The Truth
“If you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people.”
-Virginia Woolf
This is what it was like to be in Ponyville:
The sun was warm and the first hints of summer were making themselves known to all the ponies that called the hamlet home. No one wanted to be stuck indoors and those that were forced to stay under their roofs had opened their doors and windows to let mother nature in. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were taking advantage of the beautiful day to take care of little odds and ends they had been neglecting.
And yet, for as wonderful as the day was, there were still things that were off; elements of life that seemed out of the norm and left more than a few citizens scratching their heads and whispering when they thought no pony was listening.
Lyra had sent a letter to Bon Bon telling her of awakening in some cave under Canterlot clutching a bridal bouquet.
Derpy swore she had spotted Celestia and the royal guard milling about Sweet Apple Acres.
Carrot Top had spotted Rarity rushing about town with a ream of paper held tightly in the grip of her magic, knocking on doors and begging for a chance to talk to whichever pony was home.
Mr. and Mrs. Cake had been pushed out of their home by Pinkie Pie, who had locked up the bakery and refused to let any pony inside.
And had any pony looked up in the sky, they would have spotted a great alicorn stallion watching all of them, his face expressionless as he gazed upon all before shooting up into the clouds.
Of course Twilight Sparkle didn’t notice any of this. She merely moved through the town, a smile gracing her features as she looked over the checklist she had made. Spike rode on her back, flashing slight smiles at all the staring ponies that gathered on the streets to watch them.
“Uh, Twilight… “
“I hope we have enough bits for all these new mirrors. Remind me to give Doubt a piece of my mind for breaking all of ours.”
“Twilight, maybe you should have just stayed at the library and let me do all the shopping.”
Twilight glanced over her shoulder at the baby dragon. “Why would I do that, Spike? It’s a nice day and all.”
“Yeah, but we are kinda causing a scene…” Spike gestured to all the ponies that were staring in awe and shock at the dark alicorn. “I don’t think word has spread just yet about the, uh, new you.”
The librarian laughed. “Right…right.” She cleared her throat, stopping her trot so she could address everypony. “It’s just me, Twilight Sparkle. Nothing to see here, move along.”
Everypony on the street just continued to stare at her.
“Well, that worked out well,” Spike said dryly.
“Meh, give them time,” Twilight said. “They’ll either get use to me or…” her horn flashed black and she chuckled at the gasp that ran through the crowd.
“Was that really necessary?” Spike asked.
“Probably not but it was fun!” Twilight said with a giggle.
“You are enjoying being evil way too much.”
“Not evil, Spike. Playful.”
“Evil.”
“Mischievous,” Twilight offered.
“Evil.”
“Do you want me to banish you to the moon?” Twilight asked.
While any other being who heard that would have trembled, Spike merely laughed. “I’d give you 20 minutes before you joined me up there, begging me to let you stay because you were going nuts from boredom.” Spike’s voice went up several octaves as he clasped his hands together. “Oh Spike, I was so lonely! Can I stay in your moon castle?”
“When did you become so cocky?”
“I’ve always been cocky… I got it from you.”
“Hey!” Twilight exclaimed in mock protest. Spike merely flashed her a grin and the dark alicorn rolled her eyes. “Very funny, Spike.”
“I thought so,” Spike said, chest puffed out.
“Alright, all of ya, git!” Twilight's eyes widened in surprise as the crowd dispersed, revealing Applejack. The farm pony continued to shoot glares at those that wanted to stick around and stare at Twilight like she was the second coming of Celestia (which, all things considered, might have been an accurate statement). “I said git!” She stomped her hoof and the last remaining hangers-on quickly dispersed. “I need to talk to my friend.”
“Is that what we are? Is that what we ever were?” Twilight asked. Applejack flinched at the cool tone with which the former unicorn spoke to her. It was so casual, how Twilight dismissed the title, and it left Applejack feeling like her heart had been bucked.
“How can ya say that, Twi? Of course I’m your friend.”
