//------------------------------//
// Hail to the Empire 
// Story: The Word is Fear 
// by BronyWriter 
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Two weeks later, Apple Seed was finally strong enough to move to a wheelchair. She still couldn't put pressure on her broken legs, the doctor having said that the titanium bits she had installed needed time to fuse with the repaired bone. Still, she could only sit in a wheelchair while her mother hugged her and hummed lullabies. 

Apple Bloom stroked her daughter's mane and nuzzled her cheek. "Yer lookin' well today, Apple Seed," she cooed. "Why, soon it'll be like it never happened at all. You'll be back ta apple buckin' in no time."

Apple Seed stared unblinking out of her room's window. She reached out her one good foreleg and touched the windowsill. "It doesn't matter, does it? Ah... ah deserved what Ah got fer betrayin' Apple Blossom like that." 

"Don't you go on like that, Apple Seed!" Apple Bloom begged. "Ah don't wanna hear ya talkin' like that! Blossom is doin' very bad things and it ain't yer fault!"

"Then why did she do it, Momma?" Apple Seed leaned her head against her shoulder. "Why would she do it if Ah didn't deserve it?"

"Because Blossom is..." Apple Bloom closed her eyes and sighed. "Ah'd like ta say Blossom is just sick and is doin' bad stuff because of that, but..." Apple Bloom shook her head. "Apple Seed, Blossom's a bad mare who is doin' evil stuff. Heck, Ah don't even know if the mare who did this to ya is even Blossom ta begin with." Apple Bloom nuzzled her daughter's cheek. "Ah know y'all don't wanna think about it, but was the Blossom you saw the one that was yer sister growin' up?"

"It was the Blossom Ah betrayed," Apple Seed muttered. "Sh-she broke me forever!"

"No she didn't!" Apple Bloom insisted. "Yer gonna be buckin' apples again, Ah promise!"

A tear dripped from Apple Seed's eye, and she moved her good hoof over her stitched up stomach. "That ain't what Ah'm talkin' about," she whispered. "The doc came in yesterday talkin' to a nurse. They thought Ah was sleepin', so they talked about mah condition and all that." Apple Seed's lower jaw quivered and the tears fell more rapidly. "Th-they said Blossom hurt me too bad when she stabbed me. Ah..." Apple Seed's whole body was wracked with a sob. "Ah ain't gonna have any foals!" 

Apple Bloom softly gasped and her eyes widened. She shakily reached a hoof out towards Apple Seed's stomach wound, snapping her hoof back when she was a few inches away. "N... no," she whispered. "That can't be true!" Apple Bloom's face was streaked with tears that were falling from her eyes. "They're really good with medicine these days, Apple Seed! If they can fix yer legs they c-can fix the rest of ya!"

Apple Seed whimpered and Apple Bloom pulled her in a gentle hug. Mother and child wept in each other's forelegs unaware that Applejack was watching on. The elder Apple sister sighed and shook her head. "Ah can't believe it," she muttered. "Blossom, why the buck would ya do somethin' like this?" 

"Because she is evil, Applejack, just as her aunt was before her." 

Applejack adjusted her Stetson on her head and turned around to see Princess Celestia walking down the hall flanked by three guards. Her face was emotionless, but her mane was noticeably duller and less wavy. 

Applejack scoffed and leaned on the door frame. "It's somethin' that Ah don't wanna back y'all up on, Princess, but..." Applejack looked back to her sobbing niece and sister. "It ain't somethin' Ah can deny either." Applejack sighed and pushed her hat up. "Ah.. Ah don't wanna be mad at her. Ah don't wanna sink to her level, but some nights, particularly in these past few weeks, Ah lay awake in mah bed and think: 'if Ah could just go back Ah'd snap Blossom's neck. Ah'd save nearly fifty lives doin' it.'"

"Do you really feel as such?" Celestia questioned. 

Applejack shook her head. "Every single time that thought has entered mah head Ah start cryin' like a filly durin' a thunderstorm. Ah may not've seen Blossom like Apple Seed did, but Ah can't imagine that she's the same mare that Ah helped raise."

