Chapter 52: Shave and a Haircut
The summer season was harsh, and the heat that came with it did little to lighten the burden. This was especially true when your entire body was covered in a coat of fur, as was the case with every resident of Ponyville. Bryce suffered the same affliction as well; not along his whole form, mind you, but on his head. This is because he has a long mop of thick, dirty blonde hair that runs from his head down to the base of his neck.
Bryce knew the cure for this was to have his haircut, but his autism made him reluctant to being touched, most especially on his head. He didn't even allow Apple Bloom or Dinky to even do so, regardless of how many times they'd asked to be hefted onto his shoulders.
The reason behind this was unclear, but all he knew was that when anyone or anything came in contact with this most sacred of areas he would lash out until either the culprit or the sensation left him.
The length of his bangs further added to his dilemma: Because of the heat in his head more sweat was produced. Combined with his thick tuft of hair, Bryce's bangs would form together into thick needles and pierce his eyes like pricks of fire.
This is what Bryce discussed with Bait as they walked the dirt path that ran from the apple orchard to town. "That's why I don't get it cut."
Bait trotted alongside Bryce a few seconds before asking, "As simple as that?"
"As simple as it can be."
"And you cannot think of any reason for this?"
"No."
"I see... That is quite a problem, I must say. If it is such a problem for others to touch your head then why not trim your mane yourself?"
"Well, I tried once, but I cut it so short that it was nearly down to the roots, and that only caused more problems. You know that feeling whenever somebody walks past you so close you feel the air blowing past them? Well, that feels like the edge of a knife brushing against my skin."
"Come now, it can't be that bad. It's..." Bait bore a cheeky grin for a few seconds before saying, "It's... puzzling. Is your mane in such dire need of a trim?" In response, Bryce pulled off his sweat drenched bandana. His head exploded in an afro of knots and curls. It was like a dense enchanted forest laden with snares. "My... word... It's as if you have a sheep on your head. Can you... Can you see?"
"When it's down, not very well," Bryce said as he tucked his hair back under the soggy bandana. "I mean, I like it long, but it's too much of a hastle to maintain. I have to put a whole palmful of conditioner through it to make it behave."
"Well, there's a simple remedy: You need to get it cut, and soon."
"I know, but... it's complicated. I only ever let two people ever do anything with it and neither one of them are here."
"Since I doubt you will ever see them again, I'm going to ensure you get your mane cut, today. In fact, I think I could do for a few clips myself. I get mine and you get yours, does that sound fair?" The tan colt asked his human companion.
"Well... I guess I'll do it if you are. We have all day anyway."
"You can say that again. Thank you for accompanying me, Bryce. Are you sure you did not want to stay behind for the Apple's family reunion. From what I could see being set up it looked to be the beginnings of a quite memorable affair."
Bryce shook his head. "Missing out on being around a bunch of little horse things I've never met? Having them ogle at the 'bald pale ape'? Being able to do nothing when the adults forbid their foals from coming in arm's length of me? I don't feel I'm missing much."
Within minutes, the pair had reached the center of Ponyville. The hoof traffic in town was small, as was normal for a non-Farmer's Market Day. As they passed the ponies in the streets they exchanged light pleasantries, with the occasional chat to go along with it.
Soon after, Bryce and Bait found the building they were looking for: A barbershop, with a red and white barber's pole hanging on the outside wall overlooking the dirt road below. Before they could enter, a voice called out the tan colt's name and stopped them in their tracks. When they turned around, they found a familiar gray stallion with a middle aged face and salt-and-pepper mane, Ponzi Scheme. With him was one of his boys. This one had a pair of heavy laden saddle bags across his back. The bags jingled with each step the stallion took. "Uncle Ponz? What a surprise. Are you checking to see if I am still here, or are you here for something else?"
"And a good day to you as well, nephew. Have you been serving your penance as you should?"
"Y- Yes, Uncle Ponz."
"That is good to hear. Are you doing anything of great importance at the moment?"
"Bryce and I were about to have our respective manes cut. If you don't mind, we-"
"It will have to wait until later," Ponzi Scheme interrupted. "I have something I must discuss with. In private," the middle aged stallion sternly stated.
