In Pinkie Pie’s opinion, the party was going off without a hitch, and that made her extremely happy. Sure, a few ponies had declined coming due to not liking the wargs, but Pinkie felt that she would be able to make them see things her way if given enough time.

Well, almost all of them, the pink mare sighing in resignation as she thought of her friend Applejack. The mare was just too stubborn for her own good, and if she kept going like this, she was going to start burning bridges with important people in her life.

The saddest thing was Pinkie knew she was probably both the best and the worst person to help Applejack overcome her hatred for wargs, for like Applejack, Pinkie had lost both family to a group of rogue wargs. Initially Pinkie had wanted to hate them, but after her sister had caught her uttering a particularly nasty comment about them, she had pulled Pinkie aside and took her time to explain to the pink mare why that kind of thinking was wrong, before introducing Pinkie to a warg that she knew, one who had sat down with her and answered every question the young mare had about wargs, even the nastier ones.

It had taken time, but eventually she had come to see that warg as a friend, and had come to see that not all wargs were like those that had killed her aunt and uncle. But no matter how many times she tried to get Applejack to see why her way of thinking was wrong, she just kept hitting a brick wall.

Sighing again, she got up and trotted her way over to something that would make her happy, smiling as she reached the table where Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were sitting. “Hi guys, how are you enjoying the party?”

“We’re doing good Pinkie,” said Rarity with a smile, leaning over and kissing Rainbow before looking back at Pinkie. “What about you dear, is the party going well?”

Pinkie nodded, “about as well as can be expected, though I’m really sad that Applejack didn’t show up, I was hoping to use this as a learning experience.”

“Ah wish,” said Big Mac, “the most likely thing that would happen is mah sister would have acted all polite during this event, but she wouldn’t be learning anything from it.”

“I kinda figured,” said Pinkie, “I just don’t want this to be a thing, especially with my baby on the way.”

“I know dear,” said Rarity, glancing at the tiny baby bump that had begun to form, which caused her to smile. “Speaking of which, any idea when Cheese Sandwich is coming home?”

“Soon,” said Pinkie happily, “but anyways, I better go check on the rest of the guests, bye!”

Pinkie then began hopping off, her smile only growing wider as she saw several wargs speaking with ponies.

It looked like things were going well.

*

Twilight was laughing merrily as a group of pups licked her face, nuzzling one when she could and occasionally licking the face of another, which caused them to laugh.

“Alright little ones,” said Fenrir as he moved forward, “that’s enough of that, let the poor mare up.”

“Aw,” cried many of the pups, though they did let her up, most running off to play as several of them curled up in at Twilight’s hooves, one of them looking up to speak to her. “Aunty Twilight, can I stay with you tonight?”

“You’ll have to ask your parents Pine,” said Twilight with a giggle, nuzzling the little pup and the rest of her siblings as a pair of wargs walked up to them.

“Well I don’t see the problem with them staying with you,” said the female, a dark red furred warg Twilight knew to be named Ruby, who Twilight got up and nuzzled. “It is good to see you sister mine.”

“And it is good to see you sister mine,” said Twilight in return, before pulling back and giving her a smile. “You’ll be staying with us as well right, I mean I know you have a home to set up, but I was thinking while…”

“Be still sister mine,” said Ruby with a chuckle, “I and my mate North Star would be happy to stay with you, we are family after all.”

“And besides,” said North Star, “It’s been a long time since you were last with us, and it would be a joy to be able to catch up with the both of you.”

Nodding her head, Twilight used her magic to lift Pine up onto her back before looking to the rest and speaking. “Well come on, lets go show your parents where they’ll be staying for a while.”

*

Sour Apple took a deep breath as he watch is eldest son laugh and chat with a group of wargs, all the while two mares stayed near him, seemingly keeping him company. The mares in question were a pegasus and a unicorn, which Sour Apple only found problematic due to the fact that neither mare looked like they were built for the kind of life they would be expected to lead if they married his son.

Sighing a bit, he made his way over to them, Big Macintosh spotting him as he got close, which caused his eyes to widen in disbelief as he spoke, “Pah?”

While the pegasus on his right immediately turned to look at Sour Apple, the unicorn looked to Big Mac and spoke to him. “but…but I thought your father was…”

Big Mac placed a hoof over her lips to stay her, then he got up and walked up to the stallion, hesitating for a moment before pulling the stallion into a hug and beginning to cry, Sour Apple simply holding him close and patting him on the back as his son sobbed, “There there son, it’s alright, I’m here.”

