It was a bright and sunny day in Ponyville, ponies were enjoying the nice weather by talking through the streets and doing a song and dance number that they all knew the words too for some reason. However in the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres, three particular ponies weren't having the best of times.
"It's ok girls. I'm sure you will get your cutie marks". Babs Seed said.
"Really!" exclaimed the cutie mark crusaders. "I can't believe you are being so nice-
"your cutie marks will never come! haha, I can't believe you three actually believed me. "come on Diamond and Silver Spoon, I don't want to be seen near these losers".
Babs Seed, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon walked away talking and laughing acting as if what they were doing wasn't wrong, leaving the cutie mark crusaders to sulk after being tormented relentlessly again.
"I can't believe we are related. I thought meeting my cousin would be amazing, but now I dread ever being near her".
"It's ok Applebloom, she's leaving in a couple days anyway. I'm sure we can last a little longer. And besides, once your cousin leaves, we can continue trying to get our cutie marks"!
"Sweetie Belle's right, and if that doesn't work Rainbow Dash will always protect us. She is the coolest pony ever!"
"We know Scootalo you've only told us a thousand times. Let's just head back to the barn. If I don't tell my sister that I'm home from school, she will start to worry".
The cutie mark crusaders made their way to the barn without much conversation, and unbeknown to them that AppleJack had witnessed the whole thing. AppleJack hated the sight of her sister and friends being constantly bullied and by family no less! When AppleJack was little right after her parents died, she was teased by a young mare named Trixie for awhile before her bully moved to pursue her dream of being a magician. Seeing her own sister being bullied and nothing being done infuriated AppleJack.
"Those ponies have been hurting my sister for far too long, I promise ya little sis that they will stop".
Aplebloom and her friends approached her sister and smiled, but the same couldn't be said for AppleJack. Once she could clearly see her sister, anger boiled in her.
"Where did that shiner come from?!"
"Ah...Nowhere. I slipped on my way to school". Applebloom covering up the real story in fear of what Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and Babs Seed might do to her.
"In that case, go see Big Mac, he has supper ready for you three".
AppleJack watched as the three young fillies ran into the house to eat. As she replayed the images from earlier in her head and recalling how nothing was being done about it, she snapped.
"Those ponies have spent their entire lives hurting my sister and her friends. Nopony is doing anything about it, so I will. I think I know just what to do too".
AppleJack walked into the house that her family was already in enjoying some fresh tomato soup that Big Mac and Granny Smith had made. A plan was quickly forming in her mind and an erie smile crept upon her face.
"I'll show you all what happens when you mess with an apple".
"So, how does it feel to be bullied and picked on Diamond Tiara? I imagine you aren't very comfortable with that rope around your ankles, I would stop moving around though, it will only cause more bleeding".
Diamond Tiara couldn't remember how she got in the dark room. She remembered going home after another day with Silver Spoon and Babs Seed, but then she was here. It didn't make sense, but that wasn't crossing her mind at the moment.
"Please, whoever you are, let me go. My dad is rich, he can get you whatever you want!"
"Oh I know who your father is. I'm not interested in anything he can give me, but I am interested in what you can give me".
"What do you mean?"
Well you see Diamond, I want revenge, and I can only achieve this by making you as miserable as possible. I promise this night won't be pleasant."
The dark figure grabbed a branding iron and told DT to open her mouth. Diamond Tiara screamed for help, but no one came to help her. The dark pony was inches away from putting the red hot instrument into her mouth when she was woken up by her father.
"Diamond Tiara, are you alright?! You were screaming in your sleep and I was worried Sick!"
Filthy Rich looked at his daughter with worry. He loved his daughter, but she could be a hassle sometimes. He realized he must get about twenty phone calls from parents of colts and fillies Diamond Tiara doesn't like. It irritated him sometimes, but as long as she was out of his mane for most of the day, he could care less what she did.
Diamond looked at her father with tears in her eyes. "I had a nightmare, it was awful! Somepony wanted to hurt your princess!" Filthy Rich rolled his eyes at the comment, and left the room."Dad! Dad, I'm serious. I almost died in my dream. It was awful. I'm scared and don't know what to do".
"Why don't you ask princess Twilight to write a letter to princess Luna to ask her what your dream means if you are so worried. Now I have meetings to attend to, so I'll see you later". Filthy Rich stated while leaving the home.
"I guess Asking Twilight for help couldn't hurt, even if she is a nerd who loves books".
Diamond Tiara walked over to Twilight's new home, her castle. She was a bit nervous, but after collecting herself a bit she knocked on the door three times and awaited patiently.
"As I was saying spike, just because it's a new home, doesn't mean your chores have changed.'
"But Twilight, Discord is here all the time and does almost nothing!"
"Discord visits here when he has time off repaying the princesses for betraying all of us, you live here, which means you get chores. Now get to-" *Knock *Knock *knock. "I wonder who that could be? Spike clean the kitchen while I see who it is".
