//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Friendship Is Magic! ... Unless You Are a Human // by Huk //------------------------------// “Fifty bits...” Hoops grunted, checking out his fixed tooth with his tongue. “If I see that monkey boy, he’s gonna get it!” Dumb Bell and Score cast a silent glance of pity at their buddy, shaking their heads. They just picked Hoops up from the Ponyville’s dentist’s office, and he was already starting to get on their nerves, constantly boasting about how he will get John and Cheerilee and make them pay for what they’ve done to him. “You aren’t going to say anything? That old nag and monkey man cost us a small fortune, man!” Dumb Bell sighed, rolling his eyes. With the sun slowly moving towards the horizon he just wanted to get out of there, get home, grab a cold one, and forget about this day. Reminding him about the cash they lost wasn’t helping. “Just forget about it, Hoops.” “But, man—” “Look! I don’t like it either. But with those two on our tails, we need to lay low for now,” Dumb Bell said just as they entered the market. “Tell you what, how about we grab some snack before going home? I’m starving!” His companions smiled and nodded in unison. At that hour, some of the stalls were already empty as the market was slowly dying down. They managed to grab some fast-food just before the stand closed. They were chewing on their oat-burgers and carrot-dogs in one of the alleys when their eyes suddenly widened. “Hey, it’s that nag, over there!” Score pointed his hoof. Cheerilee was some distance away, her saddlebags were looking full. “Hrmph, that human is here too,” Hoops pointed at John, who was on the other side of the market. “I say we kick his flank!” “So that he could knock out your other teeth?” Score said with a snicker. “H-hey! That was an accident, man!” “Sure it was, with the pirouette and all. Oh, and that landing!” Score let out a chuckle. “Have you ever thought about a career in the circus, Hoops?” “Hey! You take that back! Or I’ll—” “Knock it off, both of you,” Dumb Bell said, quickly munching on what was left of his hay-burger. “The last thing we need right now is to draw attention to ourselves. We’ll beat up the human, and tomorrow we’ll have royal guards on our flanks!” Hoops hoofed the ground mumbling something to himself, but both he and Score nodded in agreement. “Finish up your food and let’s get out of this hole—” “H-hey, guys...” Somepony interjected from behind. They turn to see depressed Scootaloo on her antiquated scooter, standing next to them, her puffy red eyes fixed on the ground. “What do you want, kid?” Dumb Bell said, raising his eyebrow. “I, um... still need my medicine—” “Sorry, no can do. Not with that teacher of yours on our backs.” “B-but... I need it!” “Didn’t you hear what I said? Can’t help you, kid.” Scootaloo started nibbling her lower lip, her eyes watering up and body shaking. “P-please, I’ll get you more stuff! I’ll do anything! Please...” Ignoring her, Dumb Bell turned to his buddies, to see that they just finished their food. “Come on guys, let’s get back home.” “Wait, man!” Hoops said. “If the kid wants us to get him his stuff—” “For the last time, we can’t! Not unless you want to spend some time in the dungeon!” “Why nopony want’s to help me...” Scootaloo sniffled loudly. “It’s not fair!” “Yeah, DB, the kid is right. I’m with Hoops on this one, let’s... help her one more time. That’s what friends are for, after all,” Score said with a sinister smile. Letting out a deep sigh, Dumb Bell shook his head. No matter how stupid, his buddies were right on one thing... As long as Scootaloo was willing to do anything to get the ‘medicine,’ she was a gold mine, and losing her meant saying goodbye to a lot of bits... As he was glancing between Cheerilee and John, and listening to the sobbing pegasus, he got an idea… “OK, there may be a way to help you, kid, but we need to get rid of that old teach and the human first.” “W-what do you mean?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “Like… K-kill them?” “Nah, I don’t want them hurt… too much,” Dumb Bell chuckled. “What I meant was that we need to ruin their reputation so that they won’t be able to interfere anymore. And I have an idea how to do it…” “Most ponies already hate that human since Applejack said he is evil or something, but... Cheerilee?” Scootaloo nibbled her lower lip. “I... I don’t know. I don’t think she deserves it—” “I don’t get it... You still defend her, even after what happened?” Dumb Bell shook his head. “The way I see it, she’s one evil bitch, but... as you wish, kid – it’s your life.” Dumb Bell and his gang turned around and started walking away, but a moment later, Scootaloo stopped them. “W-what do you want me to do?” Scootaloo said, her voice was cold and emotionless. “Simple… When ponies will ask you if those two hurt you – answer ‘yes.’ “That’s all?” “Yup, leave the rest to us. So... are you in, or out?” Scootaloo nodded. “Good! OK, guys listen up, here is what we are going to do...” *** “That will be twenty bits…” Carrot Top said, as she started packing some of the highest quality carrots, her eyes lock on John, tracking his every movement, even as he counted the money. “Here you go.” Carrot glanced at the coins, then back at John and shot him a dirty look. “Are you mocking me?!” “Pardon?” “Let me try that one more time… Twenty BITS, not CENTS – BITS.” “And... those are cents…?” “Bravo!” She said with a sarcastic smile. “And here I thought that all humans are idiots.” “If the only human you ever interacted it was James, then I can see why…” John smiled. “Most of us are pretty civilized... For example, I can read, write, am potty-trained, and everything.” “Impressive… Your mother must be so