//------------------------------//
// Twilight and Applejack 
// Story: The Chaos of Disharmony 
// by Silver Melodies 
//------------------------------//

  The sun was rising in the sky, so now would be a perfect time to start selling her potions. Twilight entered her shop. Luckily, it was close to the market, so there was a large crowd gathered outside her store. She did a quick check to make sure everything was in place. Every now and then, a thief might try to bust into her shop, so she had made it a regular thing to make sure she wasn't missing anything important.
Satisfied all was in place, she turned to sign to say 'open' then sat behind her desk, waiting. She didn't have to wait long before her first customer came. A yellow colt, unicorn, seemed kind of young, maybe just out of his teens. She had to be good at guessing their ages because she wouldn't sell dangerous potions to younger ponies, and when asked they often lied about their ages.
He walked up to the counter. “Hey. Could you help me? I need a weak paralysis potion.”
She looked him up and down. “How old are you?”
“I'm... twenty five.”
While outwardly she didn't move, inwardly she was laughing. Twenty five? Right, there was no way. He only looked maybe nineteen. That and he was a bad liar. His legs were shaking ever so slightly and his head had just the faintest amount of sweat.
Of course, she didn't let him know that. For what ever purpose he was needing a weak paralysis potion, it was probably for somepony else. So she looked around her shop and gave him a potion of strength.
“Here ya go.” She handed him the potion, “That'll be five bits.”
He tossed the bits to the counter then dashed out of the shop. She hoped she was correct about her hunch. One way or another, he wasn't getting anything dangerous.
She sat back down and continued to read the book she had left off on yesterday, 'Explosive Potions and Their Dangers'. She didn't have much else to do while waiting. She had already made all the potions she'd need, and they were all stocked on the shelves, and the shop was clean.
She was reading about how to alter an explosive potion so that it created a black hole effect when her door was opened again. She looked up then back down, not paying much attention to the customer. He was white, and had some sort of yellow clothes, a pegasus, maybe. Back to the book.
She was startled out of her thoughts when the customer banged on her counter. She jumped and looked up. This wasn't a regular customer. He was a royal guard. How had she not noticed that? He pulled out a piece of paper. “A message from her Highness, Empress Celestia.”
Twilight took the note. He could have just told her, he didn't have to go banging on stuff. “Thanks. Can I help you find something?”
The guard was already leaving.
She shrugged and opened the message.


