"The red delicious go there, Apple Bloom," said Big Mac.
"Sure thing, big brother," replied the young earth pony filly as she struggled with the massive load of apples stacked in the cart she was strapped too.
Big Mac shook his head as his young sibling pushed herself to complete her task, then brought his attention to somewhere to his left. "Careful with the golden delicious Scootaloo. We can't sell them if they get bruised."
"Don't worry, I can handle this," said Scootaloo as she struggled to lift a large bucket of apples into their proper bin of the Apple family's fruit stand with her forehooves, flapping her undersized wings in a futile attempt to transfer some of her workload to some other part of her body.
"Here, let me help, Scoots," said Sweetie Belle as she finished helping unhitch Apple Bloom from her wagon.
The little unicorn walked up to stand behind her pegasus friend, her tongue poking out of her mouth as her face screwed up in intense concentration. A second later, sparks started dancing around her horn, before solidifying into a wriggling sheen of teal magic. A similar sheen appeared around the bucket of apples, and while it didn't float up and hover independently, its weight was reduced enough for Scootaloo to finally lift it up and gently topple its glistening contents into the fruit stand.
"Got it, thanks Sweetie."
"No problem Scoots."
Big Mac felt a pang of sympathy as he watched the sweaty and exhausted trio of fillies struggle with the task of opening the Apple family fruit stall in Ponyville market for the day.
While normally such a task would be ill-suited for ones so young and inexperienced, today it was necessary. Last week had been Hearts and Hooves Day, and his little sister and her friends had taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker for their beloved teacher Cheerilee, once they found out she didn't have a special somepony of her own to celebrate the famed holiday with. And Big Mac had unfortunately drawn the short straw, being singled out by the energetic fillies as Cheerilee's perfect suitor.
In general, Big Mac thought it was sweet of them for trying, they even went so far as to try and set them up for a blind date. But Big Mac wasn't ready for a relationship, especially with all that was happening lately, and judging by her reaction, neither was Cheerilee. He exchanged pleasantries with Cheerilee when he found himself alone with her, for whatever he felt for her, she was a decent pony and he enjoyed her company as a friend; then went about his day casually, thinking that was the end of it.
He was wrong.
While still young, Apple Bloom was as stubborn as any true Apple, and would not be thwarted so easily. Her friends were the same. He did not object to a second set up between him and Cheerilee, thinking his sister and her friends would just abandon this silly endeavor when all they could accomplish was friendly conversations between the two of them. But a bubbling pink drink proved otherwise.
The next thing he knew he was lying in a hole in the ground, a dumbfounded Cheerilee, wearing a wedding veil lying across him on the mattress situated in the bottom of the hole with them. Needless to say, it was a predicament that left room for only three words.
'WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!'
A second later, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle admitted to the fault being theirs, confessing to having slipped Big Mac and Cheerilee a love potion (which actually turned out to be a love poison) in the hopes that they would hit it off. And when he asked around town later, Big Mac heard such outlandish recounts of his behavior he thanked the Princesses that he had no recollection of what transpired while he was looped out on that stuff. If red wasn't his natural color already, he was certain that his embarrassment at this point was so strong it would have turned any other coat color red permanently.
But back to the matter of Big Mac's sister and her friends.
While it was still kinda sweet of them to put such effort in trying to find them a special somepony in each other, their tactics had gone too far. They themselves agreed that nopony had the right to try and force two ponies to be together, and that their behavior was way out of line. And as when children misbehave, punishment must follow; said punishment being doing all of Big Mac's chores at Sweet Apple Acres for a whole week.
Though at this point, Big Mac was wondering who was being punished more, them or himself.
While they had accepted their discipline with grace, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were still children, and therefore, lacked Big Mac's strength, stamina, and skill. To avoid them overexerting themselves in their efforts for redemption, Big Mac had adjusted his casual work load so as not to strain the fillies, but after five days of this new system Big Mac found that their inevitable shortcomings because of their youth would leave that much more for him to do once he took over again. His sister had to learn this lesson of cause and effect, but at what cost?
He had dreaded Market the most.
