//------------------------------// // A Second Opinion // Story: Role Reversal // by Trials //------------------------------// The pair walked with a spring in their step. Well, it looked as if they did. One seemed to drag their hooves behind, but the other seemed to be in a hurry. Smarty followed as Applejack led her through the large, simple house. As it was dark last night, she hadn't been able to see the home very well. Of course, Big Mac would occasionally take her around the house, but she would usually be concealed in a bag, unable to see. Even then, she'd be confined to Big Mac's room — he wouldn't dare bring her anywhere else, just in case anyone saw. She couldn't blame him for that. Smarty went through the same corridor she had gone through last night. She looked around her surroundings, noticing the tidy layout of everything. There was not a spot of dirt to be seen, and the wood looked to be in perfect condition. The house was definitely spacey, but it simply had no details. A couple of old photographs hung on the walls, and several bits of furniture sat in the rooms, but there was nothing else of interest. There was no heart in the place; it looked like a simple place of residence, not a home fit for a family. Smarty held a hoof to her chin, but she couldn't quite place it. There was nothing obvious missing, but the general atmosphere just didn't feel... right. “C'mon,” Applejack said, guiding her into the kitchen. An old, frail pony sat in a rocking chair facing the countless apple trees outside. She hummed and mumbled to herself in a quiet voice as she watched the sun rise high into the sky. She didn't even notice the pair walk in. Considering all the noise they'd both just caused a couple of rooms away, it was quite a feat. “Granny, Ah'm gonna head out for a while. Can ya look after Apple Bloom while Ah'm gone?” asked Applejack. The wrinkled mare continued to happily watch the orchard, a warm smile on her face. “Granny?” Applejack repeated, shaking the chair. “Yes, deary?” the granny said, turning in her seat. “Ah'm going out!” Applejack shouted. “Look after Apple Bloom while Ah'm gone!” “Of course, deary. No need to yell!” she said before turning back to the window. Smarty cocked her head. She'd never seen this member of the Apple Family before. Judging from her age, and the name Applejack called her by, she had to be the grandmother of Big Mac. She was a strange creature, seeming oblivious to the world around her. It looked like she was living in her own little world, content to ignore her surroundings. Applejack nodded, and walked towards the door. With a push, she opened it and allowed Smarty to go first. Once the pair had gotten outside, Applejack closed the door softly behind her. Both of them were surprised by the absence of the sun. It was still early, but Smarty could tell it was going to be quite a cold day. Applejack removed her hat, and placed Big Mac in carefully. In a fluid motion, she managed to put the hat back on her head without allowing him to fall out. Of course, Smarty couldn't object to Applejack holding him instead of her. After all, she was his sister. The pair began walking to Ponyville, but silence reigned between them. Smarty felt too scared to speak, but it was too awkward not to. The walk was a long one, and she needed something to distract her thoughts.“Why didn't you tell her?” Smarty asked. “It's much easier to leave her in her own bubble,” Applejack explained simply. “Besides, it'll all be settled by the time Ah get back. No point in wastin' words.” Smarty gulped. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to turn back into a doll, but her hooves still moved. It was irresponsible, even for her, but she found her eyes wondering back over the hills for a brief second. A thought came to mind: she could run. Smarty could run far away, forget all about everyone else and live an actual life. She came to a stop on the road. It looked so inviting, it seemed so interesting, just the image of running away and living off the fat of the land forever. Smarty didn't want to return to nothingness. Freedom awaited. She could live the life she always wanted to, rather than stay as the doll forever more. The sun was waiting for her on the other side of the hill, and all she had to do was run. But, she couldn't. Her hooves remained rooted to the ground, seemingly at an impasse. She tried to move them, to will them into going somewhere — anywhere — but she couldn't. She sighed. Something kept them there, stuck to the ground, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Smarty knew exactly what it was, or rather who it was. It was that someone who was currently sitting under a hat, someone who had given up their life, alongside their family and friends, in a blink of an eye to give her the life that she was about to give back. That was what made her move towards Ponyville. Smarty knew she could've ran the other way, to secure some form of life for herself, but that simply wasn't her. “Anyway, why did ya lie ta me yesterday?” Applejack called over her shoulder. “Ah see