Bad Apples
The Sparkles, The Apples and the other ponies from Ponyville gathered in the street of Appleoosa along with Deputy Braeburn, Sheriff Silverstar and Deep Roots, discussing what to do about the Bad Apples.
“So,” Deep Roots began, “not only must we worry about a potential buffalo stampede in the future, but now a young filly has been kidnapped by members of our own family for who knows what reason.” He sighed. “This day started so promising as well...”
“We can’t simply drop everythin’ to help find one lost foal.” Sheriff Silverstar added. “After all, like Deep Roots said, it’s likely those buffalo will attack again and in greater numbers.”
“Well then it’s obvious what we do then.” Rainbow Dash said. “Me and my friends, along with the Apples and the Sparkles will split up and search the area for any sign of the Bad Apples and slash or Applebloom, and then we’ll use a signal to get everyone together once we found them.”
Deep Roots shook his head. “Two flaws in that plan: one, you’d need a signal that wouldn’t catch the attention of the Bad Apples. We can’t be too careful here, after all; the safety of a child is on the line. And even if you were able to make one in a quick, inconspicuous manner, you cannot guarantee that everypony would see it.”
“Besides,” Hard Cider interjected, “we ain’t trustin’ the safety of our daughter to the hooves of some random strangers OR our worst enemies.” He punctuated that last part with a spiteful glare at Night Light, who simply frowned in concern.
“Two,” Deep Roots continued, “the area outside Appleoosa is quite large, and there are very few landmarks. You could easily get lost or worse, not to mention you would have no idea where to start looking.”
“So what do you suggest we do?” Rarity said, concern etched on her features. “I’d hate to think what that poor little filly is thinking, alone and in the clutches of a group of bad ponies.”
“My Deputy, Braeburn, has tracking as his special talent. He could find anypony anywhere.” Sheriff Silverstar pointed to the stallion in question who nodded sheepishly.
“Ah would be lyin’ if Ah said it would be easy.” Bareburn admitted. “But, Ah do feel responsible...after all, it is mah Pa that raised this trouble.”
Hard Cider nodded. “Alright then, we’ll leave Big Mac at the clinic to let him recuperate while we go with Braeburn and find our daughter.”
“Ah will come along as well.” Applejack interjected. “She is my younger sister, Ah’d go anywhere for her.” She looked to her parents. “And Ah will not see you objecting to it, either.”
“Actually, we’re glad.” Juicy Apple admitted. “Despite everythin’ that’s been goin’ on...and the way you act...you’re still an Apple through and through.”
“We’ll come along too.” Rainbow Dash said. “Applejack is our friend, we always got her back.”
“Are ya crazy?” Hard Cider said. “Applejack is our daughter, family, and this is none of your concern!”
“I’m one of the top graduates of Canterlot Magic Academy.” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I’m sure I know a spell or two that can help. Plus I can fly and provide valuable recon.”
“Magic...?” Juicy Apple glared. “You’re a Pegasus!”
Rainbow glared her wings glowing with magical power, earning gasps of surprise from several ponies and a fascinated look from Deep Roots. “I could shoot off a blast if you’d prefer.”
“I think that will be proof enough.” Deep Roots replied. “I do however wish to ask you more about...that when we have less pressing matters to deal with.”
“I’d like nothing better from such an experienced stallion.” The blue Pegasus smiled back, giving a quick polite bow.
“Fine, the blue one can come.” Hard Cider relented, gazing across the others. “But the rest of ya can but out!”
“Do you know proper first aid?” Rarity asked, holding up her backpack. “I have plenty of supplies in case there is a medical problem of any sort! Well, as long as it’s not something too serious...”
“I can help back up Braeburn with my Pinkie Sense.” Pinkamena said, earning confused looks from everyone. “Long story. One I will divulge later, possibly.”
Juicy sighed and turned to Fluttershy. “Aren’t you going to give us a reason to let you help too?”
The yellow Pegasus giggled and shook her head. “Nope! Well...other than comic relief of course!”
“Fine, fine just...do what you want...” Juicy replied, slumping in defeat.
Twilight stepped forward, only to be pushed back roughly by Hard Cider.
“YOU and yer family can butt out!” The earth stallion said harshly. “We don’t need you VULTURES buttin’ in and causin’ trouble!”
“But our magic can help too, and we might have a machine or two...”
