Episode 8: With All Your Soul Loosely based on the Episode ‘Mad Sprict’. Yes, it is actually spelled that way.
Applejack’s home
“How ya feelin’?” Applejack asked as Luna stretched out. Scootaloo, however, just sat there, partly because moving too much would cause her immense agony and also the battle several days ago. “They captured everyone, AJ. That bonehead guy, those guys who were eyeing you…even Fluttershy.” Applejack’s eyes went wise with shock, “Where’d they take them?” Luna answered, “Probably back to HOLY HQ. But I can’t get you in. They’ve revoked my clearance.” Applejack slammed her hoof on the table, “Well, there’s gotta be some way to do it! I ain’t gonna stand around doin’ nothin’ while those creeps do who-knows-what to Fluttershy!” “Sis, what are you talking about? Who’s Fluttershy?” Applebloom asked, worried about her sister. “She’s a friend who got taken by HOLY. I wanna bring her back if I can. And I’d do the same for any of you.” Applejack said with blazing determination. Applebloom raced up to Applejack, “Why do you want to risk your life like that, Sis?” “Because…no one else will.”
HOLY HQ – around 2 days later
“She’s here? Really?” Pinkie said, excitedly. “She just marched up and demanded to see the Commander about joining HOLY. I didn’t know what else to do.” The nervous pony pointed towards Applejack, who was leaning against a pillar with a blade of grass in her mouth, “Hey, show pony. Been awhile.” Rarity leapt up and pinned Applejack to the pillar, “I don’t know, nor do I care, how you survived that fall. Did you find out anything about ‘him’?” Applejack grinned at Rarity, “Remind me who ‘him’ is.” “ENOUGH!” Everyone turned as Commander Macintosh stepped into the room. “Rarity, kindly release her. If she meant us harm, she would’ve done so by now. Now why are you here NP-no…tell us all your real name.” Applejack brushed the dust off her trenchcoat as her shoulder armour started glowing again, “Name’s Applejack. Don’t know if I have a last name. And I’m here to join HOLY.” Commander Macintosh nodded, “‘Applejack’ is good enough. I am Commander Macintosh. You’ve already met Rarity and Pinkie.” Rarity rolled her eyes, “We faced each other in combat several times, and while I can vouch for her skill, I cannot vouch for her loyalty.” Applejack turned and, in the blink of an eye, had closed the distance between her and Rarity, to the point where their noses were touching (but not in a romantic way). “Are you sayin’ that I would leave HOLY without a good reason?” Rarity responded calmly, despite having been caught off guard by this stunning display of speed, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She shoved Applejack back, “Now, since we’re all here, let’s start the interview.”
“She’s reckless, stubborn, and highly dangerous, sir. I strongly advise against allowing her to join the force.” Rarity said, trying to change the Commander’s mind. “Seems you know everything about her, don’t you, Rarity?” Pinkie exclaimed happily, “Rarity’s in love!” She took off out the door, giggling gleefully down the hallway. “Where was I? Oh yes, she’s powerful. More powerful than we initially assumed. Keep an eye on her. And Vinyl.” Rarity paused, “We’re using her?” Commander Macintosh grinned, “Of course. We need someone who shares Applejack’s rebellious nature and who better than Vinyl Scratch?” “If you’re sure, Commander…”
“How does this thing work?” Applejack’s frustration showed as she attempted to use the computer system to search for her friends. “Try this code. Confirmation: DJ PON-3.” The computer displayed a complete list of inmates but the locations were censored. “Bummer. Guess the higher-ups decided it was top-secret. Better luck next time, sister.” Applejack turned to this pony, one wearing a heavily modified HOLY uniform and large purple sunglasses. “Yo. Name’s Vinyl Scratch. You’re Applejack, right?” Applejack nodded, “Yeah, that’s me. Glad to meet ya, I guess.” Vinyl Scratch seemed friendly, but there was something odd about it. Maybe she seemed too friendly. “Not tryin’ to upset anypony, but why are ya hangin’ around me?” Vinyl chuckled, “I got nothin’ better to do, and Commander’s orders were to introduce myself. But bad luck’s a bitch, ‘coz I gotta vanish. Sexy pony wants to talk to you.” Before Applejack could ask her what she meant, she was gone. “Applejack? What are you doing here?” “Wait, don’t tell me. I know this…Dusk?” “Twilight.” Applejack’s face hit the desk, “Darn, I ain’t good with names around here.” Twilight giggled, “Oh, don’t worry about it. Are you hungry?” Before anypony said anything, Applejack’s stomach growled. “I think that’s a ‘yes’. Come on, I’ll show you around.” Vinyl watched as Rainbow Dash came up behind her. “She’s faster than you think, Vinyl.” “That so? That makes her even hotter…” Rainbow chuckled, “Someone’s got a crush, haven’t you?” Vinyl tried to hide her blushing face, “Shut up. You’re makin’ me blush even more.” Rainbow walked off quietly, leaving a blushing Vinyl Scratch to her thoughts.
