OW
She bolted upright and popped out the kink in her neck. The royal bed was ridiculously sized, even for her. Her dark blue comforter was on the floor and a half-dozen of her milk-white pillows were strewn across the room like leaves blown in a breeze. She rubbed her throbbing temple. Her headache took its sweet time leaving.
“Hmm... Never have We seen a dream such as this.” Most ponies forgot their dreams once they woke up. Luna was not most ponies. She remembered every dream she visited. She was drawn to a particular dream in Ponyville just before she had woken up. The dream was vivid, and clearly somepony’s personal memory. Such things always caused a powerful resonance in the dreamscape. But this dream was peculiar: she couldn’t figure out what pony was having the dream. That was just silly, no two ponies had the same memories. So why was this memory or dream evoking feelings of first-time experience? Luna was determined to find out.
Then there was static. And pain. Lots of pain. She could feel the echos of emotion from the dreams she visited, but this was something else. It was like feedback, something had gone terribly awry. It filled her head with pain, causing her to wake. She idly used her magic to retrieve her missing comforter and pillows. She settled back into bed, determined to find that dream again and figure out what the hay was going on. It seemed impossible as the lingering headache kept her awake. She snorted and used her magic once again. “We will not shirk our royal duties,” she mumbled.
The spell Luna had in mind was one of her specialties: a forced sleep on the user. It was tricky to pull off. Using too much magic might cause the caster to stay asleep for days. Too little would just cause insomnia. The headache didn’t help matters, but Luna was no first-year unicorn. She fell asleep again in less than a minute. Now to find that dream again...
~~~~~
sssshhhhhh
Twilight was floating in a grey world. She was like a tiny character drifting in a snowglobe, except the outside world was just grey. Little salt and pepper colored specks swirled around her. Her ears were filled with a dull hiss, and her head throbbed with an equally dull ache. “Hello?”
She couldn’t tell if her speech went anywhere. There didn’t appear to be anypony nearby to hear her words and her heart rate was starting to rise. She had no idea where she was or what was going on. “Twilight? Is that you? Make it stop!”
Twilight looked around, her pupils growing larger. “Stop what? I don’t know where we are!”
“Stop yer spell. Ah don’t want to remember this — it’s painful.”
SSSSSSSHHHHHHHH
The sound grew louder. Like a blanket wrapped tightly around them, it slowly smothered thoughts. Twilight and Applejack plugged their ears with their hooves out of reflex, but it did nothing to quiet the dissonance burning into their minds.
“I can’t stop it, AJ!” Twilight yelled into Applejack’s ear.
“What?”
“I said I can’t stop it! The spell should stop itself once the memory is finished!” Twilight exclaimed as the sound grew again in volume and intensity.
“AAAAHHHH!” Both mares curled up into a fetal position, holding each other for comfort. The sound obliterated their thoughts, and pushed its way into every corner of their minds. Each mare felt like a hatchet had been slammed into their foreheads. Twilight squeezed her eyes shut as if it would do something to protect her.
Right when it felt like she couldn’t take it anymore, like her sanity would snap and she would welcome in the numb void, it stopped. Twilight opened her eyes.
crunch
It tasted so good; her family’s apples were the best. She munched away in the shade of an old oak. Twilight glanced around the base of the tree. She could hear the faint calls of the other fillies and colts at play. It was after lunch and her math test was finished with excellent results. It wasn’t perfect, but she knew it would be enough to please her mother. She stuffed the remains of her lunch and her math test into her saddlebags and snuck away from the schoolhouse.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Twilight froze. The authoritarian voice of a teacher was right behind her. She was at the edge of the school grounds, the picket fence only a few strides away.
“Ah’m going ta help ma family on the farm and ya can’t stop me, Cheerilee.” She tried to put on a brave face but inside she was all nerves.
I can’t disobey a teacher, especially not a nice one like Cheerilee!
Twilight turned to face down the authority figure, only to find a slightly older, blank-flanked filly standing before her just above eye level. She wore a big circular pin in her mane that said: “Teacher’s Assistant.” Cheerilee sighed, “Education is really important AJ. I wish you would take it more seriously. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
“Ah done good on ma math test. We’re just gonna study grammar n’ spellin’ fer the rest of the day, and Ah got that down pat. Ma folks need the help.” Twilight felt a sense of pride at the mention of her folks. She was still scared, but refused to lie about what she was doing.
