Chapter 1: Applejack Apple

"I think there's something lurking at the edge of the Everfree. Like, more than usual… and pony-shaped."

"The woods at the east of town are haunted I tell you! I saw figures lurking about in there."

"Remember that old cottage at the edge of the Everfree? I heard it got a new resident recently. And not the benevolent kind."

"There's a witch in those woods."

Applejack could scarcely hear anything else besides that newest gossip at the market today as she sold her apples. Rumors around the small town she lived in were not an uncommon occurrence, but never to the degree that it was all she heard all day. And as she closed and packed up her stall, it would seem that it wasn't the last time she would hear of it.

"Applejack, Sweetheart! Have you heard of the rumors lately?" An earth pony with a white coat and a dark lavender mane called out as she trotted up to the orange unicorn, after the latter finished strapping herself to her cart.

"'Bout that Witch in the woods? S'all Ah been hearin' all day. Everypony was talkin' 'bout it when they were hoofin’ bits," Applejack sighed, fixing her hat. She could really use a break, and Rarity was the last pony she needed to see right about now.

"Look, Rares, if you ain't here for somethin' important, could Ah have some time for myself? Ah'm real tired," Her comment didn’t seem to faze Rarity as she continued to trot alongside her.

"Oh, that's quite alright, you can rest up in between what I would like you to do."

"And that is…?"

"We're finding that witch of course!" Applejack stopped abruptly as the wheel of her cart snagged on a pothole before she looked at Rarity incredulously.

"Really? What the hay spurred this on? Why d’you wanna go chasin' after a rumor suddenly?" The Apple rolled her eyes before pulling on the cart, hooves digging into the dirt. Rarity, to her credit, trotted behind the cart before saddling beside to help.

"It's not just a rumor this time, Sweetheart! Otherwise, it wouldn't have become so big! No… There's some truth to it, you see. I've been following this rumor since it started two weeks ago, but it only exploded when somepony actually encountered something. I think there really is a witch out in those woods, and I need you – the most dependable pony in town – to help me find out more about it." Both Applejack and Rarity grunted as the two ponies pulled and pushed the cart out of the ditch, with Applejack using her telekinesis to lighten the heavy cart somewhat, until it lurched forward, free of the pothole.

"Anyway I still have some work to do, but I'll be waiting for you at my shop by sundown." Before Applejack could reply Rarity was already galloping down the road. "Oh! And remember to bring your blade! You never know if we'll need it!" Rarity would say last just before she rounded the corner. Applejack sighed as she turned back towards Sweet Apple Acres.

Applejack knocked on Rarity's door around sundown as promised. The latter answered not long after, with saddlebags on and her father's axe in her mouth, looking a bit too eager to go into the woods. Applejack, who looked a lot less thrilled about the adventure than her companion, had her own blade and saddlebag with her, as well as her trusty lasso hung loosely around her neck.

"Oh good, You're here!" Rarity said through the axe handle in her mouth before looping it through a hook on her saddlebag.

"If'n Ah didn't, you would have gotten your flank stuck in those woods. Or worse yet, killed by a Timberwolf or somethin'... You know well that there’s huntin’ territory, not someplace anypony should be going alone in." Rarity simply huffed smugly before trotting towards the east of town. Applejack followed closely after.

"Are you sure this ain't somethin' that can wait till tomorrow morning?" Applejack asked one last time as she pulled her saddlebags taut.

"No, Of course not, Sweetheart. The daytime would only make what we're looking for harder to find! We're much more likely to find a witch at night, or at the very least catch them off-guard." Rarity proclaimed as she ran a hoof over her mane.

"Oh, so you're an expert witch hunter now?"Applejack rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Oh, come now! It'll be just like a Daring Do or Shadow Spade novel. Full of adventure and suspense! So, if you want to be back before midnight, then let's hop to it." Rarity happily trotted off into the thicket bordering the town. The unicorn glared at the woods before them as she swiftly caught up, drew her blade, and hacked a path through the foliage.

It would take the two a while to clear a path through the woods which, according to an old map of Ponyville, should have been where a previously abandoned cottage lay. They listened to every sound and noticed every movement, but had no luck finding a witch. Just some owls or a stray squirrel. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a flock of birds flying away in panic, and Applejack whipped around, quickly drawing her blade. Her magic grabbed her lasso and twirled it over her head. Rarity faced the opposite direction of the sound, keeping AJ's flank covered.

"What was that…?" Rarity asked, briefly looking back toward Applejack.

"Let's hope it ain't nothing more than Timberwolves. Anything bigger would be a problem," The Apple's magic slowly wound down her lasso but her blade remained unsheathed. Her eyes kept their gaze towards the sound, slowly scanning the treeline.

A rustle in the bushes to their left made both mares jump, and their blood ran cold as a chicken head with red eyes reared itself out of the bush. With quick thinking on her part, Applejack dug her hooves into the ground and kicked dirt into the cockatrice’s eyes, breaking its gaze long enough for Rarity to run for it.

'What's a cockatrice doing here? Too far from their stomping grounds in the Everfree…' Applejack thought to herself as she ran the opposite way of the dangerous chimera. But, she realized she didn't hear Rarity behind her. Her head whipped around looking for any sign of the other mare, but all she got was the darkness and trees.

"Rarity?" she called out, "Rarity, Where are you!?"

But no answer came. Her yelling, however, caught the attention of other denizens of the woods.

"Oh you've gotta be kiddin' me," Applejack said in frustration as Timberwolves collected themselves from the wood and sticks around her.

Leaping into action, Applejack struck the nearest wolf before it could form, splintering the wood and dissipating its magic. Raising her sword, she blocked the bite of another and rammed it into a tree.

She stood her ground as even more Timberwolves came together. She kept her eyes on the four advancing beasts, the wolves tried to surround her but Applejack backed off, an escape route through the trees clear in her mind.

