Heart's Desire

by LunarShadow

Applejack

Applejack

Now why in the hay would Big Mac be up there? He knows better. Applejack reared up and bucked out, hitting the apple tree with a solid thunk. The apples landed with a satisfying clunk into the wooden baskets underneath And then Ah catch Apple Bloom and her friends up sittin’ in the loft. When we moved everything out of there, Ah made it clear that nopony was to go up those stairs.

Walking over to another tree, she lashed out again, hitting it hard. Questions raced through her head like a swarm of angry bees. Yet, nothing she thought of answered any of them.

“Hey AJ, you finished the orchard and just kicked an empty tree.” Rainbow Dash peeked over the edge of her cloud and laughed. “You seem distracted. What’s up?”

Applejack looked up and replied, “Ah don’t know. That’s the problem.” She went around various trees, grabbing baskets and grunting, dragged them to a cart at the end of the row. “The other day, Ah found Big Mac up in the loft just starin’ at nothin’.”

Rainbow Dash shrugged and flew down to start loading apples into the cart. “So? He’s a grown stallion. He has every right to go and be day dreamy wherever he likes.”

“Ah guess, but when Ah needled him about yearning after...” Applejack blushed and coughed. “Err... when Ah made a passing comment, he jumped like a spooked rabbit and yelled something about Twilight.”

Laughing, Rainbow Dash elbowed Applejack and said, “Ooo... so Big Mac is chasing after that egghead? Ha! I knew Twilight would get an admirer eventually.” Grinning, she grabbed another basket and slung it on top of the rest. “They’ll make a good pair. I always figured Big Mac as a reader. I see him every week at the library checking out a new book.”

“Wh... no! If Big Mac is chasing after any mare it’s...” Applejack waved her hoof dismissively. “Nevermind, that’s not the point. Anyways, Ah find out a few hours later that Twilight’s in the hospital because she nearly blew herself up casting a spell in the loft.” Sighing, Applejack grabbed two more baskets and dragged them over to the cart. “Ah don’t even know why he let her up there in the first place.”

Applejack fell silent, and they worked without talking. Both darted off into the orchard and returning with baskets of apples. The afternoon sun beat down on them, and both were soon sweating profusely. After an hour, they dropped to the ground panting, the last of the apples having just been loaded.

“Okay, so back to what we were talking about before.” Rainbow Dash raised her head slightly and looked at Applejack. “I’m sure he has his reasons, so why are you worried?”

Applejack rose to her hooves and attached the cart’s harness to her back. “Ah guess, but Twilight’s spells are, in mah experience, well thought out and generally safe.” Straining to pull the heavy load, she started her way slowly towards the barn. “Ah guess it’s just when Ah caught Apple Bloom and her friends in the loft that Ah became worried.”

“Heh, fillies will be fillies.” Rainbow Dash shoved Applejack over and slipped the second harness over her head to help her friend pull. “I remember getting into so much trouble when I was young.”

“Like when yah first moved here and we immediately got in trouble for knocking over that scaffolding?” Applejack laughed. “Anyways, it’s their excuses that bother me. They said something about a mirror. When Ah looked around them, there wasn’t anything there.”

“So? Did you even check properly?

“Come again?” asked Applejack, staring at Rainbow Dash with an eyebrow raised.

“I said, maybe you should look around a bit more. Maybe they were talking about a small mirror and it was just buried under some hay when you arrived.” As they reached the barn, Rainbow Dash shrugged off the harness and jumped into the air, hovering. “I have to go practice for the Wonderbolts tryouts. See you later and good luck finding that mirror.”

“Take ca...” The last word faded off of Applejack’s lips as Rainbow Dash quickly disappeared in the distance. Sighing, Applejack mumbled, “... care. Take care and see yah tomorrow.”

Maybe she’s right. Maybe Ah did miss it in the hay. Applejack grabbed a basket of apples and placed it by the door. As she turned back to get another one, her gaze drifted to the loft. A quick look around, and back to work.

She walked over to the barn door and pulled the giant faded-red doors open. Taking a breath, she trotted up the stairs to the loft and looked around. Except for the hay drifting in the air from a draft, the room was completely empty. Piles of hay lined the wall all around.

Now if Ah remember correctly... Her gaze drifted to the far end of the room. That’s where they were when Ah found them. She walked over to the hay against the back wall. Stopping just in front of it, she frowned. It looked like it hadn’t been disturbed recently.

Reaching out, she went to brush the hay aside. Her hoof struck something, which pinged softly, and grunted in surprise. Looking up, she found herself staring at a reflection. Taking a step backwards, she growled, “Whoa there!”

Her surprise faded into curiosity as her other self did not back up and growl as she did, but rather laughed lightly and winked. The reflection walked away, pointing to the top of the mirror as it disappeared. Just before it faded from view entirely, it turned its head to look at Applejack and mouthed the word “backwards”.

