//------------------------------// // What the HAY is goin' on here?! // Story: My Little Pony: Generations are Magic // by The Doctor's Companion //------------------------------// Chapter 5: What the HAY is goin' on here?! The Next Morning, Sweet Apple Acres... Applejack stared at her son's door, currently in a battle of wills between her desire to see her only child, and the part of her that still was hesitant to face up to the truth. Though she was the manifestation of the Element of Honesty, there were just some truths she knew that hurt too much to admit. But as a mother, it was her duty to do whatever she could for her child. The maternal side of Applejack beat out the fearful, and she knocked on Royal's bedroom door. "Sugarcube? You awake?" No answer was heard from the other side. Either he was still sleeping, or he really didn't want to see her. Applejack sighed. "Royal, listen tah me, okay? Ah know Ah'm the last pony you'd want tah be talkin' to right now, but... Look, the reason ya know how tah talk all fancy and fru-fru is cuz' of yer Daddy. Ah probably shoulda told ya 'bout him a long time ago, but if you'll just come out and talk tah me, Ah'll explain everything, okay?" Still no answer. Applejack was beginning to get frustrated and impatient. "Sugarcube, Ah want you tah open this door right- Huh?" Unlike usually, Royal's door was unlocked. The orange mare opened up the door, only to find an empty bed. "H-He's... up already? What in tarnation...?" Twenty minutes later... Applejack was starting to panic. Already she'd checked the barn, the coop, most of the apple orchard, everywhere she could think of on the farm, but there was no sign of Royal. "Dammit, where is he?!" Suddenly, a note taped to the oven caught her eye. "What...?" Dear Mama, Uncle Macintosh, Auntie Shy, and Cousins, I'm sorry, but I can't stay any longer. I'm an adult now, and I gotta find my own way. That way isn't here in Ponyville. I don't know where it is, but I'll never find it if I just sit around here waiting. I wish there was another way, but there isn't. I love you all. Love, Royal Red Apple. P.S. I took one of the pies we had in the icebox. Hope ya'll don't mind too much. Tears welled up in the orange mare's green eyes. "No..." She whispered chokingly. "NOOOOOOO!" Everypony else in the house woke with a start at Applejack's wails. They all raced down to the kitchen, only to find Applejack bawling on the nearby sofa. "A-Applejack?! Wh-What's wrong, why're you crying? Where's... Where's Royal?" Fluttershy stammered, rushing over to her friend's side. The country mare immediately latched onto the pegasus. "H-He's... H-He's gone!!! Royal ran away f-from ho-ooo-ome!" "WHAT?!" Meanwhile, at the Palace... Royal yawned, looking out at the rising sun. True, he could have slept in a bit, but he was so used to getting up early, his body had woken up at 5:30 A.M, on the dot. Oh, well. It did give him time to think. And after the events of yesterday, there was plenty to think about. #1: He, Royal Red Apple, was the some comical amount of greats-nephew of Equestria's co-rulers, the Princesses Celestia and Luna. #2: Up until yesterday, he had been unaware that, outside of each other, the princesses even had any relatives. #3: Also up until yesterday, his father, Prince (more properly Duke, he added) Blueblood, had no clue that he existed, either. #5- no, wait... #4: His mother, the so-called Element of Honesty, had apparently not seen fit to tell him any of this. On the subject of the first thing, was he technically considered royalty now? His parents had never married, but didn't being the offspring of a royal automatically make you one as well? Though he'd be an illegitimate heir, Royal still did count as part of Celestia's bloodline. Him, a simple farm pony! Royalty! Next the second. How, exactly, was Blueblood related to the Princesses? He'd never heard of either Princess ever marrying, or giving birth, though it seemed as he was both of their great-to-the-Nth-power-nephew, so did that mean there were other alicorns way back in the day? He'd ask later. Thirdly, why hadn't Blueblood been aware that his mother had a foal? Did they not see each other ever again after the break-up? He'd already surmised the answer to why they hadn't married: