The Impossible Dream

by Merc the Jerk


Refrain

Macintosh relaxed on the front porch of the Apple family home, eagerly waiting for Zecora to step outside.

It had been busy at the stand; the fact that they had sold out of Zapapple jam a mere two hours after swapping with Braeburn and Rainbow Dash attested to that. Normally, a pony like Mac wasn't done with working until evening fell on him, but he figured for Zecora, he'd make an exception.

Bringing him away from his thoughts was the sound of hooves approaching the front door. The red stallion heard the click of it opening, and he turned to the noise. Upon seeing what was before him, Mac's jaw dropped.

Zecora stepped out into the porch, adorned in a traditional brown cloak and saddlebags to each side. What drew Macintosh's attention, however, was that she had let her normally mohawked hair down; it rested gently against her head and neck.

Upon seeing Macintosh staring, she brushed it gently with a hoof.

“Do you like? I wore it in a similar style last Nightmare Night.”

“E-eyup.” He nodded, closing his eyes shut a few times to regain his wits. “Ya'll look right pretty ta me.”

“I thought a few more preparations would be worth the wait, considering that it's our first date,” Zecora replied confidently.

“Eyup,” Mac said, swallowing nervously as he stood.

She looked at the red stallion warmly, then gestured east. “Shall we?” she questioned.

The stallion formed the beginnings of a smile as he fell back to a standard answer.


“Eyup.”

000

Macintosh and Zecora walked step by step together on the road that cut through the forest, slowly exploring the Whitetail Woods in the glow of the afternoon day.

Zecora glanced among the woods with a keen, insightful eye as they walked. Eventually, she noticed a small blue and orange spotted mushroom on the ground a few feet away, resting by a tree trunk. She broke off the trail and moved over to pick it. Chuckling quietly to herself, she handed it to Macintosh.

“It's a good mushroom, that's a fact. Helps immensely with an aching back.”

The earth pony looked over the mushroom. “We'll I'll be. Thought ya could only find that sorta remedy in Everfree. Ain't that why ya set up shop there?”

“Indeed it is, Big Mac. Everfree never has a supply I lack,” she replied, taking the mushroom and putting it into one of her saddlebags.

Pausing for a moment, she added, “Though there are things in here Whitetail that can benefit ponies almost as well as the herbs of Everfree.”

He kept silent, staring at her. Eventually, she sighed.

“I wasn't going to finish that one with a rhyme.”

“Oh. Uh, sorry.” He blinked. “Was waitin' for the other horseshoe ta drop.”

The zebra smirked. “I'll keep in mind that it's easy to distract you if I leave a potential rhyme unspoken.”

Macintosh paused yet again, before hesitantly saying, “E-eyu-.”

“Or maybe I'll trick you, and refuse to have my rhyming broken,” she interrupted, a wide, cheeky grin on her face and her eyes sparkling with mirth.

“Damn it,” he grumbled under his breath.

Zecora was pleased at his reaction, moving onward with a proud smile on her face. He eventually followed, still shaking his head in wonder of the cloaked mare in front of him.

000

Their walk took Macintosh to familiar territory. The red stallion smiled in nostalgia as he noticed a narrow, barely visible path covered in weeds to his left.

Zecora noticed him slowing down and observing the path that led off deeper into the woods. She moved in close to him and tapped his side with hers. He looked to the stripped equine, raising a brow.

“You seem to know this place well; what makes it so interesting to you, pray tell?”

He looked deeper down the path. “There's a cave down yonder. Me an' my buddy Caramel used ta play in it. Pretended there was treasure in it an' everythin'.”

The mare hummed a note in thought. “How about the cavern we go and see? Maybe take a break from all the trees?”

Macintosh shrugged his powerful shoulders. “If'n ya want,” he agreed.

They walked a few minutes before Mac pointed out a tree right beside the ill used path.

“Ya see this here tree?”the stallion drawled.

Zecora silently nodded.

