58 - Informing the Next of Kin
Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked side-by-side. Applejack looked over the town with a critical eye as they went. "Ya ever wonder why we let no-goods like the Flim-Flam brothers get sa far as they did? It's because we ain't got no law in this town."
Rainbow perked an ear at the talk. "I hate to bring it up, AJ, but if there was a law and they knew what you did, they'd probably toss you in a cell."
Applejack snorted with obvious disagreement, but let it lie rather than argue with Rainbow Dash. "We'll figure it out after we take care of that there forest. Ah reckon it's a fair sight more pressing. Ah can't even figure out why ah let the place stand fer so long, threatenin' all of us like that."
Rainbow considered, deciding that fighting dangerous animals was a lot safer than the other activities the unbalanced Applejack could be up to. "Say, what about Froggy Bottom Bog? That place has some creepy critters in it, right?"
"Ah knew ah picked right!" Applejack looked so happy it made Rainbow's chest ache. "The hydra's just waiting to be tamed, and ah bet there are other varmints in there that'd cause trouble. We'll have the place in order in no time at all." She bumped up against Rainbow Dash. "We'll make Ponyville safe, for everypony. Mothers won't need ta worry for their foals bein' outta sight, cause no matter where they go, they'll be just as safe as in their hooves."
Rainbow smiled a little. "That... sounds pretty nice actually."
"'Course it does! Ah'm trying ta do good fer the town. Why else do ya think Ah'm worked up?" Applejack paused, tilting her head at Rainbow.
Rainbow flashed a larger, only partially sincere, smile. "I'm just blown away by your dedication, AJ. You were never this eager to get in a scrap before."
"Well shoot, that was my fault, and now it's time ta fix that!" Applejack marched forward with renewed determination. "Ah'm glad ah won't be doin' it alone at least. Thanks fer stickin' with me."
Rainbow offered a hoof, which was quickly met by one of Applejack's. "Anytime, girl. Now it's time to explain this to Filthy Rich, you know, the guy that pays for a lot of the repairs on your farm, why his foal is off on another world."
Applejack winced a little but nodded. "Reckon yer right..." She trotted up to the rich stallion's door and knocked lightly on it.
Their butler answered the door, looking over the two of them. "Good day, Miss Apple. How can I help you?"
Applejack cleared her throat softly. "It's about Diamond Tiara."
He tilted his head. "Is it now? Has she gotten herself into trouble?" He had a long-suffered expression of weariness, sagging in place. "I thought it was getting a bit quiet."
Applejack shook her head. "Naw, nothin' like that. In fact, Ah sent her away to someplace where she might shape up."
This caught the butler's attention, perking up. "Really?"
Applejack rolled a hoof. "It's a bit dangerous, ta tell tha truth, but ah sent Pinkie Pie ta keep an eye on her and keep her out of trouble. She'll learn how ta camp, barter, and even how to get inna tussle with some dignity. With any luck, she'll come back a new mare! It did wonders fer mah sister and her friends."
The butler looked more intrigued by the word. What kind of place did they send Diamond Tiara? "Sounds great, but I should inform Mister Rich. Please, one moment." The door closed and hurried clopping steps retreated from it.
Rainbow Dash raised a brow. "I... didn't think you could make the trip to Everglow sound like a good thing."
Applejack smiled and crossed her legs in her usual way, looking quite proud of herself. "Ah meant every word. She'll be a better pony by the time she gets back, and ah trust Pinkie ta be sure they both get back."
Filthy Rich was next to open the door. "Applejack! Good to see you. Now what's all this about sending Diamond Tiara to some kind of training camp?"
Applejack nodded quickly. "Pleasure as always, Rich. Sorry fer not askin' first, but tha opportunity was there and ah just couldn't say no ta doin' the right thing while ah could. She's with Silver Spoon and Pinkie Pie, and they're gonna go onna little character-building adventure." She nudged her head towards the butler hiding behind Filthy Rich. "No butlers, no fancy things, just themselves and nature, learning how ta survive on their own wit and skills."
Filthy tapped his chin lightly. "Won't that get in the way of her schooling?"
Applejack waved a hoof. "There ain't nothing more educational than what she's doin' now. She'll appreciate all the comforts ya give her when she gets back, ah promise that. Hay, me and my sister and her friends just got back from there and Sweetie Belle got her cutie mark out of it! They're all better fer it, more mature about the world outside themselves."
Filthy smiled a little. "If it was anypony else I'd be quite sore they didn't ask beforehoof, but." He wobbled a hoof. "Do ask first next time? You're lucky we didn't have anything big planned right away, but we're a busy family. You know how it is."
Applejack nodded. "Ah reckon ah do. Speakin' of which, ah really should be goin'. Ah got a big pile of things ta get ta."
Filthy nodded. "Don't I know it. We're like two peas from a pod, Applejack. We both know the value of time and effort. You haven't steered me wrong yet, so I'll let this one slide. Say, how long is Diamond going to be gone for?"
