Ch3: Faster than a Speeding Photon
(A/N: This story takes place after issue 10 of the My Little Pony Comic Book and the Cutie Mark Crusaders Micro Series comic. This story also does not officially recognize any events of Season 3 onward. The story primarily takes place in the Transformers Aligned Continuity Family with certain smaller inspirations taken from the Transformers Animated and G1 continuity families.)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Applebloom: Transform and Rollout!
by Dusty the Royal Janitor
Chapter 3: Faster than a Speeding Photon
The gigantic metal door embedded into the hill in Whitetail Wood whooshed open as the three little fillies galloped into the failing light. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all let out a collective groan of dismay. The sun was already beginning to set on the horizon as Celestia’s day made way for Luna’s night. Sweetie Belle rubbed her forehead with a hoof as the light dimmed.
“Oh great,” she whined. “We were supposed to be back at Sweet Apple Acres before dark! Oh, Rarity’s gonna kill me.” She buried her face in her hooves.
Scootaloo looked up at the sky. “I could get back there on my scooter in time, but it’d be pushing it.” She glanced at the other crusaders. “And there’s not a chance I could get you two there without the wagon.”
Applebloom frowned, trotting over to her beloved wagon. She sighed as she looked at the pile of scrap metal. She had told Applejack that she’d be back before curfew, and knew that she’d be punished if she didn’t keep her word. It was an extra kick in the flank that not only would she probably be grounded for a day or two, but she’d also lost one of her favorite possessions as well.
There was also that teensy discovery about being an alien. Jury was still out on exactly how much that little detail sucked.
“I guess we’d better get moving,” Sweetie Belle sighed. “Scootaloo, why don’t you ride ahead on the scooter and let our sisters know we’re coming at least?”
“Yeah,” Applebloom agreed as she put a hoof to her forehead. “That... nngh...” she grunted as a lance of pain shot through her skull. “That sounds like a good plan.”
Scootaloo blinked as she put on her helmet. “Are you okay, Applebloom? You having another memory headache thingy?”
Applebloom shook her head, clenching her eyes shut. “I don’t know. It feels kinda like somethin’s pushing out from behind my eyes.”
“Are you going to transform again?” Sweetie Belle asked, watching her friend closely.
“Nah, that feels different.” The yellow filly grit her teeth. “It feels more like- GAH!” Applebloom suddenly stumbled, barely regaining her balance before she fell to the ground. Her eyes snapped open, glowing bright green.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle jumped back in alarm as beams of green light fired out of Applebloom’s eyes, engulfing the remains of the wagon. Applebloom yelped as the eerie light rays moved up and down over the scrap metal, taking in every detail of its make. Applebloom began to twitch, her mouth falling open and foaming a little as the beams receded, though her eyes continued to glow green.
“Applebloom!” Sweetie and Scootaloo both shouted as the two of them rushed over to help their friend. Applebloom didn’t respond as she continued to seize up.
“What’s wrong with her?!” Sweetie Belle shouted, watching as the yellow filly shook. “Scootaloo, go get Applejack!”
Scootaloo nodded and jumped onto her scooter. Before the little pegasus could take off, though, a familiar sound rang out through the clearing.
Applebloom’s back split open and shifted outwards. Her head and tail retracted into her torso and her legs split to reveal small wheels. Her body sunk inwards and compacted into itself, flesh folding inwards to reveal red metal. The process continued as her torso widened outward and got flatter with a large basin in the middle. Her legs shrank and compacted into the rectangular bowl that was once Applebloom’s torso. A handled rod expanded from where her face used to be, and an imprint of her new cutie mark appeared above it. With a resounding clank, the transformation completed.
The two crusaders gasped. Where Applebloom stood before, there was now a small red wagon.
There was silence in the glade for a minute. Only the sounds of wildlife and the wind rustling through the leaves was audible as the two little ponies stared at the brand new red wagon. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked between one another and the wagon, a look of pure confusion on their faces. Neither was sure, after everything they’d seen that day, whether they should be horrified, astonished, or even excited at this latest change.
“...Applebloom?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Are you okay?”
The wagon was silent for a moment. The two crusaders were just beginning to settle on worried when a voice suddenly sprung from the wagon.
“Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle? Why do I feel all twisty again?” The little cutie mark on the wagon’s front seemed to flash every time it spoke. Applebloom’s voice was emerging from the little transport, even though there was no mouth or face to speak of. The two crusaders jumped back in shock.
“For the love of Celestia, Applebloom!” Scootaloo shouted. “Would you cut it out?!”
“Cut what out?” Applebloom asked, sounding a little dazed. “I’m not really sure what happened. I feel like I’m bein’ squashed between two mattresses or something... wait...” She trailed off, the wagon shuddering. Her voice suddenly exploded from the wagon again, this time sounding panicked. “Why can’t I move my head?! My legs aren’t moving! What’s going on?!” The little symbol on her front flashed brightly as the wagon panicked.
“Applebloom, you just turned into the wagon!” Sweetie Belle shouted.
“I- ...wait what?!” Applebloom yelped, stunned. “Are y’all pullin’ my tail?!” she said skeptically.
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No seriously, look at yourself!” she said, pointing to the large metal doors.
The wagon shuddered again but didn’t move. “I can’t!” Applebloom shouted.
“You can’t move?” Scootaloo asked, worriedly.
“No! I don’t have any... wait a minute...” The little wagon trailed off. Slowly, the little wheels below her squeaked a bit and the wagon rolled forward under her own power. “Whoa...” she gasped as she continued rolling forward. “I’m moving!”
Sweetie Belle held up a hoof. “Easy, Applebloom,” she said.
Applebloom kept rolling. “I’m moving!” The little wagon squeaked. “This feel really weird. It’s like rolling my wrists, except like a wheel instead of like a wrist should roll.” The handle pulled to the left and the wagon rolled to face Sweetie Belle. “Y’all said I turned into the wagon?”
