Applejack hurt. Her muscles and joints ached from the strain of the five-mile sprint from Twilight's library. Her hoof throbbed where the unicorn had taken her blood. But those bodily complaints were just pain; what truly hurt was her soul. She tried to keep her mind blank, focusing entirely on the act of running, but anytime her attention wavered her mind vomited forth the memory of one of her many and recent poor decisions. With each memory came a flare of spiritual pain, causing her gait to falter and her creases around her eyes to grow deeper.
Two years ago she had been chosen as the Bearer of the Element of Honesty and sometimes Applejack thought it a cruel cosmic joke. She knew honesty, she could feel the truth like a sort of smell or taste, but she felt that the reason for this was because her entire life was a lie. After her parents had died, she was sent off to live with the Oranges in Manehattan. Every lesson there had been a lesson in deceit. Hide your accent, cover your blank flank with a skirt, be polite and smile at everyone no matter how loathsome, dissemble about where you came from, and the most important lesson of all was how to lie to yourself. She had convinced herself that she loved that stupid colt when all it really was was a craving for something, anything, honest and real.
Her mind continued to wander as she fought for speed. She remembered the fear at discovering that she was with child. She was already back at the farm but everyone in the clan would have known that the Oranges had failed in the worst possible way as chaperons to the teen-aged filly. Not only would have Applejack had been labeled as a 'ruined' woman and unsuitable for a proper marriage but the Oranges would have been cut off from the family as a whole. Her uncle and aunt would have lost all their business connections with the farmers of her family. They would have been shamed and 'ruined' as well.
It has started as such a small lie. No one besides Mac and Granny knew that she was pregnant. Being out at the farm meant that she could avoid going to town without much trouble and the doctor was sworn to secrecy. Apple Bloom looked like an Apple and the various branches of her family were spread so far apart and visited so seldom that it was easy to pass the baby off as being born shortly before her mother passed away and that they had simply missed out on the news back when he was supposedly born.
But the lie had grown. Every question about Apple Bloom's origins led to another lie. Apple Bloom's birth date was pushed back a year so that she wasn't born after her "mother" died. But that lie required her to be enrolled in school a year earlier than normal. It hurt so much, watching her filly struggle to keep up with the older children. Conference after conference she had to hear from Cheerilee that Apple Bloom was developmentally behind the other kids her supposed age. Then the whole Cutie Mark obsession started and she had to lie to Apple Bloom's face again and again as she watched her filly struggle to catch up with older children she thought were her peers.
The farm mare couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened but at some point the lies stopped being about protecting the family and became about protecting the original lie itself. The purpose of the deceit faded as time passed but now the worry wasn't about her own honor or even that of the Oranges but was about how Apple Bloom would take it, finding out that she'd been lied to for her whole life. The thought of that confrontation hit Applejack like a punch to the gut but she kept running despite the pain and distraction.
Applejack tried to turn her racing mind away from her daughter and cast about for any other topic to rest her mind upon. Her memory landed upon her conflict with Celestia regarding livestock. She regretting with all her heart that knowing the truth did not equal knowing what was right. It was true that farm-ponies across the nation had invested significant resources into purchasing and maintaining these herds. It was also true that cattle and pigs were a type of people and therefore owning them was a form of slavery. Even at the time, she knew that slavery was an evil and that it had to end. She had told herself that by disputing Luna's dictum she was just protecting her family and all the other farming families across the realm. She had gotten a far better deal for the farmers than they were originally going to get and the farms had limped from ownership to employment of these non-ponies. Everything she did was founded on the truth but then why did she feel so psychically dirty? Why did she stay up, night after night, hating who she had become?
Despite her efforts her mind forced itself back to Apple Bloom. She had tried to be supportive of Apple Bloom when she was with the filly but what if the girl had been eavesdropping during some conversation or another. She would have preferred it if she could deny her own words, claim that "I didn't mean it," but she knew she had and Apple Bloom would know she was lying. She wondered, "At what point does concern for one's child become rejection of that child?" She loved Apple Bloom, she loved the girl so much that every cut, scrape, disappointment, and fear the child had was duplicated within Applejack's heart. Like any mother, she wanted her daughter to have a good life: to be happy, to be safe, and to excel in her talent. But to carry out her talent described by her Mark, Apple Bloom would have to go into dark places and face real danger. Her child's place was to be in danger and Applejack felt trapped between the two poles of her heart. So far, she hadn't found a way out of this emotional paralysis.
