Universe 25197
Applejack lay awake in her bed, the sun shining over her eyes. She barely slept, so frankly, the sun didn’t bother her. As you might have expected, going to sleep after yesterday’s discussion with Jackie was difficult. She had been such an idiot and only had herself to blame. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she suffered through the night.
Thankfully, Applebloom and Big Mac weren’t home, and Granny was sleeping, so there was no one to see her pathetic state. However, that was no excuse to stay in bed and lament her fate. The earth pony needed some fresh air to think.
Unfortunately, she had nearly no resolve, so she weakly removed the bed sheets, groaning before stepping off the bed, grabbing her hat alongside a rope and a hat, and putting them on her head. The hat was something she always wore. As for the rope… Well, you never knew when you need one. Although, she almost wished she could use it in a very specific way, right now.
She wondered if Rainbow Dash would laugh at the morbid joke… Once she stepped outside and fully woke up, the realization of her situation set again. Applejack had no idea what happened to her friends. Her real friends! They could even be dead! And what had she been doing all this time?! She had been lying to ponies she cared about for a week, pretending everything was fine in the world while a stupid jerk used her like a tool!
The farm pony seethed, wanting to pulverize the nearest boulder. However, she only had time to raise her hoof before her rage subsided. The orange mare sighed, then sat against it instead. Again, there was no need for fury. She was the one to blame.
Applejack was fooled because she was too trusting, but also because… Because Jackie had a point.
The mare wanted to find that stone as quickly as possible, so she took the easiest path and accepted Jackie’s deal. She went against her own principles and everything she believed in to get that stone. She lied. Not just to anyone, mind you. She lied to her family. Even if they were only alternate versions of them, that was no excuse.
Applejack had been selfish, and she realized at this moment that she… That she hadn’t changed. All the friendship lessons, all the things she learned thanks to her friends had been for naught precisely because she went against her ideals. While she was angry at Jackie, mad even, her guilt greatly overshadowed that. She let everyone she loved down.
Why? Because she wasn’t planning on doing what Jackie wanted her to. This meant that she wouldn’t get the stone. Her friends couldn’t return home because of her. Twilight would die because of her. That also meant that all the lying was for nothing. Once her family’s counterparts would learn the truth, they would be heartbroken and shun her. And it would all have been for nothing.
She really had been an idiot.
A part of Applejack wanted to stand up and charge to Manehattan. She wanted to kick Jackie’s butt and take the stone by force. However, she… couldn’t.
Coward.
The truth was… That she was afraid. She had no plan. Absolutely no plan in mind. Most of all, she was alone. Her friends weren’t there. The mare was at her weakest, and she was certain that if her friends had been here, they would have words of comfort and reassurance for her. They would find the right things to say to get her spirits and willpower back up.
She needed their support now. How strange. There was a time she didn’t even know any of them. There was a time when they were simple strangers to her, and she lived happily then. Now? Only one week away from them, and she was already lost. To be fair, her chances of ever seeing them again were dwindling by the second, but… She missed them.
Applejack missed her friends. She needed their help. Firstly, they would scold her as they should, and that would alleviate the guilt she was feeling. At least, a little bit. Then they would march with her to beat the bad guy.
They wouldn’t think about the difficulties they could possibly face. They wouldn’t worry about their counterparts thinking they were villains attacking Jackie. They wouldn’t worry about any of that because they knew that nothing was impossible for them.
But that was only because they were together. What could Applejack hope to accomplish alone? The once strong and confident mare was now a miserable crying mess who had lost all hope, and who went against what she represented best.
She did try to imagine what they would say to her, but coming up with ideas was hard when you were wallowing in your misery. In the end, there were no words for her. The mare had only one path to walk on, and it was the one leading to Jackie’s office. There was no other way. She couldn’t do what the other mare ordered her to do, and she couldn’t give up on the stone.
The reason she was so hesitant to the point her legs trembled with cold fear was due to the fact she had no idea what Jackie had in store for her. Applejack was also terrified of the prospect of facing her friends’ counterparts. After all, what prevented Jackie from calling the bearers of the elements from this world and telling them she was an imposter coming to steal her life?
The farm pony’s legs were like jelly. This was why she needed her friends! At least, she wished she could talk to one of them!
“Maybe you can talk to me,” Someone suddenly spoke beside the orange mare, making her yell in fear, and jump right on her hooves to strike whoever spooked her. “Woah! Careful there!” The voice snickered as he dodged Applejack’s kick.
