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// Prologue: An Apple That Fell Far From the Tree 
// Story: An Apple that Fell Far From the Tree 
// by Comet Tail 
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An Apple that fell Far From the Tree

Mal trotted towards the glass doorway of the Royal Canterlot Biological Research Center (R.C.B.R.C), reflecting on how his last day had played out. He wasn't proud of his actions in the past few hours; come to think of it he hadn't been proud of anything he had done in the past ten years.

Mal had caught a glimpse of his reflection as the shining glass door easily opened with a hiss and hum of the hydraulic apparatus that opened and closed the exit. The stallion let out a long, sad breath at the sight of himself and the familiar sound. He looked so torn apart, his head felt like it was about to split open, his short brown mane was messy and tangled, his chestnut fur sweaty and matted, and most of all his sad, lifeless hazel eyes stared back emptily. This would most likely be the last time he would ever hear that sound. That sweet rankling that had filled up every morning and night of the past six years. Mal had just been fired.

(A short while earlier)


"Malus-Rosacae Apple," a muffled nasally voice boomed from the intercom. "Please report to the administrative office, Malus-Rosacae Apple please report to the administrative office."

Mal Snorted at the use of his full name. He hated when anypony used his full name, let alone those damn secretaries. Mal set the chemicals he was handling back down into their vessels and caps them off. Sliding his hooves out of the thick layer of protective rubber, Mal wondered why he is being summoned so formally. 

Usually when anypony in admin needed him, they would just send in an intern and ask him to come up, but over the intercom? Mal could always feel when something bad was going to happen; he got that feeling ten years ago before the accident, and he had it at that moment.

Mal crossed the threshold of the sterile white office on the top floor of the R.C.B.R.C. Every other time he had been in this office it always seemed like just another room in the building, but now it felt menacing. He entered the office and slowly made his way toward the desk set up in the back of the room. The desk was unusually bare, on most days it held all sorts of knick knacks and family photos. The only thing upon the desk now is a shiny brass nameplate that read ‘Associate Director Si Fi’.  Mal knew exactly what was about to happen.

Si Fi was an older pony; Mal wasn’t sure of his exact age because nopony had ever asked for fear of offending the boss. Si had a sterling coat with shining cobalt eyes and a combed back slightly thinning grey mane.
“Ahh shi-” he began under his breath before Si turned around in his chair with a stoic and unyielding expression on his face.

“Well Malus,” Si interrupted before Mal could finish his curse. “I think you should take a seat,” Si said sternly with his hooves crossed in front of him. Just by his tone Mal can tell that the sterling colored stallion meant business.

“Yessir Mr. Fi,” Mal said slowly in his thick southern drawl as he took a seat in a small cushy looking chair. The chair was the most uncomfortable thing he had ever sat down on.

“Do you have any idea as to why you have been called up here today, Mal?” Si said monotonously, staring at him with cold cobalt eyes.

“No sir, Ah don’t,” Mal lied, staring back at him. Suddenly his seat became twice as uncomfortable as it had been a second ago.

“Really Mal, you have no clue why you are sitting in my office right now?” Si asked, obviously not buying the lie.

Mal spoke innocently, “No Mr. Fi, Ah truly have no inkling as t’ why Ah’m here. One minute Ah was working in mah lab, the next Ah get called up here to see ya.”  Mal started to sweat.

Si sighed and looked at Mal with Knowing eyes. “If that is how you wanna play it, Mal...”  Si reached under his desk and opens up a filing cabinet and pulled out four files stuffed full of pink paper and set them on the table. Each file had 'Malus-Rosacae Apple' written on the upper left corner and 'employee conduct violations' written in on the right.

“Buckin’ hay.” Mal cursed under his breath. He knew that it would be bad, but this bad? Every employee in the building must have filed an infraction against him in the past few days for Si to have all of that.

