//------------------------------//
// 5 Echoes of Mutation 
// Story: Alternate Beginnings: Year Five 
// by Doug Graves 
//------------------------------//

March 2nd, 997

Applejack sifts through the box she had gotten from Pinkie Pie, trying to find another scented candle among the possibly hundreds of mismatched birthday candles. The mare somehow knows where all of her own things are, despite there being no organization scheme or pattern. A smile comes over her face as she pulls out the fourth scented candle; she sets the box aside, pulling out another such box. This one supposedly holds three scented candles, buried somewhere inside. She shakes her head; Pinkie Pie wants to do something special, a little different this time, try to make the setting a little more romantic for when the princesses come to observe. And now she's got Applejack searching for candles in a stack of candles.

The last time the Princesses came, they had made a breakthrough. Unfortunately for the Princesses, it had to do with Herd Apple's foals and the magic deficiency that they suffered. The alicorns had found out that the condition is, to the best of their knowledge, caused by the pony's magic suppressing most of the human physical characteristics. And they found that it should be confined to his immediate foals and hopefully would not pass to the next generation. It makes Applejack, and the rest of the herd, more comfortable with Doug continuing to sire foals with them. Not that they would have stopped before; the human does his best to raise upstanding foals, being patient with them, and engaging them on a wide range of topics. The foals, now fillies, are growing up into wonderful young mares, even if they are missing a bit of magic potential. Even Rainbow is considering another; well, once her rehabilitation is complete, and depending on how her Wonderbolts training goes.

So, the Princesses continue their research into their own fertility. In the past, the alicorns had been unable to conceive with ponies or other races. Though, that is not completely accurate; when they tried with ponies, the embryo would self-terminate, a grievous process for the alicorn that can feel the life inside her ending. Princess Celestia had tried for many years before giving up after no progress, and Princess Cadance had tried exactly once with the same fate, and a rougher reaction.

However, Doug and his ability to sire foals with the ponies had given the princesses hope, that perhaps he is able to do the same with them, despite their inability to do so with other races of Equestria. He had initially refused Princess Cadance's application to join the herd, or to stud with the alicorn, citing the potential difficulties of such an arrangement. Applejack had been surprised but relieved, the farmpony not enthusiastic at all as to the kind of attention that having a Princess in the herd would entail. So, instead, the alicorns are studying the process when Doug conceives with the mares in his herd, in the hope of figuring out a way to get Princess Cadance a way to conceive with her future mate, almost certainly the unicorn stallion Shining Armor.

Applejack looks into the last box, then at the scattered boxes in front of her. She is short one candle. And she shouldn't be, not if she can add correctly. And it isn't in the last box, she got the three from that one. She glances over at the solar arrangement; you know, it probably wouldn't even be that noticeable. Hopefully. She fluffs up one of the pillows, laying with her back against it, giving a quick smile. Oh, this will work well. Now, just need to make sure the blankets spread on the floor are nice and comfortable, too.

The sound of four hooves hitting the floor at one time startles Applejack out of her respite; she opens one eye, spotting Pinkie Pie pronking from the kitchen. The pink pony takes one look at the candle arrangement, gasps, and pulls out a candle from her mane. She darts over, finishing the design, a smile on her face at completing the depiction of Princess Celestia's cutie mark. "Phew!" she sighs, "Good thing I have spare candles all over, or that could have been a disaster!" She lays down next to Applejack, squirming in the soft blankets, "Mm, I should get a job as pillow tester, too!"

Applejack smiles, rolling back and forth on the comfy fabrics. She can feel the pangs of her estrus, but the desire, the urge, the craving is muted. As if her body knows that she knows how this is supposed to go, and that she doesn't need the constant, aching reminder that she needs to find a stallion as soon as possible or life itself might come to an end. She closes her eyes, lying still, her peaceful repose only slightly disturbed by the sound of Pinkie pronking back to the kitchen.

