Chapter 7 "Apple Family Affair"
"The Masked Rainbow is working away on Ice Cold right now. The Elements of Harmony are now down to four members thanks to Fluttershy getting that disqualification handed to her," Fancypants monitored from the commentary table situation next to the ring.
"That's right," Pinkie Pie agreed. "Fluttershy really showed that Whiplash what assertiveness is all about. The sharpshooter Fluttershy applied to her is all about bringing a quick win over the opponent. It's easy to do also. You do a little twist with the legs, turn them over, and then arch your back like this." Demonstrating the skill of performing the submissive hold, Pinkie Pie applied it to the other commentator, Michael Colt; much to his surprise and displeasure.
Michael Colt shook and slithered. Calls to Pinkie Pie to release the lock went unanswered. Ponies seated behind the play-by-play laughed at the party pony's presentation of the sharpshooter.
"Pinkie! Let me go! We know what the sharpshooter is!" Michael yelled.
"I'm just showing it to the viewers watching the event at home. Wait! How can they see us if this is only a radio broadcast?" Pinkie Pie questioned.
Fancypants took some notice to the struggle seated next to him. Only a small chuckle came out his voice. His main focus was on the match going on inside the ring across from him.
"While Miss Pinkie Pie displays a classic wrestling submission on my colleague, let us get back to the action at hoof inside the ring," the blue-mane unicorn spoke to the audience listening in via broadcast.
Ice Cold stamped down with her hooves on Rainbow Dash's back. She clinched the pegasus' rainbow mane in her teeth and pulled back with all her might; all perfectly legal in the match. The Masked Rainbow moaned in pain. She struggled in an attempt to get back on her hooves, however, Ice Cold was right there to prevent her from doing so. The blue-mane earth pony dragged Dash over to the corner and tagged in her partner, Honeycrisp. Like her predecessor, Honeycrisp kicked away at her opponent. She then brought the hurting pegasus to her hooves and suddenly pushed her away. Dash didn't want to back down and retreat from the clash she was endured in. She jumped at Honeycrisp. A lot of her energy was tired off. Honeycrisp once again tossed Rainbow Dash away like a unwanted gift.
"I do not have any interest in fighting you," Honeycrisp declared to Dash. "I want Applejack. Tag her in." Honeycrisp wanted to fight her cousin.
Rainbow Dash turned towards her team. Applejack extended out her leg, ready to be tagged in.
"Do it, Rainbow," said Applejack.
Rainbow Dash complied with the demand given to her and tagged in her best friend. Honeycrisp gained an evil smile on her face. A fight she wanted since the beginning of the bout. Applejack was feeling no different. Ever since meeting and hearing of Honeycrisp's turn to the P.W.O., she wanted to set her in the right direction, away from the bad side of life. Everypony watching knew that this family feud wasn't going to be pretty nor pleasant.
Applejack advanced towards her cousin until she was close enough to feel the breath swirling around her head. She knew what was before her wasn't friendly anymore.
"Okay, Honeycrisp, let's settle this like family," Applejack spoke to her angered cousin.
"Ah told you before, Applejack, Ah left our family and don't intend to ever return to it," said Honeycrisp.
"Just who do you think you are?" Applejack asked. She was getting fed up with Honeycrisp's decry about the Apple Family. "Everything our family taught you means nothing to you? The only thing that crossed your mind was to turn your back on it?"
A sharp pain suddenly brushed across Applejack's face. It was the impact of a hard swift strike from Honeycrisp's hoof.
"My life is better now thanks to the P.W.O.!" the honey-colored pony shouted. "And let me show you why!"
Honeycrisp tackled Applejack, the latter landing on her back. On top of her opponent, Honeycrisp battered her cousin with punch after punch, not letting Applejack strike in return. The P.W.O. pony positioned her front hooves across Applejack's neck and pressed down on her hooves. She was now choking her relative. Three Count saw the blatant choke being applied and immediately mentioned to Honeycrisp to release it or face disqualification. Honeycrisp could care less. The intense anger she had towards Applejack was boiling all over herself. She did release Applejack from the clutches of her hooves, but not without mouthing off at the referee. Applejack coughed and tried to collect herself. A new sudden pain rippled through the orange earth pony's body. A violent kick to the stomach. Honeycrisp waited for Applejack to get back on her hooves. She raced towards the blond-mane pony, ramming her head right into the side of Applejack's belly. The impact echoed through the ears of the ponies around the ring. It was a hard and vicious hit.
