"Useless!" shouted Twilight. She flung the book over her shoulder in a rage. "ARRRGH!" she growled while banging her forehead against the sturdy writing desk. "Stupid. Worthless. Empty. Library!" She punctuated each word with another headbutt on the innocent piece of furniture. A glass covered candle holder, its base filled with runny wax from a long night of studying, tipped over and spilled its contents all over the middle aged alicorn's notes. Too frustrated and too tired to lift her head from the desktop, Twilight failed to notice the red wax as it flowed into her mane and began to harden.
"Argent!" came a shout from upstairs. The stallion in question put down the newspaper he had been browsing and trotted upstairs. The weekend had been rather dull for Argent. Twilight had spent these first two days in a nearly non-stop marathon of research and experimentation. Despite their new love and mutual passion for expressing it, the days in the Golden Oaks Library were starting to feel startlingly familiar to those mundane days in the future when they were just princess and bodyguard. He took his time climbing the stairs, certain that she would just send him back down to fetch another round of research material.
"What is it Twilight, I was just reading the-" said Argent before seeing the predicament his mate was in. An amused chortle escaped his mouth before he could cover it. "What do we have here?" He walked up beside the mare and bent over to kiss the back of her head.
"Help me you goat-brained son of a mule," growled the annoyed mare. She whimpered as her mane tugged painfully on her scalp while she struggled to extricate herself.
"Stay still," he said while examining the mess. The wax had already hardened, forming an amorphous blob of mane and paper. He grabbed a nearby letter opener and managed to pry the mess from the desk. Twilight stood and spun in a circle as she tried to see the mess hanging from her mane.
"It's bad isn't it," she said morosely.
"It isn't good," replied Argent. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. I'm pretty sure my Cutie Mark Crusader Sap Removal Spell will work with wax." He nudged Twilight out of the study and back towards "her" room and the bathroom therein. She followed in silence with her head hung low. Argent fiddled with the bathtub faucet until the water was comfortably warm. He held the mare's hoof while she stepped into the tub.
Twilight sighed as the warmth from the slowly rising water penetrated her stiff joints. Argent bent over and aimed his horn at the tangle of wax, hair, and paper. As his magic surrounded her mane, the outer edges of the clump began to liquefy. "I never noticed that before," she said while looking into Argent's face.
"Noticed what," he said while concentrating on his spell.
"You bite your tongue while you cast spells," she said as rivulets of red liquid fell from her tresses, "it's cute."
Argent chuckled while maintaining his spell. "It's amazing what you can see when you pull your head out of your books for a few seconds."
"Too bad," said Twilight, "If the last few days were any indication, I've got a lot more reading to do."
"You have to take a break, love," said Argent as the last bits of wax were transmuted to water, "It isn't healthy."
"What else can I do Argent?" she asked. "I can't fix this without some serious studying." She leaned backwards and dunked her head under the water. She came up for air and laid in the tub, her head resting on the edge.
Argent wrapped up a towel and placed it behind her neck. "I know you want to get us home," he said while rubbing the mare's shoulders, "but you don't need to run yourself ragged." He felt her body tense under his hooves. "We're in a good place Twilight," he said reassuringly. "We have a home; we've got some friends to help us; and most importantly we have each other."
Twilight closed her eyes and let the tension drain from her body. "I'll try," she said, "but this is all my fault. Who knows what's happening to everypony back home without us."
"They'll manage Twilight," said Argent, "I know protecting Equestria is in your bones, but remember, Celestia has been doing it for thousands of years. The future can take care of itself: You need to take care of yourself right now."
"But I've trapped you-" said Twilight before Argent held her mouth shut with his hoof.
"You certainly have," he said warmly, "and It's been the best thing that's ever happened to me."
Twilight reached up with a hoof, brought his head to hers, and passionately kissed her stallion. "Come on," she said in a husky voice, "wash my back and I promise to take tomorrow off." She trailed her hoof down his face. "Do a good enough job and I'll do whatever you want me to."
She would both rue and be extremely content with those words.
