Dragon's Feud

The ghost of relief lingers as Pumpkin Spice looks Boreal over. She meets his eyes. Her mouth scrunches up. She bursts into a giggling fit of laughter.

"Stainless. Steel." She taps her hoof on his head to punctuate each word.

She turns, gaze falling over the ruins of the cart of flowers. Her laughter turns into a nervous giggle. She doesn't need accomplice to the destruction of yet another cart on her record. She looks around, hoping the owner of the poor cart is nowhere in sight.

"C'mon, flower killer," she says with a grin, taking just a moment to lean forward and pluck one of her feathers out of Boreal's mane. Then, she hurriedly urges the stallion forwards, preferably before yet another merchant demands payment for a whole cart full of supplies.

She doesn't get more than a step or two when the others trot out of the building. A sidestep later, she's between them and the cart, leaning left and right to try to block it from their view. Which is difficult considering it's about as large as she is, the minotaur is several times taller than her, and there's the remains of a giant floral massacre behind her.

"Hey guys! We're finally headed out? Let me guess, the farm, right? Great!" she says, rapidly. "Heading out is good. We should go. Like now. Now is good!" she urges, smiling innocently while taking another step to the right to stay between the ponies and the cart.

The flower merchant does not appear to be anywhere in sight, though some of the others working stalls look at the scene with varying emotion- from the apparent shock from the nearby veggie stand, to the passive stoicism of the big red stallion selling Apples, to the mixed impressions from the fillies selling lemonade and cookies. None of them approach the group, however, leaving you all free and clear to move on- though the flowers stuck to Boreal's tail cause heads to turn as they leave.

Those of you who know the town are plainly familiar with Applejack and Sweet Apple Acres, and 20 minutes later, the dirt path outside of town opens into the fields adjacent to the famous orchard. Uncharacteristically, there seem to be a large number of farmhooves, more than 30 ponies among the trees, and more out in the other crop fields beyond. As the Farmhouse and main Barn (looking brand new- they must have rebuilt it again) loom into view, you can see even more ponies bustling about, entering and exiting both buildings, some carrying packs or pulling carts, others holding clipboards or scrolls. They all seem to be incredibly busy, none of them stopping to greet you.

Off in the distance, some unseen creature lets out a roar, which only mildly startles the workers.

"Hmm. Impressive operation." Atlas looks around, looking about before settling on the farmhouse. "I'm betting that's where we'll find the team leader. Or whoever else is in charge at this point. Maybe we can ask about that weird roar as well, these workers seem oddly unfazed by that." At that, he sets off for the farmhouse at a brisk pace.

Numerous ponies move back and forth between the buildings and through the orchards. From a distance, all the ponies milling about look a little like an overflowing ball pit in the normally quiet, peaceful farm.

Pumpkin Spice takes a sip of the latte she'd somehow managed to pick up somewhere along the way. She looks up as the distant roar, a slight frown on her face. Her reaction isn't that dissimilar to the ponies working on the farm.

"We're used to weird here, Atlas," Pumpkin Spice explains. "But here's an apple to chew on. The Apple family didn't even have this many ponies helping them during cider season when they almost lost their farm to the Flim Flam Brothers. They do their own work. If there's this many ponies working all at once, here, right now, the dragons and diamond dogs must really have everypony's tails in a twist. I have a feeling things are worse than normal. And 'normal' is a monster attack every other Saturday morning."

Pumpkin Spice goes into a canter, picking up the pace along with Atlas.

Violet jumps a bit at the roar but canters along with Atlas and Pumpkin. "Yea, there's more ponies here now than there were the last time they had a reunion and everypony's taking this really seriously... ."

Off in the distance, some unseen creature lets out a roar, which only mildly startles the workers.

Lucky blinked a couple of times, having just snapped back to reality.

'Wait, where are we? When are we?' He looked around to see some familiar faces. 'Did I zone out again? Sorry, must be running on fumes.' He then resolved to quietly trail behind the rest for they clearly seemed to have a better grasp of the situation.

