Aloe Pomme

by Jeweled Pen

The Invitation

Aloe just laid in his bed, blanket wrapped tightly around himself. The sun had gone down over an hour ago, but he could still hear his sister downstairs talking. Ponies had been coming by all day, likely to ask if it was true. He'd heard yelling a few times, but he didn't have the courage to go down and face them. The walk home had been devastating, every time a pony looked at him he had to hang his head in shame.

An open book laid on the bed behind him, but he couldn't bring himself to focus on it. He'd finally given up after reading the same paragraph four times and still having no idea what it said. All he could think about was the fact his secret was out and his life was ruined. He hadn't even been able to eat anything all day, even the thought of food making him nauseous.

Suddenly the window besides his bed shattered, drawing a startled cry from the stallion. A large rock, with a note wrapped around it, rolled across the floor and hit the wall by the door. He heard galloping a moment later and his door burst open. “ALOE!” Lotus screamed. It took her a few moments to realize her brother was still in bed and, contrary to her fears, hadn't tried to hurt himself. Her eyes then fell on the rock. She pulled the note and opened it, letting out a gasp.

“What's it say?” Aloe asked softly. He tried to get out of bed, but glass was now streaked across the ground, making it a terrifying prospect.

“It's... not nice. They're telling you to go home and... don't... don't worry. I'll call somepony to come help fix this up and... don't move. I don't want you cutting yourself.” The door closed behind her and she trotted out.

Aloe stared down at the shattered pieces of glass. He glanced to some of the longer, sharper pieces and shivered, backing against the wall and hugging his pillow to his chest. “I-I'm sorry...” he whispered before crying into the pillow.

------

Lotus woke the next morning, shivering. The room was dreadfully cold, the tape and plastic over the window having done little to keep the chilling night air out. The glass was now gone and, fortunately, a new window would be arriving later that afternoon. The local glass smith had offered to replace it, free of charge, with safety glass. Albeit, cheap glass, but it was nice to know someponies still saw them as friends.

She felt nearly as drained as her brother after the ordeal of the last day. A few dozen ponies had come, some merely to check if the paper was telling the truth. At this point she couldn't really deny it, so she'd settled their curiosity. Most had been accepting and even apologetic for even having to ask.

Some, on the other hoof, had been less nice. A few were threatening to sue, calling her brother a pervert and lecher. Some demanded that he quit, or at least be forced to only work with male guests. Some were just blindly angry, looking for anything they could yell and scream about, without any actual sign of what they wanted, or how things could be made right again in their eyes. All those ponies had been calmly, and politely, told to vacate the premises and not return lest she contact the authorities for trespassing. Fortunately, the negatively reacting ponies seemed to be the minority. Unfortunately, there were still plenty of ponies yet to have said anything, and she had no way of knowing which side of the spectrum they'd fall on.

Her brother was still sleeping, curled into a little ball around his pillow. She sighed and decided against waking him, instead going about the morning procedures herself. Thankfully, there was no 'Discord Times' to greet her when she arrived in the kitchen. She wasn't feeling awake enough to cook a proper meal, so she just started up a batch of oatmeal and sat down, sighing as she tried to figure out what to do.

Her brother was in pain, but she knew he would heal if given the chance. Fortunately, Ponyville WAS a (normally) quite accepting place. She doubted there would be too much damage once the initial shock was over. However, until then, even Ponyville had its share of troublemakers. The rock through their window proved that. And, as with anywhere, the worst sides tended to be the loudest. More broken windows, among other things, would likely occur before all this was over and she had no idea how deep her brother's depression would get before it was all over. How much damage the worst parts of the town would do. Not to mention if they pushed him too far.

She lowered her head and sighed. There was only one thing she could think of. Closing the spa and going away. Just for a while, until everything blew over. She just had to think of someplace he'd be willing to go, that would be secluded enough for him to get his strength back. Someplace where they wouldn't constantly be gawked at or face the scorn of ponies who didn't quite... understand what he was.

The first choice was nearby, a marvelous and generous striped zebra known as Zecora. Unfortunately, she lived in the Everfree Forest, a place of strange magic and terrifying monsters. While she doubted the kind zebra would scorn her brother, she doubted they could endure more than a day or two living in such a fearful place. But then again, what pony could? She'd never understand how that zebra could bear to live there. Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine.

The next place in mind was Fluttershy's cabin, namely since it was partially her fault this entire thing happened. Being surrounded by animals could make him feel much better as well, animals tended not to judge. Unfortunately, it was the place he'd most likely run into Discord, so that was a buck no.

