//------------------------------//
// Stand Out a Country Mile a Minute 
// Story: A Magic Turn of Events 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

The first Tuesday morning after the change found Applejack one introspective pony. Not only did was it started by her principal raising the sun for the first time, it was the first full day where the rest of the world had to survive being whatever creature they’d become—though some of the changelings got a bargain on that one.
For Applejack, that meant her and the rest of the Apple family taking their first step as ponies, with whatever it entailed.
What she hadn’t expected, even among the unexpected she somehow expected, was three new members to the Apple family.
Cookie, Oakley, and Cinnamon had given her a pretty surprising greeting when she arrived home the day before, squeezing her with a hug. Her mind almost broke at not only hearing them speak to her but also listening to them speak in a very intelligent manner.
As that Monday drew on, she’d grown conflicted feelings. On one hoof, she’d loved them very much. Days gone by, days of riding on them as a stubborn kid growing up, days of feeding them and taking care of them in the vast green backyard, days of sitting by the campfire and sharing stories to the family with those horses by her side—these should never be forgotten, she’d vowed. On the other hoof, they weren’t “family family”. They had been bought off of someone else’s farm, and if she simply brought them into her family, then what really was family?
As if on cue, Pinkie Pie had appeared right beside her, making her scream in shock.



After the greetings were over in the backyard under an orange sunset sky, Pinkie made a grin, hoping that the farmpony would grin with her. “What’s wrong, Applejack?”
AJ raised her hat, letting Pinkie see her full face. “I don’t know. I-I thought you’d be with yer’ family.”
Pinkie giggled and snorted. “Aww, you got me confused with your Pinkie!”
That made AJ scoot back. “Wait, yer’ that other Pinkie?”
“Yuppity-yup!” She combed her mane with a licked hoof. “My Pinkie Sense told me to go across the portal and visit you because you have a problem!”
“A friendship problem?” AJ asked, still baffled by the concept of being sent across the land to solve someone’s personal problems.
Pinkie kept brushing her mane, this time with a toothbrush. “More like a family problem, but yeah, let’s roll with that!”
The farmpony winced. “You think ya’ can handle this...uh, delicate subject?”
Pinkie slapped her on the back, oblivious to AJ biting her tongue at the pain. “‘Course I can! I mean, I think I can!” She poured some toothpaste on her toothbrush and kept brushing her mane with it. “You know, I’m qualified for this! Remember when we went on a road trip to check if I’m part-Apple?”
AJ scratched her head. “We never had that.”
Pinkie looked confused, then laughed at herself. “Silly me! That’s the other Applejack!” Wiped the sweat off of her forehead. “Phew! Now, what is it that’s bothering your brother? Or what’s seizing your sister? Or what’s grounding your granny?”
“It’s not any one of them,” AJ said before sighing. A long pause as she thought about them. Then, she lifted her head. “It’s about our horses.”
“Ponies!” Pinkie corrected with a raised hoof holding her toothbrush. “Then again, all of us are horses, so it kind of sort of does not maybe matter.”
That gag done, she put the toothbrush on the ground.
She dropped the smile.
“It’s about those three horses, isn’t it?” Pinkie asked, much more somber now. “The Cinnamon Cookie Oak trio, right?”
AJ sighed. “Eeyup.”
Anticipating a heart-to-heart coming on, Pinkie sat beside her on the grass.
They were sitting together on the grass, beholding the sunset sky with its armies of colossal clouds. These were being pushed and pulled around by some gallant volunteers from the Ponyville weather team. Over them all shone the sleepy sun with its piercing rays.
A minute later, the sun slowly dipped into the horizon, plunging this part of the world into darkness. Breezes flew by, stars twinkled into view, and the moon rose up with its soft silvery glow.
AJ stared at the sky, having seen the sudden transition from day to night. Then, turning to Pinkie. “Anything...?”
“About your now-sapient horses?” Pinkie asked.
The farmpony placed her hat on the ground, letting loose her yellow mane. “They’re...they’re good ponies. I kn-know they are. But, I just don’t know what to do with them!”
“Why don’t you just let them in?” said Pinkie with a hoof on her puffy mane. “No harm done!”
AJ scratched her freckled cheeks. “That’d be great, but—”
“They’re practically a part of your family, right?” Pinkie prodded. “You and Apple Bloom basically grew up with them!”
