Star Overhead

by KorenCZ11

My Hoof (Part 1)

“Shit, shit, shit! Twilight, if y’all don’t quit distractin’ me, Ah swear!”

Ah swatted one of them little demonic bastards off my shoulder and scraped the goo off my uniform. Who knows how many were behind us? We had ta move, and doin’ 60 on the highway in the car Ah stole wasn’t enough.

“Shut up, shut up! Drive faster damn it, they’re gaining on us!”

TWANG

Twi slammed the crystal guitar against another group of the little monsters, smashin’ them and lettin’ the bodies roll off the trunk. This Cadillac is half a century old, and Ah don’t know that it can make enough power ta get away from these things… Wait a minute! That turn is just up ahead! If Ah can do it just like she did… Ah shifted inta fifth gear and pushed my hoof ta the floor as the engine roared. Twi fell inta the back seat at the sudden lurch the car made, and finally, she let out a breath.

“Oh, thank the goddess.” Then she turned around ta see what Ah was doin’. The panic on her face was enough.

“Applejack, that’s a cliff! Applejack, that’s a CLIFF!” Ah nodded and prepared fer the drift.

“You’re damn right it is! Hold on tight!” Ah down shifted inta third, and then!

To be continued

Now, ya might be wonderin’ how Twi and Ah found ourselves in this situation. Well, it all starts a few days ago when the seven of us got inta a gunfight.

“Ah’ll laugh when Ah plant one between yer eyes Mac!”

Ah ran out from behind my tree just as my older brother did, and we both shot at each other, narrowly missin’ each bullet until we landed behind a different tree. Ah dropped the empty magazine from my gun and loaded another, Ah’m sure Mac was doin’ the same. More sounds of fire came from each direction now, Twi was holdin’ off Pappy and Applebloom on the other side of the orchard, and only the goddess knows what Celestia and Luna are doin’.

“Ya ain’t shit, Jack! Y’all couldn’t hit the side of the barn with aim like that! Quit hidin’, ya damn coward!”

Oh yeah? Well ya know what they say about ‘almost’…

“We’ll see who’s aim ain’t what! Take this ya, red piece of shit!” Ah pulled the pin and lobbed the little explosive over by Mac’s position.

“Where in the world did ya- HOLY SHIT!

WE’LL

BE

RIGHT

BACK!

“Now that Ah think about it, that doesn’t really explain anythin’, does it?” Twi shook her head.

“Yeah, no, that’s completely fucking useless. How is anypony supposed to know what you’re talking about without context?”

Another loud bang at the abandoned factory double doors dented them in just a little more. Ah sighed as Ah waited for our inevitable demise and tried ta play that little lick from mom’s old song on the bass again.

“That was pretty, but I think you missed a no-”

BANG

We both flinched as another big dent in the door meant the bugs didn’t have much longer before they got in and… did whatever. Ah sighed.

“How did we even end up in this mess in the first place?” Twi shook her head and sat down, starin’ at that crystal guitar. Neither of us even had the chance ta change out of our uniforms after school today.

Goddess, Ah hope Ah don’t have a hole in my skirt again. Pappy is gonna kill me if he has ta buy me another one.

“I… honestly have no fucking clue. All I know is that if we don’t figure out something soon, we’re probably gonna die.” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Gee Twi, that’s real helpful, thanks.” She scowled at me.

“Oh, my goddess, go fuck yourself.” Ah shook my head.

“Geez, do y’all know how much trouble Ah’d be in if Pappy caught me masturbatin’ in the house? Mac got caught once, and Pappy threw him out in the barn ta sleep fer the night in the middle of winter! ‘If ya wanna act like an animal, then Ah’ll treat ya like one!’ Poor bastard came back inside the next day half frozen beggin’ fer a hot shower.” Twi blinked.

“Uh… that’s like, not even okay. Are you sure your grandfather hasn’t violated some kind of cruel and unusual treatment statute that would get Child Protective Services called on him?” Ah shook my head.

“Ah don’t think so. But maybe. Mac’s room used ta smell funny all the time, but ever since then, it’s smelled nice, so Ah don’t mind. Besides. We’re the ones who aren’t okay right now. Those fuckin’ bugs are gonna eat us alive if we don’t do somethin’.” Twi sighed and strummed some random notes on the guitar.

“Provided Luna doesn’t kill us first. It’s not totaled, is it?” Ah shook my head.

“Oh please, Mac’s rolled the truck before, and it survived. That old thin’ is made out of stronger materials than most cars today are. It’s also twice as heavy, but it’s only got a few dents on it. The starter still ‘worked’ even if the engine didn’t turn, and Ah suspect that’s because the fluids were all shook up more than anythin’. Maybe a broken sparkplug too. It wasn’t leakin’ or nothin’, so it should be fine. Nothin’ that magic and a hammer can’t solve. Though uh… replacin’ the headlights might have ta happen. Either way, it shouldn’t take a lot ta get that old 62 back in shape.” Twi shook her head and sighed.

“I hope you’re right. If Celestia can revive the dead with her magic, who knows what her sister is capable of.”

BANG

“Well, that’s not going to hold for much longer,” Twi noted. In truth, Ah was surprised that the door had lasted this long. The old steel mill didn’t really have much in the way of a ‘stable structure’ after bein’ abandoned fer so long. Ah got up and figured it was time ta seek higher ground. Then, that reminded me of somethin’.

“Oh, ya know what? That’s when this all started. When Luna showed up.” Twi clapped her hooves, then stood up.

“That’s right! Goddess, how in the fuck did we end up here?”

“And remember kids, the trimester is ending soon, so finals are just around the corner! Don’t forget everything over fall break, and have fun!” Mrs. Rich exclaimed.

The school bell rang, signalin’ the end of the day. Ah sighed and leaned back in my desk chair. One more Monday, one day closer ta harvest week. Everypony else gets a week off from work, but me? No, that’s just when it really starts.

“A heavy sigh from Ms. happy family? Why, whatever would be causing that?” Ah leaned my head over and summed up the little white unicorn.

“Yeah, that’s rich comin’ from y’all. When’s yer dad supposed ta move back out here?” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Oh goddess, I have no clue. It’s a miracle they were even able to reconcile. I don’t quite remember what happened that night, but apparently it made mother conscious of her familial neglect, so I’m not upset about it. It’ll be nice to have Sweetie and father back.” Ah let my head fall back and stared at the wall behind me upside-down.

“Well, that’s just peachy fer ya, ain’t it? We’ll have ta introduce our sisters ta each other, maybe they’ll be friends. Course, if she’s as much of a bitch as y’all are, maybe not.”

Rarity huffed and sat on my lap, elbowin’ me in the gut in the process. “Ow! Damn it Rar-” Ah only managed ta get so many of my words out before Ah was met with the taste of hoof polish and soap.

“Yes, yes it is. Celestia is certainly a mystery, isn’t she? First she gives me life advice, and then she gets my parents back together. She is such a strange pony, but if that’s what she brings with her, then I can’t complain. Come now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Ah spat her hoof out and then leaned back again. She really don’t weigh much. Ah wonder if Rarity is eatin’ right?

“Well, fall break is in a couple weeks, and that means that Harvest Week is also in a couple of weeks. Sunup ta sundown, Ah’ll be kickin’ pear trees, loadin’ up the trucks, pressin’ pears inta juice and everythin’ else we need ta do ta get ‘em ready ta put on the market. Normally, Ah’m excited fer Harvest Week because Ah love doin’ the work. But… lately, it’s been… difficult.”

Rarity turned around and straddled me ta get me ta look her in the eyes. She ain’t usually this touchy. Is she pickin’ up habits from Pinkie? Ah’m not about ta do any of their gay shit fer her, her family is about ta fix itself.

“Come now, tell me what’s up. It’s me! You can talk to me, I bring my problems to you. It’s only fair Applejack.” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Maybe Ah’d be more willin’ ta talk if it didn’t look like you’re tryin’ ta get under my skirt. Get off.” Rarity huffed and exited my chair, and then Ah followed and picked up my saddle bags.

“Well. Somepony needs her personal space, doesn’t she?” She picked up her bag and out of the empty classroom we went. “Out with it! I must know, you must confide in me! Let me help!” Ah pushed her off again and rolled my eyes.

“Good goddess, can ya take a damn chill pill? What’s wrong with you?” Rarity made a bunch of mouth noises and waved the question away.

“Please, I’m fine. I am… slightly concerned that Trixie almost killed Rainbow the other day, and even more so that I missed out on another one of those shadows, and another giant unicorn showing up, but the stress of living in a house with both of my parents again isn’t getting to me. I’m fine! Your problems are more important. Mine… should simply resolve themselves after I re-adjust again.”

Uh-huh. Not high strung or worried about yer parents fightin’ again now that they’re tryin’ ta make it work. Sure, Rare, sure. Well, if me talkin’ will give her somethin’ ta distract herself with…

“Well…”

VROOM

We’d just made it outside when somepony revved the engine in their car. There, just by the edge of the sidewalk, was sittin’ one of the prettiest vehicles Ah’ve ever seen. It was an old Cadillac of some kind, like a car taken out of time from over half a century ago and brought forward inta the future. It had all the stylin’s of the late fifties, which made me think this had ta be some kinda relic from right after the war ended. It was robin’s egg blue and polished ta such a degree that the afternoon sunlight just bounced off it. The chrome linin’ all the way around the car reflected everythin’ and more, and even from this far away, Ah could see Rarity and Ah in its reflection. We walked up ta the car, and some massive blue mare was discussin’ it with my brother.

“… But of course, being made almost entirely of steel has its advantages, and truly, it is easy to repair in the event something hits it, or I have to run down a demon on the weekend. With my sister around again, I have to be ready for something like that to happen any day of the week. Otherwise, I try to take care of her as best I can,” the blue mare said. Mac nodded and studied the car and then the mare in it.