“Fell offa it when me an' Cheerilee were goofin' around. Broke my foreleg from the landin'. Was the only second grader in a leg sling.”

“Hmm,” She grunted, still observing the tree.

“Used ta have a rope swing too, 'till Caramel broke it.” Macintosh wryly smiled. “He's a good stallion, but breaks things left and right.”

They continued onward; after a few more minutes of walking, Macintosh pointed to a spot to the north about forty feet away, where a group of three burnt trees nearly touching one another stood. Planks of burnt and rotting wood seemed to be caught in their highest branches.

“That there's where my ol' clubhouse was. Me, Caramel, Cheerilee, Redheart, an' Braeburn would all go up there and pretend we were pirates. After it got knocked down by a lightening bolt some pegasus dropped on accident, we jus' built another one at the farm. Seemed safer. Didn't use it much after the move, though.”

“Sounds like you had quite the crew.” She smiled.

“Eyup. Jus' like AJ, I reckon,” Macintosh agreed. “Nowadays though, we don't get ta visit one 'nother as often as we should.”

The red stallion waved his hoof dismissively. “Enough 'bout the clubhouse, though. Hope I ain't borin' ya, ramblin' on like I'm doin'.”

“No, Macintosh, you're fine. If you weren't, I'd keep you in line,” Zecora promised.

“Good ta know,” he drawled, moving once again down the path.

It wasn't long before their journey led them down a slope. As they reached the very bottom of the incline, Mac stopped and pointed his hoof to the west, toward a plethora of overgrown brush and tightly packed trees obscuring a tall mound of solid stone.

The stallion left Zecora by the path, and he pushed his way through the brush, wiping a hoof across the vine covered stone. He squatted down low, finding an opening in the rock he remembered from countless visits. Upon seeing the hole, he frowned.

“Welp. We might have ta scratch the cave exploration,” he called to Zecora.

“Why?” she questioned, though the reason was obvious once she walked closer to the stallion. The entrance to the cave only went up to the large pony's knees. There was no way he'd fit through.

“Ya know... I remember that thing bein' bigger,” Mac quipped.

The zebra smiled good naturedly at Macintosh, before bending down and sticking her head inside the hole to sate her curiosity. She let a low whistle pass her lips, before pulling her head out.

The farmer raised a brow. “Don't keep me in suspense, what ya'll see that was so intrestin'?”

Zecora shook her head, moving towards the path again. “It's a good thing we couldn't get in. It was a metaphorical lion's den.”

Macintosh tilted his head as he moved away from the cave's entrance. “Come again?”

“Inside the cave was crawling with a strange plant, my family called it the Lyinglac.”

The stallion nodded as they walked. “What's this Lyinglac thing, and what does it do?”

Zecora adjusted her cloak. “It's a blue, luminescent moss that I've only seen grow in a damp cave. Long term exposure can cause hallucinations, dementia, even lead you to an early grave.”

They continued onto the path, passing by his old tree-house.

“All that from one plant, huh?”

“Eyup,” Zecora said in a false drawl.

The workpony mulled over the Lyinglac's; a nagging thought in his head said he was forgetting something. He shrugged. The answer would come soon enough if it was important.

000

They returned to the main road once more, and Macintosh pointed east.

“There's a lake at the center of the woods. Would ya be interested in some swimmin'?”

She agreed, and the two continued onward.

“So,” Macintosh spoke as they walked together. “I don't think I've ever asked too much 'bout yer kin. I know ya said they were farmers, but that's 'bout it.”

“Nothing much to say, really. My mother and father both were far from thrilled at my departure, but we still speak through letters on occasion. As for my brother, I haven't spoken to him since I left.”

“What they like?”

Zecora pondered on this for a moment. “Stubborn and set in their ways. Like most farmers I know.” She smiled.

“Hey now,” Macintosh replied, though there wasn't any heat in his voice.

