Shattered Realms

Chapter 2

For Her Eyes Only

Applejack awoke with a start to find Pinkie standing directly above her.

"Gah! What are you do-.....did I oversleep!?"

"Nope!" replied Pinkie in her customary cheery tone. "I just thought you would like a sunshiny, friendly face to be there when you woke up!"

Rising laboriously from her bed, Applejack stretched and rubbed her eyes. Even through squinted eyelids Pinkie's beaming face was clearly visible. Applejack gave a weak smile in response.

"Thanks for thinkin' of me Pinkie," she said as she put on her favorite hat. "But next time, you don't need to sit on me."

"Oh, whoopsie! Sorry 'bout that!" Pinkie said when Appplejack gave a loud "Ooof!" as Pinkie stepped off of her.

Applejack gave a final yawn and headed out of the room, Pinkie Pie cheerily bounding behind her. Applejack's nose tested the air and a warm smile spread across her face. A delicious scent was wafting up from the kitchen.

"Mmm, somethin' sure smells good, doesn't it Pinkie?"

"Sure does, and I'm glad you think so too! That's my new super special breakfast that I made before I came and woke you up!"

Although Pinkie had her quirks, one could always count on her to be a magnificent cook, not to mention a magnificent friend. In Applejack's book, these two ingredients made for one fine breakfast.

"Well Pinkie that was mighty considerate of ya. I certainly am famished. What did'ja whip up this mornin' anyway?" Applejack sniffed the air a few times, "No mistaking the smell of baked apples there. Mmmm, (sniff) honeyed oats as well."

"Yessiree! I just used a few things I found around your pantry. Just a few apples, oats, honey, and batter. I call 'em Applejack Flapjacks!"

Applejack couldn't help but chuckle at the name. "Ha! That'll fit in just perfect here, so long as they don't replace me!"

"They could never replace you, Applejack! They couldn't buck apples nearly as well, or even eat apples nearly as well!"

"Maybe, but I bet..." she stopped right as she and Pinkie reached the bottom of the stairs. Their friend Twilight Sparkle burst through the front door, breathless.

"Twilight?!? I didn't expect you here this morning! You're just in time for some breakfast!"

All Applejack received in response was Twilight's anxious face as she struggled to find her breath.

"What is it? You seem like you've got something important to say, Twilight," said Applejack knowingly. "Whatever it is, I hope it can be said over a good breakfast. Did you get a whiff of the vittles Pinkie's whipped up? Why, they smell nearly as good as..."

"There's no time, Applejack!" burst out Twilight breathlessly. Then, quickly turning to address Pinkie, she inquired, " I need to know where exactly you planted the Bloomoon last night."

"Umm, well sure! Applejack and I can both take you out to where we planted it!" said Pinkie, a slightly quizzical look on her face.

"Hold up a second," interjected Applejack. "Just what is the fuss and worry all about?"

Twilight stomped her hooves impatiently. "I'll explain to you both on the way, but we need to get going now!"

"Alright," sighed Applejack, "breakfast will just have to wait."

With that the three exited the Apple's house at a brisk trot through the back door.

You could not ask for a more pleasant morning on the Apple Farm. The sun was shining warmly through a cloudless sky. Calm morning breezes gave birds and butterflies a pleasant aerial terrain to glide about within. The breezes carried the various rich scents of the Apples' orchards and mixed with the scent of recently damp earth. All the sights and smells of this beautiful morning were wasted on the three preoccupied ponies. As they left the back porch, the warm and sweet fragrance of Pinkie's Applejack Flapjack's followed them a short distance. Applejack felt her stomach rumble longingly.

"I hope this won't take too long, now what exactly is all the hullabaloo about here, Twi?"

Applejack quickened her pace to catch up to Twilight so that she might hear her explanation.

"That Bloomoon you two planted last night may be in danger. I'm not yet sure myself what kind of danger. Princess Luna wanted word of this whole endeavor to be uncommon knowledge, but I'm afraid word has gotten out somehow."

"Well I'm glad you told me before I accidentally let the word slip, Twilight. You can bet that I will keep this tight, but in the future I suggest you let a pony know before something like this comes up," said Applejack with a wink.

Pinkie looked worried upon hearing this. "Oh! Was I supposed to be keeping a secret about planting the Bloomoon, Twilight? I'm sorry. Applejack and I both planted it together, but we haven't told a soul! Well, not a soul besides Zecora. I didn't know that..."

