Principal Celestia sat at the conference table listening to the sound of her own voice. That it wasn’t her speaking made this frustrating.
“So, you see, Senator, such a magical registration system would be, at best, a fruitless endeavor that would simply waste your taxpayers’ dollars. By all accounts this world is swiftly developing its own magical field similar to our own and will likely start producing previously impossible talents and abilities among the general population within a small handful of generations. At worst it could be used by less scrupulous members of your ruling classes, whether elected or not, to create a segregated society. You would find yourself swiftly returning to fiefdoms and ruling lords that kept other sentient beings as slaves.”
Sure, it was exactly what she was thinking when the senator (that she was now very much regretting voting for) proposed it. When she tried to voice her concerns, in comparison to the apparently off the cuff treatise her counterpart had just delivered her tersely retorted, “Isn’t that what Welldweller did?” sounded like a lame 14-year-old on the Internet invoking Divine Ally’s Law. Good job, Celestia, she thought to herself, your better version just made you look like you never took debate class.
The senator just sputtered for a moment before Agent Freedom took over, “Well, it was something that was in the “spitball” stage anyway, clearly wasn’t really thought through.” he said with a glare to the elected official. “So, unless there’s anything further to bring up as new business, we can probably call this a day.”
There was silence for a moment, then Celestia felt Luna’s knee bump hers and she remembered that she was supposed to be running things. A glance at her counterpart showed…nothing. She was calmly sitting, watching her with an unreadable expression, hands folded primly.
Forcing herself not to glare at the princess, she nodded at Agent Freedom. “Yes, none of us have duties that can be put off very long. Thank you, ladies, gentlemen…and gentlemares and stallions, of course.” She followed up with a nod to the Equestrian side of the table.
The federal government group stood and leaned across the table to shake hands with Principal Celestia and bowed in Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s direction before slowly shuffling out the door. Principal Celestia started gathering her papers into her folio as quickly as she could without being obvious about it, though the askance look from her sister showed that someone who knew what to watch for wouldn’t be fooled.
As the door closed slowly behind the last of the government entourage, she felt the Princess’ eyes on her. It was an uncanny feeling she was growing uncomfortably familiar with in the last few weeks as the two Celestias were required to spend more and more time in close quarters as the process of normalizing relations dragged on. Just let it go, stay quiet, we don’t need to discuss anything further, Celestia thought as she wrestled the final folder into her folio, Don’t ask how Sunset is doing, don’t ask how Sunset is…
“My good principal,” began the princess, “How has Sunset been fairing?”
She felt her sister’s foot pressing against hers, a reminder to keep her cool. If you read the reports your student sends you, she thought but didn’t say, you wouldn’t have to ask me! Out loud, she replied, “Doing…well. She is expressing all the nonverbal signs of frustration in her inability to communicate as one would expect after being poked and prodded by doctors and wizards for days on end, and she still can’t fully participate in her classes, but she’s taken up games of all sorts to continue interactions with other students.”
“Indeed,” interjected Vice-principal Luna, “I did not think that Rainbow Dash would ever be convinced to sit down at a chess board, let alone learn the game, yet I found her and Sunset doing just that, with Sunset actually teaching Rainbow without words how to play.”
Princess Luna chuckled, “One can barely imagine Rainbow Dash in any world sitting still long enough. Sunset is to be commended for her patience and perseverance.”
A moment of pride forced a real grin on the principal’s face. That was a moment she had desperately wished Luna had captured in video, but she’d take the blushing smiles on both girl’s faces as her parental prize for the event.
Then she spoke up, “Oh, it’s hardly a surprise. Sunset took to the game very quickly when I taught her as a filly, and she always showed great potential to be a teacher and leader of ponies…er, people.”
It was as though cold water was splashed on the conversation. Both Lunas turned to Princess Celestia, surprise and disappointment etched on both their faces to differing degrees. For her part, Princess Celestia seemed to not notice…but Principal Celestia knew herself better than that. Nag, she thought to herself, read the room!
Rather than ending her current line of conversation, Princess Celestia seemed to have chosen to double-down. “In fact, I’m surprised you’re able to keep up with her. When she was living in the palace, I practically had to assign an entire team of the staff dedicated just to Sunset’s needs. Somepony of your much more limited resources is sure to drop the ball through no fault of your own. You really don’t need to play the act of being Sunset’s mother any longer, the charade served its purpose for the limited time needed to open the portal. You need but give the word and I can have my staff and team of magical and medical authorities take her off your hands.”
At this, everyone in the room was now just staring in shock at Princess Celestia. Princess Luna’s jaw had even sagged open slightly and the frosty anger practically radiating off the Moon Princess made it clear she was briefly entertaining thoughts of regicide…again. The only sound to be heard in the shocked pause was the crinkling of paper as Principal Celestia’s hand clenched into a fist around some of the papers in the folder she was still holding. Vice-principal Luna gently gripped her sister’s knee under the table, as though that might stave off the impending parental violence.
A youthful but refined voice split the silence, “I do beg-pardon for interrupting, but we need to borrow Principal Celestia to discuss plans for this weekend.”
Both the Equestrian and Canterlot High contingents blinked away the tension as the tableau seemed to pop like a soap bubble. Almost as one, they turned to see the student Rarity, flanked by Granny Smith and Applejack. Granny was clearly “reading the room” and clenching her fists enough to pop some knuckles, and Applejack looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.
Rarity, for her part, seemed as calm and collected as any diplomat could hope to be. Her intense, meaningful gaze meeting Principal Celestia’s eyes as though an entire message could be passed by looks alone, “We, of course, wouldn’t want to presume to make any decisions for Sunset without her parent and legal guardian present.”
Restraining the bubble of vindictive laughter that threatened to escape, the principal nodded and finally finished shoving the last of the papers into her folio, “Yes, thank you for coming to me with this Rarity.” So saying, she stood, “Excuse me, but one thing I’ve learned since taking in Sunset is a mother’s work is never really done.” She bowed briefly across the table at the princesses before turning and squeezing her sister’s shoulder as she passed. “Lulu, can you finish up here?”
Luna nodded and smiled at her, “Of course, sister.”
Using that as a “by your leave,” Celestia left the room, controlling her walk so it wouldn’t betray that she just felt like running out of the room and all the way home. The Apple’s backed away from the door and followed her lead, and she heard Rarity give a brief farewell before the door closed. Now no longer having to hide her emotions from visiting royalty, she started stomping through the halls back to her office.
“Celestia,” began Granny Smith as the older woman easily matched Celestia’s pace, “What in tarnation was goin’ on in that room before we got there?”
Applejack finally spoke up, also easily keeping up with the much longer-legged woman, “Shee-oot, ‘coulda cut tension with a knife.”
