Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut

by Hooves Like Jagger

XI: Turbocharger

Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut
Author: HoovesLikeJagger
Chapter XI

_____________________

Applejack found herself in a familiar place. On all sides were the shadows of large stallions. Once again, it was eerily silent and dismal. Applejack couldn't stand it.

"What're ya'll still doin' here?" she yelled at them, shattering the previous silence as her voice echoed across the seemingly infinite expanse before her.

"We are sleeping," a phantasmal voice answered back. "We do not want to be pulled from our dreams." Applejack scowled at the dark figure closest to her.

"Didn't I tell ya'll that gettin' what you want in the real world is a lot better?" Applejack scolded the figure.

"The waking world does not hold what we need to fulfill our dreams," the figure asserted.

"It's not true!" Applejack spun around, she noticed one of the silhouettes walking towards her. This one was different though. The other shadows were pure, black, ebony figures, but this pony had glowing, golden eyes. The voice he called out in didn't sound distant or phantasmal, but natural.

"I've seen my dream with my own eyes! I heard it with my own ears! It's out there, and I'm going to get it!" the shadow defiantly declared. Without another word, it turned and galloped away, way out into the abyss of the dreamscape until he vanished.

"What a fool," the original shadow grumbled. Applejack shot it a dirty look.

"Now look here!" she started to scold it, but it quickly craned its head down, knocking her backwards in surprise.

"Get up Applejack!" the shadow demanded, its voice morphing into the voice of another.

"Aww, no you don't! I ain't done yet!" Applejack tried to get up, but she was covered by something warm and soft. Something kept prodding her side.

"Get up Applejack!" Big Macintosh's voice pleaded. The phantoms of her dreams vanished as Applejack's eyes shot open. Big Macintosh and Big Lugnut were standing over her in her dim, moonlit room.

"Zap Apple harvest starts in an hour," Lugnut reminded her. "We've gotta go get ready."

"Yeah... right," Applejack mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It was indeed Zap Apple harvest day. Three days had passed since she'd purposefully gotten hammered. After that experience, she had zero desire to drink alcohol for a long while. Most distressing than her level of inebriation that night was what her friends reported back to her. Much to her surprise, she had admitted to having a thing for Big Lugnut. Applejack knew that if she admitted something like that to her friends, she could have just as easily spilled the beans to Big Lugnut as well. It would pose Lugnut in an awkward situation, but Applejack didn't even know if the statement was true. She was sure she would need a few days to mull over the thought of being interested in Big Lugnut romantically.

Turns out she didn't.

Big Lugnut just made sense at every turn. He's reliable, honest, innocent as a child, but as stubborn as any full grown stallion. He gets along well with everypony Applejack knows and a few she doesn't know. He was a little stupid and reckless, but Applejack knew she could put up with those things. There is only one big problem with him. There is only the one itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, itty-bitty problem: Big Lugnut is a robot. The fact didn't stop Applejack from having thoughts and feelings about him, but it did stop her from doing anything.

She certainly didn't find her own thoughts that odd. Big Lugnut might be a robot now, but someday he'd be flesh and blood. Applejack couldn't stand how slow the process was, though. She wanted to do everything in her power to speed up said process, but aiding his growth along in any form appeared to be impossible. So for now, Applejack was left alone to sort out what to do.

Thankfully, Lugnut was still acting a bit distant. He'd stopped running off from everypony else, but he and Applejack scarcely talked. When they did they never talked about anything else other than work. They were stuck together, just like two peas in an uncomfortable pod.

"Alright boys," Applejack rolled out of bed and grabbed her hat, "We're gonna be werkin' all day today. Wit Lugnut helpin' out, this here'll be the biggest Zap Apple harvest to date!"

_________________

It was two days before D-day for Gibson and Arrow. After settling to have the venue be on a hillside just outside of Ponyville, ponies started arriving to begin setting up the stage and equipment. In just two days they'd turned to hillside into something of an amphitheater. Already the stage and all the lighting was up and running. Crews of pegasi were busy setting up a large backdrop behind the stage to help funnel the sound towards the crowd. Tents covered the perimeter of the venue, creating a clear boundary for ponies who were in attendance of the concert to inhabit. Arrow had seen to it that plenty of security would be on call to keep ponies without tickets from coming through the theoretical barrier. Once those ponies were additionally accompanied by Princess Celestia's personal guard, he was sure he could keep anypony from sneaking in. With the perimeter established, ponies were setting out rows of chairs upon rows of chairs in the open field.

