Chapter One
“Applejack,” asked Twilight Sparkle, “do you believe in God?”
Applejack hacked once again at the trunk and spit out the handle, leaving the ax half-embedded in the splintery wood. "Beg yer pardon?"
Twilight looked down and away. "I asked if you believe in God," she said again.
A little smile jumped to Applejack's mouth. "Well, sure I do, sugarcube." She took up the ax in her teeth and gave a few more precise chops. The tree creaked a little and bent away from Twilight. Applejack moved as if to strike again, but then her brow furrowed and she dropped the ax on the ground. "Is that all you came by to ask me?"
Twilight still wouldn't meet her eyes. "Well, yeah, I guess so. I mean, I was hoping for a little more explanation, maybe?"
"Explanation?" Applejack tilted her head, her hat sliding over a sweat-dampened mane. "I don't follow, Twilight. Why the sudden interest in religion?"
"Well, we don't talk about it much, do we?" Twilight asked. "I mean... okay, the other day I was reorganizing the books in the castle's library. I'm trying to improve on mistakes made early on in Golden Oaks' system that just couldn't be salvaged by the time I moved in. Anyway, I found this whole section of religious texts I've never even seen before, and I realized that solid concepts of deity have practically disappeared from Equestrian culture. Back before the union of the tribes, each faction was largely founded on their ideas of the divine, but nowadays it's unheard of, not even as myth."
"Whatcha gettin' at, Twi?" Applejack asked.
"Well... why do you believe in God?" Twilight asked, finally making eye contact, her face scrunched with sincerity.
Applejack chuckled. "Can't say I've rightly thought about that. But it's a good question. Hmmm..." She put a hoof to her chin.
"Maybe," Twilight suggested, "it would be easier if, first, you explained to me... uh... what it is that you believe exactly?"
After a pause, another kind of laugh blew through Applejack's nostrils. "Well, all right, then. I'll tell ya. But first can I finish choppin' down this tree?" She lifted the ax with a hoof. "It'll give me time to formulate a proper answer, anyhow."
Twilight nodded and then watched patiently as Applejack whacked the crumbling trunk over and over until, with a long cracking sound, it twisted and fell. "Why are you cutting it down?" she asked.
"Got sick," she explained. "Unfortunately not all tree diseases can be cured with a bit more care 'n' relocation."
"That's too bad," Twilight said, frowning.
Applejack shrugged. "When I was a filly I used to think o' the trees as ponies," she said. "Shucks, I still do, sometimes. Remember Bloomberg?"
Twilight laughed. "Wow, that seems like such a long time ago."
"That's 'cause it was, Twi. I remember it used to bother me a lot when trees had to be chopped down or uprooted or the like. I talked to Pa about it once. I asked him if the trees felt any pain when they got the ax." She picked up the blade and lodged it into the new stump. "He said 'Nope. Trees don't feel nothin'.' And that satisfied me."
Twilight giggled. "Well, you were easy to convince."
"I believed everything my Pa told me," Applejack said. She looked up and hummed to herself. "Matter'o'fact, it was him that told me about God."
"Really?"
Applejack sighed and nodded. "See, my parents... well, shucks, Twi, I don't usually talk about this kinda stuff."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Twilight said, stepping back. "You don't have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable, Applejack."
"No, not like that. It's just that it's... hard to think back on sometimes." She cleared her throat and adjusted her hat. "Let's take a walk. I'll tell ya."
They left the fallen tree and began to trot through the orchards. "Big Mac'll come move it before sunset," Applejack said, glancing at the big blue sky.
"So your father told you about God?" Twilight asked after a long silence.
"Yup," Applejack said. "He and Ma... well, they got real sick. Not sure if I've ever toldja."
"No, you haven't," Twilight said quietly. "I've always wondered, though."
"Yeah. I don't like ta..." She cleared her throat again. "Anyway, we had to keep 'em in separate rooms fer a while 'cause they'd get too hot and really suffer if they were together. So one time Macintosh was carin' fer Ma and I was in the room with Pa, dabbin' his head with a cloth and all. Then he sorta wakes up real quick and looks at me all worried-like." She gulped. "I already knew, but... I dunno, that look still haunts me."
"Knew what?"
