Celestia awoke as they landed at the castle, shaken awake by the light turbulence of the landing on stone.
Gustopha smiled gently at her, "Did you sleep well, sister?" She asked gently.
Celestia chuckled. "I did," She admitted, "I didn't sleep much while you were away."
Gustopha nodded, allowing Celestia to groggily lead her inside.
Celestia yawned and shook herself off before she turned to Gustopha. "We finished your room while you were away," She said warmly, "I'm sure you'll be delighted."
Gustopha nodded, following after Celestia quietly.
Gustopha's room was finished; it was now furnished fully in warm wood, and a large stone fireplace stood empty, awaiting fuel in the side of the room. Numerous small plots of dirt sat along the walls. They were empty; to be filled at Gustopha's discretion.
The loft was accessible from a neat wooden staircase, and under it laid a large desk and dozens of bookshelves; a private study for the earth princess.
Gustopha smiled widely as she inspected everything, "It's exactly how I wanted," She expressed contently.
Celestia smiled, "Of course," She replied, "Only the best for my little sister."
Gustopha bounced lightly on her hooves, visibly excited; an oddly kiddy gesture, were it not for her accelerated aging.
Celestia chuckled softly, "I take it I won't be seeing you until dinner again?" She asked.
"I'd welcome you to join me, but I'll mostly be running around and gathering fruits and seeds to plant," Gustopha admitted.
Celestia smiled and simply nodded, "Of course," She replied, "I'll be sure to come check on you later."
Gustopha nodded a bit and left her room, excitedly walking out to go get things with which to occupy her new space.
When Celestia returned around dinner time to call Gustopha, her eyes widened as she gazed upon the room.
In the largest planter, in the corner of the room, sat a full-sized chestnut tree, its roots having been carefully trained across the edge of the room to touch lightly in the other planters. Large, wooden branches overhung the corner of the room, creating a rather lovely atmosphere in addition to the large fireplace, which was now crackling loudly as it burnt away at a full supply of fuel.
Celestia was drawn to the study under the loft, where Gustopha was humming as she neatly filed away some books on agriculture.
"You've certainly been busy," Celestia chuckled.
"I have," Gustopha replied with a small smile, "They built everything perfectly."
Celestia nodded a bit, sitting next to Gustopha. "I'm glad to hear that. They caused quite a stir when they started bringing dirt inside," Celestia chuckled.
Gustopha nodded a bit, "I'd figured it would draw some attention, but the planters do look lovely once they're filled," She expressed.
"They do, they do… But did you really need multiple trees inside?" Celestia asked, "You have a balcony, you know." Celestia chuckled.
Gustopha thought for a long moment, "My room is my sanctuary," She eventually explained, "It has things that won't hurt me. Books, plants, my bed…" She trailed off.
Celestia hesitated a bit. "Well, I'm sure it will be a lovely sanctuary once it's done," She said with a small smile.
Gustopha nodded a little, "I hope so," She replied quietly.
"Well… It is dinner time, sister," Celestia hummed.
Gustopha nodded and followed Celestia to the dining hall.
Gustopha noticed that Celestia was oddly quiet during dinner; usually she'd at least instigate small talk as they ate. Gustopha looked at her for a few moments before finally speaking up: "Celestia, is everything alright?"
Celestia bit her lip, "I'm just… Scared I'll mess up again," She admitted, "Scared I'll say something I regret again; I don't deserve to be forgiven for the way I screamed at you."
Gustopha went quiet, eating a few more bites of her dinner as she thought over her answer.
Celestia stared quietly at her plate.
"I forgave you because I know you wouldn't be upset without a good reason," Gustopha eventually decided, "You're nothing like the doctor. You have none of his malice, none of his desire to see other living things in pain."
Celestia stared at her. "You… You really think that?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I saw it with my own two eyes, when you took me in despite the fact I wasn't the sister you wanted," She reasoned.
Celestia's face flickered with several emotions, "Gustopha… You know you would be perfectly justified in hating me for everything I said, do you not?" She asked, "The things I said would be unfit for a criminal's ears."
