Vignette Valencia was in a slump. She went mad with magical power, and as a result, she lost her job at Equestrialand.
However, while on the lookout for a new job, she gains something unexpected, from the person she thought would want nothing to do with her after everything was done.
Vignette Valencia walked around the streets of Other-Questria, checking on her phone a set of upsetting news.
As it turns out, thanks to the events that happened at Equestrialand, thanks to a certain worker there-*cough* Vignette herself *cough*-Snapgab was put out of business, so the millions of followers she had gathered over the years? Gone, just like that.
And then, her phone rang, with two familiar faces on the screen.
"Hello?" she greeted upon answering the call.
"Hey there, cousin!" a voice replied. "My brother and I heard the news. Sorry that your favorite social media site got shutdown."
"Thanks for your condolences," Vignette rolled her eyes. "It's all I needed. It's not like, I don't know, I lost my job or something."
"We're sorry about that too," the voice hastily added. "But you know, if you're always in need of a job-"
"I'm not joining the family business, okay? I.D.W.T.: I'm Done With That."
"Oh come on, Vignette, don't be like that! I'm sure you'll like it! Just give it a chance!"
"T.C.I.O.: This Conversation Is Over."
Vignette hung up, and leaned against the wall near a fruit market, rubbing her forehead as she tried to calm herself down.
"Family issues?"
Vignette squeaked and turned around, seeing the familiar face of a certain green-eyed blonde.
"Apple..." Vignette squinted her eyes. "Pie?"
"Jack, actually. Applejack," the girl answered. "Ah was there durin' ta fiasco at Equestrialand."
"Oh right, you're one of Rarity's friends," Vignette frowned. "Sorry I didn't notice you earlier. I would've gone as far away from you as I could had I done so."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Vignette looked incredulously at Applejack, but she quickly realized she wasn't gonna get anywhere without buying something first. That's something her family taught her very well.
So, she took out some bits, handed them to Applejack, and grabbed an apple as she answered:
"You were there at Equestrialand: you saw me teleport people to a blank room with my phone, which caused Equestrialand to be closed off for repairs, and Snapgab to be wiped out of existence! Why would you want me anywhere near you after that?"
"Look, what 'appened at Equestrialand 'appened because of magic corruptin' ya; if ya hadn't gained ta magic, ya would've been unpleasant, yeah, but not a maniac."
Vignette had trouble finding the part in that sentence that was meant to make her feel better.
"Besides, karma did get ya back for it," Applejack added. "Ya lost yer job, right?"
"And my house," Vignette sighed. "Once my landlord realized what I did, he decided to try save face and kick me out; not even with my belongings, he took them as compensation."
"Wait, ya mean ya didn't own yer house?"
"Who owns anything nowadays?" Vignette took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter if I owned it or not, I don't have a place to call home anymore. All I can do now is find another place to live, if I'm lucky, and a job."
"Why not become a live-in worker?" Applejack suggested, clicking her fingers. "Ya could live in ta same place ya'd work at, like Pinkie Pie."
"I don't know who that is," Vignette took a bite out of her apple. "Besides, who'd want me to live and work with them at the same time? It's either one or the other."
Applejack scratched her chin. "Not necessarily."
Vignette raised an eyebrow. She had a feeling that, whatever Applejack had in plan for her, she wouldn't like it...
And like it, she did not. She currently stood in the middle of the Apple Family Farm, with Applejack's sister, brother, grandma, and pet dog looking at Vignette with curiosity.
"Alright everybody, ah got someone ah want ya t' meet!" Applejack chirped as she put a hand on Vignette's shoulder. "This' Vignette Valencia. She's got nowhere t' go, so ah thought she could stay with us fer a while."
Vignette smiled nervously and waved hello. There was no point trying to convince Applejack this was a bad idea-she didn't listen to her on the way to the farm-the most she could hope was that they weren't angry about-
"Oh hey, ah recognize her!" the sister spoke. "Yer ta one who sang badly at ta Equestrialand parade!"
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack snapped. "Sorry 'bout dat, Vignette, she tends t' say ta first thing dat comes t' mind."
"I.O.: It's Okay." Vignette replied, waving her hand. "I'd rather be remembered for that than..."
Vignette went silent, and lowered her head in regret.
"Don't worry 'bout dat now; ah'll show ya to yer room-"
"Wait, your family hasn't said whether they want me here or not," Vignette twiddled her fingers. "I mean, they do seem to have enough mouths to feed."
"Ah, don't ya hussle 'bout it, sweetie," the grandma said. "There's always room fer one more at ta Apple family."
"Eyup," said the brother.
"Okay?"
Vignette followed Applejack to what would be her temporary room, and they arrived at a door between Applejack and Apple Bloom's rooms.
"You got a guest room?" Vignette asked.
"Dat's a way t' put it."
Applejack opened the door, and Vignette hesitantly entered. It was a pretty standard room, all things considered: a bed, a desk with some drawers, an open window that had a great view of the apple orchards outside, all it really needed was a TV... and a laptop... an It's own built-in bathroom-
You know what? Maybe comparing it to Vignette's old house wasn't fair.
"Ah'm gonna go prepare ta bathroom," Applejack spoke, returning Vignette to reality. "Ya stay 'ere and feel free t'-"
"Wait!"
Applejack stopped at the sudden shout, and Vignette was quick to apologize, rubbing her shoulder as she said so:
"There's something I want to know," Vignette clarified. "Why... are you doing this?"
"Well, ah gotta feeling ya haven't showered since we last met. Ah mean, ya got ta same clothes and all-"
"Not that!" Vignette snapped. "Why are you giving me a place to live after the terrible things I did?! Shouldn't you want me as far away from you as possible?"
Applejack calmly inhaled, then exhaled as she closed the door.
"Do ya want me t' be honest?"
Vignette simply nodded. She didn't care if the actual reason was because they wanted to eat her: as long as it gave some sense to what was happening, it was fine.
"Ah saw mahself in ya," Applejack stated. "Not in ta sense dat ah'm focused on social media, but on ta sense dat, just like me, ya made a mistake, paid ta price, and all ya wanna do now is atone fer it and move on."
Vignette lowered her head. "Can i even do that, though? Even without magic allegedly corrupting me, I've been an awful person, treating everybody else, including Rarity, like rugs that I could do whatever I wanted to, as long as my vision of "perfection" was accomplished."
Applejack walked to Vignette, put a hand on her shoulder, and said with a reassuring smile:
"Ya feel like after everythin' dat happened, ya've hit rock bottom and there's no way up. One of my friends found herself in ta same situation, and ah didn't do much t' help her then. Ah'm not planning t' make ta same mistake again."
Vignette huffed. "So that's what it is: no matter what happens, you'll get to say that you at least tried to help."
"And ah want ya t' say, no matter what 'appens, dat ya tried t' atone. Tried t' make ammends."
Vignette's eyes widened.
"And everythin' starts somewhere, like in yer case, maybe put less emphasis on technology, 'kay? Ah'll help ya, but ya gotta be ta one t' take ta first step."
Vignette simply nodded, slightly closing her eyes as Applejack went through the door, and closed it... just in time for her phone to ring.
And unsurprisingly enough, it was her cousins. Unlike last time, though, she didn't feel very keen on answering them.
She hung up and put the phone on the bed. She was gonna give the Apples, especially Applejack, a chance, even if they wouldn't be of much help in the end.
"Ow!" a younger Vignette cried, rubbing her arm as she snapped at a pair of shadowy figures, "What was that for?!"
"Uncle's telling us how to run the business!" the figures spoke in unison. "You should pay attention!"
"I was paying attention!"
"Is that so?"
The younger Vignette froze, and she looked up fearfully, a larger shadowy figure looking down at her with red, glowing eyes.
"Mind telling me what I was talking about?"
Vignette took a couple steps back, and mumbled her words as she desperately tried to keep eye contact.
Eventually, she broke said contact, making the taller shadowy figure raise an arm and exclaimed:
"DON'T GET DISTRACTED!"
The rooster crowed as Vignette shot awake, catching her breath and clutching her chest.
"G'Mornin', Vignette!" Applejack chirped after kicking the door open. "Ready fer yer first day at ta farm?"
"No."
"Eh, ye'll be ready 'fore ya know it. For now, head downstairs for breakfast."
Applejack left Vignette to her own devices, and she decided to check on her phone. Surprisingly enough, her cousins hadn't called her after yesterday, but she figured they were busy with something else.
She didn't have time to waste with them, anyway, she had to get breakfast. So she got off her bed, walked to the bathroom, and halfway there, realized something kind of important.
"My clothes are dirty!"
"Ah got ya covered!" Applejack said from downstairs. "Ya just take a bath and ah'll have yer clothes ready in a minute!"
Vignette raised an eyebrow, but remembered her self-imposed agreement to trust the Apple Family. Even so, she couldn't help but wonder just what would Applejack pick for her..
Vignette had to admit, it could've been much worse.
As she looked at the mirror in her room, she was wearing a white shirt, silver pants, brown shoes, and a cowboy hat tilted to the side. And the more she looked at her reflection, the more it seemed like a slight variation of her usual outfit.
And before you ask, no, the cowboy hat didn't come with the outfit, she grabbed it herself.
"When ya feel ready, be sure t' go downstairs, Vignette!" Applejack called.
"Got it!" Vignette shouted back. "I'm on my way!"
Vignette adjusted the hat and took a deep breath. She walked downstairs, mentally preparing herself for whatever breakfast the Apple family was going to have.
Whatever it was, she expected something rural like-
...Eggs and bacon?
"'Bout time ya arrived, Vignette!" Applejack said. "Apple Bloom was 'bout to steal one of yer eggs!"
"That's not true!" Apple Bloom whined, while in the middle of stealing one of Big Mac's eggs.
"Eggs... and... bacon?" Vignette said as she walked to the table, and sat down at one of the empty chairs.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Somethin' wrong?"
"No, It's just, I thought you guys would have something else for breakfast," Vignette grabbed a fork and eyed the food. "I mean, eggs and bacon is one of the most common city breakfast."
"It's a common breakfast anywhere, Vignette," Applejack pointed out. "Besides, I thought you'd be more curious 'bout where we got the eggs and bacon from."
"You pique my curiosity, but I'm sure the answer's simple," Vignette sliced her egg in half. "You bought them, didn't you?"
"Ha! Ya think we only raise animals t' sell their stuff?" Granny Smith spoke as she sat down. "We cannot be picky like dat! If we buy, we buy! If we can't, we raise!"
Vignette eyed her food with horror. "So the eggs and bacon we're eating right now..."
