Applejack stood seething at the gates of Canterlot Castle, hitched to her cart of apples. She glared at the two guards barring her path, and through clenched teeth, hissed "What do ya'll mean 'stand by for inspection'? Ah ain't a dang changeling, and Ah'm sure as sugar not going to let ya"ll feel me up like some common mule! Ah'm the Element of Honesty fer corn's sake! Don't mah word mean nuthin' to ya'll?"
The guards looked at each other nervously. "Now, Please miss-"
"Mah name is Applejack, not 'Miss'; Ah'm not some stuck up Canterlot mare, and as Ah already told ya, Ah'm here on business." The guards grimaced.
"Please miss - Ah, Applejack, We're under orders to examine everypony who tries to see the Princesses! Surely you can understand that, what with the wedding happening only a week ago?"
"Ah don't care if the wedding happened yesterday! Mah family's farm could go under, and yer damn inspection of everypony ain't helpin' me fix it!" Applejack looked down, tears rolling down her muzzle. "Ah jus' wanna feed mah family..."
The guards tried again. "Applejack, we just need to run a check to see if you're a changeling! We've had to tighten security because we keep finding infiltrators! Friends, relatives, even respected guards! they're everywhere and the princesses can't even tell them apart from the ponies they impersonated!"
"What seems to be the problem here?" asked Twilight Sparkle, annoyance clouding her face. Applejack rounded on her.
"What's wrong? Ah'll tell ya what's wrong! These two perverts are trying to Changeling-check me! Me! The Element of Honesty! Ah already told 'em that Ah wasn't a changeling!"
Twilight had never seen Applejack this upset before. "This isn't just about the new security, is it, Applejack? What's really bothering you?"
"Twahlight, the farm's going under, mostly because of the damage Discord did to it with his random seasons. We've tried to help the trees, but over half of them are gone, and the fields are rotting out from under us! We need Celestia's help, Twah, and every second of delay is another second closer to starvin' mah family, and all of Ponyville!"
Twilight gasped, concern taking over her features. "Applejack, I'm so sorry! I had no idea your farm was in trouble!" She turned to the guards. "Why haven't you checked her yet?" The guards glanced at each other sheepishly.
"The uh... the check takes two hours, and we have to run a check on her apple cart as well... That could take a week or more..." Twilight was shocked.
"My check took 3 minutes! What in Celestia's name takes so long?"
"That's what Ah'd like to know!" The guards exchanged an impatient look.
With a sigh, they spoke up. "Your check took 3 minutes because the Princess said that you are around her so often that she could check you herself. Miss Applejack here has been granted a short audience with the Princess, and thus must be thoroughly vetted before she is allowed in. We could wave the cart check, but it will still be hours before she sees the Princess."
"I'll be right back." Twilight ran back into the castle.
Twilight returned a few moments later, Princess Luna in tow. "What is with all the commotion, Twilight Sparkle? Art Thou unpleased with our current leadership?"
"No Princess, nothing like that!" She glared at the guards. "Tell her what you told me!"
The Guards straightened up, and dutifully stated, "We told Miss Sparkle here that her check only took 3 minutes because Princess Celestia said that Miss Sparkle is around her so often that she could check her herself. We also told Miss Sparkle that Miss Applejack here has only been granted a short audience with the Princess, and thus must be thoroughly vetted before she is allowed in to see her. Because this process takes a few hours, Miss Applejack has become concerned that it may be too late to save her failing crops."
Princess Luna looked away, deep in thought. " We have decided! Guards! Run a short check on Applejack, and We shall return her at a more convenient time for a full examination!"
The guards cast a giant purple barrier across the open gate. "When you are ready, walk through, Applejack"
Applejack nodded, and walked through the barrier. She was surprised to feel a sharp tug at her skin, and green flames coated her. She jumped free of the cart, rolling on the ground and beating at the flames. She slowly crawled to her hooves, black chitinous shell creaking. "What in the-?" She groaned as her connection to the hive re-activated, hissing voices filling her head. A flood of memories filled her head to bursting. She remembered...
~The Summer Sun Celebration - Nightmare Moon's Return~
*THUNK*
Carapace grunted as her rear hooves made contact with hard bark. This apple-bucking thing is harder than it -rrgh- looks! I'm going to have to be careful that I don't let my guard -ouch!- down...
" Hi! I'm Twilight Sparkle, and-" Crap.
"Well Howdy-do Miss Twilight! Name's Applejack, and we here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin' new friends!"
"Fri-e-e-e-ends?" Twilight jittered, "Actually-y-y I-I-I-"
"So, what can I do ya for?" Good, she'll be too shaken up -heh heh- to snoop around... hopefully.
The small dragon grabbed Twilight's hoof to stop it from moving. "Hee hmm hmm!" A glare from Twilight stopped his giggling.
"Ahem, I am, in fact here to supervise preperations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and - you're in charge of the food?"
"We sure as sugar are! Would ya care ta sample some?"
"Well, as long as..." but she was already running towards the barn...
~Later that Evening...~
"...Let go."
"What, are you crazy?!"
"No Ah ain't, Ah promise you'll be safe!"
"That's not true!"
"Now listen here, what Ah'm sayin' to you is the honest truth. If you let go you'll be dead, if the winged ones weren't right there safe."
Twilight's eyes got huge, and she let go, falling into Rainbow and Fluttershy's hooves. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Well that was weird, for a moment it felt like I was a different pony. I'll have to speak with the queen about this afterwords...
Carapace shuddered, blue eyes flashing with fear and anger at the ponies surrounding her, thoughts muddled.
Twilight lit her horn at the changeling, teeth bared. "Where. Is. Applejack?"
Carapace hissed, ears pining back as she saw four lit horns aimed at her chest.
Twilight levitated the hissing changeling over to her, shoving her horn between Carapace's eyes. "Where is she?
Carapace laughed, producing a sound halfway between a rattle and a hiss. "You foals... Don't you see? I am Applejack!
To Twilight, all was darkness.