The sun was setting over the rolling hills to the east, signaling the nearing end of the day. A farmer standing amidst her land wiped the sweat off her brow and leaned against the handle of her hoe, the edges of her face crinkled up in a smile as she took in her work. Two full acres were tilled and seeded with care. It was long and back breaking, but knowing it would bring about fresh produce for her family and their business was well worth it.
Just beyond the lands borders, the farmer could see the road that lead to their farmland. If she squinted, she could make out the form of her older brother coming back from town with an empty cart and a full satchel. The big guy was quiet as a stone, but he did business just as tactfully as the farmer herself.
The young farmer, Applejack, wiped at her brow with the red and worn handkerchief tied around her neck and turned to make her way back to the main house, plucking the hoe from where she had stuck it into the earth and carried it over her shoulder, whistling a hearty tune as she went. Along the way, the family pet came barking up to her mistress and trekked alongside her, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of her chops. Applejack chuckled fondly at the collie and bent to give her a good scratch behind her ear, muttering praises. "Good girl, Winona. C'mon, dinner should be ready soon."
With a bark as confirmation, the two made their way back to the house.
Once inside, sure enough Applejack could smell the warm aroma of her grandmother's home cooking in the making. The elderly woman was stirring a ladle through a cast-iron pot when she felt the presence of her granddaughter come up beside her. "Evenin', young'n. Supper's almost done here."
"Ah could smell it all the way from the fields! Everythin' looks great, granny!"
The kindly old woman chuckled at that. "Aww, yer such a sweet talker, like yer daddy was. But you can't be bringin' that there farm tool along for dinner, sweet pea."
Applejack gave her grandmother a confused look, until she remembered the hoe she was carrying over her shoulder. With a sheepish laugh, Applejack excused herself before her dear old granny and went over to the tool shed. She had put her tool away in its proper place and closed the door behind her. She was about to turn back and start towards the house when something caught her eye. She went towards what had caught her eye and found herself heading towards her workplace. Like the shed, it housed her tools for doing work. However, this one was used for her blacksmithing craft. It was one thing to pride herself as a hard working farmer, but she also took pride in her works as a blacksmith. From sword crafting to repairs, she could fabricate armor and weaponry for any and all occasions. What had caught her eye was a sliver of light peeking from a cracked door. At first she had thought thieves were trying to rob from her. Her thoughts were put to rest when she saw the form of her brother within her workplace, letting out a sigh of relief as she stepped through the door.
"Howdy, Mac! Everythin' okay?"
The taller young man looked from what he was doing to smile at his sister, and nod with an audible "Eyup!"
From where she stood, Applejack could see Big Mac was sifting through a wooden box containing various sizes of nails. It wasn't full to capacity, so he could run his hands through it without much difficulty.
"Somethin' break?"
"Mm, sorta. Dagnabbed hubcap lost a bolt 'bout halfway here and Ah had to slow down to get home."
At this, Applejack nodded and went to her workbench. "That there's fer nails, an' they're too slim to fit on the hubcap, Mac." She reached to a shelf and brought another wooden box out before them. "Ah think Ah still got a rivet in here somewhere that'll-"
Her words died at her lips as her fingers closed around a thick bolt that stuck out among her rivets. Mac eyed his sister as she stood stock still, her green eyes slowly widening as realization came over her face as if she discovered a great truth.
"Uh, AJ? You alri-" Before he could get to finish his words, Applejack whirled past him, shouting over her shoulder as she gathered a few things and bound them in her satchel.
"Ah'm gonna borrow Kicks for a few! Tell granny Ah'll be back. Save some stew for me while Ah'm gone, please!"
In a sprint that would give Rainbow Dash a run for her money, the farmer dashed for the stables, unhitched Kicks McGee from his pen and mounted the sturdy Clydesdale. She gave his sides a quick but firm prod with her booted heels and let out a cry as she guided his reins to head towards town, her bound blonde hair flailing wildly at her back as they left a confused Big Mac in their dust.
Within the castle walls, merriment was being had by all. Tucked away in the kitchen among the help was Twilight, Fluttershy and queen Rarity herself. The three sat at a table, with various foods and courses strewn over its top, and chatted amongst themselves. Having barely touched her plate, Twilight was busying herself with her nose in a book, whereas Rarity and Fluttershy were talking of nothing in particular. Even as she read, something was gnawing at the back of Twilight's head.
