SteelEagle

Applejack gave it a long thought. Rarity knew the celebrations of any city almost as certainly as Pinkie did, so Applejack tended to rely on her expert knowledge. She’d rather spend her time on more practical matters, but it’d be a lie to say that she wasn’t mighty proud that the largest parade in Equestria had a big honkin’ balloon of her in it. She worried whenever she saw one of them that they were super liable to run into something sharp and comedically launch whoever was holding the rope into the sky. 

“Well, Ah do reckon thar’s tha largest Togetherness Festival Day parade in all of Equestria while we’re here,” Applejack smiled as she reached her head over to give her daughter a quick peck. No real reason. She couldn’t resist Ambrosia’s endless charms for any length of time. “Ah think yer gonna have a wonderful time at it. Oops,” she overacted her mistake of ‘leaking’ it for a second as they trotted onto the property.

She nodded to the gatestallion as she passed. “Nice ta see ya too, Mr. Connemara. Hope tha wife is treatin’ ya proper like,” she said, happy to see he was still working for the Oranges. She knew he did things other than be the gatestallion, but he had been the gatestallion ever since Applejack had been a filly. Of course he was now an elderly one that made Applejack consider briefly her own advancing age before she banished those thoughts.

She knocked on the door once and then twice. It wasn’t long before the door opened gently, revealing an older if not quite elderly mare, her bright blue eyes and pale yellow coat still the same as they ever were. Her orange mane had some grey streaks in them- strategic ones anyway that seemed to contrast with the bright orange. She wore a beautiful necklace of orange and green gems.

“Applejack! Ambrosia! I am so very happy to see both of you!” She said as she leaned in to give both of them a gentle hug. “This is such a delight. Oh, Mosely! Mosely my love, they’re here!”

A stallion trotted into frame, his well-tailored suit in the midst of being removed. Pale yellow like his wife but with a still-vibrant green mane, his pale blue eyes wrinkled but still kind. “What a fantastic day. Can this be the great Ambrosia I’ve heard so much about? Please, come on in. Our home is your home!” the stallion said, Applejack obliging him quickly.

It was great seeing them. The Oranges often came to Ponyville, or at least used to. Changes in business, their own age, and some other personal issues had ended those trips not too long before Ambrosia’s birth. They exchanged letters often and promises exchanged, but there was always something. Of course it took two to tango, so Applejack was pleased to take this step.

“Mighty happy ta be seeing y’all,” Applejack said, hugging her uncle.
“Oh, you and your country terms, Applejack. Still as charming as ever!” He responded with a hug and a nice laugh.

Twilight, part by part, signed the documents and sent them away. They had finished the meat of the world. There would always be a need to go over small details, and somepony would of course find some minor technical issue that she would delight in working out in further meetings with Blueblood that were in no way, shape or form intentionally placed there to allow her to have a meeting with Blueblood. She enjoyed mixing business with pleasure, after all.

And so did Cadance. Right now, her pleasure was in watching North Wind lose her mind as she realized just what Cadance had meant by ensuring that the fruits of their love would be bountiful. Considering the prospect for a kitten to even be born was far-fetched a mere hour ago, it didn’t surprise Cadance that such a devoted servant started to lose herself in the prospect of what was coming into her life. 

“Oh, I don’t quite know exactly how many kittens she may have. Perhaps one. Perhaps ten,” she smiled, leaning in even as North Wind started running about, speaking to other aides and trying to arrange what she could now. “If you’re interested, I can give you the address to the specialist who has made Flurry Heart’s newer toys. If it can survive an alicorn, I’m sure she can help with kittens. Even...big ones,” she winked.

Applejack nuzzled her daughter gently as she spoke, partially out of habit, partially because it was entirely too hard to resist her. The crowd moved forward and Applejack followed, the hustle and bustle not distracting Applejack enough to miss a few quick glances and even a silent, ‘aww’ from some passerby's.  She couldn't blame them- they made for a fine pair, even if she had to imagine most of the aww were directed at the adorably bundle on her back.

“Heh, Ah’m sure they’ll be happy to hear it,” she laughed as she continued to trot. Applejack knew that the Oranges would love her and it would be good to deal with them again. They sent letters and conducted business normal-like but there had been some minor...bumps across time. From her first launching herself at them as a filly to leaving them just as quickly, plus the awkwardness that happened later with her cousin, and she would be happy to just see them and have a great day. 

“There’s tha house, sugarcube,” Applejack said, nodding to a large multi-story townhouse with the family’s sigil and flag in front. The crowd thinned out as many ponies started trotting down into the underground transit system, and Applejack was soon approaching the gate.

Hopefully that puller realized that he would never get a cuter, angrier commuter in his life. How could anyone even pretend to be angry at her after that display? Applejack giggled as she finished crossing, trotting gainfully to keep pace with the rush of creatures all around.