proud…” “Oh, yes! She once told me that I was the only child she never wanted to strangle with a pillow…” Involuntarily, Carrot let out a chuckle and smiled gently. “Well, I’ll be! I just made you smile, feels funny!” “Don’t flatter yourself, hon. I’m not one of those easy to impress mares! It takes more than a silly joke to get my trust.” “Challenge accepted…” John said with a smile. “As long as you’ll promise to keep an open mind, that is.” “Hrmph, we shall see…” Carrot said, with a pouty expression. “Getting to the matter at hoof… You need more bits.” “Sorry, I’m not used to handling your currency. Hmm, let’s see…” John took his money bag and spilled the rest of the coins across the table. “This is all I have on me, is this enough?” With her eyes darting from left to right, Carrot quickly counted the money and shook her head. “Sorry, hon, but there are only eleven bits here.” “Great…” John put on a sheepish smile. “Could I pay the rest tomorrow?” Carrot arched her eyebrow and put on a deadpan expression on her face. “I take that as a no... Could you put those away for me? I’ll go to get the cash. I should be back in ten—” “I’m closing in five minutes mister, sorry. But, you can just exchange the premium carrots for normal ones – for those, twelve bits will be enough.” “Those are for Twilight. I want the best quality for the dish I’m making.” Carrot cocked her head. “Twilight hired you as a… cook?” “She didn’t hire me per se, it’s just that… Well, let’s just say I want to contribute something, and cooking helps me unwind, so… I already bought the ingredients for Princess Celestia’s cake,” John said, lifting one of the bags off the ground. “All I need now are some nice carrots for Twilight’s dish, so... any chance for—” “Sorry, hon, but I don’t sell on credit. Nothing personal, it’s just bad for business.” “’Nothing personal,’” John smiled sarcastically, crossing his arms. “Right… OK then, I’ll take the ordinary stuff—” “That won’t be necessary,” somepony interjected from behind, and a second later twenty bits hit the stand. “Here you go, John will take the premium carrots.” John turned and smiled. “Cheerilee! Thank you, but… I can’t accept—” “I don’t want to hear it!” She interjected firmly, but with a smile. “This is the least I can do after all the help you provided.” “Um, it was nothing really…” John’s cheeks went a little red. “It was for me! You have no idea how important those papers were, not to mention the... other things...” Glancing between Cheerilee and the blushing human, and packing the merchandise as slow as possible, Carrot smiled waiting for the moment to strike. Let’s try this. “Oh, my! How clumsy of me!” She said, ’accidentally’ dropping some of the carrots to the ground. Just as she suspected, both of them immediately bent down to pick them up. She paused for a moment and cleared her throat. “So… Mr. John helped you with those nasty papers you mentioned earlier, huh?” “With those, and a few other things…” “Ah... That explains why the two of you were so dirty...” “Oh, yes!” Cheerilee let out a chuckle. “We both landed in the mud...” “I see…” Carrot said with a sly grin. “Well mister, if you’re Cheerilee’s… friend, then I guess you must be all right, she is a rather picky mare in that regard. Aren’t you, hon?” Cheerilee’s eyes shot wide, and she froze for a moment. Her head began to slowly lean out from under the stand a few seconds later, piercing Carrot with a cold, gnawing gaze, but the salespony kept grinning, completely unfazed by the death stare. “Oh, by the way, hon – how was the last date—” She was interjected by a loud thud, and a cry of pain from under the stand, coming from John. “You OK in there, mister?” John stood up, holding his skull and quickly put the carrots back on the stand. “Ugh, I hit my head, nothing to worry about.” “Thank you, for picking those up… So, hon? How about that date?” “That... is none of your business, Carrot!” Cheerilee said, gritting her teeth. If her eyes could shoot lasers, Carrot would have got sliced in half. “I’m just saying that a beautiful mare like you should date more! You’re not getting any younger, you know… Unless of course, you already found some pony… or creature?” With a smirk, she turned to John. “Can you believe that she’s still single?!” John glanced at frowning Cheerilee, then back at smirking Carrot, and smiled gently. “I believe that... some women have higher standards than others. For example, they don’t gossip…” Carrot’s smile suddenly faltered, and she shot him a glance. “I believe that this discussion is inappropriate, but most of all... I believe it’s time for me to go—” “Likewise!” Cheerilee interjected. “Um… of course, of course!” Carrot bit her lip but smiled back a moment later. “See you later!” “Goodbye miss and... thank you for carrots,” John nodded and walked away, alongside Cheerilee. When they were out of Carrot’s hearing distance, Cheerilee broke the silence, letting out an angry snort. “Carrot Top… We’ll be the local news for the next month...” “Local gossip girl?” “You have no idea...” “If it is any consolation, James paired us up too,” John let out a chuckle. “People have a vivid imagination...” “Yes... Yes, they do…” With her eyes fixed to the ground, Cheerilee let out a sigh. " John, I... I’m going to give back some of those stolen items to the owners, would you accompany me? It shouldn’t take long.” “No problem...” Just as he said it, his eyes wandered towards a stand where Applejack fiercely argued with some pony. “Cheerilee... would you give me a minute? I need to talk with her...” “Of course... Do you want me to go with you?” “Thank you, but... this is something I need to do alone.” “I understand... Tell you what, I need to catch the owners of those items