The other operation under way was the final setup for the sound system. Arrow was eager for Gibson and his band to get on stage and practice together for the first time in a while. The opening band, Saddle Kellogg and the Nickers, was probably going to get their practice time in first because a certain somepony was missing from Gibson's band.

"It isn't a mystery of where he is!" Arrow complained to one of his security ponies. "The mystery is why isn't he here? I told him we're doing a sound check and practice run of the concert at ten o' clock sharp! He'll be at Carousel Boutique in town. Go get him and bring him here so I can give him an earful!" he barked at the security ponies, who quickly nodded and cantered off. Arrow heaved a sigh, turning to Gibson's band. When all four assembled, they were A Horse With No Name, but without Gibson they were just three ponies who can play instruments.

"Jaa mon! Dat Gibson is cuhrazay if he tinks we kin go on wit'owt practicin'," laughed the drummer, Snares. Gibson and Snares had met while traveling the islands just south of Equestria. The zebra was an excellent drummer and could have one of the most energetic stage presences. Arrow's only beef with Snares is that he never stopped smiling, ever.

"Pravda pravda, but comrade did you see that mare. That is a mare I would miss practice for. Da, gladly," Stoli, the other guitarist, recalled his one, brief encounter with Rarity. Gibson had found the large, gray unicorn somewhere outside of Equestria. Stoli never talked about his homeland, but it was apparently very cold. While guitar was his usual weapon of choice, he could additionally play piano, bass, and a handful of obscure instruments.

"It tain't fair Mr. Dash, why does Gibson git to run 'round free? Don't we git no free time in Ponyville?" Dixie asked, her blue and white braids bouncing about as she talked. The red earth pony was the band's regular bassist and fiddler. She could also play banjo, but nopony wanted to hear that.

"He shouldn't be running around. Once I bring him back here, he's never getting out of my sight!" Arrow explained. He was serious too. Ponies from all over were beginning to flood Ponyville and all of them knew Gibson was somewhere in the town. He couldn't have him prancing about while unable to talk with so much media romping about. Arrow didn't want to deal with all that press.

"Start warming up guys," he told the band. "Gibson will be back here soon enough," Arrow grumbled to himself, trotting off to take care of business elsewhere. The three band mates didn't move for their instruments, instead they huddled up.

"Alright boys! How're we gonna give ol' Arrow the slip?" Dixie smirked. Arrow and Gibson were partial to staying under wraps and avoiding attention, but the rest of the band always craved a little sightseeing. As long as they didn't cause a stir, Gibson and Arrow couldn't complain.

"It's all good filleh," Snares laughed heartily. "Gibson got us covahed." Snares broke from the huddle to uncover a box that he'd been hiding close by. He opened up the lid, revealing three sombreros and three ponchos.

_________________

Gibson had not anticipated this turn of events. He had hoped to pop into Carousel Boutique, give Rarity and Sweetie Belle the front row tickets he'd acquired for them, and then go to the venue for practice. Upon entering Carousel Boutique though, he stepped into an interesting scene: Rarity's folks were there.

Things started off normal enough. There were introductions, an explanation of why Gibson couldn't talk, and the parents promising they wouldn't speak a word of it. The two of them expressed their excitement for the concert and Gibson gestured a "thank you" to them. The females of the family slipped into conversation amongst themselves about this and that, but Rarity's father and Gibson were silently staring at one another.

There are times when men do not need words to communicate. They only need to stare into the eyes of their fellow man to understand exactly what they want. While the females are distracted by the noise from their own mouths, the stallions had a wordless conversation.

"I know why you're here." Rarity's father looked deep into Gibson's soul.

"I know you know, but what're you going to do about it?" Gibson stared right back.

"You think just because you're famous you can have any mare you want?" Rarity's father glared.

"I don't just want any mare, I want her, sir," Gibson smiled smugly.

