SteelEagle

The tingle a unicorn felt was the loci- more commonly just called magical nerve endings- in their horn trying to transmit a spell and reflecting the world's response back, but doing so in a haphazard manner. The flow of magic was interrupted as the majority of loci not having been activated yet, which caused the magic to filter around trying to find a working one. As a unicorn trained, her horn's loci would start to activate in greater amounts while those that were active would start to strengthen their connections. As an adult it became as easy as trotting from place to place, but just as learning to walk could take some time, learning to use your horn could be equally frustrating. "That tingle is your very own, very unique magic. You may cast the same spells as others and your aura may be colored the same sometimes, but your magic is as unique to you as your laugh or your smile. It is special, just like you," Twilight said gently as she studied Ambrosia. It was easy work but she was taking to it well. "Now, continue to illuminate your horn, even if it starts to become straining," Twilight continued as she levitated a small box in front of the filly. She would then gently open it. "Now open your eyes, but continue to focus on illuminating your horn. Do you know what this is, Ambrosia?" Twilight asked as she revealed the first gift- a ring made just for Ambrosia's horn, forged from brilliant material and with the cutie marks of her family woven throughout. A unicorn horn ring was one of the most important tools of an early unicorn's magical training. It worked by doing two important tasks. The first was by magically working on the loci nearest to currently active loci, helping magical energy flow. This would improve a unicorn's basic ability to use their magic but most importantly would help them work on strengthening the loci. The second was by capping the total magical flow available in the horn. That would prevent a unicorn from having a magical outburst as was common for foals and young ponies who were learning how to use their magic. Importantly, Twilight gave it but did not put it on Ambrosia's horn herself. It was an important tool but one that a pony needed to want to use. Because of how personal a unicorn's magical flow was it was considered impolite to force it, doubly so when it wasn't even your own family!

Applejack found her hoofing after a few seconds, her brain a jumbled mess of memories that seemed to conflict with one another. She had been going to get groceries for the castle because it was a pile of chaos at the moment and next thing she knew she was being sent flying- into a giant, big, floofy fox-thing. It was a gorgeous animal but Applejack didn't know if she could really appreciate it for what it was at the moment, on account of having done a number on it when she was flying like an ill-mannered pegasus. "Sorry 'bout, uhh, that introduction. Not very properlike, was it?" She asked with a tired smile before losing it as she looked back through the doors. She then bent down and gave the fox her book back. "Here's yer book, sorry about that again. Anywho, Ah'm Applejack an'- wait, what do Ah remember?" She asked quizzically. She checked her hat and her noggin to make sure there weren't new bumps on it. Well, bumps aside from what could be expected after having slammed into a pillar, after all. "Uhh, should Ah remember anything in particular? Ah remember runnin' out of ingredients and headin' out ta get more, returnin', and then getting blasted. Why, should Ah rememeber something? Wouldn't be a shock if Ah had forgotten something..."

The effort to get up, walk to the door, and come back took a lot out of Applejack. She could feel her back screaming and the tips of her legs going numb, not to mention the slight shortness of breath. She felt pathetic, and here was this strong, pregnant mare grousing about being a strong, pregnant mare. Applejack could tell the mare was pregnant long before she gave any voice to problems or mistakes or anything of the like. Hell, you could smell it on a mare, really. Or at least Applejack could. They said Earth ponies were the most fertile of the tribes and had a way of knowing the status of others. The carnal minded said it allowed them to know when others were ready. Applejack preferred to think it was so they knew to protect one another, an instinctual herd protection mechanic. Applejack also didn't know, and she didn't care. All she knew was that it was kind of annoying that Tempest was losing her mind over having twins. This was the happiest moment of a mare's life and she couldn't get over her emotional bullshit to just be happy! Gahh! Applejack wanted to light into the mare but held back and in doing so allowed herself to cool down. The pain, the lack of sleep, the stress, it was infecting her mind. She needed to relax and allow the mare to feel. Tempest was many things but somepony who could handle changes? Looked like she couldn't. And Applejack knew that few ponies could help the mare like Applejack could, for all the reasons Tempest put out there and more. She allowed Tempest to finish, settling into her couch for some relief. "Relax," she said with a smile, which was only slightly forced as her eyes sparkled in equal parts pain and joy at the news of new life. "This is great news. Yer not gonna be perfect, never, but yer gonna be the perfect mom for them two lil' fillies an' fellas," she said as she leaned back. "Tha water here is clean, stay away from tha hooch. Follow yer appetite but Ah have a soup recipe, handed down from mah Granny Smith, that'll set you right and proper for yer foals," she said as one of her eyebrows shot up. "You weren't knocked up by a Diamond Dog, were you? I sent Apple Bloom out there into tha world and she came back pregnant with twins of her own," Applejack laughed, "she has tha carrot house at tha moment. Not so sure where y'all can stay on tha farm but we'll figure somethin' out. Maybe you can room with her."

