Granny Smith stood there like an overlord looking down upon Big Macintosh who was busily working the fields. "Faster, Big Mac!" she yelled from out her window. "We got a lot of work to do today, and I'm takin' Apple Bloom to mass soon."
Big Macintosh angrily looked up at the window for a moment as he continued to plow the fields. He only paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow during this very humid day. He was overworked, starving and was in very much need of a shower and a hearty meal.
Granny Smith walked out of her room and went down the hall to Apple Bloom's room. She stepped inside and watched Apple Bloom who was sound asleep in her bed. She looked so innocent to Granny sleeping so peacefully. Granny came over and shook her gently. "Wake up, Apple Bloom. We've got to git to mass and ya got to go today since ya didn't go yesterday with Big Mac." She pulled the covers off her body.
Apple Bloom opened her blood shot eyes. "M-m-mass?" she asked. "But Granny, I'm so tired. I need a few more hours of sleep. Can't we just go next week?" Apple Bloom turned her back to Granny and pulled the covers up onto herself. "I don't even want to go anymore without Applejack. Mass used to be fun and now it's more like a chore."
Granny felt angry that she missed Applejack and dared even mention her name in front of her. She looked around and saw a glass of water on Apple Bloom's nightstand. She took it and dumped the water onto her head.
"Hey!" Apple Bloom shot up, looking distressed. "Why can't ya let me git a lil' more sleep? Ya call me in sick at school all the time so I can work more on the farm, so why can't ya just let me skip mass for one single week?"
"Because ya need to go! Ferget school when we have so much work to do on the farm, and don't ya dare bring up Applejack again to me. She is not clean, nor is she a member of this family. She is the wicked and cursed anathema."
"B-b-but I miss her."
Granny Smith took out an apple and showed it to Apple Bloom. "See this apple here?"
Apple Bloom nodded her head yes innocently.
"This apple represents Applejack. She looks good on the outside, but when you have a look at who she really is..." Granny Smith put the apple on her night stand and crushed it open with her hoof.
Apple Bloom saw the worms thrashing their bodies around that were inside of the apple.
"You'll find that there the Devil's worms have gotten into her and that she is rotten to the core."
"I don't believe that," Apple Bloom said. "Applejack is a good, honest pony who doesn't do any bad. I don't want to go to mass anymore and I'd rather go back to school. I miss my big sister and want her back."
Granny was starting to lose her patience. She pulled the covers completely off her body and grabbed her back legs. She then pulled Apple Bloom forcefully out of the bed and dropped her to the floor.
Apple Bloom's head hit the wooden edge of her bed. She sat there a bit stunned as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Do you have any fear of the Lord!?" Granny asked.
"Granny, I don't know what kind of message yer tryin' to git across to me, but Applejack told me that God isn't the kind of God that watches us from the sky with a baseball bat, waiting to hit ponies who mess up in the slightest bit. I don't think we are to fear the Lord in the same way that ya might be thinkin' 'bout."
"Ya don't want to go to mass anymore and ya still love your rebellious sister who has received the spirit of Jezebel. Do ya know just how painful purgatory is? God is goin' to whip ya so hard and burn ya because of yer sins."
"I truly don't think God is goin' to hurt me, Granny. Applejack told me that Jesus likes to comfort His little ones like that of a mother bird stretching her wings over her young."
"You're becomin' like Applejack and I clearly see that I have done a poor job in raising ya. You have turned out to be a mistake and if you have no fear in the Lord, then I shall put it into you." Granny Smith straightened up her posture. "Now, are you goin' to come to mass or suffer the consequences of not going?"
"I don't want to go to mass," Apple Bloom said.
"I will show you what Hell is like then. Let's go." Granny grabbed Apple Bloom by her ear and tugged.
"Ouch! Granny, stop! Just leave me alone! I spend all day workin' and even often missin' school to work and I just wanna skip one week of mass 'cause I'm so tired. Please let me rest!"
"Quit yer belly achin'!"
Granny dragged her outside and went into the barn. She let go of Apple Bloom and walked over to a chest where she opened it up and began searching through it.
"Granny, I just wanna go back to bed. What are ya going' to do to me?" Apple Bloom nervously asked.
"What I should have done years ago," Granny answered. The old mare pulled out a whip and gave it one good flick against the ground. "Found this old gem after all these years."