before they go home... When you finish talking, just go stand over there,” Cheerilee pointed her hoof to the center of the market, “and I’ll find you, OK?” John nodded. “Good luck.” “Thanks...” He said as Cheerilee walked away. “Something tells me I’m gonna need it...” *** “This wasn’t the deal! He can’t do this!” Applejack said, holding a piece of paper in her hooves. She looked like she went through hell, her mane was unkempt, eyes were bloodshot and baggy, and her whole body was shaking from anger and lack of sleep. “This can’t be legal, it just can’t be...” “I’m afraid it is...” Legal Beagle said, letting out a sigh. “The contract you signed, gives my client a wide field to act upon, and since you failed multiple times to deliver the goods—” “That’s a lie! All the deliveries were on time!” “True, but the quality of the merchandise was in question, and because of that, according to the contract’s rules the delivery was incomplete.” “Lately, we have some troubles with the weather, but... I hoof-picked the merchandise I sent him myself. For the last three weeks, I worked day and night to make sure he got the best apples and crops we had, but he still claimed that half of them were bad... That’s a blatant lie!” “It’s not my place to be a judge here, I’m just telling you what my client told me, and he claims you had troubles keeping your end of the bargain. The last delivery, for example – didn’t happen at all—” “I almost lost my life trying to make it happen!” Applejack shouted, hitting the stand and sending some apples to the ground. “You... you know what? To heck with that!” She shook her head, violently crumpled the document and threw it in Legal’s face. “You can tell him to stick it! I’m done making deals with him!” Legal picked up the wrinkled piece of paper with a stoic expression, and let out a slow deep sigh. “I understand you’re angry, but... you’re making a big mistake.” “I don’t think so… I will cut my losses while I can, instead of wasting even more bits…” “Applejack...” Legal glanced at her with a bewildered expression. “Did you read the contract before signing it?” “Of course! Well, more or less... We had it all talked out, so I didn’t see the reason to read it all once again... Why?” Applejack cocked her head. “Why are you giving me that weird look?” “Hold on…” Legal opened his briefcase and after a few seconds of rummaging through papers, took out a document. “This is a copy of your contract, look here... Do you see what it says on page fifteen?” Applejack started reading, and her eyes shot wide. She blinked and reread it, did a double take and reread it again, and again... “’Contract secured by mortgage of Sweet Apple Acres’?! This can’t be... this wasn’t there when I...” Her face suddenly became pale, her hind legs turned to jelly, and her rump hit the floor with a thud. “T-that’s why they wanted me to get Granny’s signature...” “And she didn’t read it either?” “No, she... she doesn’t know about any of this...” Applejack bit her lip. “I... gave her the contract alongside other papers she normally signs, and she didn’t notice.” “Let me get this straight... Not only you didn’t read the contract before signing it... You tricked Granny Smith into signing it as well?!” Seeing her nod, made him facehoof. “Why would you do that? Why didn’t you consult someone first?” “I... didn’t have the money to spare.” “Forgive me Applejack, but... aren’t you a friend of Princess Twilight? She may not be a lawyer, but I bet she would tell you to never sign this!” “S-she has been so busy lately... Friendship quests, her royal duties, helping Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy with their tours... I just... didn’t want to bother her...” “Good grief...” Legal shook his head. “This is... bad, very, very bad... but that only reinforces my point… If you don’t deliver the goods, my client will attempt to take over your farm—” “He can’t do that!” “Yes, he can! And I’m sorry to say, but with that document... it won’t be a problem. The only way to get out of this contract is to deliver those goods. Only then, you’ll be able to resign without further consequences.” Applejack started shaking, her breath was raspy and shallow, and sweat sprouted from her forehead like a sprinkler. She looked like someone who was about to get a heart attack. “Legal... I can’t do this...” She said with a stammer. “He wants me to give him more zap-apples than we harvest, each year. Even if we somehow could deliver, the farm needs those zap-apples to survive! We would go bankrupt!” Her eyes started to tear-up. “P-please... There must be another way out of this...” “I’m sorry, but... understand – you’re not dealing with a nice, forgiving pony... People like my client build their wealth by exploiting every possible loophole there is. He’s not interested in compromise, all he cares about is profit.” “How can you work for such vermin…” “It’s a job, Applejack, nothing more... I usually deal with disputes between my client and big companies, not small business like yours...” Glancing from left to right, Legal let out a sigh. “I can see one other way out of this mess, but... It’s not pretty.” “H-how?” “Granny would have to claim in court, that you tricked her into signing the contract... If you admit to it, you may be able to win, but... knowing the people I’m working for, they’ll not let you walk out without a fight. And, if you win... you may be facing some prison time.” “If I win? You mean that even if I admit to everything, I can still lose?” “Yes... It’s pretty much fifty-fifty... They’ll claim that Granny signed that paper in good faith, and now she just wants to bail out without consequences. They may try to use your own title of ‘Element of Honesty’ against her, or against