Sweetie Belle pointed at the large, reflective doors once again. “Go ahead and look for yourself!”
The wagon’s handle pulled to the right as she rolled towards the doors. The small reflection of a bright red wagon appeared in the metal as she approached them. “Whoa...” Applebloom whispered. “What in the name of Celestia is up with me today?!”
“That’s what I’d like to know!” Scootaoo shouted, throwing her hooves up in the air, her little helmet falling off. “You need to stop pulling stuff like this, Applebloom!”
“It’s not like I’m trying to scare y'all!” Applebloom defended herself. “I’m just as surprised about this as you are!”
“I know, it’s just... UGH!” Scootaloo slapped a hoof to her face. “I just don’t know what to expect out of you anymore! What’s next? Are you going to turn into an airship? Shoot lightning out of your flank? Grow wings and a horn and turn into a princess? Suddenly, being around you is more random than being around Pinkie Pie!”
If wagons could wilt, Applebloom would have. “I’m not trying to scare you girls,” she murmured. “I didn’t ask to be a freak...”
“Freak?!” Scootaloo shouted, marching up to the little carriage. “You think you’re a freak?! Applebloom this is awesome!”
Applebloom was stunned. “Wait, what?”
“You can turn into a wagon and still talk and move on your own! You’re also a robot filly from outer space with who knows what up her sleeve!” she said, poking at the cutie mark emblazoned on the wagon’s front. “It’s the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen, aside from a few of the things Rainbow Dash has done.”
“...Ya really think so?” Applebloom asked, almost speechless.
“Yeah, dummy!” Scootaloo said, slapping at one of her wheels. “But you can’t just keep throwing this stuff at us! At least give us time to adjust before you go turning into a tank and setting the Everfree on fire! You’re going to completely blow our minds at this rate!”
“I... okay,” Applebloom stuttered.
“Scootaloo has a weird way of putting it, but she’s right.” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “I’m okay with this as long as you’re still Applebloom in there, but go easy on us will you? You scared us to death back there when you started foaming at the mouth and twitching!”
“Yeah, we thought you had ragies!” Scootaloo said, nodding in agreement.
Sweetie Belle deadpanned at orange pegasus. “The word is rabies, Scootaloo.”
“Whatever, dictionary.”
“Sorry gals,” Applebloom said softly. “I’m not trying to freak y’all out or blow your minds or nothing. This scared me as much as it did you two.”
Sweetie Belle sidled up to the little wagon. “What was even up with the foaming and twitching?”
“It felt like there were things inside of me moving around,” Applebloom said, her chassis shuddering a little. “Like my guts and bones were getting themselves rearranged or something. I just sorta froze up at the feeling for a while. I’m really sorry I scared you.”
“You can change back, though, right?” Sweetie Belle asked. “I mean, no offense, but it feels kinda weird talking to a wagon.”
“Well...” the little wagon trailed off. “Let me try. Give me a second.”
The two crusaders backed away from the wagon as it started to shake. The metal chassis rattled as the wagon suddenly flipped up, the metal rods attaching the wheels to the wagon expanding and folding outwards into limbs once more and the wheels disappearing into them. The body of the wagon pushed outwards and twisted, reforming into a pony torso, which a tail quickly pushed out from. Applebloom’s head reemerged from where the handle was, the handle flipping backwards into where her spine would be. In moments, the filly stood again where the wagon had been.
Applebloom stumbled a bit. “Oog...” she groaned. “It still makes me dizzy.” She shook her head. “From what I saw in the memories, other robots could transform real easy-like.”
“Maybe you just have to get used to it?” Scootaloo suggested.
“Maybe...” Applebloom trailed off. “Hang on, back up gals. Let me see.”
The fillies backed up even further as Applebloom took a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut. Suddenly she shifted outwards, hands emerging from her limbs and her spine expanding and pulling outward again. In a moment, she fully transformed herself into her Celestia-sized robot mode. She didn’t even stop to let the crusaders speak or open her eyes before shifting back into filly mode, the transformation perfectly reversing itself. Then from filly mode, she flattened herself out and brought her limbs inward turning herself into a wagon again. Then from the wagon she turned back into a filly, filly to robot, and so on and so forth.
After about two minutes of non-stop transforming, Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Applebloom, what do you think you’re doing?!”
The wagon turned back into a filly, her eyes spinning and dizzily dancing back and forth. Applebloom shook herself straight to look at the pegasus. “I’m transforming back and forth to get used to it. Trying to get the dizziness to go away.”
“Well stop it,” Scootaloo said. “We’re wasting time!”
“What now?” Applebloom asked.
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Applebloom, we have to get back home!”
Applebloom’s eyes widened. “Oh shoot, y’all are right!”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shared a look. “Of course, and now we’ll all be late.” Sweetie Belle muttered.
“Not necessarily...” Scootaloo said with a Cheshire grin. “We might be a little late, but not enough to get in too much trouble.”
Sweetie Belle pointed at the sky. “Scootaloo, it’s already getting dark. The sun’s nearly set as it is.”
“True, but I could get you back if we had the wagon!” Scootaloo chirped as she fastened her helmet to her head. “And now... we have a wagon.” She said, pointing a hoof at Applebloom.
Applebloom blinked. “What, seriously?”
“Totally!” Scootaloo shouted. “Sweetie Belle can ride in you!”
Sweetie scuffed a hoof along the ground. “I don’t know if that’ s such a good idea, Scootaloo.”
“Oh come on!” Scootaloo insisted. “It’ll be great!”
“I think it’s a mite presumptuous that y’all would think that I’d be okay with another filly riding in me,” Applebloom replied, cocking an eyebrow.
“And I’m not sure I’m comfortable riding in one of my best friends,” Sweetie Belle said, looking at Applebloom worriedly.
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Oh don’t be such babies.” She pointed up at the sky. “You two want to get home by dark, right?”
“Well... yeah,” Applebloom said.