“Stubborn isn't always a bad thing. It lets you hold your ground, even against the odds.”

“Ya know, most ponies wouldn't see it that way,” the giant said.

“I'm not most ponies.” The zebra smirked, gesturing at her stripes.

“I reckon not.” He drawled, returning the smile as he ducked to avoid a low branch on the path.

“Wait, Big Mac. Do you hear that?” Zecora questioned, stopping the workpony in his tracks.

He strained his ears, focusing on the surrounding area. Macintosh was just about to give up, when he heard it. The sound of a filly crying, just ahead.

“Sounds like it's comin' from the lake,” the red stallion said, moving his body quicker down the path. “We'd best make sure everythin's ok.”

“Right behind you,” his companion replied, joining him at a brisk canter.

000

They burst into the clearing by the lake; the first thing they noticed was Sweetie Belle by herself, crying near the shore.

Mac quickly walked over to her and sat down, putting a reassuring hoof on her small shoulders. The filly let out a startled yelp; upon seeing who it was, she dove into Macintosh, crying louder.

“Hush now,” he soothed, wiping away a tear with his gigantic hoof. “What's got ya'll so upset?”

“A-Applebloom.” She sniffed. “She's in the lake.” At that, Sweetie Belle began hiccuping in between her sobs. Macintosh felt his entire body turn to ice. He tightened his grip on the gray unicorn.

“Where in the lake, Darlin'?” he briskly asked, rising.

“Th-the center,” Sweetie Belle sobbed. “Scootaloo and Tilting went down to help her, but they haven-”

At that, Scootaloo burst out of the water, gasping for breath as she held Applebloom's body. It looked limp and loose, bouncing at Scootaloo's side.

“Oh Celestia. Oh Celestia,” Macintosh stammered, fighting panic. He dove into the water and swam hard to the orange filly. “Give her over,” Macintosh ordered.

“No,” the pegasus snapped.

“Damn it girl, I mean what I'm sayin-”

“Tilting's stuck down there, there's no way I'm strong enough to free him,” Scootaloo argued. “I'll take Applebloom to shore. Help him!” she commanded.

“Son of a bitch,” Mac snarled in frustration at the turn of events, taking a gulp of air and submerging.

Scootaloo took Applebloom to the shore and gently placed her on her back.

Zecora leaned over and put her head to the filly's chest.

“Heartbeat is still strong. I can bring her back, provided I don't take long.” The zebra sighed in relief, pulling the filly's head back and opening her mouth.

Zecora took a deep breath, and put her lips to Applebloom's, exhaling into the pony's mouth. Upon doing that, she put her hooves to the filly's chest, pressing down on it once, twice, three times. She took another breath; exhaled onto Applebloom's mouth once more.

The zebra pushed once more onto the yellow filly's chest and continued her cycle, hoping, praying it would work.

000

Macintosh swam to the bottom of the lake. He quickly noticed Tilting Windmills entangled in seaweed and floating lifelessly in its wrappings. The farmpony swam towards the overall clad stallion and grabbed him by the waist. Mac grunted loudly and pulled with all the strength he could. He was rewarded by a stirring of mud as he ripped the seaweed out of the ground by its roots and freed the stallion. Macintosh grabbed Tilting and rose up.

The red stallion broke the water with a deep inhale of air, his lungs still burning from his underwater excursion. He ignored the pain, something he was becoming quite adapt at doing, and swam for shore.

Mac watched Zecora working on Applebloom as he approched; he felt the urge to vomit at seeing his little sister looking so empty. He squashed these feelings, however, and got to work, moving out of the water and placing the stallion in front of him, opening his mouth and preforming the same form of resuscitation the zebra was.

Their actions were not in vain; Applebloom started to cough and sputter, water coming out of her mouth as she took a big breath of air, nearly hyperventilating as she weakly tried to stand. Zecora kept her down.

“Rest now, little one. You'll still be weak after what you've done.”