"Fresh from ta house!" Granny Smith exclaimed. "Ya like it?"
Vignette dropped her fork as her expression turned into one of horrified, if cartoony, shock. Her eyes being as wide as dinner plates probably didn't help.
"Vignette?" Applejack asked, growing worried. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I just..." Vignette closed her eyes and shook her head, slightly returning to normal as she rubbed her forehead. "I thought farmers didn't eat their own stocks?"
"Listen, Vignette, ah know it might seem crazy that we eat the stuff we're supposed to sell, but ta harsh truth is, things get tricky for those picky."
Vignette tilted her head. "T.G.T.F.T.P.?"
"Yeah, dat; we don't got ta luxury t' be picky 'bout what we eat," Granny Smith said. "If we gotta eat our stocks, then there's no way 'round it!"
"Yeah, what Granny Smith said," Applejack remarked before eating one of her bacons. "Now, let's get eating. We got a long day ahead of us, Vignette."
Vignette raised an eyebrow. "We?"
Applejack nodded. "We."
Vignette found herself at the same fruit market she first met Applejack, standing behind the oranges. She was wearing the same uniform as Applejack; that is to say, white gloves, and a green apron over her regular clothes.
"Alright, Vignette, what ya gotta do's easy; when people ask for oranges, ya grab a couple, weigh them on that machine next to ya, verify they weigh what ta customer wants, then put them in a bag, hand them over, and take ta money," Applejack explained while she stretched. "Ya got it?"
"O.Q.: One Question," Vignette threw a raised eyebrow at Applejack, "How do you know me working here won't make you lose customers?"
"Why would ya working here do that?"
Vignette lowered her eyelids. "I'm pretty sure I teleported half the people here during the Equestrialand fiasco."
"You're letting that whole fiasco get to yer head," Applejack bluntly responded. "Worse things have happened, and ta perpetrators have always been forgiven and moved on."
Vignette closed her eyes and trembled, shortly before a familiar face appeared in front of her: Micro Chips.
"O-Oh, Vignette," he remarked. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"I.C.S.T.S.T.: I Could Say The Same Thing." Vignette tilted her head. "What brings you to the fruit market?"
"Um, I was hoping to get 3kg of oranges and apples."
"Yer first customer, Vignette!" Applejack remarked, gently jabbing Vignette's shoulder. "Ya get ta oranges, ah get ta apples!"
And as Applejack went to get the apples, Vignette rubbed her shoulder, throwing an upset look at the green-eyed blonde before she got the oranges.
The procedure was over before Vignette or Applejack knew it, and once the purchase was made, Micro Chips left the market, waving goodbye with a nervous expression.
"Well, that wasn't bad for a first purchase!" Applejack blurted, startling Vignette. "So, how did it feel?"
Vignette turned to Applejack, though she quickly diverted her eyes when she answered:
"We'll talk at the farm, Apple... Jazz?"
"Jack."
Vignette simply nodded, and went back to work, her sour expression staying with her the whole way through.
Once work was finished at 11 AM, Vignette and Applejack walked back home together and went to her bedroom, the former's expression softening slightly as Applejack spoke:
"Ya know, Vignette? Ah think this shift went pretty well all things considered. Even yer grumpy face didn't drive away as many customers as ah thought."
Vignette lowered her head. "You think so?"
"Don't get me wrong, that's a pretty scary glare ya got there, but yeah, it wasn't as bad as ah thought," Applejack put her arms behind her head. "And how do ya feel, Vignette? How did yer first job feel?"
Vignette raised an eyebrow. "You mean, that short shift was it?"
"For us, anyway. Big Mac's gonna take ta evening shift."
"Well... I guess it was..." Vignette rubbed her arm. "Fine..."
Applejack eyed Vignette's arm. "Somethin' wrong?"
"Well, It's up to you whether It's because I'm weak or you're too strong," Vignette paused. "But when you jabbed me during the shift... it actually hurt."
"It hurt?!" Applejack exclaimed. "Ah hit ya in a joking manner!"
"I know, I didn't mean that it hurt physically."
Applejack frowned and put a hand on Vignette's shoulder as she explained:
"When I was younger, and being taught how to follow the family business, my cousins would jab my arms every time I got distracted. And I got distracted constantly."
"Ya grew up with yer cousins?" was Applejack's response.
Vignette flatly sighed. "Yes, and it was the worst time of my life."
"And when I jabbed ya during work," Applejack frowned. "It reminded ya of those times, didn't it?"
Vignette silently nodded and looked elsewhere.
"I'm sorry, Vignette, I didn't mean to upset you."
Vignette flinched and turned back to the country girl. "You dropped the accent?! I didn't know you could do that!"
"Took me years to figure out how to do it," Applejack snickered. "Anyway, that's mah way of telling ya I'm serious."
"Well, you're not the only one at fault here," Vignette scratched her head. "I haven't really told you anything about my past, so how could you have known?"
"Well, ah won't pry 'bout it, don't worry. But ah'll need to find out eventually, otherwise I'm gonna be upsetting ya all ta time while being none the wiser."
Vignette chuckled. "Noted."
"Applejack! Vignette!" Apple Bloom called downstairs. "Granny Smith says It's time for dinner!"
"We're comin'!" Applejack exclaimed. "Or do ya plan to eat later, Vignette?"
As if on cue, Vignette's phone rang, and opening it revealed it was a message sent by her cousins. However, glancing between the message and Applejack caused her to quickly answer:
"Nope, I'm starving!"
"That's ta spirit!"
Vignette left her phone on her bed, and followed Applejack downstairs, leaving the phone with the message uncovered:
"Vignette, sweetie! We may have discovered a magical artifact!"
Vignette woke up as soon as the rooster crowed, being slightly calmer than last time. Sure, having the not-yet-dinner waking her up with a screech still scared her, but for some reason, she wasn't as bothered by it as yesterday.
Perhaps this was just because she slept better?
"Good mornin', Vignette!" Apple Bloom greeted, kicking the door open.
"Oh, good morning, Apple... Blossom?"
"Bloom."
"Yeah, that. Good morning," Vignette yawned as the younger Apple walked to her. "Where's Applejack?"
"Hey, you got 'er name right!" Apple Bloom remarked cheerfully. "Anyway, she's at the barn checkin' on the chickens. She asked me t' wake ya up."
"I see, I guess that makes sense," Vignette yawned and stretched. "Anyway, I'll be downstairs in a second, just let me change clothes-"
"Actually, before you do that, there's somethin' ah wanna ask ya." Apple Bloom put her arms behind her head. "Mah friends and I are going t' the cinema today, and I was hoping Applejack could come with us, but she'll be very busy today."
"Really now?" Vignette raised an eyebrow. "Well, why's that?"
"I don't know, she just said she'd be busy," Apple Bloom scratched her cheek. "Then ah asked Big Mac, and he told me he'd be working at the gym, then I thought of askin' Granny Smith, but she's too old-"
"Long story short," Vignette intercepted, putting a hand on Apple Bloom's mouth. "You're asking me because everybody else is busy, right?"
Apple Bloom nodded as Vignette released her mouth. "Besides, ah thought you liked hanging out."
"I do, but are you sure this is a good idea?" Vignette folded her arms. "I mean, your friends might not have the best impression of me."
"Don't worry! I'm sure the Equestrialand Fiasco's but a thought of the past to them by now," Apple Bloom clasped her hands. "So? Whatcha say?"
Vignette touched her chin as she hummed in thought, before flashing a little smile at Apple Bloom.
Vignette and Apple Bloom arrived at the Other-Questria Cinema after a half hour of walking. Vignette was back to wearing her signature clothes, so now people had an easier time recognizing her.
Vignette hated when little details like that escaped her.
"Apple Bloom! We're here!"
The girls turned around, and saw Apple Bloom's friends approaching them, with Apple Bloom hugging them once they arrived.
"Oh right! I nearly forgot!" Apple Bloom pointed at Vignette, who flinched. "This is Vignette Valencia! She's stayin' with mah family for the moment!"
Vignette flashed an awkward smile and waved her hand.
"Vignette, these are my friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom added while pointing at the orange girl, then the white one, the latter staring at Vignette with distrust.
"Oh hey, I recognize her!" the orange friend remarked. "She's that girl who sung really badly during the Equestrialand Parade!"
Vignette's smile turned into a frown pretty quickly.
"Before you ask anythin', I didn't infect 'em with my honesty," Apple Bloom stated.
"I was actually going to ask if they've been bad influences to you," Vignette sighed. "But, well, we're here! So, what did you want to do?"
The girls hummed together, scratching their chins and looking at the cinema while searching for ideas. Vignette had a feeling there was something she was missing, but she didn't have time to delve on it, since Apple Bloom spoke soon after:
"Well, we're called the Canterlot Movie Club for a reason. We should go see a movie!"
"I second that idea!" the orange one chirped. Vignette had a feeling this was Scootaloo. "But what movie should we see?"
Apple Bloom eyed the white girl, Sweetie Belle perhaps, but she simply diverted her eyes from Vignette, still looking visibly upset.
"Alrighty then," Apple Bloom smiled. "Vignette, whatcha wanna see?"
"You're... asking me?" Vignette scratched her head. "I thought we'd go with whatever you wanted to see?"
"I have an idea, but mah curiosity tells me we should hear you out," Apple Bloom shrugged. "Who knows, maybe you'll like somethin' we like as well."
Vignette hummed, and went to the movie posters, none of which really caught her attention.
The girls, however...
"Daring Do and the Jewel of Eternity!"
"I forgot that was comin' out today!"
Even Sweetie Belle looked happy, though she remained quiet.
"You guys seem quite excited for that movie," Vignette remarked. "Do you wanna see it?"
"Heckin' yeah, we do!" Apple Bloom exclaimed before she ran to Vignette and grabbed her arm. "Let's watch it, yes? Please?"
Vignette shrugged. "Sure, it'll be neat to see something besides court shows and dramas for once."
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo exchanged confused looks, but shrugged it off and followed Vignette and Apple Bloom to the ticket booth.
"Four tickets for "Daring Do and the Jewel of Eternity" please."
"Sorry, ma'am," the pigtailed counter girl spoke. "It's already been sold out."
"What?!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "How's that possible?!"
"I know, I'm also astonished that the biggest movie event since the original Daring Do movie sold out instantly," the counter girl sighed. "Don't fret, though, today it might be sold out, but knowing this cinema, it'll stay for a month, so you have a slim chance to get tickets."
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo frowned, while Sweetie Belle pouted while looking at Vignette, as if she was to blame for this.