“This is the cafeteria. It’s pretty much where we hang around, and sometimes there’s something exciting going on. Usually when Pinkie’s acting like herself. Oh, and word of advice: Don’t touch Derpy’s muffins.” Twilight said, noticing Applejack take one. Applejack hastily put the muffin back before Derpy noticed. “What happens if ponies touch her muffins?” A loud yell confirmed her suspicions. “WHO TOUCHED MY MUFFINS?!” “Walk a little faster, please…”
Since recovering, Spitfire had been very much her old self, though a little more distant. Strange that they let Applejack onto the base, considering she caused so much damage and defied HOLY for so long. But why did the name haunt her like that… “No…not her!” Spitfire spotted Applejack and ducked under the table, surprising almost everybody. “Whacha doing, Trixie? Playing hide-and-seek? ‘coz that’s not a very good hiding place. We all saw you duck.” Pinkie said, oblivious to Spitfire’s intent. “I’m not hiding from everyone, just her.” She pointed to Applejack. Rarity rolled her eyes, “Trixie…Applejack is-” “So hot.” Vinyl Scratch interrupted, getting funny looks from everyone at the table. “What? She is.” Rarity facehoofed, “I’m the last sane pony left…”
“So where do we go from here?” Applejack asked, curious about the city. Twilight thought for a moment, “Well, we could look around the city. The commander’s orders were to help you acclimate to life here at HOLY. Probably why he suggested you share a room with Vinyl Scratch. I haven’t spent much time around her, but she’s a lot like you.” “Anypony need a driver?” Rainbow Dash asked, holding out a map of the city to Twilight. “Pick a spot and I’ll get us there.” Twilight supressed a groan, “No offense, but you’re not a safe driver. Do I need to bring up the first time we met?” Rainbow chuckled, “You’re lovely as ever, Ms Twinight.” “Twilight!” “Yeah, sorry about that. I’m simply looking out for you. Applejack isn’t known to be gentle.” Applejack grinned, “I was gentle with Twilight and Luna. So there.” She stuck her tongue out at Rainbow, while Twilight laughed. “You two are like sisters quarrelling. It’s so funny.” Both looked at her for a moment and started laughing themselves. Meanwhile, Rarity watched them carefully. Something about Applejack really bothered her. Maybe it was because she was stubborn, rebellious and a complete menace. Or was it because she was also kind, honest, and compassionate? Either way, Rarity couldn’t explain it. “Well, the commander said to keep an eye on her. Let’s follow them.” Vinyl leapt up, “Awesome! Count me in.”
Rainbow Dash enjoyed the drive, for the most part. Taking turns to point out the sights, though she wished that Applejack wasn’t in the car. “The entertainment section is really developed. It’s very popular with the tourists.” Applejack yawned, “That’s fascinating. Mighty relaxin’, too. Anyone know a good place to eat?” Rainbow chuckled to herself, “I can’t believe you’re still hungry.” “Well, you dragged me off before I could get anything at HOLY, Rainbow.” Twilight smiled, “There’s just one thing we need to take care of first.”
