Sunset's motorcycle roared as she and Starlight raced from Canterlot to Sweet Apple Acres, Starlight clinging to Sunset's midsection for dear life as they rode. On their backs were a pair of water guns, filled to bursting with diet cola and only getting fizzier with each bounce of the bike.

Starlight glanced back at her gun and frowned. If it exploded from all the shaking, she wouldn't just be left defenseless, but she would also ruin the only pair of clothes she had.

"Are you sure there wasn't another way we could have gotten to Applejack's farm?" Starlight asked.

"WHAT!" Sunset shouted over the roar of the engine.

"ISN'T THERE ANOTHER WAY WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO APPLEJACK'S FARM WITHOUT TAKING YOUR MOTORCYCLE!" She repeated. "THE NOISE IT'S MAKING IS BOUND TO ATTRACT PINKIES!"

Sunset turned her head. "IT'S THE ONLY VEHICLE I OWN! BESIDES, WALKING OR BIKING THERE WOULD TAKE US AN HOUR, AND THAT'S EXTRA TIME APPLEJACK DOESN'T HAVE!"

"WATCH THE ROAD!"

Sunset turned back around, and finally noticed a Pinkie Pie standing in the center of the road with a black cat costume on.

"Hi Sunset!~" She cheered as she waved, somehow completely oblivious to the impending peril barreling towards her.

Both girls screamed as Sunset swerved around her, barely avoiding a crash. The Pinkie only smiled and waved after them.

"Okay, see ya later!"

The two girls' hearts both beat in their chests. Sunset clutched the handlebars until her knuckles turned white. Their near brush with death sent them both into shock, and they remained that way all the way to Applejack's to avoid any further accidents.

A couple kilometers further and the motorcycle found itself parked at the front entrance of the only apple orchard within driving distance of the city, and Sunset and Starlight were in shock at what they saw. Pinkies... just as Applejack had described, loads of them. A small hoard, roughly the size of a moderately large flash mob, were swinging and hanging from the Sweet Apple Acers apple trees, giggling and eating their fill of fruit, while others joyously played tag and hide-n-seek on the ground. They were all dressed in different halloween costumes and causal clothing, but what drew the two teens' attention the most was the small group of them currently pounding on the boarded up walls of the Apple Family farmhouse.

Sunset killed the engine, thankful that they hadn't been spotted. "Looks like we're not too late." She peered towards the farmhouse. "Unless I miss my guess, I'll bet Applejack and her family are in there."

"It's what the pony version of her did." Starlight added. "And it was able to keep them safe for a good few weeks. Assuming they have a good stock of surplus food and water in there."

Relief flooded Sunset. "Then they survived?"

"Well..." Starlight didn't want to answer the question.

"That's all I needed to hear." Sunset exclaimed, cutting her off. "We need to figure out a way to get in there and safely get them out. Preferably without letting the Pinkie Pies know we're here."

"Right." Starlight nodded.

"Hi Sunset!" A sudden new voice broke the two girls away from their own thoughts and caused them to jump up in surprise. They both screamed and fell off the bike. Before them stood another Pinkie Pie, this one slightly taller then the original and dressed in a Postal worker's uniform. Flashing them a smile, she reached into the bag on her shoulder and pulled out a letter. "It's for you~" She sang.

Immediately, Starlight pulled out her squirt gun. "DELIVER YOUR LETTERS IN YOUR DREAMS!" She shouted before shooting a blast of soda into Pinkie's widely grinning mouth. The Pinkie's eyes rolled in their sockets before she collapsed to the ground with an exaggerated snore.

"So much for being quiet..." Sunset groaned.

"Well at least we know the soda works." Starlight giggled as a bead of sweat trailed down the side of her forehead.

"Hey!" A sudden cry caught both girls' attention. "Those girls are giving out free soda!~" The Pinkies paused, and each turned there heads towards Sunset and Starlight. Both girls felt their hearts stop.

"But I don't think we have enough for all of them..." Starlight whimpered.

"SODA!~" The Pinkie Pies charged from the orchard, the Pinkies in the trees diving from their branches into the crowd like musicians at a rock concert. The entire hoard was now rushing towards Sunset and Starlight.