At this point, Ah couldn’t really tell which he was more interested in. Course, this lady looks like she’s at least ten years older than him, but then again, the age of consent in this state is 16, so…

“Well that all sounds mighty useful. What’s the transmission on this like? It sounds like it revs real high.” The blue mare took the long shifter stick and wiggled it from side to side.

“I had the transmission replaced long ago. The automatics from this era were… well, awful, really. It broke on me more times than I care to admit. Having the manual requires more work, but it’s lower maintenance. The engine puts quite a bit to the wheels, but… it’s not quite up to ‘government standards’ so to speak, so that’s all I’ll say about it. It might look like a sixth generation 62, but in reality it’s a different beast beneath the hood.”

Ah wonder what it drives like? Mac has let me drive the truck a few times and Ah take the ATV everywhere as it is…

“Oh, there ya are. Ya never answered my text. Ah guess you’re ready?” Ah absent mindedly confirmed as Ah traced my reflection in the baby blue finish. The blue unicorn leaned over the side of the door and watched me.

“Interested, are we? Fillies your age usually don’t care about cars.” Ah nodded and never really took my eyes off it.

“Ah help Pappy and Mac fix all the rundown crap we have at the orchard all the time, so Ah’m pretty used ta workin’ with these thin’s. Ah think Ah’ve reassembled half that damn truck by myself at this point. And most of the tractor too. Ah don’t mind though, Ah like the work.”

Mac patted my head with a proud smile.

“She helps me do it more often than not. Pappy’s too old ta be liftin’ heavy parts, so that’s my job these days. It’s almost got ta the point where Ah can lift the block outta the bay without the crane,” he said as he ‘casually’ flexed.

Yeah, sure ya can. Maybe a couple inches ya blockhead. This dumbass is gonna break his back tryin’ ta get that thin’ off the ground one day. You’re big and strong alright, but ya ain’t gonna lift 500 pounds. The older mare laughed and then Ah noticed Twilight had snuck up beside me. The older mare seemed ta know what was goin’ on, but poor Twi was thoroughly invested in my brother’s chest.

“Well, it would seem as if you are quite the able-bodied young stallion. If you ever find that the farm life doesn’t suit you, you might just drop by a recruiting office. The military could always use another strong pair of hooves like yours.” She winked at him in such a way that Ah wanted ta forget, then she noticed Twi.

“Ah, there you are. Are you ready to go? Er… Twilight?” The violet unicorn was shaken from my brother’s hypnotism and clambered inta the passenger seat.

“Uh, yes ma’am.” Luna laughed again and patted the filly on the head.

“Ah, yes, those bubbling hormones are ferocious at your age, aren’t they? Well, we’d best be off. Wouldn’t want to keep Celestia waiting too long, would we?” Twi nodded and then Mac stretched one more time in hopes of catchin’ the older mare’s eye, then started toward the truck.

“Yeah, we should head out too. Come on AJ. Pappy’s waitin’.” Ever so slowly, Ah backed away from the pretty, old vehicle and toward the truck. The blue unicorn put a hoof ta her lips and then reached out ta me.

“Young mare, would you like to go for a drive?” Ah almost gasped.

“Can Ah really!?” Ah turned ta Mac, beggin’ and pleadin’ as best Ah could and he rolled his eyes.

“What’s yer cover story gonna be this time? Ya know you’re still on thin ice after ya hit Applebloom the other day.” Ah huffed and rolled my eyes.

“She had a bug on her face, damn it! Ah thought it was gonna hurt her! Just… tell him Ah needed help with my homework, and Twi here offered ta help me with it.” Mac sighed and then climbed inta the truck.

“Alright, but don’t blame me if he calls ya out on it. Either way, ya should get back early enough that ya aren’t dead after he wakes ya up in the mornin’ ta get yer chores covered.” Ah ran over ta the window and gave him a hug.

“Thanks Mac, you’re the best.” He gave me a half-lidded stare and then hugged me back real quick.

“Whatever. Ah’m tellin’ him eight, so be back by eight.” Ah bolted fer the shiny Cadillac and waved back at Mac

“Okay!” Ah hopped inta the back seat over the convertible’s door and landed on some almost vinyl-like seats that were real soft ta the touch, but kinda firm ta sit on. Once Ah was buckled, the engine roared ta life and Blue mare shifted inta first.

“Now then, let’s go!”

When she fishtailed outta the school parkin’ lot, Ah almost swore that we were gonna get pulled over. The power this thin’ was makin’ must’ve been insane ta just break the back end loose like that on a mild, dry October day.

“Goddess, you’re just as bad as she is! Aah!” Twi exclaimed. She was holdin’ on tight ta her leg rests, and Ah almost wish Ah had more seat belt.

“Ah, but that is where you’re wrong, my dear. I’m worse.”

Like a bat outta hell, we sped through town ta the intersection, but this crazy broad wasn’t slowin’ down. As Underhoof is never a busy town, even when ponies are gettin’ outta school, there wasn’t hardly any traffic on the road but Mac headed toward the highway. She passed Mac on the on comin’ side, then did somethin’ that looked like magic.

She shifted from third ta second, put her back hoof on the clutch and the break at the same time and spun the car around sideways, over steerin’ inta a right turn. The hoof came off the clutch, the rear axle slapped a plate under the trunk and the wheels spun until they caught the road, launchin’ us down the street as if we’d never slowed down in the first place. A few seconds later, we were in fifth and breakin’ through the fog around Underhoof.

“Wow… how’d ya do that?” Ah don’t know if Ah was more awestruck by the skill it took ta make the car move the way it did, or the luck we had in not hittin’ somepony else on the road. The blue unicorn laid a forehoof across the bench seats in the front and smiled back at me. Her eyes were almost the same color as the car, but they had these little flecks of gold all along the irises, just like Twilight’s did.

“Years of practice, little one. Your name is Applejack, correct?” Ah nodded and she twisted her foreleg a little further back fer me ta shake… somehow. The massive blue hoof was probably about twice the size of mine.

“You may call me Luna. Now then. How about a real drift?”

Uhhh… Excuse me? Luna pulled her hoof back and took hold of the shifter again. The golden fields that surrounded Underhoof started ta fly by and give way ta the more arid part of this road as dry dirt and scrub grass surrounded the road. Then Ah noticed the edge.

“H-ha ha, y-you’re gonna slow down, right?” Twi asked. Ah swallowed. There ain’t no way in hell.

“Incorrect!” Up ahead was a wide right turn with a drastic drop off on the left side and a guard rail. That marked the start of the valley, and just off ta the left of this place was the old steel mill that ‘Underhoof once took pride in,’ as Pappy likes ta say. We flew past the ’30 M.P.H.’ warnin’ sign, and without losin’ any speed, we entered the turn. Luna down shifted ta third and the wheels spun faster than we did, and she turned the steerin’ wheel hard right, then left. The white walls smoked as the boat like car slid sideways.

The engine and the tires and Twilight screamin’ all the while, and Ah couldn’t help but hold my breath. It was like the world had slowed down. The scenery passed by in the clear day liked nothin’ Ah’d ever seen but once before. A memory came back ta me when Pa had taken me out with him one day in that old Nova of his.

“Ya know Applejack, there are days Ah feel like the world is gonna collapse in on me. There’s so much pressure on me ta be somepony Ah never thought Ah could, that sometimes, Ah wonder if meetin’ yer mother that night was a mistake. But when Ah look at ya, Ah just can’t help but see Buttercup in yer face. Y’all make life worth it, just like she made life worth it all those years ago. If ya ever get down and Ah can’t help ya, remember that there’s always somethin’ that makes it worth it. The moment just makes it hard ta see.”

The Cadillac whipped straight at the edge of the turn and the wheels caught the road again, shootin’ us off like a rocket once more. When the world calmed down, Ah didn’t even realize the pony Ah heard laughin’ was me. Almost like an infection, Twi started up with a giggle, and then broke inta full on laughter right after. Even the driver got caught up in our joy, and it got so bad that she had ta pull over and take a minute ta catch her breath.

Ah laid my head back against the seat and let myself breathe. The sun was settin’, and in just a bit, the sky would change from blue ta gold ta red ta violet before all the stars would come out. Ah remember… back then, watchin’ a sky just like this from the porch of the old house with Ma. She was startin’ ta get fat, and she was always twice as warm as she used ta be. So soft, so easy ta fall asleep on. Ah swallowed and took a sharp breath.

Come on now, what’s this all about? Ah sniffed back a little as the other mares started ta calm down, and just outta the corner of my eye, Ah saw another one of them little bastards.

Ah sat up quick and turned around, and there it was, sittin’ on the tail fin of the car. Watchin’ me. Six legs, a tail, two claws, a ton of glowin’ red eyes, and shiny black and slick lookin’. They weren’t big, they could probably fit in my hoof if Ah could ever catch one, and they were quick. On the first night they showed up, Ah was terrified of ‘em and Ah made Applebloom sleep in my bed. They would just sit and watch. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less. After the first week, they appeared more frequently, but they never approached. In the second week, Ah’d just about gotten used ta ‘em when they started ta come closer. They never cared about anypony around me, and when Ah tried ta talk about it, nopony believed me. Nopony else could see them.

One day, there were a few of ‘em around while Ah was workin’ in the barn, and one crawled on Applebloom ta keep me in sight. She freaked out and froze, thought there was some kinda bug on her head. Ah threw a pear at it, but it got away and only hit Applebloom in the face. Stupid little filly started cryin’ and Ah got my ass whipped fer it.

The next week though, they started makin’ off with fruits every now and again. Ah would see a group of ‘em take a pear away, never ta be seen again. One mornin’, Applebloom saw a pear floatin’ away, and that was enough fer me. They’re real, but Ah don’t know what they are.

“Applejack? Is something wrong?” Twi asked. Ah turned my head ta say no, but when Ah looked behind me again, the little demon was gone.

“Ah… don’t think so. What’s up?” She scratched at her wrist.