"But Uncle Ponz, I-"
"Now, nephew. This CANNOT wait."
Bait was left speechless. The tan colt took a look up to Bryce. Bryce waved him away. "It's okay, Bait. You go on with your uncle. I'll go on and get mine. I'll wait outside for you if you're not back by the time I'm done."
"If you say so, Bryce. Do you think that you could pick me up a few containers of hair gel? I'm almost fresh out. You know, have to... keep up appearances with the mares." Bait finished by slipping a hoof through his greasy mane.
"Sure, that'll work."
Bait turned back to his uncle and gave a nod.
Ponzi Scheme nodded back. Looking to Bryce, the gray stallion said, "I'll shall try and keep our discussion brief, Mr. Smales. Come along, nephew." The three ponies trotted away. Not a word was uttered between them as they left Bryce's line of sight.
With nothing more to do, Bryce entered the barbershop. Upon his entrance, he was met with the ringing of a bell above the door, which was soon followed by a chorus of three blue colored colts.
"Come in," the first, deep blue colt sang in a low tone.
"Come innn," the second, powder blue colt added in a major third higher.
"Come innnn," the third, baby blue colt added in a major fifth higher than the first.
The three colts then said in unison, "Come in."
From a barber's chair, a deep blue mare with a highlighted yellow mane facehoofed. "Must you three insist on doing that everytime a customer enters?" She asked in an obvious annoyed tone.
"Ahh, come on, mom," Bowl said. "We're just trying to drum up some business for you."
"Yeah, mom. We're just trying to entertain the custamers," Middle Part added.
Cue looked at his brothers in confusion. "Wait a minute, I thought we were practicing for the three-colt quartet."
Bowl shot his younger brother a look. "Cue Ball, you knucklehead, how can we have a quartet with only three colts?"
"Well our two-colt quartet didn't work out, so why not try a threesome?"
"Quiet you," Bowl snarled. In response, Cue waved a hoof in front of Bowl's face. While the bowl cut colt was distracted, Cue let out a loud bark that startled his brother. "Why I oughta," Bowl said as he brought his hoof back to poke Cue in the eye. All the while, Middle Part stood back and watched, unsure of what to do or say.
"Boys, what have I told you!" The mare stated from here seat. Immediately, the three colts froze in place. "If you three are going to stay then you must all behave!" She facehoofed a second time. They are so much like Slapstick it's not the least bit funny!The mare regained her composure, stood up from the barber's chair, and said to Bryce, "Welcome, sir. I'm High Lights. Please, take any seat you like... Perhaps you could sit on the floor," the mare said after noticing Bryce's height.
Without saying a word, Bryce did as the highlighted mare had suggested. As soon as his bottom hit the floor he was enveloped in a black barber's gown. "Now, if you would remove your bandana and show me what I have to work with." Bryce did as he was asked. As his curls settled, the hair stylist's jaw dropped.
"Hey, Bowl," Cue Ball said as he poked the hot headed colt in the side. "Remind you of anypony?"
"Yeah, it does, Curly," Bowl said, giving the bald colt a noogie.
Cue responded by letting out a low growl.
"Boys!" High Light shouted. "I'm not going to warn you three again." Turning back to Bryce, High Light said, "All these curls. These snags. These dead ends. Not to meantian the cradle crap. This is going to take a while." Taking a pair of scissors, the deep blue mare took the first snip of what would be an eventful ordeal.
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Bait's conversation with his uncle hit hard at his usually carefree demeanor, and the saddlebags he now carried only weighed his spirits down that much more. When he had went off with his uncle a few minutes earlier he hadn't expected it to be about something like that. Just the thought of it forced Bait-and-Switch to let out a depressing sigh.
In his slump through the back alleyways of Ponyville, the sound of somepony whispering in his ear almost went unnoticed. "Hey, psst..." Bait looked over to see a dark gray pegasus pressed in close to him. "Hey, you know Bryce, right?"
Bait clearly heard what the mohawked pegasus had said, but his mind was still in a mess. "I'm sorry?"
