Twilight and Dash sat outside the door listening the the screams of their friend in the other room as the man did his work. It took almost ten minutes before silence fell over the room but the door never opened.
"Whats wrong? Why is it so quiet in there?" Dash yelled as she banged on the door, it slowly opening as she watched the man go back to AJ's side and continue working.
"She passed out, that means I've got at least ten minutes of easy work and I'm going to us every bit of it. If you two are squeamish when it comes to blood, then I would advise you to look away while I work." He said while quickly digging his fingers into the wound and begin feeling around.
"What are you doing now?" Dash asked as she watched his fingers dig into the wound.
"Looking for any fragments that caused this wound, AH HA! There you are." He exclaimed as he slowly pulled out a large glassy looking shard, placing it into a small cup to the side. He continued this for several more minutes until he was satisfied that there were none left in the wound. He quickly disinfected the area and began to stitch her up. After a few minutes he looked at the wound, satisfied that it had been thoroughly treated.
"Now we just need to wake her up and let her take a shower." He said while he pulled out a small white stick about two inches long. "How good is your sense of smell?" He asked while looking to Twilight.
"Pretty good, why do you ask?" She said while looking up to the stick curiously.
"This is a smelling salt. It'll wake her up, but its very potent for humans. I know an animals sense of smell exceeds humans senses so I was just wondering....." He stopped as Dash gave a loud snort.
"We're not animals Jake, we're ponies."
"Sorry....." He said as he broke the smelling salt and moved it back and forth in front of Applejack's nose.
AJ's eyes shot open as she let out a loud cough while pressing her fore hooves forward trying to get the smell away.
"Ugh! That's worse than a dead pollcat that's been sittin in the sun fer a week. SHEW!" She grabbed her hat and began to waft it in front of her.
Jake quickly tossed it into the toilet and flushed it. He turned back to seeing her looking at him curiously.
"Come on AJ, ya need a shower to get that dried blood offa ya. Come on ladies, lets give her some privacy." He said as he lowered her to the floor and showing her how to operate the shower before leaving the bath room. After a few minutes of hearing the water run AJ's voice spoke up from the bath.
"Ah hate teh ask, but ah do need some help washing this blood out." She spoke up.
"You want me to come in, or the girls?" Jake spoke up as he cracked the door open to let his voice linger in.
"Well, ah guess you kin do it. Not like I don't already walk'round nekkid n'all." She chuckled.
Jake blushed at those words but cleared his throat as he entered the bath, reaching into the linen closet and grabbing a few wash clothes as he sat down on the edge of the tube.
"You sure about this sugar?" Jake asked giving a sheepish smile.
"Yea, jes don't tell mah brother." She chuckled but flinched as she felt his had running through her fur around the wound, which was rather close to her flank. "Watch them hands, don't need teh be roaming." She smirked.
After a few minutes of washing the area with shampoo several times, it was clean and shining the bright orange that was its normal color. He smiled at it but looked to the rest of her as her coat was still rather dirty.
"Well, that spots clean, but the rest'o ya is still pretty bad." He chuckled. "I can get the rest pretty quick if you want, and don't worry, if you don't want me in a specific area just say so." He smiled.
"Well, ah don't see why not, just try teh stay away from the nether regions please." She blushed furiously.
"Will do." He smiled as he began to wash AJ thoroughly.
After a good twenty minutes the water began to get cold and AJ had just finished rinsing off. Jake pulled a couple towels from the linen closet and handed them to AJ.
"I take it you can dry yerself?" He smirked getting a nod and smile from AJ. "Awright then, ah'll go check on yer friends." He said before making an exit and heading into the living room to see the two ponies sitting there on the couch. He stopped however as he heard a loud growl coming from Dash's stomach.
"I take it your hungry?" He smiled to them only get a sheepish grin. "Salad or whole veggies?"
"Whole please." They spoke in unison.
"Come on, take yer pick. He nodded back to the kitchen, beckoning them to follow.
