The Elements of Turmoil

By RadaVonVon

Chaper 5: Ambition

“Hey, Blue? Do me a favour, will ya?” Applejack glanced over her shoulder to the blue-grey pony standing behind her, taking a tedious and cautionary bite into some expensive-looking pastry.

“Hmm?” He slowly walked over, glancing over the orange farmpony’s shoulder at the business ledger she had in front of her. His eyes scanned over it. “Are we having issues with Gala farm?” He mumbled to himself.

“’Course not!” Applejack stared back at him in shock. “Mac’d never pull a fast one. Seventy five, twenty five depending’ on who’s selling. That’s how it works.” Applejack firmly stamped a hoof on her desk.

“Then what do you need help with, love?” The stallion asked slowly, raising an eyebrow at her.

Applejack stared blankly back at him. “Do this fancy schmancy Canterlot math!” She got up from her chair. “Ya got a good education, didn’tcha?”

Blueblood suppressed a chuckle. “I suppose I did.” He murmured articulately.

“Ah got some trees ‘ta buck anyway.” She shrugged it off as she put on her hat.

“Alright.” Blueblood grumbled, now almost entirely engrossed in the business ledger.

Well. What was he going to do now?

Prince Blueblood sat, dejected, on the doormat of Carousel Boutique, watching the mare he had realised was the love of his life, run away from him.

For a DRAGON. He scowled. A dragon. A scaled, winged lizard-beast. Since when was a dragon even slightly more capable than he was? She had just stood there, stammering like a fool in front of him, before sighing and admitting she had to leave, before dashing off, talking about dragons and a mountain. Blueblood frowned, sitting on his hooves as the rain pelted down, soaking his mane and his wondrous light blue-grey coat.

He slowly brought himself to his hooves after what seemed like hours. He had apologized! He’d done everything right that his friend, who happened to be a mare, told him to do. Of course, she said it may not work and some people are just stubborn, but…

The white mare was now no longer anywhere to be found. He frowned. What now? He tried to come up with something he could do. He’d never been… rejected! No mare had ever turned him down. Even supermodel mares like Fleur had a fling with him in the past. He shifted on his feet nervously. What was he going to do now?

He began to mope quietly walking through the rain and allowing his mane to become soaked and tangled, no longer worrying. He had no one to impress.

“Excuse me, ma'am! Sweet Apple Acres is having a sale today, can I interest you in our daily deal of a dozen for half off?”

“Uh, Prize, please, uhm, calm down, okay?” Fluttershy murmured in distress. “I just had to tell Applejack something…”  She squeaked out, turning bright red and tucking her face into her chest.

“Sir Prize, calm down.” Applejack admonished sternly before glancing up at Fluttershy. “What is it, sugarcube?”

“Uh, well, MacIntosh came back the other night with Apple Core and apparently they, uhm, met someone.”

“Oh, now? Who was it?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow at Fluttershy. “Someone Ah know?” Though Fluttershy’s visits  were rare and she generally stayed home, Applejack could count on seeing her in the middle of town once or twice a month just to exchange some words, as if she was trying to revive a dead friendship or pretend like they hadn’t drifted apart long ago.

“Uhm, yes.” Fluttershy dropped the end of her sentence. “Since the librarian left, Twilight came ba-“

“WHAT?” Applejack had been eating a green apple at the time, promptly spitting out and spewing particles of peel and apple all over the ground, the cart, Fluttershy, and Sir Prize, who made a disgusted face, sighed, and began to wipe off his hat.

Many of the potential customers were now giving her the same perturbed face, and Applejack sighed, giving up. They had already sold quite a stock already. She began to pack up. “I thought Twilight left for Canterlot.”

“I thought so, too… Uhm, but, she has a son…”

Applejack froze. “Twilight?” She turned around. “Has a SON?”

“Uhm, yes.” Fluttershy shrank back. “His name is, uh, Clockwork. Mac said he was very polite…”

“Who did she marry?” Applejack asked, completely befuddled.

“She… didn’t say. She was alone. They were just moving in, it was just her and a colt.”

As Fluttershy said this, a young unicorn colt with a brown coat and a purple mane and tail passed by, walking slowly up to the cart. “Uh, hi. Can I buy a pie and a half dozen apples?”

Applejack stared at him, scrutinizing. “Ah reckon ya can…” She mumbled, grabbing a bag and the last pie. “Sixteen bits.”

The foal nodded nervously, his blue eyes searching through a pouch before he used his hooves and set out the bits on what remained of Applejack’s cart.

