A/N: I don't think I've ever truly hated a chapter before. But this one, this one accomplished that. I am sick of looking at it, thinking about it, and just over all having to deal with it. I want to move on for cryin' out loud! So, fed up with it, and not even wanting to deal with it anymore, I sat down this morning and just wrote the stupid thing just to be rid of it. So, GOOD RIDDANCE! I was kind of surprised that it started writing itself after I got the first two pages done. Part 2 will... Should... Hopefully... (I beg that this statement is true)... be up tomorrow, and my more northern readers may hear my shout of joy when I finally finish Part 3 and kiss this whole dang set of chapters goodbye and can write Interlude and Revelations without worry.
Part One
Tea Time.
“Well, as Fluttershy is pre-occupied, I suppose I shall tend to the gardens for her. That is, after all, what best friends do,” Rarity said sweetly, smiling at the others, “and, it needs to be done anyway.”
The other girls returned her smile, and the white alicorn gave a small playful bow towards her friends before turning and disappearing through the front doors. The second her purple tail disappeared around the door frame, however, the royal advisors shot in four different directions; Each one shepherding one of the newly appointed Alicorns to the task they deemed the most fitting.
Unfortunately, there is a reason why Celestia had four advisors where most Rulers would only have one. While each advisor individually was brilliant in their respective fields, they were somewhat short up on common sense, and more often than not it took the four of them together to come up with anything intelligent. They had not discussed this together before hand, and were thereby flying by the tips of their tails.
This should be interesting, no?
Applejack warily eyed the lemon green mare, known as Cheery Chimes, happily trotting before her. Aside from saying, “This way Lady Applejack, your Highness,” she had been completely silent apart from the snatches of song she occasionally hummed.
AJ looked around slightly before clearing her throat.
“So, uh, what is it exactly that Ah’m doing?”
Chimes looked up and over her shoulder to smile at the young alicorn. “You’ll be in charge of High Tea for the foreign dignitaries that will be arriving this evening.”
Despite the completely cheerful and trusting tone that those words had been said in, or perhaps because of it, Applejack slammed to a stop as she paled ever so slightly.
“High Tea?” She repeated, her green eyes shrinking slightly at the prospect as everything in her begged that she had heard wrong.
“Uh-huh!” Chimes giggled, before coming to a stop herself as she realized that Applejack was no longer following her. “Something wrong, My Lady?”
“Ah can’t do no High Tea! Y’all should be asking Rarity, or Twilight-“
“Oh, don’t be silly! Of course you can do it! You’re royalty, after all.”
There was that blindly trusting smile again. Something about it left a sour feeling in her gut, much like how one’s stomach would churn after blunderingly drinking spoiled milk.
“No, Ah can’t.” Honesty blurted, panic quick to rise. “Ah ain’t got no clue how to do a High Tea!”
Cheery Chimes looked at her with more than a little surprise, eyes widening at the thought. Then, the bright violet orbs slipped shut as an angelic smile slipped across the mare’s lips.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”
Before Applejack had a chance to protest this leap of faith, Chimes looked over her shoulder again to add sweetly;
“And anyways, Twilight has a super important job even more important than this one! Oh, and Rarity has some special duties as well to attend to, once she gives the royal gardens her seal of approval… If you were to just pass it on to them, why, you’d be even worse than a burden! And we wouldn’t want that, would we?”
Applejack gulped.
The orange alicorn blinked as they stepped into the small room that had been used for the High Tea since Canterlot Castle had been built. Soft cream walls, polished black marble floors that glittered softly like the night, a wood table that seemed to hold stories and magic all its own- They all caught her attention in the immediate second she had stepped into the room. It was a startling feeling, one she couldn’t help but wonder about its source. Was this part of being an Alicorn as well? And if so, it was certainly a strange part.
“…jack”
A tiny part of Applejack’s brain tugged at her, like a filly on one’s tail when desiring attention. The rest of her mind, however, was still taking in details, and wondering about various things, each fragment of her mind going in another direction until there were so many mutterings, whispers, dreams, desires and images, that Applejack almost felt as if she were floating away into something greater.
A sound outside of it all bid her mind to tug harder, but was ignored as her senses shifted again. She could feel so many little sparks around her, each bright and unique in its own way, wishing to be nurtured and grown. She could hear hundreds of whispers, like old friends and allies wishing to greet her again… Lonely ones, wanting care, bold ones, wanting attention, vain ones, wishing to display their prides and joys. Yet, before her mind could really wrap itself around any of it, or for that matter, simply learn a single name, the tiny fragment of her mind pulled her out of her reverie with a deafening-
“LADY APPLEJACK!””
