As Without, So Within

Chapter 4

Twilight swallowed heavily. "Applejack, what are you doing?"

"Gettin' mah payday," Applejack replied, not moving her revolver barrel from Sunset's temple. "How much is a Princess worth to you folk? Ah'd say a good startin' price would be five thousand dollars. And throw in a new horse and a good bottle of whiskey."

"Seriously, this is about horses and booze?" Sunset groaned and rolled her eyes. "Even under magic she's still a country hick."

"Watch it, missy!" Applejack snapped, pushing her gun against Sunset harder. "Words like that make mah fingers itchy." She turned her eyes and jerked Sunset back, keeping her arms held behind her back.

"Hold it!" Applejack glared at Trixie creeping towards her wand on the floor. "Step back, now." Trixie held up her hands and backed away.

"Applejack," Twilight said evenly, slowly taking a step forward. "You don't want to hurt her."

"You're right, Ah don't." Applejack turned her eyes back to Twilight. "Like Ah said, how much is she worth to you?"

"Um..." Twilight thought. "Well, we don't have horses to give you. Or, whiskey."

Sunset smirked. "Find Sandalwood, he usually brings a flask to these events."

"You're not help - really?"

"Hey, focus!" Applejack snapped. "Ah'm gettin' bored."

Rainbow stepped up beside Twilight and cracked her knuckles. "Shall I dispose of her, O holy one? Even unarmed, I am more than a match for this greedy outlaw."

"No." Twilight shook her head. "She's one of our friends."

"What?" Rainbow scoffed. "I would never call a fiend such as her a comrade!"

"Somehow you saying that doesn't surprise me," Twilight muttered. To Applejack she said "Please, be reasonable. We don't have any money to pay you."

"Ah heard she's a Princess," Applejack replied, jerking her head towards Sunset. "What do you mean to tell me she's got no money?"

"Well, erm... she's..." Twilight gasped and smiled. "She's a Princess-in-exile!"

"A what?" Applejack replied.

"A what?" Sunset hissed, her eyes bulging.

"Yes. She's been cast out of her kingdom, and...can't go home. She was forced to flee with nothing. She has no power or money, she's pretty much in hiding."

Twilight saw Sunset glare fiercely at her and mouth 'I hate you', followed by an obscene adjective.

"Uh-huh." Applejack pursed her lips and glanced away as she thought the idea over.

Twilight gestured to Rainbow Dash. "That's why this knight is with us. She's her bodyguard and the only person she has left."

"What?" Rainbow Dash whispered.

"Just play along," Twilight replied.

"It is amoral for a sworn knight to engage in such falsehood."

"If you weren't wearing armor I'd elbow you in the hip."

"Okay," Applejack said, looking back at them. "Let's say Ah believe you. Gimme a good reason to let her go."

Twilight thought for a moment. "Ah, well, we're here trying to find a magical artifact she could use to take her throne back. If you aid us in finding it, she can return home and claim her rightful crown, and we'd certainly be in your debt."

"Ten thousand dollars!" Sunset called out. "And the best horse our kingdom has ever raised!"

Applejack looked at her. "That don't sound like a bad deal at all... but..." She nodded at Rainbow Dash. "You, knight. Swear on her life this is for real."