Lorial (Closed: Applejack)

[Hippo]

Applejack's header was already tied by the time the other pony had cornered the little rat of a monster. She was within a short horseshoe's throw and still couldn't really tell what it was. But then, from behind the other Applejack, she could see another strange creature, just like the one that was cornered sneak up on the apple mare. It was so quick, that Applejack didn't react fast enough to warn herself about it coming from behind her. And just like that, her hat was removed and the new creature took off with it. It ran right past both Applejacks back into the tunnels where it could take several turns. "Go git 'em, I'll get this little guy. We have to split up if we're going to catch both of them!"

The cornered animal got away into the same system of tunnels, but started taking different turns from the other teammate. "We're going to make you pay you thievin' varmints!" Applejack raced through the tunnel after the creature without a hat. But then, Applejack accidentally dropped her geode, and she took a few steps into darkness. She could hardly see, so she turned back to get the geode. The moment she bent over to get the geode, the creature she was chasing jumped on her head and grabbed her hat, just like the other one did to the other Applejack. "Why I oughta, ugh!" Applejack rarely got this mad, her pelt was turning a red orange. "I'm gonna tie you up so good, you wont be able to squeak for a month!"

She raced after it again, and when she got withing distance, she threw her lasso towards it while running full speed in a dark tunnel. What could go wrong next?

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

The other Applejack, Applejack beta or whatever, helped calm down the mare from Sweet Apple Acres down. Applejack normally didn't allow herself to get flustered but there was something about these critters that just unsettled her, like a rainstorm on a sunny day or the eye of the storm when the storm had already passed. Everything was a few notes off and she couldn't piece it together and for a mare who had recently gotten more than a few puzzles solved the hard way, she kicked herself for not learning by now that life wasn't going to play nice by her when it came to the realme of mystery. “Alright, you get that one, Ah'll get tha other,” Applejack replied with confidence. Hat or no, she was going to get this done. It felt like she was naked though. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Applejack chased after her charge as fast as she could which was still decidedly less agile than the target. It ducked and dived and leaped to and fro, making a mockery of her attempts at following it directly. Unluckily for the critter it wasn't dealing with just anypony, but an Apple, and one who could out-track a limitless alicorn any day of the week plus another. She followed it not by what it was doing but by guessing where it was trying to go, and thechase started to become a race instead as she realized it wasn't trying to outrun her, it was trying to reach a deeper part of the cave system and Applejack was going to make sure she got there in time to see what was up because none of this was working out well for her. Not at all! And she was getting sick and tired of it!

After what seemed to be hours but could only have been a few minutes at most Applejack broke through an archway moments after the critter did, entering a large chamber that was shaded in an unrecognizable shade of blue from. Her critter charged deep into and from another entrance so did the other one, the pair meeting up on one of the big rocks- next to a larger, baying critter which was large and looked- pregnant? Was it about to unleash another clutch of those critters around? Huh. The wonders of life...and the wonders of a large mound of the lorial seeds underneath it, its unnaturally long tongue picking one up and rolling it back up into its mouth. At least that explained why they were looking for lorial seeds! “Huh...Ah wonder if it's them Lorial seeds causing all this...” she trailed off, the aura in the moon raising the heckles of her pelt.

[Hippo]

The lasso fell and she failed again. She couldn't believe how poorly she was at roping right now. She picked up her rope and continued to follow the critter, not knowing where she is going. She wasn't exactly positive that she could find her way out when all was said and done. And then she came to an opening, which was alluminated with a blue tint. Her feet broke her to a stop as she saw the other Applejack standing there staring at the critters and a new larger one. "What in tarnation? What do you think it is? We gotta keep going after it right? They still got my hat. Your hat. Our hat!"