My Dear Subject Twilight,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Wow. The Empress wanted her? That was... odd. Sure, she was slightly known around the world, but not enough to draw the Empress' attention. A few questions ran through Twilight's mind. How did the Empress even know about her? Why did the Empress want her? What was the matter of dire importance?
She tried to think through it all, but it just didn't make a lot of sense. Oh well. She read the letter again. Two days? Well, that should be easy enough. She didn't have much to pack. And her store didn't have to be open all week. In fact, she was mostly open on weekends, occasionally week days, so she was okay.
She folded the note up and put it away. Believe it or not, she wasn't a big fan royalty. They all seemed so high and stuck up, plus, they were the ones that caused the wars. She hated wars.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The rest of customers were all of age to buy whatever they wanted, and no more royal guards came to her. She was able to finish reading her book before the shop was closed. She closed early, not wanting to stay too late so she could get some shopping done herself.
She grabbed some money from her strongbox, enough to get some more ingredients for her potions. Actually, she wanted to get some and set them aside for the journey. She didn't have many to spare, and never left to any other city without something.
She entered the busy bazaar. Now that it was about three in the afternoon, the whole city was a buzz, everyone trying to find the best deals, trying to grab those last minute sales most shop keepers had. She  immediately had to try and find some ingredients without being trampled. It was hard, trying to muscle her way through the crowds. She had to resort to using magic on occasion to keep herself from being smothered. It was crazy!
She managed to find a vendor selling what she wanted, with relatively few shoppers. She took a second to regain her breath. Why did she shop on Sunday? It was a madhouse every time, like most ponies had no manners. Or even morals.
She regained her composure and began to browse what the stall offered. She found some things she wanted, like the fireweed, or some timber powder. But what really caught eye was the light blue powder in a vial. She racked her memory to find its name.
Oh yeah, it was ghost dust. But why did a vendor like this stallion have it? It was supposed to be one of the rarest ingredients in Equestria!
She pointed at the rare item. “Excuse, me, but where did you get this?”
The gray stallion adjusted his glasses before taking a look at the object of interest. “Ah, yes.” He said with a Scottish accent. “The ghost dust. I actually won it in a betting game. The other lad was so full of himself, he was sure he wouldn't lose.” He looked up at Twilight. “Are you wanting it?”
Twilight looked down. If he knew how much she wanted it, he would raise the price for sure. She thought up a lie as fast as she could. “Well, I don't really need it, but it would be nice to add to my collection.” She fished out ten bits. “Will this be enough?”
He took a look at the bits. “Hmm... no. Twenty bits.”
Twilight was nervous. She didn't want to spend twenty bits, but she really wanted that dust. She'd never had any before. Twenty was a good price, but she didn't want to spend all of her money right here.
She shook her head. “No, fifteen. Take it or leave it.”
The stallion cocked a brow. “I really doubt your in the position to be demandin' here, lass. But I admire your spunk. So tell you what. Sixteen bits and its yours.”
Knowing she wasn't going to be getting a better price, she resented and handed over sixteen bits. She payed for the rest of her things as well, then left. At least she had the ghost dust. What did it do again? She'd have to look it up when she got home.
Twilight scanned the mass of ponies going about their business. She wasn't going to fight through that again. She decided to take the back alleyways. They were bound to be empty, more quiet.
She found the nearest one. It wasn't dark, but she didn't really like the looks of it. Still, not much could be worse than the crushing crowds of Sunday's markets.
She looked up. It was about... four in the afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set. She needed to get back home. She had some research to do, and she wasn't one for wandering the alleys in the dark. There were, after all, some dangers in the backstreets of cities.
The walk was mostly uneventful. She was pleased to see it seemed empty, but not completely. There were a few hobos, some beggars, that sort, but nothing to bad. She wished she could help those without homes, but she didn't have any money left on her, so she had to settle with passing out the small snacks she carried with her. But eventually those ran out.
She was almost out of the alleys when she heard a gunshot. Her first instinct was to press up against the wall. The next was to drop down. She slowly crawled toward the sound of fighting, wary of a trap. She peered around a corner and wasn't able to believe her eyes. The same orange mare from her store yesterday was now standing amidst no less than five thugs, and she was kicking ass.
She held her shotgun firmly as she bucked, bit, and blasted away her attackers. They didn't even stand a chance. Three of them were already dead, and the remaining five were beginning to panic. Twilight could tell.
The shotgun fired again, this time in Twilight's direction. She ducked back behind the wall as the pellets tore into the corner, ripping away some of the stone. She waited for a few seconds before looking again. Now only three of the thugs remained. The mare dropped as one of them dived at her, causing him to hit the ground hard. She brought the butt of the shotgun down on his head, cracking his skull.
But her back was turned to the remaining two enemies. They took advantage of her lapse in attention to grab her and hold her down. They knocked the shotgun out of her hand. One of them picked it up. Checking to make sure it was loaded, he pushed it up against her chest as the other one held her down.
Twilight looked through her bag and whipped out a small device. It was circular, with four spike sticking out of it, kind of like a star.
She threw it the attacker with the gun. It whirred through the air before landing on his face. He stumbled back as the odd object clung to his face. He started swearing profusely as the spikes on it ejected from the device and dug into his face. He dropped the gun and began to swipe at his face. The mare took advantage of this and flipped her captor onto his back before hammering his face with her hooves, caving his head in.
She looked up to see the other one trying to ignore the pain as he stumbled toward her. She simply sidestepped and let him fall to the ground. She pulled out her knife. He tried to stand up, but she pushed him back to the ground. She grabbed his head and pulled it back. She pressed the knife to his throat and muttered something Twilight couldn't hear. Then she slit his throat.
He gasped as blood spilled out of his neck. She walked away, picking up her shotgun in the process. Twilight just stared at the carnage before her, dumbfounded. What had just happened? Why did the mare not even acknowledge her?
She carefully made her way around the dead bodies. She had seen some before, but not like this. It made her want to gag.
The body of the mare's last kill was still twitching, blood now slowly trickling out of his neck. Twilight hurried up and rushed home.





