Paper Spike and the Thousand Year Door

by Sakunyan

Chapter Eight: Apple Family Dilemma

Chapter Eight: Apple Family Dilemma

After returning to town, Spike, Sweetie Belle, and Fluttershy took a small rest back at Cheerilee's, sadly reporting back that they hadn't found any of the other Elements, but instead had run into some trouble.

"Diamond Tiara.... I never thought I'd see the day when one of my..... less considerate students actually turned out to be bad! It makes me wonder if I didn't succeed as a teacher." Twilight Sparkle attempted to console her disheartened friend.

"Don't worry, it's not your fault. If anything, things like that are at the fault of bad parenting, which definitely seems to be the case here. I'm sure she wouldn't have truly turned out this way otherwise!" Cheerilee forced a smile for her friend. Spike and Sweetie Belle began examining the map again.

"Look, Applejack's location moved again!" Spike pointed out. "Is it back in Rogueport?" Sweetie Belle nodded.

"It looks like the area on the other side of Rogueport. Some of the Apple family are running a business over there and I think that Applejack and Granny Smith came up here to help with it. We should head over there next since they're in town." Spike nodded.

"Ready to go, Fluttershy?" The Pegasus nodded.

"Good luck, guys! Remember to come back!" Twilight told them. The three bid their farewells as they headed out into the city of Rogueport.

Fluttershy, never really being in Rogueport before, was very uncomfortable with its criminal atmosphere.

"Just stay close and hide your possessions from plain sight." Sweetie Belle had told her. She appeared to be more frightened than the younger ones as they navigated through the dirty streets.

The far west side of the town only seemed to be in a slightly better condition than the side Cheerilee resided in. There were more shops here- although the legality of said shops was still questionable- and less trash littered the walkways. Before too long, they reached the building in which Sweetie Belle claimed the Apple family worked in. They gingerly opened the door and walked inside.

The building was fairly clean and orderly compared to the rest of the city. The front room was nearly bare, though, and they couldn't find any ponies either. Spike pointed out a staircase, which they began ascending. As they did so, they began to hear voices.

"...ah told you they was no good! But you just don't listen, dontcha? You can never trust a feller like that! They's just trying to fool ya with them's good looks, ya hear?"

"But Granny, they have stuff that we could really use! Dontcha see that this business is only gonna go further downhill unless we update our supplies? Ah know we said that homemade is better, but ah think we're running outa options! They called us here for help and that's what ah'm tryin' to do!"

Spike definitely recognized the southern twang of Applejack and her grandmother. He approached the two quietly, but was immediately pointed out.

"Intruder! Intruder! Get 'im, Applejack! He's probably a spy sent by those two!!" Applejack rolled her eyes.

"Calm down, Granny, it's just Spike! He's from Ponyville, remember?" She fixated a pair of glasses and eyed Spike beadily.

"Ahh, who am I to know who this 'Spike' character is? Phooey, if you know him, ah guess that's good enough for me." Applejack walked over to the three and ushered them downstairs.

"Spike, Sweetie Belle, Fluttershy? What are all y'all doin' here in Rogueport?" Spike scratched the back of his head.

"Well, that part is a long story, but we're in a rush here. Applejack... we need your Element of Honesty." Applejack blinked.

"Well what in the hay do you need that for?" Sweetie Belle stepped in.

"Rarity's in trouble and we're gathering the Elements of Harmony to save her!" Applejack stared at her, unsure if she was speaking the truth. Sweetie Belle was already getting impatient. "I'm serious!"

"Um, it's true.... we really do need your help, Applejack." Fluttershy added. Applejack scratched her head.

"Listen... that's fine then, if y'all really do need it, but I'm in a bit of a pickle here dealin' with Granny Smith, so I'm a bit busy..... just gimme a few minutes, alrighty?" Spike and Sweetie Belle frowned as Applejack trotted nervously in place, obviously wanting to return to her business.

