Samurai Twilight

by Foetohn

Episode 3: The First Friend

Long ago in a distant land, I, Nightmare Moon, the shape shifting mistress of darkness unleashed a never-ending night! But, a foalish pony warrior, wielding a magic stone stepped forth to oppose me! Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung her into the future, where my darkness is law! Now the foal seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Nightmare Moon!

Samurai Twilight
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro studios
Samurai Jack belongs to Cartoon Network

Episode 3: The First Friend

Click

A pair of high-powered lenses with variable settings held to the eyes allowed for a clear view of something that would otherwise be an indeterminate smudge on the horizon. Alternately, an ‘eagle eye’ spell could achieve the same effect, with the bonus of some really cool looking runes hovering around the user’s head.

Click

A thick line across the horizon became a heaving mass of dark shapes kicking up a massive cloud of dust in their wake.

Click

The amorphous mass gained detail, the fading light of the sunset glinting off of razor sharp claws and multifaceted eyes. Black carapaces blended in to one another, making an estimate of numbers nearly impossible.

Click

Braeburn put the binoculars down and turned to Twilight. “There’s a lot of them drones out there, you sure we can handle ‘em all?”

Twilight turned and winced as she got a closer view of Braeburn’s nostrils than she ever could have wanted. She dismissed the spell and blinked. “I’m sure of it, Braeburn. We just need supplies and a plan.”

---

Back at the farmhouse, a rustic building hundreds of years old dwarfed by numerous silos, barns, garages and other buildings needed for Apple Orchards to operate, Twilight and select members of the Apple Family held a war council. A large piece of paper laid out over a table provided an adequate surface to map out the farmland and sketch out defense plans.

Twilight deftly wielded a pen using telekinesis, jotting down quick notes behind Applejack and Big Macintosh as they drew out the map. There was a brief pause as Apple Bloom was sent out of the room for making doodles of herself singlehoofedly fighting the robot army on the map, and then the council continued.

“The drones will approach from this end of the farm,” Twilight indicated the southern side of the map “which, luckily for us, gives them only two options for approach.” The southern end of the property was high, rocky ground ending in steep slopes just shy of being able to be called cliffs that loomed over the fields. A stream had carved a narrow valley through the barren ground and emerged level with the orchards, providing a much safer entrance. “They can either cross the open ground here and risk the steep descent, or they can take the valley and bottleneck themselves. We need to make it our first goal to force them into that valley by making the open ground too dangerous.”

“If we could lay down somethin’ like land mines an’ make a few pitfalls…” Big Macintosh began.

“Yeah, but we don’t have any fancy hardware like mines.” Applejack interrupted. “So it don’t do us no good ta bring ‘em up.”

Big Macintosh chewed his wheat sprig for a moment. “Well, it’s just a matter of puttin’ a pressure sensor an’ a detonator together. If we could whip up a few dozen in the next…” He cleared his throat “ten minutes or so would that be helpful.”

Everypony stared at him. Applejack was the first to break the silence. “Big Macintosh, is there somethin’ you want ta tell us?”

The large pony looked a bit sheepish. “Me an’ the boys may have assembled a, uh, few mines a while back. Stricly fer experimental purposes o’ course, we weren’t plannin’ on usin’ ‘em.”

Granny Smith, eldest living member and matriarch of the Apple Family let out a hearty whoop. “We’ll give them scummers what for!”

Applejack sighed. “Well, ah suppose we gotta use what we can ta defend our land, an’ ah can’t object ta blowin’ up a bunch o’ mindless robot drones.”

Big Macintosh did some quick calculations in his head. “Ah reckon me an’ the boys could have them mines out an’ set up in a few hours. We could dig some deep trenches an’ such ta funnel them drones into the valley at the same time.”

“Excellent! Go ahead and get started on that, we’ll be out to join you once we’ve got the next step of the plan.” Twilight turned her attention back to the map. “What do we have to thin the numbers of the drones once we get them into the valley?”

