//------------------------------//
// Optional Chapter 2-5: Wysteria's chapter 
// Story: Minty Image 
// by mintgreenconspiracy 
//------------------------------//

"What do ya mean 'I don't have any dragon's fire left'!? Ya said that ya had plenty last night!" Braeburn said, his voice containing a fair amount of agitation. "Ah really need that dragon's fire!" He shouted at the local bartender, Morton Saltworthy, feeling the pressure. He had planned this since that letter since the purple alicorn had mentioned Applejack's friend Twilight's pet dragon, but Wysteria's nightmare last night had lit a fire under his hooves, and now he felt he had to get this letter to Celestia (via his cousin Applejack), as quickly as possible.

"Well I apologize monsieur, but apparently I was meestaken about that." The old bartender said, with a frown. "I thought that I had some of thees, but apparently not so." He said, calmly, using a key to open a locked cabinet to reveal a set of empty shelves. "It may also be possible that the theef, or one of my dancers 'borrowed' it for their own purposes." He said, shrugging his withers. "What do you need thees for so badly anyway?" He said, quirking an eyebrow. "Certainly this cousin Applejack can wait, can she not?" He asked, turning to go back to his work.

"Actually..." He said, with a frown. "It's urgent. Ah need to git in contact with her." He said, with a blush, rubbing one of his front legs against the other.

"Let me guess, monsieur." Morton said, his face remaining unmoving. "Eeet has to do with the thief?" He said, pouring a drink out for one of his customers.

Braeburn frowned. "Kind of..." He said, with a frown. "But ah really don't want ta say anymore."

"But, of course." Morton replied, knowingly. "However, I fail to see the need to request the elements over a petty thief, no matter how badly he hurt you." He said, looking at all the bandages, bumps, bruises, and cuts on the apple -- possibly a bruised or broken rib or two.

"Ah suppose." Replied Braeburn -- not wanting the reveal the real reason: he was dealing with a very emotionally disturbed alicorn. This greatly complicated things... What was he going to do now? And how was he going to help the poor dear, if he had no idea how? However, in any case, the best course of action would be to leave his mouth shut for down, lest things get complicated for the dear.

"Of course, monsieur." The bartender replied, with a faint smile. "I can still send your letter, if you wish," he said, calmly. "I can even send thees free of charge," he said, with a wink. "Would thees do?"

Braeburn nodded, reluctantly. What else was he going to do?

********

The next couple of weeks moved along relatively quickly, with him spending most of his nights on the floor of his own room (also known as the guest room.) It wasn't so much that he wanted to (he had originally planned to sleep on the couch, but the alicorn's constant nightmares had resulted in him spending a lot of time there instead) And apparently having someone else in the room seemed to ease her nightmares (after the third or fourth night, he noticed that being in the room seemed to prevent the nightmares from occurring, was it possible she had fears of abandonment or something?)

Which, of course, made things more difficult. Especially, as he started to find the mare kind of pretty (though that may have had more to do with the fact that she was a princess, or the time of year -- hard to say for sure.) Which, of course, left him desperately searching for things to keep himself busy with at night (he was now starting to talk about his childhood in his 'catching up' letters.) In the end, though, it all felt worth it to keep the mare happy. Hopefully Applejack could get somepony that could help.

The Irony of it all, was that all of her nightmares had to do with her being a princess, something about 'princess training' (though the whole concept was lost on him -- not to mention that he was pretty sure that AJ's friend Twilight didn't have any princess training.) And as a result, had left his mother's house kind of a jungle (literally, there must have been forty-five different kinds of trees, bushes, and shrubs piled up around his house.) And, admittedly, it made his neighbors kind of agitated.

"So, first you trick that innocent dear! -- " Old Cherry Strudel gripped, pointing -- with his hoof -- to one of the many large tropical trees. "And now you make a mockery of yer old mother's house!" He shouted, with indignation. "Yer mother cared about her house, instead of turning it into some kind of jungle," he shouted, poking Braeburn with his hoof.

"Ah understand Cherry." Braeburn said, apologetically, holding his hat to his chest (he couldn't tell the old man that his guest's nightmares seemed to cause out of control surges of her earth pony magic, resulting in this mess.) "Ah'll try to get them cleaned up quick as ah can."

"Ah hope so!" The old stallion retorted -- turning away. "And ah hope you ah're done exploitin' that innocent young filly," he said, with disgust.

