Transference

With a blank mind, I just ran in the direction that I had left the farm from.

The wind felt so good in my mane. I just wanted this feeling to remain forever. Applejack's body sure felt like it was able to run for all eternity. But I knew it was not to be. I had to face the consequences of my actions eventually.

I had been running for a while when a forest came into view and I started to slow down. Heavily panting, and still holding Winona by her neck, I looked in the direction of the forest that I assumed to be the one the ponies here called the Everfree. Her cottage should be close, I thought.

Looking around, I spotted a little cozy cottage that I believed belonged to Fluttershy. I ran in the direction of it and made my way over the little bridge that made her home accessible over a small stream. I knew it was all in vain. Winona had stopped breathing a while ago. I had felt her leave this world while holding her in my mouth.

I wasn't particularly fond of dogs in my old life, but it still made me tear up. Mostly for my own sake, though. I knew this would have some consequences later for sure. But if there was one pony able to help in this situation, it would be Fluttershy, which I was absolutely sure of.

When I stepped on her property, all the animal sounds that could be heard from afar suddenly died out instantly. They must have been aware of my presence. Was I some kind of predator to them? Or did they just feel that something was off? I didn't know, but it surely made me feel unwelcome.

I knocked on the door, and waited patiently, the sack of dead meat still in my mouth.

"One... One moment, please," said a faint voice, which clearly must have belonged to Fluttershy.

After what felt like a lifetime, the door opened and Fluttershy looked at me.

"Oh, hello Applejack!" Fluttershy said while looking at me. "Please excuse the wait, the animals were acting weird all of a sudden."

Looking me up Fluttershy pointed out, "It's not often that I see you without your hat."

I just stared at her with big eyes, the lifeless dog still hanging there. Was she for real?

"Oh, did you bring Winona for a check-up?" Fluttershy finally asked, acknowledging the dead dog in my mouth. "Is she asleep?"

"Yeah... sure. Would you be so kind as to have a look at her? She hasn't been eating well lately," I said mumbling with a full mouth, making something up, hoping for some kind of miracle to happen in the process to follow.

"Of course, Applejack! Just bring her into the back, please," Fluttershy said, not doubting my lie in the slightest. Must have been one of the benefits of the Element of Honesty, I thought to myself.

I felt so bad. What I was I even doing there?

After I had gently dropped Winona off on the table, Fluttershy asked me to wait in the living room.

I just sat there on the couch, staring at a wall. Waiting for Fluttershy to come up to me screaming about that dead dog I had brought to her. I noticed some animals in the corner of my eyes just looking at me, not making a beep.

"Enjoying yourself so far?" whispered a voice into my ear.

Almost a bit disappointed, I turned my head around. "What do you want, Discord?"

On the couch in front of me materialized a way too familiar draconequus.

"Huh, I hoped for a more, eh, thrilled reaction?" Discord said with a smile, not showing any displeasure with my lacking response.

"What for, exactly?" I said angrily. "Just spit it out, what is your part in all this?"

"Well, you're no fun," Discord said, acting all insulted, crossing his arms while floating before me. "But, if you must know..."

Suddenly excited like a kid, he told me, "There was this, mhh, oh, prayer! Someone wished for you to have a chance at another go at life, isn't that nice? And you know what, I actually answered the call, me!" Discord looked at me with his hands up in the air, expecting some sort of positive reaction out of me.

"Oh, fantastic, and then what?" I looked at him with dead eyes.

"I finally put my aquired craftsmanship into good use, I tell you," Discord said proudly. "After all these birdhouses I had to make," he visibly shivered. "Luna didn't even notice the missing feathers."

Floating down, he looked at me. "I gave you the chance that was asked of. Everything that followed after was not my doing, it was your and Luna's choice, do you understand me?" A pause followed. "But I must say, so far, you do show a lot of potential. I'm really looking forward to the chaos. Ever since the villainous trio was imprisoned in stone, it has been all too quiet lately."

His babbling at least gave me an idea of where I was on the timeline there.

"Obviously, you won't remember this conversation," Discord said with a sly smile. "Don't need you to go crying to the princesses."

He snapped his finger in front of me... and nothing happened.

"Right, I'm pretty sure I remember everything, Discord," I said, still looking at him, somewhat unimpressed. I was so exhausted already, I didn't even care anymore.

Discord looked at me with an unfamiliar blank expression.

Snap. Snap. Snap. Discord held his fingers in front of me, snapping them fiercely for a while.

"Oh, hmm," Discord looked around the room and then back at me. "This is... unexpected". His face lit up visibly. "Fantastic!"

And then he just poofed without any further explanation.

Looking back at the wall, Fluttershy finally made her long-awaited entrance.

"Applejack..." Fluttershy entered the living room with her face looking down at the floor. "Winona... I... there was nothing I could do. She's... she's dead."

"I know, Fluttershy," I said with a warm smile while my eyes teared up. "I shouldn't have come here in the first place, I apologize."

"The animals told me that you might not be the real... Applejack?" Fluttershy had herself half hidden behind a couch as she spoke to me, tears flowing down her face. "Who are you?"

"I..." I tried to say something, but then just looked away from her.

Then, there was a barrage of heavy knocks on the door.

"Fluttershy, come! Twilight has received a letter from the princess. We need to go to Canterlot, asap. It's an emergency!" said the voice of Rainbow Dash through the closed door of the little cottage.