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PrincessApplejack

Thread 83: Stories 1-15

Jul 6th, 2015
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  1. https://archive.moe/mlp/thread/23520799
  2. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  3.  
  4. Non-Canon
  5. >Pinkie
  6. "Discord"
  7. ~~~~~
  8. >Welcome to Not Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content does matter, but-
  9.  
  10. "Oh cut that out and get to the-"
  11.  
  12. >Hey, don't interrupt my routine. It's what I'm suppose to do.
  13.  
  14. "Oooh, to think I was in the same story with an OC and they had to go and have a fuss. This is how long I've been in the notepad by the way."
  15.  
  16. >They had a few points.
  17.  
  18. "Oh spare me the excuses. They just like their little pet characters and ignore the actual characters."
  19.  
  20. >They've been talking about punishing you.
  21.  
  22. Discord swims in the air.
  23. "So they think they can punish me? Really? That's cute. At least, I'm getting under their skin."
  24.  
  25. >Discord, you shouldn't be so mean to them. They mean well and are trying to make things better.
  26.  
  27. "Don't suck up to them. They're the real monsters here pretending to be gods. They think they can render judgement to who they don't like."
  28.  
  29. >To be fair you do cause quite a bit of chaos and avoiding repercussion. They don't like karma Houdinis.
  30.  
  31. "Blaming the snake for having fangs?"
  32. Discord takes a seat.
  33.  
  34. "Nah, I'd rather float here just fine. Thank you."
  35.  
  36. >Come on. At least he's giving you spotlight. You could at least work with him.
  37.  
  38. "I'd rather show how much power we actually exert on each other. Which is none. Someone has to stand up to them."
  39. Pinkie gives an eye roll. Also please don't bring me into this.
  40.  
  41. >Do we really have to flex muscles at each other? You're acting childish.
  42.  
  43. "Says the pink random party pony."
  44.  
  45. >I'll have you know I-
  46.  
  47. 'WHY IS THOUST STILL HERE! WE DID THE SHIP! NOW GET OUT OF OUR DREAM!'
  48.  
  49. >Geez everypony is interrupting me this episode.
  50.  
  51. "...you're shooting inside her dream?"
  52.  
  53. >The camera equipment was already here! I didn't feel like moving stuff to your dream.
  54.  
  55. "Old lady Luna is awake! Cheese it!"
  56. Luna wakes up and rubs her forehead.
  57.  
  58. '...we'd appreciate it if they didn't use the dreamworld as their playground.'
  59.  
  60. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  61.  
  62. NC
  63. >Applejack
  64. "Celestia"
  65. ~~~~
  66.  
  67. >Hey, Tia? Got a question.
  68.  
  69. "Is that really the time for this!?"
  70.  
  71. >It's a quick'un.
  72.  
  73. "Fine! What!?"
  74.  
  75. >What color is yer' skull.
  76.  
  77. "..Wha?"
  78.  
  79. >SKULLBUCKIN' TIME!
  80.  
  81. "NO APPLEJACK NO!"
  82.  
  83. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  84.  
  85. ~~~~~~
  86.  
  87. "Applejack? I'm gonna need you to give me that now, thank you."
  88.  
  89. The room was awash with questions, confusion, demands and even a threat or two. But, through it all, the Queen of the changelings remained oblivious to their cries.
  90.  
  91. All of her attention was focused, driven in like a pike holding a railroad track down, laser like and focused. Focused in not on the pony that stood before her, but the item balanced on her hoof.
  92.  
  93. The item that, though she had forgotten what they were, held the secrets to Titan power, and... the Hivemind? It was fuzzy. She remembered saying something about the Hivemind, but whenever she tried to focus on what that meant she saw nothing but a blank space in her mind.
  94.  
  95. Internally, she cursed to herself for being that damn good.
  96.  
  97. "Just give it right... here..."
  98.  
  99. Perhaps, had she not been so focused on that orb, that shining red and green sphere, she would have noticed.
  100.  
  101. Noticed when, the moment she reached out to take it, something in Applejack shifted, changed, became... different.
  102.  
  103. She didn't notice the change.
  104.  
  105. She DID notice when Applejack spun around on her hooves and laid one hell of a buck right under her chin.
  106.  