The edge of Whitetail Wood began to come into view, its appearance being a most welcome distraction from her musings and a relief to her panicking heart. The heat and her own inner turmoil had slowed her down but Applejack was still fairly sure she had set some sort of record for the run, not that such things mattered in this moment. As the trees grew taller in her vision she saw a flash of purple as Twilight leaped out of the forest's dense boundary. The mare looked tiny and frail as she turned while rearing, a white burden falling from her back as she did so. A dagger of ice plunged into Applejack's heart when she saw that Apple Bloom wasn't with the unicorn.
Applejack's body surged with adrenaline and she sprinted through the tall grass, heedless of danger or pain. The spike in her heart grew colder as she saw Twilight try to summon forth her power. The magenta light radiating from the tip of the unicorn's horn was pale and wavering and the farmer noticed white dollops of foam dripping from her exhausted friend. Applejack surmised that whatever had happened within those woods had drained Twilight within an inch of collapse, a fearsome prospect given the raw power the purple mare had at her command.
Applejack saw a yellow and red form tumble out of the woods. But before the ice in her heart could melt, her eyes fell on what chased her daughter. Six skeletons, all stained dark from the forest soil and two sporting the jagged remnants of antlers came barreling towards the forest's edge and Apple Bloom. "Just a few more seconds," she grunted to herself as she pushed her legs beyond the limits of pain.
"Stop...Stay back!" Twilight begged of the macabre forms, panting and breathless.
For a moment there was only the sound of her hooves tearing up the distance between her and the tableau before her.
"No, not from them!" She shouted as if answering the monsters. There was a weak flash as Twilight pushed the last remnants of her strength into a barrier between Apple Bloom and the skeletal deer. The unicorn fell to her knees as she squeezed herself dry, the barrier could only last for seconds. "Get back!" she cried out at the wights even as her body collapsed.
Applejack tried to use the sliver of time Twilight had bought them. Applejack angled her path so that her body would pass between the deer and Apple Bloom and skid to a sliding stop inches away from the threatening dead. She met the eyeless gaze of the largest deer and held it for several heartbeats. The deer broke the stare first, turning away and disappearing into the dense foliage.
Twilight mumbled something from behind her, "...better than...expected."
Applejack reluctantly turned her back on the haunted forest and took in the sight of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Twilight Sparkle all rendered unconscious by this ordeal. As relief flooded her body and washed away the adrenaline, she began to shake uncontrollably. The orange mare laid down alongside Apple Bloom, facing so that she could keep her eyes on the forest, and waited for anypony to wake up. A short time later a rainbow contrail in the sky promised rescue and Applejack waved and hollered, guiding Rainbow Dash down to them.
---------------------------------------------------------
"Luna! What an unexpected pleasure!" exclaimed the pretty pink princess. Cadance trotted up to Luna and kissed the mare on each cheek, adding superfluous "Mwa!" noises with each peck.
Luna's personal space felt well and truly violated by the greeting but she forced herself to smile and mirror the intimate gesture. She reminded herself that she had already once endured Tartarus for Twilight's sake and that dealing with the saccharine-sweet and touchy-feely Empress couldn't be much worse than Grogar's hospitality.
"So, what brings you to the far north, dear aunt?" Cadance asked from a half-step too close.
Luna hated that form of address, it was arbitrary and made her feel old. "We...me and." Luna faltered and then re-started. "Twilight and I are having some difficulties, with our relationship. I need some advice and presumed that you might be able to give some given your field of expertise."
"Oh!" the pink alicorn replied with a level of surprise that puzzled Luna. The other mare finally took another step away, allowing Luna room enough to breathe her own air. Cadance gave a coy look at Luna, "I had thought, being that you are so much old-. Heh, I mean more experienced, than most that you would have figured everything out by now."