“Plenty ‘a heavy vehicles fer haulin’ an’ diggin’ ‘round here, ah’m sure we could take th’ safeties offa some an’ use ‘em as catapults.” Applejack turned to a blond-maned blue pony. “Cider, you think you could take charge o’ that?” The mare nodded and headed out in the direction Big Macintosh had gone.

Granny Smith piped up again. “We got a lotta Scumble in th’ brew’ry right now, it’d be a turrible waste but if’n ya light’t up i’should burn real hot!”

“I’m sure I’m going to regret asking this, but what’s Scumble?” Twilight warily asked.

“It’s made o’ apples.” Applejack explained. “Mostly.”

Granny Smith gave a wide, toothless grin. “An’ we c’n refresh ‘rselves at th’ same time!”

“Don’t be sippin’ too much o’ the goods now granny, leave some fer the drones!” Applejack laughed.

“Rotters better ‘njoy it!” The old mare gestured in the general direction of some of her descendants. “C’m on, work t’ be done y’ lazy ponies, up’n at’m!” The ponies rolled their eyes, but two of them followed her out.

“That should take care of enough drones for me to fight the survivors here, right where the valley opens up into the orchards.” Twilight indicated the spot on the map. “With any luck, they’ll be slowed down enough that I won’t get surrounded.”

“Woah there missy, “ Applejack frowned. “You can’t be seriously considerin’ goin’ out there all on your lonesome!”

“I don’t have any other choice” Twilight gave Applejack an apologetic look. “I can’t let any of the drones get through. Who knows what they might do to anypony they find?”

“An’ that’s why ah’m goin’ out there with ya!” Applejack said. “An’ ah’m not takin’ any objections from ya, it’s mah family an’ mah land, ah’m gonna stand an’ defend it!”

“But you don’t have any training; look, I know you want to defend your home and I understand, but it won’t do your family any good to go out and die!” Twilight had feared this would happen.

“If ah hafta die ta ensure mah family has a place ta live an’ stays out of Nightmare Moon’s control, then ah gladly will.” The blond mare stood resolute. “An’ ah’m not gonna let another pony go out an’ face death in mah place.”

“Dying for your family’s sake is all well and good, but it’s better to live for them!” The unicorn shook her mane in frustration. “I can handle myself, I’ll be fine, but I can’t look after anypony else while I’m fighting.”

“Twilight.” Braeburn put a restraining hoof on his cousin’s shoulder as she started to reply. “We’ve all lost too much ta Nightmare Moon’s war ta back down, if we have ta face pain an’ death so we can spare our families more sufferin, we will.”

“But you’re not- you aren’t warriors. You’ve done enough setting up the defenses, the front line is my place. You don’t want to-“ Braeburn cut her off.

“If it’s not our place than where is?!” He pounded a hoof on the table. “Ah’ve already lost Appleloosa an’ enough family! Ah’m not standin’ back when ah could do more!”

Twilight was taken aback by the sudden intensity the young colt displayed. “Braeburn… what happened at Appleloosa?”

Braeburn took a few deep breaths to calm himself. “Ah- ah’m sorry Twilight. It’s a bit of a sore subject. We lost a lot o’ good ponies t’ the drone army, one just like the ones attackin’ us now. Granny Smith an’ I are the only survivors.”

“We may not be warriors like you, but we’re strong, an’ we got somethin’ ta fight for.” Applejack added. “You’ll need someone watchin’ your back, an’ if you watch ours we won’t ask fer more’n that.”

---

Eventually Twilight acquiesced, and Applejack and Braeburn joined her in preparing to face a horde of evil robots. Because of the massive number of enemies, they would need armor, and so they scoured the farm for scrap metal and unused machinery to disassemble and reforge into protective barding. They worked late into the night, pausing only to rest a short while and eat before resuming their work. The ponies who would be staying behind at the farm did their best to fortify the buildings in case anything got through, never voicing the thought that if any of the drones were to make it past the defensive line, it would probably be because the three fighters were dead. As a final touch, Twilight made war banners for the three of them bearing the ancient Equestrian sigil of the sun, the symbol of Princess Celestia’s followers.