you... and so on. They’ll do anything to win, and like I said... it won’t be pretty...” Legal glanced at the resigned figure in front of him, and let out a sigh of sympathy. “I’m sorry Applejack, but if you really can’t deliver, then that’s the only alternative I can see… I’ll be staying at Ponyville’s hotel until tomorrow… Sleep on it and make a choice.” With her eyes fixed on the ground, Applejack nodded. “I… don’t know how, I’ll pass the news to Granny, or the others…” “If I may suggest something... Just be honest about it, hiding the truth may only make matters worse at this point... Whatever you do, I wish you luck. Goodbye, I’m sorry things have to turn this way.” Applejack watched as Legal turned around and walked away. For a long time after his figure disappeared on the horizon, she stayed frozen and lost in thought, just glancing ahead at nothing in particular. “Excuse me,” someone said, getting her attention. When she turned and saw John standing nearby, her eyebrow arched on its own. “What the hay do you want?!” “Can we... talk?” “About what?!” “I... Look, I can’t take back the time, but believe me... I regret what happened that night... Knowing that I almost killed you, almost... took Apple Bloom’s sister away, it...” John let out a sigh and shook his head. “I don’t know what I want to say... I don’t expect absolution, but... I would like to try to make amends… If you’re willing.” Applejack gaped at him in silence for a moment, before her lip started trembling and curling into a smirk. She let out a chuckle that turned into a mad laughter a second later. “What’s so funny?” John said, cocking his head. “You’re funny...” Applejack said with a crazy grin. “You made me miss my delivery... If it weren’t for your little stunt, then maybe... I would still have a chance to get out of this mess...” She gritted her teeth, piercing him with a cold gaze. “You almost killed me, ruined everything else, and you want to make amends?!” “What are you talking about? If I messed something up, maybe I can help you fix it?” “You ‘helped’ quite enough! Because of your doing, we’ll probably lose our farm!” Applejack spat. “Making amends? You can forget it! Get the hay away from my sight, before I buck you into oblivion, you vermin!” Some of the nearby ponies cocked their heads in their direction, once again shooting John intimidating glances, but this time expression on his face remained stoic and cold as well. He stood there in silence, gaping at Applejack and shaking his head. “Interesting... You know, I kind of overheard a part of your conversation with that other pony, and you said you’re the one who signed this contract and the one who tricked your granny into signing it. And now, you want to blame me?” He shook his head with an expression of disgust. “To hell with that, you obviously don’t want my apologies, you want a scapegoat.” “Scapegoat?! No! It’s your fault! You just… have no idea what you did!” “Twilight told me you started acting weird weeks before I even showed up. That’s also my fault?” “It’s... It’s just... complicated!” Applejack let out an angry growl. “I’m done talking with you! I’m going home...” She attached herself to the cart, and started walking away… “I don’t get it...” John shook his head. “How can you an Apple Bloom be so different—” “What did you say?!” Applejack’s eyes shot wide, and she turned around, gritting her teeth. “Don’t you dare mention her name!” “Whoa, easy there—” “If I see you near my little sister again, you’re gonna be sorry! Stay away from her!” John glanced from left to right, to see that their little ‘chat’ started attracting more and more, angry ponies. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay away, but no matter what you think, I would never hurt her... If you ever calm down and feel like talking, I’ll be waiting...” The only response he got was an angry scowl, before Applejack attached herself to her cart and walked away. John turned around and started walking towards the point Cheerilee pointed him earlier. “Good... Let him get to the middle of the market so that more ponies will hear it...” Dumb Bell said, observing him from above. “And then… it’s showtime...” *** John reached the center of the market and scanned the horizon, but Cheerilee was nowhere to be found. He put his groceries on the ground and crossed his arms, waiting and enjoying the sun, but a second later, a sudden hit knocked him off his feet, and he hit the ground with a thud. “Hey! Watch it—” John said, but paused immediately after realizing who hit him. “You?!” The only answer was a powerful punch just below his armpit, making him groan in pain. “It cost me fifty bits to get my tooth fixed, monkey boy! You’re gonna pay them back, right now!” Gritting his teeth, John painfully clenched his upper body. Seeing his agony made Hoops grin, and he took another swing, only to have his punch caught in mid-air this time, and the wind knocked out of him a second later with a powerful knee to the gut. He let out a squeal, and as he was gasping for air with his mouth opened, John grabbed his front hoof and with a stomach throw – sent the wheezy pegasus to the rear. “I don’t wanna fight you!” John said, standing up and shaking some dirt off his clothes. Hoops got on all fours, breathing heavily. “Now... you... really... gonna... get it!” He reared and tried striking John on the face, but this time hit the well-placed metallic arm instead. Letting out an angry snort, he tried again, and again, but each time, John just blocked it. The ruckus attracted a small mob of ponies who gathered nearby, gaping at the scene and whispering something between themselves. For a good thirty seconds, Hoops was throwing wild punches in the air, but they were either