Diablo

by StoneWare13

Chapter 4: good talk, bad discovery

The two mares trotted to Ponyville in silence. They just looked at the cobbled streets, home to ponies who went by not paying any attention to the two friends. Applejack couldn't stop worrying for a few long moments. She began to understand how Fluttershy felt with all the hectic thoughts flying around her mind, like the cyan pegasus flying above her.

To Applejack, Rainbow Dash was her closest and most relatable friend, more than any of the other Element Bearers. She could understand Rainbow, her drive for success and the loyalty to her friends. It hurt so much to hide such an important development. Applejack didn’t what to hurt any of her friends, family or the Shadowbolt in her barn. With each step towards the market Applejack evaluated her options...

Firstly she could tell Rainbow about the Shadowbolt, then she could move on and not feel the pain with every lie she makes, but that plan had a down side. Potentially, Rainbow could flip and attack the already-injured stallion and that wouldn't end well for anypony.

Her second option: she could continue to lie to her best friends and get the guilt from the untruthful actions, but by doing that she could protect the stallion letting him leave to return without and arguments

Both options where no good. She would feel like the bad pony either way but then something hit her: why should she be protecting a potential villain? So what if he was injured? He's bad…. right?

"Applejack?" asked Rainbow. She had noticed her friend mumbling, only being able to hear the odd word, such as 'friends' or 'option'. It was clear as the sky that something was eating at the orange mare.

"Yes Rainbow?" Applejack looked up to face Dash, who looked concerned.

" What are you hiding from me?" Rainbow’s magenta eyes looked deep into Applejacks like she was searching for the truth. That look scared Applejack but she would never admit it .

Applejack chuckled nervously. "What do ya mean, Rainbow?" She knew what her friend was asking, so why did she still lie?

Rainbow Dash flew down to trot alongside her friend, "When you came out your parents’ barn, you said 'I can't tell Rainbow about this'. What can’t you tell me about?”

"Oh, that. Well... it's nothing’, really!"Applejack cringed. She knew Rainbow would never accept that fail of an excuse. What was she turning into?

"Then tell me about it!" Rainbow Dash insisted.

Applejack looked down to her hooves. "I can't, sugercube." She needed an escape. Her need to get away was getting too common. This was the second time in the last hour that she needed to run and hide. Applejack was never the type of pony to run away from her responsibilities.

"Come on AJ. You can tell me." A warm smile was plastered across Rainbow’s face; a smile of her loyalty to her loving friends. Could Applejack really lie? Again?

"Cuz it... it... it's for yer birthday!" The farmer prayed to the sun and moon that Rainbow would just accept her excuse and move on.

Rainbow tilted her head and gaped. "But... my birthday’s not for another month."

"Best to start planning early," Applejack replied, sporting a smile what would make anypony suspicious.

"Are you sure you not lying to me AJ?" Rainbow asked, leaning in close.

That’s it, She'd had enough of this. Rainbow was starting the tick her off. She frowned and snapping back at the pegasus "No, Ah’m not! Will ya drop it already, before Ah feel like droppin’ you?" She didn’t mean to come across so bad tempered.

RD cringed, not sure how she should take her friend’s outburst "Touchy!"

Applejack just snorted

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Rainbow had gone home shortly after discovering selling apples "needs to be cooler", but in some ways Applejack was thankful. She had gotten home just before tea, which Granny Smith had taken care of.

Applejack sat with her head in her hooves. Today she was just drained. Normally she could buck trees for hours and still have time and energy to visit all her fellow Element Bearers, but today she had been through too much and all she had done was lie.

At the small dining table, her older brother was counting the bits she had gotten from today’s sales. Apple Bloom was helping Granny dish out the fresh cooked apple pie.

"Hey Granny?" Apple Bloom asked, jumped up. While ladling out the servings for dinner she had noticed something strange.

"Yes dear?" Granny Smith said, looking down at her creative granddaughter with a simple smile.

"Why is there 5 plates of food?"

Applejack looked up in shock, her eyes widening. Granny! She couldn't have known, could she?

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Tea had played out like most evening, followed by Apple Bloom going off to finish her school work, leaving the older siblings to clean up. Applejack was washing up the few plates while Big Macintosh had gone out to check the doors of the new barn were locked and the chickens where all safe.

Granny Smith silently entered the kitchen. "Applejack?"

"Oh, howdy there Granny!" Applejack greeted her with the same bubbly expression she always used, despite having a suspicion that the older mare had discovered her secret... was he still a secret?

"Well." Granny Smith stepped closer, scrutinizing at her granddaughter.

"What?"

The older mare just raised an eyebrow, something that applejack herself had gotten into a habit of doing. "Don't act like ya’ll don't know what Ah’m sayin’. Who’re ya hidin’ in ya ma and pa’s old barn?"

Applejack froze. "How did you-"

But she was cut off by her grandmother. "Easy enough. I saw ya headin’ out there with some toast this mornin’."

"Oh." Applejack felt almost devastated that somepony knew of her hidden guest.

"So who is he?"

"How do you know it's a he?" Applejack was shocked at how much her old family member could find out just by watching her.

