//------------------------------// // Tea-Time Tragedy! -or- Judas, Thou Art A Rabbit! // Story: Screw it, Applejack Gets A Harem! // by Gpizano //------------------------------// It was late Friday morning in the quiet town of Ponyville, all of it's citizens went about their- "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? ... their- "YOU'RE SERIOUS!" Ugh... fine, our terrible story starts near Ponyville's town hall, up on a cloud where there sat a familiar rainbow haired woman with a certain white rabbit sitting on her knee. The rabbit had gone through a series of complex moments that won't be described because that would require far too much effort and words. Instead the bottom line is the little rabbit fink named Angel had ratted out his caretaker Fluttershy's plans to have tea alone with Applejack today. Why would he do so? Some think the little jerk is pure evil. Some say he was jeal jealous and wanted to keep Fluttershy all to himself (not in that way, GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, ONLY WOMEN WILL BE HOOKING UP IN THIS TALE.... erm, that is to say... fuck, moving on!) or some would say that he was a petty little thing unhappy that Fluttershy didn't make his special breakfast exactly and had been paying minimal attention to him while she prepared for Applejack's arrival. ... nah, the little rat was definitely pure evil. But no matter his own personal agenda, he had brought Rainbow Dash good information. She didn't like to think she would have to get in Fluttershy's way but her friend had made an unfair move! She was just so... nice! And she didn't have to challenge Applejack to competitions or fights or sleep in Applejack's trees waiting to get kicked off so that Applejack would feel so bad and take care of her and then kiss her and then... the point being, Fluttershy been unexpectedly bold and it was time for her to take action so she didn't win! "Alright you little bastard." Picking the white rabbit up, she stepped off the cloud, her wings opening up and catching the air to allow her to float gently to the ground. Once she had landed, she set Angel down and pointed in the direction of Fluttershy's cottage. "Get home before she notices you're gone. You'll get your damn rainbow coated carrots tomorrow." The rabbit crossed his arms and glared at her with those black beady eyes, as if saying 'they better!' before drawing his paw across his throat. It was strangely unnerving... but not enough since he was still a tiny fluffy rabbit. Rainbow Dash shook her head as she watched him hop off, at first wondering how the little rat could stand to have such a spicy treat, then wondering her next move? Her plan would require planning, nuance, awesomeness! Her face lit up as the plan came to mind and she was quick to take off to the air! Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, a certain pink haired pastry chef with a pair of primo binoculars had been watching Rainbow Dash from the pole at the top of the town hall when she had noticed the white rabbit scurrying around earlier. "Hmmmm..." Having woken up earlier to feed her animals, request that they give her some privacy this afternoon and made sure her cottage was clean, Fluttershy kept glancing at the clock in her living room every now and then as she checked off the list in her mind. All the fur and any messes swept up? Check. Incense burning to fill the house with a pleasant yet not heavy scent? Check. Treats Applejack would like set on the plate? Check. Kettle on? Check. Water AND tea in the kettle? Check. Her appearance? One last check in the mirror proved that she still looked fine. She was wearing the long skirt, tank top and slip on shoes that Applejack had once said she looked cute in. She even had a butterfly clip in her hair so that it wouldn't obscure her face. This was going to be perfect! She would have Applejack alone and they could talk. Then, hopefully, Applejack would feel the same way about her and they would be together! All alone... in her house... where her bed was upstairs. A gentle knock at the door made her jump slightly with a small 'eep!' as she was suddenly pulled out of her fantasies. Despite taking a moment for the very noticeable blush to leave her face, her heart was still hammering away at the inside of her ribcage as she approached the door. When she opened it, she smiled seeing Applejack on the other side, dressed as she normally was but still looking like the most attractive woman in all of Equestria. She nearly melted when Applejack gave her that endearing, handsome smile! "Howdy, sorry if'n Ah'm late. Had a little to-do ta' finish cleanin' up on the farm." Stepping aside to allow Applejack in, she closed the door behind them and motioned for Applejack to have a seat on the couch. "Oh? Were the chores hard to do?" "Somethin' like that. Had ta' herd a mess o' owl bears offa' our property. Lil' guy got separated n' started squalin', that caused the mama to freak out on us n' well... got the job done. Weren' pretty though." Having been on the move to the kitchen, Fluttershy stopped, eyes widening as she turned back to the blonde. "Oh my goodness! Is everyone okay? Y-You could have called me, I could have helped..." Before she could fret more though, Applejack gave her that smile again and shook her head. "Shoot 'Shy, mah family's had to deal with them Everfree critters before, Ah wouldn't want ya' riskin' yer neck on my account. 