Big Mac had not intended to include Apple Bloom and her friends in such an important part of the family business at first, but when he came home from the market after the first four days to first find three tiny tails jutting from the top most branches of a tall apple tree, wiggling as their owners struggled to dislodge themselves, then the next day finding a heavily napping Granny Smith with her dentures tangled in her mane with three fillies trying desperately to dislodge them before she awoke, then the next day finding three fillies dancing frantically on top a wave of rolling cider jars as they cascaded downhill towards the orchard, and finally on the last day, finding the trio of fillies bouncing around the farm back to back, glued together with apple tree sap, he decided to take them to market where he could at least supervise them. The only drawback so far was that the stall was taking longer to open then normal, and while irritating, nopony was in mortal danger yet. Though a drawback was a drawback.
Every other stall in market was open for business, Carrot Top looking smug for finally fulfilling her lifelong dream of beating the Apple family to the first customers of early morning, not that that meant much to the Apples themselves, they were above such petty competition, having learned that lesson some generations back. But other than the flower sisters' stall, which had also yet to be opened, everypony else had made at least one sale already, and if losses piled up like this for too long it could be damaging. Oh, how Big Mac wished the Cutie Mark Crusaders had never come across the recipe for that ridiculous love potion right now. How had they even found it on their own? The school wouldn't allow students access to something so dangerous, and the Golden Oaks Library had been out of commission for a while, run by volunteers only when occasion demanded...
Big Mac halted his thoughts as a sudden lump formed in his throat, his sight settling on the vacant tree library just barely visible in the distance.
Three years, three years since it happened, yet he remembered it like it was yesterday. His other little sister, Applejack, had headed to Canterlot, bursting at the seams with excitement and honor at having been chosen to cater the wedding of a princess, and Big Mac had felt so proud of her as she got on the train. But later the next day, a day that was going along like any other, the most unthinkable thing happened. The sky suddenly became redder than the best apples that the Apple family had ever produced...then great, black tendrils belonging to a creature born from the depths of the most terrifying nightmares wreathed through the sky, accompanied by the most sinister, slippery voice, boasting of a great victory.
Big Mac often saw himself as a tough stallion, but the scream he let out that day would rival even Bulk Biceps whenever the bulging stallion saw a butterfly.
Big Mac had panicked along with his neighbors, and looking back now, he realized that if it had continued somepony could have been seriously hurt. But, even more simply than it had caused it, that creepy voice swept aside the hysteria with but a word, a word that carried such power, but was in inconceivable to Big Mac to this day, and Big Mac, along with the other inhabitants of Equestria, ceased to fear the tendrils, as well as the voice, despite how foreboding they were.
He would have expected anything from such a monster, from eating ponies, to conquering or destroying the world; what he hadn't expected was simply a desire for knowledge.
This Hermaeus Mora claims to only have come to Equestria to study and acquire knowledge. How could something so foreboding want something so casual? And not only that, Hermaeus Mora also extended an invitation to all those in Equestria whose hobby, or profession, involved the pursuit of knowledge, though an invitation to what Big Mac wasn't exactly sure. Then as fast as he appeared, Hermaeus Mora receded, supposedly returning to whence he came.
But just when Big Mac thought nothing else could possibly happen, the very next day, his situation turned out to be closer to home than he could ever have imagined.
When Applejack returned to the farm,she was regretful and ashamed, and worse, she told them she was going to have to go away for a while. Of course Big Mac was concerned, the whole family was, so naturally, they demanded an explanation, as well as tried to convince her otherwise, for whatever her reasons she had, it couldn't be worth leaving her family. But that was actually a matter of perspective.
Applejack explained to them then that not only had the wedding been for a princess, it was also the wedding of Twilight's older brother, Shining Armor. Apparently the brainy unicorn was rather miffed about not being told by him in person, but had agreed to do her part in planning the wedding. But Twilight soon grew suspicious of the bride as the preparations progressed, but when she came to them for help, they had dismissed her behavior as her overreacting and being overprotective of her brother.
But things really came to a head during the rehearsal.
Twilight had stormed in, throwing such cruel accusations against the bride, the poor mare had stormed away in tears. Twilight had attempted to explain herself, but they we're all too appalled by her behavior to listen, morally disappointed in their friend having the nerve to call the bride evil. They all left her in the chapel to search for the princess as Twilight's brother banned her from the wedding, throwing her accusatory glances as they passed.
