//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Jump // Story: Hate Is A Strong Word // by Mr Blu Shy //------------------------------// Fluttershy stood there for a while and then closed the door again because I didn't speak. I don’t know why, but I really wanted to say sorry. No-one has ever apologized to me, so I never saw it necessary to say sorry to anyone else. I am going to stop swearing too, it’s bad enough these ponies don’t even know what shit means. ‘Fluttershy, could you let me in for just a moment?’ As I waited, I looked around and saw a bunch of animals on the top of the cottage. There was a rattling noise in the cottage. The animals looked angry. One of them had probably seen my behavior earlier. ‘Err, just a second please…’ Fluttershy made more noises and the door knob turned. The door opened again slightly and she looked at me, oddly, as if he hated me inside, but was too weak to shot it properly. She opened the door fully and allowed me to enter. I walked in and looked all around; there was a table in the middle of the room and a bunch of counters around a kitchen looking area. ‘Why… Erm, why did you come here?’ she asked. I didn't know how to start. I wasn't going to ask about Applejack, which could wait. I may as well as her something about her life, it gets the conversation going. ‘Well, Fluttershy, has anyone ever hated you?’ Suddenly, with a look of dreadful fear, she gasped and dropped a plait she was carrying. She looked at me and nodded softly, and then dropped her head and started picking up the item. ‘I've been hated my whole life.’ ‘Why?’ she asked rather politely. ‘I don’t know. People on Earth just suck. They are mean to everyone, they’re greedy and selfish and they steal.’ Fluttershy looked frustrated. ‘Well, I’m glad you don’t live there anymore.’ I widened my eyes and she realized what she had just said, ‘well, no, I mean… what I was trying to say is… I… I… please don’t hit me.’ Aww god, I felt sympathy for that, she saw me rip Applejack's hat up and push Rainbow. Yeah, I really need to say something now. ‘I would never hit anyone.’ She panicked for a while, but after hearing those words, she just opened up. ‘I know I did those wicked things, and I am sorry for that. The problem is that I'm not sorry, on Earth that word has died. But yeah, I’m glad I don’t live there anymore, I was even thinking of ki—‘, I can’t say that to a pony can I? ‘Doing what?’ she asked, curiously, and still somehow politely. ‘Ki… It doesn't matter, the point is, I'm glad I'm away from that horrid place.’ Fluttershy smiled and then found it oddly acceptable and necessary to hug me. At that moment, for the first time in my life, someone just hugged me, guaranteed, it was a pony, but still. This is the first person or pony I ever remembered hugging me. Yeah, okay so this next bit gets way too sappy, and I'm pretty sure it’s happened to all of you reading this. I broke down, right then and there, the waterworks. God, I could have kicked myself, I look like such a…. plank. As I wept, Fluttershy tried to see my face. She knew I was crying, but she couldn't tell why, neither could I to be honest. I just wanted to hug her for a while; I felt really nice, as if my life had just gone seamlessly better. Quite suddenly, however, several ponies burst through the door, quite aggressively. The others were there, except Applejack. Rainbow was there, and she didn't seem happy to see me. Yeah, I know, let me go apologize real quickly. ‘Rainbow, I—‘, I tried to speak, but in doing so, she got mega annoyed and hooved me in the face. Everything went grey for a second and I saw Fluttershy run over to Rainbow and they began talking. As everything came back into focus, I looked at her, and my nose started bleeding. So did the side of my face, Christ, she wasn't holding back… at all… bitch. ‘Rainbow, I want to say sorry about my actions earlier, I… didn't know who you were, you were just some stranger who bumped into me, and I haven’t had a good life and I was—‘, she cut me off, I would have shut her up if what she said hadn't been heart breaking, even for me. ‘It’s Applejack… she…’ Rainbow was on the verge of tears, ‘She’s going to jump! It’s your fault!’ she screamed in my face. I lowered my head and left the building. I hadn't noticed at this point that Rainbow was now arguing with the others. Anyhow, I headed off to town, I was gonna find wherever she was, but I quickly returned to Fluttershy's cottage. ‘Where is she?’ I asked, and without hesitation, Rainbow answered on top of a place called Point Gorge. I ran off after that, back into town, and I bumped into someone while I looked back. I was going to quietly apologize to the others, but that could wait as I saw who it was I bumped into. ‘You!’ she screamed. It was Derpy. Shit, I forgot by now that I had seriously messed up her day. Damn, it’s still my first day, or rather night; the sun wasn't far from setting. ‘Derpy…’ I whispered. I didn't want to talk to her. I would only mess it up even more, and I did. The moment her daughter appeared again, I broke down again, almost. ‘You hurt my mom, you’re evil!’ screamed her daughter. ‘You’re probably right, I'm sorry, but I can’t be here, I have to go save Applejack.’ I said. She didn't seem to care; she just tried hitting me, as did her mother. I sighed and sat down. I let her beat me up, since it IS what I deserve for being such an asshole towards her. I looked up only once and saw Derpy’s hoof go back, as if heading for a punch, so I scrunched up my eyes and prepared for the impact, spearing a few tears here and there. Well, I can say that I didn't feel a punch, or a hoof hitting me violently. I opened my eyes, which were flooded and saw Derpy, he hoof gently touching my cheek. ‘Do it. Please.’ I asked. I wanted to be hit. I had been pointlessly mean to these ponies without reason. Well, no, the reason was no-one was ever kind to me, but still, it’s no reason to treat anyone like that. She simply poked me and nodded, I'm presuming she meant about saving Applejack, she started trotting away, pulling her daughter with her, whispering something. I got up, shouted sorry once more, and began running again, in the same direction I had been, and then bumped into someone else. There were three small ponies. ‘Applebloom let’s ask him!’ ‘Are you crazy, Sweetie Belle, he caused it!’ ‘Applebloom, do we have a choice?’ ‘No…’ What? Before I could even say a word, one of the three ponies, who was a pasty yellow color grabbed by hand, I'm not sure how though, considering she had a hoof. She pulled me all the way to a small quarry looking area, and on the other side, Applejack was sat on the edge, with her torn hat beside her. ‘Please stranger, I know you made her like this, but please undo it!’ I hadn't noticed it first off, but I did now, and they were crying, all of them. They were red with sadness and being out of breath, they really loved Applejack from what I could tell. Another second and a tall, deep red stallion came over, eyes ‘a blazing and hoofs ready for action. ‘What did ya do to mah sister?’ he asked, about to punch me. As he did, Applebloom jumped on him. ‘Big Mac, stop please, he’s gonna help us!’ The other two jumped on him, and as he became distracted, I saw a bridge and ran over it, looking at Applejack. She slowly stood up and looked over the side of the cliff. I got over the bridge and looked as he took her hat with her hoof and rubbed her face on it, wiping away tears. I got within twenty metres of her and shouted her name. She didn’t look at me, but she dropped her hat, and put on hoof over the side. From far in the distance, this Big Mac had pushed off the young ponies and had started to trek across the bridge, only for it to snap immediately. I got towards her and saw above me that Rainbow had arrived, and was now sing everyone that was going on. ‘Applejack, don’t do it!’ she screamed. This was to no avail, as Applejack leaned closer over the edge. I sprinted, as hard and fast as I could and have ever done. I don’t know anyone who had killed themselves, and I wasn't about to. I reached out and missed her mane. Applejack let go and tipped off the edge. Seeing only one solution, and one opportunity, I jumped. As I fell, I felt weird, as though something inside me had started working, and no, it wasn't something sappy like the Grinch or anything, but I felt better. I fell faster than applejack, and I grabbed her mane. She fought and screamed and told me to get off, but I held her, connected my arms behind her back and closed my eyes. It felt like we were falling really slowly at first, like gravity was broken, but she hit be several time in the face, which caused for me to hold on tighter. Then, I whispered sorry into her ear as we fell quicker, quicker, faster and suddenly, without warning, which I expected, we hit the ground. This is not the story of how I die, but more like the story of how I became a very good friend for the first time in my life.