Apples & Lucky Horseshoes

Chapters

Time To Go
Appleloosa
Salt Blocks
Sunsets
Whiskey
My Mattress
Death Bed
Midnight Conversations
The Scorpion's Charm

Time To Go

When I was younger, I was obsessed with finding out what made me special. I tried tons of stupid and embarrassing things, just to see if I had some sort of natural ability. I was naive and had nothing better to do since I pretty much sucked at anything apple related.

My two best friends in the entire world had found theirs before me and went out into the world to try new things. Scootaloo got hers from doing cool tricks and stunts on her little scooter while Sweetie Belle got hers from acting and musical debuts at the Ponyville theater. I was left alone with a bare flank for all my efforts.

I was almost sixteen and I still hadn't found my special talent. Not to mention I was also afraid I would be stuck on my family's apple farm for the rest of my life. It's not that I didn't love my family...I just really wanted to feel complete. Apples are nice but I wanted something much more than just a pat on the back for all of my efforts.

I wanted to find my cutiemark.

* * * *

The cool grass tickled my back and hind legs as I lay in the cool shade of a tall apple tree. I was sipping at a cold bottle of my family's secret recipe apple juice (everything seemed to have a 'secret recipe' around there) and yawned as I looked up. Light filtered through the thick foliage of the tree and created splotches of golden color across the sparse grass.

I was supposed to be bucking the apples off the sturdy tree, but instead found myself daydreaming about being somewhere else. Maybe I was with Scoots...or Sweetie. I would even take egghead Twilight Sparkle if that meant I could leave the boring old farm I called home.

I knew that if Applejack or Big Macintosh found me lazying around I would be in for a severe punishment but I didn't care. I wasn't even decent when it came to applebucking...and they had told me to do it anyway.

"Applebloom! Applebloom! Time for dinner!" Applejack called from the work shed just about a quarter of a mile away. I was momentarily snapped from my daydreaming and called back to her.

"Ima comin sis! I'll be there in just a second!" I shouted back. With a small, faint shout of approval, Applejack's orange silhouette disappeared from the side of the small building.

Now was my chance to actually tell them the idea that had been brewing in my head for the last few months (since I had been too shy to ask). With that thought in mind, I raced to the farm house down the lone dirt path leading through the orchard.

* * * *

"Applebloom! Where have you been?! It looks like ya were rollin' around in the pig pen again! Go get washed up." Applejack scolded as I walked through the farm house door. I gave a defeated sigh before turning up the stairs toward the bathroom. It's not like I would have won that battle. I did smell like a pigsty.

I opened the door to the little bathroom and entered before closing it behind me. There was a shower, a small metal wash basin with a faucet, a sink, a medicine cabinet, and a large oak wardrobe where we kept soap and towels.

My hooves clicked across the cold tile as I turned on the faucet and filled the metal wash basin with lukewarm water. I grabbed a bar of soap and a small towel before returning to the full wash basin. I lathered up the washcloth and slowly began to scrub the daily grime away.

The tepid water helped calm down the bubbling unease inside of me. I wasn't sure how she would take the news of me wanting to leave the farm. She did it when she was even younger than me and still came back with her cutiemark! Why couldn't I do the same thing! I knew just the place to go, too.

I grabbed a larger towel and slowly began to dry the dripping water off of my muzzle. I looked into the mirror and into my own amber eyes. I wasn't sure how Applejack would take the news of me wanting to leave the farm. Granny Smith and Big Mac might understand, but Applejack? I might as well have dug my own grave.

"Applebloom!!! Yer food's gettin' cold!!! Hurry up would ya?" Applejack hollered from the bottom of the stairs, momentarily interrupting my thoughts.

"Ya sis'! I'll be down in a second!" I shouted back before throwing the damp towel into a laundry basket.

My destiny depended on this.

* * * *

The table was covered in apple pie and other assorted vegtables. I felt my tummy grumble at the promise of food but shrugged it off when I remembered the task at hoof. Applejack looked at me with slight concern before returning to the pie she had been scarfing down.

"So, Applebloom? What is it you've been wantin' to tell us?" she asked with an upraised brow and a muzzle covered in pie. How did she know? I swallowed hard, feeling something along the lines of butterflies in my stomach.

"Well...ah...uhm..." I stammered, trying to form the words in my mouth. At that point I considered lying to her but...AJ was practically a lie detector. I had no choice but to ask.

"Ah...ah uhm...well...ah wanna leave the farm so ah can find mah cutiemark." I said sharply. Applejack looked at me with a straight face before her mouth dropped open.

"You what?!" She balked, her eyes showing more disbelief than anger. A good sign I guess? It's not like there was any turning back at that point.