Puzzled, Applejack looked up. Engraved into the arch above the mirror’s surface were the words Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

And what’s that supposed to mean? Twilight is probably the one who’d know best. The image of herself mouthing the word “backwards” appeared briefly before fading again. Oh, read it in reverse? Applejack’s ears perked up and she grinned. Ah can do that.

Tilting her head, she moved her head from right to left, reading. “Ishow no tyo urfca ebu tyo urhe arts desire. What the hay is that supposed to mean?” She sat down and tapped her chin, pondering.

Suddenly, she jumped up and laughed. “Ah got it!” She bit her lip and tapped her hoof on the ground, splitting up the words a bit. “Ah show not yer face, but yer hearts desire!”

The triumphant grin faded, replaced by a frown. She leaned close to the mirror, glaring at it. “But Ah don’t get it. Ah don’t see anything.”

“Applejack?”

The sound of her brother’s voice startled her. Whirling around, she gasped and cried out, “Big Mac! What’re you doing here?”

He paid no attention to the question and asked his own. “What do yah see when you look into the mirror?”

As her heart returned to its normal pace, Applejack eyed her brother suspiciously. “So yah weren’t staring at nothing that day Ah found yah up here.” She turned the tables on her brother by repeating his question. “What do yah see when you look into the mirror.”

“Yeah, yah caught me. Ah was looking into the mirror. Ah... umm... just wanted another look to make sure what I saw didn’t change?” He sighed and stared off into space. “It was like the mirror knew what Ah wanted more than anything.

Big Mac trotted over and sat down beside Applejack. He stared into the mirror. When Applejack tried to get his attention, he just waved her away. She poked him, shoved him, and even shouted into his ear. He paid her no heed, not once breaking his gaze on the mirror.

The truth about the mirror suddenly dawned on Applejack. Gasping, she looked out the window towards the Ponyville and the hospital. No wonder Twilight hid it up here! Ponies don’t ever come up to the loft. She glanced back at Big Mac and snorted. Except, several ponies decided to come up here for whatever reason and discovered it. Ah have to warn her! Leaving her brother, she galloped out of the barn and towards town.

“Don’t worry, Big Mac. Ah’ll get help!”

---

“Twilight!” Applejack burst into the hospital room despite the protests of the nurses. “Twilight! Ah need to talk to yah!”

Twilight jumped a little in her bed and looked up, the surprise clear on her face. “Applejack!” She reached up and moved a bandage that was covering her entire forehead so she could see. Another bandage covered her hoof and she wore the traditional hospital gown.

“The mirror, Ah know what it does and it needs to be moved now!” Applejack said frantically. “It shows a pony’s heart’s desire and—”

“And draws them back in until they become mindless slaves to it. I know,” Twilight reassured her friend. She shifted slightly and levitated a letter off of the nightstand. “Princess Celestia told me. Just curious, but how did you find out.”

“Mah reflection told me to read the inscription backwards and Ah figured it out from there,” Applejack replied.

Twilight raised an eyebrow skeptically. “It... talked to you?”

“Well, no,” Applejack said with a sigh. “It mouthed the word “backwards” and Ah went from there. After that, Ah couldn’t see anything. Not even mahself.”

“interesting. And do you feel any desire to go back to see if anything changed or to just stare?”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “No, but Big Mac came up and...” She gasped and covered her mouth. “Ah really gotta go and get Big Mac outta the loft. Ah think it’s already got ahold of him.”

Turning tail, Applejack galloped out of the hospital, shoving aside doctors and nurses. “Hang on, Big Mac. Ah’m coming!”

Comments

[twilightsparkleisbestpony]

Fascinating. well, if you'll excuse me, you've delayed né enough from job applications, I should just get off the Internet before you get me hooked again.

[1-oh-First]

I vote for a Rarity chapter next.

[Alanith]

Figures that of all the ponies, applejack would be happiest.

Also can we get a granny smith chapter for the lulz?

[LunarShadow]

839723

Good, good... everything goes as planned. Execute stage 3 of "Death by Cuteness".

847094

I think the point was that RD wanted her own foal. It'd be interesting to see Scootaloo ask, though. Unfortunately, I suspect it may be a bit cliche and this is not the story to cover that. Maybe another day.

850048>>850081

Aye, they should listen. But they won't because otherwise I'd be out one good story.

850782

Current queue: Pinkie Pie, Trixie, Rarity (At least, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. I'll double check.)

851236

Of course you can have Granny Smith... I have something special planned for her.

I'm glad all of you continue to enjoy this story. I look forward to finishing this off (Because of the character limit) and kicking off the second story with Trixie.

[SFaccountant]

That's Applejack. Don't learn nothin', don't want nothin'.