I'll Love You To Tartarus and Back - AppleDash Group Collab 100th Prompt Special

by LunaTheFox

listener

This chapter was written by listener.

---

"Celestia, I don't need to remind you that you are in my domain. Any power you have there is null in here, so I suggest you watch that tone of voice." Meph said, glaring at Celestia.

"I—" Celestia started, only to be cut off by Meph.

"I don't want an excuse. I was just reminding you. Now, for where I was at. I was on the other side of Tartarus dealing with a... minor uprising. They were all just barely back in their, eh... places whenever I got a message saying that someone had broken open the gates of hell! Literally! I don't suppose you three would know anything about that, would you?" Meph asked, glaring at the three, especially Discord at the end of her little rant.

"We had urgent need to get in, and you weren't around. I'm sorry. Two of my subjects are here." Celestia explained.

"Then they are mine, aren't they?" Meph said simply.

"No. They had gotten the misguided notion that they could come here and see Applejack's parents one last time. Along the way Rainbow Dash got injured. The closest doctor they could find would be here."

"But how would they have gotten in if they were living?"

"You had an imposter during your time away from this side."

Meph's eyes blazed when Luna said this. "Who. Tell me so that I may punish the soul that thought it could impersonate me!"

"It was an imp Meph. We've already taken care of it for you. Now, back to that matter at hand."

"Yes. I apparently have six living souls in my domain, one of them being him!" Meph said, adding a glare and a hoof-wave at Discord.

"Hey!" Discord shouted back. "In my defense, I did not think an umbrella would ever do that, even if it was enchanted by me!"

Luna looked interested in this piece of news. "Are we allowed to ask what it is that that umbrella did?"

"NO!" Shouted Meph and Discord in usion.

"Oh." Luna said, shrinking back slightly.

Meph sighed. "Sorry Luna. But it... it was bad. Now, what are we going to do with the living?"

"Uh, let them go?" Discord suggested hopefully.

Meph sighed. "That would be the way this was going to work, isn't it..."

"Wait, that worked?" Discord asked, surprised.

"Well, you did take care of the imp that was impersonating me, and it's probably the same one that started the uprising in the first place." Meph said. "And I don't like it when I owe people."

"Oh."

Red Delicious, Carrot Seed, Twilight, and Applejack burst into the clearing. Four sets of eyes turned to them.

"Oh, ah... We've got the penicillium." Applejack said.

Luna and Celestia smiled. Discord was frowning. Meph looked... curious.

"Interesting. She's here... Yet not here..."

Applejack looked back at Meph. "What?"

"Oh. Nothing. Now, penicillium... I assume your friend is bleeding?"

"Yes. We've got to get her this here medicine so she doesn't get stuck down here with me!"

Meph levels a stare at Discord. He defends himself quickly. "Hey! It was necessary!"

"I don't know what's goin' on, but I need to go!" Aj said, rushing past the two groups.

"You. Explain. Now."

---

Applejack rushed inside of the doctor's home. She stifled a gasp at the sight. Dash looked... close to death. Her normal bright and pristine coat was dirtied and dull. Her mane was duller than AJ remembered. She glanced at the doctor, throwing the herb to him.

He caught it, and quickly went about to administering it.

"Tell it to me straight. Is she..."

"She's stabilized. She needs a living doctor though! I can't do anything for her down here!"

"How long has she got?"

"Maximum? I give her less than three hours." The doctor said sadly.

"Not on my watch. Applejack, how important is she to you?"

Both the doctor and Applejack jumped at newcomers voice. Swirling around, AJ saw Meph standing there.

"No. No more deals Meph! You've tried too many times."

"I'm not making a deal here Applejack. How important is she to you?"

"She's... She's the most important pony to me in the world. I love her."

"Then why shouldn't she stay here with you?"

"What?"

"Why not? She would just think it was bad luck. But she could stay here. With you. Forever."

"But..." AJ stammered.

"If you could, would you make her stay here?"

"I... No! I could never do that to a friend! There is a sayin' up top. If... If ya love something, set it free. It's what... It's what I have to do."

Meph nodded. "I respect your choice Applejack."

Meph glanced at the pony on the table once again before turning and leaving.

Applejack sighed a turned around to face Dash, openly crying now.

"I'm sorry Dash. I know I said together till the end, but you're going to hav'ta make it alone now." She said sadly. She gave one last nuzzle to her marefriend, and then ran out of the room.

Dash smiled while she slept at the touch, only to frown when it left.

---

"She has heart, that one." Meph said, watch Applejack sitting at the corner of the clearing. Her parent were there trying to cheer her up.

Luna and Celestia were crestfallen at the news. But what Meph had done was... extreme.

"Was that really needed?" Celestia asked.

"Yes. I needed to know if she would sacrifice her friends life for her happiness."

"And?"

"She was not. Celestia, Luna, I will tell you now. It is rare that I find anyone that is willing to give up happiness for another. Very rarely. And when that happens, it's a miracle. And in turn, I sometimes give a miracle back.

"You mean...?" Luna asked, hopeful.

"Yes. You may go. I cannot do anything to slow her death down, but I can lead you to a different exit closer to Appleloosa. About a two hour journey."

"Oh, thank you Meph—"

"Do not thank me yet. It's a dangerous journey. It is on the border between the two sides of Tartarus."

Discord was the one to respond to that.

"Oh goody. Back to the scene of the crime then, huh Meph?"

Comments

[Killabyte]

Second entrance?

[DbzOrDie]

Most powerful ponies/draconequus in existence yet can't stop an infection

[quade]

discord can snap his fingers and remove body parts, why not do that to dash's leg... I should really stop over thinking this story