The cardboard box dented a bit and shoved back into the pile, but otherwise remained intact.

"GNNNNNNN!" The sound of something alive and in pain emanated from inside the package.

"What'n tha hay?"

Applejack dragged the dented box back over, and out of the mess, before tearing the box open  now that she'd  broken the  tape on it.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:09, Thu 11 June 2015.

The box fell away revealing a green, ragged looking earth-pony hogtied and gagged with a piece of duck tape over his mouth. Copies of Applejack's hooves were imprinted on his flank proof of just how good the farm pony was a bucking.

"Mgmngnm," the green earth-pony moaned through the tape.

Unhitching his apple wagon and shaking himself off and rolling his shoulders.  Yup, he'd be sore tomorrow, really sore.

He had to work out more.

Watching Applejack with Sweetie Belle at his side, he cocked an eyebrow at seeing the package reveal a pony.

His first thought was not "why did this pony mail himself" or "Was this a prank of a friend of Miss Applejack's".

No, Wordsmith's first thought was "Why didn't I think of that?" quickly followed by a hoof rubbing over his pudgy belly and the thought of "probably would have cost more than a proper train ticket."

The farmpony stared a that bundle in the box disbelievingly, then leaned over, tugging him out and pulling the tape off his mouth. "... Ahhh.. Ah'm Applejack, an...  welcome ta' Sweet Apple Acres! But, uhh...  What the hay happened t' you?"

"GYAAA!" Beamer cried out as Applejack ripped the tape from his mouth. The green earth-pony rolled over onto his feet and promptly fell over as it became apparent that the Element of Honesty had not untied him yet.



Beamer sighed and craned his neck up at the apple farmer. "Thanks, I guess. as for what happened to me I think it should be obvious. I'm been bound, gagged, put in a box, dropped, and if that wasn't enough somepony kicked while I was down."

Sweetie had been following along, but stayed a cautious distance away from the mysterious box when it appeared.  Only when it was opened to reveal a pony did she venture closer.

"That's *HORRIBLE*!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as she left her place at Wordsmith's side.  "Who would want to tie you up and send you though the mail?!"

Sweetie began fussing with the knots that held the stallion's hooves together, at first with her hooves.  Then when that proved ineffective, with her teeth.

"At least it wasn't while you were upside down?" Wordsmith asked as he trotted over after Sweetie Belle, chuckling as she worked at the ropes, gnawing at them like an angry beaver.  He looked at the box, blinking, cleaning his glasses and re-reading

"... W-who did you tick off?" he asked, calling Applejack's attention to the big red markings on the box.

With Sweetie Belle taking over the role of freeing him from his bonds, Applejack nodded to Wordsmith, and pointed a hoof back to the abandoned lemonade cart, suggesting he  get it. "Ya'll lookin' mighty thirsty. And hungry. Hay, Word, can 'ya grab'em an apple and a lemonade?"

Applejack stepped in and helped him up to his hooves, letting him lean on her apple-scented, sweat-sheened side, helping him along to a seat away from the fertilizer. "Ya'll let him  catch his breath. He 'kin explain when he's rested up."

Sweetie Belle's efforts were for naught (pun intended), as whoever at hogtied the pony knew what they were doing and the rope failed to loosen even a bit.



Beamer mulled this question over for a few minutes longer than it really should have taken an decent pony, "Well if I had to guess..."

Begin Flashback

Beamer stood in the doorway of a very regal looking estate in Canterlot speaking to a few royal gaurd ponies, "Look I'll get it taken care of. I've finally got it cornered in here. Just keep anypony from entering for a bit and their Graces will never know. Alright?"

The two guards glanced at each other hesitantly before both giving a confirming nod and took up positions on either side of the entrance.

"Great! This shouldn't take long," the green earth pony informed the guards before slamming the door shut and locking it.

There were several seconds of foreboding silence before-

WAM!SMASH!K-TANG! Sounds of violence reverberated through the door.

"Here it comes!" Beamer announced.

BOOM!

"What the..."

CRINKLE!

"Oh, WOW! I that crystal figurine collection sure looked expensive!" high pitched squeaky voice not belonging to Beamer commented.

"What do you mean 'looked'?" Beamer questioned?

"Nevermind. It's over there! SMACK IT!"

KAA-RASH!

K-SSSS. The front door opened up with a hiss releasing a small plume of smoke and a frazzled looking Beamer.

TOSS!

"Well that didn't work," the earth pony commented has he tossed out the mangled remains of a cannon.

"MASTER!" cried the other voice from within.

"Whoops! Gotta go." Beamer waved at the guards as he slipped back inside, the door closing behind him.

CRASSSHH!

"Now see what you did???"

"Sorry!"

WAM!

"Oooh, I hope that wasn't priceless..." the other voice groaned.