“Mal, I know you have been coming to work drunk more often than not,” Si said authoritatively. “I am honestly surprised you aren’t plastered right now.” Mal just sat there not knowing what to say.  Si began to speak again. “You really must have pissed off some ponies pretty bad, Apple Boy. Once one pony came in, the floodgates opened on your alcoholic work habits. Given how long you have been a researcher with us, if this was just a one time thing I’d say go to a meeting and come back to work, but there are instances from 35 different employees over the course of the entire time you have been working here!” Si stopped, rage beginning to show in his voice. Si took a deep breath and started on him again, Mal just sitting there. “Look, Mal, you are the best researcher we have ever had here, and I’m truly sorry to say this but we have to fire you. I’m going to have to ask you to turn in your I.D. badge and all the research documents you hold in your possession with regards to our facility and its operations.” Si paused to let that sink in. After a few moments Mal began to shake, not comprehending what he was hearing.

“Wha…” Mal quavered just barely audible.

“On top of firing you, I have been given no choice but to revoke all of your research licenses, all laboratory permits, all chemical handling licenses and annul all of your accredited research from the past six years. The R.C.B.R.C. will take credit for all of your findings including any and all research still under way.” Si kept that steely glare on his face focused at Mal. “Do you understand everything I have just told you?”

Mal, shocked and emotionally destroyed simply stared at his former boss. Suddenly, he shot out of his seat and began to yell, “What the buck! Ah won’t be able to get a job in this field ever again! Ya have ruined my career! Ah’m gonna…”  
“Well actually you ruined your own career with your... AHHHHHH!” 
Mal bashed his hooves against Si’s desk cracking it in two solid pieces.

Si darted out of his seat and bolted to the door faster than an elder pony should have been able to. “Security! Help!” he shouted, running down the hallway.  Before Mal could make his way over to him, he felt  a strange sting in his chest and it burned slightly. He saw a royal guard unicorn and then everything seemed to get foggy. Mal heard a ‘POP!’ then fell to the ground, knocked out cold.

Mal awoke in the reception area surrounded by royal guards. “Look who finally woke up, boys; it’s Saddle Rager.” The guards all laughed at what the sky blue Pegasus had just said.

“How the hay did you manage to break that desk? It must’ve been 7 Inches thick!” a golden earth Pony croaked out through his laughter.

“Ugh… Mah… Head…” Mal grunted as he picked up one of his heavy hooves to rub his throbbing skull.

"Well, I sure as hay hope you didn't use your head. That would suck!" the golden earth pony said, coming down from his boisterous display.

"Shut up Auggie, I think this guy has had a bad enough day without you making it worse." With that, Auggie Mine shut up and snapped to attention. "That  throbbing would be a side effect of the tranquilizer spell old Stargazer here had to zap you with,” the Pegasus said, pointing towards a lilac unicorn.

“It should subside in about an hour or two,” the unicorn said, faking a smile and glaring at Mal.

“My name is Sky Breaker,” the Blue Pegasus stated proudly. “I took the liberty of gathering the personal stuff from your old office; there wasn't much, but what I could find is in this box.” Sky Breaker pointed a hoof over towards a box that held Mal’s diploma and his father’s old Stetson.

“Thank ya kindly,” Mal grumbled.

“Look, I’m sorry to do this, but I was told by your old boss that once you woke up you had to ahh... leave.. immediately. Do you have somewhere you can go? I don’t think it’d be the best thing for you to be alone right now.” Sky Breaker asked with genuine concern in his eyes.

“Uhh Yeah. Ah do. If Ah may ask, why am Ah not locked up in a dungeon right now?” Mal groaned as a wave of pain rocked his head.

“Well, surprisingly enough your ex-boss was pretty understanding, and decided not to press charges.” Sky Breaker replied. "For any of it, believe me if he had you would be in a cell for a long time."

“Well, Ah thank ya once more, but Ah think Ah’ve overstayed my welcome,” Mal said bitterly as he stood up and grabbed his small box of treasures.

On the steps of the R.C.B.R.C.,  Mal’s head felt like a hoofball that had just been kicked about a thousand times. “Buck this. Buck Si. Buck this headache. Buck my life. I’m going to get Shitfaced.” Mal said stomping his hoof on the concrete after every declaration as he began to slowly walk away, yet again, from everything he loved and everything he had built up and destroyed.


o.O.0.O.o