“Really?” Twilight asked. There was none of the anger in her voice that had been there the night before. Just sadness and finality.
“Of course!”
“Then why, Applejack? Just answer me that… why?”
The farmer took a step closer. “I’m not going to apologize.” She could see the anger begin to flicker within Twilight again and she hurried to clarify. “I am not going to say ‘I’m sorry’ because I don’t know the real reason you are upset. I’ve gotten bits and pieces from the others but I want to hear it from you. Until I do I can’t say sorry because if I do it will be a lie because I’m not saying sorry for the right thing!”
Twilight watched as Applejack leaned down, gasping for air. ‘Amazing… she can ramble almost as much as Pinkie Pie.’ Twilight smiled, only to force herself to scowl. ‘No… I can’t do that… if I do that then I am letting them win…’ The argument sounded weak to her ears; most likely because it wasn’t Doubt whispering truths to her but her mind lying to herself.
“Now I know that you are bigger than me now… and a lot stronger… and you could banish me halfway around Equestria… but I don’t care. We are going to talk about what happened and I am not going to take no for an answer.”
“Is that so?”
“That’s right,” Applejack challenged, moving closer to the dark alicorn. “And if you send me blasting off into space I’ll just have to make me a lasso out of stars and pull myself right back here and try again!”
“You want to know why I am really upset?” Twilight snapped.
“Darn tootin’!”
“You want the truth?” Twilight snapped, lowering her head down so she could glare at her former friend.
“Been sayin’ that for the last five minutes!” Applejack challenged, pressing her face against Twilight’s.
“I’m afraid, ok!” Twilight shouted.
Spike and Applejack could only stare as the mighty alicorn fell to the ground and wept, covering her face with her foreleg and sobbing till her body trembled and her sides ached.
“Twi…” Applejack whispered.
“I… I saw how excited you got to meet Cadence… how thrilled you were to be part of the wedding and be a part of the royal court…” Twilight sniffed. “And… and I thought back to how we met. I was sent here to help organize the Sun Celebration all of you were taking part in. You remember, Applejack? You were making the food along with the rest of your family?”
Applejack nodded, reaching over to stroke her friend’s mane, only to find her hoof slipped through the glowing energy trail.
“Our first interaction was because I was sent by Princess Celestia… you first knew me not as Twilight but as Celestia’s student. And then… then… you girls figured out I knew about Nightmare Moon.”
“I remember all that, Twi. I just don’t-“
“It was all a lie,” Twilight whispered. “I thought back then, “Wow, these 5 mares want to be friends with me. Me! Twilight Sparkle! The bookworm, the egghead, the worrywart! They actually want to be my friend!”. I… I was so happy. So many ponies wanted to know me back in Canterlot because I was Celestia’s apprentice or the Captain of the Guard’s little sister. They didn’t care about me, they cared about what I represented. But you girls saw me for me.”
“Of co-“
“But you didn’t… did you? You didn’t want to be my friends because of that.” Twilight trembled as more tears fell to the ground. “You were only my friends at first because of circumstance and then… because you saw what I had to offer.”
“The gala,” Applejack whispered.
“Yeah, the gala.” Twilight’s tone turned utterly bitter. “It’s funny… I keep thinking about it and I realize now that if only one of you had said it… I would have given the ticket to you.”
“Said what?” Applejack whispered. “You said ‘said it’. What is ‘it’?”
“I want to go with YOU.” The words left her mouth like a cannon. “All of you wanted to go to the gala to have fun or make money… but the fact I was going too wasn’t even a thought. Did… did you even think about what you’d do with me when you were dreaming about the gala? Or was it all about you? In your fantasies… was I even there?”
Applejack lowered her head in shame. There was no need to answer the question.
“Of course not. And then two days ago, the way you were all fawning over ‘Cadence’… I realized that none of it was real. You weren’t my friend because you liked me. You were my friend because of what I offered, just like the other mares in I’ve met. The perks, the benefits, the prestige. That is what mattered. Other than Spike… I’ve never had a friend that liked me for me.” The baby dragon weakly rubbed his hand along his friend’s neck as she cried.