Celestia was about to answer but realized abruptly that she was glaring at one of the Equestrian guards that could be seen at intervals between the meeting room and the exit of the school closest to the portal. She paused in her angry marching, closed her eyes, and took a couple deep breaths, then opened them again. The guard looked to be slightly tense, though perhaps a bit fearful. With a start, she realized she had accidentally summoned her sword again. She activated the belt she’d taken to wearing since the incident with Neighsay in her office and stowed the sword in its inventory slot, disappearing it from view. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her now-free hand before smiling at the guard reassuringly and resuming her walk. “I’m sorry, ladies, but there’s just something about the princess that…just seems to rub me raw.”
The pause had given Rarity the chance to catch up to the group and Celestia’s slower walk, much closer to the normally sedate walk the principal usually used when accompanied by students meant the girl could more comfortably keep pace with the group…and slip her hand into Applejack’s. Finally, Celestia thought as a smile cracked her frustrated countenance, A bit of good news to this mess. Out loud, she continued, “So what was this about plans for the weekend?”
Rarity once again became the speaker for the group. “Well, we have noticed that Sunset is showing…signs of stress. She has not been faring well with the tests Twilight and the other magical researchers have been performing, plus with all the classes that she’s not really able to participate in…well…” the girl trailed off.
Granny Smith took over from there as the group crossed the threshold into the administrative offices of the school, “Th’girl needs a break. An’ I don’t mean just the week off from school for spring break comin’ up. I’m talkin’ ‘bout leavin’ all this behind fer a bit.”
Celestia dropped her folio on her desk, not even bothering to avoid the keyboard to the computer. She then dropped into her chair, the seat creaking with the sudden weight of her body being unceremoniously plopped on it. Granny’s eyebrow raised and she spoke up again, “An’ honestly, you look like you could use a break y’self.”
Luna found herself using an ability she hadn’t exercised since before she went to Juvenile Hall for stabbing her sister, the introvert’s stealth-walk through school.
“Sister!” her counterpart from Equestria hissed from a few feet in front of her, “What were you thinking?!”
When she’d been an awkward teen, the learned skill of keeping quiet and practically gliding through the traffic in the hallway in such a way that people just ignored your presence had become such second nature to her during that time that using it now was like riding your childhood bicycle; horribly uncomfortable but so intuitive you barely had to adjust to the fact that it didn’t fit anymore.
“I was merely attempting to bring Sunset back home where she belongs.” Replied her sister’s funhouse mirror image. As they walked, the guards that had stationed themselves along the hall joined the entourage, marching in a two-column formation behind the royal sisters. They seemed to ignore Vice-principal Luna by virtue of her proximity to the princesses…or perhaps they thought of her as one of them since she was the mirror opposite of the Night Princess.
For someone who didn’t know how Celestia operated, it might have been missed. Luna suspected that her own princess counterpart may be so caught up in the emotions of the moment that she didn’t notice, either, but Luna could see an abruptness to Princess Celestia’s walk, a tension in her shoulders, and the way she clasped her hands were all so similar to her sister’s tells that she could deduce there was a fury boiling just below the surface.
Princess Luna’s nostril’s flared as she snorted in an equine fashion, “Sunset Shimmer has a home, one you seem Tartarus-bent on taking her from,” she snapped in reply as the group reached the doors to the school entrance nearest the portal. A pair of guards opened them and the procession marched through to the light of day.
The tension in the older woman’s shoulders ramped up a notch and it took her a moment to respond, “Though I’m…disheartened to have learned that Sunset was living as a homeless orphan for…” there was a pause as Celestia clearly was trying to control her emotions, “…for three years before finally being taken in by my counterpart, and I am indeed grateful that she was able to receive the support and care before we were able to get the portal open full-time…we simply have no need for her to remain on this world. Twilight Sparkle can easily take on the project of continuing to normalize relations with the federal government while also studying the new magic field…”
Luna’s eyes narrowed angrily, and it was clear she wasn’t the only one to notice. They were only a few strides from the base of the Wondercolt statue when Princess Luna stomped and turned to face her sister directly, “Thou’rt dodging the issue!”
Celestia stopped just as abruptly and faced her fellow princess, “She should have adopted her three years ago, Luna!” A light lick of what appeared to be flames seemed to flare from Celestia’s eyes, occurring so fast it could have been mistaken for a trick of the light. The sight was clearly caught by both Lunas, though, as the dark-skinned princess had taken a defensive step back and the vice principal realized she had done the same instinctively.
The two princesses faced each other for a breath, then two before Princess Luna’s face twisted into a scowl. “Mayhap We recall that thou hast a great many, ‘shoulda-woulda-couldas’ in thine own history with Sunset Shimmer, sister.”
Princess Celestia may as well have been slapped. Her shoulders sagged and a sheen appeared over the eyes that just moments ago had been about to erupt into magical flames. Celestia glanced back at Luna, clearly not surprised to see her there, then fled through the portal.
The princess and the vice principal glanced from each other to the portal and back. It was Princess Luna that broke the silence. “We assure thee…that is, I assure you, sister from another world, that this behavior of late from Celestia is…atypical.”
Luna’s brow pinched, “I’ll…take your word for it. My first interaction with her was watching her attack my sister.”
Her counterpart nodded, “That was also highly unusual. At the time I ascribed it to the newness of her body, the physical changes affecting the Humors…rather, the hormones in her brain, as well as the emotions she surely must be grappling with. E’en so, such a response is…extreme, especially given that, save for the disorientation that comes from having one’s body changed around them in instants, none others who have ventured through the portal have reacted thusly to anything similar.”
Luna had no response to that, save to gaze at the base of the statue as though she could see through the portal to the other side and somehow glean the mysteries of the princess’s behavior from what she saw.
Celestia arranged with Rarity’s mother over the phone to take the girl to Sweet Apple Acres after school (after the fashionista’s blushing admittance that she had spent the night on enough occasions that she had a whole weekend wardrobe in Applejack’s closet) and Applejack would go home with Granny Smith to prepare the spare room for Celestia and Sunset to stay at the farm for the weekend. They stopped back at Celestia’s house just long enough to confer with Luna and throw some weekend necessities into on overnight bag (for Celestia) and a backpack (for Sunset) and left immediately. The only delay came when the two sisters briefed Sunset on what happened after the meeting to prompt the invitation from the Apples. Once they had explained what Princess Celestia proposed, Sunset practically dropped her phone in her haste to tap the “No” button in her assistive communications app just before launching herself in an intense hug that did more to relieve Celestia’s stress from the day than even the prospect of not having to deal with a single government bureaucrat for an entire weekend did.
