Goodlands and Applejack

"We're back." said Twilight looking around.
"Girls.. Are you all alright? What happened?" Celestia asked in turn looking around. Doing a quick headcount, she realized their number was one short. "Where's Goodlands?" she asked looking at Twilight.
"He stayed behind to allow us to get away." said Spike walking up to Celestia, he noticed that she was looking very tired, in fact she, Luna, and Cadance were all looking tired.
"He did what?" shocked she took a step back from him. Spike continued on to explain everything to her and the others about the necklaces and the fight as he was one of the ones who was able to retell all of the story.
"You okay sweetie?" Rarity asked Applejack who was standing off by herself.
"I'll be fine." she said sternly, she turned to look at Twilight "we need to go back.. we need to bring Goodlands back."
"Applejack, we... We cant. Its too dangerous." said Twilight "that whole place was sinking, if we teleport.."
"We have to. He saved us from that Jackal feller. We've got to go and bring him back. He was hurt, and we cant just leave him there." she said as her temper began to rise.
"But that whole island is gone. There wont be anywhere for us to teleport to.." said Twilight walking over to her, she turned away from them as they were all looking at her.
"I think I'm going to go home now." she said her head hung low. She headed out as the rest of them stood around looking at one another.
"I should get back as well." she heard Cadance say as she exited the room. After making it out of the room she sped off towards Sweet Apple Acres, saying nothing to any pony that gave a hello, or similar greeting. She wanted to be back home.
It took her some time to get back to Ponyville, as she hadn't taken the train to do so, upon reaching town, she immediately headed for home. It was late in the evening when she arrived which meant that no one was up at this time, so she wouldn't have to explain what all had happened. She went in to the house and headed upstairs saying little to Big Mac, who apparently was still up. Once in her room she put her hat on the hook by her bed, and went over to the window to stare out towards the night sky. After a while she decided it was time for bed, so she headed over and laid down and tried to fall asleep.

"Why did you leave me behind Applejack?" Goodlands asked looking at her with sorrow in his eyes. "You could have come back for me." he said as he turned and started walking away.
"No, don't go." she said chasing after him.
"You don't even care. How sad." he said over his shoulder.
"Ugh." she sat up covered in cold sweat, staring across the room at her open window. Breathing heavy she got up and realized it was already mid morning. Grabbing her hat she walked downstairs and was greeted by the family. She spent a small amount of time explaining what she could recall and upon seeing the looks on their faces, she decided to go out and start the days chores.
She worked throughout the day brushing off any who came to try and comfort her, trying her best to ignore the small cottage on the grounds. She didn't know why she'd felt this way, but she wanted to be alone. She didn't want to talk about it. She felt as though she were responsible, she knew she wasn't, but still guilt weighed heavy on her shoulders and she felt bad.
That night she had another dream, this time the farm was being sold to make money as their business was falling through. The Flim Flam brothers were outselling them with their new business, and to make matters worse, Granny sold the farm to keep them from going bankrupt. She awoke once again, covered in cold sweats and feeling miserable. So again she stayed at the farm just doing her chores, and instead of pitying herself, she decided to keep working harder on the farm, to keep her self distracted. Only talking when necessary, and in short sentences. On the third day she had awoken again after another awful dream, wondering if this would continue on forever she decided to go ask Luna about it. She was heading towards Ponyville when it happened.
"There you are." said Rainbow Dash heading towards her from the direction she'd just came from. "We're needed at the castle. Princess Celestia sent Twilight a letter this morning. We're to meet up at the castle." to which Applejack nodded and headed towards Ponyville.
The ride up there on the train wasn't a pleasant one for her, as she mainly spent the whole ride watching the landscape go by, hearing the others discussing the reason they were summoned and occasionally glancing over at her. She just stuck her head out of the window and felt the breeze while she waited.
They all gathered outside of Celestia's main chamber talking for a while until they all got curious as to why they hadn't been let in yet, so they went in. Upon entering she seen Goodlands standing there alone, like he was waiting for something.
"Goodlands, you're here. But how?" she exclaimed running up to him and stopping a few feet away.
"Why Applejack? Why didn't you come back for me? Why did you just leave me behind?" he asked slowly turning towards her. His face showed only anger as he looked at her.
"I wanted to, but.."
"But you didn't. No, you left me there to fade along with that island. You don't care do you? You could have tried to come back for me, you could have done something." he said bitterly.
"But i wanted to, it's been weighing on my mind ever since i got back." she responded.
"Did you even care i wonder? Did you.." he started again.
"Applejack, snap out of it." came Goodlands voice. Suddenly a more battered Goodlands stepped through the Goodlands she'd just been talking to.
"What? Wait whats going on?" she asked taking a step back. "is this another dream?" she looked at him in confusion.
"I daresay i believe it is. Now wake up." he said coming closer.
"But you're, i mean back there, we just..."
"Applejack I'm here now. I'm right in front of you. Please snap out of it." he was very close to her now. She shook her head rapidly, and when she looked at him, the room came into focus. Every pony in the room was standing stock still, all looking as though they were staring at the wall transfixed.
"You're alive.." she exclaimed hugging him.
"Easy love, I'm still not completely healed." he said giving a small smile.
"What in Equestria was that all about?" she asked pulling away from him.
"I believe that was some kind of living nightmare. Look at Princess Luna." he said pointing over at Luna, she was shaking on the ground curled up.
"Make them stop. Make them stop." she kept muttering.
"I think she's having an overload of the other ponies who are suffering from the same thing." she said pointing to the other girls.
"I think your right. But what do we do?" she asked looking back at him.
"Leave it to me. I may be able to do the same for them as i did for you. We'll see." he turned and started towards the closest pony.