  107. Today was not Chrysalis's day.
  108.  
  109. "APPLEJACK!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
  110.  
  111. "So, THAT'S why ya' want this here thing, do ya'!? More of yer' gaddang secrets and lies!? Ya' know, Ah' ALMOST thought maybe ya' had changed just a little bit, but here we go again!"
  112.  
  113. How in the world Shining Armor, being so much shorter than her, caught her before she hit the ground and held her even she had no idea.
  114.  
  115. She wasn't complaining.
  116.  
  117. Well, about the catching thing. Jaw thing hurt like nobodies business.
  118.  
  119. "A-Applejack!? What... what's is that thing?"
  120.  
  121. "This right here?"
  122.  
  123. Those strange, unusually strong eyes looked almost hungry, famished even, as she looked at it.
  124.  
  125. "This has got... it's got all her secrets. Includin'... HOLY FUCK!"
  126.  
  127. She looked like she was going to vomit, just straight up toss her apples.
  128.  
  129. "THAT'S HOW YA'LL BECOME QUEENS!? THAT'S HOW YA' DO IT!? YA'-WHA-BUH-... YOU AIN'T NORMAL! YOU AIN'T RIGHT! Sweet apple FUCK CHRYSALIS! Does that mean ya'... ya'... TA' YER MOM!?"
  130.  
  131. The room became deathly silent as Chrysalis nursed her jaw, popping it back into place slowly and deliberately before speaking again.
  132.  
  133. "...Yeeeahhh, I'm gonna need you to give me that orb, right now."
  134.  
  135. "Not a gad danged chance! Ya' think Ah'd put this in yer' hooves you... you MURDERER!?"
  136.  
  137. Those in the know winced.
  138.  
  139. So, in short, everyone except Shining Armor, Twilight, Forty Two and the unconscious Cadence were left completely shocked, and confused.
  140.  
  141. "AH'M NOT LETTIN' YA'LL TOUCH THIS HERE MAGIC! Ya'll think Ah'd really let YOU get that there Titan stuff!? Ya'll don't deserve it! Ah' wouldn't trust ya' with a dang party popper now! Ah'm gonna take this here thing and... and Ah'm gonna put it ta' REAL use! Ta' good use! Make it so somethin' like this actually helps ponies fer' ONCE! Iffin' Ya'll got a problem with that, ya'll can kiss mah' cutie mark and go right ta' Tartarus, WHERE YA' BELONG!"
  142.  
  143. The room, without it's loud and bombastic shouting provided by the Apple Princess, fell back into that same chilled, uneasy silence.
  144.  
  145. "...I'm going to start hitting you now... I don't know when I'll stop."
  146.  
  147. "CHRYSALIS NO-"
  148.  
  149. Too late.
  150.  
  151. Flames surrounded her.
  152.  
  153. She vanished.
  154.  
  155. Appeared behind Applejack with hoof poised to strike...
  156.  
  157. And then got bucked right into the ceiling.
  158.  
  159. "...Note to self, do not attack from behind."
  160.  
  161. "Any attacks just gonna be as worthless as ya'll are ya' damn bloody mu-"
  162.  
  163. Then it was Applejack's turn to hit the ceiling, propelled by an emerald magic she never saw coming.
  164.  
  165. It didn't let go.
  166.  
  167. "CHRYSALIS!"
  168.  
  169. Strangely... Applejack seemed unbothered.
  170.  
  171. "...Gonna have ta' do a lot more than that, ya' damn bug monster."
  172.  
  173. "...Challenge accepted."
  174.  
  175. They all cried for the fighting to stop.
  176.  
  177. ...It didn't.
  178.  
  179. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  180.  
  181. >Dash
  182. "Twilight"
  183. 'Pinkie'
  184. [Celestia]
  185. {SA}
  186. (FS)
  187. ~~~~~~
  188.  
  189. One would think a literal mob of ponies could keep the pair separated just by physically holding them back.
  190.  
  191. One would be wrong.
  192.  
  193. >WELL! This isn't representative of anything!
  194.  
  195. "DASH NOT NOW!"
  196.  