The drive to the farm was quiet, Celestia opting to put on some ABBA as the scenery passed by. The only interruption came in the form of a panel van that practically screamed, “We’re totally not the FBI, promise,” but a quick call by Rarity to Princess Twilight’s new phone got the government tail off their backs before they even made it to the halfway point.
Being friends with royalty did have its perks.
Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were hosting Princess Twilight at Rainbow Dash’s house for the three-day weekend that marked the half-way point between the start of term and spring break, which would keep the security contingent from the Equestrian embassy focused on the suburbs and their human counterparts needing to equally staff their own security contingent to match, which allowed them to get some quiet, “unplugged” time, well away from the rest of the population of the city and on a farm with lots of acreage, including well-tended apple trees, several full fields of cash crops, some farm animals…and unlimited site lines and clearly established boundaries that even the Federal agencies were required to observe. Nobody was going to harass Celestia or Sunset under threat of Granny Smith’s ire and a clearly displayed shotgun that leaned against the porch railing next to where Big Macintosh was quietly lounging.
On the Apple’s part, the addition of guests at the farm was a welcome bonus, as spring break would also mark the start of planting season for the crops that wouldn’t just grow back themselves after the winter, the three-day weekend, plus the extra hands, meant that the work of preparing for the younger Apple’s upcoming week off would go that much faster.
Sunset seemed to mostly gravitate to hanging around either Celestia or Rarity depending on whatever activities they were participating in at the time. While she couldn’t speak, she could take orders and seemed quite content to follow whatever instruction she was given to assist. When she wasn’t actively helping, Celestia caught the girl simply observing the farm with a slight smile on her face. What emotions were going on with her or what thoughts the girl had were still an enigma, but clearly Granny Smith had been right when she said Sunset needed a break; it seemed to be doing something to heal the girl just a little.
As Saturday morning ebbed into Saturday afternoon, the various tasks and chores of the day pulled Big Mac and Applejack out to the acre of land that held the various farming vehicles and attachments that were needed to keep the large homestead operating as a profitable business. One of the tiller’s jack stands had slipped and fallen over the cold season, leaving the rubber of the tire, deflated to preserve it against the near- and sub-zero temperatures the farm could suffer during the winter, pressed into the ground and subsequently ruined by the weight of the tiller. Since the vehicles and trailers were parked on what was, basically, a fallow field that was starting to become weed choked, there wasn’t firm enough soil beneath the tiller to put a jack that wouldn’t just push itself into the dirt below. A pair of firm hands and a strong back would have to suffice, though, and it happened that Big Mac was quite capable…but he recognized that his sister was even more so.
Applejack grunted with the effort it took to hold up the tiller. She may have been strong, but weight was weight and she’d been holding the thing up for ten minutes while her brother fought with the lug nuts.
A quiet, metallic groaning sound met her ears just before she saw the tire iron Mac was wielding finally turn. Having loosened the third nut of five, he gently tugged it off the post and started hand turning the nut the rest of the way. C’mon, ya danged fool, Applejack thought to herself, Y’got yer ‘thinkin’ face on and only two more lug nuts to go. If’n you don’t hurry up and ask whatever it is yer thinkin’…
AJ was spared the necessity of voicing her mental tirade when Big Macintosh finally spoke, “So…” he drawled, “…Rarity?”
She rolled her eyes in exasperation and hissed a sigh as she shifted her grip, “Yeah, what about it?”
Mac tossed the nut into the nearby upturned hubcap and picked the iron back up. Sliding onto the next bolt post and shimmying it on, he snorted, “City girl?”
Applejack returned the snort with a raised eyebrow. “We’re pretty much,” she grunted and pressed her leg against the tiller to steady it as Mac started tugging the tire iron to loosen the next lug nut, “…pretty much th’only farm left in Canterlot County, ‘taint like I gotta lotta country gals t’pick from.”
Mac’s own grunt of effort preceded the tire iron turning about a quarter turn, “Mmmm…” he muttered as he pulled the iron off again, “A bit, er, ‘fru-fru,’ aint she?”
Applejack blushed, “Yeah, yeah, I know.” Then she smiled, “But she’s just so…well, you know. I seen you an’ Sugar Belle makin’ eyes at each other.”
It was Mac’s turn to blush as he seemed to stare more intently at his work on the nut he just loosened, “Hey now, jes’ cause you caught us on th’ front porch…”
Snickering, AJ hefted the axle back up a quarter inch after letting it sag a bit, “Jus’ sayin’, big bro, y’aint got stones t’throw.”
“Think she’ll live on th’ farm?” he replied with a wry smile as he went to work on the last lug nut.
Now Applejack turned VERY red, “I…that…but…now don’t get ahead o’ yerself, Big Macintosh! We only just started datin’, it aint time to talk about livin’ t’gether yet!”
Macintosh simply snickered as he tugged on the tire iron.
The Apple’s house was originally built nearly a century prior to replace the previous house that the family had originally built nearly a century before that, and the lumber that could be salvaged from the original building had been used to construct the new home’s porch. A pair of rocking chairs stood on the porch and were presently occupied by an interdimensional refuge and a teenaged diplomat.
Sunset was smiling as Rarity talked. Not that Rarity could say for sure that Sunset cared what she talked about, per say, but then one didn’t necessarily have to be fully engaged to be a good listener, one just had to show one’s audience that you were there and not allowing yourself to “zone out” or get distracted. “…and of course I have tried to explain to mother that it’s not just a matter of picking any old bit of fabric, it has to have the right weave or the right cut or it simply won’t work for the outfit.”
Rarity did remember, with vivid detail, that the pair of them had been in nearly this identical situation before. The weeks leading up to the Spring Fling were particularly bitter-sweet. In Sunset, she had found someone that was not only her intellectual equal but seemed to be able to keep up with her interest in fashion. A few questions had been odd at the time, questions that made much more sense in hindsight now that they knew Sunset had spent close to a quarter century as an equine that didn’t wear clothing most of the time, but at the time Rarity had attributed them to simply “playing the fool” in the conversation so her creative juices could be kept flowing. And it had worked wonderfully, allowing Rarity to achievements that she hadn’t expected to make until she was more experienced and well after high school would be over.
“But then mother always seems to have the sense of a naked mole rat and the tact of a ball-peen hammer,” the fashionista continued with a roll of her eyes, “The other day she asked me if Applejack and I were ever going to ‘settle down and get ourselves husbands once we got over this phase,’” she made liberal use of the exaggerated air quotes as she spoke
Sunset’s eyebrow rose as she met Rarity’s eyes for the first time in several minutes. “Well,” continued Rarity, as though the other girl had actually spoken, “Of course I wasn’t going to let that slide, but you know my mother, she’s from…well…her generation. They did have that weird ‘purity’ movement that took hold briefly after the hedonism of the 70’s, so I can’t say I blame her, really. She just doesn’t quite seem to really understand sometimes.” She waved an alabaster hand dismissively, “She really does try, the dear, she gave Applejack a gift of a flannel shirt for her birthday as an apology.”