"Shh, they're coming!" whispered Twilight. She flared her horn and extinguished all the lights in the room from behind the bookshelf she had hidden herself with. Argent crouched behind the second floor landing railing, buckets of confetti at the ready. The handle of the front door turned slowly as several voices made their way from behind it.
"Why's it so dark?" said Applejack, "I thought ya'll said those new friends were mindin' the library while we were away."
"SURPRISE!" shouted Twilight and Argent in unison as she turned the lights back on. Argent tossed the colorful paper bits across the room while Twilight used her magic to send dozens of balloons into the air. Several tables filled with treats both savory and sweet, along with several fluted glasses of bubbling champagne, lined the wall of the library. Argent released a banner from the railing.
"Congratulations, Rainbow Dash..." read the named pegasus. She sighed and turned to leave the tree house.
"Now come on Rainbow," said the younger alicorn as she grabbed the pegasus and turned her back around. "Oracle and Horizon obviously meant well. And I still say you deserve all the accolades in Equestria for the show you put on." She pushed Dash back into the library and up to the confused older mare whose smile was slowly looking more and more awkward.
"Yeah Dashie!" said Pinkie Pie as she raced to the refreshments, "A party is just what you need to turn that frown upside down!" She grabbed and cupcake ran back to Dash to jam it into her friend's mouth. Rainbow Dash sighed and walked back into the room. Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy entered behind her and clustered around the pegasus while enjoying the snacks.
Twilight, with Argent and Spike in tow, entered last and closed the door behind them. She walked up to the confused older mare. "This was sweet," she said, "but your timing couldn't have been worse." They joined the others and soon everypony had taken seats on and around one of the larger reading sofas.
"Come on sugarcube," said Applejack as she nursed a glass of water, "It'll feel better if you talk about it."
"Applejack is right darling," added Rarity, "You know you were the best in our eyes. Did Spitfire give you a reason for why she didn't select you?"
Rainbow Dash went back to the previous day in her mind:
"Thank you both for coming," said Spitfire as she led the two young mares into her office in the Aerodrome, "I know you're anxious, but I want you both to know that your performances were exemplary." She walked around to her desk and took off her aviator shades and garrison cap. "There aren't many ponies who would have the guts to go out there and do what you did. All the Wonderbolts know that fear intimately."
"Thank you ma'am," said Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust together.
"And don't stand at attention," said the captain, "we're not at the academy." The two mares exhaled and looked at each other nervously.
"Are...are either of us on the squad?" blurted out Lightning Dust.
"I'll get to that," said Spitfire, "but I want to ask you two something." The two younger pegasi nodded tentatively. "I know you both have what it takes to be a Wonderbolt," she said, "but I want to know if you understand what it means to be on the team."
"You mean going around Equestria and performing at all the big events?" asked Rainbow Dash. She was confused by the line of questioning. Of course she knew what the Wonderbolts were about, she had followed them her entire life.
"Rainbow Dash," said Spitfire, "You're friends with a princess; you were a bridlemaid at another's wedding; and I'm pretty sure Princess Celestia would read a letter of yours before reading one of my regular reports."
The cyan pegasus blushed and looked away while idly rubbing her hoof on the stone floor. "Yes ma'am, " she said, "but I don't see what that has to do with the Wonderbolts."
"You two are just finding out what being an adult is all about," said the legendary flier. "If you join the Wonderbolts, all you'll have time for is the team. Every day is practice, planning, and team building." She pulled out a few folders from a drawer and placed them on the desk. She opened them to reveal several photographs. She pulled out one of herself and two younger pegasi. "This is Hawker," she said pointing to the stallion, "and this is Hurricane." She removed her hoof from the mare and looked at both wistfully. "We've been friends since we were foals," she said with a smile. "We fledged within days of each other, and were flying together within a month."
"Were they as good as you?" asked Lightning Dust.
"We're all good at different things Dust," replied Spitfire. "Hawker can see movement on the ground from higher than any pegasi I've ever met. His eyes are better than most Griffins I've known." She picked up a photograph of the stallion carrying traveling gear and several postcards. "He's flown all over the known world. The Griffin Aeries, the Marengeti, the Roc Mountains: Hawker's seen it all."
