Applejack flung her Stetson on table in frustration and growled.
"Tarnation!!" She said. "How they hay did they push back so hard? We shoulda kept both those places! Once they got hold of them, it was easy for them to get the whole town." Her eyes narrowed as she whirled to stand snout to snout with her two best officers. "Commander Pinkie. Commander Glimmer. Ya'll wanna explain to me how they broke past ya'll's defenses? Hmm?"
"Well, in my defense," Starlight said. "Trixie led the charge on Town Hall. And, um, she put an immobilizing spell on me before I realised it. I never had a chance to use my own magic. Huh. She is getting really good."
"That ain't the point, Starlight!" Applejack huffed. "The point is, ya shoulda seen her comin'! From a mile away! Now, Ah ask ya: why didn't ya??" Starlight drew a breath and sighed.
"To be honest, I, um, wasn't in the Twon Hall tower..." she blushed. Applejack stared.
"What?!" She exclaimed. "Ya left your post?! Why in tarnation did ya do that?!"
"Uh...well...I, um..." Starlight gulped. "I...I...um..."
"Consarn it, girl, spit it out!!" Applejack said in agitation. Starlight gulped, not sure she could. She was spared further trying when the pony at her side piped up.
"It was me, General Applejack!" She said cheerfully. "I hauled in cupcakes and cocoa for our troops to help keep up their strength!" Starlight sighed in relief. Until she caught a glimpse of Applejack's face. Their general looked fit to be tied. Her expression was one of anger, annoyance, aggrivation and shock, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. Starlight winced.
"Commander Pinkie." Applejack's voice was low and strained, as she fought to control her temper. "Are ya tellin' me what Ah think you're tellin' me?"
"I dunno. Are you thinking I said I took cupcakes to Town Hall? Cause yeah, I said that! They needed food so they could fight those Rebels!" Applejack rubbed her snout.
"Pinkie Pie. Who was at the bakery for the second attack?"
"Why, Captain Gummy, of course!" Pinkie giggled. "He may be little and green and not have teeth, but you do not want to mess with him! He's my right hoof alligator! No better soldier anywhere!"
"Is that so?" Applejack said, pushing her snout against Pinkie's. "Then how in tarnation did those Rebel varmints take the bakery?" Pinkie blinked.
"They did???!" She shrieked. "Oh no!! Gummy!!! Where is he?! Was he hurt?!"
"Pinkie Pie," Applejack said. "How do ya not know they took over??"
"I was at the store stocking up to make more cupcakes! Then you called us here to your farm and I don't know what happened in town! Is Gummy ok?!" Applejack took a deep breath.
"At the store. Ya were at the store. After Ah put ya in charge of defendin' the bakery."
"And all the baked goods!" Pinkie yelled. "Did they suffer too?! Oh, please, Applejack, tell me they didn't hurt the baked goods!!"
"Ah'm pretty sure they got eaten." Applejack said, groaning.
"And Gummy?! Is he ok?"
"Ah honestly don't know." Pinkie let out a shriek and rushed out of the house to go save her beloved alligator.
"Applejack? You ok?" Starlight asked, arching an eyebrow at her leader. Applejack rubbed her head and groaned.
"Ah think Ah'm startin' to see why Dash wanted to kill her. 'Guard the bakery', Ah said. 'Nopony gets through,' she said. An' then she goes off deliverin' baked goods and stockin' up to make more! Ah don't know what Ah'm gonna do if-" She was cut off as the door crashed open and a very breathless Pinkie exploded into the room.
"Applejack!!" She yelled. "They have Gummy!! They took him prisoner!! I need guns and swords and cupcakes and pies and anything else I can hit em with! I'm taking my troop and going to save him!"
"Pinkie, you can't just go barging into town!" Starlight said. "Its not our territory, now. The Rebels have control and if you get caught you'll get killed!"
"Commander Glimmer." Pinkie sounded quite firm and determined. "They took Gummy. Nopony takes Gummy and lives to tell about it. Nopony."
"I haven't ever heard of anypony actually taking Gummy before." Starlight said.
"Exactly." Pinkie said. Starlight blinked.
"Pinkie, Ah don't think its such a good idea to do this." Applejack said. "Ponyville is crawlin' with Rebels. Granted, Dash and her main force have headed off towards Canterlot, but she left a good many Rebels in town."
"I am going to save Gummy." Pinkie said. "And it was Dash and her main force that took him."
"Uh oh." Starlight said under her breath, feeling a small pang of pity for the Rebel General.
"Oh. Well, then, we'll move out an' go after em!" Applejack said. "We'll stop em from gettin' to Canterlot and Ah guess save Gummy, too."
"Let me have Dashie." Pinkie said darkly. "She took my pet, and I am gonna decorate her!!"
"I think you mean decimate her, right? As in, destroy her?" Starlight offered.
"No. I mean decorate her!" Pinkie said, scowling. "I am going to stand her in front of my party canon and decorate her in so much frosting and sprinkles and whipped cream and ice cream it'll take her a month to get it all off! And I may throw in some bags of sugar, a ton of cookie dough, a bunch of flour, unbaked cake and a whole bag of salt!"
