Chapter 4: Every Farmer's Fear

Hayuary 17, 1504

Ponyville, Everfree Fief

Earlier that Day

The books had betrayed her.

Although her mentor had told her to relax, Twilight went ahead and searched through all her library books on any information relevant to the crisis between the Celestial Territories and the Crystal Empire

Twilight was up to her hocks in books, bags were under her eyes and her mane was in complete disarray.

Twilight put down the last book she had searched and flicked her ears as she searched for Spike, who had been helping her.

‘Where is he?’

A loud snore was the response to her question, coming from the direction of a large pile of un-shelved books that she had placed there hours ago.

Twilight sighed in resignation at how hard she had pushed him.  She knew that the baby dragon needed his sleep and her all-night study sessions weren’t helping.

She put down the books and reluctantly acknowledged that the library in Ponyville was lacking any and all information on the Celestial Territories history.

The lavander alicorn got up and stretched, her wings fanning out and her mouth widening as the yawned cutely.  She then walked over to Spike and smiled as she looked at that adorable dragon.  Spike was curled up in a ball surrounded by books and he was sucking on his tail, a sign that he was in a very deep sleep.

Twilight picked Spike up in her magic, the purple aura surrounding him, and carried him upstairs where she tucked him into his basket.

She then went back downstairs to observe the mess that was the royal residence of her majesty, the princess of magic.

Not so long ago, Spike had complained about how many times he had to reshelf all the books and how ponies like Rainbow Dash kept causing the books to fall off their resting place.  In response to his reasonable protest, Twilight developed a spell that could be used to reshelf the books into their proper places.

Her horn glowed as she began the spell.  When she was developing the spell, she had first given each book a small magical signature that her magic would pick up when the spell activated.  Twilight had then locked that magical signature into place in their corresponding spots on the shelves.

The books, held in her magic, picked themselves off the floor and flew to their designated places, dodging furniture and the princess as they took flight.

The first time she had done this, she had forgotten to add in a matrix to the spell for the books to dodge each other, inanimate objects, and sentient life forms.  The result had been several bruises to both the alicorn and the baby dragon, whose indignation at being hurt was remedied with a tub of emerald ice-cream.

Once the spell was finished, Twilight heard a rumbling sound and blushed sheepishly as she recognized it as her stomach informing her of its emptiness.

Deciding that Spike was fine upstairs asleep, and wanting to eat out tonight, Twilight opened the front door to her library and walked out into the mid-afternoon.

As she walked long, deciding to head to the Hayseed Café, Twilight took in the relaxing atmosphere that was Ponyville.

Ponies were trotting happily as they went about their errands, some shopping in the market place or going to visit friends in the more suburban part of town.  Ponyville was centered around the town’s courthouse, where Mayor Mare had her offices.  Around the courthouse were many shops, restaurants, and different businesses in addition to the Ponyville Memorial Hospital.  Rarity’s Fashion Boutique shop was here in addition to Sugercube Corner where Pinkie lived.  The Books and Branches Library where Twilight lived was on the edge of this precinct of the town, and beyond that were mostly residences.  The schoolhouse was on a hill on the edge of town, where the fillies and colts could have plenty of room to frolic and play.  Beyond the town was Sweet Apples Acres to the north, Fluttershy’s cottage to the northwest, and the Everfree forest looming over them like a behemoth from a forgotten time.  Rainbow Dash and a few other pegasi lived in cloud houses that had no distinct placement and drifted around frequently, causing a headache for the local mailmare.

Twilight noted all this in her mental map of Ponyville as she reached the town square on the way to the Hayseed Café.

“Darling!  What are you doing out here?  We haven’t seen you in days!”

The princess turned to her right, finding the owner of the voice, and smiled warmly at the white unicorn.

“Hello Rarity, I’ve finished searching through all my books and was hungry, so I am going to the Hayseed Café to eat this evening.”

“Where’s Spike?  It’s not like him to not be at your side.”

“He is asleep back at the library, the poor little guy worked himself to sleep.   I’m letting him rest, he’s deserved it with how much he’s been helping me.”

Rarity caught up to the purple mare and smiled before speaking again.

“Would you mind if I joined you?  I’m going out to eat myself, I just finished a few orders from some ponies in Canterlot that wanted some new clothes for an upcoming social dance at a nobleponies house.”

