Chapter 3: Applebucking
Chapter 3: Applebucking
Sketch was at home on his bed. He had been assigned some silly paper on the history of magic for some reason; he was a pegasus for Celestia’s sake, why should he have to learn about magic? He needed to figure out more on somepony named “Starswirl the Bearded”
Sketch’s door opened; creaking slightly as it did. In walked his little brother; Gears. Yet something was different about Gears, Sketch couldn’t quite put his hoof on it at that moment though.
“Why?” Gears asked flatly; his voice giving off a slight echo
“What?”
“Why?” Gears tone became more aggravated; the echo getting louder now.
“Gears what are you-“
“WHY! WHY DID YOU LEAVE!!?”
Gears was screaming; almost a roar, as his voice penetrated Sketch’s eardrums.
He realized now what was wrong with Gears. His little brother was a dull grey, his eyes, coat and mane; the entire body of the little colt was grey.
“Gears! I didn’t-“
Sketch was cut off by an evil groaning noise. Gears seemed to turn into a cloud of blackish smoke that shot towards him with frightening speed. It wrapped around him; choking, blinding and deafening. All Sketch could hear over the noise was his little brother screaming.
“WHY!”
The smoke began to feel like it was getting tighter, Sketch’s vision clouded and the smoke seemed to pour into his eyes, it became almost impossible to breath. The screaming of his brother was all Sketch could hear now, the voice bounced around in his brain like bullets off a rock.
He tried to scream, but the smoke poured into his throat and he could no longer breathe. Everything went black as a feeling of cold crept over Sketch’s body, and then. Nothing.
Sketch shot up in bed with a yell. He was covered in sweat and had managed to kick all his bed sheets off in his nightmare. He brought his hoof up to his forehead; wiping some of the perspiration off.
“Only…a nightmare…” He thought.
It was then he realized that Celestia’s sun was up, its rays yet again shining through his window. Sketch looked over at his wall clock; it read 10:30 am. He sighed.
“I really need to start waking up sooner.”
Sketch sluggishly got out of bed, he needed to be at Sweet Apple Acers in about an hour and a half, and he did NOT want to be late on his first day. He looked over at his bathroom, He didn’t want to shower; hell he didn’t want to do anything at that moment. However he didn’t want to show up smelly to work, so he made himself get clean.
Sketch sighed and rested his head against the shower wall; his forehead pressing against it softly; The Ice cold water of the shower running down his back as well as dripping from his sandy-black mane. He had to put this out of his mind, the nightmares, Gears. Otherwise it would end up affecting his soon-to-be job.
After sitting motionless in the shower for a few more minutes, He dried off and headed to his kitchen for yet another breakfast consisting of neigh but a soft bagel; only this time he had some cider with it. He sat down in his overstuffed chair as he ate his small breakfast.
“I wonder what Applejack has for me to do other than applebucking...” He thought as he chewed.
After a few minutes, there was a knock at his door.
“Lyra?”
Sketch trotted over to the door and pulled it open to see; not Lyra, but a grey pegasus pony with a blondish colored mane; her eyes seemed slightly off center.
“Here’s your mail!”
The pegasus hoofed him a single letter.
“Uhhh, Thanks.” He said flatly, silently disappointed that he had gotten mail, instead of Lyra.
Without another word the pegasus flew off; albeit a bit clumsily, a few letters managing to make their way out of her bags; she somehow managed to catch them as they floated downwards.
Sketch turned and trotted back inside, holding his letter in his teeth.
“I wonder who this is from.” He thought.
Sketch looked at a small clock he had on his kitchen table; much like the one in his bedroom, only with a stand. It was 11:30.
“Ponyfeathers!”
He dashed into his bedroom and slipped his saddlebags on; placing the letter inside them, he would have to read it later; right now, he had about thirty minutes to find Sweet Apple Acers. Sketch had forgotten to ask Applejack where the farm actually WAS, and now he was going to pay for it. Saddlebag on his back, He raced out his door and looked side to side; trying to figure out which way the apple farm was.
