My Cousin Apple Storm
Part 10: The Apple Falls
by Neoraichu
This story takes place after the events of 'The Saga of the Great Kingdom'.
...
So Apple Storm, Applejack, and Big Macintosh went out to tend the fields for the day. Apple Bloom went to school, and Apple Tricks went along to make sure she got there safely. They all pretty much realized from the get go that it was really an excuse to shirk her chores for the day and go to town, but they decided to not make a fuss about Apple Trick's trick. After all, she had been reasonably well behaved for the last week or so.
What they didn't know, of course, is once Apple Bloom was safely in school, Apple Tricks really went off in search of the Diamond Dogs and their raiding party. She had to make sure that they understood their orders, and to make sure that they would be properly executed. The Diamond Dogs were found by her at the border of Sweet Apple Acres awaiting the opportunity to move in.
Boldly approaching Rover, Apple Tricks announced herself by saying, "You remember our deal, right? I hand you my half-witted half-sister as your uberslave, and you leave the rest of the Apples alone."
"I know what we agreed to," he replied, not surprised that she seemed to appear from nowhere yet again.
"Apple Storm and the adults are out in the field," she continued, "They should be scattered enough that if you move quickly and quietly, you can grab Apple Storm and be gone before they know it. The longer it takes for them to realize what happened, the less likely they'll intercept you on the way back to the mines. Once she's there, I can mislead any investigation of the matter for years."
"By then, we will have worked her to the bone. We'll get a ton of gems out of her labors."
"I'm sure that you, me, and your backer will all get what we want from this arrangement, but keep my involvement secret from your backer and I'll pay you a little more. You take my drift, right?"
"Oh yes," he replied, "It's our little secret alright."
"Very good," she answered, "My overbearing godfather would... that's not important."
"I think I see some future possibilities with you. You seem to be a pony after our own heart."
"I would never say never."
"Ah, if we could only get the gem seeking Rarity back and get her to be as obedient. Together, they could get us two lifetime's supply of gems."
"For the right price," said Apple Tricks with a wink.
"You are a pony after our heart," he laughed, "Then we will have more dealings, and possibly sooner than either of us can imagine."
"Wait for a couple of weeks," warned Apple Tricks, "If they disappear to close to each other, even the dimmest Ponyviller will make the connection and trace it back to you. You'll have a small army of ponies breathing down your neck before you know it."
"I see your point, so we'll wait to grab Rarity. There's enough know sources of gems to keep your half-sister quite busy in the meantime."
"It's nice working with smart villains."
"Villain?"
"Not important," she replied with a sigh.
"Alright."
"I'm going back to town. I have an excuse to uphold after all. With the instructions and necklace I gave you, you can easily capture Apple Storm and make her your obedient slave in perpetuity."
...
Apple Storm, Applejack and Big Macintosh searched the apple fields for signs of trouble. They always had to be alert for signs of insect attack or disease among their prized trees. When trouble appeared, it was necessary to find the problem quickly and treat it decisively to keep it from spreading too far.
Apple Storm brought her saddlebags along with her, with a couple of large jars with small nail holes in the top. She planned to capture any caterpillar they found along way, and release them far outside the farm where they would do no damage to the apple trees. It was something she knew Apple Bloom would want her to do.
Applejack though her sentiments cute, although Big Macintosh though it was just simpler to kill any caterpillars they should happen to find and be done with it.
They had spread out, as it wasn't efficient for them to inspect the same trees, especially in a group. It was enough that they remained within shouting range of at least one of the others.
It was near noon when Applejack and Big Macintosh shouted at her they were going back to the house to prepare lunch, and she replied she would check several more nearby trees before going to join them.
As she approached the last tree, several large and furry shapes emerged from behind trees more distant and rushed at her. Though surprised by the sudden attack, her warrior senses were not unprepared. The first attacker was met with a headbutt to the stomach that sent him falling back on his backside. No words were exchanged. Both sides knew this was a serious fight.
The second attacker attacked her right side, wrapping his arms about her neck in an attempt to wrestle her to the ground. But she moved quickly to slam him into the trunk of a nearby apple tree, and he fell to the ground senseless.
By the time he let go and fell, the next three attacker were already upon her from her left side. One grappled her neck again while the others grabbed her fore and hind legs respectively. They toppled her to the ground. Another attacker appeared and grabbed her hammer about her neck. She tried to bite him to stop it, but the one grappling her neck was too strong to resist. By the time she could move her head, the hammer had already been pulled off. As he wasn't worthy to wield the hammer's power, it fell to the ground as soon as it left her head, and he could not move it further no matter how hard he tried.
But Apple Storm had other problems. The one on her neck released one arm to pull out a mistletoe necklace and pulled it over her head. There was an immediate tingling in her head, and her thoughts became unfocused. She suddenly felt rather docile, and stopped struggling.
"We got her," said an attacker to a nearby tree.
"Shut it, fool," replied Rover, "we don't want to tip off... oh heck."
Big Macintosh heard the scuffle and was coming by to check. He seemed rather shocked to see Apple Storm under a pile of Diamond Dogs.
"Stop right there," warned Rover, "One funny move and I swear we'll break her neck."
"What'ya all want?" he asked evenly.
"We've been paid to capture this one, but now that you've seen us, we'll have to take you too. We can always use another strong slave down at the mines. Submit to us and you'll both live, but attack and I promise you the mare is a goner."
"All right," he replied, "I'll go quietly if you swear you won't hurt Apple Storm."
"I swear."
He nodded, not resisting when three more came up to put him on a leash, bind his muzzle, and hobble his back legs. They let up Apple Storm, and treated her in a similar fashion even though they knew the necklace was supposed to make her obedient.
Two more tried to lift the hammer with no effect. "We can't move this thing boss," they whined quietly.
"Then leave it here," he replied softly, "We haven't got the time. There's plenty of hammers back in the mine."
They all nodded as they led their new slaves away. It didn't matter that the two hobbled ponies were slowing them down. Big Macintosh prayed that Applejack wouldn't notice, for he feared she would surrender and become a prisoner as well. But there was no sign of Applejack, and he hoped she was well on her way back to the house as he told her to do.
Rover instructed two of his minions to take leafy branches and cover their tracks as they went, at least until they were out of sight of the fence line. It would make it harder for the ponies to track them.