//------------------------------// // Overreacting In A Fight // Story: In Each Other's Hooves // by Sumiye //------------------------------// The silence that followed Rartiy's remark was everlasting, and the unicorn sweat dropped as Applejack's look of surprise started to morph, twisting into a steel glare. "Your day was hard?" The question came out as a slow whisper, and Rarity shrieked as a comically large book came blasting towards her head, ceasing its attack just millimeters from her horn as it was enveloped in a blue aura. Her friends around gasped, but stood still, frozen as Applejack turned to them, her stare cold as ice. And the way her mane had now dried and was sticking awkwardly only added to their uppermost terror. "Ya had a bad day!?!" Her scream reverberated the walls of the library, and Twilight desperately tried to catch many of the books falling from particular shelves. "Uh, dear Applejack," Rarity started, placing the giant book on the floor, eyes still calculating her friend's every move. "W-What I mean w-was that-!" Her explanation was cut off as her muzzle snapped shut, as she finally gazed upon her friend's nature. Courage tried to resurface, but instantly dissipated as Applejack's emerald eyes seemed to ignite and burn with an everlasting flame barrier, trained now on one mare alone. Pinkie, thought extremely tired, immediately noticed her friend's hate and placed a hoof forward, despite the chorus of no's coming from everypony except AJ. She went as cautiously as she could, but stiffened as the floorboards creaked, causing Applejack's head to snap backward, intimidating what may be described as a horror scene. "Apple...jack?," Pinkie sighed with relief as her friend nodded slightly in recognition, not making a move to lose control once more. "Maybe you're just taking this a teensy-weensy bit to far? I mean, this is a party! Shouldn't we all have...fun?" The last part was almost virtually silent as it was spoke , and Applejack's mouth opened when she saw the terrified looks on each of her friends...but then stopped when she saw Rainbow Dash, who was holding a hoof over her muzzle to stop a large grin from forming. "What's s'funny over there Rainbow?" "Oh nothing," The pegasus waved a dismissive hoof, but stopped when she came to the mind-warping realization that all eyes were on her. Her grin quickly melted to a dastardly smirk when an idea formed in her brain. "It's just that, how could your day be worse? You buck apples. Nothing can go wrong with that job." Applejack glared and sluggishly backed away from Rarity, letting the traumatized mare finally sigh with relief and sink back, pulling her eyelids back with her hooves. The satisfying moment did not last long, for Twilight gasped when the earth pony rammed into Rainbow Dash, sending both mares tumbling back into the sturdy oak of the library. Dust went flying, and Fluttershy and Rarity went down while yells and violent hits, whose culprits were hidden by the blanket of particles, were swiftly staring to increase in volume. "Y'all as rotten as the Zap Apple that goes bad!" A loud thump followed afterward, and Pinkie let out a shriek and ducked, allowing a tumbling Rainbow to speed back through the house and land harshly on her back, wings crippling under the sheer pressure. "My mane!" Rarity managed to shriek out as the dust silently drew closer, like a predator hunting its prey. "I just got it brushed!" "Oh, suck it up, Rarity!" Rainbow hissed through the pain coursing through her veins, and winced when she saw her wing bending oddly along her side. The pain only fueled her fury, and with a growl the pegasus charged again, catching Applejack by surprise with a blow just under the legs. "P-Please m-m-make it s-stop..." Fluttershy quietly whimpered, forcing her hooves to push harder down on her ears to block the horrible crashes and hits. "Girls! What are you doing!?! Why is it so important who had the worst day?" Twilight managed to yell over the ever-increasing noise, but her breath was caught short when Rainbow turned a gazing eye upon her, leaving a stunned AJ on the floor as she casually walked stomped along. "What," Rainbow whispered in her ear, sending shivers down Twilight's spine. "Did your little mentor give you a little assignment to stop this? You seem to always follow and worship the ground Celestia trots on." Twilight's vision went grey. To far, Rainbow. Applejack's breath hitched along her throat as she finally regained her senses, struggling when she found herself being lifted by Twilight's magic. The telekinetic grip only tightened, and she stiffened when her was pulled until she was gazing into the pure