“No I don’t mind at all.  In fact this will make the meal that much better having a friend to talk with.”

The matter decided, they reached their mutual destination and a waiter showed them to their table.

As they sat looking at the different food choices on the menu, Twilight had a thought cross her mind and she decided to voice her question to Rarity.

“Rarity?”

“Yes darling?”

“You mentioned earlier a nobleponies party.  What noblepony?  I know that a lot of them don’t usually hold parties this late in winter, it’s too cold outside most the time.”

Rarity put down her menu and locked her blue eyes on the alicorn in front of her.

“It was that marshal from Stalliongrad whom we saw during that session of Parliament a few days ago.  If I remember my geography correctly, it’s cold there most of the year being so far north.  The designs I made were winter clothing so that would make sense.  Why do you ask?”

Twilight tilted her head in thought.

“I’m trying to keep track of all of the different nobles and what they have been doing, especially in light of what happened at Parliament.”

“You know, now that you mention it, I think some of them mentioned that the party was to show Stalliongrad’s support of the Celestial Territories.  They also specifically asked for clothing that styled both the sun and moon, a common theme that is found in the capital of the region, Eclipse City.”

Twilight frowned at hearing this.

“The Territories have been causing nothing but trouble lately.  From what I’ve been able to gather, they are gathering support to block the vote on the Equestria-Crystal Empire Unification Act.”

At that moment the waiter came up to take their orders, Rarity looked up at the stallion and said,

“I’ll have some broiled lettuce with some daffodils if you please good sir.”

“I’ll take a dandelion sandwich with some applesauce.”

As the waiter left with their orders, Rarity picked the conversation back up.

“How much support do they need?  And have they gotten it?”

Twilight looked back at her friend with a sad expression.

“They need a majority, and from what I’ve heard, their teetering on the edge of gaining just that.  They have a lot of support in the northern fiefs because they protect the borders there and the territories have also appealed to the frontier fiefs such as Appaloosa, who sympathizes with them.”

Rarity’s eyebrow rose up her forehead and her face formed a confused expression.

“Can’t you and the princesses just order for the Unification Act to pass and just let the Territories leave?  It sounds like there just causing trouble.  The Crystal Empire should make up for anything lost and they seem far friendlier than these northern traitors.”

Twilight shook her head as the waiter served their food.

“The princesses and I deal with Equestria’s overall security, propose budgets, hold court, and handle numerous domestic departments such as agriculture, education, and transportation.  We also are in charge of international relations.  But Cadence came to Parliament with this because to add another fief, it needs to be approved by Parliament.  The princesses and I can make laws, but if Parliament has to approve of them as well, for fear of a dictatorship.  Also, the Territories can legally leave as long as there is no violence involved.”

Twilight took a deep breath before continuing.

“Celestia and Luna desperately don’t want the Territories to leave, I’m not sure why and they haven’t told me anything about that.  When I see their expressions when we were discussing the Territories leaving you would have thought that it looked like a friend was moving away.”

“They have been ruling Equstria for a while, I’m sure they feel this way about all of them.  Like a shepherd and her sheep, they probably care for all the ponies in their care and don’t want to see them go.”

Twilight acknowledged Rarity’s statement with a nod of her head, she was about to answer when some movement caught the corner of her eye.  She looked in the direction what she saw and saw some unfamiliar unicorns.  There was an assortment of stallions and a mare dressed in different cloaks that covered their soul marks and in addition had a hood.  Rarity saw her distraction and followed her gaze.

“Who is that Twilight?  I don’t believe they live here in Ponyville, Pinkie would have invited us to her, ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ parties.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes as the unicorns left her sight and traveled down another street.

‘Why am I so paranoid?  It was probably nothing.’

Twilight turned back to Rarity and shrugged her shoulders.

“Probably just some visitors, Ponyville has been attracting many more outside customers in the recent past.”

‘That’s probably my fault for becoming an princess’

“If you say do dear.  Their cloaks were just ghastly to look at.”

Rarity looked down at her aempty plate and then at Twilight’s.

“Oh, how time flies when you’re with friends.  I need to get back to my shop, and you look like you could use some rest.”

Twilight agreed with Rarity, she sure was tired.

She got to her hooves as Rarity did and they both began walking back down the street towards the library.

