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// Chapter 10: Something, Something, Heart's Desire 
// Story: Undead Robot Bug Crusaders 
// by Banjo64 
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Another day, another chore that needed to be done. Not that Apple Bloom really minded. Yes, she’d rather be out playing with her friends then working, but Apple Bloom had long since discovered both the satisfaction of a job well done and the desire to prove herself a capable worker. Plus, she’d recently started finding creative new ways to do said chores.

“Alright, Apple Bloom. This fence post needs uprootin’, and it’s bein’ mighty stubborn ‘bout it. Ya mind givin’ it a good buck from beneath?” asked Applejack.

“No problem, sis,” said Apple Bloom.

She checked to make sure nopony was watching, and then took her bow off.

“OK, feel mah magic, focus it through mah body, and drive it down into the earth,” she recited to herself.

After a moment of concentration, she once again slipped beneath the soil. Her senses exploded outward, but Apple Bloom focused on the fence post and made her way towards it. Her underground movements were still somewhat jerky, but she was definitely getting smoother. She slipped underneath the post, spun her body around, and bucked with everything she had.

While the buck didn't send it flying into the air or anything so impressive, it did pop right out of the ground. Satisfied, Apple Bloom slipped back out of the dirt.

“Nicely done, Apple Bloom. Yer gettin’ pretty good at that earth divin’ thing,” said Applejack with a nod.

“Thanks. Ah’ve been practicin’,” said Apple Bloom as she redid her bow.

“Glad to see it. Ya know, Ah think y’ave really started to turn yer situation around,” said Applejack with a smile.

“Ah hope so. Ah’m an Apple. And us Apples don’t stay down for long,” declared Apple Bloom in a proud tone.

“Now ain’t that the truth,” said Applejack as she turned to move the fence post.

As soon as her sister’s back was turned, Apple Bloom’s expression drooped a bit and she let out a soft sigh. She might have gotten used to being a ghoul after all these months, but she was wasn’t entirely comfortable with it.

“Yeah. It’s a good thing Ah’m learnin’ how to to be a monster. After all, Ah’m goin’ to be one for another hundred years or so,” she mumbled to herself.





“School’s gonna be startin’ soon,” said Apple Bloom.

“Eyup,” said Big Mac.

The sun was setting, and the two of them were bringing in the last few apple baskets for the day. Apple Bloom was still a bit down, but she was trying to keep it to herself. Key word being try.

“Guess yer goin’ to have to fix the sheep pen yerself,” said Apple Bloom.

“Eyup,” said Big Mac.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Ya know Ah don’t try to use school as an excuse to get out of mah chores, but we never got around to it when we had the chance,” apologized Apple Bloom.

“Eyup,” said Big Mac.

“Ah still don’t get why y’all insist Ah spend less time helpin’ the farm when Ah’m in school. Ah can carry mah weight and Ah wanna help. Ah have nothin’ better to do on Mondays at least,” said Apple Bloom.

“School’s important. If ya work all day in the field, y’all be too tired to study properly,” said Big Mac.

“Ya didn’t work less when ya were still in school,” grumbled Apple Bloom.

Big Mac stopped and turned towards his sister with a serious expression.

“Ya know why,” he said.

Apple Bloom blinked before sighing in shame.

“Right, sorry. Ah keep forgettin’ how hard it was back then after… ya know,” said Apple Bloom.

The two stood there for a moment in silence.

“Do ya… do ya think they’d be ashamed of me?” asked Apple Bloom.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow in a concerned manner.

“Ah mean, just look at me. Yeah, they’d probably accept me like the rest of the family, but would they be happy? Would they be proud of me for tryin’ to keep mah curse from draggin’ me down, or just disappointed that Ah let mahself get cursed in the first place?” asked Apple Bloom.

Big Mac didn’t answer right away, and pulled her into a hug.

“Both, ah’d wager. Parents want nothin’ more than to see their kids do well. They’d be sad to see ya fall, but happy to see ya get back up. It’s as simple as that,” said Big Mac.

Apple Bloom sighed again, but she did feel a little better.