Gustopha nodded slowly, "Well… I can't pretend your words didn't hurt, but I can acknowledge that you're trying to move on, and that I should, too," She expressed.
Celestia leaned back slightly, "You just want to move on?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I do. My time with the family on the farm helped me realize that my value comes from what I do, not what other ponies assign to me," She expressed.
Celestia blinked. "That's… That's a very good thing for you to learn, Gustopha," She replied, "You are already growing to match your looks."
Gustopha smiled a small smile. Celestia smiled back. The rest of dinner was awkward, but less tense between the two.
Perhaps the whole exchange had been good for them, Gustopha thought. She felt closer to Celestia now, despite the relative brevity of the hardship.
After dinner, the alicorn siblings went their separate ways, and the night was fairly quiet from then on, as both of the alicorns went about their evening.
Gustopha spent a good majority of her time reflecting on her visit with the Grove family, sitting in the nook she had set up around her fireplace. She wanted something more comfortable than the solid wood chairs in her study; perhaps a nice couch to snuggle into. Those were thoughts for tomorrow, though.
After some time spent reflecting and a little more time spent digging into books on the topic of grafting, she opted to go to bed. Based on what Celestia had said, life would likely get busy for her as she settled into being a properly coronated princess.
"Texas! Plantation! Come for dinner!" Plantation's mother called.
Texas and Plantation shared a look, but started walking towards the house.
"What do you think your mom made for dinner tonight?" Texas asked.
"Probably porridge again. Mom has lots of rice," Plantation hummed.
"Why does she have so much?" Texas asked.
"Mom says she bought a ton of bags before the war broke out; our whole cellar is just bags of rice," Plantation explained, "They're stacked like bricks."
Texas blinked, "She bought that much rice?"
Plantation simply nodded.
"...Can we go look at all of it after dinner?" Texas asked.
Plantation shrugged, "Sure. It's just rice, though," She commented.
Texas giggled and picked up his pace a little, now somewhat excited to see how much rice Plantation's mother had stashed away.
Plantation ran after him.
The next week or so would go by fairly uneventfully for Gustopha as she settled into the castle proper. The planters of her room would become filled with numerous plants, and her bookshelves would fill out somewhat as she collected more and more books relevant to not only agriculture, but now princesshood as well. Guides on speaking to different sects of the population, how to conduct oneself… Most of it went right over her head. Plants were simple. Unchallenging. Ponies seemed to be very, very complicated.
Between long bouts of studying, the princess did, of course, take time to exercise her chosen abilities; the land around the castle (and the growing city at its base) would be purged of its blight, finally allowing the population to reclaim some of its lavish custom. The practice made Gustopha feel just a bit more proficient each time she did it; her sphere of influence grew a bit, her thoroughness in blessing the soil was stronger… The exhaustion, however, was already beginning to wear at her. She was sure it was just due to being young and unpracticed… And yet, she'd barely made a dent in all of Equestria's blighted land. She just had to be patient, she told herself.
Her focus was broken one day as Celestia entered her room, followed by four ponies in finely hewn bronze armor.
Gustopha looked up from her studying, tilting her head slightly at the small entourage.
"Hello, Celestia… And accompanying guests," Gustopha greeted softly.
Celestia smiled at her, "Hello, Gustopha," She greeted, "I noticed you've been leaving the castle more and more to work the land, and… Well, I'm quite worried about you," She admitted, her smile faltering, "You don't know how to fight, do you?"
Gustopha was caught slightly off-guard by the sudden question, but she nodded hesitantly, "Not particularly," She admitted.
Celestia nodded a bit, "As I suspected… If you're going to leave the castle and venture out to carry our your duties, I would like to know you'll be safe. So, I had a small detachment of guards prepared for you," She explained.
Gustopha stood up, walking over to inspect the four ponies that had been brought to her with curiosity in her eyes.
She quietly paced around them, as if sizing them up.
Among the four ponies were three earth ponies and a single pegasus; of them, only a single earth pony was a stallion.
"These are," Celestia began, pointing at the stallion, "Stoneheart," She pointed to the two earth pony mares, "April and May Showers," Then the pegasus, "And Aerated Turf."