“Uh-huh,” Applebloom slowly grunted, still dazed from her ordeal.

Her two friends watched in relief as Applebloom spoke, they both rushed over to speak to her.

Zecora gave a pointed look at the fillies. “You two need to go home. She'll be fine tomorrow; then you three can go out and roam.”

“B-but-” Scootaloo started, but was promptly stopped by Zecora shaking her head. “Ok...” the orange filly reluctantly replied. “You sure she's fine now?”

“I swear that as a fact, and the ability to break promises is something I lack,” Zecora stated, standing and moving towards Macintosh.

“Alright,” Scootaloo said. “Come on, Sweetie Belle. Let's go back to Ponyville.”

The gray unicorn agreed, silently wiping away the tears she had been crying.

“How does our friend seem?”

“He seems ta be unconscious,” Mac drawled sarcastically.

“You know what I mean,” Zecora curtly responded.

His expression softened. “Sorry. Jus' a bit...” He took a breath, rising from Tilting's side. “Jus' got a bit of frayed nerves, is all. Had a naggin' feelin' in the back of my mind up until now that Applebloom might...” he stopped there, biting his lip as his eyes watered. “Naw. Never mind. She's safe now, so I can't think like that.” The stallion gestured down by his hooves. “As for Tiltin', I got the water out, an' he's breathin' normally, so I think he'll be fine once he wakes up.”

The zebra and stallion loaded Tilting onto Mac's back as Zecora helped Applebloom to her hooves. The three that were able to began the walk back to the Acres.

“Quite the first date,” Zecora quipped with forced cheerfulness.

“Ain't in the mood, darlin',” Macintosh replied tiredly.

000

Tilting opened his eyes, slowly taking in the fact that he wasn't helplessly trapped underwater. Rather, he was in a familiar, faintly lit room; one of the Apple family's guests room, to be precise. The stallion felt the comfortable mattress under his back and groaned in pleasure as it relieved a bit of his pain. The groan turned into a sudden coughing fit, his body was wracked with spasms as he rose to a sitting position, covering his mouth with a hoof.

“Whoa there,” a mare drawled, reaching from the side of the bed and placing a hoof on his back, thumping it lightly.

“Thank you, Jack,” Tilting said, once his fit died down.

She said nothing, sitting down on a stool by the bed. “Ya know, I can't help but get the feelin' of Dijon view.”

He turned, blankly facing the mare. “Come again?”

“Ya know, 'Dijon view.' When ya've had the same experience multiple times. Twi' taught me 'bout it.”

“I... see...” Tilting blinked. “Mayhaps it is a term I am unfamiliar with.”

She leaned forward. “Well, I'm jus' sayin', it seems like yer gettin' watched over 'bout every time ya'll go ta sleep.” AJ smiled.

“I will take it over the alternative of death,” the stallion said grimly, glancing out the window towards the cloudy night. “How long have I sat in slumber?”

Applejack thought for a moment, tapping her hoof against her chin. “'Bout six hours or so.”

“I see.”

They both sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. The orange pony finally broke it.

“Macintosh told me that ya had got tangled up into some seaweed.”

“Indeed. 'Tis not my most graceful act, I can assure you.”

“Ya could have died, Tiltin',” AJ somberly replied. “But ya did it tryin' ta save Applebloom, so I ain't sure what ta say 'bout it.”

“'Tis true. My mortal coal could have been snuffed out during my attempt at rescue,” he agreed. “But 'tis the risk a Knight takes every day for his-”

“It ain't no game, Tiltin'. It's yer life,” Applejack snapped, up off her stool in a heartbeat.

“My life is forfeit if it means helping somepony that needs it. 'Tis simply a way of life for us.” He smiled gently, accepting her anger. “Self sacrifice and the willingness to put oneself in danger are the main pillars of the Royal guard, Jack. You and your brother follow it as well, as evidenced by my drawing of breath.”

