Final Fantasy Equestria: New Beginning

Chapter 1

The Farmer and The Warrior

“So...you’re going to that there Crystal Empire huh?” Granny Smith said as Applejack stopped halfway near the doorway of the house. The Warrior mare turned around to see Big Mac and Granny Smith standing behind her as Granny began to walk over towards her.

“You know I’m doing this to protect you guys right? It’s not like I’m going there because I was summon by Hydaelyn to fight.”

“I know youngin, I know. Even if I try to talk ya out of it, you would still go off to the Crystal Empire with your friends.” The old mare said as she placed a hand on Applejack shoulder. “This may or may not be the last time we get to see you again. And Apple Bloom will possibly hate you when she wakes up after you punched her in the gut like that. Just so you know that no matter what happens after all this, we will always love you, no matter what.”

“I know you guys do.” Applejack looked up at Big Mac who was scratching the back of his head.”So...I guess this is the last time I'll seeya huh?”

“Y….Yep.”

“Um...Look I know we don’t do the whole confession to each other that much...but could you keep watch over Apple Bloom if I don’t return from the war?”

“Y-Yep.” Big Mac said as tears began to swell up around his eyes as he looked away from his sister. Applejack smiled softly as she walked past Granny smith and gave Big Mac a hug.

“Try not to cry so much okay? I don’t want to come back and see you crying like a baby like when we were little ponies.” Applejack looked up to see Big Mac nodding while sniffing and wiping away the tears from his eyes. Releasing her hug on her brother, Applejack lightly hit him on the arm before turning around and began to head outside.

“Now you come back home safe ya hear me! Can’t throw a celebratory party if you aren’t home in time for dinner!” Granny Smith yelled as Applejack waved a hand at Granny Smith and Big Mac as she continues to walk down the dirt road to the train station. The vision of the event of her leaving the farm began to fade away as Applejack quickly opened her eyes. As her vision began to clear up, she slowly begins to pull herself up from the ground.

“Where in the twelves am I?” Applejack asked as she rubbed her eyes from the sudden light from the sun hitting face. Once her vision was fully clear, she soon notice that she was in the Everfree Forest. More correctly the castle of the royal sisters. “Lands sake Sunburst. I knew you were good with magic, but I didn’t think you would be able to teleport us out of the blast zone. Hey Starlight you okay-.” Just as she looked to her left, she notice that Starlight was missing. “....Nul’s balls.” She said as she stood up from the ground and quickly begins to look around the area she was in. “Starlight! Hey, are you around here!?” The warrior yelled only to be met with nothing but silence.

“Great, not only am I in the Everfree Forest but now I have to find Starlight and the others...fine mess you gotten me into Sunburst….but at least it’s not in some place that I didn’t know about...now let’s see if I can get my bearings straight. I’m standing in front of Celestia and Luna’s old Castle.” She said as she looked at the sky to see the sun shining above her. “And the sun is just halfway out in the sky...so that means that it’s twelve o’clock noon. Guess I must have been out like a light for the past twenty-four hours. So if I’m not mistaken I should be heading in that direction, northwest. Alright Applejack, let’s hope I got the direction right.” Applejack lifted up her battle axe and placed it onto the holster on her back. Cracking her neck she begins to make her way down the path from the abandoned castle to Ponyville.

“Weird. I thought the folk back in the Twin Adders would’ve gotten this forest straighten out. I’ll have to get on them about it when I get to Ponyville and have a talk with Mayor Mare.” Just as she continues to look around at the untamed forest, her ears twitched upon hearing the sounds of a group of familiar fillies screaming across the distance of the forest. “Wait….that couldn’t be...could it?”

It was only a few moments later that Applejack’s question was soon answered. “I told you that going to Zecora’s during Zap Apple Season was a bad idea, Bloom! I told you!!”

“What!? We were just delivering apples to her! I did not ask for them to come hunting after us!”

“Can we stop arguing and get back to the clubhouse!? I don’t think they can find us there!!”

“....Nul’s balls, Apple Bloom.” Without even thinking for a second, Applejack quickly rushes over to the direction where she heard Apple Bloom and her friends were running off in. Once she was near the location where the noise came, her eyes widen upon coming to a halt once she sees a Manticore cornering her little sister along with her friends. “What in the twelves is that thing?”

“Girls, ah got good news and bad news… Good news is, we no longer have Timberwolves trying to kill us… Bad news is, now a Manticore is trying to.”

“How is THAT suppose to make us feel better?”