"Ah...Ah wanna go to Appleloosa. Visit Braeburn and see if ah can get mah cutiemark while ahm there. Ah promise ah won't make any problems...ah just really want to go! Please Applejack? Please?" I begged while putting on my best beg face. I hadn't done it that well since Twilight came to town.

"Ab-so-lute-ly not!" Applejack snorted. Her emerald green eyes rolled as I continued to beg.

"Why not Applejack? Ahm a big pony now! Please let me go! Please? Mah whole future depends on this. Ah can feel it!" I pleaded hoping that maybe she'd understand but that stubborn look on her face told me she wasn't budging.

"Yer not a big pony Applebloom! Ya can barely walk outside without blowing somethin' up! Now ya wanna go to Appleloosa? I might as well shoot ya now!" she barked.

"What's wrong with Appleloosa? Is it cuz of Braeburn? It's not his fault that his daddy passed away! Let me visit him Applejack? Ahm sure he'd be mighty grateful to have me there. Last time he saw me was at that produce competition when ah was just a filly." I whimpered, hoping she might see the opportunity that was right in our faces.

"Not a chance Applebloom! Appleloosa has gotten mighty dangerous after all those new rowdy settlers moved in. Ah can't let ya go there! Ahm positive Braeburn will be fine too. He's a full grown stallion and ah think he can handle himself." she grunted again.

"But Applejack...ahm a full grown mare! I can handle mahself better than any old buck! Not ta mention you left home when ya were younger than me! Please jus' let me go?" I fussed, hoping that maybe she would agree. By the way she was looking I could tell it was a losing battle.

"Ah said NO Appplebloom!!! And that is FINAL!!!" Applejack bellowed, slamming a hoof against the table for emphasis. I looked to Granny Smith and Big Mac, but they just looked at me with pity. Why weren't they saying anything?

I could feel tears burning in my eyes as I got up from the table and ran for the stairs. I was so frustrated with Applejack overprotecting me. It's like the lesson we'd learned from the Chimera hadn't changed a thing!

"Ah hate you Applejack! Ya never let me do anythin' on mah own!" I shouted before running up the stairs. I could feel hot tears running down my cheeks as I slammed my door behind me. At that point...I did the only thing a teenage filly could do. I buried my muzzle into my pillow and cried my eyes out to my heart's content.

* * * *

The sounds of crickets and a cool breeze rapping at my window coaxed me awake. I had a slight headache, a dry mouth, and a craving for something sweet. Side effects for bawling my eyes out, I guessed. I rubbed my swollen eyes and looked outside my window to see the dark silhouettes of leaves and tree trunks.

The smell of leaves, apples, and damp earth, reminded me of the Zap Apple harvest I had when I was a filly. How I felt when I actually learned to appreciate Granny and then we all came together to make the best Zap Apple jam I'd ever tasted. It seemed so long ago that we'd all been happy. Why couldn't it be like that again?

Why couldn't Scoots ad Sweetie still be here doing dumb cutiemark crusader adventures like we used to? Why couldn't Applejack be less overprotective like right after she'd fought the Chimera? Why didn't Granny Smith and Big Mac speak up when Applejack said no?!

A cool breeze ruffled my mane and helped me relax. Why did life have to be so unfair? Why couldn't I just have my cutiemark and be successful like everypony else? Why did I have to be such a loser? Mommy and Daddy would have been very disappointed in me.

"Ah just can't let her go, Granny. It's not a matter of if she's ready ah jus'...ahm afraid for her safety. Braeburn ain't what he used to be. You saw how beat up he looked at the funeral. Ahm afraid he might hurt Applebloom or somethin'. Ah just really want her to stay away from Appleloosa, she's safe here." a muffled voice weeped from the floorboards. It sounded a lot like Applejack.

I looked at the slight cracks in the floor to see Granny Smith, AJ, and Big Mac sitting on an old couch in the family room. Granny looked tired, as if she added a few years onto her age in the last few hours, Big Mac looked sad, like how Applejack said when she'd told her cutiemark story, and Applejack looked distraught. Her mane was a mess, her eyes were puffy from crying, not to mention she was clutching a picture of mommy and daddy tight in her hooves.

"Now Applejack." Granny cooed in a motherly way. "Applebloom is a grown mare now, she can make her own decisions. Appleloosa might be a bit more dangerous than when she was a filly, but she's stronger than ya realize. And Braeburn would never hurt her...he's just a little broken after what happened to his daddy. Who wouldn't be?"

"Ah know Granny, it's just that...she's an Apple. And Apples always find their cutiemarks in apples. You, me, and Mac all found ours in apples. I just think she should stay here and find her special talent in apples." Applejack snorted stubbornly. Once again the battle was lost.

"You can't force these kinda things, AJ. It just don't work that way." a familiar baritone voice spoke. "You remember that we let you do this too, right?