She lifted a picture of Hurricane. "Hurricane can plan a weather system to the last raindrop. Dash, I bet you've seen her plans on more than one occasion."
"We're talking about Chief Hurricane?" she asked incredulously.
"The one and only," replied the proud captain. "She's been running the Weather Bureau for a few years now."
The two younger pegasi flipped through the pictures while Spitfire looked on wistfully. "I'm a flier," she said, "I've known it since I was a filly, and I never wanted anything more than to be a Wonderbolt. I went to the Academy, just like you two, and I trained insanely hard for years before I made the team after my third Display."
"My Dad took me to your second show," said Dash excitedly, "he still says you were robbed."
"Well, Fleetfoot is pretty mesmerizing when she gets a full head of steam going," replied Spitfire with a laugh, "She might not be the captain, but she never lets me forget that show. She calls me Rookie when she really wants to get under my feathers."
"It sounds melodramatic, and probably a little crazy to you two," said the older mare, "but I would give anything to have a few more years with my friends. I could go on a trip with Hawker, or push around a few clouds with Hurricane." She stared into nothing and rested her chin on her hoof. "It wouldn't matter what we did, just that we did it together." She shook her head and snapped back to reality. "What I'm saying," she said as she shifted her gaze between the two aspiring Wonderbolts, "is that sometimes it's better to save your dreams for another day, and enjoy what you have now."
Lightning Dust was the first to understand what she was hinting at. She had always assumed her chances were slim to none. The fact that Spitfire had thought enough of her to give her a second chance like this was a victory in its own right. "I'm not going to be on the team today am I?" she asked bluntly.
"No Lightning Dust," replied Spitfire. "You have an exceptional sense of showponyship, and your maneuverability is decent, but you need to get faster." She saw the young mare almost flinch at the critique. "All this will improve in the next few years," she said while reaching over and patting Dust's hoof, "You're a young mare and you're still growing into your wings, keep working hard and the sky's the limit."
Lightning Dust nodded and shook the captain's hoof. "I understand," she said in a more serene voice than she thought herself capable of, "I'll keep working, and if you're still willing, I'd like to come back to the Academy."
"Of course," replied the older mare, "If you're willing to learn from your mistakes, the Bolts always forgive."
"Yes ma'am!" said Lightning Dust excitedly. She turned to Rainbow Dash and threw a foreleg around her neck. "I'm just glad Dash made the team."
Spitfire looked down at her desk and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Rainbow Dash," said the captain, "but, I'm afraid I'm not going to select you for the squad this year either."
Dash stared back at her idol in confusion. "Why the hay not?" asked Lighting Dust. "Dash was better than anypony out there!" She reached a wing around the silent pegasus and continued defending her performance. "She broke the barrier twice Captain," she nearly shouted. "She creates rainbow explosions in the sky for Celestia's sake!"
"You're right," said Spitfire as she raised her head to look at the blank expression on Rainbow Dash's face. "If I had another spot to fill, she'd absolutely be on the team, but I don't."
"So who did she pick?" asked the elder Alicorn as she refilled everypony's champagne glasses.
"Star Trail," said Rainbow glumly. The older mare stumbled, barely holding on to the large magnum of champagne.
"He was pretty amazing," said the younger Twilight from the sofa. Argent sat beside her nodding his agreement. "Luna wouldn't shut up about him as a matter of fact." She handed her glass to the older mare and thanked her for the refill. "And after his ordeal with the Kenku, it's amazing that he was able to perform at such a high level."
"I still have nightmares about those things," confided Fluttershy, "If it weren't for you and Horizon, who knows what they would have done to Star Trail." The gentle pegasus saw the look of confusion on the older mare's face. "Oh, Twilight told us all about what you two did," she said, "Can you really see the future?"
The elder Twilight's head jerked towards her younger counterpart. "YOU TOLD THEM?!" she screamed. "I can't...why...how could you..." She continued sputtering in disbelief while the younger mare calmly stood up and walked to her side.