Applejack stepped out of the dressing room in an outfit that she wouldn’t otherwise be seen in. A low cut skirt, white blouse, and a pink-ish formal jacket. “I look ridiculous and I feel ridiculous…” She grumbled, as Rainbow Dash laughed, “You look fine, Jackie.” “It’s Applejack.” Twilight handed Rainbow Dash a formal outfit, “If you’re joining us, you should dress up too.” Rainbow put down the book she was reading and marched into the change room, though Applejack could’ve sworn she heard her mumble something under her breath. “What about that glove, Applejack? Is it special?” Applejack looked at her glove, but decided not to tell the story behind it. “Yeah, it’s like a reminder of something I did once.” Twilight nodded, “I understand. How’s your acting?” “Why do you say that?” Twilight proceeded to point out Applejack’s southern drawl and her rough method of operation. “You need to appear to be someone from the city. At least while we’re in the restaurant, anyway.” Applejack surprised everybody by imitating Twilight’s voice, albeit in a lower pitch and had a slight southern accent, “How’s this?” Rainbow could not resist the joke, “For someone who can’t lie, you make a wonderful actress.” If looks could kill, Applejack would’ve committed homicide with the glare she gave Rainbow. Outside, Sweetie Belle and Pinkie were watching them from the window…
“I’m sure the food is nice, but I can’t read the menu here.” Applejack sighed, closing her menu in defeat. “It’s fine. I’ll order for you if you like. Anything you don’t like?” Applejack shook her head, “Not that I know of. How long do I have to talk like this?” A familiar voice greeted them, “Hey, Applejack. Fancy seeing you here.” Vinyl Scratch walked up, wearing a very nice looking sky-blue dress that came to her knees. Applejack couldn’t help but think how beautiful she looked. “Mind if I join you?” Twilight smiled, “Of course you can join us. We were just showing Applejack around the city.” Rainbow chuckled, “The more the merrier, right? By the way, anypony notice Rarity walk in behind Vinyl?” Vinyl groaned, “They’re following Applejack to makes sure she’s not planning anything against HOLY. Rarity’s been paranoid lately.” Rainbow nodded, “Everyone ready to order?”
The day went by without tremendous event. Theme park, shopping mall, and finally, home. Or at least, for Vinyl. “I had a great time today, AJ. Shall we chill out on the couch?” Applejack blushed, trying to think of what to say, “Well…um…” Vinyl giggled, “You’re cute when you do that. Come here.” Before Applejack could respond, Vinyl kissed her on the lips. Several minutes that seemed longer passed, and Applejack tried to figure out what happened. Was this a trick by HOLY, or was Vinyl being completely honest? Hard to decide, but who cares. For the first time in a long while, Applejack could relax. Maybe…it wasn’t so bad after all. “Hey, Vinyl…what do you want to do?” She whispered in Applejack’s ear, and the orange pony’s face went bright pink (Or as close to it as one can get). “Well…ok then.” They went to the bedroom, where they stayed the whole night.
The Inner – Applejack’s house
Applebloom looked out her window, worried about Applejack. “Please be ok, Sis. Please come home soon.” Scootaloo put a comforting hoof on her shoulder, “Don’t worry. I’m sure Applejack will be ok. She won’t forget us.” Please hurry back, Scootaloo though to herself.
The next morning
Vinyl couldn’t have been happier. A wonderful day with Applejack, then a cozy night alone. It was like a dream, and it was only getting better. Except for one thing: Rarity. That pony was getting really paranoid about Applejack. Like she owned her or something. And that got on Vinyl’s nerves. She needed to loosen up. Twilight was a really nice pony, so why doesn’t Rarity hang out with her instead of spying on Applejack? “Rough night, Vinyl?” Rainbow Dash said, sitting across from her. “No, just that…well, Rarity keeps on spying on Applejack, and sayin’ stuff like because they’re both strong that only Rarity gets to fight Applejack. What if AJ doesn’t wanna fight?” Rainbow grinned, “There it is. You’re in love.” Vinyl blushed, “N-no, it’s…well…” “I’m not judgin’ ya. Just making an observation. But what one needs to know about Rarity is that she’s so devoted to her cause that she makes no time for anything else. And that can be dangerous for everypony.”
Applejack charged in, dressed in her usual attire minus her trenchcoat. “Anypony seen my coat?” Rarity smirked, “No idea what you mean.” Derpy swallowed her muffin, “Did ya lose it?” “Yeah.” “That’s too bad. It was an awesome coat.” Applejack finally asked the question everypony never dared to ask, “No offence meant, but what happened to your eyes?” Derpy froze, unsure of whether she was concerned or just being mean. But she answered truthfully, “It’s a medical condition. Non-contagious and it doesn’t affect my performance. Why?” Applejack shrugged, “Just curious. Did I sound mean?” Pinkie sat down beside Rarity, “No, but Derpy gets touchy about her eyes and her muffins.” Applejack nodded, “I’ll remember that. Anyone seen my trenchcoat?” Pinkie thought for a moment, then said, “I think I saw it in the trash this morning. No idea how it got there, but it’ll be long gone by now.” The look on Applejack’s face was like someone told her a very bad joke. Rarity spoke up, “You’ve got rules to study. I suggest you get to it. You can always get Rainbow or Twilight to help you.”