"B-but Big Mac...Applebloom might get hurt...Ah don't want that...and neither do you." Applejack whimpered in slight disbelief. I was a bit shocked too. Big Mac hadn't spoken that much since we created Gabby Gums in the school newspaper.

Big Mac opened his mouth to speak but his words were too muffled to hear. Applejack gave a defeated frown and a nod as he continued to speak. I tried my hardest to get a better listen without making the boards squeak underneath me. I moved a little closer to the crack to get a better view but the floor groaned hideously loud beneath my hooves. I looked into the crack to see Granny, Big Mac, and Applejack giving confused looks towards the ceiling.

"I hopped into bed and covered myself with the blankets in an attempt to hide my shame and embarrassment for getting caught. A feeling of dread started to form in my stomach as I realized how much trouble I was going to be in. It felt like hours waiting for the knock on my door, but when it came...I wasn't ready.

"Come on in." I whimpered from underneath the covers. I knew I was too old but I could picture a spanking from Granny Smith. To my surprise it was Mac, who just stood there with his natural stoic expression.

"Come downstairs." He mumbled before turning and trotting away. I once again felt exposed and embarrassed, despite being covered with tons of blankets. I had no choice but to go.

* * * *

The stairs creaked slightly with every step I took. I kept my head low so that I would be braced for any blow or scolding. I sat down in the chair across from the couch and looked up. I had expected to see an angry Applejack that would have loved to applebuck me upside the head but...she just looked tired.

I sat up a little straighter, obviously noting the depressed behavior in my family. Why did they all seem so sad?

"Applebloom?" Applejack murmured quietly against the picture still in her hooves. "Do ya really want to go to Appleloosa?"

"Of course. If it means ah might get mah cutiemark. Ah also wanna see how Braeburn is doin'. Ya told me how sad he was and ah think it's time ah paid him a visit." I said with a small smile. Applejack didn't look at me, instead she began to brush the picture with her hooves.

"Momma and Daddy would have wanted to see ya grow up...and now ahm takin' that for granted. Ahm gonna let ya go Applebloom, but only cuz that's what they would have wanted." Applejack sobbed against the picture. I felt bad for makig her feel that way, but it was something I just had to do.

"Ahm sorry Applejack. Ah just really want to find out what makes me special." I whispered quietly as I wrapped my hooves around her strong neck. Applejack didn't say a word...she just continued to cry.

"Ah don't hate ya Applejack. Ah love you."

Appleloosa

The pleasant glow of Celestia's sun warmed my back as I waited for the train to take me to Appleloosa. Granny Smith and Applejack had left the train station early because they couldn't take the sight of me leaving. The only pony there to see me go was my brother, Big Mac.

The saddlebags that AJ had packed and given me were slung across my back, while the old horseshoes that Big Mac had grown out of clinked against the wooden floor. My mane and tail had been tied up in new pink bows that Granny had made for me. I felt very special but I wasn't exactly sure if I was supposed to feel that way.

I was clearly hurting my family but still I continued on the 'delusional' quest to find what made me special. Was it because I was just being selfish...or did I actually believe I was going to get my cutiemark? At the time I wasn't really sure but I knew one thing.

I was getting my cutiemark.

"Big Mac? Do you think I'll get mah cutiemark?" I asked quietly while looking up to the large buck. He gave a slight shrug and a sigh before giving me a one armed hug.

"Ah don't rightly know." he drawled "It's entirely up to you. But whatever happens, you'll still be mah lil' sis."

Before I could say anything the train pulled up with a loud 'WHOOSH' and I swallowed as Big Macintosh handed me my ticket. This was it. This was my way out. Was I actually going to do it?

I stepped into the train car and into a new life. I may have still been blank flank Applebloom, but I was striding into an entirely new story. A new beginning. I took a window seat and looked for my brother who was supposed to be watching me leave.

All I saw as we pulled away was an empty platform and my wistful amber eyes reflecting into the glass.

* * * *

The train ride was just as I had suspected it would be...boring. There was practically nopony on it, not to mention they all seemed pretty intimidating. One young mare actually had a gun strapped to her waist. I didn't how she got it on the train and I certainly didn't want to see her use it either.

For the longest time I just sat there with my head resting up against the cool glass of the window. I watched as the land changed in front of my eyes until I gave into the almost hypnotic feeling of drowsiness. I was going to Appleloosa.

* * * *

"Excuse me miss? It's time ta go." a soft yet rich voice drawled. I murmured, but was eventually drawn out of my peaceful sleep. I yawned and squinted at the light filtering through the windows before I noticed the green eyes watching me intently.

I swallowed hard but gave a small nod in response before gingerly sitting up. My back and bottom ached from the hard wooden bench I had fallen asleep on, but I got up anyway. I looked at the earthpony mare that the voice had belonged to.

