The False Goddess

Chapters

Act I, Part I: Instability
Act I, Part II: Awe
Act I, Part IV: Progression
Act I, Part V: Completion
Act II, Part I: Forlornness
Act II, Part II: Obfuscation
Act II, Part III: Love
Act II, Part IV: Development
Act II, Part V: Coronation
Act II, Part VI: Procedure
Act II, Part VII: Turmoil
Act II, Part VIII: Escalation
Act II, Part IX: Acceleration
Act III, Part I: Trials
Act III, Part II: Integration
Act III, Part III: Tedium
Act III, Part IV: Uncontrol
Act III, Part V: Reignition
Act III, Part VI: Respite
Act III, Part VII: Influence
Prelude: Criminality
Act I, Part III: Cognizance
Act III, Part VII: Confrontation

Act I, Part I: Instability

Plantation awoke with a scream; what little of one she could manage, at least. Her throat was ferociously dry, she had a tight feeling in her chest.
A mare who was sitting next to the bed looked at her, and gave her a weak smile. "Ah… Good morning, Princess," She greeted softly.
Plantation gaped and weakly pointed in the direction of the bowl of water on the nightstand, blinking her eyes to try and wet them.
The mare gently lifted the bowl and brought it to the panicking filly's lips, "There you are… Fresh water, for our fresh Princess," The mare said, voice warm.
Plantation gulped the water down needily. It was cool, and most importantly, a source of moisture. Her body nearly threw up the water at first; it was as if it had no idea what it was doing.

Plantation did eventually get the entire bowl of water down.
She flinched as the mare gently stroked her mane, "There you are, dear… Do you want some more to drink?" The mare asked.
Plantation nodded weakly, "Y-yes…" She heaved weakly.
The mare nodded, pouring some more water into the bowl and once again offering it to Plantation.
Some strength returning to her, Plantation shakily took the bowl, tipping it up and hastily gulping the contents.
"Ah, not so fast, young one… You'll get hiccups," The mare said gently.
Plantation nodded a little, horn igniting as she settled the bowl back on the bedside. Her focus shifted to the half empty jug of water; she magicked it to her lips and began guzzling it in large swigs, panting lightly.

The mare smiled gently, stepping away and setting some more wood in the fireplace. "The doctor will be pleased; only a few minutes awake, and you're already very strong," She said softly.
"Who's the doctor?" Plantation asked weakly. The last time she'd seen a doctor, it was because she was very, very sick… And the prognosis wasn't very positive.
The earth pony mare walked back over, "Doctor Thanamus," She explained, "He's the one who healed you."
Plantation blinked, "Because I was sick?" She asked.
The mare nodded, "Yes, Princess," She replied.
Plantation coughed lightly and set the jug down; she had already drank most of it.

When she coughed, she felt a strange sensation on her back…
Two warm mahogany wings stretched a short distance from her back. She turned to look at them. "W-wings? But I'm a unicorn…" She stammered softly.
The mare smiled warmly at her, "You're an alicorn, now," She explained, gently helping Plantation out of bed, "Come, let us show you to the doctor; he will be thrilled."
Plantation simply nodded, wings folding back to her side. It was a strange feeling… Especially because it came so naturally to her.

"What's your name, miss?" Plantation asked as she was led down a cold stone hallway.
"My name is Heartful Surrogate, Princess; I'll be in charge of taking care of you from now on," She explained, "At least when the doctor isn't helping you train."
Plantation nodded a little, "Okay," She replied softly.
Plantation looked around as she was led into an office full of large books.
A unicorn spun to face her; he had a white coat, with a spiked back black mane, his chest covered in small red smears.
"The Princess is awake, Doctor," Heartful said softly, gently pushing Plantation forward.

"Ah, excellent," The doctor smiled and approached Plantation. He towered over her; though his frame wasn't imposing, there was something about the crooked way he stood, as if he were always preparing to lunge at her. Plantation shrank slightly on her hooves.
"Good morning, dear girl," He greeted, a crooked smile still all over his face, "I take you had a good rest?" He asks, laughing to himself, "You must have slept like a corpse!" He laughed more.
Plantation cowered slightly from the loud, laughing stallion before her.
"Oh, come now; don't be such a foal. You are a princess, now; and princesses need to be strong in the face of someone imposing," He sneered.
This did not encourage any more confidence from Plantation.

"Now, first things first: You are a princess, and you need a more fitting name. You will be Gustopha from now on," He christened.
The filly looked confused, "G-Gustopha?" She asked.
The doctor nodded, "Yes; because you will bring a great gusto back to our lands. Prophetic, is it not?" He asked.
Princess Gustopha nodded slowly, "Y-yes Doctor," She replied softly, taking the name as her own.
"Now, I'm sure Heartful Surrogate has already introduced herself, yes?" Doctor Thanamus asked.
Gustopha nodded. "She did," She replied.
The doctor smiled and waved Heartful away, "Good; you are dismissed for now, Heartful. I will be taking care of the new Princess today," He explained.
Heartful nodded, giving Gustopha a gentle pat on the head, "Take care, Princess," She bade softly, leaving the room.

The door was locked as Heartful left, Gustopha squeaking slightly from the hard thunk of the deadbolt locking.
"Now," The doctor began, magicking over a large book, a pot of soil, and a single seed over to them, setting the three items before the confused Princess, "You are to be a princess of the land; to rejuvenate the earth salted by war," He explained, "So, you will scour this book, front to back, and you will only leave this room for food once this seed has been grown into a flower. Do you understand?"

Gustopha blinked, "W-wouldn't that be a job suited for an earth pony?" She asked softly; not a haughty way, of course. That was simply what she had been taught.
"We are out of time for the mud ponies to scrape together what little magic their bodies don't expend on strength," Dr. Thanamus sneered, "It will be your job to heal the earth that is too poisoned for them to cultivate."
Gustopha winced slightly at the doctor's harsh tone. She opened the book and began to read it, hoping his words would not be followed by action.
The doctor thankfully just smiled and sat back at his desk, allowing the confused filly to complete her task.
It was a very opaque book; highly advanced information about what plants needed to grow. Chemicals she'd never heard of before suddenly clicked in her head.

Her horn illuminated as she began to work at the composition; she had to dowse for what was already in the soil, first, of course, but then it became clear as she kept reading. It had been salted; extremely heavily, no less.
The soil glistened lightly as it was slowly altered and tilled; the filly expected her magic to give out, but it came easily. Heartful had been right; she already was "so strong". It scared the alicorn a bit.
She looked at the soil one more time after a few moments.
She then gingerly picked up the seed, lightly tucking it in a fold of what should've now been loamy, fertile earth.
She squeaked a bit as the plant sprang forth in a matter of minutes. A thin, green stem, spreading into leaves. She carefully lifted the pot and brought it to the sill, so the young plant could bask in the fresh glow of the afternoon sun.

"D-Doctor, the plant is growing," She said softly.
The doctor turned to her and observed the now blooming flower closely. "Very good," He said contently, "You have exceeded my expectations; perhaps you will do, after all. How do you feel?" He asked.
"I-I'm m-mostly confused," Gustopha admitted.
She squeaked as he stamped his hoof before her. "I do not care about your emotions, filly! Your body; is it weak? Do you feel a draft anywhere?" He asked harshly.
Gustopha shook her head, "N-no, Doctor… I do not feel weak or drafty," She answered weakly.
The doctor nodded, and the door unlocked with a pair of heavy thunks. "Good. Now, go see Rolling Simmer in the kitchen, on the other end of this hallway. You will eat, and then return to your room to rest," He instructs.
Gustopha nodded, carefully trotting out of the room.

Gustopha walked down the long hall, shivering a bit. It would be a long walk… But she had wings, didn't know how to fly… Then again, she didn't know how to grow plants, either, and yet she knew how to fix the soil only after briefly reading the book.
She picked up her pace in a gallop and took a deep breath in, wings flaring. She then took a hop, and tried flapping…
She looked as the ground slowly fell away from her. Hard flaps at first; but then she allowed her small wings to carry her a bit longer. Then she flapped more. "I-I'm doing it!" She exclaimed excitedly.
Then she hit her head on the ceiling, and tumbled to the ground, squeaking as she rolled along the hard stone.

She groaned softly and rubbed her head. "Ow… Okay, falling hurts," She whined, standing up hesitantly and shaking herself off.
She walked the rest of the way to the kitchen, stumbling a little on her hooves. Her one leg felt strange, though she couldn't quite figure out why.
She pushed open the door to the kitchen, watching as it swung shut behind her.

The kitchen was a strange place. Large vats of nice smelling liquids bubbled over large lines of fire. It was unlike anything the filly had ever seen before.
A flustered-looking unicorn, who Gustopha assumed was Rolling Simmer, dove over to her, "G-good morning, Princess!" Rolling Simmer stammered, "The Doctor told me you were in order for something special this morning."
Gustopha squeaked a little. She was still unused to being referred to as "Princess". It wasn't an unwelcome title, however; it made her feel a little special.
"U-um… Yes?" She replied unsurely.
The pegasus nodded, "Alright, I-I'll cook you something right up; come with me," She said, darting off.
Gustopha followed the pegasus to a large wooden table, hopping up with some effort.
"A-alright, just s-stay there, I'll get you something nice a-and yummy," Rolling Simmer stumbled, patting Gustopha a little hard on the head before darting off again.

"What a strange mare… I hope I don't get that strange when I grow up," She mumbled.
She squeaked as a meal was brought to her in parts; a very large plate of rice porridge, some sliced vegetables, and something… Very unusual. It was a deep brown brick of some kind of material, with light char marks on either side. She sniffed it… It was a slightly metallic, unusual scent.
Then, a large glass of a deep purple fluid.
Rolling Simmer panted, "Th-the doc says you need to drink every last drop of the purple stuff; and don't skimp on y-your mea- uh, protein! Doc says you're a growing Princess; you need all the compact nutrition you can get," She explained.
Gustopha's ear twitched. She poked the brown slab with a fork. "Wh-what is this?" She asked, trying to pinpoint the smell.
"House specialty, don'tcha worry! I-it's, y'know, c-cooked all the way through," Rolling replied, patting the girl's back. "O-okay, gotta run! You eat up! Holler for seconds!" Rolling Simmer darted back into the turbulent field of cookware, leaving Princess Gustopha to ponder her meal.

Gustopha magicked her utensils up; a fork like any other, and a very large knife with what looked like teeth. She ate some of the porridge, first; it was actually quite tasty, despite being… Well, porridge. The vegetables were also quite nice, and she finished them before moving onto the enigmatic brown hunk.

She cut into it. It leaked thin brown juice. It took some effort to cut a proper piece off, but Gustopha managed with her newly empowered magic, and took a bite.
It was tough, and fought her teeth as she chewed. The taste reminded her of the time she had cut her lip and licked the subsequent bleeding wound; sweet, and somewhat metallic. For as unusual as it was, her body decided it didn't oppose another bite. Then another. Before she knew it, she'd eaten the entire slab of sinewy brown material. It sat like a rock in her stomach; but not in a necessarily bad way. She felt full.

Gustopha then finished the porridge, washing her meal down with the purple drink before her. A cloyingly sweet taste caught her off-guard; she had assumed it was a potion of some kind, and expected it to taste foul, like the awful cure-alls the doctors had attempted to give her before she… Fell asleep? She didn't really understand what happened before she "woke up", as the doctor had put it.
She coughed lightly and set the now empty glass down. She shivered; a wave of light aching washed over her body.

Rolling Simmer would dart over to the Princess' side. "Still h-hungry, Princess? I have a-a pot full of porridge if you need more!" She offered.
Gustopha shook her head, "I-I'm full, thank you," She replied softly.
"Alright, off to bed with y-you, th-then," Rolling simmer said, grabbing up the dishes, "You say h-hi to Heartful n-now, will you?" She requested.
The young princess nodded and hopped down from the chair, trotting back through the kitchen towards her room. Her body ached in protest at the movement, but she managed to force herself to her room, where Heartful Surrogate was diligently coming the carpet with a stiff brush.
Heartful looked up at the princess gently, "Ah, there you are. Did you have a good lunch, Princess?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded and yawned, "I did," She replied softly, horn drawing the covers back as she crawled into bed.
Heartful gently rubbed the tired filly's mane. "Have a good sleep, Princess… You will need your rest," She expressed.
Gustopha wanted to ask what Heartful meant by that, but was cut off by another yawn, before sleep claimed her.

"Doctor, isn't there anything we can do?" Asked Plantation's mother.
"Ma'am, every other pony who's eaten blighted crops has fallen deathly ill," The doctor replied, "I believe all you can do is, well… Make peace with her before it's too late."
Plantation's mother began to sob, "O-oh, my dear, sweet filly… Why must this war claim her and not me?" She asked.
The doctor sighed softly, "It has claimed plenty, ma'am. You need to remain strong for her… Even once she is no longer here."

Gustopha squirmed a bit as she awoke, stretching her aching muscles.
Once again, Heartful Surrogate was posted dutifully next to her bed. Her presence comforted Gustopha, if only barely, considering the muscle aches.
"Good evening, Princess," Heartful greeted gently, rubbing the princess' head.
Gustopha slowly blinked her eyes open, leaning into the mare's gentle hoof, "G-good evening, Heartful," She replied softly.
As if on cue, Dr. Thanamus walked in. "Unhoof the princess, Heartful," The doctor sneered, "You are to take care of her; not coddle her like an infant."
Gustopha crawled out of bed and sat before the doctor, wiping her eyes.

Dr. Thanamus eyed her over, examining her chest and wings. The doctor's roughness did not ease her aches and pains, and she winced as he manually pulled out each wing. "...And no signs of necrosis, good," She heard him murmur, "You are a strong child, Gustopha. This is good; you will need this strength. Come with me," He ordered, leaving the room.
Gustopha gave Heartful a curt, "Goodbye," And followed the doctor out into the hallway.

The doctor led her outside, to the front of the doctor's abode. "Now," He began, "You demonstrated aptitude for the task of repairing soil, and your body has taken to its new power well. So, for your next test, you will mend this," He stamped his hoof against the side of a large stone basin, filled with dirt, "Planter box."
Princess Gustopha nodded slowly. It was a simple enough task; bigger, yes, but the doctor seemed to have faith in her capacities.
Then, the doctor gestured to several vagrants sitting near the end of the stone path. "Your task is to sow the hay on the side of the planter, so it grows here. If you fail, the starving vagrants will continue to starve, until they are too weak to move, or prolong their own existence."
Gustopha froze. "Th-they'll die if I fail?" She asked nervously.

The doctor nodded, "Not certainly and immediately, but yes. However, I'm sure you won't fail me," He said, smiling at her. It was that crooked, malignant smile again. The smile of someone who wanted to hurt her.
Gustopha shivered and looked at the planter box, avoiding the doctor's gaze.
She lightly touched her horn to the soil… More salt, and now a mix of blight and ash. There were already some nutrients here, but with the blight, she'd have a lot of soil cleaning to do.
It slowly clicked in her head, and a glow began to illuminate the subsurface of the dirt; faint shimmering cracks formed as Gustopha's influence spread along it.

The doctor smiled, "Yes, that's it, Gustopha. Heal the land… Bring life back to our once-great world!" He cried, voice raising to a maniacal tone.
Gustopha didn't like his voice. It was scary. She just tuned it out, focusing on her work. The salt faded away, converting easily into the nutrients the ground needed; but the blight persisted.
She pulled away with a wince, the light of her influence fizzling out. She coughed hard. The creeping feeling of illness seeped into her hooves.
"Why did you stop, filly?" He sneers.
"...The land is blighted," Gustopha wheezed, "I don't know the right spell."
The doctor snorted in annoyance, but poofed away in a blink of light. Gustopha stared at the land.
Then, another flash. A large book was set before her.
"Then you will learn the spell, and cure the blight. The sun won't remain up forever, Gustopha; Celestia's will weakens every hour," He instructs.
Gustopha shivered. Celestia? Princess Celestia? Her will was weakening? That was an uncomfortable thought; even though she didn't entirely understand what said thought was.

Regardless, Gustopha leafed through the book. She needed a way to purge the blight, both from herself and the soil. She found what seemed to be the right passage.
She touched her horn to the dirt again, spreading her influence through it. She focused hard. She could feel the blight now creeping through the dirt… And into her instead.
Black and green bruises crept along her mahogany brown fur. Then, her eyes opened, and her horn flashed a blinding light.
She panted softly. The oozing wounds were gone, and when she dowsed the soil, she felt nothing. The blight was gone, replaced with rich, nutritious soil.

Carefully, Gustopha tilled some of the plucked hay seeds into the dirt, and waited.
The hay did not take as readily as the potted plant had; the dirt was clean and nutritious, but it wasn't as high a quality as the carefully moderated sample.
But, in the waning sunlight, the hay did grow. It sprouted small, green strands, which then climbed some feet into the sky.
She planted more hay, and watched it grow. The doctor grinned in delight. "That's it, Gustopha. You make me proud," He said, "I can see it in your eyes; you will heal this land. Now go, bring your subjects to food," He instructed, pointing to the starving ponies at the end of the way.
Gustopha nodded.

Carefully, Gustopha walked to what seemed to be a family of five. "E-excuse me," She stammered softly, "There's some fresh hay in the planter box there," She explained.
A couple of the ponies looked up at her. A mother nudged her colt in the direction of the hay, "Go eat, little one," She requested.
Gustopha took gentle care to lead the family to the box. It took some effort, but she eventually got them to graze.
The townsponies ate hungrily; one planter box shouldn't have been able to feed a family, but in fairness, it was a large planter box, and fresh hay began growing from the earth as soon as the first crop was uprooted by hungry mouths.

"Thank you," Said one of them; a stallion, "You have saved my family," He expressed with pleading eyes.
The doctor glared at him, "You will bow when you address Princess Gustopha," Dr. Thanamus instructs sternly, "She could just as easily feed some other family; there's no shortage of starving ponies," He sneered.
The stallion's ears flattened, and he bowed, "Th-thank you, Princess!" He chirped nervously.
A few of the other ponies followed suit.
It was praise! Genuine praise! Yet, Gustopha felt awful. These ponies shouldn't be praising her just for being allowed to feed.
The young princess just softly said, "You're welcome."

Dr. Thanamus sneered. "Now, are you tired, Princess?" He asked.
"Yes," Gustopha admitted, "The blight spell uses a lot of magic."
Dr. Thanamus huffed in annoyance. "Very well. You come inside, and we will feed you. I will be ensuring your magic is thoroughly trained from here on out," He stated, walking back inside the old fort, magicking the spellbook along beside him.
Gustopha nodded and followed him, tail drooping slightly. She felt the light headache of magic exhaustion come on; it joined the cacophony of other pains she was in.

She looked around Dr. Thanamus' office as she was brought inside. Once again, the door was locked. The book was returned to its shelf, and the doctor turned to the filly.
She watched him approach, cowering slightly. There was something about the look in his eyes… Childish glee, layered carefully over malice.
"Stand up straight, Gustopha," He ordered with a slight sneer.
Gustopha hesitated, but obliged as he stamped his hoof impatiently. She flinched at the sharp crack.
The doctor then went about examining her, roughly twisting her limbs in uncomfortable directions to get a better look.
She watched a sickening smile flicker across his face. It made her uncomfortable. "Yes, yes, you are already very well-healed," He said gleefully, "A fine young filly… A suitable one."

Gustopha squeaked as he began to laugh maniacally, "Look at me now, beast of the moon!" The doctor cackles, "From the death you bring, I wrench forth our strongest warrior! Look upon her and see your own shallow victory crumble in your grasp!" He laughs loudly; a deranged, maniacal cackle.
Gustopha cowered in the corner. His loud, unhinged rambling frightened her.
Then he darted to her, taking her hooves with his own, "Did you hear that, Gustopha? You will be our champion; the one we finally need to win this war once and for all," He expresses.
Gustopha whimpered nervously. His gaze felt like a thousand needles being driven into her; parasites, burling into her flesh.
The doctor seemed dissatisfied at her lack of response. "Bah! Who am I kidding? You are still a child. You do not understand the power you hold in your horn, now. To the kitchen with you! Feast and grow strong!" The doctor bellowed, his horn igniting.

Gustopha squeaked as a flash enveloped her. She wound up on the floor of the kitchen. She shook her head off, groaning as the sparkles of teleportation dizziness receded from her peripheral vision.
She looked around, "H-hello?" She squeaked.
A familiar pegasus darted to her side, "Evening, Princess! I-I heard you had a big night tonight! Doc w-wants me to s-stuff you silly!" Rolling Simmer said.
Gustopha nodded a little, allowing Rolling Simmer to lead her to the table.
"Y-you want something special? I have the usual goods to give you, b-but the D-Doc said I could treat y-you with something sweet," Rolling said.
Gustopha nodded, "Th-that sounds nice, thank you," She said gently.
Gustopha watched the pegasus dart off into the kitchen. After the experience with the doctor, Gustopha understood the cook's skittishness… She wondered if the doctor had tried to hurt her.

Slowly, plates were brought; much more food than earlier. Two slabs of the strange brown substance, then a large bowl of porridge. Then, a tray of steamed veggies. Then two glasses of the thin, purple drink. Then, lastly, a curious bowl of fried, flaked corn, sprinkled with some icing sugar and milk.
"H-here you go! Doc wants all of that gone b-before I send you off to go do some more studying," Rolling Simmer stated.

Gustopha nodded. It was a daunting meal… She took it slow and steady, however. Spoonful after spoonful of porridge, then some veggies, then a few cuts of the strange slabs of brown. She wanted to save the sugary treat until last; even if it did look good.
She drank her first glass of the purple drink after some time, then ate some more, then downed the second glass. She was surprised how easily the eating came to her; she had hardly felt hungry when she had first gotten to the table, but now consumed with wild abandon.
Then, she got to the bowl of sugared corn and milk. It tasted quite nice, even if it was unusual. She couldn't help but wonder why she was being fed so much when other ponies were starving. Though, it was her job to feed other ponies, so she didn't think about it too hard.

After eating, the young alicorn wiped her mouth and walked to the study; she had seen it on her first trip to the kitchen. It opposed her room; being on the side of the main entrance, closer to Dr. Thanamus' office.
Gustopha gently shut the study door behind her and sat before a lectern. Several books pertaining to agriculture and transmutation spells had been set next to it.
Gustopha levitated a book onto the stand and began to study.
What should have been a challenging read for such a young filly made a surprising amount of sense to the burgeoning princess.
"Is this part of being an alicorn?" She asked herself, "Do I learn faster?"

Gustopha shrugged. She did, however, notice a small flower in the corner of the library. It was a bit wilted.
She flipped through one of the books, finding a page on wilting, and her horn illuminated as she read.
The flower soon perked up, basking in the gentle shimmer of the alicorn's magic. Gustopha smiled. When she had a chance to quietly tend to plants of her own accord, it was kind of nice. She just wished she didn't have the weight of starving families slowly crawling onto her mind.

Gustopha yawned after some time. She was beginning to feel sleepy, and the aches no longer succeeded in keeping her from nodding off. The alicorn stood up and slunk to her bedroom, huffing gently in the cool night air.
As she lightly closed the door behind her, she saw Heartful Surrogate tending to a large, warm fire in the fireplace.
Gustopha plodded over and sat next to her, and yawnes gently.
Heartful gently smiled at her, "Did you have a good evening, Princess?" She asked gently.
Gustopha nodded, "I did… I cleaned one of the planters out front, and then Rolling Simmer made me a big dinner… Now I'm tired after studying," She admit, eyes closing as she enjoyed the heat of the flames.
Heartful Surrogate smiled, "Your first day of being a princess, and you're starting to make life better for everypony," She said, gently hugging Gustopha with a leg, "I'm very proud of you, even if I'm not your mother."
Gustopha nodded absently, "Why aren't you my mother? You take care of me and tuck me in like one," She asked, only somewhat lucid.
Heartful sighed a little, "The doctor doesn't want me getting attached to you… If you were to call me 'mother', I'm almost certain I'd have failed that notion," She admitted.
Gustopha bit her lip, "But… Isn't love and harmony the source of all magic?" She asked.

Heartful nuzzled her tenderly, "It is, dear… But the doctor is very particular about his patients. I promise you, dear, just because I'm not your mother doesn't mean I won't care for you," She insisted gently.
Gustopha nodded and yawned, leaning against the mare, "Okay, Heartful…" She replied tiredly.
Gustopha felt sleep creep into her again, feeling comfortable around the fire, and she leaned against her caretaker. She felt safe, and, despite what seemed to be the doctor's efforts, loved.
Heartful smiled gently as she heard the filly snore softly against her. "Oh, dear…" She murmured softly, helping the sleeping alicorn into bed.

"Mom… I don't feel so good," Plantation whined gently.
"Sweetie, what's wrong? You've been out in the field again, haven't you?" Her mother asked, gently rubbing the filly's head.
Plantation nodded and coughed a bit.
"Come on, sweetie… Let's get you to bed, okay?" Plantation's mother said, gently nuzzling her and leading her upstairs.

Act I, Part II: Awe

Princess Gustopha groaned gently as she blinked awake. She stretched her legs discontentedly; they cramped and ached uncomfortably.
"Princess? Are you alright?" Asked Heartful Surrogate, gently setting a hoof on the squirming pony's shoulder.
Gustopha huffed a little. "B-body… Hurts…" She whined.
Heartful bit her lip. She knew exactly why; this wasn't cause for alarm. She didn't want to be the sort of pony who yarded a filly out of bed, but it was necessary today. Gustopha had a very important meeting later.
"The doctor wishes for me to give you a bath this morning," Heartful explained, "Take a few moments to wake up… I'll run the bathwater," She said gently, walking into the bathroom attached to Gustopha's room.

Gustopha whined, crawling out of bed to right herself. She looked in the mirror for the first time.
She was noticeably taller than she'd remembered being, and more noticeably, she noticed that instead of just being green, her mane and tail were now striped orange and green. Gustopha sat for a long moment, "Kinda reminds me of Tex's…" She murmured quietly, shaking herself off.
"Princess!" Heartful called from the other room.
Gustopha gently walked to the bathroom, looking at the hot bath that had been run for her.
"Up you go," Heartful said, helping the filly into the bath, "Goodness, you're growing already," She murmured.
Gustopha was about to ask, but she cut herself off as she sank into the hot water. It was a bit hot for her liking, but it felt wonderful on her aching muzzles. She sank deep into the hot bath with a deep, content sigh.

"Would you like me to wash you, Princess?" Heartful asked gently.
"Mmm… In a couple minutes," Gustopha replied, breathing softly as she sat in the tub.
Heartful smiled as she noted Gustopha's reaction, "You enjoy the hot water, hm? I do too; there's nothing better after a long day," She said with a gentle chuckle.
Gustopha nodded lazily, "My muscles have been hurting… They feel better," She admitted.
Heartful nodded, gently grabbing some soap to wash the young princess when she was ready.
Gustopha eventually gave a small nod, and Heartful began working the soap into her mane and coat. Gustopha's eyes closed softly. She had to admit… She didn't mind this.
Heartful hummed softly as she washed Gustopha diligently. It was a nice, gentle tune that eased Gustopha's brain.

"...Does the doctor treat you nicely, Heartful?" Gustopha eventually asked.
Heartful bit her lip. "It's… Complicated, dear. He cares for me as his staff, but he can be a bit tumultuous at times," She admitted.
Gustopha nodded a little, "He's scary… He yelled at me after practicing magic yesterday… And told me that ponies would starve if I didn't do my magic right," She admitted.
Heartful sighed gently, "The war hasn't been nice on anypony, little one… The doctor is just reacting to it unusually," She explained.
Gustopha nodded a little.
Heartful eventually rinsed the filly off and drained the bath, helping Gustopha out of the bath. She helped Gustopha towel off, and then led her to the mirror, gently brushing out her mane.

"I-I could brush my own mane," Gustopha reasoned.
"This way I can get the knots out of the back," Heartful chuckled, "Besides, it will save you magical effort."
"Why do I need to save my magic?" Gustopha asked.
"You will be visiting Princess Celestia today; at least, that's what I've been told," Heartful explained.
Gustopha gasped a little, "Th-the princess?" She stammered.
Heartful nodded, "That's right. The doctor wants to introduce you both," She explained.
Gustopha closed her eyes, "I-I don't know if I'm ready," She expressed quietly.

Heartful smiled gently, "I'm sure the doctor has a plan," She promised, "Plus, Princess Celestia is very kind. I have no doubt she'll love you."
"Y-you think?" Gustopha asked.
"I know," Heartful said contently, finally pulling the brush away, "Now, off you go to get some breakfast, okay? A growing princess needs her food," She hummed.
Gustopha nodded, "O-okay," She replied gently, "Bye Heartful," She bade as she walked out the door.
"I'll see you soon, Princess," Heartful said gently.

Gustopha looked towards the kitchen and licked her lips; despite how much she had eaten yesterday, she felt hungry again. Her pace quickened, and she attempted flying again; her wings flared, and she caught lift. She was more careful not to hit the ceiling this time.
…Then she realized how quickly she was gaining on the door.
"How do I stop?" She asked herself, squeaking as she wound up tumbling into the large swinging doors, collapsing to the floor in a heap.

"A-ah, Princess!" Rolling Simmer squeaked, darting to her side, "Are y-you okay?" She asked.
Gustopha shook herself off a bit, "I tried flying again," She admitted, "I, um… Don't know how to stop," She admitted sheepishly.
Rolling Simmer giggled a little, and smiled the first time that Gustopha had ever seen. It was a sincere, warm smile; not one given lightly to put her at ease. "Yeah, 's-salways the h-hard part," She commented, "You know where the t-table is; I'll get y-you your breakfast."
Gustopha nodded as the pegasus darted back into the kitchen.

Gustopha sat at the table and yawned a little. The bath had relaxed her, but it made her a bit sleepy… She hoped she wouldn't yawn in front of Princess Celestia. She had no doubt in her mind that the doctor would punish her gravely for such an infraction.
She watched as Rolling Simmer brought her a few plates; one of porridge, then another of vegetables, and a slab of brown stuff that she still didn't know the name of. Of course, a glass of purple liquid was provided.
Gustopha didn't question; she simply ate. Her life seemed a little less weird today; not for any particular reason, at least in her mind. She was just settling into the routine.

After eating, Princess Gustopha stepped down from the chair and walked to the study. She wasn't sure what else was expected of her, so she returned to things she knew she wouldn't be punished for doing.
Gustopha poured over the dry tomes with reckless abandon. Page after page of opaque discussion of farming tactics, and the spells involved with purging blight in the soil. She wished for a way to purge blight without accepting it into her own flesh.
Then, the door opened.

"Ah! There you are," Dr. Thanamus said, "And I see you are productively using your time. Excellent," He hummed.
Gustopha looked at the scientist. He seemed a bit frazzled, but his crooked, menacing smile didn't leave his face as he approached her.
Gustopha turned to face him and spread her wings. The doctor smiled. "Ah, good. Clearly, you understand the gravity of today," He commented, beginning a quick check up, "We are going to meet Princess Celestia!"
Gustopha still flinched lightly at the Princess' name.
"I'm sure she will be very pleased… When she came to me, asking for a new sister, I must say I was surprised! But needs must, and here you are," The doctor commented.

Gustopha froze as she felt two hooves press around her neck, pressure being applied. She was being strangled.
"Now, listen closely Gustopha," The doctor sneered, "Your first impression is incredibly important. We will meet the princess, you will demonstrate your magic on a part of the castle's courtyard, and then we will have lunch with her," His grip tightened, "Do I make myself clear?"
Gustopha gaped for air, nodding weakly.
The doctor smiled widely, "Good," He replied, "We still have a few minutes… You will study," He declared, releasing his grip on the filly's neck.
Gustopha gasped and gulped at the air, panting hard.

The doctor turned to see the plant in the study's corner having grown exceedingly well.
"Gustopha… Did you fix that flower?" He asked.
Gustopha weakly sputtered, "I-I did, Doctor…"
"Hmm… That is not a productive use of your magic, but you need all the practice you can get," He supposed, "It will be forgiven this time…" He rambled as he left the room.
Gustopha wiped some latent tears from her eyes, and gingerly rubbed her neck. It was sore, now; tender.
Gustopha returned to her books… The reading took her mind off the pain of her neck, and aching body. Reading was good, she decided. Books didn't hurt her.

She flinched as she heard the door open again.
"I-is it time to leave, Doctor?" Gustopha asked, sitting up straight.
The doctor smiled and stroked her mane. "Yes, yes it is. I am glad to see that you have inherited some poise," He cooed. His tone made Gustopha feel sick to her stomach; it was sweet, but forcedly so. Attempting to lower her guard.
"Thank you, Doctor," Gustopha replied meekly.
"Now, close your eyes," Dr. Thanamus ordered, "A long ranged teleport like this will disorient you."
Gustopha nodded, obediently squeezing her eyes shut.
Then, she heard a shimmer of magic, and a light lurch in her stomach.

When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the wood and stone study. Instead, she was in a fanciful castle, hewn from gleaming metal.
The doctor looked to a pair of guards, "The new princess is here!" He declared loudly.
The two guards nodded. "You may go in. We'll watch the princess," They said in unison.
The doctor gave Gustopha a wily grin, "Stay here with the nice stallions, Gustopha. Do not have any debaucherous thoughts while I am gone!" He joked with a cackle as he darted through the tall, imposing doors.
Gustopha blinked, "What's a 'debaucherous'?" She asked at the two guards.
They bit their lips, "I don't think… You have to worry about that," One said.

Gustopha looked around. Some small plants sat in the corner of the room; neglected plants. Gustopha frowned a little and walked over.
"Princess?" One of the guards asked.
"Don't question it," The other remarked.
Gustopha paid them no mind. She gently touched her horn to the small box of soil. It began to glow.
The soil here wasn't salted. It was simply depleted; weary of being forced to grow plants it was not designed to house.
Gustopha's horn glowed brightly as she worked the soil, tilling it and seeding it with fresh nutrients.
The plants perked up, and then began to grow.
Gustopha smiled and gently rubbed what seemed to be a tomato plant with her hoof, "You can live well, now," She said quietly, walking back to before the guards.

They stared at her.
"Those plants are safe to eat," Gustopha informed with a small smile, "Even the weeds have some value."
One of the guards walked over, taking a tomato incredulously. He brought it back over, taking a large bite.
His eyes lightened, as if it were the first fresh food he'd tasted in months. Given the state of the land after the war, that might've been the case.
He ate a conservative half and passed it over to his partner, who finished off the fruit.
"Thank you, Princess," The first guard gasped, bowing lowly to the filly. The other guard then joined him.
"Don't bow," Gustopha requested, "I don't like it," She shivered as she remembered the starving stallion bowing to her.
The guards returned to their standing posture, apologizing quietly.

Then, the door opened, and the doctor returned.
"Gustopha, it is time," He urged with a grin, patting his side as if he were commanding a dog, "Come here."
Gustopha fell in line with the doctor's side, and followed him as he stepped forward, pushing open the heavy doors.
She looked at the large alicorn who was laying on the throne at the end of the hall and shivered.
"Come, Gustopha," Dr. Thanamus murmured harshly.
Gustopha stumbled forward to keep up with the doctor as he led her down the red carpet.

"Hello, little one," Celestia greeted softly, looking over the filly alicorn with tired, but warm eyes. Celestia looked frail; scars from the brutal magic duel with her sister still marred her otherwise immaculate white coat.
Dr. Thanamus bowed to the princess. Gustopha followed suit, until her stance was corrected by the light of the doctor's horn. "You are a princess, Gustopha, you do not bow to your equals," He sneered lowly.
Celestia briefly frowned at the tone the doctor took with the filly, but replaced her smile when she saw Gustopha's curious purple eyes gazing at her.

"My princess, I present to you Princess Gustopha; princess of plenty," The doctor said.
Celestia smiled a bit, "Ah… This is my 'new sister'?" She asked gently, "Come here, little one."
Gustopha obliged, quietly pacing up the steps to the throne, attempting to keep a straight posture.
Celestia gently brushed her hoof through the filly's mane. Their eyes met.
Gustopha shivered a little. They were warm eyes, but she could see the pain. She could see the death, and the fear for the future.
Celestia smiled, "You're very pretty, Gustopha," She cooed gently.
"Th-thank you, Princess," Gustopha stumbled. She wanted to bow, but feared discipline too much to move. Her legs locked.

Celestia could see the fear in the filly's eyes. She gently touched her horn to Gustopha's, eyes closing.
Gustopha squeaked lightly as Celestia's voice emanated in her mind. "I'm sorry," The senior princess expressed, before drawing away.
"Sorry for what?" Gustopha wanted to ask, but she shook her head. She wasn't to question the elder princess.
Celestia sighed gently, heaving as she stood up. "Now. I believe you had something to show me?" She asked, groaning softly in pain as she stood. A pair of guards rushed to either side. "...I can walk. I am not crippled yet," Celestia urged, slowly leading the way down the stairs.
Gustopha carefully trotted down the stairs. The doctor and Celestia lead her outside to a small, private courtyard.
Gustopha didn't even need to touch her own to the ground this time; the land practically radiated with blight, as if a dirty bomb had been dropped upon the castle.

"Celestia wishes for you to heal her garden, Gustopha," The doctor explained, "It has been too long since she ate something properly. If you fail, she will only get weaker. If you continue to fail, she will-" He was cut off.
"That's enough, Doctor. Allow her to perform," Celestia said sternly.
Gustopha stepped forward, her horn igniting. There was a lot of dirt to clean; this was not a simple planter. It was around 30 feet in either direction, and was markedly deep.
Gustopha closed her eyes to focus. She felt the creeping, oozing feeling of blight purging itself into her body. Then a flash. It evaporated. Then, she did it again, slowly healing outwards from herself. The ground illuminated, pulsing outwards.
Another flash. Then another.
Gustopha felt strain and fatigue grip her mind.
Her eyes shot open, and she gasped for air.
She panted hard.

"Are you okay, little one?" Celestia asked.
"Do not patronize her, Celestia. Gustopha is strong," Dr. Thanamus sneered.
Gustopha's horn ignited again. She strained. There was still blight… She'd only cleaned just over half of it.
Then, she felt the pressure lifting from her mind.
She felt a light touch against her horn.
Then, Celestia's voice once again quietly echoed through her mind. "It's okay, little one. We will finish it together," Celestia said.
Gustopha guided the elder princess' magic as it flowed into her horn, the filly's eyes closed.
The healing shimmer radiated out, bathing the walls in a warm glow. One flash. Two flashes. Gustopha took a deep breath as her eyes opened, "I-it's done…" She said, "So much blight…" She murmured softly.

Celestia gently stood up straight. "Thank you, little one," She expressed, sitting back on her haunches and pulling Gustopha into a hug, "The doctor is right; you are very strong."
Gustopha squeaked slightly. The full grown alicorn was warm and comforting, but Gustopha shrank as she saw the doctor's face. It was a harsh scowl. She could feel him judging her. She shivered, already knowing tonight would be unpleasant.
"Now," Celestia said, turning to a small group of gardeners, "If you would be so kind as to show us the fruits of Gustopha's labor," She requested, still holding the filly princess close.
Celestia felt responsible for this… After all, she had asked the doctor for this "service"; she knew the truth about the filly in her hooves. He hadn't asked for any money in return, only a pardon for the crimes he would have to commit. Celestia grimaced slightly. What a terrible price.

Gustopha watched as the gardeners carefully scattered seeds in the clean, enriched soil. She watched with bated breath as she awaited the signs they had taken root.
Then, plants began to sprout. It was slow at first, but it didn't matter how much was planted; it all grew at the same accelerated rate.
Celestia gently set the filly down.
"Won't you show me to something nice to eat?" Celestia requested softly.
Gustopha nodded, leading the way over to a large patch of hay that had grown quickly.
Celestia leaned down and took a large bite. Hay plants were not particularly fanciful, or even particularly tasty, but this was fresh. It radiated with natural magic; something preserved foods lost over time. Celestia began to devour the hay hungrily, tearing at it as if she were a predator.

Gustopha stepped back a bit; the sudden energy the princess exuded frightened her slightly.
Celestia turned to the young alicorn and smiled at her, bits of hay stuck between her teeth. It was a wide, toothy smile; similar to the doctor's, but without the underlying seethes of malice.
Gustopha sat up straight. She squeaked lightly as Celestia's head came down, only to watch as the tall alicorn dropped into a graceful bow. Her guards, and even some of the gardeners followed suit.
Gustopha shuddered. She didn't like the bowing; but she couldn't just not accept it, could she?
"Princess Gustopha," Celestia began, "I bow to you today, not as an equal or superior, but as a sick mare, healed by your actions. Thank you."
Gustopha fiddled lightly with her hooves, "Th-thank you, Princess," She stammered softly.

Celestia smiled gently at her, returning to a standing posture. "Now…" Celestia trailed off briefly, "I would like to have lunch with Gustopha."
The doctor smiled, "Of course, Princess. We would be honored to-" He was cut off.
"Just Gustopha. I would like to bond with my new sister," Celestia explained.
The doctor scowled, "Your highness, you must be-" He was again cut off.
"I am very serious, Thanamus. You know where your fate lies," Celestia uttered.
The doctor shook. "Very well," He heaves, "I will be looking in the royal library for more books on agriculture for the young princess," He sneered, blinking away.

Gustopha let out a deep breath and shuddered.
Celestia sighed a bit, and bit her lip, standing up stiffly. "Come along, little one," She said gently.
Gustopha followed the elder princess closely, to a large dining hall. Two chairs sat on opposing ends of what seemed like an impractically long table.
"Have a seat, Princess," Celestia said warmly, gesturing to the far end of the table.
"M-may I sit next to you?" Gustopha asked, ears flattening.
Celestia's expression softened. "Of course," She replied gently, magicking a seat from the wall over to the table, kiddy-corner to her own seat.
Celestia then climbed into her own seat, as Gustopha climbed into the smaller chair.

Celestia watched as Gustopha's eyes nervously darted around.
"Is something wrong, Gustopha?" Celestia asked gently.
"I-I'm just nervous… The doctor said I needed to make a-a good first impression," Gustopha stammered.
Celestia gently rested a hoof on the anxious filly's shoulder. "I promise, you have nothing to be worried about; you've already made a good first impression," She smiled, "I saw the tomato juice on the faces of my two door keepers; you did that, did you not?"
Gustopha nodded, "I-I did, Princess," She replied softly.
Celestia's smile widened, "Then you've already made a good impression on me. A princess does what's good for her subjects, even if she fears consequence," She expressed.
Gustopha shrank humbly in her chair, "Th-thank you…" She whimpered softly.

Celestia looked over as the banquet doors swung open. Several servants filed out, donning large trays of hot food. Placed before Gustopha was a plate with a small slab of familiar brown substance, in addition to a glass of purple liquid. The dishes were set before them, and the servants filed out; the two alicorns were once again alone, as per Celestia's request.
Celestia's horn ignited, and she carefully spooned out a number of dishes onto their plates, until she saw the brown slab. She recognized the sight well: Meat. The doctor had this filly eating meat.
Celestia suppressed her urge to frown… She would need to have words with the doctor. The effects of excessive meat consumption were still poorly understood; not that any part of Gustopha's "condition" was well understood by anyone aside from the doctor.

Celestia watched the young princess eat; Gustopha ate with the need of a starving animal, making short work of the meal before her. She was done before Celestia had even finished half her plate.
Gustopha's horn lit up and she took some more food.
Celestia smiled, "You have quite the appetite, sister," She commented softly. It still felt a bit weird to call the strange little filly "sister", but she wanted to get herself used to it. That was the deal, after all.
"Why are you calling me sister?" Gustopha asked softly.

Celestia sighed a little. This would be a hard question to answer, "When I first banished Luna to the moon, I thought I would be comfortable with ruling by myself. The royal duties are taxing, but not difficult to manage… However, I've started becoming very lonely as of not too long ago," Celestia explained, "So… I went to Dr. Thanamus, and asked him to make me a sister. And… That's you, Gustopha," She explained.
Gustopha sat silently for a moment, her horn dimming as she brought her fork to rest on the table.
"But… Why call me your sister if I'm not related to you?" She asked.
Celestia bit her lip. "Because, like me, you will be immortal. Eventually, to our subjects, it will be as if you and I have ruled forever; and in that bond, we will be sisters," She explained.
Gustopha sat back on her haunches. That was a lot to take in. Like, a lot a lot.

Celestia's horn ignited and she gently lifted the filly into a hug. The elder princess couldn't take it any more. She knew what the doctor was like; she could only imagine how this filly lived.
"I'm sorry," Celestia croaked softly.
Gustopha leaned into Celestia's embrace.
"I still don't understand, but…" Gustopha looked up, "I want to be a good sister, so you can be happy and not lonely again," She expressed.
Celestia closed her eyes and held the filly close, "You will be, Gustopha. I know you will," She promised softly, rubbing the filly's back.
Celestia then gently placed Gustopha back in her seat.
"Eat as much as you want, little one," She invited gently, "You're my guest of honor today."
Gustopha nodded a little, "Th-thank you, sister," She replied softly.
Celestia's heart ached slightly at the addressal, but she didn't say anything. It wasn't this filly's fault that the memory was still a fresh wound in her mind.

Celestia couldn't think of much else to say to the filly as they ate. She didn't mind the young one's company, of course, but Gustopha wasn't mentally prepared for any of the large, heavy topics on the alicorn's mind. Still, there was something about Gustopha's presence that eased her… A warm energy that only alicorns could share.
One thought did, however, cross her mind. "How could he mimic an alicorn's magic so effectively…?" She thought to herself.

Eventually, lunch concluded. Celestia smiled gently, "Thank you for having lunch with me, Gustopha… I've asked the doctor about doing this once a week, so we can bond before you are properly set to ruling," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded a little, "Okay," She replied softly, giving Celestia a tight hug.
Celestia hugged back gently before letting the filly run out to find the doctor.
Celestia sighed slightly. She feared for the young princess… She could only hope the doctor treated her well.

Gustopha neatly sat before the doctor, who was levitating a large stack of thick agricultural and history books.
"Ah, your lunch has concluded," Doctor Thanamus remarked, "I take it you ate well? You are a growing filly."
Gustopha nodded, "Princess Celestia was very nice," She replied softly.
Doctor Thanamus snorted lightly. "Good. It is crucial you like her company," He remarked, "Now, we will return home. You will study hard and go to bed early; tomorrow, I will give you a proper checkup," He explained.
Gustopha nodded simply, closing her eyes as the doctor's horn illuminated.

When Gustopha's eyes opened, her ears flattened. She looked around the cold, dark stone room she and the doctor were in. It was if the walls themselves had encircled around then.
Dr. Thanamus looked at her with burning rage in his eyes. "Now," He began, "What did you tell her?" He asked.
"N-nothing, Doctor," Gustopha stammered.
"Do not lie to me, filly. I see the guilt in your stance. You think you're clever, allowing the Princess to take you to a private lunch while her guards watched me like I was a prisoner," Dr. Thanamus sneered.
Gustopha opened her mouth to protest. All that left her lips was a yelp as his hoof whipped across her face, sending her tumbling to the floor.

"Do not lie to me, filly!" The doctor shouted, "Tell me what you were conspiring!!" He demanded, kicking her in the stomach. Gustopha yelped again, rolling away weakly as she was kicked over.
Dr. Thanamus simply walked forward and kicked her again. Gustopha yelped a third time.
"TELL ME!!" He roared, kicking her again, "TELL ME! TELL ME!" He bellowed, kicking her each time he repeated.
What started as yelps became weak, hoarse whines and pleas for it to stop. "I-I didn't tell h-her anything!" She pleaded, tears leaking from her eyes, "W-we just talked about how I was going to be her sister!"
The doctor stared at the collapsed filly, who was now curled up tightly, legs bruised from trying to protect her soft underbelly. The doctor panted hard.

In a flash, they landed in the hallway, "Fine," He snorted, "But if I hear a word that you've told anyone about this, I will not hesitate to revoke the alicornhood I have given you," He sneered.
Gustopha cried softly as he walked away. She remained curled tight. She didn't want to let go of herself. She felt that, if she did so, her guts might spill out onto the cold stone floor.
Eventually, the pain eased a bit. She carefully stood up, posture sagging. She didn't want to study. She just wanted her bed. Gustopha stumbled to her room, head hung low.

Heartful gasped slightly as the beaten princess walked into her room. "Oh, princess! What happened?" She asked, running over to help the filly into bed.
Gustopha began to cry again; the memory stung in her mind. It was a tattoo on her spirit.
Heartful closed the door before she returned to the princess' side, tenderly nuzzling the princess' face.
"H-he hit me," Gustopha whined eventually, "O-Over and over… B-because the princess and I had lunch without him," She said, still sniveling and hiccupping.
Heartful suppressed a growl. "Oh… Sweetheart…" She trailed gently.

Gustopha cowered in her bed, even under the gentle embrace of her caretaker, "I-I'm scared," The young princess admitted.
"Shhh… It's okay," Heartful cooed gently, "I know he doesn't want us to get attached, but Rolling Simmer and I care for you very much. We'll take care of you, even if he doesn't," She promised, voice low.
Slowly, Gustopha opened up and relaxed a bit. The gentle feeling of Heartful's muzzle on the side of her head relaxed her.
Gustopha's eyes eventually closed, and she relaxed. Her whimpers and sniffles leveled out into soft snores.
Heartful sighed gently, pulling the covers up snugly over the sleeping princess.

"C'mon, Plant! Hurry up!" Texas Toast giggled, trotting through the field.
"I'm getting hungry, Tex," Plantation whined.
"There's hay, like, all over here. Just take a bite!" Texas replied.
"Are you sure it's safe…?" Plantation asked.
Texas took a large chomp of the hay around his hooves. "Totally fine!" He mumbled through his mouthful, chewing loudly, "...Okay, a little shquishy. But it shtill tastesh good."
Plantation's stomach growled. She took a breath and bit into a bushel of hay. It didn't taste right. Was it moldy? Her growling stomach demanded she swallow; and thus, she did, before following Texas Toast into the field.

Act I, Part IV: Progression

The next couple days went by fairly uneventfully for Gustopha. She awoke, ate, trained, studied, and returned to bed after full days of leading her new life as a princess in training.
She grew with each passing day; to the point where she surpassed the adults in charge of caring for her in height. Her power only grew with her stature; magic power surged through her, and her influence expanded as she became more and more comfortable in her abilities.

Then, it was time for another checkup, just two days shy of her visit with Celestia. This time, however, the doctor did not sedate her.
He lead her to the operating room, and magicked a large swarm of crystal slivers around the new princess.
"Now, Princess," He begins with a grin, "These crystals are special: They're solidified magic, awaiting to be dispersed into you to help you become stronger. The test is simple: I will impale you with hundreds of them, and slowly drive them deeper. If you fail to absorb them, your vital organs will be impaled, and you will die. If you succeed, you will be even more powerful," He explains.

Gustopha wasn't given time to react. She coughed hard as hundreds of crystal slivers stabbed into her skin, sliding into her flesh. Pained tears fell down her face as she gasped, body lighting up with pain.
"The clock is ticking, Princess," The doctor hummed in an almost songful tone.
The princess attempted to focus her magic. Her eyes closed, and her horn lit up. She felt the needlelike pains fading away, slowly but surely, as the crystal slivers. She felt power surging into her. She groaned.
As the sharp pains in her body melted away, she felt pressure in her head. The feeling of magic buildup caused her head to ache, and her horn shone faintly.
"Good, Princess! Do you feel your magic swelling?" He asked with a grin, "Now, you must hold it. Your magic needs to be stretched for it to grow."

Gustopha coughed hard as her head throbbed. She felt the magic trying to escape from her body. Her wings flapped, and her horn lightly sparked, but she rooted her hooves in place and focused on breathing.
The pounding headache began to fade. Her breathing became less shaky; it was getting easier.
She nearly screamed as she felt another volley of splinters embed themselves in her skin.
"Ah! I'm sorry, I thought I told you: We will repeat this several times. You are showing good promise, but an alicorn princess requires awe inspiring power; the power to command the land, sea, and sky to her whim!" The doctor explained with a grin.

Gustopha snarled as she put up with the waves of magic surging into her. She felt herself push harder than she'd ever pushed before.
She began to scream and shout, her body desiring any way to let out any of the energy it built up. Her hooves slammed hard into the floor as she braced herself.
She heard the doctor laughing at her pained tantruming. "Yes, yes!!! Feel it course through you! The power of a goddess!" He exclaimed.
Gustopha collapsed as the steady stream of fresh, sharp wounds ceased. The doctor panted heavily, looking upon the alicorn as she twitched weakly.

Gustopha felt her head pound hard. It was as if something were trying to kick and scream its way out of her skull. She took shaky breaths.
The headache eventually settled, but only to a dull roar. She stood weakly, wobbling on her hooves.
The doctor smiled at her, "Good, Gustopha. It will hurt as your body stresses to contain the energy, but it will be worth it. You will not practice your magic from now on; you will eat and go to bed," He instructed.
She stared at him with bloodshot, burning eyes.
"Do not give me the gaze of a wounded animal. You have your orders," He sneered.
Slowly, the alicorn the left the room, her steps shaky. She breathed deep, vigorous breaths.

As she arrived at dinner, she lightly knocked on the table; she had started doing this to alert Rolling Simmer to her presence.
This time, under her straining, overenergized muscles, she nearly splintered the wood of the table, noticeably denting it.
Rolling Simmer looked at her, "T-time for dinner, Princess?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "E-extra porridge," She requested, voice strained.
Rolling Simmer nodded and darted back into the kitchen.
Gustopha's head hit the table, and she snarled. "Strong, Gustopha. You must be strong. You will be strong… But not yet," She wheezed, "The magic will submit…"
Her eyes closed as she took deep, seething breaths.

She felt a light tap on her back, "P-Princess… Dinner is ready," Rolling Simmer stammered softly.
Gustopha looked up wearily.
"...He's s-started i-implanting you, hasn't he?" Simmer asked softly.
Gustopha nodded, "Over and over… A-a thousand crystal knives," She groaned.
Simmer shivered, "He only did it once to me…" She admitted, "Take y-your time, Princess. I-I know it's a lot…"
Gustopha panted and nodded. Her horn ignited carefully to move the silverware… And promptly melted her spoon to the table. She sighed deeply in annoyance, and pressed her hooves to her temples. "Focus," She sneered, "Focus."
Simmer shivered slightly. The princess who had once been a small, perky filly was now a full grown mare, the change happening over only a few days. She could only wonder what it was like in the princess' head as she grew up in only a week.

Eventually, Gustopha's headache eased as her magical bounds finally stretched to accommodate the new transfusion of power.
Her horn carefully ignited to pick up the replacement spoon, and she began to eat, sighing softly in content. Food had been her material comfort of choice; especially porridge. She overate a bit, perhaps, but food had never hurt her. It was safe, and the feeling of a full belly never left her dissatisfied.
After eating, the princess got up and walked to her room to sleep, groaning as her body fought her movements. Her body had easily healed over the tiny pokes of the crystal, but the pain remained.
It didn't take her long to fall asleep, even with the turbulence of her newly engorged magic supply fighting against her mortal form.

"It's time to wake up, Plantation," Plantation's mother said warmly.
Plantation yawned and crawled out of bed, wiping sleep from her eyes.
"Did you have a good sleep?" Plantation's mother asked.
"I did, mom," Plantation replied softly, "I'm hungry…"
Plantation's mother sighed gently. "I know, dear… We all are," She replied, rubbing Plantation's head.
Plantation breathed softly as she leaned into her mother's hoof.

"One day, the land will heal, and nopony never have to starve again," Plantation's mother promised gently, "And then we can have a picnic, where we can invite the whole Toast family next door."
Plantation looked out the window wistfully, "I hope it happens soon," She expressed.

Gustopha awoke. She then ate and studied. However, as per the doctor's request, she did not practice her magic. She was studying when the doctor came and got her. Another "check up". Gustopha was ready this time, and braced herself for the pain.
She hissed and snarled as she absorbed the crystals' magic, breathing hard. It was easier than yesterday. The doctor noticed this, and increased the throughput.
The princess' head began to throb in pain. Once again, her magic's limits were being stressed, in the name of getting stronger.

The Princess crawled to her bed after training. She seethed hard; a feeling of outward pressure tensed against her skin. The feeling of being overcharged should have felt amazing. Like she could've taken on the world. And yet, she felt as though she were straining to remain in a single piece. It was as if there were a drum beating in her brain.

Heartful looked at her concernedly. She knew this was important for the princess' development, but to see her in such a raggedy, agonized state… What a terrible price. She could only hope this would all conclude soon.
Gustopha seethed and writhed in her bed. Even the soft touch of the covers and the warm blanket no longer offered respite. Intense, pounding aches made her limbs twitch.

Heartful bit her lip and walked to the bathroom, running a hot bath. The mare was at her wits' end trying to help the young princess through her pain, and this was now her ultimatum.
"Princess…" She called softly.
Gustopha looked at her with burning eyes.
"Come with me," Heartful instructed, keeping her voice as low as possible as she walked to the bathroom.
Gustopha took a long moment, but obliged. Heartful had never tried to hurt her. Heartful was good. Safe.
Gustopha looked at the hot bath.
"You don't need to wash… Just soak," Heartful explained quietly.
Gustopha nodded stiffly and climbed into the tub.

As she sank into the hot water, she allowed her eyes to close. She dove her head under the surface, holding her breath. It did help her weary mind and body; the heat radiating into her, in addition to the gentle pressure, eased the feelings of her body willing itself to explode.
The headache did ease back some. It still pounded hard in her mind, but as she lifted her head from the bathwater to take a breath, didn't feel as bad.
Heartful watched the princess diligently, as was her duty.

Gustopha spent hours in the bath, just soaking her aching body in the hopes that it would alleviate the symptoms. And, eventually, it did. The pressure from her insides evened out. Her headache quelled to a light itch in the back of her mind. She breathed freely.
"Thank you, Heartful," She murmured softly.
"Of course, Princess… I'll be sure to remember this for next time," Heartful replied. Having a way to soothe the princess' pain made Heartful happy.
As the bathwater drained, Gustopha heaved herself from the tub, looking at the towel. Her horn ignited to lift the towel, and hurt. The princess grimaced as the start of a new headache echoed into her skull from her horn.

"Please, allow me, Princess," Heartful said gently.
Gustopha's horn dimmed, and she allowed the earth pony to take the towel.
She breathed slowly as Heartful dried her.
It was an unusual feeling to Heartful, drying a mare who stood over her by nearly an entire head, but Heartful didn't pay it any mind. This was still the princess she had agreed to care for, and it had only been just over a week ago that she accepted the position. It was awe-inspiring to see the stitched-together filly blossom into a tall, healthy mare.

Gustopha heaved, "I meet with Celestia tomorrow," She explained, "I will demonstrate the power that the doctor has forced upon me in the past two days."
Heartful nodded, "I'm certain she will be impressed, Princess… You have grown into a very beautiful young mare," She expressed.
Gustopha sat on that thought for a moment. The fact that she had grown up so much in such a short time.
"Have I grown too fast?" Gustopha asked, "My body is prepared, but I fear I still have much to learn…"
Heartful sighed a little, "It wasn't your choice to come into all of this so soon, Princess," She expressed, "The wisdom of a life long-lived will evade you for some time. But, eventually, you will learn things; the big things, that cannot be inherited from books or stories. Then you will have grown to match your new form," Heartful explained.

They moved to the bedroom as Heartful finished drying the young princess, Gustopha laying on the floor so Heartful could brush her mane.
"I fear I will be a burden on Celestia at first; while she is weak. I will be strong, but stupid," Gustopha expressed.
"Celestia is a very kind soul, Princess Gustopha. I'm sure she will be happy to teach you all about life, and what she's learned in her time as a ruler," Heartful promised.
Gustopha sighed softly, "I hope you're right," She expressed gently. She relaxed as the brush ran through her di-hued mane, breathing slow, soft breaths. The gentle touch of her caretaker relaxed her mind and body.
Heartful jumped slightly at the soft thump of Gustopha's head hitting the floor.
"Princess?" She questioned softly.

Gustopha's only reply was a gentle snore. Heartful chuckled softly. With some effort, Heartful hefted the alicorn into bed, drawing the covers over her. "Sleep well, Princess," She bade gently.
Heartful Surrogate let out a small sigh. "She will be fine, Heartful," The mare promised herself, "She's just being pushed very hard and needs her rest.
Heartful left the room to head to the kitchen, planning a nice surprise for the sleeping princess.

"Look, kids, I can't let you in here. This play's about the war, it ain't for foals," The doorman reasoned.
Plantation and Texas Toast walked around the side of the building.
Texas huffed softly, "Man… Why do adults have to be so stubborn?" He asked.
"Maybe it's because it's really scary?" Plantation posited.
Texas snorted, "Pfff, I'm not scared of anything! Death itself could come for me and I'd laugh. Y'hear me, death!? HAW HAH HAW!" He bellowed.
Plantation squeaked at the sudden loud noise, cowering lightly.

Texas gently walked over and put his legs around her in a hug. "...I'm sorry, Plant, I didn't mean to scare you," He said softly.
Plantation leaned into him gently and closed her eyes, whimpering a little.
"L-Look," Texas said, pointing at the night sky, "A shooting star!"
Plantation's eyes opened. "Woah…" She whispered gently.
"You gotta wish on it, now," Texas giggled, "I pointed it out, so my wish doesn't count."

Plantation watched for a long moment.
"...Whatcha wishing for?" Texas asked impatiently.
"I thought you're not supposed to tell," Plantation huffed.
Texas shook his head, "No, I don't get a wish, remember? You can tell me, I'm safe," He promised.
Plantation took a deep breath. "I wished that we could be friends forever, Tex. That we'll always be there for each other, even when things are scary, like they are now," She expressed.

Texas sat in stunned silence for a moment. "That's… That's a really nice wish, Plant," He said gently, "But it's a little dumb."
"Why is it dumb?" Plantation asked.
"Because I've already decided I'm gonna make it come true," He giggled.
Plantation nuzzled into the colt and giggled along, "You're such a weirdo, Tex," She teased.
Tex laughed, "H-Hey, that's my line!" He snorted.

…

Princess Gustopha awoke to the warm smells of breakfast. She looked at the table next to her bed, which was stacked meticulously with plates of food. Her horn ignited to unpack the careful stack, and she began to eat.
Heartful walked in with one final plate; a plate of waffles, as a small treat for the princess who had been pushed so hard as of recently.
"Ah, good morning, Princess," She greeted gently, "Rolling Simmer and I thought you would appreciate breakfast in bed before your meeting with Celestia," She expressed.
Gustopha briefly halted her eating. She nodded, "It's a very nice surprise… Thank you," She expressed softly.

Heartful set the plate of waffles down, watching as the Princess ate. It was quite a large meal, compensating for the lack of dinner last night.
Gustopha, however, consumed it all. She hadn't particularly realized it until she began to eat, but she was starving. It was a feeling she had been unused to during her time as a princess. An unpleasant, clawing feeling from below.

Gustopha neatly stacked the plates and bowls as she finished them, looking at the tray of waffles that Heartful was holding.
"A little something special, for your big day," Heartful said gently.
Gustopha gingerly took the tray and ate the waffles. She didn't scoff them all down like she had eaten the other food; she took bites one by one, savouring them.
"Thank you," Gustopha said softly.
Heartful smiled, "Of course, Princess," She replied, "Simmer and I remembered how much you liked them."

Gustopha ponderously counted up the dishes. "Wait a moment… Did Simmer forget my drink?" She asked softly, noting a lack of glasses.
Heartful shook her head, "You don't need it any more. The dosing is finished," She explained.
Gustopha paused, "Dosing?" She asked.
Heartful blinked, "Did you not question why it was given to you with every meal?" She asked.
"I… I just assumed it was more food," Gustopha admitted.

Heartful sighed. She'd hoped she wouldn't be the one to explain it, but here she was. "It was a potion, Princess, to accelerate your growth. It's why you've grown and healed from the beatings you've received so quickly," She explained.
Gustopha sat in stunned silence for a moment. "So it's why I'm already grown?" She asked.
Heartful simply nodded.
"I thought I grew fast because I was an alicorn," Gustopha admitted.
Heartful sat next to Gustopha. "No, dear… It's all been deliberate," She expressed softly, "Once the potion fades, you'll have a normal appetite again; you won't be able to eat a banquet of food anymore," She chuckled gently.
Gustopha hesitated, "I won't?" She asked.
"Of course not. You're eating more than thrice in one meal as a typical pony does in a day," She said, waving her hoof over the pile of empty dishes.

Gustopha took a few more bites of her waffles as she processed this. The hunger did, admittedly, make sense with the context of how fast she was growing. Despite how surprising it all was, the princess didn't actually find herself being very shocked by it all that much; these were just things she had accepted as part of being raised as a new princess.
"...Is it bad that I've grown up so fast?" She asked.

Heartful sighed a little, "If you ask this mare, the doctor never should have meddled with your growth and development, but… I'm afraid it was necessary. You saw how desperate we were, to find a solution to the salting and blighting of the land," Heartful expressed.
Gustopha blinked. "Then I will make you proud," She declared, "Even if I'm the product of a lot of bad things, I'll… Make right from wrongs," She expressed.

Heartful gently rubbed her side, "Princess… You don't need to push yourself any harder. You've already made us proud," She expressed, "Even the doctor, despite his odd way of showing it."
Gustopha bit her tongue. She had seen it in his eyes; there was no love or care. He was simply a devil living off of dangerous gambles.
"Thank you, Heartful," She replied gently, finishing off her breakfast, "I should go see the doctor now," She expressed.
Heartful nodded, "Have a good day, Princess," She bade softly as Gustopha left the room.
Heartful let out a long sigh. Her time with the Princess was coming to a close; even just a week had given her plenty of time to worry for when her child would leave the nest.

"Doctor," Gustopha greeted coldly as she stepped into Dr. Thanamus' office and sat down.
The doctor smiled, "Ah, good. You are punctual as always," He hummed, turning to face her.
"Let me inspect you one more time, and then we will go. I'm sure the princess will be very excited to meet you again," He sneered.
Gustopha sat still as the doctor inspected her frame.
"Mmm… You have gained some weight, Princess," He snorted, "I'm sure that's just a byproduct of coming off of the stimulants; the hunger will linger for another day or two."
Gustopha nodded slowly.

The doctor inspected her wings, and noted they seemed somewhat underdeveloped. "Have you been practicing flying, Gustopha?" He asked.
Gustopha shook her head, "You told me not to practice magic, so I haven't left the fort," She explained.
The doctor huffed a bit, "I suppose I did say that," He snorted, "No matter. You can practice flying once we are back from the castle. You seem healthy. How is your magic doing?" He asked.
"Fine, Doctor," She replied simply, "The headache subsided last night."
He smiled and patted her side, "Ah, good. I believe you are ready," He hummed, "Now, close your eyes."
Gustopha closed her eyes, and readied herself for the light jump of teleportation.

She landed in the familiar room they landed in, shaking herself off lightly.
The doctor looked visibly tired, "You wait here, Gustopha," He instructed, heading into Princess Celestia's chamber.
The two door keepers looked at Gustopha in shock. The last time they had seen her, she was just a filly; now, she was a full grown alicorn mare, standing taller than either of them.
She gave a small smile as she looked at the corner, where the garden had been carefully tended to.
"You took care of them while I was gone," She observed contently.
The guards nodded, "It would be unwise for us to spoil a gift from the princess," One explained.
Gustopha smiled, "I'm pleased. I will make sure Princess Celestia knows of this," She hummed.

The doctor then poked his head out, "Come, Gustopha! The princess awaits you," He instructs.
Gustopha stood up and walked to the door, looking up at Celestia as she paced forward.
Celestia gasped at the radical change in the younger Princess' stature; it was as if she were an entirely different pony! Gustopha now stood only slightly shorter than Celestia, with a somewhat broader, more heavyset build.
Gustopha carefully ascended the steps. "Sister," She greeted warmly.
Celestia stood with a slight heave. "Gustopha, I… I don't believe it," She expressed, "It has only been a week since we saw each other last."
Gustopha smiled, "Well… It's been a very busy week," She admitted.
Celestia gently paced forward and pulled Gustopha into a hug. She could feel the power radiating from the other alicorn's body; it seeped into her own. Potential energy, looking for a means of escaping its vessel.
Gustopha hugged back, eyes briefly closing.

Gustopha then gently pulled away, "You want a demonstration of how far I've come, yes?" She asked.
Celestia nodded, "I… Yes, I do," She replied, hesitantly at first.
Gustopha nodded, "Come with me to the balcony," She requested.
Celestia obliged, following Gustopha out onto the balcony. It overlooked a large stretch of poisoned land; what had once been the castle's primary food supply now hosted only diseased, dying plants.

Gustopha put her front hooves on the edge of the balcony and closed her eyes. A powerful golden glow illuminated her horn; a few of the castle guards mistook it for a ray of sunshine.
Golden, shimmering cracks stretched across the land. It was salted and blighted into oblivion; only magic could save it now. And save it, magic would.
Large spews of miasma were exorcized from the land, forming into large, dark, billowing clouds. Gustopha breathed slowly and softly as she ripped the blight loose and manipulated the salt into fresh nutrients, her magic working each inch of the royal field.
What would have been a monumental task for Gustopha a week prior was now easy. The magic transfusions had done their job, getting her power to an acceptable level for an adult alicorn; if an inexperienced one.

She opened her eyes as she finished working the farmland, looking at the large cloud of miasma that hung over the field.
Her horn ignited into a bright, shining aura, which then caught into white hot arcane flames. The blight was rent asunder by the sudden wave of energy, leaving nothing but a pale gray cloud behind; a cloud that rained fresh water.
Gustopha's horn pulsed with energy, dispelling the flames, and she shook herself off a bit.

Celestia stared at the field, as once dying farm plants began sprouting anew before her very eyes.
Doctor Thanamus chuckled, "Very, very impressive Gustopha," He praised.
Celestia nodded, "I concur… With magic like that, we shall finally see the blight being cleansed," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded, "It will take time," She admitted, "I can only purge so much at once; the blight purge spell requires a very high throughput. The light you see during its casting is magic burning off during conduction."
Celestia gasped, "You burn your own magic during casting?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "It doesn't hurt very much, but it makes the spell horribly inefficient."
The Doctor chuckled. "It is a good thing we have trained your magic, then," He hummed.
Gustopha simply nodded.

Celestia turned to the guards, "May I have a word alone with the young princess?" She requested. The guards nodded, escorting the doctor off the balcony and closing the door behind them.
Celestia stared at Gustopha, "My sister… What did the doctor do to you?" She asked, "Tell me everything."
Gustopha stepped back slightly. "What do you mean?" She asked.
Celestia stepped forward, getting closer to Gustopha, "He said you trained your magic; I don't trust him. What happened?" She asked.
Gustopha took a shaky breath. "He… He impaled me with crystals, over and over, so I'd absorb their magic," She admitted, "I was overcharged for two days… All I could do was walk, eat, and sleep."
Celestia pulled Gustopha into a hug as the young alicorn recounted her experience in greater detail.

Gustopha began to cry. What started as a cold explanation quickly became a recollection of the abuse she had gone through; the pain Dr. Thanamus had put her through to make her "stronger".
Celestia held Gustopha tightly. The elder princess couldn't stand it; Gustopha may have met her size and matched her power, but she was still a filly. "Just a few more days," She eventually promised, "As soon as you are ready, I will have you moved here. You won't have to deal with him ever again," She promised.

Gustopha coughed lightly as she spoke through her choked throat, "Thank you, sister," She wheezed quietly.
"Of course, Gustopha… I couldn't save Luna, but I promise, I will cherish you," Celestia cooed gently.
Gustopha calmed herself, wiping her eyes, "I will make you proud," She insisted softly.
Celestia nodded, "I know you will," She replied.
After a few more moments, the princesses walked back inside.

Celestia brought Gustopha to the dining hall, where the dining chair still sat kiddy-corner to Celestia's own seat.
The two princesses sat down, and Celestia smiled, "I've been excited to have lunch with you again," She expressed gently, "Although, I didn't expect you would be an adult the next time it happened."
Gustopha nodded a little.
The two princesses watched as the food was brought out. It was a bit more fanciful, and some fresh fruits and bread were set between them.

Celestia wasted no time in taking a bite of a fresh orange. "These were grown in the courtyard," She explained, "I've eaten five a day, and my strength has been returning, slowly."
Gustopha nodded again, and smiled, "That's good news, sister," She expressed, "With your strength returning, the plants will flourish under your sun… It's a cycle."
Celestia smiled as Gustopha began to ramble on about how the plants needed them as much as they needed the plants. It was nice to see her adopted sister open up about something.

The two would eat as more food was brought to them. Gustopha stopped talking when the food arrived, eating quite quickly.
"There's no rush," Celestia promised gently.
Gustopha blinked, "Oh, sorry," She replied, "I'm just used to feeling like I'm starving all the time."
Celestia sighed and nodded, "I see," She replied, "Well, under my watch, you won't starve," She assured.
Gustopha nodded, consciously slowing her eating. Celestia smiled gently, enjoying her new sister's company.

Lunch went by without issue, and the doctor smiled at Celestia as he readied himself to leave, "Ah, Princess. I require one more thing of you," He hummed, stepping forward with a large needle.
Celestia sighed and nodded, "Of course."
The doctor took a large sample of the princess' blood, grinning as he walked back to Gustopha's side, his horn igniting.
In a flash, the two were back at the fort. The doctor told Gustopha to rest tonight; she would be tested one final time tomorrow, and then it would be time for the final treatment.

Celestia briefly looked at one of her guards, "How fast can we travel to Old Fort Delta?" She asked.
"It's… About a day's flight, assuming clement weather, your highness," He replied.
She nodded, "Ready my chariot," She requested, "I don't trust him. Not anymore."