Cheerilee took a step back and leaned away. “Alright AJ, but I won’t lie for you if the teacher asks where you’ve gone.” Cheerilee looked down at the dirt and mumbled under her breath, “And I don’t think you have grammar and spelling down pat either.”
Twilight chuckled and pulled a shiny red apple out of her saddlebag. “Here ya go, fer the teacher, as a way of sayin’ sorry.” Twilight galloped off before Cheerilee had a chance to respond.
Cheerilee sighed, “It sure would be nice if the students offered me apples too...”
~~~~~
Twilight arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and darted into the orchard, still carrying her saddlebag full of school supplies. It was time to help her father and brother with the applebucking. She would show her mother her schoolwork later, and if she played her cards right, she could convince Big Mac not to mention to Candy she had come home early from school.
“Dad! Look what Ah got on ma test!” Twilight bounded through the grass between orderly rows of apple trees. Bright red fruits hung above her, threatening to fall or burst. Big Mac and Li'l Mac were nearly finished with the west field of trees. Li'l Mac had two full baskets of apples strapped to his back while his father bucked the nearest tree and filled his own empty baskets with a single, powerful strike. As the last apple tumbled into his basket, Big Mac looked down at his daughter. She held the test in her mouth without covering the red “A—” with a circle around it near the top of the page. Her eyes grew as wide as her smile. “Mow kin Ah hel ith’ uckin’?” She spoke past her precious, graded test paper.
“Eeyup,” he spoke with a drawl just like his son. Twilight squealed with delight. “But Ah ain’t gonna cover for ya when yer ma asks what you did today. If she gives ya a lickin’, yer on yer own.”
“Aww Pa, please don’t tell Ma. Ah’ll be good, Ah promise.”
“Leaving something important out is the same as lyin’.” His brow fell into a flat line as he gazed at her. “‘Specially when yer tryin’ ta get away with somethin’ ya know ya ain’t s’posed ta be doin’.” He smiled and said, “B’sides Ah might git in trouble myself. But Ah know how much ya wanna help and Ah kin see yer doin’ fine with yer schoolin’. Ah think ya deserve a reward.”
Twilight’s eyes flickered about and sweat formed on her brow. “Ah, uh, Ah didn’t know leavin’ somethin’ out is the same as lyin’...”
Big Mac nodded as he and Twilight began to trot towards the barn. “If ya asked me what the dangers of the Everfree Forest were and Ah said, ‘manticores and timberwolves,’ am Ah lyin to ya?”
“Uh, no, not exactly.”
“Well, would ya be safe if ya prepared fer just manticores n’ timberwolves in the Everfree?” Twilight shook her head. “Darn right ya wouldn’t! Ah might as well have told ya to prepare fer vicious bunnies. Lying is like stabbin’ a pony AJ, just slower.”
Twilight nodded and took a deep breath. “Ah’m already gittin a reward from Ma. She said if Ah did good on ma math test she’d let me wear her hat fer the rest of the day.”
Big Mac set the apples down while Li'l Mac packed them into barrels. He pulled his daughter in close and hugged her with one hoof. “Ah know, which is why Ah’m gonna let ya help. See AJ? Ya tell the truth and good stuff follows.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Ya knew? Why didn’t ya say so?”
Big Mac swelled with pride, “Ah’m just testin ya, like yer math test. Ah wanted ta see what ya’d do if’n ya could butter both sides of yer toast. Ya passed with flyin’ colors too, so you git ta help me n’ yer brother buck apples fer the rest of the afternoon.”
He set the barrel of apples down outside the barn door. “Ah mean what Ah say. O’ course, Ah never seen a filly happy ‘bout buckin’ apples. An’ yer ma is probably gonna tan yer hide when she finds out ya came home early.” He whistled into the barn and called, “Li'l Mac, git out here, we got more apple buckin’ ta do.” Li'l Mac trotted out of the barn with empty baskets slung over his hindquarters, his knobby knees making his silhouette look ridiculous.
Twilight followed beside Li'l Mac, at least until he smiled and ruffled her mane. “Li'l AJ is gonna help?”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at Li'l Mac but kept pace. “Ah’m not jus’ gonna help, Ah’m gonna buck more apples than you. Just you wait n’ see.”
