• Published 21st Nov 2011
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The Elements of Harmony and the Savior of Worlds - RK_Striker_JK_5



An old legend from Equestria's past returns, but is there a place for her in this new world?

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Chapter Twenty-two

Ponies gathered around the edge of the Everfree, some merely spectators but most with an agenda on their minds. Applejack and Big Mac stood near the path that led to Sweet Apple Acres. “A shame Apple Bloom couldn't be here,” Applejack drawled out.

Big Mac nodded. “Yup.”

Applejack glanced to her right and Fluttershy floating there mere inches off the ground. “Thanks for makin' it out here,” Applejack drawled out. She looked to the picnic basket at Fluttershy's hooves. “Thanks for packing lunch, too but Granny Smith's got a heap o' cooking already done fer lunch.

Fluttershy's cheeks colored slightly. “Oh.” She kicked a bit at the basket. “Sh-should I bring it back to my cottage? I don't want to offend Granny Smith.” Her head drooped a bit more and a slight whimper came from her as she landed.

Applejack swallowed. She raised a foreleg and patted Fluttershy on the back and shook her head. “It's all right, sugarcube. I'm sure Granny willll appreciate yer work.” She leaned down and sniffed the basket. “Smells right fine!” she said, swallowing as her mouth watered. She glanced to Big McIntosh. “Just the sort o' thing you'd love to smell every day, right?” She nudged him with a foreleg, grinning.

Big Mac rolled his eyes. “Sis...” He turned his head focusing on a pair standing a few meters to his left. One was Princess Cadance, looking up at the hole in the sky with eager eyes. The other was a unicorn stallion wearing the dress uniform of the Royal Guard.

The stallion caught Big Mac's stare and looked to him, locking eyes. “Is there a problem?” he asked, turning to fully face Big Mac.

The large red stallion rolled his eyes and shook his head. “None with you specifically. With your uniform, however?” He snorted. “Royal Guard, eh?” He walked around the stallion, who had instinctively snapped to attention. “Little wimps and nobleponies who play at being soldier, but wouldn't know what to do with a griffin flank dive with a map and instructions!”

Applejack stared at her brother, mouth agape. “McIntosh Apple!” she exclaimed, speeding to his side. She jabbed at his torso with a foreleg. “What in tarnation got into you!” She turned to Cadance and the stallion and bowed her head. “Beggin' your pardon, sir, but my brother-”

“He's completely right,” he said, his white coat blushing red. He looked to Big Mac and extended a foreleg. “Captain Shining Armor, Mister Apple, personally appointed by General Steel to clean up the Guard and restore it to its former glory.”

Big Mac looked at the foreleg for a moment before raising his own foreleg and pressing it to Shining Armor's hoof. “McIntosh Apple, formerly Sergeant Apple of the Royal Tank Corps' First Tank Regiment.” His eyes gleamed slightly. “Otherwise known as the Steel Hooves.”

Shining Armor's eyes glanced up and down Big Mac's entire body. He let out a slow whinny. “Steel Hooves? What the hay are you doing in Ponyville? You should be leading a tank company or something!”

There was a pause. Big Mac's head drooped and he closed his eyes. “Remember the Flood o' 1497? It was bad here in Ponyville, but the worst was near Sweet Apple Acres and...” His voice hitched slightly, his chest and barrel heaving.

His head rose and his eyes suddenly opened. He looked to his right, seeing Applejack with a foreleg around his neck and a smile on her muzzle that almost reached his eyes. He then looked ahead, seeing Cadance resting a hoof on his left shoulder. He swallowed back tears. “S-sorry. It's just sometimes thinking about Ma and Pa and what happened there.” He let out a sigh.

A small smile crossed Cadance's muzzle. “Your feelings for your parents are true, strong and faithful. Never apologize for them.” She glanced to Shining Armor, who returned it.

The two mares withdrew their forelegs from Big Mac, who looked to Shining Armor. He drew himself up to attention and snorted, his nostrils flaring and eyes narrowing. “Captain Shining Armor?”

Shining Armor drew himself to attention, eyes staring off into into the distance. “Sergeant?”

Big Mac stared straight into Shining Armor's eyes, then extended a foreleg. “Bring the royal Guard back to what it was, sir. Bring it back to when they defended Canterlot from Grogar's armies single-hoofed, when they was the only ones standing between Equestria and the Griffin Empire, so long ago.” His eyes softened. “Please?”

Shining Armor slowly nodded, extending his own foreleg and touching it to Big Mac's. “Consider it done.”

Applejack let out a breath. She looked to Cadance and bowed her legs slightly. “Beggin' your pardon, our majesty-”

“Cadance.”

Applejack's head darted back. “Pardon me?”