AJ made a glimmer of a smile, those ended years surviving in another time, another world. “There’s no denyin’ that.”
“Then what’s holding you back, Applejack?” Pinkie asked, inching closer. She brushed off the fact that she made a rhyme, keeping up the sympathetic frown. “You got an infectious disease? A bad hiccup? A case of the stomach butterflies you need to burp out?”
“Actually, that last one’s not so far from the truth.”
Pinkie then drew out a stethoscope. “Then open your mouth and say ‘Blech!’ for Doctor Pinkie!”
AJ yanked the stethoscope away. “I don’t mean that!”
“Then what do you mean?” Pinkie’s ears folded back as the mare herself was coming up short. “Was it because they used to not be sapient? Is that it?”
A grumble from AJ. She stood up, got her hat. “Nevermind, Pinkie.”
She trotted away.
Pinkie sighed, finding herself alone in the Apple family fields. “Don’t make yourself bothersome,” she said to herself. “Stay cool and let her be.”
She hopped away in the other direction, brushing her teeth with her toothpaste-stained hair.



Before the Tuesday sun appeared to grace millions of inhabitants, Applejack had already gotten out of bed and opened the window.
A pink sky about to break into a dawn. Faint light was cast upon her bedroom, tinting all in a filter of periwinkle.
Maybe it wasn’t going to be sudden this time. Maybe it was all just a dream. One of the craziest and longest dreams, to be sure, but a dream she desperately hoped it was, so she raised her hand into view.
No, it was a hoof.
Applejack bit her lip, dawning on her that this was reality.
She turned her head to the door.
Out of curiosity, she pursed her lips and then snorted like a horse.
No, as a horse.
AJ closed her eyes and bent her head down. “Just like them.” She sighed. “This’ll take so much time to get used to.”



The dining table didn’t have much other than a huge bushel of apples. There were a couple more chairs crammed at the table, just enough to fit the Apple family plus their three horses which weren’t really theirs anymore. The only ones not present were Applejack and Granny Smith.
“Hey!” Cookie yelled, throwing her brown mane about. “Apple Bloom!”
The bow-wearing filly looked up, trying to hold back something. “What is it?”
“Remember when we took you and Applejack up the river?” Cookie said, grinning at cheerful memories. “Those were fun times we should have again! Except, you know, let’s trot beside each other this time!”
Cinnamon tapped her on the shoulder. “You should be more sensitive. Her whole life’s been turned upside-down,” then pointed at Apple Bloom’s eyes which were tearing up.
Big Mac noticed and pulled her into a hug.
Oakley leaned in to Cinnamon’s ear. “Did we just lose?”
“Lose what?” Cinnamon mouthed, perplexed by the cryptic request.
Then, two ponies trotted into the dining area: Applejack supporting Granny on her four frail legs. “There, there. You keep ‘em steady now.”
The elderly mare kept ‘em steady. Kept herself silent, too.
“Oh, hi, there!” Cookie yelled, galloping out of her chair with a buck that shot it at Oakley’s face—”Ow!”—and hugged Applejack, squishing her cheeks and making her hat fall off. “It’s so good to see you wide awake to watch the first ever magic sunrise! By your principal, no less! We’re going to sit on a hill, build white picket fences, and sing songs until we pass out! We got glasses, telescopes, even smores!”
With a groan that implied having practiced it before, Cinnamon levitated some pre-packed smores from under the table.
“You likey?” Cookie asked with a rapidly nodding head.
Applejack bit both her lip and her tongue. It all felt ridiculous. She couldn’t change back to a human, her whole family had turned into ponies, and her horses had gained wills so free, they could sprout wings any moment and take off to the sky...and all she got was a glorified sunrise show.
Which all made her say in disappointment, “Really?”
Everyone else gasped, surprised at such impoliteness.
Cookie frowned, her own eyes watering up and her lips shaking.  “Wh-What’s wrong, Applejack?”
Now the spotlight was on the hatted suspect, biting her lip even more. “I...I-I-I—”



And before the farmpony knew it, it was nighttime. Having had bucking lessons from her other self was a tad weird, but if that’s how it’s done as a pony, then she should get with it.
At least Equestrian Applejack didn’t catch wind of anything out of the ordinary.
By the end of the day, half of the trees in Applejack’s farm had been de-appled, so to speak. Her hind legs were sore, but she had been assured that it was only normal for those just learning the move.
