The Truth About Girls (Vol. 2)

by TheMareWhoSaysNi

The Big Fight (part 3)

Friday. While the other students were getting prepared for the Winter Ball, the gang was gathered in town, following Applejack around. The Las Pegasus rodeo contest was on Sunday and if the young woman didn’t leave tomorrow morning, she could never get there on time to participate.

It was the last chance to save their friends.

It bothered Twilight a lot to tell Flash Sentry not to count on her tonight if this last investigation didn’t give results, but at the same time she knew none of them would want to dance and have fun knowing that the more time went by, the more Applejack was getting away from her friends and family.

On the previous night, the five girls had arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and had spent time with her. Since memory couldn’t be back on its own, they had decided to force its hand a little.

Rainbow Dash had brought the previous grades’ yearbook, and they all looked at the pictures together, as if everything had happened light years ago, although they weren’t much older now.

Since it hadn’t been enough, she then tried to hypnotize Applejack but had to admit the obvious – she wasn’t very gifted for this.

Fluttershy had then suggested to show her videos of her former rodeo exploits… Maybe moving pictures in familiar places would have a satisfying effect. But the girls quickly had grown weary of Applejack’s comments, denigrating this activity which had long been her favorite one. No side of it had escaped her sharp tongue… Well,the honest side of her was alive, that was at least something.

So, as a last resort, even if it would hurt her, Twilight had claimed that the best thing to do was to tell her about her late parents. This, she was sure, will touch her heart deeply. It had been as heavy a defeat as the rest. Their friend had determined that they would probably be prouder of her now than when she no longer “used to gesticulate like an idiot, riding a poor defenseless animal”.

Mission results: complete failure.

Discouraged, but not defeated, they had sworn not to let go and to keep on trying anything to make sure the young woman to be herself again, even if it would ruin their Winter Ball and would take them the whole holidays to succeed. Christmas holidays were nothing special, anyway, Rainbow Dash had claimed under a general roll of the eyes.

Here was why they were now following Applejack as discreetly as possible in Canterlot’s streets, at four in the afternoon, instead of being busy to mistreat their faces and slip their bodies into ball dresses made in Rarity.

Applejack, wearing her complete uniform twenty-four hours a day, with the matching coat that even Twilight never bothered to wear, bare-headed and hair loose, was going from comic books stores to IT boutiques since she’d left school. She was buying more figurines than Rainbow Dash bought sneakers pairs in a month, and went out with electronic circuits and other computer equipment that Twilight described each time, with quavers in her voice.

This time, she was out of a store with scarcely neat windows and a shady inside, with something their friend described them as being a IP protection server, which, she thought costed something like the trivia of nine hundred Equestrian dollars.

Rainbow Dash looked around them, while Applejack, like each time since they were following her, was gazing at her purchase with expert eyes, but deprived of the least display of happiness.

She needed a new shock, if possible a hit on the head, she had decided. Why? When she had been in her state of stupor after her mother’s death, it was a shock which helped her to snap out of it – a tough emotional shock which had led to an attack, but well… Since it was the last thing on their hands, so be it…

Near Applejack there was an enormous Christmas wreath decorated with bells and bows. If one of them was able to untie it and to make it fall on the teenage girl’s head, with a little luck it would generate the expected shock.

“Pinkie… Follow me, we’re going to try something! Fluttershy, Twilight and Sunset, try to distract her so she wouldn’t move.”

“Received loud and clear!”

Crouching and hiding behind cars parked along the sidewalk, both girls got nearer the spot where Applejack was still standing, putting her purchase back into her paper bag. It was now or never…

Yet, while the rest of the group was about to start their part of the mission, an unexpected fact happened. The Flower Trio, their arms full of packages from the big main mall, had just arrived in front of the young woman, who bumped into them without seeing them, and, head in the clouds, didn’t bother to apologize.

The three girls, outraged by the insult, caught her back and, grabbing the young woman by the arm, forced her to stay where she was… right under the wreath but also in front of Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, who had to go back hiding where they had just been.

“Hey, who do you think you are, hillbilly?! Just because you suddenly turned into an egghead doesn’t mean you should believe you’re superior to others.”

“To be smart doesn’t spare you from being polite. Look at your friend Twilight… At least, she apologizes.”

“I haven’t seen you”, Applejack simply answered. “I’m busy, I still have to buy an overvoltage cable and a storage adapter.”