"Nah, I think that was something of the guards'," Beamer replied. "Now shh. I- Is that a mana torch??"

"Yeah, it's worth a shot! Take cover master!"

"Huh?"

WUMP!!! The entire estate shook at the sound of the dull explosion.

"YAAAAH!! MY MANE IS ON FIRE!!"

A couple minutes later: Click. Tssss. The front door unlocks and opens once more with a hiss accompanied by a small plum of smoke. A singed mane-on-fire earth pony crawled out and collapsed on the floor.

"We got him!" Beamer announced. "It put up a heck of a fight, but in the end it was no match for us." The green pony wiped a tear from his eye. "I'm actually kinda proud of it. I only wish I could have salvaged its... brain..."

Beamer's voice trailed off as he noticed the death glares he was getting not only from the two, now seething, guards but by a very infuriated noble figure.

"Oh horseshoes."

Flashback End

"Yep," Beamer nodded triumphantly to himself. "I'm pretty sure that's the party in question."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:24, Fri 12 June 2015.

Applejack fixed Beamer with a flat stare. "... Ya' didn't say nothin'..." The farmpony leaned in and used her talents to easily undo the hogtie~ "There 'ya go. Whatever happened, 'yer alright for now. Ah' still got work ta' do. Wordsmith, ya' think you 'kin look after'em?"

Wordsmith was about to go and grab some lemonade and an apple for the poor green pony who got shipped through the Equestrian Post Service when Applejack asked if he could look after him

There were times when Wordsmith felt he couldn't look after himself... and Miss Applejack wanted him to watch over a pony who got himself mailed.

"Sure" Wordsmith smiled best he could... really there was just that once answer.

"...aaaaaaapplejaaAAAAAAAAAAACK!!" came a familiar voice from above. It started out quietly, as if made by the soft breeze or a figment of one's imagination. As it got louder and louder, though, it became clear it was a voice. The farmpony had just enough time to look up before, "Ooof!" Rainbow Dash grunted out as she tackled the mare to the ground.

Rainbow Dash had just gotten back from a stay at the Wonderbolts Main Base, where she had to undertake some training courses. She was still dressed in her dress uniform, complete with cap. "Apples! I missed you so much!" She leaned in to kiss the mare, but paused when she saw the others. "Oh... heh, hey, everypony!"

Sweetie Belle wasn't following along with the new mysterious mail pony, she got distracted as she thought she heard something from above them.

"Huh?"  She looked up and scanned the skies around them, searching for the source of the sound.  "That almost sounded like..."

She caught sight of Rainbow Dash just as she was making her final dive for Applejack.  "*WHOA!*"  She ducked reflexively, even though she knew Dash wouldn't hit anypony she wasn't aiming at.

When she came up from cover, she saw Dash had tackle-hugged Applejack and it was pretty obvious they were just inches away from kissing.

Sweetie giggled behind a hoof to her mouth as Dash paused her display of affection.

"Welcome home, Rainbow Dash!"  She ran up and turned the tackle hug into a tackle group-hug.  "Did you have a good time with your training?"

Sweetie had been audience to most of Scootaloo's frequent and enthusiastic reports on Rainbow Dash's progress, and given how much time Sweetie spent around Scootaloo, and how much time the Crusaders and Rainbow Dash spent around Sweet Apple Acres, she had to admit she had taken a bit of an interest in Dash's progress herself.

Applejack had only enough time to brace herself before Rainbow outpaced her own eager voice, and, like a bolt from the blue, she struck. Applejack tumbled across the farm, back toward the cider barn by nearly five or six meters as the rainbow blur hit her, and tumbled end-over-end with her, until they at last came to a stop amid a cloud of dust.

The apple-scented, sweat-soaked make blushed witha  fresh glow as the dust cleared, and she grinned sheepishly up at Rainbow, before nuzzling into her side, putting Rainbow's head briefly between her own and their audience. She lightly kissed her neck in the process.

"Hehe~ Ah' missed ya', Rainbow. Yer' back early..." She leaned back, her  hat tipping off her head as she rested back on the ground underneath the more sleekly fit pegasus. As easily as she could throw Rainbow, she had no desire whatsoever to do so, despite the eyes on them. She'd gotten a bit more used to Rainbow' spontaneous closeness since it'd all started...

She turned her head slightly, looking aside to Sweetie, Wordsmith, and the odd pony who'd been somehow mailed to Sweet Apple Acres... Then back to Rainbow. She covered her mouth with a hoof, laughing. "Ah guess ah kin' take a break from workin' t'night, but I do gotta at least store the apples in the barn fer' workin' tomorrow."

If Rainbow bothered to investigate, she'd note that the two wagon loads of apples in question were the larger, juicier apples grown specifically for use in making the famous Apple Family Cider...