"Um, your majesty?"
Her light words of inquiry made both queen and jarl turn towards her, stopping their chatter. "Yes, dear? And please, drop the formalities already!"
Twilight never let her eyes drift away from her book and went on. "Not that I'm questioning the choices you make, your grace, but why have you decided to dine here in the kitchen?"
To that, Rarity tittered casually and curled her jeweled fingers around her wine cup, taking a dainty sip from it. "Because, darling, it gets frightfully dull eating at a ridiculously long table with only you and Fluttershy occupying the far corners of it. This way, I can talk directly to the two of you and spend time with the cooks as well. Though, it looks like they have departed from here." She then sighs and takes another sip.
Hearing every word spoken, Twilight nods her head and continues to read as Rarity and Fluttershy resume their discussion.
The wooden double doors burst open as a guard charges into the kitchen, raising his helm and coming to stand in front of Twilight. "C-Captain!"Twilight calmly raises her head up from her book to look at the winded cadet before her and regards him patiently. "What is it, cadet? The queen is in the middle of dinner with the jarl-"
"We have a situation down at the barracks! Someone barged in and tried to gain entry into the inventory." With a sigh and a nod, Twilight fixed a marker between the pages so she didn't lose her place. "Very well. Your excellencies, please excuse me while I settle this-"
"Nonsense, Twilight! We shall accompany you as well! Won't we, dear Fluttershy?"
The pale skinned queen took a polite hold of the jarl beside her, making the fair skinned girl "eep" out in surprise and nod hesitantly. The young scholar weighed her options, until she sighed and nodded, subdued. It was pointless now to even get a word in edgewise, so she may as well let the two royals come with her.
The group of three left the kitchen and made their way to the barracks. Twilight parted the oak doors and the three were greeted by a most peculiar sight.
Inside the chamber, many suited guards lay strewn about and slumped against the stone walls. Some were either trying to conscious while others were out cold. Tables where card games and bouts of chess had been were turned over, both dice and chess pieces were scattered all over the stone floor, along with cards and empty cups. In the middle of the entire spectacle stood a tall and tan young woman with long blonde hair, clad in working clothes consisting of a dirtied white tunic and dark brown slacks. She had leather wraps around her wrists and working boots on her feet.
The young woman, known to the three as Applejack, was not alone in the middle of the chamber.
Before her stood an even taller burly looking man, with a grizzled beard lining his face and chin and clad in newly shined armor. He looked towards the farmer standing before him with a stern look before addressing her.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion, peasant?" The man's voice was booming with a gravelly, masculine tone that left little room to argue. From the doorway, the audience of three watched. Twilight had dismissed the attendant that had been standing by in case things got out of hand and stood with her hands behind her back, leaning against the wall as her eyes landed on the sight in front of them. Fluttershy came up beside Twilight and leaned in slightly to whisper discreetly to her a question. "W-Who's that scary looking man, Twilight?"
Rarity also leaned in so as to hear what Twilight had to say.
"The man over there is sir Will, your grace. He's an outstanding warrior in battle, fearless and brutal to his enemies. He had just returned from a crusade not too long ago."
The two women nod at Twilight's explanation, never taking their eyes off of the two standing figures in the middle of the chamber. Twilight made a move to go and break up this little confrontation before it could escalate until she was stopped by a light but firm tug on her arm guard. She turned to see jarl Fluttershy carefully pulling her arm back.
"Um....your grace, I have to intervene on this. Sir Will is a great warrior, but one with a foul temper. The man doesn't know a whit of patience and he has the mentality of stabbing first and asking questions later, if he remembered."
Even at this, Fluttershy did not release her timid grip on the captains armor. Rarity then laid a delicate hand on Twilight's shoulder to assuage the concerned woman, a knowing smile on her lovely features. "Twilight, dear, come now. Why don't we let this play out a little longer? Besides, if Fluttershy thinks Applejack will be fine then I'll take her word for it. She has seen her in action after all."
Reluctantly, Twilight retreated back to the wall and watched on with queen and jarl. Back amidst the spectacle, both the farmer and the knight were having words.
"That any way to treat someone who provides the food you eat and the weapons you use, boy?"