There's another animalistic shriek off in the distance, and again there is hardly any reaction from the crowd. One of the ponies, however, a tan stallion with charcoal mane, spots the group and rushes over. "Well y'all hurry up now, ain't no time to be lollyin' and gaggin' about!" As he approaches, you can spot the same Apple Cutie Mark that was in the presentation emblazoned on a red vest, though his own Cutie Mark is three Golden Apples. "If y'all are new team members, head into the barn and get yer task assignment from Braeburn, we gotta get this inventory done before Sunset!" He pauses to look at the workers, and checks something on a clipboard.

"Welcome back to Equestria," Pumpkin Spice says, urging Lucky Shot on with a small toss of her head. "Didn't sleep well?" she guesses sympathetically. Reluctantly, she stretches out a wing to offer her coffee to bespectacled earth pony. "You look like you need this more than I do."

She glances back to Cherry Sundae. "Next time, remind me to get an extra cup for her, too," she adds as one of the farm ponies gallop up to the group.

"Whoa, pull back the reins," she says to the pony that'd come to meet them. "We are here to help, but we're actually part of Team..." Uh... Something that begins with 'F'. "Fhqwhgads. That's Princess Twilight's team. Not that I'm not into, you know, apple inventories as much as the next filly, but Twilight said there was something specific you ponies needed."

She looks at the farm behind the tan colored stallion, then back. "What's with the roars?" she asks.

"Team... Failsafe." Atlas blinks... they really need a name... "Provides specialist support. Get your facts straight, before you berate, good sir." He puffs out his chest. "We're here to help... but, as Pumpkin Spice says, we should have specific tasks that we're here to help with, the way Princess Sparkle phrased it."

"Team what?" He looks up at the group, ears flicking at another ambient animal growl. "Well, I don't know about all that, but if y'all ain't gonna help inventory, then you should go find Applejack. But hopefully she sends your team to help the inventory- needs ta be finished by sundown so we can have the next shipment ready by morning." He trots off, but calls back, "And don't worry about the roars, Miss Fluttershy says their perfectly safe!"

"He didn't actually say were Applejack was, did he? So to the farmhouse?" Violet says already trotting towards the Apple family home. "Oh yea, Failsafe is actually not half bad if we need to be team F"

"Yeah, inventory," Pumpkin Spice echoes after the earth pony trots away. "That... sounds like a lot of work." She makes a face. "Let's find Applejack before somepony else recruits us. Hi ho, Team Flugelhorn, away!" She says with muted enthusiasm as she trots quickly forwards.

"By the way, who's Fluttershy?"

Atlas pauses, looking at Pumpkin Spice strangely. "I would have thought that a resident of Ponyville would have been familiar... hmm. Even I have heard of Fluttershy - Tamer of Beasts, Banisher of Dragons! She faced down a cockatrice, expelled a dragon with little more than words, and charmed a manticore with nothing but the kindness in her heart. Stories about the Elements of Harmony are few and far between - they live rather quiet lives for national heroes - but from what I've heard, Fluttershy is a force to be reckoned with. It's tales of her exploits that motivated me to learn to speak to animals, actually..."

Pumpkin Spice looks upwards thoughtfully. "Oh, THAT one!" she exclaims. "They usually don't mention all of them by name in the papers. It's just 'The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony,'" the pegasus explains.

"And she doesn't really show up a lot anywhere else. Rainbow Dash won the last Young Flyer's competition with that awesome sonic rainboom. Twilight Sparkle is an alicorn princess. Applejack's family sells that amazing cider every year. You can see half of Rarity's outfits from the stratosphere and she's always in those fashion things. Everypony's friends with Pinkie Pie.

"But Fluttershy... I haven't noticed her anywhere since back when she was in every ad in Equestria, and that was only for a few days. She must stay at home a lot or something."

Pumpkin Spice reflexively reaches for her cup of coffee, then remembers she'd just given it away. She give a twitch.

"I didn't know about all of that other stuff, though. Dragons, cockatrices, and manticores. She must be a total badflank."

