//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Mare Do Well: Fallout // by LordBrony2040 //------------------------------// Chapter 5 Applebloom awoke to the sound of the rooster as she did every morning, and sat up just in time to catch Princess Celestia’s sun as it ascended to the top of the sky before she let out a yawn. As soon as the little filly’s mind cleared, she thought back to what her sister had told her yesterday, and congratulated herself on being able to figure what Applejack was really trying to say when they were on their way home. It had been a little confusing at first, but once Applejack had more or less laid it out for her, Applebloom understood that all that talk was just lip service for the fans that gathered around her all time so they would buy some apples. Since there was still plenty of time to get ready for school, the filly looked up at the picture hanging on a dartboard set up on Appleboom’s door. She and frowned at it as if the pony depicted on it was in fact the horrible little filly herself, and found herself filled with the Music of Harmony before she felt compelled to sing. Ah had me a moral dilemma All confused turned around On the fact that Ah Needed to show you Something true But the pony that was me Just couldn’t make ya see An then, she showed me the light… Applebloom jumped up and knocked open her window to look at the sky. It was a beautiful morning, with all sorts of animals fluttering about in the morning breeze as they woke up to meet the dawn. It’s a brand new day an sun is high An the birds are signin that yer gonna cry First Ah hesitated, now Ah WON-DER WHY It’s a brand new daaaaaay She jumped back down to pack the things she would need at school, and once it got out. As Applebloom did so, she looked back up at the filly’s picture and frowned. That time you abandoned me? Ah’ll live All them laughs at my expense? Ah forgive Sugary and sweet with yer cutie mark it’s true But my sis, she set me on a path towards you She done showed me the light…. Within her saddlebag she placed her books, pen, pencils, rope, bludgeon, buscopan, and left room for the other things she would need to get from the kitchen after breakfast. With everything else she needed tucked away, Applebloom forced the things closed and threw her saddlebags on her back. It’s a brand new me Ah got no remorse Now there’s work to do Gotta stay the course Gonna fix you good CAUSE AH’M ONE! BAD! HORSE! It’s brand new daaaaaaaaaaaaaay Applebloom looked down at her bare rear and frowned at its lack of decoration before she let out a sigh and became a little dejected. An maybe Ah’ll see a mark of cutie Won’t be a joke, not a dork, or a failure An yer gonna cry but yer tears Ah’ll dry Upon my shiny new posterior Then she turned to glare at her former friend’s picture again as the glint from the sun obscured her target’s face. It’s a brand new day An the sun is high The alicorns are sing-ing THAT YER GONNA CRY! Go ahead and laugh But kiss yer flank good-bye! It’s a brand new daaaaaaaaay Applebloom jumped out her room’s exit and into the hallway and the music coming from the magic in the air around her just cut off and as she slammed the door shut behind her. Then she traveled down the hallway and down to the kitchen so she could get the last of the things she needed. Fluttershy looked away from the clock and gulped. With the school day almost up, she really needed to go and give Cheerilee the class pet but...going outside where all those mean ponies were just made her want to run back into her basement and hide. But if she didn’t go, then she would be making a poor animal suffer longer than it had to. “Well…I guess a mare’s gotta do, what a mare’s gotta do,” Fluttershy mumbled to herself as she looked at the pet carrier and tried to build up the strength she needed to go to Ponyville’s school. “Don’t just take the job if you can’t follow through Fluttershy.” She gulped and looked across the room at her front door and gulped. “All that matters is-” Fluttershy blinked as an odd melody started playing in the background and Pinkie dropped down from her ceiling despite the fact that the was no possible way that could have happened before she put a foreleg around the pegasus’s neck. Fluttershy! Just the pony I wanted to see If you’re afraid of danger out there just stick with me Yes Auntie Pinkie’s here, hair poofed up all crazy My twitching says you need my friendly exper-teeeeeeeese “Uh Pinkie, I’m older than-gak!” the pegasus squawked as the party pony pulled her out to the front door and kicked it open as she started singing again. Cause a maaaare’s gotta do what a maaare’s gotta do It seeeeeems the author, wants me to be hel-ping you There’s gloomy doom that’s looming in a crazy plot twist Now come with me I’m afraid I must insist And with that, Pinkie Pie dragged Fluttershy with her towards the Ponyville as the school bell began to ring to signal it was time for the parents to come and pick up their foals. Although how she ended up in the building before the bell was done ringing...Fluttershy had no idea. Despite