"Doctors on his way," Applebloom said quietly.
"Good," Applejack said, "Can ya take care of her for a while? Ah need to go talk ta Twilight."
"Sure," Applebloom said. Granny Smith nodded as well.
"Eyu-" Big Mac began.
"Not you Mac," Applejack said, "Ah need you ta come with me."
"Aight," the big red pony said passively.
"What do ya need Mac for?" Applebloom asked, concerned that without any sufficient muscle around the house that she and her granny would be at a loss if something went bad.
"Nothin' ya need ta worry yerself about," Applejack said, squeezing between Applebloom and Granny Smith to get to the stairs. Big Mac followed her. He knew what she had in mind and he couldn't blame her one bit. Big Mac, too, was bridling with fury after what he'd heard Dash say to Applejack, but unlike his younger sister his emotions weren't worn on his saddle, they were much closer to vest.
"Uhm, Applejack," he said once they had left the house, "Ah think ah know where yer goin with this,"
"Don't bother tryin' ta stop me," Applejack said, "Ahm only bringin' you ta keep Ironclaw off mah back."
"Ah figured that," Mac said, "And ah don't plan ta change yer mind. What ah do wanna know is how do ya figure we're gonna find 'em?"
"We'll start in Cloudsdale," Applejack said, "From there ahm sure someone will'ave seen 'er and know where we can go look."
"Okay," Mac said, "Now how are we gonna walk on clouds?"
"We're goin ta Twilight fer that," Applejack said, "She's got a spell that'll let us earth ponies walk on clouds, and she's got a hot air balloon we can use ta get up to Cloudsdale."
"Wow. Ya really thought all this out already?"
"Sorta," Applejack said, starting to gallop down the dirt road that took them out of Sweet Apple Acres and towards Ponyville, "Ah wanted ta give'er a piece of mah mind a couple years ago when she gave Pinkie Pie a hard time 'n ah asked Dash where ah could find 'er. Bah the time we figured out how best to git to'er ah'd lost mah steam. But this is quite different."
"Eyup," Big Mac said with a nod, galloping alongside her. He no longer felt a need to follow since he knew where they were going. The two Apple siblings ran side by side into town. It was early afternoon and most ponies were still busy at work for the day doing what it was they did about town. The few that were out on the roads for any reason only glanced casually at the two as they ran by, curiosity not even piqued; there had been much stranger things happen in Ponyville than two ponies running down the road.
Even if they had been gawked at by crowds Applejack wouldn't have noticed. She currently saw only two things; Gidla and red. It was fortunate for her that she knew the way to Twilight's library by heart and did not even need to think about the route; her body just locked itself into autopilot and guided her through Ponyville as sure as a compass pointed north.
She arrived at the library and tried to open the door only to find it locked. "Tarnashin," she grumbled, slamming her forehoof into the door.
"Easy there AJ," Big Mac said, "Y'all ain't mad at Twilight."
"Ah know," Applejack said through gritted teeth, "But wah of all times does she hafta lock the dern door now? Ain't this place supposed ta be open this time o' day?"
"Normally yes, but I had company and a special meeting that required a bit of privacy." Twilight answered after opening the door. Behind her was Shining Armor and both were looking at Applejack with confused and concerned expressions. "Is something the matter Applejack? You sound like-"
"Yer darn right there's somethin the matter!" Applejack said, storm into the library. She remembered what the odd spell book that Twilight had used to give Rarity wings and the rest of them the cloud walking ability looked like. She searched the shelves for it as Big Mac entered more calmly and shut the door behind himself, looking at Twilight and Shining Armor.
"Howdy Twilight, Howdy Shining," he greeted, "Sorry about Applejack's manners."
"That's fine," Twilight said, though her concerned gaze was following Applejack's progress around the library, "What's wrong?"
"I'll let Applejack tell you that," he said, looking over at his sister who was going into another room to keep searching for books, muttering under her breath. Spike walked around the same corner a few seconds later with a frightened and confused expression.
"Hey Twilight, why is Applejack ripping apart the library?" he asked.
"I haven't quite figured that part out yet," Twilight said.
"Tarnashin!" Applejack swore from the other room. A moment later she reappeared with a sour expression on her face. "Twilight! Where the heck ya keepin' that book with the cloud walkin' spell?"
"Its up in my room," Twilight said, "Spike can go get it," she made a 'go go' gesture with her hoof to Spike, who didn't need to be told twice. "Whats the matter Applejack?"
"Gilda's the matter," Applejack said.
"Gilda?" Twilight asked, "Is she picking on Pinkie Pie again?"
"No," Applejack said. Twilight noticed her eyes were starting to glisten with tears and her jaw was clenched. "She...she...hurt Dash."
