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THE ROYAL APPLES - Part XIV

The sun was slowly dipping towards the horizon when Corporal Cedar Shield returned to Lady Starlight's apartment in the military quarter's annex of Canterlot Castle. Officially it was called the Morning Sword wing, after a stallion of great leadership ability and martial prowess. All Canterlot Guards officers, Captain and above, who did not have personal homes in the city resided there, along with a handful of unattached Knights of the Equestrian Star. Currently, twenty-three of the thirty-six apartments were assigned. Shadow Starlight was the youngest of the Equestrian Knights, and the only young female currently in residence. As a result, all the male orderlies tended to be a bit more protective of her than some of the other wing's occupants.

Knocking gently on the door, Cedar waited a moment or two before trying the handle. It was unlocked. "Lady Starlight... ma'am? Are you awake?" There was no response. The orderly pushed the door open further and cautiously paced into the sitting room portion of the quarters. The curtains separating the sitting room from the bedchamber were tied back as before, leaving Cedar with an unobstructed view of the unicorn's bed. He could see her lying there, chest slowly rising and falling. The pitcher of water he'd left on a folding table next to her bed was still there, partially drained, though the drinking glass next to it was on its side and a thin train of water could be seen dripping onto the carpet.

Embolden by his obvious duty to tidy up, the corporal quietly went over to her bed and righted the glass. Looking at the mare he suddenly froze in shock. Her pillow was drenched in blood which seemed to seep lethargically from her mouth and nose. A thin trail of red tears leaked from her closed eyes, pooling at the base of her neck. Now that he was right next to her, the orderly could see that the slow rise and fall of her chest was actually a labored effort to breathe.

"Mi...Milady? Are you all right?" It was a stupid question which Cedar Shield would berate himself later for even asking. One bloodshot eye partially opened and for the briefest moment focused on the earth pony. "Please... Help... Me."

She winced as a spasm of pain wracked her body. Shadow Starlight did not see the orderly racing out of the room or hear his desperate call for the medic. She was much too busy struggling to take her next breath.

**********

"I don't understand this at all," muttered Dr. Bluestar. The white-furred unicorn pony with an ice-blue mane and tail stared intently at the X-ray. His cutie mark consisted of a crossed pair of scalples. The pony standing next to him had a golden coat. His mane and tail were fire red in color and he sported a thermometer and stethoscope as his cutie mark.

"What's not to understand?" asked Dr. Goldleaf. "You've seen cancer before. It's unfortunate that such a young, brave and beautiful filly such as Lady Starlight has to suffer its effects, but life isn't fair. We can't pick and choose who lives and who dies."

Bluestar shook his head. "That's not what I'm talking about. Yes, this is stage four cancer, but it shouldn't be here."

"Why not?"

"Because I gave this patient her annual physical less than a month ago. It was a standard, full spectrum examination and I'll swear to Celestia that there were absolutely NO indications of cancer at the time. You can't go from zero to stage four in only a month. It's impossible."

Goldleaf examined the images as well. "No," he said cautiously, "you can't. Not unless this is some kind of new virulent strain that's unclassified."

Bluestar switched out the X-ray photo for another one and paused, then pointed to it. "Look at this! The spread of the disease is...remarkable. It starts here," he said. "In the stomach. But instead of traveling through her intestines and into her lower organs and G.I. tract it jumps, straight into her chi centers."

"Her what?" Goldleaf asked.

"Sorry. I forgot you aren't a specialist in metaphysics. Her chi centers... the paths that magic travels through a pony's body. The cancer jumps from her lower stomach straight along the chi paths of her nervous system, eventually winding up in the brain and spinal column and horn. It's almost as if the growth is stimulated by magic."

"How is that possible?" asked another softer, more mature voice. The two doctors turned and found themselves face to face with Princess Celestia. They both bowed deeply.

"Your highness. I am sorry, had I but known the Lady Starlight was an acquaintance I would have informed you personally of her illness."

"Any pony residing in the castle is of concern to me." She strode up to the photo and looked at it. "How can you tell its cancer?"

"These black growths along the bone and imbedded within the organs don't match anything else. What distresses me is the speed at which this is advancing."

"What are you doing to help her?"

Goldleaf stepped forward. "When she arrived we immediately began draining the excess fluid that had built up around her lungs. Her breathing has thus improved. We're using a combination of plasma and whole blood to replace what she's lost so far, but we haven't been able to stop the bleeding completely. We have her on an IV drip of saline and another of morphine to help with her pain, which judging from the muscle spasms must be considerable. We also did an emergency biopsy and are awaiting the lab results before we take further action."

"So is her condition stable?"

The two doctors looked at each other and shook their heads. Bluestar explained. "We're barely able to hold ground against the cancer. If allowed to progress unimpeded, she will be dead within a few days. Even with our intervention, I don't know how we can keep her alive for more than a week.