“Then come on!” Scootaloo pressed. “It’ll be a slow walk home, otherwise!”
Applebloom looked at Sweetie Belle. “But what if I throw her? I don’t want Sweetie getting hurt! I’m not that good with rollin’ yet!”
“Well then what better time to practice?” Scootaloo asked with a cocky grin. “Come on, Applebloom! Wagon yourself!”
Applebloom huffed, looking between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle for a minute. Finally, Sweetie shrugged and Applebloom sighed. “Alright. Give me a sec.”
“Awesome!” Scootaloo shouted. “Now hurry up! Time’s wasting!”
Applebloom rolled her eyes and then took a deep breath. Focusing herself, she quickly shifted herself back into her wagon mode once again. Once the transformation was completed, she rolled up to Sweetie Belle and bumped her a little with her handle. “Alright, if we’re going to do this, let’s go now,” she insisted, still sounding hesitant. Sweetie Belle climbed inside her bowl-like body and sat rigidly, unsure about the whole scenario.
The little wagon rolled up to Scootaloo’s scooter, where the orange pegasus was dutifully fixing the clasp of her helmet. “What are you doing?” Scootaloo asked.
“Waitin’ for y’all to hook me up to the scooter?” Applebloom said, as though it should have been obvious.
“Nuh-uh.” The filly grinned. “I’ve never had a friend with proper wheels before. Your wagon was cool, but you couldn’t propel it without my help,” Scootaloo said proudly. “Now you can move around on your own. No, we’re doing this properly.
“You don’t mean-” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“Scootaloo...” Applebloom trailed off threateningly.
“That’s right!” The orange pegasus buzzed her wings challengingly. “We’re having a race.” She pointed at Applebloom. “You and me! Robo-power versus pega-power!” She grinned mockingly. “Unless you’re too chicken.”
Sweetie Belle patted Applebloom’s chassis. “Don’t take the bait, Applebloom.”
The wagon backed up. “Don’t worry, Sweetie, I’m not.”
“Oh well.” Scootaloo shrugged, still smiling smugly. “I guess it makes sense. I mean, your sister is too chicken to answer most of Rainbow Dash’s challenges anyway.”
The wagon stopped rolling. “What did y’all say?”
“I mean obviously all a chicken can raise is another chicken, am I right?” Scootaloo continued to taunt.
Silence permeated the clearing once more.
“Sweetie Belle,” Applebloom stated. “Hold on tight.”
“What?!” she squeaked.
“Awesome!” Scootaloo cheered simultaneously.
The wagon rattled. “Ain’t nopony calling my sister a chicken and getting away with it!”
“Applebloom!” Sweetie protested, quickly lifting her fallen helmet off of the ground and fastening it to her head. “I really don’t think this is a good idea!”
The wagon rolled up to Scootaloo, bopping her in the chest softly. “What are the terms?”
“First pony that passes the gate at Sweet Apple Acres wins,” Scootaloo said, her hooves crossed.
“Deal!” Applebloom shouted.
“Guyyyyyys!” Sweetie Belle whined.
Scootaloo hopped on her scooter and revved her wings. “Are you ready?”
Applebloom spun a single wheel, kicking up some dirt. “Are you?”
Sweetie Belle gripped the sides of the wagon tightly. “Can we not?!”
“On your mark!” Scootaloo shouted, leaning into the handlebars of her scooter.
“Get set!” Applebloom’s chassis lowered to the ground a little.
“GO!”
Sweetie Belle’s scream could be heard all the way in Canterlot.
* * *
The two of them zipped through the trees of the Whitetail Wood like bullets escaping the barrel of a pistol. Scootaloo and Applebloom rolled along the path out of the wood faster than Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. The path was bumpy and trees constantly sprung up in their path, but the two of them were agile enough to get around every obstacle, to Applebloom’s surprise.
Scootaloo stuck her tongue out as she beat her wings. The little pegasus pulled ahead slightly, more familiar with her wheels than Applebloom was. Applebloom was giving her a run for her money, though. The wagon was close behind her and keeping pace.
Sweetie Belle had to keep ducking into Applebloom to avoid branches and tree limbs. “Slow down!” She cried.
“No way!” Applebloom shouted, putting on a burst of speed and gaining on the pegasus. “We’re gonna make it to Sweet Apple Acres on time and I’m gonna thrash Scootaloo!”
“As if!” Scootaloo called back at them, swerving around a rock jutting out of the path. “You’re too slow!”
Applebloom growled, her wheels kicking up dirt as she willed herself to move even faster, dodging around the other side of the rock. Applebloom swerved around a tree and rolled up alongside Scootaloo. The pegasus grinned and sped up to a root, kicking off of it and leaping on her scooter through the air over a mud puddle. Applebloom hit the puddle and lurched, causing Sweetie Belle to jerk a little, but quickly made it out of the muck. Scootaloo had a decent lead on her now, though.
The pegasus leaned and skidded as a curve came up in the path. Sparks flew from her wheels as she leaned into the turn, making dirt and pebbles fly everywhere as Scootaloo sped on. Applebloom trailed close behind her, turning into the skid herself, throwing Sweetie Belle around inside her.
“Get back here!” Applebloom shouted, her apple symbol shining like a headlight in the growing twilight.
The orange pegasus chuckled cockily as she glanced back at her opponent. She turned back to look at the path and gasped, noticing that it led directly into a brook.
Scootaloo sputtered and hacked as she sped through the water, slowing down in an attempt to regain control as the water pushed against her.
Applebloom banked left and drove herself up a slope, leaping clean over the brook and speeding in front of Scootaloo.
“Oh, hay no!” Scootaloo shouted, leaping out of the brook, and beat her wings like a bumblebee, drying herself instantly. In a moment, she was back on the path again and on Applebloom’s tail.