Apple Bloom gulped. "What are ya goin' to do with that?"
"I'm goin' to give ya just a small taste of what Purgatory is like. Now, put your two hooves against that wall."
"But..."
"Do it now or I'll double the whippin'!"
Apple Bloom did so. She had no idea what in the world was about to happen, but she sensed that it wasn't going to be a very pleasant experience. Her body was overworked and all she wanted was a little bit more rest. She noticed that there was a rusty bucket full of nails and a large wooden board that seemed to be filled with empty nail holes, and next to the board, was an old hammer. Apple Bloom wondered what the significance of those objects were.
"Father, forgive her of her many sins," Granny said and then whipped Apple Bloom across her back.
There was a sharp pain that went shooting through Apple Bloom's body. "Hey!" Apple Bloom's eyes went wide when she realized just how much that hurt. She turned her head and looked at Granny Smith with tears in her eyes. "Granny, I'll go to mass, just please don't hit me again, that really hurts!"
"Keep those hooves against the wall," Granny commanded. "You'll get seven whips since seven is a complete and holy number." Granny whipped her once more and said, "Back in my day, the nuns used to hit us in order to get us to pay better attention in Catlick school. Ya kids these days have it too easy!" She whipped her again even harder across her back. "If ya have no fear of God, then I will literally beat it into you. They did this to me plenty of times when I was out of line back in the good old days."
"Granny! Stop!" Apple Bloom began to clench her teeth in agony.
"Silence, or I'll add another seven more whippins!" Granny whipped her so hard that she tore the flesh open on her back.
Apple Bloom bit her tongue in order to hold back her screams.
Granny whipped her over her open wound which amplified the pain even more. "Five!"
Apple Bloom's face turned red as she held her breath.
"When we're done, yer gonna learn to respect and appreciate yer elders!" The whip cracked against her back once more. "Six!"
Apple Bloom's entire body began to shake violently. She couldn't take anymore of this.
"Hold still now! One more to help make ya clean again." Granny gave her one last whip as hard as she could. "Seven!"
Apple Bloom fell to the ground. Her body couldn't physically take the punishment anymore. She tried to get up and run but her back hurt so much that she couldn't move.
"Feel sorry yet?" Granny asked and then crossed herself with her hoof. She tossed the whip aside and waited for an answer.
Apple Bloom didn't answer. She simply lay there weeping over her wounds.
"I guess ya not scared enough yet. Ya know, we are pure in all that we do, even on the farm. We are not only organic, but we are the only farm in Ponyville that is one hundred percent pesticide free. We do not allow any impurities on our farm or within our family." Granny left the barn for a moment and then came back with a heated cattle brander. She showed it to Apple Bloom. "See this here? Ya had yer fair share of whippin' in our little experience with purgatory, now it's time to experience the burning. God is also not only goin' to whip ya, but he's also goin' to burn ya and nothing hurts more than fire. Granny exposed the tip of the cattle brander against Apple Blooms flank.
Apple Bloom squirmed and let out a shriek in pain. "Granny! Please! Don't do it!"
"Oh, did that hurt? Ya know, I could give ya yer cutie mark by burnin' ya with this thing. Let me ask ya, do ya still love Applejack even though she is wicked at heart?"
Apple Bloom wanted the suffering to end, but she could not tell a lie about how she felt about her big sister. She closed her eyes and yelled out. "I love Applejack more than any other pony in my family! Please don't burn me!"
"I commend you for yer honesty, but ya still must suffer and be burned for yer sins."
Granny Smith slowly brought the prod closer to her and watched the glowing tip of the rod.
Apple Bloom screamed in terror.
"What the buck is goin' on in here!?"
Granny Smith became startled and dropped the brander. She turned and saw Big Macintosh at the entrance of the barn.
Big Macintosh walked over to Apple Bloom and noticed her bleeding back. He saw the whip and the cattle brander on the floor. "What in the hay did ya do to Apple Bloom!?"
"I was just tryin' to teach her some discipline and give her a taste of what purgatory is like."
"NO!" Big Macintosh yelled so loud the entire barn seemed to tremble. "Were you seriously goin' to burn her with that cattle prod!?"
"Granny Smith guiltily looked at the rod on the floor. "Well, not really. I just wanted to get her to go back to mass and try to make her realize how scary Hell is."
