Applejack shivered as the magic coiled around her. “A-are y’all sure of this,” she said, her voice wavering.
Fluttershy nodded, smirking. “Join the ranks, Applejack. We need you by our sides.” Twilight smiled as the spell intensified; Applejack simply gulped and closed her eyes.
She heard the storm outside. The fearsome gale seemed almost peaceful - she had always liked the rain. She could practically feel it on her skin: smooth droplets, prickling her with coolness as it soaked through her fur. She could hear thunder, causing her fur to stand on end as her mind wandered to the scene.
Her mane was soaked, but she was laughing. She was young again, prancing through a rainstorm with glee. Nothing could stop her from doing that, after all. She was wild and free, a rodeo mare through and through.
She stopped as she saw a grown mare in the distance, growing nearer by the second. Her body was bruised, and her hooves looked battered. Something hung around her neck - a sort of pretty gem, it looked like. It hung on the outside of a tattered cloak. It looked as though the cloak had words all over it… it was confusing to look at. Applejack didn’t like it.
The mare kept getting closer. Applejack tried to back away, but as she drew nearer, the cloak looked less confusing. It was very strange. She tried to move back, but the pull to look at the strange mare was so very strong…
Applejack blinked and she was there. The mare was staring into her eyes. Those emerald eyes looked shattered, broken… but so strong. They hypnotized her… whose eyes were those? She knew those eyes! “W-who is that in there,” she said, shouting over the suddenly loud gale of the storm. It whistled in her ears painfully.
The mare smirked and tilted back her head, the hood falling back. Blonde strands tugged loose of a rugged ponytail, falling around her face in a strange beauty. Like the beauty of the storm. Her hair fell around her eyes, shading her face - but not enough that she couldn’t see the scars on the mares face. So many scars; they looked like words. More words. She was so sick of words!
“Who are you,” she screamed above the storm. “Who are you and why’re you here?!”
In response, the mare tore off the cloak. She unravelled it, showing a complete sheet of words. They began to glow. They shone so bright. They hurt. They hurt so very much.
“N-No,” Applejack whispered as they surrounded her. The words blocked out the sound - but they hurt so badly.
AH’M JUST TOO BUSY TO LEAVE NOW
AH CAN’T COME OVER TONIGHT
YES AH DID THE JOB
YES THE BRIDGE IS SAFE
NO AH DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
NO THEY’RE ALIVE
THEY CAN’T BE DEAD
THEY’RE NOT DEAD
AH’LL SEE THEM AGAIN
Applejack screamed as she was surrounded by them - her lies. She knew what these were. They were all her lies… all her lies to herself.
YOUR FRIENDS ARE HONEST
YOUR FRIENDS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE
YOUR FRIENDS DON’T THINK YOU’RE NOT NEEDED
“N-No, those aren’t lies! No, stop this! STOP THIS!”
She looked up to see her - that mare. “You! YOU DID THIS TO ME!”
The mare smirked. She shook her head. “You’re the one who lied, Applejack… You’re the one who did this.”
“What’s this supposed to teach me,” Applejack said, sobbing. “What’s this supposed to mean!?”
“Look at them closely, A.J! Listen t’what they spell out!”
Applejack closed her eyes tightly, sobbing. She still heard them. She’d always heard them. They were why… why she was always so honest…
She gasped as she stood tall, the words disappearing. The storm was over. She was left, dripping. She was all that was left… She picked up the cloak. It was the only thing left dry… She slung it around herself. It was so very warm, this web of lies…
She smiled softly. Honesty was draped around her. Where can honesty be, without first learning the lies? Now she knew how to truly harness them…
“Ah am the Element of Cunning,” she whispered, feeling the element around her neck glow a dark and beautiful amber. She opened her eyes to see her friends around her. That’s right… These were her friends. She smirked. “Thank you, Twilight… Ah feel fantastic.”
Twilight smirked, taking in the cloak her friend now wore. Beneath it was simple armor, basic things she needed to remain safe in the upcoming battles. The cloak had runes inscribed all over it, and her element shone with magic. “You seem to be a mage… How peculiar, yet how fitting.”
“Think of me as an advanced storyteller,” Applejack said with a smirk. “So who’s the next victim?” The remaining three ponies took their honest friend in with trepidation. She seemed so.... different. Rarity looked down while Pinkie gulped. Rainbow Dash scratched her head, catching Applejack’s eyes and quickly turning away. Something seemed unnatural about those emerald pupils now. “Ah think Ah should choose…”
Twilight nodded, leaning against the wall. “We ought to hurry up, before Celestia finds out. No doubt she’ll be onto us eventually.”
