//------------------------------// // So it begins (rewritten) // Story: An Apple Scratch toward the World. // by Mariacheat-Brony //------------------------------// “GOOD AFTERNOON, ROYAL KITCHENS!” Pinkie shouted excitedly as she came out of a cabinet next to Applejack, startling the young farmer while the rest of the staff continued their work unfazed. “Good afternoon, Pinkie!” they all calmly replied unison, completely used to Pinkie’s sudden appearances. “What the hell? Pinkie, how in tarnation did ya come out of that cabinet?” Applejack asked with a dumbfounded frown. “There were nothing but pans in this here cupboard when Ah opened it five minutes ago!” “Well, that’s what the author wanted, don’t blame me!” Pinkie explained with a shrug. “Huh-huh...If ya say so,” Applejack said slowly after noticing some of the sous-chefs waving her to not pay attention to Pinkie’s explanation. “Anyway, why are ya here, Pinkie?” “Well, I know your shift ends in about ten minutes, so I wanted to know, would you like to come fool around in the gardens with Dashie, Fluttershy and me?” Pinkie asked in her sing-song voice. “You didn’t get to meet them yesterday with the whole Blueblood thingy,” “Good job on that by the way,” the kitchen chef, Allez Cuisine, commented from his stove with no small amount of pride in his voice. Applejack blinked in confusion. “Say, Pinkie? What’s goin’ on in here? Ah punched a royal in the face and everyone keeps praisin’ me for it!” she shook her head incredulously. “Ah thought the Princesses’ kin was appreciated around here!” “It is!” Pinkie nodded. “Blueblood is just the exception. He has every characteristic of the pretentious, high-nosed, farting higher than his pooper, generic rude noble you’d see in a Daring Do novel.” she noticed Applejack’s raised eyebrow. “I’m quoting Dashie,” she explained with one of her signature, toothy smile. “Well, Ah’ll just believe ya on that, since Ah don’ really know her,” Applejack said with a shrug. “Why didn’t they come here with ya?” she asked with curiosity. “First, Dashie doesn’t really like cupboard entrances. It’s uncool in her book she says, can you believe that?” Pinkie asked with a disbelieving snort before not waiting for Applejack’s answer. “Second, Fluttershy doesn’t really like to come inside the kitchens! She loves animals and something like that…” she pointed at the pork on a spit in the fireplace. “...would make her cry, and possibly faint,” she explained in a sad tone. “That much?” Pinkie nodded. “Boy howdy, she sure loves them critters in that case,” Applejack stated while carrying her pans and tools to the sink. “Yeah, she even helped a manticore giving birth to two cubs the day she was accepted in the Council!” Pinkie said excitedly. Applejack angrily frowned. “Bringin’ two monsters into the world is what it takes to get in the famous Council?” she whispered in a sour tone while doing her dishes, only heard by Pinkie.         Her question was met by an unusual silence from the pink haired girl who tilted her head in a worried expression. Pinkie tried to start the conversation again when the kitchens doors opened to let an impatient Rainbow Dash in. “Pinks, what’s taking so long?” she asked with a grunting sigh. “It shouldn’t take you more than twenty seconds to ask her if she wants to go or not!” She walked up to Pinkie and glanced at the blonde who was drying her hands from the dishes’ water. “‘Sup? Name’s Rainbow Dash!” “Applejack Apple,” Applejack replied matter-of-factly, shaking hands with the rainbow haired woman with a rather distant expression on her face. “Gee, what’s with the six foot long face?” Rainbow asked with a cocked eyebrow. “Did Pinkie annoy you that much?” “Nah,” Applejack shrugged. “She just told me about how Fluttershy was chosen for that Council thingy.” “Pretty awesome, right?” Rainbow said excitedly. “That sure as sugar is a debatable definition of awesome, but Ah ain’t gonna judge,” Applejack said softly while putting her kitchen apron away. “Huh?” Rainbow let out in confusion. “How is taming a manticore in labor not awesome?” she asked with narrowed eyes. “Dashie, I think that’s not a good topic of conversation,” Pinkie said calmly, noticing Applejack clenching her right fist for a brief instant. “So, do you want to come with us?” “Ah can’t, Ah have to meet up with yer friend Rarity in her workroom in about twenty minutes,” Applejack explained. “It would have been with pleasure though.” she paused for