The last Key/Second Awakening
Night Patrol 2 ch 16
By Foxgear
Luna tiredly flew over the skies of Ponyville, her eyes constantly drooping closed as she flew. She probably should have at least taken a nap in her bed before leaving Canterlot. She only stopped by her room to fetch the other two keys, Nightingale’s medal, and Allure’s earrings.
(I’ve stayed up for longer in the past. This is nothing!) Luna said to herself, still her words ran hallow as her vision turns black for a second. When she opens her eyes again she found herself diving towards the ground. Quickly she spread her wings, slowing her descent and landing gently on the ground, right at the end of the Apple’s driveway. (Well, what impeccable timing.)
Deciding to trot the rest of the way Luna admires the view of Apple orchard. Her thoughts going back to the Apple clan she had met so long ago. She wonders if this farm was same one Applejack, the original Applejack, had established with Rawhide after her banishment. It was likely, but things change, especially over the course of a thousand years.
As she passes the barn, she stops cold when she sees a big red pony with a green apple slice for a mark. He looks at her with equal shock, probably surprised to see a princess in his yard, but she was surprised by the fact he looked exactly, one hundred percent, like Rawhide.
(Well… Rawhide might have been a little bigger, working in a mine will build a lot of muscle. Not that this pony looks like a slouch. Still, their resemblance is uncanny, much like Applejack (The current one) resembles the Applejack of old. (Ugh, I have to figure out a different to refer to the Original Applejack. Should I call her Jack? No… AJ? No, the current Applejack probably already is called that too… so… Applejack the first? Not perfect, but that’s as good as it will get for now.)
Climbing the porch to the… Barn house? Luna knocks on the door since the Rawhide look-alike was still flabbergasted. She hears the sound of a rocking chair stop followed by the sound of slow, methodic steps approaching the door. Through the screen door, Luna saw the withered face of an old green mare.
“Oh, so you finally came, huh?” The mare said opening the door. “Come in, come in, can I offer you some coffee or cider?”
“I’m fine and you knew I was coming ah…”
“Granny Smith is the name, being the Apple matriarch is my game, you’re here for Great Grandmother AJ’s hat, aren’t you?”
“Yes, indeed I am. I presume it is in the procession of the Current AJ?”
“Well, I’d hate to burst your bubble, but AJ left of Canterlot, she was invited to that royal wedding everypony has been hyping about for the past week,” Granny said as Luna’s face turns to absolute shock and horror. “But don’t worry, you didn’t waste your time coming here. AJ doesn’t have the hat.”
Luna sighs in relief, “Oh good, I should have assumed she wouldn’t wear it to the wedding, it is an important item, but I would assume it’s rather aged by now. Am I to assume it is here then?”
“Nope.”
“Nope? Nope, what?”
“I said nope, the hat’s not here either,” Granny Smith clarifies. “Here let me show you something.” Granny Smith waves for Luna to follow her, bringing the Princess into the living room where she took out a series of old albums. “For as long as cameras were made we’ve taken a photo of every hat barer. Here’s AJ the sixth, AJ the Seventh, and AJ the eighth.”
Luna looks at the photos with wonder, the AJ’s bore different marks, styled their hair differently, and even varied in height and size, but they were all blond/orange ponies, it was… freaky. Impressive genetics, but freaky.
“Now,” Granny Smith says continuing her story. “We get to my granddaughter Applejack the Ninth. We took this picture here when Eight gave the hat over to her, but…” Granny turn the page, revealing an AJ the Ninth falling over and the hat flying off and into a sort of thrashing machine. Followed by a picture of a pony saving the hat. “So, my little Applejack had a little problem with keeping her hat safe. So, we decided to hold off letting her have it till she was older, but… we never ended up giving it to her.”
“I see, I presume the hat was too worn out to be worn then?”
“Oh no, the hats fine. My dang clumsy granddaughter just wouldn’t stop ruining her hats! Lookie here!” Granny Smith proceeds to show photos of the AJ the Ninth through a varies of ages and situations in which her hat is destroyed, all the way up today. “This one we took last week. The wind blew it into a campfire.”
“I see… so the hat is with AJ the eighth then?”
Granny shrugs, “I don’t know. I’m not sure she’s alive. She kind of kept to herself.”
“Is she not Applejack’s mother?”
“Oh no, no. The Applejacks don’t follow a straight line. They appear all over the Apple bloodline. AJ the eighth would be Ninth’s Great Aunt and seventh had been Eighth’s cousin. Well, you get my point; the whole ordeal is random. No couple knows if they’ll get an Applejack, but it’s considered a high honor in the clan. Does kind of take the fun out of naming though.”
Luna grinds into the side of her head with her hoof, this was going to be more difficult than she first thought. “Ok, so do you have any idea who would have the hat or at least know where to find it?”
Granny rubs her chin, “Well, Goldie Delicious is the family historian, I would start there. That is if she’s alive. She lives on her own in the middle of nowhere and she’s not young to put it kindly. Her home is about days ride by cart if pulled by a good size stallion. Big Mac could probably take you there as soon as he stops STANDING THERE LIKE A LOVE-STRUCK PUP!”
The big stallion shakes off his amazement giving Luna a sheepish grin, with a tinge of pink on his red cheeks. She smiles back awkwardly. “Umm… I appreciate the offer but I can probably make it there in half a day by flying, so if you could provide me with a map. I will be on my way.”
