Continuity Disrupted

by Doug Graves

10 The Last One Standing, Part Five

The rain outside comes to a halt, just in time for the group to hear the mild cursing of a farmpony. "Of course the rain lets up as soon as I'm done trudging through." Applejack pushes open the door to the Carrot House, "It's like they're up there, watching me, just waiting for me to be 'bout to step inside." Her voice gets louder as the front door shuts, "Give me just the-"

Applejack halts as she glances into Doug's office, spotting the three mares, Rainbow in particular. The pegasus is giving her the stink-eye, forelegs crossed as she hovers in the air. Rainbow's mean expression breaks as she sees the baked goods Applejack is carrying on her back, salivating as her stomach reminds her that she could eat something else. Applejack grins at Rainbow, "Now, you wouldn't be the kind of pegasus that would follow somepony around and mess with the weather just for their sake, right?"

Rainbow nervously laughs, rubbing the back of her head, "Who, me? That'd be ridiculous!" She crosses a hoof across her chest, solemnly saying, "I would never do something like that." She pauses before adding, "Unless something big is at stake." She continues, a little quieter, "Or I think it'd be funny."

Applejack stares at Rainbow Dash for a few seconds before chuckling, "Heh, Ah sure wouldn't put it past ya. So. We all gathering here to get the ticket from Doug, huh?" She bounces the plates on her back up and down, "Ah'll throw my hat into the ring. All these here delicious desserts, just for the low, low price of one piece of golden paper!"

Doug considers, stroking his non-existent beard, humming a throaty rumble as he regards Applejack. "Is that right?"

Applejack nods, glancing to the other three mares in the room. Each returns a half-hearted smile, trying to cover up the ticket either tucked in their manes or held in their hooves. Applejack turns back to Doug, "You haven't given any of them the ticket yet, have you?"

Doug slowly shakes his head, "I have not given them the ticket that Twilight gave me, no."

Applejack taps her hoof on the floor a few times, "A bit too many qualifiers in that statement, there. What are you hiding?" Her hard gaze searches Doug's face, trying to peer past those small, twinkling eyes and cheeky grin.

"Ah, but that would be telling!" Doug says, his grin turning to a smirk. "I think the more important question is, what are you willing to give for your ticket?" His fingers rhythmically tap against each other, held just under his diabolical smile.

Applejack huffs, "Well, Ah already told Twilight that Ah'd give my left hind leg for it. And apparently that ain't good enough. Though you might take me up on that offer, after Nightmare Night last year with Rainbow." Rainbow Dash snickers at the fond memories of their themed costume. "But, how about this, partner. You tell me what you want, what'll beat the best offer for that ticket, and Ah'll do it."

"Really," Doug says, his smirk growing larger, "Well, I think a good start would be those delicious desserts you mentioned earlier. But, what I'm really after is what's underneath them."

"Under..." Applejack says, looking behind herself at the plates and dishes stacked on her flank.

The plates and dishes stacked on her flank.

Her flank.

Applejack groans, covering her eyes with a hoof. "Come on, Doug! It's like you can only think about one thing!"

Doug's hand covers his eyes as he takes a deep breath, his maniacal expression breaking. He eventually says, "As true as that might have been, say, yesterday, I had something else in mind."

"Oh?" Applejack stops, a smirk forming on her own muzzle, "Do mine ears deceive me? 'Cause, Ah could have sworn you just said you didn't want my body." Applejack sighs, a forlorn glance to her herdmates, "And here Ah thought this day would never come. Ah suppose it's been a good run, y'all." Rainbow snickers, waggling her hips back and forth. The motion does not go unnoticed by Applejack, one eyebrow raising as she sniffs, her snout scrunching up. Applejack turns to Doug, "Wait, so you'll sample what Rainbow is offering, but you don't want any of this?" Applejack spins around, her hind legs bouncing up and down, the plates jingling and jangling against each other.

Doug mutters to himself, "This is just getting worse and worse."