The element of honesty froze, blinking. He? Wait, she recognized that voice! Applejack shook her head and settled her eyes on the one who cut off her swirling thoughts from making her even more anxious.
“Discord!” She shouted, unsure whether she should be happy or angry. Instead, she chose to be confused.
“In the flesh!” The draconequus exclaimed with his hands in the air. He looked exactly like the Discord she knew. “Now, don’t look so surprised! Why do you think you’ve been hearing that nagging little voice at the back of your head constantly belittling you?” He asked, snickering with a hand covering his mouth.
“Huh? That was you?! You arse! Ah thought it was ma conscience!” Applejack stomped the ground in anger.
“Oh, but it was! I simply made it louder,” He shrugged, not affected at all by her outburst.
“Well, ya didn’t need to do that. Ah already hate myself plenty,” Applejack mumbled dejectedly before going back to sit against the boulder, frowning. “Ah messed up big time. Ah wish Ah could blame someone else, but it’s clear who’s at fault, here…” She sighed while looking down.
“Making that deal was kind of stupid, so I would say you have the right idea in hating yourself,” Discord shrugged casually. “Though, let’s not pretend our friend Jackie isn’t partly responsible either. She is quite scummy,” He stated while looking at his nails.
Applejack blinked a few times as her brain registered and processed what was said.
“Wait a second… How do ya know about that?!” She shouted on the defensive.
“I felt your presence the moment you showed up in this universe, so I thought I could observe you for a while,” Discord responded with honesty.
“Then why didn’t ya do anythin’?” Applejack questioned, glaring daggers at him.
“Firstly, because I needed to know if you were dangerous,” Discord lifted a finger, ignoring her glare. “Secondly, this isn’t my business,” He added casually.
“What do ya mean ‘not yer business’? If ya aren’t turned into stone, then that means yer friends with the girls, aren’t ya?” Applejack inquired. Discord simply nodded along, confirming her assumption. “If you’re a hero, then ya gotta help me!”
“It seems you are confused about something,” Discord grinned. However, instead of explaining immediately, he covered his mouth with one of his hands, snickering. Applejack rolled her eyes. “I am no hero! Sure, I’m friends with Fluttershy and the others, but unless they are in danger, I don’t feel like helping you. Hello! Lord of Chaos, here! You’d have more chances of convincing my cousin!” He laughed.
The farm pony ignored the last bit about his cousin, too mad to even ask herself more questions. Instead, her blood boiled with righteous anger. It was always the same thing with Discord! No matter the universe, he would never help, and would only cause problems instead. He was nothing but trouble, and sometimes she wondered why she even considered him a friend. She didn’t hate him, but he was beyond annoying.
“Ya don’t want to help me take down Jackie, probably won’t talk to the girls, Ah guess ya can’t even help me and my friends go back home!” She yelled at him.
“Well…” Discord rubbed his chin, seemingly thinking carefully about it. “I do have the power to travel to other universes. Unfortunately, I have no idea where your universe even is, nor where your friends are located,” He explained, making the farm pony look even more downcast than earlier. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t help. Sorry,” He shrugged.
“Yeah, Ah heard it all. Ya ain’t no hero, Ah get it. Ya don’t even care if Fluttershy’s in danger,” Applejack scoffed, letting her anger vanish. Arguing with him was useless. Discord would never change.
“The Fluttershy I’m friends with is not in any danger. She is actually having tea with Celestia in Canterlot,” The draconequus retorted, only to earn a glare. “But this time, it has nothing to do with my reluctance in hero-ing. I am simply not allowed to interfere with multiversal shenanigans,” He revealed, much to Applejack’s shock.
“What do ya mean yer not allowed?! Ya were just braggin’ about bein’ the Lord of Chaos!” She gestured to him.
“Of course, I am! Which is why I don’t take orders from unadorned ponies like you, but there’s always a bigger fish somewhere,” Discord nonchalantly replied. “To make it simple to understand, let’s just say there are higher beings with power that even you couldn’t imagine, and they love keeping their so-called balance. Seriously, they love that thing,” He rolled his eyes. “Now, a mortal like you could easily get away with hopping universes or even destroying some. After all, you’re nothing but an ant or a mosquito that occasionally flies near your ears. You’d be an annoyance to them at worst,”
“Hey!” Applejack took offense to that.