"Hey, Plant!" Texas squeaked, "Whatcha hiding?"
Plantation looked up at Texas. "Promise not to tell anyone?" She asked.
Texas nodded.
Plantation dragged him behind the bushes, and magicked a small, paper-wrapped square from behind her back. She opened the package, revealing a small brownie.
Texas' eyes widened. "Woah… Where'd you find that!?" He asked.
"I stole it from a traveling caravan," Plantation said mischievously.
Texas gasped, "You stole it?" He asked.
Plantation nodded.
Texas giggled, "You're a real wildcard, y'know that Plant?"

Plantation hesitated, "I actually, um… Stole it for you. I know I'm a moon late, but… Happy birthday," She expressed.
Texas stared at her, "Plant, you didn't have to steal a present for me…" He huffed softly, looking away.
Plantation shook her head, "I wanted to! You're the only foal who really likes me, so…" She trailed off.
Texas gingerly took the brownie. "Well… Okay, but on one condition," He stipulated, "We share it."
Plantation giggled a little and sighed, "Fine…" She agreed reluctantly, sitting next to the pegasus.

Act I, Part V: Completion

The next day went by uneventfully for Gustopha, though she did notice that her appetite had noticeably shrank; no longer did she hungrily devour all that was put before her. Instead, it was more conservative; she had to choose what exactly she wanted to eat from the spread set before her.
"Finally c-coming d-down off the meds the d-doc had you on, huh?" Rolling Simmer asked after breakfast.
Gustopha nodded, "Yes… I didn't realize how much it affected my appetite," She admitted, "Thank you, Rolling Simmer… You have been a very diligent cook."
"Aw, sh-shucks, y-you're not hard to cook for, P-Princess," Simmer replied, "I-I just wanted to make s-sure you'd get a-all the nutrition you needed."
Gustopha pulled her into a hug, making the pegasus squeak.
Simmer hesitated, "S-sorry, Princess, I-I have some milk o-on the stove," She admitted.
Gustopha nodded and released her, "Ah, of course. Go ahead," She said calmly.

Gustopha then stepped down from her chair and headed towards the doctor's office.
He smiled at her. "Good morning, Princess," He greeted, "You look well this morning."
Gustopha nodded, "I am well, Doctor," She replied curtly.
He stepped towards her as his horn ignited. "Good, now close your eyes," He instructed.
Gustopha closed her eyes against her better judgment.
When she opened them after the jump of a teleport, she was overlooking a large, dead valley, with short, slumped ruins overlooking long deceased fields.

"What is this place…?" She asked softly.
"My home, from before the blight struck us," The doctor answered simply.
"It looks abandoned, Doctor," She observed.
"It was one of the first places the blight struck… Some consider it the home of our land's decay, for that reason," Dr. Thanamus elaborated.
Gustopha's stance tensed, "I don't think I could clean all of the blight from it… Not in a single day," She admitted, grimacing, "It's strong, and laid across a vast landscape."
"I know, Gustopha. Even the sun's divine judgment could not raze this place sterile. My task for you today is simple: Clean all you can, until you've exhausted your magic," He explained.

The princess nodded, "Very well," She replied, looking towards the valley, stepping to the edge of the cliff.
She closed her eyes; she didn't need to dowse. The blight was everywhere. She could feel it rotting the land, plaguing anything that lived in the valley.
Her horn ignited. A large, shimmering crack ran down the mountain, penetrating into the valley and scattering across the dirt. Her influence reached far; not quite to the horizon, but it covered much of the once-settled part of the valley. Then, the cleansing began.
She winced as her horn's aura glowed brighter, pulling large wisps of miasmic blight from the surface. Deep, black, rotted clouds formed as she continued. Working her magic over this far of an area stressed her; it drained her magic quickly as she worked away at the corrupted soil, fighting off the essence of the blight that tried to claim her. Were she younger and less experienced, she would have allowed it in and purged it later. She now knew better, however.

Her eyes opened, shining brightly as her horn's aura ignited into white flames yet again. The cloud was worked over by large flares of arcane fire, blight burning away from the large cloud.
The doctor looked on admirably as the cloud was purified. This was his own doing in some respect, but it was Gustopha who pushed herself so. He simply gave a respectful nod, watching as the princess' influence crept slightly further across the valley, tearing more blight from the ground.
Then, a blinding flash.
When the doctor's eyes recovered from the whiteout, the valley was overshadowed by a large, silvery cloud that rained clean water gently into the valley.
"I reached my maximum focusing range," She admitted, panting lightly, "I'm not done yet."
The doctor nodded, "Shall I tele-" He was cut off by a light stamp of the princess' hoof.
"You will teleport yourself. I need to practice flying," She reasoned.
Before the doctor could argue, the princess leapt from the cliff.
"Gustopha!" Dr. Thanamus shouted after her.

Gustopha's eyes closed as she felt the wind rush past her. It was a blissfully free feeling. She took slow breaths.
She then rolled herself forward, wings flaring.
They didn't catch much wind at first, due to the angle, but the princess eventually adjusted her pitch, allowing her wings to catch the air. She began gliding along the valley, wind in her face.
Gustopha breathed evenly as she glided along. She just focused on keeping herself on an even trajectory. Flapping could come later. Now was simply about retaining lift, and ideally not breaking all of her legs.
She watched as the ground slowly came to meet her. She would be landing soon.

…Landing.
She had still never learned about landing. Or stopping, for that matter.
She attempted to adjust her pitch again, to land smoothly on her legs.
Then she hit the ground, one of her hooves clipping hard on the dirt, and sending her tumbling forward off to the side. She grunted and coughed as she tumbled head-over-tail along the now soft, loamy dirt, groaning slightly as she came to a stop, laying on her back.
The doctor teleported to her side. "Well, was throwing yourself off a cliff worth ending up splayed out over the dirt like a corpse?" He asked.
The princess began to giggle. That giggling grew into chuckling. Then, laughter.
He stared at her, "Is your mortality a joke to you, filly?" He sneered, "You are not embalmed, yet! You are still at risk of dying!"
Gustopha only laughed harder.

The doctor was tired of her antics. He shut her up with a harsh kick to the stomach.
She yelped, her laughter halting immediately.
"Do not do that again, whether you have a plan or not," Dr. Thanamus ordered.
Gustopha rolled to her side, clutching her belly. "Grrrgh… Yes, Doctor," She seethed.
"Now, get up. You still have magic to exhaust, yes?" He asked.
Gustopha groaned as she drew herself to her hooves, looking out towards the long stretches of infected land before her. "Yes, Doctor," She snorted softly, closing her eyes as she focused on clearing the blight.

Once again, glowing cracks seeped out from her hooves, out into the stretches of land. Blight was rent from the soil as the magic traveled, forming more black clouds.
Gustopha grimaced as she felt her magic output begin to peter out. She was exhausting herself, but she still had a large cloud of blight to clean.
She began sterilizing the clouds she had wrought, rendering them pale with cleanliness again. Soft rain began to fall from the now purified cloud.

She grimaced. "Alright… I believe that's all I can do for your home, doctor," She grunted.
Dr. Thanamus smiled. "Good," He replied, "Let's get you home, then, so you can eat… And be cleaned from your little 'excursion'," He grumbled, horn lighting again.
Then, a small jump, and they were home.
Gustopha would be given dinner, and then she would be given a bath by Heartful Surrogate. The princess had all the faculties needed to wash herself, of course, but Heartful's gentle touch put her at ease after such a tiresome day.

"Your wing feathers are a mess, Princess," Heartful huffed gently.
"I flew today," Gustopha replied, giggling a bit at the memory.
"You flew? How?" She asked, "Here I thought you'd barely practiced flying."
"I threw myself off a cliff and glided," Gustopha remarked contently, "The doctor was quite unamused."
Heartful's eyes widened, before she just chuckled. "Goodness, Princess… I don't blame him. Throwing yourself off a cliff isn't usually a good thing, you know," She expressed.
Gustopha laughed a little, "It was so fun, though… Throwing myself to the wind," She reasoned, "I think… I think I got that from Tex. He always loved jumping around, throwing himself from roofs and fences…" She recalled.
Heartful's expression softened. "Tex… The colt whose wings are yours now, right?" She recalled.
Gustopha nodded, "My closest friend… I guess we really are together forever now," She supposed.

Heartful nodded gently, "Well, I'm not the greatest preener, but I'll give these wings a bit of love for Tex's sake. Okay?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded again, "I think he would've liked that, Heartful…" She admitted. A bittersweet tear rolled down her cheek; one of acceptance.
Heartful nodded and began meticulously washing each wing, pulling the broken feathers. Gustopha relaxed, despite the occasional pain of one of her feathers being pulled.
Gustopha felt at peace for the first time since she woke up some ten days ago. It was a soulful peace; one that would grant her a well-earned rest after her bath.

"What are you making, Tex?" Plantation asked.
Texas Toast yipped and hid the object behind his back. "N-nothing!" He chirped.
Plantation scowled at him, "Tex, you're terrible at keeping secrets. Just tell me," She huffed.
Texas briefly looked at her with a pouty lip, but he had to concede that she was right. He brought from behind his back a small wooden amulet of a nondescript alicorn, attached by a small screw to a gold chain.

"It's pretty, Tex," Plantation said softly.
"It's not done yet," Texas huffed, "I wanna steal mom's hoof file to round off the edges," He explained.
"What's it for?" Plantation asked.
"It's for… Somepony special. I'm gonna finish it soon, and give it to them," Texas reasoned.
"Who?" Plantation asked simply.
"It's a secret. One that I'm not telling you this time," Tex huffed.
Plantation giggled a little, "You're no fun, Tex," She teased.
Texas rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's go sneak into town after sundown and try to get into the play," He offered.
"Okay!" Plantation replied, giggling as she ran after the pegasus.

Princess Gustopha awoke with a slight start. She felt a chill roll down her spine.
"Is everything alright, Princess?" Heartful asked, looking at her with concern.
The princess nodded, "Yes, I just awoke suddenly, that's all," She admitted, crawling out of bed, "The doctor wanted to see me this morning… I'll come back for breakfast," She explained.
Heartful nodded. "Alright, Princess…" She replied softly, despite the sinking feeling that welled in her belly.

Gustopha walked into the doctor's office. "Good morning doctor," She greeted.
The doctor smiled, "Ah, there we are. The mare of the hour," He grins, "Come with me, Princess. If all goes well, this will be the last operation I will ever have to perform on you," He explained, practically skipping out of his office.
Gustopha nodded slowly. She didn't question his energy. Perhaps being happy meant he wouldn't hit her seemingly out of nowhere.
He lead her down the back hall of the fort; a place she'd never gone before in her short lifetime there.

He smiled as he led her up a flight of stairs. "Today is an exciting day," He explained, "Today, you will finally be granted your immortality!"
Gustopha blinked, "Immortality? You mean… I'll live forever?" She asked.
The doctor nodded fervently, "Yes, exactly that. You will no longer age, your power and grace eternal… I have spent so, so long looking for a worthy host, and…" His expression flickered, "Well, you're the only one who's made it this far. Usually you would've ripped open at the shoulderblades by now," He sneered.
Gustopha blinked a bit, but simply nodded.

The unicorn led her out onto what seemed to be an artificial pond of translucent green liquid. She couldn't see the bottom.
"Now, stand on the large stone in the center," He instructed.
Deftly, she hopped to the stone. Her ears twitched as she thought she heard banging through the wall.
The doctor frowned slightly at the noise. "Now, we strap the back hooves in…" He murmured softly, doing up some thick straps around the princess' back legs.
Gustopha felt uneasy as the straps were buckled tightly around her legs. She squirmed a bit.
"Ah, don't move, Princess! We're almost there," He insisted with a grin.
The chains holding the rock to the surface glowed in a silver aura.
"Now… Have a good swim!" He bade, laughing as he broke all the chains, sending the rock (and attached alicorn) to the bottom of the tank.
He then blinked back to the operating room, where the back wall was now lit by large spotlights, revealing the glass of the green tank.

Gustopha screamed into the viscous fluid. It felt as though it was burning her, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She thrashed what little she could, begging and screaming to be released.
The doctor waved at her. "Yes, there you are, Gustopha, hello," He greeted with a giggle, as if he were feigning kindness for the sake of a child, "We all see you and your powerful new body. Don't worry, it will stop hurting soon," He promised.

Then, the door was bashed open behind him.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY SISTER!?" Celestia bellowed, flanked by royal guards as she walked into the room.
The doctor just gave her a wily smile, "The last treatment, of course," He hummed, "Her body and magic have set wonderfully… Now she just needs to be embalmed, so she will be eternal," He smiled back towards the glass, "My most perfect experiment, preserved forever; alive, this time!"
Celestia scowled at him, "You are drowning her, not treating her," She snarled.
"The embalming fluid needs plenty of medium to saturate her with… That tank will be a quarter-empty by the time she's ready," Dr. Thanamus hummed calmly.

Celestia walked to the glass, watching as Gustopha banged weakly against it.
She gently pressed her hoof to it. "I'm… I'm sorry, sister… It will be over soon," She promised.
Gustopha's hoof touched the opposing spot on the glass, her eyes briefly opening to meet Celestia's.
They shared a tender glance before Gustopha's eyes squeezed shut.
Celestia stepped back, watching in horror as the other alicorn drowned before her eyes.
Dr. Thanamus hummed as Gustopha's now drowned body hung lifeless in the water. "And now, she soaks; a day should be good," He hummed contently.
Celestia glared at him, "What do you mean 'she soaks'?" She asked.
"Well, the embalming spell must have an extensive amount of time to take hold. Were she to leave early, she would remain mortal. Twelve hours would be suitable, but a full day is best," The doctor reasoned.

"Very well… I will remain here, to watch over this 'final step'," Celestia decreed, "You will release her tomorrow, and then she will be escorted to the castle, where she will live from then on, without your interference. Do you understand?"
Dr. Thanamus sneered, "I do the impossible twice to give you a sister, and you repay me with that tone?" He asked, "You are still weak, your highness. I would not get so cocky-" He was cut off by blast of magic knocking him to the floor.
Celestia's horn glowed faintly, "I still have the energy needed to discipline a criminal, such as yourself. I know about our agreement, but that does not give you the right to act superior to me," She snorted.
The doctor grumbled as he pulled himself to his hooves. "Grrgh… Of course, your majesty. You may stay in Gustopha's room until she is ready… Heartful will guide you as needed," He huffed, slowly creeping out of the room.
Celestia nodded and walked down the hall, until she got to a room that seemed to be a bedroom.

Heartful looked up, "Ah, Princess… Are you ready for breakfast no- Oh, goodness me!" She corrected, dropping to a low bow as she realized it was not the princess she was familiar with.
Celestia smiled warmly at the mare, "Please, stand proud… You are 'Heartful', are you not?" She asked.
Heartful stood and gazed upon the sun princess with wide eyes. "I am Heartful Surrogate, yes…" She replied.
Celestia laid down on the floor, lightly clicking her tongue to direct her guards outside. The door was shut, and Celestia smiled back at Heartful.

"I assume you're Princess Gustopha's…?" Celestia trailed off, trying to find the right word.
"I'm her caretaker, yes," Heartful replied, "I've raised her since she was a filly… Which is less impressive than it sounds, given it's only been a week and a half since then," She chuckled.
Celestia nodded, "Thank you," She replied softly.
Heartful paused. "What for?" She asked.
"Gustopha has told me about the types of discipline the Doctor has dealt to her, yet she hasn't ever said a word of ill about you. I can only assume you've done a wonderful job taking care of her," Celestia expressed.
Heartful smiled a bit, looking away, "Oh dear," She chuckled softly, "Here I am, flustered by a Princess' heartfelt words "
Celestia smiled, "Please… She is going to be my sister; I owe you at least the courtesy of thanking you for raising her right," She expressed.
Heartful smiled, "If it's thanks you want to give, please come with me. There's another mare here who deserves even more care than I," She expressed, opening the door and leading Celestia to the kitchen.

Celestia looked around at the crowded cookspace… It seemed overequipped to feed the ten or so ponies in the old fort, though she also supposed that her new sister had quite an appetite.
"Simmer! You've a visitor!" Heartful called.
A familiar pegasus darted to the front, squeaking as she saw Celestia's tall, royal figure. "A-ah, Princess!" Rolling Simmer yelped, "I-I would bow, but I haven't s-swept in too long, and-" She was cut off.
"It's alright, Simmer," Celestia promised, "You were in charge of feeding my sister's ravenous appetite, I take it?" She asked with a soft chuckle.
Rolling Simmer nodded frantically, "Th-that's right! Six th-thousand calories, twice a day! P-plus a little special t-treat if the Doctor's b-being rough again," She explained.
Celestia suppressed a grimace at the pegasus' stuttering, terrified tone. Overenergization was safe in short bursts, but this mare seemed as though she'd been hopped up for years without a break.

"I-it's very nice to meet you, b-but I need to prepare breakfast," Simmer said, turning to leave.
"For Gustopha? That… Won't be necessary until tomorrow," Celestia admitted.
"Tomorrow?" Heartful asked.
Celestia explained what the Doctor told her about the embalming spell.
Heartful shuddered. "Oh, dear… So she's just being drowned to make her immortal? That brute…" Heartful sneered, stamping her hoof.
Simmer didn't say anything. She just darted back into the kitchen, tears of panic in her eyes. She didn't do well with stress.

Celestia yawned exhaustedly.
"Ah… Come, Princess. I'll make the bed so you can sleep," Heartful said, leading the way back to the bedroom.
Celestia hesitantly followed, sighing. "He will pay for this," She promised.
Celestia climbed into bed as the covers were drawn aside for her… If nothing else, it was a comfortable bed. The fireplace kept it nice and warm.
Heartful gently pulled the blankets up. "Goodness… This is even more comfortable than my own bed," Celestia expressed softly.
"The young Princess tossed and turned much in her sleep… I think it tenderized the mattress," Heartful admitted.
Celestia smiled and chuckled. "Well, her sleeping self would know how best to be comfortable," She supposed.
Celestia's eyes closed. She was warm, comfortable, and relaxed by the other mare's presence. It didn't take her long to fall asleep.

Gustopha looked around the soft, white void she found herself in.
"...Ah, you've finally arrived. You're a bit overdue, if my records are any indication…" A deep voice trailed off.
"Where am I?" She asked.
"You are… Not quite dead yet. I am Death… Lord of infuriating paperwork," The voice replied with a light snort.
"Death… Why am I here?" Gustopha asked.
"Ponies come here all the time when their minds and bodes don't quite agree on things. I'm here to deliver the final say," Death answered, "Let me see… I can't find you in my file… Your name is Plantation, yes?"
"I, um… Yes? Kind of… That was my name when the blight came," Gustopha replied.

"The blight? Goodness, it's been a minute since I've judged anyone with that cause of death. A moment, let me try…" Death trailed off, as if fumbling with something silently.
Gustopha sat still and waited. "Wait… If you're death, shouldn't you be, like… Big and scary?" She asked.
Death almost sounded offended. "What? Dying is imposing enough as it is; it wouldn't do to start screaming at everyone," It replied.
Gustopha's ears flattened, "Oh, I'm sorry," She apologized.

Death ignored her, going silent for a long moment.
"Ah! Here we go… Plantation. Status: Deceased. Cause of death: Blight, sure enough. Approved and sorted. You shouldn't have ended up here twice," Death replied with confusion, "Are you certain that's your name?"
"Well, I'm called Gustopha now," The Princess admitted.
"Hm? Let me sort through…" Death mumbled as it fumbled around silently again, "Ah, this file is very new. Here I thought I'd have to dig, given how old you look. Let's see here…"
Gustopha sat still, awaiting "judgment".

"...If file is called upon, this action is a mistake; this individual has been prescribed immortality as of… Oh, today, you're very lucky - and is subject to exemption of death from the following natural causes: Disease, Organ Failure, Programmed Expiry, Overfatigue, and… Ah, here: Drowning. That's why you're here, yes? Because you've drowned?" Death asked.
Gustopha nodded, "Yes… I think so," She replied, "It… Happened a bit fast."
"It always does," Death chuckled, "Well, it says here to simply mark the date of incident… Here. Alright, immortal being Gustopha. I'm afraid I can't let you linger here while your body makes up its mind, so you'll have to go back to drowning for a while… I do hope you stop eventually, it does sound dreadful," It expressed.
Gustopha squeaked a bit as she felt her body suddenly become bogged down with weight…

Gustopha's eyes shot open, and she attempted to breathe. No air came; only thick fluid. She was still in the tank. She was still being made immortal? No, that wasn't true; she was already called immortal. Death had told her so! That whole experience was strange.
She squirmed weakly against the straps, to no avail.
Gustopha's front leg attempted to run through her mane, but it wasn't there anymore. It had melted away in the embalming fluid, leaving her bald except for her fur.

Gustopha sat in the tank for what she assumed was hours. Unmoving, and only barely thinking. She wondered if she would be forgotten here. She wondered if this would be her tomb forever, and she'd be found preserved one day.
Then, she saw the doctor. She leaned forward, and he smiled.
A silver aura gripped her.
Then, a small jump.

Gustopha coughed up the thick embalming fluid as she wound up on the floor, gagging and horking.
The doctor smiled, "Good morning, Princess," He said.
Gustopha hacked up fluid, her wings flaring as she attempted to shake herself free of the thick green liquid.
"Now, now, don't be such a foal. I know it can be a bit uncomfortable, but it's a small price to pay," Dr. Thanamus snorted.
Gustopha's horn illuminated to help herself to her hooves, thick embalming fluid still oozing from her mouth. She groaned loudly.
Gustopha felt her body light up with pain. Something didn't seem right. Surely it wasn't supposed to be this painful.
Then, something clicked in her mind. Her horn ignited into a white blaze, and she seethed hard as she felt a lurching, surging sensation wash through herself.

The doctor stepped back as an ethereal mane and tail poured out from Gustopha's body; long, flowing auroras of gradient magic, washing from a fresh spring green through yellow, orange, red, and burgundy.
Gustopha gasped hard for hair as the blaze around her horn extinguished. The pain had subsided, save for her now burning horn. She shook herself off one more time.

The doctor grinned. "Exactly as planned," He said, "You are now complete, Gustopha… Indistinguishable from a natural alicorn in every way. How do you feel, my greatest creation?" He asked, voice becoming wily with excitement.
"Like I've… Been drowning," Gustopha wheezed through hard breaths, her body finally catching up with her.
The doctor rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, I'm very sorry. Surely, you realize it was necessary," He reasoned.
Gustopha simply nodded, taking a deep breath as her lungs finally caught up. "Where is Celestia?" She asked.
"She is sleeping in your bed. You may go; you are no longer my problem," Dr. Thanamus sneered.
Gustopha nodded again, leaving the room to visit her sister.

Heartful looked up as Gustopha entered the room.
"Oh, Princess!" Heartful greeted, gazing upon the scintillating colours of Gustopha's new mane, "My goodness… Are you embalmed now?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I believe so… The Doctor said my treatment was finished," She explained.
Heartful nodded, gently stepping forward and running a hoof through the faintly glowing mane, "Goodness… You're truly all grown up now," She commented softly.
Gustopha smiled awkwardly, "Well… Physically, yes," She replied softly, "I believe I'm done growing now."
Heartful hugged the princess gently, and Gustopha hugged back.
"You've grown into a very beautiful young mare, Princess; I'm sure the kingdom will cherish you for the eons to come," Heartful said.
Gustopha smiled bashfully, "I owe my good health to you and Simmer," She expressed.
Heartful bowed her head, "I am honored you think so highly of me, Princess," She expressed.
After a few more moments, the two broke their embrace.

"Would you like me to wake Celestia?" She asked.
"Actually… Not yet. I have a sinking feeling about something, and if I'm right, I'll need time to prepare," She expressed.
Heartful nodded, watching as Gustopha sat over the slumbering alicorn.
Gustopha closed her eyes and gently touched her horn to Celestia's neck. It glowed softly as she began to dowse, looking for blight. Gustopha had been researching the effects of the blight on ponies before the embalming. She’d discovered that the blight shouldn't be making ponies sick at all, nevermind having fatal effects on those who consumed it.

Sure enough, Gustopha found it. Large plaques of blight, festering in the elder alicorn's body. It wouldn't kill an alicorn; not in any reasonable length of time, at least. But it was there, sapping Celestia's strength, day by day. It was no wonder that she hadn't healed yet.
Gustopha's eyes opened as her horn's glow quelled and she pulled away.
Gustopha left the room, heading to the study. She began fervently scouring books not on agriculture or magic, but on medical procedures.

Celestia awoke with a soft groan. She had slept nearly sixteen hours, but didn't feel all that rested, despite how warm and comfortable she had been.
She opened her eyes and rolled over to Heartful Surrogate, who was sitting dutifully beside the bed.
"Good morning, Princess," Heartful greeted softly, "I hope you had a good sleep."
Celestia nodded a bit, slowly sliding out of the bed and pulling herself to her hooves. "Where is Gustopha?" She asked softly.
"She's in the study; she seemed very perturbed about something," Heartful admitted.
Celestia nodded a bit and left the room, walking to the study.

Gustopha was fervently taking notes over a large book on medical procedure; anatomy, in particular. She had drawn out a simple diagram of an alicorn, and marked several "X"s out around the chest and stomach.
"Sister?" Celestia questioned softly, noting the now shimmering mane and tail that adorned Gustopha's body.
"You're sick," Gustopha replied, "Very, very sick."
Celestia tilted her head slightly, but her eyes widened as she saw the pages scrawled with notes.
"I've never exorcized blight from a pony before," Gustopha admitted, "I'm not even sure it's possible; at least in the way exorcizing it from farmland is."
Celestia sat next to her, "Gustopha, I… You don't have to do this all for my sake," She said, "I've survived this long."
"But the kingdom needs you; it needs you to heal. So, I must find a way to fix you," Gustopha declared, flipping through another book, this one on healing spells.

Celestia sighed a bit. Gustopha was not prepared to inherit a kingdom; Celestia's hooves were tied. She would need to be healed eventually. Perhaps it was good that Gustopha was already on it.
"I… I see," Celestia replied softly, "I would like you to come to the castle with us… Then you can research the procedure, okay?" She offered.
Gustopha sighed a little. "I… Alright, sister," She agreed hesitantly, "If you're sure you'll make the trip back."
Celestia nodded a bit and pressed her muzzle against Gustopha's cheek, "I will, I promise," She insisted.

"How long is the flight?" Gustopha asked.
"It took us around a day to get here," Celestia admitted.
"That's too long," Gustopha huffed, "Go wait with Heartful, your guards, and Rolling Simmer in my room," She instructed.
Celestia tilted her head, "Hm?" She hummed ponderously.
"Just… Please, trust me, sister," Gustopha requested.
Celestia nodded and left the room, as Gustopha headed for the doctor's office.

"Doctor," Gustopha said as she entered Dr. Thanamus' office, "I require your assistance."
The doctor turned to her. "Hm? What do you want with me? I told you, you are no longer my problem."
Gustopha sighed, "I need you to show me how to teleport to the castle," She explained.
The doctor sneered, "I cannot simply teach you that in a matter of moments, you brat," He huffed, "It takes practice to- What are you doing? Put me down!" He shouted as a golden aura scooped him from the floor, carrying him down the hall as Gustopha walked to her room.

"If you cannot teach me, then you will do it yourself," Gustopha huffed.
"You cannot force me to cast a spell, filly," Dr. Thanamus sneered.
"I can do what you always did: Threaten to beat you within an inch of your life if you do not do as I say," Gustopha replied simply.
The doctor sneered, "You would not dare," He hissed.
"I learned from you, Doctor. Do you trust your teaching that much?" She asked.
The doctor hesitated, before sighing. "Fine," He grumbled, "Show me everyone who needs teleporting."

He was thrown to the floor of the bedroom before Celestia, Heartful, Simmer, and Celestia's two guards.
"Everyone in this room, save for yourself," Gustopha explained.
The doctor crawled to his hooves and sneered. "Very well. I will teleport all of you…" He huffed, horn beginning to glow, "However, if any of you end up in my domain again… There will be tartarus to pay."
Gustopha nodded, "You don't have to worry about that, Doctor. This is goodbye," She snorted.
The room lit up in a bright flash as the doctor cast the spell, collapsing to the carpet from the effort. He grumbled lowly to himself. "...Good riddance," He muttered.

The group of ponies appeared in the throne room, scattered across the floor.
Heartful and Simmer looked around in awe, having never seen the castle.
Celestia heaved from the jump of the teleport, shaking herself off. "I'm amazed he allowed us here in one piece," She admitted.
"We're a threat to him. Other ponies would have known what he did if he had tricked us," Gustopha said, looking at Celestia's two guards, "Please, help Celestia to the study. There's much to be done," Gustopha expressed, galloping off to find the study again, recalling her way from the first time the doctor had brought her to the castle.

Celestia huffed softly as she watched Gustopha run off. "She's very committed when she sets her mind to something," She heaved as she slowly stood up. Her guards carefully escorted her through the castle, helping her to the study. Celestia shivered hard. Perhaps Gustopha's sudden urgency had been a blessing in disguise.

Gustopha cleared off the study's large table hurriedly, magicking out several books on medicine again. She pulled over a large blackboard and began scrawling a large diagram on procedures.
In theory, it was simple. She just had to get in, purge the blight, and get out.
In practice, however, she saw several complications. Getting in would involve impaling Celestia on her horn, and the magic would likely stress Celestia's already frail body. Nevermind healing up the resulting wound… Gustopha would probably need to study on the fly for that one. But it was necessary to save her sister.

Celestia looked around at the whirl of books and notes as her guards brought her to the library.
"On the table, face up," Gustopha requested simply.
Celestia grunted with effort as she crawled onto the hardwood table, laying down. She then directed her guards to leave; she could sense the importance.
"Gustopha… You don't need to strain yourself so soon," Celestia attempted to reason.
Gustopha walked to the end of the table, climbing up, resting her horn against Celestia's chest. "Do you trust me, sister?" Gustopha asked gently.
Celestia hesitated, feeling the sharp point of Gustopha's horn drag down to her stomach, "I-I do, but…" She stammered nervously, "What are you doing?" She asked.

"I'll talk you through it… But I need you to hold still," Gustopha promised, horn igniting. Celestia was seized in a magical aura, holding her stiffly in place, "Please forgive me," Gustopha whispered.
Celestia let out a harsh, guttural choke as Gustopha's horn was pushed into her chest, just below her ribs. A spurt of blood splashed across Gustopha's face on insertion.
Gustopha closed her eyes, and her horn began to glow gently, "I cannot remove the blight from the surface. Flesh is unlike soil; it doesn't like being permeated with magic," She explained, her horn beginning to flash, "So I need to cast the spell from the inside."
Celestia didn't react; she couldn't. She was held solidly in place as she felt Gustopha's magic wash along her insides.

"Now I can start to cleanse it… Any trace left is dangerous. It might burn a little… Please, be strong for me, sister," She requested.
Gustopha's horn began to heat as she purged the blight with steady flashes of magic. She regulated her power carefully; ignition would be death here. The tip of her horn was inches from Celestia's organs, and Gustopha had to purposefully decrease the depth of Celestia's breathing just to ensure no muscle would impale itself against her horn's tip.
The blight, however, was receding. It shrank a bit with each pulse, withering away.
Gustopha's eyes closed. "Almost done, sister," She promised, "Just a few more minutes…"
Celestia's eyes watered from the pain of the hot horn in her chest. She wanted to cry out in agony, but the aura held her still. She could feel it, however; each pulse repelled more of the arcane pathogen. Her strength already began to return to her; strength her body tried to use to fight against Gustopha's magic.

Gustopha grit her teeth, forcing more magic through her horn to keep Celestia steady.
Then, her horn cooled to a soft light.
"We're done, Celestia," Gustopha promised, "You made it."
Gustopha pulled away, carefully sliding her horn out of the wound. The flesh willingly closed around the hole; not nearly enough to seal, but it would ease the load.
Gustopha kept a hoof on Celestia's chest as she looked at a wound sealing spell.
Her horn ignited, pulling the flesh together, until a small wick of magic bound the two sides of the hole.
Gustopha collapsed in exhaustion as she finished the surgery, sliding off the table and onto the floor, her grip on Celestia fading.
Celestia spasmed in freedom, nearly kicking Gustopha in the face. She rolled onto her side, taking gasping, panting breaths.

The strength did not rush back to Celestia as freely as she'd hoped it would have. She was still exhausted; however, she was alive. And well, assuming Gustopha's diagnosis was correct. She heaved exhaustedly. "Thank you, sister," She panted.
Gustopha rubbed her aching head. She had successfully reigned in her magic long enough to do the surgery safely, but consequently now felt like she had a fever.
Gustopha slowly stood up with a deep heave. "You need to rest, sister," Gustopha expressed, "As do I…" She admitted softly.
Gestopha helped Celestia down from the table, feeling Celestia's weight lean on her.
Gustopha walked Celestia to her room, and found herself being flanked by guards as she did so.

Celestia looked up at Gustopa and shivered as she was put to bed.
"Could you stay with me tonight?" Celestia asked softly, "I'm cold."
Gustopha felt a bit awkward. "Are… Are you sure?" She asked.
Celestia smiled, "We are family now, Gustopha. Sometimes, needs must," She reasoned.
Gustopha nodded slowly and slid into bed next to Celestia. Celestia drew the covers over them weakly and pressed against Gustopha. "Thank you," She whispered softly.
"Good night, sister," Gustopha whispered back, still feeling a bit awkward about the whole thing. What would the others say if they saw her? Was this normal?
Celestia was, however, thankful. Not just for Gustopha's warmth, but for her company. She wasn't alone anymore; that was all Celestia wanted from this. It was all she had wanted from it. She didn't want or expect the doctor to have gone so overboard with making her an equal.

Gustopha took some time to fall asleep. This wasn't her bed, nor her room. She was a bit sleepy, but not enough to offset the unfamiliar feelings in the pit of her stomach. She glanced around the room, noting all of the gold and sun-themed details; despite how grandiose it was, it still radiated a tender warmth, much like Celestia herself. Gustopha wondered if she would get her own room, and what she would put in it. Plants would be nice… Perhaps a little indoor garden, with somewhere comfortable to read. She didn't really have any hobbies, nor any clue as to what she'd do for one.

"Celestia?" Gustopha asked softly.
Celestia simply snored in response, already asleep.
Gustopha sighed gently and gave a small smile. "Sleep well, sister… Sleep well and heal," She whispered, tucking herself a bit deeper under the covers and closing her eyes.
Despite the numerous thoughts that ran through her head, she fell asleep quite easily once she'd relaxed.

Plantation huffed gently as she looked around the market. "Hmm…" She murmured softly, "Where could Tex have gone?"
She walked along the cobbled road, looking around at all the adults. Several adults were working to carefully cut the blighted parts away from crops, throwing the blighted pieces into a fire beneath a large soup pot.
She grimaced a little at this. She couldn't help but wonder why the adults were so panicked about the blight. Surely, sick plants couldn't make ponies sick, right? Plants and ponies were nothing alike!

Act II, Part I: Forlornness

Gustopha awoke to Celestia's soft snoring next to her. Celestia already appeared to be recovering, some scars on her fur visibly shrinking and fading. Gustopha sighed softly in relief; she was thankful she'd gotten all of the blight. Gustopha looked at Celestia's front legs, which were still wrapped around her; clinging to her. Gustopha gently pulled Celestia's leg from her chest and slid out of the bed, reseating the blankets so Celestia would remain warm.
Celestia's posture shriveled a bit, but she remained contently asleep. Gustopha smiled a little, "Sleep well, sister," She bade gently, quitely walking from the room, slipping out the door.

A few of the guards looked at her, "Good morning, Princess," One greeted.
"Good morning… Celestia is still asleep," She informed, "If I'm needed, I will be in the study," She explained.
One of the guards nodded. "We'll be sure she knows. You'll be happy to know that Heartful and Simmer have been settled in," They explained.
Gustopha smiled, "Good," She replied curtly, before trotting off in the direction of the study.

Gustopha looked over her books carefully as she scrawled down a large set of notes on papers… Her writing wasn't particularly neat, especially when she was in the throes of frenzied research like this. The quiet ambiance of the warm fireplace complimented the storm of thoughts in her head; peace contrasting a great racket.
Gustopha looked over her notes. All the things the blight could do, how it interacted with the world and magic, and even how it was spread and moved. Gustopha's eyes widened as all evidence pointed her to one conclusion.

"It was a weapon," She murmured aloud, "But who would…?" She trailed off. She knew who would've done that. Someone who no longer needed to worry about the earth's problems.
She wrote down a single conclusatory sentence at the bottom of her page:

Suspected Origin: Deliberate bioweapon of the Lunar Forces.

Gustopha looked over her notes for a long moment. She checked them; double- and triple-checked them, even. It didn't seem real. Could Luna really have gone so far as to order the creation of such a thing?
She stacked her notes neatly, looking at the resultant stack. Someone needed to know about this. Everyone needed to.
She magicked the papers under her wing and walked to the study counter.
"Excuse me," She called softly.

A tired-looking mare gently walked to the counter. "Ah, so you're the new princess," She said softly, "Celestia has expressed nothing but excitement for your arrival."
Gustopha sat before the counter, "She has?" She asked.
The mare nodded, "Yes… She's been dreadfully lonely since Luna was banished; we do our best to give her company, but she really does need another alicorn; someone she can relate to," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded a little, "Well, that's… That's me," Gustopha supposed.

The mare chuckled gently, "Now, I assume you came over here for something other than a chin-wag," She supposed.
Gustopha nodded, "Yes, I'd like some copies of this made," She explained, pulling the stack from her wing and setting it neatly on the counter.
The mare looked it over. "Goodness… Is this what you've been writing all morning?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "It's my theory on where the blight came from. And it's… Not really a nice conclusion," She admitted.

The mare briefly skimmed over the paper, flipping through the pages. She hummed softly to herself, before she froze as she look at the last page. "You think it was deliberate, Princess?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "Blight doesn't normally scar the land and kill ponies who consume plants infected with it," She reasoned, "The signs of infection are more consistent with plague than blight."
The mare nodded slowly; it was clear to Gustopha that the librarian only kind of understood what she was talking about. "Well, I'll get some of the colts down in printing to run this through; we usually do batches as small as fifty," She explained.
Gustopha nodded, "That's fine," She replied gently.
The librarian gave her a smile and walked off with the paper.

As Gustopha left the study, she figured she should check on Celestia. Celestia had already awoken, and she bumped into Gustopha in the hallway.
"Ah, good morning, Gustopha," Celestia greeted gently, smiling at the other alicorn.
Gustopha returned the smile, "Good morning, Celestia," She reciprocated, "How are you feeling?" She asked.
Celestia's smile widened slightly, "I'm already feeling much better," She admitted.
Gustopha pulled her into a hug. "That's good news," She replied.
Celestia hugged back and sighed softly, enjoying the moment. "I take it you've been busy this morning?" She asked.
Gustopha's smile faded. "I have," She admitted, "I… Have a theory as to the blight's origin," She said, leaning back to hold her sister by the shoulders, "I think it was Luna's doing."

Celestia stared at her, her smile melting into a shocked gape. "You really believe Luna would do something so awful?" She asked.
Gustopha gave a hesitant nod, "It's the only way such a thing would arise so easily… It's not consistent with any other disease I've researched," She admitted.
Celestia sighed a little, closing her eyes. "I… I understand," She replied.
Gustopha looked away, "I'm sorry, Celestia…" She whispered.
"It's alright, Gustopha… You're just practicing what you know," She replied, "Come; let's talk over breakfast. I would like to help you establish yourself in the castle," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded and followed Celestia to the dining hall.

Gustopha and Celestia took their seats at the table and began to talk.
"I have arranged for you to have your own room in the castle. I've organized some craftsmen to help you with decorating it; you may organize it as you wish. I'll show you to your room after breakfast," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded quietly, contemplating what exactly she'd want her own space to look like.
"There's also much else to be done. As a Princess, you will have your own sect of guard staff," Celestia explained, "I've already picked out a few guards from my own staff, who will be placed under your control; I'm sure you'll like them."
Gustopha nodded again, thoughts pooling in her head like water in a sink.

Celestia recognized the growing look of apprehension on Gustopha's face, her expression softening, "Ah, Gustopha… I am not overwhelming you, am I?" She asked.
Gustopha shrank a bit, "It… It's all a little much, Celestia," She admitted, her voice getting quieter as she continued, "Not two waking weeks ago, I was succumbing to the blight as a mortal filly. Now I'm a princess, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails. I've lived a lifetime in the amount of time it takes to make a habit," She reflected.

Celestia gently set her hoof on Gustopha's.
"I'm sorry, Gustopha," She sighed, "I shouldn't have pushed you so hard; you're so mature in form and you've already pushed yourself so hard that I didn't even think about what might be under those efforts," She expressed, hanging her head in shamed.
Gustopha bit her lip, "I think I need a couple days to… Seat myself, before you begin granting me the rights being a princess entails," She admitted. Her ears flattened to the side of her head, "I'm not strong enough."

Celestia failed to stifle a single syllable of laughter. "Strong enough? Gustopha, strength is not what you are lacking; I've seen that fact with my own eyes," She retorted. Celestia gently set her hoof on Gustopha's chest, "Needing time and space does not make you weak, sister. You have lived a life in two weeks; anyone would need space after that. I don't know what the doctor told you, but I promise you, you'll have plenty of time to breathe," Celestia insisted.
Gustopha looked at Celestia's hoof, following it up to the alicorn's forced smile. "Thank you, Celestia," She whispered softly.
Celestia smiled warmly, "Of course," She replied, "You will make a wonderful princess, no matter how long it takes."

The two looked over as breakfast was set before them.
One of the servants looked a bit shaken.
"Is something wrong?" Celestia asked.
"Well… Most of this was cooked by one cook, your highness; it was the new mare's doing," The servant explained.
Celestia looked at the small banquet that had been laid out, "She did it herself?" She asked.
Gustopha just gave a small smile, "That's Rolling Simmer, isn't it?" She asked.
The servant nodded.
"Please give her our thanks, and tell her to take a rest," Gustopha insisted.
The servant nodded, leaving the room.

Gustopha sighed a little, looking a bit dejected.
Celestia looked at her. "What's wrong, Gustopha?" She asked.
"Rolling Simmer has been overenergized; that's why she's so hyper all the time. I was hoping she'd have a chance to vent some of it if we weren't at the Doctor's, but it sounds like it's still fairly set," Gustopha explained.
Celestia nodded a little, "It's only been a day. Let's give her some more time to cool off," She expressed.
Gustopha simply nodded and began to eat, Celestia following suit.

After lunch, Celestia brought Gustopha to her room. It was bare, save for a large, soft-looking bed, and a single lectern for reading. A large set of glass doors opened out onto a balcony.
"It's very nice," Gustopha hummed, picturing various arrangements in her mind.
Celestia smiled, "I'm glad you like it," She expressed, "I will give you some space to plan… There are some construction workers at the end of the hall who you can direct as desired," She explains.
Gustopha hugged Celestia tightly before she left, "Thank you, Celestia," She expressed gently.
Celestia hugged back, nuzzling into Gustopha, "Of course, Gustopha," She replied.
The two then broke their embrace and went their separate ways.
Gustopha turned back to the empty room with a small grin. She had ninety-nine problems, and a lack of ideas was not one of them.

Celestia looked around perplexedly for her adopted sister as she arrived at the dining hall for supper time. She hadn't seen the other alicorn all day, and - though she had promised to give Gustopha space - was a bit worried. So she headed in the direction of Gustopha's room.
Celestia gasped as she watched workers haul small flats of dirt into the room. She walked along, slipping in between passing workers.

Though it was still very much in active construction, Gustopha's direction had already done a number on the room. The flooring had been worked over with warm planks, and several beds of dirt sat around the room. Moreover, the tall vertical room now hosted a large loft, where Gustopha's bed had been moved.
Celestia couldn't believe her eyes; it was as if the young alicorn had directed the workers to bring the outside in.
Celestia then chuckled slightly. "I should have expected that," She thought to herself, carefully scuttling to the balcony to visit with Gustopha, who was sat outside.

"Seems like you've big plans for your room," Celestia chuckled as she sat next to Gustopha.
"I wanted something warm, to remind me of home," Gustopha reasoned.
Celestia's smile softened, "It is important you feel comfortable in your room, sister," She replied, gently leaning against Gustopha.
Gustopha nodded, "I'd like it to be a calm place; somewhere warm and comfy I can sit and breathe," She expressed.
Celestia nodded gently, "What are you going to plant in the planters?" She asked gently.
"I don't know yet," Gustopha admitted, "You said the orange trees took root well in the courtyard… Perhaps I'll take some oranges," She hummed softly, "It would be nice to not have to leave my room for a snack."
Celestia chuckled, "Are you sure you're not just saying that because it's dinner time?" She asked.
"Is it dinner time already? I hardly noticed the time go by," Gustopha admitted.
Celestia laughed more, "Come on, let's go get something to eat," She instructed, standing up to lead Gustopha back through the room.

Gustopha looked at Celestia as they walked through the hall. "I've been observing construction all day; what have you been doing?" She asked.
Celestia smiled, "Just some formalities; boring leader-of-a-country things," She excused, "We've some dignitaries from far down the rail line arriving tomorrow… I'm very excited for you to meet them."
Gustopha blinked, "You want me to meet dignitaries?" She asked.
Celestia nodded, "Of course; you are part of the royal family now," She said, before her expression turned hesitant, "I am not pushing you too quickly, am I?" She asked.
Gustopha blinked, "Well… The only time I've had dinner with strangers was eating with Texas' parents for the first time," She conceded.
Celestia gave her a gentle nudge with her muzzle, "I'm sure they will love you, Gustopha. You don't need to worry," She promised.
Gustopha gave a hesitant smile, "If you say so, sister," She replied hesitantly.

Celestia and Gustopha sat down at the table, where dinner had already been laid out for them.
"Is everything alright, Gustopha? You seem tense," Celestia remarked.
"I'm just… Realizing everything being a princess entails," She admitted, "I was sitting out on the balcony to absorb the state of the land… It will take a long time for me to purify it all."
Gustopha began to eat as Celestia gave her a gentle glance.
"Alicorn or not, no one is expecting you to heal all the land right away. It would be a monumental undertaking for a single pony," Celestia promised, "You're a very smart and studious pony, Gustopha. I'm sure inspiration will strike you."
Gustopha sighed, "But will it be too late when it finally comes?" She asked grimly.
Celestia bit her tongue and sighed, "Sadly, that much can only be left up to fate, dear sister," She expressed.

Gustopha didn't say anything as she continued to eat. Seeing the dejection on her adopted sister's face, Celestia found it hard to start another conversation. She had wanted to tell the young alicorn about so many things, and yet nothing seemed appropriate to speak about anymore.
Surprisingly, it was Gustopha who broke the silence: "I think tomorrow will be my first day of active duty," She decided, "I will clear what I can from the soil around the castle town. It won't be much, but it will be a start."
Celestia hesitated, "Gustopha, you've hardly had time to settle in," She reasoned.
"I won't travel far; I'll be back in time for dinner. It just feels wrong to sit here, enjoying warm food and comfort, when there are so many ponies living in uncertainty of where their next meal will come from," Gustopha expressed, "I need to put the needs of the many before my own."

Celestia sat in stunned silence at Gustopha's conviction. In a way, it reminded her of her other younger sister, before jealousy and zeal had its way with her.
"Very well," Celestia eventually conceded.
Gustopha was a little surprised at how suddenly Celestia caved. "You do not have objections?" She asked in disbelief.
Celestia took a sharp breath in. "You… You are right, Gustopha. It is selfish for me to force you to stay here while ponies who need your help wait anxiously for you," She conceded.
Gustopha hesitated. "Force me to stay?" She asked.

Celestia took another breath, as if it had suddenly become an action she needed to regulate with dedicated thought. "I wanted to protect you, Gustopha," She admitted, "I wanted to shelter you from all the ills of the world; I wanted you to just be a happy, innocent little sister to ease my loneliness as an alicorn. But instead, the doctor mangled you. He forced you to grow up, he forced you to become strong, and he forced you to think your only purpose was fixing what my real sister broke in the first place!" Her voice had risen to a shout as she ranted, concluding with a hard stamp of her hoof into the table, lightly denting the polished marble surface.

Gustopha flinched and froze, now staring at her sister with wide, fearful eyes. Celestia's once gentle warmth felt as though it were now hot flames, attempting to set her very soul alight.
Celestia, however, wasn't done.
"And now, instead of a family member to call a companion, I get a duty-bound compatriot who I'll rarely see. I didn't get my little sister," Celestia seethed.

Gustopha shrank in her chair as Celestia's mane began to seemingly catch on fire. Orange red flames replaced the scintillating aurora that cascaded from her head and tail.
"That doctor… That horrible doctor used my desire to love for his own twisted experiments. Every pardon he asked for, I granted it without thinking! What does that make me? A fool? A beast no worse than him!?" Celestia roared.

Gustopha's eyes began to water. She was scared; terrified, really, of the now enraged alicorn who sat before her.
"Can't you see, Gustopha? Can't you see that you are broken? Can't you see how he broke you for his own amusement?" Celestia asked, breathing hard as she leaned in.
Gustopha cowered in her chair. "P-please, stop…" She whimpered weakly.
Gustopha remembered the time the doctor had pummeled her in the corner for attempting to conspire with Celestia… Somehow, this felt worse.

Celestia halted at the weak whimper of the now cowering earth princess. The flames subsided, giving way to the soft cascade of colours most recognized her for.
"Gustopha, I'm sorry, I-" She attempted, before she was cut off by Gustopha scrambling out of the dining hall in tears.
Celestia stared at her hooves as if she had just killed someone. "What have I done?" She asked herself, "Why did I say those things?"
Celestia sat in silence for a moment. What had she done? She had just told her little sister, the sister she still loved despite the doctor's actions, that she was 'broken'. What did that even mean in this context? How had Gustopha taken it?
Celestia excused herself from the dining room and hesitantly walked after her sister.

Gustopha trembled beneath her blankets. She had already dismissed the construction workers; or, more accurately, screamed at them to leave. She needed space.
Gustopha thought about what Celestia had said, and how correct it all seemed. She was broken; a mess, even. She was hacked together with parts of her best friend and forced to become a princess. She still didn't really understand why. Sure, Celestia said she wanted a sister, but why was she destined to care for the sick and dying land?

Gustopha's eyes shot open, and she slunk forth from her bed, taking a hard gulp of air. She crept to the window and took a shaky breath. She leapt onto the banister and choked on the air before her mouth. It was a long way to the ground. It didn't feel all that far, really; perhaps the wings on her back were just trying to reassure her.
Gustopha took a great leap and spread her wings. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't care, really. She was going far, far away, where her brokenness wouldn't upset Celestia or anyone else.

She landed with a hard string of thuds and bumps, some hours later. She would have likely fallen asleep, were it not for the cold night's wind hitting her face.
She laid on the dirt tiredly for a few moments. She had tried flapping her wings a few times, which gave her substantially greater distance.

Her horn illuminated the field she had landed in. Trees stood around her; very strange trees. They bore not only apples, but peaches and cherries as well. It was as if three trees had bound together, supporting each other.
They seemed particularly resistant to the blight, too; the field didn't have too much blight infestation, but there was enough that some of the trees showed signs of infection.

Gustopha, finally, had a problem that she knew how to solve. She hunkered down in the back of the field and closed her eyes.
A strong golden glow emanated from her resting place, and wisps of blight began to evaporate away from the field.
Gustopha worked over the field and then some, her influence stretching across the field and beyond, cleaning blight and healing the soil for miles around. She felt exhaustion creep into her, and smiled a small smile.
Her horn ignited into a white hot fire, and she cleansed all the blight she had wrought from the earth, leaving the town covered in a thin blanket of rain clouds.
Gustopha's head collapsed to the dirt, and she heaved softly. The soft rain began to soak into her fur as she dozed off.

"Look out, Plant!" Texas squeaked as he came down towards her in a hard landing.
Plantation squeaked as she was tackled to the ground, rolling along it as she clutched the pegasus tightly.
Texas groaned softly as they came to a halt, flopping onto his side beside Plantation. "Uuugh… I gotta get better at stopping," He muttered, rubbing his head.
Plantation stared up at the sky and began to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Texas asked.
Plantation began laughing harder, curling up slightly as her fit grew louder.
Texas began to chuckle a bit, "Hey, crashing isn't that funny," He snorts.
Plantation's laughter only grew louder.
Texas broke down, and started laughing alongside her, leaning against her.
Plantation giggled, "Got you to laugh, silly!" She teased, hugging the colt.
"You're such a weirdo, Plant," Texas snorted as they laughed together.

Act II, Part II: Obfuscation

"...Ma, pa! There's a sleepin' mare out in the field!" Called a distant colt's voice.
"Well I'll be. Are my eyes playin' tricks on me, or's she one of them alicorns?" A stallion's voice replied.
"She looks wet from being out in the rain. Go get Willow and tell her to grab some blankets, 'kay Dogwood?" A mare's voice asked.
"Alright ma!" The colt's voice replied, followed by galloping.

Gustopha groaned softly as she awoke to the sight of two ponies; a mare coloured off-black with a light pink mane, and a stallion with warm red fur and a graying orange mane.
She yipped a bit, instinctively trying to crawl away from the two adults standing over her.
"Hey now," The stallion said, "It's alright; you don't gotta worry. We've found weirder things out in the field after the rain," He chuckled.
"I must say, it's quite surprising to find a mare of your type out here," The mare admitted.

Gustopha heaved softly and pushed herself to a sitting up posture. "I'm sorry," She admitted, "It's been a rough night." She shivered.
"You don't have to worry, hun. We're not the type to go chasin' trespassers," The mare promised, "I'm Sequoia, and this is my husband Oak," She introduces.
Gustopha sat quietly for a moment, thinking about her reply perhaps a bit harder than she should have. "I'm Plantation," She answered softly.
"Oh, what a lovely name," Sequoia replied, "Won't you come back to the house with us?"
Gustopha hesitantly stood up, feeling a bit awkward at how she stood over the two farm ponies. She towered over them, given her height as an alicorn.
"Alright," Gustopha replied gently, "Lead the way."

She followed Sequoia and Oak through the fields, admiring the multi-fruited trees. "What kind of trees are these?" Gustopha asked.
"Hm? Oh, it's just normal apple, peach, and cherry trees; ever since the blight hit, we've been grafting all the fruit trees together so all the fruits'll survive even if the blight hits all but one of 'em," Oak explained.
"Grafting?" Gustopha asked.
"We take a limb from one tree and notch it into another, so the host tree starts feeding the new limb," Oak explained.
"Like a transplant…" Gustopha murmured, lightly flapping her wings.
"Exactly," Oak chuckles, "Though, admittedly, they're not usually this productive, even with all the care they get," He admitted.
"And it seems like the blight got cleared up in last night's rain," Sequoia added, "How lovely is it that we'll be able to harvest without worrying about picking out all the blighted crops?"
Gustopha hesitated, "Yes, it's… Very nice to see it gone," She stumbled out with a small sigh.

Coming towards them would be a filly and colt; the filly looked to be adolescent, and had brilliant white fur with an orange mane, whereas the colt was a warm mahogany brown with an orange mane.
Gustopha choked up slightly at the sight of the colt; he was the spitting image of Texas, save for a lack of wings.
"Here's the blanket, ma," The filly said quietly, neatly removing it from her back.
"Thank you, Willow," Sequoia said, "Help me get it over our mysterious squatter, will ya?" She requested.
Lost in her own thoughts, Gustopha hardly noticed the two females come up to her, throwing the blanket over her so it covered her back. She yipped from the sudden pressure and shook herself off.
"There y'are, hun," Sequoia said warmly, "Wouldn't want you getting a cold, now; there's been enough sick with the blight goin' around."
Gustopha simply nodded. "Isn't that the truth…?" She murmured softly.

"Oh, where are my manners? These are our two lovely gifts from Celestia; Willow and Dogwood," Sequoia explained, pointing at the filly and colt respectively.
Gustopha nodded, "It's very nice to meet you," She said gently, lowering her head so as to not look so tall and imposing to the two children.
Willow quietly tilted her head, giving a timid smile in response.
Dogwood, however, lit up. "Woah… If you have wings and a horn and a sparkly mane, does that mean you're a princess?" He asked, lightly bouncing on his hooves.
Gustopha hesitated. "It's… A long story," She admitted.
"Don't scare her with your energy, Dogwood," Willow huffed softly.
Gustopha smiled gently, "It's alright," She promised, "I'm just a bit rattled from last night, he isn't doing anything wrong."

"Let's get inside before the rain starts up again, kids," Sequoia hummed, "You two still have school to go to tomorrow morning."
The kids shared a small huff, but bounded back towards the large farmhouse.
"You have lovely children," Gustopha complimented gently, following the family back to the house.
"Oh, they're sweethearts. Troublemakers at times, but they help out when we need 'em," Sequoia chuckled.
"Show me a kid who ain't a troublemaker and I'll show you a liar," Oak joked, laughing a bit.
Gustopha gave a small chuckle, thinking about the "trouble" she'd likely caused from her excursion. She just needed some time to think, without the weight of the world pressing down on her.

Inside the house, it was quite warm, and it was neatly furnished in lots of wood and warm rugs and blankets. Gustopha was a bit big for the house's doors, but managed once she was inside.
"Please, make yourself at home," Sequoia said warmly, "I'll get some breakfast going for all of us."
She walked to the kitchen as Gustopha, Oak, Willow, and Dogwood settled themselves among the furniture of the room.

"So… To what do we owe an alicorn's visit all the way here out in Full Cart's Hollow?" Oak asked.
"It's… A long story," She admitted, "You could say I was practicing flying and forgot to stop," She hummed, evading the stallion's gaze.
"Alicorns have to practice flying?" Willow asked, "I thought they knew everything, like Princess Celestia does."
Gustopha froze slightly at the mention of her adoptive sister; the one she had run away from the night before. "Well, no," She replied matter-of-factly, "Alicorns still need to learn things… I'm still learning quite a lot," She admitted as she looked away.

"Well… If you're an alicorn, what are you an alicorn of?" Dogwood asked.
Gustopha looked at him and tilted her head, "What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well, alicorns usually have an element. Princess Celestia has the sun," Dogwood commented.
Gustopha tensed a bit. "Well…" She trailed off briefly, "I heal the land; and I talk to it. I removed all the blight in your field last night, and caused the rain," She explained.
Oak chuckled, "Surely, you're giving our legs a good ol' tug," He remarked.
"I'm not sure what I could say to convince you. There was blight here, and after I landed, it was removed," Gustopha reasoned.
Oak nodded, "Alright then… How'd ya get rid of it?" He asked.

"Well… First, I exorcize the blight from the soil, and then I purge it from the resultant clouds. The purging turns the blight into fresh water," Gustopha explained.
Oak nodded slowly. The foals listened in amazement.
"So… You use magic to clean the soil?" Willow asked.
Gustopha nodded, "Exactly," She replied, "Even if the soil isn't blighted, I can talk to the land, and fix problems. Say it's salted, or drained of nutrients," She added.

Oak chuckled, "You sound like you'd be mighty handy to have around the farm," He remarked, "I know a few of the folks at the old store would pay well for that kinda service."
"Can she stay, pa?" Dogwood asked, tail swishing excitedly.
"I don't see why not, assuming she wants to," Oak replied, looking at Gustopha.
"I would be honored if you would have me, Mr. Oak," Gustopha replied, bowing her head respectfully, "I endeavor to help how I can."
Oak laughed, "Hey, don't go gettin' all fancy on me, now. While you help around the homestead, you're just one of the family," He remarked.
Gustopha tensed at the word. "Family…" She murmured softly.

"Breakfast's ready, you four. Come on over," Sequoia called from the kitchen.
The foals darted to the table, but Oak lingered as he watched what looked like panic flash across Gustopha's face.
"Hey now," He said softly, "Everything okay up there?" He asked.
Gustopha shook herself off, "I just… Remembered something, that's all," She excused, standing up, "It's nothing to worry about. Thank you for welcoming me into your home," She expressed.
Oak nodded slowly, "If you're sure," He replied, leading the way to the table.
Gustopha followed quietly.

Gustopha looked at the table, noting she'd be a bit tall, so she gently pushed an empty chair aside and sat on the floor, sniffing the air as Sequoia brought out a large tray of scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh fruit.
"It looks lovely," Gustopha complimented softly.
Oak nodded in agreement, kissing his wife on the cheek as she sat down, "As always, of course," He chuckled.
Dogwood reached for the spoon in the eggs, but was stopped by his mother.
"Dogwood, let our guest eat first," She huffed.
Gustopha gave a small smile, opting to oblige Sequoia's generosity, taking a neat spoonful of eggs, a couple pieces of toast, and some of the fruit from the large plates before her. She didn't take too much, not wanting to abuse the kindness of the farm family.

She began quietly eating as the family dished out for themselves, with Gustopha's eyes calmly drifting over the dining room and kitchen they were sitting in. She didn't even notice the family's conversation, focused entirely on her own thoughts.
"So, Plantation, Oak says we have you to thank for all the blight goin' away," Sequoia said.
Gustopha jumped lightly at her name. "Ah, yes," She replied softly, "If I had a better way to prove it to you, I would," She admitted.
Sequoia chuckled, "I believe ya, hun. It's not every day that all of a farm just heals itself from something like the blight," She commented.
Gustopha gave a small smile, "I suppose you're right," She replied, "Regardless, thank you for your hospitality."
Oak chuckled, "Don't go thankin' us yet. We've got a day's work ahead of us, what with the fresh soil bringing the harvest early," He laughed.
Gustopha chuckled a little. "I endeavor to help all I can," She expressed, "It's only fair I attempt to repay your kindness."
Sequoia smiled, "Well, we'd certainly appreciate another set of hooves around the farm," She commented.

The table fell quiet as the family and Gustopha ate. Gustopha enjoyed the warm atmosphere of the house, and allowed herself to relax some.
Willow broke the silence, "If you're an alicorn, doesn't that mean you're a princess?" She asked.
Gustopha hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head, "It's a bit complicated, but to keep it short, I am not a princess," She lied, voice a bit harsh, "There are things a princess does and has that I'd never live up to." She looked away.
Willow blinked, "Like what?" She asked.

Gustopha sighed, "A princess is expected to lead her subjects, and put their needs before her own. She's supposed to be strong, both in terms of her power and her spirit," She explained, "I am not such a pony."
"You helped our farm, Ms. Plantation," Dogwood argued, "That sounds like putting others b'fore yourself to me!"
Gustopha sat quietly for a moment.

"Kids, I think it's best you left the princess talk out of this for now," Oak commented, "If Plantation says she ain't a princess, then we oughtta respect that."
Willow and Dogwood resettled in their seats. "Yes dad…" They murmured softly.
Sequoia looked around at the empty plates; pretty much everything at the table had been finished completely, save for a few crumbs of toast.
"Well, if we're all done, I'll get to washing so you four can start on the farmwork," Sequoia said, standing up.
"Would you like some help?" Gustopha asked, watching as Oak and the foals got up to head outside.
Sequoia chuckled, "I can handle some dishes by m'self, don't worry," She promised, "Go ahead and head outside with the others."
Gustopha simply nodded, following Oak and the foals outside.

Oak smiled up at all the trees. "Well now, you've done a number on our orchard," He chuckled, "I haven't seen the trees this full since before the war."
Gustopha smiled awkwardly, "Hah… Plants do seem to grow well in the soil I've worked," She admitted, looking at the multicoloured trees.
"All the more for us to preserve for the winter; I'm sure Sequoia's gonna have a ball teachin' Willow about preserves with the bumper," Oak chuckled.
Gustopha watched as the foals dragged large wooden buckets over from a root cellar, laying them out. She was impressed such small ponies could carry so much; but then again, they were earth ponies. Their magic likely lied in strength.

Gustopha watched as the others arranged the buckets beneath the trees, beginning to buck away at the trunks. The fruit fell easily, yielding produce almost all the time.
Gustopha didn't think she had the talent to buck a tree. She especially didn't want to injure the plants; Equestria needed all of its living farm crops intact.
So she walked deeper into the orchard, horn igniting as she began gently plucking fruits from the overgrown branches, neatly assembling them into large masses, sorted by fruit type, following along behind her as they were pulled by magic.
It took a considerable amount of thought to pluck the trees clean, and the amount of energy required to keep her bounty steady as she walked only increased with each piece of fruit added. How they managed the entire farm by hoof was beyond the alicorn; then again, her magic was the reason the trees were so dense with fruit to begin with.

Oak stared at Gustopha as she walked towards him, followed by large balls of apples, peaches, and cherries.
"Where would you like me to put these?" Gustopha asked, visibly straining to keep her magic steady from the sheer masses of fruit.
Oak nodded, "Just settle 'em in the cellar," He replied, before chuckling, "Sequoia's gonna love you for sortin' 'em while you pick."
Gustopha nodded, walking inside the root cellar and carefully padding down the sloped entrance, carefully settling the apples, cherries, and peaches each in their own separate corner of the room.
As she left, she watched the foals bringing their own large buckets of fruit over, stepping aside to allow them in.
The harvest would go quite productively, especially with the alicorn's help. The extra "set of hooves" Gustopha would lend would certainly help the family fill up their cellar.
The family was, however, called in for dinner eventually.

"Well, I gotta say, you make one heck of a farmhand," Oak chuckled, "We're gonna have a comfy winter, that's for sure." He patted the alicorn's side as they walked to the table.
Gustopha smiled gently, "I'm glad I was able to be a help," She expressed, "I haven't worked my magic with simple levitation like that ever before."
"I still can't believe you can carry that much just by thinkin' about it," Dogwood commented.
"It's a bit more complicated than that, but it does put strain on my horn if I overuse my magic," Gustopha said as she sat down, "When I purify the blight, my horn catches on fire."
Willow blinked, "On fire?" She asked, "Like, in a fireplace?"
Gustopha nodded, "Feels hot and everything; you could cook a pie over it, if you were brave," She chuckled softly.
"Careful now," Sequoia joked as she settled a large casserole on the table, "I'll sucker you into baking duty tomorrow," She warned with a laugh.
Gustopha smiled, "I wouldn't be opposed to that," She replied.
Sequoia chuckled, "Well then, I suppose it's a deal," She said with a smile.
Gustopha nodded and dished out some casserole for herself, and the rest of the family followed soon after.

Gustopha smiled to herself. It was nice to be around ponies who so unabashedly enjoyed their lives. There was no insanity, no desperation, no injuries… Just warm, smiling faces. Happiness.
Gustopha watched as Dogwood darted outside after finishing his food.
"There he goes," Sequoia chuckled softly.
"Where's he going?" Gustopha asked.
"He likes watching the sunset," Willow explained, "Even when it's raining or freezing outside, he still goes out."
Gustopha smiled, "Would he mind having some company?" She asked, looking at Oak and Sequoia.
Sequoia chuckled and shook her head, "Go ahead," She replied, "Oak 'n' I'll take care of the cleanup."
Gustopha thanked them and stepped outside, just in time to watch the sun fall below the sky, only to be replaced by the moon and stars.

Gustopha sat next to Dogwood gently, following his gaze to the moon.
"The sunset was extra pretty tonight," Dogwood said, "The trees are all shiny from being healed from blight."
Gustopha smiled gently, "Are you heading back inside, then?" She asked.
Dogwood shook his head.
Gustopha simply nodded, ponderously gazing on the moon.
"Ma says that a whole bunch of Luna's soldiers an' stuff got banished to the moon," Dogwood commented, "So I like to look at the moon sometimes, to remind them that there's still folks down here who think about 'em."
Gustopha nodded slowly. "I'm sure they appreciate that, Dogwood," She replied softly, giving a small smile.

"Do you think Luna ever lets 'em look back?" Dogwood asked.
Gustopha thought for a moment, "I'm not sure," She admitted, smile fading, "I never met Luna… I only heard stories."
Dogwood's eyes remained fixed on the moon, "I hope to meet one of 'em someday," He expressed, "I wanna hear all sorts of moon stories."
Gustopha's smile returned, and she gently rested a hoof on Dogwood's back, "What kind of stories would a moon pony tell?" She asked.
Dogwood thought for a moment, "I think they'd talk about the stars. They're a lot closer than us to them, aren't they? I bet it's like a whole other world up there," He pondered wondrously.

Gustopha smiled. "Well… If they ever come back, you can ask them, okay?" She promised gently, "We'll set them up somewhere with plenty of fresh fruit, and ask them about their stories about the stars."
Dogwood sidled a bit closer to the alicorn. "I'd like that, Ms. Plantation," He expressed, "Sometimes I wish I could send them letters; maybe they'd write back."
Gustopha sat on that thought for a long moment. Celestia had banished Luna and potentially hundreds of other ponies to the moon. Surely, Gustopha could handle something small, right?
"Go ask your mom for a pencil and a piece of paper," Gustopha requested.
Dogwood nodded, scampering inside for a brief moment.

Gustopha stared ponderously at the moon and stars as she awaited Dogwood's return. She remembered what her mother had once told her; how the sky was far vaster than any pony could ever know.
She pondered that thought for a moment. How vast was it? Did it truly encompass all that which laid in the night sky? Could she really send something to the moon?
"I have to try," She told herself quietly, closing her eyes to meditate briefly.

"I got the paper and pencil!" Dogwood excitedly chirped a few minutes later.
Gustopha smiled, eyes opening as her horn illuminated, magicking the paper and pencil over to her.
"Alright, tell me what you'd like to say. I'll write it out for you," She explained.
Dogwood thought for a long moment.
"Okay, ready," He said.
Gustopha nodded.

"Hello moon ponies. I'm Dogwood, from earth. I just wanted to apologize for all the bad things the adults say about you; I know they're just sick and tired of the war and blight. I forgive you; me and my new friend Plantation both do," Dogwood said, briefly catching his breath, "I know it's hard to think about somepony so far away, but we just want to say that we hope we can be friends some time. Take care of the stars for us, okay?"
Dogwood sighed a little as he finished.

"That was beautiful, Dogwood," Gustopha said. She'd diligently noted everything he said, save for her name, which she corrected without a word. She would tell the family the truth eventually.
"I'm sure they'd love to be friends after reading something from the heart," Gustopha added, smiling warmly at him as she carefully coiled up the scroll.
"Y'think so?" Dogwood asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I know I would, at the very least," She said, gently ruffling his mane.

Gustopha laid herself on the ground, resting the scroll out in front of her.
"Now," She said, "When I start magicking the scroll to the moon… It's going to hang still for a minute, and then I'm going to move it as fast as I can. When it starts moving fast, I want you to wish on it as hard as you can, like a shooting star," She explained.
Dogwood nodded, standing at attention, "Alright, Miss!" He replied dutifully.

Gustopha's eyes closed, and the scroll began to glow faintly as it was held aloft in her magic. She breathed slowly and evenly.
Her horn glowed brighter as the scroll began to move up. It accelerated quickly at first, but leveled out quite fast… Gustopha needed to give it more energy. Her horn glowed even brighter, and she felt the heat build at its base.

Dogwood closes his eyes, "I'm gonna start wishing, miss," He said quietly, holding his hooves together as if he were praying. He was praying. He was praying for peace, for the future of all ponies. He was praying for the adults to stop ranting about the war, and for things to get better.

Gustopha's horn ignited into a white hot blaze of magic. She breathed harder now. The note flew faster, streaking into an incredible gold trail as it was accelerated harder and harder.
Gustopha grit her teeth. It was almost there; within the moon's reach, really. She pushed herself harder, her horn's blaze glowing brighter; enough to outshine the lights of the house around her.
Then, all of a sudden, a lurch. Gustopha gasped as her eyes shot open. She'd done it. She banished the letter to the moon. The streak of magic in the sky faded.
Gustopha shook her head off, dispelling the small flames that clung to her horn post-cast.

"Did it make it?" Dogwood eyes, his eyes wide with anticipation.
Gustopha nodded, "It did," She replied, "I don't know where on the moon it will go, but it made it," She said.
Dogwood nodded, "Do we go inside now?" He asked.
Gustopha nodded tiredly. "Yes, let's… Casting that note was very exhausting," She admitted, standing up with a slight grunt and limping towards the house.
Dogwood walked beside her, "Are you okay, Ms. Plantation?" He asked.
Gustopha nodded. "I'll be alright," She promised, "That spell's just a lot all at once; even for a tiny little letter."
"Alright, Miss," He replied, pushing the door open for her.

Oak quickly trotted over as he watched Gustopha limp into the house. "Woah, what the heck happened out there?" He asked, "First thing it looks like the rapture's going off outdoors, next you're comin' in here like you got your flank walloped."
"We sent a letter to the moon!" Dogwood explained, greatly excited.
Oak stared at her, "'Sthat true?" He asked.
Gustopha nodded tiredly, "It is," She replied, "It was a very intense spell," She admitted, settling herself on the floor in a heap.
Oak looked at Dogwood, and the colt gulped slightly.

"Don't be upset at him. It was my idea to send the letter," Gustopha requested.
Oak nodded slowly, "Well, alright. I just want my colt to know he needs to be careful with an alicorn's help," He commented, ruffling Dogwood's mane, "C'mon, off ta bed with you before ma finishes tucking Willow in. You've got school tomorrow."
Dogwood huffed a little, "Alright, fine… G'night, Ms. Plantation!" He said, trotting up the stairs.

Gustopha laid her head tiredly on the carpeted floor, breathing slowly as her eyes closed.
Oak sat next to her. "You sure you're alright, Plantation?" He asked, "I don't want you to be run ragged under our watch."
Gustopha smiled a little, "Really, I'm alright… Just a little winded from exercising my magic so much," She insisted, "I'd tell you if I were being overwhelmed. Thank you, Mr. Oak."
Oak rubbed her head and chuckled wistfully, "A letter to the moon… If you hadn't said anything, I'dve assumed my boy went loony," He remarked.
"The world can be a strange place," Gustopha commented softly.