"Yea, yea, whatever". Spike said as he grumbled to himself walking into the kitchen to get started.
Twilight rolled her eyes as she went to open the door. What she saw really surprised her. It was Diamond Tiara, A young filly who went to school with some of her friends' younger sisters.
"Hello Diamond Tiara, what can I do for you today?" Are you looking for Applebloom and the rest of the cutie mark crusaders?"
"No Twilght, I mean Princess. I was hoping you could write a letter to princess Luna for me."
"Of course, come on in. I'll have Spike make some tea. Spike!"
"Yea, I heard you, it will be right there".
"Thank you!"
Twilight levitated a quill and a parchment to her as Diamond Tiara sat on the nearby couch.
"What would you like me to say?"
Just let her know I had a dream I need to tell her about because I'm really scared."
"There is no reason to be scared Diamond Tiara, what was it about?"
"Somepony torturing me as painfully as they could. It felt so real, almost as if I was actually there. I know it might sound a little crazy, but can you please just send her the letter?'
Twilight listened intently to the filly and thought it was just a nightmare she may of had, but for some reason decided to humor the filly and write the letter anyway. "there, all done." Twilight said as she finished her letter to Luna.
Around this time, Spike walked in with the tea. He set it done and was about to walk back into the kitchen when a letter was levitated in front of him.
"Spike, please send this letter to Luna as quickly as you can please."
"Sure thing Twilight." Spike said as he blew fire at the letter sending it to Cantorlot where princess Luna would get the message. Spike went upstairs to take a nap while Twilight and Diamond Tiara had tea.
After an hour or so, DT realized just how late it was. She needed to get home soon before her father worried about her.
"Thanks for the tea Twilight! I really needed this talk."
Anytime young one. I'm always here if you need me."
Diamond Tiara waved goodbye and headed home. She was feeling better about herself after her talk with Twilight, but still couldn't get the erie feeling that something was off. She shrugged it off and continued on her way eventually getting home and forgetting the whole dream completely. She was unaware of the dark figure flying overhead. It was princess Luna. She had seen the dream, and received the letter. She kept a good look out over the town as she pondered her thoughts.
"This is just like when Celestia had the vision about Tirek. Diamond Tiara's dream wasn't a dream at all, but a vision, and I am determined to stop it." Luna landed in a nearby tree, and thought aloud "at all costs."
Around the same time that Diamond Tiara was with Twilight sending a letter to princess Luna, AppleJack was bucking apples and doing other chores around the farm. This time was different. She wasn't focused on her work and she was just as efficient now than she was when she tried to clear the entire orchard herself. Her brother noticed her mistakes and walked up to her to see what might be wrong.
"AppleJack?"
"Yes?"
"Are you ok, you aren't getting half of the apples in all of these tree."
"I'm fine Big Mac, it just...you know what I'm not fine. Did you know that Applebloom and her friends get bullied day in and day out by that brat Diamond Tiara and her awful friends. Even Babs Seed in involved." AppleJack said as a tear fell of her face.
"I realize she is teased from time to time, but we have to take into consideration that they are only fillies, they will stop this nonsense once they mature a little bit."
AppleJack couldn't believe what she was hearing, this was the same pony who defended her against Trixie and practically raised her while Granny Smith worked to pay the bills. Now he was lecturing her about the maturity of young fillies while her sister goes through the almost exact same situation.
"How could you say something like that Big Mac! Our sister is being more than teased. Surely you saw the shiner she had when she came home from school yesterday. That is the result of nopony doing anything about it and I'm tired of it."
"listen sis, I know you are upset, but give it time. The problem will work out eventually, you will see. I've got to go back to the house to help Applebloom get ready for school and start my own chores. Remember what I said."
Big Mac walked back towards the house leaving AppleJack alone with her thoughts again. She looked around, but really didn't see anything because everything was a blur as her anger grew. She yelled out into the orchard in anguish at what to do. As she lay on the ground collecting herself, she knew she had to do something. She would get those fillies if it was the last thing she did.
"This has gone on for far too long. Those fillies will pay, and I will get revenge for the torment my sis has had to struggle threw."
Around this time, AppleJack found herself back at the barn. She took a hard look at it and good memories flooded her mind. Her family reunion, how they all pitched in to help build the barn. "Raise this barn 1,2,3,4" she mumbled to herself in glee. But then she realized that her family, the same people who helped her build the barn they worked so hard on was also the problem. The barn seemed more of a taunt then a good memory the more AppleJack looked at it. Anger returned to her once more as she threw her hoof though the wall of the barn.
"That felt good."
AppleJack thought it helped with what she was feeling to destroy the barn, so that's what she did for the remainder of the day. She hacked, sawed, punched, ripped, and kicked the entire thing down. When it was done, AppleJack was exhausted, but she felt better. She turned around to make eye contact with a scared filly.
"AppleJack, why are you destroying the barn! You really scared me."