The force of the collision propelled Applejack to the outside of the ring onto the stadium floor. Three Count began to do the traditional outside ten-count. Applejack was at risk of being counted out and eliminated. Honeycrisp ignored the danger of being eliminated and crawled to the outside to continue the brutal assault on her cousin. Making the beating worse, the attack was being carried out in front of Applejack's brother, sister and grandmother. They watched on helplessly as their family girl was being beaten by another member of the Apple Family.
"Applejack! Get up! Get up!" Apple Bloom called to her big sister.
Honeycrisp grabbed around Applejack's front leg and swung her hard against the metal-gated barrier separating the audience from the action close to the ring. The brutality didn't end there. Honeycrisp grabbed a nearby folding chair and smashed it across the exposed back of Applejack, not once, but twice. Applejack hollered in pain and the suffering she was enduring. Tears erupted from Apple Bloom's eyes as she witnessed the carnage in front of her. She quickly covered her view with her hooves, not wanting to see her sister be attacked in this manner.
"Good idea to cover your eyes," Honeycrisp called out to Apple Bloom once she saw the little filly hide her sight. "Once I'm finished with your sister, you won't want to look at her again."
"You're one crab apple, you hear me!" Granny Smith shaking her hoof at Honeycrisp.
"Oh shut it, grandma pie!" Honeycrisp snapped back at the elderly pony.
Honeycrisp grabbed onto Applejack's mane by her teeth and tossed her back into the squared combat ring, just making it before the ten-count. The offensive pony tossed Applejack in a vacant corner of the ring. Punches and kicks dominated Honeycrisp's attack. Applejack was pretty much powerless to fight back. Her front legs drooped over the top ropes. Her back legs barely holding herself up. Her body bruised from the constant assaults from her own cousin.
"This is bad," said Twilight from the sideline of the ring canvas. "Applejack is taking a lot of punishment from Honeycrisp. She's got to get back on her hooves and turn the tables."
"You're right, Twilight," Rarity agreed. "But there's nothing we can do."
Rainbow Dash really wanted to go through the ropes and come to the rescue of her partner and friend, but the fear of being ejected from the match was present with her. She was helpless. Watching the apple farmer getting beaten and be on the receiving end of several wrestling slams was hard to witness. She knew Applejack was a strong pony and calls to her best friend to fight back were fruitless. All sorts of things were traveling through the pegasus' mind; fears, emotions, memories.
One particular memory snapped into her conscience. A day she remembered a year ago. It was on the day of the Running of the Leaves. Both Dash and Applejack competed in the race. Over the course of the day, they contested against each other to determine who the better athlete was; an iron pony more precisely. When it came to the race, their constant horsing around brought them into a tie for last place. This made them realize that they almost broke up as friends. Later on after a run together, they reflected on what they went through that day.
"Applejack, I want to apologize for my actions towards you. It's my fault we tied for last place. I just get so swept up in competition and let it get the better of me. I did cheat in some of those events we did. I guess my pride in being a pegasus sometimes drives me to win in any way possible."
"Don't feel that way, Rainbow. We both displayed poor sportsmanship. And there's nothing wrong about being proud of what you are."
"But if I didn't use my wings, you would have won."
"What do you mean, Rainbow?"
"Applejack, you and I different. Different ponies. You're an earth pony and I'm a pegasus. Our strengths are different. I feel that I'm a strong pegasus, but you're strong earth pony. Stronger than me."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. I know how strong you are. I hate to lose, but I'm not an iron pony. You are. You should have won."
"You really think that, Rainbow?"
"Yes."
"Rainbow, we're friends. That's all that should matter."
Those messages, those memories, they remained within Rainbow Dash's collective brain. The day Dash admitted to her friend about her own guilt. It was hard on her. It's hard on her now seeing that same friend being beaten by another pony and unable to physically help.
Applejack was laid out on the ring canvas. Her body aching all over. Bruises and bumps covered across her. Honeycrisp stood over her, staring down at her weaken cousin. She wanted to finish the job she started when she first engaged Applejack in the match. Honeycrisp grabbed the orange farm pony by her head, lifting her up onto her hooves.
"It's time to finish this, Applejack. And once this is over, you'll fully understand why the P.W.O. is a better family for me," Honeycrisp stated into Applejack's eyes.