“It’s pretty obvious,” Granny admitted. “If it were a mare, ya would have introduced her by now, but ya haven’t. I sure hope you have a reason to hide him."

Applejack sighed. "I do, Granny. you see-“

"It's fine, child." The senior Apple gently brushed her hoof through Applejack’s mane. "You don't need to explain. Now take his apple pie and don't come back till sundown. Ah’m sure he’d appreciate some company."

Applejack knew not to answer back to her elder and accepted the pie and instructions.

"Yes Granny."

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The creaking of the barn door woke the stallion from his daydream. He just looked up to see an orange hoof poke through the entrance. "You’re back!" This time his voice was happy and playful.

"Ah sure am." Applejack came into view, a slice of still steaming apple pie on her back. "Here, got you some food."

The stallions face glowed as his belly grumbled. Both ponies chuckled. "Thanks" the pegasus said, looking over his meal before digging in. Applejack watched as he began to eat. She was fascinated by his manners, despite eating on a hay bale.

Her mind wandered back to earlier when she had spoken to Rainbow Dash. How could she tell her about this stallion? He seemed nice enough and needed her help. She may not be the Element of Generosity or Kindness, but she knew when her help was needed and he was such in need of assistance.

Her eyes looked back over the stallion she didn't even know his name. Then she remember that important detail. How could she have be so thoughtless. "Can I ask you summat?"

The pegasus looked up, eyes full of curiosity "Sure."

Applejack sat down on a second bale of hay. "What's your name?”

The stallion just stared at her, his face expressionless. "Coz, ya know, I never really asked and I told ya mine,” Applejack went on. “I was gonna ask before now. Plus I know where you’re from, I thought Ah should learn more about you." Applejack was almost panting for the lack of air she was allowing herself in between the panicked words.

The ocean blue pegasus just smiled. "You don't need to explain. My name is Diablo." He uttered this with so much clarity it made Applejack pause for a moment. He was such a nice, well-mannered stallion, but his name suggested an evil being, as did his flight team.

"That's nice," Applejack replied, smiling back at the stallion. She felt at ease knowing the name of the intruder. Diablo had confided in her and it was clear that the stallion was not like the others of his team, but Applejack knew that Rainbow could never see beyond the fight suit.

Diablo’s smile faltered, as though his name something to be frowned upon. "No, my name is one to be feared." His voice became harsh and controlling like the first time they’d met “It’s my mother’s humor"

"What do ya mean?"

The stallion’s face dropped in anger. "’Diablo’ means devil." Something in the way he said this made

Applejack question her right to ask what she did. It was clear that Diablo hated his mother, and that was something Applejack couldn't understand.

A silence swallowed the ponies "You don't seem to like your ma," Applejacks pointed out the obvious.

"No I don't!" Diablo’s answer was blunt and gave Applejack enough information that this subject should be avoided, at least at present. The silence continued, allowing Applejack to think, until Diablo spoke.

"Applejack?"

"Yes, Diablo?"

"Well... you asked me a question, can I ask you one?"

To Applejack, this was a welcoming change of subject. "Yeah sure, go ahead," she yawned.

The ocean blue pegasus gave the mare a blank look mare before asking. "Why did you leave in such a hurry this morning?” His words were careful and compassionate, as though he felt unwanted and feared upsetting her. ”Did I scare you? Cause if I did, I‘m sorry."

Applejack shook her head. "No no, its fine Diablo. It wasn’t you, Ah just had to…. it’s kind of a long story." Applejack yawned again. That day's work was starting to catch up with her.

"Tell me more about the Shadowbolts," Applejacks requested. Out of habit, she looked at Diablo with a pair of tired-looking puppy dog eyes.

"What you want to know?"

"Anything." Applejack shuffled her bale a bit closer to the stallion and laid her head on her hooves. Diablo just smiled.

"Ok, well... Ummm... A year after Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, she had a celebration and a flight team was created. They named themselves the Wonderbolts." Applejack listened, her eyelids becoming heavy. "But Nightmare Moon had been watching and planning her escape. She found out about the Wonderbolts and was determined to find better pegasi to make her own team alongside her, with all the other many plans she had for when she took over Equestria."

Diablo thought for a moment, remembering the story from his foalhood. "Nightmare Moon kept an eye open for any ponies that may be worthy; she found the best of the best. She managed to stir up some bat ponies to get them to rebel. Celestia discovered the flight team and banished them deep into the Everfree Forest where nopony would find them.” Diablo paused. “Any questions so far?"

The blue stallion looked over at his audience, wondering if she’d understood. To his surprise the golden mare was curled up, her hay bale right next to his, fast asleep. Her hat had fallen to one side and presented her smiling face.

Diablo unfurled his good wing draping it over the mare’s back. "You know, Applejack? Maybe you’re not so bad," he whispered to the dreaming mare, before laying his head next to hers and slowly falling into a dreamworld of his own.

Author's Note:

Big loving thanks to my editor Spirit Quide

Comments

[Sea_Swirl]

This was awesome!!!!!!

[RavenFire2908]

MOAR!!!! please...