"RUN!" Starlight leaped from the back of Sunset's motorcycle and ran towards an open end of the orchard the Pinkie Pies weren't currently occupying. She vaulted the small fence boarding the farm, only to briefly stop in surprise when she found that Sunset wasn't following her.

"WHAT ABOUT MY BIKE!" Sunset shouted, still firmly planted on the motorcycle's seat.

"LEAVE IT! IT ISN'T WORTH YOUR LIFE!" Sunset briefly weighed her options as she shot her gaze between Starlight, her motorcycle, and the approaching hoard of Pinkies. Hesitantly, she jumped from her bike and began sprinting after her friend, silently cursing herself for abandoning a device she had put so much care into and had spent so much money to afford.

The two sprinted across the orchard in a straight line towards the farmhouse. The Pinkies noticed this, and quickly changed direction. They charged towards them forcing Sunset and Starlight to run faster. The girls quickly began to approach the house, but Pinkies were growing closer as well. They didn't see any open doors or un-boarded windows, but the girls hoped to all higher powers that existed in the human world that there would be a way inside once they arrived.

"APPLEJACK!" Sunset shouted. The house was now completely bare of Pinkies, for all that had been banging on its walls were now chasing behind them. Hopefully, thanks to the minor calm, the Apple family would be more willing to open up their barricade for them to enter. "APPLEJACK!"

"SUNSET!" Both girls heard a new voice call out from the east most wall of the farmhouse. From the only non-boarded open window on the house, Applejack leaned halfway outside. "OVER HERE!"

Sunset and Starlight didn't need to wait for a second invitation, they bolted in the direction of the window, confusing the Pinkies and allowing them more time to get safely inside. Starlight hooked her hands with Applejack's and was quickly pulled in through the window. Sunset followed right behind, and dived through the open sill with a surprising grace that would normally only be seen done by a professional gymnast. Applejack then slammed the window shut, just before one of the Pinkies was able to jump through the window and instead hit her face on the glass.

Rather than pull herself off of it, she squished her face against the glass, making several weird expressions as she did so. Applejack saw all she needed to see, and quickly called in Big Macintosh. "Big Mac we need some more boards in here! There tryin' to brake in through another window!" Mac ran into the room within seconds, carrying a load 2x4s under one arm and a box of nails and a hammer under the other.

"Nope!" He exclaimed, slamming the boards against the window frame before nailing them into place with the hammer.

"Sunset! Boy howdy, am Ah glad to see you!" Applejack greeted. She turned her attention to Starlight. "...And, you brought Starlight Glimmer with ya too? If Ah knew you were both comin' I'd have baked a pie."

"That would have actually helped us greatly, if you did." Starlight snickered.

The sound of shattering glass suddenly caught everybody's attention, as multiple sets of pink arms broke through the window and snaked between the already nailed up boards. Big Macintosh backed up defensively as the cries of the multiple Pinkies rang through the room. "Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!"

Applejack's eyes widened in shock. "Granny!" She cried. "Get in here! We need the broccoli!"

Granny Smith rushed into the room with a single piece of bushy green vegetable clenched tightly in her fist. She noticed the hands sticking out of the window and rushed towards it. The hands seemed to immediately retreat as she approached, like the were afraid of the old woman for some reason. Upon reaching the window, Granny pulled her arm back and threw the broccoli out through one of the spaces between boards. Hissing, like that of multiple agitated cats, soon rang out from outside before the sounds of thundering feet grew farther away. The Pinkies had left them, for the time being at least.

Silence filled the room, no one feeling fully calm enough to come up with something to say. Without further thinking, Mac quickly went back to nailing the rest of the boards into place. Upon hearing the noise, Starlight was able to regain her senses. She asked the obvious question. "What the hay just happened?"

Sunset exhaled out the rest of her anxiety. "The Pinkie Pie of this world hates eating her vegetables." She explained. "She'll do almost anything to avoid them. It only makes sense that clones of her would do the same thing."

Starlight nodded. "Good to know." She proclaimed. "This should make it easier for us to get everyone out safely."

