//------------------------------// // Six: Ch.18 // Story: Six // by TryingToActProfessional //------------------------------// I don’t know why, but I couldn’t sleep that night. I felt absolutely restless laying in that bed. And I had a month of this?! “I need to get out of here….” That may be a bad idea. You can’t walk. Shut up, I can get a wheelchair. Hell, there’s one in the corner right there! Hm….That may work. You really do fascinate me, Six. Yeah, yeah. Shut up… I carefully take the tubes and wires out and off my body before carefully standing up, being sure to keep no weight on it at all. I hold onto the side of the bed and hobble my way over to the wheelchair, sitting down. It’s only 8pm. There may be guards waiting outside. In a hospital? Since when? You’re a high-priority target now, since you’ve become the Purge of Darkness. The what of whonow? Do you not read? There was a newspaper on the nightstand with your picture and a headline “Local Citizen Sixth Sense knighted by Princess Luna for the banishment of Nightmare Moon” It said that?! I-I wasn’t knighted! Apparently you don’t need to be present for that. I groan and carefully peek out the door. There was a Lunar guard standing at the end of the hallway. My only escape. “Son of a bitch….” Where did that come from? I dunno. It just felt right. Gotta use that one…. I look around the small room for any means of escape, and I see a window. “Hmm….Do you think that I could fit through that?” Unlikely with the wheelchair. Six, do you still remember your hypnosis class from magic school? “Of course I do. I carry the pocket watch on me all the time.” Let me take over for a minute. I can get you outside. Alright. I crack my neck and back before grabbing whatever clothes I could gather of mine and try to put them on. I manage to get fully dressed, since my pant leg was shredded from the attack the night before. “Feels good to be dressed again. Those rags you call a gown are too thin and disgusting for my tastes.” I wheel him out the door and I pull the watch from the inside pocket of his jacket. I am very glad that you took this class. How many people took this outside of you? It was me and Twilight. No one else wanted to take it. But I doubt Twilight even remembers me in her class. As I approach the guard, he turns to face me and steps in my path. “Sir, you musn’t be out of bed yet. Princess Luna’s orders.” She won’t mind a little outing… I pull out the watch and smile. “Would you like to see my watch? Look closely at it.” The guard, rather dumbly, leans down and stares at it while I start to gently swing it. “It would be easier if...you didn’t….swing….it…..” His eyes swirl over and he stands motionless. “Good. Now, hear me. You will believe that S-that I am in bed, sleeping. No matter who or what says otherwise, I am sleeping in that bed. When I snap my fingers, you will fall asleep for exactly thirty seconds, then you will resume your post.” He nods slowly. I put the watch away and snap my fingers. He instantly clatters to the floor, asleep. “Sleep well, imbecile…” I wheel myself down the hall and out the door, glad it was nighttime. As I finally get back into the street, I give Six control back. I smile and stretch, loving the night air. “Alright. To the Everfree.” What?! Why? To see Applewolf again. Are you trying to kill yourself?! No, he isn’t. He’s going to study her. ALL of her. Stop insinuating things! I’m just...curious… Pervert. I am not! Fucking dick… I wheel myself through the empty streets and right into the forest. Surprised there aren’t more people out… People are afraid of the beast of Everfree during the full moon week. Is that what they call her….? Indeed. And you called her a beast, too. I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS APPLEJACK! I sigh and make my way through the trees, really hating this wheelchair more and more as it sticks to branches and twigs every six millimeters. But, I do eventually reach the barrier. But, oddly enough, I couldn’t touch it. When I reached my hand through, it passed straight through it. “What the Hell….?” It may be a one-way barrier to keep things inside, but also let things freely move inside. Perhaps for hunting purposes… I’m just glad that no one’s brave enough to try and hunt her, not that they could do much to her like this. Why not? I read that werewolves are virtually unkillable in their beast-state, but are vulnerable to silver. But you can’t truely kil lthem unless they’re out of beast form. And you’d have to behead them. Way to lighten the mood, asshat. I am not wearing a donkey on my head… NOT WHAT I MEANT! We all fall silent as a soft growl approaches the barrier. I push myself back with my good leg. Out of a thicket peered out those glowing eyes again. And she was looking right at me. “Hey, AW. I came to see you. Did you miss me? You did quite a number on me last night.” I chuckle. And now you’re talking to her…. Oh, eat shit and die! …..Dick. I smile at her warmly, hoping she doesn’t find me threatening. And it seems to be working. She sits just inside the barrier and looks right at me, as if she was studying me like I was studying her. “Incredible….She acts so...wolf-like in this state, but has some higher form of consciousness compared to them. This is incredible.” I grab my notebook from my jacket pocket as well as a pen, and I start to sketch her as she is. Bet you’re glad I can draw. Yeah, I am…. I sketch a full-body image of her, standing in a hunting pose, slightly crouched over with her claws out to her sides. It was thrilling. When I look back up at her, she was leaned as close as she could get to the barrier. She didn’t look at all threatening like this. She almost looked...upset. I notice that her eyes’ glow was illuminating my leg. Oh, now I understand. “I’m not upset with you about that, AW. Neither of you. You didn’t know better.” She whines and pushes her forehead against the barrier. Oh, my God...that is so fucking cute. New use of the