Luna mentally scrambled for an answer, "Well, every relationship is different, We've found."
"Oh, don't I know it!" Cadance replied while her smile changed somehow into something unfit for decent society. Luna grew concerned as her discomfort level increased.
"Princess Luna! I heard you were visiting!" a clear tenor rang out across the audience chamber. Twilight's brother cantered over to the pair and much to Luna's relief didn't attempt to hug or kiss her.
"Hi there sweet-stuff, we were just talking about you." Cadance greeted her husband.
"You were?" he replied playfully.
"We were?" Luna replied confusedly.
"Well, you and Twilight at least, but I don't think you want to be here for the rest of the conversation." the pink mare advised.
"Well, actually I was hoping to get his opinion as well," Luna contradicted.
Cadance looked concerned, "I know things have changed a lot in the last millennium but, are you sure?"
"Of course," Luna replied. "He more than anyone would know the details regarding Twilight's quirks and peculiarities, like and dislikes, et cetera."
"Would he." Cadance said as she fixed her husband with the 'You are about to be in big trouble" stare every wife learns to give and every husband learns to fear.
"I'm going back to what I was doing...over there...away...from whatever this is," the stallion said in cautious tones while backing away. He didn't know what exactly was going on but he knew he wanted no part of it.
Cadance gripped her husband in her aura, his hooves sliding across the crystalline floor. "Oh no you don't, mister. Now you're going to tell me why Luna seems to think you should be intimately familiar with your sister's sexual habits."
"What!?!" both Luna and Shining Armor replied explosively.
"But you said you came to me for advice," Cadance said, confused.
"Advice about love," Luna clarified.
Cadance blinked in response.
"Emotional love: relationships." Luna tried again.
"Ohhhh." the pink alicorn sighed. "That makes way more sense. I thought you were looking for advice for-"
"Stop, stop right there!" Shining interrupted his wife. "Ewwww!" he cried with a shudder.
"What? Its not like you didn't know Luna and your little sister were having sex," Cadance continued.
"La la la la la, I'm not listening, la la la la," was the stallion's mature reply.
"Stallions! I swear, they are so immature about these things..." Cadance looked over to where Luna had been standing only to find empty space. She was several meters away tip-hoofing for the nearest window from which to fling herself. "Luna! Not you too?"
Luna froze, wishing desperately to be invisible, or elsewhere, or dead.
"Come on, you two. Lets go sit down," she gestured to a comfortable looking sitting area, "and discuss Luna's relationship with your sister like adults."
Luna and Shining locked eyes, silently swearing to a suicide pact in the case that Cadance dragged the conversation back into the "Bad Place" again. They then cautiously followed the love goddess to the couches and sat primly, as far away from each other as possible.
"So!" Cadance began. "What seems to be the problem?"
"We, um...no really, we this time, um, broke up today," Luna answered unintelligibly.
"That isn't a good sign," Cadance replied archly.
"What happened?" Shining asked, genuinely concerned.
"There's been this problem that's been building for a while," the blue alicorn answered, circuitously. She saw Shining's eyes grow wider and his smile grow brittle. "No, no, nothing like that." The unicorn relaxed a bit. "It's that every time we go out to do something some sort of disaster strikes and messes everything up."
Shining sighed in relief.
Luna continued, "When its just the two of us, alone, everything is fine. We have a great time together, we have a lot in common, and we really enjoy each other's company." (Cadance smirked) "Its just that whenever we try to to anything other than that something goes terribly wrong and I, sometimes, react poorly. Twilight said that she didn't blame me for the crazy things that happen but she still couldn't take it anymore. And then she told me that we were done." Talking about their final conversation caused Luna's throat to catch and eyes to tear up. Her gaze had fallen to the floor, safely away from everyone else's eyes.
"Darn it, Twily," was the stallion's response.
Luna looked back up at him, meeting his eyes with her own tear-filled ones.
"I'm sorry she's treating you like this," he continued. "She's always been such a perfectionist and it sounds like she's letting it ruin something really nice."
