Playing the Heart's Strings

Applejack followed Twilight inside the compartment. Nachlicht, Stargazer and Shining Armor had occupied the upper chair, leaving Spike, Twilight and herself with the lower one. Spike sat down first, watching through the window. The three older unicorns engaged in conversation. Suddenly, Applejack blinked.It was her first time riding in a train in the company of so many unicorns; the most she had enjoyed the company of in a regular journey were Twilight and Rarity. She loved her friends dearly, but unicorns were always so tangled in their magical mumbo jumbo that Applejack sometimes wondered if the magic spilling through their heads didn’t screw up their minds.

Her eyes scanned the three unicorns sitting in front of her. Shining Armor was always calm and collected, which made sense for a Royal Guard Captain. From what she knew about Twilight’s parents, they seemed to be well adjusted ponies as well. Stargazer seemed to catch on Applejack gazing at them and dedicated a warm smile to her. She returned the smile. More than once Applejack had wondered how Twilight could have turned out so reclusive a mare with such a wonderful family; her days under Celestia’s tutelage must have had an effect on her, even though the princess of the sun was nothing but... She stopped herself on her train of thought, memories of the last days flowing again through her head. She shook her head to clear them.

 She looked to her left, where Twilight was sitting. The youngest unicorn seemed lost on her own thoughts. Lifting a hoof, she shook Twilight gently; the unicorn jumped on her chair, turning to look at her.

“Oh, Applejack!  Sorry, I was distracted there...”

She flashed a smile towards her friend. “‘s fine, Sugarcube. What had ya eatin’ your lil’ head away, huh?” Twilight’s ears flopped as she looked at her friend. She took a deep breath before answering.

“We’ve gone through quite a few things since we’ve met, haven’t we? Meeting all those villains, even when things got dark, everything always turned to be right in the end. ”

“Nuh-huh.” The farm mare merely nodded, her eyes settled on her companion.

“Since I was a filly, I found Equestria’s most marvelous teacher standing behind me. Celestia not only taught me about the intricate ways of magic, but she was a mentor in all the ways of life, which culminated in me coming to Ponyville and making the five bestest friends any pony could wish for.”

Twilight extended a forehoof, taking one of Applejack’s between her own; Applejack could feel as the unicorn trembled.

“I thought all of us together could overcome anything thrown at us, standing up with friendship on our side...  But this, I have no idea how to confront in any way...”

Tears began to freely fall from Twilight’s eyes as she let herself go free with her feelings, which overwhelmed her as they had done so many times in so few days. Twilight sobbed; Applejack reached for her, embracing her while th other fell silent, taking upon the scene.

Twilight blubbered amidst her crying, causing Applejack to gently hit her back with her hoof holding her strongly.

“Shush,Sugarcube, just let it all go.”

Stargazer led her hoof into Nachlicht’s, holding it just as strongly, her eyes watering just like her daughter’s. Shining had his jaw strained, his eyes looking away from his despairing sister. Spike just cried along Twilight; he put himself forward, his small claws grabbing onto the unicorn’s back. Applejack held back her own tears, slowly caressing Twilight’s mane. Her voice came out softly.

“Twilight,  Ah’m not any better than you, in truth. Ah’m scared and Ah don’t know who we can trust if we can’t trust the Princesses. However Ah think we need to sort out all, after all the Princesses had a mighty good reason fer it, even we don’t like it none... We have to talk about this with them.”

The young unicorn slowly stopped her cries, but instead of rising up, she buried herself into Applejack’s chest. The earth pony could feel Twilight’s heavy breathing on her chest as she continued to cradle her friend, remaining silent.

Twilight finally stopped and lifted her head, looking at Applejack with remorse.

“I’m sorry, I let myself go and made a mess out of you.”

Applejack let a small smile. “it’s fine, Twi. That’s what friends are fer, innit?”

Twilight nodded in silence. Despite the tears having stopped, she still held an air of gravity about her. She separated herself from Applejack, closing her eyes, taking short breaths.

“I’m... better now... Thank you.”

Applejack once again caught her in a hug, leaving Twilight in the middle of the earth pony and the dragon. A small smile crowned her lips which seemed to brought a renewed air of peace into the disturbed compartment.

“I’m glad you feel better, honey; it’s nothing pretty to see you crying.” Twilight turned to face her mother.

“Sorry, mom. I feel a bit better now. I’m still not sure what is going to come out of all this, and I’m also worried about Lyra, but I’ll have to take everything as it comes.”

“We’re all with you, Twily. Isn’t that right?”

They all nodded, and Twilight’s smile broadened just before fading to let a big yawn out  She covered her mouth with her hoof.

“I think I’ll take a small nap,” said Twilight. Spike climbed down from the seat to let Twilight lie down and climbed back on top of her, the unicorn clutching him between her hooves. Soon both were sleeping peacefully as the train’s movement lulled them. Stargazer looked at Applejack with a tender smile.

