Chapter Nine: Pheugo
Applejack rolled slowly on to her belly. She didn’t remember coming to bed. Her whole body felt like it was made of lead while her head felt like cotton. She opened her eyes slowly. Her brother was hovering in front of her, a worried expression on his face. “Huh, how long was Ah out?”
“Not long.”
“Whut happened?”
“Yuh done flipped out.”
Applejack grimaced, right, the parade. “What, ‘zactly, did Ah do?”
Big Macintosh didn’t answer, instead he trotted over to the window and pushed the curtain aside.
“Fire ‘n’ Blood, Sun ‘n’ Moon… Did Ah really do that?”
“Eeyup.”
“That ain’t good fer the crops is it?”
“Nnope.”
“Well, Ah guess Ah gotta figure out a way ta tear it down all safe-like. Hopefully before Gran wakes up. Oh, bah all tha blood in Tartarus… They’re here.” Applejack pointed to a non-descript portion of the living dome.
Big Mac squinted curiously in the direction she was pointing, but couldn’t make anything out. “Who?”
“Tha Princesses. Can’tcha see ‘em? Celestia’s glowin’ ta shame the Sun ‘n’ Luna’s all shimmer an’ stars.”
Big Mac raised an eyebrow at his sister, but declined to comment on it. Instead he asked, “Whut’re ya gonna do?”
At that moment, a rapping sound came from downstairs. Applejack smiled slightly. “Ah think that’s Twilight. Ah’m gonna let her in is what Ah’m gonna do.”
***
To say that Twilight was relieved that Applejack hadn’t grown fangs and sprouted armor was an understatement to say the least. She, AJ, and Mac were all seated around the kitchen table while Granny Smith snored gently from her rocker. “So,” said Twilight, “Rough morning?”
Applejack cradled her head in her hooves. “Y’all might say that.”
“You aren’t… Coming out of heat or anything are you?”
Big Mac blushed a much brighter shade of red.
“Twilight, Ah know y’all were a bit of a shut-in, but that ain’t proper conversation fer mixed comp’ny.” said AJ.
“Oh… Well, what brought this on?”
“Ah got upset with Merry May. She was followin’ me around this w-” A flash and bang interrupted the farmer as the Princess of the Moon unceremoniously teleported into the room. “Faust’s sake Luna! Y’all have no respect fer privacy!”
“Applejack! It is not too late. You may yet be redeemed, but you must turn aside from this dark path you have chosen!” said Luna.
“Dark path? Wha? No! Listen here, prin-cess. Ah am sick ‘n’ tired of you ‘n’ everypony else’s nonsense. There ain’t no law against a pony puttin’ up a fence around her personal, private property! NOW GET THE HAY OFF MAH PROPERTY BEFORE AH PUT YOU OFF!” AJ lit her horn menacingly, lowering her head to aim at the princess. Twilight and Big Mac had long since dove for cover. Granny Smith snorted and stirred in her sleep.
Luna’s eyes widened, but she lit her own horn in defense. “Applejack, we merely came to speak with you, hoping you would listen to reason.”
Applejack snorted fiercely in response.
Luna’s eyes narrowed at that. “If thou’lt not listen to reason, we shall make thee listen!” A fountain of shadow poured from her horn, and grasping, dark tendrils reached out for Applejack’s hooves. Startled, Applejack leapt back, eyes wide and frightened. Her eyes darting about, she spotted the window behind her and made a leap for it. Her large body took out most of the frame, but she made it through easily enough. Stumbling into a gallop, she leapt for the sky and took off as fast as she could. From behind her, Luna roared, “THOU SHALT NOT ESCAPE US THAT EASILY!” as the princess took off in hot pursuit.
Twilight peeked out of the cupboard she had hidden in while Big Mac peered out from around a doorframe. The entire wall of the kitchen was totally demolished. A pair of orange and navy contrails faded into the distance through a hole in the dome. Twilight sighed. “And we almost had her calmed down too…”
Big Macintosh nodded his head sadly. “Eeyup.”
***
Merry May was having trouble with plan B. Apparently digging tunnels wasn’t as easy as some earth ponies made it look. Dropping her spoon in frustration, she sat down on her haunches and pondered another way to get into the dome. A sudden shouting startled her. As she looked, a burning orange contrail burst from the dome, followed closely by a dark streak. That must have been Princess Applejack! Merry’s eyes widened. Something was chasing her. Merry May nodded to herself once. Her devotion to the princess was supreme. It was up to Merry to see that she was safe. The little pegasus revved up her wings and took flight after the two alicorns.