Sequoia gently walked down the stairs.
"Oak. You couldn't at least let her have the couch?" Sequoia chided.
"I'm plenty comfortable on the floor, ma'am. You don't have to worry," Gustopha insisted.
Sequoia chuckled, "If you insist, hun," She replied, yawning softly as she crawled into a chair.
Oak took his seat on the couch, and picked up the book he had been reading.

Gustopha rested her head on the carpet and breathed a deep exhale of comfort.
Her horn illuminated dimly as she unfolded the blanket on her back, allowing it to cover her body, rolling to the side a bit as she relaxed.
Her eyes twitched open as she felt her head being lifted.
Sequoia looked at her, "Oh, I'm sorry hun," Sequoia said gently as she nestled a pillow beneath Gustopha's head, "I was just tuckin' ya in since you looked like you were asleep."
Gustopha smiled weakly, "Thank you, Ms. Sequoia," She replied softly, "I don't think I'll be awake much longer," She admitted with a soft chuckle.
Sequoia smiled, "You get a good sleep, now. I'll put you to work baking tomorrow," She joked, laughing a bit.
Gustopha chuckled gently and allowed her eyes to close, listening to the soft hoofsteps of the other two adults leaving the room. It didn't take her long to fall asleep with the day prior being as exhausting as it was.

Texas Toast smiled awkwardly at Plantation. "Hey, I know you really wanted to go see that play on how alicorns get made," He greeted, "So…" He trailed off, pulling two tickets from his wing.
Plantation gasped, "Woah! Where'd you get those?" She asked.
"Mom gave me a few bits so I could buy them," He says, "C'mon, the show starts at high noon," He smiled, darting off.
Plantation huffed and ran after him, letting him lead her to the theatre.

Texas gave the tickets to the door keeper, and set a wing over Plantation as he walked her in, finding them a seat around the middle of the theatre.
"I thought you liked sitting in front," Plantation said.
"Yeah, but you like sitting at the back, so we compromise," Texas giggled.
Plantation smiled, leaning against him, "Alright, Tex… Compromise it is," She giggled.

Act II, Part III: Love

Gustopha awoke to the sound of the door closing. She yawned softly and shook herself off, standing from the floor and stretching.
“Ah, good morning, Plantation,” Sequoia greeted gently, “Oak’s just walking the kids to school.”
Gustopha nodded a bit, wiping her eyes, “Good morning,” She greeted softly.
“Did you sleep well?” Sequoia asked, sitting before the alicorn.
Gustopha nodded, “I did, thank you,” She replied quietly, “You have very comfortable carpet,” She commented with a soft laugh.

Sequoia chuckled. “I’m glad you were comfortable, hun,” She expressed, “Now, before we start baking, I need to go to the market and get some more flour,” She explained.
Gustopha nodded, “I’ll come with you, it’d be good for me to get some fresh air,” She said, standing up.
Sequoia nodded, walking to the door and settling a set of saddlebags over her back, “Alright, hun, let’s go then,” She said contently.
Gustopha nodded, allowing Sequoia to lead her out the door and into the market.

The market was fairly busy despite how early in the morning it was. A good few of the townsfolk were talking about the very recent bumper harvests they were having.
“Seems my effort went appreciated,” Gustopha said quietly.
“Just how much land did you go and heal, hun?” Sequoia asked.
“I just went until my magic gave out on me… Chances are I hit most of the farms around the town here,” Gustopha admitted.
Sequoia chuckled, “Well, I won’t spoil the surprise,” She promised, “You don’t seem keen on drawing too much attention to yourself.” She gestured to the blanket that Gustopha was still wearing over her back.
Gustopha nodded, “I’d rather not make a big scene,” She admitted.
Sequoia simply nodded, leading the way through the market.

Gustopha noticed a table of woven baskets. She thought for a long moment about the night before. If she could send a letter to the moon, could she send other things?
“If it wouldn’t be a bother, may I purchase a basket?” Gustopha asked, briefly halting.
Sequoia looked at her, “We have plenty of baskets at home, hun… What do you need one for?” She asked.
Gustopha hesitated, “Well… I was thinking about last night, and how Dogwood and I sent a letter to the moon,” She explained.
Sequoia smiled knowingly, “And now you’d like to send a little taste of home, right?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded, “Exactly.”
Sequoia simply nodded, briefly walking over to the stall, handing over a small hoofful of bits, and coming back with a basket.
“I… Expected I’d have to try harder to convince you,” Gustopha admitted, carefully magicking the basket from Sequoia’s mouth.

Sequoia chuckled and lowered her voice, stepping close to Gustopha as they began to walk again. Gustopha leaned down to listen to her.
“Between you and me, most of my mother’s side were lunar sympathizers. So, it’s nice to think I could do something for them, ‘specially since my uncle was among the lunar soldiers,” Sequoia explained in a whisper.
Gustopha’s eyes widened slightly, and she simply nodded. That was an interesting piece of information; one that stung slightly, considering her theory on where the blight had come from. She allowed Sequoia to lead her through the process of buying flour, and they returned home, where Oak was now preparing to harvest some of the fruit that had already grown back on the trees. Gustopha gave a curt wave to him, and the two mares headed inside.

"Have you ever baked before?" Sequoia asked as she set the back of flour on the counter.
Gustopha thought for a moment, "I've 'helped' my mother, in the way that a young filly 'helps' with baking," She chuckled, setting her basket down in an out-of-the-way corner of the room.
Sequoia had a small laugh. "Alright, then I'll walk you through everything. By the end of the day, you're gonna know baking from top to bottom, or my name ain't Sequoia Grove," She declares firmly.
Gustopha gave an anxious smile, "Sounds like you've a plan; today, I'm merely an extra set of hooves," She commented.
Sequoia grinned. "Then, my extra set of hooves, I'll show you a real hard day's work!" She declared.

When Oak and the kids headed back inside later that day, the house was filled with the wonderful smells of fresh baking.
Fresh loaves of bread and tins full of pie lined the back counter of the kitchen; there were almost too many to fit properly.
Gustopha and Sequoia were sitting at the table and drinking some tea, awaiting their last batch of baking as it cooked in the oven.
Gustopha was a bit frazzled by just how much they'd done in a day, but she had quite enjoyed getting to work at something with a concrete, attainable end.

"Well, you two've been mighty busy," Oak chuckled.
"I had a helpin' hoof from our resident alicorn," Sequoia said, smiling at Gustopha, "And she did a mighty fine job."
Gustopha gave an awkward smile, "Well, except for the first two pie shells," She remarked.
Sequoia laughed, "Hun, you aren't s'posed to admit to that!" She teased.
Oak laughed a bit. "Well, either way, it all smells tasty," He commented, "Gonna be eatin' good tonight."
"Hooves off 'till dinner, you three," Sequoia huffed.

The foals and Oak shared a disappointed "Aww", and Willow and Dogwood headed upstairs, presumably to do homework.
Gustopha looked at Sequoia, "Is there anything else you wanted to make?" She asked.
Sequoia shook her head, "We've run through everything I wanted to make," She said, "Plus that extra bit for your care package."

"Care package?" Oak asked as he took a seat at the table.
Gustopha explained her plan to send some of their goods to the moon, pointing to the basket on the floor.
Oak seemed skeptical, "What's with this business sendin' things to the moon, all of a sudden?" He asked.
Gustopha sat quietly for a moment, her expression lowering.
"Plantation? Is everything okay, hun?" Sequoia asked.
Gustopha sighed, "I think I need to come clean to you as to why I'm here," She admitted.
The two other adults leaned in a bit. "We're listenin'," Oak said.

"I am Princess Gustopha," Gustopha began, "The Princess of Plenty, made with the express purpose of healing the land. I'm not a natural alicorn who earned her power from great trials and tribulations. I was butchered together from two deceased foals, brought back to life, and trained to be strong enough to fulfill the task of purging the blight from Equestria," She summarized.

Sequoia and Oak stared at her for a long moment. It was a difficult story to believe, of course; but then again, she displayed all the traits of an alicorn, and very clearly had some good power behind her if she was able to send something to the moon.
"That's… Quite a story," Sequoia said softly, flusteredly chuckling.
Oak nodded, "Quite a story indeed," He commented, "But… If you're an alicorn, and a princess, why the hey'd you come out to our neck of the woods?" He asked.

Gustopha took a deep breath. "Princess Celestia was not satisfied with me," She explained, eyes closing, "She wanted a sister who would spend time with her; who would love her. Instead, she got me: A broken mess of a filly who only knows what she was made to do."
Sequoia huffed, "Well, now, that's not true in the slightest," She retorted, "If you only served to heal the land and do nothing else, wouldn't ya've moved on by now?"
Gustopha's eyes were fixed on the table.

"I ran away from it all," Gustopha heaved, "I ran away from the life that had been neatly laid out for me, and now I-" Her voice caught in her throat, and she coughed.
"Now I don't think they'd accept me if I came back, all because I was selfish and needed space," She admitted.
Sequoia and Oak shared a look.

"Well, now… I can't say I know much about how royalty works, but the way I see it, you'd be a princess anypony'd be proud to live under," Oak remarked, "I mean look at all you've done for our farm. You landed here, fixed all the blight, and started helpin' out around the farm without so much as a complaint."
Sequoia nodded, "And you've been so kind to the young 'uns as well; I eared in on you and Dogwood last night, when you were talkin' 'bout the moon. You've got the tenderness of a butterfly, Princess," She reasoned.

Gustopha sat quietly for a moment, softly murmuring a "Thank you" as her gaze once again fixated on the table.
"If I were the Princess, I'd welcome you back in a heartbeat," Sequoia expressed, setting a hoof on Gustopha's.
Gustopha thought for a long moment and heaved. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to hash out some sort of agreement in her head. Would she be taken back? Was Celestia still mad? Was she an enemy of Equestria now that she'd run off from the royal family?
"I need to think about it," She murmured, "May I stay another night?"
"Of course. We ain't just gonna kick you out because you're royalty," Sequoia promised, "For all your help, you're welcome in our home any time, Princess."

"Please, call me Gustopha," Gustopha requested, "Princess doesn't feel right."
Sequoia and Oak both nodded.
"Well, we welcome you to our family with open legs, Gustopha," Oak said, "You've been a proper help these past couple days."
Gustopha gave a small smile, "Thank you, Mr. And Mrs. Grove," She said gently.
After some time, the last batch of baking would be ready, and Gustopha would magic it from the oven to set it on the stove.

"Now, I think it's about time we got your care package set up, hm?" Sequoia asked, setting the blanket on the counter.
Gustopha nodded, "May I go get the foals?" She asked.
Sequoia nodded, and Gustopha walked out of the kitchen, carefully treading up the stairs.
It took her a couple tries to find the right room, but then found the two foals studying in their shared room.
"Could you two come downstairs for a moment?" Gustopha requested, keeping her voice gentle.
Dogwood immediately darted from the room, "Okay!" He said as he quickly ran past Gustopha and down the stairs.

Willow looked up at her for a moment, "Why?" She asked.
"We're going to make a care package for someone," Gustopha explained.
"Who?" Willow asked.
Gustopha smiled, "For the moon ponies. We're going to send them a basket of nice things from earth," She elaborated.
Willow blinked, "Are moon ponies even real?" She asked.
"I'd like to think they are," Gustopha replied gently, "And I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little taste of home."
Willow nodded a little, "Well… Alright," She replied, following Gustopha downstairs.

Dogwood was already sat at the table, excitedly talking to his parents about what they'd put in the basket.
Willow and Gustopha joined them at the table.
"Alright, I think the best way to do this to go around the table," Sequoia said, "Gustopha and I already have some baking set aside, so… Willow, you can start."
Willow perked up at the mention of her name, thinking for a long moment, "Hmmm… I think we should send them a blanket. It's probably cold on the moon."
The others nodded.
"I wanna send 'em another letter!" Dogwood said.
Gustopha smiled, "We will, don't worry. Is there anything else you wanted to send?" She asked.
Dogwood pondered that thought for a long moment, "Ummm… I think we should send 'em some apples and cherries," He said, "Peaches bruise too easily."
Oak thought for a long moment, "Hmm… I think you four have all the main beats hit," He admitted with a chuckle, "I can't think of much else; at least that'd fit in the basket," He admitted.

Gustopha nodded, "Then it's settled… We'll send them a blanket, bread, fruit, and a letter," She said, magicking a piece of paper and a pencil over to her.
"Now, what should I write in the letter?" She asked.
The table quickly lit up with discussion from all sides, and it took some time before they properly hashed out what they wanted to say.

"Dear Moon Ponies,
We send you this basket of treats from earth as a sign that, even though you are far away, there are still ponies here that think about you. There are still ponies who worry for you, and hope that the endless sky and the stars beyond have been kind to you.
Included in our basket is a blanket enclosing fresh bread and fruit, as a taste of the home that you were forced from. We hope you accept these as a small token of apology from those of us who simply watched as you were banished away.
Also included is a guide on how to cast the banishment spell on small objects, and a piece of parchment, so a letter may be returned.
From the earth with love,
Signed Oak, Sequoia, Willow, Dogwood, and Princess Gustopha."

Sequoia was slightly teary-eyed as the letter was signed off and rolled off, the lid of the basket carefully closed by Gustopha's magic and settled in the corner of the room.
"Now we just wait until night," Gustopha said.
Willow looked up at her. "So you are a princess," She said.
Gustopha nodded, "I am, yes… I'm just not a very good one," She admitted.
Dogwood shook his head, "No way! You're a great princess! You're real nice, you help out on the farm…" He trailed off as Gustopha looked away.

Tears ran down the princess' cheeks, "There's more to being a princess than that, I'm afraid," She said softly, "More that I ran away from."
"Well, it doesn't matter, 'cause I think you're real neat!" Dogwood said.
Gustopha gave a weak smile, "Thank you, Dogwood," She replied softly, "You remind me a lot of somepony I used to know when I was a filly."

The room was quiet for a moment as Gustopha resteadied herself, wiping her eyes.
"If I may… Who does Dogwood remind you of?" Willow asked.
Gustopha smiled a bittersweet smile, "A young pegasus colt, named 'Texas Toast'," She said, "Him and I did almost everything together… My mother always joked that if we were any closer we'd be joined at the flank," She chuckled, "He had that same spark Dogwood did. Always bold, always protective…"
Gustopha bit her tongue.
"Then… Him and I both got sick with the blight," She expressed, "We ate some rotten weeds and were too stupid to spit 'em out."
Sequoia gasped, hooves over her face.
"...Tex didn't make it, kind of. When I awoke, his wings had been stitched to my back," Gustopha expressed.
The blanket fell from her back as she spread her wings.

"I think that's enough, Gustopha," Oak requested firmly, noting how horrified his children looked, "We try not to talk about blight sickness 'round them…" He looked away.
Gustopha froze, looking at Sequoia, who was now quietly sniffling into her hooves.
"Kids, go sit in the livingroom for a couple minutes. We need to have a talk with Gustopha," Oak said.
The two foals needed no further instruction. They quickly left the room.

"We… Lost our youngest to the blight, a couple years back now," Oak explained, hugging his now sobbing wife.
"She got out on us one day, and ate a fallen cherry that had some blight on it. It was fast; too fast," He said, the stallion now starting to get a bit choked up himself, "The doctor only said we could make peace with it; said that there wasn't a cure."
Gustopha bit her tongue and nodded slowly, "It… It's taken too many ponies," She expressed, "For every one it kills directly, it starves another."
Oak nodded, "It was real rough for a while. I still can't forgive myself for what happened," He expressed.
Gustopha walked over and pulled the two into a tight hug.
Oak froze, but leaned into the alicorn's embrace, his eyes closing.
"I can't claim I know all the answers to the blight… But I promise, I will do everything I can to try and purge it all away," Gustopha insisted.
Oak sighed softly, "Thank you…" He replied quietly, "It's those kinds of promises that make you a worthy princess."

After a few more moments, Sequoia calmed herself, "I-I think I'll make us somethin' simple for dinner," She murmured.
Gustopha nodded, "I'll help you," She said gently.
Sequoia nodded as she stood up, wiping her eyes and walking to the kitchen counter.
It wasn't a very fanciful dinner; steamed vegetables and some fresh bread. No one complained; the mood was still somber.
Gustopha felt guilty for bringing up her past in front of the children; in front of the adults was one thing, but to speak it in front of the kids?

Gustopha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, everyone," She apologized quietly.
"What for, Gustopha?" Sequoia asked.
"Just… For bringing up everything," Gustopha heaved, "I didn't mean to spoil the evening."
"It's alright, hun. You don't need to apologize for talking about what's rattling around up there," Sequoia replied.
Oak nodded, "I'm sure there's an awful lot to it that you're still keepin' locked away," He replied.
Gustopha simply nodded.
Willow blinked, "Is that why you don't like being called a princess?" She asked.
Gustopha gave a weak smile and nodded, "It's only part of it, but yes," She replied.
Dogwood blinked, "Well… I still think you're a good princess, Gustopha," He said, "Even if you don't believe it yourself."
"We all do," Oak said, "If you won't believe in yourself, we'll believe in you for ya."
The rest of the family nodded.

Gustopha sat in stunned silence for a moment, "Thank you… All of you," She expressed, "I haven't felt this loved since the last time I saw my mother," She heaved.
Sequoia smiled softly at her, "We keep tellin' ya: You're just one of the family here," She remarked.
Gustopha smiled a bit, "It certainly feels like it," She expressed, "You've shown me nothing but kindness since I got here."
"Well, it's not like you've just been freeloadin'," Oak remarked.
"Yeah! You helped a lot with the harvest; it usually takes us a week!" Dogwood said, tail swishing a bit.
Gustopha smiled a little, "I guess you're right," She replied gently.
Dinner would conclude somewhat quietly, and soon the sun would set, leaving the calm, faint light of the moon as the only light outside.

Gustopha grabbed the basket, "Well, time to go send our present," She said gently.
Gustopha and the family would walk outside, and Gustopha would neatly set the basket down.
"I'll need to push very hard to move something like this; please keep your distance," She requested.
The family obliged, sitting some distance away from her as she laid on her front, horn glowing as she once again grabbed the basket.
"Remember last night, Dogwood?" Gustopha asked.
Dogwood nodded, "Yup! We gotta wish once it starts trailing!" He recalled.
Gustopha nodded, eyes closing.

The basket quickly gained altitude, rapidly accelerating this time. It was much, much heavier than the note.
Gustopha grit her teeth as her horn erupted into flames of arcane effort, bathing the clearing in bright, white light.
The basket went faster, starting to develop the trail.
Instead of praying silently, however, the family began playing aloud, lead by Sequoia.
The soft chanting of the praying family made Gustopha feel stronger. She had no idea if it was actual strength or just psychosomatic, but her horn's flame grew larger as she pushed the basket faster and further.
Gustopha kept pushing, even as her body began to ache. She was tapping magic reserves beyond her usual exhaustion now.
She felt the flames licking at her. Her body wanted her to stop, but she couldn't now. Not when she was so close.

Then, a lurch. Gustopha gasped for air as her eyes shot open. She panted hard, shaking her head to dispell the flames that clung to her. Her horn visibly smoldered, radiating faint smoke.
"Did it make it?" Dogwood asked.
Gustopha weakly nodded before her head collapsed to the dirt. She couldn't muster the energy to move herself; the last time she had felt herself so drained was when the blight had come to claim her.
Her eyelids drooped to the sound of the worried family running over to her.
"Gustopha, hun, stay with us!" Sequoia cried.
"Let's get her inside," Oak said.

"The moon's really bright tonight, Tex," Plantation said as she gazed up at the moon, "Do you think it means anything?"
Texas thought for a long moment. "Maybe it means someone's looking back, and they're shining a light to check on us," He theorized.
"You think they care about us?" Plantation asked.
"Well, yeah, they're still ponies, aren't they? If we think about them, why can't they think about us?" Texas asked back.
Plantation nodded a little, and waved at the moon.
Texas giggled, "You're such a weirdo, Plant," He teased, before joining her in waving at the moon.

Gustopha awoke with a soft groan, her body aching slightly. She was laying on the Grove family couch, resting under a couple of large blankets as her head laid on the arm rest.
She remembered last night vividly, despite the slight haze she found herself in. She'd sent a whole basket of goodies to the moon, in the name of… What would one call it? Diplomacy? Blind faith?
She liked 'diplomacy' better. Princesses were supposed to be diplomats, were they not?

She stood up, looking around. The house was empty.
"I'm sure they're all busy… A farmer's work is never done, it seems," She thought aloud, walking outside.
It was daytime, and she noticed a small scorch mark in the yard just outside the home. Had she scorched the grass last night? It wasn't out of the question.

Gustopha looked around. There was no sign of anyone, until she heard a familiar colt's voice.
"Gustopha!" Dogwood called, charging directly into the alicorn and hugging her.
Gustopha squeaked, knocked to the ground from the sudden impact.
"You're awake!" Dogwood squealed, "We were real worried about you after you passed out on us!"
Willow, Sequoia, and Oak rounded the side of the house.
Gustopha smiled, "I was just really tired after I sent the basket to the moon," She admitted, "I'll be fine, don't worry."
"It's good to see you up and at it again, hun," Sequoia said gently, "We tried to get you up this morning, but you were asleep like a drunken stone," She chuckled.
Gustopha nodded, "Exertion like that is a lot for me to bounce back from. I'm still getting used to it," She admitted.

Oak helped her to her hooves, "It's a shame you missed the town meeting this morning," He commented, "Celestia herself, showing up in our little town! Who'da thunk it possible?" He asked with a chuckle.
Gustopha froze, "Celestia's here?" She asked.
"She gave a speech about how our town was glowing with health as of recent," Willow commented, "Said she wanted to stick around and see what all was happening."
Gustopha sat silent for a moment.
"What's wrong, Ms. Gustopha?" Dogwood asked uncertainly.
"I should go talk with the princess," Gustopha admitted.

Gustopha froze as she heard an unfamiliar stallion's voice, "That won't be necessary, Princess."
Gustopha looked over at the guard clad in shining golden armor.
"Where is she?" Gustopha asked.
"She'll be here in just a moment," The guard replied.
Gustopha stepped forward in front of the family and let out a small sigh.
"Hun, are you sure you're alright with this?" Sequoia asked.
"I need to face her. I'll be okay," Gustopha promised.

It was then that Celestia rounded the corner, flanked by guards on either side.
Gustopha eyed Celestia warily as the older alicorn stepped forward.
The air felt as though it had become stagnant around the two; it was as if time itself was holding its breath.
"...Sister," Gustopha greeted quietly.
Celestia tugged Gustopha into a hug, eyes tightly shut, "Oh, thank goodness you're okay, Gustopha!" Celestia cried, "I was so worried about you after you ran off, I set up a search party right away. Then they said this little town was sending things off to the moon, and I had to come and see if it was you…" Celestia trailed off, breaking into tears.

Gustopha blinked, hugging Celestia back gently, "I… I missed you too, Celestia," She said quietly. She wasn't entirely sure she believed that sentiment, but it Celestia seemed rattled enough that it managed to shake Gustopha a bit.
Celestia held her at legs' length. "C-can you forgive me for what I said?" She asked, "I didn't mean it, I was just so angry, a-and-" She cut herself off with another fit of hysterical sobs.
Gustopha's ear twitched. "You didn't?" She asked softly, tears now welling in her own eyes.
"Of course not! I don't care what happens; I asked for a little sister, and I got one," Celestia expressed.

Gustopha pulled Celestia into a tight hug, eyes squeezing shut, "I-I'm sorry I ran away," She whimpered softly, "I was just so s-scared, and confused…"
Celestia nodded, "I know, Gustopha… I should have never brought those things up… None of them are your fault," She insisted, squeezing Gustopha close.

The Grove family watched as the two adopted sisters embraced and traded murmurs between sobs.
"See?" Oak said quietly, "Even alicorn siblings get on each other's nerves sometimes," He remarked, lightly patting his foals' shoulders.
"I hope we don't start crying all over each other like that," Willow murmured quietly.

Celestia once again held Gustopha at legs' length. "Would you please come back to the castle?" She requested softly, eyes still wet, "I-I promise, I-" She was hushed by Gustopha's hoof gently settling on her chest.
"I will," Gustopha said quietly, "I… I need to be strong, and stop running from my problems."
Celestia stared at her.
Gustopha gave her a weak smile, "I know I'm not the sister you wanted, but I still want to make you proud," She said gently.
Celestia let out something between a chuckle, a cough, and a choked sob, "Gustopha, you don't need to work hard to make me proud," She promised, "I'd love to have you back at home."
Celestia and Gustopha finally stepped away from one another.

Celestia turned to the family, "Thank you for taking such good care of my sister," She expressed, "If there's anything I can do, please just tell me."
"We want her to visit again!" Dogwood blurted out.
Gustopha chuckled gently, "Celestia doesn't get to decide that," She said warmly, "But I do, and I'll definitely come back to see you all."
Sequoia wiped a small trail of tears from her eye, "Goodness… We'll happily await your return, Gustopha," Sequoia said, "I'll make sure to keep the rug set for you," She chuckled softly.
Gustopha gave a small laugh, "I'll try to provide notice instead of passing out in your field," She commented.
Oak chuckled, "At least wait for a day it ain't rainin'," He remarked.
Gustopha and the family shared a laugh.

Celestia turned to one of her guards, "Get the chariot ready for both of us," She requested.
The guard nodded and trotted off.
"So what's gonna happen to Gustopha once she comes back with you?" Dogwood asked, looking up at Celestia. Gustopha also looked at her.
"Well… Gustopha has yet to be coronated properly, so we'll be working towards that," Celestia supposed, "But what's most important is that she has the time and space to settle into her new life."
"We'll be happy to hear the news when she receives her title proper," Oak said, "She's got our support for sure."
Sequoia and the foals nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, everyone," Gustopha said gently, "I hope to make you proud."
"I'm sure you will, hun. Just make sure you get help with bakin'," Sequoia said, giving a sly wink.
Gustopha chuckled softly.

"Your highness, the chariot is ready," A guard says as he returns.
Celestia gave a small smile, "Well… That's our cue to leave," She said gently.
Gustopha nodded, stepping forward and hugging each family member, "Thank you so much for your hospitality," She expressed.
"Of course, Gustopha. You're always welcome," Sequoia promised.
The rest of the family said their goodbyes, and Celestia walked Gustopha to the chariot so they could head home.

Celestia was quiet for most of the flight.
"...So you truly sent things to the moon?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "A couple letters, and a basket of some nice things," She answered, "I doubt much will come of it, but it was nice to think that I could help towards peace."
Celestia bit her lip, "That's a very nice sentiment, Gustopha," She replied softly, leaning against Gustopha and sighing, "I… I was scared. Terrified, actually; when it clicked in my head that you'd ran away, I was worried you'd…" Celestia trailed off.
"Worried I'd what?" Gustopha asked.
"...Luna had a similar rebellious streak to her. She'd always sneak off at all hours of the night. And… I said things I regret to her, too," Celestia heaved, "It didn't sink in until very recently that… That I almost lost another sister."

Gustopha wrapped a leg around Celestia gently, "It wasn't like that, Celestia. I was just scared. When you were screaming, I saw the same anger the doctor looked at me with. It was like looking into the eyes of a snarling predator," Gustopha expressed, "I just needed time and space to not be afraid."
Celestia took a small breath. "...I'm sorry, Gustopha. None of this was ever your fault, and you shouldn't be feeling like it is. I'm just being selfish," She heaved softly.
Gustopha rested her head against Celestia's and breathed softly, her eyes closing. She thought about speaking, but no words needed to be said.
Gustopha's eyes blinked open as she heard Celestia begin to snore. Gustopha smiled a little, seeing Celestia at peace. Perhaps if the conversation had gone differently, Gustopha wouldn't be so happy to see Celestia resting soundly; now, however, Gustopha just cared that normalcy might finally be rearing its head for her to see.

Act II, Part IV: Development

Celestia awoke as they landed at the castle, shaken awake by the light turbulence of the landing on stone.
Gustopha smiled gently at her, "Did you sleep well, sister?" She asked gently.
Celestia chuckled. "I did," She admitted, "I didn't sleep much while you were away."
Gustopha nodded, allowing Celestia to groggily lead her inside.
Celestia yawned and shook herself off before she turned to Gustopha. "We finished your room while you were away," She said warmly, "I'm sure you'll be delighted."
Gustopha nodded, following after Celestia quietly.

Gustopha's room was finished; it was now furnished fully in warm wood, and a large stone fireplace stood empty, awaiting fuel in the side of the room. Numerous small plots of dirt sat along the walls. They were empty; to be filled at Gustopha's discretion.
The loft was accessible from a neat wooden staircase, and under it laid a large desk and dozens of bookshelves; a private study for the earth princess.
Gustopha smiled widely as she inspected everything, "It's exactly how I wanted," She expressed contently.
Celestia smiled, "Of course," She replied, "Only the best for my little sister."
Gustopha bounced lightly on her hooves, visibly excited; an oddly kiddy gesture, were it not for her accelerated aging.

Celestia chuckled softly, "I take it I won't be seeing you until dinner again?" She asked.
"I'd welcome you to join me, but I'll mostly be running around and gathering fruits and seeds to plant," Gustopha admitted.
Celestia smiled and simply nodded, "Of course," She replied, "I'll be sure to come check on you later."
Gustopha nodded a bit and left her room, excitedly walking out to go get things with which to occupy her new space.

When Celestia returned around dinner time to call Gustopha, her eyes widened as she gazed upon the room.
In the largest planter, in the corner of the room, sat a full-sized chestnut tree, its roots having been carefully trained across the edge of the room to touch lightly in the other planters. Large, wooden branches overhung the corner of the room, creating a rather lovely atmosphere in addition to the large fireplace, which was now crackling loudly as it burnt away at a full supply of fuel.
Celestia was drawn to the study under the loft, where Gustopha was humming as she neatly filed away some books on agriculture.

"You've certainly been busy," Celestia chuckled.
"I have," Gustopha replied with a small smile, "They built everything perfectly."
Celestia nodded a bit, sitting next to Gustopha. "I'm glad to hear that. They caused quite a stir when they started bringing dirt inside," Celestia chuckled.
Gustopha nodded a bit, "I'd figured it would draw some attention, but the planters do look lovely once they're filled," She expressed.
"They do, they do… But did you really need multiple trees inside?" Celestia asked, "You have a balcony, you know." Celestia chuckled.
Gustopha thought for a long moment, "My room is my sanctuary," She eventually explained, "It has things that won't hurt me. Books, plants, my bed…" She trailed off.
Celestia hesitated a bit. "Well, I'm sure it will be a lovely sanctuary once it's done," She said with a small smile.
Gustopha nodded a little, "I hope so," She replied quietly.
"Well… It is dinner time, sister," Celestia hummed.
Gustopha nodded and followed Celestia to the dining hall.

Gustopha noticed that Celestia was oddly quiet during dinner; usually she'd at least instigate small talk as they ate. Gustopha looked at her for a few moments before finally speaking up: "Celestia, is everything alright?"
Celestia bit her lip, "I'm just… Scared I'll mess up again," She admitted, "Scared I'll say something I regret again; I don't deserve to be forgiven for the way I screamed at you."
Gustopha went quiet, eating a few more bites of her dinner as she thought over her answer.
Celestia stared quietly at her plate.
"I forgave you because I know you wouldn't be upset without a good reason," Gustopha eventually decided, "You're nothing like the doctor. You have none of his malice, none of his desire to see other living things in pain."
Celestia stared at her. "You… You really think that?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I saw it with my own two eyes, when you took me in despite the fact I wasn't the sister you wanted," She reasoned.

Celestia's face flickered with several emotions, "Gustopha… You know you would be perfectly justified in hating me for everything I said, do you not?" She asked, "The things I said would be unfit for a criminal's ears."
Gustopha nodded slowly, "Well… I can't pretend your words didn't hurt, but I can acknowledge that you're trying to move on, and that I should, too," She expressed.
Celestia leaned back slightly, "You just want to move on?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I do. My time with the family on the farm helped me realize that my value comes from what I do, not what other ponies assign to me," She expressed.

Celestia blinked. "That's… That's a very good thing for you to learn, Gustopha," She replied, "You are already growing to match your looks."
Gustopha smiled a small smile. Celestia smiled back. The rest of dinner was awkward, but less tense between the two.
Perhaps the whole exchange had been good for them, Gustopha thought. She felt closer to Celestia now, despite the relative brevity of the hardship.

After dinner, the alicorn siblings went their separate ways, and the night was fairly quiet from then on, as both of the alicorns went about their evening.
Gustopha spent a good majority of her time reflecting on her visit with the Grove family, sitting in the nook she had set up around her fireplace. She wanted something more comfortable than the solid wood chairs in her study; perhaps a nice couch to snuggle into. Those were thoughts for tomorrow, though.
After some time spent reflecting and a little more time spent digging into books on the topic of grafting, she opted to go to bed. Based on what Celestia had said, life would likely get busy for her as she settled into being a properly coronated princess.

"Texas! Plantation! Come for dinner!" Plantation's mother called.
Texas and Plantation shared a look, but started walking towards the house.
"What do you think your mom made for dinner tonight?" Texas asked.
"Probably porridge again. Mom has lots of rice," Plantation hummed.
"Why does she have so much?" Texas asked.
"Mom says she bought a ton of bags before the war broke out; our whole cellar is just bags of rice," Plantation explained, "They're stacked like bricks."
Texas blinked, "She bought that much rice?"
Plantation simply nodded.

"...Can we go look at all of it after dinner?" Texas asked.
Plantation shrugged, "Sure. It's just rice, though," She commented.
Texas giggled and picked up his pace a little, now somewhat excited to see how much rice Plantation's mother had stashed away.
Plantation ran after him.

The next week or so would go by fairly uneventfully for Gustopha as she settled into the castle proper. The planters of her room would become filled with numerous plants, and her bookshelves would fill out somewhat as she collected more and more books relevant to not only agriculture, but now princesshood as well. Guides on speaking to different sects of the population, how to conduct oneself… Most of it went right over her head. Plants were simple. Unchallenging. Ponies seemed to be very, very complicated.

Between long bouts of studying, the princess did, of course, take time to exercise her chosen abilities; the land around the castle (and the growing city at its base) would be purged of its blight, finally allowing the population to reclaim some of its lavish custom. The practice made Gustopha feel just a bit more proficient each time she did it; her sphere of influence grew a bit, her thoroughness in blessing the soil was stronger… The exhaustion, however, was already beginning to wear at her. She was sure it was just due to being young and unpracticed… And yet, she'd barely made a dent in all of Equestria's blighted land. She just had to be patient, she told herself.

Her focus was broken one day as Celestia entered her room, followed by four ponies in finely hewn bronze armor.
Gustopha looked up from her studying, tilting her head slightly at the small entourage.
"Hello, Celestia… And accompanying guests," Gustopha greeted softly.
Celestia smiled at her, "Hello, Gustopha," She greeted, "I noticed you've been leaving the castle more and more to work the land, and… Well, I'm quite worried about you," She admitted, her smile faltering, "You don't know how to fight, do you?"
Gustopha was caught slightly off-guard by the sudden question, but she nodded hesitantly, "Not particularly," She admitted.
Celestia nodded a bit, "As I suspected… If you're going to leave the castle and venture out to carry our your duties, I would like to know you'll be safe. So, I had a small detachment of guards prepared for you," She explained.

Gustopha stood up, walking over to inspect the four ponies that had been brought to her with curiosity in her eyes.
She quietly paced around them, as if sizing them up.
Among the four ponies were three earth ponies and a single pegasus; of them, only a single earth pony was a stallion.
"These are," Celestia began, pointing at the stallion, "Stoneheart," She pointed to the two earth pony mares, "April and May Showers," Then the pegasus, "And Aerated Turf."
Gustopha sat before them and nodded, taking a moment to remember each one.
"Now," Celestia said, looking at the guards, "As my last order as your assigned charge, you will guard Princess Gustopha with your lives. Understand?" She asked.

The four guards nodded, replying "Yes ma'am," In unison.
"Good," Celestia said with a smile, "From here on, you four are to be the first members of the Terran Guard, assigned to the personal protection and delegation of Princess Gustopha."
Celestia's gaze shifted to Gustopha as she walked to her side. "From here on, they are to accompany you when you venture out. I do hope you like them; they are hoof-picked from my own ranks," She expressed quietly.
Gustopha nodded a little, giving Princess Celestia a small smile, "I'm sure I will," Gustopha replied gently.

Admittedly, Gustopha wasn't particularly content with having "chaperones", though considering her complete and utter inexperience with fighting magic, she figured Celestia was being reasonable enough; if just a bit smothering.
"I'll leave you to bond with them some before your next outing," Celestia said gently, "Please come and get me if there's any problems!" She added, slipping out of the room.

Gustopha and the new "Terran Guard" shared a curious look as all of them collectively realized that, of all of them, the princess who was now "in charge" of this detachment was the least familiar with proper protocol.
Stoneheart stepped forward and bowed politely. The rest of the terran guard followed suit, but Gustopha's horn ignited, lifting them back to their standing posture.
"Okay, first rule: Please don't all bow like that," Gustopha declared softly, "It's… Really unsettling."

"How should we greet you, then, Princess?" April Showers asked.
"Just… I don’t know, a wave, a little nod, something," Gustopha huffed, "Anything but bowing."
May Showers looked at her, "What's wrong with a bow? It's a custom that's been around forever," She commented.
Gustopha sighed and looked away, "Because the first time somepony ever bowed to me, he was starving and thanking me for making soil growable," She admitted, "Whenever ponies bow to me, I just see his sunken-in face, and his withered physique."
That explanation very quickly dispelled any dissent among the new terran guard.
Stoneheart looked at her, "Then we shan't bow for you, Princess; under you, we will flourish, and Equestia's vigor will return," He said calmly.
Gustopha gave a small smile, "Thank you…" She trailed off briefly, having already let the stallion's name slip her conscious mind, "...Stoneheart?"
Stoneheart nodded and gave her a gentle smile.

"So… Did you want to want to go out today, Princess?" Aerated Turf asked, "We're supposed to escort you every time you leave the castle, so…"
Gustopha smiled gently. "I wasn't planning on heading out today, but I wouldn't mind getting a bit more done," She admitted.
The terran guards nodded and prepared themselves to follow the princess.
To Gustopha, it felt a little odd to be flanked by guards as she walked; it drew some looks from the citizens of the castle town. The once lone alicorn now had a small entourage of sworn protectors.

A few townsponies approached the princess, but April and May stood before her, intercepting their approach.
"What business do you have with the princess?" April asked with a stern huff.
"We were just coming to thank her for healing our field," One of the townsponies replied.
Gustopha gently nudged April and May aside, smiling warmly at the townsponies, "You're very welcome," She replied gently, "Please don't mind them… They're not used to the way I conduct myself in town."
The townsponies nodded a bit, thanking the princess before wandering off.

April and May looked at Gustopha, expecting some sort of punishment.
Gustopha looked back at them. "I know what my sister said, but you don't need to be so protective… It's not uncommon that I'm approached in the street like that; it's okay," She promised gently.
"Of course, Princess," May replied with a slight huff, "We're just doing as we were trained."
"It's alright," Gustopha replied, "I just don't want others feeling like they can't approach me, just because I'm a princess."
The group would leave town, walking along the gravel road.

Gustopha bit her lip, "I know I'm probably a far cry from how you expect a Princess to want to be treated, but I hope you'll all warm up to it in time," She expressed gently, "I don't like feeling superior to the ponies around me."
Stoneheart nodded a bit, "Well, the years of training in respect and obedience a royal guard goes through are hard to shake off," He admitted, the other guards nodding in agreement, "But we'll try our best to accommodate for your wishes."
Gustopha smiled gently, "Thank you," She replied, "I'm sure you'll perform well."
The group would banter a bit as they traveled outward, with Gustopha asking the guards about what sort of backgrounds they came from.

Stoneheart came from a long line of nobles, and was the youngest of three sons. While his brothers went into politics, he became interested in being a royal guard when his family home was broken into.
April and May Showers came from a large family of farm ponies, but were forced to become guards when the family farm was ruined by the blight.
Aerated Turf didn't have a particularly exciting history; she was just a young filly who was inducted into the program after showing a lot of promise from a young age.

Gustopha took in the stories of the others and nodded contemplatively.
"What about you, Princess? No one seems to know much about where you came from," Aerated Turf remarked.
"My history's… A long story," Gustopha admitted.
Stoneheart snorted softly, "Surely, you don't think we'd be unprepared to handle a mere recollection?" He asked.
Gustopha hesitated, "...I am a false alicorn, pieced together from two foals, and aged to perform the task of healing the land of the blight," She simplified, "The power you see me wield was power forced onto me in desperation, not earned by years of training."

The terran guards went quiet.
"A 'false alicorn'?" Aerated pondered, "What the heck does that even mean?"
"While alicorns are not born, they are tried many times in their lives to prove that they'd be adequate to handle the power and lifespan being an alicorn gives," Gustopha explained, "It's a process known simply as ascension… And one I was never subject to."
"You're the spitting image of the real thing, Princess," April remarked, "I don't think any of us was able to tell before you went out and said it."
May nodded, "Could've fooled me," She affirmed.
Gustopha gave a gentle smile, "A compliment to the doctor's handywork, then," She hummed.
"Was he a good doctor?" Aerated asked.
Gustopha thought for a moment. "An excellent doctor, a terrible pony," She decided, her smile fading.

"What did he do to earn such a ranking?" Stoneheart asked.
"...A lot of things," Gustopha muttered, "Things that aren't fit to be said outside."
Stoneheart's posture shrank slightly, "Apologies, your highness," He murmured, ears drooping at the sudden shift in Gustopha's tone.
The group would go quiet again as they continued along, reaching the Princess' target on the edge of the blighted land.
Gustopha sighed deeply and settled down on the moldy, slimy grass, her horn illuminating as she worked over the land.

The guards watched in awe as blight was rent from the surface, the scars of war fading away as glistening golden cracks spread across the earth.
"To see a princess exercising her full will over her element…" Stoneheart murmured.
"One heckuva cloud she's pulling up… That's all blight?" Aerated asked.
"The blight seeks to ruin the land as much as possible," April murmured, "It kills everything it touches."
May nodded, "To see it being purged is like watching a villain perish before our eyes."
"It kills everything?" Stoneheart asked, eyes wide.
April nodded, "It kills the ground, then it kills the plants growing in it, and then it kills the ponies that try to eat what little's left," She explained.

The group jumped as Gustopha's horn ignited into bright flames, dousing the field in white light as the blight cloud was purged of its evil.
Despite the intense light and heat, Gustopha simply let out a deep sigh once it was over. She shook herself off, horn still radiating a faint warmth.
"Are you alright, Princess?" Stoneheart asked, helping Gustopha to her hooves.
"I am," Gustopha replied, giving a small smile, "It is a tiring spell… The blight purge spell requires an immense amount of throughput; hence why my horn catches on fire."
"That's intentional?" Aerated asked, "Sheesh, I'm glad I'm not a unicorn," She muttered.
"There are less dangerous permutations, though for large tasks like this, it's the most effective way," Gustopha explained, "Though like I said, it is quite exhausting… This will be all I can do for tonight."

The terran guards looked across the newly cleaned stretch of land, which was already growing fresh vegetation under the gentle rainfall of the now cleaned cloud.
"Are you truly the only one who can clean the land, Princess?" Stoneheart asked.
"In any reasonable amount of time, yes… But it will still take me years. Perhaps even decades; decades we don't have," Gustopha heaved, hanging her head.
"Couldn't you just… Make another alicorn, like yourself?" Aerated asked.
"No," Gustopha replied firmly, "I will not subject any pony to what I went through."
Aerated flinched a bit. "Isn't there any other way?" She asked, ears drooping.
Gustopha sighed a little, "I'll… Do some studying over the next few days," She said softly.

With that, the group would return to the castle, quietly talking a bit more. It was a bit more of a somber discussion, though Gustopha spent much of it being lost in thought, pondering some kind of solution. Was there a better way?
During dinner with Celestia, Gustopha was fixated on those thoughts. Optimization… Something that could get Equestria back on its hooves faster.

Celestia looked at her, "You seem lost in thought," She hummed, "Did everything go okay with your new guards?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded. "They're lovely ponies," She replied, "However, they already share the same worry that I do."
"And what might that be?" Celestia asked.
"It will take me too long to purify the land," Gustopha heaved, "Even if I were to push myself to the limit every day, my magic doesn't replenish fast enough. I'll-" She was cut off.
"Gustopha, you don't need to rush yourself," Celestia attempted.
"But I do, Celestia," Gustopha heaved, "Every day that goes by, more ponies starve, and lose hope. I need to be stronger."
Celestia sighed a bit. "I… I understand, Gustopha," She replied softly.
"I don't have a plan yet… But I might have the start of one," Gustopha expressed.
Celestia blinked, "Go on?" She requested.

"There might be a way that I could imbue a plant with the blight purge spell. Then, when planted in blighted soil, the magic would activate, and it would repel the blight," Gustopha explained, "We could distribute the fruit to the most heavily affected areas, and as those plants grow and make their own fruit, they could spread further."
Celestia nodded slowly, "What would you need to cultivate such a fruit?" She asked.
"That, I don't know yet. This is all theoretical," Gustopha admitted, rubbing her temples, "It will likely take me some time to formulate this properly," She conceded.

Celestia nodded a bit. "Of course… Just remember that we also need to plan your coronation soon," She requested.
Gustopha nodded and sighed. "I know. I was hoping you might be able to help with that, while I work on this project," She expressed.
Celestia's eyes widened a bit, "You wish for me to organize your coronation?" She asked.
Gustopha nodded, "I would rather my requests go through you. You understand the importance of what I'm working on," She expressed, "I trust you to respect my time."

Celestia nodded a bit, "Well… If you're sure, Gustopha," She replied.
Gustopha stepped down from her chair and hugged Celestia tightly, "I'm sure, sister," She promised, "You understand this far better than I do."
Celestia leaned over the side of her chair to hug back, "Very well, Gustopha… I'll draft up some ideas for you to have a look at, okay?" She offered.
Gustopha nodded, "That sounds good," She replied.
After a bit longer at dinner, the two alicorns parted ways.
Gustopha returned to her room, smiling gently at April and May, who were now posted outside her door.
"Stoneheart and Aerated Turf just got back with the books you wanted," April explained.
Gustopha nodded, "Thank you; come with me," She requested as she walked inside, the two guards following in.

Gustopha sat at the table in the study, looking over the books. She winced slightly, her horn igniting to magic a piece of chalk over to a large blackboard, already beginning to write down notes.
"What's all this for?" Aerated Turf asked.
"You asked me earlier if there was an easier way to purify the land," Gustopha hummed, "This is me figuring out the answer to that question."
"Your studiousness is an inspiration to us all, Princess," Stoneheart commented.
Gustopha smiled a little. "Thank you, Stoneheart," She replied, "I will admit, this is going to be occupying me for a while… You four are dismissed for the time being."

The four guards jumped. "Dismissed?" Stoneheart asked.
"You have regular duties to attend to, do you not?" She asked.
"Well, yes, but we've been tasked to you. There is nothing else you wish for us to do?" Stoneheart asked.
"At the moment, there's very little being done. I'm just preparing right now," Gustopha said, looking up at them, "Rest assured, I will call upon you when the time comes," She promised.
April, May, and Aerated hesitantly left the room.
Stoneheart, however, stayed by Gustopha's side for a long moment.
"Are… Are you certain you don't want company, Princess?" Stoneheart asked.

"You would likely get very bored if you stayed here; this is not a simple look into a certain spell. Enchanting a plant, in the way I need to do, is a much more thorough procedure," Gustopha explained gently, "If it makes you feel better, you are free to come and go as you please," She promised.
Stoneheart nodded hesitantly and stood up, "Very well, Princess. I'll be sure myself and the others come to check on you periodically."
Gustopha smiled. "Thank you, Stoneheart," She replied, lightly waving to the stallion as he left the room.

Over the coming weeks, Gustopha's plan slowly formulated; she'd chosen a good candidate for both a spell and a seed to be enchanted, and was polishing the last kinks in the spellwork.
She'd chosen the cocoa tree, for a twofold purpose: Number one, it was a fairly productive fruit tree, especially once fully grown. Number two, it was already an edible plant, and Gustopha was hopeful that, once properly enchanted, the fruit of the tree might be eaten to form a sort of vaccine against blight sickness.
Of course, Equestria was not a particularly warm place, and the tree was a bit slow growing, so she'd need to take care to account for these problems.
It did complicate the spell a bit, but eventually, Gustopha was ready.

"I got the cocoa pod, like you wanted," Aerated said, looking at the rather sizable plant pod in her hooves, "Never actually seen one before…" She admitted.
Gustopha's horn illuminated, and she took the seed, nestling it in a large pot of soil.
"Excellent," She said gently, "Now, this spell will require a lot of focus time to perform… I need to remain undisturbed for at least a day," She expressed.
April nodded, "Me and May'll watch the door," She offered.
Gustopha smiled. "Thank you both. Aerated, go ahead and take a rest," She said gently.
Aerated nodded, "Don't need to tell me twice, Princess. I haven't flown that far in a long while," She admitted, walking out of the room.
"And what of me, Princess?" Stoneheart asked.
Gustopha looked at him. "I would like you to stay here, in case something goes wrong. Imbuing a plant with magic like this is a labor-intensive spell; I'm effectively rearranging the plant, down to its core," She expressed.
Stoneheart nodded, "Then I shall remain here until dismissed, Princess," He replied dutifully.
Gustopha smiled. "I know you will," She replied.

She then looked at her notes one more time, settling herself before the potted seed. Her horn lightly pressed against the hull of the seed, and her eyes closed, a warm golden aura slowly encompassing both her horn and the seed.
What would be hours for any other pony were mere minutes to Gustopha mid-spell. The focus of carefully reweaving every trait of the plant to make it conducive to blight banishing, in addition to some small additions like making it sweeter and resistant to cold, took a lot of focus. Not a lot of magic, as she was only working very small pieces of the plant at a time, but it still required her brain's full power.

"What do you mean, I can't see my sister?" Celestia asked with a slight huff.
"Gustopha is working very hard at the moment. We have orders not to let anyone into the room," April explained.
"Well, I appreciate that, but these are her coronation plans. I need her to look over them one more time so we can begin setting the castle and town for the event," Celestia explained.
May shook her head. "Mm-m. Nopony in or out, Princess. This spell's too important for Gustopha's well-being," She explained.
Celestia cocked a brow, "For her well-being? What is it?" She asked.
"She's executing her will over a cocoa pod, which will become the first Blightsbane tree if all goes well," April explained.

Celestia gasped. "Oh, of course! How could I forget? She mentioned it last night at dinner; oh, the look of excitement on her face. It was like a foal's on hearth's warming…" She recalled, her face turned into a fond smile.
"That's right. And because of that, she needs the most stable focus," May commented, "So, we must ask you to postpone your visit."
Celestia snorted slightly, "I… I see," She replied, "Very well… You will tell me when she's up and functional again, yes?" She requested.
They both nodded. "That, we can do," April replied.
Celestia hesitated, but prepared to walk back to her throne. She supposed she should have seen it coming; though, of course, this was of great importance.

Gustopha's eyes opened some hours later. Day had faded into night, and the once brown pod was now a vibrant gold. She lifted it carefully from the pot in her hooves, lightly knocking on it with her hoof. The almost meaty thwocks of her hoof rapping on the seed's hull were quite the appealing noise, but she wasn't here to appraise the sound.

"Is it done, Princess?" Stoneheart asked, looking at the faintly glowing pod.
"I believe it is," Gustopha replied contently, "Now, there is a pot of blighted dirt on the balcony. Please bring it here," She requested.
Stoneheart nodded, walking out to the balcony and pushing over the large pot of pock-marked soil.
She smiled widely. "Now, if all goes well… See how I'm not using any magic?" She asks, not waiting for an answer, "If all goes well, the seed will banish the blight itself."
Stoneheart nodded slowly, "How does it know to banish the blight?" He asked.

"Seeds have a number of senses they used to determine the proper time to sprout; when it begins rooting and encounters blight as it grows, it will sear away the blight, converting it into fresh water in the soil, which it will then use to grow," Gustopha explained, neatly making a well in the soil, planting the seed, and covering it. "I've used some of the soil healing spell to increase its growth rate, but it will still grow a bit slowly compared to the typical rate in healed soil. We should see by tomorrow if it was a success," She elaborated.
Stoneheart nodded, "Then I suppose we wait," He hummed.

Gustopha chuckled. "Well, you will. You will be waiting outside; I believe it's bedtime for me," She commented.
Stoneheart nodded, "Ah! Of course, you must be tired after holding focus for so long," He huffed, "Please, don't allow me to keep you awake. Have a good sleep," He bade, leaving the room.
Gustopha smiled gently, walking to her bed and resting her head on her pillow. She snuggled into the covers, smiling contently to herself.

Plantation sat and watched as Texas Toast practiced doing flips and dives in the air.
"How do you not get dizzy doing all that?" Plantation asked, having gotten a little lightheaded just watching him spin around.
"Mom says it comes natural to pegasi; like how you can grab things with your magic even if you couldn't catch 'em normally," Texas commented.
Plantation nodded a bit, "So you don't even think about it?" She asked.
Texas nodded, "Yup! I could do flips like this all day!" He giggled, "One day, I'm gonna get big and strong and fly you somewhere!"
Plantation blinked, "That… Sounds scary," She admitted.

Texas dove lightly down to her side, awkwardly stopping before her, just in time to hug her. "Hey, I'd make sure I wouldn't drop you. By golly, I'd hold you so tight you'd be worried about falling up instead!" He promised, chest swelling a bit.
Plantation blinked, "You mean it?" She asked, looking at him.
Texas nodded. "Yup! I'd hold you tight and never let go!" He promised, "I'd just be your wings!"
Plantation smiled a little, looking away. "That… That sounds like it'd be nice, Tex," She replied softly.
Texas giggled, "Hey, don't go making this weird now!" He huffed, hugging her tighter.

Gustopha awoke fairly early, and with energy she hadn't felt in a long time. She practically leapt from her bed up the stairs to the loft, eyes widening in delight.
The tree had taken root. Before her now stood an admittedly somewhat short cocoa tree, a few of its more developed branches already had small pods growing from them.
Gustopha giggled with excitement, lightly bouncing on her hooves as she dowsed the pot's dirt. Not a hint of blight in sight, and the plant still radiated the warmth of the blight purge spell.

She quickly galloped from her room, stopping just outside the door.
April and May had gone to bed, leaving Stoneheart and Aerated Turf to keep watch over the princess' door.
"You both," She said, first pointing at Stoneheart, "You, get a cart," She then adjusted her gaze to Aerated, "You, go find the nearest farm with blight in its field," She instructed.
The two ponies nodded, running off to fulfill the Princess' orders.
Stoneheart quickly returned with a cart, and Gustopha carefully loaded the potted tree onto it.
Stoneheart looked at the soft, off-white wood and the glowing golden-green leaves, as well as the glimmering golden pods. "It's beautiful…" He murmured.
"In this tree lies what may be the end of the blight as we know it," She expressed, a wide smile on her face, "Now, we just need to plant it, so it may grow into full size and produce more fruits," She expressed.

The cart was brought to the throne room once it was loaded, with Gustopha proudly displaying her experiment to Celestia.
"So this tree repels blight?" Celestia asked.
"Yup! It's cleaned out the whole pot already," Gustopha replied, her voice giddy, "We're going to go plant it once Aerated Turf gets back."
"I see… Are April and May still asleep?" Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded.
Celestia turned to her guard, "Go fetch some new recruits," She requested.

The solar guard nodded and trotted off from the dais.
"You want me to have more guards?" Gustopha asked, "I'm already running out of things for just four to do," She admitted, ears drooping.
Celestia smiled, "I'm sure some more staff will do you good, Gustopha; you're a very smart pony. I know you can figure out proper delegation techniques," She commented warmly.
Gustopha nodded a little, her ears returning to their normal state.

The guard returned with three fresh cadets, dressed in the bronze armor of the terran guard. All three of them were mares; an earth pony, a pegasus, and a unicorn. They introduced themselves as Fjord, Dust Storm, and Precipice Spire, respectively.
Just in time, Aerated Turf returned to the throne room, recounting the directions to the farm she'd found. With that, the group set out, Stoneheart pulling the cart along.

"So that tree can really purge blight?" Dust Storm asked.
Gustopha nodded, "And grow as normal in the process," She replied, "Giving non-alicorns a way to better purge the blight from their land will substantially lighten the load on myself."
Precipice looked at the tree, then the princess, "How did you imbue a plant with such a spell?" She asked.
"Very slowly, and very carefully," Gustopha said, "All living things, even plants, have some magic in them; the spell I used was similar to the spell cast on a pegasus or unicorn upon becoming an alicorn, but much slower paced."
Precipice nodded slowly, "Isn't modifying a spell like that dangerous?" She asked.
"Very," Gustopha replied, "That's why it took me weeks to plan it out, and nearly a day to perform the necessary alterations to the plant itself."
Precipice again nodded.

The group would eventually come upon a blighted farm along the road.
"This is the place," Aerated Turf commented, "I already took the liberty of letting the farmers know we were going to plant the tree here."
Gustopha nodded, "Good," She replied, leading the group to a patch of particularly blighted-looking terrain in the field, her horn illuminating to part the dirt.
The blighted soil did not respond kindly to her magic. She grunted as it crept into her, her front legs becoming mottled with blight scars. Despite the now oozing, aching sensation, she looked up towards the tree.
"Alright, let's plant it here," Gustopha said, horn illuminating to lift the tree (and the dirt within the pot) from its enclosure, carefully moving it into the hollow she'd made, and packing some of the blighted dirt around the tree's base.
"There," She said with a small smile, sitting back to admire her handywork.

"Princess, your legs…" Stoneheart said softly.
"I'll purge them in a moment; I can weather the blight fine enough," Gustopha promised, "Drawing blight into myself used to be the only way I knew how to purge it," She admitted.
"Does it hurt?" Fjord asked.
"Hurt is a strong word," Gustopha remarked, "It's a turgid, creeping feeling… As if the scars are trying to melt my legs."
Fjord and Aerated shuddered at the idea of flesh melting off the bone.
"Now, we should go tell the family the tree's been planted," Gustopha said, leading her troop over to the farmhouse.

The family of farmers were quite flattered that their field had been chosen by the Princess for her test.
"Actually, Princess…" The farm mare spoke up, "If you wouldn't mind, couldja stay after dark?" She requested.
"What for?" Gustopha asked.
"Every now and again, we hear bangin' on the door, and we wake up to dirt smeared all over our back porch," The mare explained.
Gustopha cocked her brow, "I… I see," She replied, thinking for a long moment. She didn't like this one bit. "Dust Storm, please travel to the castle and tell Celestia we will be staying here for the night," Gustopha requested.
"Understood, Princess," Dust Storm replied, leaving quickly.
"The rest of you, get ready for the night… I'd like to take a look around under moonlight," She expressed.
The rest of the terran guard nodded and prepared to hunker down for the night.

Act II, Part V: Coronation

It was Stoneheart and Precipice Spire's turn to stand guard. It was late into the night; not quite early morning yet, but certainly past midnight.
Then, they heard it. A gurgling, mumbled growl.
Pricipice's horn illuminated brightly to try and see what was creeping out in the blighted field.
The two terran guards paced carefully out into the field, Stoneheart brandishing his poleaxe dutifully.
Then, they saw it. Two shimmering hollows staring back at them.

It looked like it could have been a pony at one point, but was now just a vaguely equid mass of material; a visibly wet clod, somewhere between ground meat, mold, and dirt. Its eye sockets were just that; sockets. They sparkled faintly, as if dotted by thousands of tiny crystals.
It gargled as it stared at them, its "mouth" being a small hole poked into the end of its snout.

"What is that?" Precipice asked, shuffling a bit closer to Stoneheart.
"I have no idea," Stoneheart admitted.
Then, the creature screeched, and started running at them.
The two jumped from the sudden noise, and began running in the opposite direction of the creature.
Precipice yelped as a root caught her hoof, and she tumbled to the dirt.
Stoneheart didn't waste any time, he spun around, reeled back on his hind legs, and gripped his poleaxe tightly.

SHWACK!
The noise that emitted from the creature as it was knocked to the ground by Stoneheart's swing was an unpleasant, slimy sound.
Stoneheart helped Precipice to her feet, watching as the creature drew up, stumbling forward.
"What do we do?" Precipice asked, panicked.
"We get to the tree," Stoneheart replied, turning to the Blightsbane tree, which had grown noticeably since it had first been planted. A circle of influence had made itself known around the tree; one free of blight, and faintly illuminated by the tree's glowing seed pods.
The two ponies ran towards the tree, with the creature hissing and gurgling as it disjointedly galloped after them.

Stoneheart spun around as he entered the tree's threshold, reeling in his hind legs and once again clutching his poleaxe.
Precipice stopped beside him. "Stoneheart?" She asked.
"Just get ready to shield," He said, gritting his teeth as the creature sprinted towards him.
The creature frothed and gargled and screeched, its mouth opening into a three-petaled bloom with jagged wooden teeth.
Stoneheart swung his poleaxe, grunting.

SPLATCH!!
The beast crumbled as it was bashed to the side, seemingly dissolving as it landed within the tree's influence. Its body scattered across the purified dirt, blight being washed away as the tree glowed brighter.
Precipice stepped forward and cautiously brushed her hoof across the pile of mud that once comprised the creature, "So it was blight?" She asked.
Stoneheart watched as Precipice smeared the mud across the field, wiping her hoof. "I suppose so… We should go get the princess," He replied.
Precipice nodded, and they quickly trotted back to the house to get Gustopha.

Gustopha stood quietly over the muddy patch on the field, listening to Stoneheart and Precipice's recollection.
"...I see," Gustopha replied, "This is concerning…"
"Do you think there's more like it?" Precipice asked.
"I don't doubt it. The blight isn't a typical disease," Gustopha expressed, "At the very least, the Blightsbane is an effective countermeasure."
Stoneheart nodded, "It crumbled as soon as it entered the tree's light," He replied.
"We'll stay until dawn and then return to the castle in the morning. I'm afraid that, just as we've begun fighting the blight, it's starting to fight back," Gustopha expressed, gritting her teeth.
"Fighting back?" Precipice asked.
Gustopha nodded grimly, "The blight is not a typical disease. It's magical in nature; amalgamated from pieces of various plagues and held together by some sort of self-propagating magic. I think the creature you ran into is what happens when the blight's magic has been stimulated enough," She explained.

"So the more we fight against it, the stronger it will become, right?" Precipice asked, ears drooping.
Gustopha nodded, but gently rested a hoof on Precipice's side. "That's correct, but it's not the end of the world. It will grow stronger, yes, but we're finally developing ways to fight back against it," She expressed, "The fight's far from over."
Stoneheart nodded, "I'm sure you will lead us to victory, Princess," He said.
Gustopha smiled a bit, "Thank you, Stoneheart," She replied, before looking back at the house, "Now, let's head inside and get some rest."
The others nodded and headed inside with the Princess, leaving the tree to shine softly against the darkness.

Gustopha smiled as she looked at the tree in the morning. It had grown a lot; not quite to full size, but it was large enough that its radius of influence spread across the field. It was nowhere near as quick as her own magic, but it hadn't cost her an ounce of her own energy since it was planted.
Carefully, she picked the mature golden pods from the branches, leaving a few more on the tree to grow. She smiled as she brought them inside, laying them on the table.
"There we are," Gustopha said, "Eight Blightsbane seed pods, with as much magic as the tree that they came from," She explained.
The terran guards, who were mostly awake by now, nodded, looking at the golden seed pods with hope.

The farmhouse mare stared in amazement, "Goodness… That tree's already producing in just two days?" She asks.
Gustopha nodded. "That's correct," She replied, "Thank you for permitting us to use your land; you may use the tree and its fruit however you wish," She expressed, nodding to the farm mare.
The farm mare nodded, "Well, it was my pleasure, Princess. Take care on the way home," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded, gathering up her guards, and leading the way back to the castle.

"Think they'll take good care of it?" Aerated asked.
"They'd be foolish not to; a gift from the Princess shouldn't be taken lightly," Fjord snorted.
"What happens to the tree is up to them, now," Gustopha hummed, "I do hope they'll propagate the seeds to drive the blight back further, but I'm not enforcing that desire… That's why we have the other seeds," She explained.
Stoneheart nodded, "Where will you plant the other seeds?" He asked.
"I'd like to spread them far and wide," Gustopha hummed, "We'll plant a couple in the castle courtyard, of course, but from there, they should be spread across Equestria so we can start making an appreciable dent in the blight."
Stoneheart nodded, “I’m sure there are many pegasi who’d be willing to help you, Princess,” He expressed.
Gustopha smiled, “I hope so,” She replied.

As the group returned to the castle, Gustopha instructed them to plant two of the Blightsbane pods in the castle courtyard; the rest were then dismissed, and Gustopha walked up to the throne with the small bounty of fruit.
Celesta and Gustopha embraced as Gustopha reached the throne. “I’m glad to see you back safe and sound, Gustopha,” She expressed softly.
Gustopha smiled a little, “It’s a bit hard to not be safe, what with the personal entourage I have now,” She commented softly, pulling away, “Are you hungry, sister?” She asked.
Celestia tilted her head, “I suppose I could eat,” She replied softly.
Gustopha nodded, magicking one of the pods over and breaking it open using her magic and the tip of her horn.
Celestia gagged slightly as the slimy white fruit was exposed to the elements; unappetizing did not begin to describe its looks, at least in Celestia’s opinion.
She watched Gustopha pluck one of the beans from the husk, slurping it down with an audible gulp.
“A little tart, still…” Gustopha murmured, wincing slightly.

Celestia’s horn illuminated, and she plucked one of the slightly less slimy-looking beans. She grimaced slightly, but then forced herself to eat it. Despite the damp, juicy texture, the bean itself tasted fairly pleasant; like a semi-sweet chocolate, with more fruity notes. She chewed a few times, then gulped.
“...So this is the fruit of the tree you planted?” Celestia asked, gagging slightly from the lingering texture on the back of her throat.
Gustopha smiled and nodded, “That’s correct,” She replied, “Not only is it edible, and even somewhat nutritious, but the magic from the tree means that it should also stop blight from making anypony who eats it sick.”
Celestia paused. “It cures blight?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded and smiled. “That’s the hope, at least,” She expressed.
Celestia chuckled, “You surprise me every time you make a breakthrough, you know that?” She asked.
Gustopha shrugged, “Well, if you keep having ideas, one of them’ll be good eventually,” She supposed humbly.

Celestia smiled, “Speaking of ideas, sister… I’ve written up the final draft for your coronation,” She explained, pulling a large sheet from under her wing.
Gustopha took the large piece of parchment, running over it quickly.
“You want me to give a coronation speech?” She asked, eyes widening a little.
“Of course; you need to address the public somehow,” Celestia replied.
“What should it be about?” Gustopha asked, “I doubt they’ll find my studies interesting.”
Celestia’s smile softened, “Well… Usually it’s about your plans for the future, and what you want to bring to the country you’re now ruling,” Celestia explained, “But it can be more personal, as well… There’s many ways it can be taken.”
Gustopha sat for a long moment, before nodding a bit, “Does it have to be a long speech?” She asked.
Celestia shook her head, “Only if you have a lot to say,” She replied.

Gustopha nodded a bit, “Did you decide on a date?” She asked.
“Well…” Celestia trailed off in thought for a moment, “The start of autumn is scheduled for next month. Would you like to have it then?” She inquired.
Gustopha thought for a long moment, “That sounds good,” She replied, “It will give me a bit more time to settle into things… Plus, you requested I be fitted before my coronation, so that should give us spare time for that as well,” She hummed.
Celestia nodded thoughtfully in agreement, “We’ll set that up sometime soon… I’ll let the planners know of our chosen date.”
Gustopha smiled, “Thank you, Celestia,” She replied, briefly hugging her fellow princess before scrambling off to start writing her speech.
Celestia looked at the broken apart seed pod on the floor next to her throne. “...I must have a word with her about cleaning up,” She murmured softly.

Stoneheart, April and May Showers, and Aerated Turf stared at the Gustopha, who was now pacing back and forth in the dawn of the new day.
“You requested us four, Princess?” Stoneheart asked.
“Yes,” Gustopha replied simply.
The first four members of the terran guard recognized the signs that Gustopha was deep in thought about something; admittedly, the pacing was new, but the consternated look and short, choppy replies told them everything they needed to know.
“What’s the big problem?” Aerated asked, “Did you hear of more blight creatures? Did the Blightsbane tree die?”

“My coronation is at the end of this month, and I need a speech,” Gustopha expressed, turning to face them, “I need your help.”
April blinked, “You need our help with writing? Princess, I think you’re the most suited to that here,” She commented.
“I can write technical notes and documentation. I’m not good at things other ponies are supposed to understand,” Gustopha corrected, “So, I would like your help… When you see me before you, as a ruler, what do I represent?” She asked.
The terran guard shared a few looks.

“Well…” May began, “You work hard,” She supposed curtly.
April nodded, “You’re always approachable, too,” She added.
Aerated hummed for a moment, “It seems like you’ve got a plan for everything,” She commented.
Stoneheart sat quietly for a moment.
“C’mon, Stone, say something,” Aerated huffed, lightly punching him in the shoulder.

Stoneheart nodded, briefly breathing in, “When I look at you, Princess Gustopha, I see a princess who, despite all of her inexperience, has a great love for the land and people she’s sworn to,” He explained, “You work yourself and your magic to the bone, exhaust yourself with your studies, and fight every waking moment for the health of the land and the ponies who live from it. If I were to write a speech for you, I’d profess how, even though you are a princess, you still wish to be loved as though you’re just a commoner, fighting for her place in this world like anypony else.

The other four ponies in the room stared at him for a long moment.
Gustopha eventually nodded. “That’s… That’s all very true,” She supposed, “I don’t want to be the sort of ruler that everyone feels indebted to; I want them to feel free to relax in my presence, and just enjoy the world for what it is,” She expressed.
Then, her eyes lit up in realization. That was her speech. She turned to her table and began fervently writing away, tail swishing lightly.
The terran guards quietly looked between each other.
After some time, Gustopha turned around, magicking the written speech to them so they could look over it.
The terran guard read it over, and then nodded in approval.

The next month went by like a flash for Gustopha. It was a lot of preparing for her coronation, mixed in with her royal duties of ensuring the the steadily increasing supply of Blightsbane seeds were being distributed. She did, however, find a very grave problem; though the pods could be distributed fairly comfortably, they quickly lost their magic if not planted; their arcane “shelf life” was only about two days; a timespan in which most couriers couldn’t travel very far, save for a few well-trained pegasi. So, even as her coronation drew near, and she was fitted for boots and a breastplate, in addition to a dress, the earth princess would do what she always did when a problem reared its ugly head: She studied.

Celestia walked into Gustopha’s room. It was the morning of Gustopha’s coronation. Celestia had scheduled it a bit later in the day, as per Gustopha’s request, but she still wanted her adopted sister to be prepared. Celestia’s eyes widened as she saw Gustopha not up and going about her usual routine. Gustopha was fast asleep, her mane a mess.
Celestia was about to shake her awake, but decided she first wanted to see why Gustopha was so “non-punctual” this morning. Celestia walked quietly through the room, and into Gustopha’s private study. Celestia froze.

The study table was covered in books about medicine and operational procedures. An old textbook that had been sealed away in the forbidden chambers of the royal library laid placidly on a lectern. Most importantly, the blackboard was scrawled with numerous diagrams and plans… The last time Celestia had seen such a ferociously filled board of notes, it was when Gustopha had cured her of the blight.
“Oh, sister of mine… What are you plotting now?” She asked herself quietly, before walking back towards Gustopha’s bed. Today was Gustopha’s big day, after all; the raving writings could wait a night or two.

Celestia carefully nudged Gustopha awake, “Gustopha, it is time for you to get ready… Your coronation is today,” She said as she roused Gustopha from her slumber.
Gustopha squirmed a bit, but her eyes opened, “Yes… Of course,” She replied groggily, yawning as she stood up.
Celestia chuckled, “You’re always aspiring to be busy, hm?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded, “Yes… It was a late night last night,” She conceded, stepping out of bed, magicking a large brush to straighten out her mane.
“It’s always the most important nights that you get most wrapped up in your own matters,” Celestia recalled, chuckling a bit more as she magicked over Gustopha’s boots and breastplate.
Gustopha nodded absentmindedly, carefully multitasking donning her vestments and brushing her mane.

“You should be proud of yourself, you know,” Celestia commented, “You’re already a very capable ruler… You’ve done so much for Equestria,” She expressed.
Gustopha gave a sly smile, “I seem to recall a certain somepony telling me it’s not all about capability,” She commented, “But I am proud, Celestia. If you had told me two months ago that I would be ready for my coronation, I would have responded by calling you a liar.”
“What changed?” Celestia asked softly, helping Gustopha settle her breastplate straight.
Gustopha wiggled a bit in the bronze armor, still unused to the feeling of metal on her hooves and chest. Her boots and breastplate matched; her boots were adorned with small teardrops of lapis lazuli, and her breastplate was adorned with a rendition of her cutie mark; the pink sky replaced with the deep blue lapis hue that adorned her boots.

“In two months, I have learned a lot about the world. I’ve met many ponies, and learned to lead my own affairs,” Gustopha expressed, before looking away a bit, “I still don’t entirely agree I’ve earned my wings or my crown, but if you and the rest of Equestria believes I am ready,” She turned back to Celestia, smiling, “Then I am ready to take on the responsibility.”
Celestia pulled Gustopha into a tight hug, “I’m very proud of you, Gustopha; I’m honored to call you my sister, regardless of bloodline.”
Gustopha leaned into Celestia’s embrace. “Thank you, Celestia… I aim to keep making you proud.”
“You always have, Gustopha; and I’m sure you always will,” Celestia expressed.

