Apple Season! Judas Season!

**Apple Season! Judas Season!** is the sixth episode of the Punch Time Exploders Shorts.

## Plot

Applejack tells her friends the story of how she was given an earful from the infamous Pred Judas and was almost considering giving up the farm life.

## Script

(A couple of days after the events of *Applebuck Season*)

Spike: (He, Twilight Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity are headed down the road to Sweet Apple Acres) It sure was nice of Applejack to invite us over for dinner.

Rarity: Indeed, it is. Granted it's going essentially be an apple marathon, I mean, I know they're the APPLE family, but it makes me feel like they eat, sleep, and defecate apples!

Pinkie: Hence why I hope she doesn't mind if we bring desserts. I made sure to bring some baked goods this time. I mean, I love the Apple Family treats, but even I get pooped out by Marathons.

Rainbow: Of course, we all know who we should really thank.

Twilight: I just needed Applejack to see that she needed help with the apple harvesting. Besides, Applejack deserves a nice break after all of that.

Spike: "And surely nothing would go up and totally ruin this-"

(At Sweet Apple Acres)

Granny Smith: Sorry, girls. Seems the dinner party is cancelled.

Mane 5 and Spike: WHAT?!

Spike: (Facepalms) OH COME ON! REALLY, KARMA SPRITES?!

Rainbow: Why?!

Granny Smith: Applejack's in a bit of a mood right now. Ain't nothin' I can do.

Fluttershy: Maybe we can help her out.

Granny Smith: Well, you're more than welcome to try. She's behind the barn.

(The ponies and Spike find Applejack behind the barn looking glum)

Rarity: Well, I seen Renaissance paintings of sadness more cheerful than this!

Twilight: Applejack, what's wrong?

Applejack:... Ask Pred. Darn Varmint chewed me out. (The Main 5 got confused)

Fluttershy: "Pred?"

Applejack: "He gave me flack about what I ended doing during sleep deprivation."

Fluttershy: That seems unlike him to give ponies trouble. He's usually only a problem to mythics.

Rainbow: You sure it wasn't someone who looked like him?

Applejack: Hey, this time, I had my sleep! I saw as clear as transparent glass!

Twilight: What happened here, Applejack?

Applejack: Well, I was catching a few winks, and started out to do my chores, when I saw Pred standing outside the farm house.

(Flashback)

(Applejack just got up from her nap and left the barn, but just as she opened the door, Pred was there.)

Applejack: Oh... Uh, howdy there, Mr. Pred.

Pred: I heard about your Apple-bucking problems... You little, incompetent, over-rated excuse for an apple farmer!

Applejack: Beg yer pardon?

Pred: "Ya got some nerve to pull all those stunts! Poisoning the town, being a lazy excuse of a Mare, CAUSING A RABBIT STAMPEDE! (Pauses) Admittedly that last thing actually ain't that bad cause it was just rabbits, but STILL! What if it had been them cows again from far earlier before, back when you were COMPETENT?! YOU WERE LUCKY THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS A WIMP PONY FAINTING! THAT LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE GETS PONIES KILLED!"

Applejack: (Shocked) I, I, I'm sorry, Pred, I-

Pred: DON'T BE SORRY, YOU ROTTEN EXCUSE FOR AN APPLE! JUST DON'T DO IT AGAIN!

???: HEY! (Granny Smith, Big MacIntosh and Applebloom walks out)

Granny Smith: Nopony talks to my granddaughter like that!

Pred: Granny Smith, you know how stubborn Applejack can be. We have discussed this for years! Big MacIntosh got hurt, and you could have asked someone else to help you with the apples.

Granny Smith: Hey, this don't concern you none! This is our orchard, and help or no help, we'll do what we want with it!

Pred: Well, all I have to say is, (To Applejack) Young lady, if I had my way, this would be your last night on Sweet Apple Acres!

Granny Smith: Pred!

Big MacIntosh: Sir!

Applejack: What?!

Applebloom: No!

Pred: I mean it! If Applejack is going to tire herself out, she ought to do it on a farm of her own!