“Well sugarcube, they build using steel, marble, and stone ta make tha buildin’ strong and stable, an’ they have these very smart engineers workin’ their tails off ta make sure they build ‘em right. As for where everypony is goin’- there’s so many things ta do an’ see that ponies wanna get going quick-like from place ta place. An’ that doesn’t even ‘count for all the ponies heading ta work! An’ there is so many of ‘em- excuse me- that ya don’t wanna get stuck in big, huge lines!” She said as they got stuck in just that near a crosswalk.

“Y’all won’t see as many trees here as back in Ponyville. They do have this really pretty park, very big one too, in tha middle of tha city but they had to cut down a lot of trees ta make room for them big buildings. Bit sad, ain’t it? But Ah reckon somethin’ had to go for the city ta get as big as it is. I’ll take ya to tha park before we leave. Sound fun? Tha Oranges are just a few more blocks. They’re so escited ta meet ya!”
 

“Oh! I know all about being a burden with skill. I, umm, I am winning my tribe’s Wimbo wa Ndege before we move to Equestria. It is high honor! I am excited to being better at perform with family, have a lot to live up to!” She boasted proudly. It was nice being able to talk to such a talented skilled artist as  Dizzy. And he liked her bag! He had very good bag taste. “Thank you! Bag has seen a lot of travel. Very tough! You can, umm, rumble and tumble in jungles and doesn’t tear. Well, maybe it will. But it has not so far!” She said proudly, slapping her bag a few more times.

She did appreciate Twister being patient with Muziki, the older mare saying the word one syllable at a time. “Oh, thanking you. I will try to...multi-lingy-nail?” She said, her accent throwing it off. “I like to travel too. I am used to travel. Actually, staying in place is weird. We walk all over Unyasi and learn about all kinds. Same here! Always fun to learn. Papa says that, umm, to learn is to live. And I like living!” She beamed, then nodded emphatically. “Yup! My mama is super smart. Griffish is hard to speak. So many, umm, hard sounds for beaks!” She said, mimicking a beak as best she could. Then she bit her tongue in doing so, rubbing her mouth. “Ow.”

She resolved not to do that again. As she rubbed her mouth, she heard what was said and realized she had the space to help!
“Umm, Mr. Windyright! Maybe that is good idea. Some go, with Dark to lair, I go with you to get extra since I have so much room in bag!” she said, waving off the group that started with Dark Core while she pranced over to Windwright. “I don’t want miss much, so lets be super duper fast!”

North’s moods and causes were known to her. She did not expect North to easily stomach the thought of a gift. It had been one reason among many her gift came last, so she could see how condition-less Twilight’s gifts were. Her refusal of them was, indeed, a product of her own lifetime and Twilight held no ill will there. Her life was short and Twilight hoped she made the most of it, becoming the first great Hyatrian citizen in the process. 

Instead, her ire existed mostly for Blueblood, who knew full well what Twilight had done and what Twilight had meant with her actions and had not even once, on behalf of himself or Hyatria, said thank you. Why, he had only said thank you telepathically when she had personally complimented him on his growth. He had never thanked her for anything else she had done, which was well enough. She did not require thanks.

But to have him, who knew better, knows better, treat her as rudely as he had in this matter? He spoke of generational decay of relations due to poor wording, forgetting that long after he had passed away and was remembered justly for his glory as leader, ponitarian and savior of species, she would be here and with more than one way to show the minutes of this meeting. The true threat to the future was Twilight’s warm greetings and tidings becoming cooler in time with Blueblood and his positional descendants if they adopted such a disrespectful tact with her. Blueblood was closer than he thought when he said boundaries were being established.  He just may not have known who and what was existing within those boundaries.

Cadance nodded. “I was planning on speaking to the Tyr regarding a short tour of the Empire. I do doubt that it will change to any real degree the short-term reputation damage to the Empire, but it should make long-term processes a bit easier,” she offered with a friendly, dismissive wave of her hoof. “Besides, he hasn’t tasted the Faire’s best crystal berry based desserts yet saved for the royal family, and I have a feeling he would adore them,” she smiled before her magic started to slowly work on fixing the table. It was a mess of food and drink, even if the occupants had been careful enough while feasting.

“Hmm, I cannot think of anything else to discuss. I do believe this concludes the thrust of these negotiations, beyond some wording on the treaties and documents.”

Sunny looked at the photo, taking in who was there and trying to understand what he was saying. She couldn’t quite process it for a while, as if his growling and change in attitude was hard enough for her to stomach without even taking into consideration what he was growling at for a few moments. In a better situation she would consider bringing out as notebook and writing down the details of what a Siren’s growl sounded like. Hiss. 

