Applejack is a very conflicted pony. There have been far too many times where there have ponies who have lied to her, try to cheat her out of something, or try to manipulate her in some way, shape, or form. Applejack wasn’t sure about things this time.
She had pinkie promised her friends that she’d come to Alex’s ‘Congratulations on becoming an Equestrian Citizen’ party. To give the little thestral filly a chance, but something about the filly bothered her. No, it wasn’t the past life. She was telling maybe not the whole truth but she was being honest about it. It wasn’t because she acted differently or flirted with Celestia or any of her other friends. Actually, she found that part funny as hay.
What bothered her about the young filly was that she claimed to be a colt. What confused her, even more, was the fact that the filly was telling onety-tensy perchit the truth. It bothered her that while it’s an obvious lie that the filly claimed to be a colt, it was still the truth. Applejack’s lie detector was never wrong and was famous for it never being wrong. Heck, there had been many times where the townsfolk would put it through the test and it never came out wrong.
So why was it wrong now? Why was her lie detector failing her now? Applejack scrutinized the cute little filly from a distance as she was dragged into a game of pin the tail on the pony. Everyone around Alex, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and the crusaders were ordering the thestral filly every which way.
The filly looked a whole lot different than she last saw her. A lot more colt-like is the best way she’d put it. Her hair was cut short, eyelashes plucked, and she even wore a cute little bowtie. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think that the filly was a colt. Albeit very pretty and adorable colt but still a colt. Only Alex isn’t a colt. She just isn’t. Even though she says she is the truth is the filly has parts that make her a filly and there is no denying that.
Alex insists and even belly aches that she’s a boy. Twilight had admitted to AJ about what happened with Alex and how much pain and suffering she supposedly went through why would she be so hung up on something like what’s between her hind legs? Maybe it’s like Rarity’s problems why she can’t rightly understand the mare she can at least respect her, and AJ is trying her best to respect Alex.
Just she’s the element of honesty as much as she hated the title. Her gut has never failed her before when it comes to detecting lies. Yet, when Alex announced that she is a he, the little thestral pony was telling the truth when it wasn’t the truth at all.
Stallions have penises and mares have vaginas after all and that’s always how it’s been. Sure, there were very feminine and downright girly stallions just as much as there are very masculine and downright boyish mares, but that doesn’t make them any less stallion or mare, just makes them different.
When Alex first announced that she is a he, AJ was so overwhelmed and confused at the truth of the statement and the fact that Alex’s body did not agree with it. So much so that she got angry and stubborn and stood in front of the door to not let her pass. AJ regretted doing that. It was stupid, unnecessary, and foalish of her. She should’ve just talked to Alex. That’s what she needed to do. Yet, the thestral filly found a way out by jumping and kissing her on the cheek. At the time, it made her confused and angry that someone would just blatantly do that without her consent. Now, since talking to Twilight, she sees it as Alex trying to get out of an uncomfortable situation. Twilight has never led her astray about stuff like that before.
All her friends seem to agree that Alex is a colt. And it’s not like AJ needs to get heavily involved with Alex like Rainbow and Twi, but it bothers her, so much so that she hasn’t slept too well since. She keeps thinking about it until she passes out on her bed. Sometimes having theoretical arguments with Alex. It’s stupid, she knows, but she can’t help it.
What is even worse is if she so much mentions her thoughts, her friends will turn on her in a second. They absolutely love that little filly even if they don’t want to say so. Twilight has been motherly with her as Rainbow has been sisterly. Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy thinks she’s just the most adorable little pony. Rarity adores Alex’s charm, wit, and daringness. AJ kind of feels left out in all of this. Why the conflicted mare agreed to this party, she’ll never know.
And it’s not like Alex is bad. If anything, Alex is sweet, daring, and brave, witty, and charming. In a lot of ways, he reminds her of Rainbow but with a lot less arrogance and bragging.
AJ sighed and took another sip of her drink. It was close to empty and if she wants another, she’ll have to maneuver herself to the food table. Something that would cause others to talk to her, and she didn’t want to talk to any pony.
That’s when AJ felt something being tacked on her flank. She didn’t want to look. She knew who it was and she didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to talk to her. AJ grew rigid as her emerald eyes met lime-green ones. The cat-like pupil soft and wide in the lesser light. The light-peach-pink lips pulled into a warm, genuine smile. Applejack felt herself being disarmed by it and braced herself. “Hi Applejack.” The filly chirped. The orange mare hadn’t seen Alex in a little more than a week and the filly’s attitude had completely flipped from moody and threatening to cheerful and happy.
“Hi uh Alex.” She stuttered in reply.
“Sorry about pinning the tail on you.” She scowled at Rainbow who was having a giggle fit.