Twilight gasped, "What? What did she do? Is Rainbow Dash okay?"
"She's safe," Applejack said, "She's at the farm now. But ah don't think she'll be okay. Not for a while."
"Gilda and another griffon forced themselves onto her," Big Mac explained. Both Twilight and Shining Armor gave the farm pony matching expressions of shock and horror.
"Don't sugarcoat it Mac," Applejack said, her nostrils flared, "Those motherbuckers raped her!"
"What!?" Both asked in outrage.
"Eyup," Big Mac said, nodding his head solemnly.
"Ah need ta get up to Cloudsdale, find Gilda 'n her boyfriend a piece of mah mind." Applejack said hotly.
"Found it!" Spike said, running back down the stairs with a book in his hands. He took it over to Twilight who used her magic to lift it from his claws and take it over to a table to set it down while she turned to the right page.
"Ahm goin' with her," Big Mac said, "Two griffons is too much for one pony."
"Not for three," Twilight said as she re-read the spell to remind herself how it worked, "I'm going with you two."
"So am I," Shining Armor said, stepping up to the table with a pen and a quill. He was writing something short and rolled the parchment up, "Spike, can you send this to Celestia?"
"What?" Twilight and Applejack asked at the same time.
"Y'all can't bring the princess in on this," Applejack said, "She'll try 'n stop me, and ah don't think ah can listen to her when she tells me to-"
"Don't worry," Shining said, nudging Spike to send off the letter. The dragon exhaled green flames onto the parchment while the unicorn continued, "I'm asking her to send Silver Wing and Gale Force to Cloudsdale to meet me."
"Royal guards," Twilight asked, "Shining Armor, what Gilda did to Rainbow Dash...she deserves more than jail time." Twilight said,her knees quivering and her eyes now as wet as Applejack's.
"I know," Shining Armor said, "Those two are friends of mine. They know how to keep secrets." He gave his sister a meaningful look and Twilight began to think she knew what he was getting at.
"So ya got the spell?" Applejack asked.
"Yes," Twilight said, "I'll cast it on all of us then we'll go to the-"
The door to the library was kicked open and a white unicorn with a lovely purple mane and a wild look in her eyes shouted "Me too!"
"Rarity?" Applejack, Twilight, Big Mac, Spike and Shining Armor all exclaimed.
"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.
"I came to return a book," Rarity said, her teeth clenched and nostrils flared, "I was about to knock when I heard Applejack's pronouncement regarding Rainbow Dash and Gilda. I was shocked, nay, appalled to say the least! If you are all going to enact retribution in the name of our friend then I would be loath to remain behind!"
Five ponies jumped out of the basket of a large purple hot air balloon as the sun began to vanish and the orange glow faded on the horizon. Twilight Sparkle, her brother Shining Armor, Applejack, her brother Big Mac, and Rarity felt an urge to run across the clouds of Cloudsdale, but they had no idea where to go. The only location they had in mind at the moment was a rainbow fountain near the center of town where they were to meet two Royal Guards who Shining Armor trusted enough to let them assist in something highly illegal.
The two pegasai were there, their golden armor still glimmering without the sunlight. One of them had a scroll under his wing. He gave it to Shining Armor, who used magic to open it up.
"Its a message from Moon Trot," he said, "She's one of my best spies. I had her find the location of Gilda." He rolled it back up and the floating scroll combusted. The ashes fell through the cloud below their feet. "This way," he said, leading the group of ponies.
Near the outskirts of Cloudsdale was a somewhat suburban area. The house in question was on its own cloud slightly separated from the rest of the city, but it was lower than street level so everyone was able to jump and fall onto it. Clouds were soft enough to fall several stories and land unharmed.
"Twilight," Shining Armor said, "Would you be okay with staying out here?"
"What?" Twilight asked, "I didn't come here to be a lookout."
"I know," Shining said, "That's what Gale Force and Silver Wing are for. I want you to cast a silencing spell over the house so no one overhead will hear."
Twilight looked at the house, then looked at the houses around and overhead. "Fine," She grumbled before sighing, "I really don't know what I'd do once I got in there anyway."
"Thanks Twilight," Shining said. He, Big Mac, Applejack and Rarity walked to the house while Twilight remained near the edge of the cloud with the two royal Pegasai guards.
Applejack walked ahead of the rest, her hooves almost stomping against the cloud hard enough to make sound. When she got up to the door she pounded her hoof against it hard enough that Rarity thought she might be trying to kick the door down with her forehoof. Then there was a patient silence.
"Ungh, what?!" a familiar voice sounded from the other side of the door just before it opened. The griffin target of Applejack's rage had enough time to see four angry looking ponies and have her expression change from anger to confusion before an orange hoof hit her right in the eye.
