Mission of Mercy

by Trick Question

Library Meeting

Books were piled high all over the floor of the castle library, and about a dozen were currently floating in midair. Twilight's jaw tensed and she rubbed her bleary eyes as book after book took a turn below her muzzle.

"Twilight, I think maybe you need to get yourself some shuteye," came Applejack's voice from just behind her.

Twilight jerked her head up to see Applejack and Fluttershy standing next to her. All airborne books tumbled to the floor. "Oh! Uh, hi, girls. I, um, didn't hear you come in," she said, with a pained smile. "Just doing, y'know. More research."

"We're sorry to startle you, Twilight," said Fluttershy. "We just wanted to touch base on Mercy's friendship problem. Rarity is staying with Mercy in the hospital for now. We didn't want to leave her alone, even though she's being restrained—"

"Beg pardon for the interruption, sugarcube. But, well, is 'she' really the right word...?" asked Applejack, her muzzle scrunched up.

"According to Rarity, it is," said Fluttershy. "I trust her judgment."

Twilight nodded. "Yes, Mercy is female. I felt it while I was inside her mind," she said, and visibly shuddered. "Either way, I doubt her friendship problem is related to her gender. That sort of thing isn't exactly rare in Canterlot, and it's well-documented in the literature."

"Good enough for me," said Applejack. "So, any luck with the book stuff?"

Twilight Sparkle shook her head as she levitated the fallen books two at a time, uncreasing pages and returning them to the stacks. "None. I have no idea where Mercy came from, but it must be a terrible, terrible place."

"Oh, we don't know that for certain," said Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy has a point. Maybe she's just plum crazy, and that's that," said Applejack.

"Well, she's obviously sad. But there's no record in the history of Equestria of a pony suffering so much from being sad that she'd actually try to... Ugh, I can't even say it!" said Twilight.

"End her own life," said Applejack, in a matter-of-fact tone. Fluttershy closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"I mean, there isn't even a word for it in the dictionary!" said Twilight, throwing her hooves up in frustration. "It just doesn't add up. It goes against evolution, against horse sense, against pony nature itself! What friendship lesson could that possibly teach us? What could it teach her?"

Applejack looked down at the floor, and she spoke with unusual softness. "I dunno, Twilight. But, maybe it ain't all that far-fetched. Ponies sacrificin' to save those they love ain't unheard-of," she said.

Twilight had a look of confusion on her face as she stared at her friend, and then her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh. Your parents," she said, covering her mouth with a hoof. Fluttershy opened her eyes and lifted her head slightly, but said nothing.

Applejack removed the cowpony hat from her head, and held it over her chest. "I tell you both, not a day goes by that I don't wonder what the lesson was s'posed to be. One moment they were here; the next they were gone," she said. "I know how they died, but I still don't know why. I spent most of my life tryin' to figure it out. I never thought about hurtin' myself, of course, but I'm sure as sugar I ain't never learned nothin', neither. Sometimes, well... maybe there just ain't no lesson there to be had."

"No. That's impossible, Applejack. I don't want to live in a world like that," said Twilight Sparkle, grimacing.

"Neither does Mercy," said Applejack, and Fluttershy winced.

"There's always a lesson, AJ. Someday, it will make sense, I promise," said Twilight, reaching out to grip Applejack's shoulder with a hoof.

"My steadfast hope," said Applejack, replacing her hat. She placed her hoof on Twilight's and smiled for a moment.

"Girls?" asked Fluttershy, ducking her head. "I might have, um... something to add..."

"Please, go right ahead," said Twilight Sparkle, returning to all fours.

"Well... Mercy's actions might seem strange to us, but they're not that unusual in the Wild. That's where she was headed," said Fluttershy.

"Are you sayin' there's critters in the Wild that try to hurt themselves?" asked Applejack.

"Not exactly," said Fluttershy, "but things are different in the Wild. Most normal animals become vicious, just like monsters. Areas not under pony control have their own rules. There are still lessons, of course, but they're not obvious like they are here in Ponyville."

"Fluttershy, how do you know all this?" said Twilight Sparkle. "You're afraid of the Wild just like everypony else."

"Which is just good horse sense, by the way," added Applejack. "Goin' into the Everfree without the buddy system is a recipe for disaster, 'specially at night."

"Not all of the Wild is as dangerous as the Everfree. I've spent a lot of time in the Wild, observing nature. Mostly when I was younger—I was a bit of a rebel in my youth," admitted Fluttershy, with a blush.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle briefly exchanged a look.