Gustopha sat before them and nodded, taking a moment to remember each one.
"Now," Celestia said, looking at the guards, "As my last order as your assigned charge, you will guard Princess Gustopha with your lives. Understand?" She asked.
The four guards nodded, replying "Yes ma'am," In unison.
"Good," Celestia said with a smile, "From here on, you four are to be the first members of the Terran Guard, assigned to the personal protection and delegation of Princess Gustopha."
Celestia's gaze shifted to Gustopha as she walked to her side. "From here on, they are to accompany you when you venture out. I do hope you like them; they are hoof-picked from my own ranks," She expressed quietly.
Gustopha nodded a little, giving Princess Celestia a small smile, "I'm sure I will," Gustopha replied gently.
Admittedly, Gustopha wasn't particularly content with having "chaperones", though considering her complete and utter inexperience with fighting magic, she figured Celestia was being reasonable enough; if just a bit smothering.
"I'll leave you to bond with them some before your next outing," Celestia said gently, "Please come and get me if there's any problems!" She added, slipping out of the room.
Gustopha and the new "Terran Guard" shared a curious look as all of them collectively realized that, of all of them, the princess who was now "in charge" of this detachment was the least familiar with proper protocol.
Stoneheart stepped forward and bowed politely. The rest of the terran guard followed suit, but Gustopha's horn ignited, lifting them back to their standing posture.
"Okay, first rule: Please don't all bow like that," Gustopha declared softly, "It's… Really unsettling."
"How should we greet you, then, Princess?" April Showers asked.
"Just… I don’t know, a wave, a little nod, something," Gustopha huffed, "Anything but bowing."
May Showers looked at her, "What's wrong with a bow? It's a custom that's been around forever," She commented.
Gustopha sighed and looked away, "Because the first time somepony ever bowed to me, he was starving and thanking me for making soil growable," She admitted, "Whenever ponies bow to me, I just see his sunken-in face, and his withered physique."
That explanation very quickly dispelled any dissent among the new terran guard.
Stoneheart looked at her, "Then we shan't bow for you, Princess; under you, we will flourish, and Equestia's vigor will return," He said calmly.
Gustopha gave a small smile, "Thank you…" She trailed off briefly, having already let the stallion's name slip her conscious mind, "...Stoneheart?"
Stoneheart nodded and gave her a gentle smile.
"So… Did you want to want to go out today, Princess?" Aerated Turf asked, "We're supposed to escort you every time you leave the castle, so…"
Gustopha smiled gently. "I wasn't planning on heading out today, but I wouldn't mind getting a bit more done," She admitted.
The terran guards nodded and prepared themselves to follow the princess.
To Gustopha, it felt a little odd to be flanked by guards as she walked; it drew some looks from the citizens of the castle town. The once lone alicorn now had a small entourage of sworn protectors.
A few townsponies approached the princess, but April and May stood before her, intercepting their approach.
"What business do you have with the princess?" April asked with a stern huff.
"We were just coming to thank her for healing our field," One of the townsponies replied.
Gustopha gently nudged April and May aside, smiling warmly at the townsponies, "You're very welcome," She replied gently, "Please don't mind them… They're not used to the way I conduct myself in town."
The townsponies nodded a bit, thanking the princess before wandering off.
April and May looked at Gustopha, expecting some sort of punishment.
Gustopha looked back at them. "I know what my sister said, but you don't need to be so protective… It's not uncommon that I'm approached in the street like that; it's okay," She promised gently.
"Of course, Princess," May replied with a slight huff, "We're just doing as we were trained."
"It's alright," Gustopha replied, "I just don't want others feeling like they can't approach me, just because I'm a princess."
The group would leave town, walking along the gravel road.
Gustopha bit her lip, "I know I'm probably a far cry from how you expect a Princess to want to be treated, but I hope you'll all warm up to it in time," She expressed gently, "I don't like feeling superior to the ponies around me."