“Nnnope,” was his only response, but he smiled a mischievous grin while he said it.
The sun floated above the horizon as the three started on the south field. It wasn’t long before Twilight’s hind quarters felt like a bag of hot coals. Every time she started to slow down, a glance in Li'l Mac’s direction caused her to redouble her efforts. By the time the sun was under the horizon and the daylight faded, she was covered in sweat. Just as it became too dark to really see, Big Mac called out, “All right you two, time ta pack it in.”
They tromped into the barn one final time, laden with apples. With a grunt, Big Mac set his overflowing barrels down. Moonlight spilled into the barn from the open double doors, making a long rectangle of light. Shadows hid the mass of barrels that were now full. “Ah beat ya Li'l Mac, Ah got more apples than you!” Twilight couldn’t actually see how many barrels of apples each of them filled, but she felt this truth in her bones.
“Nnope,” was the only response she got from the darkened barn.
Big Mac chuckled and trotted to the exit. Hidden in shadow just on the inside of the wide door frame was a lantern. He picked it up in his mouth and tapped it with a hoof. Nothing happened while he stood there in the sterile white moonlight. “Boy, git the lamp oil will ya?” He said through gritted teeth.
“Ah’ll git it!” Twilight was excited to show up her brother; she galloped to the far side of the barn and reached up with both front hooves for the jar of lamp oil. It was dark and her filly-sized body wasn’t quite tall enough to reach the shelf. Li'l Mac lethargically walked up behind her. She just knew he was going to swipe the jar off of the shelf with ease. His extra height gave him a distinct advantage, but she wasn’t about to be outdone. Li'l Mac was still a few paces behind her. She stretched and with all the grace of a little filly, pulled the jar down. Got it!
Blorp
With a wet slosh, Twilight felt a mass of viscous liquid spill over her head and into her mane. It spread over her face, neck, and withers. She blinked and wiped a hoof over her eyes, the jar of oil now in her mouth She smiled and trotted past Li'l Mac, pleased with herself. She had retrieved the jar on her own and was in front of her father to present it to him.
Big Mac chuckled, “Heh heh, yer a right mess, ya silly filly.” Li'l Mac was right behind her with a goofy smile on his face. Big Mac took the jar of oil and lit the lantern. The sterile light of the moon gave way to a warm golden glow hanging from Big Mac’s mouth. “Git yerself cleaned up.” Big Mac gestured to a sink and mirror in the corner of the barn.
It wasn’t unusual for ponies to clean themselves at the end of the day before returning to the home, but this time Twilight was a bit nervous. Based on her father and brother’s reactions, she looked like an oil slick. She reached the sink and gazed at her reflection. Sure enough, her entire upper body looked black as coal. She snickered at herself; save for her emerald eyes, all she saw in the mirror was an inky black pony shape. She used a bucket of rags and plenty of water to scrub herself clean. The bucket was full of greasy scraps of cloth in minutes.
“C’mon AJ, its time ta face the music.” Twilight gulped and looked over her shoulder. The stallion and colt had finished packing the apples and stacking the barrels. She was disappointed to see that her stack of barrels was the same size as Li'l Mac’s. But what made her happy was the stack of barrels Big Mac had created: it was only slightly larger than hers and Lil Mac’s. She smiled and trotted to her father with a clean rag wrapped around her neck.
“Ok Pop, Ah’m all clean. I’m mighty hungry too.” The coals in her flanks had spread to her stomach. Ah’m gonna wear that cowpony hat at the dinner table, if’n Mama’ll let me.
Big Mac looked down at her and smiled. “Alright you two, follow me.” He trotted out of the barn, followed by his children. They passed the starlit orchard, the dirt road a moonlight ribbon surrounded by tall and dark shapes. Big Mac set the lantern on the hook mounted on the door frame to the farm house.
I don’t remember a lantern hook there.
Big Mac opened the front door and gestured for his children to enter. Li'l Mac walked inside but Big Mac stopped Twilight before she could enter. “Ya missed some behind yer ears, ya silly filly.” He rumbled with mirth. Twilight blushed and quickly scrubbed behind her ears with the rag. Sure enough, black stains streaked across the fibers when she pulled it out from behind her ears. Big Mac used the lantern to shine around her, inspecting her from every angle. “Alright little filly, go inside and git dinner.” She smiled and tossed the rag over her shoulder into a pail sitting beside the door frame. Her stomach rumbled; she was looking forward to what awaited her inside. Big Mac set the lantern back on the hook and followed her and the smells of dinner.