One of the wolves lunged, and was met with a swing from the mare’s sword, which sliced through the wolf's wooden jaw, lopping it clean off. Its body backed away, and more wood surrounded by magic came to fix the wolf's head.

She slowly backed off, her sword swung at whichever one of the wooden beasts tried to take a bite of her. After she put some distance between herself and the Timberwolves, she grabbed a few stones in her reach and bucked them at her adversaries, many of which struck true, shattering parts of their wooden bodies and heads. That gave Applejack enough time to gallop away. The Timberwolves growled and snarled as they chased after her, hunger and malice in their eyes.

The Apple felt her heart pound in her head. She couldn’t see the wolves but she definitely smelled them, and they were close. She looked to the moon above to get her bearings, but as misfortune would have it, she misstepped on a patch of lower ground. She lost her balance and face planted, the hole her hoof fell into sprained her front leg and she screamed in pain.

The Timberwolves heard the mare and doubled their pace.

Applejack strained to get back up, but the pain was too much for her to run again, so she turned her back towards a tree and dug into her saddlebags. She pulled out two fire bottles and lit them just as the Timberwolves came into view.

"Alright… You got me! But Ah ain't dying here, even if it means Ah have to burn these woods to the ground!" She raised the lit bottles, ready to throw.

"I value your will to fight for your life, but please don't burn the forest in your strife," a feminine voice above the mare's head called out, before a strange bottle full of strange liquid smashed in front of the four Timberwolves, its smell nearly as pungent as their breath. The Timberwolves then slowly lost the magic holding them together until they were nothing more than piles of inanimate sticks, much to the bewilderment and relief of Applejack.

"Good evening to you, Miss," The same voice snapped Applejack out of her trance as she came face-to-face with her savior. She was another Unicorn, purple in color from what Applejack saw through the moonlight, and with deeper purple eyes.

And she was upside down.

As she looked above her, she saw the mare was hanging off a floating broomstick. Applejack turned her gaze back down to the smiling mare's head and sure enough, she found the telltale pointy, if a bit gravity-defying, hat perched upon her head.

"Oh pardon me, it's a bit rude to be upside down while trying to talk isn't it?" She jumped down and landed like a cat on all four hooves before bowing her head graciously as her broomstick slowly descended beside her.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. You must be one of the locals from Ponyville, correct?" Twilight said as she raised her head back to eye level with Applejack.

"Uhh… Yeah Ah am- Ah'm Applejack," She reached out with her hoof, wincing as it was her sprained leg, which caught the attention of the witch.

"Oh my, your leg's hurt! We better get that patched up… My cottage is just this way, I can take better care of you there." Twilight looked back at Applejack, who stood still. Getting an idea, Twilight jumped onto her broom and flew close, offering a hoof to the injured mare.

"How about we fly over there? It'll take the strain off your hoof. And I promise you, it's one hundred percent safe. I'll even fly low." Twilight offered her a hoof and a charming smile.

Applejack was hesitant. This was an actual, genuine witch that she was interacting with. But at the same time, she seemed nice enough, and certainly not the malicious hag that the rumors led her to believe. So, she hesitantly hooked her own hoof (her good one this time) and Twilight pulled her up onto the broom.

Applejack was surprised to find the broomstick oddly comfortable as Twilight flew off to her cottage. They flew just a little bit above the canopy, with Applejack mentally checking off the magic flying broom as witchcraft to save her brain the headache.

They touched down in front of a quaint little cottage with two floors. The bottom had a chimney snaking out of it, but the second floor looked positively normal. The witch brought Applejack inside and sat her on her couch before trotting off to get medical supplies.

The ground floor was split into two sections, the tiled laboratory and the wood-floor living room. The laboratory, besides having what you would expect from a witch – a cauldron, jars full of ingredients, books and bottles strewn about – also had a very modern chemistry set that wouldn’t look out of place in a university chemistry lab. On the other end of the big room was a recreational area, complete with a couch beside an end table with a reading lamp and a small radio. Along with various other pieces of furniture that made the side of the room look homely. The stairs were in between the two halves, separating the room with an imaginary line.

Applejack stared at Twilight as she darted about the laboratory side of the room grabbing a first-aid kit and a clay bowl of salve off the shelf. She rolled the case near the couch before dashing to the other side of her lab.

“There should be morphine in there, and some disinfectant you can start cleaning your wound with. I just need to find something… specific.”

Applejack looked down on her foreleg and realized she was bleeding over the floor, her injuries being much worse than she thought. Grabbing the case, she opened it and procured a bottle of the painkiller and disinfectant, quickly using both to the best of her knowledge as Twilight came back with the salve and a flask of thick green liquid.

“Allow me,” Twilight whispered as she put down the salve and the flask next to Applejack before cleaning and dressing the rest of her wound.

"This salve is to make sure your skin heals properly. Apply it once you can freely take your bandages off… This other one is a potion of my own concoction, it should help with healing everything else. It's made with a lot of mint, so you might taste that for a while. After that, we just wait till the potion does its thing and you should be able to walk again in an hour or so." Twilight looked sheepishly while she wrapped Applejack's leg in the bandages and gave the potion flask over.

Applejack held the flask in her magic and swirled it around, an overpowering smell of mint evident even as she held it half a foreleg away from her nose. She hesitated to drink the potion; it was an unknown liquid with unknown effects from a mildly dubious source, after all. Her eyes darted between the flask and Twilight, who was intently focused on bandaging her leg, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Applejack took a deep breath and put the lip of the flask to her own, drinking as much of the potion as she could fit in her mouth, before swallowing. Applejack shuddered, the cool spiciness of mint overpowered her taste buds, but she could feel the magic course through her before it settled in her damaged leg.

“Now that that’s over… Applejack, was it?” Twilight hummed, looking at her as she finished wrapping Applejack’s leg. The latter nodded slowly. “You fascinate me,” the unicorn said with a smile that Applejack couldn’t quite discern the meaning behind as the former got very close to the latter’s face.

"A- and why's that?" Applejack replied nervously.