“Good-night Twilight, you need to get some rest, studying can happen later.”

“Thanks Rarity, I’ll do that.  Good-night, I’ll see you later.”

The mares departed from each other, both going to their respective homes.

Twilight opened the front door and closed it behind her, locking it with her magic.  She climbed up the stairs to her bedroom where

Spike was still snoring peacefully.  She climbed up into her bed, tucked herself in, and blew out the candles.

‘Rarity was right, I need some rest.’

The lavender alicorn gently fell asleep, her mind entering the realm of dreams.

A bright light woke her up.

‘Uggghhh.  Celestia please put back down the sun, it’s too early.’

Twilight turned in her drowsy state, trying to fall back asleep when she looked at her clock.

‘Wait a moment….. it is too early.’

She got out of bed and went to her balcony, searching for the bright light.

‘And that’s not the sun.’

“FIRE! FIRE!! Everypony wake up!! There’s a FIRE at Sweet Apple Acres!!”

Twilight woke up quickly as the mare ran through the town, screaming her head off.  She looked into the distance where Sweet Apple Acres was and her heart froze in her chest.

The apple trees were ablaze, half of them were already on fire, with more catching fire by the second.

“Gaaahhaah!!  Twilight, what is it?  I swear I didn’t do it!!”

Twilight turned back around quickly, Spike had woken up.

“Spike!  There’s a fire at Sweet Apple Acres!  I’m going to go help, stay here where its safe!”

Without another word, she galloped to her balcony and leapt off, her wings stretching out as she caught the air.  She flapped her wings as fast as she could, trying to get to Sweet Apple Acres quickly.

‘How could this happen?!  It’s too cold and there hasn’t been any lightening.  What caused this?’

As Twilight flew, she got a better look at the destruction.

Many of the once beautiful trees had been reduced to twisted twins with burnt bark that smelled of ash.  The air was thick with the smell of burnt wood and grass.  The fires on the trees licked the trunks as they scared them, leaving traces of black on the once brown wood.  Smoke drifted into the sky, flecked with glowing embers that flickered dangerously with heat.

As Twilight got closer, she saw Rainbow Dash and the pegasi trying to move couds into position, but the smoke from the fire kept getting in their way, making them wheeze and suffocate from the lack of air.

Twilight searched for Applejack, knowing the farm pony would be defending her trees.  She finally spotted her, the farmer was covered in soot and sporting a hose that Big Mac pumped with his strength, showering the burning trees with water, steam rising off of them.

She landed next to her friend quickly, gathering her magic and reaching out towards the town reservoir, which was nearby.  Without saying anything, she grabbed a large amount of water and floated it over the trees.  Releasing the magic, the water splashed to the ground, soaking the trees and putting out the fire.

Releasing her held breath, Twilight turned to Applejack and Big Mac.

“Tanks, Twilight.  Would’ve tak’n us forever without your help.”

“Eeyup.”

“You’re welcome.  But what happened?  This was too large to be caused by nature.”

Applejack turned with an angry expression towards her defiled trees.

“Ah don’t know Twi, and ah hate not knowin.  It just sprung up like a flower in the desert.  No warnin whatsoever.”

Her face turned into disbelief in a flash, her face reflecting an orange glow as trees in the back of the orchard caught again.  Twilight

also turned in surprise, shock on her face.

“What in tarnation?!  Those were out but a moment ago!”

Twilight starting running towards the fire her wings lifting her into the air.

“I don’t know Applejack, but I’m going to find out!”

She flew towards the fire, leaving her friends behind.

“Wait Twi!! We can’t keep up with this hose an’ stuff!!”

Twilight barely heard her, she just kept flying.

She fast approached it and landed in front of the blaze, the trees crackling in agony as the flames licked them.  She encased the trees in a magic bubble, suffocating the fire with a lack of oxygen.  Soon the fire wheezed out and darkness returned to the orchard.

“Told you she’d come.”

Twilight turned in fright, the voice was gruff and unfamiliar.

“Who’s there?!  Show yourself!”

“Not likely princess.  Alright boys, let her have it!”

‘WHAT!?’

Just as Twilight was going to leap into the air, six bursts of lights crashed into her.  Burning her fur and maiming her wings.  One of them connected with her head.

And Twilight knew no more.