//------------------------------// // Heresy // Story: Applejack Gets Lost // by MagicS //------------------------------// Applejack slept in a plain bed in an unfurnished room. Even the curtains on the window were gray. She woke up early, remembering what she planned to do, but not sure how she was going to go about doing it. With the way the town was designed there was no way she could sneak out without being seen. Especially since she looked completely different from every other pony thanks to her hat, lack of a dress, and highly visible Cutie Mark. Despite it being as early as it was there were probably already plenty of ponies going about their business in town. Most probably wouldn’t mind her if yesterday was any proof but if she wasn’t already walking around with Wool Dye she bet more would come up and try to talk with her. It’s not like she was afraid of them, she just didn’t want to deal with any of this craziness, and she knew that the longer she spent around these ponies the more likely it was she’d say something about Starlight and that book they worshiped. That could end badly. She got out of her bed and made for the door, walking as lightly as possible in case any pony was downstairs. There was only one way in or out of this building and unless she wanted to jump out a window she’d have to walk right in front of the desk downstairs. She had to hope that there was just nopony there yet. Applejack opened the door to the hallway. “Gah!” She jumped back, a unicorn was standing right in front of her door holding a tray of muffins. “Good morning! I’m here to give you a big friendly greeting and a lovely breakfast.” The bright yellow mare with vibrant pink hair greeted. Her natural colors proved a stark contrast to the dull outfit she wore and the color of the building around her. “How long have you been standing out there?!” “Twenty-eight minutes!” She said, smiling sweetly. “My name is Solar Streak, I’m so happy to get to meet an outsider! We’re all so happy, won’t you come and join us for breakfast?” She motioned the plate of muffins down the hallway to the stairs, Applejack couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t use her magic to carry the tray. “Uh, us?” “Mhm!” Solar nodded. “Wool told us that you seemed interested in learning more about the Word of Glimmer, so he gathered up some of us to have breakfast with you and share with you the wonders of Starlight Glimmer!” Aghhhhhhhhhh “That…sounds… swell.” Applejack really wanted to say something else as her face tightened up. “I know right!” Solar replied, oblivious to or willingly ignoring Applejack’s mannerisms. She led Applejack down the hallway to the stairs. From the railing Applejack could see Wool Dye and three other ponies gathered around down on the first floor, Firewood was absent though, they had moved the desk and some cabinets and had set up a folding table with chairs around it along with some water and more muffins. And a familiar looking book in the center of the table. Applejack thought about just running. She didn’t want to deal with this. She thought about cutting Wool Dye off the moment he opened up his mouth and just telling him she wasn’t interested and she had to go. But seeing that book made her think twice. Was it really alright for her to just leave these ponies here and let them continue on with their misguided ways? Letting them get corrupted by the old beliefs that Starlight herself had thrown away. Starlight would definitely be upset to know what was going on in this village, and Twilight too would probably be mad at her if she at least didn’t try to do something to convince them that this “Word of Glimmer” way of thinking was wrong. With trepidation Applejack descended the stairs and took a seat at the table. The others quickly sat down with her, Solar gave out muffins to everypony. Wool Dye decided to start with introductions. “So you’ve obviously met me and Solar, but these are a few other curious ponies who especially wanted to share with you the story of The Word of Glimmer.” He spread his forelegs wide across the table. “My name is Wind Walk.” A small white mare with a sky blue mane said, judging by the name and the bulging sides of the dress she was probably a pegasus. “I’m Dazzle.” A black unicorn stallion with a bald head greeted her. “And my name is Brush Swipe.” A portly earth pony mare said. She had big brown eyes that matched her mane and a dull pink coat. “Right, nice to meet you, I’m Applejack in case Wool Dye didn’t already tell you.” They smiled at her while Wool Dye spoke up again. “I’m sorry there are so few of us but on such short notice there weren’t many I could gather. I’m sure you have so many questions and we’ll just have to answer as best we possibly can.” Applejack closed her eyes and rubbed them for a second, trying to get the last bit of tiredness out of her system. “Okay… so first of all, where’d that book come from?” That was the biggest thing bothering her. “It fell from the sky!” Wind Walk said. “Right into our old village. It was truly a miracle.” Applejack wasn’t sure what to make of that. Did some pegasus drop it? Did Starlight accidentally teleport one out here? “It arrived at the perfect time.” Dazzle agreed. “We were lost, selfish and arrogant ponies. The Word of Glimmer saved us.” “And so now you all live like this?” Applejack gestured to how everypony was wearing the same thing and all the mares had the same haircut. “The Word of Glimmer is the word of equality and true harmony. Shun as many differences as possible, shun the evils of Cutie Marks that only divide. Nopony is better or worse at something than anypony else.” Solar said, as if reciting from something. “Uh-huh. So Cutie Marks are bad to you all.” Applejack nodded along, trying to act like this was all new to her. On the inside she was a little angry that something like this was still going on. “Cutie Marks are one of the hallmarks of division in the