“Thanks for helping my daughter, Applejack. You’re a great friend.”

“Shucks, Mrs. Sparkle, ‘t was nothin’.Just what about any true friend would have done, and I know she would’ve done it fer me.”

“Nonetheless, thank you,” interjected Nachlicht. “You know, when Twilight first came to Ponyville, we were really worried that our daughter would not find herself comfortable in a strange community, as she was always very...  shall we say clueless... when it came to relationships.         Oh the headaches we came to get a couple of times, when she forcefully rejected approaching ponies.  We actually didn’t know what was possessing her to behave in such a way, specially with how much she looked up to Shiny...  But that’s all in the past now and our Twilight has even got herself a nice marefriend.”  He paused and frowned. “Well, at least we hope she’s nice.  What do you know about Lyra, Applejack?”

Applejack felt the full brunt of the three unicorns’ gaze upon her, a single sweat drop sliding down her forehead despite the relatively cool weather.

“Well, y’all see...”

.

“Come home for a while, will you, Twilight?” asked Stargazer, hugging her daughter, who returned the gesture, nuzzling her mother in the cheek. “You can bring Applejack.”

“Of course, mother. We’ll be there for dinner tonight. Shining will come too?” she twisted her neck to look at her brother. Shining Armor shook his head.

“I already used up a day for visiting you. I might be able to extend a couple of hours, I guess.“

Twilight smiled and jumped towards him, trapping him into a hug. “Thank you, B.B.B.F.F!”

Applejack smiled upon seeing Twilight. The unicorn was a grown mare, yet her interactions with her brother reminded the earth mare of Apple Bloom with herself and Sweetie Belle with Rarity.  She couldn’t help but let out a single chuckle. Twilight looked at her with an eyebrow raised and a half smirk on her lips.

“What’s so funny, Applejack?”

“Nothin’ much. Ah was just watching how cute y’all are when ya are with yer big bro over there.”

“Applejack!” screamed Twilight, pushing her jokingly. The earth mare laughed, turning tail to run towards the castle.

“Nice ta see y’all, Mrs. and Mr. Sparkle! Ah’ll be seein’ y’all later!”

The dashing earth pony was followed by a puffing unicorn with a dragon holding on to her mane for dear life and another unicorn in quite a better physical state until they made it to the castle doors. The guards stood at attention, but upon recognizing their Captain and Prince and the Elements of Harmony, who stopped at the bottom of the stairs -Twilight huffed- . The three ponies crossed the doors in silence, their hoofsteps reverberating in which was an weirdly empty corridor. Shining frowned at the lack of guards.

“What’s happening here?”

He threw a glance to his two companions, who shrugged. Their hoofsteps kept resonation until they reached the throne room. As they got closer, they could hear the hustle in the inside more clearly. Without waiting anymore, Shining Armor pushed the doors open, and the three ponies entered the room.

Princess Celestia stood on the middle of the room in front of a single pony. Surrounding them both, divided on two lines at each side of the Princess, were the guards standing at attention. Celestia’s mane and tail flew wildly despite the lack of wind, and her eyes flickered briefly to where the new arrivals had entered.

“Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack.  Thank you for coming.”

The ears of the pony standing in front of the Princess perked up. The cyan pegasus with an even more unruffled mane that usual and unkempt, dirty feathers turned her head to look at the newly arrived.

“Girls,” said simply Dash, any vestige of her usual emotion gone. Applejack and Twilight trotted up to her.

“Rainbow Dash?” asked Twilight, reuniting with her friend. “What are you doing here?”

“Same as you, I guess,” answered Dash flatly. “I needed to have a chat with her.”  Her hoof pointed aggressively towards Celestia.

“And y’all came bargin’ in all the way from Ponyville, didnt’cha?”  Applejack snorted. Rainbow Dash glared at her.

“This is not just anything, AJ. Not just anything.”

Rainbow Dash turned back to look at Celestia, her magenta eyes locked into the Princess’. Celestia did not seem to react to it, only returning the pegasus’ gaze.

Spike dismounted from Twilight and held himself to a hoof of the unicorn, displeased by the palpable tension in the room.  He looked up to Twilight, who held him with a hoof.

“Rainbow...” she called softly, but the addressed pony did not seem to take notice of her calling out.  “When did you end up here?”

The pegasus head moved slightly, but she did not turn to face Twilight. “Yesterday, I went up to my cloud, but I found out that I couldn’t sleep at all. So I just winged it and flew outside. I flew until my eyes hurt from the cold winds outside, until my wings were so tired that I couldn’t stand anymore. I slept it off near here. But I still couldn’t bear to return to Ponyville. I knew that I had to come here. So I came.”