missing entirely or hitting the block. With sweat pouring down his forehead and running out of breath, he launched in the air and made a desperate dash forward, finally tackling John to the ground again. “Get off me, you damn turnip!” The next few seconds were a blur, with both of them rolling on the ground, cursing and groaning, until one of Hoops’ hoofs finally connected with John’s jaw with a loud crunch-sound. The little victory poured some courage back into pegasus’ heart, and he grinned – rising his hoof for another strike when suddenly, Dumb Bell and Score began pulling him away. “Whoa, calm down, man! It’s not worth it!” Dumb Bell said. “W-what?” Hoops cocked his head with a bewildered expression. “But... you said that—” “I know! But you want to land in the dungeon?! You know that guy has protection!” Dumb Bell glanced at confused John, and raised his voice, making sure everypony around would hear him loud and clear. “He got away with hurting a child, you think he can’t get away with busting your teeth again?” “W-what the fuck are you talking about?!” John stood up just as whispers around him intensified, becoming audible. “Playing dumb, are we? I’m talking about what you did to the poor Scootaloo...” “What... I DID?! You son of a—” Gritting his teeth, John took a swing, but Dumb Bell launched in the air before it could connect. “You were the ones who wanted to take advantage of her—” “Hold on!” Somepony in the crowd interjected. “What happened exactly, boys? What did he do?” “I would rather not say... it’s a delicate matter, for the kid. Besides, we’ll all get in trouble if I tell you...” “If he did something to the poor filly, we have the right to know!” “Jesus Christ! I didn’t do anything—” “You gonna tell us or not?!” The pony from the crowd repeated. “Well... Let’s just say that a few hours ago, we found him trying to give her an... aggressive cuddling – if you know what I mean...” The voices turned from murmurs and whispers to angry shouts and curses in a blink of an eye. John couldn’t make the most of it, but what he did understand told him ponies were buying into everything. “This is bullshit!” He shouted, pointing at Dumb Bell. “Can’t you see they’re trying to jerk you off?! I would never—” “Then why did Applejack scream at you to stay away from Apple Bloom, a few minutes ago?!” “This is not what she meant!” John said, but the more he protested his innocence, the more the crowd believed in his guilt. As the mob demands got louder and louder, he quickly scanned his location from left to right, realizing he was surrounded by at least fifty ponies, and that all escape routes have been cut off. He glanced back at Dumb Bell who was hovering above him and noticed a little smirk on his face. “That would explain why she called him a monster earlier!” Somepony interjected. “And why he was hanging around Cutie Mark Crusaders in the first place!” “I bet Rainbow Dash shot him because she knew! And look what happened to her!” “I’m telling you they’re lying! Go ask the kid—” A loud crunching sound filled the air, quickly followed by a searing sensation shooting up his back. John grunted and swung around just in time to see a levitating plank hitting him across the chest and knocking his wind out. “Fillyfooler!” Somepony shouted. “Filthy human!” Someone else added. “Goddamnit...” John coughed up, blocking another hit with his metallic arm. “I didn’t—” Before he could finish, a hand-sized stone struck him across the head, and he hit the ground on all fours. The blow transformed the world around him into a jumbled mess of blurry figures and distant voices he couldn’t make out. “We’ll show you how we treat freaks like you!” An earth pony shouted, pushing confused John towards the enraged mob, quickly followed by another one doing the same. With his ears ringing, ground spinning, and adrenaline filling his veins, John took a defensive swing. It was instinct, it was uncoordinated, and it barely connected – but it was enough to send the crowd into a furious rage. They piled in on him and began throwing him around like a rag-doll. Every time he tried to get up, there was another pony, plank or rock waiting in anticipation to painfully send him back to the ground. Watching the ruckus below, Dumb Bell smiled. “Darn, that was easier than I thought... If I knew that guy was so hated, I would have kicked his flank back then...” “Let me have some fun!” “No, Hoops! You stay away from this! I know you want a piece of him, but let the mob handle that and just enjoy the view...” Hoops grumbled something under his breath but complied – turning his head back to the fighting below. By that time, John has regained some composure and was trying to find the way out of the crowd, but was trapped between angry pegasi attacking him from the air, rocks bashing his skull, and branches getting broken on his back. “Stop!” Cheerilee shouted just as one of the blows knocked John off his feet and into the nearby puddle, to the delight of the crowd. “For Celestia’s sake, what are you doing?!” “That pervert tried to rape poor Scootaloo a few hours ago!” “W-what?!” Cheerilee’s eyes widened in horror. “That’s a lie! Who told you that?” She noticed smirking trio hovering nearby. “It was them?!” “Yes! They saw everything! Now step aside—” “NO!” The loudness of Cheerilee’s shout made the pony in front of her flinch, rear, and fall backward to his flank with a thud. Nearby ponies shot her a glance, but seeing her outraged face and eyes burning with rage, they cringed and made a step back. Just like that, the ruckus died down, and all fell silent, gaping as Cheerilee helped the beaten up John slowly get back on his feet. When he finally regained his balance, she flinched at the sight. His face was