They didn't see Twilight for the rest of the day after that.
Then Applejack explained that, on the day of the wedding, Twilight reappeared and this time made sure the wedding absolutely couldn't progress, destroying the wedding bands with some sort of magic tendril. Completely horrified by their friend's behavior, they demanded to know why she was being so cruel to the bride, and through extension, her brother. The answer had surprised them all.
A tendril similar to what Twilight had used to destroy the rings burst worth from the ground, depositing a pony identical to the bride gently into the floor before them all.
The sight of seeing two ponies identical to each other left them all shocked and confused, but then Twilight struck the pony that had been standing at the dais with the groom, revealing her what she really was. From what Big Mac could gather from Applejack's description, the bride they had all been fawning over was an imposter, a shape shifting demon called a changeling, an insect-like creature that parasitically fed on the love of others. It was then that Applejack and the other ponies that called her friend realized she had been right all along, and immediately intended to help her against this new threat that was apparently using the wedding to launch an invasion on Equestria.
But Twilight wouldn't have it.
This creature, this changeling, had already overpowered Princess Celestia (how that was possible, Big Mac didn't know) and had cemented Applejack and the others to the ground with some kind of secreted resin. Twilight had refused to release them; not out of malice, but to keep them out of harm's way while she dealt with the enemy solo, for her plan for that monster didn't involve imprisonment or banishment, but destruction. She intended to kill the changeling.
This completely shocked them, Twilight had never been such a violent mare.
And to make matters worse, she had somehow changed. The changeling had thrown the very same spell she had used to defeat Celestia at Twilight, then Twilight simply brushed it aside with a single spell of her own. And not a spell born from her horn, but from her voice alone.
When asked, Twilight's only response was that she did what was necessary to ensure their safety, then sped after the changeling, leaving them restrained in the wedding hall. Try as they could, they couldn't break their bonds alone; they were not released until Princess Luna arrived and was able to pry them free from the floor. By then a full blown invasion force composed of these changeling creatures was attacking Canterlot. Their plan was for Princess Celestia to teleport the Elements of Harmony to them so they could use them to combat this hostile force, but before they could succeed, some changelings used deception to infiltrate their barricade in the wedding hall and took them captive.
From what they learned from their changeling captors, Twilight had been bringing to bear power the likes of which nopony had ever seen, and using them as hostages against her was their last hope.
But Twilight had apparently lost her duel with her opponent, being dragged to the summit of Canterlot, same as them. The changeling who had been disguised as the bride, also the apparent changeling queen, boasted and bragged over her victory, and had decided to begin her conquest of Equestria by leaching the love from the six of them, starting with poor Fluttershy. Big Mac could only imagine how terrifying it was for the timid pony.
But Twilight wasn't through.
Breaking free of her restrictions, at great physical cost to her body, Twilight did the impossible. She summoned a violent, full blown lightning storm with just her voice. One by one, the changelings had been struck down by lightning, leaving nothing but glittering dust that was swept away in the violent wind.
Once it became clear that their foe was no more, Twilight dissipated the storm with another word, but the assumption proved false. The queen, and a small portion of her minions, had survived the onslaught, and apparently, Twilight had finally exhausted herself to the point where she couldn't fight back anymore. Then, when the queen ensnared Twilight in her telekinesis, she ripped a gold chain from her neck that none of them had noticed before, deducing that it was the source of Twilight's new powers, and crushed it.
That was a mistake that would affect everything that calls this world home.
That was when Hermaeus Mora found a foothold in Equestria.
This creature, this Daedric Prince, intervened on Twilight's behalf, restraining the changeling queen in his tendrils. Twilight had been able to fend off the changeling head to head, and hoof to hoof... but the changeling queen stood no chance against this vile monster. Big Mac still shudders whenever he remembers Applejack describing what Hermaeus Mora did to the changeling. Nopony, no matter how vile, deserved such a terrible fate.
And a terrible fate can befall good ponies too.
And that was what grieved Applejack the most, and why she was so upset when she returned home.
Apparently, with nopony else to turn to, Twilight had struck a bargain with this strange entity, for apparently he was the one that bestowed Twilight with these new powers. But he demanded compensation. He had ensured the safety of Equestria, through one means or another, now, in return, a favor was owed to him.
