Extremely Loud, Intensely Bright, Drastically Tense, Exceedingly Tight

by h4ns

There Will Be Blood

Chapter 10: There Will Be Blood

Applejack sat in the dirt, nerves twisted into knots. After watching Bryce pommel the old stallion first into the ground, then into the side of the house, she tried to make herself as invisible as possible to avoid the human's ire. When he had the stuck that knife up to the stallion's neck Applejack had expected the worst to happen.

Instead, Applejack was beyond belief when he impaled the knife into the wood close enough to almost shave the hair off his face. What happened next was unreal, even to Applejack.

After Bryce released his hold on the old stallion he walked away. Wanting an explanation, Applejack was foalish to go running up behind him. Immediately he picked up an axe she hadn't noticed and swung it. Ducking out of the blade's path, Applejack avoided getting decapitated, though her Stetson flew off in the process. Gazing up at the human she avoid being split down the middle by pushing herself onto her back. The axe blade was planted in the dirt, chopping off the base of the braid in her tail.

Looking back up at the human he had already pulled the end of the blade out of the dirt and had readied it to swing at her head a second time. Immediately Applejack was frozen stiff, not able to either move or breath.

The second she saw Bryce swing the axe a yellow shape came into view in front of her. "Bryce, stop. Don't hurt mah sister!"

Bryce had stopped mid swing, the blade only a few inches away from her nose, "Sprout?"

Turning to look at the yellow shape she saw its distinguishable red mane and pink bow. Applejack could think of only one pony with those features.

Applebloom spoke up, "B...Bryce?"

Applejack could only watch as Bryce slowly released the axe, allowing it to fall to the ground at his feet. He looked like he wanted to say something, but whatever he was saying was beyond comprehension. Eventually he just looked away and ran inside the house, running past Granny Smith without saying a word.

Now Applejack was lying in the dirt, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly she felt something grab her shoulder, startling the apple mare.

"Ap...Applejack? Are you OK?"

Realizing it was only her sister, Applejack settled down a little. Breathing heavily she yelled, "Gosh darn it Applebloom, don't go scaring me like that!"

The filly shrank back, "So...sorry."

Collecting herself, Applejack replied, "Ugh, Applebloom. Ah'm sorry." Thinking for a second she added, "What are yuh even doing here? Didn't Ah tell you to hide?"

"Ye...yeah, but Bryce was..."

Getting up and dusting herself off Applejack said, "Ah know what that varmint was about ta do, you don't need ta tell me. What Ah want ta know is what you were thinking. He was about ta cut mah head clean off, and you almost got yours lopped off too with that stunt you just pulled."

"But Applejack..."

"Ah don't wanna hear it. Just...get inside the house, Ah'm gonna deal with that varmint. After what he did there's no way in Tartarus Ah'm letting him stay here another second." Picking up her Stetson and replacing it on her mane, Applejack trotted towards the farmhouse. She was stopped because Granny Smith was standing in the doorway, "Granny, get outta the way, Ah'm giving that...thing what for."

"Now Applejack, he wasn't meanin ta hurt nopony."

Having had enough the past two days, Applejack gritted her teeth and said, "Ah. Said. MOVE!!!"

Granny Smith reluctantly did so.

Entering the house, Applejack snarled, "Now where is that bucking brute."

"He...he went upstairs. But Applejack don't..."

Applejack didn't hear the rest as she charged up the stairs. Dashing to the end of the hall to guest room she found no sign of him. Ahh, where the buck is he? Suddenly she heard the sound of running water behind her, There he is!

Banging a hoof on the door she yelled, "Are you in there!" She heard the faucet turn off. "Get out here right now and Ah might go easy on yuh!" There was no response from the other end. Banging on the door again she said, "Did yuh hear me? Get out here. NOW!"

There was still no response.

Turning on her front hooves so that her rear was facing the door, she turned her head and said, "This is your final warning. Come out now or Ah'm gonna bust the door down."