swollen and bruised, his breathing raspy, and some blood was slowly oozing from his mouth. Cheerilee angrily shook her head and turned to the crowd. “First, you treat John like garbage, and now you decided to beat him up?! What’s wrong with you?!” “B-but... they said he tried to—” “They lied!” Cheerilee shouted, stomping her hoof. “I was there, they were the ones that were hurting Scootaloo, not him!” “Yeah, sure! You would say that!” Dumb Bell said. “Everything to defend your... special somepony, huh?” Whispers filled the air again, but Cheerilee stopped them, raising her hoof. “You are the most... despicable pony I’ve ever met! Not only did you take advantage of a helpless child, but now you want to blame it all on John and me? Disgusting!” “What you tried to do to that poor child, that’s disgusting—” “Hold on, boy!” Carrot Top interjected from the crowd. “Are you saying good old Cheerilee’s a... fillyfooler? Ha!” “H-hey! But... that’s true! She was with him when that happened!” Dumb Bell said, but this time instead of buying it, ponies started shaking their heads. “Princess Celestia’s going to learn about this, and you’re going to pay for what you did to Scootaloo!” “Wait, hon! What did they do?” Cheerilee shook her head. “I cannot discuss it right now, but you’ll find out soon.” Suddenly the crowd began scowling and whispering in the direction of Dumb Bell and his gang, getting second thought about what transpired. Hoops glanced in the direction of one of the closed stalls, behind which Scootaloo was hiding. Their eyes met, and he gave her the sign to move in. “What... what’s she doing?” The trio glanced in unison at the stand, to see Scootaloo with glassy eyes, biting her lip and shaking her head. “Great... That little brat set us up!” Seeing the crowd getting more restless, he gulped and turned to his companions. “Guys, we better get out of here—” “Maybe we don’t have to...” Score whispered, pointing at something. “You see that, DB?” Dumb Bell squinted his eyes and smiled a second later. He and Score exchanged glances and nodded to each other, setting a new plan in motion. “Hold on, hold on...” Dumb Bell said to the crowd, just as Score left the scene. “Let me get this straight... You don’t believe that... your Cheerilee would be capable of such sick act, right?” “Of course, we don’t!” Somepony said. “The human? Maybe... but Cheerilee? No way!” “I see... I can’t say I blame you... It was pretty shocking to us too, but... if you think she’s a saint, then answer this...” Dumb Bell smiled. “Would the person you take her for, steal from you?” “You son of a...” John said, spitting out some blood. “You know she didn’t steal anything!” “Well, then... what’s this?!” Score suddenly dashed from behind, grabbing Cheerilee’s saddlebag off her back, and spilling its content to the ground. Before she could say anything, the outcry filled the air. “That’s my book!” Somepony said. “And my necklace!” Another added. “Wait! This is not what it looks like!” “Where did you get those things?!” “I... I didn’t steal them! I got them here to give them back to the rightful owners—” “Likely story!” Dumb Bell said and smirked. “But if you didn’t steal them, then who did?” “I...” Cheerilee bit her lip and glanced at John, but he shook his head, informing her not to reveal anything. “I... can’t say. Not yet, anyway—” “I think it should be pretty obvious who she’s protecting...” “It wasn’t John!” “Then who was it?!” “I can’t tell you that! It would ruin everything! Please... you have to believe me, I brought those here to give them back!” Once again, murmurs and whispers filled the air, as the crowd was trying to make up its mind. Some ponies were shaking their heads, others were shooting cold glances towards Cheerilee and John, mumbling something between themselves. There was no immediate consensus, but their reaction was showing that the seed of doubt has been successfully planted, and was growing fast. “Cheerilee... If something bad happens, run for the castle,” John whispered. “John, I can’t—” “Listen to me! Try to get James here, or Celestia or... someone, and... if you won’t be able to... just hide—” “OK...” One of the ponies in the crowd interjected. “I must say this... looks bad, but... I still can’t believe Cheerilee would do anything against a child...” Dumb Bell frowned, trying his best to look angry, while he laughed inside his head. Pushing this further would only aggravate matters, and they didn’t need that. Ruining Cheerilee’s reputation was enough for their plans. “Hrmph, suit yourself! But I would be cautious with your fillies around her—” “Hold on, everyone! Let’s just ask her!” Carrot Top interjected, pointing her hoof at one of the stands. Everyone turned in unison to see Scootaloo peeking from behind the stall. Feeling dozens of eyes gaping at her, made her own eyes widen in horror. She gasped and jumped on her scooter, flapping her small wings with all her might, trying to get out of there... only to feel the warmth of unicorn magic enveloping her body, and pulling her towards the mob. “No! Let me go!” “Easy there, Scootaloo – we’re not going to hurt you,” one of the unicorns said. “We need to ask you a question, that’s all.” “No... please, let me go...” Scootaloo shook her head. “I don’t wanna do this...” “You cannot just force her like that!” Cheerilee said. “You don’t have anything to hide, do you?” “That’s not the point! You’re hurting her!” Both Cheerilee and Scootaloo tried to protest some more, but a few seconds later, the filly and her scooter were gently placed on the ground, facing Cheerilee and John. “Scootaloo... we heard some... disturbing rumors about the human and Cheerilee. Those rumors include you—” “I... I didn’t do anything!” “No one is