a few seconds. “Could ya tell me where is her workroom actually?” “Sure!” Pinkie said cheerfully. “You go back to the main hall, climb the right stairway up to the fifth floor, take the third corridor to your left, first to the right, another to the left, and you should get there safely!” she explained quickly. “She fancyfied the door so you won’t miss it!” she added with a big smile. “Thanks, Pinkie,” Applejack took her hat from the hatstand to put it on her head, and tip it at the smiling girl before heading out of the kitchens. “See y’all later!” “Hey, wait!” Rainbow called before walking with Applejack, Pinkie hot on her tail. “We’re not done yet!” “Dashie,” Pinkie said in a worried whisper. “What’s your deal with Fluttershy?!” Rainbow asked angrily, earning side-ways glances from the nearby kitchen aids. “Ah have no deal with her,” Applejack replied with a shrug. “Ah don’ know her!” she opened the door and was about to step outside the kitchens. “Then why are you upset by what she did to earn her seat?” Rainbow asked vigorously, holding Applejack back by the shoulder, earning an instinctive reaction from the farmer. Rainbow shouted in panic as she was suddenly flipped over Applejack’s shoulder and sent flying out of the kitchens, only to crash-land disgracefully on her backside a few meters away. While she stood up, she let out a pained moan, rubbing her sore regions to ease the pain. “Oh, my goodness!” a worried Fluttershy, who had been waiting for her friends to come out of the kitchens, said as she ran to Rainbow’s side. “Are you ok?” “I’ll be fine in a minute, Fluttershy!” Rainbow growled before taking off to fly toward Applejack, who was still shocked by her own reaction.         The light blue blur coming her way, snapped Applejack out of her trance. The winged woman rolled her body during her flight in order to land a “guillotine” drop kick on the farmer. A loud clash resonated when the jupitarian hit her target, causing Fluttershy and Pinkie to gasp in shock with widened eyes. “Mighty good kick ya got there, gal!” Applejack commented casually. “Almost as good as the hand Ah used to block it,” she added with a smirk, nodding at Rainbow’s heel locked in the firm grasp of her right hand.         The blonde pulled Rainbow’s leg toward herself before pushing it away, earning another panicked shriek from the Jupitarian who, this time, managed to stabilize herself in the air before touching the ground. “Why you…” Rainbow groaned. “Dash, stop it!” Fluttershy demanded in a firm, but quiet voice. “She started it!” Rainbow argued angrily. “And, I’m finishing it!” Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow, her voice still barely louder than a whisper, but it carried an undeniable firmness. “Apologize to each other!” she added with a stern glare directed to the two fighting women         Under the disapproving, teal stare, Applejack relaxed her shoulders, and walked to Rainbow Dash before extending her hand to her. The grounded Jupitarian shook it reluctantly, earning a nod of approval from her light-pink haired friend. “Sorry about that flip over.. It was more of an instinct than anythin’,” Applejack explained. “It’s cool,” Rainbow said sourly. “It can happen to everybody, I guess.” “Yeah,” Applejack replied, not really buying it. “Anyway, Ah must go, see y’all later!” she added with a tip of her hat before heading out of the room. “I don’t like her!” Rainbow muttered when the blonde was out of earshot. “Oh, come on, Dashie!” Pinkie argued softly. “I told you that bringing up Fluttershy was a bad idea!” “Hmmm, what did I do?” Fluttershy asked worriedly. “Did I do something that upset her? I should go and apologize to her!” she added before taking off after the farmer. “Shy, wait!” Rainbow said, but Fluttershy was already gone. “Damn, how come she moves so fast only to apologize or when animals are concerned?” she wondered in amazement. “Well, that’s Fluttershy!” Pinkie explained with a cheerful giggle. “Anyway, let’s go in the gardens!” “You’re still on that Fluttershy just went to talk with that impulsive cow-girl?” Rainbow asked with a cocked eyebrow. “I don’t see the problem. Fluttershy talks to you everyday after all,” Pinkie retorted. “Though, you’re not a cow-girl so that changes everything.” she scratched her chin pensively. “Hang on! What do you mean by that?” Rainbow asked with narrowed eyes. “You want to know?” “You bet your collection of candies I want!” “Ok, first of all, I’m