//------------------------------//
// Applejack Apologizes 
// Story: Stallions on Strike! 
// by Aegis Shield 
//------------------------------//

Stallions on Strike
Part 13: Applejack Apologizes




Three Days Later….

Trumpeters announced the arrival of royalty. The ancient, domed hall was the host of a small square table. There were boxes high above stuffed with ponies of all sorts, leaning to see. Three sets of double doors opened at the same time. 

From behind the first set of doors came Princess Celestia. Heralded by applause, twinkling lights, and a shimmer on her crown she came forth regally. The Princess of the sun seated herself at the nearest sitting pillow to her door. She didn’t look up at the crowd, merely had her usual pleasant smile. She seemed tranquil, upright, and confident as she always was. (Her black eye had faded nicely.)

From behind the second set of doors came Princess Luna. She was all frowns, walking with her muzzle tilted upward and a snap in her step. Going to the sitting pillow nearest to herself, she sat at the table with her sister. She glanced about, making sure there were guards were there should be. The last thing she wanted to be was captured again. It had taken ages to get her mane out of all those gaudy yellow bows and ribbons.

The third set of doors swung open and King Sombra emerged. A neutral frown was on his face as he approached, bowed, and passed copies of the petition to both royal sisters. Her straightened his cape out and slowly seated himself on his own sitting pillow.

As one, the three royals reached and lifted their crowns from their heads. The ancient protocol bade that they speak as equals, with no rank to give them any advantage at the table. It was purely ceremonial, but not even Celestia dared to ignore this tradition. Sombra set his crown down, leaving his hoof up. Celestia followed. Then Luna did the same. One by one, they lowered their hooves to the table. The summit had begun.

“I come on behalf of those signed on this petition.” said Sombra formally, respecting the protocol he’d learned recently in Twilight’s library.

“We the crowns of Equestria honor the laws of our nation, and have counted your twenty-five thousand signatures.” Celestia gave a bow, nodding once.

“And as stated in our laws we have appeared at this summit to discuss its contents.” Luna sounded like she was reading from a script. The formalities finally out of the way, they could speak normally. 

The ponies in the audience boxes high above murmured to each other. These three ponies had not been in the same room together in a very long time. Whatever came of this meeting was sure to be historic. They were careful to be as quiet as they could to hear snatches of the conversation below. The summit was an open-door legal event, but it was also steeped in the fires of ceremony. Even before Equestria was made, when the three pony tribes met, such rules had been set down to assure everypony had their say.

“What say you, Sombra? Dost thou think to overturn the entire modern culture of Equestria for the Stallions on Strike?” Luna said, steepling her hooves under her chin in a frowny, business-like way. “Or perhaps demand that a male royal ascend to the throne for gender equality? Thyself, perhaps?” She was quick and savage out of the starting gate. Luna’s was a silver tongue when it came to straight politics, but it always made Celestia wince at her sister’s bluntness. The dark mare knew what was going on, she wasn’t about to beat around the bush. Best to get right to it.

“Both of us have tried take-overs and emerged from darkness better ponies, Luna. Don’t bait me. Our excuses and weaknesses are exactly the same in that regard.” Sombra parried her words away with a snort, reaching for the tea set in the center of the table. “I’m here as a representative, thou would do well to remember it is not for myself that I sit at this summit.” Luna frowned.

“I don’t doubt the stallion populace would delight in seeing a male ruler.” said Celestia, “But our histories don’t shine a very firm light on them. Discord, yourself, and even king Ebonfeather in the griffin nations…” she trailed off. Sombra shot her a glare, not expecting Celestia’s slashing words.

“Three over the course of thousands of years do not make a pattern, Celestia.” Sombra said. “Nor do two immortals in a stand-still diarchy with no successors. Equestria knows not any other rulers since you’ve never allowed any.” He said into his teacup, flicking a stabbing look at her.

The three of them stared at each other, neutral expressions on their faces. Though it wasn’t strictly protocol, it was an ‘off the books’ sort of tradition to trade barbs and measure each other’s strength at the table before the arguments of the summit might begin. “Touche.” Celestia admitted with a measure of patience.

“Thou know as well as I that this petition is rubbish.” Sombra admitted, going down the five items that had made it into the final copy. “Most if not all of these could not make it into law, by virtue of favoring one gender or the other. The rest rely on un-measureable things that cannot be defined in words or actions.” Luna’s sure-footing slipped, for her face looked shocked. She’d not expected that. “However, that does not mean some changes are not due.” He held up a hoof. “I’ve a few items to put forward that we may negotiate on, then perhaps everypony will emerge happy.”

The royal sisters looked at each other, then leaned in a bit closer. “We art listening.” Luna said.

“Go on.” said Celestia slowly.

=-----=-----=-----=-----=

The thousands of Stallions on Strike had not gone home as bidden, but had been occupying Canterlot. Every diner stool, every platform bench, every picnic table and sitting space was taken up by an anxious protester. All of them were waiting nervously for the results of the summit taking place in the palace. At first the Royal Guard (or what was left of them, with so many deserters) had thought to arrest everypony they could get their hooves on, but— really none of them were doing anything illegal. The burst of violence that had happened when they’d arrived had ended just as quickly, and by the time the police and other forces had mustered the chaos was over. Now stallions could be seen sweeping up glass, expertly replacing windows, passing out foodstuffs and generally keeping the peace. For a protest group this size, it was extraordinary.

