My Brave Pony Starfleet Magic: Season VII

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 11: Tragic Tall Tales... To Reality

Author's Note:

UGH!! Even with all my shaving the actual wort count is 1100 words too high... now I'm gonna have to make a chapter with fewer words to maintain the balance!

EPISODE ELEVEN

Tree Hugger, Apple Bloom and DD were at the market fetching groceries for their respected families, and they were just getting ready to check out.

“Ah, shucks!” said Applebloom “I forgot the apple butter. Applejack said we were runnin’ out and we won’t be able to make some more ‘til our next apple pick.”

“No problem,” said DD “I can hurry back and get a jar.”

“Well, like don’t take too long.” said Tree Hugger.

“Back in a flash.” said DD, and she zipped back into the market and found what she was looking for almost instantly; a jar of“Granny Smith’s Old Fashioned Apple Butter.”It even had a picture of Granny’s face on the label.

“Good old, Granny Smith.” said DD.

Just as she was about to leave, right next to the apple butter shelf was another shelf of jars just like the one she had, but they weren’t filled with apple butter. “What’s this?” she wondered.

The vendor explained, “This here is a jar of“Grand Pear’s Old Fashioned Pear Butter.”

“Pear Butter?” asked DD.

The vendor nodded, “It’s pretty good stuff.” and she motioned at the picture of the stallion on the label “That Grand Pear sure knew what he was doing.

Pity he’s not still around. I heard he was murdered.”

DD shuddered at the thought of a pony being murdered. The picture of Grand Pear on the jar looked rather young, in his prime.

Still, “I think I will try some.” and she took a jar with her.

As the girls all headed back to New Sweet Apple Acres, they passed by Fluttershy’s, and saw her sitting on her porch looking really down-hearted.

“Whoa, what’s with the blue notes, Flutter-Bud?” said Tree Hugger.

Fluttershy looked up sadly, “Oh, hi, Tree Hugger. Hi girls.

…I’m just worried about Rhymey. He’s been working hard in the cellar for days.”

She explained that ever Flurry Heart was taken by Nightwing, a few days ago, Rhymey felt extremely upset about it. However, his Ward Sword was covered in a few specks of Ebany’s blood, plus a few specks of Shade’s blood he had found stained on the grass.

“He’s been in the cellar all this time trying to analyze the contents of the blood, so we might be able to track the Bats and find Flurry Heart.

…But he’s been at it almost non-stop.”

Applebloom and DD peered through the cellar windows, and surely enough, Rhymey was in a corner of the cellar where all the lab equipment was established for at-home experiments; a thing many Starfleet Officers had in the home, and all Starfleet Officers had some good education in chemistry and sciences.

Rhymey looked a little frazzled, but he was working really hard analyzing the blood specks from his sword and the grass threads.

“I’ve never seen him work this hard before.” said Fluttershy “I’m worried he’ll over-exert himself, but… I know why he’s doing it.”

Tree Hugger felt sorry for Fluttershy,

“Maybe you should make him some herbal tea.
It always helps to cool and calm me.”

Fluttershy gawked at her softly, “You just spoke in rhyme.”

Tree Hugger giggled, “Sorry.”

Fluttershy smiled softly, but decided to take her friend up on her advice and went to fix her husband some tea.

With that settled, the girls all went on their way home again.

Soon afterwards, Fluttershy went downstairs, followed by Angel, carrying a tray of tea cups and a pot of freshly made herbal tea.

“Um… Rhymey…” Fluttershy called softly to him, but Rhymey turned round with a shocked expression on his face.

It almost frightened her…

“Please don’t be afraid,
But there’s big discovery I’ve made.”

His wife looked curious, but at the same time feeling what Rhymey had discovered sounded serious!

Elsewhere, there was more going on; ever since Flurry’s abduction, Starfleet had still been working to find any leads of tracking the Bats so they could rescue the infant princess, and hopefully put an end to Count Nightwing’s evil, as well and take the part of the Mystic Map he had with him which they desperately needed.

Lightning, Artie and the Spanish twins were investigating the cavern where the Bats had been sealed, hoping to find more clues.

Artie viewed the paintings on the wall, and was still flustered that they just ended. “It’s no good.” he said “All it tells us is the history of the Bats, how they were driven from their home, but nothing else beyond the point where Nightwing found his amulet.

It still doesn’t say how Nightwing became what he is now, or how he and his goons were sealed up.”

Lightning sighed, “Well that won’t help us.” then he called to the back of the cave where dyno and Myte were examining the rock formation where the bats came out of. “How about you guys? Find anything?”

“Nothing much,” said Dyno “But the geological structure of this rock formation, it looks manmade.”

Lightning and Artie gawked at once another, “You mean it was carved by hand, and not out of nature?” asked Artie.