“Dammit.”
Just then Sketch noticed a brown stallion with an hourglass on his flank trotting down the street.
“Excuse me!”
The stallion seemed to startle a bit at his call.
“Excuse me sir, which way to sweet apple acres?” Sketch asked frantically.
“Umm. That way.” The stallion replied; with a slight accent, pointing a hoof to where he had come from.
“Thank you so much!” He started towards where this stallion had told him to go.
“Uh, sorry one moment.” Said the stallion.
“Huh?”
“You didn’t happen to see a grey pegasus fly through here would you have? I need to find her.”
“The mail pony?”
The stallion nodded at Sketch.
“That way. She gave me a letter and then flew off.”
“What! Let me see.”
Sketch sighed.
“Sir I really need to-“
“Oi! Just hand it here for a minute and you can be on your way, it’s important, fate of the universe could depend on this.”
Sketch sighed and pulled the letter out; handing it to the strange brown stallion. The stallion took the letter, smelled it and gave it a taste. His eyes seemed as if they were attempting to stare into the microscopic particles of the letter, they looked as if they were filled with such great knowledge, that not even Celestia could hope to know all this stallion did. After a second taste the Stallion frowned slightly as if the taste of the letter had displeased him in some way. He all of a sudden adopted a large smile.
“Fantastic, I shall take my leave then! Allonsi!”
Without saying another word, this strange stallion hoofed Sketch the letter and trotted off towards where the mail pegasus had flown.
“How many strange ponies live in this town?”
Without another thought on the matter Sketch flew off towards Sweet Apple Acres.
Eventually; after having to ask for directions again, Sketch found his way to the apple farm. He could smell the apples before he saw them however; the scents of the fruits floating on the wind as he flew closer and closer.
He landed just outside the farm, there was a white fence that appeared to wrap around the property, and an archway to match the fence. Sketch trotted through the archway and down the dirt path that lead to the large barn in the center of the farm.
The barn was gigantic, with two very large doors that split in the middle. Allowing one to only open the top or bottom of the door if need be. The base planks on the barn were painted red, with the planks overlaying painted white; giving it a very stereotypical look. To the left of the barn was a smallish fenced off area; where there were a few pigs rolling around in the mud.
“Howdy there!” Said a familiar voice.
Sketch turned around to see Applejack; in her trademark Stetson cowpony hat, trotting up to him.
“Hey Applejack.”
Sketch spoke in a more tired voice than he had meant; his voice weighed down by his awful sleep, Applejack seemed to notice this almost instantly.
“Y’all alright there?” Her voice was tainted with concern.
“Yeah I’m fine, rough night. I’d rather not talk about it.”
Applejack stared at him for a moment, giving him the same look she gave him yesterday, sizing him up; looking him over.
“Alrighty then, Follow me and I’ll show you where you’ll be workin.”
As Applejack lead him through the property, she pointed out the different landmarks, Like the water well and the house.
“Unfortunately, Big Mac has hurt his back…again. He just ain’t one to listen to me when it comes to work sometimes, so for a while, It’ll just be you and me. Oh! That there is the path to Applebloom’s clubhouse, she and her friends play there.” Applejack nodded her head in the direction of the path.
Sketch stopped for a moment, remembering the previous day’s events.
“Say, How is Applebloom?”
Applejack stopped dead in her tracks, almost causing Sketch to crash into her. She turned around and stared daggers into his eyes.
“What cha’ mean ‘How’s Applebloom?’ Y'all ain’t even met before.”
“Uhhh….She didn’t tell you did she.”
“Tell me what?” She said, Still giving Sketch the look of death.
“She and her friends, what was it they called themselves. Cutie Mark Crusaders? Yeah. Those three nearly ran me over before they crashed some go-carts into a tree yesterday in the park.”
Applejack’s look changed to one of annoyance and worry.
“Dammit, I’ve been tellin that filly not to be doing such reckless things. She and her friends could end up getting hurt.”
