Just dropping in all neighbor like
Her day had started like any other, waking up before the crack of dawn to have breakfast before another honest days work. She never expected much new, but always depended on being just that, alongside her closest of family. Things had become hectic of late, however, having begun to feel the pull of the life of an heroine and official of royal court. But at the end of each day, she wouldn't have it any other way than to spend the waning hours alongside her friends that had slowly become something of a family, too.
Run girl! She struggles over throat tearing breaths in the chill of night. Don't you dare give up!
So how could things have gone so wrong, when they've always just ended up so right? Twilight had needed some help, from the whole bunch of them, to try and advance some research she had been doing. Always the busy beaver, the high achiever, and in the end, just as fallible to mistakes as anypony. Having tried to stabilize long range transportation for the common pony, dozens of reflective surfaces had been installed at Rainbow Friendship Castle in order to maintain what would of taken even a Princess a pause in her breath.
I just gott"ahhh!!" Clipping her foreleg on overly large fallen timber, she slams her muzzle into the wet foliage as she flips over under, landing hard on her backside. Quick to scamper back to her hooves, roars from whence she came send her off again.
But if was her own fault, at least that what she keeps trying to tell herself. She hadn't paid attention, and in a moment of absentminded play, the ball in her tail had touched one of the pedestals hold the mirrors. All she had to do was nothing at all, and she would of been fine, still back home. But she needn't be anything but the honest pony she always tried to be, to push the one about to take that ricochet of energy, and own up to she herself had done.
"Get off!" She shifts her body to kick to the side, landing against something that scrapes down her side to her painful groan. Landing with a bit of a skid, she bucks up as hard as she can when clearing under a low branch to an even louder growl of pain than her own.
Catching but a glimmer of hope in the distance, she pushes herself even harder right through the thorny barricade, gaining a bit of ground for the pain she would only feel later. Coming finally into the clearing, she finds just enough moon light to finally almost lose hope. Stomping her hooves into the rocky soil while looking up, tears beginning to form from the stinging.
"Buck!" She can only look upon what she should, yet cannot help but admit, doesn't know.
Kicking up a bit of soil while dredging back and forth for far too long, the narrow miss of something slamming behind shoots her into full gallop once more, full hair of tail or not. But like the moon above, she finds the weight of her journey taking its toll as her movements begin to become a bit more sluggish, narrowing coming out of a trip only to finally fall onto something hallow.
Slamming her foreleg down to bring her back up, she does so several more times with all her hooves. Scooting her front hooves all about to try and find something in particular, she chomps down and starts shaking and yanking with all her might. Beginning to panic, she finally turns and let loose with enough force of hind legs to knock something off, cutting her muzzle with eventual lift.
Finding what's below the clip of moonlight the utter pitch of darkness, she swallows hard to few options left. Wiggling her flank in preparation, the ear rattling impact from behind her head into the cellar pales to the bone crunching landing that soon follows. Instinctively crying out to intense pain, and finding herself unable to get back up without even more, she tries to use three of four to scurry away from what lands just behind her.
Kicking her hind legs out as something slams into her side, even more quickly pin her down with the hot stench of breath coming just within her own. Stilling herself, finding but a moment to mutter, she refuses to go down without a fight with her teeth sinking into whatever thought only to do the same onto her. Taking harsh retaliation for the panic she instills, she only lets go when her last act of defiance loses grip with howls and roars erupt amid her would be killers.
With attention off her, she somehow finds the strength to crawl towards the sliver of light from farther down. Her mind screaming of pain and rationalization, she ignored the former to put all she has in the latter in the hopes of safety. Hearing another ghastly scream from behind her to it's sudden crunching end, she finally crawls into better light.
"Come into my home chasing dinner?" The man takes another swing with his mallet, crushing the closest against the side of the tight hall before his underground abode. Jumping back from a swing of another jumping in front of the wounded, he slowly but surely etches back towards the light of safety once more. "Better get on out of here before I get the lights!"