Applejack allowed Ice Storm to talk though she quickly got lost. A lot of what she was saying didn't make much sense to her but then again sense wasn't making much of itself lately with all the strange goings ons happening around these parts. She'd have to trust that Twilight was setting Ice up for success. Probably. Well, it was a hope at this point really, too much was going on for Applejack to keep track of. "Castle Sonne?" Applejack tried hard to think of it, but wasn't coming up with much. Celestia had a lot of old private residences and the Castle was one of them, she was sure. And it sounded like it was in Germaney. Then it struck her like a lightning bolt- which was peculiar since that had happened to her recently and that was odd since pegasi were supposed to be immune to that sort of hurt! "Oh! Well, Ah reckon that it's not far from Hoofenheim on tha coast. Ah think she retired there when Twi became Queen sometime back. Ain't heard anythin' strange from that way since it tha coronation, but Ah don't see how that affects anything none. Well, unless Twi wants to remake it again, but when Rares suggested that it didn't go so well. Why, does Twi think she'll help?" Applejack asked as she led Ice out of the castle and into the cloud-city of Canterlot, with no ground in sight.

She was a filly who aimed to please. Yep, she would prove to be a wonderful student and probably a huge pain in the flank someday. He always had to assume that, more right than not. Some fillies and colts tried to put their best hoof forward (Ambrosia), others wore their faults and qualities equally and blatantly (Zap Apple), but in the end they were all special and unique. And troublemakers. Every student of his had thrown temper tantrums and refused to work, and each and every one had also bounced away from school calling him the best teacher ever. He preferred the days where the second happened. "Those are fun games. I think there are other fillies in close who would love to play with you," he said, already well aware of that fact. Where you had a gaggle of fillies you would have dressup, house, and tea parties. And probably a colt or two pulled into it against his will. The cycle would never be broken. "I like tea too! A nice jasmine tea to start the day never goes poorly!" he said as he brought out his tea cup. A gift from his sister, who had it custom made with the family emblem on it. He was proud of it and his sister, so much so he didn't tell her that the emblem was reversed. "So, Ambrosia, do you have any questions for me?"

Twilight was thinking what to start with, or really what it was that would help Ambrosia. She didn;'t think that magical education in Ponyville was as catastrophic as it used to be but she was also sure that it hadn't started it. Applejack and Rainbow would do what they could but in the end she knew she had to start her off right. The filly was a good one- spoiled, based on how Applejack spoke about her but why shouldn't she be spoiled? That nature hadn't shown off in any poor manner however and Twulight was pleased to help her out in the magical journey that would be truly never-ending. "I can see that. Can't blame you-" she leaned down, "-when I was your age I wanted to learn magic and hang out with a Princess too!" She said with a wink before sitting down. She patted the ground next to her, "let's begin," she said and waited for the filly to take her position. "Now, do as I say. Close your eyes and try to illuminate your horn. As you do so, we'll talk. And who knows, maybe even get you something. Tell me, when you try to use your magic do you feel a tingle in your horn?"

The Princess opened the door with her magic after she was given the required permission to answer, having to bow her head down as she made her way into the cellar. You could still feel the residual chill of the cellar's old job title and occupation in some way, the way the chill seemed to tickle the edge of your hoof, but when Twilight reached the bottom she could tell it was no longer the cider room it once was. Various toys and arts and crafts materials were neatly stacked on the side tables and the floor was was boarded and carpeted. And of course the most important addition of all, Ambrosia Apple. "Hello there, Ambrosia. I hope you've been doing your chores?" Twilight asked gently as her horn lit up. Behind her was a small gift basket that found its way onto the table. Twilight was always a little concerned that Ambrosia would find in Applejack a poor parent when it came to certain aspects of her education. Not on account of any lack of effort or love, but Applejack knew nothing of magic and had spent much of her life proudly avoiding the subject herself. Being thrust into a situation where she had to not only learn and understand but also help teach it on a daily level? Applejack was an amazing mare, but nopony was perfect. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time. I bet you have too, right?"

That made sense. After all, if you could call yourself a personal friend of the Princess of Equestria, wouldn't you want to see if you could get her to teach your daughter magic? "That will be super special! Maybe soon you'll be teleporting around. If you do though, just remember-" he said with a wink, "-no teleporting in the classroom," he said as he shivered. The incident in Manehattan was thankfully just funny now, but he didn't know about aetheric material displacement at the time and thought he had just watched a tragedy unfold in front of his all too young eyes. "I bet having both moms as super famous super heroines must be pretty cool too, right?" He asked as he gifted a look over to Applejack. Being her humble self, all Applejack could do was look away and blush. "Aww shucks, Ah didn't do anything nopony else woulda done," she asked as she pushed up her hat. "If you say so, Miss Jack. If you say so," Well Read said before his attentions returned to Ambrosia. "Think Rainbow would say the same?" He asked with a laugh. "Ambrosia, what sort of games do you like to play?"

