Game Over

Applejack whimpered, wheezed and struggled to simply walk with her new Shieldmore. It wasn't like anything she had equipped before on her short life on this world.

Right now, the palomino had just discovered the small but quite important difference between common armor, and a Shieldmore.

The weight.

Her legs wavered and trembled under her, unaccustomed to carry such an amount of weight upon them, it was strange, she knew that she was strong, undoubtedly so. Without it, she could carry this piece of metal with ease, and don't even struggle.

But that sadly, was an illusion it seemed. And to her horror, it was where she found the second reason for why so many mares decided to ignore the Shieldmore route.

The thing consumed her magic by the gallons, and the more she struggled with it, the more heavy and demanding the armor seemed to be, which was why Heavy Hammer had warned her to not use it in combat.

Doing so would only end up badly. Incredibly, utterly and horribly bad. Dead bad.

Which was why she was practicing under the watchful eye of her mother, and Granny Smith.

“Go on, darling. I know you can... just endure it until the item upgrades itself...” Added Tangerine, while she sat on a comfortable chair, apparently her hooves were too sore at the moment after her little adventure on the town with her foals.

“Hoo-wee, Ah am mighty proud of ya, Applejack. There hasn't been a Tank female on our family since mah mother.” The green mare seemed quite enthusiast at the moment, “Ah tried it, but sadly couldn't pass ta third upgrade... Didn't have ta patience.”

That quickly captured the struggling palomino attention.

“T-third upgrade?”

Tangerine chuckled, literally chuckled at her daughter distress before she explained.

“Honey, you need to pass three upgrades before your Shieldmore becomes settled on you. The next level is harder than the other. This is to encourage many things, strength, which is obvious, magical quality, which would then refine the use of your magic to a finer detail so it would do much, for less. And lastly but not least important, endurance.”

Wheezing one last time, Applejack let the armor recede then fell to the ground, completely and utterly exhausted, she was also unconscious.

“Ah wonder if it was yar tale, or ta test what knocked her out...” A quick use of a restoration potion, had the young mare as good as new, or at least, conscious.

“This is harder than I thought...” Conceded the palomino, who then looked at her mother and quickly asked, “When did McIntosh had the chance to do this?”

“When your father took him to that 'male’s only' travel.”

“Why did you two give up on the Shieldmore?”

“Well honey, you see. We didn't had the patience.”

“And...?”

“And that's it... Ah barely reached ta second upgrade before Ah gave up. Didn't meant that Ah didn't had some benefits from ta experience, as Ah was faster and stronger. But ta third upgrade made ta other ones feel like the most easiest thing on ta world.” Rocking on her chair, the old mare chuckled lovingly at that, Tangerine nodding after hearing it.

“You need to understand, Applejack. That maybe being a Tank wouldn't fit your style... it certainly didn't fit any of us. But we at least tried it... your third upgrade will be taxing beyond belief, but if you manage to endure it. Then, congratulations, you're in the ten percent of the female population that could make it.” Again, the pregnant mare chuckled at her daughter expression. “Don't be so surprised, honey. That's the reason for why you don't see a Tank mare on the town. They aren't common, doesn't mean that there isn't another ways to also grown stronger.”

Applejack nodded at that, but her stubborn nature refused to admit any defeat.

“Ah will become ta first Tank mare of Ponyville!”

Tangerine, who cringed slightly at her accent just nodded then smiled... Granny Smith simply whistled loudly, as she celebrated her granddaughter choice. Though, both older mares still chuckled at how much the young mare struggled with her new chore.

XxX

With a rush of his body, Mac made a quick use of his ability to stun his enemies, hitting them on their bellies as quick as he could, knowing that if he remained still for too long, some of them might get a lucky shot that could change the flow of the battle toward them.

So he kicked, stomped and at one point even bit some of his opponents until only he remained on the field. His life bar incredibly low, but still away from the deadly red.

“That's an ugly brown there, son...” Said Jack Seed, as he quickly reset-ed the orchard as the trees had been too damaged on the battle to produce any worthwhile apples. It also prevented a new wave of enemies to swarm the now recovering colt, as he slowly consumed bottle after bottle of magical potions.