Of course, the casual way she could discuss her relationship with Applejack was entirely due to the fact that she was ‘out’ to the whole school and several social steps beyond that. Sunset was, of course, directly responsible for it. Her reign as Spring Fling Princess depended on a perfectly timed political move on Sunset’s part to find any small tidbit of possible scandal, no matter how seemingly trivial or whether it was even truly problematic. That Rarity grew up in a household where same-sex attraction was frowned upon was her deepest shame at the time…which of course in retrospect was silly. Hindsight being 20/20 and all that.
At Sunset’s quizzical look, she rolled her eyes, “Oh, you and I both know Applejack took to it like, well, like ‘a pig in a fresh new mud waller’ as Applejack would say,” she intentionally over-enunciated the countryism, “But of course mother hadn’t a clue what Applejack’s preferences were, she simply bought a flannel shirt for both of us,” at Sunset’s snicker, she rolled her eyes again, “Yes, darling, I know, but she bought them because,” air quotes again, “’That’s what girls like you like, right?”
Sunset’s hand raised to her mouth was clearly instinctual as it did nothing to hide the mirth that split her face into a grin.
Rarity pouted, “Yes, yes, darling. It’s funny, but at the time it was simply mortifying.”
Of course, her father had breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Now I don’t have to worry about figuring out a shotgun cleanin’ routine for some dirtbag boy until Sweetie’s old enough to date!” As almost tackily blasé as it was, the simple statement of relief was leaps and bounds better than dealing with her mother, who proved without a shadow of a doubt where Rarity got her ‘drama gene’ from. However, once the nearly two weeks of lament and metaphorical gnashing of teeth (“Good girls don’t grit their teeth, dearie, it’ll give you wrinkles.”) passed, the older Belle had proven she loved her daughter and accepted her choices and acted in accordance with her understanding of the situation…which was always less than optimal.
Further conversation, monodirectional or not, was interrupted by a deep, shouted, “LOOKOUT!”
“If’n you don’t pay closer attention to those apple’s yer choppin’, I’m takin’ the knife away and makin’ you make the crusts,” the near centiginarian voice popped the bubble of introspection Celestia had been stewing in.
The principal blinked and glanced down at her hands, which were thankfully unmarred by errant knife slices. She sighed and set the knife down and leaned her head against the cabinet that hung over the counter she was working on. “You’re right Granny,” a ripple of amusement crossed her features, still tickled after all these years at calling another fully grown adult she wasn’t related to ‘Granny,’ “My mind just refuses to focus on anything but what’s going on at school.” Straightening her posture, she took the hand towel off her shoulder and wiped her hands before crossing from the kitchen to the dining room and slumping down in one of the old wooden chairs that flanked the large table. “It’s…just so big, and what am I doing in the middle of it all?
The older woman carefully draped the pie crust she had just finished up into a pie tin and began wiping her own hands on another towel. “Well, now,” she began as she lowered herself into a chair next to the principal, “That’s somewhat obvious t’me, but I think this’s prolly one a those things that y’gotta figure out on yer own. So why don’t you tell me about it?”
The pair were silent for a long moment, the old grandfather clock that had been in the house since Granny Smith was a little girl gently ticking away the time.
Finally, Celestia spoke, “It’s…it’s the way they look at me.”
Granny Smith simply grunted and raised her eyebrow.
“The Equestrians,” Celestia clarified, “The guard, Princess Twilight, Princess Luna…even Sunset still gets the look every so often. They look at me like I’m…like I raise the sun every day.” Even as her brow pinched together, she grinned ruefully, “And, of course, Princess Celestia actually does raise the sun every day…as though I needed yet another reminder of how much more perfect she is than me.” Granny snorted dismissively, but before she could say anything Celestia continued, “Oh, I know, she’s hardly perfect and there have been problems and Nightmare Moon was a thing for them and she makes mistakes…but then we’ll be in meetings, and I’m on my fifth cup of coffee and my pits are sweating under my suit jacket and I can feel the bags under my eyes and I still have two meetings with heads-of-state, the last three class periods, finishing paperwork for the district, and that’s all before I go home and have to take care of Sunset and work on the curse…puzzle…wall…thing and make dinner…and then she comes into the meeting, looking like a freaking Fires-of-Isis princess escorted by people that practically worship her…and she wants to take Sunset from me.” At this, Celestia leaned on her elbows, her hands clasped in front of her and her hair dropping into a veil over her face.
Granny just reached out and clasped Celestia’s hand gently.
“And, I mean, what’s to stop her?” she took a shuddering breath, “She’s nice, and she’s polite, and at this point I’m pretty sure she’s got the feds eating out of her hands…hooves…whatever!” a sniff punctuated her confusion succinctly, “I’d thought of asking Princess Twilight for help, but honestly, if the Equestrians were a Princess Celestia cult, Twilight would be her high priestess. I can’t help but think that if she just asked the question outright, ‘Can you make her give me Sunset?’ they’d all practically jump at the chance and suddenly the adoption papers would mean…nothing.”
Silence once again took hold in the kitchen, the muted ticking serving as a Hellenic chorus to Celestia’s lament.
The silent ticking was suddenly punctuated by muffled shout followed by the entire house shaking and a thunderous crash of metal on wood.
A deft lift and a propping up of the jack-stand later, Applejack was enjoying a brief rest as Mac set the wheel with the bad tire aside. They’d have to take the whole thing into the city later to get the tire replaced, but they did have a spare, which Mac retrieved along with a pair of bottled ciders from the cooler.
They stared off at the distant horizon as they consumed their drinks. They had often spent hours in conversation, even some familial debates, but they were both old enough, one on the cusp of adulthood and the other already there, that they understood that sometimes the silence spoke as much as the words.
Macintosh glanced over at her, and AJ saw out of the corner of her eye that he started speaking several times before finally saying something, “So…ambassador?”
Applejack snickered, “Eeyup. M’thinkin’ Twi wanted to make sure the government couldn’t touch us. I mean, good call an’ all, but now I got both th’feds and the Equestrians wantin’ me to have a protection detail.”
Mac snorted along with his sister, “Figure you’d prolly wind up protectin’ the protection detail. Just the way you are.” So saying, he tossed back the last of his cider.
