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				<a id="mw-mf-last-modified" data-timestamp="1494276114" href="http://mulpwiki.org/index.php/Special:History/A_New_Landscape_(Applejack)_by_Unknown" data-user-name="HotRobotSlave" data-user-gender="unknown" class="top-bar truncated-text">Last modified on 8 May 2017, at 20:41</a>		<script>
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			<h1 id="section_0">A New Landscape (Applejack) by Unknown</h1><ul id="page-actions" class="hlist"><li id="ca-edit" class="icon icon-32px icon-edit" title="Edit the lead section of this page."></li><li id="ca-talk" class="hidden icon icon-32px icon-talk"><a href="http://mulpwiki.org/index.php?title=Talk:A_New_Landscape_(Applejack)_by_Unknown&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" title="Discussion about the content page [t]" accesskey="t">Discussion</a></li><li id="ca-watch" class="watch-this-article icon icon-32px"><a href="http://mulpwiki.org/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&amp;returnto=A+New+Landscape+%28Applejack%29+by+Unknown" title="Add this page to your watchlist [w]" accesskey="w"></a></li></ul>		</div>
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This page was created by a <a href="./User:HotRobotSlave" title="User:HotRobotSlave">bot</a> and has not undergone revision yet.
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<p>No Summary is available for this Article. 
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<td><b>Writefag</b>
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<td> Slave_Pony_General
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<td><b>Pastebin link</b>:
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<td><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://pastebin.com/P77Z3w4T">http://pastebin.com/P77Z3w4T</a>
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<td><b>Pastebin creation</b>
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<td>Saturday 27th of August 2016 11:56:44 PM CDT
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<td><b>Last Pastebin update</b>
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<td>Sunday 26th of February 2017 03:34:36 PM CDT
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</div><h3><span class="mw-headline" id="A_New_Landscape_.28Applejack.29_by_Unknown">A New Landscape (Applejack) by Unknown</span><a href="A_New_Landscape_(Applejack)_by_Unknown#/editor/1" title="Edit section: A New Landscape (Applejack) by Unknown" data-section="1" class="edit-page icon icon-32px icon-edit enabled">Edit</a></h3><div>
<div dir="ltr" class="mw-geshi mw-code mw-content-ltr"><div class="gettext source-gettext">&#160;<br /><span class="co4">&gt;a &quot;hard worker&quot; the website said</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she certainly looked pretty strong</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the picture on the screen showed her at all angles</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;certainly looked like the kind of pony who would be able to help you do your landscaping work</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you splurged</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;made the order, spent the money you&quot;d been saving up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;from what you hear, these ponies are pretty hardy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and in the list of descriptions, you saw &quot;background in agriculture and manual labor&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and, surprisingly, she was rather cheap to purchase</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that was all you needed to hear</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You were surprised when you heard your phone ring so early in the morning</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was the salesmen notifying you of when they would arrive at your house with your brand new pony you purchased</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;11:00 am in the morning</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It was a Sunday, normally your day off to sleep in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the news made you excited enough to make it impossible to sleep anymore</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;So, you get up and groggily set up your coffee maker</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You&quot;ve already planned it out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You&quot;ve got a guest room that you basically never use</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;ll be where she can sleep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you&quot;ve done your research on what ponies can eat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;obviously, there&quot;s no meat items allowed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but eggs are surprisingly ok to feed them, however</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you bought a few dozen eggs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;got plenty of fresh veggies and fruit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even some fancy bread</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;true, you made your wallet cry a little bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you do okay for yourself, but you&quot;re not exactly rich either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s the middle of summer, and there is plenty of landscaping work that you and your company have to do right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you make a decent living</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even if it&quot;s tiring work</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hopefully, your little pony will be up to helping out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you took a bit of a gamble</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ll have to see!</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Finally, at ten past 11:00, you hear the knock on the door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a few loud thumps</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, the doorbell</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You get up from your chair, where you&quot;ve been sitting anxiously for the last half hour</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you dart over, and open the door</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;on the other side, there&quot;s a short, chubby man</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;maybe 5 foot 7</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and in his hand, he&quot;s holding a thick leather leash</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes follow it down, until you clap eyes on her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there she is, the pony that was in the picture</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;orange coat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;little white freckles on her cheeks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;emerald green eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;blonde mane done up in a ponytail</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s definitely the same pony</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, you notice a few other things</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the little smile on your face slowly fades away</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;yeah, her mane is blonde</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but, dirty blonde</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as in, ACTUAL dirt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And the more you look her over, the more you see how skinny she is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;wiry muscles show themselves, true</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but so do her ribs, protruding faintly through the skin</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stare at her for a second</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the pony, a soon as she notices you looking at her, very quickly averts her eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The chubby man speaks, and you come back to reality</span><br /><br />&quot;Hello, sir. Are you mister Anon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It was a question you knew the answer to</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it took you a few seconds to answer</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re still looking at the pony there on your porch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you start to realize why she was so much less expensive to purchase</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, though, you do respond</span><br /><br />&quot;Uhh&quot; yeah. That&quot;s me.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The man nods his head, and with one hand tightly grasping the leash, he reaches back and pulls out a clipboard</span><br /><br />&quot;Right, mister Anon. I&quot;ll just need you to sign and turn in this paperwork and give your signature of ownership. The rest of the information we need was already provided by you online.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He hands you the clipboard and a pen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You pick it up, and begin to read</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but your mind still wanders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and so do your eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the orange pony doesn&quot;t look anywhere but the ground</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;neck lowered</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s like she&quot;s afraid to look at you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your gut churns</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something feels off about this.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;off about her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but even so, you tentatively sign the papers and hand the clipboard back to the man</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He smiles, not showing any teeth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;stretching out his fat cheeks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and he nods</span><br /><br />&quot;Very well. Thank you for your business, sir. She&quot;s yours, now. Enjoy.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He passes the leash over to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a bit of hesitation you take it from him</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He gives you a short, parting wave, and turns around, walking back toward his car</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a shiny black sedan</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a couple of other chubby men sitting in the passenger and back seats</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;&quot;Enjoy.&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That&quot;s what he had said.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you only look for a few seconds before a chill runs up your spine</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you aren&quot;t even sure exactly why</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look away, and look back down to the pony on your porch</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the little thing is a not much less than 5 feet tall, including her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hasn&quot;t budged an inch from where she had been standing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she&quot;s still not looking at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look down to the leash in your hand</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;finally, you shake off the uneasy feelings and speak your first words to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;&quot;Come on, let&quot;s get you inside&quot;&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You give a very gentle tug on the leash</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she doesn&quot;t speak a word, but her head lifts up momentarily when you pull the leash</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she wordlessly takes a step forward through your front door</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you walk backwards, watching her closely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s staring at the hardwood floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her hooves clop noisily on the hard surface</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the way she walks is a little draggy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the tips of her petite hooves slightly scraping the floor with each step</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and lastly, you notice one more thing about you brand new little pony</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s shivering.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Not the kind of shivering when you&quot;re cold, oh no.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the kind of shivering someone does when they&quot;re terrified</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;For a second, the two of you stand there in silence</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and your thoughts begin to race</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;This doesn't look good.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you let go of the leash</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The pony&quot;s ears perk up, for a moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then they droop back down</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the silence is awful</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;painfully awkward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you decide to break it, since this pony is obviously incredibly shy</span><br /><br />&quot;Hello, I&quot;m Anon. What&quot;s your name?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You speak with a cordial tone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying to lighten the mood</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it doesn&quot;t work</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The pony remains silent for a few moments</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s staring at the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her hooves are shivering as she stands motionless</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t push her, giving her plenty of time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and eventually, she answers</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I&quot;m Applejack, master.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her voice has a familiar country twang to it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;being down south, it fits right in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she says her own name with a wince</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;however, that&quot;s not the main thing you notice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;did you hear that right?</span><br /><br />&quot;Uhh&quot; did you just call me &quot;master&quot;?<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you ask her timidly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not threatening in any way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or so you thought</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the blonde-maned pony&quot;s eyes grow wide</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she suddenly looks up at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her lip is quivering</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she speaks with a stammer and shortness of breath</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh, I-I&quot;m real sorry! I didn&quot;t know you w-wanted to be called something else&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she slinks back a little bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;flinches away from your gaze</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your confusion, however, only magnifies</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so does your worry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what was the matter with this pony?</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;brow furrowed, you address her again</span><br /><br />&quot;Yeaah... you can just call me Anon. Here, how about I just get this collar and leash off of you?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take one, cautious step forward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this pony looks like she&quot;s ready to bolt, the way she&quot;s shying away from you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you kneel down and gently take hold of the collar</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your fingers gently brush the muscles in her neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they are hard as a rock</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you also can see her ribs from close up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they aren&quot;t bulging out, but you can definitely see them</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grimace</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey&quot; are you hungry, Applejack? I&quot;ve got plenty of food for you. Fruits, veggies, greens, eggs&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cough to clear your throat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you fiddle with the buckle on the collar and pull the fabric out of the loop</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once it&quot;s off, you drop it on the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack isn&quot;t responding to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you ask the question again</span><br /><br />&quot;Um, Applejack? Do you want lunch?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You scoot back, and stand up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you hunch over and put your hands on your knees</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to look her in the face, but she&quot;s not looking back at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your mind is going to dark places as you are beginning to piece things together</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Finally, she answers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s not what you anticipated</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I&quot;m&quot; I&quot;m allowed to eat all of that?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;for the first time since she arrived, she looks up at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s a tiny glimmer in her eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you must have been giving her a face by accident</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;because as soon as she does, she wilts, and turns her head back away from you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like she&quot;s waiting to be struck</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is when you start to piece things together</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your mind was rejecting it as a possibility before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you didn&quot;t want to believe it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the emaciated look, her demeanor, the pain and fear in her voice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it all went far beyond shyness</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;really, it was the most obvious thing in the world</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;This pony has been abused.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You are going to have to tread very carefully.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want to draw attention to all of those horrible things she must have had to go through</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least, not yet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;poor thing doesn&quot;t look ready</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you simply nod</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and answer her softly</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Applejack. Of course, all of it. I got it just for you.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;rather than wait for her, you decide to go to the kitchen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the way your house is, there are no walls between the living room and the kitchen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you open up the fridge and take out a carton of eggs, some cheese, a few handfuls of spinach, and a fresh apple</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;put them down on the counter right in front of her</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, how about I make you an omelette? Cheese and spinach sound good?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is still rather quiet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she looks up at the counter, finally managing to peel her eyes away from the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when she sees the ingredients you&quot;ve laid out in front of her, you once again see the spark in her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just a tad of life in there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the tips of her ears twitch upward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she inhales</span><br /><br />&quot;Uh&quot; uh huh&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Good, because you were going to make it anyway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You don&quot;t waste time getting started.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pull out a pan and a bowl</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;start heating the stovetop and cracking the eggs into the bowl</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you weren&quot;t exactly a cook, but this was one of those things you could actually make pretty well</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;lots of burnt eggs along the way to mastery, though</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re going to try extra hard today to make the best dish you can</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look over to her and realize that she&quot;s sitting down on the floor, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;before, she was just standing there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;bracing herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you frown at her sympathetically and point to the living room couch</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, you can sit down on the couch and wait if you want, Applejack. Go ahead and make yourself feel at home!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you talk loudly over the sizzling in the pan</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;checking the pan briefly before watching her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hears you, and looks over at the sofa</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her emerald eyes widen, and her jaw falls</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she glances over at you, a fearful expression on her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you just smile at her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and point at the couch again</span><br /><br />&quot;Go on, it&quot;s ok!&quot;<br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack once again looks over at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still very tense</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but her expression, slowly, begins to relax</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, she slinks over to the sofa</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and gingerly steps on, sitting down</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a few minutes pass, and it&quot;s all done</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s a masterpiece</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re so glad you&quot;re able to cook something so good for her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;poor thing looks like she hasn&quot;t had something like this in&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;maybe ever.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put her plate down on one end of the table and sit down on the other side</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, it&quot;s done! Come on and eat up. I think you&quot;ll like it, Applejack.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look over the counter, the only thing separating the living room from the kitchen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you see her still sitting there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shoulders up straight, not relaxing in the slightest</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but when she hears her name, she seems to automatically get up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she walks over to the table with that same drag in her hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she does what you say like it&quot;s an order</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;steady now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re going to take your time with her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s only just beginning</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack looks at you warily before she sits down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a wince</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you notice, and it makes you raise your eyebrows</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put the plate with the omelette down in front of her, and a fork</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know if she uses those things, what with hooves and all</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you&quot;ll cover all your bases</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not used to this pony stuff yet</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you sit down in the seat beside her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have a cup of yogurt to eat so that things aren&quot;t as awkward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so that you aren&quot;t just watching her eat</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack stares down at the plate</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her body is still shivering</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks like she&quot;s in a trance, under some kind of spell</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you point at the plate</span><br /><br />&quot;Go ahead, hon. You must be hungry. Right?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack seems like she refuses to look at you in the eye</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she, with a little hesitation, responds in the affirmative</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes&quot; I am, m-mmaster, I mean Anon! Anon&quot;.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she swiftly corrects herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she must have suddenly remembered that you wanted her to call you by your name</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Tears spring to her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she freezes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you see her beginning to panic</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you&quot;re getting an idea of just how bad her past situation was</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to dispel her fears as best as you can</span><br /><br />&quot;Hold on, hold on, Applejack! It&quot;s alright, I&quot;m not mad at you! Ok? I promise, it&quot;s no big deal!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack takes a hard, shaky breath</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in and out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a tear falls down onto the table</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she stammers</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I&quot;m-m sorry&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;That&quot;s alright, hon. Now, please, just&quot; eat. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack nods</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she sniffles, and slowly, she bends her head down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she takes a mouthful from on end, chews it quietly, and swallows</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she looks over at you again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like she&quot;s seeking approval for the next bite</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel her sad, fearful gaze as she stares at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;distrustingly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile gently</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;open up your yogurt cup</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;point at the omelette with your nose</span><br /><br />&quot;Go on!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gulps, and turns back to her plate</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, she does something that surprises you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she eats much, MUCH more quickly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not ravenously, but close to it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your hand freezes around your yogurt spoon watching her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s breathing heavily as she eats</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;within thirty seconds, the whole thing is gone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack swallows her last bite, and her ears fold back</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you barely pay any attention to your spoon as you eat your yogurt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack stares at her empty plate</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;screw it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you set your cup down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you weren&quot;t hungry anyway</span><br /><br />&quot;Sooo, Applejack&quot; how about I show you your room?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you get up from your seat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;walk over to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she finally follows you with her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gesture for her to get up</span><br /><br />&quot;Don&quot;t worry, I&quot;ll get your plate. Come on, follow me&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is predictably slow at first</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she nods her head silently and begins to slide out of her chair</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this time, though, you pay close attention to her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she winces again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you once again see some tears come up in her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she sets her hooves down at a weird angle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like she&quot;s angling herself away from you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the alarm bells go off in your head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something is very wrong</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you bite your lip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hold up your hand</span><br /><br />&quot;Uhh&quot; hold up.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sucks in air through her nostrils</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tenses up every muscle in her body</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes seem to pop out of her head for a moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks at the floor by your feet</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack&quot; turn around.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s jaw falls</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you hear a sob leave her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she does something that she hasn&quot;t done in a while</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;right at you, if only for a moment</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she does what you say</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;bows her head, and turns around with a sob</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you see it, you bring a hand to your mouth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s trying to cover it with her tail, but it&quot;s futile</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all up and down her legs and rear, you see numerous, violet-red stripes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they stretch across horizontally</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and there&quot;s too many of them to count</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all you can do is stare in shock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And the pony in front of you just quietly sobs</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You aren't sure what to do next.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack looks over her shoulder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tears are collecting on her chin and falling to the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now that she can&quot;t hide it, she is expressing her pain more openly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her obvious embarrassment</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I&quot;m&quot; I&quot;m a good pony, Anon, I promise I don&quot;t, I-I won&quot;t give you any trouble&quot; I swear!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;As she continues talking, you begin to recall when your elementary school class talked about black slavery in the 1800s</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something that sticks out in your mind as you realize what Applejack must believe you are thinking right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when a potential buyer saw evidence of numerous whip scars, it was a sign that the slave was rebellious</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it, in turn, decreased their valuation on the market</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;made them into a liability</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your heart breaks as Applejack looks at you pleadingly</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;ll a-always do what you say, Anon! I&quot;ll obey you&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t bear to hear any more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold up your hand to gesture for her to stop</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she does, with a whimper</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;lowering her ears and head</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a long, deep breath</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, listen to me, hon. Whatever your old &quot;master&quot; did to you&quot; I ain&quot;t him. I will never, ever be him. Do you understand?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you do your best to keep your voice under control</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want to scare her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but under the surface, you are furious</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;those lines, those scars</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they are recent, and terrible</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the skin has even been abraded enough to where there are patches that are shiny</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;where the skin&quot;s surface isn&quot;t there anymore</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is crying openly, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she responds, almost automatically</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can hear in her tone of voice, the fear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you get the sense that she wasn&quot;t fully processing what you just said</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like all she heard was &quot;do you understand&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she said yes out of fear of further punishment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cringe</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack flinches when you step toward her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but her eyes grow wide when you get down on your knees</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you do decide, however, to use her apparent will to obey you to your advantage</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and give her a soft-spoken command</span><br /><br />&quot;Please, turn around, Applejack. Turn around and look at me.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thankfully, Applejack lowers her tail, and turns herself around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she wavers, but she eventually does do what you ask</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes glisten, a tear tracing a line through the film of dust and dirt on her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stay kneeling</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and very carefully, you extend your hands toward her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gasps when you place them below her jaw, and gently lift her face</span><br /><br />&quot;I will never, ever do what he did to you. What I just said is the honest truth, hon. Whatever horrible things he did to you, that&quot;s all in the past. I&quot;m not going to be like him.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She looks intently at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with those massive, expressive green irises</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you could almost lose yourself in them</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you blink rapidly for a moment, collecting yourself</span><br /><br />&quot;Tell me if you understand, Applejack.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s face is frozen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a tear from her cheek drips onto your wrist</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her mouth is slightly agape</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s clear to you that she&quot;s truly processing what you just told her, this time</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;faintly, she nods her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can feel her warm exhale on your wrists</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;releasing air she had been holding inside of her this whole time</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s the first sign of her relaxing, even slightly, since you got her here</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hope it comes across as warm and welcoming</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack doesn&quot;t smile back, but she doesn&quot;t avert her eyes from you, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can only hope that it isn&quot;t just because you TOLD her to look at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Either way, there is new business that you need to attend to</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she isn&quot;t going to enjoy it.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pull your hands away from her and slowly get up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s head falls a little now that your hands aren&quot;t propping it up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you really don&quot;t want to say what you&quot;re about to say</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but after seeing those marks on her rear and legs, you can&quot;t put it off</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You bite your lip</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright. Now, Applejack&quot; those marks are bad, hon. And I don&quot;t want to put you through even more pain, but&quot; we gotta clean those cuts.