//------------------------------//
// Honesty 
// Story: Harmony 
// by All Art Is Quite Useless 
//------------------------------//

Applejack looked out from her position stood at the head of her cart, seeing three of her friends swiftly approaching. They all ran towards her in a dramatic sense, Applejack had no clue what to make of it. 

When they reached her, each of them panting for breath, Rainbow spoke first. "Applejack, you've gotta come with us! Something's happened to us and it's changing how we act, it doesn't make any sense!"

Applejack cocked an eyebrow. Things had been the same on her farm as ever lately, she didn't feel any different than usual. "You sure you ain't just lettin' the season get to you?" she asked, reasoning that of all ponies Fluttershy—who was with them—had a tendency to get spooked easily at this time of year. 

"Applejack, something isn't right," Rainbow repeated, insistent. "We need to go right now!"

"Now you hold on, missy." Applejack gestured to the cart behind her, "I can't just go runnin' off without so much as tellin' Apple Bloom and Big Mac first, it wouldn't be proper."

"There isn't time for that," Rarity weighed in, imploring Applejack with her eyes. "Please just come with us, Applejack, it may not be safe otherwise." 

Right, this was really starting to piss her off. "Now you listen here, all three of you." Her eyes lingered on all three of them, one at a time, as she judged them. "I don't believe for one second that there's actually anythin' wrong. Every year somepony gets like this, 'nd it always turns out to be nothin', you hear? 

"No, you listen!" Rainbow shouted, "You're our friend, and I've gotta make sure you're alright!" Shaking her head vehemently as if she was trying to wrestle a demon from it, she lowered her tone. "Please, Applejack. We need to go and find Pinkie."

Applejack looked back at her cart. If she was only gone for a couple of hours, she could make up for the lack of productivity in the evening, after she had dealt with whatever the hell this hoo-hah was about. "I don't believe a second of this, I think you're all bein' stupid." Suddenly, Applejack realised she had more on her mind than that. "Rarity, you're being real irresponsible. Apple Bloom told me she ain't seen Sweetie Belle in days, and I sure as heck ain't seen her with you, so what have you done with her?" 

The three of them snapped their eyes to Applejack, Fluttershy answered. "Applejack, you can't talk about that," she said in a hushed tone, trying not to disturb Rarity, who had began heavily pawing at the floor as if she was attempting to dig. "Something's happened to us all, and the more we think about it, the worse it gets. We need to get to Pinkie, then Twilight."

"Sounds like bullshit," Applejack snorted, detaching herself from the cart. "Rainbow, you look like shit.
Ain't you ever heard of a shower before? Land's sakes, Fluttershy, you've got shit on your coat. Don't you know how to look after them critters?"

"All I've done is look after them!" Fluttershy screamed, storming straight up to Applejack and staring her down. "I'd like to see you try putting down your poor little animal friends after they got hurt and sick, think you could do that?!" she shouted, jabbing a hoof into Applejack.

Those words knocked the wind out of Applejack; it was as if Fluttershy's jab had stunned her, but she knew it was her words. "You... you killed 'em? Jeez, Fluttershy, what was wrong with 'em?"

"Th-they had to go..." Fluttershy nodded her head, as if trying to force herself to believe her own words as her visage became more fragile, and she looked as if she might topple over at any moment.

"Applejack!" Rainbow shrilled, voice cracking, "we told you not to talk about it! Keep your mouth shut!"

"And where d'you get off talkin' to me like that?" Moving around Fluttershy and getting in her face, she began to shout unabashed. "You know what I think of you? You're a egotistical, rude bitch, and if somethin's happenin' to you then you've probably brought it on yourself. Hear that, Rainbow? It's all your damn fault!" Realising the alien quality of her words, she shook, seeing tears in Rainbow's eyes. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Rainbow. I didn't really mean that, I just—"

Rainbow shook the tears away to no avail. "Yeah, you did. And it's alright, I know it isn't you... Do you understand why we need to stick together now? This is happening to all of us, and if we don't fix it, it might get worse."

"Alright... We need to go then, yeah?"

"Yeah, Applejack." Rainbow nodded, smiling at her friend with what Applejack could feel was total sincerity. "Fluttershy, Rarity, are you ready?"

"Uhh, Rainbow?" Fluttershy called out, sounding distressed. The pair of them turned, looking where she was pointing. Rarity was digging at the ground with a much higher intensity before, bruising her hooves as she smashed them against the floor over and over trying to pull up the land.

"Rarity! What are you doing?!" Rainbow yelled, flying over and trying to pull her away.

Rarity pushed her off with a blast of her magic. "I'm searching for gems! Gems for the poor foals. I'm going to make them have good lives! ...I'm going to do it for Sweetie Belle, she'll understand that way."

"She's gonna break her hooves," Applejack gravely stated. "Rainbow, help me with this," she said, gesturing to the cart. With Rainbow's assistance, the pair poured all of the apples out of the cart. Then, between the three of them, they dragged Rarity—kicking, screaming, and protesting—away from her hole, putting her in the cart. "Take turns pullin' this, we need to get to Pinkie's fast, it looks."

Rarity tried to bound out of the cart as it began moving her, Rainbow had to tackle her inside, telling her that she was doing because she would always be there for her.