no point in fabricatin' that entire story 'bout livin' far away when ya coulda jus' said the truth.” “Because that would've been even worse,” Smarty said, frowning. “Imagine if a random pony came up to you, a pony you'd never met before, and said that your sibling had taken the place of a toy. Not exactly the best thing to hear at the dead of night. At least you met me before I mentioned it.” Applejack turned on the spot, and she scoffed. “Ya mentioned it, did ya? That's not how Ah remember it. Not at all. Ah remember findin' mah sister with mah brother in her hooves. Funnily enough, Ah also remember havin' ta interrogatin' the info out of ya. Ah don't recall ya mentionin' it at all.” Smarty didn't answer at first. Applejack did have a valid point. “What else could I do?” she eventually said. “It wasn't like I chose the stupid situation. It's not like I forced your brother into doing it, but here I am. Sorry to be alive, even if it wasn't my fault,” she muttered. “Oh, but thanks for making me welcome, by the way. I've only been alive for a day, and I'm already made to feel guilty. As if becoming alive wasn't already tormenting enough, I'm also responsible for someone's actions. Thanks a bunch,” she said, her throat becoming sore. “Well, when ya put it like that,” Applejack began. “Oh, no, it's okay,” Smarty interrupted. “This whole stupid situation is completely my fault. Everything. If I hadn't existed in the first place, no one would've gotten into this trouble. You would have your family. Big Mac wouldn't have found me, he wouldn't have turned himself into a stupid doll or brought me to life, and everyone would be much, much happier.” Smarty's lips began trembling. “Don't say that,” Applejack tried, kicking the ground. Smarty felt a tear roll down her cheek. “But, you know I'm right! You would've preferred it if I just hadn't existed!” Smarty exclaimed, more tears falling down her face. “I saw the look in your eyes this morning. You were disgusted. You didn't want me there, and I knew it. As long as you had your brother back, you didn't care about me,” she said, feeling more tears drop off her face and into the soil. “And you know what's funny? I agreed with you. Your brother is much more important than me; he has a family to look after, and what do I have? Nothing! I'm just a doll with nothing.” “That's not true.” “It is, and you know it!” Smarty shouted, falling to the ground. “I'm a wreck! I took everything for granted, and I didn't even think about the consequences. I squandered the sacrifice your brother gave to me, lied to you about who I was for reasons I don't even know and destroyed an entire family because of my continued existence. I haven't even been alive for a full day yet!” Smarty closed her eyes and let her face fall to the warm grass. She heard hooves approach, but didn't bother looking up. Instead, she just let the ground soak up her flowing tears. For a while, it was quiet, and Smarty felt the peace calm her racing heart, even if she couldn't stop crying. “Ah still like ya,” Applejack said. “No, you don't,” Smarty mumbled into the grass. “You hate me.” “Ah don't!” she exclaimed, “and Ah resent that accusation.” Smarty felt hooves grab her around the sides and pull her upwards. She looked up to find Applejack smiling warmly. With a tender hoof, the farmer wiped the tears and dirt from Smarty's face, making sure not to irritate her eyes further. Smarty tried to shy away, but Applejack's firm yet gentle hooves wouldn't allow it. Applejack placed her back on her own shaky legs and rested a hoof on her shoulder. “Listen, yer not a bad pony.” Smarty tried to argue, but Applejack pressed a hoof against her mouth. She looked deep into her eyes, and Smarty could tell she was being sincere by the smile on her face. “Yer not a bad pony. Ya coulda ran off somewhere, and Ah would never have known 'bout mah brother, but ya told me, anyway. Ya came over here ta tell me, and even if ya coulda explained it... slightly differently, ya still did it. Ah saw ya lookin' at those hills over there, probably thinkin' 'bout runnin' off, but ya didn't. It musta taken all the will in the world not to run off, Ah know. Now, Ah don't know 'bout ya, but that seems like the right kinda thing ta do, right?” Smarty sniffed. “Ah know Ah haven't exactly been the... kindest of hosts, but Ah'm jus' a little shocked 'bout Big Mac. It's not every day ya find out yer brother has turned into a doll, but that doesn't mean Ah hate yer guts. Yer dependable, honest and generally a nice pony to talk ta,” Applejack said, winking. “It wasn't yer fault what happened, though. Ya can't blame yerself, what, with ya bein' the victim and all. It was mah brother's fault, for puttin' all this pressure on ya, and Ah'm gonna have more than a few words with him, Ah can tell you...” Applejack threatened, shaking her hoof, but quickly returning it to Smarty's shoulder. “Yer a good pony, Ah swear.” Smarty wiped her reddened eyes. “You really think so?” she said with a shaky voice. “Ah do,” Applejack confirmed, nodding. “Yer doin' the right thing. Now, let's