Applejack gets invited to a party, but Granny Smith needs Applejack to walk Apple Bloom home from school, but Applejack decides that her sister is old enough to handle herself.
Applejack wants to go to a party, but Granny smith needs her to walk Apple Bloom home from school. Applejack instead opts to go to the party. Will she be able to live with the consequences?
It was a bright and beautiful day in Ponyville, the grass was green, the sky was blue, and the sun shined brightly and warmly. Applejack was on the farm bucking apples. Rainbow Dash appeared in the sky and landed next to her orange friend. She watched as the sweat on Applejack gleamed in the sun as Applejack turned to her friend.
"What's up RD?", Applejack asked.
"Oh, not much. Just that Pinkie Pie is throwing the best party ever tomorrow at three o'clock!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Really? Well count me in!"
"Alright! I'll tell Pinkie that you're coming, and remember, three o'clock, don't be late!"
"RD Ah promise to be be there at three.", Applejack said with a wide smile on her face.
Rainbow Dash took wing once again. As she was taking off Applejack basked in the wing her friend's strong wings produced. She watched as Rainbow Dash disappeared in the sky and continued with her work after her friend was out of eye sight.
The sun finally began its slow decent through the sky. Applejack looked up at the sky and stared at the colors that were on display above her. The sky would soon be totally dark and she decided to call it a day. She hitched herself to the wagon of apples and brought them over to the barn to be stored tomorrow.
She walked into the farm house and washed up for supper. She walked into the kitchen and found her granny standing by a kettle of freshly made apple butter.
"So granny, what's fer supper?"
"Oh I made some soup, and fer dessert I made some apple fritters."
"Sounds good to me!"
Applejack had worked up quite an appetite out in the field today. She was so hungry that she could've eaten just about anything. She began to set the table, and with help from Big Mac and Apple Bloom, the family was ready to eat in no time at all, as they ate they talked about their day.
"Well today, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and myself tried to get our cutie marks in painting, but it didn't work.", Apple Bloom said with a small pout.
"Oh, don't you worry Applebloom. Ah'm sure you three will get your cutie marks someday, and they'll be the best cutie marks ever seen.", Applejack saaid with sincerity in her voice.
"Ya really think so?", Apple Bloom asked, and Applejack responded with a nod and a pat on the head of the young filly.
"Well," Big Mac said in his booming voice, "today Ah met a new pony that moved here from Canterlot. Ah asked if she knew anypony around here, but she didn't. She came here for the peace and quiet them city ponies can't seem to find where their from."
"Oh, look granny. A regular country Romeo.", Applejack said chided.
Big Mac just looked at his sister and after a brief moment laughed along with her, soon the entire house was filled with laughter.
"Well today wasn't that much different from any other day fer me.", Granny said with a smile.
"Well today Ah was invited to a party with my friends. It's tomorrow and Ah promised to be there at three.", Applejack said with a smile.
The family finished eating and Applejack was preparing to help her brother and sister with cleaning the dishes and putting them away.
As she stood up she heard her granny call to her, "Applejack, could you come in here fer a moment please?"
Applejack trooted into the sitting room and found her granny sitting in her rocking chair.
"Applejack Ah know you promised yer friend's to be there at three, but hon I need you to pick up Apple Bloom from school and bring her home.", granny explained.
"But granny, I promised to be there at three, and you know me, Ah can't break a promise."
"Please dearie. I need you to do this fer me."
"But why granny? Apple Bloom knows her way home, and she's old enough to be by herself. Why do Ah have to walk her home?"
Granny looked into Applejack's eyes and pleaded, "Please Applejck, Ah have a bad feeling about tomorrow. Please just walk her home."
Applejack was furious by this point. She turned and stomped all the way to her room, slammed the door, jumped into her bed, and screamed into her pillow.
'Why? Why now? Why?', Applejack thought to herself. 'I'm going to that party. It's not like granny has Pinkie Sense or anything.'
When Applejack awoke the next morning she silently slipped out of the house and walked into town. She went to Sugarcube Corner and knocked on the door. The door opened and Pinkie reached out grabbed Applejack into a bearhug and pulled her excitedly inside. She bounced around for joy while singing to herself. Suddenly she stopped.
"You're here early.", Pinkie said with a smile.
"Ah know. Ah just thought that you may need some help settin' up is all.", Applejack said as she shifted her eyes left and right.
Pinkie knew her friend was lying, but decided not to pressure her, besides she really could use some help decorating.
"Ok! So, you start with the streamers and I'll start baking!", Pinkie said with an overjoyed voice.
Applejack didn't like to lie, but she just didn't want to explain what had happened the previous night. She got to work with the streamers, and by the time she was finished it was almost lunch time.
'Ah don't know how she does it.", Applejack said to herself, now that she had a better appreciation for what her friend did on an almost daily basis.
"The food's ready." Pinkie stated as she bounced out of the kitchen, "Oh! I love what you did to the place!"
Applejack felt the slight blush she had and chuckled. She helped Pinkie put up the rest of the decorations and a few games. After they had finished Applejack looked up at the clock. It was almost three o'clock. Their friends arrived together at three o'clock, and the party started. It was incredible, the food, the games, the laughs! This was surely going to be a party Applejack would never forget.
The party finally died down and each of the ponies left the Corner one by one. Applejack was the last to leave, but when she did she looked up into the sky and breathed in deeply, taking in all of the aromas that Ponyville had to offer. She gazed at the stars as she slowly made her way home. She finally made it back to her house at what she figured had to be eleven o'clock, but something was wrong.
All the lights were on in the house. She went inside to see her brother sitting in the dining room with granny. They both looked at her with a sadness in their eyes.
"Is she with you?", Granny asked with a deeply troubled voice.
"Is who with me?", Applejack asked with a puzzled tone.
Big Mac just looked her square in the eye and said, "Apple Bloom."
"What?"