"Of course sir." Braeburn replied honestly -- bristling on the inside that this old coot was making these unfair assessments about him.

The old stallion sighed, and trotted off -- muttering to himself angrily.

"I'm terribly sorry, Braeburn." Said a sobbing Wysteria, trotting up slowly. "I really didn't mean to do this to you," she said, with a frown. "I had no idea that I was going to cause them to hate you," she said, sobbing some more -- beginning to trot off.

"Oh Wysteria." Braeburn replied to her, with a smile. "Ya haf to ignore old Cherry, he kin git a smidgen crotchety at times -- ah think it's 'cause he had a crush on my mom, in his youth, and he get's a smidge protective of her," He said, with a chuckle -- putting a hoof on her wither.

"I suppose," He said, calming down a little. "Is there something I can do to help?"

"Nothing." Braeburn said, with a smile. "Unless you can tell all the plants here to go away." He said, with a chuckle.

Wysteria chuckled back. "But I kind of like them," She said, looking at the jungle. After a few seconds, she nodded her head reluctantly. "But I can try, though."

Braeburn did a double take. "What do ya mean, 'try'?"

Wisteria frowned. "I made them appear, so maybe I can make them go home," she said, staring at the forage. "Could you all go home?" She asked of the forage. When nothing happened, she frowned. "Please!" She begged.

Braeburn stared for a second, feeling like he was going to laugh at her pitiful attempt, up until the point where her horn, along with her eyes, started to glow a neon glow.

"PLEASE FRIENDS!!!" She shouted, tears of pain flowing from her eyes. "GO HOME!!!! YOU'RE MAKING THINGS HARD FOR MY FRIEND BRAEBURN!!!" She shouted, in the Royal Canterlot voice, causing storm and wind to spew -- throwing Braeburn up against his own home.

When the plants didn't respond, she began to look uncharacteristically agitated. "WE COMMAND YOU!!!" She shouted, her pupils changing from their normal green and yellow color, to a blood red. "DO YOU DISOBEY THE ORDERS OF YOUR QUEEN!!!" She commanded, beginning to go ferryl.

"Wysteria! Relax!" Braeburn shouted, begging her to stop.

The alicorn practically jumped out of her skin for a second. "I'm sorry Braeburn," She said, with a frown. "I don't know what got into me." She said, walking away again.

"relax Wysteria!" Braeburn said, with a reassuring smile. "Ya just don't know how ta control yer magic yet!" He said, making sure to look her in the eyes. "I'm sure ya'll figure it out soon enough."

"But Braeburn." She said, with a frown. "How can I be casting magic? Regular ponies can't cast magic! Only unicorns." She said, with self-doubt -- suddenly recalling little Rarity, and Cheerilee from the foggy depths of her memories (but why did she remember these ponies she never met before so vividly? And why did she know to call them 'unicorns'?)

Braeburn frowned. How should he put this? "Well yer special." He said, with a smile. "Yah have a gift," He said, pointing at the trees. "Ya just have to learn to control it."

"I suppose," she said, with a frown.

"Why don't ya go in and git something to eat." Braeburn said, with a smile. "Ah'll finish out here." He said, thinking about whether he should be using a shovel, a hoe, an axe, or a machete to clear out the jungle.

Wysteria frowned, walking away, sadly.  Braeburn frowned, knowing that he'd have to talk to her again in a minute, he just had to get a path cleared back to his house first.

Within a few seconds, a puff of smoke and fire emerged, above his head, slowly forming into the shape of a sealed scroll -- which promptly hit him on the head.

"That's odd," He said, to himself. "Where'd this letter come from?" He asked, looking the odd parchment up and down. 

Sealing the scroll was an odd golden seal -- it looked like a moon. Could this be in response to the letter he sent to his cousin? He frowned, it had to be, but who would have a moon for their seal?

He slowly opened up the scroll, reading the top few lines.

"From the desk of her majesty, Princess Luna, princess of Equestria,"

"Well as a stupid question." He said, to himself, with a frown -- fully expecting to be responded to by Cadance, Twilight, or Celestia, instead of Celestia's crotchety sister Luna. "So what do ya want?" He said, curiously, reading down further.