“Alrightie, I’ll be right back!” Granny Smith slowly walks away, Luna watching the hands on the clock slowly tick by as the elderly mare reaches the bottom of the stairs. She sat in the doorway trying not to cringe as she watches the clock count an entire minute before Granny even made it halfway up the stairs. “Umm… I can go look for it myself. You don’t need to strain yourself!” Luna calls after the elderly mare.
“Oh, nonsense! You just plop a chair and have yourself some pie. I’ll only be a minute!” Granny’s says from the top of the stairs. Three minutes already passing.
Knowing how stubborn mares of her age could be Luna sat down at the table as told, staring at the apple pie before her. It’s been a long while since she’s had an authentic Apple Family Apple pie. She remembers Soarin gushing about them when she was disguised as Emerald Moon.
(Well, let’s see if it lives up to the hype.) Using her magic Luna levitates a plate from the cabinet and a fork. Taking a slice of pie, she lays on her plate, cuts off the tip and stabs with her fork. Slowly she raises the piece to her lips, the crust barely touching her lip when the kitchen door swings open.
“Do you want some whip crème?” Big Mac asks fishing through the refrigerator, looking anxiously at her as he presents a bowl of crème to her with his mouth.
She sighs, setting her fork down, “If your offering, I’ll accept. Would you like a slice as well?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Big Mac said sitting across from her. She levitates a plate and slice of pie over to him. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” She replies taking a scoop of crème for herself. Together they sat in silence. Luna trying to keep her eyes fixed on her pie, but she couldn’t help but keep glancing at Big Mac and worse he notices.
“Umm… do I have something on my face?”
“No,” Luna said pointedly. “You just look… uncannily similar to a pony I once knew, well he would be your ancestor, Applejack the First’s mate, Rawhide. You a little smaller then he was, but not by much.”
“Ah see… what was he like?” Mac asks with interest. “If you feel like talking that is.”
She smiles, “I don’t mind. Rawhide was… reserved but blunt when I first met him, but he became more talkative after he joined my service. He was a miner and then he became a drill Sargent, he spoke with a thunderous voice that could make new cadets shiver in their boots. But he wasn’t a mean pony, Applejack… your ancestor Applejack, wouldn’t have taken interest in him if he had been. He loved her a lot, he even lost an eye in battle while protecting her. He never let it get him down, he actually said it made him look more imitating.”
Mac held his hoof up to his eye and cringe, imagining the same happening to him. He doubts he would be as… accepting of such life-altering change. “So, you knew my ancestors pretty well then?”
Luna nods, smiling bright, “Indeed. The Apple Clan were the first ponies to join my Night Patrol. Applejack was the very first member actually and one of my top commanders. Rawhide joined the same day…” The same Sixes and the others did, she thought sullenly. Luna looks down at her pie, finding it gone. Where was Granny Smith with that map? “Umm… I’d rather not talk about this anymore. Perhaps we should go check on Granny Smith? I don’t want to sound ungrateful or impatient, but I don’t have the luxury of time today.”
Just as she said that Granny Smith came down the stairs with a roll of paper stuck between her foreleg. She hobbles on three legs as she sets what Luna assume to be the map on the table. “Sorry for the wait, I didn’t want to risk getting the map wet by carrying it with my mouth, so it took a bit longer than expected.”
“That’s very considerate, thank you,” Luna said smiling at the old mare. “I will be taking my leave, but perhaps I can come visit again. It would be nice to reconnect with the Apple Clan. I’m sure there are a few stories I could tell you.”
“I bet you could, you take care now, Princess,” Granny waves as Luna took to the air. The princess of the Night hovers for a moment, looking back down at the pair with a joyous smile.
“Please, call me Luna.” She insists before flying off.
Luna’s eyes narrow at the map held out before. Seems Granny Smith had unknowingly given her an out of date map. As many of the landmarks and maps listed on the legend don’t match the signs and landmarks she was seeing with her own eyes. Several times she’s stopped to ask ponies for directions until there were no more ponies to ask. For the past two hours, she’s just been following a winding river with no signs, landmarks, or ponies ask for directions. Things weren’t looking better as the sun began to sink more and more beyond the horizon. Between flying from Canterlot, stopping at Sweet Apple Arcs to now, she's spent the better part of the day traveling. A part of her thought to go back now, but she was already this far already. If things look truly bleak she’ll return before the morning.
Flying over a waterfall Luna was rejoiced to find it on her map, hopefully, she was close to Goldie Delicious’s cabin. Scrolling with her hoof she follows the dotted line to the X the mark that was Goldie’s home. There was a note next to the side of the map.
“After clearing the waterfall, go twenty miles south, if you see a lot of cats then you're there.” Folding the map back into her saddlebag Luna searches the ground, spotting an old narrow dirt road below. Gliding down she hovers above the road, following it until an old shabby shack come into view. She lands outside the door. “This must be the place.” Knocking on the door Luna heard a faint ‘just a minute’ as numerous sounds come from the other side. A full minute passes until the door was opened, several cats running out as an elderly yellow mare greets her.
“Oh hi! I’m Goldie Delicious Apple, how can I help you?”