"Well, I'll have to take your word on it," said Twilight. "There's very little written documentation on the Wild because few ponies dare to visit unless they're colonizing, and that's an intentionally quick process. I should probably sit down with you sometime and pick your brain. Zecora, too."

"Hold up, now," said Applejack. "Fluttershy, how could Mercy's condition have anything to do with the Wild? She was in Ponyville when she tried headin' into the Everfree. If she was around ponies, the Wild shouldn't have been able to affect her, should it?"

"I don't know. Maybe she's been apart from ponies for so long that instincts from the Wild still live inside her," said Fluttershy.

Applejack held up a hoof, opened her mouth, and paused a moment before she finally spoke. "Girls..."

"Yes?" Twilight and Fluttershy replied together.

"Forgive me for sayin' this, but... Did you ever stop to consider that maybe Mercy was right? About her mission, I mean," said Applejack.

Fluttershy held both forehooves over her muzzle.

"Applejack, that is not funny," said Twilight, with a stern expression.

"I ain't funnin' ya, Twilight," said Applejack. "What I mean is, maybe she ain't so crazy after all. Maybe she was sacrificin' herself to save others, kinda like I said."

Twilight paused to think. "She isn't a corrupted changeling or some kind of equimorphic curse. She's just a pony. It's clear she's not from Equestria, but she's still a very sad pony who needs our help. Her existence here isn't going to doom the world, no matter what she thinks."

Even though the door to the library was closed and her two friends were the only others present, Applejack leaned in toward them and gently whispered, "You sure we can afford to take that kinda chance?"

"Applejack!" gasped Fluttershy, as she backed away in horror. Twilight's jaw dropped in shock.

Applejack blinked a few times, and then her head recoiled back as though trying to distance itself from where the words were spoken. "Oh, sweet Celestia no. I, I don't even know where that came from," she said. "I can't believe I just said that."

"It's... okay," said Twilight. "This phenomenon has been highly stressful. I've caught myself thinking strange things too."

Applejack frowned. "Now, you don't think Mercy bein' here has something to do with that..."

Twilight shook her head. "No, I don't. Listen, I saw inside her mind, and I felt what she's going through. She's just like us, Applejack. The only difference is that she's suffering. She's suffering in ways we can't possibly imagine or understand."

"Thank the Stars for that," said Applejack, mopping her brow with the back of a hoof. "But if we can't understand this thing, what can we do to fix her up?"

Twilight Sparkle sighed. "I haven't found any spells that would work in the long term, at least not without awful side effects like total amnesia or being turned to stone," she said. "On the medication side, the doctors are trying standard treatments on her, but I find it highly improbable that standard malaise medications will alleviate enough of her depression to make a measurable difference. This is quite literally uncharted territory. We'll have to go experimental, both with magic and pharmacology. Until we succeed, she's living in Tartarus, so to speak."

Then Applejack said something, but Fluttershy wasn't listening to the conversation anymore. She was staring into space, lost in thought.

Comments

[Shachza]

Sounds like a good point at which to go ask other ponies for help - ponies who've had experience "outside." One was even mentioned.

[Ice Star]

"Beg pardon for the interruption, sugarcube. But, well, is 'she' really the right word...?" asked Applejack, her muzzle scrunched up.

Why are they doubting the gender of 'Mercy'? Both Fluttershy and Rarity confirmed that Mercy is female in the earlier chapters and Mercy has made no corrections. Is there a reason for this or am I reading this wrong?

[Sunny]

7872723

Mercy is transgender. The odd muzzle shape is a clue, and the reason she's panicking about clothes in chapter one is down below still has the, ah, dangly bit.

[Pun System]

Ok, this is relevant to my reviews, but unrelated to the story. I can't finish reviewing chapter-by chapter at this time. Out of the blue, some social media drama blew up concerning the bullying that made me suicidal. (This is happening in real-time.) Basically, some uninformed jerks are telling me and my friends it's not as bad as I've made it out to be. Therefore, I'm postposing my reviews until later. So sorry I started and then didn't finish. It's not your fault; it's not because of the story you've written; it's just--I just can't right now. I need my music...

[mishun]

"I mean, there isn't even a word for it in the dictionary!" said Twilight, throwing her hooves up in frustration. "It just doesn't add up. It goes against evolution, against horse sense, against pony nature itself! What friendship lesson could that possibly teach us? What could it teach her?"

Evolution? Even that horrible monster is nice to ponies?

[mishun]

Looks like blind idiot god's reign in Equestria is confirmed by the show:
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/b/b2/Fluttershy_giving_a_boring_lesson_S8E1.png/revision/latest?cb=20180325233320