How It Works: Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Calm

"What?" asked Applejack looking intently at the frozen mare. "What do ya see?" Applejack received no answer so instead she followed her friend's gaze into the crowd and locked eyes with Twilight Sparkle.
She saw the purple unicorn's eyes widen and turn to run.
"Oh no," Applejack said to herself determined, "You ain't getting' away again." AJ snatched up a rope from a nearby stand and broke into a full out run. Twilight was slowing in pace but her horn had begun to glow. A flash of light and Twilight had disappeared from the market.
The orange farm pony didn't slow down. Instead she cut a sharp corner and kept running, dust rising from the road beneath her hooves. Behind her she could hear the flap of Fluttershy's wings as she struggled to keep up. "Where are we going?" asked Fluttershy, as she pulled up beside AJ. "She disappeared; we have no idea where she went!" Stress tinged her voice.
"Ah know where she went, only place in all of Canterlot she'd go," she replied picking up speed. Fluttershy only shook her head and kept pace as they headed through the streets of Canterlot, the castle growing larger in the distance.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sound of hooves echoed through the polished halls of the castle as Twilight urgently made her way to her room. She turned sharply and slid through the doors to her room. After locking the door, she walked to her bed and collapsed breathing heavily. The foal kicked, and Twilight grunted.
"Hush," she whispered almost to herself, "They won't find us. We're safe."
Her breathing had finally slowed, when a knock came from the door. Twilight jumped as her eyes locked on the entrance, her thoughts on the terror that was on the other side.
"Twi?" came Spike's voice. "You in there?"
Twilight gave a sigh of relief and heaved herself from the bed and walked over to the door, unlocking it with her magic. She pulled open the door and found Spike held between two forgotten friends, anger burning in the eyes of one, fear in the other.
Fluttershy let out a squeak of surprise and dropped Spike. Applejack's eyes widened as she took in the sight of her friend, and Spike fell to the ground with a thud.
For a second everything was absolutely still, and then Twilight moved to slam shut the door, and lock out the prying eyes for good, but Applejack had moved at the same moment, throwing her shoulder against the door and keeping it open. Fluttershy flew above her and pulled Twilight gently away from the door, so Applejack could stop straining against the purple magic that fought for control of the door.
"No," cried Twilight, her voice quiet and distraught. "No, no, no." She slumped, but Fluttershy caught her and held her up. Twilight's head shook back and forth, tears streaming from her eyes. "It wasn't supposed to happen," she whispered, "It wasn't supposed to happen."
Applejack stood silent, unsure of what to do. The mare she had cared for, the mare she considered her friend, the mare she had grown to hate and resent, sat in front of her pregnant and weeping into the shoulder of a friend. She wished she could yell, and scream, and shout, and cry, but she couldn't do any of that, she could only stand there, silenced by her confusion.
Behind her Spike scrambled to his feet and began to rush forward to Twilight, but stopped. Twilight's sobs had receded to a silent whimper. Over the past four months Spike had seen Twilight happy and sad, angry and goofy, stressed and carefree, but in all that time he hadn't seen her like she was now. She seemed at peace, her face wet and pressed against Fluttershy's shoulder.
The moment seemed to stretch on forever, the castle and everyone in it lost in a moment of time, and then time resumed. Twilight lifted her head and opened her eyes. Fluttershy shifted back into a sitting position and looked at her, as she looked at Applejack. "I have something to tell you," she said her voice thick and soft.
"Yeah," said Applejack, her eyes narrowed. "Looks like you have a lot of explaining to do."
The room was quiet except for the muffled noises of the mares and Spike finding seats. Twilight stretched out on the couch, sighing softly her eyes gazing down at her hooves.
Fluttershy had found a place in one of the plush chairs, her front hooves dangling over the arm and he head resting between them. Spike sat on the other end of the couch from Twilight, trying to offer as much support as he could. Applejack stood.