“But-”

“No buts, Jack,” Tilting nearly whispered, speaking as kindly as possible. “T'would be folly if I abandoned the calling my mark showed me.”

“Mark?” Applejack asked, unsure of what else to say.

The brown maned pony rose, popping his back and leaving his 'armor' on the footrest of the bed.

“Please, follow me. I shall explain to the best of my ability,” The stallion said, heading out of the scarcely decorated room, down the stairs and out the front door.

000

Macintosh lay in the cool grass off to the side of the house, sipping a bottle of whiskey as he observed the night. He normally just would have a glass or two a week, but tonight... well, he was just surprised he could hold the bottle in his hooves without dropping it, as hard as he was still shaking.

He had nearly lost Applebloom. That thought alone terrified him enough to nearly cause him to whimper. If it hadn't been for Tiltin,' and her friends...

Macintosh took another drink, gazing up towards the cloudy sky.

The sound of the front door opening caught his attention. Tilting Windmills soon peaked out, followed closely by Applejack. They didn't notice him as they silently walked together, heading towards the back fields. The red stallion made a mental note to talk to Tilting sometime soon. That colt helped save Applebloom's life, something Mac wanted to thank him for.

A few minutes after their departure, the front door opened once more. Braeburn squinted his eyes, looking all around the porch. His eyes caught sight of Macintosh, and he smiled, walking over to the taciturn stallion.

“Evenin',” Breaburn called out, walking toward Mac and sitting down nearby.

“Evenin',” Mac repeated, taking another sip of his bottle, before offering it to his cousin.

“Thank ya kindly,” the cowpony drawled, reaching over and grabbing the bottle, taking a sip of the brew. He winced, shutting his eyes briefly as the drink went through his system.

“Damn, strong,” he said.

“Eyup.” Macintosh nodded.

Braeburn glanced up at the sky, handing the bottle back to Mac. “Zecora told me she was worried 'bout ya. I figured I'd come outside an' see what was up,” The vest clad pony said.

“Side from the obvious?” Mac dryly replied, gesturing lazily with a hoof towards the house. Well, at least vaguely towards the house; his hoof-eye coordination was a bit lacking at the moment.

“Ain't yer fault, Mac. That sorta stuff happens ta fillies and colts all the time. Think'a all the dumb stuff we did.” He easily slipped into an example, “Like, ya remember that one time me, you and Caramel went to that cave in Whitetail Wood an ya fell an cracked yer skull real bad?”

“Eyup.”

“I reckon' yer feelin' like yer Pa did that night.”

He thought for a moment, frowning into his drink. “I might be,” he agreed. “I just... I shoulda...” The earth pony scowled at his inability to form words. “I feel like I shoulda done more, ya know?”

Braeburn shook his head. “Ain't nopony got hurt, Mac. Ya did good.”

Macintosh tensed up as he lay on the ground, taking another belt of whiskey. “But, what if I hadn't been 'round? What if I hadn't got to Tiltin' in time, or-”

“If ya spend all yer life thinkin' 'bout the 'what if's,' ya'll will miss out on the 'what are's,'” Braeburn casually interrupted, sitting up and reaching his hoof out for Mac's drink. He swallowed another mouthful and nearly gasped at the strength of the beverage.

“Sides,” The cowpony continued with a grin, watching the disappearing figures of Applejack and Tilting Windmills on the horizon. “I think he would have been able to get outta the lake, even if ya hadn't been 'round.”

“I doubt it, he was-”

Braeburn cut him off with a laugh. “Ya kiddin'? He woulda been fine. Ya ain't never heard the sayin', 'Celestia looks after children an fools?'” The stallion leaned close to Mac, putting his hoof by his mouth in a stage whisper. “Well, I reckon he's a bit old ta be a boy, ain't he?”

Macintosh cracked a smile at that. “One outta two ain't too bad. 'Course, we're all fools one way or t'other. Least he's got good intentions.”