"She never came home, and she wasn't with her friend's. We looked everywhere but we can't find her Applejack!", Granny said as she broke into tears.
Applejack ran out of the house. She started calling her sister's name, but she got no response. Applejack decided to ask her friends if maybe they saw her as they were walking to the party. She asked Fluttershy first, and she had seen her. She was talking with Spike outside of the school, and they both started off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Applejack galloped at full speed for the library. She desperately knocked on the door, and Twilight answered the door after awhile.
"Twilight can Ah speak to Spike?", Applejack said as she was trying to catch her breath.
"Um, sure, just a moment.", Twilight said sleeply.
"Hey AJ, what's up?", Spike asked from inside the dark library.
"Have you seen my sister?"
"No. Not today? Why?"
"She didn't come home after school, and Fluttershy said she saw her with you."
"No, she must have been mistakened."
"Spike get out here, and tell me the truth. You know as well as Ah do, that there is no way she could mistaken anypony for you."
Spike's breathing quickened, and Applejack heard it.
"Spike! for Celestia's sake get out here or Ah'ma comin' in after ya'!"
Applejack waited for a few seconds until she heard Spike turn and start running. She bursted through the door and grabbed the little dragon. She drug hiw outside and dropped him in the street. Spike just layed there with his face to the ground.
"I didn't do anything!", he said.
"Look at me!", Applejack screamed.
Spike looked up, and Aplejack just froze. There on his face was a black eye.
"What happened?", Applejack asked.
"It's nothing. Just leave me alone.", Spike said as he got up and went back inside the library.
'Why would Apple Bloom do such a thing.', Applejack pondered.
She decided to ask her that after she found her. Applejack earched all through the night, and the next morning she organised a search party to find her sister. They searched high and low but found nothing.
Granny looked at Applejack and said, "You need to get some rest child."
"But granny..."
"No buts! Go home and get some rest!", granny screamed with tears in her eyes.
Applejack could hear the disappointment in her voice. She turned and slowy made her way back home. As she walked she thought she had seen some red near the road. She walked over to the edge and into the woods on the right side. She came upon a patch of familar fuzz sticking out from the ground. She frantically dug. She began to panic, as the form that was buried in the ground was revealed to be her sister. She pulled her sister up from the ground and galloped at full speed towards the hospital.
She bursted through the emergency room doors and ran to the desk. She frantically explained to the nurse there what had happened and the nurse immediately called for a doctor. An entire team of nurses and doctors came out of a set of double doors and placed Apple Bloom on a gurney and carted her away. Applejack sent word out to the rest of the town that Apple Bloom had been found.
Everyone waited in the waiting room dreading what the doctor would have to say.
'Please be ok. Please, please, be ok.', Appljack thought over and over again in her head.
The doctor came out finally and looked at the family with sadness in his eye.
"I... I'm sorry. She didn't make it.", he said as a tear rolled down his cheek.
The entire room broke down into tears.
"I... I know, that this is a bad time, but I need to speak to her family.", the doctor included.
Big Mac, Granny, and Applejack got up and followed the doctor into the hallway.
"Folks, I don't know how to put this, but Apple Bloom was... violated before she passed."
"Violated how?", Big Mac asked through his sobs.
"Vaginally and... and anally.", the doctor said as he stared at the floor.
Applejack couldn't believe this. It was all so surreal.
'How could this be happening? Why did it happen? Who did it?', these were the questions that flashed through her mind.
They just kept flashing and flashing until... everything went dark.
Applejack's eyes slowly opened, revealing that she was in the waiting room again, and she was surrounded by her friends and family. Applejack curled into a ball and started whimpering. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
"I...it's a...all m...my f...fualt!", she choked out.
Big Mac placed his hoof on his sisters shoulder and said, "Applejack, it's not your fault that this happened. You didn't, r...rape her or l...leave her to die, in some hole."
"Ah might as well have! Ah was suppose to walk her home, but Ah didn't. So this sicko got their hooves on her."
Big Mac lowered his head and backed away. He wasn't in a fighting mood at the moment. He walked over to a corner of the room and began sobbed silently. Applejack began looking at all of her friends and she noticed something.
"Twi?", Applejack asked.
"Yes Applejack?", Twilight responded.
"Where's Spike?", Applejack asked as she scanned the crowd.
"I don't know. After you came to the door the other night he came to me and said he was leaving to search for Apple Bloom with you.", Twilight answered.
"Twi? He wasn't with me.", Applejack said as her face went blank.
"What?", Twilight questioned.
"HE WASN'T WITH ME!", a fully enraged Applejack answered.
Applejack galloped out of the hospital at full speed. She didn't leave one stone unturned as she searched for the purple baby dragon. She wanted answers from him. She then remembered the donut shop in Canterlot. That's where she would find him, she knew it with all of her heart. She returned to the hospital to let what was left of her family and friends know where she was going and why.
"But why would you think Spike did this?", Pinkie Pie asked.
"Ah never said he did it, but he was the last one to see her alive.", Applejack replied.
"I would go, but I have to work, and I don't have any vacation days saved up.", Pinkie Pie said with a pout.
"And I have to stay at the library, since no one can watch over it for me.", Twilight explained.
"I'm in.", Rainbow Dash said as she placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder.
"Ah'ma goin too.", Big Mac said as he stood up.
"But Big Mac, somepony has to stay and watch the farm.", Applejack stated.
"No, this is to important. Big Mac's going.", Granny Smith said in a voice that Applejack knew meant that this was the final decision.
"But Granny? What about you?", Applejack asked anyway.
"Don't worry about me dear. I'll be fine. Ya'll go find that Spike.", Granny Smith said reassuringly with a look of determination in her eyes.
Applejack and the others simply nodded and headed off to the train station.
'He's gonna regret runnin' away.', was the only thing Applejack could think of during their gallop towards the train station.