“Ah’m Sorry!! Ah don’t work well under pressure!!” Apple Bloom panicked. The Manticore let out a primal roar as it began to charge at the CMC and was about to sink it’s teeth into the helpless little fillies. Only for it to trip to the right after getting hit on it’s side by Applejack’s axe.

“W-What just happened?” Sweetie Belle asked as she looked over at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.

“Ah don’t know, but whatever it is we should-.”

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SISTER AND HER FRIENDS YOU BEAST!!!” Applejack yelled as she came rushing in from the side of the clearing and tackled the Manticore to the ground before it could get up. While it was on the ground, the warrior began to deliver bone crushing punches to the Manticore’s body in a quick but bloody fashion. “You picked the wrong pony to try to sink your fangs into.”

“Is that….Applejack?” Scootaloo asked with a shocked expression on her face from seeing her tackling the manticore to the ground while punching it.

“Ah… don’t know… Applejack wouldn’t try to go far as to kill any creature like that…” Apple Bloom said out of worry and concern. “Let’s just get out of here while they’re fighting.”

“But what if we run into the timberwolves? Celestia knows we can’t out run them in the forest.” Sweetie Belle said as she looked over at Applejack fighting the manticore. “Plus wouldn’t your sister do anything to protect you from danger?”

“Yeah… but she would use her hands… not an axe…” Apple Bloom told them in response. “Let’s just… I think I just need something to eat after all of this. Do you two want to go to Sugarcube Corner?”

“Your thinking about food at a time like this?”

“I’ve never seen my sister act like a savage warrior before. It’s like if you see Rarity as some kind of royal guard or if Rainbow was a monster hunter.”

“The last one sounds kind of awesome-”

“Mah point… is that ah need something to clear mah head… and with what just happened, ah think the Timberwolves attention would be more focused on her… than us.” Apple Bloom said, almost sounding stressed and out of it. “Ah mean, all ah heard this morning was that AJ was going to the market to get some groceries. Next thing ah know, ah find her killing a manticore.”

“I’m sure she’s just injuring it so it would go away-.” Before Sweetie Belle could finish her sentence, she was cut off by the sickly sounds of an axe hitting flesh. Looking over Apple Bloom’s shoulder, she quickly saw Applejack cut the manticore’s left leg before the blood that was from the manticore hit her eyes. Causing her to yelp and tumble backward.

“Is that...b-blood!?” Apple Bloom asked as both she and Scootaloo were taken by surprise at seeing blood on Sweetie Belle’s face. Looking over at the scene where Applejack was, the manticore was trying to limp away from the warrior. Only for Applejack to grab it by the tail and try to pull it back over to her.

“And where do you think you’re going mister? I’m not through with you just yet!” Applejack said as she picks up her axe that the manticore knocked off of himself, and was about to try and cut it in half. “You mess with my sister, you don’t get any mercy from me!”

“If she’s asking about where we’re going… I would want to be anywhere, but here right now.” Scootaloo replied. “Maybe Sugarcube Corner doesn’t sound like a bad idea after all. It would be better than witnessing-” just as Scootaloo was about to finish her sentence, all three of them unfortunately witnessed the warrior cleave the monster in half as blood from the beast now got on Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “-that!”

“By the twelves. I don’t know what you are, but maybe next time you should think twice before going after somepony in the Apple family.” Applejack release her grip on the now dead manticore’s tail as she place her axe back onto the holster on her back. Cracking her neck, she looked over Apple Bloom and her friends as she begins to walk over to them. “You okay sugarcube? You aren’t hurt or anything right?” She asked as she notice the cmc giving her a strange look. “What’s wrong?”

They didn’t say anything. They were shaking out of fear of what just happened and seeing this side of Applejack...or if this was Applejack. Instead, they just got up and took off into town. Scared for their safety and for their lives. Running out of there before the warrior could say anything. Leaving her with the corpse of the manticore that she had slain.

“What the... Apple Bloom come back!” Applejack yelled as she quickly began to follow the Cutie Mark Crusaders into Ponyville. As the warrior ran into town and passed by the market, the commotion made one particular pony at the marketplace look back in that direction with a rather confused look on her face.

“Now what in tarnations is that all about?” She said, before looking back at the sales mare she was talking too. “Oh right… It’s twelve bits for the Apple Peeler right?”

“Yes it is,” the mare replied as the two of them exchanged bits for merchandise. “Thank you. Have a wonderful day.”

Applejack chuckled a little to herself and adjusted her hat as she looked back at the sales are at the market. “Ah got a bad feeling that today’s going to be anything but that.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a hunch I’m getting. Normally when things are this peaceful, something weird always happen” Applejack pointed out. Just as she was about to say something else, she soon notice Apple Bloom Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo heading towards her as they ran passed her. What got her attention the most was seeing a look alike of her running after the little fillies covered in blood.

