//------------------------------// // To Fight With a Rat // Story: As the Apple Blooms // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// As the Apple Blooms Part 5; To Fight With a Rat Apple Bloom was awoken from her peaceful slumber by an unknown sound. At first, she thought that it was Wheeljack trying to wake her up with another one of his loud pranks (or rather just making loud noise). However, when she turned to see her alarm clock, she was surprised to see that it was only around Two A.M. “What in tarnation?” Apple Bloom asked as she rose from her bed. She would have asked herself more, but was interrupted from her train of thought by Wheeljack as he cautiously opened the door, glancing all over her room. After a few awkward seconds, Apple Bloom asked, “Somethin’ wrong?” “I was thinking that whatever is making that noise was in here.” He answered in a somewhat embarrassed tone. “Cleary, it is not.” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes as she said, “Ah think whatever it is, it’s in the garbage.” Wheeljack stood in the doorway for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders as he said, “Ok that makes sense.” The sound from the garbage continued, and Apple Bloom and Wheeljack realized that whatever it was, it was digging deeper into their garbage. Apple Bloom suggested, “We better go deal with this little varmint.” Outside the Chop Shop Apple Bloom and Wheeljack began to tip toe up to the corner of the shop, hoping to catch whatever was making all the ruckus in the act. “So kid.” Wheeljack asked. “You think this might be a raccoon or something?” “Ah dunno.” Apple Bloom whispered. “It could be a skunk.” At the mere mention of a skunk, Wheeljack began to squirm at the mere mention of a skunk. “Egh. I’d hate to get skunk piss on my jumpsuit.” Wheeljack said. Apple Bloom gave him a cheeky look as she quipped, “Ya know, Ah’ve never seen you wear anythin’ other than that jumpsuit of yours.” Wheeljack then whispered, “I’ll have you know that this is a very fine…” he stopped himself when he realized Apple Bloom was giving him a, for lack of a better term, shit-eating grin. “Oh ha ha, very funny.” He then added, “In that case, since I’m already stinky enough, you go first.” Apple Bloom could only sigh as she said, “Alright. Follow me.” She turned to the corner and made a hand motion signaling Wheeljack to follow her. As she made it to the corner, she peeked around, hoping to see either a raccoon, stray cat, or at worst a skunk or wolverine. Instead, she found two human legs sticking out of the trash can. They were wearing scruffy blue jeans and two shoes similar to the ones Rainbow Dash wore, only far shorter and black where hers were blue. She couldn’t see much else, save for the pieces of trash being thrown all over the place. Wheeljack then peaked over Apple Bloom’s shoulder, only to see the same sight she was witnessing. He then muttered to himself, “Oh boy. Here we go again.” “Wait, what do ya mean “again”?!” Apple Bloom asked incredulously, only realizing too late how loud she actually was. When she turned back to the trash cans, she saw the person inside tumble down, taking the can with him. From inside the can, she heard a voice call out, “Oh, for the love of gouda.” The voice was that of a teenager, probably around Apple Bloom’s age. “Sheesh, ya try to grab a bite to eat, and people start clammerin’ for ya to get lost.” He continued as he squirmed out of the trash can. Apple Bloom now found herself standing before a teenager with brown skin, red eyes, buck teeth, silver hair, and a gray tee shirt that was clearly several sizes too big. He noticed that he was being watched as he quipped out loud, “Well now, Here I am bein’ spied on by Anon-A-Miss and her accomplice. I just feel heaps better knowin’ everyone is watchin’ over me.” Before Apple Bloom could say anything to counter him, he quickly, under his breath, muttered, “We’re all gonna die.” From behind her, Apple Bloom heard footsteps. She and Wheeljack turned to see Ironhide, clearly annoyed. “Uncle Ironhide.” Apple Bloom said in surprise. At the mere mention of Ironhide’s name, the boy from the trash can began to quietly tip toe away. Ironhide walked up to the boy and gave him a look that made his annoyance absolutely clear. The boy began to quickly explain, “Oh Mr. Ironhide. Look, I was out for a walk and saw somethin’ jump into your trash cans. I jumped in to try and catch it and stop it from throwin’ garbage all over the place