Rainbow Dash laughs, "Oh? You're going to have to bring better than that if you want the ticket!" She lands next to Applejack, mirroring the earth pony's motions while leering at Doug, winking and nodding her head up and down. "Aww, yeah!"

Pinkie Pie shouts, "Dance Party!" as she jumps up, sandwiching Applejack between Rainbow Dash and her own gyrating flanks. Their muzzles turn to goofy grins as their movements exaggerate, bumping and grinding against each other, "Come on, Fluttershy! Join us!"

"Oh, dear," Fluttershy says, timidly getting to her hooves. "I don't know, Pinkie Pie." She glances back at Doug, a seductive smile as her hips start drifting back and forth, "How will Doug possibly choose between us?" She saunters over to Rainbow Dash, an enticingly startled, "Ooh!" accompanied by a wink as Rainbow's tail slaps against her flank.

Applejack and Rainbow lock eyes, glaring at each other as both try to outmaneuver the other in their mad quest for the golden ticket. Applejack's tail tries to give just the barest hint of what lies underneath while Rainbow's tail thrashes back and forth, drawing another seductive squeak out of Fluttershy every time it whips her. Pinkie Pie is focusing on not letting Applejack get a moment's rest; every time the farmpony tries to back off Pinkie Pie bumps her right back in.

"Hello? Doug?" comes a call from the front door. Three of the four mares glance down their flanks to look at Rarity, Twilight and Spike standing in the doorway. Rarity's smirk gradually gets larger and larger, the unicorn having trouble keeping her mirth in check, while Twilight's gaze remains fixed on Pinkie Pie. The pink mare continues bouncing up and down, gyrating around and rubbing against Applejack; the farmpony is slowly getting more and more uncomfortable, yet she holds her position in the vain hope that Doug will pick her. Fluttershy sinks down to the floor, more than a little embarrassed at being caught in such a position, while Rainbow Dash merely mirrors Rarity's smirk but at the two newcomers.

"Well, there goes your plan," deadpans Twilight. "Maybe I should just..."

"Nonsense, darling! Observe." Rarity struts up to Doug, ignoring the other mares in the room. She plants a hoof on Doug's chest, pulling him close. Their lips meet, Rarity closing her eyes as she presses further. Her mouth opens slightly, her tongue darting out to find its partner, delighting in a daring dance for dominance.

Doug's mouth curls to a smirk regardless, his hands moving on their own as Rarity pulls away and saying, "One condition."

"Please, darling, I am not debasing myself like that." Rarity's tail flicks regardless, though her hard stare keeps Doug from squeezing her flank a second time. "Well?"

"So, you'd probably make me a suit for the Gala regardless," Doug starts, Rarity's puzzled expression only somewhat brief, "But I want something that includes a reminder of each of you."

"Hmm. Like, a pair of gloves that includes each of our cutie marks?" Rarity cocks her head to the side, her brief smile at Doug's nod. It quickly turns back to a frown, "But, why would you need some sort of suit if I am getting your ticket?"

"Hey!" shouts Applejack, taking two angry steps forward, "What'dya mean you're getting the ticket? Doug!" Applejack glances to the other three mares, "How come any'a y'all ain't more perturbed about this?"

"Weeelll," starts Pinkie Pie.

Doug waves his hand in front of his throat, silencing Pinkie Pie as he grabs the box, pulling out two tickets. He holds one in each hand, Applejack and Rarity both moving forward cautiously. The other mares smile as Rarity hesitantly says, "Is that..." as Applejack says, "Are those..."

"Yup!" Doug exclaims, each ticket finding their way to their respective owner's hoof. "All yours!"

"But what about you, Doug?" Applejack says as she glances at her name on the ticket Doug is still holding onto, her light tug not enough to pull it out of his hand. "Did you get a ticket as well?"

"I did," Doug slowly explains, "But I don't think I ever got that condition out of you."

"Aww, you didn't like my show en-"

Applejack stops talking as Doug's finger presses against her lips. She stares into his eyes as he says, "What I would like is for you to take some time out of that busy schedule of yours after the Gala. I know you're going to be swamped with offers from the ponies there, and from getting the farm up and running, and I want your undivided attention at some point during the day. Not just after the sun goes down and you're exhausted."

