56 - Rolling Apple
Applejack dashed through the town, charging for the floating home that housed Rainbow Dash. Her progress was abruptly halted as she was hauled from the ground, dangling by her hooves held together in a snare. "Pinkie Pie!"
The pink pony bounced out of a nearby bush. "That's me!"
"Let me down from here right this moment. We don't have a moment ta lose." Applejack flexed and heaved, trying to find leverage to free herself.
"No can do." Pinkie tilted her head. "You don't need that thing anyway, Applejack."
Applejack grunted in annoyance before arcane words began spilling from her. She swelled monstrously, snapping the rope that held her and falling back to the ground. Pinkie waved her hooves, trying to calm Applejack down, but she was already rolling onto her hooves and thundering away from the party pony.
Applejack fretted over how the scythe might be abused or fall into the hands of somepony awful. She arrived just under Rainbow's house. "Rainbow! Git yer flank down here right this second! This ain't funny!"
Rainbow peeked her head off the edge of her cloud. "No way! You just... Applejack, think about what you just did without even hestiating! Sheesh, you blame me for being impulsive."
Applejack thumped the ground with an large hoof. "Ah punished two rotten little fillies. That's what ah did!"
Rainbow leaned a bit more over the side. "You just sent two fillies that don't know anything about fighting, magic, or anything, to Everglow! You've been there! I've been there! You killed them, Applejack. You just killed them. That isn't... the Applejack I know..." She flopped onto the cloud on her belly, mumbling something else too quietly for Applejack to hear.
Applejack raised a hoof towards the house and felt a mild pull. She yanked back against it and the scythe suddenly burst through the bottom of Rainbow's house, flying through the air towards Applejack to land on her back as if it belonged there. Of course it did... Applejack let out a soft breath of relief before nodding at Rainbow. "Maybe I was a mite hasty. Come on down, Dash. We can talk this out, like friends."
Rainbow tensed. She could see the scythe had been reclaimed, though Applejack seemed calm. "You're not super ticked off?"
Applejack shook her head. "You're trying to be a friend. Ah haven't changed." She raised a hoof over her chest. "We're still friends, Rainbow Dash, but you need to not take mah things. That ain't right. If ya think I done wrong, ya tell me that to mah face, without stealin'. Two wrongs don't hardly make a right."
Rainbow slipped off the cloud and landed in front of Applejack. "Sorry, but that thing's way dangerous! Why do you even have it?"
Applejack advanced forward and suddenly threw an leg over Rainbow, pulling her close and almost forcefully nuzzling a cheek. Rainbow's wings fluttered a moment. It wasn't that she disapproved of a hug or affection from AJ, but this was a bit more aggressive than AJ normally was about it. "Yer my friend, Dash. One ah mah best. Ah just want to protect ya. Trust me."
Rainbow looked into Applejack's eyes and saw an intense focus. She felt disquieted, and yet safe. If Applejack said she would be protected, she would be... Nothing in Equestria would stop AJ from keeping her safe... Rainbow stared with half-lidded eyes, about ready to surrender to this powerful magnetism before she suddenly shook her head. "I don't need protection. I'm Rainbow Danger Dash! I do the protecting, Applejack." Rainbow felt... strange all over. Part of her wanted to just roll over and let Applejack be her guardian and protector, but the idea of it angered her. "We're a team!"
Applejack silenced Rainbow with a sudden kiss, and the two sank to the ground, lost to the world for several long moments. Applejack suddenly shrank to her normal size, but that didn't stop the passionate exchange. When Applejack finally did draw back, she was smiling. "Yer the most important mare ah know. Let me protect you."
Rainbow felt intense heat all through her body. As much as her ego demanded she defend the right to stand on her own hooves, she wanted to be loved, and the intense passion Applejack was giving her was so tempting. "I'm... This isn't right. We're part of the same team, AJ. I want to be at your side, not a damsel in distress. Don't you... L-love that part of me?"
Applejack frowned with thought before she gave a hesitant nod, "Yer right..." She got up to her hooves and offered one to Rainbow Dash. "Ya shouldn't be a damsel in distress. Ya should be my right-hoof mare. Maybe that was mah mistake before. Ya can help me stay on the straight and narrow like."
Rainbow accepted the hoof and slid upright. AJ's new proposal felt much better, and she nodded. "Yeah! I can do that." They embraced tightly, the fate of the bullying twins entirely forgotten in the emotional rollercoaster.