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“I’ll have to talk to her later. Right now, I’ll show you what you’ll be doin ‘round here.”
By now Applejack had lead Sketch to where he would be working. There was an entire grove of green apple trees; much like the ones he had eaten the day before, there was a small cart filled with empty buckets near one of the trees.
“So the job’s pretty simple, all you gotta do is grab some of these here buckets from the cart, place ‘em under the tree, and then kick the tree real hard until all the apples fall out into the buckets; Be sure to pick up the runaway apples afterwards. Then when the buckets are full we’ll load them back in the cart and haul ‘em to the barn.”
Applejack demonstrated what she had told him. She trotted over to the car; grabbing a few of the buckets, placing them under a tree. After adjusting the buckets slightly, Applejack stood herself in a way where she could get a good kick at the tree.
“THUNK”
With one leg Applejack kicked the tree, knocking every apple out it, the green apples making a dull “thump” as they landed in the buckets.
“See? Nothin to it!”
After seeing Applejack perform this feat, Sketch decided he could do it just as well, His overconfidence was almost tangible. Following Applejack’s instructions, he placed a few empty buckets under a tree; setting them just right, so that they would catch the apples. Sketch lifted one leg and with all his might, slammed his hoof into the tree trunk. “Thump” A few apples fell from the tree and into the buckets. He smiled as he looked down at his work, but his smile turned to a frown as he saw the buckets, they were all almost empty!
Sketch looked up to see he had done almost nothing in the way of taking apples off the tree; at most he had knocked down a dozen or so of the apples.
“I reckon you should try using both yer legs for the time being sugarcube.” Applejack attempted to stifle a laugh as she spoke.
“Yeah…I’ll do that.”
Sketch gave the tree a stern look; readying himself for a second assault on the fruit bearing tree. He leaned forward on his front hooves; raising his rear legs in the air. He slammed into the tree with all his might.
His efforts were rewarded with the sounds of many apples falling into the buckets, however, when Sketch looked up at the tree, there were still apples.
“How is that even possible?!”
Applejack laughed.
“Not just anypony can buck all the apples out in one go. Don’t you be worryin about it; you’ll get better at it. Now! We got a whole lot of apples to buck, and we’ve already used up about half an hour of sunlight, so we need to be getting to it I reckon.”
After a while, Sketch got the hang of applebucking. He established a rhythm of sorts for the task. Lean forward, raise his legs and then slam his back hooves into the apple tree. The method worked quite well and; after a while, Sketch found himself almost keeping pace with Applejack as far as applebucking was concerned. After what seemed like hours of the tedious task He and Applejack had managed to clear out about a quarter of the new apple orchard; the once empty apple buckets now filled to the brim.
After loading the buckets into the cart, Applejack had hooked Sketch up so that he could pull it, and Applejack began to lead Sketch back to the barn. He looked up at the Sky as he trotted behind his new boss; the apple cart in tow. The sun didn’t look as if it had moved at all. He wondered how long he had actually been working. It had seemed like hours but from looking at the sun, it didn’t appear to have been more than about an hour; if that.
“So, how’re you liking Ponyville?” Applejack asked; interrupting Sketch’s thoughts.
“It’s nicer than Cloudsdale that’s for sure. Less busy and more……homey, I guess is a good word for it.”
“Nicer than fancy schmancy Cloudsdale? Well I don’t know ‘bout that.” She Chuckled.
“It really is. If you didn’t know any better, you would think you had gone to Manehattan; some days, instead of Cloudsdale. It’s just so loud and busy there all the time. At least that’s how I always thought of it.”
“Oh, I see”
Applejack slowed down until Sketch caught up with her a bit more; so that she could see him as she spoke.
“Yah meet any nice ponies yet?”
Sketch looked over at her; he couldn’t quite put his hoof on the intentions of what she was asking. He mulled this over a bit before responding.
“Yeah actually; Though I haven’t seen her since we met.”
The look on the cowpony dawned a look of curiosity and; although it barely showed, disappointment, as if she had been shot down.
“Mind if I ask who?”
