The doors to Princess Twilight Sparkle's crystal castle opened to receive two ponies, plus one young dragon who was hovering alongside them.
"Soooo. . ." the unicorn said rather awkwardly, "I guess this is a time of new beginnings, isn't it?"
As she closed the doors behind the group with her magic, Twilight turned to the nervously smiling mare walking alongside her and said encouragingly, "Starlight, if I can handle becoming the new ruler of Equestria, then I know for a fact that you will wear the title of Headmare of the School of Friendship just perfectly."
Spike grinned and said, "Yeah, and it only took Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow almost taking over the world to get you to be this confident."
"Spiiiiiike," Twilight said she raised an eyebrow at the dragon.
"I'm just sayin', maybe Discord wasn't entirely wrong," Spike said with a shrug.
"Spike!" Twilight said a bit harsher.
Starlight couldn't keep herself from laughing, and she said, "Spike. Never change. Seriously. We both need those remarks of yours."
Twilight sighed, and a small smile slipped back onto her face as she admitted, "Yes. I suppose we do."
"Anyway," Starlight said as Spike just grinned smugly, "Now that all of Equestria's greatest enemies are dealt with, I'd say we should be in store for some busy, but peaceful lives."
Twilight opened the door to the Cutie Map Room and said with a wry chuckle, "Well, maybe for a few years or so, knowing my track record."
"Uh, speaking of that record, I think it just got broken! Look!" Spike suddenly said in alarm as he pointed into the room.
The ponies turned, and much to their surprise, they saw a pony reclining in Fluttershy's throne. The unexpected pony was instantly recognizable as Applejack, yet there was so much about her that was just simply off. She had her hindlegs resting on top of the Cutie Map, and a very unsettling, smugly satisfied smirk on her face. In addition, she was not wearing her stetson hat. Instead, on her head was a covering with a brown and gray camo pattern on it, with a section of hair-netting to contain her long mane. Her tail was also contained in hair-netting, and most of the rest of her body was covering up in a brownish uniform, with a section of more camo fabric covering her flanks.
'Applejack' locked eyes with the unicorn and said in uncomfortably cheerful voice, "Welcome home, Starlight!"
"Applejack? What's going on?" Starlight asked in confusion.
Twilight stared at the orange mare sitting before her, shock and disbelief on her face as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. "But. . .this is impossible. . . It can't be. . ."
'Applejack' just nodded, still smiling as she said, "It sure as cider can be, your Majesty. And Ah gotta say, it sure is swell that you didn't totally forget about me." She sighed and said casually, "Ah mean, Ah never forgot about you, and Ah've been really busy running the apple factory, since ya'll abandoned me."
Twilight's eyes widened, and she quickly replied, "No, no, no! I didn't! I fixed everything! Really! I don't understand how you're even here right now! How did you even get here?"
More confused than ever, Starlight tore her gaze off of 'Applejack' and turned to Twilight. "What's going on, Twilight?! Who is she? Some kind of impostor or clone?"
'Applejack's' smile fell completely flat, and she moved her hindlegs off of the table and sat up straight on Fluttershy's throne. "Well, ain't this an ironic buck in the head," she said, "That you of all ponies wouldn't know who Ah am." She the shrugged and said, "But that's probably a good thing, if Ah'm honest. Bruised apples into applesauce an all that. 'Cause now, Ah can tell ya the ugly truth myself, before your Princess friends can dip it in honey." The mare's smile briefly returned as she said coldly, "Ya ain't gettin' any sugar, but your medicine's still gonna go right down your throat."
A strange chill ran down Starlight's spine at, and she found herself taking a step back. Twilight took a step to the side so that she stood in between Starlight and 'Applejack.' Spike landed next to Twilight and kept his eyes trained on 'Applejack' as well.
The orange mare shook her head in amusement, and she said, "Amazin' how they're actually protectin' you of all ponies. Well. . . listen carefully, Starlight Glimmer, and let me tell ya a story about another world. . ." 'Applejack' got up from the throne and started to slowly walking around the Cutie Map as she continued, "A world were ponies were locked in a never-ending war against an evil king that just. . . wouldn't. . . die. . .So, in his shadow, we adapted, and settled for less."
She hung her head in resignation and said, "We accepted the war. . . the rationing, the factories, the machines, the shortages. . .We gave up all of our luxuries, everything that made life worth living. We just accepted it all. . . so much so that we just. . .stopped being angry. . . or hopeful. . . or having even hopes and dreams at all. . ."
The mare slowly slowly lifted her head up, her teeth clenched and grinding with pure fury as she practically snarled out, "And the whole dang time, it was all the fault of a heartless, psychotic unicorn that had doomed us all to that miserable half-existence!"
'Applejack' cried out in anguish as she began repeatedly bucking the Cutie Map with all her might, grunting and snorting like a raging bull.
