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// Travail// Story: Left With A Kiss// by Comet Burst//------------------------------//

Travail: a difficult experience or situation



	I sat and stared at myself in the mirror, my mind blank. I barely recognized the reflection I stared at, one of a disheveled bat pony mare who had dried puke running down her face and had one eye glued shut by a substance I valued. The drunk idiot I had managed to get back with had somehow remembered I could get pregnant if he kept on going, so he surprised me and puked shortly after. I could hear him snoring in the next room and I repressed an urge to go over there and beat him senseless. My night was in complete shambles, starting with Plush's actions and ending here.

	I turned on the faucet and splashed some of the cold water onto my face, gagging as I felt the drying puke become slippery again. The towel I had went instantly against my face, but I could still smell it. Liquor was the primary smell, but plenty of bile and decomposing food wafted to me. Unable to stand the smell, I leaned over the toilet and braced myself as I felt my own stomach clench. A warm, burning sensation rose in my throat and I knew it was inevitable. The burning sensation rose into my mouth and I squeezed my eyes shut as I let it out. Wave after wave of stomach bile and acid washed over my tongue and I felt my stomach clench more.

	After about three rounds, my stomach clenched, but nothing else came out. I shivered as I felt tears start to burn my cheeks and started letting out small, chocked sobs. Turning my gaze to the mirror on the wall, I stared at it for a quick second before slamming my hoof into it. The mirror began to shatter and I fell back onto my aching rump and planted my forehooves to my face, feeling more tears come out. I no longer tried to hold back my sobs, instead opting to wail in sadness. My wings instinctively wrapped around me, but they felt cold and clammy. The tile in the room was hard and cold, sending chills into my bones. I kept sobbing, unable to stop and soon found it hard to breathe through my nose.

	I hated myself.

	The decision to come here was just another to add to the list of poor choices in my life. I had stupidly agreed to take the 'health examination' back when I had just achieved marehood, I had attacked and run away from the only two ponies who cared about me and then came here to spend seven fruitless years sleeping with any stallion I could. I had let Plush kiss me and then came here to get puked on. I felt a cruel sense of justification fall on me as I began to cry harder. I had earned this with every single action I had done.

	It felt weird, yet satisfying, as I mentally beat myself up. It felt like a long dormant part of my mind screamed at me from the shadows, telling me this was karma's way of repaying me. I had no family, only one pony I considered a friend, no home and an infertile womb. That was when I started to wonder why I wanted to be a mother. I couldn't raise a foal, not like this. I was a whore, a pony who willingly slept with anypony who wanted it. I had been for seven years and I still couldn't have a child, even though hundreds of potential sires had tried to give me one.

	I kept on crying, unable to hear the stallion wake. It was only when he was shouting at me from the doorway did I realize he was there. I was drowning in a sea of self-loathing when I heard him shout at me to shut up and to get out if I couldn't. I cried even harder at that and bolted past him, my vision blurry and I slammed his door shut. I bolted into the empty cobblestone streets of the city, unable to see anything. Spreading my wings, I took off and flew to nowhere. I landed on top of a random building and cried. I hated myself and what I had become, an infertile piece of filth.

	I was no better than those stupid mares back at my colony, screwing their mates in hopeless attempts to breed. They knew it would never happen, but they had to do it lest their mate would lose interest in them. Those who accepted defeat, like my adoptive mother, had to accept foals from another mare, begrudgingly raising illegitimate foals from their unfaithful husbands, hoping to keep the illusion of a family alive. It felt like needles in my mind as I thought about that and what I was doing, seeing parallels between them.

	I must have sobbed for a long time, because I eventually heard another pony shout at me.

	"Who in the pits of Tartarus is up here?!" came a shout.

	My head snapped up and I looked behind me, scared out of my mind. I hadn't thought about it when I landed, but I was probably in somepony's home. My eyes locked onto a unicorn stallion who had a florescent red glow coming from his horn. I saw his angry expression and recoiled. I spread my wings quickly and stood up, ready to bolt off when he shouted to me again.