Scootaloo tailgated Applebloom all the way through the forest. The two of them exploded out of the trees, kicking up dirt and leaves and scaring away wildlife returning to their dens to rest for the night. As the two of them burst free, Scootaloo leaped over a stump and managed to get a slight burst of speed as she sailed through the air. The two of them were neck and neck as the village of Ponyville came into their sights.
There were still some ponies wandering the streets as the two vehicles burst into the streets. Ponies ducked out of the way as they flew down the dirt and cobblestone paths of the town. Scootaloo and Applebloom giggled mischievously while Sweetie Belle squealed and yelped nervously at all the near misses. Onlooking ponies swore they heard three voices coming from the little monsters but could only see two ponies. By the next morning, though, they would all merely shrug it off as more Crusader antics.
Applebloom and Scootaloo sped through the Ponyville marketplace. Some of the later vendors were still closing up shop and had to leap into their stalls to avoid the oncoming terrors. Scootaloo giggled as she quickly banked left around a still open stall, the stallion running it quickly ducking behind his wares. Applebloom didn’t turn fast enough and ended up slamming into the legs of the stall, knocking the stallion’s vegetables on the ground and causing them to roll all over the place. Sweetie Belle was jostled by the impact and Applebloom was momentarily stunned, but the race still continued.
As the three of them sped off, they heard the voice of the stallion behind them bemoaning the state of his cabbages.
The fillies sped through the town, swerving around the town’s various landmarks. They raced past the Golden Oaks library and Sugarcube corner and into the town square where Mayor Marion M. Mare was locking up Town Hall for the night. She was just stepping down the front stairs when she was almost run over by the three little terrors.
The Mayor’s trademark cravat spun around her neck like a loopty hoop, before finally settling backwards upon her. Huffing indignantly, she rolled her eyes after the Crusaders, but they had already sped over one of the town’s many footbridges and out of sight before she could admonish them properly.
Up ahead, the Ponyville fountain was next.
Scootaloo still had a lead on Applebloom as she ramped up a wooden plank that leaned over a crate, then sailed through the air. She splashed through the fountain, causing water to go everywhere.
Sweetie Belle and Applebloom squealed as water splashed over them, causing Applebloom to spin out, and Sweetie to clutch the sides of the wagon even tighter in terror.
Surprising them both, Applebloom spun out and slammed into a lamp post. Luckily, it seemed she and Sweetie were both unharmed. There wasn’t even a dent in Applebloom’s chassis.
“You okay, Sweetie?” Applebloom asked, her cutie mark symbol flashing.
“I think I’m gonna be sick...” Sweetie Belle replied woozily.
“You’ll be fine!” Applebloom encouraged, and got her wheels spinning again. “Come on!” There was no way she was losing.
The two of them sped down the path, trying to gain on Scootaloo, but the pegasus had too much of a lead now. She leaned into a right turn, causing more sparks to fly from her scooter’s undercarriage, and made a sharp turn down another road around the Quills and Sofas shop.
“Come on!” Applebloom shouted, aiming for an open window. “We’re taking a shortcut!”
“What?! No!” Sweetie Belle yelled, but it was too late. Applebloom flew up the back steps of the store and through the open window, Sweetie Belle screaming the whole way.
They both flew into the building through the showroom, only to bounce off of a very plush loveseat, then past a wall of specialty quills and colored inks.
The proprietor, Davenport, yelped and leaped back in shock as a white and red blur bounced onto the showroom floor and sped through his shop, swerving between couches and comfy chairs. “By Celestia’s rear end!” he screamed.
Ramping up a large beanbag chair, the two Crusaders sped out another open window and back into the street.
Scootaloo squeaked as Applebloom flew out of the shop window, landing right beside her in the street. “No fair going through a store!” she shouted as they screamed through the village streets.
“No fair splashing water on us!” Applebloom retorted back.
The two of them were neck and neck once again as they sped across another cobblestone footbridge and out of Ponyville proper. They were getting ever closer to their endgoal. Applebloom could see the large apple trees of her home orchard rising up out of the distance, and put on as much speed as she could still muster. Scootaloo led by a nose as the fences of Sweet Apple Acres approached. The racers matched speeds perfectly as they rocketed towards the open gates. It looked like the pegasus had the win.
It was just a stick.
That’s all that did it. An apple branch hidden by the tall grass surrounding the farm.
As Scootaloo sped towards the farm entrance, she ended up hitting the stick at just the wrong angle, causing a twig to get jammed in her wheel well. Scootaloo launched off of her ride towards the farm, while the scooter itself flew directly into the path of Applebloom’s wheels, causing her to go flying as well, Sweetie Belle gripping the sides of the wagon with every ounce of her might.
The three crusaders sailed through the air. The world seemed to stop for a second as they hung there above the ground, but gravity would not be denied. The three of them came tumbling down, crashing into the soil right in front of the Sweet Apple Acres front gates.
The three of them lay there groaning and dazed. Applebloom lay overturned, but otherwise unharmed, her wheels spinning fruitlessly in the air and only a couple inches from the open gate. Sweetie Belle lay under her, her tail poking out from beneath the wagon. Scootaloo lay a few yards off to the side, her eyes spinning in her head.
The pegasus filly shook the impact off. “The gate!” She shouted, leaping to her hooves and looking at Applebloom. “Ha! Look at the turtle on its back! Looks like I win!” she said, sprinting off at a gallop towards the finish line.
“Hay no, you ain’t won!” Applebloom said smugly. “I still have a trick up my sleeve!”
Sweetie Belle squeaked as Applebloom transformed atop her, the familiar clanking sound echoing through the trees of the orchard. Scootaloo skidded to a halt as she watched Applebloom take her familiar pony shape, wondering what the earth filly was up to. As the transformation completed itself, Applebloom was lying upon the dazed form of Sweetie Belle with a grin on her face, looking up at Scootaloo.
Applebloom pointed a hoof down her body. “I win.” Applebloom chirped, smugly.
