A Vignette of Apples

by Draxonos135

#INeedToDoThis

Author's Note:

This chapter is long overdue, so to be brief, I'm sorry it took so long to get this out, we're close to the ending, I promise.

So, without further ado, let's get going.

"I thank you for your assistance, Svengallop. I assure you we part on good terms."

Those were the words Sombra chose to use as he walked away from the apartment, right after taking all the furniture that belonged to Vignette, Svengallop sitting on a corner in a fetal position.

With all that done, Sombra gestured the moving trucks to go, and he began walking back home when he got a phone call.

"Hello?"

"Uncle, it's us!"

Sombra could only sigh in frustration. "I'm in the middle of getting Vignette's stuff back, boys, can't this wait?"

"No it can't, because the magical artifact we found is going haywire!"

Sombra rolled his eyes. "And what did you doofuses do to get it to-"

Suddenly, the call gained static and the sound quality plummeted, until it was nothing but a jamble of noise.

"Boys?"

The call ended right then and there. Sombra closed his phone and sighed:

"Guess I'm gonna have to get those two out of trouble. Again."

---

Meanwhile, at the Apple Family Barn, Vignette sat on her bed, twiddling her fingers as Applejack paced back and forth, Rarity sitting nearby.

"So this is where Vignette's been sleeping recently," Rarity remarked as she scanned her surroundings. "I never thought she'd be able to stay here."

"We got more pressin' matters at hand, Rarity," Applejack stated. "I think this could be one of the final hurdles Vignette has t' face in order t' get better."

"What's that supposed t' mean?" Vignette flinched. "I mean, supposed TO mean?"

"You've made some good progress, Vignette, I ain't gonna lie t' you, but I think this fear of magic of yours is somethin' you need t' overcome if you don't wanna get stuck."

"Okay, I think I can see where you're coming from," Vignette sighed. "But how are we supposed to do that?"

"Well, there are two things we can do; cheer you up first before we take you to the one person... pony? who knows about this, or just straight up go to her." Rarity spoke.

Vignette raised an eyebrow. "Applejack, what's she talking about?"

"Our group happens t' have somebody well versed in magic," Applejack folded her arms. "But we don't know if you're ready t' meet her."

"Why?"

Rarity frowned. "She hasn't exactly forgotten about the Equestrialand incident."

Hearing that upset Vignette, causing her to lower her face as Applejack hastily added:

"L-Luckily for us, we've had a couple magical adventures since then, so even if she hasn't forgotten that incident, it shouldn't be something she's thinking about!"

"But as soon as she sees me, she'll remember everything I did, and there's a chance she'll be distrustful even if you tell her I've changed," Vignette recapped, lightly raising her head. "Is that what you're worried about?"

Applejack took a step back, before she and Rarity nodded in unison. Vignette thought about it a little bit more... then stood up and stated:

"Take me to her."

"Are you sure about that, Vignette?" Rarity asked. "We could take you to Pinkie Pie's place the cheer you up first-"

"Whether I cheer up first or not, I'll still have to meet this mystery magician," Vignette stated. "I really wanna move on from this incident, I really do, so if this person is the key to do that, I want to meet them as soon as possible."

"Alright, Vignette, I see where you're comin' from," Applejack replied as she put a hand on Vignette's shoulder. "I need to tell you one more thing, though."

"And that is?"

"Well, we're technically meeting with... a pony."

---

Sunset Shimmer. Originally a unicorn from Equestria, now basically a permanent resident of Other-Questria, and the link between the normal and the magical.

She had just been told about the situation by Appkejack, who had paid her a visit with Rarity and Vignette, the latter twiddling her fingers while looking at the ground nervously.

"I can understand that a bad experience with magic could lead to someone growing a dislike of it," Sunset remarked while scanning the trio. "But fear?"

Vignette looked elsewhere.

"Look, I'm not scolding you or reprimanding you for fearing magic; you're well within your right to feel this way," Sunset put her hands on her hips. "However, you're also the first time I see a magic user fearing magic after using it. Normally, a former magic user would be distrustful or reluctant to use it, not outright scared of it."

Vignette remained silent, so Rarity spoke:

"Vignette may've used magic before, sweetie, but she's still human. Not only that, she's a human whose life has gone to shambles thanks to her magic mania episode. If anything, it'd be weirder if she wasn't scared of it after seeing its potential."