"I know you didn't know, Pinkie," interjected Twilight. "It's my fault for not telling you to keep a secret right when I asked you to plant it. Even so, I know both of you can keep this secret from ever escaping our circle. I am quite certain that neither of you let the word get out."

Their pace quickened as they neared the clearing where Pinkie and Applejack had planted the magical flower the previous night, and breathed a collective sigh of relief to find it still rooted firmly in the ground. Without the ethereal moonlight to bask in, the Bloomoon looked less luminous, but no less delicate in the morning sun. The light filtered through its petals, revealing a remarkably complex network within them. The patterns within seemed geometrical and crystalline, as if each petal was made of snowflakes. The three approached it, closely examining it for any damage.

"Whew! Thank goodness! It seems to be perfectly fine"

Applejack wiped sweat from her brow, breathing heavily.

"Ugh! T'aint right workin' up a sweat like this before a proper meal!"

"At least it's safe for now," sighed Twilight. Her unicorn horn glittered and her eyes closed in momentary concentration typical for casting of a spell.

"I've cast a spell to keep anypony from getting too close to it. It should hold long enough."

"Long enough for what?" asked Pinkie.

Twilight didn't seem to take notice of Pinkie's question. Already turning to leave, Twilight motioned for Pinkie and Applejack to follow. "We should hurry back now. Princess Luna is expecting a report on the plant's condition."

Confused, Applejack inquired, "Just how big a deal is this little plant anyway?"

"Princess Luna herself has charged me with the proper growth and security of this magical plant. I'm not yet sure what it is for, but if it has anything to do with what she told me about while I was in Canterlot, then it is of utmost importance."

Applejack shook her head. "I'm just about through with all these halfway explanations. You're gonna have to give us the full scoop on this whole thing. I wanna know just what we're getting our hooves into here."

Twilight hesitated. She knew that she could put her full trust in any of her friends, but trust was not what concerned her most.

"I..can't tell you everything right now, girls," sighed Twilight, "Pinkie, I'm sorry I got you involved in this whole matter in the

first place. I just can't risk the two of you knowing any more about this than you do already."

The three approached the farmhouse, only to be met by Applebloom suddenly bursting through the back door. She frantically ran up to meet them.

"Sis! There's a couple 'o big guards here to see Twilight! Where is she?" Upon noticing Twilight, her eyes widened. "Oh, Twilight! There's some..."

"Wait....what!?" exclaimed Twilight, galloping inside without so much as a glance at the bewildered Applebloom. Pinkie and Applejack followed swiftly behind her, equally confused.

"Hey! Can't I get some kinda explanation for this!?" came Applebloom's plea, only to be answered by the loud slam of the farmhouse door swinging shut behind Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie's delicious breakfast, now growing stone cold, was still sitting uneaten on the kitchen table. Granny Smith, despite the commotion, was snoring away in her favorite rocking chair. The rustic and homely scene of Apple's house was interrupted by the presence of two stately royal guards standing imposingly in the front doorway. Both stood a full head taller than any of them in the room. Except for their manes, tails, wings, and faces, none of their bodies were visible beneath the stately silver armor they both wore.  At first, one could not be sure there even were bodies beneath the silver shell, for their coats were jet black. One could look into the helmet and see nothing but darkness and a pair of seemingly disembodied eyes.

This was the royal guard of Her Majesty, Princess Luna, whose sworn duty was to protect the princess above all else. That they would be here in Ponyville was strange indeed.

"The princess must be here herself," thought Twilight. After her close encounter on the streets of Canterlot, Princess Celestia had ordered much firmer security and a personal guard for her sister. In light of recent events, would Princess Luna dare to send her personal guard away from her side? Could the safety of the princess rely on her royal guards being present in Ponyville if the princess herself was not here? Twilight shuddered to think of what that might imply.

"Sirs, where is the princess now?" inquired Twilight. "I can't imagine she would send her royal guards away, not after the recent events in Canterlot."

One of the jet black stallions stepped forward. His armor made no sound as he moved and his hooves made hardly more than a faint tick on the wooden floor. "We would not be here if it were not in the interest of Her Majesty's safety," he replied sternly. "We demand to be taken to the Bloomoon at once."

"Yes sir, at once." Twilight, infused with a sense of duty, ushered the two stallions through the house and out the back door. Applebloom, who had not left the back porch, watched them pass with mouth agape. The two moved like shimmering phantoms, with such fluidity they seemed to be flying rather than walking.