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You wince for Applejack&quot;s sake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this won&quot;t be pleasant for her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what you just said takes a moment to sink in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but once it does, the orange pony&quot;s head shoots up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she fixes you with those huge, glistening eyes once more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;breathes shallowly through her open mouth</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can clearly see the fear making a resurgence on her features</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her back hooves are shaking a little bit, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s clearly still in a good deal of pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but with a shuddering sigh, she lowers her head at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;gives a labored nod of her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and once more, she seems calm</span><br /><br />&quot;Y-yes, Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she sniffs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;wipes a tear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she also seems resigned to it all</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s about as good of a reaction as you could hope for</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you&quot;ll get this over with now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wave at her, motioning for her to follow you down the hallway</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright. Let&quot;s get you to the bathtub. Follow me&quot;&quot;<br /><br />----<br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is standing stock still in the doorway while you search the bathroom cabinet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sorting through the crap, you withdraw a fresh new bar of soap, still in the cardboard box</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s nothing fancy, but it will get the job done</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t have any of that fancy antibiotic cream or anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s also a small bottle of rubbing alcohol down there, but you aren&quot;t going to touch that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want Applejack&quot;s screams of agony to be heard around the neighborhood</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sure, you use it sometimes on the job when the blade of a shovel or something cuts your hands, but not for something as widespread as this</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;poor thing wouldn&quot;t be able to take it.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pop the bar of cream white soap from the box and turn on the water faucet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you run your hand beneath it until it is a comfortable lukewarm temperature</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you motion to Applejack again</span><br /><br />&quot;Come on, hon. I&quot;ll help you into the tub.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack swallows, and slinks into the bathroom with her tail pressed tightly against her leg</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks scared, but nothing like the terror that was on her face before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when she gets close enough, you reach under her front legs, and gently lift her up</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;holy COW, she&quot;s heavier than you thought she would be</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thankfully, you&quot;re used to lifting heavy bags of sand and hauling wheelbarrows filled with mulch and gravel</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you set her down very carefully into the tub, and make sure she can stand on all four legs before letting go</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you face her rear and hind legs toward the faucet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;water laps up against the fetlocks of her back hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s breathing hard, but she&quot;s not resisting you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wince again when you see the marks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there are so many of them</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;some of the cuts are deeper than others</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it also doesn&quot;t help that they&quot;re in such a, well, embarrassing area</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the wounds never appear to have been cleaned, as you expected</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they&quot;re dried out a little, but bits of dirt and grime are visible as well</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;honestly, her whole body could use a good bath</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you have to get this sorted first</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;have to give everything a thorough rinse with cool water until it&quot;s moist and able to be cleaned</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thankfully, you have one of those detachable shower handles with a hose, the kind you can use to wash things up close</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hopefully that will speed things up a little</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok Applejack, are you ready? I&quot;m going to turn on the showerhead.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gasps lightly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks over her shoulder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;takes a long look at the showerhead in your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like she was trying to verify that you really WERE going to do what you said you were doing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when she sees it, she swallows, and turns back around</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She nods her head, and you see her flick her tail away completely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;keeping it off to the side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She also raises one of her front legs, and braces herself against the opposite wall with it</span><br /><br />&quot;Y-Yeah. I&quot;m ready, Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;s only just occurring to you now, however, how vulnerable Applejack is right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know this has to feel awkward for her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;after all, you can kind of see everything right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a normal animal, you wouldn&quot;t think anything of it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not even with a normal horse, or a pony</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but a pony that can talk?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That was different</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;certainly more different than you were hoping it would feel.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you push it out of your mind, however, when you realize that you have kept Applejack waiting for nearly ten extra seconds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you jerk the shower diverter on and point it at the bathtub wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;after all, you don&quot;t want to startle her with a sudden rush of cool water</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you want this to be as comfortable for her as you can make it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the water shoots out with a gurgle and a hiss</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Just from that sound alone, she jumps a little</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she settles back down quick, exhaling sharply</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you start with her right side, working from top to bottom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that way, everything will all flow down hill, so to speak</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but when the lukewarm jets of water make contact with her damaged skin, Applejack winces audibly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she bends her bracing leg a little, closing her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she isn&quot;t giving you any trouble as you work the water down slowly, watching some of the dirt and grime go down the drain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are honestly appalled by how dark the water is beginning to look</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack may very well get an infection if you aren&quot;t thorough enough</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you go over the whole right side three times before switching to the other side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this time, Applejack&quot;s legs and rear tense up, and she hisses from between clenched teeth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the water pressure must be a little high</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but with how scabbed over some of these marks are, and how much dirt seems to be pressed deeply in, you have to have it that way</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all the while, you are making a good effort to avoid the region directly below her tail</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if anything, you have to get that part dead last, and only if she lets you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and only if you can stomach it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once the regions are rinsed well, you can see the skin beginning to moisten and the marks getting a little bit brighter in color</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the wounds are more open, now, but that also means they&quot;re going to hurt more, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but that&quot;s unavoidable</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you reach down to the floor of the tub, and pick up the bar of now-lathered soap that you let sit in the pooling water, and grab a washcloth from a hook up on the wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now it&quot;s time for the even less pleasant part of this whole debacle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s not rubbing alcohol, but you know that this is still going to sting a lot</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it has to be done</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lean your head forward</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, Applejack. I gotta use the soap, now. You ready?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack shivers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she turns her head, and her eyes lock onto the bar of soap</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hesitates, but her head nods again</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, I-I&quot;m ready Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she lifts up her other hoof, and presses that one against the wall, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hides her head in between her hooves, bracing herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wipe the bar of soap onto the washcloth, and give it a thorough covering layer</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, not making her wait any longer, you start again from the top, pressing the soapy cloth deeply into the grooves of each mark</span><br /><br />&quot;Ah&quot; Ahh, ah! Ow...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack winces, and a shiver travels up her spine</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She gasps and vocalizes softly into her hooves, but the hard walls echo it around the room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have to ignore it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is for the best</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are very methodical, making sure you trace every mark you see</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the suds are turning darker in color, too</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is still holding on, but you can hear her crying softly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her back hooves sometimes slosh the water when she raises and lowers them, trying to cope with the intense stinging pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you once again, however, stay away from the place under her tail and between her legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;move past it, and slowly progress down her leg</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;until the whole surface of her right buttock and thigh is covered in suds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you rinse it all out with lukewarm water once again</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a tear or two mixes in with the water in the tub as Applejack holds in sobs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the poor thing is only halfway done, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you rinse out the cloth twice with water, and reapply the soap</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you begin working on the other side</span><br /><br />&quot;Ah! Ow, ow, ahh!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this time, Applejack is louder than before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she bends both of her front hooves, like she&quot;s trying to pull her rear end away from you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you continue cleaning, however, which draws a sob from her throat</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grimace</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;lowering your voice, you speak with a tone of gentle understanding</span><br /><br />&quot;It&quot;s gonna be ok, Applejack. Just stay strong, stay still, you can do it&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still vocalizing, she gives a small stamp of her left rear hoof</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;splashing the water a bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying to do something to help distract herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but hearing what you said, she unbends her front legs, and obediently moves back to where she was before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she mutters out a nearly-whispered apology</span><br /><br />&quot;S-s-sorry, Anon&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;That&quot;s ok. I&quot;m working as fast as I can, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It will be over soon.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You do eventually make it all the way down her leg</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is trying so hard to stay still, but her legs are shivering and shaking constantly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but when you start to rinse it all off, she begins to breathe a little easier</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her muscles relax</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;welcoming the cooling jets of water washing over the constant burn of stinging soap</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the long slashes across her rump and legs are a different color than they were</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the water finally lost its grayish brown color as it ran down her legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you still grimace when you take a long look at the damage</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but at least it can now heal properly, with some heavy bandages and gauze tape</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your work, at least on this part of her body, is finally done</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, Applejack. That&quot;s the end of that, ok? You did great.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack nods faintly, but keeps her face hidden in between her hooves, which remain propped up against the wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you leave the showerhead running, angling it down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you rinse off the washcloth again, and reapply the soap for a third time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;business hasn&quot;t concluded just yet, but at least the worst part is finally done...</span><br /><br />&quot;A...An-non?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;suddenly, you hear Applejack&quot;s voice peep out, that soft country twang of hers coming through once again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You freeze, holding the washcloth in your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, that was unexpected</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the first time she&quot;s actually initiated anything with you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hopefully, this is because she&quot;s starting to trust you, even just a little bit</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she also seems aware of the fact that she&quot;s never addressed you before now, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her voice cracks with timidity, like she&quot;s expecting you to rebuke her for addressing you first</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the thought that she would be so scared of something as simple as that...</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it honestly makes you furious on the inside</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you keep your cool</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re going to make sure that she knows that initiating conversation is perfectly ok</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you reply, very casually</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Applejack? Is everything alright?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sniffs through clogged nostrils</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she must have a runny nose after all that crying</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the poor thing</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she stammers out what she says next</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this time, she doesn&quot;t even look over her shoulder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can still see part of her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s gone from orange to furious, scarlet red</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the corners of her lips are curled downward in a fearful frown</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she keeps her position, like she isn&quot;t daring to budge unless you tell her it&quot;s ok, first</span><br /><br />&quot;Are you&quot; are you gonna w-wash me&quot; down there, too?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Oh shit.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;firstly, you take note of the nervousness in her voice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s very clear that she isn&quot;t asking because she actually WANTS you to</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and to be honest, you were considering not doing it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she may be a pony, but she&quot;s not some mindless animal</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but at the same time, you know that if it were you bathing yourself, you would want that spot cleaned, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hell, ESPECIALLY that spot</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you also don&quot;t want her to feel like you&quot;re violating her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you sigh, and ask her the big question</span><br /><br />&quot;Well&quot; be honest with me, Applejack. Would you be ok with it?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wait for a reply</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is thinking it through</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;glancing in your direction</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you get the sense that she&quot;s feeling you out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;err, so to speak</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying to figure out if she trusts you enough</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, she understandably has issues with that, even though you&quot;ve been nothing but nice to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wouldn&quot;t blame her if she said no</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and come to think of it, you kind of want her to say no&quot;</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot; I am.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;aaand that was not the answer you were expecting</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can practically feel the static in the air with how awkward the situation just got</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you close your eyes, bite your lips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And when you open them, her nethers are right there</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack says no more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s closing her eyes, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you notice, with a strange, bubbling feeling building in your stomach, that she seems to extend her bracing legs even more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;pushes her rear out, and lowers her front</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and spreads her legs wider</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grip the soapy washcloth in your hand a little tighter</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s actually trying to make it easier for you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have to say, you never expected to be in a situation like this with her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but here you are</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want to do this, really</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but at the same time, you find yourself&quot; flattered</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in a really weird way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;only a minute before, she was afraid you were going to hit her for just asking a question</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, she trusts you this much?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;quite a huge switch</span><br /><br />&quot;Well&quot; if you say so. Just&quot; lemme know if you need me to stop. At any time. Ok?<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack nods</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I, I understand.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;good</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as long as she understands that, you&quot;re just okay enough with this whole thing to do it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a moment to overcome your hesitation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;remind yourself that she&quot;s ok with this</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and that it needs to be done</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it needs to be done...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You bunch up the washcloth and pinch it between your four fingers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;angle the softest part outward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and at last, you press it firmly onto the folds of her most private place</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel her do a little jolt when you make contact</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she quickly relaxes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not hearing a demand for you to stop, you begin to rub the washcloth downward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;pressing down firmly enough to actually do some good</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t scrub back and forth, but rather, you trace a single vertical line in the same direction</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel the muscles tensing and contracting beneath your fingers, even through the cloth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is breathing hard through her nose</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she&quot;s not telling you to stop</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so you continue</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;pushing away&quot; well, any thoughts whatsoever about what you&quot;re actually doing right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cringe when you see the suds, like before, turning darker in color</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it really is more than a little gross, but you feel terrible for Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;having such a part of her body be dirty can&quot;t be comfortable</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;listening to her carefully, making sure you aren&quot;t doing anything painful, you begin to focus your attentions on the right fold</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;through a thick layer of washcloth, you trace down the outer lip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s when you hear Applejack gasp</span><br /><br />&quot;Ah&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your hand stops dead in its tracks</span><br /><br />&quot;You alright, hon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s ribs rise and fall rapidly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s trying to keep her breathing under control</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying to keep quiet while you do your work</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she nods</span><br /><br />&quot;Y-yes, Anon, I&quot;m fine. It&quot;s just&quot; it&quot;s real sensitive.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you frown</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the air around you feels charged</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so tense</span><br /><br />&quot;Like&quot; in a painful way, orr&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She shakes her head, this time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and exhales sharply</span><br /><br />&quot;N-no, the&quot; other way...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Oh.</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s back shivers, but she remains exactly where she is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;meanwhile, you&quot;re not sure what to do, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were kind of hoping that this would be one of those unpleasant things that you do and get over with, and hopefully forget about</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;I mean, you&quot;re glad she&quot;s not in pain and all</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you&quot;d almost prefer a little more of that, over&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;fuck, this is so awkward.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Fuck.</span><br /><br />&quot;So&quot; do you want me to stop, or&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sighs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her tail twitches</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she shakes her head</span><br /><br />&quot;No, no&quot; no, Anon. It&quot;s ok.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, at least she doesn&quot;t sound TOO enthusiastic</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;after all, you need to clean her, not&quot; stimulate her.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn, you should&quot;ve just said no</span><br /><br />&quot;If you&quot;re sure, Applejack&quot; I&quot;m gonna keep going, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she says nothing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;whatever</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you push your thoughts aside once more and, with the same diligence as before, you finish scrubbing the right side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack fortunately doesn&quot;t seem to make much noise as you trace down the left side of her nethers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;scrubbing it kind of like how you would wipe the dust from a guitar string</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;luckily, your efforts do not seem to be pointless</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s definitely getting cleaner</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now, for the final part</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you bunch up the washcloth once again, and flatten your fingers inside of it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and, swallowing, you begin to clean the inner folds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s the last part, thank God</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel like a total perve, but you don&quot;t linger long</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but Applejack is feeling it, for sure</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her right rear leg twitches, sloshing in the water some more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gives a gasp, and for just a short moment, her vocal chords crack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as soon as that happens, it&quot;s out with your hand</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once you pull it away, you swear that you can see her rump move back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;jutting out even more, like it&quot;s following the direction of your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she pulls it back a second later</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pick up the showerhead again, which has been idly shooting water all over the floor of the bathtub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you rinse the whole spot, making sure that every single sud is washed away</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as soon as the water hits, though, Applejack makes the loudest sound yet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like a hiccup, but sharper</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you decide that you aren&quot;t going to ask</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, something happens that draws your full attention</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at the bottom of her nethers, right at the tip of her vagina, a pinkish red spot suddenly pops out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;goes back in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then pops back out again</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it keeps doing this, over and over again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you aren&quot;t sure what to make of it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s not like you&quot;re going to ask your new pony what it is, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;&quot;Hey, what&quot;s wrong with your vagina?&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Jesus H. Christ&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once you stop rinsing her, however, it stops</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and Applejack&quot;s whole body does a little lurch forward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a harsh exhale leaves her, a pent up breath that hadn&quot;t been released until now</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and so concludes the most awkward situation you have ever been in all your life</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;both for you and, probably at least, for Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you give the washcloth and extra thorough rinse, this time before you reapply the soap</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you speak softly to Applejack, but still loudly enough to be audible over the background hiss of water</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, hon, we&quot;re done with that. Now, I know you&quot;re probably sick of standing there so long, but I&quot;m just gonna get the whole rest of you now, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack huffs and puffs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you notice out of the corner of your eye, that the thing pop in and out of her mare folds, again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she answers you right away</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Yes, yes An-non, I&quot; I&quot;ll stay right here, Anon.&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;good, you think</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still cooperating, just like she always has been</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even though you just basically fondled her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;glad she&quot;s so understanding</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can&quot;t help but give a little chuckle when you realize that she&quot;s still in the same, bent over position</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you clear your throat</span><br /><br />&quot;Um, hey Applejack&quot; you can just stand up regular, now, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her reaction is a little bit priceless</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gasps, redness on her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;starts to scramble</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a little difficult to do in a slippery tub, but she manages to put her front hooves back down and bring her back legs together</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she starts to stutter, retracing her words</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh, I uh&quot; yes, Anon, yes, I-I&quot;m just&quot; just gimme just a s&quot; sorry, Anon&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;That&quot;s alright, hon. Now, just do what you&quot;ve been doing, and let me work. You&quot;re going to be clean as a whistle by the time I&quot;m done!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a little blush on her face, she simply nods wordlessly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gives a little smile, even though it fades shortly afterward</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s the happiest expression you&quot;ve ever seen her make.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with determination, and breathing a sigh of relief, you get to work.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it still felt a little awkward, you won&quot;t lie</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but bathing the rest of her, after THAT, felt like nothing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you finally finish rinsing her off, her orange coat looks a lot like it did in the picture</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;bright, smooth, and soft</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;unfortunately, washing her also reveals some other things</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a mixture of things you hadn&quot;t noticed before, and things that were covered up before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;smaller, shallower scars scattered over her frame, as well as a good number of bruises</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this pony&quot;s former master&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;d like to wrap your hands around his neck</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you dry her off, but take care not to touch her rear and thighs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want pieces of fabric finding their way into the wounds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s just going to have to drip dry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you leave her for a moment, and search the bathroom cabinet again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you find some gauze, but you give a low groan when you realize that it isn&quot;t going to be enough</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you also don&quot;t have any medical tape</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;jesus, you probably should have checked that BEFORE you deep cleaned her&quot; everything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re in a bit of a pickle right now</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s a pharmacy only a five minute drive away from your house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can&quot;t take Applejack with you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s no way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want those scars to be seen in public</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and besides, you aren&quot;t going to let her go anywhere at all while those things aren&quot;t covered up</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can&quot;t just leave her here at home, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not without supervision, that is&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or&quot; can you?</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to find another way, but it&quot;s starting to become clear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re probably making a huge mistake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can&quot;t see how else you&quot;re going to do this</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you fix Applejack with a serious stare</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s not looking directly at you at first, but when she notices you staring at her, she jerks her head sideways to look back at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that instant, she folds her ears back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she seizes up</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you show her the half-used roll of gauze</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, hon. I just checked the cabinet to get you some dressing for the wounds on you, but&quot; I don&quot;t have what I need.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s face, steadily, relaxes a bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when she hears your tone of voice, you think she realizes that you aren&quot;t cross with her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;jeez, your stare must have been angry looking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ll have to work on that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;ahem</span><br /><br />&quot;So&quot; I&quot;m gonna have to go up to the store and get some stuff. It&quot;s only five minutes away. So, Applejack&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you point at the placemat below her hooves</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m gonna need you to stay put while I&quot;m gone. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack, her face timid and fearful before, suddenly goes blank</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;looks at you with this expression of &quot;wait, what?&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she glances down at the placemat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and when she looks back at you, she nods resolutely</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I won&quot;t leave this spot, I promise.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hear her enthusiasm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or&quot; whatever it is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;come to think of it, you honestly don&quot;t doubt her, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;poor thing probably still thinks you&quot;ll take a belt to her or something if she moves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you&quot;ll use her irrational fear to your advantage this time</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you nod back at her, and smile</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok, good. Thank you, Applejack. I&quot;ll be back very soon, don&quot;t worry!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wave goodbye, and close the door slowly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she doesn&quot;t wave back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but that&quot;s ok.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know she&quot;s going to be ok.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your truck is a piece of shit.