In the last few hours before dawn, while the last of the preparations were being made, Twilight had Applejack and Braeburn join her on the eastern side of the farm to watch the horizon gradually lighten as the dawn approached. Even after centuries of rule, Nightmare Moon could only maintain her everlasting night over her palace. She had yet to solve the problem of most crops needing sunlight, so instead she kept the days to their minimum length and extended the nights as much as possible. It was this knowledge that gave the three ponies solace as they mentally prepared themselves for battle- Nightmare Moon was not omnipotent or infinite, she still had her limits, and so their fight was not a hopeless one.

Big Macintosh approached them after the defense preparations were done, and had to be talked out of joining the fight. He and Applejack went off a little ways, but Twilight and Braeburn could still hear their raised voices. They passed several awkward minutes in silence, pretending to be engrossed by the sight of the apple trees around them. Braeburn coughed and fiddled with his hat. Twilight counted leaves.

Eventually Applejack returned without her brother, and the three ponies made their way across the farm to the valley where they would face the swarm.

---

The ground trembled under the drumbeat of a thousand claws, the disorderly march of the horde filling the air with a cacophony of clicking, humming and screeching. The chorus of mechanical noise was suddenly punctuated by the deep boom of a hastily buried explosive going off, followed by the clatter of shrapnel raining down into the ranks of drones. More explosions followed, obliterating a mere handful of robots while dozens more had their ebon carapaces shredded by jagged fragments of metal. The unified mind of the swarm analyzed the casualties and determined there was no need for a response, the swarm would continue on.

The headlong charge gave the drones little time to react to new threats, and so the first ranks found themselves unexpectedly falling down into deep pits and trenches with no way to stop. The swarm mind contemplated this new obstacle for less than a second before diverting the main body of drones into the valley that ran through the center of the plain. The rest would take a slower pace, carefully avoiding the pitfalls and trenches as best they could.

---

Twilight watched in silence as the drones poured down the valley walls in the distance. They approached and then passed a line of flags set in the ground, and Twilight gave a quick nod to Applejack and Braeburn, who both sat at the controls of modified excavators. The powerful digging arms whirled, the devices meant to limit their speed to safe tolerances removed, and flung great boulders into the path of the swarm. The rocks smashed into and rolled over the front line and continued on, cutting swaths of destruction through the tightly packed robots.

Without pausing to admire their hoofwork, the two earth ponies jumped from the excavators and moved to activate a second pair, and then a third. The drone horde was now scattered and ragged in places, gaps forming where they were forced to pass around the boulders and remains of fallen drones. Still, they pressed on, the uncountable mass washing forward by sheer weight of numbers. It wasn’t until they passed a second line of flags that Twilight moved to act.

An incendiary spell flew from her horn, small and compact it was little more than a hot spark, but it was enough to ignite the fuse of a barrel set into the valley wall. The flame reached the barrel’s contents, and the extremely alcoholic fumes rising from it. Fifty gallons of the Apple Family’s finest Apple Scumble exploded in a green fireball with a dull whumph, reducing the nearest drones to slag and scorching more. Twilight flung more sparks down the valley, setting off a series of barrels placed in a staggered line. Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring the sight of the drones but not the overwhelming sound of their advancing claws.

The horde broke through the debris close enough that the insectoid features of individual drones could be made out. Applejack and Braeburn joined Twilight at the mouth of the valley, steeling themselves to clash hoof upon claw, flesh against steel. The drones reached the final trap, a wide trench dug across the valley and lined with crude but sharp spikes made from leftover scrap. Here the swarm mind finally stopped the headlong charge, and commanded a change of action.

One by one the remaining members of the swarm, still a numerous horde, stood upright on their rear claws, holding their foretalons out like swords. As if disdainful of such a paltry obstacle, they marched forward, falling upon the spikes until the bodies of the fallen formed a bridge for their comrades. Still advancing at no more than a swift walk, they bore down on the three ponies who stood in their way.