The smile faded from his sister’s face ever so slightly and he knew she had more to say. Best to let her get to it in her own time, so he just set the bottle on a nearby flat surface on the tiller. Her distant gaze slowly turned into a thousand yard stare, “Th’ girls RD hurt are back at school. Dash was practically tripping over herself to apologize and they…they were terrified of her. I never seen Lightning Dust afraid of anything…I mean, never did hang out with her much, but I never saw the look on her face like that, and her two cronies…” she finished the last of her cider and put her bottle next to her brother’s and locked eyes with him, “What’re we becoming, Mac?”
Her older brother gazed off in the direction of the forest, a habit she recognized as looking to the tree that marked their parent’s gravesite on the farm. They couldn’t see it from where they were, but after years of looking to the inosculated pairing of an apple and a pear tree when they needed to remember their parents and their guidance, both siblings tended to do it when they needed a little emotional boost to manage whatever they were struggling with internally.
A few breaths later, Mac stood, absently dusting off the seat of his pants then bussing his palms together, “I’ve been listenin’ in on the talks that Princess Twilight likes to give ‘round you and the girls when y’all have your overnights here. Now, Ah’aint any sorta magical expert, but from what I understand, seems like you girls were picked ‘cause you were you.” He met her eyes briefly and quirked a slight smile at her confused expression, “Seems t’me that Rainbow didn’t become no wizard, she became more Rainbow Dash. ‘n Pinkie? Well, she certainly seems t’be more Pinkie ‘n ever.” The third time since the Fall Formal the girl had shown up in their kitchen at the crack of dawn without coming through any door or window just to ask for a baking or cooking ingredient of some sort was about when the whole family had stopped asking how it was happening and just sort of went with it. “Whatever you become, it’s not gonna change who you really are, not deep inside.” He put a hand on her shoulder, “Yer an Apple. An’ you know what that means better even than me. Prolly only Granny understands as well as you do.”
Five years ago…
Applejack giggled as her father stumbled about beneath her, “Oh no!” he gasped in exaggerated faux concern, “The cursed Country Princess has blinded me, the king o’ the Farmin’ Giants! Whatever shall I do?” The girl knew her father could probably see right through the gaps in her fingers as she cupped them over his eyes, herself almost blinded as his hat, several sizes too large for her, slipped down and covered half her face. She knew that he knew that she knew, but that was OK, because it was all a silly game, and it was fun.
“Bright Mac,” came her mother’s voice, “You better be careful around that farmin’ equipment. I don’t want either of you injured. ‘course, you let Applejack get hurt I’m takin’ it outa your hide.” The stern command was cut with an amused lilt in the voice. Applejack knew her momma wasn’t going to do anything, not really, but she also knew that rough-housing time was over.
Sure enough, her father’s ambling stumble leveled out as he gently lowered himself down to a kneeling position and chuckled ruefully, “You heard your mother, apple-seed, time t’get down.”
Even this was part of the game, she knew, and she let out a loud, bellyaching, “Awwww, but maw!”
Pear Butter simply chuckled, “Well now how’s my favorite taste tester gonna be able to tell me if we’re getting the apple fritters for dessert right?”
Applejack gasped, “Woo-hoo!” and scrambled off her father’s back and ran towards the house. Her Granny was waiting for her on the porch, wiping her hands on a tea towel, a dusting of flour on her apron. “We’re havin’ apple fritters, granny?!”
The older woman giggled, “’as right, lil’ sprout.” The older woman turned to the couple, “Bright Mac, y’all better not take too long in th’ barn. Mac’ll be comin’ back with th’ truck and’ll need a place t’park it. Y’all still got that stuff from when Applejack was born all strewn about, t’aint barely got enough room to step in there.”
Pear Butter giggled at her mother-in-law. “Mac’s such a good boy, just got his driver’s license and already helpin’ with the chores. The sooner we get that new basinet…just wish we’d known the carpenter bees’d gotten into the packin’. Just glad the exterminator’s pretty sure they stuck to the softwoods in the boxes and left the barn alone.”
Bright chuckled, “Well, he may be doin’ it to get into town to see some girls ‘sides the one’s he’s related to. I ‘spect we’re not gonna see him ‘til after dark.”
Pear elbowed Bright in the ribs gently. Her husband’s quiet “oof” was not quite loud enough to be heard over her reply, “Not my boy, he’s more responsible than that. He knows I’d tan his hide if he kept lil’ Applebloom from havin’ her own bed.”
Bright Mac nodded sagely, “I tell ya, I didn’t have sisters growin’ up, but he does me proud with how much he takes care of the girls.” He caught his daughter’s eye and winked at her. Applejack giggled conspiratorially at her father even if she didn’t quite know why.
Pear wrapped an arm around her husband, “Granny, I’m gonna join Bright in the barn, see if I can cut down the work time on getting all that stuff back in the loft.”
Granny frowned slightly, “Now you two be careful. I know the inspector said he didn’t see any signs the barn’s wood was et, but it’s an old barn…”
“We’ll be careful, Granny,” replied Pear, “And you know this galoot wouldn’t let me do anything that he thought’d be unsafe.” She playfully squeezed the arm around Bright Mac’s waist.
Bright Mac just chuckled fondly at his wife as Granny led Applejack into the house and the couple went to the barn.
“Granny,” began Applejack, “C’n ah help feed Applebloom?”
The matriarch chuckled and winked at her granddaughter, ‘What’cha thinkin’, apple fritters?”
Applejack cackled, “Naw, Granny, she’s too little!”
“You sure ‘bout that?” Granny replied with a grin, “Why, I remember when you were knee-high to a grasshopper, you kept beggin’ fer apple fritters, even when we gave you th’finest cream.”
The girl giggled, “Granny, I was 2, not jes’ born!”
“Right y’are, sprout. Now let’s…”
Whatever Granny was about to offer was interrupted by a horrid sound, one that would forever resurface in Applejack’s worst nightmares from then on. It sounded like the baying of a wolf if that wolf were made out of decayed and rotting wood. Then the ‘crunch,’ as though the impossible wolf had snuffed the life from its prey. Like a shot, the pre-teen girl launched herself back out of the house and halted at the edge of the porch, unable to quite grasp what she was seeing.
The great red barn, the one that had stood for as long as Applejack could remember, laid in ruins on its foundation. One of the walls fell away from the structure, which looked as though it had split in two across the joists of the loft and just dropped on itself. Dust still swirled and eddied in the air.
“Momma…?” Applejack choked out. “Daddy!?” tore from her throat, starting to constrict with dust and fear.
She leapt of the porch and straight at the collapsed structure. “MOMMA, DADDY!!” she cried as she stumbled to a halt. Not knowing anything else to do, she reached out and grabbed at a joist that was now jutting from the ruins and heaved upward…but the wood didn’t even budge. She was screaming nearly incoherently, so didn’t hear the sound of Granny Smith’s running footsteps behind her. She only barely registered when the older woman wrapped her arms around her torso and pulled her away, the matriarch still wielding plenty of strength from her days as one of the primary producers of the farm before her son and daughter-in-law could take over, and then her grandchildren.