A nice vacation to the Crystal Empire or Canterlot sounded like a good idea at first glance, but in both Aloe would likely stick out too much, and the latter could bring him far more scorn than this small village.

She was shaken from her thoughts by a faint knocking. It kept going and, after a few moments, she realized it was coming from downstairs. Lotus then noticed the acrid smell of smoke, her oatmeal sending up thin strands. She raced to the stove, turning it off and looking down at her burnt breakfast with an annoyed sigh. The knocks drew her attention again, making her abandon it and trot downstairs.

She opened the door and let out a groan. Applejack was standing there, nervously scuffing the ground. “Err, 'ello. Careful!”

“Hello Applejack. Careful of wh--” Lotus went completely still when something dripped onto her head. She ran a hoof through her mane, it came back sticky. She quickly trotted outside and turned to the front of the building, her mouth falling over.

Eggs had been splattered against the wall, coating the front of the building with their goo. It was still quite early in the morning, so very few ponies were around to see what she did next.

Tears started going down her face and she let out a sob, her entire body shaking.

“Errr, Lotus? Yah all okay? It's jus' a few eggs. Err, ah can get the girls an' ah'm sure we can clean it up in a few minutes. Won't take long at all.”

“It's... it's not that. It's everything. I don't... I don't know what we're going to do,” Lotus said before sitting down and staring at the mess. “We... we're a team. A-Aloe and I. We do this together. I don't... I don't know what I'm g-going to do if he can't come back from this. I-I can't run all this by myself. What if he doesn't get better? What if he can't?”

Applejack frowned and slowly put a hoof over the mare's shoulders, gently patting. “Now you listen here. Yah all are family, your brother's goin' through a bitta a rough patch, but ah know it'll get better. Especially with yah there helpin' him. An' ah know he ain't gonna leave yah behind with nothin' yah can't handle. Family jus' don't do that tah each other.”

Lotus slowly nodded, wiping her eyes. “I... y-you're right, dear Applejack. We are stronger than this. We... we will be fine. I just need us to find a place we can stay until all this dies down.” She shook her head, taking deep breaths to regather herself. Then something occurred to her. “Wait a moment. Applejack, why ever are you here? Is there some problem?”

“Err, well actually, ah came tah make yah an offer. Ah know all this hasta be pretty hard, especially bein' in the middle ah town an' all that. Thought yah might wanna get away for a bit, so ah came tah ask if yah an' your brother wanted tah come down to the farm 'til all this blows over. Seein' as it is partially mah fault, ah'd be fine lettin' the two ah yah hole up in some ah the spare rooms we have for when the whole family gets tagether.”

Lotus stopped for a few moments, then smiled. “That sounds simply luxurious. Why, if I didn't know better, I'd accuse you of having read my mind.” She paused for a few moments. “But, what of my brother's crush? Won't be being so close cause you discomfort?”

She shrugged. “Ah'll be fine. Ah think ah can deal with a bitta discomfort, considerin' what yah all will haveta deal with if yah stay.” She motioned towards the eggs. “Besides, after livin' a week or so on a farm, he jus' might give up on that lil crush ah his. An' if not... well, ah told 'im I'd give him a shot. Way ah see it, can't be any harder than wrastlin' oiled pigs,” Applejack said with a chuckle, then gulped. “Err, not tah say he's--”

“No, I know what you meant,” Lotus said with a chuckle. “Be careful though. Unlike those pigs, my brother won't be trying to get away. I doubt he'd mind the oil, either.” She shut the door, leaving the blushing Applejack on the porch as she trotted upstairs. She nudged her brother awake, drawing a whimpering sob from him. “Dear Aloe, it's time to get up.”

“I don't want to. I want to just lay here and die,” he grumbled, pulling the covers tight around him.

“I have a surprise for you. We'll be closing the spa for a few days and going on a trip.”

“Go without me. There's nowhere I can go now. Discord has told everypony!”

“Oh dear. Well, Miss Applejack will be so disappointed, after she came all the way down here and extended a personal invitation to her farm. But I suppose I could tell her you don't--” She was cut off as her brother sat up.

“Lady Applejack invited us to her farm?”

“Yes, until all this blows over. Does that not sound exciting?” To her disappointment, her brother was up, but he still lacked a smile. Still, it was better than nothing.