Luna caught a glance of inside the mare’s home, and cringed, but kept her mouth shut as she smiles at the mare that was to help her. “I am Princess Luna of Equestria, Princess of the Night, I have journeyed a long way to visit you this day in search of an old Apple family artifact left by Applejack the First. I was told by Granny Smith of Ponyville you might know of the hat’s whereabouts.”
Goldie chuckles as she waves Luna inside, “Oh that’s easy. My second cousin, Applejack the Eighth has it. At least she did, last, I knew. Has Ninth gotten any better taking care of her hats?” Luna shakes her head. “Then Eighth defiantly has it. Now I’m sure you want a map to her location. She’s living at the original Apple family farm. Let’s see, where, oh yes here it is!”
A scrap of paper with a poorly drawn picture and some words were held up to her face, “Follow the trail, go past the Zap apples to the Giant trees, sneak by the den of timbers and you’ll be fine, just follow the road.” The map was vague, very vague, but she knew where it was talking about. At the edge of the map was a mark for her castle, the old castle in the Everfree forest. Applejack’s farm was right in the wilds of the Everfree, though a thousand years ago that probably wasn’t the case.
“Thank you for your help, I must be off now,” Luna said stiffly as she walks out the door. She’s might as well have gone in a circle! Frustrated Luna flies into the sky, landing on a low cloud, she peers over the land, easily spotting the Everfree Forest or at least a part of it in the distance. Taking out Granny’s map she tries to get her bearing and plan her best route. It was evening now, returning the Castle wasn’t an option. If she made good time she could find Applejack’s original farm, get the hat, and fly to the old castle then get on the late morning train to Canterlot in Ponyville and still make to the wedding.
“Well, better get going then.”
Nighttime came, the sun completely disappearing below the horizon. The stars shine brightly as Luna navigates her way in their dim white light. The map to her destination held aloft in her magic. Quickly she checks and double checks the map, comparing it to her surroundings. She might as well be reading chick scratch for how useful it was proving.
Carefully Luna looks in the direction of the Castle ruins of the old castle. The old place wasn’t insight, in fact, it was barely an outline against the moon, but it was the only lank mark she had. Seems this map was made during the time before the Everfree forest expanded. The chaotic magic of the land consuming more territory over the centuries. There was supposed to be an old road around here somewhere. The first Apple farm had been an Apple Colony before becoming a single residence.
Checking the position of the castle with the Foal mountain in the distance. Luna calculates she was within fifty miles of where the farm should be. Should being the keyword.
“Let’s see Dodge City is here, so the road would be… about… here!” Spotting a narrow gap in the trees, Luna fly’s down, landing on the old dirt road. It was well overgrown now with vines, grass, and tree roots, but there was a small worn path leading deeper inside. A smile graces her lips as she finds fresh pony tracks in the dirt. Meaning that Applejack the Eighth was still alive and active. All she would need to do is follow this path and she’d be at Applejack’s farm in no time!
“I wish I had gotten here earlier, I can’t see a thing…” She hit something with her hoof, the mysterious object flew and bounce across the ground, hitting rocks and other things along the trail. Interestingly the object sparked. Walking up closer she aims her light at the ground, finding the object to be a stick with jagged pieces of flint jammed into it. “Huh, that’s strange. Is this some pony’s flint striker?”
There was a sweet smell in the air too, a sugary maple smell. Taking up the flint stick Luna continues forward, only for her hoof to step in something. Something sticky and gooey. She cringes as she once again lowers her horn, revealing an orange slime covering her hoof.
“Eww, what’s this now?” She raises the slimed hoof, giving it a sniff, and smells the same sweet smell. “It this… tree sap?” She questions, taking a lick of the mysterious substance. It was tree sap. Sugary, natural tree sap… that tastes like hot sauce? In her bewilderment she let the flint stick fall, the jagged flint striking a rock, creating sparks that land on the sap. The sap combusting instantly! Luna jumps back, hurriedly stomping her hoof on the ground to put out the fire. Once the fire is out, she looks up and finds herself surrounded by blazes.
Pockets of flaming tree sap ignite all around her, creating a soft orange glow. Warily she steps away from the fires as sticks begin to rattle all around her. Red magic, engulfs the sticks pulling them into the fire, creating the familiar form of a timber wolf. At least twenty wolves stood inside the bonfires, their wooden bodies blacking, the fire diminishing as the wolves became completely black.
The fires die out. Plunging Luna back into darkness, with only the light of her horn to guide her. She tenses, reaching for the weapons that weren’t there as twenty flaming red eyes open, all looking at her. Howls fill the air as the wolves snap their jaws, their flint teeth creating a shower of sparks that ignite the wolves’ bodies aflame. Luna lowers her horn, growling, “Cinder Timber Wolves.”
The Cinder Wolves close in, their burning bodies completely destroying her night vision as she extinguishes her horn light. Normally she’d be able to see fine in the dark, not enough to read something like a map, but enough she didn’t need much light. But with the bonfire bright bodies of the Cinder Wolves all she saw was blurry lights and darkness.
“No matter, your easy enough targets,” Luna says irritably, charging her horn. These damn pests wouldn’t be a bother, they were just a different type of Timber Wolf. Blast one to bits and the rest will scatter. “Take this!”
