The cavern of Harmony was beautiful, illuminated as it was by the crystalline tree that gave it its name. The soft blue light danced mesmerizingly across the walls and glinted coyly off the gems that decorated them. Beneath the tree, cushioned softly between the petals of a flower, lay the box in all its majesty.
Twilight Sparkle gazed at it, held in place by a wicked trepidation that had gripped her since she entered the forest. What was wrong with her? The mystery had been solved, she was about to lay eyes upon the gift Harmony itself had given her—to learn a secret that eluded even her esteemed mentor!
But still she stood, frozen in fear and anticipation, mere steps away from her prize. Six locks, six keys, a week ago it had seemed so elaborate! But now, with the keys wrapped in the gentle embrace of her lavender aura, it was all so clear.
Her struggles with the box had nearly driven the young princess mad, so obsessed with uncovering the truth she’d locked herself in her library, refusing to see anyone. Fortunately her friends were not so easily dissuaded, and with a little help from her loyal assistant they bypassed her wards and cornered Twilight in her room. After much sharing of feelings and maybe a song or two, she found herself being paraded through the market for some ‘fresh air’.
~~~
“I really don’t see how this helps me figure out how to open the box,” complained Twilight. Her friends had managed to get her away from her books, but she certainly wasn’t going to be happy about it!
“It ain’t about openin’ the box, sugarcube, it’s about spendin’ the afternoon with your friends.” Applejack flashed her a smile so genuine Twilight couldn’t help but return it, despite herself. “Now come on, Ah heard somepony got their hooves on fresh peaches. If we’re lucky we’ll be able to nab some before they’re gone.”
The mention of her favorite fruit—and fresh at that—brought a spring to Twilight’s step, and together the two friends approached Peachy Keen’s stall. A grin spread across the earth pony’s face as she noticed her favorite customer. “Golly, Twilight, it sure has been a while hasn’t it! But you’re in luck, this harvest was extra big, and I’ve still got a few peaches left!”
Twilight cold barely contain her glee as she closed the distance and practically forced her bit pouch upon Peachy. The mare happily bundled up a large quantity of the furry little fruit (Twilight suspected she’d saved her a couple, in addition to the ‘few’ she had left) and waved goodbye as Twilight hurriedly searched for somewhere to enjoy her plunder. A nearby picnic table would do nicely.
Applejack laughed out loud as Twilight meticulously placed the peaches upon the wooden surface. This was an important part of the ritual: she had to examine every inch of each peach and determine their quality, and then rate them in comparison to peers and then line them up from good to best (for there were no ‘bad’ peaches). One by one she produced the produce from her bag, shuffling the peaches around and placing them each in their proper position. That is, of course, until she came upon the final peach.
Applejack’s expression changed from humored at her friend’s antics to genuine concern. “Twi, are you alright? You’ve been starin’ at that one peach for ten minutes now.”
Twilight jerked back into reality and turned to face Applejack. Her eyes shined with fresh tears and a she wore a look of pure bliss. “Applejack, this peach… This is the perfect peach! It’s a ten out of ten on all nineteen peach-scoring categories, and two more I had to make up on the spot—look!”
If Twilight noticed the confused look on Applejack’s face, she didn’t show it.
“…That’s great, sugarcube, so are you going to eat it?”
The thought of merely being in the presence of such perfection was already too much for Twilight—but to eat it? She couldn’t possibly… But the more she thought about it, the more it fit. She could pass this Equestrian wonder off to some peach-authority or scholar so it could be preserved and appreciated for years to come. Or, she could become a piece of peach history. The princess who dined upon the paragon of peach kind. Murals would be painted of this moment, colts and fillies would hear the legends and pass them down through the generations! Songs would be written! Twilight knew what she had to do.
She caressed the peach with her magic, drawing it slowly towards her mouth. She savored the moment before she pierced its soft skin, and shuddered when the first wave of juice brought her taste buds to life. What she couldn’t contain in her mouth oozed down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. Ponies looked on in awe at the canal display as each bite brought another burst of pleasure upon the young alicorn.