A growl or a hiss? She couldn’t really decide, and then she realized she was obsessing over that only because she didn’t really want to process what was actually being said. Sprout really was a weedy looking red colt, even when he was a stallion. She would never say this out loud, but he just looked really strange. But the other stallion- was he really part of it? She hadn’t heard anything about this. And was he even part of the Sheriff's department back then?

“...Do you mean Hitch? Hitch Trailblazer?”

Twilight was not phased, if somewhat displeased with how Blueblood conducted himself. "Don’t smack the table. You might hurt your hoof, and I am pretty sure your herd might ask questions of my husband," Cadance replied flippantly and mischievously. Twilight decided to not think on it and pushed ahead, though a full second passed before she could form a response as she tried to fight off other thoughts.

"Cards, Blueblood?" she turned to North Wind. "I have given you the ability to transform into a Sphinx when the time comes. When you are ready, when the spell foci on that crystal has found your soul and heart in sync with its magic, then I will turn you for good. If you do not wish to avail yourself of the opportunity, then so be it. The offer will stand when and if you change your mind," she looked at both, her expression still even as the crystal floated over to her. North Wind’s renunciation of the gift was of course her choice, but she knew full well the outrage that boiled beneath her pelt and the fact that Blueblood’s easing approach to the matter came with his own hidden frustrations with Twilight.

To say she found the implication that there were hidden cards in play, as if the fate of nations and species were to be toyed with, was greatly frustrating to her. She had a delicate balance to strike, yes, and she would not divulge her thinking behind every decision and move. Yet at all times, these decisions were made with their benefit in mind. The Hyatrian Delegation had been showered with more affirmation and gifts in one day than they could ever have hoped for, yet that had earned her what sounded like distrust. 
 

North Wind was a mare broken by time, being molded into something better by service. It was the very gears of hers that needed mending before she could actually become the creature she thought she wanted to be. She had to come to that peace herself, that understanding, that growth. It could not be forced on her, she could not be led to it, there was no program. She had to do it. If that never changed, then all she would become was a wounded sphinx. What would North have then, when she had gotten her heart’s desire and still found her wounds unhealed? Dark clouds were made of lighter airs than that.

Would she be blamed then as well? Was she expected to answer their every whim and desire, at all times, and when she did not was she to be shamed for it? Seeds of resentment? How much more were they wanting from her? How much more could they realistically ask of her?

Twilight looked at her glass of water briefly for a moment and took a deep breath before they came back up, narrowed around the edges slightly. "Before this day, Hyatria did not exist, your Tyr was a slave whose master merely had velvet gloves, Jizara was an idea rather than a reality and my sister-in-law had a full Empire," she started simply, the crystal given to North turning to dust and reforming in the aether. It would be ready for future use, when and if North became serious about the beatings of her own heart.

"Now I must inform my citizens that their great Empire has had a part of it sold off, it's pride humbled like a gelded stallion, and I have had to personally endure the humiliation of watching my younger sister in law sign away that very land," Cadance replied with the first sign of bitterness during this entire ordeal. She had been talked into this deal and had agreed to take the most substantial loss in the territory of the Empire since long before Sombra. The fact it had not engendered in them a sense of the benevolence of the two Alicorns in these dealings was troubling.

"Yet at all times, we have only asked for pittance in terms of financial compensation. You have paid below market for the land," Twilight added. Indeed, even at the price they had agreed upon she fully expected the details to become scandalous in the Crystal Empire and Equestria alike, and for her economic advisors to lose sleep over what had been ‘lost’.

"I have given your Tyr economic benefits the likes of which will enrich him and his land for generations."

"I have broken his chains and asked for nothing. I gave Jizara the chance to save the Sphinx," Twilight replied with a nod of satisfaction, even if her face stayed even. She felt happy about these things, even if their existence seemed to do nothing to earn themselves the benefit of the doubt.

"I ensured that the fruit of their love will be bountiful,” Cadance replied warmly, standing up ever slightly so, wings flared not as a threat but as an embrace, a smile with closed eyes speaking far more than any words could as she imagined how they felt at this moment. Her eyes opened and she shook her head. “We have asked for nothing for these services!"

"You have been put into a position to fulfill what you believe your purpose is," Twilight used one wing to point at Blueblood. Then she used her other wing to point to North Wind, "and you have been given the chance to evolve and change and become Sphinx in time. And in this, I have asked for nothing, and will continue to ask for nothing. I will never put a price on my affections and my care for the creatures of not just Equestria, but far beyond its borders."