"Of course you do. Have you seen her? She's beautiful." Rarity's father narrowed his eyes.

"Not as beautiful as you, sir."

"Whoa there!" Rarity's father backed off a bit.

"What? Did we get a wire crossed?" Gibson's eyes shifted around a bit.

"You are after my daughter, Rarity... right?" Rarity's dad squinted at Gibson.

"Uh, duh," Gibson nodded.

"Okay... for a second there I thought you were hitting on me..."

"Whoah, what?" Gibson backed way up.

"I know right?"

"That's crazy, yeah?"

"Threw me for a loop."

"It would've thrown me for a loop too," Gibson nodded. The line went quiet as the conversation had ended. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rarity dismissed herself to get up and answer it. Sure enough when she opened the door up, it was two of the security ponies from the concert venue.

"Oh, you must be here for Gibson." The two ponies only nodded in response. Gibson got up and trotted towards the door, but not before looking back at Rarity's father.

"This isn't over."

"Count on it, superstar," Rarity's father glared right back.

_________________

"Um... Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy piped up, keeping her head low. Rainbow Dash had a sneaking suspicion about what was on Fluttershy's mind. The two pegasi were hankering for some sweets, so they'd decided to go visit their friend Pinkie Pie down at Sugarcube Corner. The two of them were walking down the roads of Ponyville innocently enough.

"Yeah, Fluttershy, I noticed him." Rainbow eyed the target of her ire through her peripherals. As the town got closer and closer to the concert, more and more out-of-towners had been showing up. The first few days, it hadn't bothered Rainbow Dash, but ever since yesterday somepony she'd never seen before started tailing her. He wasn't stalking her secretly either. Rainbow Dash could tell the stallion wanted her to know he was tailing her.

The stallion in question was a tall, lean, dark purple unicorn with a fuzzy brown mane. Rainbow Dash hadn't observed him quite enough to catch any other details, but she didn't care. Hopefully the unicorn would take the hint and leave her alone. He was persistent though, and he was becoming increasingly brazen.

She noticed him trotting past as they turned down the road that lead to Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow Dash hoped the change in direction would throw him off, but to her and Fluttershy's surprise the unicorn whipped around and blocked the two pegasi's way by leaning on the building in front of them.

"See anything you like? Just speak up," the stallion asked as he smirked and scanned Rainbow Dash with his brown, discerning eyes in a way made Rainbow Dash wish she was wearing clothes, lots and lots of clothes. She got a better look at the pony. Aside from what she noted before, she noted the scruffy little beard on his chin and how a diamond of hair around his horn was a dull grey along with the entire length of his horn. She tried to get a look at whatever kind of discordic symbol was on his flank, but he was wearing some beat up saddle bags over his croup.

"Do you need something?" Rainbow Dash grunted. Fluttershy didn't dare speak or make eye contact with the stranger.

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you a question." He sounded so full of himself it made Rainbow Dash want to gag. "I noticed you had some nice legs and I was wondering, what time do they open?"

"What?" Rainbow's jaw dropped straight to the floor. She couldn't believe those words came out of that pony's mouth in that order. Fluttershy blushed and cowered behind Rainbow a bit, despite the fact the unicorn hadn't even looked at her once.

"I was just asking," the unicorn started up again. "If you wanted to get together some time and swap bodily fluids."

"Uh..." Rainbow Dash wasn't even sure how to respond.

"I was wondering if you had a mirror in your pants because I can see myself in them." His assault was relentless.

"I... I'm not wearing pants," was all Rainbow Dash could think to say.

"Me neither!" The unicorn sidled right up to Rainbow Dash and put a foreleg around her. "We have so much in common! We should get together, like, right now!" That was enough to snap Rainbow Dash out of her stupor. She shoved the unicorn away. She knew she said she'd like a stallion to approach her first, but this dude wasn't happening any day of the week.

"How about you beat it, creep?" Rainbow Dash grabbed Fluttershy and began walking away. The unicorn followed right behind.

"Sure, do you wanna help?" he smirked. Rainbow Dash could not believe the things that were coming out of this guy's mouth. She took a look at Fluttershy, who looked horrified.

"No! Go die in a hole!" Rainbow Dash huffed, picking up the pace.

