Our Lives Among The Equine

by Fabian Corcair

From Pony To Dog To Rat (reviewed and revised)

*Arf* *Arf* *Lick* *Lick*: Applejack, It's time to wake up!

“A'right, a’right. Stop your tail-wagging. Sheez, need to stop spoiling ya with snuggles.”

I jump down from the bed and rush to the door. Applejack quickly follows.

...

The door, master?

She opens the door.

Yay! Run to next door.

...

Outside, master?

She opens the door.

Yay! I follow my master. Master is good.

*Pant* *Pant*: We're going to the fat spotted beasts place. I'm ready for anything!

“Hold your horses, Winona, I hafta milk the cows."

*Arf* *Arf* *Arf*: Can I play! Can I play!

“Go an’ play around. I’m doing work.”

My master goes ahead to do her thing.

I wander around the glass, sniffing the place.

Hm, what could that be?

Fat birds. The fat birds have escaped their pin. *Arf* *Arf* I called out to Applejack.

“Hold on, Winona, I’m not finished yet.”

"Mooo! Gently, Applejack. A little too hard."

"Sorry, Miss Bell. Ah'll add a bit to your allowance to make things right."

I stare at the clucking fat buds. Something was off. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why.

*Sniff* *Sniff* I follow the trail of the nasty scent until I stumbled around the source. A smelly dead chicken is laying on the ground. Filthy feathers were everywhere.

*Sniff* *Sniff* Rat.

Rats?

“There you are wino---What in tarnation happened here? L-Looks like something chewed through the gates wires at night, not sure what though. Better fix the gate lest something brakes in again. I gotta watch out for whatever vermin that did this. Winona, you'll take the night shift.”

Intruders bad. Better investigate.

First night of watch

Ooh, I find my lost squeaky toy. No intruders here.

Second night of watch

I hear something edging closer. I bark and chased but found nothing. Applejack goes outside to find nothing.

Third night of watch

Nothing but howls of fellow wooden acquaintance dogs. I howl back like always. They seem nice.

Fourth night of watch

I hear the chewing and hard grinding of the. My curiosity piques. I chase the sound.

I found it, and here it is.

A huge rat half my size. Mouth reeked of acidic breath.

It stops chewing the pin and stares at me, eyes glowing ruby red. It had buck teeth slathered in drool. I hear it growling like big cat.

*Arf* I try scaring it away

HHRHHRHHRHHR!

*Whimpers* I'm scared.

It leaps at me.

I moved my paws so fast but fall to the ground. I'm trembling from the painful, choking sound as it sped at me, growing to my size, bearing buck teeth that can tear me limb to limb.

HRRHRRHRRHRR!!

I got up and sprinted away as fast I can, whimpering and barking along the way.

~

The aggressive rat stopped and turned around. It scurried over to the metal gate to gnaw at it. It needed to eat, and the chickens were the only meal it could find that would satisfy its hunger. It chewed on the wires, cutting them one by one.

“Been waiting for this moment,” said Applejack.

*Thwak*

A sharp hoe pierced into his back. An unholy hissing scream echoed in the moonlit night.

“Ain’t nopony mess with my chicken coup or my Winona,” Applejack quipped.

The rat’s excruciating sounds of pain slowly died down as it stopped moving. The world went blank for it.

The day after

*Arf* *Arf* Bunnies!

I ran around, herd the bunnies, and chase the outliers back into the group. It was a fun game my master taught me. She's not with me right now, she’s playing with another pony.

“I like to say thanks for bringing Winona over. He’s quite helpful rounding up the bunnies ," said my favorite bird pony.

“Oh shucks, you’re just saying that to flatter me, Fluttershy,” said master.

“No, If I want to say that, I would say that to Winona."

“You know she’s just a dog, right? It’s not like she can understand you or anything.”

“Just a dog!”

Being angry is fun for these ponies. I’ll go watch these two do fun.

“---and in conclusion, they're intelligent but still need our love and support, Applejack!”

“Not all animals. I met a rat last night. A giant rat killed one of my chickens the other day.”

“Oh, sounds horrible. What did you do next?”

“What I did? The next logical thing of course.”

She covers her face with hooves. That means she is shocked. “You didn’t!”

Master lifted side of lips, that's happiness. “Oh yes, I did, I gladly took a swung at it and it landed nicely. Discarded it in the garbage can later.”

“Oh, Applejack, I feel bad for that rat. I only wish you could have made peace with it, or capture it safely.”

“Are ya kidding? Ahm planning on baiting it’s kind---whatever it is---and start killing more just in case. Better safe than sorry."

“Applejack!” She said with an intimidating face. “Those rats are an endangered species! If you keep killing them, they might end up extinct, and that can have catastrophic effects on the Ecosystem!”

“Psh, what effects? I don’t see why this rat is so important if to the Ecosystem. I’m just protecting my livestock and livelihood, is that too hard to ask?”

“It’s not too hard to ask, just don’t kill the rats.”

“Why do I have to empathize with a varmint, it would be easier if I just kill them all?”

This anger is fun no more. I bark cheerfully to cheer them up.

“Go away, can you see I’m busy!” They both said in synchronization.

I whimper and make myself scarce.

Author's Note:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CHjQVwvSeE