Twilight hadn’t realized just how cold it was outside, or perhaps it was the heat inside. Something smelled wonderful, and it was coming from the kitchen. Twilight’s mouth was watering. A faint hum matching a tune she couldn’t place drifted out of the kitchen along with the aroma. Everything inside the house seemed to be bathed in a warm glow. Li'l Mac’s tail disappeared into the kitchen. Granny Smith trotted down the stairs, her nostrils flaring. “Time fer dinner, Ah reckon.” Big Mac and Granny Smith trotted into the kitchen. Twilight took a deep breath before she followed them. She felt... whole.
The family sat around the dinner table, a veritable feast laid out before them. A large soup tureen released steam and the aroma of carrot soup. Apple cider was in abundance. Enough salad for each family member was also in each place setting. Sliced apples were in that as well, along with cranberries, almonds, and walnuts. Ah love cranberries and almonds.
I hate cranberries, and almonds always get stuck in my teeth, Twilight thought.
pshhhHHHH
Static flickered across Twilight’s vision. She felt dizzy, and for a moment she felt a twinge of pain. She blinked and patted her belly. The dinner was gone, eaten in a flash. Twilight felt full, and had an after taste of cranberries. Bits of almonds were stuck in her teeth but she didn’t seem to mind. Everypony was nearly finished with dinner when Candy turned to her daughter, her eyes warm but unblinking. “Applejack, how did you do on your test today?” Big Mac flashed her a look from across the table.
Twilight felt heat rush to her cheeks, but she bravely answered, “Ah got a A–, so...” She smiled and leaned forward but didn’t reach for her mother’s hat. It hung off of the back of her chair; nopony wore a hat at the dinner table in this house.
Candy brightened and said, “That’s good! Ah’m proud of ya, little filly.” Her expression became hard again and she continued, “But Ah think you kin do better. Ah want ta see an A+ on the next one.” Twilight gulped and stopped smiling. She was still edging forward towards the beloved cowpony hat, but Candy made no move to block her or encourage her. “Ya can’t wear it at the table.” Candy smiled and placed the hat next to Twilight’s plate. “Help yer brother with the dishes.”
“Uh, Mama, there’s something else Ah think you’ll wanna know.” Oh hay, this is it. Why did Ah have to gallop home early?
“What’s that?” Candy’s eyebrow rose as she tilted both ears forward.
“Ah, uh, came home a little early to help with applebuckin’.”
Candy’s eyes narrowed as she spoke, “Did you now? And what did your father have to say about that?” She glared at Big Mac.
“Uh... Ah think he was thinkin’ he could use the help. But he didn’t ask me ta help; Ah wanted ta help, honest.”
“Big Mac, honey, Ah’d like ta speak with you in private.” Candy spoke with a deadly calm. Big Mac pulled his harness off and set it aside with a thud. He glanced at Twilight with a slight shake of his head.
“Eeeyup.” And with that, both of her parents went upstairs and into their bedroom. The door shut and while Twilight couldn’t make out what they were saying, their conversation was quite loud. And growing louder.
Twilight picked up her plate and turned to the sink. She found Li'l Mac wearing his father’s harness, inspecting himself. He held a self-satisfied smile. Twilight dropped the plate onto the counter with a clatter of her fork. She swiftly trotted to the head of the table, snatched the cowpony hat from the back of the wooden chair, and placed it on her head. It was a size too large and fell over her eyes, but she grinned like an idiot anyway.
BANG
Everypony jumped. Twilight whipped her head around to the source of the noise over the sink. Li'l Mac’s wide eyes did the same. Granny Smith snorted and awoke from her doze, smacking her lips. “Close the shutters you two, it’s gonna be a windy night.” Lil Mac nodded and trotted into the family room.
