The root of honesty

“This Is The Root Of Honesty, partner”

Dusk started in surprise when he heard the voice. But, most interestingly, he recognized the voice.

“Applejack?” he asked, turning around. Applejack was actually standing there with a smile on her face. More precisely, an Applejack hologram.

“Applejack?” Dusk asked less confidently. He wasn't some kind of supremacist unicorn who believed that Earth ponies should be kept away from anything related to magic, but something told him that Applejack could hardly talk to him that way. And that this wasn't his farm girl friend.

“Ah, I'm glad to see that you've realized the truth. I'm not really an Applejack, I'm just a hologram from the Harmony Tree, personifying the Root of Honesty.”

“The Harmony Tree? The root of honesty? Can I go into more detail?” Asked the unicorn, habitually taking out a notebook.

“Well, I'll start from the beginning, so the Harmony Tree not only produces Elements, but also has a deep root system. More precisely, six roots, each of which corresponds to a separate Element. The one you've stumbled upon is the root of honesty. As for why I look like Applejack, as a bearer of Honesty, the tree chose this form and personality as an interface, if you will, from the root. If you had bumped into one of the others, you would have met one of your friends.”

“Hmm, that sounds logical.”And if I had found the root of Honesty in the days when Celestia and Luna were the bearers of the Elements, then whose hologram would I have met?

“With no one. Since the roots were able to grow to bestow their powers only in recent years.”

“Strength? And what are these forces?” The unicorn asked, preparing to write down new important information.

"This **** is quite simple, but powerful, it allows from now on to change the Truths to every yes or no question so that the answer will always be yes, and it will be the Truth, even if reality has to change for that."

“Even for that, the reality has to change? Or can it change some fundamental law of the world? Or change the world so that it will be impossible to live or use the Root?”

“Yes, the Truths of the world will become malleable for the bearer, but if we are talking about changes that are dangerous for the bearer, then it must be done consciously. The Root has protection from accidental dangerous questions. However, I do not recommend doing this to you.”

“Okay, but what about a conscious observer? How will living, and most importantly, intelligent beings perceive the changes? If these are the Truths, will they perceive the changes as if it had always been so?”

“That's right. The Root of Harmony is a tool for determining the Truths of reality, including Time and History. Any other living being, intelligent or not, immediately obeys these Truths. Only the possessor has the ability and responsibility to know that, alternatively, outdated Truths used to be.”

Dusk Shine rubbed the bridge of his nose tensely. The situation was like some kind of delusional dream. An artifact associated with the Tree of Harmony, capable of changing reality with simple questions. It sounds like something so stupid, like someone's crazy nonsense. But here he is. Obviously, Dusk did not plan to leave something dangerous in some cave. Especially after the Cozy Glow incident, after which Dusk never cured his paranoia.

“So how do I use this?”

“Just touch it.”

“That's it? No tests, no tests of purity of heart? Just come and take it?”

“yeah. The root needs a carrier, otherwise the Truth may begin to unravel.”

Dusk just sighed heavily and touched the Root. At this very moment, deep inside him, the part that had been envious of Twilight for years was finally rejoicing.