"As long as I get to pick the hole! I've got one in mind too." Rainbow Dash did not like the way this pony was eying her flanks right now. She whipped her tail, smacking the unicorn right in the face. "Feisty!" Rainbow Dash refused to say anything else. Every word she spoke seemed to stoke the fire. The unicorn must have noticed her resolve to remain silent because he sped up and stopped in front of her again. Rainbow Dash tried to move around him, but he kept moving in her way.

"Hey Fluttershy, what's that thing Iron Will taught you?" Rainbow Dash turned to her timid friend.

"Uh... uhm... if they try to block... you... show them your rock." Fluttershy didn't sound like she rocked at the moment. The unicorn put up a hoof though.

"No, no I got a serious question this time," he laughed in a way that was somewhat out of character for him thus far. His horn lit up a dull silver and opened his saddle bag. He took a scroll out and levitated it before himself.

"I'm kind of looking for something, something that got taken from me. If you've seen it, I'd like it back!"

"Sorry, we haven't seen your self-respect." Rainbow Dash tried to move around him again, but once again the unicorn stepped in her way.

"Oh... I like you, I really like you." He smiled smugly and got down in Rainbow's face, but he quickly pulled back and put the scroll in her face. "No, I'm looking for something tangible. I'm looking for this." The unicorn used his magic to unfurl the scroll. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were surprised by the image they saw on the scroll. They both blinked to make sure they weren't seeing things, but the picture didn't change or go away.

"Have you seen it?" the unicorn asked, noting Rainbow Dash's sudden silence.

"Uh, no! Bye!" Rainbow Dash suddenly sprinted off, Fluttershy following closely behind.

________________

"What do you mean the other band members are nowhere to be found?!" Arrow fumed. The four security ponies scurried backwards in utter terror.

"I-I dunno where they went, sir! We didn't see anything!"

"You had to have seen something! What happened while I was gone?!" Arrow yelled. The security ponies all fell on their flanks whimpering. Arrow snorted and flared his wings out, bringing himself to his full size. Gibson stood idly by, trying his best to feign ignorance to his band's whereabouts.

"N-n-n-n-nothing hap-p-p-p-p-pened sir! Just... just..."

"JUST?"

"Ah!" The security ponies all fell into the fetal position. One of them began crying.

"T-t-t-t-there were some, some suspicious ponies i-i-i-i-in sombreros w-w-wandering around b-b-back here!" one of the ponies finally admitted. Arrow folded his wings and and heaved a sigh, and looked back at Gibson. Gibson was wearing a terrible poker face, displaying how proud he was to have aided in his band's escape.

"Mr. Dash!" another security pony walked into the backstage area. His eyes quickly fell on his fellow employees and their terrible state. The security pony steeled himself, treading carefully over his words. "There is someone here to see you, sir."

"Just let me in!" No sooner had the security pony finished his statement than the pony in question barged in. Both Arrow and Gibson recognized the mustard colored pegasus mare.

"Daring Do?" Arrow knew there were a lot of celebrities and famous ponies in town, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what the famous archeologist Daring Do was doing backstage on his venue.

"Yeah, can we skip the formalities Mr. Dash? I've got some important business." She quickly reached into her rucksack and pulled out a scroll. She unfurled it and showed Arrow and Gibson the contents. Both of their eyes instantly opened as wide as they could. "I'm looking for this. Somepony, or rather someponies, made off with it and so far we've been unsuccessful in getting it back."

"Uh... uhm... what is... it?" Arrow feigned ignorance. Daring dropped the scroll on the ground and pointed at the image on it with her hoof.

"It's a robot." She traced the outline of the mark on Big Lugnut's flank with a hoof. "We found him on a dig, and it wasn't easy to find him mind you. We've been trying to get him back ever since he got pilfered, but so far nopony has seen the guys who took him."

"Uh," Arrow stuttered for a moment. "Have you been asking ponies in town about it?"

"Well, my associate is supposed to be asking ponies out in town, but it turns out he just spent the whole day chasing some Ponyville tail." Arrow breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, he was apprehensive about telling Daring about Lugnut.

"What will you do when you find him?" Arrow asked. Daring just shrugged.