saying that you did, but... there were some... a rather serious accusations made, and we need to clear out some things.” “A-accusations?” Scootaloo noticed the stolen items lying on the ground, and her heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened, and breathing became quicker. “I h-had no choice!” “Hon, what do you mean?” Carrot said. “Did somepony force you to do... something you didn’t want?” “I didn’t have a choice!” Scootaloo repeated, her eyes getting wet. “P-please, leave me alone! Please...” “Tell us, did that human or... Cheerilee, force you to do something you didn’t want? Did they... hurt you?” Scootaloo’s eyes started going between the stolen goods, Cheerilee and John. Her heart was pounding like a sledgehammer, her breathing was rapid and shallow, and her body began to shake. ”When ponies will ask you if those two hurt you – answer ‘yes.’” Dumb Bell’s words were playing in Scootaloo’s head like a broken record. One part of her wanted to yell ‘YES,’ while the other was screaming that this was all wrong. Her mind was torn between anger, shame, and regret. She glanced at Cheerilee one more time, and another flashback hit her. ”Yes, I think sending Scootaloo away would be advisable...” Cheerilee said to Scootaloo’s parents. “...circus seems like a good place for a filly like her.” With the painful memory on its side, shame won the battle, and her eyes filled with tears. “W-why...” Scootaloo said, glancing at Cheerilee like a beaten puppy. “What did I ever do to you that you hate me so much?” “Are you saying that... Cheerilee and the human, really did hurt you?” “Yes...” Scootaloo said with a loud sob. “Yes, they did...” Angry outcry filled the air, and ponies eyes turned towards confused Cheerilee. “Scootaloo... why are you saying those things?! You know that’s not what—” “Trying to intimidate the kid?” Dumb Bell interjected. “Pathetic!” “You put her up to this, you son of a bitch!” “Look everypony, monkey boy’s defending his girlfriend!” “Fuck you, turnip!” “Enough! All of you!” Shouted a pony from the crowd and turned to Cheerilee. “There were rumors about you, but I never believed them, until now… An old mare with no children of her own working as a teacher…” He shot her a cold glare. “A perfect cover up for a fillyfooler, wouldn’t you say?” “Are you out of your mind?!” “Is he?!” Another mare interjected. “All those extracurriculars...” “What about them?” “Were you using them to get… an easy prey?!” “W-what?” Cheerilee frantically shook her head. “Listen to yourself! I would never hurt a filly!” “My colt came home feeling blue a few times after attending those… extra classes!” “So did my daughter!” “Now that I think about it... More than once did my colt come back from school crying, not wanting to tell me why!” “I never hurt a child! I would never—” Cheerilee’s eyes started to tear up. “H-how can you say those things...” Cheerilee tried to protest but was drowned by the accusations that burst all around. The mob of ponies closed around John and her, shouting and cursing in their direction with mad faces. She scanned the crowd, looking for someone... anyone who would be willing to take her side, but the few ponies that tried to intervene were quickly silenced by the rest. The feeling of helplessness overwhelmed her, and tears started rolling down her face. “This is even better than we planned,” Score whispered to Dumb Bell. “No one is going to believe them now.” “Yeah, but let’s hope it won’t get any worse. We don’t need the... No!” Dumb Bell’s eyes widened. “Hoops, don’t—” he tried to interject, but it was too late. Hoops sent a fist-size rock flying towards the center of the crowd, and it impacted John on the head a second later. “Get the fillyfoolers!” His words were like a spark thrown into the pool of gasoline, starting an explosive reaction from the crowd. John was still clenching his head when a forceful blow to his back sent him to the ground again. Cheerilee jumped in, trying to shield him with her own body, only to be forcefully pulled away by the mob. Seeing her disappear in the sea of ponies put John in a crazy mood, and adrenaline shot up his veins. “Cheerilee!” He jumped up with a spin, punching nearby ponies with enough force to send them flying back towards the mob, and with a crazed battle-cry began tearing through the crowd like a mad bull. An angry pegasus was looming over Cheerilee when John’s left hook came out of nowhere and knocked him out cold. John grabbed him by the tail, and after a few violent spins – performed a hammer throw into the crowd, knocking several attackers off their hooves, and opening the escape route. Before ponies could shake off the shock, he grabbed stunned Cheerilee off the ground and began running towards the opening. Dumb Bell watched them from a distance. “This is getting out of hoof... Hoops’s a goddamn idiot!” He shook his head and facehoofed. “Score, let’s get out of here before the authorities get involved!” “What about Hoops?” “Hoops, move your fat flank over here! Hoops!” Dumb Bell shouted, but his friend was already preparing for the next strike. John pushed through the crowd and was running with Cheerilee on his shoulder. “No matter what happens, don’t stop! Get to the castle—” A crushing blow knocked John off his feet and sent Cheerilee and him rolling on the ground. “You’re not going anywhere!” Hoops said. “Run, Cheerilee! Run!” She hesitated for a second, and Hoops glance at her. Seeing the terror in her eyes made him grin in a sadistic way. “Oh, no, you’re not going anywhere, you old nag!” Hoops dashed forward, ready to knock her out... only to painfully hit the ground. “Oww!” “Run, Cheerilee!” John said, holding Hoops by the tail. “Please...” Once again, she hesitated for