The shutters outside the kitchen window flapped in the wind. Twilight cantered over to the sink and opened the window with a deft click. The howl of the wind echoed into the kitchen. She had to squint and flatten her ears against the gale. She reached out with one hoof and fumbled for the shutters. Her hoof was plunged into darkness for a moment before catching the wily shutter on the right. It took her another moment of fumbling in the dark before she caught the other and brought them together. She snapped them closed and cut off the howling wind. She blew a stray hair out of her face and wiped the sweat from her brow with a hoof. She blinked, and felt nothing on her head.
“Where’d it go?” Twilight frantically looked around for the missing cowpony hat.
WAHHHHH
From upstairs the sound of a foal’s cry blew into the kitchen. Granny Smith sighed and rubbed her eyes with a tired smile. “Don’t you worry, silly filly; it’s right here under the table.” Granny Smith bent down and snagged the cowpony hat. She flopped it on Twilight’s head with a smile and said, “Now git the rest of the house closed up tighter than a square knot. Don’t just stand there, git!” Granny Smith made a ‘shoo’ motion and Twilight trotted down the hall, closing the windows as she went.
“Ya can’t sacrifice the future for the present, ya hard-headed fool!” Candy’s voice rose in volume while Twilight closed the shutters in the formal dining room.
Odd, I don’t remember ever eating in the Apple’s formal dining room. Or that they even had a formal dining room!
“She’s doin’ fine honey, ya said so yerself. You got her fancy math test, do ya think she’s in trouble o’ failin’?” Big Mac’s calming voice carried far.
“There’s more ta school than math. Ah already let you have Li'l Mac, ya don’t get AJ too.”
“Li'l Mac already finished enough schoolin’. We’ll be fine. Ah turned out fine an’ Ah helped my pa at his age too.” Big Mac was easier to hear up here. Twilight had trotted upstairs and was closing the shutters at the end of the hallway.
“Is that all we are? Farmers? She don’t have her mark yet, she kin be anythang. Till then, she’s stayin’ in school, an’ if’n Ah get any lip from you Ah’ll...”
WAHHHHH
“Ah’m too tired fer this.” Candy’s exhaustion could be heard even through the door.
There were a few hoof-falls before Big Mac spoke again. “Ah’m sorry, darlin’. Ah’ll take care of Applebloom, you talk ta AJ.” Twilight slapped the catch on the shutters in her own room when her stomach twisted into a knot. She pressed her lips together when she heard her mother’s steps coming down the hallway. Her stomach relaxed when those steps went down stairs and into the family room.
“Applejack? Where are ya?” Twilight knew she should go downstairs, but she just wanted to roll into bed wearing the cowpony hat. No, hidin’ from Mama is just a different type of lyin’. Twilight sighed and adjusted the cowpony hat so it wouldn’t fall again. She exited her room and trotted downstairs, her steps slow. She swallowed the lump in her throat and faced her mother.
~~~~~
“I just don’t understand this.” The doctor looked over the two prone mares. Nurse Redheart looked over Applejack with deep lines in her face. She was frowning but doing her best to clean the trickle of blood from her patient’s nose. “I’ve never even heard of anything like it.”
“We told you not to separate them.” Pinkie Pie was bouncing with a spring in her step, but she wasn’t smiling now. Nopony was. Spike was riding on Rarity’s back, each of them hovering over Twilight’s body. Applejack and Twilight were lying on their sides in white hospital beds, which had been hastily pushed together. If the two were awake, they would be facing each other, but at the moment they were fast asleep. Their barrels would rise and fall together, and their hooves were almost touching, as if each was reaching out to the other.
Nurse Redheart hovered over Applejack, as she had already tended to Twilight. She wiped the blood away with a white cloth. Her brow was furrowed as she fluffed the white pillow with a white hoof. Rarity fit right in with the walls, the floor, and the ceiling. But not the drapes — they were a garish green. Her brow twitched when she looked at the eyeblight. But her eyes strayed to any sources of color in the room, even an ugly one. She hated all of the white — it made her feel like a ghost. The bleached room made everything feel sterile, scientific, in control. So it only made sense that the colorful Applejack and Twilight were out of their control.
The doctor furrowed his brow and shook his head before he bleated out, “But why would separating them make any difference? It doesn’t make any sense. If we could just put them in separate rooms we can observe them and run some tests. Maybe figure out what’s going on.”
Pinkie stopped bouncing and with both front hooves pulled the doctor’s face against hers, her eyes flat against his. “Because it’s magic. And they need to be together when they wake up so they can talk about the dream they are sharing before they forget it.” Her smile was wide and unmoving. Her eyes large and unblinking.