Honeycrisp placed Applejack's head between her legs. She reached around Applejack's body and held on tightly with her legs, hoisting her body up against hers. No time to waste, Honeycrisp dropped down into a seated position. Applejack's head impacted with the base of the ring. The sound of the crash rippled across the canvas. Honeycrisp climbed back onto her hooves. She boasted to the vast crowd, receiving a wave of boos in return. She didn't care. Applejack was motionless. Her eyes were barely open. She could hear, but it sounded like whispers to her. A particular voice echoed into the earth pony's ear. It drowned out all the other voices calling out to her. She turned to the direction she could make out where the call was coming from. It was from the masked pegasus in her corner, Rainbow Dash.
"Applejack! You're an iron pony! All the times we competed against each other, I knew you were as strong as a stallion. Bring out the iron pony inside you. You've got to do it! Don't let her defeat you like this!" Dash called out to her friend on the canvas.
Honeycrisp came over to her downed cousin and laid on top for the pin. Three Count began to count the fall.
"You're right, Rainbow," Applejack said just below a whisper.
As the referee's hoof was about to collide with the canvas for the third count and give Honeycrisp the victory, Applejack kicked back with her hind legs and tossed the P.W.O. pony off her body. The reaction of the on looking crowd was amazing. The cheers for Applejack exploded. The farmer quickly stood back up on her hooves. Honeycrisp was shocked by the sudden burst of energy of the pony she thought she had beaten. She charged Applejack for a strike, but her hoof was blocked.
"What the hay? Ah had you beaten to the point of your defeat. Your hooves aren't strong enough to put ah stop to me," said Honeycrisp.
"There's more to strength than just your hooves. My strength comes from the love of mah family, the family you turned on. Ah stand by all mah family has done for the ponies of Ponyville, all of Equestria, and Ah wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."
"Stop giving me this Apple Family garbage. The P.W.O. is mah family!" Honeycrisp yelled. Honeycrisp tried to counter to Applejack's defence, but the apple farmer was not going to let go of the hooflock. "Let go of me!"
"This is fer our family!" Applejack launched a hard kick with her lower leg to the stomach of her cousin. With a swift turn, Applejack caught Honeycrisp's head on her shoulder and locked it in with her leg. "Apple Buck Buster!"
Applejack quickly dropped to the canvas, bringing her cousin with her. The sudden impact brought a collision between Honeycrisp's chin with her cousin's shoulder. Honeycrisp fell back onto the ring floor. Movement was minimal with her. Applejack rushed over for the pin. Three Count counted the cover and the third stomp brought victory for The Elements of Harmony. Honeycrisp was eliminated.
The audience erupted in cheers for the apple farmer pony. Her family at ringside hopped to their hooves in jubilation. "Way ah go, big sis!" Apple Bloom cheered out.
"You showed her!" Granny Smith called.
"Eeyup!" was all Big Macintosh had to yell out for his little sister.
Stormer rushed into the ring and began attacking the already exhausted Applejack. Applejack wanted to tag out, but getting to her own corner was a challenge. She returned jabs at the aggressive pony showing she still had some fighting energy left in her.
"For Pete's sake! You two! Get in there and beat that apple pony so that she doesn't get back up," Violet Velvet ordered to Sky Chaser and Ice Cold.
The P.W.O. ponies joined in the ring and jointly struck against their enemy. Applejack saw them coming and was ready for them. She swung blows to each of them. It was three on one. Applejack got the two invaders to back off and returned her focus on Stormer. Three Count confronted Ice Cold and Sky Chaser, demanding them to leave the interior of the ring or be ejected from the match. Applejack caught Stormer in the same position as her cousin. She was setting her up for an Apple Buck Buster.
"Now it's your turn to get ah taste of the Apple Family," said Applejack as she prepared to project the kick to the opponent's lower body.
With the referee distracted by the other two members refusing to leave the ring, Violet snuck inside the squared platform behind Applejack.
"Buck this, Applecore!" Violet yelled to the unseen Applejack. Violet kicked back with her hind legs into the lower back of Applejack. The earth pony cried out as the sudden pain swept through her back. She crashed down onto the ring canvas. The attack was not noticed by Three Count. Violet returned to her corner and exited before the referee could see her.
"Hey! She can't do that to mah sister. That's cheatin'," Apple Bloom observed the blatant strike on Applejack from the front row. Her grandmother and brother voiced their displeasure to the sneak attack as well.
Ice Cold and Sky Chaser exited through the ropes and joined Violet in their corner. Stormer laid across Applejack, waiting for Three Count to place the count. The referee galloped over and counted the three on Applejack. Applejack was gone from the match.