July 1st, 1021 Domina Solaria
Twenty Years Later
Near the top of Mount Change Tse - the closest of the towering mountains to Yakyakistan while still being located in the Crystal Empire - lies a modest apple orchard, terraced against the steep slopes. In the center of that, built mostly into the mountain, protrudes an even more modest villa. But the view couldn’t be better: on a clear day, one can see most of the way down the mountain, and all the way across Equestria.
The railroad leading to the city Change Tse, primarily built and operated by Hive Industries, stops at the Lower Tse changeoff. It’s always fun to watch the song and dance as cargo and cheapskates go to the utilitarian lift, while passengers who splurge on a ticket ride a circuitous route around the mountain’s exterior. Faint bubbles can be seen on many of the nearby peaks, though none are quite as majestic as the Hive’s main base of operations.
Doug watches the blinking lights of the train pierce into Change Tse’s bubble from his customary spot on the roof of the villa. His auburn hair has darkened to a salt and pepper that gets saltier with every passing year. His lean and muscular build has been weathered over the years from the high altitude, and he finds he can’t go nearly as many days without wearing a light jacket purely for warmth. One hand, calloused from years of farm work and hewing stone, swirls a glass of sweet apple cider. The other rests comfortably in the sunburnt mane of the Apple matron Applejack. Her blond shows more hints of gray than she’d like to admit, yet would never hide. She tilts up her battered Stetson, favorite despite rows of newer ones that everypony, for some reason, insists on getting her. She beams a quick smile at her stallion, cooing at the affirming squeeze to the back of her neck in response, and raises her head to Castle Change.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna stand on the southern facing balcony of the squat beacon, grinning broadly. Around the city heads turn up as not Princess Celestia but Princess Dawn strides forward. The reddish orange alicorn, cutie mark of a sun and moon cresting the horizon, closes her eyes as she concentrates, her tongue sticking out just the barest amount. Her sister, Princess Dusk, matches her steps. The pale blue alicorn has a nearly identical cutie mark, the differing background of their coats the only difference. The alicorns bask in dawn’s glow as the sun rises above the mountains far to the east, and the moon sets below the mountains far to the west, their duties complete.
Celestia leaves first, Luna following, gliding down to the villa’s landing zone built specially for their heavier weight. The white alicorn joins Doug and Applejack, greeting with a pleasant, “Morning,” and nuzzling her stallion warmly.
“Morning,” Doug returns, nuzzling Luna next. “Enjoying being just a figurehead?”
“I dare say retirement suits me,” Celestia says, though her eyes flick to one of the neighboring bubbles, the furthest to the east.
“Thou has not quite earned the title of ‘retiree’, given how frequently you are ‘requested’ to ‘assist’ in the formulation of a new city’s charter and governance.” Luna sticks her tongue out at her Sister, Celestia returning a quick flick of her own. “Or the reams of papers you sift through every day.”
“I’m just trying to stay on top of the daily news, and it’s all freelance work anyway. With so many frontier towns and cities sprouting up, and new ponies?” Celestia snorts as Cadance flies up from the train as it passes under the villa. “Besides, you’re one to talk. You haven’t taken a night off in, how long has it been?”
“That is only because Midnight is more suited to running the Night Court, just as your Noon runs the Day. Perhaps we must convince Magic to conceive again, were our desire to abandon our duties as strong as yours.”
“I heard somepony needs my help!” Cadance calls as she lands next to Doug, a single suitcase carried in her pink aura. “Morning, everypony.”
“Morning, Cadance. You can ignore them, they just want to get another set of four in,” Doug says with a grin, greeting Cadance with a nuzzle. A crack appears in his chipper expression, a slight hesitation in his voice. “Is Shining Armor coming?”
Cadance sighs heavily, her cheerful expression fading. “He still hasn’t forgiven you, Doug, even after all this time. He knows it was Harmony’s doing, not yours, and we all agreed. But every time he sees Rage? I can see her namesake in his eyes, even if he says and does nothing.”
“It’s been eighteen years,” Doug says, matching Cadance’s heavy sigh. He continues after a short delay, shaking his head. “Well, tell him I hope he’s doing well.”
“I will,” Cadance says, her smile returning. She glances towards Applejack’s pregnant belly, showing after four months. What was a quick glance turns to a longing gaze. “Didn’t you say something about stopping after a dozen?”
