In the Service of the Goddess.

by Blue Print


Chapter Five: Raising Up

Chapter Five: Raising Up

That night, as Applejack dreamed, she found herself back in the tapestry-filled room where she had last spoken with Luna. The other goddess was already there, inspecting her hoof in boredom. She smiled when she spotted Applejack. “Well-met, sister.”

“Howdy.” Applejack looked around again at the room. “What is this place?”

Luna glanced about the room fondly. “This was my favorite room in the old castle in the Everfree. It’s a very strong memory, so it’s quite fitting for a meeting place in the realm of dreams.”

“So, ya wanted ta teach me combat? Won’t that be a mite tricky in a dream? Ah mean, they ain’t exactly true to life.”

Luna nodded and strode towards the door. “That would be true of many dreams, but this one is equal parts memory and magic, a potent combination. You will find that many of your waking limits apply here as well.” Applejack followed her into the hallway beyond as she continued, “I’m quite excited to have a sparring partner who can at least match me in power again. The current captains are nothing compared to the old heroes.”

Applejack squinted at the back of Luna’s head. “Ya do this often? Ah think Ah woulda heard about Princess Luna attackin’ ponies in their sleep.”

Luna glanced back and smiled. “I only train the heads of the various services this way. State secret. Anyways, Ironsides is getting old, Spitfire is fierce, but she tends to make bad strategic decisions, Thunderbolt is a genius, but he has no skill whatsoever at hoof-to-hoof, and Night Watch is just as overcautious as Shining Armor was, but far less resourceful.”

The two were making their way down into the depths of the castle, passing door after door. One in particular caught Applejack’s eye. It was bricked in and marked across the top in a deeply carved inscription, AVRORA IN IGNOMINIA FACIEM OCCVLVIT. “Whut’s that?” she said.

Luna turned back to see what Applejack was looking at. Her face immediately grew somber. “Would you like to see?” Luna inclined her head and the bricks disappeared, leaving a gaping black hole in the wall. “Go on.”

Applejack entered slowly, peering about in the darkness. After a moment she remembered to light her horn, casting a weak glow. In front of her was a life-size statue of what could only be Celestia, rearing with her wings swept wide and threatening. It was wrapped in grim, grey steel barding, studded here and there with ominous looking rubies. Luna stood beside Applejack as she gazed on wordlessly.

After several minutes Luna spoke. “Celestia had two options when I fell.” Luna ran her hoof over the smoothly shining metal. “This is where she bound her power. She can summon this suit with a thought. In one sense, it is her, or part of her anyway. The pony who wears it could level mountains and roll the surface of the earth before her like a scroll. Not that it would fit anypony else. I saw her wear it exactly once, when she forged it. Never once since that time, millennia ago, has she so much as looked at it.”

Applejack frowned. “Why hasn’t she used it? There’s plenty a times that that much power coulda come in useful. Chrysalis wouldn’t’ve bothered her a bit if it’s that strong. Heck, even Discord mighta been a piece a cake.”

Luna smirked at Applejack. “You and I both know that Discord isn’t like that. No amount of raw force can harm a being who melts so readily in and out of reality. As for Chrysalis… There have been other times when ponykind was in dire straits, far worse than those. I begged her to summon the Alicorn Armor on more than one occasion, but she utterly refused each time. Celestia never does anything without a plan, but I would guess that here she simply intends to shut it away and forget about it.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes at Luna, then gazed up and down the statue. Finally she pointed a hoof at the criniere around its neck. In the center was mounted a little medallion with the bust and wings of an alicorn, inset with a large ruby. “Ah recognize that. Zecora has that piece. That’s tha Alicorn Amulet that Trixie used to take over Ponyville.”

Luna looked at AJ with confusion. “Soothly? I suppose she never even took it with her when she abandoned the old palace. It’s irresponsible of her to leave such things lying about. Still, if it is just the amulet, that’s not a great worry. There’s little enough power in that bauble.” Luna harrumphed. “Come, the night wears on and these specters of the past begin to tire me.” As Luna stepped back into the hallway her ears perked towards the way they had come from. “Actually, go on ahead Applejack. I have something to take care of briefly.”

