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             Metal Gear Rising: Marevengeance              
                    -by ElementBrigade-                    
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                    Chapter 2: Test Run                    
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Chapter 2: Test Run
Chapter 2:Test Run
(The Next Day)
[Twilight’s Castle]
“Twilight how long are ya’ll going to keep examining me?” Applejack asked as she folded her arms in annoyance.
“Probably until she needs to fall asleep,” Spike shrugged, looking back at the earth pony. “She probably has some long explanation for why she’s doing it though… Wait for it…”
“.....Nothing’s happening-.”
“What happened to you could possibly lead to a technological revolution in cybernetics, prosthetics and technology throughout Equestria, so I’m taking notes to make sure I understand every one of your main functions…… why are you looking at me like that?”
“Told you.” Spike sighed.
“How long am I going to be here Twi? Because right now I’m getting tired of being hooked up to theses fancy looking devices that you have on me.” Applejack said.
“Probably once she finally calms down about it… which might either be a while… or never… unless of course she passes out. Remember when she tried to find out Pinkie Pie’s Pinkie Sense?”
“...Okay that’s it, I’m done here.” Applejack said as she pulled the metal hat off her head. “We been here since morning, and I’m getting really annoyed at this.”
“Same here. Twilight, you seriously need to get some sleep. You almost have bloodshot eyes because of the amount of non-stop work you have been doing.” Both Applejack and Spike were about to walk out of the castle, only for Twilight to chase them down.
“Wait-!”
“Twilight, stay!” The dragon barked. The response from the alicorn was quite… unexpected as she soon began to back up and moan a little like a puppy. “Stay… Stay… We’ll be back later.” He told her as he tossed an encyclopedia to her. “Good girl.” With that, both the cyborg pony and the dragon were able to walk out without any problems.
“Um… what was that I just saw you do to Twilight?” Applejack asked, eyeing the young dragon.
“Whenever she gets desperate for answers, Twilight begins to desperately try to follow you like when Winona follows Applebloom everywhere or a lost puppy. So, if you talk to her like you talk to Winona, she actually listens. It happens when Twilight doesn’t get enough sleep.”
“Interesting, I’ll have to try that out next time when Twilight doesn’t get enough sleep.” Applejack said as she notice a cloud with a rainbow color tail sticking out of it. “Consarnit.”
“What is it?”
“It Rainbow Dash.” She said point to a cloud above them.
“So? She hasn’t noticed us so we should be fine-. Oh crap.” The dragon swore. “Incoming. Pink Blur.”
Applejack didn’t look behind herself as she simply moved to the left. Avoiding Pinkie Pie as she grabbed the party pony by the collar. “Howdy Pinkie.”
“Hey there, strange cyborg pony thingamajig that I haven’t met before-! Wait… AJ!? Is that you?!”
“Unfortunately yes.” The party pony gasped, hugging tightly as she tackled her to the ground.
“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!! You look… what’s the word the colts say nowadays? Uhh…”
“Epic?” Spike asked.
“That’s right!! EPIC!!!”
“You two are taking this really too seriously...and surprisingly well.”
“Well, think of it Applejack. Since when was the last time anything normal happened around Ponyville?” Spike asked her, making the Cyborg think a little. “Almost everyday, something unexpected happens. And unlike Twilight, who wants to study you like a crazed scientist, I want to try and help you the best I can.”
“Same here-.” Pinkie replied, before looking in the distance. “Is it just me, or am I seeing a lookalike of AJ?”
“What do you mean a lookalike?” Applejack asked.
“Somepony with a long black ponytail and a sword at the other end of town.” Pinkie said, almost like she was on a sugar rush. “What?”
“You think it’s that Raiden fella from that screen thing from my arm?”
“No, it doesn’t sound like it fits that description.” Spike replied. “Wasn’t Raiden’s mane white instead of black?”
Applejack said nothing as she reached into Pinkie’s mane, pulled out a cupcake, threw it at Rainbow Dash.
“Oww, What the bucking hell AJ!?!”
“We have a mysterious pony in Ponyville and I need you to come with me, Spike, and Pinkie Pie. Also that was for throwing stuff at me to see if I can cut them in half.” Seconds after hearing about the mystery pony, Rainbow Dash got out a pair of binoculars and looked in the distance.
“Whoever he is, he’s on the outside of-. Oh horseapples… AJ, you need to hurry! Now!! His blade is blood red and it looks like he wants to butcher somepony from over here!!”
“Spike, write a letter to the princesses about what’s going on. Me and the girls will check out the situation.” Applejack said as she bolted off to where the mysterious being is. When she arrived, the mare found the being just casually walking and whistling a tune with the sword he had on it’s back and unaware of Applejack’s presence.
“Hold it right there varmint!”
The man, stopped whistling and slowly turned around. “Oh? Now who do we have here? I haven’t seen someone like you before.” Shaking his head, he looked back at AJ with a creepy grin on his face. “What’s your name, kiddo?”
“The name’s Applejack, mind telling me you think you’re doing here?”
“Oh, you know. Taking in the sights… trying to find my way around here. I could say otherwise for the creatures that tried attacking me in the mountains.” He sighed, noticing her blade. “Well, it appears you are a warrior, I take it?”
“What are ya’ll talking about?”
“Your sword. It’s rather unique… Would you let it fulfill it’s purpose?”
“Um...I don’t understand what you’re talking about. What I want to know is why is your sword covered in blood?”
“Oh?” He said, “Well, let me make it simple… My blade… fulfilled it’s purpose.” At that moment, Applejack noticed his left hand move down to the scabbard of the blade and heard a clicking sound. She only had seconds to react as it shot forward and the individual grabbed it to try and take a slice at her. “Now… I wonder what the purpose for your sword is…”
“What hay was that for!” Applejack yelled as she took a boxing stance. “You could hurt somepony by doing that!”
“Heh… looks like you don’t understand the circumstances you are in, missy.”
“Oh I’m sure I understand one thing.” Applejack said as she bolted towards the swordsmen. “I’m gonna have to bring you down and take you to the princesses before you kill somepony.” In response, all the figure did was simply move out of the way, using his foot to have Applejack fall onto her face.
“Well now… another one who wants to use their weapon as a tool of justice. You’re just like Raiden…” He laughed, drawing his blade once more and forcing Applejack to get up on her hooves again. “You deny your weapon it’s purpose. It yearns to bathe in the blood of your enemies… But just like him, you hold back.”
“Look partner, unlike you who enjoys seeing others hurt. I’m not the type of pony that enjoys that. Now either you surrender now or else I’m gonna have to lay the smackdown on you.” Applejack once again charged at the swordsmen as she was ready to deliver a haymaker at his face. This time though, the figure moved again, using his blade to slash Applejack across the upper chest.
“That is what happens when you bring a pair of fists to a swordfight. Fight like you mean it, Kiddo. Because right now… You’re boring me.”
“This is bad.” Applejack thought as she grabbed her chest from the pain. “If I don’t figure out how to knock him down,” Applejack looked at the huge gash on her chest as blood started to pour out of it. “No, focus Applejack. You just need to stall him until the princesses get here. I just hope Spike sent the letter before I started fighting.” In that moment, her other hand stretched out to grab the scabbard of her own blade. Something happened though when she did that. The trimmings around the blade began to turn a light cyan blue and she could feel electricity coursing around her. However, instead of hurting her… it was healing her. Closing the wounds. When she removed her hand from it briefly, the pain returned. So, the second she noticed it, she grabbed the sword and prepared herself for her opponent to attack again.
“Now… that’s more like it. Someone is finally beginning to learn.”
“I don’t even know how to use this thing...then again when you think about it, it’s just like a stick.” She soon tried to prepare herself as she took up a defensive guard based stance that she remembered seeing the guards in Canterlot use during the Canterlot Wedding invasion a couple of years back.
“There we go… Now, lesson one… Keeping your guard up.” The figure taunted, charging in. Applejack dodged the first of three attacks and blocked the other two. However, she was caught off guard when the figure kicked her backwards, causing her to skid.
“Lesson two… Expect the unexpected…” It smiled, looking very creepy from Applejack’s perspective. “Lesson three… never be afraid to take any chances.”
“If you think something like that will stop me, then you never met Ponyville’s strongest pony.” Applejack said as she charged at the figure, only for her to vanish from his sight and appeared below him. This gave the country pony the opening she needed to deliver a powerful kick to the swordsman stomach, sending him flying into an abandoned building. Seconds after though, that building came toppling down in a series of slashes and it showed the being walking out of there, unscaved.
“Strong yes… But compared to me when it comes to combat experience… you are a novice.” The being then disappeared, only to appear behind Applejack as he kicked her this time, sending her flying into a few trees. “That was a kick.”
“C-Consarnit...I-I can’t move.” Applejack thought as she felt herself hit the ground. As she tried to rise, he was walking to her, only to stop and look to his left, sheathing his blade.
“Heh… Lady luck is on your side today. I have business elsewhere… Goodbye… Jack.” He smiled, before running off into the forest and leaving her to try to stand. Applejack looked at her sword, noticing something on the scabbard as she tried to get up.
20% energy. Needs recharging.
“Great, not only did that varmint get away, but I have to recharge myself…why did I let Twilight convince me to go to that swap meet with her?” Applejack asked as she fell to the ground. “Can this get any worse?”
That’s when the ringing on her wrist was beginning to happen again. Something she was personally beginning to drone right around now. “Five bits says it’s that Raiden fella.” Applejack thought as she slammed her arm onto the ground, activating her communication device on her arm.
“Applejack, what the hell happened?” Raiden’s voice could be heard over her communications. “One moment, you’re fine and next moment, your heart rate and vitals are off the chart!”
“Oh so this is this Applejack friend of yours?” Another voice said in the background. “You just happen to find the most strangest of chick wherever you are-.”
“Shut up, Kevin!!” Raiden yelled. “Don’t mind him, my friend here is an idiot sometimes.”
“Okay….you were saying Raiden?”
“I was asking why the hell were you vitals off the chart to where it looked like something was trying to kill you? Since you first reached me, I can tell when you’re injured or not and right now, you look like someone tried to decapitate you.”
“Some cyborg pony similar to me, only he had a black ponytail and a creepy smile on his face was the one that attacked me. What I don’t understand was he mention your name for some reason.” For a moment, Raiden was silent, still trying to process everything. However, after a few moments, he then spoke again.
“I’m sending something to your mainframe real quick. Did his description match something like this?”
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/svhH6h7EzGeu-oAxRzZ4JclwcNuqQ8lQ7aJXID5FOag26LFNCCCGsdwXZCS-q6HyvAJGrFTiu8nRCtS9-CcvKlU4rRCfG-C6ZtwUiX58gsx9T_EuUgt8vr0S87uEe8TlSQ
“That’s the varmint that attacked me!”
Now Raiden was really concerned with the edge that was in his voice. “Now that is a problem. A MAJOR problem. Jetstream Sam is not one to be messing with. He’s too skilled for someone at your level to be facing… I’m sending you a couple other things to help you in the meantime. I still need to try to find you before we can meet face to face.”
“And those would be?”
“One, an intel file on that son of a bitch for starters. As in an old saying, know thy enemy. Second, I’m sending you a training guide for you to know how to wield your sword. Yes, I am picking up your sword from my scans here. Now, unless you want your systems shutting down on you, you need to find a source of electricity and fast.” After that, Raiden said one other thing. “I’m going to also patch you in with someone I know. Doktor knows a lot more about Cyborgs and if you have any questions about them, feel free to ask him. I’ll contact you again once I find a way to locate you.” Before Applejack could say anything, she heard the com-line get cut off and the call finished.
“That might be hard to do seeing how I’m stuck here….and he hung up...I’m really hoping Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie can find me soon.” Applejack said as she began to crawl back to her feet. It was only then that she heard someone else speak. One that was something she briefly recognized.
“Oh my gosh!! Somepony’s hurt!!”
“My word!! Fluttershy, get the first aid kit quickly!!”
“Rarity, Fluttershy! Boy am I glad to see you two!” Applejack said as she tried to keep her balance.
“Applejack? Darling, is that you?” Rarity asked. “What happened to you? And why are you in that hideous suit!?”
“I’m going to ignore that comment for the time being. Now would you please help me out? Because right now I’m pretty much on the edge of passing out.”
“Oh right… I can teleport you back to the orchard if you want AJ.” Rarity offered, doing her best to not look at the scars on Applejack’s body.
“Twilight’s place. She might have something that might help.” As Applejack said that, Spike came running in, with only a messenger bag and Pinkie behind her.
“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner than I could. Twilight passed out on me and is currently asleep. But-. Sweet Celestia, what happened!?”
“I’ll explain later once we get to Twilight’s place. Rarity if you would?”
“Hold on, before you do…” Spike interjected, going into his bag and pulling out something Applejack was surprised about. A zap apple. “Twilight told me to give this to you. Before falling asleep on me, she thought that the electrical charge from Zap Apples could recharge your systems. Since you’re now part cyborg and rely sometimes on electricity.”
“Well that’s one way to get a quick recharge.” Applejack said as she grabbed the zap apple, and crushed it in her hand. She was surprised about crushing it like that and personally thought it was a muscle reflex. But when she looked at her sword again, the earth pony saw a positive sign and breathed out a sigh of relief.
55% energy recharged.
“Well, that’s one thing ah got to thank her for later. Should help me for right now.” She said as she looked back at the others. “Ready to get to Twilight’s?”
“Certainly.” Rarity replied, casting her spell that engulfed the four of them as they arrived in the castle. To her surprise, Princess Celestia had just arrived recently to find Twilight curling up in her bed like a sleeping cat.
“Why, hello there, dear Applejack. Are you okay?”
“We have a bit of a problem, Princess Celestia.”
“A problem?” She asked, now seeing Applejack turn around and watching the scar on her body heal right before her eyes. “Dear me, what happened to you?”
“This might take a while to explain, so you might want to get comfortable.”
(Moments Later)
“And that’s pretty much what happen to me in a nutshell.”
“So… You talked to this… Raiden… You encountered someone that went by the name of Jetstream Sam and he left you with that scar on your chest? Not only that, but Raiden provided an intelligence file on him?”
“Pretty much yeah. I had Spike send you and Princess Luna a letter informing you about what happen.”
“Which I had received before coming here… I’ll have the royal guard keep an eye out for any activity involving this… Sam individual. In the meantime… You need to learn to fight with the blade you have.” Celestia explained. “You learned firsthand that using your fists against an opponent like this will only leave you vulnerable. If you expect to overcome him when you two meet again, you need to learn to fight with your blade. What you previously thought was “useless” if I do recall.”