Princess Celestia paused for a moment, unhappy to hear such a dire prognosis. She turned and stood over by the window of the ICU and looked in at Lady Starlight. A variety of tubes, some filled with crimson, were connected to her, drawing off blood that still leaked from her nose, mouth and now her ears. She was hooked up to a ventilator which made breathing easier and her eyes were closed. An occasional twitch or tremor marked the passage of yet another spasm.

The alicorn's expression became somber. "You were saying something earlier about this illness being unnatural, possibly magical?"

Dr. Goldleaf looked at the princess. "We don't know that there is any magic involved here. We were discussing its unusual progress and its seeming affinity for chi paths, but with only the one case to examine, it's merely speculation at best."

"But as a specialist in cancer, you find it... unusual?"

"Very much so," he confirmed, "but not altogether unbelievable. There's so much we don't know about how this disease works that often treatment is a matter of hit and miss."

"I see," replied the princess. "Well, if that's the case can you confirm if magic is involved?"

"There are some tests we could run, but they take time to administer. We wouldn't have a definitive answer for at least 36 hours."

"Then you should run your tests," Celestia suggested. "If magic is involved, then magic may be the only way to save your patient's life."

"Yes, your majesty," the two doctors replied.

The alicorn turned to go, a number of thoughts running through her mind. At the very least, she should start an informal inquiry, not so much because she believed something was amiss, but because she wanted to eliminate as many possible explanations for Starlight's sudden illness as possible. Once that was done, then whatever was left should be the truth.

Leaving the intensive care ward Celestia was joined by her standard retinue, two guards, a lady in waiting, her chancellor and a scribe. She turned towards this last pony and paused to form her thoughts. "Take a letter please..."

*********

Big Mac stood outside the farmhouse breathing in the cool night air. Being in the open felt good, but it wasn't helping him settle dinner too well. His appetite was way down from this morning and he felt uncomfortably warm. Not sick mind you... at least not yet, but definitely uncomfortable. Judging from the moon's position it was a little past nine-thirty. On any other night, the stallion might have expected a visit from Princess Luna, but tonight she was holding her Night Court, so she wouldn't be able to see him until tomorrow.

The screen door opened and closed behind him and he turned to see Granny Smith standing on the porch.

"How're ya feeling, young 'un?"

"About fifty-fifty," he admitted reluctantly. He knew what she would say next. It was as inevasible as apple bucking season.

"Sounds ta me like it's time y'all head down ta the hollow."

"But Granny..."

"Don't but me no buts, young 'un. If yer feelin' poorly, then it's the hollow fer ya." She studied her grand-son's expression for a moment and smiled. "Come along... Ah'll go with ya ta keep ya company."

"Y'all don't have ta..."

"Maybe Ah don't have ta," she replied warmly. "Maybe Ah want ta."

Mac took a deep breath and gave in. What could it hurt? The two ponies walked along in silence until they got to a short, rocky outcropping not too far from the barn. Granny, who was carrying a lantern led the way. Somepony years before had put in a short series of steps that led down into a small grotto. In the center was a large circular wooden cover, about eight feet across. Above this was a rope and pulley arrangement attached to the rocks above. Taking one end of the rope, the stallion slipped a hook that was tied to the loose end of the rope and slid it through a handle along one side of the cover. He then went over to the other end of the rope and with the pulley lifted the cover free. A small cloud of steam rose from the hole that was revealed.

"Yer grand pappy always said there was a touch o' magic about this place, and this here was its heart." Big Mac looked at the large hot springs mud pit that bubbled gently before him. "He believed that this was why yer father and his brothers and sisters were hardly ever sick a day in their lives." Granny looked over at the stallion as he finished moving the cover. "Okay... In ya go, young 'un."

The farmer hesitated for a moment before sticking a hoof into the muck. It was as uncomfortably hot as he remembered, but not dangerously so. He carefully eased himself into the mud bath until it covered him up to the base of his neck. As he adjusted to the temperature he let off a long, exhausted sigh of relief. Granny stood above him, smiling and talking all the while.

"Ah still remember the day when y'all was born," she said. "Yer mother was feelin' poorly so grand pappy and your dad brought her down here to relax. Low and behold right in the middle o' her mud bath she goes into labor and afore anythin' could be done, you popped out, down the chute and out the door." Granny Smith cackled in laughter. "Oh ya should o' heard the ruckus she made. Thought her little foal was good and drown, that is until y'all surfaced, squeaking and gurgling as if t'were nothing but a big game."

"Eeeyup," Big Mac replied. He couldn't remember how many times before he'd heard the story.

"Yer grand pappy always use ta joke that yer red fur was because y'all were born par-boiled," Granny chuckled. "Your mother refused ta ever come near this place again, leastways when she was with foal that is. One poached pony was all she could take."

The stallion couldn't help but smile. He was definitely feeling better than before as he let the warmth from the hot mud seep into his body. The bath always made him feel connected with the land in a way that was impossible to explain to anypony else. Only his grand pappy and father had seemed to understand. The one thing he truly disliked about the mud bath cure was the length of time it took for him to clean every speck of dirt out of his coat, mane and tail.