“What?!” Scootaloo shouted indignantly. “No you... didn’t...” She trailed off, looking where Applebloom was pointing. The little filly’s red tail was laying over the gate line.
“Oh that’s not fair at all!” Scootaloo protested.
“It is so!” Applebloom crossed her hooves.
“Is not!”
“Is so!”
“Is not!”
“Is so!”
“Not!”
“So!”
“It is not!” Scootaloo stamped a hoof. She looked at Sweetie Belle, the prone unicorn filly only just beginning to orient herself. “Come on, Sweetie Belle, that’s not fair, is it? She can’t just transform her tail over the line and call that a win!”
“It’s totally fair!” Applebloom said indignantly. “After all, you said the first ‘pony’ that crosses the gate at Sweet Apple Acres wins. Now I’m a pony! It totally counts, right Sweetie?”
“But I can’t do transformations like you can!” Scootaloo whined. “If I could transform, I’d have been a mile ahead of you from the second I said ‘go!’” she looked back at Sweetie Belle, “You agree with me, right?”
“Will the two of you just SHUT UP?!” Sweetie Belle screamed, leaping to her hooves and throwing Applebloom off of her. The two fillies gaped at the angry unicorn as she glared at the both of them in a way that would give Fluttershy’s stare a run for its money. “It doesn’t matter who won! Do you know how many times we could have gotten hurt in that race?!”
“Oh come on, Sweetie Belle!” Scootaloo said, her ears folding. “We speed through Ponyville like that all the time!”
“Not on Applebloom!” Sweetie Belle protested. “Not when Applebloom has only just started to learn how to move as a wagon! We could have run straight into a tree or a rock or a building or something! And you!” She rounded on Applebloom, stamping a hoof. “What was with cutting through Quills and Sofas?! Were you trying to get us killed?!”
Applebloom blushed and wilted a little. She chuckled guiltily. “I guess that was a little reckless...” she trailed off.
Sweetie Belle huffed and took a deep breath. “You two are completely mad!”
“Hey, come on now.” Scootaloo said, pointing at the sky. “Sure it was a little crazy, but at least that race got us back on time, right?”
Sweetie looked at the sky. Scootaloo was right. The last sliver of sunlight was just falling below the horizon. “I suppose,” she muttered.
“Besides,” Scootaloo went on. “I knew that Applebloom would get you home safely,” she said, patting Applebloom on the back. “She’s always been a great athlete, and plenty agile. She wouldn’t let you get hurt.”
“Eheheh...” Applebloom chuckled nervously. She hadn’t exactly been sure of that when she’d started.
Sweetie Belle eyed Scootaloo warily, but eventually relented. “Alright, fine. Sorry for snapping at you girls.”
“That’s the spirit!” Scootaloo chirped, grabbing ahold of Sweetie Belle’s hoof. “Now come on, let’s get to the farmhouse. We don’t want everypony getting mad at us. Just remember,” she said, looking pointedly at Applebloom, “That win totally didn’t count and we’re having a rematch this weekend!”
Applebloom giggled and rolled her eyes. “Fine by me! You’re still gonna get whupped though!”
Sweetie Belle chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Just leave me out of the next one, okay?”
The three girls giggled and cantered down the dirt path to the farmhouse.
* * *
“There y’all are!” Applejack snapped as the three little fillies cantered up the path toward the farmhouse. The crusaders wilted under the harshness of the farmer’s voice looking up to see Applejack in the doorway of the house, Rarity standing with a disapproving look on her face close behind her.
“Sorry!” Scootaloo said. “We got kinda... hung up in the Whitetail Wood.”
Rarity sighed. “You girls really must keep better track of time! I was beginning to get worried when I dropped by to pick you up, Sweetie, and you weren’t here.”
“Sorry, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle mumbled.
Applejack raised an eyebrow as Applebloom sheepishly climbed the steps to the front porch. “Your dinner is getting cold, Bloom. What was so important in the woods that y’all ended up staying there so... long...” Applejack’s voice trailed off and her eyes widened as she got a good look at Applebloom’s flank.
Applebloom was about to apologize and protest that they weren’t actually THAT late, when she was suddenly pulled into a massive bear hug. The yellow filly squeaked as she felt her chest squeezed by muscles as strong as corded steel. “Applebloom!” Applejack cheered, all traces of her former anger banished. “Y’all did it! You finally got your cutie mark!”
The two sisters fell over in giggles and cheers as Applejack hugged Applebloom. The filly’s former trepidation at being chewed out by her sister was gone as the two of them shared a rough, but tender sisterly hug.
“Goodness gracious!” Rarity said brightly, “She really did get it, didn’t she?”
“Hay yeah she did!” Scootaloo chirruped. “It was awesome, too!”
Applebloom and Applejack disentangled themselves from each other, stepping into the farmhouse and dusting each other off. Applejack raised a hoof and called into the house towards the kitchen. “Granny Smith! Big Mac! Y’all get out here! Bloom just got her cutie mark!”
There were a few moments of activity from the kitchen as chairs scuffled around and hooves thundered towards the main room. Granny Smith was the first to poke her head around the door. “For real this time, young’n? No magical hoodoo?”
Applebloom nodded proudly. “For real, granny! No potions or freaky plants!”
Granny Smith cackled as she approached the filly, giving her a rough noogie. “Well ain’t that just wilder than a timberwolf in a cuckoo’s nest! Congratulations, young filly!” As Granny Smith showered her sister with praise, the hulking form of Big Macintosh stepped out from the doorway to the kitchen. “Now come on, child! Let your old granny get a look at your brand new cutie mark!”
Applebloom beamed as she turned to show off her flank to her family and friends. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stood by proudly as well, happy that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had finally found at least one of their cutie marks. Applejack, Rarity, and Granny Smith all ooh-ed and ahh-ed as they took a good long look at Applebloom’s smiling, slightly robotic apple. Big Macintosh merely cocked an eyebrow.