He put his horn against Pinkie Pies head and immediately he was in a small room looking at a very sad Pinkie Pie. She was staring out of a window and she looked heartbroken.
"Pinkie Pie, what seems to be the trouble?" he asked walking over towards her.
"No pony needs Pinkie Pie any more. Everyone seems to be thoroughly depressed. I've tried to make the others laugh, or set up decorations, or even just do birthday parties, but no one seems to need me for that. Its like i no longer exist." a small amount of tears seemed to be collecting around her eyes.
"Well what about.." he thought for a second "the wedding?" he asked looking hopefully at her.
"Wedding?" her voice was small, but hope seemed to be building insider her. "Who's wedding?"
"Um.." again his brain whirled for an idea "Mine and Applejack's." he was dumbfounded by his own thoughts. Should she ever find out he'd just said that, no now was not the time to think of that.
"Yours and APPLEJACK'S?" she gasped "You two are getting married? Why wasn't i invited?" she asked as her old self flared back into her eyes.
"We've been, uh, keeping it a secret until just recently. You are invited, in fact i just came over to see if you'd like to do the decorations.." he invented wildly.
"AWESOMFANTASTARIFIC!" she yelled and a strange black smoke seem to dispel around them.
They were back in the castle and he headed off towards Rarity, who was standing on Pinkie Pies right.
"But wait, what are you?" she asked as he put his head against Rarity's forehead.

He was in some kind of shop, a boutique perhaps? Ahead he could see Rarity crying into an empty box.
"Rarity, why are you crying?" he asked as he hurried over to her.
"I'VE LOST MY INSPIRATION!" she wailed, crying harder. "this is absolutely thee worst thing that has ever happened to me.. I haven't been able to come up with anything for ages, and I'm worried i wont be able to create anything ever again. I need something, a banquet, party, dinner, something.." and she put her head back onto her hooves.
"How about uh.. Uh wedding!" he said rolling with the idea he'd had when trying to wake up Pinkie Pie.
"A wedding!?" she stopped crying immediately "whose? Do i know them?" she asked.
"You do. Applejack and I are getting married. We'd uh, like you to design the dresses." he said looking awkward.
"Oh darling that magnificent. When is it going to be?" her eyes grew bright, as suddenly the same black smoke evaporated from around her. "wha? Whats going on?" she asked looking around.
Goodlands was already putting his forehead unto Fluttershys'.

"Hello, is anyone there? I have no idea where i am." said Fluttershy inside a room made of cobblestone. Goodlands entered the room and seen her standing looking at around thirty doorways leading out of this room. It was like a giant maze.
"Fluttershy are you alright?" he asked walking over to her.
"Oh thank goodness. I've been lost in this maze and I'm trying to find the others. Have you seen them?" she asked looking around at each doorway.
"They're this way." he said going back the way he had come. "come on, we'll just keep taking a left. I've heard that is a safe bet on finding one's way out of a maze."
"But there are scary monsters out there. I don't want to face them alone."
"You wont be, I'll be right here. Come on, the girls are over here." they started down the maze, taking several left turns. Eventually the feeling of being alone and lost left Fluttershy, and the black smoke was dissipating around her as well.
"Oh thank you." she said "what am i doing here?"
"No problem, now to help Rainbow Dash." and off he went to put his forehead up to hers as well.

"But guys, i can no longer fly, you know that." said a flustered Rainbow Dash.
"Whats going on?" asked Goodlands walking over to a wingless Rainbow Dash.
"All of my friends are flying off and leaving me behind. I cant fly, and they are all up there." she said pointing up at her friends who were flying around way above her.
"hmm." he thought for a moment, until Applejack appeared next to him, with her hoof touching his side.
"What is this?" she stopped and looked around "what in Equestria? Rainbow Dash?" she asked looking at Rainbow Dash.
"Applejack, boy am i glad to see you. I'd thought you'd left with the others." she said her eyes glowing brightly.
"Nope. She stayed behind to be with her friend." Said Goodlands on the spot.
"Well I couldn't let my friend be all alone could i?" Applejack asked.
"It's no fun being stuck down here while every other pony gets to go up there, and leave us behind." said Rainbow Dash looking crestfallen.
"You know, its not too bad down here on the ground. Less chance of falling down here." Goodlands said with a smile "and we get a heads up when the rains about to come."
"I guess your right, i just don't want you all to leave me here by my self." she said in a small voice.
"We'd never do that." Applejack said putting her hoof onto Rainbow Dash's shoulder.
"Really?"
"Of course we wouldn't." as they hugged the black smoke lifted from around them.
"What the?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed looking around.
"Long story, not sure myself." Applejack turned to Goodlands who was heading for Twilight now. "i didn't know i could join you in the dream sequence."
"Me either." he said putting his head to Twilight's' Forehead.