see what we can do 'bout mah brother, okay?” “Okay,” she said, even though her mind said differently. “Thanks, Applejack.” Applejack smiled, tilting the brim of her hat over her eyes. “No problem.” “And sorry for being so high-strung. I'm just a little stressed, is all,” Smarty said, shrugging. The farmer laughed. “Well, Ah think we'd all be like that when it comes to somethin' like this.” Soon, the pair had arrived in Ponyville. As Applejack had said, they were both visiting Twilight for a second opinion. It wasn't like Smarty didn't want to see her again, but she could feel her hooves dragging as she walked. She knew she had to go, but that was it. It was only responsibility keeping her moving. While she was, however, she tried to get a slice of life of Ponyville. Most of the bustle of yesterday had disappeared, but, then again, the day was still pretty early. A couple of ponies walked around the markets to her left, but they were most likely trying to get the shopping done before the whole population of Ponyville arrived. Good for them. To her right, a mare was lying in the corner of the street. She couldn't have been much older than Smarty. Dirt concealed most of her face, but Smarty could see the mare's eyes closed tightly. The mare must have been living rough, as Smarty couldn't see a bed or shelter of any kind. She noticed her chest rising and falling. With every breath the mare exhaled, Smarty could see a wisp of steam rise from her mouth and nose. On closer inspection, she could see the mare shiver and shake. It was cold outside, and the poor mare obviously had nowhere to sleep. Smarty had just the thing. Digging into her saddlebags, she pulled out her spotted scarf. Well, it was Twilight's scarf, but she was sure she wouldn't mind. Smarty wrapped the scarf snugly around the sleeping mare's neck. She would have far more use out of it than Twilight or Smarty ever could, anyway. It didn't take too long, but she had to be careful not to wake the mare up. Awaking to find a stranger putting a scarf on you wouldn't exactly be the easiest scenario to understand, and Smarty had been in enough unexplainable situations for the time being. Once she was sure the scarf was in the perfect position, she caught up with Applejack, who was watching her with raised eyebrows. “What?” Smarty asked innocently, cocking her head. “Oh, nothing.” Applejack scoffed. “Bad pony, mah flank,” she murmured under her breath. “What was that?” Smarty asked, trying not to grin. Applejack just laughed it off before continuing the walk through town. Twilight's library came into view, and Smarty instantly began regretting her choice. It would be so easy to run away. At this point, Applejack wouldn't even realise. She was a fair couple of paces away from her, so Applejack wouldn't even notice her disappearance by the time she was out of Ponyville. Besides, she had let her guard down... Smarty sighed; she knew she couldn't. Applejack knocked on the door. Twilight wouldn't be up at this time of day. She used to get up early as a little filly. She'd be so excited for the new day, but, as she grew older, that motivation just disappeared before Smarty's eyes. In a few seconds, Twilight opened the door, wide awake. Smarty harrumphed. Some things never change. “Oh, hey, Applejack! Long time, no see, right? We need to catch up. And, good morning, Smarty Pants,” Twilight said, smiling. She blinked. “Gosh, I still feel odd saying that. I almost forgot about you, what, with you being so... quick. Anyway, what brings you two to my door at such an early hour? I assume you've been making some friends, Smarty Pants?” “Heh, kind of,” Smarty said, scratching the back of her neck. “Listen, Twilight, can we come in for a chat? It's quite important.” Twilight smiled warmly. “Of course!” she said, opening the door wider. “Make yourselves at home.” Applejack and Smarty came through the doorway. They waited for Twilight to shut the door. “Twi, we've got a... bit of a problem on our hooves,” Applejack admitted. “It's, uh, not exactly an everyday problem, either,” Smarty added. Twilight frowned. “Well, that doesn't sound good. I've already had enough of those problems this week,” she murmured. “Come sit down, and I'll try to help as much as I can.” “Well, that's just the thing,” Smarty said, sitting down on the sofa. “We need your help. In terms of magic. See, this whole thing about me coming alive—” “Whoa, slow down there, Smarty,” Twilight interrupted, wiping her eyes. “It's still pretty early in the morning, you know? Just let me... let me get my thoughts together, okay?” The unicorn bowed her head and closed her eyes for a few moments. “It's been a bit of a week, as you can guess.” “Understandable,” Smarty said. “Is it?” Twilight snapped, looking directly at her. Smarty averted her gaze. “Sorry, Smarty, just a bit on edge. We've got a number of celebrations coming up, and then you come to my door right in the middle of preparations with the Princess. Just one of those weeks, I'm afraid,” Twilight said, grinning. “Really, Twi, it's okay,” Applejack said. “Take