"Isn't it obvious? The scales, the leonine tail, the mane, and the single branching horn… You're a Kirin! Not too common around here," Twilight replied eagerly.

Applejack stared at her with a mix of surprise, confusion, and apprehension at the sudden change in tone.

"Ahem, excuse my behavior, it's just that… I've only ever seen Kirin in books before! Oh, I have a lot of questions!" Applejack planted her good hoof on the excited unicorn and gently pushed her away for some space.

"Alright, hold on. You ain't makin' a lick of sense right now. What are you talkin' 'bout with this whole… 'Kirin' thing? You mean to tell me I ain't actually a unicorn?" Applejack raised a brow at Twilight, who shrugged in response.

"Well… no. But actually yes? It's a bit more complicated than that. Kirins do tap into the same branch of magic as Unicorns do, but most of their spellcasting is very different- ah well, but that's a lesson for another time," Twilight smiled sheepishly, which disappeared soon after as she realized something. "You… you didn't know that you're a Kirin," She shook it off and smiled, though wistfully. "I suppose that's understandable. They – Kirin I mean – don't usually travel outside of their territories." Twilight coughed into her hoof.

An awkward silence befell the two mares as Twilight trotted to the other side of the room to her lab, reorganizing everything she displaced when she ran around.

The sounds of Timberwolf howls pierced the night outside the cottage, reminding Applejack like a barrel of apples to the head that she lost Rarity somewhere out there.

"Um… Twilight? Do you know what happened to my friend, Rarity? Earth pony, white coat and purple mane. She came with me into the woods but… we got separated after we ran into a cockatrice." Applejack fidgeted in her seat and looked at the closed door of the cottage, her gut telling her that she should bolt out the door and go looking for her friend.

"Oh, don't worry about her. I had my trustworthy assistants discreetly escort her out of the forest safely," Twilight looked back at Applejack and flashed the mare a wink, a gesture that made the Kirin blush.

A loud yelp and the sound of a crash outside one of the windows stopped Applejack from asking further about Rarity. An Owl flew in, silent as the night, and touched down on a perch at the edge of the room. Another figure climbed in through the window, a purple baby dragon with a small satchel around its shoulder, who waddled over to Twilight and gave a stern salute.

"Mission accomplished, Twilight! We got that other mare out of the forest safely and without a hitch!" The owl hooted in agreement at the dragon's declaration.

"Good job, Spike! And thank you too, Owlowiscious." Spike turned towards Applejack and gave her a look of acknowledgement, before he dragged himself upstairs with a yawn.

As soon as the dragon left the room, Twilight came back to the couch with a bowl of almonds, offering them to the other mare.

"Here. Sadly I can't offer you anything more elaborate or filling, but it's something to snack on," Twilight mumbled as she sat down on the couch with Applejack.

"That's quite alright, thank you," Applejack replied. She then cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "So, Twilight… you're a witch huh?"

"By profession and aesthetically, yes. But I also dabble in alchemy and item enchantments as is evident." Twilight smiled while gesturing to her lab and the enchanted flying broom which swept the floors on its own.

"Do you mind if I know more about you, then?" Applejack asked.

"I don't mind, but it must go both ways, 'tis only fair. I've said 'you fascinate me,' so my curiosity's in the air." Twilight fired back with a cheeky smile which made Applejack laugh.

So for the next hour or so, the two talked. Various topics came – about themselves, the town, their professions and so on – and both mares found the other's company refreshing, to say the least.

The clock in the corner of the room struck nine, catching Applejack's attention. Twilight noticed and gave the empty almond bowl to her owl and stood. She called her broom to her side and offered a hoof to Applejack.

"We had best get you home before your loved ones get too worried. Come, I'll fly you to the edge of the forest." Twilight smiled, though Applejack hesitated to take her hoof.

"Ah um… Ah really enjoyed our time together and uhh… Ah'm mighty sorry 'bout all the bad stuff we thought 'bout you. You're a real nice pony, and now Ah don't think that you really deserved all that crap." Applejack said sheepishly, her hat held in hoof.

Twilight simply smiled and nodded, a silent thank you to the mare, a light blush dusting both their cheeks as they both laughed.

Applejack donned her hat once more and slung her saddlebags back on her back before she took Twilight's hoof with hers, the latter excitedly pulling the Kirin outside.

The flight back to town was uneventful. Nevertheless, Applejack enjoyed the ride. As they touched down at the edge of town, Applejack thanked the unicorn again.

"Ah really enjoyed your company Twilight, think maybe Ah could come visit again?" In reply, the unicorn giggled before she reached into her satchel and pulled out a candle.

"Timberwolves prowl these woods as you know, this ensures safe travels sans dangerous foe. The path to follow is faded and old, but one only needs to be perceptive and bold. Dragon fire, the candle exudes, repelling timberwolves, it includes." Twilight winked at Applejack as she handed her the candle, the latter gratefully accepting the gift.

"You're an odd one, Miss Twilight Sparkle… but Ah mean that as a compliment," Applejack replied, just as Twilight gave the mare a tip of her hat and took off again.

Applejack turned towards town, but not before noticing her injured leg had already healed a considerable amount and she could put a bit of weight on it again, even if she had a bit of a limp.

She trotted towards Ponyville, finding a small crowd gathered at its square. Among them was Rarity.

"Applejack!" Rarity screamed the second Applejack came in sight, pouncing on her with enough force to knock them over.

"Oof! Rarity! Ah have a hurt leg, watch it!" The Kirin exclaimed, but was ignored by the bawling mare whose hooves wrapped tightly around her neck.

"I thought you had perished! You were gone for hours! I'm so sorry for dragging you into this!" Rarity cried into the other mare's chest as a crowd gathered around the pair. Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity's parents were among the townsfolk who congregated at the square.

"What's all this?" The Kirin motioned to the small crowd gathered as she tried to pry Rarity off of her.