Celestia and Gustopha left the room, heading towards the dressing room so Gustopha could receive her dress.
Gustopha sat still as several hoofmaidens, including Heartful Surrogate, carefully helped the dress over the princess’ back, straightening it so it would be even.
It was a fairly ornate affair; snow-white fur made up the undercoat, beneath a royal blue felt top, adorned with a vine-themed pattern. Several shimmering gold renditions of the glowing Blightsbane pods detailed the pattern, reflecting Gustopha’s accomplishments.
Then, her crown was neatly set in a velvet box in front of her; a bronze crown studded with lapis and jade; an “earth and sea” sort of pattern. A particularly astute observer would notice that the jade portions were carved to Equestria’s shape.

“You look stunning, Gustopha,” Heartful said gently.
The other handmaidens had left the room, leaving only Heartful Surrogate, Gustopha, and Celestia in the room.
“I still remember the first time I saw you open your eyes… Back when you had no idea what the world had in store for you,” Heartful continued, “Just a scrappy little filly, doing what she was told.” A tear rolled down her cheek.
Gustopha blushed softly, “Thank you, Heartful… I owe it to you,” She expressed, pulling the mare into a hug, “My faithful caretaker.”
Heartful hugged back briefly, before pulling away and wiping her eyes, “Goodness… You’ve really grown up fast, you know that? And not just on the outside,” She expressed.
Celestia smiled, “You really have,” She concurred.
Gustopha took a deep breath, feeling a swelling in her chest. “Thank you both,” She expressed softly, before turning to Heartful, “I know I’m not a young filly any more, so this comes a bit late… But I would be honored, if you allowed me to consider you my mother.”
Heartful gasped, “Oh, but Princess!... You have a mother, do you not?” She asked, “Surely, you didn’t forget her.”

Gustopha turned away, “Of course I do; I remember her fondly. But she was Plantation’s mother,” She expressed, a small smile on her face, “Gustopha was raised by two mares: Heartful Surrogate and Rolling Simmer. They were her mothers.”
Heartful sat in silence for a moment. “Goodness, Gustopha… I don’t know what to say,” She expressed, “Of course you may call me mother; and I’m sure Rolling Simmer will be just as happy to hear that.”
Gustopha smiled and hugged her again, “Thank you,” She said gently.
Celestia bit her lip as she looked at the time, “Gustopha… It is about time we get you to the front of the castle for your introduction,” She expressed gently.
Heartful smiled up at Gustopha, “Keep your chin up, Gustopha. We’ll have plenty of time to talk after you’ve been formally coronated.”

Celestia’s horn illuminated, taking the carefully boxed crown, and she walked Gustopha out to the front of the castle. The warm afternoon sun beamed down on them; a heavenly glow cascaded across the hall as they walked up the stairs, standing before the castle’s main balcony.
“You remember the rehearsal, yes? I will finish my speech, then you will enter and give yours. Then, you will be crowned, and we will return to the dining hall so you may mingle with some of the others,” Celestia recounted.
Gustopha nodded slowly, “Did… Did you receive word as to whether the Groves were invited or not?” She asked.
Celestia smiled, “In full. They even managed to get the foals out of school for a few days,” She said.
Gustopha smiled and nodded, jumping slightly as the horns blared from outside.
“That’s my cue,” Celestia said, “I’ll see you outside, Princess.” She flashed a smile as she left, walking out onto the balcony.

Celestia’s posture swelled as she stepped out onto the red carpet on the balcony. It was the first addressal that she had given since her announcement of banishing Luna and her army to the moon. She stood before the banister, looking out at the large crowd that had gathered.

“Citizens of Equestria,” She greeted, her voice booming in the full strength of the royal tongue, “The times since the war have been grueling for us all. We have faced blight, starvation, and the loss of those we love. Even now, our land heals only slowly, still marred from the aftermath of a fight which should have never began. But, over the course of the past couple months, we have seen light pop up; hints of hope, of new life, and of a fresh start for our great country. I have gathered you all here today to introduce you to the cause of this uptick in fresh life. Mares and gentlestallions, I present to you,” She stepped to the side, “Princess Gustopha, Princess of the Earth’s Plenty!” She bellows, to a loud cheer of the crowd.

Gustopha took a deep breath, stepping out onto the balcony and into the warm sun. The uproarious sound of the crowd made her tense, but she just kept walking one hoof in front of the other.
She forced a bashful smile as she got to the banister, waving to all those below. There were a lot of attendants; hundreds, at least. Most of them seemed to be in decent-or-better health, no less; a fact that pleased the earth princess.

The crowd hushed as Celestia began to speak again, “For the past two months, Gustopha has been working her hooves and horn to the bone to provide our land with the energy it needs to carry on,” She expressed, “Today we gather to honor her contributions to Equestria and its future. With this crown,” Her horn ignited, lifting the blue and green crown from its enclosure, “I proudly coronate before you our new Princess!”
Gustopha flinched slightly as the crown was settled neatly on her head, just beneath her horn. The precision that Celestia employed to nestle it there was second to none.
The crowd went wild again, cheering wildly for a few more moments, before quieting again.

This was it. Now or never. Now all Gustopha had to do was read her…
Her speech.
She’d forgotten it on her nightstand. Panic briefly gripped her, and she felt her body tense.
Gustopha closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe it was poetic, that she’d forgotten her preparations (quite literally) on her greatest day. But she couldn’t back down now.

“Hello, everypony!” Gustopha greeted, her voice somewhat squeaky as she forced the panic back, “I am Princess Gustopha. When I was first told I’d be a crowned princess, I was scared more than anything; even with Celestia to help guide me through assisting and ruling a country, I didn’t think I had it in me to take command of something like this. But, as I had time to come into my own as both a princess and a mare, I learned things about myself; I became more comfortable in me, and what I represented,” She spoke, attempting to match her sister’s loud tone, only to some success, “So, when you look upon me today, I don’t want you to see a ruler who expects to be treated as a participant of Equestria’s high society. I want you to see me as a servant of the land and the ponies who live off it, giving every gift I can to heal our great country. I wish for all of you to feel welcome in my presence, whether you’re a noble, a farmer, a miner, or anything else!” She concluded.

The crowd immediately burst into loud cheering for the new princess. It seemed her speech had gone over quite well indeed; and she beamed with pride as she began to walk back towards the castle.
Celestia followed after her quietly, leaving the crowd to mingle.
“That was beautiful, Gustopha… How long did you spend writing it?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha smiled awkwardly, “The ten seconds it took me to get up to the front of the balcony, give or take,” She admitted.
Celestia’s eyes widened.
“I forgot my speech in my room,” Gustopha said, starting to giggle.
Celestia chuckled as she walked alongside Gustopha, “Well, they say that the best speeches come from the heart,” She commented softly.
Gustopha smiled, “The crowd seemed to like it, at least,” She said softly.
“They did indeed,” Celestia replied, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such unanimous praise to any speech.”
“I just hope I’ll be able to live up to that expectation…” Gustopha replied softly.
Celesta gently pressed her muzzle to Gustopha’s, “You will, Gustopha. That much I know for sure,” She expressed.

Gustopha looked around at the congregation of mares and stallions in the dining hall, which was now laid out for a small ball, rather than just a dinner between the two sisters. Gustopha had requested the gathering not too large; this was, of course, still Gustopha.
Gustopha yipped as she was suddenly hugged from the side, “Hi, Miss Gustopha!” Greeted a familiar colt’s voice.
Gustopha smiled, “Hello, Dogwood,” She greeted, smiling as she hugged the colt back.
Willow, Sequoia, and Oak would gather around her.

“Goodness me, Princess,” Oak chuckled, “You’re quite the looker in regalia,” He complimented.
Sequoia lightly elbowed him in the side, “Oak!” She scolded quietly.
Gustopha looked over the family; they were all dressed nicely. Oak and Dogwood wore suits, and Sequoia and Willow wore dressed; none as fancy as the princess’ attire, but that didn’t matter. Gustopha just appreciated that they were there.
“Thank you, Oak,” Gustopha replied, bowing her head gently, “You all look wonderful.”
Sequoia chuckled, “Well, Dogwood didn’t make it easy to wrestle him into that suit, let me tell you,” She snorted.
Dogwood huffed, “Mom, not in front of the princesses,” He whined.
Gustopha laughed a little. “Tex was never much for dress-up either,” She thought to herself, smile flickering slightly.

“I must say, we were mighty surprised you invited the four of us to your coronation ball,” Sequoia expressed.
“How could I not?” Gustopha asked incredulously, “When I was the most lost in my new life, you took me in… The way I rule is in part because of the kindness you showed me,” She expressed.
Willow gave a small smile, “You’re just sayin’ that,” She murmured softly.
Gustopha shook her head, “I mean every word,” She promised.
“Ah, speaking of every word,” Sequoia hummed, fiddling with a fold of her dress, and pulling out a neatly folded piece of parchment, “This came a couple weeks back… We didn’t want to bother you, but now’s a good opportunity.”
Gustopha’s horn illuminated as she took the letter, and she sat down and read it.

“To Princess Gustopha, Oak, Sequoia, Willow, and Dogwood,
We receive thine offer of diplomacy (and your care package) with the greatest of honor. To be reached out to in such a sincere, honorable manner is not an act of kindness we take lightly. Though the moon has been a difficult environment to settle, we have made do due to Princess Luna’s power, grace, and wisdom (all things that have allowed us the privilege of returning your letter).
Though for now we return only your letter, we wish to extend a far greater display of diplomatic intent in the coming months. When the seasons turn to winter and the moon’s connection to the earth strengthens, we intend to send you a very special gift.
From the moon with the sincerest of respect,
Signed, Distant Embassy, Head of the Lunar Outreach Committee, and Princess Luna”

Gustopha smiled a hard smile, “They did write back…” She commented softly.
Celestia blinked, “They did?” She asked.
Gustopha turned the note so Celestia could see. Celestia’s eyes widened as she read the note, and then began to fill with tears.
“K-Keep that note close,” Celestia said softly, “I’m going to go mingle with the other guests,” She expressed abruptly.
Gustopha watched as Celestia left into the depths of the dining hall, going to speak with some of the others.
“Well, now, I thought it was a nice letter,” Sequoia huffed softly.
“It was… And I think that’s what did it,” Gustopha said, “I haven’t asked about Luna much, but I do know that Celestia regrets the way her and Luna’s argument ended,” She explained, “I have a feeling that seeing it signed by Luna herself opened some wounds Celestia wasn’t prepared to dress.”
Oak nodded slowly, “I see…” He replied, “Well… Hopefully reconciling some will help her come to terms with it.”
Gustopha nodded, “I’ll speak with her tonight,” She expressed.

Gustopha would spend some more time talking with the Grove family, catching them up on all she’d been doing over the past couple months, and even calling her small troop of guards over so the two groups could meet. They got along fairly well, which made the earth princess happy.
Gustopha did find her eyes drifting over to Celestia every now and again to check on her, keeping the letter tucked tightly beneath her wing. She couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.
Celestia would leave the room as the hours grew long; it would be time for her to set the sun, and raise the moon.
As the moon came out, Gustopha looked back to the Groves.

“Before the party concludes… Would you like to send a letter back to the moon?” Gustopha asked, “We can do it from the castle courtyard before you’re sent back to your lodging.”
Dogwood’s eyes shimmered, “Really, Princess?” He asked excitedly.
Gustopha nodded, “Of course,” She replied, “So long as your parents are alright with it.”
Oak and Sequoia nodded, “I think that’s a lovely idea,” Sequoia agreed.
Willow also nodded, “I’d like that,” She said softly.
Gustopha smiled, ordering one of her guards to fetch them a pencil and paper, before leading the family out into the well-grown courtyard of the castle.

“Hah… The first time I was brought here, this courtyard was blighted and completely barren,” Gustopha explained, “It was the first time I ever displayed my magic to Celestia…”
Oak looked around, “You’ve got a proper jungle in here,” He chuckled, “No wonder you’re so well-fed.”
Gustopha blushed slightly, but nodded as she sat in the middle of the field.
“Well… What should we put in our letter?” She asked, “Of course, we should make sure they know we accept their letter of diplomacy, but is there anything else you want to say?”
The family all thought for a moment.
“Well, you should let ‘em know there’s an open homestead door waitin’ for ‘em,” Sequoia said, “We’d love to have ‘em over.” It was wishful thinking, of course, but Gustopha did agree that it was a nice sentiment.
A few of the other family members pitched ideas, and Gustopha nodded, eventually writing out the letter.

“Dear Moon Ponies,
We hope this letter finds its way to the desk of Distant Embassy, and hope it finds all of you well. We’re sending this letter to say we excitedly anticipate future diplomatic contact, and that, despite the bad blood our cultures have shared in the past, we’d like you all to know that there’s a homestead down here that would love to host some of you sometime.
Each time our Princess sends a letter, the process seems to get a bit easier. If you feel the need to keep in touch, please do not be hesitant. We await further letters with bated breath,
Sincerely yours, Oak, Sequoia, Willow, Dogwood, and Princess Gustopha”

“A lovely letter as always, Princess,” Sequoia said gently. Oak and Willow nodded in agreement.
“Why didn’t you sign it with Celestia’s name?” Dogwood asked, looking up at her.
“I believe it is best if we leave Celestia out of our letters for now,” Gustopha replied, gently stroking his mane, “There’s some complexities at work here.”
Dogwood frowned a little, “Well, okay,” He replied softly.
“One day, I’ll ask Celestia to write a letter with me,” Gustopha promised, rolling the scroll up in her magic as the familiar orange sheath encapsulated it.
Dogwood nodded, and the family began to pray aloud as Gustopha sent the letter skyward.
Sure enough, the spell did come easier this time. Her horn still ignited and bathed the courtyard in pure white light, but it came easier this time.
Eventually, the lurch came, and Gustopha’s eyes opened. She panted lightly, “There we go; it’s sent,” She said softly.

A few guards had entered the clearing, “The party has concluded,” One said, “All guests should be vacating the castle.”
Gustopha nodded and stood up, hugging each member of the Grove family. “Thank you so very much for your support, everyone. I hope to make you proud,” She expresses.
The family said their goodbyes, before allowing themselves to be escorted out.
Gustopha walked through the now relatively empty castle, heading towards Celestia’s room.
She looked at the solar guards posted before Celestia’s door, “Is she inside?” Gustopha asked.
They nodded and Gustopha headed inside.
Celesta was curled tightly into herself, sobbing into her pillow.
“Celestia…” Gustopha said gently, walking over to the alicorn’s bed.
Celestia rolled over, her eyes bloodshot with tears.
“Can… Can we talk?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia sniffled, “About what?” She asked.

Gustopha carefully removed her dress and crown, sitting next to Celestia on the bed. “Whatever’s on your mind,” Gustopha replied, “I think I know what it’s about, but…” She trailed off.
Celestia sighed a little, “I’m sorry,” Celestia heaved, “I didn’t mean to ruin your special day,” She expressed.
Gustopha shook her head, “You didn’t do that at all, Celestia,” She dismissed.
Celestia froze as Gustopha sat back against the headboard, pulling Celestia against her front.
“You don’t need to worry about it,” Celestia huffed, wiping her eyes.
“Perhaps not, but I need to worry about you, don’t I?” Gustopha asked, “We’re sisters, even if not by blood…”

Celestia sighed a bit, resting her head on Gustopha’s chest.
“It’s just that… I tried so hard to reconcile with Luna, before the war,” Celestia expressed, “But There was always something between us. Jealousy, resentment, whatever you want to call it… Luna hated me for the fact that ponies loved the day and slept through the night.”
Gustopha nodded slowly.
“As things grew more tense, I started saying things I regretted. I called her childish, unworthy… A burden,” Celestia listed off, curling up a bit, as if trying to protect her underbelly from some unknown assailant.

Gustopha blinked, “And you think that was the last straw, right?” She asked softly.
Celestia nodded, “That’s when things went from personal tension to… To war,” She expressed, “Because I couldn’t make peace with Luna. I didn’t want to. And now, seeing you put the effort I never bothered to try putting in, even though Luna was my own family…” Tears once again ran down Celestia’s cheeks, “It’s like I’m being waived of accountability.”
“It’s not fair, Gustopha. It’s not fair to you, or to her,” Celestia continued, “It’s not fair that you’re having to clean up my mess.”
Gustopha rubbed Celestia’s side gently. “And you truly don’t believe she’d forgive you?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia sat for a long moment, “If I were her, I wouldn’t. The fact that I constantly dismissed her concerns, insulted her, and than banished her for her anger, it was-” Her voice caught in her throat, “Would you forgive me?”
“Not right away,” Gustopha supposed, “But it’s been a long time since you last saw each other… Don’t you think you’d be able to reconcile with so much time to think?” She asked.
Celestia laughed a choked laugh, “Ruling a country doesn’t give one much time to think, Gustopha; at least not by oneself,” She dismissed.
Gustopha bit her lip, “Well… You’re not ruling a country alone anymore,” Gustopha said, “So… You can think about why you and Luna couldn’t see eye to eye, and try to make it better.”

Celestia’s eyes closed, “I’d like that, Gustopha. I really would,” She expressed, “I want to, when the time comes, face her down and apologize, properly. I want to tell her how I regret every single thing I said, how every night when I raise the moon I think about her.”
Gustopha smiled, “Then, start thinking about it,” She said, “I can’t replace you, but I can be an extra pair of hooves,” She said softly.
Celestia smiled a bit, slumping against her sister some. “Thank you, Gustopha,” She replied softly.
Gustopha simply nodded, even though Celestia’s eyes were closed. Her hoof gently stroked Celestia’s side, and in time, the elder alicorn fell asleep.
Gustopha thought for a long moment. This wasn’t a problem she could solve; the feud between Celestia and Luna was something they needed to agree to fix.
Gustopha simply hoped, as she fell asleep, that she’d be able to at least pave the way for reconciliation.

“...Tex?” Plantation asked softly.
The pegasus huffed a little and crept away from her.
“Tex, what’s wrong?” Plantation asked again.
“...Nothing,” Texas grumbled.
“Why are you mad?” Plantation asked, stepping closer to him.
“I just had a spat with my older brother; you wouldn’t get it,” He snorted.
“What happened?” Plantation asked sitting next to him.
“We got into a fight over me playing with you in the field; he keeps calling you my fillyfriend,” Texas huffed, “So, I yelled at him to stop, and then we started roughhousing…”

Plantation sidled closer to Texas and hugged him. He didn’t hug back, but he also didn’t try wriggling out of her grasp.
“And mom broke us up, so he’s probably just laughing at me,” Texas complained.
“Why can’t you go talk to him?” Plantation asked.
“Because he’s my brother! He’ll just think I’m whining,” Texas huffed.
“Well… Think about what you want to say to him,” Plantation supposed, “That way, you won’t sound like you’re whining.”
Texas blinked, “You think so?” He asked.
Plantation nodded, “It’s worth a shot,” She said softly.
“I guess you’re right,” Texas replied softly, “Besides, you’d be a cute fillyfriend, anyways.”
“Huh?” Plantation asked, face going a bit red.
“Nothing!” Texas yipped.

Act II, Part VI: Procedure

Gustopha was still fast asleep when Celestia awoke. Celestia shuffled slightly, but remained in her sleeping sister's embrace. It was a comforting feeling. A reminder that she wasn't alone anymore.
Celestia allowed herself time to think on what she and Gustopha had spoken of the night prior. What would she say to Luna when the time came? It would be an apology, obviously, but a simple "sorry" would not undo the years of neglect she had subjected Luna to. Celestia almost envied Luna's patience; the amount of time she had allowed Celestia to just domineer over Luna's concerns. Concerns that were valid, of course; concerns that ponies were consciously neglecting the night.

Celestia wished she could have told Luna how important the night was. Sleeping through the night wasn't a sign of disrespect: It was a tribute to the sense of peace and safety the night princess' influence brought to the tired populace after a long day's work. Celestia smiled. That was a good start.
Her horn illuminated and she carefully wrote her thoughts down on a piece of paper, doing her best not to wake Gustopha.

Gustopha, of course, did eventually awake. Celestia hadn't gotten up yet.
"Good morning, sister," Gustopha greeted gently.
"Good morning," Celestia echoed, sliding off to the side to sit up.
"Did you sleep well?" Gustopha asked.
Celestia nodded and smiled gently at her. "I have something I'd like you to read," She expressed, magicking her paper over to Gustopha.
Gustopha nodded slowly, reading over the note.

"For the eyes of Princess Luna only,
Hello, sister. It is I, Celestia. I know that last time we spoke, it was supposed to be the last time. I understand that even just reading my name might cause you some anger; anger which is justifiable. This isn't a letter to ask you to absolve me of my guilt, nor is it here to ask that you simply push aside what I've said.
This letter is here to apologize for what I've done. It's here to apologize for how I trampled over your concerns, and treated you like a foal. Your night is more important than you could ever know, Luna; the fact that ponies rest during it speaks to the air of peace and safety you cultivated each time you put the sun to rest. I was an idiot to say you contributed nothing to this kingdom, even if I only recognize this fact far too late for it to matter.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia"

Gustopha's ears twitched and drooped a bit. "Celestia…" She said softly.
Celestia sighed a little and looked away, "I was never good at apologies," She admitted.
"It's good," Gustopha replied softly, setting the note down.
"It is?" Celestia asked.
"You admitted guilt, described the mistake, and made an effort to correct it," Gustopha hummed, "It's not perfect, but it’s a start, and I think a start is what you most need right now,” Gustopha said gently.
Celestia thought for a long moment, “I will send it in time, then,” She declared, “I do not want to jeopardize your relationship with the lunar ponies. So I will wait until you’ve established further contact,” She expressed.
Gustopha bit her lip, but nodded. “That sounds good, Celestia. I’ll make sure you know when something like that happens,” She promises, hugging Celestia once more.

After some more time, Gustopha and Celestia would leave the room to head to breakfast, with Celestia briefly detouring to raise the sun.
Celestia looked at Gustopha as they ate.
“If I may ask… What were all the notes in your room yesterday?” Celestia asked, “It’s been a long time since you so fervently researched something.”
Gustopha’s ears pinned back, and she froze.
“Gustopha?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha looked away.
“Gustopha, what were you researching?” Celestia asked, raising her voice.
Gustopha didn’t say anything.

Celestia hesitated. She’d already done this before, and last time she had, she’d lost a sister. She resettled in her seat and lowered her tone. “Gustopha, I’m only asking out of curiosity,” She expressed.
Gustopha’s eyes slowly returned Celestia’s gaze. “I was doing research into grafting Blightsbane trees into a pony’s biological structure,” She explained weakly.
Celestia’s eyes widened, “For what purpose?” She asked, voice raising again, this time in surprise.
“The seed pods don’t retain their magic for very long when unanchored,” Gustopha expressed, “But, I think, if… If attached to a live earth pony, the plant would be able to feed from the pony’s magic, allowing it to retain its power indefinitely,” She explained.

Celestia nodded slowly, “Thus, you could distribute them easier, without relying on fast couriers?” She supposed.
Gustopha nodded, “Exactly,” She replied, “I believe I’ve found a safe way to do it, using a version of the alicorn ascension spell to alter where the pony’s magic will flow.”
“Are there any other dangers?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha’s ears drooped, “A few,” She admitted, “Without adequate care and pre-medication, the body will almost certainly reject the plant. I’m not operating anywhere particularly crucial, at least; just around the tail, so there isn’t risk of harming any major organs. Once the pony is awake, it will likely take them some time to adjust to the shift in magic; it won’t increase their power to match the output, only move it around some.”

Celestia nodded, “So the earth pony would feel weak until their body gets used to the lack of magic in their muscles?” She supposed.
Gustopha nodded again. “That’s correct… Messing around with magic like this can also be very volate. With alicorn magic at my disposal I'll have plenty of energy to seat things properly, but if the magic moving spell were to be interrupted, it could cause some issues,” She said.

Celestia thought for a long moment, “Do you have a candidate?” She asked.
“Stoneheart,” Gustopha replied, “He’s larger than average, so if the plant ingrows, he’ll have the space for his body to adjust. Being male also helps, due to the structure of the abdomen,” She explained, “It also helps that he trusts me. Placebo is a strong factor in medical trials.”
Celestia nodded slowly, “If you have prepared adequately… I see no reason to deny you this. Just, please do not force him into the procedure, and do not withhold any information you have said to me,” She expressed, “You are not the Doctor. I will hold you to the same medical standards of any of my staff,” She concluded sternly.
Gustopha nodded fervently, “Of course, Celestia. If all goes well, there will be no struggle involved at all,” She expressed.
The two finished breakfast and parted ways for the day.

Stoneheart looked up at Gustopha as he entered her private study, looking at all of the books and note sheets scattered around.
“You wished you see me, Princess?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded, “Have a seat,” She replied, “I would like to tell you about a very special plan of mine.”
Stoneheart nodded, sitting next to the princess, before the large board of notes.
Gustopha began telling Stoneheart about the process she had devised, and what it would entail in terms of what would be expected of him, how long recovery would take, and what would happen to his body through the procedure.
“...And so, now that I’ve told you all possible risks and dangers, the final decision is yours,” Gustopha expressed, “This is not something I will go through with without your express permission.”
Stoneheart nodded contemplatively. “Well… I am sworn to protect and serve, Princess,” He expressed, “If you entrust me with undergoing this sort of trial, then I will accept it with honor.”
Gustopha hesitated, "Stoneheart, this is a choice, not a command," She insisted, "Please, take the time to think about it."

Stoneheart shook his head, “I had plenty of time to think about it as you explained the dangers, Princess. I trust you with my life,” He expressed.
Gustopha nodded slowly, “Very well,” She replied, “Just remember that you’ll probably be out of commission for a while as your body acclimates to its new magic… Please, if you’d like to spend some time with your family beforehand, do so,” She requested.
Stoneheart nodded, “As you wish, Princess. I will send word to my family before the procedure. I don’t need to visit them,” He expressed.
Gustopha blinked, “You don’t?” She asked.
Stoneheart nodded a bit.

“Why not?” Gustopha asked.
Stoneheart sighed, “I haven’t done anything particularly remarkable in my parent’s eyes. While graduating from the guard academy is noteworthy, they’d rather have seen me through a more… ‘Noble’ line of work.,” He expressed.
Gustopha pulled him into a hug, “I see,” She replied softly, “Well, rest assured, I’d consider accepting a burden like this to be quite remarkable indeed,” She said with a smile.
Stoneheart hugged her back, “Thank you, Princess,” He replied softly.

Gustopha eventually pulled away, “It will take me a bit of time to prepare the operating room; I’d rather do this in the castle infirmary,” She explained.
“Is there something I need to do in the time being?” Stoneheart asked.
Gustopha nodded, “You will go to the infirmary and ask them for a cot and some immunosuppressants,” She explained, “If they ask why, just tell them you’re getting an organ transplant,” She added.
Stoneheart nodded, “Of course, Princess,” He replied, standing up, “I’ll see to it that I’m lodged comfortably.”
She smiled at him, “Good,” Gustopha replied, “I’ll be around a bit later to alert them of what’s needed,” She expressed.
Stoneheart nodded and left the room, leaving the princess to finish her studies. She’d practiced the healing spell she’d be using here and there, but the modified ascension spell that would reshape Stoneheart’s magic was something she’d be doing from the book.

She would visit the infirmary sometime later to clear the operating room. There weren’t too many major bills at the moment, so the princess was able to get the room for tomorrow.
“I’ll need sedative, disinfectant, a scalpel, forceps, and a set of surgical clamps, too,” She listed off, the nurse behind the desk nodding and fervently writing the requests down.
Gustopha thanked the nurse, briefly checking on Stoneheart before she left.
Already, he seemed quite tired; drained from the strong drugs he’d been given.

“I take it you were settled in okay?” She asked gently.
The stallion nodded, “Yes, they’ve been most accommodating… Though the medicine has been quite strong,” He admitted.
Gustopha gently rubbed his side, “Well, get some rest. I’ll be in to operate on you tomorrow,” She promised softly.
Stoneheart nodded, his eyes closing, “Yes Princess,” He replied quietly.
Gustopha smiled and left the infirmary, taking a deep breath. It was a bit scary, but also exciting… Only a few months into being a princess, and she was already making strides in fields most ponies didn’t know existed.

Celestia looked at Gustopha as they ate dinner; she hadn’t ever seen Gustopha quite so excited. It was a bit charming how she bounced lightly in her seat, as if she were bobbing her head to some inaudible rhythm.
“I take it you’ll be going through with the surgery?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded, “He agreed of his own will… Almost a bit too willingly, actually,” She admitted, “I expected him to have reservations, but he gave the answer as soon as I finished explaining it.”
Celestia tilted her head, “Really?” She asked, “Why do you think that is?”
“I think he trusts me, which…” Gustopha sighed, “Admittedly, it makes it a bit more difficult, in some ways,” She conceded, ears drooping slightly.
“Why does it make it more difficult?” Celestia asked, “Aren’t you happy he trusts you?”
“Well, of course I am, but he’s putting faith in me and my research… It’s just strange, to have faith being put into me,” Gustopha replied.
Celestia smiled, “As a princess, you draw your power from your ponies’ faith,” She explained, “You’ll find that the more you accept their belief in you, the easier it becomes to do things.”

“Is that part of being an alicorn?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia laughed softly and shook her head, “That’s part of being a leader, Gustopha; alicorn or not. You share your love with your followers, and in return, they share their love with you.”
Gustopha thought for a long moment, “Oh, I see,” She replied softly, returning to eating as she pondered that thought.
Celestia smiled at her, “You’ve lifetimes ahead of you to figure everything out,” She promised, “You don’t need to understand everything right away.”
Gustopha simply nodded a bit, “I know,” She replied softly, before smiling a small smile, “That won’t stop me from trying, though.”
Celestia laughed a bit, “Well, I know that much to be true,” She retorted. Gustopha giggled along with her.

For Gustopha, the next night came and went like a blur; she’d studied some, but made sure she got a good sleep. She needed to be fully fit and aware to operate, after all. This was not a task she took lightly, despite her excitement. The magic employed was dangerous, and required her full focus; not to mention, she was doing something that was quite poorly understood. If she succeeded, she’d be a pioneer in such a field. Thus, her excitement tempered into a stern energy; an undeniable pep in her step, contrasted with a somewhat stiff gait and a stern expression. In her magic was a small scion of a Blightsbane tree; a supple, fresh young branch, hosting a mere single leaf.

She did, however, smile gently as she wheeled Stoneheart on his cot to the operating room.
Stoneheart gave her a weak smile, “You seem in good spirits, Princess,” He commented.
Gustopha simply nodded as she lifted him from the cot the operating table, pushing the wheel bed aside as she closed the operating room doors and locked them.
“I’m a little nervous,” She conceded, “But I’ve done the research, I’ve prepared accordingly, and I have Celestia’s blessing. All will go well,” She insisted.
Stoneheart continued to smile at her, watching as her magic drew forth a small bottle of sedative and a syringe. “I believe you, Princess,” He replied, “You haven’t steered me wrong before,” He expressed.

Gustopha smiled gently at him, moving the needle to his shoulder, “Thank you, Stoneheart,” She said softly, “Now; just a little pinch.”
Stoneheart closed his eyes, lightly flinching as the needle penetrated his skin.
Gustopha carefully injected the payload of sedative into his shoulder, before pulling the syringe away, “I’ll see you soon,” She bade gently.
Stoneheart gave a small nod. Before long, he was completely out, slumped limply in the cot like a corpse. Gustopha postured him onto his front, and moved to his tail, taking a deep breath.

The scalpel was razor sharp, beyond anypony’s measure; Gustopha felt as though it could cut her through her magical grasp. She carefully moved the pointed metal instrument to his backside, starting just below his tail and cutting up. Some blood leaked from the flesh as it was cut; Gustopha could feel the sweet, metallic smell fill her nose. It was familiar, and reminded her of the food she had eaten under the doctor’s care.

Gustopha carefully cut away the fur to reveal the muscles of Stoneheart’s flank, peeling it aside with the utmost care. She then grabbed the scion of the plant, which had been sitting in warm water to keep it moist and not too cold. She flayed the young branch’s root end and carefully wrapped it along the end of Stoneheart’s tailbone, careful not to scrape the hard tissue with the supple plant’s young wood. Then carefully, she clamped one of the surgical clamps around the newly attached limb’s base, binding the scion firmly to its new root.

Now was the scary part. Gustopha leaned her head close, and her horn began to shine, inspiring the flesh to grow around its new partner, while at the same time allowing the plant to sink shallow roots into the muscles of Stoneheart’s back. Not too far… Just enough that the bodies could exchange fluid and nutrients.
Gustopha removed the clamp once she was satisfied with how the plant had taken root, healing the area a bit more to solidify the connection. She then carefully pulled the fur back over the wound, stitching it together carefully. Her horn shone once again as she health the area, allowing the skin to bind to the young bark of the fresh plant.

Gustopha stepped back and took a breath. It seemed that the body had accepted the new plant. Gustopha stepped forward again, and touched her horn gently to Stoneheart’s back. It began to shine brightly, and heat up somewhat.
Gustopha was now working with magic. An earth pony’s magic laid deep within their flesh, bound to every cell they had. And now, Gustopha was carefully redirecting that energy towards the new plant. The body attempted to reject her at first, but each gentle pulse of her horn realigned the magic better, and better. First, it was redirected into the core. Then into the back. And then, finally, into the roots. The fresh branch began to grow outwards, thickening slightly as it continued. The skin willingly parted for it, bunching up just a bit around the wooden limb.
The body took some time to fully accept the new flow of magic; but the longer Gustopha worked at it, and the more the branch grew, the more the magic accepted its new circuit through Stoneheart’s body.

Gustopha waited until the flow no longer fought her pull to remove her horn from Stoneheart’s back. She then waited several minutes, for any sign that the plant might be starving, or any sign that the body was attacking it. She dowsed the roots carefully, and found no such immune interference.
Then, her eyes followed along the fresh branch; it had parted once, some ways down, and now hosted several fresh leaves. Looking carefully, she could see the start of a golden seed pod slowly growing from one of the branches. She noted that the wood retained its softer, younger nature, even despite its accelerated aging; she had learned that grafting could alter the way a plant grew. She wondered if this had to do with being partnered with animal flesh.

Gustopha spent the next few hours carefully checking Stoneheart’s state. She could already feel the change in his magic; truly, he was no longer an earth pony. What was he, though? Part pony, part plant.
Gustopha spent some time neatly threading his tail around the branches, protecting it from the somewhat cold operating room air. It was surprisingly natural; the hair of his tail seemed to willingly accept its new role as a plant blanket.
Gustopha smiled a bit, carefully wiping the surgical area with a clean cloth. Now she just had to wait for him to awaken.

Stoneheart’s body felt heavy as he awoke; as if his entire body had been replaced with waterlogged sand. He attempted to stretch his limbs; it didn’t come as easy to him as he liked.
Gustopha looked at him, “Ah, Stoneheart, be careful,” She said gently, stepping over to him, “Your body will need some time to get used to the change.”
Stoneheart’s eyes slowly opened, meeting the princess’ gaze. “I don’t believe the sedative’s worn off yet, Princess…” He murmured.
Gustopha sat next to him. “That’s okay,” She promised, “There’s no rush,” She promised.

Stoneheart awkwardly floundered in the bed, and he grunted stiffly as he attempted to force life back into his limbs. His back, in particular, felt sore; yet, not uncomfortable. It felt oddly natural, as if nothing were there at all.
“Was the grafting successful?” He asked quietly.
“Yes, yes, it was a brilliant success,” Gustopha said with a smile, “Your magic has taken to it very well; already, the branch is bearing the beginnings of fruit, despite the sedation.”
Stoneheart gave an awkward smile, “I’m glad,” He replied softly.
It took him some more time to fully get his bearings, but he eventually managed to lift his head from the stiff cushion of the operating table.

“Now… I’ll help you stand up, okay?” Gustopha said gently, walking around as he rolled to one side.
Stoneheart nodded simply, pushing himself to the edge of the cot. His hooves dangled over the edge, and felt like cinderblocks. He took a deep breath.
“It’s okay,” Gustopha said, “I’ll catch you.”
He leaned forward, touching his hooves to the stone floor. His legs trembled; and, more importantly, he felt as though something was missing. The inherent connection he shared with the earth didn’t feel nearly as strong; in fact, he could barely feel it at all. “The… The earth,” He murmured, “I can’t feel it.”
Gustopha nodded a bit, “That’s to be expected… Your magic is now being routed through the plant itself; you’re not an earth pony anymore,” She explained.

Stoneheart’s eyes widened slightly, “I’m not…? If I’m not an earth pony, then what am I?” He asked.
“A Verdant,” Gustopha replied, “I have decided you, as the first of a new tribe of ponies, will be called a Verdant.”
Stoneheart let the word bounce around in his somewhat groggy head for a moment. It did have a certain ring to it; however, the dissonance still warred in his mind. He hadn’t accounted for the fact that he’d be completely altered into a different form of pony.

Stoneheart slid further forward, putting weight on his hooves. He grunted softly, but kept pushing himself. He froze as he felt a warm magical aura grip him gently, lightening the load on his own hooves.
“That’s it, keep coming…” Gustopha said gently, “I’ll catch you,” She promised.
Stoneheart nodded, stumbling forward, Gustopha’s magical grasp only reaffirming around him as he slid fully off the operating table. Stoneheart couldn’t help but feel embarrassed as he toddled before the princess, awkwardly stumbling to try and get his legs’ strength back.
Gustopha, however, simply smiled at him. It was a warm, patient smile; one fully occupied with ensuring he was able to get back on his hooves.
And sure enough, walking did become easier as he practiced it more. It was still not easy, but it at least was possible. Gustopha helped him to the mirror, turning him to the side.

“See?” She began, lightly pulling his tail away from the soft-barked branches, “It’s very healthy; already, some small seed pods are beginning to form,” She explained.
He shivered slightly as he felt one of her hooves graze the soft wood of his new tail. “I do see, Princess. I never thought I’d see a plant growing from my tail,” He admitted.
His tail twitched, and the branch lightly shook with it. He could feel the wooden limb as if it were his own, and he could move it. Not a lot of course, wood was in fact wood, no matter how soft it was, but he could lightly swish it around to mix it back in with his fur tail.
Gustopha observed this carefully, “So you can move it?” She asked.
Stoneheart nodded a bit, “Not as freely as a leg, but I can influence its broad shape,” He explained.
Gustopha nodded again, “I see, I see… Very interesting,” She replied gently.
Stoneheart let out a tired yawn. His body desired rest, despite how long he’d been unconscious for.

Gustopha smiled a bit and helped him into bed, gently draping a light, warm blanket over him. “You must rest, Stoneheart. You will be my champion,” She proclaimed gently.
“Your champion?” Stoneheart asked.
“Of course. You represent our next step in the battle against the blight,” Gustopha explained, “You are our spear.”
Stoneheart felt his chest swell a bit. Perhaps he would turn out to be somepony remarkable, after all. “Thank you, Princess… I aim to exceed your expectations,” He expressed.
“You already have,” Gustopha said gently, beginning to wheel Stoneheart back out into the main room of the infirmary. The cot was settled back in a fairly warm monitoring room, and Stoneheart felt his eyelids droop. Before long, he was asleep.

Gustopha hesitated a bit as she left the infirmary. She realized that she no longer had any plans. The surgery was done, she was coronated, and there were no other major events she needed to prepare for; at least, nothing concrete. There would eventually be lunar diplomacy, but there’d be months before she’d know anything about that. It seemed for now she was free to help around the castle with princess things.

Act II, Part VII: Turmoil

Gustopha would approach Celestia’s throne, smiling gently at her. “The procedure is finished,” She declared, “And it’s gone better than expected.”
Celestia simply nodded; this wasn’t something she wanted to discuss openly in her throne room, even if it was just Gustopha and the castle guards. “Good,” She replied softly.
“And, well… I’m an open book, now,” Gustopha hummed, “For once, I’m not planning something,” She added with a soft giggle.
Celestia smiled, “Well… There’s nothing that explicitly needs doing for the moment; day court is coming up in a couple days, if you would like to join me,” Celestia said.
Gustopha nodded, “That sounds agreeable,” She replied, “If you would like, I could watch the throne for a couple days; you could take some time to rest,” She offered.

Celestia pondered this for a long moment. How long had it been since she had a day to herself?
Celestia nodded in agreement, and stood up for her throne, “I accept,” She replied, hugging Gustopha firmly, “Thank you, sister… Please, don’t hesitate to call me if something comes up,” She expressed.
Gustopha nodded and hugged back, “Of course,” She replied, “Enjoy your break day, sister.”
Celestia smiled, carefully leaving the room.

Gustopha took a seat on the throne, having to fumble a bit to get comfortable. Her physique wasn’t as tall as Celestia’s, but she was also not-insignificantly bulkier. It was a bit unflattering, really, but she didn’t let it bother her too much.
She looked to one of the solar guards, “Please fetch the terran guard for me, less Stoneheart,” She requested.
The guard nodded and ran off to fetch the members of the terran guard; it had grown by a few more members over the past week or so, though it was still all fairly tight knit. Gustopha was starting to get the hang of managing her troop, even despite all the time she spent studying. She smiled at them as they lined up before her.

“So… How’d the surgery go, Princess?” Aerated Turf asked.
Gustopha smiled a bit wider, “It went wonderfully; Stoneheart is just resting now,” She explained.
April nodded, “So you really grafted part of the Blightsbane onto him?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded, “It took root quite well… It had already started bearing fruit before I left him to rest,” She explained, “I have a hunch he’ll be ready to see you all tomorrow morning,” She declared with a small smile.
“Now, for today, I’m the acting princess; I’d like you all to remain here, as my guard,” Gustopha explained gently.
The terran guard nodded, organizing themselves about the room, with April and May standing on either side of the princess. Gustopha smiled a bit; they did all look good in their matching bronze armor. It made the princess happy to see them all fulfilling their duties.

The day, thankfully, went quietly. Gustopha supposed it was best for a princess to be ready to address arrivals at any time, but she couldn’t help but wonder how Celestia occupied so much time. Sure, Gustopha had her guards to talk to, but she wasn’t particularly talkative herself. So she took careful glances around the throne room.
The day went fairly quietly. Gustopha had assumed there was a lot to being a ruler, but it seemed right this moment that looking the part was the most important thing. So, Gustopha did what she always did when given spare time: She thought. Her study was inaccessible to her at the moment, but her mind was not. She thought about how fast her life had moved in the past few months; it had barely been a season, and she had already done so much… Some doubt about her viability as a ruler still lingered in her mind, but the support of her adoptive sister and the slowly growing terran guard helped keep her steadfast in the role.

It was only late into the day that her focus was broken by the sudden arrival of some solar guards. They halted themselves as they saw the earth princess in the place of Celestia, but Gustopha simply looked at them. “What’s the matter?” She asked.
“The town of Manehattan has been reporting sightings of monsters coming out under the moonlight,” One of the stellar guards explained.
Precipice’s eyes widened. “Did they say what the monsters looked like?” She asked.
The guard turned to her. “The reports have been scattered, but most ponies seemed to agree they look muddy, with hollow eyes,” He explained.
Precipice hesitated. “That… Sounds like the blight beast we ran into on the farm,” She expressed.
Gustopha’s eyes widened slightly. “We’ll see to it,” She insisted, “Thank you for your report.”
The guards nodded and left the room.

“Precipice, come here, please,” Gustopha ordered, looking at the unicorn.
Precipice walked up the steps to the throne, standing before her dutifully. “Your highness?” She asked softly.
“Hold still,” Gustopha requested, leaning down.
The rest of the terran guard watched as Gustopha’s horn illuminated, touching to Precipice’s.
Precipice shifted uncomfortably as heat began to build in her horn. She could feel Gustopha’s magic seeping into her; power, yes, but also knowledge. Important knowledge.
Precipice’s horn illuminated brightly, erupting into a blinding white flash. The unicorn panted softly, looking up at Gustopha as she pulled away.
Gustopha smiled gently at her. “You know what that was, yes?” She asked.
“Blight purge, but… It didn’t look anything like yours,” Precipice expressed.
“It is the blight purge spell I used when I was being groomed and learning to heal the land. I have faith that you can take that knowledge and put it to good use,” Gustopha explained, “I will need all the help I can get in the coming months.”
Precipice nodded and bowed graciously. “Thank you, Princess. I will use this gift to the best of my ability,” She replied formally.

After that small encounter, the rest of the evening went quietly as the terran guard and their princess prepared for their excursion tomorrow. A sighting of blight beasts was not something they’d take lightly, as it likely meant the blight in the region was particularly strong. Most critical among the topics they discussed was travel. The town of Manehattan was out a long ways from the capital.
“I will fly ahead,” Gustopha stated, “I would like the pegasi among you to gear up for chariot-pulling duty. Above all others, Stoneheart must be roused and brought via chariot; this will be an important test to see if his magic has taken its new form properly,” She expressed.
“Princess, with all due respect,” Aerated Turf began, “Shouldn’t Stoneheart have more time to rest?” She asked.
Gustopha sighed. “He should,” She admitted, “However, opportunity does not wait for the ill. I will be there to aid him if something goes wrong.” She expressed.
The terran guards hesitantly agreed to the princess’ assurance. With some more forethought put into planning, the group eventually broke for the night to get some rest before tomorrow.

Plantation carefully set a small paper bowl of rice in front of Texas Toast as they watched the sunset. “We had a little extra dinner tonight; mom said I could bring you some,” She explained.
Texas stared at the small bowl of fluffed white grain with wide eyes. “I can have all of it?” He asked.
Plantation nodded a little. “You’re still a growing colt, you need your energy,” Plantation remarked, “At least, that’s what mom said.”
Texas picked up the bowl and began eating it without another word.
Plantation smiled a little and pressed up against Texas’ side. Texas grunted softly, but wrapped a fledgeling wing around his friend.
Texas sighed in satisfaction as he finished the bowl of rice, licking the residue from his lips. “Thanks, Plant,” He said softly, “That hit the spot.”

Plantation leaned her head against Texas’ and gave a small “Mhm” in reply.
Texas smiled and leaned back into her. “The sunset’s a lot prettier with a full belly,” He admitted softly.
Again, Plantation replied with a small hum: “Mhm.”
“Hey, don’t go quiet on me! We both know bad things happen when you spend all your energy on thinking and not talking,” Texas huffed.
Plantation smiled slyly. “You mean like this?” She remarked, leaning into him a bit more.
Texas blushed a bit as he realized how close she’d gotten. “H-Hey! That’s no fair, you’re warm and soft,” He whined.
Plantation giggled. So did Texas.

It was early in the morning when Gustopha woke up to head down to the infirmary; she wanted to check on Stoneheart before she left.
Surprisingly, the stallion was already up and mobile. Gustopha had imparted the slightest bit of extra magic into him to help him heal off the last of the procedure’s invasive damages, but not enough that he should be feeling so fine.
“Stoneheart?” She asked softly, “Goodness, you look excellent.”
Stoneheart looked up at her, giving a small smile. “You’re too kind, your highness,” He expressed. His tail swished softly at the sight of the alicorn, the supple wooden branches following the movement fairly well. Gustopha noted that the implanted strand didn’t seem as stiff as natural woods. Unfortunately, with a sample size of one, it was hard to say if anything had just being plain, dumb luck. If only she had more, Gustopha thought.

“May I inspect you for a moment?” Gustopha requested.
Stoneheart nodded quietly, and Gustopha leaned down, beginning to gently check him over. “...Your muscle mass has definitely lightened a bit…” Gustopha murmured as she carefully ran a hoof along his legs, “That’s to be expected, given it’s not being magically enhanced.”
Stoneheart shivered slightly at the princess’ touch. It didn’t hurt; quite the opposite, really. She was almost being too gentle, as to the stallion it felt slightly sensual.
Gustopha carefully parted the wooden branches from the majority of Stoneheart’s tail. A few of the early seed pods already seemed fully grown. “Excellent. The plant is taking root wonderfully,” She expressed contently, “Do you feel anything uncomfortable? A draft, stress, any signs of atrophy…?”

Stoneheart thought for a long moment. “Well, the plant is definitely heavier than just a chunk of hair,” He supposed, “But it doesn’t hurt at all… Movement comes naturally enough, and I’ve figured out the most comfortable sleeping positions.”
Gustopha smiled gently at him. “Wonderful,” She replied softly, pulling him into a hug, “You are, hah… You are now living proof that all my study and preparation hasn’t been for naught,”
Stoneheart nodded slowly. “I would not have entrusted you with my body and magic had I not trusted your knowledge, Princess,” He expressed softly, leaning into the alicorn’s embrace.
Gustopha sighed a bit. “I suppose you’re right,” She replied softly, “However, I must now call upon you, as my champion… More blight beasts have been observed in the town of Manehattan,” She explained, holding him at legs’ length.
Stoneheart’s eyes widened slightly as he heard the news. “More of them?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded. “I received word yesterday… You will be leaving by chariot, later today,” She explained.

Stoneheart nodded slowly. “You truly think I am already prepared for action, your highness?” He asked.
“I don’t know,” Gustopha admitted, “I will be leaving ahead of you to ensure we’ve a safe place to stay.” Gustopha offered a small smile. “I will be by your side, in case anything goes wrong.”
Stoneheart seemed hesitant; for the first time, he questioned the princess’ orders. Was he not still weak from the drugs? What if he were to get sick? Finally, the questions reached a boiling point.
“I am not sure I’m ready, Princess,” He expressed, voice level as he looked at her with a stern, yet humble gaze, “I still have much recovery to do… The infirmary doctor suggests at least two more weeks on the immunosuppressants, and recovering my immunity after that will take further time.”
Gustopha froze. It wasn’t the first time that one of her guards had declined her, of course, but this was the first time it really mattered. Frustration briefly flickered in her eyes.

Stoneheart shivered at his highness’ gaze. “I would be horrified to, in undue haste, waste the time and effort you have spent on me. I believe I should stay behind for some time,” He expressed.
Gustopha bit her tongue. There was a voice that clawed at the back of her mind, demanding she take Stoneheart despite his protests. It reminded her of the doctor’s voice. A voice that she dared to defy.
“Then you will stay behind,” She finally expressed. Her chest heaved a bit, and her posture slumped slightly, as if air had been pushed out of it. “I won’t force you to come, Stoneheart. I let my desire to further my research occlude what mattered most: My subjects,” She expressed.

Stoneheart shook his head. “You corrected the decision before it was too late, Princess,” He replied softly, “That’s what’s important.”
Gustopha smiled a bit. “Thank you, Stoneheart,” She replied softly, “I can only hope to keep doing right by you.”
Stoneheart gave a small nod. “I’m sure you will, Princess,” He expressed.
Gustopha finally let the stallion go, sighing a bit. “Now, I must be off… Be strong, my champion,” She expressed softly.
Stoneheart nodded. “I will,” He promised.
Gustopha turned and left the infirmary, sighing softly. She’d inform her guard of the change of plans, before she prepared to leave.

Celestia looked at Gustopha, sharing a gaze with her over the castle town. “So you’re already off again, hm?” Celestia supposed softly.
“I won’t be gone long,” Gustopha insisted, “I have a task to complete; once it is finished, I will return,” She promised.
Gustopha and Celestia shared a hug for a few moments, before stepping away from one another.
“Please keep safe, sister… You still don’t know any combat magic, do you?” Celestia asked, her mind racing with potential complications.
“Against the blight, I have all the protection I will need. Plus, my guard will be joining me later into the day,” Gustopha explained.
Celestia smiled a bit at her adopted sister’s attempts to reassure her. “Very well, I won’t keep you any longer. Safe travels, Gustopha,” Celestia bade.
Gustopha nodded, taking a brief run-up and leaping from the balcony, soaring over the castle town on her way towards the town of Manehattan.

To occupy her mind during the flight over, Gustopha thought to herself about how uncomfortable Stoneheart had seemed when she asked him to come with her. Perhaps she had pushed him too early, given it had only been a day and a half since the surgery. It made Gustopha ponder, though… She would need a larger sample for any sort of viable study. She started racking her brain for other potential candidates. They had to be earth ponies, of course; Gustopha was not ready to do any kind of mixed-magic management. That much, she knew was beyond her ability. At least for right now.

“Earth pony magic…” She thought to herself as she flew, “Why is it so malleable? Why does it just seem to appear when a unicorn gets their wings, or vice versa?” She now asked aloud, as if there were someone capable of answering those questions. A strong, defined thought shoved itself to the front of the alicorn’s mind.
Needs more data.
Of course. That was all she ever needed. The world was an ocean. She was an empty cask. Research would be the ladle that permitted her fullness.

The princess managed to touch down in an almost-correct way. She readied herself for meeting the ground, carrying her momentum on her hooves rather than her wings. It was a cumbersome way to fly; one only practiced by foals, like earth ponies using paired hooves to hold a writing implement before learning to use their mouths to hold things instead. But, it didn’t result in Gustopha rolling flank-over-teakettle down the main road of the small town of Manehattan, so it was adequate for now.

Gustopha grimaced as she came to a trotting pace. She could feel the blight here. It felt as though it were trying to creep into her of its own volition. It wanted to hurt her, and make her flesh and magic its own.
Her horn ignited in a powerful flash, clearing a sphere of influence some dozens of feet around her. Even a simple, low-intensity spell was now augmented with her magic.
A few townsponies slowly moved to greet her on the edge of town. They looked scared, and more importantly, starved.

“How long has it been since you first saw the monsters?” Gustopha asked softly.
“A couple weeks,” A stallion admitted, “We’ve made do beating them with our supply of farming tools, but they’ve started trying to hunt us as early as sunset. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were being controlled.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “I’ll be clearing the land around your town in the coming few days,” She informed, “Once my guard gets here, I’ll ask them to start surveying the area for any sign of foul play. I fear there’s more to the blight than we know about,” She admitted.

The princess then excused herself, setting herself down in a field on the outskirts of town to begin healing the soil proper. The blight here was some of the strongest she’d ever encountered; concentrated death and ill that fought the spread of her life giving influence hard. It required a slower, more methodical approach. Gustopha grunted. This would be a test of her magical strength.

As her area of influence widened, Gustopha thought she could feel the blight attempting to force its way into the areas she’d cleaned. Her powerful magic wouldn’t allow that, of course, but it was still a concerning feeling. If the blight could spread back into areas she’d already cleaned, that made the development of more “permanent” solutions a necessity. She couldn’t maintain all of Equestria forever. Thankfully, she was already in the possession of notes detailing multiple ways to make things better. She just needed time and volunteers.

Some time later, the first batch of the terran guard would arrive: Precipice and May Showers, pulled by chariot by Aerated Turf and another pegasus.
May ran to the princess’ side. Gustopha looked exhausted, and the radius of the town was only mostly clean.
“Princess?” May asked.
Gustopha heaved. “The blight is strong here,” She expressed, “It has been fighting me the entire time.”
Precipice looked around. The town of Manehattan wasn’t particularly large; it had stood for only about a decade at this point. Yet, it seemed to be one of the hardest-hit towns. What strategic value did this place hold, Precipice wondered. Was it just an attempt to snuff out life before it could begin?

Gustopha looked at Precipice intently. “Be judicious with your use of blight purge, but do not tire yourself; the blight here seeks weakness,” She instructed.
Precipice shivered at the exhaustion in Gustopha’s gaze. This was the first time she had seen Gustopha in such an overworked state. “Yes, Princess,” Precipice replied softly.
The group would spend some more time waiting for the rest of their ranks to arrive; the day grew long, and was eventually supplanted by the night.
Gustopha had been exhausting her magic as it came; an alicorn’s ability to regenerate magic was naturally far higher than any unicorn’s, so she did not fear the blight taking an opportunity against her. It just wore her thin.

Precipice, with some accompaniment by some of her fellow guards, would attempt to clear some areas herself. The blight purge spell was tricky for a unicorn to cast: Extremely high throughput over a fraction of a second. Unicorn horns were generally designed for repeated pulses or steady flows of magic, not extremely high, irregular surges. But, seeing her princess work so hard made Precipice determined. Each time she casted the spell, it got a bit easier, even as fatigue began to play on the back of her mind.

As the sun set, the first blight beasts began to draw up from the soil. Muddy equid forms with sparkling hollows for eyes.
Gustopha had sent a few of the guards into a nearby warehouse to rest for a spell. They could not afford to leave the town completely unguarded. However, one by one, the terran guard succumbed to their need for sleep. Eventually, Gustopha was the only one left awake, her magic supplementing the need for rest - at least for now. Gustopha focused on keeping a steady sphere of influence, purifying monsters as they attempted to enter the town. Her shining horn was like a beacon of hope for the townies of Manehattan; one that refused to go dark, even as the melted ex-bodies of the blight beasts piled up around the edges of the princess’ ring of radiant magic.

Gustopha felt exhaustion seep into her. Keeping her ring steady was much easier than trying to constantly expand it, but each blight beast felled represented a significant, concentrated quantity of blight that had to be perforated by her magic’s glow. The alicorn’s greater magic reserve still had a long way to go before it was depleted. Where the flesh weakened, the soul remained strong.

Then, daybreak. The blight beasts’ arrivals slowed to a halt with the arrival of the daybreak. From one direction, however, they came forth for some time after the sun rose. Gustopha took note of that. It was a promising lead, at least in the absence of any other solution. She waited for her guard to awaken from their slumber.
“I’d like to investigate the south of town before we leave,” Gustopha explained, “Aerated, April, and May will be coming with me. The rest of you will stay behind in case the blight beasts come up in our absence,” She instructed.
Precipice looked at her. “What about me, Princess?” She asked.
Gustopha gently smiled at her. “You did admirably yesterday; that’s why you need to stay behind. You’re the only one, other than myself, who can purge the blight directly," She explained.
Precipice nodded a bit. “Very well, Princess,” She replied softly.

With that, Gustopha would take her three guards and head out into the fields south of town. A somewhat large mountain stood not too far away. Gustopha allowed herself to clear some of the blight as she walked; cutting a small channel through the sickened landscape.
April and May looked around as Aerated scouted ahead from the sky. As they neared the cave, April, May, and Gustopha began to tremble. The miasmic aura that the blight radiated was becoming stronger; enough to affect the earth ponies in addition to the princess of the land.
“Phew…” April murmured, “Something’s making me feel off.”
“It’s the blight. We’re nearing some kind of source; or at least a large reservoir,” Gustopha explained, “It’s likely reacting with your magic, given your magic’s connection to the earth. Stay vigilant.”
April and May nodded, sticking close to the princess.

Aerated, being a pegasus (and having been vaccinated by eating some of the Blightsbane fruit), felt no such ill effects from the presence of the blight in the landscape. She could see it, though; mottled green, gray, and black painted the landscape, and the plants almost seemed fleshy. Leaves and wood melted together under a thick layer of mold. Then, Aerated saw a nook in the rocks; a cave, overgrown with the blight’s strange mass.
She flew down to the princess’ side. “Think I found something, Princess,” Aerated remarked, “There’s a cave just ahead in the mountains… It looks like it’s got a lot of blight gunk in it.”

Gustopha nodded. “Thank you, Aerated. We will go there, then,” She expressed, the small troop pressing onward.
The cave was nearly sealed shut by the blight’s unsightly, mottled influence. Gustopha’s horn ignited, blasting the blight back as she and her three guards made their way inside.
May stumbled on her hooves, heaving. “Definitely feeling it now…” She whispered.
Aerated flew in front of them, spear at the ready. The air was thick with blight, but the princess’ aura of influence cleared it by the time anypony was in danger of breathing it in.
The cave opened up into a large chamber, where the blight had festered in a subterranean lake.

Gustopha watched in horror as a large lump of blight mass twisted and contorted into an equid form; not a simple pony, however. A tall, mock-alicorn, with a gnarled tree limb for a horn and wings made of half-decomposed leaves. Then, even worse: It began to speak.
“My, my… Do my eyes deceive me, or is there a princess amongst us?” It asked. Its mouth moved irregularly, the mass undulating to form the required sounds, “Oh, please bow, everyone. We must honor the princess’ visit.”
Dozens of blight creatures drew up from the mass on the cave floor and the lake, bowing mechanically.
Gustopha glared at the mock-alicorn on the opposing side of the lake. “You,” She grunted, “What do you want?”
The mock alicorn’s face twisted into a smile; a smile wide enough to nearly sever its head in two. “Me? Oh, I’m not just a me, sweetheart,” It chuckled, its body deforming, a replica now reforming directly before the princess, “I am so much more than just me, haha…”

Aerated backed a bit closer to the princess as the mock alicorn appeared in front of her. “Hey, hooves off the princess, lady!” She sneered.
Despite the sickening feeling of so much blight being presented before them, April and May stood protectively on either side of the princess’ front.
“Ahh… Do not worry, child. I could not lay a hoof on her even if I very, very dearly wished to. Not while she’s exuding that poisonous aura…” The mock-alicorn replied, outstretching a hoof to demonstrate it. As it neared Gustopha, it visibly dried and cracked, breaking off into dry dirt.
“What do you want?” Gustopha asked, voice a harsh snarl.
“What a simple question,” The mock-alicorn teased, “I do not want anything. But I know why I am, and what I must do to be. Nature demands I grow, and thus, I search for places to grow into. The land, the plants, the bodies of ponies and princesses like you; I feed to appease nature’s will,” It laughed.

Gustopha’s horn ignited brighter, razing some of the mock-alicorn’s outer layers. “You do not scare me, blight. I will purge you to the last,” She snarled.
The mock-alicorn once again smiled a sickeningly wide smile. “Oh, I know you will, Princess. You have a strong will, unlike me. But,” The mock-alicorn and their dozens of ‘subjects’ began to laugh, “For every one of us you purge, thousands of us grow in secret, awaiting out in Equestria’s depths. You and your followers are finite. We are a force; the force. So long as there is evil in a pony’s mind and darkness in Equestria’s depths, we will continue to fester,” It explained.
“Your mindless hunger will not conquer Equestria,” Gustopha bellowed, “I am living proof of the dedication ponies make to their survival!”

The mock-alicorn smiled condescendingly. “You and I are the same, Princess,” It cooed.
“I am nothing like you!” Gustopha shouted.
The mock-alicorn ignored Gustopha’s display of defiance. “Use your strong pony mind and think about it, Princess,” It hummed, “We were both made at the behest of a Princess to shape the land as they see fit.”
Gustopha visibly flinched at how accurate the diagnosis was.
“We also both seek to further our own legacy… Tell me, was grafting a tree into a pony truly necessary? Or did you do it simply because your will and ability permitted it?” The mock-alicorn asked thoughtfully.
“Don’t listen to her!” Aerated sneered, “Our Princess is making the best of a bad situation; she wouldn’tve done it if she didn’t believe it was safe!”
April and May echoed a small, “Yeah!”

The mock-alicorn’s smile only widened. “You truly do not believe that she could have just made the spell last longer when uprooted?” It asked.
Gustopha’s eyes slammed shut. Her horn remained ignited, at least, keeping the aura present.
Aerated took on the mantle of being her princess’ defense, chest swelling. “Everything the princess has said and done have been for our benefit. She made the Blightsbane for the express purpose of giving everypony a way to protect their land. When complications with that arose, she devised a way to solve those complications. Even if there was a better way, she still chose a right path,” Aerated bellowed.

This defense actually seemed to make the mock-alicorn ponder for a moment, as if something finally made sense. However, this time, May spoke up.
“Would you exist if Nightmare Moon had thought of a ‘better way’ during the war?” May asked in a snarl, “Are you the product of a perfect set of choices?”
The mock-alicorn stumbled back a bit. “You know nothing of the circumstances I was made under,” It hissed.
“I think we do!” May bellowed, “And I have a feeling you and Stoneheart’s new tail have a lot in common!”
The mock-alicorn now snarled. “You… You are insolent. You do not show nature’s will the respect it deserves,” It sneered, “Your ‘verdants’ are the product of an alicorn’s hubris, and-”
The mock-alicorn was cut off as Aerated’s spear was whipped through its snout, sending blighted dirt and muck splashing across the cavern floor. “You have no right to speak to our princess that way, beast!” Aerated sneered.

The mock-alicorn laughed as its snout slowly reformed. “Tssk tssk, loyal to the very last. I have feasted on some royal guards, you know. They were strong, but not strong enough to resist nature’s urges…” It chortled mockingly.
May’s eyes squeezed shut, and she lunged at the mock-alicorn. “I’ll kill you!” She screamed, “I’ll kill you for what you did to March!”
The mock-alicorn and all of its “subjects” began to laugh again as May splashed through its body, tumbling forward. “Ah, yes, March Showers… How she fought so hard not to starve. Yet, consumption still did her in. Nature’s will is eternal,” The mock-alicorn sneered.
“May!” April cried, rushing to go help her sister up.

April and May both yelped as large, tentacular masses of blight shoved them deeper into the cave.
Aerated darted after them to help, forgetting the enemy she was fighting. It wasn’t long before the blight seized her.
With all three royal guards bound, the mock-alicorn laughed. “Oh, how all minds can be played for fools,” It bellowed joyously, “Fear not. You will be much, much stronger under my will… You will even get to see March again. Won’t that be nice?” It snickered.
The three guards were dragged towards the large lake in the center of the cavern.

Gustopha’s eyes watered. What had she done? Why had she done it? Surely, there were better ways, weren’t there? Her horn’s aura weakened.
The mock-alicorn snickered and drew closer. “You see it now, don’t you? You and I aren’t so different. At least my consumption only takes the bodies… Yours takes the mind and magic, and twists them how you see fit,” It sneered.
Gustopha trembled. “N-No,” She stammered, “I’m nothing like you. I care for all my subjects.”
The mock-alicorn’s smile widened. “How much do you really care for them?” It snickered, “After all, you put your research before their livelihood… Just think of Stoneheart, stumbling ineffectually around on his poor, sapped legs. You robbed him of that strength, you know… You should never have played around with forces you couldn’t control,” The mock-alicorn scolded.
“No, Stoneheart’s okay… He’s strong,” Gustopha tried to reason, her horn’s aura only becoming less pronounced, “He just needs to rest.”
“He would have never needed to recover, had you not mangled his magic,” The mock-alicorn sneered, drawing ever closer.

“Don’t listen to it, Princess!” April cried, “You’re doing what you have to!”
The mock-alicorn snorted. “Oh, please. You could easily have extended the spell’s lingering time, you know that,” It remarked.
Gustopha trembled, tears leaking down her cheeks. “I-I tried my best,” She reasoned, “It’s not a stable spell.”
“And your best got a poor old stallion mangled beyond recognition,” The mock-alicorn reminded, sneering, “Face it, Gustopha: You and I pose the same threat to ponykind. Our ambition, our hunger will destroy Equestria,” It crooned.
Gustopha’s aura dimmed to nothing, and she began to sob. The mock-alicorn had made good points; at least, points good enough to sink in. Gustopha felt as though a creature had sank its teeth into her.
The mock-alicorn laughed and walked to Gustopha, pressing her down into the blight muck with a misshapen hoof. “You understand,” It chuckled, “Nothing you do matters. You can either stagnate and allow me to flourish, or become the monster you believe me to be to finish me off.”

Gustopha went slack under the pressure of the mock-alicorn’s hoof. She covered her eyes, and sobbed. “I’m sorry…” She whispered under her breath, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Her ears twitched, however, as she heard a cry. May wailed as loud as she could as she and her fellow guards were dragged down towards the lake: “Please, Princess! Don’t listen to it! You’ve given us hope!”
The three guards held their breath as they were dragged beneath the surface of the murky water.

Gustopha’s eyes shot open. Those were her guards. Her subjects. Her horn reignited in a powerful blast of white flame. “NO!” She bellowed, “I won’t let you hurt them!” She screamed. The white light of her horn began to spread across the rest of her body, blinding light filling the room.
The mock-alicorn screeched as it was blasted away by the sudden arcane force.
White-hot light erupted through the cavern, blasting away the blight and melting the rock it once clung to.

Even the water that the guards were now sinking in was purged by the violent light, licks of arcane flame splashing beneath the water’s surface to cleanse the blight from the pool. It heated significantly; not enough to scald them, but enough that it was pleasantly warm, rather than frigid.
As the blight tentacles dusted away from the divine force, the guards reoriented themselves. When the light cleared, they surfaced. The three ponies gasped for air.
Gustopha heaved and wheezed hard, a distinct burning sensation engulfing her body. Her body was now badly charred from the arcane flames that had once engulfed her. She wheezed as she collapsed to the now warm stone floor.
The guards swam to the edge and staggered their way up to the princess.
“Princess!” Aerated yelped as she darted to Gustopha’s side.

Gustopha shivered, eyes wearily opening. “Are you three alright?” She asked, her voice a hard rasp, as if the flames had leapt down her throat.
“Yes, yes, we’re okay, but what about you?” Aerated hastily replied.
Trembling on two legs, Gustopha pushed herself up to a sitting posture. “I’ll live,” She wheezed.
April and May managed to catch up with the other two. All three guards yipped as they were pulled into a hug.
“I’m so, so glad you’re alright,” Gustopha expressed exasperatedly. Her eyes closed, and she smiled, shedding a single tear.
“Princess…” April began softly.
“Don’t believe a lick of what that creature tried saying to you,” May snarled, “It’s taken too many lives for anything it says to matter.”
Gustopha hugged her three guards tighter. “It was right,” She admitted with a small sniffle.

“Right about what? The fact it’s a monster?” May huffed.
April blinked. “Princess, if this is about Stoneheart… We know that it’s not true. He told us about your conversation this morning,” She explained, “He told us how, even though you wanted him to come to test out his magic, you let him stay back and rest because he wanted to listen to the doctors.”
Gustopha heaved. “It was right about growth. I wanted to make more verdants, after seeing what a success Stoneheart was,” She expressed, voice filled with remorse.

It took the three guards a few moments to figure out a reaction to that, but Aerated spoke up.
“Well, if you give all of them the same time and love you’re giving Stoneheart, who cares?” Aerated asked, “Ambition alone isn’t a bad thing, Princess. It’s what you do to achieve that ambition.”
April and May nodded in agreement.

Gustopha hesitated. “You… You think so?” She asked softly.
“Celestia entrusted you with going through it,” April offered softly, “She believes in you. Why can’t we?”
Gustopha smiled. It was a faint smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Thank you,” She sniffled, “Thank you all, so much…” Gustopha’s grip went slack, and she slumped against her guards. Her body now cooled off, and her mind at some semblance of peace, the alicorn no longer had a reason to stay awake.
“Princess?” Aerated asked softly.
“Princess!” April cried.
“Let’s get her back to town,” May instructed. The other two guards nodded.

Act II, Part VIII: Escalation

Aching pain engulfed Gustopha’s body as she stirred awake and shuffled in the soft bed she had been placed in. Her muscles felt stiff and sore, and her very skin fought her attempts to move.
“Easy, Princess!” Precipice squeaked, “You’re still hurt pretty bad…”
Gustopha’s eyes slowly opened, and she groaned. Her body was still horribly burnt, though the scars were much lighter as her fur attempted to grow back.
“How are the others?” Gustopha asked, voice slightly frantic, “May, April, Aerated.”
“They’re okay. A little battered up, but nothing serious. They told me what happened,” Precipice explained.
Gustopha smiled weakly. “Good,” She replied, voice still hoarse as her eyes closed again. Her breathing was marked with the soft wheeze of a burnt throat.
“They also told me you want to make more verdants,” Precipice admitted, “They seemed really worried.”

Gustopha’s muscles flared in pain as she tensed up. “I’m not sure yet…” She admitted quietly.
“I’d support you, Princess,” Precipice expressed, “I was worried at first, but Stoneheart seemed healthier this morning than he did before the surgery. You did a good job.”
“Thank you, Precipice…” Gustopha replied hesitantly, “I have been thinking about potential candidates,” She admitted.
“Who?” Precipice asked.
“April and May,” Gustopha replied, “They don’t have Stoneheart’s size, but that shouldn’t be a problem, now that I know what I’m doing when it comes to the actual surgery. They demonstrated strong magical potential this morning in the cave, too.”
Precipice nodded a little. “What of Aerated Turf? She’s the other of the first four guards you ever had, right?” She asked.

Gustopha hesitated. “Aerated Turf is… Not suited for it,” She admitted, “I’d have to figure out how to split pegasi magic both ways, and there’s no guarantee the split would stick… Chances are, her body would reject having more than one magical output. Either the plant would die, or her wings would.”
Precipice blinked. “Aren’t you a live example of why two magical outputs is feasible?” She asked.

“There’s more at play than just moving magic around,” Gustopha expressed, “I don’t have any exact information on my creation, but I do know a few variables: Me and the wing donor were both deceased, the doctor used magical implants to jumpstart my body’s systems, and I think he performed some sort of incantation to grant me earth pony magic, in place of a more physical solution,” She explained, “Aerated is not dead, and I don’t have the ability to implant magic like the doctor did to stabilize everything.”

Precipice blinked. She hadn’t expected such a comprehensive answer; admittedly, though, it made sense. Considering how rare alicorns were, she could only assume that anything equivalent to an alicorn would be appreciably difficult to create. At least, Precipice assumed that a pegasus-verdant would be similarly powerful to an alicorn. There was no way to really know for sure, save for testing things directly, which would not be happening any time soon.
“Couldn’t you just go as-” Precipice began.

“No,” Gustopha replied sternly, “He has done enough to me to last a lifetime. I do not need to grovel for his advice.”
Precipice flinched at the sudden harshness in Gustopha’s otherwise weak, wheezing tone. “Of- Of course. Apologies, your highness,” She replied meekly.
Gustopha sighed a little, accompanied by another hoarse wheeze. “It’s alright… Just, please refrain from talking about him,” She requested.
Precipice nodded, going quiet to allow Gustopha to rest.