"We have received word from our fellow princess of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, and your cousin Applejack -- who sends you her regards --, that you have come into contact with a previously undiscovered nascent alicorn, and we wish to send both you, and her our greetings, and to inform you that you are to treat her as you would any princess of Equestria."

Braeburn smiled. "Well have that under control," he said, to himself, with a chuckle. "What else ya want ta tell me?"

"And we wish to thank you for working so hard to assuage her emotional distress, and to get word to us as quickly as you were able -- "

"Thanks." Braeburn said, with a blush, and a chuckle.

"However..." The letter continued, the writing becoming slightly more jagged (the brainwashing diplomatic letter writing lesson that Celestia gave her beginning to wear off.) "Thou fool!!! Thou noodle noggin!!! Why didst thou not take more steps to get this vital information to us sooner! Thou hast taken it upon thyself not just to endanger her, but all of Equestria!"

Braeburn gulped -- he might be in trouble now. 

"We are, therefore, going to be coming to Appleloosa, forthwith! Thou art to meet us in front of the train station in exactly forty four hours, and, In the mean time, thou art to keepest her as calm and comfortable as possible! Furthermore, and this might seem counterintuitive, thou art to do thine best to discourage her from using her magic, as much as possible!" The letter demanded, written with a discernable greater amount of passion.

Braeburn frowned, this was an interesting development. He was expecting his cousin and Twilight to show up, as was customary, instead of The Princess of the Night.

"Failure to comply with these clearly written instructions will be considered treason against the crown of Equestria!
With love, Princess Luna." The letter demanded, before exploding into flames.

Braeburn gulped. "Wysteria!" He said, rushing back indoors. "How would you like a meal out! On me!" He said, eagerly (well, more like anxiously) trying to smile as much as he was able, and more.

********

Meanwhile, in the badlands.

Phytolacca looked around with enthusiasm, tapped his hoof impatiently, waiting for his contact. "That drone had better come on time," he snarled to himself, just about at his wits end. "And he had better have seen what it told the collective it had seen. Or else -- " He snarled, making sure to test the accuracy of his use of weaponry on the word 'else'.

After a few minutes, a newly converted drone came flying in (probably from the changeling's last raid on a nearby village) -- moving robotically towards his superior. After a few minutes, he came to a stop before the high level assassin, bowing to his changeling superior. 

Phytolacca returned a smirk -- what a stoodge. "So, did you manage to find the princess?" Phytolacca asked, turning to the drone in front of him. "Did ya? Did ya? Did ya?" He repeated, like an excited five year old -- making sure to jump up and down excitedly on each exclamation of 'ya'.

"While searching for food for the hive." The changeling drone nodded mindlessly. "We encountered an old stallion wandering through the desert. Brief interrogation determined that it would be unsafe and unwise, for the hive, to feed upon him due to instability. We, instead, we decided that it prudent to release him, but not before interrogating him further, and -- "

"And?" Phytolacca asked, impatiently -- growing tired of this discussion (he did, after all, have a princess to find.) "What does this have to do with the princess?" He asked, impatiently, practicing his throwing by tossing a needle against a nearby stone, causing it to rickoshea off a ridge, before taking the top off a distant cactus. The changeling gave a sadistic smile -- and a quick stamp of his hoof. "Just missed... It was supposed to take the flower off the top..." He chuckled, turning a death glare to the drone.

The drone continued, mindlessly. "He was babbling something incoherently about seeing a princess in his town," the drone replied. "We believe that he was telling the truth, though we can't say for certain; because of his mental instability," he continued, seemingly unaware of the growing smile on the assassin's face.

"And that town is?" Phytolacca asked, licking his lips -- maybe round two was coming soon (after all, he was eager to meet Equestria's newest princess, away from her compatriots or any guards.) He started jittering excitedly. "Don't leave us in suspense!!!" He shouted in the drone's face, which remained straight -- causing the assassin to frown.

"Appleloosa," the drone responded, robotically. "However, Phytolacca, didn't the queen command us? -- " The drone started saying, before being shushed by the middle aged assassin.

"Don't worry about our queen," the assassin cooed, putting his hoof to the drone's mouth. "It's not your job to think..." He hinted, with a smirk. "It's mine!" He said, patting the drone on the head with his hoof. "Now be a good mindless drone, and tell the queen, and Vladímir that I was forced to dispatch a princess of Equestria as part of my mission, for the hive, " he said, with a smirk -- agitation beginning to show through his demeanor.