AJ jumped a good five inches off the ground, her wings partially unfolding in instinctual response. Cheery Chimes was glaring at her from her side, as several maids and butlers looked on questioningly with more than a hint of worry. Applejack blinked again, her head aching gently, and feeling rather foggy after what she had experienced. She shook it to allow the fog to clear slightly, before blinking at Chimes.
“Err, sorry, what?”
Cheery narrowed her eyes for what was barely a heart beat before giving her throat a dainty clear, and smiling sweetly once more.
“We’re waiting for your direction, my Lady.”
“Oh. Uh, right,” Applejack muttered, looking around to see what had been set up, just to see that the room was so far empty aside from the single worn table. “So, Ah guess first things first would be to get the table set up and the grub agoin’.” She said briskly, trying to take charge as she would during so many family reunions.
Get the “grub” “A going”? Honestly.
Ewww, that is so gross. What a terrible way of saying things.
Great. We have a hick for a Queen.
How could Celestia leaves us with such a fool…
Applejack blinked again, looking at the ponies before her, who were looking at each other with perplexed but polite expressions. No one had spoke. She shook her head rapidly once again to clear the strange whispers that had echoed out, sarcastic, mocking and disappointed… Maybe the stress of this all is getting to me. She muttered inwardly.
“Something wrong, your Highness?” Chimes asked sweetly, looking up at the orange Alicorn with a look of angelic concern.
“Uh, just wondering why nopony’s movin’.” Applejack offered, the half-truth still tasting sour to her.
“We need a little more direction than that, my lady.” One of the maids coughed, looking a little awkward. “I mean, we need to know what dishes you wish for us to prepare.”
“Why not whatever you prepared last time? Ah imagine there’s no reason why you can’t stick with old favourites, right?”
The maids looked at each other again, eyebrows going up despite no-one saying anything. For that matter, Applejack couldn’t even see any hint of emotion or expression on their faces.
Doesn’t she know anything?
Why couldn’t we get someone with two cents of sense in here…
She’s going to ruin everything just like she did the gala.
Applejack blinked again, her ears swivelling to try and find the source of the whispers. They were going to get a telling to when she tracked them down.
Cheery Chimes gave a delicate cough. “Aha, you see, my Lady, each meeting, we prepare a single main dish from one of the foreign countries that they hail from. Naturally, we change the country each time so everypony gets a turn.”
Applejack’s pride bristled at her tone. She was speaking to her like she was a first-grade school filly. The young alicorn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do at all to lose her temper. Macintosh always said she had a hair-trigger one when she got stressed out or overtired, but she was determined to prove him wrong.
“So, last time, we did a dish from the exotic country of Sophor… So it’s…” Cheery paused to look down at a piece of paper she pulled from her mane. “..Gullit’s turn.”
Calls herself an advisor and can’t even pronounce the country’s name right.
If she sticks around I’m throwing her out before she starts a war.
Great. We apparently have two idiots preparing High Tea this year. Just lovely.
Applejack ignored them as best as she could and leaned down to look at the paper. Foreign symbols wrote out “பேடா”. She had no idea how you were supposed to pronounce that either. She made a mental note to ask Twilight later… When she wasn’t busy with whatever the important duty she had been assigned. Being Celestia’s personal student meant that she had probably gotten the most important of the lot, so AJ was determined not to bother her until it was done.
The main problem at hoof, however, still stood. Which was, of course, that Applejack had never heard of the country of “பேடா” and therefore had no idea what-so-ever what kind of national dishes they had.
“Well, what kinda dish would you recommend for them then?” She asked gently, looking at the maid closest to her. “Ah bet y’all been doing this a lot longer than Ah have.”
Asking us for help. This is pathetic.
You’re right, I have doing this a lot longer than you. Perhaps I should have been put on the throne instead. At least I wouldn’t mess up the first thing I was asked to do.
Just shoot me now.
This is going to be disastrous.
Doesn’t she know anything? No wait, I already asked that. Answer? DUR NOPE.
That last one stung. As Applejack struggled to silence the voices in her head, and fight back the tears that were trying to form, a part of her made note to hug Derpy the next time she seen her.
“I’m sorry your Highness, but it wouldn’t be proper for us to choose the dishes.”
The maid spoke in such reverent and polite tones, her refusal sounding wholly sincere. Yet, AJ couldn’t help but feel as if she had been one of the ones that were whispering… No, wait, that couldn’t be right. She hadn’t spoken until now. Heck, none of them had so much as opened their mouths until she had addressed them. Perhaps I’m just losing it.
