Once again, Applejack found herself galloping through an endless field. Except this time, she saw what she was running from. Behind her was a big black cloud, which followed not too close behind her. As it followed her, it engulfed the land in darkness as it rolled over it. She looked back, terrified as it chased her. She saw that she was just fast enough to outrun it.

She awoke once again in her bedroom, drenched in sweat. She was breathing heavily and her mane was pushed up over her face. Applejack sat on the edge of the bed and brushed he mane and tail. She put her headbands back in and her hat back on, and left the house. She didn't even notice what was wrong...

As Applejack walked through the town, she noticed that everypony was looking at her funny. She wasn't sure what was wrong, but she assumed she might have missed a spot when she was brushing.

She knocked her hoof on Twilight's door and waited for her to answer.
"Oh hello, Applejack." she said when she opened the door. "What are y-" she stopped talking.
"What? What's wrong?" Applejack asked, worriedly.
She couldn't speak. She just stared in confusion.
"Wha- What happened?" she asked.
"What do ya mean?"
"Take a look."

Applejack looked at herself in the mirror in Twilight's house. She took a look, and it took her a moment to realise what was wrong.

"What happened to me?" she cried when she saw herself. The colour of her mane and tail were fading, causing her to look dull.
"You know what I think it is?"
"What?" Applejack said impatiently.
"It's that stupid necklace! You have to take it off, it's dark magic!" Twilight said.
"No! You can't have it! I don't care what it is, you're not taking it from me!"

Twilight walked over to the door and locked it. "I'm sorry, Applejack, but you're not leaving until I get that off you."

Twilight took a step toward the orange mare, and she took a step backwards. Twilight charged at her and Applejack galloped out of the way to the other side of the room.

"Twilight, stop. You're insane." Applejack said.
"What?! I'm insane? You're losing your colour, and you still won't take off your necklace!"

She jumped at Applejack and tackled her to the ground. She held her down and tried to grab the necklace off her.
"I'm sorry, Applejack, but it's for your own- OW!" Twilight looked at Applejack, who had bitten her on her leg. She pushed Twilight off of her and jumped through one of her windows, smashing it.
Twilight looked through the broken window at Applejack, who was galloping away, leaving a small trail of blood behind.
"Oh Applejack," She rubbed her leg that had bite mark in it. "What happened to you?"

"Twilight? What's wrong?" Rarity said when she answered the door. "It's ten o'clock at night."
Twilight showed Rarity the bandage around her leg.
"Oh dear. What happened?"
"Well... Applejack bit me." Twilight said.
Rarity looked at Twilight with a worried expression. "Bit you? She bit you?"
Twilight nodded.
"What's gotten into her?"

Twilight pulled a book out of her saddlebag and flicked to one of the pages. "Remember that necklace that she was wearing, amd it looked like the Element of Honesty? Well, take a look at this." She showed her the page and Rarity began reading aloud.

"An object known as the Pegasus Pendant, or 'The Destroyer of Innocence', is a jewel of dark magic which will disguise itself as an object to which the user finds desirable, and fools them into wearing it. Once it is worn, it will slowly begin to turn the wearer insane and corrupt, which is why it is known as the Destroyer of Innocence."

"See? That's what Applejack is wearing around her neck. The Pegasus Pendant." Twilight said when Rarity finished reading.
"That's what she's wearing? We have to do something!"
Rarity took another look at the page. "Is there any way we can stop it?"
"Turn over the page."

Rarity flipped the page and continued reading. "The only way to stop the effects of the Pegasus Pendant is to remove the pendant from the wearer as soon as possible. After the fourth day, the pendant will completely take over and effects will become irreversible."

They both looked at each other.
"So what do we do?" Rarity asked. "She won't let anypony near that necklace."
"We'll go in the morning. We have to get it off somehow. One way... or another."

Author's Note

I'm Australian, so I spell colour like that.