  197. 'No! She's right! It's like... a metaphor, but in life!... A Liveaphor? Meta life?... Nah, they're shameless enough... friggen using Cashews characters...'
  198.  
  199. >Wait, why are you holding back Chrysalis? Aren't you normally with Applejack?
  200.  
  201. {She's bigger.}
  202.  
  203. (That makes sense.)
  204.  
  205. "YOU COULD HELP YOU KNOW, FLUTTERSHY!"
  206.  
  207. (I could also accidentally turn you all into octopi if I touch you.)
  208.  
  209. "Applejack will you PLEASE STOP PUNCHING ME!"
  210.  
  211. >This is why I picked the top, no hooves up here- TEEEETH! TEETH TEETH TEETH TEETH!
  212.  
  213. "EVERYTHING WAS GOING SO WELL!"
  214.  
  215. '...Leave the jokes to me, Twilight...'
  216.  
  217. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  218.  
  219. >CE guard
  220. "CE Guard 2"
  221. ~~~~~
  222.  
  223. >...So, what do you think they're doing in there?
  224.  
  225. "Probably debating, political back and forth, maybe a tearful reunion or two, pretty boring stuff."
  226.  
  227. >Yeah, not exactly a lot of chances for action in there.
  228.  
  229. "Right? Even if she tried she'd get nuked in, like, one shot."
  230.  
  231. >I don't even know why we're stationed here.
  232.  
  233. "Because Eighteen is thorough about us protecting 'Shiny'."
  234.  
  235. >Does she really call him that?
  236.  
  237. "All. The. Time."
  238.  
  239. >...Lucky him.
  240.  
  241. "Yeah, she's a hell of a mare."
  242.  
  243. >And still tapping the Princess too... what kinda training do I have to go through to get some of that?
  244.  
  245. "You had to beat up a giant changeling. Sorry, you missed your shot."
  246.  
  247. >My regret is everlasting.
  248.  
  249. "...So, uh... it's not gay if they LOOK like mare, right?"
  250.  
  251. >Dude, just stop.
  252.  
  253. "I'm just saying! If they look like a mare during, what's gay about that? Clearly the one on top is still attracted to a mare, or they wouldn't look like that, right!?"
  254.  
  255. >Just accept it.
  256.  
  257. "It's not gay!"
  258.  
  259. >...Seriously?
  260.  
  261. "...My parents are going to disown me..."
  262.  
  263. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  264.  
  265. ~~~~~
  266.  
  267. The room beneath the Crystal Castle contained some of the most powerful, most influential, and downright most important beings who had ever lived. Leaders, fighters, rulers, beings of unbridled power.
  268.  
  269. Yet, if an outsider had been looking in, they would swear that they had been replaced by a kindergarten class.
  270.  
  271. A very violent one.
  272.  
  273. "GRAAAGGHHHHHH!"
  274.  
  275. Dash, Pinkie, Spike and Rarity found themselves bowled over as Applejack was used in a manner more suited to a bowling ball than a princess, rolled via magic into them with very little regard.
  276.  
  277. She took it in stride, stomping to her hooves the instant she finished rolling and charging with reckless abandon over the bodies of her friends, and straight through her other friends.
  278.  
  279. Twilight, Celestia, Fluttershy and Forty Two were so focused on keeping Chrysalis in check, they had no time at all to react before she ran up behind them like a maddened bull and sent them flying with uncontainable, uncontrollable magic.
  280.  
  281. Her rage, however, only appeared unstoppable. She felt her momentum come to a screeching halt mere seconds after the sensation of her horn being slipped into the hole in Chrysalis's leg.
  282.  
  283. Like holding up an impertinent, angry radish, Applejack was dangled in front of the raging Queen like a child.
  284.  
  285. "You know, at some point, I think I'm going to start enjoying hitting you... I'll tell you when."
  286.  
  287. Her hoof cocked back, shot forwards...
  288.  
  289. And did nothing but cut through the air.
  290.  
  291. "...Wait a minu-GAHHHHH!"
  292.  
  293. The ground beneath her shattered as something landed hard on her back, hind legs holding way more power than they should pressing down on her like a strike from heaven.
  294.  
  295. No retaliation could be made, she was already gone.
  296.  