"You know, Bryce. Big guy, walks on two legs, the only thing in Ponyville that's NOT a pony. I saw you with him earlier."
Bait finally registered what the pegasus had said. "Yes, I know him."
Thunderlane gave a small, wicked grin that went unseen by the tan colt. "That's cool, that's cool. So, uh, how much do yuh, you know... know him?"
"Uhm, quite well I must say. Is there anything I can help you-"
Thunderlane jumped forward at an alarming rate. "Actually, there is something I need help with. You see, I'm with theeee newspaper and I'm looking to write an article on Bryce."
Bait raised an eyebrow. "You don't look to be the news writing type."
"I'm part of a little known newspaper called... Equus Weekly News. Yeah, we report on the things most newspapers find not very important to report. We deal more in the bizarre than the... not bizarre."
"If that is the case then would it not be more prudent to interview Bryce himself."
"Uhh, no, because... I prefer the test... testa... testimony of those who have experienced these kind of weirdos."
"Well, I wouldn't say Bryce is a 'weirdo'. Is this going to take long? I'm supposed to go and meet him. Why don't you come with me and you can ask him these questions-"
"NO...!" Thunderlane shouted. "I mean... I wouldn't want to make him nervous, because a few others say he gets nervous in these situations. Can you confirm this?"
Bait stuttered for a second. "I... I suppose he can, yes."
"Okay, do you know of anything that causes him to be nervous?"
"A few times it seems to be from the simplest of matters. One time he 'froze up' (as he called it) when he and I were roofing a barn. It took a half hour to coax him down. Forgive me, I may not be a reporter but shouldn't you be writing this down?"
"No, I have a good memory. Have you ever seen Bryce attack anypony with intent to kill?"
"Excuse me!?" Bait asked in an alarmed tone. "Who do you think you are asking questions like that?"
"I'm just trying to get the proper facts. We wouldn't want anypony getting hurt."
"It sounds more to me you're trying to find something to use as slander."
"What, me?" Thunderlane was beginning to tense up. "Wha- what reason would I have to slander him?"
"You wouldn't, you would need a reason to write libel. If you were a real news reporter you would know that."
The slate gray pegasus scratched at his mohawk. "Yeah, uh, I knew that."
Bait stared Thunderlane down. "What newspaper did you say you worked for again?"
The stallion was silent for a few seconds before saying. "Equus Monthly... No, it was..." He began to feel Bait's stare burn into his coat. "Haha... Should we move on to another question...?"
Bait pointed an accusatory hoof at Thunderlane. "I know who you are now. Bryce told me about you. What was your name? Featherbrain?"
"No, Thunderlane! Why can nopony say it right!?"
"Yes, that was it. What exactly do you want? From what Bryce told me you're nothing but a 'Schande' (shawn - duh); whatever that means."
"Well... Did he ever tell you what he did to me?"
"Yes, and from what I was told you deserved it. Now if you don't mind-"
"So I deserved to never be able to fly again!?"
Bait was thrown back by that comment. The tan colt furrowed his brow. "What on Equus are you talking about?"
"He- He did it through some kind of mind control," Thunderlane said in a shocked tone. "Ever since that day I haven't been able to fly. I've been through dozens of tests at the hospital and not a single pony there can see anything wrong with me. That means he did something to my mind. In fact every time I try... try..." Thunderlane grabbed at his forehead. It felt like he had a series of being hammered into his skull from every possible direction.
"Hey!" Bait shouted. "What's the matter with you?" It slowly brought the slate gray pegasus back to his senses. "What you are saying is absurd. Mind control? That's something one would find in a comic or science novel. What next, telekenesis? Is he able to pick things up with his mind? No? How about read our every single thought, can he do that?"
Thunderlane was having trouble concentrating on what Bait was saying, but he understood enough. "I... He... Maybe...?"