“Twi,” Applejack said softly…
…before punching her in the shoulder.
“That is the dumbest thing I ever heard!”
“What?!” Twilight practically screeched, too shocked to be angry at the dismissal of her worries.
“Twilight,” Applejack sighed, rubbing the back of her head. “I am sorry. I am sorry that we ever made you think those horrible things… ever made you feel even an ounce of doubt in us… that we gave Doubt an in. I’m sorry you thought for even a second that we were using you.” She settled down next to Twilight, feeling rather small next to the alicorn’s body. “Did I make mistakes when we first met? Heck yeah! We all did. You wanted to go running off to take on Nightmare Moon by your lonesome, Dash thought you were a spy…” Applejack shook her head, laughing as she remembered that trip to the Everfree, “and I’ll be the first to admit that I could have picked a better time to perform one of them trust exercise things than when you were hanging off a cliff.”
Twilight managed a weak smile.
“And yeah, we all screwed up durin’ the whole gala thing. We were all focused on our dreams that we didn’t think about you and how we were treating you. But we realized we were wrong and we apologized and… and I have worked hard to make it up ta ya.”
The alicorn stared at her friend, her worries and fears warring with her common sense. It had been so easy just hours ago, believing the worst in her friends. Her anger and fear had let her rage against them without an ounce of guilt. But now, staring at the farmer… Twilight felt herself crying for an entirely different reason.
“Twi…I am your friend because of what you offer us… but it ain't titles or prestige or any of that hooey.” The farmer stared at Twilight, praying and hoping she heard her and truly listened. “Most ponies… they look at me and hear the way I talk and they think I’m stupid. They think I’m simple and all I’m good at is buckin’ apples. And when I met you I saw this smart, talented unicorn who knew the Princess and could do amazin’ things. She had been to Canterlot and had more of that fancy learnin’ then I’d ever had and she would talk about things that I couldn’t even begin to understand.
“And… and she wanted to be my friend. This wonderful, funny, smart mare wanted to be my friend and I just couldn’t believe it…” Applejack looked down, dragging her hoof through the dirt, not minding in the slightest that she was lying there in the middle of Main Street. “So yeah Twi, I screwed up. Do you know why I was excited about the wedding?”
“You wanted to have all of Canterlot eating food made by your family, to drum up business. Just like why you wanted to go to the gala.”
“Yeah, that was a part of it. But, and I can’t speak for the others, I was doin’ it because it was your brother and your mentor askin’ us. Some of the most important ponies in your life were askin’ us to help and I wanted to make ya proud. And I got so concerned about making the wedding the best for you that I stopped focusing on why I was doin’ it and I was just… doin’ it. Not for you… not for me… I was just doin’ it. And I’ll regret that forever.” Applejack placed her hoof next to Twilight’s. “And… I just wanted you to know that.”
“Applejack…” Twilight said, tears once more falling down her cheeks. “I-“
“I know…me too.”
The two sat there for quite some time, hooves pressed together, Spike laying on Twilight’s back and the life continuing around them.
~MC~MC~MC~
Luna looked at the grand hall. So many memories… good and wonderful and happy… and sad and painful. So many regrets… and so many great moments.
It was now called simply The Castle of the Royal Sisters. All the ponies had come there, to seek the aid of the princesses, to offer their thanks and ask for blessings. Beyond the main hall had been the Tower of the Sun and the Tower of the Moon, which held many of the artifacts the two had held in the highest regard.
Luna looked at the rubble that had once been the Sun Tower and wondered if Celestia had ever dug through there to retrieve any of the mementos Luna had buried underneath the stone during her rampage.
“The best days of my life… and the worst.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Luna turned before looking back at the tower, allowing the interloper to come stand next to her, his wings folding up against his side. She felt no anger, no rage… it was like meeting an old neighbor whom you’d forgotten about.
“Hello Luna.”
“Hello Doubt.”