The profound lack of noise the pair produced as they moved disturbed Twilight slightly. She knew that they were following, but made so little noise that she could not be sure how close they were to her. Her heart did a summersault as she turned to see them gliding right next to her, their shimmering helmets winking occasionally from beneath their flowing black manes. With a chill, Twilight thought of the Windegoes, the mysterious wintery wraiths that fed on the negative emotions of ponies. From the descriptions of Windegoes in her books, she could easily picture them right beside her in a suit of silvery armor, and wreathed in dark billowing clouds instead of ice. As she pondered the overall aura the royal guards cast, it began to make more sense why Princess Celestia would order such enigmatic and fearful guards for her sister. Protection was as much about mental presence as it was physical. But she didn't have much more time to think about it as they were fast approaching the spot where Pinkie and Applejack had planted the Bloomoon.

"Pinkie! Applejack! In my rush, I'd forgotten all about them!" Twilight mentally scorned herself for running out on her friends like she did, but she knew they would understand. The gravity of the guards presence asserted the need for haste.

As they approached the Bloomoon, Twilight lowered the protective ward she had placed earlier.

"Here it is, sirs," Twilight said, breathlessly. She noted how, despite their quick pace, the two stallions showed no signs of fatigue.

The frail flower took in the combined shadow of the two stallions as they approached it steadily. They bent  their heads to carefully scrutinize the Bloomoon, making sure that no harm had come to it in the short span of its existence. After a short while, they both ceased their examination, satisfied with the condition of the flower. The one who had first spoken to her narrowed his gaze toward Twilight.

That was the first time she had looked directly into the eyes of either of the guards. She had been avoiding their eyes as their other features, by comparison, seemed less disturbing. But now she could not avoid the directed gaze of the ebony stallion. When she looked into his eyes, she could not look away. The eyes of that stallion were a pure and brilliant white. So beautiful and captivating they were she did not want to look away.

"We find the condition and growth of the Bloomoon to be satisfactory, but it must be protected from any harm until it has reached maturity. It is therefore necessary that we keep constant watch over the Bloomoon until that time."

His voice suddenly snapped Twilight out of the trance she was slowly falling into. She blinked, and averted her gaze from his captivating eyes.

"What on earth are these creatures? " She cast the thought aside.

"Of course, sirs. I understand," she responded. "I will personally see that you have all you need for the next few days. I can provide you with food, water, and any oth-"

"That will not be necessary," interjected the second stallion.

"I'm sorry?" Twilight said, taken aback.

"We will not require any physical sustenance. We wish to only be free of distraction or interruption until the Bloomoon has reached maturity. You may leave now." He dismissed her with a wave of his hoof.

Twilight struggled to inquire further, but the piercing gaze of the stallion's brilliant eyes and the commanding tone in his voice dissuaded her. She turned and left without a glance back, the gaze of the two stallions following her until she reached the tree line.

Over the hill a short way off, she could see Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Applebloom running to meet her. She suddenly realized that she had been holding her breath since she had left the presence of the royal guards. The thought of their imposing figures and wraithlike movements, their chillingly calm and commanding voices.

"And their eyes!" she thought with a shudder.  So deep and enchanting their gaze was. She had lost herself in its ethereal beauty. How had she become so enraptured by them?

"Twilight! Everything okay sugar cube?"

"Hmm? What? Oh...yes," came her hesitant response.

"You seem a bit...off," Applejack said, concerned. "I can see it in your eyes. You don't seem all...here right now. Did something happen?"

"No....no. Nothing....happened...."

Twilight began to drift off again. What about those eyes had held her in such a spell? She tried to picture what had just happened. Those eyes were so deep, so flawless. It was just like holding up a gem to refract the sunlight. If she moved at all, that perfect image might be lost.

"Twilight!" Pinkie's voice broke through her daze.

Twilight shook herself and saw her friends staring at her with concerned looks.

"It had something to do with those guards, didn't it. Right when I saw 'em, I knew somethin' was off about 'em."

Twilight nodded wordlessly.

"In that case, I don't think we should dally 'round here. 'Taint doin' any good to any of us."

"You....you're right, Applejack. Let's head back. There's nothing more we can do here right now."

Applejack paused in mid-stride. "Wait a sec, are those two just gonna stay there?"

"Yes, they are. They are going to keep, around-the-clock watch over the Bloomoon until it is fully mature.  I knew that Princess Luna needed this flower, but I did not think her need would be so dire to send her royal guards to protect it."

"What's a little flower going to do for Princess Luna's safety?" asked Pinkie.

"If you knew more, then it would be your safety at risk too, and I can't let that happen."

"Whoa there, girl. I don't think you fully understand."