“Okay, we’ll get back to the main dish later then. Let’s figure out the little ones first.”
Little ones? Can’t she even say “side platter?" No, I bet she doesn't even know what that means.
I swear, if she picks some sort of hillbilly apple dish- I-don’t-know-what-thingy, I’m just going to jump out the window and put myself out of my misery.
Applejack’s idea of doing apple fritters was hastily put aside. Quickly, she started wracking her brain at what Rarity usually served during those fancy schmancy tea parties she held occasionally.
“How about egg salad sandwiches? They’re nice and simple, and an old favourite, to boot.” She offered, trying to pull up a confident smile.
The maids balked at her and one of the butlers didn’t quite manage to suppress a groan.
Just when I thought she couldn’t say anything dumber.
Is she trying to offend ponies?
Applejack’s ears wanted to lay flat against her head as she fled and hid somewhere safe and quiet, but her pride and obstinance refused it. She racked her brain with a hint of panic, trying to remember the names of the dishes that had been served at that Garden Party in Canterlot that they had inadvertently crashed.
“Errr, how about ‘Cuisses de grenouille’?” She asked, her pride in pronouncing it correctly quickly smashed by the renewal of the whispers.
I take it back. Now she can’t positively say anything dumber.
Why don’t we just declare war on ourselves and be done with it…
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. What else would you expect from an uneducated hick?
She should just go back to her little farm and play in the dirt. It’s apparently all she’s good for.
Looks like Celestia really did lose it in her last few moments. What was she thinking?
Do I really have to stand here and listen to this idiocy? Really? I hate my life.
Applejack’s gut felt like someone was scrunching it up like an old newspaper.
“Lettuce and Tomato..?” She squeaked out weakly, her ears flat against her head, and all her strength placed in rooting her to the floor rather than running away.
“That’s a lovely idea. Lettuce and Tomato sandwiches would be quite nice as a side platter.” The eldest maid said sweetly, smiling at her before trotting off to order it from the kitchen.
I wonder if she busted a brain cell coming up with something that smart.
It’s about time she actually managed to say something intelligent.
Hallelujah. It’s a freakin’ miracle!
Despite finally getting what appeared to be a right answer, the whispers didn’t stop. They never did either. Even as she struggled and guessed through question after question, seating, silverware, china, decorations, music- It didn’t matter what she said, right or wrong, confused or fake confident, they wouldn’t silence. They just slowly got louder, more numerous, more exasperated, and more bitingly sarcastic. With everypony before her still smiling politely as their inner voices devoured her from the inside out.
What does she think this is, a square dance?
Oh that’s a charming idea, seat the Sophor diplomat beside Sadem. That can’t go wrong! We’ll just have a little old murder, that's all.
Right right, because if we decorate in those colors, they’ll totally think we’re awesome! And not stupid and overly prideful. Yah huh...
Are you even trying?
We’re doomed.
What an idiot.
Okay, now I’m worried. ‘Cause apparently, the Elements of Harmony, the very things that are keeping us safe- Are complete idiots when it comes to picking bearers. Did it just close its eyes and go “Eenie Meeny?”
Honesty doesn’t equal intelligence apparently.
Please be quiet. Her own voice drowned in the din.
We can’t use the Forest China, Feabitter would have our heads!
I never thought I’d believe in dumb blondes, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.
Apparently with the Elements, it’s “No Takebacks!”
I pity the poor soul who poured his heart into making that regalia. His masterpiece, worn by a fool.
I wonder if Twilight kept her around just for the food. Nah, I bet it was the cute brother.
Please…
Are you sure her parents died, and they didn’t just abandon her because she was a retard?
That one, that one was the last straw. Everything holding her together just dissolved into bitter ash at those words, and she finally broke. Tears poured from her eyes as the young alicorn turn tail and fled through the doors, them slamming open with enough force to crack them in the wake of her gold magic. One of the guards jumped as she tore past him, her hooves desperately trying get her away from the noise. She could still hear them. Still mocking, criticizing, looks like she had wrecked things even further now. The door was an antique. Well that was just great, wasn’t it?
“My Queen! Are you alright? Queen Applejack!”
She could hear someone chasing after her, a pitying voice calling after her, but she didn’t care anymore. She didn’t want this regalia. She didn’t want this job. She just wanted to hide in her room and hug her Mother’s Stetson and cry.
Now if they knew she could read minds...
Whoa. That's alot for AJ to break down. I feel bad for all of them, but there's nowhere to place blame. Great chapter! Even if you hated it...
I'd fucking yell for them to shut the fuck up if they can't do it better. I'd probably also tear whoever said that about parents a new one.