"'Boy'? You've got quite a tongue on ya, wench. Now explain why you've barged into my barracks, unannounced and roughing up my men."
Foregoing the "wench" line, Applejack approached the armored knight and narrowed her green eyes as she scrutinized his armor. Plates were aligned as they were meant to be. Leather strappings were secure. She brought up a hand and gave the chain mail peeking up above his breast plate a firm tug, making the knights head jerk at the force. He especially didn't miss the hushed giggles coming from the audience at the doorway, grumbling and rolling his eyes.
The farmer circled around Will, still with a scrutinizing eye as she looked over his suit. The wings at both the elbows and the knees were firm and straight. She stood and gave one of the shoulder pads several firm knocks, nodding in approval. Will let out a low grunt as he tapped his boot along the floor impatiently.
It was when Applejack knelt down to inspect the shin guards and the pivot bolts beneath the platings that the farmer let out a displeased groan. She then rose and once again stood in front of the knight, that look on her freckled face never letting up.
"Ah'll need to take back that suit of armor, Sir," she stated simply.
Will let out a derisive snort and spit to the side as he eyed the woman in front of him. "Piss off."
Applejack let out a harsh breath through her nose and rubbed at her temples. Why the hell did she think it would be easy? "You don't understand, Sir. Ah need to-"
"You need to get the hell outta my sight before I smite you here and now for breaking in here and trying to steal from me, wench." As he spoke, Will advanced threateningly towards her, towering over her by at least three head lengths and glaring down at her. He was taller then her brother, but the woman did not budge from her spot. Applejack pursed her lips into a thin line and tried again.
"Yer not listenin' to me, you great oaf! Ah need to take that suit back to-"
A vicious hiss of steel against hard leather rang out as Will unsheathed a dagger at his curiss and aimed its tip at the farmers' throat.
"I won't say it again. Piss. Off."
Rarity and Fluttershy gasped audibly while Twilight stood ready to dart in, her eyes narrowed at Will. The atmosphere was escalating more and more as words were being spat between two hard headed individuals.
Applejack rolled her eyes and groaned as she accepted what she had been trying to avoid ever since she arrived. Sure, her approach wasn't very....tactful. However, the suit was purchased with her guarantee as a blacksmith that it was up to par with the buyers demands. And since it was from Rarity's funds that the suit was bought, Applejack was more inclined to uphold both her honor as a blacksmith and a friend and fix her mistake.
She knows this type and has learned how to deal with them. Again, not very tactful, but effective.
"Mm....Ah can see yer not gonna budge on this, are ya, big fella?"
His answer to her was to bite his thumb at her, a nasty glare scrunched onto his face. 'Challenge accepted then.', she thought bitterly.
"...Fair enough."
"Get to your point already, wench.", he growled out dangerously.
Applejack deadpanned for a brief moment then smiled smugly at the man pointing a dagger at her throat. She then walked lazily over to the nearest downed guard and took from him his halberd. It was long and well used, firm and sturdy. As she examined the weapon in her hands, Applejack ran her fingers along the arch of the blade. It was another one of her works, and she was pleased to see it was made properly. Before anyone knew what she was going to do, the farmer raised the end of the halberd over her head and, raising her knee upward, she brought the halberd down swiftly and snapped the bladed end off of the neck of the weapon.
Will watched on in confusion as Applejack turned to face him, standing a few feet away from the knight. Slowly, the farmer sauntered over to where Will was standing, his dagger still raised towards her as his warriors' eyes watched her every move. 'This bitch's is off her rocker. A mere bow? Against steel? Heh, she must've knocked her head against a tree too many damn times!'
She then came up to Will, her green eyes blazing in a defiant glint, and grinned. Without warning, Applejack moved deftly with the makeshift bow and struck several specific places around his armor, her strikes swift and sure. To Will, the hits were half-assed, barely making the steel ring out with the wooden materials' force.
Left shoulder. Right arm. Right side of the breast plate. Left hip. Left knee and ankle. Right hip. And finally, back of the right shin. In succession, and in that order, Applejack had struck Will in what appeared to be a random pattern. The burly warrior shook his head and chuckled in a condescending manner.
"She-She didn't even make him budge!", exclaimed Rarity. Fluttershy let out a little whine and hid herself more behind the queen.
Twilight watched with her eyes trained onto both Applejack and Will. "Something's...not right."