Granny Smith: Well, the fact is, it ain't up to you to say whether or not Applejack needs to skedaddle outta here, and thank Celestia you ain't no apple, so it NEVER WILL BE! So I suggest you get before I start using words no good little pony should learn.

Pred: I'm just demanding she be less careless in the future, and that's my final word on the matter. (Leaves, and Applejack hangs her head low and was broken from that)

(Flashback ends)

Fluttershy: Oh, dear... That is REALLY unusual of Pred to act. I mean, he doesn't have the greatest social skills with a lot of other ponies outside of me, I'm aware, but he wasn't even seen at all when the incidents were caused.

Pinkie: Yeah, and he never even had a bad muffin or got in the middle of a bunny run.

Rarity: So Pred had no excuse to be this angry at you. Nor do I believe he really bares a designation of being Ponyville's safety enforcer, so I feel like he's complaining to you just for the sake of complaining!

Twilight: Well, we'll confront him about it later... Right now, Applejack needs us.

Rainbow: Look, Applejack, you can't let what Pred said get you down.

Applejack: I know. It's just... if I had just accepted yer help to begin with, there wouldn't be anything to be sad about right now.

Pinkie: "Aw don't beat yourself up, Applejack. For what it's worth, no one got hurt REALLY REALLY bad, and everypony recovered from the bad muffins."

Rainbow: And besides, you made it through worse than this. Remember a couple years ago when the farm was infested with tree-worms and there weren't enough apples left for cider season?

Rarity: As I recall, when you cleared them out, you still sold all you could with the apples you had.

Twilight: They have a point, so you should keep your spirits up and remember to accept our help the next time.

Applejack: (After a pause, she gets up) You know what? Y'all are right. I ain't gonna let those little setbacks get me down. If I can make it through a Pred scolding, I sure as sugar can make it through anythin'. Thanks for the talk, girls. I'd better help Granny get dinner started. (Walks to the farmhouse)

Rainbow: See? She's a tough girl.

Pinkie: That went quicker than expected.

Rarity: Now, let's see about Pred.

(Outside Pred's house)

Pred: "What are ya talking about?! I didn't bother Applejack with nothing!"

Rainbow Dash: "Oh, so now you're playing DUMB, huh?! You're denying chewing up Applejack for things you didn't get hurt in?!"

Pred: "Because I wasn't there for any of them! I have nothing to gain being up at ponies' grills for things I didn't experience! Also, WHAT WOULD I HAVE TO GAIN FOR SCOLDING HER?! Hypothetically speaking, of course. She ain't related to me, she's not my responsibility!"

Rarity: "But you admit to complaining to the Apples before, yes?"

Pred: "But only for things I ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED! This time, I didn't get tangled up with her latest blunders, so really, I didn't need to file another complaint! Can't complain 'bout something I didn't get directly affected by! Tch, not like talking to Smith isn't like talking to a bloody brick wall anyways. Point is, I honestly was not anywhere near the apple orchid this time around!"

Twilight: "Well regardless if you won't accept responsibility for hurting our friend, all eyes are sternly on you, Pred! You WILL answer to Celestia if you cause woe to my friends for any reason again! (The Main 6 left)"

Pred: (Pauses) The bloody devil was that about? Oh, well, don't matter none. Better get back to preparing for my hunting trip. (Goes back into his house; unknown to them, that another Pred was seen hiding behind the trees)

Pred 2: (Elderly female voice) The disguise spell worked. (The second Pred began transforming, and turned into an emaciated and wrinkled winged lion, or sphynx)

Sphynx: This means I can be able to cause Sparkle and her companions some trouble. I'll get my revenge on you for getting me banished to Tartarus, leaving me to look like a villain that has no part in anything about dealing with Nightmare Moon! You took away my life! Now, I intend to take away YOURS! Plus, extra bonus for the mythic community that I turn Pred into a pariah.... More than normally. (Chuckles wickedly)

The End...?

## Trivia

* The short takes place between the MLP episode *Applebuck Season* and Punch Time Exploders Meet The Lorax.
* There wasn't any sufficient material to make a Chronicle, so this became a Short instead.