Big Mac woke up, apparently in almost the same place where he’d been when the whirlwind took him. The pie wagon was gone, but he didn’t seem to be badly hurt. It was nighttime. Big Mac staggered to his feet. He took a few careful steps to make sure that nothing was broken. He supposed the best course of action was to spend the night in the abandoned castle so that he wouldn’t risk stepping in a hole or running into some sort of flesh-eating monster in the woods. Truth be told, Big Mac did not feel terribly comfortable with the idea of spending the night in the castle.

“There could be ghosts or other heebie-jeebies, he muttered. “I don’t want to run into nothin’ like that, no sir. I sure am hungry. Maybe I oughta find what’s left of the pie wagon. Maybe, just maybe, there will be a whole pie left that I can snack on. Or maybe I can find me some hay or grass. A fella’s gotta eat if he wants to keep up his strength.”

Just then, Big Mac heard the maniacal laughter that made his mane stand on end. The horrifying cackling sent him running behind the stable. A moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief. He saw Princess Luna and his sister Applejack approaching.

“That Princess Luna, she’s got kind of a crazy laugh,” Big Mac said to himself. “Usually it don’t bother me none, but when a fella’s woken up at night after bein’ knocked out by a whirlwind, that’s a different story. Well, never mind, I’m just happy to see ‘em.”

Big Mac stepped out from behind the stables. The two mares didn’t notice him. He was about to speak, but stopped himself when he heard the pair talking.

“Well, General Apple Doom, which territory do you think we should conquer next?” Princess Luna chortled. “Those mares in Nightmare City who dared attempt an uprising have been crushed like apples in a press. Certainly we can’t have any more of their like planting the seeds of rebellion in our subjects.”

“That’s right, Princess Nightmare Moon,” said the evil mare who looked like Applejack. “We can’t simply go about expanding our territory without keeping our current subjects subjugated. This is why I suggest that you divide the monarchy into six equal parts, and one of the Mane Six shall rule with her particular Element of Disharmony over that area. Of course, you shall be supreme ruler over us all.”

“Of course. Your plan has merit, General Apple Doom. Well, it’s apparent that whatever disturbance Princess Blacklight Gloom perceived in this area has passed.”

“Still, its best we stay alert. There are those who think they could free your sister Celestia from exile. Perhaps someone was practicing forbidden magic. We can’t be too careful.”

“Absolutely, General. I will call in my mystic adviser Zegorra and have her see what she can do about detecting unauthorized magic use. Woes betide anyone whom she catches. You know what she’ll do to them.”

“I do indeed, Princess,” General Apple Doom chuckled. “It makes me shiver to the core. Zegorra is so gruesomely delightful. She eats the hearts of her victims like most of us eat a crunchy, juicy apple!”

Author's Note

The "gore" element in this story is fairly mild. There are no graphic descriptions, only mentions of such things as Zegorra eating the hearts of her victims "like a crunchy, juicy apple." I opted to rate it teen, as this sort of thing might upset a child who was reading the story.