//------------------------------// // Ch9: Lost... // Story: Applebloom: Transform and Roll Out! // by Dusty the Royal Janitor //------------------------------// (A/N: This story takes place after issue 10 of the My Little Pony Comic Book and the Cutie Mark Crusaders Micro Series comic. This story also does not officially recognize any events of Season 3 onward. The story primarily takes place in the Transformers Aligned Continuity Family with certain smaller inspirations taken from the Transformers Animated and G1 continuity families.) ___________________________________________________________________________________ Applebloom: Transform and Rollout! by Dusty the Royal Janitor Chapter 9: Lost... Shockwave stood still as the grave, gazing out the window with his calculating, emotionless stare at the planet below. The Decepticon leader stood alone on the Darksyde’s dim, eerie bridge, the rest of the crew having vacated since achieving stable orbit. Silent as death, the massive robot pondered the recent developments in his quest for the secrets of Ancient Cybertron. The Ancients of Cybertron had access to technology that present day Cybertronians could only dream of. Bridges that could span all of space in an instant, as opposed to short range ones, forced to bow to the whim of conventional physics. The ability to control and travel through time and scatter one’s self throughout the eons, learning all the secrets of the universe. Artifacts of untold power and weapons that could rend the very fabric of reality itself. The secrets of the Ancients had all been lost to the ages. Now, Cybertronians fought an endless and pointless war, one that had ravaged their planet and destroyed the very spark of Cybertron itself. The Autobots and the Decepticons were evenly matched. So evenly matched, that they had nearly eliminated each other entirely. Both sides had been reduced to such sparse numbers that it could hardly be called a war anymore. Now, it was hardly more than isolated skirmishes whenever one faction happened upon another by chance in the depths of space as the species wandered aimlessly, looking for someplace to settle and perhaps revive themselves. Indeed, there could only be a couple thousand Cybertronians left in the universe. And that number continued to shrink steadily as each side continued to slowly but surely destroy one another. The only thing that kept the Decepticons’ numbers up was the discovery of one of these ancient artifacts: a device called the Matrix Flame. It seemed to be some sort of conduit to the Allspark, serving as something of a portable Well of All Sparks. It had been used to facilitate the mass production of their Vehicon soldiers, granting each of them something of a spark. Alas, without the Allspark burning in Cybertron’s center, it seemed to be running out of power, like a battery that could no longer be charged. Only occasionally, and seemingly by chance, did it manage to create soldiers with what could be described as a full spark. Most vehicon sparks were weaker and less ‘whole’ than normal, with effects manifesting in various ways. Vehicons suffered any of multiple issues ranging from lowered intelligence, lack of personality, lack of sanity, lack of strength or fighting prowess, lack of courage or willpower, to multiple other issues. And none of them had any of the mysterious ‘abilities’ that other Cybertronians had. The few Vehicons that were, through chance, granted a full spark, often would climb through the ranks and be given body mods and true names, rather than designations, to distinguish themselves among their peers. The ascended Vehicon known as ‘Breakdown’ was one such Decepticon. Unfortunately, the Matrix Flame, after many years of being used to swell the ranks of the Decepticons, had started to go out. Shockwave predicted that it would go out in a mere three or four stellar cycles. Alas, Megatron had refused Shockwave’s requests to take the Matrix Flame apart and see what made it work despite all logic. Even when Shockwave said that understanding such an artifact could lead to a greater understanding of the Ancients’ secrets and perhaps even allow the Decepticons to harness their power and create weapons and tools powerful enough to destroy the Autobots entirely. Alas, Megatron had said that the continued replenishment of their ranks with half-witted, weakened cannon fodder was more important. Megatron had offered him the Matrix Flame if Shockwave could create a suitable alternative to Vehicon soldiers. Unfortunately… those experiments had ended in failure, and the flame remained out of his grip. Shockwave was not deterred from his course, though. The Matrix Flame had inspired him to search the cosmos for other clues into the powers and technologies of the ancients. This planet… 8090-P, with its strange and unusual stellar system, strange interferences and odd lifeforms… Shockwave was becoming more and more convinced that his answers lay here. The massive cycloptic Decepticon was broken from his reflections by the sound of the bridge door whooshing open. Shockwave turned to see Waspinator scuttle in, hunched over and making guttural hissing and clicking noises. If Shockwave had a face, he would have sneered. Loyal as Waspinator was, he was rarely useful beyond the occasional scouting mission and as a messenger. Occasionally he aided with the massive robot’s experiments, but it was risky, as the green and black Insecticon was distressingly clumsy. The shambling green insecticon skittered up to him and dipped into a bow. “Masssssterrrr…” Waspinator hissed reverently, his head down low. “Wassspinator has come to give report and to deliver ssssssample.” “Report,” Shockwave