Diablo

by StoneWare13

Chapter 3: Good qustions, Bad reaction

The following morning was like every other. The blinding light of the rising sun beat down upon the land. The Apple family woke, setting up for a long day’s work in the farm they prided. All except one...

Applejacks had woken from her dreams a good hour before the others, giving her a chance to cook some extra breakfast. Despite her weekend chore of making the applesauce on toast for all 4 family members, she still found it strange to be making an extra plate. In her mind it felt like years ago when her whole family were happy before Apple Bloom joined, that wasn't saying Apple Bloom was trouble, it was just Applejack could see too much of their mother in her.

But despite the flooding memories, she still made that extra plate full for a guest that only the Amber mare knew of. She trotted with a good speed, heading toward the abandoned barn in the south field. She thought about the previous day and the turn of events.

After spending an hour or so with Apple Bloom and the Crusaders, swimming at the farms lake, Applejack had settled down for the night to get some well deserved sleep... Well, that was the plan.

Applejack spent hours thinking about the stranger, just imagining where he had came from and why he happened to crash on her farm. It was strage how one minute her close friend was warning her about the Shadowbolts been near Ponyville, then the next moment a strange dark pegasus ends up in the orchard.

Her mind clicked as Applejack reached the barn. Could he be? No! That strange stallion who lay injured in her barn couldn't be a ShadowBolt. Could he?

"Morning" she called out as she pressed her chest into the door, which swung open with ease. At the back of the barn was the stallion, still on his makeshift bed. He raised his eyes to the blinding light that entered thought the newly opened door and groaned.

"Oh, it’s you!" His voice was more croaky than the previous day but still had the deep note that made it noticeably his.

"Don't you sound happy to see me" Applejack replied sarcastically. He just shuffled, moving his body to face the mare, while making sure not to cause pain to his leg or wing.

"How are ya feeling?" Applejack asked with concern, rather than tauntingly.

"Better, I guess." The pegasus’s temper had changed drastically. He had become a quiet stallion who seemed to have given up a fight. In her head, Applejack tried to link his personality to one of a typical Shadowbolt member.

It was harder than expected since she had never met one. She could only imagine them to be cunning and devious, like Rainbow if her friends weren't there to stop her. Applejack just brushed it off, convincing herself that the way he was acting yesterday was most likely from shock or injury, and he seemed more relaxed today. Maybe he was just a pony who gotten lost from cloudsdale or some other city.

Applejack passed him the plate she’d brought. "Here's some food. I guessed ya might be kinda hungry." Before Applejack could say anymore the stallion had tucked in, plastering his muzzle with the Apple family's prided sauce.

Applejack giggled behind her hoof like a little filly in a school yard. She felt mean laughing at her guest. To distract herself from the comedy of the stallion’s eating habits, she looked over the barn spotting something that sparked her curiosity.

"Looks like ya managed to get yer flight suit off on yer own." Applejack trotted toward the mentioned gear. It sat on a bale of hay, balled up like it had been forgotten. She could see the rips and tears in the fabric as she reached out to unfold it.

"Don't!" the stallion growled, shocking the mare. Applejack froze.

"Ah was only lookin’!" she snapped back before moving away from the still balled up fabric.

"Well, look with your eyes,” he hissed. The mare looked him over, now he had rid himself of the flight suit she could see him completely. He was a very pale blue Pegasus, and his cutie mark was a cyan-and-dark-blue spiraling cloud, the same colors as his mane and tail.

wonder what his special talent is, Applejack mused, but she refused to ask more questions. Well, more that what she needed. She was turning back to the stallion, who had almost finished his toast, when another question tumbled out of her.

"What flight team are you part off?"

The pegasus dropped his piece of toast. "Wait, you don't know?" He sounded shocked, like she had said something stupid or inconsiderate.

"No. That's why I asked. If Ah’d known, Ah wouldn't have just asked, now would I?" she shot back at the stallion, her sarcastic tone returning. She wondered if she was being a bit snappy with the pegasus. Deep down, she hated other ponies looking down at her or thinking she was not smart enough just because she lives and worked on a farm.

