Big Macintosh put a piece of straw in his mouth, hefted a basket of apples onto his back, and carried them inside to Granny. He couldn't keep the troops fed without any food, and felt honored to lend his assistance. The farmhouse was abuzz with the hearty laughs and shouts of the soldiers. They were quite a lively bunch and Mac relished the company. He deposited the apples in the kitchen and took a seat.
“Thank ya deary,” said Granny Smith sweetly from the counter.
“Eeyup. Don't mention it.” He turned an ear to a handful of foreign soldiers playing cards at the kitchen table. Most of them had sizable facial hair and several had fat cigars hanging off their lips.
“I wish they wouldn't do that,” admitted Granny, wiping sweat from her brow. “That smoke ain't good for Applebloom.”
“Just tell 'em to quit. They'll listen,” offered Big Mac.
“I think I will if they keep it up much longer.” She got back to slaving away over the stove.
The soldiers came and went as they pleased. They conversed in their native tongue and relaxed throughout the house. Mac wondered about the troops' numbers, since the ones present were only a small fraction of the infantry. He smiled, feeling truly amazing to take part in such a momentous day. He was writing history.
A burly stallion trotted up to him as he indulged in his heroic fantasies. “Say, ya live here, right? You're Big Macintosh?”
Mac chewed his straw. “Eeyup.”
“The boys and I were wonderin',” said the soldier as he puffed on his cigar, “if ya got anythin' stronger than apple cider 'round here. We've had a rough day and somethin' hard would really put us at ease. Whaddya say, then?”
“That okay, Granny?” called Big Mac.
The elder sighed and called back, “Oh, I suppose so. But don't y'all drink in front of Applebloom. Put all your cigars out too. It's hot as a furnace in here and that smoke ain't helping.”
“Yes ma'am,” said the soldier with a salute.
Mac hopped up and opened a cupboard on the top shelf. He took out a bottle of home-brewed wine and handed it to the soldier.
“Thank ya, buddy! We owe ya one.”
“Eeyup.”
The foreign pony returned to the table and uncorked the bottle. They poured themselves glasses and snuffed out their cigars.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the farm, Applejack stood inside the barn. She couldn't make heads or tails of the peculiar doohickey the troops had finished setting up. The device tapped madly and the pony stationed at the table frantically scribbled notes every time it started and stopped.
“What's that thing called again?” asked Applejack, embarrassed at her lack of technical know-how.
"It's called a telegraph," the decoder explained. "We get a signals from electrical lines, and we decode it into writin'. As long as there's another station somewhere and a long-distance power source, we can communicate. We've got outposts all over the place. There's even one just down the road. It's camouflaged and hidden out of the way, so we'll know if anypony is headed up toward the farm. It's simple.”
It looked far from simple. AJ had labored to understand how anyone could take a series of taps and put it into words. The process sounded like something Twilight would find enthralling.
The telegraph started up again and the decoder scrawled on his paper. Applejack left to find something more entertaining to do, but a noise of surprise stopped her.
“Oh!” the decoder exclaimed. “King Salvator is back and headed up this way. He's here sooner than expected.”
“Great. I'll spread the word,” AJ replied indifferently. She walked out of the barn and stood in front of the house.
“Everypony get out here!” she called loudly. “The King is commin' back! Get out here, everypony!”
Cheers and hollers sounded inside the house, and shortly after, a herd of soldiers spilled out the front door. They circled around AJ and filled up the space between the house and the barn. Behind them trotted Big Mac, Granny, and Applebloom. They took their places next to Applejack.
Pretty soon, seven heads could be seen marching up the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres. Six soldiers marched in time, and ahead of them stood a frightful tower of a stallion, Salvator. Around his back was a small satchel made from a brown material AJ didn't recognize. Other than that, he bore no armor. He wiped the sweat from his brow and twitched his mustache. The expression on his face was impossible to read. Before they came anywhere close, AJ noticed how badly the soldiers were beaten. Several of them were cut deeply, and one of them limped badly. His hoof rested on the shoulder of the pony beside him.
The King looked over his shoulder at his group of warriors. “Sing me a tune, boys.”
Despite their conditions, the band of brothers managed to smile. “Yes sir!”