“Well, Ah figured Ah’d make it an even baker’s dozen,” Applejack says with a chuckle. “Ah’m still hoping one of ‘em will go into farming, but ever since Big Mac took over at Sweet Apple Acres with his herd’n Pomarbo it’s been looking less and less likely.” She glances around at the apple trees surrounding them. “Maybe one o’ the littlest will take over for me here, but they keep goin’ into the business side of things instead of the harvestin’. How’re yours doing?”
“Flurry Heart still governs the Crystal Capital, and always looks for ways to assist with my Princess duties. Now that it encompasses all these new cities popping up in the Frozen North? I’m quite thankful for the help. Rage continues to live up to her name, and thankfully her smiting is focused on taming the land. If you didn’t hear, they’re breaking ground northeast of Manehatten, the largest peak that’s close to the Griffon Lands. Of course, they’re getting their primaries ruffled, claiming all sorts of nonsense about us spying on them, but there’s nothing they can do about it.”
“They sent me a postcard, and I think I’ve gotten two death threats from the Griffons, but it's the same vague nonsense they always pull. I might need to check for more.” Doug turns to Celestia and Luna, “How are the rest of the Mortals doing?”
“Grief is doing well, as is Ignorance,” Celestia says, Luna confirming with a nod. “You’ll have to ask Twilight the specifics of Hope, but they were recovering from fabricating the latest Crystal Heart last I heard. I don’t get to see them nearly as frequently as Dawn; since I have promised to be with her every dawn until the Council is satisfied? There isn’t much chance of that changing, not that I would want it to.”
“Hopefully they’ll be able to make it,” Doug says brightly, glancing towards the hallway leading inside the mountain and the majority of the villa. Dozens of ponies stream into the outside area from both above and below. They run the gamut of unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. Every age is represented; from herds just starting out with young foals, young mares who recently earned a cutie mark, and singles figuring out their careers. Applejack leaves with Celestia and Luna, going to greet many of the newcomers. “Ah, and here’s the other half of Equestria’s expansion into the north!”
“You see me every week,” Chief Architect Chrysalis greets icily. She glances over at Applejack, seeing the earth pony frown. “Well, most weeks.” She hides her sly wink at Doug, “We still on for tonight?”
“Sure,” Doug confirms as Applejack shakes her head and looks away, any animosity about Chrysalis monopolizing her stallion long past. “This make a thousand?” Doug asks, though no other changelings are visible among the ponies, and not because they are transformed. “Can’t believe you haven’t found another stallion that suits your needs better, after all this time.”
“Thereabouts, and the others are far too bright and colorful.” Chrysalis shakes her head; her nymphs with Doug almost always come out in a very similar color scheme to her, rather than the garish pinks and bright blues of, say, Shining Armor. She plops down next to Doug and stares out over the expansive view. “I keep telling you, the view from the castle itself is better.”
“Yes, well, I enjoy being a bit more off the beaten path,” Doug says as two earth pony foals, one a burnt orange and the other a dull red, force their way forwards and leap into his lap. He hugs the two foals close, exclaiming, “Oh, look how big you’ve gotten!” Following close behind is a brown earth pony mare, Applebaum all grown up. His attention turns to her, saying, “I still say I’m too old to be a grandpa.”
“Great grandpa,” Applebaum corrects, smiling broadly. “Gray Shoal should be right up, him and Trap made sure to bring extra diapers this time.”
“Wouldn’t want a repeat of their last visit,” Doug says, shaking his head. His hands scrunch up the two foal’s manes, gently pulling their heads back to look them in the eyes. “How are Seismic and Spire?”
“Other than getting into everything they could on the ride over, couldn’t be better.” Applebaum leans over, whispering, “The best part is, I get to give them back.”
“I believe I told you the same thing with Trap and Mine,” Doug says with a grin, “though I seem to have misplaced my candy.”
At the mention of the word the two foals bounce excitedly, spinning every which direction to try to find the promised sweets. When it doesn’t immediately make itself apparent they employ their best hurt and betrayed looks at Doug, the human’s hard exterior quickly crumbling.
“Auntie Twilight made a map,” Doug says, motioning towards the towns far below. He pulls a thin slab of stone upwards, the map mirroring the panoramic view. Each little cluster of buildings, roads, and railroad tracks is labeled in a tiny, flowing script. “You wouldn’t know what it was like before, but many of them didn’t even exist twenty years ago. Do you know where you live?”