“Dun worry ‘bout it, Sugar Cube.” She found herself saying, her thoughts going back to when Twilight told her how much of a foal Alex was really. How, even though she has all those memories of another life, she acted like any other foal and even picked another fight with one when he said that pink was a girly color. Alex is a foal no matter how much she denied it. She was as much of a foal as she was a filly in Applejack’s opinion at least.
“So how have things been?” The thestral filly asked innocently.
“Oh uh good. Just been busy. You?”
“Great! I got a cool manecut that makes me look dashing, Rarity made bowties to makes me even look more dashing, and I’m an Equestrian citizen now.” She admitted excitedly but her excited expression turned into a cute little muzzle scrunch, “Even though I don’t know how to feel about it.”
“Ah’m sure ya’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“I guess.” Alex rubbed the back of her head. Applejack felt the need to say something. She tried her best to buck that feeling down but it was hard too. She’s been stuck thinking about this for too long and she needs to say something anything about it. Keeping it pent up wasn’t good for her one bit, but she risked losing her friends and is prodding at this issue when Alex went catatonic over is not the good idea.
“Are you a colt or a filly?” Applejack cursed internally when that came out of her stupid, big mouth.
The thestral filly was taken back by the question and took a step back, “I am a colt, yes.”
That was the truth, and Applejack was now absolutely stumped so she continued, “But colts and fillies have different bits between their hind legs.”
“Yeah but doesn’t make me any less colt.” Alex had a frown that marred her pretty face now.
“Then what makes ya a colt?”
“What makes you a farmer?”
“Well, Ah reckon it’s jus’ who Ah am and what Ah do.”
“You answered your own question.”
The orange mare narrowed her emerald eyes, “But being a colt or a filly isn’t the same as being a farmer.”
The pink filly narrowed her lime-green eyes and took a step towards the orange mare, “Who are you to decide what is and what isn’t?”
“Ah don’t decide, it jus’ is.”
“Nothing ‘just is’ there’s a reason behind everything. Just like there’s a reason behind you being a farmer. ‘Just is’ is a pathetic argument.”
Applejack the metaphorical slap as she dug in her hooves and step forward, “Ya’re either a colt or filly, ya can’t jus’ switch cuz ya wanna. That ain’t how it works.”
“Well I didn’t switch anything. I’ve always been a boy and I always will be a boy. Nothing you or anyone else can say or do anything to convince me otherwise. And you don’t know how it works. You’re just an apple farmer, Applejack. You don’t have the right or knowledge to state what ‘works’. Not to mention you’re not me and you can’t decide what I am or what I’m not.”
Applejack was at a lost for words. She didn’t know what to say that wouldn’t just be a repeat from before. Her eyes drifted over to Twilight her looked like she was about to go into mother-bear mode and send her to the mood. Her eyes then drifted to Rainbow who looked like her heart was being broken. Was she wrong after all? No, she wasn’t, but has her gut ever lied to her before this ‘Alex Conflict’?
Alex was in a fighting stance, “Applejack, I think it would be a great time to leave before I shove you in a bucking party cannon and send you to the bucking sun!”
Applejack gritted her teeth; she was being threatened in front of every pony? She wasn’t going to back down from a threat, “Alex, ya’re lyin’ to everypony ‘ere. Ya lie is so good that mah own gut is tricked by it. Ah dun know what ya did to it but Ah know that ya’re a filly. Everypony ‘ere can see it. If ya jus’ check between ya hindlegs every pony will know the truth. Ya always been a filly and ya always will be a filly and there is nothin’ ya can do about it!”
Alex’s whole body softened and relax. her lime eyes looked at AJ with pity. Her head swiveled to Twilight. “Twilight, Gender spell, please.”
It took a second for Twilight to snap out of her seething, “What?”
“Gender spell, please.”
“But-” Alex gave her a look, “Okay.” Twilight nodded, suddenly the purple alicorn’s horn lit up brilliantly while the little filly was enveloped in its light. The light dimmed and stood an Alex looking just about the same with only a little bit more muscle.
Alex had a defiant look in their eyes. “Am I a filly now?” Her- er his- er her question and actions had taken Applejack back. The orange earth pony watched all her nightly arguments with the phantom Alex shatter into ash by one simple spell. “AM I A FILLY NOW?!” The now thestral colt flapped his wings to be above Applejack. His eyes had a fire in them. “I’m asking a question!”
AJ snapped out of her stupor, “Uh no Ah guess ya not.”
“Do you think that if Twilight used the same spell on you that you would consider yourself a stallion?”
“No.” Applejack’s voice was quiet as a mouse.
Alex landed and turned away, “Get out.” The thestral pony’s voice was quiet but had so much power that Applejack galloped out with tears rolling down her cheeks. She realized right then and there she may have just lost her friends forever.
