Harmony Co.

Applejack stood inside Rainbow Dash´s little apartment. The whole place smelled of old food and beer. On a thin bed without a blanket lay Rainbow Dash sleeping, her back turned to Applejack and giving of a growly snore. Applejack shook up her shoulder. ”Wake up sugarcube.”

”Ngghhh...” Rainbow Dash shook her hand of.

”Oh, for fuck sake.” Applejack lost her patience and flipped the bed over. Throwing Rainbow Dash out on the floor.

”What the-“ She fumbled at her side trying to reach her guns before she remembered that she wasn´t even wearing the holsters. ”What is it AJ?” She rubbed her eyes with her forefinger and thump.

”We got an urgent delivery to take care of and since Oz is out, I could use an extra pair of guns.”

”Ugghh...” Rainbow Dash pressed her palm against her forehead.

”Hungover?” Applejack asked.

”Mhhhmm...” She looked at Applejack with dry eyes.

”Here.” She handed Rainbow Dash a bottle. ”Drink this.”

Rainbow Dash took one chug before she squirted it out. She frowned at Applejack. ”It just water!”

”And there is nothing better to quench thirst. Now drink up and we´ll go.”

Rainbow Dash growled at her and chugged down the entire bottle. “I´ll freshen up and meet you by the dock.” She stretched her arms above her head.

“Be there in five minutes. We´re heading to Saibai Island”

“Alright.”

Harmony laid in the water, the waves splashed against her hull, spraying white foam across the grey metal.

Applejack walked on board carrying a petrol can with her and started filling up. RD isn´t late yet. She turned the key and started warming up the engine.

“Ready to go?” Rainbow Dash asked behind her. “Hey where´s Flutters?”

“Deck below, doing an inventory on our cargo.” She looked over her shoulder. “Cast us of will ya?”

“No problem.”

Applejack could see Rainbow Dash throwing the cable from the bow of Harmony and she started pressing down the gas lever. Harmony responded by running away from the dock out into the open water.

She started rising her bow out of the water, the engine roared. Out the window Applejack could see splashes of foam and water rushing by as Harmony hit the waves. Applejack leaned back in the seat. She drew a slow sigh and looked at her watch.

09:12. we are making good time. Hope this job goes down without a hiccup.

“So what are we delivering anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Three grenade launchers with sixteen grenades, four RPG´s with ten rockets, twenty AK-47´s with magazines, four thousand bullets for the AK´s, twenty kevlar suits and two hundred cans of beans.” Applejack cited of the shipping list she read earlier that morning.

“Wow,” Rainbow Dash widened her eyes. “Are we equipping an army or something?”

“More or less. There is a rebel group out in the jungle on Saibai Island planning to go to war and they need some supplies.”

“Fighting for a cause,” Rainbow Dash let out a small chuckle. “What a bunch of fucking idiots.”

“Yeah,” Applejack nodded in agreement. “But these fucking idiots ordered a lot of junk to be delivered which means money in our pockets.”

“To right AJ.” Rainbow Dash leaned on the wall. “Got any idea what these rebels are fighting for?”

“They want to overthrow the current leaders of Papua New Guinea.” Fluttershy Answered has she walked out of the storage. Rainbow Dash was a little stunned by surprise but she continued. “Um… Apparently they want to unite the two regions that make up the island into one.”

“How come you know this?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“When we received the order I decided to look up the names of our customers. And when I did I found out pretty fast that they were using aliases. So I searched the news looking for any local ongoing war or a war in the making.
“So came upon the flying tigers, led by Coconut Dream, located on Saibai Island, they fled there after their latest attempt at overthrowing the government failed and now they have publicly announced that they are going to do it again. So I figured that they were the ones who ordered these weapons.”

“Impressive,” Applejack said. “Sure did your homework, Flutters.”

“Thanks.” Fluttershy answered with a slight blush.

While Rainbow Dash was sitting at the bow playing her harmonica and Fluttershy sat in the back smoking, Applejack put on her headset and listened to a cassette tape. She started singing along.

“See me ride out of the sunset.” She tapped her foot in rhythm with the drums. “On our color TV screen.” She knew her singing wouldn´t be heard by the others if she just kept her voice down. "Out for all that I can get. If you know what I mean.”

“Don´t you mess around. Cause I´m TNT. I´m dynamite.”

