Rainbow is Magic S2: Apple Family Feud

by aceotaku

Chapter 2: Visitors

A pony trotted towards Ponyville smiling to himself satisfiedly, looking forward to the upcoming event.

Another pony also approached the town, running at high speed, wind blowing through her hair and a grin plastered on her face.

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Rarity smirked to herself as she trotted around Ponyville, practicing for the upcoming race, perking her ears she saw somepony else trotting down the road towards the apple farm. Curious she halted her training to get closer to the bat-winged pony in armour, one of the many Royal Guard that patrolled Ponyville. “Whatcha doin’?”

The guard yelped in surprise, turning to the mare. “Oh, hey there. You’re one of the Elements of Harmony, right?” He had a dark grey, almost black, coat with a short cropped purple mane styled in a flat-top buzzcut.

“Yeah, I’m Rarity, ‘holder of the Element of Kindness’!” She chuckled at the ostentatious title she had overheard being used to describe her a couple times. “And you’re...?”

“Striker, ma’am.” He blushed and looked aside. “I’m...kinda doing something pretty personal so if you don’t mind giving me a little space...”

Rarity blinked, then smirked. “Oh? Visiting your girlfriend?”

Striker blushed brighter. “a-actually yeah. I-I want to wish her luck for the race and, uh, maybe get to know her family a bit better while I do so.”

“I notice you’re walking to Sweet Apple Acres.” The unicorn noted. “I don’t know too many mares from there apart from...”

“It’s not Applejack, she doesn’t even live there.” Striker responded firmly.

“Surely not...?” Rarity began, eyes wide in horror.

“What!? NO! Are you NUTS!?”

Rarity frowned in thought. “So then it’s...THEIR MOTHER!? SCANDALOUS!”

“W-WHAT!?” Striker facehoofed. “It’s Tosh! Macintosh!”

Rarity blinked. “BIG Macintosh; Their SON!? I mean, I know ponies are getting more progressive about that sort of thing, but you DEFINITELY said you were going to see a girl and well, Big Mac’s...”

Rarity’s words froze in her throat as she caught sight of the farm...as well as the pretty Pegasus mare trotting around the big red barn. The mare wore a brown yoke around her slender neck and slim shoulders, her red coated body slim and feminine and her face as pretty as a runway model’s, her wings folded at her sides, her blonde mane styled long and flowing down her neck to her shoulders, a bang of hair framing her cheek as she smiled at Striker.

“Hey Tosh.” The Nightsteed greeted the Pegasus with a tender, warm smile.

The red-coated Pegasus smiled at the stallion. “Hey, Striker. What brings you to our neck of the woods?” she looked at the unicorn mare beside Striker. “and...that goes for you too, Miss Rarity. I don’t really see youa round here...at all.”

Rarity gaped only to shake her head and start speaking. “Oh! I-I was just curious about where this guy was going and I just sorta tagged along and...you ARE Big Mac, right? Like, you’re not like some eerily similar relative right?”

Macintosh blinked. “You...didn’t know about me being a mare now? I was sure most ponies around town would have known by now...”

Rarity raised her hooves, shaking them as with a worried look on her face. “Uh, I didn’t mean any offence I was just taken aback! I, uh, didn’t expect...that is...” Rarity looked away with an embarrassed pout. “It’s...nice to see you.”

Macintosh chuckled. “Don’t worry, Miss Rarity, it’s a pretty big change, a LOT of ponies are getting used to it still.” Under her breath she muttered, “unfortunately, some more than others...”

Striker trotted overto his marefriend with a smile. “As for me, well, I wanted to offer my support and maybe give you some tips on training, since you’re competing in the race, or so I heard.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “You’re racing again this year, too?”

The Pegasus nodded. “Well, I’ve raced every other year, so why not? Not only is it good for the community and Equestria at large, but it’ll be good for me to test my limits in my new body and show off the new me for everypony!”

Rarity smirked kindly. “You’re...way more lively like this then...before. Uh, not that I want to offend you or anything or...”

Macintosh giggled, pressing one of her wings to lips coquettishly. “It’s fine, Miss Rarity, it’s not like I can pretend that this isn’t always been how I’ve been physically but...this...this feels more REAL to me, this body feels more like me than it ever did when I was a stallion...” She looked down, her smile more somber. “I...to be honest...I kinda always...hated being a stallion, its part of why I wasn’t very...social.”