They arrived at their destination about twenty minutes later, and purchased their tickets to Canterlot. They all sat down on the platform and began to hatch up a plan. Their plan was to catch the dragon and beat the tar out of him until told the truth, After a few minutes of debating how to do this the three of them sat down and waited. Spike would answer all of their questions, no matter what.
The train ride was long and uncomfortable. None of the three were able to sleep. They just sat up the entire ride in silence. Brooding on what must be done in order to restore justice to the land, no, to their lifes.
Rainbow Dash was the first to break the silence, "So guys, are you sure you want to really do this?"
Applejack looked at her with hurt eyes, "Of course we're sure! He will answer our questions!"
"But what if he doesn't?" Rainbow Dash inquired.
Big Mac looked over to Rainbow Dash, and with a hint of hatred in his voice, said, "Oh, he will. And if we find out that, it was him, that did this to our sweet little Apple Bloom, lets just say, he'll regret even being hatched from that egg."
Rainbow Dash looked to the front of the car with fear in her eyes.
'What have I gotten my self into?', she asked herself.
The silence that had taken the car once before had returned. All of the ponies just thought about what might happen when the train reached Canterlot and they confronted Spike. Applejack was confident that this would bring peace to her mind, she still wondered, however, that if she had done what her granny had asked of her, would things have turned out like this.
Big Mac on the other hoof, only thought about how badly he wanted Spike to feel the same pain he was feeling at this moment, for he was convinced of his guiltiness, and Rainbow Dash was just thinking of a good excuse to get herself out of this predictament she had gotten herself into. She didn't want to hurt Spike, but she could easily read the pain and aguish in her friend's eyes, and she knew Applejack thirsted for blood.
The train lazily pulled into the Canterlot Station. After coming to a complete stop the three stood up and began to make their way out of the train car they were riding in.
As they walked out onto the platform Rainbow Dash asked, "Hey guys! I just had an idea! What if we just catch him and turn him over to the Royal Gaurd?"
"What's wrong RD? Are you scared of getting yer hooves dirty?", Applejack snided.
"No!", Rainbow Dash exclaimed defensivly, "I just thought, that, maybe we're jumping ahead of ourselves."
Applejack gave her friend a hardened look and said, "No, Rainbow Dash, we're not. It must be done fer Apple Bloom."
Big Mac walked in between the two mares and said, "Now Applejack, stay calm. Ah think Rainbow Dash might just be on to something."
"What are you scared too? He did this to our little sister Big Mac! He must pay fer what he has done!"
"And what if he didn't do it?", Rainbow Dash asked quietly.
Applejack slowly turned to her friend revealing a menacing look on her face and said, "Either yer with me or against me, Rainbow. Choose yer next words wisely."
Rainbow Dash backed away from her friend slightly out of fear. She had never seen Applejack this angry before. She could plainly see veins on her face bulging from the skin, and the cold hard stare she held with her eyes plainly showed her intentions for Spike.
"Applejack, you know I'm with you, but please Applejack, think this through! Why would Spike hurt Apple Bloom?", Rainbow asked with a quivering voice.
Big Mac walked over to his sister and placed a tender hoof on her shoulder. Applejack looked up at her brother's loving face, and she began crying as Big Mac wrapped her into a tender hug.
Applejack looked over to Rainbow Dash with tears fresh on her cheeks and said, "Ah'm sorry RD. I just don't know what to think anymore."
"You don't have to apologize AJ. I can't pretend to know how your feeling, but I know the pain your feeling must be crushing. I'd probabuly be the same way if I was in your hooves."
Rainbow Dash lifted her forehooves up and joined in the hug with Applejack and Big Mac. After some time the three separated from the hug and began walking down the streets of Canterlot. Their destination was Donut Joe's Donut Shop. They arrived about an hour later at the shop and looked through the window. Spike was sitting at the bar munching on a chocolate covered donut with sprinkles.
The trio entered the shop and Spike's eyes went wide when he saw Applejack. He jumped from his seat and began to run for the back door. Rainbow Dash took to the air and cut Spike off moments before he would have reached the door.
"Calm down Spike! We only want to talk to you.", Rainbow Dash stated.
Spike turned around and found himself standing face to face with Applejack, who shoved him into a sitting booth in the corner of the diner. Spike took a big gulp as Applejack sat next to him, and Rainbow Dash sat across from him, but Big Mac opted to stay standing in front of the booth, so if Spike tried to run he would have no place to go.
"What happened to Apple Bloom, Spike?", Applejack asked through gritted teeth.
"I...I d...don't know. I swear!", Spike protested.
"Then how did you get that shiner on your eye?", Rainbow Dash asked.
"I...I walked... into a door.", Spike stutteringly explained.
"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME!", Applejack screamed as she pinned Spike, by the shoulders, against the
wall.
"L...look Applejack, I...I swear, I...I didn't h...hurt her!", Spike exclaimed with tears flowing down his face.
"AJ! Ease up a little!", Rainbow Dash yelled as she began to stand up to grab her friend.
Applejack raised a hoof and brought it back, preparing to strike Spike with as much force as she could muster. Big Mac grabbed her hoof just as she started to send it forward towards Spike.
Spike closed his eyes and screamed, "I DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT HER!"
Upon hearing this Rainbow Dash instantly grabbed Spike and flew to the ceiling. Applejack furiously tried to get to Spike with tears of pain and anger in her eyes.
"BRING HIM DOWN HERE NOW! BRING HIM DOWN! LET ME GET MY HOOVES ON HIM! AH'LL KILL'EM!", Applejack screamed as Big Mac grabbed her. "LET ME GO! HE DID IT! HE DID IT!", Applejack said as she crumped to the ground sobbing uncontrollably.
Spike looked over to Rainbow Dash with graditude in his eyes. Rainbow Dash shot him a look of pure hatred.
"You're going to Grand Guard. You will be punished for what you did Spike.", Rainbow said.