Applejack had long ago lost the comfort that she once had in her own home. It was nopony's fault and nothing about her home had changed. It was her. ever since her massive spinal and leg injuries, she couldn't sleep in her own bed. She needed to sleep on the coach which, for some reason, helped her back feel better. Or at least not as in much pain. It was just one of a thousand other inconveniences and changes that had compounded themselves since that awful day (or more, she couldn't remember) but it had certain benefits. If she wanted a bite to eat and had the energy to get it, she could do so without waking anypony up. She knew it wasn't smart- and her waistline reflected that- but she was comfortable with that decision. She tried her best to put other thoughts out of her mind as she tried to sleep, the rest of the house having quieted down for her. She used her alone time to read by a small lamp, the day's work in the fields having been recorded. She couldn't do much of anything anymore, least until she was healed up something more, but she could at least follow along. There was a lot she could still have a word in as long as she was leapt up on the work, after all. She shuffled in the couch some, the makeshift bed it had become over the weeks and months warm with the effort, her new, small pair of reading glasses draped over the end of her snout as she read as much as she could be bothered to before her neck started screaming in pain and she laid her head down. It was while she lay there contemplating what she should do next, the sound of her kids playing far off in the distance and the soft murmurings of others keeping her lonely heart company until she heard a knock on the door. Then another. More and more. Heavy ones, too. Whoever it was wanted Applejack and wanted her now. Applejack swung her back legs down to the ground, making sure to put Kicks McGee in the walking boot it still needed to be in when she went out and about. "Ah'm a comin'," Applejack said. She thought, well, she thought it was loud. Apparently she was mistaken because whoever it was didn't stop. She could hear the door starting to buckle from a mix of overuse and now being beaten half to death. As it continued, Applejack's own dander started to rise. "Ah'm comin', relax." "Stop it," "FOR LAND'S SAKES AH'M COMIN'!" That last one she screamed, a husky, croaky bellow that sent the whole house quiet. Then she took a few pained steps, the sound of her boot thumping the only real sign, until she swung the door open. "What in tarnat-" she came out angry before seeing it was Tempest. Her gaze softened, but only a little. "Why tha hay are ya tryin' ta break my dang door right off tha hinges, ponygirl? Ponyfeathers," she said before nodding her head back inside and starting to walk back in, the door open. Applejack would cut a less impressive figure than normal. Her pelt around her spine and most of her legs were cleaned and shaved short, with the various surgeries leaving marks that were clearly visible. She was thinner and far less muscular, while the pelt in other areas was overgrown by a few inches. Her mane flowed wild and unrestrained, unkempt. "What brings you here?"

Eventually the rocking got too much for Apple Bloom to read comfortably. The light waxed and waned and the nervous playing of games slowed down as the ship buckled under the strain. Apple Bloom moved off of her cot and started working her way across the quarters. Her goal was the officer's observation deck, where she could get a good view of the outside- and it was where she could get any orders. She hated feeling useless and this high up in a storm she felt as useless as a pony could be. In just a few moments she finally made her way out into the hallway, where at the very least she didn't have the nervous energy of the majority of the crew infecting her. Of course, that didn't last long. The magitec lines on the airship lit up red and a booming klaxon started sounding. Apple Bloom high-tailed it to the observation deck, doing her best to keep her hooves under her as the ship shook. The observatuion deck was chaos- controlled as it was, in any case. Apple Bloom approached the officer who was in charge while Tempest was away, who was looking at several graphs and levers, considering briefly what to do. "Sir! What's happenin'?" Apple Bloom asked. The officer, who was doing a good job of having a calm facade despite everything, turned to her with a raised eyebrow as he nodded outside. The funnels were making landfall, and they were getting bigger by the moment. The storm was growing in fury and they wre high up enough to see into the darkened, terrifying world above. "We're diving, that's what. We can't stay up here for too much longer. Far more manageable. Then we can get out of here," he said as he played with the rim of his hat, "get down to the cargo bay, make sure everything is strapped in. It's gonna get rougher, a lot rougher."

Twilight didn't have near as much time as she used to when it came to the sort of activities she enjoyed. And that list of activities she tended to enjoy changed over time, as well. She never would have marked herself as likely to enjoy teaching another creature as much as she had learned to love the act of education. It almost didn't matter what it was she was teaching, but watching knowledge bloom in another was the sort of reward that she couldn't put into words. Not that she could really do a lot of trying to explain it to anypony because she never had time to do it anymore! But sometimes you had to make the time, so Twilight made the time for the filly of a close friend. Applejack's youngest daughter, a unicorn named Ambrosia, was reaching that age when it was time for a unicorn to start learning about their magic. Every unicorn had to go through it and every last unicorn had a wholly different experience. For some, it came naturally and easy, almost as seamless as breathing. Others had to work a lot harder at it, and truly nopony ever really finished their magical training. Even a unicorn who didn't truly consider magic part of their trade used it so readily and so often that the work never truly ended. Now it was time for Ambrosia to train, and Applejack had called in a favor. Back when Twilight had helped her and Rainbow Dash prepare to conceive their second child, Twilight informed the pair that due to the magic involved there was a chance of a unicorn birth. A small chance, but a chance- and Applejack had laughed and said if that happened, she expected Twilight to teach her how to handle that little spear on top of her head. Twilight had laughed and agreed. Twilight had to laugh even now, and agreed with the idea that she should probably not agree so readily. She was supposed to be enroute to Maretonia for a summit but had managed to eek out time in her schedule for this activity, as well as some time on her way back. Once she knew how and what was needed she could formulate a fuller education plan. The Princess was unescorted as she flew over the orchard, landing with a trot towards the Apple family's front door. She knocked the front door with her magic. "Hello! Applejack, are you home?" Indeed she was. Applejack opened the door, her mane tied back in a bun with a bandana and sweating. "Howdy, Twi! Sorry fer not meetin' ya out there, but Ah've been doing a bit of cleanin'. Ah reckon yer here for Amby? She's been real excited,'" she asked, leaning against the door frame. "Yes I have!" Twilight said as she approached. "Sorry that I don't have more time, Applejack. It's hard not seeing the girls outside of the council meetings. I tried to make it so we could have lunch but-" Twilight said before Applejack waved it off. "Ah understand, Twi. Busy is as busy does. Ain't gotta explain it ta me. Ah gotta run- Amby is in the cellar, should be a safe place ta work," Applejack replied with a weary smile before bounding out. "Have fun an' don't turn mah daughter into a cactus or nothin'!" Twilight giggled as she made her way to the cellar, located outside of the barn. It had once been used to keep a lot of the ciders chilled- now it was, for all intents and purposes, a play area for the kids. Or at the moment, just one. Twilight tapped the top of it. "May I come in?"