Apple Bloom lay on her bed that night, deep in thought. She never really thought about her parents that much, mostly on account of how little she remembered about them. Granny Smith told stories about them on occasion, but for the most part no one in the family wanted to bring them up.

That night was no exception, and her thoughts quickly drifted to other topics. Unfortunately, thinking about her parents had sent her mind into other unpleasant territory.

Am Ah really doin’ somethin’ they’d be proud of? Is learnin’ how to be a monster the right thing to do? Should Ah be spending mah time learnin’ how to be a better ghoul, or should Ah really be tryin’ to bury mah curse? Ah could probably find somethin’ longer lastin’ than mah bow, and just pretend that part of me isn’t real, she pondered.

Apple Bloom sighed. This really wasn’t the first time this idea had come up.

Come on, Apple Bloom. How long has this been goin’ on now? Ya’ve been a ghoul for months and yer still actin’ like the world’s come to an end. Life’s still goin’, even if yer not entirely alive anymore. And ya have no right to complain. Just look at yer friends, her mind argued back.

Apple Bloom’s thoughts turned toward Sweetie Belle, who still knew so little about her own body, and Scootaloo, who had been born corrupted by evil slime. Was it really fair for her to whine about her condition when she wasn't the only one with problems?

Yer not alone Apple Bloom. Ya have friends who know what yer goin’ through, a family that still cares for ya, and even two liches who are willin’ to teach ya. Yeah, being cursed stinks, but it could be so much worse. Don’t ya go forgettin’ that, Apple Bloom reminded herself.

Apple Bloom let out another sigh, but also smiled.

“Yeah. Ah have no business stewin’ like this. Ah’ve lasted fine so far, and Ah won’t let this curse start draggin’ me down now. Not me, or any of mah friends,” she whispered to herself as she turned over and went to sleep.

Or at least tried to.





The next morning, Apple Bloom and her friends found themselves in the Apple family’s kitchen.

“So… what exactly are we doing here again?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Applejack said she had somethin’ important to tell the three of us,” answered Apple Bloom with a yawn.

She must have been up late tossing and turning last night, because she was exhausted that morning. Her head felt fuzzy and her vision was blurry no matter how many times she blinked.

Hope Ah’m not commin’ down with somethin’, she thought.

She then realized that was unlikely on account she was a little too deadish to get sick.

A moment later, Applejack walked in.

“Alright girls, after everythin’ that’s happened so far, Ah think it’s high time Ah let y’all in on what’s really goin’ on,” announced Applejack.

The three fillies shared an uncertain look.

“What do you mean, ‘what’s really going on?’ Are we planning a surprise party for somepony?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Nah, this is bigger than that. Ah mean it’s time ya three learned about the legend of the hidden mark,” declared Applejack.

Apple Bloom and her friends shared confused looks.

“Hidden mark? What the hay is that?” asked Scootaloo.

“The hidden mark that everypony in Equestria is hidin’. Everypony gets one, just like we all get our cutie marks. And once ya get yer mark and prove ya’ve come to terms with it, we let y’all in on the truth,” said Applejack.

Apple Bloom tried to clear her head. The fuzziness wasn’t going away, but this was clearly something important.

“What truth?” asked Apple Bloom.

“The truth that there ain’t no such thing as a normal pony,” answered Applejack.

Apple Bloom blinked, trying to comprehend what her sister had just said.

“Y’all bein’ a robot, a changeling, and a ghoul ain’t as unnatural as ya think. Truth is, everypony’s hidin’ somethin’ like that,” said Applejack.

Apple Bloom’s jaw dropped.

“Wait, What?! But... but…” she stuttered, but she couldn’t get the words out.

“It’s true. Some ponies are born with secrets, others get turned into stuff, but there ain’t a pony alive who’s a run of mill unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony by the time they’re all grown up,” explained Applejack.

Apple Bloom wasn't entirely sure how to feel about this. The idea that everypony was hiding some secret sounded like a pleasant revelation, but it seemed too ridiculous to be real. But her sister wouldn’t make something like this up, would she?

“Really? Then what’s your secret, Applejack?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Applejack gave them a stern look.

