On Swift Wings

by Jade Ring

Chapter 1: Reconstruction

Ponyville

Six Months After the Changeling Invasion

Lyra Heartstrings sighed heavily as she read over the latest reports from the east-side reconstruction team. The park around her was in constant motion as ponies went this way and that, working steadily on their reconstruction efforts, but Lyra paid them no mind. Another house had collapsed into yet another unmapped Changeling tunnel. That made six in just under two weeks. She made a small reminder on her notepad to chew out the tunnel exploration crew when they returned from their latest break. Her magic lifted her cup to her lips and she frowned when she saw that it was empty of the precious liquid she craved.

“Does the Deputy Mayor need a refill?”

Her wife’s sweet voice and perfect timing brought a smile to her tired face. “Thanks Bonnie.”

Bon Bon Heartstrings passed over a fresh cup of coffee, nimbly leaped onto the bench, settled beside the mare she loved, and peeked at Lyra’s latest reading material. “Ouch. Another house?”

“Yup. Thankfully this one was already abandoned.” Lyra took a deep draw of coffee and flipped to the report’s next page. “Now I have to pull ponies from another department to get the clean-up started.”

“You won’t be so short-hooved for much longer, will you? I heard Braeburn’s bringing a whole crew from Appleloosa in the next few days.”

“Yeah, but thanks to the drought they’re facing out there, they’re only sending twenty stallions. Maybe thirty if we’re lucky. That’s not gonna be enough to make a dent in this workload.”

Bon Bon rubbed her head against Lyra’s side to comfort her. “And the Mayor?”

“Is still refusing aid from Canterlot. Even though they’ve offered numerous times.” Lyra threw the reports into the air in frustration. The sheets of paper danced in the wind like restless spirits left behind from the battle that had wrecked the town. “It’s like every step forward we make in this recovery, we take two steps back!” She buried her face in her hooves. She tried to change the course of the conversation to something more pleasant for the sake of her nerves. “…How are the twins?”

“Better today.” Bon Bon smiled as she thought of the Cake Twins, left in the Heartstrings’ care since their parents were killed in the invasion. “They always seem happier when I let them help out in the kitchen.”

“Pumpkin had another nightmare last night.”

Bon Bon looked at her wife sadly. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

Lyra looked up at her, a hint of the familiar mischief in her eyes. “If we’re going to go through with this adoption, I get to do Mom stuff too.”

Bon Bon giggled and nuzzled the unicorn. “I need to get back to the shop. Need help with anything else?”

Lyra looked around at the scattered papers. “I guess I could use some help cleaning this… mess…” She trailed off as a strange golden aura surrounded the bits of paper and began reorganizing and stacking them in mid-air. “That’s strange.”

“Uh, Lyra?”

Lyra paid her wife no attention and continued to stare at the papers. “Who in town has magic that shade of gold?”

“Lyra.” Bon Bon nudged her oblivious love and smiled awkwardly at the two mares now approaching the bench.

“And they’ve managed to get everything back in order. That takes some serious magical skill…”

“LYRA!” Bon Bon physically grabbed her wife’s head and turned it so that she was looking at their visitors.

Lyra’s eyes became as big as dinner plates. “Oh.”

Princess Celestia of Equestria smiled down at the pair, the reassembled reports floating beside her. “I believe these are yours, Deputy Mayor.”

By her side, Captain Golden Haze of the Royal Guard tried to suppress a laugh at the looks on the mare’s faces. “I told you we should have announced your arrival, your Majesty. It might have lessened the shock value.”

“Surprising ponies is one of my few guilty pleasures, Captain Haze.” Celestia placed the reports at Lyra’s side and gave a slight nod to Bon Bon. “And are you doing well, Mrs. Heartstrings?”

Bon Bon nodded slowly, slightly amazed at exactly who was talking to her.

Celestia turned her attention back to Lyra. “I imagine the reason for my visit is clear, Deputy Mayor?” When Lyra did not immediately answer, Celestia raised an eyebrow. “My envoys?”

