The Tale of the Three Sided Medallion

by FlareGun45

The Trails of Harmony

“So what’s it gonna be, Twilight Sparkle?” The Guardian asked.

“I… I gotta ask my friends first.” Twilight answers. She turns around and asks, “You think we should do this?”

“Uh, yeah!” Rainbow agreed. “I didn’t go all around Everfree Forest a hundred times just to give up now!”

“Plus, Starlight and Spikey-Wikey are trapped in there! We must act!” Rarity said.

“Plus, it could be SUPER FUN!” Pinkie said excitedly.

“We can do this!” Fluttershy said.

“It’s not like we haven’t failed before!” Applejack said.

“You had to say that.” Rarity glares at Applejack.

Twilight smiles and nods at her friends. She then turns around and says to the Guardian, “We’re in an agreement! We accept your challenge!”

“Very well then.” The Guardian said. “Each of you will be individually completing a series of tests.”

“And then we’re done?” Rainbow asked.

“Oh you’ll see.” The Guardian said as the doors slowly open revealing the dark abyss within it.

“And what might these tests be exactly?” Applejack asked.

“You will find out when you see them.” The Guardian said.

“Let’s do this girls!” Twilight said as she leads the group into the abyss.

Meanwhile, down below in the catacombs of the cave, Starlight and Spike continue to freefall, but before they reach the bottom, Starlight saves herself and Spike using her magic, and they safely glide down below.

“You know, Spike, as a dragon I’m quite surprised you don’t have your wings yet.” Starlight said.

“Yeah, heh, weird huh?” Spike asked. “Not even Twilight knows why. So, where are we?” They both look around the giant empty cave.

“I don’t know.” Starlight said. “The girls are up above still, and they must be worried sick about us.”

“So what do we do now?” Spike asked nervously as he hides on Starlight’s back.

“Well, hey, you’re Spike the Brave and Glorious, aren’t you?” Starlight reminds him with a snarky tone. “Maybe you should lead the way.”

“Nah, I’m good!” Spike admitted. “I mean, I am brave and all, but, I think it might be best if you lead the way. After all, you did lead Trixie, Thorax, and Discord through the Changeling hives, right?”

“Hmm!” Starlight chuckles as she begins walking. “Right!”

Back with the Mane Six, they continue walking through the dark abyss. “So, how long do we have to go through this abyss?” Rainbow asked.

“I’m sure we’ll find something eventually.” Twilight said. Just then, the six of them appear in a smaller cave with a smaller door.

“Ok, what just happened?” Rainbow asked.

“Welcome to the first test.” The Guardian said. “In this test, the Element of Honesty known as Applejack must complete this trial in order for all of you to advance to the next area.”

“Is there any way we can help her?” Twilight asked.

“She must complete this trial all on her own.” The Guardian said. “No assistance whatsoever.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight. Ah’ll be fine.” Applejack insisted. “Ah’ve delt with many situations mahself. Ah can handle it. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Ooooo, don’t jinx it!” Pinkie said nervously as she started biting her hoof-nails. Applejack walks into the next chamber, but feels a little nervous, but she knows what she needs to do. The door shuts behind her which startles her a bit, and all there was is pitch darkness.

“Uhh, hello?” Applejack called out. “Anypony here? Helloooooo?!” Just then, a door appears right across from her. Applejack walks over to it and opens it, and just like that, she ends up in the middle of the kitchen at Sweet Apple Acres. “Sweet Apple Acres? What the? What am ah doin’ here?” Applejack began searching around the barn to see if she could find anything useful to answer her question.

She walks into the living room, and there was still nopony around. “Uhh, Granny Smith?” Applejack called out. “Big Mac? Apple Bloom? Anypony here?” She then walks upstairs and checks out the upstairs rooms. She walks into Apple Bloom’s room and looks around. “Apple Bloom? You in here, sugarcube?” She searches around the room to see if she could find anything. Nopony was in there, but she does find something on the bed. A journal. “Apple Bloom’s journal? Ah didn’t know she had one.” Applejack takes the journal and starts reading it.