“Oh, I just wanted to know if you’d done that before. You seemed relatively calm throughout the whole ordeal, so…” The bugs far from my mind, Ah got a little smirk on my face.

“What’s that? Did somepony almost wet her skirt?” Twilight let her head drop ta the side and gave me a half-lidded stare.

“Really?” she asked with complete apathy in her voice. Ah giggled and shook my head.

“Naw, that’s just how Pa used ta drive when he’d take me out. There are a buncha roads that are all twisty like that back in Palomino by the apple orchard, so he’d do this kinda crap all the time. Ah never figured out how he did it though.”

Luna crossed her forelegs and nodded.

“Ah, a fellow fan of the drift. In truth, my car is awful for this sort of thing, but with enough practice, you can make any car slide. Having the bits to replace tires, however, is a must. It is not a very cheap hobby. Initially, I wanted to bring Twilight out here, but since you happen to be a note too, I might as well ask you. Tell me girls, what do you make of Celestia? Er, your Motor Mare, had you not known her name before.”

Ah puffed out some air. What do Ah make of her? Hell if Ah know.

“Ah uh… well, ya know, she’s… kinda weird? She hit me in the back of the head with that damn guitars of hers, but she also saved Rarity and her mom from that thin’ y’all fought off, so… Ah don’t know. She says weird stuff. It’s almost like she ain’t here sometimes, ya know?” What’s the word…? Rarity is always tellin’ me about her new words of the day, there was… That’s the one. “Aloof. That’s what Ah make of her, she’s aloof.” Luna nodded.

“Hmm. Yes, I imagine being here is… painful for her. Well, what about you? You’ve been with her the longest… in recent years anyways. What do you think?” Twi leaned back in the passenger seat and stared up at the empty sky.

“Oh, goddess, where do I even begin? She’s… I don’t know, it’s like she’s several ponies all at once but has that distinct flavor of ‘Celestia’ underneath it all, like she’s trying to but can’t escape who she is. Chaotic. Alcoholic. Irresponsible. Brave. Haughty. Better than you. Insane. Crazy, crazy, crazy. But at the same time… she can be… caring. Kind, almost… loving, even. There’s a… sweetness mixed in with the insanity. The pony I’m looking at isn’t really the pony inside, and I know that because there are times when… she really is that pony inside because she’s… she’s…

I don’t know, maybe I’m just reading into it too much. What I do know is that she’s the cause of all the shit that keeps happening around me, and I don’t like it. I… don’t know that I want to see her go, but I don’t want to keep living every day expecting some life-threatening monster to show up at random.” Luna reclined her seat and put her hooves behind her head.

“I see. So that’s what she has become. I had figured she was conflicted about what she was doing, but seeing her again and spending time with her has told me that there is something amiss in Celestia. A… desperation, if you will, to reclaim something lost. And a desire to see something preserved, both at odds with each other.”

Luna paused fer a moment, then we watched as a star shot across the sky. “She was… not always this way, you know.” Twi and Ah gave each other a look and then stared back at Luna.

“Really?” The blue unicorn nodded, then crossed her hind legs.

“Yes… There was a time when I knew her better than anypony else. She was strong and noble, kind and generous, optimistic and idealistic, loyal and true. Celestia was the embodiment of a follower of the goddess, she whose rules for sentient beings this country was founded on over two millennia ago. When we first arrived in this land, we were seen as goddesses to the ponies, but we knew better and taught them a better way. They finally understood we were not gods after a time, but they did see us as her prophets, so we were crowned, and Equestria entered the path to become what it is today. Celestia took center stage as she bore the mark of the sun, and I preferred to stay in the shadows as my place was that of the moon, to reflect her light in the times when she cannot be seen.

For years we lived this way, going on about life, leading the ponies and… at times making brutal conquests, but everypony makes mistakes, and we learned after a while that forceful takeovers don’t exactly go well with that land’s population, even if they started the fight. Once we’d conquered the east and west coasts of the continent, there was relative peace in the land, and our imperialistic days were over. Mostly. I took some islands a while back, but we don’t talk about that. Anyways, decade after decade, I began to notice the… spark in Celestia’s eyes start to vanish. Our home was destroyed once, and to prevent that, we decided against forming a certain kind of relationship with our fellow pony kind.

In my eyes, we should’ve been content with that. I was content with that. Anything that prevented the tragedy of our father was fine with me, and I was willing to live out my endless days happily in this kingdom. My sister, however, wanted more. She wanted somepony who was hers alone, and one day, there was a stallion brave enough to give that to her. After he came along, Celestia… deteriorated. Or at least, my image of who she was did. She began to shirk her duties to be with him, to shun others, to shun me. I started to pick up the slack on her end, but there were days where I could no longer keep a hold on all our responsibilities alone, and I confronted her about it.

Her champion, as she called him, would even side with me in this debate, saying the land was more important than he was, and the ponies who looked to her needed her more than he did. The argument became… well, let us say ‘heated,’ and things took a wrong turn very quickly. Words were said, things that never should’ve been spoken aloud that could never be taken back, and then energy was unleashed.

In an effort to end the fighting, that stallion tried to interrupt our clash, and, well, we killed him. Kind of. Something strange happened. He was… changed into something the likes of which we’d never seen. This new being he had become escaped to the stars, and after him, she followed. When she left, I truly believed I would never see my sister again. Fast forward a few centuries later, and she shows up one day out of the blue with him restored to his original form. The world had changed quite a bit in the time she was gone, and even I had… fallen to the very things I accused her of back then, but she… never even brought it up. The fight remained unspoken of, and it was like I had Celestia back.

On top of the miracle of her returning home with her stallion, they performed another together, and I was… simply struck by it. Even after my own escapades into irresponsibility, I never thought it was possible, but somehow, she did it. To this day, I still find it hard to believe, yet… I can touch the proof that it happened, so I must believe. However, I soon learned the truth of this return.

My sister wanted to do something. Something that would potentially destroy the planet in its wake, and I could not allow it. To prevent another battle between us, I had hid what she sought and told her that they had been lost. But that didn’t stop her from finding them. She scoured the world and collected the five I’d scattered across the globe, and in the end, she was going to challenge me for the final one. A desperate mare with love as her raison d’être isn’t a mare to be trifled with.

However, she never did learn the truth of what I’d done as the result of our last fight reared its ugly head again, and her first love was taken from her once more. She abandoned her second love and chased after him, and I thought this would have been the last time she was ever seen. That was… thirteen years ago. When my scout in the area told me that she had returned, I couldn’t believe my ears. She’d come back when I needed her most, but after arriving a few days ago… this wasn’t the mare I knew, the mare who could help me. This mare was… twisted. Something in her has changed, and now… it’s almost like I am looking at the husk of the pony I knew, and all that remains of her is hope and desperation.

I tell you this story as a tale of caution. You must be wary of Celestia. She is after something. What she wants, she wants bad enough to sacrifice the world for it, and I… do not know that I have the power to stop her this time. In the end, it may come down to a battle between her loves, and it may very well be you that makes all the difference. Our time runs short. When the end is near, Twilight, it will be up to you to save her. As long as you can do that, then the tragedy of our father will not be repeated again.”

“Thanks fer takin’ me out Miss Luna.” The blue mare nodded and gave me a pat on the shoulder from the driver’s seat.

“Of course! Anypony who truly appreciates my car as you do should at least get to feel its power. I’ll have to take your brother out for a ride sometime too, oh yes… Ah, and you should introduce me to your father as well! I should love to meet somepony who can drift the way you described it.” Ah felt my ears sag and my eyes dropped ta the ground.

“Ah would… love ta, but… Pa’s been… gone fer a little over a year now.” She retracted her hoof as quickly as possible and found somewhere else ta look.

“Oh, I um…” Ah shook my head.

“Don’t worry about it. Ya… couldn’t have known if nopony told ya.” Ah rubbed at my eyes. “Ah don’t normally get like this when Ah talk about it, somethin’ about today is just… off Ah guess. Ah’ll uh… see ya tomorrow, Twi.” Tentatively, she waved at me from the passenger seat.

“Y-yeah. Later Applejack.” The Cadillac’s top came up from behind the back seat, and then the unicorns drove off. Ah adjusted my saddle bags and sighed.

What was that all about? Twice today, ya got all broke up about ‘em. What would Mac say if he knew ya were cryin’ again? Can’t be doin’ that around Applebloom, or she’ll start too. Ya ain’t the only one who lost a father, so stop actin’ like it.

Ah clapped my hooves against my cheeks until they hurt and finally started toward the door.

It was dark out now, and judgin’ by my phone… a little past eight. Well, shit. Before Ah even got ta the porch, the house door opened, and there he was. My wrinkly old yellow grandpa and his hardly brown anymore mane and tail. The grumpy bastard had an eyebrow raised and was givin’ me one of them ‘Ah’m tired of yer shit’ looks like he always does. He never looks at Mac like that, he never looks at Bloom like that, just me.

“Well. Ah see somepony decided ta come home. Who was that broad in the 62? Ah haven’t seen on of those since Ah was Mac’s age.”

Oh, ya know, some random mare Ah met this afternoon. Damn it, why didn’t Ah think of this!? Ah knew this was gonna happen, and Ah forgot! Uh… she looks enough like Twi’s Pa, let’s just say she’s his sister.

“Oh… that was uh… Twi’s Aunt. She’s… home ta visit family fer the week.” Pappy leaned against the door frame and crossed his legs.

“Ah see. And… does Twi’s aunt have a name? Just so we’re clear, this is that new friend ya said ya made last week, right? The one that puked in my ATV?” Ah nodded.

“Yeah, her name is Luna. That was Twi in the car with her, she picked us up from school.” Pappy didn’t change his face, and Ah was startin’ ta get nervous. Finally, he turned around and went inside.

“It’s too cold out here, ya might as well come in. Did ya eat?” Ah shook my head and made my way fer the door. Oh thank the goddess, he bought it.