Spike quickly ran through his options. He turned his head towards Rainbow's and breathed green fire into her face. Rainbow let go of Spike and dropped to the floor screaming pain filled cries. Spike jumped to his feet and ran out the back door.Big Mac picked up Rainbow Dash and his sister, and he began running out the door. After leaving the diner through the back door, he turned right and began galloping towards the hospital.
"Big Mac! Spike's running the other way!", Applejack screamed through her sobs.
"Ah know little sis, but Rainbow needs a doctor!", Big Mac responded.
Everything had happened so fast that Applejack hadn't realised what had happened to her friend. She looked at Rainbow Dash's face and saw the burns on her face.
"OH! SPIKE"S GONNA PAY FER THIS!", Applejack hollared at the top of her lungs, "HE WILL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS!"
"Eeyup!", Big Mac responded as he reached the double doors of the emergency room.
Applejack was waiting in the waiting room of the hospital while Big Mac spoke to the Royal Guard about Spike. Applejack was reflecting back on the events that led up to this point. She wanted to blame Spike for everything, but found that for some reason she couldn't. She began to think about what Rainbow Dash said earilier that day.
"What if he didn't do it?"
She questioned herself, 'But if he didn't do it, why did he attack Rainbow Dash?'
Applejack began to blame herself for what had happened, and now she had nothing to go on. Spike was gone, and she had no way of knowing where he was. She began to sulk in self hatred as a nurse came through the door her friend had been rushed through after they arrived.
"You can come on back now and see your friend.", the nurse said witha warm smile on her face.
Applejack followed the nurse through all the corridors until they reached the ICU.
The nurse turned to Applejack and warned her as they approached Rainbow Dash's room, "Now remember, even though your friend is stable, she can be easily be put into shock. You have to be careful about what you say and do for now."
"Thank you mam'. Ah'll be sure to do that.", Applejack said to the nurse.
She walked into the room and saw her friend laying in the bed with bandages covering all of her face except her eyes.
'Oh, thank Celestia! He didn't get her eyes!', she thought to herself.
"Oh, hey AJ.", Rainbow Dash said weakly.
"Hey RD. How are you feeling?", Applejack asked with concern.
"Oh, I've never been better.", Rainbow Dash jokingly replied.
Applejack was happy to see her friend in a good mood. She feared that Rainbow Dash would blame her for what had happened. She sat down in the chair next to the bed and talked to her friend.
"So RD, do you still think that he's innocent?", Applejack asked after some time had passed.
"Honestly, I do.", Rainbow Dash answered.
"But look what he did to you RD! How can you say that he's innocent?"
"He was scared AJ. He probabuly thought that he had to do it."
"But, but..."
"AJ. Please, I'm telling you as a friend, that it couldn't have been him. He just wouldn't do something like that, and besides, come on, it's Spike! He isn't strong enough to seriously hurt a pony, much less kill."
Applejack looked to the ground and stared at a tile. She lifted her gaze to her friend's face and saw that she was staring intently at her.
"Alright RD, alright. You've made yer point. So are you going to press charges against Spike?"
"For what? Self defense? He probabuly thought we were going to kill him."
Applejack stayed quiet for a moment befor saying, "A...Ah was going to.", Applejack said quietly with a certain sincerety in her voice.
Rainbow Dash just stared speachlessly at her friend. She finally broke the long silence with a question.
"So, are you guys going to continue searching?"
"No. Big Mac wants to head back soon, so we aren't to far behind in our work. Besides, we don't even know where he went", Applejack said with a hushed and quivering voice.
"Well, I should be out of here tomorrow according to the doctors around here. Will you wait and go back with me?", Rainbow Dash asked her friend.
"Of course Ah will, RD.", Applejack said with a slight smile.
Big Mac cautiously entered the room and walked in front of Rainbow Dash's bed.
"Big Mac, Ah'm going back to Ponyville with Rainbow here tomorrow."
Big Mac smiled and said, "Good, Ah'll just head on back now, and start on some work."
Applejack slept in the room with Rainbow Dash that night, which she came to regret after her friend fell asleep since she snored louder than thunder. Applejack awoke the next morning as the sun's rays peeked through the window and landed softly on her face. She turned her gaze to her still sleeping friend, and grinned thinking about just how loud she was last night, and how much fun she was going to have teasing her about it.
She decided that it would be best to let Rainbow Dash sleep, and so she walked to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast. She had some oatmeal with raisins and made her way back to Rainbow Dash's room. As she entered she saw her friend digging into a fruit salad that was brought to her by one of the nurses. Her bandages had been removed and her face was looking pretty much normal Applejack noted.
"How'd yer face heal so quickly, RD?"
"A unicorn doctor came in and used magic to heal me.", Rainbow said with a mouthful of fruit.
She finished off her breakfast and some final tests were ran on her, before she was finally able to leave. The two friends made their way to the train station, purchased their tickets, and waited for the next train to Ponyville.
"So where do you think Spike is?", Applejack questioned.
"I thought we went over this AJ? It wasn't him."
"Yeah, Ah know, but he was the last one to see her alive. Maybe he saw who it was, and he's runnin' from'em", Applejack retorted.
"Maybe. But we won't hurt him. Right?"
"No, we won't."
"Okay then, our best bet would be asking Twilight. She might know where he's hiding.", Rainbow Dash stated as their train pulled up.
"Well, this is our train.", Applejack said as the doors opened and the two mares entered the train.
The ride back to Ponyville seemed to be shorter than the ride to Canterlot was the previous day. The train lazily pulled into the station and Applejack and Raibow Dash got off and began walking to the library to speak to Twilight. They walked up the stairs and opened the door. They entered the main lobby and called out for Twilight. Applejack looked up to the second story, and there, on the other side of the railing...
Spike began to back pedal from the railing with his eyes fixated on Applejack and Rainbow Dash. His eyes were large and filled with horror. He turned to run to his and Twilight's room when he heard the steady beats of hooves coming up the stairs.