Twilight reared into the air and slammed her hooves into the ground with a loud cry, blasting the drones with a wave of concussive force. Applejack bounded forward and spun around, bucking the lead drone hard enough to shatter its carapace. The drone flew back to trip up those behind it, allowing the strong mare to strike them again, stomping and kicking any that got within her reach.

Braeburn hesitated for a moment, then leapt into the fray, using all four hooves to attack the drone’s multifaceted eyes and unarmored joints, disabling them with precise strikes. Light shone from Twilight’s horn, wrapping itself around the pony warriors and giving them strength and resilience beyond their normal limits. Drawing upon more of her vast potential, she poured liquid fire into the nearest drones and tossed them away to explode upon their fellows. Bolts of electricity arced from her horn to bore holes in any drone that dared approach her, their smoking carapaces piling at her hooves. The more she fought the easier it became as she allowed more and more of her immense power, one of the qualities that had prompted Princess Celestia to choose Twilight as her closest student, to flow through her.

Though limited by their lack of magic, Applejack and Braeburn made a good account of themselves, their physical strength and the determination to defend their home driving them to greater feats of destruction against the drones. As the sun rose higher into the sky, so did the piles of wreaked robots, monuments to the will of the defenders. Unbreakable as their wills may have been, their bodies were not, and the protracted battle began to take its toll on them. Numerous cuts and gashes where the talons of their foes had made it past their defenses oozed blood, sore muscles and tender bruises hampering their movements further. In contrast the drones experienced no fatigue, their lessened numbers doing nothing to decrease the fighting skill of each individual.

Twilight’s reserves of power exceeded her control even in the best of situations, so she always sought to limit herself to useable bursts of magic. However as her concentration waned with her growing exhaustion the power built up on its own, without her bidding. If the battle was not ended soon she could wind up losing control and casting spells at random. The situation called for very judicious use of her power and more reliance on physical attacks.

The drones numbered merely in the dozens now, but they could still easily surround the ponies and bring them down in a crush of metallic limbs if given the chance. Applejack, tired as she was, still had the ability to shatter a robot’s compound eyes or snap off a segmented limb with a single kick. Never relenting, she had driven forward until she was separated from Braeburn and Twilight by enough space for the occasional drone to slip between them. Even at the risk of being cut off and overwhelmed, she refused to back down, aiming her kicks to throw one drone back into another, causing them to fall in a tangle of claws and carapaces. She leapt up and brought her hooves down on top of them, stomping the robots into scrap.

Braeburn struggled to hold his own against the drones; he lacked Applejack’s strength and endurance, and there was only so much his agility could make up for. Still, he fought on as best he could, fending off the robots with sharp kicks. It was inevitable that his guard would drop, and a swift talon darted in to strike at his face. His head snapped back on reflex, just fast enough to prevent more than a shallow cut along his jaw, but not fast enough to avoid the backside of the claw as the drone pulled it back. His vision swam and the world spun around him in slow motion. Suddenly, he was looking up at the robots from the ground, his legs refusing to respond.

“Braeburn! Hang in there cous!” Applejack bucked the nearest drone onto the one that had struck her cousin and tried to fight her way over to him, only to find her path blocked by more robots. “Consarn it! Move you metal-hided horseapples!” She belted out a litany of curses at the machines that stood in her way, accompanied by more vicious kicks.

Twilight shot the drones around her back with narrow beams of energy and stepped over to protect Braeburn as he shakily pulled himself to his hooves. “Are you all right?” She asked him.

“I-I think I am.” He swayed a bit, just in time to give Twilight a clear shot at a drone that was moving in to attack. “That-that’s a real neat trick you’re doin’ there Twi- makin’ it look like there’s two a’ ya.”