Lyra shook off her shock and tried to regain her decorum. “Yes. Your envoys. I’m sorry that the Mayor hasn’t had a chance to send you a reply, your Majesty.”

Celestia’s face did not change. “It has been six months since the invasion, Deputy Mayor. I have sent an envoy on the first and last of each month. That is twelve separate offers for aid in your recovery. And yet I have not received one response.” She offered a small smile. “Would you be so kind as to explain that?”

Lyra laughed with embarrassment as she jumped to her hooves. “It isn’t that we didn’t want to respond, your Majesty. Things have just been so busy around here and…”

“So busy you couldn’t send a note to your Princess?” Golden Haze frowned.

Bon Bon glared at the armored pegasus. “Forgive my bluntness, Captain, but Ponyville sustained a bit more damage than a wrecked throne room.”

Golden Haze started to respond but cut herself off when she looked around. Celestia’s arrival had been noticed and was drawing a number of ponies closer. They were whispering to each other, some in excitement, some in suspicion and anger. There were more than a few glares in the growing crowd. She looked up at her Princess. “Perhaps we should move along, your Majesty.”

Celestia took in the crowd and frowned. “Perhaps you’re right, Captain.” She looked back at Lyra. “I’d like to speak with the Mayor.”

“She, um, asked not to be disturbed.” Lyra wilted under the flash behind Celestia’s eyes. “What I meant to say was ‘right this way, your Majesty.’”

Bon Bon watched Lyra lead the pair from the park towards Town Hall. A heavyset chartreuse mare sidled up to her. “I it just me, or does she seem… different to you? Bon Bon?”

Bon Bon shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure what it is, Miss Sour.” She picked up Lyra’s reports so they wouldn’t fly away again. “Maybe we’re just looking at her differently these days.”

//////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rainbow Dash shivered in the dark office. She stood before the Mayor’s large desk, the only light in the room coming from a pair of candles on either side. The Mayor’s chair was turned away from her. She stood stock-still, waiting to be addressed. When she could take the silence no longer, she cleared her throat. “You, uh, wanted to see me, Madame Mayor?”

The great chair slowly turned, but the form of the Mayor herself was still lost in the darkness. “I did. We have some things to discuss, Miss Dash.”

“What sort of things, ma’am?”

“Things of a… personal nature.”

Dash shuddered again at the tone in the Mayor’s voice. “How personal are we talking?”

“…you’re a beautiful mare, Miss Dash.” The Mayor leaned forward so that only her eyes were visible, flickering in the candle light. “You’re special somepony is a lucky girl.”

Dash’s ear flicked, the new golden bauble that had recently been added to it bouncing slightly. “I’m not sure my fiancée would appreciate you making comments like that, Madame Mayor.”

She could practically hear the Mayor’s smirk. “Aw, she’d never have to know, would she? Anything that happens in this room would stay in this room. The perks of being the most powerful mare in Ponyville.”

“You know who my fiancée is…”

“Yes I do. And I know how… heartbroken she would be if Ponyville decided to invest in another crop. Carrots, perhaps…”

“You can’t do that!” Dash blurted. “I’ll do anything!”

“Anything?”

Dash gulped… and nodded.

“On the desk.”

The command sent a wave of emotions through the electric blue pegasus’ body. She ascended to the desk with a flap of her wings.

“On your back.”

Dash did as she was told, suddenly and strangely excited despite herself. She tensed, waiting for the Mayor to make her next move…

The door flew open. The candles were extinguished and light flooded the room. Lyra strode in. “Madame Mayor, I know you said you didn’t want to be bothered, but…” She trailed off as she took in the scene before her; Rainbow Dash, on her back atop the Mayor’s desk, staring at her with horrified eyes.

And Applejack Apple, Mayor of Ponyville, leaning over her fiancée with a look that managed to convey shock, fury, and embarrassment all in one perfect package.

