Soldier of the Princess

The earth pony pushed on. His hooves were sore. His legs were aching. His saddlebags were chafing. His black mane was a tangled mess, matted with days’ worth of sweat and road dust. His green coat was ragged and dirty. Celestia’s sun was vanishing behind the western horizon, and his entire body screamed at him to rest, but his mind, and the years of training he had undergone, pushed him onwards. Just a few more miles. He could always rest up as soon as he was there. He came to a road sign, and looked at it. “Sweet Apple Acres - 4”. Four miles. Then he would be there. Cousin Elstar would know what to do. He had to know. He always did. “Four miles, you lazy old nag. Get going.” he mumbled to himself. Then he collapsed onto the road. He heard hooves approaching, but he couldn’t even raise his head. Darkness descended.

He woke up in a bed. That was somewhat surprising. Then he panicked. Could they have… no. This was a room. In a house. Someone’s house. Not a dungeon. Not a tent. Not a hospital room. Not a cage. He thrust himself to his hooves, carefully opened the door and peeked out. No guards. Good sign. A small corridor led off into the distance, with a staircase going down at the far end. There were smells of cooking wafting up from the bottom floor. He felt his mouth water, and his stomach rumbled. How long had it been since he had eaten? Two days? Three? Probably three, and a few stolen carrots hardly made a meal. He began to walk towards the stairs, when he heard a voice from downstairs, singing a merry but off-key tune. He followed the sound and the smell until he found himself in a kitchen. There were eggshells and splashes of milk everywhere, and almost every surface in the room was covered in a thin coating of flour. A small yellow filly with a large red bow on her head stood by the stove, next to a huge stack of pancakes, intently watching the one in the pan. She turned around, startled.

“Oh, heya mister. Ah woke up early, so Ah decided ta make pancakes. Ya woke up just in time fer breakfast.” she said. She walked over to the doorway and shouted “Soup’s on, everypony!”.

There was a rumble of hooves and suddenly two other earth ponies stood in the doorway, a red, yellow-maned stallion and an orange mare with a similar mane. The two of them walked in and sat down at the table. The stallion smiled and nodded to him, and the mare greeted him with a hearty “Mornin’, stranger.”.

Then, a small wrinkled white-maned green mare appeared in the doorway. She stared at him for a moment, then her jaw dropped. “Rambo Apple, izzat you?” she asked.

The other mare’s jaw dropped too. “Uncle Rambo?”.

He turned towards her and scrutinized her. A light flicked on in his head. “Applejack?” he asked. She nodded. He looked at the red stallion. “Little Macintosh? You certainly grew up.”

The huge stallion smiled. “Eeyup. Most folks call me Big Macintosh these days.”.

“And this here’s Applebloom. She wouldn’t have been more’n a twinkle in yer cousin’s eye last time ya was here.”. Granny Smith said and idly ruffled Applebloom’s mane.

The filly held out a hoof. He shook it, and looked closer at her. She didn’t look much like her siblings, but then again, Litt… BIG Macintosh was very much his father’s son, and Applejack took after Elstar only slightly less. But there was something about the little one that reminded him of his cousin, though. Her behavior. She was energetic. Impulsive. And judging from the state of the kitchen, she apparently shared her father’s tendency to cause accidents.

He was pulled from his musings by a shrill old-mare’s yell. “Now, what happened to them pancakes!?”.

Applebloom rushed to the stove, grabbed the pancakes and set them on the table. The room settled into silent, contented munching. Rambo idly wondered if the pancakes were as good as he thought, or if he was just hungry. A bit of both, he settled on, looking at the happy expressions of the others around the table. He continued his attack on his pancakes. After the five of them had demolished the pancakes, Rambo sank back into his seat with a contented sigh. Applebloom shot off to the door and slid on a pair of saddlebags.

“Bye, everypony, Ah’m off ta school!”.

The others said goodbye, and Applebloom shot out the door and down the road.
Rambo looked at the others. “How did I end up here?” he asked.

“Ah found ya lyin’ in the middle of the road on mah way home from Ponyville yesterday, an’ I couldn’t jus’ leave ya there, could I?”. Applejack answered, in a slightly offended tone.