“Don’t try to confuse the issue with your fancy words. And stay here! We’re talking to you!”

Since the young woman had turned her back on them in order to resume her purchases, Daisy had just pulled her arm again, so strongly she almost fell.

The group was looking at this scene, unable to believe their eyes. Usually, Applejack would have defended herself, or at least would have admitted she’d been wrong, and, she wasn’t that easy to make stumble. She was even famous of her impressing strength, and her agility. The consequences of this hit on the head decidedly were endless – and embarrassing.

“I’m not trying anything. I told you I was busy. Please, leave me alone.”

Under everyone’s flabbergasted eyes, she burst into tears and blamed the Flower Trio for being mean with her.

Once again, it was beyond belief and was nothing like the Applejack they all knew and loved. The Applejack who only shed a few discreet tears when something really touched her deep inside, but who never let herself go hose down, especially in front of the others.

“Look at her bawling like a baby.”

“Your courage has blown at the same time than your brain, or what?”

“Do you want us to call your mom so she could give you a pacifier, baby?”

“MY MOM IS DEAD!!” Applejack yelled, more in tears than ever.

Alright. They couldn’t stay here, watching their friend drowning and being ridiculed, as if they hadn’t seen anything special. Above all, Rainbow Dash hated the fact the Flower Trio kept on laughing about her tears, although they had just spoken about something very painful for Applejack.

Too bad for the shock, now taking defense of her best friend was more important… She went out of her hiding place.

“Is this the only thing you have to do, laughing about the others’ weaknesses, bunch of wimps?!”

“Oh, look at who’s here… Stupid flunky Rainbow Dash. Are you going to bawl as well because your mom has died? Boohoo, mommy!”

Rainbow Dash clenched her jaw. She felt like her fist was itchy, but since Applejack, who couldn’t stop crying, was in a high level of stress, she thought it was best not to be violent in front of her. Who could tell what her reaction would be?

Sunset Shimmer waved at her in order to know if the rest of the group should intervene, but she showed with a nod she’d rather have them waiting a little.

“I knew you never really were clever but I never thought you’d also be petty. It’s been a while since you’re getting on my nerves and frankly, if you keep on laughing at AJ or if you talk about her mother again, or about mine again, I think it’s going to escalate very quickly.”

“What? Are you threatening us? Go back to your bin, loony!”

This time, Rainbow Dash’s face got colored from toughness and anger, flushed red. They could provoke her abundantly, they could mock her small height, her physical aspect, they could call her stupid all day long, even, it didn’t matter to her, since she knew who she was and what was her worth, but it was out of question to take her past and to make fun of her trauma in order to belittle her.

She made the knuckles of her fist crack, ready to show them what the ‘loony’ had in store.

“So this is the way you want to play? Fine. Since that’s the way it is… It’s war!”

“Lily, film this! We’ll need proofs for when we’ll report it to the police.”

“Stop it, stop it, please, don’t fight”, Applejack kept on sobbing.

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a few seconds… She wanted to defend her friend at any cost, but at the same time, she didn’t want to have problems with the police. Or she knew what to expect…

On the other hand, maybe the shock of a good fight could bring Applejack’s memory back. It was nothing like another hit on the head, but maybe that would be enough…

She didn’t have time to verify her theory since, ignoring her orders, Pinkie Pie had just emerged from her hiding place, and she pounced her Lily, who had caught her smartphone in order to film the row to come, and tried to get it off her hands.

“Hey! Give it back to me!”

Perfect. While the two young women were fighting over the phone, Rainbow Dash could take care of that Daisy she couldn’t stand anymore. A mischievous half-smile outlined on her face and, understanding what was going to happen to her, the teenage girl in front of her whispered a ‘oh oh’ which said a lot.

Then the rest of the group emerged as well, some trying to stop Rainbow Dash to flatten her rival like a pancake in the Roller Derby way, and others trying to stop Pinkie Pie from being a smartphone robber.

In the middle of this confusion, Applejack was still crying rivers, and begged everyone to stop fighting, arguing it scared her a lot, under general indifference, although she was the one everybody was supposed to defend or attack.

In the global pandemonium, Pinkie Pie was able to steal the phone, but Rose took it back quickly, before it slipped off her fingers again. The item flew in the air for a few seconds, as if time was slow down like in a movie, and it directly crashed onto Applejack’s head, the corner of it hitting the middle of her forehead, before falling back on the ground, broken.

