//------------------------------// // Alakazam's Most Wanted, Part 1 // Story: Twilight Gets a Puppy, Season 5 // by TDR //------------------------------// Twilight Gets a Puppy Season 5 By TDR Alakazam's Most Wanted, Part 1 [ Appleloosa, beginning of Fall] Rahs raised an eyebrow watching the tower of hay bales grow even higher. He had no idea what this event was supposed to be, but it did seem rather neat. He watched as Applejack kicked a bale sending it up to the top of the towering structure. “Woo-hoo! Yee-haw! That's my cousin! Go, Applejack, go!” Braeburn yelled out. The yellow pony had one foreleg up in a sling and a buffalo cow helping him support himself. Little Strong Heart had grown a bit since Rahs had last seen her, though it was also pretty clear she and Braeburn were a thing. No accounting for taste supposedly, clearly she liked the easily excitable type. “Whew, it's been quite a while since ah've been able tah compete. “ Applejack huffed hopping down off the tower. “ To much arguing about whether or not ah was using performance enhancing magic with my change.” “Woof.” Rahs pointed out. “Yeah ah coulda got tha Princesses tah clear me, but that felt like cheating.” Applejack huffed. “Well, I guess havin' injured kinfolk in Appleloosa sure paid off then, huh, cuz?” Braeburn chuckled. “Just doing mai best tah fill in for yah. “ Applejack offered. “ Still not sure how yah managed tah hurt yourself tah begin with. At that question both Braeburn and Little Strong Heart blushed a bit and tried to look any where but at Applejack. Applejack blinked and narrowed her eyes. “Changed mai mind, dun wanna know.” Applejack muttered. “Good tah see you two are getting along alright at least. Still dun let my cousin fool yah, he's smarter than he acts.” “He chose to date me, I should hope he was smart.” Little Strong Heart smiled. “Heh, good enough.” Applejack chuckled. “Hey where'd mai sister and that crew go?” Rahs blinked looking around a moment before perking his ears up to listen. A small explosion seemed to go off in the distance. “Not our fault.” Scootaloo bellowed. “Bark.” Rahs pointed in that direction. “Great. They need tah keep it in check, Appleooza dun have Crusader insurance like Ponyville.”Applejack sighed. “ Let's go make sure whatever blew up wasn't expensive.” “Ah'm telling yah we didn't do anything. We were gonna git somethin tah eat and tha pot fulla beans blew up.” Applebloom fussed. ”Tha cook prolly had tha lid to tight or somethin.” “That's ridiculous, ah'm, a professional chef , them beans was good fer another ten minutes.” a nearby pony in a chefs hat shouted. “What I wanna know is why you kids shouted you didn't do it when it blew up!?” “Force of habit.” Scootaloo admitted, pushing her overly large cactus hat back up out of her eyes. Applejack blinked looking between the two of them with a confused look on her face. “This has all tha markings of that polecat Trouble Shoes.” The sheriff stated out of nowhere forcing the whole group to jump back away from his sudden appearance as a harmonica riff filled the air. Rahs held up a card with a number 7 on it. Applejack looked even more confused at that statement. “There ain't no one at fault but this guy fer forgetting he was cooking somethin.” Applebloom huffed.” that there was a steam explosion pure and simple.” “Forget that, you kids are up to something! Just look at the shifty eyes on that one!” the cook shouted pointing at Sweetiebelle who was halfway through a caramel apple. “Whamf?” Sweetiebelle asked. “Deputies! Look for clues!” the sheriff shouted as six burly looking stallions ran up. “Hup hup hup hup hup!” the group chanted as they all ran into the back of the food cart into a space that probably could have held two of them at the best of times. There were a number of crashes and bangs as the whole cart shook, a whoosh of flame could be heard, and then some more banging before all six came out of the cart. “Hup hup hup hup hup.” the six chanted with the last pausing to shake his head at the sheriff before running off with the others. “He's close. Ah ken feel it.” The sheriff offered before turning and heading away. “My cabbages!” the cook shouted rushing into the cart seeing the trail of destroyed produce the deputies left in their wake. Rahs and Applejack looked at each other, then to Braeburn and Little Strong Heart, both of whom just shrugged though Braeburn winced at the movement. “Woof?” Rahs asked. “That's tha thing. Ain't none of them lying. They all were certain they were telling tha stars honest truth.” Applejack sighed. “Though ah'm inclined tah believe Applebloom over that chef, ah mean who needs that much cabbage with beans? That's asking fer trouble in a couple hours.” “No accounting for taste.” Braeburn huffed staring at Applejack, “ Cabbage and beans is a mighty fine soup.” “Not like I'm allowing him to eat it unless he plans to sleep in the yard...downwind.” Little Strong Heart added in. “So what's the deal with this Trouble Shoes tha sheriff was on about?” Applejack asked. “He's a dangerous criminal that's caused a heap a trouble with every rodeo around here fer tha last few years.” Braeburn listed. “Knocking over barrels, sabotaging steer pens and a whole bunch of other disastrous shenanigans.” “He is quite skilled as well, even our best trackers haven't been able to find him beyond the fact he lives in the forest just south of here at the foot of the Macintosh hills.” Little Strong Heart offered. “He only seems to target rodeos of all things, so it is not as if there is a year long stallion hunt for him either.” “That's a might odd.” Applejack offered. “Yeah well they'll git him this time. Sheriffs got himself a big posse ready tah bring him in.” Braeburn smiled. Rahs and Applejack looked at each other, then looked around for the Crusaders, before looking back to each other. “Ten bits say the Crusaders find him first.” “Sucker bet.” Applejack huffed. “Are you sure we're not gonna get into trouble for this?” Firefly asked. “Nah , we should be good.” Spike offered as he moved into the edge of the forest. “ You got everything you need Applebloom?” “Yep, got a couple of glue bags, flares when we find him, and a couple of varmint begone punks tah burn in case anything here is too stupid tah be afraid of a dragon and the smell of fire Scootaloo reeks of.” “Hey, I can't help that!” Scootaloo huffed. “Well it's better than Sweetiebelle, she smells like she rolled around in a caramel vat.” Firefly sighed. “Why are you sniffing Sweetiebelle?” Scootaloo demanded. “How can you not smell her.” Firefly asked. “I am not comfortable with this.” Sweetiebelle added in.”I don't need a reminder, it's gonna take me hours to get the caramel out of my fur.” “I still don't understand how we're gonna track him down when he's supposedly been hiding here for years.” Firefly sighed. “Simple, we track him by his emotions. The Guard in Ponyville have called in changelings a few times to help in tracking down missing ponies in the Everfree.” Spike stated. 'Yeah but.... oh..... right....” Firefly sighed rubbing a hoof against his forehead. “Well alright. But if this backfires I am going to go on a I told you so rant.” “Fully expected.” Spike nodded. “Mai sister finally gets tah compete in a Rodeo again and ain't no one gonna stop that from happening.” Applebloom snorted. “Also, have ya seen the bounty on this guy?” “Let's go!” Scootaloo shouted as the group set off into the woods.