She fires, but her aim was off, way off! Her shot flew way over the head of her intended target. Luna growls, blinking to get some moisture back into her eyes, but intense heat was making everything blurry and distorting her vision!
“I’ll just blast you all at once then!” She declares rearing back, but before she could even charge her horn, a Cinder Wolf jumps from the pack, unleashing a stream of fire at her! Flapping her wings, she repeals the flames, which were absorbed by the wolves, making their fires grow in size and power.
Now all the wolves open their mouths, unleashing a firestorm of flaming howls. Quickly Luna throws up a shield, the flames engulfing her in a tornado of fire. They were trying to roast her alive! To kill her and take her magic of their own. That could not be allowed!
Darkness engulfs her coat, turning it pitch black as the shadow raise out the ground. The shield falls. The shadows quickly raise to block the flames as more shadows slither out and grab hold of the Cinder Wolves, wrapping them in tentacles of darkness. They whimper as their mouths are held shut and she walks out of her protective cocoon of darkness. Her body blacker then the night and her eyes glowing white.
Luna spoke, her voice deep and distorted as if two ponies were talking at the same time, “Foolish creatures! You dare attack me! I am the Princess of the Night! NO, I AM THE NIGHT! Now suffer for your crimes!” With a mere thought, Luna crushes the Cinder Wolves their broken burning bodies falling to splinters on the ground.
The shadows quickly return to where they belong and her coat returns to normal. The shadow cloak, she used the Shadow Cloak! No, she hadn’t. She hadn’t summoned the dark power. The other her did.
(Your welcome,) Said the snickering voice of Nightmare Moon. Luna was so thrilled that her darker self-reared up again. So thrilled that she mentally forms a hammer and sent Nightmare plummeting back to the depths of her soul with a good whack!
“Great,” Luna grumbles, continuing down the trail. “Could this get any worse?”
She shouldn’t have asked because the flaming broken limbs began to rattle again. All of them piling into one giant ball of twigs and flint. As expected the flaming ball of wood change into a giant Alpha Cinder Wolf, with flaming drool, probably tree sap, falling form it’s mouth.
Luna summons up the shadow coat again, this time with much more control, so it only surrounds her body, rather than covering it. “I’m not impressed.”
Rearing back Luna sends out her shadow tentacles to once again rip the Cinder Wolf to pieces! The black tentacles raise pose to strike at the creature’s heart. The Wolf unleashes a wave of flame to counter. Easily she twists her shadow into a wall of darkness, absorbing the attack. Confidently Luna creates more black tentacles to sneak around the wall and kill the creature, when streams of fire come flying from the right and left, forcing her to abandon her attack for defense. She quickly realizes her folly as three Cinder wolves stood at her back, fire already gathering in their mouths. She tries to summon more shadows, but her shadow cloak was stretched too thin. Sweat profusely drips from her brow, both from the heat and the strain of maintaining her defense.
“Attack or defense, which to choose?” Luna growls, the Cinder Wolves on the other of her walls weren’t giving up and there were wolves at her back. She didn’t have much time to think as the wolves behind her let loose their fire breath. She decides in that instant to abandon all defense or plans to attack and bolt straight up into the air! Flames came from all directions, she flew through the eye of the storm. Flames licking her belly as she clears tornado of fire. Folding her wings at the last second she barely glides through the narrow opening. She flies, free falling at the same time, her eyes shut tight from the extreme heat. Her blind flight comes to an abrupt end as she slams into the trunk of a giant tree. The blow sending her careening down across the forest floor. Sticks and rocks pelting her coat as she grinds to a stop.
With a hiss Luna rolls to her feet, hugging her front left leg to her body, her left eye swollen shut from hitting the tree. She tries to set her leg down, but the sharp pain had her cradling it again. She tries to move her left wing, to at least get off the ground to escape from the Cinders, but even that was too much as the pain kept her from spreading it out. With no other options Luna huddles along on three legs, the cries of the Cinder Wolves echoing behind her as they gave chase. She underestimated the fiery creatures. That could be a fatal mistake.
Down the path, Luna ran. The Cinder wolves hot on her trail. To her side scouts appear, howling her position to the Alpha Cinder. She fires blindly at the scouts her aim once again off because of the heat distortion and her swollen eye. She flaps her uninjured wing trying to gain some more speed. Ahead she spots moonlight! Meaning there was clearing up ahead! Was it the farm?
Luna didn’t have time to think about these questions as she stumbles on a tree root. Skidding across the ground once again Luna tries to keep her momentum by rolling and getting back on her hooves almost instantly. She tries casting a healing spell, even just a weak one, to numb her pain, but the wolves shoot fireballs at her the moment her horn lights up.
“All or nothing!” She cries, pinning everything on the clearing. She comes barreling out of the darkness running non-stop till she was at the center of the clearing. Her gallop slows to a trot, a trot to a walk, and a walk to a stop as she stands there panting for breath. Her heart was running two hundred miles a minute and the exhaustion of flying all day piled on top of her running forced her to a stop.
A smile graces her lips, she had made it. She found the farm! Joy overcome her as she looks at her friend’s homestead, there as a house, a barn, and a… old AT-1? The sight of the old war machine held Luna’s attention more then it should as the Cinder Wolves came barreling into the clearing. The scouts taking point by the entrance as the Alpha Cinder Wolf steps out of the darkness. However, they didn’t charge her, instead they glance around, their glowing orange eyes shifting to fear?