Granny Smith raised her hand placed it behind her head. "One problem there youngin'..." Granny expressed timidly. "That was the last piece of veggie left in the house. We needed the rest of um to keep them pink varmints at bay while we forted up the walls."

Sunset's brows fell in annoyance. "Great..." She expressed lividly.

"Now don't be gettin' like that." Applejack stated. She reached her hand down and helped Sunset back to her feet while Big Mac did the same for Starlight. "Yer alive aren't ya?" She asked. "T'ain't gonna help us none if y'all start gettin' down in the dumps already. Ah'm sure we'll come up with somethin'."

Applejack quickly made her way over towards Starlight and wrapped her arm around the ex-unicorn's shoulder. "Till then, Ah can introduce Starlight to the rest of the family, and we can show you two how we plan to wade this thin' out for the time bein'."

Sunset cocked her brow in confusion. "It sounds like you've already planned for this?" She asked sarcastically.

"Sure did!" Applejack replied with enthusiasm. Sunset wasn't sure how she felt about her friend's answer. "We Apples ain't stupid. We've watched them apocalypse films on the TV, we know to stay prepared in case of the fall of modern society."

As the farm girl tugged her along, Starlight shot her a quizzical glance. "Weird..." She admitted. "The Applejack back in my world said something similar." Sweat trickled down the back of her neck as she realized something didn't quite add up. Considering the threats and dangerous wildlife that Equestria had to deal with on a regular basis, the fact that pony Applejack was prepared for any and all emergencies made her seem wise and capable. The fact that human Applejack was so prepared for something as unthinkable as the apocalypse brought her mental state into question, as well as the states of those around her. So much so that Starlight was beginning to become concerned that she was maybe being manhandled by a crazy person.

Applejack led the group into the farmhouse living room only to find two more Apples waiting for them... Apple Bloom and an older Apple neither Starlight nor Sunset recognized. It was only now that Sunset and Starlight realized the Apple family was also dressed in costumes. Apple Bloom was wearing a small, cute, blue checkered dress with glittery slippers; Big Mac was wearing a two-toned, grey, striped shirt with khaki pants and an old cabby hat; Granny Smith was keeping it simple with just a classic witch's hat; and Applejack was wearing thick fuzzy collared jacket with a county sheriff's uniform on underneath. On her favorite hat, a sheriff's badge was also pinned that had her named engraved on it.

The fifth Apple in the room looked like he had dressed up as a cowboy, which was cute enough... if a little childish. Sunset was the first to greet him. "Hello, my name is Sunset Shimmer. I don't believe we met before?" She said extending her hand in greeting.

The boy smiled and took it without hesitation, he then shook it violently. "Howdy there ma'am!" He exclaimed. "Ah'm darn near happy as a pig in mud to meet ya! My name's Braeburn, but some people call me Brae. But Ah really do prefer Braeburn ’cause Brae kinda sounds like a girl’s name. But if you prefer to call me Brae, Ah guess you can." Sunset wasn't listening in the slightest to the teen's excessive jabber, and was instead now focused on a single thought that had suddenly just popped into head.

"Oh dear Celestia, he's not wearing a costume."

"So how long have you guys been held up in here?" Starlight asked.

"About since this mornin', Ah guess..." Applejack explained. "At first, we didn't think much of it. Ah woke up this mornin' at the rooster's cry, just like every other day, and saw Big Mac and Braeburn workin' the fields. So Ah threw somethin' on and went out to help em." Her face contorted as the memories seeped back in. "We saw Pinkie Pie runnin' around a couple times in fields, but at the time thought nothin' of it. She comes by here a lot ya see... she says she likes visitin' her favorite maybe cousins."

"O' course, that was when the mailman arrived..." Braeburn added. "Then thins started goin' to heck in a hand basket."

"She kissed the mailman and turned him into one of herself. Then a butch of 'em started jumpin' out of the trees like they'd been waitin' for us!" Applejack continued. "Nearly didn't make it back to the house with 'em tryin' to grab at us and get some sugar."