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Dun dun dun!
Intriguing chapter. Remind Celestia though to never ever put Applejack in charge of foreign relations.
Really, AJ? Punching Twilight when she's upset? Do you WANT to be turned inside out?
Loving it!
Cheers
GM
Oh Applejack, you honest pony you, I love you. Finally somepony said to Twilight what had to be said. And people still doubt Applejack is best pony. *hugs Applejack*
Oh well and nicely done. Honesty, truly the best of policies.
And thus another piece of the puzzle falls into place.
Applejack takes the time to actually address Twilight's fears and is rewarded. Could it have gone badly? Of course... Twilight could have snapped and just begun beating her. But Appejack gambled on her friend and has won a major victory.
Next chapter will take a break from Twilight as Luna and Doubt are going to discuss the events of Nightmare Moon and we will see just how the abstract that was the 6th Element was turned into the corrupter Doubt by the actions of two alicorns...
MOAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Got a feeling a touching moment between Luna and Doubt is gonna happen.
1438079
I will only say that the next chapter is called 'When We Were Young' and details the Fall of Nightmare Moon and the Rise of Doubt. If I had to sum up how they will be in the present, I'd say it will be look an old man and woman who fought and screamed and loved in their youth and now find themselves just...tired.
And Twilight takes one right in the feels!
1438088 So....does that mean I'm right? Or left?
*Can someone write a story where the mane 6 go transporting between dimensions cause i cant write
*
lol ads
I have to side with Twilight on this one, AJ is kinda... well... wrong.
1438147
There are probably hundreds of those already. And if you're going to ask someone to write a story, you should really give a more specific premise.
Applejack is best pony. So is Fluttershy. Can't wait to see how she deals with it.
Thankies,
Three down, two to go.
Here is hoping Pinkie's inability to make sense will not be a problem in convincing Twilight they never thought of her as a tool.
Awaiting further releases.
i wonder what's happening in Canterlot, despite the drama in Ponyville, i can't help but think there's still plenty of action to come...
Rubble*.
Yay developments! ...I really don't have anything else to contribute.
Another battle, another victory, Applejack gamble paid off, still, I fell she got of the hook to easy, I mean, Applejack is the pony who give and almost never want to take, but is also struborn, and she was one of Mane 6 who said to cheer Cadence with a bit anger in her voice and no concern about Twilight fellings.
Applejack is rather a good pony and good friend, but I still think she got off the hook far to easy.
1438056
Will you finaly give it a break, I know you side up with other side, but can you stop thnking about punching Twilight already, it was the worst day of her live and almost lost her friends and family willingly or not, give it a rest.
...dammit Doubt, GO. AWAY
I know you're the
villianantagonist in all this, but you're supposed to be a manipulative bastard, not an obviously lying bastard. You said you'd give them two days to make nice with Twilight so leave them alone! Constantly popping up like this is jut going to make them hate you, justifiably, even more!Don't get me wrong, I don't want them to like you, but YOU do. ...
Or maybe you do want them to hate you so Twilight will defend you and make them fight over you and let you take Twilight away.
Or maybe you just don't care because somehow you'll consider it a win if they do make up and a win if they don't.
And Twilight, even if they did just want to go to the gala to further their own objectives, so what? You just wanted to go spend time with Celestia anyway.
Oh. And I loved the bit about Lyra. I'm curious as to how that worked though, as Crystalis(<- is that spelled right?) had been defeated before anyone went down for Cadence.
1438552
I wasn't happy Applejack punched her, I was happy because Applejack finally did what I've been wanting somepony to do for ages, namely: being frank and honest with Twilight and saying what had to be said. Either way, it's a free internet, and I am free to post my thoughts, desires and views, be they good or bad, on any story I read, as many times as I wish. The author clearly doesn't seem to mind, so I see no reason why you should either.
HOLY CRAP AWESOME CHAPTER-
I only found one teeny mistake.