Stoneheart nodded a bit, "Well, the years of training in respect and obedience a royal guard goes through are hard to shake off," He admitted, the other guards nodding in agreement, "But we'll try our best to accommodate for your wishes."
Gustopha smiled gently, "Thank you," She replied, "I'm sure you'll perform well."
The group would banter a bit as they traveled outward, with Gustopha asking the guards about what sort of backgrounds they came from.
Stoneheart came from a long line of nobles, and was the youngest of three sons. While his brothers went into politics, he became interested in being a royal guard when his family home was broken into.
April and May Showers came from a large family of farm ponies, but were forced to become guards when the family farm was ruined by the blight.
Aerated Turf didn't have a particularly exciting history; she was just a young filly who was inducted into the program after showing a lot of promise from a young age.
Gustopha took in the stories of the others and nodded contemplatively.
"What about you, Princess? No one seems to know much about where you came from," Aerated Turf remarked.
"My history's… A long story," Gustopha admitted.
Stoneheart snorted softly, "Surely, you don't think we'd be unprepared to handle a mere recollection?" He asked.
Gustopha hesitated, "...I am a false alicorn, pieced together from two foals, and aged to perform the task of healing the land of the blight," She simplified, "The power you see me wield was power forced onto me in desperation, not earned by years of training."
The terran guards went quiet.
"A 'false alicorn'?" Aerated pondered, "What the heck does that even mean?"
"While alicorns are not born, they are tried many times in their lives to prove that they'd be adequate to handle the power and lifespan being an alicorn gives," Gustopha explained, "It's a process known simply as ascension… And one I was never subject to."
"You're the spitting image of the real thing, Princess," April remarked, "I don't think any of us was able to tell before you went out and said it."
May nodded, "Could've fooled me," She affirmed.
Gustopha gave a gentle smile, "A compliment to the doctor's handywork, then," She hummed.
"Was he a good doctor?" Aerated asked.
Gustopha thought for a moment. "An excellent doctor, a terrible pony," She decided, her smile fading.
"What did he do to earn such a ranking?" Stoneheart asked.
"...A lot of things," Gustopha muttered, "Things that aren't fit to be said outside."
Stoneheart's posture shrank slightly, "Apologies, your highness," He murmured, ears drooping at the sudden shift in Gustopha's tone.
The group would go quiet again as they continued along, reaching the Princess' target on the edge of the blighted land.
Gustopha sighed deeply and settled down on the moldy, slimy grass, her horn illuminating as she worked over the land.
The guards watched in awe as blight was rent from the surface, the scars of war fading away as glistening golden cracks spread across the earth.
"To see a princess exercising her full will over her element…" Stoneheart murmured.
"One heckuva cloud she's pulling up… That's all blight?" Aerated asked.
"The blight seeks to ruin the land as much as possible," April murmured, "It kills everything it touches."
May nodded, "To see it being purged is like watching a villain perish before our eyes."
"It kills everything?" Stoneheart asked, eyes wide.
April nodded, "It kills the ground, then it kills the plants growing in it, and then it kills the ponies that try to eat what little's left," She explained.
The group jumped as Gustopha's horn ignited into bright flames, dousing the field in white light as the blight cloud was purged of its evil.
Despite the intense light and heat, Gustopha simply let out a deep sigh once it was over. She shook herself off, horn still radiating a faint warmth.
"Are you alright, Princess?" Stoneheart asked, helping Gustopha to her hooves.
"I am," Gustopha replied, giving a small smile, "It is a tiring spell… The blight purge spell requires an immense amount of throughput; hence why my horn catches on fire."
"That's intentional?" Aerated asked, "Sheesh, I'm glad I'm not a unicorn," She muttered.
"There are less dangerous permutations, though for large tasks like this, it's the most effective way," Gustopha explained, "Though like I said, it is quite exhausting… This will be all I can do for tonight."
The terran guards looked across the newly cleaned stretch of land, which was already growing fresh vegetation under the gentle rainfall of the now cleaned cloud.
"Are you truly the only one who can clean the land, Princess?" Stoneheart asked.
"In any reasonable amount of time, yes… But it will still take me years. Perhaps even decades; decades we don't have," Gustopha heaved, hanging her head.