Rarity gave the scholar a bewildered look as she made that statement. The pale skinned queen wanted to ask Twilight what she had meant by that but had seen the way Twilight's eyes narrowed in pure concentration and knew it would be a fruitless endeavor. And so, she turned her eyes once again towards the confrontation set before her eyes.
"The hell was that?!", Will spat towards the farmer. "If that was your best, you're as pathetic as-"
"Seven."
He let out a confused grunt at the simple word.
"Seven times Ah could've killed you. Seven times Ah would've beaten you. And seven times Ah would've owned yer sorry ass."
As if on cue, Will's armor groaned and creaked. With a quick rattle, his armor came undone, falling apart as easily as a brittle leaf being crushed in someone's grip. The tailored metal clattered noisily at his feet, clanging against the stone floor of the chamber and leaving him in his under clothes, his eyes wide in confusion.
From the doorway, Fluttershy let out a high "EEP!" while a surprised Rarity and Twilight stared on, jaws hanging open as they witnessed the knights' humiliation. His face grew a steamed red as he grunted out in confusion, the dagger falling from his grip as his fingers curled into bitter fists.
Applejack approached the mess of armor at her feet and plucked from the mound what looked like a single pellet.
"There was a reason Ah asked you to relinquish that armor, ya fool."
A muscle jerked in his already clenched jaw, his face and neck red and taut in silent rage. Applejack then turned towards the three still watching them and made her way over to explain herself.
"Ah do apologize, Rares." She held out her hand to reveal her find.
"What is that?"
"This is why Ah came over here. It's a rivet. However, it was from a batch Ah had melted down from rusted materials and as a result, is easy to break."
Twilight picked up the small pellet and examined it closely. "Why use rusted material though? I thought you had an ample supply of metals to work with."
Applejack scratched at the back of her head sheepishly, a subdued smile playing at the corner of her lip.
"That, uh, was my fault too. Ah thought Ah could recycle 'em and save both time and-"
Her words were interrupted as the farmer was grabbed by the back of her tunic and flung across the room like a rag doll, her back colliding into the stone wall and crashing through it. A fuming Will let out a spiteful snort as he stomped in the direction of the downed woman, his eyes wild and screaming for penance from the farmer that dared to humiliate a knight.
A magenta colored hue encased his right arm and held the man back. "Will! That's enough! Stand down!"
He ignored Twilight's command and yanked his arm out of her magical grasp, growling as he resumed stomping. Rarity stepped forward and clanged her sceptar hard against the ground, her hands glowing with her own magical energy at the ready. "Do as the captain commands, Sir Will! This is an order from your queen! Do not harm Applejack!"
She may not have liked pulling rank as she was now, but it was clear that the warrior was going for blood if he got any closer to their friend.
Nevertheless, her words went unheeded as he closed in on his target. He rolled his neck over his shoulders, cracking the joints with ease and popping his knuckles.
As he approached, he found the bladed edge of the halberd Applejack had discarded earlier, and with a malicious grin he took it up and held it over his knuckles as if it were a gauntlet. He walked up to the hole in the wall left by Applejack's body, grabbed her harshly by her long blonde hair and yanked her up to the level of his eyes. Gashes on her face and arms bled as she hung in his grip. Will raised the hand holding the blade and aimed it towards her head. He brought her up and was now face to face with the farmer.
"You lose, bitch!", he growled out in smug loating against her scarred face.
".....'re b........ ....nk....."
It was low, barely above a whisper but he was sure he heard teh farmer mumble soomething. His grin grew as his bloodlust did. "Begging now? Oh hoh! The brazen bitch is now begging for her li-AAAHHHHHHH!!"
His voice went from bragging and gravally to a shrill, high falsetto shriek as Applejack's knee struck his uncupped crotch.
"AH SAID YER BREATH STINKS, YA DUMBASS!!!!!"
With a fierce grunt, the farmer backfisted the underside of his chin and sent him stumbling backward and falling hard onto the ground. She teetered onto her feet as his grip left her head. Righting herself, Applejack stalked up towards where Will sat, rubbing his chin in annoyance. Blood came dribbling down the corner of his mouth and he spat out a molar.
"Now Ah consider myself a fairly reasonable woman, Sir Will....However, your methods are less then what a knight's chivalry entails. And that is UNACCEPTABLE!!"