Having a bit of a stare down, with the farthest back picking up the most wounded while shielded by the bravest, all begin to allow a bit more space between them before it comes down to only two. With the man's hand behind him to open the door a bit more, the creak of rusted metal pales to the screech against the inside metal wall by what roars once more before climbing back out. With tensions slowly eroding away, the man looks now upon the floor where the light smear of some blood raises his eyebrow.
"Here's hoping whatever you are, you aren't too sickly." Taking one last look out, he slams the door shit with several locks slide into place with mallet still held firmly in his hand. Reaching over to turn the lever of the closest lamp, the heavy clutter and fresh trail become illuminated enough for him to make his way in and about. "Of course, dinner would hide under the bed."
Walking over closer, but cautiously, he holds his arm straight out before letting his grip lessen, the metal to concrete causing the bed to shake. Leaning forward, he takes hold of the torn padding and begins to slide, seeing first the short muzzle sticking up in the far corner under the metal springs and rail. Sliding a bit more, the matted blonde hair and large ear causes him to hesitate.
"What the hell are you?" Sliding a bit more away, to the front hooves without a split. Eventually coming almost all the way off the metal springs, he catches glimpse of the branding upon the thigh. "Seriously, what the fuck are you."
"Not dinner!" With an reply given that sends the man staggering back and over crumbling clutter, the creature under the frames moves about with groans and moans of pain and discomfort. "I don't wanna fight ya, but if you try and nibble I'll have to!"
The man climbs to his feet before grabbing something else nearby, not realizing oh just how useless an act. Pointing the screwdriver towards it, he tries and stand firmer than he really is. "I want you out of my home, now!"
"I... can't..." She finds excruciating pain through even trying to roll to make eye contact. "My leg's busted good."
Holding his screwdriver with an ever wavering quiver, he swallows hard. "What are you."
"Scared I went and made another dang mistake."
"I think we all are, then." Not realizing his eyes focus in more on her many wounds.
"Please don't send me back out there." Her plea causing his heart to nearly beat out of his chest as instincts begin to fight without easy victory. "I don't taste good, neither." Adding but a bit of humor to only complicate further. "Honest."
"You're hurt."
"Not enough!" In pride and a bit of warning, she slides a bit more out from under the bed frame with short etches forward, almost to the point of looking like in constant wobble. "Ain't none out there tough enough to put me down for the count!"
"Real bad." Watching the strange creature slowly come onto three of four, the last held in the air with a forward droop and obvious strain upon it's familiar expression. Placing the screwdriver back down on junk, he never takes his eyes off it. "Open your mouth."
Hesitating for a few seconds, she opens up wide before quickly closing again.
"Gonna meet me halfway, least?" She looks upon him with expecting eyes.
In similar fashion, he opens his mouth wide, making sure to dip his chin before closing.
"My friend said you're the kind that gets to go and choose." Giving herself a jolt with her rump touching against the cold metal frame, having not realized just how on edge the answer held her hostage. "So go and choose!"
"Not going to eat you." His reply dry and flat, seems to only deflate the creatures resolve as the wobbles begin once more before shifting into less than subtle tremors. Watching her stagger down towards the lifted limb, he finds himself much closer than intended with his hand now held to help keep sturdy. "How long were you running?"
"All night." She begins to shiver, for no apparent reason. "They chased me all dang night."
"I need to know, what you are." He pushes aside any assumptions, and the voice in the back of his head.
"I'm Applejack." She hobbles when trying to do something often second nature to her, going forward onto the shoulder of who adjusts to compensate. Wrestling herself back off his support, she sets down upon her haunches. "An Earth Pony."
Finding themselves of comparable height with her on her haunches and him resting back on one shin and ankle, he stares down upon the uninjured foreleg extended towards him with the eventual wiggle, to which he takes hold. "Earth pony?"
"Born and raised!" She shakes her gripped hoof a few good times before putting it back down to her strained relief. "I thought we had an understanding about meeting halfway?" Scrunching her muzzle a bit. "Well?"
