Chapter 6: Exposed Wounds
A soft breeze curled across the farmyard, tugging absently at Applejack’s the long blonde locks. The mare gave it no mind as her thoughts were fixed elsewhere. Her eyes were straining, trying to follow the last flashes of the fiery white form retreating quickly through the orchard as she tried to come to grips with what she had just seen.
“Was that … ?” Twilight’s voice seemed to come from somewhere far off, though she actually stood no more than two lengths away, as she too watched the blazing white stallion vanishing among the orchard trees.
“Eeyup”
“... And he …”
“Eeyup.”
AJ could feel the sour tremor of fear building inside her from the scene she had just witnessed. Her was mind drawn back to the memory of the night in the orchard when she had confronted her brother over his refusal to discuss his cutie mark with their baby sister. Apple Bloom had pressed her curiosity too hard that day, and the eventual, explosive, reaction to the repeated questions of the little filly had sent Apple Bloom fleeing in fright from her elder sibling. It had been later that night, on the edge of the orchard, in their great grandfather’s walnut grove, below the face of the crumbled muddy rise; a place where for years she’d been lead to believe her parents had died in a tragic mudslide one evening following a prolonged rainstorm. But that’s not what her brother had told her that night …
“I got mah mark right here!” Applejack remembered her brother roaring at her as he slammed his hoof to the ground with such force Applejack thought she’d jumped.
“I got it right here, watching, as Ma an’ Pa DIED!”
His eyes had been glittering with an unearthly green fire she could not remember ever having seen inside him before as he’d told her.
“And it weren’t no accident.” She remembered his voice slowing to a magma hot simmer.
“It was the Albino.”
“Do you know what this means!” Twilight’s shocked exclamation burst through Applejack’s thoughts, cutting her free from the darkness of the memory, though not its terrifying implications.
“Eeyup.”
Applejack knew what it meant, as a dark, hateful, sensation rose up inside her gut as her mind affirmed the horrific realization that it had just made. She had called McIntosh a liar that night in the orchard, when he’d finally told her. She had bucked him angrily to the ground for his confession, and for having scared their baby sister half to death. Yet somehow, someway, she’d been unable to believe what he had told her had all been a lie either. There had been something in his eyes that night as he told her, something deep and powerful hiding among the dancing green flames. It was that something that had told her he was telling the truth, even though she couldn’t accept it then. But she accepted it now, with a sad, painful, resignation. Her brother ... was a killer, a kinslayer, … he was the Albino.
“I thought only uni…”
The sound of Twilight’s voice made Applejack’s gut lurch as her ears pinched off the words of her, at times, observationally challenged friend. Right now though, Applejack could feel the anger twisting inside her gut to the point she was reasonably certain that she was going to forcefully ram her hoof into Twilight’s pie hole any second in order to stifle her friend’s distracting comments. If only to give her own mind time to finish it’s own bout of conflicted emotions. The next sound that caught her ears was not from Twilight; it was the distinctive soft, high toned, sound of a young filly’s moan and whimper of pain.
Apple Bloom!
Applejack abandoned her rage there in the yard in an instant as her hooves carried her quickly to the barn. There she found her sister bloody muzzled, holding one fore hoof to her head and trying in vain to gather her other hooves under herself. The young filly’s uncoordinated stance abruptly gave out as her hindquarters buckled, sending her toppling backwards into the adjacent haystack just a AJ reached her sister’s side.
“What did they do to you, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she drew the groggy, trembling, filly into her protective embrace.
“I tried to stop them. They … they were beating on Big Mac.” Apple Bloom sniffled as she snuggled into her older sister’s comforting hooves, bleary eyes trying to focus on her sister. “I … I tried to stop them. I tried … but I … I couldn’t, … and then … Creme ... he ...” Apple Bloom gave a shudder, her eyes closing tight as she ended her narrative with a painful whimper.
A dull masculine groan, followed by a prominent yelp of significant pain drew Applejack's attention towards the opposite end of the barn as Twilight arrived in the vacant doorway.
“Oh my Gosh!” the unicorn gasped, her eyes going wide at the sight inside the barn. “What in the name of Celestia happened?”
“He touched my teats!” Apple Bloom boomed out, tightening her grip on her sister before turning, sobbing, into AJ’s shoulder.
“We need to get them to the hospital.” Twilight quaintly summarized things.