"That he was almost gone," she said. "He started tellin' me what to do fer Mama when he left, and details about the farm I'd need to know to run the place. I guess he knew I'd be the one to take over. Ha! Big Mac's a strong feller, but he never was the leader sort. Anyway, I... I didn't take it quite as strong as I should've. I started to cry and he sorta reached his foreleg up around my neck. I just laid on his chest." She sniffled and rubbed the back of her mane. Twilight had already stopped trotting, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Applejack..." she said.
"It's okay, Twi. It was a long time ago."
"How old were you?"
"Younger'n Apple Bloom. I didn't have my Cutie Mark yet."
"Oh, gosh..."
"Now don't make me cry any more'n I have to," Applejack said with a wry smirk. She coughed for the third time and kept trotting. Twilight followed at her side.
"That's when he told me," Applejack continued, "that after ponies die, they go to heaven to wait fer their families. He described it to me, this heaven place. He said it was like Cloudsdale, but brighter, and you didn't need wings to walk around in it. He told me that everypony has a body and a soul, and that even though the body might die and decompose like a fallen apple, the soul lives on ferever. That was the difference between a tree and a pony, see? That's what he told me. Ponies have souls."
"I like that," Twilight said, though there was a wince in her expression.
"He didn't die just yet. Had a few days left in him. And I kept askin' questions about heaven." She laughed. "It's funny. I'm not sure how much he really believed and how much he just made up on the spot. But, either way, when I asked about who made heaven, he told me about God. Now I'd asked where trees came from and babies, when Apple Bloom came around, and they always told me that God created everything, but I'd never really thought about what that meant until Pa got to the end. I asked him all kinds o' questions, and he painted this picture in my head of a big white Alicorn with blue eyes and a mane like the clouds who loved to hug ya and cared about'cha and answered all yer prayers."
Twilight's ears perked up. "Prayers?"
"Yeah, y'know, talkin' to God." She grinned. "Pa prayed a lot, I remember. Over meals, when harvest started, grateful prayers when harvest ended. Huh... I reckon he was more religious than I've realized."
"Do you pray?" Twilight asked.
"Not often," Applejack admitted. "But I used to. After Ma and Pa died especially, I prayed every night with Granny and the family. We'd ask God to tell Ma and Pa that we missed 'em and... heheh... gave a sort o' report about how things were goin' on the farm. We reckon Pa'd wanna know."
Twilight laughed. "That's so sweet."
"Yeah, it was." Applejack sighed and stopped at the top of a hill. They watched the sun creep toward the horizon for a while.
"So that's what you believe, then?" Twilight asked. "That God is a big white Alicorn who lives in heaven and answers prayers?"
Applejack took off her hat. "Ha! Well, I can't truly say I believe any of that, Twilight. But I do believe there's Somepony out there, Somepony with more magic than all o' the Princesses combined. No offense."
"None taken," Twilight said.
"I think Somepony created the world, and I think He loves us." She smiled and turned to her friend. "I do believe that my parents are in heaven, Twilight, and I think I'll see 'em again."
Twilight nodded. "That's beautiful, Applejack. Thank you for telling me."
"Sure thing, sugarcube." She put her hat back on and crossed her forehooves. "Now, if you don't mind me askin' it back, what exactly does the Princess of Friendship believe about God?"
A brief look, a long sigh, and Twilight answered, "I don't know yet."
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Ooh, Twilight has got his down, going to ponies of differing beliefs to seek the truth!
A very good ending to the first chapter.
I've been waiting to read this one! Yay!
I am your God!
I think in a society where the ruling classes are female, it would be a she, not a he, just saying
Aw very touching cried when applejack talked about her parents
Oh thank goodness!
When I heard the word God mentioned, I immediately assumed that the comment section was going to be packed full of religious debates.......... Phew! :)
Interesting start and I love the way you intelligently articulate the dialogue of Applejack so that it sounds as if she is actually talking. It's actually quite brave. I don't have the stones for it. Further to that point, I don't have the guts to write about religion either. So, kudos for that one as well. The section about her parents was touching. The idea of passing the torch was inspiring. it was short and snappy, and made me think. Have a favorite and a watch as well. Only good things can follow.