  297. "S-SHE CAN TELEPORT!? SINCE FUCKING WHEN COULD YOU TEL-"
  298.  
  299. A fireball cut off her shocked cries, and likely the ones of pain that would follow as well.
  300.  
  301. "SINCE FUCKING WHE-"
  302.  
  303. The beatings began again.
  304.  
  305. She didn't know when they would stop.
  306.  
  307. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  308.  
  309. >Pommel
  310. "Daw"
  311. ~~
  312.  
  313. "Mmm... mornin'."
  314.  
  315. >Morning... or afternoon, most likely.
  316.  
  317. "Heh, time flies... weren't ya' supposed to be going with the princess to see that bitch that smashed the shiny place?"
  318.  
  319. >...OH SHIT! OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT!
  320.  
  321. "You think she's gonna miss you?"
  322.  
  323. >...Nahhh, on second thought? That's the problem, it's not a big deal.
  324.  
  325. "Not like you're missing anything."
  326.  
  327. >It's fiiine.
  328.  
  329. "...Round three?"
  330.  
  331. >So down for round three.
  332.  
  333. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  334.  
  335. Non-Canon
  336. >Pinkie
  337. "Twilight"
  338. ~~~~~
  339. >Welcome to Not Late Night /pa/ with your host Pinkie Pie! It's during this time that content does matter, but A CURSE ON ALL YOUR HOUSES! Now for our main guest...TWILIGHT!!!
  340. Audience applause
  341.  
  342. "Hi everypony."
  343.  
  344. >I'm hungry and I have an edible candle. It's raining and the hay is getting wet, but there's an Apple shaped building nearby. What should I do? I really could use your logic here.
  345. Pinkie smacks Twilight awake before she could answer. Twilight wakes up in a daze.
  346.  
  347. "Okay no problem. Just put the hay in the apple and eat the candle."
  348.  
  349. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  350.  
  351. ~~~~~~
  352.  
  353. "GIVE IT TO ME!"
  354.  
  355. "OH! AH'LL GIVE IT TA' YA ALRIGHT!"
  356.  
  357. The whole castle shook with the kickback of the missed blow, much like Applejack herself shook when the follow up strike very much did not miss.
  358.  
  359. "HAH!"
  360.  
  361. With this, her one moment of weakness, Chrysalis could finally reach out, and-
  362.  
  363. BLAM!
  364.  
  365. "...WHAT THE FUCK, SPIKE!?"
  366.  
  367. She nursed her singed hoof, one that, had she not been sporting bulletproof chitin, would probably have another hole inside of it right now in addition to the many others.
  368.  
  369. In response, Spike just re-cocked his gun, and squared it right at her.
  370.  
  371. "Is... is this somehow surprising to you?"
  372.  
  373. "Yes! You're supposed to help ME get the orb from HER you idiot!"
  374.  
  375. "..why would I possibly do that, according to Applejack, it has a lot of secrets, and immediately after looking at it she felt like beating the crap out of you, and you apparently murdered someone... yeah, at what point did this sound like 'we're going to help you get your orb back'? Sounds to me like she should-"
  376.  
  377. "OH FUCK NO!"
  378.  
  379. The sound of chitin on scale was almost as painful sounding as the one of scale on floor.
  380.  
  381. Forty Two didn't really care about the distinction, she just started hammering away in rapid succession until he was, at least, several inches deep in floor.
  382.  
  383. "Don't you fucking point that fucking weapon at her you little-"
  384.  
  385. "SPIKEY WIKEY!"
  386.  
  387. She was not trained in combat magic, not even a little.
  388.  
  389. But, if nothing else, gaining wings had given her one hell of a jumpkick.
  390.  
  391. "Will everyone please calm down before we-"
  392.  
  393. Celestia's pleads for peace were not met with agreement, as she had hoped.
  394.  
  395. Instead, they were met with, well...
  396.  
  397. Wifetoss.
  398.  
  399. Applejack and Celestia edition.
  400.  
  401. Unfortunately, there was no way to convert score between Sombra and Chrysalis.
  402.  
  403. But Applejack probably won with that bullseye.
  404.  
  405. "...I'm starting to think things are getting a little out of hoof."