But now, she was just sitting inside their barn-like garage, helping herself to a mug of cider, feeling the fizz and that little oomph.
Tables of bucket flowers. Haystacks and stables draped with apple-design cloth. Burnt candles past their prime. Remnants of a couple hoedowns before, sticking around in a changed world.
Alone in the dark garage, she was whiling the night away.
Then, hoofsteps.
She looked up, putting down the mug and wiping her mouth.
Saw those three horses.
“What’re you doin’ here?” AJ asked, a bit shocked.
Cinnamon glowed her horn and flicked the light switch from far away, turning on the lights.
They trotted inside and closed the huge doors with a slam!
Cookie turned her head to Applejack sitting at a table, wearing a sorry frown. “We were getting very worried about you! You were working all day not talking to anyone at all except that clone of yours!”
“She’s not a clone,” Cinnamon corrected.
For the first time in her life, Cookie blushed. “Whoops! She’s that twin of yours!”
The unicorn smacked herself on the head, astonished by such ignorance.
“Just kidding!” Cookie said, backtracking from her blunder. Then, her frown returned, focusing on the miserable farmpony. “We’re just wondering...what happened? Was it something we said?”
“‘Cause if you’re not happy,” Oakley continued, putting a hoof to his chest and flapping his wings, “then we’re not happy, too. It makes us sad to see you sad.”
“And know that we’re concerned for you,” Cinnamon finished. “Apple Bloom did say you were such a workaholic, especially when you’re stressed.”
“Wh-What did she say?!” Applejack blurted out, almost knocking over her mug of cider.
Drops spilled to the table.
“We didn’t need her to tell us anyway,” Oakley said, hovering to her side and causing Applejack to look at him fearful. “We were there when you tended to the apple stand past midnight.”
“And when you tasked yourself with delivering apple pies to everyone during the parade last year,” Cinnamon added.
“And when you sharpened a hundred pencils for the kids!” Cookie yelled. “I was there! Like, really there! Brought me along—”
“We don’t need your life story,” Cinnamon cut in, holding her hyper friend off with a hoof to the cheek. Then, trotting with her to Applejack’s table, “What’s going on? In your head?”
The floodgates were being pried open in Applejack’s mind. There was the need, the want to let these horses into the family. They meant no harm, and they were lifelong friends of every single one of them. Laughter by the river, letting those horses drink and just having a good time as a family. Now, they were sapient, able to be on their level of thought and interaction. They’d be more than horses now. If that didn’t get them in, then what did?
But Applejack turned her head, avoiding their painful stares. Her heart trembled. She was right, stubbornly right even...but what if she was wrong? What if, somehow, letting them in was the wrong choice? One doesn’t just waltz into Apple family membership. Would it be too crowded? Would there be too little food to bring around? Nah, there’d be enough food, she thought; all she needed was a bigger table.
It could be that letting them would prove awkward for all. Even though they were friendly horses, they had been just horses up to now. Words echoed by, about how they can work an’ eat an’ love and that’s all there is to it for ‘em. A twist of destiny, then, for her to come back to Earth and find that her horses had transcended that description. They were now equals, Applejack and these three. She met them on four hooves, they met her with uplifted minds, complex desires, and all other kinds of quirks she’d never thought of before.
“Uh, are you OK?” Cookie asked, crashing her train of thought.
Applejack raised her forehooves to the air. “Who am I kiddin’? Ya’ know it! I’m scared!”
“Scared?!” the trio shouted together, looking at each other with startled expressions.
Applejack nodded and took off her hat again. “I know it sounds foolish, but hear me out. You’ve been with us Apples all this time. We fed you, took care o’ you, and in return, ya’ gave us lots of good times, forging friendships unlike any other. But, to be honest—” and winced at that, ears wilting “—it just doesn’t feel right to hear you talkin’ back, to listen to you want to go to this or that place because you’d wanna see how it’s gonna work out. To see you with real personalities...and I mean really real...I, uh, I—”
Oakley hugged her.
She was caught by surprise.
As Cookie and Cinnamon hugged her, too.
Didn’t question it but closed her eyes.
“It still feels weird for us, too,” Cookie said, snuggling her. “But why let it hold us back? Now that we can talk to each other like this, we can be even closer!”
“For the rest of our lives!” Oakley yelled, raising a hoof to the air and spreading his wings again.