"The orders that we were given do not match those that -- " The drone started, rebuking the assassin.

"Sssshhhh..." The assassin cooed, grinning at the drone. "I have higher orders." He said, throwing a needle straight at the drone, hitting them squarely on the head. After a few seconds of violently shaking, the drone silently stopped moving, and fell to the desert floor. "And I can't have you interrupting my plans." He said, with a smirk, flying off towards Appleloosa. "I'm coming princess!!!" He shouted. "Be ready!" He said, hoping that the princess would have more fight than last time.

**********

"So boss?" Jersey Shore asked, holding up a tightly bound and gagged deputy Bronze Star (who currently looked more like a mummy then a deputy.) "What we going to do with the deputy?" He asked, with genuine curiosity. "I mean we can just let him go, can we?" He asked, contemplating the quick chase by the cavalry that would, inevitably follow.

"Why we're going to let him go." His boss replied, with a false courteousness -- and a faux smile. "After all, we've detained the deputy long enough." He said, shedding a fake tear for the three weeks they had 'detained' the deputy after he had discovered their little encampment, by accident. "How does that sound?" He said, disingenuously, to the deputy.

"Let him go boss?" One of his minions responded. "But wouldn't he tell the sheriff about us?" The minion asked, contemplating his noose size.

"Of course he will, he's a deputy after all." Longhorn said, intending to be ironic. "But, unfortunately, -- " He said, with a snicker. "-- he's going to miss the sheriff's return this afternoon." Longhorn whispered into the deputy's ear, holding a hoof to the deputy's neck. "Do you understand?" He asked, holding his hoof within punching distance of the deputy's face.

The deputy politely nodded, his face looking slightly pale -- muttering some words (or maybe pleas) that couldn't be understood through the gag he was wearing.

"Good!" The big steer said, with a chuckle -- pointing to one of his men to free the deputy. "What time is he arriving?" He asked, turning back to the deputy. "I don't want to be late after all," he said, with a sneer -- making good and sure to extract the original planned arrival date, from the deputy (with force, as necessary.)

"That's a great idea!" Doc Holstein replied, to his boss. "We can be there to meet the sheriff, before anyone else in town even knows he's coming." He said, starting to imagine the possibilities.

His boss nodded, a cruel smile showing across his face -- glad to see his men taking a passion in their employment, for a change. "And then the town will be ours," He continued, with a chuckle. "Heck! We should call it Canter Creek Two," he added, getting onto his brand new goat (the old one kind of abandoned him, after his imprisonment. "Come on boys! We ride!" He shouted, gathering up his gang for their ride into town. "We have a sheriff to meet!!!"

**********

"So is this Luna nice?" Wysteria asked, her friend Braeburn quietly. Hesitating slightly, at the prospect of meeting someone new -- especially a princess (although, she kind of knew, now, how her friends felt, when she was a princess temporarily -- and she hoped to never be again.)

"Well...." Braeburn said, with a chuckle. "Of course she is!" He lied, remembering all the legends about her, and having heard the stories of the last nightmare night the princess attended from some of his cousins, during the last apple family reunion. "She's really... really... friendly!" He said, with a disingenuous smile (hoping the naive young mare wouldn't notice.)

"Oh that sounds nice." Wysteria responded, with a smile. "I wanted to meet another al-i-corn, ever since you mentioned her to me yesterday," she said, sniffing some of the local flora. "Oh the flowers are so nice here!" She chuckled to herself -- using her hoof to gently straighten one of the flowers. "There! All better!" She said, cooing to the flower. "I'll love helping this place to be as nice and green as Ponyville!" She said, returning her focus to Braeburn.

Braeburn frowned, figuring that Luna was probably not going to permit that -- probably opting, instead, to take the princess back to Canterlot for proper training, or something. Of course he didn't dare tell her that, and --

His thought process derailed as he started to notice a relatively uncomfortable feeling. What was with the hot breath? Was somepony breathing on his shoulder? Well that wasn't very neighborly!

Braeburn frowned, maybe he should ask them to stop. "Excuse me gent." Braeburn said, turning around. "But could ya do me a favor, an' not breathe on my shoulder ..." He said, finally getting a good look at the five large bulls who were standing behind him. Causing him to give out a silent gasp (well it would have been a full gasp if he hadn't been putting his hoof in his mouth.)