Nopony replied.

"Ah'm yuh till the count of three. One....Two...."

No response.

"...Thre...."

"You son of a bitch!"

Applejack stopped when she heard the sound of glass shattering.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As soon as Bryce slammed the door to the bathroom he began to take off his bandana and gloves and threw them across the room. After dropping the knife he then trudged over to the sink, got on one knee, and turned on the faucet. Running his hands under the water, he saw change the water stream in hues of red and brown. After he thought his hands were clean enough Bryce cupped his hands together and rubbed water into his face.

Looking up he saw his reflection in the small mirror. He stood still so he could look at his face.

His hair was a long, curly, dirty blond mess filled with snags and cow licks, though he cared little to fix that. Looking down to his face he saw it caught in the same, angry scowl it usually bore, which others greatly criticized. The skin was very rough and scarred in many areas from where he had constantly picked at his acne. On his chin and above his upper lip poked out curly, unkempt hairs the same color as the hair on his head.

Finally, staring himself in the eyes, he saw his only feature that truly disgusted him. His gray eyes, the exact same hue as his father's. The same eyes he had inherited from his father, from whom he had gotten his curse. What he saw as a curse.

Without looking away Bryce turned off the faucet. He was deaf to the world. His heart began to race, just seeing his eyes reminded him of the only thing he had ever felt ill will for, in this world or any world.

Bryce grabbed onto the sides of the sink until his knuckles were white. He hated knowing he was even related to such a man.

He began to breath in and out in quick, shallow breaths. No not a man, no human being would have done such a thing to another.

He bared his teeth. Most especially his own son.

Balling his right hand into a fist, Bryce yelled, "You son of a bitch!" He sank his fist into the glass, never wanting to see those gray eyes again.

He just kept his fist there, his emotions so shot he couldn't even feel the shards of glass cut into his flesh.

After a minute Bryce fell onto his side. His eyes began to water up as he curled up into a ball as best he could. He continued to lie there as the door slowly creaked open.

He froze up as she clopped forward, "Look, Ah don't who or what yuh think yuh are, but since you've shown up Ah've ran off and abandoned my sister, had ta get on ta her over what yuh said to her, almost broke my back getting yuh inside, been scared enough that Ah think my hair's goin grey, and just now yuh nearly came close ta not only killin me, but mah sister" Drawing in a breath before she continued, she pressed on, "Ah can't take any more of your antics. We'd be lucky if those stallions yuh roughed up don't press charges. Ah'm gonna give yuh uh choice. You can either leave now, or Ah'm gonna get yuh out myself." She paused before saying, "What's it gonna be?"

Bryce just lied there, not even acknowledging the apple mare was even present.

Applejack grunted, "Hey, did yuh hear me? Ah said get out. Yuh aren't welcome here."

If Bryce could hear the angered mare, he didn't show it.

Now Applejack was so angry she could almost feel smoke coming out of her ears. Through gritted teeth she said, "This. Is. Your final warning. Either leave now or Ah'll get yuh out myself."

Bryce gave no response.

Applejack stomped a hoof onto the floor, "That's it!" She forced herself forward, "Ah've given you enough time." She grabbed Bryce by the shoulder and forced him onto his back, "Now Ah'm gonna have ta do it..." Her words were cut off when Bryce backhanded her hard across the face. There was a pause.

Immediately Bryce's mind came back to reality when he realized he just had made the biggest mistake yet.

Running a foreleg across her face Applejack pulled it back to find a trickle of blood on her hoof. If Applejack was mad before, there was no word yet in existence that described the anger she now felt.

Bryce pushed himself back, but was cut short when his back met the wall.

Applejack narrowed her eyes as close together as she could, her teeth bared, her whole body shaking out of anger incarnate. At the top of her lungs she shouted, "THAT DOES IT." Before Bryce could even get out a word the apple mare pounced, hoofs flying.