***
Celestia had been taken by surprise when Luna had teleported away. The damage had been done before she’d had time to do anything. Now both her sister and Applejack were shouting like lunatics and racing across the sky going Discord-knows-where. To be honest, Celestia felt like throwing a fit right now as well. Millennia of self-control and discipline held her burning anger and embarrassment in check as she glanced over at the wing commander. A single frown and shake of her head was all he needed to see before immediately ordering his troops to fall-in for the return trip to Canterlot. Dark thoughts boiled in the back of her mind as she remembered others she hadn’t been able to help. She’d ignored her sister’s loneliness and depression, passing it off as a phase. She’d laughed at Discord’s weak little jokes while he had tried to hide his growing pain and confusion. She’d even encouraged Chrysalis’s growing vanity and self-obsession. Then there was Tirek, Grogar… The list of her failures went on and on.
***
Applejack flew as hard as she could manage, desperate to stay ahead of Luna. She could tell exactly how close the princess was on her tail. Even without looking, being near Luna felt like staring into the void of space. She was all stone and wisps of interstellar gas and endless distance, shot through with radiation and reflected potential. The fact that she hardly knew what any of that was made it no less unnerving to Applejack. Risking a glance back, she shouted, “Y’ALL CAN STOP FOLLOWIN’ ME NOW!”
Luna quickly replied, her voice not quite syncing with the movement of her mouth. “WE SHALL CEASE OUR PURSUIT WHEN THOU CEASEST FLEEING! WE WERE A PEGASUS BEFORE AND ARE NOW THE GODDESS OF THE MIDNIGHT SKY, FLIGHT IS FUTILE!”
“AH’M STILL AHEAD OF YA, AIN’T AH? Y’ALL’RE GETTIN’ OLD ‘N’ SLOW!”
Luna’s eyes narrowed in anger as she poured on the speed. Applejack desperately went into a dive to keep ahead. They were directly over the heart of the Everfree now, far from civilization. She managed to pull up just shy of the canopy, grateful as the tallest of trees seemed to dodge out of the way for her. Thinking quickly, she reached back with her magic and poured strength into them, widening their already massive trunks and extending their height. As soon as she had done so, she saw it wasn’t going to work. Luna barely had to dodge them. Her outstretched wings neatly sheared their leafy tops off as though they were made of the softest cloud. Applejack shook her head. There had to be some way to outsmart the princess.
Far off in the distance, a little green speck fluttered along in the tumultuous wake of the two enraged goddesses.
***
In the end, duty won the day. At sunset the burning orb had simply sat there on the horizon, awaiting the arrival of the moon. Apparently, even though she was out of the game, Celestia wasn’t done playing. Luna gritted her teeth. As important as catching Applejack was, she couldn’t afford to play cosmic chicken with her older sister. With a last cry of “THIS ISN’T OVER!” she fluttered to a stop and focused herself on the raising of the moon. The massive expenditure of magic took away her remaining reserves, forcing her to stop and rest for the night.
***
Applejack grinned tiredly as she left the Night Princess far behind. She decided to keep flying as far as she could to try and widen the gap. As the forest gave way to desert, she spotted a small rock oasis that might make a decent place to sleep. As she descended, her horn lit up involuntarily and something popped out of the air, bopping her on the nose before falling to the ground. Curious, the alicorn swooped down to grab it. Unfortunately, her overworked wings chose that moment to cramp up, dumping her head-over-tail into the sand. Recovering, she found the offending object and picked it up. It was a scroll, the kind Twilight used to send letters back and forth with Celestia. Applejack grimaced and nearly tossed it aside before noticing the seal. It was an Apple signet. The kind Big Mac sometimes used to seal letters to business partners. Carefully, she pulled apart the wax and unfurled the letter.
The first section was in her brother’s painstaking, and surprisingly crisp mouthwriting.
Dear Applejack,
I hope this letter finds you alright. Twilight says she can send it right to you. I hope you are safe and are not getting into a fight with Luna. I know she has been getting on your nerves, but I am sure that she is alright if you give her a chance. Please come home safe and remember that we love you.
Your Brother, Macintosh Apple
Underneath this was a section of considerably shakier writing from Applebloom.
Dear Applejack,
Big brother came by
shcschool early today to pick me up. I heared that you got real mad and put up this whole dom over our farm. I thnik its pretty cool. He and Twilite say that youer on a trip with Luna and were feeling prettylonly.lonely. Cheer up! I love you cause youer my big sister! I hope to see you soon!Youer Best Sister, Apple Bloom
Finally, there was a section written in the wobbly, looping cursive of her grandma.
Dear Applejack,
Little Mac and Apple Bloom tell me that you’ve gone on a vacation. That sounds wonderful. I know you put so much time into this farm, and I hope that you take some time for yourself. I know you like to get away sometimes, and that you feel trapped here. Just know that you’ve always got a home on Sweet Apple Acres. Tell your aunt and uncle Orange hello for me and give them my regards. I love you, and no matter where you are, you’ll always be my little Jackie.