"Spike! Please don't run. Ah just want some answers. Please!", Applejack said as her voice began to crack.
Spike backed up until he realized he was angainst the railing again. He watched as Applejack and Rainbow Dash finally reached him and stopped in front of him.
"RD, AJ, I'm so sorry!", Spike wailed as tears filled his eyes.
He fell to his knees and awaited whatever the two mares decided to do to him. He looked up into Applejack's eyes as he felt a hoove on his shoulder.
"I... I don't understand.", Spike said quietly.
"Spike, we know you didn't harm Apple Bloom, but you do owe RD here an apology.", Applejack said sternly.
Spike looked over to Rainbow Dash, who to his surprise didn't look angry at all, instead she looked sympathetic.
"I... I'm sorry, RD."
"It's alright Spike. You were scared, and you defended yourself.", Rainbow Dash said in a kind and tender tone.
Spike's tears finally began to run down his face, as Applejack and Rainbow Dash drew him in and hugged him tightly.
"AJ, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright Spike.", Applejack said with a fake grin.
"But I... I know wh...who did it!", Spike choked out angrily.
"Who was it Spike?", Rainbow Dash asked.
"It was Donut Joe! That's why I was at his shop. I was trying to find him. When I saw that he wasn't there I decided to have a little something to eat, and that's when you guys showed up."
"So Donut Joe did this to your face?", Rainbow Dash said as her loyalty kicked in.
"No this was seriously done by a door. Twilight opened with her magic, she didn't know that I was on the other side."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack tried valiantly to stifle the laughter that was caught in their throats but in the end they failed miseribly. Soon even Spike joined in on the laughter, and the entire library was filled with the contagious noise.
"So what do we do now?", Spike asked.
"Ah'm sorry, we?", Applejack questioned.
"AJ, I swore I would catch him on my honor as a noble dragon.", Spike said with puppy dog eyes.
"Besides AJ, we could use all the help we can get.", Rainbow Dash inserted.
Applejack sighed slightly before agreeing with her friends.
"So? Any ideas on his where abouts?", Applejack said through her gritting teeth.
"I have one.", Spike said with a serious look on his face.
Applejack glared at Spike and asked in a rather raspy and harsh tone, "Where... is... he, Spike?"
Spike eyed the two ponies and replied, "He owns a small cottage outside of Manehatten. He'll be there."
Applejack looked over to Rainbow Dash and saw the same determination in her eyes that she felt inside herself. She turned her gaze back to Spike and saw him walking into his room.
"Where are you going?", Applejack asked him.
"I'm going to pack. Applebloom was my friend and I let her down. I owe her this. My honor as a noble dragon rests upon bringing him to justice."
Applejack only nodded as a reply.
Rainbow Dash lofted up towards a window and said, "I'm going to pack, too. We'll get him this time, Applejack. We'll get him."
As Rainbow Dash flew through the window the only thing on Applejack's mind was, 'Ah know we will.'
Applejack left the library to head home to get a few necessities. As she she walked through the door Granny Smith and Big Mac looked up from the table they were sitting at.
"Well?", Big Mac asked.
"Well what?", Applejack asked while looking down at the floor.
"How's Rainbow Dash?", Big Mac replied with a look of deep concern plastered on his face.
"She's fine. A unicorn doctor was able to heal her up right quick.", Applejack said while still staring at the floor.
"What's wrong then youngin'?", Granny Smith asked Applejack.
"We found Spike at the library. He says that Donut Joe did it, and that he's probabuly out somewhere near Manehattan.", Applejack stated coldly.
"We'll get the rest of the family lookin' fer'im.", Granny Smith said.
"Ah wanted to kill Spike. Ah was sure it was him.", Applejack said quietly.
"Applejack, you weren't thinkin' clearly. After what happened none of us were.", Big Mac said in a comforting voice.
"How could Ah have thought that one of my friends could do something so horrible?", Applejack stated with self hatred thick in her voice.
"Ah don't know. Remember when Rainbow Dash was teriffied of Pinkie Pie because of that dream she had about cupcakes?", Big Mac asked with a small grin.
Almost against herself, Applejack smiled a little and chuckled.
"My point being, that we all make mistakes, especailly when our emotions take over.", Big Mac said.
Applejack walked over to her brother and hugged him, "Thanks Big MacIntosh.", she said.
"Eeyup."
Applejack walked upstairs and packed some things she might need for the trip. She packed a few apples, some rope, and a few other odds and ends. She came back downstairs and searched for Big Mac. She found him out on the front porch.
"You wanna come along this time big brother?", Applejack asked.
"Nope, we missed to much work already. I'll stay here and try to get us caught up.", he replied.
Applejack bid her brother farewell and began to trot towards Ponyville. After she got there she walked over to the train station and found Rainbow Dash and Spike were already waiting for the train. They had already purchased her ticket and Rainbow Dash gave it to her as she approached.
"Ya'll ready to do this?", Applejack asked her friends.
They both nodded and Applejack sat down and waited with them. About ten minutes later the train pulled into the station and the three of them boarded the train and took their seats, each wondering what the future might hold.
"So what are we going to do after we find him?", Spike asked.
"We're going to give him to the Royal Guard, and let them do their job.", Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah, the royal guard.", Applejack said quietly while staring out the window.
"Applejack?", Spike questioned as he looked at her friend.
"We are handing him over to the Royal Guard, right?", Rainbow Dash asked with a level of uncertainty.
Applejack's expression turned to one of anger as her glared moved from the window to the floor.
A few tense moments passed before she sighed heavily and said quietly, "Yeah, we're givin'im to the Royal Guard."
Spike and Rainbow Dash both released a sigh of relief after that statement. They were willing to help find and capture him, but neither of the two wanted anything to do with harming him. The rest of the train ride went by slowly, with the only sound the three could hear was the sound of the train engine itself.