The pegasus stared glumly at the breakfast she’d brought him, then looked up at Applejack. "The Shadowbolts." When he spoke, a dark shadow seemed to cross his face

Applejack was stunned. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, due to the conclusion she came up with only moments before. "Wha?"

"The Shadowbolts!” the pegasus repeated, slightly concerned that maybe he hasn't spoken clearly or just surprised the mare during her mumbling. “That's my flight team."

Applejack was silent. Everything made sense now! She now knew where she had seen that uniform: Rainbow Dash had worn it on nightmare night to scare all the fillies and colts in town and... And now a real Shadowbolt was in her barn.

She began to panic, unsure if it was right of her to be protecting and pretty much help a possibly dangerous pony. She needed an escape, a way out of this... It was all too much...

"Oh... Okay, well... Ah got work ta do. Ah'll erm… see ya later."
Applejack practically raced out of the barn, pushing the door open with an amazing amount of force and shutting it just as quick. A panicked expressing shot across her face as she reminded herself who she was hiding in her barn.

She leaned up on her hind legs against the wooden planks of the barn wall, her heart and mind both racing with panic. "What am Ah gonna to do? I can't tell Rainbow about this!"

"Tell me about what?"

Applejack jumped as she spun 180 degrees and landed. Her eyes focused on the cyan pegasus hovering only ten meters away from her, her typical cheeky smile plastering her face.

"Rainbow?" Applejack moaned as she grasped her chest feeling, the hyperactive beat of her heart.

"That my name." Rainbow did a quick back flip in the air, showing off her 'awesomeness' before pulling a pose and smiling, like Applejack should cheer at her.

"What are you doing here?" Applejack inquiered.

"Well,” Rainbow began, floating by the barn doors, “I finished today’s weather duties, Fluttershy is having a picnic with Discord, Rarity is filling a dress order, Twilight is reading again and Pinkie is... being Pinkie. So I guess I came over to see if you wanna do anything!"

"Well, if that's the case, Ah’m off to sell some apples. You can join me." The earth pony mare turned and trotted away.

Rainbow Dash beamed and landed beside Applejack. "Sure." They had only trotted so far when the pegasus mare stopped in her tracks and skidded to a halt. Applejack noticed her friend’s sudden stop and turned back. The orange mare noticed Rainbow’s ears twitching like she was listening out for something.

"What's up?" Applejacks watched her fellow Element Bearer as the cyan pegasus turned to look back towards the old barn doors. "Rainbow?"

"I thought I hear something," Rainbow muttered as she continued to check their surroundings. Applejack speculated that her pegasus friend had sharper hearing than she did, but was less surprised that she didn’t heard the 'noise' as she was too busy worrying that Rainbow had heard the Shadowbolt member.

"Really? Well, there's nopony else here."

"I guess." Rainbow mumbled like she was disappointed. She wasn’t normally like this. She didn’t trust her ears like she used to. It must have just been her getting sensitive with her sighting the Shadowbolts yesterday. The pegasus shrugged and she and Applejack trotted off to collect the sales apples from the main barn.

Unannounced, from a small dark cloud, a watchful eye tracked the ponies’ movement, contemplating a potential plan of revenge towards the pony. Thieving earth pony...

Author's Note:

The biggest thank you to Spirit Guide for editing

Comments

[Sea_Swirl]

... Some pony is planning revenge on Applejack? Well, it can't be Diablo, his wing is hurt! Could it be his girl friend? Well I guess I'll just have to wait! YAY a new chapter!!!!!

[colt alchemist]

I'm liking where this is going. Although, you never really announced what this stallions name was, did you? idk, I'm assuming his name is Diablo, since that's the title of this story and he and Aj are on the cover. Anyway, I hope the next chapter comes out soon.

[StoneWare13]

You discover his name in a chapter to come but I glad you are liking it

[Soarindash3170]

NEW CHARTER YUSSSSSSS. well I have a theory on his name maybe descent

[SageBrony07]

Well, Aj lied, and now has a staker. I can't wait to see what happens next. Good luck.

[KarmaDash]

How is AJ going to be able to lie?

[StoneWare13]

We shall see... Dun dun dunnnnn