"Some people don't like telling the truth... And some people can't handle hearing it."
-Unknown
~One Month Ago...~
Applejack had earned herself a vacation.
It had seemed so easy when she and the rest of the girls had come up with their grand plan to save Equestria. They had ascended, becoming alicorns. They had bonded with their mutual abstracts, much as Twilight had only without falling into darkness. They had given the Princesses the gift of rest and begun to restructure the land so that the ponies could better enjoy their peace and harmony.
It had been a wonderful dream... one dreamed by those that had never attempted something so grand.
Somethings had gone perfectly to plan. Others hadn't, which had led to headaches and long hours and general worry. Applejack had found that being a queen, for her at least, wasn't about endless parties and social gatherings. The others might have been happy with having their little bands of followers that hung to their every word, but for the former farmer that simply wasn't enough. Her element had promised that it would help her bring about a new day in Equestria and she would not be satisfied until she did just that.
Still, as her grampy use to say, 'Ya have to take the time to sip some cider... otherwise why work so hard makin' it?'. So Applejack had spread her wings, bid the girls a fond farewell and made her way back home.
Letting her hooves settle on the oh-so-familar dirt path that led up to the house, Applejack took a breath of fresh air and felt the weight that had settled on her shoulders fade away, if only for a few days. She longed for the time when her work would be done and ponies would be able to manage keeping harmony alive by themselves, without the need for a queen. Then she would fade into the woodwork, returning to the farm and the chores she loved. She had taken the mantle of queen because it needed to be held... but it was her greatest hope that, someday, Equestria wouldn't need her and she could go back and enjoy the fruits of her laboring... while laboring to get fruit.
Applejack chuckled at her own joke, eyes set on the old farmhouse. The seasons would pass, princesses would come and go, but there would always be the Apple Family House.
"Howdy, big brother!" Applejack called out, her long legs eating up the last few yards that separated her from the house. She looked down at him, finding it so utterly weird to be not have to crane her neck up to look at him. Big Macintosh was the same as he ever was, chewing on a a piece of long grass, his yoke hanging on his thick, powerful neck, his eyes half lidded as he stared out over the farm. Some points might have thought him slow or stupid but Applejack knew her brother was brighter then a lot of the ponies in the fancy universities that so loved to look down their snouts at the farmers that provided them food. Her brother was smarter then them all and knew that a wise pony kept his mouth shut and listened, rather than spout off nonsense to prove himself great and special. He was smart enough to know when to show off his intelligence... and when to hide it.
"Hello AJ," Big Macintosh drawled out. Applejack threw her forelegs around him and gave him a hug and, after a beat, Mac returned the gesture.
"It is so good to be home!" Applejack ducked through the door, recommitting her childhood home to memory. "Ya miss me, Big Brother?"
"Eeeyup."
"I missed ya too... I can't wait to tell ya all about everything. It is just... I hate that old sayin', 'ain't no words to describe it', cuss for the most part ponies then attempt ta find words to describe it..." The blonde alicorn blinked before letting out a laugh. "Boy howdy, I am ramblin' on! Must have gotten use to makin' them grand speeches."
"Eeyup," Mac stated, trotting into the kitchen to check on the barley stew that was warming on the stove.
"Anyway, I can't wait to tell ya'll about it. Applebloom!" Applejack hurried up the stairs, her jeweled horseshoes clicking on the stairs. "Applebloom? Granny? Where ya'll hidin'?" She checked their rooms, only to find that neither of the ponies she was looking for were there. "Big Macintosh, have ya seen Applebloom and Granny?"
"Eeyup."
"Where are they?"
"Around."
Applejack scowled. "Can ya be a bit more specific?" She trotted down the stairs, watching as her brother ladled out some soup for both of them.
"Nope."
"What do ya mean, 'nope'?" Applejack stomped towards the table, not liking it in the slightest that her brother wasn't telling her everything. Keeping secrets was almost as bad as lying. "Do you know where they are or don't ya?"
"Eeyup."
"So tell me!"
"Nope." Big Mac settled down at the table, lowering his snout down to slurp his soup.
"And why not?" Applejack asked. When her brother took just a bit too long to answer, the orange alicorn slammed her hoof against the table. "I mean it, Big Mac, you-"
There were few things in the world that truly scared Applejack. She had lived all her life on the edge of the Everfree, listening to the howl of timberwolves and other creatures she didn't even want to picture. She had faced down the mad goddess Nightmare Moon and confronted her worst aspects with Discord. She was a mare of the land and the soil and this pressure had made her strong, with shoulders that could handle most burdens.
But the sight of her big brother enraged was enough to send the orange alicorn tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
"You threaten me like that and ya wonder why I told Granny to get Applebloom out of here?" He snorted and AJ knew if he were a dragon she would have been able to see if an alicorn could survive dragonfire. "There is no way I was gonna let our little sister see what you've become, let alone let her near ya!"
