The Royal Apples: Into the Land of Neverwere

by Radical Gopher

Epilogue

Epilogue

Big Mac slowly trotted down the hill toward towards the Apple family farmhouse. Not much had changed except the bunk house for the new farm hands was finished, as was the chuck house. Additionally, the new acreage he’d been preparing just before his unintended trip was finished and had been planted with saplings, all laid out in nice, neat rows. The stallion briefly changed direction to check out the new orchard, only to discover that instead of apples, Applejack had planted pears. He remembered that she and he had discussed something like this. Pears were popular and if the trees took well they might have a nice, very profitable cash crop, the proceeds of which they could put aside for Applebloom’s college education. The only hitch was who would try running the idea past Granny Smith. His sister had apparently taken the initative.

Turning, he continued trotting toward the farm house. The sun was just above the horizon and several ponies were relaxing on the bunkhouse porch waiting for supper. They waived cheerfully at Big Mac. The alicorn never missed a beat as he waved back and continued on to the farmhouse.

He had it all planned out in his head. A quick family reunion with assurances that he was back and whole, perhaps he’d even a rustle up a cup of coffee. The stallion hadn’t had a descent cup or bite to eat since beginning his adventure, which seemed almost like forever. Hugs and kisses all around, then a quick trip to Canterlot via Discord’s mirror and a passionate welcome home from Luna.... after she finished throwing things at him for vanishing in the first place. He wasn’t quite sure of that last bit, but having lived most of his life with three mares he understood the possibility existed.

He peeked in the window, his hoof poised on the door and looked inside. Granny Smith and Funnel Cake were putting the finishing touches on supper while Applebloom set the table. Big Mac counted six places, then scratched his head wondering who the other two place settings were meant for. Applejack was at the desk working on the farm ledger, closing it out for the day. It looked like a typical end of day on Sweet Apple Acres.

Grasping the door handle he pushed it open and trotted in, closing the door behind him. Granny was in the middle of scooping scalloped apples from her frying pan onto a serving plate. She looked up and squinted. “Big Mac? It that you?”

The stallion smiled and trotted up to her intending to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Eyeeup!”

WHAAMM! The alicorn prince dropped to the floor, seeing more stars than he thought rightly belonged in his head. The frying pan continued to sound with a resonant tone for several seconds.

“Ah done told ya once, ya dad gum doodle dragon. Don’t come inta ma house wearing ma grand-colt like a suit of clothes. Ah don’t care who yer friend’s with or what ya thought ya was doin... Ah told ya what would happen and now ya knows Ah wasn’t foolin’.”

Applejack’s face appeared just beyond the stallion’s muzzle, looking to see what was going on. “Discord? Didn’t Fluttershy have that talk with you? Ah’m surprised to see ya didn’t listen to what she said.”

“Howdy AJ. How come there are five o’ ya?” Big Mac mumbled as he tried to refocus his eyes.

WHAAMM.

“Granny would y’all put away the skillet?” the orange mare asked. She got her brother back on his hooves and led him, staggering, over to the couch. “Ah’d recommend either ya change back right now or Ah’m gonna have ta get ma own frying pan and knock some sense inta y’all.”

There was a sudden pop of air behind her along with an easily recognizable voice. “Change back to what? I spent hours sprucing up this body just to spend supper with you and your family.”

Applejack turned around to see both Discord and Fluttershy standing next to Granny Smith. The buttercup yellow pegasus was wearing a wide smile on her face.

“Applejack... Just before coming here we got the most wonderful news from Doctor Whooves...” Fluttershy stopped and stared at the figure lying on the couch. “Oh... It looks like you already know.”

A couple icepacks, some aspirin and a bag of frozen peas later the stallion was beginning to feel a bit more like himself and less like a piñata.

“Sorry Ah clocked ya on the head, boy,” Granny Smith said, “But this here snake’s been running around playin’ dress up in yer body fer the last month.”

“Snake?” asked Discord.

“Month?” asked Big Mac.

“Actually, it was a little more than five weeks now since you teleported off to that other Equestria,” said Applejack.

“Ya know?”

“Uh Huh. Discord here knew you was in another world, like Twilight’s human friends, but he couldn’t pick out exactly where y’all was.”

“Sadly, the temporal distortion between there and here got worse the longer you were gone,” explained the draconequus. “Interdimensional physics are so chaotic even I have a rough time understanding all the threads.”

“So that’s why y’all stopped talking ta me over there?”

“Indeed. And before you ask, the only reason I was impersonating you was because it was a royal command from Princess Sun Butt. They didn’t want more than a few ponies to know you were gone.”

Big Mac put a hoof to his forehead. The thought of what Discord might have done while looking like him would have been enough to give him a headache, if he didn’t already have one. “So, uh, no one’s told the Princesses Ah’m back?”

“Well,” replied Discord, “I did send that mad pony with the blue box over to pass the word to Celestia and Luna, but I can’t guarantee how long it will take him, relatively speaking.”

The stallion moved, intending to push himself up off the couch. “In that case, Ah’d better get on over ta the castle...”

He was stopped when the draconequus put out a paw. “If I were you, I’d wait a little while before charging off.”

“Wait? Wait for what?”

Almost as if on cue there were a series of crashing noises coming from upstairs, followed by the scrabbling of claws over polished hardwood.

“For that,” replied Discord.

Something small and black tore down the stairs, making an Olympian leap from the floor onto Big Mac and began desperately licking him all over the face.

The stallion looked over at Applejack. “When did y’all get a cat?”