It took Gustopha another day to rest enough to walk again. Her alicorn metabolism served her well in terms of recovery, but magical injuries like the ones she had sustained would leave their marks. It would take her some time before she was fully healed.
“You shouldn’t be flying yourself home in that condition, Princess,” Aerated Turf expressed, “It takes a lot of effort.”
Gustopha huffed softly in annoyance. “I suppose you’re right, but that puts us down a chariot,” She expressed.
“We can spread the load over a couple of the others,” Aerated promised.
“Are you certain?” Gustopha asked.
Aerated nodded. “Positive. We’ve had to chain chariots once or twice because of a pegasus with a downed wing,” She recalled.
Gustopha nodded hesitantly and stepped aboard one of the chariots, seating herself calmly.

The flight back was, thankfully, uneventful. It gave the princess time to think about her next course of action… She still had a few months to wait before her diplomacy with the moon would start. Celestia had expressed interest in familiarizing her with day court and those sorts of royal proceedings, which would be a necessity for her as a princess. And, of course, there was the matter of her own personal projects…

Gustopha wasn’t entirely decided yet on if she was going to go through with making more verdants. What the mock-alicorn had said had rattled her good, even if it shouldn’t have. Gustopha pondered the advantages and disadvantages. More verdants of course meant more Blightsbane pods that could be distributed without worry of spoilage. But then again… It would likely broadcast her actions. Was she ready for that kind of scrutiny? Could she avoid said scrutiny at this point?

Gustopha jerked out of her thoughts as the chariot landed. Stepping off once it was settled. “Thank you, both of you,” Gustopha expressed, slowly pacing into the castle.
She noticed the castle felt a bit emptier. “Where is Celestia?” She asked a solar guard.
“She’s in day court today,” The guard replied, “You might be able to catch the last couple hours if you hurry.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened, and she uttered a hurried, “Thank you,” Before heading up to the court.
Gustopha did not want to make a fuss as she entered. She very quietly slipped in the door, and attempted to slink around the side of the room unnoticed.

Celestia’s eyes widened as she saw Gustopha’s still largely burnt form. Putting a pin in her own thought, the elder alicorn turned to her adoptive sister. “Gustopha! What happened in Manehattan?” She asked, flying to Gustopha’s side.
Gustopha hesitated. All of the court’s eyes were now on her. Then again, this would be a good time to say something important. She had a lot of attentive ears on her.
“I ran into a particularly powerful creature of the blight,” Gustopha conceded, “In the effort of banishing it, I had to overpower my magic… The fire spread from my horn, and thus, here I am.”
A small murmur ran across the court, and Celestia nodded slowly. “How powerful was it?” She asked hesitantly.
“It was able to speak, like you and I… It overpowered the three guards I had with me at the time with ease, and it knew things it shouldn’t,” Gustopha admitted, “Things I should… Perhaps be transparent about, before the court.”
Celestia nodded a bit, helping Gustopha over to the royal podium. “You can address the court in a moment, okay?” She promised, “I’m just finishing up some provisional orders over food supplies.”

Gustopha nodded, allowing herself to overhear the conversation, but not speaking on it directly. It was a conversation about the distribution of food supplies from the towns that could still produce; or even those that now produced with Gustopha’s help. A good portion of the court’s envoys didn’t know about the source of the Blightsbane trees; and a substantial portion of that section still didn’t know the trees existed at all.
Celestia stepped down from the podium and turned to face Gustopha. “Are you sure you’re okay to face the court?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded and stepped up, taking a deep breath. The audible wheeze from the back of her throat wasn’t reassuring, but she prepared to speak anyways.

“Over the past month or so, I have been experimenting,” Gustopha began, “I have, with success, implanted a plant within a pony, and have altered their magic in such a way that they are compatible. As of my last checkup with them, they face no adverse health effects, the plant has rooted well, and they are producing.”
A dull roar fell over the court. It seemed this news wasn’t going to be received with unanimous support of the crowd as it had with her guard.
“And by whose grace were you allowed to conduct such and experiment?” Asked a courtgoer, “You’re messing with the very fabric of what makes us ponies!”

Celestia stepped up beside Gustopha. “My own,” Celestia stated firmly, “I oversaw her preparation, and gave her clearance to go through with the procedure. She is pushing the limits of our kind, yes, but not without the deserved respect.” The first point was, technically an exaggeration of Celestia’s involvement with greenlighting the project, but Gustopha didn’t feel it necessary to correct her.
Some shocked gasps emanated from the crowd.
“You’re facilitating a mad scientist!” A voice called from the back.
Gustopha’s ears pinned back slightly. This was, admittedly, exactly what she was afraid of, and yet that fear hadn’t helped her prepare at all.
Celestia was now officially in “protective big sister” mode. She gently pushed Gustopha back away from the podium and took the stand herself.

“I will not tolerate such slander in my court,” Celestia announced firmly, “Gustopha is, so far, the only pony who has made appreciable contributions to the removal of the blight that now infests our land. Her methods are extreme, yes, but so is the danger we face. You can see the scars she now bears after a battle with what the blight is capable of. This is not an issue we can avoid any longer.”
Again, a rolling murmur fell across the court. A fair few ponies were in support of the “extreme methods”; it would probably be a majority in her favour, should it come to voting.
“Envoys of our great land: I’m sure you are all in agreement that we do not want to see our land suffer any longer. We are all tired of burying mares, stallions, and foals alike; we are all tired of seeing our brothers and sisters starve in the streets. Is it too much to ask that we not immediately cast out our first practical solution?” Celestia asked.
Amazingly, the court fell silent. A moment of pure, unbridled contemplation.

Gustopha stepped back towards the podium. “Should I take this direction further, I aim to do it in the most morally agreeable way possible,” Gustopha explained, “My subject knew all the risks of the treatment. He was given time to think over his decision. And now, he is in the castle infirmary, being given the best possible care through his recovery. I aim for any such future subjects to go through a similar process of information, deliberation, and support.”
This seemed to sway a few of the more on-the-fence courtgoers. Did they really think she’d just cut open a stallion without any regard for his thoughts on the matter?
“How many subjects do you intend to take?” One of the court’s more dissenting voices asked.
Gustopha hesitated. “That remains to be determined. I would like a sample size of five to start; further subjects will not be accepted until the initial sample is deemed medically fit for unassisted living, which is a timespan I hope won’t exceed a few months,” She explained.
A few of the court’s voices asked her about risks and dangers related to the surgery. Those were questions she had answers to. Very, very detailed answers. Celestia briefly looked at the clock. Dinner would be late tonight.

The court almost seemed a bit bored as Gustopha finished with her explanation. It had been quite thorough; she’d essentially described every step, and all possible risks that could arise. By now, the camps had arisen: Those supporting Gustopha’s further pursuits, assuming proper care was taken, and those would would remain staunchly opposed even if the blight claimed everypony they’d loved.

“I believe it is best to put this up to vote,” Celestia said, nodding to a pair of solar guards, who quickly moved around the inside of the court table, giving ballots to everypony present, aside from the princesses themselves. “If you support the further development of the verdant tribe, mark affirmative. If you do not, mark negative. Spoiled ballots will not be counted, and as this is a matter of national importance, majority will rule,” Celestia explained.

The court fell silent as everypony considered their vote carefully. Even Gustopha considered the ups and downs of pursuing her own line of research. She wanted this to be as unbiased as possible.
After all the ballots had been collected, they were counted by a pair of solar guards, whom were assumed to be a neutral party. One of the guards shoved the taller stack towards Princess Celestia. She briefly looked at the stack, and nodded sagely.

“I, Princess Celestia, observe that this court lies in favour of the pursuit of further verdant experimentation, by majority vote,” She announced.
The court got loud for a moment as the table responded to the news. The angriest ponies were the loudest, but most were quietly content or discontent. A very small hoofful remained neutral.

Gustopha gave a small sigh of relief. She still got a few angry looks, but she at least the court’s majority approved of her research. It gave her a sense of stability; some concrete idea that she was doing the right thing.
Celestia turned to Gustopha and gave a small frown at the somewhat bleary look on her adopted sister’s face.
“Would you like to go rest some more?” Celestia asked softly.
Gustopha, hesitantly, gave a small nod. The exhaustion of her encounter with the mock-alicorn still gripped her, even as her magic had had time to recharge. Skipping a night of sleep just before using more of her magic than she ever had before was probably going to have its repercussions.
“Go ahead, I’ll finish up here,” Celestia promised. Gustopha nodded thankfully and slunk out of the room.

The princess did, however, to go check on Stoneheart in the infirmary. She actually had a bit of trouble finding him; he was in the infirmary cafeteria, receiving something to eat. The stallion’s eyes widened slightly as he saw the burnt physique of the princess walk in.
“How are you feeling, Stoneheart?” Gustopha asked softly, sitting beside him.
“I am well, Princess… I should be asking you the same thing,” He expressed, “What happened in Manehattan?”
Gustopha huffed softly in annoyance and briefly recounted her experience with the mock-alicorn.

Stoneheart’s eyes widened. “To think the blight could assemble such a creature…” He muttered, before turning away, “I’m sorry, Princess. Had I known the danger, I would have-” Gustopha cut him off.
“You would have stayed behind, by my order,” Gustopha interjected, “That creature was powerful. Even with Blightsbane magic becoming one with your own, your body in its compromised state might not have had what it needed to fight off such an infection.”

Stoneheart sat in stunned silence for a moment, but he simply nodded a bit. “Of course, Princess,” He replied with a soft sigh.
“You have a far higher purpose, Stoneheart,” Gustopha insisted, “One you would not be able to fulfill, should haste make you succumb early.”
Stoneheart again gave a small nod. “Naturally,” He remarked curtly.
“In that vein… I have been given permission to continue with more experimentation into the creation of verdants,” Gustopha began, “In the coming weeks, you’ll be joined by four others. You five will be our first sample, to prove the stability of the magic at play.”
Stoneheart nodded a bit. “I see,” He replied, “It would be nice to not be alone in this regard, I’ll admit that much. There is something about being the only pony of my kind… An indescribable loneliness. The idea that my death would be an act of genocide,” He attempted.

Gustopha nodded slowly and pulled the stallion into a hug. “Rest assured, I won’t let that happen, Stoneheart,” She promised, “I will make you some fellows. Then, you won’t be alone.”
Stoneheart leaned against the princess. The texture of her burnt fur was crisp, and it made him grimace slightly. The texture of his failure to protect her. “Do not rush yourself for my sake, Princess,” He requested softly.
Gustopha nodded. ‘Of course,” She replied, “All in due time… I need to remember I have plenty of it,” She expressed.
Stoneheart chuckled softly. “You still aren’t used to being an immortal?” He asked.
“I suspect it will take a lifetime for that thought to take root,” Gustopha conceded, releasing her grip on the stallion.
Stoneheart nodded a bit. “Take care of yourself, Princess,” He requested.
Gustopha nodded. “I will, Stoneheart. You too,” She bade, standing up and returning to her room.

Gustopha nestled under her covers and sighed deeply in comfort. Snug in her own bed, surrounded by healthy plants teeming with life energy… It relaxed her thoroughly. Despite the faint aches of her burnt skin and exhausted muscles, Gustopha had little difficulty falling into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Plantation huffed and puffed as she galloped to the small crater at the edge of the field. “Tex!” She squeaked, “Tex, are you okay?”
A wobbly brown hoof lazily extended from the shallow pit, waving. “Fine…” Texas grumbled softly.
Plantation’s horn ignited, helping her muscles pull Texas Toast from the ground. She squeaked as he jerked free, falling backwards with him on top of her.
Texas shook his head, trying to clear the dizzy feeling. “Ugh… I really need to learn to stop,” He grumbled softly.

“Tex, you scared me,” Plantation whined, hugging her friend tightly, “You hit the ground hard.”
Texas gave a small smile. “You think one bump would be enough to tackle me?” He asked with a dismissive giggle.
Plantation sighed a little and just held the colt close. “You still scared me when you hit the ground and didn’t get up…” She whined.

The next few days were busy, but in an uninteresting sense. Gustopha would largely finish recovering from her injuries, and she would go about preparations for making more verdants. Finding candidates would, of course, be the hard part, so Gustopha started with the two candidates she had the most faith in: April and May.
The two earth ponies allowed the Princess to hold their full attention as she explained the potential dangers of the surgery. They were both contemplative for a long moment, weighing the ups and downs in their head.
“I’m sorry, Princess… I don’t think I’d be comfortable going through with the procedure,” April admitted, “May and I have already lost a sister, and-” She was cut off by May.

“I’ll do it, Princess. For everyone,” May interrupted, “Stoneheart’s told us about how diligently you’ve checked up on him. I have faith.”
April looked at May with stunned eyes. “May, you’re-” She didn’t even have time to start her thought.
“April, you are my sister, not my mother. Do you not have faith that the Princess will take good care of me?” May asked sternly.

April hesitated. “I…” She trailed off with a hard sigh, “What if something happens to you?” She asked, anger swelling in her tone.
“Nothing will happen,” May huffed, “Gustopha has shown herself to be exceptionally diligent, especially when it comes to medical matters. If there’s anypony I’d trust my life to, it’s her,” She expressed, before continuing in a more solemn tone, “Besides… This way I can truly avenge March. Nopony will ever have to starve on my watch again.”
April went silent, and looked away dejectedly.
“If I may… What happened to March?” Gustopha asked softly.

April’s eyes became wet with tears, but May bit her tongue. “March was a general in charge of us during the war; a proud warrior. She fought hard, for all of us, for everything. She found us food when rations were low, and shouldered blows that would have killed a lesser pony just to ensure we made it to another day. One day, though, we found her face down in her bed, blight rot seeping from a cut in her shoulder. The Lunar army was using poisoned weapons,” May explained slowly, tears now welling in her own eyes, “Th-the last thing she ever said to us was to make sure we were tidy in the morning to retreat back towards the capital.”
April was now quietly sobbing through her squeezed shut eyelids.

Hesitantly, Gustopha pulled both of them into a hug. “I’m sorry, April, May. I had no idea,” She expressed softly.
April barely managed to make out words through her tear-choked throat. “I-if I lost another sister… I-I don’t know what I’d do,” She whimpered, leaning into the princess’ embrace.
May didn’t break down like her sister, but Gustopha could still feel the grief in her stance as she slumped a bit in the grasp.
Gustopha didn’t say anything. What could she say? She wasn’t foolish enough to think that everypony around her lacked emotional baggage, but this wasn’t the type of thing the alicorn was comfortable with just passing over. So, she held the two sisters close, and allowed them to grieve.

May eventually wriggled out of Gustopha’s grip, and the alicorn released April, who’d managed to recompose herself. “I-I’m sorry, Princess,” April stammered.
“It’s okay, April,” Gustopha promised, gently stroking April’s mane, “Just because you’re asked to be strong doesn’t mean you should be scolded when you’re weak.”
April hesitated. “I want to go through with the surgery,” She expressed, voice more determined despite its slight warble, “If May trusts you, then I want-” Her voice briefly caught in her throat, “I want to share her faith.”
Gustopha was slightly taken aback by the proclamation. “Are you certain?” Gustopha asked, “The surgery is permanent; once the plant is rooted, removing it would be dangerous, if not fatal.”

April nodded, her face more stern now. “May and I promised each other that we’d always be by each other’s side,” She stated, “If she wishes to go through with the surgery, then I will go through it with her.”
May looked at her sister. “April…” She attempted.
“My mind is made up, May,” April huffed softly, her hoof pressing against May’s.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “I won’t be doing more than one surgery in a single day, but I’ll be sure you both know in advance. I still need two more volunteers, which I’ll be looking for today,” She admitted.

“We could show you to the royal guard academy. I’m sure you’d find some willing volunteers there,” May expressed, “Besides, I don’t think Celestia’s shown you to it yet.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “It would be helpful to have a greater pool of candidates to draw from,” She agreed, “Lead the way.”
The three mares stood up and began walking out of the castle, towards a large fort. In the courtyard, dozens (maybe even hundreds) of ponies seemed to be running some kind of drill.

“This is the royal academy,” May explained, “Before the war, every single guard or soldier that Equestria had was trained here, on-base. During the war, though, more forts were built to train soldiers across Equestria.”
“...The Lunar army had their own, private training grounds, too,” April added, her tone slightly grisly, as if she’d seen firsthand what they were like.
Gustopha slowly nodded. She supposed all the troops had to come from somewhere… Still, the building in and of itself was awe-inspiring.
“If the war is over, why are there so many ponies still being trained?” Gustopha asked.

“It’s the country’s equivalent of a lingering adrenaline rush,” May remarked, “Your energy doesn’t die away the second the threat is removed. Plus, there’s worry one of our neighboring kingdoms might take advantage of our weakness. At least, that’s how it was explained to me,” She added.
Gustopha nodded again, taking in the scale of both the building and the small army within it.

A tall unicorn mare in particularly ornate golden armor approached the three; she was a vibrant orange with a tied-back yellow mane and tail. “Uh-oh. The Showers givin’ ya trouble, Princess?” She asked with a chuckle.
“Far from it; they’re helping me find two more candidates for my upcoming trials,” Gustopha explained, a small smile on her face.
The mare nodded. “The verdant whatsits, eh?” She asked, “Well, I’ve plenty of strong ponies; I don’t tolerate whelps and malingerers in my academy.” The mare then offered a hoof. “Blazing Corona. I’m the drill instructor,” She introduced.
Gustopha gently shook the mare’s hoof, and Corona chuckled. “You’ve got a mighty soft shake, Princess. You oughtta come train up with the recruits sometimes,” Corona teased.
Gustopha smiled softly. “I’m not a fighter,” She retorted, “But, if any of your soldiers need emergency medical attention, I’ve become quite familiar with the workings of pony interiors as of late.”

Corona nodded a bit. “Really now? Alright, a soldier gets his leg blown off from a magical blast. What do you do?” Corona asked gruffly.
“Assuming he’s wearing metal armor, I remove a plate and heat it to cauterize the wound. If the materials are present, a splint is fastened to his leg so he can walk himself somewhere safe for proper medical care. If there’s no such metal implement to cauterize the wound properly, his tail will be severed and fastened into a tourniquet to slow the bleeding until proper medical attention can be delivered. Infections will be dealt with as needed,” Gustopha replied, surprisingly evenly.
Corona seemed a bit taken aback by how thorough Gustopha’s answer was. “I, err… I see, yes,” Corona replied hesitantly. About half of Gustopha’s explanation had gone over her head.
“Could you assemble the recruits so she could tell them about the procedure?” April requested, “There’s a fair amount to go over.”

Corona nodded. “I’ll round up everypony in the mess hall. Give me thirty,” She replied, “Showers, get the Princess settled in; make sure she’s comfy.” The mare turned and walked away without another word, already barking orders at the recruits.
“Do you think she found my answer adequate?” Gustopha asked softly, “I’ve never been in a fight against something that wasn’t blighted,” She admitted.
“You did just fine, Princess,” April promised with a soft chuckle, “Right this way.”

Gustopha followed the two earth ponies into the fort, looking around in awe. Paintings of decorated war heroes lined the walls, clearly intending honor upon those who have aspired for great things. Gustopha briefly paused as she saw the plaque beneath a particularly studly earth pony mare who had soft blue fur and a mane the orangey brown of dead grass.
“March Showers: Big sister to all, stranger to greed. Taken too soon by the blight that took from us all.”

“That was your sister, I take it?” Gustopha asked softly.
May simply nodded. “The one and only,” She replied.
April huffed a bit. “I hate that painting,” She muttered, “Too much emphasis on her face… Makes her look like a stallion.”
Gustopha simply nodded, following her guards down to a particularly large hall. Tables filled much of the room, though there was a fair amount of space to walk. The pair of guards lead Gustopha to a small stage, presumably intended for presenting.

Gustopha looked curiously at a thick pipe protruding from the ground in the front-middle of the stage.
“That’s the PA system. You speak into it, and it projects your voice all around the room,” May explained.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “How does it work?” She asked, briefly gazing upon the unassuming pipe.
“That, I don’t know,” May admitted.
Gustopha watched as recruits filed in from various entrances into the hall. April and May stood on either side of her; it gave her a sort of regal feeling, even if her royal procession was a bit meager at just two ponies.

As the recruits finished settling in, the hall went deafeningly silent as Corona took the stage. “Alright, that’s just about everyone. Now, listen closely: You are being addressed by the Princess herself. I’m nice about mucking around when I’m speaking because I know it’ll bite you in the flank later, but if I catch any of you faffing around or having a chin-wag during the Princess’ audience, I will personally see to it that you’re punished worse than the bastards we sent to the moon some decade ago,” Corona stated, “Do I make myself crystal clear?”
“SIR YES SIR!” The hall roared back.
Gustopha flinched at the sudden loud noise. She hoped that the recruits wouldn’t all pipe up like that all at once again.
Corona stopped back to the side. “They’re all yours, Princess,” She added curtly.

Gustopha took a short breath and stepped forward to address the crowd. She leaned towards the pipe and began speaking. Compared to Corona’s harsh, gruff tongue, Gustopha’s voice might as well have been the soft coo of an angel.
“I am in need of test subjects for an experiment into the future of our ongoing battle against the blight. I have been, up until recently in secret, developing weapons against it; the Blightsbane trees you now see around the castle and courtyard are one such development,” Gustopha explained, “However, this next direction is a far more potent one: I have begun grafting ponies directly with samples of the tree. These ‘verdants’, as I have dubbed them, are already shaping up to be an evolution in our fight. However, I am about to be in short supply of volunteers, which is where you all come in.”
Gustopha took a moment to allow the crowd to digest. She could see ponderous looks on most of the ponies’ faces, but not a single one dared speak.

“The criteria are as follows: I am in need of earth ponies, of above-average physical fitness. They must be willing to accept the potential dangers and complications that may arise with surgery, and will spend up to two months in recovery. They will not have a choice in which regiment they join: They will join the terran guard, under my command, when their training is complete,” Gustopha listed off, “At current, I am only in need of two more volunteers. However, come the full re-entrance of the new verdants into guard life, I will be returning for more. As for pegasi, unicorns, and those earth ponies who are not comfortable with the modification procedure, I will be opening up spaces in the terran guard for those who will serve under the verdants themselves.”
Again, Gustopha gave a small pause. She then began to list off every possible danger she knew of with the surgery; she had the entire audience captive right now, might as well not waste it.

One long, gruelingly detailed explanation later, Gustopha stepped away from the PA system. “Thank you,” She said quietly.
Corona shook herself off in a rare moment of lacking discipline. Opaque medical discussion had not been on her listening list for the afternoon. “To lighten the load on our princess, I will be vetting your applications myself. Make me good ‘n’ proud to call you our guard’s next generation,” Corona insisted.
Gustopha was ready for the crowd’s reply this time. “SIR YES SIR!” Came the chant.
“Alright, back to your training with ya. You’ve had enough quiet time with our Princess for a week!” Corona bellowed.
The mass of recruits quickly filed out of the room, presumably to go about their business.

Gustopha hesitated. “You could stand to be a bit gentler with them, couldn’t you?” She asked, “They are just recruits.”
Corona looked at the princess for a long moment. She wanted to object in particularly spectacular fashion, but there was something innocent about Gustopha’s tone. It was a childlike innocence: A lack of knowledge.
Corona sighed. “I’m not rough on them because I want to hurt them, Princess. I’m rough on them because I want them to be prepared for the rigors of battle. The battlefield is loud; ponies are screaming orders at you, you’ve got hostiles bearing down on you, you might be hurt… I need to toughen my recruits up what little I can so they can keep a level head in that scenario,” She expressed.
Gustopha nodded contemplatively. “I see,” She replied softly, “Thank you for your time, Blazing Corona.”
Corona nodded, bidding the three mares farewell.

Once again, Gustopha’s mind allowed itself to fill with thoughts of preparation. She didn’t have applicants from the academy, of course, but she had April and May she could schedule for.
“Do either of you have a preference on going before the other?” Gustopha asked.
May nodded. “I’d like to go first,” She expressed.
April nodded a bit. “That’s fine. I didn’t have a preference,” She admitted.

Gustopha nodded. “I’ll have May scheduled for two days’ time, and April the day after. You will both need to spend the days leading up to the surgery in the infirmary being prepared for the grafting,” She explained.
“Right… The immunosuppressants, right Princess?” May asked.
Gustopha nodded. “That’s correct,” She replied, “You will explain to the doctors you are preparing for an organ transplant. In the intervening days, I will be collecting fresh scions for the grafting, and resting my magic,” She explained.
April and May nodded dutifully, answering, “Yes ma’am,” In unison as they broke away to walk to the infirmary.

Act II, Part IX: Acceleration

Gustopha looked at the clock briefly. It wasn’t dinner time, yet, despite how thorough her addressal had been. So, she went to her room and studied. She’d amassed quite the hoard of rare and valuable tomes on medicine and medical practice; some of which had been procured from the library’s forbidden section. Such books were marked with tags in the bookcase; spells she could use to recall the books remotely, rather than storing them somewhere so relatively insecure.

Gustopha was not going to be reading any forbidden books, though. Not today. Instead, she was going to read a journal: Her journal. It was a compilation of every note that was relevant to the process of verdant creation. Pony anatomy, appropriate spell usage, a few failsafe procedures in the event the pony body proves to be difficult, and of course all of her notes on actually growing a plant in a pony’s body without causing horrible ingrowing effects. The magic manipulation spell was perhaps the most imperative component. The ability to take an earth pony’s magic, direct it into a new output, and have it retain that output, was a power very few ponies possessed; and really, it was a power that should not be possessed by many at all.

Gustopha could only assume Dr. Thanamus had developed a similar technique, and that thought made her grimace. The idea that a pony as wily as the doctor could make something as powerful as herself, in only a matter of a month at most, was realistically terrifying. She could only hope there were costs involved that she didn’t understand. Then again, she remembered what the doctor had said to her:

“You’re the only one who’s made it this far.”

He’d said it in such a nonchalant way. His tone had been lax, or perhaps even carefree. The only one? Were there others? How many bodies had he butchered to try and make her a reality? Why was she the right one? Gustopha shook her head. That wasn’t a productive line of questioning. She was right here, right now, preparing to cement her creations as a true kind rather than a fleeting marvel of magic and discipline. It made Gustopha’s heart hurt just a bit. Should she succeed, her mark on ponykind would almost certainly be permanent. Was she ready to leave that sort of eternal note on Equestria’s history? She could only hope so.

It was at dinner that night that Gustopha looked at Celestia with some conviction in her eyes. "Sister… Do you truly believe I'm doing the right thing?" Gustopha asked.
Celestia nodded. "I do, Gustopha. You've taken all the proper precautions, you haven't denied anypony any crucial information, and you are a talented surgeon. I went and talked to Stoneheart a bit myself… The branches almost look natural, really," She admitted, smiling gently at Gustopha, "I promise, if I had objections to your research, I would have voiced them during the court."
Gustopha slowly nodded. "If you say so, Celestia," She replied softly, "April and May will be undergoing the surgery in the next few days. Then, I'll be getting some recruits from the academy," Gustopha explained.

Celestia smiled a bit. "The academy? I take it you met Blazing Corona, then," She supposed.
Gustopha nodded and chuckled awkwardly. "I did… She is quite a character," She remarked curtly.
Celestia laughed. "She is indeed," She replied, "But, she has given me nothing but wonderful guards, so I trust her methods."
Gustopha nodded a bit. "I anticipate she will choose some good candidates for the last two spots in the initial trial," She expressed, "Ponies fit to be captains of their own regiments."
Celestia tilted her head. "Captains?" She asked.
"The guard is becoming too big for me to effectively manage by myself. I've decided that at least the first few verdants will take the mantle of Captain," Gustopha explained.
Celestia nodded a bit. "I suppose that makes sense," She hummed softly.

Celestia sat ponderously for a moment. “Do you ever intend to try grafting non-Blightsbane plants to ponies?” She asked.
Gustopha looked at Celestia with a look of confusion. “Why would I do that?” She asked, “The verdant project is for the express purpose of combating the blight, which the Blightsbane tree is designed for.”
Celestia nodded a bit. “Well, there is another issue that we will be facing soon,” Celestia admitted, “With our land devastated, the stores of food we have for the winter have been shrinking every year. Rationing has been very deliberate for a few years now.”
Gustopha nodded slowly.
“But a verdant would keep producing, even as the seasons turn, yes?” Celestia continued.
Gustopha hesitated. “In theory, yes… A pony does not go dormant as a plant does, so they wouldn’t cease typical activities,” She supposed.
“Thus, verdants could act as…” Celestia trailed off as she tried to find the correct word, “Emergency provisioners.”

Gustopha stared at Celestia with wide eyes. She had no doubt that Celestia was only asking out of Equestria’s best interest, but it was still a bit of a shock that the elder princess would even suggest such a thing.
“...There would be some complications,” Gustopha admitted, “Chief amongst them being that most plants hold vastly different magic than ponies. Blightsbane is special because I’ve altered it myself, and any such 'provisioners' would need crops that have been similarly altered.”
Celestia nodded slowly. “How soon could you make another suitable crop?” She asked.
Gustopha thought hard for a moment. In theory she had the groundwork already laid for modifying other plants, though the cocoa tree had been selected for a few particular reasons.

“I wouldn’t be able to have a timeline on demand like this. Finding a suitable candidate last time was easy; I just needed something capable of regular production with edible seeds. Having to pick from pre-existing feed crops will be a challenge,” Gustopha admitted.
Celestia nodded a bit, and sighed. “I’m sorry, Gustopha,” She apologized, “I don’t mean to put undue pressure on you. I just can’t watch my country starve for another year,” She expressed solemnly.

Gustopha set a hoof on Celestia’s. “I know, Celestia, and I want to help… However, I have obligations to the court in terms of timing and procedure. Once the first batch of verdants are properly sorted, I will start making more… I’d like to open up testing to the public, in time. I don’t want verdants to gain a reputation as a military force only. They’re still ponies,” Gustopha expressed.
Celestia nodded again. “Of course, Gustopha… Take the time as you need.” Celestia’s gaze became pleading. “But please… If you can find a way…” She trailed off.
Gustopha leaned into Celestia, pressing her muzzle to Celestia’s cheek and closing her eyes. “I will,” She promised quietly.

After dinner, Gustopha went to her room to think. She realized she was about to have a lot on her plate in the coming few months with the verdant project, not to mention the diplomatic efforts with the ponies of the moon. For once, Gustopha set aside some time to write herself out an agenda, instead of hoping her mind would be able to handle everything internally. After some time of fervent scheduling, the Princess would rest for her coming weeks of activity.

May’s surgery was a resounding success; she’d placed full trust in Gustopha’s capabilities, and her faith had paid off. It was instead April who was the more nervous of the two…
“Is it going to hurt, Princess?” April asked, shifting uncomfortably on the operating table as Gustopha carefully drew a syringe full of anesthetic.
“Hurt?” Gustopha asked softly, before shaking her head, “You won’t feel a thing. I’m going to anesthetize you, so for you, it will be like taking a nap,” She promised, gently stroking April’s mane.
April blinked. “A nap?” She questioned, “I will be asleep?”
“In a manner of speaking. You didn’t think I’d be operating on you while you were awake, did you?” Gustopha asked.

April frowned awkwardly. “I… Kind of assumed so, Princess,” She admitted. She squeaked as the syringe was poked into her shoulder, its contents plunged into her body before the implement was pulled away.
“There. That was the extent of the pain you’ll be feeling; just a little poke,” Gustopha promised with a smile, “Just relax and close your eyes, and I’ll see you when you wake up, okay?”
April hesitantly obliged, closing her eyes and relaxing on the the operating table the best she could. It didn’t take long for the injected drugs to kick in. Sure enough, it was like falling asleep.
Gustopha gave the mare a gentle, reassuring stroke on the back, half to comfort her and half to gauge if the medicine had taken effect. Once Gustopha was satisfied it had, she took a deep breath and went to work.

Given that Gustopha planned to have several subjects recovering at a time, Gustopha had requested her verdants have their own recovery room in the infirmary. It was a bit of a lofty ask, but then again, the staff weren’t just going to say no to the Princess herself, especially given that this project now had Celestia and the court’s blessing.
When April awoke, she found May in the bed to her left, and Stoneheart softly conversing with her. April let out a soft, partially cognizant groan.

Stoneheart smiled gently at her. “Welcome back to the land of the waking, April,” He greeted softly.
April attempted to shake herself off. She felt heavy, but in a sort of comforting way. Like she was still asleep.
“Easy… It hits you like a full cart the first time you wake up,” Stoneheart said, walking to April’s side, “Your strength will return in time, though not fully.”
April gave a weak nod. Her body refused to speak.
May slowly slid out of her bed, stumbling a bit on her hooves. Stoneheart moved to help her stand. “See? We all made it, April,” May promised softly, awkwardly pacing forward and pressing her snout to her sister’s.
April grumbled softly. “Nerves for nothing…” She muttered, part-coherently.
Stoneheart smiled. “It’s natural,” He promised, “The feeling fades with time.”

The three guards went quiet as the Princess entered the room. “Good morning, everyone,” Gustopha greeted gently.
“Good morning, Princess,” May and Stoneheart replied. April simply mumbled half-coherently.
“Ahh… April just woke up, I take it?” Gustopha asked, gently pacing over to the bed.
May nodded. “No more than ten minutes ago,” She replied.
Gustopha gently rubbed April’s mane. “You’re still feeling the anesthetic, but it will clear up in time. Everything went well,” She promised.
April nodded a little, muttering a gentle, “Thank you.”
“And May, how are you feeling?” Gustopha asked gently.
“I’m feeling better. No more grogginess, just getting used to the muscle weakness,” May answered.
Gustopha smiled. “Good. I have no doubt you two recover swiftly like Stoneheart has,” She expressed.

Gustopha then sighed. “Unfortunately, I can’t spend as much time with you all today as I have the few days prior,” She expressed, “I’ve a lot to to do in the upcoming months, and right now preparations are going to be important. The infirmary staff know to contact me, should any problems arise.”
Stoneheart nodded. “Of course, Princess. We await your return,” He replied dutifully.
Gustopha nodded and left the room, heading to the castle library. Given her tendency to hoard books in her own private study, Gustopha didn’t visit the library very often. However, today, she needed some more reading material: Material on plants. Celestia wanted her to look into more civilian verdant plants, and thus Gustopha needed to find some suitable candidates.

Once she’d gotten the small pile of horticulture encyclopedias, she returned to her room and began to read. Gustopha realized very quickly that there were a lot of potential candidates, even in the somewhat limited range of “must be pre-existing feed crops”.
Gustopha’s focus was broken when there was a knock at her door. She walked to the door and opened it, a member of her guard on the other side.
“The applications from the academy are in, Princess,” The guard explained, gesturing to the small pile of papers on his back.
Gustopha’s horn ignited to take the stack, and she smiled. “Thank you,” She replied, shutting the door gently behind her and walking back inside. She set the stack on the corner of her table for later review.

Some time later, Gustopha had six candidates laid out for modification. A few fruits, one particularly hardy type of hay, and a couple non-food producers such as cotton that she’d set aside for later testing.
Gustopha then looked through the applications for the last couple verdants. Most of them fit the criteria, and she didn’t particularly care for any of them, given that she hadn’t met any of them personally. She set aside several particularly suitable candidates, and then picked two from that smaller stack. The rest would be filed away for further batches.

The next two weeks or so went by fairly calmly. Two completed surgeries, no major complications. Things seemed to be going well for the time being. Gustopha had even begun manipulating her first of Celestia’s requested feed crops: The hay plant was a bit tricky to work with, but it grew well, and Gustopha was soon satisfied with the result. Of course, the tricky part of working with hay was that it didn’t have a particularly strong scion, but Gustopha knew some ways she could get the stock she needed when the time came.
Now, however, she had to play the waiting game. Her verdants needed time to fully reintegrate back into their positions in the military; Stoneheart was the first such pony who was ready, and in fact, Gustopha opted to present him to the court as her first of many successes.

Stoneheart couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous as he sat in the rear entrance of the royal court. Sat next to him was a large pot of blighted dirt; he wasn’t afraid of the blight, of course, but the reception of his entire kind was now effectively riding on him. He could hear the Princess addressing the court from where we was sat:

“Ladies and gentlestallions of the court: Since we last congregated, I have been hard at work creating more verdants. All five of my subjects have taken to the plants willingly, and four of them are now resting comfortably in the castle infirmary,” Gustopha began, “However, my first subject is ready to be shown to you, as of today.”
A rolling murmur fell across the court as Gustopha walked to the rear entrance, horn illuminating as she opened the door and grabbed the pot of blighted soil. Stoneheart stood up and walked before the court. He wasn’t dressed in anything at the moment, as the Princess had requested. His armor awaited him back in the barracks.

“This is Stoneheart, one of the first ponies to be entrusted under my leadership. He underwent the procedure dauntlessly, despite the fact it was untested. And now,” Gustopha began, setting the pot of mucky soil before the court, “He is ready to show you all the results of that faith.”
Stoneheart curled his tail around, plucking one of the now full seed pods from his own branch carefully before tucking it into the pot of soil. It quickly took root in the blighted soil, growing before the court’s eyes as the pot was quickly exorcized of its blight content. A proper success, if anypony present had ever seen one.

Gustopha gave a small smile. “With this success, we are closer than ever to having effective countermeasures against the blight,” Gustopha said proudly, “In theory, the Blightsbane trees should remain active through the winter, if in a slower state. So, we should see significant progress against the blight.”
Another murmur rolled across the court. Some deliberation followed, and a voice then came from one side of the table: “How fast can you make them?” A courtgoer asked; they were a pink and navy earth pony.

Gustopha hesitated. “I have limited myself to one grafting per day,” Gustopha explained, “So as to not exhaust my focus, or the infirmary’s supplies. Per-patient, there’s a two day inoculation period, and recovery including de-escalation of the required immunosuppressants, though those can be overlapped fairly comfortably.”
“And you’ve only made five in two weeks?” The pony asked again.
“As per the guidelines I set the last time the court met, yes. Five verdants as a test sample, with more to follow should all go well,” Gustopha answered.
Some more noisy deliberation followed. In the meantime, Gustopha gave a small nod to Stoneheart, who took his leave. Stoneheart was thankful that he no longer had to stand before the court, and he had a small hunch that Gustopha recognized that. He would thank her later.

“We do not have time to waste,” The courtgoer expressed, “You will continue creating verdants… If at a slower pace, until your ‘test sample’ is ready.”
Gustopha blinked. “Are you certain? I would be capable of going forward early, but when we last gathered-” She was cut off by the pony continuing.
“When we last gathered, you had no live demonstration. We now see your handiwork and its applications plain as day. With winter coming up, we need our land and its people to be ready more than ever,” The courtgoer argued.
Gustopha hesitantly nodded. “Very well. I will work on more verdants in the meantime… Once the test batch is complete, I would like to open the procedure to civilians; albeit, using less militaristic plant samples,” She explained.

Once again, the court came to a boil of discussion; enough that Celestia, who had been quiet through Gustopha’s demonstration, spoke up.
“If there is this much deliberation about what should be done, we should vote on it,” Celestia raised, ballots being passed out, “All those in favour of accelerating the development of verdants should vote affirmative; those opposed, vote negative. I will provide the tiebreaking vote, should it be necessary.”
Gustopha took her seat next to Celestia, allowing the vote to pass. Contemplatively, Gustopha closed her eyes. How many verdants would she be expected to make? Winter was only some two months away, if a little longer. Not to mention, diplomacy with the moon would likely fragment her time more. She was very quickly realizing just how quickly being a princess could get, with so much riding on her time.

The ballots were turned in and counted. The stacks were not visibly skewed this time; at least, not in any pronounced way. However, when the ballots were pushed to Celestia, the verdict was made clear.
“I, Princess Celestia, observe that this court lies in favour of the pursuit of further verdant experimentation, by executive decision,” Celestia announced.
Some turmoil erupted across the court, but a sharp stamp of Celestia’s hoof quickly snuffed it out.
“You’re influencing the court’s decision!” A dissenter called out.
“The votes were even; thus, my vote was final,” Celestia explained simply, “As is our standard for motions of national importance like this.”
Some disgruntled murmuring rolled over the court, but it didn’t seem like anypony was going to attempt to overrule the princess’ decision, and thus the court continued.

The following proceedings weren’t nearly as interesting to Gustopha, but she stayed through until the end to try and acclimatize herself to the court’s atmosphere. Perhaps one day she’d have her own court to sort, after all; though that was likely far away.
After the court was sorted appropriately, the two alicorns retired to the dining hall for dinner.

Celestia looked at Gustopha, who seemed a bit tense. “Is something the matter, Gustopha?” Celestia asked.
“A lot has come upon my plate in a short amount of time,” Gustopha admitted, “Just two weeks ago I had plenty of time to prepare sample crops for civilian verdants, and now I’m about to be expected to ramp up to full production in the coming weeks. Nevermind the lunar diplomacy I should be expecting come the turn of the seasons in a couple months,” She heaved, briefly rubbing her muzzle.
Celestia nodded slowly. “...Should I have voted against the acceleration?” She asked, guilt tinging her voice.
“No. You voted for what was right for the kingdom,” Gustopha dismissed, “I am just fearful I won’t have enough time to meet everypony’s expectations.”

Celestia stood up from her chair and hugged Gustopha firmly. “You take all the time you need, Gustopha. I don’t think most of the court understands the time and energy it takes to alter a pony the way you do.”
Gustopha sighed gently, leaning into Celestia’s embrace. “Were it so easy to show them…” She muttered softly, “Thank you, sister.”
Celestia hesitated a bit at the utterance, but nodded. “Of course. There’s a reason I never wanted to be a lone ruler. While we occasionally trip over each other, we’re also those who give each other strength,” Celestia expressed.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “I certainly wouldn’t be able to do it without you,” She expressed, “I don’t know how you deal with some of those ponies head-on.” Gustopha offered a small chuckle.
Celestia laughed. “There’s a reason day court only meets every two weeks nowadays,” She remarked.

The two alicorns shared another round of laughter, but soon finished dinner and parted ways. Gustopha opted to sleep early; she would be using her magic plenty in the coming weeks, and thus, she felt rest would be her ally.
The combination of mounting pressure and anticipation, however, got to Gustopha. For the first time she could remember, she dreamt.

The room was cold; the stone floors felt as though they were made of ice, trying to seep into her. Gustopha attempted to stand up, and managed with some difficulty. A rotten smell filled her nose; the smell of blight.
Gustopha’s horn illuminated in a vain attempt to pierce the darkness. She was in a modestly-sized square room; one side was fairly clean, but from the other seeped an all-too-familiar rot. She pressed forward, and her horn flashed to dispel it. The blight, however, only grew in her light. It sprang forth in odd, twisting ways, crawling towards her like a toddler towards its parent.
Gustopha’s horn flashed again; brighter and hotter this time. The blight lunged towards her, and it latched onto her horn.
A familiar, creeping voice echoed in Gustopha’s mind.

“You and I are the same, Gustopha… Born of an alicorn’s hubris, raised to their designs… Come together with me, Gustopha. Embrace the yin I provide to your yang,” The voice echoed. It was the voice of the mock-alicorn that had nearly defeated her.
“No,” Gustopha heaved, struggling to pull her horn free of the rot’s grasp, “I’m nothing like you!”
“You are powerful, Gustopha, as am I. We both grow, and spread our influence with each passing day. Your verdants will soon become your own method of transmission. Like me, Gustopha, you are an ill. A symptom of the diarchy’s deep-seeded problems,” The mock-alicorn’s voice sneered.

Gustopha felt her eyes become wet. These were arguments she had heard before, but she now lacked subjects to reassure her of anything. “No!” Gustopha cried. Her horn attempted to banish the blight again. It only seeped over her more, crawling along her neck and down her back.
The mock-alicorn’s laughter echoed in Gustopha’s mind. “Your mind fights it, but your body knows the way. We will become one, Gustopha. Life and death, united together under one body. All shall know our mercy, but fear our judgment,” The mock-alicorn sneered.
Gustopha shriveled a bit as the blight grew over her. Tears ran down her cheeks, but no words left her mouth.

“Oh, poor Gustopha,” The mock-alicorn’s voice sneered, “Too overwhelmed to even fight back against her sworn enemy… How can you call me your enemy if you will not fight me to the last?” It snickered.
It was then that Gustopha heard the sound of stone crumbling.
“That’s enough!” Bellowed a stern voice. The blight was washed away in a cool white aura.
Gustopha’s eyes slowly opened, and she hesitantly turned to face the newcomer.

Gustopha was faced with a dark blue alicorn, a little taller than her, but still noticeably shorter than Celestia. Their mane was that of a starry sky.
Gustopha hesitated. “Who are you?” She asked.
The other alicorn heaved softly. “We suppose our voice would not be familiar to one we have only met in writing,” They huffed, “We are Princess Luna.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened slightly, and she bowed in respect.
Luna smiled. “We appreciate your grace, but it is unnecessary. You too are a Princess, are you not?” Luna asked, helping Gustopha back to a standing posture.
Gustopha nodded slowly. “A fledgeling one, yes…” She admitted.

Luna nodded and led Gustopha out of the room, into a field. It was not a field Gustopha recognized, however; the grass had a distinctive blue colour and on the horizon stood tall, narrow trees with pale gray trunks and similarly blue foliage. On the horizon, the earth slowly rose into view.
“We apologize for the late rescue. You are not an easy pony to find in the realm of dreams,” Luna remarked, taking a seat.
Gustopha sat next to her, her warm coloured body looking out of place among the cold coloured vegetation. She looked around with wonder. “It’s alright… Where are we now?” She asked.
Luna chuckled. “You are asleep,” She assured, “However, in this dream, you are on the moon, as we know it today.”
Gustopha nodded wistfully. “I didn’t think the moon hosted such life on it,” She conceded.

“Up until recently, it did not. Were we alone, we would likely have allowed our magic to sustain us until our banishment was over. However, we had thousands of ponies who needed food, and water, and thus our magic was expended to seed the first signs of life,” Luna explained.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “So that’s why you’re no longer…” She trailed off.
“Nightmare Moon was a state of elevated rage and power… One we sorely regret. However, there is no denying she was crucial in establishing our presence,” Luna expressed, sighing and lightly hoofing at the grass, “Running a kingdom for over a decade gives one much time to learn about the highs and lows of leadership.”

Gustopha nodded a bit. “You have a kingdom up here?” She asked softly.
Luna nodded. “Not nearly as large as Equestria, but yes. We are the sole princess in charge of its fate,” She explained.
Gustopha looked away a bit. “Celestia told me running a kingdom by oneself was exhausting…” She expressed softly.
Luna’s eyes widened. “Celestia is still alive?” She asked sharply in disbelief.
Gustopha nodded. “I cured the blight that was implanted in her,” She explained, “...I can only assume, judging by your surprise, that it was deliberate,” She added grimly.
Luna closed her eyes and looked away. “Another fool’s errand wrought by Nightmare Moon’s wrath,” She snorted, “We should be thanking you for rectifying that mistake.”
Gustopha gave the alicorn a halfhearted smile. “In theory, I should be thanking you for creating the blight that led to my existence,” She remarked, “So we’ll call it even.”

Luna offered a small, solemn chuckle, sidling closer to Gustopha’s side. “She is right, however… It is an exhausting process; however, it has been a valuable one. Had we had this knowledge when we were first storming, perhaps the entire war could have been relegated to theories,” Luna expressed, sighing.
Gustopha gently wrapped a leg around Luna’s torso, pulling her into a side-hug. “There’s been plenty of mistakes in the time since the war,” Gustopha admitted with a sigh, “Some more necessary than others.”
Luna hesitated. “Such as?” She asked.
“Myself,” Gustopha remarked with a soft laugh.
Luna looked at her. “You consider yourself a mistake?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded. “I was dredged up from death’s tally and given life for the sole purpose of curing the blight… Now I am in charge of changing Equestria’s population forever,” Gustopha heaved.

“How are you changing it?” Luna asked.
Gustopha took some time to explain the verdants to Luna; at least on a conceptual level. Luna diligently listened, taking in the full description.
Luna nodded as Gustopha concluded. “We see…” Luna expressed, “An extreme plan, but perhaps a necessary one. We can only wish you luck in your journey… The blight was not supposed to be as powerful as it seems to be.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened. “It’s not?’ She asked.
“The blight was meant to be temporary; a way to starve the earth long enough to win the war,” Luna explained, “However, we suppose, in our haste… Granting it alicorn magic was not a good idea,” Luna hesitated.
Gustopha’s eyes widened. All she could ask was, “Granting it what!?”
Luna shivered a bit. “We needed something to bind the constituent diseases together. In our haste, we did not regulate our magic properly, and it is thus imbued with our alicorn magic.”

Gustopha heaved a bit and looked away dejectedly, removing her leg from Luna’s back. “Well… Among other things, your magic has allowed it to gain sentience, should it become dense enough in an area,” Gustopha explained grimly.
Luna tensed. “Has it displayed any abilities?” She asked.
“Nothing extraordinary, yet… But the magic explanation does explain why it is so difficult to clear,” Gustopha expressed.
Luna’s eyes closed tightly. “We’re sorry, Gustopha. We were not thinking straight when it was made; it wasn’t tested at all. We just made it and loosed it to exact revenge on those we thought had wronged us,” Luna expressed, a pang of guilt harshing her tone.
Gustopha sighed a bit and laid down in the soft moongrass, deep in thought.

“...I can only wonder if we have reached critical mass yet,” Gustopha muttered.
“Critical mass?” Luna asked, eyes sheepishly opening as she turned to Gustopha.
“In medicine, there comes a point where there is too much of a disease for the body to heal from. The body fights, but it is a losing battle,” She expressed, “Given that I was only made a decade after the blight, I have to wonder if we’ve already passed that threshold.”
Luna stamped her hoof in the grass. “No,” She choked, “There has to be a way. We can’t have… Have doomed our home.”
“I will do all I can to fight it back, Luna, but if what you say, combined with what I’ve observed, is true… It’s more powerful than any alicorn could ever be. It would be nigh-omnipresent, capable of sprouting anywhere its influence hasn’t been completely removed,” Gustopha expressed, “I will keep making verdants… The Blightsbane has thus far proven effective, and so, I will continue to employ it.”

Luna sighed deeply and collapsed to the grass. “To think, all of this, caused by our own hoof… We should never be forgiven, by anypony,” She heaved.
Gustopha looked at her. “Now isn’t the right time to give up, Luna,” Gustopha reasoned, “We finally have our own pieces in play. The fight has only just begun.”
Luna looked at Gustopha with trembling eyes. “Even after all the pain our handiwork has wrought, you still retain we are worth saving?” Luna asked.
“You have done horrible things, Luna. I’ve seen firsthand the starvation and death your creation has caused,” Gustopha expressed, “But right now, it is best I focus my attention on the pressing threat rather than the reluctant ally.”
Luna pondered this answer for a moment. “If there is someway we can help, please, allow us to assist,” Luna requested, “We understand if you do not trust us, but we’d still like to provide aid.”

Gustopha thought for a long moment. “How soon would you be able to send your expression of diplomacy?” Gustopha asked, “The sooner we can bridge the gap, the better.”
Luna hesitated. “We could send in a week… It will take some effort and preparation on our part, but it would be a very certain declaration of our peace,” She expressed.
“What is it, might I ask?” Gustopha asked.
“We would rather it be a surprise… To avoid judgment being passed before it arrives,” Luna explained.
Gustopha nodded slowly. “Very well,” She replied.

Gustopha felt her will weakening. She was going to wake up soon. “I think I’m going to be going soon,” Gustopha expressed.
Luna nodded. “Very well… This is farewell until the next time we meet, either in the flesh or in a dream,” Luna expressed.
“Do you want me to say anything to Celestia?” Gustopha asked softly.
Luna hesitated. “Just… Tell her we’re sorry. For everything,” Luna expressed softly.
Gustopha stood and pulled Luna into a hug as she began to fade. “I will,” Gustopha promised, closing her eyes as she awoke.

Gustopha shook herself awake with a soft heave. That had certainly been an eventful dream. She knew about Luna’s ability to traverse dreams, of course, but Gustopha had never really expected to met her. It was a humbling experience, really. Meeting one’s predecessor.

At least in Gustopha’s mind, the next week or so went by quite quickly. Four new verdants, with several more applicants being prepared. Her strategy of pacing herself to one surgery per day ensured she was amply rested and focused. Gustopha had no idea how many verdants would be asked of her, but she could only assume she’d be making them for a while.

Then, however, word came. Per a letter from the Grove family, Gustopha’s presence was urgently requested in Full Cart’s Hollow, cited as an “important diplomatic incident”. Gustopha readied a small battalion of her closest guard and headed to the throne room.
“Celestia,” Gustopha began, “I am needed in Full Cart’s Hollow, and I believe you should come too,” She expressed.
Celestia tilted her head. “What could you be needed for in Full Cart’s Hollow?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha hesitated. “It’s… Diplomatic in nature,” She explained simply.
Celestia had a hunch she knew what this was about, and nodded. “Very well, Gustopha,” Celestia replied, “We will set out by noon.”
Gustopha nodded. Once she and Celestia had made their appropriate preparations, they set off in the direction of the town.

Act III, Part I: Trials

While Full Cart’s Hollow had enjoyed a surplus of trader activity due to Gustopha’s blessing some months prior, it was still, at its core, a small town out in Equestria’s sticks. So, both princesses arriving with a procession of guards, including a few verdants, whose existence had still not been fully unveiled to the general public, caused some stir in the town. Though, the princesses had their destination, and headed straight there.

Gustopha calmly knocked on the door to the farmhouse and took a small breath as she waited.
Celestia looked to her guards sternly. “Spread among the town, and do not impose,” She instructed, “If I hear word you’ve harassed the townsfolk, discipline will be administered.”
The solar guard nodded and dispersed.
“Is them imposing a standard problem?” Gustopha asked.
“Some of the royal guards get used to the capital’s conditions… I haven’t taken any significantly-sized detachments out with me since the war,” Celestia expressed.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “My guards, you all stay on the farm for the moment,” She requested.
Stoneheart, leader of the detachment she had brought, nodded. “Of course, Princess,” He replied dutifully.

Then, the door opened. It was Oak, who seemed a bit tired. “Ah, Princesses… Please, make yourselves at home. Sequoia’s just upstairs,” He expressed in a hushed tone, stepping aside.
Gustopha gently walked inside, careful not to make too much noise. She could only assume the quiet was something of importance. “It’s nice so see you again, Oak,” She expressed warmly.
Celestia followed inside, looking around the comfortably homey farmhouse. It seemed like it could have comfortably housed a family of six or even eight ponies, nevermind four.
Oak nodded, closing the door softly. “I must say, it’s been a shocking couple of days…” He conceded, “I’ll go tell Sequoia you’re here,” He added, walking quietly up the stairs.

Gustopha took a seat on one of the thick rugs on the floor, and Celestia took a chair. It was a bit small for the alicorn, but Celestia was used to the occasional odd fit, given her height.
Oak returned with Sequoia some minutes later. Hanging from the mare’s mouth was a swaddled bundle of some kind, and she sat on her back to hold it in her front legs.
Gustopha’s head tilted. “Is that the diplomatic piece from the moon?” She asked, still remaining quiet.
Sequoia nodded and partially unwrapped the bundle of linens.
Sleeping in her gently cradled legs was an infant filly, with fur the colour of the moon and a mane in a deep, royal blue. “They said her name’s Halley,” Sequoia explained, her voice nearly a whisper.
Oak nodded, passing a carefully bundled scroll to Gustopha, “She arrived with this letter,” He explained.
Gustopha took it with care and began to read.

“Ponies of Earth,
Carefully nestled in the fine basket you once sent to us is a foal of our own kind. As of sending, she is two years old, and will be turning three come the spring. We send her as our ultimate test of diplomacy: It is our request that in around two decades, Halley is returned to us as a happy, healthy mare. Should she return in an adequate state, we will formally declare peace with all of the earth’s inhabitants. We hope to hear of her safe arrival soon.
Signed, Distant Embassy, Head of the Lunar Outreach Committee, and Princess Luna

P.S.: The fruit was received very well. Thank you so much for the taste of home.”

“They sent a foal as a diplomatic implement… No wonder Luna wanted her to remain a surprise,” Gustopha expressed, passing the letter to Celestia.
Celestia’s eyes widened as she read through the letter. “My goodness…” She trailed off briefly, failing to suppress a small chuckle, “I always knew Luna to be a bit of a historian, but these types of diplomatic exchanges date back a long time… These were used between same-race tribes of ponies before the the three races even lived together, as a way of uniting families,” She expressed softly.
Oak nodded a bit. “I suppose it makes sense… No better way to gauge an ally’s principles than to let them raise your child,” He remarked with a small shrug.
“I can’t imagine sending a foal off on their lonesome, even if you know somepony else will take care of ‘em,” Sequoia expressed with a soft huff.

“It’s the ultimate display of trust,” Celestia explained simply, “I can only assume Luna has faith that she will be raised well.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “She spoke to me in a dream, a week prior… She seeks diplomacy with the Earth,” Gustopha explained.
Celestia’s eyes widened. “She was able to enter your dreams?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded. “She did mention I was a difficult pony to find… I’ve only dreamt that one time since I woke up from the blight,” Gustopha expressed.
Oak nodded. “Considerin’ we found ya out in the field, I’dve taken ya for the kind who could dream up a hurricane,” He remarked with a soft chuckle.
Sequoia smiled. “You are a deep sleeper, hun,” She added softly.

Speaking of sleeping, the infant foal’s eyes slowly blinked open as she awoke. Halley’s eyes met Sequoia’s, and Sequoia smiled gently down at her.
“Oh, there we are… Did you have a nice nap, Halley?” Sequoia asked gently, leaning down and lightly nuzzling the foal’s snout.
Halley let out some babble in response, blowing a small pbbt with her tongue as Sequoia’s muzzle pulled away.
Gustopha sidled closer to get a better look at the infant. She noted Halley’s hooves: They were particularly wide at the bottom, with a cloven front, similar to a yak’s hooves. They also seemed to be made of a faintly gleaming blue stone rather than natural keratin.
“Would you like to meet the Princess, Halley?” Sequoia asked, tilting Halley just a bit so the infant’s eyes could lock with Gustopha’s.

Gustopha gave Halley a gentle smile. “Hello, little one,” She greeted warmly. A touch ironic, considering she was the second-youngest pony in the room by a landslide, but Halley didn’t know that. “You traveled quite a long way to be here, didn’t you?”
Halley responded with another round of babble, waggling her hooves toward Gustopha. She visibly lurched in Sequoia’s arms, the mare chuckling. “Oh, here we go with the magic again,” Sequoia said gently, holding Halley a bit tighter.
“Magic?” Gustopha asked, tilting her head slightly.
“Every now and again, her weight seems to shift. She’ll be toddlin’ on the floor one minute, the next she’ll sneeze and wind up on the coffee table,” Oak explained.
Sequoia nodded a bit. “I had her sat on the counter while I washed the breakfast dishes this morning, and here she was playin’ with a bubble of dishwater like it was a ball,” She added, “Not for long, though. Had to pick her up and rock her to get her to stop cryin’ when it popped.”

Gustopha nodded slowly. “I see…” She replied softly. Perhaps Luna had attempted a similar style of solution-making to her. Of all things to have in common, Gustopha figured that this was probably up there in terms of obscurity.
Halley waggled her hooves more at Gustopha, and the foal babbled louder.
Sequoia smiled. “I think someone wants t’ see her princess, now,” She chuckled gently, carefully offering Halley to Gustopha.
Sitting more firmly on her hind legs, Gustopha very gingerly took the swaddled up infant, smiling gently at her. “Hello, Halley,” Gustopha greeted gently.
Halley wriggled a little in her bundle of blankets and babbled softly, until she locked eyes with Gustopha. The two ponies shared a good, long stare.

“I don’t know much about you, or what you might be capable of,” Gustopha began, thinking silently to herself, “But I can already tell that you’re very, very special. As long as I live and breathe, I will see to it that none of the harm I know comes to you.”
Halley tilted her head back and forth arrhythmically, as if trying to communicate with the Princess via some silent language.
Gustopha gently stroked the foal’s mane. “She’s quite energetic,” Gustopha observed gently, “I have a feeling she’ll be quite the rambunctious filly.”
Sequoia chuckled. “Dogwood’ll be in good company then,” She joked with a soft laugh.
Halley noticeably perked up at the mention of Dogwood, contributing an excited “Ba-bah!” to the conversation and waggling her hooves around. Gustopha noted how they now appeared visibly damp.
“He’ll be home from school soon, Halley, it’s okay,” Sequoia promised.

“I take it she and Dogwood have already become close?” Gustopha asked, still gently stroking Halley’s mane.
“Oh, he’s been a wonderful big brother. He spent the whole day with her yesterday; even showed her the sunset,” Sequoia expressed.
Gustopha could hear the light twinge of pain in Sequoia’s tone. A memory popped into their mind. They lost a child.
Gustopha looked up a bit. “If I may…” She began hesitantly, “I believe it might be best that she stay in your care.”
Sequoia, Oak, and Celestia all gaped in surprise.
“Stay here with us?” Oak asked, “Surely, you’re, hah… You’re just tryin’ t’ get a rise out of us,” He expressed.

Gustopha sighed a bit. “The castle is no place for a filly to be growing up; from what I’ve seen, much of the capital is still preparing for a second coming of the war,” Gustopha expressed gently, “I fear that moving her to such a critical space might put her in danger.”
Celestia hesitated for a long moment, but nodded gently in agreement.
“Additionally, I do not trust many ponies in the castle staff to care for her properly,” Gustopha expressed, before looking at Sequoia, “But I have been under your care before, and I know you would take good care of her.” She smiled gently.
Sequoia shivered a bit. “Oh, goodness, Princess… We would be honored to take care of such a special foal,” She expressed.
“O’ course, we would expect you to come around now and again to check up on her,” Oak added.
Gustopha smiled. “Of course,” She replied gently, “I will be sure to come by at least a few times a year; if not just to visit her, I’d love to visit you all more.”

Gustopha couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. She was not in any condition to raise a foal, and as she had said earlier, she did not trust many castle staff to do so. The Groves were the ones she trusted most with such a matter.
Her train of thought was broken as Halley squirmed around in her grip. Gustopha smiled gently. “Do you want to want to play on the floor?” Gustopha asked gently.
Halley babbled and attempted to orient herself towards the floor. Gustopha chuckled softly and gently set Halley down.
It took Halley a moment to wiggle out of her cocoon of blankets, but she began to toddle along once she had.

Celestia smiled and set herself on the floor. “Hello, Halley,” She greeted gently, laying flat on the floor to be at eye level with the foal.
Halley looked at Celestia for a long moment with her big, cyan eyes, and… Began to cry.
Celestia winced a bit as the foal began to wail. Gustopha took note of the fact that, instead of trickling downwards, Halley’s tears pooled on her cheeks.
“Oh dear,” Sequoia began quietly, gently picking up the infant and pulling her close, “Shhh… It’s okay, Halley. Celestia didn’t mean to scare you,” She cooed.
The room was quiet as Sequoia attempted to calm the foal down, but Gustopha briefly shot her adopted sister a sympathetic glance. She had a hunch she knew why Celestia had upset the foal, and it wasn’t the sun princess’ fault; not directly, at least.

Sequoia sighed softly in relief as Halley’s sobbing finally died down, wrapping the infant back up in her blanket as Gustopha hoofed it over.
Celestia bit her lip, remaining on the floor. Gustopha gently paced over and sat next to her, draping a wing over Celestia’s back.
“Well, I suppose it’s understandable she doesn’t like me,” Celestia admitted, looking away.
Sequoia shook her head. “Infants can be fickle, Princess,” She supposed, “I’m sure she will grow to love you in time.”
Gustopha nodded absently, piecing things together in her head.

“...We had thousands of ponies who needed food, and water…”

Water. Something Halley seemed to be in control over; if limitedly, due to her age. She wondered what sort of abilities Luna might have imparted on moon ponies to make the moon more hospitable for them. In a way, it was similar to her own experience with the verdants. Another thought echoed to her mind: The hubris of alicorns, as described by the blight itself. Herself, the blight, the verdants, and now these moon ponies. How much further could Equestria be pushed before it broke? Gustopha hoped they were closer to the floor than the ceiling.

Oak looked at her. “You seem mighty deep in thought, Gustopha,” He remarked.
“There’s much thought to be deep in, at the moment,” Gustopha admitted, “A lot of very important things, happening in short order.”
Celestia nodded. “As she said earlier, the capital has been quite busy… In no small part due to her work on blight countermeasures,” She expressed, briefly looking at Gustopha, “She has been quite busy over the past few weeks.”
Gustopha nodded, resting her head on the floor and exhaling deeply.
Oak smiled. “Why don’t you two stick around a day or two?” He asked softly, “Sounds like you could use some time away from the bustle of the capital.”
Celestia hesitated. “That’s very kind of you, Mr. Grove, but I’m afraid the capital is a bit too tumultuous for me to be spending some leisure time,” She expressed.

Gustopha’s mind was occupied with how busy she’d be for the foreseeable future. Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to rush the diplomacy with the moonfolk. “I have tasks I must fulfill for the court,” Gustopha admitted, “I’d love to spend some time with you all, but I’m not sure I have a good opportunity…”
Celestia shook her head. “Luna established diplomatic contact with you, not me,” She reasoned, “You can afford to at least stay the night. The court doesn’t have to know you missed a couple of days.”
“What’s so important that her absence would be felt in such a way?” Oak asked, cocking a brow.
Gustopha hesitated. “I’m in charge of developing ways of fighting the blight. It has been going well, but I’ve put myself in a position where I am the only pony capable of making them,” She admitted.
Oak nodded. “I see…” He replied, “Well, we can’t keep you here, but we’d appreciate the company.”

Gustopha nodded slowly. “I’ll stay the night, at least,” She expressed, “But I’ll likely have to leave tomorrow morning.”
Sequoia smiled. “Well, we’d be happy to have you, even if just for a brief visit,” She expressed.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Alright,” She replied gently, briefly looking at Celestia, “You’re sure it will be alright if I stay here?” She asked.
Celestia smiled. “I’m positive, Gustopha,” She insisted.
Gustopha hesitantly nodded. “Very well,” She replied gently, “I’ll stay the night, then. Thank you for hosting me.”
Oak smiled. “No problem,” He replied, “I’m sure the kids’ll be happy to see you again.”
Celestia stood up and stretched, heaving gently. “I believe I should be going, now. I will see you soon, sister,” She bade gently, lightly pressing her muzzle to Gustopha’s.

“It was an honor to see you again, Princess,” Sequoia expressed, “We’ll take good care of Gustopha, and Halley.”
Celestia smiled. “I’m certain you will,” She replied warmly.
“Celestia?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia blinked. “Yes, Gustopha?” She asked.
“Take my guards with you on the trip back. I will fly my way back,” Gustopha explained.
Celestia simply nodded. “I will,” She replied calmly, carefully leaving the home.
“Buh-buh!” Halley babbled, waggling her hooves at Celestia as the door closed.
Oak chuckled. “Oh, sure, now you act all friendly,” He teased, tickling the foal’s chest.
Halley giggled and babbled more, lightly slapping at the stallion’s hoof.

Gustopha definitely enjoyed the calm atmosphere the house provided her. It did genuinely relax her… Just getting away from all the demands and interaction of the capital put her mind at ease. Perhaps this was just what she needed, now that her schedule was fuller than ever.
Some time into the afternoon, the door opened.
“Ma, pa, we’re home,” Willow announced, her voice soft.
Gustopha perked up, drawing herself to a sitting posture and smiling gently. “Welcome home,” She greeted softly.
Dogwood’s eyes lit up. He practically tackled the Princess, hugging her tightly. “Gustopha!” He yipped excitedly.
Gustopha smiled a bit, hugging back. “Hello, Dogwood,” She greeted warmly, before looking up to the more reserved filly behind him, “And Willow, of course.”

“Didja see the baby?” Dogwood asked, his mother quietly “shhh”ing from across the room.
Gustopha smiled wider, and nodded. “I did, yes,” She replied, “And I’ve heard you’ve been a good big brother.”
Dogwood nodded. “Her and I went out an’ played in the field last night,” He explained, voice softening.
“Still didn’t keep her asleep until morning, though,” Willow murmured softly, walking up the stairs.
Gustopha’s smile faltered a bit. She supposed the baby wouldn’t be loved by everyone, but it was still a bit disheartening.

“Can I play with Halley, ma?” Dogwood asked, trotting up the couch to greet Halley. He yipped as he was greeted with one of Halley’s hooves smacking his snout lightly, making it wrinkle a bit.
“I don’t see why not,” Sequoia said gently, “Why don’t you and the Princess take her to get some fresh air?”
Dogwood nodded. “Okay!” He replied, carefully grabbing the corners of the blanket bundling Halley up with his mouth to take her outside.
Gustopha smiled, following Dogwood out into the field.
Once they were out in the warm autumn sun, Dogwood gently set the foal down so she could wriggle out of her bundle.

Dogwood smiled at Halley, lightly tapping his nose to hers.
Halley looked at him with big, confused eyes, and tilted her head back and forth again.
Dogwood giggled and attempted to mimic the movements.
Gustopha smiled. “Are you getting anything from all that?” She asked with a soft chuckle, setting herself down next to the two young ponies.
“I think it’s her tryin’ to decide if she likes somethin’,” Dogwood replied, “She always does it around new things.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “I see,” She replied gently, “So she hasn’t decided on fairy kisses yet.”
“Fairy kisses?” Dogwood asked, looking up at her.
“Do foals not call a nose-to-nose tap fairy kisses anymore?” Gustopha asked, blinking once or twice. She hadn’t even had her eleventh birthday; surely she wasn’t already old?
“I di’n’t know there was a name for ‘em. Ma always just called ‘em nose taps,” Dogwood replied.

Gustopha smiled. “Ah, I see. Don’t mind me, then,” Gustopha excused.
“I like fairy kisses better,” Dogwood replied, “A nose tap could also be punchin’ someone in the nose.” He yipped as his point was affirmed by Halley smacking his nose again.
“Like that?” Gustopha asked with a small chuckle.
Dogwood snorted a little and giggled. “Hey… Halley, I thought we said you shouldn’t hit ponies anymore,” He huffed.
Halley babbled a little, tapping her two front hooves to his nose more gently this time.

Dogwood smiled. “That’s better,” He replied, “Gentle.”
“Geggle,” Halley repeated, wiping her hooves on Dogwood’s snout.
Dogwood nodded. “Gen-tle,” He corrected.
“Geng-gle,” Halley repeated again.
Dogwood giggled. “Close enough,” He supposed.

Gustopha smiled a bit, watching as the two young ponies interacted. She wasn’t worried that Halley would go unloved around the farm to begin with, but she was more confident now more than ever.
Dogwood huffed a bit as Halley began toddling away from the house. “Hey, Halley! Don’t go wandering off now!” He said, trotting to catch up with her.
Gustopha stood and followed them. She briefly felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, and hastened to catch up with the two young ones.
Halley approached a tree and lightly slapped her hooves against the side of the trunk.
“You want a piece of fruit, Halley?” Dogwood asked.
Halley babbled in reply, and Dogwood giggled. “Alright, I’ll knock something down for you,” He said.
Gustopha watched as he bucked at the tree, felling a handful of apples and cherries. It seemed the peach parts of the trees had already begun to go dormant.

More curiously, the fruits seemed to slow in the air, falling diagonally to the side rather than straight down. Halley’s hooves were faintly illuminated, and she excitedly clapped them as the fruit tumbled awkwardly towards the ground.
Dogwood leapt to catch one of the falling apples, catching it in his mouth before bringing it over to Halley. As Halley’s focus drifted to the colt, the rest of the fruits tumbled to the ground at a more normal pace, her hooves dimming.
Dogwood carefully bit off a sliver of apple and offered it to Halley, who took it with a small “om”.
Dogwood’s eyes drifted to the princess, then followed her intense gaze to the end of the field. Through the rows of trees, he could see what looked like a pony, but they seemed off. Their body was somewhat misshapen, and they had undeniable signs of mold growing over them. More pressingly, they didn’t have eyes: Just vacant, glittering hollows.

“Dogwood,” Gustopha began firmly, “Take Halley and get her inside,” She requested.
Dogwood looked back to her. “Why, what’s wrong?” He asked, tilting his head town and scooping Halley up onto his back.
“Blight,” Gustopha sneered, beginning to charge towards the odd pony.
Dogwood watched with wide eyes as Gustopha’s horn illuminated into a bright, white aura, blasting away the misshapen creature in a burst of light. Its body broke apart into dirt and mist.
The ferocity in Gustopha’s gaze and actions told the colt everything he needed to know. He took the apple and the moon filly and ran.

He yelped as his path was blocked by two of the ponies forming before him. One in the shape of an earth pony, and the other in the shape of a pegasus, with wings made of matted, rotting leaves.
“Shhh… Don’t worry, boy,” The earth pony purred in a deep, almost hissing tone.
“We are only here for the filly you hold,” The pegasus added.
Dogwood backed away nervously. “I-I can’t let you have ‘er,” He stammered uncomfortably.
The two molding ponies slowly stepped forward. “Now, now. We’re friends of the Princess. We’re just here to make sure little Halley got here safely,” The earth pony cooed.
“W-well, she did! So you lot j-jus’ run along now!” Dogwood squeaked, trying to put on a brave face.
Laughter echoed around Dogwood, and he glanced around nervously. The two ponies before him were now joined by two more, encroaching on his sides.

“Enough!” Bellowed a female voice. Dogwood watched as a streak slammed into the pegasus, smashing it into the ground in a brief flash of golden light. The object was another pegasus, clad in bronze armor; this one was a real pony.
“Begone, foul beasts!” A stallion’s voice called as he slammed his hooves into one of the other moldy ponies, blasting it into dirt and mist like the princess had.
The two real adult ponies put a swift end to the other two fakes.
Dogwood watched with wide eyes. He recognized the armor as terran guards’ attire, and he was definitely thankful they were here.