NEVER going to bet my collection of candies, ok?” Pinkie asked frantically. “Secondly, if you want to know, you’ll have to do something.” she booped Rainbow’s nose. “Tag! You’re it!” she yelled before dashing out of the room in a pink blur. Rainbow blinked in surprise before smirking. “It is on!” she flew after the giggling pink haired girl. ~~~~~ “Excuse me?” Fluttershy quietly called as she flew a few meters behind the blonde farmer. “Jacquelyn?” she called a little bit louder. “Huh?” Applejack turned around and noticed who had called her. “..huh... Fluttershy, right?” Fluttershy nodded quickly. “What can Ah do fer ya?” “I just wanted to apologize,” Fluttershy said quietly. “What for?” Applejack asked in confusion. “Hum… Pinkie mentioned that it was because of me that Rainbow sort of snapped at you,” Fluttershy explained uneasily. “Oh, shucks!” Applejack rubbed her forehead with a sigh. “It has nothin’ to do with ya, Sugar! Well, it kinda does, but it ain’t right for you to start apoligizin’ about it!” Applejack assured. “What did I do?” Fluttershy asked. “If I upset you, I want you to know that it was unintentional!” “Look, ya seem like a good gal, and Ah really don’ wanna bother ya with ma stupid problems!” Applejack said softly. “Hum, not that I want to tell you what to do, but sometimes it helps to just talk about your problems,” Fluttershy commented softly. Applejack chuckled. “Well, Ah guess yer right,” she admitted. “So, what bothered you with me?” Fluttershy asked in a gentle, shy whisper. “It was what ya did to get accepted in that Council thingy,” Applejack replied after a weary sigh. “Pinkie told me ya helped giving birth to two manticore’s cubs, and that was what bothered me,” she explained honestly. “Now, Ah’ll not pretend to know how that Council works, or anythin’. Ah ain’t smart enough for that! But, that didn’t appear to me as a good reason to invite someone in that big institution.” “Oh,” Fluttershy let out softly. “Hum, it’s ok! It’s not the first time people think that actually.” she chuckled in an almost imperceptible sad tone. “You probably think that manticores are just bloodthirsty monsters, right?” “Exactly!” Applejack replied simply. “And, you must think that they should be hunted down,” Fluttershy continued, her voice slightly shaking in a growing anger. “Yer right again.” “Even if, like the majority of the population, you’ve never been in contact with one of them,” Fluttershy stated coldly. “And, now yer wrong,” Applejack shook her head softly. “What?” Fluttershy asked with wide, shocked eyes. “When she was twelve, Vinyl was attacked by a manticore,” the blonde explained slowly. “She almost got eaten, and if it weren’t for her magic, she’d have been.” “Oh, my goodness!” Fluttershy gasped in shock. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to...” “It’s okay, Sugar,” Applejack whispered softly. “Ya couldn’t have known.” “I guess that it makes senses you didn’t appreciate when Pinkie told you what I did on my selection day,” Fluttershy admitted slowly. “Yeah… Don’t get me wrong! Ah reckon that what ya did was admirable!” Applejack assured. “It’s just that Ah have too many biases… Is that the right term?” Fluttershy nodded. “Too many biases to not be a jerk about it!” “Considering what happened, it’s understandable,” Fluttershy admitted with slightly teary eyes. “I’m sorry that Rainbow snapped at you because of that,” “Don’t apologize for her, please,” Applejack demanded softly as the pair reached the main hall and the large staircases. “If she feels sorry for it, she’ll apologize on her own.” “Hum...Rainbow isn’t very good at apologizing,” Fluttershy commented with worry. “Then, she won’t apologize,” Applejack shrugged. “It ain’t like Ah care about it anyway,” she scanned the two staircases. “Huh… Left staircase and fourth floor, right?” Fluttershy shook her head with a short giggle. “No, it’s right staircase and fifth floor,“ she replied. “Yeah, right! And after Ah must...huh…” “Do you want me to show you the way?” Fluttershy asked with a warm smile. “If ya don’ mind,” Applejack answered nervously. “It’s no problem at all!” ~~~~~ KNOCK KNOCK “Come in!” Rarity called in her crystalline sing-song voice from her desk, her eyes looking through her red glasses at her drafts of new designs. “Howdy,” Applejack called softly as she entered the room. “Ah’m sorry if Ah’m a bit late. Fluttershy and Ah somehow took the wrong corridor when we were talkin’ on our way here.” “It’s nothing, dear,” Rarity assured as she glanced at her work room’s clock. “It’s only four thirty-five. That’s being fashionably late,” she added playfully before going back on her designs.         