"What... what are ya..."
Big Mac slammed his hooves on either side of her and Applejack forgot that she was immortal. It was as if all her powers had been drained into the mighty stallion before her, leaving her a whimpering foal to stand against this great power.
"I wanted ya here, without them, so I could say my piece. If ya then wanna torture me or brainwash me like ya've done to most of this country, then so be it. But I am NOT gonna stop till I said what I need to! Ya hear me?"
"Yes Mac," Applejack whispered.
Big Mac's anger died down but not by much. "Ya've got yourself all twisted around and stuck up your own flank, Applejack. Ya've been around your friends too long, hearin' what ya want to hear, and now you can't see the truth!"
Applejack glared at her brother. "Truth? I am the bearer of-"
Big Macintosh pressed his face against hers. "Did...I say... ya could speak?" Applejack weakly shook her head. "I thought so." He pulled away, his eyes narrowed into near slits. "Ya'll queens had some mighty big ideas... but you've failed to see just how bad they are." Before Applejack could protest the red stallion pressed on. "You have wanted ta make harmony, but all I see is a bunch of mares becomin' dictators. Ya brainwash ponies that don't agree with ya... ya got armed guards paroling all over, scarin' ponies ta death... and the less said about Applebloom's friends, the better." He grit his teeth in outrage. "Were ya thinkin' of doing that to her, AJ?"
"I... I don't know," Applejack admitted. She had thought about it after Rarity and Rainbow Dash had used their magic on Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and the girls had been pressing her to act... but she hadn't made her decision...
Big Macintosh shook his head in annoyance. "Don't ya see, AJ? Everything you are doin... it's a lie."
Applejack's magic crackled at the insult and it was a testament to Mac's will that he didn't cower at the sight of an angry alicorn. "How can ya say that, Big Brother? I am wiping out lies... every pony I work my magic on doesn't lie anymore... they embrace truth as the best policy! Just like Fluttershy is inspiring kindness and Dash is creating loyalty-"
"But it is still a lie," Mac stated, staring his sister down. "If it ain't done of their free will, then it is a lie. They don't want to be honest, your just makin' 'em. It's like when we tell Applebloom to clean her room... she ain't wantin' to do it, but she does it. But that don't mean she chose to do it on her own... she is doing it because she was forced. That's why we don't reward her after we tell her to stop whinin' and ta do it. We reward her when she puts in the hard work herself, without having to be asked. What do you call it when a pony does a hard job because they know it needs to be done?"
"An honest day's work."
"And would ya call it that if the pony cut corners?"
"Course not... that's like cheatin'!"
"You're cheatin' now! Ya'll are using that fancy magic of yours to skip steps and just bring about harmony now! If'n you were using those powers of yours ta show ponies WHY they should be honest, or was usin' it to reveal lies, I'd be behind ya. But what ya'll are doin' now is cheatin'."
Applejack blinked, convincing herself that it wasn't tears she felt gathering in her eyes. "Big Mac-"
"Ya'll are cheatin' those ponies out of bettering themselves. It is suppose to be hard to be a good pony... it is suppose ta be a struggle. That is the point of life... to struggle and fight and buck, because when you do make it ya find the victory all the much more sweeter. What ya'll are doin... it be like if you went to a rodeo and I just gave ya the blue ribbon before ya were out of the gate."
"I... I..."
"Look me in the eye and tell me you are ok with brainwashin' ponies. Tell me ya don't mind forcin' them to behave like you want them to. Tell me how what you and your friends are doin' is any different than that scum Discord and his mindgames!"
"It... it... it isn't." Applejack sniffed, dropping her head as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Her body was consumed by light and Mac blinked in surprise as Applejack split into two. One pony was her, looking almost as she had before all the queen business. She was maybe a hair taller and she still had the horn and wings... but she was Applejack again. Her crown and jewelry and horseshoes fell to the ground with a clank, much to big for her now, and her mane and tail were lip as she cried. Big Macintosh sat down next to her and held her close as she cried, looking over her head at the second figure.
This pony could have easily been his twin, if not for the wings and the horn he sported. He too look stricken, staring off into space as if suffering from shock. His metallic coat gleamed in the dying sunlight that broke through the window, his shaggy mane hanging in his eyes. His great wings were made of the finest oak, though they looked anything but magnificence the way they were draped over his sides.
"AJ... who is your friend?"
Applejack looked at the newcomer carefully. "You're the voice that's been whisperin' in my ear, ain't ya? You're one of Faith's kin."
"Doubt," Honesty muttered, "and yes... I am an abstract. And after listening to your brother, it is clear I am also a fool."
"AJ, I thought you said that there Faith fella was no longer Doubt."