"We was about to go and look for ya before ya arrived,” Carrot Top said as she trotted into Applejack's line of sight. “Rarity gathered us here a little while ago, tellin' us you might've gotten yourself turned to stone or mauled by Timberwolves."

She proceeded to pry Rarity off of her fellow farmpony, something the Kirin greatly appreciated.

"You're almost right 'bout the last part," Applejack held up her bandaged leg, "But Ah… somepony was there to help, thankfully." She laughed, trailing off as her eyes looked towards the edge of town.

"Applejack? What happened to you?" Rarity asked.

"She's really nice… and pretty too," Applejack mumbled as she looked back at Rarity with a wishful smile.

"Who?"

"Twilight Sparkle. The Witch of Everfree."

Chapter 2: Rarity Belle

Applejack had been acting very strangely ever since she came back from meeting that witch, at least that’s what Rarity thought.

She looked distracted, always stared off into space, and concerningly to Rarity had regularly returned to the very same woods she injured herself in at least thrice a week! And yet she always came back weirdly happy.

Rarity could only come up with one explanation for this.

"Applebloom, I think your sister's been bewitched," she whispered to the youngest of the family, who looked up from the apples she was sorting to Rarity.

"Been be-what, now?" Applebloom cocked a brow at her before she switched her attention to her sister currently plowing the cabbage fields, who looked… like she always has been.

"Bewitched! Cursed! Being controlled! Whatever… it's just that something really doesn't feel right with her. And it all started when she came back from the woods." Applebloom took another look across the field to her horned sister, then switched again to Rarity. Apple Bloom shrugged at the mare and went back to the apples in front of her.

"Applebloom, I'm being serious. Haven't you noticed she's been acting weird lately?" Rarity pressed on.

"Nnope…" Applebloom replied, focusing on her task. Suddenly she stopped and perked up, "Actually… She has been talking 'bout somepony named Twilight Sparkle a lot."

"I knew it! She is bewitched! I'll have that witch's head on a stake if it kills me!" Rarity exclaimed rather loudly, which made the young Apple jump.

"Woah there, aren't you bein' a bit too rash about this? Ah mean, from what Ah can hear, AJ really likes the company," The filly cocked a brow again, one that put a look of offended shock to Rarity's face.

"That is exactly what I would expect somepony who's being mind controlled would show. If you were mind-controlling somepony, wouldn't you also have them say good things about you and never any negatives?" Rarity fired back, as she leered at the field Applejack was working on. The latter waved at the two, happily unaware of the conversation that unfolded between Rarity and her sister.

"Okay, you do have a point, but Ah still think you're way too deep in over thinking about the whole thing. Ah've known my sister my whole life, you’d think me or Mac would've notice anythin' off about her," Rarity didn't buy the younger Apple's word, already deep in her head planning how to save Applejack from her bewitchment.

A while later, Rarity found herself in the rocky fields south of Ponyville, pulling a cart behind her.

Rarity tapped the earth with a hoof, feeling its magic flow flow beneath. She could feel each vibration of the earth below her, could feel the composition of the rocks she stood on, she could feel the gems buried just beneath. She walked up to a particularly round rock.

"It just makes sense," Rarity mumbled as she cracked open the geode with her pick. "Applejack came back from the woods suddenly, all sunshines and rainbows about that witch after she was gone for a long while, presumably after said witch 'took care' of her. I don't buy the sudden change in demeanor, Opal. There has to be some other force present here." The cat could care less about the topic her owner was spouting, atop the cart that Rarity pulled.

"I need information, and Applejack is the only one that can provide it to me. But how will I possibly ask questions without raising suspicion?" The cat mewed in disinterest which made Rarity sigh as she placed the newly cracked geode into the already significant pile of gems on her cart.

"Would talking to her even work? If she's bewitched – ooh! That's a splendid rose quartz! – would she even be coherent enough to notice? Though I suppose I haven't exactly had a proper conversation with her since the incident…"She placed the large chunk of rose quartz right next to Opal on her platform, the cat clearly annoyed by the offending rock that's taken up half of the space specially made for her.

“Oh hush now Sweetheart, we’re done here anyway. You’ll be back in your bed as soon as we get home.” Rarity cooed at the cat, the latter standing down much to the surprise of Rarity. She turned towards the direction of Ponyville as Opal resigned to sleep next to the gem.

"Do you have a book about, oh I don't know… how to fight witchcraft, maybe?" Rarity smiled at the pony who was standing at the door of Golden Oaks.

"I dunno, lady,” said the unicorn with a blue coat and white mane. “I ain't no librarian, I'm jus' the pony that the mayor sends to clean up the place. 'fact, we ain't had no librarian since ol' Loose Leaf died, bless her soul."

The mare sighed, depositing the mop she held in her magic into the cart of cleaning supplies she pulled. Rarity groaned outwardly and hung her head in frustration. The pony was nice enough, but it doesn't seem like they'll be helping her with her endeavor.

"You can go inside an' look for the book you want. Jus' make sure you log the book outta the catalog if you borrowin'." With that, the mare trotted away, leaving Rarity at the door of the giant tree which housed Ponyville's only library.

As she trotted inside, Rarity just felt how clean it was there. Not a speck of dust in the air nor a dark spot to be seen. She didn't even know wood could shine like that.

Taking careful steps as to not ruin the hard work of the janitor, Rarity perused the shelves of the library, looking for anything that might help her. And by anything, that meant anything with the mention of 'supernatural', 'witchcraft' or 'black magic,' and by the end of her search, she had gathered a healthy stack on her back.

After logging the books as borrowed, Rarity carefully shut the door of the library and headed for a café to get a bite to eat while she read.

"Hmm… Perhaps I should find other ponies to ask for help. Oh! Maybe Granny Smith has something to dispel witchcraft," Rarity thought aloud, her hooves thumped rhythmically with the path under her.

It didn't take long to get to the café, which was sparsely populated in the afternoon hours save for some late munchers who missed lunch. Savoir Fare wasted no time to service the newest customer.