“Not at all, Her name is Lyra, Lyra Heartstrings!”
Again the expression on Applejack’s face changed; this time to one of worry.
“How is she?”
“What do you mean?” It was Sketch’s turn to look confused now.
“I reckon I shouldn’t be surprised she didn’t say anything.”
“About what?”
Applejack sighed; as if preparing to do something life threatening, before she responded.
“Lyra; Bless her heart, has been havin’ some serious gettin' along issues with her roommate; Bon Bon.”
“BonBon?”
“Her real name is Sweetie Drops, but everypony round here just calls her BonBon, cause she makes some damn fine Bonbons yah see. Anyway, one day those two are the closest friends. The next, BonBon won’t even spit in Lyra’s direction. I tried askin' Lyra ‘Bout it, but I can’t ever get much out of the mare. She ain’t really much one for talkin ‘bout personal matters, she likes to bottle it up.”
“I know the feeling.” Sketch replied with a huff.
“You know what happened between them?”
“Well…I uh....hmm... Oh ponyfeathers. Yeah I do know, but I ain’t the one you need to be askin’ ‘bout it. Ain’t mah place to be tellin everypony ‘bout Lyra’s personal life. Ask her, not me.”
“I understand. Although I haven’t seen her since after Pinkie’s party; I couldn’t ask her about it anyway.”
“Why?”
“Like I said, I haven’t seen her since after the party.”
“Ah, right. Well we’re here!”
Sketch’s turned his head and saw they had finally made their way to the large red barn. Applejack trotted a bit ahead of Sketch, u to the barn door; Opening it so Sketch could pull the cart in.
“In yah get.” She said as he trudged by.
The inside of the barn was less crowded than Sketch had expected; and less rank. Bits of hay were strewn across the packed dirt floor of the barn. He could hear the squealing of the pigs outside a door in the side of the barn; that led to the pigpen. There were a few stalls that Applejack appeared to use for storing hay and tools, but otherwise, the barn was empty.
“Where should I put the cart?” Sketch Asked
“Back it up into any of the empty stalls, Granny and I will sort em out later.”
Sketch nodded and; after some trouble, parked the cart into one of the stalls. Applejack helped unhitch him from the cart; allowing him to stretch a bit.
“So what now?” He said as he arched his back and stretched his wings.
The cowpony laughed.
“That’ll be all for today, last thing I need is you ending up like Big Mac. Wait right here, I’ll be right back.” Applejack turned and trotted off out of the barn; leaving Sketch to his thoughts.
Now alone in the barn Sketch looked around, scanning the barn once again, as if looking for abnormalities. The barn looked flawless; no matter how he looked at it, Sketch could not find any flaws or deformities, The barn literally looked brand new.
“I wonder if Applejack and Big Mac did this by themselves…”
Just then a small grayish ball skittered across the floor a few feet before halting. Sketch’s eyes flitted down to this fuzzy grey ball. It moved again, this time back to where it had come from; however this time it stayed still long enough for Sketch to get a look at it.
The grey ball turned out to be a grey fuzzy spider about the size of a bit, with lighter grey splotchy stripes on its abdomen. It’s many tiny eyes gleamed in the light that shone through the barn door.
Again the spider moved; This time facing away from Sketch. He looked harder at the spider and noticed that the splotches on its abdomen were not markings. The splotches were about a dozen, tiny baby spiders; all clinging to their mothers back as she skittered around.
The sight made Sketch think of his brother. How Gears had clung to him when meeting new ponies or simply socializing in general. The spider took care of her kin, something he had not done.
Sketch shook himself as he heard Applejack push on the barn door; The spider skittering rapidly away in fright.
“I’m back. I got your earnings for today and- Hey you all right sugarcube?”
“Huh? Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”
“Yah don’t look fine. Looks to me like your ‘bout to start crying a river.”
Sketch sighed in exasperation, over his brother, as well as the fact Applejack; yet again, was showing her need to make sure everypony was well cared and looked out for.