having woke up just moments before, Rainbow Dash felt so out of it that she couldn’t find the will to pick herself up into the sky as she walked into Ponyville. Like for the past two days…or more really, memories of her…of Mare Do Well ran through her head even though she couldn’t think about anything else. However, the thoughts brought little righteous fury with them like the night before, just…a weight on her shoulders. “Hey, what the buck are you idiots doing?” a familiar voice that should have had a lot more smarminess to it reached Rainbow’s ears and made her look across the street. There, she saw Derpy’s older daughter wearing with an unmarked saddlebag being confronted by a pair of pegasi. The dark green one that was in front of her rose up into the air and looked down with a scowl. “I’m getting really tired of your bucking mouth Sparkler!” “Think it’s time we taught you a lesson in keeping it shut,” the other pegasus with a blue coat told her as pushed Sparkler from behind and knocked the smaller unicorn down into a puddle that was still around after last night’s shower. For a fraction of a second, Rainbow was filled with the satisfaction of actually seeing somepony put the smartass in her place, but then she mentally kicked herself for thinking such a thing. Before things could get out of hoof, she dashed into the sky before coming down hard between her and the other two ponies. “Back off losers or I’ll buck you so hard your teeth will be landing in Canterlot!” she threatened them. All at once, the two ponies let out a girlish scream. “It’s the Ego Maniac!” “Fly for your life!” Rainbow blinked in confusion as they two pegasi quickly turned tail and took off into the blue, shen she looked down at Sparkler. “You okay?” The grumpy mare looked up with a frown as muddy water dripped from her mane. “What do you think Rainbow Splash?” the unicorn grumbled. “And what the hay are you doing here?” “Picking your little sister up from school,” Rainbow replied to the ungrateful unicorn’s question before offering her a hoof. Sparkler let out a groan as she slapped the hoof away and stood up on her own. “Figures, try and do something nice and this is what it gets me,” she grumbled before her horn lit up and the saddlebag opened before a plastic action figure floated out. “Mom said she could have it back after school, so here. I got to go take a bath.” As Rainbow watched the unicorn walk away without so much as a thank you, she let out a growl and found a little more of that anger that had been eluding her all morning as she headed down the road again. Any pony worth her mane Can see this town is to-tally insane To the point where I don’t know If I’d upset the status quo If I drank poison and opened up my veins Rainbow turned a corner just in time to see the owner of the local costume shop come out the back door with a cardboard box full of Rainbow wigs in his magical grip. Then came other Rainbow Dash merchandise before he went back inside to start putting up Mare Do Well costumes complete with masks that showed the faces of her former friends in the window. Listen close to this pony’s heart And hear that breaking sound Hopes and dreams are shattering apart And crashing to the ground She leaped into the sky and looked around as all of Ponyville seemed to be trying to cover itself with Mare Do Well stuff, if not some kind of banner, then at least a few purple flowers or other junk. As much as Rinbow tried not to, she saw several other ponies, including several adults dressed in Mare Do Well costumes that were going around in packs. I just can’t believe my eyes How could they say such lies When it’s plain to seeeeeeeee That deep down inside of me I just wanna cry The ringing of a school bell made Rainbow look over towards the school and sigh. Then, she slowly flew towards her destination at a speed that would have probably made her feel ashamed to call herself a pegasus any other day. Applejack made her way through the town with a small smile on her face as several ponies in Made Do Well costumes waved at her excitedly, although a few frowns that crept up from other costumed unicorns and pegasi did confuse her, the vast majority of the townsponies seemed generally happy to see her. Loooooooooook around AAAAh’m the heeeeeere-row of the town Whatever danger cooooomes around I’ll be there to taaaaake it down Out of the corner of her eye, Applejack saw the mayor standing on the stage from the other day and nodded at the giant poster of Mare Do Well behind her. From the looks of things, they were getting ready to have another one of them parties like the night before. She just hoped it ended a lot earlier than the last one, it was kind of a shame that she had to duck out but…early to bed, early to rise and all that. But even if it ran late, Applejack knew she needed to at least make an appearance, keep all the colts and fillies happy, sign some autographs, tell a few stories, and give some inspiration speeches that would set ponies on the right path in life. An ya see there’s good in everythin Ah do Keepin um safe and sound Just be