Sunset sighed. "Perhaps, but still-"

"We didn't have a good first impression with magic, either," Applejack pointed out. "Need I remind you of-"

Sunset hastily raised her hand. "Okay, Applejack, I get it. I'm sorry for judging Vignette like that."

Then, she took a deep breath and turned to Vignette, who stole a glance at her before avoiding eye contact again.

"While we're at it, though; you've kinda surprised me, Vignette."

Vignette's twiddling was brought to a halt, and she slowly turned to face Sunset as she continued:

"Back at the Equestrialand Fiasco, I never once imagined you'd try to make amends; after all, Rarity forgave you, but the rest of the group wasn't quite sold."

Sunset turned to Applejack. "But you've made enough progress to convince Applejack to trust you. And she's quite honest herself, so I can trust her word."

Sunset turned her gaze back to Vignette, who flinched and took a step back.

"Still, Vignette, I need to be frank with you; just because I'm familiar with magic doesn't mean I'll help you get through your fear of it in an instant. This is something completely new to me, so there's a chance I may make things worse instead. With this in mind..."

Sunset narrowed her eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this-?"

"Yes."

Sunset, Rarity, and Applejack flinched and looked at Vignette, who avoided eye contact with them as she explained:

"I'm feeling a lot of emotions I haven't felt for years. Fear, concern, anxiety, uncertainty, and so many more emotions. I'm experiencing them at the same time, even..."

Vignette clasped her hands together.

"But even as I feel them, I know more than anything that I... I.N.T.D.T."

Sunset raised an eyebrow, and Vignette looked at her as she answered:

"I Need To Do This."

Sunset stared at Vignette for a little while after that... then smiled and said:

"Alright then, I'll show you what we're gonna do then."

Sunset guided the group down her house, until they came across something hidden underneath a white sheet. And as soon as Sunset took it off, it was revealed to be-

"A mirror?"

"Not just any mirror," Sunset stated proudly. "After the one in this world got destroyed thanks to a certain thunderstorm, Princess Celestia gave me my own magical portal, so if anything were to happen to the other portals in this world, I'd always have one available."

"A magical portal?" Vignette raised an eyebrow. "Where does it lead to?"

"To Equestria, my original home," Sunset said, folding her arms as she raised her head, a feeling of nostalgia rushing through her mind. "A land filled with magical talking ponies and several other magical creatures."

Vignette, naturally, eyed Sunset as if she was crazy, but Applejack and Rarity quickly let her know she was telling the truth.

"The reason we're going to Equestria is because there live a group of ponies who are far better versed in magic than I am," Sunset stated, turning back to Vignette with a determined expression. "Assuming I fail to help you, maybe they can do it."

"And how does it work?"

"Normally, we'd need to wait a couple moons, but it's set in a certain frequency, so it's always on; normal things don't go through, but people go through no problem, unless they're holding an object, in which case-"

"Sunset, shouldn't you and Vignette be goin' already?" Applejack pointed out. "Who knows when a magical problem will surface again, so, the faster you do this, the better."

"Yes, darling, please go ahead," Rarity frowned. "For Vignette's sake."

It was then that Sunset offered her hand to Vignette, and she accepted after a bit of heistation. But just as they began to go through the portal, Applejack shouted:

"Hey, Sunset!"

The duo turned to her, just in time to see her pound her fists with a smile and say:

"If somethin' happens t' Vignette while she's in your world, I'll make you pay for it!"

Sunset snickered. "Applejack, you're a riot! She'll be fine with me, don't worry."

Applejack folded her arms, and Rarity waved goodbye, Vignette waving back as she and Sunset hopped through.

Comments

[Scholarly-Cimmerian]

Huh. This chapter had a number of surprises in it. Pleasant ones, admittedly, I didn't expect them to go to Sunset but hey, not complaining about that for sure!

I am quite surprised by Sunset having, or having been given, a personal portal to Equestria... convenient, very convenient, but at the same time I can't really fault it too much either.

[Pete100]

"I thank you for your assistance, Svengallop. I assure you we part on good terms."

Those were the words Sombra chose to use as he walked away from the apartment, right after taking all the furniture that belonged to Vignette, Svengallop sitting on a corner in a fetal position.

What the heck did he do to him?