Chapter Seventeen: Perihelion
As the train slowed to a stop, AJ slunk lower on her bench. A whole delegation was waiting for her at the station. She recognized Prince Blueblood, the minister of agriculture, the mayor and the head of parliament in addition to a slew of others she didn’t recognize. Towering over them all was Celestia herself. Her aurora of hair streamed in the ethereal winds while she chatted lightly with some minor functionary. As the brakes screeched to a halt her head turned to give the train car her undivided attention.
By this time Applejack had slumped all the way to the floor. Luna hesitated, feeling that to go out first would be somehow inappropriate. Merry May looked about to hyperventilate. The little pegasus scrambled over to the window and peered out at Celestia. The alicorn was watching the boarding door impassively while a slight smile twitched at the corner of her lips. The nobles surrounding her were shuffling their hooves and generally trying, unsuccessfully, to match the ageless patience of their ruler.
Merry’s expression hardened. Leaning down, she poked Applejack in the shoulder. “Hey, what’s up?”
“That’s Celestia. Ah can’t go out there after all this an’ meet her ‘n’ tha whole Equestrian government!”
Merry frowned, “So what? Y’all already fought Luna to a standstill. Buck up. Celestia’s no sweat.”
“But, Ah… She’s Celestia! No offense to ya Luna, but Ah didn’t spend mah entire childhood prayin’ ta you ‘n’ thinkin’ y’all were somethin’ unreachable and perfect. Now Ah gotta go out an’ face her as an equal…”
Luna leaned down alongside Merry and gave AJ a gentle nuzzle. “Thou canst do this. Remember, as much as she’s the Goddess of the Sun, she’s also the lazy roustabout of Unicornia and the mystery monster of the Heartstrings clan. I also seem to remember her sharing an amusing letter thou sentest a few years back on the subject of friendship and already knowing it all. Where was thy shyness then?”
Applejack glared up at Luna. “Ta be fair, Ah was kinda drunk at the time.”
“Then surely thou canst face her when thou art in command of thy faculties and armed with the power of a goddess, yes?”
“Yeah, give her what-for and tell her that you won’t let her take you-all, uh, y’all off the farm!” said Merry.
Applejack peeked over the edge of the window. Celestia was still there waiting. She hadn’t moved a muscle. Applejack sucked in a huge breath and then sighed. “Y’all are right. Ah’m getting mah tail in a tizzy over nothin’. Here Ah go!”
Applejack rose regally to her feet and marched over to the exit. An extremely nervous porter opened the door for her and stepped aside. Applejack nodded to him and debarked, barely remembering to duck her head and horn for the doorframe. Luna and Merry followed and took up positions beside her, Luna to her right and Merry to her left. Applejack and Celestia stood a moment, facing each other across the station as the entire crowd held its breath. Celestia was the first to move. Slowly, she approached Applejack and nuzzled her neck in a regal sort of hug. “It is good to meet you for the first time as a sister, Applejack.”
Applejack tentatively returned the nuzzle, “Uh, you too, princess.”
Celestia broke the embrace and rested a hoof on AJ’s chest. “Please, no need for such formality between the two of us."
In the meantime various cameras were flashing near-constantly while phonographs and film reels spun furiously to capture the event. Applejack was getting slightly dizzy from the lights, though she was fairly sure she could hear Pinkie cheering from somewhere in the crowd. “Ah, uh, sure thing… Celestia.”
Celestia glanced over to the crowd of reporters. “How about we have Luna and your… Hoofservant?”
“Captain.”
“…your captain deal with the press while you and I go somewhere private to discuss where to go from here.”
“Alright.”
“Luna! Captain Merry! Would you two be so kind as to entertain the press for a moment?”
Luna nodded and Merry snapped to attention while Celestia turned to step off of the platform. A path parted in front of her as if by magic. Applejack followed closely in the princess’s wake as the crowd surged behind her. They soon found themselves in front of the town hall. The Solar Guard was busy blocking the entrances and deflecting curious onlookers. The two alicorns passed by gracefully. AJ entered first while Celestia paused to give an instruction to the guard captain.
Inside the grand building was a set of cushions and a small tea service. Nopony else was there, though the windows were thronged. Celestia took her seat and lit her horn for a moment. The windows and walls shimmered with a golden glow as the sounds of the crowd faded away. With a sigh, Celestia turned to Applejack. “There, we have complete privacy for the moment.”
“Thank you kindly, princess.”
“You know, I meant it on the platform. I sincerely hope you will accept me as a sister. That wasn’t just a publicity play.”
“Ah know… Ah guess Ah gotta warm up to tha idea first.”
“That’s fair…” Celestia trailed off as she poured herself a small cup. “I also have a bottle of cider if you’d like it, your own make.”
Applejack smiled faintly, “Thanks, Ah think Ah should have a clear head for the time bein’.”
“It’s up to you.” Celestia fell silent, her eyes hard but worried. “Now… This is a rather dramatic change for you. You know… I could make this all go away if you wanted.”
“Pardon?”
“You know of the various limits I have imposed upon myself, Luna mentioned them briefly to you. I can do much more than that. I could make it so that you lose access to all your power, your form would be reverted permanently… I can’t do anything direct about the immortality, but getting cast in enchanted stone at the end of your chosen life is near enough…”
Applejack stared at Celestia. The elder goddess stared back, unreadable, but grim. “Uh, that’s pretty extreme, ain’t it?”
“Not when you think about it. I would be giving you back everything you had before you changed. We could write this whole event off as some trick of Discord and everypony will have forgotten about it within the year. We could fake the signs of aging, and nopony would ever have to think of you differently. Then, at the end, you would go to a blissful, eternal rest. So, what do you want?”
“Didja give Luna this choice?”
“I didn’t have the knowledge to do so back then. I do now.”
“What about mah family? This affects them too.”
“I can make similar arrangements to protect their anonymity and their livelihood. They need never suffer for your decision, either way. You will not be separated from them and they can live peacefully. Applejack… This decision needs to your choice and yours alone. I cannot reverse what happens, and I will not offer this a second time, the consequences would be minimal now, but unfathomable later. Should you make the decision on the recommendation of another, you could come to resent it later on, and even a powerless immortal can cause a lot of damage, nevermind a goddess. You’ve seen a glimpse of the kind of heartache that this sort of life can provide, and I do mean a glimpse. There are also moments of joy, unutterable happiness that will come to you through eternity. What I ask is this, can you bear up under the burden?”
Applejack stood up and paced towards one of the darkened windows. The crowd was still faintly visible. “What happens to tha rest of tha world?”
“Either the rest of the world goes on happily, much as it has for generations, or you change it.”
“Y’all’re tryin’ ta tell me that I Ah walk away, an’ it don’t cost anypony anythin’?”
“Well, yes. I suppose I am.”
“With all due respect, Celestia, that’s bull.”
Celestia smiled, surprised. “Oh? And why is that?”
“Well, when an apple tree is young, ya tie it to a stick and hold it firm so it grows tall an’ straight an’ strong. If you never tie it like that, well, it ain’t like it’s gettin’ any less than it would in the wild… But it won’t grow straight. It’ll bend for any reason, and when a heavy snow comes or a strong wind blows, it breaks like kindlin’. Maybe Ah’m supposed ta be tha brace that helps ‘em grow.” Applejack gestured broadly out the window. She turned to Celestia, eyes serious. “Ah ain’t gonna walk out on ‘em, Mama Apple didn’t raise no quitters.”
Celestia nodded, “Is that your decision? Are you fully prepared to take up that duty and role, knowing that in the end it was your choice?”
The Earth Goddess looked the Sun Goddess in the eyes. “Eeyup.”