Applejack said nothing as she looked away from Celestia in both shame and anger. “I could’ve beat him if he didn’t have his sword on him.”
“Yet, you learned as well that he doesn’t need a sword to harm you when he kicked you in the ribs.” Celestia replied. “The more tools you have at your disposal, the more chances you have to hit him with the element of surprise.”
“..... I’m going for a walk.” Applejack said as she walked out the room she was in. Only for Celestia to teleport in front of her.
“Applejack, I know this is something you would rather want to avoid talking about, but this is important. I don’t want anypony in my kingdom to get hurt, but from how you described your attacker, this isn’t like anything that ponykind has seen before. Please, take this seriously.”
“I am taking this seriously! What? Did you think me getting my flank handed to me was on purpose or me being lazy?!”
“No, I believe you, but it also tells me that you need a teacher to help teach you how to fight. Fortunately, I know one that can help you.” She told her, looking back at the mare before looking behind her.
“And who would that be?” After noticing the princess look behind her, the earth pony turned around and was personally surprised by who was standing there. It was Luna, Princess of the night. But in her hand, she was holding a blade that was similar to hers, but longer in length. And it was the first of two blades with the other one being on her hip.
“Sister, you said that my experience in combat was required?”
“Your sister is gonna teach me how to fight?” Applejack asked
“Yes. After you and your friends freed my sister with the elements of harmony five years ago, she wanted to learn how to defend herself. So, the Kirin ambassador of Neighpon taught her the art of Kenjutsu and she was able to master what one would take years to learn in as little as two weeks.” Celestia told her as she noticed Luna eagerly gripping the handles of her weapons. “I believe she will teach you well. Especially since nopony has ever beaten her in a duel because of what she knows.”
“Alright fine.” Applejack said, sighing in defeat. “So when do we start?”
“Right now,” Luna replied. “Follow me, fair Applejack.”
“Wait right now? But I just got my flank beaten, and I’m still recovering.”
“Not anymore.” Celestia replied, pointing at Applejack. To her surprise, all the scratches and wounds she had before were completely healed, despite the feeling of Sam’s blade earlier in the day. “It appears your new body heals much faster than your old one. Or in some cases, much faster that Twilight’s or any unicorn that knows healing magic. You’re good to go.” With that, Applejack grumbled as she followed Luna to a special training room in the back of the castle. When the door closed though, Celestia was the only one in the room. And the only one to be a witness to something… Surprising.
(Private Training Room)
“How come nopony ever told me about this room?” Applejack asked as Luna looked back at her.
“This room was suppose to serve as an armory and training hall. However, since none of you until now had the need to fight, there was no purpose to use it.” Luna replied, “Now, there is a purpose.”
“To train me, correct?”
“Exactly.” She replied. “The room is soundproof, so no one outside can hear us. In addition…” Luna then took out one of her blades and tried to slice one of the crystalline walls, only for the crack to form on the wall to heal itself. “The castle’s magic can repair itself if damaged. Making it an ideal place to teach you.”
“Okay… so what now?”
“Well first, show me what you know. Take up a combat stance. I can only see where you need to improve if I can see what you know already.” She advised, sheathing her blade and waiting on Applejack to do what she asked her to do.
“Okay.” Applejack unsheathed her sword as ordered. Luna watched as she recognized her take a stance that was normally used when it came to training guards. Soon, Luna noticed some things that could help the Earth Pony start improving.
“That is good. For a beginner. Try firmly holding your ground by bending your knees. In addition, keep a strong grip on your weapon. Watch me.” Luna soon used one sword as she took up her own combat stance, arms and blade forward and a calm and composed posture with her lower body. “There are two stances you should remember. This one is known as Saigan no Kamae. One where the tip of the blade needs to be at eye level.” Soon, Luna switched stances again, this time crouching down and holding one of her blades above her head at a forty five degree angle. “This one is Jodan no Kamae. You may choose which one personally works for you, but from here, we can continue with the lesson. Now… you try.”
“O-Okay?...”
“Just try to match what I showed you. Afterwards, I can help you with the adjustments. We have a lot of time after all.” Luna told her calmly.
“This seems...weird.” said Applejack as she tried to get into the stances Luna recommended.
“You’re doing great.” She complimented. “Hmm… I have an idea. Show me the stance you take up when you are going to fight somepony in a fist fight.”
“That I can do.” Applejack said as she sheath her sword, and took a boxing stance.
“Okay, keep your legs in that position.” Luna told her as she walked forward and unsheathed Applejack’s blade for her. “Now, have your hands forward to grab the handle of your weapon.”
“Okay, sure.” Applejack grabbed her sword, still in her fighting stance.
“How does that feel now? A little more comfortable I hope?”
“...I still don’t like it.”
“I’m trying to adapt what you know already and add onto it. There isn’t a reason to completely erase what you know already than to build on top of it. Your legs and lower body are familiar with your first stance and your arms are calm and relaxed.” The princess explained. “For this art, it requires focus. That same focus you use when trying to punch an object… Is this making sense to you? I don’t want to confuse you.”
“.....Yes...to some degree...okay I’m not gonna lie, but this is confusing me more then the time Twilight tried to explain to me how unicorn use magic.”
“Yes, but that is focused on the mind. This is focused on strength, agility, and focus. Almost the exact same thing when it comes to Applebucking during the harvest if I recall.”
“True, but you’re body isn’t made of robotic stuff.”
“Yes, but your body is still your own. No one else is controlling it. Only you. The only thing that’s changed is it’s durability. You could take multiple hits and still be standing on both of your hooves… I want you to remember that.” Luna explained, having her conjure two wooden training swords. “Now, let’s try something different. You won’t be needing your own blade right now. We’ll be using these.”
“A stick?”
“You can say that. However, these are training swords. Much stronger than your average stick.” She explained, tossing one to Applejack as she set her own blades aside. “I want to test your reactions. Use this time to practice how to react properly to my strikes.”
“I get the feeling this won’t end well.”
“That all depends on you, Applejack. Let’s begin.” Luna told her, using the grip on her weapon to strike from the upper left side.
“Oh horseapples!” She swore, quickly moving her weapon above her head and closed her eyes, expecting to get knocked down to the floor. Only to not falter and actually block it.
“Well… this is interesting development. Look at your posture.” Luna told her as Applejack opened her eyes. To her surprise, she was in the same position that resembled the second combat stance that Luna was demonstrating earlier.
“How the hay did I do that?”
“It was your reaction to my movement. Muscle memory. Something tells me that from seeing me demonstrate the stances earlier, you remembered it and reacted accordingly. This is what I meant by focus. You focused on protecting yourself and that happened… Okay, let’s try again.”
“Muscle memory? What’s that?”
“It’s where your body is familiar with a series of motions to where you remember them instantly. You remember the proper form for Applebucking because you’ve done it multiple times before, am I right?”
“Yeah in some way that is true.”
“That’s probably how come your legs remembered the motions. Through Applebucking.” Luna replied. “Your legs remember the motions through Applebucking and your arms know the actions through your previous experience with fighting, your brief encounter earlier today and through what I showed you. Your body remembers those actions through previous experiences. Put both of them together and you get your stance right now.”
“I still don’t like it.” Applejack said
“That’s because you’re just starting to learn. Over time, you’ll get use to it… We have a lot of time after all and I mean that literally.” Luna smiled, lowering her weapon and looking at the puzzled mare. “When we entered in here, I cast a spell that affects the flow of time in this room. 24 hours in here… is only a mere twenty four seconds outside.”
“Look it’s not about just learning how to use a sword. It’s just that I’m not the kind of pony that does something like this. I prefer to use my fist when it comes to fighting somepony or multiple opponents. It’s what the apple family been doing since I was a little filly.”
“Hm… That doesn’t mean you can’t adjust. Look, I’m doing this to help you. What if something like what you saw came for your family? I want to teach you so you can be able to protect those you care for… Which makes me think of something. What if we could combine my teaching with what you already know?”
“Can we take a break from this? Right now I’m hungry and I haven’t eaten anything in the past few hours.”
“No worries, I came prepared.” Luna told her, using her magic to summon a couple of apples and a hay sandwich for her as she handed her the plate. “I’m not familiar with an earth pony’s diet, but I believe this can last you a while.”
“....I get the feeling I’m gonna be stuck here for a while huh?”
“Trust me, by the time we find something to work with you, barely any time outside this room would pass at all… Speaking of which… what would the light on your forearm be for?”
“What light?”
“The small silver one.” Luna pointed at it, the same arm that she was holding an apple in.
“Huh, that’s odd. This never light up unless somepony is calling me.” Applejack said and soon touched it. A new small screen opened up, containing something that surprised her.
New Database acquired: Combat Maneuvers.
On tapping it with her finger, a series of small images with a sideways triangle appeared on each of them. There was also a side note on there too on the left hand side away from the others.
Clips of Raiden’s combat mechanics and maneuvers for viewing purposes. Subject is self taught in his own combat form named Zandatsu (“Cut and Take”) and uses his new cybernetic body and multiple functions to effectively fight against enemies he encounters. Press a video to play a training sequence in a specific area of your choice.
“This is… interesting..” Applejack said to herself, pressing her finger against the top portion of the screen. It showed Raiden in a simple standing posture, but using the second stance that Luna had showed her to block incoming attacks. In response, Raiden attacked back with a series of slashes with one arm and some strikes using two. However, one thing that surprised Applejack before the clip ended was that Raiden was somehow able to attach his blade to the bottom of his foot as he struck his opponents with several kicking motions.
Motions similar to Applejack when she was applebucking during the harvest.
“How far are the folks in neighpon in their technology?” Applejack asked.
“Advanced, but not on the level that you are at… I believe there is something we can do now though.”
“Unless you have some kind of weapon similar to fists, then I don’t see how you can help me with that.”
“This Raiden appears to have a similar body in structure as yours. I believe we can be able to take the moves in these segments and teach you that same style. He is self taught, so his style could be easily transferred to you based on observation and practiced. Plus, a lot of it seems to be based on his cybernetic body structure. The same one that you now have.”
“Great, more using sword stuff.” Applejack said sarcastically. “This is going to be fun.”
“I like your enthusiasm.” Luna teased, picking up the wooden sword again. “Now, shall we continue?”
“I can’t believe I’m helping you out.” Rainbow Dash said carrying Chrysalis in one hand, and Fluffle Puff on her back. “Why am I even helping you after what you did in Canterlot a few years ago?”
“Just hurry, please. I need to talk to Celestia.” The Changeling queen told her. “This is very important and she would want to hear what I would have to say.”
“Yeah because after what you did, I’m sure she’ll trust you and welcome you with open arms.”
“Just… give me… a chance.” Chrysalis heaved, grabbing her shoulder. It wasn’t until Dash looked back at her that she realized that she had metal piercing through her arm and she was currently bleeding out on her.
“Pft.” Fluffle Puff said giving Rainbow Dash a serious look.
“Alright, alright. We shouldn’t be that far from the medical bay, so try to hang in there okay?”
“I’ll be fine… My wounds can wait though. Celestia needs to hear this now.” She insisted, a bit of a strict edge to her voice.
“Fine, but don’t blame me if you pass out.” Rainbow Dash said as she took Chrysalis to meet with Celestia. Upon setting her down, Chrysalis got to one knee, digging her fingers into her shoulder and pulling out the metal shard in her body.
“Chrysalis, what in faust’s name are you-?”
“Celestia… I need your He…. your he…”
“You mean help?”
“Yeah that…” Chrysalis groaned. “Some monstrosity just attacked the hive and slaughtered almost all of my kin. I fear the same thing that happened to the hive would happen to the rest of Equestria.” The Changeling soon had a series of images appear in her hands as she looked back at Celestia. When the sun alicorn looked at them, she was stunned by what she was seeing. Metalic monsters the size of castles, soldiers that were fully mechanical and weapons that were not like ones she had seen before. But one thing stood out to her.
One of them appeared to be the same one who attacked Applejack. “Oh my… This is indeed serious.”
“Please, Celestia. If my kind are allowed to seek refuge, I will tell you everything I know about them-.”
“Umm… Not to be rude… but why is that metal shard beeping?”
Rainbow’s comments did not fall on deaf ears as both ponies noticed what she was talking about. Seconds afterwards, something smashed through the entrance of the castle as a new figure emerged.
“Hello ladies… I don’t mean to be rude, but I forgot to introduce myself to the bug lady over there.” He cringed, grinning a sinister smile. “You may call me… Senator Armstrong.”

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                Chapter 3: Knuckle Busters                 
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Chapter 3: Knuckle Busters
Chapter 3: Knuckle Busters
(Private Training Room)
“Are we done yet?” asked Applejack as she took a seat on the floor. “Because right now I’m tired of going over this sword fighting stuff.”
“I understand your frustration, but your stubbornness is going to get you killed unless you adapt.” The Princess told her. Applejack thought for a minute that the princess was somehow joking around or just over her head. However, she was still the element of honesty. Meaning she could tell if anypony was lying to her or not. Luna wasn’t lying at all. In fact, the lunar princess’s words were so strong, it stung like the attack left behind by Jetstream Sam.
“What do you think I been doing for the past five days in this room?! I am trying to learn to use a stupid sword, but it’s not sticking in to my head like is does with you!”
“Well… We may need to change things then… Tell me… What’s your reason for risking your life to save Equestria over and over again?” Luna asked her. “Because if you don’t have one, you won’t be able to protect your family if that Jetstream Sam attacks your Orchard.”
“Watch it Princess.” Applejack said, glaring at the lunar princess. “You’re treading on a line you don’t want to cross.”
“Yet, that is your reason for fighting isn’t it?” The princess retorted, returning to the original question. “You fight for your family… Don’t you?”
“Of course I do. What do you think I been doing for the past few years?”
“Take that reason and apply it to this. Learn how to fight with a blade so you may use it to protect your friends and family.” Luna said. “All of us have a reason to fight. Some ponies do it because of pride or anger. But you. I see that you have a purpose. Your purpose is to do everything you can for your little sister… Your older brother… Your Grandmother… All of your family. So let that be what guides you. Do it not just for your sake. But for theirs.”
“I get it Princess Luna, but no pony can learn to use a sword in a day or two like most ponies can.”
“Two minutes…”
“What?”
“It’s only been two minutes back outside, yet you’ve been practicing for five days. Plus… We aren’t taking two days to teach you. Due to your… personality, only twenty minutes would be required.” The Princess explained. “Yet… That means something different in the length of time in here… Wanna take a guess?”
“Magic is being complex to some degree?”
