Appleloosan

Clip-cl-OW, clip-cl-OW, clip-cl-OW.

Fantastic. Fan-fucking-tastic. Barely an hour outside, and I had already been attacked by a PAPA gang. Fucking brilliant.

Was getting some food really too much to ask? I had just strolled into the corner shop down the road from my house, and bought some supplies. Some food, some water, just stuff I needed. And then, as I was walking out, I saw them. Hiding in the alleyway.  They glared at me as I walked away, my rucksack heavy with provisions for the trip.

I picked up my pace a little, hoping to run away before anything happened. But I was too busy keeping an eye on them to look where I was going.

They had another guy, just down the street. He tripped me up, sending me flying face-first into the ground. I scrambled back up on all fours, but it was too late. They had surrounded me. I tried running, but they kept blocking me. Out of options, I bucked one out of the way, leaving him lying on the ground.

“You god-damned animal! Get the fuck back here!” he screamed as I ran away, swinging a knife at me and slashing across my hind leg. I stumbled slightly, but caught myself and ran faster, ignoring the pain. For the first time in my life I was truly scared that I wouldn’t survive.

I ran as fast as I could, not thinking about where I was going, only wanting to get as far away from them as possible. I ran until I couldn’t run any more. And then I kept going.

And that’s how I got here. I didn’t know where ‘here’ was, exactly, but at least I made it out alive. Injured and bleeding, yes, but still very much alive.

I took a moment to inspect the wound. A cut, across my hind leg, just below my cutie mark. Not too deep, didn’t do any serious damage. My travel speed might be compromised, but not too badly. Might leave a scar, but who cares. I’ll live.

I tore a strip of cloth from one of the hoodie’s sleeves and wrapped it tight around my leg. There, that should slow the blood flow.

I got back up and continued walking. It still stung slightly, and it made me wince with every step I took, but was nothing I couldn’t brave through. I need to get to New York. The fate of the universe depends on it.

But how? Do I really have enough money to make the trip? Oh god, I didn’t even plan out further than today. The only plan I had was to walk. To the airport. Then what? It’s not like a hundred pounds is enough for a trip to New York. And would there even be any flights that would go all the way across the world from that airport? The best place I could go would be Edinburgh airport, but walking all the way there? And, even if I had enough to pay for a ticket, it would take more than a day to get there. Where would I sleep? Couldn’t get a hotel, then I wouldn’t have enough for the flight. Or would I just keep walking, all through the night?

...no. All I can do just now is walk. No need worrying about the future. I’ll cross those bridges when I come to them.

I had made it into the city center. It was much more crowded than my neighbourhood, with more people to stare at me as I trotted by. I noticed a few cameras flashing as I walked by. Oh, god, I can already hear my news feed screaming in agony as it fails to keep up with the inevitable flood of images.

Speaking of news feed, I wonder if anyone has replied to my video yet? I looked around for a free wi-fi hotspot. There! One of the few free spots in Perth! I sat on a bench and pulled my phone out from my bag. Wait... how the hell am I gonna use a touch screen? Are hooves conductive? Would it even work? I tapped the screen. Success!

Alright, then. Connecting to hotspot... There! I’m in! And now, over to Facebook. Five comments. Four of which were insults from who I suspected to be members of the PAPA. And the last of which was one of my brony friends squeeing over me. Nothing of use.

Let’s check the YouTube version, then. One comment.

Meet me at 13:00 on the High Street. Don’t worry where, I’ll find you. Just make sure you’re outside.

That’s all it said. ‘I’ll find you’? Rather ominous. Oh, well. I closed it and locked my phone. Which proceeded to vibrate very violently. I unlocked it, seeing about thirty notifications on Facebook. All of which were either pictures of me or people hitting on me. Oh, the joys of being Braeburn. I browsed through the settings and turned off the infernal vibration. Why did I even have that on in the first place?

I got up from my seat, stuffing the phone into one of my hoodie’s pockets. Back to walking, then. I took a step, then stopped.

What time is it? I pulled out my phone, looking at the display. 12:00. I still had an hour before they found me. Whatever that meant.