demanded. “Wassspinator ground-bridged onto planet with Dead-Bot and troops at site of Autobot crash.” Waspinator hissed and clicked. “Investigate for short time. Dead-Bot say nothing there but ssscrap dead for ssstellar cycles. Sssay not worth time, but detected Autobot signal in town nearby. Wassspinator tell Dead-Bot not to go. Sssay orders were ssstay sssneaky. Dead-Bot get angry and bite Vehicon, then leave,” he explained “I am aware of what happened at the Autobot Ship, Waspinator,” Shockwave said, waving the Insecticon off. “Dead End’s transgressions are well known to me.” “Yesss, Masssssster…” Waspinator hissed happily, his mandibles clicking and shuddering. “But it’ssss what happened after that is interesssting.” Shockwave remained still as Waspinator reached behind his back and pulled out a lockbox slung around his waist. “Massssster…” he hissed, punching a few buttons with his claw, “thisss planet is ssseeded.” Shockwave shifted his stance a little as the Insecticon slid a panel open on the lockbox, revealing hundreds upon hundreds of tiny, multicolored shards of crystal. “Energon…” Shockwave said slowly. Waspinator dipped a claw into the lockbox and pulled out a pile of the tiny Energon, letting it slip through his servos and fall back into the box with little tinkling, clinking noises. “Energon is sssmall on planet, but there is much,” he said, handing the lockbox to his master. “Where did you find this, Waspinator?” Shockwave asked, taking the box. Waspinator pointed out the window of the bridge at the rough location of the crash site, far away on the planet below. “Vehiconsss ssscanning area at crash sssite and pick up ssstrange readingsss all over area. Sssay whole area is littered with Energon. Think was missstake, but Wassspinator decide to dig hole to sssee. Find Energon shards everywhere!” Waspinator clicked his mandibles. “We follow sssignals to nearby cave in woodsss. Find ssstrange, green creature sssleeping on pile. Dragon-Bot in cave hoard energon. We sssteal!” “The find is commendable, but your mission was stealth, Waspinator,” Shockwave said dangerously. Waspinator laughed. It was a strange, hissing, croaking sound. “Masssster no need worry. Dragon-Bot tell nobody.” Shockwave nodded, understanding. “You covered your tracks then,” he said, looking into the lockbox. “How much energon did you manage to acquire?” The Insecticon clicked his mandibles excitedly. “Dragon-Bot have much much energon. Vehicons loading many crates with energon shards. Still sending them up.” “Excellent…” Shockwave said, looking into the lockbox intently. “These Energon samples are highly irregular,” he pondered as he pulled out several gems, balancing the lockbox on his cannon arm. “Their hues range throughout the visible spectrum. There are samples in red, green, and purple, and yet I cannot pick up any of the signatures or characteristic properties of traditional Red Energon, Tox-En, or Dark Energon.” “They really tingly to touch though,” Waspinator commented. “Indeed,” Shockwave said, rolling the samples through his fingers and dropping them back into the box. “They carry a signature all their own, similar to the ambient energies that surround the planet. This requires further study.” Shockwave looked at the Insecticon. “For once, you have done well, Waspinator.” “Wassspinator do better!” Waspinator clicked and hissed in glee at his master’s praise, bowing deeply. “Wassspinator track even bigger sssignal of energon!” Shockwave turned, looking out the bridge window again. “Where was this signal?” The Insecticon stood astride the massive cyclops and pointed out the window at a very particular mountain. Waspinator hissed and grinned. “Under big mountain, masssster…” Shockwave nodded, placing the open lockbox on the control dashboard. “Your work is commendable, Waspinator. You are dismissed.” Waspinator hissed gleefully, bowing out of the room. “The puzzle continues to come together then.” * * * Applebloom walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle, following the princess through the massive and ancient maze of corridors and hallways. As they exited the dungeon, Princess Celestia had stopped to speak with a group of nine guards, who had seemingly been waiting just outside the cellblock while Applebloom spoke with the princess, before dismissing them. She hadn’t caught what the Princess had told them to do, though, but her mind was still a little too occupied to care. She just assumed that she’d told them to spread word around the castle to make sure that nopony panicked at the sight of Applebloom’s alien body. Indeed, as the two of them trod through the halls of the palace, there was no panic. Although, Applebloom couldn’t help but shrink in on herself as she felt every eye in the ancient castle on her. While they didn’t panic, maids and staff and butlers visibly slowed down and turned their heads as they passed, bowing to the princess but keeping their eyes locked firmly upon Applebloom’s robotic body. It was unsettling, being stared at from every angle with suspicion. Still, she walked on, following the princess’ oddly springy step. That was another thing that made the situation so bizarre. Princess Celestia didn’t seem to be her usual, serene self. Applebloom had only seen the princess a sparse few times in her life, and only twice had she actually even spoken to her, but each time she’d seemed so calm and collected. She wore that trademark, gently enigmatic smile on her face and held a firm but reassuring stance. It was seemingly a constant... at least it was until just then. Now, as she walked just behind the princess, she’d catch the ancient alicorn casting furtive, excited glances back at