Thunderbolt and lightning were very very frightening things. And the closer you were to them, the more true it was. Tempest's ship was pasisng through the plains when it ran into what looked like an unregistered stormfront, and what a hellacious storm front it was. The crew were forced below deck unless it was absolutely necessary, and the ship had activated a magical field which helped maintain it's position in the sky. To an extent, anyway. Apple Bloom could feel the winds forcing the ship to shake and powerful cracks of thunder sent her teeth on edge. Inside of the ship a few lamps were lit as the crew tried to distract themselves with various games. Apple Bloom herself was reading a book as best she could in the dim light, lit every once in a while lit by a strike of lightning out of the window that she was sat next to. She had seen her fair share of wild storms on the edge of the Everfree. She was scared as a little filly, imagining all the fury and viciousness of the wilds translated to the power of the storm. Many nights did she huddle close to Applejack while watching through watery eyes the path of the storm outside the barn. Familiarity breeds contempt and while Apple Bloom tried her best to remain respectful of its power, she did not find herself scared of it anymore. Especially in a ship with such a powerful magic field. Comfortable? Not at all, and the hairs on her were pelt were charged as much by her own alert level as much as it was by the lightning in the atmosphere. And so she read the book as best she could, trying to relax while the storm raged and grew worse outside. So enamored was she with the random facts of the life and times of some boring naval captain that she didn't pay that much attention to the distance, where several funnel clouds were starting to form...

Rarity could scarcely believe what she was seeing, or hearing. She did have the advantage of knowing the root cause, of course. Their little *playtime* was quite...exciting, after all, and more than a little funny to her. And the collar she had purchased and helped enchant was a dramatic element to add to the whole thing. So the exact reasons why Applejack was acting this way was, on the whole, perfectly understandable to her. But she had expected a little more...resistance, was that the word? Maybe a bit more of a demure, shy acknowledgement. Instead, Applejack showed absolutely no resistance to the idea of doing this in public. Ponies were seeing. As she ran through the market, rummaging and looking about for the ball, Rarity studied the crowd. Most didn't pay that much attention- the friends of Twilight Sparkle were an eccentric collection and their eccentricities had become rote- but as it continued a number looked, started whispering, and even started giggling at the display. That didn't stop Rarity from taking the ball, of course. "Applejack, compose yourself! You don't see Winona freaking out about finding the ball, do you?" She chided the Apple pony as she shook the ball a few times. "And look at this mess! Oh my," she said as she looked at the fabric mess Applejack had made. The pony who ran the stand was trying her best to contain the mess but failing, especially since it stretched so far. Rarity looked around and found a clear alley, and then threw the ball down it. After she did so she trotted over to the stand, using her magic to help clean up the mess. As she did so, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash approached. "Hey, Rarity? What's..." "What's up with Applejack? Why's she acting like a..." Rarity eyed Applejack up as she approached, her smile thin and non-revealing.

Well Read didn't stop bringing out the paint supplies, even if they were going to remain used for now. The next set of foals would probably want to play in any case. It wasn't all that rare for a unicorn to not want to get their hooves as dirty as others. Couldn't blame them. Having a horn seemed like a very useful took when it came to painting, so why not take advantage of it. "That makes sense! I've seen some unicorn fillies and colts use their magic to paint and I think you're going to have a lot of fun. Have you had any magical training yet, Ambrosia?" He asked as he started writing some information down. He knew enough about her family to know a little about her through osmosis, but he liked writing down details of incoming students. It helped him prepare to be their very best teacher. "Ooh, stories about Princesses? Those can be pretty cool. Does she tell any about her favorite Princess?" He asked with a smirk. The Princesses were the most popular subject in all of fiction and he knew better than most the appeal. They were legendary heroines in every aspect. Well-Read like most had grown up with endless stories about Celestia, but nowadays there were so many tales and the true events so outstanding that it was hard to separate fact from fiction. "My favorite stories about Cadance. She's so elegant!"

