Apple Pie

by GauntletsofRai

...On the Other Side of The Fence

Applejack stood agape and immobile at the gate that circled her barn home. On the other side of the fence, the exact same barn home was burning fervently. All she could do was stare in horror at the sight before her eyes. Her legs locked in place, unable to move. Her eyes wide open to absorb every horrible second of the scene. Her home was BURNING, and she was too paralyzed with fear to do anything about it.

She heard the fast clip clop of hooves behind her. A second later, Twilight was panting at her side. "Pinkie *pant* what's the matter, I...." Twilight's gaze drifted to the barn on top of the hill, which was now extremely on fire. Sometimes, when something is so irreconcilably on fire that it would be impossible to put it out without massive effort, one can only stand and watch in horror, which is what both of these ponies were doing right now. The only thing which could have possibly turned their gaze away would have been Applejack's true body running towards the barn with a bucket full of water clenched in her teeth. Which is exactly what they saw.

The orange mare was looking around anxiously and running towards the barn with the water bucket clenched in her teeth. She tripped on a stone in the road and fell flat on her face, the bucket landing on top of her head and covering her with water. She looked up and saw Applejack and Pinkie standing at the fence gate, a relived expression on her face. "Hey, it's me! Twilight! You and me have to help Applejack put this fire out!"

Twilight shook the crazy out of her ears and did a double-take towards the orange earth pony. Her voice was the same tone, but her strong accent was gone. "Wait, hold on here..."

Applejack, still in Pinkie's body, grabbed Pinkie, who was still in Applejack's body, by the shoulders. "Pinkie, what did you do?!"

Pinkie shook her hooves off and grabbed her fallen hat off of the ground. "I'm not Pinkie, I'm Applejack! I woke up as Applejack, so now I'm gonna' play the cards I'm dealt!"

Applejack, the REAL Applejack, face-hoofed and shook Pinkie, the REAL Pinkie, by the shoulders. "This is no time fer' jokes Pinkie! WHY is mah barn on fire?!"

Pinkie, still in Applejack's body, took the bucket back up in her mouth and spoke around the handle. "I was tryin' to cook breakfast for my new Apple family, but I couldn't find the eggs, so I went upstairs to look for the chickens, but something made a squeaky noise and I got startled, and I accidentally knocked a lantern over onto a pile of hay!"

"Why would ya' look fer' chickens in the attic!!!" Applejack in Pinkie's body looked as though her brain was about to make several messy attempts at exiting her skull cavity via her eyeballs.

Twilight stepped between them and shoved them apart. "Um, hello! The barn is still on fire over here!" Pinkie picked up the bucket and headed towards the apple orchard. "Applejack, where are you going?!"

"There's a pond over here! GO grab some buckets and start throwing them at the fire!"

Twilight was still for a moment, but then jumped into action as an idea formed in her head. "We'll never get it out fast enough like that! Come on, I have a better idea!"

* *

The three ponies stood near the fire as Applejack, still in Pinkie's body, danced anxiously on her hooves while looking back and forth from the fire to Twilight. "Hurry up, Twi! Almost half the roof is gone now!"

Twilight gritted her teeth and growled under the pressure of the magic building up in her horn. It spiraled around and gave off oscillating glows of lavender and white. She growled out under the pressure. "Almost there!" The glow of her horn increased until it peaked about two hooves from the tip of her horn, sparks flying in all directions. The magical glow of her horn imploded on itself and burst outwards into the air over the pond. She fought to maintain her balance as a mini-cyclone formed and began to funnel a stream of water that sped out towards the burning barn like a firepony's hose. Twilight swung her head back and forth, spreading the spray over the barn, quickly dousing the fire.

Applejack bounced up and down ecstatically as the last races of fire were extinguished by the propelled pond water. "Twi, you did it! Thank you thank you thank you!" Twilight swayed with exhaustion as Applejack wrapped her in a hug.

A streak of rainbow shot through the air and and ended at a familiar sky blue mare that landed expertly on the ground before the three ponies. "Whoa, was there a fire here?"

"Sure was! Twi put it out right quick with her magic! You shoulda' seen it, it was amazin'!"

Rainbow Dash stifled a chuckle at the sound of Applejack's uncharacteristically high voice. "Wow Pinkie, nice AJ impression!"

Twilight tried to take a step forward but faltered and stumbled directly into Rainbow Dash. "Whoa, Twilight! What did you do?"

Twilight shook her head and tried to focus her eyes. "I lifted the water from that pond to put out that barn fire." She felt her legs start to give out under her once more. "Ugh, big mistake."

Rainbow Dash scoffed and propped Twilight up on her legs. "Well jeez, you could have just called me over! I could have just emptied a cloud on the barn, no sweat!"

Twilight's eyes focused into pinpoints before she face-hoofed and hung her head. "Take it easy, Twilight. I'll get you home safe and sound!"

Twilight happily obliged as Rainbow Dash hooked her forelegs through Twilight's and flew off into the distance towards Ponyville. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were left standing next to each other quite awkwardly in their switched bodies.

Applejack poked Pinkie in the ribs to get her attention. "Pinkie, where's that birthday present you got me yesterday?"

Pinkie blew a strand of Applejack's blonde hair from her face and readjusted Applejack's hat. "I dunno. In your room I guess."

Applejack scratched a spot on Pinkie's wild curly mane and trotted off towards the barn. "Come on, then! We're gonna fix this, whatever is happenin' to us." Pinkie trotted off after her, tripping on a stone and dropping Applejack's hat. She picked it back up in her teeth and flipped it back on as they headed for the barn.

* * *

Comments

[Adam95F]

Neat and funny chapter. I'll wait for more my good fellow.

[GauntletsofRai]

1913519 Now I know why authors do what they do. It's comments like THESE.
It's like shooting praise and admiration straight into your arm.

[chinlamp]

She looked up and saw Applejack and Pinkie standing at the fence gate, a relived expression on her face.

Twilight.

You're constantly referencing 'X in Y's body'. We get it, they switched bodies. Stop constantly saying it, we're not stupid. It's useless padding. Refer to them as whatever mind is which and leave it at that.