//------------------------------// // Trouble A-brewing // Story: Applejack Through the Ages // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// "Well, this has certainly turned out to be an interesting experience." The margrave snorted angrily, pacing in front of her throne as she looked the two ponies in front of her over. "The good news is the senate has received Paschalitsa's glowing report of the humans positively. And combined that with sympathy over Lambaditsa's little hate crime against that human filly, and the senate has unanimously voted to open diplomatic ties with the humans." "And what's more, word of what occurred during our visit is even now spreading to the other equine citadels in Ponyland!" Paschalitsa added excitedly. "It won't be long before mistrust of the humans erodes away completely!" "The downside is that our actions- and the child's injury- has now placed a mistrust of Fort Dashian ponies amongst the humans." The margrave continued sadly, shaking her head. "It will have to fall to another herd to forge the bods of friendship with them... as they will no longer trust any of my servants or soldiers." "It's all that damned Lambaditsa's fault!" Sugar Apple snarled, thinking of the poor little girl who had been injured by the other mare's hatred. "If she hadn't thrown that child off, none of this ever woulda happened!" "Speaking of which, where is that wily old mare?" Paschalitsa asked curiously around the throne room. "I'm amazed she's not here protesting the loss of her senate seat, and the end of her political influence." "She probably realizes the trouble she's in, and wishes to avoid causing further trouble." The Margrave said matter-of-factly, finally sitting down on her throne. "It's just as well, for I shall have quite a few stern words for that pony when she returns to Fort Rainbow Dash..." ... "You can't be serious!" Wantall yelled in anger, not believing his wife's words. "You can't be letting that pony devil back in after what happened to little Hydia!" "It wasn't Sugar's fault Wantall!" Edwina yelled back, slamming her fist on the table angrily. "It was those other visiting ponies, and I'm not going to let them back here ever again! But Sugar Apple is our friend, and I'm not going to blame her for what the others did!" They had had a very foul argument after that, before Edwina stormed out, and left him to stew in his own juices. Wantall couldn't just let that-that pony back in among them! She'd been nothing but trouble since she first showed up flying across the sky that day, and he wanted nothing more than to be rid of her. "I've got to find a way to get rid of that Sugar Apple!" He allowed himself to say aloud, talking to o one in particular. "She's brought me nothin' but grief since I first laid eyes on 'er!" "I couldn't agree more." A voice came from outside the door, one Wantall did not recognize. "But getting rid of that damned mare is going to be a lot harder than just wishing for it!" "Hey, who said that?" Wantall demanded, looking out the door of his large wooden house. "Who's out there?" "One who hates that infernal pony just as much as you do." The voice came out of the darkness, from the shadows where Wantall could not see. "I can give you the tools you need to get rid of her, but I'll need you to be the one who actually does it." Wantall thought for a moment contemplating how much he wanted that blasted Pegasus gone. "Very well, but what must I do?" Suddenly, the voice threw a dark brown book out of the shadows, and it landed at Wantall's feet with a loud thud. Picking the book up and dusting it off, he noticed the words on it were written in a strange language- that is, until the letters on the cover shifted to English before his very eyes. "What sorcery is this?!" Wantall demanded, staring at the book in amazement. "It is a spellbook, once used by a dark circle of pony mages called the order of gloom." The voice told him. "Among equines, only unicorns can cast spells. But you humans... well, I believe you may be able to use the magic from the book directly. You seem to have a knack for all sorts of talents as a race that are divided up among pony types. The book's magic shall reveal itself to you as you learn it, so use it well, human!" Wantall then heard a set of hooves galloping away from the hut, and looking outside he caught a glimpse of the pony who had thrown Hydia off of her back a few days before. (Lambaditsa, he believed her name was?) He had no idea why the very pony who had hurt the child had helped him, nor did he care. For this mare had given him the means to take his revenge on Sugar Apple, and he would make that mare pay dearly for his humiliation. Wait a sec... you mean Wantall was the evil Wizard Wantall? The enemy of all ponies, and mentor to the evil Hydia?! I think that would've been obvious by the name, Apple Blossom, but yes, that was him. So, what happened then? Did you fight him to protect the humans? Well, after spending a several months in Fort Rainbow Dash, I decided to head back to Dream Valley, and get Masquerade to help me. You see, I had come up with a little plan... "So, you want Dream Castle to establish contact with the humans?" The yellow Pegasus asked her friend, as the two flew towards the human village. "You think they'll trust us, and give ponies another chance?" "Your kingdom is descended from a bunch of outcasts, much like these human settlers are." Sugar Apple replied, looking over at her friends. "You and they have a great deal in common, and I'm sure you'll do just fine." "Well, I'm pleased that you put so much faith in us." Masquerade said with a smirk. "I just hope that I'm able to convince this Edwina that-" THBOOM! A loud clap of thunder tore through the air, and a bolt of lighting shot between the two ponies. To Sugar Apple's surprise, she saw that the magical blast came from the human village below. "What the heck was that?!" Masquerade asked, her eyes going wide. "Sugar, are you all right? Why are you the humans attacking us?!" "Oh no, it can't be!" Sugar Apple looked down in horror, seeing Wantall standing on a rooftop, looking up at the ponies from a book and chanting. "Wantall, what have you done?!"