"Uh...Applebloom, I was...just getting ready to build a new barn because this one had something wrong with it. yea that's it" AppleJack scolding herself for lying to her sister and not representing her element very well.
"What was wrong with it?"
"Well, the roof was shaky, so I decided that we would build another that would be more stable."
"If you say so, I'm going to get a snack before meeting Sweetie Bell and Scootalo at Sugar Cube Corner."
AppleJack was just about to leave the filly, relieved that she bought the lie, but then a thought accrued to her, and she smiled to herself. If family helped cause the problem and fix it like the barn, then maybe it could also work for the bully situation. AppleJack turned to her sister.
"Sis, while you are out, will you tell Babs Seed that as a family we will rebuild the barn, and she can bring her friends if she likes."
"But AppleJack, I don't want them over here, we don't get along."
"No buts Applbloom. Now run along, your friends are waiting."
"Fine." Applebloom said as she walked away towards Sugar Cube Corner not in the best of moods after hearing her task.
AppleJack watched her sister walk away and she couldn't help to smile. "My plan can start now. Soon no one will bully my family. Now to get supplies for our barn and to "help" Babs Seed and her friends. "
AppleJack chuckled to herself as she went on her way outside the acres. Not aware that Luna knew something was up in Ponyville.
Luna was watching AppleJack run off into Ponyville from the top of one of the nearby apple trees. She wanted to round up the elements to try and figure out who the dark figure in the vision of the filly Diamond Tiara was. Sweet Apple Acres was the closest to her at the moment, so she decided to get AppleJack first. She showed up in time to witness AppleJack destroying her barn. It seemed odd to her that AppleJack would destroy something her entire family had worked on together not too long ago, but what she was focused more on was what she was saying while she was destroying the barn.
"Those fillies always picking on my sister." *door snaps in half. "forcing my sister to go through the same things I had to go through." *window shatters. "I swear on my life they will pay dearly and that they shall all suffer for what they have done."
It went on like this for awhile and Luna was able to put two and two together. She didn't want to believe it at first, but it was too much of a coincidence for her to not take at the very least a consideration that AppleJack was indeed the pony in the vision. She decided she would tell the other elements about her suspicions and form a plan from there.
Luna flew to Twilight's new castle and opened the door swiftly without any hesitation. She was in too much of a hurry and waiting for Twilight to open the door was a waste of time in her eyes. Twilight was caught off guard by the situation, but recovered quickly and adressed the matter.
"Princess Luna! I wasn't expecting company, so excuse the mess. I was just about to met the girls for dinner, what brings you here?"
"I'm here because of Diamond Tiara."
"oh the letter. You're here to tell me I never should have wasted your time humoring a filly who had a nightmare, aren't you?!"
"Twilight-"
"Oh princess, I'm so sorry it won't happen again."
"Twilight-"
"She just really wanted me to send you a letter and-"
"TWILIGHT!"
"yes, sorry princess."
"Like I said. I'm here because of Diamond Tiara. What she thought was a dream, wasn't one at all."
"Princess, that doesn't make sense. If it wasn't a dream, then that means...it was a vision?!"
"Precisely. I came here to gather the elements of harmony to see if they knew who might fit the dark figure in the vision since the figure was never identified."
"I'll gather up everypony and bring them back right away."
"Twilight, don't bring AppleJack with you."
"Why Princess?"
"This may be hard to hear, but I believe AppleJack may have been the pony in the vision."
"What? Why?!"
"I was originally planning on asking each of you to met up at your castle and AppleJack was the closest to me when I first arrived. I was going to approach her, but she was destroying her barn, which I thought was odd, so I planned on waiting till she was done. However, as I listened to what she was saying to herself and less on the fact that the barn was being destroyed, I realized she was talking about her sister being bullied, which from what you have told me in the past is about Diamond Tiara's age."
"They are in the same class."
"Anyway, I have my suspicions about her, so I'd like to keep the first meeting between me, you, and the rest of the element bearers minus AppleJack."
"If you insist. I'll go get the others."
Luna wrote a quick letter to Celestia updating her on the situation, now that it affected the elements of Harmony.
Dear sister, I told you I was going to ponyville to try and stop a vision I had watched. While I should have just contacted princess Twilight since she is closer to the problem, I'm glad I decided to come and investigate because the situation may affect the elements. I will update you if anything pops up. With Care, Luna
Twilight flew to the Carousal Boutique first.
*knock, *knock, *knock "Rarity, it's me Twilight, open up!"
After a few seconds, Rarity opened the door, in a yellow dress with a flower in it. "What is it Twilight? Couldn't this have waited till we got to our picnic?"
"I'm afraid not. Luna showed up and requested a meeting with us. Go to the castle, I'll get the others."
Rarity nodded, putting her picnic basket back inside before galloping to the castle.
Twilight watched her run off for a few seconds, but then flew off into the air.
"One down, three to go. I hope you are wrong about AppleJack Luna." Twilight thought to herself as she flew off to the Sugar Cube Corner to get Pinkie Pie.
