Author's Note: Well I've been visiting family so I havent been able to update. But now I'm back and now you can enjoy the next chapter.
Chapter 8: Put on the Suit
We find Spike showing Twilight an image of Applebloom on a computer screen. "As soon as Trixie took the doctor we moved Applebloom. We've got an excellent observatory in Appleboolsa. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private train, very remote. She'll be safe." Spike explained.
"Thank you. It's no accident Trixie taking Cheerilee. I dread what she plans for her once she's done. Cheerilee is a good mare." Twilight said.
"She talks about you a lot. You changed her life. You changed everything around here." Spike said.
"They were better as they were. We pretend on Canterlot that we're more advanced, but we...we come here battling like timberwolves." Twilight said.
"Like what?" Spike asked confused.
"Timberwolves. You know, huge, wooden, sharp teeth. You don't have those?" Twilight asked.
"I don't think so." Spike replied.
"Huh! Well they are repulsive, and they trample everything in their path." Twilight explained before moving over to a large window. "When I first came to Equestria, Trixie's rage followed me here and all the ponies here paid the price. And now again. In my youth I courted war."
"War hasn't started yet. You think you can make Trixie tell us where the Tesseract is?" Dr. Whooves asked.
"I do not know. Trixie's mind is far afield, it's not just power she craves, its vengeance upon me. There's no pain that would prise that need from her." Twilight explained.
"A lot of ponies think that, until the pain starts." Whooves said.
"What are you asking me to do?" Twilight asked.
"I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?" Whooves asked.
"Trixie is a prisoner." Twilight said.
"Then why do I feel like she's the only pony that wants to be here?" Whooves asked.
Meanwhile
Trixie is pacing in the cell. "Hm. There's not many ponies that can sneak up on me." Trixie said as Rarity walks up behind her.
"But you figured I'd come." Rarity said.
"After whatever tortures Whooves can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate." Trixie explains.
"I wanna know what you've done to Agent Pie." Rarity said.
"I'd say I've expanded her mind." Trixie answered.
"And once you've won. Once you're queen of the mountain. What happens to her mind?" Rarity asked.
"Is this love, Agent Rarity?" Trixie asked. That made Rarity blush and turn away.
"Love is for children. I owe her a debt." Rarity said.
"Tell me." Trixie said.
"...Before I worked for TIME, I...uh well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on TIME's radar in a bad way. Agent Pie was sent to kill me, she made a different call and threw me a party." Rarity explained.
"And what will you do if I vow to spare her?" Trixie asked.
"Not let you out." Rarity replied.
"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one pony?" Trixie asked.
"Regime's fall everyday. I tend not to weep over that. I'm a jewel hunter, or I was" Rarity said.
"And what are you now?" Trixie asked.
"It's really not that complicated. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out." Rarity said.
"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Braeburn's daughter? Brazil? The hospital fire? Pinkie told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a pony no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a filly, a prayer. Pathetic" Trixie said.
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both stare at a screen that reads 'ACCESS DENIED' and Rainbow Dash tries to hack in again.
"You lie and kill in the service of liars, and killers."
Derpy runs over to a TIME Agent's computer. Where she sees the message 'VIRUS DETECTED' flashing up on the screen. Then goes over to Dr. Whooves.
"You pretend to be separate, to have your own code."
Applejack opens a container and in it is HYDRA weapons and equipment.
"Something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away." Trixie slams her hoof against the glass making Rarity jumps back. "I won't touch Pinkie! Not until I make her kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way she knows you fear. And she'll wake just long enough to see her good work." Rarity turns away from Trixie in horror. "And when she screams I'll split her skull! This is my bargain, you mewling quim!" Trixie said.
Trixie could hear Rarity sobbing with her main hanging low. "You're a monster!" Rarity said quietly.
"Oh, no. You brought the monster." Trixie said.
Rarity lifts her head and turns to face Trixie with her face dry. "So, Fluttershy? That's your play."
"What?" Trixie asked confused.
Rarity puts her hoof into her earpiece. "Trixie means to unleash the Flutterhulk. Keep Fluttershy in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Twilight as well." she said heading out of the room. But before she's out the door she stops and faces Trixie. "Thank you, for your cooperation!" Rarity then skimmers off.
Meanwhile
Dr. Whooves enters the lab Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are in. "What are you doing, Ms. Dash?" Whooves asked.
"Uh kind of been wondering the same thing about you." Dash said.
"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract." Whooves said.
"We are, the model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile." Fluttershy explained.
"And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss." Rainbow Dash said before noticing something on her screen "What is Phase Two?" Applejack enters the room and slams a large HYDRA gun on the table.
"Phase Two is TIME using the Cube to make weapons." she said before looking at Rainbow Dash. "Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me."