Regardless, the girls got the message and walked away defeated, the counter girl going back to playing cards as they left.
"Great, the biggest movie event of the year and we won't be there to witness it," Scootaloo said, pocketing her hands. "We're gonna be the laughingstock of the school!"
"It can't be that bad, can it?" Vignette shrugged. "I mean, it's just a movie."
The girls gasped, Scootaloo in particular looking offended.
"Daring Do is a franchise books, movies, and all that jazz based on the archeological adventures of, well, Daring Do! It's one of the most popular franchises of all time!"
"And how was I supposed to know that?" Vignette folded her arms. "I've never even heard of Daring Do until today."
Scootaloo flinched. "Wait, what? You haven't read any of the books? Seen any of the shows? Anything?!"
Vignette shook her head.
"Apple Bloom, we need to go to the cinema library," Scootaloo stated, narrowing her eyes as Apple Bloom turned to her. "We can't leave a potential Daringdevil in the dark!"
"Daringdevil?" Sweetie Belle finally spoke.
"The term for a fan of Daring Do, duh," Scootaloo clarified. "Anyway, we should get going!"
"And while we're at it, you and Sweetie Belle can spend some time together, Vignette," Apple Bloom added. "We won't stay there too long, we promise!"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo bolted out of the scene, leaving a dumbfounded Vignette and Sweetie Belle alone.
"Well, I'm in the mood for some brunch!" Vignette blurted, rubbing her hands as she turned to Sweetie Belle. "How about some donuts?"
Sweetie Belle avoided eye contact. "Sure, whatever."
Vignette frowned, but nonetheless, she and Sweetie Belle got some donuts for everybody and sat on a bench to await Apple Bloom and Scootaloo's return.
While Vignette ate her donut with a calm joy, Sweetie Belle stared at her donut with a neutral expression.
"What's wrong, kid?" Vignette asked, startling Sweetie Belle. "Don't you like vanilla?"
"No, It's fine," Sweetie Belle lowered her eyelids. "The real problem's that you're here."
Vignette tilted her head.
"And one more thing, I have an actual name," Sweetie Belle finally faced Vignette. "Apple Bloom told you what it was earlier. Do you remember what it is?"
Vignette swallowed, and touched her chin for a moment. "Hmm... Sweetie Belle?"
"Huh, so you can remember names," Sweetie Belle looked elsewhere. "That's some progress, I guess."
Vignette frowned. "Sweetie Belle, if there's something about me that bothers you, just tell me and-"
"And what? What can you do to make this better?" Sweetie Belle pouted. "You already hurt Rarity and her friends, what makes you think I'll forgive you after that?"
"So, that's the problem," Vignette remarked. "you're angry at me for how I treated Rarity while she was working under me, right?"
Sweetie Belle furrowed her brow.
"She told me everything that you did: how you acted demeaning to her, how you couldn't be bothered to remember her or her friends' names, and specially how you teleported everybody to a white void room!"
Then, she frowned.
"And yet, once your phone was destroyed. She forgave you. Her friends forgave you. And even after all that happened, she keeps you as a contact on her phone... I... I don't get that."
Vignette lowered her head and took a deep breath.
"I don't get it either. But, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't get out of it unscathed."
Sweetie Belle turned to Vignette, raising an eyebrow as she explained:
"Shortly after the parade was over and everybody left, Equestrialand was shutdown for repairs, and I lost my job."
Sweetie Belle looked elsewhere. "You deserved that."
"And when I got home," Vignette continued. "My landlord learned of everything. He decided having an infamous tenant wouldn't do, so he kicked me out."
Sweetie Belle's eyes widened.
"And moments later, during my first night as a homeless person, I discovered that SnapGab was shutdown permanently. And the millions of followers I had amassed... were no more."
"Why... are you telling me this?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Vignette raised her head and sighed. "I don't know. So you'd know that all the pain I caused Rarity returned to me eventually?"
Sweetie Belle sulked. "Vignette-"
"Heya, guys!"
The duo turned around, and saw Apple Bloom and Scootaloo running to them, sporting wide smiles on their faces.
"Oh hi, girls," Vignette greeted with a little smile. "Did you have any luck with the books?"
"Yeah! And not only did we get the first book in the series," Apple Bloom chirped as Scootaloo revealed a book with the exact same cover as the Jewel of Eternity movie poster. "But we got the book version of the Jewel of Eternity!"
"It's the exact same as the movie, too!" Scootaloo added joyfully. "We won't become the laughingstock at school!"
"That's great, I'm happy for you. And to celebrate," Vignette raised the bag containing the donuts. "D.F.E.: Donuts For Everyone!"
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo jumped in joy while Sweetie Belle glanced between them and Vignette, who added with a laugh:
"Phew, I finally got to say an acronym! I was starting to feel naked without it!"
Between her friends' joy and Vignette's laughter and earlier statements, Sweetie Belle had no idea what was going on, only that this was something worth bringing up to Rarity when she got the chance.
Until then, though, she ate her donut and went with the flow.
At the apartment Vignette used to live at, things were peaceful as a figure walked to a door, and adjusted their tie before knocking.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*
"I'm coming! I'm coming!"
The door was opened by the landlord, one certain Svengallop, who rolled his eyes as he growled:
"Who is it and what do you want?"
The man froze, however, when he saw a man with coal skin, black shadowy hair, and piercing red eyes, wearing a black business suit with matching gloves.
"Greetings, good man," he said with a suave, yet imposing voice. "I believe I need no introduction, do I?"
"Y-You're King Sombra!" Svengallop exclaimed. "The CEO of the Crystal Emporium, one of the biggest businesses in Other-Questria!"
"Good, I don't need an introduction," Sombra chuckled. "I'll be straight to the point: someone named Vignette Valencia used to live here, didn't she?"
"Y-Yes..."
"And you kept all her stuff in her old room? And don't try lying; I got methods to make you talk, you know?"
"Okay, alright, I did! Why do you ask?!"
Sombra flashed a smile full of sharp teeth.
"She's my daughter. And I've come to take her stuff and return them to her."
"And that's what she told me," Sweetie Belle spoke. "So, from the looks of it, karma hit her really hard."
Sweetie Belle raised her head and looked at her sister, Rarity, as she took a sip of her tea and rubbed her forehead.
"Do you think she was lying?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case," Rarity sighed. "Vignette lied as natutally as she breathed, so It's very likely that she just said that to get some sympathy points."
Sweetie Belle lowered her head as Rarity took another sip of her tea.
"And yet..."
Sweetie Belle rose her head again, this time seeing her sister with a conflicted expression.
"I get the feeling she's being honest..."
Vignette stretched as she walked downstairs, having spent extra time making sure to put the more western-themed outfit instead of her regular clothes. Alongside that, she had tied her hair in a pair of short braids, reaching her shoulders.
And then she spotted Big Mac standing at the end of the staircase.
"Oh, good morning, Big Mac," she casually greeted. "How are you doing?"
Big Mac briefly checked Vignette out, and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, this outfit? Applejack chose it for me while my clothes were wet-"
Big Mac moved his hand to Vignette's braids, and gently poked them.
"Oh, the braids! Applejack did them for me. I needed something to further make myself look different, since, you know, people might not like seeing me."
"You fear you'll be bullied and harassed when they recognize you?" Big Mac asked.
Vignette flinched. "I think that's the first time I've seen you say a full sentence."
Big Mac remained silent, still waiting for an answer.
"Yes, I'm afraid that'll happen."
Big Mac gestured Vignette to follow him before he walked towards the door. Vignette didn't have to work at the market with her today, so she saw no problem following the man.
Now that she thought about it, this was the second time a member of the Apple family wanted her for something. Not that she minded, it was the least she could do after they gave her a place to stay, but it was still rather odd, she found.
"We're here."
Vignette snapped back to reality to see she and Big Mac were now standing in front of a gym named "Bulk Biceps Big Bulking Gym."
She was having a real hard time not laughing at the name.
Shortly after, Big Mac entered the gym, and Vignette soon followed, entering just in time to hear quite the thunderous words:
"BIG MAC, MY OLD FRIEND! IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"
Vignette shook off the shock from the shout, and she went to Big Mac's side, which was also the point she saw he was talking with a guy with a buzz cut, pearly white skin, and red eyes.
He looked kinda creepy, she mused to herself.
"WHO'S THIS GIRL, BIG MAC?" the muscular man asked.
"Bulk Biceps, this is Vignette." Big Mac was as upfront as ever. "Vignette, Bulk Biceps."
"N.T.M.Y!" Vignette greeted.
Bulk raised an eyebrow.
"Nice To Meet You!" Vignette clarified. "Sorry, I say acronyms sometimes."
"I see. It's okay, I understand," Bulk turned back to Big Mac. "So, why did you bring her here? Wait, let me guess, you wanna help her build some muscle, right?"
"Eeyup."
"Perfect! There's a pair of equipment on the back that's available! You can use those!"
Big Mac nodded and shook hands with Bulk as Vignette glanced between them, trying but failing to come up with words.
Soon after, Big Mac gestured Vignette to come along, and she did, speaking as she followed the guy:
"W.D.Y.S.T.: Why Did You Say That?! I just came here 'cause I followed you, not because I wanted to train!"
Big Mac, however, didn't respond right away. Instead, he remained quiet until Vignette asked:
"You think I need to gain some muscle?"
"You're stayin' at a farm, right?" Big Mac asked calmly. "And just sittin' on your phone all day has got t' be borin' even for you."
Vignette twiddled her fingers. "Truth be told, I've been trying to keep my phone usage as minimal as possible. I just don't feel comfortable with it after... you know-"
"Here they are."
Vignette flinched, and as soon as she raised her head, she saw Big Mac handing her a dumbbell. She grabbed it... and her arms sharply plummeted, the girl managing to muster enough strength to lift the dumbbell back up.
"Too heavy?" Big Mac asked.
"N-No, I-I," Vignette took a deep breath. "Actuallyyeahitsheavypleasetakeitoff!"
Big Mac grabbed the dumbbell back, allowing Vignette to catch her breath and rub her arm.
To add insult to injury, a closer look at the dumbbell revealed it was the smallest size available. Seeing this, she glanced at Big Mac, and frowned as she quickly diverted her attention elsewhere.
"I can try find somethin' better for you later," Big Mac casually remarked, lifting both dumbbells. "But we gotta work on your strength, no questions 'bout it."
Vignette tilted her head. "You're oddly talkative today."
"Eeyup."