Behind her the door of the of the barn swings open. Hobbling in the moonlight, her metal leg shining bright was the owner of the farm, and the last Key bearer, Applejack the Eighth. From the shadow of her hat, Applejack’s red apple eyes glow with an intense heat as she observes the situation.
With her non-metal leg, Applejack the Eighth tilts her hat lower, and in a raspy cracked voice says, “Boys, get ‘em.” The old tank roars to life as the turret turns, the barrel pointing at the Alpha Cinder Wolf. The wolf whimpers, but it was too late, the tank fires! A cannon round rockets through the beasts, blowing it to pieces and dragging it’s remains away with the wind. The two scouts follow their leaders lead, and run away.
“It’ll take him awhile to put himself back together. A good wind round usually puts him in his place,” Applejack the Eighth says approaching Luna, revealing her withered face to the princess. A warm smile gracing her lips, as her wild blond hair falls around her in a waterfall. Even though it wasn’t in a braid or ponytail, that mane and coat made it impossible for her to be any pony else. “You must be Princess Luna?”
“I am,” Luna replies promptly, casting a healing spell on her wounds. Her body relaxing as the pain begins to numb. “I assume you know why I’m here, Applejack?”
“Call me Eighth, it helps ponies from getting confused. Now follow me. You look like you could use a rest. Boys! Time for bed!” Eighth hollers at the tank. A duet of ‘Awws’ come from the tank as two young earth ponies, probably only eight summers old, pop their head out of the tank hatch.
“We want to play more Grandma!”
“Yeah! We want to blow up another Cinder wolf!”
“Ah said bed!” Eighth said sternly pointing her metal hoof towards the house. Her ascent coming on thick. “Now!”
“Aww…” The colts whine as they crawl out of the tank and shuffle towards the house.
Eighth sighs, giving Luna an apologetic look, “Sorry, those are my grandkids, Whiskey and Bourbon Apple. If want you can rest in the house for a spell, while I get them to bed.” Before Luna could reply the grandmother already trotted away, leaving the Princess standing baffled in the yard, before simply shrugging and walks to the house.
(A strange introduction, but I’ve had stranger,) Luna muses as she walks into the small ranch house. The front foyer had a mud room, inspecting her boots she found them to be dirty and kicks them off, while also placing her saddle bag with the other keys on a hook. She forgot her weapons, but at least she remembered to bring the keys.
Now proper she enters the main house. The kitchen was to her right, the dining room connects to the kitchen and the living room into one giant room with a fireplace crackling between the dining room and the living room. A bookshelf that touched the ceiling rests on the far end of the living room, with a door leading to another room, probably the master bedroom, and a stairwell that leads upstairs.
Not sure what to do, Luna enters the living room and takes a seat on the couch. Staring at the strange device on the coffee table in front of her. The device was metallic and square with a gem resting in a cylinder to one side. A book resting atop the metal square. Curiously she leans down finding four buttons on the side facing her. Two white buttons with arrows pointing left and right, a button with a big green triangle pointing up, and a button with a red square on it. Tapping the green button with her hoof, Luna watches in amazement as the book opens itself. The gem floats up from its resting place shooting beams of magic at the book, scanning the lines, and then projects a moving image on the wall in front of her. A voice comes out of the metallic box.
“The story of Rockhoof and the Mighty Helm: Continuing from Chapter seven,” The voice said, making Luna cringe in worry as she tries to get the strange machine to stop, only to be memorized as the story literary came to life on the wall.
“Wow…”
“Ah know right?” Eighth chuckles trotting down the stairs. A smirk on her lips as she hits the red square button on the machine. “Ah had the same reaction when I found it at my Aunt’s house after she passed. I guess this is something the applejacks have been passing down along with the hat. It’s one of the many treasures I care for until it’s time for the next Applejack to have them. Some of them I hope Ninth won’t have a use for. Like this one.” Eighth walks over the mudroom. Twisting her metal leg, she detaches it and waves her stub at the princess. “Lost this during my pioneering days. I tried to set up an apple colony here in the Everfree, thinking I could tame this wild forest and reclaim all of the original Apple farm. I did eventually do it, but as you can see I didn’t get as far as I hoped.” Eight hops up next to Luna. “A Fungi Bright, those purple poisonous Timber Wolves, bit me in the leg. By the time I made it home, it was too late and they had to amputate my leg. That’s why I like to keep those Cinders around. They keep the other variant Timber Wolves away a lot better than normal ones do. I suppose since you walked right through their den Goldie didn’t give you the updated map?”
“Seems not,” Luna replies watching Eighth lean back, the old mare’s bones cracking as she sunk into the couch. The old mare removes her hat, what she assumes to be the original hat, Applejack’s hat. And tosses it into her lap. Luna continues to eye it, noting all the accessories added to it over the years. The Stetson hat now hat feathers, a new hat band with monster teeth and feather dangling off a string, around the brim a number of silver earrings rested.
Eighth looks at the hat lovingly. Looking at Luna with big sad red eyes as she rubs the hat with her hoof. “One thousand and ten years my family has taken care of this hat. We know there’s magic in it, we know we're only keeping it safe, but…” Tears roll down her cheeks. “I never thought I’d be the one to full fill First’s promise, to have to give it up.”