The farmer glanced around the small circular room whose walls were covered by dozens of fabrics rolls of all sort of materials, colors, etc. Mannequins wearing what Applejack, despite her lack of fashion-sense, could only consider the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. Granted, since she spent most of her time working on the farm, she didn’t get to see many fancy clothes, but it was enough to be dazed by the purple haired Titanian’s craft. “That’s a might impressive,” Applejack commented with an impressed whistle. “Thank you, darling,” Rarity said happily as she turned her chair around to face the blond farmer. “I thought you said Fluttershy was with you?” she tilted her head in confusion. “Oh, she just showed me the way here,” Applejack explained, her eyes still wandering around the room. “She went to join Pinkie and that Rainbow gal in the gardens.” she added matter-of-factly. “I see,” Rarity commented before standing up to scan the farmer top bottom. “Hmmm, Oh, Yes! This is going to be great!” she added excitedly as she straightened her glasses to admire Applejack’s build. “Huh, what?” Applejack blinked. “I’ve never worked on a woman built like you, dear,” Rarity explained. “This is going to be fun!” she smiled brightly before heading to her desk and started to searched for something on it. “Let’s do your measurements, Jacquelyn. Please take off your clothes while I’m looking for my measuring tape,” she demanded softly, moving her drawings aside in the search of her tape. “Do Ah have to?” Applejack asked shyly, a small blush creeping on her freckled cheeks. “I’m afraid you do, dear,” Rarity said compassionately. “Don’t feel embarrassed, though. I’m a professional who has been doing that for a long time now.” she affirmed in a reassuring tone. “Hum, alright,” Applejack replied slowly while taking her hat off her head and putting it on a nearby chair. “Ah-Ah’ll trust ya on this one,” she said softly before starting to unbutton her shirt. “Don’t worry, dear!” Rarity finally found her measuring tape under of her first wedding dress design. “HA HA, found it!” she turned around to see that Applejack was back to her and pulling her undershirt up her body to take it off.         For the seamstress, the time slowed as she let her measuring tape drop on the floor at the sight offered in front of her. Her small gap widened as the white fabric of Applejack’s tight undershirt went up in slow motion, revealing a perfectly toned back, glistening under the light due the hint of work perspiration. OH my, what a nice piece of m…. BAD RARITY! Rarity chastised herself sternly, closing her eyes. What is wrong with you? That’s not proper lady’s behavior! No matter she’s got muscles, and not a pinch of fat, and that her sweaty body marvelously shines under the sunlight, it’s still no…. OH MY STARS! WHERE DID SHE HIDE THOSE TWO?! she yelled internally when she opened her eyes.         Rarity gulped when the shirt reached the blonde’s chest, slightly pulling her large breasts up before letting them drop a little with the mental boing sound produced by Rarity’s imagination, despite the tight sports bra the farmer was wearing. She closed her eyes again. FOCUS! You’re a professional, you can’t react like that! Yes, she’s fit, gorgeously muscular, beautifully tanned, with cute little freckles on her face, with golden hair that are simply to die for, and with loveable, massive, perky breasts,…. What was my point again?... Ha, yes! BE PROFESSIONAL!         Rarity dared to open her eyes again, only to see that Applejack, now only wearing her bra, had just unbuckled her belt and opened her jeans’ buttons, and was slightly bending forward to pull them down. Rarity didn’t need her fertile imagination to have an idea of what Applejack’s behind looked like thanks to her skin tight boxer shorts. Oh, Gods! As if it wasn’t hard enough already! Rarity couldn’t stop herself from licking her lips hungrily. Is there any part of her anatomy that isn’t perfectly muscular? Other than her gorgeous chest? Rarity stared agape at Applejack’s butt. Oh, dear, it looks so firm and hard… and look at her long, strong looking legs! Rainbow can brag all she wants, but her legs are far from being as developed as Jacquelyn…. Why do I suddenly feel