Granny barely registered the screaming and flailing of her granddaughter as she held the girl close, sparing only enough time to realize even if she had the tools that were now buried in destroyed lumber, her children, both the one she’d birthed and the one she’d welcomed into her family, had preceded her into the undiscovered country.
The old woman felt every single minute of her life for a moment…then lifted the now sobbing Applejack into her arms and hurried into the house to call emergency services. Maybe the Allmother might grant them a miracle…
Present…
Applejack smiled across the orchard in the direction of her parent’s tree. She turned back to Mac and grasped his outstretched hand, pulling herself to her feet. “Well, when y’put it like that, I can’t hardly sit here mopin’ and worryin’ about it, now can I?”
“Eenope!” he replied with a smile as he gave her hand a familial squeeze and then turned to pick up the replacement wheel.
Applejack, laced her fingers together, stretching her arms and popping her knuckles, then stretched her neck. A determined air was the only prelude to her kneeling down, cupping her hands underneath the tiller axle again, and tensed to heave it up again.
Mac would later swear he had no idea what caused him to turn, but in the moment, he could swear he felt as though the earth beneath his boots seemed like it deflated, just a little. It didn’t actually move, but the feeling that somehow it had just been sucked in the direction of his sister caused him to look over to her, only to see a sudden glow flash around her as she lifted…
…and stumbled back as her heave turned into an extremely dangerous caber toss. Applejack stumbled back and fell to the ground, smacking her head against the earth. The tiller arced high into the air, turning end over end, and he realized where it was going to fall. “The house…” he half whispered as his feet started him moving before his brain engaged that he’d never make it before it fell. “LOOKOUT!” he bellowed as loudly as he could.
Dimly, he recognized Applejack scrambling to her feet and chasing after him, only to start to pass him as they rounded the barn just as they heard a tremendous crashing of the tiller landing. As they approached the farmhouse, they saw the overhang collapse under the weight of the tiller onto Rarity, just missing Sunset. The tiller lurched further down, hammering the debris, causing Sunset to be launched backward by a board on the porch floor levering up on its support joist. She landed a few feet away from the porch, the air knocked out of her as she hit with a graceless thud. Just as they thought the tiller had stopped falling, a sound like an electric air bag split the air and a sphere of blue-white energy, seemingly made up of diamond facets, explosively pushed the tiller up and a large chunk of the debris from the house away from the spot Rarity had been occupying. In the center of the sphere lay Rarity, wood crumpled around her, seemingly unconscious.
Applejack’s pained, strangled “…no…not again…!”
Everything seemed to all start happening at once. An orange-yellow nimbus sprung up around Applejack’s body as she pulled her fist back and slammed it into the glowing sphere. Granny Smith and Celestia came out through the door of the house and stood in shock at the sight of the tiller collapsed across the corner of the building. Applebloom stumbled out shortly after, her face paling at the sight, before saying, “I’m gonna get some help!” before charging back into the house. The sound of Applejack’s fist slamming into the glowing sphere cracked through the air like a gunshot.
Mac and Granny rushed over to where Applejack was while Celestia rushed over to Sunset. When they got there, forced to stand several feet away by a flailing Applejack as she wound back to kick the apparent force field, they could see Rarity. Apparently out cold, one of her shins was pinned by a support beam that had dropped onto the girl’s leg in the crash, held in place by the magic radiating out from the girl, keeping the tiller in the air. With Rarity unconscious they couldn’t be sure, but the leg looked to be broken.
“CON,” Applejack’s curse was punctuated by her fist smashing fruitlessly against the barrier, “SARN’D,” the other fist slapping the energy wall, “MAGIC!!!” she spit as she wound back for another blow.
Sunset grasped the arm, but Applejack didn’t even look back, just whipped her arm around until Sunset flew another dozen feet away with another gasp of air. Celestia ran to help the mute girl up as Mac tried a hand at calming his sister. “Jackie!” he snapped as he wrapped his arms around her torso, lifting her to pull her away. Her elbow hit his ribs and with a reflexive “Oof!” he dropped her back to the ground, where she charged back at the barrier and began smashing at it again. From her vantage point, Granny Smith could see the girl’s eyes starting to glow green and whisps of black smoke starting to leak from the corners. “Applejack!” she cried, “Get a hold of yerself!”
“I CAN’T LOSE HER TOO!” screamed the farmgirl. Two more retorts blasted their ears as her fists resumed their pummeling, “I CAN’T!”
Celestia and Sunset stepped up beside Mac, the young man turning to each side to see the women bracketing him with determined looks on their faces. Nodding, he started forward, the other two following his lead. As his sister stopped for a moment to catch her breath, he ducked in, grasping her around her torso. Celestia grabbed one arm about to lash out and Sunset quickly followed up with the other. Sunset, being the smallest of the group, was lifted up off the ground, but since Applejack didn’t have the leverage from before, she simply dragged the arm back down instead of being flung away. Even the much taller Celestia was being jerked around.
Sunset moved to reach for Applejack’s face but was yanked away by the girl trying to shake her off. Applejack’s eyes didn’t even seem to register Sunset’s attempt, they were still staring at the glowing sphere. Just when it was seeming the three would be able to get Applejack under control, the heel of her boot smashed into Big Mac’s shin. It wasn’t hard enough to break the bone, but it was enough to get him to reflexively drop her again, and this time both Celestia and Sunset were tossed away and Applejack resumed her pounding on the sphere. The four onlookers approached the girl warily, not sure how to proceed. Into the stalemate ran Applebloom, coming from around the farmhouse instead of through the door this time. The group turned to the girl, Granny Smith speaking for them, “Bloom, didja call fer help?”
Applebloom was doubled over, far more winded than a quick run to a phone would account for, holding up her cell. “Yeah…Granny…called,” she paused for a deep breath even as another crack of noise came from the sphere. Celestia and Sunset turned to see that this time Applejack had hit the barrier so hard she’d damaged her knuckles. Blood dripped down the surface, tracing symmetrically around the diamond shapes. Applebloom swallowed a breath, then continued, “Called SweetieBell. She’s got Scootaloo’s number, and Scoot’s has Rainbow Dash’s number. Got on a group call an’ Twilight was with Rainbow. They’re gonna get some royal guards an’ an ambulance an’ I guess agents out t’the farm ‘soon as they can.”
Granny Smith flinched at the sound of a wet ‘thwack’ as Applejack slammed her fist into the field again, “Sakes, girl, what’s got y’breathin’ like a steam train?”
Applebloom smiled with a hint of mischief, “I was gettin’ help.”
