Chapter 4: Need for Speed

This is going to be epic! She thought.

Josh touched down in a field a ways away from what he assumed was Ponyville. Looking the other way, he saw an orchard and a barn a few hundred yards from the LZ. He climbed out as Dash landed next to him. He was about to ask where they were when they spotted what appeared to be an orange, normal pony. As it got closer, he saw that it was a she and that she had a blonde mane and a cowboy hat.

"Rainbow Dash! What is this thing and why is it my field? How did you even get it h-h-here?" She stopped when she saw Josh. Her jaw dropped a good foot.

"Applejack, this is my new friend, Josh." Dash said proudly.

"Captain Josh Ramierez, at your service, ma'am." Josh greeted, holding out his hand. The earth pony just continued to gape at him. He sighed, reached over, and closed her mouth.

"W-w-well hello." She said finally. "Sorry about that, mister."

"It's alright." he said.

"Yeah, not everyone can react to new people as well I can." Dash bragged. Josh turned to her.

"You tackled me!" Applejack started to laugh. Soon after, Josh and Dash joined her. When they finally calmed down, Applejack went home to make some sandwiches so that the three of them could have a picnic.

"Is everypony here that nice?" Josh asked, frowning at his use of the word 'everypony.

"You don't know the half of it. Anyway, she'll be gone for a few minutes. What do you want to do?" Dash replied.

"How about that race I promised you?" She smiled.

"I was hoping you were going to say that."

/

Rainbow Dash and the VTOL sat in the field.

"Okay. 3." Dash said. "2...1... GO!" She shot off the ground as Josh lifted off of the ground. He smiled. This was going to be easy. He shot forward at top throttle, catching up to her in a few seconds. He did not know it, but in doing so, he ruined her concentration and therefore, her best stunt, The Sonic Rainboom. It was like a sonic boom but with a rainbow effect. She tumbled around in the air from the shockwave that was formed by Josh's plane's speed.

As she watched the jet pass her, she heard a boom.

No, it can't be! That was when she realized that she didn't have a chance. She knew what caused a sonic boom, but now she knew that this thing can easily, and literally, go fast enough to do it three times over.

"Alright, I give up. You win." She said.

"What? It was just getting good." He said before laughing.

/

They both landed at the same time. They saw Applejack sitting on a picnic blanket. She waved at them.

"So you tried racing Dash, did you? Don't worry, nopony has ever beaten her." She laughed.

"Actually... he won." Dash said dejectedly.

"...What?" She looked at the victor. "You must be fast. Don't worry, Dash. Technically, you're still the fastest pony in all of Equestria." Dash sat up and puffed her chest out.

"I guess I am." While they had been talking, Josh had taken the time to inspect his sidearm. It was standard issue, and it looked to be fine. He pulled back the slid to chamber a round, then placed it in his holster, satisfied. He was about to speak when...

"HIYA!" A pink, curly maned pony yelled. Josh jumped as she continued her rant. "You are new here, right? Because I love meeting new ponies and... um... other things. Anyways I have decided that I'm going to throw you the biggest party ever and hey what is that on the back of your neck?" She then poked the object. Josh grabbed her hoof and pulled it away.

"Don't. Touch. That." He growled. The three ponies looked at him slightly afraid. Realizing his mistake, he let go of the pony's hoof.

"Sorry. It's just that the object in my neck is very important, very fragile, and very expensive." He apologized. They sighed in relief.

"Does anypony want any applejuice?" Applejack asked. Two hooves and a hand went up. "Alright, I'll be back in a minute." She stood up and trotted towards the barnyard.

/

Applejack sat back down at the blanket.

"Hey, Applejack, where's the applejuice?" The pony that Josh now knew as Pinkie Pie asked.

"Oh...um. We're out." She answered nervously. Little did she know that Josh wasn't fooled by her disguise. He could clearly see that it wasn't Applejack, but some black, insectoid pony. It didn't look like good news and Josh was only further convinced when he glimpsed a knife behind its back.

Josh's training took over. He stood up, pulled out his gun, and pumped three rounds into its chest.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Both Dash and Pinkie screamed.

"He's gone insane!" Dash yelled as they ran towards town. Josh looked down at the dying creature. Then he realized something.

"Leonidas, switch to normal spectrum view." He said. When he did, the creature instantly became the splitting image of Applejack. Then it passed away, turning back to what he knew it was.

"Hey Josh. Where did Dash and Pinkie..." He turned around to see Applejack, with a tray of glasses balanced on her back. She had seen the body.

"What is this thing?" He asked. She looked him in the eye.

"It's a Changeling. They are tricky varmits. Did you send the others to get help?"

"Actually, when I killed it, it looked like you to them, but I could see it for what it really was. They ran back to town." He said, looking in the direction of the town. "Maybe we should find them and tell them what really happened."

"Ah think yer right, sugarcube." She replied, putting the tray down.

/

As they walked towards town, Josh noticed that on her flank, Applejack had what looked like a tattoo of three apples. She noticed that he was staring at her rear.

"Like what you see?" She said seductively, then she dropped to the ground laughing. Josh blushed and looked away.

"I wasn't looking at your... well I was but I was looking at that." He said, pointing at her 'tattoo'.

"Oh this? This is my cutie mark."

"Cutie what?"

"It's a symbol of my talent. My talent is applebucking."

"Harvesting apples, you mean."

"That's what I said."

"Does everypony have one?" Josh mentally facepalmed.

"No. You gotta earn it." They both stopped when they saw the town. It was already dark, but they could still see the ponies running around in a panic.

"Where's the fire." Josh joked. As if on cue, on overturned cart burst into flames.

"I think our mess just got a whole lot bigger." Applejack sighed.

"Eyup." A large red pony said from behind. After Josh got his heart rate under control, Applejack spoke.

"Josh, this is my brother, Big Mac." She said.

"Nice to meet you." Josh greeted.

"...Eyup" Big Mac replied.

"Well, we better get going. We gotta explain to the girls that Josh here isn't a murderer." At this, Big Mac fainted.

"Is he ok?" Josh asked.

"Nyope." He replied weakly before going out cold.

"He's fine." Applejack laughed.