	"Wait!" he called as I jumped, "Are you a bat pony?!"

	I flapped my wings and tried to fly off, but I felt a sudden stop to my momentum. A red aura surrounded me and I began to panic. I was in a weak state of mind and, thinking of the worst case scenario, imagined he was going to kill me. I screamed as I was pulled back slowly, thrashing around in the red aura, desperate for escape.

	"Glimmer!" I screamed to the black sky, "Help me! Somepony help!"

	"Easy there!" the stallion shouted from below me, "I won't--"

	"Somepony!" I screamed desperately, tears flowing down my cheeks again, "Mommy! Daddy! Princess Luna! HELP ME!"

	I must have had some effect, because lights began to come on in the surrounding buildings. I knew it wouldn't matter, though. I was going to die anyway. All the unicorn had to do was compress his aura and squish me like a bug, release it and let me fall to the street below or think and have it snap my neck in two. He could just use a spell to fill my lungs with water so I would drown, or to teleport small sharp rocks into my heart and have it tear itself apart. He could make me freeze to death or boil alive in seconds, choke me with his aura by siphoning the air from it or any number of things.

	"Will you be quiet?" he hissed to me as I landed on the rooftop.

	I hit the roof and curled up, squeezing my eyes shut and still sobbing and screaming when I could. I wished he would just do it, to kill me. I had nothing to live for, no family or purpose. In such a low state of mind, I ached for him to do it.

	"Shhh," the pony cooed at me, his red aura disappearing, "Shh. What's the shouting for?"

	I wailed again and tried to move, but felt a hoof press against my side, It was firm and solid, but it was also gentle. I shivered as I imagined him pulling it back and slamming it onto my ribcage, shattering my bones and stomping on my lungs. I cried and cried as he gently rubbed my side, expecting him to hurt me.

	"There, there," he spoke gently, "I'm sorry for startling you. I'm not going to hurt you. Nopony is."

	"J-Just do it!" I wailed, feeling myself starting to get angry at him delaying.

	"Do what?" he asked gently, "What happened to you?"

	I kept on crying and shaking, even as he pulled his hoof back. I was so miserable then, unable to stop myself from shedding tears. It took a while, but I felt the aura surround me again and I was lifted into the air. I screamed again, my eyes still squeezed shut, as I braced myself for him to do something.

	"Shhh, it's okay," he cooed in a gentle voice, "It's okay. I put up a sound barrier, so you can scream as loud as you want."

	I did as he suggested. I screamed and screamed, feeling my throat grow raw. I screamed until I couldn't anymore and, when I was gasping for air, he spoke again.

	"You poor pony, what happened to you?"

	I felt myself get set down on a carpet and I shivered, unable to make any more noise. I sniffled and hung my head, waiting for anything to happen when a warm blanket draped over me. I shivered, but there were no needles or claws in the thread like I was expecting. Instead, the blanket was warm and fuzzy, like it had been sitting near a fire. I kept on shivering as I sat there, utterly humiliated and upset.

	"Oh, just look at you," came the stallion's voice, "What is that? Throw up?"

	I felt his hoof touch my cheek and I flinched, expecting him to hit me. The hoof recoiled just as fast, as if he was afraid of me.

	"Who did this to you?" he asked in a tone that sounded genuine.

	I shook my head erratically, unable to answer him.

	"Shhh, I'm here to help you, okay? Can you understand me? Please nod your head if you do."

	It took me a bit, but I nodded my head. I was afraid of what was going to happen when I felt a warm, wet cloth start to rub against my cheek. I yelped and fell over, but the cloth followed me and gently wiped the dried puke from my face. I sniffled and shook as it worked, hoping nothing bad would happen.

	"Oh dear, you poor thing," he spoke in an almost hurt tone, "Just stay still. I won't hurt you, I promise."