Braeburn rose, swishing the bottle around with his hooves. The stallion heard just a bit left inside, so he tilted the bottle back, finishing it off in one pull. He put it to the ground and offered his hoof to the giant pony below him.

“Let's get ya inside. I'm sure Zecora's missin' ya.”

“Eyup,” Mac drawled, grabbing Braeburn's offered hoof.

The stallion adjusted his hat and grunted, hoisting his cousin up.

“Gain a couple more pounds, an I doubt I'd be able to get ya up.”

“That a fat joke?” Macintosh lazily drawled, stumbling slightly.

“Me? Makin' a joke at yer expense when I know ya'll are too gone to get a good swing on me? Never.” He grinned, standing by Macintosh's side and guiding him towards the welcoming light of the house.

000

Tilting escorted Applejack to the open, grass covered hill they had stood on last night. A gentle breeze ruffled their fur, and made the grass sway to an unspoken song.

The stallion took a step forward, looking up as Luna's moon struggled to pierce the clouds obscuring it.

“Jack,” he started, his tone serious and honest, “Gaze upon my flank.”

The farmer blinked in confusion at his request. “Do what now?” she finally stammered.

“My mark,” he clarified.

“Oh.” AJ chucked. “I didn't even know ya had one. I didn't notice it when I was checkin' ya out after ya'll got broke outta stone, anyway.”

She glanced at his flank and saw nothing but his yellow coat.

“Uh, sugarcube? I still don't see nothin',” she said.

“Look closer,” He stated, still staring up towards Luna's majesty.

Applejack shrugged and brought her face forward, nearly touching his side. Then she saw it. The mark was about the size of one of Applejack's freckles- a small, diminutive white mark in the shape of a four sided star.

“An astrology cutie mark?” she guessed.

“Neigh,” he replied. “It is a mark that shows my worth as a Knight, and has made many a stallion envious!”

“How? It's jus' a dinky ol' star- no offense,” she quickly covered up.

“'Tis nothing of the sort, Jack. It shows my Quest- it sums my journey though life in a way that words could never describe.”

“Quest?” Applejack repeated.

Tilting smiled without a trace of arrogance, obviously pleased to share his feelings. “It is the mission of each true Knight! His duty... neigh, his privilege,” He stopped for the briefest of moments, forming words to express himself with. He settled on five. “To dream. The impossible dream.”

The farmer shook her head as the stallion's words sunk in. “I don't really ge-”

The Knight silenced her with a raised hoof, nearly touching her lips. She held her ground at the sudden action, giving the slightest of nods for him to continue after a beat. “To fight, the unbeatable foe,” he explained.

She still didn't understand, but let the stallion speak regardless.

“To bear, with unbearable sorrow,” Tilting continued. If he sensed her confusion, he didn't let on. “To run... where the brave dare not go.”

Applejack simply listened as he continued to pour out his soul.

The brown maned pony frowned, his amber eyes recalling an event only he was aware of. “To right, the unrightable wrong,” he slowly said.

Tilting paused, searching again for words to continue as he looked up towards the obscured moon. “To love; pure and chaste, from afar.”

The yellow pony moved past Applejack, as if talking to an unseen specter. “To try. Even if you're tired and weary.” His frown contorted into a thin line of determination. As if on cue, the clouds parted slightly, letting a strong beam of moonlight cover the land the stallion stood upon.

“To reach... the unreachable star!” Tilting's voice proudly stated.

Applejack observed him, feeling as if her hooves were planted- had taken root to the soil. She briefly thought of how she'd look once sprouted, but shook that errant though away as briskly as it came.

The Knight turned back to AJ, walking closer to her as he spoke. “This is our Quest, Jack. To follow that star. Surely thou know of it?”

“No, Tiltin'. I ain't never heard of that.” She shook her head.

“You must!” He promptly replied, pointing to Applejack. “Thou are a Royal guard, and as such, thine heart surely must know!”