She had emerald green eyes that had reminded me so much of Applejack it was more than a little alarming. Her coat was a dusty brown color that reminded me of dark sand and her mane was blonde with multiple highlights of brown, tan, and other earthy colors. There were slight bags under her eyes and she was wearing an oddly feminine duster with a small stetson placed neatly atop her head.

I had never seen a mare as intimidating as her (except for Applejack) and it was certainly a new experience for me. I reluctantly turned to grab my saddlebags and reeled back to find the mare had disappeared. I looked around the train car to find it was almost empty, just like she had said.

The mysterious mare who had awoken me was gone and I felt on edge, almost if she was going pop out of no where. I walked over to where she had been standing and looked around for any signs that she had actually been there. I jumped back as my hoof nudged a large, rusty old horseshoe that had probably seen better days.

Was it hers? More than likely, but I still wasn't sure. I certainly didn't want to take any chances either, seeing as how cold and dangerous she looked. I absentmindedly looked out one of the windows and saw her standing there. She was looking at her hooves as if she were missing something from them.

"MISS?! MISS!!" I cried out as I hopped off the train to give her the old horseshoe. When I got to the little section she had been standing at it was deserted. I looked every where hoping I would get some kind of clue of where she went. Once again...she was simply gone.

With a defeated sigh I put the old thing into my saddlebags and began to look for Braeburn. The always chipper earthpony buck was no where in sight which made me feel a bit uneasy about the whole trip. Maybe Applejack was right about him being 'beat up' about his daddy.

No. Braeburn would be fine. He could take care of himself right? I began to walk into town and was surprised at how many ponies there were. Last time I had visited there had only been a few roaming the streets, but now it was even more crowded than Ponyville. I continued to trot my way down Appleloosa's main street to look for my cousin.

Ponies seemed to pay no attention to the teenage filly walking aimlessly around the town square. Sadly, I was partially grateful for that. My chipper mood was replaced with shock as I tripped and fell straight on my muzzle. There was something cool and hard wrapped around my forehoof that I couldn't reach or see.

"Miss? Are you alright? That was certainly a tumble you took there." a feminine voice chuckled. I felt a strong hoof wrap around my own and pull me out of the street before I was trampled by the towns ponies.

"Ah think I'll be alright but...who are you?" I asked, getting a good look at the pretty unicorn mare that the voice belonged to.

She had a light cyan coat that was somehow even lighter than Rainbow Dash's, and had a dark cerulean mane to match. Her mane was done up in a tight bun and she was also wearing a doctor's coat dingy with dust. Her cutiemark was a red heart with a pink band-aid on it, and she was wearing purple cat eye glasses like the ones I had seen Rarity wear on occasion.

She looked out of place in the bustling town and I suddenly felt the same. Was I actually supposed to be there or was I actually better off at home? No...I was better of there...and I had to find Braeburn before sundown. How hard could that be?

"My name is Tendercare and I am a travel nurse who was assigned to work here in Appleloosa. It's a pleasure to meet you miss...?" she trailed off before looking at me expectanly to give her my name.

"Oh uh...mah name is Applebloom and it's nice ta meetcha too. You wouldn't happen ta know where Braeburn's farm is, would ya?" I asked with a smile. Maybe he would be at home sick, or something. The young mare just snorted and looked at me with astonishment.

"Thankfully I don't know the way there. Why would a filly like you be going there anyway. That drunkard has caused me to have so many patients I'm working my horn to the nub! I burned out my magic trying to fix up my friend who just visited him yesterday! There is NO way I'm going to let a defenseless little filly like yourself walk straight into a deathtrap." she huffed with anger. There was no way Braeburn could be dangerous...he was a humble apple farmer like Applejack. Then again, Applejack could be dangerous if you pushed her the right way.

"Ahm his cousin Miss Tendercare, and ah came all the way from Ponyville ta come and visit him. Ahm also not defenseless and weak. If ah wanted ta, I could buck ya straight in ta next week." I drawled with a straight face which only seemed to make her discomfort grow.

"Well...If you really want directions," the mare sighed, probably accepting I would be another corpse on her table. She grabbed a map in he teeth and handed it to me with surprising ease. "Go here. My friend works at this shop and he's very friendly so I'm sure you'd like him."

"Er...thank ya Miss Tendercare but ah really outta be getting to the farm now." I said with a fake smile. I wasn't exactly sure if I liked her or not, but I learned how to fake respect because that's what Applejack taught me to do. 'If ya don't like a pony, give em respect until they try stabbin' you straight in the back!' I grabbed the map in my teeth, gave another fake smile and began to trot down the main road again.