Wordlessly Eighth lay the hat atop Luna’s head, looking a hundred years older.
Luna’s heart shatters. Gently she floats the hat in her magic, holding out for both of them look at. Softly she smiles and says, “I only need to barrow it. Once my need of it is done. I shall return it to you. After all, it is Applejack’s hat.” Luna expected Eighth to rejoice, but she didn’t, she just continues to look solemnly at the hat.
“When you're done with it… give it… give to Ninth, no, to Applejack. It’s hers now, I should have given it to her years ago, but… I was too selfish too.”
“But your also Applejack, correct?”
Eighth shakes her head, “No, I lost that title up the moment I heard Applejack the Ninth was born.”
“Title, but…”
Eighth chuckles, “I suppose no pony told you. Or maybe the other Apple clan members don’t understand. The name Applejack isn’t really a name, it’s a title. One only certain Apple’s bare. Regardless with or without that hat, I’m sure it’s a title that will continue to be passed on. It has too, it’s a tradition we’ve done for over a thousand years and one I’m sure we’ll continue for a thousand more.” Eighth yawns as she hops off the couch, smacking her gums loudly. “Well this old mare has wasted enough of your time Princess, but I doubt you're ready to fly out of here yet. Stay the night. I’ll fetch some spare blankets and pillows and sleep on the couch. You can take my bed, it’s not much, but it’s the best in the house.”
“I will do no such thing,” Luna said sternly, much to Eighth’s surprise. “I will sleep on the couch. And that is final. I will not deny you your own bed.”
She chuckles, “A princess sleeping on my couch? Now that’s a story no pony would believe.” She shakes her head, laughing all the way to the linens closet. Even as Princess Luna took the spare blanket and pillow and Eighth crawls into her own bed, she couldn’t get the smile off her face. “A princess demanding to sleep on a couch. What a bizarre world.”
The morning came early. Eighth was a very early riser, which benefits Luna as the Princes of the Night had to be on her way. With the final key in hoof, she said her goodbyes to Eighth and her two grandkids, promising to come visit again when she had more time.
(It was a good thing I stayed, I doubt I would have gotten far had I left last night,) Luna muse. Her injuries were completely healed thanks to her spell and resting for a few hours. Of course, she would be paying for the healing spell later. Using to magic to mend wounds was just a temporary fix if one wasn’t a master healer. Which she wasn’t. Once she returns to Canterlot she’d have to go see a doctor. "Still, I should make good time. From the position of the sun, I should be able to get to the old castle and then the ten o’clock train from Ponyville to Canterlot. Assuming no pony changed the wedding schedule.”
She laughs, trying to imagine a pony that would dare go against the royal scheduler, Time Keeper, she doubts any pony would be so bold. On the other hoof… Time Keeper may not like the way Cadence and Canary scheduled things and changed them. That was a possibility. Though unlikely. Even Time Keeper knew when to just buckle down and deal with things on the fly.
As Luna continued to fly she keep her eye on the sun as it slowly raises higher and higher. Currently, she wishes she had a watch. She wasn’t as adept at reading the hours of the sun as she was with the moon.
“Let’s see it’s nine o’clock? Or is it nine-thirty?” Luna wonders with growing panic. Should she just skip going to the old castle? But she was so close! On the other hoof, she could simply come back tomorrow after the wedding. Really now that she was thinking about it, as grateful as she was for Cadence’s blessing to finally fetch the final key, the Princess of Love’s offer was… out of place in the grand scheme of things. Is it possible Cadence didn’t want her at the wedding?
Luna instantly laughs away the notion. Maybe when they had first met the Pink Princess may at her deepest levels probably not want her around. But after spending two weeks together and dream walking together for that same period of time? No, if Cadence had harbored anything like that she would have seen it in the young bride’s dreams.
“Maybe she was just tired as I was yesterday morning. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind and neither was she. Yeah… that’s probably it.” Luna told herself.
The old castle came into view, off in the distance was Canterlot Castle, a mere white speck on the mountain on which it sat. Slowly she descends, landing in front of the old castle’s main door. Her wings fell to the floor, sore and throbbing in pain from overuse in the last few hours. It’s been awhile since she had to fly such a great distance all at once.
Slowly Luna walks into the musty old ruins. The soles of her hooves also aching from her little walk in the woods. When did she get so soft?
“Must be all the sitting around studying. I’ll have to work on gaining some better stamina.” Turning the corner Luna hums pleasantly as she makes for the stairs to the lower levels. As she looking down into the darkness the sound of a stone skipping made her freeze and ignite her horn. She quickly turns, looking for any suspicious, but found nothing. “Must have been the wind.” She concludes. The castle was old and decaying. Some stone must have broken loose.
Ignoring the noise Luna continues down into the old forge. Again, the depressing atmosphere made her heart sink as she thought of all the ponies that used to roam these halls. Wanting to think of something else she began to wonder just what could be behind the door that the keys unlock. It still made her suspicious that they didn’t tell Celestia, even getting Applejack to remain tight lips about the whole affair.