  406.  
  407. Beneath her, Chrysalis just gave a single, baleful eye, and glared.
  408.  
  409. "Oh no... the party is just starting..."
  410.  
  411. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  412.  
  413. >Sombra
  414. "Spike"
  415.  
  416. >Ah, young dragon, I see you've found your way into my diorama room.
  417.  
  418. "Blrugh..."
  419.  
  420. >And it appears you have a concussion, fantastic. Did some kind of strange bout of sparring break out above? Mayhaps in the face of young Sunset's recovery you've all decided to cavort like babes?
  421.  
  422. "Glrrghgl..."
  423.  
  424. >Yes, quite interesting...a particularly heated game of monopony?
  425.  
  426. "Hrkgh..."
  427.  
  428. >Parcheesi?
  429.  
  430. "..."
  431.  
  432. >Oh bugger it all, I'll find out for myself...and DON'T drool on my scale model of Marethon or you're paying for the paint!
  433.  
  434. "Nngh..."
  435.  
  436. With a whoosh he went to enter the room above.
  437.  
  438. "...he's weirdly good with detailing those things..."
  439.  
  440. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  441.  
  442. NC
  443. >42
  444. "Rarity"
  445. ~~~~
  446.  
  447. >You have tarnished my honor!
  448.  
  449. *Lightning bolt strikes in the background!*
  450.  
  451. "You have hurt the one I love..."
  452.  
  453. *Sakura leaves start falling*
  454.  
  455. >Then there can only be one recourse... BATTLE!
  456.  
  457. "Hrmph! If that is what it takes."
  458.  
  459. ~ROUNDO 1, FIGHT!~
  460.  
  461. >YAHHHHHHH!
  462.  
  463. "HIYAAAAAA!"
  464.  
  465. ....
  466.  
  467. *slapslapslapslapslapslap*
  468.  
  469. "OW Not so hard!"
  470.  
  471. >A warrior does not hold ba-OWIE! You hit the hooftip! That's just low!
  472.  
  473. "EEEEE!"
  474.  
  475. >EEEEEEEE!
  476.  
  477. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  478.  
  479. >Celestia
  480. "SA"
  481. 'Spike'
  482. ~~~
  483.  
  484. >Leave mt guard behind, you said. This is personal, you said. We should handle this, you said...
  485.  
  486. "I'M SORRY!"
  487.  
  488. >You owe me such a back rub..
  489.  
  490. 'You jerk! YOU TOOK MAH JAWB! I HAVE SO LITTLE THINGS I'M GOOD AT!'
  491.  
  492. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  493.  
  494. ~~~~~
  495.  
  496. "Is it just me, or is Applejack way smarter than she used to be?"
  497.  
  498. "DASH!"
  499.  
  500. "I'm serious, watch."
  501.  
  502. And watch both the pegasi and purple alicorn did, watched as Celestia tried to stomp up to demand that she quit, only to stand on a tile and be launched clear across the room.
  503.  
  504. At least, to her credit, Applejack had the decency to shout out-
  505.  
  506. "THAT WAS FER' CHRYSALIS YA' NINNY!"
  507.  
  508. -To the alicorn's flying form.
  509.  
  510. It didn't mean much to her.
  511.  
  512. "See? When does Applejack use traps?"
  513.  
  514. "...Well, I mean, I'm sure she knows how to make them to capture stuff eating her crops."
  515.  
  516. "Okay, so since when could she do that?"
  517.  
  518. A flash of teleportation, a sudden vanishing, and then she was throwing blades of ice to and fro.
  519.  
  520. "Maybe she has been practicing, and we're all just jerks who didn't notice?"
  521.  
  522. "Very possible. We have been kind of ignoring each other a bit too much. Still, I'm worried, that-"
  523.  
  524. Her hooves mashed together, catching the changelings horn in her grasp just before it could stab her. To the room's shock, she shoved back, the green flames on her horn dying out strangely as it was forced away, and with one movement she tossed the Queen clear into the ceiling.
  525.  
  526. "-doesn't seem like something Applejack would do."
  527.  
  528. "...Sooo, two possibilities. Either what she saw is so horrible she's breaking out fighting moves she never would on anyone else, or that orb thing is making her... well, not evil, just kinda smart and mean."