"Hey!? You've also got a horseshoe around your leg!" Tendercare called as she disappeared into the crowd of ponies. I looked down to see that she was actually correct. A large, rusty old horseshoe that had probably seen better days, was wrapped around my hoof like a bracelet. I swallowed as I pulled the metal from my leg and examined it.

It was about the same size as the other one but it looked a little bit less rusty and worn. Could it be the mysterious mare's horseshoe? I took the beat up one out of my bag and compared them. Maybe it was some sort of coincidence but they were exactly the same size. Oh well, next time I saw her I would return the, both.

* * * *

The map Nurse Tendercare gave me proved to be virtually worthless. I had been wandering the town for what seemed like hours trying to follow the confusing map. There were no labels, numbers, or even signs to tell any of them apart. Not to mention sundown would arrive in a couple of hours.

I thought I was totally screwed.

* * * *

The smell of something sweet filled the air as I walked by a warm almost welcoming shop. I wanted to go in and buy something to eat but I had to find my way to the farm. I swallowed as the dryness in my throat seemed to turn into a desert.

That's when something gold, tan and earthy colored ran right by me at an impossibly fast pace. I knew it was the mare I had seen earlier and started to run after her. The world seemed to turn into a blur as I locked onto her swooshing tail.

While I had been pretty much distracted, I didn't realize that a horseshoe was flying in the air right towards my face. I stopped dead in my tracks as the metal flew straight at my eyes. I could have easily nocked the item away but braced for the impact.

For what seemed like the longest time I just sat there waiting for it to hit me. After a few baffling moments I opened one eye to see that the shoe was enveloped in a sparkly green glow. Who...what...magic?

"Miss? Are you alright? That would have left a nasty mark if I hadn't caught it." a smooth masculine voice bragged. I stood up to see a unicorn buck with startling green eyes holding the metal in his magic. I swallowed as he handed it to me and gave me a welcoming grin. Another welcoming pony in Appleloosa.

"Hi. My name is Steel Blade and it's a pleasure to meet you." he chattered amiably holding out a hoof in greeting. I found myself taken aback by the green eyes that reminded me of my determined sister. His seemed to be happier and more full of bouncy life energy like Pinkie's, instead of the cold seriousness my sister always seemed to have.

I swallowed hard and took a nervous step back to get a look at the chipper unicorn buck. He was average height, size, and build when it came to unicorns but he was at least half a head taller than me. His coat was a light chartreuse green that matched perfectly with his gray almost silver mane. His cutiemark was something that resembled a piece of metal being measured.

"You're not from around here are you?" he said with a small frown and dropped his hoof. I gave a small nod and looked at the stallion. He had to be about my age but could have easily been a few years older. There were large purple bags under his eyes that could I could have easily mistaken as a couple of shiners. Maybe they were?

"Hmmm..." the buck grunted under his breath. "I'm sure Kickstar wouldn't mind if I showed a newbie around the town." he said looking behind him at a shop that looked very much vacant. I was supposed to be getting to the farm...not messing around with random strangers. Especially not with a buck.

"Er...thank ya but ah really gotta- AHH!" I squeaked as he grabbed my hoof and pulled me into a small street that seemed almost deserted. I gulped as multiple situations played out through my mind...none of them were good.

"Why are you looking at me like that? C'mon! It's this way." he said with a reassuring smile that could have certainly rivaled Pinkie Pie. I shook my head slowly before pulling away from the buck. He wasn't scary, I just didn't trust him at all when it came to being on an empty street.

"What's wrong? Don't you wanna have some fun while you're here? It's this way." he smiled gently while pointing down the street with a hoof. "It'll be lots and lots of fun I promise! Just trust me, okay?"

Was I really going to trust a stranger that I had just met? None of it sat right in my head but...what if I took a chance? Would I get my cutiemark if this place was really as fun as he said it was? CUTIEMARK CRUSADER RISK TAKER!

"Er...alright but...any funny business and I'll buck ya in ta next week! Ah can promise ya that!" I said with a defeated snort. I really hoped he was telling me the straight truth because I didn't want to have any trouble on my first day in Appleloosa.

"Awesome! C'mon, it's this way! I promise ya won't be disappointed!" he smiled again, grabbing my hoof and practically pulling me down the deserted street.

I really hoped he was right.

Salt Blocks

"Woah nelly." I nickered as I stepped into the saloon. It was much larger on the inside than on the outside.

"I know right. Isn't it awesome?" the chartreuse unicorn smiled proudly. "This is the 'hypothetical' life of the town. Anypony who is anypony comes here often to enjoy the salt blocks, the company, the video games, the poker, or to shoot some pool."

At first I though it was a bar for older ponies like a few Big Mac had told me about but...I was mistaken. There were many colts and fillies wandering around who didn't even have their cutiemarks. Not to mention a bunch of ponies about our age were lounging around and chatting. He was also right about all of the attractions, arcade games to poker tables filled the room.