***

Merry May spasmed awake, flopping off of her bed while gasping and clutching at her stomach. When she saw she was back in her room she took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves. The nightmares she had been having lately were getting worse. This time she had dreamed that somepony had sliced her in half with a sword.

Now that she had collected herself, she wanted to find whatever jerk had told her that dying in a dream killed you in real life and give him a piece of her mind. With a final shudder and a sigh, she dragged her blanket off of her bed and huddled in front of her heater. She was far too worked up to get back to sleep tonight.

***

The next few days passed quickly as they awaited replies to the various letters Applejack had sown across Equestria. Merry found herself spending more and more time at Applejack’s side. There often wasn’t much else for her to do, since the farm was essentially squared away for the coming winter. Most often she would just wait patiently with a book or something small she could put down at a moment’s notice. Occasionally Applejack would ask her opinion on some small thing or other and they would chat a bit, but for the most part they kept a companionable silence.

During those quiet moments it was easy to think of Applejack as just another pony, one of the herd. When they were out in public was an entirely different story. Merry hovered nearby wherever Applejack walked, looking out for particularly purposeful looking ponies. That Friday, while Applejack was heading to Twilight’s place for a lesson, Merry spotted a light yellow pony with a saddlebag full of papers making a beeline towards AJ.

Merry quickly headed him off before Applejack could see him. Landing square in his path, Merry extended a hoof in greeting. “Howdy! I’m Merry, Seneschal to Princess Mara. What’s your name, stranger?”

The pony distractedly muttered, “Tall Poppy, from the Hay Board.” He attempted to dodge around Merry, but she quickly followed his steps.

“I’m afraid if you have any business for the princess, it will have to wait until next Wednesday, when she holds court.”

Poppy reared up angrily. “Get out of my way! I’m not here to see the ‘princess’. I have urgent business with Miss Twilight Sparkle. Now move!” He stepped forward as if to push Merry out of the way.

For the briefest moment, Merry quailed under his rage. What if his business really is urgent? Do I have the right to keep him away? Merry’s eyes hardened. Yes, yes I do. I’m the Captain of a Princess, for Mara’s sake! Merry stepped forwards and butted heads with Poppy, somewhat grateful for the cushioning her turban provided. “Do you have an appointment with Twilight?”

“No, but I—“

“Well Princess Mara does. Do you really think you’re hot enough stuff to interrupt the princess and Twilight Sparkle while they’re conducting magical experiments? Like, if it’s really that important, you can explain it to me, and I’ll decide if it’s worth bugging Princess Mara for.”

Poppy snarled before backing off. “Fine, I’ll leave, but I won’t forget this.” He trotted off in a huff.

Merry called after him, “Hay, don’t be like that. Just tell me what the problem is!” Merry rolled her eyes as the stallion trotted out of sight. She made her way over to the front door of the library and settled down nearby with her book. The building behind her sporadically gave off strange flashes of orange and purple as the roar of hidden and ancient magics emanated from within. There was no way she was going in there while those two were busy tearing holes in the universe.

***

The Appleloosan Apples’ reply arrived first. They were planning on arriving on the morning train on Tuesday. Applejack and Merry went to meet them at the station. Both of them were somewhat bundled up for the occasion, with scarves and saddles wrapped tightly against the chill. Thankfully, the first snow was scheduled for the week after the barn-raising. As the two waited, Merry spotted something beside the tracks headed towards Appleloosa. She poked Applejack in the leg and pointed at the little moving speck in the distance. “Do you see that?”

Applejack squinted into the distance. “It looks like a runner. Pony Express maybe?”

The two of them watched while the pony galloped closer. He was wearing the light duster and canister saddlebags common to the intrepid ponies of the Pony Express. He approached the station and barged right into the stationmaster’s office without stopping. AJ and Merry looked on, their curiosity thoroughly piqued. After a moment of muffled conversation the stationmaster leapt out of his office, skidding to a halt as he spotted Applejack. He sketched a quick bow, then quickly dashed off to where the porters were lounging around. Bewildered, the two mares watched them promptly scatter and begin setting up a ramp a short distance from the platform.

Within a few minutes of the runner’s arrival, the train from Appleloosa chugged into the station. Braeburn, predictably, was the first to leap off. Running up to his cousin, he dropped into a charming little bow and swept his hat off. “Well How-dee, cuz! You’ve sure grown since last time.”