white eyes of her friend. She fought again, turning her head left and right, and her anger rekindled when she found Rainbow doing the same thing next to her. "Don't," The soft voice of the young unicorn had left her, instead leaving behind the voice of undeniable power, making Applejack numb as the fight left her in an instant. Rainbow 's head pounded against her skull, her vision going in and out as her world view came to screeching halt. Twilight spoke again, only this time her old voice was starting to return in short blows. "I don't worship the ground Princess Celestia walks on. But, even you wouldn't stand a chance against a goddess with that much power." Rainbow let out a sly grin through her wooziness, though something in the back of her mind told her this was a bad choice to make. "Try me, egghead. The princess is so kind, I bet you're day was all about calm reading and gifts from her." She let out a strained oof when the magic released her in midair, dropping her promptly on the wooden floor. Applejack fell a moment later, and the two pounced immediately, stomped, and prepared the charge again. "You two couldn't compare with what my day was like." Twilight stated, her voice cold as stone, signaling she had joined the conflict, that anypony knew should only end in madness. "How would you like all day getting letters and new items?!" Rainbow deadpanned. "They're just papers, Twi. What they say can't possibly hurt anypony or anything." Twilight was nearing the point of screaming in frustration. "They're Assignments, Rainbow! Oh my goddess, you know nothing!" "Whatever," The pegasus rolled her eyes at the gesture, ignoring as the other mares winced when they recognized that it made Twilight only angrier. "What I mean is," She launched forward, waiting until she was centimeters away from Twilight's own muzzle. "You can't have a bad day. You can't do anything to have one." "Now hold on, ya two." AJ's haunted voice floated behind them. "Ah had the hardest day, y'all established that." Rainbow gaped, her narrowed eyes turning to slits. "No, y'all didn't. I obviously did, just look at my wings!" She winced when they outstretched again, shuttering as they folded back. "I can't fly with these babies all messed up like this!" "And what about me?" An extremely whiny voice cried from behind them. All three mares twisted to find the owner of the call. "You?!" Applejack and Rainbow now screeched at Rarity, who was pushing herself slowly with her magic. Twilight though was silent though and kept her composure, but her magic still flickered as a sign to keep away. Rarity had never knew this kind of anger towards her friends like this until now. Her magic disappeared as she took another shaky step forward, her usually pristine coat now covered in dirt and bruises. "Well yes," She hissed through clenched teeth. "You've all been hurt physically in some way, but how about emotionally? I just got cheated out of good pay, all because of how many customers I had today!" Applejack's eyes widened as she swerved her head towards the door. Escape seemed like a good option... "Seriously. Emotions?!" Or not. Rainbow held her hooves to her cheeks, eyes flashing in a cutesy way as she pranced. "Oh, no!" She exclaimed in mock horror, the others cringing at the ear splitting high voice she was accompanied by. "All my dresses got bought and that's terrible! And I couldn't do my job!" She paused, returning to her own state as she crossed her front hooves to smirk confidently. "Do want to court Princess Celestia as well?" "Girls?" Fluttershy asked shyly, raising a timid hoof...only to be shot down without haste as the others glared at her with untold anger. "Ok..." She whispered, crawling into Pinkie's embrace as both mares watched the fight continue to unfold. Rainbow seemed to be in the center of attention, as all her friends glared in her general direction as she slammed her hooves down. "It's obviously useless to fight," She choked out a laugh. "I'm still winning with the worst day." And she passed the point of no return. Surprisingly, Rarity sent a shattered cry outward this time as she lifted the pegasus in the grip of magic she defined as her own. "Rarity. What in the gosh-dan-doodle are you doing?!" Pinkie inquired with a squeaky voice, still overly petrified. "Let me go!" Rainbow struggled as she bucked in mid-air. "Hey!" Twilight shouted, latching her own magic onto the pegasus, a dangerous tactic. "She's mine! I still got a bone to pick with that featherbrain!" Applejack came next, wrapping her unwavering front hooves around Rainbow's own legs. "Give her!" "Never, darling!" "Ah was first, ah still get m'time!" "Pinkie?" Fluttershy's