The Changeling of Illusions

Forge opens a scroll from Ponyville that popped up right in front of him. "Spike mail. I'll ask how it sent to me later." He opens it, going over the message. "So this is when Applejack decides not to come home after failing at the rodeo... greeeaaaat." He prepares to teleport his way to Ponyville. Strangely enough, it hasn't been as taxing as it used to be. "Must be Friendship™ giving me a boost. I've also been less and less hungry as of late... Cool."

Forge arrives at the train station, where the group of five is waiting to depart to find Applejack. "Teleporting to skip a train ride, to go on a train ride..."

"That was fast." Twilight remarks as Forge pays for a ticket.

"Got the idea from you actually. But that's not important, we need to find the element of not quite honesty right now." Forge says as they board the train. "By the way, how did you have Spike send that scroll to me? I thought it was a Celestia only thing."

Twilight sits down, as do the rest. "Well... remember the testing? I sort of got a lock on your magical signature. So I knew how to get Spike to send to you instead of Princess Celestia. I had to send him back to the library while I'm away." Twilight explains.

"So, what kind of experimenting did you two do, huuuh?" Rainbow asks with an eyebrow wiggle.

Twilight looks away, embarrassed at what Rainbow was implying.

"Nothing like that, pervert." Forge smirks.

Rainbow narrows her eyes. "What did you think I was talking about, pervert?"

"How the turntables. Well played." "Don't get me wrong, I certainly wouldn't... mind, that. But I sort of have my eyes set elsewhere for right now. Nobody in Ponyville or on the train, or wherever Applejack is." Forge replies.

"Who is it?" Rainbow presses.

"Anypony we know?" Rarity chimes in.

"... No comment." Forge says, regretting even talking about it.

Pinkie squees. "Come on, tell us! Or tell me. I Pinkie Promise™ I won't tell!"

"Girls, you're making him uncomfortable..." Fluttershy says in an attempt to help Forge.

Forge seems to sink further into the train seat. "I... maybe, but you can't tell anyone else about it. Got it? I'll even tell Applejack later, but none of you breathe a word about this to anyone." The group nods. Forge sighs. "Okay. I kind of have this thing for... Luna..."

They all look puzzled by that. "Not what I was expecting... Care to say why?" Rarity asks.

Forge steels himself. "Well, I know you've seen her right after you friendship lasered her, but you haven't seen what she's like now. Her mane is pretty much the night sky now, twinkling little stars and all. She's also a bit taller, coat's gone shades darker, and... Well, frankly she's gorgeous. She and Celestia were the first to know about the uh... bug, thing. And so I was kind of her first contact aside from Celestia, and her test subject while she regained her dream walking ability. And... she's got a nice flank..."

"So, you like her moon huh?" Rainbow smirks.

Forge deadpans. "Remember what I said about not talking about it?"

"Actually, you said not to tell anypony else, not that we couldn't talk about it." Twilight informs, just realizing she wasn't helping.

"But from what I gather, you also like Twilight, right?" Rarity asks.

"Well, I mean, yeah... But at the same time, it's... complicated. I'm just gonna say there are others that I find attractive, not just physically, but personality wise too. You know who might be my current goal, but things could change over time. And now, I'm going to nap until the train gets back to Canterlot..." Forge facehooves. "Damnit, I could've just met up with you at the rodeo site instead of going on the train back to where I literally just came from."

"But then we wouldn't have learned that you have the hots for Luna and Twilight." Rainbow smugs smugly.

"Can it." Forge says, promptly leaning to the side and trying to nap.

-<>~--*--~<>-<

Forge sits at a table, where the others have given up on trying to find someone who recognizes Applejack at the rodeo. That is, until a particular pony points them in the right direction.

They get on another train, heading out to Dodge Junction. "Fitting name, since she's dodging her problems..." During the train ride, Forge finally learns that gem detection spell Rarity taught to Twilight before. "Another tool for the belt, so to speak..." Once the train finally gets to Dodge Junction, Pinkie leaps out in a hurry, banging rapidly on the stall. "Three, two, one." Applejack exits the stall, unaware that she just saw Pinkie for a moment before trying to slink away. Her slinking fails, as the rest of the group converges on her, besides the bowel troubled Pinkie.