"Is there a reason in particular?" Vignette put a finger on her chin. "I mean, are you just shy? Are you reserved with your words? Or do you just not like speaking unless absolutely necessary?"
"Eeyup."
Well, that answer wasn't helpful at all.
"Regardless... I can say that I do like that about you," Vignette smiled. "It means you're a good listener."
Big Mac smiled proudly, though his smile was cut short when he saw Vignette add with a frown:
"Maybe if I was a better listener, things would've gone better."
Big Mac put the dumbbells down and got an idea. "Let's do that, then."
Vignette raised an eyebrow.
"I'll teach you how to be a better listener."
Vignette took a moment to process the statement, but one she did, she clasped her hands and smiled joyfully
Back with Rarity, the fashionista stared at her phone, which had Vignette's contact information on the screen. All she needed to do was push a button and she would call her.
But for some reason, she felt... hesitant about it.
"What are you doing?"
Rarity screamed and nearly threw her phone through the window, only to calm down when she saw Sweetie Belle nearby.
"Don't scare me like that, Sweetie Belle!" she chided. "As for your question, I was about to call Vignette-"
"Call her? As in, on her phone?"
"No, Sweetie Belle, on a banana."
Sweetie Belle lowered her eyelids. "You know, I get you're being sarcastic, but I honestly think you'd have better luck calling her on a banana. I doubt she'll use her phone after what happened."
Rarity slowly put her phone down and intertwined her fingers in thought; partially about how Vignette was feeling about phones, partially about how to contact her now.
"She's living with Apple Bloom and Applejack, if that helps." Sweetie Belle said as she walked away.
"And that's the way Other-Questria was founded, and how the Apple Family had the biggest part in it."
Those words were spoken by Granny Smith to Big Mac and Vignette, the former looking at the latter as she tried desperately to stay focused on the story as told by the elderly woman. However, it was rather clear that as soon as the story ended, Vignette was turning gears on her head trying to process everything that was just told to her.
"Did you manage to get anythin' of what ah just said, young lady?" Granny Smith inquired.
"I'm trying, Granny Smith, I'm seriously trying, but it's just so hard!" Vignetted cried, ruffling her hair. "I can only remember little bits like the bear, and the Zap Apples, and other stuff like that."
"But, dat means you understood some stuff about the story," Granny Smith remarked with a smile. "Considerin' you were totally lost last time ah told the story, dat's a big improvement!"
"Eeyup," Big Mac said, patting Vignette's back as he flashed a smile. "You should be proud of yourself."
Vignette, surprised by the positive statement, blushed and smiled, looking elsewhere as she played with her braid. "T-Thanks, Big Mac, Granny Smith."
"Vignette! Someone's come t' see you!"
"Coming, Applejack!" Vignette stood up and stretched. "Well, this was fine and all, but I need to get going."
Granny Smith and Big Mac nodded and bid farewell as Vignette walked downstairs, being stopped by Apple Bloom before she could go any further.
"Vignette, I think you might want t' wait a little," the younger Apple said, twiddling her fingers. "Just until sis can soften up the visitor for you."
Vignette raised an eyebrow. "And why do you bring this up to me now?"
"Well, remember when we went t' the cinema with my friends t' watch a movie, and you got left with Sweetie Belle while Scootaloo and I went to get books?" Apple Bloom scratched the back of her head. "Well... Sweetie Belle's sister's the visitor."
"Rarity's here?!" Vignette exclaimed in shock.
"You bet I'm here, darling!"
Vignette flinched and turned around, seeing Rarity enter the living room while Applejack followed her behind.
"Sorry, Vignette, I couldn't stop her for long."
Apple Bloom moved aside to allow Vignette to reach the end of the staircase, upon which she rubbed her arm as she nervously greeted:
"H-Hi, Rarity. What prompts your visit?"
"That's what I'd like t' know too," Applejack said, folding her arms. "If you were plannin' t' pay us a visit, the least you could do is call beforehand."
"I wanted to do that, sweetie, I really did," Rarity said, looking at Applejack before turning back to Vignette. "But considering the circumstances of your little guest, I couldn't risk having her grab the phone and hung up on me as soon as she heard my voice.
"I.W.P.D.T.: I Would've Probably Done That." Vignette confessed, twiddling her fingers. "But still, what are you doing here?"
"Seriously, darling?" Rarity asked, folding her arms as she walked to the young woman. "You and I have a bit of history together, and you don't even have an idea on what I could be doing here?"
"I mean, it would help a little if you pointed it out to me," Vignette shrugged. "As far as I'm aware, you could've been planning to visit Applejack and you just so happened to hear I was here along the way."
"She has a point, Rarity," Applejack stated.
"Fine, the reason I'm here is because I want to see if you've been acting as good as I've been told," Rarity stated. "Sweetie Belle told me what you told her at the cinema, and I have a hunch you're right, but I can't trust you've changed by a mere hunch. I need to see it myself."
"Hmm, I see, that makes sense," Vignette frowned. "But how am I supposed to show you that I've changed?"
"Well, it's been a while since you joined the Apple family, and I doubt they'd allow a freeloader to live with them," Rarity shrugged. "So, show me what you do for a living."
"Which reminds me, we need to get going to the fruit market!" Applejack remarked, snapping her fingers. "Vignette, are you finished with everything Big Mac and Granny Smith needed you for?"
"I believe so, yeah."
"Then I'm coming with you," Rarity stated, throwing a look at Vignette as she added, "I wanna see what's your new job after the fiasco at Equestrialand."
Rarity was a little disappointed at seeing how normal and ordinary Vignette and Applejack's jobs really were. Certainly relieved, but disappointed nonetheless.
"This is literally all you do?" Rarity inquired, getting Vignette's attention. "Get the order, make said order, get the payment, rinse and repeat?"
"It's the way all businesses in the fruit market work," Applejack answered, stopping Vignette from answering herself. "Although now that I think 'bout it, this is the way all markets works."
"But this can't be it, there must be something else," Rarity stated as Vignette took another order. "I mean, back in your previous job, you were the boss: you gave everybody orders and wanted them done no matter what. Even when you were my "Friend who bosses you around", it was still the same."
Vignette slowed down as soon as she finished the order, and turned to Rarity, who promptly asked next:
"How could somebody who used to boss everyone around her, suddenly be fine being bossed around?"
Seeing this, Applejack put a hand on Vignette's shoulder, returning her to reality as she said:
"Vignette, how 'bout you go home for now? I'll take care of the cart."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, besides, I need t' talk with Rarity in private."
Those words were enough, and Vignette took off her apron and the rest of her uniform before leaving the cart, rubbing her arm as she nervously left the market.
"Well, she's out," Rarity remarked. "What do you wanted to talk to me about-"
Suddenly, Applejack handed the uniform to Rarity, and stated sternly:
"Put on the uniform. Then, we talk."
Well, Applejack would need help with Vignette gone, so it probably wouldn't hurt to help her. And nobody who knew her seemed to go to the fruit market, so she didn't have to worry about getting weird looks, so-
"Rarity, now."
The fashionista hastily put the uniform on and entered the cart. "Okay, I put the uniform, and now I'm here. What did you need to talk about?"
"I want you to tell me what's wrong with you."
Rarity blinked twice. "Come again?"
"Ever since you appeared in our house, you've shown nothing but hostility to Vignette."
"I have a reason to be a hostile, Applejack, remember?" Rarity stated. "The entire Equestrialand fiasco hurt us and our friends, and Vignette was at the center of that disaster!"
"No, magic was at the center, and it chose Vignette as its host to cause problems," Applejack argued "I'll agree that when we first met Vignette, she was nothin' more than a bully, a condescending jerk who thought she was above everybody, and yes, I'll admit, she didn't change much even after her phone was changed by magic-"
"Then why do you defend her?" Rarity questioned. "Why even bother talking to her after everything she did?"
Applejack narrowed her eyes. "Do you know what happened to Vignette after that fiasco?"
Rarity looked elsewhere. "Sweetie Belle... told me that she lost her job, house, and that SnapGab was shutdown. That's what she told her."
Applejack's expression changed, going from angry to a little over disappointed. "The fiasco not only cost Vignette her job, but her house. She didn't even get to take any furniture with her, her landlord decided to keep it as compensation. And to top it all off, she lost the only thing that made her happy: SnapGab."
Rarity lowered her eyelids, and slowly turned back to Applejack as she added:
"Not only that, but she spent some time homeless."
Rarity's eyes widened. "Sweetie Belle didn't tell me that."
"I'm not surprised: tell me somethin', you were still under the belief Vignette was the same lying jerk she used t' be, right?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. "If Sweetie Belle had told you all of that, plus the fact that Vignette was homeless... would you've believed her?"
Rarity lowered her head, but her expression didn't change.
"Not to mention, it just feels hypocritical to condemn Vignette, after forgiving people who've done worse things than her," Applejack counted with her fingers. "Sunset Shimmer broke our friendships, and we forgave her. It took a while, but it did. Twilight stole our magic and nearly destroyed the school, but we forgave her. Wallflower Blush took away our memories of our friendship, and we forgave her. Heck, just over a month ago, Juniper Montage sealed us in a mirror dimension that was about to collapse, and we forgave her too!"
"Yeah, but the one thing all of them shared was that they felt terrible for what they did!" Rarity snapped. "Vignette was completely shameless up until we destroyed her phone!"
"I see," Applejack lowered her eyelids. "So, simply being sorry for what happened is enough to justify forgiving them?"
"Yeah, more or less," Rarity said. "At least, that's what I've learned from Sunset-"
*WHACK!*
Rarity covered her eye and groaned in pain, Applejack reeling back her fist and shaking it as the fashionista whined:
"That one really hurt! Why did you do that?!"
"I'm so sorry, Rarity, I-i don't know what I was thinkin'!" Applejack cried as Rarity uncovered her eye... which was miraculously fine. "Could you forgive me?"
"No! Why would I do that?!"
Applejack narrowed her eyes, her tone turning serious. "Because you just said being sorry for what happened should justify you forgiving me."
Rarity quickly understood the message Applejack was trying to send, and she tried to leave... only to be stopped by Applejack.
"Where are you goin'?"
"I need to apologize to Vignette-"
"You'll do that later, I need your help here for now."
One shift at the fruit market later, Rarity and Applejack entered the house, the former taking a deep breath as she began searching for Vignette. As for the latter, she hid her hands on her pocket as she casually followed the fashionista.
When Rarity walked past the kitchen, however, she stopped and turned back, taking a peek from behind a wall as Applejack joined her, gaining a smile at the sight inside:
Vignette and Granny Smith cooking together. Or more accurately, the latter teaching the former how to cook.
