Chapter 18
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Twilight gave Pinkie Pie a comforting smile as the flat-maned mare walked past her and into the room, a very downtrodden Applejack leaving the room at the same time.
The disheartened look of the orange mare was so saddening for the Alicorn. She knew she couldn’t really help fix what was causing it, as it was Sam’s trust in Applejack herself that needed to be fixed and she had no idea how she could help with that, if at all.
As Pinkie went to sit in front of Sam’s bed, Applejack sat down next to Twilight, but facing away from the door. There were tears in her eyes that she clearing was doing her best to hold back.
“Sam didn’t even say anythin’ afore Pinkie got here,” she mumbled, her hat tilted down, covering her face. “Ah... Ah tried t’ get her ta talk, but... she didn’t say anythin’.”
Twilight sighed, turning around and wrapping a wing around her friend. “I’m sure it will just take time, Applejack,” she reassured. “Sam’s been through a lot. She won’t come back to us right away, but she will open up, given time.”
“She’s suffered more than ya’ll could know,” the farm mare whispered, though Twilight failed to catch it as she had turned her head and attention towards the room, where Sam and Pinkie’s voices were coming through the ajar door.
“Ah’m... Ah’m really sorry, Pinkie,” Sam said, sounding completely sincere in her words. Twilight could swear she could even hear a held back sob in the filly’s voice. “Ah was angry at AJ and everythin’, but Ah shouldna taken it out on you. Ya’ll didn’t deserve it.”
There was quiet, before Pinkie’s voice answered, sounding hopeful, but pleading as well. “So... you don’t hate me?”
The sound of quilts shifting could be heard, before Sam’s replied, in a shocked voice, “Hate ya? Why in Equestria would Ah hate ya, Pinkie Pie? Yer the funnest pony out there. Someone would have ta be totally heartless ta hate you. Ah... Ah was a grade A asshole that day,” she finished, sounding ashamed.
A half-hearted giggle came from the pink mare. “You didn’t look like a donkey’s end back then to me.”
There’s silence for a moment, before slight giggling could be heard, before turning into outright laughter from both ponies. Chancing a glance as best she could from her position and the crack in the door, Twilight could see Sam smiling for the first time since she’d woken up, Pinkie Pie, mane all poofy once again, laughing along with her.
Twilight returned her gaze to Applejack and saw the faintest of a sad smile on her lips.
Twilight gave a small smile of her own. It wasn’t going to be easy, not be a long shot, but, with Pinkie and the others help, they would all get through this, together.
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The next couple days go by, everything moving at a snail’s pace. Applejack heeded my wishes and either Big Mac or Granny stay with me. Thankfully, Granny doesn’t keep talking to me about old stories from when she was younger.
I get visits from the CMC, Twist, a few other foals from the school, though a lot of them always seem worried when they come in and only a little less when they leave.
Applejack’s always coming for visits when she can, but whenever she does, I just face away from her and don’t say anything. I don’t have anything to say to her anyway.
I don’t know how to feel around that mare. I don’t hate her like I honestly thought I would, but... I can’t stand being near her right now either.
Frankly, the sooner Celestia recovers and can send me home, the better.
One oddity of a visitor I get over the couples days, though, is Filthy Rich. Of all ponies to come and visit me in the hospital, I have to say he would’ve been the last on my mind.
He told me it was because I’m a member of the Apple clan and he was worried about a relative of his most valued business partner, but I know there’s something else there. He’s apparently even paying the medical fees.
Likely, he feels guilty that his own daughter drove me to what I did. I still don’t understand why I thought doing that to my foreleg was such a smart idea at the time. Everything’s still pretty blurry from back then.
About a week after I woke up, I’m allowed to leave the hospital. I follow Granny out the doors and head towards the farm. Can’t say I’m looking forward to being around Applejack again, but at least I can do some apple bucking. That’ll take my mind off things, at least a little.
When I arrive at the farm, however, it’s to find Apple Bloom and her big sister are nowhere to be found.
“Uh, Granny?” I turn to the older mare and ask where her two granddaughters are.
She chuckles. “Applejack got a message from cousin Braeburn,” she says as we walk up towards the porch and head inside. “Poor young’n went’n hurt his leg, so he asked Applejack t’ take his place in the Appleloosa Rodeo.”
I cock my head. Huh. Now that I think about it, I remember Apple Bloom and the other CMC mentioning that and how sad they were I wouldn’t be able to join them in a search for our Cutie Marks.
I shake my head. Finding my Cutie Mark isn’t a top priority for me. I don’t even care about getting one. Once I’m home, I can just put all this behind me.
No, wait. Scratch that. Once I get back home, I’ll have to explain where I was all this time. Ooh, boy. That’s gonna cause a stir. I mean all those who were dissing me and calling me a fluke freak of nature? Let’s see them be so cocky when they learn the pony world is real, especially the idea of a pony controlling a freaking star. That’ll shut ’em up.
Still, that’s for them, not now. Granny gets me to help her move a few things, before I get an okay to go out and start bucking. She does stay with me until we find Big Mac though, and I’m instructed that I’m not allowed to leave his line of vision.
Now, if they had done this before, I’d have been pissed off. I mean, I’m still pissed about it, but I also know why they’re doing it. For a couple weeks I’ll have to be kept a close eye on, to make sure I’m not still suicidal o still willing to self harm, not that I actually ever was, but I can see why the doctors came to that conclusion.
I nod and Mac and I get back to bucking the apples. It’s hard, tiring work, but I feel good doing it. It feels natural and calming and lord knows I need as much calming as I can get nowadays.