her, only to look away when they locked eyes. Her smooth, gliding stride had been replaced by a more springy, bouncy step, while her ears twitched and her ethereal tail whipped back and forth, sending waves through her glowing, pastel rainbow locks. Her horn flashed with little yellow bursts of magic occasionally, generally followed by what Applebloom could only assume was princessly giggling, and her smile seemed more natural and less practiced than normal. Princess Celestia was acting like some sort of slightly calmer version of Pinkie Pie. The effect was downright surreal. Finally, the two of them made it to a set of smaller double doors. Not the massive, ornate double doors of the throne room or the foreboding stone ones of the dungeon, but a simple set of hardwood ones. Princess Celestia’s horn alit and the doors swung open out into the hallway. “Here we are, Applebloom,” Princess Celestia said with a barely hidden grin. “My personal tea room.” The doors opened to reveal two maids just finishing setting up a cozy looking room. It was relatively spacious, though certainly not as much as Applebloom would have expected; large enough to comfortably seat perhaps a baker’s dozen, depending on how it was arranged. The walls were a simple lavender, with gold trim around the floor moldings. A small fireplace crackled on the left wall, a portrait of the two princesses sitting above it on the mantelpiece, and two shelves on either side of the fireplace holding fine china dishes and teacups. The far wall was a large bay window, looking over the Canterlot gardens, and on the right wall sat a number of extra plush easy chairs. At the moment, only two, plush, royal purple chairs sat in the middle of the room across from one another, flowering potted plants next to them and a low table between them, covered in teaware. Applebloom could spy several pots of hot water and a large, flowery teapot, a bowl full of tea leaves and spices sitting next to them. Little infusers, spoons, and dippers were arranged around the trays, and garnishes like lemons, honey, cream, and sugar lumps were set around the table. A platter of cookies, miniature sandwiches, and fruits sat next to the tea trays, and atop a raised plate sat a small yellow cake decorated with strawberries. Applebloom blinked. The little filly had always just had a cup of tea whenever her stomach felt upset or something. She’d never realized that tea time could be so… fancy. The two maids quickly bowed out of the room. “Thank you, Creaming Down, Orange Pekoe,” Princess Celestia said, nodding pleasantly to the two maids as they left. Celestia then turned to Applebloom with a wide smile. “Well, Applebloom,” she said, grinning, “have a seat. We have much to discuss.” * * * Shining Armor nodded as he finished talking with a giant of a unicorn; one easily as big as Big Macintosh and just as muscled, decked out in white-gold armor and wearing a royal purple crest. The massive grey unicorn saluted and trotted off to deliver the message to another section of the castle. Shining turned back to the rest of the Elements of Harmony and Princess Luna, who were all scattered around one of the palace’s many sitting rooms. Rainbow Dash slouched in an easy chair, whilst Rarity and Fluttershy sat daintily on a plush sofa, nibbling on tea cakes and sipping glasses of lemon water. Princess Luna and Pinkie Pie stood in a corner of the room, whispering about something to each other. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Cheerilee were all sleeping on a sofa in the back of the room, still under the sleeping spell’s effects. “Well?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What was that about?” Shining Armor cleared his throat. “That was Ramhorn, one of Celestia’s personal guards. He came to say that Princess Celestia has taken matters with Applebloom into her own hooves.” “Bah,” Princess Luna scoffed. “Of course she would without consulting me first or telling anypony what she was doing,” she grumbled. “What has Our sister done this time?” Shining Armor shrugged. “Apparently she had her entire regiment of personal guards wait outside while she ‘interrogated’ the creature that claimed it was Applebloom. She came out about two hours later with the creature in tow, explaining that she was, in fact, Applebloom, and then sent her guard around to let everypony know that she was taking her to the Royal Tea room to continue their talk.” “And what of Twilight?” Luna asked. “We sent her to Block C to gather Applebloom and bring her here to Block E.” Shining Armor shrugged. “I’m sure word will get around to her. In any case,” he continued, “we now have confirmation that no ‘creature’ has replaced Applebloom.” Rainbow Dash raised a hoof in the air. Shining Armor rolled his eyes and pointed at the chromatic mare. “Yes, Rainbow Dash?” “What in the hay is all this about Applebloom being some sort of creature?!” she snapped. “I have literally no idea what the flying feather is going on around here!” “Rainbow Dash’s choice of words aside, darling,” Rarity said, lowering the lemon water from her lips, “I’m afraid I must agree. What is going on that has Applejack so distraught, and has forced little Applebloom into such a mess?” “From what Princess Celestia gathered while ‘interrogating’ her,” Shining Armor began, making visible air quotes with his hooves, “Applebloom actually doesn’t appear to be a pony at all. Never was.” “N-not a pony?” Fluttershy asked, stuttering. “Then what is she? A changeling? A Kitsune?” “Apparently...” Shining Armor said, slumping into an easy chair and massaging his head with his hooves, “...apparently Applebloom is a space alien.” The room was silent for a good minute before Rarity cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, Shining Armor, darling,” she tittered incredulously. “I could have sworn you just said that little Applebloom was a space alien.” Shining Armor shrugged. “Yep. That’s what I said.” Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other, dumbfounded, before the alabaster mare spoke up again. “You’re not serious?” “Completely serious,” Shining Armor said, nodding. Rainbow Dash leaped out of her chair. “Okay, that’s enough!” she shouted, stomping towards Shining Armor. “I like pranks as much as the next pony, but this isn’t the time, dude!” “This is what Princess Celestia told Ramhorn, Rainbow Dash.” Shining Armor snorted. “I’m not pulling your legs.” “It’s true,” came a voice from the back of the room. “Applebloom is an alien.” The ponies in the room all turned to see a groggy Miss Cheerilee, staggering to her hooves and swaying back and forth. “Cheerilee,” Rarity said slowly, “do you know something about Applebloom?” Cheerilee nodded guiltily, shambling over to another easy chair and settling into it. “I can tell you all about Applebloom.” She looked around the room and sighed. “I can tell you all everything.” * * * Twilight Sparkle burst out of Block C, throwing the large dungeon double doors wide and actually managing to startle the two guards stationed there before they settled back into their usual neutral stance. Her eyes were wide and her mane was frazzled as she called futilely out into the depths of the castle. “Applebloom?! Applebloom?!” She called several times before trotting frantically in place. “Oh, dear, where could she be? How did she get out? Did she escape? Was she fillynapped?” she asked herself, muttering dozens of questions under her breath as she frantically tried to organize her thoughts. One of the guards stationed at the door to Block C cleared his throat. “Miss Sparkle,” he began, only for the lavender mare to whirl on him, her eyes wide and panicked. Before the guard could say anymore, she grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him. “I lost Applebloom!” she shrieked. “I mean, I guess I wasn’t there to lose her maybe but I should have gotten here sooner to stop… whatever it was that happened to her!” “M-m-miss S-Sparkle, please!” the guard tried to stammer out. His partner stood on the other side of the hallway, getting ready to intervene, when they were suddenly interrupted. “Twilight Sparkle!” came a shout from the end of the hall. Twilight turned, dropping the hapless guard to see a female unicorn soldier dressed in white gold and purple trim. Her middle-aged face was set in a neutral frown, wrinkles just barely starting to creep into her mulberry coat around her bubblegum pink eyes. The guardsmare trotted forward, her disappointed frown quickly morphing into an exasperated smile as she shook her head. “Still panicking whenever a quill is out of place, I see,” she said. Twilight’s panicked expression changed to an excited grin. “Flipsides!” she squealed, cantering up to the guardsmare and wrapping her hooves around the guard’s neck. The guard known as Flipsides chuckled, patting Twilight on her back. “Good to see you, Twilight. Even after all that heroism and adventuring you’re still the same filly Celestia had me guard all these years, aren’t you?” Twilight backed away a pace, her worried expression returned. “It’s not just a missing quill this time, Flipsides,” she explained, pointing a hoof at the cell block behind her. “Princess Luna sent me to collect Applebloom from her cell but she’s not there! She’s just gone! We need to start sending out a search party or—” she started to say, only to be stopped as Flipsides placed a hoof over her mouth. “Easy, Twilight, easy,” Flipsides said reassuringly. “You’re wound too tight again. Deep breath now.” Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth. Her stance visibly relaxed and her mane seemed to fall back into place a little. “Princess Celestia expected you’d be coming down this way,” Flipsides explained with another chuckle as Twilight continued to breathe deeply. “She always seems to know what’s going on in the castle somehow. She told me to wait here and see if you came around. I don’t know how you got past me. You’ve gotten sneakier since the days you used to try and make the trek to the kitchen to raid the royal cookie jar.” “Applebloom, Flipsides,” Twilight insisted, opening her eyes. “Do you know where Applebloom is?” Flipsides nodded. “Princess Celestia took Applebloom to the royal tea room. She had some questions for the filly that needed to be sorted out.” The guardsmare straightened up and patted Twilight’s shoulder with an armored hoof. “She wanted you to join them as soon as possible, actually. She said you’d be fascinated by what she’s found.” She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Frankly, given what the rest of her honor guard and I saw when she came out of the dungeons, I’m inclined to agree.” Twilight let out a long, relieved breath. “Oh good. That’s a major relief. Thank you, Flipsides.” “Now I believe you have somepony to apologize to?” Flipsides said, nodding behind Twilight. Twilight tilted her head in confusion before she realized what she was talking about, her mouth quickly turning into a small ‘o’ shape. Sheepishly, she turned around and blushed as she looked at the guard she’d shaken and thrashed around, still picking himself up off the ground. “Eheh… Sorry about that…” she peeped to the guard. The still-dizzy guard shook his head. “No problem ma’am.” “Now then,” Flipsides said, sidling next to Twilight. “Shall we make our way to the tea room? I’m sure we have plenty to catch up on.” Twilight nodded, grinning