“NO!” Hard Cider snapped. “No more machines! No more magic! We got that Pegasus and that other unicorn, WE DON’T! NEED! YOU!”
“Cider, Enough.”
The earth stallion and his wife widened their eyes in surprise, looking up at Deep Roots who frowned disapprovingly.
“The Sparkles have done absolutely nothing wrong, all you have done is needlessly antagonise them all day.” The wizened stallion said quietly, calmly, commandingly. “I will discuss this later, as it seems many things will be, but right now your daughter is in serious danger, and it would be wise to have all the help available. If you turn away that unicorn’s help out of stubborn pride and spite, you will have much worse to fear.” He leaned in closer, giving the earth couple a good look into his eyes. “Let the Sparkles help.”
“But...”
“DO IT.” For a brief moment Deep Roots’ face twisted in anger, but had just as quickly returned to his grandfatherly expression of concern. “Please.”
Hard Cider and his wife shook, nodding, Rainbow Dash and the others also staring in surprise. “A-alright...w-whatever ya say, D-Deep Roots...”
Twilight smiled at the old stallion and stood with the group, tilting her head as her parents walked towards Deep Roots.
“You’re not coming?” Twilight asked.
“Ve vould,” Night Light said, looking down, “but you have plenty of ponies anyvay, ve vould only get in the vay.”
“So we’re staying here to help if the buffalo do attack again.” Twilight’s Mother continued.
Deep Roots smiled. “It is very much appreciated.”
Hard Cider glared at the elder Sparkles. “Don’t think this means we ain’t done a’feudin’. We jus’ got more important things to deal with.” He turned to Braeburn, pointedly looking away from the rest of the group, his wife beside him. “Lead the way.”
“On it!” Braeburn smiled, looking to the horizon for a moment before running off, the others following after him.
---------------------------------
Applebloom looked around herself. She was in a dark, damp cave, surrounded by cages containing creatures larger than her, ones she wasn’t familiar with. She felt alone and scared and wished somepony was here, anypony. Even her dumb, mean sister.
She looked to her side, the smallest of the caged creatures stood about as tall as her sister, cowering back but still looking defiant.
“Why ya lookin’ at me like that fer?” Applebloo asked, returning the glare a little. “Ah ain’t done nothin’ to ya.”
“You are a pony.” The creature, and Applebloom realised that it was a girl from her voice, said. “All ponies ever do is make life harder for us Buffalo.”
“Hey Ah just got here!” The filly said, pressing her face against the bars of her cage, facing the young buffalo. “Ah got nothin’ to do with ya or whatever problems yer havin’!”
“You are a pony, which means you are! For years my tribe has stampeded through the plains, a safe place where no one could hurt us and we hurt no one, but then pony settlers came and filled the plains with buildings and trees, making it harder and less safe to stampede! We tried to reason with them, tried to make it clear we needed those grounds; that it was part of our traditions spanning generations, but they denied us the right to stampede, our right to follow the traditions of our ancestors!”
“Well Ah have nothin’ to do with that!” Applebloom retorted. “Ah don’t really get it, but it sounds like a lot of dumb grown up stuff! Ah don’t care about yer traditions, if’n yer talkin’ about Appleloosa, it’s a nice place and home to most of mah family, and they’re all really nice ponies too!”
“Those ‘nice ponies’ treat us like fools, like our opinions don’t matter!” The buffalo stomped her hoof, snorting angrily. “They took our homes in the name of ‘progress’, saying their traditions are more important than our own!” She started to cry. “Many of us, myself included, grew up on those plains, and you ponies stole it from us!”
Applebloom frowned, the buffalo’s words making her think of her own home, and how her ma and pa told her they might lose it if those mean unicorns kept stealing their business. “M-maybe...maybe yer right, MAYBE, but surely you could’ve talked about it?”
“When we came home after our yearly pilgrimage, to continue our traditional stampede, we instead run through a blockade of massive apple trees, many of us were injured, including my father! Those ponies ignored our pleas as we tried to explain what happened, and instead accused us of being thieves and ran us out! We tried many times to negotiate, but then you ponies attack us! And now look where we are! In cages, trapped...unable to see our loved ones...” The young buffalo fell to her knees, trying hard to stop herself from crying.
Applebloom shook, take a big gulp. “Th-that may be...b-but you’re not helpin’ yer case, attackin’ Appleoosa an’ all...”
