When Applejack was called out of class to the office, she waited for Mr. Cranky Doodle to give her his usual exasperated nod, gathered up her things, took them to her locker, and made her way to the office. On the way, she thought about the conversation she'd had with Sunset during lunch.
“I don't think I can do it,” Applejack said as she and Sunset took their trays to the designated area.
“Do what?” Sunset asked.
“Lie about everything that's been happenin'.”
Sunset turned to see a rare expression on Applejack's face: worry. Normally, Applejack was confident and happy. Seeing her upset or worried was something to be concerned about. Sunset smiled and put a hand on her friend's shoulder.
“I'm not asking you to lie, Applejack.”
Applejack's eyes widened. “But... if'n I don't, Agent Shadow will find out everything that's been goin' on and who knows what'll happen then! Have you ever seen me try to lie? It's plain as the red on my apples! She'll know somethin's up! You even coached us on how to do it convincingly!”
“I know,” Sunset answered. “But I have faith in you. I know you're... not good at lying. I'm not going to ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you find you can't hide the truth from her, don't.”
“But that'll mean – “
“I know,” Sunset interrupted. “If the rest of us can't cover for you, and the worst happens, we'll deal with it then.”
Applejack swallowed and looked at her feet, the brim of her hat obscuring her eyes. “I don't wanna let y'all down. You're too important to me.”
Sunset enveloped the farmer in a hug. “You could never let me down, Applejack. You're the rock I can always depend on being at my back. Whenever I'm not sure of what to do, I always ask myself what you would do. You have the most integrity of all of us, and I love you for it.”
Applejack looked up and held Sunset tighter. Her voice came out as a whisper. “I won't let ya down.”
“I know you won't,” Sunset whispered back.
The two separated and began heading for their lockers. It was while she was on her way to her science class that Applejack realized how to deal with the upcoming interrogation.
And now here she was, staring across the table at the black-clad form of Agent Shadow. The agent brushed her flop of scarlet hair out of her eye, revealing the scar that ran across it, straightened the papers in front of her and spoke.
“Miss Applejack, I presume?”
“Eeeyup.”
Agent Shadow quirked an eyebrow at the response. “I'd like to ask you a few questions about some events that have happened here at the school over the past couple of years.”
“Eeeyup.”
Another strange look from the agent. “You're a member of the Rainbooms, correct?”
“Eeeyup.”
Agent Shadow looked from Applejack to Vice-Principal Luna, who simply shrugged. The agent frowned and turned her attention back to the farm girl.
“Now, if I understand things correctly, you won Battle of the Bands against... let me see... 'Trixie and the Illusions.' Is that correct?”
“...”
“Miss Applejack?”
“... Eeeyup.”
“Were the band known as the Dazzlings also competing?”
“Eeeyup.”
“Did you face off against them at any point in the competition?”
“... Nope.” They were officially out of the competition at that point. Disqualified for not appearing when scheduled.
“Was Sunset Shimmer a part of your band?”
“Eeeyup.”
Frustration was starting to form on Agent Shadow's face. “Since you first founded it?”
“Nope.”
A smirk passed across Agent Shadow's face. “Then why did you bring her into the band during the finals?”
“We were all bein' pigheaded and wrapped up in our own problems with each other in the band to notice we were leavin' her out. When she pointed out what was goin' on, we realized not only were we fightin' with each other, we neglected her in the process.”
“I see. Was Twilight Sparkle a member of your band as well?”
“Nope.” Not a lie. They hadn't even met their Twilight yet.
The frown returned. “Let me guess, she wasn't a CHS student at that time?”
“Nope.”
Tempest's fist clenched. “But she was crowned Princess of last year's Fall Formal, is that correct?”
“Eeeyup.” Again, not a lie. Having two Twilights might be a problem, but if spun right, could also help muddy the waters.
“But she wasn't a CHS student?”
“Nope.”
“Then how was she eligible to run in the first place, Miss Applejack?”
Applejack shrugged. Agent Shadow's left hand briefly clenched into a fist before relaxing.
“All right. Are you aware of the destruction at the Canterlot Mall two weeks ago?”
“Eeeyup.”
“Were you there that day?”
“Nope.”
“Where were you?”
“At home,” Applejack answered. “Fixin' the barn with my brother.”
Agent Shadow consulted her notes again. “A barn? So your family has a farm, is that correct?”
“Eeeyup.”
