Chapter 4

Applejack winced as Vinyl tugged on the needle and pulled the open skin back together. Vinyl was laughing and Applejack looked ready to kill her. "It ain't funny!"

"Hell yeah it is! You got your ass kicked by all five of your Submissives."

"Ah wasn't expectin' it!" Vinyl snickered then smoothed a thick line of gauze over the wound and began to wrap it in place.

"Damn they did a number on you." Applejack humphed then rested her head down and closed her eyes. She was about to fall asleep when the front door burst open downstairs and a frantic voice cried out, "Applejack?!" Applejack flinched then tried to move out of the bed at Fluttershy's voice.

"Quick! Hide me!" Vinyl cackled then moved to the door and yelled, "Sorry Fluttershy! She's still getting patched up!" Their was a flurry of activity from downstairs and Applejack whimpered and covered her face.

"A-Applejack?" She moved one hoof and found a teary-eyed Fluttershy. "I-I'm so sorry!" Applejack held in a pain filled yelp as Fluttershy nudged her injured side.

"I-It's okay Fluttershy." Applejack slowly moved to her hooves and nuzzled Fluttershy's neck softly. She moved away then winced as Vinyl tightened the bandages and moved back.

"Perfect." Applejack snorted then looked at Fluttershy. She held her head down sniffling and whispered, "I-I'm so sorry. I-I was so angry and...and..." Applejack nuzzled her again and said, "Shhhh, its okay hon. Where are the others?" Fluttershy flinched and looked away. Applejack frowned and said gently, "Hon...where are the others?"

"Rainbow said she was going to Spitfire, Twilight and Rarity said they were going to Shield Maiden and Pinkie said she hated you." Cringing slightly, Applejack growled in anger. Though Spitfire and her could work together, Spitfire had told her she was going to take Rainbow Dash the first opportunity she got.

"Ohhhhhhh shit!" Applejack tossed her head then looked down before deflating. Maybe it was for the best...

Applejack opened her eyes the next day and yawned loudly. Her head hurt, so did her side and leg. She slowly got up and remembered the day previous. She was still slightly amazed that she had lost all of her Submissives to her friends. Shield Maiden had told her she would watch over them until they realized their mistake and Spitfire just smirked at her. Applejack had managed to convince Vinyl to take Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie as her other Submissive so they would be protected. Tossing her head, she limped out of her room and to the kitchen. She let her head hit the table with a soft thump and sighed softly. "How are you feeling?" She looked to the side to see Spitfire standing in the doorway smirking.

"Come to gloat?"

"Yes and no."

"Just get it over with." Spitfire cocked her head then rolled her eyes before sitting at the table. Applejack sighed again and grumbled, "Ma, you said they'd come back to me. Where are they..." Closing her eyes, she drifted into a short snooze before snorting awake as Shield slammed her hoof onto the table.

"Nice to see you're up." Applejack gave her a dirty glare before looking at her.

"Why'd you wake me?"

"We're leaving before the dawn. I want to get a move on."

"Well where are we headin'?"

"Trottingham seems like a good place to start." Applejack nodded then stuffed an apple into her mouth before heading back to her room to gather her stuff. She packed everything away and tossed her stetson hat onto her head before trotting downstairs. Braeburn stood by the door already ready while Vinyl, Shield, and Spitfire stood in the kitchen talking to their new and old Submissives. Applejack snorted bitterly and looked out a window. "You okay Applejack?"

"Ah'm fine." Braeburn gave her a worried look then looked to the kitchen with a grimace. "Let's go outside." Applejack nodded and they trotted outside and down the path to the mailbox. Applejack sat down and glared at the ground kicking at a rock. "Are you s-."

"Ah'm not fine. Ah'll never be fine but it doesn't matter." Braeburn gave her a sympathetic look and turned. He grimaced and mumbled, "Don't hurt her." She looked at him confused then turned to see Spitfire kiss Rainbow. Resisting the urge to buck-kick her in the face, she kicked the mailbox into the sky. Bucking Spitfire. She snorted then glared at the ground.

"Now, now Applejack. Did you really have to do that?" Growling, she looked to a smug Spitfire and snapped, "Why don't you just shut yer trap?" Shield walked over and moved between them.

"Spitfire, stop being a bitch."

"What about-?"

"Applejack has every reason to be pissed at you." Spitfire rolled her eyes then smirked.

"Well Rainbow chose me so that's all that matters." Applejack snarled then buck-kicked her in the mouth. Crying out in pain, she collapsed and Applejack stepped on her head, bringing her mouth down to her ear, "After all of this is done, after I've built my house, after I'm settled for the rest of my life, I will find you and kick your ass and take her back. I will kick your ass so hard you will become my Submissive." Her voice was deadly and spoken without a trace of her accent. She moved off her head then looked to Shield, who looked nervous.

"Ah'll work out a deal with you." Shield nodded and Applejack trotted over to the fallen mailbox, picked it up and set it right before walking back. "Let's get this done."

They were trotting on the trail two hours later, Spitfire trotting ahead, Trixie and Braeburn behind her, Shield and Vinyl behind them and Applejack brought up the rear. She was glaring at the ground and grumbling. "Ma...were you wrong?"

"Like Ah said baby. Give it time." Stopping, she looked around and a ghostly chuckle caressed her ear. "Ah'm with ya in yer spirit and mind. Don't worry bout them they'll come for you. Ah know it." Applejack nodded and trotted quickly to catch up. Vinyl looked back and frowned slightly.

"You okay Applejack?"

"Yeah..." Applejack gave her a tight grin before looking away then down. The ground was glowing a dusty grey and flickered. Frowning, she looked up and said, "Shield?"

"Yes?"

"The ground looks funny." Shield glanced a look down and gasped. "This...can't be..." She stood and everyone looked at her.

"What's goin' on?"

"The path...the protection...it's going out." They pulled out their weapons and looked around.

Curse of the four legs will break when the final adviser has been killed. The world will freeze as they revert back to the forms that they were in before the grand curse. Discord, Chaos, Eris, and Loki will return to the realm of the living. Two willing to deflect to the side of harmony, two want a world of fire. Destruction, turmoil and disharmony abound. Either the Alphas win and the world will return to normal or they will fail and the four of Disharmony will rule.

"Who goes their!?" The wind whipped around them and a voice whispered to them softly, "Sleep my little ponies. Sleep and embrace the next time you wake, for you will be free from a curse and my mistake." As the whisper died down the path's glow shut off and they collapsed.