and…..” Ironhide raised a hand as he firmly, yet ironically warmly said, “Shut up Rattrap.” The boy let out a defeated sigh as he said, “Yes sir.” Ironhide then walked up to him and warmly said, “This is the third time you’ve been rummaging through my garbage. What have I told you about that?” Apple Bloom figured that Rattrap would say something along the lines of “Don’t do it.” Instead, Rattrap replied, “That if I was hungry to just tell you or someone else?” Ironhide nodded and said, “Exactly. Follow me kid, I’ll see if I can whip you up something.” Rattrap began to walk up to Ironhide, giving Apple Bloom a suspicious look. Apple Bloom gave him one in return, but stopped when Ironhide asked, “So Apple Bloom, since Rattrap here clearly woke you up, you in the mood for a midnight snack?” Apple Bloom simply shrugged and replied, “Ah guess so.” She then proceeded to follow Ironhide and Rattrap. “Hold on now. Wait a minute.” Wheeljack said. “Who’s gonna get the trash?” Ironhide turned to him and said, “Now that you mention it, would you mind getting it?” As he and the kids entered the Chop Shop, Wheeljack simply sighed as he muttered to himself, “Me and my big mouth.” The Kitchen. When the trio entered the kitchen, Ironhide turned to Rattrap and said, “I’m gonna make us a few sandwiches, that ok?” Rattrap simply shrugged as he nodded. Ironhide then turned to Apple Bloom and said, “Anything you want on yours Apple Bloom?” “Ah’m fine with anythin’.” Apple Bloom replied, now finally starting to wake up. Ironhide then turned to Rattrap and asked, “Any requests for you?” Rattrap shook his head, signaling that he was also fine with anything. Ironhide then made his way to the pantry as he pulled out a loaf of bread and gathered several pieces of bread. As Ironhide continued to make the sandwiches, Rattrap turned To Apple Bloom and asked, “So, eh, it true you’re the one who was stealin’ everyone’s secrets over in Canterlot City?” Apple Bloom simply shrugged and, with a defeated sigh, replied, “Yeah. It’s a long story.” Rattrap replied, “Honestly, I never liked long stories, so I don’t think I need to know too much.” The fact that he had basically admitted that he didn’t care gave Apple Bloom a sense of relief. That was until Rattrap suddenly grabbed Apple Bloom by her pajama collar and threatened, “But I’ll tell ya this. You EVER try anythin’ like that on me, and I’ll personally rearrange every square inch of ya!” Apple Bloom managed to wrestle herself free and angrily retorted, “Ah ain’t gonna do anythin’ like that again!” Rattrap then replied, “Yeah well, forgive me if I don’t exactly buy that.” Ironhide turned to face the two teenagers and said, “Knock it off you two!” Apple Bloom immediately backed down as Rattrap simply folded his arms and muttered to yourself, “If it’s not the spies with their eyes focused on ya, it’s the adults.” Ironhide then explained, “Rattrap, I would appreciate it if you didn’t threaten my niece. I can assure you that if she causes any trouble, she’ll have to answer to me.” Rattrap nodded as he turned to Apple Bloom and said, “Hey, uh, sorry for snappin’ at ya. Guess I got a bit of a temper.” Apple Bloom replied, “It’s alright. Sorry about snappin’ at ya too.” Ten minutes later, Ironhide, Rattrap, and Apple Bloom were seated at the kitchen table eating their midnight snack. Apple Bloom was unsettled by the sight of Rattrap wolfing down his sandwich, particularly the fact that it didn’t seem that he was chewing very much. “So, uh, Rattrap…..” Apple Bloom began nervously. “What were you doin’ in the garbage?” “Dumpster diving.” Rattrap replied nonchalantly. “Sometimes you’d be surprised what people take for granted.” He then stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed. Ironhide then asked, “And what exactly were you looking for?” Rattrap hesitated for a moment before he nervously replied, “I was just lookin’, ya know?” Ironhide gave him a look that made it clear he didn’t buy his reason, leaving both Rattrap and Apple Bloom very unsettled. After a few awkward moments, Rattrap sighed in resignation as he replied, “I was lookin’ for anything edible you guys might have thrown out.” Apple Bloom was stunned. Considering how scrawny he was, did this mean that he was….. As soon as those words left Rattrap’s mouth, Ironhide sighed, worried that his worst fear had come true. He turned to Apple Bloom and asked, “Apple Bloom, would you mind giving us a few minutes?” Apple Bloom wanted to protest, but the look on her uncle’s face made it clear that that would not be an option. She then got up from the kitchen table and made her way to the workshop. The Chop Shop Workshop Apple Bloom was surprised to see Wheeljack had not only returned from cleaning up the garbage, but was now busy working on a transmission. “Uh, Wheeljack, shouldn’t you be asleep by now?” She asked. Wheeljack, without even looking back, replied, “Ah could say the same of you, kid.