Applejack looked the remaining three over. The runes on her cloak began to glow. The ponies ignored it; all but Rarity. Applejack smirked as the alabaster mare turned to her, catching her gaze. “You’re up, Rares.”
Rarity gulped and nodded, stepping forward. Twilight chuckled. “Round 4.” Rarity and Applejack switched places. Rarity shifted around uneasily, nervously glancing at Twilight. "Don't be scared, Rarity," the unicorn said, smiling reassuringly. Somehow, that did very little to comfort her.
Rarity took a deep breath as she watched Twilight's horn and element glow. She refused to close her eyes. Somehow, that would scare her more. She took a deep breath as the dark magic circled her, caressing her fur. It almost felt like a silk gown.
She sighed, trying to relax as the world around her grew darker. She saw her friends, fading away. As the black that surrounded her enveloped her entirely, she closed her eyes for just a moment. When she opened them, they opened wide with surprise.
She wasn’t in Twilight’s anymore. No - she was in… a prison cell?
She looked around, confused. “W-wha…” The walls around her were a drab white, and before her sat a beautiful looking gown. She lifted up her hooves to get closer, but gasped as she felt thin wires dig into them. She put her hooves down quickly - the wires had cut very lightly into her skin. Not enough to bleed, but enough to sting at least. “What’s going on?...”
A knock came at the door. “Another order.”
Her ears twitched. Somehow, without knowing, she knew exactly what the order was - a deep emerald gown with satin lacing and a gold and white trim. She cleared her throat. “I-I would love to make a dress, but my hooves…”
“Finish the order,” the voice said. She shuddered at the emotionlessness of it.
She lifted her hoof slowly, and she heard something - a sort of clicking sound. She glanced to the side to see a sewing machine connected to the razor sharp wire. It moved at an impossibly measured pace. But at least her hoof didn’t hurt.
“Is that order done yet?”
“D-darling, I just star-”
“Finish the order.”
The voice was getting less emotionless now. It sounded angrier. She gulped - she hated to leave somepony down… She was supposed to be generous, correct? Surely speeding this up a little wouldn’t hurt…
She raised her hoof, pulling the wire tighter. She gasped in pain as it started to dig into her hoof - but smiled softly as the sewing sped up. Every artist has to sacrifice a little for their art, yes?
“Another order.”
“How do you expect me to work on two pr-”
“Finish. The. ORDER.”
She flinched and raised another hoof high, biting her lip as another sewing machine whirred to life. The wires felt tighter now.
Another order. Another order. Another order. She was almost certain she was bleeding. She was positive she was crying; her makeup was streaking down her face. Another order. Another order. Another order.
“W-why are you doing this,” she cried as she switched constantly between hooves now, almost in a lopsided, painful dance with the strings as her puppeteers. Her hooves were a bloody red mess now, steadily getting worse the more orders she filled. “Why can’t I just be free?!”
“Finish the order.”
"N-No! No, I don’t want to! Stop this!”
“Finish the order or else.”
Rarity shut her eyes tightly, putting all her hooves down. “No! NO! I refuse to comply! N-No more pain! No more bleeding! I won’t sacrifice ANYMORE!”
She tugged her hoof close to her, crying out as it dug deep - before the wire snapped. She did the same for her other 4 hooves, crying from the pain but gritting her teeth and bearing it. “I won’t be some puppet to you! I’m never going to take that pain again! Now, for the last time - LET ME GO!”
She opened her eyes.
“Oh… Oh my.” Her hooves were adorned with red bands, each. She wore a modest, yet not unattractive, scarlet outfit. Her mane was tied back, still curled, but to the back. She wore a toolbelt now, though encrusted with diamonds. She felt power surging through each of them. A quick spell told her what the belt contained: sutures, aid kids, various potions, creams and salves. “I’m the Element of Healing… I’m never going to hurt myself for others benefit again. It’s time for Miss Rarity to stand a little bit taller.” She smiled; she felt good.
Twilight nodded. “Rarity - our cleric. You’ll be a great help.”
Applejack cast a wary eye to the outside. “We should get a move on. The princesses will get here soon.”
Twilight turned to Pinkie and Rainbow. “You heard her. You two are the last left.” She smirked. “Let’s get this party started.”
Pinkie’s ears perked up at the sound of a party, but she didn’t smile. Somehow, she felt like this wasn’t going to be her type of party…