“I…I thought you couldn’t come back…g…granny told me about the restraining order.”

“It’s not important now,” said Sour Apple, before pulling back and gesturing to the two mares behind Big Mac, “Do you mind introducing me to these lovely ladies?”

Big Mac nodded, before gesturing to the two mares and speaking, “These are my mare friends Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Girls, this…this is my real pah, Sour Apple.”

They both looked shock by this statement, but after a moment, Rainbow finally spoke up. “Well…that’s got to be a story, um…do you want to sit with us.”

“I actually have something I need to talk with my son about if you don’t mind, it has…it has been a long time.”

“Well of course sir,” said Rarity with a nod, “come Rainbow lets go talk with some of the new neighbors.”

Rainbow looked hesitant for a moment, but finally she nodded, placing a kiss on Big Mac’s cheek before heading off with Rarity.

“Well,” said Sour Apple as he sat down, “I guess I have a lot to catch up on.”

“Yeah yah do,” said Big Mac, “now would yah mind telling me what was so important that yah sent away my marefriends.”

“…Applejack tells me you left the farm…is this true?”

Big Mac nodded, “I still work the land, but I no longer live in the house, had to put my hoof down given the trauma sis and Granny were causing Bloom.”

“I see…” said Sour Apple before sighing, “…well I think you won’t have to worry about that anymore, for I have had Granny Smith sent off to The Ranch.”

Big Mac’s eyes widened a bit at that, but soon they settled into a glare as he spoke. “That may be, but Applejack will still be a problem, for even with Granny gone Applejack’s issues regarding wargs won’t go away.”

Sour Apple arched an eyebrow at that, “And what do you mean by that?”

Big Mac let out a snort, “She is so set against them that she can’t see that many of them are genuinely trying to fit in, hell she nearly bucked in the head of the one Princess Twilight has taken a fancy to, and Ah’ll not let Bloom be raised around that.”

“…you can’t be serious.”

Big Mac raised an eyebrow at that, causing Sour Apple to speak further. “Son, it does not matter what the wargs, or any of the predatory races say, none of them can escape the fact that one day their instincts will consume them and then they will turn on us.”

“And that kind of thinking is ignoring the hundreds of years both the dragons and the griffons have under their belt keeping to the teachings of the Responsible Predators Movement, or the many years the various other predatory races have put into staying true to those teachings. The wargs, like many of the other races who are part of that movement are still struggling with the change, like the others before them.”

“It does not matter, they are predators, and one day they will slip up and return to their savage ways, and I would rather not be caught unawares when that day happens.”

Big Mac stared at him for a long moment, and then he got up and began walking away, only to be stopped as Sour Apple put a hoof on his shoulder. “Son, I can see we obviously do not agree on this issue, but putting that aside for now, there is something more pressing I must discuss with you, and that concerns Apple Bloom.”

“I don’t see what matter she is to you,” said Big Mac, “especially seeing as how you don’t have a say in how she is raised anymore.”

“And what makes you think that, I am still her father after all.”

“And if you want her back in that house you are going to have to prove to me that she won’t be getting any more nightmares due to Applejack’s rant’s regarding wargs, but I very much doubt that, as you are spilling the same bilge that she is.”

He then shrugged off his fathers hoof, leaving him standing there alone before finally he scoffed and turned toward where the farm lay, for he had a party to prepare for come morning.

*

The party eventually wound down, and Twilight found herself with her mate and their extended family gathered in her home, the pups having tiered themselves out chasing Spike, and were now resting up in the guest room while the grownups all sat by the fire.

“It is so good to be some place where we can relax and hunt freely, for the Everfree will provide an ample hunting ground for the clan.”

“Just be careful of the Manticors and Timber Wolves,” said Twilight, “they can get rather vicious to those who invade their territories.”

“The timber wolves wont be a problem,” said Larentia, “once we show them we are not to be messed with, they will fall into line. As for the manitcors, they can be easily defeated as long as we work as a pack.”

She then turned to Night Light and Twilight Velvet, smiling at them before speaking. “It is good to see you and your mate again dear sister of mine, I have greatly missed our conversations.”

“As have I sister mine,” said Twilight Velvet, “and thankfully we will be able to have many more now that you will be living so close. But we can get to those pleasantries later, for now I have to ask, what will be expected of us during the coming wedding, for I must admit I am not that familiar with Warg marriage customs.”