The younger alicorn flared her magic and in one quick motion removed the laces from the older's corset and yanked it from her back. "I'll keep your secret from the princesses," she said, "I don't see them often enough, and you've stated your opposition to meeting with them at all." She ushered the older alicorn to sit between herself and Applejack on the couch. "I'll even keep your identity hidden from the townsponies; I try to insulate them from as much craziness as possible." She gestured to the mares gathered around them. "I will not not keep my friends in the dark," she said in a matter-of-fact manner.
Applejack put her glass of water on the low table at their feet and put a hoof around the older mare. "We won't tell anypony," promised the farm-mare. "Everypony has their secrets, and I reckon yours could be dangerous if word got out about it."
The anger in the older mare's eyes was still smoldering as she leveled a piercing glare at the earth pony. "Yes... Applejack was it?," she said bitterly, "We all have our secrets don't we. How awful would it be if your secrets and indiscretions were made public."
"Oracle," said the older stallion, who had been standing beside a bookshelf, "don't make it worse."
Pinkie Pie distributed cupcakes to her friends before raising one solemnly. "I promise not to tell anypony that you're secret princess and a fellow future reader. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She mashed the pastry into her face, which in her mind, proved her absolute seriousness in the matter. "We should totally compare notes. I keep getting this Flank-Itch, Eye-Flutter, Hoof-Shake combo that I just can't explain."
The other ponies around the table repeated the odd ritual, even Rarity, who ever so slightly dabbed the tip of the frosted treat against her face before attacking it with a hoofkerchief. "Honestly Ms. Dreams, I can't imagine why you wouldn't want others to see your wings, but if you like I could help make some more comfortable outfits to hide them."
"And it looks like you need some lessons in how to care for them," said Rainbow Dash. She let loose a depressed sigh and licked at some of the frosting that was running down her face. "I guess I can help you with them. It's not like I've got anything else to do now," she said gloomily. "I know a secluded meadow where we'll have some privacy."
The younger Argent nudged Twilight with his shoulder. "I bet Twilight would appreciate some lessons too, Rainbow," said the stallion.
"Thank you everypony," said the older mare. "I'm very grateful, but I really have other things I must do, and-"
"Oracle," said the older stallion, "You promised me."
Her shoulders slumped and she nodded her head in defeat. "Fine," said the older alicorn, "but only with Twilight and Rainbow Dash, and only if you make sure nopony is watching us."
"Deal," said the older stallion.
The gathering soon became the party it was meant to be. Even Rainbow Dash reluctantly smiled as Twilight asked her a series of rapid fire questions about how she was going to teach the two alicorns to fly. Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, comfortably buzzed, were dancing like nopony was watching, which was true, though one dragon was certainly looking on in interest.
The older Alicorn sipped from a fluted glass and watched as her friends reveled into the early evening. All except Applejack, who still sat alone on the sofa, nursing the same glass of water. Twilight walked over to the couch and sat next to the mare. "I'm sorry for what I said," she said, "I have no idea what you're going through and it was wrong of me to snap at you like that. Well, I do know what you're going through, but I was still in the wrong." The older mare reached out and squeezed Applejack's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
Applejack hunched over and held her head in her hooves. "If can't talk to them about it, why would I talk to you?"
"Because I know what's going to happen," relied the older mare, "and because you know my secret."
Applejack laid back into the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Fine," she said, "tell me how disappointed everypony will be with me. Tell me how I'll send Granny Smith to her grave. Tell me what I already know. I don't need any fancy alicorn powers to know I've messed everything up."
Twilight smiled and reclined next to the mare. "I can't tell you how everypony will react," she said, "but I can tell you that in a few months, you won't care what they think." Twilight reached over and pulled the farm-mare's head to her shoulder. "You really should have told him while you were in Canterlot."
"I tried," said Applejack, her voice cracking, "but I don't want to lose him."
"I'm not going to lie to you Applejack," said Twilight, "If you don't tell him, losing him will be the least of your problems." She stroked Applejack's hair and patted her hoof. "A secret like yours can only lead to heartache and pain if you continue to keep it from your friends and loved ones."
Applejack nodded and sniffled. "What about them?" she said, motioning to the room full of slightly inebriated ponies. "How can I ever look them into the eyes again?"