like me, do-in yer part An keep yerself on sol-lid ground She trotted around smiling at all the Mare Do Well memorabilia everywhere. They even had little do-action figures of Applejack in that fancy hat and cape. Although her sister was getting older, the farm pony knew that she’d be appreciative of something like that and planned to make a stop back at the toy store and pick a few up. I jus can’t believe mah eyes Have ponies started growin wise? To what’s plain to seeeeeeee That emu-latin meeeeeee Is how they should beee The sound of a school bell ringing drew her attention, and she stopped prancing through the streets to head out and pick up her sister. “Spike, did anypony come by while I was asleep?” “No, where you expecting somepony to?” “…not really,” Twilight mumbled before something else occurred to her. “Oh, what about yesterday when I was asleep?” Her fight with Rainbow Dash had left her in bed for most of the day after all. It was quite possible one of her friends had stopped by to check on her. The dragon shook his head. “Not unless they came by when I was helping Rarity,” he said. “Hey did you know Sweetie Belle got grounded? She-” “Spike,” Twilight interrupted with a moan. “I…don’t think I could hear any bad news right now.” Thanks to the…incident the other day, Twilight had come home so tired and in pain that she had cried herself out in her pillow before Spike brought in some tea and she slept for the rest of the day. It wasn’t a restful sleep though, nightmares had assaulted her all night. Nightmares of Rainbow Dash yelling at her, of her yelling at Dash, or Rainbow smacking her on the head with a stick to make her head hurt worse and…much to Twilight’s shame, dreams of the unicorn getting back at Rainbow using her magic to beat the pegasus down…and worse. After waking up in the middle of the night, Twilight had tried to busy her mind with studying some magic, maybe finding a spell that could just fix everything so her world could just go back to normal. By a stroke of luck, she had found just something to do that. There was a spell in the book on her bedroom’s desk that would allow the caster to alter a pony’s personality to suit her needs, completely reforming them. Now all I have to do is find-Twilight’s picked her head back up to look at the clock on her wall as it began to chime, interrupting her thoughts. She needed to start getting ready to teach that special lesson in the magic of friendship to all those unicorns at the school. As she tried to gather her strength, Twilight found herself struggling just to move when she remembered how nopony had come to see her all today and yesterday. Anypony with half a brain Can see that I am howling in pain But nopony seems to care And I wouldn’t even dare To guess about the one with the rainbow mane She got up out of bed and sighed. How was Twilight supposed to teach a lesson in such things as she was? The unicorn looked at the picture of her friends that sat on her nightstand. Listen close to this pony’s heart And hear that terrible sound My friends are being all torn apart And the blame rests on my crown After walking into the library, she took a moment to pack some books that detailed looking cheery when she wasn’t, teaching fillies and…she grabbed the spell book with the Reform spell as well at the last moment. I just can’t believe my eyes How could I tell myself such lies Now nothing’s plain to meeeeeee And I feel like our Harmony Is going to die Hearing the sound of the school bell in the distance, Twilight focused her magic and the world disappeared in a bright purple light. Rarity frowned as she continued to send the needle through the fabric time and time again. Although hardly original, the piece of clothing in front of her was still a masterful work, with every single bit of it horn-stitched using her magic to ensure maximum quality. A memory flashed through her mind of a few night prior, and the effects it had on her emotions nearly caused the fashionista to make a terrible mistake in her work. After taking a second to get a breath, she continued working. Just taaaaaake it slow It’s something that you reeeeeeally should know Won’t do to let your aaaaaaanger show They just need some tiiiiiime to let go She backed up a second to see the entirety of the piece. Just looking at the thing’s color scheme made Rarity feel a bit better. One could only take so much purple in their life without going crazy. Believe there’s good in everypony’s heart As long as its safe and sound I just hope, that I can do my part To turn this mess around With the last stitch done, Rarity held up the uniform for a final inspection, and then began packing it into the gift box. Once she was done, the unicorn looked at the picture of herself and five other ponies that hung on her wall before she trotted up so close she could see her reflection in the glass. I just can’t believe my eyes That my world’s grown so in size And now it’s plain to seeeeee That this special Harmony It’s not just about meeeeee Rarity heard the school bell ringing, and headed out the door while mentally growing