The ground trembled all around Applejack. The shy Pegasus beside her was trembling with fear. But the farm mare put a reassuring hoof on her. Beside them standing courageously were a very pink Earth Pony, a white Unicorn, A rainbow maned Pegasus and in front of all of them was their fearless leader. A lavender Alicorn.
The former bearers of the Elements of Harmony had faced many challenge and survived, this time would be no different.
''Give up Grogar! Your city is falling apart it's time to give up!'' Twilight yelled at the monstrosity laying in the debris.
The ram screamed with rage before blasting the rubbles away. ''Curse you and your kind, Alicorn! You always get in my way just like the White One did a thousand years ago! This time I will show no mercy!''
Twilight sighed with resignation. ''Well I tried to reason with him. But we don't have much time before Tambelon fall on us. We have no other choice than to seal him again!''
Applejack nodded along with the other girls. The lavender Alicorn was the first one to transformed summoning the magic of the Tree of Harmony. The other former bearers followed her lead after her.
Grogar screamed. ''If I'm going to fall I'm not going to fall alone!'' The bell around his neck shook violently before a dark beam of magic shot straight at Twilight. The Alicorn was quick enough to escape the shot but now that she was out of the way the beam went straight at Applejack.
''Applejack!'' The former bearers all screamed at the same time. But it was too late. The farm pony was struck. The last thing she saw was a rainbow trail going straight in her direction.
Applejack woke up with a start. She looked around half expecting to be buried in the ruins of Tambelon. Instead she saw large rolling fields all around her. In the distance she saw a small town. It looked somehow familiar but completely new at the same time.
Not knowing what else to do she trotted in direction of the town. Once she was inside the town ponies of all shapes and colors greeted her with friendly smiles and waves.
There was something off about them. It was the style of their manes and some the clothes they wore. It was as if the town wanted to make a old timey party but couldn't decide what era to stick with.
Applejack wasn't an expert on fashion but she could tell some of these outfits had been out of style for decades at least and some of them looked like they were straight out of the founding of Equestria. Applejack shook her head, these ponies were definetly weird but who was she to judge? Beside they seemed friendly enough.
Now if only she knew where in Equestria she was... It was then that the farmer pony noticed something. A tree, but this was not any tree this was a tree that was once the home of one of her best friend.
''Is that the Golden Oak library?! But ah throught Tirek destroyed it... Wait but more importantly what is the library doing here instead of Ponyville?''
''You're an Apple right?'' Applejack yelped at the unexpected new voice. The cowgirl looked at the new pony. He was a lanky stallion with a brown mane and a old straw hat sat firmly on his head. ''Oh sorry I didn't mean to startle you. It's just that you look pretty new and I couldn't help but notice your cutie mark. You're part of the Apple family right?''
Applejack smiled proudly. It seemed even in a unknown town the name of the Apples were well known. ''Yep the name's Applejack and you are?''
''Oh! How rude of me I never presented myself. I am Stinking Rich It's always good to see a new Apple in town. Me and your family used to be very good trading partners you know.''
She felt like the name was familiar and then it clicked. ''Wait you're the Stinking Rich?! No offense but aren't yah suppose to be dead?!''
The stallion cocked his head. ''Yeah that's why I'm here.''
The farm mare only looked at him in confusion. Realisation seemed to dawn on the lanky stallion.
''Oh! I didn't think you were that new. I'm sorry I really shouldn't be the one to tell you all this you should go see your family.''
She was about to reply that her family wasn't in this town but Stinking Rich was arleady gone.
With a sigh the orange pony continued to follow the road. She still didn't know where she was or how she could talk to somepony she through had died but maybe she could find her friends further ahead.
Once she took the time to relax a little more Applejack noticed it was a pretty pleasant day. It was neither too cold or too hot it was just perfect. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and she could feel the warmth of the sun piercing throught her coat.
After wasting hours trying to track down that crazy necromancer in the catacombs of Tambelon it was good to feel the sun on her fur. The more she walked on the road the less houses and business she could see around her. The only sign anypony passed through here were the hoofprints in the dirt.
She stopped dead in her track after she climbed a small hill. There in front of her was a really familiar sight. A farm, but not any farm she would recognise that house anywhere. This was Sweet Apple Acres.
A millions thought passed throught Applejack head and none of them made sense. Without a thought she galloped. Her heart was beating a thousand times per seconds but she did not care she just ran.
She slammed throught the door of the house and looked around wildly. Her heart stopped when she saw a very pretty mare with a curly orange mane eating breakfast along with a yellow stallion with a red mane and a very familiar hat.
The two of them turned toward her and they too froze. Nopony made a move for a good while. The orange-maned mare slowly walked toward the cowgirl. ''Applejack, is that you?''
''M-mom.'' Applejack barely choked back a sob. Without hesitation she hugged the surprised mare tigtly as if she was afraid she would disappear into thin air.
''Shh, am here honey.'' It was too much for the poor orange mare and she began to cry loudly.
Bright Macintosh was soon upon them and also hugged her. They stayed that way for a long time. Finally Applejack got her voice back. ''H-how? How are y'all still alive?''
