//------------------------------// // Bruised Apples // Story: Beating Yourself Up Over It // by Graglithan The Greater //------------------------------// When Sunset and Scootaloo arrived at the Nurse’s Office, they found Rainbow Dash laying on a cot with a large bag of ice on her stomach, and a smaller ice bag used as a pillow. Fluttershy was pacing with worry, nearly running over Pinkie and Nurse Redheart as they tried to calm her down. “Aw C’mon Fluttershy! Rainbow’s fine, see!” Pinkie zipped over and pointed at the bedridden friend. “So what if she took a soul-stealing super soccer ball to the solar plexus. This is Rainbow Dash we’re talking about! She could take seven of those and be okay!” The whimper that came out of Fluttershy’s mouth at the thought of that happening to Rainbow would have made even gods feel horrible and try to soothe her. It also made Nurse Redheart glare at Pinkie for a moment, making the party girl smile sheepishly. In a quick motion of impressive reflexes, Nurse Redheart finally managed to get in front of the panicked girl and get her to focus on her. “Ms. Shy, please, I’ve done everything I can as the school’s nurse. You need to stop and sit down before I end up having two patients in here. I’ve already called her parents, and they’re on their way to pick her up.” “I-I’m sorry but I can’t! With how Rainbow got hurt a-and...” Fluttershy’s breaths started to come faster and faster until Pinkie pulled a paper bag from her hair and handed it to the animal caretaker. Sneaking around the three as Fluttershy tried to stop hyperventilating, Sunset looked to Rainbow, who was blearily looking up and trying to drown out the noise with the actual pillow the cot customarily used. “So... you feeling okay?” Rainbow’s eyes rolled towards Sunset as she started to glare. “I feel like I was hit with a Czar bomb. Does that sound okay?” Rising her hands in defense, Sunset took a step back. “Okay, I’ll admit, bad question.” “No kidding.” Groaning into the fluff, Rainbow Dash let go of the pillow and let it flop next to the ice bag. “I didn’t think me from your world would pack so much of a punch. I mean, Twilight was pretty normal when she showed up right?” Sunset shook a hand in the air as she grimaced. “Well, in her defense, she never attacked anyone, and started off as a unicorn so...” At Rainbow’s confused stare, Sunset rubbed her head a bit. “I’ll explain later.” Peering from around Sunset at her honorary big sister, Scootaloo’s eyes shined with worry. “Are you going to be okay Dash?” Putting on a smirk, Rainbow pumped a fist up and looked at the smaller orange girl. “Don’t worry about me squirt. If I couldn’t tank a shot from myself, it’d be pretty embarrassing, and I’m too cool for that.” She winced for a moment and adjusted the ice behind her. “Speaking of, how are you awake right now? Didn’t you pass out earlier?” Sunset raised an eyebrow, looking at the ice packs. “Fluttershy dragging me down the hall and then getting a lot of ice pressed against me fixed that.” Rainbow shivered a bit before she perked up at a thought. ”Hey, do you think I’ll build up that kind of leg strength? That was a pretty mean kick.” The fire headed girl could feel the sweat drop crawling down her cheek as she sighed. Yep, she’s fine. “Worry about the bruise and possible concussion first Rainbow.” Sunset got up and looked to Scootaloo. “Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself trying to replicate that.” Scootaloo stood stock still and gave a salute. “Yes, Ma’am!” Heading for the door, Sunset glanced over her shoulder. “I’m going to go let Applejack and Rarity know what happened.” Rainbow gave her a thumbs up. “Later Sunset.” Taking her leave of the Nurse’s room, Sunset started down the hallway to try and catch Applejack up on the situation. Glad I have a free period the same time as her. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed up her farming friend, letting the phone ring. And ring... And ring some more. When the voicemail message came up, Sunset frowned and glanced at her phone. “Weird. Applejack usually isn’t doing anything right now.” The tone beeped, and Sunset put the phone to her ear again. “Hey Applejack, It’s Sunset. So uh, Rainbow’s counterpart came through the portal and might have kicked a soccer ball into her stomach hard enough to leave a rather nasty bruise. I just wanted to let you know she’s fine, but please don’t try to brawl with her anytime soon. See you when I can.” Clicking the call off, she started to fiddle with the phone charm she got from Rarity. Maybe she’s in the library? Sunset put her phone away just as her bag started to vibrate again. Oh for the love of Celestia. Stepping into one of the classrooms, the slightly annoyed girl pulled out the journal. Sunset we have a problem. I got Rainbow under control on my side, but there’s something you need to know... Scootaloo stepped out of the Nurses office with her tardy slip in hand, when she found herself getting pulled along down the hallway by her arm. “Scootaloo, I need your help! Magical Emergency! No time to explain!” The orange girl stared at Sunset in