"But is there anything I can do?" She asked.
Cadance piped up, "Fly down there, don't take 'no' for an answer and pleasure her until all she can say is your name."
Shining Armor's coat color shifted from white to pale green.
"O-k," Luna answered, horribly uncomfortable with this suggestion, "And lets just say, for instance, that I didn't want to...um, 'take her' against her will."
"Is there such a thing?" Cadance asked, again confused.
It was then that Luna remembered exactly what Cadance's magic did. She leaned her head forward onto her hooves. "This was a terrible mistake," she groaned.
Shining Armor rescued her, "Luna, just give her a little bit of time to cool down but not so much that she gets used to you not being around. I'd go to her tomorrow, face to face, no letters or dreams, and just tell her how you feel. Not just that you care about her but about how she's behaving and how she's hurting you. She's a good pony, Luna. She just gets agitated sometimes and lets the little stuff bother her so badly that she forgets about what's important."
Luna looked back up at her lover's brother and finally smiled. "Thank you, that actually might help," she said to him.
"Your welcome," Cadance replied instead.
Luna's smile vanished like morning dew, "As for you; you must be the luckiest mare alive to have wed this stallion." Luna gestured to Shining.
Cadance's face parted in a sultry smile, "Don't you know it. Did I ever tell you about this thing he does where..."
Luna vanished with a blue flash of teleportation, fleeing the conversation at the speed of light.
bold text
what are you doing
bold text...
stahlp!
Well that issue aside. I love the foreshadowing that comes from the different view the Apple sisters have of Twilight at the same time.
2048916
Fixed it, I think.
2048932
yup it is fixed
also from all the different cutiemarks the CMC have been envisioned with, this is by far the most interesting one.
Interesting chapter, that Applejack does not see Twilight as an alicorn while \Apple Bloom does is interesting. As for Cadence I do like this take, this portrayal seems like it would lead to a lot of hilarious and awkward situations.
HOORAY! My theory about the end of last chapter is even more validated!
Also this picture accurately describes how I see your version of Discord. ESPECIALLY now that we see your Cadence.
cdn.derpiboo.ru/media/BAhbBlsHOgZmSSJXMjAxMi8xMi8xNy8wMV8xMl81OV83NjRfMTg0OTQyX19VTk9QVF9fc2FmZV9kaXNjb3JkX2RydWdzX2NvY2FpbmVfeW91dHViZV9jYXB0aW9ucwY6BkVU/184942__safe_discord_youtube-caption_drugs_cocaine.png
2049074
SNORT-LOL
I can so imagine Cadance getting her groove on at Studio 54.
The only possible response is:
cdn.derpiboo.ru/media/BAhbBlsHOgZmSSJnMjAxMi8wNi8xOC8yMl8zMF8xOV80NzFfODQ2MF9fYXJ0aXN0X2Vnb3BoaWxpYWNfcHJpbmNlc3NfY2FkYW5jZV9jYWRlbmNlX2NhZGFuY2VfbW90b3JjeWNsZV90aWFyYXMGOgZFVA/8460__safe_princess-cadance_artist-egophiliac_badass_ninja_shark_dinosaur_motorcycle_tiara_tiaras_pure-awesome.png.png
I liked the whole bit with Applejack but my favorite part would have to be the part with Cadance. Oh my that was FUNNY.
So Twilight didn't go all Alicorn-y there, she just put up an illusion to fool the deer revenants? The barrier Applejack saw was what the illusion looked like from the back?
Darn, was hoping for more Alicorn Twilight. Ah well, we all know it will happen eventually
So by the looks of it, twilight was using an illusion. Either that, or applebloom can see more than just dead things.
2050156 I personally think that it's just that Applebloom can see more than dead things, but that's probably just me wanting her to be alicorn. Oh and if Twilight and Luna don't get back together I'll- I'll... I'll cry myself to sleep, jokes I'll just be really mad.
PS your version of Cadance is worrying and scary.