A sigh came from the pink-coated alicorn and she rolled her eyes. “Please, no 'your majesty', or 'your highness' or any other titles. I don't want some huge distance going between other ponies and I. Whenever somepony bows to Aunt Celestia it makes her uncomfortable, no matter who it is. I'm not as old as she is, or Aunt Luna, but I've already got ponies prostrating themselves peculiarly because of these.” She unfurled her wings and motioned to her horn. “It's just annoying, and demeaning to them,” she said, lowering her foreleg and kicking at the grass.

Applejack nodded. “my apologies, Cadance.” She cleared her throat. “So, beggin' your pardon, but what brings you out here?” She glanced to the hole in the sky. “Waiting on Princess Celestia?”

Cadance nodded. She followed Applejack's gaze and looked to the hole. “Aunt Celestia has news concerning something in Canterlot. Plus, Shiny here wants to see his sister.” She looked to a suddenly blushing Shining Armor. “You barely write to Twilight anymore, for Key'Tuck's sake!”

Shining Armor swallowed and scratched the back of his head. “Well, I've been a bit busy with the Royal Guard and she's had her studies and all sorts of adventures!” He looked to Applejack. “I've read and heard what you've been up to.” he shook his head, whinnying. “And I thought six months up north was dangerous!”

Applejack's right eyebrow twitched. She slowly pointed to Shining Armor. “Wait... you're Twilight's brother?!” She looked to Big Mac. “Did you know about this?”

Big Mac shook his head. “Nope. 'Course, I'm not as close as you two are.”

Shining Armor's head whipped back and forth. “Wait, Twiley never told you about me? You're the Element of Honesty, right? One of her closest friends, and she never told you she had a brother?” He reared back slightly, looking aside at the ground. “I-but-I just... never?”

Cadance's eyes glanced back and forth from Shining Armor to Applejack and Big Mac. She wrapped a foreleg around her coltfriend's neck and pulled him in close for a hug. “I'm sure she was planning to getting around to it... eventually. I hope.” She looked to Applejack, her eyes shining slightly.

Applejack's head whipped around. “Hey, Fluttershy!” she half-shouted,her over. She waited the full ten seconds for Fluttershy to arrive and kneel to Cadance before looking to Shining Armor and Cadance. “Fluttershy, did you know Twilight had a brother?”

Fluttershy's wings unfurled slightly. “Her brother?” She looked Shining Armor over before folding one wing over her head. “I-I'm sorry,” she stuttered out. “Sh-she di-didn't tell me a-about you.” She held out a foreleg, the rest of her body shrinking away slightly. “A-a pleasure, Mister.”

Shining Armor held out his own foreleg, touching hooves with Fluttershy. “Please call me Shining, Miss Fluttershy.” He looked to the hole, his expression darkening. “Twiley,” he said, letting out a sigh.

A bright light from the hole caught everyone's attention. A golden ball of light floated out of the hole, descending to the grass below. It flared, expanding into Celestia, Twilight, Megan, Mike, their children and another human. Shining Armor's body instinctively snapped to attention at the alicorn's arrival, but his eyes locked onto Twilight as she stood there.


Chip's entire body shivered. He adjusted his glasses and tugged at his shirt collar. “Okay, that was-”

“Don't say it,” Megan said, tilting her head forward and looking down her nose at him. “We both know what you were going to say, so don't say it,” she said, waving him off. She looked to Mike and placed a hand on his upper arm. “You all right?”

Mike glanced down at himself, drawing his arms out from his sides. “I think so.” He looked to Celestia and bowed slightly at the waist. “Thank you very much, your majesty. That was... smoother than I thought it'd be.” He shot a glance to Twilight, standing by Celestia's side. “No offense, Twilight.”

Twilight shook her head. “Well, of course Princess Celestia's teleport would be smoother than mine.” She looked up at Celestia. “I've still got a lot to learn, after all.”

Celestia extended a wing and gently stroked Twilight along her mane and back. “And you've already learned quite a bit, Twilight, as your weekly letters show me.” She raised her wing and motioned to a pack of ponies standing a few meters away. “And it looks like there's some ponies waiting for you, Twilight. And some for you as well, Mike.”

Twilight's eyes widened and she reared back as she saw Shining Armor and Cadance. “Big brother! Cadance!” she shouted, galloping off to them.

Mike wrapped his arm around Megan and gave her a quick kiss. “So you'll be off for a tea party or whatever with Celestia?”

Megan opened her mouth, but snapped it shut as she saw Chip stepping up to Celestia and speaking to her. The alicorn chuckled slightly and nodded her head. “I don't know,” she muttered. She looked back to Mike, leaned in and kissed him. “You'll be all right with Applejack and Big Mac at their farm?”

Mike smirked slightly and hefted his toolbox. “I think I can manage. I love you.” He turned to Danielle and Michelle. “You two all right?”