Applejack was lying in the bushes, crouched low, ready to pounce. She had been tracking these guys all morning. A local bartender tipped her off as to there whereabouts. Sure enough, they were here. She just had to wait to make her move.
She had been told that they had been preying and molesting female passerbys. This had to stop. She couldn't let a single soul be harmed by these shit bags anymore.
She saw a white unicorn, dressed rather formally, walking down the road. As she did, she was suddenly jumped and tied up by the thugs. Applejack wasted no time getting as close as she could. She saw the mare kick one of the thugs, causing him to reel back. She got closer. As they began to close in, Applejack sprung up, fired her shotgun, then dove back into the bushes. One of thugs dropped, a huge hole in his chest. The other two began to look around, trying to find her. She pulled out her pistol and fired one round in her next targets head. He collapsed with only a thud. The last one tried to run, but AJ had her rope out and ready. She lassoed his legs, causing him to fall.
She walked up to him, shotgun ready. As struggled to move, but she was on him before he could do anything. She rolled over onto his back and pointed her shotgun right at his face.
He immediately stopped struggling, and began to plead with her. “Please!” He cried. “Don't kill me. We can work something out!”
She felt no remorse for this wretched beast. He had his chance, he chose his path. She pulled the trigger, letting his face be pound into pulp by her buckshot. Blood and flesh flew everywhere. She shielded her face to keep it away from her head.
She walked over to the captive mare and undid her ropes. She then reloaded her shotgun and took off. She wasn't one for liking a lot of attention, so she always exited scenes of her battles as fast as she could. She hated the praise ponies would try to show her. She didn't like the attention. She did what she did because she had to. It was honorable, and it was just.
She walked up the road to Avolan. The road was quiet. She looked back to see the unicorn she had saved still standing there. Oh well. Applejack entered the city, looking only for a drink. She flipped open her watch. A rare luxury, for sure, but she had found it on the dead body of one of her targets.
It was about ten in the morning. She didn’t have anything else to do, she headed over to the nearest bar she could find. Luckily, the first one she found was her favorite one, the Top Hat Mug. It was loud, but it was also the best beer she could find in the whole Empire of Equestria.
She entered the bar and made her way to the bartender. “One Golden Flagon.” she said, tossing a bit to the bartender. A mug of a red colored ale slid her way. She grabbed it and sat down at a table in the corner, away from the others.
She sipped her beer slowly and thought to herself. What was she going to do? It had been too long since she had a good job, one that was more than just hunting some rogue thieves, or a gang on the road. Sure, every team she took down, the world was that much closer to being safe. But still, it was getting boring. She was too good for these guys.
She took a long drought, trying to drown her troubles. She was getting so bored. She needed to go an adventure, something that would rejuvenate her.
She emptied her mug, got up and grabbed another one. She sat back down and continued to drink.
All the noise suddenly stopped. She looked up to see what was going on. A white pegasus dressed in royal armor was standing in the doorway, scanning the crowd here. Applejack just looked back down, pulling her hat over her eyes.
She was startled when a loud “Ahem!” came from right in front of her. She lifted her hat to see the pegasus looking right at her. What did he want?
“A message from her Highness, Empress Celestia.” He handed a piece of paper to her then walked away. She took the paper and looked at it. Empress Celestia? Really?
She looked up to see most everypony staring at her. She frowned. She hated attention. “Well?” She shouted. “What're y'all lookin' at?”
Everypony turned back to their drinks. She opened up the letter, taking a sip as she read it.


My Dear Subject Applejack,

Something of dire importance has come up, and I now require your assistance. Please arrive at the castle in two days. It is of utmost importance. 
And do not worry, I really mean you, and there will be others as well I have called.

Sincerely, your Ruler,
Empress Celestia


Applejack threw the note to the floor. What did the Empress need from her? Not like she was important. After all, she hunted down bad guys and killed them. Who'd want to know about some who did that?
Still, if something of dire importance has come up, it might be a good adventure. She might as well show up, you never know.
She finished off her mug then fell asleep. She didn't feel like walking all the way back to her house. She dreamed of dark things. Killing, stalking, falling. At the very end of the dream, she saw six balls of light, each one dimming until they flickered out. Then a demonic face filled her vision, screaming.
She awoke with a start, falling out of her chair. She looked around. A couple of ponies looked at her, then turned back to whatever they were doing. She got up and decided to go home.
As she stepped out of the bar, she checked her watch. Three and three quarters in the afternoon. She must have slept later than she thought. She looked at the streets. No way was she getting through those. She took the back alleys, knowing it the fastest way to get home.
They were dark, of course, but also full of homeless people. She tossed out a bit or two to each one, but there wasn't much else she could do for them. She just continued her walk, not stopping once for anything.
Until her ears picked up something. She drew her shotgun as eight figures stepped out of the shadows. They all bore menacing looks, and a few had knives. But that was it. Were they crazy? Didn't they see she had a shotgun?
The first one lunged for her, knife in hand. She kicked him in the stomach, sending him the ground. Another tried to attack her, but she whipped out her knife, threw it, and landed it right in his throat. He clutched at the air, trying to scream but instead spitting out blood. She then fired a round at the thug on the ground, tearing his chest open. She grabbed her knife out of the dead ones throat and planted it in the biggest ones eye. He yelled in fury until she twisted it, digging into his brain. He collapsed and she proceeded to continue the fight with the remaining five.
It wasn't easy, but she managed to subdue two more attackers using her shotgun, ripping one apart and knocking the other out. She dodged as another tried, yet again, to dive at her. She brought her shotgun down on his head, cracking it open.
Her vision blurred for a moment, causing her to pause. What was that? Probably the damn beer.
She felt something tackle her, knocking the gun out of her hand. She was turned onto her back to find her own shotgun pointed at her chest. She quickly analyzed her situation. She probably wasn't going to get out of this alive.
Something hit the stallion holding the shotgun in the face, causing him to stagger backwards. The device stabbed into his face as he let lose a massive amount of swear words.
Applejack took advantage of this to flip the stallion holding her down onto his back as she mounted him. She began to pummel his face with her hooves until he was dead. Then she turned her attention to the last attacker. He was looking at her, trying to ignore the small spikes in his head. He stumbled forward in a weak attempt to grab Applejack.
These guys just won't stop, huh? She sidestepped, letting him fall. She then pressed him down onto the ground, while pulling his head up. She grabbed her knife and pressed it up against his throat. She then leaned in and whispered into his ear.
“Nice try.”
The blade sunk into his neck and ripped across it. She left him there to die. She picked up her shotgun and left the alley, not bothering find out who had helped her. She didn't feel like talking right now. She just wanted to get back to her room in the hotel she was staying at. Then she'd take a bath. That sounded nice.