“Its better than the Apple red that I got on my first try.” Admitted McIntosh, as he knew that his first attempt to tackle this particular field alone, hasn't gone particularly well for him. “Mightily grateful for the save there, Dad. They took me by surprise.”

“Think nothing of it, son. It happens even to the best of us...” Looking at the sky, Seed gathered that they could at least take it easy for a few minutes, before they needed to tackle the next field. “Son, I might need to ask a mightily unpleasant question, and for that, my excuses.”

“Ask away pa.”

“Are you sure that you want to remain engaged to Applejack?”

“Mightily sure, Pa.”

“I know that you love her, Mac. She had been the Apple of your eyes since I could remember. But the route you're both taking is harsh, and full of displeasing things. Are you aware of it? Will you do your best to make of Applejack an honest mare?”

McIntosh pondered on what had been asked, and closed his eyes. He was already paying the price for his choice, but despite the pain that he had already suffered and also caused to Applejack, deep inside of him he knew that he had made the right choice.

“I'm sure, Pa. We might have been raised as brother and sister. But you can't escape nature, to some, our union might be unholy and unnatural. But shame for them, as their worries and opinions matter little to me. I love her Pa... like no brother should love his sister. To find that she reciprocates has been a relief and a blessing, and for her, I might even accept a Quest to Tartarus itself if needed...” Looking at the Stallion that had adopted him at the eyes, he also added: “I might even renounce the Apple name for her, that far I'm willing to go. But, fret not dear father. If it comes to that, again it matters little to me. My love for you and Ma doesn't depends on others opinions, but my own... and no one could change the fact that you both are my dearest parents.”

“And you our dearest son. McIntosh... you have moved me, Son. You have my blessing. Both of you...” With a quick movement of his hoof, Seed cleansed his face from his tears. Before he looked at the approaching enemies and added: “Consider this a gift...”

You feel your relationship with Jack Seed Apple grown yet deeper...
Your Social Link with Jack Seed Apple is now Rank 10.
Your level has increased by one.

McIntosh hasn't even seen him move when his armor felt off him, torn into pieces by a quick and well directed blow of his father hoof.

“That my son, was Armor Breaker, an ability that will come to you once you reach your next plateau... consider it my gift to you.” With a quick movement, McIntosh found himself added to his father party, who then proceeded to eradicate the whole herd of monsters from the orchard with outstanding ease, annihilating the incoming waves of enemies as if they were nothing. The young colt just stood there, surprised at the amount of power that Jack Seed Apple held on his hoof.

You gained a new Level
You gained a new Level
You gained a new Level...

XxX

“No, no, no, no!” Cried Applejack, as she poured potion after potion on the inert body of McIntosh. “Don't do this to me!”

It had been an accident, she had just been so confident of her new abilities, so hardheaded on her approach and use that she hasn't noticed that Mac had lowered his Shieldmore, confident that they were done on the field. Which was why he brutally received the full brunt of the damage that her incredibly sharp -and at the moment- cursed beads could offer.

“Fight it, dammit!” She bellowed, as she saw his health deteriorate with each passing second. The cursed blood of the beast that they had slayed now coming back with a vengeance. Making it quite hard to heal his wounds with his status still set on ailment, his blood seeping out of his wounds despite her bests and continuous attempts to stop its flow.

Applejack was quite aware that her potions weren't infinite, and that their numbers were getting desperately low by the minute. But she couldn't stop, not when McIntosh laid there.

Then, when she finally hit the dreadful number ten on her inventory window. She heard a glorious 'bleep', which signaled the end of this nightmare. As he finally woke up, his body immediately stabilizing, his health bar now becoming brown, and his ailment status turning back to normal.

“That hurt,” He said, looking at her reprovingly, to which she lowered her ears, her eyes completely wet by tears.