There was a small pause. Twilight sighed, her expression softened and she allowed the minor passions of her heart to settle. She understood intellectually that the entire Hyatrian delegation had come here to haggle and fight, at least to some degree. They could not have reasonably guessed that in one meeting they would get everything they asked for and significantly more. And sometimes when you were prepared to fight and found nothing to do, you kicked at something. Twilight could rationalize it that way, even if she did find the fact that her previous fair dealings and good nature had earned her no real purchase in either of them when it came to this matter disheartening. 

"The kindness and generosity with which you have been treated is far beyond anything you could have reasonably expected. Such gifts will continue regardless of how you choose to receive them. I am not here to play a game; not when the lives and fortunes of my little ponies and the future of a species and nation are in play. Are you playing a game with these weighty matters? If so, know that I have no cards to play, so I suggest you get used to Equestria’s love and the Empire’s patience. We will be here for an eternity.,”

It was no shock to Twilight that Blueblood’s concern was in some way tied to House Platinum. Despite everything that had happened over the year’s that had allowed to Blueblood to rather defiantly stand against his past self as a changed pony, the means and ways of his House still mattered a great deal to him. The College of Heralds, however, was nothing more than window dressing. So far removed were they from matters of state and power that they spent more time fighting over obscure titles than doing anything noteworthy. It was directly from the Princesses that such changes were made. Celestia and Luna called him nephew; Tyr Niilavin, they would not. 

Not that she had any special feelings for the nobility one way or another. They were mostly an afterthought everywhere except Canterlot before IMAGINE unless Rarity was around. The peerages vanishing over time and not being replaced at anywhere near the same rate was a feature, not a bug, as far as Twilight was concerned. She knew that in the long-run there would be no more Houses, no more peerage, no more nobility to by title hold themselves above. Other titles and roles would be theirs to hold in responsibility, not privilege, in service to the ponies of Equestria. Blueblood would be a wonderful example, and one she dearly hoped others would follow.

“Understood. The importance of Hytaria’s success to both you and your family is noted and understood as well. I think I can accommodate this- whatever title the Tyr wishes to bestow upon you is up to him, of course. But as far as Equestria is concerned, I can simply keep you in place as Ambassador not only in the immediacy, but in the long run as well. Barring your own desire, you will remain in position. Is this agreeable?” She asked, a smile thick on her face. He would get what he needed. So would Equestria and Hytaria. A triple win. How rare!

North Wind was a different case. She was Maretonian by birth but Equestrian by right of immigration, and Twilight was reticent to accept absurdities as commonplace. From a purely logistical and geobiological point of view, she had changed Spoiled Rich into Jizara not out of a well of sympathy for who she really claimed to be, but as a necessity for saving the Sphinx species. Yes, there were many other smaller reasons that she had done so and made it easy to justify ethically, but she would not have considered it so easily had the Sphinx been thriving. Now that there was a breeding pair active- very active, if Cadance’s small pitter patter in position was any indication- she wasn’t so sure what to do with North Wind. 

It wasn’t easier when she spoke about what she felt inside. And what Twilight felt beat in her heart spoke to that and more. She liked the power, the perfection, the superiority and the grace of that species. Compared to her life as a pony- one who, as a pegasus of Hippostion, lived harsh and rough and discriminated against by nature- it must have seemed easy and clear for her. Were her reasons for seeking this change reflective of what was truly in her heart, or a result of the abuses hurled on her from the past? 

More than that, she was Huntsmarshal. An important title to be sure. And it was that importance that made her reticent. Niilavin and Jizara could not be fully trusted to understand the lives and needs of their equine subjects. Jizara may very well have been a pony, but Twilight was not certain that would translate to a great deal of care for the happenings of her subjects. She considered it important that at least one member of the government who was to be involved in the more active matters of governance in the physical scale of their territory lived and conducted themselves in a way that shared the strengths and weaknesses of their citizens. Blueblood would serve part of that, but she expected him to mostly handle affairs with the Tyr and relations with other states. The Huntsmarshal was likely to see the land and deal with the land to a greater degree.

“At the moment, I do not believe it is wise to change you in full to become a Sphinx. You need time to process the creation of the state and the affairs of its management before I can expect you to fully absorb the magnitude of such a change when it comes to Sphinxkind. However, I will give you a gift,” Twilight said as a small crystal of dark purple energy materialized above North Wind before slowly and gently falling into her possession. “That crystal contains the magic necessary to change your species to that of the Sphinx. I have given it a trigger for specific high stress situations, and it will also help keep track of your state of being. When and if it has decided that you are ready, it will seek my final permission to change your species entirely.”

Sunny gave it a quick thought before shaking her head. “What we’ll do is, you get dressed and ready but stay upstairs in the room. I’ll get her prepped and ready for you and then call you down. It should be a breeze! Well, there might be a real breeze as well since she is a pegasus, but you caught what I was saying,” she said with a laugh, tossing her mane off to the side as she started looking around to get her saddlebag ready to go.