A favor only Twilight could perform.
With great reluctance, the brainy unicorn had departed with Hermaeus Mora back to his point of origin. Applejack explained that she and Twilight's other friends had tried to prevent her from leaving, but had been restrained by some type of spell that made all their bodies as stiff as statues. They could only watch helplessly as their friend left them, through the sheer desire of saving them from Hermaeus Mora's wrath should their interference irk him.
And that was the reason for Applejack's distraught state.
She, and according to her, the rest of their little social group, felt deeply responsible for Twilight's predicament. Had they not been so blind and listened to her suspicions, she would have had them to rely on, as how it should have been, since she was their friend, but they turned her away, believing she was worrying over nothing. Then it all exploded in everyone's face, and the only thing that prevented Equestria from becoming a feeding ground for changelings was that Twilight had made a Faustian bargain with a malicious entity, and was now trapped within his realm, alone.
Applejack and Twilight's other friends could not bear it.
Businesses, careers, and all else besides, Applejack said she and the others were going to join Twilight in that other world, whatever it took. They would have lost everything they cared about to the changeling queen if it hadn't been for that purple filly's sacrifice, it was only right to help her shoulder whatever burden Hermaeus Mora had in store for her. They had turned her away once, doing so again was unacceptable.
Three years...
Three years have passed since some of Ponyville's most renowned heroes followed their beloved friend to parts unknown, his little sister among them. While Big Mac understood her reasoning, he would have done the same if he was in her position, it did little to fill the void left in his life. And not just regarding his little sister's absence, as sorely as he missed her.
All of Ponyville seemed a lot less jubilant without Pinkie Pie's talents in making ponies laugh and throwing extravagant parties, Rarity's up to date fashion sense, to know currently or what is about to become the next big thing, Rainbow Dash's endeavors with the local weather, plus her pranks, even if they could be a little juvenile, Twilight's logical point of view, and Fluttershy's gentle nature, and talent with animals, both domestic and wild. The Princesses had seen that none of their absences would cause economic strain to Ponyville, but that was a poor substitute for the lack of their company. It was like part of Ponyville itself had vanished with them.
And it was all thanks to that Hermaeus Mora and his vile influence over Twilight. Why did that demon have to come into their lives?
But despite all of that, Big Mac could not bring himself to fully hate the Daedra, for as hard as it was to accept, his presence had been beneficial to all. Not only for his involvement in vanquishing the changelings, but only a few weeks after Applejack went off to join Twilight, Hermaeus Mora actually assisted Sweet Apple Acres in...
"BIG MAC! WHAT IN TARNATION ARE YOU DOING? WHY IS OUR LITTLE SISTER SETTING UP OUR MARKET STAND? THAT AIN'T NO JOB FOR A LITTLE FILLY!"
Big Mac was snapped out of his musings by a very familiar, very irritated voice, turning around to find Applejack lifting a huge bucket of apples from a stunned Apple Bloom's withers. "How could you be so neglectful to your own flesh and blood Big Mac?"
"And my sister too, Big Mac?" said Rarity as she pulled Sweetie Belle close, the tiny unicorn dropping the few apples she had been levitating in her surprise, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "I never have fully agreed with the rustic ways of farming, but to use children?"
"You all don't understand," said Big Mac hastily, "Apple Bloom and her friends got into some mischief that caused quite a lot of trouble for a lot of ponies. This is just a little disciplinary..."
Big Mac's jaw hit the floor.
In that brief span since being snapped out of his thoughts, he had momentarily forgotten what he had been brooding over, and he had been carried back in time to the last time Applejack had scolded him, momentarily forgetting he hadn't seen her for three years. But reality dawned on him, and now he realized he was staring at his long lost sibling, her friends surrounding her, as real as they were the day they left.
"Well Big Mac, whatcha got to say for yourself..." Applejack never got to finish as she was bowled over by a stallion twice her size, and a filly half her size.
"APPLEJACK!" they screamed, tears streaming from their eyes.
"RARITY!" screamed a tearful Sweetie Belle as she threw herself into her sister's embrace, though the one quality they shared as siblings was a gentle demeanor, so Rarity was able to weather the assault without being knocked to the ground like Applejack.