Applejack suddenly spotted her brother in the crowd. “There he is!” she pointed. “Big Mac! Big Maaac!” she shouldered her way through the crowd, Applebloom on her back, trying to get to her big red sibling.

Big Mac turned at the sound of his name. He smiled a bit when the rest of the group approached. “Yup?” he asked, cocking his ears up.

“We’ve been so worried ‘bout you!” Applejack said, kneeling briefly to let Applebloom down. “We didn’t know where y’all were, or who you were with, or when you were comin’ home, you just took off!” Big Mac could see she was about to launch into a rant, and scowled at her. Twilight coughed, elbowing Applejack a bit. “Ah just mean… Ah just mean…” Applejack wilted, regretting the harsh conversation-opener. She wilted her ears and sagged a bit. “Ah miss you, Big Mac, Ah’m… Ah’m ready to negotiate now, so you don’t gotta protest no more.” She looked up into his gaze with soft eyes. “The Apple family just ain’t the same without a stallion or two around to keep the mares in line, y’know?” she smiled bashfully. Big Mac blinked a couple of times. Really? Applejack was finally ready to listen? Turning a bit, he flipped open his saddlebag with his nose and fished inside for his original series of signs. First, he produced ‘too much hard work!’ from the stack. “Ah’m sorry big brother, we can maybe hire a hoof or two to take some’a the burden off’a you.” Dropping the first sign, Big Mac silently showed her ‘more off time!’ Applejack sighed a little, this was harder than she’d thought. “Ah know you prolly didn’t think you had much’a’life other than the farm. Ah get it naow.” She said, taking off her hat in a humble way. Applebloom nuzzled up against one of Big Mac’s massive legs, giving him soft eyes. Big Mac showed them the ‘mares should work hard too!’ sign. “Ah get it, ah get it, ah do.” She gently pushed the sign from his hoof, and threw her arms around his neck. “Ahm so sorry, Bic Mac.” She said, stetson falling to the ground next to them. “Ah was taken advantage uh you without even thinkin’ about what you might’uh wanted outta life.” She said, brow furrowing into a bunch in the middle of her forehead. “Forgive yer stubborn sister?” Applejack whispered into his ear. “Ah’ll make it right, ah promise.”

The red stallion’s expression softened, and one of his massive hooves came up and around his sister’s neck. Maybe things would be better now, he thought. “Yup.” He mumbled, leaning down to hug Applebloom too, who squealed happily in his warm embrace. The Cake herd, Bon-Bon and Lyra, Derpy and Dinky, Twilight and Spike, along with Prince Blueblood and Fancypants smiled. Another victory not only for the S.o.S., but for decent families everywhere.

“Big Mac! Big Mac! We’re gonna go occupy the café on the corner! Wanna come with?” A random gaggle of stallions had appeared, and Applejack quickly put a stetson over Applebloom’s face as Derpy put her hoof over Dinky’s eyes. Bare hooves, after all. “The Royal Sisters and Sombra are still at the summit, we can’t budge an inch until this is all over with!”

“Nope.” Big Mac said gently, shaking his head.

The group stopped, tilting their heads. “No? How come? You started all this, you’ve gotta come show your support too!” they gestured a bit, towards the shop on the corner. It was already filling up with rabbling stallions, though they were ordering milkshakes and the like so there was no harm done if they sat there all day. “C’mon Big Mac!” they begged him.

“Nope.” Said the red stallion again, smiling a bit. “Ahm goin’ home.” He spoke a rare sentence, which startled a few of the ponies present. He hugged Applebloom as he spoke, then put her on his back.

“What?! Home?!” The bachelor herd gaped at him. “Why?! This is our moment of victory!” they gestured to the stallions milling about everywhere. Twenty-five thousand ponies made even a grand city like Canterlot swell to the bursting.

“Ah got whut ah wanted.” Big Mac said firmly. Applebloom hugged him around the neck from where she was on his back, smiling happily. She’d missed her big brother so, so much. Shrugging a bit, he was away towards the train station.

“Big Mac? Don’t you wanna see what happens after the summit?” Twilight asked.

“Nope.” He said over his shoulder.

“You started a cultural revolution! Shouldn’t you see how it’ll play out?”

“Nope.” The red stallion repeated. He smiled lovingly at his little sister Applebloom and  nuzzled her. Applejack walked side-by-side with him, smiling and a little misty-eyed. He didn’t have to fight and cause a ruckus no more. His family was ready to listen to him, and make changes so he could be happier. That’s all he’d ever wanted.

“Well, we cain’t quite go home yet is the thing, Big Mac.” Applejack said as they were away from the dumbfounded group of protestors. “Princess Celestia asked me to come get’cha, and bring you to the palace.” Big Mac frowned thoughtfully, then nodded. Mare or not, the Princess was the Princess. His sister led him across town, Applebloom on his back and the other familiar ponies in tow. “And dun worry, nothin’ bad is gonna happen. I’m sure by the time the summit is over, ever’thing’ll settle down and we’ll be home before you know it.”

“Yup.”



End of Part 13