"Uh, hey everypony... What's up?" Applejack asks.

"The direction in opposition to the gravitational pull of the planet we're walking on." Forge says as monotone as possible, for effect.

Applejack just rolls her eyes.

"Why didn't you come back to Ponyville!?" Rainbow half-yells in disbelief.

"Yes, why here?" Rarity gestures to the practically a wasteland that is Dodge Junction.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asks, concern plain as day on her face.

"You have any snacks?" Pinkie asks, because of course she's focused on snacks right now.

"Tell us what happened Applejack!" Twilight presses.

"Applejack, are these some of your Ponyville friends?" Asks a new voice.

"Cherry Jubilee..." Forge remembers.

"Yes ma'am." Twilight confirms.

"And you are...?" Rarity inquires, confounded.

"Why, I'm Cherry Jubilee, boss of Cherrio Ranch. Hasn't Applejack told ya? I saw her compete at the Equestria Rodeo..."

Forge tunes out the conversation, instead looking at what he could of the town from where he was. "No other changelings around, good. No real danger here, aside from maybe heat stroke. This place reminds me a lot of the desert regions of California and Arizona. I wonder where cherry farms are back in the states, maybe this place is close-by to their equivalents? Maybe there's some big chunks of quartz in the ground out here, maybe those could help with my main pet project..." He casts the gem finding spell, quickly finding and unearthing some of the aforementioned quartz chunks.

"I told her I was snacky!" Pinkie yells in exasperation.

Rarity looks at Forge quizzically. "Why do you have all that quartz darling?"

"Experiments I'm doing. Like, little side projects. Apparently quartz is used for watches due to putting high pressure on it producing an electrical charge. It's also pretty abundant in desert regions like this. Could be useful for my stuff." Forge elaborates.

"Is that why you wanted to know the spell?" Rarity asks.

"Kind of, it's partially why. But I've got more uses planned soon, for other locations I plan on visiting sometime. You never know, right?" Forge finishes.

"Come on, if we're going to get the truth from Applejack, we need to spend more time around her." Twilight states.

"How are we going to do that?" Fluttershy asks.

"By working for Cherry Jubilee. Applejack can't escape us then, her integrity won't let her just quit when we join." Twilight explains. "Now, we've got some cherries to pick, or whatever we'll be doing."

-<>~--*--~<>-<

"Come on in girls!" Cherry calls out.

"I have a dick and balls!" Forge corrects as the group walks in.

"Not for much longer if you keep that up mister." Cherry chortles.

"What are you all doin' here?" Applejack half asks, half sneers.

"We're your cherry sorters." Twilight informs. "Shall we get started?"

"Fine." Applejack huffs.

"Red cherries go in one bin, and yellow cherries go in the other. Have fun!" Cherry Jubilee says with gusto as she leaves.

"No, I thought the red cherries went in the yellow colored bin..." Forge remarks sarcastically, moving the yellow bin to the end of the conveyor belt.

"What are you doing?" Fluttershy asks.

"Working smarter, not harder. Just focus on pushing the red cherries into the red bin only, the yellows will all collect in this bin when they reach the end of the conveyor belt. Badabing badaboom, nothing will hit the ground if it's missed." Forge says, tapping his forehead.

Twilight starts grilling Applejack about Canterlot, while Forge does his best to catch any reds that might have gone unsorted. As more ponies leave the conveyor, and applejack starts moving faster, things start getting difficult. Eventually, it starts becoming too chaotic, so Forge does the only thing he can think of. Move the red bin at the end of the belt next to the yellow bin, and divide the cherries as they come using his magic. But it's not enough, as Applejack goes into a full on sprint. And then, splat. A tidal wave of cherries crashes onto Applejack, and the stone wheel. Completely covered in liquefied cherry, Applejack storms out of the room, fuming.