“Si…” relied Myte “We know our geology well, and our guess is, this sealing was done by some mucho macho magic.”

The men felt it was starting to make a little more sense, but Lightning still contemplated, “But who would have the power to seal up Nightwing and his goons… especially considering the power of that amulet?”

As he paced about, he suddenly spotted something shiny wedged in between a few rocks by his feet.

“Find something, Lightning?” asked Artie.

Lightning picked up what appeared to be a dusty and scratched golden heart-shaped locket pendant, with the apple-shaped mark. “This must belong to the Apple family.” said Lightning.

He then opened the locket and looked inside at two small pictures of two Earth Ponies. They were original Earth Ponies, non-humanoid.

One was a mare with a pale gamboge coat, a long curly bright gamboge mane, and her Cutie Mark was that of a jar of fruit butter.

The other pony was a stallion-- most likely the husband of the mare. His coat was a pale and light grayish-olive color, and his mane was brilliant red in color. His cutie mark was that of a bitten apple, and he wore a hat identical to Applejack’s in every detail.

“Hey, I don’t recognize those ponies?” said Dyno.

Myte agreed, “I never even saw them after United Equestria was formed. Never saw them enslaved by the monsters in The Great War either.”

Lightning snapped the locket shut and stowed it. “I think I’ll take this to Applejack. Maybe she can answer.”

“Go ahead, we’ll keep working here.” said Artie. The twins agreed, and Lightning went off.

Meanwhile, it was nearly sundown.

Tree Hugger and the girls got home, and were sorting the groceries at Applejack’s.

“Here ya go, sis… everythin’ you wanted.” said Applebloom

Applejack chuckled and patted her sister’s head, “Hey, atta’ girl, Applebloom.”

Applebloom smiled.

Buddy Rose rummaged around for some groceries he had asked. “Hey, what’s this?” he asked as he held up the jar of pear butter.

Applejack gasped at the very sight of the jar, and looked as if she had seen a ghost. “You bought pear butter?!” she cried.

“Hey, chill out, girl.” said Tree Hugger “Like what’s the vibes turning bad for?”

Applejack raised her eyebrow, “Huh?”

“She asked “What’s the matter?” said Buddy.

Applejack quickly panicked “Just get that outta’ here before Granny Smith sees it…”

“See what?” asked Granny as she came in, and she took one look at the jar, “Oh…” she spoke so softly as she walked up to Buddy and softly took the jar from him, and tears came to her eyes. Then she just walked off not saying anything.

“What was that about?” asked DD.

“I’ve never seen Granny behave like that before.” said Applebloom.

Applejack sighed and hung her head low, and looked about ready to cry herself.

“Okay, I’m starting to feel mega bummed here with all these sad vibes.” said Tree Hugger.

Before anyone could question Applejack, Lightning knocked at the open door and let himself in.

“Oh, my…” he said as he noticed many of the glum faces, “If this is a bad time I can come back later.”

“Nah, it’s okay.” Applejack said trying to forget this gloom, “What brings you here?”

He showed her the locket he had found making Applejack gasp again, “Where did you find that?”

“…In the cave where The Bat Lords were sealed.”

Applejack couldn’t keep her tears from falling now, especially when he looked at the two pictures inside.

“Applejack…?” cried Applebloom, “What’s the matter, sis?”

Applejack never looked so flustered, so distraught.

“So, you DO know those two ponies.” said Lightning.

Applejack nodded, “They’re my parents.”

“Say what now?!” cried Applebloom.

Applejack nodded, and the others all gawked with odd expressions on their faces.

This was a real eye-opener for everyone. While Applejack claimed the ponies in the pictures were her parents, there was a single picture of either one of them anywhere else in the whole house…

…and there was a reason because of that.

Applejack led everyone up to the attic where she found and old box containing more photos of her folks, which had been kept safely stored all that time.

“Why do you keep them boxed up here?” asked Buddy.

Applejack answered “You see, Granny just doesn’t like lookin’ at ‘em much, ever since…” she couldn’t say the last words, and didn’t have to.

“Well that certainly explains why I’ve never seen any pictures of them before.” said Applebloom, and she sounded rather angry, “I can’t believe Granny’s been keepin’ me from lookin’ at all these pictures my entire life. I never even knew what Ma and Pa looked like!”

Applejack knew her sister had every right to be angry, but still, “Applebloom, there’s somethin’ you need to know. We didn’t want you to find out, but… I think it’s time.”

Everyone huddled around as Applejack told a small story that Granny Smith had told her and Big Mac before…

A long time ago, there was another farmland right next to Sweet Apple Acres, which belonged to a family of ponies known as “The Pears.”