Applejack just shot a glance of exhaustion at her friend. She’d spent every last bit of energy her had to get here, and there was nothing left in the tank to do anything more than hold onto her sobbing younger sister. As she watched, Twilight quickly sized up the situation so fast it almost seemed possible to see the gears spinning in the lavender unicorn’s head as she quickly devised a course of action.
“Hold on,” the unicorn blurted as she dashed from the doorway. “I’ll be right back.”
Minutes later AJ was still holding on to Apple Bloom and glaring daggers at Pig Pen as Twilight’s plan moved along. The sanitation stallion lay with his back to the opposite side rack of the hay wagon breathing through his teeth in pain as the it made it’s way down the old farm track. Applejack glanced from his splinted rear right hoof, obviously broken above the coffin joint, to his face, just as the wagon passed over a bump in the road. The expression of anguish on the stallion’s face was disturbingly comforting to AJ.
“I’m so sorry.” Pig Pen choked softly through his, no doubt considerable pain.
“Shut it.” AJ spat back, as Apple Bloom also turned to glare daggers at him,“I’m in no mood to hear it right now.”
For a moment AJ though the scruffy gray colt was going to cry. But, Pig Pen merely closed his eyes and let his head and neck droop back to rest on the floorboards of the wagon.
Serves him right. AJ thought to herself, feeling the tug of a smile at the corner of her lips as she did, as she looked from where Apple Bloom lay half curled up in her lap. For a brief moment Applejack felt a swell of gratification at the wounded stallion’s injuries. That vanished as Apple Bloom turned her head and AJ caught a glimpse of the pained look of confusion in her little sister’s eyes. It was a confusion both begging for answers and reproachful for her elation at the suffering of another pony.
Applejack turned away, to hide her own conflicted emotions, to where Twilight stood on her hind legs, front hooves on the top of the front rack of the hay wagon horn shimmering with effort. In the months since Winter Wrap Up, Applejack could definitely tell that the studious unicorn had obviously been practicing her control of the ‘Come to Life’ spell that now allowed the wagon to move without the need of anypony in the traces.
“It’s okay. We’ll be there soon.” Twilight said, turning her head to give a smile of reassurance to her friends, only to have the wagon bounce hard against a large rut in the road, eliciting a collective yelp from the passengers.
“Thanks Twi’, but how’s about you just stick to minding the road.” Applejack gently chided her friend, accompanied by a groan of agreement from Pig Pen.
“Heh,” Twilight blushed as she turned her attention back to guiding the magically self-moving wagon, “sorry, about that.”
There was little doubt in Applejack’s mind that the sight of a pony-less wagon drew more than a few looks of consternation from the townsfolk as it made its way to Ponyville’s hospital, not that she cared one crooked furrow at the moment. Her relief though at their timely and, beyond a few rocky bumps, smooth arrival at Ponyville Medical was palatable.
It was likely some sharp-eyed pegasus had obviously seen them coming and alerted the staff, Applejack guessed, as they were met out front of the hospital by a doctor, a pair of nurses, and a half dozen orderlies with stretchers at the ready.
How much time had eventually passed, Applejack couldn’t rightly say. By the time she had finally collected herself, and her thoughts, she was sitting in one of the exam rooms nursing a lukewarm cup of honey-lemon tea as Doctor Lily Soft finished up her examination of Apple Bloom. The good news from that was that was that the young filly’s injuries were no more significant than those that had typically been incurred in the course of her ‘crusading’ along with her friends.
The bad news was that Apple Bloom was indeed in season, in fact maybe a day or two short of peak fertility. The dangers of such a young filly being in season, was a serious matter, but a manageable one as the medical mare explained. It would take a few minutes to prepare for the procedure and about a half hour to properly apply the Chastity Charm, given the complexity of the medical magics involved. Both Apple siblings were immensely relieved at the prognosis as the doctor stepped out of the exam room to go collect the materials needed for the spell.
“Hey there!” Twilight smiled as she poked her head around the corner of the door frame. “The doctor said it was okay for me to come in. You guys doing okay?”
Applejack nodded along with her sister, who was still sitting on the exam table tail wrapped nervously about her hooves.
“Dr. Soft is going to cast a spell on me to fix my early heat.” Apple Bloom commented nervously.
“Oh,” Twilight cocked an eyebrow at Apple Bloom’s revelation. “Is she going to use the Chastity Charm?”
“Yeah, that’s what she called it. How’d you know about it Twilight?” Apple Bloom asked as Applejack finished the last bit of her tea.
“I don’t know how to cast it, but I know more than a little about it.” the unicorn admitted.
“Really?” Apple Bloom said with a mix of relief and curiosity. “How?”
