Broken Record

by Wheller

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The Iron Hoof of Cromwell had been parked in the middle of the High Street next to the construction site of the new Sugarcube Corner. Likewise, the Lord Stuart had been parked next to it. Trooper Willoughby and Sapper Dougan were dumping one of the Light tank’s reserve fuel cans into the cruiser tank. The Kangaroo Commandos had surrounded the area, piling up sandbags with the help of Trixie, Derpy, Lyra, and Bon Bon.

“Clearly, they got the message,” Vinyl said as the trio walked down the street.

Trixie turned and looked at the new comers, “Well don’t just stand there! If Trixie can lift sand bags, then so can you!”

“What is that supposed to mean!” Rainbow Dash cried in annoyance, unaware that Trixie was dying of Magical Degradation Syndrome. Otherwise known as Lighthorn’s disease.

Vinyl wasted no time and started helping pile up sandbags.

Sergeant Tebbs hopped up to Twilight and Rainbow Dash, giving them an odd look. “I don’t know what you ponies did... but thank you.”

Tebbs hopped off and climbed inside the Lord Stuart. Trooper Willoughby followed him in, starting up the Light tank’s engine and driving off.

Rainbow Dash had gone to help place sandbags, while Twilight was waved over by Captain Blackthorn and Lieutenant Cutting. They needed somepony with the lay of the land, and that was Twilight Sparkle.

...

“How ya doing Trixie?” Vinyl asked as she placed a sandbag down.

“Trixie is... fatigued, but not complaining,” Trixie said plainly. “They don’t know, and they don’t need to,” she said nudging her head towards the kangaroos.

Vinyl nodded respectfully, she found it admirable that even someone in Trixie’s condition was able to put it aside to lend a helping hoof. Many a pony as sick as her would have used it as an excuse to get out of helping.

Though the more that Vinyl looked around, there weren’t that many ponies helping. Big Macintosh and Braeburn were around the corner, hauling carts filled with sand bags to the other end of the High Street, other than that...

“Where is everypony?” Vinyl asked.

“Hiding,” Trixie said. “Most have barricaded themselves in their basements and cellars. When the commandos told them what was happening, and asked for volunteers to help build fortifications. There was mass panic. Everypony started running around frantically. And then Applejack got everyponies attention and told them to hide as best they could.”

Applejack was going to be a problem.

“Big Macintosh! Braeburn! Ya’ll come on home right now! We got nothin’ ta do with these folk!” Applejack called loudly from around the corner. Vinyl and Trixie trotted around the corner to find Applejack yelling at Big Macintosh and Braeburn.

“’These folk’ are riskin’ their lives ta defend this town sis. They need ev’ry hoof they can get, an’ ah have four perfectly good’uns,” Big Macintosh said.

“Gul’darnit Big Macintosh! Yer family needs ya at home!” Applejack said. “Apple Bloom is still traumatised from wha’ happened ta her in Whitetail Wood!”

It was if a cord was struck inside Vinyl’s brain. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had been incredibly brave during the gryphon attack in the Whitetail Wood, the fillies were young, but they were much stronger than Applejack gave them credit.

“Is there a problem here?” Vinyl Scratch asked.

Applejack looked over at the off white unicorn and scowled. “This don’t concern ya’ll none, leave us be!”

“I don’t think so,” Vinyl said.

“Ah said... leave us be!” Applejack had raised a hoof to kick Vinyl, but the unicorn was faster, in a split second, her magnum revolver was drawn and pressed against Applejack’s temple. The hammer cocked with a small click.

“You may have differing opinions, and that is perfectly fine, but now is not the time for you to express them,” Vinyl said coolly. “As for right now, you will either stay and help, or you will leave. You will not be a hindrance right now.”

Applejack cautiously eyed the revolver that was at her head, she gave an angry snort along with a single word answer: “fine,” and with that, she backed off, trotting off down the road, she turned back and looked at Vinyl, scowling angrily. “This ain’t over, ya-hear?”

Vinyl slipped the revolver back into her saddlebag and looked at Big Macintosh apologetically. “I’m sorry for doing that.”

Big Macintosh merely shook his head in shame. “Somethin’ gotten in ta her. She ain’t ordinarily like that.”

“She’s just sacred, ‘cuz,” Braeburn reassured. “We all are!”