"Hey. Come over here." he said, pointing a hoof to a couple of empty bar stools at the bar but this one didn't seem to serve any alcohol. I followed obediently since I had never been in a place like 'The Salt Block Saloon' at least that was what the sign had said. I felt uncomfortable just sitting there, almost as if ponies were staring at me.

"Have you ever tried a salt block before?" he said with a sure smile. I gave an ample smile before shaking my head 'no'. I didn't really want to either, but I also didn't want to be rude.

"Hey Jack? Would ya mind getting us a small quart block?" he smiled to the bartender who just shook his head. Steel Blade gave a baffled little smile before the bartender actually spoke.

"I'm sorry sir, but we don't serve to minors." he stated smoothly before motioning to me. I felt a burning sensation in my throat and cheeks as my new friend realized I didn't have a cutiemark. He didn't say a word and ordered the block for himself along with two bottles of water.

"Just because they're not allowed to give it to you doesn't mean I can't." he said with another sure little smile. "Let's go eat this outside, huh? Where they can't silently judge us."

I gave a small grateful smile as the chartreuse unicorn opened the door and closed it behind me. It was nice to see that somepony actually cared about my well being and state of mind. Then again he had dragged me into the place so...he kinda owed me.

"Here. Why don't you give it a taste and see how you like it. Then drink some of the water and it'll be a whole lot better." he smiled again. I was genuinely starting to like the guy even though I didn't really trust him at first.

"Also, I don't like being called Steel Blade or Steel. Blade is good. What's your name miss?" he asked expectantly. I gave him a small smile of my own before sitting down on the wooden deck of the tavern. A second later Blade sat down himself with a quizzical look on his face. I gave small shrug but still answered his question.

"Mah name is Applebloom and ah just came from Ponyville. Ah was also looking for mah cousin when ya dragged me here but ah don't really mind. It's pretty nice, like ya said it would be." I murmured as I began to nibble on the briny little piece of white block he had given me. I found myself actually liking the pungent taste.

"Wow...really? I heard that place is really dangerous, it gets destroyed like every week! At least that's what Kickstar told me." he said in awe. I felt a little uncomfortable but managed a little smile.

"Not really. Ah heard Appleloosa was even more dangerous than Ponyville. Also, who's Kickstar? You sure do talk about her alot. Is she your fillyfriend?" I said with a small smirk. The buck just blushed slightly and looked away in frustration.

"Why does everypony think that? No, she's my sister. I'm single too, if that's what you're asking...but I don't date blank flanks." he snorted in pure embarrassment and frustration. I could feel my cheeks burning hotter than live coals at the last comment, but chose to ignore it.

"Sorry, but I still think Appleloosa is dangerous. At least from what my sister told me." I muttered bitterly. Why would he think I would want to date him? NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT!

"Only if you hang around the wrong ponies and at the wrong places. Then it can get pretty dicey but I don't really think it's that dangerous. Then again, I hang out with ponies I just met so..." he trailed off. His eyes were looking off into the distance but he wasn't saying a word. Not to mention his ear was twitching in an odd manner, as if he were listening to something.

"So...you two enjoying your date?" a raspy voice snickered from behind us. My body instantly froze up at the aggresive sounding tone it carried. I looked over to to Blade, who's face was contorted in rage. Whatever was going to happen I knew it would be bad.

"Leave us alone Thunder...I'm just showing her around the town. Shouldn't you be inside, flirting with your whore of a fillyfriend?" Blade growled through gritted teeth. I shuddered at his use of language since I figured he would never talk like that. I was waiting for the buck behind us to seize Blade or something but...eerie silence ensued.

"If I remember correctly, that whore should be your sister." the voice chuckled with malice. Blade bristled at the comment but sat there unmoved and undeterred. I felt so out of place in the argument, I wasn't even supposed to be there. Somepony else seemed to know it too.

"Hmm? Looks like your little fillyfriend is getting scared. Maybe you should calm her down before she runs off like all the rest. Wait...she's a blank flank. Blade I had no idea you were into younger mares!" the voice cackled with amusement and hostility.

Blade didn't say a word he just sat there with a growing look of animosity on his face. Any more insults and I was sure he would turn on whoever was patronizing him. I had to step in...no matter what would happen.

"Ahm sixteen and a half. Ah have no idea what yer talking about!" I snorted in my own frustration. I had just told a blatant lie but hey...I was helping Blade out. Like he had done for me.

"Oh...is that so? I could have easily mistaken you for a five year old. Blade, I wonder how Kick would feel if she found out you were trying to escort toddlers." he said with a snort. I wanted to buck him straight in the muzzle for that comment but Blade was already on his hooves.