Twilight twitched again in her slumber. Her eyes flickered behind her lids. The doctor tried to shrink away from Pinkie but she held his head like a vice, staring at him far too close for comfort. Sweat beaded on his neck as he stammered out, “O-okay, they stay together.” He would have said anything to get Pinkie to release her grip and gaze. Looking into her eyes was like looking out into a vast crowd of ponies. She released him and he quickly backed away blinking. He took another look at Twilight’s chart, not that he needed to. He had looked at it a minute ago when he entered the room, but he needed to focus on something, anything else right now.
unnghnnnmmm....
Applejack mumbled something unintelligible. Her eyes were dancing behind her closed lids. Nurse Redheart backed away and tossed the bloody cloth into a box mounted on the wall bearing a biohazard symbol. At least the biohazard symbol isn’t white, Spike thought. The doctor trotted around the bed, brushing the cowpony hat slung at the corner of the metal bed frame. He leaned over Applejack and clicked his penlight on. He pulled on her upper left eyelid and looked at her eye, shining the penlight into the black hole.
Her eyes were dark and unfocused; the pupil an inky black disk that grew until only a thin emerald ring was left around them. They darted around, seeing things the doctor couldn’t even fathom. He repeated the procedure on the other eye with the same results. He could see the other mare had similar symptoms. Hmmm... REM sleep? Maybe that crazy pink pony is right — they may be dreaming. But that still doesn’t explain...
“What’s the matter with them doctor?” Rarity said with a higher-than-usual pitch. “Oh please tell me they’ll be alright. I just couldn’t stand to live without them.” She placed the back of her hoof on her forehead, just below her horn. “If they were to never awaken it would be the worst, possible, thing!” Spike didn’t roll his eyes as she began to swoon. He did clutch onto her mane for fear of falling. As she stopped herself and settled on all four hooves, Spike reseated himself. He liked being on Rarity’s back, but it was a small comfort right now. He was staring at Twilight and felt like Pinkie was holding his heart like she held the doctor’s face. His stomach twisted as he drummed his claws together.
“I’m not sure but, they seem to be... dreaming. Other than that they are perfectly healthy. If they weren’t bleeding every time we tried to move them, I’d just send them home and tell you to wait for them to wake up.” The doctor ran a hoof through his mane. It came back damp with sweat. “The only thing we can do for them now is to keep them comfortable and wait for them to awaken.”
Rarity was already scratching away a letter. Her half-moon spectacles perched on her nose; the parchment and quill hovered before her. The quill raced across the page while Spike stood to peek over her head to watch her write. He liked to watch her write; the beautiful penmanship was artwork compared to the way Twilight wrote when she was in a hurry. But today, it was Rarity in a hurry. Her normally graceful penmanship was replaced with an anxious scrawl. The quill stabbed one last time at the end of the letter and the entire parchment was rolled up in a second. “Spike, get this to the Sparkles. Beg Celestia to do it herself if you have to, it’s important. Pinkie, please retrieve the Apple family. They all need to be here.”
Spike nodded and plucked the letter out of the air. He scribbled a note: “To the Sparkle household,” along with a short explanation. He exhaled slowly, green flame curling around the parchment. The parchment turned to ash and swirled away. I hope that gets to them in time, Spike thought. Movement in the corner of his eye made him turn his head. He saw a pink, cotton candy tail disappear into the hallway as the door closed.
Suddenly he was floating, surrounded by a light blue aura. He didn’t struggle as he was placed into an empty chair. The chair and its mate both slid up to the bedside. “Are you tired Rarity? Am I getting too heavy? I’ll sit on my own.”
The doctor nodded and trotted towards the door. That pink one should be gone by now he thought. “If anything changes don’t hesitate to call for the nurse or myself. Come along, Nurse Redheart, we still have to take care of that filly with the broken leg.” Nurse Redheart flashed a smiled and followed the doctor out.
Rarity sighed, “We need to sit down. We’re going to be here for awhile.”
“How do you know?”
“Call it a lady’s intuition, Spike.” She frowned as Twilight’s eyes twitched again.
