//------------------------------// // Apple Bloom // Story: Time-Out // by Trick Question //------------------------------// Scootaloo closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens them again. "Hello again, Apple Bloom." Apple Bloom is standing tall with a stern expression on her muzzle, directly facing the wall of the barn, giving Scootaloo no way to step in front of her and look her in the eye. It's all too picture-perfect. More evidence for the hoax. "I swore I'd never set foot on Apple property again, but today is special, because I'm here to gloat," says Scootaloo, eyeing the frozen image of his former friend as the echoes from trapped words vibrate his chin. "If you think I'm gonna cry again, or apologize for your perversion, you're sadly mistaken. That was a one-time deal, and it wasn't about you either, it was only because I've been locked in here for years with nopony to talk to," he says. "I was losing my mind, but hay, look at me now. Ten thousand days. I'm still here, and you're still trash. And I'll still be here long after I win this contest of wills, you come back to life, and I get you and your family run out of Ponyville. You can live in the Smokey Mountains with all the other inbred freaks..." Scootaloo's voice trails off, and he waits patiently for the jumble of echoes to leave his muzzle before speaking again. "And no, I'm not! For the last damn time, I am not a bully," he says. "You don't even really think that, you're just gaslighting me like you always were. I mean, I guess if you call punching incest apologists 'bullying', in that case I'm proud to be one. Sure, go ahead call me hurtful names like 'bully', as if some label makes me wrong, apologist. It isn't wrong to hurt people who hurt other people. It's a duty. Hell, it's a fucking privilege! You ugly, sick ponies keep twisting things around to make it seem like those of us who actually care about equality and decency are the bad ones, but when it comes down to brass tacks you're the one on the side of the pedos, and the transphobes, and the racists. You chose that, and that makes you exactly like one of them. And I'll bet bits to bridles you are one, too." He takes another long pause to let the words dissipate from his head. As always, all that remains afterwards is the ever-present sound of his heartbeat and breath. If only there were any other sound, but there never is. It's always just me, like I'm yelling at myself, he realizes. It's like she's this monster who only lives in my head: my own creation. I know she's not worth my time, yet here I am again, like an addict in need of a fix. I hate this. I can't believe I used to think she was my friend. He steps up close to the frozen mare and taps his hoof, waiting impatiently for a response that will never come. It's so unrewarding. I'd punch her again, but the last time I tried it nearly broke my leg. Everything solid now is rigid like iron past the first millimeter. Probably another joke by CelestAI. I shouldn't have come here. She's taunting me... There's nothing left here for me. Without another wasted word, Scootaloo turns and walks away. Day 71 "That isn't funny." Scootaloo's nostrils flared and the corners of her muzzle turned down sharply. "C'mon, Scoot. It was just a joke," said Sweetie Belle, reaching out with a hoof which Scootaloo immediately batted away. "Exactly," added Apple Bloom, bucking another tree. By some cartoon miracle, the apples always seemed to land in baskets sitting at random intervals. "Ponies used to think farm folk like us were all inbreds. Mostly speciests thought that, back in the day. It's an old joke, might as well have a little chuckle over it." "Speciest jokes aren't funny, especially incest! Some parents rape their foals. You think that's funny too?" asked Scootaloo. Apple Bloom's eyes widened and she set down the bucket she'd just picked up with her teeth. "Where in tarnation did that come from? I didn't say anything about foals!" "When you glorify incest, you open the door," said Scootaloo. "Most foal abuse is incest." "Glorify? Land sakes, Scoot," said Bloom, rolling her eyes. "Look, I know words and ideas can spread, and stuff like normalization is a real thing. But could you and I have just one discussion where you don't use the words 'apologist', 'gaslighting', 'normalize', 'glorification', or 'complicit' to blame the world's ills on ponies whose minds you can magically read despite