While the group discusses Futtershy and other relevant topics- and as another animal roar echoes, this one different from the last few- everyone who is familiar catches sight of the orange Farmpony in question exiting the farmhouse, speaking with two others. She hasn't spotted any of you yet, but is heading in your direction nonetheless.

"...She looks important." Atlas notes. "Is she one of the elements? I feel like I've seen her somewhere."

"That's Applejack. Element of the Best Cider in Equestria," Pumpkin Spice says, steering towards the orange earth pony. She hovers flaps her wings, hovering a few feet above the ground, waving a forehoof to get the pony's attention as they approach.

"Hey, Applejack!" She pauses her greeting to look once again at yet another animal noise. "I'm Pumpkin Spice. This is Atlas, Lucky Shot, Violet Stars, Windy, and Cherry Sundae. We're Team... Farraginous. Princess Twilight sent us. She said you had something special you needed."

nightlight wrote:"That's Applejack. Element of the Best Cider in Equestria," Pumpkin Spice says, steering towards the orange earth pony. She hovers flaps her wings, hovering a few feet above the ground, waving a forehoof to get the pony's attention as they approach.

"Honestly, she's Honesty but that cider thing is still true." Violet says as she also heads toward Applejack.

"Hey, Applejack!" She pauses her greeting to look once again at yet another animal noise. "I'm Pumpkin Spice. This is Atlas, Lucky Shot, Violet Stars, Windy, and Cherry Sundae. We're Team... Farraginous. Princess Twilight sent us. She said you had something special you needed."

Violet helpfully points out each member of the team as Pumpkin calls out their names.

Atlas salutes jokingly, though he does incline his head politely at his introduction. "Nice to meet you."

Applejack looks up when her name is called, raising an eyebrow at the quick introductions. "Team... Farra- what?" The other two ponies stand to the side and wait as she approaches the group. "Did y'all let Rainbow Dash name your group or somethin'? I swear that pony comes up with the lousiest names... Anyway, If'n y'all were sent by Twilight, I guess you're her special "task force", am I right? Did she say what she sent you to help me with?" You all can see she has some bags under her eyes, she's clearly very tired.

Violet flashes an awkward grin at Applejack. "Er, no, yes, and no but, we thought that doing some scouting might be a good idea.."

"Team Fabiform," Pumpkin Spice "repeats" helpfully with an amused look. The look shifts to a bit of sympathy as she sees just how tired Applejack looks. She reminds herself not to touch any cupcakes for at least a few days. She's not making THAT mistake again.

The pegasus produces a small packet and hoofs it over towards the orange mare. "It's my emergency pack of instant coffee. Extra caffeine. Just add water. You look like you could use it," she says as she reminds herself to stop by a shop and get a lot more. By the looks of things, a lot of ponies are going to be needing it before too long.

"Twilight seemed too busy to tell us all the details," she adds, adding to Violet's answer. "We were hoping you knew more."

"Oh, thanks." She gives the instant coffee a look, and then shakes her head. "Sorry, I forgot my manners- too much going on right now. My name's Applejack, welcome all of y'all to Sweet Apple Acres." She makes a point to shake everyone's hooves (hands, etc) before continuing. "I mighty appreciate y'all volunteering for Twilight's special team, and for coming to help out around here first and foremost. Let's go talk inside, I think I have a good task for you." She turns, and talks to the other ponies for a moment, and they run off in different directions. She then beckons for the rest of you to follow her into the farmhouse, where she has a large map of the town and the surrounding area pinned up. An old green mare is snoozing in a rocking chair in the corner. "So, about scouting- we don't need y'all to do any scouting actually. Bigger problems."

Atlas perks up, a glint in his eyes. "I can do big. What plagues you?"

Pumpkin Spice follows Applejack, beginning to hover again once they're inside. She looks over the others' shoulders at the map, curiously.

"We haven't even started and it already feels like Ponyville's fetlock deep in problems. Well, lay it on us," she says, with more resignation than the enthusiasm Atlas shows.