"I guess we'll just take it," she grunted. "That isn't important. What is important is that we get it back. I was hoping you could do a public service announcement at the concert or something."

"Nope!" Arrow answered a bit quickly, "Nope, sorry no room! We're on a tight schedule and stuff with our concert stuff!"

"Uh... 'concert stuff'?" Arrow began escorting Daring out of backstage.

"Yep! Now if you don't mind, we have a rehearsal to run! Good-bye Ms. Do!" Arrow shoved her out, allowing the security ponies to take over once she was outside. He quickly trotted back to Gibson.

"Gibson, what do we do?" he asked. Gibson shrugged. "Me neither... we've gotta warn Big Lugnut and the Apples though." Gibson nodded. Arrow helped Gibson don his sombrero and poncho and sent him out the door.

__________________

"Query! What do you think you're doing?" Daring barked at the purple unicorn. Query motioned for her to be quiet and resumed staring in the window.

"Shh! She doesn't know I'm watching her," Query chuckled. Daring took a peek into he window herself. There was a rainbow colored pony talking with a pink pony. She was about to ask which pony he was talking about, but she saw the wings on the colorful one.

"What is it with you and your strange fixation on pegasi?" she grumbled.

"Wings are hot," Query explained. Daring put her train of thought back on the tracks.

"Hey! You're not suppose to be window shopping! Did you find any information on the robot?" She landed next to the unicorn. Query didn't budge from his spot, but he did nod. "Really?! What, what?!"

"Uh, something about Sweet Apple Acres... or something." The unicorn didn't look up from his ogling.

"What's Sweet Apple Acres?" Daring prodded.

"Beats me, but that little fox in there told her friend to go fly out there and warn somepony." Query got down from the window sill. "Dangit, she went upstairs. How's about a boost, Doody?" Query smiled innocently.

"How's about no, Queery?" Daring shot it back right back. "We need to get out to that Sweet Apple Acres, right now!"

"Fine, I think that other pegasi flew off towards the... uh... that way... I think." Query pointed to where he saw Fluttershy fly off. "Can't be too sure... my eyes were kind of preoccupied."

"Jeez." Daring flew up into the air and looked around. She noted a farm house and a large expanse of trees in the direction Query had indicated as "that way". She flew back down, noticing that Query was peering back into the window.

"Come out my little pony... come out," he pleaded.

"Query, let's go!" she yelled at him, beginning to fly off. Query grunted and galloped after her.

"What do you think a bunch of farmers want with a robot?" he asked Daring. The question gave Daring pause. She had no idea.

"I can only assume that the farmer thing is just a clever guise," Daring conjectured. "It's probably a secret jungle cat operation."

"You know, not everything is a jungle cat plot," Query assured her.

"Please!" Daring laughed, "Name one archeological dig jungle cats didn't try to screw up!"

"Mephisto's Labyrinth, Seapony City, Stirrup's Stone," Query rattled a few off from the top of his head.

"None of those count," Daring grunted.

"Hey Daring..."

"What?" Daring looked down at Query running below her on the now dirt road.

"Do you think the Mexicolt are behind this?" he asked out of the blue. Daring didn't get it, but she happened to glance backwards. All at once she both understood and became very confused. There was, for some reason, a group of four sombreroed ponies chasing after them.

Gibson Song had located his band members by chance while exiting the venue. He hadn't told them to follow him, but for whatever reason they chased him when he ran off. Gibson wondered if there was something about wearing a sombrero that made ponies want to follow him around. At any rate, he'd noticed Daring flying off towards Sweet Apple Acres with some unicorn and he panicked a bit. How didn't know how Daring figured out where Lugnut was, but he wasn't going to give up so easily.

"Daring, what do we do?" Query asked, chuckling a bit of the pun he'd kind of just made.

"Shut up and go faster!" Daring flapped her yellow wings harder, the farmhouse getting closer and closer. As the two came closer to the gate, they noticed somepony sitting out front.

"Hey! That's the pegasus I saw with my goddess!" Query alerted Daring. Query slid to a halt as he approached her, with Daring landing by his side.

"Hey!" Daring barked. "Step aside," she ordered.