As she advanced, Applejack kicked up a stray shield and grabbed it with her hand, all while her eyes glared angrily at the man in her sights. Will rose to the rising challenge, reaching for his curiss and unsheathing a gladius from the hilt on the floor. Twilight felt the energies from these two beginning to clash as the tension mounted. She remained alert, however she felt that nothing would come to harm the queen and jarl behind her at the moment. For the time being, she stayed her hand and watched from afar.
Will went on the offensive, charging towards Applejack and closing the distance at an alarming speed. Applejack moved in as well, her booted feet moving about the debris without being hindered by it. The knight roared out as he brought down his gladius in an overhead arch and sliced through the air. With equally fast reflexes Applejack brought up the shield in hand and deflected the hard blow from his weapon. Will was surprised the force didn't push the farmer back but he remained calm in spite of the revalation.
He wielded his gladius with trained precision as he chose her heart as his target. Being in close quarters, the gladius was the perfect weapon of choice to inflict direct damage to warring enemies. His blade found the farmers' chest as it knicked her collarbone. The two royals and their captain saw the smug sneer on his face as Will dove in for another strike, intending to strike his target directly this time. With wide eyes, Applejack barely caught sight of the glinting metal and used her flat open palm to slap its legnth away. She took advantage of the brief openning and twirled in the momentum she had created with her movements and backfisted the side of his face with a fierce cry.
Will teetered back a bit, stunned at seeing such a move and growled at being made to look like a fool in front of the queen and jarl. He charged again, this time rearing his entire upper body back as if priming a strike from his gladius again. Instead he feinted and brought his huge fist into Applejacks' face hard, once again sending her flying back from the force. Twilight had to move Rarity and Fluttershy out of the way as the farmer collided with the great oak doors, causing them to splinter and break away on impact. Amidst the flying wooden debris, a huge chunk of it flew towards the three. Twilight moved in front of queen and jarl and brought up a protective shield with her magic.
All was still for a time as dust floated about. After a few beats of silence Will let out a hearty, triumphant laugh as he struck pose after ridiculous pose in celebration of his supremacy over the simple farmer. Twilight and Rarity had a disgusted scowl on their faces, while Fluttershy edged away from the area they occupied. Rarity felt her move and turned to face her. "Fluttershy? Where are you going, dear?"
She lightly tugged at Rarity's mantle, quietly beckoning her to follow. The young jarl was shaking like a leaf and hiding her face behind her hair, but she tried her best to beckon her friends to move away from their immediate area. Twilight, still holding up the shield, looked over her shoulder and saw this going on. With a brief nod, she edged backward and guided them away from where the door now lay in splinters. Will watched with a curious scowl as the women moved away. It was as if they were edging away from a steady flow of lava.
A shout rang out from beneath the broken wood and iron as a bare, tanned fist shot out from the debris. Applejack hoisted herself out of the mess, bleeding in several areas as new wounds decorated her frame. However, she was not winded or fatigued in the slightest. Were it not for the gashes and bruises, it would look like she was fine, with nothing irregular about her. She let out a heated snort through her nostrils and shook the stinging sweat from her face as her burning green eyes locked onto the bull-headed knight. Her lips peeled back in a snarl as she reached the limit of her patience.
"THAT....TEARS IT!!!"
Fist clenched, Applejack stabbed her heel into the mess and kicked up an iron enforcer that was previously secured to the doors. She reared her bare fist back and gave it a sure strike, sending the broken iron toward the man at break-neck speed. Will saw as the farmer rose from where she had crashed and was completely frozen in place, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, looking like a gasping carp. He had used his full strength against this woman, and yet she just kept getting back up as if he had done nothing more then give her a light shove.
The iron material collided with his front, making him grunt out loud from the force of the impact and ultimately crash through the wall across the room, making another hole beside the one that was made earlier. Captain, jarl and queen were staring incredulously at the events that had transpired before their eyes, utterly speechless!
Applejack made her way to where Will was, her hand sifting through the broken bricks as if she were running her hand through water. She then grabbed the man by his scraggly hair and yanked his head up harshly, making him groan out in pain from her force and making dust rise up from the mess. Her eyes were narrowed in anger as she made him face her.
