Honesty living a lie – chapter 1
Canterlot castle was quiet, grades at their posts, servants working hard doing their duties and the Princess of the sun whites patently for her prize student to arrive, Twilight Sparkle asked to speak with Princess Celestia about the changeling attack that happened just less than a month ago, finely after a few minutes, Twilight came in the room with a worried look on her face almost like she felt like she was been watched, she cleared her throat "Princess Celestia?"
"Yes Twilight Sparkle, you wish to speak to me about something?" Celestia asked
Twilight began to explain "Yes, I was just wondering about the changelings, it's been a while sins the wedding and I've heard a lot of rumours about sittings of them on the outskirts of Equestrea, and even thou the Queen has been defeated, we don't know how much power she still haze, and the changelings find out where we are, how will we know if they are one of us if they disguise themselves as one of us, how can we truly tell who is our friend and who is an imposter?" she really didn't like to think about it nor did she like bringing it up, but for the safety of Equestrea and her friends she needed words from her beloved teacher, she looked up to the Princess, she saw that she had a small smile on her face.
"Well Twilight, the answer is quiet simple-" Twilight looked into the eyes of Celestia as she sock, how she loved the look in her eyes, such calmness and beauty, if there was one pony she can truly trust, it was her, "-YOU DON'T!"
Twilight stepped back in horror an Celestia's voice became harsh and loud, the room went dark as Celestia's teeth became sharp and pointed as she snarled at Twilight, her eyes and horn began to glow dark green and a crocked, evil and familiar smile came across her face, Twilight closed her eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs, this isn't happening she thought, this can't be real, lucky for her when she opened her eyes she was in her bed room in Ponyvilla library, and she herd the mumbles of her dragon assistant Spike as he popped his head from the bottom of the bed to look at her.
"Twilight, are you ok?" he asked sleepily.
Twilight's body was just wet with the sweat and her mane was a mess "I...yes, I'm fine now Spike, it was just a bad dream that all." She rubbed her head to try and cram her mined as she steadied her breathing.
"That sounded like some bad dream, what happened?" Spike asked.
"I'll tell you tomorrow after breakfast right now let's just try and get back to sleep." Twilight said as she laid her head back on the pillow.
"Okay, night Twi." Spike said as he got back to his bad, curled up and put the sheet over him as he fell back to sleep almost instantly, Twilight smiled at Spike as she closed her Eyes, hoping for a better night's sleep.
She wisped "Goodnight Spike."
6 hours later
After breakfast, Twilight and Spike were walking to the market get their weekly groceries, Twilight filled Spike in on the dream she had last night.
"Wow-" Spike said as he put the shopping list into Twilight's saddle bag, "That must have been horrible for you."
Twilight still seemed tired from the nightmare, "Ye, it just seemed so real, like Celestia was… her."
"Queen Chrysalis?" Spike asked.
"Ye, how did you know her name?" Twilight questioned as she raised an eye brow.
Spike scratched the back of his head "Cadence told me when you ran for the elements."
"Ah." Twilight retorted, satisfied with the answer, "Did... did she say anything about what she would have done?"
"Nothing I've not herd before, you know, 'rule the world' this and 'I'm superior to all' that , like in those old fashioned story book villains, don't get me wrong, it was scary the why trapped Celestia in that cocoon and what she would do to us all bet I have seen most of it before, you know" Spike rambled. "I just wish I did something about it thou."
Twilight smiled, "You managed to keep a clear head and stay by Cadence when I and the other were gone and my brother was… brain washed, you did great for what you did do, and I'm proud of you for it." She put her hoof up and gave Spike a brief nudge causing Spike to blush a little.
"Aww shucks." They continued walking when Spike saw something. "Hay, isn't that Apple Bloom?"
Shore enough saw a small pale yellow earth pony with bright red hear and a large bow walking towards them with a nerves look on her face "Hay Twilight, you mind if I take to ya for a minuet?"
Twilight looked at her in surprise, usually Apple Bloom was very cheery and outgoing, but now it looks like someone just told her where little foals come from "Not at all Apple Bloom, I something wrong?" she asked, keeling down.
Apple Bloom looked up to Twilight "Nothing really but it's about Applejack."
Twilight tilted her head the site of the little filly "What about her, is she okay?" Apple Bloom shuck her head.
"It's just that ever since the wedding at Canterlot, She's been having all sorts of nightmares these past couple weeks, she told me it was nuthin at first but just today she told me to get you to come over to Sweet Apple Acers before ah go to school, ya'll don't mind do ya?" she asked with those puppy dog wide eyes that she often used, Twilight thought that the only way to resist thou's eyes was to have a heart that was blacker then the darkest night.
Twilight razes up as she said "Nightmares? Hum, looks like I'm not the only one after all, Spike you don't mind if I go to Sweet Apple Acers to see Applejack while you do the shopping do you?"
Spike shock his head and lifted the bags of Twilight's back "Na, I'll be fine, you go see AJ."
Twilight nodded "Right thank you Spike and thank you Apple Bloom for telling me this."
Apple Bloom smiled "Na, thank you for agreeing to help Applejack, I'd best be of thou, am almost late." With that, she headed for the school wile Twilight and Spike said their goodbye and went their separate ways.