Willow stepped back onto the streets of Ponyville. Dinner had been pleasant and educational. The cat wasn't as perfect as first impressions led to believe, which actually comforted her a great deal. Nothing perfect could be trusted. Even the ponies of this colorful world had their little flaws that made them real.
Willow conjured Kalik from the void between worlds, and the flaming cat nodded at her. "This place is new. Where are we?"
"This is Ponyville, in the land of Equestria." Willow waved a paw around. "Our new home."
Kalik chuckled softly. "Your new home. I just visit. Did you conjure me for a battle?"
"Of a different sort." Willow huffed. "I could use some advice."
Kalik tilted her head. "Advice, from me? Are you well, dear mistress?"
Willow leveled a finger at Kalik. "Don't give me guff. My boy's found love, and I plan to be there for him, but that doesn't mean I have to be idle. They have cats here too, same as the ponies you see walking around. Brightly colored, two tails, generally nice folk."
Kalik tilted his head. "You plan to go native then?"
Willow snorted lightly. "Not unless I have to. I'm not giving up my body so casually, but that's not the question." She rolled a paw. "It's more a matter of the heart."
Kalik smiled a little. "We elementals have it easier in that regard. We have no need for that kind of binding, or, you know, messy things that lead to painful births. Still, I've known you a long time. I think you know what to do, but you're afraid to do it. You only live once, little mortal, enjoy the life you've been given."
Willow huffed and sat down. "That simple?"
"Most of life is," agreed Kalik. "We just like making it more complicated. Whatever you decide, I am ever your servant, and your friend."
Willow closed the distance and gave Kalik a soft hug. "I'm sorry for forgetting that last part at times. Thank you for putting up with me."
Kalik nuzzled briefly before slipping out of Willow's grip and stretching out. "Let's look around? I want to see some of this new world. Tell me what you've learned of it."
Willow rose up to her paws, nodding. "We'll start the tour at the town hall." She pointed, then started in that direction. "The ponies are a little timid at times. They'll probably shy away from a cat on fire until they get to know you, but they're quite sweet after that."
The train came to a gentle stop. Twilight led the way off the train. "Well, good luck. Again, if you need anything, just let me know. It's good to have you on our side." She gave a smile to Lex and Sonata, then moved to trot away.
Sonata waved at the departing Twilight before looking to Lex, waiting for him to lead the way forward.
Lex narrowed his eyes at Twilight's comment about sides, but decided that it wasn't worth pursuing, instead looking around. Willow wasn't immediately in sight, and he belatedly realized that he wasn't sure where to find her. Ponyville wasn't a very large town, but even so, the thought of wasting time by aimlessly wandering in search of her was irritating just to consider.
He looked to Sonata. "We should..." he was going to say 'split up,' but that idea died as soon as it was conceived. He didn't want to be apart from her, not when just looking at her sent a thrill of excitement through him. Not when he still felt a sudden spike of joy every time she smiled or nuzzled him. "...find the most populated area and start there."
Sonata tapped her chin. "It shouldn't be, like, too hard. She's the only purrsian in the entire world, right?" She bumped against him before trotting towards the closest knot of ponies she spotted. "Hey guys. Have you, like, seen a winged cat? About this tall?" she held up a hoof. "Kinda grumpy but mostly nice?"
Two of three of the ponies shook their heads, but the last bobbed hers and pointed down the road. "They had another cat with them, on fire! How could I forget that?"
The other two ponies looked suddenly sheepish as they confessed that they actually had forgotten that. "I just didn't want to stare at them, and got away, but they didn't chase me, and then I saw my friends here," explained the stallion simply.
Lex frowned. Why would Willow summon that planar creature of hers here, where there were no obvious threats? Wordlessly, he turned away from the townsponies and picked up his pace as he trotted down the indicated road.
Sonata scooted after Lex, and the two soon came upon Willow and Kalik seated side by side on one of the town benches, apparently pony-watching. They were noticed swiftly, and Willow raised a paw at them, though she didn't seem certain. "Lex? Sonata?"
Sonata quickly nodded. "That's us. Look, we're all Equestrian now." She did a quick turn in place, showing off her form. "Everything went great! You shoulda seen it. We had Celestia, like, eating out of our hands, er, hooves."
