Multiverse

by Patience

3.) Apple... Kicking?

The library was a mess. Air whistled through the pages of books as they sailed through the air to aid their patron, only to be, unceremoniously, dumped into a central heap. The piles grew over time and soon the walls were bare and the floor was completely covered. The only aspect of the library that looked as usual was the grumbly purple and green dragon running about organizing the piles. Though he was slightly taller and his limbs and fingers were more defined Spike, for the most part, retained his initial appearance. The same could not be said for his pseudo-sister.

Twilight was a mess. Air whistled through her clenched teeth as she levitated books to and fro whilst breathing particularly erratically and heavily. Her mane was disheveled and her eyes frantic. She was at a complete loss to what had happened to her. When the last book made it to her, via her magical tether, she shuffled the pages of the book frantically her eyes darting back and forth, her manic grin elongating, her ability to stand deteriorated as she read the various passages that glanced her eyes. She found herself on the floor sobbing. The book found itself added to the heap. Spike found himself cradling his sister's head.

"Shhh, everything is going to be all right." He said with no particular conviction. His reassuring words fell on deaf ears.

"B-but it's not. Spike, p-ponies don't walk on two feet or have h-hands." She held up her new hands for emphasis.

Spike pushed them down to her sides and grabbed her head in his hands. Pulling her face towards his he locked eyes with her.

"Twilight. Everything is going to be fine." He put extra emphasis on 'fine', drawing out the word, making sure she heard him say it.

"We should contact the Princesses, they will know how to reverse this." Spike continued, slowly. Retaining eye contact with his distraught sister. Twilight managed a mumble, something that ended in '-garten'. Spike frowned and let her go. He walked over to her desk and took it upon himself to send delegation to Celestia.

He penned a letter and set it ablaze and on its way. Twilight was silent. He was silent, but only for a moment. Soon he was belching up a fresh letter from Celestia herself.

" Spike,

What you and Twilight are experiencing is not an isolated incident, and in no way is Twilight implicated as the perpetrator. Her bed casting is not at fault. She is not going to be sent to Magic Kindergarten, or the Moon.

Spike mused a thought at the last words on the page, it was written almost angrily. Perhaps the Princess was getting tired of Twilight's obsession with the idea she was going to be sent to the moon for doing anything wrong.

You and Twilight are not the only ones affected. Stallions from the Guard are on their way to Ponyville to help preserve order and peace, and to explain last nights events. They can no longer wear their armor, but they will carry official badges.

Now instead of panicking, I ask that you and Twilight head to town to assist the guards and other ponies cope. I understand the change was sudden, and you may need time to cope, but Ponyville needs strong Ponies, and a Dragon, to help them arrive through this crisis swiftly and unharmed.

Spike heaved a sigh as he waved the letter in front of Twilight.

"Your bedcasting didn't cause this." He snickered, only foals and little fillies and colts 'cast the bed'. Twilight turned red and snatched the letter from him. Her eyes ate the information hungrily.

"Spike! I didn't cause this!" She exclaimed.

"That's what I just sa-" He rolled his eyes only to be cut off.

"And the royal guard is on it way!"

"I know I've already rea-"

"And we've got to help everypony!"

"Twilight! I read the letter too!" He finished with the palm of his hand covering most of his face, partially blinding him, and anticipating interruption. When none came he lifted his hand off of his face and peered about. Twilight was already out the door.

"Twilight! Wait for me!" He cried out as he rushed after her.

Ponyville was a ghost town. The stands that normally adorned the main street were absent and most shops had their 'Closed' signs up. A rogue Tumbleweed made its way down the main road tumbling out of sight. Twilight eyed it as it went, her gaze questioning; Tumbleweed didn't grow out here. Yet despite the town desertion, of seemingly all life, one shop stood open among the ghosts.

Twilight almost didn't want to go into the Sugarcube Corner for she knew Pinkie Pie would be there, and there is no telling how Pinkie Pie reacted to the change. Twilight paced a bit, trying to figure out how to explain to Pinkie what was happening, only to realize that she didn't even know what caused this. She stopped pacing to growl at the air, only to hear a similar growl right next to her. She jumped in fright, only to discover that it was Pinkie Pie who mimicked her. Pinkie resumed her impersonation, miming Twilight's jump, gasp and sudden realization. Twilight took a step back, and Pinkie followed. Twilight suddenly began to dissolve into hysteria, Pinkie suddenly decided her game was over.