Applejack stopped singing along when she heard the distinct sound of the sonar beeping. Looking at the radar Applejack could see a two boats behind Harmony slowly approaching. Applejack put Harmony on autopilot, took a pair of binoculars and walked out.

Fluttershy was still smoking when she got out. Fluttershy gave her a puzzled look while she looked at the boats through the binoculars.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“I think we are being followed.” She carefully watched the boats, their armour, the crew and their weapons. Scouts. “Change that Flutters, we are being followed.”

“Can we out run them?”

“We are out in the open ocean, in the brightest time of day, carrying three tons of cargo. So no we can´t.” Applejack weighed her options. “We might be able to scare them of though. RD!”

“What?” Rainbow Dash climbed down from the bow.

“Get the L96A1 and see if you can´t take those scouts out or give them a good scare.”

“Sure.” Rainbow Dash walked below deck and came back with the sniper rifle. Applejack squatted down and Rainbow Dash leaned the muzzle on her shoulder. “What´s the distance?”

“Two thousand feet, no wind.”

“Alright.”

Applejack held her breath while Rainbow Dash adjusted the sight and took aim. The rifle barked and jumped back into Rainbow Dash´s shoulder. In the distance Applejack could see the boat on the right slowing down. The rifle barked again and the boat on the right stopped.

“That should stop them.” Rainbow Dash lifted the rifle of Applejacks shoulder.

“Let´s just hope that they don´t have friends.”

Back in the seat Applejack returned to her music, but this time she only tapped her foot and purposefully put one of the speakers next to her ear. Nervously she always kept an eye on the radar and another towards the horizon. In order to be more prepared she placed Rainbow Dash in the crow’s nest.

Harmony was a fast boat, but with the cargo they were carrying there was still another nine hours before they would reach Saibai Island.

She removed the headset and found her foot still shacking.

Fucking hell, Applejack thought. This still makes me nervous?

Four dots showed up on the radar.

“Applejack!” Rainbow Dash called over the coms. “We got incoming from the west!”

“Roger.” Applejack responded. She turned on the auto pilot and walked out. On the horizon four speedboats slowly started taking shape. “How are they armed, RD?”

“Machine guns placed on the front and reinforced hulls from what I can tell.” Rainbow Dash climbed down from the crow’s nest.

“Who are they” Fluttershy asked. “Why are they going after us?”

“They are Papua New Guineas army.” Applejack pointed at the flags waving from the boats. “They must have found out that the rebels were ordering new weapons.”

“It´s easier to shoot the messenger,” Rainbow Dash said. “Then to wait for your enemy to receive his mail.”

Applejack looked at the boats slowly growing on size.

“What do we do now?” Fluttershy asked.

“We fight. RD get ready for fight, flutters get below deck.” Applejack went below herself and fetched the sniper rifle.

Let´s see what their armor can take. Applejack leaned the muzzle on the edge of Harmony, causing her to squat down on order to adjust for the height. Taking two shoots on the biggest and one on the smallest she could see the bullets bouncing of the hull.

Tough guys, huh. Applejack walked into the cabin and sat down in the seat. Rainbow Dash was standing next to the controls, checking the sights on her desert eagles. “Get ready for a hard one, RD.”

She holstered her guns. “What´s the plan?”

Applejack climbed into the seat. “We buck down and let them get close, see if we can´t get them to do something stupid.”

She slowly turned down the gas leaver and watched the dots on the radar coming closer with each swipe of the scan. The smaller boats came up first, on each side of Harmony. Through the windows Applejack could see soldiers loading up the machineguns attached to the front of their boats.

“Hang of on to something!” Applejack shouted. The moment both soldiers pulled the triggers Applejack slammed the brake into the ground, stopping Harmony dead in her tracks and causing both of the hostile boats to fire at each other, killing both of the shooters.

Jackasses. Applejack released the break and steered to the boat on the right. “Take them out, RD.”

“Let´s dance, motherfuckers.” Rainbow Dash pulled out her guns and ran out. Out on the rear she was meet by four stallions trying to put out the fire spreading across their deck. She felt cocky and decided to jump over to the boat. Her boot smashed into one of the stallions faces, before she touched the ground she shoot the two stallions on her side. Once she landed she shoot the one at her feet. The last one stared at her as he fumbled for his weapon. Rainbow Dash smirked and smacked him in the head with the handle of her gun, as he recovered she kicked him in the chest so hard that he tipped of the boat.

