The Great Wall
Applejack could sense something that nopony else could. She didn't get weird twitches and tingles like Pinkie Pie did when she sensed things in the near future, and she didn't have the otherworldly foresight of the Gift Givers of The Grove, but Applejack could tell that something was going to happen, something that nopony else seemed to have caught onto yet.
The changelings were coming.
The farm pony shivered in fear at the mere thought of the bug-like creatures. She recalled the last time Chrysalis had attempted to take over Equestria. If it hadn't been for Starlight and Trixie and the rest of them all, we would have been... Applejack gave her head a quick shake; some thoughts were better left unfinished. She pushed her worries to the back of her mind and tried to focus on the tasks at hoof, but she couldn't put her heart into it. Sweet Apple Acres wasn't going anywhere; the changelings could strike in the blink of an eye.
It was just small things at first: misplacing the basket under the tree she was bucking, causing one or two to spill onto the ground; forgetting to collect the eggs from the hens, which Big Mac had given her an earful for; and leaving a pie in the oven for too long, only the pitiful, blackened remains serving as proof of her work. Applejack's performance got worse and worse throughout the day as visions of of Equestria being taken over flooded her mind, and she drew the last straw when she stumbled over a bucket of freshly bucked apples, scattering them and squishing a few of them as she fell. She wasn't doing any good for the farm like that.
"Could y'all excuse me for today?" Applejack asked her siblings. "I ain't feelin' so good."
Big Mac responded with his signature "Eeeyup" and nodded in understanding while Apple Bloom looked at her in worry. "I thought you were actin' funny. Go home an' rest, sis! Big Mac and I can handle the rest, right?" she said, nudging the orange pony toward the farmhouse. The big red pony nodded again with a gentle smile.
Applejack tipped her hat, gave her two siblings a smile of her own, and then turned around and headed over to the tall red building for some time to think on her own. "I hope ya feel better, sis!" she heard Apple Bloom call behind her as she continued to walk. How could I ever let somethin' happen to them? she thought as she entered the farmhouse, bucking the heavy wooden door shut behind her. She needed to protect her siblings and herself, but how? They had wooden fences available, but they were mostly for keeping the animals in and out; no fence would stop evil changelings from charging in and taking them all as slaves. Applejack needed something harder, sturdier, like the concrete they used to pave the roads, but there was no way she or even the entire Apple family could afford that by themselves.
And then it hit her: they didn't have to pay for the whole thing themselves. The wall she wanted wasn't just for the Apple family; the wall would protect all of Equestria from any intruders, not just the changelings. And who better to ask than the four princesses of Equestria? Not wanting to waste another moment, Applejack packed a bag with some food and water and scribbled a messy note to her family for when they came back, just so they wouldn't worry about where she'd went.
Be back soon - AJ
And then the farm pony was flying out the door from the back of the farmhouse, careful not to draw attention from Apple Bloom or Big Mac, who were bucking away at trees in the apple orchard. Don't worry, y'all. I won't let any darn changelings get us. Just wait for me.
It wasn't a long train ride to Canterlot, but it felt like forever to Applejack. The moment the train halted at her stop, galloped all the way to the Castle of The Two Sisters and barged through the tall, brown double doors. However, before she could meet the princesses and tell them about the danger that was coming, she was stopped by a wall of guards, all clad in the fancy gold armour she had seen in past visits. "Y'all gotta let me through. I need to talk to the princesses!" exclaimed Applejack, thrusting her head up and down and sideways to get a look past the guards, who moved block her way.
"Halt! State your business," commanded the main guard who stepped forward to meet Applejack. He held a long spear in his hoof, which was pointed at her threateningly. His voice was deep and serious, but the farm pony could tell he was just doing his duty as a guard.
Applejack held up her hooves innocently. The news she had was important, but she didn't want to set all of Equestria into a panic before she even had a chance to tell Celestia. "Look, I'm a friend of Princess Twilight. I've got important business, but I just can't tell ya," she said. The guard narrowed his eyes and inspected her expression. Applejack held her breath as he did so, hoping she didn't appear suspicious. Eventually, the armoured pony stepped back and shook his head.