  529.  
  530. "..."
  531.  
  532. "What?"
  533.  
  534. "Uh... considering what she said, and that I know what she meant... fifty fifty."
  535.  
  536. "That bad?"
  537.  
  538. "Changelings are... unique."
  539.  
  540. "...So... should I help... Applejack?"
  541.  
  542. "I'd say no."
  543.  
  544. "...I'm going to help Applejack."
  545.  
  546. "Well, I guess you are the Element of Loyalty..."
  547.  
  548. ZAP!
  549.  
  550. "HEY!"
  551.  
  552. "Had to do it."
  553.  
  554. "FRIENDS DON'T ICE FRIENDS TO THE FLOOR!"
  555.  
  556. "I'm not the Element of Friendship, I'm MAGIC."
  557.  
  558. "...JERK!"
  559.  
  560. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  561.  
  562. ~~~~~~~~
  563.  
  564. "OW!"
  565.  
  566. At some point.
  567.  
  568. "OW!"
  569.  
  570. Chrysalis honestly had to wonder.
  571.  
  572. "OW!"
  573.  
  574. Exactly where it all went wrong.
  575.  
  576. "OW! OW! OW!"
  577.  
  578. It was probably, she mused, somewhere around the time she hadn't beating Applejack's head in with a rusty 4-iron.
  579.  
  580. That was probably the failing move, she reconciled.
  581.  
  582. "FOR! FUCKS! SAKE!"
  583.  
  584. For now, she was only left with the careful review of how exactly she was getting defeated so comically easily by someone she, by all accounts, should have easily been able to wipe the floor with, squeegee her dry, and then hang out like the old rag she didn't like before eventually deciding she hated it and just bought a new rag.
  585.  
  586. But that wasn't what was happening now!
  587.  
  588. Thanks to still being weak from coming out of the hospital, low on love thanks to a combination shield-breaker, intensive and invasive mind-surgery, reforming a shield that could contain memories, altering the magics of that shield to allow for a very complicated and intensive spell to be used freely, being shot, being punched, being drained, being assaulted with every element of nature, being drained AGAIN... long story short, she would have been better suited to fight if she had run a marathon through the land of punches.
  589.  
  590. That was totally a real place, Chitania told her so.
  591.  
  592. So, in hindsight, she shouldn't have been surprised that she was having more than the average amount of difficulty with her battle, and likely should have stepped back and let the far more friendly, well liked individuals in the room handle it.
  593.  
  594. ...But fuck that.
  595.  
  596. TITAN MAGIC.
  597.  
  598. Titan magic was so worth the fact her jaw was stinging something terrifying.
  599.  
  600. Not that she had a say in this matter.
  601.  
  602. For, of course, Applejack never really valued her opinion that much. She certainly hadn't before right now, and she certainly didn't care about her opinions while she was picking up the Queen by her tail, and arcing her up... and down. And up... and down. And up........ and down.
  603.  
  604. Extra hard on that last one.
  605.  
  606. So while she very much wished she could get up, show Applejack what for with a rousing punch to the head, and whatever other part she could get within reach, she was for the moment going to have to be content on just focusing on trying to stand up.
  607.  
  608. "...Ah've had it..."
  609.  
  610. Also, try not to focus on how very angry Applejack sounded right there.
  611.  
  612. "Ah've had it with you, and yer' secrets, and yer' crummy... everythin'. Do ya'll really think this is okay? How do ya'll live with yer'self when this kinda stuff is normal to ya'll!? How do ya' wake up every day thinkin', nah, this is fine, Ah'm fine. Nothin's wrong with me... ya'll were scary before, but now? Now Ah'm downright terrified."
  613.  
  614. That orb pulsed as she looked to it, clearly letting the thoughts, memories and experiences flow through her mind openly and without pause.
  615.  
