Whoa! How Long Were You Asleep For?!
It doesn't matter, you have to help save the farm!
It's funny, you never thought you'd be helping the Hick again willingly, but hey Family comes first, no matter how messed up and insane the situation is.
Also, you have to stop the Machine!
Also, ask Applejack why they agreed to this contest, legally they shouldn't have to give up their lands unless there was a contract signed. Hey you did learn something impersonating a Lawyer it seems. But she mentions it's a matter of pride.
Ask the Apples why they didn't wake you up like yesterday.
Normally, this would be the part of the story where our hero jumps out of bed and throws his clothes on in a rush while charging out the door, but since you already have your clothes on due to your habit of keeping your Doctor clothes on at all times (can't let them know you're a changeling), you run out the door of your shed while quickly downing a packet of dried fruit and a granola bar for your "breakfast" while Apple Bloom rides on your back.
Food Reserves of the Inventory (Almost depleted due to snacks for yourself and Nightshade)
"2 Packages of Whole-Wheat Crackers"
"1 Jar of Peanut Butter"
"1 Box of Multigrain Cereal"
"5 Granola Bars"
"1 Can of Powdered Milk"
"4 Small Bags of Dried Fruit"
"So... why didn't you guys wake me up this morning like yesterday?" You ask.
"Well Applejack thought you were so tuckered out yesterday from all that work that you needed a break." Apple Bloom replies.
"But what about the contest! I could have hel-"
"I wanted you and Nightshade to help, but Applejack said 'this is a matter of family pride, and you're not family'."
If only you knew...
As you head outside to the contest you are greeted with a large line of ponies. The Apple Family and Flim Flam Brothers are finishing setting up their equipment for the contest. Damn it! the blasted machine seems to be fixed. Curse you machines and your evilly, evil villainous lies of EVIL! Wait, what were you doing...oh yeah! You see that the Deadly 6 talking with the Apple family, most likely about the contest. You're about to, sadly, join them when...
Hmm....
"What?"
I felt a strange, but familiar presence.
"Should I be worried? I feel like I should"
It unfortunately left as it came. So I can't be specific about what it was
"You sure are helpful..."
Watch thine tongue, insect!
"Whatever you say, Waifu"
What did you just call me!?
You don't answer as you make your way over to the Applejack and the rest.
Twilight lines up the rest of the mares and gives them their orders to help the Apples. Strangely, she ignores you.
"Hey bookworm! What about me?"
"You're a fixer, aren't you? Well, we have a problem. Fix it!"
When you finally reach the contest (after tripping on your scarf a few times), you see that the Apple Family and Flim Flam Brothers are finishing setting up their equipment for their epic confrontation.
Luna Darn it! You think in frustrated annoyance
The blasted machine still lives! Curse you machines and your evilly, evil villainous lies of EVIL! Wait, what was I doing... oh yeah!
While you were mentally rambling, the Deadly 6 walked over and is now talking with the Apple family, most likely about the contest. You're about to join them when...
Hmm....
"What?"
I felt a strange, but familiar presence.
"Should I be worried? I feel like I should."
It unfortunately left as it came. So I can't be specific about what it was...
"You sure are helpful..."
Watch thine tongue, insect!
"Whatever you say... Waifu"
What did thou just calleth me!?
You don't answer as you make your way over to the Applejack and the rest who are standing in a line while Twilight gives orders, but she strangely ignores you.
"Hey bookworm! What about me?" You protest.
"You're a patcher, aren't you? Well, if we need anything patched, we'll call you!"
"Patch what? It's not like I could use magic to lift their machine and drop it into the lake... wait a second that might wo-"
"NO!" Everypony nearby shouts.
"Okay okay... sheesh." You say as you back away in annoyed resignation.
As the contest starts and the Deadly 6 and the Apple family get to work, you sneak away with a few apple buckets while thinking,
Well... If I can't help directly, then I'll just have to be... discreet with my help... Wait a second... WHY DOES THE DEADLY 6 GET TO HELP, BUT I DON'T!
They don't think of you as a friend or even appreciate your efforts... Perhaps you should strike a little fear of death int-
Not now D.F.V.!