When he was a little colt, he'd asked his mother why she wasn't married. The answer? "Ah am married. To Sweet Apple Acres!" Finally, the fourth. Why hadn't Mama told him this? Her Honesty saved Equestria, so why had she never told him the truth when he asked? Hadn't he a right to know who his sire was? Royal sighed. The only place his thoughts were leading him were circles. "May as well see if anypony else is up..." Quietly, as not to disturb the Lunar Princess's slumber (something in his gut said he'd probably lose his hearing upon accidently rousing her from sleep), Royal made his way out of the bedchambers to find something interesting to do. Upon entering the Royal Recreational Facility, however, the red-orange pony made a discovery. Several, actually. 1. The Recreational Facility was about the combined size of at least five orchards. 2. The pony in charge of the facility was not a pony, but rather a snarky, emotionless robot. 3. His father was surprising talented at athletics. "Oh, come now, Betsy. I know you can do better. Or has discovering you knocked up some country hick deteriorated your endurance?" The she-robot taunted his father from a large screen. Blueblood felt the anger well up inside of him. Luna, he despised that stupid A.I. If she wasn't a major scientific marvel, he'd order her torn apart, then have the parts smashed with mallets, then incinerated. But first he'd have her intelligence transferred into something demeaning and a preferred food source for birds so she could watch as her body was destroyed. A potato, perhaps. That would take her down a peg or fifty. Using that anger as a form of adrenaline, the prince began to smack the fifty pound punching bag even harder, beating on it more and more until it finally flew off the chain connecting it to the ceiling and landing at Blueblood's feet. "Well. That was... adequate. I must say, I'm quite disappointed. I'd expected somepony with your ability to have broken the chain in at least one moment less." The cruel A.I turned her optic to the spectator. "Oh, look, Melinda, it's the illegitimate child of your former warden. Thankfully, it seems he takes after her more than you." The two stallions stared at each other, unsure of how to start a conversation without it being mortifyingly awkward. "You seem to be at a standstill. Oh, look at that. That chubby old cook is attempting to swim. I never thought I'd find someone more fun to torment than you, Petunia, but I suppose the fatter you are, the more fun to taunt. Though you're a close second. Ta-ta." With that, the large screen switched off, and the father and son were alone. Blue cleared his throat. "Well... this is rather awkward, isn't it?" "Eeyup." A few hours later, at the library... "What do mean, he's gone?! How could he just up and disappear like that?" Twilight questioned, extremely concerned. Applejack sniffled. By now, her eyes were bloodshot, her throat was sore, and her face was soaked in tears. "Ah told ya, Ah found a note in the kitchen from him sayin' he'd taken off with a pie to go find his destiny or somethin'! Luna, what coulda made him do this tah me?!" "I think I have an idea..." Twilight murmured, slowly turning to glare at the Doctor, who looked shocked at the accusation. "Wha- Me?! Y-You think... You think I did this?! Twilight Sparkle! How dare you, madam! I would never convince a pony with such potential that there's more to life than farming! I am appalled." Twilight's glare only became stronger at his defense. "Doctor, I traveled with you for three years. I know when you're lying. What. Did. You. Do?!" The Doctor trembled for a moment, then broke down. "Okay, fine! I heard him singing about how he wanted to find where he belonged! So I gave him a map to Canterlot! By the way, Miss Applejack, your boy's one hell of a singer, congrats." "Doctor! Focus! Why did you give him a map to Canterlot? What's there for him?" "Oh, nothing, just the one pony he's been missing all his life." Twilight blinked. "Wha-?" Applejack sprung up, pushing the unicorn out of the way to glare maliciously at the Time Lord. "YOU SENT MAH ONLY SON TO BLUEBLOOD?!" "Er... was that a bad thing?" "YES IT WAS YA IDJIT!" "Wait a second. What does that pompous jerk have anything to do with our current