"Well I don't think you're a pony." Noticing the intense change in expression. "At least not one that I'd be familiar with?" To it's slight relaxation. "But that's good, actually. Because if you were, I'd think you'd of died long before you even got to me."
"Any pony is a good pony, you hear?" Lifting her foreleg to lightly bat his hand to say otherwise. "Just gonna ignore manners?"
"Huh?" Becoming slightly confused, even more so, to the put off look given his way. "Uh, It's Donald. I think it's just a fracture, thankfully." Looking up to her looking down. "It's very good that you're whatever you are, because they normally shatter."
"I said I was a Earth Pony." Lowering her voice into a mumble.
"What?"
"I said, at least one of us saw fit to go and say." Snorting to the puzzled look. "What are you, dangit!"
"Stubborn, like you." Such coarse response earning him not too kindly the same. "We'll need to put your leg in a splint, and whether you like it or not, you're going to need stitches along your rib cage and maybe elsewhere. It's going to suck, trust me."
"W-why?"
"Cause even if I had the drugs, which I haven't for almost a decade, I couldn't use anything on you." Taking in one long breath before just as long to let it out. "I've done it plenty of times on myself. But I'll need to shave you a bit, too."
"Shave? Like sheep?!" Already beginning to shake her head. "But this is all I got!" Growing an undignified look like one of her best friends. "Now listen here, Donald... Stop laughing!" Shifting back into plea. "Can't you just get around it if your careful?"
"Going half assed is a good way to end up dead." Standing up in order to walk across the underground metal hovel, tripping or pushing with clatter piles of junk in his way. "You come running through the night, bringing them right to my doorstep. You're borderline for a lot of bad stuff happening to you if we let this go, and you're afraid of showing a little bare skin? Come on."
"Yeah, well, I've been losing a lot lately and maybe I just don't wanna lose more?" Grumbling in her eroding position of self authority, she tries to shift blame. "What the hay were those things? Things were as vicious as a riled Timberwolf."
"You have timber wolves still?" He almost needs to yell from behind a wall of, more crap.
"You got them too?!" Yelling right on back. "Why are you all out here alone around all these nasty critters, then?" Taking in all of the junk, and settled dust that continues to be sent in the lamp lit air. "Just how long you been living in this cellar?"
"Oh, since I was a kid." Pausing to something replied. "I didn't say goat, I said a kid! Like still growing up?"
"But where's the rest of you, then?" Tilting her head towards all of the strange stuff in Donald's arms, of several in reflective shiny bags, one large can catches her attention. "What's that?"
"Honey, for you and, for you." Coming back over, he sets them all on the closest bench before putting the mattress back on the mostly flattened metal springs. "One of the few things that hasn't gone bad before I used it all. Good for some energy, and infections."
Watching as he cleans off another bench before opening one of the packages and spreading thin cloth over top, she picks up once more the subtle demeanor change of another question left unanswered. "You been here a long time?"
"A long time."
"Alone?"
"Yeah."
"Don't like being around your kin none?"
"They chase me through the woods, too." Turning and ignoring the widened eyes, "I need to do this where you won't get dirty."
Bending down to pick her up, much to the spread of whites over iris, he carefully lifts under her neck and under her rump with each forearm near the wrist. Glad she isn't so long as a normal pony, he lets her apply pressure off the bench before lowering her more.
"Lucky all that muscle is somewhat compacted, eh?" Earning only a snort in response.
Ushered with a guiding and additionally helping hand, she lays down longways across the table with extra care given to her injured foreleg under improvised padding. Feeling the wetness of something carefully covering her sides, much to the raising of hairs along the back of her neck and all the way to her tail, she tries desperately to find things to keep her focus elsewhere.
"What's that there?" Gently nodding her muzzle towards his hip, to which he seems to linger in answer.
"One in the chamber."
"Starting to figure getting a straight answer out of you's gonna be harder than wrangling a hog outta the mud."