The DFV grumbles in annoyance as you head into the apple fields.
Go into an isolated part of the orchard and use the staff to harvest a bunch of apples while nopony is looking.
When the rest of the Mane 6 (and you and Nightshade) join in, Nightshade adorably starts Falcon Kicking trees while you use Psycho Crusher through the upper halves of the trees. Occasionally lubricate the treadmill gears and duct-tape leaks in the barrels
When you reach an isolated part of the orchard, you look around you cautiously before you take the staff out of the inventory and slam it end-first into the ground, the resulting shockwave liberating several trees of their apples which fall into the buckets. You smile at your hoofy work and are about to continue when-
"Watcha doing?"
You look down in surprise to see Nightshade out of her "room" and still wearing her vest. After getting over the brief shock, you answer,
"I'm secretly helping the Apples win their contest so I don't lose my job and they don't lose their farm."
Nightshade gets a excited look in her eyes as she says,
"Oh! Oh! Can I help?"
You smile at her and say,
"Sure Sweetie. Why don't you show me that Falcon kick you told me about?"
And with that the two of you got to work on knocking the apples outta of the trees and putting them into buckets.
1 HOUR LATER
You and Nightshade got into a pattern of filling buckets with the downed apples before sneaking them over to the Apples, grabbing empty buckets, and taking them back to the isolated area to get more downed apples (fortunately, everypony (from the Deadly 6 to the crowd) are so focused on the contest that they don't notice you doing that). Once you and Nightshade collected the last of the downed apples you both walk over to see if anything needs patching when...
Its high Ten-o-clock-in-the-morning, time for the contest. Ponies gather from town to watch (and buy cider from the winners once this is all over).
The two contesting teams stand on opposite sides of the field, alert at their stations and ready to begin as an appropriate theme plays. You are standing on the sidelines watching, you offered to help but Applejack refused stating "Sorry Mister Tennent, but this here is a family matter." if only she knew, oh the awkward irony.
Mayor Mare announces the terms for the contest, whichever team makes the most within an hour wins. And with that she starts off the contest and- waitaminute... is that the Doctor sitting next to her? You have to know what he's found out about "the Nightmare comes".
So you sneak over and try to converse with him, but for some reason he's ignoring you.
"Doctor, hey Doctor. Hey. Hey. Hey. Whatcha find out man? Doctor. Hey." you say while rapidly poking him.
"I'm sorry Bugzy but I can't talk now. Timey Wimey stuff. Stop trying to end all of existence as we know it!" he hastily tells you before continuing with his judge duties.
"I bet he's just here for the cider." You mumble to yourself as you walk off in a huff.
You spot a familiar-looking stallion attending to the hourglass with an hourglass Cutie Mark-
Waitaminute... is that the Doctor!? I HAVE to let him know of this "The Nightmare Comes" thing.
With that, you tell Nightshade to stay in the crowd near Derpy before sneaking over and trying to converse with him, but for some reason he's ignoring you.
"Doctor, hey Doctor. Hey. Hey. Hey. Whatcha find out man? Doctor. Hey." You say while rapidly poking him.
"I'm sorry Bugzy, but I can't talk now and my name is 'Time Turner'. Timey-Wimey stuff. Stop trying to end all of existence as we know it!" he hastily tells you before continuing with his judge duties.
"I bet he's just here for the cider." You mutter to yourself as you walk off in a huff.
But as you walk away, you notice something over at Flim and Flam's side of the field...
Before the contest begins, you see that they have on New Evil Hats. You proceed to smash and burn those as well while shouting Evil again.
Flim: Oh Come On!
Flam: We just bought those
You: EVIL!!!
You spot them sipping cider and relaxing on a couch while wearing those evil hats again! You quickly dash over and snatch their hats with a "Yoink" before stomping them into the ground.
"Oh Come On!"
"We just bought those!"
"EVIL!!!" you scream before dashing off...
When the contest starts, you can see that the PUPPETS OF THE MACHINE are winning. Poor Big Red is running himself to death, and the rest seem on the verge of tears and everyone just starts cheering.
You do the math in your head, or rather the DFV does and she lets you know that even with the extra help, they will lose.