“Just hang in there!” Twilight hoped the colt didn’t have a concussion. “We’ll finish this quickly!” A quick look around contradicted this, the remaining drones were fighting with increased savagery, as if the will binding them together had become more concentrated with less robots under its control. The unicorn frowned and gritted her teeth. There was a way she could end the fight, but there would be a cost, albeit one she was willing to risk in order to destroy Nightmare Moon’s minions and protect her companions. All it would take was a moment of relaxing her control, enough to release enough power to destroy all of the drones. Then she would have to reign herself in, cutting off the power behind the spell before it grew too much. Easy. Like starting a forest fire and then extinguishing it by hoof

“Applejack, get ready to duck when I tell you!” Twilight began to draw on more power, gathering it as tightly as she could. Her horn shone with a golden light that went from radiant to piercing in seconds. Applejack glanced at her nervously, but couldn’t spare more than a moment of attention from the drones. Some of the robots tried to attack Twilight and interrupt her spell, but the sheer pressure of the magic she was holding on to pushed them away. When she could hold the spell back no longer, and she shouted to Applejack. “Get down!”

Applejack threw herself flat on the ground a moment before the searing beams of light shot out from Twilight’s horn, ripping through the drones’ carapaces and scattering them in pieces. The beams split, becoming smaller and more numerous, a fractal tree of deadly light. Even after all the drones had been impaled the light continued to spread, needlelike branches blending together to form a nearly solid dome.

With a cry of pain Twilight managed to bring the spell to an end, and the beams of light shattered like glass, falling in shards that melted away to nothing. She sat down hard on the broken ground, panting with exhaustion. Applejack was in a similar state as she staggered over to the other two ponies, but she wore a triumphant grin.

“We did it! Ah can’t believe we managed ta take ‘em all down!” She offered a hoof to Twilight, who shook it. “An’ it’s all thanks ta you, Twilight! Why, if we hadn’t a found ya…”

Twilight smiled weakly. “Ah, well, you know, I couldn’t ignore a fellow pony in need. And you two did a lot too, your determination is inspiring.”

“Well shoot,” Braeburn said from his position on the ground. “We weren’t about ta let you fight ‘em all on your own! It was an honor ta-“ He was cut off by a high, panicked scream from the direction of the farmhouse.

“That was from the farmhouse!” Applejack whirled around. “Oh no…” Behind them, past the valley mouth, a trail of churned up ground and torn tree bark indicated where the drone’s vanguard had made it past the defenders. They would have had plenty of time to reach the farmhouse and wreak havoc.

---

Big Macintosh stood firm on the farmhouse porch, blood running down his legs from numerous cuts. One drone lay at his feet, sparking feebly, but five more circled him, just out of reach. When he turned to engage one, another would dart in to slash at his unprotected side, forcing him to stay on the defensive. Various members of the Apple family peered out of the windows and door behind him, whispering nervously. It was only a matter of time before Big Macintosh was struck down, or one of the drones found another entrance.

The robots grew agitated, responding to some silent order. As one, they jumped into the air, scything talons reaching for the large pony in their way. Big Macintosh braced himself, ready to give his life if necessary, but a glowing bolt of incendiary magic intercepted his attackers, scattering them. Before they could recover, a white unicorn mare with a mane and tail of red flame charged into them. With a cry of fury, she lashed out with her hooves, leaving melted craters in their dark armor.

She toyed with them, striking them with glancing blows that ripped away their armor and spun them around, exposing their more delicate innards to the roasting heat she radiated. Plastic and metal liquefied as she focused a burning gaze upon them, ceramics cracked and smoked, and the drones squealed as they fell into smoking piles. Only one remained, damaged but surviving by virtue of fleeing as soon as the wrathful mare descended upon them. It ran across the fields in a shambling gait, compensating for a missing leg.

“No.” The avatar of flame spoke with a deadly finality, turning her attentions to it. “There is no escape.”

Whips of fire burst out of the ground around the robot and entangled its limbs, tipping it over and slamming it down into the dirt. The tendrils of flame rose up over it; their tips bending back down as if eagerly seeking to tear into its carapace. The unicorn leisurely walked up to the stricken drone and pinned it down with one hoof.