"Couldn't you just… Make another alicorn, like yourself?" Aerated asked.
"No," Gustopha replied firmly, "I will not subject any pony to what I went through."
Aerated flinched a bit. "Isn't there any other way?" She asked, ears drooping.
Gustopha sighed a little, "I'll… Do some studying over the next few days," She said softly.
With that, the group would return to the castle, quietly talking a bit more. It was a bit more of a somber discussion, though Gustopha spent much of it being lost in thought, pondering some kind of solution. Was there a better way?
During dinner with Celestia, Gustopha was fixated on those thoughts. Optimization… Something that could get Equestria back on its hooves faster.
Celestia looked at her, "You seem lost in thought," She hummed, "Did everything go okay with your new guards?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded. "They're lovely ponies," She replied, "However, they already share the same worry that I do."
"And what might that be?" Celestia asked.
"It will take me too long to purify the land," Gustopha heaved, "Even if I were to push myself to the limit every day, my magic doesn't replenish fast enough. I'll-" She was cut off.
"Gustopha, you don't need to rush yourself," Celestia attempted.
"But I do, Celestia," Gustopha heaved, "Every day that goes by, more ponies starve, and lose hope. I need to be stronger."
Celestia sighed a bit. "I… I understand, Gustopha," She replied softly.
"I don't have a plan yet… But I might have the start of one," Gustopha expressed.
Celestia blinked, "Go on?" She requested.
"There might be a way that I could imbue a plant with the blight purge spell. Then, when planted in blighted soil, the magic would activate, and it would repel the blight," Gustopha explained, "We could distribute the fruit to the most heavily affected areas, and as those plants grow and make their own fruit, they could spread further."
Celestia nodded slowly, "What would you need to cultivate such a fruit?" She asked.
"That, I don't know yet. This is all theoretical," Gustopha admitted, rubbing her temples, "It will likely take me some time to formulate this properly," She conceded.
Celestia nodded a bit. "Of course… Just remember that we also need to plan your coronation soon," She requested.
Gustopha nodded and sighed. "I know. I was hoping you might be able to help with that, while I work on this project," She expressed.
Celestia's eyes widened a bit, "You wish for me to organize your coronation?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I would rather my requests go through you. You understand the importance of what I'm working on," She expressed, "I trust you to respect my time."
Celestia nodded a bit, "Well… If you're sure, Gustopha," She replied.
Gustopha stepped down from her chair and hugged Celestia tightly, "I'm sure, sister," She promised, "You understand this far better than I do."
Celestia leaned over the side of her chair to hug back, "Very well, Gustopha… I'll draft up some ideas for you to have a look at, okay?" She offered.
Gustopha nodded, "That sounds good," She replied.
After a bit longer at dinner, the two alicorns parted ways.
Gustopha returned to her room, smiling gently at April and May, who were now posted outside her door.
"Stoneheart and Aerated Turf just got back with the books you wanted," April explained.
Gustopha nodded, "Thank you; come with me," She requested as she walked inside, the two guards following in.
Gustopha sat at the table in the study, looking over the books. She winced slightly, her horn igniting to magic a piece of chalk over to a large blackboard, already beginning to write down notes.
"What's all this for?" Aerated Turf asked.
"You asked me earlier if there was an easier way to purify the land," Gustopha hummed, "This is me figuring out the answer to that question."
"Your studiousness is an inspiration to us all, Princess," Stoneheart commented.
Gustopha smiled a little. "Thank you, Stoneheart," She replied, "I will admit, this is going to be occupying me for a while… You four are dismissed for the time being."
The four guards jumped. "Dismissed?" Stoneheart asked.
"You have regular duties to attend to, do you not?" She asked.
"Well, yes, but we've been tasked to you. There is nothing else you wish for us to do?" Stoneheart asked.
"At the moment, there's very little being done. I'm just preparing right now," Gustopha said, looking up at them, "Rest assured, I will call upon you when the time comes," She promised.
April, May, and Aerated hesitantly left the room.