Sir Prize leaned over. “You! You’re a unicorn, aren’t you? Why don’t you use your unicorn powers?” He asked, easily picking up the bag and pie that the colt had just purchased with a stream of glimmering blue magic, setting them at his feet without missing a beat.

Applejack shot him a cross look, but Prize merely shrugged it off, continuing trying to sell what little remained in the cart. Fluttershy remained silent.

“You new ‘round these parts, friend?” Applejack asked.

“Oh!” The foal had been trying to balance his goods on his back, failing terribly. Applejack had startled him into dropping everything, apples spilling out across the ground, and the pie lay in a defeated, dusty mush and a pie tin. “Uh, yes, actually. I-I’m meeting people, I suppose.” He began to desperately chase apples around.

“Yeah, Ponyville’s pretty small. You’ll like it. Ain’t you a little young to be livin’ all by yer lonesome, though?” Applejack eyed him, he was simply an adolescent pony.

It took a while before Blueblood could reiterate himself, he had no clue where he was. He had simply been aimlessly wandering through the rain, now completely soaked. He realized he was in the middle of some sort of estate. He glanced around for some kind of sign or indication of where he was.

He spotted a large banner sporting, “SWEET APPLE ACRES” on large red letters. It sounded rather familiar. He paused, suddenly remembering the Gala, when he had eaten something that the orange mare had cooked. He had acted as though he found it entirely disgusting, but that was not so. He simply could not embarrass himself in a room full of nobles like that. He paused, glancing around and finding no one. It was late at night. He shivered, spotting a barn. He wouldn’t be able to get back to Canterlot in this weather.

The thought crossed his mind and he froze, horrified, before sighing. What other choice did he have? He slowly, tentatively, entered the barn, finding it surprisingly dry and warm. He’d probably be interrupted rudely in the morning, but he thought nothing of it. He gathered up a large volume of hay, and, uncaring, flopped down on it. He’d get back to Canterlot in the morning.

“Huh? Oh! I’m not.” He paused, seeming thoughtful. “I moved here with my mother, from Canterlot. She lived here several years ago and decided to come back.”

Applejack and Fluttershy stood there, exchanging glances, entirely dumbfounded.

Applejack scratched the back of her neck. “An' what’s yer ma’s name?”

“Oh. Twilight Sparkle. I’m, uh-“ He chased after a stray apple, picking it up in his mouth and shrugging, biting down and swallowing after chewing it thoughtfully. “Clockwork.”

Sir Prize stared. “Wait, wait, wait. Twilight Sparkle? As in, THE Twilight Sparkle? The one you guys NEVER shut up about?” He asked, glaring at Applejack.

Clockwork stared sheepishly at the floor. “Uh. I wasn’t aware tha-“

“Celestia, what is TAKING so long?”

“Speak o' the Disharmony.” Applejack gasped, staring as Twilight picked up the bag of apples and what was left of the pie rather easily with her magic, having not seen Fluttershy or Applejack.

Applejack’s jaw was on the floor. “T-twi?”

The unicorn spun around, dumbfounded. “Applejack? Fluttershy?!” Suddenly, she took a huge leap, dropping the apples, once again, all over the place and tackling Applejack. “Oh, Equestria, I missed you!”

Tears formed in Twilight’s eyes and Clockwork sighed, nervously picking up the apples again and calling back, “I’ll be in the library.”

Twilight nodded vigorously in response.

Prince Blueblood awoke with the orange mare who had been running the stand at the Gala kicking him in the side. “Get up! What are ya doin’ on this here property!?” She snarled. Blueblood shivered.

“I can explain.” He mumbled calmly, hints of sadness dotting his voice. “Listen, I just needed a place to stay. Here’s some bits.” He muttered dejectedly, using his unicorn power to float it over to her. “I’ll get out of here, thank you.”

Applejack stared at him. “Wait, yer that fella that was girlier than Rarity at the gala, weren’t ya?”

His face went red. “Perhaps. I came to apologize and she ran off, saying something about dragons.” He shrugged it off, glancing in the corner.

Applejack stared at him. “Really, now?” She smirked. “Interestin’. Well, yer ahr guest, so if you need some time to do some recuperatin’, yer welcome ta stay here.” She muttered, examining him up and down. Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Well,” Applejack muttered, walking outside and glancing up into the grey sky. The air felt thick. “Ah do believe it’s gonna snow tonight, ya may not have a choice.” She mumbled. “And yer ahr guest, so we’ll treat’cha nicely, ah s’pose.”

“PINKIE!” Twilight called excitedly, poking her head into Sugarcube corner. It was exactly how she remembered! She scanned the area when she saw a draconequus slip out from upstairs, looking melodramatically exasperated.