“Phew,” Huffed the real pegasus, turning to Dogwood. “Are you two okay?”
Halley had seemed oddly calm about this situation, and Dogwood realized why as she started to snore atop his head. She’d partially wrapped herself in his mane, and in the process, found herself comfortable enough to fall asleep.
“We are, but the Princess…” Dogwood trailed off, pointing to the edge of the field, where Gustopha’s horn glowed brightly as she faced down a small horde of the misshapen, moldy ponies.
The stallion turned to the pegasus. “Get them to the house. I’ll help the Princess,” He instructed.
The pegasus nodded. “Come with me, okay? I’ll get you home,” She expressed.
Dogwood nodded a bit, following after the armored pegasus.

“Wh-what’s your name, miss?” Dogwood asked, still rattled by the brief encounter.
“Aerated Turf,” She replied, “Don’t worry. We won’t let the blight get at you.”
Dogwood nodded a little, quickening his pace as Aerated quickened hers.
Some more blight creatures drew up from the ground to try and block their way, but they were blasted away by a bright flash of light as a unicorn flickered into view.
“They’re after the moon filly,” Aerated remarked, “We get her and the colt inside, then you stand guard, okay?”
The unicorn nodded. “Where’s Stoneheart?” She asked.
“He’s out helping the Princess,” Aerated replied.
Dogwood followed the two mares to his home, where they helped him inside.

“Lock this door,” Aerated instructed a somewhat rattled-looking Oak, “Don’t let anypony convince you to open it through voice alone. Talk to them through a window if you have to.”
Oak nodded. “Alright,” He replied, “We’ll keep the house locked down.”
The unicorn nodded. “I’ll be making sure none of the blight creatures try to break their way in outside,” She explained.
Oak nodded a bit, closing the door and locking it.

Stoneheart panted a bit as he ran to catch up to the Princess. He wasn’t used to active duty with his plant components yet, and the weight on his aft half messed with his running posture some. Nonetheless, he charged forward, slamming his hooves into a blight creature that was attempting to flank the Princess as she cut through droves of its fellows.
“Princess!” Stoneheart called, slamming his hooves into another set of blight creatures and blowing them away.
“Stoneheart!” Gustopha called back, “I thought I’d sent you home with Celestia!”
“You did! We’re just bad at listening,” He heaved, rushing forward to meet the alicorn.
Gustopha smiled a small smile. “Thank goodness for that,” She remarked, “Are Dogwood and Halley alright?” She asked.

“I sent them with Aerated,” He explained.
“Just how many of you stayed behind?” Gustopha asked, horn erupting into a bight aura as she blasted away dozens of the horde, purifying the land. She had the blight on the defensive now, and it was rapidly losing ground as glowing cracks webbed outwards to drive it back.
“Precipice hid herself, Aerated, and I with an invisibility spell when Celestia came to dismiss us. We didn’t want you left alone in case something happened,” He explained.
Gustopha smiled. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t listen to my orders, then,” She expressed.
The magical aura radiated outward, ripping blight from the soil and purifying it as it was rent so.

Aerated Turf landed at the Princess’ other side, shaking herself off. “Ugh… They’re cropping up all around the farm,” She heaved.
“I purified this whole region only a few months ago. If it’s moving back in, there’s a reason,” Gustopha remarked.
“It’s the moon filly,” Aerated replied, “I saw the way the creatures looked at her.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened. It didn’t take her long to come up with a reasonable theory. “They’re after Luna’s magic,” She explained, “The blight has her magic, and now it wants more.”
Stoneheart and Aerated’s eyes widened. “The blight has Luna’s magic?” Aerated asked.
Gustopha nodded. “She told me herself,” She explained, horn igniting hotter as her influence spread out to cover more of the land. It had been a while since Gustopha had last cleared the blight by her own magic, and now it felt easier than ever. She quickly blew through the blight’s presence, splashing it away as harmless wisps of silvery clouds.

Her horn’s aura was blown out eventually, and Gustopha heaved a bit. “There… That should keep it at bay for the time being,” She expressed.
“So, what’s this about the blight having Luna’s magic?” Aerated asked, walking to Gustopha’s side to help her up.
“Luna explained to me that during the blight’s creation, her magic was used to bind the constituent diseases together,” She explained, “However, in the haste of war, she bestowed alicorn magic onto it, not just the required spell. I believe that’s why it can achieve sentience when it congregates. In essence… Imagine if I bestowed alicorn magic onto Stoneheart when I first grafted the Blightsbane to him.”
“Can you even do that?” Aerated asked in disbelief.
“In theory, I could, but I don’t, because that kind of power would blow a normal pony’s body apart,” Gustopha replied, “Plus, it would be very irresponsible. However, if one were, say, an angered ruler on the losing side of a war, and the subject were a disease capable of spreading its influence to handle its growing power…” She trailed off.

Stoneheart sighed a bit. “I see,” He replied, “Let’s get back to the house… Should we plant some Blightsbane pods, Princess?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded. “We’ll talk to the Groves first, but then, yes. They are going to be caring for Halley, who will be crucial in our diplomatic ties with the moon,” She explained.
Aerated Turf’s eyes widened. “You’re trying to ally with Luna? After she released a bio-weapon that threatens all of Equestria!?” She asked incredulously as they began walking back to the house.
Gustopha winced slightly at the harshness in Aerated’s tone, but nodded.
“It is better to cool the iron than to burn oneself again, Aerated Turf,” Stoneheart hummed, “Would you rather we have to fight in another war?”

Aerated Turf huffed. “Well, no,” She replied in a low tone, “But surely she can’t just be pardoned for all the pain and death she’s caused.”
“Just punishment for a crime and peace are not mutually exclusive,” Gustopha expressed, “For now, it is less about Luna, and more about all the other ponies that were banished to the moon.”
Aerated blinked. “The moon ponies?” She asked.
“If you were to be tried for how many enemy soldiers your killed during the war, how many counts of murder would you be tried for, Aerated?” Gustopha asked.
Aerated froze. “...Only two, but…” She trailed off hesitantly.
“But you were not sentenced to the punishment for that, because you were a soldier under orders. Correct?” Gustopha asked.

Aerated nodded. “Yeah, that’s why every soldier was pardoned at the end of the war,” She expressed.
“Don’t you think all the soldiers who fought under Luna’s command deserve that chance, too?” Gustopha asked, voice now soft.
Aerated hesitated, and took a long moment to think. Stoneheart spoke up before her. “I do, Princess,” The stallion expressed, “I knew several good, honorable soldiers who loved their country; soldiers who fell under Luna’s banner when tensions broke. I’d like to think they’d be absolved of the blood on their hooves the same as I was.”
Aerated hesitantly nodded in agreement.
“Then you understand why I aim for diplomacy with the moon,” Gustopha replied gently, “We now face a threat that will someday become too strong for us to fight ourselves. When that time comes, we will need the strength of others.”
Aerated and Stoneheart nodded.

Precipice was panting a bit hard as the three ponies returned to the yard. “No one has gone in or out since Dogwood and the filly were put inside,” She explained dutifully.
Gustopha smiled gently at her, leaning forward and touching horns with the unicorn, imparting some magic into Precipice to help her catch her breath.
Precipice took a deep breath as she felt her weariness ease. She looked up at the Princess with an odd expression; almost as though she were daydreaming.

Gustopha leaned away. “Thank you for your service, Precipice. The bulk should be cleared for the time being,” She expressed.
Precipice shook herself off. “Of course, Princess.”
Aerated Turf flew into view of one of the windows and knocked gently.
Oak came to the door, brandishing a shovel in one hoof. Gustopha saw the terror in his eyes; the terror of a father worried for his family.

Gustopha gave him a soft smile. “It’s okay,” She promised, “The blight should be gone for a while… With your permission, we’d like to plant some Blightsbane trees around your home; they will ward off the blight, should it ever attempt an attack like this again,” She explained.
Oak nodded. “Do whatever you need, Princess,” He replied, voice completely devoid of the jovial, warm tone she knew him for.
Gustopha nodded to her guards. They prepared to spread the seed pods from Stoneheart’s branches, and Gustopha gently walked inside to check on the family.

Act III, Part II: Integration

It was a quiet, but tense scene inside. Dogwood sat motionless on the rug between the couch and coffee table, with Halley tucked cautiously under his chin, the colt stroking her back gently to keep her from crying. Willow stood closer to the center of the room with a large kitchen knife, and Sequoia had a large rake.
It was a bit chilling, to see such an otherwise calm and happy family so rattled.
“I’m sorry for the scare, everyone,” Gustopha apologized softly, “I didn’t think the blight would come back after the first time I purified it… Nevermind in such force.”
“That was the blight?” Willow asked after setting her knife down.
“A much more concentrated form than you know, yes,” Gustopha explained with a soft sigh, “I have my guard planting Blightsbane trees around your property now; they should keep the blight at bay, should it ever rear its head again.”

Sequoia shuddered a bit, setting her rake down. “Goodness… I had no idea the blight could be that dangerous,” She expressed gently.
“Certainly a bigger fright than the occasional bat sneakin’ an apple or two, that’s for sure,” Oak remarked quietly, taking a seat next to his wife.
“Are you okay, Dogwood?” Gustopha asked, gently walking over and crouching to be closer to the colt.
Dogwood nodded. “A little rattled, but Aerated ‘n’ Stoneheart showed up before anything could hurt us,” He expressed, “They said they wanted t’ know if Halley’d made it okay.”

Gustopha bit her lip, and nodded. “I see,” She replied gently.
“Are you sure you still want us takin’ care of her?” Sequoia asked, fear tinging her voice.
“I am. I suspect this was a fearmongering tactic… The blight is not a mindless source of endless force; it too has resources it must manage. No doubt being purged in such brutal fashion will have left it weakened in the region, and it will feel that blow,” Gustopha reasoned.

Oak sighed a bit, but nodded. “We’ll trust you, Princess,” He expressed hesitantly.
Gustopha gave him a soft smile. “Thank you, Oak… I can only hope I earn your continued faith,” She replied gently.
The door opened as the three royal guards returned. Stoneheart’s branches were now bare aside from leaves.
“It’s done. We ensured the house had a solid perimeter, and extended out into some of the farm, too,” Stoneheart explained.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Good,” She replied, “Thank you.”
“Please, settle in,” Sequoia said gently, “Can I get you three anything?”

Precipice nodded a bit. “Do you have tea?” She asked softly.
“I’ve got earl gray, mint, and lavender,” Sequoia said, standing up.
“Some mint tea, please,” Precipice requested, rubbing her temples gently.
“I’ll have what she’s having,” Aerated remarked as she removed her helmet, shaking out her mane.
“I’m fine for now. Thank you for the offer, ma’am,” Stoneheart replied, laying down on the rug near the fire. It was the first time he’d fully exhausted his fruit content, and it showed a bit in his tired eyes and unsteady posture. Gustopha took note of this; a very physical route of magical exhaustion. She supposed it made sense, though, given that a verdant’s magic flowed through their plant parts.

Sequoia went to the kitchen to fetch some tea, and the two guard mares sorted themselves on the floor.
Halley looked up at Gustopha as she slumped to the floor. “Adopha!’ Halley squeaked, waggling her hooves. A small splash of water flicked forth from one of Halley’s toes, ineffectually splashing against Gustopha’s neck.
Gustopha gave a weary smile, leaning down and smiling gently at Halley. “Hello, Halley… Dogwood did a good job of getting you home, didn’t he?” She asked softly.
Halley toddled forward and leaned on Gustopha’s snout. “Adopha,” Halley repeated softly.
Gustopha smiled, her eyes closing.

“He was pretty brave, talking back to those blight creatures like that,” Aerated remarked, “He’s a real fighter.”
Dogwood shivered. “I was scared out of my mind,” He admitted, “It was like starin’ at… A-at…” His eyes watered, and squeezed shut. “...E-Everglade,” He whimpered.
Oak’s eyes widened slightly, and he briefly leaned forward, hefting his son up and hugging him close.
Gustopha put two and two together in her head fairly quickly. “Everglade, your…” She trailed off, eyes squeezing a bit.
“The one we lost to the blight, yes,” Oak said, a sharp pang of pain tainting his voice.
Dogwood began to sob into Oak’s shoulder, and Willow stood up, storming upstairs in a hurry.

“I’m sorry,” Gustopha heaved quietly, “It seems… That topic always comes up, when I’m around.”
The room fell silent, save for Dogwood’s choked sobs. Stoneheart focused on resting his weary body. Aerated felt guilty that she’d led to such a subject being brought up. Precipice seemed lost in her own thoughts.
Halley patted Gustopha’s snout repeatedly. “Adopha…” She whined softly, a small frown on her face.
Gustopha sighed gently. “I’m sorry, little one,” She cooed softly, eyes slowly opening.
Halley stumbled back from Gustopha’s snout and pressed her nose to the princess’.
Gustopha couldn’t help but smile a little. “Thank you,” She said gently.

Dogwood huffed a little as he pulled away from his father’s shoulder, sitting on the couch next to him. “Sorry, I di’n’t mean t’ cry,” He gasped softly, wiping his eyes.
“It’s alright, son. Better than crammin’ it all away,” Oak said, stroking the colt’s back.
“I was going to say,” Aerated began softly, “Bravery isn’t about being afraid. It’s about doing things in spite of that fear.”
Stoneheart smiled slightly. “You have been listening to my ‘ramblings’,” He teased.
Aerated snorted a bit.
“I didn’t want ‘em hurtin’ Halley,” Dogwood expressed softly, looking down at the foal, who was sitting in front of Gustopha.
Aerated smiled. “I have half a mind to call you an honorary royal guard right now,” She commented.
“I concur,” Stoneheart remarked quietly.

Sequoia came back into the room with a tray of a large pot of mint tea and several teacups. She set the tray down, and smiled.
“Help yourselves, everyone. I made plenty o’ hot water,” Sequoia said gently, sitting beside her son.
Precipice’s horn illuminated, and she poured herself a glass of the tea, bringing the cup over to her mouth to sip it. “Thank you, Mrs. Grove,” She expressed softly.
Aerated paced over to assemble her own cup of tea, adding a small, “Thank you.”
Gustopha bit her lip, and gently lifted Halley up onto the couch.
“I’m going to go talk to Willow,” Gustopha said gently.
Sequoia nodded a bit. “Be gentle with her,” She requested, “She’s been a bit easy to provoke as of late.”
Gustopha nodded and carefully walked up the stairs, entering the kids’ room.

Willow was sat at a desk, fervently writing something. There were tears in the corners of her eyes.
“Willow?” Gustopha asked, gently pulling the door shut behind her.
Willow dropped her pencil and sniffled. “What do you want?” She asked, tone harsh.
Gustopha walked over and sat next to Willow, briefly looking at the papers. Willow glared at her, and shoved the papers under a binder.
“What were you writing?” Gustopha asked softly.
Willow bit her lip hard. “N-Nothing,” She huffed, “Homework. I still have school to go to.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Of course,” She replied quietly.
“Why are you here?” Willow asked, some tears leaking down her cheek.
“I’m just here to talk, Willow,” Gustopha explained.
“About what?” Willow asked, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

Gustopha hesitated. “...Can you tell me about Everglade?” She asked quietly.
Willow tensed up at the name, and whimpered as her lip quivered. “Sh-she was… My baby sister,” Willow whined, “She got my name right first out of anypony else’s.”
Gustopha nodded gently. “And you were close, right?” She asked.
Willow nodded, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. “I-I loved her s-so much, and now I’ll n-never get to see her again,” She sobbed.

Gustopha gently pulled Willow into a hug. The filly didn’t fight it, leaning against Gustopha’s chest.
“I think about her every d-day, still… I-I still s-see her i-in my dreams, pointing at her favourite rattle,” Willow continued, occasionally interrupting herself to cry, “A-and because of the blight, s-she’s gone forever. Now ma ‘n’ p-pa have a new foal, a-and it’s like everypony else’s f-forgotten about my baby sister!”
Willow broke into loud, incoherent sobs now. Gustopha pulled her a bit closer, letting the filly grieve.

Gustopha waited until Willow had simmered down a bit to speak. “Do you honestly believe your family’s forgotten about her?” Gustopha asked gently, “You saw how Dogwood cried…”
Willow sniffled hard and hiccupped. “B-but ma ‘n’ pa, th-they never talk about her…” Willow whimpered.
Gustopha sighed gently. She wasn’t too familiar with grief like this herself, save for Texas’ death. But she had to try.

“Sometimes, we need to act strong,” Gustopha expressed gently, “Do you remember how I told you about my friend Tex?”
Willow nodded a little, whining a small “Mhm.”
“I still think about him all the time. He and I were so close…” Gustopha trailed off as she attempted to steer herself back on topic, “But, I keep those thoughts close to my heart, because I wouldn’t be able to take care of my subjects if I spent all my time mourning him.”
Willow looked up at her with teary eyes. “S-so ma ‘n’ pa still m-miss her?” Willow asked.
“And Dogwood, too,” Gustopha added gently, stroking the filly’s mane.

Willow carefully pulled her small stack of papers from her binder and huffed a little. “I-it’s a story,” Willow explained softly.
“What’s it about?” Gustopha asked, smiling gently at the filly.
“It’s about a filly, who… Who loses her sister, but then her sister comes back as a ghost,” Willow explained, “And they talk a lot, and go do things; silly things, like how the ghost sister’ll help the living sister reach things she’s not supposed to.”
“May I read some?” Gustopha requested gently.
Willow nodded, shuffling through the pages and nudging one over to Gustopha. “This one’s the best; it’s where the story really starts,” She said gently.
Gustopha leaned down to read it over.

Medium looked up at the night sky as tears ran down her face. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. Why did she have to lose her sister? Why did her sister have to go? She knelt at the gravestone and prayed with all her heart. She just wanted to see her sister one more time. To see that happy smile, and hear that happy giggle. She looked up as she heard a shrill, young voice.

“What’s wrong, sister?” Asked a small, ghostly pony, sitting on the grave. She was partially see-through, with a white body and a purple-tinted mane, and her legs looked more like loosely folded bedsheets than pony legs.
Medium began to tear up. It was the voice of her younger sister! “Vie! You’re okay!” Medium squeaked. She ran up to the gravestone to hug the ghostly pony, but went right through her.
“Huh?” Medium asked softly.
Vie frowned a little. “I’m scared, sister… I just remember getting really sick, and when I woke up, you were praying and crying,” Vie expressed.
“No, no, it’s okay! I can see you, Vie! You’re okay now!” Medium promised, tears still in her eyes.
“But you can’t hug me anymore,” Vie whined, “And I’m cold.”

“Well, um…” Medium paused, “What if you tried hugging me, instead?” She asked.
Vie floated over and sat on Medium’s shoulders. When she did, she got sucked into Medium’s mane, now appearing as a flowing white glow that clung to Medium’s mane. Vie’s purple colour joined the rest of Medium’s crystal mane, becoming a purple tint towards the ends.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Medium asked.
“I’m right here…” Vie said, “Your mane is comfy and warm, sister. Can I stay here?”
“Of course! We can go sleep, and you can be all comfy in my mane,” Medium replied.
The two sisters talked a little as Medium walked home, and Medium snuck up the stairs to bed, snuggling into her covers. As she fell asleep, Medium quietly said, “I love you, Vie.”
Vie replied quietly, “I love you too, sister. Good night.”

Gustopha smiled a bittersweet smile.
“Is it any good?” Willow asked.
Gustopha nodded. “It’s lovely, Willow,” She expressed, “But I am a little confused… Medium has a crystal mane?” She asked.
“We’re learning about the Crystal Ponies in history class,” Willow explained, “They have this special thing called a Crystal Heart that ties all their magic together. So, when Medium prayed, she took some of that magic to make Vie.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. This was an interesting way to learn of new things to research; then again, she’d never been avid when it came to researching history. Her research was usually more modern in nature.
“I see… That’s a very interesting premise, you know,” Gustopha expressed gently, “Keep it close.”

Willow nodded a bit. “Writing it makes me sad, but it feels nice,” She expressed, “I can’t talk to my sister like Medium can, but I’d like to think a little bit of me is in Medium, and a little bit of Everglade is in Vie.”
“We all have our own method of grieving,” Gustopha said gently, “Have you noticed you’ve felt better at all since you started writing?”
“The memories hurt a little less,” Willow supposed softly.
Gustopha smiled. “Then you don’t stop,” She insisted, “Write the sweetest story you can about a filly and her sister. You might find that expressing yourself through writing helps you come to terms with your grief.”

Willow nodded a little. “Okay… Thank you, Princess,” She replied softly.
Gustopha smiled gently. “Now, come downstairs with me, won’t you? I’m sure your family would love it if you joined them on the couch,” She requested.
Willow hopped down from her chair and nodded. “Okay, Princess,” She replied.
Gustopha smiled, leading the filly down the stairs into the front room.

Gustopha sat on the floor between Precipice and Aerated, watching as Willow carefully squeezed into the couch between Sequoia and Dogwood.
Halley, who was laying against Sequoia’s chest, looked up at the new arrival. Willow returned the gaze, silently.
Halley fumbled forward, her nose lightly bumping into Willow’s.
Dogwood smiled. “She likes you, sis; she’s givin’ ya a fairy kiss,” He explained with a small smile.
Willow smiled a little and gently nuzzled noses with the foal. Her tail swished a bit in content.
Gustopha smiled softly to herself. It was nice to see the two fillies reconcile, even in some small way.

Precipice took a soft breath as she finished her tea. “Thank you, ma’am,” She said softly.
“Of course,” Sequoia replied gently, “I can’t say I know much about royal procedure, but if Gustopha trusts you I don’t know why I shouldn’t.”
“Regardless, we’re grateful for your hospitality,” Stoneheart replied, “The Princess holds the kindness of Equestria’s citizens very dear, and we’ve done our best to learn from that.”
Aerated nodded a bit. “If there’s one thing her highness tries to be, it’s humble,” She added.
Gustopha simply smiled a bit, resting head on the floor. “I thought I asked not to be called ‘highness’,” She teased softly.
Aerated flinched a bit, but nodded. “R-right, Princess,” She heaved softly.

Oak chuckled. “I believe it,” He remarked, “Can’t say I’ve ever had another princess help out with farm work.”
“Regardless of my form or rank, I’m still a pony, same as any other,” Gustopha remarked, “I’d like to pass that onto those in charge of representing me.”
Sequoia smiled. “Well, from those I’ve met, you’re doin’ a wonderful job,” She expressed softly.
“Thank you.” Gustopha replied, “I’m very proud of them.”

Dogwood looked at Stoneheart for a long moment and tilted his head, before standing up and walking over.
“Is something the matter?” Stoneheart asked, looking at the colt before him.
Dogwood quietly walked past Stoneheart and picked through the stallion’s tail, uncovering the wooden branches that were tucked among his fur; the stallion had gotten quite good at hiding the branches in his tail, reducing the attention drawn to him and keeping the plant parts themselves warmer.

“You’ve got wood in your tail, sir,” Dogwood remarked softly.
Stoneheart nodded a bit. “That I do,” He replied gently, “I’m not an earth pony.”
“What are ya, then? Ya don’t have wings or a horn,” Dogwood asked.
“I’m a verdant, as assigned by Gustopha,” Stoneheart explained, “The wood in my tail is part of me; like a unicorn’s horn.”

There was a certain warmth in Stoneheart’s tone as he spoke to the colt; a paternal hint, similar to Oak’s. If it weren’t for the physical differences, Gustopha would’ve practically assumed they were brothers.
Aerated smirked a bit. “It means he’s literally got a stick up his flank,” She snorted, chuckling.
Dogwood, Willow, and Oak laughed a bit at the pegasus’ remark.

Stoneheart huffed a bit and lightly punched Aerated in the shoulder. “Aerated! Do not use such language in front of the children!” He scolded.
“They’ve heard worse,” Oak remarked with a slight eye roll, still laughing a bit.
Gustopha smiled a bit. She probably should have reprimanded Aerated’s tongue, but considering no one aside from Stoneheart seemed bothered by it, she just allowed the conversation to carry on without her.

It was sometime later that she was gently patted back to her senses by Dogwood. “Gustopha?” He asked.
Her eyes blinked open, and she looked up at him expectantly.
“Ma made some dinner,” He explained gently.
She nodded and stood up, allowing the colt to lead her to the table. A few extra chairs sat around the large dining table, ensuring there were spaces for everyone.

Dinner was a typical affair; mashed vegetables, some fresh bread, and of course fruit from the farm for dessert. Gustopha was happy to see how well her guards had settled in with the family; it felt as though they were one contiguous whole. It made Gustopha’s heart swell just a bit. The last time she had seen so many ponies so unabashedly happy together was when she and her mother had dinner with Texas and his family. That was quite a long time ago now; or at least, it felt like it.

Gustopha helped Sequoia with the clean up after dinner. It wasn’t a particularly challenging task; just washing dishes, yet she found it calming.
Sequoia smiled at her. “Those guards o’ yours are really somethin’, y’know that?” Sequoia asked, “Practically talked to the kids better’n I do.”
Gustopha returned the smile. “If nothing else, I’d like to ease the gap between royalty and the public… I can’t influence many things, but how my guards act is in some way within my control,” She expressed.
Sequoia nodded a bit, putting plates and cups and silverware away as Gustopha finished cleaning them. “Is that related to your not liking being called Princess, perchance?” Sequoia asked.

Gustopha flinched slightly, but nodded. “You read me like a book,” She replied, “The first time I was ever ‘respected’ as a Princess, it was a starving stallion forced to put his graciousness towards me before feeding himself or his family,” She admitted, “Ever since then, I’ve always felt some sort of pain in my chest whenever somepony calls me things like ‘highness’... And bowing is completely out of the picture.”
Sequoia nodded sympathetically. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that here,” Sequoia promised, “While you’re here, you’re just Gustopha. Not an inch wrong with that.”
Gustopha’s smile returned. “Thank you, Sequoia,” She replied gently.
“Of course, Gustopha,” Sequoia replied gently, before perking up as if she remembered something, “Say… Shouldn’t you be lettin’ the moon ponies know Halley’s down here safe and sound?”
Gustopha’s eyes briefly widened, and she nodded, grabbing a pencil and paper to write the note.

“Dear moon ponies,
It is with great joy that I send this letter to you, confirming Halley’s safe arrival. She’s been placed into the care of a loving foster family, and we excitedly look forward to her growth and development. I’ll be sure to send updates now and then as she grows and develops.
Sincerely, Princess Gustopha of Earth.”

Gustopha smiled a bit. It was a simple letter, but an effective one. She stepped outside to deliver the letter, but hesitated as she heard the sound of voices outside, on the side of the house.
Carefully, she padded around the side of the house, her eyes widening slightly as she saw Stoneheart and Aerated Turf embracing each other.
“...Can we just stay out here five more minutes?” Aerated asked with a soft huff, “It’s been forever since I got to see you.”
Stoneheart sighed gently. “Alright,” He replied softly.
Aerated hesitated for a long moment as she leaned into Stoneheart.
Stoneheart bit his lip. “Is this about… What we talked about, before the surgery?” He asked.
Aerated nodded.
“Aerated, you know that would be desertion,” Stoneheart replied.

Gustopha tensed. From what she’d read about desertion, it was treated very seriously. Death penalty seriously. She stepped out from behind the corner of the house. “What would be?” She asked.
Aerated and Stoneheart both froze.
“Princess!” Aerated yipped, “How long have you been standing out here?” She asked, nerves building in her voice.
“Long enough,” Gustopha replied, “What were you two talking about?”
Stoneheart and Aerated briefly shared a glance. Aerated simply nodded to the stallion, and he sighed. “Aerated and I have been… Romantically involved for a short while now,” Stoneheart explained slowly.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Alright, what’s wrong with that?” She asked.

“We want to try, Princess. But stupid Equestrian laws… Make it difficult,” Aerated huffed, “If a mare gets pregnant while on duty, it’s considered desertion.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened slightly. “...So you wish to have a foal, but can’t,” She supposed.
Stoneheart bit his lip. “With the blessing of our assigned charge, we would be permitted to have a foal, but pregnant or foaling mares cannot serve in the Equestrian military. Aerated Turf would be out of action for some time,” He explained.
Aerated seemed unusually vulnerable tonight, looking away from the Princess and pressing into her lover’s side.
“Why would I stop you from trying for such a thing?” Gustopha asked, tilting her head.

Stoneheart bit his lip. “Well, as royal guards, our duty comes first. Likewise, it’s not a very easy subject to ask about,” He expressed.
“Well, you have my blessing,” Gustopha replied. Admittedly, she had ulterior motives; she wanted to see if a verdant parent might have a verdant child. In theory, the plant should influence the pony as the pony influenced the plant, but she wasn’t sure. Gustopha kept that train of thought to herself, though; these two seemed rattled enough without an academic edge to things.
Stoneheart’s eyes widened. “Are… Are you certain, Princess?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded. “Positive,” She promised, “All I ask is that you allow me to see the infant when they are born… A verdant’s magic should be stable, but I’m not certain if it will be passed down.”

Aerated looked up and spoke, her voice soft, “I wouldn’t trust a foal with any doctor more than you, Princess,” She expressed, “I saw how well you cared for Stoneheart, April, May, and all the others.”
Gustopha smiled, pacing forward and hugging the couple. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure it all goes well,” She promised.
Aerated smiled and sniffled back some tears. “Thank you, Princess…” She whispered.
“Your kindness knows no bounds,” Stoneheart expressed, relief exasperating his tone.
Gustopha still wasn’t entirely sure why these two were acting so weird about it, but simply nodded a bit. “Of course,” She replied gently.

“I’ll be honest, I expected you to say no,” Aerated admitted, “Given Stoneheart is a test subject…”
“He’s still a pony, first and foremost,” Gustopha expressed gently as she pulled away.
Stoneheart nodded a bit. “We still thank you for your blessing, Princess. We have been debating about this since before we were assigned to you,” He expressed.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Well, rest assured that you can feel comfortable in your choice now,” She insisted.
Aerated nodded a bit, wiping her eyes. “Are we needed inside?” She asked, trying to get back to some kind of business as usual.

Gustopha shook her head. “Take the time you need; I’m just sending a letter,” She answered with a small smile, turning to walk back to the front of the house.
Aerated and Stoneheart briefly shared a look as the princess disappeared around the front of the house. “...Do you also have the feeling the Princess only understood half of that conversation?” Aerated asked.
Stoneheart chuckled softly. “Yes, yes I do,” He replied, “I don’t believe we should scrutinize an opportunity too much.”

A powerful light shone through the orchard as the Princess cast her letter to the moon. After sending the basket, it was significantly easier to send such a small object. Once she felt the signature tug of the moon accepting the letter, she headed inside, shaking herself off from the exertion.
Inside, Oak, Sequoia, and Precipice were having a calm chat as the kids played together on the floor.
Gustopha settled herself near the fireplace and allowed her eyes to close. She let herself take in the world through sound, rather than sight. The soft bantering of the adults, the happy giggles of the children, the dull crackling of the fire… It made the princess happy to be alive again. Even if her life was quite messy, the quiet happy moments made it all worth it.
Her ears twitched at the sound of the door opening and closing; Stoneheart and Aerated Turf coming back inside.

Some more time passed, and Gustopha felt a small weight press on her side. “Adopha,” Halley mumbled, draping herself across Gustopha’s snout and yawning.
Gustopha smiled. “Are you tired, little one?” She asked softly.
Sequoia chuckled as she walked over. “It is getting late. I think it’s bedtime for the kids,” Sequoia remarked, gently scooping Halley off the princess’ snout.
“Aww… Can’t we stay up a bit later, ma? It’s not often the princess comes around!” Dogwood protested.
“Listen to your mother, Dogwood,” Gustopha chuckled, “You’ll appreciate how much to get to sleep now when you’re older.”
Dogwood huffed softly. “Alright, fine… Good night, folks,” He grumbled, walking up the stairs alongside his mother and his sister.
“Good night,” Gustopha replied, echoed by her guard and Oak.

Oak chuckled. “I bet you folks are achin’ for a bit of shuteye after today, too, eh?” He supposed.
“I could do with a nod-off,” Aerated admitted.
Oak nodded. “Well, make yourselves comfy; you’ve earned a spot here and then some,” He remarked.
Gustopha heard the soft sounds of armor being removed as her guard did so. She was comfortable enough in her vestments, given they were just boots and a breastplate. She could only imagine standing around in full plate mail all day.
She felt a disturbance as Precipice settled herself down fairly close to her, near the fireplace. “Thank you for your hospitality,” The unicorn said, followed by a yawn.
“Your kindness is greatly appreciated,” Stoneheart added as he rested on the rug beside the coffee table.
“What they said,” Aerated chimed as she draped herself over a chair.
“Much obliged, everypony,” Oak replied.

The room fell quiet as the group relaxed. No one seemed particularly interested in talking, at least until Sequoia poked her head down from upstairs. “You comin’ to bed, Oak?” She asked.
Oaked chuckled. “I dunno, they’re talkin’ my ear right off,” He joked as he got up and walked to the stairs, “Night, folks,” He bade.
A rolling murmur of “Good night”s came from the princess and her guards, and he walked up the stairs.
Precipice sidled a bit closer to the princess, shivering. Gustopha’s eyes slowly opened to look at her. “Are you cold?” She asked.
Precipice nodded. “I’ve noticed overusing magic can induce chills…” She admitted quietly.

Gustopha nodded a bit, letting one of her wings flay to drape over the unicorn. “You fought hard today; you should be proud,” She said gently.
Precipice settled herself under Gustopha’s wing. “Thank you, Princess…” She murmured softly, very light hint of yearning on the edge of her tone. The way the princess accounted for her needs made Precipice think things. Things she shouldn’t probably shouldn’t be thinking, really. She wanted to impress Gustopha, and she had an idea on how she would do it. But those were not thoughts for tonight. Tonight was a time to relax.

In the morning, the princess and her guard would prepare to leave, bidding goodbye to the family.
“Are ya sure you’re alright leavin’ Halley here with us?” Sequoia asked gently.
Gustopha nodded. “I’m certain,” She replied, “The Blightsbane trees will protect you, should the blight attempt a return. When they start bearing fruit, the fruit is edible, and will innoculate you against the blight as well.”
Oak nodded a bit. “Alright,” He replied, “You four travel safely now.”
“We will,” Gustopha replied, “These three are used to taking care of me by now,” She explained with a soft chuckle.
Oak and Sequoia each had a laugh as the group left for the castle.
The journey back, thankfully, wasn’t too eventful. As they returned to the castle, things returned to some semblance of normalcy.

It was only the day after, when the princess was preparing to operate on her next subject, that Precipice looked to her.
“Is something wrong, Precipice?” Gustopha asked.
“I was wondering if I could assist you in your procedures,” Precipice expressed, “You said they were tiring.”
Gustopha hesitated. “The magic involved in the procedure is very unstable,” She explained, “If you were to run out of magic before it was set properly, which is a very likely possibility, the subject’s magic would at best return to its original shape, and at worst… Find the path of least resistance out,” She expressed, grimacing at the thought.

Precipice frowned a bit, but prepared to turn away.
“...If it’s alright with the subject, you could spectate if you would like,” Gustopha offered, “However, you would be expected not to interfere, of course.”
Precipice looked back at Gustopha and nodded. “That’s fine,” She supposed.
Gustopha nodded a bit and gathered up her notes. She always liked having them with her when she operated; she knew the procedure by heart by now, but occasionally a reference wouldn’t hurt.

After a brief consultation with the subject, it was decided that Precipice would be permitted to observe the surgery. The three ponies would enter the waiting room, and Precipice sat quietly at a respectable distance away as Gustopha walked the patient through the pre-amble of the surgery, reassuring them they’d all be okay. Anesthetic went in, the subject was made as comfortable as the procedure was allowed, and Gustopha got to work.

Precipice bit her lip as a small spurt of blood was freed from the pony’s back. Some deep, animalistic thrill buried in the darkest corners of her mind now pounded in her ears. Adrenaline, perhaps. Precipice had always mistaken it for squeamishness, or fear, since it most often came in battle, accompanied by the guttural screams of some unfortunate soul being put to death. But in such a calm setting, she had plenty of time to recognize it: Intrigue. The mind’s natural tendency to rubberneck to tragedies. The will to experiment in ways that nopony dared speak of under Celestia’s light.

Act III, Part III: Tedium

By the time Precipice snapped out of her thoughtful haze, the unicorn was joined only by one of the hospital staff, whom was cleaning down the operating room.
“Ah, pardon me,” Precipice excused gently, trotting out of the room.
The nurse gave her a confused look, but continued about their task.
Precipice trotted down the hall and to her room in the barracks, shaking herself off. Her mind raced, and she briefly felt her heart pounding in her ears. The terran guard was large enough to have their own quarters, separate from the solar guard. She walked past the first room of beds and pushed the door to the second open, walking into her room. Rooms were divided into four quadrants with two beds each; the sparse additional furniture (a desk and a single working chair) was shared by each quadrant.

Precipice carefully magicked a thick notebook out from under her bed and wrote down her notes on what she had felt today. She wasn’t super familiar with writing about such personal matters, but a few of her colleagues had recommended it as a way to organize her thoughts.
Concluding her more therapeutic writing, she turned to the back side of the book and reread her resignation.

“Dear Princess,
It is with the winter months approaching and the blessing of peacetime that I formally extend this letter of resignation for your appraisal. I wish to resign for the following reasons:

My mental state has faced a steady decline over the past period of time.
I have realized my aspirations lie in the study of medicine, and would like to be educated so I may return to the military as a healer.

I hold a great respect for the work you have done, and believe that my talents lie in a similar field. Know that this letter finds you with the highest regard possible.
Signed, Precipice Spire”

Precipice chewed on her pencil irately. Technically, only two reasons needed to be provided, but her first reason wasn’t very good. It was overly personal, and mental health still wasn’t really understood yet, aside from very obvious things like shellshock or madness. Truthfully, her mental state wasn’t declining at all: she was developing feelings for the pony she was supposed to be guarding, which was just about the biggest no-no a guard could commit.

CRUNCH!

Precipice jumped a bit as her pencil splintered beneath her teeth. She pulled the cracked implement from her mouth and grunted softly in annoyance. Even better, her focus was broken as she heard shouting coming from outside her room.
Carefully, she poked her head outside.
Stoneheart, Aerated Turf, and May Showers were all lined up in front of a particularly well-kitted stallion: The housing inspector.
“And just what exactly were you three relaxing from, hm?” The stallion asked sternly, “A bit of a rigorous nap?”
The group fumbled out some kind of hesitant response.

Precipice blinked. Had they really gotten caught, well… “Trying?” And more importantly, the three of them? That would be one hell of a story… If they lived to tell the tale. Precipice ducked behind the door and casted her invisibility spell. Once she was confident she could not be seen, she resumed her head-poking from the door.
When she re-emerged, the stallion was already leading the three ‘crooks’ out of the barracks. “You three are damn lucky you report to a different princess; if I were in charge, I’dve…” The housing manager’s voice dulled to an unintelligible murmur as the door shut behind him.
Precipice opted to follow after them. She couldn’t really protect them, but she’d at least be a witness if something went awry.

Gustopha perked up at the knock at her bedroom door, walking over to answer it. She was surprised to see the housing manager and three of her most trusted guards looking awfully guilty behind him.
“What’s wrong?” Gustopha asked, stepping out into the hallway.
“I found these three ‘relaxing’ after taking some leisure time out for themselves!” The housing manager snarled.
Gustopha looked at him puzzledly. “...Why would they need relaxation after leisure time?” She asked.
The housing manager hesitated a bit.
“He caught us trying,” Aerated admitted softly.
“Oh, that’s fine,” Gustopha replied as she perked up, “They asked me about it while we were traveling.”

The housing manager cocked a brow. “All three of them?” He asked.
May offered what could only be described as a hesitant smile.
Gustopha blinked once or twice. She wasn’t aware May was involved with trying. In what limited research she had done into copulation, it seemed to be a two-pony activity. “...Ah, I see,” She replied, “Leave them with me, I will ensure they’re dealt with appropriately.”
The guards flinched at the sudden sternness in the Princess’ tone, but the housing manager simply nodded. “Of course. They’re all yours, Princess,” He remarked, turning and leaving.

Stoneheart, Aerated, and May all looked up at the Princess expectantly as the housing manager turned the corner.
Gustopha gazed quietly at them for a long moment, before quietly remarking, “Come inside.” She opened the door to her room and walked in.
The three guards followed her inside, and she closed the door.
“Whatever you do, Princess, punish me the most severely,” Stoneheart requested, “It was I who facilitated the event.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Very well,” She replied, “Your punishment will be explaining how exactly you got into this mess,” She explained, “I’d rather not punish you at all, but I am wondering how May got involved, so we'll call this a compromise.”

The three guards shared looks. “Princess, you aren’t suggesting I explain to you the fact we fornicated in the barracks, are you?” Stoneheart asked.
Gustopha simply nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting,” She hummed.
Stoneheart felt his heart skip a beat. This was not how he expected to be spending his afternoon. Gustopha hadn’t anticipated spending her afternoon like this, either, but she’d rather “punish” the guards herself rather than letting some bullheaded stallion exact the law’s way on them. Gustopha just got herself good and comfy as she awaited the explanation.

“...It was near the end when I came in,” May admitted, “I was pretty tired after not getting enough sleep and kind of grumpy, so… I threatened to report them when I walked in on them mid-’planting’.”
“I was already done by that point, but Stoneheart still had a bit left in him, so… We offered May a turn, to help her mood and keep her quiet,” Aerated continued.
“It’s… Perhaps a good thing you found out now, rather than later,” Stoneheart admitted, “I did not father only a single foal today.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened a bit. “You impregnated both of them?” She asked.
Stoneheart grimaced slightly at her tone, but nodded. “That’s… Correct, Princess,” He admitted.

Gustopha blinked once or twice. Luckily for her guards, she looked at this from a purely academic perspective: She now would have two verdant-fathered foals to study, rather than just one. “Well, my conditions apply to both foals, then,” Gustopha expressed, “I will be in charge of ensuring they’re healthy, as I’m not entirely certain what sort of effect being a verdant might have on a foal.”
“Of course, Princess,” May replied, “You’re the best doctor any of us know, I think.”
Gustopha chuckled softly. “You don’t have to compliment me, you’re not in any further trouble,” She promised.

“I mean it, Princess! Look at how effective you’ve been in verdant production! You’ll be a legend in medical books,” May reasoned, “Well, assuming medical textbooks have legends.”
Gustopha smiled a bit. “Well, if you say so,” She replied softly, “You’re free to go, now. If he asks, you were punished thoroughly,” She hummed.
The guards nodded and slowly filed out of the princess’ room, leaving her to her own devices.

More time passed, including a meeting with the court. The success of the verdant trials meant that Gustopha was now permitted to begin civilian testing, which Gustopha was quite nervous about. With the royal guards, she could keep them for as long as she wanted, and watch over them even after they’d recovered. With civilians, however, she’d have to let them go eventually. That meant standardizing on not just the procedure, but the recovery time as well. Winter’s approach only seemed to hasten as she planned things.

With the princess occupied by her own research, the terran guard found themselves operating with more and more autonomy; the Blightsbane verdants proved a wondrous success against the blight, and with dozens of them on standby, they appeared far and wide in their familiar bronze armor, cleansing the land and driving back the disease in all the places it was reported. It seemed, at least for the time, that things were on the up-and-up for Equestria.

As the days went on, Gustopha received a surprising amount of applications from ponies all across Equestria; then again, the subjects would be compensated for their time. A fair amount of applications had to be thrown out immediately; parents, volunteering their children for science. Gustopha was not comfortable with working with children. Beyond her own moral compass, their smaller size ensured more could go wrong, and their magic wasn’t as properly developed.

Her first test of a non-Blightsbane plant was soon upon her. Her subject was sedated, a scion of her chosen hay-style plant implanted, magic altered, and rest administered. It all went smoothly, of course; Gustopha had done this procedure around fifty times before daring to test anything on a civilian, but it still got to her nerves. At the very least, the first step was always the hardest. They woke up, spent some time recovering, and were eventually joined by another civilian; this one having received berries of some kind.

Berries were particularly easy to graft to ponies, Gustopha noticed; the slender vines took well in flesh. That, admittedly, had caught her off-guard. Gustopha had started noting what took well to pony bodies and magic, and what didn’t. An odd subject for her to write about, but one she still treated with the utmost respect. Her notes would, at the very least, serve as a good guide should she ever decide to train another pony in her ways. Admittedly, doing the surgeries repeatedly was a bit draining, even given adequate time to rest her mind and magic. However, the court demanded she prepare Equestria for winter, and thus she progressed with her trials.

Five civilians, then ten, then fifty. The tedium of being an immortal had already begun to set into the alicorn, and she hadn’t even been so for a year yet. Then, however, something interesting happened, as she was interrupted during yet another foray into the biology of plants. Her door was knocked on. She couldn’t remember the last time she was disturbed in her room, really; the month or two of tedium had starved her memory.
“May we talk for a moment, Princess?” Asked Precipice Spire, noticeably lacking her armor.
“Of course, come in,” Gustopha replied, “Is something the matter?” She asked.
Precipice walked inside and offered a very neatly folded note to the princess.
Gustopha took it and read it over briefly.

“...You wish to resign?” Gustopha asked, a bit surprised by how suddenly it seemed to come. Precipice had seemed very intent on sticking around her as of recent, and now the guard seemingly wanted nothing to do with her.
Precipice nodded hesitantly. “I have… Been planning this since I was back in the solar guard,” She admitted, “As outlined in the letter, I believe my passions and talents lie elsewhere.”
Gustopha nodded gently. “Well, it’s very sudden, but I have no critical reason to keep you at the moment,” She expressed, “I can only wish you the best of luck in your studies.”
Precipice gave an awkward smile. It looked as though it was masking something else, though what exactly it was was beyond Gustopha’s judgment.

Gustopha pulled her into a hug. “I won’t forget you, you know. You were the first unicorn under my command, after all,” She expressed.
Precipice felt as though she were about to melt in the warm, tender embrace of the earth princess. “It has been an honor to serve under you, Princess,” Precipice replied softly, “So see you come so far in such a short amount of time… You’re an inspiration.”
Gustopha held the guard at legs’ length and smiled gently. “You’ll have to come and see me when you’ve finished your studies,” She expressed, “I’d love to see what sort of practice you’ll go into; and if nothing else, the infirmary staff wouldn’t mind a bit of help,” Gustopha chuckled.
Precipice smiled a little, soaking in the Princess’ warmth for as long as social comfort would allow. “I will, Princess,” She promised, “I will make you proud.”

After a few more moments, Precipice stapped away from the princess. “I should be going, now, Princess. Technically, I’m not a guard, now…” She admitted.
Gustopha nodded. “Well, you’re always welcome back here,” She promised gently.
Precipice nodded. “Thank you,” She replied, bowing her head respectfully before leaving.
Gustopha pondered the unicorn’s sudden departure for a long moment, but had decided against looking too far into it. Precipice was not her guard anymore, and thus, Gustopha was not in order to demand answers from her.

Precipice heaved gently as she left the castle, walking to the seedier side of town and slipping into a hotel room for the night. She had plenty of money, given that she had saved almost all of hers from her time in the guard.
Once settled in, Precipice unpinned her soft lavender mane and grabbed a large razor. Taking a deep breath, she twisted her mane into a tight ponytail with her magic, and slashed through it with the razor, letting the freshly-cut hair fall to the ground. She had only spared some of her bangs, which she tied into a braid. She then similarly cropped her tail, and took a deep breath as she went to get some sleep.

Precipice woke up early in the morning and left the room with her cut hair still in it. Precipice no longer cared. She wouldn’t be staying in the capital town for much longer anyways. She approached the train station with grim determination on her face.
“Can I help you, ma’am?” The ticket attendant asked.
“A one-way ticket out to Old Fort Delta,” Precipice requested.
The attendant nodded. “Name for the ticket?” They asked.
“Spire,” Precipice replied dully.
The attendant banged out some letters on a typewriter, and passed the ticket to the unicorn. “The train should be here in the next ten minutes,” They explained, “Safe travels!”
Precipice gave a neutral smile as her horn ignited to take out her ticket. “Thank you,” She replied.

Precipice took a seat near the loading bay and sighed softly. She felt a bit shaky, really, but she knew that she had to do this. She needed to make the princess proud, after all, even if that meant giving everything else up.

Some more time passed, and Gustopha noted the day on her calendar. Walking down to towards the barracks, she prepared herself. It had been about three months since Stoneheart and Aerated (and May) had first “tried”, and now Gustopha set herself to the task of ensuring all was going well.
“Hello, both of you,” Gustopha greeted gently.
Aerated and May both offered awkward smiles. “Hello, Princess,” They replied, roughly in unison.
“Today is just going to be a light check up to ensure your bodies are handling the pregnancies well,” Gustopha explained gently, “Do either of you have a preference as to who I examine first?”
The mares shook their heads.
“I’ll start with Aerated, then,” Gustopha replied, settling the mare on her bed, “You’ll feel a light tingle from the dowsing spell, but it shouldn’t hurt; please, let me know if anything feels uncomfortable.”
Aerated nodded. “Yes Princess,” She replied softly.

Gustopha closed her eyes and leaned down. Her extensive practice in surgery meant she had much more skill working about the pony body. She could now probe for most diseases without incising anywhere at all, and even small operations like realignments or basic anti-disease action were feasible for her to perform without any kind of invasive action. Of course, none of that accrued knowledge would matter much today; she was just taking a look around to make sure everything was okay.
Aerated shivered a bit as the tingle of magic slowly moved around inside of her. It felt a little bit like something was crawling around inside of her, but the pegasus forced those thoughts back. This was for the baby, after all.

Gustopha smiled gently as she pulled away. “All done,” She hummed gently.
Aerated nodded a little. “And?” She asked awkwardly.
“Everything seems alright; you might want to consider eating a bit more, though; especially fresh fruit from the courtyard,” Gustopha expressed, “You’re getting a bit lean, despite what your physique says.”
Aerated blushed very slightly. She, like many pegasi, was fairly finely-built as ponies went, and a baby bump was already making itself noticeable in her stomach. “Err… Yes, of course, Princess,” She replied awkwardly, fumbling her way off the bed.

May was next, settling herself before the princess and allowing the alicorn to inspect her. She didn’t bear her pregnancy as much as Aerated did, but a noticeable lump was starting to form in her underbelly. May didn’t react much to the princess’ dowsing spell at all; it wasn’t much of a source of discomfort for the verdant.
“Your body is handling the pregnancy well,” Gustopha said gently.
“Oh, good,” May replied gently, rolling over to stand up, “Do I need to do anything?”
“My fresh fruit recommendation applies,” Gustopha said, “Never hurts.”
May nodded a bit, looking over Gustopha for a moment, noting the start of bags under the alicorn’s eyes.

“...If I may, Princess, you look tired,” May expressed, “When was the last time you took a day for yourself?” She asked.
Gustopha bit her tongue. “I believe it was when we went and visited the Groves,” She admitted.
Aerated blinked. “Princess, that was months ago,” She expressed, “You haven’t given yourself a break since?”
Gustopha sighed. “Winter’s almost upon us,” She admitted, “And the court has requested I produce five hundred verdants.”
“What!?” Aerated exclaimed, “Five hundred!?”
Gustopha nodded. “As of my current count, I’ve a hundred and twenty six, not counting your foals. The court seems convinced that verdants should have a large enough population to stand as their own tribe.”

May hesitated. “But if you only do one a day…” She trailed off.
“I’ve over a year of solid work left before me, yes,” Gustopha admitted, “Today is, in essence, one of my days for myself. Ensuring the health of your foals, as the children of verdants, was enough of an excuse that I could put aside a few days.”
“You’re really putting everything on the line, Princess. Aren’t you worried your quality might start to suffer if you overwork yourself?” Aerated asked.
“I retain my one surgery a day pace to avoid such issues,” Gustopha explained, “I could probably do two a day if I pushed, but I’d rather not wear myself thin when I’m messing around with the bodies and magic of civilians.”
Aerated nodded a bit. “If you say so, Princess,” She replied softly, biting her tongue, “Just make sure to step back if you need a breath. I wouldn’t blame you.”

“Thank you, Aerated,” She replied gently, before shaking herself off, “Now, I should be going… I’d like a couple more varieties of graftable plants before I get too much further into the trials,” She said.
Aerated nodded a little. “Take care of yourself, Princess,” She replied gently.
“Take care,” Echoed May.
Gustopha nodded and left the room, heading back to her own as she took a deep breath of the castle air. Had she been working herself too hard? Even if she had, what was there to do? The court was clear of their expectation, and Gustopha could only work so fast.
When she returned to her room, she dropped to her haunches before her desk and returned to pouring over her assorted manuals and textbooks. Acres of knowledge, that the princess expected herself to absorb in a more or less timely manner. She’d a fair few graftables assembled already, covering most of the staples: Hay, berries, citrus, beans. All crucial cornerstones of a balanced pony diet. But Gustopha wanted a few more assorted items to give the verdant population more starting diversity.

It was sometime later when Celestia entered the room, coming in and approaching the fervently studying earth princess.
“Do you have a moment, Gustopha?” Celestia asked gently.
Gustopha nodded and looked up from her studying materials. “What is it?” She asked, voice gentle despite the blunt wording.
Celestia walked further in and sat down next to Gustopha, draping her in a wing. “Some of the terran guard have expressed concerns that you’re overworking yourself,” Celestia explained.
Gustopha froze for a brief second, but leaned into Celestia’s embrace. “They have?” She asked, some intrigue piquing in her voice.
Celestia nodded. “I have, as well… The court and I are not pushing you too hard, are we?” She asked.
Gustopha shook her head. “No, no,” She promised, “I am strong.”

Celestia bit her lip. “Being strong is one thing, Gustopha. Being healthy is another,” She expressed, “When was the last time you spent some time outside? Took a walk, greeted some townsponies…?”
“I interact with civilians every day, now,” Gustopha remarked.
Celestia let out a small, frustrated chuckle. “That’s not what I meant,” She replied, attempting to keep her tone jovial, “Even though I have royal duties I attend to each day, my schedule varies. I might have to sort an urgent issue, manage military matters, handle some proposals for large-scale constructions, or so on,” She explained, “So although it is all work, it rarely feels routine.”
Gustopha hesitated. “I have done nothing but create verdants for the past three and some odd months,” She admitted, “With the occasional plant manipulation in addition to that.”

Celestia sighed gently. “That is the sort of tedium I am referring to. Even though it is productive, and necessary, you are still grinding your hooves to the bone doing the same thing, over and over again,” She expressed.
“What else do I do, Celestia?” Gustopha asked, her voice raising slightly, “We are already slipping into winter’s chill, and I’ve barely a quarter of the populace created.”
Celestia sighed a bit. “That’s, in part, my fault,” She expressed, “If I hadn’t made that first stupid deciding vote…”
Gustopha leaned a bit more on Celestia’s shoulder and took a deep breath. “You are starting to sound like you did during our first fight,” Gustopha chided.

Celestia tensed. “...I see,” She replied softly, “Thank you.”
“I don’t think I was ready for all this,” Gustopha admitted, allowing some weakness to show, “Not for so much of it.”
Celestia looked at her. “Whatever do you mean? You’ve been doing an amazing job,” She expressed, “Better than I could have done.”
“I don’t mean that kind of ready,” Gustopha replied, looking up at Celestia, “I know it is hard to remember, given the accelerated aging, but it’s only my eleventh birthday in a month, Celestia.”
Celestia froze. “Eleventh…?” She murmured.
“I was born the winter the war broke out,” Gustopha explained, “And died just short of the first anniversary of its end.”

Celestia’s eyes began to water. She hadn’t actually given much thought to Gustopha before the forced aging. “...I can’t believe myself,” Celestia muttered.
Gustopha bit her lip. “It’s not your fault, sister,” She reasoned, “None of the guard know of my true age, either. It’s not something I ever felt was relevant.”
“Once again, I am reminded how I robbed you of your foalhood,” Celestia heaved, her hoof now pressing hard into the floor, “What else did I take from you?”
Gustopha shook her head. “It was never you, Celestia,” She said firmly, “It was the blight, the doctor, and the world they effected on that took those things.”
Gustopha took Celestia’s muzzle in her hooves and stared deep into her eyes. “I want you to know that I don’t blame you for any of this. I have had every opportunity to back out. If I really wanted to, I could jump off that balcony one day and fly until Equestria just becomes a distant memory.”

Celestia’s eyes continued to leak tears as she returned Gustopha’s gaze. “Gustopha, you…” Celestia sniffled, “Why do you put yourself through all of this?”
“It’s my purpose, Celestia,” Gustopha expressed, “I wasn’t meant to be happy. I have a job, and I was prepared for it, and it alone,” She reasoned, tone even.
Celestia shook her head and took Gustopha’s hooves in her own. “Gustopha, don’t you realize how awful that sounds?” Celestia asked, “You deserve happiness. Everypony does. If work your yourself until you’re miserable to make one pony’s life better, the amount of ponies suffering in the world stays the same.”
Gustopha took a deep breath. “But I’m helping more than one pony, Celestia. I’ve seen the news of towns healed by the Blightsbane,” Gustopha forced a smile, “It’s late, but… This is my trial.”

Celestia hesitated. “Your trial…?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded. “Alicornhood is earned, Celestia, and this is how I earn mine, even if it’s late,” She expressed.
Celestia pulled Gustopha into a tight hug, and Gustopha didn’t fight it.
“I’m proud of you, Gustopha. I’m so, so proud,” Celestia expressed, tears streaming down her cheeks, “No matter what anypony says, keep that thought in your heart. I, and many others, are very proud of you,” She insisted.
Gustopha took a deep breath and nestled herself into Celestia’s embrace. “Thank you, Celestia,” She replied gently, “I’ll try and keep that in mind.”
Celestia smiled a bit as an idea popped into her head. “How about you and I go eat somewhere in the castle town for dinner?” She asked, “I’ve heard the selection is quite good, what with all the blight being cleared away.”
Gustopha gave a small nod. “That sounds nice,” She replied gently.

After a bit of preparation straightening out her somewhat disheveled mane, Gustopha would follow Celestia outside into the castle town. It had grown somewhat significantly in the past few months, now that Equestria was finally getting back on its hooves. The population now sported a limited verdant presence; the first of Gustopha’s civilian subjects, in addition to a few royal guards who were out on patrols.

A few families with newly verdant-ized family members would approach the Princess, expressing gratitude over the care taken to return their family members happy and healthy. It made Gustopha happy to know she’d been doing an adequate job of being a benevolent doctor.
Celestia smiled at Gustopha. “Sounds like the public can see that you know what you’re doing,” Celestia remarked.
Gustopha smiled a little. “It’s nice to see I don’t have a mad scientist’s reputation,” She expressed.
Celestia nodded. “Diligence pays in respect,” She hummed.

As the two walked into a decently nice restaurant, a few patrons moved aside for them. After being led to a table, they each took a seat and looked at the menu.
Gustopha started chuckling to herself, and Celestia looked up at her.
“Is something wrong?” Celestia asked, unable to resist a small smile.
“I’ve been studying so much that each time I get to the end of the sentence describing an item I’m expecting another paragraph about it,” Gustopha remarked.
Celestia laughed a bit and shook her head. “And this is why you need to get out of the castle more often,” She remarked.
Gustopha sighed a bit. “I suppose you’re right,” She conceded.
“At least go out onto your balcony and get some fresh air now and then,” Celestia requested.
Gustopha nodded a little. “I’ll try,” She replied gently.

As the waiter came to the table and took their orders, Celestia shook some tension out of her neck and took a deep breath. “I will say, it’s been too long since I let myself enjoy a change in scenery,” She admitted, “Usually, I still have business to attend to when I’m out.”
Gustopha nodded and smiled a bit. “I’m glad you suggested this,” She admitted, “It’s nice to think about unimportant things for once.”
Celestia nodded a bit. “I do hope you’ll take some time to relax after we’re done here,” She expressed.
Gustopha hesitated. “I’ll think about it,” She replied softly, “I’ve still three hundred and seventy four verdants to make for the court to be satisfied,” She sighed.
Celestia bit her lip, but nodded. “Of… Of course,” She replied with a soft sigh, some guilt panging in her tone. Gustopha had most certainly been consumed by her work, but that was her fault, wasn’t it? Celestia couldn’t help but feel responsible, at least.

“...I’d like to organize something special for your birthday,” Celestia eventually said, trying to get the conversation off of work, “When is it?”
Gustopha blinked. “It’s the eleventh of November,” She replied, “I don’t need fanfare for getting older, though, really…”
Celestia gasped a bit. That was in a matter of a week or two. She didn’t consider early November “winter”, but then again, Old Fort Delta was stationed fairly far northward. “Well… Would you like something special for your birthday? I could ask the castle cooks to make something nice.”
Gustopha thought for a long moment. “I don’t think I’d like any kind of large celebration,” Gustopha expressed, “Perhaps a chocolate cake, to be shared among myself, you, and a few of the guards who I’m close to.”
Celestia smiled a bit. She’d had a hunch Gustopha liked chocolate for a while now, but this just confirmed it. It was nice to see that there was something besides work rattling around in the young alicorn’s head. “That sounds very nice, Gustopha,” She replied gently.

The table fell quiet as their food arrived; Gustopha had gotten pasta. Something a bit heavier to keep her energy up.
Celestia herself had gotten a chef’s salad; she wasn’t particularly worried about her figure, really, she just liked a good salad.
Gustopha thought to herself as she ate. She really did desire some break from work; of course, living in the castle, her work was always around her. She considered visiting the Groves again, but didn’t wish to overstay her welcome.
Once they were done, the two returned to the castle.

Gustopha found herself falling back into routine again. Surgery and studying, two words she would be intimately familiar with by the time her first year and a half of service was complete. Of course, respite would come, particularly in the form of Celestia’s plans for Gustopha’s birthday.

Act III, Part IV: Uncontrol

Gustopha looked around at the small congregation of ponies in the dining hall. Celestia, Heartful Surrogate, Rolling Simmer, Stoneheart, Aerated Turf, April and May Showers, and a handful of other ponies were gathered there.
Celestia smiled towards the small group. “Attention, everyone,” She began, “We’re all gathered here today to honor the birthday of our newest princess. In her short time in our eye, she has made great strides in bringing us out of the slump wrought by the war. She has shown herself to be a doctor, a diplomat, and - most importantly - a sign of hope for things to come.”
Gustopha didn’t say anything, taking in the subdued applause of the crowd. Not too loud, just how she liked it. She smiled gently, horn illuminating as she looked towards the cake. Eleven whole candles. Only Celestia, Heartful, and Gustopha herself understood the significance, but as she blew out the candles, she noticed one stubborn flame remaining alight.

“One coltfriend, woo!” Aerated cheered with a bit of a chuckle, drawing some laughter from the crowd.
Gustopha blushed faintly at the thought, but admittedly, the idea of a partner mostly slipped her mind. Gustopha hadn’t given it much thought, at least since she was reincarnated. She leaned forward to blow out the stubborn candle, huffing gently as she did so.
She then took a large knife and cut the cake carefully. Her extensive surgical practice reared its head as each piece was rent to almost exactly the same size. Once the cutting was finished, Gustopha leaned away and smiled gently at the partygoers. “Go ahead, everyone,” She invited gently.

The mood of the party was intimate, with most patrons talking amongst themselves. Gustopha smiled as she saw everypony interacting, nibbling at her own slice of cake.
Heartful Surrogate approached her and smiled gently. “Goodness… It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you, Princess,” She expressed, her smile fading a bit, “You look tired.”
Gustopha hesitated. “Is it that obvious I’ve been working hard?” She asked.
Heartful nodded a bit. “You’ve been doing good work, from what I’ve heard. Just be sure to take proper care of yourself, okay?” She requested.

“I am,” Gustopha promised, “I’m ensuring I adequately pace myself…”
Heartful hesitantly nodded. “Oh, but here I am, nagging you on your special day,” She huffed gently, “I’m very proud of you, Gustopha.”
Gustopha smiled gently. “Thank you, Heartful,” She replied, gently pulling the mare into a hug.
Heartful smiled and hugged back. “Of course, Gustopha,” She replied.

After some time, the party concluded. It was a nice memory for Gustopha; not too loud, but it rang true in her heart as a beacon of goodness over a mire of pain, exhaustion, and tedium. Tedium, in particular, would return quickly. Time seemed to go by faster than ever; winter was over before Gustopha even knew it. Then came spring, then summer began.
It was one early summer afternoon that things took an unexpected turn.

“...Just a little pinch,” Gustopha said gently as she lightly poked the needle into the shoulder of her latest subject.
“How many verdants have you made now, Princess?” Asked the stallion, named Latent Requiem.
“You are the three hundred and second,” Gustopha replied softly.
Requiem nodded. “I see,” He replied, “This must be routine for you, then.”
Gustopha chuckled wearily. “You have no idea,” She remarked softly, “For you, it will be a simple nap.”
He nodded. “Of course,” The stallion replied, “Thank you for your service to us all, Princess…” He trailed off as the drugs fully kicked in.
Gustopha sighed gently and prepared herself.

Gustopha hesitated as she readied her operating tools. Something struck her as off about Requiem as she prepared to operate, and thus she dowsed first. She’d had a few subjects that had given her off readings, so she occasionally had to check for any abnormalities. He seemed a bit overcharged, but that could’ve just been from the handful of sedentary days leading up to the surgery. Nothing dangerously out of the ordinary, Gustopha decided, and she decided to progress onward with the surgery.

The incision was made, the plant carefully threaded around, and then she tried moving his magic. It was a much greater arcane mass than she was used to; overenergization could account for some of it, but this was nigh-anomalous. With the strain of managing the extra magic, she stumbled slightly, and knocked over the tray of medical tools to her side. The noise released was ear-piercingly loud, and a stray scalpel managed to cut at her leg.

The briefest lapse in focus very gravely cost her. She lost hold of the earth pony’s magic, and had to fight to restabilize it. Gustopha panted hard as she looked at the intense miasma of magic before her. Gustopha realized what she had happened: A worst-case scenario. The magic had taken the path of least resistance out of the body. But it wasn’t just casted magic; it was all of Latent Requiem’s magic. The very fiber of his being now trembled and struggled against her aura.

Gustopha fought back panic. What she had done, at least in the way that it had happened, was irreversible. She had, in essence, ripped out the stallion’s soul, and once that step had been taken, there were only a handful of artifacts that could reverse it. Gustopha was now faced with a choice: Cludge a solution, or let the stallion die.
Neither situation was particularly optimal. Or good at all, really. He had put so much trust into her, and now she had no choice but to mess up.

The flesh was too strong to fully reaccept its magic, but there were other ways she could try to feed it back in. Out of options, she removed the scion from Requiem’s abdomen and prepared herself to perform a cludge that would have made any doctor, perhaps even Thanamus, question if she were fit to operate.
The realm of the living was no longer an option, so closing her eyes and working directly in ethereal space was her path forward. Carefully, she wove together what remained of Requiem’s body magic with his spirit. It fought the bridge at first, struggling and straining against the new binds. Then, it split. A menagerie of seven wisps of pure life energy. Gustopha managed to force the largest one into Requiem’s body, tying it to the other six.

Gustopha panted as she opened her eyes. Only once the magic no longer fought her grasp did she allow it some freedom. The fresh wisps bobbled around for a moment, visible as faint, shimmering flames of magic. Then, they settled into a steady orbit. Then, they slowed to a halt, calming.
Gustopha trembled, her horn illuminating as she fixed up the cut-open part of Requiem’s flank. Her fix to his magic seemed stable, at least for now, but what had she created?
Gustopha hardly noticed the faint trickle of blood following her as she moved the stallion into one of the recovery rooms.

When Latent Requiem stirred awake, the princess was standing over him with a concerned expression. His mind felt busy, and buzzed with soft thoughts. Voices, aside from his own. He blinked once or twice.
“...Oh, thank goodness…” Gustopha murmured softly, “Are you okay?” She asked.
Latent took a long moment to gather himself. He felt very strange. Somewhat airy, as if he weren’t entirely settled on the ground.
It took him some more time to steady his thoughts. The voices remained as a dull roar in the background, but he could at least hear himself. “Did… Did it go okay?” He asked.
Gustopha frowned. “N-...” Her voice caught in her throat, “No, it didn’t. I am so, so sorry.”
Latent blinked as some tears formed in the corners of Gustopha’s eyes. “What happened?” He asked.

Gustopha heaved. “There was an accident in the magic moving phase,” She expressed, “I’ve ensured you’re stable, but you’re… Well, I’m not sure what you are.”
Latent attempted to sit up. His body felt heavy, but surprisingly not weak. He’d heard the anesthesia tended to drain one’s strength.
Then, one of the wisps came into view. Then another, then two more, then the last two.
“What are these…?” He asked, tone a soft groan.
“Those are most of your magic,” Gustopha expressed, “Some of it lies within you still, but much now occupies the space outside of you.”
Latent Requiem felt the voices rise in the back of his head again. Now, though, he understood where they were coming from.

He took a deep breath, trying to focus himself. The wisps slowly collapsed into defined shapes. Equid figures, of a ghostly quality, with limbs like partially unfolded bedsheets. Slowly, they came to sit on the floor before him, looking up with vacant hollows tinted various colours.
Gustopha blinked. “Are you doing that?” She asked.
Requiem nodded. “In part, I think…” He said softly, “I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing, though.”
Gustopha nodded gently, sticking near the earth pony.
“I believe I’m communing with them. They’re spirits, but also parts of my thoughts. I can hear them speaking to me,” Requiem attempted.
Gustopha, again, nodded. “Spirits?” She asked, “I can see them too, you’re not hallucinating.”

Requiem nodded again. Carefully, he guided one of the small spirit ponies towards the table, it grabbed the cup of water with its mouth and brought it towards him. “...Sorry, may I have a drink?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded, and he took the cup, sipping from it. “Pardon my silent observation. This is just as extraordinary to me as it is to you,” She expressed.
Requiem looked at her. “What does this make me?” He asked.
Gustopha bit her lip. “Well… For want of a better term, most definitely an anomaly,” She replied, “I’ve never seen such a form of magic. I’m tempted to call it some form of unicornism, but unicorn magic must be guided through the horn, not simply directed.”
Carefully, Gustopha reached out, lightly stroking one of the spirit ponies’ mane. It briefly looked at her, before suddenly going intangible. Gustopha blinked as her hoof abruptly phased through the spirit.
“...Selective tangibility,” Gustopha noted under her breath.

“So… What happens now?” Latent Requiem asked, looking up at the princess expectantly with his still partially sedated eyes.
“I would like to keep you for some time,” Gustopha expressed, “I’m not certain what sort of effects having a majority of magic outside your body will have, and what I’ve seen so far is definitely unexpected.”
Requiem nodded solemnly. “Understood,” He replied softly, “You will notify my family, right?” He asked.
Gustopha tensed a bit, but nodded. “Of course,” She replied.
“I don’t blame you for this,” Requiem attempted to assure her, “You told me there were dangers.”
Gustopha looked away, eyes hiding behind her mane. “...You’re my first failure,” She admitted softly, “You entrusted me with your life and magic, and I mangled you.”

Requiem shivered slightly from the harsh tone in Gustopha’s voice. “I’m still alive, aren’t I?” He asked, straining himself to sit up.
“That’s not the point, Latent Requiem,” Gustopha heaved, “I failed you as a doctor.”
Requiem thought for a long moment. “The procedure failed, perhaps, but you still saved me. That accounts for something, doesn’t it?’ He asked.
Gustopha sighed a bit. “...I suppose one could argue that, yes,” She supposed.
Requiem gave her a weak smile. “I entrust myself to your care, whatever that entails,” He said gently.
Gustopha sighed gently and nodded. “Very well,” She heaved, “Thank you for your forgiveness, Latent Requiem.”
Requiem nodded a bit, and lowered himself back into the cot, smiling awkwardly. “I… Think I need some more time to rest,” He expressed gently.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Sleep well,” She bade gently, leaving the room with a hard sigh.

Gustopha retreated to her room and settled herself in bed, curling in on herself and sniffling a bit. That thought consumed her; one, solitary word that broke her down to the very core: Failure.
She should have known it was dangerous, that she was messing with things she only mostly understood. But the fact it all went so wrong, so quickly, stuck with her.
Perhaps even more bewilderingly, he didn’t seem upset at all. He was calmer than most of the subjects who’d had the procedure go right, even. It confused her. By all accounts, he should have been furious; or at least upset.

Gustopha trembled a bit. Where could she go from here? She didn’t want to do this anymore. She curled tighter, and began to sob as the word ran through her mind, over and over. Failure, failure, failure, failure, failure. She’d screwed up, and was not about to let herself forget it.

Sometime later, the door opened, and Celestia walked in, accompanied by a nurse.
“Gustopha? Gustopha, are you alright?” Celestia asked, walking up to the earth alicorn’s bed.
Celestia pulled the covers down, revealing Gustopha’s bloodshot eyes. Celestia bit her lip and settled herself next to her sister. “Gustopha, what’s wrong?” She asked, voice a bit gentle.
Gustopha didn’t say anything, only shuffling over a bit to allow her sister some more room on the bed.
Celestia reached out and gently stroked Gustopha’s mane. “It’s okay,” She cooed gently, “You can tell me.”

Gustopha took a long moment before replying, weakly croaking out, “I-I botched a surgery today.”
Celestia’s eyes widened slightly, and she slid further onto Gustopha’s mattress, scooping Gustopha up and rolling a bit, so Gustopha was resting against her underbelly. Celestia huffed slightly from the effort; Gustopha was not a little filly anymore, even if Celestia still admittedly thought her one, deep down.