Cinnamon merely giggled. “Better than being an ordinary horse!”
Taking in their words, Applejack hugged them tighter, letting the tears fl—
Barn doors opened.
“So, uh, I was told that I’d find you here!” the other Applejack said, picking up her lasso and putting it on her back. “Howdy again! I hope yer’ ready for your rodeo...lessons?” with ears standing up.
As she looked upon an Applejack she could not see beyond the three ponies hugging her.
Then, they gasped. “Rodeo lessons?!”
And let go of their Applejack, their AJ.
“Yes siree!” Applejack swung her hoof. “After I taught her bucking earlier, she was mighty interested in how to lasso, how to stack hay bales, how to steeplechase, how to hurdle jump—”
As she listed off the things to do in a rodeo, the three horses looked at AJ with snickering faces. The farmpony herself was now embarrassed, putting on a wide open smile that only showed off how anxious she was at being exposed.
“Looks like we got a guilty pleasure on our hooves!” Cinnamon announced, rubbing her forehooves in half-hearted evil. “Thinking being a pony’s all weird...look at you! You’re going to do rodeo stuff as a pony!” She then laughed, imagining her former owner weaving around barrels or lassoing dogs.
“Come on!” AJ yelled with a hint of shame, partially hiding her face from scrutiny. “I was tryin’ to get it out of my head!”
Applejack cocked her head to the side, skeptical about her self. “That’s nice, but we better get goin’, sugarcube. I’m wakin’ up bright and early tomorrow so time to make this quick in a lickety-split!”
AJ got up from her chair and adjusted her hat, putting it straight. “Then I’m all set!”
And one farmpony trotted to another farmpony’s side, the both of them headed outside.  
“C-Can we watch you?” Cookie asked, galloping up to her.
“We promise we won’t bother you!” Oakley added, swooping in to AJ’s side as well.
Cinnamon brisked her way to the Applejacks. “And I’ll make sure these two will stay calm.”
AJ slapped the unicorn on the back. “Sure! Why not? I guess I got much of the shame out o’ my system now.”
All cheered as they ventured outside.



A month later, Sunset and Applejack were trotting down a sidewalk in downtown, the latter holding a lasso.
It hadn’t been a memorable day for her. In the morning, it was chores as usual—which she enjoyed, yes, but she still hadn’t quite mastered the art of holding a broom with hooves. Only after dusting and cleaning was done did she deem herself worthy for a champion’s breakfast which meant a hefty bowl of salad, a plateful of eggs and bread, and a tall glass of apple juice.
Not orange juice. Even though she was orange.
The rest of the day dragged on, although it was lightened up by her family. Big Mac had helped Apple Bloom kick trees until they gave up all their apples, Granny Smith had written down a new recipe for apple pie, and the Cinnamon Cookie Oak trio had taken their fortieth trip to the city to see the sights and meet the peo—ponies. Winona had been sent to Fluttershy since the dog was sick and the  ordinary family remedies weren’t doing their magic, not that Applejack cared much for fantastical magic in the first place.
That left Applejack on a grocery trip, buying a couple of vegetables to add to their salad supply. She remembered meeting a rather generous Filthy Rich hoofing out equine versions of kitchen tools and appliances, fit for hooves and wings and horns and mouths. Not sure if it was the Filthy Rich she knew or the Filthy Rich from Equestria, though.
To present matters on the sidewalk:
“...so it’s a thing you’re really serious about?” Sunset asked. “This rodeo thing?”
Applejack nodded, tipping her hat. “It sure was a blast doin’ all those tricks an’ turns! Got me excited like a rat on a cheesecake-birthday!” She paused to hold in that excitement. “I’ve been meanin’ to join rodeo competitions, but I always had work at the farm...but now? Since I got these good friends o’ mine,” stretching out her hindlegs, “I’ve been finishin’ off these apples in half the time! That means we could have more apple trees and still have days to hang out wit’ all of ya’!”
Narrowed her eyebrows.
“And the rodeo, too.”
Sunset’s ears flayed as a car honked in the distance. “But how did I not know? I’ve seen the other Applejack visit a lot before, but she’s never told me about these rodeo lessons.”
“That’s because I wanted to keep it a secret,” the farmpony replied.
“You? Keeping secrets from us?” It was Sunset’s turn to narrow her eyebrows. “That’s not the Element of Honesty I know!”