Rainbow Dash, the element of loyalty, and best flier of all Equestria felt like her whole heart was being torn into pieces. Bit by bit as Applejack’s and Alex’s arguments raged on, she felt like both her friends were tearing her apart. It’s Applejack’s fault for certain but she was still conflicted on who to be loyal to. She shouldn’t be conflicted on who to be loyal to. Applejack was a big bucking mule to Alex for no other reason than his gender.
After the argument, Alex collapsed with Twilight and Fluttershy flocking to him to give him as much love and comfort as possible. The poor colt was sobbing into Fluttershy’s wings while Twilight rubbed a wing along the thestral colt’s back. Rainbow just stood there watching it all, her body feeling stiff and rigid as a statue. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t do anything but stand there and stare.
Pinkie’s hair deflated stated while Rarity looked like she was about to murder a pony. Rainbow felt like she was about to murder a pony. The bubbly anger and rage inside the blue pegasus twisted and gurgled as she watched Twilight teleport Alex and Fluttershy somewhere. Rainbow couldn’t help for a moment but to admire Alex. He stood against such toxic ideas. The element of loyalty couldn’t even believe that it was Applejack, her best friend, who said all those terrible things.
Sure, Rainbow was a little doubtful about Alex at the beginning but when Alex went through all hell to be who he felt he was, the doubt had shattered into love and support. Rainbow didn’t really understand it. Why would anyone want to be a stallion? She could understand wanting to be a mare because mares are pretty and awesome like she is. Especially a certain butter-yellow mare who she wished she could hold right now. Rainbow shook her head. No, there will be time for that later.
Rainbow took the deepest breath she could possibly inhale and “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” The whole world shook with the power of her lungs. Windows broke and Celestia’s teacups too. The powerful roar threw away Rainbow Dash’s indecisiveness. She jetted off, breaking the sound barrier, breaking even more windows. She was going to buck the fuck out of that stupid little apple farmer until the apple bucker realizes that Alex is a colt. He’s always been a colt and he always will be a colt. And if that doesn’t work, she’ll keep bucking Applejack in the head until some form of sense is smashed into that thick skull.
Rainbow Dash, like a guided missile, locked onto the galloping Applejack and boomed into her at full speed, sliding her across the ground. All Rainbow could see was red. “Rainbow Dash?” AJ’s voice was barely a whisper. Rainbow responded with a right hook which the orange mare dodged barely. The blue pegasus grabbed and suplexed AJ into the ground. Another punch came and smashed into AJ’s gut. The orange mare vomited her lunch and whatever she ate at the party. Another punch hit AJ in the face sending her seeing stars. She whispered, “stop please.” The blue pegasus wasn’t listening. Applejack raged, bucking the damn blue pest off. “STOP ALREADY!”
“BUCK THAT!”
RD charged at high speed into her. Applejack could only withstand it as her hooves are pushed into the ground. The apple farm grabbed the speedster by the foreleg and pinned her.
“Let go!”
“No!”
“Let go, I need to buck some sense into you.”
“Ah’ve already had some sense bucked into me.”
“Then why are you running away?”
“Because Ah did sumthin’ terrible, that’s why!”
“Then why did you do it?”
“Cuz Ah dun know. Ah was confused.”
“Why didn’t you talk to any of us about it?”
“Cuz I was scared of losin’ ya’ll that’s why!”
“Then why did you get into that bucking argument with Alex?”
“AH DUN KNOW!”
Rainbow knocked the orange mare away and the fight continued.
Lieutenant Alexander Reporting for Duty
I found myself nice and cozy wrapped under purple and yellow wings. The two mares were looking at me with motherly expressions. Are they like my parents or something? Yeah, sure I may had been crying earlier but that was mostly from the adrenaline dump than from being sad. I was a bit disappointed by Applejack, I thought she was a pretty nice pony until now.
I tried to wiggle myself out but the mares had me pinned. “Can you let me go, please?” The two mares gave each other looks. “My wings are being crushed.”
“Oh sorry.”
“Sorry.”
“Thank you.” I wiped away my tears. “You didn’t need to smush me in snuggles.” I stretched my wings and gave them a little flap.
Fluttershy had a bit of color on her cheeks, “I uh don’t know what came over me, when I saw you crying, I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Me too haha.” Twilight smiled sheepishly.
“I think we need to have a conversation about maternal instincts and how I’m not a child.”
“Well um you look like one.” Fluttershy offered.
I rolled my eyes, “Whatever.” I opened the window.
“Where are you going?” Twilight spoke in a concerned voice.
“Stopping two peo- er ponies from killing each other. I’ll be right back.” And I jumped out the window and zoomed off.