\ Quantum Scrying was a theory that Twilight now knew as myth. It was of course devised as a purely theoretical concept, a thought experiment because the ability to perceive alternate realities and timelines was one that ponies simply lacked. Twilight, however, did not lack the ability, nor did she suffer from the same cognition of others. It was not the fault of anycreature, however, especially not Oracle. The theory itself was sound, as it was only logical to assume that your own decisions would be forever influenced by your observations, and therefore that would affect change. The issue being that the timeline and reality where your decision was altered by your knowledge already existed, and Twilight would see them all in perfect clarity in time. Just because she did not yet see it, does not mean it does not exist. When it came to moral standards, she found Hou's arrogance misplaced. Despite her misgivings about the nature of other beings, history showed that the core moralistic fragments of Equestrian society had remained firm over time. Moral standards did not decrease over time. This was a common misconception used by the elderly to demonize the youth, but truth was that only superficial elements changed, expressions of long-held ideals. Deeper morals were embedded into the fabric of Equestria. When challenged, it was only briefly troubled. It would not change in this manner. You could put Applejack in a dress but it would still be Applejack, despite Applejack's very own complaints. Of course, somecreature that spent their life feeding on others would by necessity have a grave misunderstanding of what made society function. Eternal life made Twilight's head hurt. It wasn't possible, and certainly not in a replicatable potion like Rose was suggesting. They had been over this before, so Twilight had to wonder what she was getting at. They'd also have to discuss soul-holding. That was illegal, not to mention immoral. Twilight knew they would both die. The methods they used, the practices undertaken? It would be all for naught except to thin out their souls and extinguish what came after for them. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Discord, Cosmos- with strange aeons they would all pass. Twilight could not see her end but assumed when the turning of the wheel came upon the next One True Alicorn Ruler, then she too would begin the long, slow canter to the verdant fields of oblivion. Knowledge bred frustration as a result. There was also the idea of cultures and nations no longer existing. She seemed to see herself as an expression of those she had taken into herself. It was hard for anycreature to give allowance to themselves in regards to crimes they were committing, not least of all would be the mass murder that in some ways she was guilty of. And so she believed one day she would give back everything she had taken. Charming. Twilight didn't believe that would happen. Hou Shuren was, inherently, a creature of unabashed selfishness. The fact she believed that such souls could be convinced was an expression of that- the parts one takes in during such soul magics would become invariably tainted in the process. A real 'Reins and Stirrups Syndrome', for the soul. The parts of a creature's soul that remained and went on to what followed? Twilight could see them. Know them. Knew how incomplete they were, and the horror of being struck in twain. That was why she wanted this to end. Hou Shuren's crimes extended past what she could know, and what she could know was already horrifying. "Other nations may be more willing to give me lease in regards to you than you may think, Hou Shuren. I could always ask them for confirmation, if that would please you," she said with a small smile before she continued. "In any case, no, we are not in Equestria. This is true. We are a meeting at a place of Rose's choosing, and I trust her when it comes to such decisions. But do not fool yourself into thinking that this would somehow prevent me in any way from acting as I see fit. My power does not begin in Equestria and it does not end in Equestria, and likewise neither do my responsibilities. My desire is that you agree to change out of your own free will, and in the name of harmony we can begin the healing process. However, Hou Shuren?" Her eyes narrowed, "I do not require your agreement to these terms to enforce them, nor your consent to protect and safeguard the lives and souls of Equestrians. This meeting is a courtesy extended to you by me," her eyes returned to normal, "so if you want to have a sing-off you're going to need to offer something more than that! Especially because I haven't sung in a while! Feel free to start if you feel you have something to offer. I've always wondered how you rocked out," She ended with a laugh. As she did so, the area around them started to warp and change with a growing number of instruments in play. "As for those ruins, that can be arranged. They are very interesting."

Twilight nodded as Ice spoke. All of what she said was smart. It was good for her to get the feelers out and do her diligence. She wasn't sure if it was the finding of Celestia or what came next that would prove harder, more challenging, but she knew that Ice Storm was the mare for the job. She had to be, or else she would be dead, and Twilight was very certain that ice Storm would not be dead in this reality. Of course, nothing could be certain as the realities flickered around her like crackling fireflies in the dark. "Yes. Yes, this is all good," Twilight said, nodding her head a few times rapidly as if she were drunk. "I don't know if it was recent. Celestia has always been missing and has never lived, but sometimes she has, and I feel like that should be corrected because it is clearly incorrect. I need to correct things," she said as she released Ice Storm, though from what she did not know. She stepped away into a spaceless space. "I have every confidence in your ability to solve this problem on your own, and get what is coming to you," she said confidently before she dematerialized entirely, and with her went the void. In a flash she was in the throne room. Everything was perfectly fine. "Get whatcha needed?" Applejack asked, wrapping a wing around Ice Storm to start escorting her away.

Well, wasn't that a nice story! Applejack always had ample affection for the stories of common folk who led common lives. This Auntie Gustie didn't do anything that would make her memory live long in the fabric of society. No stories or poems, no great deeds. Instead, she was a fine representative of Equestria itself- the firmament, the fire, the blood, sweat, and tears that were woven into every second of every day. She was Equestria as much as a heart could beat and as far as the world would see. Applejack knew full well the story herself. The Apple family had plenty of them, recorded in fine detail. Histories dating back generations that helped the family tapestry remain evergreen evermore. Gustie must have been one of the early Ponyville-adjacent ponies at the time of the town's earliest founding days. It really had been little more than a few farms, someplace to drink, a train station, and grazing land. Land-right issues between pegasi grazers from Cloudsdale and unicorn gem hunters on retreat from Canterlot made up a lot of the conflicts that the town had with others in the early day. made Applejack wonder briefly if this Gustie was the same pegasus who had tried to sneak a storm over the farm one season to drown out the Apples! Hehe, she'd have to consult the family history laters. And then divorce Rainbow Dash immediately if true. No sleeping with the enemy! "Mah feathers?" Applejack said as she unfolded her wings. Still felt weird to say that, think that, but she did investigate her wings a bit more. Her feathers were orange, like her, but they started to become more yellowish as they went closer to the roots, a lightening of the color wheel. When they were completely unfurled like this and in full bloom it was easier to see the yellow-white that dominated closer to her, and the bright orange that grew in intensity until it was done. "Ah'd be honored, but Ah reckon RD should be the one to pluck one of 'em out."