The cowpony trotted over to Sketch and sat down next to him.
“Ya’ll wanna talk about it?”
He sighed.
“You ever make a choice; Thinking it was the right one for you to make, but then after you make it, you realize how badly you have hurt somepony else by making that choice, and realizing how even though you were trying to look out for yourself, you hurt others?”
Applejack looked Sketch in the eye; mulling over what he had just asked.
“Well, I can’t quite say I ever have. Normally I would ask mah family and friends before making a choice like that. What they have to say should make a difference.”
Sketch frowned and looked down at the ground. Applejack’s words had not really helped at all; something she noticed almost instantly.
“BUT! Uhhh… I reckon, if I felt it really would be best to make those kinds of choices, and later realized that I had hurt somepony else by makin ‘em; even if said choices were what was best for me. I could always go back and try and fix it. When I was a filly I left mah home; I had gotten tired of living on the farm yah see. So I went to live with mah Aunt and Uncle. It was nice for a while, but eventually I realized how homesick I was and how much I could have hurt mah family, by just kinda leaving one day and not looking back. So I went back home, I fixed things up with mah family and here I am today!”
Sketch smirked and looked at the Cowpony.
“But what if you couldn’t fix things. What if they were beyond repair, and you had left someone you loved dearly in the verbal firefight you had escaped from?”
“Well…I guess… I’d go back and get ‘em.”
Sketch lifted an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“You betcha. I mean if I loved somepony enough that I felt bad for leaving them in a situation they couldn’t handle on their own; only realizing it after having left. I would try to go back and get ‘em to come with me.”
Both ponies were silent for a moment; mulling over the conversation that they were having.
“Anyways. Here’s your pay for today! I reckon 20 bits will be enough for two days.”
“Two days?” Sketch was surprised; he hadn’t even expected to get more than one payday a week.
“Darn tootin silly filly! Nopony can live off of 20 bits a week, and I’ve been makin a bit more money than usual lately from…..side business. So I’ll pay you two times a week for a while, then take it down to the normal once a week.”
Applejack turned her gaze away from Sketch at the mention of this. “Side Business”
Applejack hoofed Sketch a small pouch of bits.
“Thanks Applejack!
“Think nothing of it sugarcube. Now get on outta here ‘fore I put you back to work.” The cowpony smiled and motioned Sketch towards the door.
Sketch trotted past Applejack; the bag of bits still in his teeth. As he neared the door there was a faint “Pit pat” noise that seemed to be nearing him; Sketch just assumed it was Applejack behind him. He pushed the barn door open; expecting to be met with a nice breeze. Instead, Sketch was met with a very shrill.
“EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!!”
Sketch reared up and yelped; thinking he had stepped on somepony; His bits went flying into the air as the bag slipped from his teeth. He stumbled and fell back into the barn; crashing into Applejack; whom elicited a yelp as well. Sketch’s nose met the hard packed dirt that made up the floor of the barn, and he laid there for a moment; wondering why he seemed to be smacking into everything lately.
“What in the hay are you doin’ missy!” Applejack’s voice sounded more embarrassed than upset.
“Ohhh I’m sorry ‘sis. I couldn’t find you and then I saw-“ Applebloom stopped as Sketch sat up and turned to face her.
“ Wait one minute, you’re the pony I met in the park yesterday! You’re….” Again Applebloom stopped.
“What were y’all two doin alone in the barn…” The filly said; Her voice cold as ice.
Applejack turned a bright red; Sketch followed suit.
“Nothing like that I assure you Applebloom!” Sketch said in a rushed tone.
“Yeah, nothing like that Applebloom, Sketch here is gonna be working for us now! He’s our new Applebucker!”
Applebloom’s eyes shot over to Sketch, her gaze like stone; cold and unyielding.
“Oh really now?” The filly’s tone was as cold as her gaze. There was an awkward silence for a while as Sketch picked up his scattered bits and placed the pouch in his saddlebags; Applejack didn’t seem to know what to do as he refilled the small bag, and Applebloom maintained her icy stare.