Your Loving Grandmother, Purity Smith
The paper was wet with tears long before she finished reading. With shaking breaths, Applejack tucked the letter under her wing and laid down under a scrub-oak and fell into a fitful sleep.
So, seeing as I have no idea how to make the proper longform quote formatting work with this markup, I put the letters in quote boxes. If it's obnoxious, I'll change it, but I think it looks ok.
The next couple of chapters are a little more dramatic in tone, but rest assured that I have not abandoned humor as my primary vehicle of expression!
Thanks goes out to Quantum_Shift for a little bit of pre-reading help.
[edit:] Somepony wrote a little blurb for me on TVTropes! It's not it's own page, but it's flattering nonetheless. Thank you Gentlemens Dame 883, I can only assume you are an international mare of mystery, and a pretty awesome individual to boot.
You all rock! Stay
schoocool! As always, your comments are like fine gold to me, and your likes and faves are as well-set diamonds!Ah wonderful, I'm glad to have another chapter to read! Also if you ever need an editor I'd be happy to do so for you in the future, Blue.
But Applejack isn't doing anything evil! She only wants ponies to leave her alone! It's like pretty much the opposite of what nightmare moon was going on about!
Just when I was about to reread the story, you update.
Interesting man... interesting...
I have a feeling Luna and Applejack won't stop fighting at all...
And Merry May creeps me out!
Awesome chapter, though, keep it up!
1580283
Most people just use italics for written letters. ANywho, this is still awesome. Just thought you should know.
An update?
i.chzbgr.com/completestore/2011/1/3/0c9b6393-8333-4578-b68a-7635a7fdef29.jpg
Consern't Luna, ya dun goofed
1580357
Yeah, and that's what Luna doesn't realize.
FaustDAMMNIT, Luna! At least ask WTF is going on before jumping to conclusions!
Not sure what Merry May is up to now, but it's almost certainly a bad idea. Lost in the Everfree, lost in the Desert, one way or another I'm betting AJ will have to rescue her.
Not a bad chapter. Yeah, Luna is misunderstanding the situation and AJ just wants to be left alone. I can understand that really.
1479877
I kinda beat you to this. I was given the challenge to write a AJ alicorn fic, Granted what I gave was a zombie fic in the end, but I liked it.
Any way yeah I wrote Commutatus back early this year. Not discrediting your work though, just saying, well I guess FIRST!
WOW, ponies are shallow. You'd think herd creatures would be more sensitive to others' feelings.
1580357 The opposite of one extreme is not moderation.
... Huh. Purity Smith. So... does that mean Applejack's full name is Applejack Apple Smith, or did Granny Smith marry into the Apple's but didn't take her husbands name?
Well... that escalated quickly Things always get out of hoof before they get better so I wont draw conclusions yet
1580504Still doesn't make wanting to others not bug you all day evil or "dark". If you were in Applejack's position wouldn't you be desperate?
Funzies.
Her horn flashed before the letter appeared... so, divine powers come with a drawback of instinctively receiving spam?
merry may is very devoted very fast with the new "Princess" indeed
hmmm,i've seen a lot of Twilacorns in my day, but an Applecorn? that takes the cake.
will definitely read this, most likely sooner rather than later.
too many stories!
Alzheimer's To the feels!
Lol at Luna, giving out feathers and yelling in libraries? SHE MUST BE EVIL! Reason, whats that?
1580283 I for one like the use of the quote feature to mark letters. I think it makes it look almost like a formal letter.
Ha, Luna is old.
NEED MOAR!
There's an entire fan fiction there....WRITE IT
Yay a new chapter! This day and this fic just get better and better!
Gold, eh? Well. Have a comment.
Let's make it a good comment. Please do keep writing-- you are good. I really love what you're doing with this story and am curious to find out how Applejack and Luna come to an understanding. I'd also like to see Merry May to have a talking to...
Great job!!!
1580357
"We" know that, Luna does not. If you were to look at it from an outside perspective, looking for any clues that AJ might be slowly going insane and evil, then her actions certainly point to becoming Nightmare Hayseed. :V
And since that's a SERIOUS thing to look out for, what with all the other gods who went nuts... even if she did look innocent, the fact she doesn't want to learn how to control her powers makes her a serious national threat and a danger to everyone around her. She's a -goddess- now, if she has a bad day and just wishes her family'd disappear for awhile, she has enough untamed power that she can't rightly control that they might implode in the next room or something.
She needs help.
1580322 Something I will consider. Thanks!
1580357>>1580400>>1580504>>1580582>>1580438>>1580473 AJ's motives are complex and evil is a continuum. Yeah, Luna's being pretty extreme about things, but she has her share of PTSD to
work throughsurvive.1580395 Ah, I said fine gold, not frog gold.