"You are out of yer buckin' mind! Do ya realize that I can have you arrested for filly abuse? Just look at how torn up her back is!"
Granny noticed that Apple Bloom was quite hurt and a bit bloody. "Well, my folk and the nuns at school did it to me wen I was a filly in order to straighten me out. I just don't want to see her sin and go down the same road that Applejack went down. Applejack gave into her sin and ain't comin' back to the farm. The last thing I want to happen is Apple Bloom followin' in her rebellious hoof steps. I only did it 'cause I care 'bout her and the Bible says to not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die."
"Granny, yer insane. Yer absolutely off yer rocker! Tearing open the back of a little filly and threatening to burn her! Shame on you and shame on how you try to portray God to her!" Big Macintosh paused to examine her wounds. "I swear, if ya hurt her in anyway again, I'm takin' her off the farm and we're goin' to find Applejack and leave this place for good!" Big Mac looked down at Apple Bloom who was still crying from being whipped and also from the heated argument. "Come on, Apple Bloom. Let's get ya cleaned up and help heal those wounds."
Apple Bloom tried to get up, but her back hurt so much that she fell back down.
"Cripes," Big Mac muttered. He scooped her up and placed her on his back. He looked at Granny sternly and said, "Don't touch her again!"
Granny watched him walk out with Apple Bloom. "Dag nab it! Now I can't go to mass 'cause Big Macintosh has to take care of Apple Bloom and no one is workin' on the farm." Granny left the barn and walked over to where there were many barrels full of apples that Big Macintosh was supposed to bring in. She walked over to the one with the smallest amount of apples in them and stared at it for a moment. She sighed and said to herself. "Yer not that old. Just believe that ya can do it. These apples ain't gonna bring themselves in." She strategically positioned herself in a way that would make picking up the barrel easier. Her joints popped as she struggled to pick it up and was just barely able to put it on her back. She looked down at her legs that were shaking heavily and she couldn't get herself to take a single step forward. Her back was not strong enough to support such weight and her legs gave out from beneath her. "Help!" The helpless mare shouted. She began to struggle to breathe and felt that she would soon pass out. Granny called out yet again, but nopony was around. She began to pray. "Dear God, please spare me from death today. I don't want to die now. I'll do anythin'."
"Granny? Did I hear ya call fer help?" A voice called out from behind her.
Granny tried to call out, but could not speak because the weight was so crushing on top of her frail body.
Big Mac came around the corner of the house and saw what had happened. "Granny!" He instantly rushed over and took the barrel off her back. "What in tar-nation are ya doin' liiftin' barrels like that!? Do you want to get yerself killed!?"
Granny Smith struggled to pick herself up from off the ground and leaned back against the side of the house. "Just git me some Aspirin and an ice pack fer my back. I know I done wrong."
Big Mac went inside and retrieved a bottle of Aspirin and and ice pack. He came back outside and gave them to his Grandma. "Why, Granny? Ya know yer in no shape to lift somethin' like that."
"Granny took two pills of Aspirin and swallowed them before she put the ice pack on her back. "I did it 'cause ya had to take care of Apple Bloom and no one was workin' the farm."
"And I still didn't finish takin' care of her 'cause I heard ya callin' out fer help."
"Well, everyday seems to get harder and harder on the farm and we have to push ourselves a bit more because..."
Big Mac cut her off. "No! No more of this extra work because you have disowned Applejack. We need her back on the farm and if ya don't get her soon, then I'm walkin' off this farm with Apple Bloom to find her and perhaps we'll start a new farm elsewhere or go live with cousin Braeburn."
"No." Granny said with sorrow in her voice. She realized that she had to accept defeat and that the farm would not be able to stay in business without Applejack. "I'll go git her myself. Just give me a little time fer my back to heal up."
"Are ya goin' to be okay with yer back?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. Just go inside and take care of Apple Bloom before ya head out to town to sell some apples."
Big Macintosh looked down at her and said, "And don't ya ferget to bring A.J. back or I'm seriously leavin' this place fer good with Apple Bloom. Don't ya ferget it." He turned and walked away leaving Granny to think about her actions.
Granny put her front hooves to her eyes in grief and shame. "Dear Lord I have sinned greatly. Fergive me Father, fer I have become hateful in my heart."