As the ropes fell away they revealed an anklet around Beamer's back left fetlock.

"What in Tartarus is this?" The formally bound earth-pony inquired out loud examining his leg. He probed the band with his forehoof.

...

ZZZZZZT! "GAH!"

...and promptly ceased his efforts as it sent a surge of electricity through him.

Wordsmith blinked, "I'd say it's... painful." he quirked up an eyebrow, watching the 'box pony' poke at the band around his leg, "Come on... got some lemonade and a couple apples this way" he motioned Beamer to follow him.

"Sure. That sounds good," Beamer wheezed. He stumbled to his feet-

CLUNK! THUD!

...only to be knocked back down as another package fell outta the sky and smacked him in the head.

Wordsmith jumped about three feet to the right as the package screamed down from the sky.  He looked up, unsure if another was to follow...

... then when he figured it was safe... he poked at the package that landed on Beamer, pushing it off of the unfortunate stallion, "... Yikes"

As the low whistle of the second package approaching grew louder, Sweetie’s eyes grew wide, her ears fell flat and she shrunk back to find shelter between Rainbow Dash and Applejack in the aftermath of the group hug.

When the box clunked and thudded against beamer’s head and Wordsmith pushed it off the unfortunate stallion, Sweetie tentatively stepped forward and closer to Beamer.  She got right up close to him and looked down to look him in the eye before asking innocently,

”Did you tick off the mail ponies *too?*”

"Could somepony stop the world please? I'd like to get off," Beamer moaned as a bunch of little Woonas fluttered in circles around his skull.

Too dazed to hear Sweetie Belle's question, after a moment or two the earth-pony shook his head to clear it and once again stumbled to his feet.

"What in Celestia's name hit me?" he wondered aloud looking around. He spotted the box that Wordsmith had pushed off him. "Oh. Never mind then, question answered." Beamer reached over and pulled the package to him. He opened it up and rummaged around in it for a second before pulling out a scroll. He unfurled it and began reading.

"For his crimes as De-Petrifier, disruption of the Equestrian Postal services and suspicion as the perpetrator of the event hereby to be referred to as the "Pudding Incident" Moonbeam "Beamer" Meridian, by decree of the royal offices of Equestria, is hereby..."

Beamer trailed off as he read the last of it in silence. "OH C'MON!"

"Moonbeam Meridian?" Wordsmith blinked, now he knew the pony's name, "So, ah... what's the problem them?" he asked, curious but not wanting to peak.  That'd be rude, "Sounds like you're gonna need that lemonade."

Rainbow Dash squatted down and ruffled up Sweetie Belle's mane with a smirk. Being Rarity's sister, she knew it would bug her. "Yep! Check it!" she shrugged her one shoulder to make a rank pin sparkle in the sun. "I'm now Lieutenant Rainbow Dash!"

On he subject of the carts of apples, Dash hung her bag on a fence post and took off her uniform jacket. "Hey, no sweat. I'll give you a hoof with that!"

Applejack smiled as Sweetie got a little hair-tousle from Rainbow. She picked herself up as Rainbow let her get to her hooves, and dusted herself off, though, she spared a glance over to Beamer and Wordsmith. "Everythin' alright over there. Ya'll come up to the barn fer' an apple 'er two when you're ready."

AJ turned to Rainbow as she started getting prepped, and felt a warmth rise to her cheeks as she watched Rainbow shed that vest and stretch out. She had to admit, Dashie had that mare-in-a-uniform thing going for her now... Trotting after her, Applejack nudged her lightly. "Awright. Ah' still ain't used to you volunteerin'." She teased, and led her back toward  one of the barns on the property - fairly close by. Rainbow would definitely recognize this one - it was where they kept the cider-making process...

"We just gotta' unload these two wagons an' drop the apples off inside for storage 'till tomorrow. We're doin' Cider work tomorrow..." Applejack began, fixing Rainbow with a coy little grin. She stepped up to the back of the first cart. "Why don'cha unload a couple' a those bushels on mah back? You can keep'em balanced, an' ah'll carry the load."

”*HEY*!!!” Sweetie Belle shrieked as Rainbow ruffled her mane, but the smile on her face and the fact that she fought to hide a giggle as she protested might have betrayed the fact that Sweetie was not in fact as “up-tight” as her sister when it came to her mane and her looks.

Besides, she liked the attention, even if she would never admit it out loud.

”Oh, *WOW*!  A Lieutenant?!” Sweetie exclaimed as she saw Dash’s new rank insignia.  ”That means you get to take the lead too now, doesn’t it?!”  She cocked her head sideways; she was trying to remember the rather lengthy explanation that Scootaloo had given her on the subject.

She had tried to pay attention, but truth be told she might have been a little distracted at the time…