The first thing to happen was light. Suddenly the slight wrongness that had pervaded it and stolen its meaning dissolved away, giving way first to colors, then to dimensions. The second was sound.
"...waking up"
She looked around, the baroque making her regret her newfound coherency. The utter volume of the decoration and paintings in the walls loomed over everyone, threatening with a crushing collapse at any given time
"This is turning into an habit" she grumbled when she noticed Nanda "What now?"
"I was attacked by a psionist who sent aggressive memetic constructs against my mind, and the Elements made you receive a heavily damaged one that was far more dangerous"
"Oh"
"I know" Twilight turned to Nanda and said something in a language that Applejack just couldn't be assed to interpret, then faced her again "And, by happenstance, you happen to be useful for something I need to do about this. Can you help me?"
"How dangerous a some-" she stopped and blinked several times "This isn't a dream? Why are you here?"
"Well... I met the Queen Riddia a few years ago, and she seems to like me because she's asked me for help several times. This one she needed support to counterbalance the king, and we found quickly I'd need someone that wasn't a royal, or even a local, to help me"
"Uh, what with?" asked Applejack apprehensively "You know I don't want to take too long anywhere"
"The sleeper went loco and made the king loco too" Spike shrugged before Twilight had time to say anything "You know anything of how this place works?" Applejack shook her head "The ultimate bureaucracy: King and queen are selected to hate the guts of each other, and can do anything short of killing the other. The only way for something to happen is for one to convince the other of the something being a good idea. If they don't, the population is left alone and happy. If they agree too much or not enough, the population kicks their asses and puts someone else" Twilight winced, but nodded as he talked.
Applejack almost made a remark, but the memory of the pegasi fighting then talking casually resurfaced, and she had doubts of it not working.
"What do you need?" she asked.
"I made... arrangements with someone to investigate the sleeper. Invasively so, if necessary"
"Not killing him" Spike gave a quizzical look to Twilight "You always make it seem like you want to kill 'em"
"And I guess Nanda is out of this"
"I don't want to-"
"Ruin her reputation, whatever. You've been refusing to meet her in the eye and talking Equiish"
"You know how she gets" she gave Applejack a tired look "Telling her not to do something is a recipe to get it done"
"Ah. Snotty?"
"Supremely so"
"All-the-problems-are-my-problem kinda mare?"
"Ye-" she cut herself "Real funny, AJ. But as a princess all problems are my problem"
"Sure they are" she gave herself a moment to put some order in her mind, then faced Nanda, who was giving them all a look that mixed irritation and bafflement in equal measure "Seems like I ha-"
"-have to do me a favor" interrupted Twilight.
"A favor about the sleeper?" Nanda deadpanned "I do know a word or two of Equiish, you know"
"Ah. Er" Spike and Applejack found themselves edging away from them "Um"
"But you are right. This needs an outsider, if things get to kill the old geezer" conceded Nanda grudgingly.
"You contracted someone, alright. But why do you need me?" asked Applejack, with that done.
"The agent refused to do this without a partner, and I wanted someone to keep an eye in the agent. Seemed perfect"
"And you contracted someone you don't trust?" asked Nanda.
"I don't-" Applejack jumped from the bed, and she paused to make sure that the landing didn't involve her face "I can't contract any of my habituals with this. I need someone that isn't too obviously connected to me politically, and I avoid any of the friends to get involved in my politics. By the time the general population finds out of the connection they'll have time and, more important, perspective in the mater. If they do find out"
"Alright. I'll check the skeletons in the closet" Applejack nodded "But I want to meet your spy"
"Mercenary," corrected Spike, gaining a glare from Twilight "What? The guy's a diamond dog with heavy plate armor. Hard to confuse his profession"