“Uh, no sir, we were busy the whole time, and Mac said Ah needed ta be home by eight, so… Ah left before Ah got the chance. Pappy nodded.

“Alright then. There’s a potpie sittin’ on the stove, y’all go get yer fill. Yer brother said ya were gonna get yer chores done in the mornin’. Ya plannin’ on goin’ ta bed after this ta keep yer word?”

Ah made my way ta the kitchen and Pappy took a seat at the head of the table waitin’ fer me. It wasn’t strange fer him ta sit with us if we ate late, but Ah get the feelin’ Ah’m not off the hook yet.

“Yessir. Got an alarm set and everythin’.” Ah took a slice of the savory pie out of the still warm stone on the stove and made sure ta scrape the extra gooey goodness that flowed out on top. Carrots, peas, and potatoes all in a savory fillin’ wrapped in pie crust. It was one of Ma’s favorites.

Ah took my food ta the table, and after a bit, Pappy turned on the TV. It was the local news, runnin’ a piece on the Motor Mare, with a couple of pictures of Celestia runnin’ inta ponies, even a good picture of her smackin’ the shit outta Fluttershy with her bass.

Geez, who managed ta get a picture of that?

“So… what did y’all do?” Pappy asked. Ah scratched the back of my head. Here we go again.

“Oh, ya know, we went back ta her place and did homework. Twilight gets the highest grades in class, so Ah thought she’d be the one ta ask fer help.” Pappy rubbed a hoof on his chest and then inspected it.

“Last Ah checked, ya didn’t have bad grades yerself. As a matter of fact, somepony had been gettin’ perfect scores on her tests recently. You’ve never asked anypony fer help before, what makes ya need it now?” Ah froze.

Goddamn it, why in the fuck did ya say anythin’!? This is what ya get fer braggin’! Shit, shit, shit, what now!? Uh… new unit?

“Ah uh… y-ya know, it’s a new subject and all-” Pappy stomped his hoof down on the table and stared at me while leanin’ against the other.

“Applejack, there are two weeks left in the trimester, there is no new subject. What were ya doin’ with them? Ya didn’t talk ta her brother, did ya? The Pies tell me stories about that one, and Ah don’t want ya around him.” Her brother? The Pies? Aren’t those the gray ponies we sit next ta in church? Why… Ah shook my head.

“No, her brother moved ta Canterlot a while back, Ah…” Pappy straightened up.

“Ya better not be liein’ ta me again Applejack, Ah won’t tolerate it anymore! That kid ruined their daughter and if y’all are screwin’ around…” Ah held my hooves up.

“Woah, hold on, Ah don’t know the guy! She and her dad live alone, Ah swear!” He relaxed a little and took a breath.

“Fine. Ah’ll take yer word. Fer now. Tell me the truth this time, what were y’all doin’?” Ah sighed and let my head droop.

“She… Luna, offered ta take me fer a drive with them. Ah wanted ta see what her car drove like, so Ah took her up on it. She drives a lot like Pa did, so… Ah got lost in the moment. It was like bein’ in the car with him again, Ah just…” Pappy sighed.

“So ya lied ta me just so you could go screw around and skip out on yer chores, is that it?” My heart was racin’ and Ah wanted anythin’ but ta be at this table. Ah backed up a little.

“W-well, Ah mean… It’s not like…” Pappy let out a breath and shook his head.

“Goddess damn it, you’re just like yer mother. What is so hard about bein’ honest with me? Livin’ off my work, eatin’ my food, sleepin’ in my beds, and ya treat me like somepony ya don’t even trust!? Tell me the truth! Say it ta my face, Applejack! Tell me that ya don’t like ta work and ya wanted ta be lazy, so ya went ta play ta ignore yer responsibilities! Go on, do it!” Pappy had gotten up ta full height and he was towerin’ over me at the table. Ah cowered out of my chair and backed off.

“It ain’t like that, Ah swear! Ah just…”

“It ain’t like what, Applejack? Are ya sayin’ ya aren’t part of that little club just ta get away from the house? That ya don’t stay after school a little extra just ta slack off? Yer mother used ta do the same shit ta me, and look where that got her! Sixteen and pregnant, ran off with some damn renegade and dead eight years later! Is that what ya want? Half yer whole life ta already be over, just like her?”

“N-no, Ah…”

“Ya what!? Spit it out, damn it! Are ya or aren’t ya Buttercup? Because Ah’m not payin’ fer another funeral in eleven years!”

“Ah don’t know! Damn it, ya always do this when Ah do somethin’ wrong! How in the hell am Ah supposed ta know what Ma did if ya never tell me about her!? How am Ah supposed ta figure anythin’ out when Ah don’t know a damn thin’ about my own mother, and every time Ah ask, y’all just get mad at me and fuck off ta who knows where? Ya talk about Pa like he was some kinda criminal, ya act like Ma never did anythin’ right, and ya treat me like shit too! Pa fought fer the country! Pa tried ta save ponies! Pa raised us on his own fer seven years! Pa ran the Apple orchard with nopony’s help, so where the fuck were you when we needed your help!? What’s yer excuse, huh!?”

Ah expected him ta blow up. Ah expected him ta get in my face and yell at me or hit me fer cursin’ at him, but instead, he sank back down inta his chair. Fer the first time, Pappy… really looked old. The wrinkles in his face were more apparent than ever, the silver in his mane looked almost dull, and Pappy looked… tired.

“That stallion y’all knew and the one that raped my daughter were not the same pony! Goddess damn it, you are Buttercup. Get outta my house. Y’all wanna go make yer own damn mistakes, then do it somewhere else. Ah will not suffer through that again.”

Ah think Ah’d just about bit through my inner cheek. Somethin’ inside me was broken now, and Ah didn’t know how ta contain everythin’ that was bubblin’ up.

“Fine! Fuck you! Ah don’t need ya, and Ah don’t need anypony else! When ya end up in hell alone, Ah hope you’re finally happy!” Ah ran fer the door and grabbed the ATV key off the rack before Pappy could even get up. Ah slammed it shut behind me and started the mini-truck as fast as Ah could. The back porch light was on, and another light came on in the livin’ room. Mac must’ve just got back in. Ah wiped at my blurry eyes until Ah could see again and then turned on the ignition. The front door was openin’ and Ah floored the gas. The little vehicle got up ta speed and raced down the road. Ah didn’t bother lookin’ back.

When Ah finally reached the intersection ta the highway and didn’t see anypony followin’ me, Ah figured Pappy must’ve stopped him.

“Ya vindictive old bastard!” Ah slammed my hooves on the wheel and let my head fall inta my forelegs. Goddess damn it, goddess damn it, goddess damn it! Quit fuckin’ cryin’ ya stupid filly, he ain’t worth it! Fuck! Ah held my face in my hooves, but it just wouldn’t stop. Every time Ah’d wipe ‘em away, the tears would just come back and stain my uniform again. Eventually, Ah just gave up and let it out.

Is this my fault? Does he hate me? Is that really why he always…? No! Fuck him, it doesn’t matter what he thinks. Ah’ll figure this out, Ah just… damn it, Ah need somepony ta talk ta. But… nopony my age is gonna know what ta do. Fluttershy won’t have anythin’ of value ta offer and Rarity is dealin’ with her own shit right now. Twi… well, she’s smart, but she ain’t wise. That’s what Ah need. Wisdom.

But… Ah don’t know Shy’s parents, and Rarity’s parents are… Ah don’t wanna intrude on that. Wait a minute… Luna is stayin’ with Twi, maybe Ah can talk ta her? Well, it’s not like Ah have any better options, so Ah don’t see why not. Ah went ta startup the mini-truck again when Ah noticed the bugs. There was a group of the little black thin’s watchin’ me like they always do a little-ways down the road.

“What do y’all want!? Leave me alone damn it! Stay outta my life!” Ah turned the key and floored the ATV at them, aimin’ the wheel fer their little bodies. The demons tried ta get away, but one of them was just slow enough a get caught under my wheel. Ah heard the satisfyin’ crunch of its little slick body as Ah passed, and finally, Ah had a little peace of mind.

“Now... listen here little Apples- uh… apple… apple…” the white mare tried.

“Applejack,” Ah finally said. The big white unicorn wrapped a leg around me and brought me ta her lap with frightenin’ strength.

“Applesack! I was getting there, you- urp. Oh, geez, I’m sorry. I… I remember fighting with my dad too.” Ah backed away as best Ah could, but she had me in a vice. There was no escape.

“He’s uh… he’s actually my grandpa.” The drunken mare looked at me like Ah just spoke a different language, then tossed back her can and took another few swallows.

“Well, fuck it, same difference. Look, kid, killing your dad is always gonna be hard. I know, I know, he’s tyrannical, he’s lost his mind, he killed mom and is sending the planet toward the sun, but he’s still my dad, ya know? He… he wasn’t always crazy, but the old bastard was gonna kill everypony and we had to put him down. Found all the elements, killed half the universe, the guy just wasn’t the good daddy I remembered anymore. Course, we did try to kill him a few times before, but he was the planet’s avatar, and he still had the elements. You know how you kill a guy tapped directly into the planet’s core? You don’t. You let him kill himself and try to escape with who all is left, that’s what you do.

Luckily for us, pops was so off his rocker that he forgot about the elements, so we st-stole those and yeeted the bitch. Hasta la vista! You’ll never take me alive! Omae wa mou shindeiru. Urp. Goddess, I don’t remember this being so strong. Nighty, you didn’t replace my beer, did you?” The toasty mare shook her can at the blue stallion, and he shook his head.

“No, it’s the same kind I always get. Though, maybe it isn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you intoxicated.” Celestia stared at the can in her hoof, shrugged, then downed the rest of it. She impaled the empty can on her horn ta go with the other two, and then cradled me like a foal.

“Anyways, that was like. Fuck, I don’t know, twenty… twenty-one… no! Twenty-two hundred years ago! Right Lulu?” she swiveled over ta the blue mare, who casually sipped at her own beer.