The two foals study the landscape, then the view, then back to the map. Spire yelps, pointing a red hoof at a small chocolate placed over one of the small mining towns to the west. She gobbles it up, her sister’s orange hoof finding the other piece next to it.
“Very good!” Doug says, smirking at Applebaum’s roll of the eyes. “You get to see where everypony has gone.” His voice fades as he looks around at the twelve mares, forty foals, and nearly one hundred grandfoals crowding themselves around the villa. Each of them has a location marked on the map, nearly the entirety glowing. “So many ponies.”
“And here’s your favorite one!” Rainbow Dash exclaims as she lands, neatly pulling to a stop just above Doug. The two foals screech in delight, scampering out of Doug’s lap and forcing Applebaum to chase them down. She takes several deep breaths. “You doing all right, you big lug?”
“Better, now that you’re here,” Doug says with a smile and a hug for the chromatic pegasus. “You know, if you lived here, the high altitude wouldn’t bother you so much.”
“Yeah, well, the Crystal Heart does too good a job keeping the weather nice. If I ever look to retire, I’ll become head weathermare here.” Rainbow Dash smirks, then pulls out two Wonderbolt themed balls as a pair of white pegasus fillies charge forward. Both eschew the balls as they fly into Doug’s lap, getting a tight hug, a cyan pegasus stallion following behind.
“Sorry, dam, they’re more into strategy board games now,” Divine Wind says, offering a conciliatory smile, though he keeps the balls just in case.
“You mean, like, Storm Hunters?” Rainbow Dash asks hopefully, looking down at the fillies with a broad smile. They both stick their tongues out in disgust, Rainbow Dash pouting.
“Maybe something slightly more challenging,” Divine Wind says apologetically.
“Yeah, whatever,” Rainbow Dash says, rolling her eyes. “Hey, Grandmare Dash wants to see how your flying skills are coming along! Up and at ‘em!”
The two fillies moan but dutifully take to the air, flying off, Rainbow Dash giving chase.
Now that there is an opening Fluttershy cautiously approaches, furtively looking left and right. She warily watches Chrysalis, the large changeling licking her lips forebodingly. “Um,” Fluttershy says as she gets close, sticking to the opposite side of Chrysalis, “Have you ever thought of, um, inviting less ponies to these reunions?”
“Well, it’s just every five years, and it lets Pinkie Pie show off those party planning skills of hers,” Doug says, motioning backwards to where the pink mare is hard at work feeding the multitude. “Besides, you’re always free to bring the herd up here at other times.”
“I suppose,” Fluttershy says meekly, “but I don’t like leaving the animals in Ponyville alone for so long.”
“Even with Hedge and the others running that sanctuary thing?” Doug shrugs. “Yeah, I guess if you all are making the trip up here, and you had a lot of animals that need help.”
“Pretty much; it’s a lot like Rarity, and how she can’t make it because of some Manehatten business thing or another.”
“That’s a shame,” Doug says, sighing disappointingly. “I was hoping everypony would be able to make it.”
“Well, there are a lot of us.” Fluttershy glances around the party, looking for her little ones, none of whom are so ‘little’ any more. “I was glad I was able to make the trip. We had a beaver and a manticore get into a nasty argument, and it ended with the beaver dropping a tree onto the manticore’s tail.”
“That sounds incredibly painful,” Doug says, wincing. “I guess you were able to help her?”
“Yep! She’s got a cast, and is healing, so doesn’t need a lot of looking after,” Fluttershy says chipperly. She looks over as Applejack starts directing everypony with a large bullhorn. “Oh, I think we’re about to take a group picture!”
“Right,” Doug says, disappointed. He looks to the horizon as everypony lines up several rows deep for the picture. The littlest foals litter the front, then fillies and young mares, and their dams. Doug sits in the middle, alicorns laying down in front of him and leaving a noticeable spot for Twilight. The mares line up behind: Applejack closest while Trixie and Starlight take the edges.
“Wait for us!” calls Twilight Sparkle from far away. Rarity clings to her back while Spike and six alicorn mares fly behind. In unison they teleport closer, and each gets a nuzzle from Doug before taking their place by his side.
“Say Cheese!” shouts Pinkie Pie. Everypony smiles together as the flash goes off.