“Now see, this is why nopony told ya when ya first discovered yer secrets. It ain’t somethin’ ya bring up with other ponies. Most don’t take kindly to havin’ their problems aired to everypony else,” said Applejack.

“Oh. Sorry,” said Sweetie Belle with a blush.

“That said, Ah’m willin’ to share mah secret, but ah want y’all to promise not to say a word about it to nopony, alright?” said Applejack.

As she and her friends nodded in agreement, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but wonder why her sister hadn’t asked for a Pinkie Promise if it was such a big deal.

“Alright then. Y’all better brace yerself. This can be kinda disturbin’,” said Applejack.

She then reached back and pulled her hair band out of her mane. When it came out, Applejack’s mane seemed normal at first. Then leaves and vines started growing out of it.

“Ya see, Ah’m a dryad,” explained Applejack.

Apple Bloom found herself almost completely lost for words.

“But… but… but… that’s not… ya can’t… what?!” she stammered out.

“A dryad. It means Ah’m a tree spirit. When ah was a filly, a little after Ah came home from Manehattan, Ah came across an enchanted tree on the edge of the farm. One thing led to another, and before ya knew it Ah was magically bound to the tree. Ah’ve been part plant ever since,” explained Applejack.

Something about this whole situation didn’t seem right to Apple Bloom.

“Whoa. I thought dryads were only a myth. Nopony in my hive’s ever seen one,” noted Scootaloo.

“Wait, what about the rest of your family? Are Big Mac and Granny Smith dryads too?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Nah. Big Mac’s a were-pony. Luckily, every full moon he turns into a big red dog instead of a wolf. Ya remember what Discord did to him? All he did was draw out his inner dog while he was still a pony,” said Applejack.

Now Apple Bloom was certain that something was seriously wrong here.

“Wait a minute, Ah've been awake durin’ a full moon, but Ah’ve never seen anythin’ like that!” exclaimed Apple Bloom.

“We’ve gotten really good at hidin’ it. Now, Ah have no idea what Granny’s secret is, but she said it’s why she’s been around for so long. Ah overheard her sayin’ that she’d wish ‘that coward’ would just stallion up and challenge her to become ‘the last,’ but as long as he kept his distance, she wouldn’t push for it,” said Applejack with a shrug.

This was the breaking point.

“What the hay?! That’s part of the story from that ‘haylander’ movie! There’s no way that’s true! And ya just say that yer not supposed to talk about this stuff, so why are ya just tellin’ us all of this?! Is this some kind of prank or something?! This ain’t possible!” cried Apple Bloom.

All at once, the world around Apple Bloom seemed to freeze. Apple Bloom blinked and turned around in confusion. Her friends, her sister, and even the morning birds outside were stopped. Nothing was moving.

“Tiss a shame. This was proving most entertaining,” said a regal voice, seemingly from nowhere.

“Huh? Wait, Princess Luna?” asked Apple Bloom as she recognized the voice.

“Yes, it is I,” said the Moon Princess as she appeared seeming out of the air.

“Oh… Ah get it now. Ah’m dreamin’ again, ain’t Ah?” asked Apple Bloom with a sigh.

“Indeed, though this is a much better dream than usual for you, isn’t it? Certainly far more pleasant than revisiting that fateful night,” noted Luna.

“Yeah, Ah guess it is. Ah mean, it’s loads better than bein’ back at that stupid village again, but Ah haven’t had a nightmare in ages,” admitted Apple Bloom.

“Do you consider this to be a nightmare? It’s bizarre, certainly, but I fail to see how it could be distressing,” said Luna.

“Because Ah’m dreamin’ that everypony’s a freak of some kind. Ya always told me that dreams tend to show some part of us we don’t realize we have. It ain’t exactly a nice thing to know that some small part of me wants to turn everypony into monsters,” admitted Apple Bloom.

“On the contrary, I believe this dream signifies you to be quite virtuous,” said Luna.

“Really? How?” asked Apple Bloom with a raised eyebrow.

Luna walked over and pulled Apple Bloom into a hug.