As she started packing, she thought she heard something growling. Had she eaten? Had it been enough when she had eaten? Usually stomachs didn’t sound so loud but what else could it be? Her mind, so distracted by the events of the last few minutes took a full few moments to register all the obvious clues that indicated that the growling had nothing to do with her poor breakfast and everything to do with her great guest! “Is everything okay?” Sunny asked, her head in her saddlebag before closing it and throwing it over her back and trotting to where she heard his unique cat-like hiss last.

She was happy that her daughter hadn't freaked out. It wasn't all that uncommon from what she had been told that ponies from country towns like their showed up in the big city and felt afraid of all the noise, the speed, the nature and intensity of the city. Plenty of time for that to happen in any case. "Sure is mighty big! Why, that  thar buildin' - called a skyscraper- is almost as big as your uncle!" She said as she trotted forward. Her tail was still around her daughter and kept tight as she picked up the trot. Even with her picking up the speed she was getting passed by a growing number of ponies. The city may as well have acted like it was a marathon at all time. "They like ta move fast here, sugarcube. Wanna ride on mama's back?" She asked as they started crossing a street.

The sounds and smells of the city roared on by. The city was home to dozens of different cultures and species, some unique and others banal, and food carts could be seen anywhere. Applejack sniffed the wind, and her stomach as full as it was could not help but wonder what else it offered for her.

What she was paying much attention to was traffic. How could she? So many carts and carriages and ponies trottin' to and fro made it hard for a mare like her to keep on top of everything. And so it was that a one-stallion cart galloped at full speed towards the crosswalk. The carriage stallion looked up almost too late and came to a skidding stop, loudly bellowing for Applejack to get out of his way. He wasn't fast enough, and the cart nearly ran into Applejack at full speed- who, not moving, put one leg out and stopped him mid-gallop. "Hey! Ah'm trottin' here!" She replied loudly, yelling but not angrily. The stallion sighed and muttered an apology as she continued walking across the street.

It took Applejack only a few moments to lead Ambrosia to the nearest exit off the train, near the rear and the least hectic of them all. She knew what she was doing, or at least what a disaster it had been the first time she came to the city when she leaped right on out of the middle train doors and into about six ponies trying to get on. Nah, rear was the best. 

The doors to the train opened and immediately the two small town folk were hit by a wall of sound and figures. Ponies nearly jogged off and others moved swiftly on, Applejack gently nudging her daughter forward quicker than normal. Ponies of all shapes and size, and many creatures aside could be seen in all directions. They moved quickly, Applejack directing Ambrosia through the crowd until they left the station.

Now they could see the city in full bloom and Majesty. The skyscrapers rose higher and higher, creating a forest, a jungle, of construction that blocked the sun when so close. The streets were chock full of ponyfolk scurrying to and fro, with new and strange languages being heard in bits and snippets. Carriages shot past in their dozens as pegasi above moved in veritable flocks, kept in control by a sky bound traffic control system.

Applejack made sure to keep her body directly in contact with Ambrosia's, to help the filly with any anxiety she might feel, her tail gently draped over her daughter's back. "Pretty crazy big city, huh?" She asked gently, but with a hint of excitement peaking through. 

Twilight nodded. “Indeed. I do not believe the situation will be dire enough to have to resort to any such conquest, nor do I believe arable land will need to be captured. Not only do I believe efficient and well-run agriculture programs can be implemented on what land we know and/or believe to be there, but more than one nation has its food security tied in trade and while I do understand every nation’s inherent desire to be self-sufficient, that desire must be balanced against other needs as I am sure you understand,” she stacked some papers and soon they were zapped away, lessening the info-load in front of them. “I have every intention of being a good friend to Hytaria and the Tyr, but unwarranted aggression against free ponies in the Basin and by aftershock their allies in the Leota who have renewed their own vows with Equestria and myself will do great damage to more than that relationship. 
Of course, I understand it is within the basic culture of a Sphinx to seek not only dominion, but to grow that very claim. I hope I can count on the both of you to help the Tyr learn how to conduct himself not only as a powerful sphinx worthy of fear and respect, but a powerful leader worthy of love and respect. If he is worthy, subjects will come to him willingly and so will new land,” Twilight finished, another stack of papers vanish

.

“The river has been a point of possible expansion, noted by the Crystal Corp in their detailed plans. Good eye, Huntsmarshal,” Cadance smiled. “I would not discount Fort Trotterdale, in any case. You should pay it a visit now that you represent the state that owns the land. Here, take this,” Cadance said, levitating a small green crystal over to North. “Show it to the ponies who live there, and see what you find. In any case, no doubt the fort to the southwest is in better shape, but Fort Trotterdale’s port is already trade worthy. Not heavily, of course, but nothing that can’t be fixed. The Fort you cleared, however, I would agree makes for a better natural defensive bulwark,” Cadance finished amiably, nodding to Twilight.