“... Was… that you… chasing after those fillies?” The mare asked as she looked back at Applejack with a confused expression on her face.

“Ah… honestly don’t know…” She said before looking back at the clerk. “Which stand sells aspirin? Ah feel like ah’m going to need it badly after ah see what my sister did this time…”

“Forth one on the right. Believe me, a lot of ponies ask about that more than you would think.”

While the farmer pony was busy getting what she needed, The warrior continued to chase after Apple Bloom and her friends. To their surprise, she was able to keep up with them even after trying to lose her in the marketplace with all the ponies walking around and carrying stuff that would make a pony stop before they crash into it or the ponies carrying it.

“Dammit Apple Bloom, stop running away like this! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden!” The warrior yelled as she was quickly gaining up on the cmc.

“Faster girls! Apple Bloom’s crazy sister is gaining on us!” Scootaloo said as she looked back at Applejack.

“That thing is not my sister! She would never do what she did in the Everfree Forest!” Apple Bloom stated as they made a hard turn in an alleyway, causing all three of them to stop.

“Uh oh. Dead end!” Sweetie Belle said as she look behind them to see the axe wielding pony block their path. “I’m too young and cute to die like this!”

“Why are you worried about cuteness of all things!?” Scootaloo asked.

“This is the only thing I have going for me. Does it really matter now seeing how she’s going to kill us!?” The unicorn filly asked.

“Finally caught up with you girls.” Applejack said as she slowly began to approach them. “Look, if you're scared because I’m angry with you for getting yourselves in danger like that, then you don’t need to worry about it because I’m not angry-” Just as she said that, she felt something grab onto the back of her armor and yank her out of the alley before crashing onto the ground.

“Ah don’t know who you are or what you want, but ya better stay the hell away from mah sister!”

“Applejack!!” Applebloom cried, even going as far as hugging her sister in relief. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle did the same thing, but all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were later hiding behind the farmer once they saw the other AJ get up off the ground.

“Now that was a dirty move on your part.” The warrior said unfazed by her being slammed onto the ground. Looking up at the pony that did it, she was quickly taken by surprise as the pony that did it looked like her, just instead of wearing armor she was wearing a red plaid shirt, blue jeans, and a cowboy hat. “Y-You’re...me? What in the in of the twelves is going on here?”

The Farmer herself, was unsure… but her first priority was on her sister’s safety. “Girls… go find Twilight. Ah don’t know who this pony is or why she looks like me, but ah’m not letting her lay a finger on you.”

“Excuse me? But who are you to order my sister around like that imposter.”

The next response that was said though… was not from the farmer, but from Apple Bloom. “Mah sister doesn’t kill creatures. Even a manticore.”

Which, immediately put the farmer on high alert. “You killed a manticore?!”

“The manticore was about to eat my sister and her friends. Nopony attack the apple family and gets to live. That’s something that the apple family been doing to those that attack our family. You should know this Apple Bloom. Why are you acting like this like you don’t know me?”

“BECAUSE AH DON’T KNOW YOU!!” Apple Bloom snapped. “AH DON’T KNOW WHY YOU INSIST THAT YOU ARE AJ OR WHY YOU THINK EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT AFTER WHAT WE’VE SEEN, SO PLEASE LEAVE US ALONE ALREADY!!!”

There was a moment of silence in the air upon hearing Apple Bloom say that. Applejack was taken by surprise by this as a shocked expression appeared on her face for a moment before looking at her with a look lit with anger.

“I don’t know what you did to my sister. But you’re going to pay for this imposter.” The warrior said as she began to take up a fighting stance. “I’ll have to find Twilight and see if she knows what’s going. After I knock you down a peg or two for what you did.”

“Girls… get to Twilight now-” The farmer was unable to finish what she was going to say by the time the warrior lunged at her in an attempt to try and punch her in the face. Only for the farmer to duck out of the way of the punch as it tore a large piece of the brick wall off. “Land sakes!”

“Come on, let’s get out of here!” Scootaloo said as the Cutie Mark Crusaders used the chance to escape while this was going on.

“Listen here you imposter. I don’t know what you been doing to Apple Bloom. But if you think that Me, Big Mac, or Granny smith are going to let you get away with this. Then you got another thing coming after I’m finish with you!”

“Doing anything!?” The Farmer snapped as she headbutted the warrior. “All ah was doing was getting groceries and providing for my family when I hear about some lookalike with an axe chasing mah sister!” The warrior reeled her head backwards from getting headbutted as she counters with a bone crushing punch to Applejack’s abdomen. This caused the ground around them to shake as the farmer let out a gasp of air for getting the wind knocked out of her.

