Guard Tiara: The Grand Guard Games

With a deep sigh, Applejack sat down beneath one of the trees. Leaning back, she took the stetson from her head, pushing the front of her mane aside as she wiped the sweat away. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked up at the sky, watching the thin wisps of clouds float along the pale blue sky.

"Look out!" a familiar voice shouted, breaking Applejack's moment of tranquility. With a sigh, she turned to look for the source of the shouting.

Soon, she caught sight of a green and blue shape on four wheels moving past her very quickly. Golden eyes were wide as a navy blue mane and tail whipped back from the wind created. Applejack should have recognized the form instantly, but was delayed by a part of her not quite wanting to believe it.

"Mama, help!" Little Green Smith Apple shouted. "I don't know how to stop this thing!"

Getting up from her spot, Applejack chased after the filly on the scooter. Fortunately for her, Little Green was neither experienced nor very fast. It took some running, but she was quickly able to catch up to the runaway rider. Reaching out, with her mouth, Applejack grabbed Little Green by the collar and gave a firm yank back. With a yelp, the filly let go of the scooter, going limp in her mother's grip like a kitten. With no one at least attempting to control it, the scooter wobbled back and forth before smacking into a tree and stopping.

After setting Little Green back down, Applejack let go.

"Thanks, Mama," the filly said, turning to look up at her mother.

"No problem, sugar cube," Applejack said with a smile... which then immediately turned into a semi-scowl. "Now would you mind tellin' me what the hay that was all about?"

As Little Green sat down, her wings gave a flutter at her back. Looking down at the ground, she ran one of her hooves along the zipper of her Wonderbolts hooded sweatshirt.

"Scootaloo brought one'a her old scooters over," she finally said. "Said it was too small for her and she don't have no kids of her own yet, so she thought we could have some fun with it."

"That was nice of her," Applejack said, "but where's your helmet? Scootaloo never rode that thing without one, and I know she wouldn't 'a let you near it without one neither."

Little Green shifted again. Her ears pulled back against her head as her nose scrunched up. Her gaze met her mother's a second before looking away.

"Greenie," Applejack warned.

"It's not my fault," Little Green called out, her wings flaring out at her sides.

"What's not?"

"Scootaloo had to go do something and said she would teach us when she got back. After she left, Cobbler and Pie double double diamond dog dared me to try driving it with my wings like Scootaloo does."

A sigh escaped Applejack as she rolled her eyes, giving her head a shake. A "double double diamond dog dare" sounded like something they would come up with. It actually sounded just like something their mother would have come up with, actually. Reaching out, she took a hold of Little Green, pulling her to her chest.

"Now sugar cube," Applejack said gently, "ya know you don't need to do something just 'cause your cousins dared ya, no matter how many qualifyin' adjectives they add to the front of it."

"I know," Little Green sighed as she leaned against her mom. "It's just... really hard for me to turn down a dare for some reason."

With a chuckle, Applejack ruffled Little Green's mane.

"Can't say I blame ya. Have a bit of a problem backing down from a challenge myself. How 'bout we go inside and see if Aunt Pinkie--"

The rest of the suggestion was cut off by the sound of twin screams.

What now? Applejack thought as she got up and turned toward the sound.

Running toward Applejack and Little Green were two more foals. The pair was moving as fast as they could, kicking up dust as they went. The two of them continued to scream.

"We're sorry!" the orange colt with gray mane shouted while running past Applejack. "We're sorry!"

"We'll never do it again," the orange filly with pink mane said, joining the first.

"Please don't send us to jail!" they both cried out together, hiding behind Applejack.

"Cobbler! Pie!" Applejack called out. "Calm down and tell me what in tarnation you're talking about."

"We're sorry," the colt -- Apple Cobbler -- said again. "We didn't mean to get Greenie in trouble. It looked like it would be fun."

"We'll never make her do another double double diamond dog dare ever again," the filly -- Apple Pie -- continued. "Just please don't have the guards take us to prison."

"Guards?" Applejack asked. "What guards?"

"Her," the twins said, pointing past Applejack and down the path.

Heading toward the group at a slower pace was a figure dressed in armor. Small clouds of dust puffed up behind it with each step. As Applejack continued to watch with the twins behind her and Little Green at her side, the figure continued to move toward them. It slowly became clearer as it approached, taking on a smaller form. Probably a mare. The armor was a light purple in color, meaning that she was a member of Twilight's guard. Soon, Applejack was able to make out the familiar features and pink coat of a certain young mare. A grin spread across her face.

"Y'all have got nothin' to worry about," she said to the twins. "She ain't here for you. She's here for Apple Bloom."

"Woah," Apple Pie said, eyes wide. "Really?"

"What did she do?" Apple Cobbler asked.

"Not like that," Applejack replied. "She's Apple Bloom's... special friend."

"Oooohhhhhh," the twins said together, giving a nod.

"Y'all wait here a moment," Applejack said as she stepped away from the young ponies and headed toward the approaching guard mare.

"Howdy Diamond Tiara. 'fraid Apple Bloom ain't here at the moment. She and the others are helpin' Sweetie Belle--"

"Tree."

"...I beg your pardon?" Applejack asked, thrown off by the single word that was growled out at her.

"Point me to a tree," Diamond Tiara said slowly. "Please." This last part was said between clenched teeth.

"Well... there's one over that way that's still needing to be harvested," Applejack said, pointing.

With a grumble, Diamond Tiara moved past Applejack and headed toward the direction of the pointed hoof. Her ears twitched and tail flicked as she went, heading into the orchard and vanishing from sight.

"Is somethin' wrong?" Little Green asked, staring in the direction of the disappeared armored mare.

"I think something's got Diamond Tiara a mighty bit upset there," Applejack said. She continued to look in the direction, rubbing at the back of her head.

"Do you think we should talk to her?"

A massive yell came from the orchard, followed shortly by the boom of a tree being hit and rattling noise of it shaking.

Four pairs of eyes went wide, staring in shock.

"I...think it might be best if we let her work it out herself for a while," Applejack said.

"Yeah," Little Green agreed.

"Yeah," Apple Pie and Apple Cobbler both said as well.

Applejack turned away from where a tree was being viciously kicked by a very furious mare trained as a guard pony, looking down at her daughter.

"Greenie, I want you to go get Apple Bloom. Let her know that her friend is here and is mad enough to buck a barn to bits."

"Okay, mama," Little Green said. She turned and started running down the path as fast as she could, wings fluttering behind her.

"Cobbler, Pie, you two come with me. We're gonna see about helping your mom make a snack for later."

"Okay," the twins agreed.

"And y'all can tell your pa about your little dare," Applejack added.

"Aww..."

A grin spread across Applejack's mouth as she turned away, walking back toward the farmhouse. She was not really mad, and was pretty sure that Macintosh would not be either. The two of them had done their own share of stupid things while growing up... and even after actually (maybe she would show the twins a pictures of their dad in a girdle some day). Knowing Macintosh, he would probably try to talk them about not doing such things, but find it amusing all the same.

Although there was no reason to tell Cobbler and Pie that.