Rainbow Dash still felt that she had to keep an eye on Applejack if they found Donut Joe, because Applejack probabuly wouldn't be able to control herself if they did in fact find him. Every once in a while she would glance over to Applejack, and she would see that same look in her eyes. The look that you get when you know, you're about to do something horrible.
'Ah have to get'im.', was the only thing Applejack could think of the entire trip. 'Ah have to get'im, and Ah have ta make... him... PAY!'
The train came to a stop at the Marehattan Station. The sky was a very ominous grey, and it was raining pretty hard outside.
'How fittin' that it should be rainin'.', Applejack thought to herself.
Spike and Rainbow Dash exitted the train car right after Applejack. Spike hopped onto Rainbow Dash's back so he could ride her. Rainbow Dash looked back at Spike and showed just how annoyed she was by this spontanious action.
Spike nerviously chuckled and hopped back down, "I think I'll walk.", he said.
Applejack looked over and saw Babs and her parents. The Seeds family all wore glummy expressions on their faces as Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Spike approached them.
"Are you ready to handle this?", Mrs. Seed asked.
Applejack just kept on walking by and said, "We don't need ya'lls help. This is a personal thing."
Bads took a step forward and said, "HEY! She was our family too!"
Applejack turned and shot the little filly a menacing glare, which made her back away in fear.
Babs' parents stepped in front of her, "It's ok. We'll step aside. You all can handle this on your own.", Mr. Seed said in an attempt to avoid any violent outbursts.
Rainbow Dash and Spike stared at Applejack with mouths agape.
'Why would Applejack turn down help at a time like this?', Rainbow Dash thought to herself.
She shuttered at the only answer she could come up with.
'She doesn't want to many witnesses for what ever she plans to do.', Rainbow Dash concluded.
Applejack started to walk off of the platform and onto the street.
She turned, looked at Spike and Rainbow Dash, and asked bitterly, "Are ya'll comin'?"
Spike gulped loudly and nodded his head yes, while Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and said, "O...of course AJ."
"Then come on. Where is this cottage at Spike?", Applejack asked in a dark tone.
Spike looked at Applejack and said, "I...it's right down this road we're on, AJ."
Applejack narrowed her emerald eyes and said, "Good.", as she picked up her pace.
The three of them walked for what seemed like hours, but finally they came upon a cottage that sat by itself off to the right of the road. Applejack felt her hatred intensify as she walked up the cobble stone path to the door. The ball of fire inside her stomach was ready to be released, and she wanted nothing more than to let it out. She knocked first, but there was no answer. She then tried to open the door, but it was locked.
"I'll try around back. You girls wait here in case he tries to run.", Spike said.
He disappeared around the side of the cottage and after a few minutes the front door opened. Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked inside the cottage, and rejoined Spike in the cottage's dining room. The three of them decided to split up and search through the cottage, since it appeared that no pony was home.
Applejack walked into a bedroom and began searching. She came upon a photograph and after closely inspecting it in the dark, she gasped and dropped it. She turned around to warn her friends, but as she did she felt a wet cloth cover her mouth. She fought with all of her strength to break away from her attacker, but she soon had no choice but to succumb to the darkness that had enveloped her. Rainbow Dash had heard the struggle and came zipping into the room. It was dark and she couldn't see anything.
"A...Applejack?", she whispered while nearly being scared witless.
Her eyes darted around in the darkness trying to find her friend. She began reeling out of the room when she heard a chuckle she knew wasn't Applejack. Her loyalty kicked in almost at the same time as her adrinaline.
"Show yourself!", she shouted.
She heard the quick pitter-patter of feet and suddenly, who ever it was, was right behind her. She tried to turn to face the attacker, but who ever it was, was to fast. She felt a damp cloth clamp down over her face. She struggled, tried to scream, bucked with all of her might, she did everything she could to escape, but, like her friend before her, she too let the darkness take her.
Rainbow Dash's last thought before slipping away into unconscienceness was, 'Run Spike, run and get help!'
"Wh...what? Where am Ah?", Applejack said as she opened her eyes to a dimly lit room.
Her eyes slowly adjusted to the light and the memories of what happened came flooding back. She attampted to move but her hooves were hog tied. She began to bite at the ropes, but who ever tied it was really good at tying knots apparently.
She looked around the room for anything to help her escape. She wanted to call out for her friends, but if Donut Joe hadn't noticed them yet she knew that it would endanger them. She also didn't want him to know that she was awake. She squirmed around and continued scanning the room. She saw nothing that could help her escape. She saw several boxes stacked up high, and other dusty clutter lying about. She even saw a staircase that led up.
'Ah must be in the basement.', Applejack thought to herself.
Suddenly, almost as if on cue she heard a door open up the stairs. She closed her eyes and put her head back down, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't notice that she had moved. She heard the attacker grunt and something landed on the floor behind her. She waited patiently and soon she heard the attacker walk away and up the stairs.
As soon as the door closed Applejack chanced a peek around the room. She saw nothing and began to turn her body so she could see what was dropped behind her. She soon saw a rainbow in her peripheral vision. She doubled her efforts and soon was face to face with Rainbow Dash. Applejack felt tears swell up in her eyes as she looked at her friend. She didn't want this to happen.
'Spike'll be down here soon, and that'll be that.', she miseribly thought to herself.
"Rainbow?", Applejack whispered softly as she gently nugded her with her muzzle. "Rainbow, wake up."
Dash's eyes stayed closed. Applejack just felt like bawling at this point.
"What's wrong? What did they do to you?", Applejack asked as her tears surfaced.
She looked down to the ground and pressed her head against it.
"Crying *cough* isn't *cough* cool, AJ."
Applejack looked up and saw that Rainbow Dash's rose eyes were open. Applejack almost shreiked with joy after she realized that it wasn't her eyes messing with her.