"You don't have t' forgive Vignette, Rarity," Applejack said, calmly putting a hand on her shoulder as she asked, "But can you really claim she's the same manipulative jerk she was when you first met her?"
Rarity's eyes gleamed as she saw Vignette listening to Granny Smith's instructions, then attempt to replicate them with a gleeful smile.
"I'd like you t' spend the day with Rarity today."
Vignette wasn't sure if that was among the worst things one could say to ruin her day, she'd been on the receiving end of so many terrible things, but this was, in her opinion, one of the worst ever.
"A.Y.C.: Are You Crazy?!" Vignette snapped. "You saw how Rarity was yesterday! She hated me with a passion, and she had every reason to! Why would you think spending time with her now is a good idea?!"
"Vignette, I'll be blunt with you: unless you and Rarity talk with each other 'bout what happened so long ago at Equestrialand, neither you, nor her, will ever be able t' move on. You have t' talk 'bout it eventually."
"But what if today isn't the day?" Vignette asked. "What if, in trying to apologize for what I did, I do something that makes Rarity angry again? Or she doesn't want to hear me out?"
"Vignette, I'm sure, a hundred percent, that Rarity's havin' the exact same worries as you are," Applejack put a hand on Vignette's shoulder. "And let me tell you somethin': she wants to put an end to this just as much as you do."
Vignette raised an eyebrow. "And you know that, how?"
"She told me just as much yesterday, when we were plannin' this thing."
"You planned a meet-together with Rarity, the one person I still have hang-ups with, behind my back?!" Vignette exclaimed, and upon getting a simple nod in response, she confessed, "If we had met earlier, I'd be impressed by your deviousness, but now I feel a sense of both respect, and dread, from you."
"What can I say?" Applejack put her arms behind her head. "Sometimes you gotta go the extra measure to help a friend."
"Friend... right..." Vignette rubbed her arm. "So, what do you expect me to do?"
Applejack checked her watch. "Rarity should be waitin' for you at the park entrance right now, all we gotta do is make yourself look presentable!"
Vignette raised an eyebrow, skeptical about whatever Applejack had planned for her being "presentable." Regardless, she had to give her a chance; she was right that she and Rarity needed to talk things out and get this over with.
The faster they sorted through the issue, the quicker they could move on.
Vignette wasn't sure what she was expecting, but she definitely should've expected what Applejack gave her for an outfit: a simple red shirt, black pants, brown shoes, and a cowboy hat with a star on the side. Her hair had been tied into a single braid that laid on her shoulder, as well.
Truthfully, she actually loved the look Applejack picked for her. She just hoped Rarity would like it too.
"Darling!"
And speaking of Rarity, there she was, standing right at the entrance to the park as Applejack had said. And judging by her expression, Vignette's outfit caught her by surprise.
"Hi, Rarity, Applejack dressed me up for the occassion," Vignette answered, scratching her head. "S.I.G.C.? Should I Go Change?"
"N-No, don't, Vignette, i-it's fine," Rarity scanned the young woman. "That outfit actually... looks really good on you. And is that muscle I see on your arms?"
Vignette flexed one of her arms, and saw a little muscle bulge from it. "Yeah, I guess. I've been going to the gym with Big Mac for a while now, trying to develop musculature in order to help with the farm work."
"That does require a lot of upper body strength," Rarity remarked. "I think some lower body strength is also needed, now that I think about it."
"Between you and me, though, I don't really go there to train," Vignette whispered. "I mean, it's a nice bonus and all, but I mostly go there so Big Mac can teach me how to be a better listener."
"And while you learn, you get to be surrounded by a bunch of muscular, sweaty men," Rarity pointed out with an amused smile. "You devious little you!"
"Big Mac got the idea, though."
"And we're getting off-track now," Rarity pointed at the park. "Should we head inside?"
"S-Sure..."
And so, the duo entered the park and sat down on a bench in the center of it all, Vignette taking a moment to head to the food store nearby and get herself and Rarity a pair of cupcakes.
"You're heading for a snack food without a second thought?" Rarity pointed out as she grabbed the cupcake. "I thought you were on a diet?"
"I live with the Apple family now, remember? I either eat what they serve me, or I don't eat at all," Vignette pointed out. "Speaking of which, did you know that apparently, farmers are known to eat their own stock at times?"
"Seriously?!"
"Yeah, my first day with the Apple family, they served me bacon and fried eggs made from the pigs and the eggs they owned!"
"Doesn't that hurt their sales, though?"
"That's what I thought as well, but the only thing Granny Smith said in response was, and I paraphrase, "Ya gotta eat what ya get."
"I see."
The girls began eating their cupcakes, and when they finished, they just... sat there, in silence, for a long while. Until eventually, Vignette spoke:
"You're just as nervous as I am about discussing this, aren't you?"
"I've been through so many tough things in my life, though those moments have recently have become more and more related to magic," Rarity sighed. "However, this is one of the toughest I have had to deal with, and it's a perfectly mundane thing, if you ignore the whole teleporting phone thing."
"Because the reason you're angry at me is a mundane one," Vignette interjected. "You're angry at me because I used you... abused you... treated you badly, and never really apologized for it."
"And yet, following Sunset's example," Rarity faced Vignette. "I forgave you."
"Now that you mention her, that Sunset's a bad example for you," Vignette commented, folding her arms as she added, "I mean, first she tries destroying your school, and then she convinces you and your friends to forgive people who've done so many terrible things, it might be better not to forgive them."
"Wow, yeah, when you put it like that," Rarity snickered. "Sunset really is a bad influence! How could you tell?"
"I was once a bad influence myself, remember?"
The girls shared a lighthearted laugh, which died down suddenly when Rarity spoke:
"Vignette?"
"Y-Yeah?"
"Can we... let this be water under the bridge, or however that metaphor is said?"
"I don't know, it's been a while since it happened, but it's still fresh on everybody's mind. Can you really find it in yourself to forgive me, after all I did?"
"You're making progress, Vignette. It's slow and gradual, but you're little by little becoming a better person. You're trying to be better, and I think that's enough for me to at least give you a chance."
Vignette's eyes gleamed with hope. "Rarity..."
The fashionista extended her hand forward, and understanding the meaning behind it, Vignette shook it cheerfully, before the duo engaged in a little hug. Once they separated, they stood up and dusted themselves.
"Whoa, that was... kinda awkward, but it made me feel good in the end!" Vignette said, pocketing her hands. "I kinda feel good about myself right now! Should we go do something fun?"
"Yeah, sure, Vignette, but I'd like to ask something first," Rarity said, standing up with her hands on her hips. "It's clear what you think about the Equestrialand Fiasco, but what I'm wondering is..."
Vignette tilted her head. "Yes, Rarity?"
"Well..." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "What's your opinion on magic?"
It was right then and there that Vignette felt an intense emotion she hadn't felt in several years, as well as showcasing said emotion right on her eyes, with an expression that Rarity had never seen her express before, nor ever expected her to.
She wasn't just expressing concern over the idea of magic. Vignette looked outright terrified.
"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.
"Alright, Vignette, we're here. You can open your eyes now."
The human visitor wasn't quite sure what to think. She suddenly felt a lot lighter, and her body was stuck in a quadrupedal position, but it was obvious she had been turned into a pony so this didn't surprise her.
What did surprise her was the sensation of two more limbs at the side of her... torso? Stomach? If she was a human, it would be on her shoulders, so-
"Vignette? Are you there? Open your eyes, please."
Realizing she was wasting time, Vignette opened her eyes... and immediately came to regret this.
"YOU'RE NAKED!"
"What? Oh, yeah, my pony form," Sunset chuckled. "No, I'm not naked, the clothes I wear in the human world just dematerialized until I return there."
"So, wait, all this time you've been wearing clothes, you were actually naked?!" Vignette gasped. "Wait, is everybody naked here?! AM I NAKED RIGHT NOW?!"
"Vignette, calm down, our clothes still exist, they just vanished until we return to the human world."
Hearing that,
"WHERE ARE MY FINGERS?!"
"Again, still there, our limbs just transmutated in order to fit the pony body shape. Now, if you're done freaking out, how about I show you how to move?"
"Yes, please, before I start going crazy."
Sunset nodded, and began pacing back and forth, Vignette watching her move closely.
"Now, you try."
Vignette eyed Sunset, then her new hooves, and took a deep breath. She soon after began imitating Sunset's demonstration, doing so in a stilted, awkward manner.
"How was that?"
"Eh, it'll work; It's not like we're staying here that long anyway," Sunset walked to Vignette's side and put her hoof on her shoulder. "Once we see the princesses, we'll head right back to Other-Questria."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PRINCESSES RETIRED?!"
The words echoed across the throne room as Vignette and a purple pony with a horn and wings shook from the intensity.
The pony, as Sunset told her, was Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship-whatever that meant-and an alicorn, presumably just a fancy way of saying she had a horn and wings.
"It's like I said, Sunset," Twilight spoke as she stood up, dusting herself with her hooves... somehow. "Princess Celestia and Luna crowned me the new ruling princess and retired to elsewhere."
"AND WHY AM I FINDING THIS OUT JUST NOW!?"
"My coronation was just a week ago. And besides, I did try to call you, but you were busy every time I did it-"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"
"Uh, Sunset?" Vignette asked, still shivering a little. "I know we got important stuff to deal with, but should you really be yelling at a princess?"
Realizing how she was acting, Sunset took a deep breath and shook off her anger before facing Twilight, saying:
"Twilight, I need help; the pony I brought, Vignette Valencia-"
"Hi."
"-Is actually a human from the other world. She's scared of Equestrian magic after being corrupted by it, and I wanted to know if you knew a way to help her overcome said fear."
Twilight hummed, rubbing her chin inquisitively. "Fear of magic is something I've never seen before, but just like most fears, overcoming it could come in the form of controlling it."
"That was my idea too, until Vignette and I jumped through the portal and she turned into a pegasus," Sunset frowned. "So do you know of any magical artifact that could help her?"
"What?!" Vignette exclaimed, one of her wings shielding her chest defensively. "You think I'll get over my fear of magic by fooling around with a magical artifact?! T.A.T.I!"
Twilight tilted her head, followed by Sunset, prompting the human-turned-pegasus to explain:
"That's A Terrible Idea!"
"The only ones who can naturally control magic in this world are unicorns and alicorns, and you're neither, Vignette," Sunset explained. "Learning to control magic could be the key to helping you overcome your fear of it."
