//------------------------------// // Crazy Experiments // Story: An Apple Amidst Crazies // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// As Applejack made her way through Ponyville, she noticed quite a few ponies giving her odd looks, most likely due to Rainbow Dash’s oversized bag on her back that had to be kept away from the deranged pegasus. Applejack let out an exasperated sigh. Dang it, Rainbow. You’re not goin’ to see a drop of cider for a really long time. Finally arriving at the Golden Oaks Library, Applejack set the heavy baggage down on the ground and knocked on the door. As she waited for someone to answer, she opened the bag, making sure all of Rainbow’s tools of the dunce were present. The door opened to reveal Spike. “Hi, Applejack, what’s up?” he greeted with a smile. Spike’s eyes drifted down and noticed the open bag, as well as its contents, at her hooves. “Whoa, what’s with all this stuff?” Applejack rolled her eyes, the memory of Rainbow’s antics still fresh in her mind. “Rainbow’s stuff. Don’t ask. We just have to make sure she doesn’t get these back.” “Uh, okay,” Spike replied as he looked closer into the bag of goodies. “Hey, I could take these off your hooves if you want.” “Spike, why in Equestria would you need this stuff?” Applejack asked, not wanting a repeat of what had happened with Rainbow Dash. “It’s for Twilight. You know how she is with books and studying. Sometimes, I need a little help to get her to go to sleep or even get her attention.” “Ah’m not sure whether to be happy or worried that you are willing to use these kind of things just to look out for Twilight.” Spike shrugged at Applejack’s comment. “You try living with her for a while. Desperate times calls for desperate measures, and believe me, there are a lot of desperate times.” On one hoof, Applejack was a bit uncomfortable giving the questionable items to Spike, but on the other hoof, she did not feel like lugging around the bag around Ponyville as she visited the rest of her friends. Spike’s need for the bag’s contents was for a good, although a bit extreme, cause. “Alright, Spike, Ah guess you can take the stuff. At the least, Ah know you’ll use them more responsibly than Rainbow.” “Thanks, Applejack,” Spike replied as he brought the bag into the library. “Ah would say it was no problem, but Ah think Rainbow would disagree with me. Goin’ off what you said, Ah don’t think Twilight will either. Speakin’ of Twilight, where is she?” Spike let out a long sigh. “She’s down in the basement. A shipment of science junk came in earlier today. She always gets crazy when a new shipment comes in and tries to come up with new experiments. The problem is that it always goes horribly wrong, and I end up having to help clean up the mess. The whole process repeats until she ends up in the hospital.” Applejack cocked her head in confusion at the rather thorough explanation. “That’s oddly… specific. Does this happen often?” “Yep,” Spike replied. “She’s been like this ever since she started studying with Princess Celestia. As she grew, so did the experiments and, as a result, so did the explosions. I heard rumors that the place we used to live in was condemned as a biological hazard. “What’s even worse now is the fact that she’s a princess. She has access to all sorts of weird stuff. I pretty much have to know what’s going to happen down to the second if I’m going to survive living with her,” Spike explained. He glanced at a clock on the wall. “In fact, here we go in three… two… one…” A soft boom came from the basement. A trail of smoke followed a few seconds later. “I’m okay!” Twilight’s voice called out from below. Applejack’s raised an eyebrow in concern at what had just transpired. “Uh, shouldn’t we go down and check on her?” Spike dismissed the notion with a bored wave of his claw. “Nah, that was a small one. She can take care of those by herself. You’ll know when I have to go do something.” “No offense, to the girl, but it sounds like she’s goin’ through a lot of trouble for nothin’,” Applejack said, a bit frightened at what she had just heard. “Don’t get me wrong, she has made some cool stuff from her experiments like turning gold into cookies. I just wish it wasn’t so messy and traumatic. Anyway, sorry, Applejack, but with Twilight busy with her experiments, and me having to clean up her mess, we won’t be able to help out.” Applejack gave a sigh of disappointment before returning a small smile. “Ah understand, Spike. Those sciencey stuff are important to her, and you have to watch out for her. She’s lucky she got such a great assistant.” Spike puffed out his chest with pride at Applejack’s praise. “Ah should get goin’ and see if any of our other friends can he—” A loud explosion boomed from the basement, causing Applejack to jump up in surprise. The trail of black smoke was replaced by large billows of orange smoke and the smell of oranges. “Spike, I need emergency kit five zero two! Now!” came Twilight’s frantic yells. Spike took another look at the clock. “Sorry again, Applejack, but I got to go and help her out this time. According to the schedule, this is the last time today before she has to go to the hospital,” Spike explained nonchalantly. “Uh, should Ah go there and get them to send somepony?” Applejack asked, a worried look on her face. “Save yourselves! The oranges are coming! The oranges are coming!” Twilight’s shouts rang from the basement. “Nah, I went out earlier and told them the usual was happening. They should be here in a few minutes. Just two more paramedic visits, and we get a free prize!” Spike stated as he made his way towards the basement stairs. “Right… Ah think Ah’ll just be going now,” Applejack said as she turned away. “They’re in my nose! Oh why are they in my nose!?” were Twilight’s last words that Applejack heard before breaking into a sprint, desperately trying to get away from the insanity.