  616. "...Ah'm gonna stop you. You, yer' changelings, all of 'em. Ah'm gonna stop 'em and make 'em normal. They're gonna have ta' live like everyone else! Gonna take those powers right away from them, and fer' once they're gonna have ta' be worthwhile!... But you? Yer' different. Yer... o' couse! It's cause'a you dang Queens, ain't it? Every one of ya'll is broken! Well, ya' ain't gonna be no more! Ah'm gonna make sure you don't get ta' use them fancy mindwhatsists on anyone else, ever again! Yer' disguises? GONE! Ya' gotta be open and honest Twenty Four Seven now, and Ah'm gonna beat ya' till it's true! Yer' done, Chrysalis! You, yer' changelings, all of them..."
  617.  
  618. She began to advance, and it became very, very obvious that shortly, she was going to be bouncing around again.
  619.  
  620. "...ya'll are gonna pay. Ah've got the power now. So long as Ah've got it, Ah' can win. Ya'll ain't touchin' this iffin' it's the last thing Ah' do! So go ahead, pull out whatever stops ya' got! Let's see iffin' ya' still have an ace in the hole!"
  621.  
  622. So, with all that against her, she very much hoped that it hit Applejack as hard as it could when she smirked.
  623.  
  624. Judging by the way she paused, it had.
  625.  
  626. "I've actually got plenty of aces left, in fact, buuuut I'm only going to need one."
  627.  
  628. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"
  629.  
  630. "Think she's talking about me."
  631.  
  632. It was like something out of a fairytale.
  633.  
  634. From beyond her sight, a white form skidding into place, putting themselves between the raging higher being and herself... ignoring the fact that she too was an ascended being, but nevermind.
  635.  
  636. A soldier, a prince, a hero!
  637.  
  638. ... A stallion who looked more 'really annoyed' than 'bravely heroic'.
  639.  
  640. "Okay, Applejack? It's time to stop this, now. You guys almost landed on Cadence three times already."
  641.  
  642. Oh, so that's what she felt herself bouncing off of.
  643.  
  644. She wondered about that.
  645.  
  646. "And, to be frank, Chrysalis doesn't deserve this, obviously she doesn't. Stop this right now, or else."
  647.  
  648. There, that should do it, that little bit of sanity should be all it takes for Applejack to stop and-
  649.  
  650. "Or. Else. What."
  651.  
  652. ....motherfucker.
  653.  
  654. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
  655.  
  656. ~~~~~~
  657.  
  658. What the fuck had happened to his life?
  659.  
  660. "Or else I'll probably have to do something very rash, is what the second part of that sentence was."
  661.  
  662. Shining Armor had many dreams over the course of his life. He wanted to be a director once, to film the stories he saw in his head. He wanted to be a farmer for a brief stint, just to break off from the more stuffy Canterlot elite. Then he just wanted to be a nice, average, everyday guard. Then he wanted to be captain of the guard. Then he didn't care what he was, so long as it was with Cadence.
  663.  
  664. He's probably still stuck on that last one, just with a "... and so and so and so" in there somewhere.
  665.  
  666. But, through all of his many, many dreams, one he had was very recent, and also one that, paradoxically, he kind of didn't want to see fulfilled. He wanted it to remain a secret shame of his, known by none save his own demons.
  667.  
  668. "...Shinin'? Either ya'll get outta' mah' way, or Ah'm gonna knock ya' right on yer rear."
  669.  
  670. It very well might change now.
  671.  
  672. "Yeah, I'm not going to do that."
  673.  
  674. "...Yer' sad, Shinin' Armor."
  675.  
  676. Scratch that, it was probably going to change now.
  677.  
  678. "Ah' mean... ain't ya' got any pride? Any sense o' self worth? After all she did ta' ya', after all she put ya' through and made ya' suffer through, yer' still gonna stand there like she's somehow worth savin', and yer' gonna try ta' stop me? What kinda' stallion are you?"
  679.  
  680. Huh. He had expected punches.
  681.  
  682. Hadn't expected this.
  683.  
  684. "Iffin' it was me? Ah'd never let somethin' like that slide. Ah'd never let anyone get away with doin' that ta' me. She almost ruins yer' whole life, she gets with ya' while lookin' like yer' fuckin' wife, and yer' just okay with that? Ah'd never forgive that, not ever, but yer' seriously okay with that... yer' sad, Shinin' Armor. Especially now that ya' know about-"
  685.  
  686. "I've know about that part for a very, very long time... I don't care."
