Apples: Immortal Tree

by Julia

ENDGAME I

Applejack dreamt of the Skyline once again. She walked across the nonexistent floor of the dimension and came to Megan, who was sitting on the ground and eating an apple. Megan was her younger self, and she seemed happy to see Applejack, as she ran to her and hugged her. "Megan? What's goin' on?"

"Applejack! I have seen the things which are unexplainable! My eyes can't stop moving from back and forth, and I know that it is too good to be true, you have to come with!" Megan took Applejack by the hoof and ran with her, bringing her to an edge of the Skyline and showing her a land where ponies, humans, dragons, griffins, and many other creatures lived in harmony.

No one there ate anything meat-based, and all were stuck in pure happiness. The sky was bright and blue, the sun and moon and stars all in the same sky. Equal day and night fell upon the world and orbited to give each and every side an equal amount of light and darkness. The ground was fertile, and the rocks and dirt were gems upon gems.

Angelic creatured flew around in the sky, twirling around a being of intense flames and blinding lights. A golden snake head spun around it in zeal, and many golden wheels with round emeralds within them flew around it. The angelic beings were both humans and ponies, symbolizing that those two races were the master races of the universe as a whole.

The being in the middle picked up Applejack with a golden magic, bringing her closer until she was completely engulfed in the magical golden flames, and the angels and angel ponies sung in harmony with the beings below,

"Holy Virgin! Young and Sweet! Broken away from her chains of sin, now the black of the dirt is washed away by the golden light and blood of the Most Favored, Megan!"

Megan was taken by a dark light, and a being of pure darkness and red, violet, and blue stars grabbed her with its hands. The being cackled as it used its darkness to pull out a heart of golden light from Megan's chest. Megan screamed in pain, and Applejack cried out Megan's name. The creatures above and below kept singing the chant over and over,

"Holy Virgin! Young and Sweet! Broken away from her chains of sin, now the black of the dirt is washed away by the golden light and blood of the Most Favored, Megan!"

The being of darkness devoured the heart of gold and left Megan's body to be eaten by the snake. Applejack screamed, as she was taken into the being of light's body and became cloaked in a dress that was close to her Demiurge form. A glowing golden collar on a purely white as glass dress with a dress tail resembling a snake. A white horn was mounted on her head with large white wings to match, and with this, her mane proceeded to turn white as her cutie mark disappeared. Her eyes turned from green to pure white, like Twilight's eyes when she is overtaken by her magic's full potential.

She looked down at the angels circling her, and their fires engulfed her and detonated, sending a blast of magic in all directions, including one that pierced the throat of the being of darkness, striking Megan and sending a cloud of her blood in all directions, raining down on everyone in its way.

"Applejack!"

Applejack found herself in the Skyline again, as Megan, in her goddess form, was being entwined with the tendrils of the dark being. She tried to pull Megan away, but the darkness punched her away and began to laugh. "Megan! Please! Don't go... Why are you doing this?"

"Applejack, I know you feel quite in shambles from this... but it is for the best. I'm giving up my pure heart for you... You're slipping deeper into darkness, ever since you have cleared yourself, you couldn't really get rid of that darkness which lingered in you since my death. It is the darkness which created the disharmonies in the world today, and you were slowly giving birth to another."

"But Megan, Ah--That's impossible! Ah have felt better since I told the truth! The darkness should be gone now!"

"Applejack. You don't understand. The first victory was only a slight covering for the Rainbow of Darkness within you, it even seeped into many different dimensions within the Tree of Life. This will guarantee that we halt its progress and possibly you and your friends can use the Elements of Harmony to destroy it immediately before it causes any damage."

"Megan! What will happen to you? And what do you mean by the Rainbow of Darkness? I thought we destroyed that a long time ago!"