surprise as they came to a stop a few yards down the hall, only to keep getting pulled down a different hall. “Do you have any idea where Applejack could be right now?” The tomboy shook her head for a moment to clear it before looking up at the frantic Sunset. “Applebloom said she and her sister were going to the library to study for a bit. Why?” The two skid to a stop as they reached the library, Sunset’s hair slowly becoming more frazzled. “Because if what Twilight got out of her Rainbow is true, then we need to warn them before-” The two orange girls stood in shock at the state of the library. Books and shelves laid knocked over here and there, a table or two sat overturned, and a few of the computers were on the ground. But the most interesting sight was the fact that on the far side of the library, hanging from the second floor, was both Applebloom and Applejack, hogtied, with bars of lye soap sticking out of their mouths. Applejack’s signature Stetson was lying on the ground below them, unable to stay on the upside down girl’s head. Also below the both, was another Applejack, only she was dressed like she was ready to go toe to toe with a raging bull in a rodeo, hat included, and planned on coming out on top with perfect certainty. The only other thing absolute about her was the stern stare she gave the two as she frowned. “Now the both y'all think long and hard about what ya did while yer up there.” Sunset walked forward, face still frozen in shock as she looked about the destruction. Scootaloo followed shortly behind her, sharing in her surveying of the mess. The larger orange skinned girl was not focusing on Scoots though. Sunset had a different thought in her head. Somehow... I’m going to get blamed for this. I know it. When two new guests in the room got closer to the three, the Equestrian Applejack looked over and waved. “Hey there! You’re Sunset, right?” Sunset just kept staring, counting up how many hours it would take to fix everything and spoke up when her eyes finally locked back onto Applejack. “What did you do!?” Seemingly oblivious, Applejack waved a hand casually. “Just some Apple Family discipline is all. Ah’d stay and chat, but ah gotta farm to run,” the farmer’s smile slowly started to fall as she headed for the door, “and whatever else that darn map has me doing later... and making sure Bloom gets out of bed... again.” From above, Applebloom let out an indignant, yet muffled, protest. When the second Applejack was gone, Sunset rushed to the second floor and started untying the rope. “Scootaloo, catch Applebloom.” “On it!” A minute passed before they had the first Apple sibling back on solid ground. As soon as her hands were free, Applebloom ripped the soap bar from her mouth and gagged. “Ah already went through that once, why do ah gotta have that nasty bar in my mouth twice!?” Applejack responded with a plethora of muffled words, even as she got closer to the floor. As she helped catch the farmer girl, Scootaloo looked between the two sisters before raising an eyebrow. “Wait, your grandma put a bar of soap in your mouth?” Applebloom nodded, rubbing her wrists after setting Applejack down. "An' ah think that doppelganger gave me rope burn." Once Applejack was on the ground, Sunset came downstairs and started helping her sit up and pull the soap bar out of her mouth. “Mind explaining’ why exactly ah just hogtied myself like a prize rodeo steer?” Sunset pulled out the journal from her bag and knelt down next to Applejack. “So, uh, apparently you and everyone else’s counterparts were kinda angry about what happened before the break.” Taking a moment to open up the journal, Sunset held it up for her blonde friend to read. Sunset we have a problem. I got Rainbow under control on my side, but there’s something you need to know about right now. According to Spike, shortly after I figured out she had snuck in and went to contact you, the rest of my friends went in while I wasn’t looking. For the love of Celestia, please keep them from doing anything too harsh. When you told me what Rainbow Dash had done, I almost had an aneurysm, and I do not want to think about what the other four might do. Please keep them from hurting each other. The sound of crashing down the hallway drew their attention to the doors leading out of the library, and Sunset jumped back to her feet. “Oh come on, can’t I catch one of them before they meet!?” She looked at the two youngest girls and pointed to Applejack. “You two get her untied and to the nurse.” As Sunset ran off without waiting for a response, the three girls all stared for a second at her retreating form. Only when she was gone, Scootaloo finally spoke up. “Did you really get a soap bar shoved into your mouth after all that?” “Apple Family punishment.” Applebloom sighed, bow drooping along with her face. “Ta ‘wash the lies off yer tongue’ and keep ‘em from coming back.” “Hey now, Ah’ll have you know it works! It kept both Big Mac and me from tellin' any fancy lies when we were younger.” Applejack said as she leaned forward. “Now would you two please get to untying these dang ropes? And someone grab my hat!”