//------------------------------//
// What They Deserve 
// Story: Back To The Past 
// by Onomonopia 
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Applejack hummed to herself as she walked down the clear path, surprised to see that the leaves in the trees were still a bright green when it was so close to winter. She shrugged and figured that it wasn't her place to question, so instead she adjusted the harness of her cart and continued to trudge along. She did enjoy hearing the birds sing and the warmth of the sun on her coat, causing a content smile to cross her face.

But the smile quickly faded when she saw a figure resting on the side of the road, a pony that had a straw hat over his eyes that prevented Applejack from seeing his face. But she was still able to see the white kimono that covered his body, one that reminded her of the one that she had worn not too long ago.  Then her eyes shifted to the blade that hung at his waist, making her curious as to who used a sword in this day and age. But there was something familiar about the pony, she just couldn't place her hoof on it.

She opened her mouth to say something to the stranger before he stood up and walked slowly over to her, a warm and inviting  smile on his face as he approached. He lifted his hat slightly so she could see into his eyes, seeing a kindness within them that she had only seen within her own family. For a minute the two just looked at each other, before the samurai bowed to her.

"Hello. They call me Jack. And you are Applejack, are you not?" the samurai called Jack asked her.

"Uh, yes ah ah'm. What can ah do fer ya?" she asked him with a nervous laugh as he lifted his head back up and smiled at her, before he extended his hoof to her.

"You may not know it, but you and your friends have done much for me. You have helped me through many of my troubles and helped me to find peace within myself," the samurai explained, his words making Applejack wonder if she had met him before. "All I ask in return is that I be allowed to shake your hoof."

"Well, yer welcome fer all that stuff...ah guess," Applejack said as she extended her hoof and grabbed hold of the samurai's...only for a flash of silver to erupt in her mind as memories surged through her. She gasped as memories she knew she didn't have--but felt too real to be false--flashed across her mind, from meeting the samurai to the battle they fought together, as well as him being accepted into her family,how the two had grown close to each other and finally the sacrifice he had made to save her land from Aku. The visions ended as abruptly as they began, leaving AJ to collapse to her hooves with tears streaming down her face as she looked up at the samurai, truly seeing him for the first time.

"Jack...it's you," she whispered, Jack nodding in response. She then let out a laugh before hurling herself at Jack, shattering her harness while also tackling the samurai to the ground as she pressed her lips against his. The two stayed like that for a moment before AJ began to laugh again, tears streaming down both of their faces as they stared into each others eyes. "But how? Yer wish. Ah thought...that Libra...how are ya here?"

"By doing what led me to this world in the first place. I followed my heart," Jack explained to her. "But I could never truly forget about you, even with time rewound and my memories erased. After all, its not everyday a samurai meets an orange pony in a cowboy hat who wrestles a vine monster."  AJ's eyes watered at his words and she pulled him close once again, sobbing slightly to herself as Jack wrapped his arms around her tight. The two remained like that until they lost track of time, yet eventually AJ raised her head and looked at Jack with wide eyes.

"Wait a moment, if my memories are right, then that means everything we did was undone," she realized, getting Jack to nod. "That means there's a whole lot of ponies that need our help across Equestria. Tirek, the wolf ponies...even that vine monster that lives here. And then eventually Aku..."

"It seems like it will be quite the journey. Is my partner willing to come with me one more time?" AJ's eyes answered for her and she got off of Jack while offering a hoof to him, helping him up as the two smiled at each other. They then both turned towards the forest with smiles on their faces before rushing off into their adventure, both ready to relive the past.

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//; ;\\

"Called it. Pay up," the hooded figure with the silver coat said with a fist pump as he watched the two ponies run off, smirking as a sigh echoed throughout his skull.

'And here I thought I knew heroes better than you.'

"Just goes to show, you still know nothing about people. Jack follows his heart. Always has and always will."

'But are you sure this is the right decision? The events that were undone could just as easily happen again.'

"Nah, I've put a few things in place to prevent Aku from finding this place again. Besides, Jack remembers everything that happened, so he'll be prepared this time. Who knows? Maybe he'll combine the sword's magic with the Rainbow Power and finally defeat Aku once and for all."

'Stop being an optimist Ryan, it's scaring me. But it was kind of you to give them another chance together, especially since you defied a god to do so.'

"Who cares if he's a god?  Seriously, trying to make Jack pick between his only chance at beating Aku and his love. Who does that? Libra can go f*** himself...seriously, you're still censoring me?"

'It is one of the perks of being merged with you.'

"I swear, if I wasn't already dead, you would be...you feel that?"

'I did. He's conducting again.'

"Well let's hope this time we can catch his sorry ass," the silver figured snarled before looking down at Jack one last time with a genuine smile crossing his face. "Enjoy your happiness here, Jack. God knows that you've earned a happy ending." Then the figure snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash of silver, leaving the two ponies to rewrite a story that already had an end.