"Why certainly!" The old bull cooed, drinking full and well of the panic that he saw welling up in the apple's face. "No worries!" He said, disingenuously. "We're just here to meet someone. And then, after they arrive, we'll be on our way... well... for a while..." He said, with a faux politeness.

"Oh course..." The apple replied, trying, very hard, to hide the fact that he was sweating bullets -- not just from Longhorn and the bulls, but also his emotionally fragile friend (whom he figured that telling about the angry, blood thirsty bulls was probably not a smooth plan.)

Braeburn turned to Wysteria. "Wysteria?" He asked, waiting for her to turn to him -- maybe he could convince her to leave without clueing the bulls onto his plan.

"Yes Braeburn?" She asked, with an innocent smile. "What's going on?" She said, entirely unaware of what was going on.

"Could ya do me a favor, and go an' tell Sombrero that mah hat is kind'a lookin' sad. An' that I need a new one?" He asked, hoping she would take the message.

"But your hat looks fine." She said, still unaware of what was going on. After a few seconds, the eco bulb finally started to light up. "Oh! You want to talk to your friends privately?" She asked, thinking he wanted to gossip or something. "I'm sure whatever you want to tell them, you can tell me too!"

When it became obvious that she wasn't getting the message, Braeburn frowned, 'dropping his hat, by mistake', and made good and sure to step on his hat real hard.

"Too bad!" The old bull cooed. "And your hat was looking so nice too!" He said, bunting a nearby water barrel into a nearby building. "Or was..." He stated, with a smirk -- stamping on Braeburns hat a time or two more. "And I think he should totally see this," he said -- motioning 'politely' at the purple alicorn (whom he thought was an earth pony) --, starting to lose his cool. "You understand?" He asked the apple, his voice dripping with animosity -- his hoof sharking vigorously.

"Oh... of course..." The apple replied, starting to sweat. "Ah wouldn't want her to miss out.. an all this... fun..." He said, giving his best fake smile.

"Why are you sweating Braeburn?" Wysteria asked, starting to notice her new friend sweating bullets. "Is something the matter?" She asked, in concern.

"You don't know?" The old bull responded, starting to laugh raucously. The alicorn shook her head. "Well you will!" He said, waiting, patiently, for the five twenty-five train from Ponyville.

Five twenty-five came and left, and finally around five thirty, the five twenty-five pulled into the station.

"All right boys!" Longhorn shouted, ordering his men to get into position. "He'll be getting off any second now," he said, rubbing his hooves together, for effect. "You know what we're going to do right?" He asked of his men.

"Yeah! We're going to beat him up!" Shouted Jersey Shore, with a chuckle -- holding up his hoof.

Wysteria held her hooves to her muzzle, in horror. Beat him up? That wasn't very nice! Why would they want to beat anyone up?

"Oh and kid..." The bull said, to Braeburn, without even turning around. "You'd better not be planning to run!" He said, tossing another water barrel into another building.

Braeburn gulped, wondering who the outlaw was waiting for (hopefully nopony he knew or cared about, thought he bet the old bandito probably was.)

As the last passenger left, and the train pulled away, a discerned sense of frustration flowed through the air.

Causing all four of the bulls to turn their attention to their boss. "Where's the sheriff?" King Longhorn lowed vigorously, filling the air with dread.

"I don't know boss?" Angus (Mcsteer) responded, nonchalantly. "Maybe he got delayed and had to get on the next train? Maybe if we wait till the next train -- " 

King Longhorn gave an even longer, and louder low. "Or maybe that lilly livered 'deputy' told him!" He shouted, in a blind rage. "And after he promised not to!.. And now the cavalry will be here any minute now!" He shouted, looking around -- violent intentions showing in his eyes (and an obvious desire to find someone to blame for this affront.)

"But what are we going to do boss?" Jersey Shore replied. "Should we flee again, and see if'n we can find another town?" He asked, as all the bull's minions turned their eyes to their boss for further instructions.

The loud cursing and screaming from their boss was enough for the gang to realize that that was not an acceptable answer to their boss -- who had no intentions of running like  a coward (at least without some kind of vengeance first.)

"Hey boss." The orange one continued -- suddenly noticing something profound. "You notice he has an apple cutie mark?" He asked, looking at Braeburn's flank -- eliciting a hiding action from the stallion, involving him covering his flank with his tail, and hiding behind a pole.