 “Crashing right through the castle’s doors and throwing such a tantrum so as to get Day Court cancelled and all of this area’s guard to stand on alert,” said Celestia, her eyes falling onto Dash.

“It’s not a big deal! “ Rainbow Dash’s voice skyrocketed, even cracking; her eyes shot a glare that would have sent many a pony running for the hills, but Celestia simple received it. Dash waved her forehooves around wildly. “Nothing’s a big deal compared to it!”

Twilight looked at Spike, and, with a silent apology, let go of its claw, walking towards Rainbow Dash.

“You are right, Rainbow Dash.”

She stopped herself on her tracks when Celestia’s voice broke through, clear and loud, making all the ponies’ eyes gravitate towards her.  Instead of continuing, Celestia swept the room with a gaze and then looked towards Twilight, regarding her with curiosity.

“I’d have thought all of your friends would have liked to be here, Twilight.”

“My family came to visit me yesterday, and I discussed the situation with them. I agreed to come here and talk to you before anything else, and Applejack turned up at my house quite early, so she came as well. The other girls are in Ponyville. We didn’t have any idea we’d find Rainbow Dash here.”

Celestia nodded. She waved her right forehoof around the room.

“Gentleponies, you can stand down. You are dismissed for the moment, except for the Captain. Thank you.”

The guards all saluted as one, and, making two straight lines, abandoned the room through the opposite entry of the one the newly arrived ponies had used. The last one closed the door behind him, leaving the five ponies and dragon alone in the throne room.  Celestia stood in front of all the others. Rainbow Dash threw a harsh glare her side. Twilight looked forward, sad, while Spike clung again to her leg, fear apparent on his shiny green eyes. Applejack just looked straight to Celestia while Shining Armor held his composed expression granted by years of military training.

“I would have prefered for all of you to be here, but it shall have to do.”

Celestia sighed, giving a brief look towards the glass covering the windows at each side of the room. She closed her eyes and her horn shone with yellow gleam. Nothing happened at first, as everyone in the room looked around, expectant.

Slowly, a black shadow appeared over the windows, blocking the light that came from outside. Curiosity filled all the minds, being quickly replaced by fear as the darkness expanded, covering the walls of the room.

“Princess? What are you doing?” called out Twilight. Celestia didn’t answer as the dark covered the walls entirely, blocking any light that could’ve come from outside. The blackness then began to spread across the floor, engulfing the white tiles. The group crowded together in a futile attempt to escape the invading darkness, which reached out to them. Total darkness blinded their eyes as they crashed one against another; cries and gasps filled the room.

A gleam broke through the unsoundable blackness. beginning as a small spot and becoming a lantern that guided the eyes of everyones around Celestia. The light came from her own eyes and, just as the darkness had spread before, it began expanding, covering the surroundings with a white light.  They all closed their eyes, shielding against the blinding shine, opening them slowly until they became accustomed.

They all found themselves standing next to each other, just as they were moments before, but the only thing around was pure, unending white. Spike pulled at Twilight’s leg.

“What is this, Twilight?” asked the little dragon, nervousness oozing through his voice.

“I don’t really know, Spike. I’d never seen a spell like this.” The unicorn turned around to confirm that everything was the same around them. She looked at the alicorn standing in front of her. “Princess?”

“Ah think it’d be better if y’all warn us before y’all go all out with yer magic, Princess,” said Applejack, rubbing her eyes with her hooves which Shining Armor also did. Rainbow Dash blinked to clear her eyes.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, but this is the needed setup for what I am going to show you. Look around you.”

Her horn glowed once again. All around them the light began to blur, confusing the ponies as the space around them was distorted. Splotches of color began appearing, first diffused, as if somepony had picked a white canvas and thrown different colors all around it, leaving it smeared.  The colors began gaining intensity and stretching all around, taking on a more ordered appearance as they solidified, creating discernible images.

The scenery finished establishing itself before them. The four ponies and dragon looked around them. They were surrounded by trees everywhere, standing in the middle of a path. The greenery of the leaves and the chirping of birds contrasted with a vision that was familiar for Twilight, Rainbow and Applejack: the vision of the Everfree Forest, full of life and brightly. The three ponies took it all in, as Spike and Shining checked around them for the unknown place. It was then that Celestia spoke once again.

“This is the Everfree Forest such as it stood two thousand years ago, some months after Discord’s banishment. It was one of the best places in all of Equestria back then, offering ponies with all they could need to settle down. The Whitetails Woods weren’t anything more than a groove back then.”

As Celestia spoke, an incredible image presented itself before their eyes. The Princess of the Sun herself flew overhead, the very same pony that stood before then. The other Celestia lowered her altitude landing at some point in the forest.  They all looked to the Celestia that stood with them, mouths wholly open.  She turned, making her course to where her other self had flown to.

“Follow me, everyone.”