“My phone!!!” Lily yelled, who went out of the scrum to get it on Applejack’s feet – or rather on Applejack’s laps.

The young woman grabbed it before she could, and looked up to her in a strange way.

“What the hay is happenin’ here? And why are ya’ll fightin’?”

“AJ, your accent!” Fluttershy claimed so loud it made everyone jump. “It’s back!!”

“Back? Ah don’t understand a word of what yar sayin’!”

She got up, dusted herself, and looked at her outfit with eyes wide opened. In front of her bunch of friends gazing at her with a peculiar attention, Applejack patted the top of her head, examined the content of her bags, puzzled. She didn’t even seem to realize she was hurt at her forehead, where a small crimson pearl had appeared.

“Why am I kitted out this way? Where’s my hat? Did ya ask me to run an errand for ya, Twilight? And why are ya’ll lookin’ at me like that?”

Still bewildered, she didn’t understand neither when her friends stepped to her and jumped at her neck for a group hug. They all said they were happy she was back to normal.

A nervous smile on her face, she looked at the Flower Trio escape with their famous sense of discretion, laughing at the group they called stupid, like usually, and that she didn’t understand as well.

Something had happened, it was certain. Applejack didn’t know what, and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. It sure was connected with herself, somehow…

-------------------------------------------------------

“Dear Rainbow Dash,

In fact, I’m writing this to you because I know you’ll be home for Christmas, but that’s a group letter. I know it would’ve been quicker to send you all something on your email box, but you know how I prefer classical handwriting letters to IT. I think it’s too impersonal and the pleasure is spoiled.

Funny, but I don’t have any accent when I write. Well, it’s not funny, it’s the same for everyone in fact, but I just realized because in reality, let’s face it, there’s not many occasions for us to write letters nowadays.

Apples are more likely to use their phones. Phones are fine too but you’re probably waiting for a call from your Soarin honey so a letter it will be.

The weather here in Las Pegasus is wonderful, something like 22°C, which I’m sure you’re far from having in Canterlot.

I’m not writing this to tease you, though it would be much fun, but to tell you and the girls that I’ve won the rodeo contest. In all honesty, I have no idea how I’ve done such a thing since I know I probably didn’t practice a lot this week, even if I can’t remember a single detail.

So, how can I know this? Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom are acting really weird each time I’m trying to ask them what could have happened. They refuse to answer, but I have an idea that it should had nothing to do with rodeos or even with bulls – if not with any animals of any kind.

In my box, I’ve found a whole lot of emails from people interested by purchasing my trophies… as if I could get rid of my babies! I’ve also discovered emails announcing figurines of a TV show I can’t even remember the name of would soon be available. I tried to watch it in my hotel room… Who the hay is following this kind of silly stuff? It’s so old-fashioned and even I think the words they’re using are only scientific by the names.

There were posters of this stuff everywhere on my bedroom’s walls, and someone has hidden my personal pictures under a pile of old dusty blankets which are inside the barn.

If this is one of your jokes, I have to say this isn’t funny at all. You can prank me without spending your father’s money. I know there’s great tensions between the two of you, but you’re going a little too far now, I’m sorry to tell you.

If this isn’t a prank, then I don’t understand a thing. Would it be possible that I fell on my head or something like this, last week?

Well, I guess this is all I wanted to tell you. I wish you a good Christmas Eve, although you hate this celebration, and I see you very soon. We got a whole lot of things to do. Pass the letter to everyone and thank them for me.

Don’t stuff your face too much with ice-cream, think about your stomach and liver, and good Jimmy Stewart!

Yours affectionately,

Your best friend, Applejack.”

Rainbow Dash looked up from her mail, a smile on her face. Obviously, Applejack had not calculated correctly how long it was to send a letter from Las Pegasus to Canterlot, since the Christmas Eve wasn’t before two whole days.

At lease, it made no doubt: she was herself again. At a hundred percent.

As far as revealing her what happened during this week was concerned, she refused to do so for two reasons. She promised not to and she could keep the pictures taken by the school’s techies of their already disappeared muse dressed in a cosplay of “Star Crop” to prank her one of those days!

Author's Note:

See? Totally medically inaccurate!

Comments

[Midday Giggle]

Gosh, I loved how funny this arc was

[Dusk_Writer]

At least AJ's back to normal now…I can't imagine her face if she ever finds out xD