	I stayed in my spot, my eyes still shut as the cloth kept on wiping my cheek. It was warm and left a nice feeling on my coat when it passed over it. I felt it leave and heard the sound of water splashing around over my silent sobs. When the splashing stopped, I felt the cloth return to my cheek and wipe away more of the puke. When it moved up to the side of my head, I felt it start to move towards my eye.

	"What's that there?" he asked gently.

	I felt the cloth wipe my eye gently, the one that got covered by the drunk stallion. I whimpered more and tried to bury my head into my hooves, but the cloth didn't stop.

	"Oh my Celestia," he murmured, "Were you, uh, r-raped?"

	His tone was one of utter shock and some terror. I began to cry again as I was reminded of what had happened earlier that night and I felt a hoof gently touch my back, rubbing slightly along my spine.

	"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," he spoke gently, "Are... are you hurt?"

	I shook my head in response, still refusing to open my eyes even as the cloth left.

	"Oh, thank Celestia," he said in a relieved tone, "At least you got away before he did anything to you."

	I whimpered something, trying to speak, but all that came out were some odd gurgling noises and a couple squeaks. In response, I felt the stallion gently wrap his hoof around me and pulled me close to him, hugging me. He was a big stallion with a large chest.

	"You're safe now," he spoke soothingly, "Please, don't cry. You're away from whoever did this and safe. He can't find you here."

	I don't know why, but I trusted him. He had the whole story wrong, but I actually did feel a little bit safer with him. Without warning, I buried my face into his chest and kept on crying there, staining his coat with my tears and snot. In response, he hugged me closer and rocked back and forth slowly, whispering soft words to me.

	"It's okay, let it all out," he murmured, "I will keep whoever it is away. He can't find you here."

	It took me a bit, but eventually I looked up at the stallion. He looked back at me with his big platinum eyes and soft smile. He had a messy silver mane that contrasted with his burgundy coat. I looked back down and huddled against him more, causing him to squeeze me closer to him. To his left was a roaring fire inside of a beautifully carved fireplace decorated with vines and blossoms. On the mantle rested a clock that read a quarter past two in the morning.

	"Hey," came his comfortingly soft voice, "Can you tell me your name?"

	I looked up at him, a grimace on my face. I wasn't sure what to do, but his gentle smile and the look of interest in his eyes forced me to say something.

 	"Erm Vre-o-a," I spoke in a hoarse tone.

	"I'm sorry?" he responded, a quizzical look on his face.

	"Er m Vre-o-a," I repeated a little louder, sounding even worse than before.

	The stallion looked at me funny before his horn lit up. I flinched, but his hoof touched mine.

	"Easy there, I'm just checking something," he spoke to me.

	I was still tense, but I looked up at his horn for a brief few seconds before he spoke.

	"Oh dear, your vocal chords are all swollen and raw," he mumbled, "Can you write?"

	I nodded to him and he smiled. A quill, some ink and a piece of parchment floated over, surrounded by a red aura, and sat down in front of me. I looked up at him and he smiled again.

	"Can you please tell me your name?" he asked gently.

	I looked down and thought for a moment. I was willing to try and say it, but he couldn't understand me. Now he wanted me to write it down, but that sounded even worse in my head for some reason.

	"Do you know what I'm saying?" he asked me as I stared at the quill.

	I shot a look to him before reaching over and lifting the quill. It scratched across the parchment for a few seconds before I was done writing.

	Yes.

	He leaned over to see what I had written and looked me in my eyes as he leaned back.

	"Can you please tell me your name?"

	I scribbled for a second.

	Why?

	He leaned over again to read what I had written.

	"So I can call you by your name," he responded simply, "I don't know who you are."

	He made a very compelling argument.

	Why does it matter to you?

	"Because you showed up on my balcony, crying. I know I scared you and I'm terribly sorry for that, but I would like to know your name."

	No you don't.

	"If you don't want to tell me it, I will have to call you Ms."

	That will work fine.

	He sighed and looked away for a second. I could tell he was frustrated, but he smiled at me a second later.