The agent paused. Applejack was secretly pleased to hear a snort of exasperation come from the agent's nostrils.
“Then you'd consider yourself knowledgeable about various types of plants in this area, yes?”
“Eeeyup.”
“You were on the class trip to Camp Everfree last spring?”
“Eeeyup.”
“Did you see any strange plants sprout up while you were there?”
Applejack paused as if she were trying to remember. Then: “Eeeyup.”
Agent Shadow's eye twitched and her jaw tightened. When she spoke again, the strain was evident in the question. “And what, in your opinion, were those plants?”
“Kudzu.”
“Kudzu.” The agent almost spat the word.
“Looked like kudzu to me,” Applejack confirmed. The vines Gloriosa Daisy had created to imprison them all bore a striking resemblance to the creeper vines.
Agent Shadow took a deep breath, held it, then exhaled. “Last summer, there was another incident at the mall. Reports of a ten foot tall woman terrorizing people. Were you there for that?”
“Nope.” Also true. By that point, Applejack and the other girls had been trapped in Juniper Montage's mirror. Juniper's transformation happened once all seven of them were together.
Agent Shadow's fist slammed down on the table, causing Applejack to jump and Luna to lean forward sharply.
“Is there a reason you seem to be deliberately avoiding giving me any sort of details in your answers, Miss Applejack?”
“... Eeeyup.”
The agent leaned forward, her expression dark. “And why exactly is that?”
Applejack straightened her hand and leaned forward herself so she was eye to eye with Agent Shadow. “'Cause I don't like you. Ya come in here, all dark and edgy, usin' cheap intimidation tricks to try to frighten everybody into either given you answers, or just tellin' ya what ya wanna hear. I don't know what you want from a bunch of teenagers, Agent Shadow, or what you think it all has to do with what happened at the mall, but I've seen plenty of yer kind before. Angry and insecure bullies who think that fear equals respect. Well, I got neither for you. Maybe underneath all that fire and brimstone there's somebody worth knowin' and respectin', but if'n there is, y'all seem to have buried it under fifty miles of mean, and I ain't got time for mean. So you can ask yer questions, and I'll answer 'em honestly, but I ain't volunteerin' nothin'.”
The hand had lashed out and grabbed the cowgirl's shirt before she could do anything. Applejack yelped as she was pulled almost fully onto the table. Agent Shadow's eyes sparkled with rage.
“You will tell me everything that pertains to my questions, or you will find yourself in a lot more trouble than you're already in,” the agent hissed. “You don't get to pick and choose what to tell me. I've broken tougher than you, missy. Sometimes literally.”
“AGENT SHADOW!” Luna's voice echoed around the conference room. “RELEASE MY STUDENT THIS INSTANT!”
The authoritative tone caused Agent Shadow to release Applejack, who fell back into her chair with a sharp squeak. The agent looked at Luna, who was on her feet. The vice-principal looked at Applejack.
“Are you all right, Applejack.”
Applejack straightened her shirt. The collar was slightly torn. Dammit, that was Mom's favorite rodeo shirt. Maybe Rarity can fix it.
“I'm fine, ma'am,” Applejack answered. “Shirt's a little worse for wear, but no real harm done.”
“Good,” said Luna. “You can go back to class now.”
“Yes'm.” Applejack got up to leave.
“We are not done here!” Agent Shadow snarled. Luna fixed her with a piercing glare.
“Yes, we are,” she replied coldly. “Or shall I get on the phone to the police and the media about how a government agent physically assaulted a teenage girl in full view of a member of school administration?”
“I still have other students to question,” Agent Shadow muttered darkly.
“And if you allow Applejack to leave, I will still allow you to do so,” Luna replied. “Try to detain her, or touch any of my students again, however, and I will not only end these interviews, I will have you arrested and removed from school property, as well as file an official complaint with your superiors.”
Luna's eyes narrowed and her expression became dark. “You're not the only one who can bury the good in her under fifty miles of mean, Agent Shadow. Do not test me.”
There was a tense moment. Applejack's gaze went from the vice-principal to the agent and back again. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Agent Shadow straightened up and glanced over at the cowgirl, her expression once again professional.
“Thank you for your time, Miss Applejack. That will be all.”
Applejack tipped her hat to Luna, gave Agent Shadow another cold look and walked out of the conference room.
Out in the hallway, she barely made it to the bathroom before she threw up.
Woah, chill Tempest. I couldn't help but smile at Applejack's answers.