through her list of things to do. After she escorted her sister back home to make sure she got there without any deviations, the unicorn would head over to Rainbow Dash’s house and drop off the gift. After that…she would need to finish up as many as those costumes of that horrid character as she could before getting to sleep. Tomorrow, Rarity would be in Canterlot, and be allowed a week away from this madness before coming back in time for Twilight’s birthday party. If she was lucky, everything would have died down by then. As the light faded to a chorus of amazed gasps, Twilight blinked as she found herself standing on the front steps of the school while all the colts and fillies looked up at her in awe. For some odd reason, earth ponies and pegasi were also present for the lecture, but Twilight pushed that oddity to the side over what a great majority of the foals were wearing. Mare Do Well costumes. More than half the class was dressed up as little Mare Do Wells. Although for some odd reason Twilight saw Snips and Snails had on outfits that looked like the one Trixie had worn and Derpy’s little filly was wearing a rainbow wig. “Uh, Cheerilee,” Twilight began as she looked over to the other mare. “I know the school doesn’t have a dress code or anything but…what’s with all the Mare Do Well costumes?” “Don’t you-” “HEY EVERYPONY!” Thanks to over half a year of being around the insanity that was Pinkie Pie, Twilight was able to resist the urge to jump, or scream, or blast the thing that startled her into the next county. Her head just snapped over to look at the impossible pony with wide eyes as Pinkie jumped out of the schoolhouse from behind her. “Pinkie? What are you doing here?” “Oh, just escorting Fluttershy through town so she doesn’t get swarmed by fans and asking to lead the pegasus faction of Mare Do Well fans in battle,” she explained with a shrug before reaching into the schoolhouse and pulling out the nervous pegasus. Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “Uh…what?” The expression on Pinkie’s face became one of confusion. “Don’t you remember what happened the other night at our Mare Do Well after-party party? I know Applejack left early but I’m pretty sure you were still around when the r-” “Not really,” Twilight said. “All I remember is the Q&A when we told everypony why we became Mare Do Well and how they shouldn’t brag and let their actions speak for themselves, then I put on that magic show and…it gets a little blurry after that.” Pinkie opened her mouth to talk, but was cut off by the teacher’s frightful gasp. “So he really is sick?” “Yes,” Fluttershy replied to Cheerilee's question. “You should probably get him to the vet as soon as you can.” For a moment, the teacher gave the three mares a measuring look. “Well, I really shouldn’t leave the foals but…you three are here.” “And I’m great with foals! Not to mention a profession child care expert,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she reached into her hair and pulled out her party pony license to show it to Cheerilee. After reading over the credentials for a moment, Cheerilee shrugged nodded. “Well I guess that settles it then. Just send the children home when you’re finished, and I’ll take care of this little guy,” she said while taking the pet carrier from Fluttershy. “Don’t know why I’m being so nervous, Twilight. I mean, you and your friends are the embodiment of friendship after all. I’m sure the children are in good hooves.” The mare’s comment made Twilight wince on reflex. “Right…that’s us,” she mumbled as her mask of normalcy nearly slipped and shattered before the unicorn could recover it. A few seconds later, Twilight found herself the center of attention as all the foals looking up at her and Pinkie off to the side while Fluttershy hid behind the pink pony. Although her nerves began to flare up, Twilight cleared her throat and opened her mouth to speak. “Do a magic trick!” “Turn Pip into a plant Twilight! He tried to give me kooties!” “TWILIGHT IS BEST MARE DO WELL!” “Nuh-uh! Fluttershy is!” “Twilight!” “Fluttershy!” Twilight cleared her throat. “Excuse me everypony,” she announced calmly. “Twilight!” “Fluttershy!” “No Applejack is the best! She the fastest, strongest, bravest, most honest, and she takes pride in her roots, unlike some ponies!” “Twilight!” “Fluttershy!” “Applejack!” As the arguing continued, Twilight rubbed her head to try and fight off the growing migraine. She wanted to shout at the foals, but…Princess Celestia had shown her that teachers were never supposed to raise their voice at their students and always keep calm head. It was pretty difficult with how worn down Twilight felt, but she could stay calm. She could stay collected. She could do what she had said she was going to do. All she needed to do was close her eyes and take a second to find her center… “Twilight!” “Fluttershy!” “Applejack!” “Oh yeah, well the Great and Powerful Trixie is better than all of them!” That one made Twilight open her eyes and look to the pair of colts wearing Trixie outfits. “I like Rainbow Dash,” Dinky