Animals everywhere. That's all Twilight and Applejack could see. They were in a total uproar, skittering and chittering about. Their beady eyes were with fear and confusion. Applejack spotted Angel, who looked as confused as she felt. Loud banging was erupting from the cottage at the top of the path, and critters poured from the windows and balconies like water spewing from a leak. With a quick glance at her companion, Twilight took off with Applejack on her heels they trotted up the winding path, nearly tripping over the animals that were running in the opposite direction. The banging inside stopped as they approached the house. Twilight raised her hoof and knocked loudly. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy, open up! I can help you!"
After a few silent moments, she opened her mouth to speak again, only to instead recieve a face full of wood as the top half of the door swung open. With a gasping Applejack behind her, Twilight opened her eyes, put a hoof to her temple. "Ohhh," She looked up to see a smug Fluttershy, who was resting one of her forelegs on the bottom half of the door. "Fluttershy, ow..."
Fluttershy's eyes widened in mock concern. "Oh my, is the all powerful Twilight Sparkle hurt?" With a very unladylike snort, she swung other half of the door out, not waiting for Twilight to move her head. After her second smack of the day, Twilight rose up as her once-colorful friend swaggered out to meet her.
Applejack stepped forward and placed a caring hoof on the Unicorn's shoulder. "Ya'll alright, Twi?"
Twilight nodded despite the throbbing in her head and turned to Fluttershy, who was leaning nonchalantly against her house with a wide grin. Twilight nearly yelled at her, but instead settled for a cold glare. "Fluttershy, I can help you. Come here." She took a step forward, only to cause the Pegasus to take flight. She hovered a good three feet above them, her cool look quickly vanishing.
"Help me? I don't need help! Are you kidding, I feel great," She swooped down to them before pulling up, and Applejack could feel one of her primary feathers brush her bangs. "This is the first time in years I feel good! It's about time I gave you bullies a taste of your own medicine! Finally, I can make you all pay for the things I've been through."
Applejack gave her friend a confused look. "We ain't never been me to you, Sugarcube."
Fluttershy scoffed and rolled her eyes, her wings flapping slowly as they held up her slender frame. "Well, yeah, you guys haven't. But the actual ponies have aren't here." She shrugged and swooped down again, snatching the Stetson off the farmer's head. She gave it a casual look before setting it atop her own head.
Applejack's mouth was agape. "H-hey! Give that back!" Twilight bit her lip, knowing what the muscular mare could do if she got her hooves on the Pegasus.
Luckily, Fluttershy took off the hat and tossed it over carefully, letting her hoof bend the brim as she did so. "Whatever. Just stay outta my space." She threw the last command over her shoulder as she entered the cottage and slammed the door behind her.
With an angry grunt, Applejack turned to Twilight. "Twilight, you ain't just gonna give up are you?"
Twilight scratched the ground with a hoof. "Well, if she doesn't-"
Applejack fixed her with an intense stare. "Oh, nuh-uh. I ain't havin' any o' that." With that, she turned and gave a powerful kick to the door, which broke on impact. "Charge!" She yellwed with a whoop. She ran into the cottage with Twilight right behind her.
The occupant of the house let out a surprised squeal as she was tackled by the orange mare. Applejack may have the advantage in size and strength, but Fluttershy had the advantage in being an agile Pegasus. Slippery as snake, she slid easily from underneath the mare and flapped her wings to where she floated out of reach. Twilight sighed and looked at Applejack. "Are you okay?"
Applejack kicked at the floor. "Nothin' hurt but my pride." She muttered.
Leaving Applejack to her self-pity, Twilight faced the grey Pegasus. Her aqua-marine eyes contrasted bluntly with her pale color, and it almost hurt Twilight's retinas. "Fluttershy, please let me help."
"I told you, I don't need help!"
"Fluttershy!" Twilight yelled. "This isn't you! You're not cruel! You love your animals, you love your friends!"
Twilight thought she saw a flicker of doubt in the eyes of her friend, but it was gone so quickly she began to wonder if it had even been there at all. "No, I won't listen!" Fluttershy flew at Twilight, an act Twilight recognized from when Fluttershy had injured Rainbow with a kick to the stomach. Knowing what was coming next she stepped out of the way and Fluttershy's back hooves delivered a viscous kick to the spot where Twilight had been just seconds before.
Neither Twilight or Fluttershy were skilled in the art of combat, but the Unicorn felt scared all the same. Fluttershy was older than her, which already gave her an advantage. Applejack finally emerged from her self-loathing and stepped between the two mares. Applejack gave Fluttershy a doubtful look before closing her eyes. "Sorry about this, hun."
The confused look on Fluttershy's face quickly changed into pain as a well-aimed buck hit her left wing. Now flightless, the Pegasus had nowhere to go, and her expression switched to horror when she saw Applejack dive for her. The two mares hit the floor hard. Applejack pinned Fluttershy's limbs to the floor and grunted as the older mare writhed under her with insults and threats. "Twilight, that rope!" She nodded to a rope that could be seen out the back door. "Get it!"
Quickly doing what she was told, Twilight lit up her horn and brought the rope over, tying Fluttershy's hooves together in a hogtie fashion. Applejack held the end of the rope in her jaws and pulled tight. "The shpell! The sphell! Ushe tha shpell!" She said around the rope. Twilight took her place at Fluttershy's head, ignoring her attempts to untangle herself, and leaned forward, pressing her glowing horn to the Pegasus' head. Her thrashing subsided and slowly her vibrant color replenished.The pale yellow spread down her neck, to all four hooves, and extended onto her underbelly. Her mane and tail flourished in the usual pastel pink, and finally when all was normal, the glow faded and so did Fluttershy's harsh words. She blinked open her eyes and Twilight and Applejack could see that they were brimming with tears.
"Oh, Twilight! Applejack! I just had the worst dream!"