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but let out an embarrassed giggle since he was right. She then answered, “Well, Since Ah was up, Uncle Ironhide offered to make me and Rattrap a midnight snack.” At the mention of that name, Wheeljack sighed and said, “Sometimes I worry about that kid.” Apple Bloom asked, “What do ya mean ya worry about him?” When Wheeljack turned around, Apple Bloom began to nervously reply, “What Ah mean is that you and Uncle Ironhide say that this isn’t the first time this is happened.” Wheeljack made his way up to Apple Bloom and began to somberly speak, “Look, what I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave this room.” Though he wasn’t trying to be intimidating, Apple Bloom knew that he was being absolutely serious, a rare sight from the normally jovial and energetic Wheeljack. She proceeded to perform the now familiar motions of the Pinkie Promise. With the promise made, Wheeljack began to explain. “You see, none of us really know too much about Rattrap. We caught him dumpster diving about three months ago. The moment we saw him, we realized something was wrong. I mean, Rattrap is practically skin and bone.” “Ah noticed.” Apple Bloom replied. “Ah mean, you’d think he was half starved.” Wheeljack shook his head as he solemnly replied, “Honestly I think he is. The last time we caught him here, his shirt slipped off, and to say his ribs were visible would be nothing short of an understatement.” Then, from behind the two, they heard the sound of Rattrap’s voice call out, “I shoulda figured I’d be the talk of the town.” Apple Bloom felt a rush of shame overcome her as she said, “Ah’m sorry. Ah was just worried about ya.” Rattrap defiantly retorted, “Well for your information, I’d say I’m doin’ alright, and I don’t need some stinkin’ spy like you lookin’ over me like a hawk.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but give a glare at him, wondering if his friendliness earlier was simply a ruse. It was then that Ironhide entered the workshop and said, “Since we’re all here, Rattrap will be spending the night. I’m not letting him wander the streets tonight.” Apple Bloom asked, “So, does this mean that Ah have to share mah bed?” Ironhide immediately replied, “Of course not.” He turned to Rattrap and explained, “Since this is the third time you went dumpster diving in our garbage, and since we don’t have a guest room anymore, I think the couch should suffice for tonight.” Rattrap simply shrugged as he muttered to himself, “Better than nothin’.” Ironhide let out a relieved sigh as he began to speak again. “Alright, now that that’s taken care of, we should all get some sleep.” He then turned to Wheeljack as he continued, “Especially you Wheeljack. I notice you’re still wearing your jumpsuit.” Wheeljack let out a guilty chuckle as he replied, “Heh heh. Sorry about that.” Apple Bloom chuckled as she let out a yawn. With that, Apple Bloom and Ironhide made their way to their rooms, Wheeljack departed to wherever he lurked, and Rattrap made his way to the living room, all hoping to enjoy a good night’s sleep. The Kitchen, the Next Morning Apple Bloom made her way down the stairwell and into the kitchen, only to be pleasantly surprised by the sight of Rattrap helping Chromia with preparing breakfast. “Howdy Rattrap. Sleep well?” She asked. Rattrap shrugged as he replied, “Eh, about as well as ya can on a sofa.” He then made an exaggerated stretch as he continued, “I swear my back is killin’ me.” Chromia then joined in the conversation. “Which you wouldn’t have had to if you’d snuck out. I mean, your parents must be worried.” Apple Bloom noticed that Rattrap’s pupils shrunk as he began to speak again. “Yeah, about that. They’re probably not worried.” He was trying to act tough, almost like Scootaloo. However, knowing Scootaloo’s past, it usually meant she was hiding something, and she knew when someone was hiding something. However, Chromia didn’t notice the subtle change in attitude and replied, “Well either way, I think they won’t mind you staying