Grand Pear, the lead farmer and head of the Pear Family was always at odds with Young Granny Smith; the two of them often insulting one-another, getting in each other’s faces, which spouted a heated feud between Apples and Pears. Rotten rivals to the core, every last one of them…

There were however two ponies that seemed to get along well, Granny’s eldest son, Bright Macintosh, and Grand Pear’s daughter, Pear Butter.

“Pear Butter?!” cried Applebloom “But I thought our mom’s name was "Buttercup?”

“That’s what I thought too.” said Applejack “But it turned out that was just a nickname Daddy gave to Ma.

Fact is, Applebloom, our mom was a Pear.”

Applebloom gasped the biggest gasp she had ever gasped, and the others felt astonished and shocked to learn this secret.

“So, you’re half Pear.” said DD.

“Eeyup.” replied Applejack “Believe me I was just as shocked when I learned this.”

She continued with the story…

You couldn’t deny that Bright Mac and Pear were in love, from the time they were little to as they grew up.

Bright Mac always seemed to get distracted seeing Pear Butter, and when she turned to flutter her eyes at him, he would lose so much sight that he’d stumble about, bump into trees, and even crash right through the fence.

Unfortunately, both Granny and Grand Pear thought this silly, and prompted to drive them apart.

“No daughter of mine is going to make goo-goo eyes at an Apple.”

“The day my son has a thing for a Pear is the day hens give milk.”

It seemed really hard for Pear and Bright to get to see one another, but there was one pony from the Apple’s side that actually had heart as well as a head…

Seeder Breeze, Bright Mac’s younger brother, and Granny Smith’s youngest son…

Despite being an Apple, he didn’t seem to care much for the feud, as he wasn’t even born when it all happened, but he and Bright Mac were quite a pair… despite being Apples.

Bright Mac taught Seeder what it meant to have heart, and to care about the finer things, and Seeder… he grew to respect and care for his brother like an idol. Wanting to follow in his footsteps and be the best Apple there could be.

Even when he was just learning and he made mistakes, Seeder remained loyal and faithful to his family, especially to Bright Mac.

“Easy there, Seeder.” Bright Mac would say “You don’t wanna go bustin’ yourself now.”

“No, B,M.” said Seeder, “You’ve always done much for me, now I wanna do much for you. I’d even die for you if I had to.”

Bright Mac felt really touched by Seeder’s words, much as he hoped he would never die. “There is somethin’ you can do for me though.”

“What’s that?”

Seeder agreed to do some of Bright Mac’s chores so that Bright Mac could find some time to have secret rendezvous with Pear Butter, and that was how the two grew closer and closer together.

So close, that Pear Butter made up a song for Bright Mac…

Granny Smith and Grand Pear were still at each other’s throats, and they began to sense that something was going on between their kids, and eventually… Seeder was caught doing Bright Mac’s chores by Granny.

Both the brothers were declined sorely.

“So you’ve been seeing that good-for-nothing Pear Spawn behind my back!” Granny thundered to Bright Mac. “She’s not good-for-nothin’, Ma!” snapped Bright Mac.

“Ha!” snorted Granny “All them Pear’s is nothin’. They were born nothin’, they’ll die nothin’, and I’ll be gal-darned if my son gets mixed up with the likes of them!”

She put her hoof down warning Bright Mac “You’re not to be seein’ that Pear Butter ever again or even set hoof off these lands! Ya hear?!”

Bright Mac was crushed and furious, that he just ran up to his room, slamming the door.

“Um… don’t ya think you were a bit hars, Ma?” asked Seeder.

“Now don’t you be startin’ with me!” sneered Granny “You’ve been helpin’ your brother deceive me behind my back. What, are you in love with one of them Pear’s too?”

Seeder’s features hardened, and normally it wasn’t in his best judgment to talk back, but he had to stand up for what he felt was right. “I’m not in love with no Pears, but I’m not in hate with them like the way you are!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ma… Bright Mac and Buttercup are in love, and they wanna be happy, and what are you tryin’ to do: Control our lives, tell us what’s right and wrong just because you don’t approve of somethin’ or some silly feud between you and Grand Pear over little differences?!”

Granny felt stunned, as if her son’s barking made something click inside of her.

“I think you do some serious thinkin’.” Seeder said to her “…About what’s best for others, not just yourself. The way I see things; both Apples and Pears are special in their own ways. I hope you can see that too, not just for me… but for Bright Mac too.”

Granny did do a lot of thinking.

Meanwhile, Grand Pear had done some thinking himself…

“We’re movin’?!!” cried Pear Butter.

“Yes, to Vanhoover.” said Grand Pear “It’s for the best. It’s got acres and acres of land for us to farm with, and best of all, we’ll be rid of them worthless Apples, especially that Bright Mac. I won’t have you bein’ brainwashed by that Rotten Apple a moment longer!”

Pear Butter was devastated, and she secretly felt her father was more interested in getting away from the Apples and keeping her and Bright Mac separated than the family business.

