Big Mac's Journey to Nightmare City

by cheesemeister

The Tainted Soils of Home

Fortunately for Big Mac, Nightmare Moon and General Apple Doom left without seeing him.

“What the hay am I gonna do” Big Mac asked himself. “I’ve ended up in some kind of terrible alternate world where my friends are my enemies.”

Big Mac thought for another minute. He realized that there must be a counterpart of himself in this alternate universe. He supposed that his counterpart must be every bit as awful as his sister’s counterpart. He wondered how he could find out more about himself, so he could know how he was supposed to behave if anyone who knew him encountered him. He decided to make his way to Sweet Apple Acres to do a little spying. He came up with an alias for himself, in case he was spotted at the same time as his counterpart.

Fortunately, the layout of the alternate universe was nearly an identical copy to the layout of Equestria, but that was where the similarity ended. The sun never rose in this somber dimension. Miserable creatures milled about, doing enforced tasks in a state of fear. Big Mac stuck to the back roads. Eventually he came to this universe’s counterpart of his home.

“Bad Apple Acres,” Big Mac mused. “Well, that don’t surprise me none. I’m just gonna hang back and watch and listen. Sure am hungry. I don’t imagine anyone will notice if I just take one.”

Big Mac no sooner bit into the apple that he found lying on the ground than he spat it out. The taste was awful. He heard hoof beats coming down the path, so he hurried to hide in a small grove of trees. He saw a pony who looked similar to Twilight Sparkle approaching, but the malevolent look in her eyes told him that the similarity to Twilight Sparkle ended with her physical appearance.

General Apple Doom came down the path to meet Twilight Sparkle’s doppelganger.

“Well, Blacklight Gloom, I imagine Princess Nightmare Moon told you of our little plan,” said General Apple Doom. “The others should be here soon, but I wanted you to have first choice of which territory you would like to rule over.”

“That’s very generous of you, General Apple Doom,” Blacklight Gloom said with an evil snarl that sent a chill up Big Mac’s spine. “I would like to subjugate whichever territory is most in need of being terrorized into submission. After all, spreading fear and hate is my specialty.”

“Yes ma’am, it sure is,” General Apple Doom chuckled. “Why don’t you step inside for a sip of sweet apple cider while we discuss it?”

Big Mac’s stomach growled. He wondered if there was a chance that he could steal a sip of sweet apple cider. The rulers must have their own special crop of apples, while those they ruled with an iron hoof were forced to eat terrible-tasting ones. He slunk through the shadows, following General Apple Doom and Princess Blacklight Gloom.