for breakfast.” With that, She and Rattrap resumed preparing breakfast, leaving Apple Bloom to ponder over her discovery. Thirty Minutes Later After eating breakfast, Apple Bloom was tasked by Ironhide to escort Rattrap back into town. With her bike only able to seat one person, she found herself forced to walk, her bike being pulled with her. Ironhide would have given them a ride, but he and the others were busy finishing up Shockwave’s ores, and Chromia was busy fixing a truck. And so, Apple Bloom found herself walking down the road towards town with Rattrap. As they walked, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but notice more of Rattrap’s attire. His shirt may have been gray, but there were smudges and stains all over it, his pants were torn at the knees and at the leg holes, and his shoes were incredibly dirty with the white toe and shoelaces dulled by dirt. Rattrap noticed he was being eyed and remarked, “I know I ain’t much of a looker.” Apple Bloom nervously began to reply, “Ah… Ah was just….” Rattrap let out a gentle chuckle as he replied, “Don’t worry. I ain’t exactly one for fancy clothin’.” “Ah know the feelin’.” Apple Bloom replied. “A friend of mah sister’s, Rarity, is a fashion designer. Every now an’ then, she’d rope me into modellin’ a few of her dresses.” She then felt herself blush a bit as she continued, “Honestly Ah prefer function over form.” That was when Rattrap added, “Wait, wasn’t she the one who you posted those pictures of her and her friends messin’ around with a bunch of really tacky clothes?” Apple Bloom could only sigh and remark, “Yeah. Wasn’t mah best idea.” Rattrap then replied, “Hey, I know a thing or two about dumb ideas. One time I was dumpster diving behind Brawn’s gym, and when one of the guys there tried to chase me off, I thought I could teach him a lesson.” He then gave a dramatic pause before he finished, “It didn’t end well.” His dead pan response was so hilarious that Apple Bloom couldn’t help but laugh. Apple Bloom then said, “So, why do ya go dumpster divin’?” Rattrap tensed up a bit, hesitating to reveal his answer. Apple Bloom noticed this as she added, “If ya don’t want to, Ah understand.” Rattrap sighed before answering, “Well, let’s just say thing’s at home ain’t exactly all peachy keen.” It was only one simple sentence, but the vague implications were rather unfortunate. “Oh.” Apple Bloom quietly muttered. “Sorry about that.” Rattrap shrugged as he replied, “Eh, not like you caused any of it.” Even though his tone wasn’t threatening, there was a noticeable hint of anger in his voice. Apple Bloom immediately apologized, “Sorry Ah asked.” Rattrap hesitated for a moment before he continued, “It’s alright kid. ‘Sides, a little sufferin’ is good for the soul.” Apple Bloom couldn’t help but feel somewhat depressed at Rattrap’s last remark. It almost seemed as if he were a nihilist. Deciding she needed to lighten the mood, Apple Bloom playfully replied, “Who you callin’ “kid?” Ah’m not that much older than you.” Rattrap began to laugh again as he remarked, “Ok, that’s a good one Apple Bloom.” Apple Bloom replied, “Thanks. Guess Ah’ve kinda developed a bit of a sense of humor.” Rattrap added, “Always good to have a sense of humor, cause without one life can be pretty tedious.” Allspark Wells As Apple Bloom and Rattrap entered Allspark Wells, the former remarked, “Ya know, this place is really startin’ to grow on me.” She had found the town had a certain aura about it that Canterlot City had never provided her, even before the Anon-A-Miss incident. Rattrap added, “I bet. I mean, few cops, plenty of garbage, and a lot of wild berries. It’s a squatter’s paradise.” Apple Bloom gave him a suspicious look before he replied, “Not that I’m a squatter or anythin’.” Before either Apple Bloom or Rattrap could say anything, they heard an unfamiliar voice call out, “Well well well, the spy and the rat.” Apple Bloom turned face the noise, only to see two teenagers leaning against one of the buildings. Both had pale white skin and red eyes, but one was dressed in a blue-ish purple outfit, and the other was wearing gray with red accents. The teen in blue cracked his knuckles as he threateningly asked, “So, who wants to rumble with Rumble?” Apple Bloom began to back away as she nervously replied, “Uh, Ah don’t want to cause any trouble.” The other teen added, “Yeah well, you caused trouble the moment you walked into town Anon-A-Miss.” Apple Bloom felt her face turn red with anger when he