"You got no right to call yerself a 'knight'! Ya done nearly got the girls hurt during this whole thing. And fer what?! Some damned pride?!?"
Her anger blazing anew once more, Applejack gave Will a fierce head-butt. Its force split the skin at his forehead and made the man shout out curses as his face scrunched up tight from the pain.
"Try and remember the reason why you became a knight in the first place, boy. Take this defeat and learn from it. Your queen and her people come before any damn pride of yours. Keep that in mind for the next time you decide to try and take me on. Perhaps Ah'll even take you seriously then."
With a heavy sigh Applejack releases his head and wipes the blood from her own open forehead. "Knights protect. Keep the peace and all. If'n you can't even keep yourself in check, how in the hay are others supposed to honestly respect you? Fear is one thing, boy. But if'n you want honest respect, ya gotta put others before yourself and be smart about it. Ain't no one gonna be respectin' a hothead like you if all your doin' is bullyin' others. What good is a knight to his queen and her people if none can rely on him? All that potential, wastin'."
As Applejack rose onto her feet, she outstretched her hand to help up the downed warrior. Her tanned, freckled face held no smug grin nor did her eye brows cock into a wry look. She remained neutral and smiled an honest smile as if nothing sour had transpired between them, his nasty words and behavior already a thing of the past. Groaning, Will sniffed to the side and averted his gaze, refusing her aid. The farmer sighed once more and went to gather the broken armor.
Twilight, Rarity and Fluttershy came up behind her and clamored over her wounds, firing off question after question in rapid-fire succession.
"Whoa! Whoa! Easy now, gals! Ah'm fine!"
"Darling, you are NOT fine! You're bleeding everywhere!"
"A-Are you okay, Applejack?"
"Ah just said Ah was, sugarcube.", she chuckled as she patted the hair of a worried Fluttershy.
"Applejack, I didn't know you had trained in the Knights fighting style before! Why didn't you say anything?"
At Twilight's question, Applejack chuckled sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head once more. "Actually, Ah never really trained before. Sure, Ah've been in scuffles before, especially while guardin' Fluttershy here but Ah never learned any specific fighting styles if'n that's what you meant."
Twilight blinked in surprise then let out a heavy breath, shaking her head side to side. A noise brought everyone's attention to where Will had been, only to find that he had escaped through the hole on the wall.
"Oh, my. I'll have a search team ready and order his immediate capture, your highnesses."
At this, Applejack interjected by holding up a calloused hand toward her friend. "Leave him be, Twi. Boy just lost his title and his dignity all in the same day. Let him salvage what he can."
All three castle dwellers present looked to each other as an unspoken question passed through their eyes. In perfect synchronization they all gave a sure nod and once again faced the farmer. Fluttershy and Twilight came up to Applejack and took some of the armor out of her hands. Applejack arched a brow curiously at this. Next, Rarity came in front of her, scepter in hand and bearing a friendly yet authoritive look on her face.
"Kneel please."
"Uhh, what in the hay are-"
"Applejack, darling. Please kneel." It wasn't a command per se, however the farmer knew that tone well and with a light shrug of her shoulders, she knelt before Rarity on bended knee. She kept her head down with one of her wounded arms on her raised knee while she rested the knuckles of the other hand on the ground. Rarity moved her scepter and lightly touched it to Applejack's shoulders, minding her wounds as she did so. "I, Queen Rarity Belle, hereby dub thee Lady Applejack, honorary Knight of the Apple clan and a new member at my table. Rise, Lady Applejack."
The farmer was still for a time. Although her hair fell over her face, she wore a look of surprise at hearing what Rarity was decreeing.
"Erm, Rise, dear."
".....Hunh?", she muttered out dumbly.
Giggling quietly, Fluttershy helped a stunned Applejack to her feet. Twilight came beside her as well, laying a gentle hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "Well, her highness did just lose a Knight of her table. Looks like you're the perfect replacement. Welcome to the ranks, Lady Applejack!"
A muscle twitched in her cheek as Applejack took in what just happened. Her green eyes rolled as she swayed, and an overwhelmed Applejack collapsed back onto the debris riddled floor, having fainted. Queen, Jarl and captain all look down over the farmer and the three smile to each other.
"I think she'll do just fine. What say you, dears?" Twilight and Fluttershy simply nod in agreement to Rarity, with no objections whatsoever.
End