Chapter Thirteen:
Taking Care of Business
Apple Bloom's eyes widen, “Teach... him a lesson?” She asked though unsure if she wanted to know what Rising Star meant.
“Yes, a lesson he won't forget.” She said in her silky smooth voice while trotting over to a corner of her office picking up a pipe Apple Bloom didn't notice before. “Now, be a dear Apple Bloom and make sure he doesn't move.”
Apple Bloom blinked at Rising Star before looking at the stallion whose eyes went wide seeing the pipe. “W... what are ya gonna do?” She asked unsure of what to do.
Rising Star folded her ears back looking at Apple Bloom, “Like I said, teach him a lesson. Now hold him down before I have to teach you one as well.” She replied her silky smooth voice sharper than before.
“R... right...” Apple Bloom stammered moving to the stallion and grabbing him from behind wrapping her forelegs around him bracing herself to keep him off balance. It was awkward but it was the best she could manage.
Rising Star smirked moving closer to the two, “Please, don't do this, I won't cause trouble again.” The stallion pleaded but Rising Star wasn't listening, she took the pipe in her muzzle before rearing back.
Apple Bloom folded her ears back hearing a sickening crack of bone followed by the sound the stallion shrieking in pain. She had her eyes closed tight but she felt the stallion get heavier on the left side. If she hadn't braced herself both of them would have tumbled to the ground.
There was another sound of bone cracking and Apple Bloom felt the stallion become dead weight in her arms, but she could still hear his shrieks of pain, she kept herself braced but it was getting harder to hold him up.
“You can let him go Apple Bloom,” Rising Star said and Apple Bloom loosened her grip trying to let the stallion down easy. However when she loosened her grip his weight went onto his hind legs causing fresh pain to flood through him and he shrieked again spooking her enough so she dropped him.
“A... are we done...?” She asked looking up at Rising Star feeling sick.
“Not just yet,” Rising Star smiled at her, “Sit on his chest and hold his right foreleg out, “His legs was for lying to me, now it's time to teach him to keep his hooves to himself.”
Apple Bloom folded her ears back but did as she was told, when she saw the stallion she had to fight her stomach to keep it's contents in place. She moved over sitting on his stomach as instructed holding his foreleg out.
“On second thought, Apple Bloom dear you need to get over this, squeamish side, as adorable as it is.” Rising Star said moving she nudged her off the stallion taking her place. “Take the pipe and give a good firm strike to his hoof. Do it right the first time... or you'll make him suffer more.”
Apple Bloom almost fainted at the command, she really wasn't sure she could do this. She took a few slow deep breaths lifting the pipe up in her muzzle. I have to do this... who knows what this crazy mare will do if I don't... She thought to herself looking at the stallion's fore hoof.
Apple Bloom reared herself up before bringing the pipe down as hard as she could into the fore hoof of the stallion with a solid thud causing him to shriek in pain, but there was no crack of bone. “Oh, nicely done but... no break you'll have to try again.”
Apple Bloom folded her ears back as she fought her stomach closing her eyes tight she took a few deep breaths before bringing the pipe back up then down into the fore hoof again, then a third time, on the fourth strike she heard the crack of bone and stopped panting deeply.
“One down, one more to go.” Rising Star said flicking her ears as she shifted her position to hold the stallion's left foreleg down, by this point though the stallion had passed out from the pain.
Apple Bloom took a deep breath around the pipe before moving around focused on what she had to do, ignoring what her gut and her mind told her. Rearing her self up she brought the pipe down on to the hoof until she heard the crack of bone, only took her three times that time around.
Rising Star got up dusting herself off before taking the pipe from Apple Bloom. “Well done Apple Bloom,” she looked over at the two larger stallions, “We're almost done here. I just have a few more instructions for our new employee here.”
Apple Bloom tilt her head at the word employee, looking at the mare. “Wait... what do you mean?” She asked softly.
“Like I said before, you're in the business now my dear. Preform well and you can have anything you want... just don't disappoint me, and don't snitch to the cops.”
Apple Bloom's throat felt dry as she looks at Rising Star, she nods faintly. “Of course...” She said softly, this isn't what she expected when she took this job. “What about my cider running business?” She asked tilting her head.
“You'll still do that, but also you will do jobs for me, or Mr. Mariponie when we ask.” Rising Star said before looking at the broken stallion on the floor. “Your first job, will be to take care of him.”
“I thought we already did.” Apple Bloom said softly looking at the stallion quietly.
“No, we taught him a lesson, he's learned it now he has to go. Take him to the Manehatten docks, when it gets dark, tie some blocks around his waist and dump him in.” Rising Star smiled, “Or since you live near Ponyville, take him out to the Everfree and leave him. I'm sure something out there will finish the job.”
Apple Bloom started to feel sick again, neither choice was appealing. “What do I do with him till it gets dark? I also need some sleep” She sighed, the docks sounded like a better option to her then driving him back to Ponyville.
“Well... you and him can stay at a nearby apartment,” Rising Star said nodding at one of the large stallions and grabs the stallion tossing him on his back. “Just follow Bronco.”
Apple Bloom nodded faintly looking at the large stallion. A massive earth pony brown in color with a cutie mark of a bull skull on his flank, his mane and tail where yellow and cut short. She follows the stallion who leads them out a back way of the club and to an apartment building right next door.
The sun had been up for a while she guessed, the streets in this part of the city were quite. The stallion takes them up to a room on the third floor and dumps the stallion on the floor. Apple Bloom winced slightly.
The large stallion, Bronco didn't say anything as he left closing the door behind him. Apple Bloom shakes her head sighing softly. She looks at the smaller stallion, she didn't even know his name, his hind legs swollen at the knees turning a sick purple color while twisted at angles pony hind legs weren't meant to twist, his fore hooves also swollen and turning a sick purple.
She shook her head looking away moving to the bed laying down. She wasn't sure if she could sleep though. Her mind went to the stallion on the floor, she knew if she didn't kill him, his life was ruined and she partly responsible for it. “In too deep now...” She muttered to herself closing her eyes. Exhaustion taking over she did fall asleep, but it wasn't peaceful.