“What!?” The buffalo got up, glaring incredulously into the filly’s eyes. “My people would never do that!”
“But they did! I was there when they attacked, before those mean ol’ Bad Apples kidnapped me and locked me in here!”
“Now, ‘fore ya’ll go a hootin’ an’ a hollerin’, mind if I join in yer little discussion?”
The two prisoners froze, turning to look at their captor: Rotten Bad Apple, sitting on a rocking chair, his gun on lying against his shoulder.
Applebloom slammed her hooves against the cage. “Let me outta here! When Ma an’ Pa an’ Big Mac get here...”
“Now Ah can’t, in good conscience, allow ya to leave here Applebloom.” Rotten said, cutting her off. “Ah had mah boy bring ya here so you wouldn’t get hurt. Town’s not a safe place for such a little’un, ‘specially not one that’s about ta be stampeded through.”
“Enough lies!” The buffalo said angrily. “We may have our grievances with your kind, but we wouldn’t simply go that far!”
“Perhaps not.” Rotten conceded with a shrug. “Certainly, ya’ll would try an’ fight back, but only if you had a proper push an’ motivation. Especially not with th’ way things were. An’ even if ya’ll did get the urge to fight, Ah’m sure ya’ll would stop in yer tracks if somethin’ as ridiculous as say apple pies were thrown at ya, probably stop jus’ cause they taste so dang good.” He grinned widely, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Course, that’d change some if th’ ponies, say, kidnapped their women and children while they slept. PARTICULARLY th’ Chief’s precious li’l daughter.” He chuckled nastily in the young buffalo’s face. “Why, they’d be so blind with rage, they might do anythin’ just to get back at the mean ol’ ponies and save the hostages, even perhaps stampede through the very town that they know is home to said ponies and has been the cause of so many problems for their people.”
The buffalo stared, wide eyed. “No...they wouldn’t...”
“Ah see yer workin’ it all out in that noggin of yours.” The stallion lay abck into his chair. “Ya’ll may hate those ponies, but ya’ll don’t want yer people to hurt anyone an’ vilify themselves. Not to mention all the sociological, political problems that could arise. Worst case scenario, the buffalo get taken down by the authorities, heck, maybe even the royal guard themselves. Not like they have anythin’ better to do.”
Applebloom looked back and forth between them. “But...nopony in Appleoosa would do any of that to the buffalo...”
Rotten chuckled, snapping his hoof and pointing it at the filly. “’Sactly! An’ that wouldn’t do at all, so,” he pointed to the various cages behind Applebloom and the young buffalo, “we decided to make sure somepony did.”
Applebloom gasped, staring up at him. “You did it. You kidnapped the buffalo mares. But...why?”
Rotten’s face darkened, his mood souring. “Cause Ah ain’t lettin’ go of this grudge anytime soon, an’ EVERYONE in Appleoosa is gonna pay.” He smiled. “But yer just a kid, Ah had to protect ya, teach ya right, where yer parents failed ta. Ah’m yer Uncle, after all.”
“Yer no Uncle of mine!” The filly shot back, tears in her eyes. “S-Somepony like you, who’d...who’d do this, who’d knowingly do somethin’ like this to hurt mah family...and hurt sompony else’s family...ain’t no family of mine!”
“Ya say that now, but soon you’ll change yer tune.” He got up, heading back to the huge monstrosity dominating the middle of the hideaway. “Now, if’n you’ll excuse me, Ah have some work to finish. Nice chattin’ with ya.”
As he walked away, Applebloom looked over at the buffalo girl, who had slumped onto her belly, her long thin legs sticking out through the bars. The filly gulped and reached out, taking her hoof into her own. The buffalo blinked and looked up at the filly, the both of them staring into each other’s tearful faces.
-----------------------------
Though Braeburn got turned around sometimes, Pinkamena’s help allowed them to find where the Bad Apples were likely hiding: a large, mountainous plateau just a short distance from the town. Rarity had brought along her ever present medical kit, while Applejack held a large bag at her side filled with her supplies.
“Ya sure that’s where they are?” Juicy Apple asked.
“Sure as sure can be!” Braeburn replied, grinning wide.
“Yeah my Pinkie Sense is definitely pointing out that specific area as where the child and the criminals are.” Pinkamena added.
“How do you even know that?” Rainbow asked, earning a shrug from both ponies, and she groaned. “Alright...but later, I’m definitely going to follow up on this ability of yours, and you too mister Braeburn, if that’s okay with you?”