After a while, I notice a blur streak across the sky and pause, putting a hoof to my mouth. “Hey, Dash! Howsit?!”
The streak stops to reveal the rainbow-maned mare, who glances around, before looking down and noticing me. she zips down, skidding to a halt mid-air, before landing in front of me.
“Sup, Sam?” she says, holding out a hoof, which I bump. “Glad to see you outta there.”
I nod, before rearing up and bucking a tree, causing apples to fall down.
Rainbow looks at the tree for a moment, before smirking. “Well, I know you don’t like how AJ tried to give you a new name, but it does fit.”
I glance to her, an eyebrow raised as I give a slight frown.
“Applebuck. You got a strong set o’ legs there, buddy.”
I chuckle, giving a coy smile. “Sorry, Dashie. But, thanks t’ this body, Ah’m a little young fer ya. Thanks fer the offer, though.”
She blinks a few moments, before her eyes widen and her cheeks go bright pink. “What?! I never meant— Why would you even—? Why would—?”
I give a hearty laugh. Man, Dash made that too easy.
It takes a few moments, before Dash realizes she got trolled and laughs along with me.
After that, we spend a bit of time chatting. Dash talks about how the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up soon.
I can’t help wondering why she seems so interested in it. I mean, back in season 1, it was proven to be boring as hell, annoying as shit and a waste of time. Why’s she so interested in it now?
Before I can verbalize my questions, however, a Pegasus who looks like Twilight with a Lightning Dust’s colours and green eyes comes down, asking Dash to come help with something over at the weather factory.
Dash hoof bumps me again and flies off, leaving me alone, with Mac not too far off.
I sigh, before returning to bucking.
“Not having as much fun now dear little Dashie’s gone?”
I freeze in place. I know that voice. Any fan of MLP who’s seen from season 2 onward knows that voice.
Before I can react, I find myself hanging upside down, my tail held by another tail. Turning my head, I see the face of the Lord of Chaos himself smiling back at me.
I blink a few times, before a huge grin forms on my face. Clearly this wasn’t the reaction Discord was expecting, as he got a confused and slightly uneasy look.
“WAAAAAHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I cheer, thrusting a hoof... downward? Huh? Never thought I’d be aiming down when doing that. Oh, well.
Discord’s cocks an eyebrow. “You’re glad to see me? Hfff.” He folds his arms, looking away. “Apple Bloom never seems cheery when I’m around.”
Yeah, I’m not even gonna touch that. Besides, I got other things on my mind.
“Ya’ll can send me back!” I cheer, holding my hooves over my head. How did I not think of this sooner? Screw the princesses, Discord has Chaos Magic. He can just send me back with a snap of his fingers.
At once, a displeased, but not angry frown forms on the Master of Chaos’ face, before a flash of light blinds me and were on the ground. He lowers me down, uncoiling his tail, before folding his arms and looking away. “Sorry, no can do.”
I halt, my brain taking a few moments to try and understand what I just heard. “Huh? But, yer Discord, Lord of Chaos.” I hold my hooves up. “Ya’ll can do anything!”
“Within reason, yes,” he says, before muttering, “Isn’t that irony for you, me following chaos with reason.”
I frown in confusion. “But... But, ya’ll have Chaos Magic. Ya’ll could easily just toss me back inta mah world, right?”
He groans, sounding annoyed, though I get the feeling it’s not aimed at me, for some reason. “Yes, I can do it. I would, since you asked. But, Celly isn’t exactly up for it, so I can’t do much on my end.”
I blink, before cocking an eyebrow. “Huh? Discord, Ah don’ get it. What does Celestia not bein’ able t’ send me back have t’ do with ya’ll sending me back?” I frown. “Wait. Does she wanna talk with me first?”
He shrugs, suddenly a woodpecker in the tree above me and starts pecking at the bark.
I groan. “Great. So Ah gotta wait anyway. Peachy.”
“Well, it was fun bantering, Sample Bloom,” he says, now next to me and leaning on thin air. “However, Fluttershy and I have an afternoon tea planned, so I must go. Ta ta.”
And with that he disappears, the sound of the British anthem playing in the background and fading away.
It’s Discord. I’m not going to bother trying to question it.
Still, I’m sad he couldn’t stay longer. Meeting the Lord of Chaos is any Brony’s dream. Even with everything I’ve been through, I can still feel joy at the idea of meeting him.
I blink, before smirking. Oh, I hope he and I get a chance to be good friends before I leave. If I’m right, we can work a way so that he’ll be able to come to my aid should anything bad ever happen to me again. Let’s see those people who see me as the devil’s spawn lay a finger on me when I’ve got the Master of Chaos watching my back.
I move to go back to bucking, when his last words catch up to me. Wait. Did he really just call me Sample Bloom?
By the time dinner rolls around, Applejack and the CMC still haven’t come back. Guess they’re spending the night in Appleloosa, or sleeping on the train.
Either way, dinner is nice and quiet with just me, Mac and Granny. Thankfully the meal isn’t all apples or apple related. Too many apples can lead to poisoning, ya know. Though, that’s in the human world. In equestrian, for these equine bodies, who knows?
After dinner, I decide to turn in early. Plus, if Applejack gets home soon, I’d rather be asleep already.
Heading up to Apple Bloom’s room, I get into the bed, making sure to leave plenty of room for her to get in if she gets home whilst I’m asleep and close my eyes, letting Luna’s wings guide my sleep.