When I say that I zoomed off I mean I was going faster than I ever had before. The need for speed crept up on me and I was pushing myself at the limit. The speed was such a rush that I squealed in delight. The whole world around me was speeding away from me.
That’s when I saw them, two mares fighting a cruel and brutal battle against each other. One was using her sonic speed to hit hard while the other who could lift the sun with just a hindleg bucked around like a wild bull. They were even and panting from exertion.
That’s when I felt it, a wall, a barrier of some sort in my way. Nothing will get in my way from stopping friends from killing each other. I broke the barrier, a BOOM crackled across the azure sky, vaporizing any clouds in the vicinity and more windows were shattered along with one of Luna’s glass shoes.
The ground came briskly as I air broke and slammed into the ground. Shockingly, I only gain sore hooves with that stunt.
“STOOOOP!!!” I screamed.
The blue pegasus didn’t listen and boomed right at Applejack. I was ready for her as I bucked her right in the chest. Applejack tried to push the advantage but punted her into the sky. How the hell am I doing this? How did I survive crash landing at near sonic speeds and only gained sore hooves? No time for that, Rainbow and Applejack picked themselves back up.
“Will you two please stop before I punt you both to the sun?”
“Why are you helping her?” Rainbow accused
“Why are ya helpin’ me?” Applejack also accused.
“Because, you idiots, trying to kill each other isn’t how we work out friendship problems!”
“But she hurt you and accused you of lying about your gender!”
“Ah did that awful thing to ya.”
I looked at Applejack then to Rainbow Dash and chuckled which turned into a giggle which turned into a laugh which turned into a roar. I couldn’t stop laughing, it’s just too damn funny.
“Uh Alex, why are you laughing?” A voice from the sky asked, it was Twilight.
“Cuz *giggle* these two *giggle* are idiots.” I burst into mirth, having to get low on the ground and smacking my hooves on it just to keep myself losing myself to them. I took a deep breath letting out a burst of chuckles here or there until I finally composed myself. Everyone was looking at me with confused faces. “So Applejack obviously knows what she did wrong and Rainbow Dash is still fighting her for no other reason because I was a little hurt and disappointed.
“But I saw you crying.” Rainbow Dash stated.
“You did, I went through an adrenaline rush. Remember, this body is young and stressful situations are rough on it.” I explained then I scowled at Applejack. “I’m still angry about your behavior, but I could tell that you were confused about something.”
Applejack had a very guilty expression on her face, “Yeah Ah have this gut feeling that let me know when ponies are lyin’. An’ you confused me.”
I raised a brow, “In what way.”
“Well, when you said that you were a colt even though that you have a filly’s body. Ah felt like you were lyin’ to me but mah gut kept telling me you were tellin’ the truth.” She scraped a hoof in the dirt, “Ah guess Ah should’ve trust mah gut even if mah eyes ain’t telling the truth.”
“It seems like thou hath learned a wonderful lessoned today, dear Applejack.” A voice came from nowhere, a hovering Luna was watching patiently with an opossum on her noggin.
“Pri-Princess?!” Applejack squealed, nearly jumping out of her fur.
“Oh hi, Luna, I didn’t see you there.” Now everyone was staring at me. “What? We’re friends. It’s nice to see you again, in real life this time.”
“As do we, dear friend, but we feel you have some business to take care of.”
I chuckled, “That you’re right.” I landed right in front of Applejack. She looked scared but held herself firm. “I can’t forgive you,” I stated simply. Applejack took it like a buck in the gut. “Forgiveness is something that is earned not freely given. Especially forgiveness where the offending pony really did hurt the other.” A soft smile appeared on my face. “All I need you to do is respect me for the stallion I am.”
Tears began rolling down Applejack’s face, but she held firm, pushing her cowpony hat to hide her tear. “Yeah.” She choked, sniffled, and nodded. “Ah think ah can do that.” I pulled her into a hug and she fell into sobs. Fluttershy decided to join and eventually, Rainbow Dash joined in grumbling something about forgiveness.
Twilight decided to hang back seeing the friendship problem was taken care of and chat to Luna. “So why are you here?”
Luna blushed and looked away, “Tibbles ate Celestia’s cakes again.”
“How many this time?”
“Tensy-five.”
Meanwhile in Canterlot
Princess Celestia was a furious pony. She stomped everywhere searching for that rodent and her rodent-loving sister. “LUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!”
Back in Ponyville
Luna shuddered and hung to Twilight like a foal to her mother, “Mind if thou let us stay here for a little while?”
“Uh sure?”
In the group hug of ponies, there was a flash of light on the flanks of a certain thestral colt. A heart-shaped golden shield with two indistinct ponies hoof bumping in the center shined brilliantly.