Danielle's eyes shifted back and forth before she spotted a familiar pegasus on a scooter and two unicorns in a wagon. “There they are!” She haled up an arm and waved it around. “Hey, Scoots!”

Scootaloo's tiny wings were a blur as she raced forward, towing Sweetie Belle and Dinky in her wagon. She skidded to a halt, but not in front of Danielle. “Megan!” she said, panting slightly. “You gotta come with us to Carousel Boutique!”

Sweetie Belle stood up in the wagon, waving her forelegs around. “Sis' gone insane!” she said, wobbling about on her hind legs. “She and Spike went out to get the gems for that big mean dragon, but after she came back she locked herself in Carousel Boutique and she's been throwing around ponyquins and wanting you there!” She looked up at Megan with wide, bright eyes. “Please, Megan! She's gone nuts!”

Dinky waved at Danielle and Michelle. “Hi,” she said. “How are you?”

Michelle waved back. “Fine, thanks!” She held up her hairbrush, waving it about.

Megan glanced to Mike, then to Celestia. “I-I have to go see how Rarity is and what's going on with her. But-”

Celestia shook her head. “Don't worry, Megan. Chip and I have much to talk about, but that's for a little later. There's somepony I'd like you to meet, first.” She stepped from the group, spreading out her wings. The carpal joint and lesser coverts brightened, bathing Celestia in a golden halo of light. Almost everypony took to one knee as she stood there. “Cadance!” she called out to the pink alicorn standing near Applejack, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Shining Armor and Twilight. “Please step forth!” She folded her wings back and looked over her shoulder to Megan. “This won't take a moment.”

Cadance's head shot up. She rolled her eyes at Celestia, leaned back, kissed Shining Armor and trotted off. “Honestly, Aunt Celestia!” she exclaimed. “You make Aunt Luna look modest sometimes!” She walked past Celestia, up to Megan. “Are you Megan!” she asked. “I've heard so much about you!”

Megan walked around Cadance, looking her over and noting the wings, the horn and the elaborate cutie mark. She stopped in front of Cadance before extending her arms and wrapping them around Cadance's neck. “Hi,” she said. She looked up as Celestia approached. “Okay, you and Luna are her aunts? How the hell does that work?”

Cadance leaned into the hug, bringing her muzzle close to Megan's ear. “The Heart of Ponyland gave birth to me a hundred years after the Nightmare War,” she explained. “We're still not sure what happened, but Aunt Celestia was so lonely after what happened...” Her voice trailed off, cracking near the end.

Megan let go as Celestia approached. She looked off to the side at Scootaloo and the others. “Cell phones don't work here far from the hole,” she said, pulling her own cell out and holding it up. “How will we get in contact with you?”

Celestia turned her head, looking at the path that led to Ponyville. “Chip, would you mind visiting the Ponyville Public Library while Megan sorts out the problems at Carousel Boutique? I can order us some food from Sugarcube Corner while we wait.”

Chip's eyebrows shot up. “A library?” His mouth stretched into a large grin. “Awesome!” he held up his briefcase. “I could scan pages into my laptop for study!” He stopped and the grin fell away. “Although your written language would have to be translated.” He rubbed his chin. “Although you speak English.”

Celestia's mouth turned up slightly. “We use English in many of our books.” She spread a wing and began trotting to the path, Chip following close behind. “Megan, please meet us at the library as soon as possible. Cadance, please make sure Shining Armor and Twilight are there, too.” Her expression darkened. “There's much to discuss.”

Mike walked over to Megan's side. “I'll do my work as fast as possible at Sweet Apple Acres and hurry back.” He leaned in and kissed his wife once more. “Want me bring back any leftovers from lunch?” he said, winking.

Megan snorted. “I think I'll be fine. We had a big breakfast after all.” She waved him off, smirking. “Now go play tool man with Big Mac and matchmaker with Applejack.”

Mike nodded before turning and walking off. He soon found himself beside Cadance as she walked to Twilight. “So... Cadance.” He bowed his head to her. “Nice to meet you, your majesty.”

Cadance looked to him. “No need for formalities.” She dipped her head. “So you're Megan's husband, Mike Richards?” At his nod she stopped and extended a foreleg. “I felt the deep love between you and Megan. You honor her.”

Mike looked back at Megan, standing near Scootaloo, the foals and their daughters. “She honors me.” He looked back to Cadance and rolled his eyes. “Sorry. Never was good with romance.”

Cadance giggled. “You're not that bad.” She turned and resumed trotting to the group of ponies ahead, Mike by her side.

Megan watched Mike for a moment before looking to Scootaloo. “All right, Scootaloo, lead the way. Just don't go too fast, all right?” She looked to her right, at Danielle and Michelle. “Ready?”

At their confirmation, Scootaloo's wings buzzed. Her scooter, the wagon and the two fillies she towed shot off, Megan, Danielle and Michelle following them to Ponyville.