Buttercup and Bright Mac looked at each other and looked back at Applejack sadly. ''We're not. You're the one who is dead Jacky.'' Bright Mac replied sadly.
The farm mare eyes turned into pinprick. ''W-what you're joking right? Ah can still feel my heart beating, ah can feel tears in my eyes , ah can even feel you hugging me right now. There's no way I'm dead!''
''Ah don't know how it's work I'm just a Earth Pony but from what ah heard your soul is just mimicking your body functions because it's what you're used to. Pretty soon yah won't feel tired or get hungry. Thought most ponies still eat our apples even thought they don't have to, because they are that good.'' Bright Mac stated proudly.
Buttercup rolled her eyes playfully at her husband. And then she looked at Applejack. ''Am sorry you had to learn it that way Applejack. But welcome to the Elysian Fields honey, throught ah wish you would have came here much later.''
Applejack felt very conflicted on one hoof she had what she always wanted, on the other she lost everything else to get it. ''So that's it huh? I'm dead, it's strange ah should have expected it could have happened at any moments in our adventures. But ah never thought it could ever really happen.''
''Did yah say adventures? Applejack would you mind tell us how you died? Ah mean if it's not too painful to talk about right now.'' Birght Macintosh asked. Buttercup glared at him but Applejack chuckled.
''It's alright but ah guess to get the full picture ah should start at the begining.'' The cowgirl cleared her throat.
''Once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria. There were two regal sisters...
''...We used our rainbow magic on Grogar but before we could finish the job he shot a dark beam of magic at us ah was the one that got hit and ah guess you know the rest of the story.''
''Wow.'' Bright Macintosh looked at his daughter with awed. ''Ah never expected our humble little family would give birth to a full-fledged hero.''
Applejack blushed at the compliment. While Buttercup smirked teasingly at her husband. ''Our family is everything but small Bright Mac.''
Applejack smiled fondly at her parents she almost didn't notice she began to glow until her mother and fathers looked at her in shock.
The orange mare looked at herself with a worried expression. ''What is happening to me?!''
Buttercup looked astonished. ''You're going back.''
''What?!'' Both Applejack and Bright Macintosh cried at the same time.
''You're going back into the world of the livings. Ah heard about this apparently Princess Celestia once summoned Star Swirl The Bearded back from the dead to help her with a crisis but ah never throught ah would see it for myself. Your alicorn friend must be very powerful. Ponies are not suppose to come back once they arleady entered the Elysian Fields.''
Bright Mac looked at his wife with a teasing smirk. ''Wow Buttercup ah didn't pegged you for a egghead.''
Buttercup blushed. ''What? It's not because I'm a Earth Pony that ah can't be interested in the history of magic... Beside ah always liked those stories where heroes beated evil necromancers, so ah got curious how it worked.''
''Why am I not back yet? Twilight's spells don't normally take this long.'' Applejack felt a tugging sensation but nothing more.
''Applejack.'' Buttercup looked at her daughter sadly. ''Your friend Twilight is trying to resurect you. But she can't do it if you don't want to. Forcing a soul to come back to life would be really dark magic. The magic she's using is arleady pretty questionable but it's on the lighter side of the spectrum. Yah must go Applejack follow the magic and it will lead you back to Equestria.''
Applejack looked at her parents and she hesitated. ''...But ah just got you back. What if ah don't want to leave?''
Buttercup put a hoof on Applejack's face. ''Ah know it's hard honey and believe me ah also wish yah could stay. But your family need yah, your friends need you and the whole of Equestria need yah. It would be selfish of all of us if you stayed here.''
Bright Mac put on a brave face and smiled at Applejack. ''Don't worry Jacky when it's your time we will be there waiting for yah.''
Tears rolled down Applejack eyes but she nodded and hugged her father. Then she looked at her mother. ''Mom... we met Grand Pear, he was really sorry he wasn't there for all these years.''
Buttercup closed her eyes and smiled sadly. ''Tell him ah forgive him. But he will still get a earful when he get here.''
The tugging sensation felt stronger and Applejack felt herself fading away.
''One last thing dear.'' Buttercup glared menacingly at her daughter. ''Yah better not come back here until you're mane is completely gray and you look as wrinkled as a old prune do yah hear me?!''
Applejack gulped nervously. ''I'll do mah best mom.''
The orange-maned mare smiled. ''That's all ah can ask for.'' Applejack faded away the last thing she saw were the tearful smiles of her parents.
As she opened her eyes she heard several gasps. All around her were white walls and she could hear a steady beeping sound to her right. The familiar face of Twilight Sparkle appeared in front of her.
''Applejack are you okay?'' She asked worriedly.
Applejack hurted everywhere she was tired as if she hadn't sleeped in a week and she felt like she aged ten years in a single day. She felt so tired as if she hadn't sleep in an eternity and her body felt cold and empty.
She looked around the room all her friends were there along with Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith they all looked at her with worried expressions.
Applejack only smiled and a tear rolled down her eyes. ''Ah never felt better mah whole life.'' She said softly.
Author's Note
Edit 02/10/2021: So on a whim I decided to come back on this story and edit it a little bit now that I'm a more experienced writer. Hopefully it will be a little less painful to read now.