a little as the two of them left the dungeons, chatting about Twilight’s recent adventures. The two guards stationed at the doors to the cell block shook their heads. “Crazy mare,” one of them commented. “Yeah,” the other concurred. “Word in the mess hall is that Celestia is planning on making her into an alicorn princess,” he said with a chortle. “Pfft, yeah right,” the first one said. “Everypony knows the only reason Princess Celestia made her her student in the first place was to make sure that her crazy power levels were kept under control. There’d be no way she’d risk adding to that power.” “Just saying what I heard,” the second guard snorted. “You can’t believe everything you hear, pal,” the first guard chuckled. “Or do you believe the rumor that she’s planning on reforming Discord too?” “Ha! Yeah, I guess you’re right. That’s complete bunk.” * * * Applebloom sat silently, her hands on her knees as she watched the Princess pour two cups of apple cinnamon spice tea into the ornate china teacups. The earthy smell of the tea and the sight of all the various snacks and cakes decorating the table made the little bot’s mouth water. Moments later, the Princess levitated the steaming cup into Applebloom’s awaiting hands. Applebloom muttered a sheepish thanks and drank deeply. “So…” Celestia began, “I’m sure we both have plenty of questions for one another,” she said with a nod. “Would you care to begin, Applebloom?” Applebloom smacked her lips a little, savoring the flavor of the tea, before fixing Celestia with a perplexed stare. “What do y’all mean, Princess?” “I’m sure you must have questions for me,” Celestia said with a dainty wave of her hoof. “If you wish to ask them then please do.” Applebloom looked into her cup of tea for a moment before cocking her head and looking at the princess with an eyebrow raised. “Did y’all really eat them bugs just now?” The Princess blinked, then burst out laughing. It was a sound like tinkling silver bells or wind chimes in a summer breeze. “Well, that wasn’t the question I was expecting, but yes.” She grinned mischievously. “Yes I did.” Applebloom grimaced and stuck her tongue out. “Why would y’all go and eat bugs just to try and talk to me?” she asked, disgusted. Celestia shrugged. “You’d be surprised at the sorts of regional dishes you have to grin and bear when you’re visiting other nations, Applebloom,” she explained. “Believe me, compared to some things I’ve had to eat to keep the peace between nations, bugs are downright appetizing.” The princess took a sip of her tea. “I’ve actually grown something of a taste for toasted beetles, though my kitchen staff doesn’t generally like to serve me such things. They only ever touch anything of the sort when ambassadors of other species’ nations come to negotiate with me.” “Speakin’ a’which,” Applebloom said, narrowing her eyes at Celestia, “why’d ya’ll go and trick me like that, goin’ and pretendin’ to be a Diamond Dog? Why didn’t y’all just talk to me if y’all wanted to know if I was me?” “When you were brought in, we weren’t sure what you were,” Celestia explained, taking a miniature sandwich from the platter and levitating it to her mouth. With a dainty swallow, she continued. “We couldn’t be sure if you were a spy of some sort, some kind of undiscovered creature imitating Applejack’s sister to get close to the Elements of Harmony, or if you were actually yourself,” she said, taking a sip of tea. “So I employed a little trick that I used to use back in less peaceful eras. Prisoners are generally more willing to open up about any nefarious schemes they might have in store to other prisoners than they are their captors. By disguising myself as a Diamond Dog prisoner and observing the way you acted, I could determine whether you were actually a filly in over her head, or something more sinister.” Applebloom was silent for a moment before finally muttering, “I guess that makes sense.” “Furthermore,” Celestia continued, “as I said back in the dungeons, you needed to be put at ease if you turned out to be the real Applebloom. A trapped filly in such a stressful situation doesn’t need a Princess bearing down on her. She needs somebody she can talk to on her own level. I only revealed myself when you not only proved who you were, but started to blame yourself for what’s been happening to you.” The little robot looked down at her half-empty teacup silently. “And that’s why I brought you up here,” Celestia went on. “I figured you deserved a nicer setting as we tried to clear the air a little and maybe figure out where to go from here,” she said. “We have a lot to discuss and the dungeon is no place to work this sort of thing out.” “What’s there to talk about?” Applebloom muttered. “Y’all shoulda left me down there.” “Oh?” Celestia asked curiously. Applebloom continued to gaze into her tea and sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m mighty thankful that y’all invited me up for tea, but I’m dangerous to be ‘round. If I don’t bring them Decepticon varmints right down on our heads, who knows when I might snap and start hurtin’ ponies m’self?” Princess Celestia sipped her tea calmly, humming a little in thought. After several moments, though, she set her teacup down and fixed Applebloom with a stare. “Tell me,” she began. “Is there anypony out there that gets you really angry, Applebloom? Anypony that just makes your blood boil?” Applebloom blinked at the question. She frowned worriedly as she stuttered out an answer. “Well, uh… I-I guess there’s Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Even after I got my cutie mark, they just won’t leave me alone and keep finding new ways to tease me an’ my friends. And I guess