Twilight paused a moment, a blush of self-conscious knowledge adding highlights to her lavender complexion.
“You’re not the only pony to have needed it.” Twilight finally replied, a thin smile of confidence and sincerity melting through her sheepish pause.
“Really!?” Apple Bloom perked up leaning towards Twilight with curiosity glittering in her big gold eyes.
“Yeah.” Twilight nodded her admission as she stepped into the room, her horn taking on a magenta shimmer as she began to close the door.
“Well Twi, I’d hate to be an extra party to such a personal conversation, as seems to be breaking out, so if you wouldn’t mind settin’ a bit with Apple Bloom, I’ll just take this time to pop up an’ see Granny Smith and let her know we ain’t forgot about her.”
“Awww, can’t it wait till I’m done AJ?” Apple Bloom cut in with a plaintiff tone.
“I wish it could Sucgarcube, but I think visiting hours are gonna be finished before you are. We’ll come by tomorrow and you can tell Granny all about it yourself.”
“Okay.” Apple Bloom relented with a downcast glance.
Applejack turned back from the door and moved to the side of the exam table before slipping her muzzle under her sister’s lifting the filly’s face to look right at her.
“I promise Sugarcube, everything will be okay, Honest Apple Honor.”
Apple Bloom smiled at the words and reached out and hugged Applejack around the neck, her demeanor lighter at the promise.
“Oh, and if you could ask Granny about that pony I mentioned earlier …?” Twilight added as Applejack reached the door.
Applejack sighed coldly inside before answering, “If’n I remember Twi.”
The trip to Granny’s room was a quick one, with Applejack opting to take the stairs as opposed to waiting of the elevator. Reaching the ward desk Applejack found indeed there was actually still some time remaining time left for visiting, maybe even enough for Apple Bloom to make it by, though it likely wouldn’t be much more than to say Howdy.
“Eh? Is that you Applejack?” The feisty tones of Granny Smith’s voice met Applejack at the door as she opened it, as the elder farm mare lowered the copy of Quilter's Quarterly she’d been reading.
“Yeah Granny, it’s me.” Applejack entered the room as she spoke, smiling at her elderly green coated grandmare, and closing the door behind her. Applejack was relieved that the second bed in the room was vacant at the moment as she sat herself down at the side of the bed.
“Ya didn’t happen t’ bring me some of mah rheumatism medicine, did ya? An’ why ain’t Apple Bloom with you?”
“Apple Bloom’s down stairs with Twilight and Dr. Soft.” Applejack explained, “It seems she went to bed a filly last night, and woke up this morning a young mare.”
“Hardly seems enough reason for ya not to have brought her along?” the old mare puzzled her response.
“I had other reasons Granny,” Applejack tried to hold her voice steady, but her emotions were welling up into her voice as she spoke, “reasons I didn't want Apple Bloom to hear just yet.”
The old mare’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at Applejack before she cautiously added, “An’ just what might those be?”
“I know the truth Granny.” the words seemed to cut her throat as she spoke, each one a jagged piece of painful truth, “I know the truth about McIntosh, and what happened to Ma ‘n’ Pa. I know that they didn’t die in no mudslide. I know that they were killed, ...” Applejack paused a moment, all but choking on razor-like bile of her next words, “by him, by the Albino, and I know that McIntosh is the Albino.”
Granny Smith’s brow furrowed in thought as AJ waited for her grandmare to digest her confession and vindicate her findings, to call Ma and Pa’s deaths murder, and name McIntosh a kinslayer.
“What in corn sake are you talking about?” Granny Smith came back in disbelief, her mouth cocking sideways in a pinched half frown of weighted suspicion and scrutiny. “I asked you to bring me a snort of my Granny Daisy Moses’s ‘rheumatism medicine’, not fer ya t’ go an’ get a snoot-full of it y’rself girl.”
“It’s true Granny.” Applejack slapped down her grandmare’s accusatory disbelief, her raw emotions gushing into her words. “Mac told me himself, he saw the Albino kill Ma ‘n’ Pa. I saw it in his eyes. He was telling me the honest truth. I called him a liar ‘cause I didn’t want to believe him. But today I saw something, and I know it’s true. He killed Ma ‘n’ Pa! He is the Albino!”
“Poppycock.” Granny calmly spat back with the kind of unimpressed snort that smacked of ‘you’re lying’. “Y’r brother is no more an Albino than you are a Pegasus Pony. Shoot, y’r brother is so red, that when yer Ma foaled him the broodwife thought y’r Ma had tore herself inside. But no, it was j’st y’r brother; red as an apple, an’ hung like a full grown stallion.”
