Author's Note

Thanks to FeatherFury for the idea! They gave me something to write about in this chapter!

Applejack's Nightmare

Ever since the outburst of Princess Twilight, Applejack retreated to the farm and instead worked on the jars of their Christmas Apple Jam that she and the apple family have been selling every December. Ignoring the words that Twilight imparted to them, she inspects the jars one by one to see if there’s anything that is amiss, like a speck of dust or apple seed leftovers.

Applejack’s thoughts are filled once more with the words of Twilight.

“That “snake” is the friend you abandoned!”

“I thought you girls would teach her the friendship of magic!?”

“I trusted you!”

She sighed and pushed the thoughts away, deciding to ignore the thoughts. She continued to inspect the jars with a sharp eye.

That is until her reflection from the jar looked at her in the eyes.

“What in tarnation?” She shook her head and rubbed her eyes with the wet towel, staring back at her reflection on the jar.

The reflection opens her mouth and speaks, “Why did you do it, Sugarcube?” She asked with a sad tone.

“W-who are you!? Why are you talking to me!?” Applejack demanded.

“I’m you. I’m your real self. The Honest Applejack, not the lyin varmint Applejack.”

“Well, I’m no liar if that’s what you’re gettin at!”

“Are you sure about that?” Asked the reflection, “Because an honest friend would think twice about accusations rather than pointing fingers and accepting it to be true.”

Applejack sat there in silence, trying to come up with something to say. “Well, sugarcube? Are you sure about it?”

“I’m darn tootin right that Sunset is Anon-A-Miss! She and my friends are the only ones who know about my secret nickname!”

“Oh poor thing, you know better than this. Twilight is right, ya know? Sunset is innocent. Yet you chose to believe that she is what you think she is.”

Applejack slammed her hand on the table out of anger, “Well that’s because she is! We trusted her and she broke it!”

“Yet trust comes from Honesty, and so far, Sunset has been Honest with you and your folks ever since after the Fall Formal. Why are you doing this to yourself, Sugarcube?”

Another reflection spoke. “This isn’t you, Applejack. You know that Sunset is telling the truth.

“Then what should I do!?” Applejack asked.

“Apologize to her.”

“I won’t! She deserves it after breaking our trust!”

Her reflections from the other jars started to speak as well, repeating the last words.

“Apologize to her.”

Applejack closed her eyes and covered her ears, thinking that this is a bad dream. Despite her efforts, she can still hear the voices.

“Apologize!”

“Apologize!”

“Apologize!”

“Apologize, Sugarcube!”

The farmgirl clenched her fists, cringing at the memories of her accusing and abandoning Sunset accompanied by the chanting of her reflections. Shedding a tear, she covers her ears in an attempt to drown out the voices.

“Why did you leave me, Applejack?” Sunset’s voice rang in her head, “I thought we were friends? Family?”

“ENOUUUUUUUGH!” Applejack yelled.

“Applejack? Are you alright, sis?” Applebloom asked by the door.

Applejack sighed, “I’m alright, sis. I-I’m alright. Just… I’m just hearing things is all.”

“Oh, okay. Well, Granny Smith needs the Jams to be ready before nightfall. Do you need some help?”

She then looked back at the jars to see if the reflections and voices are still there, before looking back at Applebloom.

“Of course, sis. Of course.”

No, I’m not.

Applejack sat down underneath an Apple tree, relaxing after a long day of harvesting apples and taking care of the family chores in the barn. Next to her is a picnic basket packed with Apple treats and fizzy cider, her favorite choice of food to snack on a slow day.

She whistled along with the tunes of the bird’s chirping, something about the act of whistling with the birds gives her a calm sense in her thoughts. She smiled as the birds chirped in harmonious tune as she listened to one of nature’s song. Drinking her fizzy cider, she heard a voice.

“Applejack…”

Her eyes widened and immediately put down the bottle of fizzy cider, standing up to look at the direction of the voice. Turning back, she only saw Sunset Shimmer in a beaten state and messy hair, along with torn clothes.

“Why, Applejack?”

“Sunset? What are you- who did this to you!?”

Sunset then slowly raised a finger and pointed at Applejack, “You did, AJ. You did…”

“N-no, It wasn’t me! I wouldn’t do such a thing!”

The clouds above slowly turned grey, accompanied by thunder. “But you did, Applejack. Why…? I was telling the truth!”

“About you not being Anon-A-Miss! Hoshwag yer tellin the truth!”

Sunset then fell to the ground as a shadow pushed her down from behind before it proceeded to kick Sunset mercilessly. Four more shadows formed around Sunset, the one laughing and mocking her while the others jeered and accused her of stealing and exposing personal secrets of students.

“Stop! Please! I didn’t do it, I swear!” Sunset pleaded, all the while trying to cover her face from being stomped.

Applejack gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, unable to see the treatment of Sunset. She turned a blind eye as Sunset pleaded for mercy.

“Applejack! Help!” Sunset yelled out for help.

“Ah can’t take it anymore!” She then stomped her foot in anger, “You folks get away from her now! She’s suffered enough!”

The shadowy figure then turned to Applejack, with a mischievous smile forming on her face. “And why is that, sugar cube? She has to suffer more for all the teasing and secret stealing she’s done against us!”

“That’s…” She trailed off, knowing that her inner conscience says the same thing.

“See what I mean? You’re nothing but a traitor to your friends. Whatever happened to Honesty, Sugarcube? Didn’t your dead parents taught you that?” The alternate Applejack sneered.

“Don’t you dare drag in my parents to this issue!”

“Oh dear, I wonder… you see, even your own flesh and blood can betray you. You know this too well, Applejack. Yet you don’t seem to learn, and in doing so you betrayed her.” She pointed at Sunset, before kicking her face once more.

“T-that’s… that’s not true!”

“Oh really? Because if I remember, your parents are right there behind you with your belongings packed up.”

Applejack turned around to see that indeed, her stuff is right there along with the disappointed looks of her parents.

“We’re disappointed in you Applejack. How could you do this to your friend?” Bright Mac said with a saddened tone.

“This isn’t the way we raised you, sweetie.” Pear Butter said as she shed a tear.

“Ma, Pa! This isn’t what it looks like!”

“We taught you better than this, Applejack. But apparently, you never learn. We’re ashamed to be standing here looking at you!” Pear angrily said.

Ma, I swear! It’s not my fault, I-”

“Enough talk, Applejack. From now on, you are no longer part of the Apple family and that’s final!” Mac said with fury.

“N-no… no, no, no! Please, don’t kick me out of the family!”

“We just did. Goodbye, Applejack.” Both her parents disappear into thin air, as the shadowy figures mock and laugh at her, causing Applejack to wake up.

Her eyes wide, body sweating and looking a bit pale, Applejack let out a sigh of relief to realize that it was just a bad dream.

But something inside her seems to disagree otherwise. Something inside her is telling that she needs to recheck her virtue of Honesty and see if Sunset is indeed telling the truth.

"Ah have to dig in to this... Ah have to..."