“No. Just some simple math. Two times Ten is Twenty. So… what is five times ten?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Double that.” Luna deadpanned.
“Fifty, but what does math have to do with this?”
Luna grinned a little. “You just said the amount of days your training in here.” Upon Applejack realizing what she meant, she just stared back at the princess in shock.
“How the hay did I know that?”
“Twenty minutes outside is fifty days in here. You use simple arithmetic when it comes to counting bits for when you sell your family’s apple products, so the same process can be applied. If you find a way for something to be familiar with you, it’ll be easier than expected.” Luna replied. “And we still have another forty five days to go. Which reminds me, your break is over… and I have a exercise that might work for you.”
“Oh come the buck on!”
“Now now… it isn’t that hard.” Luna said, taking what was a bright red apple and tossing it up and down in her hand. “I’m going to be tossing some apples towards you. What you need to do is use your sword to cut the apples.”
“Again with the sword thing? Why can’t ya’ll just make me a pair of knuckle like weapons or something?”
“Because if you try punching metal, you’ll crack every bone in your body. That blade of yours can cut through metal, flash and bone if it’s wield properly. Now, would you think that Applebloom would want you to still be in one piece or you struggling to protect her?”
“Treading on that line again.” Applejack said as she folded her arms in annoyance.
“And I will keep treading that line if it’s the only way you learn.” Luna retorted. “Look, I don’t mean to be what most ponies call a “hardass”, but I really need you to take this seriously. If you don’t, there will be a tombstone with your name on it.”
Applejack said nothing but simply threw her sword past Luna’s head. “What did I tell you about trading on that line Luna?”
“And what did I tell you!? YOU THINK THE SAME THING DIDN’T HAPPEN TO ME!!!” She roared, almost demonically. “MY TEACHER KEPT ON REFERENCING THE ABOMINATION THAT YOU FREED ME FROM UNTIL I LEARNED TO ACCEPT WHO I WAS AND WHAT I AM NOW. YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE SACRIFICES!? A PART OF ME DIED WHEN I TURNED INTO THAT MONSTER!! A PART OF ME THAT COULD NEVER BE HEALED. SO START TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY!!!” Soon though, Luna calmed down, looking back at the farm mare. “Now… If you think you can survive out there… try hitting me.”
“....That’s it, I’m done.”
“If you think that, then try and strike me.” Luna told her. “The door only opens when you beat me. So… you can try now if you think that you got what it takes.”
“I am sick and tired of all this. All I ever wanted was to have a normal day without anything weird happening to me. Is that so much to ask?” Applejack said as her visor covered her eyes, along with her outfit color changing from red to blue. “I can handle being sent out to take care of some evil being with the help of my friends, but being used as a weapon?” Applejack vanished from Luna’s sight of vision as she appeared behind her. “That’s something I don’t take kind to.”
Applejack tried to lung forth in a full head on attack, only for Luna to grab her wrist and twist her arm around her back to where it almost sounded like the bones shattered. The same went for her other arm as well as Luna held Applejack down.
“I never asked for you to be a weapon. No one did. But there are times where your friends won’t be enough to help people in need. You aren’t a weapon in my eyes, Applejack… You are a guardian. One that would use the gifts provided to protect friend and family alike. There are some things that even Twilight can’t defeat on her own.” Luna admitted. “Remember when she faced Lord Tirek? No matter how many times she tried to defeat him alone, he could still stand? Now… what would’ve happened if you didn’t unlock the tree of harmony’s power in time?”
“.......”
“That is what I mean. Not all things can be fought alone. I have faith in you Applejack that you can achieve things that Twilight herself can’t obtain. It just depends if you give it a chance or not. To fully allow yourself to do so… For what’s important.”
“Look I am tired of training for the past five in the stupid room. All I want is to take a break from all this fighting and training. Because right now if I have to hear or think about using a sword or something along those lines, then I might go insane. And not the normal kind of insane, I’m talking about the kind where my mind will shut down….literally.”
“I had given you breaks. Yet, you have used the time to argue and complain… But, if you insist, then there may be something we can do.” Luna told her, letting her go and relocating AJ’s shoulder back in place before sitting on the floor. “All you need to do is sit down, close your eyes, and focus.”
“Really? That’s all?”
“Yes. The point of this is to clear your mind of anything that could be affecting your concentration. So, If you sit down and let your body relax, it will allow you to recompose yourself.” Luna told her, doing so herself and she seated her in a posture known as the lotus position. “Normally, I would do something like this for an hour. However, since it’s your training, you decide how long this will last.”
“I get the feeling I’m gonna be stuck here for a while huh?”
“Think less of the amount of time you have and focus on what to do with the time given.” Luna instructed. “If you don’t think about it, then it doesn’t become a big deal.”
“Yeah because that’s real easy-.”
“You don’t seem to be thinking about time when you are applebucking or being with your friends. Right now, we won’t be continuing until you feel ready to continue. We’re going at your pace from here on out.”
“Ugh, fine...” Applejack said as she took a lotus sitting position. It started out slowly, but soon, the earth pony was actually beginning to feel relaxed. She did not have to stress herself over the grueling training that she would have to endure. In a way, she was at peace. That is until her left arm start to ring like a cellphone. “Well that moment is ruined.”
“Can’t that be silenced? Besides, who would be calling you right now anyways?” Luna asked, puzzled.
“I just got this body a few hours ago, do you think I would actually know how this body works by now? Oh wait, I didn’t get the chance to seeing how you brought me with me getting to know.”
“My apologies. My question was not to stress you out. It was only to inquire.”
“No I’m sorry.” The farm pony sighed to herself. “I get moody when locked in a room for too long.”
“Would you like to step outside then?” Luna asked. “Maybe it can help you out. We can pick up on this another time if you wish. Possibly once you’re a little more… adjusted?”
“Yeah give about a month, because right now I get the feeling Twilight is going to have a training plan for me when I get back home.” Applejack said as she press the communicator on her arm. “Hello, this is Applejack-.”
“Oh thank Celestia you picked up, Applejack.” The voice at the other end of the call replied. “Don’t ask me how I got your number, I was going through Twilight’s gadgets and just pressed some buttons before this happened.”
“What’s the problem? And why do I hear the sound of ponies screaming and running like school mares?”
“You may want to get out here and see for yourself. Some weird person who called himself Senator… something bashed through the front door, hurt Rainbow, Celestia and a few others and unleashed a mechanical monster on the town-. Hang on a sec… APPLE BLOOM!!! GET OUT OF THERE-!!” The call was soon cut off and what remained was static. However, the mare did see a glimpse of the monster before the transmission was cut.
“.....You know I’m starting to sense a pattern going on here.”
“We can talk about this later. Right now, the safety of the citizens comes first.” Luna replied, using her magic to open the door and cast off the spell. When the door opened, a loud shriek was heard from the other side. “Go quickly. I’ll try to get help from the royal guards.”
“On it.” As Applejack ran, Luna said something to herself seconds before teleporting away.
“May the odds be ever in your favor…”
(Ponyville)
“Geez, already a day and Ponyville is once again under attack. Why do every bad guy always....attack…ponyville….” Applejack asked only for her to see the mechanical monster in front of her. “HOLY CRABAPPLES!!” It was just as tall as Twilight’s castle. Perhaps even more. But at the time, the only other thing that she could see that was right in front of it was Spike. Having Applebloom run alongside her. She looked beaten up and was covered in dirt and a few bruises. Not what an angry Cyborg pony would want to see.
“Partner, you done gone made a terrible mistake messing with my sister.” Applejack said as she cracked her knuckles. “And nopony messes with a member of the apple family.” Applejack was about to charge at the monster as she unsheathed her sword, ready to cut the metal machine into pieces. Only to have it’s revved up tail come down on where her blade was. “Consarnit! Get out of my town you piece of scrap metal!”
“Applejack!” Spike yelled back. “Be careful! That thing’s tail can cut anything in half and can fire explosives. Just keep moving!”
“How do you know all this stuff-!”
“Because it was attacking the town! Just deal with it while I get Applebloom back to the orchard!”
“Working on it if you haven’t notice?! Just get Applebloom and hide someplace safe!” Spike’s only reply was a salute as he kept on running with Applebloom right next to him. Looking back at the mech, Applejack’s Visor soon went over her face as she prepared for the beast to attack her again. “Let’s see what you got partner!”
Right away, The mech attacked with it’s tail. Causing Applejack to move from side to side to avoid getting hit and to have a chance at counter attacking. It was then though that the monster appeared to open it’s mouth… and something began to generate a lot of energy. “Oh you have got to be kidding me.”
The energy blasted outward in the form of a solar beam towards Applejack. The only thing that Applejack could do at that moment was act on instinct and by that, it meant taking up a posture that Luna taught her. In doing so, not only was the earth pony able to deflect the beam, but she soon realized that by tilting the angle of her weapon, she can redirect the beam in a different direction. Doing so, the blast soon broke off the metal bearings on one of the upper limbs of the mechanical beast. On Applejack’s Visor, something different emerged.
Weak Point Identified.
“Wait, this thing has a weak point?”
Affirmative. The visor showed. Scans indicate that the power source of Metal Gear Ray is stored in it’s upper limbs and head. By destroying the cores where the limbs meet the body, it will significantly lose power at a rapid rate.
“Wish it could’ve told me before hand.”
I heard that. The Visor shined one last time. Not questioning what the last part meant, Applejack soon got to work. Using her newfound agility to climb up a nearby building as the “Metal Gear” tried to focus it’s targeting sights on her. However, she was too fast for the mech as Applejack lunged towards the exposed weak point. Cutting off the left upper wing of the mech with one clean strike.
“Okay, now to take care of the other part.” Applejack told herself as the Metal Gear targeted her again, locking onto her as it blasted her with it’s fiery beam. Once again, Applejack took the same approach as before, deflecting the Metal Gear’s attack to where it struck the wing joint. Followed up by another clean strike and another limb falling to the ground. “Guess Princess Luna’s lesson’s actually paid off.”
Enemy Structural Integrity: 50%. Energy Rate is below 30% and dropping. Her visor told her as she looked at it again. Final power source located. The visor then outlined the monster’s head as it looked back at Applejack. Now she knew what to do. Strike the head, destroy the source, mech destroyed along with the source.
“I’m really starting to regret going with Twilight to that swap meet.”
Best course of action. Throw target into air and strike when airborne. Your enhanced strength allows you to do so. Go for the tail. The visor showed again. If you strike the enemy while airborne, there will be less damage to the town and any civilians within the city.
“Might as well give it a shot.” She told herself, getting behind the mech as it tried to understand what was going on. The cyborg used both of her arms, holding her sword with her teeth as she lobbed the mech into the air and ran up the side of Twilight’s castle to push herself forward. Midair, she began to slice along the back end of the mech’s body at she reached the head. By the time she laid the final blow, something new appeared on her visor. It looked like a electric cord that was light blue. Without thinking much, she pulled it out of the Metal Gear as it exploded in the air with small pieces of ash and metal lightly sprinkling on the ground. For Applejack though, she saw what she found as a little disturbing and crushed it with her foot. However, her systems showed something else upon commiting the act.
System’s fully charged. 100%
“Phew! Well that takes care of that. Though I am surprised I was able to do all that.”
Have faith in yourself and you can do anything. She saw on the interface before her visor disappeared.
“....I get the feeling I’m gonna be hearing a lot out of you huh?”
I am an AI. A personal guide for you, Ms. Applejack. You can call me Sonya. I am here to assist and serve you whenever you need help. This time, Applejack heard the voice for it instead of seeing lines of text. But she wasn’t able to completely understand it once she saw Luna nearby with a few of the royal guards, tending to the injured.
“Is everypony okay?”
“For now they are.” Luna sighed. “Rainbow Dash was hurt along with my sister, but most ponies here had only sustained minor injuries. You should go back home now, Applejack. We have everything under control.” For a moment, one of the guards that was helping the medical staff looked up upon hearing her name being spoken and watched as the Earth Pony Mare left the scene. For that stallion though, he was personally shocked to see the child of an old friend.
(Sweet Apple Acres)
“Finally, home sweet home. Maybe I can finally take a break from all this weirdness that’s been going on?” She said to herself as she carefully walked into her home. Granny Smith was asleep, Big Mac was visiting Braeburn our in Appleloosa and she last saw Applebloom with Spike and the rest of her friends at her makeshift clubhouse. Walking upstairs, she was relieved to throw herself onto the bed after setting her sword down against the door to the nearby closet.
Well, what was her father’s closet. Since she was young, Applejack’s father had disappeared, presumed to be dead and her mother died while giving birth to Applebloom. Granny Smith never was able to get around to having to get rid of her father’s old things, so she left them where they were. In the closet. She thought that what was behind there was rugged old farmer’s clothes and other items. But something told her otherwise when she heard her sword slip off of the wall and hit something… metallic.
“What the hay? How come I never notice this before?” She asked. That was until she remembered that she had never opened up the closet before and just facehooved herself. Setting her blade on the floor, she used her strength to open the sliding doors of the closet that were stuck in place since they had never been opened in years.
What she found though… caught her by surprise. There was a suit of armor. One that would normally be issued out to the members of the royal guard. Not only that, but there was a pair of gauntlets, leggings and an old broadsword that was held down in the back of the closet. Looking down though, Applejack noticed a wooden box that was sealed closed. Clicking the release lever, the earth pony opened it up to find a collection of medals. Medals that would be given to soldiers in the line of duty. At the back though, there was a photograph of three ponies. One of them looked like Twilight’s brother, but that was not what caught her attention. What really caught her attention was what she saw accompanying the photograph. A note from somepony that she knew.
“Congratulations on your retirement, Captain Jonathan Apple. I am honored to be able to serve in your place. Good luck with raising a family in the country, my friend.”
-First Lieutenant Shining Armor
“How does Twilight’s brother know about my father?” Applejack asked herself. Soon though, she noticed something in the far back of the closet that caught her attention. It was a letter with an Apple Family seal on it. Curious, she began to open it. But what shocked her was that the letter was addressed to her.
Dear Applejack,
As I’m writing this, you might be too young to understand what I am trying to tell you, but I wanted to make sure that this was sent to you because it might be the last time I will be able to write to you in a long time. Before I go on though, you may be wondering some things. For example, why is there a seal from the Royal Army at the bottom of the letter? Well, in order to explain this, I need to tell you of something.
In my life, I was not always a farmer. For almost twenty years in my life, I had served to protect Equestria and to protect the princess in times of need. Through this, I was able to meet a lot of ponies. Most in which I know as my friends. However, it was through this that I also met your mother, Gala Apple, who at the time was a medic in the army. The two of us soon got to know each other and by the time I was almost done with my career in the army, we got married and decided to live our dreams of living outside a small urban town called Ponyville so we can raise a family.