"They're your friends, they love you no matter what you do" said Twilight, "If anything they'll be slightly jealous."
Applejack straightened up and rose to her hooves. She made to walk towards the front door but turned back to the older mare. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"You want to know what it'll be?" asked Twilight. "Are you sure?" Applejack looked at the floor and nodded.
"A filly," replied the older mare with a few tears running down her cheek, "A gorgeous little filly with the most beautiful little wings."
Applejack lifted her head and graced Twilight with a joyous smile before running out the front door and across the plaza towards the train station.
"Where's she going," asked the younger alicorn.
"She forgot something in Canterlot," replied Twilight.
"Come on Twilight," said Rainbow Dash, "I know you've read every book on flying in the library. Why can't you get this?" She hovered in the air above the face planted princess. "Scootaloo could control a treetop glide after her first day."
"Let's see you grow a horn and use magic," mumbled the mare as Argent used a towel to wipe the grass stains from her coat. "It's these stupid wings," she said aloud, "They don't do what I want them to!"
Rainbow Dash landed next to her and poked the young alicorn's wing with a hoof. "These aren't the problem," she said before moving the hoof to the mare's forehead, "this is." She flared her own wings out to their full span and slowly increased the angle of attack. "For gliding, you need to forget about moving them, and focus on not moving them. I know when anypony sees a pegasus flying, they assume that it's all about flapping, but really it's about what we do when we're not flapping."
Twilight stood and watched as Oracle teleported herself to the top of the dead tree that sat at the top of the hill overlooking Rainbow's practice meadow. "I'm trying!" said the frustrated mare, "but when I jump off, I see the ground and my wings just start flapping." Oracle leapt from the top branch and flared her wings. Horizon galloped below and traced the older alicorn's glide path down the hill.
"See," said Rainbow, pointing at Oracle's stumbling, but effective, landing. "Oracle's wings are in pretty sad shape, but she can manage a short glide. Just keep your wings extended and let them take you where they take you. Your wings should get you at least twice as far has hers."
"Fine," said Twilight. She teleported herself to the top of the tree and took a tentative step to the edge of the highest large branch. She gulped in apprehension and looked down at Rainbow and Argent. The stallion waved enthusiastically and stomped his forehooves on the ground. She took one last look to the ground before snapping her eyes shut and throwing herself into the air. "Don't flap. Don't flap. Don't flap. Don't flap," she thought to herself while extending her wings as far as she could. She fully expected to quickly feel gravity pull her into yet another tumbling crash, but surprisingly, all she felt was a gentle breeze ruffling the feathers of her wings. She tentatively opened her eyes and watched as the ground moved beneath her. She glided down the hill, her descent following the incline at roughly the same rate, giving her a steady relative altitude. "I'm doing it!" she shouted at her friends at the base of the hill. The were all turned away from her, speaking with a newly arrived Fluttershy. Her concentration waned and she soon found herself wobbling as she tried to land. She lost altitude and picked up speed as the ground came closer and closer.
Argent turned, saw Twilight's rapid descent, and ran to where he thought she might touch down. She began moving her legs in a running motion like Rainbow had suggested. She was gliding too fast, however, and soon, after a few steps, her momentum carried her face first into the ground. She ducked her head, closed her eyes, and prepared for a rough landing. Argent had other ideas, and threw himself into the mare, shielding her from the ground and absorbing the brunt of the crash.
"The ground feels softer than before," she thought to herself when the expected pain failed to appear. She opened her eyes and looked into Argent's. She raised her muzzle from next to his and looked down her body to see that she had come to a stop directly on top of the stallion who had ended up splayed out on his back. She rolled off of him and onto the grass. "Thanks," she said while exhaling the breath she had been holding for several seconds.
He brought a hoof to his brow and saluted in an exaggerated motion from his back. "Any time," he said before rolling over and dusting himself off. He held out a hoof and pulled the mare to her feet.
"I did it though!" she said excitedly, before remembering that he wasn't even watching. "I did it and you weren't even looking!"
"Come on," he said while steering her towards the others, "something's happened." She looked at him in confusion, but followed as he trotted the short distance to the gathering of ponies.
