>*THWACK*
>The late afternoon sun beats down on the glistening muscles of your back
>*THWACK*
>Sweat, born from a long day of toil, sparkles on your torso and pours from your face
>*THWACK*
>You can feel a stitch coming on in your side, and every muscle in your body burns as only hard work can make them
>*THWACK*
>The rhythmic shudder of the strike shakes you once more, and you pause to take a look at your progress
>You wipe the sweat from your eyes and size up the depth of your cut
>Good, but you still had quite a way to go
>Applewood was tougher than most, and this tree was one of the oldest in the orchard
>Never mind that you had been working on trees like this all day and your axe was probably in dire need of sharpening
>You're lucky the head hasn't come loose yet
>Your gaze returns to the trunk of the tree
>It was about time to start on the back cut, and after that just a little more before you were finished
>You heft the axe, its familiar balance drawing you back in time, through the fog of memories that grew clearer as you thought of everything
>”Anon, just what in tarnation do y'all think you're doing slackin' off? The day ain't done yet!”
>The shout snaps your from your moment of relaxation
>An orange coated mare with a wide cowboy hat storms up to you, her muzzle fixed in a sneer
>”Consarnit, I've put up with enough of your dang restin'. Either keep up or I'm sendin' ya back to Twilight to be 'conditioned' again.”
>You let out a tired huff, but return to felling the tree without any comment
>You knew better at this point
>The mare, Applejack of course, nods firmly and trots off to continue her own work
>You let your anger fuel your swings, working through the ache that you could feel all through your body
>Even after nearly a year of this sort of treatment, it was still galling to you
>You are Anonymous, a slave in all but official paperwork
>Officially, you were an indentured menial servant, working to pay off the reparations Equestria had demanded in return for their gracious cessation of hostilities with Earth
>'Gracious', what a joke
>Half of Central Europe was now a massive demilitarized zone, most of the cities in it turned to dust
>The ruinous tear between worlds had only been responsible for a small bit of that devastation mind you
>The rest had been collaboration between ponies and gryphons and who knows what else
>Of course, on this side of things the portal had just been a mere curiousity that appeared in the Gryphon Lands, doing no damage besides some ecological changes
>But then a group of scientists finally got the clearance to go through the time-space anomaly or 'The Danube Rift' as it had come to be known
>One stumbled back through it a week later, covered in blood and things best left unspoken
>His report was what had finally stirred the governments into action
>And so you were sent through, a full platoon of Pathfinders from a dozen nations, armed to the teeth and ordered into a reconnaissance in force
>In other words, establish a bridgehead, pick a fight
>A long groan from the wood of the tree pulls you from the reverie you found yourself in
>The old apple tree had started to lean a fair bit, but needed just a bit more encouragement
>You heft the axe and turn it about
>Then, with a final mighty heave, you smash the blunt side of the head into the boughs of the once mighty tree
>It makes a colossal noise as it falls to the ground, shaking the earth as it lands
>You stand still for a moment, just breathing deeply and staring at the fallen giant before you
>There's still work to do, cutting the limbs, debarking, maybe even cutting it into more manageable sizes to move
>But for now you take a seat, simply basking in the last rays of the sun, now setting on the horizon
>Even though there was still some work to be done with the tree, you decide you need the rest more than those tasks needed to be finished
>Besides, there was still house chores to be completed before you could even turn in for the night
>”Anon! Get yer butt inside before I give yer dinner to Winona!”
>The holler makes you come alert once again and you begin walking back to the farmhouse as ordered
>After all, Applejack was the element of Honesty, she meant what she said
>And you couldn't afford to go without food with all the work to be done
>Because if you couldn't do your work...
>You shake your head, pausing in the door frame and drawing a deep breath
>Shouldn't think about it, you may lose your appetite, which means no energy for the morning, which means...
>You give yourself a more violent shake, pushing away those thoughts and joining the rest of the Apple family at the dinner table
>With the four of you seated, you begin eating without saying a word
>Light conversation carries on between the three Apples, but they ignore you just as you do to them
>It may have seemed impolite, but it was the simplest way for them to get around the human sitting at their table, and for you to keep your mouth shut
>But even then, it's only Applejack and her little sister talking
>Their grandmother, grandmare, just stares at you
>Just like every night
>She eats a little then spends every dinner time, or any other meal really, staring at you silently
>Of course, you simply ignored it and kept eating, but it had begun to wear on you
>Still, you hold your tongue and carry on as you have
>Manual labour was a fine outlet for any aggression or ill will you held towards the ponies at least
>Besides, you didn't really want to hurt them, they had their orders just like you did
>It doesn't take long for you to finish, and after you do you sit silently with your head down, waiting for the Apples to finish as well
>When they do, you waste no time clearing their dishes and bringing them into the kitchen and plopping them in the sink
>You wash and dry the dishes as Applebloom comes over to stand beside you
>>”Ya know y'all can talk to us, right Anon? We know ya ain't a mute, so why don't ya just talk already?”
>Just like every night
>And just as you had before, you remain silent and continue washing up
>Applebloom smacks her hooves on the hardwood table and her brow knits with frustration
>”Consarnit, everythin' would just be easy if you'd just talk to us! We're supposed to have ya over to make ya understand ponies but y'all spend everyday workin' without sayin' a word in passin'!”
>”Applebloom!”
>Applejack's shout cows her sister and she comes over to pull the filly away
>After sending Applebloom up to her room, Applejack comes back and starts putting the dishes away in the cupboards
>You remain placid the entire time, intent on keeping your mouth shut
>Applejack heaves a loud sigh beside you
>”I'm real sorry about little 'Bloom, she just don't get it. An' I know y'all don't like it here an' frankly I don't want ya here any longer than I have to, but...Heck, I'm probably bein' a softie but the Solstice is in a couple days. I know it's a big time for ya human folk, so I'll give ya the day to do whatever. Gather with your kind an' whatnot.”
>You blink and your eyes widen in surprise, despite your desire to keep a totally neutral expression
>She finishes putting away the dishes and points you towards a broom and dustpan in the corner
>”Once your done, ya can sleep on the couch. It's supposed to be unseasonably cold and the barn would be awful chilly.”
>Without another word, she walks away and you hear her trotting up the steps
>You're left alone in the darkened house, finding yourself completely stunned
>Not to mention suspicious
>Applejack, though not a violent slave master, had a habit of working you to the bone and expecting your perfect compliance
>She'd had no qualms of sending you off to Twilight when you'd acted out, for 'reconditioning'
>The calender on the wall catches your eye, and you connect the dots pretty easily from there
>You continue to think as you sweep the corners of the house, quiet as you can
>Just what would you do with your first taste of real freedom in over a year?
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