However, recently though, things have changed. There have been reports in the background of unknown rifts emerging in the badlands and I have been asked to lend my knowledge… and my assistance one last time. Don’t think of this as goodbye though. I promise that one day, I will make sure to come home to my family. If anything does happen though, talk to Shining Armor. He’s a unicorn that lives in Canterlot and a very good friend to both me and your mother. Whatever you do, trust him. He’s saved my life just as much as I saved his.
Stay strong my little apple. Daddy loves you. Always remember… you are destined for greatness. All you have to do… is let it in.
Love,
Jonathan Apple.
“..........” Applejack just stared at the letter. She could not believe what she just found. Nothing in this made any sense to her at all. Was any of this true? If so… then why hide this from her? Her eyes soon looked at the two gauntlets that were next to the box. “I’ll ask Twilight to have her send a letter to her brother later.”
It was only then that once she stretched out a hand for the gauntlets that a couple of knocks were heard on the door downstairs. “Come in!” When she heard no response, Applejack sighed. setting her father’s gauntlets next to her sword as she walked on down to the door and proceeded to open it. However, what she did not expect though was for Twilight’s own brother to be standing outside.
“Guess I don’t need to ask Twilight to send a letter to get you.”
“Hello, Applejack. Sorry to bother you right now with what’s been going on, but can I come in?” Shining Armor asked. The husband of Princess Cadence and the Captain of the Guard was in Canterlot at the time that Luna requested for every available guard to try and help the hurt and wounded in the town. So, since he had nothing else planned, he decided to lend a hand. Now that everything was under control, the Unicorn was out here to see if he could talk to Applejack. He had lost contact with the Apple Family since he became captain of the guard many years ago. There were still a lot of things that he needed to be told.
“Sure, you can come in.”
“Thank you,” He said as he walked into the home. Careful not to knock anything over. “I wanted to talk to you about something Applejack… Something I should’ve told you sooner.”
“About how my father wasn’t always an apple farmer, or how you knew that he used to be an  engineer in technology along with him being in the royal guard?”
“More then that. I didn’t realize it until now though because of what you did earlier today. Your father had the exact same bravery… and he was my mentor.” Shining told her.
“......Explain, because right now I’m getting annoyed that this was being kept a secret from me.”
“He didn’t tell me much about his life before the military, but he did tell me that he was born a farmer. However, as he grew older, he didn’t have the money to pay for college education. So instead, he enlisted in the military as part of the royal guard. He was one of the most well known soldiers on the guard and also was the one who taught me everything when I was still a recruit. It was near the end of his term though that he met your mother and instead decided to return back home to live with his parents and start a family of his own… This was kept a secret from you for multiple reasons… but there was one main reason why.”
“And that would be?”
Shining sighed. “Applejack, do you know what the term MIA stands for?”
“Murdered in Action?”
“No. For those who’ve fallen in battle, they are labeled KIA. Or killed in action. MIA means missing in action. Your father has been gone since you were just a filly and was presumed to be dead. But… given the circumstances of when he disappeared and what’s going on now… there may be a chance that he’s still alive.”
“........ Normally this would be the part where I punch you in the face for not telling me this sooner, but I’ll let it slide for the moment...” She said, looking back at the Unicorn as they remained seated at the dining room table. Now, Applejack had only one thing to ask. “Where is my father?”
“That part though is unknown. When he was last seen, he was asked to be part of a recon team that was to investigate an unknown rift, or in non Twilight terms… a portal, that was open in the badlands. I wasn’t part of the mission, but what I heard was that minutes after the team entered, the rift closed on them and trapped them inside. Now though, these portals are opening again and other beings and machines we don’t know about are coming out of there. The only possibility being that the one they’re coming out of is the same one your father entered all those years ago.”
“So how do I get to where my father is? More importantly, which portal is the right one?”
“All the portals are from the same world, just different locations and places in that world. So unless we know a method of being able to identify him, we would be looking aimlessly.” Shining explained, before saying another thing to add onto that. “Second, We don’t know how long they stay open for. It could be open for a few minutes or a few hours, but currently, we know that a new one opens every two days. So unless we know a method to keep the rifts stable, it would be dangerous to let anypony inside… unless we had contact with something or someone on the other side that could help then-.”
“Actually I might know somepony that might be able to help with that.”
Shining raised an eyebrow, looking back at Applejack with a confused expression. “You do?”
“By accident or something like that. I got a hold of a pony named Raiden from the other side of the portal. Well him and another pony named Doktor.”
“Do you think there’s a chance we could talk to them? At your earliest convience of course, you must be tired after everything going on today.”
“Well, what do you expect when a princess of the night takes you to her private training room, after he or she got beaten up from a cyborg similar to me. Not to mention taking short breaks do not count as a break.”
“... Good point.” Shining Armor replied, taking something out of his pocket. It was an enchanted piece of paper that looked empty at first glance. “If you need me, just write a letter and the paper will take care of the rest. It’s enchanted to send to the person you're writing too just like Spike when sends letters to Princess Celestia. Just without the need for a dragon or for Twilight to be peeking in your mail.”
“I’ll call you in about a month or two. Something tells me that Twilight is gonna have me over to examine my new body… I get the feeling this won’t end well for me.”
“Have you tried blackmailing her with a restraining order?” Shining Armor asked. “Your mother once did that to your father as a joke.”
“She’s a princess remember, plus that wouldn’t stop her from trying.”
“Yes, but she isn’t above the law. Think of the amount of restraining orders that Blueblood gets. I know the number… 57.”
“That bad huh?”
“That’s just in Equestria. It’s twice that number outside the country.” Shining told her. “He is snobbish, stuck up, arrogant and overall, an asshole.”
“I’m surprised that nopony hasn’t killed him yet.”
“Trust me, the way he’s been doing things, politics is now like a house of cards because of him.” The Unicorn told her, using his magic to show an example. “Take one and the rest of the house falls with it. Despite his attitude, his position doesn’t come without responsibility. However, many can make a case that he has had… any responsibility.”
“Again I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten killed, or at least beaten up for the stuff he done.”
“I think Rarity chewing him out at the Gala was all he needed to have happen to him to convince himself to hire personal guards.”
“Right…”
That’s when Shining Armor decided to get up and push in the chair as he sighed. “Well, it was nice to talk to you Applejack, but I think I need to return to the castle. I kind of told them that I was taking a break and for them to expect me soon. Make sure Twilight doesn’t do anything drastic while I’m gone alright?”
“I’m sure Spike will keep her in check. Tell Cadence me and the girls said hi.”
“I sure will.” Shining Armor replied back as he walked out the door and closed it behind him. As he left, many things echoed through the young mares mind. Mostly about the fact that somehow, her father could still be alive. Right now though, she didn’t want to stress on the details.
She thought now would be the best time for her to get some much needed sleep.
(Elsewhere...)
“And that’s pretty much it for your mission Raiden.”
“So… To clarify… You’re asking me to go undercover and sneak into a hidden Desperado Research facility? One question though… Why did it have to be in the middle of the Grand Canyon?”
“Well it’s only place where Desperado didn’t have anyone there, or had some kind of piece of tech that would pick up on the conversation.”
“Yes, but the temperatures in this place would fry any Cyborg’s circuits.” Raiden replied back. “I’m just thankful that Wolf and I can stand up to these damned summer heatwaves.”
“Approaching drop off point.” The Cyborg canine named Wolf addressed his comrade as the two of them soon saw the landing spot where they were getting dropped off. They had to get into the facility on their own and with the possibility that Desperado might be tracking them, the two of them had to make the rest of the way on foot.
“Thanks Wolf. Kevin, radio’s need to be silenced right now. I’ll contact you once we’re inside.” He said, both of them landing on the ground as Boris, the one flying the helicopter, gave the two of them a signal that meant good bye… and good luck.
“Well great… Where to start…?” The Cyborg asked himself. “Wolf, can you pick up anything out of the ordinary in the area?”
“Scanning…” The cyborg replied. “Environmental Scans complete. Picking up sattelite frequencies a few miles northeast from here. I’ll scout on ahead and continue to investigate.” With that, Wolf lunged forward and disappeared into the desert as Raiden tried to catch up with him.
“I really hate it when he does that.” Raiden replied. Soon though, something entirely different came up on his interface. It was from the other Cyborg that he somehow managed to make contact with. One named Applejack if he remembered correctly. It sounded like the name of a cereal brand if you asked him, but there was something else that he saw that had him worried.
It was a Metal Gear. The same type that he had faced before in South Africa.
“Raiden.” His attention was redirected to Wolf once he picked up on his signal and found the cyborg by a ragged peninsula. “Environmental scans indicate that this cliffside has a concealed door.”
“Well, that’s one place to start… Can you get it open?”
“Affirmative.” The wolf cyborg replied as the door opened. “It’s done.”
“Thanks. Kevin? You there? I found my entry point and working my way inside.”
“Just try not to make a lot of noise this time, we don’t want a repeat of last time.”
“I know, I know…” Raiden groaned as he carefully walked inside, entering a hall on his left while Wolf hid himself in the rafters. “Speaking of which, can you get Doc and Courtney on? There’s something you guys need to see.”
“Sure, but what’s the particular reason why?”
“It’s Applejack.” Raiden said as he took a left and hid in a janitor’s closet to hide from a pair of guards. “A Metal Gear showed up where she was. Same one that I had to destroy in South Africa due to World Marshal. Look at this.” With that, the Cyborg sent the images and data that were recorded from the mares Visor and sent to him. The response from the team was quite… surprising.
“How were they able to send a metal gear to where Applejack lives?”
“I don’t know, but hopefully, this place has the answers we need. From what we could gather, it was suppose to house Desperado’s Special Projects.” Courtney said from another com-line. “The sooner we can recover what information this place has, the quicker we can figure out what’s going on.”
Raiden nodded, waiting until the area is clear before proceeding. The next room though, wasn’t so easy. He had to carefully take out guards that were in a storage facility and not get spotted by a Gecko Spotter that was lurking around. When he made his way to the main console in the next room and retrieved the data, Wolf said something that caught the entire team’s attention.
“Raiden, from what I can gather, Desperado is trying to create a doorway to stabilizes Spacial Rifts that have been opening uncontrollably here.”
“Seriously? How crazy are these people to even try something like this?”
“Hang on Kevin,” Courtney replied. “It says here that the project was originally designed for quick transport of infantry and units across the planet… but when a few unknown lifeforms somehow emerged from the gate, Desperado captured them and used them in experiments to see if they could be cybernetically enhanced. Out of the six individuals that were originally captured… One survived…”
“Who’s the one that survived?”
“That’s the thing… He’s never been said to talk to them and was very stubborn. But that’s besides the point. Raiden, he’s in a holding cell two quarters down from your present location.” Courtney explained. “I’ll try to find out some more about our friend. For now, just make sure he’s still alive.”
“On it.” Raiden replied. “Wolf, I need a visual on how tight security is in the room they’re holding them in.”
“You have two guards who routinely switch shifts every hour. There’s a shift change happening right now.”
“Okay boy, I need you to do me a favor.” He said as he approached the door to the room. “Make a scene.” With the command, Wolf used his chainsaw like tail to cut off the steam pipe that was over the guards heads. While in the smoke, Raiden used his blade to slash the first two guards while taking the fuel cells from the next two guards as he cut them apart. When the smoke cleared, only Raiden remained.
Taking a security card from one of the fallen guards, he scanned the card as it blinked a green light. Acknowledging that the card was accepted. The doors soon opened and what Raiden found was both shocking and… disturbing.
The lifeform that he found was seen in a torn undershirt and trousers, with multiple scars that were visible across it’s body. The worst part being that his left arm looked to have taken the worst of the damage and was amputated. But that was not the thing that surprised him as it struggled to stand. What surprised him was that it had hooves instead of feet.
“Guys, I found the survivor… but you might be a little surprised by this…”
“Let me guys, is he a pony or something?”
“Yeah but that’s the strange part… He reminds me a lot of Applejack.” Raiden told them, turning his back only for a minute. It was then though that the Cyborg heard him struggling to stand and the chains that used to be on him rattling because of the shackles that were still attached.
“W-wh-who… are you? A-and… How do you k-know… a-about my d-daughter?” It asked in broken english, almost collapsing.
“Oh damn… the plot thickens…”
“Kevin, shut up.” Courtney snapped. “Wolf, help him out. You and Raiden need to get out of there before anyone else shows up. This guy needs serious medical attention and we already got what we need. Get to extraction.”
“Roger that.” Raiden replied, breaking the restraints off of the pony’s hooves and wrist as Wolf helped carry him. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

//-------------------------------------------------------//
        Chapter 4: Not everything is what it seems         
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 4: Not everything is what it seems
Chapter 4: Not everything is what it seems
“.........”
“Sis, are you okay?” Applebloom asked as looked at her sister standing still.
“.........”
“Big Mac! I think AJ’s broken!!”
“She’s not broken, just standing still.” Big Mac said as he tossed a basket of apples into a juicer machine.
“Why is she standing still?” The filly asked only for Big Mac to point at a poorly disguised tree. “Oh….Twilight’s at it again isn’t she?”
“Eeyup. She been at this since yesterday when AJ returned from Canterlot.”
“Should we do something about this?”
“We could, but something tells me not to get involved unless things get out of hoof.”
“Yeah… I think you’re right on that one.” Applebloom replied back. “Does AJ know she’s being watched?”
“Yeah, she can hear us. But rather not respond to us. I think doing nothing is actually her plan to irritate Twilight more.”
“OH COME ON! DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST STAND THERE, APPLEJACK!” yelled Twilight as she quickly hid herself from her outburst. All Applejack did was just still stand there. Eyes closed and taking in a deep breath. Unknown to her siblings or to Twilight, Applejack was trying the one thing she saw as useful with Luna’s teachings. Meditation. So far, it had been two weeks since the Metal Gear showed up in Ponyville and right now, things were actually quite peaceful. Right now, she was ignoring all the voices around her and just focusing on the sounds of the wind that was blowing through the orchard. To calm herself and to feel one with her new body.
“I get the feeling something’s about to happen if this keeps going.” said Applebloom as she swung upside down from a tree branch.
“Probably, but it’s more likely that something is you falling from that branch if you aren’t careful, Sis.” Her brother warned her.
“Hey, I’ve been doing this for years, there’s no way I’ll fall off-.” Applebloom was cut off mid sentence the branch broke, causing her to fall on her head. “.....You saw nothing.”