The ruler of Equestria leaned in as most of the rest of the paperwork vanished. “Now, out with the boring material. Blueblood, you will be appointed as Ambassador to Hytaria, with the secondary title of Pony Relations Advisor. That is easy enough, but what is that you want to be? And North Wind, what should I do with you and why should I do it?”

Dizzy? She could get down with that name. It seemed like a good one. His real name was much too long. Too many ponies had names with too many syllables and words. Dizzy. Rarity. Big Mac. Keep it short and sweet so she didn't accidentally get in trouble when saying Applejack's name. Zap Apple still laughed about that mistake for reasons she didn't understand. "Okay Dizzy. You have very long tongue. That is cool skill, bring it to snout!" She said, thinking positively of all the contortionists and other performers she and her family worked with in Manehattan. Ponies sure could be very interesting folk!

That counted for Twister. She was a little embarrassed by her confusing him for a specialist in pasta, but she wasn't going to deny that it seemed like an appropriate talent for a pony. Somepony had to be making all those pastas! "Oh! I am sorry. I did not know. So you are mtu wa lugha nyingi?" She asked, smiling. "Mama is that too. She speaks Zebrish, Unyasan, Ponish, and Griffish. I don't know how speak Griffish, but I can speak Ponish for full year half now! Ever since, ever since, ever since we come to Equestria in Manehattan for performing," she said, excessively proud for how far she had come. "Maybe I become linguini too?"

Beyond her unintentionally pasta laden prediction, she nodded happily at Dark Core's affirmations. If he was as good as he said he was, and Muziki was inclined to blindly believe him, then it would be easy peazy! "I have all I need! I have food, I have water, I have quill, I have paper, I have salve for throat, I have two potion bottle and two sets, I have bag for sleeping, I have two tool, I have first aid, I have extra hats I have coat, I have good luck charm, I have mask, I have mbira, I have long socks, I have covering, I have-" She continued, her life spent traveling unfurling before them as she saw yet another new figure come up.

Another Pegasus! So many wings. She would need to learn how to fly or she'd get left behind. And his wings were so pretty! Wow! His goggles were cool too. "Welcome to adventure! I can be making some room," she said jiggling her packed saddlebag. "It sound full, but I can make it! And so we all will! Let's go team adventure!"

She sighed. It was very hard work taking care of two foals, she reckoned. But a Diamond Dog pup and a hybrid? Sweet trees and weak knees, she didn't know what to do half the time. Ponies helped her of course, especially her family, but her pups required care and attention that nobody could help her with. They were different. Not wrong, not bad, but different. "You bet yer fetlocks they are. Why, if Ah did t know better Ah'd swear there were ten of them. And the teeth! Sweet Twilight, the teeth. I've got scars in places I'd never think," she laughed dryly as she put the baskets down and automatically went ahead and started cleaning.

Her head snapped back up when she heard her pups wake up. Honeygold pushed her basket lid up and jumped out and onto the bed. She saw Babs and started sniffing. Her fur was coarse and rough and her eyes too big for her head, flopping and almost blinding her. Roxbury was next, pushing up his lid and seeing the new strange pony. He gave out a small whine and then leapt off the bed, his small plushie still in his teeth as he found safety under his mother's barrel. "Well, there ya are, sleepy head," she said as she bent down and grabbed him at the nap of his neck with her mouth, trotting over to the bed and putting him down, leaning in to give him a feeling of safety. "Say hi to yer Auntie, Rox."

Sunny hadn't given any thought to his smell. He smelled in part like stagnant water, like a pond or body of water at rest too long. She hadn't assigned any quality to it, however. She had never met one of his kind before. How rude of her would it have been to comment on his odor if it turned out that he smelled as he should have? She wasn't going to lampoon a species she had never met before, after all.

"OH! Yes, a shower. Well, feel free to use ours. Second floor, top of the staircase. Can't miss it. If you need any help, give me a yell or two. I'll just be down here getting ready," she said happily, allowing him to take care of what he thought he needed to. That would give her time to get ready for their mission, as well as journal all her new discoveries. It had been an eventful few minutes, really, and she was pleased to see where this all went!....And how her friends would react, too!

Applejack was giddy as she watched her daughter react to her first ever orange juice. “That’s orange juice, sugarcube. Your auntie and uncle Orange run tha largest orange groves in all of Equestria and run tha business from Manehattan. ‘cause of that, they make tha very best orange juice in tha world! How’d you like it, huh?” She asked as she finished working on her daughter, happy with how she looked. Truth be told she always did. Applejack wasn’t really sure how somefilly so absolutely gorgeous could be hers, she was just that pretty.