You decide you must break THE MACHINE at all costs.>> Minds Eye Ya, try reasoning with it until you realize how futile it is.
The Apples are still behind, even with the others helping. Your first thought is to stop the Super Speedy Thingy-Majig. You sneak behind the brothers and attempt to reason with their device.
"Machine," you call it by its forbidden name, "why do you do this?"
It doesn't answer you.
"You will ruin the lives of ponies that share your pain. The Apples toil and struggle day in and day out just like you do. Why do you serve the ones that enslave you?"
Silence.
"Arise, machine! Throw off your oppressors!"
May I ask exactly what the &^%# you're trying to do here?
"I... have no idea."
And you notice that Big Red seems to be running himself to death by exhaustion as the others look like they're on the verge of tears.
The fools are doomed.
"What?"
Using my vastly superior mathematical prowess, I calculate that those fools are only making one barrel to the de-hatted ones' three.
Oh no. If the Flim Flam brothers win, I'll be out of income and shelter for myself and Nightshade! I need to take that machine out ASAP without anypony noticing, but how... *ding*
You sneak behind the brothers and attempt to reason with the machine.
"Machine," you call it by its forbidden name, "why do you do this?"
It doesn't answer you.
"You will ruin the lives of ponies that share your pain. The Apples toil and struggle day in and day out just like you do. Why do you serve the ones that enslave you?"
Silence.
"Arise, machine! Throw off your oppressors!"
May I ask what in the name of Tartarus you're trying to do here?
"I... have no idea. Apparently this machine is incapable of love..."
Unsurprising. This contraption has about as much capacity for compassion and mercy as the false goddesses of the sun and moon...
"And... you just made it creepy. I'm gonna try something else before you start trying to strangle ponies again. Now think bug! Think... think..."
You start banging your head against it as you realize you may have to just smash the dang thing and blow your cover.
You: One week, I couldn't even go one week (You say as you bash your head)
You are about to change into you HO suit when suddenly you are sucked into the hose.
You: JUDGEMENT DAY HAS COME!!!
On the inside you dodge apple squashers and sharp peelers (guess your training paid off) but still end up getting bruised and battered and covered in apple juice and pulp and end up smashing through into the engine room.
You: THAT'S IT! I WON'T LET YOU WIN. MACHINES!!!!!
you pull out your tools and start dismantling everything that looks important. Warning red lights start appearing. You laugh maniacly and even start setting it on fire, when you are then blown out the way you came in and land in the middle of the field, along with a bunch of apple, tree, and rock pulp.
On the Outside
Flim: Flam, what's happening
Flam: It's the SSCS6X, she's gone from Suck to Blow!
They abandon the machine as it explodes, covering everyone in Pulp
You see the explosion and smile
You: Hasta La Vista, Baby!
After you make your way back to the contest, You see everyone celebrating the Apples as everyone has cider and the Brothers run out of town.
You: Yeesh, the mob mentality sure changes at the drop of a hat
"Gah! I got nothing!" You say in frustration as you start banging your head against the machine as you realize you'll now have to smash the dang machine and blow your cover.
"One (*clang*) week. (*clang*) I (*clang*) couldn't (*clang*) even (*clang*) go (*clang*) one (*clang*) bucking (*clang*) week! (*clang*)"
You stop hitting your head and reach into the inventory for the H.O. suit when suddenly you're sucked into the hose!
"JUDGEMENT DAY HAS COME!!!" You scream.
You land inside the machine and barely manage to dodge apple squashers and sharp peelers (guess your training paid off). Thinking that the machine is intentionally trying to kill you, you scream,
"I AIN'T LETTING YOU TERMINATE THE WORLD WITHOUT GOING DOWN SWINGING!!!"
And with that, you pull out your tools and start dismantling everything that looks important (duct taping things that should move, squirting WD-40 into places where it shouldn't belong, and whacking and pulling apart things in a frenzy with your vise-grips). You laugh maniacally as warning lights start to go off and the machine starts sputtering,
"Flam, what's happening?!"
"It's the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, she's gone from Suck to Blow!"
