Chapter 8: Stampede With A Side Of Baked Bads

"Well this is just great! Now what am I supposed to do?!"

I'm laying on a bench. Contemplating my life. Just now, I received a reward. But it was not a roof for my home. "What am I supposed to do with these goggles?!"

I have a pair of orange goggles, I haven't put them on yet. "I just want a roof for my home. Is it that much to ask for?"

"Whatcha doing?"

"Ahhh!" I fall off my cloud. I look up to see who it is. It's RainbowDash.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scary ya. Why do you look so grumpy?"

I tuck away my googles into my T bag and sigh. "It's nothing. So what ya doing?"

"I was just flying by and I just happened to notice you slouching here."

Before I could talk, the ground begins to shake. RainbowDash and I fly off to check what it is. She shouts.

"Stampeded!!!" So it's already the 4th episode.

Everypony in Ponyville begins to panic. I notice Pinkie having fun though. The mayor tries to calm everypony. No one is listening. Rainbow shouts.

"Look there!"

AppleJack and her dog, Winona, are trying to stop the stampede. Everypony cheers. We watch as she diverts the stampede away from Ponyville. Stopping it altogether.

AppleJack and Winona return to Ponyville, receiving cheers of glee. The mayor talks.

"AppleJack was just, just!"

"Appletastic!" Pinkiepie finishes.

"Exactly! We must do something to thank AppleJack for single hoofingly saving the town."

"I know!" Pinkiepie suggests an idea. The scenery changes. TV logic… "A party!"

Rarity puts the banner onto Town hall. Twilight speaks.

"Is AppleJack all set?"

RainbowDash answers. "Actually, I haven't seen her all week."

Wait, a week passed?! What the hey was I even doing?! I can't remember!!!

"I'll go find her real quick. See y'all soon." I dash off as the ponies say ok.

_

Arriving at the barn, I spot AppleJack bucking apples. She looks awfully exhausted. I walk up to her, tapping her back. She immediately awakens, disoriented. I know the feeling.

"Hey AppleJack."

"Uh? Oh, it's you TipStir. What's wrong? What you doing here?"

"I just came by to inform you that Ponyville is waiting for you to come and receive an award."

"What award? Wait. You mean that was today?"

"Yeap."

I see AppleJack about to fall asleep. So I slap her with my wing.

"What in tarnation?! The hey you do that for sugar cube?!"

I make a click sound using my wings. Sorta like snapping my fingers if I hand some.

"Town hall. Reward. Late. Get going now."

"Alright alright. I'ma coming…"

Every time AppleJack falls asleep, I push her forward before she wakes up again. I did this all the way until we arrive at Ponyville.

_

"I'm exhausted." All the way to Ponyville. All. The way. To Ponyville. I pushed her. It's a lot more harder with those apples she's carrying. At least some of them fall out. As we approach Ponyville, I see Town Hall. I slap AppleJack again.

"Huh? What?"

"We're here."

"Oh." AppleJack walks up. "I'm here! I'm here. Sorry I'm late. I was just- uh- did I hit your tail?"

I facehoof myself. AppleJack walks up stage.

"Miss Mayor, thank you kindly for this here – uh- award thingy." AppleJack yawns as she examines the Trophy. "It's so bright and shiny and- he, hu hu- I sure do look funny."

She tilts her head back and forth, Pinkie also appears next to her and does the same. This is so ridiculous seeing it in person. I thought it was funny on the show. Now this? This is just embarrassing… Twilight speaks.

"Okay… Well thank you AppleJack for saving us from that scary stampede. And always being there for everypony."

AppleJack yawns again. "Yeah, I like helping the pony folks and, and stuff…" She falls asleep.

I appear next to AppleJack and slap her before flying away. She walks up to take the award.

"Uh? Oh. Yeah. Thanks." AppleJack drags the award away with her.

I turn to look at Twilight. "I'ma just follow her. I don't think she can make it home without falling asleep again."

Twilight nods. I fly off to follow AppleJack.

_

So yeah… This was not how I thought I'd spend my afternoon… While AppleJack is harvesting apples at one place, I take charge and harvest apples in another where she won't see me. I've been at it for a day now…

"I'm bored…"

I look around, making sure no pony is watching. I take out my goggles I received as a gift and put them on myself. "Time to test what it does."

I fly up, looking around with my googles. When all of a sudden, I see strange lines pointing me somewhere. I fly off, following the trail. What does this mean?

The trail ends on Twilight's porch. I tilt my head in confusion. Wait, perhaps…

"TipStir? What are you doing here? And what's with your goggles?"

I turn around and see Twilight holding a book in hoof. Yes, this is starting to make sense.

"I was just flying about. Although, give me a second." I fly up into the sky and pull down a cloud. I place it on Twilight's porch. "This is necessary."

After puffing the cloud, I sit next to it and push up my goggles. Twilight looks at me in confusion before just reading her book. RainbowDash crashes exactly where I placed my cloud. I chuckle.

"Drop in for a visit?"

"Oh haha…" Rainbow mocks.

"You alright?" Twilight asks.

"…I think somepony else needs your help…"

"AppleJack?" Twilight and I say in union.

"Yeap."

I put on my googles again, showing me where to go next. "See y'all later. Gonna wait in line for free samples."

I fly off to Sugar Cube Corner. Many ponies are also waiting. I wait in line, wondering if I should stop everypony from eating it or join in the pain. I mean, my stomach is quite strong. You try eating what the kids make you. Half of the stuff they make doesn't even deserve to be called food.

Pinkiepie walks out with Muffins in hoof. She places them on the counter and shouts.

"Free muffin samples spectacular!"

"Yeah. Muffins spectacle!" AppleJack shouts. I'm not sure she even knows what she said… "Get them while they're hot!"

I grab a muffin. Hesitant to take a bite. Summoning up all my courage, I chomp down. You can just taste the earthy texture. I can feel the mushy worms. Wow… It's not so bad… I turn to everypony else. Their faces are becoming green. Sorta like me.

Ponies tumble one after another. Medical teams swoop in and pick up everypony sick. I assist. They seem to be short on staff. I fly off, setting up tents everywhere. The main hospital is packed. So they're doing healing outside.

I hand a bucket to PinkiePie. She looks so sick. "Hope you'll feel better soon…"

Pinkie covers her mouth, preventing her from throwing up. She nods. "Me too…"

"We came as soon as we heard." Twilight and Spike enter the tent.

The medical pony says thanks. She'll need all the help she can get.

"Oh no. What happened?!"

I answer Twilight's question. "A bad muffin."

Pinkiepie agrees. "They were baked bads… "