She looked straight into its compound eyes and snarled. “I know you’re watching me, Nightmare Moon. You must know I’m here, after all this time. You stole a thousand years from me. My entire life, everything I knew is gone because of you.” She pressed her hoof down, cracking the drone’s armor. “Do you think I’m going let you do the same to anypony else?” She seared the drone’s eyes with a gout of flame, but left the body intact. “I will find you again, I will fight you, and I will defeat you.”

The robot gave one last dying spasm as a speaker within it crackled to life.

“Good luck.”

The unicorn growled and stepped away from the drone, then turned her back on it. The flames darted down, impaling it over and over until it was nothing more than unrecognizable scrap.

The assorted members of the Apple Family stood outside the farmhouse, watching the unfolding scene with a mixture of awe and trepidation. Applejack and Braeburn had returned shortly after the fiery mare had shown up, and they stood on either side of Big Macintosh, all three ponies supporting one another. As she approached them, the unicorn swayed and the fires surrounding her went out.

Twilight’s coat returned to its normal shade of purple, and she fell forward, to be caught by Braeburn just before she hit the ground. She looked up at him and groaned. “It’s over… thank Celestia.” She passed out with a sigh, causing Braeburn to stagger under the unexpected weight. Several cousins, aunts and uncles helped get the four wounded fighters inside, while others went to make sure no fires had caught in the apple trees.

The cellar doors burst open, and Granny Smith marched out, a metal tube with a hose crudely jammed on to one end in her hooves. She was followed by Apple Bloom who was struggling under the weight of a small barrel attached to the hose. The old mare cackled wildly, but stopped when she saw the distinct lack of attackers.

“Horseapples.” She said, turning back to Apple Bloom. “Looks like we’re late to the party.”

“Aww.” Apple Bloom looked disappointed. “Ah wanted mah flamethrower cutie mark.”

---

Twilight Sparkle regained consciousness late the next day, in a soft bed with sheets smelling faintly of apple blossoms. Gentle light streamed in through the open window, illuminating a simply furnished room. For a few precious minutes, her mind was free of any thoughts of battle, or the past now lost to her. Cocooned in warmth and sunlight, she found herself able to truly relax for the first time in recent memory.

She gradually became aware of a pair of eyes watching her intently from the foot of the bed. Twilight chuckled as she recognized the rose-colored mane and orange eyes. “Hello Apple Bloom.”

“Hi!” The filly jumped up on to the bed, careful to not step on Twilight. “Are ya feelin’ all better now?”

“Mm-hmm.” Twilight nodded. She wanted to lie here, secure and warm forever, but the protestations of her empty stomach would soon drive her from the bed. “I’m a bit hungry I suppose.”

Apple Bloom perked up. “Well why didn’t ya say so sooner?” Twilight decided against reminding the filly that she had only been awake for a few minutes. “We’ve got lots of stuff ta eat! I’ll go downstairs an tell ‘em you’re awake!” The young pony leapt from the bed to the door without touching the floor and galloped out, falling down the stairs in her excitement from the sound of it.

Twilight sighed and stretched, groaning at all the aches and pains she discovered. Her whole body felt like one large bruise, and she could feel several bandages covering the sorer areas. In spite of the jabs of pain it caused she rolled over and slid out of bed, taking a moment to steady herself. Now that she was upright, she realized that she had a splitting headache focused around the base of her horn. She had pushed herself a lot further than she should have yesterday, and she was paying for it now. Still, it was worth it to protect her new friends.

She followed the muffled sounds of Apple Bloom’s excited, nonstop talking down the hall to a narrow stairway. Joints and muscles protesting the whole way, she worked her way down one step at a time until she reached the ground floor. Twilight found her way to a large, well furnished room where Applejack, Braeburn and Granny Smith sat. She could see a kitchen through a wide doorway, where a couple of patient-looking mares endured Apple Bloom’s ‘help’ in their cooking.

Applejack and Granny Smith greeted her enthusiastically, and Braeburn attempted to stand, but the elderly mare glared him back down. “Don’t go standin’ up unnecessarily ya foal, you’re still recoverin’!”