“Unfortunately, a Lord of Chaos such as myself has many more restrictions, so I can’t do whatever I want outside of this universe. Isn’t that unfair?” He crossed his arms and pouted. “I wouldn’t even do anything bad! I’m reformed, after all!”
“Grr! Ah don’t care about yer universe stuff and higher beings! Ah’m not even religious!” Applejack shouted, cutting off his tirade after growing tired of it. “If ya can’t help, then just leave!” She shooed him away before going back to the boulder she was leaning on.
His stories would probably be very interesting to Twilight, but she wasn’t the alicorn and she didn’t care about studying. Especially not now when all she needed was to go home. The one familiar face who could potentially help had to be an asshole, huh? Shit, she had enough of everything. Most of all herself. It wasn’t the first time she learned this lesson, and she still fell for the same mistake again. At this point, she wondered why and how the elements chose her to represent honesty. There was no one worse!
The only reason Applejack wasn’t currently weeping was because Discord hadn’t left yet. The mare refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
The draconequus silently observed the little pony, who had her back turned to him and was lying against a rock. She didn’t need to openly cry for him to know how she felt. He had to admit he did feel slightly bad for her situation.
“Applejack. Do you know why I’m here? Or why I even made you more aware of your feelings during your stay? It wasn’t for a prank, just so you know!” He asked, quickly raising his arms defensively after the last sentence left his lips.
“How should Ah know?” She replied bitterly. He couldn’t blame her considering he was the Great Discord. Who could ever predict his actions?
“Even if I don’t want to play hero, I still wouldn’t mind seeing your oh-so-marvelous counterpart go down,” He admitted, prompting Applejack to turn around and look at him with surprise. “Even I have standards, you know? I gotta say, this Jackie sure is scummy, but since I never cared enough to intervene, I just let her be. Perhaps, it’s not a coincidence that you’re here,” He suggested.
“Ah didn’t know ya believed in destiny, Discord,” Applejack arched an eyebrow.
“I don’t,” He scoffed in response. “I’m not like Princess Celestia. I simply think it may not be a coincidence,” The draconequus affirmed. “But enough about me. I can see you’re too deflated and weak in the knees to stand up to her, which is quite pathetic,” Applejack opened her mouth to argue and snap back at him, only to close it again once she realized he wasn’t wrong. She had been so dejected and mad at herself that she lost all will to fight. She couldn’t even trust herself! How could she? After lying for a whole week?! “That’s why I’ve prepared something that may get your fighting spirit back up,” He declared before summoning a pony-sized mirror in the air and two popcorn boxes. “Popcorn?” He offered the mare.
“Get on with it!” The farm pony snapped.
“Geez, you have no patience,” Discord rolled his eyes before looking back in the mirror. “Now… How did that thing work again? Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” He asked, sounding as serious as he could.
“Discord!”
“Oh, alright! I’m getting to it! Did your universe not invent humor yet?” Discord crossed his arms, offended that the pony didn’t even smile once. “At least, Fluttershy appreciates me,” He mumbled under his breath before waving his hand in front of the mirror.
Applejack narrowed her eyes suspiciously, not knowing what to expect. A purple cloud-like substance suddenly appeared in the mirror, swirling in a circle until it slowly opened up to reveal several shapes. The farm pony leaned closer to get a better look at whatever Discord wanted to show her. However, as soon as the image became clearer, she stepped back with a gasp.
“W-What in tarnation is goin’ on?” She muttered in horror.
“Yes, I suppose the working conditions aren’t up to par. At this point, I would rather even work in a fast food restaurant,” Discord replied with boredom.
“Shut up! Ya think now’s the time for jokes?!” Applejack yelled back at him, getting tired of his shit.
Screw feeling sorry for herself. Screw planning ahead or even fearing the consequences. She had made a mistake, and she would pay for it later as she deserved. Right now, all she could think of was busting into Jackie’s office and busting her teeth out of her mouth! The feelings of self-depreciation she had earlier were slowly being replaced by the searing fury of a forest fire, ready to burn everything to the ground.
The fact that she had been used only served to ignite these first embers that would fuel her current rage. Discord’s words had been an understatement. Jackie wasn’t simply scummy, she was a disgusting piece of pony garbage. For the first time in her life, Applejack’s eyes burned with hatred toward someone.
What could have possibly provoked such a reaction? What Discord showed her wasn’t anything random. He gave her a good view of the insides of one of Jackie’s numerous gem mines. The sight was… atrocious. The mines’ main tunnel was large, but the ones spreading out on its sides were much smaller. The one thing they had in common was that they were filled with ponies digging with pickaxes.