"And how do you know that'll work? How do you know I won't grow mad with power when I get a hold of a magical artifact?!"
Sunset and Twilight exchanged looks, and sharing an understanding nod, Sunset said:
"We don't, but we don't have many options as is."
Vignette couldn't help but grimace, but what Twilight said next concerned her further:
"We'll go to the royal library. One of the books there should have information that could help us."
And so, next thing she knew, Vignette was dragged to said library, which took the form of hundreds of bookshelves filled with books of all kind.
Not that Vignette reacted with much excitement, especially since she was left to wait at the entrance while Twilight and Sunset searched the bookshelves.
"Hey."
Just what she needed, someone visiting her... though to her surprise, it wasn't a pony.
The creature had a scaly purple body, a group of green spikes styled like a mohawk, and a pair of draconic wings on his back, not to mention a reptillian tail.
If she didn't know any better, she'd say this was a dragon.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Vignette looked elsewhere. "Nothing. D.M.M: Don't Mind Me."
Instead of leaving her alone, the dragon sat next to her.
"Something's definitely bothering you, and it always helps to share it with someone."
Vignette took a deep breath, and promptly explained:
"Everything was fine back at home: I was working my way into becoming a decent person, made some new friends, and even kinda sorta made peace with the girl I hurt so long ago."
"Okay, what happened then?"
"... I'm scared of magic, and I came to this dimension to find a way to overcome said fear, but the only options I've been given are to try control it, which could end up going badly!"
"Back home, this dimension-wait, are you from the human world?"
Vignette shot a flabbergasted look at the dragon, and he luckily got the hint.
"Fearing magic isn't as crazy as you think; let it fall in the wrong hands, and it can create some pretty scary stuff."
"My hands... hooves... whatever, were once like that." Vignette frowned. "What if I end up back to who I was before I started to get better? I hate that version of myself!"
The dragon patted Vignette's shoulder. "You'll never know if you never try. Besides, would you rather risk facing who you once were for a chance at overcoming your fears, or would you rather never try that?"
Vignette hummed as she thought about it, then smiled before turning to the dragon, quipping:
"You know, for someone who looks so young, you got the vocabulary of a wise man."
The dragon chuckled. "I live with a princess who's quite smart herself, I didn't wanna fall behind."
It was then Vignette stood up, realizing something:
"I never introduced myself. I'm Vignette Valencia."
"Nice to meet you, Vignette, my name's-"
"Spike!"
The duo turned around and saw Sunset and Twilight galloping straight to them, the latter's horn glowing as a book levitated above her head, surrounded by an aura colored the same as her horn's.
"I completely forgot I was expecting you at the throne room!" the princess exclaimed. "Did you wait for long?!"
"Nah, I never went there," Spike shrugged. "I figured that, knowing you, the library would be the place to go if I wanted to find you."
"He kept me company while you two were searching the books," Vignette explained. "Speaking of which, did you find anything?"
"Well, there are good and bad news," Sunset said. "The good news is that there is an artifact that can absorb, store, and allow someone to use magic."
Vignette tilted her head. "And the bad news?"
Sunset eyed Twilight, who promptly answered with a serious tone:
The group of Vignette, Sunset, Twilight, and Spike stood in front of the entrance to the Everfree Forest, a dark forest whose mere atmosphere screamed unnatural and threatening.
"Alright, everybody get mentally prepared," Twilight stated. "Once we head inside, we'll need to use all of our willpower not to get overwhelmed. Now, any questions before we go in?"
"Um, I have a question," Vignette blurted, raising her hand... Er, hoof. "I'm new here, obviously, so what's up with this Everfree Forest place?"
Twilight took a deep breath. "Okay, listen, the Everfree Forest is a magical forest that works differently from the rest of the world."
Vignette blinked once, and tilted her head. "How?"
"Well... The plants grow by themselves!"
Vignette lowered her eyelids. "Mhm?"
"And the weather changes all the time, independent of Pony input!"
"Uh huh."
"And it's home to dozens of dangerous magical creatures!"
"Doesn't Equestria fit that last point too?" Vignette rolled her eyes. "I mean, L.B.R.: Let's Be Real, the only thing separating you from those monsters you mention is that you're civilized and sentient. To an extent."
"She's got a point there, Twi," Spike spoke. "Besides, being new here, everywhere is home to dangerous creatures in her eyes."
"Hmm, I guess I can see where you're coming from," Twilight shrugged. "Well, there's no point delaying the inevitable: let's head in."
"Wait, I just had a thought; what if a magical incident's happening while we do this?"
"Vignette's right," Sunset remarked. "Ever since Equestrian magic began leaking into the other world, magical problems have popped up more and more frequently. There's the chance something's happening as we speak."
"Well, neither of you need to fret," Twilight stated with a smile. "I know just who to send in case something's happening!"
"Sorry, Twilight, but I don't plan to go back to that world ever again," Spike stated plainly. "It was weird enough to be stuck in a dog's body, can you imagine how much weirder it'll be now that I grew wings?"
"I wasn't talking about you, Spike."
"Oh... then, who are you planning to send?"
At the castle library, a lavender unicorn Pony with a purple mane and light blue highlights was carefully using magic to levitate a card onto a house of cards, a bored look on her face.
The house quickly fell apart, however, when the book the house was built upon opened and spread, revealing Twilight on the other side.
"Starlight, I need your help with something."
Starlight did the "yes sir!" gesture. "Corporal Glimmer ready to serve!"
"When did you get a rank up?" Twilight blurted. "Anyhow, I need you to go to a specific building in Canterlot, a red building with a couple open windows. There's a mirror there that functions as a portal to another world; I need you to cross through it, see if some magical chaos is happening, and if possible, fix the situation."
Starlight raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know there's such a thing happening?"
"Tsk, Starlight, I'm me."
Starlight lowered her eyelids.
"I was visited by someone who lives on the other side, who suggests it might happen. It's a very long story, though, and we don't have much time to discuss it in detail, so please, just do as I'm asking you."
"Got it, Twilight," Starlight nodded and waved her hoof. "You don't need to worry about anything; I'll fix the situation before you can say quesadilla!"
"Quesadilla?! Where?!"
But by then, Starlight had teleported out of the library, leaving the princess to look everywhere in sheer terror.
Vignette looked at Sunset, but she was just as clueless as her, and she turned to Spike, all he said was:
"It's a long story."
Then, he snapped his fingers, and the princess returned to reality.
"Ehem, anyway, that should take care of whatever's happening right now."
"A single Pony? A.Y.S.: Are You Serious?!"
"Starlight's one of the strongest Ponies I've ever met that are still living on this world; she can handle herself just fine," Twilight replied before spreading her wings. "Now, let's not waste any more time and head in."
Twilight flew into the forest, while Sunset conjured an aura around herself and levitated up before following the alicorn.
"G-Girls, wait!" Vignette cried, frowning as she added, "I don't know how to fly."
"I could teach you."
Vignette turned to her side to see Spike giving her a reassuring smile, which she eagerly returned as they began a quick lesson.
"Okay, so, first try opening your wing like this..."
The trip to the house Twilight talked about was fairly quick; Starlight teleported to Canterlot, headed for the spoken house, then hopped through with nary a second thought.
Once she was out in the other world, Starlight slowly opened her eyes, and blinked twice as she scanned her surroundings.
She was in a small room, with an open window revealing that it was noon, a messy bed, and other stuff that was commonly seen in a house.
"Whoa, cool!" Starlight chirped. "It's like one of those fancy buildings in Equestria! What were they called again? Stables?"
Then she tried to move.
"Huh? Why do my hind legs feel longer than usual?"
Starlight looked behind her, and shrieked as soon as she saw her hind legs had turned into human legs, different joints included.
"What happened to my legs?!"
She backed away from her "deformed" legs as she could, until she hit a wall.
"Ow!"
Suddenly, a piece of paper fell on her head. She grabbed it, and inspected it up close: it was a simple, dusty drawing of the difference between pony and human anatomy, though the latter was titled "hairless yeti" instead.
Then Starlight noticed the tiny things connected to what would be her hoof.
"GAAAH! WHAT DID I TURN INTO AND HOW COULD ANYPONY GET USED TO THIS BODY?!"
Suddenly, an explosion was heard outside, and Starlight headed to the bed and got on top of it.
Once she saw out the window, however, a horrified chill went down her spine.
A giant mass of black magical energy was causing chaos in the center of... Wherever she was. Not only that, but the mass had taken the form of a distorted mix between a "hairless yeti" and a Pony; the upper half resembled a pony trying to stand up, while the lower half resembled the creature Starlight had become, the spot where the head would be serving as a bridge between both halves.
It didn't take long before Starlight realized what the creature's main component probably was:
Back in Equestria, Twilight, Sunset, Spike, and Vignette ventured through the Everfree Forest, the former two scanning for anything to look out for, while the latter two were more focused on Vignette's lesson.
"Okay, up and down, one and two, you're doing great Vignette!" Spike chirped.
"I'm doing it... I'm actually doing it! I'm flying!" Vignette chirped while trying her hardest not to look at the ground. "Sunset, look! I'm flying!"
"That's great, Vignette, keep it up," Sunset spoke, focusing on the ground below. "Twilight and I'll let you know when it's safe to go to the ground."
"Woohoo!"
"Say, while we're at it," Spike flew to Twilight's side. "What exactly are we looking for?"
"What we're looking for is a place where a certain old friend of ours lives at. If there's anybody that has magical artifacts that can help us, it's her."
"Oh, you mean Zecora, right?"
Sunset tilted her head. "Who's Zecora?"
"Right, you never met her," Twilight remarked. "Zecora is a zebra who lives in the Everfree Forest, who also happens to be very knowledgeable about magical items. The idea is that once we get to her house, we'll ask her if she has anything that can help Vignette seal whatever magical problem is causing havoc in the other world."
"That sounds good and all, but what if she doesn't have something we can use?" Sunset argued. "Where would we go then?"
"I'm hoping she has something, but if she doesn't, we might need to take some drastic measures."
"How about we look for a seal or something?" Vignette blurted, reaching the trio. "If we can't find a magical artifact that can help us fight the problem, an artifact that can help us seal it would be the next best thing, right?"
"She's got a point there, Twilight, especially considering Magic's really hard to destroy."
"It's impossible to destroy, Spike: it's practically like energy, in that it can be moved or transferred, but not created or destroyed."
"But if it can't be created, then where did it come fro-"
Suddenly, Vignette screamed, and the group turned around to see a giant plant grabbing her by her lower body, Vignette flapping her wings as she tried to futilessly escape.
