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- >Tirek's been defeated, but having that much magic tampered with has left scars across the land.
- >Equestria's having its worst growing season in centuries.
- >Plants everywhere are wilting.
- >Mass famine is just months away.
- >You look out over the remains of your leek crop as Applejack pokes at the flopped-over remains of a stalk next to you.
- "Well Anon, Ah'm afraid can't help ya. It's the same dang blight that's a'fecting everypony else."
- >Despite your best efforts, you can't help but hang your head in utter defeat.
- "Now don't be like that! We'll get this fixed. We just gotta."
- >"I know, AJ. But I can't help but feel like I've failed everypony."
- "Shoot. Ah'd be a liar if Ah said Ah didn't feel the same sometimes, but mopin' 'bout it ain't gonna solve anything."
- "If it makes ya feel any better, Ah could hear the plants sayin' you been takin' real good care of 'em."
- >You give Applejack an incredulous look.
- >She rolls her eyes.
- "Ah know what you're thinkin'... everypony always gives me that look."
- >"Hey - I don't mean anything by it, it's just that I've never heard anypony say that the plants talk to them."
- "Ah know, Ah know... and it ain't so much a conversation as a feelin'. Ah've been able 'ta feel it since Ah was a filly."
- "Starts at my hooves an' works its way up 'til Ah can tell ex'actly what a plant wants."
- >She dips her head slightly and looks back over your crop.
- "They been real quiet since that big varmint stomped around, though. Almost like something's holdin' 'em back."
- >The distant sounds of a triangle being rung reach the two of you.
- "Aw shoot, it's that late already? Gotta run Anon, see ya at the town meetin' tomorrow."
- >As she's leaving she looks back and hollers one last thing over her shoulder.
- "Don't 'cha worry, we'll get this thing beat! Ah swear we will!"
- >You wave as she gallops off into the sunset; her golden orange coat seeming to glow brighter than the sun itself.
- >The meeting didn't go well at all.
- >Twilight and the other princesses admitted they have no idea what's wrong or how to fix it.
- >Attempts by Discord to conjure anything with nutritional value have failed.
- >As of tonight all food will be severely rationed.
- >Even with that, Twilight has calculated that food supplies will only last until winter at best.
- >While the townsfolk seem to quietly accept their fate, you briefly wonder how the rest of Equestria is going to take the news.
- >Heartbroken, you walk back towards your farm with the Apple family.
- >Applejack finally breaks the oppressive silence.
- "Ah know it looks bad, but ya can't let it get to ya! We'll make it through this, Ah know we will!"
- >The others look less convinced.
- "Come on y'all, this isn't how Apples tackle a problem."
- >No pony looks willing to say anything until Granny Smith finally stops and turns toward Applejack.
- "Ah know it ain't what we do, but sometimes ya just gotta admit when you're be-"
- "NO!"
- >Applejack yells and stomps a hoof with unimaginable force, knocking everyone down.
- >"Holy crap, AJ! Wha-"
- >Applejack has frozen in place, eyes wide and glowing white.
- >You watch in slow motion as she starts to keel over, landing with a cringe-worthy thud.
- >Big Mac jumps into action at the same time you do and without any words exchanged lays down for you to lift AJ onto his back.
- >Just before Big Mac sprints back towards town, you hear her mumble something very softly.
- "M-momma?"
- >Applejack is floating in a sea of white.
- >No up. No down. No sign of her family or Anon.
- "Hello?"
- >The void swallows her voice, not even an echo acknowledges her.
- >She lets out a heavy sigh and floats for what seems like hours.
- >Eventually, a vaguely pony-shaped blob begins to resolve itself in the distance.
- "M-momma?"
- >A soft chuckle fills the void.
- "Not quite, child."
- ---
- >By the time you've caught up, Big Mac has somehow managed to drag half the hospital staff with him to Twilight's.
- >It's chaos.
- >Big Mac's passed out and being tended to off in a corner.
- >Nurses run back and forth between what looks like a partially-demolished supply closet and a grouping of doctors.
- >One of the hospital guards limps by helping a bewildered janitor wheel his mop back out the door.
- >You decide to revise your staff estimate upwards.
- >How did he even-?
- "Anon!"
- >Twilights voice breaks you out of your thoughts.
- >She trots over with one the many doctors in tow.
- "Big Macintosh mentioned you were there. What happened?"
- >You tell her all you know.
- >She looks disappointed.
- "That's it?"
- >The three of you look back to where Applejack remains frozen on the floor. Eyes just as bright as when you last saw them.
