//------------------------------// // Royal Ruckus (Part 1) // Story: Ascension // by cloudedguardian //------------------------------// A/N: I don't think I've ever truly hated a chapter before. But this one, this one accomplished that. I am sick of looking at it, thinking about it, and just over all having to deal with it. I want to move on for cryin' out loud! So, fed up with it, and not even wanting to deal with it anymore, I sat down this morning and just wrote the stupid thing just to be rid of it. So, GOOD RIDDANCE! I was kind of surprised that it started writing itself after I got the first two pages done. Part 2 will... Should... Hopefully... (I beg that this statement is true)... be up tomorrow, and my more northern readers may hear my shout of joy when I finally finish Part 3 and kiss this whole dang set of chapters goodbye and can write Interlude and Revelations without worry. Part One Tea Time. “Well, as Fluttershy is pre-occupied, I suppose I shall tend to the gardens for her. That is, after all, what best friends do,” Rarity said sweetly, smiling at the others, “and, it needs to be done anyway.” The other girls returned her smile, and the white alicorn gave a small playful bow towards her friends before turning and disappearing through the front doors. The second her purple tail disappeared around the door frame, however, the royal advisors shot in four different directions; Each one shepherding one of the newly appointed Alicorns to the task they deemed the most fitting. Unfortunately, there is a reason why Celestia had four advisors where most Rulers would only have one. While each advisor individually was brilliant in their respective fields, they were somewhat short up on common sense, and more often than not it took the four of them together to come up with anything intelligent. They had not discussed this together before hand, and were thereby flying by the tips of their tails. This should be interesting, no? Applejack warily eyed the lemon green mare, known as Cheery Chimes, happily trotting before her. Aside from saying, “This way Lady Applejack, your Highness,” she had been completely silent apart from the snatches of song she occasionally hummed. AJ looked around slightly before clearing her throat. “So, uh, what is it exactly that Ah’m doing?” Chimes looked up and over her shoulder to smile at the young alicorn. “You’ll be in charge of High Tea for the foreign dignitaries that will be arriving this evening.” Despite the completely cheerful and trusting tone that those words had been said in, or perhaps because of it, Applejack slammed to a stop as she paled ever so slightly. “High Tea?” She repeated, her green eyes shrinking slightly at the prospect as everything in her begged that she had heard wrong. “Uh-huh!” Chimes giggled, before coming to a stop herself as she realized that Applejack was no longer following her. “Something wrong, My Lady?” “Ah can’t do no High Tea! Y’all should be asking Rarity, or Twilight-“ “Oh, don’t be silly! Of course you can do it! You’re royalty, after all.” There was that blindly trusting smile again. Something about it left a sour feeling in her gut, much like how one’s stomach would churn after blunderingly drinking spoiled milk. “No, Ah can’t.” Honesty blurted, panic quick to rise. “Ah ain’t got no clue how to do a High Tea!” Cheery Chimes looked at her with more than a little surprise, eyes widening at the thought. Then, the bright violet orbs slipped shut as an angelic smile slipped across the mare’s lips. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out!” Before Applejack had a chance to protest this leap of faith, Chimes looked over her shoulder again to add sweetly; “And anyways, Twilight has a super important job even more important than this one! Oh, and Rarity has some special duties as well to attend to, once she gives the royal gardens her seal of approval… If you were to just pass it on to them, why, you’d be even worse than a burden! And we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Applejack gulped. The orange alicorn blinked as they stepped into the small room that had been used for the High Tea since Canterlot Castle had been built. Soft cream walls, polished black marble floors that glittered softly like the night, a wood table that seemed to hold stories and magic all its own- They all caught her attention in the immediate second she had stepped into the room. It was a startling feeling, one she couldn’t help but wonder about its source. Was this part of being an Alicorn as well? And if so, it was certainly a strange part. “…jack” A tiny part of Applejack’s brain tugged at her, like a filly on one’s tail when desiring attention. The rest of her mind, however, was still taking in details, and wondering about various things, each fragment of her mind going in another direction until there were so many mutterings, whispers, dreams, desires and images, that Applejack almost felt as if she were floating away into something greater. A sound outside of it all bid her mind to tug harder, but was ignored as her senses shifted again. She could feel so many little sparks around her, each bright and unique in its own way, wishing to be nurtured and grown. She could hear hundreds of whispers, like old friends and