Bait grabbed Thunderlane by his neck and brought him in close. "Yuh listen here," he said in his foalhood Detrot accent, "I'm in no mood to be messing with a featherbrain like you right now. Now leave Bryce alone. He did nothing to yuh except hit yuh with a rock, and that's it. Now I don't wanna hear another word from yuh, yuh Schande. He's a good stallion, and if yuh knew him like I did you'd know the same." Bait released his hold on Thunderlane, who fell onto his back. The tan colt then turned around and walked off, his saddlebags jingling as he went.
Reaching the barbershop Bait had left Bryce, he went inside just as three blue toned colts came running out.
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"I know where I know the three of you from." It was the first thing Bryce had said. While High Lights continued to cut his hair, which her three sons had taken upon themselves to place onto Cue Ball's bare cranium, Bryce had been very, very still. The whole time he had tried to remember where he had seen these three colts last, and it had finally hit him. "You three were the ones who had to restrain your friend a few months back."
The three colts stopped their fun with Bryce's freshly clipped hair and turned to the human with blank expressions on their faces. "He's not our friend," Middle Part bluntly stated. "At least, not anymore."
"You three did right by distancing yourselves from that hooligan," his mother stated. "That boy is nothing but trouble."
"Well, is he really so bad?" Bryce asked.
"Yes. Yes he is."
"Well, what has he done?"
"If you really want to know, that hooligan broke every single one of my cleaning jars that I keep my combs in, and those cost a hefty bit. His mother had to pay off the debt, of course. All I will say is that she doesn't discipline the colt as she should."
"He also got me and my brothers in trouble after stole a whole jar of candy from Sugarcube Corner," Bowl Cut added. "He had us distract the owners while he jumped up and stole the candy while they weren't looking."
"And that's not even mentioning all the time he had us listen to him rant about how you were 'controlling the whole town with your mind'." Middle Part said.
"And he promised Scootaloo a signed Wonderbolts he never even had." Cue said, trying to stay still as his brothers placed more of Bryce's hair on his head.
"Who's Scootaloo?" Bryce asked.
"The pegasus Rocksalt was yelling at."
"The small orange pegasus? Well, do you know anything about her?"
"Not much. Just that she's an orphan, and that she's... Mom, what do you call a filly who acts like a colt?"
"A tomcolt," High Lights answered.
"Yeah, a tomcolt."
"And, boys, would you stop playing around with that, please," High Lights scolded. "All it does is make the job of cleaning it all up that much harder," their mother scolded.
"Come on, mom, just take a look at Cue," Bowl Cut said as he turned his younger brother's head around to face her and Bryce.
When the mare saw what her oldest sons had done to her youngest she almost broke out laughing. "Curly Cue, it looks almost like it did before Bowl Cut shaved it all off. Alright, you've had your fun. Now sweep it up and put it in the trash." With the colts busy sweeping up his hair, High Lights said to Bryce, "I'm sorry for that."
"It's fine; my sister had three kids just like your three. So, their friend's name was Rocksalt?"
"That was that hooligan's name."
"Do you really have to call him that? He's not that bad, is he?"
High Lights gave a huff. "You don't know the half of it. That colt has been trouble ever since his he and his mother moved here from Manehatten. He's the kind who would make his mother cry."
"Well, he can't be all bad. I'm sure there's some good in him."
"If there is I've never seen it. That colt will never amount to anything. I'd bet anything that when he grows up he's only going to get that much worse. Stealing and lying now? Ha! Nothing compared to what he'll become once he's old enough to live on his own, if he stays home that long."
Bryce was silent for a minute before saying, "It sounds as if you want him to become like that."
"I wouldn't say that, but I see no other future for him."
"Well, if everyone treats him like he's a criminal now I have no doubt he will be."
"At least you agree with me."
"I never said that," Bryce said in a gruff tone. "All I said was that if everyone treats Rocksalt like a criminal now then he'll one day become just that."
"How else can I treat him. He's a troublemaker and that's all I can see in him."
"Well, have your sons always acted this way? Have they always played with hair, or done horrible things to each other, like shave the other's head?" Bryce asked.
"They... They have, but they're my sons. I'll always love them, no matter how badly they treat each other, or how messy they make the barbershop."
"So you can't give Rocksalt the same benefit of the doubt?"