“Uhh...sure...Ah suppose...”
“If Braeburn says that’s where they are, that’s good enough for me!” Hard Cider said. “Come on everypony let’s go!”
Braeburn directed the group up a small path that lead upwards along the side of the mountain, Fluttershy taking pictures of the scenery as they moved upwards.
“Ah’m positive they’re at the top! It’d offer the best view of the town!” Braeburn pointed out.
Applejack turned towards Pinkamena. “Is he right, darling?”
“Can’t say. The exact location of an exact group of ponies is the bare limit of what my Pinkie Sense can pinpoint, and even that was a huge effort.”
“That’s alright.” Rarity patted Pinkamena’s back, smiling. “You were a huge help Pinkie.”
“Pinkamena.”
“If it wasn’t for you, Braeburn would’ve gotten us lost,” Rainbow added befoe turning to the stallion, “no offence.”
“None taken.”
As they got higher up, they could see an opening in the side of the mountain leading to a wide open canyon in the middle of the structure. Rainbow decided it was a good idea to move ahead and see what as the top of the mountain, flying off...before falling back down as something massive jumped down from above and slammed her to the ground.
Bruised Bad Apple stood on top of her, licking their lips as they glared down at the group, who huddled back, staring at the precarious pathway being cracked by the sudden impact. Braeburn stood in front of them however.
“That’s the way Braeburn!” Hard Cider cheered. “Show that no good brother of yours how a real Apple does things!” He smirked at Twilight arrogantly.
“Uh, sir?” Twilight said, looking up at Bruised. “Could you possibly move out of the way? You’re in the way and it’s way too dangerous for a stallion of your size to be on a path this small.”
The larger pony growled, glaring down at Twilight and Hard Cider. “Ah’m a mare.”
Twilight blinked, eyes widening, thin-lipped as her mouth looked like a small dot. “Oh. And I assume you take offense to ponies mistaking you for a stallion.”
Bruised Bad Apple nodded and then looked down at Braeburn. “I’ll deal with them later, first of all, why are they even here in the first place?”
She yelped in surprise as a burst of magic sent her flying back, a bruised but unbeaten Rainbow Dash getting up onto her hooves.
“Everypony stay back! This big palooka looks pretty tough so I’m gonna give it all I got! Sorry Mr Braeburn but” She yelped in pain as a thick rope lassoed her wings from behind and pulled taught, screaming in pain as a horrible cracking noise was heard. The rope pulled again and she was sent flying back into the rest of the group, knocking them down.
Braeburn glared at them calmly as he pulled the rope back into his vest, turning to his sister as she got back up from being knocked over. “Sorry sis, Ah tried, really, but that pink one kept correcting me, and Ah didn’t want to look suspicious, at least not while we were close enough to town. Ya alright?” He turned his head Bruised.
“Yeah, yeah, let’s just smash these punks and be done with it.”
Applejack stared in shock as they got back to their hooves. “Braeburn...w-why did you do that to Rainbow Dash...?”
“Oh don’t worry,” the young stallion replied offhandedly, “her wings will heal in about a day or two. Sure, it was probably painful but, hey, as long as she can’t use her magic for a while we’re golden.” He turned to Bruised. “Send ‘em down.”
“Braeburn don’t tell me you’re...” Juicy Apple swallowed, pale and disbelieving as her husband glared in betrayal. “You’re not HELPIN’ them surely...?”
The deputy shrugged. “Hey, isn’t the Apple creed to always stick by family. Or, did you forget that Ah’m a ‘Bad Apple’ too?”
Rarity ran to Rainbow’s side, inspecting her injuries as Hard Cider spat. “You dang traitor! Yer family kidnapped our daughter, our Applebloom!”
“Yeah Ah am wonderin’ about that myself, main reason why Ah came.” Braeburn turned to his sister, one eye still trained on the group. “Why DID ya go an’ kidnap that girl? That WASN’T part of the plan.”
The large mare shrugged. “Don’ look at me, it was Pa’s idea. Ya know how hard it is to read ‘im sometimes.”
“Alright, then Ah’ll ask him.” He returned his full attention to the would be rescuers. “As fer you all, yer all takin’ a one way trip. Say hi to mah brother fer me.”