“Yes, Celestia.” The white unicorn laughed and leaned back in our chair almost ta the tippin’ point, then slammed it back down, the poor thin’ only barely containin’ our weight.

“See! I knew I remembered! He killed my mother, it was hard to forget. I was kinda pissed. We were lucky to get out alive though. Dad was crazy powerful, I don’t know that I could beat him even now. Goddess, I miss being a teen.” She bent over and held me tighter, rubbin’ her face against mine until she pulled me away and looked at my face, confused.

“Wait a minute. This one isn’t mine. Where is Starlight?”

Twi ducked her head and hid from the massive mare, then Celestia reached for her beer can. When her hoof found nothin’, she raised it ta her mouth. “Bramos! I’m empty!” Out of the kitchen and dressed in a baseball uniform, the matte white plastic pony threw a beer can at her that just about broke the sound barrier in its launch.

The air moved aside, and it sounded like a rocket was travelin’ from the livin’ room ta the kitchen. Celestia caught the can, and the rest of us were assaulted by the wind that followed, napkins floatin’ away in the process. Twi’s dad grabbed all the napkins in the air with his magic and then set them back down like this was the most normal thin’ he’s ever done. The white mare leaned her head over and pulled the tab with her massive horn, then tossed the can back.

“Goddess. Why am I so drunk? Urp. This is only number fifteen. I’m not even done with the case yet.”

Done with the case!? How much does she drink normally? Pa used ta knock back twelve and his friends used ta call him a hero fer bein’ able ta do it! Ah looked ta Twi fer help, but she just found the ceilin’ more interestin’.

“Is… is this normal?” Ah finally asked. Everypony nodded, while Celestia looked appalled.

“No it- URP! Oh. Oh, that was loud. This isn’t normal, I n-never get this dunk.” Twi shrugged.

“Sure. She only goes through a case every morning, it’s not like that wouldn’t kill your average, big stallion or anything.” Twi took a sip of her water and then went back ta nibblin’ on her pizza. Celestia put a hoof ta her chest.

“Starlight! I cannot believe you. I… I… urp. Goddess, I am a mare, thank you. There isn’t a stallion in the world who could out drink me.”

Uh. Okay.

Luna chomped away half of her pizza and then cleaned her mouth after she swallowed.

“Well, except for Discord.” Celestia whipped around.

“Don’t you talk to me about that limp-dicked noodle! Goddess, f- urp that guy. You know who treats ponies like shit? The ‘God’ of Chaos, that’s who,” she said with air quotes.

“How often do I have to spread my legs in front of you to get you to do it, you blockheaded fuck!? Goddess, it’s like shoving my ass in his face never gave him a damn clue. He had a tiny penis anyways, he wasn’t the god of anything.” Celestia woozily downed the rest of her beer and smashed the empty can on her head, finally havin’ enough ta cover her horn completely. She put me back in my chair and then threw herself on the big blue mare.

“Lunaaaaaa! I’m tired,” she complained. The big blue unicorn didn’t react, so the white one wrapped herself around her like a snake and put her snout to the other. She’s was makin’ eyes at the slightly smaller mare, and suddenly, Ah was unsure if Ah hadn’t walked inta one of Fluttershy’s comics.

“Why don’t you take me up to my room and I’ll do that thing you like so much♥” Luna lowered her eyes in the ‘tired of yer shit’ fashion, and then pushed Celestia’s face out of her way.

“I will take you to your room, but I will never be doing that again. Listen to me girls, these are words of wisdom. Never take to the alcohol when you’re horny, lonely, and around somepony who’s too friendly.” Celestia rolled her eyes and groaned, sinking onta the floor almost like a liquid, then sprawled herself out half under the table with a foreleg over her eyes.

“Urp. Goddess, you’re s-such a fucking kill joy.” Finally, she rolled on her back and then started ta snore. Luna got up from the table, enveloped the massive white mare in her blue magic, and then started up the stairs with the body.

“As you can see, my sister is quite indisposed. I will return shortly, then we can really discuss your problem.”

Sister? They don’t look nothin’ alike! Hmm. Then again, she did say ‘our father’ in her story, so… huh. Ah thought on it a bit more, and then remembered there was a common trend between them.

Celestia is… gratuitous where Luna is lean, but their eyes… their eyes are different colors, but they have that sparkly quality ta ‘em, and they’re the same shape. As a matter of fact, their faces are real similar too. It suddenly occurred ta me that Ah’d seen eyes like that before Ah met either of these mares, and then Ah looked ‘Starlight’ over. She met my gaze, got nervous, then looked left and right.

“Uh… is there something on my face?” Ah shook my head.

“Naw, Ah think… it is yer face.” She blinked.

“What?” Luna came back down, and then took Celestia’s seat at the little table.

“Now then. What was it exactly that was troubling you my dear?” Ah studied her face, takin’ note of her cheeks and the way her eyes were set, then looked back at the little unicorn. Ah kept lookin’ between them, then took note of her dad across from the table. Between the two of them, the only thin’ they had in common was mane color, and Twi had colors in her mane that were both found… in that white mare’s mane.

Ah tilted my head and looked over the male unicorn some more and came ta the conclusion that there was no way this guy was actually her father. Between his body, his stature, the shape of his face, the color of his hairs and eyes, even the way his horn was shaped, none of it lined up with her, save fer that blue. Unless she took nothin’ from her dad but his colorin’, but that was impossible based on what Ah’ve been taught about genetics. All three of us resemble Pappy quite a bit and we’ve all got similar face structures ta him too. The more Ah think about it, the more Ah think that… if she’s Celestia’s sister… then maybe my lie wasn’t actually that far from the truth…

“Applejack? Is something wrong?” Luna asked. Ah shook my head.

“Naw, y’all just… look similar, is all.” She tilted her head and let one of her ears sag.

“Oh, but… did you not come because there was a problem? You were quite distraught when you walked in earlier.” Ah brought my hoof ta my mouth.

“Oh. Right. Yeah, no, Ah was thinkin’ of somethin’ else. Thanks fer… lettin’ me stay here tonight, by the way. Ah uh… Ah think Ah really screwed thin’s up back home.” Twi’s ‘dad’ shook his head.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We get visitors here all the time as of late. To be honest with you, I kind of like the house being lively again. It’s been so quiet since my son went off to college that I was beginning to forget what this was like.” The older stallion stared into a beer can himself and slowly spun the liquid inside around. Oh… that’s… Ah guess… everypony has their own problems, huh?

“So, what exactly did you do? This wasn’t because I took you out earlier, is it?” Luna asked. Ah shook my head.

“Naw, Ah think… this has been buildin’ up fer a while. Pappy… is real controllin’ when it comes ta me. Mac gets a lotta freedom. He can go out whenever, he can take the truck wherever, and as long as he calls before he stays the night somewhere, Pappy doesn’t mind. On the other hoof, Ah can’t even breathe without him gettin’ all up in my face about it. Ah should do this better, Ah should be more careful, Ah should be less trustin’, Ah should stay away from colts, Ah shouldn’t be out late, all that crap.

Course, any time Ah do anythin’ wrong, he brings up my parents and starts listin’ off the ways they screwed up and tellin’ me Ah’m gonna end up just like ‘em. Ah mean, it would be one thin’ if he treated Mac and Bloom the same way, but he never does. He babies that filly at every opportunity, and it’s… it’s almost like he and Mac are… friends, ya know? They talk and laugh with each other and it’s like… he’s his real son or somethin’.

Ah’ve been… tryin’ ta avoid work fer a while now because Ah can’t stand him constantly yellin’ at me fer every mistake, and today Ah… Ah lost my temper and finally fought back. He’s a little over sixty years old, but… today is the first day Ah ever thought he really looked old, ya know? It was like Ah hit him or somethin’ and Ah… Ah don’t know, it was all just awful. Ah… didn’t know a whole lot about Pa until Ah heard all his friends from all over the world comin’ ta that funeral and talkin’ about what kinda guy he was. He fought over seas, he was a part time firefighter, he as a racer, my Pa was… he was everythin’, and nopony ever said a bad word about him.

But Pappy… it’s like he can’t find a nice word ta say about him. It’s the same way with Ma, he never talks about her like she was even his daughter, ya know? ‘Ya act just like yer mother, ya look just like yer mother, ya talk just like yer mother,’ and he’s never complimentin’ me or anythin’, he’s always tellin’ me what a screw up Ah am fer it. Ah hardly even know anythin’ about her! She died when Ah was five, how in the world could Ah ever know why any of that is a bad thin’ if he never talks about her? Ah’ve asked about Ma half a million times, but he just gets pissed off and goes ta hide in his office! It’s so… damn infuriatin’! Ah just… don’t know what ta do anymore…”

The big blue unicorn wrapped me in a hug and patted my mane. Come on now, mares don’t cry, remember? Ah bit hard inta my cheek and she let go before the water works came on.

“I am so very sorry. Some ponies live short lives. Much like a flame that burns bright, those are the first to peter out. Before you cast judgement on him, you might take into consideration your grandfather’s position. I take it that you are with him because your parents had no siblings, correct?” Ah pulled my teeth out of my cheek finally and thought about that.

“Ah… no? Aunt Rosie has a big family, herself, and we’ve visited them a few times, but Ah’m pretty sure Ma had a younger brother and an older sister too. Yeah, Uncle Bosc and Aunt Barlett. Ah’ve met them a few times, but they live up on the north east and west coasts, so we only see them once every couple years fer Hearth’s Warmin’. And we have a ton of cousins, Ah think there’s like ten of us just from Pappy’s family. Aunt Rosie has like, eight kids, but she married inta the Oranges, so she lives in Manehattan. They’re… kinda loaded, so it’s always nice ta visit them.”

Luna leaned over and tapped a hoof ta her snout.

“Hmm… that is… strange. It’s typical for Equestrian families to take over for their siblings in the event of death, but rarer for the parents to resume care again due to age. You’ve only ever referred to a singular ‘Pappy,’ how many grandparents do you have?” Ah scratched at my neck.

