//------------------------------// // The Element of Deceit // Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic -- Off The Record // by The King of Hearts //------------------------------// //// The Element of Deceit //// Applejack groaned as she continued walking through the white abyss. The last thing she could remember, Discord had shown up in Fluttershy’s cottage, and made them all fall deep into the ground. Now, here she was, walking aimlessly, with no goal in mind. Discord wouldn’t leave her in here alone to die, would he? Applejack had no idea what their enemy was like, but had a feeling that he wasn’t the type to do such a thing. It was far too dark. “Ah, there you are Applejack!” Discord said from behind her as she spun around to face him, “You must have been wandering in here for hours!” “Discord!” She shouted, “Jus’ where the buck are we?” “Language, young lady,” He smiled, “And I came here with an important message for you from your friends!” Applejack eyed him, before moving on, “What’s that supposed to mean?” “They’re all inside the Everfree forest, and they’re being chased by ferocious monster!” He said, making the entire situation sound VERY urgent, “They sure could use their dependable friend there to help them!” “Why should ah’ listen to you?” She asked, frowning, “This could all be a trick!” “It could be,” He grinned, “But are you willing to take that chance, when I’m offering you a free ride?” She growled, “Fine! Let’s git’ goin’!” “You’ll need this,” Discord said, snapping his fingers, making her Element of Harmony appear. “Wha—“ She began as he slapped it on her chest. “Off you go!” He giggled, as Applejack was suddenly faced with nothing but blackness. After a second of squinting, she realized that she wasn’t in complete darkness, she had just been dropped from a VERY bright place, to a very dark one, and her eyes were taking their sweet time adjusting. Finally, they caught up with her, and she was able to see properly. “Discord’d better not be lyin’ to me…” She grumbled, looking at the necklace he had placed on her, “An’ why’d he give this to me?” “Everypony run!” A voice shouted from somewhere around her, “I’ll take it off of you!” Applejack was able to discern two distinct things from what she heard. One pony was being chased by something, and a group of ponies were running away from the one. So, Applejack ran after the one, hoping she could help whoever it was. The chase was surprisingly long. Applejack had expected to catch up within a few minutes, but she had been following the two for almost six or seven minutes. Wherever the other ponies had gone, they were at least safe. “Don’t make me do this!” The voice shouted, as a snarl was heard over it, “Please!” With one more roar, the beast was suddenly silenced by a blast that graphically splattered the color red across several trees in front of her. Gasping, Applejack ran toward the source of the commotion, and felt her heart wrench as she came upon Alex, on the ground, with four savage cuts across his chest. “Oh no…” Applejack said, kneeling down next to him, and wanting to ask a thousand questions. How did you get back? What’s going on with Discord? Where’s Rainbow Dash? Of course, she couldn’t ask one of those. He was in a bad way. “Applejack…?” Alex asked, opening squinting at the sudden bright light of the sun, “We were looking everywhere for you…” “D-don’t talk!” She said, watching blood gush from the wounds on his chest, “Geez…” “It’s that bad, huh?” Alex asked, not daring look at the wound, “W-what do you think my chances are?” “It- It looks… It’s… It’s fine, Alex,” She lied, as he laughed weakly. “That’s good to hear,” Alex sighed. “Can’t you heal yerself or sumthin’?” Applejack asked quickly, realizing he had that kind of magic. “I kinda used it up on that thing…” Alex said, pointing to a particularly bloody tree. “Is anypony around?!” Applejack shouted, hoping that any of their friends would show up. Alex didn’t say anything, she just breathed softly, as he felt himself get sleepy. “I- I’m gonna take a nap, AJ,” Alex said, closing his eyes lightly. “No!” She said, lightly patting him on the cheek, “You need to stay right here with me!” “But…” He said, looking as his eyes shifted around weakly, “Well, I guess I don’t want to get a weird sleep-boner in front of you.” “This ain’t the time…” Applejack said, feeling her eyes start to fill with tears. “Heh… Sorry,” He smiled, “Hey… Can I have some of that cider when we get back to Ponyville?” “Of course!” She nodded, “You can drink as much as you want!” “How am I going to get back there, anyway?” He asked, strangely composed, and scarily calm, “I can’t feel my legs.” “W-well, there’s help comin’!” She lied, “Our friends are almost here!” “Are they…?” He asked quietly, “I want to see Dash…” “She’s comin’ too!” Applejack croaked, suddenly feeling the tears on her cheeks, “Jus’… Stay awake, or you’ll miss ’em!” “Are… you s-sure that they’re coming?” He asked again, as his eyes closed. “Of course they are…” She said, shaking his head, keeping him awake, “Ah’m the Element of Honesty, after all…” Suddenly, the gemstone in her necklace cracked, something she didn’t even notice. “Applejack,” Alex said, looking at the Element, “Why is it black?” Looking down, she gasped, and took a step back. The gem in her Element had become