“I saw nothing, but heard something.” Big Mac smirked. “Plus, You’re the youngest of the family. Maybe you should listen to your older sister every once in awhile.”
“Oh yeah, well as your younger sister, you should listen to me more often.” Applebloom said as she pulled herself up from where she laid the ground. “For example, you just threw your favorite T-shirt into the juicer.”
“Applebloom, that’s the dryer. We don’t even have a juicer.” He pointed out to her. It was around then though that the two of them noticed something as they looked back at AJ. Something caused her to move her right hand upward and catch something that was about to fall on her head. Opening her hand, it looked to resemble a dragon scale that was pitch black and not like Spike’s scales in color.
“What you got there AJ?” Applebloom asked.
“It looks like… a scale…” She said to herself, before getting up. “Twilight! I know you’re hiding there. Get out here!!”
“How did you know I was there?”
“You aren’t the best at disguises.” Applejack told her. “Now Twilight, is that dragon migration thing going on? Because a dragon scale almost fell on my head.”
“The dragon migration doesn’t start until spring, and we’re in the fall season so no.” Twilight said as she got up close to the dragon scale. “But I have to say, this is a rare looking dragon scale.”
“You’re not taking it for your studies, Twilight,” Applejack deadpanned, extending her arm to prevent Twilight from looking at it. “Finders keepers.”
“Oh come on, you gotta let me examine it to see what type of dragon the scale came from.”
“Can’t ya tell by just looking at it?”
“Not everything can be studied just by looking at it.” Twilight said as she tries to reach for the scale.
“Coming from the know it all that can tell other things by just glancing at them only once.” Applejack shot back.
“But this is different.” whined the alicorn princess, still trying to grab the scale. “This is something nopony has ever seen before.”
“You said that before a few hundred times, Twi. You’re really beginning to use it as an excuse now.”
“That’s not true, name one time I did something like that?”
“When ah got my new body.” Applejack bluntly told her. “When ah got my sword and also every time you come to the farm, something new pops up. Remember when you were trying to study Big Mac to see if he was limited in his vocabulary? You hypothesized that he was limited to Eeyup and Nope. Specifically those two words… Not to mention that you were wrong in the end.”
“Wait, what?” Mac asked, now hearing this. “Why am I hearing about this NOW!?”
“Hey you can’t blame for wonder, plus Big Mac rarely says anything else besides those two words.”
Applejack groaned. “You are really pushing yourself. Plus, ah thought that Spike can contact the princesses anytime you act like this.”
“Yes but right now I need to examine the scale before I have him send a letter to the princess. Now if you could.” Twilight once again tried to reach for the scale. “Let me have a look at it.” It was only then that the Alicorn was only able to touch it once with a finger and with it, it sent Twilight flying backwards with her face hitting the ground. “Ow….”
“And what does that have to tell you now, Twilight?” Applejack asked, snickering to herself at what just happened.
“Shut up.” Twilight said as she pulled herself up from the ground. “What the hay was that all about?”
“You tell me, smarty pants.” Applebloom chimed in.
“‘Bloom. Ah thought you were going to check in on Granny Smith?”
“She’s sound asleep upstairs-.” Applebloom stopped, looking back at her sister. Or more specifically, her hands. “Uh… is that normal?”
“We’re in Ponyville, nothing around it normal...to some degree.” Applejack said as she looked at the scale in her hand that was starting to glow. “Oh….this is new.”
“Was that because of you causing Twilight to hit the deck?”
“More like a shockwave causing her to hit the dirt.” Before either member of the Apple family could respond, the scale glowed a bit brighter and with it, a shining flash of light went off, blinding to two of them. Even though Applejack couldn’t see, she did hear something hitting one of the orchard trees. So when she opened her eyes again, she looked towards the orchard and where dust was beginning to pick up.
“Whoever you are ya’ll better get off my apple orchard or else.” The cyborg pony said as she place a hand on her sword.
“Whoa, partner. Can ya take a sec to calm down?” Applejack froze. That voice… was hers. What was going on?
“Applejack, please don’t start picking fights…” A second voice spoke, this time more of a male voice than females.
“I’ll ask again, who are you?” That was when the dust began to settle. Next to a tree was one of the human like figures that she had seen before in talks with Raiden and his team, but with one of his arms looking… draconic and a leather bag over his left shoulder. Next to him was a four legged pony that was standing her ground, unsure if the cyborg was a threat or not.
“Well, that is surprising…” The male spoke. “Never thought we would get summoned by another AJ.”
“...... That’s it, I’m done.” Applejack said as she begun to walk back inside her house. Only for Twilight to stop her.
While the Alicorn was talking to her friend though, the young man began to get up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes and turning around. “Whoops… guess that’s something we need to fix.” Using one of his arms, he placed his draconic hand on the ground. The life force that was poured out afterwards began to heal the ground he landed on and fix the tree that he was slammed into. Like nothing ever handed. “There we are, good as new again.”
“Like I said before Twilight, I’m done with this weird stuff going on in Pony-.” Applejack said as she pointed a finger at the displaced humanoid dragon. “And that one other there count as weird.”
“Oh come on AJ, you can’t be the least curious at to who they are and how they got here?”
“I just wanted a month or two without anything weird happening. After fighting a giant robot, being taken against my will into Luna’s private training room… get you head out of the gutter, Big Mac.”
The male then stood up, noticing that Applejack was holding onto his token. “Technically, you were the one to summon me. Anypony else that tries to use my token for their own greedy purposes gets sent flying by my life force.”
“Yeah we kind notice when Twilight here tried to get her hands on this.”
“I had a good reason, it was for science.”
“More specifically, you’re greedy for knowledge. And some things, you would rather not want to know.”
“But it’s something that never been seen before. You can’t expect me not to wonder what it is? It’s like if you tell somepony not to touch a red button, but they end up pressing it so they can know what it does.”
“Why else do you think it’s red?” The other AJ asked, trotting over. “To have people STAY AWAY from it.”
“Yes, but some ponies will let curiosity get the better of them and press it anyway.”
“Hence, curiosity killed the cat.” The man snickered.
“Oh like you never done something out of curiosity… who are you anyway?”
“Name’s Ken. Ken Ahkrin.” He said. “And is it normal for you to be acting like this? Because unlike my Twilight, you seem to have a habit of not letting things go.” The earth pony that was next to him was looking at the two of them, before looking at Twilight specifically. “Because isn’t it obvious that you were looking at an Onyx Dragon Scale?”
“What’s an Onyx Dragon Scale?” Twilight asked as she pulled out a piece of paper and pen. “Is it some kind of rare dragon species?”
“Nice going Ken.” Applejack said as she rubbed her head in annoyance. To her surprise though, She soon noticed Twilight’s clipboard whisked out of her hands by the energy glowing around Ken.
“I was asking a question. Not giving a lecture.” He groaned, giving the clipboard and pen to Applebloom on the side.. “Good lord, did she fall on her head when she was a filly?”
“I’m still here you know?” Twilight said as she glared at Ken. “And no, I didn’t fall on my head when I was a little filly.”
“...... Ugh…” Ken groaned, looking back at her. “Look, I would prefer to talk about this with Applejack only because it feels like you’re a crazier version of my Twilight back home. So could you please respect that… or do I have to have Revaan supervise you?”
“B-But-.”
Thinking for a minute, the Displaced groaned. “Applejack… want to give her something to… well… Occupy her?”
“What, like throw her a bone or something?” Ken’s Applejack asked.
“More or less… Because I’m sure that… if I’m correct… with Twilight gone, Spike is free to go after the crystals she had stored in the pantry. After all, when that cat’s away, the mice will play.”
“.....Oh buck.” Twilight’s horn began to glow as she quickly teleported back to her castle.
“....How did you do that?” AJ asked.
“Honestly… I took a guess. Think about it… with Twilight here, Spike is left home alone. The rest… was just a guess.” He shrugged. “At least that might occupy her for a while… and good thing I didn’t have to resort to plan B.”
“What’s plan B?”
Ken just smirked a little, looking back at his Applejack as she closed her eyes. She glowed for a brief second before taking on a new appearance. An appearance that was more… draconic. “Plan B would be having me create a golem from the earth to chase her around the outskirts of Ponyville. But I’m glad that we didn’t have to resort to that.”
“Well that’s one way to deal with her to some extent period of time.”
“Trust me, I’m not sure if you would want for up to be here long.” He told her. “I thought from what you said earlier with being done with the weird stuff that you would rather not want to talk with us.”
“Normally yes, but seeing how you’re not annoying me to some degree I guess I can talk to you two for a while.” Aj said as she extended her hand at Ken. “I’m Applejack.”
“Nice to meet you Applejack. I’m Ken… but you might already know that.” He chuckled. “Should we talk about this inside? I just thought that if Twilight were coming back, we should stay out of her line of sight.”
“Yeah let’s head inside before she comes back.” With that, Ken and his AJ followed Applejack inside her home as they made their way towards the kitchen table. The three of them sat down, after Ken’s Applejack was struggling a little with getting up on a chair and soon, the Displaced began to speak.
“So, do you have any questions for Applejack and I?”
“A few yes, but my biggest question is….what the hay are you suppose to be?”
“That… might take some time to explain. But to be brief, I’m a Scalebound.”
“Okay and what’s a Scalebound?”
“You see my arm?” He asked, setting it on the table. “It’s a sign of the bond that I have with a dragon back at my home since our souls are linked to one another. However, he’s the last of his kind. I promised to help him and find out what happened to his kin and with it, I gained some abilities.” Applejack remembered something along that line earlier in the day when he yanked Twilight’s clipboard out of her hands earlier. But still, she was wondering what else Ken could do. And who was this dragon he was talking about.
“Who’s this dragon you’re bound to back home?”
“His name is Revaan. He’s… interesting to say the least. He’s a friend, teacher and also one who cares for others. He just reunited with our Spike a month or so ago and found out that he was his son. But with that though… there are some drawbacks to our souls being linked.”
“Drawbacks?”
“With their souls being linked, anything they feel is split between them,” The four legged dragon that was next to the Scalebound spoke for him. “Which means if he’s hurt, Revaan is hurt and also… if he dies… Revaan dies too.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah. Still though, that’s just us. We’ve been doing our best to try and help one another because we’re all one big family back home. Applejack here,” Ken said, pointing to the mare on his right. “is my marefriend.”
“.....What?”
“Not you I mean. MY Applejack. You see, I’m a Displaced. We aren’t from this Equestria, but another one. However, what I might say next might make me sound like a certain Egghead you know, so I’m going to have to do my best to make it brief.” He explained, waiting on the response of the cyborg Earth Pony that he was talking to.
“Oh okay… So are there more of you… Displaced?”
“Trust me, there is more. Some are good, like myself. However, there are others who are not so good. Thankfully, I haven’t ran into any of them. But then there are those that are… well weird. Not to mention that not every pony we meet is in a world similar to ours.”
“Define weird, because the definition of it can be different for some ponies.”
“Think weird as in one being part dragon, part undead lich.” Ken explained, conjuring a reflection of the Lich he knew as Asphyxious. “He’s just a bit of a… friend. But sometimes he’s… random. One time when he went full dragon, he was moaning at me like a puppy.”
“He even tried rolling over.” Ken’s Applejack added on.
“......Should I be worried about that?”
“Not really, he’s cool and gets along with others very well.” Ken replied, easing the cyborg’s worries just a tad. “Any other questions you want to ask us?”
“Yeah, why did your version of me turn into a dragon?”
“Mostly because ah wanted to not have any confusion between the two of us. It can get weird seeing another version of yourself. Would you happen to mean how I can turn into a dragon by any chance?”
“Pretty much yeah.”
“Well, that might be a bit. I only figured out that I can turn into it recently. Mostly because of my instincts and the feelings I had for him. Before then… it was something else.” She looked back at Ken, blushing a little.
“Okay…..”
“And that’s where things get awkward.” The Scalebound replied, making sure to look around and not have any filly stumble on them. “Want me to continue or no?”
“I think that’s enough questioning for today for me.”
“Okay, but would it be okay if I ask you some questions though?” He asked. “I answered some for you. It would be fair that you could answer some for me right?”
“Fair enough, so what do you want to ask me?”
“Well, I was wondering why Twilight was always… well pestering you. Judging from my encounter with her, you seemed to be really annoyed by her.”
“Let’s just say after a certain incident at the swap meet, and what happen two weeks ago. She’s been trying to figure out how my body works, that and see if she can figure out a way to copy it to better Equestria.”
“That just sounds like an invasion of personal privacy.” Dragon AJ groaned. “I mean, what’s so different about your body? It looks normal to me.”
Applejack sighed as she activated her visor and showed a digital model of herself to Ken and his Applejack. “Half of my body is cybernetic.”
“Woah… Sorry for my language, but that’s just badass.” Ken commented. “But one thing though, what do you mean by half?”
“The other is pretty much flesh, bones, and organs. I’m still able to eat and all that stuff, even though my organs are coated in some kind of flexible metal cyberskin.”
“I see… Well, if I have to be honest, I couldn’t really tell that you were a cyborg at first glance. Oddly enough…” Ken stopped for a moment before looking back. “You reminded me a lot of when I first met my AJ.”
“How so?”
“Well, there’s personality. But also, excuse me if this sounds weird, but you looked quite… stunning.”
AJ’s cheeks blushed red when she heard that comment. “O-Oh come on, I-I’m not that stunning, really I’m not.”
“Actually, you are. And personally, cyborg or not, you look quite… beautiful.” He said, looking back at his Applejack before returning his gaze to the cyborg.
“Um….well this is getting….um...awkward.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it weird or anything-.” He tried to apologize, only to be cut off by Applejack.
“S-So any other questions you have for me?”
“Well… um… where’s the restroom? I think I might need to catch my breath.” Ken asked, a slight bit of red on his face.
“Down the hall, to your right.” Ken thanked her as he excused himself from the table. Leaving his Applejack with her for the time being. The thought on the other Applejack though was something she wanted to address.
“Ya know sugarcube… he wasn’t lying to you when he told you that you looked beautiful.” She told her, catching her by surprise.
“I know, it’s just that no pony ever said something like that to me.”
“Well, that’s the thing with Ken. He’s very caring and understanding of other people. Unlike some jerks who would try to use nice words to get something in return, he’s not like that. He cares for other people… and ah think he cares for you all the same.” She said to the cyborg.
“I don’t know how to respond to that.”
“Sometimes, you don’t need a response. Heck, he cares for me all the same and we already are beginning to start a family… Just give him a chance, sugarcube. Trust me, ah won’t be mad at you if you want to spend some time with him.”