allies wishing to greet her again… Lonely ones, wanting care, bold ones, wanting attention, vain ones, wishing to display their prides and joys. Yet, before her mind could really wrap itself around any of it, or for that matter, simply learn a single name, the tiny fragment of her mind pulled her out of her reverie with a deafening- “LADY APPLEJACK!”” AJ jumped a good five inches off the ground, her wings partially unfolding in instinctual response. Cheery Chimes was glaring at her from her side, as several maids and butlers looked on questioningly with more than a hint of worry. Applejack blinked again, her head aching gently, and feeling rather foggy after what she had experienced. She shook it to allow the fog to clear slightly, before blinking at Chimes. “Err, sorry, what?” Cheery narrowed her eyes for what was barely a heart beat before giving her throat a dainty clear, and smiling sweetly once more. “We’re waiting for your direction, my Lady.” “Oh. Uh, right,” Applejack muttered, looking around to see what had been set up, just to see that the room was so far empty aside from the single worn table. “So, Ah guess first things first would be to get the table set up and the grub agoin’.” She said briskly, trying to take charge as she would during so many family reunions. Get the “grub” “A going”? Honestly. Ewww, that is so gross. What a terrible way of saying things. Great. We have a hick for a Queen. How could Celestia leaves us with such a fool… Applejack blinked again, looking at the ponies before her, who were looking at each other with perplexed but polite expressions. No one had spoke. She shook her head rapidly once again to clear the strange whispers that had echoed out, sarcastic, mocking and disappointed… Maybe the stress of this all is getting to me. She muttered inwardly. “Something wrong, your Highness?” Chimes asked sweetly, looking up at the orange Alicorn with a look of angelic concern. “Uh, just wondering why nopony’s movin’.” Applejack offered, the half-truth still tasting sour to her. “We need a little more direction than that, my lady.” One of the maids coughed, looking a little awkward. “I mean, we need to know what dishes you wish for us to prepare.” “Why not whatever you prepared last time? Ah imagine there’s no reason why you can’t stick with old favourites, right?” The maids looked at each other again, eyebrows going up despite no-one saying anything. For that matter, Applejack couldn’t even see any hint of emotion or expression on their faces. Doesn’t she know anything? Why couldn’t we get someone with two cents of sense in here… She’s going to ruin everything just like she did the gala. Applejack blinked again, her ears swivelling to try and find the source of the whispers. They were going to get a telling to when she tracked them down. Cheery Chimes gave a delicate cough. “Aha, you see, my Lady, each meeting, we prepare a single main dish from one of the foreign countries that they hail from. Naturally, we change the country each time so everypony gets a turn.” Applejack’s pride bristled at her tone. She was speaking to her like she was a first-grade school filly. The young alicorn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do at all to lose her temper. Macintosh always said she had a hair-trigger one when she got stressed out or overtired, but she was determined to prove him wrong. “So, last time, we did a dish from the exotic country of Sophor… So it’s…” Cheery paused to look down at a piece of paper she pulled from her mane. “..Gullit’s turn.” Calls herself an advisor and can’t even pronounce the country’s name right. If she sticks around I’m throwing her out before she starts a war. Great. We apparently have two idiots preparing High Tea this year. Just lovely. Applejack ignored them as best as she could and leaned down to look at the paper. Foreign symbols wrote out “பேடா”. She had no idea how you were supposed to pronounce that either. She made a mental note to ask Twilight later… When she wasn’t busy with whatever the important duty she had been assigned. Being Celestia’s personal student meant that she had probably gotten the most important of the lot, so AJ was determined not to bother her until it was done. The main problem at hoof, however, still stood. Which was, of course, that Applejack had never heard of the country of “பேடா” and therefore had no idea what-so-ever what kind of national dishes they had. “Well, what kinda dish would you recommend for them then?” She asked gently, looking at the maid closest to her. “Ah bet y’all been doing this a lot longer than Ah have.” Asking us for help. This is pathetic. You’re right, I have doing this a lot longer than you. Perhaps I should have been put on the throne instead. At least I wouldn’t mess up the first thing I was asked to do. Just shoot me now. This is going to be disastrous. Doesn’t she know anything? No wait, I already asked that. Answer? DUR NOPE. That last one stung. As Applejack struggled to silence the voices in her head, and fight back the tears that were trying to form, a part of her made note to hug Derpy the next time she seen her. “I’m sorry your Highness, but it wouldn’t be proper for us to choose the dishes.” The maid spoke in such reverent and polite tones, her refusal sounding