“Young Apple Bloom, you’ve been met with a terrible fate. The curse that clings to you is not one that can be easily broken, as you are all too aware. It is a burden you shall bear for a lifetime, and possibly longer. This uncompromising fact clings to your subconscious, making it all but impossible for you to see a dream where you are cured as anything other than fantasy,” stated Luna.

“Ah know. Hay, yer part of the reason why Ah know that so well. But how does that change anything?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Because though you know you are cursed, your heart wishes to truly belong among your fellow ponies. Therefore, when you dream of this becoming a reality, you do not see yourself as normal, but everypony else as abnormal. After all, if being in such a state is what it means to be a typical pony, than your curse makes you no different than anypony else. Do you understand?” asked Luna.

Apple Bloom turned toward her frozen sister, leaves and vines still in her mane. When Applejack had shared her secret, some part of her had felt somewhat relieved despite her confusion. She had been relieved that she wasn’t as much of a monster as she thought. Maybe Luna did have a point.

“Ah think so. If nopony’s normal, then bein’ a ghoul’s no big deal, right?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Precisely. I believe that your friends may have planted the idea when they revealed themselves to you. This was simply the first night since then that you were in the correct state of mind for it to manifest in your dreams,” explained Luna.

“That’s interestin’ and all, but Ah still don’t see how this ‘signifies virtue,’ or whatever,” said Apple Bloom with a shrug.

Luna gave a patient smile.

“Apple Bloom, can you recall what your nightmares were about your first night as a ghoul?” asked Luna.

Apple Bloom shook her head. Right after her turning, she’d had nightmare after nightmare, and they’d all long since blended together into a terrifying haze she was trying to forget about.

“Your greatest fear wasn’t to return to the cursed village, though the idea did terrify you. No, what you feared more than anything else was your curse spreading further. That night, your family, friends, and neighbors all joined you in your twisted form. It was horrifying to be sure, but worse yet was that you felt a small amount of relief course through you as you realized that you were no longer alone, and then hated yourself for feeling that way,” said Luna.

Apple Bloom thought about it, but she still couldn't remember any nightmares like that, not entirely. It sounded familiar though, and she could easily picture herself reacting like that, so it didn’t seem too crazy.

“That nightmare was never repeated, as you quickly learned that your curse was well contained. And yet, some small part of you still longed to see that dream become reality. This is no reason to despair, however. Even the purest of hearts hold darkness within them. The small shadowy corner that desired such a thing held no power over you, as you recognized it for the selfish desire that it was,” continued Luna.

“That doesn’t sound too virtuous,” objected Apple Bloom.

“That you would suppress such desires? It is very much so. And think about it, if you will: if you so greatly long to become normal, why is this the first time you've had a dream such as this? Surely your desires would have affected your dreams more frequently, if not for one crucial detail. Can you guess what that is?” asked Luna.

Apple Bloom thought about it for a moment.

“Because… because Ah don’t want to be normal if it means that other ponies have to get hurt?” proposed Apple Bloom.

Luna smiled again.

“It is natural to want. It is also natural to pursue such desires. But it is virtuous to be unwilling to bring others to harm to obtain them. A somewhat commonplace virtue perhaps, but a virtue nonetheless. This dream is not a nightmare, but a spark of hope that the world may be less terrifying than it appears to be,” said Luna.

Apple Bloom smiled back. As always, her conversations with Luna made her feel much better about herself. But then something occurred to her.

“Wait… if this isn’t a nightmare, then why are ya here?” asked Apple Bloom.

Luna blinked before sheepishly tapping her hooves together.

“Well… I know I said I try to avoid visiting dreams that are not nightmares, but with how much distress your condition has been causing you, I thought it be best to keep a close eye on your dreams in case one such nightmare slipped in. And when I realized what you were dreaming I… got rather curious as to what your subconscious would conceive for the secrets of those around you,” admitted Luna with a blush.

Apple Bloom turned toward Applejack again, still part plant.

“Ah see what ya mean, but where in Equestria did mah mind come up with this?” she asked as she pointed at her sister.

“It’s your subconscious, Apple Bloom. It doesn’t always put forth the most logical conclusions. At any rate, now that you’re aware of the dream, would you care to see what other secrets this dream world is hiding?” suggested Luna.