But like all of life’s perfect moments, it did not last. Soon only the pit remained, and Twilight was forced to sit—the display having sapped every bit of her energy.
Applejack stared at her, perplexed. Twilight knew she would never understand, and sheepishly smiled at her companion. “Sorry about that…”
Applejack just shook her head, words had forsaken her, and pointed a hoof. Twilight shied away from the gesture until she realized she was not the target of Applejack’s shock. Before her, still wrapped in her levitation spell, was the peach pit. But it was no ordinary pit.
“A key!” Twilight cried in glee, leaping towards Applejack with a new found second wind. She wrapped her hooves around the other mare’s neck in a hug that would make a boa constrictor blush. It wasn’t until Applejack’s orange coat had turned a peculiar shade of blue that Twilight released her. “Come on,” she said as her friend gasped for air. “We’ve got to get the others! Why didn’t I think of it before, the keys are inside peaches! It makes so much sense!”
As Twilight galloped off, Applejack remained rooted to the spot.
“…Peaches. Why peaches?”
~~~
What happened next was a blur. Twilight and her friends had traveled all across Equestria in search of more perfect peaches, and while the journey was not without danger the rewards were… sweet. Each peach was more beautiful and magical than the last. Twilight had tried to share them, but each time her friends had politely declined. It was probably for the best—offering was all well and good but imagining having to give up one of those divine peaches was almost more than she could take. When she’d consumed the final peach and held the sixth key in her hooves she just couldn’t contain her sorrow that her glorious crusade was at an end, and that there would be no more peaches.
Perhaps that was the cause of the effervescence in her stomach as she stood before the tree of Harmony, the six keys snugly in her saddlebags. There was no way whatever was in that box could be anywhere near as thrilling as the adventure to unlock it had been… could there?
The anticipation became too much and Twilight threw off the shackles of fear, taking a step towards the tree. Then another. And another.
Finally she was within hooves reach of the box. She lit her horn, carefully guiding the delicate keys into their respective chambers. She took a deep breath.
Click.
The first key turned.
Click
And the second.
Click.
Click.
Click.
It took every scrap of self-control she possessed to not flee from the cave at that moment. “Here we go…”
Click.
Twilight swallowed hard, she took the box in her trembling hooves and carefully pried off the lid. A golden light burst from within, sending her stumbling backwards and shielding her eyes. When she looked again, the light had dimmed enough for her to see that the contents of the box were inside no longer, instead they floated before her, bathed in the divine glow. She squinted, desperate to know what this supernal treasure could be.
It was…
A peach.
Tears streamed down Twilights face as she gazed upon the god-peach. The cavern filled with warmth, and Twilight could feel some ethereal force acting upon her, nudging her forward. “I can’t…” she protected weakly. “Such a peach—it’s too much for anypony! I am unworthy!”
As if arguing with her, the golden fruit drifted towards her. Twilight was transfixed by it. If those other peaches had been perfect, this one needed a whole new word to describe it—a word Twilight couldn’t even hope to come up with! But then it came to her. The peach was…
“…Peach.”
As Twilight Sparkle subconsciously accepted that, perhaps, she was worthy of such an honor; the peach read her thoughts and sped closer. Twilight closed her eyes and opened her mouth, and in that moment she and peach became one. In that moment, Twilight Sparkle knew everything. She was everything. She felt the pulse of every pony in Equestria beating in time with her own. She was a pony no longer. No, she was so much more.
Outside the cave, Twilight’s friends were shocked as the mouth of the cave erupted into ephemeral light, and when it passed a being stood in its place.
“Twi… Is that you?” stuttered Applejack.
The being moved forward, though without the flapping of wings or the moving of hooves. Truly she was beyond such things now. She opened her eyes, bathing the astonished ponies in golden splendor. The words she spoke next changed the world forever.
“Now I am become Peach, juicer of worlds.”
The friends watched as reality itself bent to the peach-alicorn-goddess’ vision.
Equestria became a peach.