"Think you can do it better? No? Then shut the hell up!"
1750954
I hate it a little less now that I see that finishing it got me on the featured board again XD
You know... I wish I could have been there. I probably would end up in the Royal Dungeon for a month or two (per royal
pain in the fucking assadviser and servant) but it would be totally worth it to teach thesemotherfucking sons-of-bitchespompous snobs what a barroom brawl is all about!Good chapter.
I HATED this entire ordeal. Poor, poor Applejack
That was painful to read, I agree. They did not show one ounce of compassion for her, not even after they made their ruler cry.
That, of course, is assuming it was actually their thoughts. Which it probably is. Poor Applejack.
Yay, update. Great chapter, that comment about Big Mac and then the one about her family must have hurt AJ quite a bit.
"lemon green?"
what a sad chapter. I kind of wished AJ bucked everyone out the window!
Poor AJ...
I don't think it is like Applejack to run away and cry, it would be more like her to explode in anger and tell them all off. I am sure they would be more careful in the future whonce they learn that she can read minds. Was this what inspired this chapter?
Wait, are you the one who asked me to PM you any errors I find instead of commenting them?
1751552
No, I don't watch any of the abridged pony fansodes.
And yes, Applejack would explode in anger and tell them all off... If they had said it to her face.
As it is, think about it from a third person view-
You're standing there, the room almost completely silent as a single Alicorn guesses at dishes. You can see her getting more discouraged as her wrong guesses are met with sweatdrops and silence, but no-one says a word. She figures out a correct dish, and is praised for it. Then, this process repeats, with other things, and you can see that she is getting noticably discouraged and upset, despite everyone being very nice.
Now, if she were to blow up, and tell everyone off suddenly, out of the blue, you would think she was psychotic- Because you, much like everyone else in the room, wouldn't know that she's been hearing everyone's inner thoughts.
As it is, she just runs off upset, with only a single guard having so much as a clue as to what's going on.
Heck, even Applejack doesn't KNOW what's going on, she only has the faintest of hunches, all she knows is that she feels like a fool dressed up to be laughed at, and wants to go home. You can't really blame her for that. After all... The inner demons are the worst kind.
Well, this could have gone better for AJ... Not planning on making her the Rodney Dangerfield of the new Alicorn Queens, are you? Were I in AJ's position, I'd want to find a way to change these ponies' opinions of me somehow...
My reaction: I can hear their thoughts... I can HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS!!! Oh you little worms... you have no idea what I'm going to do to you all now...
GAAA Poor Applejack
Sad? Hug a derpy
1751670I can quite easily think of something I'm sure is much more rage-inducing. If anypony dares to ask what it is I will comment with a picture of It.
How incredibly unrealistic. I'm sorry, but those "thoughts" they are sending at her seem more like the fears a thirteen year old girl has at her first dance. I understand the point you were trying to make but it was a real stretch.
Why would they expect a farm pony from the south to instantly know, with no training or previous experience whatsoever, what colors to decorate with? And why wouldn't Applejack have immediately known that Rarity was more suited to this task and that Applejack herself should tend the gardens instead? Meh, get that it's for plot development, it just seems like a sloppy false dilemma. Oh well, I still like the story, and I'm still looking forward to next chapter.
1751989
Part of the thing that makes it all so bitterly stupid is that their expectations are ridiculously unrealistic.
And, well, I think I know what you're trying to say about Rarity, so I'll point out two things-
One, Applejack DID immediately get that it would be way better for Rarity or Twilight to be doing this, and said so.
Second- Pride makes fools of us all.
But if it seems like a stretch, I can understand that, every beginner author has to pull on things a little to get the character/plot development to work with them, and I am no different.
...Get my rope. I intend to hang her ENTIRE KITCHEN STAFF.
1751989 Because none of the four advisers have any sort of intelligence when it comes to coming up with ideas by themselves. Therefore, its entirely at the fault of the idiotic adviser who felt that Applejack would be the perfect candidate to lead High Tea instead of the prim and proper Lady Rarity or Twilight Sparkle, the Canterlot native and personal student of their previous ruler.
And the telepathy is going to drive Applejack crazy for a while, I'm sure, but it certainly will make her the best at finding and foiling espionage attempts against Equestria.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
For some reason, I kept imagining a rather Celestia-like response to some of those thoughts.
Thought: "I swear, if she picks some sort of hillbilly apple dish- I-don’t-know-what-thingy, I’m just going to jump out the window and put myself out of my misery."
AJ: "If you're going to jump out a window, I'd suggest the north tower, that should be tall enough to ensure the job gets done right."