Macintosh yelped as suddenly Rarity pulled her into a tight hug, the unicorn’s front hooves wrapped tightly around the pegasus’ shoulders.

“I never knew you felt that way!” Rarity exclaimed. “If I had known I would have tried to do something! I promise I’ll give you my full support and friendship!”

Macintosh blinked, stammering as she spoke. “I-I appreciate your kindness, b-but there’s really no need! B-besides, we don’t really know each other so you can’t really say we’re friends of any sort...”

Rarity broke the hug, giving Macintosh a wide grin. “Even more reason! You look like a mare in need of more awesome friends, and being a future Wonderbolt you can’t get any cooler than me...except Rainbow Dash! Besides, I bet somepony with your experience can give me some pointers on how to fly!”

Macintosh looked taken aback, blinking. “Um...well, if you insist I..suppose I can accept?”

Rarity grinned wide. “Great!” She frowned suddenly, brow raised in curiosity. “So, how did you end like up this in the first place?”

“Well it happened on National Pranking Day...”

“What the hay is goin’ on over here?” A stern voice called out from behind Macintosh.

Macintosh sighed and rubbed her temple with her hoof as an older stallion with a short cropped red mane and tail and an orange coat walked over from the direction of the farm’s large, red barn. “Nothing, dad, I’m just talking with my boyfriend.”

The red-haired stallion gave Striker a disapproving glare before resuming talking his daughter. “Son, ya can’t afford ta let yerself get distracted, especially not by...somepony like that. Ya gotta focus on the race.”

Macintosh rolled her eyes. “The race isn’t going to be for a while, and as for Striker, he’s not doing anything wrong and frankly I do not appreciate the tone you’re making when referring to him and you could at least call him by name! I mean, he’s my boyfriend for crying out loud!”

The older stallion, Hard Cider, frowned in disapproval. “No son of mine is gonna...date another stallion, and especially not one of those creepy batponies that tried to help Nightmare Moon take over Equestria!”

“I’m a MARE dad!” Macintosh snapped, gritting her teeth. “And Striker’s a nice pony and one of the Royal Guard protecting our town, in case you didn’t notice! And they’re CALLED Nightsteeds, dad! Just cause they have wings like that doesn’t make them related to bats! You don’t go around calling dragons ‘batlizards’ RIGHT!? And Nightmare Moon’s dealt with, Princess Luna’s a nice mare and the Nightsteeds answer to her! Or do you not trust Princess Celestia’s OWN SISTER!?”

Rarity and Striker stared at the arguement, slowly trotting backwards as they decided to stay out of it.

Macintosh and her father quickly turned to the pair. “And where do you think you’re going!?”

The pair eeped and flinched in fear as a chuckle greeted their ears. The four ponies turned to see a stallion approaching wearing a ten-gallon black hat with a large round hole though it, a wry smirk on his face.

“Still havin’ trouble connectin’ with yer kids, eh, brother-in-law?” Rotten Bad Apple said cheerfully. “Ya really gotta simmer down, now; ya can’t be a stubborn pony yer whole life.”

Hard Cider snarled, growing even angrier on seeing the other stallion. “What the hay are YOU doin’ here, Rotten!? After what you DID!?”

Macintosh glared in turn at her uncle. “Aren’t you supposed to be in prison!?”

“well now, seems the eldest child finally found their voice...and had a bit of a makeover.” Rotten chuckled as he looked at Macintosh, ignoring her father. “Ah’m impressed, it takes a lot of guts for such a big change, especially in the face of some ponies not really understandin’ or acceptin’. Ya have mah respect, Macintosh.”

Macintosh blinked, taken aback. “Um...thanks?” She shook her head and regained her angry demeanour. “But I don’t need your respect, not after you tried to kidnap Apple Bloom! And you didn’t answer my question, why aren’t you rotting in prison with the rest of your no good children!?”

Rotten waved a hoof in a placating manner. “Now, now, girl, calm down. Ah realise that what Ah did was mighty wrong in mah doin’s and in the face of mah rehabilitation Ah was released.” He frowned, looking down guiltily. “The weight of what I did weighed down on me fer the past year and so I decided, upon gaining mah freedom, Ah’d come visit ya’ll and make amends. Ah don’t expect any of ya’ll ta forgive me, let alone accept me as family, but Ah just wanted to show ya that Ah’ve changed...”