"Applejack, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're-"
"I'm sorry, Doctor." Rainbow Dash interrupted turning a screen towards Whooves showing a plan for some missile. "What were you lying?"
"I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Applejack said.
Twilight and Rarity enters and Fluttershy looks to her. "Did you know about this?" Fluttershy asked Rarity.
"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" Rarity asked.
"I was in Cultcutta, I was pretty well removed." Fluttershy said.
"Trixie's manipulating you." Rarity said.
"And you've been doing what exactly?" Fluttershy asked.
"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you." Rarity said.
"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why TIME is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction." Fluttershy said.
"Because of her." Whooves said pointing at Twilight.
"Me?" Twilight said.
"Last year Equestria had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, out-gunned." Whooves explained.
"The ponies of Canterlot want nothing but peace with your planet." Twilight said.
"But you're not the only ponies out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with ponies who can't be matched, they can't be controlled." Whooves said.
"Like you controlled the cube!" Applejack said.
"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Trixie to it, and her allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the Equestria is ready for a higher form of war." Twilight said.
"A higher form?!" Applejack asked shocked.
"You forced our hooves! We had to come up with some-"
"Nuclear deterrent! 'Cause that always calms everything right down." Dash said.
Everypony in the room starts to argue with each other.
Coming their way were ponies working for Trixie putting on masks and loading their weapons and Pinkie is readying her cannon.
"Transport six-six-five-oh. Please relay your form code. Got you on the computer but not on the data log. What is your haul? Over." the intercom said to the upcoming chariot.
"Arms to ammunition. Over." the pilot said.
"You speak of control, yet you court chaos!" Twilight said.
"It's his MO, isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're...we're a time bomb." Fluttershy said afraid.
"You need to step away." Whooves said.
"Why shouldn't she let off a little steam?" Rainbow said.
"You know damn well why! Back off!" Applejack said.
"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me." Dash said.
"Yeah, big mare in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?" Applejack asked.
"Genius, billionaire, flying ace, philanthropist." Rainbow replied.
"I know ponies with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the pony to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other pony crawl over you." Applejack said.
"I think I would just cut the wire." Dash said.
"Heh always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero." Applejack told her.
"A hero, like you? You're a laboratory experiment, Jack. Everything special about you came out of a bottle." Rainbow Dash said.
That made Applejack smirk. "Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds."
"Hehe you ponies are so petty, and tiny." Twilight said.
"Yeah, this is a team." Fluttershy said sarcastically.
"Agent Rarity, would you escort Dr. Fluttershy back to her-"
"Where? You rented my room!" Fluttershy said getting angry.
"The cell was just-"
"IN CASE YOU NEEDED TO KILL ME. BUT YOU CAN'T, I KNOW, I TRIED!" Fluttershy shouted. She stops and everypony is staring at her. "I got low. I didn't see an end so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other pony spit it out. So I moved on, I focused on helping animals. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everypony here at risk. You wanna know my secret, Agent Rarity? You wanna know how I stay calm?"
Everypony is watching Fluttershy shocked, while Whooves reached for his gun while Rarity's horn glowed. "Doctor Fluttershy, take off the amulet." Applejack said.
Fluttershy looks down, surprised, to see that she is wearing the amulet. The monitor makes a noise, signaling the Tesseract has been located. Fluttershy then takes off the amulet back on the table and walks over to the screen on the other side of the room.
"Got it!" Whooves said.
"Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all." Fluttershy said.
"Hmm." Pinkie said outside about to fire.
"Located the Tesseract?" Twilight said.
"I can get there faster." Rainbow said.
"Look, all of us-"
"The Tesseract belongs in Canterlot, no pony is a match for it." Twilight said interrupting Applejack.
Rainbow Dash turns to leave but Applejack holds her back. "You're not going alone!" Applejack said. Rainbow Dash then smacks her hoof.
"You gonna stop me? Dash asked.
"Put on the suit, let's find out!" Applejack challenged.
"I'm not afraid to hit an old mare." Rainbow said.
"Put on the suit." Applejack dared said.
While they are arguing Fluttershy sees something on the monitor. "Oh my god."
Pinkie kneels down and fires her party cannon at the carrier. The blast destroys one of the engines and the room they were in and everypony in the lab was sent flying in different directions. But both Applejack and Rainbow Dash scramble to their feet near the entry way. "Put on the suit?" Applejack asked.
"Yep." Rainbow Dash said as Applejack helps Rainbow Dash up and they run out of the lab.
Author's Note: This doesn't look good. Also if anyone is wondering if I ever do Twilight, no not the crappy movie about the vampires, Twilight would meet Applebloom when she first lands in Equestria and as time passes Applebloom would see her as the big sister she never had. What will happen next? Find out next time.