Some time later Applejack yawns, looking around her. The rest of the herd is quietly eating dinner, the soft clack of hoof on table as they pass the dishes back and forth. She slowly gets to her hooves, smacking her dry lips in anticipation of filling her hungry belly, and in more ways than one. Doug turns, smiling at her and scratching her disheveled mane as she comes into reach. She leans into his hand, though a look at the decorations reminds her; she turns away slightly, saying, "Ah need to go gussy up, you don't want to be with me like this."

Doug rotates her head towards his, kissing her on the lips, "Applejack, I've never thought you were more beautiful in my life."

"You'd better be careful there, partner, or Ah don't know if Ah'll be able to wait until the Princesses get here." Applejack winks at her stallion, swaying her hips and sashaying away as Rainbow whistles. She quickly runs a brush through her hair, debating on asking Rarity to help style her mane and tail but deciding on the straight and simple ponytail Doug likes. She grabs one of her nicer Stetsons, winking at herself in the mirror before heading back to the dining room.

Applejack takes her seat, two plates of food quickly pushed in front of her, the earth pony digging into the apple fritters with gusto. The greens, the fruits, the desserts disappear quickly as the conversation turns to the princesses. Applebaum stops beside her dam's chair, giving a low whine. Applejack looks over, picking her foal up and placing Applebaum by her side.

"Mama! The princes!"

"Yes, dear, the Princesses will be here very soon."

"Why?"

Applejack hops out of her chair, Applebaum watching as she moves over, picking up two of the unlit scented candles and a match. She comes back, placing the two squat candles on the table, pointing a hoof at one of the candles. "So, think of it like this. Ah'm one of these candles, and Princess Cadance is the other one. You, little Applebaum, you are the wick of that candle."

Applejack takes the match, holding it up to the wick, "And Doug lit this here match with me, and we got your little light to show up." She lights the match, the fascinated foal focusing on the flame as it ignites the candle. "And eleven months later, you were born."

Applebaum watches the flame as it flickers back and forth, slowly moving a hoof towards the fire. Applejack tentatively moves her hoof next to the tiny foal, helping guide it close to the flame, stopping her before she can get burned. They sit there for several seconds, staring at the tiny flame as it burns, a tiny wisp of smoke trailing to the ceiling. Applebaum turns, looking at her dam, "Ah don't understand, Mama. Why doesn't Daddy light the other candle?"

Applejack smiles, glancing at Doug, "Well, it's a lot of work taking care of you and your sisters. Your sire does a very good job, but a Princess needs even more time. He wouldn't be able to spend as much time with you, or with me, or even with the Princess if he lit her candle." Applejack sighs, saying a little lower, "The Princesses have had a very hard time finding another pony who can light their candle, and keep it burning, and we're trying to help them with that."

"Oh." Applebaum stares at the lit candle, slowly nudging her hoof past her dam's. She pushes the two candles next to each other, hesitantly grasping the lit candle. Applejack gently pushes her hoof down, shaking her head. She moves the foal's hooves to the unlit candle, prompting her to lift that one instead. The foal smiles as she takes the unlit candle, placing the two wicks together and watching the fire grow.

A flare comes from the windows, heralding the alicorn's arrival as they teleport outside the farmhouse. Rainbow Dash opens the door, smiling at the heavy knock of hooves on wood as the Princesses walk inside. The pegasus offers a hoof towards the table, "Hey, Princesses, awesome as always to see you. Food's on the table, if you want. I think Pinkie Pie made both of you a cake this time."

Princess Celestia smiles down, "Thank you, my little ponies, each of you." She looks around at the cakes, picking a smaller pink one with blue frosting. She levitates a fork over, cutting off a piece and revealing a yellow section. She takes a bite of the cake and smiles, using the fork to cut a second piece, a second blue section underneath.

Pinkie Pie pronks up, waving her flank in Princess Celestia's face, "Do you like it? Do you? Do you? I based it off my cutie mark? Seeee?" She bounces her rump up and down, the balloons on her flank dancing in Princess Celestia's face.