Rambo nodded. “Now, I need to speak to Elstar. Where is he?” he asked.

The other Apples looked at each other. Finally Granny Smith spoke up.

“Sonny, mah boy’s been gone fer five years now.”.

“So, where is he now?”. Rambo asked, testily.

Granny Smith sighed. “Not gone, son. Gone gone.” she said, her voice edged with grief.

Tears began to form in the eyes of Applejack and Big Macintosh. Rambo slumped.

“Oh no.”. He rose. “Well, thanks for the bed and breakfast. I have to…”. He staggered, caught the table and steadied himself.

Granny Smith stared at him. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere ‘til ye’ve rested an’ we’ve got ya fed proper. Weak as a newborn kitten, y’are.”.

Rambo looked up. “Thank you.” he said.

Applejack shrugged. “Ain’t nothin’ ta speak of. Ye’re kin.“.

Applebloom trotted through town to school. When she reached the schoolhouse, she spotted a poster. A poster with “Uncle Rambo” on it. The picture was clearly him, but he looked younger, more fit, and he was wearing armor. Not the kind the Princesses’ guards used, but one that looked far more practical, like nothing she’d ever seen. She sauntered over to the noticeboard and read the poster.

WANTED
Rambo Apple
Vagrancy, Felony Assault and Battery (Multiple counts), Assault and Battery (Multiple counts), Resisting Arrest (Multiple counts), Felony Theft, Theft (Multiple counts), Desertion from the Equestrian Armed Forces
Reward for information leading to arrest: 150000 bits
Information to be given to nearest representative of Her Highness Princess Celestia’s government
or the nearest EAF barracks
THIS FUGITIVE IS CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND THIS PONY

Applebloom gulped. She yanked the poster from the noticeboard and galloped for home, as fast as she could.

Applejack and Big Mac were still sitting at the table when Applebloom burst in through the door, panting.

“Applebloom!” came Big Mac’s voice. “Ain’t you supposed ta be in school!?”.

“Where’s Uncle Rambo?” she asked.

“He jus’ went out ta the outhouse.” Applejack answered in an exasperated tone. “Now what in tarnation’s goin’ on?!”.

Applebloom laid the poster on the table. Applejack and Big Mac read it, and sat back with uneasy faces.

“So what do we do now?” Applebloom asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

“About what?” came Rambo’s voice from the door. His eyes landed on the poster. Then they fell on Applejack and Big Macintosh. Then they narrowed suddenly and Rambo moved. Applejack had never seen anyone move that fast. Rambo blurred. Before anyone could blink, he had grabbed Applebloom. He was holding her with one foreleg around her neck, and the other behind her head.

“You’re in league with them! You were going to sell me out!” he snarled accusingly.

Applejack rose and began to walk towards him, but he pressed Applebloom forward, beginning to choke her.

“Don’t move! Back to the table and keep your hooves where I can see them!”

Applejack sat back down. Rambo moved for the door.

“Just keep still, and I won’t have to hurt the little one. Sit still, close your eyes and count to five hundred. I may be gone by the time you get to twenty, but open your eyes and I’m not gone…”. He moved his forelegs for emphasis, leaving little doubt as to what he meant.

Applejack was shocked. She numbly closed her eyes and began counting. She heard the door open.

Rambo Apple ran through the orchards, with Applebloom in tow. Applebloom did her best to keep up, but she was almost dragged most of the way. She knew she was a fast runner, but Uncle Rambo was just eerie. They ran all the way to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Applebloom wondered if he was going to drag her all the way out there, but when they came to the forest’s edge, he stopped. He looked down at her and released his grip. Between the shock, the confusion and the outrage, Applebloom realized something. Uncle Rambo had galloped at full speed from the farm to the Everfree Forest, and he wasn’t winded. He didn’t even breathe hard. Rambo looked Applebloom in the eyes. His eyes were large and sad.

“I’m sorry, Applebloom, but I had to do this?” he said.