Applejack waved a hoof. "That depends rightly on her. The sooner she comes around, the sooner she's done. It's a hard course, but she'll learn from it. Oh! I don't know Silver Spoon's parents, could ya tell them she went with Diamond Tiara?"
They parted with friendly waves and Rainbow followed after Applejack with a stunned expression. "That went... better than I expected it to." Rainbow frowned a little. "That wasn't really being honest, Applejack. You made it sound like a camping retreat or something."
Applejack tilted her head. "Should ah tell him his daughter's on an alien world instead? Pinkie'll keep them nice and safe, and they should learn somethin' from it. Ya said ah had to admit to sendin' her away, and ah did that."
Rainbow put a hoof over her face. "Right. So... how about we have a nice calming apple cider and enjoy the day quietly?"
Applejack frowned at Rainbow. "Ya got a problem, girl. Now's not the time fer cider. We can have some after we deal with the Everfree."
Rainbow held up a hoof. "One moment, before we go do that. I want to check with Twilight and see if she doesn't have any fancy spells to help us. Maybe she'll even want to join us. Wait here, OK?" Applejack sat down and nodded, and Rainbow launched herself into the air, quickly zipping towards the castle.
She found Twilight with her nose in a book, being her usual egghead self. "Twi! We have a huge emergency!"
Twilight looked up sharply at the hovering Rainbow. "What? What's wrong?"
Rainbow pointed off in Applejack's general direction. "Applejack's been, like... possessed or something. She wants to 'fix' everything, which includes banishing Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara to Everglow, and beating all the monsters in the Everfree into submission. I've calmed her down a little, and she's listening to me, but I can't stop her, just slow her down and direct her."
Twilight blinked slowly. "Run that by me one more time? She banished two fillies?"
Rainbow bobbed her head. "Pinkie's with them, so they'll need to be rescued like we were, but, ugh, I have to get back. Applejack's waiting, and if I'm not with her, I'm afraid she'll do something crazy." She zipped up to Twilight. "Applejack's in there! I can see it! She's scared, Twilight. She's... she's... trying to do the right thing. We have to save her!"
Twilight nodded at Rainbow firmly. "Go to her, Rainbow, and make sure she's safe, and doesn't hurt anypony else."
"What about the monsters?"
Twilight looked confused. "What about the monsters? They're monsters."
"Alright, clobbering monsters is OK. I can handle this." She zipped back out the way she came, leaving a fading trail of rainbows behind her.
Twilight took a few slow breaths, moving her right hoof in and out along the motions to compose herself. "I will handle this with the grace expected of me as a princess." She pulled a book down from above her on a shelf, changing her study paths. She would help Applejack, somehow, but first she needed knowledge.
As Rainbow flew quickly, she encountered Scootaloo. Scootaloo grinned. "Rainbow Dash! I'm glad to see you! Have you seen Applejack?"
"I was just getting back to her, why?"
Scootaloo pointed down to where the rest of the Crusaders waited. "We want to make sure she's alright. She was acting off before. I mean... That scythe has to be super bad news! Even Diamond Tiara didn't deserve that."
Rainbow Dash flashed a quick grin. "You and the others should stop worrying about her. I have this totally under control. Twilight's also on the case, so don't worry, we'll get this problem licked! Why don't you go find Big Mac and see if he doesn't have the supplies so you can't get to work rebuilding that club house?"
Scootaloo tilted her head. "Are you sure? I mean... we're ready to help, RD. She's our friend, and Apple Bloom's big sister."
Rainbow Dash put a hoof over her chest. "I promise! I won't rest until she's alright, but right now, she needs me, so let me get back to her, and you get back to building. Please, trust me. We're sisters of the sky, right?" She held out a hoof.
Scootaloo hesitated a moment before clopping her hoof against Rainbow's, feeling warm and fuzzy. "Sisters of the sky!" She went down to fill in her friends on the conversation, and Rainbow rushed to find Applejack before she wandered off.
Fortunately, Applejack was where she was asked to wait, and she smiled brightly on spotting Rainbow Dash. "There ya are. Did she have any fancy spells? Did she wanna come?"
Rainbow shook her head. "She decided to egghead it up and read up on spells, boring! We can handle this ourselves, right?"
"Darn tootin'!" Looking quite cheerful, Applejack started walking towards the Everfree. "Rainbow Dash?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks fer bein' with me."
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man, if she could just tone down the impulse to fix everything, AJ would be awesome! unfortunately, she's going off the deep end.
Kudos to Dash. I'm not sure how well she has this under control, but she's doing better than I gave her credit for.
As for Applejack, she's become enough of a spin master that the mayor should probably be concerned come the next election. The denizens of the Everfree should definitely be concerned. Especially since ecology can surprise those who decide to meddle in it without understanding it. Food webs can be precarious things, and slicing them to ribbons isn't likely to end well for anyone.
Shouldn't that be, "get as far as they did?"
It's a "fair" sight more pressing.
The name of that place should be capitalized.
