//------------------------------// // Chapter 20 // Story: The Royal Apples // by Radical Gopher //------------------------------// Luna, Celestia and Twilight sat together atop the throne room’s dais, each occupying a chair of their own. The room was filled to capacity with spectators who were watching the Royal Inquiry. At the moment, they were all listening to a report by Dr. Whitecoat, the resident psychologist at Canterlot Hospital. “As far as we can tell, Queen Chrysalis is suffering from a classic case of split-personality, aggravated by a severe bi-polar disorder. What makes her case unique is that the personality split was self-induced.” “How?” asked Princess Twilight “After the queen’s second failure to seize control of Equestria, Princess Celestia cast a spell that would immediately detect any changeling activity in and around the city of Canterlot. To circumvent that protection, the queen kidnapped the mare, Emerald Cloud and completely subsumed both her physical and mental form, effectively killing her. She then overlaid the pegasi’s original personality over her own. This allowed Chrysalis to move anywhere she wanted within the castle, providing she maintained herself as Emerald Cloud.” “How did the split occur?” asked Luna. “Within the overlaid psyche of Emerald Cloud was a deep resentment of being “used” in this manner. Add to that, she had become enamored with Prince Blueblood prior to her capture and the two had formed a close... uh... relationship. Using the pegasi’s access to library archives, Chrysalis discovered the existence and location of the Bone Ring of Sombra, one of several which are suspected to exist. With it, she could summon the spirit of the Witch King from Tartarus and have it possess a living host, in this instance, Blueblood. She assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, that Sombra would be a co-equal conspirator. When the queen engineered Blueblood’s possession, the Emerald Cloud psyche split from that of Chrysalis. They knew of each other’s existence, and both were working towards the overthrow of Equestria, but they hated each other.” “So effectively, the real Emerald Cloud was dead this whole time and cannot be held in any way complacent with current events,” Celestia asserted. “True,” replied Whitecoat. “And what of Blueblood?” asked Princess Luna. “As to Prince Blueblood, his was a clear case of possession by a spiritual entity without his knowledge or cooperation. Therefore, he should not be held responsible for any of the actions he instigated during the conspiracy. Simply put, he wasn’t in control of himself, King Sombra, or rather his spirit, was.” All eyes turned towards the unicorn prince who sat quietly apart from other ponies. He was currently on the mend and any pony looking at him could see he’d been in a fight. Both his eyes were black, there were a number of obvious bruises around his face, he was wearing a retainer to hold his recently replaced teeth in place, and he had a thick neck brace. Add to that his horn had been broken off and had to be filed down to a small nub so it would regrow properly. All that was on the surface. The part that truly hurt though couldn’t be seen. He really had liked Emerald Cloud and now she was lost to him forever. The only up-side to his present circumstance, if one could consider it an up-side, was for the first time in a very long time, more ponies felt sympathy for him than despised him. Princess Celestia returned her gaze to Dr. Whitecoat. “One final question Doctor. In your opinion, is Queen Chrysalis mentally fit enough to stand trial and actively aid in her own defense?” “Your majesty... I’m sorry to say that unfortunately, the answer is no.” “And why is that?” "It is because Queen Chrysalis no longer resides within her own body. As of this morning, her mind has fractured into a multiple series of personalities, some of whom are functional, most of whom are not. So far, we’ve identified eighteen distinct entities. However the personality we know as Chrysalis is no longer there, or at least no longer identifiable. The same is true for the Emerald Cloud personality. What complicates this more than anything else is that because she can change form, each of the new personalities has its own unique shape.” “If this is so, what do you recommend we do with the Changeling Queen?” asked Princess Twilight. “I recommend that she be confined in an appropriate care setting until such time as she is capable of standing trial for her crimes.” The three princesses put their heads down and crossed horns. There was a soft, pulsing glow and the audience became silent