Applejack listened and waited. The tune was melodic and sounded ancient. It carried a strange sense of hope about it. They sung the rest of the way up the dirt path and until the Salvator motioned for them to halt in front of the gathered crowd. None spoke. It was rude to speak before His Majesty. Salvator approached the Apple Family and smiled warmly under his mustache. His gray coat reflected a strange luster in the rising sun. Like a true gentleman, he bowed humbly before his hosts. “I have returned.”
“Was your mission successful, King Salvator?” questioned Granny. Every soul in attendance felt the enormous implications of his imminent answer. The tension over Sweet Apple acres hung like a wet blanket. Salvator squinted and stared hard at his troops and the Apple's. “No,” he said firmly. “Equestria is still under complete and utter rule of Princess Celestia.”
Instantly Applejack was filled with a guilty sense of relief. She knew what had to be done, but her moral compass held steadfast in the other direction. Applebloom wasn't so understanding. She sighed loudly in relief at the news of the mission's failure.
Salvator heard the little commotion and slowly walked over to the yellow filly. He bent down on one hoof and fixed his squinted eyes right on hers. He looked at her for several moments. Applebloom gulped and tried hard to mask her fear. Salvator was larger than Big Macintosh and reeked of alcohol.
“Your name is Applebloom, correct?” he asked calmly.
Applebloom nodded in fright.
Salvator thought about how to phrase his explanation. “Listen Applebloom. I know a lot of things don't make sense today. I know ya don't agree with what I'm doin'. That's okay, because what I'm doin' is the right thing. Not everypony can see that, but I want ya to trust me. Even if it doesn't make sense now, I'm doing the right thing. Tell me, have ya ever had a bully at school?”
“Y-yeah...” she stuttered.
“Well, this is similar. The only thing I'm really doin' is takin' care of a bully. I don't wanna hurt anypony I don't have to. All I want is to free other ponies from this bully. That's all.”
Applebloom frowned. His words spawned anger. “But Celestia ain't no bully!”
Salvator laughed heartily and stood. He patted Applebloom on the shoulder. “Not to you, young one. Not to you. Now, where are the nurses? These brave men need medical attention.”
The crowd parted and several nurses rushed forth to assist the injured. Salvator turned to address the troops. “Warriors! Ready up! We're deployin' to Canterlot soon! Our brothers out there could really use some help! We're gonna be fightin' a lot longer than we thought. The rest of the troops are on the way!”
The soldiers cheered patriotically and dispersed back to gather their things. Once again, Sweet Apple Acres buzzed with activity. Salvator kissed Granny's hoof and asked if he could come inside. She agreed and led him into the farmhouse with the rest of the Apple's trailing behind. They shooed several soldiers out of the kitchen and sat down to discuss business.
Salvator breathed deeply. “Our platoons have arrived at the designated stations at Manehattan and Baltimare. Many more are en route by boat. They're to be stationed just offshore in Horseshoe Bay until we're ready to mobilize the whole army. They have the bots and most of the heavy weaponry. The plan is to keep Canterlot in the dark about our numbers.”
Applejack listened idly. It didn't matter how much malice she had for Salvator. His cause must have been just. It had to be, from what she'd been told. She just wished he didn't have to cleave a bloody path all the way to his goal.
“-but we just have to iron out the kinks. Applejack?”
She startled at the sound of her name.
“What's wrong my dear?” asked Salvator coolly. “Ya don't think this plan will work?”
She hoped it wouldn't. “Nah it's not that,” she claimed. “I'm just havin' trouble coming to terms with all this.”
“You're havin' doubts like your sister?”
“Not doubts, I'm just not comfortable with all the killin'. Of course I'm obligated to help you and the homeland, but I hate to see so much innocent bloodshed.”
Salvator lit up a cigar and muttered something about not having his favorite drug. When he addressed the group, the cynicism in his voice was intoxicating. “My dear Applejack, there simply is no other way. Ever since the dawn of time, ponies have beaten each other down over pieces of land – coveted resources above the lives of their brothers. Nothin' is achieved by conscripting treaties and nonviolent resistance. History has proven that such tactics are just tragically ineffective. I'll work hard not to spill any unneeded blood – just for you, but our course is a righteous one and we must stand firm by it. Think about how many millions of lives we're savin'.”