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no really, it&quot;s fucking garbage</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the whole back seat section is filled with half-empty bags of organic fertilizer, hardwood mulch, stone fragments, old fast food bags, a toolbox&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re pretty sure Applejack would get an infection just being near this thing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;whatever happens, you made the right call</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you arrive at the pharmacy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes you five minutes by itself just to find the stuff</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn, gauze is expensive</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so is special first aid tape</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s worth every penny if it means you can help this poor pony out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;fuck it, you get a tube of antibiotic ointment, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you really hope it won&quot;t sting</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you have to keep the region moist</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;otherwise, the scars won&quot;t heal as well or as quickly</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you make a beeline to the car once you&quot;ve paid for them</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;plastic bag in your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hop in the driver&quot;s seat and toss the bag in the passenger&quot;s side</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you back up quickly, in a hurry to get home&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, you see a flash of headlights from behind and to the right of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;which is followed by a thundering CRUNCH of metal</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And your head jerks to the side, before whiplashing back the other direction</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes a moment for it to sink in what just happened</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you sit there, hands gripping the wheel</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;white knuckled</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, once you understand what just occurred, you swear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;loudly</span><br /><br />&quot;FUCK! FUCKING, FUCK GOD DAMN IT, SHIT PISS FFFFUCK!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the police were slow to the scene</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you told the guy driving the other truck that he could have your info, and he could back with you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was your fault, after all</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but nooo, he had to get the police</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, you had looked over to his truck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you sighed with relative relief when you realized that it&quot;s a piece of shit, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the damage is quite minor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least your payment out of pocket wouldn&quot;t be TOO exorbitant</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hope</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but your premium is gonna go up, for sure</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn it, you really wanted to save up some more spending money from your jobs this summer</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but life gives you lemons, and all that shit</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the dent from tonight honestly blends in with the rest of your jalopy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re just glad you can drive home</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you check your watch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and swear again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s been almost two goddamn hours</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you told her it would take you what, five minutes? Ten minutes there and back?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is horrible.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You rush to the front door, fumbling with the keys</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you just hope Applejack hasn&quot;t thought the worst</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hope she&quot;s still there&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you throw the door open and jog inside, heading right for the bathroom with the plastic bag of gauze and cream in your hand</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack! I&quot;m back, hon, I&quot;m back! I&quot;m so sorry...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You reach the bathroom door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you see that it&quot;s still closed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you turn the knob and slam it open</span><br /><br />&quot;Ah! AHH! Ah&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and there she is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;lying down on the placemat on the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or, at least, she WAS lying down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she jolts awake when the door swings open</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;practically jumps in the air, and thumps into the wall of the bathtub behind her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her sharp, terrified scream echoes around the bathroom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s soon followed by heavy, labored breathing</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she stares up at you with her pupils wide as saucers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her ears pin down on her head, and she seems to try and melt into the bathtub wall</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, now you feel like an idiot</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you had to just crash into the room, didn&quot;t you?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s not like the poor thing wasn&quot;t already scared enough</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you quickly get down on one knee, and hold the bag forward, toward her cowering frame</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, hey, it&quot;s me, Applejack! It&quot;s Anon!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you reach into the plastic bag and pull out the gauze, tape, and tube of cream</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you set them down at your feet, right in front of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you stick the bag in the trash can</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all the while, you&quot;re looking at her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;taking in the fear you see in her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s heartbreaking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to calm her down</span><br /><br />&quot;See? I got the stuff. I&quot;m gonna be able to get your marks covered up, now. Applejack?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks like she&quot;s in a bit of shock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes are still huge, but at least she&quot;s not heaving as much</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, as the seconds tick by, you finally see her release the tension in her muscles</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you also see a few tears spill right out of her eyes and plop onto the tile floor</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you keep talking to her, making sure your voice is calm, clear, and soft</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m sorry, so sorry I took so long, hon. I just&quot; I got into a car accident. It wasn&quot;t a big one, but I had to wait for the police, and&quot; gosh, I&quot;m so sorry, Applejack.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she makes no reply other than a sniffle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she covers up her face partway with her hoof</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she begins to whisper something, but she closes her mouth before scarcely a syllable gets out</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lean your head forward</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack? What is it, hon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she shivers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;continues to face the wall</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I thought&quot; you were mad, c-cuz I was sleeping&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she stutters, and squirms uncomfortably</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head, gritting your teeth together</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your heart aches just hearing that</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh, no, no, Applejack! Why would I get angry over something like that? Besides, I&quot;m the one who left you here for two hours&quot; and I&quot;m really sorry I slammed that door open, ok? I know it must have startled you.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack finally dares to look at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to give her a warm smile</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hope to calm her down, make her realize you aren&quot;t going to hurt her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and, for once, it seems to work</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she lowers her hoof, showing the rest of her tearstained face</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now that she has calmed down, you pick up the gauze, tape, and antibiotic cream</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks at your hands warily, but seems to know that whatever it is, it&quot;s going onto her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;god, you really hope this cream doesn&quot;t burn&quot;</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok, hon. I&quot;m gonna need you stand up and stay still for me, ok?&quot;<br /><br />----<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a lot harder to apply all of this stuff than you you thought it would be</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thankfully, the antibiotic cream doesn&quot;t sting when you put it on</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack still braced herself against the wall anyway, though</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she actually seemed a little surprised when she realized that it didn&quot;t hurt when you applied it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;poor girl probably thought you were going to make even more pain for her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;wrapping the gauze around her rump and affixing it on both of her flanks with the tape wasn&quot;t easy, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you had to avoid putting gauze over either of her private spots, so you did vertical strips of gauze beside them instead</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once you got down to her legs, it was a lot less awkward, though</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it kind of looks weird once you&quot;re finished</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but hey, it got the job done</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all finished, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now, it just needs to heal</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put away what&quot;s left of the cream, tape, and gauze under the bathroom sink</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you scoot yourself around to get a better look at her face, which is hidden between her hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still bracing herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you clear your throat</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok, Applejack. It&quot;s all done.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she lifts up her head, and sighs deeply</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, this time without you having to remind her, she takes her hooves off the wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;stands up straight</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile</span><br /><br />&quot;You did great, hon. Thank you so much for cooperating all this time, even though I know it hurt a lot&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she nods her head, and bows it down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still not looking directly at you, but she does turn her body a little bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;facing the corner to your right</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it suddenly occurs to you that she never seems to look right at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;barely a glance every now and then, but that&quot;s it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;unless you tell her to, that is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ll have to work on that later</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;for now, you have to tell her a few things</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you might as well tell her to look at you while you say them</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, look at me for a minute, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s eyes get bigger for a moment, and her ears twitch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but, just like every other time you&quot;ve told her to do something, she does it with little hesitation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stay kneeling, not wanting to tower over her in a domineering way</span><br /><br />&quot;Good. Now, those scars are going to take time to heal, ok? So, I need you not to touch those bandages, be very careful if you want to sit down, and not exert yourself too much, ok? Those bandages need to stay on.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you give her the instructions with a level voice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;firmly enough, but there&quot;s no need to &quot;hammer it in&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she does nothing less than try her best to remember everything you told her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sure enough, she replies in a grave tone</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I understand.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you inwardly fist pump</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, now that&quot;s settled</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this long, horribly awkward cleaning session is over</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, you&quot;re gonna help this mare out in any way that you can</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t wait for what you&quot;re going to show her next</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even the thought of the car accident only hours before seems to fade in your mind</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wave her toward you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she understands the silent gesture, and approaches you, but stays at a distance</span><br /><br />&quot;Good. Now, follow me, ok? Let me show you your new room.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;s right down the hall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;conveniently close to the bathroom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s not a big room, and not a big bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but somehow, you doubt that will be a problem</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack follows you at a short distance, maybe two feet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so when you open the door to her room, she doesn&quot;t automatically go in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have to point inside</span><br /><br />&quot;Come on, take a look!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack purses her lips together, and nods silently</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she slinks up to you, standing on the other side of the doorway, watching you closely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;jeez, it&quot;s like she&quot;s expecting you to kick her if she fails some kind of test you&quot;re giving her, or something</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a step back and give her all the room she needs</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she steps into the doorway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and freezes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look down at her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the seconds tick by</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and holy cow, she&quot;s still not moving</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, you see her front legs shake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re about to say something, ask her if something is wrong</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you even look in the room with her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;half expecting some horror you weren&quot;t aware of to be residing in the room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;I mean, you haven&quot;t used this room in a while, so&quot;&quot;</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot; have a bed?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she asks the question in a mutter</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;barely above a whisper</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she chokes on the word &quot;bed&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your heart flutters in your chest</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;god, this hurts...</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you nod</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Applejack. It&quot;s all yours!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she continues to stand there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and stare</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and stare&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just&quot; in shock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She hiccups</span><br /><br />&quot;But&quot; I haven&quot;t done anything yet&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she sounds so surprised</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, you can&quot;t help smiling</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but that smile quickly turns into a grimace</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s so shocked that she gets to sleep in a bed&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thinks she has to &quot;earn&quot; something so basic</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something you take for granted</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something happens to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have an urge to do something that you were hesitant to do before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is standing right next to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your hand is right there behind her head</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you bite your lip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tense your whole body, hoping she won&quot;t freak out</span><br /><br />&quot;It&quot;s alright, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you reach out, and put your hand on her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as expected, she tenses up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;gasps</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her eyes dart over to you for an instant</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you don&quot;t withdraw your hand</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;instead, you slowly brush over her mane with your hand, down the length of her neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;feel her vertebrae faintly sticking out through her skin</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wince, but you don&quot;t stop</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pet her several more times</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she doesn&quot;t move</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, something happens that chills your blood</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ll never forget it</span><br /><br />&quot;Ohh&quot; I understand, An-non, I&quot; wh-where do you want me?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your hand stops mid pet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this time, you don&quot;t just think it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it slips out of your mouth in a low whisper</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh&quot; oh shit&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack heard you.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You feel her muscles twitch under her skin as she angles her ears in your direction</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you pull your hand away, she turns her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a worried look on her face</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold up your hands and take a step back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shaking your head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a deep breath with eyes closed, holding your head in your hands</span><br /><br />&quot;Uhh, Applejack&quot; I just&quot; what&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;somehow, this is the biggest bombshell yet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even bigger than when you saw the scars across her rear and legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;does she really mean&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it gets more unbelievable</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack turns around after a second of hesitation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hear her hoofsteps as she rotates around to face you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she speaks</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh, I-I understand, m-master Anon, I&quot; the bandages&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hear her take a step forward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;slowly, your eyes open up, but not before you feel something that jerks you to a state of alertness</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something tugs the fabric on your pants, and then, you hear the sound of your zipper being pulled down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;heart stopping, you look down to see Applejack right there, the head of the zipper in her teeth</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t help how your respond</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if you could do a redo, you would</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but your hands, formerly behind your head, fly down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and sharply, you swat her snout</span><br /><br />&quot;GAH! Applejack! No, no!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you flinch as soon as your hand connects</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s teeth come off of your zipper</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she yips, and her eyes go cross for a brief moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you didn&quot;t hit her hard, but when she stumbles back, you know you didn&quot;t have to</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stand there in shock, reeling back yourself</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack, thanks to the swat to her nose, has fresh new tears welling up in her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she covers her snout with a hoof</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and looks shamefully down at the ground</span><br /><br />&quot;I, I-I&quot;m sssorry, Anon, I&quot;m sorry! I&quot;m sorry, I thought&quot; I&quot;ll t-turn around&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can only stare in disbelief when she turns around and raises her tail</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and lowers the front of her body to the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your mouth gapes open, and you start furiously shaking your head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a loud shout preparing to escape your throat</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack looks over her shoulder, at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;through her teary eyes</span><br /><br />&quot;I can bend over the b-bed, mas--&quot;<br /><br />&quot;APPLEJACK, STOP!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the whole house falls completely silent</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;yet, it seems like your command is echoing around the hallway</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Instantly, before another word could get out, Applejack stopped</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you can see her muscles bulge with tension</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she cringes like she&quot;s just been kicked, and her tail clamps down over her privates</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stare down at her with your jaw slackened</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there are tears in your eyes when you see her expression</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;such fear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a look that implores you about what she&quot;s done wrong</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You bite your lips and calm yourself down from your outburst</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is still bent over</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her chin and cheek pressed against the carpet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she won&quot;t move</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;So, you&quot;re going to have to make her.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s for her own good</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;keeping your voice level, you address her after almost a minute of silence has passed</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, hon&quot; stand up. Stand up, and turn around.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as usual, you don&quot;t have to tell her twice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her legs quiver, obviously sore from maintaining such an uncomfortable position</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she does what you say</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;however, you didn&quot;t tell her to look at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, she doesn&quot;t, opting to gaze at the floor instead</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t even know how to respond</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all you had done was pet her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shown her some much-needed affection</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you never thought it would have led to this.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can tell Applejack is trying valiantly not to break down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there is a small red spot on her nose where you bopped her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you almost apologize, but you decide against it at the last second</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was disturbing how fast she had worked your fly down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you note, with a grimace, that she has obviously done it before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you had to stop her right away, and besides, you didn&quot;t actually hurt her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no blood was dripping out of her nose, thank goodness...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her soft voice, nearly a whisper, reaches your ears and pulls you out of your thoughts</span><br /><br />&quot;Master Anon, I---I&quot;m so sorry, p-please---&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t hear any more of this</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s too much</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cut her off right away, holding up your hand</span><br /><br />&quot;No, no. No, just&quot; just stop, Applejack. Please. I&quot;m not mad, I-I&quot; just&quot; just come here, hon. Come here.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you speak with as much softness as possible</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hold out your hand like you have something it it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;beckoning her toward you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you even get down on one knee</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack looks at you with terror in her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but despite herself, she takes the first, shivering step in your direction</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;blinking rapidly, breathing heavily</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a tear falls like a rock to the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but slowly, she approaches your outstretched hand</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you swallow hard</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there are no words you can think to say right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you&quot;re going to do something else, instead</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re not going to say a word</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack lowers her head in submission, and places it beneath your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and that&quot;s when you make your move</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lean forward, both arms outstretched</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, clasping down tightly, you hug her around her shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and pull her into you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the tension you feel in her entire body is unreal</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hard as stone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel her jump in place when your arms wrap around her</span><br /><br />&quot;Ahh! Ah, ah&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you briefly feel her body jerk backward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but just for a moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, gradually, you feel her settle more into you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her warm breath tickles your back, even through your t-shirt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her head is perched on your shoulder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you move one of your hands up to the top of her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and laying it into her silk-like mane you cradle her head</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you press your cheek against the side of her neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it feels so much like a normal horse</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you close your eyes, and at last, words make their way onto your tongue</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And then, hugging her tighter, you say them</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;words that you never would have dreamed you would ever say, to anyone</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m not going to rape you.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grasp the hairs of her mane in between your fingers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you dare to pet her head again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her coat still smells like fresh soap from your bath</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold her close, and begin to rock her from side to side</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sniffles, and you feel her chest heave</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you continue stroking her mane, and repeat yourself in whispers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she slowly starts to relax, and you feel just the slightest give in the skin of her neck</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m not going to rape you, alright? I&quot;m not going to rape you. I&quot;m&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, it happens</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a sob</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel it wrack her body in your hold</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then another</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a hot teardrop falls onto your back, and seeps through the fabric of your shirt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her body, formerly tense as a coiled spring, begins to melt into your arms</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;suddenly, you feel her weight pressing against you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she goes limp, and several sobs escape her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s pushing you backward, but you brace yourself on one knee and bear her weight</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in between cries, she tried to get something out</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot; I-I&quot; I&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, it all breaks loose</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she loses it, completely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what can only be described as a broken wail leaves her throat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her howls echo up and down the hallway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tortured cries, the result of so much anguish for so long, come flooding out</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t say a word.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you press yourself deeper into her body, and keep her secure</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her cries go on and on.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you sit in your chair</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;rotating a half empty bottle of beer in your hands</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a small lamp is the only thing lighting the room</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s getting late, but you can&quot;t sleep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack, on the other hand, had no trouble</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the poor pony had exhausted herself from crying so hard, for so long</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t even know if she really felt it when you picked her up and tucked her into her new bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were very careful to lay her on her side, and make sure that her damaged rear was not taking any of her weight</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and that was that.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You had to go to work tomorrow.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Not only that, but your line of work meant that you had to get up early</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you had to meet with your other four employees before you all drove to the work site</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you also had to go up the stone sales center and get another pallet of stone because you were close to running out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was a big patio, after all</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you were already running behind</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were hoping that your new pony would be able to pitch in some help</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;d show her the ropes, give her some simpler jobs to start out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;make sure she knew what she was doing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but now&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You couldn&quot;t take her up to the work site in this condition</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her hindquarters were whipped to hell, her body was thin, her mind&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, that was in the worst shape of all.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but could you possibly leave her here? All alone, for hours?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you almost think you should admit her to a hospital</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you really won&quot;t have much money to spare until you can finish this patio job</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and with the car accident, you know your premium is going to increase a ton</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know what to do.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this had been such a bad idea&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no. No it hadn&quot;t.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack had been through hell before she came to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you saved her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you saved her life.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you know, it&quot;s starting to occur to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;d left her in the same place for two hours</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;on a damn bathmat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and she hadn&quot;t moved</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hadn&quot;t done anything to your house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in fact, she&quot;d done exactly what you said</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;which only makes sense&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want to do it, but you&quot;re going to have to wake her up early</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she needs sleep, but you don&quot;t want her to wake up and find you totally gone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you thought of leaving a note, but that wouldn&quot;t be ideal</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you drain the rest of your beer and get up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s getting late, and maybe you&quot;ll be able to fall asleep eventually</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t take sleeping pills, because they make it almost impossible to get up the next morning</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;two hours later, after tossing and turning and nearly throwing your blanket right off the bed, you finally drift to sleep.</span><br /><br />-----<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the beep of your alarm rips you out of your slumber</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a sharp breath, you roll over and slap the top of the clock, and the beeping ceases</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you actually look at the clock, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you still had 30 minutes left or something</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you don&quot;t</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you groan</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;back to the old grind.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you roll out of bed and walk groggily to the bathroom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;yawning loudly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the light stings your eyes when you flip the switch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as usual, you splash some cold water on your face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it wakes you up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least, sort of</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you leave the light on and enter the hallway again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re going to whip up some breakfast...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know, you really might have forgotten</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were so groggy that you actually may have forgotten about the pony you had put to bed last night</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but lucky for you, when you exit the bathroom, she makes it impossible</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s standing right there, at the other end of the hall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;looking right at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the light coming out of the bathroom reflecting off of her huge, emerald green eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you freeze in place</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;practically stop mid yawn</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she points her nose at the floor, but angles her eyes up at you</span><br /><br />&quot;G-good morning, master Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The two of you meet eyes, and stare for a long while</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all you can really see well at first was the light gleaming off of her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the rest of her comes into the picture as your eyes adjust to the dark</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you tilt your head in surprise</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh. Well, hey. You&quot;re&quot; already up.