	"So, are you from here?"

	Yes.

	"Do you have a home?"

	I tapped at my previous answer.

	"Okay, is it far?"

	I don't know.

	The stallion scratched his chin for a second before looking back at me.

	"I have a spare bed here. You can stay the night if you like."

	No.

	"Actually, I insist," he spoke in a confident tone, "You need a bath and a safe place to stay. I have both."

	I tapped at my last answer again and stood up.

	"Hey, wait!" he shouted, standing up as well, "I don't know where you came from, but I'm not letting you go out there alone!"

	I narrowed my eyes to him and spread my wings, ready to fly. He stared back and his horn began to glow.

	"I'm serious," he spoke, "I don't want you to get hurt again."

	Growling, I grabbed the quill and scribbled again before lifting the parchment to him.

	Why do you care?

	"Because it's my job to help ponies when they've been hurt," he stated with a bit of pride.

	I rolled my eyes and wrote again.

	So? I'm not hurt, as you can see. Just let me go and we can forget we ever met.

	"I can't let you go until I know what happened," he deadpanned to me.

	I had a rough night, alright?

	"I could easily tell that. Were you assaulted?"

	I tapped at my No. and a look of utter relief crossed his face.

	"Thank Celestia," he murmured, "How did all that stuff end up on you then?"

	I tapped at my rough night line.

	"Was it on purpose or by accident?"

	I tapped at Why do you care?

	"Because it's not every night I have a bat pony sobbing on my balcony. Were you raped?"

	I pointed to my No. with a bit of force.

	"Oh," he spoke, staring at me with interest, "Oh hey, I got a weird question for you."

	What? I scribbled.

	"Are you, by any chance... infertile?"

	I dropped the quill at that and stared at him, dumbfounded. Did he just ask me what I thought he did? The stallion dropped his gaze and blushed a bit before talking again.

	"I'm sorry," he stated quickly, "I didn't mean to, well, uh... I mean, um..."

	He took a deep breath and looked up at me.

	"I just... kinda heard a rumor that, uh, um, there were, er i-infertile bat pony mares and you, well... are a bat p-pony and an, uh, mare..."

	I grabbed the quill again and wrote quickly.

	Where did you hear that?

	I accentuated by stabbing the quill at the sentence.

	"Well, you see, I'm a doctor who studies--"

	He never got to finish the sentence before I tried to bolt off, heading for a nearby window. He was a doctor, my mortal nemesis, and he knew that mares like me were infertile. I didn't need to analyze anything before knowing I had to leave, now. As I neared the windows, they all lit up red and I crashed into it, unable to force it open. Luckily for me, the window didn't shatter and I fell to the floor, landing on my rump. I whined and rubbed my nose before I heard hoofbeats.

	"Oh dear, I'm so terribly sorry!" he called over to me, worry lacing his voice, "I didn't mean to frighten you! That was a dumb question of me to ask and I just, I don't know. I'm a fool, a stupid, stupid fool."

	I turned and looked at him before growling again. He responded with a weak smile and levitated the parchment and quill over to me again. I eagerly took it and wrote on it with enough force to tear it in places.

	Let me out.

	His ears splayed and he looked down. I was in no mood to play games and he relented, his magical aura fading from the windows. As I turned and spread my wings, he said something.

	"I'm sorry for keeping you, Ms. I just wanted to help you."

	I glanced back at him and saw his sad expression. If what he said was true, I could see the guilt written all over his face. I looked back down at the parchment and felt a little sorry for him. I hated doctors with every fiber of my being, but he had brought me into his home and cleaned all the junk from my face while calming me down. Knowing I would regret it, I grabbed the quill and wrote quickly.

	Thank you.

	I saw a small smile creep up onto his face and he nodded to me.

	"You are very welcome, Ms," he responded.

	I cringed at that and, against my better judgement, wrote one last line before flying off.

	My name is Violet Heart.

	I was gone before he read it, but I could hear him faintly say my name.