"Wouldn't that be, you know...a salt and battery?" Starlight snickered at her own joke. Pinkie allowed herself a quick giggle, then scowled again.
"Yeah. And I won't apologise to her either! She will regret taking my Gummy!"
Applejack and Starlight exchanged glances. Poor Dash. Pinkie was going exact hideous revenge on her.
**********************************
Dash meantime was leading her troops determinedly towards Canterlot. She was stopped six miles outside of Ponyville by a good sized troop of Applejack's army.
"Uh oh." Scootaloo said, wide eyed.
"Get ready to fight, squirt." Dash said, drawing her sword. Her companion followed suit. Close by, Rarity and Sweetie Belle also drew their weapons, and Trixie braced herself to throw up a shield if needed. Apple Bloom raised her gun. The Defenders charged, and the Rebels attacked with a vengeance. Swords clicked and clacked, foam bullets flew. Trixie blasted mild knockout spells, as well as easily teleporting ponies from close by to further away. Apple Bloom never left her temporary guardian's side. She was content to stay close to her, swinging her sword and firing her gun...until the worst thing that could have happened, happened.
She came face to face with Applejack.
'Oh Ceslestia. Anypony but her!'
"Apple Bloom!" Applejack exclaimed, quite shocked. "What in tarnation are ya doin' on their side?! Ah thought you were gonna be on my side! Unless...did they take ya prisoner?! Brainwash ya?! Cause if so, Ah'll take this here sword an' find Dash an'..."
"No! Ah chose this side!" Apple Bloom interrupted. "Ah ain't brainwashed, Applejack! An' it ain't General Dash's fault, neither! All us Crusaders joined up with the Rebel side!" Applejack blinked and looked around. Sure enough, nearby she spied Rarity and Dash with their sisters at their sides, fighting. She looked at her sister.
"Bloom, are ya fightin' all alone?" She asked.
"No she isn't!" Trixie jumped forward. "She is Trixie's Second Greatest and Powerfullest Assistant...and temporary charge." Applejack narrowed her eyes.
"Are ya tellin' me that you're the one watchin' mah sister??" She demanded.
"Oh, please, Applejack, relax." Trixie said, rolling her eyes. "Trixie gave Dash her word she would let nothing bad happen to this filly and would guard her with her life. Trixie does not break promises."
"Well, alrighty then." Applejack said. "But ya better not let nothin' bad happen to her...an' Ah'm not talkin' bout in this here war. Ah mean it literally. Ah find out ya did, an' nothin' will keep me from buckin' your hide all the way to Las Pegasus. Ya got that?"
"Loud and clear, Applejack. Trust me. Trixie's got this." Trixie winked at her young charge, who giggled. Then Apple Bloom locked eyes with her sister, who was now her enemy.
"Sis. Ah think ya better get ready. Cause Ah'm a Rebel, an' Ah gotta take ya down!"
"Oh ya do, do ya?" Applejack said. "Well, lets see what ya got, then, AB."
The two crossed swords and started fighting in earnest. Applejack was impressed with her sister's ability to fight. After a brief five minute struggle, Apple Bloom succeeded in knocking Applejack's sword from her grasp. She sighed.
"Big sis, Ah am sorry for what Ah'm gonna do..." she grinned. "But not too sorry!"
With a gleeful shout, she slashed at her sister's forelegs, succeeding in getting one. Applejack yelled and went down.
"AB, how could ya?!" She cried. She looked up. "Ya better finish me off, Ah guess."
"Ah ain't gonna." Apple Bloom said, some part of her still loyal to her sister, even if she was an enemy. So saying, she dashed off to join Trixie just as the magician was about to get attacked by a burly stallion wielding a gun. Applejack smirked.
'Lil sis, ya might have won this round, but Ah'm gonna get ya next time!' She used her 'good' hoof to grab her sword and ward off several Rebels who were now trying to attack her. Across the field, she saw Pinkie Pie come to a full stop in front of Dash, saying something. She chuckled. That was something she wished she could hear!
***********************************
Pinkie Pie faced Dash, eyes narrowed.
"You. Took. Gummy." She spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Well, duh! This is war!" Dash said. "We took him prisoner!" Pinkie scowled.
"General Rainbow Dash." Her voice was almost as cold as her icy blue eyes. "You took Gummy. Prepare to suffer my wrath." Dash snorted.
'Wrath. Yeah right!'
"Whoa!!!"
Pinkie attacked with gusto, sword slashing, intent on taking Dash down. Or at least capturing her for the sworn revenge to be exacted by her party canon. Dash ducked and dodged, suddenly realising it might not have been such a great idea to capture Gummy after all.
"Hey, back off, party pony! Trixie will defend her general!" Trixie yelled as she leaped to the rescue, Apple Bloom at her side. Together, they helped Dash drive back the vengeful Pinkie, who soon retreated to rethink her plans of attack. In less than twenty minutes more, the Rebels broke through the Defenders' line and made their way onward to Canterlot.