Applebloom was outraged. “How come ye’re runnin’! Yer an Apple! You would never do all them horrible things like the poster said! And we’re kin! You can trust us! We ain’t gonna sell you ta anypony!” she yelled, hurt and angry.

Rambo smiled. His voice warmed a little. “I wish I could believe you. Now, go home, and tell everypony not to try to come after me.” he warned. Then he set off into the Everfree. Applebloom watched him vanish in the foliage. Then she ran back towards the farm.

The next morning, Applejack woke up and looked out her bedroom window. Her jaw dropped. There was a camp in the fallow field down the road. She rushed out and down the road. As she entered the camp, she looked around in disbelief. There were so many ponies here, and not only ponies, but griffins and even a few minotaurs. The ponies were all wearing field armor, with the Equestrian Armed Forces insignia, the griffins and minotaurs wore a more varied selection of equipment.

Finally Applejack got a hold of herself, grabbed one of the ponies and yelled “What in tarnation are y’all doin’ on mah land?! Who’s in charge?!”.

The soldier quivered. “You’ll have to talk to the major, ma’am.” he stuttered out, and pointed towards a large tent at the center of the camp.

Applejack began walking towards the tent, silently fuming. As she approached the tent, she heard voices from within. Two stallions were arguing.

“No, no, no! That won’t accomplish anything, Major!”

“Now you just listen to me, Mister highfalutin’ Colonel! I have eighty earth pony soldiers here, twenty unicorns, twenty pegasi, eighty griffon auxiliaries and twenty minotaurs! He’s just one pony!”.

“Just one pony! The disaster which destroyed the entire crop in eastern Zebrica last year was just one storm! If you insist on sending them into the Everfree after him, you have two hundred walking corpses, nothing more!”.

Applejack tore the tent flap open, and stalked in. The tent was large. At the center stood a large table with a map of the Everfree, as much as was mapped, with pins in various colors dotting it. Along the sides of the tent were chairs, tables and a small stove. A coffeepot was boiling. Several ponies in uniform stood around the large table, but all attention was directed at a large, black, green-maned pegasus in EAF field uniform and a lithe unicorn with a uniformly light grey coat and mane, wearing a black heavy canvas coat and a green beret with a metal badge. The pegasus was pointing at the unicorn.

“Now, I know this project was your foal, Gila, but…!” he said angrily.

Applejack was in no mood to wait. “Which one o’ y’all is in charge here!?” she demanded, interrupting the two arguing soldiers. All heads turned towards her. The black pegasus drew himself up.

“That would be me, miss. Now what can I do for you?” he asked icily.

“The name’s Applejack, and y’all can start by tellin’ me what yer doin’ and get offa mah land!” Applejack yelled. The Major put on a haughty sneer.

“We’re here to capture a fugitive named Rambo Apple, who was last seen in these parts. And we’re not going anywhere without him.” he said.

The unicorn’s head spun towards Applejack. “Applejack? Elstar Apple’s daughter?” he asked quickly.

Applejack nodded cautiously. The unicorn looked back at the pegasus.

“We’ll talk later, Major.” he said.

He turned to Applejack.

“Miss, I need to speak to you in private. Now.” he said. Applejack glared at him. “Please.” he added after a moment.

Applejack felt her glare fade. “Alright, but this had better be important.” she said.

Applejack, Big Macintosh and the unicorn sat at the kitchen table, nursing glasses of water.
.
“Now, will ya tell us what this commotion’s all about?” Applejack asked asked in a decidedly frosty tone.

“I should probably introduce myself first. Colonel Silver Gila, Her Highness’ Secret Service.” The unicorn said and held out a hoof. Applejack and Big Macintosh shook it somewhat apprehensively.

Pleasantries over, the unicorn leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Applejack and Macintosh. Elstar would be proud if he could see you now.” he said.

Applejack and Big Macintosh stared at the Colonel like he had just sprouted antlers.

“What does this have ta do with Uncle Rambo?! An’ how do ya know our pa?!” Applejack blurted out.

“This has everything to do with Rambo. And as for how I knew your father… I trained them. Both Rambo and him.” the colonel answered.