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you rub your eyes and lean against the wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack nods her head, and stands up straighter</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master Anon. The sun was just starting to go up.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she almost sounds like a soldier</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;talking to her superior officer, or something</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you furrow your eyebrows and chuckle under your breath</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and yawn again</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh. So, is that when you, you know, normally get up?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;s a basic question</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you didn&quot;t intend to communicate anything other than what you asked</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you underestimate her nerves</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She lowers her head, and her posture slumps</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she asks you a question with a significantly diminished tone</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m sorry, di-id you want me up earlier? I haven&quot;t done any work yet, I&quot;m s&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She trails off</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and suddenly, it&quot;s back to yesterday&quot;s grind</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take your leaning arm off of the wall, and shake your head at her</span><br /><br />&quot;No, no, Applejack. Relax, ok? Take a deep breath.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;As usual, she takes your request as a demand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;breathes in deeply, and exhales deeply</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;stops herself mid-sentence</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when it appears she has calmed down, you continue</span><br /><br />&quot;Well, if I&quot;m honest, Applejack, I was going to let you sleep as long as you wanted this morning. I have to go to work early in the morning, and I was going to leave you a note letting you know where I was and letting you know what food I have for you to eat.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack listens to you intently</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but as you talk, you can see one of her eyebrows rising up in confusion</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks down at your feet, appearing to contemplate what you&quot;ve just said</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh, uh&quot; yes, Anon. But-&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she seizes up a bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you notice her look up at you as soon as the last word leaves her lips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like she&quot;s expecting you to rebuke her for talking back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, you&quot;re going to clear that up right now</span><br /><br />&quot;Go on, hon, what is it?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack seems to relax at your gentle tone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she licks her lips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and takes a step back</span><br /><br />&quot;I just&quot; what work do you want me to do, Anon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, this is getting a little bit complicated</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were planning on telling her yesterday why she was here</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;why you purchased her in the first place</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the whole everything yesterday had been such a clusterfuck you never got the chance.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Now, you had to explain it all early in the morning</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn, this week isn&quot;t starting off well</span><br /><br />&quot;Ehh, it&quot;s&quot; a little complicated right now, hon. Don&quot;t worry, I&quot;ll have work for you to do, I will, it&quot;s just&quot; I can&quot;t let you work in this state. Your rear end needs to heal, and you need to gain some weight back before I can let you work with me and my team.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You watch her face closely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;every word you say, for some reason, seems to be worrying her more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she stammers, falls silent, but then begins to say something back in reply</span><br /><br />&quot;I can work, Master, I can work. I can pull, I can carry, I can push&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m sure you can, Applejack. But now, you need to get rest. There is no way you&quot;re going to be working while those cuts are still healing. This stuff is good, hard work, and I&quot;m not having you get injured or having your cuts start weeping again. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You wait for her typical &quot;Yes, Anon, master sir your highness&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but surprisingly, this time, there&quot;s quite the delay</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s silently pondering everything to herself</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she licks her lips again, and her brow forms a V shape in between her eyes</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I&quot; Anon, I&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;ok, you really don&quot;t have time for this</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if she&quot;s going to be so obedient, you&quot;re going to just have to keep on taking advantage of it when it&quot;s for her own good</span><br /><br />&quot;No, Applejack. Stop. There&quot;s no discussion here. What I said is final, and I don&quot;t want to hear any more. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;wow, you sounded a little harsh</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you have to get going</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you haven&quot;t even gotten your coffee going, yet&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The expression Applejack makes is a pretty drastic change</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she communicates with her eyes low to the ground that she knows she&quot;s overstepped her bounds a bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can only imagine what her previous master's reaction would have been... then you stop imagining</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She shrinks back, lowering herself to the ground</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she nods, and says no more on the matter.</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is quiet for the next ten minutes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gingerly sits down at the table on a pillow-padded chair as you sip your coffee, absentmindedly eating your eggs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she eats the breakfast you&quot;ve laid out in front of her, but very slowly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks around the dimly lit room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you glance back and forth between your steaming mug, the clock on the wall, and the pony across the table from you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s a dejected look on her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a certain cloudiness in the whites of her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you poke the yolk of one of your eggs and watch it run out over the plate, but you don&quot;t eat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;watching her is making you lose your appetite</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, Applejack. You ok, hon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the lack of delay when she nods her head at you is surprising</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she bites her lip, and stands back on her hooves</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, A-Anon, I&quot;m fine. I&quot;m ok.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her posture changes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shoulders are broader, head held higher</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;legs straight</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like you&quot;ve snapped her out of something</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then it hits you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still trying to get you to change your mind</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;put on the air that she&quot;s ready to work.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She dare not ask you again, you know</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she&quot;s a smart girl.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still, you can&quot;t.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even though, for whatever reason, it&quot;s killing her spirits</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the pony needs rest and rejuvenation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the injuries she&quot;s sustained don&quot;t mix with dirt, sand, and stone dust</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head</span><br /><br />&quot;Look, hon. I know you said you want to work, and I&quot;m very happy to see you eager. The team and I could really use the help. But you can not, I repeat, can NOT work yet. I&quot;m sorry, but that&quot;s what has to happen. Ok, Applejack?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She folds her ears back, and her shoulders slump</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;every new word makes her shrink down even more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she nods anyway</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master Anon. I&quot; so I will work, though?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you puff air through your nostrils in a slight laugh</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you drop your fork onto the plate</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and give a good natured roll of your eyes, smiling</span><br /><br />&quot;Yees, Applejack. I promise. I promise you&quot;ll have plenty of work to do once you&quot;ve healed up and you don&quot;t look as skinny. And you can start by eating your breakfast now, ok? I mean, is everything on your plate alright?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you honestly aren&quot;t mad</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just perplexed, and maybe a bit amused</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, you don&quot;t have to worry about work ethic whatsoever</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;more than can be said than for a couple of your own guys</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lean your head in your hand</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack pauses and eyes her plate</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then she takes a little mouthful of her scrambled eggs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she chews, swallows, and nods her head</span><br /><br />&quot;It&quot;s good, Anon. Thank you.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Good. I&quot;m glad. I made sure there weren&quot;t any shells in it.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that gets a tiny smile out of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it disappears right away, but you notice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, you smile</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;another minute passes, and now you&quot;re starting to think</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she wants to work, that much is true</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you are going to have to leave her here alone for at least this week</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s not like there&quot;s an abundance of things to do</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and actually, even though you live here, when you are sick yourself, you get a little stir crazy, too.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;alright, Applejack. You win&quot; sort of.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you sigh, take the last bite of your breakfast, and get up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack flinches, and stares up at you now</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she watches you nervously as you open the drawer of your small end table</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a low stammer escapes her</span><br /><br />&quot;M-Master Anon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pull out a piece of paper, a pen, and tap your chin</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you begin to write</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok, Applejack. You may not be able to work with me now, but I&quot;m going to write a list of things for you to do, right here at home. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;paying close attention to her facial expression, you notice her ears perk up and angle towards you with intrigue</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her nervous frown fades</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know if she thought you were going to pull something else out of the drawer, or what</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know what&quot;s going through her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes you a minute or two to think of enough things to put up on the list</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;by the time you&quot;re done, you have five things</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a few of them are minor things that you just have there to keep her busy if that&quot;s what she wants</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the fifth, however, you added with an asterisk next to it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s some dirt involved</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You pick up the piece of paper and walk over to where Applejack is standing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you rotate the list in front of your chest so that it&quot;s facing her</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright. Now, Applejack, here&quot;s a list of some of the things that could be done around here. I&quot;m not home all that much lately because of all the work I have to do, but with you here&quot; maybe this stuff can finally get done.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you point at the first item and work your way down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is listening very attentively</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;paying close attention to every single word with wide eyes</span><br /><br />&quot;First, there&quot;s the kitchen floor. It needs some sweeping, but I&quot;ve got a broom and dustpan in the pantry. It&quot;s on the bottom shelf. Then, I have a bit of a dust problem in the house&quot; I, uhh, haven&quot;t gotten around to dusting in a long time, but I have a duster in the laundry room. I&quot;ll get it for you.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack nods after each item, uttering a quick &quot;Yes, Anon&quot; each time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you continue</span><br /><br />&quot;Thirdly, and this is really not something you have to do if you don&quot;t want to, hon, but the bathroom we were in last night could use some extra scrubbing. I have a handled brush and a load of cleaning soap under the sink, but if you don&quot;t want to do that, that&quot;s fine. Just make sure you keep your bandages clear, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack nods enthusiastically</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I&quot;ll be careful.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Good. Now, I also have some dirty dishes that need cleaning. They&quot;re in the broken dishwasher. The sink&quot;s right up there, and I got a nice wide stepladder propped up against the kitchen wall right over there so you can reach the counter. Just take your time, be careful, and don&quot;t feel any pressure, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack purses her lips together, and nods her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks over at the stepladder, following your gaze</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have a feeling she&quot;ll be alright</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, for the final item</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a deep breath</span><br /><br />&quot;Good, Applejack. Now, this last one, you most DEFINITELY don&quot;t have to do right now. But I wanted to leave it on the table just in case. My flowerbeds&quot; well, they&quot;re in bad shape. In fact, basically everything in there is a weed. If you can salvage any of the flowers in there, leave them, but I won&quot;t be upset if you ripped basically all the plants in the beds out of there. There&quot;s clover, dandelions, crabgrass, and all kinds of other crap sitting in there, growing taller and taller. Now, the really important thing here, Applejack, is that you have to do whatever you can to make sure that no dirt gets on those bandages. If you think you might, don&quot;t do it, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack follows your eyes around the edge of the walls, getting an idea of how many beds of dirt and weeds you have around the house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s very attentive</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the pony nods her head, a little slower this time, and glances over her shoulder back at her rear with a swish of her tail</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I understand.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You smile</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;setting the list down on the kitchen table, you kneel down in front of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and despite her flinch, you put your hand under her chin</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you speak softly, making eye contact</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok. Now, listen to me, ok? If you don&quot;t want to do this stuff today and decide that you want to rest, that&quot;s perfectly alright. And if you aren&quot;t sure of what to do or forget how to do something after I show you how, please don&quot;t feel like you have to do it today. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hesitates for a moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her nod is slower, but her eyes show understanding</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you really, really want to stress to her that she isn&quot;t going to be in trouble if she doesn&quot;t get all of these things done today</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you honestly hope she doesn&quot;t get any of them done today, especially not after what happened yesterday</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;pony needs some well deserved rest</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but for some reason</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know, just a hunch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you think she won&quot;t just sleep today</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s ok.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this isn&quot;t strenuous stuff.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;ll be fine.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s voice cuts through your ruminations</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I understand.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And that&quot;s that.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You&quot;ve got fifteen minutes before you have to leave</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not a lot of time to give detailed directions</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you'll have to make do...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It's gonna be ok.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It had taken twenty minutes to fully explain everything to Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it was alright.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s not like you were actually on a strict timetable day to day</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hell, you were the employer, and it&quot;s not like you&quot;d never been a tad late before</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack had not disappointed you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;remaining attentive as ever</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You had spent those extra five minutes drilling it into her head that it was ok not to do things today</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you think she had understood&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, you were going to try and get things done quickly today.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sometimes, you all met at the house or worksite, and sometimes, you all met at your own driveway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wished you&quot;d agreed to meet at the latter</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;would have given you some extra sleep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;goodness, you were exhausted right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;probably the sleeping pills still wearing off</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ll get through it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as usual, highway traffic sucked</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;added an extra twenty minutes to the trip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you&quot;d factored that in already</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hoped your employees did the same</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were the first to arrive, as usual</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not because they were late, but because you were early</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as with most of your clients, the house is pretty huge</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;around back is the project your team has been working on</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t see it from the front, and it&quot;s a bit of a trek from the driveway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s made it a pain to get all those pallets of stone onto the patio ground</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as well as the wheelbarrows full of gravel and sand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no wonder you&quot;re so far behind schedule</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hop into the bed of your truck and retrieve a few of the tools you&quot;ll need</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a shovel, a few bags of stone dust, a hammer and chisel, and a big stone saw</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;carrying the bags, you walk around</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and there it is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the nightmare</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the project from hell</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the patio is pretty huge</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;three different levels of light red sandstone, each level about five inches above the one below it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the whole thing is rectangular in shape, with a medium height border wall all around it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or, at least, there will be one</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the worst thing are the pillars in the middle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they&quot;re all covered in stone fragments on the bottom foundation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;those stone fragments might look haphazard, but holy hell, they are difficult to cut</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes a lot of expertise and skill, as well as time, to do them right</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they can be all different shapes, but they have to be around the same size</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;cut from raw stone chunks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;also, they have to jut out the same distance from the pillar, so they have to be the same thickness</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s been a time vacuum unlike anything you ever expected</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look over the the ground beside the patio, where the raw stone chunks are lying down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;man, the last thing you want to hear&quot;</span><br /><br />-----<br /><br />&quot;Boss, we gon&quot; need more stone.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this project isn&quot;t a nightmare.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a night terror.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stare blankly at the man standing across from you, pointing at the pillars with his open hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel the air stop in your lungs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying to process</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hoping he&quot;s joking</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but he&quot;s not.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you bring a hand up to your face, trying to hide your bubbling anger</span><br /><br />&quot;Alfredo&quot; Alfredo, I just bought whole new pallet last week, man! Can&quot;t you just&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you trail off when he shakes his head at you, an apologetic look in his eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he gestures to the pillars again</span><br /><br />&quot;There&quot;s not enough, boss. &quot;s not enough, have to cut too much&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you groan, and take a step back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you couldn&quot;t believe it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Alfredo was a fantastic worker</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and not only that, he was a skill stonecutter and mason</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pay him very well</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he&quot;s very good at what he does</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;which is why it hurts</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;because you know he&quot;s right.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that was easily another 1.5 grand you&quot;re going to have to put into this project</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you&quot;ve already gotten more stone not one, not two, but three times</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you seriously underestimated this project</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;those damn pillars&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;fuck it.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re not going to worry about those for today</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wave your hand at the pillars like you&quot;re shooing away a fly</span><br /><br />&quot;Ahh, don&quot;t worry about that for today, Alfredo. Let&quot;s just join Paco and Aaron and focus on getting those other pallets of stone unloaded for sitting wall, ok? I&quot;ll get more stone pieces tomorrow.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Alfredo shrugs his shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;adjusts his gloves on his hands, sets down the chisel in his hand, and walks over to an empty wheelbarrow</span><br /><br />&quot;Ech, alright, boss.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you sigh</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you&quot;ll ever get this patio done, you have no idea</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no timetable</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is going to be a looong day&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn, your legs were sore</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it hurt to even step on the brake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;better wheelbarrows are yet another thing you&quot;re going to have to add to your list of things to get</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the ones you have now are creaky, and tip over if you look at them funny</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still, focusing all your attention on the sitting wall on the outside of the patio was a good idea</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;d finished a good chunk of it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even managed to affix some of it with mortar</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all you needed were the capstones, now, and you&quot;d be able to finish it hopefully by the end of Wednesday</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;truthfully, you could have gotten more done</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you didn&quot;t want to wait too long</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was hard to work while you were distracted, anyway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the thought of the orange pony at home, all alone for hours, made you call it quits by 2:30</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your fellow workers hadn&quot;t complained, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this was tough work</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;also on the plus side, the traffic wasn&quot;t as bad yet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were almost home after only thirty minutes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you do arrive, you wait in the truck for a minute while you sip the rest of the gatorade bottle you purchased on the way back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you take a few deep breaths</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you aren&quot;t sure what you&quot;re going to see</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but whatever it is, you&quot;re going to try to prepare for it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you empty the bottle, throw it in an old grocery bag, and hop on out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;both of your feet feel like lead weights in your muddy, steel-toed boots</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you kick the dirt off the bottoms, take them off, and reach for the doorknob</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, you pause</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;suddenly, you realize that there&quot;s something different</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were so tired that you almost didn&quot;t see it, but it hits you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look at the beds of dirt on either side of the door</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they&quot;re clear.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;before, there was a jungle of weeds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but now, it&quot;s just brown dirt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you can also see, as you look down the front wall, that there is a huge pile of leaves and debris</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all of the crap that was once in those flowerbeds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and at first glance, you can also see the roots on the plants, still covered in dirt</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;holy cow, she actually did it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it wasn&quot;t a half-assed job, either</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she went all out, made sure to get to the deepest roots she could</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a smile spreads across your lips</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;somehow, deep down, you expected this</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You couldn&quot;t wait until she could really work with you and your team</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;someone with her work ethic, with her drive&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was amazing</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you open the front door, and step inside</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you didn&quot;t think that the mood in the air could change so quickly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so dramatically</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but as soon as you enter, your smile disappears</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the first thing you notice is the total silence</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like the very air has gone still</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know why, but your hairs stand on end</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a prickling chill travels up your spine</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there isn&quot;t a single peep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not even your air conditioning is running at the moment</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Something is wrong.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as quietly as you can, you set your work boots down beside the door, and close the front door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the air around you feels oppressive</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;weighing you down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you call out, quietly</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack? I&quot;m home. Where are you?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you walk further in, past the couch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no response</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your stomach starts churning</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try again</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack? Hon, you there?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still nothing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, she must not be inside the house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then it hits you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Of course! She must be working outside</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you exhale a breath you&quot;d been holding inside of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;nothing to worry about! She was just hard at work, that was all.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you walk over to the sliding glass door at the opposite end of the room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the blinds are partly closed, letting only some of the sunshine through</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it draws a thick column of light on the carpet, slicing the room in half</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you almost miss it as you walk over</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the light is so bright, it practically washes it out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you see the glistening out of the corner of your eye, you turn your head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you see it there, lying on the floor</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;plate shards.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they&quot;re lying in a neat pile, and lying in the metal dustpan</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;out in plain view</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s a big stack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and there&quot;s something else you notice</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the shards are put back in the shape of the plates</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that is, as best as they CAN be put together</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you can see that there are five plates in total that have been shattered</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, you eyes travel to a piece of paper</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s lying beside the dustpan</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and there&quot;s word scribbled onto it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;gulping, and feeling a sinking in your stomach, you pick it up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and read the words printed on the middle of the page</span><br /><br />&quot;Master Anon,<br />I am waiting in your room.<br />Applejack&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the words leave your lips in a whisper</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you read them over silently in your head several times</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eyes switching between the shards of the plates and the note in your hand, until finally, you turn around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and look down the hallway, toward the end</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you clap eyes on your bedroom door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and though you left it open this morning, it is closed.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with every inhale you take, your intestines twist up into knots</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was the forlorn frankness of those words that made your heart ache the most</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the resignation</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you let the paper fall to the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it flutters down and lands on top of the shard stack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, closing your eyes, you start down the hallway</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;to the pony surely awaiting doom.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;only wearing socks makes your steps very quiet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;especially on the carpet floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know very well you will startle her if you open the door too quickly again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and right now, startling her might induce a panic attack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t imagine what went through Applejack&quot;s head when the plates broke</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you reach the door, you listen very closely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;expecting maybe to hear her crying from the other side of the door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you don&quot;t even hear that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that makes you nervous</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;is she sleeping?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;is she hiding somewhere else?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or maybe she&quot;s already made a run for it, hoping to buy herself some time with her note?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all seem very unlikely, but&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;clenching your teeth, you knock on the door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;only a few times, and not too hard</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying so hard not to convey anger or aggression in any way</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, Applejack? Are you in there, hon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your head leans in, and you press your ear against the wood</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at first, you can&quot;t pick up anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in fact, you almost ask again</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the cracked, choked voice, with just a hint of its now familiar country twang, pipes up from the other side of the door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and takes the breath out of your lungs</span><br /><br />&quot;Y-y&quot;..yes, Master, Ano&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s so shaky, she can&quot;t even get the last consonant out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cringe</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you reach down, turn the doorknob and begin to push the door open</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That&quot;s when you hear her gasp</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s accompanied by a sob</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel your eyes water a bit just hearing that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you keep your voice calm and collected</span><br /><br />&quot;It&quot;s ok, Applejack. It&quot;s ok. I&quot;m not angry, ok, hon?