Stoneheart, however, stayed by Gustopha's side for a long moment.
"Are… Are you certain you don't want company, Princess?" Stoneheart asked.
"You would likely get very bored if you stayed here; this is not a simple look into a certain spell. Enchanting a plant, in the way I need to do, is a much more thorough procedure," Gustopha explained gently, "If it makes you feel better, you are free to come and go as you please," She promised.
Stoneheart nodded hesitantly and stood up, "Very well, Princess. I'll be sure myself and the others come to check on you periodically."
Gustopha smiled. "Thank you, Stoneheart," She replied, lightly waving to the stallion as he left the room.
Over the coming weeks, Gustopha's plan slowly formulated; she'd chosen a good candidate for both a spell and a seed to be enchanted, and was polishing the last kinks in the spellwork.
She'd chosen the cocoa tree, for a twofold purpose: Number one, it was a fairly productive fruit tree, especially once fully grown. Number two, it was already an edible plant, and Gustopha was hopeful that, once properly enchanted, the fruit of the tree might be eaten to form a sort of vaccine against blight sickness.
Of course, Equestria was not a particularly warm place, and the tree was a bit slow growing, so she'd need to take care to account for these problems.
It did complicate the spell a bit, but eventually, Gustopha was ready.
"I got the cocoa pod, like you wanted," Aerated said, looking at the rather sizable plant pod in her hooves, "Never actually seen one before…" She admitted.
Gustopha's horn illuminated, and she took the seed, nestling it in a large pot of soil.
"Excellent," She said gently, "Now, this spell will require a lot of focus time to perform… I need to remain undisturbed for at least a day," She expressed.
April nodded, "Me and May'll watch the door," She offered.
Gustopha smiled. "Thank you both. Aerated, go ahead and take a rest," She said gently.
Aerated nodded, "Don't need to tell me twice, Princess. I haven't flown that far in a long while," She admitted, walking out of the room.
"And what of me, Princess?" Stoneheart asked.
Gustopha looked at him. "I would like you to stay here, in case something goes wrong. Imbuing a plant with magic like this is a labor-intensive spell; I'm effectively rearranging the plant, down to its core," She expressed.
Stoneheart nodded, "Then I shall remain here until dismissed, Princess," He replied dutifully.
Gustopha smiled. "I know you will," She replied.
She then looked at her notes one more time, settling herself before the potted seed. Her horn lightly pressed against the hull of the seed, and her eyes closed, a warm golden aura slowly encompassing both her horn and the seed.
What would be hours for any other pony were mere minutes to Gustopha mid-spell. The focus of carefully reweaving every trait of the plant to make it conducive to blight banishing, in addition to some small additions like making it sweeter and resistant to cold, took a lot of focus. Not a lot of magic, as she was only working very small pieces of the plant at a time, but it still required her brain's full power.
"What do you mean, I can't see my sister?" Celestia asked with a slight huff.
"Gustopha is working very hard at the moment. We have orders not to let anyone into the room," April explained.
"Well, I appreciate that, but these are her coronation plans. I need her to look over them one more time so we can begin setting the castle and town for the event," Celestia explained.
May shook her head. "Mm-m. Nopony in or out, Princess. This spell's too important for Gustopha's well-being," She explained.
Celestia cocked a brow, "For her well-being? What is it?" She asked.
"She's executing her will over a cocoa pod, which will become the first Blightsbane tree if all goes well," April explained.
Celestia gasped. "Oh, of course! How could I forget? She mentioned it last night at dinner; oh, the look of excitement on her face. It was like a foal's on hearth's warming…" She recalled, her face turned into a fond smile.
"That's right. And because of that, she needs the most stable focus," May commented, "So, we must ask you to postpone your visit."
Celestia snorted slightly, "I… I see," She replied, "Very well… You will tell me when she's up and functional again, yes?" She requested.
They both nodded. "That, we can do," April replied.
Celestia hesitated, but prepared to walk back to her throne. She supposed she should have seen it coming; though, of course, this was of great importance.
