A Rumble in Appleloosa

by HiddenBrony

Things Get Hot

A thousand, tiny Apple Blooms bucked her head, drumming to the beat of her heart. A muddied thickness aliken to that of the Everfree Forest trickled into her vision, eating away at her senses. Applejack strained against the vines that threatened to hold her, her mind like molasses, sucking the motivation to move dry. From afar, Fluttershy's muffles whimpered through the undergrowth.

That wasn't right.

Applejack was the strongest mare this side of Canterlot, and there wasn't anypony who could harm her loved ones. This would not do.

Appleloosa roared through the foliage, overtaking Applejack as her eyes snapped open. Baby blue walls met her vision as the afternoon sun through the shade over her window. Two rough stallions, one donned in a deep brown coat and jet black mane, the other colt a faded beige, swept aside by his silver hair. Both ponies stood over Fluttershy, who shook with unbridled fright.

Applejack fought to get the jump on the two, her hooves straining to get into action, but much to her despair, the criminals had gone and roped her up, her mouth clenched shut by a length of twine. With a grunt of frustration, Applejack pushed against her bonds, but the lengths unjustly stayed firm against her freedom.

“Make another sound, and we'll make sure your friend here won't be seeing the sky ever again!” grunted her captor, turning away from Fluttershy.

Black Bull caught sight of his other prisoner, a sick smile spreading across his face as he strode across the length of the room. By this point Applejack noticed a third mare, Butterscotch, still lying unconscious near the door, her brown mane scattered in a sunburst around her head. Applejack's sightseeing was cut short by a swift, unprovoked kick to her abdomen. Fluttershy let out a horrified squeak, but Silverback leaned close to her and growled, quieting the yellow pegasus. Black knelt down on his forehooves to get a better look at Applejack's face. “So, this is the Sheriff's cousin. Another bucking little pony with a head full of nothin' but apples.” His breath smelled of hard cider.

“So what do you want to do, Black?” Silverback asked, “We ain't got time to messin' around with these mares, much as I'd like to go a few rounds with this here pegasus.” Applejack's heart skipped a beat. Her jaw lashed out against the twine, thin lines cut into her muzzle as she struggled. Black slid back a moment as Applejack writhed against her aggressors, but to no avail. Alongside her mouth, a cut had opened, dripping blood along her lip and down her chin.

“Well, shit, this one's got some fight in her,” Black expressed, fighting to win back his calm, malevolent demeanor. Swallowing, Black Bull stood up and addressed Silverback with a wave of his hoof. “We got a little time before Sheriff Coltcuddle checks in on his dear little cousin. Get the rope and tie up the pegasus girl. She's of no consequence, but it's good to have another bartering chip.”

“I thought we weren't bargaining for manure, Black! If you wanted to bargain, you should have chose a better place than the middle of bucking nowhere! You said we were gonna drop the Sheriff-” Silverback stepped forward, but the larger stallion rebuked him quickly.

“Shaddup, Silver!” Black stomped toward his compatriot, his eyes widening. “There is no need for the mare's to know what were up to! It's called mis-die-rec-tion!” Whipping his head about, Black flared his nostrils. “Celestia-dammit, Silver, I thought you were smarter than that.” Applejack's mind reeled as the stallions continued to argue. She was roped up, Braeburn was in danger, and Fluttershy, poor Fluttershy was caught in the middle of some family feud that didn't involve her. Black Bull looked over his prize, Silverback having calmed down enough to start preparing Fluttershy to be bound and gagged. Applejack's blood boiled. “Well, it sure is nice of the Sheriff to give me back my mare on a silver platter.” Peering over to the door, Butterscotch murmured something in an unconscious fit, blissfully unaware of her predicament. “She's gonna learn it ain't right to turn your back on your man. Especially me.”

“Hold still you little-” Applejack and Black Bull tore their attention away from the caramel mare in time to see Fluttershy slip under Silverback's hooves, darting inbetween his legs as the large stallion fumbled with his rope. “Black, get her!”

Fluttershy's hooves scrambled in the enclosed space, her wings spread as she popped into the low ceiling. Applejack's heart beat a mile a minute as the large black stallion roared up toward the ceiling, his hooves grazing uselessly against Fluttershy's midsection. Aiming a panicked cloud-kick, the yellow pegasus was rewarded by a quick knock against Black Bull's head, leaving the musclebound criminal momentarily stunned. Behind her, Silverback shouted obscenities as his hooves dragged and tangled against his cohort's. Only taking a momentary hesitation to gasp at the pile of pony, Fluttershy muttered a quick 'sorry' and landed next to Applejack, her hooves and mouth making quick work of the twine around her marefriend's mouth.

Spitting and stretching her jaw in newfound freedom, Applejack's eyes turned fierce upon Fluttershy. “Forget about me, sugarcube! Get yourself to safety!”