Princess Celestia smirks, "Oh, are they as delicious?" She slides her head over, the pink pony laughing as Princess Celestia licks one of the balloons.

"Oh, silly, you're not licking it right! You need more cake!"

"Oh, I suppose you are right." Princess Celestia picks up a piece of cake, mashing it into Pinkie's cutie mark and taking a bite. She smiles at the taste, Pinkie Pie giggling at the odd sensation. "Did I get it all?"

"Mm, nope! But don't worry, I lick myself off all the time!" Rainbow Dash groans as Pinkie Pie's tongue whirls out of her mouth, stretching to reach her hooves; her body spins like a top, a blur of motion as slobber flies in each direction. The pegasus disappears under the table to try to escape the splatter, two shields forming to contain the gooey goodness. Pinkie Pie stops spinning, her flank sparkling clean, looking around at the other ponies. "What? I do!"

"Nothing, Pinkie, nothing at all." Applejack chuckles, looking at the six young ponies, five of them gaping at the Princesses. "Now, girls, say good night to the Princesses." Rarity moves closer to Princess Celestia, the two shields sluicing the slobber and cake remains into Pinkie's waiting mouth, the group then watching the foals tentatively look around.

Applebaum moves first, tentatively walking towards Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance. The alicorn looks down at the little foal, who coughs, clearly interested in asking something. Princess Celestia levitates the foal, resting her on the table and asking, "Little Applebaum, how are you this fine night?"

Applebaum nods, nervously looking at Lemon and the trio, "Um, Ah'm doing well, Princes. Es. Ah hope you and your sister can light your candle. Ss. Ah love having my sisters around, and Ah love my sisters a whole lot!"

Princess Celestia glances outside, the moon slowly rising on the horizon, the dark image shining brightly, "Yes, Applebaum, I love my sisters a whole lot as well. I wish I could be around them more often. Thank you for your support."

Her piece said, Applebaum turns to the edge of the table before reconsidering, moving forward to nuzzle Princess Celestia, who returns one with a smile. Applebaum turns, scampering across the table to the nearest unoccupied chair, hopping down, then to the floor, and racing to the foals room. Lemon moves over, nuzzling as high on Princess Celestia's foreleg that she can reach before chasing after Applebaum.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo glance among themselves before waving, chorusing, "Good night, Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance!" They each move over to their dam, a "Good night, Sis!" before scampering off to bed. Fluttershy, holding a sleeping Hedge, nods to the Princesses and heads to the foals room.

Applejack stands up, moving to the corner and laying back, enjoying the feel of the blankets and pillows. Doug moves over, starting to rub her back as she settles back against him. Applejack's head moves back, searching for his as his hands find the base of her mane. The two kiss, Doug's hands slowly making their way back to her tail, the earth pony flicking it to the side.

Rarity settles down next to Princess Celestia, her eyes lighting up with her standard scanning spell. The unicorn asks, "So, Princesses, have you been able to refine your imaging spells more? Or, what area are you focusing on today?"

"So, I have the imaging spells scaling down to the cellular level, allowing me to watch with enough precision. It takes a bit more magic, as I am essentially channeling multiple magnification spells at once, in addition to an enhanced perception spell. I was able to observe Fluttershy with those spells, as a matter of fact. This time, I am trying to focus on the magic of the embryo as it combines, specifically, how the magic changes or morphs as it combines. As you know, the combination of alicorn and any of the other pony types results in Disharmony, and has... difficulty continuing."

Princess Celestia's voice catches as she recalls the various attempts she made long ago, and the more recent attempt by Princess Cadance. After a few seconds she continues, "However, with Doug and his lack of magic, there is no combination, resulting in foals that have a near copy of the dam's magical core. It is why I think that it would work should Doug and I attempt to have a foal. Now, if we had a way to suppress the magic, so there is no Disharmony, then..." Princess Celestia trails off, her eyes drifting before locking on Rainbow Dash.