voice quivered, and she touched the pink mare's cheek, Pinkie jittering as she came to reality, nodding at her Pegasus friend. The one still sane. Fluttershy pointed to an abdominal sized box, the surface area radiating a crimson red as it lightly shook. "Oh, that does not look good." Pinkie obviously stated, earning a frantic nod from the timid mare. "Let go of me! I'm not a filly play toy!" Rainbow screeched on, causing the unicorns to lose focus as she bucked the earth pony down off her. The Pegasus sighed as she finally found ground once more, than changed to stone cold rage as she snorted. "Me." She hissed to the others. Rarity seemed to have diminished the forgiving state, scraping her hoof against the ground as she readied her magic once more. "Bring it." She spoke in a sparingly unladylike tone. Applejack kept silent as she stretched, forest green eyes burning with untamable flames. Even with her pain, she knew as a fact she had enough power to prove she was right. "Girls?" Pinkie and Fluttershy called out simultaneously, their eyes trained on the darkening box, the atmosphere suddenly becoming then slightest bit denser, unknowing to the raging group. "Stop this now." Twilight forced herself to say to her beastly friends. She knew it was hopeless as they all shook their heads, heaving. "Why not?" Another question useless in the moment of passing time. Rainbow coughed as she turned to Twilight, stumbling lightly, her eyes dazed but sparking. "You'll never understand, teacher's filly." "Girls?" Pinkie called out, her tone shaky as her lake blue eyes shook as if they were in a violent storm. Fluttershy had buried herself beneath the desk, cowering in fear as the cardboard box grew ever darker, the red glow encasing it's surroundings. Twilight took no notice as she shook, a magenta aura encasing her horn, awaiting the attack. "I..." She stammered, scarlet flames flickering off the end of her mane. "Am not a teacher's filly." "Girls!"' Pinkie finally forced herself to scream out. The mare's ears flicked at the sound of her distressed voice. "What?!" And a devastating hitch of magic blew them all off their hooves. Fluttershy already couldn't handle the winds and snapped backward, back arching as it virtually busted the stairwell, splintered pieces whirling as they left her out cold, hung along the side. Pinkie Pie, her eyes wide as saucers, landed gently on the floor, gasping as an avalanche of books towered upon her, leaping over the poor mare and distancing her from the outside as they completely trampled her screams. Rainbow Dash was already unconscious as the blowing air placed her above the shelves, litters of plant remains pitching on her mane, turning its normal rainbow of colors a crude brown. Applejack and Twilight found the worst of their troubles, doubling into one another head first, Twilight stuck under the earth pony as they let loose their knots connecting them to reality. And Rarity stared, horror explaining her full feelings as she caught a glimpse of her friends predicaments, before a sharp pain blew in the back of her head, echoing into her skull as she dizzily fell back, tongue rolling out straight from her mouth. The storm shut down as suddenly as it began, the box seemingly pulling the power in as a soft puff of smoke swirling into the air, then into the soft breathing of the ponies who had suffered. **** Rainbow Dash groaned, proving her eyes open as she tried to make sense of the objects moving around her. Had her friends already woken up? What had happened? She gingerly lifted her head into the cool air, blinking to readjust her vision. She instantly regretted as she finally saw what was not meant to be seen by pony eyes. Makeshift lines of dramatically varying colors traveled like snakes around the room, hovering over one of her friend's before moving on to the next in their oath. She froze as a segment came her way, shining bright as it stopped as well. The others seemed to take its statement as a calling, and plunged down, traveling into the pony they had been observing. The mare's outline shone with the equal color, before fading away as they continued their sleep. Rainbow always knew confusion, but nothing prepared her for that display as her brain momentarily stopped its functioning. She could only mouth an unintelligible 'what' as the line segment twisted to stare with its fake eyes at Twilight, almost looking regretful as it turned back, glowing brighter in almost a menacing way at the slightly frightened pegasus. Nor could she stop the gasp of pain that erupted from her muzzle as the being lunged at her, pushing Rainbow back into the unforgiving darkness.