a moment, but the mob was closing in fast. She exchanged a painful glance with John, nodded, and took off. “Oww... I don’t believe it!” Hoops spit out a chipped tooth. “I just paid fifty bits to get that thing fixed!” He turned to John with rage. “I’m gonna kill you, monkey boy!” Just then, the crowd arrived. “Leave this one to me, get the old nag instead!” The mob listened and ran after Cheerilee. “Hoops, leave the monkey boy alone, and let’s get out of here!” Score said. “Dumb Bell already left!” “No way, man! I’m getting my fifty bits, right here, right now!” Hoops turned his head to the commotion nearby, to see Cheerilee running away from the angry crowd, towards her house. “Well, would you look at that! Your girlfriend didn’t make it after all!” “Cheerilee—” John was interrupted by a powerful punch to the face. “Let go of me, you bastard!” Using his metallic arm, he began clumsily punching Hoops, but his energy was gone. “Aw! Why you little… Take this!” Hoops jumped in the air, and using his wings like a propeller, dashed down, landing both his hind hooves where John’s prosthetic arm connected to his body. “Argh!” John let out a holler loud enough to wake the dead as his arm hit the ground, turning and bending in unnatural and uncoordinated ways. “You like that?! Have some more!” Hoops jumped and landed again, tearing the entire arm off its bindings. He glanced at the contraption, and a bundle of fiber-cable that was still connected to John’s body and tore it off completely. “Look at that! Tin Man is broken! How do you like that, huh—” To his surprise a right hook coming from convulsing human was the answer. “You bastard!” Hoops shouted, and went all out, thrashing John with all his might, to the delight of the cheering Score. *** Some distance away from all the ruckus, frozen Scootaloo observed everything in horror. As Hoops began pummeling the defenseless John, she turned her head away, only to notice a mob of angry ponies in front of Cheerilee’s house, throwing rocks and trying to break in. “This isn’t happening...” Scootaloo frantically shook her head. “This is a dream! Princess Luna! Wake me up!” She screamed with tears in her eyes, but there was no answer. “Please...” “Scoot!” Apple Bloom shouted, running towards her. “What the hay’s going on here—” “Is that... Cheerilee’s house?” Sweetie Belle interjected. “Holy Celestia! What are they doing?!” “I... didn’t mean to! I swear I didn’t!” Scootaloo hopped on her scooter before they could ask her anything more. “It’s my fault! It’s all my fault!” “Scoot, wait! Scoot!” Apple Bloom shouted, but the pegasus was gone, driving like crazy towards the Everfree Forest. “Come on, Sweetie Belle! Let’s go after her!” *** “How do you like that little monkey, huh?!” Hoops said with a grin, delivering another punch. “See that? You chipped off the same tooth, twice!” He grabbed John’s neck and started squeezing the life out of it. “Hey! Don’t overdo it, man!” “Shut up, Score, and enjoy the view!” Hoops turned back to the suffocating John. “Who’s the turnip now, huh?” He tightened his grip. “Huh?!” Using what strength he had left, John tried to push Hoops away, but his energy was gone, and a few seconds later, his body relaxed on its own. His vision tunneled and started turning to black when his ears registered a loud boom. A deep blue hoof hit Hoops straight in the muzzle with a loud smack, sending him a few meters to the back. “Ow...” Hoops whined, spitting out some teeth. “My face, my beautiful face... Score, get her!” “Now, you’ve done it, Crash!” Score dashed forward in a fighting pose. “Now, you’ve dooooniiiiiiii—” John’s eyes readjusted just in time to see Rainbow Dash performing a swift evasion, and responding with an uppercut... to Score’s exposed scrotum. It connected with a loud smack, accelerating his family jewels from zero to one hundred in ten milliseconds flat, and making him squeal in agony. He fell to the ground like a rock, clenching his nether regions, and mumbling something to himself. Hoops glanced at his friend and winced, then turned to Dash with an unsure expression. “Come on, try something!” Dash grinned. “Nothing would make me happier right now!” “You’re making a mistake, Crash! A huge mistake!” Rainbow arched her eyebrow and shot him a cold glare. “Call me Crash... one more time...” Seeing her squinted eyes, and vacant expression, made Hoops’ heart skip a beat, and he shook his head. “Thought so... Get that pathetic friend of yours and get out of my sight...” “H-hey! You can’t just intimidate me—” “NOW!” “OK, OK! Don’t need to get... um, nervous, man!” Hoops galloped Score, trying to get him to move, but the pegasus was just lying motionless in the fetal position, whimpering like a child. “Come on, man... Let’s get out of here…” He put him on his back and quickly flew away. “Good riddance! Those guys are always... Hey, where do you think you’re going? I need to get you to the doctor!” “Cheerilee... Help... her...” John said, pointing his hand. “Huh... What the heck are they doing?!” “No time... Get help, don’t let them hurt her...” “But... I need to get you to the hospital—” “Please! Help her!” John noticed a bunch of ponies coming their way. “I’ll get their attention!” “But...” Dash tried again, but after seeing the pleading expression on John’s face, let out a sigh. “Fine... Good luck, I hope you know what you’re doing...” She launched to the air and in the direction of Cheerilee’s house. “Ditto...” John picked a bunch of rocks and his disconnected metallic arm and turned to the approaching crowd. “Hey! Pony bastards! You want me?! Come and get me!” He sent the rock flying in the direction of the mob and started running towards the Everfree Forest, with a few dozen ponies on his tail...