Rarity blinked than gasped, pointing a hoof. “Wait I remember you! You’re that guy! From the place! You kidnapped Apple Bloom, started a war between the buffalo and some ponies and were generally kind of a jerk!” She smiled. “But if you’re sorry now, then I guess it’s all fine!”

“Well it ain’t fine with me!” Hard Cider growled, glaring at Rotten. “ya hurt ma daughters, disrupted a family tradition and almost got a ton of ponies killed! Ah will NEVER forgive ya! Once a Bad Apple, ALWAYS a Bad Apple, yer son taught us that much.”

A red coated mare, Hard Cider’s wife and mother of the younger Apple mares, trotted out her blonde mane styled in a loose pair of braids, alongside her was the green coated elderly mare, her mother Granny Smith. “We heard shouting, we came to see what was happening...” Juicy Apple began, trailing off as she noticed Rotten and her expression soured. “What are you doing here?”

“Now ain’t that any way ta treat yer brother?” Rotten said with sly grin.

“Ya ain’t no brother of mine.” Juicy stated coldly, yelping as Granny Smith whacked her on the flank.

“Now that ain’t no way ta greet family, Juicy!” The elderly mare scolded.

“Howdy Ma.” Rotten greeted Granny Smith, smiling warmly, his eyes filled with tenderness. “AH came here ta make amend and apologise fer mah wrong doin’s.” He frowned sadly, looking down. “Yer boy ain’t done much good, Ma,and it was time ya knew about it..”

Granny smiled and trotted over. “Whatever it was, yer back now and yer sorry, an’ that’s good enough fer me.”

“But Ma!” Juicy and Cider began, only to be cut off by Granny’s hoof.

“But nothin’! We’re Apples, we ALWAYS forgive family once they apologise, no matter what. Ah’ll make mah full judgement AFTER Rotten tells me what he came here ta say, but only after. Besides, today’s the big race! We can’t be spoilin’ the occasion with bad blood.”

“Ah agree completely, Ma.” Rotten smiled, trotting over to the elder mare. “In fact, the other reason Ah came here was that Ah wanted ta watch the race with ya’ll while we talked. Ah got some important stuff ta say and ya need to hear it, and the race is just the perfect settin’ fer the occasion.”

Granny nodded with a smile as she trotted off back to the homestead with her son, Hard Cider and Juicy trotting after.

Rarity smiled. “Well I’m glad he turned over a new leaf!”

Macintosh frowned sceptically. “Sure, IF he did.” She gave her boyfriend a meaningful look. “I don’t trust him one bit. Can you double check his story?”

Striker nodded. “Yeah, it’ll take a while and some work, but yeah I can. Though if he didn’t get let out legitimately, he must’ve had a heck of a lot of help, as our prisons are pretty sturdy with lots of failsafes.”

“Yeah, but you can’t be too careful.”

“Yeah.” Striker nodded and flapped his wings, rising to the air and flying off as Macintosh stared up at him.

“Hey!”Rarity cried out, wrapping a hoof over the pegasus’ shoulder. “I think we need to clear our heads for a bit, and we still need to practice a bit before the race, so why don’t we train together? It’ll be fun!”

Macintosh blinked and nodded. “Hmmm...alright. What you got in mind?”

Rarity suddenly charged past her, grinning wide. “Last one to town square’s got rocks for legs!”

Macintosh gasped. “Hey!” She started running after the other mare, frowning stubbornly. “We’ll see about that!”

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In the middle of town, a mare wearing large, pink sunglasses trotted, surveying the town, her white mane trimmed in a stylish bowl cut. “So zis is vhere ze first Running of Ze Leaves was held.”

“Well technically yes.” A zebra mare said curtly behind her, trotting next to her while wearing a simply black business suit, her Mohawk-styled mane curled downwards to cover the left side of her face. “the race had been a vital part of our world’s seasonal cycle for years before then, but it was here when it was made into an actual race.”

“it’s stunning.” The other mare grinned. “Ze town of so many beginnings and dangers and excitement. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Ze Elements of Harmony, Grand Heist. And now, ve vill make history zrough one of its oldest events.”