"Them Pinkies ripped Big Mac's shirt clean off, before everybody got back inside..." Granny Smith stated. Sunset blushed somewhat at the mental imagery. "...And smooched him almost all over his body. Figurin' they we're clearly zombies of some sort, we told Mac to take a shower while AJ and Braeburn burned the cloths they were wearin' to prevent further spread of infection. It's the reason most of us are dressed so festive right now."

Sunset and Starlight, after hearing the family's story, quickly shot each other some befuddled looks before turning back towards their friends. "The Pinkie's infection can only be spread through contact of the lips." Starlight explained. "You didn't need to burn your cloths..."

The Apple Family shot back at the two Equestrians their own quizzical looks. "We didn't?" Applejack asked, now feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Braeburn shouted in frustration. "Ah shoot! Ah wasted a perfectly good pair of spare duds because of them Pies!"

"That's probably a good thing." Sunset mumbled. Rarity she was not, but even she (an ex-pony who normally only wore cloths on a whim) knew when a tacky outfit deserved to be burned.

"How did you learn that vegetables would scare them off?" Sunset decided to ask.

"Ah splashed one with a can of green beans while we were boardin' up the back windows." Applejack explained. "The Pinkie in the skeleton costume was so dang near scared of the thins, that she nearly jumped out of her skin to get away from 'em."

Sunset decided to take that information stow it away for later. She began to ponder. "So sugar puts them to sleep, and vegetables scare them away." She stated aloud. "If we're going to make it through this then, we're going to need plenty of both in bulk."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Beg yer pardon?"

"We'll explain fully later." Starlight exclaimed. "For now we're going to need to think someplace that has a lot of vegetables and sugar for us to use against the Pinkies."

Still confused, but feeling in no position to argue, Applejack began to brainstorm alongside her friends, her family quickly followed suit. Then suddenly it struck her... like a crack of thunder. The Pinkies outside playing with the Apple family's extra sheet metal giggled at the noise it produced.

"AUNTIE ORANGE SMOOTHIES!" She exclaimed.

"What?" The others asked in unison.

"Auntie Orange Smoothies," Applejack repeated. "The drink stand Ah work at in the mall! We have plenty of stocked vegetables and artificial sugars stored in the back!"

"Ah thought yer work's slogan was: 'everythin made naturally'?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.

"It's a lie." Applejack replied back rather bluntly. "Hey don't give me that look! Ah didn't say Ah condone their practices!"

"False advertising aside, we at least now know where we should head to next." Sunset exclaimed, regaining everyone's attention. "With a better stock of supplies, we'll be able to more easily fight our way through hordes of Pinkies that are probably already running through Canterlot." She fixed her friends with a curious expression as she continued her statement. "But first things first, we need to figure out a way to get out of here."

"Ah was hopin' we'd get to this part sooner of later." Granny Smith chuckled. "What's the plan youngins?"

Sunset placed her hand on her chin in thought. "Well, first we'll need a vehicle. The Pinkies stole my bike, and are more then likely going to catch us if we try to get out of here on foot." She turned to Applejack. "Do you still have Granny Smith's old pickup truck parked out in the barn?"

"Eeyup!" Applejack replied. "She's in there, parked, fixed, and fully gassed." She led her friend over to the window on the opposite end of the room. Through the boards, Sunset could see an old, faded, red barn she remembered from when Applejack and Granny Smith helped her pass her driving test. "What's even better yet, is that Ah haven't seen even one of them Pinkies goin' anywhere near our barn. So we might have an even better chance of it runnin'!"

Sunset smiled. "Perfect!" She proclaimed. She and Applejack ran back over towards the others. "Now all we need is something to distract the Pinkies while we make a run for the barn."

Starlight began to smile, she was happy a plan was coming together so quickly. "You guys got any sugar in the house?" She asked the Apple family. "The more you can provide, the better."

The Apples closed their eyes and began to think, mentally running over what they all knew they had in their stock. Apple Bloom's eyes suddenly shot open. "Cider!" She proclaimed in realization. "We've got barrels of apple cider down in the cellar!"

Granny Smith smiled, but then began shaking her head a bit more dourly. "That's our cider season stock, Apple Bloom." She explained. "T'ain't been treated yet for drinkin'. At most it'll taste more like normal apple juice, rather then sweet apple cider."