Applejack tipped her hat again, this time a bit mischievous. “It’s for a surprise.”
“What surprise?”
Applejack inched closer to Sunset’s ear. “Ya’ see, I’m gonna invite everypony to the park this Friday night. It’ll be an Apple family-hosted event. ‘sposed to have ev’ryone  soften up with bein’ a magic pony...but then, when everyone’s havin’ a good time, I’ll go to the pond’s edge and start my lasso tricks. Heh-heh!” She rolled her head back. “Whaddya’ think?”
Sunset didn’t notice that her mouth hung open. “Wow. To think that you weren’t all in on being a pony a while ago! You’ve turned a one-eighty!”
“Oh, I sure have!” Applejack said, stopping to cross her forehooves. “My time with the family—including our newest siblings—showed me that, when push comes to shove, we’re still us. I told my other self about it, and she told me, ‘Sugarcube, why don’t you give it a shot?’ so I gave it a shot an’ here I am!”
“Aww!” was what Sunset could say at that. Then, the secret came back to her. “Does anyone else know about the party’s, um, real purpose?”
“Jus’ you and the family,” Applejack said, overlooking some noisy but familiar rambling not so far out. Pushing her on the shoulder, “Though it’s your time to not share a secret.”
They laughed together as they trotted into the jewelry store to find two Rarities arguing over the last diamond in the collection.



Sure enough, come Friday night, the park was abuzz with bright and shining lanterns, food-laden-and-scented tables, and an open spot for mild west dances where, to the tune of fiddle-full country music, ponies showed off their horrible dancing skills.
Save, of course, for the ponies with cutie marks in dancing. They did fine, as they should be.
A good number of ponies had attended, contributing to noise pollution, but no one was sleeping nearby anyway. Twilight and Fluttershy danced, to floundering effect and a few mum mouths. Dash and Rarity drank a couple mugs of cider and ate some apple fritters, talking nothing about the weird world they were living in but about good ol’ casual topics—how Dash had spoiled the rest of the Daring Do series to herself via their Equestrian volumes, and how Rarity had a nice time learning how to sew pony clothes by her self. As for this dimension’s Pinkie, she was happily greeting newcomers despite not being an Apple, plopping party hats on each visitor.
Sunset, meanwhile, was sitting at an outlying table all to herself, enjoying the cider and the apple pie.
The questions she’d waited for came up:
“Where’s Applejack?”
“Hey guys, have you seen Applejack?”
“Is AJ missing?”
The party’s mood went downhill as the farmpony was nowhere to be seen no matter how loudly ponies talked. Amateur detectives rose to the call, but they soon rejected it when every nook and cranny had been inspected and not a trace of her was found.
“Yee-haw!”
Everypony turned to the pond.
And saw Applejack spinning two lassos with one set of teeth, spinning them in blurring circles while making swish sounds every millisecond.
Their mouths dropped.
Only Sunset kept calm, rubbing her forehooves at that sweet knowledge of secrets.
Applejack threw an apple into the air, caught it with one lasso, tossed it towards the pond, saved both rope and apple with the second lasso at the last second, deftly let the second one slip from the apple as the fruit flew straight into the audience—
Into Pinkie, knocking her down to the grass.
All gasped.
They looked at Pinkie.
Who had caught the apple by the mouth and was now munching on it. “Mm-mmm! Delicious!”
They looked at Applejack who had crossed her forehooves. “That’s how it’s done ‘ere, folks.”
Silence.
Then, everypony cheered at their new rodeopony. Confetti was thrown, friends trotted to her asking her how she did it, and, to further make Wallflower jealous, Applejack herself blushed.
“That’s the Applejack we know and love!” Cookie yelled, leading Oakley and Cinnamon to their former owner.
Their friend.
Sunset clapped with her hooves, happy to see the farmpony fully come to terms with her equinity.
Was tapped on the shoulder.
She turned around and saw the other Applejack with lassos on her back.
“She’s good,” said this Applejack, looking at her with an envious eye.
She balled up one of her hooves.
“Uh, Applejack?” Sunset blathered, sensing some hostility.
“Don’t worry about me,” she said with a chuckle. “It’s gonna be in good fun.”
She took out a lasso and galloped into the party.
Sunset groaned, putting her head on the table. “Let the inter-dimensional rivalries begin, I guess.”