Apple Bloom shifted awkwardly in her seat. Ever since Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash had gone missing just one week ago, the police had turned to her for answers.
"No, I don't know anything," Apple Bloom said, for the thousandth time. How was she supposed to know what had happened? Apple Bloom had left the house for one minute and then when she came back, Applejack was gone. She wasn't even anywhere near Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
The clock chimed, meaning that it was noon. That also meant that the police could leave now. They hurried out the door. Apple Bloom had no idea why. There wasn't much to report, she just said the same thing she always said.
She stared straight ahead at a family photo taken ten years ago. Apple Bloom was now the last member of the Apple family, that is, if Applejack is dead, which Apple Bloom decided was most likely.
Ever since the brutal war that broke out five years ago between every city in Equestria, the Apple family was killed off, one by one. Except Applejack and Apple Bloom, who was now a mare. But they were both in a depression. Their family, and not to mention, Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, was dead. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had also died in battle, leaving Princess Cadence in charge. And she had made a lot of changes.
When the war ended, there was still just as many deaths as when the war was going on. This time it wasn't due to murder, it was due to famine, and various sicknesses that went around. Applejack and Apple Bloom had hidden themselves inside their basement for weeks until the population of Ponyville that wasn't diseased was moved outside of Equestria until everything was fixed. All the stories Apple Bloom had heard were wrong about the places beyond Equestria. In reality, the places beyond Equestria were ten times worse. Every five seconds you had to swat bugs off of you. One thing the stories didn't tell you about were the deranged ponies, that were sent into exile years ago, that tried to murder everyone they saw. But somehow Applejack and Apple Bloom seemed to survive along with a handful of others. And then, after five months of being in exile, they were let back into Equestria.
When they arrived in Ponyville with the four other ponies who followed, the city was almost perfect again. New buildings were put up and streets were repaved. In the middle of the beautiful new city there was a podium with a book neatly placed on top of it. Apple Bloom had walked over too it and opened it. Inside, there was a list of laws.
Dear citizens of Ponyville,
I have made some new laws that I expect everyone too follow.
- Do not argue with anyone
- Do not commit any crimes from the old list including, theft, murder, identity theft, etc.
- Always do your work
- If told to do something by somepony at a higher rank than you, do what you are told
This is only the beginning of the list that I am currently making. I am doing the best I can on making your new life perfect.
Your beloved new ruler,
Princess Cadence
And ever since, Princess Cadence sent new laws every month for them too follow, making life harder and harder by the minute. Apple Bloom really hated that she did that. But of course, she had to obey.
Apple Bloom got up off her chair and walked outside. The air smelt like smoke and tears. For the first few months of coming back from exile and settling down in Ponyville was great. As months went by Apple Bloom noticed that things got worse.
Apple Bloom saw the handful of ponies rushing through town trying hard not to be noticed by the guards Princess Cadence had placed in Ponyville about a year ago. Very rarely she saw someone break the law and get pulled away by the guards. She didn't know what happened to them afterwards.
Apple Bloom decided to take a walk. She didn't run, like the rest of the ponies were doing, she just wondered around, looking at the small crowds of ponies. In one of the crowds, she saw a familiar looking mare. She studied her. And then the mare spoke.
"No, I don't have any extra bits," she said to the stallion in front of her, "I don't even have a job."
Right then Apple Bloom knew exactly who it was. It was Scootaloo. She hadn't see her in such a long time that, she had almost forgotten who she was. Apple Bloom kept her stare so long that she realized after a while that she was staring back. Did she remember? Scootaloo shook her head slightly, then walked away.
She didn't remember. The thought that her best friend, from when she was a filly, didn't remember her was awful. Apple Bloom watched her leave, with tears brimming her eyes. Why would she remember anyway? The Cutie Mark Crusaders had broken up just before the war when Sweetie Bell had gotten her cutie mark. It was stupid to think that she would remember.
Apple Bloom suddenly didn't want to walk around this poor town any longer. She walked back to the old barn. Apple Bloom didn't know how too plant crops and even if she did she couldn't do it by herself. She looked up at it, and memories flooded to her.
A few days before the war was declared, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom stood outside of the barn.
"Things are gonna change 'round here," Applejack had said, "We're gonna have a brand new worker on the fields soon. Once I teach Apple Bloom how to take care of a farm."
"I can't wait," Apple Bloom had said enthusiastically, "do you think I'll finally get my cutie mark?"
"I hope so," Applejack said with tears flooding her eyes, "I really hope so."
Apple Bloom had no idea why Applejack had said it like that. But now she did. Applejack had known the war was coming.
Apple Bloom walked over to the ranch beside the barn. She looked over to her mailbox. For the first time in weeks, there was actually mail inside it. She took it out the envelope and opened it. Inside there was a letter that read,
Dear owner of Sweet Apple Acres,
We regret to inform you that after several ignored notices to pay the taxes you owe us, we will have too close down your farm. Unless you can pay us the 7,987 bits you owe us by Wednesday we will close it down. We apologize for any inconvenience.
