"Oh,you have had some adventures, haven't you?"
Applejack was silent glaring at her captor.
"Dealing with an *ahem* 'para-spirite' invasion?" Ghirahim continued placing a single finger to his forehead as he recalled the memories he had mined from the creature 'Applejack'.
"And, ohhhh, what's this?" Ghirahim continued to babble on with mock enthusiasm. "You and your friends defeated a fallen goddess with the power of friendship!" He said the last part incredibly sarcastically.
"Stupidness aside, I wish I could've done that just as easily." Ghirahim mumbled."Would've mademy job a hell of a lot easier." He finished with an exadurated intake of breath.
Applejack continued her silent protest, glaring daggers at the bipedal being in front of her. She had been apple bucking, like she usually did when suddenly she is struck by a half eaten apple. This meant many things to her, but most importantly that there was an apple thief on her farm and that they were still here. She did not expect to find said thief right behind her and that thief being this incredibly odd, two legged magician with a penchant for 2D diamonds. He had then grabbed her after becoming angry and confused for no apparent reason. The next few moments of her life where the most confusing by far as it was a repetition of what she had already done like fast forwarding a cassette tape you've already seen but experiencing all the sensations at once. This had evidently drained the farmpony as she awoke in the exact same place with an abstract diamond barrier around her and the individual looking considerably calmer smiling at her. He had then began (after some feisty attempts at escape) to run a commentary on the main events in her life and, truth be told, it was unnerving. Such an intrusion was emotionally violating but Applejack composed herself after his cruel recall of her parents, realizing he was simply toying with her.
"I must say 'AJ'" he mocked, mimicking Rainbow Dash "your not being nearly as chatty as you should be to a guest from an alternate dimension."
"You won't get away with this." Applejack spat.
The figure laughed slightly. "Oh you 'heroes'......."He started."Two things." He said refocusing his attention on the mare. "That is so cliché, it's not even funny."He continued seriously. "And second" he relaxed again "'get away' with what? Oh yes, I'm terribly guilty of keeping you here for." He looked at his imaginary watch and continued in his patronizing tone."20 minutes! Oh woe is you! Your world is doomed!" He finished his charade with his hands gripping his face in mock despair while facing the heavens.
Applejack hardened her glare what little more she physically could. Ghirahim brought his head back down to look at her, a cruel amused look on his face.
He adopted a look of mock pity when he saw her new expression.
"Aww, who am i kidding? I can't lie to anything that cute." He chuckled, Applejack maintained her glare through the mockery.
"I have plans miss Jack, ohhh I have plans....yes for you and all of your friends." He smiled devilishly.
Applejack became momentarily worried and panicked before adopting her stubborn resolve again, standing up properly in her diamond barrier prison and taking a wide aggressive stance.
"You leave them be, ya here!"She threatened.
"Cute. Still cute." The demon lord commented.
"There is however one of your 'friends' I am more interested in than the others." He said this with a more serious tone which made Applejack listen more closely.
"Vaati. From your memories, he really does sound like a walking anomaly."He continued, urging some sort of response.
This broke Applejack out of her hostile mood for one that was more competitive.
This was quite a wired development but one that strongly made sense the more she thought about it. Vaati, a strange bipedal creature that had seemingly turned up out of the blue with strange powers and a personality she simply couldn't figure out. Bipolar was perhaps the best word she could think of, detached and dismissive most of the time, helpful when he wanted to be (which she respected when he was) but had a real temper which Applejack had witnessed in a few occasions. She mentally shivered, it was something that have her the odd nightmare. It was, however, the fact that this similar but quite different creature had taken an interest in him that made some sense or at least was worth of note. They both came from nowhere, were very similar in biology (although Vaati had very cat-like eyes) and both had very powerful and unique powers: Vaati was, what? A 'wind mage' as he put it, while this guy could do weird things with diamonds.
Like being able to read minds....
Applejack quickly realized what he had just made her do and has just enough time to give a shocked look at him and a small yelp as he seamlessly reached through the internally barrier and grabbed her head with one hand for the second time. She felt the same rushed sensation again but that was compromised of her most recent thought process (complete with her realization) which felt highly surreal.
Ghirahim released her again with a much milder buzzing sensation.
"Sooo easy to manipulate." He chuckled.
Applejack recovered far quicker than before and glared at her tormentor, now gritting her teeth in frustration. She gave a resounding buck to her prison again but it didn't shatter, merely rippling like before. Applejack relaxed slightly rubbing her sore hooves, gritting more out of pain now.
"Yes that is very interesting now, very interesting....." Ghirahim mused, tapping his chin and walking in a small circle."Oh this just got a lot more fun!" He exclaimed.
He walked up to the captured mare and quickly sat down crossed legged and started waving his hands together, fingers open as his finger tips began to glow.
Applejack became curious of the activity her captor had suddenly visited busied himself with and looked at his glowing hands with reserved interest.
"Just what in Equestira are yer doin' now." She said angrily.
