CHAPTER 6: APPLE H-YUCK SEASON

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"Alright, where's the Calamity Jane rip-off?" Spyro called as he and Bianca entered the southern fields of Sweet Apple Acres, the dragon looking none-too-happy.

Twilight gave a sigh of relief as she spotted the two approaching, waving a hoof to call them over. "She's back here." She stated, motioning to the pony who had just got done trying to kick apples from a dead tree. "Sorry if she caused any problems for you."

Spyro snarled animalistically, giving a draconian glare to the bleary-eyed farm pony; the orange mare looked like a full-blown zombie, with frazzled hair, vein-riddled eyes, and enough bags under her eyes to go grocery shopping with. "If she wants to kill herself over a self-perceived challenge, that's fine. But when others start getting hurt by it, that's when I put my foot down." He growled.

"Ah am not goin' to take help from any pony!" Applejack yelled back at the dragon.

"I don't recall giving you a choice in the matter!" Spyro snapped harshly. "You poisoned part of Ponyville's population, not to mention gave Rainbow Dash a concussion! You are in no shape to continue working or helping Fluttershy, if all you're going to do is cause even more trouble."

Bianca herself frowned, though more out of confusion than anger. "I have mixed feelings about Fluttershy's role in life and that's unsettling..." She muttered.

"Ah have mah pride! Ya said Ah cannot do it on mah own! Well, Ah will manage! Ah will prove to ya and everypony that Ah can gather all the apples on mah own!" Applejack said with a tired but determined voice, making it clear she wasn't going to budge on the situation.

Spyro's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Not if there's no apples left to pick."

Twilight's eyes widened in alarm, and she about to ask what he was going to do, when the length of his tail and tailblade began to glow with an earthly green aura. Shimmering with glowing leaf-shaped particles that swirled around his tail as if in the wind, a deep earthy hum filled the air, along with the rumbling of moving stone and dirt as strong, solid forms of elemental energy formed across its length, resembling tightly packed rocks and dirt. Infused with the power of the earth itself, Spyro's eyes glowed bright green as he lifted his tail and, before anyone could react, slammed it down on the earth with tremendous speed and force.

Like ripples on a pond, the earthquake following spread outwards in all directions like a shockwave, spreading far across the countryside; the ripple wasn't that powerful in strength, but it was far-spreading, just strong enough to shake the apples from the trees without uprooting the trees themselves. Like a wave of red, the wide circle of red pulsed outwards, falling from the trees like rain, into the buckets waiting below, all the way to the very borders of Sweet Apple Acres, until every single tree on the property was cleared clean.

Applejack gaped, bloodshot eyes wide in disbelief.

Twilight stared, whistling in surprise.

Bianca rolled her eyes, mentally calling Spyro a show-off.

Spyro gave a snort of victory, nodding in satisfaction as he admired the view of green trees, not a single piece of red in sight...

...expect the red of rage suddenly filling Applejack face, which twisted into a tooth-filled snarl. "YA FILTHY, LOW-DOWN, BACK-STABBIN' VARMIT!" She outright screamed, spittle flying from her mouth as she hopped up and down with fury. "I TOLD YA I DIDN'T NEED HELP! YA GOT NO RIGHT STICKIN' YA SCALY SNOUT IN MAH BUSINESS OR MAH PROPERTY, YA SLIMY, FIRE-BARFIN', MEAT-EATIN', TREASURE-HOARDIN', WOMANIZIN', OVERGROWN SALAMAN-!"

"Somnum."

With that single word and a flick of blue magic to the forehead, Bianca send the earth pony falling face-first into the ground; the dust her collapse kicked up didn't even have time to begin settling before heavy snores filled the air, the cowboy hat flopping over onto the ground in front of her.

"You're welcome." Was all a sarcastic Spyro said in response.