“I... I suppose I could...” He shivered. “I-I don't know if I can go. W-we'd have to w-walk by all those ponies.”

“If you hurry, then there will be few ponies on the street.” She took a deep breath. She hated to do this, but she had no real choice. “After working the fields so, Applejack will likely be tired. It could be a good chance for you to demonstrate your massage talents and win her, ahhh, further to your side.”

The stallion's ears went straight up as red tinted his cheeks. “I-I'll pack,” he said with a soft squeak before jumping to his hooves and gathering things. Lotus smiled as her brother worked, happy to see some life having returned to him.

------

The door to Fluttershy's cottage opened wide, startling some of the animals that called it their home. Discord stood in the doorway, a jacket over his arm and a bowler hat on his head. “Oh Fluttershy, I'm home!” he called out in a happy voice. Unsurprisingly, Fluttershy was sitting on her couch, gently feeding a baby bunny by hoof. “How's my favorite, urk!” He took a step back at the nasty glare she gave him.

“We need to talk,” she said firmly before handing the bunny to her rabbit, Angel. She flew out the door, grabbing his arm as she went and shutting the door behind her. Discord followed after her, an amused expression on his face.

“Oh, whatever for?” he asked, voice filled with the innocence of somepony who knew their guilt, but also knew they wouldn't be punished.

Once they were by the mailbox outside the cottage, Fluttershy stopped and turned to him. “Discord, I am very disappointed in you?”

“Why? The dye washed out, completely harmless.”

“What? No! Because of what you did to Aloe. That was a very, very mean thing you did.”

That made even him confused, as he tapped his chin. “What? But you told the others that--”

“I know what I told the others!” she said before looking up at him with sad eyes. “No pony deserves to have to stand alone when others accuse him.” She placed a hoof on his elbow. “And I know being a good pony is difficult, and sometimes you make mistakes, and I really do believe you were trying to help him. But the way you did it, can you honestly tell me you weren't indulging your old, meany side a little?”

“Why Fluttershy, I nev--”

“Remember, honesty is important for a friendship.”

Discord sighed and looked down at her. If it was any mare but Fluttershy, he'd have turned her into a balloon or something. But alas, friendship required sacrifice. “Fiiiine. I'll admit I may have gone a little too far. Maybe let my meany side out, just a tiny bit.”

Fluttershy smiled and flew up, patting the spirit with her hoof. “There. Now, I want you to promise me you'll never do anything like that again and you'll go and apologize to him.”

“What? But--”

“You hurt him, deeply. You owe him an apology.” She then crossed her front hooves and looked him in the eye. “A real, proper apology. With meaning. No papers.”

The spirit let out an exasperated sigh, before nodding. “Very well. If you were anypony else but you, Fluttershy.”

She smiled and gave him a hug. “But I am. That's why we're such good friends.”

He grumbled and watched her fly off. Once she shut the cottage door behind her, he snapped his fingers. The world fell back behind him, as if it was a cheap backdrop on a stage, to reveal the spa pony's room. He looked around and cocked an eye. The broken window was new. “Hello?” he called out. He received no response, so he decided to go exploring.

The place was barren and empty, not a pony in sight. He found a crumbled up note on the vanity mirror. He opened it and read, soon chuckling. “Now now, that's so rude and distasteful. If you want to drive a pony away...” A large grin formed on his lips before he tossed the note to the ground. “I'll show you ponies how it's done. And to think, I thought apologies had to be boring.” He disappeared with a pop, though his twisted laughter continued to echo through the building.

Comments

[stitchfan93]

Seriously? How can Fluttershy deal with Discord like this? I know she's supposed to be his friend, but still Discord messed up big time! Seriously!

Good work again btw! So happy to see your updates like this!

[Piano pony]

Wow, those ponies are mean! All I have to say about it is "Mean ponies rude" (Yes, that's a reference)

[punzil504]

Ah, Discord... always trying to have your cake and eat Trollestia's too.

If there's a lesson for him to learn out of this, it's going to be that no matter how hard he tries, some things just aren't fun... and can't be made to be fun either. That's why it's called "working it out."

[Tinyweasels]

If everyone in Equestria got that newspaper, I'm surprised Celestia hasn't had anything to say about his humiliating an already deeply traumatized pony in front of the entire nation.

[DualKitsune]

......dammit Discord! do you have something against learning?!

[Dramapony]

Well, Kudos to Fluttershy for finally accepting accountability and cracking the whip, but GOD DAMMIT, DISCORD!!!