“Ah know, but Applejack ‘as gotten real aggressive as o’ late. Ah’m afraid she’s gonna try somethin’ tha’s gonna get her an’ other folks killed.”

...

“Hey... Apple Bloom! Come here!” Scootaloo whispered in from the far corner of the Sweet Apple Acres cellar, Applejack had gone out to look for Big Macintosh and Braeburn, leaving the Cutie Mark Crusaders alone.

“Scoot? Why are ya whispering?” Apple Bloom asked in confusion.

Scootaloo looked blankly at Apple Bloom for a moment before giving a response. “Uh... I don’t know? Come here!”

Apple Bloom looked over at Sweetie Bell, who was sitting on the ground behind a shelf full of canned apples, staring off blankly into space, deciding that she’d be fine just sitting there, Apple Bloom crossed the room to where Scootaloo was sitting, a bulging saddlebag at her hooves.

“I got something... but you can’t tell your sister we have it or she’ll probably take it away from us!” Scootaloo said.

“What is it?” Apple Bloom asked, Scootaloo opened her saddlebag and dumped out its contents. What vaguely resembled an Austin Submachine gun dumped out, along with 10 magazines of ammunition, Apple Bloom gasped in surprise. “Where did ya get tha’?”

Scootaloo looked down at the ground, guilt wracking her brain. “I... kinda stole it. There was a pile of like... fifteen of them in the town square that nopony was using! So I took one!”

Apple Bloom looked over the kangaroo submachine gun, it only vaguely resembled it as Scootaloo had slapped a number of modifications to it to make it easier to use. At the end of the gun’s barrel, Scootaloo had attached a ball-jointed vise it could be fastened to an open window and swung freely allowing them to better aim it. The trigger guard had been carefully removed so that one of them could pull it with a hoof instead of holding it in their teeth and pulling the trigger with their tongue. Lastly, Scootaloo had taped a kangaroo hand torch to the side, so that the weapon could also be used as a spot light if need be. It didn’t look pretty, but it worked.

“Scoot?” Apple Bloom said looking at her friend, who looked incredibly worried.

“When you grow up around... my family, you learn to make what you need, when you need it, with what you got lying around... No Cutie Mark for making this though,” Scootaloo said giving her friend a small smile. “We both saw those gryphons in Whitetail Wood... if more are coming here... I can’t work this thing on my own, I tried! I know you don’t like guns, but I need your help if they do come here. I’d ask Sweetie Bell, but I don’t think she can stay focused long enough,” Scootaloo said. The two fillies looked over at their friend, still staring off blankly into space.

“Ah don’ wanna hurt nobody!” Apple Bloom cried.

“I don’t either,” Scootaloo admitted. “But I don’t think that we’re going to be given much of a choice if gryphons come to us.”

Apple Bloom looked at her friend sadly. “All right. Now put tha’ away! Hurry! Before Applejack comes back!”

Scootaloo nodded, collapsing the stock and vise mount and put the Crusader Machine Carbine back into her bag, along with the rest of the ammunition.

They looked at each other, each of them could see the fear in the other’s eyes, and glanced over at Sweetie Bell, for a moment, they were jealous of her.

She was completely oblivious to the fact that anything was wrong.

Comments

[DreadedCandiru2]

Were a kangaroo version of NCIS's Jethro Gibbs present when Big Mac said 'something' had gotten into Applejack, his response would have to be "Ya think?"; I don't how her trying to get everypony to hide like frightened foals benefits the Entity (or Entities) controlling her but it doesn't benefit her much. Also, I respect Trixie's decision to not tell any of the Mane Six what's actually wrong with her; she doesn't want or need their pity.

[Wheller]

4208

The Siblings Nightmare aren't so much controlling Applejack, so much as they're influencing her way of thinking into putting her at odds with Twilight Sparkle. The idea that they should be hiding comes from Applejack herself, not wanting to get involved with the trouble that the Kangaroos of South Island brought with them.

[DreadedCandiru2]

4211
Which stems, I should think, from the same innate xenophobia that made her panic like an idiot when she first met Zecora. I've noticed that most Equestrians tend to be isolationists and wary of change (mostly by Sun's design and partially due to the equine instinct to flee danger) but AJ takes it to a bit of an extreme. Said terror of the unfamiliar is something the Trio can exploit to their advantage.

[Qub3d]

4225

And This is where we can draw the parallels to US isolationism before WWII, with the notable exception of FDR supporting the idea of war.