“Thanks, but I’m an old fashion kind of mare to be honest.”
“Suit yourself. Still though, you won’t need to worry about him giving you anything that you aren’t ready for though. There’s a reason for it.” She explained. “Sorry if this sounds abrupt, but Ken’s pony sterile.”
“It’s okay, but I’m not really interested in the whole open relationship sex stuff really.”
“To each their own then. Still, if you need him for anything, he’ll be glad to help. He’s one of the most kindest ponies I’ve met and trust me, he will help you out in any way possible.” With that, Ken soon stepped out of the bathroom after he finished washing his hands.
“Hey, I’m back. Did I miss anything?”
“Nothing much really.”
“I guess then if there isn’t any other business to attend too, then maybe Applejack and I should get going before Twilight comes back.” He replied, his marefriend nodding in response. “Oh and Applejack, if you have any questions… just use the scale to call upon me and I can come help you, okay?”
“Is that how you talk with other ponies?”
“Most Displaced have a summoning token that other Displaced can use to summon them. But it works two ways. You either summon them or they will summon you. I have only met a few every now and then, so I’m not completely sure of the possibilities at this rate.” He explained. “All you need to do is focus a little on the scale and then I’ll come okay?”
“Okay, I’ll do that when I need your help.” With that, the Scalebound waved goodbye, using a copy of his own token to open up a portal to his own world, which closed soon after he and his marefriend entered it. Leaving the cyborg back in her home as Applebloom and them were coming back from Ponyville.

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                   Chapter 5: Adjusting                    
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 5: Adjusting
Chapter 5: Adjusting
“So you’re pretty much stuck like this huh AJ?” Rainbow Dash said as she loomed over Applejack, eyeing her body up and down.
“From what I know, yes… And you don’t need to annoy me about it,” She groaned. “Ah was trying to adjust to my new body and live normally until you reminded me about it just now…”
“Yeah, because you bucking tree into space is completely normal.” The pegasus said as she pointed the up rooted trees. “I can see why Granny said take the day off.”
“A day off means me avoiding what needs to be done and that is called laziness. You do that, not me…” The earth pony snarled. “Ever since it was just Apple Bloom, Mac, Granny and I, I felt as if I need to pitch in more since my pa… you probably know what I mean.” Applejack didn’t want to speak on the matter further, given how the conversation was with Shining Armor shortly after the Metal Gear incident a week and a half ago. But it was still fresh on her mind because of it. “Ah just want to live my life normally… I don’t want to feel like ah’m different just because of what happened.”
“Kinda to late for that.” Rainbow Dash mumbled as she noticed a deadpan expression on Applejack’s face. “Just saying, this is ponyville after all. Weird stuff always happens here remember?” She said as Applejack raised a brow. “Um… why don’t you just take a walk around town, or meet up with one of the girls. Maybe that can get you out of that mood you’re having.”
“Sorry Rainbow, but this isn’t something I can just walk off…” She said, getting up and looking at her friend. “I appreciate you trying to help, but right now, I just need some time to adjust… and the best way to do that is alone.” Without Rainbow even getting the chance to say a reply, Applejack trotted off, going through the orchard and just trying to get some air. However, what she said just made Rainbow a little concerned for her… she had never seen AJ act like this before and to her, it was quite depressing. The pegasus wanted to see her friend be herself again, but that was hard ever since she became a cyberpony.
“Hm...Maybe Twilight might know what to do about this? She is the smartest pony, so she might be able to help.” With that in mind, the pegasus flew off to go see her friend as she soon landed in the castle that wa Twilight’s home a few moments later. To her surprise, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were there along with Twilight and they looked to be discussing something as well, but stopped when they saw her.
“Umm… did I come in at a bad time?” She asked, causing Pinkie to giggle a little in response.
“Ah, Rainbow Dash, perfect timing.” Twilight said as she looked over Rarity shoulder. “We were actually gonna send Pinkie to get you, but I guess that won’t be necessary.”
“Oh really? Then what are you girls talking about?” She asked, only to think of a possible answer as she looked back at them. “Is it something having to do with Applejack?”
“Yep! We’re planning on throwing her a surprise party to cheer her up!” Pinkie Pie said as she jump around in front of Rainbow Dash.
“I’m… not sure if that’s going to help,” Dash informed them. “She told me that she needed time to adjust… I tried suggesting for her to go on a walk or to spend some time with me, but she refused… She also told me that since her father disappeared, she felt as if she needed to play her part in helping with the family… which when she told me, it sounded kind of depressing.”
“Which is why a party will cheer her up. Especially when it’s being thrown by her bestest friends.” The party pony said, smiling as she zoomed off to sugarcube corner.
“Uh… did she just ignore what I just told her?” Rainbow asked, sighing a little. “A party is not going to help break Applejack out of her funk… Trust me, didn’t it take me a while to get over the fact that I couldn’t prevent winter from coming to prevent Tank from leaving me and going into hibernation?”
“I know, but it couldn’t hurt but to try. Plus this is Pinkie Pie. If anypony can bring a smile to somepony, it’s definitely her that can do it.” Rarity said as she looked up at Rainbow Dash. “Where is Applejack anyways?”
“Last I know of, she was going for a walk along her orchard after Granny Smith asked for her to take the day off.” Rainbow replied. “I think she just needs the chance to clear her mind a little… not have it bouncing all over the place with something to distract her.”
“Oh come on, Rainbow, how bad can it be?” Twilight asked, looking back at her friend… shortly before an apple tree came crashing through her castle in the living room.
“I believe that was one of the trees that Applejack was trying to harvest earlier… Who knew it would take that long to come back down from space.”
“Wait, she bucked it into space!?” Twilight said as her eyes widen, as a scroll and quill appeared in her hands.
“Honestly, I think that just happened from kicking it too hard. She did seem a bit frustrated…” Rainbow told her. “Like I said, she’s not aware of her full strength yet. Which means a high five from her could have you crashing into the mayor’s office… or worse.”
“Interesting.” The Alicorn said as she wrote it down on the scroll. “This might be a problem if she doesn’t keep her strength in check.”
“True… But one of the reason’s why Applejack is like this is because she knows that you are still spying on her.” Rainbow pointed out, causing Twilight to blush and her wings to flare up for a minute. “Oh come on, do you honestly think hiding in a cardboard box is going to help you?”
“I told you that wouldn’t work!!” Spike yelled from across the hall, causing Twilight to roll her eyes in annoyance.
“I’m just taking notes to see if I can help her with her problem. Plus this is something that has never happened before in Equestria. So I figured I collect some notes to bring to Celestia to see if she might help with more intel on this.”
“And the last time that happened was when that Armstrong guy showed up,” Rarity reminded her. “Look, if Applejack needed our help, she would tell us. She is the Element of Honesty after all and I think that right now, unless she says otherwise, she wants to figure this out on her own. We should at least give her the chance to do so and allow for her to come to us if it doesn’t work out, am I right?”
With a sigh of defeat, Twilight’s horn began to glow as the scroll and quill disappeared. “I guess you’re right.”
With that though, only one other question was said in that particular moment that had everyone else stressing out. “So who’s going to be the one to tell Pinkie Pie about this?”
“Stupid pony and that stupid deal he made with me.” Applejack said, walking around the Apple Orchard while kicking a rock around the ground. “Should’ve known that colt was suspicious. Now look at me. How am I suppose to work on the farm if I’m like this?” The earth pony’s mood and thoughts on the situation only made her feel worse about herself as she continued to think down on what had happened recently. She never had asked for this… She never wanted this… but it happened anyways. “When I find that pony, I’m going to make him tell me how to fix this. Or at least tell me where to go to get myself turned back to normal.”
It was during this moment that she heard a ringing sound again, which upon looking at her wrist, was from Doktor. One person which she did not want to talk to… but didn’t want to come off rude by ignoring it.With a press of a button on her wrist, her visor covered her face as a digital screen appeared showing Doktor’s face on it. “Hello?”
“Oh good to see you, Applejack. I was hoping I could get the chance to talk to you about something…” The Doctor replied, only causing her to groan a bit and for him to hear that. “It’s not too strenuous… I just thought of something that could help you with something regarding your strength.”
“....Go on.” Applejack said as she raised a brow.
“Well, I have been developing a program that I can install for you that allows you to suppress your cybernetic strength for normal daily events like labor, but also allows you to enhance it when in dangerous situations. That way, you can still live normally and not have to worry about your newfound strength destroying anything.” What the doctor said was promising, but still had Applejack wonder a few things because of it. First and foremost, how was he able to develop this? Second, when could it be ready for her?
“You do not know how happy I am to hear that partner. So how do I get this program from you?”
“That’s the thing though that we are trying to figure out… It would involve trying to figure out how Armstrong and them have opened up rifts into your world from ours. Because this isn’t something I can upload digitally. It needs to be a manual installation… fortunately though, the program itself is complete and depending on how some of our recent test go with a newly acquired portal device, we could have ourselves a gateway to where you are very soon…” Doktor explained, sighing a little as he took a moment to clean his glasses. “But there are two things I can do in the meantime… In the combat maneuvers folder for training, I sent you a new series of moves focused on hand to hand combat and martial arts… The other? Well… I’ll let you see for yourself.”
“If it involves a sword, then I’ll look at it later. Right now I’m more interested in the program thing you’re talking about and how to get it.”
“I understand that and we are working around the clock to get it to you… But, I believe there is someone here that wants to see you…”
“And who would that be? Not to be rude or anything, but I’m not in a very talkative mo-.”
“A-AJ?” She heard a male voice and soon saw Doktor move out of the way to see somepony she never would think she would see again. “AJ, is that you?”
“P-Pa...is that really you?”
“Oh dear Celestia… It is you.” He said, the stallion almost on the verge of tears now. “Y-you’ve grown so much…”
“Oh pa, I missed you so much.” Applejack said as tears began to flow down her face. “W-Where have you been all these years?”
“Well… remember the letter I left for ya?” He asked. “Well, what we were going to investigate in the badlands was actually the thing that brought me here… Desperado, or whatever Doktor calls them, pulled me and my squad here, killing the others and capturing me… Raiden freed me recently and we’re trying to find a way for me to come back home…”
“Wait, in the badlands? Why were you investigating that place?”
“That was where we had recieved the reports of the portals from… Originally, we had thought that something escaped from Tartarus, but it turns out it was something else entirely… By my word, you have grown so much, AJ…” He said. “You look just like your mother…”
“Um...T-Thanks pa.” She said. Shortly before Doktor sighed and looked at her father.
“I’ll give you two some privacy. You must have a lot of catching up to do.” He said before walking out of the room and leaving the two earth ponies to talk amongst themselves. However, the first thing her father said sort of surprised AJ… along with embarrassed her.
“So… Have you been seeing anypony recently?”
“PA!”
“What? I haven’t seen you in some time and you’re a grown mare. Can’t ah just ask a question?” He sighed, looking back. “You know what… I think I messed up. Let me rephrase that. How has everypony on the farm been recently?”
“W-Well everypony is fine on the farm. Though just a heads up. If you see some uprooted trees, let’s just say that I might have done it when I was apple bucking.” The mare said with a sheepish smile on her face.
“Hey, accidents happen sometimes.” He chuckled. “I was just curious… though, I’m worried that if I come home too soon, Granny Smith might have a heart attack from seeing me.”
“Granny will be fine. It’ll take more than seeing you to give her a heart attack...although she might smack you upside the head for disappearing for past couple of years.”
“That… I would expect.” The Stallion chuckled. “So, have you been taking care of your little sister?”
“She’s going well. She met some friends a while back and are now part of a club call the cutie mark crusaders.”
“Judging from the name, it sounds like they’re desperate to get them… You’re making sure she doesn’t get into any trouble right? Both you and Mac?”
“Yes, we been keeping her out of trouble. Though I’m a bit surprise they’re able to get away with most of the stuff they do when they go out crusading.” That just had the stallion raise an eyebrow. A sign that Applejack needed to be a little bit more specific and provide some examples for him in the process. “Okay so maybe I’ve been a bit distracted with farm work, and duties on being the element of honesty and stuff to pay attention to what Apple Bloom been doing on her crusading a bit…”
“What sort of things do they do on their crusading?” Came her father’s next question.
“You know when I was little and I was trying to fly off the barn to see if I can fly? Well imagine that but with them trying to find their cutie marks with stuff similar to that.”
“Oh boy… That… can be a handful… in all honesty though, using the kite that you had as a kid was a good idea… But then came gravity… Please don’t tell me they tried something on your brother…”
“Unless you count the love poison they gave Ms. Cheerilee and Big Mac on hearts and hooves day… then it’s a bit too late.”
“Great… Now I’m just getting flashbacks.” Jonathan Apple replied, causing her daughter to look confused for a moment.
“Flashbacks? Wait did you do something like that?”
“No, more like something like that happened to me… One of your uncles when we were kids thought it would be funny to try the love poison trick on me and also another mare… which later on turned out to be your mother… Let’s just say that he got grounded for a couple of months afterwards.”
“.....I...don’t know how to respond to that.”
“Funny thing is, he is a lot like your cousin… Braeburn I believe.” He replied. In that moment though, Applejack did not realize somepony else coming up from behind as somepony tapped her on the shoulder. Turns out, it was actually her brother.
“You okay, AJ?”
“Ah! Um! Y-Yeah I’m fine!” Applejack said as she turned around to see Big Mac behind her. “What are you doing here Big Mac?”
“Ah was coming to check on ya. Ah heard ya talking to yourself and-.”
“Hang on, is that Mac? AJ, is that Mac talking to ya?” Her father asked, causing Applejack to sigh for a moment.
“Well… Mac… I think there’s something you need to see…” She said. With her free hand, she had the visor disappear and instead, had the communication screen form from the palm of her hand where it was big enough for her and Mac to see the pony she was talking to.
“Mac? Oh dear C-celestia…”
“P-pa?”
“Yes Big Mac, it him.” The stallion stared at the screen, slackjawed. He was going to ask about how it was possible, but Applejack and Jonathon Apple gave him a quick summary on it so the stallion would understand.
“I-i… honestly don’t know w-what to say…” He said, looking back at both AJ and his father. “I-it’s good to s-see you again, Pa.”
“Same here son… though, there’s something I would like to ask from both you and AJ.” He said, just making the Cyberpony confused a little.
“What would that be?”
“I would like you to not tell anypony else that I’m alive until I come back to Equestria…” He said to both of his eldest son and daughter.
“Why would you want us to do that?”