as long as ya want.” “Thanks, girls, but I think I'll be okay for now. So, yes. What did you need help with?” “So, you know this whole thing about me coming alive?” Smarty asked. “Well, of course you do, but there's more to it then just that.” “Ah, yes, I remember you being... fairly vague with your explanation.” Applejack glared at Smarty, but then her gaze softened. “You said something about... simply coming alive? You didn't go into very much detail, but that's what I gathered.” “Well, it turned out to be more complicated than that,” Smarty said, frowning. “The whole process came with a price. Not for me, but for someone else. There's no other way of saying it without sounding vague, so we'll just show you. Applejack, if you'd please.” Applejack removed the hat from her head, plucking the doll from it. She held up Big Mac to Twilight's eyes with great care. “As you can see... Big Mac is now a doll.” Twilight picked Big Mac up in her hooves. “He's... he's a doll?” “Yep,” Applejack confirmed. “And, you're not concerned by this?” Twilight asked, her eyes going wide. “Well, kinda,” Applejack said, looking away, “but, that's why we came to ya. Ah know we can trust ya ta do the right thing.” The unicorn shook Big Mac in her hooves, seeing his limbs shake. “I... I don't understand.” “Listen, Big Mac sacrificed himself for me, and—” “So, what you're telling me is: for Smarty to become alive, Big Mac had to take her place as a doll? You effectively switched places?” Smarty blinked. “Wow, you catch on quick.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Considering what happened yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised. I don't get it, though. No offence, Smarty, but I'm pretty sure Big Mac didn't know you at all. For him to sacrifice himself like that... he must have liked you quite a lot. I never showed you to anyone in Ponyville, so that can't be right.” “He did. You know when you put that spell on me, making everyone fall in love with me? Well, afterwards, he carried me off in his mouth. He kept me as company, so that he could talk to someone about stuff. It didn't make a lot of sense to me at the time, and it still doesn't, but that's how he started liking me. Eventually, he just got fed up with no one replying to him, so he came up with the crazy idea of bringing me to life, which ultimately made him sacrifice himself for me.” For a moment, Twilight said nothing. She merely bowed her head in deep thought, stroking her chin occasionally. “I don't get it; I thought he had Applejack and his family to care for... Surely, he could've just talked to them, instead of using a doll — again, no offence, Smarty — to give his own life for. Seems a bit far-fetched, and I can't see any logic behind it,” Twilight admitted, looking down at Big Mac once more. She stroked his golden mane, but a warning glance from Applejack made her stop almost immediately. “Ah know!” Applejack exclaimed. “It don't make any sense ta me at all! Ah would always talk to him, anyway, so Ah don't know why he'd throw his life away like that. No offence, Smarty.” “None taken,” Smarty murmured, looking away. Neither of them understood. “Well, I had always wondered where you'd gotten to after what happened on that day, even though it doesn't make a lot of sense,” the grinning unicorn said. “It was better than being kept in a little box, hidden from view.” “There's another thing here I don't get, though,” Twilight admitted, ignoring Smarty's snarky comment. “Everything else seems... relatively plausible, if you take into account that Big Mac might have had a lapse in judgement.” A frown appeared on Smarty's lips, and she could feel anger rise up in her gut. “But, something just seems off. Big Mac wouldn't be capable of turning you into an actual pony, what, with him being an earth pony and all.” Applejack glared at Twilight. “Are ya sayin' what Ah think yer sayin'?” Twilight shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no, no, not like that. I mean, this is magic we're talking about. Big Mac isn't... wasn't a unicorn, so there must have been someone else doing the spell. It must have been someone fairly powerful, as I've never heard of this type of magic being done before. Of course, theoretically, it could be done, but I've never heard of a life reversal spell being used. In fact, it can only be a select few capable of that. Bringing things to life would be extremely hard to do. Smarty, you don't know who did this, right? It'd be pretty useful if you did.” Smarty raised a hoof to her chin. “I, uh, think it was Discord. Y'know, the Element of Chaos. As I said before, but I guess you weren't listening,” she quipped. With a sigh, Twilight slapped a hoof to her face. “I remember you telling me,” she said in monotone. “How on earth could I forget?” “Well, you were pretty shocked at the time. I wouldn't be surprised.” “So, you're telling me that Discord managed to bring you alive by turning Big Mac into a doll?” Twilight asked. “Uh, yes.” “Right,” Twilight said, opening the door. “I think it's time we paid ol' Discord a visit.”