“I'm sorry!” She cried, hugging him as hard as she could, wailing at how close she got to kill him for being an overconfident fool. He hugged her back, trying to sooth her to no avail, as she continuously berated herself for such an idiotic mistake until he simply got tired of it.

“That's enough, Applejack!”

Startled, Applejack looked at him, completely taken aback by the tone of his voice, and the look on his face. Her ears now completely flattened against her mane, a little surprised by that.

“Yes, it was a really stupid thing... yes, it hurt! Yes, you shouldn't have done it, especially when you've been warned over and over that the beads are dangerous... but I don't hate you for it, it was an accident, and you did your best to keep me alive.”

“But...”

“No butts!” He answered back, smacking her lightly on her rear which startled her a great deal, but also procured a blush from her. “Just promise me to be more careful from now on, and be grateful that it happened after the battle, and not during it...”

“Don't say that...” Said the palomino, hugging him again. Still a little upset by the accident, doing her best to snuggle up against him as much as it was possible. “Let's go home Mac, I don't want to be here...”

“But our chores...”

“Please Mac...”

Sighing, the colt simply nodded then messed her mane a little with his muzzle, before he planted butterflies kisses her forehead.

“Okay...”

Your bond with Big McIntosh has grown yet stronger

As it turned out, their parents were quite understanding of the situation, though, it didn't meant that they didn't punished Applejack for such a mistake, as she had been quite idiotic when she shouldn't have.

But despite this, they knew that she was too scared of what would happen if she lost sight of him, which was why they haven't said anything when she broke curfew and went to his bedroom to sleep at his side, which McIntosh they noticed, didn't seemed to mind.

This unusual behavior lasted for weeks, until to their relief, her clinging tendencies began to lessen once she was firmly reassured that he wasn't going anywhere. That, and that Mac had simply draw a line when he got tired of it, which ended up with the two of them rowing about it, and going back to how it used to be.

The fact that they had later solved their differences in a rather adult way, had lifted any lingering doubts about their situation and how real their feelings were.

XxX

Applejack had to admit that she was quite proud of Mac as he proudly smiled at her and the family, he had just earned his adulthood by graduating with the highest honors and quite a good deal of recommendations upon him. Which was no easy feat for an earth pony.

Most impressive of all, was that he had also received an invitation to join Canterlot's army just as he had graduated, which he politely declined despite his teachers urging, as he had already plans to engage on Ponyville as an apprentice to the Apples.

The palomino had to admit that many things had changed in the past months, among them was the fact that, as her family had expected, some things haven't gone well since the public announce of their engagement, the memories souring a little the festive feeling from the mare, as she quickly noticed that around him were his family and some of her friends, but none of his.

It had been a low blow to her that he hasn't even cared in the least about those that had turned out against him, often saying that they had made their choice, and he his own. The palomino looked around them, and frowned sadly when she saw the mutterings and frowning ponies who pointed up at them, snarling, smiling, mocking.

But what hurt the most, were who she couldn't see among those present at their side. Which reminded the young mare that she too, had been hit hard on the friendship department. Rose Bud had made quite clear the last time they crossed words that she found her a disgusting “horrid mare”, words that still stung.

She hasn't been aware of her friend romantic interest, most often than not taking her praises and attentions as teasing, as Rarity also flirted a lot with her in jest quite often, so did the rest of their small friendly herd.

But apparently, Rose Bud hasn't been playing, at least not entirely.

She had been patient, almost waiting for the engagement to fall due to peer pressure, or by natural causes just as Berry Bunch own engagement had fell apart. But it hasn't, and when it had become quite obvious that Applejack had no inclination or desire to cut it out, her friend had decided then to take a risk and confess.

Applejack had to admit that the confession had taken her aback, as she hasn't honestly seen it coming. She had been flattered, incredibly so as Rose Bud had been quite poetic as she attempted to court her away from McIntosh.

To renounce at that foolish and rebellious attempt to flirt with such an uncouth Taboo, and give her a chance... Had been her finishing words.

Her denial, even as tactful or polite as it has been, hasn't been well received, and enraged by it Rose Bud had said quite a lot of awful things, which she later refused to retire or ask forgiveness for. Which with time had turned sour their relationship as their Social Rank turned negative, finally ending for good their relationship.