Applejack presses forwards, snorting as she says, "That all?" She kisses him on the forehead, "Doug, Ah'd have done that for ya regardless of whether or not Ah got a ticket from ya." She grins as he releases the ticket, moving to join the rest of the mares while Rarity stays next to Doug.

Twilight steps forward, "So, you got a ticket for each of you?"

Doug nods, "Yup! What, did you expect Princess Celestia to ship you the tickets for each of them or something?" He grins as he shrugs, "I mean, you all got them for your actions as the Elements of Harmony, stopping-"

Doug freezes, a panicked look around the room. He stretches his neck, trying to look through the doorway and into the rest of the house. His wide eyes go to Rarity, shaking her scared body as he whispers, "Rarity? Where are the foals?" He shudders, squeezing her as he continues, his voice trembling, "Are they okay?"

Rarity fervently nods, her hooves stroking Doug and trying to get him to calm down. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie slip under and around him, firm embraces as they pile up against him. Rarity softly says, "They are fine, Doug. They are at school; they'll be back very soon."

"You're sure?" Doug mumbles into Rarity's mane, slowly recovering at her nod. "Okay. Good. They're okay." The tension slowly leaves his limbs as he relaxes, his right hand slowly tracing across Rarity's coat, then finding its way to rest on Rainbow. His breath leaves his body in one long exhale, a small smile on his face as he sinks into the cuddling mares.

After a few minutes a throat clearing stirs the chromatic pile of ponies from their respite. Doug glances around the room, wiping his eyes against his arm before he realizes that Twilight and Spike are still standing around, both awkwardly looking at him. He says, a little more curtly than necessary, "You want something?"

Twilight rubs one foreleg against the other as she says, "Well, you still have the ticket I gave you. And, if you have your own ticket, then, um, I would like to get my ticket back. Please."

"Sure," Doug says, a bit of a smirk growing. "One condition."

"Oh? What condition is that?" Twilight beams at Doug before she glances at the other mares, their muzzles contorting to a mix of smirks and soft smiles. Except for Rarity's aghast look while she shakes her head. Twilight continues, more than a little confused, "Anypony care to explain?"

"Well, darling," Rarity starts off slowly.

Rainbow rolls her eyes as Rarity trails off, piping up, "He wants you to have s-"

Doug squeezes Rainbow's muzzle shut, "That is not..." Doug trails off, gritting his teeth together. He huffs at Twilight's widened eyes, "Just take it. Whatever. I don't care." Doug turns away from Twilight, burying his head into Rarity's mane as he releases Rainbow, the pegasus frowning at his reaction to her.

"Oh." Twilight sighs, "I thought that, you know, you'd have given me some silly task or future activity that I had to do in order to win my ticket back." She looks at the other mares, saying in a more chipper tone, "I still want to. So, what do you want me to do?"

Doug pulls himself away from Rarity's soft coat, inspecting Twilight for several seconds. He shrugs, "I had Rainbow promise to help with your surprises, since she already gives me all the physical attention I want. From her, at least. Fluttershy is going to tell me the parts she enjoyed, how she felt about the Gala. Pinkie Pie is getting me a gift to remember it by." Doug pauses, his hand rubbing his chin, "Well, I don't know you well enough to give you a task well suited for you. So, how about you decide?"

"Hmm," Twilight says, mirroring Doug by holding a hoof to her chin, "What I really want is to know more about this other world you supposedly came from. So, how about we set aside some time to do a comparison between them?"

Doug smiles, "That sounds good. I've read several of the books the library has, but I just don't have that much free time to do a lot of it. I suppose it'll be hard waiting until after the Gala to do that, but if that's what you want." He pulls a ticket out from the box, though Twilight doesn't take it at first.

"Wait. I'd have to wait until after the Gala?" Twilight violently shakes her head, her eyes widening with panic, "I take it back! I want something else!"