Twilight looked over to Applejack, who was staring back sternly.

"Appljack, I know what you are going to say, but I don't...."

"No, I won't hear it," interrupted Applejack. "You listen to me. We're your friends, and we care as much about your safety as you do ours."

"I know you want to help, but please, this isn't....."

"You don't want us to get hurt, and I understand that. But you can't just brush us off that easily. Whatever danger you're trying to protect us from is also a danger to you."

"Applejack...please..."

"We may be at risk if you tell us, but we'll be sharing that risk together. We'll have each other's backs. If one of us gets into some trouble, we'll have an idea of what to do."

"But you don't know what..."

"Nothin' doing, sister. You need us to share this burden with you, whether you know it or not."

Twilight heaved a great sigh. Applejack could be particularly stubborn when it came to assisting her friends. There was no point in arguing the matter.

"Applejack...are you finished?"

"Depends. You gonna share the truth behind all this?"

"You know, you can be very stubborn at times."

"Pssh! And you aren't?" huffed Applejack. "Look at what you've been trying to keep from us! By not telling us you hope to protect us, but do ya think your friends are just gonna stand by and wait for somethin' bad to happen to you?"

Twilight could see the pleading resolve in Applejack's eyes. Her friends meant the world to her. She knew that they all cared as much for her as she did for them. She sighed deeply, her heart heavy and torn.

"Applejack, Pinkie, I know this will be hard. Hard for all of you to accept this. I'm afraid this is how it must be. What I know.... the thought of what harm might come.....I simply can't...."

Twilight bowed her head sadly as she trailed off.

Applejack noted her friend's distress and felt slightly ashamed to have kept pestering her. She gently raised Twilight's chin with her hoof.

"Hey, Twi? I'm sorry I kept buggin' you to tell us. You just mean so much...to all of us, that I can't bear the thought of you carryin' some potentially dangerous secret all by yourself. I care too darn much about you! We all do! And you know that if ya ever need help, we're here for you!"

"Yeah!" added Pinkie, "We'll always be there for you when you need us! Like that time you got captured by dogs so that you could hunt down gems for them! We all came looking for you, remember? Oh wait, that was Rarity, wasn't it? Oh! But how about that time...wait...no, that was Fluttershy. Oh! But then there was that time...."

"I think what Pinkies gettin' at is that we're all gonna stand by you, no matter what! We're all friends, and we'll do anything to help you out."

"...Just like the time that you....no, no....that was Rarity again. But, wasn't it you who...."

"You don't need to tell us this secret, sugar cube. We know that you're just tryin' to protect us. But help us help you too. If anything at all happens, you come to us and we'll be there to help, licketty-split!"

Twilight perked up, gladdened by the love and understanding of her friends.

"Thanks for understanding, girls. It means a lot to me. If I ever need help, I'm glad I can count on you."

"You can count on me too, Twilight!" burst Applebloom, who had been listening the whole time.

"Thanks, sweetie!" said Twilight, chuckling.

Applejack's rumbling stomach gave everybody a sudden start."Well, I'm sure starvin' now, girls. Pinkie's breakfast has likely spoiled by now, too."

"Nonsense!" Pinkie exclaimed, gleefully. "With good friends around to enjoy it, a breakfast is never spoiled!"

"I s'pose I could agree with you there, but we should head back now. I'm afraid if I don't get some food in me soon, my stomach might just shrivel up like a leaf, then I'd never be able to enjoy yore cookin' again!"

"That just sounds silly, Applejack!" said Pinkie, already trotting back to the farmhouse. "I don't think your stomach has the will to give up, not when there's splendiforous food around!"

"Look who's talkin' here! I seen you clear a full table faster'n you can say 'pickle barrel!'"

"Pickle barrel? What about Kumquat? Or even.....say it with me....Chimicherrychanga!"

"You started it," said Twilight, grinning over to Applejack.

"Yeah, gimmie a good smack before I do somethin' stupid like that, please?" said Applejack as she put her hooves in her ears.

"....Pickle barrel! Kumquat! Pickle barrel! Kumquat! Chimicherrychanga!...."

Pinkie Chimicherrychanga'd all the way back to the back porch of the farmhouse, the others following behind with exhausted expressions.

Back at the field, the two silent sentinels stood obdurate before the flower, Pinkie's giddy chanting becoming fainter and fainter.

"Their presence is a sufficient distance from us, brother."

"The time is exact. The preparations have been made, brother. I am fully at your disposal."

"Excellent. We have not a moment to spare. Let us begin."