"The usual, Savoir. But put in extra lettuce, I'm gonna need the energy," Rarity absentmindedly mumbled to the waiter as she dug into her saddlebags and pulled out the first book she could. The waiter just nodded and wrote the order down before he went inside again.

"Alright, Book. What do you have for me…" Rarity turned to the first page only to be met with a large block of text about the book itself, not something she was really interested in.

"What? I don't need arthritis remedies!" She turned to another page, finding only more herbs and tonics.

"So, what are you looking for exactly?" a voice to Rarity's left said, making her jump in her seat.

"Goodness me, don’t sneak up on me like that!" she said to the newcomer, a purple unicorn with a dark blue mane, her body wrapped in a hoodless, dark purple cloak which covered her cutie mark, "I'm looking for information about witchcraft, but it seems I got the wrong book..."

The unicorn giggled, something that had Rarity take slight offense to. "You won't be finding any witchcraft in that book, the title is deceptive to those who don't look," The unicorn rhymed. Rarity shut the book and sure enough, 'Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-alls That Are Simply Super.'

"Oh… well that's embarrassing," Rarity groaned.

"It's a common mistake, so don't be embarrassed. But here's something closer to what you wished." The unicorn pulled out a neat, hardback book from her saddle bag. The front was devoid of a title, simply adorned with an intricate picture of a pony in front of a cauldron. "It's a book by Cauldron Brew, a famous alchemist and minor practitioner of the craft. It doesn't have much, but it's a start."

"Oh. Well thank you miss, I wasn't really expecting this. Why do you have this book in the first place?" Rarity asked, and the mare chose to laugh behind a hoof.

"It was supposed to be a donation to the local library, as this book contains some very useful knowledge. That and-" before the unicorn could finish, somepony loudly yelled out Rarity’s name. Sweetie Belle came galloping to her sister's table, skidding to a halt before the two mares.

"Rarity! Mrs. Rich is at the boutique again!" Sweetie Belle said urgently.

"What!?" Rarity yelled before she galloped off towards her shop, leaving Sweetie Belle, the books and the unicorn in her dust. "She's not tearing my boutique inside out this time!"

As she went out of sight, Applejack trotted up to Twilight and Sweetie Belle with a confused look on her face.

"Where's Rarity gallopin' off to?" she asked the two. Twilight responded by shrugging her shoulders and Sweetie Belle by rolling her eyes and miming some gesture which suggested it was a business matter.

Savoir Fare came out of the café and headed to Rarity's table with a platter of food, only to find everyone but the mare who ordered.

"Sorry Savoir," Applejack apologized, "Rarity ran into a bit of an emergency. Ah'll pay for her food." She then took out a few bits and floated them to the waiter. She turned to Sweetie Belle. "You can have the salad if you want," Sweetie Belle nodded and sat down at her sister's seat.

"And if you may, bring these books back to her after you finish. If she asks where to return this one, tell her she can either keep it or put it in the library," Twilight instructed, to which Sweetie Belle nodded as she ate the salad generously provided to her.

"Now with that all done and dusted, ready for your first tour of Ponyville?" Applejack smiled as she fixed her hat.

"By all means, Miss Applejack. Lead the way!"

Rarity sat in front of her work table, stress-polishing the chunk of rose quartz she dug up by hoof. She managed to keep Spoiled Rich from upending her boutique but it gave her a headache, not unlike the previous times the mare came to either buy new jewelry or have her own ones cleaned.

"She could stand to be a bit nicer about my profession," Rarity complained to herself. "Ugh, if she didn't generate a major portion of my monthly income, I would have banned her from my shop by now."

She sighed, blowing away the dust from her polishing. Though hoof-polishing such a large piece was impractical, it helped her calm down during times like this. That, and she didn't exactly have a rock tumbler barrel big enough to house it, and being such a fine specimen, she was not going to just cut it into tiny pieces.

"Maybe I can turn it into a centerpiece… a shelf decor wouldn't be too bad either, I should have a stand ready for it." Rarity continued as she polished before the door to her workshop opened.

Sweetie Belle came in with a wagon, two books and a take-out box of half-eaten salad inside. "Here, you left these at the café," she announced as she pulled up the red wagon next to Rarity, who looked up from her work.

Her stomach reminded her she never got her salad as she stared at the cardboard box atop the books. After dusting her hooves, she took the salad box and munched on whatever was left of her order.

"Wait, who paid for this?" Rarity asked Sweetie, to which the latter immediately replied with a deadpan look.

"Applejack," Sweetie Belle said bluntly, which earned a deflecting cough from Rarity.

"Remind me to pay her for this next time I get out." Rarity said. She finished her meal and picked up one of the books, the Cauldron Brew one. She flipped to a random page before stopping at a chapter which looked easy enough to understand.

"Sweetie Belle, Sweetheart, you said you needed practice for a reading test tomorrow right…? Well, come over here and read this for me out loud while I work." Rarity put the book down on the table before turning back towards her work, and Sweetie Belle, begrudgingly, sat down next to her sister, took the book in her magic and read aloud.

"There are many ways to store magic, but none have been more versatile than the 'Spell in a bottle,' like surprise gifts but more magical…"

"Why do you need repackaged Vodka?" the black plumed griffon at the door asked Rarity as she held out a small sack filled with bottles.

"A gathering!” Rarity lied. “Some of my old colleagues from back in Salt Lick City wanted to come visit and I thought I should have some alcohol on standby. They're quite the drinkers!"

"And you'll provide your colleagues with cheap, repackaged, leftover vodka?" Gabriella, the bartender and manager of the Sol e Mar, retorted, crossing her claws over each other.

"It's a silly little tradition we had back in college. Their brand of geologists are a bit on the unhinged side of things, so stupid little traditions like this get spawned and stick, you know?" Rarity smiled, and though she was nervous she knew well to hide it. She supposed she could thank Spoiled Rich for that.