word! Yes! “I’m gonna trust you here, AW. Just...relax, okay?” I very slowly wheel myself through the barrier, and I face her. She quietly approaches me and sits at my feet, looking me square in the eye. Well, what would be my eyes if mine weren’t covered. “See? I’m a friend.” I raise my hand in a show of passiveness. That seems to work. She rests her large head on my lap and huffs. She’s just like a dog. A huge, seven foot dog… I carefully lower my hand down and feel her fur. It was very thick, and it felt similar to felt or wool. It was very pleasant to the touch. I slowly pet her head and neck, being extra careful not to make any rapid or sudden movements. “Not gonna hurt you...You’re okay here.” She suddenly sits up and leans extremely close to my face. I gulp and chuckle nervously. “H-hey.” She licks my face, making me shudder. Her tongue felt like rough sandpaper. “Does that mean you like me now? Heh…” She howls loudly, making my ears ring, before she dashes back into the trees. As soon as she’s out of sight, I grip my chest to stop my heart from bursting out in fear. That was possibly the dumbest thing you’ve ever done! I figured she would recognise me and let me go. I didn’t expect her to actually know who I was… How could you possibly tell she knew who you were? Didn’t you see? She was looking at my leg. She remembered that she hurt me. She knew who I was, which meant that AJ is still in some semblance of control in there. So I trusted her. And it payed off. Well, now you’re stuck in here with her until morning. I don’t mind. It’s nice in here. Very peaceful… PEACEFUL?! You have a seven foot monster in here with you! SHE’S NOT A MONSTER! SHE’S JUST MISUNDERSTOOD! SHE DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS! He falls silent. She’s not a monster…. I’m sorry, alright? I...overstepped a line there. It’s fine. Just...just take it easy tonight. I’ll keep an eye on her. I’m not sure when I dozed off, but I wake up to the sound of a pained whimper. I snap awake and wheel myself as fast as I can in the direction. Applejack’s hurt! But, when I get to the scene, AW was there, looking up at the rising sun. She howls and whines as her back and legs snap sickeningly, reforming into a smaller shape. She writhes on the ground as her spine condenses and straightens, and her muzzle shatters and reforms a flat face. All of her hair falls off, and her claws retract into her fingers, leaving a completely naked Applejack lying on the forest floor, panting heavily. It took only a minute, and my stomach is doing flips from the sickening sounds her breaking bones made. I take my jacket off and toss it over her, my cheeks bright red from embarrassment. She jumps a little as it covers her, and she looks back at me, just as her glowing eyes return to normal. “S-six? Aah….What’re ya doin here? Ya ought...ta be in the hospital.” “I came to see you. Well, both of you. And I’m glad I did. She trusts me.” Her eyes widen. “That thing actually trusts ya?” “Rude. It’s a she, not an it. And she trusts me as much as you do. She even let me pet her.” Her cheeks turn beet red. “Ya ought ta be restin...How’d ya git passed the guard?” “Magic. But the point here is that she trusts me enough for me to be in her hunting space. And she actually felt guilt and remorse! This was an amazing discovery!” “Six...Ya can’t be doin this again. You could git hurt...er worse!” She.covers herself with my jacket and goes towards Zecora’s hut, just as the barrier disappears. I turn away, hearing her change back into her clothes. Before I can turn back, I feel her grab the handlebars on my wheelchair as she pushes me back towards town. “Ya should’ve stayed in the hospital, Six. Yer not well enough ta be out and about yet.” “I can handle myself…” “With whut? Ya don’t know much magic, and ah doubt ya’ll could spook off a hydra er a chimera if they decided to attack ya! Didja forget yer in the Everfree?” “....kinda…..” “Ah’m takin ya to Twilight and havin ya put under house arrest till yer better.” “....you wouldn’t….” “Ah would...and ah am.” I bring the back of my hand to my forehead dramatically. “E tu, Applejack?” She laughs. “Yer not changin mah mind.” I huff and pout. “That usually works….” “Not on me it ain’t….” “Damn it….Why can’t I study her? I even sketched her last night.” “Ya draw?” “Well….Shade can. I can’t…” “....ah gotta talk to ya about all that one of these days….But, uh...can ah see? Whut she looks like?” “You...don’t know?” “Nope. Ah don’t remember nothin when ah’m like that.” “Oh...well, uh...sure. My sketchbook is in my jacket pocket.” I hear her reach in and pull it out. I wheel myself along so she has both hands. “Oh, mah God….Ah’m….ah’m that big?” “Yeah...It’s really fascinating…” “......ah ought ta wear slimmin jeans, then….” Wait, what? OH FUCK! I snag the book out of her hand and turn to the Applewolf page. She laughs. “Ya could’ve asked if ya wanted ta draw me, Six.” “I-I was doing it for studying!” “Uh huh…” I hand her the book, open to the right page this time. “Sweet Celestia….Ah’m ferocious lookin….And ah didn’t lose much size wise when ah change, ah guess. And ya just walked right up ta her? Ya got some pair on ya ah guess.” I chuckle and take the book back, hiding it out of sight. We get back to the edge of the forest, and she leans close to my ear. “Ya know, yer drawin of me ain’t bad. Why don’tcha come by the farm after yer better and ah’ll let ya draw me again.” A heavy blush covers my face and my heart flutters. “O-o-okay…” “But if ah find out ya went runnin off after me again, ah’m not gunna talk to ya ever.” “But...but…..but….” “Butts are fer ash trays. Now, git goin. Ah need ta git home and sleep. Ah’m tuckered out. Ah’ll visit ya in the mornin!” I wave to her as she runs off. With my jacket….Aaah, she can keep it. Suits her better anyway… You really want her, don’t you? You have no idea. And it was even before she told me how she felt back….Ooh, I’m a hopeless romantic. You’re just hopeless. Fuck off!