“So umm. I guess I’ll be going then, uh, thanks for the bits Applejack! Same time tomorrow?”
“Yep! Same time tomorrow. See yah later Sketch.”
Sketch nodded and hastily; not enough where it would be noticeable however, trotted away from the two sisters. As he trotted away he heard them arguing.
“What in the hay was that all about?”
-
“Applejack you know what happened last time you hired…..” Applebloom’s voice because inaudible as he trotted farther away.
As he became more and more distant from the sisters, he found himself wondering.
“What happened last time?”
Sketch trotted through Ponyville; it was quiet, the streets seemed almost completely devoid of anypony else most of his walk home. He had decided to walk home and enjoy the nice trot, instead of flying.
Unlike most other Pegasi he had met. Sketch preferred to stay on the ground if at all possible. He had never much liked flying around all day; something his father had chastised him for whenever he could. It wasn’t that Sketch couldn’t fly well; in fact, he was considered to be an above average flyer by pegasus standards, he just didn’t like the air as much as the solid ground; a trait he shared with his brother.
His brother.
Applejack’s words from earlier that day rushed back into his mind like water through tissue paper. He couldn’t just go back could he? No, he had a job and a home now. But should that be an excuse for leaving his brother in such an awful situation? New life or otherwise, It was wrong that he had left his brother there like that. His mother was in no position to care for Gears; she was too wrapped up in this new fling of hers to care much.
Sketch had learned in the years with his mother, She despised it when anypony made her feel like a bad pony, or like she wasn’t doing her job properly. Sketch remembered one time just a few weeks before he had moved out. Even though his father was making good money, there still never seemed to be enough. Sketch’s mothers always said his father would keep some money and go blow it on fancy dinners and nice things for himself, and his father would say his mother would keep extra and blow it on her new “Friends” and things like that. Either way, there always seemed to be barely enough money to keep them afloat.
One day, Sketch’s mother had a bit less money than normal, and she had brought home less food than usual. They family ate like normal until about two days before the next shopping trip, and Sketch was still hungry after his small dinner.
*******
“Hey mom? Is there anything else I can eat if that’s cool?
“You just had dinner.” She said, to wrapped up in sending messages to her friends to care much.
“Yeah I know, I’m still kinda hungry though. Is there anything to snack on?”
“Sketch. You aren’t hungry. You just ate dinner.”
“Mom, just because I ate dinner, doesn’t mean I can’t still be hungry.”
His mother huffed and set down her fancy messaging device.
“So what Sketch. Am I starving you? Huh? Is that it? You didn’t feel like you got enough food so you're gonna bitch to me? Make me feel bad for eating? What should I not have eaten?”
He sighed.
“Mom. I didn’t say that. All I said was I-“
“No. What you said is that I didn’t make you enough food, and that I’m not feeding you enough; that I’m starving you. Oh, am I starving you Sketch? Your life just sucks huh? I’m such a terrible mother aren’t I.” His mother was almost shouting now.
“What!? Mom I didn’t say that where the hell are you even-“
“Oh what, you gonna be rude to me now? Huh? Talk to me like I am one of your little “Friends” huh? I’m not your Celestia damned peer Sketch, I’m your mother. You will not be rude to me.”
“Mom I wasn’t being rude all I asked was-“
“Do you know how hard it is to ask your father for MORE money? How he gets pissy at me and says all I do is blow it all away? When he keeps all this extra for himself and blows it away on parties and things?”
“Mom-“
“I do my best to take care of you and we barely scrape by, I have to sell my things to help us get the extra bits we need to live, we barely make it as is with the bills we have to pay and all. And you have the audacity to come and complain that I am not feeding you enough? That I am a bad mother?”
“MOM I NEVER-“
“Do NOT yell at me Sketch. You are so ungrateful, I do my best to keep us afloat and what do you give me in return? Nothing! Save a big slap to the face and a “screw you” by saying I don’t properly care for you.”
“MOM!”