She blinked, continuing to be surprised at his words. “I ain't no guard, Tiltin'. Ya'll are seein' my heart wrong.”

“Neigh. I simply gaze inside of you and I see purity and tenacity.” He shook his head vigorously in disagreement.

“I'm jus' a simple farmpony. Honest truth,” The mare swore, putting one hoof on her heart and raising the other slightly above her head.

“Discord has thou in his wicked grasp,” he said in complete confidence.

Tilting's face softened once more as he spoke, “I know thee well enough to know the way you carry yourself is a far cry from a 'simple farmpony.' Search thine heart, Jack,” He commanded.

Tilting's face turned once again to the sky above. “Does thou feel it? The yearning to follow the star? Even if hopeless or far away? The urge to fight for righteousness, without a question, or even pause?” He grit his teeth, stepping past Applejack and warily observing something unseen once more. “The willingness to suffer though the pangs of hell, if the cause is heavenly?” he loudly asked.

Applejack was ready to snap at him with a sharp retort at the suggestion of her being under Discord's power, but the orange mare stopped. Instead, she bit her lip, overwhelmed by his honesty- maybe not in the normal sense of what was the truth, but in the sincerity and eagerness of his attempts to follow his Quest. She swallowed, and felt the slightest pangs of sympathy towards the stallion. “Ya know, Tiltin, yer really somethin',” she said after a beat, not sure if it was an insult.

“'Something' is better than nothing, Jack,” the Knight stated proudly. “I know if I only follow the Quest, I'll be able to sleep in peace, even at my cold, uncaring end.”

The stallion kept a rigid, militaristic pose as he finished. “Not only Equestria, but the world will be better for my attempts. Even if I'm scorned or covered with the nicks of one thousand blades,” He glanced at Ponyville's direction briefly, before taking a breath and wiping his eyes.

“I'll continue until I cannot anymore, Jack. I must reach that star.”

000

Applejack lay sprawled out on her bed, looking out the window at the slowly brightening line on the horizon. After Tilting had told her of his Quest, she hadn't said much; rather, they both returned to the house and bid one another goodnight. AJ had been awake since.

She grunted in irritation, turning and laying on her stomach, staring at the headrest.

AJ wasn't a cultured or well learned pony, but his words had struck a chord within her, ringing with an honest, admirable truth. His desire to help the greater good was a sincere one, and despite the lies he had spun earlier about where he was from and what sort of accomplishments he had done, this Quest proved to her that he was a pony she could trust completely. Hay, even without that, the stallion had helped save Applebloom's life, nearly losing his own in the process. That alone made Applejack respect him.

She turned over once more, looking up at the ceiling.

It was hard to believe that she was respecting something Discord had potentially caused, the embellishments of feats and all the fancy talk he was speaking sounded like something the God of Chaos would do for laughs.

Or would it be?

She frowned at the stray thought, treating it like a fly landing on a piece of apple pie. She tried to shoo it away, but it kept buzzing around her head, drawing her attention.

It hit her finally; she was surprised she didn't think of it earlier.

Discord would love to make somepony crazy like Tilting was; that was his idea of fantastic entertainment. However, one thing bugged her. The other ponies that were unable to resist his influence had no real redeeming qualities regarding their character. She became a liar, Rarity was obsessive and greedy, Pinkie was bitter, Rainbow Dash became a delusional coward, and Fluttershy was... well, AJ didn't want to think of what Fluttershy was. Regardless, none of the ponies even showed the slightest trace of good in them, so what stopped Discord from taking away Tilting's drive to follow his Quest? It didn't make sense to Applejack.

She paused, taking a breath as her thoughts continued to revolve repeatedly around her mind. AJ was one of the most honest ponies around; she valued truth above almost everything else, treating it like a gem that was never to be spent, only stored away like a precious keepsake. However, if it turned out that his Quest was nothing more than a fantastic lie invented by a diseased brain, well, she would almost prefer falsehoods.