"You bitch!" Applejack shouted, charging in through the door after having socked Gilda. The orange pony swung her forehoof again, slapping Gilda across the face and into Rarity's hoof, who had been just about to do the same thing.
"What's going on?" A deeper voice said. A larger griffon entered the room and Applejack knew he had to be the boyfriend that had assisted Gilda in defiling her friend. Before she could do anything, however, a pair of red hind legs appeared and connected with Iron Claw's chest. Big Mac had just griffon bucked him through the wall and into the other room. Shining Armor ran through the door and Mac vanished through the same door a moment later.
"What the fuck do you think-" Gilda began to say but Rarity had turned around and, possibly copying Big Mac, gave the griffon a firm kick to the chest. Rarity wasn't an applebucker, but she still managed to give Gilda enough of a hit to send her a few feet into the air and across the room. Both of the ponies walked over to Gilda, rage written across their faces. The griffon got to her feet, a little dazed but very angry.
"Heh, you ponies don't know the world of pain you've just opened up," Gilda said with a grin. She rose up on her hind legs and let out a roar, flexing her claws and swiping at Rarity, the closest of the two. Her sharp talons grazed the side of Rarity's cheek, leaving two thin red lines and causing the dressmaker to yelp and jump to the side. Applejack was on Gilda's other side and since she currently was not being attacked, she headbutted the lion-eagle in the side, knocking her back down. Applejack pressed her advantage and jumped on top of Gilda, wrapping her hooves around one of the griffon's arms. Gilda got back up using her free arm and wildly shook the limb that Applejack was clinging to. She managed to fling the orange pony across the room and into the wall. Snarling, Gilda took a couple of steps towards Applejack but then Rarity, having regained her composure enough to go on the offensive, bit down on Gilda's tail and yanked backwards in a move well practiced when restraining Pinky Pie or Rainbow Dash. The tail was all flesh though, so the bite not only held Gilda back from harming her friend further, but it also inflicted significant pain.
"Gaahhh!" Gilda screamed, turning around and swinging her fist. She hit Rarity's muzzle, earning a sound between a grunt and a groan from the purple maned pony.
"You little bitch," Gilda muttered, reaching out and grabbing a clawful of Rarity's purple hair.
"You leave her alone!" Applejack shouted, running across the room and tackling Gilda again, "Ah aint gonna let ya hurt another one of mah friends!"
Gilda spun around under Applejack and wrapped her claws around the pony's throat. She grinned at her. "Oh, so you're here for Dash's sake huh? Not pony enough to face me herself?"
A sudden blow to the side of her head loosened Gilda's grip on Applejack's throat. Rarity readied her leg for another kick and delivered it with as much force as she could manage. Gilda had to release Applejack to bring her claws up and stop Rarity, but that was a mistake she wouldn't have time to rectify.
"We're here," Applejack said, stomping on Gilda's chest and knocking the wind out of her lungs, "tah make you pay," she stomped again, "fer what ya did," Applejack slammed her hoof into Gilda's chest a third time, just as the griffon was trying to inhale "to Rainbow Dash!"
Applejack was breathing heavily now and got off of Gilda. Rarity stepped closer and kicked the gasping griffon in the side of her chest three times, stopping only after she heard a cracking sound.
"Gahhhhh!" a shout sounded from the other room. Applejack and Rarity exchanged grim smiles; the shout hadn't come from a pony.
The cowpony slapped Gilda across the face and looked into her eyes. "Y'all are gonna apologize," she said, "And its gonna be sincere."
"Fine!" Gilda groaned, "I'm sorry, okay?"
"Ah don't believe you!" Applejack said, swinging her hoof into Gilda's face. She caught the griffon in the eye and Gilda roared in pain, swinging her fists in anger. She hit Applejack in the face and managed to roll back onto her stomach. She stood and turned to grab Rarity's hoof as the fairer pony attempted to kick her in the head again. With a twist, Gilda rolled Rarity onto her side then balled her free claw up into a fist and punched Rarity twice in the head.
"How do you like it?" she asked, already expecting Applejack to attack from behind again. She looked over her shoulder and saw Applejack preparing to jump. She kicked her hind leg backwards to catch the orange pony in mid-leap and send her toppling. Gilda almost laughed but the pain in her lower chest was excruciating when she tried; Rarity had done a number on her.
"Time for payback," Gilda said, spreading her fist open so that her claws gleamed.
"Indeed it is!" Rarity said, her horn glowing. A magical aura covered Gilda's claw and she was surprised to find herself unable to move it. What was more surprising was the sudden pain she felt radiating from her hand. It felt like each of her talons was being pulled in a different direction. This was essentially what Rarity was doing with her magic; pulling every part of her claw she could focus on in different directions.