that Ballista guard who wouldn’t let me an’ my friends explain nothin’ back in Ponyville.” Celestia nodded. “And what would you do, Applebloom, say, if you could get them alone in a room with you? What if you could get them in a room where you could do anything you want to them? No matter what you do in that room, there’d be no repercussions when you leave. What would you do?” “I—” Applebloom stammered. “I don’t understand, Princess.” The princess fixed her with a stare that was suddenly much harder than the gentle gaze she had been giving off just moments before. “What would you do, Applebloom? Would you use your new power to hurt them? Would you break their bodies with your superior size and strength? Would you crush them beneath your heel and make them beg you to stop? Would you make them bleed and shatter their bones?” “No!” Applebloom gasped, covering her mouth. “I mean, I’m mighty angry at them an’ all, but… I don’t want to hurt anypony.” Princess Celestia’s gaze softened and her smile returned. “Then that tells me all I need to know.” Applebloom blinked. “But just ‘cuz I don’t feel like hurting ponies now don’t mean I ain’t gonna. And what about the way the fighting made me feel… excited?” she asked. The alicorn shook her head. “Applebloom, do you panic about earthquakes much?” Applebloom blinked, caught off guard again. “I… I ain’t sure what y’all mean, Princess.” “Ponies have managed to harness the forces of nature down to almost a tee,” Celestia explained. “We no longer have to worry about rogue storms or twisters, save in wild locations like the Everfree. Hurricanes are routed before they ever get to shore. Pegasi can channel the wind to blow avalanches off course and break tidal waves long before they hit. Ponies have managed to get to a point where they control the weather and the earth around them so well that they can rout most natural disasters before they ever reach a single pony’s home,” Celestia said proudly before finishing. “That is, except for earthquakes. Despite our best efforts, there is nothing we can do about earthquakes.” “I don’t follow, Princess,” Applebloom said with a raised eyebrow. “Earthquakes usually happen on the coast,” the princess continued to explain, “but, though incredibly uncommon, they can happen anywhere in Equestria. And when they happen, the only thing we can do is pick up after them as best we can,” she said solemnly. “Now tell me Applebloom,” she went on, “knowing that an earthquake could happen anywhere, at any time, even if it seems unlikely, and there’s no way to stop it… do you spend your days worrying about an earthquake striking?” “‘Course not,” Applebloom said. “I mean, Granny Smith’s got insurance on the farm in case it does, but it ain’t something likely to happen and it ain’t worth frettin’ over.” “So,” the princess said, eyeing the little filly-bot, “if that’s the case, then why is it worth worrying about the incredibly unlikely event that you’ll ‘go crazy and start attacking ponies,’ when clearly you don’t wish to harm even the ponies you like least? Especially when, unlike earthquakes, that’s something in your power to stop?” Applebloom was silent. “Of course,” Celestia said, “we still know very little about you. I’ll be quite open with you and say that I will be taking out an ‘insurance policy’ just in case something does happen and you become a danger to other ponies, but at this point I find that so unlikely it isn’t worth worrying about.” Applebloom gulped but decided not to press what sort of ‘insurance policy’ Celestia would be taking. “But what about the fighting?” She insisted instead. “I told y’all that… that I liked the fighting! It was downright fun! It made me excited!” Applebloom clenched a fist. “A normal pony don’t feel like that! Only dangerous ponies like to fight.” “Is that so?” Princess Celestia said. “Then I suppose I should lock myself up too.” The statement felt like a brick colliding with Applebloom’s face. “Princess?” she gasped. “Oh, and Luna too. Definitely. That girl revels in a good fight.” Princess Celestia chuckled. “And then there’s ponies like the Wonderbolts. I know Captain Spitfire at the very least likes a good scrap. Oh, and we mustn’t forget Rainbow Dash. And Shining Armor. In fact, I’d say most of the guard should be locked up.” She tapped her chin with a gilded hoof. “Who am I forgetting? I know my friend Fancy Pants likes to fence. And Rarity practices martial arts. I’m sure they deserve a hefty fine at least.” “Princess…” Applebloom gaped. “Y’all mean to tell me that y’all like fighting too?” Princess Celestia chuckled serenely, refilling her teacup. “I haven’t had much reason to fight in a long time, Applebloom,” she said as she took a deep whiff of the apple cinnamon tea. “That said, in my youth I was something of a warrior. I’m well acquainted with battle, Applebloom, and I’m well acquainted with just how exciting getting into a real, proper fight can be.” Her eyes grew distant as she continued. “The world slows down and your heart beats faster, your breath quickening as adrenaline courses through your veins, knowing that one wrong step will mean it’s your last. You take a blow and pain rushes through you, reminding you that in that moment, you’re alive. Your senses are heightened and your limbs feel lighter, almost twitchy with anticipation as you dodge attack after attack, then a rush of excitement through your core as you land a blow of your own.” Applebloom was silent, staring dumbfounded as the princess shared with her the same feelings that she’d felt not hours before. Celestia seemed to return to the tea room, looking down at Applebloom and smiling again. “I think you’ll find that many ponies who have