I think you mean "ain't"
I don't know why but this story just gives off an air of being....i don't know...tired....like in a way that everything is pointless now and they are just to tired to really give a fuck about anyone or anything....tough to explain. Of course this same air makes the story as good as it is! Haven't found a story like that in a long time and it wasn't on fimfiction. Keep this thing going!
This...is....
BEAUTIFUL!! 
10 mustaches for you!
Doubt, the poison that seeps into your ears, that whispers the 'what if' questions. It tears down your confidence, your trust, your everything till an empty husk is all that remains. But there is a cure for the insipid poison, faith, trust, and most importantly: hope.
1438056 You are so lucky that didn't backfire on you A.J. or else it would have been "Looks like Team Applejack's blasting off again! *Twinkle*"
1438823
Bah, what's life without risks?
1438772
Ah, but doubt can lead to questions and the rise of thought. If man hadn't doubted what was taught to him about the earth we would have never crossed the oceans and discovered new lands. Doubting the rule of a king can lead to rebellion and freedom. Doubting the negative advice of others can bring you strength to try something new.
Doubt and Faith are merely the different sides of the same coin... and what is horrible for one is delightful for another.
1438868 There are some risks you just don't take, and punching an alicorn is one of them.
1438917
But how often has doubt been the tool to build an empire? Though I do suppose blind faith has led more than one man over the edge of the cliff as their leader says the road to victory lies ahead of them.
You don't need doubt to know what is right and what is wrong, all you need is the truth though doubt has worn that cloak a few times.
1438646 Brohoof/High hoof....also, as for Pinkie Pie, I don't know, I got a feeling that when she talks to Twi it will end up badly, Pinkie never seems like the one to take things.....serious. It's harsh but from the episodes I watched besides 'Party of One' where she was angry and had allowed Sorrow to corrept her mind and body it just seems like she can make everything worse being...well...Pinkie Pie.
As for the chapter, I'm very suprised that Twilight forgive one of her friends, granted, she's not evil, she's anj anti-hero but I was not thinking that she would forgive her friend so quick and Doubt and Luna huh? Shit.....let's do this!
1438988 I can think of two major historical examples: the Protestant Reformation and the Bolshevik uprising in Russia. Admittedly, the second example isn't nearly as good as the first, but it was the second best I could think of.
these waits are torture lol. cant wait to hear the discussion between luna and mr. doubt. Also, I kinda lol'd tbh when I heard twilight joke about giving doubt a piece of her mind for trashing all the mirrors, that shit was funny.
1427926
woah wait a minute, all we had to do was ask? why the hell didn't i ask? *facepalm* Well, at least someone asked, and we now have some art to go with it. I can never trust my brain to accurately dream up the images the author is trying to portray. I'm creatively challenged, I need it spelled out for me....or...er...drawn out for me! lolz. Thanks defender for showing us what twilight and doubt are supposed to look like. Epicly cool stuff goin on here.
i like to think Twi looks like this:
3.bp.blogspot.com/-oYezwJCTAHU/TfOnROEFWXI/AAAAAAAAAFM/6Y50VOK3Jow/s1600/19353%2B-%2Bartist%2Bscherzo%2Bcolorist%2Banon%2Bcorrupt%2Bevil%2BNightmare_Moon%2Bshadow_sparkle%2Btwilight_sparkle.png
1438051 like pinkie is much better?
4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mnanw9xptMU/TgZhLq5m37I/AAAAAAAAGe8/z7F8LB54cXs/s1600/a_roast_to_twilight_sparkle_by_yikomega-d3jsx94.jpg
1438573 i like doubt...he's fuckin' awesome....hell yeah, doubt r best alicorn/demon/representation-of-a-facet-of-life/creature pony!
Very good chapter -- if I could plus it again I would.
1438056 Of course people still doubt that Applejack is best pony, 'cause Doubt is!
Hmm, not sure about Rarity's attempt, but I have a feeling Pinkie will just do something so ridiculously over-the-top Pinkie rather than heart-felt. Twilight will then be angry & think Pinkie doesn't understand, to which Pinkie will reply with something along the lines of: Of course I don't, I'm not you, but I'm your friend, and you need cheering up, so I'm here to help! Leaving Twilight to realize, Pinkie can't be using her, and couldn't really hate her, it's not in her nature. If anypony had always been Twilight's friend, it was Pinkie Pie.
