Applejack knocked on Twilight's door with good intentions and high hopes. She had embraced the way of the Hand at the meeting the night before and felt like she had been renewed. The promises of eternal happiness in the afterlife comforted her, having just lost a friend. Moreover, the idea that everything was part of The Hand's divine plan made her feel much better about the whole ordeal; there was nothing she could've done to stop it. Everything happened as the Hand dictated it. Everything was good.
Twilight Sparkle was still in a poor mood when she answered the door, and Applejack picked up on this immediately. Offering a sympathetic smile, she said "Howdy sugar cube. Come round the others up with me. We all need to talk."
"You're right. There's no use sitting around moping all day. We have to work through this together. It's the way we've always done it. Rainbow Dash is staying with me at the moment but she's out. By the time we get Pinkie and Rarity she'll probably be back."
Together, the pair trotted onwards to Sugar Cube Corner.
Pinkie appeared to have coped with the incident even better than Applejack. Her hair was frizzy and wild once more. Despite her facial scar and a few other noticeable injuries, she was carrying herself in regular Pinkie Pie style.
"Wow Pinkie, you look good, all things considered" remarked Twilight.
Pinkie looked at Twilight weirdly for a moment before averting her gaze and saying "Thanks."
Arriving at Carousel Boutique, the trio of ponies were taken aback by how empty the place appeared from outside. Twilight let herself into the shop. There was no sign of the white unicorn.
"Hello? Rarity?" she called out.
The lavender pony dismissed her concern at the lack of response; the fashion pony had probably just forgotten to lock up on her way out to the beauty salon. That was a pretty typical way for her to handle any sort of stress. In a last effort to find her friend, Twilight strolled into the study, where a small piece of paper had been placed clearly on the desk. Pinkie and Applejack entered the room after her and she magically held the note in front of her and read it aloud.
"I can't believe she'd just up 'n' leave us like that," said Applejack when Twilight finished reading.
"She said she wanted to move on. I didn't think she meant literally. I should have put more stock into her words, I guess."
"Shoulda coulda woulda, Twi," Pinkie replied energetically, "I'm guessing that's something you've been running through your head a lot over the past couple of days, huh?"
Twilight bowed her head and sighed. "Let's just go. It's getting late. Rainbow Dash will probably be back now."
The ponies plodded in depressed silence back to the library.
Rainbow Dash was totally unaware of the group of three ponies who walked in and gathered around her concernedly. Eventually, the other ponies stopped trying to communicate with the Pegasus and began talking amongst themselves.
"She's out of it," said Applejack.
"What happened to her?" asked Twilight.
"She's high as hay. Hasn't overdosed, but to get this out of it she must've been popping pills like skittles" Pinkie stated simply. In response to the confused look on Twilight's and Applejack's faces she continued, "Oh, the rock farm was such a dull, boring, depressing place. Sometimes you need a little pick-me-up in an environment like that! I've seen this before. Honestly, I've been this before."
"Now that I think about it, she was acting strangely this morning."
"Well shoot, once ya'all have heard what I got to tell ye, you won't be needing to rely on nothin' to get through these hard times."
Applejack proceeded to explain all about the Hand, the way of the Hand, and the wonderful implications of the Hand. She was so thoroughly adsorbed in her story that she didn't heed the incredulous looks her long sermon was attracting from her friends. When she finally finished, Pinkie and Twilight stared at her in silence for a moment.
Considering her response carefully, Twilight began "That's – "
"- silly," Pinkie interrupted, "You think that everything is out of our control? That we're all just part of some great plan? And you like this feeling? Yea, I'll take control of my own life, thanks."
"Look, Applejack, we've all been through a lot. I think you might be trying to use this whole "Hand" thing as a crutch to help carry a heavy emotional burden. You need to realise it's an encumbrance we share, and we can help each other keep moving despite the load. We can only get through this together; our strength has always come from each other. It's not healthy to delude yourself into being happy. I mean, look at Rainbow Dash here. We've lost Fluttershy and Rarity. We'll lose Rainbow if we don't do something. I don't want to lose you too."
Pinkie snorted and replied "Oh, playing the hero again, Twi?" she paused to look at Twilight with indignation before proceeding, "You've always been so good at that. You really think you know what's best for every pony, don't you?"
Receiving no reply, the pink pony proceeded in little more than a whisper, "I've found a way to get my life under control. I'm not some weakling who needs to rely on her old friends. If you girls want to waste your lives with your escapism, delusions and fantasies of heroic redemption, be my guest. Hey, some ponies prefer an antihero, Twi."
She paused and shook her head angrily while catching her breath. Swallowing hard, she smiled at the wannabe hero and continued "Might wanna drag Dashie off to the doc, by the way. She'll probably be fine, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?" Pinkie bounced off before any pony had a chance to reply.
Twilight whimpered slightly and said "What just happened?"
"Look like our Pinkie's learned some new words, huh?" the earth pony chuckled.
"What's happening to us?"
"Err, look Twi, I'll be leaving now. And for the record," said Applejack in an offended tone, "ye have no right to belittle my beliefs like ye did before."
Twilight watched her friend leave before gazing at the stoned Rainbow Dash. All her friends seemed to be irreparably broken. How far reaching would the consequences of her mistake be?