I really love the use of Christian beliefs in this. It's really nice to see the use of religion in a MLP fan fic.
I thought AJ's parents just moved into the city?
But I thought Applejack cried on the inside!
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I'll have to disagree with you there. Due to the subject matter of this story you're going to get many who will reflect on it based on their religious practices or lack thereof because the story appears to take from and reflects upon those viewpoints. Conversations involving religion should be open to discussion so long as both parties are respectful and polite.
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I'm just appreciating that the use of Christian beliefs are being used in this chapter. I know that the topic of many religions and morals are touched upon in this story, I have read past Rarity. I would very much appreciate it if you would delete both of your responses to me and leave to believe in what I believe and not criticize my beliefs. This fandom is suppose to be based off a show that teaches the importance of love and tolerance, so why don't we try to show that?
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Christianity is based off a book that teaches the exact opposite of love and tolerance, so...
Christians: 0
Scientologists: 1
Jokes aside, tolerance is not actually a thing in Equestria. Ponies are ridiculously xenophobic, reactionary, stratified, and judgmental. It's kind of silly to say that the show is based on tolerance. It's entirely about friendship—in other words, the ingroup—and how inner unity can defeat the "other." In many ways, Equestrian Harmony is very right-wing.
That line of thought is reserved for Splinterwood, though.
Am I the only person who's just here to read the comments of people arguing about religion?
Apatheistic master race ftw (in a broader sense I don't care what the answer is, though technically I'm still an atheist).
Loving this so far. Twilight Is just like me, doesn't really know.
Usually I don't approve of religious fanfics, but the author has truly made this one worth reading. Yes, it mentions God, but in a more neutral and positive way. :)
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I find it hard to tell that you were joking. I consider your joke as more of an insult towards my beliefs. If you so think that my relationship ISN'T based on love and tolerance...well let me show you something.
MLP Lessons and Bible Verses
Ticket Master: Hebrews 13:16
Apple buck season: Matthew 11:28
Griffon the Brush Off: Proverbs 13:20
Boast Busters: Jeremiah 9:23
Dragonshy: Proverbs 18:24
I took the liberty to search for the Bible verses that parallel with the lessons taught in the show. One of the reasons I enjoy this show is how it parallels so much with my Christian morals. So if you think that the Bible doesn't teach love and tolerance I suggest that you pick one up sometime and actually read it.
A reply to all who had, are, and are going to reply to my comment about Christian beliefs.
This fandom is based on a show that teaches the value of friendship and part of having a friendship centers around tolerance. Me and my friends we're different like night and day; they prefer to go outside and play basketball while prefer to stay inside and play Civilization V. I'm a geek and they're jocks. Back in mid 20th century, a geek and a jock would be considered a really odd pair of friends. But we are living in an age where it doesn't matter what your race, social group, religion, or sexuality is. You can be friends with who ever you want to be friends with and still be yourself. I have friends who are homo and athiest. So you shouldn't criticize or judge me just because I appreciate the use of Christianity in this story. So please don't make jokes, insult, or mock my faith; if this fandom is based on tolerance to those outside, why aren't we showing it to those inside?
Ignoring the question "Is there a God?" And all subsequent questions it is interesting to note that belief in a God can have positive benefits even if this God doesn't exist due to human psychology. The lesser widespread god simple as a reflection of self works very well psychologically. This does not mean that no belief cannot be positive, but just like optimism, neutralism, and pessimism they are all viable ways of looking at the world even if they are skewed. I'm interested in seeing which path this story takes and how scientifically Twilight makes her decision.
Another interesting observation is the immediate jump in the comments to Christianity as opposed to some other religion which would be just as analogous. I guess this demonstrates that
there a multiple ways to skin a catfaith is more personal than people want to believe.5904702
I know this comment was left ages ago, but I'm revisiting this story for the first time in a while and I was thinking about this same thing.
While it does make sense in the realm of ponydom for a supreme being to be a Goddess rather than a God, Applejack uses the pronoun "He" in her conclusive dialogue because 1) she equates God with her father at this point, who she loves, and 2) it made this chapter's connection to modern Christianity abundantly clear.
Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts.
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bad people love to do evil, show them tolerance and let them do it)