...
maybe?
(was about to sleep, sees update) Screw sleep.
(after reading story and comments) I wonder what will happen next.... Jolly good show old bean, you deserve 6 out of 5 moustaches
1440147
I think it's obvious that Doubt should be the one to do so. He's the one who broke them. Only I doubt (haha) that he owns even a single bit.
1440648
well, Luna has some bits...
technically, it was Celestia and Luna who broke the mirrors, Doubt just scooped them up...
1439207
It's not really doubt that drove that though, even if doubt played a part in undermining the power of the catholic church.
1440750
Well, Doubt could look for a job in order to earn some...
1438069
That's what I want to see. I want to see her pick up Pinkie Pie and use her as a bat to beat AJ up!
Ah, well... The the most furious of fires burn hot and fast, yet they burn away all of their fuel all the while. What's left are the sullen ashes - smoldering still, but calm - seeking to regain the warmth lost.
great chapter! i thought AJ was a little to rough, but i guess that's her style.
i still sincerely hope that everything doesn't just go back to the way it was, this should leave some scars in their relationships at least.
Applejack, I love you.
Some people are commenting that Twilight is forgiving too fast, but...
1441160
...has it exactly right. Twilight's anger is much like my own: It takes a while to set it off, but when it does it goes BOOM...and within a short amount of time it fizzles into nothing.
Twilight went through a horrific event and has come out the other side. And now that her friends are actually approaching her in a somewhat sane and respectful manner, she is listening.
But has she accepting their apologizes? Yes and no. Unless I missed something, Twilight never said "Things are back to normal, Applejack!" They are in the street mourning the mistakes that were made and the friendship that has been harmed... Applejack hasn't been given a free pass in the slightest. All she got was Twilight is willing to listen. But the will to listen and the will to forgive are two different things.
Nice defender2222, Applejack is one of my favorite ponies and I can't think of a better way for Applejack to apologize to Twilight. I seriously did think their for a second that once Applejack said that that was the dumbest thing she had ever heard, that Twilight was going to give her a good yelling fest. As the conversation went on, however, I saw that Twilight wasn't going to get mad at her. Awesome work man, and you keep on throwing me for a loop every time you release a new chapter. Keep up the excellent work.
- Super-Brony12
Started reading this today. I've always wanted to see a 'Twilight just gets ultrapissed and powerful' story; I'm a bit of a sucker for that sort of thing. Think the premise behind 'World War Hulk', tho I never actually read the story itself.
This is actually BETTER than seeing Twilight just rampage and blast things into bits. Not Twilight changing into the equimorphic ponyfication of rage and anger, but *Twilight* being angry, and hurt, and what it unlocks.
I'm now quite interested to see what Rarity's doing with all that paper. And what Luna and Celestia will try to do here.
About the only suggestion I can think of is maybe an allusion to Rush's 'The Anarchist' as one of the intro quotes, tho we're kind'a past the bit where Twilight finally metaphorically says 'fuck this shit'.
And bonus points for not resorting to profanity, too. Profanity is the domain of the inarticulate motherfucker, as they say..
1438056 I don't!... Mostly... Seriously though, AJ is Best Pony. Followed by Scootaloo.
Well, it's either that or a tie, but that still leaves AJ as Co-Best, and Scoots is possibly because of the fandom, which shouldn't apply.
And useless rambling.
awesome!
.... Doubt x Luna is soon to be OTP ?
LOoooooOOOL
High risk, high gain I suppose. What Applejack did was rather risky and maybe a tad stupid too. She may not have hit hard but given Twilight' state at the time, she could have perceived it as a physcial attack and thrown Applejack half way to Canterlot.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Doubt vs Luna, I dig it.