Applejack listened intently but she would be lying if she said she didn't start to skip some of it. Not because it was RD, but because she was an athlete and knew full well to look ahead while being in the moment, thank you very much! Which worked for her the majority of time, in any case. After all this was essentially just the barrel weave and she did that all the time. It couldn't be that hard, right? She told herself that even when working with the full knowledge that her flight capabilities were somewhere between an embarrassment and lacking, with RD being kind enough to give it a go at not pointing it out. Applejack wasn't quite sure just how far that would extend but she was about ready to give it a go nonetheless. even if she failed, she would fail with style. Oh Twilight, she was starting to sound like Rarity. "Sounds good. Ah'm gonna beat this course in...err, eleven or so seconds," she said confidently, or faux confidently, actually pretty clearly fake confidence, before she took off at a good clip. Flying straight, not a problem. Making her first subtle turn to avoid a pillar, not bad. She had to correct more on the second, and was preparing for the third even before finishing the second. It was here, however, that she met with failure. She hadn't the experience to know how far to correct, and as such as she zoomed faster and faster she misjudged it and didn't do enough. She slammed face first into the cloud pillar, her head poking out the other side.

Applejack held her daughter close, showering her with kisses on the forehead. "I promise we're gonna get it fixed an' its gonna be even better than before, alright sugarpie?" She smiled. "Ah bet Auntie Rarity's gonna be jus' fine and if anythin' she'll be excited ta work on it some more just for you!" She said to generate extra good filly excitement. It was all a very embarrassing spectacle for a parent, but luckily the only other pony close by was the one in charge of her daughter's development so really no big deal. "You will look absolutely darling, I am sure," Well Read said with a broad smile as he finally got back involved, intervening as well as a teacher could to protect the parent from further embarrassment. "Ambrosia Apple, I'm very excited to have you in class this year. What sort of things do you like to do? I love to hoof-paint with all sorts of bright colors. Do you like to color or paint things too?" He asked gently as he started to pull out some papers, crayons, and painting supplies. "Or what about reading? Does your mom read you any fun stories?"

Applejack did know how to distract her mare. She was an expert in the varied and interesting art of trotting out something fetching to catch the eye of that silly bird and her unusual ways of detailing the world around her. This was one of the easier ones, and it helped cool her off. They were both competitive ponies but fact was that of the two Rainbow could get a little hot under the collar if things started to go at an angle. It was always pretty easy to bring her back but after they got married it was one of many reasons why Applejack stopped trying to compete with her as much. Tonight? Well, that was different. They weren't competing with one another as much as they were competing for her parents. Entirely different. And Applejack won, but did she win, really? She had left a heck of a mess. "Ah reckon Ah've gotten pretty good at it, lil' songbird," she laughed and pulled her in close as they got to the house, releasing her to save her the embarrassment. Just from that however; she knew other avenues would open up. Once they got into the kitchen RD dumped the clovers on the table. A bit unceremonious, but Applejack reckoned that carefree nature came with the lived experiences of her youth that Applejack simply didn't have. Bow told them to get the living room ready and she nodded, deciding that she didn't have to understand the situation to understand what prepping a living room meant. So she had some doubt when Rainbow tried to prepare her for what followed. "Ah'm sure it'll be great, as long as we get to do it together," she said with a chuckle as they moved into the living room and went to work. Applejack busied herself setting things- harder since they were a messy couple it seemed- but did her job as best as she could until her ears perked up and she went to take a gander at a quilt. It was a heck of a quilt. So many colors and types of feathers, each one tied to a wholly separate pony and story. Yeah, Rainbow was right. She wasn't prepared for that! "Wooo Nelly, that is something. Uhh..." she said as she looked at it before finding a bright pink semiplume feather. "How about that one?"

It was good to be outside without all of the chaos happening around them forcing rarity to be distracted from the smaller things. She was a detail oriented mare at heart and she knew that the town would take a few hours to really get back to a normal thrum of activity, but there were positive signs already. A few market stalls were up and running despite low traffic and the songs of birds started to filter through the air and into the lazy streets. Soon ponies would mill about in greater numbers and the normal goings ons of a town would be theirs to enjoy, thanks once again to the efforts of a small group of friends. Well, a small group of friends and their dog, it seemed. Rarity allowed her eyebrow to arch as she watched the spectacle in front of her that threatened to tip over into farce. She knew the collar could have an impact, but really? This seemed more like an excuse for their interrupted fun at night. "Applejack, why if I didn't know any better I would assume you want to make a scene!" She said in faux frustration as she looked around. She did not, in fact, have a ball. It was probably still back at the tent. She had no reason to bring it when they were fighting for the future of Equestria. She looked around, eventually spotting a ball she could borrow- well, make was more accurate. Her horn lit up and she pulled in some stuffing made out of flowers, bark, and other materials and wrapped it all with a non-organic magical leather from her shop, which floated in at the last. "But if you insist, then I will give you what you deserve, Apples. Sit until I am done," she said with the barest hint of derision as she went to work, magically sewing it until a 'ball' was made. When she was finished she used her magic to wiggle the ball around. "Here you go. Do you want this? Do you?" She said playfully before turning and sending the ball flying into the market. "Get it!"