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

The two Applejacks soon stood in opposition to the two whatevercreatures that were themselves sitting close by the obviously pregnant third creature. A bed of lorial seeds were laid at her feet and she gently ate one, rolling it along her tongue before sucking it done. The three purred and nuzzled and Applejack was...highly confused, to say the least. What sorta creatures were these that could travel between...dimensions, she supposed...and why hadn't she heard of them before? No doubt somepony like Twilight woulda been all over the existence of such critters, not to mention Fluttershy and her vast compendium of feral knowledge. But no, she'd heard nothing like this and it was disconcerting. That didn't matter one hoot however in terms of getting the hat back, which was now being strategically placed on and around the pregnant one. “Well, at least they don't got someplace else ta scamper off ta,” she muttered before walking closer, fully intending on some mischief. Both of the mobile critters saw the pair of ponies and hissed, leaping in front of the pregnant one with their tails raised and sharp, long, crooked teeth blaring wide open.

[Hippo]

It was a standoff. Three against two. The Applejacks standing over these creatures. But one of them looked pregnant? In that moment, Applejack felt a little twitch behind her ear, as if something or somepony was trying to get their attention, but no pony was there. It could have been the strange sensation her mane sometimes gives when she is not wearing her hat, but this time she took it as a time to think. "You know, these creatures are awefully protective of what they got. And now that I see they got some sorta family thing going on, I kinda feel like we're invading in on their privacy. This cave must be their home. And these creatures possess some unknown ability to teleport to different demensions or whatever. We need to get our hats back, but should we even be here?" Applejack sad sternly, but with the soft crack of emotional disposition in her voice.

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

The other Applejack brought up some good points. Should they be here? Probably not. Most definitely not, actually. This was some weird point where different universes or dimensions came together. It was some place that Twilight or the Princesses would be best suited for their strange form of fun to take place. But it sure wasn't where Applejack thought she should be. She couldn't say for certain, but she was willing to bet that this held true for the other Applejack as well. And to boot, they were apparently in the home of some critter, the type of which she had never seen or tussled with until today, and one of them was pregnant. She could only guess that the other two were males and were now defending the pregnant critter. And that the lorial seeds were in some ways important food stuffs for them. No, they shouldn't be here.

But they hadn't made that call. Both of them were living normal lives until these creatures came into their respective worlds and stole something that they had put a lot of effort into. They were troublemakers at heart, cruel little beasts that didn't just do what they had to and then leave, but had taken joy in it. Once the Applejacks had entered into the critters' domain, they hadn't retreated to the lair they were in now. They taunted and played and eventually stole the hats of the Applejacks. She'd feel awful if she felt as if they hadn't brought this upon themselves, but these critters had. They were thieves. Malevolent intelligence playing dumb behind the eyes of little beasties. Applejack(s) shouldn't be here. These critters shouldn't have been in Equestria. It was even. Except for the fact that the critters still had their hats.

“Maybe not, but they shouldn't have stolen our lorial seeds or our hats. They coulda taken them seeds and run down here immediately, but they toyed with us! Ah don't feel a mite bad 'bout sayin' Ah'd lasso'm right here, right now and keep'm tied up 'till Ah got mah hat back. Heck, Ah might even keep'm tied up. Y'all ready to get our hats back?” Applejack asked as she loosened her rope, hardening her heart.

[Hippo]

Applejack's heart fawned momentarily at the critters according to her disposition. But as the second Applejack torn down the need for any kinda of sappiness, she quickly corrected to a more stern look at the critters. It was important to Applejack, and maybe Applejack as well, that the critters learn whatever lesson they needed to learn about messing with them, but they would be taught that lessen in the most harmless way possible. The rope would still need to be involved, however. "You're right." Applejack tied her lasso and swung it into a perfect looping circle. A quick jerk of the neck, and the rope flung towards one of the critters, successfully tied itself to the legs of one of the creatures. The motion struck fear in the other creatures, and the other one pounced as the larger one on its back tried to roll over to escape. "Ah got this one. Git that other one. That mother of varmint isn't goin' anywhere fast." When Applejack pulled the rope towards her, she was made to dodge a few of the claw swipes the critter was trying to make at her. They hadn't struck her, but if they did, they would be unpleasant scratch marks, despite the creatures not being all that big. A few go-arounds with the rope, and Applejack had successfully hogtied her varmint. And next to it lay her hat. She picked it up, and right away noticed a small scratch in the fabric. Applejack winced in frustration. "Uh, hey, other Applejack. I think this is yer hat."