Before she could construct a rebuttal, the decoder burst frantically into the kitchen waving a piece of paper over his head like it was on fire. “Your Highness! So sorry to interrupt, but we have incomin' hostiles! Two royal guards from Canterlot!”
“What? Damn it!” Salvator raged. “Quickly! Get everypony into the barn now! I don't care how crowded it is! Make it happen!”
The Apples dashed off. They screamed for the troops. The sound of a thousand rushing hooves thundered everywhere. Big Mac galloped outside to the barn. “In here!” he yelled loudly. The soldiers piled in, swiftly packing the barn to its capacity.
“Ain't no more room!” someone shouted from inside.
Big Mac swore under his breath. “Climb up to the loft! Hurry!”
They followed his orders. Eventually, miraculously, everyone made it. Mac shoved the door closed and galloped back inside the house. He knelt down to catch his breath, not used to so much action. “What in Equestria do the royal guards want with us?” he breathed.
“I dunno, but they're trouble,” AJ replied.
“I'll be upstairs,” said Salvator. “I'm gonna watch out the window. If anythin' happens, I'll do what needs to be done.”
They hoped they wouldn't have to find out what he meant. Salvator flew up the stairs and disappeared. Granny and Applebloom moved to the stove and started preparing ingredients. Applejack couldn't believe they hadn't planned for something of this nature beforehand.
There was a sharp rap at the door. Big Mac got up and answered it, feeling the full pressure of the situation teetering perilously on his shoulders. Standing on the porch were indeed two royal guards. The pegasi didn't look happy. “Where is Applejack?” one demanded.
AJ peered out from behind her brother. “I'm right here. Whaddya want with me?”
“You must come with us under direct command from Princess Celestia. You're not safe here.”
AJ scratched her head, unsure of how to respond. “Uh, well, this ain't exactly a good time y'see...”
The guards took a step forward. “We're not asking. The Princess wants you at the castle right now.”
Big Mac poised himself in front of them, blocking them from his sister. “She ain't goin'.”
The guards looked at each other then slowly drew their spears. “Stand down, citizen. We're authorized to use any force necessary to secure our target.”
The red pony narrowed his eyes. Intimidation didn't fly well with him.
“Big Mac-” AJ tried to chip in.
“Hush, Applejack!” He eyed the guards with an unfaltering gaze. “I said she ain't goin'.”
The guards gritted their teeth and pointed their spears at the stallion, clearly not used to dealing with such a sturdy opposition.
“Big Mac stop it!” cried Applejack. “For Celestia's sake! I'll go! I'll go with 'em!”
“AJ ya can't!” objected her brother. “That ain't an option!”
“Neither is getting you killed!” she shot back. “Don't be stupid! Just... let 'em take me.”
Big Mac growled furiously at the guards but backed down out of the doorway. AJ stepped up and glared spitefully at the two pegasi. Angry thoughts buzzed through her head.
Gettin' kicked outa' my own house... nopony should be able to do that. Not even Celestia.
Hesitantly, reluctantly, she stepped outside. The guards grabbed her by the shoulders and swiftly started back down the road. “Get your hooves off of me ya deadbeats!” she snarled. She looked up to the window where Salvator claimed he'd be. Sure enough, he stood behind the glass and watched the scene like a hawk. He gave AJ a subtle nod and silently slid open the window. He lifted some kind of wooden chute to his lips and gave a sturdy puff. AJ heard a sharp ZIP whistle through the air. The guard to her right yelped and clutched his neck. He pulled out a small brightly colored dart and examined it.
“What the hay?” the other guard mused.
ZIP! Another direct hit.
“W-wha's happenin...” slurred the first guard.
They floundered lazily for a moment then both fell over with a thump. One of them was already snoring the second he touched the ground.
“Applejack!” cried Big Mac as he ran out to her. He squeezed her tightly in a big bear hug. “We need ya right here. Not at the castle.”
AJ chuckled. “I know. I woulda' knocked those two out long before we ever got that far. Luckily Salvator beat me to it.”
