Applejack Abroad

by ChaosSlayer

Chapter 2 A.K.A Perfectly Reasonable Explanations

"So Twilight... how are you going to investigate?" asked Fluttershy, catching up to Twilight.

"It's simple. We, uh, kidnap the Applejack and make her tell us what happened in Great Brittail. Then we have the explanation." said Twilight, smiling.

"Oh... kay?" said Fluttershy, grinning nervously.

---

"No Rainbow, they have to open up like scissors. Like this, see? Then we slide them together." said Pinkie Pie

"I know Pinkie. Trust me, I've done this a thousand times!" shouted Rainbow Dash.

"Really? Who with?" asked Pinkie

"Well, I didn't quite do it, but I imagined how it would be like." said Rainbow Dash.

---

"Well, it's great that I finally have those suitcases borrowed by Applejack. I really feared I'll never get them." said Rarity, using her magic to open the suitcases that Applejack borrowed from her. In one of them she stumbled upon something interesting.

"Well, if it's Applejack's stetson hat? It's so dirty and scruffy... yet so interesting at the same time..." said Rarity before levitating it over to herself.

"Who are you talking to?" asked Sweetie Belle, walking up to her.

"Nopony dear. Now go to bed. I have something to do."

---

"I've changed?" mumbled Applejack on her way to the farm, "They're off their trolley! Nothing's wrong with me, but I can barely understand them. What the Hades happened to them..."

---

Day 2

---

The cock crowed twice, announcing the official beginning of a new work day down at Sweet Apple Acres, but Applejack was already working hard on the tree orchard bucking apples.

Twilight Sparkle made her way to Sweet Apple Acres, rethinking her plan over and over. The goal was to capture Applejack, interrogate her and find out what the *bleep* was going on here.

"Applejack!" shouted Twilight Sparkle.

Applejack looked at her over the fence.

"Twilight!" shouted Applejack back.

"There's something you should know..."

"What is it Twilight?"

"I came..."
. . .

"What?"

"...to this farm..."

"Oh."

"...to give you a message. Apple-powered motorcycles."

"Apple-powered motorcycles!?"

Out of nowhere, Flutershy flew into Applejack with a huge potato bag and caught her in it. Then she landed and started kicking it, "WHERE ARE THE RACCOONS!?" she shouted.

"Fluttershy, Applejack didn't kidnap any raccoons. I lied so you'd help me." said Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh... okay. By the way, Twilight, what's a motorcycle?" asked Fluttershy.

"Honestly, I don't know. I just made them up."

---

Applejack awakened, startled. She was sitting in a chair, tied up. A strong light was illuminating Applejack's face.

"What the... where the Hades am I? Oi! Twilight? Fluttershy?"

"Shut up. We're the ones asking questions." said a voice behind her, slapping her on the face.

"I ain't gonna put a sock in it unless you tell me where the Hades I am!"

"You must forgive my friend, she isn't very patient. You are in Pinkie Pie's basement. Don't mind the wet floor, she was working on something here yesterday. Trust me, just answer our questions and you'll be fine. We'll let you out right after we know what we need. However if you refuse to talk my friend will lose more patience than the little she has, and you might end up getting hurt. Now I'll give you a minute to recall your time in Manechester." said another, calmer voice.

Applejack shut up as she promised and the owners of both voices went behind a screen of soundproof glass.

"Why did I have to be the bad cop?" asked Fluttershy, looking at Applejack who was looking at Twilight who was looking at Fluttershy.

Twilight patted Fluttershy on the back, "You're just not good at rock-paper-scissors. Now come on, you have to go now. I said we'll give her a minute so you have to be mean and start asking her earlier."

"Oh... okay." said Fluttershy before walking back into the room and slapping Applejack again, "Alright, your time's up! Tell us what you did at Manechester!"

"Well... I bucked apples. Then collected apples. Then I carried apples back. Over and over. Met some daft morons who didn't even know how to buck apples. Had to teach them. More bucking and Bob's your uncle. Went back home." said Applejack.

"Try to remember something else, something... out of the ordinary..." said the calm voice. A flash of magic, unseen by Applejack, lifted a notepad and a quill.

"Well... we had some free time so we travelled around Manechester. One time me and cousin Allington went to a beach to play some hoofball and we saw a vacationing penguin in a bowler hat. Then some bloke in a black spandex and a cape bunged a bloody boomerang at him. So of course I catch the boomerang but that wanker hoofed it. Anyway, the penguin gave us a bowler hat each for helping him."

"Hmm..." hmmed Twilight as she scribbled some more in her notepad.

"That's good... but not good enough! Come on, something else definitely happened. Tell us!" shouted Fluttershy.

"Come on chaps, nothing much really. I did meet a brill salespony called Alan Sugarcube. A sweet name, not a bloody sweet person. He's tough on his workers but it pays in the long run. Gave me some selling tips. Goody gumdrops, a great pony." she said.

"Well, that should be enough for now... I'll just erase your memory and put you to sleep. Don't worry, you won't remember this." said Twilight.

"Obviously you moron. If you cast a memory erasing spell then of course she won't remember it!" shouted Fluttershy.

"It's okay Fluttershy... You don't have to be the bad cop now... it's over." said Twilight.

"Phew... I didn't like it at all." said Fluttershy, wiping her forehead.

Twilight flashed her magic and just like that, Applejack fell asleep, emptied of the memories of the interrogation. Twilight teleported all three of them to the Apple Orchards and left Applejack sleeping there.

"So Twilight... what do we do now?" asked Fluttershy.

"Elementary my dear Fluttershy. Now we gather along with Rarity, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash, find a ship and travel to Great Brittail to find this penguin and discover why the buck Applejack's speech changed."

"What makes you think that it's the penguin's fault?"

"Dear Fluttershy, one does not simply trust penguins. Not after what happened to me in Denmarek. Now go and find the others. Tell them I'll meet them at the Far-From-Ponyville-But-Sill-Counting-As-A-Part-of-Ponyville Sea Dock 9.75 tomorrow at noon, and tell them to get packed for a long sea journey."

Comments

[Nuki Mouse]

Bat-Pony & the Pengiun? Let me guess mind control hats?

AJ seems less British in this part, not enough english idioms in her speech. Plus "hay" seems out of place. AJ constantly used "hay" as part of her original "southern" accent, it makes seem to be reverting back to that (to me as a reader) when she uses it in your story.

Why not use "Hades" instead of hay, so much more British to me.

BTW, Dock 9 & 3/4? A Hairy Trotter reference, plus Twi doing Holmes?
You're making some good use of homages, just don't over do it. Some times that can become too distraction from the main story if every thing ends up as a nod or reference to another fandom. This is just my opinion though.

[shutaro]

I warned you not to try you hoofs at reasonable explanations. I'm glad you didn't.
And I kind of expected a MiB reference during the memory-erase-spell.
Oh well, funny chapter anyway.

[ChaosSlayer]

427318 Thanks for that mate. I didn't know what to change for 'hay' so I'm glad you showed up. Changed it. Also, a major part of the plot will in itself be a reference, and a quite obvious one at that, so I'll try and lay them off for now.

427768 A penguin vacationing at the beach giving his saviours bowler hats is not a reasonable explanation? Well ain't that a surprise.