“She was running away because you messed with her mind! Apple Bloom would never run away from me if she saw I was protecting her from that beast that was about to eat her.” She said as she grabbed the farm pony by the head and kneed her in the face.

“Do ah look like a unicorn to you!? Ah am not brainwashing mah own SISTER!” The farm pony shouted, using her hands to grab onto her attackers wrist and twist them to the point of breaking before she could let go of her head while also kicking her in the chest.

“Like I’m going to believe that coming from an imposter like you!” Applejack quickly blocked the kick to her chest as she was only pushed back slightly. Looking down at the mare, Applejack smirked and elbowed her look alike in the face. “Especially if you aren’t as strong as I am!” The farmer gritted her teeth as she let out a groan of pain from getting elbowed in her face. She soon stood up and punched the warrior in the face in retaliation.

“Ah… am sick… of your nonsense!” The punch in the face was followed by a follow up punch directly into her face again that was strong enough to send the warrior into a wall. “Ah’m done with this… Ah’m going to find Twilight and get this over with-” Just as the farmer pony was about to leave to meet up with Apple Bloom at Twilight’s Castle, she felt a powerful gust of wind hit her in back. The mare let out a painful yell from feeling her back get hit by something really sharp as she was soon sent flying forwards and tumbling onto the ground.

“Nice punch you got there imposter.” The warrior said as she slowly made her way out of the wall while holding her axe in her hands. “That would’ve been enough to knock me out five years ago. But you’ll need to do better than that if you want to take me down sugarcube.”

“Ah’m not wanting to take you down. Ah’m wanting you to back off and stay away from my sister, freak!!”

“Listen here faker.” The warrior said as she walks over to the injured earth pony as she kneels down with axe near her face. “I don’t know what you did to My sister while I was away at the crystal empire. But whatever you did to her, I’ll be sure to have Twilight fix it.”

“Crystal Empire? Are you nuts!?” The farmer shot back. “Can you just calm down for five seconds?”

“Give me one good reason why I should listen to you?”

“Okay, just what the buck is going on out here?” Both Applejacks were a bit relieved to hear the voice of a friend nearby as they looked up to see who it was. However, they did not expect… to see two of them.

“T-twilight? What in tarnations is going on?”

“Why in the twelves are there two of you?” The warrior asked as she looked at the two alicorns in confusion.

“We’ll explain everything once we get back to….well in this case my Alternate reality self’s castle.” The summoner said as she glared at the warrior. “Now get away from your alternate self! What the buck were you thinking attacking her like that!?”

“But….I….she...Apple Bloom and…..I am so confused.” The warrior said as she stepped away from the farmer.

“She must’ve thought that Apple Bloom here was her own Apple Bloom and also come to the same conclusion that my Applejack was some kind of imposter,” Twilight replied. “I just hope the rest of my friends are handling this a lot better though.”

“If that is the case, then it would mostly be that Applejack and Rainbow Dash would be the two out of both our groups to be combative when they see each other.” The Summoner said as she walked over to Applejack on the ground and place a hand near her back. “Hold still. I need to at least patch up that wound on your back that my Applejack gave you.” She said as she reached for her book as she began to cast the spell Physick onto the earth pony’s back as the open gash began to magically heal itself up. “There, how are you feeling now?”

“B-better actually,” She replied before getting up from that. “Thank you…… Uh… How should I address you? Other Twi? Alt-Twi?”

“Let’s just stick with Twilight and focus on names later,” The Princess suggested.

“Yes. Names can come later. Right now I suggest we get ourselves back to the castle to get reorganized and so we can fill you both in on our current situation.” The summoner said as she looked over at the princess. “Might I suggest you have Spike send your friends a letter to meet up at the castle as well? If my hypothesis is correct, then both your friends and my friends should already meet up with each other just like how it was with me and you.”

“That may be right… but I’m not so sure how some of our friends would react to seeing one another.” The Princess replied back.

“Well we won’t know until we find out. I must say this is a bit exciting. To think that there would an equestria that is different than ours. There is so much to learn and write down in my grimoire” The summoner quickly felt her book vibrate a bit before she looked down at it with a deadpanned expression. “Right, right, keep myself in check so I won’t go overboard with the learning thing. Alright girls. Let’s get going before we draw more attention to ourselves.” Just when the summoner said that, the group heard something that sounded like a cannon and gunfire go off nearby where Sugarcube Corner would be as they saw lots of confetti, streamers, and...what looked like to be fire shoot into the sky.

“Too late…”