They looked up to the window. Salvator disappeared downstairs and stomped outside with rage burning in his eyes. He ignored the Apple's and roughly grabbed the one conscious guard by the shoulders. “Insipid drone! Why are ya here? What did your precious princess tell you?” He shook his body menacingly. “Answer me!”
The panicked pegasus flinched from the harsh contact and tried to look away.
“You look at me when I'm talkin' to ya!” Salvator screamed.
“Celestia help me...” breathed the ragged pony in a desperate plea.
King Salvator roared angrily. “Celestia ain't listening!” He threw the guard to the ground and pinned him by the chest. Without breaking eye contact with his victim, he reached to his satchel and produced a slender glinting dagger. Applejack gasped and tugged at Salvator. “Stop! Don't kill him!”
“Why shouldn't I!?” he snapped viciously at her. “All this automaton does is mindlessly follow orders from his beloved ruler with a misguided sense of honor and patriotism! His life ain't important! He's a pawn who thinks he's helping his country!” He held the knife taught against the guard's neck. “I'll teach him what true patriotism means! He'll know what patriotism means when my knife's in his neck!”
“Salvator you release him this instant!!!”
The stallion slowly turned his head up. Granny Smith stood on the porch, glaring daggers at him. She started towards them at a striking pace - her movement unfettered by age. “I said drop that knife! Now!”
Salvator glowered at her, breathing heavily. He lifted the dagger from the guard's neck but kept it in his hoof. Granny walked right up to him and swiveled her hoof back. Without another word, she swung forward with comet force, connecting to Salvator's face with a solid smack. He lurched back and let his weapon clatter to the ground. Gasps sounded from the barn. The soldiers had pried the door open to watch the scene unfold.
“Who do ya think ya are!?” shouted Granny. “You may be a king, and our allegiance may be to you, but this is our property and you'll listen to our rules here!”
Salvator simply stood looking at her. His emotions were masked perfectly behind his blank face.
“I don't care how much ya hate Equestria!” Granny's tirade continued. “We're not cold blooded killers and you will not spill innocent blood on our land!”
“Ya consider these guards innocent blood?” asked Salvator in barely above a whisper.
“I have no reason not to,” declared Granny.
Salvator drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. After several seconds he nodded ever so slightly and bowed to his host. “Very well then. As ya wish.”
Granny turned and left for the house in a huff. No one knew what to do next.
“Applejack,” said Salvator softly. “Do ya have any suggestions on what we should do with these two?”
AJ looked down at the guards. Both had since slipped unconscious.
“Well eh, I got a friend in the Everfree Forest who'd probably love to get her hooves on a couple of live test subjects. She can wipe their memory and let 'em go when she wants.”
“Yes. That sounds fine.”
“Good. Just look for a zebra named Zecora. She'll understand.”
He nodded and eyed her. “Alright. By the way, could I get ya to come with me for a second?”
AJ felt hot dread roil in her gut, but she stifled her reservations and followed Salvator. They trotted into the barn past all of the hiding soldiers.
“Get out! All of ya!” barked Salvator coldly.
When they were alone, they approached the decoder at his station. Everything was silent except for the ceaseless tap tap of the telegraph.
“Sorry I overreacted,” said Salvator to AJ.
She wasn't having any of it. “Don't apologize to me. If you're really sorry then you can march into the house and apologize to Granny.”
Salvator stared at her blankly for several seconds. She thought he might smack her. “Alright,” he finally said. “I'll do that. But first there's something I want ya to do for me.”
AJ knew she wouldn't be fond of his request. “Well, okay then. What?”
“How much power have ya ever held in your hooves?”
That threw her off guard. “What?”
“I said, how much power have ya ever held in your hooves?”
“I don't know. I don't follow.”
He bit into his cigar, then took off his tunic and itched his back vigorously. “Since I failed my prime directive and Celestia is still alive, my approach will now be more direct.”
Applejack still didn't understand. “What's that mean?”
“It means I'm about to let everypony know how serious I am.” He tapped the decoder on the shoulder, who nodded and frantically tapped out a new message. AJ frowned. Salvator picked up some kind of electric box and handed it to her. It was small and rectangular, and had a button smack in the center of it.