“Oh, just the one. Granny lost a fight with cancer, so Pa got Sweet Apple Acres when Ah was just a foal. Ah never knew a Pappy on his side, and Ah never knew a Granny on Ma’s side either.” Luna nodded.

“You said your father served, right?” Ah nodded.

“He was a captain in the army. He fought in a battle over seas, but Ah don’t know much else. There are medals and the flag at Sweet Apple Acres, but we only go back there once every few months ta take care of the old house. Pa’s cousins are runnin’ the orchard till Mac comes of age. They’ve all got their own orchards ta run elsewhere, so they trade duty once a month. Pappy’s been teachin’ him how the business works with the pear orchard he owns here and we help out.”

Luna pulled out her phone from her hoodie pocket and started ta type stuff down.

“Would you mind giving me names? I… have some connections, and I can get you a good deal of information about your father. I’ll see what I can dig up about your mother while I’m at it, but I need full names to do a proper search. Both parents and your grandfather, if you would.”

“Oh. Bright Macintosh Apple, Buttercup Pear, and… Ah’m really not sure what Pappy’s real name is. Ah don’t even think Ah met him till after Ma died. He was introduced ta me as Pappy, so that’s all Ah’ve ever known. The ponies around town either call him Mr. Pear, or a few of the older ponies at church call him ‘Heir’ but… Ah’m not sure if that’s his full name or not.” The blue unicorn nodded and added some more ta her phone.

“Interesting… I believe I’m beginning to get a better picture of this. How old are you and your siblings?” Ah scratched at my ear.

“Uh… Mac turned sixteen not too long ago, and my thirteenth birthday was in May. Applebloom is eight. Ma… passed in labor with her.” Luna ran a hoof across her lips.

“That would explain that. While I have some suspicions, I don’t believe that your grandfather hates you or anything like that. What I do believe is that there is more to the story than you know, and it must pain him to think about it. If you resemble your mother as much as he seems to think you do, then there is a chance he fears you may get hurt or worse simply because of your temperament. For now, it may be for the best to wait and gather more information. It… hurts, to lose somepony close, as I’m sure you know and… seeing somepony repeat habits that you lost somepony to… makes the heart ache. I… know the feeling all too well.” She looked back at her phone, stretched, and then got up from the table.

“Anyways, it is getting late, and tonight is a school night after all. You two should get to bed.”

The bell rang, signalin’ that class was over and it was time fer Lunch. Ah got up from my desk and yawned. Rarity turned around and raised a brow at me.

“Goodness, you? Sleepy? What happened, were you up all night?” Ah shrugged and grabbed my saddle bags.

“Kinda. Ah got inta a fight with Pappy yesterday, and that got me kicked outta the house, so Ah stayed over at Twi’s. Problem is, they only have three beds there, so Ah ended up sharin’ with that mare we met yesterday.” Rarity lowered her brows.

“I’m sorry? You slept next to a stranger? Why didn’t you come to me? My house-” Ah cut her off and shook my head.

“Is dealin’ with just as much shit as Ah am, and Ah don’t want ta cause y’all a problem while thin’s are startin’ ta repair themselves. Ah got ta know her enough, Luna’s not a bad pony. It wasn’t that bad anyways. Ah got some of the best sleep Ah ever had, really. Even had a real nice dream about my parents, and Ah’m not usually one ta dream at all. Course, there was somethin’ weird about it all. See, that bed was kinda small and everythin’ so Ah was basically sleepin’ on top of that big unicorn, but as Ah was startin’ ta wake up, it almost felt like… Ah was… wrapped in feathers. Like there was a big ol’ pair of wings around me. It was the strangest thin’. Nothin’ but unicorns in that house.” Rarity frowned.

“That… is odd. Are you sure she didn’t… do anything to you? After mother started to… open up about her line of work, I have become privy to… horrible, awful stories of the things ponies will do to each other. Mares our age get taken advantage of all the time, so…” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Come on Rarity, do ya really think Celestia of all ponies would let somepony nasty next ta Twi? That’s her sister fer the goddess’s sake.” Rarity blinked.

“Come again? She’s who’s sister? What does Celestia have to do with Twilight?”

Hmm… maybe… Ah should keep that one ta myself. After seein’ them sleepin’ there together like that, there ain’t a doubt in my mind anymore.

“Uh… never mind. Point is, Ah really doubt that Celestia’s sister would do anythin’ like that ta anypony. Anyways, Ah don’t have time fer this. Luna sent me some stuff about my parents and Ah need ta get ta the library so Ah can look at it.” Rarity put her elbow on the table and raised a brow at me.

“Is that so? Fine, don’t talk to your best friend, I don’t need to know anything. I’ll just, sit here and eat my lunch and you can go off and explore your history, leaving me all alone. I don’t need company. I’m sure Twilight might talk to me if she and Fluttershy can ever find the time between their card games. I’ll be fine.” Ah took a deep breath and shook my head.

“You’re a needy bitch, ya know that? Come on.” Rarity happily grabbed her backpack and wrapped a foreleg around my neck as we walked.

“Yay! Thank you, Applejack♥” Ah puffed air out my snout and wearily stared at the ceilin’.

“Goddess damn it.”

“So… I don’t know about you, but this looks… official, doesn’t it?” Rarity asked. Ta be honest, Ah agreed with her. What Luna sent me were two files. One was a very detailed history of what my Pa did in the military, and the other was a little information about Ma. The first document was long, typed in some really thin, code-like font that was typical of government documents, and the other looked like a few snippets out of old newspaper articles gathered and pasted inta a word document.

“Ah… yeah, it does. Ah can only wonder how she got a hold of this.” Rarity shrugged.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter, we should just read it and move on.” Ah nodded.

“Bright Macintosh Apple, born September 20th, 1974, deceased August 10th, 2012. Entered service in 1992, fought in skirmishes and liberation operations in… some country on the other side of the world, and rose ta the rank of captain after takin’ over fer his deceased commandin’ officer in one of his missions. In 1996, he was discharged with honors, one Equestrian Moon, one Equestrian Sun, an Alicorn Spirit, and twelve service ribbons. Bright was a noble soul… blah, blah, blah, more dick suckin’ from the government, and… oh, here we go!

In 1996 Bright returned home and made a decision ta exit the service after hearin’ about the death of his father as he was returnin’ ta Equestria. Later that year, Bright met and was married ta a young mare named Buttercup Pear and shortly thereafter had his first son in 1997. He went on ta have two daughters in 2000 and 2005, but due ta complications, his wife died in labor with his last daughter, the foal survived however. In 2003, his mother, Anne Smith Apple, fell ta cancer and passed ta him Sweet Apple Acres, which he ran with the help of his children and relatives for nine years.

In 2012, Palomino suffered a dry spell like no other and a heat wave of unprecedented temperatures in the state, raisin’ the record high ta 117 degrees Fahrenheit. A fire had broken out in a bakery near the small town’s school and grew inta a wild blaze. Ponies were trapped in the bakery, and bein’ nearby, Bright stepped inta the flames in an attempt ta rescue the bakers. After escapin’ alive with the baker’s family, Bright was admitted ta Ponyville General Hospital where he would succumb to a number of burn related wounds and smoke inhalation.

His children were given ta his Father-in-law, Heirloom Pear, at his request, and his body was buried at the Sweet Apple’s End private cemetery in Ponyville, Palomino. Bright will be remembered as who he was when he lived, a stallion of valor. With hundreds of operations and Equestria’s highest honors under his belt, he will be an example of a hero ta all future enlistees. And… that’s all this says.” Rarity frowned.

“Well, that makes it sound like he was a war hero.” Ah frowned and nodded.

“He was a war hero. And he was a good stallion, so it never made sense ta me why Pappy seems ta hate the guy. Pa… was always kind, and he’d tell ya that ya fucked up as soon as ya did it, but he would always tell us why what we did was wrong. Ah didn’t always understand it, but in the last couple years, a lot of the stuff he told us made sense.

Ah don’t know if Pa was book smart, but he was wise. A lot of the ponies at the funeral talked about what good advice the guy could give, and a lot of ‘em talked about how he was a tough guy. Ah mean, this seems ta hold true ta that. But, Ah knew all this. Well, save fer what medals he got specifically, but it’s not like Ah know what those are worth or anythin’.”

Rarity put a hoof under her elbow and another under her chin.

“Well, let’s read the other one and see what it says. Maybe we’re missing something here.” Ah shrugged.

“Alright…” Ah moved the mouse and double clicked on the other file. “Ah guess Ah’ll start with the first one.

June 26^th, 2005.

Buttercup Apple, age 24, born August 17^th, 1980, dies in-” Rarity shook her head and held out her hooves.

“Woah, woah, woah, wait just a second. 1980? And the other page said your father was born when?” Ah tabbed over and read the top of the page again.

“1974. What about it?” Rarity reared her head back.

“What about it!? He was six years older than her! When was your brother born?” Ah lowered my brows.

“April 11^th, 1997.” Rarity brought her hooves ta her mouth.

“Applejack. Your father was 22, and your mother was 16 when your brother was born.” Ah hunched over my chair and brought a hoof ta my lips. Oh. Oh, that sounds bad. Why does that sound bad? If it were me, then that means… Ah’d have my first time… just before my sixteenth birthday… in three years. Which… also means she was a minor at the time. And he was not. Ah swallowed.

“M-maybe there’s more ta this? Ah mean… m-my parents loved each other, there’s… there’s no doubt about that, they were… they never fought, Mac never said anythin’ about fightin’, so…”

The stallion y’all knew and the one that raped my daughter… Raped my daughter. Raped my daughter. Raped my daughter.

“Applejack!? Applejack, breathe!”

Ah finally realized why my chest felt so tight and took a very deep and heavy breath. “Applejack? What’s wrong? Why did you freeze up?” Ah brought my hooves ta my head and tried ta cover my ears.