"RAINBOW DASH!" squealed Scootaloo, launching herself at her idol; though her wings were still too small for her to actually fly, she was able to use her underpowered appendages to propel herself into the hovering Rainbow's hooves, who twirled her number one fan through the air before holding her close.
Rarity and Applejack, having been shocked to find their younger sisters laboring, had also momentarily forgotten what they had initially returned to, but became aware of reality again and threw themselves into the embrace of their families, tears streaming from their eyes as well.
Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Spike smiled, emotionally moved by the touching reunion taking place before them. Soon the entire market square became aware of the long lost residents of their little hamlet, vendors abandoning their stalls to form a circle of flabbergasted ponies around their seven recently returned neighbors.
"Oh, Applejack, I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too, little Bloom."
"Ponyville hasn't been the same without you, right Big Mac?"
"Nnnope."
"Rarity, it's so good to see you. I've missed you so much!"
"OH! I have missed you too, Sweetie Belle. Oh, I can't believe I have been gone so long. You must completely resent me!"
"Not at all, Rarity. I would have done the same if it had been, Bloom or Scoots who got stuck down the same rabbit hole Twilight did."
"Scootaloo, good to see you, squirt. Have you been Ponyville's most awesome pony like I asked?"
"As if I would ever not be awesome. But I have been trying hard to keep Ponyville livened up so things don't get too boring. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle have been a tremendous help."
"Just as long as you are equally loyal to them in turn."
Time froze in that little piece of Ponyville as families were reunited once more. Minutes could be hours, hours years, it mattered not to the ponies that had been separated from each other so long.
After some more touching words, the reunion broke up, and Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash were able to take full account of how their loved ones had changed since they last saw them. Big Mac was pretty much the same as he always had been, big, strong, and with few words for anypony, but Applejack noticed a slight expression of yearning mixed in with his happiness at seeing her again, like he had spent the last few years pining for something that he just could not reach.
It wasn't hard to guess what he had been pining for.
The CMCs were another matter altogether. In the three years that Twilight and her friends had spent in Apocrypha, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had grown up quite a bit. They were by no means adult mares yet, but were on the verge of adolescence, standing a good several inches taller than they had when they last saw their older sisters. What really drew the attention of Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash was that they still didn't have Cutie Marks.
But they didn't bring it up, this was about being together again at last, not pointing out shortcomings. Besides, this meant they hadn't missed the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting their Cutie Marks in person, and they wanted to be there when it happened. It was sure to be a grand occasion.
"Whoa!" Scootaloo's sudden exclamation brought all attention to the small orange filly as she walked up to Rainbow Dash's flank. "Hey Crusaders, check this out."
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom joined their friend at Rainbow Dash's flank, who merely arched an eyebrow, wondering what had captivated the young fillies.
"WHOA," they both echoed, taking in the sight of the wavy tendrils and single eye on Rainbow Dash's Cutie Mark, clutching her original symbol of a multicolored lighting bolt striking out of a cloud.
"How did you do that, Rainbow?" asked Apple Bloom.
"Yeah, your Cutie Mark is even more awesome than it was before," said Scootaloo excitedly.
"It's not just her guys! Look, they all have them," said an excited Sweetie Belle.
Apple Bloom looked to her long lost sister, paying close attention to her flank, and sure enough, her trademark trio of apples now sported several weaving tendrils and a single eye. It was the same for all of Twilight's friends, the Crusaders noticed.
Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack exchanged nervous glances as the little fillies kept bombarding them with questions. They knew from the start that their little sisters would be intrigued by the appearance of Hermaeus Mora's image on their Cutie Marks, what with the trio's obsession with the symbol of one's destiny, but it left them with a fair bit of nervousness. They all had a suspicion where this would head once they explained, but hopefully they could dissuade the girls from what they were about to attempt.
They could just lie and say they weren't entirely sure what happened with their Cutie Marks, but with the Element of Honesty directly involved, it would likely be pointless. Besides, having been brought up by said Element, Apple Bloom could probably spot a lie as swiftly as Applejack could. They had to be casual though...
"OH, it's just what happens when a pony joins forces with Hermaeus Mora..."
Or it could all come out as abruptly as possible.