"Twilight! Wat'cha doing!? Would you like a cupcake!?" Pinkie exclaimed, pulling a cupcake, from her personal pocket of null-space, into existence. Twilight took it tentatively and bit down. A smile crept across her face, Pinkie beamed; her work was done.

"Sorry, Pinkie, there is just a lot going on right now."

"I'll say." Spike quipped. Finally catching up to Twilight.

"Wait? What's going on?" Pinkie asked, bewildered. Twilight's eye twitched.

"Have you looked at yourself?" Twilight asked cautiously, fearing the answer.

"You bet'cha! Every morning! And sometimes during the day! But never when I'm asleep! Well actualllllllly? Does dreaming count? Cause if it does then I look at myself in my sleep on occasion too!" Pinkie began to skip around Twilight. "Boy! Isn't standing upright awesome! I can't skip like this on all fours!"

Twilight's brain had almost ceased function.

"Pinkie? Could you skip yesterday?"

"Not this easily!"

"And there's nothing suspicious about it being easy now?"

"No, silly, I go brony all the time."

Twilight clamped her mouth shut. 'Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie, Pinkie Pie is just being Pinkie Pie', the mantra went on and on in her head, Pinkie bouncing and skipping around her the whole time.

"Oh, oh, oh! I just realized! You've never gone full brony before! OHHH! You know what this means!?"

Twilight dreaded her next words.

"A Super-Duper-Welcome-Ponyville-and-Equestria-to-Being-Bronies-all-of-the-Sudden-for-no-Reason Party!"

"No! No, Pinkie! There will be no parties!" Twilight cried out exasperated. "We are in a crisis and Ponyville needs our help!"

"Well duhhhh!" Pinkie gave Twilight a critical look. "And what's a better way to help people adapt than to gather them together, feed them, help them relax and have fun and go around and address particular problems?"

Twilight's mouth was agape, she could never quite wrap her head around how far ahead Pinkie really saw.

"Well if you're up to it then organize the party in front of Town Hall. When members of the Royal Guard arrive have them help you if possible. I'll go around and spread the word." Twilight half spoke the words and half let them just come out, she was still stunned by Pinkie's intuition.

---

Twilight and Spike found themselves on the border of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight was getting the hang of walking on two feet, and observed that she was extremely well balanced. She assumed it was going to be a struggle, but, now, she was certain she could run if she needed to. Lost in her thoughts a pensive look crossed her face. Overall the situation was not nearly as bad as one would assume at first. In fact, she considered her hands, this could even be a good thing. She thought back and realized; she had been using her new limbs subconsciously. She had picked up and unwrapped the cupcake with her hands, not magic, which she still had faculty over, meaning Equestria's inherent magic was still intact. The magic residing in each Pony race was intact. Even Pinkie's arbitrary reality bending powers seemed to be intact. Twilight looked skyward, what about Pegasi? Could they still fly? Tears welled in her eyes, she knew more than one pony who would, maybe not even metaphorically, die without being able to fly, and one in particular was in the forefront of the group. She shook away the tears, there was no reason to assume Pegasi couldn't fly.

Twilight laughed to herself, knowing Dash she was probably hiding, fearing for her 'image'.

Twilight arrived at the main road that led to the farmhouse. She began the trek down it only to encounter labored grunting coming from behind a nearby apple tree halfway to her destination. She stopped and peered around the tree.

"Aaaa-Apple...Jack?"

The orange farm pony was sprawled out, facedown, on the ground, panting. Twilight couldn't remember the last time she had seen her particularly strong friend this worn down.

"Uh! Twilight!" Applejack sprung up from the ground.

"What were you just doing?"

"Applebucking." Her eyes wandered away from Twilight's own. Twilight peered into the nearby buckets, all mostly empty.

"There aren't many apples in these baskets?"

"Well you see that's cuz... um, well. Ah. I just now started on this tree."

"And its going well? You're not having any trouble? With your new body?"

