Divergant
Divergent
A startled cry roused Spike from his slumber. He sat up in a daze before his muscles and bones reminded him of his condition, sending him back to the bed with another pain enduing thump.
"What was that? Twilight! Are you okay?" He yelled, irritated at his limited mobility.
"Yea, yea I'm... fine!" He heard her yell from down stairs. A few pain staking moments passed before the lavander mare entered the room, looking painfully disgusted.
"What happened?" The bedridden drake asked, craning his neck to get a view of her. "I heard screaming."
Twilight blushed and rubbed her foreleg, apologizing for her overreaction. Apparently, Sin had attempted to make them breakfast, but the pancakes had more wrong with them than right. Burnt, far too much flower, too little salt and sugar, not to mention the kitchen was an absolute disaster. It was almost enough to make the mare neglect the goodness of the deed. Almost.
Spike, on the other hand, found the incident amusing for obvious reasons.
In her magic, Twilight carried a letter addressed to both of them, explaining that Sin had made breakfast and was currently out looking for a job, much to the librarian's chargin. He was under orders to "take it easy" from both the Canterlot physician and Uppity. He wasn't in as bad a shape as Spike, but he was still healing from his infected wolf bite.
"I'll be back in a bit with some gems and pancakes for you. I really don't think you want any of what was left for us." Twilight apologized, wondering back downstairs.
Once alone, the drake contemplated about the aspect of labor. His friend would find a job soon, and once he was better, so would he. What was he good at that could earn him money? His gem carvings were nice, but he hadn't touched that in a while, and with one of his arms broken and the other having sever muscle damage, it would be a while before he could get back into practices.
Well, he was good at organizing and writing. Maybe he could be an accountant or something? Filthy Rich was the wealthest stallion in Ponyville, maybe he could help him out? That or maybe the Mayor Mare?
Twilight walked back in, bringing the promised goods and Spike opened wide as she magic feed him gems. "There you go, would you like anything to drink? Or something to read?"
As he nibbled the first bit of a delicious ruby, the drake relaxed his mind. There'd be time later to think about jobs and bigger responsibilities. Right now, he was just happy enough to relax and allow his mind and body to heal.
Sin looked on in utter shock at the scene within the inn room. Applejack lay sprawled out on the bed on her stomach, dozens upon dozens of empty cider bottles around her, with one latched between her fetlock. She was a sleep at the moment, but the tears running down her face suggested it to be a recent event.
Her trademark stetson was missing from he head, cast aside onto the floor. Her typically well kept ponytail mane was wild, falling all over her face and shoulders, adding to the absolute train wreck she appeared to be in.
He looked around the rest of the room for any signs of struggle, but none could be found. Everything aside from the slightly messy blankets and alcohol was in order. No dented walls, no broken glasses, no pictures on the floor. Nothing.
"APPLEJACK!" Macitnosh roared, resorting in the aformentioned to awaken in a confused stupor. The mare must have been hung over, grabbing her head and asking him not to yell. "What in tarnation?!"
"Mac? What are ya, oww mah head. Wait, where's Soarin?! Did he come back yet?"
'Uhh... that was not the right thing to say.'
Sin took a few steps back but readied himself to pounce should the need arise, he motioned Annabelle to step away as well, but the earth pony seemed well enough where she was.
He'd never seen Mac angry before. Yea, he'd seen him upset, frustrated and irritated, but he knew the line between anger and full on, balls to the wall rage; and with the size and strength difference between the two being so great, the oaken stallion decided to set himself in a position out of the way of harm yet still close enough to act. Things had the potential to go very very badly here, and while he knew he could help, he was absolutely certain he did not have the strength to stop it.
"SOARIN!? Yer passed out drunk, teary eyed, lookin' like a mess o' burden and horror, and all you can think about is Soarin!" He barked, causing the mare to flinch and grab he head again.