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you inch the door forward a little more</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;somehow, you can sense her flinch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lick your lips nervously</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;finally, you gently let the door swing open</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you stand in the entrance</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there she is, sure enough</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;beside your bed, on the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s lowered her face to the floor, burying her nose in the carpet and resting uncomfortably on her knees</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;whole body pressed into the floor like she&quot;s trying to disappear</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her face is streaked with red</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so many lines of dried tears that they are one big blotch on her cheeks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s shivering visibly from where you&quot;re standing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you open your mouth, about to say something</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you stop</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your mouth stays open, jaw hanging loose when you see what&quot;s lying on the ground in front of her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a stick, thick as your finger and longer than your arm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;an old belt of yours, one of the ones you leave on the floor of your closet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and a large, heavy kitchen spoon</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she doesn&quot;t look at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;closing her eyes, waiting</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s shuddering without cries</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can only stare</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eyes fixed on the things on the floor, laid out in a row</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a sharp, stabbing pain hitting you in the gut</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack cringes, and starts to speak</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;voice just as cracked, broken</span><br /><br />&quot;P-Please, don&quot;t&quot; Master, please don&quot;t g-get rid of me&quot; please!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she opens her eyes, and that&quot;s when the tears spring loose</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;staring at the stick in front of her, not daring to even look up</span><br /><br />&quot;A-Anything, please don&quot;t&quot; Master, please don&quot;t, I-I&quot;ll do anything, punish me, but please, Master please don&quot;t get rid of me&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She clumsily begins to stand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, with a broken, choked whine, she bends herself over your bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her back hooves don&quot;t touch the carpet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;watching in silent shock, your eyes widen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her bandages are not there anymore</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they&quot;re laid out on the floor behind her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her scarred, bare skin is exposed to the air again</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hides her eyes between her front hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;throws her tail off to the side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and gives one last shuddering sob before lying still</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and with that, and you standing still as a statue, silence takes over</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the shock settles in.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, though, you do come to your senses</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and when you look down again, you see she hasn&quot;t moved</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hasn&quot;t looked over at you despite the fact you&quot;ve been standing there for&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, a while, you think.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you eyes drift back to those marks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;open to the air once again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, you feel a bit of frustration bubble up inside of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you bite your lips</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re going to have to dress them up all over again only one day later</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were hoping your arrangement would last at least two days</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold your head in your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is shivering</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sobbing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;actually expecting you to pick up one of those items on the floor and use it on her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;for breaking some plates</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was so sad to think about</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it feels weird that the first words you speak are a question</span><br /><br />&quot;I, uh&quot; what happened to your bandages, hon? I thought I told you to keep them on.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you said it as gently as you could</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;practically cooing the words</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as soon as you ask the question, you cringe and hold yourself back from punching yourself in the cock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you maybe, just maybe, should have reassured her that you weren&quot;t going to hurt her FIRST</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now she probably thinks it&quot;s just another thing you&quot;re going to punish her for</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you open your mouth, about to do just that, but it&quot;s too late now as Applejack begins to stammer</span><br /><br />&quot;I-I got dirt on them, M-Master, I&quot;m ss-sorry! I&quot;m so sorry, I&quot;m&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack continues to look forward at the wall, straightening her back legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she sobs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your stomach sinks, and you close your eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this was horrible.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold up your hand as she begins to hyperventilate, gripping the comforter tightly while she crosses her hooves behind her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were going to end this, right now</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, please, please calm down, hon! I&quot;m not going to punish you!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at first, you aren&quot;t totally sure she heard you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still breathing shallow, tensed as a compressed spring</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but a few seconds later, there&quot;s a change in the rhythm of how she&quot;s crying, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t put your finger on it exactly, but somehow something is just&quot; different</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her breathing seemed to be coming from a deeper place</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you look down at the floor, your jaw clenches when you see the spoon, belt, and stick lying there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a quiet step forward, trying not to startle poor Applejack again, and gather all of the things in one hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all the while you stare at Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you toss the belt back into your open closet, and then walk toward the open door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the sound of the heavy piece of leather hitting the floor makes Applejack yelp, and you wince in silent apology</span><br /><br />&quot;Shh, it&quot;s alright, hon! Now, I&quot;m gonna go put this spoon back in the kitchen and&quot; well, throw this stick out into the yard. So you just stay there, ok? I&quot;ll be back. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel a little like you&quot;re talking to a small child right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a small, abused, neglected child</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you seriously hope it&quot;s already sunken in that she isn&quot;t in for a beating</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But thankfully, you see Applejack nod</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hide her dripping nose under her front hooves, and sinking into the mattress</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s still crying, but not as hard</span><br /><br />&quot;Y---Yes, Anon, I&quot;ll stay&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;alright, good</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you leave the room with the door open and immediately head to your kitchen, where you drop the spoon on the counter</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you probably won&quot;t be looking at that spoon the same way ever again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you lazily throw the stick out through the half open glass door and slide it back shut</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now, it&quot;s just a matter of the bandages</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you go to the bathroom and take out the gauze and cream again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thankfully it&quot;s a big roll</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;ll last you long enough for today</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;however, the bottle of cream is a little less than half full</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;guess you&quot;ll have to spread it thinner</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, you also notice that bottle of rubbing alcohol and some cotton balls there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hesitating, you do eventually grab those, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;depending on what you see, you might end up having to use it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know you said you wouldn&quot;t punish her, but you aren&quot;t putting her back in the bathtub for a smaller affected area</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;alcohol would be easier, then, but&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;crossing your fingers despite everything in your hands, you walk back into the room.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you aren&quot;t surprised that Applejack hasn&quot;t moved</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you make sure to announce your presence so you don&quot;t startle her</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, hon. I&quot;m back.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she jumps a bit, but not too badly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sniffles, and tenses up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her tail is still off to the side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you see what you&quot;re going to have to do, and it&quot;s deja vu from last night</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this pony may be high maintenance, but it&quot;s not something that she can help</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she speaks very softly</span><br /><br />&quot;Y-Yes, Anon&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you set down the rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, antibiotic cream, gauze and tape down on the bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in her view</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you want her to know what you&quot;re doing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lean forward so you are closer to her face</span><br /><br />&quot;I gotta do what I did last night again, ok? I&quot;ve got the rest of the cream here I used last night, but I&quot;m not sure it&quot;s gonna be enough. I might have to use a little rubbing alcohol, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hears that, and you see her eyes widen a bit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she darts her eyes over to the materials you dropped on the bed, and sees the bottle there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can see a small shiver travel up her spine</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and nods her head in acceptance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;despite the fact that she clearly knows what it&quot;ll mean for her</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon&quot; I understand, I-I&quot; I slipped, a-and it&quot; it&quot; I really messed up, Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Tears come back to her eyes, and they add to the dampness on the blanket under her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wince, and slowly, you look back over at her flanks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;taking a much closer look, you feel the breath catch in your ribs</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn it.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sure enough, a good amount of dirt and dust got past the bandages on a couple of spots, on the left hindquarter</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That little bit left of the cream isn&quot;t going to be able to get all of that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and besides, you can&quot;t just stick the cream on the dirt and let the particles just sit in there with open marks like this</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;son of a bitch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you NEVER should have given her that weeding job</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even though she had done a fantastic job&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, it&quot;s too late now.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Technically, she hadn&quot;t been careful like you said, made an honest mistake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but now, she was going to have to go through some more pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you really didn&quot;t want to do this</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;maybe you could do the bathtub routine again&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no, this was faster.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;d survive.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was going to be alright</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gently set a hand on the back of her head, through her blonde mane</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, hon. I&quot;m just gonna do it. It&quot;ll sting a lot, but it won&quot;t last long, I promise. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hides her snout between her hooves, eyes still closed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks afraid, but her nod and voice are resolute</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master Anon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile just a tad, and pet her head once before picking up the bottle of rubbing alcohol</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you carefully unscrew the cap, place a cotton ball over the opening, and tip the bottle back and forth to moisten it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you get down on one knee, and do another survey of the damage</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know, with the bandages on you&quot;d almost forgotten exactly how the marks looked</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you wanted to forget</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;whoever did this to her didn&quot;t punish her, they tortured her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, with the ball of alcohol soaked cotton in your fingers, you realize with a pause that you are going to make her re-experience some of that pain, all over again</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you bit your lip, hard</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you take a gentle hold of her left leg</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;quickly, you explain yourself to her</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m holding this to make sure that you don&quot;t kick me on accident, ok? I&quot;m gonna start now.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack mutters another &quot;Yes, Anon&quot; under her hooves, and you feel the muscles in her leg harden</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shit, you feel so bad right now</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, finally, you press the cotton ball into one of the many cuts and begin gently dabbing and swiping the dirt away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s shoots up from the blanket, and a loud gasp escapes through her clenched teeth</span><br /><br />&quot;AaAAH! Ahow, ow!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel her left leg twitch in your hand, kicking out lightly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her hoof flexes around your palm, and her other leg thumps the side of the bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a sob escapes her as you continue, trying to work as fast as possible</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and suddenly, her crying gets much louder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her voice breaks, and a howl leaves her throat</span><br /><br />&quot;Na, AHAaahaa, ooowwaaa! AH, M-Master, MASTER!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your hand freezes, and your blood runs cold.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know why, but there&quot;s just something different about it this time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the way Applejack&quot;s voice broke, the way she&quot;s shaking her head and suddenly having muscle spasms</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know alcohol hurts, but this&quot;</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Master, please no, nonoonono! NO MORE PLEASE! I&quot;M SORRY I&quot;M SOORRYYY!! AAA! NOO!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her leg is pulling away from your holding hand, and she&quot;s grasping at the blanket</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the cotton ball falls from your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;holy shit, she&quot;s hysterical</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;mouth gaping open with horrifying cries of anguish</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re frozen, brain trying to process what you&quot;re seeing and hearing</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I can&quot;t take it! I CAN&quot;T TAKE NO MORE, I-I CAN&quot;T, PLEASE! MASTER NOO, NOHOHOOO! I&quot;M SORRY I&quot;M SORRY AAAGHA PLEASE STOOOP!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack bucks her legs, and writhes on the bed, flaying all her limbs in a frenzied panic</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You get hit by her other leg on the shoulder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and holy hell, does it hurt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That&quot;s what jolts you out of whatever trance you were in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a grunt, you suddenly spring to your feet, and you scramble to try and bring Applejack under control</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s rolling back and forth, pulling herself forward over the bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all the while howling and raving at the top of her lungs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;totally losing it</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you place your hands on her back, and try to get a hold of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s flailing around and disheveling the blanket beneath her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tears are pouring out of her, almost incoherent from sobbing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;begging and begging for the pain to stop</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you call out over her cries, trying to direct them to her ears</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack! Stop, stop! Hon, what&quot;s going on? Calm down, calm down! APPLEJACK!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she isn&quot;t stopping, though</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;instead, she starts saying something else</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s making the hairs on your arms stand up</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I-I&quot;ll--be a good girl, I&quot;LL BE A GOOD GIRL! Please no more I&quot;ll be a good girl I&quot;m sorry Master, pleasepleaseplease I&quot;m sorry&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her voice is cracking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s more breathy than before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;slurred, exhausted</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;trying to be loud, but she&quot;s just not strong enough</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her head rolls back and forth on the bed, mouth agape</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;gasping out the words &quot;please&quot; and &quot;good girl&quot; over and over</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s like she&quot;s not even aware that you&quot;re there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like she doesn&quot;t know where she is</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;distant, like she&quot;s in a different world</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wave your hand in front of her face, but she looks right through it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her cries go from loud to soft, then back to loud again, cycling back and forth</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this wasn&quot;t the alcohol</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this was a full on panic attack unlike anything you&quot;ve ever witnessed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her gasping, sobbing and writhing in your hold chills you to the bone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your brain races a mile a minute</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;water.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;cold water. You needed it right now.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Springing into action, you let go off Applejack&quot;s relentlessly struggling body and sprint to the kitchen</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grab a big glass and fill it with the tap before rushing back, not caring about the spillage in the hall</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is covering her head and splaying her hind legs open, kicking them into the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still pleading, sobbing wretchedly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you brandish the glass of cold water, step aside of her legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, having a clear shot to her face, you chuck the content of the glass onto her</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the splash makes a wet slap as it hits her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and a short, sharp scream rips out of her throat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, in the following seconds, her broken howls and cries for mercy suddenly cease</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her legs, which had been kicking like a rodeo bull, collapse with a thump onto the bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and her head, at last, stops lolling from side to side as she affixes the ceiling above her with her wide, emerald eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her breathing is still shallow and panicked, but even that begins to slow as the seconds crawl by</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your hand trembles as it grips the now empty glass</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stare down at her with eyes just as wide as hers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;besides her heavy breathing, the room is silent</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, you dare to approach her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hearing you take a step, Applejack&quot;s head whips around, and her eyes lock onto you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her entire face is streaked red</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when she sees you standing there, she freezes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;chest heaving, the individual ribs poking out through the skin of her belly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you set the glass down on the blanket, all the while looking at her back</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;unlike before, now, you can see that she is truly seeing you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s no longer distant, far away</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack had been in a totally different world</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The pieces are coming together in your mind</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hadn&quot;t been talking to you.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she didn&quot;t even know you were there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in an instant, her entire world had been consumed with agony</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you knew just whose fault it was.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to smile, but it dies away into a concerned frown</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you break the silence hanging like a noose in the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack looks at you with fear and apprehension in her eyes</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack&quot; It&quot;s gonna be ok, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s mouth hangs open</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hasn&quot;t even attempted to wipe some of the drops of water from her face even though it&quot;s dripping</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes blink rapidly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but encouragingly, her chest isn&quot;t heaving so hard anymore</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes never leave you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shoulders slumping back, she brings her legs closer to her stomach</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;curls up, and partially hides her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s shivering, now</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you inch forward toward her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;approach from the side so she can fully see you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you want no surprises for her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this pony is just so fundamentally broken, you aren&quot;t even sure what to do</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, hon? Are you going to be ok?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what she just went through scared the hell out of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what if the water hadn&quot;t worked?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;how would you have been able to get her out of her episode?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were seconds away from calling 911</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;would they even take a pony?</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you listen intently, hoping that Applejack will answer you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes keep drifting back to her flanks and rear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all of the words she had screamed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;pleading, over and over again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;words barely even decipherable</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now, you knew what true torture sounded like</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack? Hon, it&quot;s ok, you&quot;re safe, nothing is gonna happen to y&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s voice, barely above a whisper, stops your words dead in their tracks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they barely make it through the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she says them with a deep exhale</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a sigh of defeat</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I ain&quot;t worth it.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she curls up into a tighter ball</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tries to cover her head from your view</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you watch and listen as she wearily speaks sounding completely exhausted</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I ain&quot;t worth this&quot; your money, y---your time. I ain&quot;t nothing.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she cringes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you don&quot;t hear any more cries</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;see any more tears</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not a sob, not a sniffle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the defeat in her voice is total</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just&quot; absolute</span><br /><br />&quot;I don&quot;t want to live anymore. I can&quot;t&quot; th-there&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack rests her cheek on the blanket</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still no tears</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just resoluteness, conviction</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her whole body is limp</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like putty</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all the tension in her legs, all the resistance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s gone</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m sorry&quot; Don&quot;t waste no more on me, M-Master. Just&quot; kill me, however you want, torture, starve me&quot; lemme die&quot; I won&quot;t be no more trouble. I&quot;m sorry...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gently closes her eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks like she&quot;s trying to fall asleep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her entire body ceases all movement</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a display of total submission</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not to your demands, but to the consequences</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;torture, starvation, it doesn&quot;t matter what you have the power to do to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s given up.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stare, blankfaced</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the stubborn, enthusiastic pony of just this morning, now lifeless in front of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you can sense a sob rising in your throat</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;right now, you were her last hope.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she had none left</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s just hitting you that you are talking to someone who is suicidal</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;someone in a state of mind that warranted hospitalization&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she was a pony.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;mental issues? Suicidality?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they wouldn&quot;t take her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;whoever her master is, that was their problem to deal with</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and other masters?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they&quot;d just sell her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hope to make a quick buck, cut their losses, and pass a broken soul over to the next man unfortunate enough to&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;to&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You were that next man.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Those tubby fat fucks in the car the day they&quot;d dropped Applejack off</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they knew from the start</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the only victim here wasn&quot;t you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was the pony in front of you</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;against all odds, she had tried to work</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tried to endure the pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but now, she was lying down and waiting for you to kill her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hadn&quot;t been able to escape the agony of her past.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know how to answer her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s all so overwhelming</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you have to try.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lick your dry lips, and approach her unresponsive form</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;No, Applejack. You ARE worth it, hon. In so many ways&quot; and you know, I ain&quot;t just talking about the work you&quot;ve done. Which is amazing, by the way.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your voice is sincere</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;gentle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you don&quot;t even see as much as a twitch of her ear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gulp, and stay focused on your mind&quot;s current track</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have to speak calmly and carefully</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;You were&quot; I mean, I know I saw the scars and all, washed them&quot; but tonight, I actually heard the pain from you. Just&quot; hell. It was hell you went through, and you&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pause, keeping your emotions in check</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;...you&quot;re still here. Against all odds. And knowing what I know now&quot; I would have spent a fortune to rescue you from where you were. And it would have still been worth it. Hon&quot; you are a wonderful pony.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take a chance, and run your hand down the side of her neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she barely even flinches at your contact</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grimace, but continue petting</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I care about you, hon. I do. Not just as a master to his slave, but a man to a living, breathing creature who deserves kindness, dignity&quot; love. And I&quot;m not going to give up on you.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are taking what feels like a risk</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you are going to do it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t just reach her with words</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, you will try with the only other thing you can</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know why you do it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you begin to lift her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sliding a hand beneath her shoulders, and another below her tummy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her muscles, suddenly and for the first time, tense up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and a tiny, surprised gasp escapes her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you sit up, against the wall beside the bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, you pull her body into yours</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;placing her head on your chest</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wrap one arm around her withers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the other, you set gently atop her head</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s eyes flutter as you begin to run your hand through her mane</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her body, tense as a rock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she isn&quot;t resisting you at all</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, as the minutes drag on, and the silence stretches on</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the tension slowly ebbs away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;until finally, without a word, Applejack just accepts it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and with a long but soft exhale, she relaxes in your hold</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stay there with her, petting her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the sun starts to go down, light dimming through the window</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not a word is uttered by either of you</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you won&quot;t give up.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not now, not ever.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you refuse.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stay with her, not even noticing as the two of you fall asleep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her body held firmly against yours.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes flicker</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the room around you is totally dark</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;holy crap, how long have you been asleep in here?</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s when you remember</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack!</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look down, and sigh lightly with relief when you see her there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hasn&quot;t moved one inch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in fact, she&quot;s still just as limp</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she&quot;s breathing, so you&quot;ll take it&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;suddenly, the room lights up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a bright white flicker through the gaps in the blinds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, there&quot;s a faint rumble</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;oh noooo</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what the hell is this?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there weren&quot;t supposed to be thunderstorms, were there?</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is not good.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are a landscaper and a stone mason.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;rain is the devil.