problem?" "Oh, Blueblood is Royal's long lost sire. You didn't know that?" Fluttershy, Twilight, and the foals stood in shock. "WHAT?!" Big Macintosh just stared, speechless. Applejack looked as if she might just rip out one of the Doctor's hearts. "You are so dead, Time-Boy." The Doctor gulped audibly, then began running for his life. And screaming like a filly. "AHHHH!" Applejack chased after him. "GIT BACK HERE SO AH CAN MURDER YOU!" Andy snapped out of her daze and started to pursue them. "Wait, Miss Applejack! He doesn't have that many regenerations left!" Meanwhile, at Canterlot Castle... The two stallions had decided that the Rec. Facility wasn't the best place to try to get to know each other better. After Blueblood had showered off, they went into the garden. Was it prettier? Yes. Did it make the situation at hoof any less awkward? No-siree-Bob, it didn't. "S-So... um... how's Sweet Apple Acres?" "It's doin' fine, thanks. Uh... how's bein' a Prince goin' for ya?" What kinda question is that? "It... has its moments." Luna, this is so uncomfortable... Royal sighed. "Okay, let's just drop the whole small talk thing. What happened between mah Mama and you? Ah think Ah should know." Blueblood didn't answer for a moment. Then he sighed. "I may as well get it over with. Very well, it was about nineteen years* ago..." Flashback "Blueblood, just where in the hay are ya takin' me to?" The white unicorn grinned. "You'll see, just be patient. Remember, eyes closed!" "Ah swear, sugar, if this is a scheme tah get me tah go tah some fancy-flanks party..." "Oh, trust me, I learnt my lesson last time. Alright, we're here! Open your eyes, my love." Applejack gasped. The two of them were now on a balcony near the Observatory, overlooking all of Canterlot. Way over in the distance, you could just barely see the dark silhouette of Ponyville. "Oh, sugarcube." She managed to say. Blueblood grinned. "Do you like it? It took a lot of convincing to get them to let me rent out the place. "Ah... Ah love it, honey. You are just the sweetest stallion in Equestria deep down, ain't ya?" The unicorn blushed, then stood up straight. "Ahem. My Lady Applejack, the reason I have brought you here is... I-I wish to ask you something." Applejack looked bewildered, but nodded. "Alright, shoot." He looked over to the bushes, then, using his magic, levitated a medium sized velvet box over to him. "Applejack, from the day I met you, you were the only pony with the guts to tell me the truth. Not only that, you're the first mare to actually like me for me, not because I'm a prince or rich. I... I love you, and... I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He opened the box to reveal a diamond hoof ring exactly her size. Applejack gasped. "S-Sugar... cube..." "Jackie Susan Apple, will you make me the happiest stallion in all of Equestria and... and... Marry me?" For a moment, Applejack only stared at him, then slowly lifted her hoof to close the box. "Ah... Ah can't. Ah'm sorry, Blueblood." Present Day "Mama rejected you?! And her name is Jackie Susan?" "Yes, and you didn't know that?" "B-But... why?!" "I don't know, you'd have to ask Big Macintosh or-" "Not that! The rejection thing!" "Oh. Well, I suppose it was because of the farm. She's been dedicated to it all her adult life, so I guess she didn't want to give that up. Anyway, we got into a fight, and long story short, we ended it." "Did... did you ever regret it?" "... Yes. Every single day, I regret that I didn't try for her. I regret that I was stupid and didn't see that... she's the only pony I'll ever want to be with for the rest of my life. I regret... that I'll never find somepony like her. I hope... I hope whoever she married appreciates what he has, because I didn't know what I had until I lost it." "... Mama never married anypony, ya know." Blueblood's eyes widened. He spun around. "Wh... What?!" "She never got married. Looks like she never could find somepony else, either." "S-So... there's still a-" "BLUEBLOOD!" An accented voice bellowed. At the gates to the gardens, guards failing to hold her back, stood Applejack. And Celestia, was she pissed off. "A-Appleja-" "GIT YER HOOVES AWAY FROM MAH SON!" *= Assuming that ponies age like humans, Royal is about eighteen years old.