Cherry Bunch, who was Rose Bud best friend. Wasn't on negatives with the Palomino mare, but their relationship had also downgraded to level 2. As she simply couldn't and wouldn't choose Applejack over Rose, which in the end had simply left them as mere classmates as nothing more, which the palomino had to admit she respected a lot, even if by doing so, she has ended up hurt.

It didn't meant that their problems ended there, no. Ponyville was a quite peaceful place with lots of friendly locals. But that didn't meant it hasn't its bad side. The individual pony was quite intelligent, but in mass they were quite stupid, and as they did their best to ignore the mutterings and jeering's that came from the population, the most the mass increased their jeers and mutterings, apparently enjoying the experience of trying to take down a notch the proud and quite well respected family.

In the end, it didn't truly mattered to Applejack, as McIntosh has constantly said, the opinion that mattered the most was their own, and that of their loved ones, who openly supported them despite the popular opinion.

And the fact that Rarity and Carrot Top remained at her side and tried their best to get to know McIntosh, was enough salve to help cure and move on from old wounds.

XxX

She nuzzled him, enjoying the feeling of his nose against her as their interchanged magic, a quite intimate but useful ritual that helped them to recover their energies after a hard day of work. It was one of the many perks of reaching level 9 on the Social Rank, as you grew quite close to someone that your magic easily supported and helped your partner.

It wasn't necessarily a sign of sexual attraction, —though, in some cases it could be perceived as such,— but it was quite sure a sign of confidence and intimacy between party partners. Who usually nuzzled up each another to help themselves after a particular hard battle, gender and sexual orientation didn't mattered to engage it.

Doing it, had become their routine on the mornings. It helped them to magically inspect each another before any chore on the farm, as they could feel if something was amiss with the other on the interchange. Also, the fact that the experience could be quite pleasurable if you wanted it to be explained why the new pair of teenagers most often than not went for it.

“Hem-hem!”

Hearing the disapproving voice, both Apples jumped far from the other scared by the intrusion, but also a little wary of how bothered, doing this usually made them.

“We're sorry, please not the bench!” Screeched the pair at unison, their heads lowered and their ears down in submission, both pleading for forgiveness, when to their total surprise they heard a giggle, then a laugh at their plea.

The pair raised their heads, their eyes narrowed slightly at the laughing unicorn as she really tried to keep it together, which was obviously a lost cause.

“I-I'm So-wee ha, ha, ha!” Said Rarity as she failed to control herself, loving the startled and flushed appearance of her friends. “I-I couldn't resist it.” She simply admitted, once she finally got some self restrain, her horn shining brightly as she cleansed the tears from her face, making sure that her appearance was once again, immaculate.

“So, Miss comedian... what brings you here?” Asked Applejack, still a little miffed at her friend from interrupting her morning routine. Hoping to all gods that her friend wouldn't notice the aroma in the air, which by the way she was looking at them, she knew was a vain and vanishing hope.

“Its hard not to smell your arousal, Applejack. Especially when the wind seems to direct it at my quite delicate but sensitive nostrils. But fear not! I'm quite accustomed to your particular fragrance, after all.” An coy smile then appeared on the unicorn face, before her eyes went to McIntosh and added. “Also, its quite hard to miss the big on McIntosh...”

Looking at what her friend was looking at, Applejack sighed then nodded. That was really hard to not to look at.

“But I admit that despite the quite alluring and exciting sight, that isn't what concerns me the most...” Clarified Rarity, her eyes now firmly put on her friends own, apparently sparkling a little. “Do forgive my curiosity my darlings... but... the bench?”

Mac, whose coat was almost brown by how much he was blushing, seemed to snap out of it when he heard that, apparently satisfied to change the flow of the conversation.

“When our parents chastise or punish us, they force us to remain still on a bench. Just sitting there, and do nothing.”

The unicorn nodded, knowing her friends quite well, and how such a simple thing would affect them, as both of them had to be doing something, so be it chores, or grinding.