never having met any of 'em? You know darn well I don't tolerate abuse, foal or otherwise." "Guys, maybe we could turn things down just a notch?" said Sweetie Belle, but the pair had already locked eyes. Scootaloo's wings twitched and her ears lay back against her mane. "Then say you were wrong, incest is always wrong, and incest 'humor' and eroticism don't belong in Ponyville. Say it right now, no equivocating." "Don't do this, Scootaloo," said Sweetie Belle. Apple Bloom paused for a moment. "I know what this is. You want me to help you run Aloe and Lotus out on a rail." "You're damn right I do." Apple Bloom sighed. "They ain't incestuous." "They posed for that calendar together. Don't even pretend to do this," said Scootaloo, wrinkling her muzzle. "It was a calendar, for Friendship's sake. A pin-up, not even that lewd or anything," said Bloom. "It was a calendar that stallions will beat off to. A calendar for recruiting freaks into our community," said Scootaloo. Bloom lifted a hoof in the air, gesticulating. "They're adults, Scoot! Adults!" "Incest is genetically wrong. It is morally wrong! People see something like that and they think, 'wow, twins, how hot' and 'gee, maybe this is okay' and the next thing you know, some monster is raping his daughter," said Scootaloo. "That's what you're supporting." "Guys, please," squeaked Sweetie Belle. "Stop this." "Scootaloo, Twilight tutored me extensively. I'm a scientist, just like her. You know this already. I ain't about to buy some cockamamie theory that a calendar with twins turns ponies into foal molesters without proof," said Apple Bloom. "If it was literally designed to hurt ponies, by intimidation, or promotion of Tribist stereotypes, that'd be a different story because we know what that can do to folks. I'd protest that. Dunno if I'd try to run 'em out of town in that case, depends on how bad it was. Even then I'd try to open a discussion first." "You want proof? Seriously? Why would you ever take risks with a child? Bloom, you grew up with a family who cared about you, even without parents. You don't know what it's like to be unwanted!" said Scootaloo. "Even consenting adult incest produces damaged children!" "For Friendship's sake. Aloe and Lotus can't have children, Scootaloo! They're both mares, for cryin' out loud!" said Apple Bloom, facehoofing. The emotion faded from Scootaloo's face. "I see. So if you found out they were sleeping together, you'd be okay with that?" "Please stop. Please," whispered Sweetie Belle, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. "This isn't worth it. Guys, listen." "What? Come on. They're not like that. It was a calendar for charity, Scoot," said Bloom. "I didn't buy one because it ain't tasteful enough in my opinion, but I'm kinda conservative, and I still ain't gonna judge somepony else just because they like something I can't stomach." "I don't care what you think Aloe and Lotus are like. I asked you what if they were sick like that?" Apple Bloom paused, frowning. "Well, I... I don't know. I never thought about something like that before. I mean, yeah, it's really gross. But I still don't think I'd try to run them out of town, or treat them like second-class citizens if they ain't hurtin' nopony else," said Apple Bloom. "Maybe they need psychological intervention or something? I'd have to give it some more thought." "My god. You fucking apologist monster," said Scootaloo, her voice soft. "Scootaloo!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "Apple Bloom is your friend!" "Whoa, now! Time-out, y'all," said Apple Bloom. "I don't get it, but I can see I just did somethin' that hurt you bad, and I'm mighty sorry. I know your heart's in the right place, hon. I want you to feel comfortable and safe. I just don't know what I did here that's so wrong. Please, I'm beggin' you. Help me understand." Scootaloo's muzzle wrinkled up in disgust. "What? I can't believe this! You don't even know what you did wrong? That's the worst part of all!" she said. "If you can't see why this is wrong... God, I was so wrong about you! We are through. You stay the hell away from me, and you better not lay so much as a hoof on that nephew of yours, or I will end you!" He turned tail and trotted away, growling, without looking over his shoulder. "W-what?" he heard Apple Bloom say behind him. "Sweetie, what in the hay just happened?" Scootaloo picked up his pace to a canter, blood boiling.