entirely black. “W-what in Tarnation?” She said, looking back to Alex, and seeing that he had closed his eyes once again, “No!” Alex was totally unresponsive as Applejack shook him, trying to get some kind of response from him. “That poor, poor pony,” Discord said, as Applejack turned to him. “Please!” She said, “You’ve gotta help him!” Discord frowned, “Well, I suppose you’ve earned that.” Snapping his fingers, the wounds on Alex were entirely healed. Applejack ran over to him, and shook him again, “Rise an’ shine mister!” “Ugh… Not now, Dash,” Alex groaned, “I’m still sore from last night.” Stepping back, she turned to Discord, “T-thank ya’.” “Don’t go thanking me yet,” He said, snapping his fingers, making Alex vanish. “Where’d you send him?” She asked, looking around them. “Technically, he’s nowhere,” Discord said impishly, “He REALLY never existed.” “What?!” Applejack shouted in anger. “But it taught you a very important lesson!” Discord defended, “Sometimes the truth is a BAD thing!” “How dare you put me through sumthin’ like that!” She shouted, completely stunned, “You… You monster!” “Now, Applejack, maybe you should be thanking—” “Ah’m sick of hearin’ you!” She shouted, feeling utterly betrayed by him, having actually thanked him for a moment, “Let me see my friends!” “In time, Applejack,” Discord said, as the forest around them melted away, leaving them in the bright white room once again, “You’ll be back together soon.” And with that, he was gone, and Applejack was left alone, with her black Element. //// Discord floated invisibly through the dreamscape, heading for the next pony he intended to taint. “Perhaps I overdid myself on that one…” He said to himself, thinking that fooling a pony into thinking somepony was dying was a bit… evil, “I’ll be nice to the next one.” //// “Is there anything else you want to do, Alex?” Dash asked, as they walked up the driveway, back to his house, “Or are we going straight to the dance?” “I think we’re good to go,” Alex shrugged, “We’ll get ready at my here, and I’ll drive us back to school.” “You’re going to DRIVE?!” She asked, smiling, “I’ve been dying to go in one of those!” “It’s not that special,” Alex said, thinking about some kind of speed comparison he could use, “When you do a Sonic Rainboom, you’re probably moving a thousand times faster.” “I’ve got no wings, Alex,” Dash said, shaking her back, “I just miss going fast!” “Well, I’ll drive as fast as I’m allowed,” He said, knowing it wouldn’t be very fast. Opening the back door, they walked inside, and Alex plopped himself on the couch and exhaled. “You’re tired too?” Dash asked, sitting on his lap, “I miss walking on all fours.” “My back legs definitely wish they had some help right now,” Alex nodded, wrapping his arms around her stomach, and leaning his forehead into her back, “But we still need to do some things before we head off to the dance.” “Like what?” She asked, looking over her shoulder to him. “You need to know how to dance,” He said, “I can’t have my date completely clueless.” “Strange…” She smiled, “That’s exactly how I’d describe my date.” “Well, no nookie for you,” Alex said, standing up suddenly, as she dropped on the floor, “I was going to rock your world before the dance, but I guess that’s not happening anymo—“ Before he could even finish his sentence, she scootched over to the TV, and flicked on the console, starting up her new favorite videogame. “H-hey!” Alex said, offended that she had just ignored him like that, “Stop that right now!” Dash ignored him, and started a game. “You know Dash, if this wasn’t filler to make the chapter longer, I’d be really upset with you right now!” Alex said, trying to sound angry. Suddenly, a controller was thrown at his face, as she turned around, “Stop that!” “Yes ma’am,” He said, as he readied to throw the next controller at him. “Good,” She nodded, walking away from the game, “Now! Teach me those dance moves!” “No Call of Duty?” Alex asked, seeing that she had switched it off when she stood up. “Nope,” The rainbow haired girl said, grabbing his hands, “I just realized that I don’t want to look like a fool tonight.” “No one will care how you dance,” Alex said, laughing, “They all want to bone you. Dancing is irrelevant.” “That’s the curse of being Rainbow Dash,” She faux-sighed, “I bring all the stallions to the yard.” “Well, with those milkshakes, I can’t blame them.” Alex said, looking at her chest for the millionth time that day. “Wait,” She said quickly, “Do girls like it when you stare at their chests here?” “Not really,” Alex explained, not taking his eyes off them, “It’s considered rude.” Suddenly, he was slapped across the face, as he gave her a genuinely betrayed look. “Sorry,” She laughed, patting the slapped cheek lightly, “I’m just practicing at being a human girl. Besides, it was a ton of fun!” “You just wanted to slap me,” He grumbled. Dash weighed the reasons in her head, why she had slapped him, and ‘because she wanted to,’ was on the top of the list. “Okay, you got me,” She said, raising her hands up, as if surrendering, “But now it’s out of my system, so I won’t do it again!” “Good to hear,” Alex smiled, “Now, let’s get to work. Maybe I can have you break dancing by the time it starts.” In case anyone was was on the edge of their seat for that part, she didn’t break dance. ////