The Ransom (feat: CMC, AJ, TS)

Applejack had just completed bucking apples from the south orchard. It was near applebucking season, and she decided to try and get a headstart on harvesting apples.

“All ah need to do is drop this off at the cellar and ah can begin on the east field.”

Applejack picked up the apples and headed for their new apple cellar. The new apple cellar was created in order to store more apples after their old cellar became full. By this time, the new cellar was also nearing capacity. When AJ opened the door to drop off the apples, she noticed that the cellar seemed more empty than before.

“What in tarnation?!?” yelled AJ in surprise. She knew there were more apples before.

While looking through the cellar, she came across a piece of paper. Confused on why there was paper in an apple cellar, she picked it up and read it

“Apple Family:
Ah have taken y’alls apples. If y’all don’t wanna see more apples disappear, leave 50 bits behind the haystack in the barn by noon tomorrow.”

Applejack was now worried and confused. “We need them apples to keep the farm alive. Who would do such a thing? Maybe Twilight would know.” and with that, AJ ran from the farm towards Ponyville.

Twilight had finished walking out of Quills and Sofas after purchasing a month’s supply of quills. When she turned to head back to the library, she noticed Applejack running towards her.

“Hey Applejack. How are you?” asked Twilight.

“Twilight! just the mare I was lookin’ for. Ah have a problem.”

“oh???”

“Yeah. Ah went to my apple cellar to drop off the apples I just bucked when ah noticed there were some apples missing. When ah looked around, ah found this here ransom note saying to give ‘em 50 bits or ah’ll lose more apples.”

“hmmm..” said Twilight. “Let me see the note.”

Without hesitation, Applejack handed Twilight the note. Twilight spent a couple minutes examining the note. After 5 minutes have passed, Twilight gave the note back to Applejack with a smile on her face.

“You don’t need to worry Applejack. Your apples are safe.”

“What do y’all mean ‘my apples are safe’? This note says he is gonna take more tomorrow!”

“You are right. That is what the note says. But let’s look at this note again. If it is a ransom note, he wants to be anonymous. If somepony wants to be anonymous, they would do whatever they could to keep anypony from identifying him. Tell me, how was this note made?”

Applejack did not understand where Twilight was going with this. “Well, he wrote it.”

“Exactly! He hoofwrote the note. Doesn’t the hoofwriting look familiar?”

“Now that y’all mention it…”

“...And doesn’t the fact that the writer uses the same dialect as your family seem odd?”

Applejack finally put two and two together. “...Apple Bloom!” And with that realization, AJ quickly ran off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

Twilight just looked at her run and yelled goodbye.

Applejack ran back home, ran up the stairs, and bucked the door to Apple Bloom’s room open. Apple Bloom jumped up in surprise and asked “What was all of that for?”

“...AB! Where… Are… The Apples???”

Apple Bloom stared at her sister confusingly. “what in tarnation are you talking about? I didn’t leave a ransom note!”

“Y’all know exactly what I am talkin’ abo- Wait! I didn’t say nothin’ about a ransom note” she then proceeded to pull out the note and show it to Apple Bloom.

“...oops.” Apple Bloom then tells her sister that she and the rest of the crusaders were trying to get there cutie marks in extortion and she was going to return the apples as soon as she was done. Applejack was still upset, but saw it as no real harm done. She then ordered AB to put the apples back and they would have a talk about her punishment later.

Apple Bloom, Sweeite Belle, and Scootaloo met up at the clubhouse in order to talk about how this crusade had worked. They each met up and saw that none of them had received their cutie marks.

“ah’m guessing that your notes didn’t go well for y’all neither?”

“No. I thought my note was perfect, but somehow Rainbow Dash found out it was me and yelled at me all afternoon.” said Scootaloo.

“yeah, my sis was none too happy when she talked to me. What did yer note say?” asked Apple Bloom.

Scootaloo dropped the note in front of the other two. The note wasn’t handwritten like AB’s.

Rainbow Dash:
I have all of the Wunderboltz taken houstage. If you evr want to be amazng and flu with them, then you need to hang out with somepony you thinque is as cool and awesome as you.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at the note, mouth wide open.

“...Scootaloo, what did you get on your last spelling test?” asked Sweeite Belle.
“No wonder she knew it was you. it sounds exactly like ya.”

Scootaloo started to blush at the other two’s responses. “That’s not the point! she found out it was me. I got yelled at. End of story! Can we do something that isn’t talking about my note?”

“Sure. Let’s go get some cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner.” said Apple Bloom.

“Okay, but can we go through the park?” asked Sweetie Belle. The other two nodded.

While they were walking through the park, Sweetie Belle walked over to a tree and stuck her hoof into a hole in the tree. When she pulled her hoof back out, she was holding a large sack of bits. The other who were confused.

“Um Sweetie, What’s wit the sack?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, and what’s in it?”

Sweeite Belle just turned around and hoofed them her ransom note:

I have taken all of the muffin mix and batter in Equestria. There is no way get or make more. If you ever want to taste more delicious muffins ever again, then please leave this note, along with 20,000 bits in the empty sack left in third tree on the right after the always filled trash can in the park. To make sure you actually read it and comply, please write the name of something special to you on the bottom of this letter.

at the bottom of the letter was actual hoofwriting:

Dinky, my last little muffin.

With that, Sweetie stuffed the sack into her saddlebag and kept walking while the other two stood where they were, looking at the note left on the ground in shock.

Author's Note:

The prompt that was given was "create a story that begins with a ransom note." This screamed 'Cutie Mark Crusaders Extortionists' when I first read it.

I'm afraid to say it, but it is needed. so, any comments or corrections would be greatly appreciated.

and, as I said, you can post your own prompt and if I like it, I may turn it into the next story.

thanks for reading

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