Harmony came up in front of her. Rainbow Dash climbed onboard and meet Applejack in the seat. “Get a grenade to finish of the other one.” She ordered and turned the wheel around.

“Sure thing.” Rainbow Dash picked a small hand grenade out of their storage. On the rear she fired with her left hand to keep any of the remaining soldiers down, with her left hand she released the pin and started cooking the grenade.

“Take this you cock suckers!” The grenade exploded before it touched the deck. A pillar of black smoke rose from sparkling fire rising out of the boat.

“What´s next?” She asked Applejack.

“I´m gonna do a chicken race with the medium sized one heading right for us.” Applejack turned the boat to face the incoming boat. “Once he turns away, you shoot them with one of the grenade launchers.”

“Sure Harmony can take their gunfire?”

“Yeah, she can take it.”

“Alright,” Rainbow Dash walked below deck and returned with a grenade launcher. “Don´t think the costumer while be mad cause we used his launcher?”

“I think I prefer a pissed of costumer over a long swim home.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled and walked out. Applejack took a deep breath and pressed the gas down. She adjusted the steering too line up with the boat. The boat started rising out of the water heading right for them.

Come close, now. Applejack thought.

Light flashes started flying out of the machine gun, the water splashed in small tower and the sound of bullets hitting metal echoed through Harmony.

Come on, Come closer. Applejack rammed the gas leaver to its highest level. The glass in front of her got a scratch that grew into a crack reaching across the entire window. More cracks in the shape of spider webs started appearing on the windows.

Chicken out, already you piece of shit! The other boat was less then hundred fifty feet away when it took a sharp turn to the left. “Left!” Applejack yelled over the coms.

The boat came out on the left of Harmony, Rainbow Dash fired of the grenade launcher, sending grey smoke trails from the muzzle to the grenades. The boat was consumed by bright yellow-orange explosions. Only the fat one left. Rainbow Dash thought.

“What do we do about the last one?” Rainbow Dash asked Applejack.

“Well, we already used the grenade launcher. Get Flutters to help you assemble one of the RPG:s.”

“Roger.”

Fluttershy gave Rainbow Dash a stilted look. “Are we done?” She asked.

“No.” Rainbow Dash opened one of the crates containing an RPG. “We still got a fat bastard to blow up. Help me put this rocket launcher together.”

“Okay.” She opened a box containing the pointy grenade.

“Thanks.” Rainbow Dash screwed the grenade into the launcher. “Buck down and-“

“Stay of out trouble?” Fluttershy interrupted.

Rainbow Dash gave of a small chuckle. “Was gonna say; if you got any god or space wizard you believe in you may wanna send him a prayer.”

“I´ll just hope you don´t miss.”

Applejack took a look over her ship. Harmony´s hull was dented by the shoots and her windows where either cracked or gone. She can´t take much more.

“RPG´s ready.” Rainbow Dash said behind her, she had the RPG leaning against her shoulder.

“Good,” Applejack brushed of shards of glass from the control board. “We are gonna have to do some sick-sack in to get close.”

“Yeah, don´t we-“ Her face turned pale. “Rocket!”

Applejack looked out the window and saw a black dot with a white flare behind it. “Shit.” She grabbed the wheel and steered out of the rockets path. Moments after she avoided the rocket, a pillar of water rose and sprayed over harmony. Letting salty drops into the cabin.

“Ready?” Applejack whipped the water of her face.

“Let´s do this.” Rainbow Dash rose and walked out.

In response Applejack nodded and pressed down the gas. Harmony roared and lifted her bow. In order to make herself a harder target she made sharp turns until they were close enough for Rainbow Dash to shoot.

The rocket flew out of the tube, giving little kick to Rainbow Dash and leaving a line of brown-grey smoke behind the glowing outlet. The boat was to fat and slow to avoid the grenade and was consumed in black smoke. The explosion send a small wave over the water.

“Peck-a-boom, motherfuckers.” Rainbow Dash watched as the boat sank front-first. Bright-orange dancing flames reflected on the blue water.

“Good work, RD.” Applejack talked over the coms. “Now we deliver the cargo.”

Six hours of either boiling inside Harmony or frying outside her followed. Applejack wiped sweat of her forehead and drank a bottle of water they in the ships fridge. That was at least still working.

Rainbow Dash stood next her, drinking lukewarm beer. “Fucking hell it´s hot. Of all the shit that broke the ac had to be one of them?”