I loved it! In one swoop, you really cleared up alot of air I think with regarding Applejack's character and definitely portrayed her in a much more sympathetic light. From herself, to Apple Bloom, to the Oranges and her family, to the whole sheep fiasco (which I am very happy you delved into again), you definitely touched many issues; some people may say it was too quick or some-such, but the way you touched on so many things made me feel it was the biggest chapter in a very long time.
So AJ didn't see Alicorn Twilight? I'm not surprised ...still leaves in the air what exactly did happen, and if Twilight herself was even aware or planned it - I have the feeling though, given the events that took place, that she did consciously plan and do...whatever it was that she did to herself. Still unsure whether or not it was real or an illusion, but given what she is, or at least what she is becoming, it really depends on what you intend by the word "illusion"....maybe a temporary transformation is a better use to describe. In any case, Apple Bloom saw what happened, and would probably deserve to know that Twi didn't intentionally leave her.
The conversation between Cadence and Luna was....surprising to say the least XD - I can't say I've ever seen Cadence this flirty before, but given the interpretation you are going for, I'm not really surprised....even ignoring it, Cadence's behavior shouldn't be too crazy; she is an Alicorn of Love, of who knows how old, talking to her older aunt who is fun to tease......everyone is so used to seeing Cadence so nice and friendly, with emphasis on romance in a purer sense and such....that she is the paragon of Love shouldn't make it surprising that she could behave like this -- the hilarity of it all, is that it almost seemed like Cadence was Luna's big sister who just enjoys teasing her shy little sister, whose behavior made me think of Twilight .
No mistakes that I really caught....Rainbow Dash showing up, I will admit, I can see how that seems to come out of nowhere - it was sort of like when she popped up to fight Grogar in the last story...It's not really a critique per se; I'm not making a huge fuss or anything....but when did they get in touch with her? Where has she been? I know she was out trying to find Grogar, but that's the last we saw of her....hopefully I'm not being stupid and picking at what is supposed to be deliberate ambiguity where I use my imagination
Overall, I loved it....it was honestly the best chapter in awhile; even better then the Alicorn cliffhanger....thank you as well for clarifying on the length -- I feel the deliberate personal and local focus that you are going for in this story, is what is getting at for some people...Indeed, I also really loved the epicness of the first story and, like Twilight, feeling like I was taking a step into a larger world....going for something more 'smaller' and personal, with Apple Bloom's crisis, I feel is what could get at people, though I personally have been enjoying it for what it is....it's a give and take.
One final question....have you seen the spoilers for the future of MLP? What do you think? I'm curious :p
These chapters come out rather frequently. I like that
That aside, do you plan to make this story longer than Titanomachy? So far, it seems like you're only half-way through beginning arc (If we think about the three typical arcs: Beginning-Middle-End)
Ah the glorious confusion! I must have had an amazing WTF face when i read what AJ was seeing.
Now to sit back and wait for some answers after this very interesting and very irritating(In a: 'I want MORE' way)chapter, gimme!
2051429
I think we're just a little over half-way on this story.
2051021
I've heard. I think it all depends on how it's done. Obviously I think alicorn Twilight is possible and a good plot devise (since I'm doing it here). It does mean I'm going to want to slow down and see how she ascends before I finish this story. If I can fit the metaphysics within my own I'll do so.
2052045
Aaaaw
Who was Applebloom's father? Perhaps there are more of... them than just Grogar.
I like the way you portrayed Cadence in this chapter. She wasn't sugar-coated and fluffed up like the show portrayed her. She's the goddess of LOVE, which, like you explained, means that she's going to be much, much more comfortable with some topics that others would rather shy away from. She talks like an adult would to another adult, rather an adult to a child, which is something I tend to find annoying sometimes. I understand that people want to remain close to the characters' personality in its' originality as much as possible, but sometimes it's good to take a step back and re-evaluate that prospect a little. Not tho the point where the character is unrecognizable, but where you say, "You know what? No, this is good. This is a much-deserved breath of fresh air and it's good to see what the author thinks the character should act like when not encumbered by the presence of younger ears. I like this."
All in all, I like the story and can't wait for the next update.
I happen to notice that you like this set of words "to and fro"
2049089
That pic... you just broke my brain-meats