Sweet Apple Acers 25 minutes later
Twilight waked up to the barn and saw Applejack's brother Big Macintosh carrying a large cart of apples to the main barn, Twilight asked "Hello Big Macintosh, is Applejack around here?"
Big Mac nodded "Eeyup, told her to take it easy today, Apple Bloom probably told ya to come here." He then moved his hoof in the direction of a path that leads tether into the acre "She'd be that way bucking." He then continued his work.
"Thank you Big Macintosh." She then trotted of in the direction which Big Mac pointed.
She looked for 5 minutes before finding a tired looking Applejack bucking a tree, the Buck was rather pathetic, no apples fell, Applejack winced and put more force into the buck, the apples fell into the bucket as they should, Applejack finally knottiest Twilight, "Hello Applejack." Twilight greeted
Applejack tipped her hat to her lavender friend "Howdy Twi, you get my massage ah see"
Twilight nodded and smiled "Ye, gosh you look almost as bad as the last apple buck season." She joked.
AJ chuckled "Well, lest this time am asking for help, just wish it was just for the apples." Her mood dropped as her head hung low and let out a yawn.
Twilight's horn glowed and a large bench appeared next to both of them "You want to lay down?" Twilight asked.
Her question was answered by Applejack walking slowly to the bench and laying on her back ad she got on it "Ye, laying is nice." She let out a caroming breath as Twilight sat next to her, not on the bench but on the ground next to her head, she then picked herself up a bit so she doesn't fall asleep on her.
Twilight then began "So, I've herd you've been having nightmares about changelings recently."
AJ nodded "Ye, started about a week after the wedding, I didn't tell any pony cause I didn't think it was something too meagre, like been surrounded by em and me fighting back alone, nothing too serious, nothing a good days work can't solve, have had any nightmares sugar cube?" she had a arched eye brow at Twilight.
Twilight glanced away "Yes, just last night I had on in which I was taking to the Princess about them and it was Queen Chrysalis in disuse."
"Wow, suds harsh, funny thing is, ah hade a similar dream like that five day ago, only ah was asking you and the girls we there and all but ah was one." Applejack began explaining,
"Really?" asked Twilight as she listened.
Applejack continued "Ye, only ya'll still had some facers that maid me know you were you, but you were link a queen yourself."
Twilight's ears flopped down "Oh my, but something tells me that's not the worst."
Applejack shocked her head and had a sad look on her face. "Nope, not even close, the worst one is why ah asked you to come hear."
Twilight hung her head forward "I'm lessoning."
Applejack cleared her throat before continuing again "Well, last night I dreamt that I myself was a changeling, ah was surrounded by hundreds of the in what ah guess was their hive, every pony was either in those cocoons that Celestia was in or been beat up by small groups, ah ran past all of them when ah saw them beating at ya, but when ah tried helping you, ya hit me and started calling me 'traitor, monster, layer, every pony else started chatting it, it was getting so loud I was pounding my head trying to wake up and then, that Queen showed up nd started to congratulate be for my efforts in bringing ya'll down, I swear I had never cried like that in my life Twi and then, and then my element of harmony appeared in front of my face, it then started cracking in front of my face as ah heard a horrible mail laugh and the when my nacelles shattered as a claw came out to grab me and, and the I wake up."
Applejack started to cry as Twilight watched, almost not believing in what her friend was saying, that she, Twilight Sparkle would call her, Applejack, one of her best friends a monster, she put a hoof on AJ's solder "Applejack, I would never call you any of those things, you one of my closest friends and nothing is going to change that."
Applejack's crying eased up a little and said "Ah know Twilight, ah know deep in my heart that you'd never say anything like that in a million years, but it all seemed so real, ah could feel the slime that maid up most of the walls and floor, the power of your hoof in ma face, Queen Chrysalis's hoof patting my solder and the heat from my necklaces the claw came at me, it was awful." She shudders.
Twilight tilts her head as a thought popped in it "Claw, what kind of claw is it?"
Applejack shrugged "Ah don't know, kinda like a bird claw, like an eagle… what, eagle claw, element necklace Twi?"
Twilight looked at her for a second in confusion before saw what Applejack was getting at "Why would Discord be involved?"
Applejack stood a bit on the bench "Ah don't know, ah not thought of that guy since we sealed him away."
Twilight started scratching her chin "Hum, it does seem strange, but at least you told me now and don't worry too much about it, I'll sort it out for you."
Applejack smiled at her and got off the bench "Thank Twi, it did feel good to get it out of my chest, ah… ouch." Applejack started to hold the back of her head as it sung in pain.
Twilight looked at where AJ was holding "Hum, when did you get that?" Applejack looked at her for a second "It look like a changeling bit you."
"What?" She then felt what would seem like two tooth marks on the back of her head, just burly hidden by her mane "Must have happened when ah got piled on, does it look bad?"
Twilight shook "No but I'd see you about that"
They both agreed, as they headed back to the barn, Twilight went home and even Big Mac could see a difference in his sisters behaviour, little did anyone know test that the two bite marks started glowing.
12 hours later
Applejack was struggling in the bed, her body covered in sweat. Visions of ponies been turned into changelings or go through torched, the next thing she saw was a hole field hoof.