A moment later the griffon sighed. "Wait here," she said, taking the sack with a claw into the building.

Not long after Gabriella came back with a small crate. In it were the six bottles of vodka and the cloth sack neatly folded on top.

"Here you are." Gabriella put down the crate into Rarity's wagon as the latter pulled out a stack of bits to pay with.

"Howdy Rarity," Applejack greeted as she loaded baskets of apples into a cart, "What brings you to the farm so early in the mornin'?"

"Oh I just had a bit of a request. Do you mind?" Rarity trotted up to the Kirin.

"Well that depends. What d'you have in mind?" Applejack asked, turning to her friend.

"I need my axe sharpened, I might have dulled it a bit. And I need it A.S.A.P." Rarity pulled the axe in question out of her saddlebag's hook and gave it to Applejack, who took it with her magic and examined the cutting edge with a hoof.

"Umm… Yeah Ah can have it done by the end of the day. Not any sooner though, Ah got market duty today again." She put the axe down on top of a barrel as Big Macintosh and Applebloom came trotting from the barn.

"Applejack!" The younger Apple called out, "Granny Smith said she needs you at the house, apparently that pipe's leakin' again."

"Consarnit, Ah just fixed that pipe three days ago! Besides, Ah gotta get these apples sold." Applejack pointed to the loaded apples until Big Mac chimed in.

"We'll just cover for you."

"Yeah! Me and Mac will sell them apples while you do that. Not like neither of us know how to do plumbin'." Applebloom was already climbing onto the cart, with Big Mac strapping himself in before Applejack could counter. She sighed and relented, grabbing Rarity's axe and the toolbox by the door of the barn.

"Fine… Ah'll fix that damn pipe again! And Ah suppose Ah can sharpen this axe right after." Applebloom gave a nod before looking to Rarity, who gave her a grateful smile and a wink, Applebloom returning with one of her own.

As Applejack trotted back towards the farmhouse, Rarity approached Big Mac and Applebloom, "I promise I'll make it up to you two, I owe you both one."

"Why do you need that axe sharpened by tonight anyhow?" Applebloom asked.

"You'll find out tomorrow, I suppose. Whether I succeed or not, you'll know," Rarity waved the two goodbye before she cantered swiftly to catch Applejack.

As Rarity approached, she looked at the Kirin with wonder.

'Should I go through with this plan?' she thought to herself, 'Oh who are you kidding Rarity, of course you should. You dragged Applejack into those woods and it's your fault she's become bewitched. It's your responsibility to break her out of it.'

"Do you need something else?" Applejack's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Oh not at all. Just thought I may as well give Granny Smith a visit as well," Rarity hummed, trotting up to Applejack's pace. "Actually, do you have an extra lariat I could borrow?"

"We got a few in the house, but what exactly do you, of all ponies, need it for?" Applejack turns her head to Rarity, her head tilted curiously.

"I need a strong rope for a side project of mine, and I seem to remember your lassos could take quite the abuse." Rarity replied, which made Applejack laugh.

"Eeyup! Ah would boast that we make 'em but nah, it ain't a product of the farm." Applejack shrugged. "Still, only the highest quality lariats for our use so, here you are." The two reached the farmhouse and Applejack grabbed a looped length of rope off a hook on the wall and floated it over to Rarity, who took it in her hooves, pulling it taut to test.

"Thank you Applejack," she said as they entered the house, and were greeted by Granny Smith on her rocking chair.

As Applejack went to the back of the house to fix the leaking pipe, Rarity sat down near the old Matriarch.

"Good morning, Granny Smith. I'm Rarity, the local jeweler and a friend of Applejack, if you remember... I was just wondering if I could ask you some things..."

Later that night, Applejack once again headed for the woods at the east of town, dragonfire candle floating in with her magic. Rarity peeked from behind the tree she used to hide and trotted after the Kirin.

Rarity was prepared to face this foe of hers. Knowledge on how witches operate, counter magic in the form of bottled spells, fire bottles in case she needed to burn it all down, her axe newly sharpened and that lariat to tie her up if necessary. She would free Applejack from her bewitchment if it's the last thing she did.

Rarity followed closely behind Applejack, right at the edge of her candle's glow. But as Rarity treaded the path behind her friend, she was surprised by a particularly large bug causing her to stumble, subsequently throwing her body into a dead tree, loudly snapping the brittle branches.

"May the stars curse you, giant, bloody, locust-thing!" Rarity whispered in frustration, before she shoved a hoof in her mouth when she saw the candlelight coming closer.

As the light rounded the foliage wall, Applejack found Rarity leaning against a dead tree much to the former's confusion.

"Rares? What are you doing here?" Applejack asked, trotting over to her friend and checking to see if she's ok.

"I could be asking you the same thing, Sweetheart," Rarity replied, "As for me, I was making sure you weren't going to hurt yourself again. You've just gone into the same woods you were injured in after all." Rarity folded her forelegs and stared at Applejack with a serious look.

"Oh haha… Ah suppose that's a good point." Applejack used a hoof to scratch her mane, laughing nervously. "It's ok though! Ah got me some protection right here with this candle. Ah'm just off to visit a friend of mine, Twilight Sparkle. You should come! Ah'd love for you to meet her!" Applejack says excitedly after making sure Rarity was unhurt, catching even the latter off-guard.

"Meet her? Well, I suppose if you offer so generously, then I have no reason not to say yes." Rarity put on her best customer service smile, though behind it she let her mind run with the possibilities.

On one hoof, this was her chance to get close to the witch, but on the other, this was too easy and one didn’t need to be paranoid to feel like something might be ahoof here.

Nevertheless, Applejack led the way through the maze of foliage, all the while talking about what this "Twilight Sparkle" was like. It made Rarity sick to her core with phrases like, "She's the nicest pony I know," or "Did you know she makes this cute squeaky noise when you surprise her?" Leaving her mouth. It felt wrong and only solidified her goal further.