The Doctor was used to panicking mares and didn't take her emotions too personally. And even if he did he wouldn't show it. This was a hard moment for a loved one to deal with and he had to be a rock of calm for her to deal with it. "The only thing I can say Missus Dash is that we will do everything we can for her," he said as he took off his glasses to clean it. As he did so, multiple flashing lights and the sound of teleportation behind him broke the silence behind the door. "We have a fantastic staff and have called on specialists. When your family arrives, please do what you can to keep them calm. I cannot tell you how long it will. Please speak with the front desk about any accommodations or help you need," he smiled as he put his glasses back on. "Missus Applejack is in good hooves," he said as he turned back to the door and entered, it swinging behind him a few times before settling. (OOC- Everypony feel free to use the following time lapse. I am using this to move forward the timeline a little, but we can/will play in the time if there is any interest!) Five hours later... It was late evening when a pegasus nurse flew over to Rainbow. "Missus Dash, the doctors want to speak with you," she said gently, beckoning towards another series of doors. Rainbow had paced a groove into the waiting room floor. She was so bent out of shape with her and and tail frazzled, worry creasing her features, and her eyes rimmed with tears and red, she really couldn't take any more. She had to know how AJ was. RD pushed her way past medical workers and shouldered her way to outside of AJ's door, or at least she thought it was. "AJ?" She croaked. "AJ!?" Two doctors, an older gentlestallion and a younger one, came out of a door- the one next to where Rainbow was, in any case, their horns locking it behind them. "Missus Dash, ah. We had sent a nurse to get you," the older one said as the younger one beckoned the Wonderbolt to follow. "If you would follow us- Applejack needs to rest. There are things we need to speak with you about," he said their horns unlocking a door. RD glanced back. "So that's what he was trying to tell me before I uh," she snorted in frustration. "Anyway, I want to see my wife. Now." She protested them telling her they wanted to speak with sure. "I won't like wake her up or whatever, I just want to be with her." She eyed them defiantly, feeling out of her depth entirely. Both of them eyed her up, their compassion allowing them the patience needed. "That will not be possible in her current condition. She is undergoing treatments even now, and the specialists that have been called in need time and the ability to concentrate," the younger stallion started. The older one nodded and approached Rainbow, offering a sympathetic hoof. "We know that you want to see her, but please understand that it is not what is best for her. And right now, that is our primary concern. She has suffered tremendously, and we feel it only right for you to understand just what it is she has gone through. Afterwards, it will be clear," he said, sweeping another leg towards the room. "Undergoing treatmentspecialists.. Suffered tremendously...what she has gone through..." These words filtered through her mind, filling her with dread. She looked towards the room to talk in. RD nodded dumbly. She was supposed to be strong now, in control, sure of herself. But now? She wasn't sure she could do it. She shook her head, hoping to clear her mind. Then she cleared her throat. "Lead the way." She spoke with resignation as she followed the doctors into the room. The doctors breathed a sigh of relief. Truth was, there was little they could do to physically stop her if she really wanted to break down that door, but they had hoped in her good conscience. It had worked. Once they had seated, the door behind them was closed and locked. The relative evenness they had before broke for a second as their weariness showed before they took their positions. A glass of water appeared before her. "I am going to tell you about a long list of injuries she has suffered," the older doctor began as he sat down, his horn lighting up to reveal a plethora of magical medical scans that he would change out as he continued. "Before I do that I feel a need to let you know that we expect she will make a recovery, especially given time, so she should be able to return to her livelihood in large part," he said with a smile before he readjusted himself. "With that being said, I advise that you prepare yourself. Tell me when you are ready," the other doctor started before turning to face the scans. The words flowed around her and she sat at the edge of her seat. She nodded, sober reality seeping in. She had to be strong for AJ and her family. She had done it before and she would do it again, now. At the mention that she would recover she allowed her tense wings to relax for a split second. There had been no 'full' before recovery. That made her feel sick but she soldiered on.. 'Please tell me.' The words issued softly. "I will stop and allow you to ask any questions, if you have any. To start." "Both of her front legs have suffered compound fractures. Her left front leg suffered a break in not one, but two places, and much of the bone in between has a serious, deep hairline. The injury was serious enough that we considered amputation, but luckily we were able to keep it in place and repair enough that we will likely not have to consider that in the future. Still, something to monitor," he said as both doctors nodded. It had been touch and go, but she was one very lucky mare. "Her right front leg was broken at length closer to the hoof. Serious, especially as the bone pressed into the hoof and pierced the internal wall. Even now we think there will be bone chips inside the soft tissue that will cause irritation and bleeding for a long while. Still, considering the possibilities it is considered one of the better case scenarios." RD was floored. Floored. How could such serious injuries happen in a simple playfield game? 'W-will she be able to walk?" She stammered. Both doctors nodded. "Yes. The rehabilitation will take a while, but as we said she should make a recovery," the older one said. "Her back left hind leg was compressed and tauted against the body hard enough to cause muscle rupturing, and the impact caused a complete tearing apart of the carpus bone. All three legs have suffered tremendous ligament and cartilage damage. As I said however, she should be able to recover from it. I can't speak to her athletic ability, but while each injury is on its own severe, they are all recoverable." "Those injuries are severe. However, they are minor compared to her worst injury," the younger doctor said before taking a deep, prepared breath. "The ligament holding the C2 ruptured, so her disc hit the spinal cord. For all intents and purposes, her neck was broken and her body driven in such a manner as to nearly knock her unconscious. It is...a gruesome injury, to be sure. Most ponies who suffer this injury do not survive- the fatality rate is around 95%. Luckily, her neck muscles were built up in such a way as she was able to cushion herself and prevent even worse damage. Most survivors are quadriplegic, so she dodged another serious issue. Honestly Missus Dash, she is in the top one-half percentile for outcomes in this case," he continued, allowing the injury to breathe, as well as the realization as to what luck Applejack had. RD cleared her throat. She glanced from one doctor to the other. Anger welled up in her chest and it came out in a torrent on the two stallions. "I don't care about percentiles, or whatever the heck you're talking about!" Her voice rattled around in her own head, starling her with their ferocity. She sat forward, teeth gritted and brow furrowed in abject anguish. Anquish for her beloved Applejack. Her wife who loved athleticism more than any pony she had ever met, herself included. Her wings quivered and she shook, a son ripping through her. She kept her head down, rainbow locks covering her face. "No, be strong." She told herself mentally. "I understand." She gulped, her throat harsh from the sob and fr the shouting. The glass of water she had regarded with disdain now found its way to her lips. She downed half of it, she hadn't drank since the game much earlier. " What can I do?" The older doctor took over. "What you can do, Missus Dash, is help her. There are other injuries to be discussed- her L2 and L3 vertebrae are damaged, her jaw was fractured, and she had massive internal bleeding. But I can tell that this is, perhaps, too much for you right now. So let me give you her prognosis. I'll be honest, this is the worst set of injuries I've seen a pony survive, and I've seen a great deal as a Royal Apothecary. She is still not out of the woods. Right now we have pinned her in place and sedated her and will continue tending to some of her immediate concerns. She is still bleeding more than we would like, and we do not want her to remain conscious. Over the next few days we will keep in contact and come up with a care plan. We should have her able to see you and your children soon. For now, I would tell them that their mother is resting and will be okay, but has some serious injuries that the doctors need to help her with." The younger doctor then looked over. "I think you should prepare for a very extended hospital stay and an even longer rehabilitation effort. Even after that, she will need far more care than she will be willing to admit. I think we both know that," the young stallion smiled. Applejack's stubbornness was famous across the land. "This is a life altering injury, Missus Dash. The Applejack who leaves here will have been changed by this experience. The physical half of this will be the easiest for her to recover from. In time, she will be in large part the mare she used to be," he concluded, taking his own glass of water finally. "It will be accepting everything else that will be tougher for a mare of her stubbornness to accept. She will be more limited than before, especially as she rehabs, and it is tough for even a normal pony to fully accept. You will need to be prepared for that. We have resources that you and your family may use, and we will be available for any further updates. Having said all this, do you have any questions or have any requests?" "Ok," RD nodded. This was what it was. She would stay strong. Be the rock for AJ no matter what. "No questions, thank you." She spoke matter of fact lying and stood "I need to go see Zap and Amby now. You know how to reach me." She looked at them, hope, worry, and thankfulness for their efforts radiating from her expressive eyes. Then she walked out the door, taking wing as she exited and heading to her kids.