Fluttershy shook her head quickly as she pulled on the ropes at Applejack's legs, “Oh no, I can't! I couldn't, not without you! It's not safe, they said they'd hurt you-” Unlike the twine, the ropes held strong, straining and scratching against Applejack's hooves.

“Get out of here Fluttershy! Ah can handle this!” Applejack ordered, her eyes scanning the ropes along her bonds as she heard Silverback navigating himself out off of Black. Selecting a rope, Applejack's head lunged for the binds, her jaw snapping down, crushing through the fibers in a single bite. “Ah promised mahself Ah wouldn't get roped up again since that Trixie incident, and here Ah am, hogtied like a...” Hoof freed, Applejack quickly navigated her remaining hooves to freedom as Silverback came upon her, Fluttershy ducking behind Applejack, the farm pony standing tall against the helmspony. “Y'all best keep back now, ya hear?” Applejack leaned her body back, her forehooves outstretched, pushed against the discarded rope. Head dipped low, Applejack made sure every bit of Fluttershy was protected behind her. Black, unfortunately, was starting to stir, his head shaking furiously.

“Come on, little pony,” Silverback grunted, his hooves playing at the floor. The large stallion shifted himself sideways quickly, putting himself between the mares, their exit, and the unconscious deputy. “I spent good money on that rope. I'm gonna need a little repayment for that.”

“Y'all need to stay right where you are.” Applejack's eyes darted around the room. How many hours ago was she laying here in a cloudy bliss with Fluttershy? She wanted to go back to that. “Way I see it, you got one good option, and dozens a' bad ones.”

“'Sat so?” Silverback grinned back at Black Bull, the larger stallion starting to slowly approach the pair. “And how exactly you figure two little mares are gonna get the upper hoof on two big, bad stallions? Complain us to death? Maybe whine a little?”

For a moment, Applejack considered the proposition. It certainly had worked with Rarity and the Diamond Dogs those summers back. Shaking her head, the pony's tongue licked at the fresh cut across her muzzle. “Nah, sugar. That ain't rightly my style.” Stretching one of her bucking legs, Applejack spun on a bit, her hooves kicking out like lighting, outstretching just short of Silverback's crest. In another instant, Applejack was back in position, a smirk on her face. “My style leaves you and your friend there too busy to fight me 'cause the Sheriff an' his posse gonna be waiting for you outside just short of five minutes, if the sun is any indication.”

Black snorted, his face contorted in disgust as he retrained his vision. “They're bluffing, Silver, they don't know where we are-”

“Y’all think knockin’ poor deputy Butterscotch here out cold ‘fore she could report back to mah cousin was a good idea?” Applejack's interruption swallowed the noise right out of the room. Black and Silver exchanged looks, the former doubling back to Butterscotch to check on her for a moment. Silver kept himself between Applejack and Fluttershy, his face slowly cracked into an unsure gaze. Fluttershy flapped her wings behind Applejack, ready to take to the air to help avoid the criminal stallions, prompting Applejack to slide herself back. The stalemate hung in the air, threatening to crack upon the ponies at any moment. “Ah heard that you were sweet on that poor mare before, Black. Ah also heard she helped take you down.” Looking toward the window, her eyes doubled back a moment to Fluttershy's wings. The poor pony might be too frightened to fly anymore – the adrenaline fueled moment traded for air that was tense enough to pull at her coat. “Y'all really should have just left her alone, Black.”

“Don't you tell me what I can and cannot do!” Black roared, breaking into a gallop across the room. Fluttershy gasped and Applejack prepared a heavy buck to keep her safe, but the strong hoof of Silver kept Black from crossing the threshold.

“Hold it Black, she's right, Sheriff will be looking for his deputy and he ain't gonna be alone. We can't take out the whole herd with just us,” Silver barked. Black matched eyes mere inches from Silver's face. "Not without our toys." The smaller stallion kept his ground, and soon Black snorted and moved over to Butterscotch. Bending down, Black flipped the unconscious mare unto his back, unwilling to give up his prize. “Black, it's just past midday, you can't just–”

“She's my prize.” Black seethed, looking about the room. “Keep them mares here. When I give the signal, we'll run for the hideout. The confusion should be enough to keep 'em too busy for us. And make sure the Sheriff's cousin doesn't pull anything!”

Silver snorted, but obeyed. Casting his steely eyed glare over the two, Silverback kept his imposing presence trained over the only real way out of the room, leaving Applejack and Fluttershy with a fair amount of the room to brood. Applejack debated about rushing the large stallion, but moving with forward momentum against such a large opponent wouldn't work if he was expecting you – that she had learned enough from foalhood scraps with Big MacIntosh. And her later scraps. And last Thursday, really, when she and her brother had one for old times' sake with Applebloom in audience. Her family that, for all intents and purposes, was threatened by some no-good-nik and his... his... Applejack looked up.

Silver greeted her with silence and a watchful eye. Applejack sighed, looking over to Fluttershy. The pegasus had fled to a corner near the bed, her eyes darting between the door and the window. Keeping her eye on Silverback, the pony headed over to Fluttershy and laid down next to her. “You okay there, sugarcube?” She knew the answer already.