“Could it be a sort of weapon? Likely, but the last time they saw me I was Nightmare Moon. It’s hard to believe they would leave a weapon for me. So, what could it be?” Her thoughts come to stand still since she was coming up with nothing and she was ready at the secret door that leads to the other secret door. Tapping the wall, she found latch and was about to open it when she heard something behind her.
Carefully Luna glance behind her. Again, finding nothing, but that didn’t matter. She felt a presence. Like somepony else was here.
“Reveal yourself! I know you are there!” Luna shouts into the darkness, but nothing responds. Warily she turns back to the door, unlocking the latch, the hair on her leg staining up as a chill ran down her spine. She cracks open the door and then they struck! Something grabs her by the leg, something slimy and sticky. Whirling around Luna calls upon her earth pony magic and with great force pulls her assailant into the light. A black insectoid form bounces across the old stone floor, it’s blue eyes glaring at her.
Luna lets out a gasp, “Changeling!” From the darkness flashes of green flame ignite as more changelings crawl out of their hiding spots. Firing green blasts of magic from their crooked horns. Two blasts hit Luna center barrel, making her hiss as the slime burns at her coat. She quickly fires back, hitting two, but more took place. With no other choice she enters the secret room, slamming the door behind her and welding it close with her magic. Running down the stairs to the marble room with three statues she paused to catch her breath and clean the acid from her chest.
“The one day I decide to not wear my royal yoke,” She grumbles pulling her canteen from her saddlebags, washing the acid off. “Now what should I do? I’ve gotten away, but I’ve also cornered myself.”
Up above the Changelings were pounding on the door. There was no telling how long it would take, but her time to think of strategy was limited. Normally she’d have no problem taking on Changelings, but as exhausted as she was from yesterdays and this morning traveling, she wasn’t in top form. On top of that, she had no weapons or armor. Even without those, she could confidently take on twenty Changelings with just her magic, but since there was no way this was a random attack, there was probably much more than twenty waiting for her.
“What to do, what to do,” Looking to the statues Luna admires the giant door they guard. She didn’t know what was on the other side or if it would be helpful, but at least if she opens it and closes herself inside she could buy herself more time. “Alright, sorry I can’t stand on ceremony, but I’m in a bit of predicament. So, place Nightingale’s medal on Nightingale. Allure’s earring in her ears and Applejack hat on her head. Alright, show me what you got!”
At first, nothing happened, much to Luna’s distress. A full minute ticks by with sound of the Changelings making headway as the statues sit there doing nothing. She was about to give up hope, thinking she had gotten the wrong keys when the statue’s eyes suddenly lit up! The statues began to move along the ground, rearranging themselves into different positions, while the big lock on the door began to click and turn. The statues come to a stop, Allure to Luna’s right, Nightingale on her left and Applejack in the front. The Applejack statue moves back, the statue’s hind legs raising and then kicking the door. The big door makes a loud ‘click’ noise and slowly swings open.
“Hazzuh!” Quickly Luna ran for the narrow opening, trying to quickly shut the doors again, but she couldn’t! The doors kept opening, pulled along by some machinal force till they were wide open! To add further hopelessness to the situation, giant locks on both sides of the door fell down, locking them in place. Luna let out the deepest, most exhausted sigh of her life. “Ugh… thanks, guys.”
Her plans in tatters Luna walks deeper into the chamber. Hoping there was a weapon, a way out, anything really that could help her. As she stumbles around in the darkness she hit something with her snout. Stepping back, Luna ignites her horn, revealing the face of Sixes and many, many others.
“Statues? That’s what this was all about?” Luna said with rising frustration and anger, only quickly squash it. “No that can’t be right. They wouldn’t go through all this trouble of hiding this from Celestia if these were merely statues. Something else going here.”
Looking around Luna found something carved into the ground. Runes, lots of runes. They ran across the floor as far as her light would reach and probably farther. With no other options, she sent a pulse of magic into the ruins and waits.
“There she is!”
A blast of magic catches her by surprise, followed by several green ropes as the Changelings try to wrangle her. No doubt to stuff her into a cocoon for feeding. She struggles, but they threw more and more green goo on top of her and began pulling back into the other room. She tries to fire off a magic blast, but she couldn’t turn her neck to shoot!
“Quickly cover her head! Cover her head!” A changeling yells shooting goo on her head, completely sealing her. She continues to struggle, but the goo was too thick and she could feel the chemicals flooding her body, forcing her muscles to relax. Slowly her struggles cease and her head falls to the floor. She couldn’t believe it, she’s been captured!
“Oh yeah! Queen Chrysalis is going to give us first pick for this!” One changeling cheers. “I hope she let me take a bite of you first!”
Luna glares at the changeling, but it only laughs. She lay her head back down, then she heard something.
(BUMP… BUMP BUMP…BUMP)
(A… heartbeat? Is it mine? No… it’s not and…) Suddenly more heartbeats join in, creating a deafening roaring song of beats until there was loud air shattering, CRACK! (Could it be…)
“Uh… what was that?” A Changeling asks as they all look into the darkness of the other room. From the darkness comes pulses of magic, or all colors, the sound of stone cracking and hitting the ground and then come something that made them shiver down to their exoskeletons. A loud, long, drown out chorus of whinnying roars that shook the very walls themselves!