“Yes’m.” Braeburn blushed slightly and laughed.

Granny Smith waved Twilight over to a chair that she collapsed into gratefully. The earth ponies explained how the farm had been left relatively untouched, and with only four injured care of the orchards could continue without interruption. The scrap from the destroyed drone army could be put to use or sold, so in the long run the attack had turned out to be a boon for the family, thanks to Twilight’s assistance. She was a hero to them now, and some of them had wanted to throw together a huge celebration in her honor until cooler heads prevailed and pointed out that she would need some time to recover. For now they would put their lives back together and breathe their thanks to Celestia, who they now had a tangible reason to hold in reverence once more, beyond the vague hope of a light that could outshine Nightmare Moon’s darkness.

Twilight Sparkle spent three more days at Apple Orchards recovering and helping to gather and sort the remains of the fallen robots. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom seemed determined to use their jury-rigged flamethrower on something, so Big Macintosh and Twilight worked on it in secret, making it much less likely to explode. She also gave the more able members of the family basic instruction in fighting, so that in the future they would not have to depend on outside help or a mere three warriors. They asked her to stay longer, but it was agreed that now that Nightmare Moon knew where she was that it would only increase the risk of attack.

On the fourth day she packed what few possessions she had into a saddlebag along with as many provisions as her friends could convince her to take. She found a large farewell party waiting for her outside, as well as Applejack carrying her own set of saddlebags.

“Ah tried ta talk ‘em outta it, but it seems they’re throwin’ a party fer us anyways!” The mare grinned and winked. “So ya might as well enjoy it while ya can!”

“Oh no no no, you’re not leaving your family to come with me.” Twilight shook her head. “They’re going to need you here I’m sure.”

“Now now Twi, this ain’t negotiable! We all talked it over, an’ decided ah was the one ta go with ya!” Applejack nodded to Braeburn. “Mah couz wanted ta be the one ta go with ya, but we reached an agreement.”

Braeburn looked at the ground and grumbled. “She beat me at hoof wrestlin’”

“And why don’t I get a say in this?” Twilight frowned.

“Cus you’d say no.” Applejack gave Twilight a hearty pat on the back. “An’ you helped us. Now it’s mah turn ta help you.” Twilight still looked skeptical. “As ah said before, nobody should have ta fight by herself.”

“An’ that’s why ah’m comin’ too!” Apple Bloom proudly marched up, bearing the weight of a saddlebag far too large for her.

“Oh no you don’t Apple Bloom.” Applejack stopped her sister. “We need you ta stay here an’ defend the farm.”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh scooped the filly up and placed her on his back. “Besides, you’d scare all the baddies away. Gotta give those two somethin’ ta do.”

Apple Bloom sighed. “Oh all right, if ah have to.”

After the party, AppleJack and Twilight left the farm, accompanied through the orchards by the entire Apple Family for one last thunderous cry of farewell. The two travelers waved back until they were out of sight.

The world stretched out before them, groaning under the oppression of the nightmare queen. Two ponies against untold numbers of shadowy minions and brutish thugs; but the sun was high, the air fresh, and they were still alive. A grand journey awaited.

“So,” Applejack turned to Twilight. “Where we goin’?”

“Er” Twilight thought for a moment. “I don’t actually know.”

Comments

[Ed130]

2 questions.

1) will you post this to Equestria Daily?

2) is the Scotsman going to appear?

[Foetohn]

1016

1) Probably, once I get my update schedule sped up a bit

2) Yes

[CarlG]

ME GUSTA!

Probably the best ive read... Amazing! Ai vant moar

[Ed130]

1038

NICE!

[Minitheif]

Very nice! Just one small correction, near the end you called Applebloom Appleblossom instead. Nothing too major, but something you might want to fix. How could you do that to Applebloom?

[Whiteeyes]

You mean Apple Bloom right? It's a two word name.

[SirNyanofCanterlot]

Scumble! Nice to see some Discworld references here.