“Right now… With what Raiden and Doktor told me, I might be hunted by Desperado since Raiden helped me escape from their prison facility. Since they are both here and back home where you are, it may mean that they might have spies trying to snuff out any possible information about my whereabouts or find anypony that knows about me and interrogate them. It’s for their own safety as well as the safety of my family… I don’t want my dear Applebloom to get caught up in this mess or anypony else I know…” He explained. “It’ll only be for a short while. Doktor said that they’re real close to finding a way for me to come back. They just need some time to run some ‘small scale tests’ or something like that first beforehoof. But I will be back home soon… I promise.”
“I guess I can understand what you mean by that. But you better not put yourself into any danger you got that.”
“Same can be said to you now, AJ.” Jonathon chuckled. “Oh and when I get home, I promise I can teach you a few things with how to fight from my days in the guard.”
“Wait, you were a royal guard?” Big Mac questioned, surprised to hear that.
“Long story, Mac…” Applejack sighed. “I’ll explain it to you later once we get back to the farm.”
“Alright… I’ll have Doktor contact you two once we got the program ready for you AJ. Stay safe.” With that… and a little bit of fiddling around, Jonathon ended the call and left both siblings sitting next to one another. Until Big Mac then asked something.
“So what’s this thing about a program?”
“I need something to eat before I can explain the whole story from the beginning. Let’s head over to sugarcube corner for a bit to eat and then I’ll tell you every that I know so far on the way there.”
“Alright. Sounds fine to me… Need a jacket or something?” He offered to her, holding out a light orange one with three apples stitched along the right pocket.
“What for?”
“I thought you would want to cover up your… new appearance for now. I had this custom made for you from Rarity earlier in the week.” He said, giving it to her to wear. “Besides, ah care for ya, sis… I just wanted to do my best to help ya.”
“That or the fact that most of the colts in town were looking at me.” Applejack said with a deadpanned expression on her face. Only for Big Mac to toss the coat at her face. “Hey!”
“Come on, get the coat on and let me help ya up. You deserve a bite to eat after everything today.” He insisted. “Plus, Applebloom is with the Crusaders so we don’t need to worry about them… for right now at least.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll put the coat on for your sake.” She said as puts the coat on. Big Mac extended a hand to help her off of the ground as she took it and used a little bit of strength to pull herself up. Surprisingly though, she felt real comfortable in the newfound jacket she was wearing. “Huh, not bad. You said Rarity made this right?”
“Yeah. But ah told her the size since ah have been the one who does most of the laundry in the family… But still, it’s her craft and she didn’t even charge for it. Her exact words were ‘Anything for a friend’ I believe.”
“Well that was nice of her. I’ll have to thank her next time I see her.” He smiled, nodding his head in the direction of sugarcube corner as the two of them walked off of the ranch and into town. To Applejack’s surprise, everything actually felt… normal so to speak. No strange looks, no weird glances… It felt like one of the days before she became a cyberpony. “Well this is...odd.”
“What is odd?” Big Mac asked her, raising an eyebrow.
“I mean odder than usual. Shouldn’t everypony be looking at me like how they did throughout the week?”
“Not always… Remember when the same thing happened with Zecora a couple of years back? They were afraid originally, but not so much now… Maybe sometimes, it takes time for other ponies to adjust to new things…”
“Maybe...I’m just not use to stuff like that stopping in less than a week or so.”
“Yet, they’re not seeing you as a new pony… Just because of one small change, you’re still you Applejack. There’s nothing different about that.” Big Mac said, before taking something out for his sister and giving it to her. “Here. I even saved you your favorite hat.”
“You hold on to it for a while. Kinda a feel out of place with it on head with this new body I have.”
“You’ll get used to it. Everypony needs time to adjust to something. Some need a bit more time than others, but not always… Besides, you’re my sister… You can overcome anything that’s thrown at you. Including this… Now, how about we get ourselves a treat? We’re a block away from Sugarcube Corner.”
“Sure.” She smiled, following her brother inside the small bakery and taking the chance to spend a little bit of time with her brother. It felt good to be able to not have anything crazy happen while they were out in Ponyville. Now it felt like some things were finally beginning to get back to normal… for the time being.
However, that notion was short lived the moment Applejack and Big Mac returned back to the barn… to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders jumping for joy and for Diamond Tiara of all ponies to be with them. Shortly afterwards though, Applebloom turned to face her sister… and catch her off guard with some surprising news. “Look sis!! We got our cutie marks!!!!”
“……… How the hay-?”

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                  Chapter 1: Cyborg Pony                   
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Chapter 1: Cyborg Pony
Chapter 1: Cyborg Pony
“I’m not going Twilight.” Applejack said, folding her arms in annoyance.
“Oh come on, Applejack. Going to a Swap Meet is not the end of the world,” Her friend, Twilight Sparkle, tried to convince her. “I go there all the time to find some utensils and other items for the library-.”
“Before it got blown up by Tirek-.”
“-You’re not helping me Spike.” The Alicorn sighed in annoyance at the young dragon. “Can’t you just give it a chance?”
“That’s what you said when ya’ll wanted me to be a ‘test subject’ for your new teleporting spell you wanted to try out. And that spell sent me to Appaloosa.”
“And I’m trying to make up for that by helping you this time. I heard Rarity earlier in the week say that you needed some new Kitchen knives since your old ones are getting dull?”
“Hm.” Applejack paused for a moment before looking behind her at the kitchen, then back at Twilight. “Alright fine I’ll go with you to this fancy little swap meet of yours.”
“Fancy isn’t quite the word for it. It’s like a farmer’s market, but for other items that aren’t edible. You’ll see what I mean when we get there.” Twilight clarified, letting the Earth Pony follow her outside.
“I better not regret this Twi.”
“You’ll be fine, Applejack. Stop over exaggerating.”
“I’ll stop when you learn how to stop exaggerating over certain things yourself.”
Twilight turned around, looking at her with a raised eyebrow, “Since when do I exaggerate?”
“Remember the time when you exaggerated over the letter for the princess? Or how about the time when the Princess was visiting Ponyville a month ago?”
“That… was because I forgot to put the dates on my calendar.”
“Twi… ya don’t even have a calendar.”
“I’m sure I did, I just… SPIKE!!!!!”
“Case in point Twilight, you exaggerate a lot.”
“I’m trying to improve,” The Alicorn replied as they turned another corner and began to walk down the street. “Trust me, the whole thing is a work in progress.”
“Sure it is sugarcube.” Applejack said while rolling her eyes at her friend’s statement.
“You can say the same thing about Rainbow. Remember when she thought that the boy Scootaloo was dating was a changeling spy?”
“To be fair he was a changeling, but he wasn’t a spy. I kinda feel sorry for the fella after what happened afterwards.”
“I was talking about the first one. You know, Rumble? Thunderlane’s little brother?”
“Oh that one…You don’t think Rainbow Dash still thinks he’s a spy do you?”
Twilight looked up above her, seeing Rainbow Dash in a cloud with a pair of binoculars, watching Scootaloo and her friends play with Rumble and a few of the other schoolyard kids like she was an elite spy for the Canterlot Intelligence Agency… or CIA for short.
“Does that answer your question?”
“Sadly yes. So how long before we get to this swap meet of ours Twilight?”
“We should be close by. So, not long.” She replied. “Speak of Discord, here we are.”
“....Twi.”
“Yes Applejack?” She asked, looking back at her friend to the entrance of the Swap Meet.
“You didn’t tell me this place would be crawling with… how do I say this without sounding offensive towards you?”
“This place full of nerds.” Spike said bluntly.
“Thank you kindly Spike.” Applejack said as she turned her attention back a Twilight. “Care to explain why this place is crawling with nerdy looking ponies?”
“Because this is the same place where Rainbow was trying to set up shop a long time ago.”
“Okay… I get the feeling it’s too late to turn back huh?” All Twilight did was sigh and nod her head as she used her magic to drag Spike into the Swap Meet.
“*Sigh* This place better have what I need for the house then.” Applejack said as she followed Twilight and the others. “That or at least something that I can cut food up with.”
“Trust me, AJ. We’ll find something to help you.” Spike replied, standing next to the earth pony.
“Let’s just get this over with okay? I get the feeling that them ponies are staring at me from behind.” Said Applejack as she looks over her shoulder just to make sure.
“Come on I’m sure once we found something you’d like I’m sure you’ll have fun.” said Twilight as they look at some of the stalls.
“I find it hard to believe that I would find something that I like here Twilight.” Applejack said as she looked around the Swap meet. “This place doesn’t even look like a swap meet, but a place for nerds to get together to talk about sci-fi nonsense.”
That’s when Applejack spotted Scootaloo and Rumble at a stall looking at comic books. Not to far from them was RD dressed as a spy at another stall watching them.
“Seriously, you think she would’ve come up with a better get up then that.” Applejack thought as she continued looking around. That when she noticed a pony in some kind of ninja getup with what looked like a sword.
“See something you like?” asked Spike with a grin on his face.
“I wasn’t looking at nothing!” Applejack said defensively. “I was just curious that’s all.” The little dragon just looks at her with a knowing smile on his face. “Get your mind out of the gutter Spike, and just look for a set of knives or something.”
“Right, right.” said Spike as he looks around. “Hey what about that stall over there?” He asked pointing at a stall with a hooded pony at it.
“What makes ya’ll think that colt has what I need for the house?”
“Well you won’t know until you go over and ask.” said Twilight as she smiles at AJ then turns to Spike. “And you're grounded when we get back.”
“What?! Why?!” Spike asked in shock.
“Think about what you said and how Applejack acted.” Twilight answered.
“That didn’t stop you from doing that before to her.”
“You’re now grounded for two weeks.” said Twilight as she huffed, looking away with a blush.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much Twilight?” Applejack asked.
“Not at all he needs to understand there are just some things he can’t say at his age.” answered Twilight, but then notices the hooded pony was waving at them to come over.
“I think he’s motioning us to come over to him.”
“Well what are we waiting for?” said Spike as he runs over.
“Well somepony is excited?” Applejack said as she and Twilight followed Spike. The hooded pony was just smiling as Spike was looking over the many things on the table. That when he looked at Applejack and rubbed his chin.
“My, my it looks like someone forgot their costume back at home.” He said looking between Twilight and Spike.
“Excuse me, what does that suppose to mean?” Applejack asked, glaring at the hooded pony.
“Now, now no need to get upset. I’m sure I have some costumes left that you may like. There even a dressing room to the right there if you want to try one on before buying it. Just to make sure it fits.” said the hooded pony as he start to look in some boxes.
“Look partner, I’m not here to try on any costumes.”
“Oh I see, well what about this?” He asked pulling out a sword.
“I’m simply here to look for some cutlery. You know like knives that you would see in a kitchen for cutting up food.”
“Hmmmm, you’re a picky one aren’t you?” He asked as he put the sword on the table. Before going back down looking in the boxes.
“Look do have them or not, because if you don’t then I’m leaving this place and look someplace else.”
“I do have something but under one condition. You have to try on one costume and wear the sword with it. Then I’ll sell you this for half price.” He said as he put a box full of cutlery on the table.
“...Can’t we work something else out?” Applejack asked. “How about I give you a deal on apple related products?”
“Sorry but that my deal, you can either take it or leave it. I’m sure it will be next to impossible for you to find anything like these here. I mean look around you, what the likeliness of you finding what you need here?” He asked putting the costume on the table.
“40.500623 out of 0.00000001 %.” said Twilight with a smile. That made both the hooded pony and Applejack look at her. ”What?” Asked Twilight blinking at them.
“Anyway… do we have a deal?” Asked the Hooded pony wit ha smile.
“Fine, but if you try anything while I’m changing. I don’t know if this is accurate for math speaking, but X will equal my hoof kicking your flank.”
“My dear, I would never dream of it. What do you take me for? I have at least some pride in my work.” He said sounding insulted.
“You look like somepony that I would beat up for being a creepy pony stalker.”
He looked at her annoyed then smiled. “Want me to change the deal to you dressing up as a maid?” He asked as he points to the changing room.
“Fine, fine. I’ll go change.” Applejack said as she grabbed the costume, and walked into the changing room. In the meantime the hooded pony was talking to Twilight and Spike while they wait. They stop once Applejack come back out with her arms crossed.
“Oh my you look very what the word now days? Oh yes badass in that outfit.” He said with a smile.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ia2IJ1lVgmxux_VvCtPR5Y19jW8sq4d8yj5zm1JrYkPAgacDlMsV52-jncBgaFFw4A4YsEuSCqd4B5g7eBHX19Iv_LYSwdhQmZySURiBsR-q5EuUjPJhq309vsdPnRJAgQ
“This is embarrassing on so many levels Twilight.” Applejack said while pulling on the latex suit she’s wearing.
“Oh come on I think it looks nice on you. What do you think Spike?” asked Twilight. Spike just nodded with a huge blush on his face.
“Look do I get the knives or what? Because right now I want to leave before somepony tries something he’s going to regret later on.”
“Okay, but just to let you know you’ll get the sword to.” The colt said as he handed her the box of cutlery and the sword on top of it.
“Not like I’ll be using the sword for anything, but thanks.” Applejack said as she picked the box up with the sword on top.
“Have a nice day now. And say hello to the others for me as well.” He calls to them as they start to walk away.
“What does he mean by that?” asked Spike looking back at the Hooded pony as they walk away.
“I don’t know, maybe he met Pinkie Pie and she told him about us?”
“Ya I guess you’re right. I wouldn’t put it past her to know everyone here as well as ponyville.” said Spike as he put his claws behind his head.
“Well either way I got what I needed, let’s just go so I can get out of this latex suit. I’m starting to get annoyed at the way certain ponies are looking at me right now.”
“Well you do look pretty in that suit.” said Spike as he looks away at another shop.
“Yeah you and every other pony in this nerd infested swap meet.” Twilight said pointing to some of the ponies that were looking at Applejack.
"Look who's the pot calling the kettle black.” said Spike with a knowing smile. “What about that fan fiction about a guard named Flashlight and a princess called Twinight-?”
“Uh how about we head back to your place Applejack? You might need some help with something on the farm right?” Twilight said as she quickly covered Spike’s mouth.
“What was Spike talking about?” asked Applejack giving Twilight a look.
“O-Oh nothing, just something that my brother work a while back during his phase or something.”
“It was last week-!” Spike called out before getting his mouth covered again by Twilight.
“Spike I will tell everypony in town that whenever you are alone, you pretend that the mop you’re dancing with is Rarity.” Twilight whispered into the dragon’s ear.
“I’ll be good.”
“Good.” Twilight removed her hand as she turned her attention back to Applejack. “So Applejack do you need any help back on the farm?”