"Ya know... if y'all hadn't been visitin' yer cousin Braeburn when ya came down with the pony pox we could have dunked ya in the hollow and cured ya in a day."

"Maybe... but it doesn't always work."

"No, it won't unbreak bones or heal cuts or bites, but it's good fer curin' most ailements." Granny looked at Big Mac. "Feelin' better young 'un?"

"Eeeyup."

"Okay then, climb on out and let's get back home a 'fore the others miss us." After re-covering the mud-pit, Macintosh followed his grand mare back to the house. When they arrived she pointed over to a large hammock strung up in the middle of the yard between two trees.

"Why don't y'all sleep there tonight? Let the mudpack dry and we can wash ya off in the mornin'. "Ah'll get ya a couple o' pillows and an old blanket in case it turns cool tonight."

"Eeeyup." The stallion tiredly went over to the hammock and lay down, looking up at the moon and thinking of Princess Luna. He smiled and rolled over on his side. By the time Granny Smith came back from the house he was fast asleep. She gently tucked a pillow under his head, careful not to wake him, and draped a blanket loosely across his body. She then turned and returned to the farm house. In the darkness she didn't notice the small black beads of sweat that dotted his forehead.

**********

Blueblood and Emerald Cloud had to travel well beyond the outskirts of Canterlot before they found an isolated enough place to summon Chrysalis. When she appeared the stallion immediately rounded into her.

"You incredibly stupid BITCH! What the hell were you thinking... sending one of your mindless minions to poison Sir Macintosh?"

The Changeling Queen hissed angrily at him, her fangs bared. "First... my changelings are not mindless, nor are they simple minions. Second, that was the plan, wasn't it? To kill Princess Luna's one true love and thus weaken her enough emotionally so we could use her against Celestia?"

The prince paced angrily back and forth. He was finding it hard not to cuff her sharply across the face with his hoof. "Killing him without raising suspicion was the plan... NOT poisoning two, or perhaps more ponies simultaneously. One death from shadow crystal would raise few suspicions, especially if the victim was an ordinary earth pony! Multiple deaths from the same cause will trigger a formal investigation."

"Multiple deaths... What are you ranting about?"

"Your 'faithful servant' put the poison in some tea, which was then served to Macintosh AND his mentor, Lady Starlight. He then left the crystal-laced tea behind, possibly to be used again by other ponies."

"And how do you know all this?"

"Your changeling waited outside Canterlot until he saw Emerald Cloud taking her late evening workout flight. He then reported everything to her since, as far as he was concerned, she is you! Thankfully, she had the presence of mind to send him back to Ponyville to retrieve the poisoned tea... From Princess Twilight Sparkle's house!"

"Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yes... The Princess of Magic! Possibly the ONE pony in all Equestria who might actually recognize what shadow crystal is!"

"Did he successfully recover the tea?"

Blueblood stopped pacing and nodded. "Thankfully yes. Without a sample to work with, I doubt she can figure anything out, but that doesn't solve our problem."

"What else is wrong?"

"As I said, Lady Starlight was poisoned, and being a unicorn the properties of the shadow crystal were almost immediately activated at a highly accelerated rate. I found out from a reliable source earlier today she's in Canterlot Hospital and will most likely die. Unfortunately for us, one of her doctors knew she was in perfect health less than a few weeks ago. Therefore, there is speculation that her condition might not be caused by cancer."

"DAMN!

"OH... It gets even better," Blueblood said. He magically lifted the flap on his ornate, ermine lined saddlebags and removed a copy of the Canterlot Chronicle which he contemptuously tossed on the ground in front of Chrysalis. She looked down at the headline: ROYAL WEDDING! PRINCESS CELESTIA CONFIRMS FORMAL ENGAGEMENT OF SISTER, PRINCESS LUNA AND SIR MACINTOSH APPLE.

"When did this happen?" Chrysalis spat.

"The other night, AFTER your minion poisoned him. It won't be long before he begins showing symptoms. A day, possibly three at most since he is extraordinarily strong... then he'll collapse and be sent to the hospital. They'll make a connection between him and Lady Starlight and the shit will really hit the fan.

"So, what do we do now?"

"We've come too far to back off and cover our tracks. Celestia will suspect something when she recalls our bogus petition against Sir Macintosh's knighthood and she will investigate... fully."

"Thus it comes down to a head-on power play. Our resources against Celestia's, with Luna as the keystone. If we control her we win... If we don't..."

"You probably get banished to the moon and I wind up back in Tartarus as nothing more than a cloud of black soot with a grudge."

Chrysalis nodded to herself... 'So be it. Diversion, Strike and Conquest. We plan this as a series of strike steps, one right after another and force the confrontation. What will be the signal for our attack?"

"Sir Macintosh! As soon as the poison strikes him down, we move. Luna will be distracted and without her defender."

"Ripe for the plucking..."