The lack of sound where there had just previously been the loud retort of magically powered fist against magical force field blasting their ears like an oversized clock was as deafening as the earlier noise. They collectively turned to Applejack, surprised shock on everyone’s face as they beheld a woman with gray skin and striped black-and-white hair styled in a mohawk. Gold rings adorned one arm and her neck, large, looped earrings in either ear, and a simple skirt and halter combination covered her beneath a dark tan cloak. Hanging from one shoulder was a canvas bag that looked like it first saw service back during the last world war with a stylized spiraling sun design stitched in yellow thread. The other arm was outstretched, the hand firmly holding a segmented bamboo staff, pushing Applejack’s arm into extension away from the force field.
Applejack turned to face the woman, snarling, “I told ya before, witch, y’aint welcome on this here farm!”
A corner of the woman’s mouth quirked upward even as Granny Smith tsk’d in exasperation. “I don’t think your friends and family would agree,” the woman began, “But it looks like you are using magic, not me.”
Celestia blinked at the rhythmic cadence to the woman’s speech. “Who…?”
Applebloom spoke up, “This here’s Zecora, she’s lived on the edge of our farm for years, but Applejack don’t trust her on account a’some rumors at the co-op about her.”
Applejack roared in anger and swung her other fist, this time at Zecora. The woman didn’t seem at first to react, but simply seemed to flow around the wild swing, the tip of her staff arcing up to rap Applejack in the back of the head, causing the girl to stumble forward. Before she could recover, Zecora struck the back of Applejack’s knee, causing her to further drop into a kneeling position. So smoothly it looked like a dance, Zecora reached her free hand into her bag and pulled out a small paper pouch, put the corner between her teeth and tore it off. As Applejack rose to her feet, the green in her eyes blazing brighter than ever and black smoke practically fountaining out, Zecora poured the powder into her palm, then blew it at Applejack’s face as the girl was preparing for a charging attack.
As abruptly as the charge started, it stopped, Applejack falling to her knees, coughing and sneezing to expel the powder from her nose and lungs. The eldritch light in her eyes flickered out and the smoke dissipated completely as the emotional fugue was short-circuited.
Sunset observed the interaction with intense interest, then reached into her jacket pocket to retrieve her phone. She set about tapping on the screen, first with her thumb, then with her other thumb.
Celestia, meanwhile, rushed over to her student, “What was that powder?”
A twinkle in her eye, Zecora held out the plain paper packet, “Medicine used for acne, fever, and inflammation. Powdered aspirin, a requirement for any field surgeon.”
Applejack was not finished, though. Pushing herself to her feet, she stumbled back over to the sphere. The desperate urgency that had dominated her actions was gone, but the determination was not. More calmly, but no less forcefully, Applejack pulled her fist back and bashed it against the dome.
“Jackie, y’gotta stop! Whatever magic is puttin’ that dome up may be the only thing keepin’ Rarity alive!” Granny fretted and gestured up to the tiller that was still pressing down against the dome.
Applejack turned a haunted gaze at her grandmother, “Ah know Granny, but it’s also keepin’ us from getting’ to Rarity to get ‘er out from under the trailer!”
Celestia put a hand on her student’s shoulder, “We don’t know enough about magic, Applejack. Let’s wait for Twilight, I’m sure she can…”
“That’s my worry!” Applejack cried, “What if it gives out before Twilight can get here? It takes th’ambulance 45 minutes to get here, and that’s with their sirens going!” she shook her head and turned to the shield, belting it again with a magically assisted punch. With the attention off Applejack’s earlier panicked behavior, it was easy to see Rarity’s body flinch back with the impact against the energy barrier.
“The power at play is the boon and curse; what is saving her could summon the hearse. An incense to calm the nerves and rouse the sleeper will ensure we foil the coming of the reaper,” said Zecora in her cryptic cadence.
Celestia’s head cocked to the side as she examined the relative stranger. “Are you saying you have something that can help rouse Rarity? Something that will get through the barrier?”
The gray skinned woman nodded sagely, “That it lets through air to breath is quite apparent,” a quick glance showed that dust kicked up by the impact was settling to the ground through the shield, even as the larger debris that fell, such as dirt and splinters, were bouncing or sliding off the shield. “Young Applejack should listen to her grandparent.”
Applejack glared at the woman, “I listen to her plenty,” she retorted, “I also know we’re all in over our head.” She sniffed derisively, “It’s y’all, I don’t trust!” So saying, she pulled back her hand to make another swing at the sphere, only to have an orange hand grasp her wrist.
Startled out of her swing, she glanced over at Sunset, fiercely gripping her arm with one hand and holding her phone out with the other. The mute girl locked eyes with Applejack, and held the phone out and tapped it with her thumb.
“Trust me, trust her,” Issued forth in a mechanical voice.
The people who interacted with Sunset on a regular basis stared in shock. Zecora looked on in curiosity, not interrupting.
“Sunset…you aint never made that thing say anything but yes, no, an’ maybe…why aint you used this before?” Applejack exclaimed.
Celestia spoke up, “I…knew that feature of the software was advertised, but when she didn’t start using it…I guess I forgot it was there. It has a limited dictionary, no more than a couple hundred words, so the user could form a sentence longer than a word or two with the preprogrammed responses.” She looked to her adopted daughter with hope, wondering if they would be able to make more progress on their questioning and tests if Sunset could form more complex responses.
Sunset was ignoring the principal. She squeezed Applejack’s wrist tighter, gently shaking it as she tapped the phone again.
“Trust me, trust her,” it said again.
Applejack lowered her arm, looking pensively down at her girlfriend. Breaths all around were held for a moment, before she turned to Zecora and with steel in her voice asked, “Alright. What do you need?”
Sunset let go of the other girl’s arm and stepped back as Zecora moved in to stand next to Applejack.
Events moved quickly after that. Zecora began barking orders as efficiently and firmly as any emergency room doctor receiving a new patient. Within minutes, a small camp stove had been set up and an old frying pan set on the lit burner, wood chips and herbs slowly cooking to their smoke point. As that work commenced, a cardboard moving box was retrieved along with a drywall saw, and a smoke chamber was placed around the burner. With just a few more moments, smoke started to pour out a large, cut opening in the side of the box facing the shield, and a small battery operated fan was held up next to a smaller hole cut in the opposite side. The fragrant incense began filtering into the sphere, and within moments Rarity started to stir. Without needing to be directed to do so, Applejack and Big Macintosh scrambled up on top of the debris and braced the tiller and with little prompting Celestia was summoned to Zecora’s side in case Rarity had to be pulled out from under the farming equipment quickly.
With a pained gasp, the young fashionista awoke. “Ah! What…?”