Starlight considered this. "Maybe we don't need it to?" She stated. "The Pinkies outside are mowing down your apples as we speak. If what you say is true, then it tasting like apple juice shouldn't be a issue. It should still be more then enough to keep them distracted long enough for us to make it to the barn."

"...And our Pinkie does love cider. Treated, or otherwise." Applejack admitted. "It's a bit of a risk, but Ah say we go for it if it means we can get out of here and stop this apocalypse from continuin'." She turned towards Sunset. "That is what we're plannin' on doin' right?"

Sunset nodded. "Yes, it is. Starlight and I are planning on getting back to that as soon we're done here." She turned her attention to Big Macintosh. "Big Mac can you get those cider barrels out of the cellar and into the backyard without making a sound?"

Big Mac stared blankly at her for a good few minutes before finally answering with a slow and affirming, "Eeyup."

Braeburn quickly followed after him as the largest Apple in the family left the room. "Hold on cuz, Ah'll help ya!"

While everyone else distracted, no one noticed Sunset and Starlight being pulled aside by Applejack. She whispered at the in a much more irritated tone then she had been using earlier. "Ma family might be alright with bein' kept in the dark for now, but Ah ain't." She threatened. "This is some kind of magical thin', and Ah known at least one of ya had a hand in it..." She folded her arms crossly. "...So spill."

Warily, but seeing no other alternative, Starlight told the farm girl the story of how the Prime Pinkie got to their world and how much of a threat she presented. Applejack lowered her head and closed her eyes as she contemplated. "We need to find the others." She concluded. "We're all the closest to Pinkie and we all know what she's like. If we put our heads together, we should be able to catch this Prime Pinkie right fast before she can cause any real damage."

Sunset nodded. "I agree, but first we need to stock up on weapons and supplies. If we don't those hordes outside will transform us for sure."

Applejack grimaced, but agreed. "We should at least text 'em." She admitted. "Tell our friends what's goin' on, and let 'em know what we're doin'."

Sunset pulled out her phone. "I can take care of that. You should go help your brother and Braeburn with the barrels. The sooner we're on the road, the sooner we can start looking for our friends."

Applejack furrowed her brows and nodded determinedly. She bolted out of the room and towards the cellar before another word could even be uttered.

Within the next twenty minutes, Big Mac had successfully carried two barrels at a time out of the cellar and onto the back lawn. With a little help from Applejack and Braeburn, the group had placed a good fifteen full barrels of cider out in front of the back wall behind the farmhouse. All that was left to do now was open them.

"Hold on, I'll go get a hammer. Then we can-" *SLAM*

Sunset was cut off before she could finish as the sound of splintering wood hit her eardrums. She turned back around in surprise to see that Applejack had punctured her fist straight through the lid of one of the barrels, and was currently lifting her soaked hand out of the cider. Both Sunset and Starlight were shocked to say the least, but what actually shocked them both more was the fact that Applejack wasn't currently wearing her magic geode.

"There's no time for that!" Applejack exclaimed. "If we're gonna doin' this, we're doin' it now! Before them Pinkies have time ta figure out what we're up to!"

With agreeing nods, the other Apples began setting to work with Big Macintosh and Braeburn both slammed their fists into two other barrels down the line. Surprisingly, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith were even getting into it, and before long all the barrels had been smashed open.

Sunset and Starlight found themselves at a loss for words after seeing the family's incredible feats of strength. Eventually they both settled on the simply phase, "Whoa", as Apple family walked past them and into the house. Applejack smirked cockily while trailing behind, and tipped her hat at the two girls with pride. "Better learn to keep them traps shut..." She stated. "That's a good way of catching flies."

She walked passed her friends and through the doorway, allowing them to continue gaping in disbelief. Sunset immediately decided she would not tease, taunt, or even breath wrongly in Applejack's direction ever again. She imagined a punch from the farm girl, after seeing what she saw, would really hurt.

Clearing her throat, Starlight then decided to clear the air. "So..." She paused. "Now that that's done. How are we supposed to get the Pinkies' attention?"