"I did,' Applejack said, narrowing her eyes. Her horn glowed and her old hat floated over to her settling on her head just behind her horn. It felt better than any of the jewels or garments she had been wearing the last few days. "And I want to know why I suddenly forgot everything that happened after the wedding... like how me and Twi came to an understanding. Or how I suddenly remember, what with you no longer bouncing around in my skull, that Doubt relearned his name and became Faith again... and was not a dark corrupter that was leading Equestria towards destruction. Tell me why the TRUTH was concealed from me."
A bit of his old spark returned to Honesty's eyes. "When it comes to my brother, we differ on our opinions. However, what matters-"
Applejack smacked Honesty across the back of his head with her hat.
"For somepony that believes so hard in honesty, you sure do like avoiding the truth." Honesty opened his mouth to speak but Applejack just smacked him again. "You and I are going to have a nice, long discussion about hiding from hard truths... and every time you open your mouth and try and say somethin' stupid, I'm gonna smack ya." big Macintosh nodded in agreement to Applejack's proclaim and went to go get another placesetting for supper.
Honesty, eldest of the Elements of Harmony... bowed his head under the scornful gaze of Applejack. It was not going to be a pleasant couple of days.
I work third shift and was about to sleep when you posted this. Idk if I wanna or
Just read it and it's a . This is why Big Mac is ALWAYS best big bro.
Also, you are my favorite author right now keep up the amazing work.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! never underestimate mortals and what we can accomplish! hehe, honesty's being treated like a child.
All hail Big Macintosh! All hail Big Macintosh!
Way the go Big Macintosh...
Well that's a pretty neat way of making it so you don''t have to right a loyalty style confrontation with every abstract, but be careful of rushing it.
This is a solid chapter, and I'll be interested in how the story progresses.
This entire chpt. I was cheering on Big mac. I mean not being scared by an alicorn one bit and taking her down to square one! I mean DAYUM!
Well Big Mac saves the day by being awesome.
I dont think the thing he wears is actually a yoke. Not to be picky but, just wanted to point that out. I think its actually a horse collar.
I will not be surprise if Big Mac was really the abstract of common sense or something along those lines. And I see you are using the new Alicorn Twilight pic. Now we need the rest of the mane six.
Calling it now: Big Mac for new Abstract of Honesty if the current one dies.
Also, would Discord technically count as the Abstract of Chaos?
Big Mac is now a grandiloquent orator! Oh, the horror.
On a completely unrelated note:
It is just...Can you imagine anyone, anyone at all, saying that?
I am. This two-word piece and others like it litter your work. Do you talk like this all the time? When a person talks slightly slower than usual, they might. Otherwise, I have a hard time hearing it. English, or at least English with an American accent, hooks up syllables one after the other. Contraptions. I'm. Or as I've seen in Applejack's case, Ah'm.
Oh, yes, and all your characters possess identical speech patterns.
Now that's the power of being a big brother.
Still, if Honesty is telling the truth and that he and Applejack are now seperate, then only question remains is where is Applejack ?
Great update towards a wonderful storyline like this one as I cannot wait to read about what happens next now that Honesty is out and Applejack may or maynot be freed from the influence of her element...
2156582 I don't think so about Discord. Abstracts are what the people/ponies/beings believe in, and what they feel. Chaos, and discord, don't get power and revolve around the people, he's part of the creation and the balance of reality.
Think of it as... Celestia and Luna, as Physical Demi-gods. The Abstracts/1 chicken, as emotional/ideas/abstract Demi-gods. With Twilight and her friends being normal demi-gods with no extra powers. Except Twilight maybe. She is just a god. Of awesome epicness. Anyways. They a tier above mortals. Discord is a Tier, or even 5 maybe, above them, as a full on, all powerful reality altering god that can not die period, unlike the others.
Little sister become ultrapowerful alicorn overlord and try to boss me around?
s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/newsfeed/000/192/526/77604%20-%20big_mac%20big_macintosh%20deal_with_it%20meme%20no.jpg?1319852398
2156581
What pic? Not sure what you mean there.
2156585
Yes, I do. Sometimes I say It is, sometime Its. Depends on what I am saying and how I want it said. It is... or its, if you prefer... how I speak and thus how my characters speak. Especially 'I am'... The word I'm is so utterly sloppy and sounds so lazy to my ears. It is and its depends on what I am saying, but I say both.
2156742 The new character picture for Twilight as an alicorn.
Big Macintosh.
Balls.
Of.
Solid.
Granite.
And this is why Big Mac is one of my top favorite ponies out of the whole pony universe!