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as if you needed more delays on your project from hell&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the next boom of thunder is much, MUCH louder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it rattles the house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the flash of lightning is longer, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can faintly hear the leaves of the trees outside rustling with the rapidly picking up winds</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;greaaat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this was almost a guarantee to be a day&quot;s delay if this thing sticks around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know what time it is, either, but if it&quot;s early morning then it&quot;s all but guaranteed to set you back</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as the sounds of the storm pick up, you find yourself in a pickle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is still breathing softly in your arms, limp</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the hair of her mane flows down over your arms</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you need to check the time</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;another boom, and the wind continues to pick up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s it, you have to get up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sorry, Applejack</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;very slowly, you slip out from underneath her, supporting her head before letting it down onto the blanket</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she doesn&quot;t seem to wake up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;good</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you tiptoe out of the room, the flashes of lightning illuminating your path</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you go down the hall and take a look at the clock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stop a groan from leaving you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;4:45</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s early for most people, but not for you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look out the window, seeing the trees swishing back and forth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re gonna have to phone it in.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you walk over to the side table, next to your couch</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pick it up and swipe the lockscreen aside, cursing quietly to yourself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your workers aren&quot;t going to like not being paid tomorr&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You see the exclamation point.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a big fat red exclamation point</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s your weather alert app</span><br /><br /><br />TORNADO WARNING: FROM <span class="nu0">4</span>:<span class="nu0">40</span> PM -- <span class="nu0">5</span>:<span class="nu0">10</span> PM&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stare at the phone for a few seconds</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you look out the window, hairs raising on your arms</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the trees are swaying</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the lightning is picking up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look back down at the screen, and then click on the notification rectangle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it brings up the radar</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know how to read radar.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the little flag indicating your location is right to the northeast of the concentrated blip of yellow, red, and violet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and hanging right out the bottom of that blip, you see it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;almost right beside your location, maybe five minutes away at most</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a pronounced hook in the doppler, indicating strong tornadic rotation</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and it&quot;s right to your east</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your heart stops.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You stuff your phone in your pocket and fumble through the drawer of your end table</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pick out the flashlight from inside it and flip it on</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it is a bright ass flashlight, a 200 dollar one that turns night into day</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;guess it was a good purchase</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you run sprint down the hall and the turn the corner into the room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have absolutely no time to calmly wake Applejack up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sorry, hon</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack! Come on hon, we need to get moving, wake up!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your loud voice startles her awake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gasps, and her legs flail outward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes snap open and flutter open and closed as the light of the flashlight hits her face</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Ahh, ah, whaa&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br />&quot;Sorry, Applejack, but we need to get up, right now! Come on, come with me!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;time is ticking, and the storm is really brewing, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you begin shaking her with one arm on her shoulder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is clearly disoriented, but when you begin to shake her, she starts to scramble</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;vocalizing with loud exhales and emerald eyes wide with sudden fear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gets onto her knees and slides to the edge of the bed while you wave her toward you</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Wh-whaa, what&quot;s happening, what&quot;s going on! Master!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you help her to her hooves, your hands shaking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the wind swirls the leaves of the trees, and a boom of thunder rattles the whole house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you swiftly pull her forward alongside you, gritting your teeth</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You have no basement.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the most central room in your house without any doors or windows was the next best option</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and that means&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you talk down to the frightened pony as you move</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;We need to get to the bathtub, ok? Come with me Applejack, come on!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t shout, but your voice is urgent</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are having a lot of trouble staying calm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even if you hadn&quot;t seen radar, there was just something different about this storm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was sinister</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is so confused, and her worry is compounding</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she does what you say, letting herself be moved along</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she speaks with a crack in her voice</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Y-Yes, Anon, b-but I don&quot;t understand&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you book it down to the bathroom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t have time to feel bad as you pull Applejack into the bathroom with some force behind it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she yelps, but doesn&quot;t pull back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you flip on the light and set the flashlight down on the toilet seat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you reach under her shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack freezes, eyes widening</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Wh-what did I do, M-Mas&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br />&quot;No no, you&quot;re ok, Applejack! You did nothing wrong, but you need to get into the tub right now, ok? Here&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You lift her up with a grunt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;is she slightly heavier? You don&quot;t know</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;wouldn&quot;t be a bad thing for the skinny pony</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you don&quot;t have time to reflect</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack shakes as you set her down inside</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it would be deja vu of your first night, if it weren&quot;t for the current situation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;picking up the flashlight, you take the phone out of your pocket, kneeling down by the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you open the screen of the weather app and put your hand over Applejack&quot;s shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s quiet, but clearly unsettled, eyes darting all around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t want to tell her what&quot;s going on</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;poor thing is such a nervous wreck already, but telling her about a tornado?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hell, does she even know what those are?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if she had another panic attack, you wouldn&quot;t even know what to do</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Good, hon, just sit tight for a little while, ok? Just relax, you&quot;re not in trouble&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a massive boom of thunder, so loud it shakes the bathroom in the middle of your house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack yelps, and her legs go rigid</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you open the radar</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shit</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the storm is right on top of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;another exclamation point goes across the banner on top of the screen</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;TORNADO EMERGENCY: FROM 4:50 AM -- 5:00 AM&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your stomach flips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that is literally the worst notification possible</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that means a tornado is imminent</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s time to take action.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stick your phone back into your pocket, drop the flashlight into the tub, and put your leg inside</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack backs up, pressing her rump against the other tub wall as you climb in</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Master, what&quot;s going on? I&quot;m gettin&quot; real scared&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you can&quot;t show that to her openly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you get down on your knees, and motion for her to lay down</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, I know you&quot;re confused, but do what I say. Turn yourself around, and lay down. I&quot;m gonna climb over you. It&quot;s gonna be uncomfortable, but you need to stay still, hon. Trust me.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack stares intently at you, eyes locking in as soon as you tell her to do what you say</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she hesitates, but nods her head when you&quot;re finished speaking, looking nervous</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she turns around, tail pressed very tightly against her legs, and lays down with knees trembling</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know she&quot;s probably thinking the worst of your motivations right now, but she has to deal with it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as soon as she gets down, you climb on top of her and put your knees down on either side of her covering her body without smashing her down into the porcelain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is crying a little</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s it, you have to tell her what&quot;s happening.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she might think you&quot;re setting her up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;think you're going to do something awful to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;keeping her in the dark is not going to help anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you make sure your head is below the rim of the tub</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, hon&quot; there&quot;s a tornado coming. That&quot;s why we&quot;re here. We&quot;ll be ok, but stay real quiet.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you lower yourself down further until your body is lying right against hers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;from your position, you&quot;ve rendered her motionless</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel Applejack stiffen up beneath you, the muscles hardening to rock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she nods, very faintly in the confined space so she doesn&quot;t headbutt your chin</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Torna...Oh, oh no, noo&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she understood you.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, her head shrinks back, and she huddles in closer to you, getting as underneath you as she is able to do</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she breaths in an irregular rhythm, shuts her eyes tight and shrivels up into the tightest ball she can</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, she definitely knows what a tornado is, it seems</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wouldn&quot;t admit it to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you are just as afraid as she is.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the bathroom light is still on</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;ll give you a bit of warning if it goes out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as it stands, Applejack, despite being obviously terrified, obeys you totally</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she isn&quot;t uttering one peep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the room is deathly quiet, even though the sounds of your breathing echo off the hard bathtub walls</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the thunder is constant, lightly vibrating the house&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You feel Applejack&quot;s ears spring up to attention</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and a light whimper escapes her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she shivers, and covers her head with her hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the thunder gets a little louder&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That&quot;s not thunder.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the hairs stand straight up on your arms and legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ve always heard that tornadoes sounded like trains as they approached</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and right now, you&quot;re imagining a set of train tracks, with a tornado funnel rushing toward you down the rails</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you consider yourself a calm guy, but right now, you are terrified.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the roar in the distance picks up in volume</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the fact you can hear it from inside the tub is a bad, bad sign</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least, you think so</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it also hits you that it&quot;s very early in the morning, yet there aren&quot;t any tornado sirens that you know of in your city</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;d only been able to prepare because you&quot;d gotten lucky&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s barely contained sob jerks you out of your ruminations</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she shivers, gritting her teeth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the muscles in her neck bulge with tension</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;from your place right over her, it&quot;s just hitting you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in the face of terror, you realize that Applejack, despite all the horror that transpired last night, is afraid</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;afraid of death</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;perhaps it&quot;s just instinct&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it doesn&quot;t matter to you.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even if you don&quot;t survive, you&quot;re going to make sure she does</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if she wants to live, you&quot;ll do what you can</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least, you&quot;ll try</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this pony deserves it.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;As the roar becomes more pronounced, you lower yourself as you as you can go</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you gently wrap your arm around her neck and shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she tightens up, inhales sharply and whimpers through clenched teeth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you whisper, closing your eyes tight</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;We&quot;ll be ok, Applejack. I got you.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She doesn&quot;t reply.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but feeling your arm wrapped around her, she leans into your hold</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you smile sadly, and try to relax</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this might be the end, but at least you have somebody you care about there with you.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the walls begin to shake</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your heart thumps wildly against the pony underneath you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack isn&quot;t just shivering right now, she&quot;s trembling like a leaf</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she can&quot;t stop herself, and she begins to cry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you aren&quot;t going to stop her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you just squeeze a little tighter, trying to provide her just a little comfort</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wait for it...</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the lights suddenly cut off</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You flinch, and let out a hiss in surprise</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack, on the other hand, lets out a heart rending cry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in the pitch blackness, you can only hear the rapidly increasing volume of the tornado&quot;s roar, the air conditioning vents having totally shut off</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hug Applejack close, and focus on the warmth of her body below you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you wait for your house to rip apart.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the wind whistles against the roof, and you can hear something scraping against the tiles</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the sound of dust or debris hitting the sides of your house, scraping against the brick, nearly gives you a panic attack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the roar never lets up, neither increasing or decreasing in volume</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hear loud strikes against the roof and walls, and the air around you seems to fall away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold your breath&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the clattering against the sides of your house is accompanied by the shattering of a window</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hear a crackling sound from above and behind you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hears it, and her cry of distress only slightly reaches over the roar of the tornado</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s right there, you can literally feel it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the air pressure drops, popping your ears</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the house, even through your tub, vibrates like a plane caught in turbulence</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hold onto Applejack for dear life</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hoping the sound of her cries and the roar of the tornado isn&quot;t the last thing you&quot;ll ever hear.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the depth of the tornado&quot;s roar makes every hair on your body stand rigid</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a sound like a pressure washer blasting sheet metal scrapes against your eardrums</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the wall of your house, right to your left, is getting blasted with what sounds like sand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Despite being in the background, the terror in Applejack&quot;s wavering scream will never leave your memory</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;objects pelt the roof</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the ground beneath you trembles even more than you are</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, for a split second, the roar seems to fall away completely</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the air around you feels like it falls, leaving you unable to draw a breath</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it only lasts an instant</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the roar shifts into something like a tidal wave colliding with a brick wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the rushing sound is concentrated to your left</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the roof above you rattles like it&quot;s being pelted with rocks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with an involuntary shout, you close your eyes and lay your head beside Applejack&quot;s, her soft mane touching your face</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shut out everything else, and you make a conscious decision</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re not going to focus on the mayhem</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if your last thoughts are going to be about something, you want them to about something else</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something other than fear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something good</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something warm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;something, someone, worth protecting&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stray out of time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;embrace the darkness</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;surrender, and go limp...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once your thoughts drift away, it takes a long while for them to come back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the first thing that enters your awareness is the arms you have wrapped around the pony beneath you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;hugging around her belly and neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you suddenly notice the ringing in your ears, but the constant whine begins to recede</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and when it does, you hear heavy breathing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the push against your stomach as Applejack&quot;s ribs rise and fall rapidly</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You open your eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at first, nothing but murky blackness seeps into your vision</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but they quickly adjust, and you can see the white bathtub below you</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes a moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it slowly occurs to you that, lying hunched over, you aren&quot;t dead.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;unless, that is, your spirit was sent to the afterlife in a bathtub&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gingerly lift your head up, hearing the constant gasps of the poor mare lying underneath you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes a minute for you to feel like you have voluntary control of your own lungs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack moves, sliding her head out from under her forelegs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her hooves make little clops when they hit the bathtub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she shudders, and feeling you move above her, she whispers</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;M-Master, Master *hic!* Anon&quot; Is it over? Is...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sniffles, giving a little sob</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your mouth hangs open, your shock addled brain taking forever to process such a basic question</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but eventually, you raise yourself up, and peek out over the tub, facing your left</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know what you expect</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;perhaps, you expected nothing to be there</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or see a mass of destruction and debris strewn about where your house once was</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but weirdly, it&quot;s the fact that you see neither of those things that shocks you the most</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the room is totally intact.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in fact, nothing appears out of order</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the sink, the tile floor, the walls, even the hallway outside</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it looks just like how you left it</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there is no roar.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there is no wind, no leaves rustling</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no sound other than the distant rumble of thunder and the flickering of lightning in the hall</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack raises her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel her smooth mane against your neck, brushing against your skin</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the feeling jolts you out of your stunned state</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you inhale sharply</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s frightened voice is amplified by the hard tub again</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Master, a-are we gonna be ok? Is it gone?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel her body squirm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;blinking doesn&quot;t make the incredible sight of your intact bathroom go away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the near silence hanging like a cloud over your heads is a wordless answer to Applejack&quot;s fearful question</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, you nod your head</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I&quot; think so. It&quot;s gone, hon&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;using our hand, you push yourself up and inch your way off of Applejack&quot;s back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel the cold metal of the flashlight you brought with, and grab that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your shirt sticks to her from the sweat on your body, and it peels away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all the while, you stare at the room</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes you a minute to get out, your limbs stiff as can be</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you do</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once you get off of her Applejack sits up, her joints popping</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you set your hand on top of her head, and coo gently to the shivering pony</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Hold on, ok, hon? Stay here, I&quot;m gonna go look around. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s shiny eyes drip tears, and she nods</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you nod back, pet her head, and stand up, creeping out the door with Applejack obediently staying behind</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the shock continues</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look right and left, and see that none of your house is gone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the flicker of lightning confirms it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;breathing quietly, you inch down the hallway until you enter the living room, then you turn on the flashlight</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then finally, you see the first bit of damage</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the two windows on the opposite wall are shattered, and small pieces of debris, dust, dirt, and all kinds of other shit are all over the carpet and furniture</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a bitch to clean up, but&quot; honestly, your truck is probably messier</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and other than that, as you look around, even up at the ceiling&quot; you see nothing else.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you flick off the light, standing in the middle of the room in thoughtful silence.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Could this have been it?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s no way, you think</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the roar had been deafening, the shaking of your whole house, the long approach</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;surely this couldn&quot;t have been it!</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;surely&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no. This can&quot;t be.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it must&quot;ve missed you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it simply cannot be&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you turn to the sliding glass door.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the curtain is only partly closed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes hover on it for a second, until a flash of lightning pierces through into the room</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your legs move automatically toward the door</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you latch onto the handle, flick the lock, and slide it open</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the humidity of the air hits you, feeling like a spider web hitting you in the face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thumb trembling, you tense up, take a deep breath, and then, you turn on the extremely bright flashlight, shining it into the distance of your fenced in backyard&quot;</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Oh my god.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The flashlight falls from your hand.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;fragments of debris, pieces of wood and metal and stone, lay scattered all over your yard</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s what lies beyond your yard that chills you to the bone</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your &quot;fenced in&quot; backyard?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the whole fence along the back and sides of two thirds of your property is gone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your shed, normally located in the upper left portion of your yard, just a little across the way?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no sign of it.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but that was nothing, as your flashlight comes to rest on the wreckage of the house behind yours</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the roof is gone, and the outside walls have caved in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;split boards, crumbled brick and drywall, twisted metal pipes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there is no roof to speak of</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;cold shivers traveling up your spine, you pan the flashlight left to right, the column of light reaching very far</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all of the houses behind yours are on a different street, a different block</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s a good bit of land between you and them, perhaps just outside of comfortable shouting distance</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and they&quot;re all destroyed.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;roofs, walls, trees, it&quot;s all obliterated</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your light reveals a tall tree, bent sharply and stripped of its bark, next to one of the houses</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;wrapped around the base of it is what looks like strips of metal, bent all the way around the trunk</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there isn&quot;t even that much wreckage to sort through, the destruction looks so bad</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the only thing remaining of one of the houses is a pile of dust and debris</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tears are pouring down your face, and you feel sick</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Oh my fucking god, oh my&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this thing just missed you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it would have killed you, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that bathtub wouldn&quot;t have saved you or Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and these people living in these houses&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you had to help.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it takes you a minute to jerk yourself out of your trance, but when you do, you race back into the house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the you shine the light down the hall and make sure to pace yourself, not wanting to startle Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;although you want to sprint</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you turn the corner and enter the restroom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is still standing in the tub, shoulders hunched over and shivering with her tail tightly tucked between her legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you get down in front of her on the other side of the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she gazes at you with intense focus</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gulp, and keep your voice from shaking as you speak</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, the&quot; the tornado missed us, b-but&quot; it hit the houses behind us, and it&quot;s really bad, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s eyes widen, and you see her body tense up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the muscles bulge</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her jaw drops, and she inhales sharply</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I-It&quot; oh Celestia, we gotta go help &quot;em! We gotta&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She starts forward, setting her hoof on the tub wall and suddenly springs forward</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You lean back as she sort of falls into your chest</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;A cry of surprise leaves you in as she clumsily topples out of the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you react by wrapping your arms around her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her rump falls to the tile with a thud, her upper body in your hands</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have to respond quickly, as Applejack is now thrashing in your hold</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Wait, wait, hold on Applejack! Hold on, calm down, just a second! Calm down, calm down&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is standing up, now, but you maintain your firm grip around her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You really have to speak firmly with her, but she fortunately does go still and heeds your command</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t have her just running out there right away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s going to hurt herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She still breathes shallowly, however, and her muscles are like rock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;In all honesty, she&quot;s probably strong enough to bowl you over, but she&quot;s very submissive to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you step back and hold her face between your hands</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Listen, ok? We&quot;re gonna go and help. I&quot;m gonna call <span class="nu0">911</span>, and we&quot;re going to go out there and help anyone we can. But I can&quot;t have you running out there all by yourself when we don&quot;t know what&quot;s out there, you could get hurt. Ok? So stay with me, hon.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s intense gaze gradually softens the more you talk</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;what you&quot;re saying is getting through to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she takes a moment or two to breathe, and she nods her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the tension in her muscles show she&quot;s far from relaxed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s itching for action</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master, I understand. But we gotta hurry, they could...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can tell her heart is breaking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You nod, standing up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her eagerness to go out and help&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s the only thing that manages to give some warmth to your heart in the midst of this horrible time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you point at your side, and hold the flashlight in your other hand</span><br /><br />&quot;Be careful, and don&quot;t leave my side, hon. Let&quot;s go.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack takes the &quot;don&quot;t leave my side&quot; command very seriously</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as usual</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the instant the pony sees the damage illuminated by your flashlight, you hear her gasp</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Getting closer to the wreckage, you begin to shine the light all around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you notice that even the ground you&quot;re walking on requires careful treading</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sharp objects lying around, a bolt the size of your foot&quot;</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Watch your step, Applejack, ok?