The animal paused in mid lick and looked at the alicorn. “Cat?” it muttered, looking down at itself. “DISCORD!!!” it yelled in a Royal Canterlot that sounded suspiciously like Luna. There was a sudden burst of magic and the echoing laugh of a draconequus coming from somewhere upstairs. Big Mac suddenly found himself with Princess Luna lying atop of him. The extra weight of the moon princess caused him to slide off the couch and onto the floor. Luna ignored this as she locked lips with the stallion. The two held each other so tightly it was hard to see where one alicorn started and the other ended.

Discord looked at Fluttershy who was blushing hard enough to be mistaken for a stop light. “Let’s let them have a little privacy, shall we?” He snapped his fingers and in a flash Prince, Princess and couch vanished into the ether.

“Discord! What in tarnation did ya do ta them?” Applejack demanded.

“Don’t get your hairbands in a twist. I just sent them up to the gazebo. I figured having things wrap up where they started would be a nice touch.”

It took both Big Mac and Luna nearly twenty minutes to notice they were no longer in the farmhouse. “Now this is a right good idea. Just wish Ah’d thought of it..

“Thought of what, darling.”

“Puttin’ a couch out here in the gazebo. Then we could sleep under yer night sky any time we wanted... After y’all finish with night court of course.”

“Don’t forget, I get most of my sleeping done during the day.”

“Ah don’t think sleepin’ out here during the day would be a good idea. Too much of a chance some farm hand might stumble on us while we were.... otherwise occupied.”

“I don’t see how that’s a problem. You can just tell them you were doing some plowing.”

“Plowin’?” the stallion asked. “Ah don’t quite get what ya mean.”

Luna looked at Big Mac with half slitted eyes. “Want me to show you what I mean?” she asked seductively.

It took him only a moment to catch on and when he did he looked down at the Moon Princess and smiled.

“Eeeyup!”

THE END (fer now?)

Author's Note:

Now is the time to really dig in and comment. Let me know what you liked and didn't like about this story arc and help be become a better writer. It's also your chance to suggest possible future story arc and help get the pot of creativity boiling.

Radical Gopher

Comments

[Grailm]

For me, Big mac felt kinda OP. The hyperbolic time chamber style training felt like a cop out to him progressively getting stronger. And well, him being able to beat characters like nightmare moon single handedly was another part of it. side not, would love to see him have more moments with Luna next story.

[Not so New Brony]

Hahaha, Big Mac survived all what the alternate Equestria could throw at him and he gets taken down by his Granny?

It would be interesting to see a story or at least a series of one-shots of Luna being pregnant and how Big Mac and her deal with the stress of becoming parents. Maybe have Big Mac offer to watch over Night Court so Luna could relax for the night.

[bjenk4]

9150498
Yeah would love to see Luna Mac pregnancy element in the next one but would love to see an EqG, NwVerse and main 6/7(Mac is the extra) triple element team up for multiverse level threat

[LordMentat]

Ok, critic time. While both this story and the previous story is quite good, this one seemed abit.....cramped for some reason. In the first one the story pace, while yes there was time skips, had room where some world building was done in a pace that was not hurried. This story seems to cram alot of W.B. info into 1-2 chapters alone while the last one had it spread out over 5-6 chapters. The moment were Mac was in training could have had some interesting details added to it. He went into it country pone and came out Sir AppleLot. Aside from time, what happened in there could have added some nice character development.

You asked for it before, so there is my 2c of an opinion.
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Now on to an idea for the next story if you are up to input.
We have yet to get to the wedding of LunaMac, so there is a big point on what the story could revolve around. Along with the fact that now that Mac will be a fully stationed prince, and what that means to his day to day life and how that effects his loved ones around him. Is he just eyecandy in the view of the court or is he put to work managing something. How does he interact with the local politics. There is also the far reaching issues of the fact that he is a MALE alicorn in a female based alicorn hierarchy.

As for a "Big Bad" of the story since the 2 go-to bads have been dealt with, why not drag Tirek out and run with it. Or somehow bring Eris back into the program so to speak. Or if you feel fancy, bring in Grogar the necromancer Goat.
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What ever is chosen I am glad I did find this series and I do hope that one day more will come out for the Ali'Mac verse. Rare is the story that mac is an alicorn, even rarer one that is good.

[Radical Gopher]

9150436

9150498

9150528

9150534
Thank you all. You've given me quite a lot of fodder to chew and some good critical input. Now, if you will allow me, I will take a bit of time to think of a good plot concept and outline it. You're comments on the second story being not as good as the first in several contexts matches quite a few of my own self evaluations. One of the differences between the two stories is the first was outlined almost completely from the start. The second, not so much and you have noticed the differences. So, in addition to pursuing a good plot, I will also endeavour to create an equally good outline to go with it. Said outline will enable me to focus on story elements even if there are breaks between my writing schedule. While I will draw inspiration from your inputs, I promise not to give into fan mimes that will water down future character development. (Lord knows we don't need another Jar Jar Binks running around anywhere.)

Thanks again for the input and here's looking forward to seeing you on the other side of Arual.

[bjenk4]

9150861
My pleasure to help you with ideas, means more of the story to read. I love how you have "equalled" the elements between the universes (main6+Mac, 7in the NwVerse and the humane7)

[Radical Gopher]

If you examine early art from the series, there were six elements surrounding a seventh (magic). The element never used was green and I just incorporated that into the element of courage which Mac uses. I think if you examine Equestria Girls, you'll find the same seven element arrangement. Something tells me the folks at DHX are planning something. After all, who of the main characters in the series is at least partially greenish.

[bjenk4]

9151021
Spike, would definitely fit the bill for courage

[LordMentat]

9150861

[Emperor]

Well, that was a nice, sweet ending. I think this feels functionally complete as a story, though obviously I'd be interested if you did another sequel.

[Radical Gopher]

Idea first, then outline, then story..... But suggestions are more than welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.