"That thing better not hurt her, or I'll show him something straight alright!" Rainbow Dash stomps both her front hooves, staring alongside her friends and an ever growing assortment of guards and elderly unicorns into the shimmering portal. Snorting more than anything as the portal continues to shift in intensity. "Why can't we just go in and get her?!"
"You need to quit fidgeting! I have a razor in my hand!"
"We shall, as soon as Princess Cadance arrives and we have properly prepared." Princess Luna reenters the chamber, passing by the Elements to come up towards her sister, whom remains in closed eye strain to her constant stream of magic into the first mirror. "The portal shall never be stable, and anything going through risks causing it's immediate collapse. Our only hope is to destroy it ourselves, on purpose."
"What!?"
"She's right. Pushing enough magic into the portal will destroy it but allow safe passage for a brief few moments." One of the elderly unicorns tries to convey enough confidence in tone to encourage more. "You must trust the Princesses in this."
"Consarn it, Donald! Watch where them things are feeling back there!"
"Can we do nothing to help?" Rarity almost whispers, dried tears to what had been witnessed still staining her eyeliner. Looking back towards the Princesses, she noticed Twilight looking particularly strained. "She's simply being devastated in this."
"We mustn't- Laughter?" Princess Luna's voice trails like the pink party pony over towards the Princesses.
Gaining slow but gradual attention, Pinkie sets down a large basket just before both Celestia and Twilight, both of whom slit open their eyes to the presence. Digging inside, she pulls out some sort of chocolate treat which she teeters upon her nose up towards Twilight's muzzle, whom reluctantly takes a few nibbles. Setting it down, she then pulls out a piece of cake, forced to raise upon her hind legs in order to get it closer to Celestia's dipped muzzle, whom also takes a few gentle bites.
"I-I'll go get some blankets!" Fluttershy uncharacteristically zips out of the room just as a loud boom rings out.
"Donald! They're trying to get in!" Applejack tries to get up but is denied with the hand holding behind her neck, applying just enough pressure to hinder her. "Why are you being so calm?!"
"It was a message." He huffs some air before going back to his work on her side. "It's coming morning, so they can't be outside. Since they're going back to town they just wanted to let me know that they'll be back tonight."
"Mend me up nice and proper and I reckon they'll be in for a mighty surprise if they try!" Putting a big much into it with her rump giving a wiggle to the idea of some payback. "I've held out in a apple cellar to some nasty varmints before."
"We're going to survive it." He reaches over and brings a piece of wood to her muzzle, of which she hesitantly takes with less than eager anticipation of what shall come next. "Survive it, and then we're going to make a run for it."
Finding little pleasure in the pain he must instill, he feels unsure of what else he can do other than gently stroke down her the back of her neck in between pushing her into another jerk. Pushing misgivings on unknowns aside, he finds some comfort in the idea of once more having someone to talk to. Perhaps if the virus changed his kind, it did the same to some animals.
As one world moves forward, another makes an attempt with fierce opposition to any such idea, as commotion begins near the wall behind the portal where few can see or more importantly, be bothered.
"We will come for you when progress has been made." The guard states in a firm voice to the stilled stallion sitting upon his haunches, whom pays not a single lick of attention, stetson dangling from one of his yoke hames. "You needn't be here."
The large stallion lifts forward and drags a hoof against the floor, with eyes dead forward, before smacking the rear portion with enough force on the floor to echo. "Ain't leaving till they do. Go mind your own."
"There isn't enough room, now come-"
The stallion lays a hoof on the other, only to feel the force of being literally thrown through the one open of two large doors from the chamber. Quickly gaining the attention of those who almost forgot he was even there, he simply becomes docile once more.
"No one else is to try and remove this stallion, less I am forced to give him your position." Princess Luna gives one quick glance, and nod, towards Big Mac before going back to what she had been doing. Looking up once more, but only towards the wall, she seems to try and shake off what may have just been a poor choice of words.