“The incense will be helping with the pain, but the picture of calm you must remain.” Instructed Zecora.
Blinking in surprise through the haze of pain lancing up her leg, Rarity turned her head to see who had spoken. Curious eyes roved the woman up and down before she asked with a groan, “Oh, a tribal healer. I wasn’t expecting that on the farm.”
Chuckling at the non-sequiter, Celestia asked, “You recognize her? Have you met her before?”
Rarity winced and gasped as she tried to shift but was met with more pain from her leg, “Oh, no, I found a book on Zebrican fashion at the central library and there was an entire chapter on the history of fashion in the medical industry.” Tears started to streak down her cheeks, “If I may ask, why am I still pinned down? I assume an ambulance has been called…oh my!” she gasped, “Well, I believe that,” she paused as she made a pained gurgling noise, “That answers my question.” She pointed up with a shaking hand, “What is that thing and how did I get under it?”
“A magical barrier designed to protect seems to be a thing you can wield. Unfortunately, against those that can help it also seems to shield.”
Confused, Rarity turned to Applejack’s concerned face, “You’re the source of the shield, china-doll,” Rarity blushed and tittered with a slightly embarrassed glance to the others at the use of a pet name, “It popped up with the tiller hit ya, and now we can’t move you or the tiller with the bubble in the way.”
“Oh dear,” Rarity moaned as sweat began appearing on her forehead, “Um, I seem to be having a hard time thinking of anything but the pain. I imagine it works like the magic Twilight and the other Equestrians have demonstrated…but they all seem to need to be able to focus, which I’m having a hard time doing…oh dear…” she repeated, shivering starting as her body started going into shock.
Zecora nodded down to Applebloom, who lifted the smoker box off the camp stove, then poured the contents of another packet into the small frying pan before replacing the box. Turning back to the trapped girl, Zecora instructed Rarity to breathe deeply of the smoke. Within minutes, the shivering had stopped, and the pinched look on the girl’s face had relaxed into a near stupor. Applejack and Macintosh had been instructed to breathe shallowly so as not to be impacted by the soporific effects of the incense.
Without warning, the dome flickered, then disappeared. Mac and Applejack both grunted with the sudden exertion of catching and holding up the heavy farm equipment. Applebloom yanked the cardboard away and grabbed the camp stove by the base, cranking the knob controlling the flame off, and letting the pan fall to the ground. Zecora toed the pan out of the way with her boot as she and Celestia darted forward, Celestia grabbing and lifting the board pinning Rarity’s leg as Zecora eased the broken limb out before simply grabbing the girl’s hips and pulling. As soon as it was clear, Celestia dropped the board and grabbed Rarity’s arms, and the adult pair pulled the teenager out.
After glancing around to confirm that everyone was clear, Applejack turned to her brother, “On the count of three, we let go and jump away, got it?” At his confirming nod, she started, “1…2…3!” As one, they pushed away from the tiller and the void that had been left by Rarity’s shield and bounded backward. The tiller smashed to the ground, crushing even more of the porch railing and deck.
Applejack watched the dust and debris settle where Rarity had just been and turned pale. She bent over and put her hands on her knees gasping gently. Her brother put his hand on her back and just gently rubbed, letting his sister process what they had just accomplished.
About that time some sirens could be heard in the distance. They all turned to the front entrance of the farm, seeing a small caravan of vehicles on their way. “Tch,” grunted Rarity from her position on the ground, “Isn’t that just like the government, always showing up after the hard work’s been done.”
The group looked at the injured girl incredulously, then started chuckling at the absurdity.
Twenty minutes later, the second ambulance had been loaded up with a vehemently protesting Applejack accompanied by her brother. Zecora had been insistent that they go along, given how much of the smoke of the incense they had inevitably inhaled. Granny had gone with Rarity in the first ambulance, and with the injured and peripherally drugged individuals shuttled off to the city proper, the federal agents and Equestrian guard that had come along to escort went back to the city as well.
With the action finished and the adrenaline starting to ebb, Celestia took a centering breath and surveyed the damage. At least we have Equestria’s help to get this fixed this time, she shook her head and smiled at the sight of Applebloom cleaning up the spilled ash and embers from their smoke box under the direction of the Zebrican woman. So many questions for her, but I can’t help but be grateful… Leaving the pair to their task, she turned in place, searching for…ah, there she is!
Sitting on a haybale facing away from the farmhouse was Sunset. With a start, Celestia realized the girl hadn’t been part of the action to rescue Rarity since her use of her phone. Now slightly concerned, she started over to the girl rather than calling for her. As she approached more alarm bells were ringing in her head. The girl was…still. She could be seen breathing, but she wasn’t moving her head, there was no motion in her shoulders, she wasn’t even making the odd fidget that humans did to keep comfortable in a sitting position. Her posture was hunched, shoulders shrugged up, as though her head were too heavy to hold.
Hurrying slightly, she rounded the haybale to see Sunset was holding an odd posture. Her seated position allowed her to rest her elbows on her knees, her hands cupped in front of her holding…nothing. Her gaze was aimed at her hands but seemed to be focused on nothing. Below the girl’s hands was her assistive phone, lying face down in the dirt. Celestia knelt down and retrieved the phone and put it in Sunset’s hands…which it promptly fell through, the fingers not gripping and the device just dropping back down to the dirt.
“Sunset?!” gasped the principal. She grabbed one of Sunset’s hands, which slowly, almost hesitantly curled to hold her hand. She reached down and grabbed the phone, attempting to put it in the girl’s other hand, but the hand didn’t close around the phone. She gently removed her hand from Sunset’s and tried putting the phone in its place, as she knew that hand worked just fine…but it also failed to close around the phone. “Sunset!” she snapped louder, more desperately.
Dropping fully to her knees and letting the phone fall again, she cupped Sunset’s face in her hands. The girl’s eyes looked in her direction, but they weren’t focused. Thousand-yard stare, unresponsive… she felt the stirrings of panic as she recognized the look; Sunset had collapsed back in on herself, right back to the same state as when her friends had found her standing on the train tracks. “Sunset, sweetheart, please…you’ll be fine, we’ll find out…we’ll…” her own words started to die in her throat as she realized that they had no idea what the cause of this latest development was, let alone how to fix it.
She began fighting the urge to break down in tears. Unable to even begin to think of what she should do next; she just pulled an unresisting Sunset into an embrace. Dimly, she was aware of another person standing between her and the setting sun, casting a shadow over her and her daughter.
“Applebloom tells me that Sunset is cursed, the cause of it unknown. Perhaps I can render aid that shouldn’t be postponed.”
Celestia sniffed back a sob and looked up to see Zecora standing over them, staff in hand and a curious Applebloom holding the woman’s bag.