Twilight took a deep breath, and then began to explain, "As…as you can see I'm pregnant." She looked up from her hooves to make eye contact with the two ponies in the room, "I ran away after I found out. But that's not the reason for running away, not exactly. It's because of who the father is." The mares said nothing, just waited for her to continue.
"That day, with the cider competition, when I had disappeared…" she swallowed gathering her courage. "I went after those two, the brothers. I found them outside of Ponyville."
"Why would you want tah find them," demanded Applejack.
"Just let her continue," said Fluttershy, staring at Applejack seriously. Applejack opened her mouth to retort, but closed it as she saw that Fluttershy meant what she had said.
"I was so interested in their machine, I'd never seen anything like it before, never read anything about something like that happening in the past. I found one of the brothers, the one without the moustache, near the machine and I spoke to him. He offered to tell me more about the machine over a cup of cider. I agreed, there seemed to be no harm in it, but I was wrong. I ended up drunk…so drunk and I…" Twilight started to choke on her words, her head shaking back and forth as she began her descent into fear once more.
Spike placed a paw on her book and looked her in the eye, "Go on," he said. "They deserve to know."
Twilight nodded, paused a moment to gather her thoughts, and looked Applejack in the eye. "I'm pregnant with his foal," she said. "I'm pregnant with the foal of the stallion who tried to destroy you."
Twilight and Applejack stared at one another for what seemed to be forever. It was Applejack who looked away first. She sat down on the floor and focused her gaze on the ground between her hooves.
"I ran away because I couldn't hurt you, I couldn't stand to tell you what I had done."
Fluttershy rose from her chair and made her way to Twilight's side. "I understand why you did it," she said. "I don't agree with you. I think you made the wrong decision, but I understand why you did it."
After a second Applejack nodded. "Yes," she said quietly. Her head rose as she looked to Twilight and Fluttershy, "Fluttershy is right, I agree. I hate you for what you did. I don't think I can ever forgive you for doing that to us."
Twilight nodded looking at the fabric of the couch, "I don't blame you. You deserve better than me." Twilight looked up looking first to Fluttershy then to AJ. "Tell the rest when you go back. Tell them what I did, and tell them that I'm sorry. I won't bother you guys any more."
"Yeah, that's not gonna happen Sugarcube," said Applejack standing up. "I said I couldn't forgive yah for what you had done. At least not for a while. But you are mah' friend, and ah' care for ya quite a bit. You're comin' back with us."
Fluttershy nodded smiling.
Spike beamed. "I told you," he whispered. "I told you all along," he said and hugged Twilight. He looked Twilight in the eyes and smiled wider. She smiled back and tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes. "We're going home Twi."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Flim whipped around and looked at Flam, "I saw her!" he said breathless. "I saw her she was right there," he exclaimed pointing into the crowds. He turned back around and saw the mare running. Then he saw two mares running after her, Applejack from the farm and the yellow Pegasus behind her. His eyes flashed back to Twilight just in time to see her disappear.
Without a second thought he began to run, ignoring the cries and protests from his brother behind him. He followed the two friends from a distance, close enough to follow them, but far enough away to stay out of their sight. If anyone knew where she was going, those two would.
Flim followed the two mares through the crowds of Canterlot, and to the castle. The two mares ran straight through the front doors, the guards clearly recognizing them. Flim didn't miss a beat, he kept pace and made it all the way to the front gates before he was stopped by the crossed spears of two guards.
"Stop," they said in unison. "What is your business?"
"I," he panted. "I have to follow those two mares. I need to see Twilight."
"I'm afraid we can't let you through," said the one on the left.
"I'm afraid you will need to leave the premises, we can arrange an escort if need be," said the one on the right.
Flim cried out in frustration, he had been so close. He stomped away from the guards, the gate, the castle, and Twilight. Closing his eyes in anger he made a promise to himself. He would find a way through those gates and to the mare that plagued his every waking, and sleeping moment.