"Um, Applejack, what if we help you with your problem? Could we help you at all? I mean, if that's ok, I'd love to help you with any problems." Fluttershy asked timidly. Applejack straightened her hat.

"Well, maybe there IS one thing you could do for me sugarcube.... Think you could go get me a little somethin' from the other side of town?" Spike groaned, considering they had just come from there, but Fluttershy nodded.

"What do you need?"

"Well, they'll know what to give ya when you get there..... hold on, let me write down the address real quick."

After another hike through the streets of Rogueport, Spike began to question why Fluttershy wasn't flying them places. Sweetie Belle pointed out that the two of them would probably be too heavy for her and he went quiet again.

The building appeared to be a bit shady, but it was the address Applejack had provided. Spike knocked on the door, which after a moment opened just a crack.

"Hm? Who are you? What do you want?"

"Uhh, I'm here for Applejack... she said you had something she wanted?" After another moment and some undoing of locks, the door opened.

"Come in, quickly now."

The three walked in to find themselves in a large room which seemed to be partly a kitchen and partly a mechanics room. Machine parts lay scattered on the floor so as the three had to be careful as they walked across the room.

"Now, how are we to be sure that you truly were sent by that apple mare?"

"Yes, who's to say that you aren't just after our machine?"

"Yes, yes, agreed. Did you bring the money?" Spike reached into Sweetie Belle's bag and pulled out a small sack filled with bits.

"Here you go." he said, holding the bag out. Flim picked up the bag with his magic and sliced it open above a table, the coins spilling out. Flam counted them carefully.

"Hmmm, just the right amount. It's what we agreed on!" he reported to his brother.

"Yes, good. Did she specify how she wants it delivered?" Spike pulled out the paper that had the address written on it, passing it to Flim.

"This is all she gave me." The two read over the note carefully. Flim handed it back to Spike.

"Alright, that should do then. We shall bring over the parts and set up the machine tonight. Please, give the lady our best regards, we ensure her that she won't be let down!" The brothers bowed beside each other.

"Tonight? Ah, why would I even ask for such a thing! They're probably takin' mah money and runnin' off with it! Gosh darn it, ah shouldn't have done somethin' like that, Granny Smith's gonna be furious!" She tossed down her hat in frustration. Sweetie Belle and Spike stood awkwardly together, unsure of what to do.

"Oh, don't worry, Applejack, I'm sure they'll bring what they promised! They seemed like nice guys to me...." Applejack grimaced, hoping her Fluttershy was right.

"Well, either way, Granny Smith ain't going to be happy when she learns 'bout what's up. Ah better prepare her... somehow."

"But wait, what about the-" Applejack had already run back upstairs before Spike could finish inquiring her about borrowing her Element. He grumbled as he clenched his fists.

"Don't worry, Spike... I'm sure she'll give us the Element eventually... she's just busy." Spike frowned. "We'll just have to wait here until this whole ordeal is over, it seems." She sighed, realizing the situation. It seemed as though finding the Elements was going to be harder than they had thought.

The time was nearing midnight and there had still been no sign of the Flim Flam brothers. Applejack was pacing outside of the building, the other three sitting on the steps. Granny Smith had already gone to bed.

"Gosh darn it, ah knew ah was a fool! Ah should've never of done that!" She sat down in the middle of the road pouting. Fluttershy went to her side to comfort her once again. Just then, they heard the sounds of a clacking machine coming up the road. Applejack peered down to see two figures walking alongside of a machine.

"We're here, just like we promised, milady!"

"Yes yes! We're good stallions who always keep our word!" Applejack's face lit up.

"Thank goodness! Ah was startin' to get a bit worried!" She went over to the machine, which was covered by a sheet, and peered underneath. "Can we test it out?" Flim pulled out an apple from his bag and pulled off the machine's cover.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Flim asked, pointing to the lever. She flipped the switch as Flim tossed the apple into the shoot.

"So it really will work without Unicorn magic?" Applejack asked. Flam nodded.