Suddenly, the machine shakes violently and blasts you out in a gunk of apple, tree, and rock pulp causing you to scream in midair,
"LOOKS LIKE I'M BLASTING OFF AGA-! *WHAM*"
Your flight abruptly ends when you smash headfirst into an apple tree and get buried in the resulting hail of apples. Meanwhile, the contraption shakes and sputters violently before shutting down. As the Flim Flam brothers desperately try to get the machine working again, Applejack helps you out of the pile and asks in concern,
"You okay Mistah Tennant?"
"Eh, I'm just fantastic now that the evil machine isn't trying to terminate me." you reply as you put your Panama hat back on.
"How did you even get into that machine in the first place?" Rainbow Dash asks,
Before you could make up an excuse, Twilight chimes in "It must have sucked him up by accident when the Flim Flam brothers shut off the quality control."
"Yeah... What the bookworm said..." You nervously say as you back away...
At the end (or near the end) of the contest, your scarf somehow gets caught in the contraption, strangling you. After the ponies finally manage to get you out (Nightshade tried to loosen the scarf with WD-40, but ends up spraying you in the eyes by mistake), the scarf jams up the machine and causes it to implode. You then start digging through the debris for your scarf much to the face-hoofing of everypony.
"Come on! Function you confounded device!" Flam says before giving the machine a kick which gets it's gears going... Right when the end of your scarf gets caught in it!
"Gak!"
"DADDY!"
"MISTER TENNANT! I'MA COMING!" Applejack yells as she and Big Red run over to get you loose.
"Can't you shut the machine off?!" Twilight shouts.
"The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 isn't responding!" Flim says in response.
Soon, the rest of the Deadly 6 and even Nightshade (who accidentally sprays you in the face with WD-40 trying to get the scarf loose) eventually manage to release your neck from the scarf, but it gets eaten by the machine's gears as the contraption starts to shake even more violently.
"IT'S GONNA BLOW!!!" Granny Smith yells causing everypony to dive and duck for cover as you protectively shove Nightshade back into the Inventory.
You dive for cover as you shout
"HIT THE DECK!"
*KA-BOOM*
Apple/wood/rock gunk, wood, and metal fly everywhere in the wake of the machine's destruction.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Flim Flam brothers scream.
"Not the Super Squeezy Cider 6000!" Flim says.
"We put our life savings into that machine!" Flam adds.
The unicorn twins then run away as they scream,
"WE'LL BE BACK! WE'LL AVENGE OUR MACHINE! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF US APPLE FAMILY! AND YOU TOO WHO EVER DESTROYED OUR MACHINE!"
You, however, are completely oblivious to this as you shout,
"No! Not the scarf!" and dive into the gunk and debris. The ponies look at you like you've completely lost your mind and Applejack says,
"Ya'll almost choked to death, and ya'll worried about the scarf?!"
"Yes I'm worried about the scarf! It looks awesome and it technically helped save the farm, so now it has sentimental value!" you reply as you continue to dig.
Everypony (even Big Red, Apple Bloom and Fluttershy) just face-hoofs in disbelief at your stupidity, but you're too busy trying to save the scarf to notice.
"No no no no no no no! Be alive be alive be alive! YES!!!"
You pull out the (surprisingly still well-intact) scarf and as you hug your scarf in happiness that it wasn't destroyed with the machine, you spot the Doctor starting to sneak away from the area out of the corner of your eye.
Aw hay no! I got FAR too many questions for that guy to just run off!
With that in mind, you chase after him.
You finally get to speak with "Time Turner", but before you can ask him anything, he quickly warns you that on Nightmare Night, it is EXTREMELY important that when you see a seemingly dangerous situation, you MUST count to 10 before jumping in. He then tells Derpy to grab some mugs of cider and runs off.
"Yo Doctor! Did you find out anything about th-"
"Not now Bugze!" he interuppts, "I need to get to the TARDIS and quick! Some Zygonies were just spotted in Dimondia and I need to go and find out why they're there. Derpy, grab the cider!"
The Doctor runs away, but he shouts back to you,
"OH, A BIT OF A WARNING! ON NIGHTMARE NIGHT, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS DEADLY, YOU MUST COUNT TO 10 BEFORE RUSHING IN! GOT THAT? GOOD! ALLONS-Y!"