As the pair stood several large carriages, followed by many large buffalo pulled large trailers piled with heavy crates, parked near the edge of town, burly minotaur carrying the crates as the townsfolk stepped closer to watch the spectacle.

Zecora cleared her throat and began to speak. “People of Ponyville”

She was interrupted as a large, blue minotaur leapt from the lead carriage in a display of fireworks and explosions, strumming an air guitar. He wore dark sunglasses and sported a large, thick moustache and sideburns, his hair style in a long, thick mullet as he wore a pair of black and yellow checked pants and black combat boots. He finished his performed holding up his pointer and pinky fingers on each hand upwards while holding up his arms. “Hey there, Ponyvillians! I’m Iron Will, Founder and CEO of Iron Will Industries, and I have only ONE question for: EXPLOSIONS!?”

“Sir, we cannot afford to cause more explosions in the middle of a populated town.” The zebra, Zecora, interjected. “Besides, considering Grand Heist almost blew this place up, that MIGHT be offensive.”

“Wait really?” Iron Will asked, turning to her with a grin. “That sounds BLEEPing AWESOME!”

Rarity and Macintosh approached the square, drawn by the noise and the unexpected new arrivals, Rarity grinning wide as she trotted over. “What’s going on here?”

“AWESOME STUFF, RANDOM PONY!” Iron Will declared,pointing at the mare. “Only the AWESOMEST STUFF is sponsored by Iron Will Industries! And I, Also Iron Will, wanted to come here because RACES ARE AWESOME! And you know what ELSE is AWESOME!? OUR AWESOME NEW INVENTIONS!”

With that, the other minotraus opened the crates, carrying small black boxes into each of the houses of Ponyville.

“W-what are you doing!?” Applejack shouted from the crowd. “what are you BRUTES doing carrying those contraptions into our homes!?”

“Those are our new awesome Television Sets!” Iron Will replied. “We’re given EVERYONE IN EQUESTRIA one FOR FREEso they can watch the race FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOMES! ORDINARILY THEY’D BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO PURCHASE, THEY WERE NOT CHEAP TO MAKE!”

Zecora sighed, speaking in a dry monotone. “Iron Will is not susceptible to any damages you incur on the Television Set or vice versa and replacements will need to be purchased at full price.If you do not like the product, we will gladly take it back and give you a discount coupon for any of our many other, wonderful products.”

“NOW WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, WHO’S READY TO RACE!?” Iron Will cried out excitedly, fists raised high in the air.

“The race isn’t for another few hours!” Somepony called out.

“WHO’S READY TO RACE....WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF WAITING AND PREP TIME!?” Iron Will shouted, a red, blue and white explosion bursting behind him.

“Sir I told you no explosions!” Zecora shouted in exasperation.

“YEAH!” Rarity shouted, grinning wide. “EXPLOSIONS! SHOUTING! AWESOME BEEFY MINOTAUR!”

“YEAH!” Iron Will Grinned back. “FLEX WITH ME, LITTLE PONY!”

He and Rarity proceeded to flex their limbs at each other in front of everyone.

Zecora sighed and facehoofed. “I hope Trixie’s having a better time of it.”

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Trixie whimpered nervously as she sat in the middle of an office, frozen stiff.

Suddenly somepony burst into the room. “Ma’am,we need...!”

Trixie screamed in fight, accidentally setting everything on fire with her magic. “Oh no, I’m sorry!”

Author's Note:

Behold!

And yes, Iron Will is based pretty much HEVAILLY, around Mister Torgue from Borderlands. So I hope noone’s annoyed by that.

Hope you all enjoyed and please comment!

Comments

[Comickook]

Hey there. Splendid job on this latest chapter. It may have taken a while, but it was well worth the wait. The exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up were all well done in all the right places. I particularly liked your depiction of Iron Will (actually makes sense for him all things considered being a more successful business-minotaur here than in canon) and Trixie's panic attack-based fire magic discharge . And I have a hunch Granny is going to epically regretting her letting Rotten sucker her so easily .

And yeah, I'll very certainly be looking forward to more of this.

[ghoul-of-the-background]

good to see Zecora again.

[aceotaku]

8990391
: 3 yayyy