Pear Butter went straight to Bright Mac and told him the bad news. “I love you, but… I gotta stay with my family.” she sobbed.

Bright Mac felt his heart begin to crumple, “No! I won’t have it. I can’t be apart from you!

…I got an idea.”

Then, on the night before the Pears moved, Bright Mac asked Pear Butter to meet him at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres.

There, the whole place was decorated with lovely white streamers with apple and pear clips along the trees, and patterns of apple and pear bushels and wagons making a long walkway, almost like a makeshift wedding hall. Mayor Mare was presiding at the end of the aisle, along with Seeder as a witness.

Pear Butter was on the verge of happy tears. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked.

Bright Mac nodded, “I don’t know what we’ll do, but I’m sure of US. So sure, that I’d marry you tonight.”

Pear accepted, and so the secret wedding began. Bright Mac and Pear Butter even had their own special way to seal their vows-- by planting an apple seed and a pear seed in front of each other.

“I know pronounce you husband and wife.” Mayor Mare declared, but just as the newlyweds were about to share their wedding kiss, Grand Pear and Granny Smith inferred.

“What is goin’ on here?!” thundered Granny.

“Pear Butter, what do you think you’re doin’!” snarled Grand Pear “Your supposed to be packing, and then we’re shovin’ off.”

Bright Mac and Pear Butter just stood close to each other, “Me and Buttercup are in love. That’s what!” said Bright Mac.

“And we just got married,” added Pear Butter “Legally and assured.”

Mayor Mare nodded, and so did Seeder.

“WHAT…?!”snarled Granny and Grand.

Much as Granny wanted to flip out of her mind, she remembered what Seeder had told her, and seeing the couple together finally made her realize just how happy they were.

But Grand Pear didn’t feel the same. “This is nonsense!” he growled “You’re coming home with me, and we’re movin’! You need to stick with your family!”

Pear Butter felt scared and upset, “But… the Apples are my family now too.”

Grand Pear was really starting to lose his cool, “Are you saying… that you’d rather be an Apple, than a Pear!”

As much as it hurt her deeply inside, Pear sneered at her father, “Yes… Yes, sir… I am!”

Granny stood beside her new daughter-in-law, actually accepting her into the family. “You see, Grand Pear.” she said “Sometimes we gotta’ think of others, not just ourselves, especially over some silly feud.”

Granny then turned and nodded at Seeder, and he nodded back, even Mayor Mare agreed with the lovely sentiment…

…But Grand Pear, he was not willing to let this happen. “I ain’t losing my daughter to the likes OF YOU APPLES!!” he thundered, and in a bust of insanity, he rushed forth and tackled Bright Mac hard to the ground, and began to punch him over and over in his face.

“Daddy, No!!” cried Pear.

“Gee off my, Son!” thundered Granny as she charged forth, and Pear Butter helped her trying to pull her father off her husband, “Leave him alone!”

Grand Pear, too furious to care, back-hoofed them both hard in their faces, pushing them over, and then proceeded to strangle Bright Mac hard, and poor Bright Mac was unable to break loose and felt himself choking.

Seeder couldn’t bear to watch this, and felt his own raging going past the breakpoint. He then grabbed a large wagon full of pears next to him, and began to rush straight at Grand Pear screeching his little head off “GET OFF MY BROTHER!!!”

Grand Pear looked up just in time to see Seeder shoving the wagon straight at him… WHAMM!!! Grand Pear was shoved clear off of Bright Mac, still riding on the wagon at full speed downhill.

He looked behind, and saw a huge tree coming up fast, “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH…!!!”

WHAMM!!

WHAMM!!

WHAAAAAAAAAM!!!

“DAD!!!!” screamed Pear Butter.

Everyone rushed down to Grand Pear. The wagon was in pieces, and the pears were all scattered about, and Grand Pear lay perfectly still… very dead from the impact that crushed his bones and damaged his insides.

Pear Butter was devastated, but easily… Seeder was completely struck with himself, “I… I didn’t… mean to…” he sobbed “He was the one who…”

His brother comforted him “It’s all right, Seeder. You were just tryin’ to help.” though he himself was equally as devastated by Grand Pear’s death, even if he brought it on himself for trying to kill him and hurting his wife and mother.

The other ponies were all in absolute shock by this, even Tree Hugger was wide-eyed, “Whoa… just whoa.” she cried softly.

“Uncle Seeder killed Grandpa Grand Pear.” said Applebloom.

Applejack nodded regretfully, “He didn’t mean to, and he didn’t get charged. He was only trying to save Pa.

Even Ma forgave him for it, much as she was devastated, she knew he was only tryin’ to help.”

Lightning rubbed his eyes in shock. Even he knew the laws wouldn’t be able to punish Seeder for his actions. “What happened after that?”