like eating chicken thighs now?.... Well… hers certainly look sort of delicious…. “Ah didn’t know that professionals drooled like that,” Applejack’s commented in a sour tone, breaking the seamstress out of her daydreams while taking her shirt to cover her as much as she could. “Oh, Gods! I’m so sorry!” Rarity quickly said in a sincere, apologetic tone, looking at her feet in shame. “I-I...It’s just...that… Well you’re kinda really well shaped and huh….I’ll just shut my mouth!” “Ya probably should!” Applejack nodded sternly. “Now, Ah can appreciate the compliment, or what Ah think is a compliment, just fine, but please do yer measures thingy so that I can put ma clothes on again!” “O-of course,” Rarity stammered as she picked her tape up. “Hum, turn around, please,” she demanded, her pale skin bright red from embarrassment.         The farmer reluctantly showed her back to the seamstress so that she could the measurements needed. It was awkward for both of them, and Rarity knew she’d have to slap herself mentally more than once to repress her wandering eyes. Normally, the seamstress would make conversation with the person she was taking the measurements, but she was scared to, for she might unintentionally say something inappropriate. Even more so when she had to measure Applejack’s hips size. “And, I’m done now,” Rarity said as she took her last measure. “You can dress up now,” she added as she went to her desk. Oh, dear! Just as I feared! Not a millimeter cube of body fat, just pure, firm, and hard muscle everywhere…. I need to drink something cold! Stat! she thought with a growing blush as she grabbed the bottle of water she kept on her desk.         While Applejack wasn’t looking, being too much busy putting her clothes back on, the seamstress downed her bottle in a very unlady manner before fanning herself with some of her drawings. “So, now that ya have yer measurements, what are ya...What in tarnation?” Applejack, her shirt on but still on buttoned up, yelled in surprise as the whole castle started to shake violently, almost sending her on the ground. “Oh, dear! It must be an earthquake!” Rarity replied in a panicked voice as she tried to stay on her feet by holding onto the table. “Wo, nelly,... Ah didn’t know there were earthquakes...here….” Applejack trailed off when she noticed the hooked rolls of fabric and the furnitures around Rarity wobbling dangerously. “Rarity! Look out!” she yelled before running to the seamstress before pushing her against the only bare wall of the room.         Before Rarity could blink, many of her rolls of fabric fell from their hooks on the farmer, burying the blonde under them before one of her massive wardrobe fell on Applejack in a loud crash. As the edge of the wardrobe fell on the top of her head, Applejack managed to hear Rarity called her name in panic before she lost consciousness. ~~~~~ “Octavia, you’re okay?” Vinyl asked with worry a few minutes after the earthquake ceased before standing up on the ballroom's stage. “I think so,” Octavia replied with shaking legs as she stood up thanks to Vinyl’s assistance. “Wow, that was quite a scare, wasn’t it?” Vinyl asked before she heard something coming from the outside. “Are you hearing that?” “What?” “Some sort of sharp whistling sound,” Vinyl let out as she turned toward the windows. “Wait, I’m hearing it too,” Octavia remarked. “It’s getting louder, and there are some other ones.” “It’s not getting louder,” Vinyl corrected slowly as she narrowed her eyes towards the windows, spotting small black forms in the gardens’ sky. “They’re getting closer! MOVE!” she grabbed Octavia’s wrist and ran off the stage before the black forms stormed inside the ballroom, crashing all the windows down.         The pair of musicians didn’t manage to make twenty feet away from the stage before being circled by five Jupitarians soldiers wearing a black and dark green, chitinous armor. When the fives draw their weapons out, Vinyl stood protectively in front of Octavia. “Tsst tsst, don’t try to resist, girls,” a woman in black armor said in a mocking tone. “You’d only get hurt!” “Wait a minute, I know you!” Vinyl retorted in anger. “You’re the guard that checked on me and my sis yesterday!” “Well, you’ve got good memory!” the fake guard replied with a nod. “I had almost forgotten that trick you played on me with those streamers and confetti!” she growled. “Traitor!” Octavia spat venomously. “Now, that would imply that I was a Royal