"Apple?" King Longhorn replied, turning to the apple. "Did you say apple?" He asked, recalling his earlier imprisonment, and the meddling relative that started it all.

"Yeah boss." The orange one replied. "You think he's related to that other apple?"

"Quite possibly." The old steer responded, his mood slowly returning. "Maybe we can still have revenge." He thought, taking great joy in sticking his two failures square on the head of an apple.

"'Revenge'?" Wysteria responded, with a confused expression. "Isn't that kind of mean?" She asked, quietly -- a curious expression on her face (this was something new to her, something she understood only on a purely intellectual level.)

"Nonsense." The old steer cooed, giving the apple a quick bunt into the side of the train station. "We're just playing!" He said, sarcastically to the alicorn. "So why don't you be a good earth pony stallion and mind your own business! Heck maybe you should go do some stallion things like buck trees." He said, motioning with his hoof. "Well... Once I finish with your friend!" He continued, deciding that 'the stallion' should be here to see this.

"Really?" She replied, as the bulls began to kick the apple around between them. "This seems like awfully rough fun? Why don't you guys play tea party, or with dollies?" She asked, trying to act as negotiator, a role she usually took while organizing and managing the spring promenade.

"'Dollies'?" King Longhorn laughed, his agitation beginning to show. "Why would we want to do that?" He asked, with disgust. "And, for what matter, what kind of yellow bellied, lily livered stallion says stupid things like that?" He asked, bringing his hoof back into position. "Do you need me to help you look any uglier than you do now?" He asked, with disgust.

"Wait boss!" Angus responded. "It's not polite to hit a lady." He continued, naively shaking his hoof.

"That's a mare?" King Longhorn said to himself, doing a double and triple take. "That can't possibly be a mare!... I mean... Shut up Mcsteer!" Longhorn responded, pushing Wysteria over, who began to cry and sob like a little child who had been punched in the face.

"Why are you so mean?" She sobbed into her hooves. "What did we do to you?" She cried, wondering why he was being such a bully.

Longhorn started to laugh. "She's crying!" He laughed to himself. "Boo hoo!" He said, with a chuckle, making faux crying motions -- feeling much better now.

After a few seconds, a thought occurred to him. "Ok! Little ponies, you know the drill!" He said to her -- making sure she got 'her bit's worth for the show'. "Food and water in the bag!" He said, to a confused expression from the alicorn.

"But why would I do that?" She responded, still crying fiercely. "You've been nothing but a big meany! Why should I share my food with you?" She asked, resolve showing in her eyes.

"Oh... And that outfit too!" Longhorn replied, motioning to his men. "That sombrero and poncho would look so good on me!" He said, laughing at the mare's pitious resolve.

"Please!" Wysteria begged, desperately. "I don't want to take off this hat, and this coat."

"I apologize profusely." Angus (Mcsteer) responded. "But this is how it is when the boss gets into this mood." He said, pulling off her poncho to reveal a pair of ridiculous looking pegasus wings. "It's just the way this works!"

"Wow!" Doc Holstein said, whistling at the odd looking pegasus wings. "Who knew a pegasus lived in a hick town like this." He said, pulling off her sombrero to reveal an oversized unicorn horn, the size of the alicorn's entire head.

"Well that's odd." Buffalo Bull said. "I thought Luna, Celestia, and that purple one were the only princesses." He said, blinking his eyes a few times.

"Please don't call me a princess." Wysteria cried, shaking in horror -- everyone could see her wings and her horn! She had to cover them up... Before, otherwise, everyone would find out that she was a princess. She couldn't have the whole promenade disaster! Not again! Everyone was all confused and lost! Everything was all muddled and broken! And oh the flowers! She couldn't take it! She just couldn't!

"You forgot about that other one... what was her name?... Oh yes! Cadance" Angus restored. "And I didn't think there was a fifth princess either." He said, with a polite chuckle.

"I don't want to be a princess!" Wysteria pleaded, desperately. "I just want to be me!" She begged, actually wrapping her arms around one of the bull's hooves.

King Longhorn started laughing maniacally. Oh this was golden! He had a princess right where he wanted her! This would be a double revenge! Heck... Maybe this would be his road to riches as well!

"I think we broke her!" The orange bull said, backing away -- nervously. He wasn't sure he liked the boss this way.