They were all dirty and covered in mud, not only because they were throwing dirt around while looking for gems, but also because rainwater had entered the caves! The protection was minimal as most of them only wore helmets and the pillars holding the ceiling seemed to be made of fragile wood.
All ponies looked miserable, and tired from what she could tell by the bags under their eyes. They weren’t even angry or sad… Their eyes were vacant and empty. It was as if they had accepted their fate and that there would be no escape from it. Every shred of hope and emotions had been drained from their bodies, leaving only empty husks and shells of their former selves. This wasn’t a way to live. No, she couldn’t even call it living. They were no better than slaves, something that Equestria had abolished several millennia ago.
Nevertheless, somehow, this wasn’t even the worst she had seen in that place. No. There were foals. Children. Fillies no older than Applebloom. And they had been working in the same conditions as the adults.
Applejack didn’t care how Jackie did that or even why. It didn’t matter. She could have the most tragic life story in history, and she would still not care. What if Applebloom was there? What if Granny Smith and Big Mac were? Could this happen to them if they refused to sell their home? The farm pony clenched her teeth. Even if it couldn’t, it didn’t change the reality that some ponies had to live through this.
At this moment, Applejack decided that no excuse Jackie could present would save her from her wrath. Enough of playing Jackie’s game for a way home. She would beat her to an inch of her life, even if she had to give up on the stone to do it. Her friends would have the same.
“So…” Discord turned his eyes to her. “Think you can talk to her or do you need the violent option?”
Applejack drew one of her hooves back and punched the boulder nearby, shattering it to pieces to the point it would make Pinkie and Maud proud.
“Does that answer yer question?” She coldly asked the draconequus. “Can I ask for a favor? The least ya could do if ya don’t want to help,”
“Sure,” Discord shrugged dismissively.
“Can ya teleport me to Manehattan?” Applejack inquired, confidence emanating from her body. Oh, she was ready for a fight.
“I guess I can do that,” He replied, ready to snap his fingers.
“Gotta do one last thing first though, so wait for me here,” The orange mare interjected before he could teleport her away. She didn’t even wait for his reply before running to the house.
There was nothing she needed to take. Nothing in this house belonged to her, after all. What she had to do was finally tell the truth. Unfortunately, because she wished to go to Jackie as soon as possible, she couldn’t afford to wait for everyone to be home. It was the coward’s way out, she knew that much, but she would have to leave them a note. If they hated her after this, she wouldn’t blame them. Honestly, if she couldn’t get the stone even after beating Jackie to a pulp, Applejack would probably come back here just so they could vent all their anger and pain on her. It was a price she was willing to pay for atonement and to apologize for what she did.
Once she was faced with that piece of paper, Applejack simply wrote from the heart. Gone were the lies. She didn’t need to think about what to say when all her family needed was the truth. Naturally, she wouldn’t try to beg for pity either. Telling she had been used and lied wasn’t necessary when she was the one to blame in all of this. Even if she hoped to reconcile Jackie and them at the start, this didn’t matter either. In the end, it would have been a relationship built on lies. Now, she was going to kick that mare’s ass.
With the note written, she gently dropped it on the kitchen table, where she was sure it would be seen. Quickly after this, she walked up the stairs and grabbed the necklace her counterpart had given her.
After a few attempts, Jackie’s face appeared above it. She was wearing her usual attire and hairstyle, so pompous and arrogant Applejack wanted to kick her teeth out for that only.
“What is it? It’s nearly noon, ya know?” Her counterpart asked, mildly irritated. Was it already that late? Applejack hadn’t realized she had been brooding for so long.
“It’s done,” Applejack simply spoke, trying to hide the edge in her voice.
“Already? Ya work quick, Sugar! What did they say about the price?” Jackie exclaimed in surprise. She suddenly seemed much more content to hear about her counterpart.
“That’s somethin’ ya can talk about with them. Ah want the stone,” The farm pony glared, not willing to discuss any further. Jackie seemed to notice that, so she only rolled her eyes.
“Alright. Ah still have to confirm the deal, then Ah’ll give you the stone. Meanwhile, ya can wait for it in my mansion. That works for ya?” She offered. Once she received a nod, she continued. “Great, then. Ah’ll send you tickets for the train,”
“No need. Ah am already on ma way,”
“Very well. I will be waiting,” Jackie stated after a small pause before hanging up.