'Sides, no one else got hurt, Ah made sure o' that. E'en if'n that mama did give me a love tap." Feeling the heat in her body rise as Applejack lifted her shirt, it soon plummeted when she saw the bandaged wound on Applejack's left side. "Oh... oh my... you should be home resting! But I made you come out here..." Unnecessary guilt started to well up inside of her. She hated feeling that way but what she hated even more was seeing that Applejack was hurt! But despite that she came out here to have tea when she should be taking it easy. What if the wound opened up? What if- "Shy? Shy!" Having been so caught up in her guilt and panic, Fluttershy blinked when she finally noticed that Applejack was standing right in front of her, having placed a hand on her shoulder and looking very concerned. "Shy, Ah'm fine. N' Ah'm here cause Ah wanna be. Ya' know it's gonna take more n' a lil' scratch ta' put me down. So don' ya' worry 'bout me, 'kay?" Gulping softly, Fluttershy nodded once before she stared right into those beautiful green eyes. They always looked so kind and filled with warmth. The Arion could feel her heartbeat start to race again, it felt like a moment out of her romance novels! Just as Applejack started to pull her hand away, Fluttershy knew she had to take her chance! "A-Applejack... I-" Suddenly there came a resounding 'CRASH' from the front of her house before the door flew open as someone rolled inside, coming to a complete stop right in front of her and Applejack. "R-Rainbow Dash?!" "Fucking... OW!" The rainbow haired Arion looked as if she had gone through a bush, or, most likely, a tree top. Leaves were sticking out of her hair, feathers askew in her wings, and there even seemed to be a few splinters in her clothing. "What in tarnation Dash?!" "Hey, I'm sorry alright? Ow... trick gone wrong." While her tricks did go wrong sometimes, Fluttershy could not help as though this were a little... convenient. As Rainbow Dash sat up, wincing all the way and swearing some more, there came a third intruder that poked her head through the door. "Nice one Dashie! Althouuuuugh I'd only give it a five out of ten, needs more crash." Pinkie Pie then looked to Fluttershy and Applejack, beaming with a smile that was almost a little too innocent to Fluttershy. "Hi Flutters! Hi AJ! What's up?" "Er, me n' 'Shy were jes' 'bout to have some tea." "Oooo! Sounds good! I was actually on my lunch break when I saw Dashie start to lose it with the trick! Mind if I join? I brought all sorts of yummy treats!" Feeling exasperated and knowing the moment was lost, Fluttershy could feel the temptation to say 'no', but it was quickly squashed under the steel boot of her kindness. After all, Rainbow Dash did look legitimately hurt and Pinkie Pie looked so hopeful. So with a defeated nod, Pinkie Pie gave a small cheer before producing a basket from behind her back that Fluttershy was pretty sure wasn't there a second ago. "Great! I'll go set up in the kitchen!" "I'll... go with you to get the tea. Rainbow Dash, come with me and I will help patch you up." Even though she was about to protest, Fluttershy actually managed to assert herself and gently pull Rainbow Dash up and guide her into the kitchen. Once there and she was sure Applejack wouldn't come in, Fluttershy turned to the other two and crossed her arms "What?" "Rainbow Dash... did you crash into my house on purpose?" "What!? No! Nooooo. No! Of course not... okay, yeah." They had been childhood friends and Fluttershy knew when her friend was lying. She also knew just the right stare to give that let on she wasn't buying it and Rainbow Dash should just drop the lie. "And you Pinkie Pie?" "Oh, I saw Rainbow Dash talking to Angel near the town hall through my binoculars! It's suuuuper easy to learn how to read lips, so I followed!" Angel had told Rainbow Dash?! At first Fluttershy looked hurt, then she looked so mad that she flew off the handle! By stamping her foot on the ground. "I can't believe you two!" "Hey, you know how we feel 'Shy! And you making a move like this, I had to do something!" "But did you have to ruin my chance?" She had taken forever to work up the nerve and when the moment presented herself, it was gone! She felt so angry she could scream! At least until all three heard a very familiar voice lilt in from the living room. "Why darling, I had absolutely no idea you would be here!" Three heads popped out of the kitchen to see Rarity had invited herself in, a book in hand as she sashayed her way over to take a seat next to Applejack that was just a little bit too close to the farmer. "Um, hello Rarity... I wasn't expecting you today." Glancing over to Fluttershy and giving a pleasant smile, Rarity held up the book in her hand for the other to see. "Simply returning one of your charming little romance novels my dear. While not quite to my tastes, I will admit that I enjoyed it. Is that some of your delicious Jasmine tea I smell?" Knowing that Rarity's tastes were considered more on the... mature side, Fluttershy could only guess that some how Rarity had gotten wind of this somehow and had made an excuse to come over. With a bowed head and a reluctant sigh, Fluttershy knew there was no way to salvage her afternoon with Applejack. "Would you like to stay for tea, Rarity?" "Why that sounds fabulous Fluttershy, I would be delighted!" "Well shoot, too bad Twilight ain't hear. Might do her some good ta' get outta' the castle." And just like that, in a flash of purple light, the Princess of Magic had appeared in the center of the living room, making everyone jump in surprise. Not at all seeming nervous and a little suspicious, she turned and smiled a bit, slightly anxious smile to Fluttershy. "Hi Fluttershy! Sorry to drop in on you like this, but I was going over my records and noticed one of your books was past due!" "Um... I don't think so..." "Really? But I was so sure of it. Perhaps I'll have to triple check my records... anyways, what are you