“I said you will not YELL AT ME!” Sketch’s mother had stood up now and was almost in his face. He simply stood there as his mother yelled at him.
“You are so ungrateful Sketch, dear Luna I cannot believe you, You ungrateful little bastard. Get out of my sight!”
*******
Sketch shook his head, trying to bury the awful memory. His mother was very, very nasty and spiteful sometimes. She was smart as well; too smart. She had the ability to turn any situation into an attack on her and a way to make it look like anypony who said anything bad about her was a bad pony. She was a liar, and could make you feel like you were worth less than dirt if she felt you were saying anything bad about her; Especially if you called her a liar.
Sketch stopped trotting and looked around, he had managed to miss the turnoff to his home; whilst enveloped in his memories, and ended up in front of Twilight’s library. He looked up to see Celestia’s sun significantly closer to the horizon than it had been when he left Sweet Apple Acres, the walk had taken longer than he had thought.
Just then Sketch felt his stomach growl. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast. However he ignored it.
“Oh Celestia.” He said, staring into the sky.
“Why do ponies have to be so hateful and nasty all the time.” Sketch sighed and stared into the cloudy skies, the sun casting its rays in such a way, it made them look almost orange.
“Twilight I can’t!”
A muffled; yet loud, voice came from inside the library; A mare’s voice.
Curious as to whom had broken his solitude like state, Sketch trotted over to the library door and peeked in the window. Unlike his door window, this one was easier to see through; and devoid of carvings. He peeked in to see Twilight sitting across from a very distraught looking aquamarine unicorn wearing a ball cap; her mint and white mane pulled back in a ponytail that stuck through the back of the hat.
“Wait a minute. That looks like…”
“Lyra you need to tell somepony about this! It isn’t right!” Twilight’s voice came from behind the door.
“Twilight, I can’t, you know that, I don’t have anywhere else to go! The house isn’t even mine, so it isn’t like I can just get her kicked out! I would have to be the one to leave not her. You know that!” Lyra spoke now, she sounded very, very upset.
“This still isn’t something you can just ignore! This is very, very serious!”
Just then a small purple reptile seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Hey um, Twilight?” It said.
“I think there might be somepony at the door…”
Lyra gasped softly as Twilight turned her gaze to the door. Sketch yelped and fell backwards onto the ground. As he regained his composure, he heard the library door creak open.
“Hello?” Came Twilight’s voice.
Sketch looked up from dusting himself off to see the purple mare standing in front of him; her eyes looked pained and tired.
“Oh uh… hi Twilight…”
“How long have you been there?”
“I uh…I heard Lyra yell and I wondered if everypony was ok… and then when I looked through the window I saw you two arguing and I eavesdropped on the conversation…sorry.” Sketch confessed immediately. He wasn’t going to lie. He wasn’t his mother.
“Well I don’t know what you mean by Lyra, she… uhh… isn’t here.” Twilight was a terrible liar.
“Really? I could have sworn I heard her in there…”
“Nope! Just….uh…Spike! Yeah, Spike and I were just having a good natured conversation.” The purple mare gave her biggest smile as she pushed Spike in front of her.
“Spike, Huh?” He said.
The small reptile nodded. “Yeah, Twilight and I were just talking is all. Lyra is definitely not here.”
Sketch’s gaze flitted between the small reptile named Spike, and Twilight; his brain formulating what to do next.
“Alright!”
Twilight and Spike let out an almost audible sigh of relief.
“Although I do need to borrow a book!” Sketch nudged past Twilight and her talking lizard; Taking them by surprise. He found the library to be devoid of anypony else. He looked around the interior of the large tree, absolutely no sign of Lyra.
“Hmmmm”
He trotted over towards a bookcase behind where he had seen Lyra sitting, he hoped to find her hiding behind the couch; what could be so bad she would want to hide from him though? As he peered over the couch, Sketch found nopony there.
“Uhh Sir the library is closed! You can’t just barge in here and-”
“Oh this will only take a moment Twilight, no worries.”