Hard Cider charged towards him. “Hey we ain’t done talkin’ yet you filthy”
Before he could finish, Bruised slammed a hoof onto the pathway as Braeburn jumped onto her back, cracks forming as she easily pulled the rock upwards and tossed it, ponies and all, into the canyon within the mountain.
“Alright, if they survive, Worm-Eaten’ll take care of it.” Braeburn said, his gaze steely as he peered into the canyon. “Let’s go have a word with Pops.”
Bruised nodded and started trotting up what remained of the small path, towards the top of the mountain.
----------------------------
Applejack shook her head as she got up, getting her bearings, looking around. “Hey! Anypony alright!?”
Hard Cider groaned as Juicy got up from him as he had used his body to protect her. “Ah’m fine...more or less...” He got up, holding his wife close, who looked very distraught.
“I...am good too...” Rarity groaned weakly. “The rocks...broke my...fall...” Pinkamena leapt up from atop her, allowing the unicorn to get up.
“And Rarity broke mine.” The pink earth pony deadpanned.
There was a soft, purplish glow as Twilight gliding down, horn glowing as her magical aura held her and Rainbow Dash, sending them drifting down to the ground. As they landed, the magic dissipated, the unicorn exhausted as Rarity turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, quickly putting a cast in place with bandages.
“Rainbow you shouldn’t move your wings for a while, not until they heal.” Rarity warned.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” The Pegasus replied with a sigh. “Though this does mean I won’t be able to use my magic for a while.”
Twilight looked at her. “Why not?”
“Well, first of all, ever tried to cast magic with a broken horn?” She paused for a moment. “Didn’t think so. Secondly, I kinda need to move my wings if I wanna do anything more complex than move objects, and I mean small objects around as big a small book at most. Anything larger while I’m like this and I’m no good.”
“Well some help ya’ll were!” Hard Cider exclaimed, marching over. “We only allowed ya to come with us cause you made a good case for yerselves but lookit ya!”
“Well you certainly didn’t do a thing to help, father.” Applejack interjected. “And what, pray tell, would you have done in their place?”
The stallion hesitated. “Ah...Ah woulda protected mah family!”
“Braeburn was able to cripple Rainbow Dash, the wielder of the element of magic itself!” The fashionista said. “Not to mention that Bruised has always shown herself to be a stronger pony than you or even Big Mac, so what would you have done!?”
“Ah would’ve...” He trailed off, ears perking up. “What’s that noise?”
“Well now, that’s a mighty shame, seein’ a father an’ daughter arguin’.” Worm-Eaten said, standing on top of a large boulder in the canyon, playing his banjo. “Ya’ll should get along better, ‘specially considerin’ your current sitchy-ayshun.”
“What situation?” Twilight asked, frowning.
“Why, THIS!” with that he started to play his banjo wildly, a horde of ravenous alligators rushing from the shadows towards the group, each pony running to escape their sharp claws and drooling maws, heading towards the few boulders lying around that would give them a safe haven.
Hard Cider, Juicy Apple and Applejack had managed to climb onto a boulder on the far right, while Twilight, Rarity and Rainbow Dash climbed one to the right of them. The alligators around in circles snapping at them occasionally while Worm-Eaten played his music.
“Hey why don’t you dang unicorns get off your flanks and help!” Juicy Apple called out to them from afar.
“We can’t!” Twilight called back. “I used up most of my magic in the competition, and the rest to slow our fall earlier!”
“And I’m awful at magic!” Rarity called out. “I can just barely lift objects with it and I really need to concentrate then!"
“So all three of ya are useless!” Hard Cider spat.
“We have bigger problems right now!” Applejack reprimanded as an alligator snapped at her, catching a corner of her dress and ripping off, making her gasp. “Oh, now look what you have done!”
“Oh what’s the matter, prissy pants?” Worm-Eaten called out mockingly. “Gonna cry? You got better things ta worry about then a dang dress!”
Applejack glared, reaching into the large bag she had tied to her side. “Oh no, now I will admit I do care a LOT about fashion, my appearance and my dresses most of all...” She pulled out a large pair of scissors, her hoof rocking it back and forth as she closed one eye in concentration, “however, my job means I know how to use scissors...”
She threw the sharp object with unerring accuracy, the stallion yelping in shock as the scissors soared across the canyon floor and sliced through his banjo strings before flying over his shoulder. He looked down at his instrument paling. “Well, no problem just need ta fix the strings...”