"Oh what? This ol' body... uhh darn tootin?" Applejack was wringing her hands and couldn't even look Twilight in the eyes. Her Stetson fell low over her eyes.

"Applejack." Twilight's tone spoke of how she knew she was being lied to.

"Consarnit Twilight! I can't get no work done! This Celestia forsaken body can't buck worth a rotten apple! I've been bucking this here tree for hours, all morning. Me and mah brother both been at it with no success!" Twilight frowned, she found a disadvantage already.

"Are you doing it right?" Spike inquired, Applejack just stared.

"Spike! Of course she's doing it right! Shes been doing this since before I hatched you."

"There's no need to get all con... co-de... con-da..."

"Condescending?"

"Yeah, that," Spike scowled, "What I meant is perhaps she doesn't know how to... use this new body right. She might have been bucking trees all her life, but I've been walking on two feet for most of mine."

"Oh, you're right, of course, Spike." Spike awarded himself with a smile. "Maybe you could demonstrate your technique?" Twilight turned to Applejack with her inquiry. Applejack shuffled a bit.

"Alright, then. Watch closely, I don't wanna do this again." Then proceeded to send Spike into a hysterical bout of inane laughter.

She got down on all fours in front of the tree and bucked it as if she were still a pony. If she were a pony her leg structure would power the kick and probably put a sizable hole in the trunk. Except her leg structure was different; and so were the results.

Her legs went out and apart, one leg clipped the tree sending a few apples tumbling into the baskets below, from this Twilight surmised her strength was still on par with her pony body's, but the other leg missed completely. The shock from hitting the tree reverberated through one leg and the other leg's 'dry fire' send a different type of reverberation through her. Her arms gave out and she ended up in the same position as she was found in by Twilight and Spike initially. She scrambled to her feet.

With crimson splashed across her face she turned her back to the baby dragon, who was rolling around in the dirt, laughing, and began to stomp off.

"No wait! I didn't mean to laugh! I'm sorry!"

Applejack grumbled under her breath.

"Wait! I know how you can buck the trees!" Spike called after her.

Applejack stopped in her tracks. She turned around and pouted. She stared at the dragon.

"Perhaps you would care to demonstrate." She said, not asked.

"Well I'm not nearly as strong and capable as you." He buttered her up. She just stared. "But... uh, if you instead just kick the tree like this perhaps the results will be... better?" The silent stare continued.

Spike looked over the tree and stood in front of it. He brought his leg up close, towards his groin and snapped out a side kick, hitting the tree square. A small quantity of apples rained down. Applejack's face lit up.

"Wait? With just one leg?" Applejack walked over to Spike. Spike demonstrated the kick a few more times. She was no expert, but after a few minutes of instruction Applejack was as close as could be. She evolved the kick into a side kick that would make a Taekwondo expert cry.

She put her hoof dead center on the tree and, besides triplicating the apple rain Spike made, stress sounds could be heard coming from the abused tree. With her mouth agape she folded her leg in and put it down to the ground. She looked into each basket.

"Full. Full. Full." She looked up into the tree. "Empty." She stared into empty space, all her fears suddenly vaporized.

Applejack wasn't a 'close encounter' type mare, but the hug she swept Spike up into was equally full and thankful as it was bone crushing. Spike left the hug with some wheezing and perhaps a bruise but he still had a large smile plastered on his face.

"Well, crisis averted, I just came down to make sure you were ok and to tell you about the meeting slash party being held in front of town hall today, and if you aren't busy later can you go around making sure ponies are ok?"

"Party huh? Pinkie Pie?"

"She thought feeding and entertaining people might make them more comfortable and more accepting of help." Applejack shook her head.

"That mare, one minute shes all party happy the next shes bein all logical and such. But right you are Twilight, I should be done apple bu-," She stopped "Uh, should I call it apple kicking now?"

"Semantics." Twilight waved her hand absently. "Actually, you're the pioneer, it's really up to you."

"Well I prefer 'bucking'. So, anyways, after I'm done apple bucking I will definitely head into town and make sure everyone's ok."

"So," Twilight thought for a moment, "Has everyone else in your family taken it well?"