Applejack continued to explain, “The Pears moved, but without Grand Pear they fell on hard times. They vowed never to forgive us Apples for takin’ his life despite the facts.

Ma and Pa lived happily; soon they had Big Mac, and then me.

We were like the perfect family, though Uncle Seeder. He was often haunted by his killing Grand Pear, even though the rest of the family tried their darnest to help him let it go.

Then one day, a few weeks after Applebloom was born, when I was ten years old…

Uncle Seeder went out on a simple apple delivery, but he never came back. We all went lookin’ for him, and we found the wagon was in pieces and the fruit had been brutalized, but no sign of Seeder anywhere.

Worse than that, Ma and Pa never came back either. All I could find was Pa’s hat.

We all could only assume the worst; they’d been done in by some wild animals, which explained the state of the wagon, the damaged fruits and just the hat left behind.”

Applejack softly tipped her hat, and Applebloom had tears in her eyes and cuddled up to her sister. Now it hurt her all the more that she never knew their parents, and that they were seemingly killed, as well as her uncle.

“I’m sorry, Applebloom.” Applejack sobbed as she held her sister tightly “We thought it best you didn’t know.”

“Never mind…” cried Applebloom.

DD felt upset too, and it made her miss her own parents, and she cuddled up to Buddy who held her tight. “That’s why you didn’t want Granny to see the pear butter.” he said softly “Too many bad memories.”

“It’s all my fault.” said DD “I was the one who got the pear butter.”

Applejack shook her head at her, “It ain’t your fault, DD. You didn’t know.”

Lightning could only feel pity fire everyone, as he knew what it felt to lose his parents too, but then… as he looked down into the box of photos, his eyes fell upon one old faded picture of Applejack’s parents and her Uncle Seeder.

He gawked down at the picture, preferably at Seeder. “Hey…” he said to himself. Though the picture was blurry, he felt he had seen that pony somewhere before, and most recently.

“Hey!” said Applejack as she inspected her mother’s old locket, “You said you found this in the cave The Bats were in?”

“Yes, why?” but suddenly he happened upon the same thought Applejack was getting, “I’m bettin’ it was Nightwing who did my folks in!”

Everyone thought that was definite possibility due to the locket being found in the cave, and the fruit from the carts being smashed and rotted the day Applejack found it all.

Suddenly, the farm alarms outside went off, followed by Big Mac hollering “Bat Alert! Bat Alert! They’re after the crops again!”

“Let’s go!” said Applejack, and she dashed for the stairs, and the others followed her through the house, and past Granny Smith who was fast asleep and snoring in her rocker still clutching the pear butter jar. She hadn’t even heard the alarms.

As the dashed into the field, Lightning fired a small flare of Uniforce into the sky as a signal beacon, warning friends or other officers who saw it of the danger.

The sun had nearly set by the time the gang made it into the orchards, where they witnessed Nightwing, Shade, and Ebany feeding on the apples-- sucking them completely dry and leaving them rotted to the core.

“Drop them apples!” shouted Applebloom.

The Bat lords turned and saw the gang standing together, “Well, you took your sweet time.” said Shade, “So we decided to help ourselves to a little snack.” hissed Ebany, and she took a huge bite out of an apple and tossed the peel near the Applejack’s feet, enraging her.

“Where’s Flurry Heart?” Lightning demanded.

Nightwing snickered, “The little infant that you want is safely stowed in my lair, where her mother-child bond has been supplying me with vast amounts of power.

But I shouldn’t about her, and worry on the present situation. I’m here to test my new powers and fulfil the foremost of my conquests; I’m finally going to take back these lands!”

“You wish, ya overgrown night-flyer!” sneered Applebloom.

Tree Hugger stepped in, “Take easy, there. I think it’s time, you me and the D… am-scrayed.”

Buddy agreed, “Take them along, will you Big Mac?”

“Eeyup. I’ll watch over ‘em. If y’all need help, just holler.”

“Good luck, guys.” said DD.

As soon as they were gone, the three fighters transformed.

“STARFLEET MAGIC”

“Harmony Hour, Friendship Power”

The three Bat Lords stood where they were.

“I wouldn’t be so smug if I were you.” said Buddy,“LEAF SWARM”

His razor leaves bombarded straight at the villains, and they just stood where they were, taking every single hit but hardly even flinching or getting scratched.

“No way!” cried Buddy.

Nightwing snickered “I warned you…” and he swiftly raised his hand, unleashing a bright shockwave that threw all the fighters back hard, as well as knocking over many of the apple trees and destroying the crops.

“No!!” cried Buddy. He really hated it when someone abused nature and knocked over trees like that, but it was Applejack who was madder than he was. “As if messin’ my family weren’t bad enough, now you smash down our prized apple trees?! THAT’S CROSSIN’ A LINE!!” She got out her rope, and cracked it hard like a whip, “…It’s roundup time!”