"You leave her out of this. You just want to get back with my sister because she dumped your sorry ass. I don't blame her, you mangy, featherbrained, wuss." Blade snarled. I stood up to get a look at the pony who had just been insulting us.

He was a white pegasus with stunning crimson eyes that seemed to glue me to the floorboards. His mane was a slick backed navy blue color with multiple highlights of turquoise and periwinkle. I found myself virtually blushing at his strong physique and confident body posture with the added accompaniment of a bomber jacket and black aviator shades. He was much taller than me and about a few inches taller than Blade which made him seem quite overbearing. He had to be almost eighteen, or maybe even twenty.

"Well, it looks like your fillyfriend has the hots for Thunder Flare, huh? I couldn't imagine why she wouldn't. Then again, I remember making your sister scream my name on a nightly basis so...I guess she could be jealous." he smirked. Blade stepped in front of me with his magic flaring in anger.

"I SAID LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" he thundered, forming his magic into a breathtaking sword I found myself gaping at. "NOW GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I CUT YOU IN TWO!"

Thunder Flare looked at Blade, then the sword, and then at me. His gaze seemed to linger on mine before he gave a wink, then puckered his lips and made a kissing sound. I found myself blushing even though I really didn't want to, but nopony had ever done that to me before.

With that, he spread his large, snow white wings and took off into the evening air, leaving me and a panting Blade standing there. The sword that he had assembled disappeared in a flash and it's wielder collapsed to the ground in a groaning heap.

"Blade? Are you okay!?" I squeaked as I helped him up from the floor. He gave a small nod and a wince before falling back to the ground. I put a hoof on his shoulder to see if it would help calm him down but he began to start shaking.

"I just burnt out my magic creating that sword. It hurts like fricking hell." Blade grimaced while writhing in agony. I swallowed hard and tried to calm him down but he squirmed and cursed until the pain seemed to subside. A second later, he stood up and huffed for air before seeming to calm himself down.

"Kickstar is going to kill me when she finds out I let Thunder snub me. I'm sorry you had to see all that, it's just I hate it when he insults or tries to woo mares right in front of me. Especially my friends or my sister." he grunted in discomfort. I found myself blushing at the word 'friend'. Did he actually see me as a friend.

"It's okay." I sighed, letting my puffy bangs fall in my eyes. Today was a hectic day...and I still hadn't gotten to the farm yet! A panic started to build inside me and Blade took notice immediately.

"Is something wrong Applebloom?" he queried. I shook my head but he already seemed to know something was off. "Applebloom, just tell me what's wrong."

"Ah need ta get home but ah don't know the way there." I whimpered in shame, but Blade seemed to light up. He motioned for me to walk with him towards the direction we had originally came from.

"I have a good map at my house. All you need to tell me is what it's called and I'll be able to find it! You might even meet my sister while you're there." He grinned excitedly, almost as if he wanted to take me home in the first place. Oh...NOT THINKING ABOUT IT! Blade was my friend and he'd already established that.

* * * *

"C'mon in." Blade said with a small smile as he unlocked the door and motioned me inside. The little shop was dark and I heard him shuffle around next to me for a few awkward moments. At one point, I felt him brush up against me.

"Heh...sorry. I just can't find the switch without my magic." he babbled in embarrsasment. I swallowed and slowy began to search the wall for a light switch or something we could see with. I could hear him stumbling around and grumbling profanities under his breath as he tripped over some items.

"Hey. I think I got it." he whooped in the dark before I heard him touch something. Nothing happened and he gave a groan of frustration.

"Forget it! Let's get out of here so we can get upstairs and get a lantern or a candle." he snorted with disgust. The room went quiet as we both realized we forgot where the door was.

"Are you fricking kidding me?! That's it. I'm using my magic!" he muttered angrily before I heard his grunts of effort. I contemplated telling him how bad that could be for his health but his horn actually started to glow. It was barely any light but it illuminated his face...which was mere inches from my own.

He had his eyes squeezed shut as he continued to focus on his horn. He took a step forward, obviously not knowing I was standing in front of him. I gulped as his muzzle bumped my own, causing his green eyes to flutter open in the shock of touching me.

Neither one of us said a word as we just stood there, locked in complete embarrassment. I could feel my cheeks burning as I saw his own turning red. My mouth opened to say something but closed as I noticed his eyes trace my lips. We both could have taken a step back but we didn't, and continued to just stand there.

I heard Blade gulp as his horn started to flicker and give out. He closed his eyes and opened the door with his weak magic before giving a sigh of relief.

"I think it's time to get out of here."

* * * *

Awkward, uncomfortable, and embarrassed didn't come close to describe how I felt about what had happened in the shop. I knew I should have kept a distance away from him at that point but he seemed just as embarrassed as me. Did he actually think about kis- NOT THINKING ABOUT IT!