Apple Bloom nodded. Now that she knew this was a dream, she was rather curious.

“Why not. This could be kind of fun,” she said.

With a nod, Luna became transparent, and the dream continued as if nothing had happened.

“Now, Ah’m sure ya got a ton of questions, and Ah’m sure lots of ponies will be willin’ to share so ya know what not to do around them. But remember not to bring this up in public, understand?” said dream-Applejack.

Apple Bloom and her dream friends nodded in agreement. She noticed Luna’s horn lighting up out of the corner of her eye.

“So… do you know my sister’s secret too?” asked dream-Sweetie Belle.

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck nervously, making the plants in her mane rustle.

“Well… Ah guess Ah can tell ya ‘bout a few other ponies’ secrets. The three of ya would probably just go around cornerin’ ponies to ask ‘em anyway,” she deducted.

Apple Bloom noted that this was quite the jump in logic, but figured Luna was pushing the dream to show more of her surroundings. She didn’t mind. It meant less playing along and more watching.

“So Rarity’s body’s actually pony-made. She ain’t a robot like you, Sweetie Belle. She’s just a mannequin pony with a livin’ brain controllin’ it. She told me it’s because of an incident with a sewin’ machine, but Ah have trouble believin’ a sewin’ machine could mess a pony up so bad they’d need a new body,” said Applejack.

That made sense, in a dream logic sort of way. If Sweetie Belle had a fake body, then her sister probably somewhat matched. Though Apple Bloom really couldn’t see how that didn’t make Rarity a robot.

“Rainbow Dash’s secret is that she’s actually part rainbow. By that, Ah mean her mother was literally a rainbow. She has to soak up sunlight as much as she needs to eat. Don’t ask, Ah don’t know how it’s possible either. All she said was that her mom’s job of crushin’ robot chickens led to her meetin’ her father,” said Applejack.

Apple Bloom decided to pointedly ignore that last detail. She was positive it was a reference to something she saw some time ago and tried to forget about.

“Now, for years Ah thought Fluttershy was another dryad, but it turns out that ain’t the case. She’s actually a…”





“...and then when Ah asked about Lyra, Ah thought for sure Applejack would say she was one of those ‘human’ things she’s always goin’ on about. But nope, it turns out she was actually a seapony. Bon Bon was the human in disguise. Apparently that’s why they're such good friends,” recounted Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo giggled. It was the actual morning after Apple Bloom’s dream, and the three of them were at the clubhouse. After she had been rather entertained last night, Apple Bloom was sharing what she saw with her friends.

“Now, Ah thought Berry Punch bein’ a livin’ pony-shaped berry was kind of silly, but then it turned out Ruby Pinch was a livin’ pony-shaped bottle of wine. Now that wasn’t the silly part. The silly part is that Berry refuses to drink from her own daughter because, and Ah quote: ‘She’s the best darn drink Ah ever made, and if Ah taste that liquid gold Ah won’t be able to drink anything else ever again,” said Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo fell into yet another giggle fit.

“You know, that one’s kind of cute. I mean, we all know how much Berry Punch cares about Ruby, so it kind of makes sense,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, for a dream. Seriously Apple Bloom, you have some really, really weird dreams,” said Scootaloo with a shake of her head.

“Yeah, well, it’s better than havin’ nightmares,” replied Apple Bloom with a shrug.

“True, though I kind of wish you’d told us about those sooner, Apple Bloom. I can understand why you’d hide them when neither of us knew you were a ghoul, but it’s been awhile since we shared secrets. Why were you still keeping this to yourself?” asked Scootaloo.

“Well, after Ah told y’all, the nightmares started happenin’ less and less. Ah didn’t see much point in sharin’ a problem that was goin’ away on it’s own. And Ah figured both of ya have been dealin’ with nightmares of yer own, so Ah didn’t want to bother ya with mine,” answered Apple Bloom.

Her friends nodded in agreement, though Sweetie Belle seemed a bit reluctant.