“I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY THIS!”
“What in the wha...?” Worm-Eaten looked up, taken aback as Fluttershy soared down towards him, grinning wide as she pulled the banjo out of his hooves and suddenly slammed it across his head, smashing it to pieces. Dazedly, he fell off his perch and onto the ground.
The alligators paused, turning to him as he looked up, his face becoming white as a sheet. “Oh...oh dear...n-now fellas, we c’n work this out....”
He turned and ran, screaming as the alligators chased after him, leaving the canyon. The ponies blinked and climbed down from the boulders, looking around.
“Alright we wasted enough time...” Juicy Apple looked up towards the top of the canyon. “How are we gonna get outta here, and get up there quick enough....?”
“That blasted Braeburn!” Hard Cider ranted, stomping a hoof. “We trusted him! He betrayed us! His own family! Ah Don’t understand it at all....”
Rainbow Dash looked around, raising a brow. “Hey, why are there so many boxes of metal and tools here...?”
The others turned to her and looked around, noticing for the first time they entered the canyon that the middle was occupied by boxes filled with metal and machinery, with tools scattered about.
“Well, I wonder that’s all about?” Rarity pondered aloud.
“Guys!” Everypony turned to a grinning Twilight, who was gazing over in the distance, where a large opening could be seen, blocked off by something large and metallic. “It looks so beautiful...”
-------------------------------------
Rotten Bad Apple sat near a ledge at the top of the plateau, overlooking the town of Appleoosa in the distance, his hoof rubbing slowly along his blunderbuss as he smirked. Some ways behind him resided the cages holding the female buffalo and Applebloom.
Applebloom fumed, glaring at her uncle. “Ah hate him! He’s doin’ so many bad stuff, and he ain’t bothered by it at all! Ah don’t understand how he could be doin’ all this, against his own family! It...It just don’t make any sense...” She slumped on the floor of her cage. “Ah wish Ma an’ Pa an’ Big Mac were here...hay, I’d even like it if AJ were here.”
The young buffalo beside her looked at her. “They are your family I take it?”
Applebloom nodded. “Ma’s always making somethin’ nice to eat with granny, Pa is tough and strong but he always there fer me, Big Mac is always so kind an’ considerate an’ always knows what just to say an’ when...An’ AJ...” her gaze hardened. “She’s supposed to be my sister...but she ran away instead, and now lives by herself makin’ dumb useless dresses and never comin’ to visit!”
“Is there something wrong in what she does?” the buffalo asked. “Are dresses, whatever they are, some sort of taboo among your kind?”
Applebloom stared at her. “That’s jus’ silly! They’re just dumb and useless; an Apple wouldn’t be caught dead doing somethin’ like that! No, what she did was run away from us and throw away what bein’ a farmer, an APPLE, is! An’ then she gets all mad when we try ta talk sense inta her and make her come home and makes Ma an’ Pa so angry...An’-an’ when she finally came to help us today, she acts like its cause me an’ Big Mac asked, like she cares about us, but always ignores Ma an’ Pa and gives ‘em the cold shoulder an’-an’ she’s friends with those mean unicorns an’...”
“Hold on.” The buffalo said, reaching as best she could to touch the filly’s shoulder. “Is your sister a bad pony? Is it not allowed for her to follow her own path?”
“Of course not! She’s an Apple, she’s supposed ta be a farmer! It’s tradition!”
“And yet you and your kind say our traditions are unimportant, while you shun your family if they don’t follow yours?” The buffalo tilted her head. “That sounds very selfish.”
“No I mean...w-what else is she supposed to do?” Applebloom asked, crying. “I-if she doesn’t stay with us...th-then how could she love us if she stays away from us...?”
“Perhaps it’s because you treat her like she committed some crime simply following her dreams? After all, eventually all calves must leave the herd and choose their path, I assume it’s the same for you ponies as it is for us buffalo...”
“But...We’re Apples...we always stick together....” Applebloom said weakly.
“And yet, from what I can understand, you only came to her to make her come home and follow your traditions rather than her own desires? And what if she did the same, visiting only to make you make dresses or do something you don’t like?” The buffalo gazed down at the filly, no longer distrustful. “Or am I wrong?”
“Ah don’...Ah...She...” She stopped as she saw two ponies walk past towards Rotten and she leapt at the bars, eyes wide in desperation. “Cousin Braeburn helllp!”
