The door flew open and Hazmat was up with a start. I shot through the door and began flying around the room, cheering to my small companion.
“Look, Hazmat. I can fly!” I got a happy bark in reply as the pup tried to jump for me, barely getting off the ground. I landed in my bed and my wolf followed. “Let’s see, I guess I should go see Applejack next. I don’t know, I think I should sleep on it. After all, I finally got a meal, and I did nearly kill someone today.” And it was there that the paranoia set in. I put my hooves to my face. “How many people saw that? What did they think? Do they think I am evil and just tried to kill her? I really have to stop talking to myself, it’s only going to drive me insane.” Hazmat only barked in reply, unsure of what I actually said. I looked out the window, looking at the late night moon. “Thank Celestia for giving me this chance. I am already much happier with my life.” I fell back into the bed. Hazmat looked around the room, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. He finally hopped out of the bed and walked over to his pile of blankets in the corner. I looked at the ceiling above me, growing darker as the moon rose higher. I began getting sleepy. Slowly, my eyes began to shut, only a sliver of moonlight making it in.
……….
“Ay, you in there?” My eyes shot open. It was barely bright enough to see, indicating that it was still early.
“What time is it?”
“It’s a little pass five.”
I fell back into the bed. “Give me at least five hours and I’ll be out.” I fell back asleep, unresponsive.
“Sugarcube?” I didn’t respond. “If you aint gettn up, al hafta come in there.” I still didn’t respond. “Aright, you asked for it.”
The door flew open, almost breaking off the hinges as it smashed against the wall. I sat up instantly, an uncontrolled blast of energy shooting out of my horn, hitting the corner of the door, right above Applejack. “What happened? Who’s there? What? Why? What?” Applejack was too stunned to answer. She was too busy starring at the smoldering mark in the door frame. “Uuhh, that was an accident.”
“Ya didn’t have to try an kill me.”
“And you didn’t need to bash in my door. It was unlocked you know.”
“Why would ya leave it unlocked?”
“Please, there’s nothing in here to steal except for me or the bed. I don’t think anyone would waste their time with me. Besides, he seems to be a good guard dog…when he’s awake.” She looked at the wolf pup against the wall. “Honestly, how could he still be asleep after that?”
“Is that?”
“Yup.”
“An he’s?”
“Yup.”
“Why?”
“Fluttershy found him.”
“Aright, well, come on, sugarcube! We got work to do! Ya can bring the pup, too. He could use the fresh air, and Winona can use a friend.”
“Alright, just…just give me a minute. I need some time to get adjusted. My eyes were just beginning to focus in again. Putting both hooves on my head, I tried to steady myself as I moved to the edge of the bed. Putting all four hooves on the ground, I stood, still a little shaky. My mind was foggy, I was barely able to think a reasonable thought, but the basics came to me. That was Applejack. I was helping her today.
“So? Ya comin?”
I shook my head. “Yeah. Let’s go. Hazmat?” His eyes eased open slowly, but immediately widened when he realized the new presence in the room. He was to his feet, staring straight at Applejack. “Okay, we need to work on that. Hazmat, down.” At the command, he eased to his stomach, still eyeing Applejack.
“Eh, ahm startin to second think this.”
“He’ll be fine. I don’t think he will do something that stupid.”
“Ah hope so.”
“Hazmat, come on.” He jumped back to his feet and looked at me. “Let’s go.”
……….
We were walking through a large apple orchard off the side of the main farm, trees lining us on either side dotted with red specs that glistened in the sun. Hazmat was weaving through trees trying to keep up with his new playmate. I lost sight of him, but I knew he would be back.
“So what are we doing?” I managed to get out in a yawn.
“We’s bucking for apples.” She walked to a larger tree, Apples easily noticeable. “Watch.” She turned around. In the same fashion that she attacked my door, she kicked both legs up in a double barrel kick, striking the tree hard enough to shake it. Apples began falling around her, shaken free from the thunderous hit. “Now you.”
“How?” She looked at me like I was crazy. “I mean, is there a technique or something?”
“Tech-what?”
“What do I do?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Kick. The. Tree.”
I let out a heavy sigh as I picked a tree that seemed suitable to work. Trying to replicate exactly what Applejack did to knock as many apples out of the tree. All I had to do was kick as hard as I could, right? I spun around, planted my front hooves on the ground, and kicked as hard as I could with my back legs. The tree barely even moved.
“Sugarcube, ahm sorry, but ah think Granny Smith could kick harder than that.”
“Let me try again.”
“If ya want to, but don’t hurt yerself.”
Only one thing ever angered me enough to attack, and that was when I actually released the anger that built up in me. But could I do it again? My life has been so peaceful since I began my life here, and I’ve nearly forgotten anything that made me mad. But I had to try. I thought really hard, thought about things that would never leave my mind, no matter how much I wanted the thoughts gone. One thing stuck out above all, and that was what my father told me one day after having way too many. I will take that knife of yours and stab you in the throat with it. Yeah, that will do. Concentrating only on this thought, I bared my fangs. With a hiss, I kicked at the tree, much harder than the last time. Apples began falling, clusters circling the tree now.
“Now that’s more like it!”
“Just needed a little motivation.”
“What could motivate you like that?”
“Pure hatred.”
“Ah don’t follow.”
“Hatred for the person who has turned me into the freak and monster I am now. Hatred for my father.”
“How could ya hate yer father?”
“You wouldn’t begin to understand.”
“Ah want to try.”
“Long story short, he hated me, called me everything he could think of. Ugly, stupid, a failure, weak, and many other things.”
“Now not alla that is true.”
“How so?”
“Well, you did a number on that there tree. And you are a very…handsome…stallion.” I directed my attention to her now, and it was quite the sight to behold. Her face was scrunched up, her lips were quivering, she did everything she could to avoid eye contact as she tried to hold a straight face.
“You know, I can easily identify most liars. The element of honesty is a very horrible liar.”
“Ah was just tryin to help.”
“It’s fine, thanks for trying at least.” Just then, a small brown and white collie tore through out of nowhere, a familiar grey wolf following. “Hazmat, come here.” He stopped in his tracks trying to change direction. He walked over to me, looking as if he thought he did something wrong. I pushed him onto his back with my hoof and began rubbing his stomach. “Anything else you needed me for?”
“We’ll get a few more trees done today. Ah can give ya twenty bits for the day when we’re done.”
“Sounds good for me.”