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Applejack sprang into action immediately aiding the other, almost as skilled Applejack, the duo cornering the beasties in an area they were less than likely to flee from. Breeding instincts were powerful tools for the hunter to exploit. Drive them towards the area of last resort and ensure that their only response would be to fight. At that stage the advantage went to the prepared hunter, the hunter who knew what the end goal was. Exploit the natural aggression that came from fear as well as the natural aggression that came from protecting a mate. The goal was not to harm but to win, to subdue your target and make your life safer. Or in the case of grabbing her hat and firmly entrenching it from whence it came, more whole.

Not that she was focused purely on getting her hat back. She had her own job to do and that job was taking out her own rascal. Her rope moved in tandem with the other one, snapping at her target and grabbing it by the midsection as it refused to move so as to protect the pregnant one behind her. She then tugged it in in a fierce and powerful move, sending it off kilter before loosening it and firing off again, this time around its legs. She pulled it into her own zone of control and put it down, hog tying it while getting scratched once or twice. The hat had flittered about in place due to the speed of the wind whipping to and fro before catching a good gust with the pull and fluttering over to Applejack’s hooves. After she finished with her own hat, she gave the other Applejack what she could only assume was hers. Besides, it had a small scratch in the fabric.

“Here ya go! Hahaha, now don’t that feel better than a bath in the middle of a hot July day?”

[Hippo]

And that was it. The two actively agressive creatures were tied up, and the pregnant one cornered, unable to run. Applejack was pleased as she breathed heavy to calm down. Her smile, though showing the expression of a hard earned reward, started to fade. "So what now? What are supposed to do with these things? Do we show them to Twilight? And hang on, what about that? Are you in my world or am I in your world? How do we leave this parellel existence thingy?" Applejack dug around the pregnant critter, seeing a large stash of lorial seeds, still colorful and viable, but covered in mucus and saliva from the pests. "Ugh. I guess these are still in tact.  I'm willing to bet I know where any missin' ones ended up." Applejack looked at the pregnant critter with a judgemental expression.

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

It was done. Well, maybe not done entirely, but the beasties weren't gonna be going anywhere anymore. She'd have to eventually untie them but that could wait until after she had been able to collect her lorials. That process, that good bit of hoof work, gave her the time she needed to ignore the larger questions of why she was here and what was going on. That would be for when her mind ws prepared for it because up until now she was simply doing what seemed like the best option considering the demands she had on her time. She had to stop the beasties because she had to get her lorials because she had to get them back to the farm because Sweet Apple Acres was far more important than any sort of minor inconvenience. They get it all squared away. They really were weird creatures and where were they, exactly?

“Huh...good question. Ah guess we can't even know for sure until we leave, but Ah bet its a mix or somethin'. Or maybe we're somewhere in between, an' if we leave we go ta tha right place? Ah think it'd be smart ta make sure we get all tha seeds an' make sure we leave with the same amount of seeds each...an'...well, uhh, when did you plant yours? Maybe we have ta make sure we get tha same seeds so we go ta tha same place? Heck, this is mighty confusing. Get tha right sides, leave tha front, see what happens? As for these critters...hmm, wanna take one each ta our Twilights? Ah reckon she'd have all the answers. And if not, well, that'd make her even more excited, hehehe. Whatcha think, that make any sense or is your Twilight less exciting than mine?” Applejack asked, somehow doubting she had the better Applejack.

[Hippo]

Applejack nodded. She knew quite well niether of them could make perfect sense of this. Twilight would know what to do, at least one of them, but two Applejacks wasn't enough to solve the mystery of these critters, this cave, and these seeds. "Yeah, my Twilight is a genius. I don't mean to brag, but she is mighty amazing at smart stuff. It even helped her become a princess. Can your Twilight top that?" Applejack touted, not sure how the universes could compare.