“I’m with you.” said Buddy“VINE WHIP”

Shade and Ebany snarled and hissed. Then suddenly, they zipped off, and appeared behind Buddy and Applejack so quickly the ponies didn’t have a chance to react.

POW!! They were punched hard and sent flying way up high, and the two bats followed them, sprinting upward and bashing them both hard again.

Applejack and Buddy straightened themselves out in midflight, and then swiftly lassoed the two bats, and Buddy fired a few magical blasts from his horn, hitting the bats and making sparks fly, but hardly doing much damage.

“I don’t believe this.” cried Buddy.

The Bats snickered and actually broke free from their bindings. “You just never learn do you?” hissed Shade, and he rushed forth, knocking the two ponies back with one thunderous punch.

Ebany then fired two small beams of power from her eyes, hitting them hard and sending them plummeting to the ground.

“They’re way strong now.” said Buddy.

“I don’t… think we can… take ‘em alone.” groaned Applejack.

They would have called Lightning to help them, but he was already busy battling with Nightwing himself.

The two were brawling hard, but Nightwing proved to be just as stronger as ever.

Lightning managed to punch him hard in the face, only causing slight damage, but Nightwing punched him back, and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him crashing into the others. In all the chaos, Applejack lost her parents’ locket, which sailed off from her possession and landed near Ebany’s feet, and it fell open.

“What’s this?” she wondered.

Shade waltzed over to her and examined the pictures in the locket. “Ah, yes; Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter.”

Applejack winced, “So, I was right… you did my folks in?!”

All three Bat Lords didn’t, they just snickered and hissed, and to Applejack that felt like a confession, and she just snapped and let out a huge roar of fury.

“Applejack…!” shouted Lightning, but she was already rushing recklessly for the Bats, only for Nightwing to blast her hard back into the others and sent them all crashing into another tree, snapping the trunk.

“Those two were just the beginning. Soon the entire Apple Family will be just like they were, for driving us bats off our lands, and ruining our very ways of life!”

Before he could say or do anything else…

“Hold it right there!” shouted a voice.

The Bats and the trio turned and saw the most of the team. Starla had sent her droid because she had just put Shining Light to bed at home and needed to watch out for him.

“Where’s Rhymey and Fluttershy?” asked Lightning.

“They must not have seen the beacon.” said Rainbow “I can dash back and get them.”

Lightning agreed, “Do that.”

Rainbow saluted and zoomed off while the rest of the team grouped together.

Nightwing scoffed, “Even with all of you together, you won’t stop us!”

“Well, we’ll just see about that, won’t we!” sneered Stalra.

Lightning agreed, “Attack!”

The team rushed forth, while the Bats leapt up high in the air for more space to fight, and the team jumped up after them.

“STAR SHOWER”

“LEAF SWARM”

“PAINT BOMB”

“BOOM-BOOM ROCKETS”

The Bats were forced to scatter and split up as all the massive barrage of attacks came at them from all angles.

“HEEEEEEEEEE-YAAAA!” Pinkie shouted as she came soaring in for a big kick, but Shade swerved out of the way.

Pinkie then turned her head and winked at him, “Got’cha.”

That’s when Rarity fired magical blasts form her horn at him, hitting him hard, not damaging him, but stunning him enough for the girls, and Buddy to leap in and attack Shade from multiple angles, increasing damage with each strike.

“I’m coming, Shade!” cried Ebany, but before she could take off, Artie, and the Spanish Twins stopped her.“PAINT SLUDGE”Artie shouted, and magically formed colorful goop, flinging it straight at Ebany’s helmet visor, blinding her.

“Oh, yeah!” snarled Ebany “You forget, we bats have excellent sonar!” and using her super bay hearing, she could figure out where the boys were by the sound of the wind as they moved along, and still managed to punch and kick them hard.

“Well we can fight just as sneaky too, Chica!” said Dyno.

“Andale!” shouted Myte.

The two twins rushed in, and the fight seemed virtually equal. Ebany still managed to sense their moves and dodge, and attacking them both hard.

“Take this!” shouted Artie, and he pitched his staff at her like a javelin. Ebnay dodged, but Artie sneakily used the staff’s return-power to make it come back to him, striking her hard from behind. “Get her, guys!” Artie called!

The twins then rushed in and punched and kicked Ebany all over and sent her crashing to the ground.

Nightwing himself, however, wasn’t so easy, and he had four fighters battling him.

Starla’s droid charged at him, and he grabbed her by the arm and threw her off.

At home, Starla grunted softly, but tried her best to keep voice down so not to wake up the baby. “Come on you big lug, hold still!” she groaned as she hammered on the controls.

BAM!! Applejack was punched hard and sent crashing to the ground.