Gustopha's eyes opened some hours later. Day had faded into night, and the once brown pod was now a vibrant gold. She lifted it carefully from the pot in her hooves, lightly knocking on it with her hoof. The almost meaty thwocks of her hoof rapping on the seed's hull were quite the appealing noise, but she wasn't here to appraise the sound.
"Is it done, Princess?" Stoneheart asked, looking at the faintly glowing pod.
"I believe it is," Gustopha replied contently, "Now, there is a pot of blighted dirt on the balcony. Please bring it here," She requested.
Stoneheart nodded, walking out to the balcony and pushing over the large pot of pock-marked soil.
She smiled widely. "Now, if all goes well… See how I'm not using any magic?" She asks, not waiting for an answer, "If all goes well, the seed will banish the blight itself."
Stoneheart nodded slowly, "How does it know to banish the blight?" He asked.
"Seeds have a number of senses they used to determine the proper time to sprout; when it begins rooting and encounters blight as it grows, it will sear away the blight, converting it into fresh water in the soil, which it will then use to grow," Gustopha explained, neatly making a well in the soil, planting the seed, and covering it. "I've used some of the soil healing spell to increase its growth rate, but it will still grow a bit slowly compared to the typical rate in healed soil. We should see by tomorrow if it was a success," She elaborated.
Stoneheart nodded, "Then I suppose we wait," He hummed.
Gustopha chuckled. "Well, you will. You will be waiting outside; I believe it's bedtime for me," She commented.
Stoneheart nodded, "Ah! Of course, you must be tired after holding focus for so long," He huffed, "Please, don't allow me to keep you awake. Have a good sleep," He bade, leaving the room.
Gustopha smiled gently, walking to her bed and resting her head on her pillow. She snuggled into the covers, smiling contently to herself.
Plantation sat and watched as Texas Toast practiced doing flips and dives in the air.
"How do you not get dizzy doing all that?" Plantation asked, having gotten a little lightheaded just watching him spin around.
"Mom says it comes natural to pegasi; like how you can grab things with your magic even if you couldn't catch 'em normally," Texas commented.
Plantation nodded a bit, "So you don't even think about it?" She asked.
Texas nodded, "Yup! I could do flips like this all day!" He giggled, "One day, I'm gonna get big and strong and fly you somewhere!"
Plantation blinked, "That… Sounds scary," She admitted.
Texas dove lightly down to her side, awkwardly stopping before her, just in time to hug her. "Hey, I'd make sure I wouldn't drop you. By golly, I'd hold you so tight you'd be worried about falling up instead!" He promised, chest swelling a bit.
Plantation blinked, "You mean it?" She asked, looking at him.
Texas nodded. "Yup! I'd hold you tight and never let go!" He promised, "I'd just be your wings!"
Plantation smiled a little, looking away. "That… That sounds like it'd be nice, Tex," She replied softly.
Texas giggled, "Hey, don't go making this weird now!" He huffed, hugging her tighter.
Gustopha awoke fairly early, and with energy she hadn't felt in a long time. She practically leapt from her bed up the stairs to the loft, eyes widening in delight.
The tree had taken root. Before her now stood an admittedly somewhat short cocoa tree, a few of its more developed branches already had small pods growing from them.
Gustopha giggled with excitement, lightly bouncing on her hooves as she dowsed the pot's dirt. Not a hint of blight in sight, and the plant still radiated the warmth of the blight purge spell.
She quickly galloped from her room, stopping just outside the door.
April and May had gone to bed, leaving Stoneheart and Aerated Turf to keep watch over the princess' door.
"You both," She said, first pointing at Stoneheart, "You, get a cart," She then adjusted her gaze to Aerated, "You, go find the nearest farm with blight in its field," She instructed.
The two ponies nodded, running off to fulfill the Princess' orders.
Stoneheart quickly returned with a cart, and Gustopha carefully loaded the potted tree onto it.
Stoneheart looked at the soft, off-white wood and the glowing golden-green leaves, as well as the glimmering golden pods. "It's beautiful…" He murmured.
"In this tree lies what may be the end of the blight as we know it," She expressed, a wide smile on her face, "Now, we just need to plant it, so it may grow into full size and produce more fruits," She expressed.