She couldn't tell what she was hitting, she only knew to strike until the pain in her hooves couldn't take it anymore. After getting in a few punches, Applejack grabbed Bryce and threw him behind her onto his gut. Before Bryce could even move she had slipped a foreleg around his throat and strangled him while bringing him to his knees.

Just as Bryce was beginning to lose consciousness, he felt the mare forced off his back. Bryce fell down onto the floor and used his arms to cushion his fall. Pushing himself up, and breathing heavily, he turned his head to see the orange mare lying on her side. She was staring past him, her mouth wide open. Looking the other way Bryce felt like doing the same thing. Standing there, barely able to stand properly, was the eldest member of the Apple family.

After a few minutes of silence Applejack broke the silence, "Gra...Granny Smith. Wha...what...?"

"Applejack, go to your room."

Extending a hoof towards Bryce she stuttered, "Bu...but, but he..."

Granny Smith narrowed her eyes.

Knowing there was no way to reason with the aged mare, Applejack shuffled to her hooves and limped out into the hall.

When Bryce heard a door open and slam shut he turned to look at the pale green mare. Noticing the stern look on her face he looked down at the floor to avoid looking her in the eyes. They both held their ground, neither of them daring to speak first. After a while Bryce could no longer bear the silence and began to struggle to pick himself up.

Trotting over, Granny Smith offered a hoof, which Bryce refused. When he could finally stand he made his way out the door and headed towards the stairs, leaning against the wall for support.

Granny Smith strode to the threshold, "Bryce, where do yuh think you're?"

Stopping himself against the wall, with his left hand, and without looking back he said, "Um...um leabin." Um leabin...what the H?

"Bryce, are yuh OK there?"

Bryce tried to speak again, "Um vine." Damn it! Sticking a finger into his mouth, his tongue felt bigger than usual, Damn it, I must have bit my tongue. Pulling out his finger he saw blood leak down the digit, Ahh son of a bitch.

Granny Smith saw this, "Oh my, you're bleedin."

"Iz nuhvin. Um vine," Bryce pushed himself against the wall some more, but was stopped by the aged mare.

"Bryce, you ain't goin nowhere, not in the state you're in."

"Uh zid um..."

"No you're not, now get on inta your room, Ah'll be there in a minute."

"Uh don't vanna, just vet me go."

Granny Smith wasn't going to relent, "Bryce, why do yuh want ta leave so bad?"

"Becuz ze zid Uh zusn't zelcum deer."

"Who did?"

"Duh unge yun did."

"Yuh mean Applejack?"

Bryce nodded as he wiped the bloody spittle off his chin.

Granny Smith grunted, "Well yuh don't worry about what she said, you just get inta your room and Ah'll come take care of yuh in uh minute."

Bryce did as he was told, though he almost fell down multiple times. When he finally got into the bedroom he sat down on the small bed. He tried to cross his arms, but when he did he felt a sharp pain sink into his left triceps. Recoiling his right hand back he saw it littered with shards of glass. Bryce started pulling out the shards causing blood to stream out from the now open wounds.

By the time he was half finished Granny Smith came in with a first aid kit on her back, as well as a washcloth and bowl of water held between her teeth. When she saw what Bryce was doing she quickly dropped the bowl onto the table, "Now don't be doin that!"

Without taking his mind off his project, Bryce responded, "But Uh need ta det duh dass ow."

Granny Smith smacked his hand, "Well stop that, you're gonna get it infected. Ah don't know how yuh can even stand the pain of it all."

Well in truth, it does hurt. But I don't want her to know.

Grabbing Bryce's right hand she looked it over, "How did yuh even manage ta do this?"

Bryce pulled his hand away, "Uh punched duh bathvroom mirror."

"What would make yuh do a thing like that?"

Bryce didn't give an answer.

After a moment of silence Granny Smith spoke up, "Well what happened after that?"