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack says &quot;yes, Anon&quot; in hushed tones</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She&quot;s already being careful</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all around you, the distant flicker of lightning in the distance, from the storm that carried all of this with it, illuminates</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re within shouting distance of the destroyed houses, so you call out over the gusty winds</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Anybody need help!? Anybody there!?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You pause, listen, and when you don&quot;t hear anything, you do it again, even louder this time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your voice seems to dissolve into the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The rumble of thunder and flashes of lightning are constant, but distant</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s ears are sticking straight up, high on alert</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they swivel back and forth, twitching whenever a boom of thunder sounds</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, she stands stiff at attention, inhaling a sharp breath of air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then she points to your right, her big eyes fixed on a specific location</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Master, I can hear someone! I can hear them, over there!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She trots forward, but suddenly stops herself, folding her ears down and staying in place before backing up to your side again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You would have taken a moment to admire just how closely she follows your every command, but there&quot;s no room in your mind for that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You shine your flashlight over in the direction she pointed, and it falls upon the shattered ruins of one of the houses, the outer walls caved completely in</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, you pat Applejack on her shoulders, and take a jogging step forward</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Ok, let&quot;s go. I&quot;m gonna let you take the lead, Applejack!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You shine the light to illuminate the way, listening closely but not hearing anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but Applejack was adamant, so you trust her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her ears must be more sensitive than yours.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack canters ahead of you, hopping over a sharp piece of plywood sticking out of the ground</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her ears point straight forward, and she&quot;s intensely focused</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you still don&quot;t hear anyth&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That&quot;s when a wavering moan sounds faintly through the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as soon as you hear it, you clench your teeth together</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you whisper</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Oh, shit&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hears it, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She goes from a canter to a full gallop, and you struggle to stay right behind her</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;We&quot;re coming! Hold on, help&quot;s coming!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you struggle to stay behind her, running at the max speed you can, considering all of the debris</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack runs onto the rubble and steps onto the wobbly, unstable rubble which is sitting atop the foundation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she stares down at the ground, and that&quot;s when you hear the low, agonized moan</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gasps, and clambers over to the source of the sound</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can hear the strangled cry from underneath a pile of 2x4s and crumbled drywall, toward the center</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You lower the flashlight and go to help</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But Applejack beats you there, and you freeze when she does something that stuns you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She lowers her head and shoulders, and with a roar, she slams into a large plank of wood, sitting beneath the majority of the debris that&quot;s actually there</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she uses it like a lever, digging in her hooves and pushing forward like a football player to a practice pad</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You hear loud crunching of powdered drywall and the creaking of the wide plank, and you leap forward with your arms held out, gesticulating like you&quot;re about to help her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But in a matter of seconds, Applejack ferociously shoves the pile away, where it lands with a loud crunch on the other side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You step back in startled response</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gasps, and you see her get down onto her knees</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then you see her, curled up on what used to be the floor</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a girl of maybe 8 years of age comes into view from the cloud of dust</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;or rather, her body does, lying on its side</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The curled up little girl is shuddering, and you hear her moan in pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gasps, and scampers forward with her head held low</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she looks up at you, and you meet her eyes while she points to the child&quot;s torso</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Oh my gosh, she&quot;s&quot; she&quot;s got something in her chest!&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her voice breaks, and she points to the object in question</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you run forward and step beside her, next to the poor girl</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you see it, you gasp, and put a hand over your mouth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;s a fragment of wood, and it&quot;s driven straight through the right side of her chest</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;straight through, all the way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s shaking, and holding her right side with a white knuckled grip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tears stream out of her eyes, and she sobs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your mouth hangs open</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gets down on her knees and lays her hoof over her chest</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She walks around the injured girl&quot;s body and lays down in front of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The kid&quot;s head bends forward and she looks to the pony now lying in front of her</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;It&quot;s ok, it&quot;s ok! We&quot;re gonna help you, just stay still, it&quot;s gonna be ok! Oh, Celestia&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You aren&quot;t even sure what to do</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the little girl has been basically impaled</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re still in shock</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But as your senses come back to you, your hand shoots to your pocket</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you pull out your phone and dial 911</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is speaking softly to the girl, who&quot;s crying much louder than before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you hear the child&quot;s weak voice sob out</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I can&quot;t&quot; take it... h-hurts! Hurts...&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her head jerks to the side rapidly, twice in a row</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s the kind of movement one makes when they&quot;re overcome with pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;chills raise the hairs on your entire body</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;<span class="nu0">911</span>, what is your emergency?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The droning female voice on the other end of the phone forces you out of the state of newfound despair you&quot;re feeling from looking at this girl</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stammer, then take a deep breath, and then manage to talk more calmly</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Yes, I-I got a little girl with me who&quot;s hurt, real bad&quot; got a piece of wood impaled through her, she&quot;s crying, sh-she&quot;s&quot; we&quot;re on Teal Circle Road, uhh&quot; either <span class="nu0">12</span> or <span class="nu0">15</span> Teal Circle Road...&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The voice on the other end of the line speaks at the same time that you&quot;re just starting to hear sirens</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a hell of a coincidence</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Yes, sir, we&quot;ve already received reports from your area, help is on the way. Is the girl still conscious?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You look down at Applejack, who is lying beside the little girl and nuzzling her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;telling her it&quot;s going to be alright</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you see the little girl grab Applejack&quot;s mane with her left hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the sounds of crying are still chilling your blood</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, she&quot;s still conscious! She&quot;s got a piece of a plank or something going right through her chest, u-up on the right&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br />&quot;Alright, sir, do not attempt to remove the object. Is she losing blood?&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You look back down, breathing shallow</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You go over and get down on one knee, next to the shivering child</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Hold on, hold on, just&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s a crimson streak of blood going down vertically from the exit of the wound, and when you check the other side, it&quot;s the same story</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s like it went clean through, like a spear</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You look at the ground, and you see a small trickle of blood, but it isn&quot;t growing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look worriedly at Applejack, who is able to do little more than comfort the child, who is holding onto her blonde mane with a death grip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You nod</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Y-yes, she is, but it&quot;s k-kinda slow, at least for now&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br />&quot;Ok, sir. I&quot;m gonna ask you to just stay on the line with me, an ambulance has been sent to your address. Stay with her until help arrives.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You hear the ambulance sirens in the far distance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You wipe a tear from your cheek and then stare down at the girl</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she is gasping, sobbing, and gritting her teeth with tears pouring down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack kisses her forehead, and scoots in further</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She&quot;s extremely careful not to touch the wooden plank shard</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the little girl moans pitifully in agony, and holds onto Applejack for dear life</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The pony rests her hoof on top of the girl&quot;s head and cradles it</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Hold on, Sugarcube&quot; I know it hurts, but you&quot;re gonna be ok&quot; just hang onto me, it&quot;s ok&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You stay at a slight distance, continuing to speak with the operator, telling her more details and just paying close attention</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but as you watch the scene in front of you, Applejack and the little girl lying down beside one another on the cold slab of where the house used to be, a tiny little sentiment enters your brain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you think it to yourself, whispering it even though it&quot;s in your own mind</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;&quot;Good girl, Applejack. Good girl.&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You applaud how quickly emergency personnel arrive on the scene.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they may have been forewarned, you don&quot;t know</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all you know is that the little girl&quot;s life is now out of your hands and into the ones of people far more capable.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack watches in solemn silence as the girl is loaded onto a stretcher and lifted into the back of the ambulance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;s not the only medical vehicle here. The whole block is covered in flashing lights, and sirens are still all around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It&quot;s a rather populated suburban area, so you think there&quot;s personnel from all over the county</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;firefighters, police, paramedics&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You were reassured by paramedics that these sorts of incidents, that is to say, the girl&quot;s IMPALEMENT, were actually treatable</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know if you should trust him, but you decide that you will</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even though it seems unbelievable to you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack cries silently</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You remember how tightly the girl held onto her mane as she was transported on the stretcher to the ambulance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack followed by her side the whole distance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;now, she was watching her being worked on in the back of the vehicle, bandages and casts and things you have no idea what they are being fastened around her torso, around the piece of plank</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put your hand on her neck and pull her against your side, in a little hug</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack continues to stare as they close the back door, and within ten seconds, they&quot;re on the way out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She wipes a hoof across her nose</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I don&quot;t wanna leave her&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your eyes water, and you stroke the side of her neck</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I know, hon. But she&quot;s in good hands, now. I think she&quot;ll make it.&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack swallows, you can feel it since your hand is on her neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She nods her head, and leans into you</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I hope so, Master. She&quot; was in so much pain, I just&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br />&quot;It&quot;s ok now, Applejack. You were there for her, you helped her. You dug her out, and if it weren&quot;t for you hearing her&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You trail off.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it doesn&quot;t really need to be said, you both understand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sniffles</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;rubbing her neck all the way up and down one more time, you pull your hand away&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You see red.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Immediately your eyes shoot down to your hand, and you suddenly notice the sticky red blood on your fingertips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You stop breathing, and then you look over Applejack&quot;s shoulder</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Low on her side, and down on her belly from front to close to her flanks, there&quot;s a thick, wet smear of blood</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;At first, you feel your heartbeat quicken as you think your pony is now injured, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but then, the realization hits you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that&quot;s not her blood&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel sick.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gag, and and look away from your hand</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t wipe your hand on your clothes, or anywhere else</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it just sits limply by your side</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack stays next to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she still remembers your order</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but she&quot;s looking all around, taking everything in with an anxious demeanor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes bug out, and she points to where two paramedics are carrying a stretcher</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;I-Is&quot; is that&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look over</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and your face blanches</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a white sheet covered stretcher&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;coming from the far corner of the same house where you found the girl.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the two of you stand, slackjawed.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And that&quot;s when Applejack starts to cry aloud.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shivering sobs wrack her body, and she lowers her weepy face to the road.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re more in shock than she is, so you don&quot;t cry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the knowledge of who that must be isn&quot;t lost on you.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel a horrendous, splitting headache all of a sudden</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put your bloody hand up to your forehead out of habit, but before you can remember, it&quot;s too late</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you yank your hand away, but it leaves a smear on your skin that you can feel</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes roll back, and you feel faint, but you fight it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, you do win, but you&quot;re done.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t do this&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You pet Applejack&quot;s head, and start slowly walking away from the scene, back to the safety of your home</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She looks up at you, bloodshot eyes fixing you questioningly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head, ignoring your throbbing head</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Let&quot;s&quot; come on, hon, let&quot;s go. We gotta get home and get you cleaned up&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You feel like the ground beneath your feet is shaking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s probably just you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack opens her mouth, about to say something, but she closes it quickly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;lowering her head, she nods</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master&quot; but what about other people, what if they need&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your head is killing you, but your heart melts</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you just can&quot;t do it right now, and you can&quot;t just let Applejack go off by herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s actually against the law, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head and cradle hers as you walk</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re more in shock than she is, so you don&quot;t cry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the knowledge of who that must be isn&quot;t lost on you.</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel a horrendous, splitting headache all of a sudden</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put your bloody hand up to your forehead out of habit, but before you can remember, it&quot;s too late</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you yank your hand away, but it leaves a smear on your skin that you can feel</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes roll back, and you feel faint, but you fight it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;eventually, you do win, but you&quot;re done.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t do this&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You pet Applejack&quot;s head, and start slowly walking away from the scene, back to the safety of your home</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She looks up at you, bloodshot eyes fixing you questioningly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head, ignoring your throbbing head</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Let&quot;s&quot; come on, hon, let&quot;s go. We gotta get home and get you cleaned up&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You feel like the ground beneath your feet is shaking</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;s probably just you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack opens her mouth, about to say something, but she closes it quickly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;lowering her head, she nods</span><br /><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master&quot; but what about other people, what if they need&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your head is killing you, but your heart melts</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you just can&quot;t do it right now, and you can&quot;t just let Applejack go off by herself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s actually against the law, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head and cradle hers as you walk</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack stays to your side, but she&quot;s angled inwards</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;watching your every move</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you just want to get home&quot;</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, the thought of the little girl&quot;s blood enters your mind again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;on the ground, on Applejack, on your hands&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the wooden stake driven through her chest...</span><br /><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t remember doing it, but your legs give out from under you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your body slumps forward, and you crumple toward the earth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your eyes falling closed.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel the soft surface under you before you open your eyes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel it before you see anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you groan, and slowly, open your eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;despite that the room is still dark, you can see well since your eyes have been closed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but as soon as you do open them, you hear a gasp</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh, land&quot;s sakes, Anon! I was worried sick, you just fainted and fell down onto me and I had to carry you in!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;turning your head, you see Applejack get up from where she was laying on the floor beside you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You can now see you&quot;re on the sofa</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;groaning, you put your hand on your head</span><br /><br />&quot;Ughh&quot; hey, hon... H-How long&quot; how long I&quot;ve been out?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack walks over to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her eyes glimmer with concern</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she pushes her snout under your chin and nuzzles you</span><br /><br />&quot;Only a minute or two, Master. I was about to splash some water on your face, but&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she points down at the floor, where a full glass of water lies</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look down, and you groan again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have a weird, light-headed throb in your skull</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;honestly, you can&quot;t even remember fainting at all</span><br /><br />&quot;So&quot; I fell on you?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Yes, Anon. I caught you just before you hit, but you still, uhh, hit the ground a little bit. But I got your head.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She sidesteps over to the water glass and picks it up before placing it next to your lips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you grunt, and push your body upright so you&quot;re sitting up against the couch arm</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take the glass and bring it to your lips</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;seeing the clear, cold liquid in the cup you suddenly realize how parched you actually are</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you down the whole thing in less than ten seconds flat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the glass sort of rolls out of your hand, onto the sofa cushion</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack picks up the glass with her teeth and sets it back down on the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she still looks worried</span><br /><br />&quot;Anon, you ok? You drank that real fast.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;re slowly coming to your senses, now.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;slowly, you sit up all the way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you nod</span><br /><br />&quot;Yeah, I&quot;m fine. Just thirsty&quot; oh god.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And there it is again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look down at your hand, about to push yourself up from the cushion and stand up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you see the stain of red on your hand, again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;along with the dirty, nasty feeling of stickiness on the webs of your fingers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just like that, you feel a shiver up your spine, and you remember everything prior to passing out</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And there it is again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you look down at your hand, about to push yourself up from the cushion and stand up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you see the stain of red on your hand, again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;along with the dirty, nasty feeling of stickiness on the webs of your fingers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just like that, you feel a shiver up your spine, and you remember everything prior to passing out</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but this time, you shake it from your mind, teeth gritted</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you refuse to succumb to another fainting spell</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You shake your head roughly and get to your feet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack appears confused, and she comes forward to give you support, should you need it</span><br /><br />&quot;Forgive me, Anon, but are you sure you&quot;re alright? You were dead weight only a minute ago&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Yeah, Applejack, I&quot;m fine, just&quot; we gotta get this blood off.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it still feels like a bad dream as you head to the bathroom</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you feel like your feet are moving by themselves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you get there without falling over again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to turn on the light by force of habit, but the electricity is still out</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;well, shit</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you turn back around and nearly bump into Applejack on your way to the living room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with a gasp, she hops back scurries out of the way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you mutter a &quot;sorry&quot; and push the thought of the little girl&quot;s blood out of your mind while you search for the flashlight</span><br /><br />&quot;Hey, Applejack, did you happen to get my flashli&quot; oh, there it is.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you find it on the floor next to your sofa</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack is quick to answer your question anyway, though</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes, Master Anon, I ran back out and picked it up after I set you down.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this pony really doesn&quot;t miss a detail, does she?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Well, it looks like you might need some extra batteries for this thing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it&quot;ll be good for now</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You barge into the bathroom and crank the knob on the tub with your unbloodied hand, setting the flashlight face up on the toilet seat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the water comes pouring out, but you know it isn&quot;t going to be hot for very long</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your boiler is electric</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you put it on lukewarm and begin immediately rinsing off the scabbed blood</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the water turns murky red as you scrub at it with your other hand</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack noses in to your left, close to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her body touches against your side, and she looks into the tub at your hand with her ears pinned back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you glance over at her, and she looks up at you with saddened, dim eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You turn up the heat a little, and the blood comes off all the way</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s still some hot water in your boiler, you&quot;re sure, but you have to conserve it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so, after clearing your hand you crank the knob back off, and then grab the bar of soap and washcloth from their holders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you turn to Applejack</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She blanches a little</span><br /><br />&quot;Ok, Applejack, I&quot;m gonna put you in the tub and clean this&quot; this&quot; clean you off. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She nods</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;actually, she starts to climb in herself, but you help her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she knows the drill, turns around in the tight space so her back legs and rump face the faucet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That&quot;s when you see the cuts on her backside again, and you realize that the blood was not the only thing you had to wash off right now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you just had to do it, and push the thought of the carnage outside out of your mind</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You douse the cloth in some warm water, soap it up, and then tap Applejack&quot;s croup a couple of times with your hand</span><br /><br />&quot;We still have to get the dirt and everything on your rear cleaned up, hon. After everything that happened, we never got to it. Ok?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack, to her credit, just nods her head and, like the first time, braces with a hoof on the wall</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh. Yes, Anon. S-sorry&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Sorry?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Guess she thinks it&quot;s her fault&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Not her fault she had a breakdown like that, poor girl.</span><br /><br />&quot;No, Applejack, it&quot;s not your fault. Please, don&quot;t do that to yourself.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You just don&quot;t waste any time, and begin scrubbing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she flinches, and clearly grunts in pain, but she stays still</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and just like that, it&quot;s the first night all over again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;again&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It doesn&quot;t take so long this time</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s a tough pony, you&quot;ve seen that, but she still can&quot;t help but shed some tears in the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;preparing for the last step, you take the shower hose off the holder</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You turn the knob just long enough to rinse the spot off, with luckily still warm water, before you tap her on the croup again</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;m so sorry, Applejack. I know it hurts, but you&quot;re doing great. Here, can you turn around and face me, now? This is the last thing, I promise. I have to clean your belly and side off, but it shouldn&quot;t hurt.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sniffs through her runny snout, and right away begins to turn around</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She&quot;s shivering, and when you get a closer look at her face, she looks like she&quot;s in a good deal of pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her red-smeared side is showing, now, and suddenly you feel squeamish again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you are going to push through it. If she bear her pain quietly, then you can stomach this.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Wring out the cloth, re-soap, and then you get to work.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;When the scabbed smears of blood turn brighter red, leaking down and dripping into the tub, it almost looks like it&quot;s Applejack herself who is hurt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you have to have the water running this time, the tendrils of blood turn the flowing water a murky, dark pink color</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack stares down at the water.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her eyes are unblinking, and the whites of her eyes are almost the same shade as the water. Bloodshot.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She bites her quivering lip, eyes following the ribbons of blood flowing toward the drain.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her expression is frozen with horror, and it acts like a window into her mind</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You can somehow tell that something is very wrong almost right away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the same look from last night flashes across her face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She&quot;s seeing the blood in the same light as you are</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The blue light of the flashlight almost making the blood look darker in color, like black snakes moving through the water...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack sighs, and then gives a sob</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She shakes her head</span><br /><br />&quot;I wish we could have traded places.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her fetlocks tremble.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She&quot;s choked up, and you can see more tears trickling down her cheeks</span><br /><br />&quot;I wish it was me out there, and her in the tub with you when the tornado hit... &quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your heart aches hearing this again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hides her head between her forelegs, and another sob echoes into the bathtub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to nip this in the bud</span><br /><br />&quot;Now, Applejack, there&quot;s no use talking like that&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;She&quot;s so young, little, and I&quot;m just&quot; I&quot;ve got nothing, I&quot;m&quot; I&quot;m nothing.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Oh, no.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s happening again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack bends at her knees, and with your hand on her ribs, you feel them heave</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your washing hand stops</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Shaking your head, you immediately try to reassure her, the sense of sadness heavy in the air</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, you aren&quot;t nothing! You saved her, dug her out.&quot;<br /><br />&quot;She&quot;s not gonna make it. I-It went right through her&quot; I couldn&quot;t save her, either&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Either?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You would think for a second longer about what you just heard, but she&quot;s falling apart</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the sobbing you hear is barely repressed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you scoot closer, and just drop the washcloth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You place a hand on her withers</span><br /><br />&quot;The paramedics said&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack isn&quot;t listening.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She backs up, and falls onto her back legs, sinking down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her body falls away from your hand, which lands on the side of the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her hooves cover her face, and she squeezes her eyes shut, sobbing brokenly</span><br /><br />&quot;I can&quot;t lose her, too, I can&quot;t, I c-can&quot;t! I CAN&quot;T!