"RD! You're ok!", she quietly exclaimed.
"Yeah, I guess so. Where are we?"
"My best bet is the basement. Can you untie me?"
"Yeah just move a little closer."
Rainbow Dash tried to untie Applejack, but she also failed. Applejack tried to untie Rainbow Dash, and she had much better luck, apparently who ever tied this knot was in a hurry or was too inexperienced to tie a proper knot.
Rainbow Dash got up slowly, stretched a little, and searched around the room for something to help Applejack with. She returned soon with a brown handled steak knife she found in a box. She carefully cut the ropes that were holding Applejack's hooves. Soon Applejack was able to stand up and she moved around. She looked down at her forehooves and grimaced at the sight of the section of them that was nearly rubbed raw by her strugling. Applejack suddenly remembered the photograph she saw upstairs.
"Hey Rainbow Ah found a picture upstairs.", she whispered.
'Yeah and?"
"The picture was of the last Apple Family Reunion."
"How did Donut Joe get a hold of that?"
"Ah don't..."
She was cut short by the sound of hoofsteps over head. She and Rainbow Dash hid in the room and prepared to fight the captor. The door opened slowly and somepony slowly came down the stairs. As the unknown figure reached the bottom of the stairs Applejack and Rainbow Dash sprung their ambush.
"Guys it's me!", Spike almost shouted as he was tackled to the ground by Rainbow Dash.
"Spike! Yer ok!", Applejack silently exclaimed.
"I think he left.", Spike said.
"What? Why?", Applejack asked.
"I don't know. He was mumbling something about 'getting the others'. I did follow him for a bit though.", Spike explained.
"Which way did he go?", Applejack asked.
"He went further up the road."
"The others?", Rainbow Dash said more to herself than anypony else.
Applejack took a step towards her friends and said, "Guys it's time to huddle up. We're going to need help with this. It's starting to get to dangerous."
"But we have to stop him from getting the others.", Spike said.
Applejack thought about it for a minute and said, "Spike, you go into town if its safe, and grab the Seeds. Rainbow and Ah will stay here and search the house some more."
Spike gave a little salute and headed off in the direction of the stairs.
Applejack turned towards Rainbow Dash and said, "Ah think it's best if we stick together this time."
Rainbow Dash nodded and the two of them turned towards the stairs. They began walking up and found that the door led them into the dining room. Applejack motioned for Rainbow Dash to follow her to the bedroom she was in earlier. She searched through her bag and pulled out a match. Applejack struck the match on the door frame and she spotted a candle on a nearby dresser. She lit the candle with her match and the room overflowed with the dim flickering light.
She walked over to where she had found the photograph before and found it on the floor. She sat the candle down and picked the picture up with her mouth and gently placed it on the bed. Rainbow Dash grabbed the candle and brought it closer to the photograph. The two mares gazed in horror at the phototghraph, for all the little fillies on it had been circled. Applebloom was the only filly that had an X marked through her circle.
"What the...?", Rainbow Dash uttered.
Applejack looked at the picture and her anger rose to levels she had never felt before. Rainbow Dash noticed this and knew that turning him in was, now absolutely, never going to happen.
Rainbow Dash put her hoof on her friend's shoulder and said, "Let's get him."
The two mares jumped when the front door flew open.
"Where is he!", a voice cried out.
Applejack poked her head out of the the room and saw the Seeds standing in the dining room, except for Babs.
Applejack ran down the stairs and asked in a hurried voice, "Where's Babs?"
She's at a friend's house why?", Ms. Seed asked.
Applejack presented them with the photo. The two Seeds glared at the photo for a while.
"What are we going to do?", Mr. Seed asked with tears of anger in his eyes.
"We finish this tonight.", Applejack said grimly.
Everypony in the room just stared at her. They knew what it meant, but hey all slowly agreed that she was right. This all had to end tonight.
The plan was simple, yet elegant. They were going to wait for Donut Joe and the others to return and ambush them. Rainbow Dash was going to attack high while everyone else attacked low except for Spike whose job was tying them up.
"Everypony understand the plan?", Applejack asked while looking around at all the faces of her fellow conspiritors.
Every one of them nodded their head yes, and took their places. They waited for Donut Joe and his gang to arrive patiently. Spike waited behind the door, Applejack was hiding in the dark hallway, Rainbow Dash hovered above the door, and the Seed's just waited in the dining room out in the open, and so they waited and waited.
Finally Spike in a spit of boredom said, "What if he doesn't come back?"
Applejack walked out of the darkness of the hallway and said, "Oh, he's comin' back. He wouldn't just leave us here with him knowing that we're on to him now."
"Rainbow Dash decended to the floor and asked, "Where do you think he went?"
"I don't know, he said he was getting the others.", Spike said.
"What if he didn't mean that he was getting his friends?", Ms. Seed asked.
Everyone gasped in unison with this sudden realization.
"He's goin' after one of the children! We have to find him!", Applejack said as dread filled her.
She began to pace back and forth. She realized that Babs was his obvious target.
'Why did he go that way? Babs is in town.', Applejack thought to herself.
Suddenly it hit her, "He knew he was bein' followed!", she shouted.
Every last one of the coconspiritors gave Applejack a questioning glance.
"He's here for Babs! He knew he was being followed, so he went in the opposite direction to throw us off!", Applejack hurriedly explained.
Applejack grabbed Spike in her mouth and tossed him onto her back, as everyone in the room began to run out the door at once. They had to get back to Manehattan in a hurry. They ran through the darkness of the night with panic gripping their souls.
"If he lays a single hoof on my daughter, I swear I'll...", Mr. Seed shouted into the darkness before going silent, as if to hide his intent.
After a while the city came into sight.
"Where is she?", Applejack asked.
"She is at her friend's house on Mustang Ave.!", Ms. Seed gasped through her ragged breathes.
"Which way?", Rainbow Dash asked.