Anyway, nice flashback chapter here and I can't wait to see the rest of this flashback. That is, if you continue with it. I would like to see Honesty get lectured by Big Mac and Applejack. Not much else for me to say here, however, I would have to agree with 2156585 on the fact that everybody's dialogue does kinda of sound the same. Applejack doesn't sound like her usual self, which kinda of saddens me cause Applejack is my favorite pony out of the Mane 6.
Other than that note, I really enjoyed the chapter and as always, I look forward for the next one.
- Super-Brony12
Damn...go Big Mac...
Big Mac is a total boss. God somepony needed to say exactly what he said. Fuck yeah!
There seems to be a lot of "Reason You Suck" Speeches in your work.
2156908 wronge trope my friend. supermans speech to dark seid about how he's never used his full power agianst anyone right before he owns him, thats a reasons why you suck speech.
this is more a 'suck it up princess' speech. this one is meant for building character not tearing it down.
also there are three feared weapons of god slaying power in the universe in reverse order they are
zeus's lighting bolt
thors hammer
and lastly but mostly big macs hoof.
That... was awesome. I love the "why you suck" speech as a trope, and the stoic ones are always the ones who deliver it the best.
One thing still bugs me though. They all just forgot what happened after the wedding because of the abstracts? Wow, that's kinda cheap. But, again, that's just me being a stick in the mud about brainwashing.
2157218 Also AJ's hat
And thus Big Macintosh does the one thing that nopony else would dare do. Talk down the abstracts and show them they aren't as all powerful as they might think. Now if only Big Macintosh could've done the same to all the other abstracts.
Still doesn't answer the question of why Applejack didn't come with Honesty to the ship but I suppose that will be explained soon enough.
2157811 You mean besides Twilight?
And personaly I'd never go on to try and talk down Pinkie pie and I'd lose nerve trying to talk down Fluttershy, and Rarity I'll jsut get her Ex-rockfriend Tom for a large debate on her new fetish of torture.
Throughout the whole chapter I was thinking, "Damn, why can't everyone be as honorable and rational as Big Mac - why can't everyone just reel in their emotions and conflicting beliefs for just one moment...swallow their pride and buck the fuck up instead of bickering, fighting and hiding all the damn time. Then we could prevent and correct many more of life's problems the right way."
Sometimes a good chewing-out is what some of us need to realize this, and I for one am glad Big Mac yelled some sense into AJ and Honesty.
Good job Honesty, accepting your wrongdoing and trying to make amends as best you can - Thank you for being a man.
Awesome!
2156783
Again, not understanding what you are talking about. I didn't put up any picture.
2157447
Not brainwashed, but forgot. Basically, think of it as them knowing that Faith is Faith but they simply can't access that thought because they are seeing things through the abstract's mind... bonding is not a wonderful process
2157212 You're thinking of a World of Cardboard Speech.
Reason You Suck Speech is exactly what Bic Mac delivered to AJ and what Honesty is about to receive as well.
2159155 He means the character tag.
Smacking Honesty LIKE A BOWS
2157176 i dunno, Aj looks pretty gud there. but yes he is best stallion.
...Big Mac is full of so much win right now that it's impossible to describe it.
Big Mac has now become... best stallion.
Also, general observation: I like that the two Mane Six ponies who're naturally the most low-key in profession (Fluttershy is a veterinarian, Applejack is a farmer) and personality are the two that seem either a little reluctant (Fluttershy) or amenable to being reasoned with (Applejack) without having to receive an ultra-powerful magical smackdown first.
Big Mac proves his awesomeness by talking down Honesty.
This is why I love this story.
This...this is priceless.
This fiction has not lost its power!
Awaiting further releases.
A wild TvTropes link appeared!
Crowning Moment Of Awesome
2181679
As soon as I read that, the battle music from Ruby/Sapphire started in my head.
Damn, Applejack be hardcore, smacking them abstracts like she just don't care
Thank you for making Big Mac as awesome as we all know he is
and this is why the apple family are the best ponies: even under the full influence of her element, applejack didn't go nearly as far as the others and just wanted to get it done so that she could go home and back to her old life, and do i even need to mention big mac's contribution to this chapter? dude intimidated an alicorn queen into submission just so he could make a point about her methods, and that point broke both applejack and honesty into admitting that they were wrong.
Oh man, I thought the defeat of the abstracts would amount to breaking them down one by one, starting with Rainbow Dash, and ending with Rarity. Then this chapter came. Instead of a big battle that sets Applejack straight, what knocks her down from her pedestal is just as awesome: a devoted family (and one that she is devoted to) that even all the abstract's curtain of deception couldn't stop.
BADASS
2156791 More like Titanium!
Just because we're telling the truth doesn't mean we're being honest
...I feel like I just quoted someone there, but I can't for the life of me remember who (no joke)
Well, this pretty much explains why we haven't seen Applejack at all during the story.
My next question is: Where's Pinkie?
8703397
question is... where isn't she?