Green Eyes in the Night
Chapter 2; Ill Fated Affections
It was early morning and Applejack was still in high spirits. In her mind she replayed the kiss over and over. True it was just a peck on the cheek but to Applejack it might as well of been a double zap apple harvest with the level of giddiness it brought her.
Unfortunately Applejack wasn't here to enjoy the beautiful day. Applejack was walking into town after picking up Spike. Spike had been helping around the farm more as Big Mac and Sugar Belle had been preparing for the arrival of their new foal.
The sound of a high pitched and slightly whiny voice calling out to her drew Applejack's attention to a pearl white unicorn, "Applejack!" Rarity ran up and wrapped Applejack in a tight embrace. "Oh Applejack, I just heard the best news! Tender hoof is coming back into town and this time he will be captivated by my charm, I've made sure of that I... Darling are you alright?"
Rarity had finally taken notice of Applejack's unresponsive and moved back enough to look into her annoyed eyes. "Let me go Rarity." Rarity disentangled herself from Applejack. The look on Applejack's face did not soften as she spoke, "Alright Rarity, you and I need to have a little chat..."
The sound of banging could be heard on the roof of the farmhouse as Spike repaired some of the loose shingles. While the pain from yesterday was still fresh in his mind, Spike had always found manual labor a good way to calm his nerves. Taking a quick break from his work, Spike served the farm. The crusaders were bucking their way threw the east field and while Big mac was in the south field with Sugar Belle watching him.
"Spike," came the rough voice of the Apple family matriarch, Granny Smith, "It's just about lunch time, do ya mind callin everyone for me?" Spike nodded with a smile before letting loose a loud roar, drawing the attention of the others.
Looking back down Spike found Granny Smith with her hooves over her ears. "Thank ya kindly young'un, now come on down and let's eat." As Spike walked to the edge of the roof, Granny realized what he planned on doing and yelled, "Wait, hold on a second young'un!"
Before she could stop him Spike jumped down and landed down beside her. "I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing anything without wings jumpin down from a three story barn without gettin hurt." Granny said with a slight edge in her voice. Spike at least had the decency to blush in embarrassment at frightening the old mare.
"Sorry Miss Smith," Spike started only to be interrupted by Granny.
"Oh now we'll be havin none of that ya hear young'un?" she said, a stern expression on her muzzle, "You best be callin me 'Granny' just like everyone else round her does."
"But..."
Granny's expression hardened even further as she said, "But nothin Spike! With all the help you give round here you had better believe you earned that right. You help with the harvest, you fix roofs, heck you even help Applebloom and her friends with their school work, as far as we are concerned you are an Apple." As she finished her rant a wide smile found it's way on to Granny's face.
Spike was understandably shocked by this. "Really, you think I'm an Apple?"
"To the core." Came the slight drawl of Big Mac's voice from behind him. Spike turned around to find Big Mac sporting a proud smile with Sugar Belle and Applebloom happily nodding in agreement. Spike couldn't help but smile in pride at the words being spoken, the only ones to ever except him to such a degree had been Twilight and Princess Celestia.
Before Spike had a chance to say anything the sound of loudly screamed curse words drew the attention of all present. Walking up the road was Applejack, her face as red as the apples she bucked. "How dare that pompous, arrogant, marshmallow furred bitch!"she snarled, "I swear the next time I see that slut I'm gonna..." Applejack froze when she saw the others. "Uh... Howdy..." After lunch was served Applejack, however reluctantly, told everyone why she was so angry.
Rarity lead Applejack threw her boutique into her work room, "Now, what can I do for you darling?" The calm way she spoke made Applejack's skin crawl, didn't she have any remorse for what she had done? Rarity watched Applejack carefully but calmly, knowing full well that she was very attached to a certain little beast, that could easily cause issues if she wasn't careful.
"I think you know full well what you and I need to talk about." Applejack growled as she stared down Rarity. "I know about the way you treated Spike yesterday." Applejack watched the way Rarity flinch and could tell just how practiced it was. It was obvious she was prepared but Applejack wasn't about to let her off that easy.
"Darling I know I might have seemed a tad harsh but..."
"'A tad' my ass!" Applejack barked, "I was there Rarity, I watched as you tore him apart! I held him as he cried, he CRIED Rarity."
Applejack's eyes narrowed in rage as she did all she could to not attack Rarity as the bitch tried to suppress the look of pride and dark glee. "Applejack, darling you must understand that Spike crossed a line. No matter what he may have told you he had no right talking to one of my customers in such a way."
Applejack's teeth began to grind as she suppressed her rage further, "He didn't tell me anything Rarity, I... Was... THERE! I don't know what you have against him but you need to get over it, he's a big part of our lives."
Rarity turned up her nose as she said, "I have nothing against him what so ever Applejack." As she turned around to start working on another dress Applejack's keen eye could see the irritation in her body language, whatever defense she had in place was about to fall.
Internally Rarity was absolutely seething, why in the hell was Applejack defending the beast. "Darling, Spike and I have been growing apart yes, but the way you're talking to me it is as though you believe that I have some ill intent."
"I'm still not convinced that you don't." Applejack's calm remark caused Rarity to turn on her heels and stare at the other mare. "Don't you be giving me that bull shit look. No matter what you try and tell me I've seen it, and I don't just mean yesterday! I've been sittin back and watching you tease and torture Spike for years and now that he's finally startin to make his own you..."