"Excuse me youngins..." Granny Smith pleasantly asked, as she walked past Starlight. She stood behind the line of barrels and held in her hands a silver rod and metal triangle. Both Starlight and Sunset's eyes widened.

"Get inside the house now!" Sunset warned, before both girls immediately booked it back through the farmhouse's back door.

Granny Smith slammed the metal rod around the middle of the triangle, producing a loud rhythmic sound one would only associate with the wild, wild west. "COME AND GIT IT!" And as a stampede of petite pink feet thundered behind her, she dashed back into the house.

Granny Smith ran as fast as her elderly legs could carry her, as the loud noise of pig-like suckling, and funnily enough oinking, came roaring out from behind the door she had just slammed shut. She eventually reached her family back near the front of the house as Applejack placed her hand on the front door's doorknob.

"Okay everyone remember, the cider is only goin' ta keep them distracted for so long. So we have to rush to the barn as fast as we can, no stoppin'!" Applejack explained. "If ya stop, trip, or fall, than yer gonna get grab by a Pinkie. Now normally, if that were to happen, the rule would be to 'not look back and leave ya behind', but bein' me, Ah don't think Ah can rightly do that. So, for the love of everythin' decent and holy in this world, don't stop, trip, or fall." She banged her fist down to get the point across. "Ah'd really like to keep my face the way it's currently lookin'."

Applejack braced herself against the door and got ready to run. The others behind her did the same. "Alright on three. One... Two... Three!" The door slammed open and the group made a b-line for the barn located a few yards away.

So far so good, there weren't any Pinkies in sight. But even so, they stayed alert for potential stragglers.

"Hey! You guys came out to play after all!" A small group of Pinkies wandered out from behind the house with sticky lips and hair soaked with apple juice. "Come on gang! Let's go party with our maybe cousins!"

The Pinkies began to sprint after the group, as the barn began to grew ever closer. Applejack chanced a glance behind her, seeing her friends and family thankfully still close by, but they still had a lot of ground to cover and the Pinkies were already beginning to encroach upon them. The other Pinkies must have heard what the first had said, because the rest of the hoard were beginning to remove themselves from behind the house and join the chase.

"RUN FASTER!" Applejack shouted, causing the others to look back and see the growing number of Pinkies behind them.

Apple Bloom was beginning to heave through strained breaths. Though she was the youngest of the group, and probably the one who could last the most time running for their life, her costume wasn't doing her any favors. They seemed like a good idea at first, her red glitter slippers perfectly completing the look, but were now fighting against her as she struggled to keep balanced while running in heels.

Apple Bloom suddenly felt her right leg buckle, as her shoe slide to the left on the grass. She screamed as she fell, unattractively faceplanting the dirt as she rolled forward.

Applejack immediately stopped upon hearing Apple Bloom's scream. Her friends and family members ran past her, only looking back quizzically wondering why their current leader had stopped. "Dang it Apple Bloom!" They watched as she ran back towards Apple Bloom while they continued to run forward.

Applejack slide to a stop at Apple Bloom's side quickly scooping her up unceremoniously onto her shoulder, all the while all the cries of: "Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun," continued to ring out behind her. She sprinted as fast as she could back towards the others, as least as much as the extra unbalanced weight she was carrying would allow her.

Big Macintosh was the first to reach the barn with the others trailing only a short distance behind him. He grasped the handles to the large barn doors, and opened them relatively easily, almost as if he was pulling open a pair of cabinet doors in the kitchen. The others ran past him and under his arms as he opened the doors, Applejack being the last and actually sliding to get inside like a runner trying to steal home plate. Big Mac followed them inside and quickly closed the doors behind him. He held the inside handles to the barn doors closely to his chest as to make sure the Pinkies didn't get inside before they were situated.

Applejack placed Apple Bloom on the ground and turned towards the others. "Everybody get in. Ah'm driving!" The others didn't hesitate and they all scrambled inside Granny Smith's old beat up pickup truck. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom jumped into the passenger seat and Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn started to fill the hatch in the back. Sunset and Starlight stood with their guns at the ready while Braeburn braced them up against the back driver's window for when they actually started moving.