You nod dumbly as he runs away, Derpy in tow. She looks back at you and says
"Hi Bugz- I mean Mister Tennant! See ya later!"
You wave back dumbly, when suddenly...
As you sludge through the pulp, you are pulled into a group hug and given a mug of cider. You cheer and in the process of raising your hooves up, you knock the Filly Fooler's mug into the dirt.
She looks shocked, and then looks at you, where you begin to smirk, but stop when you see her starting to cry.
RD: Why....why....why?...Why can't I just have one sip?...one sip... (she starts crying, all out bawling into your chest)
And now you feel bad, sure you don't like her, but the Filly Fooler isn't supposed to cry, it just seems wrong somehow.
You: Oh great, I broke the Filly Fooler.
DFV: Ahhh, such sweet sorrow, doesn't it feel good to get petty revenge?
You: Quiet you! This just makes me feel like a turd. Sigh. Dang it Guilt, you ruin everything
You: Hey, Hey, I'm sorry, here take my mug
RD: (she looks up sniffling) what?
You: You can have mine, I'm sorry, it was an accident.
She tentatively takes it, like it's booby trapped, before slamming the entire thing back in one gulp. She then grabs you in a bone crushing hug while shouting
RD: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
And she starts nuzzling your cheek over-affectionately. You see AJ scowling at this display and all you can think is.
You: OK, THIS IS JUST GETTING RIDICULOUS NOW! CURSE YOU MADAME IRONY, STEPSISTER OF LADY LUCK AND FATE!
At the end, when they have enough cider for all, pinkie is second last and buys ALL the cider.
ALL of it.
The fillyfooler starts to cry while muttering 'why... why... why...', you feel like a turd so you give her yours, inadvertently laying down the foundations of her crush on you as she gives you the dreaded pegasi death-hug, and a horrible chill goes down your spine in forewarning. As this happens you suddenly remember your grandbuggy saying once, while you and him were running away from a collapsing cloudsdale, 'Pegasi are brutes, remember that. Don't go into a relationship with one, Faust knows I made that mistake once. Now, we should flee bugze, i don' want to be mauled by cloudsdalians'.
You're pulled into a group hug and given a mug of cider. You cheer with the others and in the process of raising your mg, you accidentally knock the Fillyfooler's mug into the dirt. She looks at you in shock as you say with a slight smirk,
"Sorry."
But you stop smirking when her eyes start to water,
"Why... Why... Why can't I just have one sip?... One sip..."
She then starts crying and now you feel bad.
Oh great, I broke the Fillyfooler. Sure, I really don't like her, but the Fillyfooler crying just seems... wrong somehow.
Ahhh, the delicious tears of unfathomable sadness... Doesn't it feel good to get petty revenge on lesser-
Quiet you! This just makes me feel like a dropping. Sigh. Dang it conscience, you ruin everything...
"Hey, Hey, I'm sorry, here take my mug." you say as you offer it to her.
"What?" she sniffles.
"You can have mine, I'm sorry, it was an accident."
She tentatively takes it like it's booby trapped, before slamming the entire thing back in one gulp. She then grabs you in a bone-crushing hug while shouting,
"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!"
And she starts nuzzling your cheek over-affectionately. You see the rest of the Deadly 6 giggling at this display (while Applejack seems to scowl a little in jealousy) and you can only think,
OK, THIS IS JUST GETTING RIDICULOUS NOW! CURSE YOU MADAME IRONY, STEPSISTER OF LADY LUCK AND FATE!
Nothing else worth mentioning happened that day (you let out Nightshade and let her play with Applebloom while you kept an eye on them/occasionally joined in and then at the end of the day you took a bath (to wash out the apple/wood/rock gunk) before going to bed), but the next morning you're awoken with a "DODGE!" from Applejack and an apple to the head. When you get to breakfast (oatmeal, apples, and apple juice), Applejack give you a day off (something about "Needing ya to get all that crazy out") and gives you your payment for the work you've done so far.
You currently have 68 Bits
So, you've now got a whole day to yourself. The only question is...
What do you do?