“P-pappy… h-he said that Pa… P-pa… H-he said that he r…” Ah felt breakfast startin’ ta come up the back of my throat and found a nearby trash can in the empty library. She rubbed at my back until Ah was finally done and then passed me some paper towels. Ah wiped my mouth and then held my head in my hooves over the keyboard.

“P-pappy said that… Pa… r-raped Ma.” Rarity swallowed.

“What? When? Surely, he could’ve just been-” Ah shook my head.

“N-no, Pappy doesn’t lie ta us. He was furious at me. Ah… Ah’d just cursed him out because… because Ah couldn’t take it anymore and he said… he said that. He didn’t yell, he didn’t threaten me, he… he just said that…”

After that, the library was quiet. Ah don’t know that Ah had a thought in however long the silence lasted, but Ah couldn’t do anythin’ else but sit and stare the black keys in front of me. Ah felt… empty. Cold. Like Ah was trapped in ice and couldn’t move. Every hair on my coat felt like it was standin’ on end and Ah… didn’t know what ta do. Finally, the bell rang ta call fer the end of lunch, and robotically, Ah made my way back ta standin’.

“Applejack?” Ah shook my head.

“Ah… think Ah need sometime alone. If anypony asks… just tell ‘em Ah went home sick. There’s proof in that trash can, Ah…” Ah took a deep breath and wiped at my eyes.

“Ah need ta be alone.”

Ah drove the mini-truck ta school this mornin’ since Ah still had it, and Ah’d just about circled town in it thinkin’ about the story. It’s plausible, but… somethin’ wasn’t sittin’ right with me, and Ah couldn’t figure out what.

Is that really how it happened? Pa… Pa did that ta her? Ah mean… Ah can’t say that… it doesn’t make any sense, he’d just got home from war and his Pa had died. Sad and lonely and… and what about her? Was she just a victim? Or… did she let it happen? Naw, Pa was huge. Mac is just like him, and he was fresh out of the service, if he… if he really wanted ta… he coulda done that ta… just about any mare… but… but he was Pa! He wouldn’t have done that ta Ma, he just wouldn’t… but… but why would Pappy say that otherwise? Did he do it just ta hurt me? Did he do it because he wanted ta make me upset?

Luna said there was more ta the story, but… what else could there be? He always rags on Pa fer bein’ a bad pony, and… and if he did that ta Ma, Ah… Ah can’t say he’s wrong. But… actually, that’s doesn’t make a whole lotta sense. If Pa really did hurt her like that… Ow!

Ah felt a sharp pain at my hip, and Ah whipped around ta see one of those little demonic bastards had pinched me with one of his claws.

“WHAT ARE YOU!?” Ah slammed it with my hoof, and the little monster splattered on the seat. Ah stopped the ATV and wiped the goo off my hoof. Yuck. Goddess, that was gross. The sticky black stuff was warm and felt a lot like the grease that comes off a machine in desperate need of lubrication. Old, dirty oil even. Ah was about ta start up the ATV again, when Ah felt another pinch, this time it hurt more.

“What the…?” Ah turned my head and there was one on my shoulder. Ah slapped it off since Ah didn’t want that oily shit on my uniform, and that was where Ah made my mistake. When Ah turned my head ta see where it went, the bed of the mini-truck was filled with shiny black shells and little red eyes. There could’ve been a hundred of ‘em and they were all swarmin’ around. Ah froze in place, and then the bugs stopped. They all turned, and they focused all eight hundred of those little eyes on me. Can’t really tell emotion on a bug’s face, but these thin’s were definitely angry.

“Holy shit!” Ah ditched the ATV and took off at full gallop. The black wave followed close behind, and they were gainin’ on me.

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Run fer yer life, ya dumb broad! Ah was way in the outskirts of the outskirts town, and ya could hardly see a buildin’ from this far away, even with the fog as light as it was today. Ah was right next ta the river on a dirt road, and ya wouldn’t find ponies anywhere fer at least a couple miles, there wasn’t even a bridge out of town anywhere on this side of the interstate highway.

Ah felt one land on my back hoof and Ah screamed at the top of my lungs. Ah bucked even harder with every step, but it just wouldn’t come off. It started ta cut me with its pincers and it hurt like hell. Ah twisted around and slammed my leg against the ground ta finally kill the little demon, but that gave the other bugs time ta catch up on me. Ah was just about ta get overrun, when Ah heard the music.

“Oh, fuck, kid, you picked a bad time.”

The bugs and Ah froze in place when we saw the big mare on the motorcycle, but then Ah realized what was happenin’ and rolled as fast as Ah could. Celestia fell off the bike, and it tipped and rolled, slammin’ metal and rubber on the spot Ah was just in, killin’ a good number of them bugs. The white mare grabbed me in her magic while her snout was still in the dirt, and threw me behind her. Ah landed hard on my skirt, and then she woozily started ta make a stand. She got up on two hooves, barely stable and clutchin’ her head in the helmet.

“Goddess, what the f- urp did she do to me?” The bugs were on the move again, and they still weren’t done with me. They came close, but just as they reached her, an acoustic guitar appeared in Celestia’s hooves and she golf swung it at the swarm.

TWANG!

The little monsters evaporated en masse, and some of the other ones started ta glitch out, like they were noise on a computer or somethin’.

“W-what are these things even? T-this wasn’t part of my p-plan, you’re… urp you’re too stable f-for me to- URP. Goddess. Did she poison me? N-no, this is alcohol at work… s-she spiked my bee- urp.” The monsters resumed their pursuit and Celestia was barely standin’ in one place. She was swayin’ like a boat on rocky waters and missin’ more than she was hittin’.

“Just fucking die!”

TWANG

She slammed her guitar on another group, but now it was almost as if the little demons had gotten smarter. They came in groups and waves, and Celestia would get distracted by one group and miss another as they attacked in formation. She got pinched once and stomped the little bastard, then got pinched by another two while she was killin’ the other.

“That’s it! I’m too drunk for this shit! F- urp off!” She flipped her guitar around so that it was across her chest and took one of her massive hooves and strummed all six strings at once. The sound was so loud that it was almost defeanin’, but the harmony it made was dark and poignant. The little bugs started ta glitch out again, some of ‘em even evaporated, but it wasn’t enough ta get rid of all of em. She did it again, but even less of the bugs disappeared.

“Oh, for f- urp’s sake!” She raised her other hoof and the green bass appeared in it. She took both guitars by the necks and swung them around in a circle at her side. A tone started ta sound outta the acoustic, and a different one came outta the bass. She spun them again, and then both tones resonated. On her third arc, she slammed both guitar bodies together, and instead of smashin’ the acoustic ta pieces, the instruments merged in golden light ta become somethin’ else. It was some kinda double-necked, gold-rimmed, green-wood guitar that was almost a perfect merge of the two. She flipped the combined instrument around, holdin’ it properly now, and strummed both bridges.

The sound… was like bein’ washed in electrifyin’ warm water. It was as invigoratin’ as it was calm, it was as energized as it was peaceful, it was as orange as it was blue, all kinds of opposites mixed together at once ta create some kind of amazin’ balance that Ah wasn’t sure Ah even understood. As Ah watched her, astounded in the moment, Ah could swear fer an instant that it wasn’t a big, white, unicorn mare Ah was lookin’ at, but a big, yellow, earth pony stallion.

The black demons all glitched in rapid frenzied noise until they screeched and faded out of existence. When the sound started ta dissipate, Celestia turned back ta me and smiled sweetly, almost like a mother would, and then slowly but surely fell on her back. She landed hard on the scrub grass and groaned, less like she was in pain, but more like she felt sick.

“Oooooh, Goddess… URP! I am sooooo fucked tomorrow. I should n-not have done that without the amp. I wish you would’ve h-had yours already. Wouldn’t have b-urp-een so bad if I didn’t have to force resonance. Ugh. Why aren’t you in school? It’s like,” she glared at the sun, “One thirty-eight and twenty-seven seconds.” The pain in my back-left ankle made me limp, but Ah made my way over ta Celestia.

“W-well… Ah uh… When Ah was fightin’ with Pappy yesterday, he said somethin’ Ah didn’t get at the time, but… Luna gave me some information on my parents today, and now Ah’m not sure. Pappy said that Pa r… he um… f-forced himself on Ma. And, my brother was born a little after Pa’s Pa died, and he got home from fightin’ overseas. And… he was 22 and Ma was 16, w-when Mac was born. Pappy always says that Ah act too much like Ma and Ah’ll end up 16 and pregnant like she did, but Ah never… Ah never knew that that really happened. Ah didn’t know how old they were, Ah just knew they were Ma and Pa and we lived on the orchard together. Now Ah… Ah don’t know. Ah don’t know what ta do, what ta think.” The pain in my ankle flared up suddenly and Ah grabbed it and tried ta squeeze the pain away.

“AND THOSE FUCKIN’ THIN’S KEEP POPPIN UP! Gah! What even are they!? Why me!? Damn it!”

Celestia started ta rub at her temples, then her horn lit up fer a second, and the pain was gone. Ah pulled my hoof away, and the blood was still there, but it was like the wound never existed in the first place.

“C-can you like, stop yelling? Goddess, this migraine is going to murder me. Geez. Alright, alright, alright, t-two things. Urp. One, two things can be true at once. If he was a soldier, depressed, and lonely, there is a chance he could’ve taken it out on the first mare he saw that got him hard. Two, he may very well have fallen in love with that mare afterward. L-love is… a weird, weird thing. It hurts you, it makes you feel good, it makes you angry, it makes you happy, it’s the thing that c-can have you feel several emotions at once, and have you not understand why.

So, you don’t know the whole story, and what your g-grandfather says might just be him still bitter at whatever happened. If he believes that your father raped your mother, then he will hate your father f-for the rest of his life with not a chance of reprieve. S-stallions have an instinct to protect mares they’re close to, i-it’s kinda their job. Urp. Goddess, I wish my stomach would settle.

