Apple Breaking: RotE Episode 3

by Dream Volt

Real solutions

I gasped when I finally reached the surface. I was at the bottom of an irregular crater. Digging out was way easier than I would have imagined. Then I turned my head to see both Princess Celestia and Twilight staring at me with much the same wide eyed look. I tried to bow, but since I was still halfway in the dirt that didn't work that well. I then pulled myself up and did a proper bow. When I looked up I saw Dash tightly clutching my hat with a huge smile on her face, but it looked like she'd been crying.

"Uh, yea, you look fine. She's fine right Twi?" she said without looking toward her, and didn't wait for an answer. "Yea, she's fine."

"Ah guess ah lost it when they snatched me. Lucky too. Probably wouldn’t survived a cave in like that."

"Wait, you mean you really were down there?" said Dash

"And you were the cause of the earthquake?" asked Twi

"Uh, yea." I looked to Celestia. "There really ain't no going back to normal, is there. Once we used the elements that ain't no use no more, is it."

"I believe so, but if Luna is right, the activation of the elements merely accelerated the inevitable. I'm sorry. You may regain some normalcy but there will be an adjustment period, and there are limits."

"Ah can't really deny that no more. Ah mean ah smashed that rock so hard it turned to a pile of dust. Then there is the whole I survived without taking a breath for a long stretch of minutes. None o that is normal."

"Wait, so you really caused all this?" Dash looked around. "And not just a little bit like starting a landslide but in a major way."

"Ah think so. I ain't no rock perfesser."

"Geologist." Added Twilight

"So. Awesome."

"Give me ma hat back."

"Oh yea, sure."

Dash then handed me my hat back, smile even bigger now. I took a tick to get it situated, then turned back to Celestia. Her horn glowed briefly, then faded.

"Well, there are no creatures within my range in any remotely serious condition. There are probably some bruises and other such things, but nothing remotely serious."

"Yea, they high tailed it outta there mighty fast. If ah woulda been a bit quicker on the uptake I probably had time to get out too, the ceiling didn't go right away."

"I see." Said Celestia. "So little pony, can I trust this will never happen again?"

"Well, ah'd like to say yes, but honestly ah really don't have a handle on this magic business at all. I've got tons of great ideas, including from friends ah didn't even mean to involve, but none of it really helped."

"I'm not so sure of that." Celestia then smiled. "But you really should have simply come to Twilight right away. I know just what to do."

"Well she did, but I thought she figured out herself when I didn't see her for awhile. In fact recently she told me she did."

"Not exactly. I said I figured something out and not ta worry." I sighed. Still, ah guess this whole not bothering Twi thing weren't the best idea, were it?"

"Duh." Siad Dash

"Hmmm…" I put a hoof on my chin. "But Princess, how exactly do you know?"

"There are many ways I could explain, but allow me to demonstrate."

Princess Celestia then gently raised her hoof and then firmly, but with seemingly no great force, pressed it to the ground. There was a shaking, and suddenly the sinkhole had returned to flat land again. I blinked.

"Oh yes, Luna did say you had an affinity to earth, didn't she." Said Twilight

"Apparently yes. It is certainly true. I am sorry to keep her so busy, but my little prank backfired a bit. Equestria has been somewhat isolated for a long time, and suddenly sending an ambassador who had real power was sure to cause countless requests to come pouring in."

"But can't ya'll just say no? I mean you're the princesses."

"We could of course, but not without seeming unfair. Luna will return soon, but only because I will be visiting some lands myself. I haven't been to Tia's home in the longest time, and there are a few other place's I'd love to see."

"Tia?"

"Yes, more properly called Queen Tiamat." She laughed. Of course she calls me the same thing." She then put a hoof to her chin. "Well at least four of her heads do. They never agree of course."

"Three of her heads?" I asked

"She has five." Said Celestia

Twilight laughed nervously. "So, I guess everything is back to normal then?"

"I wasn't sure what was below before, so the dogs will have to re-dig their tunnels, but I left a bonus for them that should make them happy."

"It's full of gems, right." Said Dash.

The Princess nodded. "Quite so. Now, who is the best martial artist in ponyville?"

"I'm not sure princess, Dash I know you…"

Dash rolled hers eyes. "Its Fluttershy, duh."