“But he is.” Applejack pressed her assertion, hot tears running down her cheeks. “He is. He told me how they died. How he saw the Albino kill Ma ‘n’ Pa, first hoof the very night he got his cutie mark.”
“Horse apples!” Granny Smith pushed herself as far upright in bed as she could, her amber-gold eyes hot with her assertion. “Y’r brother never got his cutie mark ‘til after y’r parents were buried. He got it that first morning he strapped on that plow after the funeral, that’s when he got it. I’d come out onto the porch with Apple Bloom to give her her bottle, and there it was right on his flank, plain as day, as he was pullin’ f’r all he could at that dang ol’ plow.”
The two mares just held their positions in silence as the tension in the room swirled about them. Both seemed content to allow the emotional tension to ebb before continuing.
“But Mac told me …” AJ was moved first to recover the initiative. She remembered looking into her brother’s eyes that night he told her of the real cause of their parent’s deaths. She could practically feel the pain of his memories in her own heart.
But Granny cut her off again, stoic and unflappable in her own self-certain knowledge.
“The night your folks died,” Granny’s aged, yet sturdy, voice asserted itself like a cold tidal wave of time and experience against AJ’s crucible of burning emotion, “we nearly lost your brother too. He’d been caught in the same mudslide as your parents. When I went out to look for them later that night, I found your brother caked in mud from muzzle to rump, crazed and crying. He’d already dug y’r Ma out of the muck, and was trying frantically to get y’r Pa out from under the pile. I tried to hold him, but I couldn’t stop him, and when he finally found y’r Pa, y’r brother lost it. It was awful, Applejack, and your brother saw it first hoof the damage that slide had done to your Pa.”
AJ’s mind reeled for a moment, was her brother actually crazy? Was the Albino just a figment of his imagination brought on by a near death experience and the deaths of their parents? It couldn’t be. She’d seen her brother there in the farm yard just hours ago, blazing white and ready to kill Creme Brule for accosting Apple Bloom. Pig Pen’s broken foot too was no figment of Mac’s imagination, or her own.
“No Granny, Mac’s not lying. He killed them. The Albino is real. McIntosh is the Albino, and he killed Ma an’ Pa.”
“Impossible!” Granny sputtered in frustration. “Y’r brother never killed your parents, and he ain’t no Albino!”
“Why?”
“Because the last Albino died almost two years before your Ma ever set hoof in Ponyville!”
The statement hit AJ like a solid slap. Had she just heard what she thought she’d heard?
“Wha … are … are you sayin’, that the Albino is real?”
“Was real, and dead, and gone, well before that landslide took your parents. So just forget about y’r brother’s crazy stories about dead ponies killing your parents,” Granny Smith sternly stated, folding her forelegs across her barrel, “an’ that’s all I’m gonna say about it. So don’t ask me again.”
“Alright.” Applejack sighed her acquiescence, glancing at the clock on the wall in a move to try to change the direction of the conversation. “‘Sides, I should be getting back to Apple Bloom and Twilight. I’ll bring Apple Bloom by to see ya tomorrow.”
“An’ don’t forget mah Granny's ‘rheumatism medicine’ this time.” Granny added as she settled back in her bed behind her Quilter’s Quarterly.
Applejack rolled her eyes to herself as she headed for the room’s door. What Granny saw in that high-proofage corn squeezings Applejack just couldn’t figure out. Heck, the only other pony that she ever knew to touch those dark brown jugs with their ‘XXX’ label on them was Mac, and he only ever used the stuff for stripping paint and blowing stumps. Granny, on the other hoof, saw a totally different value to that over-proof cider and corn whiskey ‘white lighting’.
“Say Granny,” Applejack turned her head back as a thought suddenly clicked in her head, “Twilight wanted me to ask you about somepony she thought might be a relation of ours.”
“Yes?” the old mare raised her head from her magazine and fixing her attention on Applejack.
“What do you know about a pony named Lightning Ridge?”
No sooner had the last syllable left her tongue; Applejack could see, across the distance from the door to the bed, the spark of connection in Granny Smith’s eyes. Applejack swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry, the back of her neck clammy. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, telling her she was still alive, though it felt as though her heart had stopped cold. Under her hooves though, through the hospital floor, through the earth, back across Ponyville, and all the way back to the farm Applejack could feel the deathly gut churning sensation as she was certain her father had just rolled over in his grave.