Sketch scanned the room, searching for any sign of the mare he sought. Not a single trace of Lyra was anywhere to be found.
“You really need to go. I have studies to attend to and you were very rude to just trot in here and interrupt me.” Twilight’s voice had turned almost angry.
With a sigh, Sketch finally gave up his search.
“Alright Twilight. Sorry I bothered you.” He said; feeling very dejected.
As he turned to trot out of the library, something caught Sketch’s eye; A glint that seemed to shine off of seemingly nothing in the air, as if it were just floating there.
“What in the hay…” He trotted over to the glint.
“HEY DON’T-“
Twilight never got to finish her sentence. Sketch nudged the glint with one hoof and in return came a small gasp. Sketch poked at the glint again and it shimmered; revealing an orb. The orb then turned a light green before it flickered out, in its place, sat a very upset looking Lyra. What he noticed the most however, was the way Lyra wore her mane; it had been made to cover the entire left side of her face.
“Lyra?”
“Heh….Hey Sketch…”
“I DEMAND YOU LEAVE THIS-“
“There’s no point in it now Twilight.” Lyra cut the purple mare off mid yell.
“Lyra, why were you hiding? Will somepony tell me what is going on here?”
Lyra sighed. It’s nothing Sketch, I overreacted to there being somepony at the door is all, nothing is wrong, no big deal…”
“No big deal? It’s a very big deal I will have you know, and it needs to be resolved right–” Twilight was again cut off; this time by a glare from Lyra’s one visible eye.
“Lyra, really what is wrong? Is everything ok?” Sketch’s tone was soft and concerned.
Lyra sighed and looked at Sketch, her one visible eye; golden iris and all, staring up at him. Lyra brought her hoof up and pulled her mane away from the left side of her face, revealing a very large; very sore looking, black eye.
“Lyra! Dear Celestia who did this?”
Again Lyra sighed, however now the sigh brought with it tears.
“M-My roommate…”
“What!?”
“The other night…after I got back to my house from the little outing you and I had, My roommate was furious. She got so mad at me for being out so late, and well…we started fighting and it got a bit…out of hoof. Next thing I know I get bucked in the face and ended up with this…”
Sketch was seeing red all of a sudden; he wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe it was just the fact that someone had hurt Lyra or that someone had made her so upset. He had seen mares get bullied and pushed around before at school, and he had always stood up for them and said something about it; Even though he would usually end up with something broken. However he had never been as angry about matters of that sort as he was at that moment.
“Where is your house?” He asked very suddenly and darkly.
Lyra told him the location.
“Wait why do you want to know?” She asked.
Sketch didn’t answer. He stood up and stomped past Twilight; who had simply sat and watched the scene before her unfold, not quite sure what to do.
“Sketch! Where are you going?” Lyra called out as he stormed out of the Library.
“Sketch!”
He didn’t respond. He couldn’t hear Lyra at all. In fact all Sketch could hear was something like a gigantic blaze; as if he were hearing something very large burn, the sound matched with the fire he was seeing now, the blood red rage that filled his eyes.
He was going to go and give this “Roommate” a bit of a chat.
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Uh oh. Don't do something you'll regret Sketch.......
The little cameos I see from the doctor from time to time in different fics kinda gives me a bit of a headcannon idea that his jumping from universe to universe looking for someone or something.
2434624
That......
Is the most fantastic story idea.......
2434739
thanks
. It kinda bugs me that I have these great ideas from time to time but I can't do anything with them because I'm a noobish writer
2434915
Maybe after i finish up this story i will do one on that. (Unless you want to :) )
I feel i could portray the Doctor well enough. And dont feel like a noobish writer, everyone is a noob at some point! Remember this is really my first MLP Fanfic like....ever, and it started off iffy (1st chapter ) and i think i have improved greatly! (3rd chapter) Just practice and take pride in what you write!
2436909 sounds like a plan you can run with the doctor idea and I'll keep working on my writing talent. Someday I hope to write either a doctor who or professor paradox fic but atm I don't think I'm up to capturing their personalitys accurately yet