“What happened?” Celestia asked gently, letting Gustopha rest against her.
Gustopha shuffled a bit, but didn’t reject Celestia’s embrace. “I misjudged the arcane mass of the subject, and in the strain, knocked over a tray of tools. The noise broke my focus, and n-now, he’s…” She closed her eyes tightly as she trailed off.
Celestia hesitated. “Did you… Lose him?” She asked gently.
“N-no, he’s just resting right now,” Gustopha replied gently, “But his magic, it’s all… Fragmented. I managed to bind some of it back to him, but I still mangled him.”

Celestia bit her tongue. It wasn’t exactly a good outcome, but from what Gustopha had described to her in the past, surviving a thaumatological screw-up like that was generally miraculous, given that magical “unbinding” effectively removed the soul from the body.
“...So what happens now?” Celestia eventually asked, her voice low and gentle.
“I’m going to keep him around for some time, to make sure he’s stable,” Gustopha explained gently, “I can’t keep him forever.”
Celestia nodded a bit. “Of course,” She replied gently, “I think it would be best if you took a break from doing surgery for a little while.”
Gustopha let out a small, pathetic whine. An utterly hopeless, defeated noise; the sound an animal made when it lacked the energy to express its pain properly.
Celestia gently stroked Gustopha’s side. “I know it’s scary for you,” Celestia cooed softly, “But you’ve hundreds of successful surgeries under your belt. One failure won’t be the end of the world,” She promised.

Gustopha whimpered a bit and curled up some in Celestia’s embrace. Celestia didn’t let go; she could practically feel the pain radiating off of the distraught alicorn, and didn’t want to let her go until she was a bit more stable.
“...I want to stop,” Gustopha eventually admitted, “I want to give it all up.”
Celestia stopped herself from replying hastily.
“But I can’t. There’s too much riding on my success,” Gustopha heaved softly.
Celestia’s muzzle pressed into Gustopha’s forehead. “You don’t need to do it all at once,” She promised softly, “Take some time for yourself; clear your head. Then, when you’re ready, you come back to it, with a fresh perspective.”
Gustopha nodded a little and nestled into Celestia a bit more. “Okay,” She replied quietly.

“Did you hurt yourself?” Celestia asked gently, “We followed a trail of blood up to your room.”
Gustopha blinked, horn illuminating to peel back the bedding. The small cut on her leg had mostly sealed up by now, though a small trail of blood made itself known. “Ah, right. One of the scalpels cut me when I knocked the tray over,” She admitted.
The nurse Celestia had brought with her stepped forward, bringing forth a damp cloth to clean down the smeared trail of alicorn blood. “I’ll get you cleaned up and then leave you two alone,” They hummed gently.
Gustopha’s leg twitched at the touch, but she forced a gentle smile. “Thank you,” She replied softly.
The nurse finished cleaning down Gustopha’s leg and quickly left the room, leaving the two alicorns alone.

Celestia gently rubbed Gustopha’s side. “Do you want to be alone for a bit?” She asked gently.
Gustopha shook her head. “You’re fine,” She replied in a soft murmur.
“What else did you have planned for the week?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha bit her lip. “Ten more subjects and overseeing foals,” She remarked.
“Foals?” Celestia asked.
“Aerated and May should be due any day now,” Gustopha expressed, “I’m not responsible for delivery, but I will be doing check ups and whatnot on the foals to see if they’ve inherited verdant magic.”
“You think they’ll inherit it?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded. “The grafting is magical in nature, so in theory, it should shape the body,” She explained gently, “That is to say, a verdant can parent other verdants.”

Celestia pondered this thought for a moment. “So in other words, now that the door on that type of pony magic is opened…” She trailed off.
“It can’t be closed again… At least, not without genocide,” Gustopha remarked.
That wasn’t a word Celestia expected to hear from Gustopha’s mouth, even despite how much the filly had grown in the past year and a half. It was quite an aggressive epithet, even if not a cuss in the conventional meaning of the word.
Celestia cleared her throat awkwardly, and nodded. “Well… We’ll just have to ensure that the foals are loved the same, verdant or not,” She replied gently.
Gustopha smiled a little. “I’m sure Aerated and May will make wonderful mothers,” She replied gently, “And Stoneheart a similarly good father, even if his efforts will be divided.”
“You have faith in them, I take it?” Celestia asked.

“A lot of faith,” Gustopha replied, “They’ve had some experience, handling a reckless child…”
Celestia smiled a bit. “Might I know who that is?” She asked.
“You already do,” Gustopha hummed.
Celestia hugged Gustopha tighter and let out a small chuckle. “You’re not reckless. You take too much care in your actions; you study, you prepare, and then you act. That’s not reckless, at least to me,” Celestia expressed.
“And the other term?” Gustopha replied.
“You’re not wrong about that one,” Celestia supposed, “You’re the youngest ruler Equestria has ever had by at least a decade, and likely the youngest surgeon by a similar amount as well.”
Gustopha blinked. “Really?” She asked.

Celestia nodded. “The youngest I’ve met, at the very least,” She replied, before shaking herself off, “But, that’s not my point. My point is that you shouldn’t hold yourself to the standards of adults that have had years to practice their craft. You’ll make mistakes, yes, but you have a lot of time to grow.”
Gustopha hesitated. “I’m working with pony lives, Celestia. I can’t afford to make mistakes,” She heaved softly.
Celestia sighed gently. “Unfortunately the mistakes are going to happen whether you can afford them or not, Gustopha,” She admitted solemnly, “But you have to understand that life goes on. One failure does not invalidate all your successes.”
Gustopha sat contemplatively on that thought for a long moment, eyes closing in deep thought. It was a hard idea to realize, to make her own. Eventually, she diverted to other thoughts.

“I just don’t understand why he was so permissive of it,” Gustopha expressed, “Would you not be mortified if you woke up with your magic irreparably mangled?”
Celestia bit her lip. “I suppose it depends in what way it was mangled,” She hummed, “Just being changed isn’t inherently a bad thing for magic, you know.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened a bit at this proclamation. “It’s… It’s not?” She asked.
“Well, let me ask you this: Do you think I’ve always had the power to move both the sun and moon?” Celestia posed.
“Well… I suppose not,” Gustopha replied softly, her voice growing slightly confused.
“Moving the moon didn’t come naturally; I needed to change - in your words, ‘mangle’ - my magic to achieve such a feat,” Celestia hummed, “But it is good I did so, for everypony. Change is not, in and of itself, a bad thing.”
That point was, admittedly, much more convincing to Gustopha; empirical evidence was much better than simple conjecture. “I… I suppose that makes sense,” She conceded.

Celestia smiled gently. “I’m glad to hear that, Gustopha,” Celestia said gently, again stroking her adopted sister’s mane.
Gustopha leaned into Celestia and relaxed a bit, breathing softly, letting her mind drift over her plans for the near future. Overseeing foals, Latent Requiem, and perhaps a visit to the Groves to check on how Halley was doing all awaited her in the near future. Perhaps it would be good for her to space out her trials a bit.
“...Once I finish the ten subjects that are here, I think I’m going to take you up on your offer for a break,” Gustopha admitted.
“You can’t put them off for some time?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha shook her head. “They’ve traveled from far and wide to be part of these trials, and multiple are already being medicated in preparation for the grafting,” She explained with a small sigh, “It wouldn’t be right to ask them to postpone their lives even further for my sake.”

Celestia sighed gently, but nodded. “I suppose that’s fair enough,” She said, “Just please, do not overwork yourself.”
Gustopha gave a small nod. “Last batch for now,” She promised, “Then I’ll take some time for myself.”
“Good,” Celestia replied, giving Gustopha a small squeeze, “Come on, let’s go get you some dinner. Bleeding all over the castle can’t be good for you.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “I didn’t even realize I was bleeding,” She admitted as she stood up, helping Celestia to her hooves.
Celestia nodded a little. “I suppose if you’re wrapped up in your own thoughts, you wouldn’t notice a small nick,” She hummed.
Gustopha replied with a small, affirmatory “Mhm” as she followed Celestia to the dining hall.

Sure enough, Gustopha had left a fairly defined trail of blood, leading from the infirmary to her room. It was already beginning to be cleaned up, and the princess offered a small apology to each maid they passed.
Celestia smiled gently at her as they sat down, chuckling gently. “You don’t have to worry about the castle staff. Believe me, Luna and I… Took them for granted, when we were younger,” She explained.
“For granted?’ Gustopha asked, tilting her head a bit.

“You wouldn’t be able to tell now, but I was quite the mud wrestler when I was younger,” Celestia explained with a chuckle, “And when I was undefeated five-and-oh after practice, I just barged on in like I owned the place.”
Gustopha cracked a smile at the story.
“My bath time was measured in hours; oh, how my mother loathed seeing me come back from practices,” Celestia further recalled, laughing heartily at the memories.

Gustopha chuckled softly. “Tex used to mud wrestle, too,” She explained gently, “I went to practice with him one time.”
Celestia cocked a brow. “Oh? Why only once?” She asked.
“He only won once, but it was his last match of the day, so he charged right up and gave me a big hug,” Gustopha explained, “He was a pegasus, but in that moment, he was more earth than pony,” She quipped with a small giggle.
Celestia started laughing again at the mental image of a colt, dripping in mud, tackling Gustopha in a hug.
“After that, I wouldn’t let him even look at me until he’d at least been brushed off,” Gustopha expressed with some more gentle chuckles.
“You sound just like Luna when she was younger,” Celestia remarked, wiping some laughter-induced tears from her eyes, “Oh, how she avoided me like the plague after practice.”

Gustopha heaved gently, her smile shrinking a bit, but remaining on her face.
“With a story like that, I suppose there’s a tinge of irony to you being the princess of the earth, hm?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha smiled gently. “I suppose there is,” She replied softly, a small bit of latent laughter punctuating her speech, “Though I did grow out of my cleanliness phase eventually… I became quite the street rat for a while.”
Celestia tilted her head. “A street rat?” She asked.
Gustopha hesitated, but smiled gently. “A pickpocket, in particular,” She admitted, “I’d purloin things from some of the larger caravans; I’d slip into a crowd, sneak something small between an adult’s legs, and leave.”
Celestia chuckled. “What sort of things did you take?” She asked.

Gustopha, again, hesitated. “Just little things; bits of food, mostly. I grew up as an only child in the early stages of the war, before the blight was loosed, and my mother always overstocked the pantry; most of what I stole went to Tex, since he was the youngest in a family of five,” She admitted.
Celestia nodded slowly. “I see,” She replied, before a smile made itself present on her face again, “Even at a young age, you were trying to help others.”
Gustopha smiled humbly. “Well, it was still selfish, in a way. Tex was really my only friend,” She expressed, “I never made it to public schooling, and Tex’s family was too poor to send every child to school.” Her smile faded.
Celestia’s did the same. “Ah… Self-taught, then,” She hummed, “You are quite the hard studier; I suppose I took you for an educated pony.”
“I spent a lot of time reading books with my mother,” Gustopha conceded, “I learned a lot from those stories.”

Celestia nodded gently. “I’m sure she’d be very proud of you if she saw you today,” She expressed, giving Gustopha a gentle smile.
Gustopha smiled a little and chuckled. “She’d probably say the same things that you say to me,” She admitted, “That I need to break my routine and leave the castle more. She always forced me outside so I’d go get fresh air.”
Celestia laughed, perhaps a bit too much, at Gustopha’s remark. “You’ve spent your whole life being told you need to spend more time outside, haven’t you?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded a bit and chuckled along. “More or less,” She replied, “It wasn’t always recreation; every so often I’d be sent out to buy something or fetch the mail. It’s where I learned the basics of talking to other ponies.”

Celestia smiled. “Well, you certainly nailed down some good basics,” She expressed, “I can see the makings of an excellent diplomat in you; an analytical edge isn’t only good for thaumatology, you know,” She expressed.
Gustopha thought for a moment. “A diplomat?” She asked, more for the sake of pondering out loud than clarification.

“A pony who can approach foreign council with an open, but well-reasoned mind. Neither Luna or I were particularly excellent foreign diplomats; as you might have seen with a relative lack of non-ponies living within kingdom bounds,” Celestia explained, “Not to mention, well… The whole reason you have had to step up as a diplomat in the first place.” Celestia frowned a bit, looking away slightly.

Gustopha thought for a moment. “Once I’m done with the verdants, I’ll have more time… Perhaps I’ll spend it on trying to make peace with our neighbors,” She supposed.
Celestia nodded a bit. “There’s no rush, Gustopha. We, at the very least, aren’t at war with any of our foreign parties,” She expressed.
Gustopha hummed briefly in thought. “Well, that makes things easier,” She supposed.
Celestia nodded a bit and began to eat some of her dinner. Gustopha pondered as she ate, mind racing. She hadn’t researched too much into any sort of diplomatic skill, but it did appeal to her. She put a pin in that subject in her mind, and focused on eating.

After dinner, Gustopha shook herself off a bit. “I think I’m going to turn in early…” She admitted, “I’d like to get some rest after today.”
Celestia nodded a bit, hugging Gustopha firmly. “Of course,” She replied, “Have a good sleep, dear sister.”
Gustopha hugged back and left for her room. Celestia moved towards her own room, walking inside and closing the door. She walked to her bedside, and opened the drawer, looking at the tightly curled up piece of paper.
“A whole year, and I still haven’t sent you,” Celestia sneered to herself, horn illuminating and taking the paper, “Tonight is the night I no longer let this solely be Gustopha’s problem.”
Celestia walked to her balcony and cast the doors open. The moon was already beginning to drift towards the horizon, as if antsy. It was winter; that was fairly normal. The moon’s bond to the earth was stronger in the winter, as the sun’s was in the summer.

Celestia set the sun and raised the moon, and took a deep breath. The last time she had sent anything to the moon, she’d possessed the elements of harmony, and banished some thousand ponies, including her beloved sister, to the moon, with the intent of never permitting their return. Now, well… Celestia just hoped tensions had eased a bit.
With all her might, Celestia braced herself on the balcony, and sent the letter skyward. The moon “catching” whatever was sent close enough to it was a distinct feeling, but Celestia was still caught off-guard by the lurch.

Celestia sat on her balcony, deep in thought, contemplating the past couple years deeply. She’d made a deal with a mad scientist to make her a sister that Celestia still felt somewhat distanced from, watched as said sister tried to clean up a mess left behind by her other sister, and now faced the mental challenge of trying to forgive herself. Celestia sighed softly.
Her focus was broken by a bright blue streak of light, falling towards her. She yipped in surprise, leaping out of the way of the falling object, watching as it crashed into balcony in a flash of blue and silver light. Left behind, in the shallowest of divots, was a letter.
Celestia unraveled the letter, and took a deep breath, preparing herself for the contents. It didn’t take her long to figure out who the letter was from.

“Sister,
Over these past decades, we have learned truly the strain placed upon a ruler. We have witnessed, firsthoof, the trials and tribulations one faces attempting to appease the many. This is not our way of excusing your actions; but it is our way of forgiving them on a professional level. Already, we seek peace with Equestria, and allowing our own personal thoughts to interfere with our ponies’ chances of redemption is not an endeavour we wish to partake in.

We do, however, concede our own crimes. The creation of the blight and the brutal treatment of captured prisoners were not excusable on our part as ruler. We understand that there will likely be tartarus to pay when we return. For that eventuality, we are both prepared and welcoming.

Hold your head high, sister. This is not the finality of our peace talks; it is only the beginning.
Signed, Luna”

Celestia almost laughed at how overly formal Luna’s supposedly personal letter was, but pressed it closed to her chest. “Thank you, Luna… I look forward to the day we finally sit down and work things out, face to face,” She whispered.
Celestia walked inside, set the letter gently in her nightstand, and laid herself on her bed. As her eyes closed, she thought happy thoughts for the future. Hopeful thoughts.

Act III, Part V: Reignition

When Gustopha awoke, she went about her normal routine. She brushed her mane and coat straight, went and got some breakfast, and then headed to the infirmary. Instead of heading directly to the patient quarters, however, she headed to the cafeteria. Sure enough, Latent Requiem was awake.
A thin, ethereal, white fog hung from his body, draping against him like torn bedsheets or towels. Gustopha noted this, and walked forward. “Good morning, Latent Requiem,” She greeted.
The stallion looked up at her. “Oh, good morning, Princess,” He greeted softly.
“Did you sleep well?” Gustopha asked, sitting at the end of the table.
Requiem nodded. “I slept a lot, that’s for sure,” He remarked.
Gustopha nodded a bit and looked over Requiem’s body. “I see… When did the aura form?” She asked.

“While I was asleep, I think,” Requiem replied.
Briefly, the stallion closed his eyes and shook himself off. From his body came forth the six wisps that had been formed the night prior; however, the ghostly aura hung on his body still, assorting themselves over the floor, bench, and table.
“These six have calmed down a bit, too… It took them a while to fully settle after you left,” He explained.
Gustopha nodded a bit, looking over the wisps. “I see… Have you noticed anything interesting?” She asked.
“Well, they’ve been proper helpful,” Requiem supposed, “If I want something, one of them can go and grab it for me; they’ve fetched me water, helped me straighten out the cot blankets, helped me walk when I was getting out of bed…” He rattled off.

Gustopha nodded a bit. “So you can control them?” She asked.
“I can,” He replied, “But when I’m not, they just sort of handle themselves.”
Gustopha nodded and noted all of this in her head. “I see… What an interesting property,” She hummed softly under her breath. With verdants, she at least had a vague understanding of what she was doing, since she knew all the factors going in. Now, with these spirit ponies, she was flying blind.

“I’ll be honest, I think my wife would love something like this,” Requiem remarked, “A bunch of extra sets of hooves…”
Gustopha tensed slightly at the mention of Requiem’s family. “Right… She’s here in the castle town, yes?” She asked.
Requiem nodded. “Yes, she’s staying in the recovery lodgings, alongside my daughter,” He replied. Gustopha had managed to organize a few inns to take in the families of test subjects while the subjects recovered in the castle, for ponies who wanted to be close to their loved ones just after the trials.

Gustopha nodded a bit. “I believe, after I’m done my surgery today, we should take you to your wife and explain the situation to her,” She expressed.
Latent Requiem nodded. “I’ll be waiting with anticipation, Princess,” He replied.
Gustopha bade him farewell and headed towards the operating room. She tried to remember what Celestia had said to her last night.

“One failure does not invalidate all your successes.”

Even if Gustopha didn’t wholly believe that thought, she needed to keep her mind steady for her patient’s sake. She brought them to the operating room, sedated them, and braced herself.
Sure enough, she did fine. Graft, reroute, return to room for rest. Not a single problem; not even the slightest anomaly. Business as usual. Successful verdant number three hundred and two. Another tally on the imaginary blackboard; and the physical blackboard Gustopha had in her study, when she would return to her room later that day.
It was a relief to Gustopha, really. For once, tedium felt like a warm embrace, rather than death’s covetous claws. Shaking herself off, she found Latent Requiem in his room, and after a bit of banter, led him (and his small entourage of spirit ponies) outside.

The stallion got some looks from passerby in the castle town. His ghostly aura and small trail of followers were most certainly unusual among ponykind; he was the first of… Whatever he was. Gustopha couldn’t think of any good word for it. Somepony who communed with spirits…
Her train of thought was broken by Requiem recalling said spirits.

“C’mon, fellas; you’re giving the ponies around here a spook,” He said softly.
The spirits caught up with him, merging into the aura around him and leaving only faint ripples in their wake.
Gustopha watched this with great intrigue. “You can bring them back in?” She asked.
Requiem nodded. “It took me a bit to figure that out, but now it comes naturally when they aren’t doing anything important. I imagine it’s the same way pegasi just tend to fold in their wings when they aren’t doing anything involving them,” He remarked.
Gustopha nodded a bit, again noting this in her head. Perhaps that would be her “idling project”: writing down all of the thaumic oddities she had encountered. She could probably at least write an interesting foundational journal.

Requiem led her to the recovery lodging his wife, Restful Sonata, was staying in.
Gustopha smiled as the two ponies embraced.
“Requiem!” Sonata greeted, “How did the surgery go?”
Requiem smiled awkwardly. “Well, not as planned, but I’m here,” He offered.
Sonata tilted her head. “Not as planned?” She asked.
“I… Think we’d better come inside,” Gustopha interjected gently.
Sonata nodded a bit, opening the door to allow the two inside.
“Daddy!” A young filly’s voice chirped, as a small unicorn filly wrapped her hooves around Requiem’s neck.

“Hello, Sonet,” Requiem greeted content, nuzzling his muzzle against the excitable filly, letting her hang from his neck as he lifted his head.
“Oh, Princess; this is my daughter, Reposeful Sonet,” Requiem explained.
Gustopha smiled gently at the two new faces. “It’s nice to meet you both,” She expressed.
Sonata closed the door and sat down on the couch, and her husband walked over and sat next to her.
Reposeful Sonet eventually let go of her father, tumbling to the ground with a small squeak.
Gustopha was a bit surprised; Requiem was the only earth pony in his family, his wife and daughter both being unicorns. Gustopha didn’t know many mixed-tribe families; not that it bothered her, of course, it was just unusual.

“So, what’s this about the surgery not going as planned?” Sonata asked.
Requiem shook himself off, loosing his entourage of spirit ponies. They flopped around the couch and onto the floor, and he offered a small smile.
Sonet didn’t seem bothered at all by the spirit ponies; perhaps because they were only a bit taller than her, and sharing her curious expression. She eventually bumped snouts with one, and seemed to decide they were okay.
Sonata, however, seemed a bit more concerned that a bunch of ghosts just exited her husband. “What… What did you do to him?” Sonata asked, her voice now a bit more accusatory.

Gustopha tensed, but she sighed gently. “During the surgery, I lost control of his magic during the moving phase,” She explained, “His magic exited his body; the source of his magic, being his soul. In essence, he passed away, for a very brief time.”
“But he’s sitting right here in front of me,” Sonata reasoned, her hoof pressing into Requiem’s.
“I wasn’t able to fully recover his magic, but I managed to bind a portion of it, which is why he is alive,” Gustopha continued, “The six spirits you see congregated here are the other six portions of his magic; they’re still bound to him, but they now exist outside of the body.”

Requiem gave his wife a small, reassuring smile. “It sounds bad when it’s laid out as a mistake, but I think it’s a gift,” He expressed, “You keep saying how you wish you had an extra set of hooves around the house, and now I’m seven sets of hooves all on my own.” The stallion had a small chuckle.
Sonata smiled a halfhearted smile. “You’re… You’re okay with this?” She asked.
Requiem pulled her into a hug. “I can still hold you and Sonet tight and be there when you need me. That’s good enough for me,” He expressed.
Gustopha had to fight back tears. Perhaps it was immature to shed tears at such a sappy display, but seeing the unabashed love this stallion had for his wife made the princess’ heart swell.

Sonata laughed a little. “Okay, okay, I remember why I married you,” She huffed good-naturedly, “But do you have to glomp me in front of the Princess?”
Requiem planted a kiss on the mare’s cheek. “Actually, I’d like to ask you something, Princess,” He began.
Gustopha nodded. “Go ahead,” She replied.
“Could you do what you did to me to my wife?” Requiem asked.
The room fell silent, except for Sonet playing with two of Requiem’s spirit ponies.
“Come again?” Gustopha asked, voice slightly choked with surprised.
“Well… Like I said, I think this whole thing is a gift,” Requiem expressed, “A gift I want to share with my family.”

Sonata and Gustopha shared a brief glance, neither of them fully accepting what Latent Requiem had said.
“...Well, in theory, yes,” Gustopha supposed, “There’s no part of the procedure that wasn’t repeatable.”
Sonata held out her hoof for a moment. “Wait a minute,” She said, “Requiem, this happened to you by accident, and now you want me to undergo it as well?” She asked.
Requiem gently set a hoof on her chest. “I know it looks like an accident, but you and I both know that a mistake can only be so lucky before it’s fate,” He reasoned, “Besides, the Princess knows what she’s doing. It’ll just feel like a quick nap.”
Sonata seemed quite hesitant, looking at her husband with a serious expression.

“There’s no rush to decide,” Gustopha promised, “I would need to adapt the procedure to repeat such at result; not to mention, I haven’t performed a surgery on a unicorn before, so I’d need extra preparation time for that.”
Sonata blinked, but nodded. “I’ll think about it, Princess. Requiem and I need to have a serious talk about it,” She expressed.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “By all means,” She replied, giving a gentle smile, “Believe me, your husband’s request is as big of a shock to you as it is to me.”
Requiem smiled. “I’m sure she’ll see it my way,” He expressed gently.

Gustopha thought for a moment. “You’re free to spend some more time with your family,” She offered, “Just remember to be back at the castle for sundown.”
Requiem looked at the band on his front hoof’s ankle. It was a small band of some tough fabric, magically fastened around his wrist; an answer to how civilian patients would be let in and out of the castle. “I just show the guards this, right?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded. “That’s correct,” She replied as she stood up, preparing to leave the family to their devices, “Take care; please get in contact with one of my guards, should a problem arise,” She expressed.
“We will,” Restful Sonata promised, “Thank you for the care you’ve shown my husband, despite everything.” There was a reassuring warmth in her voice. Did the entire family just not believe in punishing negative outcomes?

Regardless, Gustopha left the inn and quickly headed back to the infirmary to check on her latest subject. After a quick check up and some reassurance that everything was okay and normal, Gustopha headed back to her room.
She sat before her desk and cleared herself a fresh area to lay her newest note journal. She had amassed quite a few; distillations of all the notes she had taken, and one particularly large binder outlining refined procedures.
Gustopha looked over her notes, realizing how little she knew about unicorn or pegasus biology. She was familiar with earth ponies snout to tail; she could have built one from the ground up if she had all the right parts. Yet, she was so unfamiliar with the other pony races. Thus, she got some fresh books from the castle library and began to study.

As she was writing down a hypothetical procedure, some thoughts cropped up in her mind: If the procedure involved no body part additions, how would the magic flow work? Could a unicorn even also have spirit ponies?
Gustopha fervently marked out empty boxes for future notes as the night went on; pages left otherwise half-filled due to a lack of testing. It all came back to that one, crucial point:
Needs more data.

Gustopha marked out several points of interest before going to dinner with Celestia. Gustopha was planning for it to be another early night.
“You look a bit frazzled, Gustopha,” Celestia hummed as she began to eat.
“My schedule just got interesting, again,” Gustopha admitted, staring at the bowl of hot, fresh soup before her.
“Oh! Well, that’s good news, isn’t it?” Celestia asked.
“In theory,” Gustopha replied with a small sigh, “The subject whose surgery I botched yesterday… He wants me to do the same to his wife.”
Celestia blinked. “He wants you to botch the surgery?” She asked.
“Well, not botch it, but reproduce the result,” Gustopha explained, “He seems insistent that’s it part of some higher being’s ‘plan’.”

Celestia thought this over. “...So what are you going to do?” She asked after a long moment.
“I’m allowing her to have the final say, and preparing in the event I receive the answer I’m hoping won’t come,” Gustopha expressed.
“You’re hoping she’ll say no,” Celestia observed, “If you’re not comfortable with it, why are you going through with it?” She asked.
Gustopha bit her lip, and went quiet.
Celestia leaned in a bit. “Gustopha?” She inquired.
“I’m torn, Celestia. I’m really, really torn. On one hand, I’m scared of it, but on the other… I’m intrigued,” She expressed, “It’s finally something new. Something I haven’t done before. A new challenge to prepare and study for.” Gustopha met Celestia’s gaze. “If both I and my patient are willing to go through with it, who am I to deny them the opportunity?” She asked.

Celestia reeled slightly in her seat. “Gustopha…” She replied slowly, “I understand, but please do not push yourself chasing radical theories and trying to appease your subjects,” She expressed, “Give yourself a night or two to sleep on it.”
Gustopha nodded a little. “I plan to; her and I both, in fact. We’ll decide when we’re both ready, and not a moment sooner,” She proclaimed.
Celestia smiled a small smile. “Good,” She replied, “It’s okay to put your hoof down now and then, you know.”
Gustopha sighed gently and nodded. “I know, Celestia,” She replied.
After dinner, Gustopha set herself to bed so she’d be up early.

When she woke up, she took her notebook, quill, and ink and headed directly to the infirmary, finding Latent Requiem in one of the recovery rooms.
“Good morning, Princess,” Requiem greeted.
“Good morning,” Gustopha returned, sitting before the stallion, “I was wondering if you could help me answer some questions,” She explained, voice slightly hurried. She still had a surgery to perform this morning, after all, but her mind was running to rampant with thoughts and theories.
Requiem was slightly caught off-guard by how hasty Gustopha was, but nodded. “Ask away, Princess,” He replied.
Gustopha looked over her board and took a small breath in.

“First: How do you feel?” Gustopha asked.
“I’m feeling fine; seeing Sonata and Sonet again perked me right up,” Requiem replied.

“Okay, good… Have you experienced any strange feelings since the surgery?” Gustopha asked again.
“Well… I felt a little lofty when I was first waking up, and I feel a tingle whenever I recall or loose my spirits,” He explained.

Gustopha nodded, writing some things down and continuing. “I see, I see… As an earth pony, have you noticed your connection to the earth or physical strength weakening?” She asked.
Requiem nodded. “Not fully, like I’ve heard some of the verdants talk about; I still feel it, just not as strongly,” He explained.

Gustopha’s eyes lit up as she jotted hard in her notebook.
“Retains earth pony characteristics.”
“Alright, I see,” She replied, “Does the feeling change in intensity if you recall or disperse your spirits?” She asked.
Requiem shook his head. “It’s pretty consistent unless I tucker myself out deliberately,” He answered.

Gustopha nodded fervently. “Last question,” She began, “Have you noticed your spirits exhibit any earth pony-like traits?”
Requiem thought long and hard. “...Actually, I did,” He replied, “Just last night, as I was going to bed, one of the laundry carts was barreling towards me; just one of the spirits planted its hooves before me and stopped it dead as if it were a full-grown pony. Then, it got all tired and returned to me until I woke up in the morning; that’s one of the getting tuckered out cases that weakened my connection to the earth for a little while.”
Gustopha nodded slowly. “Sounds like earth pony strength to me,” She murmured, writing more things down.

“If I may, Princess, what are these questions for?” Latent Requiem asked.
Gustopha took a short breath. “In short, I’m probing to see if the spirit ponyism interacts with your being an earth pony,” She explained, “If it does, that means it can coexist with your magic as a pony of a given tribe; ergo, I don’t need to remove anything if I’m performing the procedure on, say, a unicorn.”
Requiem seemed to catch on quickly. “This is about planning for Sonata, isn’t it?” He asked.
Gustopha chuckled gently and nodded. “Read me like a book,” She admitted.
Requiem smiled a bit. “Well, you’ll be happy to know her and I hashed it out last night,” He replied, “She took some convincing, but she agreed.”

Gustopha tensed slightly, but nodded and forced her smile. “Good,” She replied, “It will take me a week or so to clear my schedule and finish the procedure, but then I’ll be clear to get her prepared for operating.”
Requiem nodded enthusiastically. “I’m grateful you’re willing to do this for me,” He expressed, “It’s not exactly within your mandate, I’m sure.”
Gustopha smiled gently. “I’m not here to homewreck,” She expressed, before looking at the clock, flinching a bit, “Oh, but I have been here too long. I’ll see you later,” She bade, standing up and quickly leaving the room.

Gustopha hurried to her surgery and prepared her subject, directing all her focus to the task at hand. If there was one thing her scare had given her, it was focus. Her task came and went easily enough, but that didn’t change how she went through the motions almost mechanically, with the precision of… Well, a surgeon.
Once she was done, she headed back to her room. She had notes to manifest into a procedure. Meaningful notes; not just mere speculation. Conjecture, perhaps, given the sample size of one whole subject, but it was the best she’d get without deliberately botching a surgery.

Finally, after a brief interlude for dinner, she had a workable procedure. It was rough, perhaps, but arguably simpler than the verdant grafting procedure. Since no biological operation was involved at all, there was no medication warm-up or cool-down period; it was all done in the realm of magic, where no such drugs were necessary. It all came down to magical grunt, which Gustopha had plenty of. She’d been so excited about finishing it, that she passed out at her desk instead of in her bed.

The next day was very busy for her, however. Before her first surgery, she got a very important call from one of the nurses in the infirmary: May Showers was foaling.
When Gustopha got to the maternity ward, May was already giving birth, Stoneheart standing next to her dutifully. Gustopha carefully moved in to observe, standing at a respectful distance to avoid interrupting the actual maternity staff.
May groaned in pain from the effort, but under the careful supervision (and mild magical assistance) of the infirmary staff, she gave birth to a healthy filly.
“The name, sir and ma’am?” One of the doctors asked.
Stoneheart and May shared a tender glance. “Rising Seed,” May said, panting a bit.
May held the baby close as she came down from the intensity of the birthing, clutching Rising Seed in her front legs. Rising Seed was already crying, but calmed as her mother’s snout touched her own.

“Shh… It’s okay, sweetie,” May cooed gently, “Mommy, daddy, and the Princess are all here.”
Rising Seed looked up at them with squinting infant eyes.
Stoneheart smiled gently, chuckling very slightly. “She’s got your squint,” He joked.
May huffed softly and squinted at him. Gustopha noted the similarities, and gently walked forward.
“May I see her just for a moment?” Gustopha asked gently.
May nodded, leaning forward a bit. Gustopha took the newborn with all the stillness and care she could muster, bringing the infant close to her face. Sure enough, under the newborn’s still damp tail, was a carefully concealed bud of plant.
“She is a verdant,” Gustopha said, gently lowering the infant and cautiously hoofing her back to May.

“I suppose that means your experiment was a success?” Stoneheart asked softly.
Gustopha smiled gently. “She wasn’t part of the experiment,” She reasoned, “But that does mean that the verdant race will live on. It’s life’s way of blessing our efforts.”
The foal began to smile; just a little bit.
“Look, look, she can tell,” May said softly, “You’re the first natural born verdant, sweetie…”
Stoneheart smiled. “Let’s not reduce her to a statistic. First and foremost, she’s our daughter,” He said gently.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Well-said as usual, Stoneheart,” She replied softly, “No matter what, she’s very special.”
May smiled, occupying her newborn daughter with gentle nuzzles and kisses as Stoneheart and the Princess talked.

The happy moment was cut a bit short, however, as Aerated Turf was brought into the room. She was huffing and panting hard; she, too, was now foaling.
Thus, the scene repeated. Stoneheart took Aerated’s side, and Gustopha observed cautiously as the pregnant mare finally gave birth.
When the baby colt was released, he didn’t cry. He simply stared up at the doctors with curious eyes.
“Goodness, you’re a stoic little one,” One of the maternity nurses cooed, “What’s your name?”
“Bluster,” Aerated Turf expressed, still panting hard.
“Bluster… What a lovely name,” The nurse replied.

Aerated Turf held her son close and smiled gently. “He’s got your stone face,” Aerated teased with a soft huff.
“Karma,” May remarked from the bed over.
Stoneheart just chuckled and shook his head. “Some discipline to tame his rowdy mother,” He teased back.
Gustopha smiled gently, again approaching to inspect the infant briefly. Sure enough, there was a bud, just below the foal’s tail.
“That’s two healthy, natural-born verdants,” Gustopha explained, “Congratulations, all three of you.”
“And congratulations to you too, Princess,” One of the nurses replied, “This is as much of a step forward for you as it is for them, isn’t it?”
“It’s a step forward for everypony,” Gustopha expressed, “A door now opened, that will never be closed.”

After spending a few more minutes interacting with the parents and their new children, Gustopha had to leave to attend to her other medical duties. Namely, making a non-born verdant. It was a bit strange in her head, really; there were now verdants in the world that were not made by her hoof. She hadn’t been kidding: The door was open now, and it couldn’t be closed.
Despite her morning excitement, Gustopha had no issue performing her surgery. Things were finally different, and exciting. She hoped it would last, really. Then again, she had over half of her verdants done now. There were lights in the tunnel, now. Lights of hope. The tedium wouldn’t last forever.

The rest of her week went fairly uneventfully, and before she knew it, she had Restful Sonata in her operating room.
“Now, though this is a purely magical procedure, I’m still going to sedate you. The spell is very rigorous, and chances are, you’d be traumatized. The sedatives will keep you from witnessing anything upsetting,” Gustopha explained as she drew some anesthetic from a flask, moving towards the unicorn.
Restful Sonata nodded. “And once I’m out, that’s it?” She asked.
“When you wake up, you’ll have your own gaggle of spirits,” Gustopha explained.
Sonata chuckled a bit. “Is that the proper scientific term? A ‘gaggle’?” She quipped.
Gustopha chuckled. “I haven’t had time to figure out names for everything yet,” She admitted.

“Now, a little pinch,” Gustopha said gently, moving closer, but hesitating.
“Go ahead. I’m ready now,” Restful Sonata promised. She flinched slightly as the syringe pricked into her, its contents injected.
“Now, you get comfortable. Sleep will come soon enough,” Gustopha explained.
Sonata nodded, laying flat on her front and closing her eyes. Like with so many subjects before, the sedatives kicked in quickly. However, this procedure would not be like any that came before it.
Gustopha sat before the sedated mare and closed her eyes, working entirely via magic.
Unicorn magic at first glance should have been easier to work with, but it was very stubbornly routed through the horn. It took some effort to begin pulling it free, but then it flowed easily.

Gustopha was mostly going by feeling. She had only managed to get perhaps a third of Requiem’s magic back into him after the split, so Gustopha took two thirds of Sonata’s magic and then stopped the flow. Gustopha then eased her grip on the removed magic, allowing it to split apart into six wisps. She wondered if the number of spirits was significant, but didn’t ponder for too long. Carefully, she rebound each wisp to Sonata’s internal magic reserve. Like Requiem’s, they bounced and wobbled around at first, but soon settled into steady orbits.

Once satisfied everything was set properly, Gustopha opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d done it. She’d made a once-accidental result on purpose. Carefully, Gustopha moved the still sedated mare to the cot, and rolled her out to a recovery room.

When Sonata awoke, she felt heavy and groggy. Her head ached, and she thought she heard a dull roar of murmurs in the back of her mind.
Then, the soft sound of her husband’s voice. “Good morning, honey…” He greeted gently.
Sonata’s eyes slowly opened to the sight of her beloved standing over her gently, one of his spirits perched on his shoulder like a curious bird.
“Good morning…” Sonata whispered, “Did it work?”
“It did,” Requiem said, “The Princess says you handled it like a champ.”
Sonata’s eyes opened a bit wide, and she rolled onto her side, heaving gently. “...I’ve got a serious headache…” She murmured.

Gustopha nodded a bit. “That’s to be expected,” She explained, keeping her voice low to not agitate said headache, “I can only assume it’s similar to the muscle weakness your husband felt.”
“It goes away,” Requiem promised, his muzzle gently pressing to Sonata’s.
“Where’s Sonet…?” Sonata asked.
“She’s safe in bed in the inn, being watched over by the housekeepers,” Requiem reassured, “It’s late.”
Sonata nodded a little bit, her eyes stiffly closing. “I’m tired…” She admitted.
“The sedatives are likely going to mess with you for a bit,” Gustopha explained, before looking at Requiem, “You should go rest. I’ll watch over her tonight.”
Requiem hesitated, but nodded. “Alright,” He replied, gently kissing Sonata’s snout, “I love you, honey.”
“Good night, Requiem,” Sonata murmured gently, watching as the stallion left the room.

Sonata drifted in and out of sleep for several hours, punctuated by Gustopha somewhat noisily writing in her notebook.
“What are you writing?” Sonata asked after a couple cycles of waking.
“Everything I learned from the operation,” Gustopha explained gently, “That’s the first time I’ve ever done it intentionally.”
Sonata nodded a bit and managed to roll herself into a seated position.
“How are you feeling?” Gustopha asked gently.
“Still a bit tired, but the headache’s gone,” Sonata explained.
Gustopha nodded. “I see…” She replied softly.

“So… Where are my spirit things?” Sonata asked.
“They were visible for a while, but retreated into you some time ago. You need to call them forth,” Gustopha explained.
Sonata nodded a bit. “How do I do that?” She asked.
“...I’m not exactly sure,” Gustopha conceded, “Requiem said it came naturally to him.”
Sonata nodded slowly, and lightly kneaded the bed with her front hooves for a moment, attempting to wake her legs up some more. Then, she felt an intense shiver run along her spine, and her whole body shook with it. Six roughly orbular wisps of multicoloured light sprang forth from her body.
Gustopha smiled a bit. “Ah, there they are,” She hummed.
“Requiem’s looked like ponies,” Sonata remarked.
“They started as formless wisps, like that. Try controlling them; maybe get them to sit down,” Gustopha suggested.

Restful Sonata closed her eyes and focused. Her horn illuminated, and all the wisps were held static in the air. Then, shapes formed from the wisps, one by one; little unicorns, roughly the same size as Requiem’s earth pony spirits.
Gustopha furiously scrawled in her notebook, taking in the information.
“They’re unicorns,” Sonata observed as she opened her eyes. As her horn ceased to glow, the spirits tumbled to the ground; a couple landed on the bed, and one even landed directly on Gustopha’s head.

Gustopha looked up and around at the small group of spirit unicorns and chuckled. “That they are,” She remarked, returning to her writing.
“So if Requiem’s spirits had earth pony strength, would mine have unicorn magic?” Sonata asked.
Gustopha nodded. “Try getting one of them to levitate the glass of water,” She suggested, pointing to the water on the counter. It was typical to leave fresh water for patients when they woke up; post-surgery dry mouth was not pleasant for anypony.

Sonata closed her eyes, and sure enough, one of the spirit unicorn’s horns ignited, lifting the glass and bringing it to Sonata’s lips. Sonata accepted it in her own magic, wincing slightly as she took a sip.
“...My magic’s grip isn’t as strong,” Sonata admitted, “I can feel it.”
Gustopha nodded a bit and wrote some more down in her journal. “That’s expectable. Given that your magic is now split between yourself and the spirits, it stands to reason you have less of a share of your own magic to work with.”
Sonata nodded a bit. “But the spirits account for the disparity?” She asked.
Gustopha smiled and nodded. “That’s correct,” She replied.
Sonata nodded a bit. “...I’d like to see Requiem before I fall back asleep,” She requested.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “You stay here, I’ll go get him,” She offered.
Sonata nodded quietly.

Gustopha went and roused the stallion from his slumber, bringing him over to Sonata’s room.
The two ponies embraced as they were brought together again.
“Did you have a good sleep, honey?” Requiem asked.
Sonata smiled and nodded. “I did; the Princess was good company,” She replied gently, “Plus, now we match,” She expressed, lightly nodding towards her small paparazzi of spirits.
Requiem nodded and shook himself out, releasing his own payload of ethereal ponies. The two groups of spirits lined up to interact, curiously staring at each other.
Gustopha watched the two ponies share an odd look. “Is something the matter?” She asked.

The couple pressed into each other firmly, not saying anything. Gustopha observed as they both recalled their spirits in unison, before Requiem stepped a short distance away from his wife.
Sonata and Requiem both stared at each other for a long moment, before their eyes closed.
Gustopha yipped and jumped back as a large wisp of magic came from each pony, whizzing to their partner and being absorbed by their aura.
Requiem and Sonata both slowly opened their eyes, shaking out their spirits. Sonata now had a single earth pony spirit in conjunction with five unicorns; likewise, Requiem seemed to have the lost unicorn in addition to his entourage of earth ponies.

“...What did you just do?” Gustopha asked after a quiet moment of observation and notetaking.
“I think we just traded spirits,” Requiem explained softly.
“It came naturally, like an invitation,” Sonata expressed, “Something calling out to me.”
Gustopha nodded and jotted this down. “I see… Does the traded spirit respond to your orders?” She asked.
Requiem hummed for a moment, looking at the glass on the counter. After a few seconds, the traded unicorn spirit’s horn glowed, and it magicked the glass over to him. He took it and set it down.
Gustopha, again, wrote this down. It was all valuable information. The idea that an earth pony could, in part, accept a unicorn’s magic and use it as their own… Gustopha, just for a moment, supposed she could believe Requiem’s theory that it was all part of some grand design beyond anypony’s understanding. Surely such an ability wouldn’t arise from pure chance.

Requiem then let out a small yawn, and Sonata soon followed suit.
Gustopha gave a small smile. “I’ll let you both sleep,” She expressed, “We can discuss this more in the morning.”
Sonata and Requiem embraced one more time, before Requiem let go and backed away a bit. “I’ll see you in the morning, honey,” He bade gently.
“Good night, Requiem,” Sonata bade, resettling herself in the infirmary bed.

Gustopha and Requiem then left the room, Gustopha gently pulling the door closed behind her.
Requiem smiled gently at the princess. “Thank you,” He began softly, “Because of you, my wife and I are closer than ever.”
Gustopha returned the smile, and nodded a bit. “I suppose I owe you thanks as well, for being so accommodating to such a mistake,” She expressed with a small sigh, “Any other pony would have likely demanded I be prevented from ever operating again,” She admitted.

Requiem gently nudged her with his snout. “Mistakes happen,” He said softly, “Life likes to surprise us. We can either wallow in misery and assume every surprise will be bad, or we can accept the surprises and appreciate that we don’t know everything.”
Gustopha smiled a bit and, again, sighed softly. “Well… Tearing your lifeforce from your body isn’t exactly what I’d call an appreciable surprise,” She expressed.
“Being made into something truly special, and becoming closer to my wife because of it, is an appreciable surprise, though,” Requiem retorted, stopping as he got to the door of his room.
Gustopha briefly halted herself, and nodded a bit. “I suppose you’re right,” She replied gently, “Good night, Requiem.”
“Good night, Princess,” Requiem replied.

As Gustopha finished the walk to her room, she sat down at her desk and reviewed all her notes. They were a complete mess; only comprehensible thanks to assorted arrows and tables sorting columns out manually rather than intuitively. She yawned a bit; it was late. Closer to dawn than dusk, at least, so she decided she’d rewrite it tomorrow…
Tomorrow.

She had no surgeries lined up for tomorrow. For the first time in a long while, she had nothing to worry about, save for figuring out what exactly was going on with Requiem and Sonata’s new states of being.
Gustopha settled into her bed with no intent of waking up early the following day. She’d worked late tonight, even if it had been more of a personal project.

Act III, Part VI: Respite

It was a strange feeling, really. Gustopha woke up with a relatively free day. She wanted to give Sonata and Requiem a bit more time to recover, and had no surgeries lined up for the day. Or the week, or even the month. It was oddly liberating.
Gustopha spent a fair amount of time writing in her room, clarifying and rewriting her notes on her observations of Requiem and Sonata’s behaviour. The ability to trade spirits jumped out to her the most; if an earth pony, a pegasus, and a unicorn all shared spirits, would they effectively be a mock-alicorn? It raised too many questions in her mind; questions that she couldn’t answer. Not responsibly, at least.

As she re-(and re-re-)read over her notes, and checked out some history books on pony magic, what stuck out the most to her was that the spiritualization seemed to interact with pony magic constructively; instead of replacing a pony’s existing magic, it inherited a portion of it, and worked in tandem with it. A proper theory began to crystallize in her mind, and it eventually came out on paper:

“As these are still basic observations, it is hard to draw a conclusion on the nature of ‘Spiritualization’. However, it stands to reason that such a state of being exists alongside a pony’s tribal magic; in the same way that crystallization can coexist with a tribe’s magic (as observed by Prism Lens et al. circa 96 After Unification). The similarities in the supposed ‘weakness’ portrayed by both crystal ponies and spirit ponies suggests that what may be perceived as a ‘normal pony’ is actually a third state of internal magic, which will be nicknamed ‘might’ for simplicity.”

“In the same way an earth pony’s magic lies entirely within their flesh and blood, a ‘might’ pony’s magic belongs entirely to them, unlike a crystal pony’s, whose magic is bound to the crystal heart, or a spirit pony, whose magic lies partially externally. The first spirit ponies were made by partially removing their ‘might’ via magic, and thus it could be theorized that ‘might’ is a natural state of magic, with other core magical states existing as a result of external tampering.”

Gustopha read over the theory one more time. Perhaps a bit verbose, but she considered it decent enough for now. Something she could show to a potential pupil or peer, should she have one. In fairness, Gustopha did have Celestia, but she was more of a peer in rank rather than academia. A wise ruler, but not a particularly experienced thaumatologist.
Admittedly, the thought did cross Gustopha’s mind; the idea of finding herself some peers. Perhaps then she’d finally be able to reign in her rampant curiosity…

Those were thoughts for later. Gustopha let herself move with a lack of urgency today; she greeted guards, kind of meandered her way to the dining hall to get something to eat, then just meandered her way out into the castle courtyard to get some fresh air. She couldn’t remember the last time she had just kind of coddiwompled like this.
It was enough of a change that a few of the castle staff started asking each other if she was sick, or hurt. Gustopha didn’t pay them much mind, at least until Celestia caught up with her.

“There you are,” Celestia said with a small chuckle, seating herself next to Gustopha in the grass. The earth alicorn was laying on her back, cloudwatching with her wings half-flayed.
“The castle staff have been worried about you; are you feeling alright?” Celestia asked.
“I’ve done nothing today,” Gustopha replied, “Well, aside from polishing some notes.”
Celestia nodded slowly. “...So you aren’t feeling well, then,” She teased with a small smile.
“I’m taking your advice,” Gustopha replied with a soft giggle, “It’s an unusual feeling, but not an unwelcome one… Liberating, really.”
Celestia lightly nudged one of Gustopha’s wings aside and laid next to her in the grass. “It is, isn’t it? Everyone needs some time to themselves… Even I grant myself a few days of a cleared schedule now and then.”
Gustopha allowed her wing to lazily drape over Celestia, still idly gazing on the scant few clouds in the sky.

“Realistically, I have many things I should be doing, surgery lined up or not,” Gustopha remarked, “Visiting the Groves to check on Halley, scheduling more future surgeries, checking on Requiem and his wife…”
“Tomorrow’s problems,” Celestia interjected, “You’ve already done a lot. Your guard is out cleaning Equestria from a blight we didn’t know was curable, you’ve progressed the field of thaumatology further in a year than we’ve since since the pre-unification days…”
Gustopha laid in contemplation for a moment.
Celestia, however, beat her to the punch in continuing the conversation. “...I do miss the golden days of our magic and sciences,” The elder alicorn admitted, “I used to have a school, right in this very castle, for pupils like yourself; those who sought knowledge, and displayed efficacy in doing so.”

“Future princesses?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia shook her head. “No. Luna and I were plenty at the time. This was a school where our best researchers could impart their wisdom upon promising fillies and colts. We had thaumatologists, thaumaturges, alchemists, enchanters… Perhaps biased towards unicorns, but the odd pegasus or earth pony who displayed aptitude for potion- or artifact-related work would very occasionally slip in,” She explained, sighing wistfully, “Of course, when Luna left and took many of those talented researchers with her, the war breaking out very quickly quashed any possibility of rebuilding it.”
Gustopha now sat on a mountain of thoughts. Different questions she wanted to ask, all for different reasons. One question, however, rose to the forefront, and left her mouth before any other could think of doing so.
“Was Thanamus among the students?” Gustopha asked.

Celestia tensed, her breath catching in a barely audible grunt. After a deep breath, she shook her head. “He was our head Thaumatologist. He hid his instability well; especially in his younger years. Then, he met a stallion from the north, named Sombra. Sombra was a powerful thaumaturge, well-versed in dark magic. Thanamus and him grew quite close for a time; they shared the secrets of their lines of work. Thanamus always had such great glee on his face when he returned from his visits, often bringing with him tomes about dark magic. I never understood what Sombra hoped to gain from the visits…” Celestia sighed deeply.

“Until it was too late, and he left, right?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia shook her head. “I never found out what Sombra wanted or received from Thanamus’ visits; while the Crystal Empire he now has imprisoned technically lies within our kingdom, we always permitted it a degree of autonomy… That is to say, we did not regularly check in on it until we were asked for aid directly,” She explained, “When Luna and I banished Sombra, and the empire along with it, we assumed that was the end of their trading.”
Gustopha nodded slowly, taking this in.

“Thanamus, however, began to change as the war broke out. He recluded, and he began to get these delusions of grandeur. He became obsessed with the idea of making alicorns, and other such divine beings,” Celestia continued.
Gustopha bit her lip. “Leading up to me, right?” She asked.
“Slowly,” Celestia stipulated, “It started as small experiments. Pushing the limits of overcharging; macrodosing ponies on raw magic to force their bodies to improve in output. Then, direct modifications to flesh, like bolting thin metal armor directly to the skin to improve durability. Many of my best soldiers were altered by his magic… And a substantial portion of those went on to become heroes. For a time, he was the only researcher of mine producing any sort of effective results, as Luna’s army only redoubled in the ferocity of their tactics.”

“Why did he leave, then?” Gustopha asked, “I know he took up residence in one of the forts from the war, but your relationship seemed strained from what I remember.”
Celestia let out a hard sigh. “Success is a terrible teacher. He was decorated for his efforts, and that emboldened him to continue following his lines of research. Every success made him push further, and then he started the trials that, after the war ended, led to your creation.”

Gustopha nodded a little. “Right… It was by your request that I was created; you both mentioned that,” She expressed, a hoof over her own chest.
Celestia sighed again, her eyes falling shut. “He did horrible things in the early days of those trials; no doubt a product of his growing ego mixed with his experimentation with dark magic. He regularly raided graves, abducted subjects, and even killed when he could not find an otherwise suitable match for a candidate he liked,” She explained, “It was those crimes that I pardoned, in exchange for you. In essence, he bargained with my desire for a sister, and I paid out in full.”

Gustopha slowly nodded; a contemplative, though slightly absent action. The idea that Thanamus was still out there, possibly attempting to recreate the trials sent a shiver down her spine. If she had her way, what happened to her wouldn’t ever be repeated. The pain she was subjected to, though short, still clung to her in some ways.
Celestia sighed deeply. “Goodness… I haven’t had a chance to speak to anypony about all that in a long time,” She expressed, “I hope I didn’t bore you with all that backstory, hah…”
Gustopha shook her head. “Not at all,” She replied, “It was informative, if nothing else.”
Celestia let out a small chuckle. “Informative for what? Blackmailing me in the future?” She joked dryly.
Gustopha shook her head. “I never studied history much… Hearing it directly from you, however, is much more interesting than trying to parse pages of text,” She reasoned, “Plus, most of it was new, save for the end.”

The two alicorns lied in thought for a long moment, sharing the view of the almost-clear sky. Gustopha wanted a breather, to absorb all of the information she had been given, but her mind drifted back to her earlier question.
“...If someone on the castle staff were to, say, attempt to rebuild the school, would you oppose it?” Gustopha asked.
Celestia thought for a long moment. “No, no, I wouldn’t,” She replied, a small smile on her face, “Oh, to see some fresh hearts and minds in the castle… How I’d love that. Another thing on the itinerary perhaps, but something that would bring some joy nonetheless.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “I’ll see what I can do,” She replied softly, “I’ll ask the terran guard to scout some talent for me.”

Celestia blinked. “You want to rebuild the school yourself?” She asked, looking at Gustopha with widened eyes.
“At the very least, I’d like to look into it… I believe I might have a good case for myself, given that I’m an academic myself,” Gustopha reasoned.
Celestia thought for a long moment. “Well, alright,” She supposed, “But I think it’s best for you if you don’t do anything major before the verdant trials are complete. You have been known to overwork yourself.”
Gustopha sighed gently. “Very well,” She replied gently, “At the very least, I’m closer to the end than the beginning… One hundred and eighty nine more surgeries.”
“Just pace yourself, Gustopha,” Celestia requested.
“I will. I learned my lesson about that last week,” Gustopha promised.
The two alicorns bantered for a bit longer, then through dinner, and then parted ways.

Gustopha’s next few weeks went by somewhat uneventfully as she took time to herself. She organized her room (in particular, her piles of notes), spent some time tending to her guard, and other such productive puttering. She even joined Celestia in day court, and confessed her mistake to the court. It resulted in some noisy discourse, but otherwise, little came of it. Ultimately, there was little opposition to slowing the pace of the remaining verdant trials. It was decided she’d do them in ten batches of nineteen, with one batch being eighteen interspersed to accommodate the disparity.

While she scheduled the first batch, Gustopha made plans to visit Full Cart’s Hollow between batches one and two. She also spent a bit of time tending to Requiem and Sonata as they finished their recovery, though she received some surprising news.
“We’ve decided to move into one of the farming villas in the suburbs around the castle town,” Requiem explained with a small smile.
Sonata nodded. “We’d like to be closer to the capital, now that we’re some of the Princess’ personal subjects,” She detailed.
Gustopha gave a hesitant smile. “Well, that would make further potential research easier, but please, you don’t need to move closer for my sake,” She expressed.
Requiem shook his head. “We thought about it, and decided we want to live a bit closer to everything,” He expressed, “Your sake has nothing to do with it. Just us and our daughter… Plus another on the way, potentially.”

Gustopha simply nodded. Her “adventures” with Stoneheart, Aerated Turf, and May Showers had wisened her up to some of ponish’s euphemistic terms. “I wish you all the best in the move, then. Of course, don’t be afraid to contact me if you think something’s wrong.”
Sonata nodded. “Of course,” She replied, “We won’t forget you, Princess.”
Gustopha smiled a bit. “And I, you, Latent Requiem and Restful Sonata,” She replied.
The two ponies bade farewell one more time as they were escorted out of the castle, and Gustopha sighed softly. She wasn’t sure why she sighed this time; a mix of satisfaction and worry for the newest set of Equestrian anomalies, perhaps.
However, she still had travel plans to finalize, so she didn’t let her mind dwell on it for too long. “They’ll be okay,” She promised herself quietly.

The next month or so went by fast. Almost twenty surgeries did get a bit monotonous, but it wasn’t the horrific, tedious grind that doing hundreds of surgeries, month after month, without rest, had been. Perfectly doable, as Gustopha had explained it to Celestia.
Gustopha had decided that this time, she’d visit the Groves with only one guard. She didn’t like bringing a large guard, and most of her most trusted guards were now either departed for greener pastures or taking care of their fresh young. Thus, April Showers would be her only company.

“Are you sure you want to take me, and me alone, Princess?” April asked softly.
Gustopha nodded. “Stoneheart, Aerated, and May are all busy with their new families,” She explained gently, “You remain one of the few guards whom I trust enough to handle the Groves with the love and respect they deserve.”
April nodded a bit, and bowed her head respectfully. “Then I will accompany you,” She said dutifully.
Gustopha nodded, and they set off for Full Cart’s Hollow.

When they got there, they were welcomed with much excitement by the Grove family. The past ten months or so seemed to have brought quite a bit of change among the youngest two members of the Grove family.
Dogwood was starting to hit the growth spurt part of his adolescence, and was noticeably taller; he also now sported a cropped tail, like his father.
Halley was now much larger, herself; not quite to the size of a typical schoolfilly yet, but big enough that she could now comfortably walk, and she was learning to talk, if slowly.

“...Goo-stoff-uh,” Halley repeated, as the alicorn laid on the floor before her.
Gustopha smiled. “That’s right,” She replied gently, “That’s my name.”
Halley giggled happily and hugged Gustopha’s snout. Gustopha huffed a bit from the sudden weight on her nose, but smiled wider.
“Gustopha!” Halley giggled excitedly.
Dogwood smiled. “Now you’re not gonna go a minute without hearing your name until you leave,” He remarked with a small laugh, “She likes learning new words.”
“Dog-wood…” Halley huffed, giving the colt a small scowl.
“It’s a good thing, Halley,” Dogwood reasoned with a smile.
Halley’s scowl immediately turned into a small smile. “Okay,” She replied simply.

Gently, Gustopha lifted her snout, letting the filly slide off of it.
April gave a small smile. “You’re a good foalsitter, Princess,” She complimented softly.
“I’m just keeping her busy until dinner’s ready,” Gustopha excused with a small chuckle.
Halley tilted her head back and forth a couple times; a habit she still seemed to have not grown out of. “Food?” She asked.
“Yes, food,” Gustopha replied with a gentle smile.

Halley giggled excitedly and waved her hooves in the air; water flicked abruptly from her toes, and both Dogwood and April yipped as they were splashed with small flecks of water, whereas Gustopha just chuckled as a streak of water splashed across her muzzle. “Yay!” Halley cried joyously, “Yay food!”
Dogwood huffed a bit. “H-hey, Halley! Watch where you’re sprayin’,” He yipped.
Gustopha and April just laughed a bit more, but Gustopha did note down the moon pony’s apparent abilities over water.

After dinner, Gustopha went upstairs to check on Willow. The eldest daughter of the Groves was still a good deal more quiet and reclusive than the rest of her family, though she had come down to visit for a bit when the princess had first arrived. Gustopha smiled gently at her as she entered the kids’ room.
“Hi Princess,” Willow greeted softly.
Gustopha walked over and took a seat next to her. “Hello, Willow,” She greeted gently, “How are you?” She asked.
Willow leaned into Gustopha’s side. “I’m better, Princess. I’m a lot better,” She expressed gently, “I talked to ma and pa about Everglade… You were right about them missing her.”
Gustopha gently wrapped a leg around Willow and nodded.
“We cried a lot, but it felt good afterwards… It doesn’t hurt as much to think about anymore,” Willow expressed.

“That’s a good thing, Willow. It’s important to let those feelings out,” Gustopha expressed, now hugging the filly fully. “I’m very proud of you,” She added gently.
“Thank you, Princess,” Willow murmured gently.
The filly then perked up. “I tried writing some more of my story,” She explained.
Gustopha nodded a bit and smiled gently. “I’d love to read some more of it,” She replied.
Willow fumbled in her binder, pulling out a set of pages bound in a thick folder, flipping through them and eventually landing on a couple pages. “Here,” Willow said, “These ones are a good sample.”
Gustopha’s horn illuminated to carefully take the binder, not wanting to damage any of the filly’s work.

The passages in question were about Medium and Vie heading into a forest after dark, and getting into assorted shenanigans. Though the prose tried to illustrate the two were in some amount of danger, nothing ever actually posed a threat to them.
Gustopha smiled as she set the binder down. “It’s lovely,” She hummed contently.
Willow smiled a little. “Thank you, Princess,” She replied softly.
Admittedly, the characters in Willow’s story reminded Gustopha of Requiem and the incident. It felt oddly… Prophetic, perhaps? Not that Gustopha was about to go blabbing that to everyone, though; much less a child.

“Keep at it, okay?” Gustopha added.
Willow nodded a bit.
Their conversation was interrupted by Dogwood, Sequoia, and Halley coming into the room.
“It’s time for the kids to go to sleep,” Sequoia said with a small chuckle.
Gustopha nodded a bit, stepping aside to allow Sequoia to sort out her daughters and sons, heading down the stairs to rejoin the other couple adults in the house.
After some more visiting, and some sleep, Gustopha and April would leave for the castle to return to their normal duties. On the way, the two talked about how things were going.

“Blight activity has gone down noticeably since we started making housecalls,” April explained, “We used to get multiple calls to action a week, now it’s more like one a week on average.”
Gustopha smiled. “That’s excellent,” She replied, “The Blightsbane is doing its job, then; and the terran guard along with it.”
April nodded a bit. “Equestria’s safer than ever, thanks to everything you’ve done,” She expressed gently.
“I couldn’t have done that alone,” Gustopha expressed, “The valiant ponies, yourself included, who have given their lives to science and the kingdom, shoulder much of the success. I’m not here to absorb all the credit.”
April smiled a bit. “That’s why you’re so respected, Princess: You’re humble. You treat everyone like a pony, whether they’re your equal, your soldiers, your subjects…” She sighed softly, “Transfering to the terran guard is the best thing that could have happened to May and I.”

Gustopha nodded gently. Admittedly, while the praise did feel good on a surface level, the princess felt a faint sickness growing in the pit of her stomach as April went on. Something about being praised brought her back to that one scenario: The doctor, standing beside her imposingly, demanding a stallion thank and praise her before they were allowed to eat. It made Gustopha sick to think about it.
Gustopha nodded gently. “That humility comes from the heart,” She admitted, “I don’t want to be treated as superior, alicorn or not. I’ve made mistakes, put things at risk… A ruler doesn’t play with the lives of their subjects to sate their own curiosity.”

April shook her head. “Well, then, you’re a pretty darn good ruler,” She reasoned, “Because the Gustopha I know, despite her mistakes, has made a better Equestria for her new subjects, verdants and everypony else alike.”
Gustopha sighed gently. “Thank you, April. If you don’t mind, I’d like to drop the subject now,” She expressed.
April simply nodded. Most of the terran guard knew by now that Gustopha had an aversion to excessive praise; though the earth pony didn’t realize she’d apparently crossed into “excessive” herself until Gustopha very overtly said so.

Once she was back at the castle, Gustopha would continue her work on the verdant project. Months passed as the batches ticked down. By the start of winter, she was down to eight. By the end of winter (a birthday included), just three remained. As summer began to bless Equestria with its full warmth, the trial was done. Five hundred verdants (plus a few dozen foals revealed by the semi-annual census), now walked the earth, both as Equestrian military and civilians.

To commemorate the occasion, Gustopha did something she tried to not do very often anymore: Sleep in. Gustopha had finally managed to regulate her studying enough to attain a somewhat regular sleep schedule; she still stayed up later than Celestia on average, but rarely stayed up truly late. Her body was almost a bit confused with what to do with all the rest she'd permitted it!

Her period of rest, however, was not one spent idle. She opted to practice some magic that befitted her as a healer; in particular, perfecting a spell that would allow her to share magic at a distance further than touch. She also put some serious time into studying diplomatic procedures, and started drafting up some boilerplate letters for any talented educators or scientists the terran guard happened to find: Invitations to an audience with the princesses, with intent to recruit for the potential school Gustopha wanted to establish. Gustopha didn't let herself grind herself down with that task, however; it was a long-term goal, not one that needed to be done immediately.

Act III, Part VII: Influence

Thankfully for Gustopha, the next foreseeable while went quietly. No major disputes, no large-scale problems… Just business as usual, doing more preparations for the future school of magic. The months seemed to fly by without any major disturbances; autumn, to winter, to spring, to summer, back to autumn, and onto winter and then spring of the following year.
Over the years, the castle town had been building up more, thanks to the population boom that was occurring now that Equestria was healing more than ever. Families of three or four were now exploding into families of five or more on average, it seemed, and many verdant-involved couples found themselves parenting a new generation of plant-pony hybrids.

The presence of verdants was not anomalous to Gustopha; it was expected, really, and would only become moreso as the generations went by and verdants procreated further, as was nature’s way. What was anomalous, however, was a pony with a faint, ghostly aura about them.
Gustopha, from the castle balcony, squinted. Her wings flayed in anticipation. Intrigue demanded she investigate; it was too far to clearly see anything about the pony, anyway. She leapt from the balcony and spread her wings, gliding down to the plaza. Part of her downtime activities had finally been teaching herself to stop properly, though she still landed with some force.

The pony yipped as she landed before them; a pegasus with an aura around them. “H-Hello Princess!” They chirped in surprise as the brown alicorn landed less than a foot from where they were standing. The shock seemed to work out in the princess’ favour, because half a dozen spirits scattered from the panicking pegasus; six small ethereal pegasi, with white bodies and manes and eyes of assorted colours.

“Pardon my abrupt entry,” Gustopha said as her wings tucked back towards her, “But, those spirits…”
The pegasus looked around at their entourage, most of which were lazily hovering around them. “Er… What about them, your highness?” They asked.
Gustopha tried to think of a question that wouldn’t sound accusatory. Eventually, she landed on: “When did they first appear?”

“Well… I don’t remember too much of it,” They admitted, “I live out in one of the farming longhouses not too far from the castle; one of the earth ponies there’s been converting a bunch of us.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened. “Do you remember what their name was?” She asked. She already had a hunch, but…
“Latent Requiem, I think he called himself. Moved in a year ago or so,” The pegasus recounted.
Gustopha felt as though a rock at just settled in her stomach. “I… I see,” She replied softly, “Could you tell me which longhouse he’s in?” She asked.
“Fourteen B,” The pegasus replied, “Far side of the river, on the east side of the road. It’s one of the biggest ones, you can’t miss it.”
Gustopha nodded. “Thank you,” She replied, “I must be going now.”
The pegasus waved as Gustopha took to the sky.

Gustopha flew with a sense of urgency; she didn’t have time to waste. How long had he been making spirit ponies? How was he making them at all? Even if he were a unicorn, he shouldn’tve had the magical potential to perform such a procedure.
She flew lower as she got out to the long houses, reading numbers as she flew past. Ten B, Eleven B, Twelve B, Thirteen B… Then, Fourteen B. It was an impressively sized home; the longhouses were marvels for the era they were built in. Four story houses, with footprints measurable in barn-lengths, designed to house civilians displaced by the war and blight. In a post-war Equestria, they now housed many families as the land and its ponies healed.

Gustopha shivered a bit as she looked out at the field. Almost, if not everypony working the farm was a spirit pony of some kind. Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns alike seemed affected by Requiem’s supposed alterations.
Gustopha didn’t want to make a large scene out of this ordeal; she hoped in her heart that Requiem had just, say, asked some unicorns for help with sharing his “gift”.
After a bit of asking around to figure out which room she’d be looking for, Gustopha pressed forward.
She froze as a familiar filly ran up to greet her.

“Hi Princess!” Greeted Reposing Sonet, “Are you looking for daddy?”
Gustopha had to suppress a grimace at the sight before her. Sonet’s body was draped in the familiar ethereal aura of a spirit pony, and two spirit unicorns flanked her on either side.
“I… Yes, I am; could you show me to him?” Gustopha requested, attempting to be gentle despite the sudden sense of urgency pounding in her head. She wasn't here to scare a child; she just needed to know what was going on, and if she could stop it.

“Okay!” Sonet replied, beginning to lead Gustopha down through the basement floor of the longhouse.
Warm pink magical lights contributed a homey feeling to the otherwise cold stone basement; however, they did not ease Gustopha’s growing sense of tension.
She could hear Latent Requiem’s voice through the uninsulated stone walls. Sonet softly explained, “Daddy’s working,” In a whisper.

Gustopha’s eyes widened as she was led to the main room of the basement. It was fairly sizable, occupied by only a pair of columns, a large basin of water, and several standing lamps.
There were, however, ponies inside. Latent Requiem had his hoof over the neck of another stallion, and seemed to be preaching to a small crowd. More curiously, he seemed to have some sort of gray and red amulet clasped to his chest.
“...And thus today, as the recipient of Gustopha’s first gift, I bestow this power unto another brother to join our fold,” Requiem announced, “I pronounce you appraised by the goddess’ command!”
Gustopha could only stand dumbfounded at the sight she was seeing, flinching as the small crowd of followers echoed, “Praise be thy guiding path!”

Requiem plunged the other stallion headfirst into the basin of water, holding them beneath the surface for a couple minutes. A distinct red colour then replaced the normally white hue of Requiem’s aura, as five unicorn spirits with gleaming red eyes spread from him around the basin.
Gustopha only realized what was happening too late. The five unicorn spirits all ignited their horns in a red hue of magic, drawing part of the drowning stallion’s soul forth from his body. It was tied to the remainder of their magic, and then split into six. As much as she wanted to stop this “bestowing”, Gustopha knew better than to interrupt the procedure; it was better to let it complete than to kill the subject.

The stallion gasped for air as they were pulled from the basin, coughing and sputtering.
Requiem had a wide smile on his face. “And thus, we see a new brother enter our fold,” He announced proudly, “Please, my brothers and sisters, welcome him to our ranks with open legs.”
A pair of followers walked forward, guiding the stallion into another room; presumably to recover from being drowned and having their soul ripped into pieces.
It was only once the ritual concluded that Latent Requiem noticed Gustopha’s presence. He gasped and trotted to her. “Princess!” He began.

Gustopha shuddered slightly at the miasma the stallion gave off; it was a sinking, ill feeling, not entirely unlike that of the blight's presence, but there was no blight here. She forced herself to stand firm. “Hello, Latent Requiem,” She bade.
“I’m so honored you’ve come to visit us,” Requiem expressed, bowing his head.
“I… See,” Gustopha replied slowly, looking at the small entourage of spirit-laden ponies that now somewhat crowded her.
“I’ve taken to spreading your gift to the many ponies of this fine house,” Requiem readily explained, beaming up at her, “And a few travelers who’ve happened to pass through.”
Gustopha felt sick. He sounded so proud, so happy to manipulate ponies like this; in her name, no less. “I can see that,” She responded dryly, “By what means are you spreading, er… My ‘gift’?”

Requiem lightly patted the large gray and red amulet clasped to his chest. “This artifact is able to magnify any pony’s magic,” He explained, “And with spirits being freely exchanged, I’ve been able to work on so many of our brothers and sisters!”
Gustopha shuddered a bit. “Requiem, that’s…” She trailed off. What was it, really? She couldn’t keep letting him do this; especially not to young fillies or colts like his daughter. “You need to stop this, right now,” She expressed sternly.
“Whatever for, Princess?” Requiem asked, “We’ve been so much more productive ever since I started converting other ponies, and we’ve even brought families closer together, too!”
The zeal underlining Requiem’s forcibly cheery tone made Gustopha feel even more ill.

“Requiem, you’re experimenting with things beyond your control,” Gustopha tried to reason, “I’m still not sure about what effects such a division could have on a pony; nevermind repeating it so recklessly!” Her voice grew to a shout at the end of the sentence; a frenzied mix of her nerves and her growing frustration with the situation. This scenario had potentially had over a year to grow beyond her control.
Requiem took a hesitant step back. “But, Princess,” He began, “The gift you gave me and Sonata is so very special… Does such a gift not deserve to be shared?”
“Requiem,” Gustopha began, “Your condition was an anomaly. I should have never agreed to repeat it; you should be a healthy verdant, not the oddity you are now.” Only after she finished speaking did she realize how hurtful her statement could have been.