-Princess Cadence
Apple Bloom reread that letter eight times. She couldn't believe it. She hasn't ever gotten any notices about paying them. But then she remembered a few days after they we're let back in Equestria, they had gotten a letter that Applejack wouldn't let her read. Apple Bloom could still remember her crying that night when she thought that Apple Bloom was asleep.
Apple Bloom's eyes filled with tears. She bolted into the ranch and sobbed. She was broke. She couldn't pay this. She was going to lose the farm. She sobbed harder when she realized that she had nowhere to stay. She was going to live on the street. She knew that she would die almost as soon as the farm was taken away. She has already not eaten in two days. She couldn't survive. She just couldn't. Without knowing what else to do, she sat on a comfy chair and buried her face in her hooves.
It's Wednesday. Three days ago she got that letter and she hasn't stopped crying since. She waited outside she ranch for the guards to come.
When they finally came the guards carried Apple Bloom away from the farm and onto the cart that the guards pulled criminals in. She was surprised that they were taking her away. Wasn't losing her farm punishment enough? Apple Bloom sat in the middle of it, pale from fear, as the cart carried her downtown.
Apple Bloom sat in the middle of a police station, waiting her turn. There were two other stallions there before her. Finally her name was called and she was ushered into a small, dark room. The door closed behind her. She stared at the door. Where they coming back? Was this her punishment? She wished that she knew.
A large stallion then came into the room.
"What's going on?" Apple Bloom asked.
The stallion just grinned and pulled out a whip. Apple Bloom let out a scream. They were going to whip her? Just because she didn't have enough money to pay for the farm.
She felt the whip hit her hard on her back. She cried out in pain the backed up, trying to get as far away as possible from this stallion.
Apple Bloom felt the whip hit her five times in a row. She looked down to see the blood dripping down from her back. Tears came to her eyes.
"Stop! Please just stop! I'm sorry!" Apple Bloom cried.
The stallion didn't seem too hear her. He just kept hitting her over and over again. Apple Bloom screamed once again. She suddenly felt lightheaded. She opened her mouth to scream again but before she could, she fell to the ground.
Apple Bloom awoke cold, sore, and bloody. She was in a lighter room this time. Or was it the same room? She couldn't tell.
She slowly stood up. Everything hurt. She noticed that there was now a mirror in the room. When she looked in it, she was sickened by what she saw. They must have kept whipping her, even when she was unconscious. There was dried blood and cuts all over her. Tears brimmed her eyes. She hasn't ever cried this much before in just one week. She really missed Applejack. She hated life here now. Now that she knew how cruel these ponies were.
The door opened and Apple Bloom flinched away from it. Though no one was at the door. She took this as a sign that she could leave.
When she walked out the door she could tell every-pony stopped and stared at her. She ignored them and started walking down the street. She wasn't allowed to go back home now so she knocked on some-pony's door to ask for help.
"Hello," said the mare who opened the door.
"Hi," Apple Bloom said, "I'm sorry, but can I use your bathroom, please?"
The mare nodded, eyeing the bloody pony. "Do you need some help?"
"No thanks," Apple Bloom mumbled politely, "I just need to wash up."
"Okay," the mare said suspiciously.
Apple Bloom walked into the mare's bathroom and washed her wounds, cursing at how badly they hurt. She then thanked the mare for her kindness and left.
When she got outside she saw the same thing she always saw. She began walking around aimlessly when she saw Scootaloo, tears streaming down her face with an envelope in her mouth. Apple Bloom then decided to talk to her. She just needed somepony to talk to.
"Scootaloo," Apple Bloom called.
Scootaloo picked up her speed.
"Can I please just talk to you?" Apple Bloom called.
Obviously, Scootaloo still had no idea who she was. She then began to fly fast away from Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom sank to the ground, wishing terribly hard that Applejack was right next to her.
The next few days were rough. Apple Bloom sat on the street begging for money. But no pony had any money to give.
Today was the fifth day of sitting out in the cold, starving to death. Out of the corner of Apple Bloom's eye she saw Scootaloo sit down across the street. Was that why she was crying? Did she lose her home too? Apple Bloom gazed over at her, wishing that Scootaloo would remember her. Scootaloo caught Apple Bloom's gaze. She got up and walked over to Apple Bloom. Then Scootaloo tackled Apple Bloom.
"Who are you!" she shouted in Apple Bloom's face.
Apple Bloom was stunned that this happened. "I'm just uh-"
"Tell me who the hell you are before I call the police!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Apple Bloom! My name is Apple Bloom!" she shouted back.
By this time guards have run over and pried Scootaloo off of Apple Bloom. The guards then took her away...