“Yer gonna have a lot of oranges on this trip. Ah mean, they got nothin’ on apples, but oranges have their charm,” she giggled as the train started to slow. “Get yer bags ready, Amby. We’re almost there,” she said excitedly, trotting over a few paces to her own side of the room and packing up her own gear. There wasn’t much to it. Her rodeo gear had been kept in bag and locked and beyond that she didn’t carry much for the trip save her bits and hat. 

“Ah’ve told them all about you. Told them yer tha prettiest unicorn in all of Ponyville and tha sweetest little filly of all time. Think you can live up to all that?” She asked with faux, playful sincerity. Applejack already knew the answer. How could Ambrosia not pass with flying colors? It was almost easy to forget that she was here for a competition, but frankly she was just more excited to get Ambuy out to see the family. She hadn’t seen the Oranges herself for some time, since shortly before Valen became Moonlight. She wasn’t one to not see family for long, it was like an itch that needed to be scratched!

What followed could only be described as an assault on North Wind and Blueblood with details. The exact number of acres to be transferred down to the last rood and the roods of that rood, the final inch and the last speck of grass. With this would come the exact number of bits needed to complete the deal. Various options were given, depending on what offer was to be accepted, with the two point five bit offer from Cadance for territory, alliance, and tremendous efforts from the crystal corp of engineer being the one Twilight most favored.

More infoassaults regarding diplomatic efforts and other matters of state followed. Twilight was thorough and leading, but she also made sure that the information given to Blueblood was easy to digest. While she was surrounded by maps, figures, and notes, what she hooved over was simple, concise, and deadly accurate. She wanted him to be able to handle the duties given to him without overwhelming him, which she knew full well she was capable of. She loved information almost as much as she loved Equestria.

During this, Cadance came and went with food and drink, opining from time to time. Mostly though, she was the good cop to Twilight’s bad cop when it needed to be done.

Her focus was mostly on North Wind. She was Maretonian, for as much as that mattered. A pegasus, but her words carried the faint accent of Hipposition. The Earth Pony ran metropolis in that broken land. What was her story? She had dealt only rarely with the councils from that city, the cartels and mafias that ran it and employed mad scientists always looking to grease the wheels of their unpleasant survival with foreign investing. Cadance paid attention to her, attempting to decipher more than just her past, but her future.

The pegasus who joined them was indeed a vert strange looking member of the pegasi collective. He looked so interesting! Did small wings make it hard to fly? Magic was weird like that, so maybe not nearly as much as it would appear. She was very excited to get to know all sorts of creatures on this trip. “Hello there, pegasusus! I’m,. umm, I’m happy to be able to seeing you come. It will be tons of fun, yep! What’s your name?” She asked infectiously, trotting around him for a moment before turning over to the most (probably) responsible member of the crew. The gang. The super group of fun?

“Oh, you’re a linguini ist?” She considered it for a second. “Umm,. Pasta food? No. Umm. I am sorry, I am not so good in the Equestrian, what is that?” She asked as she paid very little attention to good manners and started looking in and around the cart. It looked pretty good. It even had the good wheels! Not the bad wheels like she often saw ponies use. She could get rude about wheels. Respect your instruments, ponies and catbirds and whathaveyou! “I’m Muziki, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

As she walked around and looked at almost everything possible- carts, pegasi, flowers, butterflies, the beautiful sky- but not really at the maps. She did listen. She didn’t need to look at maps or facts and figures, she could just hang on the emotions and the heartbeats of fellow adventurers. For this, she just hung on what the esteemed leader said. “Oh, I would be interesting to go through the Everfree. I have heard many tall tales! I want, umm, I want to see if maybe they are true or big fibs. Do the trees get up and try to gobble ponyfolk? Sounds scary!” She said, with all the enthusiasm that laid low those words. 

Applejack had become something of a storyteller, yarn-spinner. It had begun in earnest at the School of Friendship and now was something she enjoyed doing with her foals. Zap Apple was growing just a trite too old to ask the sort of questions that allowed Applejack to uncork a real good one. "Well ya see, they built that buildings so tall here that they couldn't see Luna's moonlight. This made her sad, so she brought them stars lower with a big magical lasso so that ponyfolk could see at night. But now it is too bright at night, an' that's why they call it that city that never sleeps," she said as she looked at the moon outside. In between settlements it really was a beautiful thing, wasn’t it? She was up real early and as a result tended to bed a bit early as well, so she never could appreciate it as much as the sun but Luna certainly had her charms.

“As for your auntie, well, she is real pretty herself. See, despite the city always bustlin’ on account of never sleeping, she understood the importance of good sleep and good diet ta making herself real pretty and real healthy. She listened to her mama real good on that front- got her full eight hours and didn’t fight none about it,” she said as she tucked Ambrosia in and gave her a kiss on the head, right below the horn. “Now you follow in her footsteps and get some good shut-eye, sugarcube. You have a big day tomorrow!”