gotten into a proper fight felt the same way. Of course, there will also be many that won’t, but enough will that you’d find it isn’t entirely abnormal.” She chuckled. “Luna certainly feels this way. You should see the way she works out. She challenges entire regiments of guards to sparring sessions, for fun.” “I don’t understand,” Applebloom said glumly. “The fact is, Applebloom,” Celestia explained, “saying that you got excited, and maybe even enjoyed yourself a little during a fight tells me nothing. That just tells me that you’re brave, active, and like a little risk and uncertainty in your life when you get right down to it.” She shook her head. “You seek thrills. It’s like ponies who like to bungee jump or skydive. It isn’t a crime. That’s not the real issue. The question isn’t whether you fight or whether you like fighting. The question is why do you fight?” Applebloom blinked as Celestia continued. “Fighting in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. There are good reasons, many in fact, to take up a fight. Just the same, there are many terrible reasons to fight. The act of fighting isn’t in and of itself a bad thing; the reason behind it is what is important.” Celestia eyed Applebloom, refilling her teacup. “So tell me, Applebloom, why do you fight?” The filly narrowed her eyes in thought a little before replying. “They were threatening my friends,” she murmured. “I had to do something.” Celestia grinned. “And that’s perhaps the best reason there is to fight, Applebloom.” Applebloom was silent again. She looked down into her empty teacup at the muddled mess of tea leaves in the bottom. She tried to digest Celestia’s words but still couldn’t reconcile how she felt. How could anypony enjoy being in such danger? A friendly spar was one thing but a fight where it was kill or be killed? How could anypony actually get excited by one of those? Even if the princess said it wasn’t too abnormal, she still couldn’t help but feel like a freak for having enjoyed getting into a fight where not only had she nearly died, but she had killed another living creature. Suddenly she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked up to see Celestia leaning over the small table and looking calmingly into her eyes. Applebloom sighed and tried to slip away from her grip but Celestia held firm. “Applebloom,” she said. “I know things feel strange and confusing now. You’ve hit a time in your life when things are confusing for all little ponies. Where ponies feel things they don’t understand, and it scares and frustrates them. And it’s going to be even harder for you given your unique situation,” she explained. “But sooner than you think, things will make sense again. Trust me, you’ll see.” Applebloom let out a long breath, finally slipping away from Celestia’s grip. She slumped back in her plush chair and brought a hand to her head. “I thought getting a cutie mark was supposed to make everything make sense,” Applebloom muttered. She was surprised to hear Celestia laugh heartily from across the table. The filly opened her eyes to see the princess chuckling and shaking her head. “I’m sorry,” Celestia tittered. “It’s just such a common misconception among children.” She smiled warmly as she poured Applebloom another cup of tea. “No Applebloom. Getting a cutie mark doesn’t automatically mean that everything suddenly makes sense. The clouds don’t part and shine some sort of heavenly light on you where you suddenly know everything about yourself and the path you need to take. A cutie mark tells you what your special talent is and nothing more. It doesn’t tell us what we should do with that special talent or what kind of pony we are. It doesn’t show us some sort of ultimate destiny or lead us down a specific path. That’s up to us.” Celestia turned a little to show Applebloom the sun marked on her flank. “It’s up to us as ponies to decide what the cutie mark means for us. It’s up to us to decide what to do with that special talent and how to make it work with who we are. It’s up to us to decide if we even want to do anything with our special talents. You’d be surprised by the number of ponies who find jobs and lifestyles doing things that have nothing to do with their special talents and are perfectly happy with their lives.” Celestia shook her head. “The cutie mark doesn’t make the pony, Applebloom. The pony makes the cutie mark. Getting your mark is the beginning of your journey, not the destination.” Applebloom slumped. “I dunno if I can ever figure out just who I am, princess…” she moaned. “Everything’s so confusing.” “It always seems that way,” Celestia said with a nod. “But I believe in you, Applebloom. You’re a remarkable filly, and don’t ever believe otherwise.” Applebloom still felt utterly confused and a little horrified at herself for everything she’d done and been through, but her heart couldn’t help but lift a little as Celestia said that. The two sat in silence for a few moments. The silence wasn’t perhaps as comfortable as it could be, but it was definitely more relaxed than when Applebloom had first sat down. “Now then,” Celestia began after a minute of sipping at her tea, “if necessary we can pick up this little conversation another time. I have some questions for you now, Applebloom,” she said with a small smile. The filly-bot straightened up in her seat. “Um… alright princess. What do you want to know?” Princess Celestia smiled a little wider. “Well, Applebloom,” she said, “I’m sure you know I’ve been around for a long time.” Applebloom nodded as the princess continued. “I wouldn’t say it gets truly boring, being immortal. There is no end to what ponies can accomplish and the things that can be