Lightning leapt in, and he punched and kicked furiously, but Nightwing managed to skillfully dodge them, then he grabbed Lightning by the tail, whirled him round and around, and threw him far off.

“DRAGON FLAME-WHEEL”

Spike curled himself up in his flames and bombed forth.

Nightwing shielded himself with his cape and intercepted Spike. Then in a might flap, he flung him right off and sent him tumbling backwards in midair.

Nightwing laughed, “When are you all going to realize I’m too strong now?! Nothing you dish out can stop me!”

Applejack more enraged than ever, bolted upright and charged straight at him, colliding straight into him in a fist-lock.

She kicked her leg, but Nightwing blocked with his knee, hardly feeling a thing.

“You seem overly vexed.” Nightwing taunted. Applejack growled right in his face, “You killed my parents, and I’ll bet you killed my uncle too…

…AND I’LL DESTROY YOU FOR IT!!”

Nightwing hissed, and grabbed her in a neck-lock, “Perhaps you should rejoin our group, maybe that will teach you better respect!”

“No, Applejack!” cried Buddy. He tried to rush up to help her, but Shade grabbed him by the tail, “Going down!” he sneered, and whirled him round and around, bashing Pinkie and Rarity, knocking them over.

Artie and the Twins tried to rush over and help her, but Ebany, after rubbing the goop off her visor, used her paralysis power to hold them all steady.

“Whoa!” cried Artie.

“I can’t move!” said Dyno.

“Her magic… it’s stronger!” added Myte.

Ebany snickered wickedly.

Lightning and his team rushed up to get at Nightwing, “Uh-uh-uh…” Nightwing hissed at them, “You wouldn’t want anything worse to happen to your friend now, would you?”

Still choking in her neck-lock, Applejack called to the others, “Get him! Blow this Bat creep out!”

“But Applejack…” cried Lightning.

“DO IT!!” she shouted “Get this brute for what he did to my family!”

“Oh, Applejack!” said Starla.

Suddenly, the full-moon was raised into the dark night sky, and it’s light shone down on the orchard.

The Bats all gasped and began to feel strange.

Shade stopped fighting with the ponies, Ebany’s paralysis magic ceased, and Nightwing dropped Applejack, and she fell into Spike’s arms. “Nice catch.” she said

“Yeah, but what’s with them?” wondered Spike.

“This is just like before,” said Lightning. He remembered when the Bats used their breath to infect most of New Ponyville, and then suddenly this happened.

Then he looked up in the sky and realized, “It’s the light of the full moon! Something about must be causing them to grow weaker.”

All three Bat Lords were clutching their heads and groaning in pain.

“UGH!! NOT AGAIN!!” thundered Nightwing, “I’m outta’ here!” and he took off as fast as he could before he got any weaker.

“Wait for us, Count!” shouted Shade.

“We’re outta here!” cried Ebany, and they both took off after him.

“Oh, no you don’t!” shouted Applejack, and she leapt out of Spike’s arms and dashed forth.

“Let’s go!” said Lightning.

Everyone agreed, now was the perfect time to blast the Bats once and for all while they were weak.

“STARLIGHT ARROW”

“BOOM BOOM ROCKETS”

Starla and the Twins attacks struck Shade and Ebany hard, but Nightwing still managed to dodge the attacks and attempted to escape and hide deep in the orchard.

As for Applejack, she stood before the downed Shade and Ebany, and she looked ready for the kill! “You two… you’re goin’ down!” she growled.

The poor Bats could barely find any strength to stand up now with the moonlight shining on them full blast.

Suddenly, before Applejack could strike them, she was grabbed and bound by powerful binds of light.

“What? It’s the light of harmony.” cried Rarity. “The Light of Harmony?” snapped Pinkie, and they both looked up and saw Rainbow and Fluttershy, in Valkyrie mode, using their swords to hold Applejack down.

“What are you doing?!” thundered Lightning.

“Stopping Applejack from making a huge mistake.” said Rainbow.

Rhymey then landed before Applejack.

“Let me go!” shouted Applejack, “I’ve gotta get ‘em! They killed my parents!”

Rhymey shook his head and cried,

“No,
It isn’t so!”

Then, both Shade and Ebany glowed brightly, and transformed in a huge flash before everyone’s eyes into none other than Bright Macintosh and his wife, Pear Butter.

Applejack gasped hard, “They… they ARE my parents.”

All the others were just as astonished, and Rainbow and Fluttershy saw this to let Applejack loose.

Applejack shakily but calmly approached her parents. They physically appeared exactly the same age they did when they disappeared on that day ten years ago, they almost appeared to be the same age as Applejack herself, maybe just a few years off. Strangely, they had humanoid bodies as well, which was most likely because of the mutation from the bats. They were also still wearing their bat armor too.