“Well I could use some help with peeling and cutting some apples if ya’ll don’t mind helping me bake a pie?”
“Okay sounds good.” Said Twilight with a smile.
“And we can talk all about this Twinight you have been working on.” Applejack said with a joking smile on her face. Twilight’s face blushed bright red from her friend’s statement. “I’ll give ya’ll a call when I need you to help out. Right now I’m gonna take a quick nap before we start.”
        A few hours later Applejack awoke from her mid afternoon nap after going to the Swap Meet with Twilight and Spike. As she was moving, she felt something off about herself. “Weird...I don’t remember sleeping in that outfit that pony gave me, did I forget to take it off? Wait did I forget to pay him to!?”  The cowpony thought as she shot up from her bed. Only for her to fall face first onto the floor. “Ow!”
“Sis! you al’right in there?” yelled Applebloom from outside Applejacks room. “It time to get up!” Applebloom then opened the door and saw her sister on the floor rubbing her face. “Applejack I thought you didn’t like that costume?”
“Yes I did say that. Applebloom did I had this on when I fell asleep?”
“I don’t think so? You said you were going to take a bath as soon as you got it off.” said Applebloom as she walked over to her older sister. “Maybe ya just forgot?”
“Maybe, mind getting the zipper on my back?”
“Sure.” said Applebloom as she moved behind Applejack to unzip her costume, only to have a hard time finding it. “I can’t find it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it not there, see?” Applebloom pulls a mirror over to show her. “Applejack what going on?”
“Applebloom, if this is some kind of joke, then this isn’t funny….at all.”
“I’m not lying! I really can’t find it. Not only that, but I can’t see the clips for the armor parts anywhere.”
“.....Applebloom could you get Twilight to come over here please?”
“Alright.” said Applebloom as she ran off to get Twilight.
“Got to the swap meet she said. You’ll be able to find what you need there she said. Nothing can possibly go wrong she said.” Applejack said as she began to walk from her room to the living room of her house. “This is the last time I ever go somewhere with Twilight that involves something like this ever again.” Moments later, Applebloom returns with Twilight as she catches her breath.
“Oh good you’re back.” Applejack said while crossing her arms in annoyance as she looked at Twilight. “Mind explaining why I can’t take this outfit off?”
“Wait what? I was told you needed to see me. What do you mean you can’t get it off?” Asked Twilight as she take a deep breath.
“Well if you must know. When I asked Applebloom to help me get the zipper undone, she said she couldn’t find the zipper.”
“Oh come now I’m sure it just hidden under the seem, let me have a look.” Said Twilight as she go behind Applejack back. “Huh that's odd it should be there… Come on I saw it there yesterday.” Twilight said as she feels all around Applejacks back. “....Maybe we should do this in your room?” said Twilight as she looks at Applejacks outfit.
“No, because right now I’m annoyed at the situation that is going on right now.”
“Alright let me try something else, this may feels strange…” Twilight said as she start to feel around AJ outfit.
“Really? Because as it stands it feels like this suit is literally fused with my fur for some reason, and I have a feeling this has something to do with that colt from yesterday.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure I can get you out of this just, ah ha!” Twilight found a latch and pushed it and the armor around Applejack’s waist drops to the floor. The expression on Twilight face changed from curious to shock at what she saw. “Umm, I’m starting to think it more than just your fur that got fused.”
“What do you mean by that?” Applejack asked.
“It umm. Looks like the suit is over your… I can’t really explain it but I think the suit has fused with your body…” said Twilight as she picks up the waist armour and looks over it. “On the bright side I think you don’t need to use the bathroom anymore.”
“....Twilight. Not to be rude or anything, but do you mind, oh I don’t know, TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY FOR A SECOND?!”
“Applejack I don’t think you fully understand what happened. You don’t have… Look, I’m going to do a magic xray of your body okay.” Twilight cast the spell then looks worried over what she saw. “This… looks bad…”
“What’s bad?”
“If I’m reading this right then… a large part of your body been replaced with… I can’t even begin to start. All I can tell you now is if I try and remove this suit from you. I may end up killing you…” said Twilight with worrying look on her face.
“Well can’t you use your magic to fix what’s going on with-.”
“You don’t understand this isn’t like transformation magic. Somepony just removed all your internal organs and muscle, bones. Everything been replaced! Even your eye!” Twilight said, yelling in a panic. “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS!?”
“............”
“Sis, are you okay?” Applebloom asked.
“Do ah look like I am okay?! I don’t even know what happened to me!!” She said, moving her arm a little. That was when she heard something. Something that sounded like one of the Machines Twilight kept in her basement. “Uh… Twilight?”
“Okay Applejack… Don’t move or panic. I think you may have turned something on. So don’t move please. Applebloom, could you go inside?” said Twilight as she carefully got up to Applejack.
“Turned something on… What am I now, one of your contraptions!?” The Earth Pony snarled.
“Applejack please calm down and no you’re nothing like that. What I’m asking you as your friend please put the sword down, and trust me on this okay?”
“....Fine,” Applejack placed her sword down on the floor. “but you better not do anything that will hurt me.”
“I think you need to ask something else, where did you pull that sword from… You didn’t have it in your hands when you came out here.” Twilight asked as she got closer to her friend. “And I would never try and hurt you. You’re my friend.”
“Ah thought ah set the darn thing next to the window in my room,” She replied, turning around. “Maybe it’s stuck with me like this… whatever it is ah’m suppose to be… any ideas on what I am Twilight?”
“Hmm… I don’t quite know exactly but I might find out if I observe something. Can you still buck apple trees?” She asked, holding a clipboard and pencil with her magic.
“I’m pretty sure I can still buck apple trees. I still have my legs after all.”
“I know, but I want to see if you still had your reflexes from before… you know… Ugh, whatever. What I mean is I still wanted to see if you can move like you did the day before. Should be simple.”
“Okay Twilight, we’ll head over to the apple orchard and see if I’m okay.” Applejack said as she picked up her sword, placed it on her waist, and walked off towards the apple orchard. Once she found a good place, she lifted her left leg up and gave it a swift and powerful jab kick. Just like she would normally do during the harvest.
However, what was not expected was for that tree… and three others behind it, to be uprooted from the ground and fall flat on the surface of the orchard.
“Dear Celestia-!!”
“Oww!!! Okay, who the hay knocked me out of the tree I was napping in!?” Came the voice of a friend as Rainbow Dash flew out of one of the trees that was on the ground. “Hey Twi, who’s the Cyborg pony?”
“Rainbow Dash, it’s me, Applejack.” Applejack said while folding her arms. “And what are ya’ll doing that there apple tree?”
“AJ? Since when did you become a badass cyborg?” She snickered. “Anyhow, for your other question, I was trying to take a nap in the tree since I wanted to check on you afterwards and see how you were after the swap meet. Only to find the tree I was in falling to the ground!!”
“Well ya’ll should’ve thought about that before you decided to sleep in mah family’s apple tree-.” Applejack soon blinked for a minute, before realizing something that her friend had previously said. “Hey, how the hay do you know exactly what I am?”
“Well, duh. I play Mare Gear Solid with Spike sometimes. He helped me beat the final boss as Solid Sparkle.” She replied, holding the copy of the newest game that was available on Haystation 4.
“......You know Twilight, for an alicorn princess who’s smarter than most ponies, you really tend to not take into account stuff like this.”
“Hey, with the amount of things going on in the world from having to meet the delegates of other towns and countries to locking villains back up in Tartarus, I didn’t think something like this was possible.”
“Well isn’t that just grand. I’m a some kind of cyborg pony, with little to no idea what she can do.” Applejack said as she planted herself on the ground. “So now what do we do?”
“Well, I say either two things…” Rainbow replied. “One, go the egghead approach and tell Princess Celestia… Or Two, find someone locally who might know a thing or two about it… Remember when I said that Spike played these games with me? He basically knows a lot of things about cyborgs that makes me think he’s Twilight’s son.”
“Well… In a way, I do see him a little bit like my son, but don’t tell him that.”
“Hm… I’ll ask Celestia if she know’s something about this whole situation I’m in. Then I’ll ask Spike if Princess Celestia doesn’t know.”
“Hey, Twilight. Celestia just arrived a few minutes ago and-. WHAT THE BUCK!?!” All three of them soon turned around to see Spike walking over with the Princess behind him as he stared at Applejack. “Oh dear Celestia… Applejack… you look… AWESOME!!!”
“*Sigh* Not a normal day in Ponyville huh?”  Applejack mumbled as she put on a fake smile. “Howdy Spike and Princess Celestia.”
“Well… this is a rather… interesting development…”
“Princess Celestia what are you doing here? I was just about to send you a message about what happened to one of my friends.” said Twilight as she bowed to Celestia.
“There’s no need to bow down to me, Twilight.”
“Oh right heh sorry.”
“So what brings you here to sweet apple acres Princess Celestia?” Applejack asked.
“Well, I originally wanted to talk to Twilight about a faint disturbance I felt earlier, but it seems that this is even more important.” The Princess replied briefly before looking at Applejack. “If I may, I want to try something… If it’s okay with you, Dear Applejack.”
“Um… sure princess, but what is it you want to try out?”
“It’s a identification spell. It allows the caster to see what you are and also tell what sort of implications you might have because of these newfound… changes.”
“Isn’t that the same spell Twilight used on me?”
“It’s a higher degree because it allows the caster to see internal changes inside the body. Not outside like Twilight’s. Allowing me to see changes on a cellular level.”
“This isn’t going to hurt will it?” Applejack asked as she tensed up a bit. “Or turn me into Faust knows what.”
“No it will not.” She assured, casting it briefly before looking at the Earth Pony with an enhanced look in her eyes. “Well, this is very interesting if I do say so myself Applejack. This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your body structure and organs are normal, but your arms and legs are completely prosthetic to a degree that I couldn’t even tell it was that way until I looked at it closer. Your eye is also enhanced and cybernetic as well. You can still eat and sleep like a normal pony would, but your body is all connected to everything that is here. That also includes the sword you carry.”
“Is there a way to get me back to normal, or am I stuck like this?”
“Unfortunately, there isn’t.” The Princess told her.
“Well this is just great! I’m a walking cyborg pony with faust knows what I have, and a sword that’s possibly useless!” Applejack yelled before looking at Twilight. “I blame you for this Twilight-.”
“Your sword is actually not useless… Since you are a cyborg, you can channel focus into it and actually cut almost anything in half. Including a mountain.” Spike explained, before getting everypony to stare at him. “What? I read sometimes.”
“Yeah right.” Applejack said as she unsheathed her sword “You expect me to believe that this sword can cut through anything-.” Just as Applejack swung the sword around, the sword sliced through the somewhat fallen tree like butter. “.......Don’t say it.”
“Told you.”
“....Anyway what do we do now?” Applejack asked as she turned her attention at Celestia.
“Just do what you would normally do… If anything out of the ordinary happens, contact me immediately.”
“Will do Princess.” said Applejack as watched Celestia Teleport back to Canterlot. The cowpony then turned her attention back at Twilight again. “I blame you for this Twi.”
“Hey, I blame Spike for it. You wouldn’t have gone over to the booth if he didn’t suggest you too.”
“That’s a low blow,” The dragon grumbled.
“Really? Because if I’m not mistaken you asked me to come along with you to the sci-fi swap meet.”
“That’s because the only way I could go in was with parent or guardian admission. You’re a guardian to me.” Spike replied, walking closer to Twilight.
“Ya’ll can settle your little fight some other time. How am I going to explain this to Granny Smith and Big Mac?”
Twilight sighed, pointing her finger at the window, where Big Mac, Applebloom and Granny Smith were. “That was open the whole time.”
“Well this is going to be hard to explain to Granny and Big Mac.”
“I was right here, Darn it!” The elderly mare hollered from the open window.
“Ugh, can this get any worse?” Applejack asked as she heard a beeping sound from out of nowhere. “What was that?”
“I think that was from your arm.” Spike said, pointing at a blue blinking light.
“Well, what do I do?”
“I think you just press it.” He replied. Soon, Applejack did what Spike suggested and pressed it. Soon, a screen appeared out of the palm of her hand and on it was some sort of… being she couldn’t recognize. “What the-?”
“Twilight what am I looking at?” Applejack asked.
“Don’t look at me, I’ve never seen this before.”
“Spike, you know what this is?” He soon shook his head as a figure soon began to appear on the other end of the screen. One with a White mane, a red glowing eye, metallic bottom jaw and a cloth sash covering his left eye.
“Hey Doc, do you copy-. What the-!? Who the hell are you and how did you patch into my communications!?!”
“Um...I’m Applejack, and as to how I got this communication….patch thing….I have no idea really.”
“No idea? You’re a Cyborg and have no idea how to infiltrate a military grade radio channel… Surprising… Wait… are you even suppose to be human?” The man asked, looking a little closer at Applejack’s face.
“I’m a pony...wait you’re a human?” Applejack asked as she turned to Twilight. “Hey Twi, didn’t you say that humans were suppose to be… well different then what this colt looks like?”
“Colt?” the speaker replied before sighing. “Okay, I’m not getting anything out of this, but I am picking up your location nearby. Maybe it would be better if we talk face to face.”
“Hang on, pal. I don’t even know your name!”
“ … Raiden.”
“Gesundheit?” Spike spoke, confused
“No, Raiden. That’s my name.” He replied. “Goodbye.” With that the call ended, causing Applejack to look at her friends in confusion.
“This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder…”
“Well it could be worse.” Rainbow Dash said. “You could’ve been attacked by some crazy monster from the everfree forest.”
“Not helping RD, so what now?”
“Maybe he could somehow help you?” Spike asked. “Hey, it’s worth a shot.”
“Yeah right. How do we know he won’t just attack us and everypony in Ponyville?” said Rainbow Dash. “For all we know he might be a spy.”
“Like the time you thought that changeling that Scootaloo was playing with was a spy?” said Applejack.
“Well I thought he was, he was a changeling. You know what happened at the wedding right?”
“Or how you thought Rumble was a spy?”
“....I’m still going with what I’m saying.”
“In any case, he looks to know more about this cyborg business…” Spike spoke. “Maybe he can help you out.”
“Well it’s worth a shot. I mean what else do I got to lose?” Applejack said as she began to walk back inside. “Might as well wait for him inside and see how this turns out.” With that, Applejack made her to her room and tried her best to lay back down to sleep, hoping to get some much needed rest before this… new arrival… were to show up. However… that wasn’t the only new arrival that was watching over Applejack. Another one could be seen in the distance in the mountains. One with a cheap smile on his face and black hair tied up.
“Well now, guess it’s time to meet an old friend.”