~~~~~
“Ah’m here Mama,” Twilight said as she entered the family room. It was quiet except for the faint howl of the wind outside and Granny Smith’s light snoring. All that remained in the fireplace were a few hot embers, doing their best to warm Granny Smith as her rocking chair gently rolled her back and forth. She was covered in a blanket, her head bowed and her eyes closed. Candy was standing in the kitchen doorway when she turned around to face Twilight. Twilight smiled at her grandmother and said, “Um, maybe we should let Granny snooze fer a spell.”
Candy nodded and motioned for Twilight to follow her. She entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of sweet tea on the rocks. Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat and stood still near her mother. Candy walked to the kitchen table and seated herself. She took a long gulp from the glass and with a satisfied sigh, set it on the table. She looked to find Twilight standing a short but respectful distance away. Candy smiled and scooped up her daughter. Twilight used both hooves to clamp down on the cowpony hat to keep it from falling off. She found herself in her mother’s lap. “Keep the hat on, silly filly. Ah said you’d git ta wear it if’n yer math test had a good grade and it does.”
“Mama, am Ah in trouble?”
“Yep. You know ya ain’t supposed ta leave school til yer teacher says it’s ok.” Twilight’s brow broke out in a sweat, but her stomach was calm. Proximity to her mother had that effect. “Trouble is, how kin Ah punish ya fer tryin’ ta help yer family?”
Twilight fiddled with the brim of the cowpony hat, thinking. “Well, you could make me go applebuckin’ fer the rest of the week,” she said hopefully.
“Ah could, but that ain’t much of a punishment fer you now is it?” She took another sip of tea.
“...No.” Twilight’s eyes found the floor.
“And what would be a good punishment fer you?”
Twilight’s stomach held a pit in it now. “You could take away the cowpony hat and make me go ta school every day. An’ never let me help with applebuckin’ ever again.” She sniffed, trying to keep back the tears. That’s what she’s gonna do — why do Ah have ta tell the truth? Why do Ah have ta tell ponies how ta hurt me?
Candy laughed, “Land sakes, that would be worse than tannin’ yer hide, wouldn’t it?” Twilight couldn’t hold it in anymore as she began to sob out little tears. Candy nuzzled her daughter and said, “Ah ain’t gonna do that to ya, silly filly. Ah know yer scared, but yer punishment is more book learnin’ ta make up fer what ya missed today.”
Twilight’s sobs subsided after a minute. “S-so, that’s it?”
Candy sighed, “Not quite, sugarcube. Ah want ta know why yer set on applebuckin’ an’ not learnin’. Ah want an honest answer.”
Twilight looked up and shot back without hesitation, “Cause’ Ah want ta help on the farm! How is fancy math gonna help with that?” The hat fell over her eyes again when she tried to look at Candy.
Candy looked down and adjusted the cowpony hat so it sat correctly on Twilight’s head and she could see again. “That fancy math is what’s gonna help the farm tomorrow. Applebuckin’ just helps fer today.” Twilight pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. “Ah know ya don’t really understand, but trust me, learnin’ is what’s gonna get you ahead in life. Just like truth with other ponies, learnin’ is like truth fer the world. An’ ya can’t understand another pony without them bein’ honest, right?” Twilight nodded. “Well, all them books about math an’ readin’ an’ writin’ and stuff? That’s the world bein’ honest with ya.”
Twilight didn’t really understand but nodded anyway. She yawned wide and Candy smiled again. She gently took the cowpony hat off of her head and put it on her own. Twilight blinked, trying to keep her eyes open. “Hey, ya said Ah could have it fer the rest of the day.”
“You did have it — day’s over.” Twilight wanted to protest but she said nothing and looked down. “You want it again tomorrow?” Twilight’s eyes snapped back up. “Then ya go to school till the bell rings an’ you finish yer homework, then Ah’ll let ya have it back.” Twilight nodded vigorously before yawning again. Candy stood, picked Twilight up in her mouth, and placed her on her back. She trotted into the family room and poked her sleeping mother.
Granny Smith snorted and opened her eyes, mopping her face with both front hooves. “Ah musta dozed off.”
“C’mon you two, time fer bed.” Granny Smith followed Candy upstairs, each going in opposite directions once they reached the top. Candy entered Twilight’s room and placed her into bed. “Time fer dreamin’, my little Apple.”
Twilight yawned again, “Goodnight Mama.”