wholly sincere. Yet, AJ couldn’t help but feel as if she had been one of the ones that were whispering… No, wait, that couldn’t be right. She hadn’t spoken until now. Heck, none of them had so much as opened their mouths until she had addressed them. Perhaps I’m just losing it. “Okay, we’ll get back to the main dish later then. Let’s figure out the little ones first.” Little ones? Can’t she even say “side platter?" No, I bet she doesn't even know what that means. I swear, if she picks some sort of hillbilly apple dish- I-don’t-know-what-thingy, I’m just going to jump out the window and put myself out of my misery. Applejack’s idea of doing apple fritters was hastily put aside. Quickly, she started wracking her brain at what Rarity usually served during those fancy schmancy tea parties she held occasionally. “How about egg salad sandwiches? They’re nice and simple, and an old favourite, to boot.” She offered, trying to pull up a confident smile. The maids balked at her and one of the butlers didn’t quite manage to suppress a groan. Just when I thought she couldn’t say anything dumber. Is she trying to offend ponies? Applejack’s ears wanted to lay flat against her head as she fled and hid somewhere safe and quiet, but her pride and obstinance refused it. She racked her brain with a hint of panic, trying to remember the names of the dishes that had been served at that Garden Party in Canterlot that they had inadvertently crashed. “Errr, how about ‘Cuisses de grenouille’?” She asked, her pride in pronouncing it correctly quickly smashed by the renewal of the whispers. I take it back. Now she can’t positively say anything dumber. Why don’t we just declare war on ourselves and be done with it… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. What else would you expect from an uneducated hick? She should just go back to her little farm and play in the dirt. It’s apparently all she’s good for. Looks like Celestia really did lose it in her last few moments. What was she thinking? Do I really have to stand here and listen to this idiocy? Really? I hate my life. Applejack’s gut felt like someone was scrunching it up like an old newspaper. “Lettuce and Tomato..?” She squeaked out weakly, her ears flat against her head, and all her strength placed in rooting her to the floor rather than running away. “That’s a lovely idea. Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches would be quite nice as a side platter.” The eldest maid said sweetly, smiling at her before trotting off to order it from the kitchen. I wonder if she busted a brain cell coming up with something that smart. It’s about time she actually managed to say something intelligent. Hallelujah. It’s a freakin’ miracle! Despite finally getting what appeared to be a right answer, the whispers didn’t stop. They never did either. Even as she struggled and guessed through question after question, seating, silverware, china, decorations, music- It didn’t matter what she said, right or wrong, confused or fake confident, they wouldn’t silence. They just slowly got louder, more numerous, more exasperated, and more bitingly sarcastic. With everypony before her still smiling politely as their inner voices devoured her from the inside out. What does she think this is, a square dance? Oh that’s a charming idea, seat the Sophor diplomat beside Sadem. That can’t go wrong! We’ll just have a little old murder, that's all. Right right, because if we decorate in those colors, they’ll totally think we’re awesome! And not stupid and overly prideful. Yah huh... Are you even trying? We’re doomed. What an idiot. Okay, now I’m worried. ‘Cause apparently, the Elements of Harmony, the very things that are keeping us safe- Are complete idiots when it comes to picking bearers. Did it just close its eyes and go “Eenie Meeny?” Honesty doesn’t equal intelligence apparently. Please be quiet. Her own voice drowned in the din. We can’t use the Forest China, Feabitter would have our heads! I never thought I’d believe in dumb blondes, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Apparently with the Elements, it’s “No Takebacks!” I pity the poor soul who poured his heart into making that regalia. His masterpiece, worn by a fool. I wonder if Twilight kept her around just for the food. Nah, I bet it was the cute brother. Please… Are you sure her parents died, and they didn’t just abandon her because she was a retard? That one, that one was the last straw. Everything holding her together just dissolved into bitter ash at those words, and she finally broke. Tears poured from her eyes as the young alicorn turn tail and fled through the doors, them slamming open with enough force to crack them in the wake of her gold magic. One of the guards jumped as she tore past him, her hooves desperately trying get her away from the noise. She could still hear them. Still mocking, criticizing, looks like she had wrecked things even further now. The door was an antique. Well that was just great, wasn’t it? “My Queen! Are you alright? Queen Applejack!” She could hear someone chasing after her, a pitying voice calling after her, but she didn’t care anymore. She didn’t want this regalia. She didn’t want this job. She just wanted to hide in her room and hug her Mother’s Stetson and cry.