“You think that was funny, Rarity? Throwing her coat in the trash?” Vinyl said angrily. Rarity maintained her usual cold stare, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “You know damn well what I’m talking about! And don’t deny it. Sweetie Belle saw you do it.” Rarity paused, “Applejack is the enemy, and it doesn’t matter which side she’s on.” Vinyl glared at Rarity, “I don’t care. Leave her alone. Got it?” Rarity glared back, “And if I don’t?” “Then you’ll answer to me.” Rarity scoffed and walked off. Vinyl turned around and walked back to the cafeteria. She thinks she’s so cool, Vinyl thought to herself.
Applejack yawned loudly, though at this point, she has no other volume setting for the action. Pinkie and Twilight were doing their best to teach her the rules, but most of what Applejack got was things she worked out herself. “Are we done yet?” Pinkie clapped her hooves together near Applejack’s ear, “No no no no no. There’s still a few more minutes to go. Omigosh, I forgot! I have to plan your welcome party! Gotta go. See you soon.” In one blinding moment, she was gone. “Is she always like that?” Twilight nodded, “Except for the first time I met her, yes.” Applejack shook her head, “Oh pony feathers…”
The welcome party
Applejack stared in awe as the Vinyl led her into the hall. Part was for dining, another part for dancing. “What do ya think, sweety?” Vinyl asked, gently pushing Applejack forwards. “It’s nice, but I feel a bit…underdressed.” Applejack said, pointing out the outfit Vinyl bought for her: A cropped top and tight, but flexible jeans. Vinyl giggled, “You’ll get used to it. By the way, I got you a present.” “Really?” “Yep.” Vinyl handed Applejack a wrapped package, which she opened right away. It was a slimmer longcoat similar to her old one, but cleaner and with sturdier armour on the shoulders. “Fashion and function all in one. Do you like it?” Applejack hugged Vinyl tightly, though not so tight as to hurt her. “I love it. Thanks so much.” They smiled at one another before making their way to the buffet. Rarity watched from a booth nearby. “No wonder why she said to leave Applejack alone.” “It’s so cute, isn’t it?” Rarity looked towards Pinkie in surprise, “Why do you keep doing that?” Pinkie looked thoughtful for a moment, then beamed happily, “Because I can.”
“Want to hear so really cool music?” Vinyl asked. Applejack nodded, “Sure.” “Wait right here.” Sure enough, as Applejack waited, Vinyl Scratch appeared on stage and the air shimmered around her. Her gloves vanished and a very exotic DJ table appeared in front of her. “Let’s get this party started!” As she powered up the DJ table and got the music spinning, Applejack felt a surge of power flow through her, as if the music was affecting her Alter and making it stronger. It was like a wave, thriving in the beat of the techno music, ebbing and flowing as the music got louder. She was like a goddess on the stage, and ponies couldn’t help but dance to her tune. How did she do it?
Vinyl smiled at Applejack, who sat there, entranced by the music. “I still got it…” She whispered to herself as her Alter vanished and she bowed to the audience. Backstage, Rainbow Dash was waiting. “You didn’t use it on Jackie, did ya?” “No! Well…” “Be careful about using your Alter on her. She may not be the brightest, but she catches on very quick. Just giving out some friendly advice.” Vinyl returned to her seat next to Applejack, “What did you think?” “Beautiful. Didn’t know you were an Alter User yourself, though.” Vinyl smiled, “I was saving it for a special occasion…” She kissed Applejack on the cheek, “Like tonight.”
Rainbow Dash grinned as Rarity got more and more frustrated. “It’s time to face it, Rarity. You’re jealous.” “Me? Jealous? Why?” “Jackie and Vinyl are clearly into each other, but you’ve crossed paths with her most often. Jackie also represents a threat to your status and personal order, considering that she is more chaotic, probably why those two get along so well.” Rarity scoffed, “Now you’re spitting nonsense.” Rainbow laughed, “So you say, but how often have I been right? Hmm?”
The next morning
If there was one thing to be glad for, it was the gym and the showers. Applejack hadn’t felt so clean since forever, even though she was covered in sweat after a strenuous workout. Even Derpy kept herself in shape, despite the massive amount of muffins she ate on a regular basis. “Hey, Show pony. What’s wrong? You’ve been avoiding me since I got here.” Rarity kept her cool, despite her patience being strained to breaking point, “There’s one last thing we need to do. It’s sort of a trial by combat. Are you up for it?” Then…she had the one thing Rarity hated most. Her defiant grin. “Bring it, Ice Queen.”