Everypony, even Celestia herself was staring at Dash in shock. I gave my head a smack. A little dirt came loose but it didn't sound that different. Dash then realized the looks we were giving her and scratched her head

"Say that again, clearly ah got more dirt in my ears than ah think."

Dash then laughed. "Oh, I get it now. Okay you don't know Fluttershy's old man like I do. The one thing he never caved in on was letting his…" Dash giggled "…precious little glass butterfly to face the big scary world without knowing how to defend herself."

Celestia smiled. "Yes, I do remember the High Commander's colorful nicknames for his daughter and the way he would melt when talking of her. He does it less recently."

"Moving away and all that ah reckon." I added

"But yea, she can totally take out like ten heavily armed stallions without breaking a sweat. It's just other than in practice that isn't her first reaction." Dash then sighed. "Or in practice mostly. But she's still amazing."

"So what yer saying is Fluttershy can whip flank like nopony's business, she's just too scared to do so?"

Dash nodded. "Yep. Though honestly she's still, you know, Fluttershy, so it's all about passive defense and upholding nonviolence and junk like that."

"Are you speaking of the core tenets of most martial arts being trying to avoid confrontation if at all possible?" Asked Twilight.

Dash nodded. "Yea, boring stuff like that." Dash then smiled

Twilight and I hung our heads at the same time.

"Well that's just ideal, isn't it." Celestia then smiled. "Now, I really should get back to Canterlot. You see some of the flood is ambassadors looking to open trade with Equestria again. I kept it mostly sealed simply because it was easier that way."

"See, even Celestia is lazy sometimes."

Twilight glared at Dash. "That isn't it. Running a nation is very complicated, and as long as Luna was away her duties were doubled. Some responsibility could be delegated, but I was right, and the Equestrian government was designed with two princesses in mind."

"Yes, that was quite ingenious of you to realize. There was only so much I was willing to change, so I simply limited things as best I could so I could fill both roles. Now, I think it time I leave."

"Princess not to nitpick but…"

"You totally didn't explain anything." Said Dash

Celestia laughed. "Oh yes. Sorry, sometimes I forget little details. Ki is a complicated subject but the concept works very well in controlling certain energies."

Twilight smiled. "Like earth pony magic, therefore martial arts training can help you control that internal energy and thus...." Twilight then trailed off

"Ah get it well enough ah think, and ah guess I know who to give a holler to if ah don't."

Celestia nodded. "I can't promise it will be easy, but it is the best way, and I'm sure Fluttershy will be an especially good teacher."

"One more thing yer highness, 'fore ya go. How does nature magic work?"

"You mean the best way of mastering it? Time and practice. It is that simple. Things may get a bit out of hand, or you may have little luck with it, but with time it will come under your control. I can't be sure there is much you can actually do with it though."

"That's alright. Ah know all ah need ta know ah'm thinking."

She nodded and took to the sky. Then she looked down at Twilight and smiled. Then she looked over at me again.

"While I'm here, is there anything you learned about friendship recently."

"I think there is some lesson here, but I don't know what's going on at all. I already told you what I do know of Applejack's issues, but I haven't seen her for awhile. She told me she figured something out and not to worry about her."

"Well ah learned something. Friends can always help, but sometimes you really should just go ta the expert."

"Except Flutter totally is the expert, you just got the wrong type of help."

"Which could have possibly been avoided if you came to me and explained your continued issues." Twilight then looked up. "Though I suppose I try not to bother you so we might have ended up in the same place in the end anyway."

"It sounds like you learned a lesson without having to experience it personally after all. Also, writing a letter doesn't take much time. If your friends have an issue, please tell me in the future."

"Of course Princess." Twilight then bowed.

"Uh, so, you know anything cool about air magic?" asked Dash

"Some things, but Luna knows far more."

Then Celestia turned into a ball of light that shot off for Canterlot in a high arc. Dash stared for a good long time. I guess I should follow Twi back to the library and look at the maps. I'm pretty sure I don't have a good enough handle on all this, but I finally feel like I really know what to do now.

Comments

[BenRG]

I think that Twilight Sparkle was trying to avoid telling Celestia about he problems, she only wanted to tell her about how she found the solution. That's a conceit but an understandable one. She's still young enough to enjoy Celestia's praise and feel inadequate if she needs her teacher's help.