"One-hundred percent, it works perfectly!" He pulled a mug from his own bag and positioned it over the spout of the machine. Within a few seconds, cider began pouring out. Applejack cheered.

"Ah hafta thank ya kindly, fellas! You're a real life saver!" They smiled modestly at her.

"No problem, ma'am, we do hope that you-" The door swung open suddenly, revealing a very grumpy looking mare.

"Just what in tarnation is goin' on here, Applejack? You went against what ah told ya to do, now?" Applejack looked around nervous.

"Now, Granny, calm down, ah really think it'll-"

"Ah told ya not to do business with these slick city fellers! Ya just can't trust them!" Flim and Flam straightened up, getting defensive.

"Now, Granny, I do believe that we're rather trustworthy fellows if you just-"

"Aww, shut yer trap! Ah don't want to hear a word from you, ya hear?" She turned on Applejack. "And as for you! How dare you think you could pass this by an ole lady like me! Ya think you could really hide somethin' like this from me?"

"Granny, I wasn't gonna hide it! Ah was gonna talk to you about it and explain why we need it so badly!"

"An' I'm tellin' ya, we don't need it!"

"And I say we do!" The two remained in a stare down, glaring fiercely at each other. Fluttershy, though, had taken about all she could.

"Stop fighting! You're tearing yourselves apart! Stop it!" She had covered her ears and was hiding in between her front hooves. The group watched her as she collapsed onto the ground.

"Well, now look at what we've done!" Applejack yelled, pointing to her friend.

"It ain't my fault yer little friend don't like to hear us fightin'!"

"STOOOOOPPP!" Everyone went silent as Spike yelled, possibly waking up the other residents of the city. "You two need to work out your problems elsewhere because we have something bigger to deal with than that! If you don't remember clearly, we told you we need to help Rarity and we need to do that now! Either give us your Element or I'll go in there and get it myself!!" He was huffing angrily as they stared at him. Applejack walked over to him.

"Ah.... uh, sorry Spike. Ah know, your thing's probably a lot more important than the silly little argument me an' Granny are in right now..... hold on a sec, I'll go get it." She quickly ran back inside, leaving Granny Smith to stand face to face with the Flim Flam brothers, who looked rather skittish at the moment.

"Errr, Miss Smith, would you like to see how the machine works?" Flam asked. Granny Smith spat onto the ground by their feet. Flim laughed nervously.

After standing there in awkward silence for a few moments, Applejack finally returned with the Element of Honesty.

"Here ya are, Spike, take good care of it now." Spike nodded as he placed it in Sweetie Belle's bag. He then sighed as he looked over at Granny, who was still glaring.

"Please, just trust Applejack's decision, alright? She has the Element of Honesty, after all! Why shouldn't you trust her judgment?" Applejack blushed and smiled at her friend. Granny remained glaring.

"....Fine. Ah suppose this ain't for mah farm after all. We can let them use the machine." Applejack sighed in relief as Flim and Flam bowed to Granny.

"Thank you very much for your business, ma'am. I'm sure you won't be disappointed!"

"Please, enjoy!" Applejack curtsied back as they began to turn to be on their way.

"Have a safe trip, now!" She waved them on as she began pushing the machine towards the entrance. "Now, how in Equestria am I gonna get this up the steps...."

"Thanks for your Element, Applejack, we'll take good care of it, don't worry!" Sweetie Belle said confidently. Applejack nodded.

"Ah am sure you will. An' another thing... if y'all need any other help in helpin' Rarity, let me know, although I'm sure if y'all have Twilight with ya y'all will be fine." The three nodded.

"Say hi to Apple Bloom for me!" Applejack nodded to her as they began walking back to put the Element in the responsible hooves of Twilight and Cheerilee.

Comments

[Tadpole]

After standing there in awkward silence for a few moments, Applejack finally returned with the Element of Generosity.

Uhh, Generosity is Rarity's element. I think you meant Honesty.