---------

Applejack’s heart could only leap out of her chest so much before she had to see a doctor. She had to consider sending him a letter because her daughter was just that dang cute. “How’d ya sleep, sleepyhorn?” She asked with a smile as she unconsciously helped Ambrosia up. Working with a filly’s mane was rough enough when you considered manecare to be ‘clean and out of the way’ naturally, let alone if she had bed-mane!

She put the breakfast down so Amby could have her fair share and then some. Nothing too spectacular, certain not like back on the farm. Some toast, flapjacks, a small skillet. While Ambrosia ate, Applejack started fidgeting on her. She brushed the filly’s mane, patted straight her pelt, washed behind her ears, and then found herself getting Ambrosia’s outfit ready. She just wanted her to look just dandy for her ponyfolk from Manehattan after all, but Applejack really just wanted to make sure that the greatest daughter in the world was the most fed and well-taken care of daughter in the world. 

I hope all of you have a wonderful May.

Welcome to the forum! If you have any questions, feel free to message myself or other staff. Very cute drawing!

The Friendship Express rolled on towards Manehattan loud and proud, the passengers oohing and awwing as they often did. Applejack was over that sensation by now. Tall buildings could only get so tall and impressive as it could be the first few times wondering how many productive ponies you could stuff inside one of them, her mind wandered towards more important matters. Today, that was the Strand Annual Rodeo. 

A part of it felt fraudulent to her. She was still a damn fine rodeo competitor in Ponyville but she was just happy to win the odd event here or there. Life had certainly humbled her physically, that was for sure. Yet she had been invited along with the winner to attend the Rodeo. Sometimes, being famous had its perks. She had to think on it a few days, but in the end she had accepted. It was expenses paid plus one, to boot. 

She had decided to bring Ambrosia. The filly had never seen the Orange family nor had she ever been to the country’s largest and most fashionable city. Applejack may not have really cared much about it, but she knew her daughter would go fetlock over horn over the ‘fashion district’. There were plays to see and family to meet; what else could a little filly really want? Well, she thought a trip to the roller rink and maybe some wrestling, but Ambrosia was not a smaller Applejack. Despite her efforts.

Applejack was returning to their little private cabin in the back with some breakfast, the early morning sun piercing the encroaching skyscrapers briefly and casting uniform rays that cut across the bridge. It was a beautiful sight and she was happy to have woken up early enough to see it, sighing happily as she edged the door to the private room open. “Amby, yer up?” She asked lowly, whispering hopefully but not loud enough to wake her if she still rested her beautiful head.

Sunny gasped. “Allegro!” She shook her head and laughed, hoof to mouth. “Haha, all ponies are unique and special in their own ways. The wings of every pegasus, the horns of every unicorn are different in small ways or big ways. After all, that is part of what makes each creature so lovely and such a gift to the rest of us!” She offered happily as she started gathering what was needed for a quick trek to get Pipp.

“Do I enjoy it?” She laughed. “I mean, I did dress up as Nightmare Moon one year. The way I look at it, dressing up as one of the ancient good Alicorns would be disrespectful. And…” he shook her head, then turned back. “Let’s not worry about it. Time to get Pipp!”

Cadance had considered for some time as preparations for this meeting were being made what role she would need to take once the sealed matters of state were settled and the prospects of romance, confirmed as they were, had taken the only road they could. She had her cheerleader outfit back home in the closet, she didn’t think they’d even need a cheering section. What would she even cheer? “Rah, rah, save your species, purr purr, meow meow?” Probably not. And she wasn’t going to kittensit tonight.

Twilight knew what her role was. Now that the big cat had been given his own big cat and the two could explore each other and their future- and all the sensations that threatened to overwhelm them as new worlds compounded on top of one another- she was finally allowed to get down to the brass tacks of business. The Tyr would have no patience for the busywork that was to follow and Jizara deserved some time to come to terms with her new body. That left Cadance, who had already acceded to what Twilight had wanted, and North Wind, who was a representative perhaps but held no great power in the proceedings.  Blueblood and Twilight were to do the real work.

“I am sure we can find proper ponies for proper work to be done at your behest for decorations and likewise. And the subject of North Wind’s future can be discussed, but such matters would need to be discussed with North- in private,” Twilight offered a smile as she leaned back.

“I hope you two have a wonderful evening,” Cadance added simply and with great and deliberate understatement.  Once the two sphinx were gone, the seats occupied by them were transformed into ones more suited for ponies. “Take a seat, North Wind,” Cadance said jauntily, as she took her own seat once more. “Need anything new to drink or eat, you two?”