I'm being a bit pedantic here, but Ponyville isn't a "city" by any stretch of the imagination.
The butler looked more "intrigued" by the word.
She went "with" Diamond Tiara.
What about "the" monsters?
As Rainbow flew quickly, "she" encountered Scootaloo.
6063359 Actually, the sa far was 'so far' not 'as far', just said in her accent.
6063359 Typos banished to the negaverse.
6063223
But is she a contender for the true masters of spin?
fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/062/7/d/welcome_to_the_spin_zone_by_aftertaster7-d78q966.png
What was that thing that Rarity picked up that manipulated her into, fixing everything? Or Lesson Zero?
Ugh, come quick, theres a Sabretooth outside mothers cave. Ugh:what do I care about what happens to a Sabre.
AJ, rolling a 20 on Bluff like a Pinkie.
Its going to end up Scythe vs Tree Of harmony.
I thought I would never see the day that AJ would lie.
good chapter and pinkie is on the job
Harts Fire
6063577 What lie did she say?
well not a real lie but she kind of left out a few thing about how much danger the girls are in.
6063577
Never saw "Leap of Faith" did you, huh?
This chapter shows the immediate fallout of AJ's descent into being Lawful Evil (or at least Lawful Neutral, for now), as Rainbow tries to keep AJ contained.
I felt bad for Rainbow Dash here, as it's obviously breaking her heart that AJ's fall into evil is also what's bringing out her repressed feelings towards RD. She clearly wants the greater intimacy that AJ is offering her, but knows that it's not worth the strings that come attached to this particular turn in their relationship. I wonder what would happen if Rainbow flat-out told AJ that if she didn't stop, it would be the end of their relationship?
As it stands, Applejack was able to present the truth in a manner skewed just enough to avoid any immediate fallout from her banishing two little girls to another dimension. Of course, that was only because of how hard Rainbow Dash worked beforehand to try and convince Applejack that what she did wasn't cool; somehow I doubt that Rainbow will be able to keep things contained for much longer. Attacking the entire Everfree Forest doesn't seem like a very good idea - how long will it take before Applejack ticks off something she can't handle, like a dragon?
...also, this reminds me, where is Fluttershy? I doubt she'd be happy about the forest being attacked, even if it is full of monsters.
I'm glad that Rainbow had the presence of mind to get Twilight, since that's exactly what she should have done. While it was a bit irking that Twilight's response to this was to hit the books - the scythe isn't from Equestria, so what could her books possibly tell her? - hopefully she'll bone up on some spells and be there soon. This isn't a situation that's going to get better by letting it sit. On the other hoof, I think that Rainbow is underestimating the CMC, since she didn't see their growth in Everglow. I doubt Applejack would be able to bring herself to hurt Apple Bloom, no matter how bad things got.
Of course, since the Crusaders aren't likely to just let this situation lie, we may find out all too soon...
6063714
yes I have all the shows here and that is ware yes AJ lied but also ware she will never lie agene.
6063747 They haven't arrived at the forest yet, and Applejack hasn't screamed her intentions to attack it, so why would Fluttershy react just yet?
For the rest, you feel fairly spot-on. Applejack just cashed in her goodwill with the Rich family, and if DT doesn't return safely, there will be quite some price to pay, though that is quite secondary to the much more immediate problems she is busy poking her snout into. Will Rainbow keep her restrained, keeping her safe while protecting Equestria from her? They are testing their relationship, as friends or otherwise, pretty well.
I was going to say something, but Dash said it for me.
6063747
I suspect that in her current mental state, AJ would take the stance, "If yer not fer me, yer against me." It would get ugly pretty fast.
6063809 Not yet, certainly, but I'd wager that after a single day of her raising havoc in the forest, Fluttershy would know about it, since she prefers to talk to animals rather than ponies.
...of course, all of this is actually my way of wondering what's happened to Fluttershy since we last saw her, which was in the wake of her torture in the previous story. Did Pinkie help treat her trauma (which, in all honesty, is something that I think is beyond Pinkie's abilities)? And if so, what will she do now that Pinkie is gone?
6063898 I'm not so sure. This feels like a forced alignment change, rather than mind control. Applejack's feelings for Rainbow Dash seem real, to me, and while she might very well choose her new outlook over the mare she loves, I do think that it'd break Applejack's heart to do so.
Applejack should know better than to accept "take the mantle nightmare wants you to, because somepony else might get it wrong"
For all the claims of lawful that was a mighty chaotic thing to do, and definitely evil. Seriously those two could have easily died, gotten enslaved or worse in all the time everyone else took to pull their heads out of their asses and send Pinkie Pie after them.
8701193
The Night Mare is quite evil, yes.
8701343
So I guessing the scythe changed her alignment from lawful good to lawful evil?
9406644
I'd call it Awful Lawful.
I'm honestly surprised by how fast the scythe is corrupting Applejack. She's only had it like a day, right? Not even a full week.
I suppose this makes Applejack Lawful evil, anti-villain style. Doing the wrong things for the right reason.