They arrived at a cottage in a small clearing in the woods. Light seeped out of the windows and white smoke emitted from the chimney which poked out of the first floor.

"Come on, she should be inside." Applejack beckoned her friend as trotted up to the door and entered.

"Of course, Applejack. I'll be right there…" Rarity replied, and once Applejack was inside, she reached into her saddlebags and pulled out the lariat, hanging it loosely around her shoulder before grabbing her axe in her mouth.

Rarity trotted up to the door and bucked it open with enough force to break its latch. She ran inside and grabbed a bottled sleeping spell from her saddlebag with a hoof, loudly announcing through her teeth, "Twilight Sparkle, your reign of terror upon my friend ends here! Free her from your bewitchment if you want to live!"

"Woah! Rarity, what're you doin'!? What're you talkin' about!?" Applejack screamed as she dodged out of the way of a thrown bottle.

"You're being mind controlled by this witch, obviously! And if she doesn't free you within the next few minutes, things will get nasty!" Rarity charged at Twilight, axe reared to strike. At the last second before the blade could connect with the witch, Twilight summoned her broom to her aid, blocking the strike with its shaft. Twilight cast a spell from her horn, sending Rarity skidding backwards.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding, Miss Rarity. Put the weapon down and let us think with clarity!" Rarity wasn't listening as she threw another bottle of magic at her.

"Rarity calm down! Stop this right now, Ah ain't bein' mind controlled!" Applejack said, standing in front of Rarity and Twilight. Rarity bit down on her axe harder, clearly not convinced.

"That's exactly what she wants you to say! Snap out of it Applejack! Fight her influence and come back to your senses. This witch has trapped you for far too lo-"

Pang!

A metallic sound rings out before Rarity dropped to the floor in an unconscious heap. Behind her, Spike held a frying pan with a clear dent upon its bottom.

"Spike! What'd you do that for!?" Twilight berated the dragon as she and Applejack rushed to Rarity's side to make sure she was ok.

"I- I'm so sorry! She was starting to scare me and that was the first thing I could think of!" Spike put down the frying pan and quickly headed to the first aid kit.

"Ah'm mighty sorry Twilight, Ah didn't expect any of this to happen," Applejack apologized. Twilight just smiled and lifted Rarity onto her couch.

"No, It's alright Applejack. At least she didn't break anything. For now let's worry about our friend's wellbeing here." Twilight thanked her assistant as he came dragging the first aid kit over.

The full moon's orange glow seeped into the room Rarity was laid to bed in, stirring her from her slumber. Her head would not stop throbbing in pain which made her wince as she lifted herself up from the soft pillows.

The room she was in was wholly unfamiliar. She laid in a bed which could comfortably house at least two ponies, inside a room which looked overgrown with vines yet clean and organized. To her sides were end tables; the one on the left side of the bed had an adjustable reading lamp, while the other had several picture frames. Rarity blinked repeatedly to clear her eyes of their fogginess as she leaned over to the right side of the bed to get a closer look upon the pictures present.

Her eyes widened as she recognized the purple unicorn with the telltale hat in the picture and panicked, frantically searching for her belongings. A knock on the doorway would stop Rarity in her tracks as she found Applejack carrying a tray with a kettle and cups in her magic.

"Your stuff's downstairs, if you were wonderin'," Applejack said calmly, putting the tray down and pouring each of them a cup of tea.

"What happened?" Rarity asked as she took the teacup offered to her.

"You done messed up, that's what," Applejack said bluntly, disappointment evident in her voice "Ah mean, seriously? You just assaulted somepony with an axe and threw magic at them, what were you thinkin'!"

"It's because-"

"Because you thought Ah was bein' mind controlled, yeah, Ah got that much." Applejack's shoulders visibly sagged, before she looked at Rarity with a subdued smile, "Listen to me Rarity, Ah appreciate you lookin' out for me, but you really gotta stop all this assumin' for the worst! Ah'm doin' fine and I have complete free will, and that's the whole honest truth here."

"So… you're not bewitched?" Rarity asked with caution and Applejack nodded. "Ok, but how would I know you're not? You're dealing with an evil witch here!"

"Alright, now you're just bein' judgemental,” Applejack responded firmly. “You haven't even met Twilight formally! You're basin' your opinion on snake in the grass hearsay." Rarity was taken aback by Applejack's seriousness which made the latter sigh.

"Listen to me, Rarity. Twilight is genuinely one of the nicest ponies Ah've met, and Ah reckon you'd get along well with her too. You just need to put aside your prejudices and get to know her a bit. Please, Rarity, Ah hope you at least consider this, if not for me, then for you. Ah don't exactly want you gettin' into trouble you shouldn't be in," Applejack spoke with a gentle and worried voice, and the face she made to go along with it plucked at Rarity's conscience like a guitar.

"Alright… if I get to know this Twilight, and you're correct in what you say, then I'll stop this whole thing." Rarity looked up from her teacup into the eyes of Applejack, then continued: "But if at any point, I find myself seeing that all of my assumptions are correct… then I won't hesitate."

Applejack nodded at Rarity as she gave her a toast. "Twilight? You can come in now."

Rarity had a flash of recognition across her face as Twilight revealed herself, hat off of her head and wearing the same dark purple cloak as she had before.

"You- you're that mare! From the Café!" Rarity exclaimed, pointing a hoof at the embarrassed unicorn.

"Yeah, I am. I'm Twilight Sparkle, and I do hope that we can become good friends, despite our… less than friendly start." Twilight smiled awkwardly as she held out a hoof, which Rarity looked at and shook after Applejack elbowed her.

"Rarity Belle, and I sure do hope Applejack is right about you."

-

A week passed by and Rarity had to admit defeat. She had been going with Applejack everytime she went to Twilight's cottage and to her surprise, she was having fun. She and Twilight could see eye to eye on a lot of things and she had been nothing short of an outstanding host to both Rarity and Applejack. And that made her feel incredibly awful about trying to kill her a week prior.