“I’ll… see you when you get home?” Dash stammered, looking remarkably red for a pony so blue.

“Yup. Love you.” Applejack’s eyes stayed fixed on Lyra.

“Love you too.” And Dash was gone, a faint rainbow trail marking her escape past the intruding unicorn.

Lyra’s eye twitched. “Applejack, I can explain…”

Applejack’s face was frozen, unreadable. “Deputy Mayor Heartstrings?”

“Yes ma’am?”

“You saw nothin.’”

Lyra nodded quickly. “Nothing at all.” She looked back towards the door. “But as to why I interrupted…”

“Was that Rainbow Dash making a quick escape there?” Princess Celestia walked into the room, Captain Haze by her side. “That’s a shame. I feel as though I haven’t seen her in ages.”

Applejack said nothing. Her eyes remained locked on the mare who had literally just strolled back into her life. At last, she swallowed hard and pointed back out the door. “Lyra, I think that the Princess’ escort might like something to drink. Would you please show her to the kitchenette?”

Golden Haze glanced up at her Princess. When Celestia nodded, the pegasus offered a smile at the Deputy Mayor. “Some water would be great.”

Lyra, overwhelmed and utterly lost, just nodded and led the way.

Celestia’s magic closed the door behind the two, but her eyes remained on the Mayor of Ponyville.

A tense silence passed between them.

“…Would you like a seat?” Applejack offered at last.

Celestia smiled. “No thank you.” She sat easily on the hardwood floor, her tail curling around her haunches. She looked around the room. “Mayor, hmm? Unable to resist the call to lead that roars in your blood after all, were you?”

“Hardly.” Applejack snorted as she leaned back into her chair. “I wasn’t even gonna run until I found out that most of the town was plannin’ on writin’ me in no matter what. Me? I was gonna vote for Lyra.” She pulled open a drawer and placed a bottle and two glasses on the desk. “Cider?”

“Please.” After Applejack poured, Celestia took the glass in her magic and sipped. She relished the flavor for a moment before getting to business. “You know why I’m here?”

“I’ve got a pretty good idea. And the answer is still no.” Applejack drained her own cider in a single gulp.

Celestia frowned. “You need help, Applejack. The ponies who made you their leader need help.”

“Not from you, we don’t.” Applejack poured herself another glass. “We ponies of Ponyville have always done things on our own. Ain’t no sense in doing it differently this time around.”

“Nothing like the invasion has ever happened to Ponyville before.”

“I don’t know. We had a pretty nasty little bout of parasprites a few years back…”

Celestia’s frown deepened. “This is no laughing matter, Applejack. This isn’t just property damage. You lost a lot of ponies…”

“I don’t need you lecturing me about that.” Applejack slammed her empty glass on the desk. “I was here. You weren’t.”

“You’re right. I wasn’t here.” The alicorn took another sip of cider. “But from what I hear, you handled things fairly well on your own.”

Applejack faltered in the refilling of her glass. “How did you…?”

“Did you think the rumors of your powers had been contained?” Celestia smirked into her cider. “I’d wager they’re talking about you all the way in the Crystal Empire by now.”

Applejack glared. “If that’s the case, I’d imagine certain other rumors have started spreadin’ as well.”

Celestia barely suppressed the cough that came when she choked on her latest sip. Her gaze hardened as she took in her great-granddaughter. “You are correct in your assumptions. Many ponies now know that their benevolent and perfect ruler has flaws. The scandal.” She sniffed derisively. “I hardly see why it matters in the grand scheme of things.”

Applejack smiled as she successfully refilled her glass. “It just makes them question other things, I suppose. Like why you’re hitting Appleloosa with that drought?”

“I’m working on that.” Celestia finished her cider and floated the glass over for another fill.

“Should be a simple fix, right? Just move the sun…”

“I don’t presume to tell you how to do your job, Mayor Applejack. Kindly extend me the same courtesy.”