"Well me an' Big Mac were right plum panicked in the morn'. He still don't know about kicking though, but with his strength I'd assume he still be making some progress. As for granny she just decided a nap was in order otherwise it hasn't phased her at all." She paused and smiled "As fer Applebloom. She done woken up screaming but we got some food in her and since she's been out getting in trouble, climbing trees, swinging from them like a monkey. Shes just a filly so I imagine she'll take to it better than most adults."

"It's good to hear that everyone is ok." Twilight pointed to the sky, "If you see Rainbow Dash about send her my way. I think I'm gonna go to Fluttershy's cottage first, then to Rarity." Twilight turned to begin walking off.

"Rarity, ah assume," Applejack chuckled to herself, "is either in hiding or on a dress designing rampage." Applejack waved off Twilight and Spike. "Thank you Twilight, and especially you too Spike!"

Author's Note:

Just some spacing and indentation.

Comments

[Patience]

1569911
you mean mach .85 right? Cause according to the show Rainbow can achieve Transonic Mach 1 ( 720 mph (assuming ideal conditions), the speed of sound. Lol I never knew the MPH conversion of M1; 1 miles per 5 seconds is mind melting.)
.85 mach = 612 mph. The major advantages the machines have over her is the fact that they are machines and therefore their performance doesn't vary like a living creatures would and they have as much endurance as they have gas.
F-35's aren't designed for supersonic ( greater than M1) cruising for long periods of time but can maintain mach 1.2 (864 mph) for 150 miles (about 30 seconds). So on a straight flight Rainbow and the jet might be nose to nose, until the jet goes supersonic. It wouldn't be close, and Rainbow would lose.
Finally Rainbow has only achieved mach 1 with the assistance of gravity, and in doing so she doesn't conform to conventional laws of physics. She's moving faster than 9.8m/s, but her wings are tucked meaning shes providing no thrust so friction should be slowing her down. While going parallel with sea level I don't think she can go transonic. But Dash is Dash and she had Pegasi magic, so there's really no telling what the outcome would be.

[Hegamonia]

1575673 F-35s can go transonic without the need of gravity or needing to be at sea level, in truth, the jet could outrun if not outlast her

[BenRG]

Ah! I thought so. Yeah, it makes sense that Twilight would initially blame herself. That girl is all set up to send a former-human psychologist's kids through school and college (probably Ivy League too).

Good characterisation here of both Twilight and Pinkie Pie. It is in-character fhat Pinkie would see the way to defuse a crisis would be to hold a party. If everyone is too busy having a good time, they're not thinking about problems and are therefore not panicking, rioting or doing anything else normally associated with a wide-scale crisis.

Poor Applejack! Still, it just goes to show that not all skills are transferable between body types. This is also the first confirmation that the internal musculature of Equis Sapiens Anthromorphus is significantly different to that of pure ponies. That said, the fact she nearly knocked that tree over suggests that she's retained her earth pony boosted strength; another indicator that the magics of Equestria have been passed over.

Fluttershy would probably be panicking but too focussed on helping her little friends to have enough time to worry excessively about it. I imagine she will be reluctant to show herself initially though, being ashamed of her new 'deformity'. Rarity will be panicking but for a different reason - none of her dresses fit anymore! Rainbow Dash will be very nervously trying out her new body and wondering what the Hay is going on. Additionally, her high and fast flying might have revealed to her the existence of Equestria's new neighbours in the form of a Predator drone or possibly even an EC-135 or TR-1 reconnaissance 'plane.

Regarding Dash's top speed, there is a lot of disagreement in the fan community. On Earth, it would be necessary to be flying at about Mach 5 (3,700mph) to create that 'mach cone' effect she generates as she creates a Sonic Rainboom. If she can still achieve those speeds in the lower atmosphere, she's faster than any human aircraft, crewed or robotic, ever created. However, there's no telling how that will translate into Earth's physics. At the very least, though, she's an 800mph pegasi-woman.

Now... Let's see what's happened with the Princesses. Can you say 'Physical Gods'?

[Hegamonia]

1577549 I see that happening too, but with our numerous spy satellites going around the globe being first to pick up the new neighbors
oh and that TR-1? I think that's a U-2 you're trying to specify

[batran]

oh oh oh! make the Humans and ponies meet~!