The hum of a mechanical sander permeated through the workshop of Carousel Boutique as Rarity worked on the finishing touches on the large chunk of rose quartz, which she had shaped into an ornamental work of art worthy of the Royal Palace. It was an owl, just a bit smaller than Rarity's head, wings outstretched fully, each feather carefully carved with detail, and its beak wide open in a triumphant screech. Or perhaps a big yawn, Rarity wasn’t quite sure then.

After dusting the ornament off and doing the final shining, Rarity stepped back to admire her work, and with a nod, carefully put the statue in a box lined with foam to make sure that transportation would be safe, and headed out.

She arrived at Twilight's cottage not long after, the box and the statue well kept in her saddlebags. From the window of her cottage, Rarity could see Twilight scribbling at her desk with a quill.

Twilight also noticed Rarity as the latter trotted up the path. She put down the quill into its inkwell and trotted up to the door to greet her.

"Rarity! It's good to see you, but I wasn't expecting you today. Is there something you wished from me for you to come all this way?" Twilight asked, to which Rarity shook her head in response.

"Just came to drop something off." Rarity pulled the box out of her saddlebag and opened it, revealing the brilliant pink sculpture inside.

"Oh Rarity, that's beautiful!" Twilight exclaimed as she levitated the Owl out of the box, spinning it around to get a good look.

"An apology gift. I thought I'd give you one after everything I tried to do," Rarity smiled warmly as she watched Twilight put it up on a shelf where everyone would catch a glimpse at it.

"Oh you didn't have to do that, Rarity, truly… but thank you nonetheless. I appreciate it fully." Twilight gave Rarity a hug, which the latter was a bit apprehensive of but chose to accept. As they separated, Spike came waddling down from the bedroom.

"Ah! Spike, perfect timing. I need you to send a letter." Twilight quickly trotted over to her writing desk and rolled up the parchment sitting on top, levitating it to the dragon who took it in his claws.

Spike took a deep breath before blowing green flames on the letter, disintegrating it into smoke which flew out the window, seemingly carried by the wind.

"Where is that going off to?" Rarity asked as she stared at the window the smoke flew out of.

"To Canterlot. All my letters do," Twilight replied, which earned a look of surprise from Rarity.

"Canterlot? Why would it be going to Canterlot?"

"It's my weekly report to the Princess about my findings, studies or just generally anything which I find interesting."

"Yup!" Spike chimed in, climbing on Twilight's back.

"Twilight here's the personal student of Princess Luna, if you must know! Greatest, most powerfullest mage in All of Equestria! Maybe even the world!"

"P-P-Princess Luna? THE Princess Luna!? She who controls the Sun and Moon!?" Rarity panicked which unsettled both Twilight and Spike.

"I… I suppose I forgot to mention that huh?" Twilight laughed nervously before she jumped in surprise as Rarity plunged her face to the floor.

"May the Princess forgive me for my insolence and insubordination in attempting to kill her protege! Twilight Sparkle, I humbly beg for your forgiveness and wish for you to not see ill upon me and my family for the grave mistake I have committed to you!" Rarity recited with vigor and genuine fear that had Twilight exasperated.

"Rarity, please, that's not necessary! I already forgave you! Oh brother…"

A spectral smoke floated into the halls of the Canterlot Palace, weaving in and out before arriving at the throne room where the Luna, Ruler of Equestria and Princess of the Moon sat. The smoke gathered in front of her and materialized into a physical parchment, bearing the seal of her prized pupil.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle's report," Luna whispered as she opened up the parchment, eyes carefully scanning and reading the letter with excitement, just as she always had these past few years.

"New friends, I see… So it seems the time is nigh. The Elements shall have their bearers…" Luna whispered, a smile creeping into her lips before the doors to the throne room opened, catching the Princess' attention. A white mare with a blue-green mane trotted into the room, a formation of crystal adorning her flank.

"Ok, so your schedule's a bit packed for tomorrow. You have court duty first thing in the morning, then there's the award ceremony-" The mare was cut off when Luna stood from her throne and trotted down to her.

"Crystal Clear, my dearest aide, have we decided which town I'll be holding the 1000th Spring Moonfall?" Luna asked, to which Crystal Clear rolled her eyes.

"You've been putting it off for the last two weeks, so no. You have not." Crystal Clear said bluntly.

"I think I have made my decision. The 1000th shall be held in the town of Ponyville, at the foot of the mountains." Crystal raised a brow at the Princess' declaration, though Luna simply smiled at her.

"That small hamlet? Really? Why not Vanhoover or Manehattan? Something less obscure than Ponyville of all places."

"Chrissy, Ponyville is the perfect place, I assure you. Besides, I want to have our dearest Twilight attend with her new friends." Luna handed her the letter that she had just received. Crystal's magic enveloped the parchment as she pulled out her glasses to read and she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, fine. Here's your schedule, I'll inform the planning committee about your decision." Crystal tossed the clipboard she was holding in Luna's direction, the latter easily catching it mid-air with her magic as she giggled at her aide's antics.

"Thank you, Crystal," Luna said with a smile as the unicorn trotted out of the throne room.

With the departure of the unicorn, so too did her smile disappear. Luna's horn glowed with magic, intensifying before releasing and teleporting her from the throne room onto the castle balcony. She looked up at the sky and wrapped the sun gently in her magic, the blue glow of her spell diluting its rays before she gently lowered it till it dipped below the horizon.

Doing the same procedure, she wrapped her moon in her magic and gently raised it, its orange glow turning intense once Luna's magic dissipated. The Mare in the Moon stared back at her.

"Celestia, my dearest sister…” Luna whispered to the cold night air. “Daybreaker, my worst enemy… We shall meet again soon, and this time I will right my wrongs… This time, no one shall have to feel this pain. Not anymore." Taking a deep breath, Luna started to sing. A lullaby for her dearest sister, the same one she had sung every night since that banishment one thousand years ago.