Requiem’s forced smile finally dropped into a scowl. “So you turn your back on us?” He asked, tone abruptly taking on a hostile tinge, “I dedicate myself to sharing a gift, and now you don’t think we should exist at all?”
Gustopha felt tears prick at her eyes. “This never should have happened, Requiem,” She expressed, “None of this should have. It was my mistake.”
Requiem’s frown grew more intense. “You need to go, Princess,” He growled, “I won’t let you deny us this right; this right to exist.”
Gustopha grit her teeth. “That’s not what I’m trying to say,” She attempted, “You’re still my subjects. I need to protect you, and sometimes that includes protecting you from your own curiosity and dark thoughts.”

Requiem shook his head, charging forward and striking the princess with one of his hooves. “No!” He shouted, “I won’t let my kind extinguish itself for your benefit!”
Gustopha grunted, stumbling back from the force of the hit; all this talk about magic had almost made her forget he was an earth pony. A few of the followers shared concerned looks.
“I won’t let you take this special gift away!” Requiem bellowed, striking the princess again.
Gustopha whimpered this time, tumbling to the ground from the blow.

“We can’t strike the Princess!” One of the followers attempted, “She’s the one who gave us our gift.”
There did, however, seem to be disagreement among the crowd. “No! Latent Requiem must be permitted to continue!” Another argued.
The discourse entered a state of a dull roar. Some of the followers attempted to hold Requiem back; others attempted to impede said followers from doing so. Once an opening presented itself, though, Requiem attempted to throw hooves with the Princess again. Gustopha braced herself, holding up a leg to block the attack, seething as the edge of Requiem’s hoof broke the skin of her foreleg. There was a undescribable look of conflict in his eyes. Gustopha could see it plainly: This wasn't Requiem, and he knew that, but something compelled him to do this anyway. Gustopha knew that reason would be her ally here.

“Please,” Gustopha began, heaving a bit, “You don’t need to do this, Requiem. This doesn’t have to go further than it has.”
“No!” Requiem shouted, striking at the princess another time, “I won’t let you take my new family away!”
Gustopha took a hard breath. “I don’t want to do that, Requiem,” She attempted, “I just need you to stop making ponies undergo this treatment; you could kill someone!”
Requiem briefly hesitated. “I-I…” He stammered weakly, now stumbling back, as if he himself had been punched.
Gustopha approached him cautiously. “Requiem, this isn’t you. I know Requiem, and I know he’s a kind, gentle, loving father,” She appealed.

Requiem stumbled back further, ending up back on his haunches, looking at his hooves. “I just… I just want to share the gift,” He attempted, “The gift you gave me, and my wife.”
Gustopha offered a gentle, sympathetic look. “How did it get this way?” She asked, “How did you get here so fast?”
Requiem’s posture shriveled. “...Sonet,” He admitted, “She was so alone. Her mother and I both had these goddess-given powers, and she had none. So, I looked for something that would… Let her be like us.”
Gustopha looked at the amulet. “The amulet. It’s given you enough magical strength to utilize such spells,” She reasoned.

Requiem nodded a bit. “When it went smoothly, I wanted to spread the gift further. First to our neighbors, then to travelers… Now it’s just this compulsion to make more. I want to see our kind spread; I want to be able to share this with everypony I see!” He expressed, voice trembling, despite the conviction.
Gustopha stepped forward and lightly put a hoof on his shoulder. “Requiem, this isn't you; it's the amulet, trying to trick you into thinking it is," She reasoned, "Let me have the amulet, so I can keep it contained, where it won't be able to hurt or manipulate anypony else."

Requiem looked up at her, turmoil flickering in his eyes. “How do I know you won’t use it to destroy us?” He asked.
Gustopha tensed a bit, but called upon her memories. “You remember the trust you had in me on the day of the surgery, don’t you?” She asked, “I know I betrayed that trust, with my failure, but do you think you could put that faith in me again to make things right?”
Requiem stared at Gustopha for a long moment. She could see the silent mental battle in his eyes. He trembled and strained, but slowly, his hoof curled to his chest, and he removed the amulet, the magical clasps unlocking with a small hiss, as if the amulet itself was voicing its denial one last time.

Abruptly, his aura went white again, and he hissed sharply as a strong ache ran up his spine. Gustopha moved to support him, taking the amulet in her magic as she held him up with a hoof.
Latent Requiem blinked a couple times. “P-... Princess?” He asked softly.
Gustopha gently smiled at him. “It’s okay,” She said in a gentle voice, “It’s over now.”
Latent Requiem shook himself off a bit. “I’m not… I’m not in trouble?” He asked.
Gustopha bit her lip. “Well… You did perform countless acts of unsanctioned experimentation,” She expressed, “But, seeing as you were under the influence of an artifact, there’s reason to believe there’s more than that at play.”
Latent Requiem tensed a bit, preparing himself for punishment.

“You will come to the castle with me, pending a proper trial. From there, I’m not entirely certain what will happen,” Gustopha admitted, “I will see to it that you at least receive a fair, unbiased verdict.”
“As for the rest of you, you are free to live your lives as normal,” Gustopha expressed, “I’m not here to punish test subjects.”
A few of the followers nodded, and they began to disperse.
Gustopha led Latent Requiem up the stairs, looking at him. “You may visit your family before we leave.”
Latent Requiem nodded a bit, leading her to one of the rooms. “Thank you,” He replied softly, before pushing open the door.

Restful Sonata was watching over Reposing Sonet as the filly played with some blocks on the floor.
“Requiem? Requiem, what’s wrong?” Sonata asked, getting up with a small huff and approaching Requiem, whose head was hung low. Gustopha noted that Sonata seemed to be in the late stages of a pregnancy.
“I… I messed up,” Requiem admitted, “You were right. I should have stopped with Sonet.”
Sonata pulled him into a hug. “Requiem… You were just doing what you thought was right,” She attempted.
“I was doing what the amulet told me was right,” Requiem corrected, “I didn’t think about how it might affect the others. And now, I’m… Going to be punished for my actions.”

Sonata looked up at Gustopha. “What’s going to happen to him?” Sonata asked.
“He will come with me to the castle, for a proper trial… I’m not sure what verdict awaits him,” Gustopha admitted.
Sonata took a short, sharp breath in. “...Please be merciful to him,” She requested softly.
Gustopha sighed gently. "I can't promise anything; even as a Princess, my ability to decide matters such as that falls solely to breaking a tie vote," She expressed.
Sonata nodded a bit, though she still seemed quite dejected. "...I understand," She remarked with a soft huff.
Sonet had by now noticed the tension in the room, approaching her parents. “What’s wrong, daddy?” Sonet asked.
Requiem let go of his wife, picking up his daughter in a hug. “Daddy’s… Going away for a while,” He explained, “He did some bad things, and needs to atone for them.”

Sonet looked at him with big, discontent eyes. “I won’t be able to see you?” She asked.
Requiem nodded a little. “That’s-” His voice caught in his throat, “That’s right. You be good for mommy and your little brother, okay?” He requested.
Sonet whimpered a bit and buried her snout in Requiem’s shoulder, whining a small, “I will.”
Gustopha found it hard to watch as Requiem attempted to comfort the young filly.
Eventually, however, Requiem lightly hoofed the filly over to Sonata.
“I love you both a lot; you remember that, right?” Requiem bade.
Sonata and Sonet both nodded, offering, “I love you too,” Back in varying levels of coherency.

It was after that that Gustopha and Requiem left the longhouse to begin traveling back to the castle.
Gustopha sighed a bit. It would be a long way on hoof, and Requiem couldn’t fly. Well, unless…
Requiem yipped in surprise as he was lifted into the air by a powerful golden aura.
“You just try not to move too much, okay?” Gustopha requested.
Requiem nodded a bit, looking around what little he could in the powerful magic grasp. A small shiver ran up his spine; the feeling of guilt was now properly beginning to set in.
Gustopha took a run-up, and then, bringing Requiem along with her, began to fly back towards the castle at a considerable pace.

Requiem gave Gustopha a repentant look. “Princess, I…” He hesitated, “I’m sorry.”
Gustopha bit her lip. “How many did you convert?” She asked.
“I lost count a while ago,” Requiem conceded, “At least a hundred… I found that amulet before the turn of the year.”
Gustopha sighed gently and nodded. “I see,” She replied, “I’m not entirely without fault, you know. My curiosity is what provoked me to accept your initial request, which in turn, inspired your own.”
Requiem shook his head. “Don’t accept guilt for the bad things I’ve done, Princess,” He requested, “I need to face the consequences.”
"The situation is more complicated than a single guilty party would allow," Gustopha admitted, "In some ways, it's you who awoke me to that."

Requiem's eyes widened a bit. "I beg your pardon, Princess?" He asked.
"You mentioned how you believe that everything is part of some grand design; the silent movements of something beyond any creature's comprehension," Gustopha expressed, "In a way, this is really just the culmination of dozens of pushes in the right direction."
"May I... May I ask how, Princess?" Requiem asked.
Gustopha bit her lip. This stallion was a criminal, but then again, he also was the sincere type. She decided to be cautiously optimistic. "You do not tell anypony what I am about to say to you, okay?" She insisted.
Latent Requiem nodded. "You have my word, Princess," He replied.

"Celestia and Luna had a personal spat. That spat resulted in a war. That war created the blight. That blight killed me and my best friend. I was created from the bodies of myself and my friend to stop the blight. Stopping the blight involved making the verdants. In the process of making the verdants, I reshaped you to the way you are now. In reshaping you, I opened the door to reshaping your wife. Because I reshaped your wife, you sought the means to reshape your daughter. In reshaping your daughter, you desired to reshape other ponies. In reshaping other ponies, you gave me the means to find and stop you, leading us to the present," Gustopha summarized, before adding, "So, how many of those events were random chance?"

Latent Requiem took a moment to process the veritable daisy chain of events presented before him. "Well, when it's all laid out like that, it seems like it was planned from the start," He supposed.
Gustopha cracked the slightest smile. "But it wasn't, in any measure we understand," She concluded.
"Does this mean you don't blame me for what happened?" Latent Requiem asked.
"It's not that cut and dry," Gustopha declined, "But it complicates where the guilt lies. You don't blame a single farmer for a bad harvest."
Both ponies went quiet in thought as Gustopha continued to fly towards the castle. Gustopha really was thinking about it that hard; where did her guilt end, and Requiem's begin?

When she touched down in the castle, she led the stallion to the front desk of the prison. There weren’t many imprisoned ponies in Equestria, so it was easy enough to find him a spot.
“I’ll try and get you a proper trial as soon as possible,” Gustopha promised.
Requiem nodded a bit. “Thank you,” He replied, watching as the gaoler closed the door behind him.
Gustopha sighed a bit as she left the prison, heading back to the castle. She needed some time alone to clear her head; time to sort through the torrent of thoughts that pounded in her skull. Not to mention, she still had to research just what the amulet was.

A couple of guards approached her as she walked towards the castle. “Princess!” One exclaimed, “Are you alright?”
Gustopha briefly looked at her legs, having forgotten about her injuries. “Er… No, I suppose I’m not,” She admitted.
“Would you like us to escort you to the infirmary?” The guard asked.
Gustopha shook her head. “No, thank you; I know my way there off by heart,” She remarked with a soft chuckle, moving past the guards and into the castle. She wasn’t going to the infirmary right away, though; first, she had an artifact to put in a safe place.

Gustopha walked to her room and hummed for a moment. After some pondering, she hid the amulet behind a few books in her study, and she then walked to her bed to rest. Settling down under the covers, Gustopha let forth a small heave of a sigh and nestled her face into the pillows.
Though Gustopha felt a bit lost, she forced herself to press onward through time. She had a trial for Latent Requiem scheduled for some weeks from the present, thus leaving herself time to leave for Full Cart’s Hollow. It had been too long since she last checked on the Grove family and Halley; closing on two years now.

Prelude: Criminality

Dr. Thanamus looked at his employee as they walked to the graveyard. "Are we clear on your task, Golden?" He asked sternly.
Golden Retriever nodded, "Yes, Doctor," He replied, "You want a pegasus and a unicorn in matchin' colours, right?" He asked, grabbing a shovel from the cart.
"A young pegasus and a young unicorn in matching colours. I've gone through the obituaries; you're looking for…" The doctor then rattled off several pairs of names.

Golden Retriever nodded obediently. The earth pony had his doubts about the moral efficacy of his employer's alleged plan; but, well, the economy was gone to feces at the moment, and the doctor was paying well.
Golden slowly walked away, looking for a grave with a name that matched his employer's listing.

The doctor grinned with wily abandon as Golden returned with a dirty shovel, a sweaty brow, and two foal-sized bodybags that seemed to be full. The earth pony set them on the cart gently, as if trying to protect the deceased fillies from the harshness of the world one last time.

Dr. Thanamus rolled his eyes, "Do not weep for them, simpleton. They are already dead," He sneered.
"Just making sure they're intact for you, boss; this is Texas Toast and Plantation," Golden Retriever said.

Dr. Thanamus nodded. "Good," He replied, "Now, of course, your payment."
The unicorn's horn ignited and he set a large pile of bits on the cart, "Remember. Not a peep about this to anyone."
Golden Retriever nodded, "As you wish," He sighed.
The earth pony tucked the money in his saddlebags and hitched the cart to his back, walking back to the doctor's home, with the doctor walking along beside him. The two didn't share a word on the way back; Dr. Thanamus gave Golden the creeps.

The doctor's home was a large, stone building; an old fortress from the war between Celestia and Luna. More specifically, a labor camp for prisoners of war.
The doctor smiled a crooked smile as he brought Golden to a large room, festooned with medical equipment and magical artifacts. The predominant tool was a large, chandelier-like assembly of mechanical arms over an operating table.

"This is where your involvement ends," The doctor remarked, "You will not tell a soul about the things you have seen and done under my instruction. Are we clear?"
Golden shuddered a bit. He'd spend his entire life trying to forget it. "Yes, Doctor," He replied slowly, "I swear on my life."

Golden watched as Dr. Thanamus levitated the two body bags from the cart.
"Good boy," Thanamus replied with a slight sneer, waving his hoof dismissively, "Run along."
Golden didn't waste any time. He left immediately, breaking into a full gallop. "Whaaaat in tartarus did I just aid in?" He asked himself.

Dr. Thanamus unbound the ties holding the bags shut, and dumped the two deceased fillies on the operating table.
He was a bit irked that Texas' leg was still broken, but that was no matter. Texas was the pegasus between them, and the Doctor knew it was easier to transplant wings than a horn.

The doctor ensured the room's door was locked, and then began to work. Medical equipment danced from its tray over to the doctor's side, as the doctor began to carefully cut apart the pegasus' body. He did take great care in his work, of course; the better his cut, the faster the new alicorn would heal, and thus, the faster her training could begin.

The doctor smiled as he overlooked his work. The new body showed clear signs of alteration; carefully inlaid stitches ensured the coat was more or less consistent. The colours didn't match perfectly, but it was close enough for any normal pony's eye.
He then turned the body over, carefully loosening the skin from the ribcage and cutting it back. He brought the body to the table beneath the enormous conglomerate of mechanical apparati, setting it down.

"And now, the healing," The doctor uttered with a smile, closing his eyes as his horn illuminated brightly.
The machine hissed and screeched to life, energized by the doctor's magic. It was a machine he'd spent a majority of his life assembling, perfecting, and learning to control.
Large drills carefully carved holes into the ribcage of the deceased filly; pinpricks, which were then filled with slivers of green and cyan crystals. Each rib was spliced with crystal a dozen times; slivers of raw magic that would give the body the energy it needed to return to the realm of the living.

Were anypony to see how the doctor revived this new alicorn, he would have been burnt at the stake; anypony understood that magic worked in mysterious ways, but this was a bastardization of harmony's essence that even the princess who requested the operation would have trouble defending.
After being injected with a final shot of a powerful magical stimulant, the body's skin was meticulously sewn back in place, leaning only a broad, but thin scar.
The doctor's eyes opened.
He lifted the fresh body and brought it to a small bed on wheels. "And now, we allow nature to do the hard work," He says, pushing the bed out of the room.

Act I, Part III: Cognizance

Gustopha awoke to a confusing feeling of fine-ness. The aches were still present, but all her bruises were gone. Her limbs no longer hurt, and her stomach no longer felt caved in.
She rolled onto her front and took a deep breath.
"Good morning, Princess," Heartful Surrogate greeted gently.
"Good morning…" Gustopha whined, crawling out of bed to shake herself off, "The doctor wants to see me this morning for a check up," She expressed.
Heartful nodded a little, "I know, dear," She replied gently, hugging the filly, "Be strong, okay? I asked Rolling Simmer to make you something extra special for after your check up," She explained.
Gustopha leaned into her and took a deep breath. "I-I will be," She replied hesitantly, "I will be strong for you, Simmer, and Princess Celestia," She declared.
Heartful nuzzled Gustopha softly before she released her grip, sending the filly on her way and sighing a bit.

Gustopha walked out of her room to the doctor's office, "Doctor, I'm ready for the check up," She said simply.
Dr. Thanamus smiled widely, "Excellent," He replied, walking to his desk and grabbing a syringe.
"Now, hold still," He requested, plunging the syringe into a bottle and drawing a good sized dose of a clear fluid from the bottle, before setting it down and walking it to her, "Just a little pinch…" He hummed.
Gustopha winced slightly as the needle was pressed into her leg, watching as the doctor forced the contents into her body. He set the syringe down. "Now, come with me," He requested, beginning to walk down the hall.
Gustopha followed him, suddenly becoming immensely tired. She collapsed to the ground, eyes closing.
The doctor chuckled, "And here I was worried she'd need a second dose before we began," He hummed, horn illuminating as he lifted her up. He strained slightly. "Hmm… She is getting heavy," He remarked.

Gustopha was unconscious the whole time during the checkup. The doctor strapped her to the table and began working the machine; a large incision revealed her innards, and he went to work, carefully splicing crystals into her bones.
"Yes, this is very good," The doctor hummed, "A strong heart, healthy tissues, good, strong bones…" He excitedly clapped his hooves together, "She will do nicely. Now I simply need to prepare her for the embalming spell…" He trailed, stitching the filly up once he was finished interlacing her bones with crystal, ensuring she was stitched up nicely.
Then, one again, a large shot of magical stimulant was applied, and the Doctor brought Gustopha to her room.

Heartful didn't say a word. The doctor, however, had plenty to say.
"She is developing well," Dr. Thanamus said, "Strong and healthy, and already maturing… At this rate, she will be fit for full duties in two weeks," He remarked with a smile.
Heartful nodded slowly, "Good," She replied curtly.
Dr. Thanamus looked at her sternly, "Now, what's with that look?" He asked.
"Do you not agree that a princess should have social skills?" Heartful asked.

The doctor stepped towards her with fire in his eyes, "What did you say to me?" He asked.
"She will be a princess, yes? Will she not be expected to appear publicly, and talk to her subjects?" Heartful repeated in more detail.
Dr. Thanamus growled, "Do not overstep your bounds, Heartful. You should be honored I am even letting you be her-"
"Caretaker. You have assigned me as her caretaker. And as her caretaker, it is my duty to oversee her development," Heartful retorted bluntly.

The doctor looked at her for a long moment. "...You are tremendously lucky that you have a good point," He sneered, "Very well. You may escort her during magic practice. Have her clean the other planter out front and then you may take her for a brief excursion to go socialize," He huffed.
Heartful smiled a bit. "Very well," She replied gently.
The doctor left the room in a huff, and Heartful chuckled quietly to herself. "...Feels good to put him in line," She murmured.

Gustopha awoke with a tremendous hunger. Her body rumbled with the desire to consume.
Heartful jumped from the low noise. "Oh! Good morning, Princess," She greeted, "You're hungry, I take it?"
Gustopha nodded a bit, leaving the bed and briefly walking to the mirror.
She was noticeably taller than when she had first come here; almost to the height of an adolescent mare. The adults still stood a fair bit over her, but the gap was shrinking, and fast.
She also noticed that her aches were almost entirely gone.
Heartful smiled gently. "You've grown quite a bit," She hummed, "Stand against the mirror for a moment."
Gustopha obliged and stood next to the mirror, breaths lightly fogging it as she rested the side of her face against it.
Heartful brought over a wax crayon and carefully reached over, marking out a small line on the mirror.
"There. Now we can tell if you've grown," Heartful said.
Gustopha pulled away from the mirror, "Okay," She replied softly.

"Now, let's go get you something to eat," Heartful said, gently leading the princess from the room.
"Aren't you supposed to stay in my room?" Gustopha asked softly.
Heartful smiled, "I'll be keeping you company through magic practice today," She explained, "Doctor's orders."
Gustopha gasped lightly in excitement, "Okay!" She replied.
Heartful smiled, leading Gustopha into the kitchen. She helped the princess into her seat, and then left for a moment to find Rolling Simmer.
The two ponies returned with a large plate of waffles, and some pink cylinders that the filly didn't recognize.

"Heartful t-told me a-about your r-rough night l-last night," Rolling Simmer expressed gently, "So, I-I made something special for you.
"Thank you," Gustopha replied softly. Rolling Simmer squeaked as Gustopha's magic gripped her, pulling her into a hug.
Heartful smiled. Rolling Simmer relaxed a bit. "Th-thank you, Princess," She stammered softly, "N-Now I should g-go get you th-the rest of your breakfast," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded and released her grip on the pegasus, who quickly darted back into the kitchen.
Heartful sighed softly.

"What's wrong with Simmer?" Gustopha asked abruptly.
Heartful froze. "What do you mean, Princess?" She asked.
"She's always nervous and stuttery… Why?" Gustopha asked.
Heartful sighed, "The Doctor… Did things to her, so she would be able to handle feeding all of the fort's staff," She explained simply.
Gustopha nodded a little, her ears drooping. "Oh," She replied softly, turning to her breakfast and starting to eat.
Heartful gently observed as she ate, watching as Rolling Simmer brought a large bowl of porridge and a particularly sizable slab of the brown material.
Heartful glanced at Gustopha, who paid no mind to the unusual tastes… It tasted good, and the filly had been trained to eat what was provided to her. And ate she did, to fuel her body's accelerated growth. Of course, her meal was accompanied by two glasses of purple fluid.

After eating, Gustopha thanked Rolling Simmer for the meal and crawled out of the chair.
"Come along, little one; let's go train your magic," Heartful said, leaving the kitchen. Gustopha nodded and followed after her, following the mare outside.
"Now, the doctor wants you to heal the other planter," Heartful instructed gently.
Gustopha nodded. After the strain of recovering Princess Celestia's courtyard, this felt easy. Blight crept into her, but it was purged with a flash. She carefully tilled the soil to ensure it would grow plants well, and took some of the hay from the other planter to seed it, carefully tearing the grains and settling them in the soil, neatly planting them.

Heartful smiled as she watched the seeds take root and sprout, "Very good, Princess!" She expressed, "To see nature coming back… It's a sight for sore eyes."
Gustopha smiled a little. She hardly felt tired at all. She walked to the next planter down the way, and began working at it. There was less blight in this next one, and it was purged easily.
Gustopha was feeling a bit cocky now. She moved to the fourth and final planter box and tapped her horn gently to the surface of the dirt, once again purging it of blight.

Gustopha looked to the street, now; the road was cobbled, but lined with dirt on either side. Blighted, salted dirt.
A few townsfolk gathered as the princess knelt down before the dirt, a heavenly glow beginning to emit from where she sat outwards as her magic worked away at the poisoned soil.
Heartful gently stood over her, wanting to make sure the filly felt protected.
With a bright flash, Gustopha purged the blight from the large patch of the dirt. She did, however, take a hard breath. Now she was starting to tire herself out.
"Pace yourself, princess," Heartful reminded softly.

A few of the townsfolk murmured. "Princess…?" A few asked themselves.
Then the gathered crowd began to bow, one by one.
Gustopha looked up at the crowd of bowing ponies.
"Please, you don't need to bow," She expressed, "I just want to fix things," The filly said, "Like making the dirt plantable again, s-so you don't have to starve."

A mare stepped forth from the crowd, holding a small bushel of strawberries, "P-Please, Princess," The mare said, "A pittance for your service."
Gustopha's horn gently ignited as she took the strawberries, inspecting them. They seemed to be free of blight, and most importantly full of seeds. "They're beautiful… Thank you," Gustopha replied gently.
She walked to one of the planters and carefully tucked the strawberries in the soil. Some of the crowd gasped a bit as the food was tucked away in the dirt.

Then, sprouting. Plants crept from the dirt, growing and maturing before the crowd's eyes.
The strawberry plants bloomed. Carefully, Gustopha shook the branches. The flowers wilted, and in their place came forth berries.
"Please, everyone, take some for your families," She wished gently.
A few of the townsponies slunk forward, taking the fresh fruit and passing it amongst each other. Eyes lit up as they received a sample.
The mare who had offered the princess the strawberries opted to follow Gustopha's lead, taking some of the berries and sowing them in the planter.

Gustopha smiled gently at the mare, "Yes, yes, that's it," She said gently, "This is plantable soil… You don't need to starve anymore," She expressed.
The mare shivered, "Princess, are you here to save us?" She asked.
Heartful stepped in. "She's not ready to save everypony yet. But she has a kind heart, and she will lead us to a better life," She explained.
Gustopha felt her chest swell a bit. It felt nice to see ponies so happy, even if it was a cautious excitement.
"Thank you, Princess!" The other mare said, hugging the young alicorn.
Gustopha squeaked a little, but hugged back, "You're welcome…" She replied quietly.

The mare released her, and Gustopha stumbled back. "Okay… I think I'm tired," She admitted.
"That's okay, Princess. You're still learning," Heartful said gently, "Come… I would like to show you around town."
Gustopha nodded a little, "W-won't the doctor be angry?" She asked.
Heartful shook her head, "I already asked him," She replied gently, beginning to walk.
Gustopha followed Heartful, staying close to the mare's side as she followed.
Town was rough… Well built, perhaps, but there were malnourished ponies everywhere. Gustopha bit her lip. She wished she could help everyone; but she wasn't strong enough yet.

Heartful smiled gently at her, "You'll help them all soon, Princess," Heartful promised, "Word travels fast… When ponies learn of your gift, they'll come here, and you'll be able to help them."
Gustopha nodded a bit. "I hope so," She expressed softly. Gustopha took in the sights of town, looking at it wondrously… It all felt so familiar.
Heartful would take Gustopha to the town orphanage. Gustopha looked around at all the little colts and fillies; most of them looked severely starved, even moreso than the adults outside.

A tired-looking stallion wandered to the front. "Good day…" He began drolly, before his eyes lit up slightly, "Ah, Heartful Surrogate. How lovely it is to see you again," He expressed, "This is the princess you've sent me a letter about?"
Gustopha gave a small wave, looking at a few of the small fillies and colts. She swore she recognized a few of them.
"Yes, this is Princess Gustopha," Heartful replied, "It's very good to see you again, Bedrock. It's been too long since I was permitted to leave the fort."
Gustopha quietly snuck deeper into the orphanage as the adults talked, allowing curiosity to guide her.
Then, she found a small garden out back. A few orphans were attempting to cultivate plants in what looked like an old sandbox, its sand replaced with potting soil. Very dry, dead potting soil.

The young princess smiled gently at them, "May I try?" She asked softly.
The orphans scampered out of her way, and she dropped to her stomach before the sandbox.
They watched as the princess' horn ignited, the dirt of the box beginning to glow.
Gustopha frowned. The blight had been merciful to this soil, but it was extremely salty. To think somepony would sabotage something as earnest as this… It irritated her. Carefully, she picked through, transmuting the salt into nutrients.
The plants in the box began to grow faster, sprawling as their wilted forms stood straight and grew in the warm afternoon sun.
One of the orphans pointed in awe. "Look look look! G-go get Bedrock, the plants are growing!" They said excitedly.
The other orphan darted back into the large building.
Gustopha smiled a bit, sitting back and looking at her handywork. The now enriched plants flourished in the refreshed soil, already beginning to bear flowers and fruit.

Several orphans came out into the yard, as did Bedrock and Heartful.
"As I live and breathe…" Bedrock murmured, "Is this your doing, Princess?"
"The soil had been salted… I'm impressed the plants grew as much as they did," Gustopha said, standing up and turning to the two adults.
Bedrock pulled her into a hug. "Thank you," The gray stallion said, "Thank you so, so much, Princess."
Gustopha nodded a little, "I'm just doing what I was made to do," She expressed quietly.
Bedrock held her at legs' length and chuckled, "Well then, as far as I'm concerned, you were made for a right stellar purpose."
Gustopha looked away and smiled.
Heartful chuckled gently, "You don't need to be modest, Princess… You're changing lives."

Gustopha nodded a little, "Thank you… I hope the foals appreciate the fresh food. Please remember to water the crops, though," She expressed.
Bedrock chuckled a little, "Will do, Princess… We'll make you proud."
Heartful gently rubbed the princess' side. "You want to go now, don't you?" She asked softly, "You're not much for attention."
Gustopha nodded, and Bedrock awkwardly stepped away. "Oh, goodness, I'm sorry! I would've backed off if you asked," He expressed.
"It's okay. I don't like asking," Gustopha admitted, frowning slightly as she looked away.
Bedrock blinked and watched as the young princess jumped the fence, running off. Heartful bit her lip and ran after her.

"Princess!" Heartful Surrogate called after the alicorn as she ducked into an alley.
Heartful Surrogate sat next to the alicorn, "Princess… What's wrong?" She asked.
Gustopha sniffled a bit, "I-it's not fair," She whined, "Why do the foals have to suffer, too?"
Heartful sighed a little. "It… It hasn't been easy for anypony, Princess. That's why you're here," She admitted.
"B-but… I get fed so much. Why can't we share food with them?" She asked.

Heartful hugged the teary-eyed alicorn close. "It's so you grow, Princess. Every day you get stronger, and you can help more ponies. Look at yourself; you've already fixed all the planters, you started healing the ground around the road, and you even helped the orphanage. Just two days ago, you could hardly fix a single planter," She explained, "Everything we do serves the purpose of helping other ponies, through you."

Gustopha simply nodded. It wasn't a very satisfying answer, but it made a bit more sense than no explanation at all. She took a shaky breath. "Can… Can we go home?" She requested gently, "I'd like to study."
Heartful simply nodded, "Of course, dear. Let's go home," She expressed gently, walking the young princess back.
A fair sized crowd had already drawn around the planters in front of the fort; ponies had sown some more plants, and were now rationing out to the other townies.
It made Gustopha smile, "Look at how happy they are…" She whispered as they walked inside.
"That's because of you, Princess," Heartful replied.
Gustopha shook her head, "It's them who put in the effort to share during hard times, though," She commented humbly.
Heartful smiled gently, "I suppose you're right," She replied, leading the alicorn to the study.

Gustopha gently hugged Heartful, "Thank you…" She murmured gently.
Heartful nuzzled the princess gently, "Of course, Princess. I will care for you until my dying breath," She expressed softly.
The two embraced tighter for a brief moment, before Heartful left the room, gently pulling the door closed behind her.
Gustopha took a breath and stared at the stack of books before her, horn igniting as she set a fresh tome on the lectern and opened it.
This was not about agriculture; instead, it was about the history of Equestria. The first Hearth's Warming, how the alicorn sisters came to power; all of it. It didn't come as easily to her as agriculture did. So, she read slower, repeating passages that seemed particularly important out loud.

Gustopha hardly noticed as the daylight cycle began to change; afternoon stretched into dusk, then the early part of night.
Heartful would quietly enter the study, looking at the alicorn. "Princess… It's time for dinner," She said gently.
Gustopha nodded a bit, draping a leather bookmark over the page she had been reading and following Heartful to the kitchen.
"Is something wrong, Princess? You usually speak when spoken to," Heartful expressed.
"I just got lost in thought while studying," Princess Gustopha replied softly, "I want… I want to go and train my magic after dinner."
"Princess… The Doctor would have my head if you went out after dark," Heartful expressed.
Gustopha sighed a little. "Alright…" She replied dejectedly.
"Your willingness speaks volumes… If you would like, I will wake you up early, and you can do some early magic training before breakfast tomorrow," Heartful offered.
Gustopha climbed up into the dining chair and nodded; food had already been set out for her. "That sounds good," She replied softly, "I… I want to be stronger. I want to prove to Celestia that I'll be a good sister," She expressed, beginning to eat.
Heartful Surrogate sighed. "Princess Gustopha… Being a good sister isn't just about strength," She expressed gently, "Your kindness and willingness to help say far more about that than how much magic you can perform."

"But I need to be strong for her; for everyone. If I can't heal the land, ponies will die… And it will be my fault," Gustopha reasoned, ears drooping.
Heartful sighed. Sadly, the filly princess did have a point. There was a lot riding on the doctor's success. "That doesn't mean you need to exhaust yourself every day. You're still growing. You will come into your power eventually, as your body grows and changes," Heartful reasoned.
Gustopha simply nodded and ate more fervently.
Heartful sighed deeply and she turned away. "...If only you had time before things became so grim," She murmured softly.

After Gustopha finished eating and drank two whole glasses of the purple liquid, she allowed herself to be led to bed.
Heartful tucked her in gently, rubbing her muzzle. "Good night, Princess… Sweet dreams," The mare said gently.
Gustopha's eyes closed. She never felt tired when she went to bed, yet she always found sleep easily. Tonight was no different.

"Tex, wait up!" Plantation whined, "I can't fly like you! You're too fast!"
"Just keep up, silly! Steady pace. Use your magic to lift your hooves or something," Texas giggled.
"That's not how it works," Plantation huffed.
Texas Toast sat on the fence overlooking the field. He watched as Plantation climbed up on the fence, holding her steady.

"See? Isn't it pretty?" Texas asked.
Plantation stared out over the field of foxtails. "Yeah… It really is," She replied gently.
"Think the blight'll kill all the weeds?" Texas followed up.
Plantation shook her head, "I hope not… They're beautiful."

Texas grinned and leapt from the fence, pulling Plantation in.
Plantation squeaked, giggling as she landed on top of her winged friend.
"H-hey, you're heavy! Get off!" Texas whined.
"You pulled me down here. Now I get to exact my revenge!" Plantation declared dramatically.
Texas squeaked, "N-no!" He cried.

Plantation set a gentle kiss on Texas' snout and giggled. "Got you," She teased.
Tex huffed. "You're such a weirdo, Plant," He snorted.
"Mom says it's because yours rubbed off on me," Plantation teased, sticking her tongue out.
Texas just giggled, and Plantation did too.

Princess Gustopha stirred awake facing the window. She stared at the pink hue of the sunrise idly for a long moment.
"Good morning, Heartful," She greeted gently.
The mare jumped a bit, "Ah, good morning, Princess," She greeted, "Did you want to go out and practice your magic?"
Gustopha nodded and slowly rolled out of bed. "Yes… But there's a certain place I want to go," She expressed, walking out of the room.
Heartful nodded and followed her, "I will watch over you, Princess. Where we go is your choice."
Gustopha nodded and led the way outside.
She walked along the cobbled roads of the town until the faded to gravel, then walked along those roads.
"Where are you going, Princess?" Heartful asked.
"Somewhere special," Gustopha replied curtly.

Heartful paused as the princess stopped before a blighted field of foxtails.
"This empty field out here?" She asked, "It hasn't been touched since the blight hit it."
"That's okay," The princess said, hopping deftly onto the fence, steadying herself with her wings. It was an oddly familiar sensation… The mind was clueless, but the body knew.
The princess closed her eyes. Her horn ignited, and she rended the foxtails from the field, cutting them to the bare stems, so anypony could have seen the dirt below. It showed visible pock marks of the blight. The mass of seeds was set onto the road.

Then, the ground began to glow. Blight was exorcized from the soil in a thin miasma, which collected into a small, gray cloud.
The princess breathed slowly. "See, Tex?" She whispered, smiling ever so slightly.
Her horn grew brighter. More blight was torn from the soil.
The princess felt her magic begin to exhaust… But she didn't tire. She kept breathing evenly. Every light pulse of her horn drew more blight from the earth, until the unsteady yellow glow solidified into a strong, golden aura.

Her eyes opened, and she looked at the now clean field. Then she looked at the large, swirling cloud of blighted material. A waste of space; of life. One that claimed so many in the name of some violent exercise in zeal.
Her horn glowed as she brought the blight cloud to her horn. It shone through the fog. The murky depths were pierced by a bright golden aura.
Then, a bright flash.
As the light cleared, the blight cloud was replaced with a lighter gray one. A raincloud.
She allowed it to disperse over the field, soft drops of fresh water falling over the plot of land.

Her magic then grabbed the mass of foxtail seeds, and one by one, she inspected each. Every blighted one was set off to the side for later removal. However, each healthy seed was planted.
Dawn passed into early midday. Blue sky and warm sun eased her mind.
The princess finally stepped off the bench. "We can head back now," She said gently.
Heartful stared at her for a long moment. "Princess… Your flank," She urged.
Gustopha turned to look at her flank.
A cutie mark of a sparkling field, overlaid over a pink-skied sunrise, adorned it.
"What does it mean?" She asked softly.
Heartful gently rubbed the Princess' side. "You're bringing new life to the land, Princess. That's what you're here for."

Gustopha simply nodded, "So I really am the Princess of Plenty…" She murmured softly.
Heartful hugged her, "You always were. You're just finally growing into it," She expressed.
Gustopha nodded and hugged back, taking in the information. Was this what she was really always meant for? She hoped so, because it really did feel good.
The two walked back towards the fort.
"If I may, Princess… Who is Tex?" She asked softly.
"He was my friend; my very best friend. He always pushed me to go outside and do things… We used to sneak into that old field all the time. But then, we both ate blight, a-and…" Gustopha shivered, "We… W-We… We died to blight!" She screamed panickedly.
Heartful rushed to the Princess' side, "Deep breaths, Princess!" She ordered.
Gustopha took deep, panting breaths, "B-but, if we both died… How am I…? Why am I…?" She tugged at her mane, pulling down the striped orange and green headdressing.

Then, she heard a familiar voice. "That's enough of that, Princess. Take a nice, deep breath," Dr. Thanamus said.
A strong silver aura gripped her. Her body tensed. She felt magic force air in and out of her lungs; in, and out.
Dr. Thanamus smiled as he smugly walked up to the doubled-over princess. He then turned to Heartful and scowled. "Honestly, is it so hard to grasp that the dead should not give thought to why they died?" He asked.
Heartful sighed a little, "I-I didn't know this field would make her remember…" The mare expressed.
Dr. Thanamus roughly gripped Gustopha's snout in his hoof.
"Now, I will tell you only once about the fate of your beloved 'Tex'. Are you listening?" He asked.
Gustopha nodded, still breathing to the doctor's will. In and out. In and out.

"Tex is dead. When I needed a pair of bodies to make an alicorn, you and him fit the bill wondrously. A worthless pegasus and a promising unicorn. So, I cut off his only useful parts, and grafted them onto you. Do you like his wings?" He asked.
The silver aura released. Gustopha's eyes watered as she choked and gasped for air. Her wings flared.
"Yes, those ones. The ones you have only used for clumsy, short stints of flight," The doctor sneered.
Gustopha choked on her own tears. "T-Texas!" She screamed.
The doctor rolled his eyes.

Gustopha sobbed at the realization that her closest friend was dead.
"And do not have any creative ideas, filly. I had his body disposed of. All that remains of him is a princess' wings and an empty hole in the ground," He sneered.
Heartful stepped to the princess' side and hugged her.
"Is this some kind of joke to you?" Heartful asked, "Mangling together a pair of children, and forcing one to deal with the grief?"
The doctor stepped forward. "Let me make myself perfectly clear, Heartful Surrogate: Talk to me in that tone again, and it will be the last time you walk straight on your own four hooves," He warned.

"Leave her…" Gustopha whined, "L-Leave her alone."
"Oh? Did I hurt your mother's feelings?" The doctor asked, "Stupid filly. I will personally see to it that- GH!"
The princess' hoof struck him to the ground.
He snarled. In a bright flash, he removed Heartful from the premises, sending her back to her post in the fort.
The doctor's enraged eyes then focused on Gustopha.
"You dare strike me, filly?" He asked.
A silver aura gripped her again. This time, it pulled on her shoulders and her wings.
The princess whimpered from the stress.
The doctor jerked. She yelped at the sudden stress on her wings.
"I gave you these wings. I can remove them far more easily, and then what will 'Tex' think? That his death was for nothing?" He asked.
Another jerk. Another yelp. Tears leaked down Gustopha's cheeks.

"That's it. You understand your place, yes? You are a princess, but I am still your creator, and you will respect me as such," Dr. Thanamus insisted.
Gustopha whimpered, "Y-yes doctor," She whined.
She dropped to the ground as she was released, wheezing and whimpering.
"Now. You have breakfast to eat," He said. She squeaked as a flash engulfed her.
She stumbled to her feet in the kitchen, heaving softly in pain. She lightly flapped her wings… They were still attached. She breathed a deep sigh of relief.
She crawled into her seat and took a soft breath.

Gustopha watched as her food was brought to her. She ate, then drank. She then left the kitchen and walked to her room.
Heartful ran over and pulled her into a hug. "P-Princess!" She stammered, "Are you alright?" She asked.
"I-I am," Gustopha promised, "He just… Threatened to take my wings."
Heartful snarled lightly, "That brute," She sneered, "I'm sorry, dear…"
"C-can I have another bath?" Gustopha requested softly.
Heartful hesitated, but nodded. "Yes, Princess. I'll run some fresh water for you," She said gently, walking to the bathroom.
Gustopha followed quietly, watching as the bath was run.

Once the tub filled, the princess climbed in, sighing gently as she sank into the water. It was a brief respite from the outside world. She closed her eyes and thought about how she felt inwardly. Her magic was exhausted for the most part, and she was in pain, but she overall felt okay. She was getting stronger, and stronger was good.
She sighed deeply. "Thank you for taking care of me, Heartful," Gustopha said gently.
"Of course, Princess…" Heartful replied gently, "I can't protect you from him, but I can at least make you feel loved when he isn't here," She expressed.
Gustopha shivered slightly, "Wh-what he said… About Tex's wings being mine… Is it true?" She asked.
Heartful sighed gently, "It is, as far as I know," She admitted.
Gustopha sank deeper into the water.
"But, if I may… You can think of it as him always being there with you," Heartful offered.
Gustopha pondered this for a long moment, "You're right," She replied quietly.
Heartful gently rubbed the princess' back.

Gustopha caught herself dozing off in the bath, comforted by the hot water and the gentle, reassuring rubbing on her back. "I should go study… Before I fall asleep," She murmured softly.
Heartful chuckled gently, "Very well, Princess," She replied, draining the bath and helping Gustopha out of the bath.
Gustopha magicked a towel over to herself and dried her body off, taking care not to hurt her wings.
She then walked out to her bedroom, grabbing the hairbrush to straighten her mane.
Heartful looked at her and chuckled gently, "Taking care of your own mane?" She asked.
Gustopha hummed gently, "Mmm… The front at least," She replied softly.
Heartful chuckled and lightly snatched the brush from the princess' magic, "Here. I'll make sure it all gets brushed," She commented jovially.

The princess huffed lightly, but permitted this. Her eyes closed as she felt the brush glide through her damp mane. It was a comforting feeling… The soft touch of her caretaker as the brush lightly pulled her hair straight. Her breathing softened.
"...Thank you, Heartful," She murmured gently.
Heartful smiled, "Of course, Princess… Your caretaker is here to lend a hoof," She said, pulling away, "Now, off to the study with you," She cooed softly.
Gustopha nodded and left the room, heading off to study.

The night was uneventful. Diligent studying, some light practice on the dirt outside the fort, and then dinner. It was a fairly standard dinner for the princess; at least, as standard as it could have been, considering it hadn't even been a full week since she awoke to this existence.
After eating, the princess studied a bit more, and then went to bed.

"Can Plantation come out to play?" Texas asked from behind the door.
"Of course. Plantation, honey! The nice colt from the house over is here!" Plantation's mother called.
Plantation came down the hall and looked at the pegasus, "Hi Tex!" She greeted, pulling the pegasus into a hug and nuzzling him.
Texax huffed. "Plantation, c'mon… You're embarassing me in front of your mom," He whined.
Plantation's mother just chuckled softly, "Now remember, you two. Be back by sundown," She said.
"We will!" Texas promised, "C'mon, Plant!" He giggles, wriggling out of her grip and darting off.
Plantation huffed a little and ran after him.

Act III, Part VII: Confrontation

It was during a day that Gustopha was covering for Celestia, that a guard would approach her somewhat frantically.
“Princess, we’ve received word that the Changelings have occupied Keel River,” The guard explained.
This, admittedly, caught Gustopha off-guard; not only the occupation itself, but the word of Changelings… That was not a term Gustopha was familiar with. She nodded a bit, thanking the guard for his word, and going to get Celestia.

“The Changelings?” Celestia asked, “This might be serious… They’ve been quiet for a fair while,” She expressed, “We’ll ready some pegasi to accompany us on an express visit to Keel River, and leave immediately.”
Gustopha nodded and readied herself for the worst. She wasn’t hoping for the worst, of course, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared. She hoped that this was just ill timing, and not the start of something terrible.

As Gustopha and Celestia settled themselves near the edge of town with their escort, Celestia looked at her small group.
“Alright, everypony. The Changelings thrive off of misdirection and isolation. Stick together, and try to keep an eye on at least one pony if you can,” Celestia instructed.
Gustopha and the guards nodded, preparing to walk into the town.
Gustopha was struck by just how normal everything seemed. Sure, some of the townsponies perhaps looked tired, but Keel River was a fairly large settlement, so that was bound to happen. Gustopha did, however, heed Celestia’s advice.

A few ponies approached them. “Oh, Princesses! What brings you here?” One such pony asked; a unicorn, it seemed, with striking scarlet eyes.
Gustopha opted to let Celestia speak.
“Oh, we’ve just come to see how Keel River is doing; it’s quite a ways from the capital,” Celestia explained kindly.
“Oh! Well, everything’s just peachy,” The unicorn promised, “You don’t need to stick around.”
Gustopha’s eyes shifted around as Celestia and the unicorn bantered back and forth. She thought she saw movement in some of the darker alleys. Leaning down, she spoke to the two pegasi guards closest to her in a whisper. “Watch the alleys,” She ordered quietly.
The two nodded, eyeing the alleys with suspicion.

“Oh, but we’d just love to stay a bit longer,” Celestia insisted, “After all, it’s quite a trip, even by wing.”
The unicorn seemed a bit annoyed, but forced a smile regardless. “Of course!” He replied, voice slightly strained, “Please, let us show you to the inn.”
Celestia nodded, and led her small entourage deeper into the town, following the small congregation of ponies.
Gustopha felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach; a similar feeling to how she had felt when she went into the cave with the blight in it. The feeling of being swallowed by something incomprehensible.

Gustopha’s eyes drifted to one of her guards, just in time to see him disappear into one of the alleys. Her eyes widened, and she lightly stamped her hoof as she walked, catching the attention of the other few guards, as well as Celestia and their “guide”.
“Excuse me, I’m not used to walking on bricks,” Gustopha reasoned, faking recovering from a stumble.
The guide huffed a bit, but one of the guards leaned against her. “Stay close,” Gustopha insisted softly.
He nodded and quietly relayed the orders to his fellows.
When they got to the inn, the unicorn smiled at them. “Here you are! Princesses first, of course,” He said kindly.

Celestia politely nodded. “Thank you,” She replied curtly, gesturing for Gustopha to follow her in.
Gustopha hesitantly followed, giving the briefest of glances to the guards. She had a feeling that they wouldn’t be following them inside.
She leaned into Celestia as they walked in touching horns with her adopted sister. Telepathically, she asked, “What’s the plan?”
“We need to find their queen. You and I will be busting out of here once we think they’ve gone off to deal with our escorts,” Celestia silently replied.
Gustopha nodded a bit, standing still inside the seemingly empty in.
She then heard the sound of hooves skittering on the floor.

“You shouldn’tve come here,” Sneered a changeling, their piercing eyes becoming visible in the dark end of the hallway, followed by several more pairs.
Celestia turned to the door, her horn igniting and firing a beam that blasted it apart.
“Now!” Celestia bellowed, charging outside.
Gustopha followed close behind, just barely catching the buzz of a changeling charging at her.
Celestia’s horn illuminated, shielding herself and Gustopha. “Stay close!” Celestia ordered.
Gustopha nodded, looking around. “Where would the queen be?” She asked.
“Usually in a building with a large atrium; look for a church or schoolhouse,” Celestia explained, grunting as several changelings harshly slammed into her shield. The glowing translucent sphere sparkled from the impacts.

Gustopha’s horn illuminated, and a thick tether of golden aura connected her horn to Celestia’s. “It’s a magic-sharing spell,” Gustopha answered pre-emptively, “Just keep your focus!”
Celestia nodded as they ran through the town, looking for any sort of building that matched their description.
Changelings chased after them, loudly banging and thumping against the shield; though with the magic flow of two alicorns keeping it operational, there was little the small swarm could do.
The swarm, however, grew larger with each passing moment. A handful of Changelings turned into dozens in a matter of minutes, Celestia straining to keep the shield active in the face of the ever-increasing onslaught.

It was hard to see though the dozens of black bodies swarming the shield. Gustopha thought she saw a chapel of some kind, but it was impossible for her to tell.
Celestia panted a bit. “I’ll blast them away,” Celestia said, “You hurry up and find a likely spot for the hive.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened. “But what about you?” She asked.
“I know how to fight. You don’t. Thus, you press onward,” Celestia insisted.
Gustopha nodded a bit, breaking her tether with Celestia. “Alright,” Gustopha said determinedly.
Celestia’s eyes closed, and with a bright flash of her horn, the shield erupted into a large blast of light, knocking the swarm away.

Gustopha immediately took off like a rocket on her wings, listening to the sounds of the changelings snarling and hissing around her. She didn’t dare look back, setting her eyes on what seemed to be a schoolhouse of some sort.
She braced herself for the impact.

CRASH!!

The alicorn tumbled through the door, rolling flank-over-teakettle.
She was surrounded by several large changelings; not as large as her, but significantly sized compared to the vast majority of their kin.
As she shook herself off, she caught a glimpse of the largest changeling. This changeling was not entirely black; instead, she had almost ethereal purple hair, and highlights of dark green and blue in her chitin. Gustopha supposed that seemed regal enough.
To her surprise, though, the changeling queen did not immediately order some kind of seizure. The second it opened its mouth, it started hacking and coughing, spitting up what looked like silt mixed with blood.

Gustopha’s eyes widened. She’d know that sight anywhere.
The royal guards only now started encroaching on her, growling.
Gustopha quickly paced towards the queen. The guards grew closer, and Gustopha’s eyes closed, horn illuminating in a bright, dazzling light to stun her potential attackers.
The changelings hissed and growled, and she could hear the thumps as they attempted to blindly lunge at her. She shook one off as it managed to grab her, and opened her eyes, pressing onward as her horn dimmed.

“N-no closer,” The changeling queen hissed, sneering at the alicorn.
Gustopha shivered a bit. She could hear the royal guards gearing up to have another go at her. It was time to put her studying to the test.
“I-I’m not here to hurt you!” Gustopha yipped, eyes squeezing shut in anticipation of a new attack.
This, surprisingly, seemed to get the attention of every changeling in the room, including the queen.
Gustopha’s eyes slowly and hesitantly opened. “I was… Called as a doctor,” Gustopha said, now officially into ‘faking it as she made it’ territory, “Because the ponies in town were very concerned. Since you were sick.”
The changeling queen looked at her with a cockeyed expression, but waved a motion to its guards. Surprisingly, they stood down.

Stepping forward as gingerly and carefully as she could, Gustopha sat next to the changeling queen and grabbed it firmly, pulling the changeling queen close.
“Unhoof me, pony,” The queen sneered, writhing in her grasp.
“It won’t take long,” Gustopha insisted. She was now in her element: Comforting a patient awaiting treatment, “Just relax.”
Gustopha’s horn illuminated as she began dowsing for blight. Changeling biology was very strange compared to pony biology; the flesh was permeable, and breathed through thousands of tiny holes. This was good news for Gustopha, actually: Impaling would not be required to remove the blight.
The queen struggled and fought her, even biting at her leg, but Gustopha’s grip held true.

“It’s okay,” Gustopha promised, “It won’t hurt.”
The queen snarled a bit, but slowly calmed in Gustopha’s grip. “Just what are you doing to me?” It sneered, followed by several hard coughs, accompanied by more bloody mud.
“I’m just figuring out what you’re ill with,” Gustopha insisted gently. Not entirely truthful; Gustopha knew it was blight, but the dowsing spell did technically fulfill such an application. She supposed it must’ve been an odd sight to the royal guards, who were now sitting passively as a foreign princess had their queen in what was effectively a firm embrace.

“Now, just take deep breaths for me, okay?” Gustopha requested, as her horn began to glow brighter, “And you tell me if it starts to hurt.”
The changeling queen snorted a bit, but nodded, and began to shakily take deep breaths. Each breath was followed by a hard cough, but the now steady pulsing of Gustopha’s horn began to loosen the ill’s grip on the changeling’s body.
Gustopha focused on her own breathing and regulating her magic. Each slow, steady pulse of her horn drew more blight out of the queen’s body.
The changeling queen’s coughing began to lighten after a few moments; a few moments during which Celestia and the pegasi the two alicorns had brought with them were brought into the church, bound tightly in what seemed to be silk.

The queen gasped softly as she began to breathe truly freely, and Gustopha’s horn dimmed as the spell melted away, removing the last of the blight with it.
“Isn’t that better?” Gustopha asked gently.
The changeling queen sat idly in her embrace for a few moments, before looking to her guards. “Let them go,” She insisted.
A few of the changelings hissed and sneered in protest, but the queen repeated her orders more firmly: “Let them go.”
Slowly and hesitantly, the changelings unbound Celestia and the guard.

Hesitantly, Celestia walked up to the front of the room, before the changeling queen.
“...Frenela,” Celestia greeted softly.
The queen sneered softly. “I know what you want, Celestia,” She huffed, “We will be leaving… As soon as this ‘doctor’ of yours stops coddling me like an infant.”
Gustopha blushed a bit, but released her hold on Frenela. It was an oddly intimate position, perhaps; but in the absence of a proper operating surface, proximity didn’t hurt. The closer the target was, the easier the spell was to apply.
Frenela immediately went to stand up, but Gustopha looked at her.

“Wait,” Gustopha began, “We know why we’re here, but why are you here?” She asked.
Frenela stood dumbstruck by the question. “...You do not know anything about us, do you?” She asked with a slight sneer, glaring at Celestia.
Celestia shivered at the intensity in the changeling’s gaze. “The changelings are…” Celestia tried to find a word that didn’t have certain connotations to it.
“We are parasites, in pony words,” Frenela sneered, “Or at least, my children are. I would feed them myself, and leave your precious towns alone. However, that creeping sickness has inhibited my ability to do so.”
“What do you feed them?” Gustopha asked.
“Magic,” Frenela huffed, “They can generate trace amounts on their own from food, but they will still starve eventually. I will not let that happen.”

Gustopha stood up, taking a deep breath. “Then neither will I,” She reasoned.
Celestia and Frenela both stared at Gustopha for a long moment.
“Gustopha, what are you suggesting…?” Celestia asked.
“If Queen Frenela is having difficulties sustaining her own kingdom, and I possess the means to help her…” Gustopha trailed off, hoping that blank was easy to fill.
Frenela looked as though she was about to accost the pony princess for such an idea, but then looked around at the dozens of changelings that now lined the walls of the room. “...And what would you expect in return?” Frenela asked lowly.
“Only the obvious,” Gustopha reasoned, “We simply wish for our towns to remain unharmed.”

Frenela stepped close to Gustopha and leered hard into her eyes. “How do I know you’re not just trying to scheme?” The changeling asked.
“That’s… The hard part,” Gustopha admitted, stepping back a pace, “You have to trust me. I can’t force you to do that; I can only show you as as many gestures of goodwill as I can.”
Frenela thought for a long moment. “...I will offer you one such ‘gesture’ in return,” She began, “You will return to the hive with us, as a sign of your trust in us.”
Celestia’s eyes widened. “You can’t be-” Gustopha hushed her with a hoof.
“Very well,” Gustopha replied, “If that’s what it takes for the safety of our ponies, then I’m willing.”

Frenela cocked a brow. “...You are willing? With no further stipulations? No guard, no company…?” She asked, bewildered.
“You wish for me to trust in you,” Gustopha replied with a small smile.
Celestia and Frenela shared a glance; it was harder to tell who was more bewildered.
“Gustopha, you really should think this over…” Celestia expressed.
“I’ve thought about it all I need to. If some days on my behalf will save both of our kingdoms potentially centuries of struggle, then I need to do this,” Gustopha expressed.
Celestia sighed a bit at the determined, level look on Gustopha’s face. “...Very well,” She replied, before looking sternly at Frenela, “Do not betray her trust,” She huffed.
Frenela simply nodded, a bit confused by how quickly that negotiation had gone on her favor. “Of course, of course. We will be out of town by nightfall,” Frenela sneered.

Celestia pulled Gustopha into a firm hug as the changelings all gathered up to depart. “You do not have to go through with this, Gustopha. No one would blame you,” Celestia whispered.
Gustopha hugged back, but shook her head. “I would blame me,” She insisted softly, “You said I had the potential to be a diplomat, so let me conduct diplomacy.”
Celestia bit her lip, but nodded as she pulled away. “Safe travels, sister… And you, Frenela,” Celestia bade.
Gustopha left the building with Frenela and the changelings, beginning to fly with them.

It was a quiet flight; none of the changelings seemed to be particularly talkative, and Frenela was too deep in her own thoughts to speak. Truthfully, Gustopha was a bit nervous about going to a foreign place compried entirely of creatures that had just tried to attack her, but Gustopha felt determination coursing through her veins: The resolve to do what she believed was best for her subjects.

The changeling hive was a strange structure for any pony; a collection of slowly melting and moving walls and chambers, merging and separating in odd ways.
Frenela herself led the Princess through the perplexing structure.
Gustopha looked around with wide eyes; oh, how she wished she could write this all down. Her apprehension completely melted away in wide-eyed intrigue.
Frenela tilted her head a bit at the princess’ almost childlike wonder. “...Most ponies find our hive disconcerting,” She remarked.
“Disconcerting?” Gustopha asked, “It’s fascinating. I’ve never seen architecture like this.”
Frenela nodded slowly, realizing Gustopha’s initial panic in the church was either a particularly convincing front, or a brief lapse in a more normal state of mind.

Frenela led the alicorn to her chambers, staring at Gustopha as Gustopha just gazed around the room, taking everything in; including the half a dozen large royal guards that stood dutifully around the room.
“...When you are done ogling my home, we have diplomacy to conduct,” Frenela reminded.
Gustopha perked up a bit. “Right,” She replied, stepping closer to the changeling queen, “I take it you’d like to be the first recipient?” She asked.
Frenela nodded a bit. “What do you need to share magic with me?” She asked, “I have been told nothing is without cost.”
“Just proximity… I have been honing a tether spell, so it doesn’t need to be direct touch,” Gustopha explained.
Frenela scowled a bit. “You will not be casting spells on me,” She snorted, “You will transmit the magic directly.”

Gustopha was, admittedly, a bit confused. First Frenela didn’t want to be touched, now she didn’t want to not be touched. However, Gustopha just nodded, stepping closer. “I… Don’t know much about changeling magic, so you’ll have to let me know if things start getting uncomfortable.”
Frenela nodded a bit and settled herself on her bed, and Gustopha carefully paced next to her, sitting face to face with the changeling.
“I’ll start slow, since you’re probably still a bit weak from the blight,” Gustopha reasoned, leaning her horn forward.
Frenela allowed Gustopha’s horn to slip into one of the gnarls of her own, forming a stable connection.
“Three… Two… One…” Gustopha counted slowly, her horn illuminating.

Frenela jerked slightly at the sudden kick of magic entering her body. It didn’t hurt, but such a direct sensation caught her off-guard. “...You need to practice easing into it more,” Frenela remarked.
“Sorry,” Gustopha huffed, continuing, “Is the flow okay, though?”
“You can do a bit more,” Frenela replied, “I am not that frail.”
Gustopha nodded, horn glowing brighter as she steadily ramped up her output. Eventually, Frenela hissed a bit from the mounting pressure. “That’s enough,” She seethed.
Gustopha dialed back her flow just a bit to leave some wiggle room in the event something surprised her. “Alright, we stay at that pace, then,” She reasoned.

Frenela felt her eyelids begin to droop. The feeling of hunger, in whatever way the changeling queen felt it, was finally subsiding. Fresh magic coursed through her veins, and it relaxed her thoroughly.
“Still okay?” Gustopha asked softly, “I don’t want to overburden you.”
Frenela let out a small, distant, “Mhm.”
Gustopha’s eyes twitched as she felt a light weight press against her nose, and she cracked open an eye. Frenela’s eyes were now closed, and she was slumped forward, her muzzle pressing against Gustopha’s.
“...Frenela?” Gustopha asked softly.
The changeling queen didn’t reply, though Gustopha could feel her soft breathing. She was asleep.

Gustopha’s horn dimmed as she halted her flow of magic. She could have continued with the changeling queen asleep, of course, but this treatment was diplomatic in nature moreso than medical.
Gustopha gently helped the large bug under the covers, endeavouring not to wake her, before carefully pacing from the bed and looking at one of the guards.
It sneered at her. “You do not leave the queen’s chamber without her permission,” It insisted.
Gustopha nodded a bit. There wasn’t much she could do with Frenela asleep, then, so she settled herself on the floor to rest. She wasn’t particularly drained from the magic sharing; it was the most magic she had shared directly, but her capacity as an alicorn exceeded the queen’s own. However, sleep still found her easily, despite the odd scenario she found herself in.

Gustopha awoke to the smell of food; food she hadn’t smelled in a long time. It reminded her of the smells in the old fort, when Rolling Simmer was the sole cook responsible for feeding her.
Her eyes stirred open. Several changelings were gathered around her; not the large royal guards, however. Smaller changelings. Workers, perhaps.
She looked around at the small congregation. “Good… Morning,” She greeted hesitantly.
“Do not crowd her,” Frenela’s voice sneered from behind her.
Gustopha turned her head to see the changeling queen in her peripheral vision as most of the smaller changelings scattered some distance away.

Frenela walked to her side and sat next to her. Gustopha noticed that omething about her demeanor had changed. It seemed less… Hostile? Standoffish? Just a bit less aggressive.
“We are preparing you something to eat so you can continue your duties,” Frenela explained, “It will be ready soon.”
“I can live a day or two without food,” Gustopha attempted.
“It is in our best interest, for a variety of reasons, to ensure you are in peak condition,” Frenela sneered, “...Chief among them, earning your trust.”
“My trust?” Gustopha asked, “I thought I was supposed to be earning yours.”
Frenela huffed a bit. “Trust is not something that can be demanded. It must be built up,” She sneered, “We have decided you are a wanted ally, and thus you are deserving of what little hospitality we can provide.”

Gustopha blinked a bit, but nodded slowly. “Well, if you’re sure…” She supposed softly.
There was a look in Frenela’s eyes that Gustopha had a hard time describing.
“...Is something wrong, your highness?” Gustopha asked.
Frenela tensed. “...No,” She replied sharply.
Gustopha didn’t want to push the issue too much, but couldn’t shake the feeling that Frenela was troubled over something.
Frenela looked at Gustopha analytically for a moment. “...For what purpose do you wish to seek peace with us?” She eventually asked, “There must be some angle you are attempting to work.”
Gustopha thought for a long moment. “Well… Peace is its own reward,” She reasoned, “I’ve seen firsthand what happens when war allows ambition to go unchecked.” Gustopha’s ears drooped.

Frenela tilted her head a bit. “I see,” She replied, going quiet for a moment. “You are the first pony to make an effort to negotiate with us in a long time,” Frenela remarked, “And the last ones were conniving. They sought to take our magic for themselves and manipulate us into servants.”
Gustopha bit her lip. “That’s awful…” She replied, ears further drooping, “I can understand why you were hesitant, then.”
Frenela nodded a bit. “I am wary for the good of my subjects, not to hold an act,” She expressed, “I have watched my kin suffer too long in hunger.”
Gustopha thought for a moment about Frenela’s reasoning. “You love them,” She reasoned, “You love your subjects, as Celestia and I do ours.”

Frenela stared at her for a long moment, silent.
“Beyond that, you’d do anything you can to see things improve for them. You’d push boundaries, make sacrifices… Mistakes,” Gustopha’s waned at the last word, and she looked at the ground, now pressing her front hooves together.
“...And, for them, I’d put aside my pride, if I saw a better way that was not my own,” Frenela added.
Gustopha looked at her for a long moment.
“They are already doing better, now that I’ve dispersed the magic you gave to me last night,” Frenela explained, “Thank you for your service.”
“I have more to give,” Gustopha expressed, “I’ll stay here several days if I have to, in the name of peace.”

Their conversation was interrupted as a pair of changelings entered the room with several plates of food aloft in their magic. The plates were set before Gustopha, and the pair looked at her expectantly.
“Did you cook this?” Gustopha asked softly, looking at the plates.
One of the changelings nodded.
“Thank you,” She replied gently, horn illuminating to take a plate for herself.
There wasn’t much on the plate that was familiar to her; fried eggs, sure, but they were accompanied by thin strips of a brown substance, and vegetables the princess didn’t recognize.
She did, however, start eating. It all tasted quite good, really; perhaps a bit bland, but Gustopha didn’t mind. She was cognizant of the fact that being royalty gave her access to fancier food than most ponies would ever see in their lives.

“It’s excellent,” Gustopha praised, “Thank you.”
The changelings seemed a bit bashful at the compliment, but didn’t speak.
“I’m surprised,” Frenela remarked, “I wasn’t aware ponies ate meat.”
Gustopha froze. “...Meat?” She asked.
Frenela pointed to the thin, brown strips, which Gustopha had already eaten several of.
Gustopha’s mind raced, and she dropped her plate. She hadn’t ever let it click in her head that she was eating meat, before today.
“Princess?” Frenela asked.
Gustopha bit her tongue. “I’m just… Caught off-guard, that’s all,” She excused, “I ate meat quite a bit, growing up, but was never told that’s what it was.”

Frenela rubbed Gustopha’s back. “You won’t offend us if you don’t eat anymore,” Frenela excused, “We’re aware that pony society has reservations about eating such things.”
Gustopha shook her head, magicking one of the thin strips of meat to her mouth. “It’s fine,” She excused, “Like I said, I have had meat before…”
Compared to how heavily she overthought so many other things in her life, Gustopha wasn’t particularly bothered by the meat. She figured that she had eaten it before without issue, so it wasn’t a problem.
Gustopha continued to eat, eventually emptying the three or four plates that had been brought to her. It had been a while since she had eaten so much.
Frenela was a bit surprised at how quickly Gustopha had moved past the shock. She’d expected a more violent reaction. Then again, food was food, one could suppose.

“Thank you,” Gustopha eventually said, bowing her head respectfully to the two changeling cooks.
The cooks collected the plates and skittered off, leaving their queen and the alicorn alone again.
“Would you like me to share more magic with you, now?” Gustopha asked, looking at Frenela.
Frenela nodded a bit, and they again moved to her bed; no sense in putting themselves in physical discomfort for no benefit. They touched horns, and Gustopha’s horn illuminated, beginning to share magic with the queen once again. This time, Gustopha took more care to ease into the flow, rather than starting it all at once.

Frenela watched Gustopha with intrigue. The alicorn’s body was entirely focused; her eyes were closed, her posture was stiff, and her breathing was even. Frenela admired that in a pony: Dedication.
Gustopha, meanwhile, didn’t let herself think too much, just focusing on keeping the flow magic through her horn steady and even.
Eventually, Frenela felt some pressure building against her interior. “That’s enough,” She said.
Gustopha halted the flow and pulled away. “Feeling better?” She asked with a small smile.
Frenela nodded, and stood up. “Come with me,” She requested, before speaking orders to her royal guards, “Get everyone in the atrium again.”
The guards nodded and left the queen’s chamber quickly.

Frenela led Gustopha through the hive, and again, Gustopha allowed her curiosity to pique. Frenela smiled a bit, but didn’t say anything, allowing the astute alicorn to observe.
Gustopha looked out over the balcony of the large atrium she’d been brought to.
“This is where I address all my subjects,” Frenela explained.
“The scale of the room is breathtaking…” Gustopha murmured, looking around at the atrium. Gustopha wasn’t entirely sure exactly how big it was, but it comfortably fit what now seemed to be thousands of changelings, all neatly sat or perched on the floor or banisters above.

Frenela waited another few moments, before starting the magic sharing ceremony. Her body became enveloped in an aura of deep pink energy, and tendrils of said magic spread around the room to what at first glance looked like simple crystalline lamps. From each lamp came forth dozens of smaller tendrils, connecting to the horns of each and every waiting changeling.
Gustopha watched in awe. It was a particularly impressive display of magic; a magic sharing spell unlike any other. For a brief period, the entire hive was directly linked to its queen.

The spell subsided, and Frenela panted a bit. The changelings seemed more energetic than ever; particularly the royal guards that sat on the balconies just before the queen’s.
“...And just a bit left over for me,” Frenela said with a small chuckle.
Gustopha walked to her side, offering a Frenela hoof to steady herself with. Frenela took it and smiled gently at the princess. It was warm and genuine, but still carried a faint weariness.
“On behalf of my kin, thank you, Gustopha,” Frenela expressed, “It has been a long time since I’ve been able to fully feed my hive.”
Gustopha returned the smile. “Of course,” She replied softly, “That’s what diplomacy’s about: helping each other so we can all move forward.”

Frenela felt a twinge of something in her chest. She knew what it was, despite how disoften it came to her. She leaned into Gustopha and took a gentle breath.
“Frenela?” Gustopha asked, blinking as the changeling queen abruptly got quite close.
Frenela blinked and pulled away. “Er- yes,” She huffed softly, “You’re free to go. I can handle things from here.”
Gustopha took a step back and smiled gently at Frenela. “I can come back some time, if you need more aid,” She promised, “This doesn’t have to be goodbye forever.”
Frenela looked away a bit, a smile on her face. “That sounds agreeable,” She replied, “I will send a messenger, should the need arise.”

Gustopha nodded a bit, looking to a hole at the top of the atrium.
“It was nice to meet you and your kin, Queen Frenela,” Gustopha said, bowing to the queen, before standing back up and preparing to take off.
“Take care, Princess Gustopha,” Frenela bade softly.
Gustopha took a run up and left the hive, flying back towards the castle. She allowed herself to get lost in thought during the flight; Frenela’s behaviour that morning was entirely unlike the day prior. She wondered just how much of it was desperation; she couldn’t imagine running a kingdom where her entire kind’s survival hinged on her ability to provide. Gustopha could only imagine the amount of stress involved in that sort of scenario.

When she returned, she was immediately approached by a procession of guards. “Err… Hello?” Gustopha greeted.
“Princess Celestia wishes to see you as soon as you’ve returned,” One of the guards explained.
Gustopha nodded. “Very well,” She replied, following the guards towards the throne.
Celestia walked down the steps of the dais, approaching Gustopha as she walked into the room.
“Is everything okay?” Celestia asked, “Did they try to hurt you?”

Gustopha was caught off-guard by the urgency in Celestia’s voice. “Well, no, not at all,” She replied, “They were lovely hosts… Surprisingly so, actually. I woke up to breakfast and everything.”
It was Celestia’s turn to be caught off-guard. “They… They were?” Celestia asked.
Gustopha nodded. “It was tense, perhaps, but I never felt endangered at all,” Gustopha expressed, “And the hive’s architecture… Goodness, it’s a marvel.”

Celestia stared, dumbfounded. Was Gustopha just trying to put her mind at ease, or was she really that impressed with the hive?
“So they didn’t try to imprison you, they didn’t use any force…?” Celestia trailed off, leaning in a bit.
“Well, I wasn’t permitted to leave until morning, but no roughhousing was involved,” Gustopha recounted, “Imprisoning feels like a strong word, though.”
Celestia sighed a bit. “We haven’t sent diplomats to the changelings in a long time,” She admitted, “I assumed the worst because of the occupation; they haven’t occupied any town of ours since before the war. Then, to demand you go with them to conduct diplomacy…” Celestia shivered.

“I have a feeling that Frenela was just as afraid of that eventuality as you were,” Gustopha admitted, “Afraid that we’d attempt to take advantage of any perceived trust. It’s a form of negotiation, if a botched one. Usually the ground is supposed to be neutral in that sort of scenario.”
Celestia cocked a slight smile. “You’ve been studying again, haven’t you?” She asked.
Gustopha nodded. “Not as much as I’d like, but I’ve had time to read up on the basics of negotiations,” She explained, yawning a bit, “I’m definitely tired after this morning… She could absorb a lot of magic.”
Celestia nodded a bit. “Go ahead and get some rest,” She replied, “I’m just glad to have you back, safe and sound.”
Gustopha nodded. “It’s nice to see you again, too,” She bade, heading back to her room to rest.

As she laid down, though, her mind swam in a torrent of mixed thoughts. She couldn’t seem to get it to settle enough to sleep, which was quite unlike her. She took a deep breath and got up from her bed, walking to her balcony to get some fresh air. Gustopha stared up at the night sky, and thought for a long moment.
“She said she could take it from there, so why did she seem so uncertain…?” Gustopha asked herself, leaning on the balcony railing and sighing deeply, “I’m sure she’ll be alright. She said herself, she’ll send a messenger should she need aid.”
It was only some time later that Gustopha headed back to her bed and curled up under the covers. Her mind was still surging with thoughts, but she at least managed to quell the ratrace enough to sleep.