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s voice cracks as she snaps, and her whole body is wracked with sobs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The sudden loud cry makes you drop the shower handle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;feeling the hairs stand up on your neck and your vision blurring, you find yourself jumping into the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;verging on panic, you reach to pick her up, grabbing a hold of her shoulders</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack, Applejack! It&quot;s ok, it&quot;s gonna be ok&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You can&quot;t possibly think of something else to say as she turns into a puddle in the tub</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Stretching yourself down, you grunt in an attempt to lift Applejack&quot;s shoulder up, trying to get a hold of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your legs and pants are soaked through as you kneel down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there&quot;s nothing you can think to say to ease what she&quot;s feeling, so you&quot;re doing the only thing maybe you can do, try to give her just a bit of comfort</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just something to hold on to&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Then, with Applejack feeling your hands on her, she does something that shocks you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;With a jolt, she lurches into you, and buries her face into your chest, legs wrapping all the way around you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;out of reflex, you embrace her right back, and she collapses heavily into your arms</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;back legs bunched up behind her while her belly rests on the tops of your thighs</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You are speechless as she pulls you toward her with her powerful front legs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the muscles in her forelimbs are harder than granite stone</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she weeps into your shirt, tears pouring out like water</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her voice is barely coherent, but you make out what she&quot;s saying, mouth and nose buried into your chest</span><br /><br />&quot;Don&quot;t be my angel, no more&quot; save someone else, don&quot;t, don&quot;t&quot; don&quot;t try to save me, just save her instead&quot; save her instead&quot; don&quot;t be my angel no more&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack presses further into you, weeping</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her tears are staining your shirt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you are forced to kneel from her dead weight on the tops of your thighs, the water soaking into your jeans</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it occurs to you at the last moment to reach back and shut off the water, which you do</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the gurgling of water coming out of the showerhead ceases, leaving you both in dripping silence</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the only sound remaining is the echoes of Applejack&quot;s cries off the bathroom walls</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You reach your other arm lower, and forcefully pull her lower half closer to you so her hooves aren&quot;t dragging in the water</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The meaning of what she just said to you is starting to sink in as she totally surrenders to you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She called you her &quot;angel&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just for feeding her, giving her a bed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;treating her with basic kindness and respect</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;not beating or raping her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;For those reasons, you were her &quot;angel&quot;.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you aren&quot;t ashamed that you are close to crying</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You gently shh her, and bend you head down to rest your chin on the top of her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her ears flatten back</span><br /><br />&quot;Go to her, instead&quot; just leave me, just&quot; let me drown here, let me&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack trails off, and devolves into more cries</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it feels like a punch to your gut hearing her ask you to kill her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you shake your head, and take tighter hold of her hair</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your teeth are gritting together from the ache you feel in your chest</span><br /><br />&quot;No, Applejack. None of this was your fault.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;This doesn&quot;t comfort her.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s ribs heave and shudder against you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she shakes her head madly, and begins to writhe in your grasp</span><br /><br />&quot;No! You don&quot;t understand! YOU DON&quot;T UNDERSTAND!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you suddenly have to fight to hold on to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack hyperventilates, and she suddenly pulls away from you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You are again reminded of how strong she is as you have to practically flex every muscle in your body to hang onto her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She squirms as hard as she can, sobbing breathlessly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try shushing, calmly speaking words of comfort into her ear, and even resting your cheek on the top of her head in the tightest hug you can manage</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but it doesn&quot;t console her.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack continues to struggle</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;that is, until she realizes she can&quot;t get away, her position too awkward to get any traction</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;then, she gives up, and goes limp like a dead fish, and simply accepts your grip around her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You know Applejack isn&quot;t relaxing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She&quot;s just&quot; dead.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You wish you could say something, do something, ANYTHING, but you&quot;re at a total loss</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Breathless moans of despair are interspersed with barely audible, whispered words</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but your ear is so close to her mouth, you can barely make them out&quot;</span><br /><br />&quot;Sis&quot; &quot;m sorry, I&quot;m sorry&quot; I couldn&quot;t save you&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Sis&quot;</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;sister?</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The piece of this whole, uncomfortable puzzle of her torment at the hands of her former master falls heavily in front of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The more things you discover, the more your heart breaks for Applejack</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you won&quot;t ask her now.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Later. It had to be later.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Right now, you just had to be here for her.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You only continue to listen, kneeling in the wet tub while Applejack slowly drifts away in your arms.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;In the dark, the quickly warming and humid air around you makes you sweat now that your air conditioning no longer works.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You carried her again, to the sofa, and laid her down where you were lying down only a little before.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Neither one of you were asleep.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The sun was peeking out over the horizon, but you can&quot;t stomach looking out the window.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the tornado damage outside is surely much more visible, now&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack breathes softly, and if it weren&quot;t for her open eyes, you&quot;d think she was asleep</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her cheeks are covered in red lines from how long she&quot;s been crying</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She stares off, looking at the wall</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her gaze is distant, like she&quot;s somewhere else</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You sit in the seat next to the sofa, and while you&quot;re looking in her direction, your gaze is just as distant as hers</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;so much is on your mind&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She speaks, and her voice cuts through the heavy, humid air.</span><br /><br />&quot;My sister is gone. My sister is gone, he&quot; he sold her to the mine, a-and I&quot;ll never see her again.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s words come out of the blue.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You snap out of whatever trance you&quot;re in, and you feel like your heart just stopped.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her tone is eerily quiet</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;just like last night, you realize</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;flat, drained of life, of feeling&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;For some reason, the only thing you can think of saying in response, is her name</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;meekly, like a question</span><br /><br />&quot;...Applejack?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She curls up, and his her eyes behind her hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her voice breaks</span><br /><br />&quot;And it&quot;s&quot; all my fault.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack&quot;s eyes are hidden from you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but dark spots form on the sofa cushion below her face as tears drip from her cheeks</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;all it takes is the word &quot;mine&quot; for you to seize up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ve seen pictures</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;this is a pro-slave pony area of the country, but even here, you know of the opposition to forcing ponies into mine labor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ve seen the pictures</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the dirt and scars, the statistics on pony&quot;s lifespans doing that kind of labor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they were bad.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;bad enough that even pony slave owners have spoken out against it before</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And Applejack&quot;s little sister was suffering that fate...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least it is illegal in some states, but there are too many elected members of Congress in the pockets of pony slave industry to force a majority vote against it on a national level</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;at least, for now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but things are changing...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you want to immediately console her, reach your hand out to her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tell her that she&quot;s wrong</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but at this point, you only know one thing:</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you know nothing.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you only have an inkling of what she&quot;s been through, and right now, you don&quot;t want to assume anything.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but this can&quot;t be put off any longer.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you need to know.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;So, you decide that you will dare to pry further.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Not knowing what she&quot;ll say, or do, you speak softly, but directly.</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack&quot; tell me what happened, hon. Please. I must know.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Applejack gives no response at first.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she lies stock still, and the only sound in the room is her gentle breathing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you wait patiently, just hoping for a response</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the last thing you know you should do is try and force it out of her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she&quot;s so shattered right now, you&quot;re starting to wonder if even imploring gently is going one step too far.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you take the next several seconds of silence as a refusal</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but unlike other times, you aren&quot;t going to take advantage of her submissiveness to you and demand an answer</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;only when it had been for her own good, but now, not this time.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;damn, you shouldn&quot;t have even asked&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You don&quot;t even notice it when Applejack raises her head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you do notice when she speaks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;startled, you whip your head around</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;staring off into the wall, she speaks softly, but clearly.</span><br /><br />&quot;It feels like so long&quot; but it can't have been more than a year since I last saw her&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;&gt;(POV Applejack)</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You got your work done in only eight hours today</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and that was including all of the double checking</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;thanks to how well your work went, maybe now, Master would give Apple Bloom some extra food for today&quot;s meal</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but probably not</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;with Master, it was always an all or nothing deal</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if you didn&quot;t do a satisfactory job, your sister went hungry</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;if you did, Apple Bloom got her rations</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It was that simple.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;And you would be damned before you let your sister starve</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your joints ached, your muscles burned, and your body was always covered in sweat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you pressed on anyway</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;day after day, you just mindlessly followed the routine</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you dared not think of anything but your tasks</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;anything else was a waste of time</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But even still, as the sun tanned your orange coat, you couldn&quot;t help but think of your hat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you missed it&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The water from the hose is not cold, but you are so thirsty that you do not care</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gulp it greedily, the bump in your throat bulging out with each swallow</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;once you&quot;ve had your fill, you walk toward the house</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master&quot;s house isn&quot;t even really a house</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a mansion, an estate</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;despite its size, it&quot;s separate from Master&quot;s other agricultural enterprises</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you were powerful, strong</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your two former Masters had learned that</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and they&quot;d learned that the hard way&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in fact, you had originally been stationed outside of the estate when you first got here</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they started you on the grunt work, some of the heaviest labor at this place</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you weren&quot;t afraid of lashes, or strikes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you did the work, but you never feared giving them lip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;showing them the fires of your defiance</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;even sometimes disobeying orders from your overseers</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;That is, until...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You never figured out how Master discovered your sister.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You&quot;ll never forget the day when he brought you into his house, dragged between three guards</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;they dragged you through his front door, into the front lobby</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and as soon as you saw her, standing beside your Master, your heart had stopped</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a growing filly, with a red wavy mane, her pale yellow coat and your mother&quot;s beautiful, expressive eyes staring back at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she was older, but still very much a filly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you knew it was her the second you clapped eyes on her</span><br /><br />&quot;Ap...Apple Bloom?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You barely whispered it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you almost wanted to ask yourself if it was a dream, if this could possibly be real</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but you could feel the cold floor beneath your hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you could still sense the prickling tingle of the sunburn on your face and shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you knew it was real.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom&quot;s eyes had practically bugged out of her head when she saw you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her jaw dropped, and she seemed to stop breathing upon her realization</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and for the first time since you had been ripped from all family, all traces of your former life, you felt a warmth in your heart</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it felt like it was floating in your chest when she called your name back at you, face beaming with elation</span><br /><br />&quot;Applejack! APPLEJACK! Oh gosh, oh Celestia, Applejack!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was the first time you had heard her voice in so, so long</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and when it said your name, it made the tears start flowing like rivers down your face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cry unashamedly, and you rush forward</span><br /><br />&quot;Apple Bloom! Oh, Apple Bloom, it&quot;s you! Oh my gosh, it&quot;s YOU!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;There were tears in her eyes, too, as she began towards you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;In that moment, everything else around you disappeared</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you had tunnel vision, and all you could see was her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;tears falling, a smile so wide it could have lit up the night sky, you closed the distance between you...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and got a boot hard to the gut.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in an instant, all of the air whooshed out of your lungs, and you fell flat on your stomach</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;striking the hard floor, the impact knocked you dizzy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you didn&quot;t even have the breath to give a shocked cry of pain</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and your mouth gapes open with failed attempts to draw breath</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But then, you heard the scream of your sister.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;someone grabbed your mane, and yanked your head up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and behind you someone stepped onto your back, pinning you to the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you gasped noiselessly for air, and it took a moment for your lungs to start working again</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;neck bent awkwardly, you were forced to look ahead</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the sight you saw made your heart feel like it was going to explode</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The third guard, who had been with you, now forcefully held Apple Bloom down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;his foot stood on top of her lower back, and his hand held her tail taut</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom tried to kick out, but he pushed her down, making her cry out with distress</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your brain registered pain and confusion at the same time as the scene around you crumbled</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;every muscle cried out as you tried to struggle, but you were immobilized</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;still, you tried to say her name, your pulse so hard that you could feel it in your throat</span><br /><br />&quot;Apple Bloom! Ap---ahh!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the guard&quot;s foot pumped down hard on top of you, driving the air out of your lungs once again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your sister&quot;s name dies before it can leave your mouth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Across from you, Master stood unperturbed by all that was happening.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he took turns looking at you, and then Apple Bloom, doing this over and over</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;from across the floor where she lay, you met your little sister&quot;s gaze</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the thoughts that would have been racing through your mind, the joy at seeing her right here in front of you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was ruined when you saw the terror in her eyes</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master bent his head down to look at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The hand gripping your mane pulled your head to the right, forcing you to look back at him</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;when you saw his face, the icy smile on his lips made your skin go cold</span><br /><br />&quot;Ahh. So, she IS your sister! I knew it was true the second I saw your face when you walked in here.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The jovial tone was so saccharine sweet that it makes your blood chill in your veins</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it wasn&quot;t sincere</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it wasn&quot;t happy</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;All of a sudden, you saw the whip in his hand.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The sight of it made you jolt, like a shock was just sent through your body</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master smirked at you, and he gritted his teeth</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you&quot;ll never forget that look on his face, long as you live</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the seething rage beneath his smile&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom saw it, too</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she went pale, and began to try and slip away as he stepped toward her, focusing all of his attention on her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you don&quot;t know why, but at first it was like you were too shocked, too confused to say anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it was like your brain just couldn&quot;t catch up with what was suddenly happening</span><br /><br />&quot;No, no, w-wait, w-what&quot;d I&quot; no!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom&quot;s shaky voice broke with a heart-rending squeak as Master raised the thin, cordlike whip above his head.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;before, you had been frozen in shock, unable to process what was happening</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but now, at seeing the whip being raised, your voice finally unfreezes</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The scream of terror that rips out of your throat echoes around the large antechamber</span><br /><br />&quot;NO! Master, Master no! I&quot;ll do anything, I&quot;LL DO ANYTHING!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your Master&quot;s arm and shoulder twitch forward, and so does the whip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but at the last possible second, his arm stops</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the cord of leather swings back and forth like a pendulum, dangling under his elbow</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He turns to you, and away from your quaking sister</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;His eyebrows raise, and he tilts his head</span><br /><br />&quot;Oh? Anything?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He tries his best to sound surprised</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;amused</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But it&quot;s lost on you, and you don&quot;t hesitate to nod your head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;emphatically</span><br /><br />&quot;Yes! Anything, anything, Master! Please, don&quot;t!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master smiles</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;it&quot;s a look that twists your stomach</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and then, slowly, he lowers the whip</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the end of the leather cord now drags on the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but his eyes remain fixed on you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;instead of breathing a sigh of relief, you gasp, bringing air into your lungs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your pulse pounds in your ears, and tears of absolute relief drip to the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom&quot;s eyes, which had been squeezed shut in preparation for the whipping she was going to receive, now flutter open</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her eyes dart all around, taking in the scene before her, before they rest back onto you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;There&quot;s gratefulness, but also, pain in her gaze</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;seeing her expression makes you begin to better realize what you just promised</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you promised to do anything</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you knew not what cruelties you were now going to endure</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the fear now gripping your heart, compared to the pain Apple Bloom has just been spared, is nothing</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you no longer care what fate now befalls you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;as long as she is safe.</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The sound of your Master&quot;s boot stepping on the hard floor shake you out of your thoughts</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He rolls up the short whip, and holds it by his hip, and takes a few more steps toward you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;until he is standing just in front of you</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he kneels down, and your very blood turns to ice</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;his hand reaches under your chin</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and softly caresses it</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you can&quot;t help it, but you start to shiver</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He leans down, and speaks to you</span><br /><br />&quot;Anything. Anything&quot; that&quot;s quite refreshing, coming from you.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He runs his hand down your cheek, and down your neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;despite it all, you have to resist the urge to bite him</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you almost feel ashamed that the thought even crosses your mind</span><br /><br />&quot;You see, I&quot;ve heard from many of my men that you have been quite the handful. And what&quot;s worse, other ponies have begun to catch on. It seems you&quot;ve turned into&quot; inspiration for them.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He runs his palm down your throat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you jolt as he gives it a brief squeeze</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;for a moment, your airways are closed, but he releases almost immediately</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the short display of power makes you understand the gravity of your situation</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you cringe as he leans close to your ear</span><br /><br />&quot;I wasn&quot;t sure of how to deal with that. I thought, maybe I&quot;ll flog her? Brand her? But then I realized I would be making a martyr. And what if you didn&quot;t break? Goodness, what a disaster that would end up being. I found myself in a pickle&quot; until I found her.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He points to Apple Bloom with his finger, jabbing it in her direction</span><br /><br />&quot;So, here&quot;s what I&quot;m going to do, Applejack. Rather than just flog you to pieces, as much as I would LOVE to whip you into bloody ribbons right now, I&quot;ve decided to be more civilized. I&quot;ll keep you nice and close to my home, and put you on labor duty on the manor instead. Your sister, on the other hand, will work in your old placement, away the manor. And guess what?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He presses up on your chin, and speaks softly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;every word drips venom, and the things he says next make you more afraid than any prospect of being flogged to death</span><br /><br />&quot;I&quot;ll be watching you closely. Every time I see you, and I don&quot;t like your work, if you don&quot;t meet your quota&quot; your little sister won&quot;t eat. And every time you try something, give lip to my men, defy orders, inspire other ponies to resist? I&quot;ll have your sister whipped. And every time she doesn&quot;t get her rations or she feels the lash on her back, she&quot;ll know. She&quot;ll know it was all your fault.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He lets go of your chin, and your head falls down with a thud on the floor</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;But this time, it stays there for a moment</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;like the very weight of his words are pressing down your head, keeping it floored</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and when you lift it, the weight never lets up</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom&quot;s face has blanked</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her jaw lays slack, and she lies motionless</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Tail and back legs still gripped by the man behind her</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You know she heard everything your Master just said.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You can see it in her expression&quot;</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, that concludes business here. Take Applejack up the steps to her new room, and take&quot; Apple Bloom, was it? Take Apple Bloom off the manor grounds.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The suddenness of his orders, spoken with no regard to you or your sister, quicken your heartbeat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and when you feel the men yank you up by your forelegs, letting your back legs drag on the floor, you feel panic grip your chest</span><br /><br />&quot;W--Wait! Wait, Master, m-my sister&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom gasps as the man behind her very roughly jerks her upright</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he wraps his arm around her middle, and hauls her into the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;pressing her against his chest, and he begins to carry her away</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;In a matter of a moment, you see Apple Bloom slipping away from you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;in your dreams, you had longed for a chance to embrace her, every day since the day you were separated</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and now, after seeing her in the flesh, so close to you, the thought of her slipping away was more painful than you could have possibly imagined</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you scream</span><br /><br />&quot;N-No, NO! NOOO! NO, please, please Master, please&quot;&quot;<br /><br />&quot;Please, what?&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;He snaps back at you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but the dragging does cease, and you come to a halt</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;They twist you around, and you meet him eye to eye once again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you stammer, and shamelessly plead, so desperate that you speak amid sobs</span><br /><br />&quot;Please, just let me hug my sister&quot; let me have just one minute, just one&quot; please, please, please&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;The amusement on his face means nothing to you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you care not that you&quot;re totally breaking down</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you care not that he can see your will to resist shattered</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you need her</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you need her&quot;</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master walks to Apple Bloom, who is gasping</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;she is pleading as well, in more subdued tones, for the same thing as you</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he looks first at you, then at her, and repeats this process three or four times</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;he narrows his eyes, and then shakes the coiled whip in his hand at your prone sister</span><br /><br />&quot;Well, Applejack, that depends. Is your sister willing to take ten lashes for it? Right here, in front of you?&quot;<br /><br />&quot;YES! YES, I WILL! I&quot;LL TAKE THEM!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom&quot;s shout pierces the air</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You don&quot;t even have a chance to process his question by the time your sister agrees</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your mouth opens in unspoken words, not able to escape in time</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the two men holding you drop you onto the floor, and you land with a thud</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the same happens to your little sister</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master shakes his head, and steps away to give you some room</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;but he fiddles with the whip in his hands</span><br /><br />&quot;Alright, that&quot;s that. <span class="nu0">60</span> seconds. <span class="nu0">59</span>&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;As he begins to count the seconds, you recover from your surprise, realizing that what&quot;s said has been said</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;your sister already agreed</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;there was no objecting, no going back...</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Nothing else mattered, now</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;weeping, you frantically pick yourself back up</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom springs forward, and for a moment, time slows down to a crawl</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a scene from your desperate, fevered dreams, suddenly realized</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Her warm body collides into yours, and you wrap your hooves tightly around her shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you squeeze her tightly, and she squeezes you back</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your hoof goes up to cradle her head, running it through her smooth, beautiful red mane</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you try to speak clearly, but you are crying so hard that they come out as hiccups</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom nuzzles into you, and you kiss her on the head, again and again</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;broken stammers are interspersed with words</span><br /><br />&quot;Ap-ple Bloom, oh Apple Bloom, I l-love, I love you, I love you&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It was all you could think to say</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You rock her back and forth, rubbing the spot between her shoulders</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Apple Bloom sobs into your chest, shaking like a leaf</span><br /><br />&quot;I lo...love y&quot;too, Applejack, sis&quot; s-sis!&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;her voice cracks, and she weeps brokenly</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you kiss her again, the warmth of her body against you the only thing in your universe that matters to you</span><br /><br />&quot;Bloom, I-I&quot;ll work, I&quot;ll keep you safe... I won&quot;t give up, Bloom, I love you&quot; be strong, no matter what...&quot;<br /><br />&quot;I&quot; I will! I&quot;ll be strong&quot; I love you, big sis&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It all devolves into cries, sobs, and gasps</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;no more words, just the tightest hug you can manage</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;You never wanted to let her go&quot;</span><br /><br />...Zero. Alright, hold her down.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your Master&quot;s voice enters your realm of awareness</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and you feel the body of your sister suddenly being forcibly pulled away</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Your eyes shoot open, and a river of tears pour down your face</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;a wavering, strangled sob escapes your throat</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and the feeling of your sister&quot;s warmth leaving you leaves you feeling colder than ice</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;It was what your sister had agreed to.</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Despite even your toughest grip, the powerful pairs of human arms tear your crying sister away from you, while another wraps around your neck</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Choking you, Master&quot;s guard forces you back until you&quot;re far enough away</span><br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Across from you Apple Bloom&quot;s forehooves are stretched out in front of her by one of the two men, while the other does the same for her back hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;She heaves with sobs and presses her face in between her hooves</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;the reality of what was about to occur sinks in, and you can&quot;t help yourself</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;you beg for mercy as Master approaches, twirling the whip</span><br /><br />&quot;Master, please&quot; please, I beg you, punish me&quot; give me fifty, a hundred, please&quot; please just punish me&quot;&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Master sighs</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;shakes his head</span><br /><span class="co4">&gt;and raises his whip</span><br /><br />&quot;I am.&quot;<br /><br /><span class="co4">&gt;Outside, even on the outer limits of Master&quot;s property, the cracks of the whip and the screams of your sister ring out in the air.</span></div></div>




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