“Understandable... and quite devious I might add...” Then, eyes sparkling in mischief she said, “Though, I have to admit that things could have been... interesting, if I hadn't interrupted.” A laugh then emerged, full of enjoyment at their reactions. “Oh my beautiful friends... you're quite too easy to rile up...”

“Hardy har, Miss Comedian... now, are you here to harass us for being horny teenagers, or will you tell us what brings you by?” Asked Applejack, sighing tiredly as she felt her cheeks burn hotly due to her friend jokes.

That seemed to somewhat calm the unicorn mare, who finally managed to collect herself and say:

“I'm quite sure that you're aware of my attempts to establish my own boutique...” seeing their nods of confirmation, she smiled a little then, her head held a little high before she continued; “Well, I think that I found the perfect spot for my store... but after I bought it, I found myself quite short on money, and obviously materials to work with, so I came here to recruit help for a Quest at the Everfree forest.”

Fifteen minutes later, the whole Apple clan heard the tale, the adults nodding at the mare needs, while Applejack and McIntosh watched intently, both of them hearing for a second time the petition.

Curiously, it was Granny Smith who answered first:

“Well, color me surprised. Ah think it is time for ta runts to take ta next step...” This was said while looking at Applejack and McIntosh, who smiled widely at the offer. “Don't look so happy ya two. We aren't adding ya, or helping ya. Yar doing this on yar own...” That on the other hand, quickly erased the eagerness from their faces.

“Mother, let me explain it... please?” Asked Jack Seed, who was a little less happy by the prospect than the old mare, who merely nodded. Her eyes quite still on the young members of the family. Jack walked up to them, quite serious at the moment, “While our farm give us a good amount of money, many of our incomes are from Quests... which offer not only experience, but quite a lot of loot to later sell on the market.” He raised a hoof when he saw his children open their mouths to say that they knew about that. “We aren't refusing Miss Rarity request. We're assigning you two to it.”

That seemed to capture their attention, as it was openly supported by the quite obvious hint of their grandmother.

“The reason for why you're doing it alone, is because you're both more than ready to tackle this on your own.” The Stallion sighed, then closed his eyes and clarified, “Its another rite of maturity in our clan...”

Granny Smith smiled toothily at them, her eyes now firmly pointing to their nursing mother.

“As ya might have noticed. We have less income nowadays since the arrival of that beauty...” And effectively, Tangerine was quite too busy with a foal at her hooves to take any Quest or chore on the farm. Which put a great deal of pressure upon Jack Seed back. “Since yar Pa can't go with ya, yar lot have to take care of this without our help...”

“It doesn't meant that we can't offer some help...” Quickly added Tangerine, as she glared up at her husband who immediately draw three strange objects for them to use. The things were purple, and were shaped like wings.

“Those are called Chimera wings, it is a magical method of transport that can be programmed in your panel for emergency cases...” It didn't take long for him to explain how they should add it to their armors or battle dress in Rarity case, who lamented greatly how the thing clashed horribly with her clothes.

“That extra slot on your armor and clothes is attached to your emergency panel. If any of you find problems use it without a doubt and they will bring you to the farm.” Explained Jack ignoring Rarity's comment, “I warn you, if your armor breaks or your health diminish too fast, they would then activate on their own and take you to the hospital instead... be careful, some monsters can block them, forcing you to face them for good or bad.”

That seemed to erase Rarity complains about the emergency object.

“Now girls and boy, go to the armory and make sure to fill your inventories to the brims with potions and whatever you might need for this endeavor...” concluded the Stallion, as he smiled one last time at them, then disappeared, as he had a lot of things to do on the farm before he began to tackle his own Quests.

Applejack simply frowned as she and her party walked toward the armory, not liking at all how brutal this world could be at times, but enduring it, knowing that she and her allies didn't have any other choice at the moment.

You have created a Party.
You have created a new Bond by creating a Party.
Your bond with Big McIntosh has grown yet stronger.
Your bond with Rarity has grown yet stronger...