"Don't worry, Vignette, I'm coming!"
Spike flew towards the plant and show a stream of green fire at its root, killing the plant and allowing a disturbed Vignette to hit the ground.
"Are you alright?" the dragon asked as he flew to Vignette's side. "It's over, I already took care of the plant."
"Not so fast, Spike, there are many more plants where that came from," Twilight stated as she and Sunset floated to the ground. "The best thing to do is keep going and watch where we're going, to try-"
"Yeah, Twilight, we get it," Sunset interjected. "Vignette, are you okay?"
"I.O.J.T.: I'm Okay, Just Traumatized. By the way, this might seem like a dumb thing to ask, but... Can you teleport?"
Twilight and Sunset blinked twice.
"You know, as in, use your Magic to take us directly to that Zecora's house? And avoid staying out here?"
"The thing is, the Everfree Forest is a location that only the strongest Alicorns can enter and leave without much trouble, and-"
"It didn't occur to you until now, did it?"
Twilight closed her mouth, and her ensuing silence was all the answer Vignette needed.
"It seems you're in need of a friendly guide."
Everypony turned around, and they saw Zecora walk into view, pulling away her hood to reveal herself.
"Zecora!"
"Follow me, I'll take you to a safe place to hide."
The group found themselves in Zecora's house soon after, and while Vignette and Sunset scanned the place, Twilight and Spike talked with the zebra.
"It's been a long time since your last visit, Princess. I take it you've been busy with some royal business?"
"Yeah, ever since I became the ruling princess of Equestria, my schedule's so full and bloated that I barely have time to visit my friends."
"That is one of many issues that come with the position. But don't fret, Princess, you made the right decision."
"Okay, with that out of the way, we need your help, Zecora," Spike spoke. "We got someone here who's afraid of magic. And we wanted to know if you had anything that could help her with that."
"How peculiar, fear of magic. I pity the pony with such a fear, for it makes their life tragic."
"Well, not exactly; the pony I'm talking about isn't actually from here, but the story's too long and complicated to explain, so, can you help us?"
Zecora hummed. "I can help, but on one condition. I wanna meet the pony with this inhibition."
Hearing that, Twilight eyed Sunset, who promptly nudged Vignette and gestured her to walk to Zecora. The dimension traveler obliged, and chirped soon after:
"Uh, hi! I'm Vignette Valencia, and I'm-"
Zecora put her hoof on Vignette's mouth, and smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Vignette. If we had more time, we'd get along, I bet."
Then, she put her hoof down.
"But we don't have time to meet each other, I'm afraid. For now, allow me to give you my aid."
"... So, you can help us?"
Zecora nodded, then walked to her collection of artifacts.
"Fear is an emotion that comes from the unknown and the lack of control. When something appears and we can't do something about it, it gives dread to us all."
Zecora's search quickly came to an end, and she smile.
"Therefore, control and knowledge is the key, to overcome this fear, see?"
"I... Think I get it," Vignette put her hoof on her chin. "When my phone got corrupted with magic, I barely even thought about it. But once it got destroyed and I was left to think, the fact my phone got corrupted by something I've never seen before sent shivers down my spine."
Twilight turned to Sunset. "What's a phone?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Your fear is based on magic's free, uncontrollable nature. So to quell it, you must do one last, treacherous venture."
Zecora walked back to Vignette, and revealed a trinket on her hoof: an amulet shaped like an emerald, which was so transluscent it almost looked invisible.
"This trinket will help you, with just a thought, to seal the magic that will soon be fought."
Vignette grabbed the amulet, and took a closer look at it.
"So, with just a simple thought, I can seal magic inside this thing?"
Zecora nodded. "No matter how big or small, that trinket seals magic of types all."
"Okay, but that's all it can do?" Sunset asked, having finally stopped cringing at Zecora's rhymes. "Does it have any other function or something?"
"It does have it, and to explain them I can," Zecora turned back to Vignette. "But I believe your friend here..."
Twilight, Sunset, and Spike looked at Vignette, who had a confident expression on her face.
Sunset and Vignette hopped through the portal and arrived back at Sunset's apartment, the former standing upright while the latter was on all fours.
"Wait a minute, how are you standing up?! We both entered on all fours!"
"Yeah, the switch between quadrupedal and bipedal is kinda tricky; I'll teach you how its done another day."
Then, the duo turned around, and noticed a shivering Starlight near the desk, looking positively traumatized.
"Is that the Starlight girl the princess sent?" Vignette asked as she stood up and dusted herself.
"She has to be, 'cause I've never seen anybody like her in this world," Sunset stated as she walked to the Pony-turned-human and extended her hand forward. "Here, give me your hand."
Starlight eyed Sunset in confusion.
"I mean, your front hoof. Sorry, the terms of this world stuck to me."
Starlight nervously moved her hand-hoof to Sunset's hand, and helped the pony-turned-human stand up.
"H-H-H-How did you ever get used to this?"
"It wasn't easy, that's for sure," Sunset sighed. "Anyway, did you manage to figure out anything about what we're facing?"
Starlight lowered her head and frowned. "It's... It's something... Twilight and I faced before."
This immediately got Vignette's attention, who faced Starlight as she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sunset turned back to Starlight, visibly worried. "Starlight, what happened?"
The pony-turned-human lowered her head and explained:
"A long time ago, I joined Twilight, her friends, and the Pillars of Equestria on a quest to vanquish an ancient monster-"
"Wait, the Pillars of Equestria?" Sunset asked. "I thought they've been dead for over a thousand years."
"It's complicated: what you need to know is that, once they were freed, so was an ancient creature known as the Pony of Shadows."
Vignette turned to the window and walked to it, scanning the street as Sunset and Starlight kept talking:
"I've heard about the Pony of Shadows, that it was sealed by the Pillars of Equestria."
"They sealed it with them, and by releasing the Pillars, so did the Pony of Shadows."
Eventually, Vignette found the twisted, shadowy centauroid abomination, her eyes widening at the sight as Starlight continued:
"It used one of the Pillars' friends, Stygian, as a host, but we combined our powers to release him, sending it to another dimension."
"Specifically, here."
Sunset and Starlight turned to Vignette, who faced them with shock as she clarified:
"This Pony of Shadows was sent through a dimensional rift to this of all dimensions."
"And it somehow found a new host, one that caused it to turn into the twisted beast wrecking havoc right now!"
"ViGNetteeEeEe!"
The girls ran to the window and looked outside, seeing the creature looking at them and contorting one of its hooves into an arm. It reached desperately towards the building, a single red eye replacing one of the beast's pitch white eyes as it screamed in layered agony:
"vIGneeeEeeeEeeEEttEEEee!"
The best contorted back to its former form, and the girls quickly hid inside.
"That thing knows who I am..." Vignette turned to Starlight. "How's that possible?"
"The Pony of Shadows doesn't just take over a Pony for a host, it connects to their memories, doing everything it can to further the symbiosis between them," Starlight grimaced. "It must've done the same to its current host."
Hearing that, Vignette looked back at the trinket she received from Zecore, and held it tightly.
"Sunset, you and Starlight go back to Equestria."
Sunset flinched. "Wait, what?!"
"Believe me, I would love nothing more than to tear her and the princess down for bringing that monstrosity to this world, but we don't have time for that," Vignette looked at her trinket again. "I'll deal with the Pony of Shadows. Sunset, you take Starlight back to Equestria, then come back here and wait until the monster's been dealt with."
That said, Vignette stood up and walked to the door.
"Vignette, wait, what are you thinking?! There's no way you can face that thing alone!"
"If that thing knows who I am, then there's only one person who could be their current host. I'm gonna use them to my advantage. Besides, your friends must be fighting it as we speak."
Vignette opened the door, and swiftly left the building.
To think this is the way I'd face you... Dad...
Applejack crashed on a wall as the shadow centauroid swung its tail wildly and stomped the ground with its hooves. One of those stomps headed straight for her, but Rarity appeared in front of her and summoned a crystal shield.
"Rarity!"
"Applejack, use your strength!" Rarity gritted her teeth as the shield began to crack. "I don't know how much longer I'll keep this at bay!"
Applejack nodded, stood up, and jumped towards the monster's leg, ready to grab it with all her might.
However, when she tried to do so, she harmlessly phased through it and hit the ground, she and Rarity looking at the beast in shock before the latter ran away, her shield collapsing soon after.
"Applejack, what happened?!"
"Ah definitely reached for it, as soon as ah reached for the leg, I phased throu' it like nothin'," Applejack explained, looking at the beast in disbelief as she finished, "Ah think that thing's amorphous."
This was only further confirmed when a girl with rainbow hair, blue skin and wings flew across the monster multiple times, phasing harmlessly each time until she landed next to the duo.
"It's like that thing wasn't even real! How are we supposed to fight something we can't even touch?!"
"I might have an idea."
The girls turned around, and saw Vignette entering the battlefield, a determined expression on her face.
Naturally, Applejack was the first one to react to Vignette's return: she ran up to her and hugged her joyously.
"Vignette! You're back!"
Vignette returned the hug and patted Applejack's back. "Yeah, I am."
"Ah'm so glad you're okay," Applejack said as she and Vignette separated. "Did you find anythin' useful?"
Vignette showed everyone the trinket.
"Okay, that's a pretty gem and everything, but does it do anything in particular?" Rarity asked. "I don't think the beast is gonna be distracted by-"
"I'm not going to use this thing to distract."
"Then... What are you planning to do?"
"You'll see soon."
Vignette walked past the duo and headed to the centauroid abomination, the rainbow-haired girl wasting no time shouting:
"Hey! You forgot your transformation!"
Ignoring the statement, Vignette kept walking until she was right in front of the beast, and exclaimed:
"Pony of Shadows!"
The beast looked down at Vignette, glaring at her as she added:
"I'm here to bargain."
"Vig... Nette..." The monster hissed. "Ever since I got a host, your name keeps ringing in my head. It's utterly annoying; dealing with it, as well as this twisted body of mine, is just unbearable!"
"Well, if that's the case, then we might get somewhere here," Vignette narrowed her eyes. "I got a proposition for you."
"You? A proposition? For me?" the shadowy beast narrowed his glowing eyes. "I've already been traumatized by this world's species! What could you, a member of said species, offer me?"
"I want you to release the hosts you have right now," Vignette smiled. "And take me as your host instead."
Rarity and Applejack's eyes widened.
"I refuse!" the beast yelled.
"Whoa, hold your horses! Or in this case, hold your... Self?" Vignette snickered. "I'm not done explaining the offer just yet."
