"What?!" The Pegasus yelled in shock. "Why would you have such hatred for a bunch of creatures who haven't done anything to you!?"
"Milady, I believe you are woefully ill-informed." The captain of the guard informed Sugar Apple, staring at the humans huddled behind her suspiciously. "For we have learned, that these creatures are meat-eaters! And not just any meat... but the flesh of equines!"
"Why that's a whole load a' pony dung!" The mare snorted angrily, stamping her hoof. "Ah mean shore, they do eat meat. But I've lived with these humans for several months now, an' I've never seen em' eat a pony once!"
"Maybe these humans have not yet devoured pony flesh, but we have heard reports of other human villages devouring their horse slaves." The Pegasus captain retorted. "Who's to say these humans won't start doing the same thing? Or go after us intelligent ponies, for that matter?"
"That does it! I'm not gonna let you attack my friends here fer what another group of humans did!" Sugar retorted angrily, lowering her head as if to charge. "Now y'all bettah go away an' leave them alone, before ah get angry at ya!"
"Now hold on here a minute, m'mam!" The Stallion replied in protest. "I'd love to oblige you, but we have our orders from the margrave!"
"All right then, I'll just have to go back with you, and talk to this 'margrave' myself!" She motioned Skyward with her head. "Just lead the way, captain, and I'm pretty sure we can get this whole thing straightened out real quick!"
"As you wish, m'am." The stallion bowed, and he and his soldiers quickly took to the skies once more, hovering in the air and waiting for the blue mare to join them."
"Sugar, what is it? What's going on?" Edwina asked in a panic, looking up at the Pegasus troops that had just trashed her village. "What do those ponies want?"
"Everything's going to be okay, my friend. I promise you." Sugar Apple reassured her in english, smiling. "I'm going to go with these stallions, and get this whole mess straightened out."
Before any of the humans could even think of a response, all of the flying ponies took to the skies. The group soared in the skies over Ponyland, zipping around places Sugar Apple thought she recognized, but couldn't really be sure. Soon, Candy Apple found they were approaching the city she had seen when doing her early practice flights a year before... a citadel that looked taller and more impressive the first time she saw it.
Tall, marble buildings with red-tiled roofs supported by Doric and ionic columns lined every street. Here and there she could see towering marble basilicas with stained glass windows, depicting a horsemasterist version of the history of Equestria. And scattered across the city were the large Megarons, homes of the powerful acherons- the nobility who were rulers of this society. Ponies of all types walking and flying the streets, stallions and mares alike, were dressed like the Pegasus of Pegusopolis from the old hearth's warming eve play. here and there, Sugar could make out the few remaining buildings of the old city, surrounded by construction equipment and scaffolding that showed they were in the process of being torn down.
This wasn't the normal society she remembered from Tall Tale; rather, it was almost like a society fabricated by ponies because that's the culture they wanted to live in. It all felt so fake to Sugar Apple; an identity these ponies had put on, rather than one they had been born with. Is this how these ponies had coped with the Grogar wars a century before, creating a culture and dropping the one they had been born with? It felt like they had put on a mask, and created a new concept of who they were.
Then again, Sugar Apple was hardly one to complain about in that regard.
Soon, the stallion legionaries led her to the high and ornate dome of the Rainbow Crystal Castle, the regal building that stood at the very heart of the city. Just outside the massive basilica with towers, stood a regal white earth mare with an orange and yellow mane. The noble-looking pony in golden armor and was consulting with several toga-clad Fort Dashian senators and philosophers, and she paused to look up at the approaching unit of Pegasus soldiers. Sugar Apple realized this must be the Margrave they had spoken of.
"Ah, captain.... Back from your mission to harry that human community so soon?" The mare smiled at the approaching Pegasus who was with the soldiers. "And who is this noble mare who is with you? A prisoner you rescued from the simians?"
The margrave clearly didn't recognize Sugar Apple, but the Pegasus clearly remembered her.
"Lady Highlights, you little worm!" The mare spat angrily, trying to keep herself from attacking her. "So you're the one who's turned Tall Tale into imperial Rome!"
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, madam." The margrave replied, keeping her calm demeanor. " And I'm afraid I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Matybe this'll halp y'all remebah, ya ornery sidewinder!" Sugar snapped, in an old Appleoosian accent. "We met at the Grogar wars peace treaty signing a few decades back!"
"Applja-" The margave started in shock, before narrowing her eyes. "Guards, leave us. I desire to speak to this mare alone."
The captain and his legionaries bowed and took their leave, and the two mares were left alone to talk to one another.
"Applejack, I heard you were still out there, but I didn't expect to see you like this." Highlights commented, looking back at the other mare's wings. "So, what brings you to my regal and noble city, hm?"
"Your lackeys attacked a bunch of humans that are under my protection, Highlights!" The mare snorted angrily, glaring at the much younger margrave. "I want you to leave them alone, and not harass those poor families anymore!"
"You keeping an eye on those troublemakers? Then I have better places to put my troops and resources than intimidating a bunch of primates." She waved a hoof dismissively. "Consider the legionaries gone."
"We need to talk about this, Highlights. You can't just go about bullying every group of settlers in Ponyland just because you've heard rumors." Candy Apple told her. "You need proof before you start trouble like that!"
"I don't think you have a full picture of the human situation, my good mare. But I'd be willing to bring you up to speed." Highlights offered diplomatically. "I was just on my way to discuss the matter with the Fort Dashian senate, if you'd care to join me?"
"Senate, huh? Wow, you really did go out of your way in copying Pegasopolis, huh?" Candy snickered. "All right Highlights, I'll go with you. Lead the way."