Applejack smiled and rolled her eyes. “Haha, Braeburn. Go on, get up. How ya been?” She hugged him briefly.

“Just dandy! We had a bumper crop thi–“

Braeburn was interrupted by a booming bass voice coming from an outsized boxcar hitched to the back of the train. “Have we stopped? I am tired of this… pony conveyance. Conductor! Conductor!”

Braeburn grinned sheepishly at AJ as the railponies hurried to open the car. “Ah think Ah oughta mention, Chief Thunderhooves came along. Soon as he heard talk that there was a newly crowned Duchess of the South, he insisted on it.”

At this, Applejack’s eyes went wide as she stared mutely at the boxcar that was being opened. The Chieftain was busy trying to squeeze his enormous frame through the door of the car and onto the ramp that had been placed for him. With a pop and the sound of crunching wood, he was free. He shook himself briefly, sending porters scattering. Behind him, another bison backed out of the car, wearing a beautiful woven cloak and hauling several large baskets. Thunderhooves nodded at her. “Ah, thank you Strongheart. Is that everything?”

“No, father, there are a few baskets left.”

“Leave them. I’m told it’s these… porters’ jobs to move our things.”

Applejack shook herself out of the trance she had fallen into and trotted up to the Chief. Merry, looking on, was shocked to realize that the bison was still at least three or four times the size of Applejack. Applejack bowed low to the Chief. Thunderhooves watched the gesture with shock before hastily bowing his own mighty head. Amused, Merry supposed that a full bow would be impossible for the bison’s girth. Finally, Applejack stood up and spoke. “Ah’m mighty pleased at yer visit, Chief Thunderhooves. To what do Ah owe tha pleasure?”

Thunderhooves smiled, encouraged. “Yes… It has come to my attention that the Mother Sun has placed Your Majesty at the head of the Peoples of the Plains. I and my daughter have come to offer our allegiance and congratulations. I know that we once stood as enemies on the field of battle, but I hope and desire that the friendship that blossomed between our two peoples might continue in harmony and peace in for all time, holding sacred the bonds that tie us all to the life bearing earth; indeed, we are as your children, for who is not connecte–“ Strongheart nudged Thunderhooves. He gave her a sideways glance, then harrumphed. “Yes. I have something which I hope you might accept.” He reached into one of the baskets that Strongheart had brought and pulled out a grand, flowing headdress that rivaled his own.

A brief look of thoughtfulness crossed Applejack’s face before she swept her own hat off and held it out. “Merry?”

Merry quickly flew over and grabbed the hat from the princess. Applejack lowered her head and allowed Chief Thunderhooves to gently place the headdress on her. He grinned hugely when Applejack raised her head and turned about to show it off. She then faced the Chief again. “Ah accept your gift, and the friendship behind it. Ah wish Ah could offer you a place to stay, but Ah’m afraid that’s tha reason Ah invited mah kin here. There’s a hotel in town Ah could put you up in if ya like…”

Thunderhooves shook his head. “There is no need. Unlike you ponies, for us, life is motion. We brought our home with us.” He gestured to a set of poles being unloaded by the porters.

Applejack nodded. “That’s just fine if it suits ya. Now, Strongheart, it’s good ta see ya after all these years. Why, Ah hardly recognize ya. And Ah love yer cloak.”

Strongheart blushed. Her frame was starting to fill in to its adult girth, and she looked strong enough to pull the train single-hoofedly. “Thank you, Princess. I’m glad you like the cloak.”

The Chieftain smirked, “She is embarrassed about her patchy coat. I keep telling her it is completely normal for a growing bison, but she insists–“

Strongheart stuffed a hoof in her father’s mouth, a horrified look on her face. “Father!” With a pained expression, she turned back to Applejack. “It is good to see you, Princess, though I wonder if Rainbow Dash is in town? I’d like to see her again.”

Applejack nodded, her expression starting to drift. “Eeyup. Ah’ll make sure she knows y’all are in town. Uh, Braeburn! Would you mind showin’ these two to tha farm? The rest of y’all can head on up too. Ah’m sure Mac, Granny and Blooms are waitin’ fer ya. Ah got somethin’ Ah got ta do. Please excuse me Chief, Strongheart. Merry, mind comin’ with me?” Applejack trotted a short distance away from the group and rocketed into the air, shooting straight through a rather large cloud above. Merry followed soon after. She found Applejack hunkered down in the folds of the cloud, eyes wide and staring.

