The smell of ash and fire was the only thing Apple Bloom could smell that fateful night. Her body shivering uncontrollably as she could do nothing but stare as ponies all around her failed to put out the flames engulfing the town. Screams of children trapped in buildings rang in her ears, calling out for their mothers who could do nothing but gaze as their children burned alive, crying at the sounds of agony and pain.

The pegasi brought with them rain clouds and attempted to put out the flames. Sadly the flames spread faster than they could pour, unrelenting in their quest for destruction. By the time they rounded up the amount of clouds they would need to put out the fire, Ponyville was already completely decimated.

In the center of town there was one pony who did not cry out in agony. One pony who made no attempt at helping others. One pony who simply laughed at the destruction before her. She was the one who caused this.

“Why?” Apple Bloom whimpered, her shoulders trembling as she resisted the urge to cry. “Why would ya do this, Diamond Tiara?!”

Diamond Tiara, however, did not answer. She continued to laugh, as if oblivious to her surroundings.

“Why? Answer me, Diamond Tiara!” Apple Bloom roared as she attempted to tackle the mad pony.

“She cannot hear you, my little pony.” And with that, everything around Apple Bloom vanished, leaving her surrounded by nothingness.

“W-what?” Apple Bloom asked herself, turning around in circles and finding nothing.

“I am here, Apple Bloom,” a voice from behind said, causing her to quickly turn. Before her stood what appeared to be a pony, covered in what appeared to be a cloak. “I have come to warn you of the dangers Ponyville may experience.”

“What? Dangers?! Ya mean this is all a dream?” Apple Bloom asked, receiving a nod. “But all this will happen?”

“No, Apple Bloom. It may happen,” he replied, causing Apple Bloom to tilt her head in confusion. “You see, there are two possible futures for Ponyville, and you alone will decide its fate!” he shouted as he pointed a hoof at Apple Bloom, causing her to jump back with a yelp.

“W-what do ya mean it’s mah decisions?!” she screamed back, shaking her head in disbelief. “There’s no way ah would ever do that to Ponyville!”

“Ah, that is where you are wrong,” he replied calmly. “You would never burn Ponyville down to the ground directly, but the decisions you make will determine its fate.”

“M-mah decisions?” Apple Bloom whispered, looking at the ground in disbelief. What did he mean by that?

“Tell me, Apple Bloom, was there a pony you saw in your vision? Somepony you distinctly saw?” the stallion asked. After a few seconds of thinking Apple Bloom gasped in realization. It couldn’t be!

“Diamond Tiara!” Apple Bloom shouted with a snarl. “She’s responsible fer all this!” Apple Bloom declared with a nod. Though she never would have thought Diamond Tiara would do something so horrible, her vision clearly told her differently. She was evil incarnate, no question about it.

“You do not listen well, do you?” the stallion asked with a sigh, causing Apple Bloom to glare at him in annoyance.

“What? Diamond Tiara was the one who set Ponyville on fire, right? So that must mean she’s at fault!” she concluded, receiving a shake of the head from the stallion.

“Remember, Apple Bloom, that I said you are indirectly responsible? Why do you think that is?” he asked, waiting a few seconds for a reply. Hearing none, he decided to continue. “The decisions you make will influence one of two things. If you decide to do nothing, then Ponyville will burn to the ground, killing many. Diamond Tiara will become the harbinger of destruction, and will become the cause of centuries of pain and suffering!”

“Centuries?!” Apple Bloom gasped, unable to stop herself from shivering in fear. Could Diamond Tiara really be that dangerous? The worst thing she has ever done was make fun of Scootaloo’s wings! And that hardly qualifies as a “harbinger of destruction” in her opinion.

“But there is a way for Diamond Tiara to be the complete opposite,” the stallion said, catching her attention.

“Complete...opposite?” Apple Bloom repeated, unable to understand what he meant.

“Should you do as I say, not only will Diamond Tiara benefit Ponyville, but all of Equestria as well! Equestria will enter a golden age of peace and prosperity, unlike ever seen before! Conflict between the warring countries will all but cease, and the entire world will enter into a millennium of uninterrupted peace! And it will be all thanks to Diamond Tiara’s work.” What he was saying now shocked Apple Bloom to her core. It made no sense! First she was the harbinger of destruction, now she’s the cause of a millenium of peace?!

“Th-this is making no sense!” Apple Bloom shouted in anger. “One minute yer saying she’s evil, the next yer saying she’s good! Make up yer mind!”

“It is not my mind that needs to be made up, Apple Bloom! It is yours. Remember what I said?” he asked gently.

“...Ah’m the one responsible fer her choice?” Apple Bloom asked, more to herself than to the stallion before her.

“Yes, you only need to do one thing to ensure Equestria’s Millenium old golden age.”

“And what is it ah gotta do?” Apple Bloom asked slightly annoyed. Couldn’t he just tell her already?!

“You must...WIN THE HEART OF DIAMOND TIARA!”

“...”

Minutes passed as Apple Bloom simply stared at the stallion, unable to process what he was saying.

“Say what?”

“Apple Bloom, if you were to win the heart of Diamond Tiara, you would undoubtedly cleanse her heart of all evil and cause a change like no other! She will become a pure-hearted individual, and Ponyville will be saved,” he said with confidence.

“Y-ya sure about that?” There was no way he was right! How would she even go about winning another mare’s heart?! It just made no sense!

“When you wake up, on your desk will be a apple with a blemish. That blemish will resemble a diamond tiara. If you see this apple when you wake up, you will know I speak nothing but the truth.”

And with that, she woke up.

“Wha?! Apple?! But why would ah have an apple on mah desk?!” she asked nopony. Looking around, she was indeed awake. Looking out the window, she saw Ponyville perfectly intact. “So...it really was a dream!” she laughed to herself. After all, it was impossible for Diamond Tiara to…

There it was...just like the stallion had said! There upon her desk laid a apple! A juicy, red apple!

“It can’t be!” Apple Bloom shouted as she ran to her desk, she hadn’t laid that there! Picking the apple up, there indeed was a slight blemish upon it’s near-perfect skin. And as she looked closely, she could tell it resembled an object that she was quite familiar with.

“A diamond tiara?!” Apple Bloom shouted in shock. The stallion was right! Here was all the proof she needed, for there was no way a dream could be so spot on. “If this is true, then that must mean Ponyville’s future is confirmed too!” With a newfound determination, Apple Bloom grabbed her bag and got ready for school. But first she would make a quick stop to Rarity’s house. After all, she had a mare to win over, and she needed all the help she could get.

Watching Apple Bloom from afar, Discord chuckled to himself, trying his best not to alert others to his presence.

“I can’t believe it! That was almost too easy!” he laughed to himself, wiping away a stray tear. It was a good thing Luna wasn’t around. he wouldn’t want her knowing he was manipulating ponies’ dreams for entertainment.

As he watched Apple Bloom quickly run out of her house, obviously heading towards Rarity’s, there was only one thing going through his mind as he silently followed her.

This is going to be fun!