Livid didn't come close to how enraged the apple stallion was. His coat was red already, but any onlookers would be in debate if it had grown a shade or two lighter. Green eyes hardening to diamond levels, Macintosh stomped over and eyed his sister all over, checking to make sure she'd not been injured in anyway. "What in Celestia's name is wrong witcha?"
The applemare stiffeled her urge to vomit and calmly tried to explain that she was waiting for Soarin to come back, apologizing to him at the end. "Ah'm sorry brother, but y'all have tah understand, Soarin needs me righ' now. He's not alrigh' in the head and needs somepony to look after him."
"And where is he now?" Mac demanded, wishing he'd brought his crossbow.
Any remnant of a hangover were gone at the words. Applejack immediately perked up and jumped to her hooves, he place on the bed placing her at just the right angle to look down at her brother.
"Nao you listen here, mistah. He didn't do nothin' to me that I didn't deserve, ya hear?"
His forehoves trembling to keep themselves rooted to the ground and not smacked across his sister's face, Macintosh fought tooth and hoof to keep his temper in check.
She deserved what he did? She deserved to be raped!?' His inner critic chimed in, not helping his control in the least. 'I don't know what's wrong wit her, but Applejack is in need of some serious intervention. Rick Reigns style!'
"Ah was outta line with him n' he put me in mah place like Ah should have been. So Ah'd appriciate it if ya'll didn't make threats against the stallion who's worked his way intah my heart."
"PUT YOU IN YER WHAT?!" He barked, completely thrown off by the nonsence he was hearing. Was he hearing this right? This wasn't his sister! Well, it was, but it wasn't the Applejack he grew up with. AJ had far more pride and self respect to talk about herself in such a fashion. "What is wrong with y'all, Applejack? When in the buck did ya ever let some two bit, show freak-"
Smack.
"Don't you EVAH talk about him like that!" The applemare declared, nursing her stinging hoof.
The room delved into utter silence as Macintosh stood in shock, unable to process what his sister had just done to him. He stood observing the floor to his left, a growing burn in his cheek growing in intensity from her trained and toned leg. She'd hit him, he tried to help her and she hit him.
As his rational mind slowly returned to him, he used the precious moments of rationality to try to figure out what was happening before the rage returned ten fold. There was something wrong with her, this mare wasn't Applejack. But what happened? Had Soain tortured her, no there were no marks for that. He wasn't a unicorn, so that was out. Black mail? No, no, no! AJ didn't lie, and her anger was as genuine as it got.
His serenity and rationality faded as the rage returned, evolving into restrained hatred.
Slowly, Macintosh swiveled his neck, revealing one of the most hateful faces he'd ever given. Enough to make Annabelle and Applejack take a step back. The latter suddenly realizing the giant mistake she'd made.
Quicker than either other pony could see, Mac returned the slap he'd received, sending his sister to the floor, rolling into the wall. There was no more rationalizing, there was no more explaining, there was only anger, hate, desperation and revenge.
As the farmer mare fell, Sin tense his muscles. One, one was all he got. She'd aggressed him and he showed it wouldn't be tolerated, he hoped Mac wouldn't pursue any more physical acts, but the stallion was walking to here with a purpose, his lips peeled back and eyes furrowed into an active sneer.
Deciding not to wait and see, Sin jumped onto Macintosh's back and used his legs to try to block Mac's own, constantly trying to talk his friend down from doing whatever he was thinking about doing. Annabelle stepped between both and Applejack, shielding the mare from her brother's wrath.
"Mac that's enough!" She cried, using her own strength to hold the pony back. Somehow between both her and Sin, the stallion was halted. She took the stallion's head in her hooves and looked him in the eye. "Mac listen to me! Stop, please stop!" She cried, trying to reach the stallion she loved from the thralls of emotion.
Sin didn't put much stalk in the "love conquers all" nonsense, but he was certainly ready to believe if it stopped one of his best friends from doing something he'd regret.