"My last words to you, Applejack... will be the ones you cling on to the most until this problem is solved... I know that you and I have not spent much time together after my death, and I know how that fairs on your feelings. I'm sorry we missed out on what could have been so much, and I take the blame for it completely. It's my fault that darkness was inside of you, it's my fault the Rainbow of Darkness was reborn inside of you... but look, if it gets out of control, I can't assure that what happened last time won't happen again. You, Twilight, and the others must use the Sephirot of my soul within you to unlock the full potential of your souls. The Elements of Harmony with harmonize your energies and with your soul, to make coming to the white realm to cure it that much easier! Now, you must hurry, Applejack! The beast in front of you is the true Demiurge! It plans to eat the entire Tree of Life and remake it within the depths of Tartarus, creating the fabled Hell of our time. You must bring your friends back to the Universalis Unicorns and Celestial Pegasi of the old realm to gain their knowledge of the secrets of our world. I am sure they knew, as they are the ones really who set us up... They are the real villains here... but with all that aside, I'm truly sorry, Applejack. For everything, I should have tried to spend more time with you, but--"

Applejack ran to Megan, hugging her tightly as her body began to be torn to shreds by the black tendrils which held on to her and had pierced her skin. Applejack was bawling, tears pouring, her legs wrapped around Megan tightly, her body trembling. "Stop! Don't say anything anymore about that! I know how sorry you feel, and every time you see me, I can feel it in you that you regret not spending more time with me! But don't you think I get tired of seeing you suffer about it just as much as you do? Huh?!"

Megan dropped to her knees, with her arms around Applejack, squeezing her. She nuzzled her and began to cry as well. "I...I know, Applejack. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am... Honest!"

"Honest? Well, I guess I ought to be honest too. Megan, I love you."

"Well, coming on to me?"

"Oh... Megan?! You don't think I--"

Megan laughed, looking Applejack in the eyes as she began to disappear into a bright light which sparkled in the direction of the gaping mouth of razor sharp teeth accompanied by the watching eyes of the Demiurge. "I love you too, Applejack. When you see Twilight, tell her I said the same to her. And to Posey, and to Firefly, to Sparkler, to Spike--"

"They have new names now, but I'll be sure they know how much of a good person you are... I... I'll miss you Megan. Even though we didn't have no times here... I'm glad we had our times in the other world. I appreciate them..."

Megan was about to say something else, but her voice faded to a whisper as she disappeared from sight and gave her spirit to Applejack, as her body was devoured by the Demiurge.

"Well, it seems you have become as well rounded pony since I've inhabited you, Applejack!" the beast laughed as it approached Applejack, but was halted by her glow of holy energy and magic. "In this realm, you have become the true god! And I applaud that, but even a god can't stop the chaos I am about to ensue! You cannot stop the Endgames! No matter how hard you try, you can't stop the end from happening, and I'm sure you saw that with your sappy last encounter with Megan. You can't use Elements to stop me, or Nightmare! Or Tartarus! We all will rise against your puny world and take it for our own... I tried to use you, but you couldn't be converted, as you truly are the Holy Virgin of the legends. I will let you live for now, as I have just been presented to freedom since the last time we met... until we meet again, this is goodbye."

"I don't care what you think, or what you plan to do! I'll stop you... Me and my friends! We won't fall to somepony like you, and as long as I rule Skyline, the world will go on forever!" Applejack shouted, shooting forth a blast of golden flaming magic at the Demiurge, who dodged and made a swift escape. Soon, Luna joined her in the Skyline again, and she pat Applejack's back.

"So, are you truly an Alicorn?" Luna asked her, with a look of concern. "If you do come back in this form, I don't think the world will be able to handle it."

"This is only my Glory," Applejack said with a chuckle. "This form is only visible while within the Skyline. When I go back, I'll still have all of my powers and whatnot."

"You say it as if I'm completely familiar with it, but I must see these so called powers of your's! They sound awesome and amazing!"

"Sorry, Princess Luna, but didn't ya hear? If we don't prepare like Megan told us too, then it'll mean trouble!"

Luna blushed quite heavily. "Oh, my deepest apologies, I was merely entrapped in what wonders you hold in store with your experience and abilities."

"Trust me, it's amazing, but it ain't the point right now! We gotta get back and prepare ourselves for trouble, the Demiurge could be back soon at any minute!"

Luna nodded. "Right!" she exclaimed excitedly as she watched Applejack use her magic to open a portal back to the real world. Applejack returned to normal after she walked through, and they ended up in Applejack's bedroom.

---