"It's two streets up and to the left, third house on the right!", Mr. Seed said.
Rainbow Dash flew with impressive speed as she zoomed through the street. She followed the directions of Mr. Seed to the T. She stopped in front of a dark home that had no lights on inside. Rainbow Dash knocked on the door lightly and it slowly creeked open and Rainbow Dash peered inside. The first thing she saw was two ponies tied together in the middle of the room.
The rest of the group arrived and saw Rainbow Dash frozen in place in front of the door. Everypony feared the worst. Everyone flowed into the house and saw what had frozen Rainbow Dash. Applejack ran over to the ponies and removed the gags in their mouthes.
"Where are the children?", Ms. Seed asked.
"He... he took them.", the stallion said in a state of disbelief.
"Where did he take them? Do ya'll know?", she asked.
"N...no, we don't. He only said that they had to find someplace more 'private'.", the mare said as she burst into tears.
Applejack looked back at the others in the group. She then narrowed her eyes at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash gave a salute and took to the air. She flew up as high as she could and prayed that she would see any sign of them. Her eyes trailed the streets and alleys, but she didn't see anything.
She flew back down to the group and reported what she saw.
"Wha? But, but how? He couldn't have gotten to far ahead of us. Are you sure you saw nothing RD?", Applejack asked.
"Yes Aj, I'm sure, there was nothing out there.", Rainbow Dash stated glumily.
"The sewers...", Mr. Seed whispered to himself.
He turned around and bolted out of the door. Applejack was hot on his tail with the others.
"What do you think yer doin'?", Applejack shouted to him.
"He's in the sewers!", Mr. Seed shouted back.
The rage within Applejack surged up once more as she redoubled her strength to go on. She badly wanted to curl up and cry, but her quest for revenge was much stronger than her will to break down and lose herself in her emotions. Applejack steeled herself and pushed forward into the uncertain future. As the group approached the nearest ponyhole Applejack tried once again to calm herelf to no avail. She wanted blood. She wanted him to feel the same pain she felt. She wanted revenge.
Applejack was the first to desend into the darkness of the sewers. As she reached the bottom she called up for the others.
"Come on down ya'll. We have to hurry."
Soon everypony and Spike were in the dark passage way. Spike found a small torch on the wall and lit it so they could have some light, and the group pushed onwards. After a while the group stumbled onto a Y in the path. The lrft tunnel was completely dark, where as the other tunnel had light at the end of it.
Applejack motioned that everyone should go into the right tunnel, and then she lifted her hoof to her mouth and 'SHHH'ed everypony. The group nodded and Applejack silently walked into the tunnel with the group following closely behind her.
As they walked further into the tunnel Applejack began to hear a voice at the other end, "I like things that taste sweet and," a deep inhale, "you both smell like you'll taste sweet."
She had heard enough. Applejack charged forward with all of her speed. She came into a room at the end of the tunnel and spotted Donut Joe holding a bound and gagged Babs up with his magic, her legs were spread and tears flowed from her eyes.
She ran up to a very surprized Donut Joe, and connected her hoof with his jaw. Babs fell from his magical grasp and into the hooves of Rainbow Dash. Applejack began stomping the male unicorn that she dropped with one lick, until Spike rushed over.
"Applejack! Stop!", he shouted, "If you want him to go on trial anytime soon, you can't hurt him to badly!"
Applejack turned towards Spike and said in a tone bordering on hysteria, "Who said anything about a trial? I say we end this now!" She raised her hoof up and aimed it at his head.
She brought it down with all of the force she could muster, but instead of hearing a satisifying crunch, there was silence. She looked down and saw that she above the ground, and she felt hooves wrapped around her chest.
"Let me go RD, I'm warning ya!", she shouted angrily.
"AJ, I can't do that! We have to do the right thing here! We have to hand him over to the guard!", she shouted back.
Applejack began to struggle with her friend. She started elbowing, wriggling, even biting, and eventually she broke free from Rainbow Dash. Appljack once again charging the now tied up Donut Joe with bloody intentions.
As she reached him she felt something smash into her right side. Applejack flew through the air and struck the wall hard. The room began to spin, and the darkness over powered her.
When Applejack reopenned her eyes, she found herself inside the Seed's home. She sat up and saw that Mr. and Ms. Seed were speaking to a Royal Guard in the kitchen. Rainbow Dash and Spike were curled up in the living room in front of the lit chimney.
"Oh trust me mam, he'll never see daylight again.", the guard said.
Rainbow Dash openned her eyes and yawned, "Hey so you're awake? Are you feeling okay?"
Applejack rubbed her head, "Yeah Ah think so. What happened?", she asked as she found a bump on her head, and flinched from the pain.
"You went a little crazy back there. So I kind of... knocked you out.", she said with a sheepish grin.
"Ah'm sorry ya'll saw me act like that. Ah just... Ah don't know... Ah thought it would make me feel better to just... you know... rid the world of him." Applejack glanced at the clock which read five o'clock, "But ya'll were right. He needs to go on trial."
"Hey don't worry about it AJ.", Rainbow said quietly as she laid her head back down, "And AJ?"
"Yeah RD?"
"If you guys ever need any help down at the farm, just let me know, okay?", Rainbow said as she closed he eyes again.
"Thanks RD.", Applejack said as she yawned. She laid her head back down and closed her eyes, and slowly, she drifted off to sleep.
She began to dream soon after falling a sleep. She dreamed she was back at Sweet Apple Acres playing with Applebloom. The Seeds heard soft sobs coming from the living room, so Ms. Seed excused herself from the table that the guard, her husband, and herself were sitting at. She walked into the living room to find Applejack softly crying and smiling in her sleep. She bent down and softly kissed her niece on the cheek and silently thanked her for saving her little filly.
As she pulled back from the little peck she could have sworn she heard Applejack say, "Ah'll see you again someday sis, Ah love you."