as they watched their leaders commune. After a few moments they raised their heads and Celestia rose from her seat. Her eyes glowed white as she timbered her voice for all to hear. “Very well... let it be known that the being known as Queen Chrysalis is hereby ordered placed in medical confinement until, or if, such time arises when she will be capable of standing trial on the charges of Usurpation, Assault, Kidnapping and Murder. In the case of Prince Blueblood, all charges relating to crimes committed during the recent attack upon this kingdom are withdrawn.” She paused a moment for dramatic effect. “This Royal Inquiry and this Triumvirate is closed. LONG LIVE EQUESTRIA.” The call, “LONG LIVE EQUESTRIA,” was taken up by the assembled ponies and repeated three times, once for each of the princesses. ********** There was a soft knock on the hospital room door. Lady Shadow Starlight gently put down her book and turned towards it. She smiled when she saw Big Mac quietly tip toe into the room. “Ah ain’t disturbin’ y’all or nothin’, am Ah?” “Not in the least, your majesty. It’s a pleasure to see you again.” The stallion looked at her earnestly. “Ah’d appreciate ya not callin’ me, yer majesty. The weddin’s not for another month at least.” “As you wish, then, Sir Macintosh. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” “Ah just wanted ta find out if y’all are doin’ alright,” the plow pony said. Starlight nodded politely. “Quite well, considering the circumstances. The doctors say that all the poison has been flushed from my body, but there was some organ damage. Not being as ‘robust’ as the Apple family, I will have to remain ‘laid up’ as it were for another week before I can resume my duties.” “Do ya think ya will still be able ta sponsor me at the investment ceremony next week?” “Wild changelings couldn’t keep me away,” she replied looking at the stallion. “That’s good,” he replied. He then stood there for a moment awkwardly shuffling his hooves. “Was there something else you wanted to discuss?” she asked. “Eeeyup. It seems they changed ma oath and Ah was wonderin’ if ya could help me memorize it.” “Changed your oath... now that’s unusual,” She muttered. “Do you have a copy of it with you?” Big Mac handed her a scroll which she unrolled and began reading. Starlight got about halfway through the document when she stopped and looked up at the stallion. “This is the oath for a Knight COMMANDER of the Equestrian Star.” “Eeeyup. Ah was told the knighthood was advanced in rank because Ah beat up another pony a couple o’ days ago.” “Beat up another pony?” Starlight chuckled. “Well that’s putting it mildly. I heard you single handedly took on an ancient, evil entity and soundly thrashed him.” “Maybe... Turned out it was only Prince Blueblood the whole time.” “Same difference,” said the unicorn. “Y’all know twern’t his fault,” Big Mac gently chided her. “I know... and I’ll probably be much more forgiving once I’m out of here,” she replied. “But for now, he’s still the same little annoying snot-nosed ‘colt’ I grew up with and learned to dislike. “Maybe not so much anymore,” the farmer replied. “Maybe,” Shadow Starlight agreed. She held up the scroll for Big Mac to read. “Now let’s take a look at this thing and work it out.” ********** “Do you have the picnic hamper?” Luna asked. “Eeeyup. Now remember what Ah said. Ya gotta be ready for anythin’.” The princess nodded then turned to the mirror in her room and spoke the activation spell. “Aperiesque ostium.” There was a rippling of the mirror’s surface and then Big Mac’s room at Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Luna took a deep breath and stepped into the reflection. She vanished and the mirror closed behind her. Big Mac waited a moment, then repeated the phrase and followed her. Stepping out of the mirror he almost tripped on the small, brown-furred platypus that was sitting on the floor, its arms crossed in disgust. “Tho... how long doeth thith latht again?” it lisped. “Until you say his name.” “And what if I refuthe?” “Ah can always take you swimmin’ in the pond.” The small marsupial snorted in disgust then grudgingly gave in. “Oh, alright... DITHCORD!” There was a sudden peal of laughter from the mirror followed by a bright flash as Luna returned to her normal form. “Well that’s better... What about you?” “Me?” The stallion turned to look at himself in the mirror. He now looked like a full-sized version of Twilight’s Smarty-Pants doll, complete with one missing button eye and a notepad and pencil. “DISCORD!” There was another peal of laughter and a bright flash as Big Mac found himself restored