“Yeah. While the hivemind can help deal with these kind of things, there’s not a changeling alive who hasn’t had nightmares about being discovered. I had some really bad ones about you two driving me away some time ago,” admitted Scootaloo.

“Considerin’ how slow ya shared yer secret, Ah can believe that,” said Apple Bloom with an eyeroll.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” demanded Scootaloo.

“Ah mean that it was obvious that ya were nervous. Ya looked like ya were expectin’ one of us to tackle ya or somethin’,” explained Apple Bloom with a wave of her hoof.

“I kind of was…” mumbled Scootaloo.

Apple Bloom turned toward Sweetie Belle, who was admiring the wonderful details of the floor.

“Sweetie Belle? Are ya alright?” asked Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle sighed and gave her friends a tired look.

“I still have nightmares all the time. Sometime’s it’s Sweetie Bot taking over me and attacking everypony. Sometimes it’s an alien invasion that I’m responsible for. Sometimes it’s…” Sweetie Belle paused and shivered.

“Sometimes it’s far, far worse. Princess Luna’s been helping, and every once in awhile I have a pleasant dream where everypony’s a robot instead, but they just keep coming,” admitted Sweetie Belle, trembling slightly.

Apple Bloom felt no small amount of deja vu. She once again found herself wondering just how skilled Princess Luna was at finding ways to help ponies overcome their fears, and not just through their dreams. She also wondered whether or not Luna had set up last night’s weird dream herself. Dismissing such thoughts for now, Apple Bloom trotted over and pulled Sweetie Belle into a hug.

“It’s alright Sweetie Belle. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ scared about things ya don’t understand. Ya want answers, just like Ah did after Ah was cursed. While it might seem mighty bleak right now, Ah promise that things’ll get less scary with time. It’ll always seem weird and stuff, but there ain’t nothing wrong with bein’ wierd,” said Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle started crying a little.

“I just… I just wish I knew if I’m dangerous or not…” whimpered Sweetie Belle.

“So what if you are?” asked Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo in confusion.

“So what if you’re dangerous? Just because you can hurt others doesn’t mean you will. I could suck the love right out of both of you, but I won’t. Twilight Sparkle could use her magic to bully others, but she won’t. Hay, Princess Celestia could use the sun and turn us all to ash, but we all know she won’t. She would never even consider it,” explained Scootaloo.

Sweetie Belle looked at the floor again in thought.

“And think about this, Sweetie Belle: yer not alone. We know how scared ya are, and we want to help. So don’t be afraid to talk with us about anything that comes up. We’ll be right here every step of the way,” reassured Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle sniffed, but smiled.

“Yeah. I know that part. I was just telling myself about it the other day. I might be the only robot in the world, but I’m not the only one afraid of what I could be. I promised myself I wouldn’t get so upset about it anymore but, it’s really hard sometimes,” admitted Sweetie Belle.

“And there ain’t nothing wrong with being upset every now and again as long as ya pull yerself back up again,” said Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement.

“And really, I think you have it must worse than me, Apple Bloom. At least I don’t smell like a corpse,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Hey!” objected Apple Bloom, though a smile made it’s way onto her face.

“You really think so? Last I checked neither of us had to deal with mysterious voices inside our heads,” said Scootaloo with a smirk.

“No, ya just had to deal with an entire hive in yer head. Clearly yer the worst off of all of us,” Apple Bloom pointed out.

“Oh yeah?” challenged Scootaloo.

“Yeah,” replied Apple Bloom.

“Are we seriously arguing over who’s got it worse again?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Yeah, because the robot would totally be the first to notice that. You’re brain’s just so far above the rest of us, you’re eliminated by default,” said Scootaloo.

“Oh sure, just because Sweetie Bot’s smarter than all of us means that I’m better off. It’s not like I’m the only one without tutors on how to be me,” said Sweetie Belle with an eyeroll.

And so the argument continued well into the afternoon, with everypony having a good time poking fun at each other and themselves. It was amazing how a little laughter could make all their problems seem less daunting.

And they all agreed on one thing: Twilight Sparkle being a disguised alicorn was the most ridiculous part of Apple Bloom’s dream. There was no possible way that could happen.