The air in the boutique became deathly still as the dark and rage inducing thought crossed her mind. "Oh hell no, you are not doing all this just because Spike has finally stopped chasin after you!"
Rarity turned around and stomped her hoof, "Of course not! It's that he has stopped helping around here! I can't afford to PAY someone to do all the things I could have Spike do!" This time Applejack stomped her hoof, he face becoming more and more red. Rarity couldn't help but smirk at her. "Oh don't give me that look Applejack, you can't tell me you don't use the beast for the only thing he's good for." Rarity laughed, finally dropping the facade, "Tell me darling, where is Spike right now?"
Applejack stood tall as she spoke with a calm that could freeze Discord in his boots. "Spike is at my farm." Rarity was about to smart something off when Applejack cut her off, "And before you say anything, he volunteered. With Sugar pregnant and Big Mac stickin by her side we've been fallen behind around the farm. Spike, being the sweet heart that he is, just showed up one morning and started doing chores around the farm.
As she spoke Rarity found herself being backed further and further into a corner. "And on that note, to date, every time we try to pay him for his help, he puts it into the farm's bank account. I didn't even know the boy started one in the first place! I have no idea where you got the fool idea that you're better than Spike but let me tell you right here and now that you're not!" And with that, Applejack stormed off before she could take a swing at the seamstress.
All eyes at the table turned to Spike, who at this point had stopped eating about halfway threw the story. It wasn't that he was surprised by Rarity's words, he would honestly be more surprised if she hadn't said something to that affect but they still stung. Applejack wound her fore legs over the drake in an attempt to make him feel better. He leaned in with a sigh, "Thanks AJ, I'll be fine."
Before more could be said, Spike burped up a scroll. Opening it quickly and reading it threw, Spike paled and trembled, "It's... It's from Twilight... they found a body on the edge of the forest. It's Spoiled Rich."
With Granny not being able to run as fast as the others, Big Mac having to stay with Sugar Belle and Applebloom being too young it was just Applejack and Spike running into town. As it had been the day before Spike ignored all the stares as he and AJ dashed threw the town. 'don't they have something better to do than gawk at me?' he thought to himself.
On scene was grotesque, so much so that everyone had a hard time holding their last meal. Beyond the wall of police ponies was a body that looked as though it had been put threw a wheat thresher. Spoiled Rich had had her throat crushed, keeping her from being able to scream out not that it would have done much good, her tongue having been ripped out. Most of her bones had broken and several of her organs had been torn out and, by the looks of what was left, eatin.
While most of the town was present only a few were allowed threw the police line. Of thoughs few was Twilight, who didn't really want to be here but felt it her duty, Mayor Mare and Filthy Rich. Spike and Applejack ran up to the barricade.
The guards turned to the two, "Ah, it is good to see you miss Applejack, I am Stone Runner head of the Ponyville guard. You are the first of the element barrers aside from princess twilight to arrive." The larger one said, eyeing her hungrily before turning to Spike and becoming cold. "But I'm afraid that... he will have to wait here."
Applejack scowled darkly, deeply not liking the way he said 'he'. "Spike is with me and will stay that way."
Stone Runner lean over to her and whispered, "Are you sure that is wise? He is, after all, a dragon. One never does know when that will succumb to their more primal instincts. In fact why don't you come with me, I'm sure you would feel far more safe wi-"
Before he could finish, Applejack had Stone Runner on his back with her hoof pressing down on his throat. "I don't know, you over grown salt lick. I feel pretty safe. How bout you?" Applejack's grin grew as Stone tried to speak only to struggle just to make gurgling sounds.
Spike, both having had enough and not wanting Applejack to get in trouble, lifted her off the struggling stallion. "I don't suppose you have anything else moronic to say?" Stone Runner just got up and growled at him.
"Off starting even more trouble Spike?" Came a voice that caused both mare and drake to freeze. Spike and Applejack turned to Rarity walked up, eyes narrowed at them, Applejack because of there earlier conversation and Spike simply for being there. "Why are you even here? You are an assistant at the best of times so just go back to the castle or farm and leave this to the proper authorities."
Once again, Applejack was about to lunge at Rarity but was stopped by Spike. "Proper is a relative term, I'm here to help defend the element barrers and track the scent if one was left."
Spike could already hear the dog or beast joke running threw Rarity's mind just from the grin on her face but thankfully Twilight interrupted. "Spike, Applejack, Rarity! Thank goodness you're finally here. Pinkie, Dash and Fluttershy are already on their way. I just hope poor Fluttershy can handle it, we all know that she really isn't one to take to death very well."
"Maybe not but I know why I'm here," came the timid voice of said pony as she walked forward. "You need me to determine whether or not it was an animal that did this." Though she was still timid and shy to the extreme Fluttershy walked forward with resolve towards the guards.
Stone Runner managed to get back to his hooves just as Fluttershy reached him. He was about to speak but froze in place as he looked into the small yellow pegasus' eyes, and saw the pits of Tartarus burning within them. "I saw the way you talked to Spike and I heard from the birds what you tried to do to Applejack. I think you need to apologize, now." Rarity attempted to come to the guard's aid only to be stopped by the same glare. "No Rarity," she said in a darkly calm voice, "you and I will talk later about yesterday but for now stay out of this." Stone Runner made a hastiy appology and let the four pass.