As they followed him into the kitchen he opened the back door to reveal his greenhouse which was a balmy warm and very humid. The girls stepped in and began to cry seeing the plethora of food that was growing in countless pots. They looked back to Jake, him giving a nod of approval as they quickly gathered a few items and brought them back inside. Dash carrying several items under her wings and in her mouth while Twilight was having trouble balancing some on her back. Jake stepped forward picking them up and giving her head a pat as she smiled up to him before trotting inside once again. Dash was already at the sink cleaning her items off and placing them into a bowl. Twilight stepping up next to do the same thing.
As Dash stepped into the living room once again, there was an audible gasp as AJ saw the food. Dash sat down with her as they both dug into the food. After about ten minutes of stuffing themselves they all sat back with a contented smile.
"That was some good grub." AJ smiled patting her belly.
All attention was suddenly cast on Dash as she let out a loud snore. Everyone gave a soft chuckle seeing her laying on the edge of the couch, her head laying over the side as she continued to snore.
"I guess it is time to get some sleep." Jake yawned causing the others to yawn as well. "Ah got a couple guest bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. Yer all welcome to use them if you want." He said as he nodded to the hallway leading behind the staircase. "I'll carry Dash to the downstairs one." He chuckled as he went over to the cyan Pegasus and slowly pressed his hands under her and gently lifted her, his eyes going a little wide as to how light she was.
After placing Dash into the downstairs bedroom, he made his way upstairs, showing the others to their rooms before going to bed himself. It had been a long day, and he was sure that this was either a really weird dream, or that he was truly insane from living by himself for so long.
XXX
Morning arrived like usual for Jake as he pulled himself from bed and slowly made his way into the bathroom to start his morning ritual or taking a shower and getting ready for the day. The previous nights memories still fresh in his head as he mulled over them thinking it was a dream. He gave a soft chuckle to himself as he jumped from the shower and began to dry himself off.
"That was a weird dream. Still though, it was nice to actually be able to help another out and save them from starvation." He gave a saddened sigh as he pulled his clothes on. "Just wish it wasn't a dream though. Those girls were nice, even if they were ponies." He smirked. "Ponies, heh, talking ponies." He gave another louder chuckle as he stepped from the bathroom and headed downstairs only to stop halfway as he saw Twilight standing near a book case on the other side of the room. She pulled a book from the shelf with her mouth and turned back seeing him. She quickly placed the book onto her back and turned back to him giving him a smile.
"Good morning Jake, You slept a little late this morning so the girls and I thought we could get up early and make you some breakfast. We weren't sure what you would want so we made a small salad for you and some coffee. Its waiting for you in the kitchen." She smiled as she trotted into the kitchen.
Jake stood there for a minute feeling rather lucid upon seeing Twilight. Then it hit him, he wasn't dreaming and he wasn't insane. There was really three talking ponies in his home, and he had saved them. He made his way into the kitchen to see Applejack and Dash already sitting at the table, both reading books as well as having a small breakfast for themselves. Twilight was just finishing up making her salad when Jake had walked in.
"Morning Sugarcube. Yer breakfast is right here." AJ smiled as she nodded to the open seat beside of her.
"Thanks........ so I guess I wasn't dreaming then." He spoke out underneath his breath.
"Hey Jake, I was wondering, what are you doing all the way out in the middle of a forest by yourself?" Dash piped up while cocking her head to the side.
"To be honest, I don't like people." He laughed. "The people of this world are just always out to do one thing, and that's to make money and buy material objects to quench their thirst for having a happy life."
"Really? They jes want teh buy stuff teh have and use?" AJ asked while giving a disbelieving stare.
"Yea, sad I know." He sighed before taking a bite of his salad.
"That still doesn't explain why you chose to live in the woods." Dash smirked.
"Well, to be honest, every place I have gone to for the longest time has been full of idiots. People who don't care for nothing except themselves. and always out to get others. I just wanted to live in peace, away from all of that, so I saved up for the past 15 years of my life and built this small house out in the middle of a preserved forest. I use solar panels to charge up batteries and power my home, and my water system is run through a natural spring about thirty feet away from the house underground. I grow my own food and it lasts me all year'round. Not to mention that I go hunting ever so often to help with low food stores if it was a bad year to grow." He smirked but stopped as he noticed them staring at him in shock.