"Uh... uhm... no." Fluttershy curled up in fear, creating enough room for Query and Daring to slide by her on either side.

"Ah! Wait I-aaaaah!" Fluttershy tried to go after the two, but she was suddenly swamped by four sombreroed ponies who tried to enter through the gate all at once. The five pony pile up sluggishly tried to untangle itself while Daring and Query waltzed through Sweet Apple Acres.

"I don't see our robot," Query muttered.

"Well, he wouldn't be out running around now would he?" Daring scolded him. A cart loaded with Zap Apples pulled by Lugnut suddenly whizzed by. Daring and Query stood still for a moment, trying to process what they'd just seen.

"Was that..."

"The robot pulling a cart?" Daring finished. Query just nodded in response, not capable of much more speech. The two stood about dumbstruck for a moment before coming to their senses.

"We've gotta go after it!" Query took to his heels in the direction the cart went and Daring extended her wings and flew right next to him. Both parties got clocked buy Lugnut running back the other direction with an unloaded cart. Daring and Query were both knocked flat on their backs. They stared up at the sun and tried to get their heads to stop spinning.

The sun went dark as four sombreros gathered around the fallen archeologists. Due to previous experiences with being surrounded by pursuers, both expected to be tied up and dragged off to some underground hideout. Much to their surprise, they got hooves to help them up. Query and Daring looked around at their "captors".

"Wow... you guys aren't from Mexicolt at all," Daring noted. Everypony shook their head, including Fluttershy who had meekly joined the ring around the intruders. Lugnut plowed by with another cart full of colorful apples.

"Anypony care to offer up an explanation?" Daring asked, looking around.

"Ha! No whey mon! I dunno whats goin' on he-ah," Snares laughed.

"Takzhe, I am confused," Stoli confessed.

"I dunno either! I'll tell you what though, I'm plum tuckered from runnin' all the way out here. Nice place though," Dixie noted with a nod to her rustic surroundings. Gibson remained silent, as if he had a choice, so all eyes fell on Fluttershy.

"Oh... well... uhm, you see the... uhm... and... he... so they... uhm," Fluttershy mumbled. She shrieked and jumped as Big Lugnut blew past the group again.

"Howdy y'all!" a small voice greeted them from behind. The seven ponies turned about to see Applebloom staring up at them intently.

"This keeps getting better and better," Daring groaned.

"Oh my gosh!" Query squealed, "You are adorable!" he raved. Applebloom suddenly found herself hoisted in the air, staring down at Query's face.

"Hey! Put me down mister!" Applebloom demanded. Query quickly complied, mostly because Daring flew up and whacked him over the head with a hoof. She landed near Applebloom and got down on her level.

"Can you tell us what's going on?" she pleaded.

"Well, whaddya wanna know?" Applebloom cocked her head. Query contained a squeal of joy as he watched her bow bob from the movement.

"You see that robot?" Daring indicated to Lugnut as he tore past for the fifth time.

"You mean Big Lugnut?" Applebloom lit up. Daring and Query were surprised to hear the moniker they'd bestowed upon the robot themselves.

"Yeah... what is he doing here?" Daring ventured to ask.

"Well, let me tell ya..."

_________________

"So the notes were right." Daring was astounded to say the least. "We couldn't break the spell to make Big Lugnut self-aware no matter how hard we tried! We had several unicorns on it too... what happened?" Query and Daring walked back towards Ponyville. Query shrugged.

"I guess we'll never know. The notes did mention the spell had to be 'weakened', so maybe those Flim Flam brothers or somepony else managed to weaken it," Query suggested.

"Well, it's obvious somepony weakened it, but how is the question," Daring mumbled. She heaved a sigh, resigned to just accept she'd never know. "It's a shame to finally find him again and still be empty handed. I guess there's only one thing to do!"

"Oh, please no." Query knew what was coming next.

"Oh yes!" Daring took to her wings, smiling triumphantly, "Let's get out of this little town and dig up something even better!"

"Can't we stay for the concert at least?" Query pleaded. Daring shook her head, landing on Query's back.

"Sorry Query, but I don't think having any more time will help you get with that pegasus. Not unless you shave that thing off your chin." Daring jumped down and resumed walking beside Query.