"It was a productive meeting," concurred Lex. "Unexpectedly so." He looked at Sonata again as he said that last part, not realizing that he was clearly telegraphing who had made it so productive.
His gaze lingered on Sonata long enough to be telling before he returned it to Willow. "Because of that, we're leaving for Vanhoover, a distant city, later today. I wanted to see to your welfare before I left. Are you and Sunflower doing well here? Is everything alright?"
Kalik snorted, fire licking the air. "Willow hasn't seen Sunflower since he ran off with his new friends. He is taking to this world like a fish returned to water."
Willow elbowed Kalik lightly. "That's a fair summary. I'm glad to hear you're doing well. I'm still finding my place in things." She leaned back a little. "But I think I will. That pink pony said she would work with the others to get us a house, and we'll live here. She even said she could prove that love wasn't impossible to find here. I'm not sure her first pick will be the one I go with, but... I do think she proved her point. Did you know there were cats in Equestria?"
Sonata blinked softly. "Like housecats?"
Willow laughed softly. "Like me, you daft girl. You're darling but you can be really dense at times."
Sonata pouted with a snort. "Well, no, I didn't know that, but you don't have to get mean about it. Anyway! You're looking at mayor Lex Legis now." She thrust a hoof at Lex with a big grin and obvious pride.
Lex's answer to Sonata's statement was an actual smile. Normally he was uncomfortable with receiving praise, since it was so rare that he had little idea how to react. But hearing Sonata's voice apply that title to him was enough to bypass all of that, and he couldn't help his happy response. "We should think of a title for you as well. Something more than spokespony."
Sonata tilted her head at Lex. "Wouldn't I be a Mayoress? Oh!" she looked at Willow. "Just to be, like, totally sure, you're cool?"
Kalik flashed her flaming teeth. "I hope not."
Willow rolled her eyes. "We're both fine. I... Thank you both. I'll find my way from here on my own."
Sonata pointed at Willow curiously. "You going to go Equestrian?"
Willow raised a brow. "Does that involve two tails?" At Sonata's blank expression, she snorted. "I'll stay the way I am until that particular issue is forced on me."
Lex nodded, feeling satisfied that he had fulfilled any remaining obligation to her. He started to turn back towards the train station, but stopped abruptly. Something nagged at him, a sense that he wasn't quite finished with Willow yet.
Pausing, Lex tried to figure out what it was. It wasn't his sense of duty, but instead something more akin to how he felt towards Sonata. His brow furrowed at that. Did he have feelings for Willow too? No, he realized. That wasn't it. It was something else, more like how he'd felt towards Sonata just after the meeting with the royal sisters.
Turning back to the purrsian, he tried to put it into words. "Willow, I...um... you've provided useful insight on more than one occasion, and I..." he rolled a hoof, as though that would make his meaning more clear. "I want you to know that I'm...very aware of the value of that."
Kalik, speaking with the bluntness she was accustomed to, said, "I believe the term you search for is 'Thank you'."
Willow tipped her head towards Lex. "When I first saw you together, I had a feeling you'd work out. All I did was give a little nudge in the right direction. You've returned that gift to me, and I'm going to get walking and stop digging in my paws. Good luck in your new job. The way you're acting, it won't be an easy trip, but I get the feeling it'll be one worth doing."
Sonata bobbed her head quickly. "You got that right. We're gonna get those ponies out of the hole they half dug for themselves. Totally write us a letter or something, alright?" She held out a hoof. "Still friends, right?"
Willow met the hoof with a paw. "Still friends."
Stats
Page generated in 0.023 seconds
Total duration
1,134 users online
1,714,828 hits today, 1,872,792 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
There should be a blank line between that first sentence and the subsequent paragraph.
Huh. I guess AJ still has some magus spells after all.
Maybe those two forgot it, but I rather doubt the rest of the town did. This is far from resolved.
Also, Applejack's stance is really quite insulting. Yes, she's being influenced by a divine artifact (one she can't be separated from, more's the pity,) but still, she's fought alongside others many a time. She should know how much strength is in even as unassuming a mare as Fluttershy. To say nothing of what happened last time she went overprotective with Apple Bloom...
Oh no, this is far from over. They may feel like it right now, but these two are by no means the only ponies in existence.
Meanwhile, Willow is adapting to her new home and Lex is figuring out that strange equine disease called friendship.
6055914
Willow's not equine, you racist.
