look for something we lost…...”

The group is silent for a few moments none of the ponies knowing what to say. Each one thinking of how to best break the awkward silence that has been created by Twilight’s decision to reveal the truth.

Applejack is the first to break this awkward silence “Sssoooooo…. this red stone thing, causes ponies to ‘manifest’ some kind of ghostly power or somtin?”

“Yes Applejack that’s correct.” Twilight confirms with a nod “however it normally takes years of practice and self-discipline as well as a large supply of magical power to be able to manifest a stand that you can control at will.”

“Ya mean like this?” Applejack raises her hoof towards Twilight and rippling out from her pelt the strong a tree like creature that appeared before appears aside Applejack standing a good head higher than the mare. With natural flourish the creature trots forward taking a stance beside its master as easily as a fowl walking.

Twilight’s mouth gapes open unable to even talk as she babbles like an infant “how did you…… when did you….. Applejack! How are you doing that? I’ve been exposed to the red stone for years and have an amazing reservoir of magical energy! How the heck did you manage to manifest a stand in one day?!”

“Huh? Oh I just, I don’t know thought about it and poof it appeared. Guess that fighting with a manticore will really draw it out of ya like that!”

“But…. But…” Twilight stammers “You didn’t even have a red stone!”

With a deft movement Applejack pulls a black stone out of her saddle bags. “ya mean this? It don’t look very red ta me, but after bloom cut herself on it she got real sick. I thought if ya had it then you might be able to help her.”

The orange farm mare lowers her head in shame as her stand fades back into her body “But when I got there, there were all these strange doctors and snobby canterlot types. I was surrounded by ponies that I couldn’t trust so I kept it to mahself instead of comin clean.”

The farm mare walks over to the purple mare each trot measured and accurate “See, ah was just scared of being lied to and deceived as ah was of tellin a lie, so ah kept things that ah should have told ya a secret.”

Applejack comes to a stop right before Twilight sparkle and just as quickly as she drew forth the stone from her bag she grabs Twilight’s hoof and places the stone in it. “But ah can’t tell a lie, Twilight Sparkle. Ah trust you. You told me the truth when others told me lies. Ya came to help me even after ah treated ya like dirt and ya did what ah couldn’t. Yawl came clean even when yawl had nothing ta gain by tellin me the truth. Out of all the ponies that I could have met in that there hospital, ah am proud to say that ah know a mare as honest and kind as you are, Twilight Sparkle. ”

Looking the purple unicorn in the eyes Applejack beams “Ah’m the kind of pony that others can rely upon so instead of takin this whole mess on by yer lonesome, why don’t ya lean on yer friends instead?”

Twilight is stunned by Applejack’s sudden profession “my..… friends?”

“He He Yes silly filly! We’re your friends!” Pinkie wraps Twilight in a tight hug “We wouldn’t charge blindly into a dangerous forest in the middle of the night for just any pony! Well maybe if that anypony had a cake with them, then we could throw a party IN the forest! That would be amazing! Could we throw a party In the forest sometimes Twilight? because that would be great!”

“Pinkie….”

“Oh sorry Jackie! Anyways what I was saying is we’re your friends! We’ll always stick by you and help you out when you are in trouble so of course we’ll help you with your super special mission for the princess!”

Twilight begins to tear up at this blatant expression of the pink mare. Never in her life would she have thought that she would have made such inseparable friends so quickly “Really? You really mean it?”

“Course shug!” Applejack slaps Twilight’s back “We’ll help ya gather all these Red Stone things if it helps our town and our friends out along the way! That is if ya can promise the do everythin in yer power to help mah sister, then ah swear ah’ll follow you to Tartarus itself.”

Twilight wipes the tears from her eyes as she savors the fact that she, a complete recluse who brushed off everypony she had ever met, has friends who she can really depend upon. With a solemn gesture she extends her hoof as towards the farm mare in a solemn pledge. “Deal”

Applejack smiling all the while spits the biggest loogie on her hoof that physics will allow and shakes hooves with her new best friend. “It’s a deal then! I have ta say Twilight this is definitely not mah idea of what ah wanted or how mah life ta turn out. But all that doesn’t matter now because for the first time in my life ponies other than my family are dependin on me, so I have the duty to help em out.” They break their sacred spit shake.”

The two mares break their hoof shake as applejack pulls her Stetson down over her eyes in a smug expression. “Sides, ah need to repay ya for saving her life like ya did.”

Pinkie ever the enthusiastic one pulls the both of them into a fierce bear hug as she contemplates their amazing future. “This is so exciting! New friends, crazy adventures and heart stopping action! And in the next chapter I’ll get to show all of you my stand! Could this get any better? I don’t know! That we’ll find out next time on MLP:BA!”

Twilight smiles in genuine joy at the thought that her adventure with her friends is just beginning. From this point on she’ll never truly be alone. “Yeah pinkie, it's’ all for one and one…… Wait A Second! Pinkie what did you say about having a……”