"Sorry, we cannot let you pass. You may book an appointment and come back at your allotted time," he said. At his word, the rest of the guards stepped forward once again, forming a wall between her and the staircase that led to the princesses. However, Applejack didn't turn to the door. Instead, she tried to push forward through them, grunting as they shoved her back. In just a second, she found herself staring at a sea of spears, all facing her.
"You don't understand!" she exclaimed. "I need to see the prin--"
"Applejack?" called a familiar voice from the top of the staircase. every pony in the room turned their head for a moment, and then back to Applejack. Suddenly, the wall of guards parted left and right, and Princess Celestia passed through the center, nodding at the guards, who all stood straight and nodded back.
Applejack breathed a sigh of relief as Celestia stopped in front of her, helping her to her hooves. "Ah'm so glad you're here, Princess Celestia!" she cried. "The chan--" Applejack paused as Celestia placed a hoof over her mouth, shaking her head slightly.
"Let us discuss this in a quieter location." With that, the princess led Applejack up the stairs to her room.
Princess Celestia locked the door behind them as they entered, offering Applejack a seat across from her in a comfortable looking chair. "It is rare to see you visit by yourself," said Celestia, looking at her curiously. "Has something happened back in Ponyville?"
Applejack jumped up. "No!" she shouted, lowering her head slightly as she noticed Celestia jump in her seat at the exclamation. "Er well, not yet," she said.
"And what is going to happen?" asked Celestia.
Applejack couldn't hold it any longer. "The changelings are coming! The changelings are coming!" She told Celestia all about how she could see things that nopony else seemed to pick up, how she told her friends and everypony around her but no one seemed to listen, and how she had the perfect solution, the wall. She wanted a tall concrete wall to keep not just the changelings out, but any intruder at all. Celestia listened carefully to the whole thing, nodding and looking up thoughtfully at certain points. "But ah can't do it myself," admitted Applejack.
"Because you don't have the bits for it," Celestia finished, rubbing her hoof on her chin. Applejack nodded, her eyes brightening. Have I convinced her? she thought.
"And how much do you suppose this wall might cost?"
"Ah, um... Five billion bits?" Applejack said, more as a question than an answer. The truth was she knew it would cost much more, but there was no way she could hope to convince the Celestia with an even higher amount.
"Applejack, this idea of yours sounds very... interesting, but do you have any proof of the changelings invading? And don't you think that even if they tried, we could have better countermeasures than a big wall?" Celestia asked. her tone wasn't challenging, but Applejack could tell she wasn't convinced.
"W-Well, ah don't have any physical proof that the changelings are coming, but I can sense it. I promise ya!" the farm pony exclaimed. She bent down on her behind and clasped her hooves in front of the princess. "Please, Princess Celestia. We need this," she pleaded.
Celestia met her eyes before turning away with a heavy sigh. There was a silence before either pony spoke. "Applejack, I'm sorry," Celestia said finally. "I understand your fears, but even if the changelings threatened to invade, we have better defense options than a wall. You do realize they can fly."
So that was it. If Celestia didn't believe her, it wouldn't be any use trying to convince any of the other princesses, even Twilight. "Fine. Have it your way, princess. But don't say ah didn't warn ya when the changelings take y'all as slaves. Just remember ah tried to help and you said no!" Without another word, Applejack dashed out of the room and down the long staircase. She heard Celestia call out behind her to wait, but she didn't look back. Nothing the princess had to say mattered anymore. Sorry Apple Bloom, Big Mac. Ah couldn't do it...
In the end, Applejack never got her wall. She lived the rest of her life in fear, leaving her siblings confused and saddened about her mental state and sudden isolation. In exchange, Ponyville never tasted the sweet, refreshing apples from Sweet Apple Acres again. Granny Smith had grown old, and despite what they had said, Apple Bloom and Big Mac simply couldn't pick up the slack that Applejack had left behind when she had gone into isolation. Life went on in Equestria, but things were never the same. Not for the Apple family.