"We all have regrets regarding Blossom, I think," Celestia admitted. "I myself wish that I had ordered her horn removed when she was given life in prison, but given that it was one of her greatest fears and we were trying to get her emotionally stable I chose not to." Celestia sighed. "Pity. Horn blockers can be unstable and that's why we removed Rarity and Sweetie Belle's. We didn't want to risk a murderer getting out if we could help it. With Blossom she was repentant and turned herself in on top of the fact that she willingly went into therapy. We blocked her horn as a precaution. How in Equestria were we supposed to know that it would go this far; that a mare who turned herself in and was scared of becoming a killer would do all of this?"

"She was such a happy filly," Applejack mumbled. "She didn't deserve the life she had. She deserved bein' happy with her ma." Applejack glanced inside Apple Seed's hospital room. "Ah take it yer here ta see her 'bout what happened."

Celestia nodded. "Indeed I am. I have to hope that maybe she gave some hint of where she is going next."

"As if Blossom would give a mare she intentionally kept alive any hint of what she's plannin' next." Applejack scoffed. "Look, Princess, the only thing Apple Seed's been sayin' these days 'bout what happened that night is that everythin' Blossom's been doin' is her fault. Ah know y'all wanted to wait until she was better ta talk to her, but now ain't the time. She only found out yesterday that she can't have foals no more." 

Celestia gasped and looked inside the room where Apple Seed and Apple Bloom were still sobbing. "I had no idea."

Applejack let out a humorless chuckle. "It just goes back to how Ah can't see the Blossom Ah know doin' all of this. Ah don't know if it was planned, but if it was it'd be the biggest wound she could give to us." Applejack looked down at the floor. "Ah turn fifty-five later this year. Ah ain't havin' any foals. Big Mac is sixty so no go there either. Apple Bloom turns forty-two. Ah can't see her havin' any more foals either. Now Apple Seed ain't havin' any foals on top of that. With one flick of a knife Blossom destroyed the Ponyville line of the Apple family."

Celestia lowered her head and flattened her ears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "If I knew how to fix her I would."

Applejack tightened her jaw and kicked at the floor. "An Apple has been in Ponyville since it was created and that's gone now. She did the same thing ta us that she did to the Rich line." Applejack mimicked swinging a knife. "Cut it off. She cut it off, but she still kept Apple Seed alive so she'd have ta live with bein' the last Ponyville Apple."

Princess Celestia put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "If I ever find a way to help her, you know I will."

"She's buckin' sixteen," said Applejack, tears now falling from her eyes. "Ah lost mah parents when Ah was thirteen, but Ah knew it was just an accident. They're in a better place now. Apple Seed had to be strapped to a table, stabbed, and have her legs broken. That'd be torture fer a thirty year old, but a sixteen year old? Ah don't want this ta be one of the most significant events of her life... but it will be."

Applejack slid onto her haunches and leaned against the door frame. Apple Seed had stopped crying and was now being held by her mother who had gone back to humming lullabies. Applejack shook her head and adjusted her Stetson again. "Ah know this is terrible to say, but seein' stuff like that... well, it doesn't make me feel so bad about wantin' Blossom dead."

Celestia slowly nodded and fixed her gaze on Apple Seed. "I know what you mean."


*  *  *  *


Princess Celestia's chariot touched down in front of the palace later that afternoon. Princess Celestia stepped off and began walking towards her throne room, but she was stopped by a servant. "Princess Celestia, you have a visitor who wishes to see you."

Celestia shook her head and waved her hoof. "I cannot be bothered by visitors right now. I have a meeting with the guard leaders."

"With all due respect, Princess, you're going to want to meet these emissaries. They came all of the way from Griffonia." 

Celestia screeched to a halt and turned to look at the servant. "Did they say why they have come?"

The servant shook his head. "No, but I know it is important. They demanded that they speak to you the second you arrived. They have been waiting there for around four hours, I think."

"Very well. I had best see them, then."

Princess Celestia altered her course and walked into her throne room where three griffins stood in front of her throne. One was an ambassador clad in fine silks while the other two were dressed in the traditional pitch black armor of Griffonian knights. The ambassador turned around when Celestia entered and sank into a bow. "Princess Celestia. My name is Ambassador Chint. We are honored to meet with you this day."

Celestia inclined her head and moved over to her throne. "I do not wish for this to be rushed, but I have important matters to attend to. I would like for this meeting to be prompt."