"-and she fainted after she got off the train," said Fluttershy.
"Who fainted?" asked Twilight as she squeezed in between Horizon and Oracle.
"Applejack," replied the pegasus with tears in her eyes, "she's at the hospital right now. Rarity went to get her family, and I came to find you and Rainbow."
"Okay," said Twilight, "let's go."
"Hold on," said Oracle as she donned the tight fitting sweater Rarity had made her, "I'll teleport us there."
"Are you sure you can-" began Twilight. The flash of magenta light encompassed the base of the hill they had all been standing on. "-take us all?" she said while blinking her eyes. She looked to the familiar three-storied hospital and gaped at the smug looking older mare. "Impressive," she said breathlessly.
The older Twilight waved off the compliment and pointed at the front door. "Go see your friend," she said, "she needs you now."
Twilight and the other younger ponies trotted for the entryway while Oracle and Horizon hung back.
"Let's go get Zecora," said the elder Twilight, "Everything's a little different, but I'd wager it's the same malady. Our hooves will have to do though, that last spell really took it out of me." Argent nodded and the two began galloping north, towards the Everfree Forest.
"Ain't no young filly just off her mama's drawstrings gonna keep me from my grandfoal," said the old green mare. "Now you take us to Applejack's room, or by golly, I'll make you glad you're already at a hospital."
"I'm not keeping you away," said the nurse, "I'm just saying you have to wait until she's done with her first visitor."
"First visitor!?" shouted Granny Smith, "I'm her kin fer Celestia's sake!"
Twilight, Argent, Dash and Fluttershy entered the waiting room in time to see Granny Smith shaking her hoof at Nurse Redheart. Big Macintosh stood next to his grandmother with a stoic look of determination on his face. Apple Bloom stood behind her brother's legs, shrinking away from the arguing mares. Rarity and Pinkie Pie looked on anxiously. The aged mare looked to the new arrivals and smiled in triumph.
"Now yer in for it!" she said smugly, "Twilight, tell this young strumpet to let us in to see Applejack."
"Now hold on Granny," said Twilight, "I'm sure Nurse Redheart has a good reason." She and the nurse had become quite friendly after spending time together during the occasional outbreak of muffin based food poisoning and pegasus stunts gone wrong.
"Thank you Twilight," said the nurse, "I told the Apples here that Applejack is awake and stable, and requested that she be left alone with her visitor for the time being." She held her hoof out to ward off the further arguments from Granny Smith. "It won't be long," she said, "I promise."
"Nurse Redheart, can you at least let her know we're all out here," said Twilight hopefully, "I'm sure if she knows that her family were waiting she'd-"
"Ahem," said a voice from the now unlocked infirmary doors, "You all can come in now." All eyes in the room zeroed in on the light blue bordering on white pegasus standing in front of the doors that led to the patient rooms. His dark blue, windswept hair was even more unruly than usual, and his usually pressed and crisp uniform shirt was wrinkled and unbuttoned.
"Soarin!?" said Rainbow Dash, "What are you doing here?"
"Hi Dash," said the celebrated flier, "Come back to her room and we'll explain everything."
Granny Smith immediately, but slowly, made her way towards the door, leveling a frown and a piercing gaze at the unknown stallion as she passed him. Macintosh, with Apple Bloom in tow, and Fluttershy at his side, followed the older mare while Twilight, Argent and the rest of the elements pulled up the rear.
"I don't know what happened," said Soarin as he led the way down the corridor, "she was fine for most of the train ride, then she started having awful pains in her chest. She fainted right when the train made it to the station." He turned down a hallway and directed the group to a large room with a single bed. Applejack lay under a light duvet, her eyes half lidded. She smiled as her family and friends made their way into the hospital room.
"Howdy ya'll," said the tired sounding mare as she pushed down blanket, "I'm right sorry for worrying everypony." She hugged her grandmother as her little sister jumped onto the bed and wrapped herself around the orange mare. "There, there, AB," she said to the shivering filly, "I ain't going anywhere."