He was in a room in a different castle, Twilight sitting on a throne looking miserable as all her friends sat around her looking very old.
"Twilight what is going on?" asked walking up to her.
"Goodlands? All of my friends are aging without me. I don't want to lose them. It took me for ever to find good friends and now they're getting old, and I'm not. What do i do?" she asked on the verge of tears.
"Hold on one sec." he said and pulled himself from her. "I'm going to need your girls' help." he said looking over at the others standing around. "Applejack, if you wouldn't mind." he nodded toward Rarity, and the others, then turned towards Twilight.
Back in the strange castle, he walked up to Twilight who was still looking miserable, only this time he had the others with him.
"Twilight, are you okay?" asked Fluttershy. Twilight looked up and immediately her face glowed.
"GIRLS!" she yelled getting up from her throne. "How did you, but then who are they?" she asked pointing to the other girls sitting in the thrones around hers.
"Twilight darling, you've let this place go. Who has been doing your cleaning?" asked Rarity, to which Twilight gave a large smile.
"I've missed that voice, I've missed all the crazy things we used to do." she said looking happier then she'd ever looked before.
"Wake up sugar cube, its time we figure out whats going on and put a stop to it." said Applejack.
"Wake up?" she started but the same black smoke dissipated from around her as well. "Oh girls." she said as tears began to fill her eyes. "it was like you all were barely there."
"Sweetie, there's no reason to worry about that, we're right here. And we don't expect to go anywhere any time soon." said Rarity as she hugged her.
"Besides worrying about it will only rob you of the fun times we could be having." said Fluttershy who was also hugging her.
As they were discussing this, Goodlands put his head to Spikes head, who'd been standing near Celestia.

Spike was sitting alone on a hill side, his head was down and he was staring at his feet.
"You alright chief?" asked Goodlands who sat down beside him.
"They're gone. All of them. And it's all my fault." he said as his eyes brimmed with tears.
"They're not. They're currently at the castle, waiting on you to return." as he said this Spike, who's head didn't raise up, pointed over to his left. Following this Goodlands looked over and noticed a giant crater off in the distance. "Spike, listen to me, this is a nightmare, Twilight's fine, i promise." he said trying to comfort him, Spike looked at him.
"A nightmare is right. Had i only been there, instead of off looking for my brother, I'd have been able to help her." he put his head in his hands. "What am i going to do now? Celestia was there too. I cant even go back to the castle. I'm all alone."
"No you're not." said Twilight as his head jerked up.
"Twilight!" he yelled and looked over at her, he jumped up and ran to hug her. As he did the smoke vanished and they were all standing around Spike hugging Twilight around the neck.
"Whats gotten into you? What was that all about?" Twilight asked as he pulled away.
"Oh, uh nothing. Just a nightmare is all." he lowered his voice "one I'm glad to be rid of."
"And now for her." said Goodlands as he pointed towards Celestia, "Twilight could you magic me up there? I believe I'm a little short." so she covered him with her magic and magicked him up to eye level with Celestia.

He was right back in the same room. Celestia was standing in the same spot and looking horrified. In front of her was Twilight, who looked more angry then Goodlands had ever seen her before.
"If you cared so much then why did you send me off? Why did you get rid of me? Why do you always send me off to do such dangerous stuff?" she glared at Celestia who looked horrified "Is that why Sunset Shimmer ran away?"
"You could say that." said a strange pony Goodlands had never seen before. She was a golden unicorn with red and yellow hair, and she looked livid..
"No Twilight. I wanted you to grow, and learn. Books can only teach you so much. I'd never want anything to happen to you. You're very special to me. I promise you, I've only ever wanted you to succeed. You have to understand." she said, she looked heartbroken.
"So much so that you rarely ever visit, you barely ever even write. I'm much better off without a teacher. I've been doing fine without you, thank you very much." as Twilight said this, another Twilight came walking through her and spoke to Celestia, who had closed her eyes.
"Princess Celestia, don't believe a word of it. I'm here and I'm happy you've trusted me with such important missions. I'm pleased to go out there and help others. Its what i was meant for." she said stopping only a foot away. Celestia looked up.
"But i.. But you.." this time more smoke then anyone else in the room turned to vapor and vanished.
"What was that?" asked Celestia who looked at Twilight, who was standing on the back of Applejack and Pinkie Pie. She looked from them to Goodlands who was being supported by Rainbow Dash. "What is going on? Where did you come from? I thought you were.." she started looking around.
"I believe that was what we call a living nightmare." said Goodlands as Rainbow Dash put him on the ground.