“Dear journal, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and I went out for to help out other ponies in discovering their special talents. Unfortunately though, we got rained out and had to take shelter at Carousel Boutique.” Just then, thunder started rumbling outside. “What in tarnation?” Applejack asked as she then continued reading. “Rarity was feeling very angry today saying that somepony stole all her glitter. We offered to help once the rain stopped. We searched all around town but couldn’t find it. We decided to turn in for the night and continue tomorrow.” Applejack puts the book down and asks herself, “What is this about? When did this happen? Why would anypony steal Rarity’s- WHOA!” Just then, on Apple Bloom’s bed, there was a sack that just appeared out of nowhere. “That WASN’T there before!”

Applejack opens the sack and takes a look inside, and saw there was tons of glitter inside. “Apple Bloom?! Did you steal all this glitter?” Applejack asked. She then put the book up again and continued reading it. “Dear journal, the crusaders and I continued looking for the glitter. There was still no trace of it, but a number of other things were stolen today. Fluttershy’s hair brush, Rainbow Dash’s signed photo of Spitfire, Spike’s collection of gems, and even all of Cheerilee’s pencils. My friends and I were stumped and couldn’t find any clues on where they were hidden. We had to call it a day. We’ll find out the source tomorrow.”

Applejack was getting more and more confused. “This is really gettin’ spooky. Ah don’t understand how- WAH!” Applejack gets surprised to see that a hair brush has suddenly appeared on the bed. “Is that… Fluttershy’s hair brush? But… no! It can’t be! Apple Bloom’s no thief! She can’t be!” Applejack then looks on the wall and sees a photo hanging on the wall. She reads it, “To Rainbow Dash, stay blazing. Spitfire.” And then Applejack finds an open chest and sees a collection of gems inside. “WHOA! Ok this is gettin’ way out of hoof!”

“But ah didn’t do it! Ah swear!” Apple Bloom cried from downstairs.

“Apple Bloom!” Applejack cried. She then runs downstairs and in the kitchen, Apple Bloom was getting interrogated by police officers.

“The evidence is right here, filly.” The officer said holding up a baggy full of pencils. “You think you’d have the chance to get away with this? You may be a filly, but that is no reason to be a criminal.”

“BUT AH AIN’T A CRIMINAL!” Apple Bloom cried. “AH DUNNO HOW THAT GOT THERE!”

“Apple Bloom… why? Why would you do this to us?” Granny Smith asked hysterically. “You… you disgraced us all!”

Big Mac sniffled and said, “Eeyup.”

“But this was all a set-up!” Apple Bloom yelled. “Somepony put it all there! Applejack! Help!”

“Applejack…” The officer puts down his sunglasses down to his nose and glares at Applejack. “You are the Element of Honesty, are you not?”

“Ah am.” Applejack said.

“I see you have Apple Bloom’s journal with you.” The officer saw.

“Umm… yeah.” Applejack said worriedly.

“Perhaps you could tell us the truth.” The officer said. “Did Apple Bloom steal a bunch of valuable merchandise?”

“Ah know mah little sister ain’t a criminal.” Applejack said. “Right, Big Mac? Do ya agree?” Big Mac doesn’t say anything. “Big Mac?”

“But does the evidence prove that?” the officer asked pointing to the journal.

Applejack looks down at the journal and reads the next page. It reads: “I continue to look for the missing items with my friends. I’m so glad that they don’t suspect anything. They have no clue that I’m the one that stole all that.”

Applejack gasps after she read it. “Well?” the officer asked. “You’re the Element of Honesty. Tell us the truth. The evidence is in this house. Somepony took them. Somepony here is going away for a long time.”

“Yeah!” the other officer agreed. “Imprisonment! Or banishment! Or imprisonment where you get banished!”

“Ok, settle down, Star.” The first officer instructed him.