Bright and Pear wearily came to their senses as Applejack looked down at them.

“Ma… Daddy…?”

Her folks looked up, and despite her physical appearance being different to them, they’d recognize their daughter anywhere.

“Applejack.” said Bright Mac.

“Oh, AJ…” cried Pear.

Tears flooded in Applejack’s eyes, fogging her visor underneath. “You’re alive!” and she embraced her parents and wept. They hugged her back and wept just as well.

Rarity eyes flooded with tears of her own “I can’t believe-- this is so beautiful.”

Pinkie was already blubbering.

As for the others, they were also touched by the moment, and just as shocked as well, “We almost destroyed them!” said Artie.

“Wait…” said Starla and she looked at Rhymey, Rainbow and Fluttershy “How did you guys know who they were?”

“Fluttershy and Rhymey cane explain.” said Rainbow.

Fluttershy let Rhymey do all the talking, since it was his discovery.

“The last time when all of us fought,
I took home the specks of blood I got

For day I studied and scanned them well,
And what I came up with, I will tell.

There was Pony DNA in the samples, see,
And the data matched it with Applejack’s family.

The computer revealed the identity of these two,
That is how I and Fluttershy knew.”

Fluttershy nodded, “When Rainbow told us about the battle, we rushed here right away, hoping to get here before you destroyed them.”

Applejack felt slightly sick to her stomach, “I could never kill my parents! Never!” she embraced them again, and they hugged her back.

Then, Bright Mac noticed, “Wait! Where’s Seeder Breeze? Where’s my brother?”

“Uncle Seeder…? He’s alive too?” asked Applejack.

The others all suddenly began to realize, as Lightning voiced, “If her parents were shade and Ebany all this time… then that means…!”

He began to compare the images of the picture of Seeder Breeze; to the image he saw when he nearly destroyed Nightwing in the last battle.

Suddenly, everyone could hear some screaming from somewhere in the orchard.

“What’s that?” cried Pinkie.

“It’s Seeder!” cried Pear. She and Bright Mac recognized his voice anywhere. Even Applejack was stunned to hear it.

Then, Seeder Breeze wearing Nightwing’s outfit and cape limped out from the darkness, clutching his head and groaning in fury and pain.

“That’s him! The guys from Applejack’s family picture.” said Buddy.

“Uncle Seeder Breeze!” cried Applejack.

Seeder, still clutching his head warned everyone, “He’s… comin’… back! I can’t fight him!!”

“Bro!” cried Bright Mac.

Just then, Seeder’s eyes began to glow, and he spoke in Nightwing’s evil voice, “You… can’t… hold me… back! I AM YOU!!”

Seeder then glowed brightly in a flash, and at the same time, Bright and Pear gasped and clutched their own heads.

“Ma, Pa!” cried Applejack, but her father gave her a huge shove, “Get away from us!”

Applejack then watched in horror as the three ponies changed back into the Bat Lords, but all three of them were still looking weak and still struggling to fight the control in the moonlight.

Nightwing sneered at Applejack “This is not the end… we’ll be back!” then, he activated the amulet, making a huge flash of bright light, stunning everyone allowing he and his batlings to retreat, and his evil laugh faded in the breeze.

When all was clear, Applejack fell to her knees, “NO!!!” she shouted as she pounded the ground hard with her fists, and she burst into tears and sobbed softly.

All that time, her parents and uncle were alive, and now revealed to be the Bat Lords themselves, and now they escaped again, just when she got them all back.

Buddy approached the sobbing mare, “Applejack…?” but really, there was nothing to say to her now.

With the bats gone again, Lightning suggested “We better get Applejack home; she needs a rest after all that.”

Everyone agreed, and Buddy helped Applejack back to her feet, then he would return to the fields and hopefully be able to fix the damaged trees.

“What are we going to tell the rest of her family?” asked Starla.

“What else but the truth.” said Lightning “…I just hope they can handle it.”

As everyone headed back to Applejack’s place, Spike then noticed something shimmering on the ground where the bats were before they retreated.

“Spike?” said Rarity.

Her husband walked up to where the shimmering came from, and he noticed a tiny purple jewel lying on the ground, with an Apple Logo on it. “Seeder Breeze must’ve dropped this before he became Nightwing again.”

Rarity examined the gem “I know this is… We must tell Lightning.” and the two of them hurried off, but whatever secrets were about to be unfolded would have to wait for a while.

(Promo)

In our next episode: Captain Shadow is struggling to cope with in his new life, but doesn’t seem to be able to fit in or get along well with many.

Meanwhile, following an attack on New Canterlot, Mako is separated from his team and is badly injured. Sienna also discovers Slash’s treachery and dismisses him.

How can Shadow fit in with the world around him, and what is the fate for Slash and Mako?

Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”

(Next Episode: “Having a fit-in”)