"I guess we could just walk out the front of the cave, but will we be in one of our worlds? How do I get back to mine if I am in yours? Not much to say but just see what happens." Applejack felt a little defeated. She didn't like not knowing what would happen in the coming minutes. She could react on a seconds notice for dire circumstances and survival instincts. But prolong that over the course of several minutes, and Applejack's fear of the unknown starts to affect her psyche. She was already overwhelmed that she was talking to herself from another world. As she started walking towards the front of the cave, she started dividing up the seeds. Not one could tell which belonged to which Applejack. They all looked like they were planted in the same field. "Let's just split them in half. I can't tell the difference between the two."

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Well, good to hear that Twilight was a Princess no matter what dimension you went to. Gosh, some things just seemed to be destined no matter what, right? Applejack was always fated to be at Sweet Apple Acres. To love and learn and bury herself in her work there. This other Applejack didn't seem at all different from her in terms of desires and personality. Alpha Applejack just had certain opportunities put in front of her and took advantage of them, while the other one seemed to not have it. That or it would happen soon, and Alpha was simply from the future a little ways. Applejack should tell the other what was going to happen if that was the case, but Twilight had once told her that knowledge of the future only ever made that future more ironclad. She called it the Grand Starswirl Theorem on the Origin of Whatever Doohickey it was that Applejack couldn't remember. And that was before she had the resources of a Princess. “Hehe, mine's a Princess too. Ah guess some things are tha same, aren't they?”

“Ah dunno if we're going back ta tha same world, but Ah reckon it don't matter much. If Carrot Fields acts like tha two of you are actually together, yer probably in mine. If Ah go home an' find no REA papers in mah records, Ah'm in yours. Then we'll come back. Maybe make a marking or something so we know which is which. Then when when we do get home, collapse the dang entrance so nopony gets tossed and turned about down here. Bad enough Twi has one portal which turned her into an ape-thing, don't need others goin' from one reality ta tha next all willy nilly like. Sure as heck don't want no viking caribou gettin' funny ideas, right?” Applejack asked as she took whatever seeds she could, “as long as we both have some seeds, we can make sure if we have to come back, we can. Well, maybe. Ah dunno how any of this works, but better safe than sorry.”  

[Hippo]

Applejack looked puzzled and uncomfortable, but then took it easy and straightened up with confidence. She stuffed her seeds in her own bag, picked up what she thought was her supplies, and her rope, and started walking with the other Applejack to the enterance to the cave. At first she wasn't sure they were going the right way, but light started shimmering off rocks around a corner indicating it was the direction they needed to go to get out.

The closer they got however, the more unexpected she was about what Equestria might look like when she walked out. What if the sky was purple instead of blue? What if Ponyville was a big metropolis instead of a small country town? She started to miss members of her family, as if she wasn't to ever see them again. Why did she feel this way? She looked at Applejack. "Well, here goes nothing! I'll try my best no matter what dimension I get taken to."

As she walked out of the cave, a blinding light hit her eyes. The adjustment to the daylight took a few seconds and when she gained visual composure, she realize that she lost her hat. "What the? Where's mah hat?" She looked over and a few feet from where she was standing was her hat, lying on the ground. She picked it up, looked at it carefully, and set it back onto her head. She then checked her bags, the seeds still there, although the placement seemed a bit more random than she remembered. "Wow, that was wierd, wasn't it Applejack?"

She looked up, waiting for a response, but no pony was there.

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack's emotions were in flux. She couldn't put her hoof on it, she couldn't understand it. Was it fear or sadness? She was worried that the world she was going to wasn't going to be her own. She didn't know if her family would be the same. It would be the small things that'd ruin everything in the end. The layout of Sweet Apple Acres. The way the moon moved. Did Celestia go mad instead? Being trapped in the sun seemed a whole lot worse than the moon. She feared what may be, but that was only natural. She had dealt with fear so many times by this point that she could overcome just about anything through grit and determination. But there was this...sadness. This was another her, and a good her at that. And once they collapsed that tunnel, it was done. They'd never see each other again, but Applejack would have to know there was a whole other version of her and they would be separated by the hard fabric of reality. She was sad. Afraid. But there was another here and Applejack could feel her other half get worried.