See, I'd've gotten my ass kicked across the room, because my default would've been taking a swing at Tempest, agent or otherwise, as soon as I'd've been grabbed.
Still, top marks for AJ, she handled that well.
Would report her anyway
Oh SHIT! Go AJ!
Me on the inside:
i.pinimg.com/originals/6c/c6/e9/6cc6e99823aba2f9ba0c54a6b3eb5e9d.gif
Also me on the inside:
derpicdn.net/img/2013/2/16/244873/thumb.gif
And once more for good measure:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/2/3/1952145.gif
And this definitely deserves in "Oh SNAP " and a half! Go Luna! #BestVP
9775088
For reporting that one of their agents tried to assault a teenager and kidnap another? I doubt Cosmo would go to town on them, the organization itself would be too busy ripping Tempest a new one for creating this PR disaster.
"Secret organization revealed after assault and attempted abduction of teenage student! Government officials bribed into silence!" is not a headline one such organization wants.
9775476
An cause the police to converge on him instead when he starts acting even worse than Tempest.
His organization seems to have gotten away with things chiefly because they've gone after people who have low profiles and didn't do much crying out. Once an organization like that gets blown into the public light, they tend to find it a lot harder to pull shady stunts. Especially in a high school of all places, where every single student carries a camera or two and hungers to be the next viral internet sensation.
9775509
Friends in high places tend to play hot potato with organizations that catch the public's ire. A secret organization that assaults and abducts children is likely to do that.
I'm assuming that Applejack threw up not only because Tempest really scared the hell out of her, but also because she wasn't feeling ok for trying to lie, as honesty is what defines her as a character (not just because it's her Element).
Now, I wonder how Rarity will react, as she's obviously the next one to be questioned?
Will she roast Tempest as she shares her (less brutal but) similar experience with AJ's?
Kinda convenient (that Tempest snapped at her and now, but it's plain that Applejack has shown defiance and confirmed in a way that people don't want to reveal things to Tempest) if you tell me, but hey, you're the writer here ^^.
*According to Rainbow Dash's chapter : if STORM can watch over the server used by Luna aka NightmareMoon (and plenty other medias), I'm sure they can watch over the Main 7 mere phones (as for Rainvow Dash told the others that Tempest spotted the Twilight paradox).
It wouldn't be too easy to give that to Tempest I think.
and Tempest Shadow just crossed the line; that right there is TEXTBOOK assault.
9775615
Severs are slightly different than phones. Luna was on a chat room (probably a shady deep web chat room) that's like a public building with private rooms. A phone is more like a private building with low level locked doors.
They probably still could get access to them but that sort of access requires a warrant to the phone company or the type of government technology they don't just let the paranormal spooks run so a request to the CIA/FBI. It used to be illegal for the government to have that sort of technology in real life but terrorism exists so now they're allowed to monitor damn near anything just not allowed to actually use it without heavy clearance from the top.
9775615
The whole 'Applejack shalt never tell a lie' tends to be a bit overblown in the fandom, really. Applejack is bad at lying and doesn't like it, but she's far from incapable of doing so. We see her telling lies as far back as Applebuck Season. She's terrible at it, but she'll lie to anyone, even herself, if she believes it will help.
9776200
Adding the fact that she doesn't want to let her friends down, I get why lying sounds different about her (and if we compare what happened here to different episodes of the show we can go deeper).
That's why I've precised that as a charcater in this chapter (and not only what defines her), she can try to lie, but then we see how she feels about doing so, plus witnessing the anger of Tempest.
9776040
Thanks for the explanation, I wouldn't have known about how it really worked (less being familiar with those true facts for phone companies, government, etc.).
I mean, I don't need a lot of common sense to get that it's rather illegal - which reminds me Snowden - but it helped to know details.
If I was Principal Celestia/Luna, I would seriously consider leaving a recording device in the room, just in case there were "incidents".
Like this one.
9776618
They wouldn't be able to do that without the consent of all the parents/guardians for all the students involved.
Jeebus, AJ! I'm both super proud and sympathetic towards her after this chapter!
And I got a feeling she'd see exactly the reason why she went by the screen name Nightmare Moon
9783728
Depends on if the state they live in is a one-party consent state, and if that supersedes any of the school's policies or regulations. If not; you're right.
Damn, i'm really enjoying the tension constantly building in this story. Glad i still have plenty of this left before i catch up.