Applejack shrugged her shoulders as she refilled her great-grandmother’s glass. “Hey, I’m the just the Mayor of a backwoods earth pony town. I couldn’t imagine being in your shoes.” She considered pouring herself another glass, thought better of it, and put the bottle back home in its drawer. “So besides offerin’ to further complicate things, is there any other reason you’ve decided to pay us a visit?”

“Where is Twilight?”

Applejack started. “I was gonna ask you the same question. I ain’t seen her since before Spike’s funeral.”

Celestia looked at her reflection the amber liquid in her glass. “Nopony in Canterlot has seen her since the day of the invasion. Her parents write me every day. They’re sick with worry. So am I, for that matter.”

“All of us are.” Applejack tugged at the streak of white in her blonde mane, a tic she had picked up in recent years. “Is it true what I heard? About her balloon?”

Celestia nodded sadly. Twilight’s balloon had been found crashed in the Macintosh Hills two weeks after her initial disappearance. By all accounts, it had simply run out of fuel and gone down. There was no evidence of struggle or violence. “She was my student for a reason. I know she’s alright. I just wish I knew where she was.”

“If I hear anythin,’ you’ll know.”

“Thank you. The same for you, of course.”

The silence returned briefly.

“I’m sorry.” Celestia said at last. “I heard about your sister.”

Applejack said nothing.

“She was of my blood, too. Just as you and Macintosh are. Just as little Scarlet is.”

“You sound a lot more accepting of that fact than you did when I first brought it to your attention.” Applejack chuckled without much humor.

“I… spoke rashly that morning. I apologize.”

Applejack laughed. “Well shoot.” She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “That makes it all better, don’t it? That’s all I ever really wanted to hear… Granny.” The word brought a small smile to her lips.

“Please don’t call me that.” Celestia was wearing a small smile of her own. “I know that I can never take back the mistakes I’ve made, especially when it comes to Eden and her descendants, but I can try to atone for them.” She gestured out the window at the slowly rebuilding town. “Your family, these ponies… this town itself, is the legacy of my only daughter. And I wasn’t here to defend it when it needed me most.” She looked at Applejack with pleading eyes. “Won’t you please let me help to mend it.”

Applejack looked into the eyes of the alicorn. When she’d first seen Princess Celestia all those years ago, she’d been astonished by their brightness, their vibrancy. They gleamed with the light of the sun itself. That vibrancy was still there, but something new tinged the edges. It took Applejack a moment to place it, but when she finally did it gave her more pause than the realization at how sincere Celestia was being.

Celestia looked… older.

“Well?”

Applejack sighed and nodded her head. “I suppose we could use a little extra help.” She looked up sharply. “But nothin’ major. The smallest unit ya got.”

Celestia considered. “That would be the Wonderbolts.”

“Perfect.”

Celestia finished her cider and let the glass return to the open drawer. “And you’ll let me know if you hear anything about Twilight?”

“That’s a promise.”

Celestia stood and cocked her head at the small golden earring dangling from Applejack’s left ear. “Oh, and congratulations on your engagement. I wish you and Rainbow Dash many years of happiness.”

Applejack smiled and blushed lightly. “Well, thank ya kindly.” She paused to consider her next words. “Would… would you like to come to the wedding? It won’t be until after we get the town rebuilt, but…”

“Thank you, but I couldn’t impose…”

“Impose nothin.’” Applejack offered her hoof. “Yer kin, no matter how distant.”

Celestia considered the gesture for a moment, then smiled and touched her gold-crowned hoof to the farmer’s own. “We’ll have to be careful. I still can’t recall everything that happened the last time I attended an Apple Family wedding.”

“I’ll make sure to cut you off after your second barrel of hard cider.”

Celestia giggled. “I’ll have the Wonderbolts prepare for deployment post-haste.”

“Good. Maybe that’ll get my Deputy Mayor off my back.”