Applejack looks at her family, and then she looks at her sister who was tearing up and begging Applejack to help her. “If you don’t tell the truth, Applejack… you won’t get what you want.” The officer said.

Applejack took a deep breath and said, “Ah did it.”

“What?!” everypony yelled.

“No! Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried.

“It was me. All me. Ah stole all that merchandise because we were incredibly in debt and ah needed to save the farm.” Applejack said. “If yer goin’ to take me away for a long time, then so be it.” Applejack picks up her hooves, waiting to get cuffed. “Ah’m ready to go.”

“APPLEJACK!” Apple Bloom cried.

“You’re a good filly, Apple Bloom.” Applejack said upsettingly as she magically appears in a cage. “You’re a very good… filly…” Just then Applejack suddenly wakes up back into the caverns. “AAAH!” she cried.

“Applejack?! Applejack what’s wrong?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah you sound like you saw a ghost.” Pinkie said as she lifts up her tail showing a sheet over it.

“Ah… ah… what happened?” Applejack asked.

“Are you ready to begin your trial or what?” Rainbow asked. “We’re in a tight schedule.”

“Rarity – the Element of Generosity – it is your turn to take the trials.” The Guardian said.

“Say what now?” Rarity asked. “But Applejack didn’t do hers yet!”

“I’m in charge of the trials. So it’s either you go in, or you won’t get what you came here for.” The Guardian informed her. “What’s it going to be, Rarity?”

“Good luck in there.” Applejack said to her. Rarity begins to nervously walk over to the open door, but she doesn’t go inside yet. “Ok what just happened?” Applejack asked.

“You passed the trial, Applejack.” The Guardian said.

“But ah wasn’t honest! Ah lied to save Apple Bloom from imprisonment!” Applejack said.

“Uhh… what?” Rainbow asked.

“Honesty works more than just being honest, Applejack.” The Guardian said. “Lying to save a loved one’s life can make a big difference.”

“Ok, I never thought I’d say this, but my brain is really feeling not right, right now.” Pinkie said as she flops face first on the ground.

“AAAH!” Rarity cried as she wakes up near the door.

“What’s going on, Rarity? Are you going to go into the door or what?” Rainbow asked.

“I WAS JUST IN THERE!” Rarity yelled.

“And… how was it?” Fluttershy asked.

“HOW WAS IT?!” Rarity yelled at her which made Fluttershy nervous. “HOW WAS IT?! I had to choose! I had all the gems in the world to complete my collection of dresses! I had to use them!”

“Wait… Rarity, what’s the choice?” Twilight asked.

“Well… Ponyville was starving.” Rarity said. “Everypony was homeless, starving, had no food. I had to do something. So I… I gave up all my gems to save everypony. I made all my customers from Canterlot disappointed. I sold them out!”

“Yep! And she did that all by laying down on the ground!” Pinkie said. “Story of my life!”

“Wait a minute.” Twilight thought. “The trials… they’re not real.”

“Oh I saw what happened, Twilight! It seemed very real! Very real indeed!” Rarity said.

“Well… they’re not.” Twilight said. “But we have to treat them like real life. The Guardian is testing our skills out. In all the trials, we have to sacrifice one thing to save things that are more valuable, like Apple Bloom, or the entire Ponyville population, but that would also mean making other ponies unhappy.”

“Well… you can’t make everypony happy.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, sometimes you gotta fail other ponies for a greater cause.” Applejack said.

“Fluttershy – Element of Kindness – you are next.” The Guardian said.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy said nervously.

“Fluttershy… good luck in there!” Twilight said.

“What if I fail?” Fluttershy asked.

“You won’t, because you’re the Element of Kindness.” Twilight said.

“Exactly! I would fail your trial by a heartbeat!” Pinkie said. Fluttershy nods her head at Twilight as she walks through the doors.

Author's Note:

If you read my Alternate Season Six story, you can tell alot of this was recycled from the second chapter! XD