S-so if she came to him crying and saying that somepony did that to her, he may very well have gone out with a gun looking to commit a murder, regardless of the consequences. It flares up anger in p-ponies unlike anything else and it c-can drive ponies to kill each other. Urp. But, the thing that doesn’t make sense to me is you.

I-if he really did rape her, why do you exist? Even further, why does your little sister exist? If you’re kid two, and she’s kid three, how could a rape have started this family? Unless there was some serious Stockholm’s going on, an act of cruelty doesn’t breed mutual love. Now, I’m not a-about to say your dad was as pure as the driven snow, he was a soldier, and a decorated one at that, he’s definitely killed a few ponies before. Doing that… takes a bit of your soul away. We create monsters out of ponies because only monsters can fight monsters sometimes, whether they’re our monsters first or theirs.

If I had a bit for every time a war hardened soldier had raped a mare that I knew about, I would be a very rich pony. I-I wouldn’t condone it, but to come back from that and still be sane while remaining ethical takes a special kind of stallion, and there are only so many of those in the thousands that are sent to battle. There’s only so much you can do with a complicated issue like that.

Your story though? If I were to guess, I would say it went something like this; he gets home, sees his father’s funeral, and goes to a bar to drink his sorrows away. Some pretty little thing walks in, and maybe she’s underage, maybe the bar shouldn’t have let her in, maybe she managed to get a drink because she was young and pretty, and stallions will do anything to get a piece of ass, so maybe the bar looked the other way. If that happened, and he took her home and put a foal in her, then really, that was her fault. She shouldn’t have been there, but nopony stopped her either.

The pony that should have stopped her would be her father. So, if this highly plausible scenario happened, then there is a chance that her father thought better of her, and couldn’t believe that she put herself in this situation. So, there’s the argument between them, then there’s your dad. Ponies’ lives depended on this guy. This guy saved... goddess only knows how many lives. He was awarded an Alicorn Spirit, that’s not something just anypony can get, you have to achieve a deed of such valor that countless lives were saved in the process. A stallion like that understands what it means to be responsible for your actions.

If he found out about getting this young mare he didn’t even know pregnant, then he probably stood up to her father, said it was his mistake and went and married her. Now, a thing you might not know, the male gender is prone to bouts of stubbornness unfathomable to the female side. Stallions can do things and be convicted of these things, even if they’re proved wrong. That isn’t to say mares can’t, it’s just less common on this side. Another thing that is unfathomable to one side and not the other is the loyalty that intercourse can spawn in a mare.

Sex is not impersonal for mares, and it never will be. It is… well, I won’t do that to a filly your age. I forget my audience. Let’s put it this way, if I could ever catch the bastard, I’d probably have a few more of my own. Anyways, your mother, being the young idiot she was, as all young ponies are at some point in their lives, likely thought the world of a stallion willing to fight her father for her. Now, in this situation, who do you think wins? Daddy? Or the stallion whose son she’s carrying? The answer is not her father.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been betrayed before, but that right there? That is like a slap to the face and a spiky pole up the ass. There is not a pony in the world who wouldn’t be bitter about that, and if this all ‘theoretically’ happened to your mother, your grandfather was likely furious beyond words.

So, he straight up kicks her out. Something like, ‘My daughter would never have done that, so you clearly aren’t my daughter,’ but in that southern mudpony flavor. Uh. Don’t… don’t repeat that, please. That was a slur, and you don’t know it, but your grandfather might. So uh. Don’t. I’m sorry.

Anyways, he kicks her out, your parents find out that they love each other in a sort of backwards relationship, and they make another kid. Her father cut ties, so he knows nothing. Somewhere in here, he loses his wife to something, but is still too stubborn to tell his daughter that. She has another kid, but problems come up, and she dies. Devastated by the loss of his wife and feeling an obligation as the ‘Stallion of the House,’ your father tells her father that she’s dead.

Unable to believe, and unable truly stop caring about what happened to his baby, he comes to see you for the first time. He’s devastated. ‘How could this happen?’ is the only thing that he can think because not only is his baby dead, but he sees the family that the stallion he hates with all his heart created not one, but three abominations that love and care for their parents, and even accept her bitter father into their hearts. Twisting, heart-wrenching pain through it all, and what’s worse? One of them looks just like his baby girl used to. He can see the filly she used to be in that little girl, and it brings him nothing but sorrow.

So, time goes on, he likely can’t stand the thought of that stallion he hates alone with his grandkids, so he attempts to be more involved in their lives. In a twist of fate, he begins to see that, maybe, just maybe, this stallion didn’t hurt his daughter the way he always believed, and his kids… are turning out alright. To be proven wrong, so, so very wrong about it all, and cutting his daughter off from his life, only to lose her eight years later… that doesn’t make it better, that makes it worse. All he can do to keep going is to pour his all into his grandkids, and pour his hate into that stallion because otherwise, he might just break.

Then, the unexpected happens. Just when things look like they’ll be fine and the kids are alright, he goes and dies. Not only does he die, he dies a heroic death in saving the lives of a new family. That stallion failed to do his job and finish raising his kids. And what does he do? In his last moments, he says that their grandfather is the only one he would trust his children with, because nopony cares about them more than he does. Even in death, the stallion he hates mocks him further by trusting him with the lives of the ponies that that stallion cared about the most.

In his unending fury, he has no choice but to honor those wishes and do what he can for these foals, if only just to get back at him. ‘Look what I did! I finished your job because you couldn’t! Take that!’ he shouts to the sky as he cries tears of rage. Just as he was beginning to accept this pony, he loses him too. Then, he has you in his life, constantly. Every little thing she does… is just like her mother. She’s pretty like her mother, she’s stubborn like her mother, she’s wild like her father, she’s responsible like her father, and then the fear that it might all play itself out again creeps in.

‘I can never let that happen,’ he says to himself. So, he treats you as strictly as he can, because he’s worried about how you turn out more than anypony else. It’s not just a promise to his wife that he won’t let his daughter end up like this anymore, it’s a promise to her, her daughter, and her son-in-law and his children that yet live. Seeing it happen again would mean that he still failed even after all the mistakes he regrets, and that, would be the day he dies.”

Ah didn’t know what ta say. She said this was all hypothetical, but… it just sounds too close ta true. Celestia started ta rise, and now on four hooves, she looked like she was feelin’ better.

“Well. That took a lot out of me, but I think I’m feeling-” She turned away, heaved and vomited, then fell ta her side clutchin’ her head.

“O-okay, n-never mind,” she said weakly. “W-will you call my bike? I d-don’t think I can get myself home like this.”

Ah imagine she saw the confusion on my face, and then said, “Just… just think about the Harley and he’ll come. G-go put that thing in neutral and tie it to the back, t-there’s a chain in the saddle bags. D-don’t worry about trying to drive, you c-can just… think about where you want to go and he’ll take you there. Oh goddess, Luna, why would you poison me? T-the last two notes are almost ready. I… I can build it, I… I can… get him back…”

“Ugh, nopony is home,” Celestia groaned. She was clutchin’ her stomach and usin’ me as a third leg, and damn it all, was she heavy. Even half standin’ on her own, there is no way this mare don’t weigh twice as much as Mac does.

The drive home was relatively easy, all thin’s considered. The Harley, which Ah think Ah heard her call ‘Somby’ once or twice, really did just kinda operate on his own. It was almost like all Ah had ta do was tell somepony where Ah wanted ta be, and he just… did it. Ah didn’t end up even puttin’ the chain on the ATV, the bike did that on its own when Ah touched the saddle bags. It was… very strange. Ah managed ta support her weight all the way up ta Twi’s room, and once she finally made it ta the bed, she relaxed a bit.

“Oh, thank you, I… this may be more than Alcohol poisoning, or an extreme variety of it. I-I don’t think Luna would try to kill me, but she is definitely trying to keep me stationary for some reason.” Not quite sure what ta say, Ah just stood there awkward like and said the first thin’ that came ta mind.

“Ah uh… thank ya back, Ah guess. Ah’m not dead right now, so… yeah.” She shook her head.

“No, no, I need you alive. You still have to do something for me. S-speaking of, there’s a guitar case in the closet. Take out the green bass and keep it with you wherever you go. The shadows… they will come back. I don’t know what they are yet. A powerful harmony can kill them, but these things are resilient to magic and force, so be careful about that. There’s a melody in you, and if you ever find yourself in desperate need, just reach inside and take hold of it. If you’re overwhelmed, call for Somby and play the chord. He will come… he always does. What are… you doing next?” Ah scratched at my neck.

“Ah think… Ah think Ah’m gonna go see Pappy and figure this out once and fer all. And uh… probably apologize while Ah’m at it.” She nodded and burped.

“Bleh. That’s good… Never forget that in the end, he does what he does out of love. Looking at you and seeing your mother is… painful for him. I know because… when I look at her, I… I see him. I hate how it makes me feel… I would… sacrifice everything to give her what she deserves… to fix what’s broken, but you… don’t have to. Don’t let this stupid argument… break your bonds. Broken bonds… are difficult to repair. Take the bike, when you go. He can out run those things. That little ATV can’t.” And with that, she rolled over and started ta breathe softly.

Well. That reinforces that theory. Ah wonder who all knows? She doesn’t, that much is clear, but… why doesn’t she know? Ah shook my head and figured that it was about time Ah got a move on. Ah took the case outta the closet, but when Ah opened it, it looked empty. It was a black vinyl case made of some heavy-duty plastic as far as Ah could tell, but there was somethin’ weird about it.

No matter which way Ah turned it, Ah couldn’t see the back. Ah put my hoof in ta touch the back, but even though my foreleg went well beyond where this thin’ should end, it kept goin’. By the time Ah’d put my whole shoulder in, Ah finally found the neck of that bass and pulled it out. Ah stared at the case and the bass in my hoof fer a while before Ah decided it better not ta question and move on with life.