6055887 Fixed!
6055914 Applejack has claimed what she desires as hers, and rightfully belonged to her the entire time. Of course, it wasn't the first way she tried to grab it, but having Rainbow Dash as a right-hoof mare is about the same as having her as a marefriend, right?
See, she's totally in control of this! She can roll with the punches and be reasonable with ponies. She can quit anytime she wants!
One more step along the road I go, paved and wide and striahgt I go.
Dont mind the sulphur fumes and the hints of demonic cackling in the distance.
Says much for how bad the job of Mayor is, that this is likely the most normal time that LEx and Sonata are going to have for many months.
On thought occurred to me: Willow spent the day (among other things) trying to adjust to the idea that Equestria is so much safer and nicer than Everglow, and she can let down her guard here. I kind of wish she had been at the party. "Mmm, these cupcakes are delicious, everyone is relaxed, I guess nothing really bad does happen her- HOLY SHIT! Applejack just banished those fillies to another dimension!"
Reading this chapter over again, I'm once more struck by the symmetry of how Applejack's star is falling as Lex's is ascending. It's notably ironic that they're apparently going to miss each other by such a small distance, since I suspect that they'd come to blows if they were to meet now. Ah well, such strangeness is far from uncommon.
As is stands now, Applejack is not only being swept up in the darkness of that scythe, but now she's taking Rainbow with her! That a compulsion was being used was fairly obvious to us, but I suspect that neither mare knew that one was being used. Even worse was Applejack's line of thinking, however; someone is never so thoroughly in the thrall of another as when they think that they're in control. So long as AJ can keep justifying her own behavior in her mind, then there'll be little chance of getting through to her - besides the effects of that scythe, of course, and the fact that she now has Rainbow dancing to her tune as well.
What's passing between them here perhaps is the most tragic aspect of this. It's been obvious for some time that AJ and Rainbow have been interested in each other, but never made a move because...reasons, I suppose. But for this to be how it begins, with Applejack unknowingly dominating Rainbow like this, almost certainly guarantees that when things are finally resolved their relationship will fall apart. You can't build something so important on such an unstable base; even if Applejack is herself a victim of that scythe's magic, I'm not sure how much Rainbow can forgive having her mind messed with (or, you know, that AJ did effectively kill two fillies, even if she was enchanted when she did so).
Hopefully, Rainbow will be able to shake this off, but something tells me the last chance of that went by the wayside when AJ stopped trying to brute-force her to be her own little inamorata. If Rainbow feels like she's an active part of this - AJ's "right-hoof mare," as it were - then I suspect that she's going to be kept thoroughly in Applejack's thrall for the foreseeable future. She, for one, will welcome their new Apple overlord. Hopefully Twilight will recognize the symptoms from when Trixie went through something similar, and can get this evil artifact away also (though AJ would remember that as well).
Willow, by contrast, is enjoying the peace and quiet of Ponyville, such as it is. I was glad to hear that her first date with that other cat didn't go so well; all the more so since she drew strength from that, letting her know that she wasn't an imperfect stain on a utopian world. If she thought that she was unworthy, then letting herself heal emotionally would only be that much harder - I also suspect that being able to vent all of her fears and anxieties helped, even if the one she vented them too wasn't her next true love.
Likewise, her goodbye with Lex and Sonata was sweet also, as they reaffirmed that they're still friends. Or at least, Willow and Sonata did. I suspect that Lex was leaning that way, but he was quite clearly pushing himself just to express gratitude towards Willow at all. Still, hopefully the gesture was understood.
As it is, Lex and Sonata's exit seems imminent. My guess is that we'll have one more scene of them either boarding and/or on board the train to Vanhoover, looking forward to starting their new life together, and then they'll exit this story...at least for a while. There's simply no way to split the focus to cover their activities in that city; that would make an interesting fic on its own, but it's not this one...especially not with what's about to go down in Ponyville!
6057233 To Rainbow's considerable credit, she shook off all the attempts to seize her heart forcefully, though some part of her almost wanted to give in, she couldn't, for her own ego, and because she could see that path led only to misery and evil, and that's not the way of the Dash.
6057551 Yeah...and then Applejack changed tactics so that Rainbow was more of a collaborator than a victim, and Rainbow became putty in her hooves.