declared, to which the whole class let out a horrified gasp and quickly backed away from the filly as if she had the cutie pox. “Sweetie Belle!” Twilight blinked, then looked over to see a white unicorn mare standing apart from the crowd. Glad for something to distract her from the mess that her class was turning into, she quickly told Pinkie to do something, and teleported over to the other unicorn was standing. “Rarity, what’re you doing here? I thought you were going to Canterlot.” Confusion blossomed on the unicorn’s face. “Not for a little while darling, and I’m here to escort my sister home,” she said before looking back to the crowd. “Them too huh?” “Yep!” a sugary voice chirped up from behind Twilight before Pinkie bounced up from behind the pink pony with Fluttershy doing her best to keep Pinkie between herself and the crowd. Twilight frowned in confusion. “What do you mean, them too?” “Oh great, what’re you guys doing here?” a disgruntled voice grumbled from overhead, filling Twilight with a mixture of shame, anger, doubt, and fear. She looked up to the cyan pegasus, and gulped. “R-Rainbow Dash,” the unicorn mumbled as Rainbow landed and gave a little plastic toy to the unicorn filly that was wearing a rainbow wig. Before Twilight could say anything more, Pinkie Pie jumped in front of her. “Hey Dashie! You finally feeling better?” she asked with a bright smile. Thanks to Pinkie’s interruption, Twilight found a second to collect herself. Then she stepped out from behind Pinkie, and approached the blue mare. “Listen Rainbow, I need to talk to you for a minute.” “What?” she demanded with a snarl as she approached Twilight. “You gonna feed me more about your moral junk about how I should be just like you when nopony else has to?” Twilight tried to shake her head in a negative, but Rainbow continued talking. “You know what really ruffles my feathers? You actually think, you actually think all that humility junk is a good thing! And look at you!” she nearly shouted before her wings lifted herself into the air again. “You’re probably one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria, but you’ve told everypony you’re a nopony so many times that you actually believe it!” The…accidental compliment made Twilight blink. “W-What?” she asked before looking back to the book in her bag. Is that really a flaw? “You’ve got so little confidence in yourself you freak out at the drop of a hat and sing whole arias about it!” she went on. “Well if it ain’t the biggest ego in Equestria,” a pony’s familiar voice announced with a southern drawl. Twilight let out a low moan. Oh no…not now, she mentally begged Celestia. Rainbow growled so loudly Twilight could hear it from where she was floating in the air as her attention shifted to an orange pony that had made her way up the hill while all of the girls had been focused on the growing argument. “Oh it’s you. What’s wrong? Come to beg for help because you can’t harvest enough apples again? Or haul them? Hey cider season will be here pretty soon, think you’ll actually be able to make enough for more than a few dozen ponies this time so the ones that have real jobs can get some when we’re done watering everypony’s trees?” “That’s funny commin from a pony that ain’t never had a hard day’s work in her life!” Applejack retorted. “What the buck you doin here anyway? Don’t nopony want you around!” “Yeah!” several of the foals shouted at the same time. “You tell her Applejack!” “Get the Ego Maniac Fluttershy!” “Banish her to the moon Twilight!” As Twilight recoiled from the last suggestion directed towards her, Rainbow let out a snort. Applejack smirked in a way that seemed almost dark. “From the mouths of foals Rainbow.” “Applejack can’t handle the Ego Maniac, Fluttershy needs to do it!” “No way, Applejack can do anything!” “Then how come she lost the Iron Pony competition?” “That’s because Rainbow Dash cheated and used her wings!” “I didn’t see Applejack wearing super heavy horse shoes to weigh her down and make her more tired or nothin!” Apparently not paying attention to the foals at all, the earth pony and the pegasus glared at each other, and even Twilight found herself ignoring everything else in fear of what was about to happen. What should I do? Are they going to fight? They can’t fight! But if I don’t let them fight then they’ll both think I’m taking the others side and then Applejack will be mad at me and Rainbow won’t even speak to me again, and if I can’t speak with her then…then… Twilight tried to take a breath and slow her racing mind down, but all she could do is see the images of what was certain to happen. Applejack and Rainbow would fight, and then they’d both get hurt, but Rainbow would get bucked in the face so hard that she would lose sight in one of her eyes and have her dreams of being a Wonderbolt crushed before she came back the next day with a lawyer and sued Applejack for damages that would result in the pegasus gaining the deed to the Apple Family farm, and then… “Girls stop!” Pinkie cried out as she jumped up between the two before pointing forward. “Look at what