"PINKIE!" scolded Twilight, swatting her bubbly friend on the rump with her tail.
But the damage was done.
"WHOA!" jinxed the CMC.
"Where do we sign up!" said Apple Bloom excitedly.
"Yeah, if this Hermaeus Mora guy hooves out Cutie Marks for joining his club, we want in," said Sweetie Belle, excited sparks flying out from her horn.
"And these Cutie Marks would be awesome," said Scootaloo, inspecting Rainbow's more closely. "I would look totally rad cruising around Ponyville with that on my flank."
Try as they might, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity could not pull their attention away from their Cutie Marks. This was bad, if this kept up, these young children's excitement might actually draw the Daedra's attention, and they would get what they were asking for. But what would the cost be?
"Alright, you three freeze!"
Suddenly, mulberry magic froze the CMC in place, their mouths as stiff as a pony's in a painting. They all looked to find that it had been Twilight who had intervened, giving them all a look that told them she would handle this. She drew the frozen fillies before her and deposited them on their hooves side by side, but kept them wrapped up in her magic to keep them silent.
"Listen to me, all three of you," she said sternly, "Do not, I repeat, do not, meddle in the affairs of Hermaeus Mora. I know you three have been searching for your Cutie Marks for a while now, but as I told you before, they will come to you. You don't need the assistance of a Daedra for that."
With that, Twilight released them from her magic, and they stood before her with a distraught look.
"But we've been looking for so long, Miss Twilight," said Apple Bloom.
"Why should we have to wait any longer when this guy can just give us our Cutie Marks?" pleaded Scootaloo.
Sweetie Belle nodded in agreement with her friends. "Besides, you guys have joined him, why not us?"
Twilight threw a nervous look to Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity, they returned it for a second, before nodding to her in silent agreement. Though they also silently asked for her to be gentle.
"Because, girls," began Twilight after a deep breath, "Hermaeus Mora is dangerous. He is ruthless, cunning, and if it suits him, he will not hesitate to put you in harm's way, even if you are his followers."
The CMC looked shaken at what was being described. "What do you mean, harm's way?" Asked Scootaloo.
Twilight racked her memory for a good example. "Do you remember your run in with a Cockatrice?"
The girls nodded. How could they ever forget about that?
"Well, if you were to join Hermaeus Mora, regardless if you got your Cutie Marks or not, if it ever suited him to deliberately put the three of you in such a dangerous situation as that was, or even more dangerous, make no mistake, he would not hesitate for a second," explained Twilight.
The three fillies went so rigid they might fall over.
"Yeah, forget that," said Scootaloo. "If getting a Cutie Mark from the Mora guy means he might put us in a situation like that, then I would rather find my Cutie Mark myself."
"I agree," said Sweetie Belle. "Doing something like that to anypony is just mean anyway."
"But if Hermaeus Mora is so mean, why did he...?" Apple Bloom's objection was interrupted when Big Mac shoved an apple into her mouth. Normally, such a thing would not silence an experienced apple eater like Apple Bloom for long, had it not been for the fact that said apple was a really ripe green apple, so sour that it made Apple Bloom's still stuffed cheeks pucker up. She threw an annoyed look at her older sibling, but stopped when she saw the expression on Big Mac's face, and remembered how they all agreed that when Applejack finally returned, they would let Granny Smith explain to her why the 'changes' that had occurred are Sweet Apple Acres were necessary.
"Applejack," exclaimed the normally silent stallion as he embraced his younger sister again. "You're finally home. We missed you so much."
"I know, Big Mac," said a tearful Applejack as she returned the embrace. "I wish I hadn't been gone for so long."
"I know little sis," said Big Mac. "But... some things are beyond our control." He gave a sympathetic glance to Twilight, telling her he didn't blame her for her involvement in his sister's absence for the last three years. "Does this mean you are home?"
Applejack swallowed a lump in her throat. "Yes, but I am afraid it's only temporary."
Big Mac and the CMC looked distraught and confused upon hearing that, as well as the crowd of Ponyville residents.