“OH! I’ve been working SO LONG on these cupcakes!” The object of Twilight’s ire groaned, holding out a tray of cookies before they dramatically changed. The walls of the room seemed to melt, warping and changing, to reveal some kind of discordant redesign of the Sugarcube Corner of her memories.

Twilight only glared and Discord smirked. “Twilight Sparkle! My, my.” He put his face inches from hers. “You’re the last pony I’d expect to see in Ponyville!”

“Discord.” The purple unicorn’s ears were flattened behind her head. Suddenly, she wished that she had brought Applejack or Fluttershy. They’d sat down outside, talking for a good hour as she had explained how she moved to Canterlot, though, not disclosing the details of Whooves and the Harnis. She simply said he had had an unfortunate accident. With the occasional obnoxious interruption by Sir Prize, Applejack had finally suggested that she go see Pinkie, as her and Fluttershy had to catch up on business  while Applejack packed up.

Unfortunately, she had been so caught up, it hadn’t occurred to her to ask her friends about their children or their significant others. Sir Prize looked oddly like Blueblood, but she didn’t dare mention the name specifically to spare herself from Applejack’s potential wrath.

“Particularly after the Doctor’s….” He trailed off, before smirking and putting a claw beneath her chin. “Unfortunate accident.”

Twilight stood stock still. “How do you know about that!?” She barked, eyes practically bugging out of her head as the colour drained from her face.

“Oh, Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. Tut, tut, tut.” He chuckled. “I know EVERYTHING.” He widened his yellow and red eyes, before relaxing entirely and smirking as Pinkie came up behind him. She let out a huge gasp. “TWILIGHT!” She screamed, diving for Twilight, who gasped in surprise, having been tense and horrified by Discord’s previous behavior.

“Ohhhmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! You’re back, of course you’re back! This is crazy! Amazing! Okay, parties, parties! Let’s have a party! Three days! Since you’re new and all, I mean,  not everyone’s going to remember you super-duper well! This is just like when you first came to Ponyville! You had so many friends before you moved to Canterlot! Everyone missed you, all you need is a PARTY for everyone to remember how great you are! Ohmygoshohmygosh!” Pinkie rattled.

Twilight glanced awkwardly at Discord, who had an unsettling, knowing smirk on his face before he dipped back into the other room he had just been in, now that the house was strange and bent into impossible geometric shapes. “Uh, yeah, Pinkie. Sure.” She mumbled, watching the tip of Discord’s snake tail disappear in the doorway.

“WHEEEE! It’s snowing!” A small filly, Applejack’s sister, ran outside, squealing in glee. Her friends seemed to materialize out of nowhere and dashed off with her, taking Blueblood by surprise.

“Yee haw! The pond’s frozen over!” Applejack leaped out of the house, looking at Blueblood for a second, scrutinizing him. “There’s no way yer getting back ta Canterlot in this weather. Big MacIntosh left his skates here when he moved, ya wanna come with us?” There was a certain tension held in her voice, as if she wasn’t quite sure why she was asking.

Blueblood blinked, equally confused. “I-ice skating? Isn’t that a peasant thi-“ He caught a silencing glare from Applejack, who was cocking an eyebrow. “I mean, erm. I’d love to?” He smiled awkwardly.

Applejack grinned subtly before chucking a pair of skates at him and picking up a pair of significantly smaller ones in her mouth. “C’mon!”

Sir Prize entered the door, panting and removing his hat, his mane drenched with sweat. “A hundred and… four.” He gasped, swallowing heavily.

Applejack glanced up at him in shock. “You bucked a hundred an’ four trees?!”

Prize nodded, shuddering with exhaustion. “I’ll be fine; N-no worries.” He groaned before promptly collapsing.

“Aww, Prize!” Applejack sighed. “This is the fourth time!” She looked at her unconscious son, sighing to herself before slowly setting him on the couch, running to get an ice pack for his head and putting it on his forehead.

Blueblood walked out, staring. “Again?” He groaned tensely, staring at Sir Prize. “It’s getting too hot out for him to be working that hard.”

“Ah know that!” Applejack snapped, looking over at him, before sighing heavily. "Ah know, I'm tryin' ta get 'im to slow down. He's fine." She mumbled.

Blueblood briefly smiled before putting his head on top of hers. "He is." He agreed quietly.

Ohnonononononono.

Blueblood stood frozen, staring down at the icy peril that lay before him. “A-ah… I don’t…” He stood, completely stiff and terrified even to move slightly. How had he gotten here?

Applejack chuckled, smirking. “Don’t worry, I got you, Sugarcube.”

Image credit to DespisedandBeloved on DeviantART. Next Chapter: Chapter 6: Failure Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 50 Minutes