Applejack took out the keys from the glove compartment and quickly started up on the truck. With a roar of the engine, Applejack shifted the stick shift into drive and rolled down the window. Pinkies were beginning to pound and pull on the door, and Big Mac was already beginning to lose his grip.

"We can't go this way!" Sunset shouted. "There are way to many Pinkies out there. We could end up running somebody over!"

Applejack growled in annoyance and beat her fist against the steering wheel. She looked behind her and took note of the rotting back wall of the barn. "Then we'll go out the back way!" She shifted the gear shift into reverse.

"This barn only has one door!" Granny Smith exclaimed.

"Not anymore!" Applejack punched the gas, sending the truck, as well as it's screaming occupants, backwards through the barn's back wooden wall. The barn shook a little from the impact, but somehow was able to remain standing.

Now back outside in the free air, Applejack yanked right on the stirring wheel, performing a impressive maneuver that sent the truck swerving in a perfect circle until the back hatch was pointed perfectly at the opening she had just created. Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn nearly felt themselves get thrown from the truck during the spin, but thankfully were able to grip the sides of the back before flying off. They were all dazed and slightly nauseous after going through the experience.

Applejack shifted back to drive and honked the horn of the truck to get Big Macintosh's attention. "Come on Mac! Let's get out of here!"

Big Mac briefly turned his attention away from the barn doors to see the pick-up waiting for him. The pounding and pulling on the front of the barn he felt early was beginning to lessen, and the Pinkies' cries he was hearing were softening and moving away towards the sides of the barn. His eyes widened in horror, the Pinkies were going after the others.

With a quick burst of rage, Big Mac lifted his leg and kicked the barn doors forward, knocking the few Pinkies still pulling on the doors backwards and onto their bums. He then turned and quickly sprinted towards the truck waiting behind him. Within seconds, the doors flew open and the Pinkies that had been pulling and pounding rushed inside. Big Mac ran through opening in the back of the barn and took a running leap onto the hatchback of the truck, his hands catching on the rim while his feet caught the bumper.

Big Macintosh hoisted himself up and over the rim just enough so his chest could rest upon it. He shouted, "DRIVE!"

Applejack slammed the gas pedal, the truck wheels sputtering in the grass before launching the vehicle forward into the orchards. She yanked on the wheel again, swerving around a bend of trees into a open field where the Sweet Apple Acres boarder fence was in view.

Applejack clenched her fists around the steering wheel, while the others grabbed onto whatever they could hold on to in order to keep from falling off the truck. The truck shot forward heading for the fence... only to immediately stop were it stood only a few feet away.

Apple Bloom's, Applejack's, and Granny Smith's eyes widened in surprise. They could still hear the wheels spinning, and a quick look outside told her the truck' back tires were still kicking up dirt, but they still weren't moving an inch. Applejack chanced a glance at the rear view mirror and gasped in terror.

Somehow, a human chain of Pinkie Pies had tethered themselves to a distant apple tree and had wrapped themselves around Big Macintosh's waist. Braeburn was stretched over the back end of the truck trying desperately to pry the lead Pinkie in the chain off while Starlight and Sunset took aim with their squirt guns to try and put some of them to sleep.

But then, the truck suddenly began to shake, causing Starlight and Sunset to nearly fall over. The rest of the horde had caught up to them, and were beginning to congregate on both sides of the vehicle. They pushed on both side of the truck, pushing it this way and that. Some even tried to climb on top only to be shot back into the hoard by Starlight and Sunset.

The Pinkies started rushing for the driver's seat. "Lock the doors!" Applejack shouted, as she and Granny Smith both shot for the manual locks. Applejack hit her door with resounding force and slammed her palm against the locking switch right beneath the window, Granny Smith wasn't as quick it however. The door to the passenger's side of the truck was yanked open, and three Pinkie Pies began to crawl inside. They chanted, "Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun," as pulled themselves across the upholstery before grabbing onto the Apple grandmother's arms and waist. The Pinkies still outside the car soon grabbed onto the three other Pinkies' legs and started to pull them all out the door.