High Lights stopped cutting away at Bryce's hair. "It sounds as if you're defending him."
"Since nobody else will, I must."
Before the deep blue mare could respond, a loud clatter echoed through the barbershop. "Let's see you say that again, wise guy!" Bowl shouted.
"BOYS!!!" High Lights yelled. The three colts froze up, not daring to move. "That's it! All colts, outside NOW!!!" Everybody, including Bryce, made a run for the front door. The angered mare stopped the human before he could get much further. "Not you, I'm almost done with you. I was right about the cradle crap, just so you know. "
When Bryce took a seat back on the floor, he noticed Bait, standing in a corner. He had the same saddlebags Ponzi's goon had had laying on the floor. "Hey, Bait, how did everything go with your uncle." When the tan colt didn't reply he could tell something was amiss. "Bait, you alright?"
Bait gave no response as he stared down at the saddlebags that lay on the floor.
"Would you please hold still, I'm a hair's breadth from being done." A few snips of her scissors later, she called it finished.
After the mare brushed him off, Bryce stood to pay the mare, but Bait beat Bryce to the punch when he pulled out the necessary amount of bits out of one of the saddlebags.
"Bait, where-"
"Don't say anything," Bait shot back as he placed the saddlebags onto his back.
"Wait, don't you want to-"
"No, not today."
"Well, what about-"
"I'll get that later."
Before Bryce could give any further protest, Bait had made his way back outside.
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For the longest time both Bryce and Bait sat on a bench on the outskirts of Ponyville. They were the only ones there, and not single other soul had been seen in a long while. In that same time Bait had yet to say a single word, regardless of how many times Bryce tried to initiate a conversation. The only response the tan colt would give would be to smack Bryce whenever he tried to touch his saddlebags. He was unsure of how long they had been in this spot; in his rush to leave the farm that morning, Bryce had forgotten to grab his watch and his whittling knife as well.
After what felt to be four hours, Bryce again tried to start a conversation. "Bait...? What's wrong, buddy...? Aren't you getting the least bit hungry or thirsty?"
If Bait had heard the human, he didn't show it.
"Is it something to do with your uncle? Or what's in those saddlebags?"
Still no response.
"Would it help if I went and found Amethyst?"
"... No..."
"Then talk to me, man. What's going on with you? You've never been like this."
Bait again went silent.
Bryce stood up from the bench at towered over Bait. "Talk to me, damn it!"
"Just... leave me alone..."
Bryce snorted once before deciding what to do. "Fine, I'll make you talk." Acting fast, Bryce bent down and grabbed the saddlebags out of Bait's lap and held it well out of his reach.
It gave the desired response, making Bait jump up to grab for them. "Give that to me!"
"What's in this?"
"It's none of your concern!" Bait stood on the bench, but Bryce walked out of its vicinity.
"Maybe not, but you are."
Bait ceased jumping to yell at Bryce, "What do you want?"
"I want you to tell me what's going on with you."
Bait, instead, tackled Bryce, sending him and the saddlebags to the ground. When the bags made contact with the ground, one of the flaps broke open, spilling hundreds of bits across the ground. Bait forced himself over the scene, but by then it was too late. "Bait...?"
"It's... It's..." Letting out a sigh, Bait stood up to allow Bryce to see it all. "It's... a gift from my uncle."
"Bits... How much?"
Bait was slow to choke out the words, "10,000..."
"10,000!? Wha- What is this for?"
"Today was my eighteenth birthday."
"And he gave you this much as a present?"
"It's only a part. He's going to give me more later."
Bryce noted Bait's tone. "This isn't what's bothering you, is it?"
"I can't go back."
"Can't go back... where?"
"Home."
"Home? You mean... to your..."
Bait gave a half hearted nod.
"So, you're saying you're uncle's leaving you here?"
"He said... He said I'm no longer allowed to be a part of his group." Tears had began to stream down the tan colt's face. "He told me I had to find my own way without him, and this," he waved to the bits. "This is his way of paying me off for all I've done. For ten years of service."
"Is that what he said or you?"
"He said I had to get my own life without him and the boys, but that's what he meant."