“Always knew y’all were an Apple to the core!” Granny Smith said, proudly.
“How delightful, darling!” Rarity grinned. “Whatever is it for?”
“Yeah, Bloom.” Applejack gave her sister a playful pat on the back. “How’d you get that shiny, beamin’ apple?!”
Applebloom froze. She looked between her family members rapidly. She felt herself start to sweat a little at the question. “It’s uh...” she trailed off. She didn’t want to just drop on them that she was a robot. Her family didn’t know, and it’d definitely freak all of them out. Especially poor Granny Smith. She would probably have a heart attack from the shock. But she had to give them an answer; one that Applejack would believe, especially. Her sister could see through lies like a normal pony could see through a pane of glass.
Before her family could get suspicious, however, Sweetie Belle came to her rescue. “It’s for mechanics!” She shouted, maybe a bit too loudly.
“Mechanics?” Rarity asked curiously.
“Uhh... yeah!” Applebloom confirmed, looking at Applejack and smiling just a touch too widely. “We were out in Whitetail Wood when the wagon crashed and broke! But I managed to... um... make a new one! And when I finished it I got my cutie mark!”
“That’s why we were out so late!” Scootaloo added. “We spent a lot of time in that... scrapyard.”
Applejack blinked. “There’s a scrapyard in Whitetail Wood?”
“A HUGE one!” Scootaloo said, making a big circle over her head for emphasis. “Amazing that nopony has found it yet.
“Somepony should send a team in to clean it up.” Rarity tapped her chin. “A horrid scrapyard dirtying up the Whitetail Wood?” She shrugged. “Still, if it got Applebloom her cutie mark I certainly can’t complain.”
“So she found a big metal... thing,” Scootaloo went on, “messed with it a little, and bing-bang-boom, the rest is history!” Scootaloo grinned.
Well, technically none of them had lied...
“Well where is it?” Applejack asked brightly.
Applebloom blinked. “Where’s what?”
“The wagon y’all built. Where is it?” Applejack asked.
“Oh!” Applebloom stuttered. “It’s... It’s back at the clubhouse!”
“Well come on then!” Applejack said, trotting onto the porch and down the front steps. “Let’s go have a looksee! Dinner can wait!”
Sweat began to form on Applebloom’s brow. “I, uh... I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Really? Why not?” she asked.
The yellow filly stuttered. “Um... because it’s already dark out? You did say you wanted us back before dark and dinner’s going to get cold if we hike all the way out to the clubhouse. And I’m famished!”
Her sister blinked “Well, if you’re really sure.”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle nodded on either side of Applebloom. “Oh yes, she’s sure.” Scootaloo said positively.
Granny Smith sidled up behind the three Crusaders and wrapped them all in a big hug. “Oh I’m sure it’s just been an eventful day for them, and they’re hungry, Applejack. They need to get some vittles in ‘em! The wagon will keep ‘til morning, don’t you fret.”
Applejack shrugged. “It ain’t like you to not want to show off your achievements, Bloom, but alrighty.”
Granny Smith grinned. “It’s settled then! Now come on, y’all! I have a fresh apple pie in the oven to celebrate with!” the old mare hobbled back into the kitchen, looking back at the collection of ponies. “Rarity, dearie, would you and your sister like to join us?”
“Well that sounds delightful, Mrs. Smith!” Rarity said sunnily. “Sweetie and I weren’t planning on anything special this evening anyway.”
“Can I stay too?” Scootaloo asked.
“Of course, young’n!” Granny Smith nodded. “’Least until yer folks come and getcha.”
The four of them trotted into the kitchen. Applebloom let out a relieved sigh and was about to follow when she felt herself yanked back. The filly yelped as she was lifted off the ground again by Applejack’s powerful hooves and pulled into another great big hug. She felt Applejack muss up her hair as she gave her a sisterly noogie.
“I want y’all to know, sis; I’m real proud of ya,” the mare said with a big grin, a single tear leaking down the side of her face. “I knew you’d get it eventually if you just let things happen.”
Applebloom smiled and nuzzled into her sister’s chest. “Thanks Applejack.”
She laughed. “Guess we’re gonna have to hire Pinkie Pie for a cuteceñera pretty soon, eh sis?” Applejack let her sister down and patted her on the head. “Now y’all get in there, Bloom. Yer dinner’s already gettin’ cold and y’all don’t want to miss out on Granny’s pie, do ya?”
“Hay no!” The filly chirped, scampering off after her friends.
Applejack chuckled, turning to the side to look at her brother. Big Macintosh was standing in the side of the room, a neutral expression on his face. The draft stallion had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. Applejack grinned at him. “Little Bloom’s finally blossoming ain’t she, Mac?”
Big Macintosh smiled a little. “Eeyup.” He said.
AJ cocked her head. “Y’all been awful quiet, big brother. More so than usual.” She stepped up to the big clydesdale. “Something bothering you?”
Big Macintosh’s eyes narrowed for a moment. The stallion stared at the door to a kitchen for a moment. “Nnnnope,” he said. “Just thought that that cutie mark of hers looked...” The stallion trailed off, not finishing the thought.
“Big Mac?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “What about her cutie mark?”
Big Macintosh was silent for a moment before sighing. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” He smiled at his sister. “C’mon,” he said, trotting into the kitchen.
Applejack rolled her eyes as she followed him. “I swear, Big Mac, I ain’t never gonna understand what rattles around in your head.”
Big Macintosh said nothing.
This really needs to stop.
TWICE I set a deadline for myself to get this out, and twice I missed it. I really need to get on the ball and cut this crap out.
I don't want to be that guy that only puts a chapter out every month or more. It's always been a problem with me and I need to freaking fix it. Not just for my readers but for myself as well.
If you couldn't guess, this chapter was really difficult in the making. Not only did I end up getting a virus about halfway through making it, but it was just a difficult chapter in general. I find action scenes very difficult to write, and I'd never done a race scene before, so that took some doing.