“Well as your daughter will be essentially marrying into our clan, we shall be treating this as if a wayward family of wargs was being adopted into the clan through marriage. To start, you and your family will be adorned with the clan’s mark, which will go over the left eye and, and then a specially prepared dish of meat will be presented to you, which you will be expected to eat, as it will gift you with your wolf like eyes as well as adapt your body so that it can better ingest meat.”

“So we’ll become like thestrals then?” asked Night Light.

“Similar,” said Larentia, “but if this is something you would rather not participate in we will of course understand, for I know you both still take part in Equestrian politics.”

“And that is precisely why we will be participating,” said Velvet, “not only would it look like I do not approve of my daughters wedding if I do not participate in this ritual, but this will act as a statement to the more conservative nobles that times are changing, and they need to either change with it or get left behind.”

Larnetia nodded at that, while Twilight leaned over and nuzzled her mother, who returned the gesture before she spoke once more. “Well as much as I would like to stay up longer and chat, we should probably get to bed soon, for Shining and Cadance we’ll be arriving tomorrow, and there is still so much to prepare.”

“It will be alright mom,” said Twilight, before yawning and then chuckling, she rose to her hooves and spoke. “Alright everyone, I’ll show you to your rooms.”

*A few hours later near Canterlot*

“Relax Applejack, you will do fine I promise.”

“I’m sorry Pa,” said Applejack as she looked over at Sour Apple, who was in the seat next to her aboard the night train taking them to Canterlot. “It’s just this is the first time in a long time that I’ve gone to something like this, what if I mess things up for you?”

“You won’t my darling girl,” said Sour with a smile as the train began to slow. “You are already know to many in the nobility, and I can especially assure you that the stallion we are meeting at the station will be especially interested in meeting you.”

Before Applejack could ask Sour what she meant, the train came to a full stop, and so she followed her father off the train, but before they could begin looking around for the pony they were meant to meet, a voice called out to them.

Applejack turned to see a very familiar looking unicorn walk over to them, a grin adorning his face while his blue eyes lit up with glee. “Sour my fine stallion, so glad you could make it!”

“I never turn down your invites Blueblood,” said Sour as he pulled the stallion into a hug, before pulling back and gesturing to Applejack. “Blue, I would like to present to you my eldest daughter Applejack.”

“We have actually met before,” said Blueblood as he surprisingly lifted one of Applejack’s hooves up and kissed it, “and I first want to apologize for my deplorable actions at that Gala my dear, for your food was actually quite good, but I chose keeping up appearances that I was above you over actually acknowledging your craft, and for that I am sorry.”

“Thank you for your apology sir,” said Applejack, “but lets not dwell on that night, for I heard from my father that you and some colleagues he was planning to meet were planning to discuss a topic that I would like to take part in.”

“And that would be?”

“How to get the rest of our fellow ponies to realize the threat that wargs pose to our country and get them removed as soon as possible.”

Blueblood looked at her in surprise for a moment, and then he smiled brightly before speaking. “I knew it, I knew one of the elements of harmony had to be part of our cause!”

“And not just any element,” said Sour as he joined in on the conversation, “for my daughter as you no doubt have heard is the element of honesty, meaning she can see into the truth of things.”

“Exactly,” said Applejack with a smile, “and the way I see it the whole country is lying to itself if they think wargs can ever live alongside us safely.”

“Well why don’t I take you to the party then so we can get our meeting started,” said Blueblood as he sidled up beside Applejack, “for many of my colleagues will be very interested in what one of the Hero’s of Equestria has to say.”

Applejack blushed a little as she started to walk side by side with Blueblood, something Sour noticed and caused him to smile, as this was turning out better then he could have hoped.

For if he just kept those two together long enough and coached his daughter well enough, not only would their movement be strengthened, but quite possibly The House of Gala and the House of Platinum could become one through marriage, insuring that they would be first among all nobles.

And with such power, not even the Princesses could stop them.

Author's Note

Hey guys, been a while I know, but as writers block is a real pain in the flank sometimes, thankfully I am getting out of my funk now.

Anyways, next chapter will be splitting time between Twilight and the residence of Ponyville both old and new getting things ready for her upcoming wedding, while in the B plot we will be watching as Applejack immerses herself amongst the worst of Canterlot's nobility, as well as getting some hints that something worse is on the horizon due to her actions.

(Also yes, I did just drop that Pinkie is pregnant in this story with no real build up, what of it?)