Candy kissed her on the forehead and whispered, “Goodnight, sugarcube.”
~~~~~
Black snow, that’s what it looked like. Little fluffy black motes floated in an endless white void. “Applejack?” Twilight looked around but didn’t see her friend anywhere.
“We do not have much time, a dream within a dream is fragile and will not last.” Luna stepped out of the ether behind Twilight. With a flash of her horn Applejack fell from the ‘sky’ and stopped near Twilight. There was no ground for her to hit, she just stopped at what appeared to be level for Twilight and Luna.
“Make it stop Twi! Princess? Yer here too? What in tarnation is goin’ on?” Applejack curled up and held her hat. Her mane and tail floating as if she were immersed in water. Twilight was in much the same position, only Luna seemed to be standing.
“Princess, this here is mighty strange. Kin ya tell me what in tarnation is goin’ on?” Twilight spoke with a particular accent. She blinked and her eyes went wide as she covered her mouth with both front hooves. “What... WHAT IS GOING ON!?”
Luna gazed at Twilight, her expression a perfect poker face. “It seems it has already begun. The two of you need to wake up. For some reason I do not know, your minds are tangled up with each other. If you do not wake soon, I fear one or both of you will become a vegetable.” Luna spoke calmly, but her eyes bored into Twilight. “I fear you may perish.”
Twilight blurted out, “I didn’t mean to hurt anypony! I just wanted to test my new memory spell. I’ll never do it again I promise, just please MAKE IT STOP!” Luna furrowed her brow and stepped towards Twilight, her hooves striking an unseen surface.
“Quickly, think of the spell you speak of. Remember the details and formulae.” Luna gazed intently at Twilight, who closed her eyes and thought about her notes and diagrams. “Very good, hold them there.”
Twilight opened her eyes as both she and Applejack let out little gasps. The chalkboard from the library was there, floating along with the salt and pepper snow. Luna took in Twilight’s diagrams faster than Twilight thought possible. “Um, what’s going to happen to us Princess?”
Luna finished reading and turned to the two friends before speaking in a measured tone, “Twilight Sparkle, you have done an impressive job...” Twilight beamed, “...of creating a very dangerous spell.” Her ears flattened against her head. “The spell you have created is similar to the spell we use to peer into the dreams of our subjects. Your spell will indeed delve into the mind of another and see their memories. The trouble is, you didn’t bother to add in a way to end the spell.”
Twilight felt a cold chill down her spine. “I thought the spell would end once the memory was over.”
Luna arched one eyebrow. “And when do memories end, but upon death?”
Twilight blinked and said, “I thought... memories ended after the events were complete.” As she thought about it, it seemed like a foolish notion now. Sure memories ended, but the end of one memory was just the beginning of another.
Luna shook her head slowly, “This spell will not end until one of you is dead, or...”
Applejack gulped, “Or...?” The Apple’s barn appeared, the faces of Big Mac, Granny Smith and Applebloom floated inside of it, apple trees with bright red apples swirled around her.
Twilight shook and raised her voice over the growing storm, “Or what? I don’t want to die!” The Golden Oaks Library crashed into the barn, the faces of Twilight’s parents, Spike, and Shining armor spilled out of the library’s door. Books and scrolls exploded out of the library to float like the snow.
Luna shook her head again and said, “Or you two wake up. The only way you will be able to do so is during a time of great stress that defines who you are.” She turned to face Applejack. “We cannot see this memory — is such a time nearly upon you?”
Applejack looked away, her mouth pressed into a tight line. She blinked away tears and spoke in a clipped voice, “Yes.”
Luna nodded and said, “Good. Twilight, at that time you must wake up. I do not believe your body will survive much longer separate from your spirit, and Applejack’s mind cannot withstand having a visitor for such a long time. The strain may destroy her sanity. At the right time, think about waking up. Try to imagine yourself opening your eyes and sitting up.”
Twilight was still shaking but nodded, “Okay. At a memory that defines Applejack, think about waking up.”
Applejack stared in horror at Twilight. “Twilight, ah don’t want to relive this. It’s horrible. It’s—”
Luna cut her off as the storm of apples and scrolls filled the void, pushing out the white and black snow. “Our time is up. Both of you must not forget who you are!” And with that she was gone in a tornado of apples and paper.