Honestly, Applejack didn’t care if the other one bought her bullshit. She could be waiting for a whole army for all she knew, and she would still charge ahead without hesitation. Ultimately, there was one thing she knew. She wouldn’t be alone. Maybe physically, but her friends would accompany her in her heart. Even if it wouldn’t have taken them a whole week to stop this charade, they would have done the same thing she was doing, and knowing that she would have had their support was all Applejack needed to confront Jackie.
With a determined gaze, the earth pony walked out the door and didn’t look back. It was now or never.
On the kitchen table, lay her note.
Hey. If you’re reading this note, then I’m in Manehattan. The first thing I want to let you all know is that I’m sorry. I’ve lied to you. I’ve lied to you ever since I met you, so I understand if you find what I’m about to say impossible to believe. The truth is that I’m not your sister or granddaughter. I am Applejack, but I come from a different universe. In my universe, when I left to live with Uncle and Aunt Orange, I stayed in Manehattan for a short time before returning to the farm. It was the best decision of my life. I have an amazing family and wonderful friends.
The Twilight from my universe, who is one of my best friends, was studying a magical stone. Before we knew it, we’ve been all scattered across different universes. I ended up in yours. Twilight somehow sent a message to me, saying I needed to find another version of the stone here, and once my friends and I would all hold them at the same time, we would return home.
This led me to Apple Industries. The CEO, the Applejack who originates from this world, approached me. She told me she had what I needed, but if I wanted her to give it to me, I would have to accept her deal. It was simple, I was supposed to pretend I was her and come here to Ponyville to reconcile with her family. You. I accepted. This whole week, I pretended I was my counterpart. I pretended I founded and led Apple Industries. I pretended I wanted to fix my ties with the family I supposedly left all those years ago. Yesterday, your Applejack called me to tell me the wish to reconcile was only a facade. All she wanted was to buy your land to mine for the gems under it. She was just too lazy to do it herself, so she sent me to gain your trust.
Obviously, I couldn’t do that. I’ve decided to go back to Manehattan and kick her ass and take back the stone by force.
Now that you know the truth. I’m sorry. No apology will probably ever be enough, but I really am sorry. I never wanted to hurt anypony. I thought if I could fix your relationship with your Applejack and also get the stone, it would be a win-win for everyone. I was wrong. Not just because I was tricked, but also because a plan based entirely on lies would never work.
I’m sorry for having lied to you, and I’m sorry your Applejack never cared. It’s harsh, but it’s the truth. She never cared, Granny Smith. She never planned on coming back. You deserve a better granddaughter. Big Mac and Applebloom deserve a better sister, so please, don’t be sad that she never cared. You are better off without her. When you trusted me so much, Granny Smith, it made me realize how lucky she was to have you in her family. If she can’t see that, then she’s not worth your care. I’m not worth it either.
Big Mac. I know you like being tough, but I’m sure that will hurt you a lot, too. What I said to Granny applies to you, too. I’ve seen how you are with Applebloom and Granny Smith, you guys have a wonderful relationship. Applebloom considers you her hero even if she never admitted it, I can see it in her eyes. So believe me, you don’t need my ungrateful counterpart’s love. Especially since you have such a lovely wife. You already have everything you need.
And Applebloom. I’m sorry. I lied to you the most because I spent time with you the most. You’re an amazing filly, and you don’t need a big sister to know that. You do deserve a better sister than the one you have or me. Being with you all and acting naturally had been so easy because I’ve lived with you in my universe my whole life, and I didn’t realize how much I would hurt you. You’re already perfect the way you are with amazing friends and a family that loves you. Never forget that.
There is one thing I want to make clear, though. Even if I pretended to be somepony I wasn’t, the emotions I felt with you weren’t lies. I really did have fun with all of you. I enjoyed every second of all the games we played together, Applebloom, and Big Mac. I loved hearing about your lives, even if they were similar to the ones I was familiar with, I was always happy to notice the differences between them.
I treated you all like I treated my original family. So whenever I said that I love you, I meant it. These moments weren’t a lie. Still, you can hate me. Celestia knows I deserve it. I’ll be ready to hear you out and take anything you throw at me if it makes you feel better. For now, I’ve got a meeting with your sister and granddaughter, and I’m going to kick her ass so hard she won’t be able to sit for a week.
Love ya,
Applejack