world.” Brush Swipe spoke. “That is why not only do we cover our marks but we specifically never do anything that has to do with our so called special talent. If one’s Cutie Mark was in cooking they would never set foot in the kitchen. That is how we make sure to keep the divisive thing of specialness away.” “And it’s why unicorns like me never use our magic.” Solar said. “And why pegasi like Wind Walk never fly.” She was very cheerful as she said this all. Applejack fought to not gape at her. That was even more extreme than Starlight’s village. These ponies had completely gone off the deep end. She decided to try and chuckle a bit and keep the mood light. “Well, you must not like how I’ve been walking around with my Cutie Mark then.” A few uneasy chuckles came from her. “Oh, well that’s true but we would never force you to do anything you wouldn’t want to.” Wool Dye said supportively. “After all we know that Starlight Glimmer would never force her ideals on an unwilling pony.” It took every bit of strength in Applejack’s body to stop herself from repeatedly slamming her head on the table. Instead she just ground her teeth together and asked her next question. “So what do you know about Starlight Glimmer?” “Well we’ve been studying the book and trying to figure out as much about her as we can.” Dazzle answered. “Obviously she was a very enlightened being, we believe she was an alicorn at one point who willingly gave up her powers when she found the truth of equality. She didn’t want to be different or special in any way so she gave up her wings and everything else that came with being an alicorn and returned to being a simple earth pony.” Oh for the love of Celestia… “She sounds very humble.” Applejack’s desire to share her honest opinion greatly grew. “She must be!” Solar said from next to her while the others nodded. “Yeah...” Applejack scratched her head. “So you ignore your Cutie Marks huh? What do you all do then?” “We draw lots!” Wool Dye said excitedly, obviously he had been waiting to explain as much about the town as he could. “Every week we draw lots to decide what job we do around town. If anypony draws something relating to their Cutie Mark they redraw. Firewood was working here yesterday because he drew the lot to mind the office. And I drew the lot to welcome any possible newcomers.” “We do things this way so nopony has any special position.” Wind Walk elaborated. Applejack had to bite her tongue from saying everything they did made their town unique and special compared to the rest of the world. But she still needed to try and convince them that they had the wrong way of things. Gulping, she opened her big mouth again. “You all seem really happy with how you’re doing things out here.” At that the other ponies faces brightened up even more. “But, uh, are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” For the first time, they stopped smiling at Applejack. “What do you mean?” Wool Dye asked with a hint of worry. “Well it’s just...” Applejack started carefully. “Cutie Marks are a natural and, well, good thing. You know?” The ponies looked at each other with dismay. “S-Some of us used to think that.” Solar said. “But we all came to embrace the truth about Cutie Marks being evil, The Word of Glimmer is infallible.” She got a far away look in her eyes as she said that. “Yeah but, what if this Starlight Glimmer pony ended up reconsidering the things she wrote in that book later?” Applejack nervously tapped her hooves on the table as she said that. It was deathly silent. “But… The Word of Glimmer is infallible.” Solar repeated. “Everything has gone so well for us since embracing it.” “Why would Starlight go back on what she wrote here?” Wool Dye asked Applejack as he regarded her a bit suspiciously. “Is there something you want to say?” There were many, many, things Applejack wanted to say. “Look it’s just, I kind of happen to know Starlight Glimmer, personally.” Applejack finally let it out. “You know the goddess?!” Wind Walk shot up in surprise while the others sat there dumbstruck. “What? Starlight aint any goddess. She’s just a normal pony.” Applejack replied. “Well of course, she’s a normal pony no different from any other. That’s the point. We all know that already.” Brush Swipe said. Applejack’s hoof hit her face. “Ugh, look. What I’m trying to get at is that she was never an alicorn and there’s nothing special about this book she wrote. Also she’s a unicorn, not an earth pony.” Brush Swipe gasped and brought her hooves up to her mouth as if Applejack just told her the world was about to end. “We know the book isn’t special.” Dazzle said, although his eyes and face had gotten weirdly blank. “That’s also the point.” Applejack groaned and finally did bang her head on the table before grabbing the book and waving it at the ponies. “Look, what I’m trying to get at is that you shouldn’t just blindly follow what’s written here. Starlight wrote this when she was in a dark place but she’s renounced all of it. She doesn’t hate Cutie Marks or individuality anymore, okay?” “What you’re saying doesn’t sound like the Starlight we know.” Wool Dye said through narrowed eyes. “But you don’t know Starlight!” Applejack slammed a hoof on the table, getting a little more exasperated and angrier than she wanted. “And secondly Starlight was the type of pony who would force her ideals on others, she did it to me and my friends. She wasn’t perfect. All of her followers ended up rejecting her and embracing their Cutie Marks again. This whole book is nothing but gobbledygook!” Applejack threw it back down on the table, the other ponies besides Wool Dye staring slack-jawed at Applejack. Applejack looked at their shocked expressions for a second and sat back, nervous smile spreading across her face. “Uh, didn’t mean to attack y’all like that.” Wool Dye leaned over to Wind Walk. “Wind Walk, go get Stout Shoes and tell him to bring some rope.” Applejack was slightly worried.