girls up to?" Knowing where this was going, Fluttershy knew had she no choice but to invite her as well, the afternoon completely shot as now all her friends slash main rivals were under one roof. The final nail in the coffin was when a small Macha girl ran in and closed the door behind her, amber eyes wide and panicked. The youngest of the apple siblings, Applebloom, her long red hair tied into a pink bow, wearing a yellow shirt, dark blue overalls and work boots. "Sis! Sis! We got major problems!" "Slow down, what kinda problems?" "Erm, remember how ya' told me ta' never pet a baby owl bear?" "Oh no... wait, Ah thought they left tha' property?" "W-Well... today at school, Diamond Tiara bet me n' mah friends we couldn't e'en get near one afer Ah told 'em what happened a couple days ago. N' well, we all went out to the' woods..." Suddenly there came a bellowing roar that sounded uncomfortably close. "Well, we pet it n' the mama chased us n' Ah sorta' ran into a manticore!" Suddenly the door burst open once more, this time flying off it's hinges and crashing into Twilight Sparkle, sending her flying back to the far wall. She was sitting in a slump against the wall now, cross-eyed and possibly a bit concussed at the moment and unable to act. Applejack was immediately on her feet, eyes hard and flashing with anger as she rushed to the door and grabbed the large, lion-like paw, shoving it out of the way before she drew her hand back and landed a punch square on the manticore's nose, sending it tumbling head over heels backwards. As the Macha woman rushed in to continue the assault, the manticore regained it's bearings and lashed out with it's tail, intending to sting Applejack and kill her with it's deadly poison! The blonde managed to jump back out of the way in time to avoid it, but there was no dodging the follow up paw that hit her in the left side. With a cry of pain she was sent back, crashing into the side of Fluttershy's house and sliding to the ground. She clutched her left side as the manticore stalked closer, ready to make the killing blow when a certain Arion got in between it and it's next meal. As scared as Fluttershy felt, there was no way she could stand by and just watch! But even the full force of her stare was doing nothing against this furious beast! "Don't! I won't let you hurt her!" "Shy, NO!" Just as the manticore lunged towards them, Fluttershy felt herself brought into a strong, yet gentle embrace as Applejack turned them around, using her body to shield the slender woman from the oncoming assault. But instead of seeing the horrifying sight of the woman she cared so deeply for being torn to shreds, instead a sky blue blur swooped into the manticore's side, sending it flying before it crashed into a tree, snapping it in half as the rest came crashing down on it, knocking it unconscious. "That's right! You got Dashed!" Despite the triumphant air around Rainbow Dash, it was sort of ruined since she still looked a mess from her earlier crash. Fluttershy was fairly certain the other was still in pain from earlier based on how watery her eyes looked. But at the moment she was only concerned for one person in particular. Feeling something warm and wet, she stepped back and saw to her horror that blood was seeping through Applejack's clothes. The wound from the owl bear! "Applejack!" "Ah... Ah'll be fine Shy. But... dun' ya' ever... do that again. Don't want ya'... getting hurt..." A little light headed, the farmer was hanging onto Fluttershy to support herself up, the pink haired woman not caring that her clothes were being stained with blood as she pressed herself to Applejack's side to help her stand. "Ugh, no I'm fine... thanks for the concern girls- SWEET SHADOWFAX'S MANE! Applejack!" Having regained consciousness and joined the others outside, she saw the state that the farmer was in and immediately jumped into action. "I'll teleport you to the hospital! Thank god I happened to come by-" "More like you were scrying..." "Shut up!" Twilight shot a dirty look to Rarity before hurrying over, grabbing Applejack's hand and having no choice but to teleport Fluttershy with them since it looked as if the Arion was not going to leave the blonde's side. In a flash they were gone, leaving Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie behind to deal with the mess. Once at the hospital and the doctors had patched Applejack up, the farmer was resting in one of the hospital beds with Twilight and Fluttershy by her side. "Sorry that got outta' hand Shy." "It wasn't your fault. N-No one could have expected that." "Still... Ah'll tell ya' what, we'll take a rain check n' try agin' 'nother time. 'Kay?" "O-Okay..." "Come on Fluttershy, let's let Applejack rest." With one last smile exchanged between them, Fluttershy bid goodbye to Applejack and left the room with Twilight, both women silent until the Hrimfaxi finally spoke up. "This definitely makes things more awkward between us... right? Because you know... the rest of us are going to have to try harder now." Knowing the other held no malice or ill intent in the comment, Fluttershy simply gave a nod but thought over everything that had happened today. It was definitely going to be harder now that the other girls seemed willing to step up their game... but there had been a moment with Applejack today. Before the whole manticore thing of course. She wasn't happy that the other could have been killed of course but... Applejack had tried to protect her. A small smile came to her face. There was going to be a next time for sure. Then Applejack would know how she felt. "... it's kind of morbid to see you smiling when she's lying in a bed injured you know?" "Eep!"