"Too late!" Doug smirks, though his expression fades at Twilight's glare. "Alright, fine, you can pick something else. Let me know when you figure out what that is. Or I can decide something for you to do, but you might not like it as much." Doug hugs each mare in turn; they withdraw afterwards, encouraging smiles all around.

Twilight pauses, "Well, I guess I wouldn't want that, but it does ruin a bit of the surprise if I'm the one deciding." Her horn lights for just a brief moment, the ticket dropping back down to the floor. "I'm sorry!" she says, smiling at Doug's lack of reaction. She moves up, grabbing the ticket with her hoof. "How about, whenever you want, I recommend some of the best books I've read about Equestrian culture, and we go through them together. Like a book club!"

Behind Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both glance at each other and gag. Rarity and Fluttershy both look intrigued, while Applejack keeps her face neutral. Doug nods, "That sounds like fun, Twilight. I would like that."

Twilight smiles as she nods, though it quickly fades. She pauses, a bit of confusion in her voice as she says, "But, Doug, you could have extracted just about anything from them. Or me. Like Applejack said, she would have given her left hind leg for one of the tickets! Why did you only get such paltry demands?"

"Well," Doug says, leaning back as Rarity snuggles into him, "First off, they would have found out what I had done almost immediately. Like, as soon as two of them talked to each other. For tickets in their name, for something that they did, that I effectively stole from them. And, while it would have been good for a chuckle, they would have made me pay back double for whatever humiliating thing I put them through. And what did I get from them instead?"

Twilight considers, "Um, a few promises for minor things, like spending time with you, that they would have done regardless?"

Doug nods, his hand raising and rocking side to side. "Sure, sort of. They would have. Probably. But you really want to know my evil master plan?"

Twilight glances back and forth before she nods her head, moving next to Doug.

Doug whispers, "Now, I force them to show me, in the language they love best, how much they appreciate going to the Gala." His head slightly turns to the side, his mouth drawing up in an evil grin as he cackles, touching the pinky of his right hand to the corner of his mouth.

Twilight stares at Doug as she backpedals, "You monster!" She winks at Doug, smiling and saying, "Well, I'm glad you are feeling better."

"Yup." Doug nods, a long breath in and out. "Yeah, me too." He glances back at his desk, then the smiling mares arranged around him. He sighs, "Well, back to the daily grind, huh? You all returning for dinner?"

Rarity shakes her head, "I'm afraid I will be busy at the boutique tonight." Rainbow and Fluttershy glance at each other, shaking their heads as well. Rarity continues, "But, please, if you are still feeling any of these effects, don't hesitate to ask for us. I hate seeing you like this, and I think I speak for all of us when I say we want you to get better as soon as possible."

Doug relaxes back, "Thanks for that, Rarity." His gaze travels over each of them, ending on Twilight. "All of you."

Applejack nods, "Of course. Well, Ah gotta go keep the next crop of apples growing. It's looking to be one of the biggest bumper crops we've ever had!"

The mares each nod, nuzzling Doug as they walk out of the Carrot House, excitedly chatting among themselves as they head back to Ponyville.

Comments

[badninja]

Well that was a big clue. I hope all the mares took note and will help ease Doug’s issues. Then again I think he is going to be very protective of his foals for a bit.

[KyuubiMakai009]

Doug whispers, "Now, I force them to show me, in the language they love best, how much they appreciate going to the Gala." His head slightly turns to the side, his mouth drawing up in an evil grin as he cackles, touching the pinky of his right hand to the corner of his mouth.

Man, I haven't seen a Doctor Evil reference in ages. Props to you for throwing that in there.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[Doug Graves]

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And it's so deliciously evil! Mua ha ha ha ha! Mua ha ha ha ha! Mua ha ha.... ha...

[JLtheking]

The imagery of Twilight walking into the room seeing 4 of her friends twerking to Doug is awesome

Rainbow rolls her eyes as Rarity trails off, piping up, "He wants you to have s-"

Get the hint, Twilight!

[DarkPhoenixx]

But what happened to the friendship lesson?

[Jack-Pony]

10056641

[Doug Graves]

10311844
This video sums up the entirety of the series.