brought up her past. She may not have felt any real shame for it anymore, but to hear someone not only bring it up again, but do so maliciously made her blood boil. Rattrap walked up to the teen in black and red as he began, “Lay off her Frenzy, she didn’t do anythin’ to you.” Frenzy shrugged as he replied, “Yeah, but we’re not gonna take any chances, are we?” Rumble turned to the other and replied, “No. We’re gonna show her what happens when she gets in our way.” Apple Bloom began to panic. These two were making it very clear what they were intending to do to her, and it wasn’t pretty. She tried to step away, but Frenzy ran around her and cut her off. Rattrap tried to intervene, but Rumble restrained him. Frenzy then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a black item that resembled a switchblade. As Apple Bloom eyed the device with horror in her eyes, Frenzy flicked it as he swiped towards her. Apple Bloom didn’t feel a cut or any pain on her. However, she did feel a warm, wet feeling on her lower body. Taking a quick glimpse down, she realized what had just happened and quickly averted her eyes in shame as Frenzy and Rumble began to laugh. “Awh, did the little baby pee her overalls?” Frenzy asked as he took his device, which in reality was a simple comb, and began to comb his hair. Rumble then suggested, “Hey get your phone out! We gotta post this on MyStable!” He was so distracted by this that he failed to realize he had softened his grip on Rattrap. The scrawny teenager, having seen and heard everything, angrily muttered, “Oh, that crosses the line.” Without a moment’s hesitation, Rattrap bent his foot back, kicking Rumble in the “big cogs.” As Rumble recoiled in pain, Rattrap took the opportunity and charged Frenzy, grabbing him in headlock. “No fair!” Frenzy complained. Rattrap rolled his eyes as he countered, “You boys say I’m a rat, eh? Ya wanna fight with a rat, you better be prepared to fight dirty.” He then raised his right fist as he screamed, “Noogie!” Rattrap then proceeded to rub his knuckles against Frenzy’s scalp. Rumble managed to recover from his cheap shot and noticed there was a large piece of wood out in the open. A wicked grin growing on his face, Rumble scooped the wooden bludgeon up as he began to sneak up on the distracted Rattrap. He then began to angrily taunt, “First we crack the shell, then we crack the nuts inside!” “NO!” Apple Bloom screamed as she stepped in between Rattrap and Rumble. By this point Rumble was already committed to the swing, and Apple Bloom found herself on the receiving end of a blow from the makeshift club. When Apple Bloom crashed to the pavement, Rattrap noticed and rushed to help her. “Apple Bloom!” He shouted as he knelt down to her. She didn’t’ look too bad, but there were the clear signs of a black eye forming around her right eye. “Come on kid, you gotta make it through.” Apple Bloom, now fighting the worst headache of her life, could only mutter, “Ouch.” Rumble and Frenzy were planning on continue, but they, as well as Apple Bloom and Rattrap, were surprised to hear the sudden shriek of police sirens. Frenzy turned to Rumble and said, “Oh crap! It’s the cops!” The two bullies began to run in the opposite direction. A police car pulled up to Apple Bloom and Rattrap. The car was a standard black and white police car with the numbers 643 present on the hood. Once the car stopped, a police officer emerged from the driver’s seat. With his pitch black skin and gray hair as well as meanacing appearance, it could only be one person; Officer Barricade. “So….” Barricade began. “What have you troublemakers been up to?” Apple Bloom would have responded, but her headache was now simply too powerful, and she slipped into unconsciousness. The Chop Shop, A Few Hours Later As Apple Bloom began to return to the land of moving parts, she heard the familiar sound of Ironhide gently call out to her. “Apple Bloom, you alright?” He asked. Apple Bloom tried to answer, but her headache interrupted her, forcing her to cover her head and groan in pain. When it subsided, she realized that she was now in her room on her bed. Ratchet then gently pushed Ironhide aside as he began to speak. “Alright now Apple Bloom, I’m going to shine a small light. I need you to follow it with your eyes.” Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Alright.” Ratchet then pulled out a pen like item and began to flash a small but bright light in Apple Bloom’s eyes. When her eyes locked on to it, Ratchet said, “Alright. Now, look up.” He raised the light higher, and Apple Bloom followed it with her eyes. After making sure her eyes were functioning, Ratchet said, “I’d say you haven’t had any serious brain damage. You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.” Apple Bloom asked, “Uncle Ironhide, what happened?” Ironhide replied, “You took a blow from a piece of wood from Rumble. He and his brother Frenzy decided to pick a fight with you.” Ratchet then added, “Probably trying to make sure you didn’t try anything on them.” Apple Bloom then realized Rattrap wasn’t there. “Where’s Rattrap?” She asked, her voice betraying her concern. Ironhide and Ratchet traded concerned stares at each other before the former replied, “He disappeared again.” “Again?” Apple Bloom asked. As she managed to get back to her feet, Ironhide replied, “Yeah. Officer Barricade let him go before we even got to the police station.” As Apple Bloom began to shake off her headache, Ratchet began to explain, “That blow knocked you out. Officer Barricade was kind enough to take you to the police station to keep an eye on you before calling us.” Apple Bloom said, “Guess Ah better find a way to think Officer Barricade.” Ironhide then added, “He said to consider it his apology for being harsh on you your first day.” As Apple Bloom took that in, she replied, “Well, Ah do know Ah gotta find a way to thank Rattrap.” Ratchet then began, “Well don’t do anything too strenuous just yet. You need time to heal.” He then pulled out a small mirror and presented it to Apple Bloom. She wasn’t too surprised but still somewhat disappointed to find a now fully formed black eye. When she sighed at the sight of a now black right eye, Ratchet added, “Don’t worry, It’ll fade before you know it.” Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom began to speak again. “Thanks. Now, if you guys don’t mind, Ah’d like to get some rest.” Ironhide and Ratchet nodded as they began to leave Apple Bloom’s room. Once Ironhide and Ratchet were gone, Apple Bloom began to ponder how to repay Rattrap for standing up to her. After a few minutes, she had an idea. In truth, she wouldn’t be able to do it just yet, but she had a feeling Rattrap wasn’t in too much of a rush either. A Few Nights Later “Oh, slagheap city.” Rattrap mumbled to himself as he struggled through the first of Ironhide’s trashcans. Once again, he had decided to see if Ironhide or one of his friends had thrown out anything edible. Sadly, there didn’t seem to be anything tonight, only boxes and other pieces of non-food based rubbish. “Eh, figures.” Rattrap muttered. Clearly they had figured out that he had chosen their garbage as a regular place to find a meal, and taken precautions to prevent him from scrounging their trash for anything as measly as an apple core (Which Rattrap had to admit were actually pretty tasty). With Ironhide now anticipating him to be going through his garbage, Rattrap was running out of places where he could find anything to eat. However, just as he was about to leave, Rattrap noticed one box was different from the others. It was a small present, wrapped in red paper with a green ribbon around it. “Huh, there’s somethin’ ya don’t see every day.” Rattrap said to himself. He then noticed that there was a tag on it that read, “To Rattrap.” Rattrap then opened the box, only to be pleasantly surprised to see it was a container bursting with apple fritters. With his mouth watering, Rattrap took two and immediately stuffed them in his mouth, savoring every bite. As he reached to grab another one, he noticed there was a note in the package as well. Swallowing his mouthful of chewed apple fritters, he began to read the note. Rattrap, Thanks for standing up for me against those bullies. Ah don’t have too many friends anymore, so Ah don’t know how to repay you. Hopefully this will help, at least a little. Also, let me know if you’re hungry, ‘cause Ah can always whip up somethin’ mah Granny Smith taught me.” Your friend, Apple Bloom Rattrap couldn’t help but feel his right eye tear up a little. Placing the note in his pocket, he took the box and began to tip toe away, but not before turning back to the Chop Shop as he quietly said, “Thanks Apple Bloom. For a secret stealer hidin’ behind a website, I’d say you’re a pretty friendly and upfront gal.” He then slinked away, planning on returning to whatever hole he crawled out of. He never noticed the red haired girl with the black eye watching from her bedroom.