“The rules are simple. Land a winning hit in the target zone, highlighted on our armour to score a point. The match is over when the timer hits zero. The board will display the score. Oh, and no Alters. This is a game, after all.” Rarity said. Twilight stood by the board, “I’ll judge from up here. Are you both ready?” “Yes.” Came the answer from both ponies. Twilight sounded the horn to begin, and the timer counted down from 5 minutes.
“Commander, how long do you want us to keep doing this?” Vinyl asked. Commander Macintosh knew why she asked, but decided to ask anyway. “Why do you ask, Ms Scratch.” “Because…the plan is caving in around me. I got too attached the first time, and now…well, you probably already know.” “I expected this to happen, actually. Do you know what happened to Luna?” Vinyl thought hard for a moment, “All we know is that she disappeared-” “Under my orders, and now, Applejack will be receiving similar orders. There’s something big on the way, and I don’t like it. But I can’t tell you any more than that. Otherwise, it could undermine my entire plan.” Vinyl seemed outraged, “What are you planning, Commander?” He grinned, “Something that will either see us destroyed or set Alter Users free. Applejack and Rarity are the wild cards that this whole plan hinges upon, and it won’t work without them. You are free to act as you see fit. However, you must keep Applejack moving forwards, always. I’m trusting you with one of the most important pieces of the puzzle here.” “What about the Native Alters we captured? Where are they going?” “To the Mainland.”
Applejack and Rarity traded blows, blocking, dodging, ducking and weaving. Both looking for an opening, then Applejack saw her chance, leaping forward with powerful legs and swung her fists, landing a blow to Rarity’s arm and chest. “Impressive. Who knew you had such cunning.” Rarity responded with a series of blows aimed at Applejack’s face, diverting to her chest and legs when she blocked. “It’s one-all, Show pony. Stop holding back.” Applejack rushed forwards, spinning around with a kick. Rarity leapt up and came down with a kick of her own, which Applejack avoided. “Can’t fight without your Alter?” “Quit taunting me, ‘coz it don’t work.” Applejack managed a hit to Rarity’s stomach, knocking her back. “It just gets me a point.” Rarity grinned, “It. Is. On!” She leapt up and launched a rapid-fire series of attacks, which Applejack avoided narrowly, the last kick just clipping her side. “You’ll never beat me at this rate.” Rarity paused, and no one saw what was coming next…
No one knew what happened to Rarity to make her snap like that, but somehow Applejack did. The air shimmered around her and she formed her Alter directly at stage two. “Style Personified!” She yelled, as the right hand blade extended. With lightning speed she struck at Applejack, a blow that she only narrowly dodged without being given a really short haircut. “I hate to break the rules, but I gotta do this.” The air shimmered around Applejack as well as her armour disintegrated, showing her casual clothes underneath. Her right arm became encased in the familiar gold armour of her Alter. “Rarity, what the hay is wrong with you? This is just a game, isn’t it?!” Rarity wasn’t listening, and the look on her face was one of madness. “Guess I’ll hafta beat some sense into you.”
Vinyl couldn’t believe it. Rarity was actively trying to kill Applejack. She couldn’t stand for it. As always when Alters are summoned, the air shimmered, and Vinyl had a large cannon-like structure attached to her arm. She leapt forward, landing between Applejack and Rarity with the cannon pointed at Rarity. “BASS CANNON!” She yelled, as a loud BOOM blasted Rarity backwards. “AJ, your friends are in an air transport headed for the Mainland. It hasn’t left yet, so there’s still some time. I’ll buy you some time.” Applejack nodded and gave Vinyl one last kiss, “Thank you for everything. Hope to see you again, Vinyl Scratch.” Vinyl blushed as Applejack sprinted away. She turned back to Rarity, “Now for you…”
“So far, it’s going well. But I expected Rarity to be here…” “She couldn’t make it.” Commander Macintosh turned to face Applejack. “Ah, Applejack. How are you finding life here?” “No time for questions like that. Where are my friends? The Native Alters you captured days ago. WHERE ARE THEY?!” Applejack yelled. “You just missed them. But I have new orders for you. Return to the Inner. That’s where you are needed most. Any connection you have to HOLY will be classified, as will Miss Scratch’s. Effectively, you will become a rouge agent.” “Why?” Commander Macintosh looked stern, “Please trust me. If not for my sake, then for Vinyl Scratch.” Applejack looked towards the sky, “There’s a storm comin’…”
End of Episode 8