"Applejack! Stop!" Twilight shouted out with a forehoof outstretched to the orange mare. Whether it was concern for the Cutie Map or concern for this alternate version of her friend, she couldn't be sure which was more prominent. Twilight was struggling to feel any kinship to the mare in front her. quite frankly, Twilight was terrified of 'Applejack' at the moment. More so when 'Applejack' stopped bucking and glared at her with hate filled eyes. Twilight found herself pulling her forehoof back in and taking a step back, and Spike moved in closer to her, both for his own protection and to protect her. Starlight, meanwhile, was petrified as she gazed at 'Applejack' with a thousand yard stare, her mind slowly piecing together what was being implied.
'Applejack' fought to catch her breath, and then slammed a hoof down onto the crystalline floor, cracking it as she shouted, "Ah watched mah beautiful farm and mah family's hoof-made recipes get turned into a canned apple factory! Ah had to slave in a dirty, dingy factory under a smog filled sky for far too long, your Majesty!" She then narrowed her eyes at Twilight and said, "But then, you showed up. You gave me hope. You said things weren't supposed to be that way. You said you were gonna set things right. But did ya deliver on that promise? NO! That magical table map disappeared not long after you left, and Ah didn't know what to do."
'Applejack's' body seemed to sag with exhaustion as she continued, "It tore me up something fierce. Ah just had to do something with what you told me. So, Ah pretty much grasped at straws and sent a letter to Princess Celestia, telling her everything you told me, and about you and that table. Days went by, then weeks, then months. Ah didn't expect anypony to believe me or take me seriously. Why should they? Who the hay am Ah, anyway?! That little bit of hope you gave me was fading away, and it hurt worse than anything you could ever imagine."
The broken mare the slowly lifted her head up, a new light shining in her eyes as she said, "But then. . .one day, while Ah was stewing in mah own sorrow, Princess Celestia paid me a visit.”
Spike swallowed the lump in his throat and said, "So, she did believe you."
"She gave me some. . .pretty interesting news," 'Applejack' said as she took a few steps forward, a smile slowly returning to her face, "Secret behind the scenes stuff. Stuff not many ponies even knew about. She gave me hope. Real hope. And a plan too. And also an offer. . . for me to get anything Ah wanted. Anything at all."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then let it out and said, "Well, as it turned out, after hearing everything Princess Celestia had to say, and learning the truth about why mah world had to suffer, there was only one thing Ah truly wanted at the time."
She then opened her eyes, and with a look of pure, excited glee on her face, she pointed her right forehoof directly at Starlight and shouted, "Starlight Glimmer! Yer under ahrrest for crimes against equinity!"
At that very instant, three portals suddenly burst open above Starlight, Twilight, and Spike; and three familiar ponies came out of them.
Starlight was struck in the face by a metallic wing, disorienting her before she could even think about using her magic. She then felt a tough set of hooves force something down around her horn, after which she felt her ability to use her magic instantly blink out. Strong hooves pinned her down on the floor, rendering her completely immobile and helpless. From her uncomfortable position, Starlight could see Twilight and Spike also being pinned down to the floor. She could spot a small black ring around Twilight's horn, and she assumed that she was wearing a similar one as well. However, what really caught her attention were the ponies that were holding her friends down.
"Maud. . . Pinkie?" Starlight gasped out as she stared at the two uniformed earth ponies.
The sisters didn't even acknowledge Starlight, but the pegasus that was holding her down suddenly slammed her face down hard into the floor.
"Quiet, prisoner!" came the harsh let unmistakably familiar voice.
"Rainbow. . ." Starlight whispered as she slowly lifted her head back up a bit.
"I said QUIET!" the pegasus roared in Starlight's ears, "I lost one of my wings because of you! So now you're going to PAY!"
'Applejack' walked over to group, nodding to the three soldiers. "Nice job, fellas," she said, sounding honestly impressed, then she looked down at Twilight and said, "Yer dragon friend can get that disabling ring off your horn after we leave. Keep it as a souvenir."
"Easy on the wings, please!" Spike shouted out as the stoic, grey Pie Sister pressed down on his newest appendages.
"Applejack, please! Take me with you!" Twilight pleaded as she struggled underneath Pinkamena's hooves, "Please! This is all a big misunderstanding! It doesn't have to be this way! Starlight and I can help you! We don't have to be enemies!"
'Applejack' shrugged and said, "From what Princess Celestia told me, you probably will end up following us over before long. But right now, all we want is Starlight." 'Applejack's' gleeful smile returned as she turned to the unicorn and said, "Speaking of her. . ."
Starlight's eyes went wide as the smiling mare slowly approached her. She gazed up into the earth pony's eyes, and in that moment, Starlight could see it all. Heartbreak, loss, frustration, anger, anguish, hopelessness, despair, range. . . . vengeance.
And then, towering over the captured unicorn, and after sharing a quick chuckle with the rainbow maned pegasus with the metal left wing, 'Applejack' spat in Starlight Glimmer's face.
Right on cue, a larger portal opened up above the group. Starlight felt the hooves that were pinning her down transition to holding her around her barrel as tightly as possible. Twilight and Spike were both punted across the room by their captors as the portal pulled in the other five ponies. The portal disappeared with a flash, leaving the Alicorn and dragon alone in the room.