There are also several scenes that I deleted from the chapter, ranging from an angsty scene where Applebloom frets about being an alien again, to a "wacky" scene where Applejack actually does hike out to the clubhouse and Applebloom has to turn back and forth from filly to wagon and back again to throw off suspicion and then hijinks ensued, to another scene with the decepticons (which will likely show up next chapter).
I also struggled with ending the chapter. As it is, I'm not completely satisfied. It sorta just stops rather than reaching a decent conclusion point.
I hope beyond hope I'll be able to get the next chapter out sooner and that I'm a little more satisfied with it. >_<
For now, I'm going to try and put out a new Disharmony, and then get back to either this or PonyFall.
Hope people find it satisfactory. Thanks to MerlosTheMad for editing :)
EDIT: Also! Thanks to my good buddy, Atomic-Chinchilla (check out his page and buy a commission from him, you fools), I now have a decent visual aide for you all! Behold, Autobloom!
Naturally, the design is still inspired by Inspectornills' work. Of course, there are multiple differences in detailing in an attempt to make it more Prime-like, as well as the color changing from primarily blue and yellow to red and yellow to go with the wagon's paint job.
Big thanks to my buddy and roommate for this awesome piece! 8D
Stats
Page generated in 0.094 seconds
Total duration
1,011 users online
251,810 hits today, 2,561,572 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Christ, this took way too long
hmm... big mac recognizes the autobot mark, so either he's also a autobot, or he's a decepticon.
I feel that Sweetie
BotBelle was oddly out of character somewhat.3832513
How so?
Analysis:
Oh shit Applebot has a hammer for a weapon?! You just OP-ed Applebot.
In my head, I was imagining Applejack to freak out when she saw Applebloom's bot form.
Awesome!
Question: What about her 'Cybertron'-transformation? I mean the awesome Hight-Tech transport that all Transformers have?
3832504 Or he saw it when he picked up AppleBloom when she was little?
3832545
Being an earth pony, I imagine some sort of high-speed vehicle with tank treads.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT EXACTLY EFFICIENT I DON'T CARE I WANT TO SEE APPLETANK.
Applebloom is a tripple changer?!
3832545 maybe...
3832504 DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!
I think this chapter was flipping awesome!
Can't wait for some more (Like literally... I can't wait so post it asap 
)
A maximal AND a triple changer!? AWESOME!
3832588 Either Maximal or Pretender depending on how you interpret the situation.
I personally see her as a Pretender since she is using the form of a sentient organic while Maximals used non-sentient organic forms.
Something tells me that Big Mac knows much more than he lets on ... Wouldn't surprise me if for some reason Applejack was the only one unaware of Bloom's true identity in the Apple family.
3832550 This, a thousand times this.
3832684
It would make sense. "Applebloom" must have been born when her "parents" touched the protoform and unwillingly put their DNA on her. Big Mac could have been old enough to remember that day.
Jusry was still out on exactly how much that little detail sucked
She leaned into right turn
she said, sprinting off at a gallop towards the
1. Jury.
2. Isn't it; She leaned into a right turn?
3. You borked this sentence.
Now we just need Applebloom with a gun. I mean, either that or eye beams because every transformer has some sort of ranged attack.
If anything, I would be willing to bet her hammer head is energon based looking at the picture.
Also, you might want to do some cleaning, I think it's getting a little Dusty around here
3832892
fixed those bits. Thanks
It'll be the end of me if she gets a butt machine gun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The proximity of these three statements make her sound like a broken record. But then again she probably is THAT freaked out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And by the way ... a wagon? I understand that she has few choices to begin with but a wagon!? The only transformer I know that can top that would be Jetfire's father and that one that turns into a wheel!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Considering AJ's desire to see that wagon, I am guessing there's gonna be a lot of transformation high jinks next chapter.
3832504 Or he might have been the pony that found Applebloom. The Autobot mark might have been on her escape pod.
3832762 Or, he touched it. She is an inversion of his colors.(mostly) red mane and yellow fur instead of yellow mane and red fur.
An energon hammer that forms from the wagon handle? Verrry creatively done there.
It also happens to be at least of limited use in vehicle mode, since she can basically roll up to things and mash em like a robotic siege engine. :)
totalinsanity.net/tut/mechanical/botypes/hammer.jpg
Afterthought edit: A Cutie Mark Crusader with a large hammer is probably one of the most dangerous things to property values in Ponyville. A giant hammer-wielding robot CMC IS the most dangerous thing to property values in Ponyville.
3833035
FFFFFT That is awesome and I will very likely find a way to use this thing now.
3833035
There is the little detail of her energon reserves, specially in robot mode. How much until organic food cannot sustain her anymore?
I'll be completely honest, I don't mind waiting for these chapters.
Myself and I'm sure everyone else who has ever tried to write on this site understands that sometimes life happens or you just simply don't feel like writing we aren't going to fault you for that. All I care about is that when your chapters do come out they are enjoyable and relatively clean, something you have been very good on delivering so far. So don't fret about your chapters being a little late or them not being released regularly, we can deal with that and won't think less of you for it.
3832489
Yeah, who does that? (cough)
In any case, great chapter, though the title makes my inner physicist wince a little. The race was quite well done, as was Sweetie acting as the voice of reason. Who, of course, goes unheeded. These are the Cutie Mark Crusaders, after all.
And Big Mac seems to recognize the similarity to the Autobot symbol. Interesting...
As for the art, I love the hammer in Bloom's humanoid form. Classic engineer tool-as-weapon motif. And I can't help but hear in young Rarity's voice, "A wagon? That's my alt-mode!?"
Lastly, I have to ask: did I inspire "Mayor Marion M. Mare"?
Looking forward to more, whenever it comes.
'Twas worth the wait. But next time, I think take measures that are a little more...drastic.
Anywho, I'm rather interested in this Big Mac business. Or is it Bot Mac business?