"Please, I'm only growing it out to deter you, Doody," Query scoffed.

"Ah, I don't mind a hairy guy. Your stupidity is enough to get me off your back, Queery," she shot right back. The two took a moment of silence to pray for the other's swift death.

"You think it'll be fine leaving him here?" Query asked.

"Yeah... it's a bummer for us, but that's about it," Daring sighed. "Maybe if we delve deeper in to the Labyrinth we'll find something..."

"We're going to die aren't we..."

"I hope so. Anything guarded by traps that dangerous must be valuable!"

________________

Applejack laid her hat down on her nightstand and flopped herself down on her mattress. For eighteen straight hours she bucked apples. She bucked, Macintosh bucked, and Big Lugnut collected the spoils and transported them to the safety of the barn. For the first time in Apple Family Zap Apple Harvesting history, every Zap Apple had been gathered. The reward for their speed: an early respite. Not to mention the profit from having so many Zap Apples would really help out on the farm.

"Applejack?" Applejack looked up towards her door. Applebloom was peeking inside.

"Howdy there, what're you doin' up so late sugarcube?" Applebloom silently plodded into Applejack's room and hopped up on her bed.

"Applejack, this is Big Lugnut's home, right?" she asked.

"Well a'course Applebloom." Applejack didn't see how it wasn't or why Applebloom would think it wasn't.

"An' nopony can take Big Lugnut away if they wanna, right?"

"I guess so sugarcube. What's on yer mind?" Applejack tried to get at the heart of the matter.

"Some ponies came 'ere today sayin' they found Big Lugnut, that he belonged to them!" Applebloom referred to Daring Do and Query too. Applejack had been hard at work when they showed up, so she hadn't heard anything about them.

"They did, did they?" Applejack remembered that Twilight had told them that Big Lugnut had been dug up someplace else. The Flim Flam brothers just stole him, so it made sense whoever found Big Lugnut was wondering where he got off to.

"Yeah, but once I told them Big Lugnut was gonna be a normal pony one day they said they'd let him stay 'ere!" Applebloom explained. "They seemed awful disappointed though, said somethin' 'bout 'incomplete research' or somethin' like that." It was just then that something dawned on Applejack. Nopony would know more about Big Lugnut than the ponies who dug him up. The ponies Applebloom met probably knew a lot, and it was possible they knew what Applejack wanted to know. Applejack felt adrenaline pushing her tired body into action.

"Sugarcube, do you know where those ponies are now?" Applebloom shrugged.

"Last I saw, they were goin' back to town," Applebloom recalled.

"Thanks." Applejack hopped of her bed and grabbed her hat. "Now git some sleep!" she ordered Applebloom before heading down and out into the night.

Comments

[djthomp]

I like the inclusion of Daring Do as a real pony. Was she mentioned and I just missed it?

[Aiovas]

This is going to get really really interesting

[Hooves Like Jagger]

602887
This is the first time she's been mentioned or shown up in this story.

OR

I could be a dirty liar and you'll just have to re-read the whole thing and find out for yourself!

[TacoTown]

this is going to get real funny real fast.

[totallynotabrony]

With the new featured system, you might have a good shot. I hope so. This story just gets better and better.

[Volkova]

There are times when men do not need words to communicate. They only need to stare into the eyes of their fellow man to understand exactly what they want. While the females are distracted by the noise from their own mouths, the stallions had a wordless conversation.

And then they proceed to completely misread each other. Excellently played, sir, chortled heartily.

On a Daring Do note, the jungle cat line made me recall there's an oddball OC named Just-Plain-Cat with an orange leopard-spotted coat. Now I am going to imagine them as antagonists, whee!

[Themaskedferret]

738479

*nods and grins* Read my mind! great stuff mate.

also small typo: "here the monicker" I think it ought to be "hear the moniker"

[Muhanoid]

602948

"We're going to die aren't we..."

"I hope so. Anything guarded by traps that dangerous must be valuable!"

"I hope so."

Daring Do has a death wish? Is it a complicated attempt at suicide to do all that crazy stuff she does?

[Koala2001]

602887
She actually is a real pony, there was a whole episode about her is season 4

[furryman]

The jungle cat conspiracy has finally been exposed!