- >Applejack tries to focus on the blob before her, but the shape and colour refuse to become more distinct.
- >It's almost like looking through a mirror coated in zap apple jam.
- >The thought of something from home snaps her back to the matter at hoof.
- "Who are ya, then... and where am Ah?"
- >She then scrunches up her face and asks the question that's been looming over her this whole time.
- "...am Ah dead?"
- >The same chuckle surrounds her.
- "Goodness, no! This is simply the only place I could speak with you. I've been trying to reach out to you since I was cut off from most of the life above."
- >Applejack turns a bit pale.
- "Life above? Yer not another 'o them demons from Tartarus are ya?"
- >That darn chuckle returns.
- "You're going to need to think a bit bigger than that, dear."
- "Just tell me, then! Ah ain't got time for yer games! Especially not while everypony is fixin' to starve to death!"
- >Really? Is this blob high? Knock it off with the chuckling!
- "That is precisely why you are here, my dear. I want you to help me help you help everypony."
- "As for who I am, you might say that I am what drives the feeling you get from the plants."
- "For I am the Earth, Applejack. And you have a very unique gift among your kind."
- >Applejack stares blankly for a moment, trying and failing to process what she's actually talking to.
- "If'n ya are what ya say ya are, what do ya need me for?"
- "You still have the connection I don't. With my help we should be able to strengthen that."
- "So what do Ah do?"
- "Just open yourself to me."
- >Applejack relaxes and clears her mind.
- >Everything goes white(er).
- ---
- "She's waking up!"
- >Applejack struggles to stand while everypony around her simultaneously asks if she's okay.
- "Ah'm alright... just... need to go ta bed for a bit Ah think..."
- >As Twilight guides her upstairs, it briefly registers with you that she appears to be the same height as the alicorn even while slumped over.
- >The next day dawns much like the others before it.
- >You look out your kitchen window at the expanse of slowly browning plant life.
- >With a huff you grab today's rations from the pantry and head over to Twilight's to see how Applejack is doing.
- >Maybe the two of you can combine what you have into something resembling a meal.
- >The door to the palace is open and you find Twilight in the library surrounded by books on everything from magical illnesses to botany.
- >"Morning, Princess!"
- >You try to inject a little cheer into your voice despite the sombre mood.
- >She doesn't seem moved by it.
- "You know I hate it when ponies that know me call me that."
- >"Yeah, yeah... good morning, Twilight. Just wanted to see how AJ was doing."
- >She smiles slightly.
- "That's better! And Applejack is still asleep. She seemed okay when I last checked on her... oh gosh, six hours ago."
- >She goans as she looks at a nearby clock, her stomach growling with the movement and causing her to blush.
- >"Another all-nighter, huh?"
- >You pull the bag of rations off your shoulder and hold them up.
- >"Thought we could combine what we have into something more interesting. Maybe the smell will get AJ out of bed, too."
- ---
- >Applejack awakes after a night of the strangest dreams she's ever had.
- >The smells of hayfries and oatmeal are calling her name.
- >She pours herself out of the bed and tries to stretch out muscles that feel as if she just bucked the entire orchard.
- >After a few attempts to get her hat to sit right she tosses it back down and heads downstairs.
- ---
- "Mornin' y'all."
- >"Hey AJ! How ar-"
- >You and Twilight turn towards the kitchen door.
- >Staring back at you is what can only be described as a wall of orange.
- >Twilight rushes over.
- >The top of her head just barely reaches Applejack's withers.
- "Applejack! Are you okay!?"
- >Applejack looks at Twilight and then back to you, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.
- "Ah..."
- >She faints.
- >Twilight carries Applejack to a pile of cushions in the library.
- >A dozen or so books whisk themselves off the shelves into a cloud of knowledge behind her.
- >She begins to flip through them three at a time, occasionally firing off a spell at Applejack.
- >Her grumbling becomes louder each time she fails to get a result.
- >She puts down the last book and growls.
- "SPIKE!"
- >Applejack groans.
- "Urgh... not so loud, Twi!"
- "Applejack! Are you okayohIwassoworried!Whathappenedtoyouohgoshwhyareyousobigwha-"
- >Applejack places the tip of an enormous hoof over Twilight's lips and raises her eyebrow.
- >As she removes it, Twilight looks ready to start up again.
- >You place a hand on Twilight's back and direct her attention over to where Spike is standing.
- "Right. Letters. Good. Glad to see you're back with us, Applejack."
- >She gives Applejack a warm smile before heading over to Spike.