The beast raised an eyebrow, allowing Vignette to continue:
"If you take me as your host, I'll make it so the body you get as a result is similar to the Pony body you're accostumed to."
"And just how do you expect to do that?"
Vignette snickered some more, then folded her arms before proudly stating:
"I'm a Ponyshifter!"
The atmosphere became chillingly quiet as everybody, even the Pony of Shadows, looked at Vignette in incredulous disbelief.
The rainbow-haired girl and a Pink girl laughed out loud while Applejack and Rarity exchanged looks of concern.
"My goodness, one trip was all it took to drive her nuts."
"Equestria really is terrifyin'."
"I'm sorry... What?" The Pony of Shadows edged closer to Vignette. "What's this about a Ponyshifter?"
"I was told that any human who goes to Equestria and stays long enough in there will become something that's both Human and Pony, and the ability to switch between those forms at will," Vignette smiled. "And, like, I told you, I'm one of those creatures. I was gifted the ability by Princess Twilight herself, even!"
Suddenly, the beast slammed one of his hooves next to Vignette, the lady looking shocked, but standing firm as it responded:
"Princess Twilight? That's a name I've grown to resent. A name that fills me with rage."
"Believe me, we're on the same page there. I mean, I'm not getting filled with rage, but I certainly don't like the princess any more than you do."
The beast lowered its eyelids.
"Besides, you don't even have a way out of here, do you? Wouldn't you rather be stuck in another universe in a form you're comfortable with, rather than a twisted, unnatural hybrid?"
The monster paused... And eventually, it transformed into an ethereal cloud of pitch black miasma, floating in the air before opening its glowing, pitch white eyes.
This ended up releasing three people: King Sombra, as well as a pair of men with skin matching Vignette's, and red-white toned hair.
"Alright then, I've done my part of the deal."
Then, the cloud headed straight for Vignette.
"Now you do yours!"
Vignette smirked and took out the gem, which glowed as she shouted:
"Gotcha!"
"What?!"
Once the gem glowed brightly enough, the Pony of Shadows found itself being absorbed by the object, unable to do anything but scream as it was imprisoned.
Eventually, the mass of magic was absorbed, turning the gem pitch black as Vignette took a moment to look at the imprisoned magical creature, who tried to break out of the gem, causing it to shake on her hand.
"You... You... You tricked me!"
"That I did."
"Release me this once!"
"And where would you go, genius? You have no way back to Equestria, and the only possible hosts you got would turn you back to that twisted monstrosity you were just a second ago. For all intents and purposes, this gem is the only place for you now."
The creature fell completely silent, and Vignette smiled as Applejack and Rarity ran to her side.
"You did it, Vignette!" Rarity chirped. "You nearly gave us heart attacks but you did it!"
"Thanks, now," Vignette handed the gem to Applejack. "Please, when Sunset comes back, give this to her and tell her to take it back to Equestria."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"'Cause I don't have enough strength left to do it myself."
And with that, Vignette toppled back and hit the ground, losing consciousness shortly after.
Princess Twilight looked at the blackened trinket, the gaze of the Pony of Shadows confirming its containment.
"So, Vignette really did it," Twilight smiled. "She found a way to contain the Pony of Shadows."
"According to the Applejack from the other world, she tricked it into lunging at the object for her to seal it," Sunset explained. "Not that it was hard to convince them, they were stuck in a grotesque mix of Pony and Human, and just as disturbed as Starlight over there."
Starlight sat next to a pillar, shivering while hugging herself. "So... Many... Joints..."
Sunset frowned. "Hey, is she gonna be okay?"
"Starlight has bounced off worse experiences than this," Twilight remarked, quickly adding upon seeing her again, "But just to be safe, I'll have her go to therapy."
"What happened after the Pony of Shadows was contained?" Spike asked.
"Vignette collapsed and she was taken to a hospital so she could recover," Sunset turned around. "Which reminds me, I should go back to check up on her, see if she's doing okay."
"Tell her I thank her for capturing the Pony of Shadows."
"Yeah, sure," Sunset paused. "Oh, and Applejack suggested me to tell you to keep a good eye on that thing. Don't let it escape again."
Twilight nodded. "I'll keep this thing locked in maximum security. Trust me, the Pony of Shadows isn't escaping this time."
Sunset raised an eyebrow with hesitation, but she shrugged off her worries and left.
"Well, this is gonna be quiet the story to tell the princesses, huh?" Spike spoke. "A visitor from the other world not only came here, but was instrumental in dealing with the Pony of Shadows."
"Yeah, this does sound like something they should know about," Twilight eyed the trinket and frowned. "You think they're gonna be mad about it?"
"Mad about what?"
"The only reason the Pony of Shadows is sealed in this object is because we failed to properly make sure they weren't in a dimension where they could do harm. Who knows how many other creatures are in the Human world, especially with Equestrian Magic leaking to it?"
"You're in charge of Equestria now, Twilight, you can't really take a moment to visit the human world to fix those problems," Spike remarked. "But, looking at the bright side, Sunset and her friends are there, I'm sure they'll find a way to deal with whatever trouble arises."
Twilight turned to her dragon assistant, and flashed a relieved smile. "Yeah, I should focus on one thing at a time. For now..."
Twilight looked back at the trinket.
"Let's make sure they don't escape again."
Vignette slowly regained consciousness and opened her eyes, her blurry vision only letting her see a rainbow of foggy colors looking at her.
"I think she's wakin' up."
Recognizing Applejack's voice, Vignette smiled and slowly got up, her vision clearing up to reveal the cowgirl staring at her, a relieved smile present on her face.
"Thank goodness you're awake. You had me worried for a second there."
"Sorry about that, Applejack," Vignette said, gently scratching the back of her head. "It's just that I was so mentally exhausted from what I did, that I'm actually surprised I even managed to last for as long as I did."
"You better keep resting for a while, darling," Rarity said. "You took quite the heavy hit when you collapsed."
Vignette winced and laid down while chuckling. "Yup, I just felt it. Is everybody alright?"
"Yeah, we're fine, and the streets were evacuated before anybody could get hurt," the blue-skinned, rainbow-haired girl spoke. "By the way, I don't think we got a chance to meet again. I'm Rainbow Dash."
"Oh yeah, I kinda remember you!" Vignette chirped. "You were the one who dabbed when Rarity introduced you!"
Rainbow Dash laughed and blushed sheepishly. "Yeah, that... That was a thing that happened. Hehe..."
"And I'm Pinkie Pie!" a pink girl chirped, getting all up in Vignette's face. "Applejack told me you've been living with her for a while and that you're friends now!"
"Uh, yeah, Applejack mentioned you."
And then, Sunset opened the door. "I'm here! Am I late?!"
"Nope, just in time, actually," Rarity said. "Vignette just woke up."
"Oh, I'm glad to hear that," Sunset walked to Vignette's bed. "I just delivered the trinket to Princess Twilight. She promised me she'd do her best to keep the Pony of Shadows contained."
Vignette snickered.
"Yeah, I have my doubts too, but I think she's being honest here," Sunset shrugged. "Also, she said she thanked you on behalf of Equestria for what you did."
"Got it," Vignette hummed. "Say, my father and my cousins were freed from the Pony of Shadows' control. Where are they now?"
"They were taken to a different hospital, said somethin' 'bout it being too awkward if you were all in the same place together," Applejack explained as she reached for her pocket. "Also, before they left, your father told me to give you this."
Applejack took out a piece of paper and handed it to Vignette.
"What does it say?!" Pinkie Pie asked, quickly getting on Applejack's side.
"Give her a second to read it, Pinkie Pie."
Vignette unrolled the piece of paper, and read its contents:
"Vignette, this is your father speaking. Sometime after you left home and the news over the Equestrialand fiasco spread, I came to realize the error of my ways. All I wanted was for you to become the best manager for the Crystal Emporium, but instead, I turned you into a bossy brat who thought everything needed to be perfect. I failed both as a mentor, and as a father figure. I don't know where are you now, nor how are you doing, but I want you to know that I'm sorry for what happened, and I'm gonna work to fix my mistakes. It'll be a long time before you can forgive me, I know, and you might never do so, that's fine. I just want you to know I only want what's best for you now, my Little Vignette."
Vignette smiled slightly, but the girls, Rarity in particular, weren't quite impressed.
"That's it? A written apology?" Rarity asked. "I mean, I get he can't apologize in person now, but after all this time, he can only apologize through a letter?!"
"It's fine, Rarity."
The fashionista flinched. "It... It is?"
"I know my old man better than anybody else in this room. He's not the kind of person who gets all emotional and puts a lot of effort into things. He's quick, simple, and to the point." Vignette explained, rolling the paper back to its previous form. "This is a start. Not a very promising start, but a start nonetheless."
Applejack grabbed the paper, and pocketed it. "Could you guys leave Vignette and me alone? There's something I want to discuss with her."
Vignette snickered again. "Can't it wait until we're back home?"
"That's precisely what I wanna talk about. Well, sorta."
Hearing that, the girls besides Applejack left the room, allowing the cowgirl to sit next to Vignette as she asked:
"So, what's the plan now, Vignette?"
Vignette raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I get the question."
"When I invited you to stay in my family's barn, I didn't think things would go this way. I just thought you'd stay until you found a new home, but instead, you spent time with the family, made ammends with Rarity, and of course, helped seal an ancient evil from another dimension."
"You didn't think I was gonna stay around to see that?"
"I thought you'd have found a new home long before the magical mishaps got involved. Which is also why I need to ask," Applejack faced Vignette. "Do you wanna stay with us for a while longer?"
Vignette blinked once, then lowered her head slightly.
"Magical mishaps happen all the time to me and my friends. If you chose to stay with my family, I can't guarantee you won't have to worry about facing magical threats again."
Vignette hummed... Then smiled.
"But, even if that happened... You'd be by my side, right?"
Applejack smiled slightly. "When did I say I wouldn't?"
Vignette grabbed Applejack's hand with a joyful smile.
"I think that alone makes whatever I face next worth it."
Applejack returned the smile, and gave a little nod.
Visiting hours ended soon after, so Applejack had to leave, but Vignette didn't mind. Once she felt better, she'd go back to the Apple Family Barn, to spend however long a time she had remaining with them, either before she found a new home or...
Actually, let's not even mention the alternative. Just until she found a new home. XD
But the most important thing to take of was this: Instead of walking back to an empty apartment with nobody but her lonesome, Vignette would walk back to a farm where she would be welcomed not only by the girl who gave her hope when she was at her lowest, but her family as well.