Alright, back to... what’s that smell? Is that... I turned to the direction of the smell. A Bayne’s bakery. I smiled. I was a bit hungry, and, hey, I have a hundred pounds. Just one little thing won't hurt.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside the rather crowded bakery, watching as almost everyone in the store scrambled to get their phones out.

“Hello!” I said, stepping up to the counter. “Could Ah get one’a yer finest apple pies?”

The woman behind the counter hadn’t noticed what I was, for she had her back to me, readjusting some of the displays. “I’m sorry, sir,” she said, turning around, “but I can’t quite understand... you... oh.”

“Is there a problem?” I smiled.

“Oh, n-no, not at all,” she said. “What was it you wanted?”

“An apple pie,” I said once again.

She nodded, going into the back of the store for a moment before returning with a big apple pie. “Here you go, sir,” she said, setting it down on the counter. “That’ll be five pounds.”

I fumbled around in my bag for a second and pulled out a twenty, placing it onto the counter. I tried reaching up to grab the pie, but my hooves slipped on the glass surface. “Uh, could ya please...”

“Oh! Of course,” she said, reaching it down.

I took the edge of the pie tin in my mouth and made my way out the store.

“Um, sir? Your change?”

I set the pie down on the floor, walked back to the counter, pulled my wallet out again and awkwardly held it open. She tipped the change into it. "Thanks," I said, putting the wallet away and picking up the pie.

I walked out the store and sat down on the bench, setting the pie down next to me. Now, then, how do I eat this? ...oh. Right. I grinned. Geronimo!

I slammed my muzzle into the delicious pie. I had never imagined that apple pie would taste so good!

I looked up from the pie. I’m in public. I’m a pony. And I’m eating a pie in the most hilarious way possible. Of course there are ten cameras pointed at me. I gulped down the massive chunk of pie and waved shyly to one of the cameras.

I sat back in the chair. And still they filmed me.

“Uh, could ya stop? Nothin’ ta see here...”

Reluctantly, they lowered their cameras.

“Thanks,” I said, tipping my hat to them. I lowered it over my eyes, and relaxed. It’s been one hell of a day.

“INCOMIIIIIIIING!”

And it was about to get even worse.

I shot up in my seat, my hat slipping off my face. Where had that voice come from? I looked left. I looked right. I looked everywhere.

Except up.

I was slammed down to the ground by something heavy.

“Heheh, sorry about that...”

Make that someone.

I felt the weight roll off my back. Why was he up there in the first place?

“Still getting used to the wings. Woke up like this yesterday.”

Wings? Could he be... I looked up. And saw a turquoise pegasus colt, with a messy green mane, and two pairs of eighth notes as a cutie mark. I recognised him instantly. But that’s impossible!

“Anyway, hi! I was the one that said to meet up here. So... hi!”

“You... you...” I said, unable to do anything but gawp.

“Me?” the impossible pegasus blinked.

“You!” I said, getting up and staring him down. “How... what... you!”

He jumped back. “What do you want?”

“You’re... you’re...”

“You know who I am?” he asked.

“Yes!” I shouted. “You’re Gem Song, the pegasus musician livin’ in Horseshoe Harbor with a seapony in disguise and a neighponese tea farmer and in a relationship with a shy pegasus from a parallel universe where Nightmare Moon was never banished and the night lasted forever!”

All he could do at that point was stare, jaw hanging open. “How can you... they never showed anything like that on the show!”

“That’s because it’s not from the show!” I said. “You... Ah created you!”

“You... what?”

“Ah created you...” I said, taking a deep breath. “Ah originally created Gem Song as a kind’a ponysona. Eventually he evolved into an actual character. But Ah never knew anythin’ like this could happen! How ‘s this even possible! Ah created him, not you!”

“Did you create Braeburn?”

“Ah... what?” I said. “No... Ah didn’t... huh.”

“Exactly.”

A good minute or two of silence.

“Well, Ah guess Ah should get goin’,” I said, walking off.

“Don’t you mean ‘we’?” Gem smiled.

“Sure. Let’s go.”