"No!" King Longhorn replied. "Take her with us!" He said, concocting ransom plans. "A princess is very valuable!" He said, pointing at the alicorn. "And we've got ourselves a doozie!" He said, with great glee.

"No please!!!!" Wysteria begged, shaking violently -- her pupils changing color from green and yellow to a blood red. "I don't want to be a princess!" She begged, crying again. "I'll do anything!"

"Yeah boss!" The orange bull continued, chuckling sadistically. "You should give her the royal treatment, and -- " He said, up to the point where his boss' hoof hit him squarely in the face, like a ton of bricks as King Longhorn gave him a quick bunt into a building. 

"Quiet!" The head bull shouted, his anger returning (again.) "The would ruin her value!" He cooed, into the orange bull's ear. "I'm looking for a princess' ransom!"

"No! Please! no!" Wysteria cried -- images of spike's princess training flowing into her head. Lonely... Empty... Monotonous... Worthless... She was worthless... All she could do was sit around and look pretty... All while her friends failed... While they needed her!!!

"But boss." The orange bull continued. "If you marry her then she'd be your queen. You are 'King Longhorn', after all!" He said, getting another bunt.

The bulls continued their banter, laughing to each other, and passing princess jokes.

But all Wysteria could hear was 'princess... blah blah blah... princess... queen... blah blah blah... She's a princess..." No!!! She would help her friends!!! She wouldn't allow another spring promenade to become a disaster!

"Ahhh..." The yellow one responded. "Ya broke her boss!" He replied, as the alicorn stood there motionless, like a statue -- a vacant expression plastered across her face.

"I do that to all the ladies." King Longhorn replied, with a chuckle (not noticing the red aura slowly creeping up the alicorn, starting with the alicorn's hooves. "Just ask Moo-re-ella!" He said, with a chuckle. "In any case, shall we go and finish our 'friendly game' with the apple?" He asked his minions, rhetorically, returning to kicking the apple around.

All Wysteria could do was watch in horror as those monsters used her poor friend Braeburn for a soccer ball. And all she could do was stand there like a statue!!! No!!! She wouldn't fail her friends again!!! This year would have a spring promenade!!! And it would be perfect!!! There would never be another year without flowers again!!! And she was no longer going to be a worthless princess!!! She would be a ... She would be something more... She thought, as she slowely blacked out -- her mind giving in to madness.

King Longhorn gave a quick kick, sending Braeburn sliding into... a bush?... What in the hay?

"Where did that bush come from?" He asked, angrily -- feeling thwarted by the unwanted intruder.

"I don't know boss." The orange one replied. "I swear there wasn't any here a minute ago." He said, trotting up to give the bush a good look.

"Excuse me gentlemen?" An assertive female voice raised from among the crowd that had gathered to see the roucas at the train station.

"What do you want?" King Longhorn replied, angrily -- turning to see who it was, that was interrupting him. "This had better be important!" He growled, impatiently. "I'm a busy steer!"

"Do you wish an audience with Princess Wysteria?" The voice asked, seductively.

"Audience with Princess Wysteria?" King Longhorn asked, angrily, looking for which pony to hit next. "I don't need no stinking audience?" He said, raising his hoof.

"Shame..." The voice said, revealing a be-fanged Princess Wysteria standing behind him. "Oh well! She's indisposed anyway." The voice replied, with a chuckle. "And not that you could have one anyway! Because you are a meanie!"

"What do you mean?" The orange bull replied. "What do you mean indisposed? You're standing right in front of us!"

"But if you wish!" The voice continued, seductively. "QUEEN NIGHTSHADE WILL STAND IN JUDGEMENT OF YOU!!!" A loud voice boomed from Wysteria's lips -- bringing with it wind, and thunder.

"Shut up!" The lead steer shouted, charging at the alicorn, only to be stopped by being uppercutted suddenly when a cactus sprung up from the ground, right below his face.

"How dare you dishonor your queen!" Wysteria Queen Nightshade replied indignantly. "Don't you know it's proper to bow and kneel before the queen of all that blossoms and grows!" Her voice thundered -- her face scrunched in incredulity.

The steer lowed violently, punting the cactus with his hoof. "You daughter of a -- "

The queen grunted in outrage. "You dare speak, or act this way in front of a queen! And I can't condone such treatment of a beautiful flower!" She said, stamping her hoof on the ground, causing ivy to shoot out of the hole. "You hate flowers! Don't you!" She said, pointing her hoof at the lead bull.