We'll find out, next time on DragonBall Z! Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!
Hey, don't worry about delays. As long as you make the best work that you can, I'm good with that
Also
MY CABBAGES!!! This made my day
3832516
She seemed to overreact here and there.
Cool, Applebloom's a triple changer! Some of my favorite transformers are triple changers.
The quality of the chapter is worth the wait. I rushed a chapter in one of my stories and ended up deleting two chapter to go back and change it.
3832892
3832504
in all likelihood, Big Mac was probably Applebooms base template when she was a protoform, and that is y he thought he recognized the mark. scanning an organic form would make her a Techno-organic and not a pure Cybertonian, so its likely that her Energon needs would be low and could likely be supplemented by magic. also, not every bot is armed, only those who really fought in the Great War had those kind of upgrades implimented. even in the Prime universe, there were unarmed Decepticons, the Servant -Class
Well, you got it out. That's what matters. Well, that and the fact that it is good. If the chapter is good and takes less than half a year to get out, I'm good. Also, why would anyone give Applebloom a HAMMER as a weapon!? Hopefully she doesn't get too dangerous with it. And, how does Big Mac seem to recognise the Autobot symbol?
Those eyes on her autobot form kind of creep me out.
So Apple Bloom is a triple-changer? Awesome! Also, I'm betting that Big Macintosh is actually Optimus in disguise
3833705 now that you say it, me too!
3833529 you do know that's an energon cube, right?
At least that's what I think it is
Are you kidding me.
Good chapter as always, I can't wait for the next.
I wouldn't beat yourself up over being late considering several things. The quality of this chapter was amazing, as I had expected it to be, for starters, and quality takes time. Secondly, sometimes shit happens like that virus you mentioned. You really can't do much except deal with it, which of course costs more time. Thirdly, if you're busy writing two other fics that aren't done yet, then it's understandable that your time be divided up as it most likely is. Out of all this, however, you haven't said anything about the delay being due to procrastination. That's my problem!
Hell, I've been too lazy and hesitant to start my own FIM writing projects, yet I don't mind helping others with theirs. So you doing what you're doing is ten times better than me already. I mean, at least you're not proscratinating on Skyrim and BlazBlue like me
Lol, I haven't even started on mine yet.
Keep up the awesome work, Dusty, and all us fans will have a joyous ride.
3833791 Either way, it looks like a hammer and should not be wielded by Applebloom.
3833062
Some Transformers are capable of converting organic food into energon- most notably, the Insecticons. Considering Applebloom has been living off the stuff for years, it's quite likely she's equipped with that kind of conversion equipment to begin with.
3832550 It may not be the AppleTank you want, but how's this?
fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/332/6/4/their_flanks_may_be_blank____by_blazikenking-d5mhmrc.png
3833188
So I wasn't only one thinking of THIS guy:
daaayyyyyyynggggggg... S
t gets real
Question; will AB's earth pony heratige come into play sometime in the future? Cause if you think about it, AB was "born" and raised on Equis. Wouldn't the planets natural energy field, the one that allows the sun to rotate the planet and horses with undersized wings fly, affect AB's Cybertronian abilities?
3832504 nope applejack told him about the makeshift Optimus Prime toy thingy in that cave trolls lair (issue #2 of the pony comics)
...Mustaches!!!!
I'd say that Big Mac's hoof print was the sourse of the hoof print in the energon at the eork station in the ship
as for your taking longer than you had wanted for the new update, at least it wasn't to long since the last so no big as far as I'm conserned
Hmm......I think Big Mac knows more than he's not saying.
............Welp, guess I'll find out next chapter.
3833062
Oooohhh somebody's being clever with their brainmeats...
3833105
Yeah, I'm really thankful to everybody that people aren't upset this is so late. I'm still going to try and get things out faster though if I can.
3833159
Well, the titles of all the various chapters are going to be quotes from different Transformers series. The title in this case is the line that... I believe it was Lightspeed used to introduce himself in Transformers G1.
I was hoping to use more famous quotes and statements, really. Unfortunately, I found it incredibly difficult to find a decent quote for this chapter.
The wagon was actually inspired by another fic called "The Many Secret Origins of Scootaloo," and I kept it because I thought it was the cutest thing ever. I figure when she gets older and bigger she'll switch alt modes, but then again, choices of vehicles are limited in Equestria.
You might have? I remember seeing it in a fic somewhere before, so if it was in one of yours then it was probably you.
3833188 3834531 3833792
I hoped people would get that reference.
3833374
Can you give me more than that? I mean, I'm more than willing to listen to criticism and if necessary go back and fix things, but just saying "Sweetie was out of character because she overreacted" is a bit vague. Exactly where did she overreact? How did her reactions to things go too far beyond the scope of her character? Give me those sorts of things and I'll look into it, but as is I'm still lost and can't make improvements in these areas.
3833590
The ones on her face or the ones on her chest?
3833529 3833791
It's an energon-charged hammer.
3834721
I do that a lot in the second chapter. A lot of people said it was really intrusive, though. What do you need to know?
3834871
The answer is a resounding maybe. Ultimately, though, Earth Pony abilities generally center around excessive strength and endurance (and possibly growing things). As a Cybertronian, Applebloom has naturally high strength and endurance, and she's not going to be gardening much in this story, so whether she's somehow been enhanced by the natural magic of Equestria or not may not be overtly apparent.
3835854
Ah... no...
I hoped I'd made that part clear? The 'energon' you're referring to was a) actually not energon but a sort of liquid metal, similar to mercury, and b) it was originally in the shape of a giant hand-print before it turned into an imprint of a tiny hoof as Applebloom drew near.
It was effectively a shape-changing metal, suggested to be the same sort of thing that makes up a protoform body, as well as the faces of Cybertronians (which allows the faces to flex and move like skin), that responded to Applebloom's presence just like the rest of the ship did, as she was a Cybertronian with an Autobot passive signature.