Then see who reacts to having their internal thoughts unexpectedly responded to... and possibly aid them in their plan.
...Okay, not very Applejack, but the thought still amused me.
1751989
I dunno, some of those thoughts are pretty close to what I often end up thinking about my coworkers, albeit with fewer expletives. In my own defense, however, these are people who have been trained and
shoulddo know better.1752250 can i have a place in the next chapter or some chapter that includes murder BECAUSE I WANT TO MURDER THOSE MAIDS WITH A FUCKING WEAKON OF MASS MURDER!:discordedderpy:
1752585
Dat response.
You just made me LOL XD
This is very...intense
1752585>>1752928
Ditto. That response is 100% Celestia approved.
1751670
Well it's your story, but I cannot understand why you would reject the mentally advanced series so quickly.
We have the racist
the tramp
the lunatic
the drunk
the ditch
the Scotsman
and whatever the yellow ones name is.
Especially the parasprite episode is great. It is the only one where we meet the great dictator . We learn that she can actually hear Twilights thoughts. Kind of spooky considering one of her hobbies is to torture ponies.
1750942
The term "Royally fucked" comes to mind....
My response?
I would be thinking this: Careful with those thoughts, my lovely dears, or you will find yourselves the first victems of Nightmare Jack! Ahhahaha!
Then smile and watch as the staff freaks out.
Poor AJ.
So, is she just delusional? Or is it some kind of a side effect or a new power granted my her Element after the Ascention? Like, being an Element of Honesty she can now hear the honest truth that everyone around her really thinks, despite the polite lies they are saying out loud?
If it's the latter, then I feel sorry for the other girls and what problems thy are going to have.
are all rections I have when reading this chapter, good chapter though, sometimes, we need an unpleasant chapter
On one hand, I can't fault the nobles for thinking bad stuff about Applejack. She's making failure after failure after failure. It makes sense that they'd groan internally at the newb. On the other hand, she doesn't pick up a single sympathetic thought, or even a single "No, no, no! You should be doing [appropriate action] instead of [social disaster]." that she could take a cue from. That indicates that either everyone else in the room is a very single-minded asshole, or her mind-reading ability is deeply flawed. The first case is unrealistically extreme, and the second seems like a weird thing to put into this story.
1756279
It is flawed yes, as it is neither fully developed, or intentionally running so to speak. She completely accidentally turned them on when her newborn magic flared up, and when she tried to turn it all off again, (As she barely she knew what she was doing) she didn't quite manage, so all she's picking up on are the stronger ones.
Unfortunately, when you have a very stressed out staff that are just as panicky as the new Queens, worried about what's going to happen, missing Celestia and scared of change- Well, the strong ones are going to be the negative ones. There are a few positive/useful thoughts, and indeed there are probably some strong enough to get picked up on... I just didn't cover it, because if I covered all of the events, the chapter would be ridiculously long, which would get dull most likely, and I did not want to work on this thing anymore than I have to at this point XD
Once again, my readers have let me explain stuff I can't figure out how to slip in narration ways XD
1751064 Amen to that!
1756924 lol There is a legit reason for my penname
1756946 Welp, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's not actually because you are Rainbow Dash and traded flying for biking but are infact a person who enjoys biking and you think Rainbow Dash is best pony.
1756955 and brawling...
BITCHES THAT MAKE MY AJ CRY GET STITCHES!!!!!! if thats the standard train of thought amongst the Canterlot nobility, i understand Blueblood a little more.
twilight needs to hire new staff and FIRE THOSE ASS WHIPES
Four royal advisers that need to come up with ideas together otherwise they cant do sht eh?
I would say "To the moon" But that jokes gotten kinda old.
Jerks from Canterlot....
Now see, I meant to update today, but, quite unexpectedly, a job thing came up, and I ended up unable to do so. Eh heh heh, oops...
So, hopefully, if I get the chance, I'll be able to finish up part 2 (It is for the most part written) either on Saturday or Sunday... Which I have to say is unfortunately rather unlikely.
Monday seems like a MUCH more achievable ETA, and so I'll go with that.
My apologies ^^'
Don't be too hard on them AJ, they're just being honest!
*reads the thought about applejacks parents* .............. :flutter rage:I WILL RIP THAT PERSONS HEART OUT AND FORCE THEM TO EAT IT FOR THAT!!!!!!!!!!
I'm bout to jump into this story and hurt this dignitaries. They made AJ cry. That thought about AJ's Parents.... *looks at the dignitaries* KALLI MAH! KALLI MAH!
1778975
The dignitaries aren't even there yet-
That's just the staff.
Real chummy, ain't they? XD