Gloomy was a bit bashful about it but Sunny didn't see why. Love was love and they all felt it for for somepony, sometime. She was happy for them and got to work on a second smoothie, this one for Gloomy, as she made sure to get the boxes in order. Strawberry Mango was one of the more popular flavors so luckily she had everything she needed in stock in abundance, so even on a day like today as she watched her supplies dwindle with such speed she had to suspect theft. Invisible thieves who left coins, yep. That was the ticket. She needed to get Hitch to do a stakeout and hunt down the culprit. Maybe have a BBQ while they were at it! "I am sure it is, Gloomy. I know I have seen a lot of 'made in Bridlewood' marks on a lot of crafts in the market. Seems like everypony is making a killing!" She then furrowed her brow and looked away as she thought about the ponies she hadn't seen as much of recently. Okay, maybe not everypony was making a killing, but truth be told some of those artisian craft places in town were really bad and this was just the final excuse to abandon them. "Well, mostly. Here you go!" She said as she brought forth two smoothies, topped, tagged, and ready for sale. "Five bits, please," she said as she allowed herself to recline on the counter. "Well, i think you'll like it there. So many beautiful trees and crystals, and who knows what else now that the unicorns have their magic back! I'm sure you'll find your place there, Sugar. Just don't be a stranger here, okay?" She asked with a smile as her eyes darted down in thought. "Otherwise I'll be...in dismay!" She perked up excitedly and looked at Gloomy. "Was that a good one?"

It was embarrassing to admit just how scared she had been for a second there. She would guess that most earth ponies had a perfectly reasonable fear of heights and that the sensation of flying did little to help that once something, anything at all really, went wrong. It just wasn't natural! That was what Granny had said when she first saw one of them pedal powered flight contraptions, and for a moment Applejack agreed entirely. Luckily Rainbow was there to prevent her from giving in entirely to her momentary flight- ha!- of cowardice, and Applejack's breathing returned to normal. "Ha, yeah. More like a lot of turning training," Applejack snorted as she used a hoof to pull her mane back and take a deep breath, using her wings to maintain her position as she watched Rainbow craft the clouds around them into something befitting a training course. The farmer had been hoping to relax from her near-embarrassment a moment back but she wasn't one to hold back on a good piece of training on account of some personal foibles. "Yeah, Ah reckon we can square this up for a bit. Ain't that different from the steeple chase, now that Ah look at it. Any hints n' tips ya want to lay on me, RD?"