"Bait..." The tan colt instead ignored Bryce and went about gathering up his bits. Bryce bit down on his lower lip. "Look, Bait, I'm going to go find us something to drink." Before Bait could get a word out, Bryce said, "I'll pay for it. You just wait here for me."
Bryce went into the town square, but with an ulterior motive in mind. After stopping at Sugarcube Corner, Bryce made his way back to Bait with a white box in hand.
When he returned to the bench, however, he found the seat had been replaced with a sleeping mare. She was a light silver unicorn with a long, slightly waved mane that shifted between rose quartz and lavender quartz every few inches. Her mane ran delicately down her form and fell down off the bench,hovering over the ground. The sun on her silver coat glistened with each breath she took, more so on her cutie mark: A round gemstone with a circling color wheel.
When Bryce noticed this he was unsure of what to do. He wanted to find Bait, his best guy friend in this world, but he didn't want to bother this beautiful, slumbering unicorn, but it had to be done. Bait was in no state of mind to be left alone to his own devices.
When Bryce's fingertips met the unicorn's fur, he felt emotions erupt that made his legs wobble. Her fur felt like silk. A very fine silk.
Despite the lightness of his touch, it was enough to awake the silver unicorn as she let out a deep yawn. When she opened her eyes to gaze at her arouser, Bryce was further thrown back. Her eyes were magnificent: A pair of green peridot gems that seemed to have been molded into her eyes with fine percision.
"Oh, hello there," the silver unicorn said in a sweet, singsong voice before letting out a shallow yawn. "You weren't wanting to have a seat here, were you?" She rolled over onto her back, revealing her bare underside, which revealed her slender form. "I only wanted to lie here for a minute, but it just felt... oh... so..." Within seconds, she had fallen back into her slumber.
Bryce hated it, but he again tapped the unicorn; wanting to find Bait but also wanting to feel her silken coat once more. Taking a knee and placing the white box carefully on the ground, "Miss... I..."
The unicorn reached forward and wrapped her hooves around Bryce neck. When that happened, the human's face turned a deep red. The scent of her mane was unimaginable. To have pin on the one thing it was would have been impossible. It was everything Bryce liked the smell: Sharpies, freshly printed printer paper, strawberries, oranges, garlic, a fresh slice of pizza. Bryce could almost swear he could taste it, and it tasted great.
When the unicorn opened her eyes she let out a joyful laugh. "Somepony seems to be a curious."
"I... I... Well... Uhm..."
The mare loosened her grip on Bryce and lied back on the bench. "I'm sorry, but do you have the time? I fear I may have been here longer than I had wanted."
"I... I can't. I... I forgot my..." Bryce stared blankly at the mare. "I'm- I'm sorry, but have... Have we m- met?"
"I think I would remember somepony the likes of you." The silver mare said as she got down onto her hooves. "I'm afraid I must go. You see, I have an appointment I must keep." The silver mare trotted away towards Ponyville.
As Bryce watched her walk away, a thought donned on him. "Wait, Miss, what's your name?"
"Bryce, there you are." Bait said from behind. Bryce turned back to see his tan colored friend coming towards him with saddlebags in tow. "Who are you yelling at?"
"I'm yelling at-" But when Bryce looked back to where the silver mare had once been, there was no equine figure to be seen. There was only a set of hoofprints.
By then Bait had came up to Bryce and stared in the human's direction. "Bryce?" Bait asked.
"Yeah, buddy?"
"Can we go back to the farm? I just want to lie down."
"Sure, we'll go back," Bryce said as he stood. "But I have something I want to give you when we get back."
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By the time Bryce and Bait returned to Sweet Apple Acres many of the Apple's extended family had left for home. Along the way, the pair had exchanged very few words. Bait was still glume over what his uncle had said. From the beginning the tan colt had thought this would be a temporary thing, and within a few months he would be back with Ponzi and the boys, scamming gullible saps like old times. But now all of those hopes had been dashed and torn asunder. Of course the bits were good, and the remaining 40,000 that was soon to come would be even better, but it was valueless to the tan colt at the present time.