“I know.” Applejack took another chug. “Seems that Flutters is the only one managing.” Fluttershy was sitting out on the bow having her usual smoke. “I think even Oz would have problems in this damned baking oven my ship has turned into.”

“Oz would probably drag himself behind the boat and drink the damn salt water to cool off.”

“Probably.”

Rounding the edge of the island they were going by Applejack could see a small harbor in the center of the bay.

Closing in on the dock Applejack got more than a few looks because of the state of Harmony. Multiple dents and broken glass were over otherwise clean hull. She has seen better days. Applejack steered Harmony towards the place where they were supposed to meet their clients. Moments after docking a brown stallion wearing a white leather vest with an opening over his chest, exposing muscular stomach greeted them. On his head he wore a similar hat to Applejacks except his was white to match his vest and had a red ruby sewn in over his forehead, reflecting the sun in a crimson sheen. He was followed by three stallions all carrying SMG´s and flipped a coin with his right hand. He gave them a harsh look.

Must be Coconut Dream. Applejack thought.

“You are late.” He voice was deep like a drum yet Applejack could hear the sour bitterness in his tone.

“Ran into a bit of trouble along the way,” Applejack climbed onto the dock. “But rest assures we got the stuff you ordered and we even blew up some of the boats from the government you are trying to overthrow.”

He looked at her with narrow eyes, as if he was trying to find doubt in Applejack while still tossing the coin. The metallic cling of the coin being thrown and caught repeatedly annoyed Applejack. She was about the tell him to stop when.

“Hey, AJ.” Rainbow Dash laid her hand on her shoulder. “We are ready to load of the cargo.”

“Good tell Flutters to get the papers and collect pay while we offload.”

After lifting the last cargo off Harmony Applejack sat down on the bow and drank a cooled bottle of water. She had to brush of the shards of glass spread over the hull before sitting down. Rainbow Dash stood next her, leaning on Harmony and tapping her foot out of boredom. Fluttershy was still of with the Coconut Dream going over the paper work and collecting payment.

“How long do you think it will take?” Rainbow Dash played with a rubber band she found in her pocket.

“Not too long, I hope.” Applejack Answered. “Hopefully the payment of this job will break even with repairs we have to do on Harmony.”

Rainbow Dash shoot off the rubber band between her fingers. “So we busted our asses for nothing.”

She was about to answer when she saw Fluttershy walking towards them with dreary look on her face. “What´s wrong Flutters?”

“Uhm… Well Coconut Dream is refusing to pay.”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash shouted with a high pitched tone.

“What did he say?” Applejack felt her heart jumping to her throat.

“He said that he didn´t want to pay for used equipment.”

Oh, for fuck sake. “Let´s go talk to him.”

Coconut Dream was overlooking his bodyguards lifting the cargo onto a truck when Applejack and her crew walked up to him. He was still flipping his coin and didn´t see them coming. Applejack snatched the coin out of the air.

“My accountant says that you don´t intend to pay.” Applejack twirled the coin between her fingers. “That true?”

“Yes,” His red eyes narrowed. “I won´t give money for used weapons.”

“If we hadn´t used those weapons you wouldn´t have gotten them in the first place!” Applejack clutched the coin in her hand. Coconuts bodyguards stooped carrying boxes and turned to her.

“I don´t know where the hell you come from,” He roared at Applejack. “But if you deliver damaged goods here you don´t get paid!”

“So that´s how it is, huh? Alright.” Applejack turned her head and nodded to Rainbow Dash. She nodded in response.

Applejack tossed the coin in the air. Rainbow Dash drew her guns and shoot down the four body guards before any of them had a chance raise their guns. Applejack rammed her fist into Coconuts stomach, slammed him against the truck and whipped out her revolver.

“Listen here fuck face.” She growled and pressed the muzzle up under his chin. “I don´t like being screwed over, especially not when I have been fucked over.” Applejack pulled back the hammer. ”Now, You are gonna pay us every last bit we agreed on or I´ll send you back to your friends with two busted kneecaps and no hands.”

His face had turned pale and his eyes white. Drops of sweat formed on his forehead and ran down to his thin brows.

“Well?” Applejack asked. “What´s it gonna be?”

“I´ll pay.” He gasped out in one short breath.

“Good.” She removed the revolver. “RD collect the money. Flutters count it. We are leaving this place.”