The group cleans up the cherry mess, except for Applejack, who'd caused the mess in the first place.

"It's time to bring out the big guns." Rainbow says, a bit happier than she should be.

"Cruel and unusual punishment by prolonged Pinkie Pie exposure. I'm already remembering the cherry-changa part. Come to think of it... That's another thing Pinkie's got in common with Deadpool. Hell, he referenced HER in Deadpool 2..." Forge ponders as he cleans.

-<>~--*--~<>-<

Forge walk across the hallway with the group as they head to Applejack's room. "It's abandoned. Of course. Promise broken, demonic screeching mode engaged."

Pinkie leads the charge, literally steaming with rage as they close the distance on Applejack. Applejack flees, ditching the train station for a carriage. Twilight spots the small cart, setting up Rainbow and Fluttershy to run. Now they're in hot pursuit. That is, until Forge realizes what's about to happen. As soon as the retarded bunny comes into view, he uses his magic to temporarily repel the cart from the ground. Rainbow and Fluttershy glide the cart back to the ground, keeping the pace going. Rainbow bashes the cart into the side of the carriage.

"PULL OVER!" She yells over the galloping hoofsteps.

"Cut that out!" Applejack yells, only to be thrown into the air briefly from the next collision. "I'll pay you double to outrun them!"

"We'll pay you triple to slow down!" Twilight counters.

"I'll pay you quadruple to leave them in the dust!" Applejack re-counters.

It's no good, as Pinkie hops onto Applejack's cart to demand her apology. Forge notices Pinkie hopping backwards towards Rarity. "Not this time." Forge thinks as he catches Pinkie in his magic, setting her back in the cart safely.

Applejack has the carriage speed up even more, heading right in the path of an oncoming train. She barely makes it past, while Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Forge all fly the cart over the train. Forge quickly uncouples Rainbow once they land, allowing her to stop Applejack from escaping. The tackle sends the medals in Applejack's bag flying out everywhere.

Applejack winces. "Fine, now ya know."

"Know what?" Twilight asks.

"Well, just look!" Applejack points to the numerous, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place medals.

"I am, you won an amazing number of ribbons. Just like miss Jubilee said!" Twilight says, holding a foreleg to the sky.

"Don't ya get it? There's every color of ribbon down there. Every color, but... blue." Applejack slumps. "I came in fourth, third, even second, but I didn't win one first prize. And I certainly didn't win any prize money..."

"But, the telegram said you were gonna send money." Rainbow says, baffled.

"That's why I came here, to earn some money. After that big ol' sendoff Ponyville gave me, I just didn't have the nerve to come home empty hoofed. I couldn't come home a failure..." Applejack admits, head hanging low.

"Applejack, you're not a failure!" Twilight says enthusiastically.

"And we're your friends! We don't care if you came in fiftieth place!" Rainbow says with a wink. "You're still number one in our books."

"So quit with the long face, no amount of prize money's worth this much trouble. Heck, Pinkie nearly got herself and Rarity injured. Do you know what falling on the ground while moving at that high a velocity would do? Nothing good, that's for sure." Forge affirms.

"So... you're not upset or, disappointed?" Applejack asks hopefully. The whole group shakes their heads. "But, what about the mayor? I don't think I can face her and tell her I didn't get that money to fix the broken roof..."

"Applejack, we can always find a way to fix that hole in the roof. But if you don't come back, we'll never be able to fix the hole in our hearts." Fluttershy reassures.

Forge cringes, hard. "So. Fucking. Cheesy! BLEGH!"

"Aw darn it, now you've got me acting all sappy!" Rainbow yells in frustration.

"Eh, I'm sure you'll only have to spend a day in the mayor's sex dungeon." Forge quips. The others all either glare at him, or are mildly shocked he'd even suggest that. He chuckles. "I was just kidding, jeez. I'm not THAT much of a degenerate."

"Heh, says the flank chaser!" Rainbow retorts.

Everyone breaks into laughter after that. "Another adventure completed. Heh, I'm getting better at this kind of thing."