The mares and teachers approached the party and all collapsed from exhaustion. Lance, having ran into a tree like an idiot, was ousted and replaced by Matt. He approached his friends and noticed the three mares--one of whom looked strangely familiar. Or was it two? The earth pony had a creamy yellow coat that was a hare darker than Fluttershy's own. Her mane was reddish-pink that was leaning closer to the red and her eyes were gold and adorning her flank was a blooming, pink flower. The unicorn had a white pelt similar to that of Rarity's, but her mane hung in two-colored bouncy curls of light purple and crisp pink. Her green eyes shined like emeralds and on her flank was a pink heart flanked on either side by two purple swirls--one looking up and the other looking down. The pegasus had an orange pelt and magenta mane with magenta irises. Adorning her haunches was a wheel with a lightning bolt in front of it.
The aforementioned pegasus mare trotted up to Lance and gave him a great big hug. "Mister Lance, I've been searching for you all over since I got my cutie mark! Where've you been?" She complained in a worried voice.
The unicorn used magic to pull her off the worn-out soldier and said, "Scootaloo, get of off him."
Scootaloo...that name did sound familiar. Wait. A. Second. Wasn't this the first pony he saved when she was a filly as timberwolves attacked the town?
Yes, this was her alright. All fully grown up now by pony terms. "Well, Scoots," Lance started with a grin, "I missed you too. Big adventure, then I ended up being a dad. Long story."
"Really?!" Scoots asked, ears perked and eyes gleaming.
"Yeah." Lance answered with a nod, "Right now, we're trying to stop the Flim-Flam Brothers from taking over Sweet Apple Acres. Problem is, it's a cider making contest and only four ponies or two ponies and humans each are allowed to help the Apples at any given time."
"That's bad!" Shouted the earth pony mare as she stomped a hoof, "Last time they challenged us, they won!"
"I heard they were driven out shortly afterwards." Lance sighed. "But now, it's worse. They have the God of the Winds on their side and I'm sure you've heard about him by now."
"There is no way--" Started the unicorn mare.
"It's true. See for yourself." Lance cut her off. The unicorn looked around her and noticed a human form carrying an e-Bay cannon. "I-Is that even ALLOWED?!" She asked.
"He's yet to use it, so I dunno." Lance replied with a shrug.
"We're helping!" Scootaloo called in anger as she flared out her wings.
"Yeah!" Bellowed the unicorn mare as her horn flashed in anger.
"I ain't letting mah home--mah birthplace--get taken over by some good-fer-nothin' sleazeballs!" Wailed the earth pony mare with a hiss.
"Crusaders!" Scootaloo called, "This is no crusade here! Here is a war we intend to fight! A war we intend to win!"
Lance smiled. How did Scootaloo learn so much from him when they'd only met once prior? Must've been the rumors and stories about him and his party spreading quicker than a nuke could decimate half the continent. That speech, unbeknownst to him, made everyone stop and turn to the pegasus. The fraction of the party who were busy with the trees then set back to work with more determination than ever--even so, the chaos-enchantment clocks of Natalie and Anna were ticking and so were the clocks of the cider barrels.
Coryza was overwhelmed and was promptly replaced by Rarity. Scootaloo replaced Lance. She collected apples and zigzagged throughout the orchard while Rarity checked apples by the dozen using magic alone. This made the machines help Scootaloo collect apples.
"Brother!" Flim shouted as he realized the enemy made more barrels than they, "We have to do something else!"
"I've got it, oh brother of mine!" Flam replied as he summoned Drill Bots of his own. They then took more apples than even Scootaloo could manage with the help of Lance's machinery. This way, they made 100 barrels compared to the 99 barrels of the enemy. With Lazarus and Lancelot, that number soared to unbelievably new pinnacles and dwarfed all opposition in such a way it looked as if the battle had been lost right then and there. Not only that, but all the apples were plucked. Every last one. Meaning no more cider for the teams to make--thus resulting in the party's loss, or so it would seem at the time. Discord suddenly let off a laugh that could only belong to a sadist afflicted by the moon's curse during the witching hour. Putting gryphon claw and lion paw together and tapping his bare finger-like tips, he smiled oh so warmly. "Do you, Flim and Flam, really think you have won?"
The brothers looked within their barrels. All their cider was bad. They looked at each other with jaws agape. Lazarus and Lancelot glared at the Chaos God right as his and Twilight's magic wore off of Anna and Natalie, thus returning them to fully normal.
Discord let off another cackle before continuing, "I've heard all about your foul practices--and I thought to myself 'Who'd want you flimsy brothers here?' Of course, I was dragged along the first part of the whole ordeal thanks to a flyer that somehow hit this wizard in her face." He stopped to pick up Natalie. "The first part was largely her fault. Now, the failure of your cider? Well, like Lazarus is called the God of the Winds, I am not called the God of Chaos for no reason."
The brothers stood there as if petrified. Lazarus and Lancelot glanced at each other and both were wide-eyed. Matt wanted to point and laugh at them for their apparent stupidity, but he refrained from doing so for the time being.
Discord put the wizard down and patted her on the head with his lion paw, "You see, after the fox tripped, she and I discussed a secret battle plan. I would never have guessed I would've met such a fine creature who, like me, is insanely creative! But, you also fail to notice she has a serious side when trouble brews. And when that trouble brews, something almost indescribable sparks in her brain and churns her gears. Then, an idea formulates--either that or an inference, depending on the situation." By now, Discord was in the faces of the brothers and his voice was barely above a whisper, "And then, she puts her idea--her interpretation, her grasp of the situation--and quickly works on a way to stop it. As the saying goes, 'desperate times call for desperate measures.' Now, leave Ponyville and never come back unless you have urgent business and cannot traverse though any other routes. And as for you two," Discord paused to grab Lancelot and Lazarus by their wrists and hoist them off the ground before his gaze met with their eyes, "I believe you and Matt need to stop your oh-so-pitiful feud. It's pointless now--he's got not one, but two children to look after and he would gladly give his life up so they can have a bright future. Unless you yourselves are fathers somehow, which I highly doubt given your peculiar circumstances, I wouldn't think you have the faintest idea of the meaning of my words. Maybe you do, but your minds cannot possibly grasp it because you two are literally blinded by a desire for revenge. Please, stop this tomfoolery or Celestia will turn you to stone as she had done to me."
Both the dragoon and Wind God found themselves gulping. Turned to stone? That did them in. With weak nods of pure worry, they were set down onto their feet as the brothers took their locomotive and drove off into the distance.
The party was hoping that the brothers would never try wrecking any more families ever again.