Guard to begin with,” the woman replied with a chuckle. “So, you infiltrated the Guard,” Vinyl replied casually, her eyes darting to each of the five invaders around her and Octavia. “Why?” “To be at the right spot to accomplish our mission!” she replied softly. Vinyl cocked an eyebrow at her. “Since the Moon Bitch left this morning for Cloudsdale, and that Sunbutt has probably just been dealt with by our Queen, we must gather the tools necessary to defeat Luna when she gets back.” “What do you mean?” Octavia asked fearfully. “Nothing can beat Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” “Well, I said defeat, not beat!” The woman chuckled along with her comrades. “I doubt that the all mighty Alicorn Princesses would dare make a move with we have the lives of their precious Council in the balance!” “You’re a fool if you think you’re getting anywhere near two feet from her!” Vinyl growled as Octavia scooted closer to her. “We’re gonna have to do this the hard way, then!” a male invader chuckled before stepping closer to the pair of musicians. “It’s better that way!” another remarked. “Beside, you have a count to settle with this blue haired chick, right?” he asked the woman who had spoken to Vinyl. “Oh, yeah!” she nodded before taking a step toward Vinyl. “It’s going to be great!” she said with a triumphant smirk. “Yeah, you’re right,” Vinyl nodded. “It’s going to be great for me,” she added, much to everyone’s incomprehension, as she pulled a pair of purple shades from her shirt’s pocket and put them on. “Are you crazy?” Octavia asked fearfully. “They’re threatening us, and you’re showing off with those glasses!” “Ok, Octavia! First of all, those are shades, not glasses! Second, I’m not showing off! Third, I’m perfectly sane of mind! And, fourth, cover your ears and close your eyes!” Vinyl demanded firmly. “Huh?” Octavia and the invaders tilted their head confusion. “Well, I’m about to go full throttle on those guys, and usually that means lots of flashes and loud noises!” Vinyl explained before focussing her blue magic into forming five rings around her right arm.         Then she swiftly extended her magic swiftly toward the woman who had searched her the day before. The five rings of magic shone brightly, and produced high-pitched chirping sounds, flying towards the invader before successively exploding in five loud, and bright flashes, startling everyone but Vinyl.         When the light died down, the black armored woman was crashed against the wall, passed out and with her armor completely shattered. All eyes were wide in shock and focused on Vinyl. “Kinda like that!” Vinyl commented before rings of magic appeared around both her arms and legs. “Now, you want Octavia, right? Fine! Just come and try to take her from me!” she growled as her rings started to shine and produce with the same chirping noises. ~~~~~ BANG! “Pinkie, are you ok?” Rainbow asked as she wiped her nose, while stepping on the unconscious black armored man who had just tried to attack her. “Pinkie, where are you?” She asked with worry when she looked at where she had heard the explosion only to see three other invaders pinned on the Castle outer wall, also unconscious and covered in confetti. “In the tree, Dashie!”         Rainbow looked up and saw a disheveled Pinkie Pie stuck in a tree, her poofy hair full of twigs, and her right hand holding a consumed party popper. Rainbow blinked when Pinkie waved at her with her usual goofy smile. “What are you doing up there?” she asked in confusion. “I kinda put too much gunpowder in that party popper,” Pinkie explained with a shrug, pointing at what she was holding. “Can you believe that they laughed when I said that I wasn’t afraid to use that on those meany, pinknapping pants?” “No, Pinkie. I definitely can’t believe that,” Rainbow answered sarcastically, knowing that sarcasm would lost to Pinkie. “It’s not like I didn’t warn them! Anyway, what should we do now?” “We should warn Shining,” Rainbow replied slowly. “I know just the thing for that!” Pinkie chuckled as she pulled a large, pink megaphone out of somewhere. “Oh, boy!” Rainbow covered her ears as Pinkie took a deep breath. ~~~~~ “Are you ok, Angel-bunny?” Fluttershy asked with worry as she picked her white rabbit from the ground. “You’re not too much hurt, aren’t you?” The rabbit slowly shook his head. “Oh, thank you for trying to save me from those mean kidnappers.” she said softly before kissing her pet’s forehead. “Now, we must hurry to Shining, he’ll know what to do!”         