Twilight then went on to explain how in order for them to continue to serve Hermaeus Mora, they all had to adapt to the new powers he had granted them, which would take time. So in the meantime, the Daedra of Knowledge had temporarily given them permission to leave Apocrypha and return home, so they could get the wedding between Cadance and Shining Armor back on track. But once the wedding concluded, Twilight and her friends would have to return to Apocrypha.
"If that's the case, we had better not waste any time," said Big Mac determinedly. "And if anypony from Ponyville who wishes to attend are invited, the guest list is going to be much bigger than before. You're going to need help, Applejack.
"More Apple help."
Applejack tearfully hugged her brother. "I knew I could count on you, Big Mac."
"And he's not the only one," said Pinkie Pie, suddenly between the two Apple siblings. "Mr and Mrs. Cake are sure to be thrilled to assist with the banquet. Oh, and the two chef's the Princesses set up here to help fill in in my absence are sure to help too. Oh, I can't wait to meet them. The Princesses say that their cooking is both delicious and unique."
"Their cooking has to be good if even Princess Luna praises them," said Spike. "She told me that she gets such cravings for their food that she sometimes gets up early just to slip away to Ponyville before her patrolling of the dream realm starts."
"And I must say, if their food is so good, maybe Zesty Gourmand's opinion isn't as spot on as I have always believed," said Rarity, shaking her head. "Such a waste, to let such talents slip by like that."
They all agreed to divide and conquer, with Fluttershy heading to her cottage to rehearse with her bird choir (hoping they had resumed practice in her absence,) Pinkie heading to Sugarcube Corner for preparations, Rarity heading to her boutique to get started on the dresses, check on her business, and meet this pony the Princesses had told her had been holding the fort in her absence, Sweetie Belle following, and Rainbow heading to practice her Sonic Rainboom...
"Come on, squirt, you can help me pick which Thu'um will make my Sonic Rainboom even more awesome," said Rainbow as she scooped her number one fan onto her back and sped off.
"Do I really have to be a flower filly again?" protested Scootaloo, apparently unaffected by Rainbow Dash's sudden velocity. "Last time was rather lame."
"Come on, Scoots, don't talk like that," said Rainbow. "That first wedding was a fiasco all around, and besides, what would be lame is Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom being the only flower fillies. Those two lack your awesomeness."
Scootaloo couldn't argue with that.
The Apple family headed home as well, eager to pick which apples and what treats to bring to the wedding.
"Come on, Spike, we had best get started on our stuff too," said Twilight, scooping the baby dragon onto her back.
"Gotcha," replied the young drake, looking up at the sky irritatedly. "Truth be told, I'll do anything if it means getting out of the sun."
"Is something wrong, Spike?" asked Twilight as she headed back to Golden Oaks Library to start planning for the wedding schedule.
"Nah, I think on the train ride I fell asleep in a spot where the sun was constantly hitting me in the face. I'm just tired of it," said Spike, absentmindedly scratching his neck as he and Twilight headed across Ponyville, bumping into the now conscious flower sisters along the way, proving to the sensitive trio that what happened at the train station wasn't a dream.
---
"Come on, Braeburn, put your back into it," said Granny Smith, swatting her great nephew in the hindquarters.
"Yes ma'am," twanged the Appleoosaian, making his way deeper into Sweet Apple Acres to buck more apple trees.
Granny Smith shook her head as he scampered off, looking over the apples he had managed to harvest so far. The wagon wasn't housing a small amount of product, but nowhere near in the number Applejack or Big Mac were capable of producing, even during this early hour. But, unfortunately, circumstances had forced Applejack off the farm until further notice.
And the lack of experienced farming talents weren't the only thing missed.
Wherever Applejack was, Granny Smith hoped she was safe.
Lost in her musing, Granny Smith didn't notice the thin tendril sneaking upon her from behind a nearby tree. The tendril slowly wrapped around the aged mare's neck, finally making its presence known. But Granny Smith didn't scream 'AHH, A RATTLER!' or anything like that, she just smiled at the tendril with her wrinkled lips, then followed it to its source.
"Ah, old Betsy," Granny Smith greeted a huge, bulbous mass of blue that hovered behind a nearby tree, multiple other tendrils protruding from its base. "You're just in time. Can you please send those big lugs of yours to the west field? We got some caterpillars who think they own the place crawling through there."
Skree...
Skree...
Skree...
"Love you too, big girl."