to normal. “Well... at least it only happens on YOUR side of the mirror,” Luna chuckled. The two ponies went downstairs. Funnel Cake was in the kitchen preparing the mid-day meal for family and farm workers alike. Granny was downstairs as well, snoring in her nearby rocking chair. Luna and Big Mac quietly tip toed across the carpet and out the door. “Which way?” the princess asked. “There... in the hollow,” the stallion pointed a hoof. Walking together the two lovers quickly found themselves in a very quiet and isolated part of the farm. When Luna saw the grotto with the hot mud she paused and closed her eyes. Her horn pulsed with energy and she looked over at Big Macintosh. “The amount of magic in this place is amazing,” she commented. “I think your ‘hollow’ might actually be a node.” “A what?” “A node. It’s a place where a great deal of naturally created magic accumulates and is released into the world. Sort of like a release valve on a steam engine. We know of at least a dozen more that exist in and around Equestria. Canterlot rests upon one, which is why so many unicorns live there as compared to other cities.” “So great grand pappy was right. This place is magic.” “It would seem,” said the princess. “I really shouldn’t be surprised it’s here. After all, your farm butts up against the Everfree Forest which is the largest single known node in the world. I wonder why no pony outside your family ever found this place before?” “Pa use ta speculate that this grotto was once a natural cave that was worn away and finally collapsed in on itself. It covered the mud pit until great grand pappy found it and removed most o’ the rocks around here ta sell fer cement. That was how it got uncovered again.” “Oh... that looks so inviting.” Luna cooed. “I don’t think I’ve had a mud bath in over a millennium. It’s so good for the complexion.” “Especially for platypi?” Luna responded by sticking her tongue out at the stallion. She went over and daintily dipped a hoof in the mud which burbled tranquilly. “Oh... it feels nice. May I try it?” she asked as Big Mac came up beside her. “Eeeyup.” The princess carefully removed her slippers, torc and crown and went over to the edge of the mud pit. Her eyes went wide however when she suddenly felt a pair of hooves touch her flanks and give a gentle, but firm shove. SPLORCH! She surfaced moments later, sputtering slightly as she cleared the tiny amount of mud which had gotten in her mouth. Luna looked up to see the grinning face of Big Mac who himself was spotted in mud. “OH... How DARE thee, you... you... PLEBEIAN!” Before he could react the stallion found himself levitated into the air and dangling, upside down, about six inches above the mud. Grinning wickedly she released him. SPLORT! Luna magically scooped up two large balls of mud, ready to pelt Big Mac when he surfaced. When he did not immediately come up she frowned, then panicked thinking he might be trapped in the thick muck. She dropped the mud balls and began searching frantically for her love, until something grabbed her tail and yanked her under. She bobbed up a moment later and saw the grinning, mud drenched equine casually leaning against the side of the mud-hole. She grabbed a hoof-full of muck and was about to plaster him when he leaned forward and locked lips with her. Luna pulled back slightly, sputtering a little. “Yuck! Mud-mouth.” Her horn glowed for an instant and the mud sloughed off both their muzzles. She then leaned forward and began passionately kissing the stallion. Their lips and tongues twined around each other wrestling for supremacy. The hot mud fueled their passion and they continued to kiss for a long... long time before finally pulling apart. They made love in the soft, warm muck and the afternoon vanished in a haze of soft kisses and gentle caresses. When they finally separated, they both leaned back in the mud, gently nuzzling and kissing. Luna glanced at their picnic basket. “We forgot lunch,” she murmured contentedly. “Did we?” Big Mac asked. “Ah thought we always started with dessert...” ********** The next week was a frantic series of rehearsals, speech practice, pattern making and measuring for Big Mac’s “official” uniform, patterned after that worn by the Ponyville militia, and more than a dozen press conferences, interviews and formal presentations. Through it all, the stallion still managed to spend nearly every night with Luna and at least half the morning working the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. The morning of the Autumn Equinox found the stallion up at four and plowing the new fields until “rescued” by his