you’re doing to our fans!” All of the rest of the bearers blinked and turned to face in the direction Pinkie was pointing as the large group of foals continued to argue…or worse. “The Great and Powerful Trixie-” “-Rainbow Dash is the bestest-” “Nuh-Uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-Uh!” “Yeah-huh!” “Nuh-Uh!” “Yeah-huh!” Twilight gaped at the sight, Applejack frowned, Fluttershy placed herself behind the others, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, and Rarity let out an aggravated sigh while the arguing continued to escalate in volume and intensity all around them. Some fights had already become downright visceral. “Oh yeah well…YOU’RE A POOPY-HEAD!” “No, YOU’RE A POOPY-HEAD!” “No, you are!” “No, you are!” “No, you are!” “No, you are!” “EEEEEEEEEEK THSOMEPONY PLETH HELP ME!” The cry for help knocked the six mares out of their daze and they shared a look before running around the side of the school to see what was going on. Once the group arrived, Twilight’s eyes widened at what she saw. Applebloom was standing over a little filly with a bright red mane that had been tied up. There was an empty medicine bottle with writing on it that Twilight couldn’t quite make out, and a kitchen knife gleaming in the young Apple’s grasp. The presence of the sharp object froze the unicorn solid for a moment. “APPLEBLOOM! WHAT IN THE NAME OF CELESTIA DO YOU THINK YER DOIN?” Applejack shouted as she recovered from the sight of her little sister standing over that candy making filly Twist. Despite the deafening ringing in her ears, Twilight used her magic to snatch the weapon out of the filly’s hoof while the foal with the red mane was dragged away from other other one by a blue glow as it undid her ropes. “I-I was just doin like you taught me sis,” Applebloom explained a second after the foal she had restrained got up and ran away to safety while screaming in terror. All of the older ponies gaped at the little filly’s explanation and Rarity’s mind just froze while Pinkie Pie looked over to Applejack with a frown. “Have you been beating your sister with that idiot stick you’ve had shoved up your ass for the past few days?” The older farm pony gaped at the words for a second, then snapped her mouth shut with a hard crack that made some of the girls wince while she glared at her little sister. “AH NEVER SAID TO DO SOMETHING LIKE…like…THAT!” Applebloom’s eyes went wide and she backed away a bit, but she still was able to answer. “Yes you did,” the little filly replied. “You talked and talked about how Rainbow Dash’s bragging was getting on your nerves, and about how the only thing she cared about was having other ponies cheer for her, so you and the others all got together to take that away and teach her a lesson just like Ah did with Twist cause of the way she talks. It’s really annoying!” Rarity groaned and massaged her forehead. “Not another one,” she moaned, drawing Twilight’s attention “What do you mean another one?” the purple unicorn asked. A second later, all the other ponies in the group were listening to how Sweetie Belle had tried to break Diamond Tiara’s diamond tiara while Rarity had been fitting the filly for her Mare Do Well costume. It had gotten her grounded and meant Rarity had to escort Sweetie home to make sure she didn’t try and sneak some games with her friends in without her parents knowing. As for Applejack, she just stood there looking at the filly in front of her for several seconds, not saying a word. Her legs wobbled. “I…I never said nothing like try and break another pony’s property or…or what you did!” Somehow, for a reason beyond even Pinkie’s comprehension, Applebloom puffed her chest out proudly. “I know, but then you said a real hero like you lets her actions speak for themselves, and I figured out what you were really tryin ta tell me! If somepony’s annoying you, then you take something they either really like, or something you want fer yerself! So Ah was gunna shave off Twists cutie mark cause of the way she was talkin all the time!” “But it…no! The reason Ah…that ain’t…” As her sister faltered, the filly just kept going. “Ah mean, you couldn’t have been serious bout that whole bragging thing,” she said. “You brag all the time, and about everything! Plus you have that trophy the town gave you set up in the house where we kin see it from the livin and dining rooms, not to mention all yer ribbons. You put them outside in a display so everypony walkin by the far can see em without even trying. So even when yer not talkin yer still braggin!” Applejack’s mouth worked silently for a moment before she finally made some noise. “…that’s just…tellin the truth.” “But the first time you told me the Nightmare Moon story, you said you caught Twilight then you dropped her. It was Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy that caught her,” the filly went on. “Huh, you know…if Rainbow Dash caught Rarity an them other Wonderbolts like she said a few days ago, couldn’t she have just flown up an saved Twilight before she hit the ground even if you didn’t do anything? Or at least