"The first step in my plan, Miss Jack." He replied casually, without looking up from his 'work'. After saying so, he did glance quickly up at her but in a studying manner, focusing on her fore hooves.
"And just what is that exactly." She added, further suffered by his complete avoidance of the question.
"I need a pony-esque body of I am going to infiltrate this world and bring about it's downfall." Ghirahim answered far too casually, looking Applejack dead in the eye.
Applejack was taken aback by this. This creature was very, very dangerous and meant every word he said.
"Thus" Ghirahim continued "I need to copy your form if I'm going to pass off in your society. I don't really want the sort of reception Vaati has apparently been reviving."
Still in shock of the malicious intent she had only recently become aware of this creature having, Applejack sat on her hunches and drew her attention back to what the demon lord was creating.
The glowing tips of his fingers had left little trails in the air like sparklers and different fingers added more to the talks left behind by others. Some seemed like test runs that vanished if Ghirahim wasn't pleased with them but every time he looked up to study her out focussed his attention entirely on what he was doing they stayed longer and before long a frame began to take shape. After 5 more minutes of his light weaving a distinct shape could be seen. It was that of a pony, a the dimensional wire frame of a pony. Ghirahim looked at it fondly before snapping his fingers and standing up as to better admire his work. Applejack gasped as colour and detail faded into the figure. It was her, through and through. From the hat to the hooves it was like looking in the mirror and when the clones eyes fluttered open the same green eyes started back.
"It's quite something isn't it?" The magician bragged.
Applejack was still stunned, mostly rapidly thinking about how this evil dooer might try to utilize this against her friends, family and Equestira in general.
Ghirahim noted her unresponsiveness and bent down next to the clone and open and closed it's mouth in time to what he said in a very mocking and overly high pitched tone."Oh mister magic man your sooooo amazing!"
Ghirahim smiled at Applejack's renewed anger.
"Of course this is not the finished product." Ghirahim said paying the flank of the unresponsive creation. He faced it full on and took a bracing stance before Applejack could comment, deciding to watch with curious anger again.
Ghirahim growled and groaned and did small flicking movements with his outstretched arms before letting out a resounding "Ha!". Upon doing so his form disappeared into flickering Simmons before rushing into the clone that began to glow white. Applejack covered her eyes slightly before starting at what she saw.
The stranger had become a pony. The same covering fringe of white hair, diamond attire and malicious grin all became features of a distinct looking stallion.
"Can't say I care for the hooves." He complained attempting to click a few times. "And your frame is rather weighty..."
Applejack in anger ignored that remark. "What in all of Equestria are yer thinkin' of doin' like that!?" She spat, angry at confused.
"Applejack? You out here?" The voice of Applebloom halve shouted, halve whined.
Applejack immediately reacted with surprise and then joy at her sisters voice, never before was she happier to hear her sister nagging for her to come inside. She pushed up against the back wall of her prison in the direction her sister called from away from her captor and was just about to call out to her when said captor beat her to it.
"I'll kill her if you call out." He commented.
Applejack spun round to see the ponified demon leaning up against the nearby tree, eating the same apple from before.
"Y-you won't dare hurt her...?" Applejack half stated half questioned, trying very hard to keep her voice steady. He had directly threatened violence against somepony which was unheard of itself but against her own innocent sister. Applejack knew all to well he would act upon the threat and therefore she was suddenly very scared. More so than she had been ever before. She was also incredibly angry for obvious reasons but the primeval rage that came from a threat to a loved one was kept strongly in check by Applejack visualizing burying her own sister.
"There's a good girl keep niiice and quiet." Ghirahim patronized.
"Oh, where arrre my manners?" Ghirahim he berated further. "I never even told you my name."
"I am Ghirahim, the demon lord." He said taking a large bow still clutching the apple.
Applejack was really focusing as much as she would've done. She was still very scared of this evil, evil creature that seemed to have a capacity to do unspeakable things that where utterly unheard of in Equestria and who could still if he so wished kill her sister in front of her eyes.
"But what does it matter anyway?" Ghirahim prattled on. "Your going to have a nice long nap now." He said reaching out to the captured mare.
Applejack registered the hive looming towards her and scrambled away from it as far as the cage would let her. She became pushed up against the back wall on her fore hooves, heart reaching over what pain the offending limb could bring to her.
"Just relaaaax." The hoof suddenly lurched at her fore head pressed against her forehead and a familiar buzzing sensation took hold. "This will all be over soon."
Applejack's resolve broke along with her concious as the darkness consumed her and she stole one last glance at the evil earth pony eating an apple. Her frame slumped to the grass as her eyes closed and the prison dissipated into nothingness.
Ghirahim took another bite out of his apple before glancing at the filly who was wondering of to another field. His smile grew as he took one last hard bite and he threw the core away without breaking his face from the filly.
He picked up the unconscious form of Applejack and asking it over his back as he tried for the main road.
Yes, he had plans for this world.
Big, big plans.