sister who hurried him up to his room and through the mirror. Macintosh could not remember any day before when he had felt so at one with the farm and the world. No plow, of any size or weight, would have been impossible for him to move. His strength was, for lack of a better word, indomitable, as was his spirit. He'd felt it since the moment he'd awakened. It was as if every step he made across the open ground sent a small surge of energy... no... more than that, a surge of life into his hooves. It was the equinox, when night and day were in perfect balance... when the world was in harmony with the universe. He stepped into Luna’s room, groomed and cleaned and polished as any pony could be just as the princess was trying on her official robes. The princess turned and looked at him, smiling. “You look magnificent, my darling... but where is your uniform?” “Ma... OH, Ah forgot it in ma closet. Wait here, Ah’ll be back in a second. He spoke the activation spell and vanished, reappearing a moment later carrying his new uniform. Luna turned and her mouth dropped open... Good Heavens! What are you?” The stallion, or rather red-feathered griffon, looked down at himself and mumbled a few choice invectives. “Ah forgot ta say Discord again... didn't Ah!” “Indeed,” the princess smiled, trying not to giggle. “Though I have to admit you do look extremely fetching, especially for a young lady.” “Lady?” Big Mac’s brows furled and he whirled about once more. “Aperiesque ostium!” He practically leapt through the portal. There was a very long pause, then the mirror shimmered once more and the stallion returned. “Ah... uh... um... Ah think Ah broke it!” Luna turned and took one look at the farmer then immediately sent for her sister, Princess Cadence, who was visiting for the celebration, and Princess Twilight. Celestia was the last to arrive at Luna’s chambers and was struck dumb by what she saw as she entered. Standing before her was Sir Macintosh, red-fur shinning and curried to perfection, an ideal physique, mane and tail trimmed into the neat, short style preferred by most stallions, hooves polished to a glow. But in addition to that, he now had a magnificent pair of wings and an equally magnificent single horn growing from his forehead. “You... You... You’re an ALICORN?!” she finally managed to say. “Ah am?” he squeaked. The four fillies all called out in a single, roof-shaking, musical chorus. “DISCORD!!!!” There was a small pop of exploding air and the draconequus appeared. “Do you really have to yell like that?” he complained. “You’re starting to sound like a gaggle of Hoofspearian witches.” He glanced over at Big Mac. “GAAAHHHKKK! ANOTHER ONE!” “Change him back!” Princess Luna ordered. “What... You think I did this? I’ll admit, I’m clever, resourceful and powerful, but why would I change a farmer into an alicorn, especially when there are already too many of you for my liking.” “Ah think your mirror broke,” said the stallion. “Hum.” The draconequus pulled out a stethoscope and proceeded to examine the device, poking it here, tapping it here with either a finger or a small rubber mallet. “No... It wasn’t the mirror. It works perfectly...” he reached through the glass and retrieved a piece of cheesecake and a cup of coffee. “See... It works perfectly.” “Then why is he an alicorn?” asked Twilight. “Did it ever occur to any of you that he may have reached a plateau of enlightenment, the way you four have?” “It’s possible,” muttered Celestia. “But to evolve, new magic has to be created, and we’ve seen no new magic since Twilight...” There was a sudden, frantic knocking on the door. “Princess Celestia? Are you there?” “Who could that be?” wondered Cadence. “It’s probably some dreary plot development, if you ask me,” mumbled Discord. The white-furred alicorn went over to the door and opened it. Before her stood the Chamberlain of Ceremonies, carrying a small wooden box under his wing. “Yes... what is it?” she asked. “Your highness. This morning the royal jeweler was putting the finishing touches on the medals you were to present at this afternoon’s ceremony when one of them... well changed, all on its own.” He held the box out before her. Celestia opened it as the other three alicorns crowded around to see. What should have been the medal for a Knight Commander of the Equestrian star was now a simple green apple. It pulsed with energy. Twilight gasped slightly. “A new Element of Harmony!” she whispered in amazement. “But what kind?” Princess Celestia turned and looked at Big Macintosh. “Courage,” she said simply. Discord leaned over to the farm pony. “Told you,” he whispered.