"Vell Duh...duh unge yun came in un zid Uh had ta leaf. Zen Uh didn't ze...ze started jellin zat me un pushed me on ma black. Un zen Uh...Uh zlapped her...un ze bunched me, un choked me. Zen zu dame in."

"Why are yuh talkin like that?"

"Vell Uh must have bit mah dung."

Raising an eyebrow, the pale green said, "Bit your what...?"

"Zu know mah...," Bryce opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.

"Oh, well that sounds better than...what Ah thought yuh said. It's not bleedin, so that's good. Are yuh hurtin any place else?"

"Vell...no not vreally."

Granny Smith wasn't buying it, "Are yuh sure yuh aren't hurtin?"

"Yea...yeah."

"Yuh got ruffed up by my granddaughter...and yuh don't even hurt one bit?"

Bryce shook his head.

Extending a hoof, she said, "Then yuh wouldn't mind if Ah..."

Bryce shrank back.

"Ahh ha, Ah knew it."

"No, Uh just don't lick...don't lick ta be douched."

"Oh horse feathers, you're just makin excuses."

"Vhat? No Um nut. Uh vreally don't."

Reaching out her hoof again she said, "Then Ah guess yuh wouldn't like it if Ah..."

Bryce jumped back, so much so that he fell back off the bed.

"Oh no, are yuh alright?"

Bryce simply responded with a single pained, "Ow..."

Rushing to his side, Granny Smith stood over him, "Do yuh hurt now?"

"Ugh...no more zen Uh..."

"Now look, Ah don't know what happened...but if yuh ever do anything like that to my family again, yuh really won't be welcome here anymore. Now get back up on the bed so Ah can try and fix yuh up."

Bryce hesitated, not expecting this from the aged mare. Carefully pushing himself up he sat back down on the bed.

"Now then...are yuh ready ta tell me the truth? Are yuh hurtin anywhere?"

"Vell...Um zore ull over, un Um bruised ull over."

"Ah can help yuh with the soreness, the bruises have been there since yesterday."

"Vreally, how'd Uh get vem?"

Rummaging around in the first aid kit she replied, "Oh, well, Applejack dropped yuh down the stairs tryin ta get yuh inta the guest room."

Bryce's face was indifferent.

After finding what she was looking for, Granny Smith held out a single capsule, "Here, this should help with the soreness."

Taking the capsule, he asked, "Uhh, how drong iz it?"

"Trust me, your biggest worry will be being able ta feel again. Now take it and quickly wash yourself off. When it kicks in your gonna be tired."

"Vell, OK zen." He popped the capsule into his mouth and swallowed. Granny Smith brought over the bowl of water and washcloth, which Bryce took as well. As soon as he was done washing the blood and dust off, the capsule kicked in. Bringing his right hand to head he asked, "But...what about duh dass?"

"Dont worry, by the time yuh wake up it'll all be out. Now just lie down and get some sleep."

"Vell, if vu...if vu zay so dalkin dorse zang..." Bryce didn't say anything else as he got caught up in a fit of laughter. After a while the world went dark

Comments

[akarock]

Read Bryce's lines like I had a sore tongue to understand what he was saying.

[h4ns]

3857732
Vell zank zu fur yur condinuing padronage.

[akarock]

3859042 zurr velkomph.

[JBL]

Damn, Applejack just about tried to straight up murder him.

[damnaion]

dan dan dan

[Manual Control]

3859042
3859273
For a second, I thought you were speaking another language...

[h4ns]

5153739

Io non lo farei a te.

[ChasingThePurpleDragon]

Sooooo ... he can take down five stallions practically by himself with superior boxing moves or whatever, BUT he can't handle one Applejack ... how does that compute? Still, I'm liking it so far.

[josue]

5294841 because if he hurt Applejack that will just prove to her he's a monster

[PULL MY DEVIL TRIGGER]

He sounded like a mixture of a German accent and just straight up stupid words...

[BlackPowder]

Horse tranqs. Ain't nothing better.