"Why the Sisterhooves Social of course" he said excitedly. I looked around and saw the place had been set up like a county fair. There were flags, tents, and there was even a racetrack. "This event happens every year and today so happens to be the event" he continued. "Come on, there are two fillies I want you to meet."
"What about Chase and Jack?" I asked him as he led me over to a stand.
"They're here somewhere" he answered. "Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, I want you to meet another friend of mine. Cale McManus. Cale, these are the sisters of Apple Jack and Rarity." I lowered myself on one knee so I was leveled with them.
"You girls excited?" I asked.
"Yes we are Mr. Cale!" Applebloom said with excitement.
"Well good luck out there. We'll be rooting for you" I said as I patted their heads. As I got up, Remy turned to me.
"Well actually Cale, I'm actually rooting for..."
"Oh hush up and enjoy the fun" I said to him. The two of us walked over to the bleachers and made our way to the top row. The sun and the breeze was a perfect combination for me. In fact, wanting to get the most of it, I removed my jacket and tied it around my waist. I scanned across the arena and took note that there were more bleachers set up. I spotted Spike, Princess Twilight, and Chase in the middle row of one of the bleachers to the far left.
"Is it starting yet?" A familiar voice asked. I turned my head and cried out in surprise. Jack and Fluttershy had made their way up to the same row Remy and I were. I was too focused and observing the place, I didn't even notice their arrival.
"No" Remy said as we made room for the two. I couldn't help but notice Jack and Fluttershy are hand-in-hoof together.
"So are you planning to get together?" I asked.
"No, we're just going to be friends" Jack said, causing the Pegasus to blush. "Relationship-wise, we're not going as far as those two." I turned my head and saw Chase holding Princess Twilight close to him. Not only that, she was also leaning on him. Those two really needs to get a room.
Concealed on a rooftop somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres was a soldier working for Sir Prize. He crouched down so he wouldn't be seen and set up a sniper rifle. He loaded one bullet in, cocked it, and looked through the scope.
"I can't help but notice how fidgety you are right now" I said to Jack.
"Sorry Cale, its just that... I don't do so well in races. The intensity of the one you want to win is just scary." Fluttershy patted his hand with her hoof comfortingly. I turned to Remy and saw him surveying the area.
"Something's not right" he said to me. "I can feel it." Just then, the sound of a megaphone rang throughout the farm. I turned my head and saw an old mare and a large stallion stand on some kind of stage.
"The old mare is Granny Smith" Remy said to me. "And the stallion with her his Big Macintosh. Or Big Mac to the residents. He is Applebloom and Apple Jack's older brother."
"Is this your first time seeing the Social?" I asked.
"Yeah. But I got most of the gist of it from the Apple Family." We watched as five sets of sisters walk up to the starting line. Applebloom spotted me and waved, causing me to wave back. My eyes darted around the racetrack. There were some pretty good obstacles in the way. Remy caught sight of something on the rooftop of the barn. He had a hunch that it will cause a problem, but his conscience says that it's only a wind direction. Shrugging it off, he returned his focus to the track. His eyes shifted to the rooftop once more.
"On your marks!" Granny Smith yelled. I felt Jack stiffen up. "Get set!" At the corner of my eye, I saw him tense up while Fluttershy was trying to calm him down. "Go!" The crowd cheered as the race began. The competitors first hopped over a trench of mud, but Sweetie Belle and Applebloom skipped across it. Next was a staggered row of baskets. As the competitors walked through them with ease, the assailant on the rooftop aimed his sniper rifle at one of the competitors.
"Shit!" I muttered softly. I stood up and made my way down the bleachers, causing panic. "Everyone down!" I shouted. Remy glanced up and saw the sniper. He flicked his wrist and the contraption with the small pistol flipped out of his sleeve.
"Cale!" He shouted. The assailant pointed his gun at me and pulled the trigger. I grunted in pain and fell to the ground, causing the crowd to panic. Several residents including the competitors gathered around me. Remy aimed his gun up and pulled the hammer back. The sniper picked his gun up and ran off. Remy growled in frustration and retracted his contraption. He made his way down the bleachers and pursued the assailant. Fluttershy was holding Jack tightly, whimpering and looking away. Jack scanned across the chaos and spotted another soldier leaning against a tree, smoking a cigarette. The two made eye contact with each other. The soldier grinned, put out his cigarette and ran off.
"Sorry Fluttershy I gotta go" Jack said as he stood up?
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"Chasing the one who did this." Fluttershy watched as Jack made his way down the bleachers. He ran after the soldier and after running 50 feet, he managed to tackle him to the ground. The soldier elbowed him and the two got to their feet. The soldier whipped out a tactical knife. Jack reached into his right pant pocket, pulled out a razor and flipped the blade open. "This will be fun" the soldier said challengingly.
"I bet" Jack retaliated.
The sniper made his way to Ponyville, tossed his rifle aside, and scaled a building. Remy scaled the same building and pursed him across the rooftop. Before he could leap to the next building, Remy grabbed the back of the soldier's shirt, yanked him away from the edge, and threw him on the ground. The soldier got to his feet and pulled out a switchblade. "Take this you some of a bitch!" He shouted. He sworched the blade open and charged at Remy. The gunslinger trapped the soldier's arm and broke it, causing him to drop the knife. The soldier cried out in pain and Remy thrust a palm against the soldier's throat, causing him to choke and gag. Remy spun him around and broke his neck. He picked up the body, dragged it to the edge, and threw it off the roof.
Jack was desperately evading and blocking the savage attacks of the soldier with the tactical knife. During his desperation, he slit the hand the held the knife. The soldier cried out in pain and dropped his weapon. "You'll pay for that!" He yelled as he held his bleeding hand. Jack folded the blade a little so his weapon looked like a V. "You may have beaten me easily, but there are more of us. Hundreds more! And we'll storm through--" Jack threw his weapon horizontally and watched the blade embed itself into the soldier's neck. He smirked as he watched the soldier hit the ground.
"Ah shut up" he said. He walked over to the soldier, retrieved his blade and cleaned the blood using the soldier's shirt. After pocketing his razor, he made his way back to Sweet Apple Acres. "Cale, are you ok?" He asked.
"Yeah" I said as I held my bleeding arm.
"You don't look ok" Chase said, panting.
"Chase, I'm fine" I assured as two ponies helped me up.
"Damn it Cale you're bleeding and..." Chase collapsed.
"Goddamn it" Jack said as he dragged Chase aside. "If you can't stand the sight of blood, why the hell are you here?" Chase only moaned in response. Jack rolled his eyes.