“Be mindful of how much power you're holdin' right now,” said Salvator.
“What is this contraption?” asked Applejack as she rolled the device over in her hooves.
“It's a remote control,” Salvator explained. “All you have to do is press that little button there.”
“What does it do? Just give me a straight answer!”
Salvator grinned at Applejack's persistent naivete. “Just press the button, my dear. Detonate my bomb for me.”
AJ's eyes went wide. “Bombs!? When did bombs come into play? No! No way! I ain't got any urge to take part in a massacre!”
Salvator threw back his head and laughed. He swung his hooves around dramatically as if giving a pep talk. “Come on! Don't ya want to start a revolution? Just press that button - the troops in Canterlot are waitin'!”
“You're a monster...” snarled AJ, already leaving. “The first generation Apples' may have thought of ya as some kind of savior, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. I may owe my allegiance to you because of my ancestor's bloodline, but I swear to Celestia that if you set that bomb off, I will never forgive you. Never.”
Salvator smirked. “Silly girl. We don't swear to Celestia. She ain't listenin'.” He pressed the detonator, sending a city block of Canterlot back to the dust from whence it came. Applejack tramped out of the barn with an agonizing repulsion turning her gut to stone. Her mind was wiped blank from the Salvator's searing barbarism.
How many? How many lives stolen...
She entered the house and climbed the stairs. She deflated on her bed, body void of feeling. Salvator would pay. She'd make sure of that. He would not be forgiven. She brooded silently until she could no longer fight the thick layer of fatigue pressing her into unconsciousness.
It was a fitful sleep at best. Frittering nightmares stampeded through her mind. Particularly, ones that mimicked the catastrophic events occurring in reality. She squirmed and tried to vanquish the terrible images. Her friends... were they at the castle? Were they safe? More nightmares bubbled from the stygian depths of her imagination. She envisioned herself on a winding parkway path through a ruined garden. The delicate flora was strangled by a whirling inferno. Cinders danced and fell slowly in a demonic orange rain. Through the stifling heat of the blaze, the she saw her sister. “Applejack.” The filly approached her. There was a look of urgency on her face. “Applejack wake up.”
“Applebloom? What? Wake up?”
“Applejack, wake up. Wake up!”
She felt herself ascending back into reality. Her sister stood beside her bed, nudging her gently. “You awake?”
AJ rubbed her red-rimmed eyes. Not surprisingly, she felt worse than she did before the nap. The afterimages of the nightmares gnawed the periphery of her mind. However, the sight of her sister seemed to calm her a bit. “Yeah, I'm awake. What is it?”
“We just got another message from the outpost down the path. I thought it was great news, but Salvator got angry when he found out.”
“I don't care what Salvator thinks. What's goin' on?”
“Twilight's comin'! I think she's lookin' for ya!”
AJ smiled and sat up at the news. “Really now? I'd love to have her with us. Just knowin' she's okay makes me feel a lot better. But, I don't think we can talk to her right now. Salvator needs to stay outta' sight.”
Applebloom nodded. “I know. Salvator already has everypony rounded up in the barn again.”
AJ sighed. “We're gonna have to do something,” she said, deep in thought.
“What do you mean?”
“Well I'm pretty sure that by now Twilight's already involved in whatever's happenin' in Canterlot. Chances are she's lookin' for answers. We need to give her some kinda' clue as to what's goin' on. I wish we could tell her the truth, but we're gonna have to improvise.”
Applebloom looked at her sister like she'd hit her. “You mean we gotta lie to Twilight?”
AJ shuffled out of bed. “Yeah. We gotta tell her somethin'. The hard part is, I can't talk to her myself. I ain't too good at fibbin' and she'd know somethin' was up. So that leaves you. Do ya' think ya can talk to her for me?”
“I-I guess but, Granny says lyin' is bad. Besides, what am I gonna say?”
AJ wracked her brain. “Lyin' is bad. But this is very very important. You're brave, sis. You can do this. I got an idea goin' that should set Twilight in the right direction at least. Now I'm gonna mosey on down to the barn real quick and make sure everypony is gettin' along. Here's what ya gotta say to Twilight...”