Merry discreetly closed the hole in the cloud cover behind her and trotted over to where Applejack was. “What’s up?” she whispered.

He next best thing ta called me his momma!” she hissed through her teeth.

Merry scratched her head. “Yeah, that’s a little weird. Don’t worry about it. It’s not like it means anything.”

Applejack glared at her seneschal before stuffing her head into a cloudbank. “Go away.”

Merry took a step closer. “Princess?”

From inside her cloud, Applejack mumbled. “Ah said… aw ferget it. Y’all never do what Ah want anyway.”

Merry stomped her hoof indignantly. After she recovered herself from falling halfway through the cloud, she said, “That’s not true, Applejack, and you know it. Apologize!”

“…Fine. Yer a great helper and Ah’m sorry Ah mouthed off at ya…”

Merry nodded primly and walked up to the goddess. “Now, what’s got your tail in a twist?”

“Ah don’t really want ta talk about it. It’s silly an’ worryin’ about it ain’t gonna help none.”

Merry rolled her eyes. “Well, you’re ‘worryin’’ about it now, so maybe talking about it will help.”

“Well…” Applejack pulled her head out of the cloud to look at Merry. Her eyes were hollow, but dry. “Ah’ve always wanted ta be a mom.”

“A mom?” Merry carefully put as little inflection as she could into the question.

“I ain’t as ambitious as most a mah friends. Ah mean, Ah compete in rodeos ‘n’ such, but it ain’t mah whole world like with Rainbow ‘n’ her flyin’. Ah love tha farm, more than anythin’ but Ah ain’t married to it the way Twi and Rares are to their jobs. Pinkie… Ah don’t know if Pinkie or ‘Shy would know what ta do if a stallion started flirtin’ with ‘em. Ah jest… Ah remember mah folks, before they died. Ah remember how happy we were and how beautiful momma was and how strong pa was. Ah’ve always wanted that again. Not fer me, Ah guess, but fer a pretty little foal of mah own.”

Applejack dropped her head into her hooves. “Ah ain’t no baby momma, if that’s what yer thinkin’. Ah always wanted ta do it right, find a good strong stallion, settle down.” Applejack stood up, rearing up to her full height and flaring her wings behind her. “Jest look at me Merry. Ah’m near enough ta tha prettiest mare in tha world now, but ain’t no stallion ever gonna dare get close ta me.”

Merry frowned. “Well, maybe the Chief was right. Everypony is kinda like your child now.”

Applejack sighed. “It ain’t tha same, and you know it Merry. Y’all ain’t mah kids any more than Ah’m Princess Celestia.”

Merry felt hurt in some nameless way by that last comment, but she continued on. “Well, what about Empress Cadence? She’s married.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but what kinda life are her foals gonna have? Besides. She ain’t tha immortal avatar of tha planet.”

Merry furrowed her brow in thought. “Well, what about Prince Blueblood? He’s always on about his Aunt Celestia in the newsreels. Maybe he really is related to the Princess?”

Applejack’s ears perked. “Maybe… Maybe yer right. Ah know who we could ask.”

***

House was currently sitting with his back to the door of his room, holding it shut against the barbarian horde that had apparently taken over the farm. He’d been studying when he’d heard Big Mac suddenly shout from outside. A rumble of hooves had filled the homestead, along with raucous laughter and horrifically distorted speech that he could barely make head or tail of, though he was pretty sure that he’d heard somepony say something about the most delicious Granny Smith they’d ever baked into a pie.

Desperately, he considered his options. Teleportation and sending were not something he’d ever learned, so going for help was out of the question. He couldn’t really see how to turn his re-inking spell into an effective weapon, unless these barbarians had a lot of faded tattoos or manuscripts. His hooves were stronger than his telekinesis, which wasn’t saying much.

Just as he was about to give up and throw himself at the mercy of the carnivorous invaders, Princess Mara and Dame May burst in through the window. He screamed briefly, but threw himself at the Princess’s hooves as soon as he realized who it was. “Princess! They’ve taken the farm! We have to retreat and rally the army!”