Bryce, on the other hand, had his mind on other things. He couldn't help but fell caught in the snare of that sleek, majestic light silver unicorn mare. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was like the one thing that seemed to be flawless had been thrust right into his lap. Her form. Her colors. Her mane. Her smell. Everything. It was too much to be true, and it had only been for a minute. It was when the mare had left his sight that Bryce had figured out where he'd seen her before. Actually, that wasn't right; he hadn't seen her for the first time until today. But he had seen her before.
Bryce felt he wouldn't be able to do anything else until he made for sure.
As they neared the house, Applejack stopped what she was doing and greeted the pair. "Hey, fellas, how was your day?"
Bait, not wanting to talk, went inside and slammed the front door behind him.
"Uh, did Ah say somethin wrong?"
"No, his uncle came today. It was... more than a check in."
"What do yuh mean?"
"Well, he doesn't have any place else to go."
Applejack didn't quite understand what Bryce was saying. "What do yuh mean, he's supposed to be staying here until Ah say so."
"No, I mean after that."
"After that? Wait, start over."
Bryce bit his lower lip. "Applejack, he can't go home. His uncle... His uncle's making him live on his own now."
"Live on his own? You mean his uncle turned out him out? His own family?"
Bryce nodded.
"Lands sake..." Applejack stated in a depressed tone. "Is he alright?"
"He's hurting."
"What's that yuh got there?" Pointing to the white box in Bryce's hands.
Bryce held up the white box. "It's his eighteenth birthday, so I got him a cake. I wanted to ask if he and I could go to the cider cellar and... You know."
"Well... Ah don't know. Ah don't think drowning his sorrows at the bottom of a stein's gonna help'm."
"Come on, AJ. It'll be just me and him. I'll try and keep it to one barrel. Half of another at the most."
"Well, Ah guess Ah'll let yuh both go, but no more than a barrel-and-a-half. And make sure he doesn't do anything to hurt'mself."
"Great, thanks." Bryce entered the house.
Bryce breezed past Bait on the couch and ran up the stairs up into his room. He was going to stop in for two things: His wood carving of Amethyst Star, his gift to Bait; and the wood figure of the pony he whittled but didn't know who it depicted.
The first thing he noticed as he entered his room was how most everything had been thrown onto the floor. There were clothes, the contents of the chest, especially the items that had been on it.
As Bryce looked around, he knew immediately what was missing, but he had to be sure though.
He lifted the bed, checked inside the chest, everywhere, but what he searched for was nowhere to be found. All of his wood figures were gone, but more importantly his watch.
Bryce started to hyperventilate. He would have been okay with just his whittlings, hell, he wasn't too worried about the mess.
But his watch.
The watch that had belonged to his late great-grandfather.
It was gone.
Bryce took a seat on the bed and grabbed at the bed sheets. Drawing in a deep breath, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "FUCK!!!"
Just then, Applejack came running into Bryce's room. "Bryce... Sweet Celestia...!" She stated. "Is anything missing?"
Bryce nodded as he continued to breathing in short, rapid breaths.
"Bryce, just calm down. Yuh aren't gonna help matters if yuh blow your top."
Bryce opened his palms and tried his hardest.
"First... Ah want yuh ta promise yuh won't go and do anything ta hurt anypony."
Bryce took a few deep breaths and let them out slowly. "Okay..."
"Did yuh share words with anypony in town today that mighta done this?"
Bryce shook his head.
"Is anything missin?"
"My wooden figures, and my watch."
"Okay, I'm gonna go and see if anypony saw anything."
Just as the apple mare descended the stairs, she was stopped by a family member. "Applejack, a few of us were wondering if we have a pegasus in the family."
Applejack had to stop and think for a moment. "No, Ah don't think so. Why'd yuh ask, Apple Pie?"
"Ah, and most everypony else saw'm. He was a dark gray one with a mane like this." The mare pressed her own mane up to form a mohawk. "He came out of one of the windows of your house. We thought we should ask because he didn't fly; just went to the window and jumped out."
This made Applejack narrowed her eyes. "Which window?"