The griffin bowed again. "Of course, Princess. However, I do think that this meeting is pertinent to your interests. I come with a message from Emperor Attchune the Third himself regarding your current issues with The New Nightmare." Ambassador Chint leaned in next to one of his guards. "Er... that is what they're calling her, right?" The guard nodded once, prompting a mirroring response from the ambassador. 

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware that Attichune was following the events of The New Nightmare's rampage."

"Diligently, your majesty," Chint replied. "He has taken a great interest in the case and as such, he wishes to help you with your problem."

"I see." Celestia's eyes narrowed. "And how would Attchune presume to help us catch and/or kill The New Nightmare?"

Chint pulled a series of scrolls out of his robe and placed them on the floor. He picked up the top one and unfurled it. "If our research is correct, then The New Nightmare plus The Ponyville Butcher makes a total of forty-eight serial killers in your entire history, correct?" 

"I believe so, yes."

"It is an unfortunate fact, but Griffonian society has seen more bloodshed." Chint unfurled the scroll further. "Griffonia has had to bear witness to two hundred and sixty-three serial killers throughout its long history. While it is true that none were quite as..." Ambassador Chint hesitated and spun his claw around. "Er... prolific as The Ponyville Butcher, our race has far more experience actually catching our killers."

"Get to the point, Ambassador," Celestia growled. "What does Attchune want?"

At this question Ambassador Chint smiled proudly and drew himself up to his full height. "In a show of good faith between our nations, Emperor Attchune the Third is wiling to commit two thousand fully trained Griffonian knights to aide in your efforts to capture and kill The New Nightmare. Our most recent serial killer was a mere fifteen years ago, so there are knights fully experienced in the ways of hunting down killers."

Princess Celestia tightened her jaw and levitated the scroll out of Chint's grasp. She scanned it for a brief moment before returning it to Ambassador Chint. "Forgive me for saying so, but our countries have not always had the most peaceful past. Why am I to allow two thousand fully armed, armored, and trained griffonian knights into Equestria? How do I know that it is not a scouting mission for an invasion while the country is in turmoil?"

"Emperor Attchune the Third is fully aware of your might as evidenced by our most recent war. Two thousand of our knights is half of our standing army; Emperor Attchune the Third does not to risk open war by sending in half of our forces to fight Equestria on its own turf, particularly since Princess Luna took to the throne again." Chint cleared his throat and glanced at the ground. "Our people have... not quite forgotten her retribution after our failed invasion of Equestria. Emperor Attchune the Third does not wish to repeat that."

Celestia scoffed and a small smirk played at her lips. "I see. So this is merely a good will gesture? You would gain nothing from it except the potential loss of some of your knights?" 

"Well..." Chint lifted up a second scroll and unfurled it. "We are not without our requests. Should our efforts to aide you prove successful, we would like some access to the warm water port to Zebrica that borders our lands. Obviously its loss was an unfortunate consequence for us from the last war, and we would like to potentially open trade with Zebrica again."

Celestia scoffed again. "Always a catch with Attchune."

"Nothing is completely free, Princess," Chint replied.

"Indeed not," Celestia agreed stiffly. "However, now is not the time for me to make a decision regarding your offer. I will meet with my advisers on the issue."

Ambassador Chint bowed once more. "Of course, Princess. That is only reasonable. I have secured accommodations for me and my guards at a nearby hotel. The Blue Parrot Hotel if I recall correctly. I can be reached there."

"Very well. However, there are two things that I must mention that I would suggest you tell Attichune." Celestia stood up from her throne. "In the even that we accept your help and it turns out to be an invasion ruse, we shall capture every single knight occupying Equestria and execute them. After that the sun will be blocked out and my forces led by both myself and Princess Luna will march upon your capital city."

Ambassador Chint's jaw dropped and he took an step backwards. "Well now, that's not really--"

"The second point is this: if we accept your help and Blossom is captured and killed, I will allow your people access to the warm water port to Zebrica on the condition that it is a Griffonian knight that kills or captures Blossom. Of course, I would prefer her alive to deal with her myself." Celestia took another step towards Ambassador Chint. "Do I make myself clear?"

Chint cleared his throat and inclined his head. "Crystal. I will tell Emperor Attchune the Third at once."