They all stood terrified. One higher rank changeling pushed one the lower ranks ahead. Pointing at him to go investigate. The changeling warily inches closer to the darkness, standing right on the edge as he looks fearfully back at his comrades. It was the last they show of him as a golden chain shot out from the darkness and drags him away.
“Tibia!”
“What the shit was that!”
“Be quiet! Listen! Do you hear that?”
The changeling's hush, watching the darkness, charging their horns as a slow horrible scrapping sound coming from the darkness. Something flew out the darkness, it spun and clatters against the ground when it stops, it was a black crooked horn.
“That’s Tibia’s horn!
“Look out!”
“What?”
From the darkness an orange glow ignites and flew towards them, they saw fangs, claws as a black creature the likes of which they never saw, but heard of in the stories passed down by the queens.
“Rinin!”
He was awake! His heart was beating a mile a minute! Magic surge throughout his body, heating his body, cracking his stone imprisonment. Luna came. Luna came for them! They were going to see her again!
The stone fell from his body and he let out a loud and proud roar for the first time in a thousand years! All around his brethren and comrades were waking. Flakes of stone skin were flying off in every direction. Fury was half free already. He was probably as eager as he was. Looking around Sixes looks for the Princess of the Night, but she wasn’t in sight, but he did hear voices.
Shaking off the last of his stone prison Sixes walks towards the light, squinting his eyes at the brightness. His eyes adjust and he was able to make out multiple black forms and one giant green cocoon. His heart stops when he saw that midnight blue horn entrapped by green goo. His joy quickly turns to unbridled rage. One changeling, forced by the others to walk towards the darkness, stood barely twenty feet away. Shaking like a leaf.
“I’ll give you something shake about!” He growls, spitting up some gold and crafting it into a chain and throws at the changeling, snagging him and dragging him into the darkness. Before the little guy could even make a peep, he grabs his skulls twists with a sickening snap and rips off this horn. Tossing it back to his friends.
“Sixes? What’s going on?” Fury asks sleepily.
He didn’t reply to his friend. Instead, he charges up a fire breath and charges out into the light, roaring as he breathes fire on the closest Changeling while grabbing another with his claw and grinding its skull against the ground. He came to stop by the cocoon, lava dripping from his mouth as he aims for the entrance, creating a waterfall of melted stone and magma, sealing the changelings inside.
Sucking in a deep breath, Sixes says his first command in a thousand years, “NIGHT PATROL! SLAUGHTER THESE FOOLS! FOR LUNA!”
From the darkness, an orchestra of roars and whinnies comes as three hundred Rinin, unicorn, earth pony, and pegasi, come charging out of the marble doors. The changelings could do nothing. In an instant, they were overrun, trampled beneath the claws and hooves of Night Patrol. Those that tried to claw their way out through the lava slag were burned alive by rinin fire.
Sixes rips the cocoon away from Luna, helping his princess stand, as he and the others stood at attention. Awaiting her command.
Luna couldn’t believe her eyes! Sixes, Fierce Fury, Topaz and so many others. They were right here! Standing in front of her! She reaches out her hoof, touching Sixes' cheek, just to make sure he was really here. When her hoof didn’t phase through him she began to cry.
“Are you here? Are you really here? Am I not dreaming? Please, please tell me I’m not dreaming!” Luna sniffs. She was so tired. So tired that part of her believed this was all an elaborate dream she was having after talking to Cadence. One she was afraid she’d wake up from any minute.
Sixes smiles, gently taking her hoof and setting back down. “If any pony is afraid this is a dream, it’s us. We’ve been waiting a long time to see you again, Princess.”
She smiles, shaking her head, her tears flying everywhere as she looks at the faces of her friends. “So, have I, so I have I.”
“This is touching an all, but are we not going to talk about the elephant in the room,” Fury asks pointing to the changelings. “I mean if you don’t that’s fine, but I think we can all say from past experience this many changeling’s equal invasion, right.”
Luna wipes away her tears, “Indeed, Fury. Let us go quickly assess the situation.”
It didn’t take long to break down the slag wall and get outside. Many of the Patrollers were dismayed to find their home in ruins. But those thoughts were quickly set aside when they saw smoke rising from Canterlot.
“Celestia!” Luna quickly took flight, but Sixes and Fury held her down. “What are you doing! We must go there and repeal the invaders!”
“We know,” Sixes said calmly. “But first we need to make sure we’re not going off half-cocked. We don’t have the numbers like we used to Luna. Also, a flight from here to Canterlot by wing will take too long and wear us out before we even get to the battlefield. Might I suggest a wiser alternative.”
Luna’s struggles cease, knowing he was right. Rushing in unprepared would only get ponies killed. She knew that lesson already. Perhaps living in these peaceful times have dulled her.
“Alright, what do you suggest?”
“We take the ship.”
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The moment we have all waited for! The Night Patrol is finally awake once more.
I hope you feel better Foxgear. This is a moment long waited for.
Fang10
Icy Night
8637935
Thanks, it's getting better, but I'm a bit off 100% yet. Congrats on Finishing the audio reading. Unfortunately I didn't have time to edit the final chapters or listen because of my cold. Even just listen to the radio gave me headaches right now.
8634249
Indeed. I'm really excited for the next couple arcs. I hope you enjoy them!
8638044
This and it's prequel are among my top 3 favorite stories. Of course I shall the next arcs!