“N-no.” Fluttershy buried her head in her hooves in an attempt to shrink away from the situation. “I'd rather face a dragon again.”

Under the gaze of Silverback, Applejack nuzzled closer to her mare, prodding Fluttershy with her shoulder. “That was right brave what you did, there, Fluttershy. Ah'd hate to think what these ponies might have done if you hadn't been so quick on your hooves.” Going silent, Fluttershy dug herself further into her hooves, resembling more and more like a lump of butter with pink garnish than a pony. “How're your wings?”

“I-I can't move them. I don't know how I flew earlier. I was so scared.”

Applejack leaned forward on her hooves, digging herself into Fluttershy's mane. “You were brave, sugarcube.” A million ideas ran through Applejack's mind of how to get past the stoic observer, but all of them were risky, and too many included Fluttershy in on the attack. And even though she disoriented Black earlier, Applejack felt wary of the pegasus' use in a straight out fight. To this day, Applejack didn't quite know just how Fluttershy had such a body count during the changeling battle, but a pony was different. “Ah suppose we wait for the cavalry.” First chance she got, though, she'd send Silverback packing for even daring to hurt her Fluttershy. Before she knew what she was doing, she affectionately nuzzled and licked Fluttershy's snout. Fluttershy looked up in surprise, but her face was a mask of beauty in the darkness.

“I guess I am still on vacation,” Fluttershy murmured, rubbing underneath Applejack's neck. A loud harrumph in the corner put a stop to the ponies' fun, Applejack shooting a glare that could kill towards the stallion standing guard.

“You got something to say, ya big gorilla?” she challenged. Applejack stood up to look the large stallion in the eye.

Silverback looked to and from between the door and the mares, before ineffectually shrugging. “I never took you two to be fillyfoolers.” Fluttershy stood up, but not in reaction to Silverback's comment, but rather she put a hoof on Applejack's shoulder.

“Um–”

Applejack snorted, taking a few steps closer. “Yeah? Well I guess that goes both ways. I never suspected you to be one for attemptin' to murder mah cousin–“

“Applejack, please–”

“I ain't said a thing about no murderin' ponies!” Silverback shot back, giving the mare's a hard look. “So long as your cousin folds like the weakling he is, nopony is gonna have to get hurt!”

Applejack couldn't keep herself from spitting in disgust, Fluttershy shakily removing her hoof from her marefriend's side. “An' what about Fluttershy? 'Have some fun'? You'll be lucky if Ah don't–”

“Applejack!” Fluttershy demanded. Applejack froze to her spot, her blood still boiling under her skin. “Please, there's no reason to stir up any more trouble.”

Stillness clung to the air as Applejack failed to remove her gaze from her opponent. “He made as if to hurt you, 'Shy. Ah can't let him do that again.”

“You won't. You wouldn't ever,” Fluttershy begged, “but please don't make things worse than they already are.”

Applejack halted, her breath stayed. She kept eyeing Silverback, but eventually she exhaled long and hard. “Ya'll really are mah better half sometimes, Fluttershy.” A moment's hesitation was all that flickered on Fluttershy's face before she smiled. Applejack turned back to Silverback, feeling his tongue was thoroughly loosened. “Your pally has been gone a long time, Silver. When's that signal coming, or has Black just left you to rot?”

“He ain't leavin' me 'till the day I die. Black said as much,” Silverback said, his expression cool.

“How far you trust the word of a criminal?”

Silverback snorted. “Farer than you'll get me to turn on 'em. Foalhood friends, thick and thin.”

Applejack chuckled darkly. “Worth a shot. So what's the signal?”

“A shout,” Silverback explained, his eyes unamused. However, a sparkle shown behind his eyes. “Then a boom.”

“A... boom?”

“Cousin works the mines down South. Let’s just say he gave me a gift recently.” Silverback smirked. “Soon as Black sees your cousin, we get a shout. Then I get to share my gift.”

A pin dropped somewhere in Appleloosa. From outside, all three ponies in the room could hear the sound of hoofsteps across the long lonely road of Appleloosa. The Sheriff's posse had arrived. “Alright deputies, I want this building searched. Deputy Butterscotch was sent ahead to make sure my cousin and her extremely special somepony were safe upon arrival, and we ain't heard a lick of 'em since.”

Silverback looked about quickly, his eyes bulging. “Black said he'd shout. He hasn't shouted. They shouldn't be here!” Applejack justified smirk didn't help his mood. “Black? Black! Where are you?” Silverback wheeled around and headed for the closed door.

“Spread out, cover the exits, and call for backup if you see the fugitives. Now spread out and find my cousin!” Braeburn shouted from below as Silverback opened the door.

At least, that was the plan before the hotel exploded.

Comments

[Fillyfooler]

Aww yeah.

[Shikkhin]

More Please.