Braeburn growled. “Pa, why did you make Worm-Eaten grab the foal?”
“Cuz...?” Applebloom whimpered as the stallion ignored her.
“Braeburn, I sent ya to college so unlike yer brother and sister, ya would THINK!” The elder stallion turned to his son. “Surely it’s obvious that I saved her ‘cause she’s a little’un, and doesn’t exactly deserve to be crushed under th’ hooves of a stampede of rampaging, righteously angry buffalo....or was it bison, Ah can never remember the difference?”
Braeburn sighed. “Pa, can ya stop bein’ such a bleedin’ heart? She’s just as guilty as every other Apple who mocked us, insulted us and turned their backs on us!”
“Now, Now , son, that’s fer me ta decide, and I decided to teach her, show her how wrong the rest of ‘em are. Now, come sit by your Pa, this is a good spot to watch. Not every day you see a bunch of natives stampede through a frontier town in the name of revenge.” He patted a spot at his side with his hoof, pausing as he heard a loud noise.
“What the hay...?” Bruised wondered aloud, Braeburn narrowing his eyes as the three of them ran over to the ledge overlooking the canyon inside the plateau, peering over.
They saw what was originally the head car of a train, its wheels converted into massive metal wheels lined with claws to dig into any surface, the rest of the machine a massive monstrosity of armoured metal; the machine was tearing up the sheer cliff-face at a rapid speed.
Rotten Bad Apple growled. “Now, whose bright idea was to let anyone into the canyon and steal our getaway vehicle!?”
Braeburn winced. “We set up a trap with Worm-Eaten...we thought he’d be able to take care of it...”
“You threw them into a pit, so Worm-Eaten could pull a trap on ‘em and you didn’t even stick around ta make sure it WORKED!?”
Rotten shouted incredulously. “And NOW they have something that we stole fair an’ square and I worked my blood, sweat and tears into upgradin’!! Gitdown there and get it back!”
Bareburn’s gaze hardened. “Oh don’ worry, we will.” He produced several ropes tying one to a large rock with the other end around Bruised’s tail, hopped onto her back and the two leapt over the cliff, falling towards the massive all terrain vehicle.
Meanwhile, Twilight drove the massive machine, grinning wide. “can you believe this thing has an engine!? Just imagine what this could do if we mass produce the engine alone!”
“I’m just surprised this thing is big enough to fit us all comfortably.” Pinkamena said, looking around the open space.
“Well of course it is.” Applejack smirked. “How else would they fit all of them in, what with Bruised’s....girth.” She giggled.
“Just get this hunk’a junk movin’ faster!”Hard Cider growled out. “We got a daughter to save!”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be up there in no time!” Twilight grinned, then yelped in surprise as something big and heavy slammed onto the front of the vehicle. She looked out through the windshield, staring into the glaring face of Bruised Bad Apple.
Applejack frowned. “Open the door.”
Rarity blinked. “Um, you do realise how fast we’re going and how high up we are, right?”
“Ah can handle it, darling. Just open it now.” The fashionista’s glare intensified. “This is a family matter, and I have a few words for my cousin.”
“Okey dokey!” Fluttershy interjected, pushing the side door open and Applejack quickly trotted out through it and leapt across the roof and held onto the ledge, glaring up at her two cousins.
“Why are you helping them!?” Applejack shouted, enraged. “Sure they’re family, but they crossed the line!”
Braeburn snorted and spat to the side. “Ah thought you out of anyone would understand. Just think about everythin’ yer family put ya through, it ain’t no secret how hard they tried to force ya into givin’ up yer dreams jus’ cause they thought they knew better!”
“Well, Ah do admit we have had our disagreements, and my parents aren’t my favourite ponies in the world, but I am still loyal to them, no matter what!”
“Even if they manipulate ya into doin’ what they want?” Braeburn countered. “You didn’t even want to come here, so why are ya here? Did they use some underhanded trick to force ya?”
“It doesn’t matter!” Applejack said, looking determined. “They were underhanded yes, but I didn’t come here for them! I came here for my brother and sister, who your family unlawfully kidnapped! Why would you help such awful ponies do such awful things!?”
“Hey Ah’m here too ya know...” Bruised growled out.
