Okay, then.



Ahem...



At one point in my story, Twilight Sparkle begins the act of recruiting teammates who were formerly villains or minor antagonists, starting with Gilda the surly griffon. This goes on for quite a while throughout the story, giving these individuals a chance at redemption and helping them experience the magic of friendship for themselves. It turns out to pay off handsomely.



However, secretly, this doesn't completely sit well with Applejack, who remains wary of any signs of imminent treachery. She keeps quiet about it, trying not to let her fears show, and she even manages to bond with the ex-villains somewhat. But shortly after Twilight's coronation as the Princess of Friendship, the villainous Alighast begins haunting her dreams, amplifying her insecurity. Between all that and Twilight's insistence on blindly trusting her instead of asking too many questions about the plan she and Celestia set up, Applejack's allegiance rapidly wanes.



When the time finally comes to retrieve the Element of Magic, the final Element of Harmony, Applejack's mistrust becomes alarmingly obvious, and even the slightest provocation (saying anything about trust, prying for information, or even looking at her the wrong way) sets her off. Her expression increasingly starts to blatantly say "I don't trust you" to everypony she meets, even her best friends, angry that her warnings about a possible relapse in evil are allegedly falling on deaf ears as far as Twilight's concerned. Soon, it's revealed that the one she suspects the most is Nyx, a black alicorn that Twilight adopts as a daughter. (Nyx is an OC by PenStroke.)



It gets so bad, in fact, that Twilight eventually calls Applejack's attitude "toxic." The two argue viciously, and Twilight gives Applejack a choice: let go of her aggression and trust her loyal friends, or leave the group. To everyone's heartbreak, AJ chooses the latter, leaving behind her hat and Team Harmony bandanna before tearfully storming off.



The day they're supposed to leave, Big Mac summons them to Sweet Apple Acres. The team arrives just in time to see Applejack in the company of Kamek, an evil wizard in Bowser's service who's also been studying the Nighmare Forces. Kamek made a deal with AJ, promising to show her the truth right away instead of waiting for Twilight to spill the beans, possibly endangering her friends and the captive bat ponies.



Twilight and her friends watch in horror as Applejack agrees with Kamek's proposal, riding away with him on a broomstick. Twilight tries to convince her to reconsider, only to get punched in the face by her former friend. Granny Smith, watching nearby, almost collapses in tears.



Kamek brings Applejack to Ghostli Grove for her truth hunt. They show up just in time to see Twilight signing a contract made by Alighast, permitting him to dictate what the heroes undertake to earn the right to the Element of Magic. He basically owns them at that point. Furious, Applejack's resolve stiffens. Little does she know, Twilight's compliance is all part of the plan to defeat the evil spirit.



In an unknown spot in the region, at an old altar, Applejack finds her answer. In a quick flash-forward vision, she learns that this "Nyx" pony was created to give the seemingly-defeated Nightmare Moon a new body, specifically designed to be her new earthly vessel.



But even though Applejack learns the truth, she isn't able to return home to warn her friends. Kamek ambushes her, injecting a neurotoxin into her neck via a small syringe. The poison paralyzes her body. The wicked wizard leaves her for dead. Moments later, Alighast shows up with a Soul Jar, terrifying the confused and frightened farm mare. The jar sucks out Applejack's soul, leaving nothing behind but a lifeless body for Team Harmony to find.



With the body planted, and with Applejack's soul in his ghastly hoof, Alighast brings some of his loyal cultists to the altar. In a dark ritual, they create a copy of Applejack's body, with a few alterations; a unicorn's horn, and a bat pony's wings, ear tufts, and fangs. In other words, a bat-alicorn, or "baticorn" for short.



The unconscious soul is transferred to this dark clone. Applejack awakes, scared half to death, unsure of what happened. The shady Alighast says that her new body has given her enough power to slay Nyx, the "prodigal nightmare." She is sent to kill Twilight's adopted daughter, promising to restore her old body when the deed is done.



Throughout the rest of the quest, Twilight and the others are beset by an entity known as the "Blight Knight," who is actually the transformed Applejack, disguising herself with a black mist. After a fierce hunt, Nyx gets separated from the others and cornered by the earth mare-turned-baticorn, just before they are about to enter Alighast's castle.



The heroes start to double back to the ambush spot, but Nyx is forced to survive for as long as she can against Applejack's onslaught. She's continually commanded to fight back. However, Nyx refuses, taking a pacifistic approach; it's something she isn't known for.



Applejack gets tired after a while, and Nyx still stands. The mare is confused and scared, wondering why the spawn of the Nightmare Queen isn't even trying to fight back. Nyx's answer is simple; she loves Applejack too much to ever hurt her.



Nyx seems to understand why Applejack became so hostile, knowing that she's the Element of Honesty and can't stand the thought of treason. AJ is reluctant to listen... which leads Nyx to say that she wants Applejack to be happy and in a peaceful state of mind. Like Twilight and Silverlay, she came to adore AJ's hospitality and trustworthiness, feeling that she'd be safe as long as she was around. In fact, if Twilight hadn't adopted her as a daughter, Applejack would've been the very next pony Nyx would ask. This causes Applejack to rethink her entire mindset. Shockingly, Nyx says, "If killing me is the only way you'll be at peace again... then go right ahead."



Nyx willingly submits to whatever form of execution Applejack desires... but AJ herself is hesitant to take any further action. Her heart unable to handle what's transpiring, she stumbles backwards and steps in a mud puddle. She looks down and sees her reflection... and she witness what she allowed herself to become: and agent of the Nightmare Forces, deceived by a lie, facing the unbearable truth. The ex-villains weren't the ones to betray Twilight... it was a Harmony Bearer herself. By refusing to trust her friends, she's become an enemy of her country, her comrades, and her family.



At that point, Applejack completely melts down. She belly-flops into the mud puddle and begins sobbing so hard, she sounds like she's wheezing. Nyx starts to try comforting her, and at that moment, the rest of the huge group shows up, shocked to realize that the Blight Knight was really Applejack in a new body. It's more shocking than learning that Nyx was supposed to be Nightmare Moon's avatar.



Unable to speak out of sheer shame, Nyx vouches for Applejack. She explains that AJ's actions were done out of fear. She didn't want her nightmares of a treacherous teammate to come true, so she did something gutsy to find the truth. Even though she tried to kill her, Nyx forgives AJ like nothing ever happened.



Applejack, still crying, apologizes for her behavior, saying that she never wanted anyone to go rogue. She never wanted to be correct in her accusations, wanting the redeemed ex-villains to stay that way. She even says that what she did is more unforgivable than anything they did, and that she has no right to even call them friends. But Twilight stops her, and the entire group wraps her in a group hug, reminding her how precious she is as a teammate and family member. At the end, Twilight nuzzles AJ's face and says, "There's no Team Harmony without you, Applejack."



What follows is the largest group hug in the team's history, with everyone shedding various volumes of tears.



Applejack rejoined the fold. However, she declines the offer to find an antidote to restore her old body. She accepts her new body as a gift and a punishment, vowing to help defeat the Nightmare Forces with her skills. And this time, she trusts Twilight, the other teammates, and their shared mission completely. Her suspicion has now given way to full, pure love.