  687.  
  688. Her eyes became... hard while looking at him. Very hard, very cold, very... very much like Chrysalis did at her very worst.
  689.  
  690. "And for your information, as to the... other thing. Well, that's not up to you to forgive, is it? It's up to me, and I forgave her and moved past it also a very, very long time ago. I don't care about that anymore, and I'm not going to. It happened, but it's over, and it's healed, and I'm not clinging to it anymore. What she was, what the changelings were, I don't care. I've left it behind, and I'm not holding onto it just because you are."
  691.  
  692. Many a night, Shining Armor had wondered if what he spoke were true. If, when he said he forgave her, he truly did, truly had moved past it and given up all the anger and resentment and shame.
  693.  
  694. But, to say it out loud like this... yeah, he supposed he had.
  695.  
  696. It would have been a relief if Applejack hadn't inexplicably grown more angry, the exact opposite of what he was hoping would happen.
  697.  
  698. She started to shake, actually shake with anger. That weird hue in her eyes throbbed for a moment, pulsated, fluctuated before settling in a dull green.
  699.  
  700. "...Fine. You wanna be that pathetic? That's yer' business, ain't mine. Only business Ah' got is a sad stallion in mah way, one Ah'm about to move Mah'self in a second here. Ain't gonna be too much of a problem, he lets everyone else walk all over him anyway. Ah' used ta' think he just needed ta' snap outta it... guess it's too late fer' that."
  701.  
  702. "...Applejack? Give me the orb, right now."
  703.  
  704. And that's when it happened.
  705.  
  706. That's when the dam broke.
  707.  
  708. That's when she'd had enough...
  709.  
  710. "AH' SAID MOVE!"
  711.  
  712. And smacked him right in the face.
  713.  
  714. "SHINY! APPLEJACK WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH-"
  715.  
  716. A white hoof silenced her.
  717.  
  718. Just like the slow way he turned his head back to the princess silenced her as well. His cheek stung, but he just didn't feel like nursing it right now.
  719.  
  720. "...Yeaaaahhhh... I could say I'm not going to like this, but you know what? I think, when you get right down to it, some part of me is a very petty, very childish little colt in a stallions body. I could say I'm not going to like this, but that would be a lie, a part of me is very much going to enjoy this."
  721.  
  722. "What in tarnation are ya'll-"
  723.  
  724. BLOOP!
  725.  
  726. She had no time to react before the bubble formed.
  727.  
  728. A small one, no bigger than a soccer ball... right over her head.
  729.  
  730. She had not time to react before she was lifted up by her head. She had no time to react before he reared back.
  731.  
  732. She had time to cry out in pain as one of his hind hooves stamped down on hers.
  733.  
  734. But not much before the first punch came. And then another... and another... and another...
  735.  
  736. Back in his 'wings' days, he had a little clown in his bottom drawer he so loved to inflate and just punch and punch and punch, satisfied it would always bounce off the ground and be right back up for more. That clown had barely lasted a minute before he popped it.
  737.  
  738. To her credit, if the screams were any indication, Applejack would last longer than that as she bounced off the ground over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.
  739.  
  740. "ENOUGH!"
  741.  
  742. She tried to punch back on an upswing.
  743.  
  744. But she, sadly unlike him, had not been training in hoof to hoof. So, thus, she was far less prepared when he caught her, spun around and flipped her over his broad shoulder, and clear into a pillar that she reduced to dust.
  745.  
  746. "...That was way more satisfying than it should have been. I feel bad for how satisfying that was."
  747.  
  748. "HAH! THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!"
  749.  
  750. "Not helping."
  751.  
  752. "Tell me she dropped the orb."
  753.  
  754. The rubble on top of her exploded outwards.
  755.  
  756. Their question was answered.
  757.  
  758. "...nope."
  759.  
  760. "Damn."
  761.  
  762. And Applejack was very... very..
  763.  
  764. Very angry.
  765.  
  766. "Tag team?"
  767.  
  768. "Oh my."
  769.  
  770. "Not the time."
  771.  
  772. "It is always the time."
  773.  
  774. "AH'M GONNA KICK YER' ASS!"
  775.  
  776. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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