1580393>>1580814 Thanks! And, fair enough.
1580423
i.imgur.com/7d45o.jpg
I that movie.
1580463>>1580669 For reference: Lisztomania. No, not the song.
1580495 Tragically hipster.
arch.413chan.net/1343734367056s.jpg
1580534 Maternal grandmother? Lol, I dunno.
1580591
images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110924024460/mlp/images/thumb/c/c2/Celestia_scroll_rain_s01e05.png/640px-Celestia_scroll_rain_s01e05.png
1580728 Ah, good, someone picked up on that.
1580733 Twilight: Yelling, in libraries.
1580881 Actually... I am.
1581004 Ah, I knew I'd pulled that underlying imagery from somewhere.
1581041>>1581085 > > Anyone else I missed. Thanks!
1581328
And that's how I feel about this information.
I just hope it's not depressing as all get out
1581328
LOL, I suppose I deserve to be called a hipster. Oh well, it seems your story is more popular than mine by a long shot, so I concede to you for having the better AJ Alicorn story.
1581386 Hay now, popularity =/= quality.
1581275nightmare applejack couldn't even kill the world! What would she do? Cover everything with plants?
1581395
I suppose that is also true. I'm sure my lack of actually calling it an AJ Alicorn fic in the description really didn't help my case.
1581401 1581275
1580283
I like the quote-letters, but if it's all on one scroll, shouldn't Applebloom at least have been able to read what her brother wrote? Maybe say three smaller scrolls were rolled in the first one? Doesn't really matter at all, since I'm probably the only one who would care about it...It wouldn't even effect the story at all...I'm just weird like that I suppose.
1581439Wut? How does an angry PLANT god make your footsteps burn the earth to ash?
1581401>>1581439
There you have it. From what I can tell, she'd essentially be Nightmare Terra, but it weirds me out to refer to another alicorn as Terra when I'm a huge Immortal Game fan.
Anyway, point being, if Celestia is the Sun, and Luna is the Moon. Applejack would probably be the natural elements of the world. Soil, minerals, plants. Nightmare Moon almost destroyed the world by making it eternal night, which would cause all plants to wither and die, and have no food for the herbivores = dead ponies all over the place. There would also be no food for the carnivores, as the herbivores would be dead. And that's if they didn't all freeze to death first.
Nightmare Crabapple could just poof, and then all plants in her zone of influence are dead. Cause earthquakes, volcanoes... she's not exactly a minor deity.
1581475>>1581490 Alicorns are pretty versatile. Celestia can raise the moon and Luna can give life to simulacra of spiders. Also, the next chapter(s) will demonstrate, it's not just plants.
OMG. Nightmare Crabapple...
1581475 1581517
As Blue Print said, just because she's the god of the natural world doesn't mean all she can do is grow/kill plants. If you've already forgotten, I mentioned that she'd also likely by the deity of minerals and soil, so we're talking dirt and rocks and gems here, too. It'd be just conjecture, but Pinkie also mentioned it when she came by to train AJ. Assuming we should listen to Pinkie (she makes a lot of sense if you stop and try to understand her), there's a lot more to being an earth pony than just plants.
Nevermind that she can do plenty of other things simply because she's a featherin' Alicorn. Plants and earth might be her domain, but it doesn't mean it's all her power can do.
AJ is dangerously, enormously powerful. She just doesn't realize it yet. I don't think she -wants- to realize it.
Also, Nightmare Crabapple is now my headcanon for evil-AJ.
1581665What about Nightmare applewhiskey? Ya no cuz jack Daniels?
1581731
Doesn't have the ring to it.
1581802 K
Good to know that Applejack's family will always see her as the same Applejack as before.
1581731
Why does it have to be Nightmare anything? Luna was called Nightmare Moon because she was the MARE of the NIGHT who had dominion over the MOON. My bet for names would be Rotten Apple.
1581731>>1582113>>1581802
Barren Malice.
(Malus is Old Pegasine for 'apple tree')
As much as I want to enjoy this story, I get the feeling that AJ will continue to run from the princesses. Part of me wants to support her decision; the other part hopes that Luna slaps her ***** *** for not listening to what she and Celestia have to say in the first place. And why did Celestia do nothing but stand around like a ******* retard; didn't see want to speak to Applejack or does she want this escapade to continue.
If AJ is incapable of accepting the responsibilities of being an Alicorn, then **** her. There are plenty of other ponies out there who are more deserving of becoming an Alicorn.
1581925 Good old Apples.
1582113 Fair point.
1582205 OH SNAP. That's pretty boss.
1582300 You'll see. I swear to you that I will not write AJ as a one-dimensional twit. Also, Celestia does more in this chapter than Luna, but she's fighting her way. All of her plotting is off-screen. Read between the lines.