The cart was brought to the throne room once it was loaded, with Gustopha proudly displaying her experiment to Celestia.
"So this tree repels blight?" Celestia asked.
"Yup! It's cleaned out the whole pot already," Gustopha replied, her voice giddy, "We're going to go plant it once Aerated Turf gets back."
"I see… Are April and May still asleep?" Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded.
Celestia turned to her guard, "Go fetch some new recruits," She requested.
The solar guard nodded and trotted off from the dais.
"You want me to have more guards?" Gustopha asked, "I'm already running out of things for just four to do," She admitted, ears drooping.
Celestia smiled, "I'm sure some more staff will do you good, Gustopha; you're a very smart pony. I know you can figure out proper delegation techniques," She commented warmly.
Gustopha nodded a little, her ears returning to their normal state.
The guard returned with three fresh cadets, dressed in the bronze armor of the terran guard. All three of them were mares; an earth pony, a pegasus, and a unicorn. They introduced themselves as Fjord, Dust Storm, and Precipice Spire, respectively.
Just in time, Aerated Turf returned to the throne room, recounting the directions to the farm she'd found. With that, the group set out, Stoneheart pulling the cart along.
"So that tree can really purge blight?" Dust Storm asked.
Gustopha nodded, "And grow as normal in the process," She replied, "Giving non-alicorns a way to better purge the blight from their land will substantially lighten the load on myself."
Precipice looked at the tree, then the princess, "How did you imbue a plant with such a spell?" She asked.
"Very slowly, and very carefully," Gustopha said, "All living things, even plants, have some magic in them; the spell I used was similar to the spell cast on a pegasus or unicorn upon becoming an alicorn, but much slower paced."
Precipice nodded slowly, "Isn't modifying a spell like that dangerous?" She asked.
"Very," Gustopha replied, "That's why it took me weeks to plan it out, and nearly a day to perform the necessary alterations to the plant itself."
Precipice again nodded.
The group would eventually come upon a blighted farm along the road.
"This is the place," Aerated Turf commented, "I already took the liberty of letting the farmers know we were going to plant the tree here."
Gustopha nodded, "Good," She replied, leading the group to a patch of particularly blighted-looking terrain in the field, her horn illuminating to part the dirt.
The blighted soil did not respond kindly to her magic. She grunted as it crept into her, her front legs becoming mottled with blight scars. Despite the now oozing, aching sensation, she looked up towards the tree.
"Alright, let's plant it here," Gustopha said, horn illuminating to lift the tree (and the dirt within the pot) from its enclosure, carefully moving it into the hollow she'd made, and packing some of the blighted dirt around the tree's base.
"There," She said with a small smile, sitting back to admire her handywork.
"Princess, your legs…" Stoneheart said softly.
"I'll purge them in a moment; I can weather the blight fine enough," Gustopha promised, "Drawing blight into myself used to be the only way I knew how to purge it," She admitted.
"Does it hurt?" Fjord asked.
"Hurt is a strong word," Gustopha remarked, "It's a turgid, creeping feeling… As if the scars are trying to melt my legs."
Fjord and Aerated shuddered at the idea of flesh melting off the bone.
"Now, we should go tell the family the tree's been planted," Gustopha said, leading her troop over to the farmhouse.
The family of farmers were quite flattered that their field had been chosen by the Princess for her test.
"Actually, Princess…" The farm mare spoke up, "If you wouldn't mind, couldja stay after dark?" She requested.
"What for?" Gustopha asked.
"Every now and again, we hear bangin' on the door, and we wake up to dirt smeared all over our back porch," The mare explained.
Gustopha cocked her brow, "I… I see," She replied, thinking for a long moment. She didn't like this one bit. "Dust Storm, please travel to the castle and tell Celestia we will be staying here for the night," Gustopha requested.
"Understood, Princess," Dust Storm replied, leaving quickly.
"The rest of you, get ready for the night… I'd like to take a look around under moonlight," She expressed.
The rest of the terran guard nodded and prepared to hunker down for the night.