The two shared a small laugh before Celestia started for the door. “Oh.” She paused and looked back at her great-granddaughter. “There is one more thing I wanted to see you about.” Her magic opened the door, revealing a patiently waiting Golden Haze. With a nod from her Princess, the pegasus reached into her saddlebag.

“What’s tha…?” Applejack’s question was cut off by a thump on her desk. At first, her mind couldn’t quite process what she was seeing; it was a rope. Just an ordinary, plain rope. The kind that she had dozens of on the farm. It was one of the newer ones, barely used.

She saw the specks of red on it and suddenly knew where it was from.

He was nearly done now. He was bleeding from a dozen places. His vocal cords were ravaged from screaming. His limbs were bruised and swollen from where she’d broken, separated, and then reset them. He whimpered in her general direction, barely able to see her from his one remaining good eye.

She knew Luna was waiting for her to finish it.

She looked up at the noose she’d tied from the beams on the ceiling.

He flinched when she reached for him, some part of his ravaged mind knowing what she intended to do. Her muscles strained beneath her fur, already slick with sweat from the work. She used strength she didn’t know she had to lift him.

She raised him up with teeth and legs, with will and sorrow, and finally felt grim satisfaction when his neck slipped inside…

She looked up from the rope and stared at the Princess. “I don’t…”

“A long time ago, an earth pony mare paid me a visit to let me in on a little secret she’d stumbled upon. I pressed her to tell me what she wanted, what she desired to gain by letting me in on this bit of information.” Celestia crossed the room and stood over the desk. “And do you know what this mare told me?”

Applejack said nothing.

Celestia leaned in closed. “‘What I want… is for you to know that I know.’” She whispered. “’And if I know…anypony else could.’”

Applejack closed her eyes and bowed her head slowly. Celestia’s meaning for giving her the rope was now clear.

“You told my secret. Now I have yours.” Celestia pulled back and smiled sweetly. “Try and remember that the next time your Princess takes the time to send one of her envoys to see you, Madame Mayor.” She walked out, Golden Haze following close behind.

After a few minutes of silence, Applejack opened her eyes and stared at the rope. “Lyra?”

The Deputy Mayor poked her head into the office. “Yes?”

“Princess Celestia has informed me that the Wonderbolts will be coming to town to aid in the reconstruction. Please see that we have bunking for them somewhere.”

Lyra sighed in relief. “Yes ma’am. Anything else?”

“Yeah.” The Mayor of Ponyville slung the rope around her shoulders, grabbed her hat from a nearby rack, and jumped down from her chair. “Cancel the rest of today’s appointments. I’m goin’ home for the day.”

“But it’s only ten in the morning…”

Applejack was already out the door, her eyes focused on the distant Sweet Apple Acres. Her birthplace. Her home. Her world.

The one place in Equestria where things were still simple.

Comments

[Vic Fontaine]

Oh snap! Tia turns the tables.

[Carolusrex1]

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy will finally come face to face with their mysterious origins along with enemies both old and new.

Shouldn't Scootaloo be in there somewhere, seeing as She and Rainbow are sisters.

[Jade Ring]

7878756 Patience...

[Starlight Nova]

Where can I find Swirling Line?

[Jade Ring]

7878945 Here's her DA.

[Yami Vizzini]

Aww, Lyrabon getting to scratch that maternal itch after all.

Didn't especially see Mayor Apple coming, but I don't know why. Probably it seemed too little for her. But of course she thinks it's too much, so I guess it evens out.

Geez, Grandma Sunbutt, things were halfway civil between you two for a moment. (I feel like I'm just going to end up calling her that until the end of the series.)

[Triforce of Doom]

Waiting for each new chapter will be hell, but godd*** is it going to be worth it.

[Sabin]

7879325

What are the odds Sunbutt turns AJ into an alicorn just to piss her off, or for shits and giggles?* Kind of like a, "well I'm on my way out, so since I know you hate the "leadership role" so much I'll do this for laughs".

*this is assuming she has the ability to do so and I don't remember it written that she didn't in this continuity.