“We'll be fine, no doubt. If there's one thing Ah know 'bout us, it's that thar ain't nothing an Applejack can't do,” she said, a hearty chuckle escaping her. “You'll get home. Yer home. Ah'll get ta mine. And if we don't? Well, we just follow tha trail we leave an' do it 'till we do. Don't be so worried, Sugarcube," she whispered as they approached. It wasn't too long now. Applejack took a deep gulp. “Good luck! If this is tha last time we meet- uhh, good luck being me. Umm, I mean you- us? Good luck being...Applejack,” she finished as the other one left. She waited a minute for her to return, meaning something was wrong off the bat. Waiting. Waiting. No, it was all good off the bat. Applejack put her hat on. Then took it off. She had an idea- checked her seeds.

“Alright, might as well do it now...” she whispered to nopony at all. A few steps later, she was outside- and the light, oh boy was it...not there. A storm had broken, which fit her oddly melancholy mood. Her seeds? Check. Somewhat random order, but she expected that. Hat? Hat had stayed on. Good. She was all in one piece, not four. And the world looked normal. Good. She found a nearby stick and brushed her hat off. She pinned the hat to the outside of the cave wall. In case the world was not her own, she could have a sign. “Welp, time ta go investigatin'-” she turned, stopping mid sentence as she realized she was alone.

“Oh. Right.”

[Hippo]

Applejack was excited by her experience. She raced home, the moon slowly rotating across the sky looking over the nighttime sky. As soon as Applejack stepped onto the farm, she yelled for her family. "Apple Bloom!? Granny Smith!? Big Mac!?" She burst through the door to the barn and looked for any life of the apple family. She then took to the stairs, galloping up stairs to the bedrooms. When she got to the top, she saw Apple Bloom crack her own bedroom door, and rub her eyes, awoken by the commotion Applejack just displayed. Applejack, though, did not pay Apple Bloom's lack of energy any mind. "Little sis, have I got a story for you. You're never going to believe it!" Applejack walked up to her, and placed her hoof on Apple Bloom's head. But then she flattened her smile. "Wait a minute. I'm not married to our neighbor Carrot Fields, right?"

​
 

[SteelEagle]

 

Apple Bloom shifted in her bed, her dreams active and heavy in her head. But it wasn't anything nightmarish that plagued the firing elements of her brain, that sent her from one to another. No, hers were the dreams of a happy filly, content and overwhelmingly happy with her new cutie mark and her proscribed lot in life. She had taken big sips of that great Equestrian opiate of friendship, harmony, and cutie marks. And she was sleeping well for it. Not even her big sister's earlier foray into the crazy because of some critter could cause her strife as she slept. And so it was with great and outrageous contempt with the idea that she awoke to the sound of heavy commotion and yelling. Her eyes fluttered wide- was that Applejack yelling all about the house like some madhorse?

Apple Bloom threw her legs off the bed and stumbled towards her door, opening it one fluid motion. And there was his sister- and there was her sister grabbing and holding and smelling something fiercely weird.

“Applejack...did y'all get into that heavy cider again?”

----

 

Applejack made her way home, a gentle rain greeting her as she made her way home. She was tired. Way too tired t deal with the associated mental difficulties of potentially being in the wrong universe. It was a whole lot of soul searching when you realized you weren't the only you that existed. But for all the metaphysical nonsense that was her mind at the moment, she could center herself on family. And that would have a double meaning today, because it was her family who could make sure that she was on the right track. It was the one thing she could count on to give her all the information she needed, and she could get it fast. And once she did, if she was right, she'd get into the heavy cider again.

She found the right pony at the right time. Big brother Big Mac, right there near the fire looking all relaxed. Applejack poked her head in- everything appeared right. “Howdy there, Big Mac. Umm, weird question- is my date with Carrot still on for tomorrow? And how're ya healin' up?”