"Don't be a pooper!~" One of the Pinkies sang. "Yeah! Come on out and join the party!" Another proclaimed.

"Granny!" Apple Bloom and Applejack shouted as they each shot for her body before she was pulled outside. The two sisters hooked their hands around the top and bottom knots that held the apron she wore onto her back and neck.

Outside, Big Mac watched with nervous breath as he saw his little sisters play a game of tug-of-war with the hoard of Pinkies, the girls surprising the Pies with an impressively fierce fight despite their higher numbers. His breath soon caught in his throat as he watched the apron knots come undone, sending his sisters flying backwards with the apron still in hand and flipping Granny Smith around and into the arms of the Pinkies still trying to pull her out.

Applejack's eyes widened as she shook off her shock and watch as Granny Smith was finally pulled out through the passenger door. She pushed past Apple Bloom, who was still trying to pick herself up, and launched for the door, only have it suddenly get slammed in her face. She shot upwards and looked out the window, and saw Granny Smith riding across the horde like a person surfing the crowd. She shook her head knowingly, telling Applejack to not even think of opening the door again. A random Pinkie suddenly jumped out of the crowd and landed on Granny. She hugged her tightly, with all four extremities, and planted her lips firmly on Granny Smith's. The two began to sink into the crowd, just as Granny Smith's skin started to turn pink and her hair began to frizz out. Applejack almost felt ready to cry.

With Granny's transformation, they were down one Apple; and if they didn't do something soon, the rest would be joining her. Big Mac's brows suddenly furrowed with righteous indignation. He turned towards the Pinkies wrapped around his waist, then to teens fighting and losing in the back of his family's truck. He knew what he had to do.

He shouted at Sunset, Starlight, and Braeburn. "Get down and hold onto somethin'!" The three teens briefly turned their attention towards him.

"What?!" Starlight asked as if he was crazy.

"Just do it!" He shouted again, more forceful this time.

They each glanced towards each other worriedly, before hesitantly doing what he asked. They each sat down and grabbed a hold of a side of the hatchback for security. Applejack looked at the rear view mirror again and noticed her friends had stopped fighting, and instead were now sitting. She had heard Big Mac shouting his demands over the cries of the Pinkies, but was unsure of what he was planning. She caught the determined look in his eye, it confused her.

"Big Mac..?" She mumbled questioningly.

Her big brother let go of the truck and immediately flew backwards like he was tied to the end of a stretched out spring. He collided with the distant apple tree along with the chain of Pinkies.

"NO!" The truck shot forward away from the Pinkies, across the distance of the field and through the fence onto the road. In a quick moment of realization, Applejack yanked on the wheel in order to keep them from crashing on the other side. She immediately hit the brake and stopped the truck. She pulled the handle and kicked open the door, before running out onto the street.

The Pinkies didn't follow them, they were to preoccupied going after Big Macintosh. She fell to her knees and felt some tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Behind her she heard Apple Bloom was also crying, she must have seen what Big Macintosh did too. She had lost him... She had lost Granny... She had lost them both.

Sunset stood up from the floor of the truck, and noticed Applejack crouched down in the street. She, like the others, had seen what Big Macintosh had done for them. But, she could not begin to fathom how Applejack currently was feeling.

"Applejack..?" She called to her. She didn't reply.

Sunset began to search for something better to say, given this moment of grief. Starlight and Braeburn stood up from the back of the truck and noticed Applejack, however they decided to remain silent.

"Applejack..." Sunset restated, having found her words. "...What Big Mac did, was for the good of everybody." She paused letting those words sink in. "...Granny Smith too." She continued. "They protected us. I promise we'll get them back."

Applejack, once again, didn't answer. She simply stood, turned and got back in the driver's seat. Once there she wrapped her arm around the crying Apple Bloom in a comforting motion. Apple Bloom leaned her head on her shoulder.

"You better sit down y'all." She stated somberly. "Its gonna be a long drive before we get ta the Canterlot mall."

The truck began to roll, forcing the people standing in it's hatchback to take a seat or risk falling off. They decided to all keep quite for the time being, until Applejack felt like talking again.