Slowly, but surely, Sin felt Mac's struggle against him subside and muscles relax. After a few minutes of Annabelle whispering sweet and soothing words as she maintained eye contact, the male farmer finally relaxed enough for Sin to release.
"Shhh, it's okay. Everypony's okay." Annabelle cooed, stroking his face and planting a gentle kiss on his muzzle.
With Mac subdued, Sin quietly wandered over to Applejack to see the damage. She was crying, sobbing to herself about how badly she'd messed up. Soft words about how sorry she was, how Soarin had was angry with her and now her brother hated her.
Shaking his head, the oaken pony didn't know how to reply. He always figured Applejack a proud mare, far above this, yet here she was; bawling like a baby. This was beyond devotion, this was something else entirely.
"Applejack." He heard Mac say through tears. "Ah love ya, Ah love ya n' Ah wanna know why yer doin' this tah yerself. But Ah can't stand seeing ya like this. Ah don't know what to do." There was a pause with nothing but the sounds of baited breath and sobbing. "Fine." He finished with absolution before walking out of the room, Annabelle in tow. She stopped at the door to give both Applejack and Sin a look of sorrow then she too disappeared.
Sin looked down at the mare again and felt he shouldn't leave. She needed someone right now, and as much as he wanted to see to his friend; he decided to be where he was needed more. Applejack had shown him kindness before, it was time to return that kindness.
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That first sentence...
What... what is that potion doing to her? Like, even if AJ felt like she did wrong, would she describe it as "in my place like I should have been"?
I know some people go into mega-self-flagellation mode, and start talking about how they don't deserve shit when they get punished, but it always breaks my heart... And I have a hard time believing that, without any potions, AJ would fall that far with something as pedestrian as... whatever probably highly minor thing she did to Soarin.
She may not be the smartest person, or sensible all the time (in this story, anyway, she's a bit more... unable to see her flaws as normal AJ would be), but I don't think she's so bad she can't see her failures for that and bounce back rather normally.
6340290 Love is a truly terrifying thing, when you sit down and think about it.
Well, the typical devotion and what not that goes into it. Stories about how someone was committed to another person out of a sense of love, the hanious and atrocious acts that they'd be willing to commit. The ungodly sacrifice and suffering many are willing to go through in its name.
It actually takes an almost obsession in order to work in the way alot of people think it does.
If you were to make a love potion (not infatuation, not great like, not even obsession, but love) how strong would you make the effects? What would constitute feelings of "love"? Extreme devotion? Over-zealous desires to please? Stockholm syndrome? A painful need to be around the one you were cursed by?
If this were the normal AJ, she wouldn't put up with it for one second. Oblivious as I've made her here, it would be far to OOC for me to toy with.
But in the interest of this little bit? It's pushing the feels on what is to be done to help those who don't want to help themselves? (Unknowingly in this instance, but in real life for those in abusive relationships who never want to leave.)
6340447
That makes me feel better, actually.
Yeah... what would they define as "love" with the potion. Either it would be subtle as heck and work more by changing tendencies, or something that, if forced upon and not capable of getting rid of, would be something that, unless it were... well "no side effect magic", would be something that would twist the victim's feelings.
... Actually, while AJ is great, Soarin still doesn't have a good idea of what her love is like, would he? He is in love with loves-him-unnaturally-AJ-who-hangs-on-his-every-word. While he can see it when she interacts with others, and may be aware she's not acting entirely herself, how would he know?
....... Unless he did it before, and can compare. Of course.
6340570
That is an interesting point. He can't be in love with the real Applejack because he's never really interacted with her outside of the fight and meeting up to slip her the potion.
Does he know what love is at all? Yes and no, all the same; I do look forward to how I make this play out.
My heart continuously breaks for Applejack, knowing that she is the victim and yet is blaming herself. Anger and hatred rages for that son of a bolt! Sin, do what you gotta do to help Applejack.