- >"So."
- "Eeyup."
- >You both seem to find everything else more interesting than the suddenly 800lb-heavier apple farmer in the room.
- >After counting all the red books in sight, you try again.
- >"So... You're kinda big."
- >Applejack barely suppresses a snort.
- "Seem to be, sugarcube."
- >You both laugh.
- >"Any idea what caused this?"
- >She sighs.
- "Ah don't rightly know..."
- >She starts to sigh again before her eyes go wide.
- "Ah did have some awfully strange dreams las' night..."
- >She snorts.
- "But Ah'm probably jus' goin' crazy... as if the world is really alive an' comin' to me for help."
- "Stranger things have happened."
- >You both turn to the new voice to find Princess Celestia walking over with her sister and the rest of Applejack's friends.
- "Tell us about your dre-"
- "Holy hay, AJ! Have you been eating your apple fertilizer!?"
- >Everypony except Pinkie glares at Rainbow Dash.
- "How 'bout ya le-"
- "OMIGOSH! You're HUUUUGE! I bet you could eat a whole cake! Imgoingtogomakeonerightnowandthenwellhaveagiantpa-"
- >Pinkie is suddenly bouncing around inside a blue bubble.
- >Luna clears her throat.
- "Now then..."
- >Applejack tells the story of her supposed meeting with the earth itself.
- >Celestia and Luna look to each other before Celestia nods to Luna.
- "From what you and Twilight have told us of yesterday, I think it's safe to say what you experienced was not a dream.
- "Long ago, far before we came to rule over the united tribes, there were tales of a mare behind all life: Gaia.
- "Even eons ago, the legends were ancient and seemed highly exaggerated.
- "But perhaps the story of how she forged the first earth ponies wasn't as far from the truth as we originally thought..."
- >Luna launches in to a story of how Gaia was in need of help taming the more wild magic at her surface so her other creations could thrive.
- >She tells of how Gaia carved out a piece of herself and infused it with life.
- >...but once her creations developed their own will, she could no longer fully guide their actions or even speak to them.
- >...she had not failed, however. Her creations wandered across the globe, passively calming the surface magic wherever they congregated.
- >Twilight gasps and a quill comes to life in front of her.
- "We've had theories of how earth pony magic works for as long as there have been ponies, but never anything solid!
- "Applejack! I need you to memorize a list of questions to ask the next time you see her!"
- >Celestia chuckles.
- "Now Twilight, while important, I believe there are more pressing matters at hoof?"
- "Oh. Of course. Something to keep in mind though!"
- >Everypony laughs.
- >"So if earth pony magic is passive, then Applejack's ability to hear the plants means hers isn't?"
- "Gaia did say what Ah had was unique. Ah always did get funny looks when Ah told other earth ponies 'bout it, too."
- "Yeah, that's nice and all, but it doesn't say horseapples about why you're so freakin' huge!"
- >Celestia speaks up again.
- "While I might have chosen different words, Rainbow Dash is correct.
- "But I do have a theory. When you're up for it, lets take a walk outside."
- >After emptying the kitchen of its contents, the group heads outside.
- >Celestia starts you off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, telling Applejack to stop if she feels anything.
- >Right about the time the front gate comes into view, Applejack comes to a sudden stop.
- "Ah can feel something...
- "Stronger than it was 'round here yesterday, but still ain't as strong as it used to be."
- >She hops off the road and marches further into the orchard.
- "They're callin' out for help. Ah can't tell what they need, but I know they need help."
- >Celestia nods
- "Focus on that feeling and see if you can't make it 'louder'."
- >Applejack closes her eyes and starts moving her head around.
- >She abruptly picks a direction and mumbles something to herself.
- >You notice her coat looks brighter.
- >Probably just a trick of the late-afternoon light.
- "Uh, why's she glowing?"
- >Okay, not the light. Thanks, Dash.
- >You look back to Applejack, who now has her ears splayed back.
- >The glow intensifies.
- >She bites her lip and leans forward a bit.
- >Whatever's happening, it looks like she's really enjoying it.
- >You and everypony else stumble as it feels like the earth has suddenly started moving beneath you.
- >You can't help but feel like you're on a treadmill, but nothing is actually moving.
- >As the glow surrounding Applejack suddenly doubles in intensity, you realize everything is 'moving' towards her.
- >She lets out a little squeak as the treadmill beneath you kicks it up a notch.
- >You're forced to sit down before you lose your breakfast.
- >It looks like Applejack is both pulling away from and getting closer to you at the same time.