"What are you talking about g-- " He said, choking on the last word as a sea of ivy and vines wrapped around his neck. "Fill her full of lead!" The lead steer begged, hoarsely, as the vines wrapped around him, from horns to hooves -- starting to constrict.

The goons dutifully agreed, attempting to pull out their weapons. They, however, didn't get that far before their weapons were wrapped in vines, themselves, and yanked out of their hands.

"How dare you!" The queen shouted, herself growing ever more angry. "Flowers detest violence!" She shouted, with indignation. "And nowhere in the princess book is this kind of behavior permitted!!!"

After a few seconds, she smirked. "I know what the problem is," she said, her smile growing like a weed. "It's obvious! There's no denying it anymore! You hate flowers too! Admit it!" She shouted, with outrage. "But don't worry," she cooed, her mood suddenly looking better. "I know of the perfect punishment for ruffians such as you who hate the rules of being a princess, and proper edicate, and flowers!" She said, stamping again -- causing more vines to rise out of the ground. "The flowers will show you how to love!!!"

The vines quickly wrapped themselves around two of the remaining three desperados -- entombing them.

"I'm out of here!" Shouted Angus Mcsteer, running away in utter panic. "I'm sorry!" He shouted, galloping away in pure, unadulterated, panic. "Please forgive me!"

"How dare you try to run away from your judgement!" The queen shouted stamping her hoof as the last set of vines grabbed the white steer by the hoof, and started hauling him back towards her. "I stand in judgement of you! And the flowers will teach you how to love!"

"Please!" He begged, in horror, to 'the queen'. "We give up!"

"Excelent!" She said, with a holier than thou smile, her hoof distorted into a clenched fist. "Then you accept your punishment like a proper gentleman." She shouted, as the vines started to squeeze.

"Please Wysteria!" Braeburn shouted, hoarsely -- staggering, slowly, to his feet. "Let them go!" He stuttered, in horror. "They've had enough!" He said, stepping between 'the queen', and the bulls.

"You betray your queen?" She asked, angrily turning to Braeburn -- looking like she felt betrayed. "They hate flowers! And princesses! And worst of all... process!" She moaned, raising her hoof.

"Look at them, Wysteria." He begged, with a frown. "You're hurting them!" He shouted, looking into her eyes.

"And they deserved it!" She said, pointing at the damaged buildings. "And just look at what they did to those flowers," she said, looking at some of the nearby flora. "They must be punished!" She said, with zeal.

"But they're hurt! They can't take anymore!" He pleaded, on all fours. "You're not a monster!" He shouted, hoping to snap her out of the deranged state she seemed to be in. "You love flowers and friends," he begged. "Please... Let the authorities take care of this."

"You dare betray you queen," she replied, indignantly. "Do you wish me to judge you too?" She asked, stamping her hoof. "Because I will gladly do so!"

"If you must," he responded. "But ah don't think you're a monster," he responded, as the vines started to grow towards him. "An' ah don't think ya have this in ya!" He said, as the vines came to a stop just short of his muzzle.

All of a sudden, it was like a light turned back on in the alicorn's eyes, as they started to fill with tears, as she backed off slowly. "I'm a monster!" Wysteria moaned, the aura starting to recede. "Stay away from me!" She shouted, in fear, as her eyes slowly returned to normal -- the vines falling limp to the ground.

"Ahh Wysteria." Braeburn said, approaching you. "You're just confused! I'm sure Princess Luna -- "

"Don't come near me!" The alicorn begged -- backing away from her orange earth pony friend --, taking a look at reflection in one of the water barrels, as she passed by, before turning around and galloping, at full speed, off into the desert.

Luna shook her head, flying down from above -- a disdainful expression on her face. "Thou couldst not have kept her calm, even for a few days," she said, with agitation. "And what do we see upon our arrival, but the poor foal's flank."

"Sorry princess..." Braeburn retorted, with a frown, bowing deeply. "Ah wasn't expecting company..." He said, motioning at the bulls, who were all busy gasping for air, and feeling very pathetic.

"This doth complicate much," she replied fear showing in her face. "If she falls to the nightmare she hath begot then she might be difficult to restore." Luna said, debating whether to use the Royal Canterlot Voice. "Not to mention the damage that she will wrout..."