Princess Mara shook him off lightly. “Whut are you talkin’ about? That’s mah kin.”

House stared at her incredulously. “That rabble is your kin!?”

The Princess playfully cuffed him. “Rabble? Watch yerself. They may all be loonier than a fruit basket, but they’re mine. Anyhow, that ain’t why we’re here. We’ve got a question fer ya. Blueblood is Celestia’s nephew, right? Ah wanna know how they’re related.”

House took a moment to switch mental gears. “Blueblood?”

Mara looked at him sideways. “Yes, that’s whut ah said.”

“He’s… Yes and no.”

Dame May spoke up. “That really wasn’t a yes or no question.”

House shook his head. “I mean that they are only sort of related. The record is very clear on the fact that Celestia adopted Blueblood the First. She raised him as her son, but the story goes that she hates being called grandma. Every Blueblood from number two to fifty-two has had the right to refer to Celestia in the informal mode as Aunt Celestia or some variant of that. Interestingly, Celestia predicated that right on the fact that the eldest male descendant of the line must carry that name. It’s one of the few titles in Equestria that are inherited exclusively through the male line.”

The Princess visibly drooped as she heard the explanation. Dame May placed a hoof on her side comfortingly. “Uh, there’s always adoption, right?”

Mara took a deep breath and glanced down at her seneschal with a wan smile. “Well, it ain’t like Ah was plannin’ on havin’ one anytime soon even before…” she trailed off while gesturing to herself.

House got the distinct impression that he should completely push the current conversation out of his mind if he valued his continued existence.

The Princess sighed again and fixed a smile to her face. “No point in mopin’ around like a bunch a weepin’ willows. Ah got some kin that’re gonna get mighty upset if Ah don’t go say howdy.”

***

That evening had been a fairly casual get-together in preparation for the second-largest barn raising in Apple family history. Several more trains and airships arrived throughout the course of the day, filled to bursting with Apples. The night passed with little enough sleep, as sleeping bags spread out across every flat surface in the farm in a sort of massive slumber party. Applejack found herself drifting from group to group, retelling her little adventures of the past month to an enthusiastic audience. Half Baked had bust up laughing when she admitted to just how many bowls of fried apples she had eaten after she had ran from the marketplace.

“Haha! That’s our Applejack! Ya may keep gettin’ bigger, but yer appetite never changes.” That had ignited a massive chorus of laughter which prompted Applejack to bury her face in her hat.

Thunderhooves and Strongheart had mingled freely with the Apples. The burly Chief even let groups of foals take rides on his broad back to their great delight. Merry had been unsure of herself, but she’d been cornered by Apple Strudel who had insisted she dance with him while Fiddlesticks played a reel. He’d promptly spun her off into the arms of a rather surprised Meadow Song. A large group of dancers immediately joined the rather embarrassed mare and stallion on the floor as he showed her how to do the steps. House, meanwhile, shut himself emphatically in his room, absolutely refusing to come out.

***

The next day dawned on a very groggy gaggle of ponies. Even though most of them were naturally early risers, they all had a bit of trouble getting going after the night previous. Still, despite taking time to build up steam, the Apples were incredibly efficient once they got going. By noon, most of the groundwork had already been laid for the four massive barns that were going up where the old cornfield was. They were laid out in the four directions of the compass around a large central yard.

The east barn was the first one ready for the walls to be raised. The short sides went up without any trouble, but there was a bit of confusion as the long sides were about to be raised. Without being quite sure how it had happened, Big Mac found himself trying to hold the rope supporting the north side all alone. He was almost managing it, but the angle kept threatening to pull his hooves off of the ground, and it didn’t really matter how strong a pony was if they didn’t have traction.

As he was struggling, somepony came up behind him and said, “Goodness, that looks heavy. Would you like me to take that for you, Mac?” Big Mac’s brow furrowed. He didn’t quite recognize the mare’s voice.

Through gritted teeth, Mac grunted out, “Nnope. Too heavy.” It really went without saying. There was nopony alive who could hope to pull a weight that Big Mac himself struggled with, so it was a deep shock for him to see an ivory white muzzle clamp down on the rope ahead of him while the line went slack.

“I’m sure I can manage, Prince Mac,” said Celestia.