"S-so..... does that mean you eat meat?" Dash gulp slightly.
"Yea, humans are omnivorous, see?" He said while opening his mouth and running his tongue over one of his canines.
"Well ah'll be." AJ said under her breath.
"Does it bother you that I eat meat?" He ask.
"Not entirely, but it does come as somewhat of a shock seeing as we only eat plant life." Twilight smile sheepishly.
"Well then, I'll avoid eating meat in front of you three. But to be honest once again, I don't cook my meat. I usually turn it into jerky so it can be preserved for a long length of time. I do stay out here by myself, and I don't hunt very often. Maybe eight times a year if that. And most of those times are in the winter months."
"What's jerky?" Dash asked giving a look of confusion.
"It is basically just dehydrated meat that keeps for a very long time. It doesn't even look like meat truthfully. It looks like shriveled tree bark. I have some in the fridge if you want to see it. It's not bloody or anything." He laughed.
"Well, I don't like the fact that you eat meat, But I'm curious as to what jerky looks like." Dash hummed.
"How about you two?" He asked while looking to AJ and Twilight seeing them nod.
Jake made his way over to the fridge and pulled a couple of strips from a pocket in the door, bringing them over to the table and placing them on it. The girls looked at them curiously, Dash even going as far as taking a sniff of them.
"Smells like pepper and salt." Dash said as she scrunched up her nose.
"The texture is kind of rubbery." Twilight said as she pressed a hoof to one of them.
"Well, they do look and feel funny, but I have to admit I make the best jerky around. I sometimes even smoke the meat before turning it to jerky. Just been to lazy as of late though to do it. Smoking gives it a pleasant flavor."
"Well, since it ain't a fresh kill." AJ said giving a gulp, "Ah don't really mind ya eatin jerky in front'o me."
Jake looked to the others, both giving a nod as well. "Alright then." He smiled as he placed one of the beef jerky strips into his chest pocket in his shirt and then the other in his mouth as he began to gnaw on it gently. The girls giving him an od look as he wasn't actually eating it.
"Why are you just letting it sit there?" Twilight asked giving him a slightly disgusted look.
"I like the flavor, No point eating it if I can't enjoy all the hard work I put into putting the flavor in it right?" He smirked getting a nod from AJ.
"Sound like mah apple pies'n such. No point eating a pie if'n ya cain't enjoy the flavor." She chuckled.
"Damn straight." Jake laughed causing the girls to give a soft gasp. "What?"
"So ya'll cuss to?" AJ asked giving a slightly worried expression.
"I do, why? Is that bad?" He asked.
"Well, where we're from, most ponies don't curse unless they are really upset. Even then it usually doesn't happen." Dash said while rubbing her withers nervously.
"Sorry ladies, I didn't know." He smiled, giving an embarrassed chuckle.
"It's ok sugarcube." AJ spoke up giving him a smile.
"Never the less, I shall refrain from such language in the presence of ladies." He smirked while giving a bow, causing them to giggle. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to head out to gather a few items in the forest. I might be all day though so you three can do what you want. I have plenty of books to read and movies to watch if you want." He chuckled as he started for the living room.
"What's a movie?"Twilight asked causing him to stop.
"You don't have movies where you come from?"
"No, what is it?" Dash asked giving a cocked brow.
"Oh boy, you are going to love this." He laughed as he continued into the living room and powered up the TV, then turning to another shelf nearby to pull out a movie. "I'm guessing you three don't like violent movies huh." He asked as he looked back seeing them smirk.
Violence is ok as long as it isn't excessive. I have read a few violent books and just didn't like them." Twilight sighed.
"How about an action or love story? With little or no violence?" He asked as he pulled one of each from the shelf.
"Ah love story? Well, ah ain't right watched to many'o them. But since we're here, why not?" AJ chuckled, getting a giggle from her friends.
"Alright then. This is a tear jerker love story, If you three want to watch another movie while I'm out then please go ahead." He smiled as he taught them how to put a new movie into the DVD player and operate the controls. "I should be out for a while. Just don't burn down the house." He laughed as he headed out the door.