"Ahhhhhhrrrrrrggghhhhh! Stop!" Gilda howled in pain. She attempted to swipe her free claw at Rarity's face, but the white unicorn was too smart for that; she sent the claw she was currently hurting moving backwards really quickly, and Gilda was forced to follow it.
Applejack was back on her feet by now and stomped on Gilda's tail, causing further pain to the griffon. With Gilda distracted by the pain in her claw, Applejack was free to spin around and deliver a full forced applebuck style kick to the side of Gilda's head. Rarity released the claw, having heard a satisfying series of popping sounds from it, and stood by the dazed Gilda, opposite the side Applejack was on. There was some blood coming from the side of Gilda's head, but when Rarity spat angrily at her the red color spread even more.
Applejack pressed her hoof against Gilda's throat and kept the pressure enough that Gilda stared with horror up at Applejack, giving her undivided attention. "If you ever, ever, show yer face in Ponyville again, ah won't be so fergivin'," she said. Pressing a little harder against Gilda's windpipe, she leaned down and got her bloodied face closer to Gilda's, "And if ah hear Dash so much as sees a part of ya, ah'll find ya and personally drag yer sorry arse back to Griffon country, pluckin yer feathers along the way. Y'all comprehend what ahm sayin?"
Gilda nodded vigorously and Applejack released her throat. She gave a satisfied smile that gave way to an expression of confusion as Rarity's magical aura appeared around Gilda's head and neck. Gilda looked frightened for a moment, then horrified. She opened her mouth but no sounds came out, and her claws began to frantically grasp at her throat.
"I'm not satisfied." Rarity said, standing menacingly by Gilda's head, "What she did to Rainbow Dash is utterly unforgivable."
"Rarity?" Applejack said, concerned, "What are you thinking?"
"You know exactly what I am thinking," Rarity said, "And if it goes against your salt then you are free to wait outside." As she spoke she never broke eye contact with Gilda, and Gilda was unable to pull her gaze away from the white pony.
"Ah think you need to calm down Rare," Applejack said, "Shinin' already gave us a pass to do this much, ah don't think he'll-"
"I do not give a damn what he or what anypony thinks or has to say!" Rarity all but screamed, "This...this...abomination did unspeakable things to Rainbow Dash. They were friends! Rainbow Dash trusted her, and she...she..." Tears had begun to work their way out of Rarity's eyes and run down her cheeks, smearing her mascara.
"Ah know," Applejack said, "And ah ain't sayin I really disagree with ya, but what would Dash say?" This had a sobering effect on Rarity. "What would Rainbow Dash say if she found out ya went that far?"
The magic aura vanished and Gilda gasped for air. Rarity looked at Applejack, anger twisting her face but sorrow sending tears from her eyes. "She...she would not approve." she admitted, sniffling a bit. She looked back down at Gilda and scowled once more. She lifted her hoof and brought it down on the crown of the griffon's head, knocking her out. "But...this cannot possibly match what she did to our friend."
"Ah know," Applejack said, reaching out and touching Rarity's shoulder. "But the last thing Dash would want is for us to sink down to that level." Rarity gave Applejack a ghost of a smile but turned and walked away. Applejack was about to follow her to the door but then remembered her brother and Shining Armor in the other room. She turned to head that way and see if they were alright, but the big red and white ponies walked out of the room at that moment.
"How'd it go?" she asked. Both of them looked worse for the wear; black and blue eyes, claw marks, swollen lumps, and a bunch of blood, but both also seemed oddly satisfied.
"We took care of Iron Claw," Shining said, "But I think he'll be needing a new nickname."
"Eyup," Big Mac said, nodding his head. The three of them caught up with Rarity at the door and they went outside. Twilight was standing there staring at the house, the tiara that was the Element of Magic on her head and her eyes glowing bright purple. She saw them and blinked, her eyes returning to normal.
"Did you do it?" She asked, looking at the beaten and bloodied ponies.
"We beat them up, yes," Rarity said, "But that was all." She added, not hiding her disappointment.
"Are you okay?" Twilight asked.
"We're fine,"Applejack said, "But ah wouldn't be against gettin' home and takin a hot bath."
"Leaving sooner rather than later would be a good idea." Shining Armor said. "Gale Force, Silver Wing," he said, walking to the two pegasai, "In this building are two dangerous griffons. Treat them as hostile and arrest them for the rape of Rainbow Dash, citizen of Equestria, resident of Ponyville, Element of Loyalty and friend of the Princesses."
"Yes sir!" The two royal guards said, walking around the rest of the group as though they weren't there.
"Twilight,' Shining Armor said, "Take us back to Ponyville."