"What in tarnation were you doing on the train?!" shouted Macintosh out of the blue. "You disappear one night, and the next thing we know, you're in the hospital with some stranger." He looked at the pegasus stallion that stood in the corner. "And this ain't the first time you've snuck away. I talked to Ms. Berry, and she told me you're almost never at the bar when you say you are."
"Go easy on her big fella," said Soarin as he approached the bedside.
Big Macintosh wheeled on the pegasus and took several menacing steps towards him. Soarin retreated until he was backed into the corner with the fuming red stallion looming over him. "Ah don't care who you think you are," said Big Mac through his clenched jaw, "but if ya'll don't shut up, your next stop'll be the bed in the next room over."
"He's going to be your brother-in-law, you ornery varmint," said Applejack from the bed, "and I'll put you in traction if one feather is out of place." Macintosh turned and stared at his sister in shock. Rarity squealed in delight, while Rainbow Dash dropped to her rear.
"Applejack," said Twilight, "You two are-"
"Gettin' hitched?" asked the mare. "I reckon so." Granny Smith looked as if her granddaughter had just announced that she was giving up the apple business for a career in interior design. Applejack waved the stallion to her side and grabbed his hooves with hers. "He asked me last night and I said yes." she said as calmly as she could.
"Isn't this a little fast Applejack?" asked Granny Smith, "How long have you known this stallion?"
"A little over a year ago, Ms. Smith," said Soarin, "though to be completely honest, she's been stuck in my head since I bought a pie from her at the gala a few years back." He leaned over and rubbed the side of his head against hers. "Do you want me to...?" he asked.
"No, sugarcube, I think it's best if I do it," replied Applejack. "First of all, I'm sorry to all of ya'll for keeping this from everypony, and that goes for Soarin too." She squeezed the stallion's hoof and continued. "I didn't want to make him have to choose between me and the Wonderbolts, and I didn't want any of ya'll to be disappointed in me."
"Why would we be disappointed in you for falling in love?" asked Fluttershy, "I couldn't be happier for you!" Her friends all nodded their agreement, even Rainbow Dash who was still a bit taken aback.
"Because of all the sneaking around, and because well..." she paused and looked at Soarin who smiled at her and urged her on with a gentle squeeze of her hoof, "I'm pregnant." She saw the stunned looks on the faces of her family and friends and panicked. "I know you told me all about the birds and the bees, Granny," she said, "and I thought I was being safe, but it just happened, and now I've messed up everything." The continued silence unnerved the mare and caused her to continue rambling. "I won't be able to help with the fall harvest and I won't be able to earn any prize money at the rodeo competitions this summer and-"
"I'm gonna be an auntie?!" exclaimed Apple Bloom.
"I'm gonna be an uncle?!" blurted out Macintosh.
"I'm gonna be a great-granny?!" shouted Granny Smith.
"Uh, yeah," said Applejack. She grunted as the stallion, filly, and older mare jumped onto the bed and smothered her in a family hug. Applejack laughed in joy to see her doubts and fears proven completely baseless. Her friends crowded around the bed excitedly congratulating the mare and starting in with suggestions. Pinkie Pie was already busy planning a baby shower, while Rarity had the unborn foal's entire wardrobe planned out in her mind, colt or filly. Rainbow Dash wondered out loud what a child of the second greatest athlete in Ponyville and a Wonderbolt would be capable of.
Argent looked on in amusement from the door before he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a unicorn in a lab coat standing patiently just outside the room. "Excuse me sir," said Doctor Stable, "I need to speak to the Apples privately. Do you think you could persuade the princess to take her friends back to the waiting room?"
Argent nodded and walked to his still beaming charge. He whispered into her ear and she nodded. "Girls, let's leave the Apples with Applejack, so she can get her rest," she said aloud, "Apple Bloom, why don't you come to Sugar Cube Corner with us for some celebratory cupcakes?" The filly looked to her sister.
"Go on sugar cube," said Applejack, "I'll see you back at the farm." Apple Bloom hugged her sister tightly and jumped off the bed.
"Thank you," mouthed Applejack to Twilight as the mares all said goodbye and began filing out of the room. Soarin reluctantly turned to follow them but was stopped by the trio of farmers.