learned. It is a blessing to be able to experience it all. Still…” she trailed off, “it has been... a long time since something so earth shattering... something that revolutionizes everything we thought we knew, has come around. You must understand, as much as I dread the thought of an invasion, I can’t help but be excited about everything we could learn from these events.” Celestia smiled. “To put it plainly, Applebloom, I’d like to know about you. I’d like to know about your planet, your abilities, your biology… I want to know everything.” Applebloom blinked at Celestia’s bluntness. Her earlier glumness started to fade away under a wash of nervousness. “I reckon that’s a tall order, Princess,” she said. “I honestly don’t know a whole lot about that stuff myself. ‘Lotta things got beamed into my head when I found the ship and transformed for the first time, but it’s all muddy n’ hard to figure out.” “That’s alright,” Celestia said with a nod. “I don’t expect to learn everything now, of course. What I’d like to do, Applebloom, is work with you to find out everything we can. It will take a great deal of time, I’m certain, but I think it will be well worth it. Not only will it surely benefit the ponies of Equestria, but perhaps it will help you in figuring out who you are.” She straightened up with a grin that almost seemed to border on manic. “Applebloom, I’d like to study you,” she said simply. Applebloom gulped. “Y’all don’t mean you wanna…” Her hands trembled as her voice hitched and fell to a whisper. “...dissect me?” she finished with a squeak. Celestia’s burst out laughing in a manner most un-princessly as she set her teacup down on its saucer. She bellowed heartily for a good minute before her laughter died down and she fixed Applebloom with a gentle gaze. “No, Applebloom. I have no intention of dissecting you. This isn’t some silly film or comic book. There’s plenty to learn without cutting you open,” she said. Applebloom relaxed a little before Celestia leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Besides, we’ve already got a specimen to dissect.” Applebloom started at that but quickly calmed down. “You mean...?” Celestia nodded. “Yes, the foe you felled outside the Ponyville schoolhouse. We plan on investigating its remains soon enough.” She raised an eyebrow as she noticed Applebloom starting to look simultaneously glum and sick at the prospect. “But perhaps that isn’t a topic you wish to hear about,” she said, clearing her throat and directing the filly’s thoughts back to the matter at hoof. “Most of what I’d like to ask of you, Applebloom, is if you’d be willing to do some tests for us. Nothing dangerous,” Celestia quickly added when Applebloom’s eyes widened with trepidation at the thought of running through some sort of deadly, laser-ridden obstacle course ‘for science.’ Celestia shook her head and continued. “Just simple things like strength and speed tests, demonstrations of your abilities, maybe getting a few samples to analyze…” Applebloom mulled over Celestia’s words. On the one hoof, she wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of being treated like one big science project. She wasn’t keen on the idea of being poked and prodded with needles, hooked up to machines, and playing monkey for a bunch of scientists. On the other hoof, though, she wanted to know as much about her new self as she possibly could. The information that had been beamed into her head was woefully scrambled and incomplete and still hurt to try and recall, though not as much as when it had first been granted to her. It wasn’t like she would get any answers about herself any other way. After a few minutes of thought, Applebloom finally sighed and nodded. “Alright, Princess,” she said with a little dip of her head. “I guess playin’ lab rat’ll be okay.” Celestia grinned widely, looking almost like she wanted to burst into cheers, but managed to maintain her composure and simply give Applebloom a graceful nod. “Thank you, Applebloom,” she said, a slight tinge of giddiness leaking into her normally measured voice. “I assure you, though, you’ll be treated far better than a lab rat. I’ll be sure to try and make everything as comfortable as possible for you, down to choosing who will be in charge of the experiments.” A knock came from the door. Celestia smiled even wider. “And it sounds like the pony I have in mind has arrived.” She turned to the door. “Come in!” she said, cheerfully. The door opened to reveal an unfamiliar mulberry mare dressed in purple and white gold armor. Applebloom frowned at the sight of the stranger for a second, unsure if she wanted to submit to testing by a strange guard, only to watch as the guardsmare stood aside and saluted, a second pony trotting in. “Twilight!” Applebloom said, breaking out into a grin. Twilight grinned and turned to greet the filly, only for the smile to be wiped from her face, her eyes widening. Applebloom blinked before remembering that she was still in her robot form, which must have looked incredibly strange to the lavender librarian. The two just stared at each other for a minute before Applebloom finally decided to break the silence. She raised a hand and waved it awkwardly at her sister’s friend. “Uhh, hey,” she said sheepishly. Twilight didn’t move at all. She just stared unblinkingly at Applebloom’s alien form, stock still. Celestia cleared her throat. “My faithful student, are you well?” Twilight remained unresponsive. Finally, the mulberry guardsmare stepped away from the edge of the room and trotted up to the frozen unicorn. Lifting a hoof, she gently prodded the stiff student. Twilight fell over like a plank of wood. Celestia shrugged. “She’ll come around.”