6058591 Idly, I'm a bit surprised no one's commented on how the story's name has come to pass.
6058717 I...don't think that's quite as obvious as you seem to think it is. The idiom "the apple falls are from the tree" is usually taken as a child not turning out like their parents.
That doesn't really seem to apply here, because we don't really know what Applejack's parents were like; we can make some highly educated guesses, to be sure, but nothing very specific (beyond them being apple farmers). Likewise, we don't really hold that Applejack has "fallen," since what's happened has been due to an external influence; her ability to make decisions has been compromised.
This chapter doesn't work. There are several continuity problems and a whole bunch of people acting out of character.
I'll start with the most obvious problem: Applejack seducing Rainbow. Seduction isn't a tool of law, it's a tool of chaos. A succubus (CE) uses seduction and domination, but an Erinyes (LE) uses true seeing, telepathy and stabbing you in the face. It doesn't matter that AJ is under the influence of the Night Mare because it is equally out of character for that deity. Furthermore, even if the purpose of this whole sub-arc was just to ship AJ and RD, this doesn't get that result. When they are returned to sanity, AJ's violation of RD will leave such a bad taste in their mouths that they can never be romantic together, and might even destroy their friendship. How does Rainbow suddenly trust her when she is merely non-violent? Rainbow just saw her kill two foals -- she even says as much.
Second: Where was Pinkie Pie during all of this? AJ is still in her slower, weaker Everglow body, and Pinkie was faster than her to begin with. Are we supposed to believe that Pinkie just gave up after a single attempt to catch her?
Third: How are they still just talking about this? AJ just murdered two kids in front of dozens of witnesses. If that's legal in Equestria, Lex is fixing the wrong problem. Also consider that these fillies have rich, powerful, overprotective parents. They should be having this conversation during visiting hours at the prison.
Fourth: Willow and Kalik are suddenly best friends. Willow has been treating Kalik like dirt for the entire story so far, and Kalik has been a resentful slave. Even if Willow had a sudden change of heart towards her eidolon, I would expect Kalik to remember all of the abuse.
6058717 It hasn't really. From the hints you gave about AJ's and AB's father, they turned out just like him. (Brainwashing doesn't count)
6058947 You're confusing what the scythe suggests and what Applejack wanted. It's already been fairly strongly clue-bombed that Applejack digs Rainbow Dash in the last story. High on power and full of the feeling that she's doing everything right and with final authority, Applejack tried to act on those feelings.
Most of the ponies in the crowd have no idea what the heck just happened. From what Applejack said, it sounds like she teleported them somewhere. Weird, but not deadly, and not worth freaking out about. Teleporting is not a panic-worthy event.
Pinkie will catch up when appropriate for the plot, as is the case with Pinkie always.
6059046
As I said, it makes no difference whether it was AJ or Night Mare. This goes against what both of them stand for. Whatever AJ wants, she can't get it this way.
Bunnies are a panic-worthy event.
Don't forget that Filthy Rich is a friend of the Apple family. If the background ponies don't tell him what happened, Apple Bloom might.
If you keep things as they are, there is only one way it can really go:
The CMC will have a quick planning session/pep talk and then find a way to go back to Everglow -- by themselves, if necessary. Applejack still thinks she's protecting them, so she'll chase them and drag Rainbow along. The CMC will treat them like enemies until they are cured. Rainbow will be mad at AJ for a long time, mistrustful of her for an even longer time, and a more distant friend forever.
6059108 You're pretty accurate on some of those parts! Do read on.
6059115 Is that really what you want to do? You'll never have an AppleDash ship if this happens; their relationship will be tainted forever.
The comments make it seem like Applejack was using some sort of magic to try to influence Rainbow Dash, but I'm not quite so sure about that. Rainbow has been shown to have a vulnerable side in the past, including the first story, and could just be being swept up in the charisma of an Applejack supremely focused on making Rainbow her mare. I forget if this was before the spa episode, but Rainbow clearly has a more feminine side that she normally keeps hidden that this version of Applejack was able to bring out.
Uhh... What just happened? Really wasn't expecting Applejack to put the moves on Rainbow like that. Really didn't. And I honestly figured the Scythe might switch to Rainbow's ownership. The Night Mare values loyalty, right? and RD is the very embodiment of Loyalty.
Then again, if it did that, then The Night Mare would be the one not being loyal to what she offered to Applejack.
So I suppose the best option is to get the two of them together.
Still, really wasn't expecting that turn of events.