"Don't you leave this room sonny," said Granny Smith, "Yer an Apple now too."
"Eeyup," said Macintosh as he leveled a suspicious glare at the pegasus.
"If the words you speak are true, then the cure for Applejack's condition I could brew," said Zecora as she set the wooden cup of tea in front of Twilight. "I am surprised you have heard of the Potion of Heartmend, tis an obscure tincture thought by many to be a dead end."
"Wonderful!" exclaimed Twilight, "We can save her from all of the pain. She won't have to go through it alone, and now she won't lose the foal! " She picked up the cup and sipped the fresh herbal tea. "I can tell Twilight to come ask you about remedies and she'll bring the potion to Applejack as soon as you're ready."
"Alas my friend, it is not such a simple notion, the ingredients I lack for a truly effective potion," said the Zebra. Zecora walked to her mixing table and pulled out an empty bowl. "The key ingredient to any heartmend potion is what I lack," she said while setting the basin in the middle of the table, "Panacea root is the additive whose location we must track."
"I don't understand," said Twilight, "You always had plenty of ingredients where we came from." She pointed at the shelves of glass bottles and basins full of herbs, berries and other various alchemical ingredients. "You had everything you needed when AJ had her second-" Twilight's voice caught as she remembered the anguish she was working to prevent. "You were able to brew the potion quickly when Applejack had her second foal."
"Forgive my question if it saddens your heart," said Zecora, "Why did I not help Applejack from the start?"
Twilight choked on a sob and buried her face into Argent's chest. The stallion patted the back of her head and answered for her. "Applejack kept her pregnancy from everypony," said Argent, "by the time we knew what was wrong, it was too late, even for your potions."
The Zebra held her hoof to her muzzle and considered what the stallion had said. "It is true, I rarely use the panacea root, but worrying about why it is depleted is moot. Curing infirmities of the heart is but one of it's chief uses, but it is quite effective at stopping massive blood loss if the brewer so chooses."
"When we first came to you..." said Twilight.
"I used what I had, there was no time to worry on the cost, had I not used the root, your stallion would have been lost."
"Okay," said Argent, "So let's just go get some more of this root. There are plenty of plants in the Everfree."
"The root of the Panacea bush is extraordinarily rare," said the Zebra, "Within these forests you'll not find it, this I do swear." She nervously drummed her hooves on the table as she counted her syllables. "There is one place I know of where the curative bush grows, but to go there would be perilous as my fear shows."
The striped mare was quite visibly shaken. Twilight had seen her zebra friend's calm shaken only once, and made a guess as to the cause. "It's in the Marengeti isn't it?" she asked wearily.
The zebra nodded glumly. "The shrub grows on the slopes of the highest hill," she said, "the Zebrica guard it closely with ferocity and skill."
"Okay," said Argent, "so we need to go back to your homeland, deal with everything that entails, find this root that you need, and get it back to Applejack."
"Ourselves and the younger versions of us," said Twilight, "She needs to be there, if only to meet the Zebra chief."
"No, you cannot do such a foalish thing," said Zecora upon hearing the plan, "only her doom would meeting the chief bring."
"Wrong chief," said Twilight, "In our time, your homecoming... precipitated a change in leadership. Zecora, we know you've been away for many years now, and from where we came from, many more would pass before we asked this, but we need your help. Applejack needs your help."
"I cannot lie, on my heart it does weigh," said the zebra, "long has it been since I was sent away." She looked at the shelves of carved masks and keepsakes she managed to carry with her. "My exile was painful, and I wish to see it end," she said, "I would of course return if only to help your friend. The trip will be arduous, with dangers along the way, a guide you will need, or from the path you will stray."
"So you'll come with us?" asked Argent hopefully. His memories of the Marengeti were of endless rolling plains interrupted by rocky hills, each nearly indistinguishable from the others. Maps of the area were rare, and not of much use. Zecora was right, they needed a guide, and she was their best bet.
"Of course my friends, I will start to prepare," she said while resolutely rising to her hooves, "You find your counterparts and make them aware. Far have I come, and wide have I roamed, but It is time for Zecora of the Zebrica to return to her home."