Fluttershy conjured her yellow wings before flying away from the small corridor in the search of the Royal Guard’s captain, leaving four black armored invaders sort of paralyzed in various striking poses behind her. “What the heck did she do to us?” one asked through his gritted teeth. “I can’t move!” “I don’t know!” another replied. “I don’t get it, at first she was all shaking in fear like a little girl, then that weird bunny throw a carrot at you,” he added for a third invader. “And, as soon as you kicked it, we were all sort of frozen!” “You think we’re going to be like that for how long?” the third one asked. “I want to scratch my nose!” the fourth paralyzed man complained loudly, ignoring his comrades ‘interrogation.         Fluttershy came back in front of the fourth infiltrated man before sheepishly scratching the tip of his nose, earning a relaxed sigh from him. “Thank you, miss,” he said in a relieved tone. “You’re welcome,” Fluttershy nodded with a shy smile before flying away again. “What a sweet girl,” the scratched invader let out when she was out of earshot. ~~~~~ “Let me go, you ruffian!” Rarity tried to struggle against the gauntlet-wearing hand on her throat. “Easy, now, Lady Belle,” the man holding her whispered softly. “It would be shame to have to hurt a beautiful visage like yours.”         Rarity’s answer was to spit in his face. “Now, that was just rude!” the invader growled before slapping her with his free hand, earning a small whimper from the seamstress. “Hey,” one of his two partners called. “The one under the fabric and wardrobe, she’s starting to wake up,” he said as they heard a few low grunts coming from underneath the fabric. “Take care of her, it’s not like we need her!” the man holding Rarity ordered with a smirk. “You’re despicable!” Rarity growled in anger. “Stop flattering me…”         His two partners flew past him and Rarity as they were sent through the workroom windows with loud scared shouts that came to a sudden stop after two muffled, and distant thuds. “Ya have exactly five seconds to get away from her!” a southern woman’s voice growled behind the assaulter’s back. He turned around and saw an angry blonde emerging from a mess of rolls of fabric. “Don’t move or els…” “DONTCHA “OR ESLE” ME, PAL!” Applejack bellowed in anger, startling Rarity and her attacker. “AH AIN’T IN THE MOOD! GET IT?!” “Why you!” he let out furiously before letting go of Rarity, and charging Applejack while drawing his sword out. “Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?”         He swing his sword at the farmer who blocked it by grabbing his hand. He tried to push against the blonde’s grip, but to no avail. Then he conjured a dark green flame in his hand and was about to cast it at Applejack. “Not gonna happen, Sugar!” Applejack smirked before punching his throat with her free hand, instantly breaking his concentration, this dispelling the green fire.         Applejack threw a series quick punches at him in various places: the inside of his elbows, his armpits, the separation between his chest plates, and a final one in his throat. During the onslaught he let go of his weapon. Applejack grabbed him by his shoulders before tossing him at the wall, and, at the moment his body came in contact with the wall, she kicked his chest, bending his armor inwards with the pressure in her blow. “That’ll teach ya to not mess with me, punk!” Applejack growled, before taking her foot off of her opponent, making him fall on the ground heavily.         She kept staring at him to see if he would stand up, and when she was convinced that he wouldn’t, Applejack walked to Rarity who was rubbing her throat with rather soft groans. “You’re okay, Rarity?” Applejack asked with worry. “I’ll live,” Rarity replied in a shaken tone, before hugging the farmer briefly. “Thank you, Jacquelyn.” “No problem, Sugarcube,” Applejack replied softly, returning the hug. “That’s what friends do!” “You consider me your friend?” Rarity asked with surprised wide eyes. “Even after that measuring session?” “Ma best friend have done worse than that.” Applejack assured. “Now, let’s go figure out what’s goin’ on, ok?” she asked as she helped Rarity on her feet. “All right, Jacquelyn!” Rarity nodded as she and Applejack headed out of the room. “Call me Applejack, Sugar. That’s what ma friends do!” Applejack said softly. “In that case, lead the way, Applejack!”