slowed her fall enough to make the crash non-lethal? …did you even do anything heroic in that forest that another pony couldn’t have taken care of in a much better way?” Twilight could practically see the proverbial knife Applebloom had driven into Applejack’s brain twist as it went deeper to slice into the mare’s pride. “That ain’t...you…” she paused and looked over to the knife Twilight still held in her magic. After taking a breath, she looked back down at the filly with a frown. “THAT DON’T MATTER NONE! NOW YOU GIT HER SORRY PLOT HOME AND STAY UP IN YER ROOM FOR I TAN YER HIDE SO MUCH YOU’LL GET YER CUTIE MARK IN TAKIN’ WHOOPINS!” Applebloom let out a shriek as her sister’s face got inches from her own, then turned and ran from the group of older mares. Pinkie scratched her head. “But why Twist? She didn’t deserve something like…oh, never mind, answered my own question.” “Wow AJ, you’re such a role model for little fillies,” Rainbow grumbled. “Waaaaaaaay better than me and my ego.” The farm pony turned and frowned at the pegasus that was standing next to the rest of the mares. “T-that’s only…one…” All of a sudden, she trailed off, and her eyes widened, and her plot hit the ground with an audible thump. “Hey, gimmie back my scooter!” As Twilight turned around to look for the voice of the other Cutie Mark Crusader, her eyes widened at what she saw. All around the front of the school the verbal arguments had devolved into brutal fights. Foals everywhere were attacking each other for one reason or another. “Fluttershy help me!” Scootaloo cried out as a pair of earth pony colts in Mare Do Well costumes wrestled her most precious possession away from her. While one held the orange pegasus down, the other lifted the scooter in obvious preparation to smash it against a nearby rock. From her place behind Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy peeked out to speak barely loud enough for Twilight to hear the pegasus. “Um, could you two please stop that? It’s…well…it’s not very nice.” “This is what you get for all that annoying buzzing around you do!” the colt holding the scooter shouted before he brought the scooter down…and blinked when said item disappeared in a blur of rainbow colors. Before he even had time to look around in confusion, his partner let out a painful squawk and as the boy’s tail was pulled hard enough to dislodge him from his location atop Scootaloo. The filly’s face changed from one of horror to adulation in a second, and she looked up as Rainbow Dash put the girl’s most precious possession in the world back on the ground. “Here ya go squirt.” As if the object would disappear at any second, Scootaloo quickly latched into her Scooter’s handlebars and looked up at her former hero with a trembling lip. “Th-thank you Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow scratched the back of her head, then looked towards the rest of the schoolyard while it continued its descent into pandemonium. “Yeah…you should probably get going home now.” “WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Twilight blinked and looked over to see a familiar looking little unicorn of a filly crying as she sat on the ground. In front of her lay a broken toy, while a pair of unicorn colts that were wearing a very familiar magician’s outfit loomed over Dinky with a pair of satisfied smirks. “That’s what you get for calling the Great and Powerful Trixie a poopy-head!” Snips snapped at Dinky as the younger unicorn sat on the ground with tears running down her face. “And if you ever say anything like that again!” Snails added as he raised a hoof to shake it at the little girl in a menacing fashion. The sight made Twilight’s jaw nearly hit the ground when the unicorn filly turned her head away from the colts, and she saw the telltale beginnings of a bruise starting to form. For a second, all the lavender unicorn could do was stand there as her rage built up, and then… “You VILE BEASTS!” Rarity roared before using her magic to seize both of the ears of both colts and twist them in the most unnatural way possible before pulling them towards her. A second later, Rainbow Dash landed next to the little filly and scooped her up along with the broken toy. The loud noise allowed Twilight to finally recover enough to pull her jaw off the ground and begin breathing again. “Girls…um…I think we need to take these foals back to their parents. And um…could all of you meet me in the treehouse when you’re done?” “Tch, what for?” grumbled from above them as she held the unicorn filly in her forelegs while she examined the broken doll. “Got another lesson you want to teach me?” Twilight looked back up at Rainbow with wide eyes, then her expression became downcast and she shook her head. “No I just…” She paused and the doll in Rainbow’s hooves was taken up by her magic before it was put back together and the damage mended. “Please?” After taking the toy back and giving it to Dinky, Rainbow let out a groan. “Fine. Just give me a few minutes to talk to Dinky’s mother after I drop these brats off with their parents, and I’ll be there.”