- >Even through your increasing motion sickness, you come to the only possible explanation.
- >She's growing.
- >You have but a second with that thought before you're floored by the most intense 'movement' yet.
- >She shoots up, legs seemingly moving of their own accord to avoid crushing anything.
- >You see her barrel crest the treetops before the blackness takes you.
- >You regain consciousness moments later.
- >Directly in front of where you face planted is what remains of your breakfast.
- >Groaning, you roll over and look up.
- >Everypony else had taken flight or was being held aloft in another's magic.
- >Thanks, guys.
- >Before you can thank them for their consideration and ask them what the hell they're staring at, you notice something.
- >The apple trees around you are green.
- >Better than that, they're actually flowering.
- >Petals rain down all around you as fruit literally pops into existence.
- >You begin to wonder just how hard you hit your head.
- "Woah nelly!"
- >The accent is unmistakable, but the volume and pitch shake you to your very core.
- >You turn around.
- >Orange. Everything is orange.
- >You tilt your head back as far as it can go.
- >High above on the field of orange, you can just barely see three apples that are each nearly as big as you are.
- >That's a damn big horse.
- >Applejack stands apart from the rest of her friends, trying to make the feelings from the plants - as Celestia put it - 'louder'.
- >With her eyes closed, she moves her head back and forth trying to locate where they feel strongest.
- >It doesn't seem to make any difference.
- >Dropping her head in defeat, she begins to turn back towards her friends before a faint glow grabs her attention.
- >All around, as far as she can see, the ground is almost imperceptibly glowing in strange patchy clumps.
- >Out of curiosity, she pictures herself giving the brightest patch near her a poke.
- >She's surprised when it flops over like a stalk of corn, revealing what looks like an impossibly long root stretching down into the ground where the glow is more solid.
- "What th' hay?"
- >Reaching out, she tries giving it a tug instead.
- >It resists at first, but slowly starts to come out of the 'ground'.
- >As she pulls, it seems like the root simply disappears when it gets to her.
- >She begins to feel oddly refreshed, the sore muscles from this morning a distant memory.
- >Racing Dash to White Tail sounds like a pretty good plan for the afternoon.
- >She pulls a little harder.
- >Nah, the last of the hay needs to be moved to the cow barn. Overload the cart and do it in one trip.
- >She pulls even harder.
- >After that, it's a stump-pulling challenge with Big Mac.
- >She gets a better grip and pulls with everything she's got.
- >Could've bucked that nose ring of Tirek's right into the back of his big head.
- >She stops just as the feeling becomes overwhelming.
- >All around her the glow seems brighter than before.
- >Looking closer she can see the very faint outlines of what look like trees.
- >Beyond their normal ones, they all have the same 'roots' as before. But these are tiny, dimmer and look dried up.
- >Concerned, she tries to lock on to the feeling from the plants again.
- >The response is immediate and loud, in what feels like one voice.
- >With the trees guiding her, she gets to work.
- >What the trees need is clearer than ever.
- >Working off the feeling from earlier, she pushes outwards, hundreds of threads of glowing light extending out from her vantage point to every tree.
- >The roots respond readily, expanding and growing downward.
- >As more trees reach the glow deep below, it begins rising to the surface.
- >Satisfied with her work, she finally opens her eyes.
- >There's nothing but green, apple-covered trees all around.
- >This is what she's meant to do. This is how she'll help everypony.
- >Wait. Those are the tops of the trees...
- "Woah nelly!"
- ---
- >Applejack looks like she's suffering from a sudden case of vertigo.
- >She shuffles a few steps over before lying down in a clearing.
- >You run off to join everypony else as they land in front of her.
- "Wowie wow wow, I bet you could eat an entire cake *factory* now."
- >Applejack just groans as Celestia steps forward.
- "I must admit I never imagined this being the result of our little experiment.
- "Was it as I theorized? Was your ability to 'hear' the plants aided by your size?"
- "Don't know ex'actly when Ah started gettin' bigger, but yeah, Ah suppose it did."
- "Our understanding of earth pony magic is incomplete, but one theory is that everypony has a 'reservoir' for it.
- "You were already an exceptional earth pony before growing and my theory was that your previous size may have been a large enough increase in your reservoir of earth magic to boost your talent.
- "Apparently it wasn't!"
- >Celestia laughs at her own little joke.
- >You look into Applejack's enormous emerald eyes.
- >"So what happens now?"
- "Ah know now what needs 'ta be done. Told ya we'd beat this!"
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