“The Apple family has done nothing but hurt our own!” The younger stallion countered. “They have done nothin’ but ridicule us and shun us for decisions our father made! So what if he didn’t want ta be a farmer, so what if he wanted to follow his own path!? So what if he’s a little mean!? That doesn’t excuse anything you Apples have done to us! An’ worse of all, ya’ll act like ah’m some golden child for doin’ th’ exact same things mah pa did! That was the last straw! I will never forgive a single one’a you!”
“That doesn’t excuse kidnapping a foal!”
The stallion sneered, chuckling darkly. “Oh, ya think that’s all we’ve done? We think that all we did today is kidnap a child during a ruckus? Is that how small you think we are?”
Applejack raised a brow. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh nothin’.” Bruised interjected, grinning. “Ya ain’t gonna live long enough ta care.” She raised a forehoof, slamming it toward the smaller mare, who barely dodged it. Braeburn snarled and through a knotted line of rope towards Applejack, making her let go of the edge of her foot as pain coursed through her hoof.
The fashionista glared up at her attacks and leapt up, slamming her back hooves into Bruised’s face, pushing her back a little as Braeburn leapt off, using his ropes to swing around the vehicle and counter Applejack’s attacks kicks and tosses of weighted knotted rope, the mare grunting in pain she is struck, returning with several angry yells punches and kicks with her hooves.
“Filly and buffalos, please lend me your ears
Ah got a need to testifyyyy.
Don’t you open your nest,
Out in the open west
Because there is a million ways to diiie!
“Some bullets in the gut,” he pulled out his blunderbuss, shooting it into the air, “Or just a papercut, too many reasons to quanitifyyy.” He moved his hoof across the other in a slicing motion, making the illusion of his appendage vanishing. “They’ll cut your hoof off, just to cure a mighty cough,” he leaned in close, coughing into a buffalo’s face, “there’s a million ways to dieee.”
“It’s a hundred one in the shade of the sun, and if you fall asleep you fry!
A million. Ways. To dieeee!
You can live like a saint but there’s just really ain’t
avoidin’ a million ways to die!”
As he sang, Applejack down below dodged another attack by Braeburn. “Smallpox an’ Bigger Pox.” She was knocked down into the metal by a hard punch by Bruised. “And deadly tomahawks!”
“Celestia forbid you steal a pie!” Back above, Rotten produced a steaming hot pie out of nowhere. “They’ll blast you into shards,” he tossed the pie into the air, blasting it to pieces as he shot it with his weapon, streams of playing cards falling from it, “Just for bein’ good at cards, oh yes there’s a million ways to die.”
He walked over to the ledge, overlooking Appleoosa. “Out in those desert plains, it hardly ever rains, out where the buffalo rooooam. They’ll stampede through the town! Until its dust in the ground! Cuz there’s a million ways to die.”
Bruised and Braeburn slam their hooves down onto Applejack in a combined attack, knocking her against the front of the vehicle, grinning. “A million ways to die!” Suddenly Juicy Apple and Hard Cider jumped out through the wind shield along with Fluttershy and Rarity in a combined attack, all of them striking their hooves hard into the Bad Apple’s faces.
Rotten meanwhile continued his song, dancing with a manic grin on his face, making stabbing motions towards his bacl. “With a whoosh and whack there’s a knife on your back jus’ for wearing a fancy tie! A million ways to die!” He blinked and regained his composure shrugging with a wry grin. “It’s a kick in the pains but they don’t have a chance of escapin’ a million ways to die!”
He spread his arms wide, grinning wide as the vehicle charged over the egde of the cliff-side and landed down nearby, several ponies falling onto the roof, his son and daughter falling to the ground in front of it, getting up as they nursed their bruised faces.
Rotten’s eyes widened, his surprised expressions lowly changing to a confident smirk. “There’s a million ways to die here in the west. Lemme show ya a couple.” He chuckled darkly.
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Good luck with the next chapter. I am happy about the update. I think you did a good job with this story. Sorry if it isn't what you wanted it to be. Good luck with the final chapter.
5060355 thanks
I'm glad you enjoyed it
"You kick the dog daily, why are you surprised when it finally bites your leg?"
5095749 "Because shut up."
but seriously, can;t really say much to that *shrug*
needs ellipsis & exclamation point https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=schoolhouse+rock+interjections+video&&view=detail&mid=1F2E34F86B47740761FF1F2E34F86B47740761FF&FORM=VRDGAR
You probably mean "everypony"
Also, probably a splint -a cast is a more permanent thing.
KA-BONG!