"I-it's this way. Up the st-stairs." Blade stammered as he opened a small back door to the shop, located in the alley way. I swallowed as I realized it was an extremely dark and narrow staircase that I really didn't want to go up.

"I can go up first, if you want?" he countered, obviously seeing how I felt about it.

"Nah. Ah can do it." I snorted in frustration. Why did everypony think I was so defenseless and weak? I took the stairs with relative ease before the darkness started to get to me. I jumped as I felt something brush up against my hind leg.

"Hey...relax. It's just me. There's a door in front of you that I need to unlock." he murmured quietly before brushing up against me to get to the door. A second later the door swung open and a smug looking Blade stood next to me. I rolled my eyes and entered the apartment like room.

"This is it. My humble abode. Well...I share it with my sister so I guess it's ours." he said with a smile. Surprisingly enough the place was lit by a small lantern in the center of the room. Blade trotted up to it and snatched a piece of paper attached to it.

"Blade,

Carpenter gave me a whole saddlebag full of messages to deliver to Dodge Junction so I won't be home until tomorrow evening. Puzzlemint gave me a couple apple pies that weren't selling at the bakery today, so you can have them. They're on the counter and I hope you enjoy the special crust I took all day making. Don't get into any mischief while I'm gone or I will destroy you when I get back. I love you, Blade.

-Kickstar

P.S. I saw you running off with that mare. You'd better not!"

"Well. That certainly sounds like Kickstar to me." Blade gave a small smile and a sigh as he crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash bin. I found myself blushing at the assumption made by his sister. I would never do something lik-NOT THINKING ABOUT IT!

"We should probably be getting you that map now."

Sunsets

I had to admit that the apartment like room was actually very cozy and just a little small. There were two couches that faced each other with a large black coffee table separating them. Full alcoves and nooks lined the walls along with two large bay windows. A modest little kitchenette with a stove, an island, a few cabinets, and sink, were on the far right near the corner. One small little door to left of the kitchenette was what I guessed to be a hallway.

"Wait a second! Kickstar always has a box of maps for when she's taking those messages to little towns just outside of here. I think it's in this box." he said with his signature little smile before snatching a cardboard box from a nook and emptying it's contents on the sleek coffee table.

"That's a whole lotta maps, Blade." I said in awe as the load spilled off the table and onto the floor. It was practically a mountain of paper, ink, and words, but Blade still seemed very confident.

"It'll more than likely be on the top since she uses it a ton." he said with his regular optimism. We started looking through the maps and putting any that didn't seemed to make any sense back into the box. Blade looked at me with a puzzled look before he opened his mouth to speak.

"You're not actually sixteen and a half are you?" He said with an upraised brow and a small look of interest. I shook my head and continued to look through the maps as if they were the most precious things in all of Equestria. I really didn't want to get into the subject of age since I had just been called a "toddler" not a few minutes ago. Blade did not take the hint at all.

"How old are you then? Fifteen...fourteen...twelve?" he said with even more curiosity. I could feel his gaze being held firmly on me as I fidgeted uncomfortably in my seat. I really didn't want to answer but I guess I had to.

"Ahm fifteen but...in a three months I'll be sixteen. How old are you?" I whispered quietly but continued to look through the papers. Blade gave a chuckle but seemed more amused than disgusted.

"I just turned sixteen about three weeks ago. I knew you were lying but thanks for trying to stick up for me. I just really hate Thunder Flare." he stated calmly but I could hear his emotion bubbling up from inside him. I knew I shouldn't ask but I was so curious I found myself doing it anyway.

"Why do ya hate him? He didn't seem ta wanna hurt ya or anything." I asked uneasily of how he'd respond. Blade seemed to regard me for a second before blowing his floppy mane out of his eyes with a quick puff of air.

"The guy's a jerk. He'll steal your friends, family, and stuff, then he'll act like he owns you. It makes me sick just thinking about it!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "I was just glad Kickstar was able to see what he was doing before it was too late."

"What happened?" I asked with interest. Blade seemed very reluctant to tell me but I looked him in the eye and he finally broke.

"When he started dating Kick he seemed nice but...then he started pushing it. He would insult me from time to time as well as push me around. I told Kick he was was a bully but she kinda just brushed it off as if I were jealous." he murmured. Just telling me all this showed it was opening some of his old wounds.

"That's when he started stealing from our shop. It was small stuff at first but then it got bigger and more valuable. I tried telling Kick again but she gave me a cold-shoulder and told me to stop being so jealous of the attention she was getting. I might have just ignored it if he hadn't started messing with my life." he growled, seething at the teeth. I didn't blame him so far, it sounded like a really bad position to be in.

"He started hanging around my best friends and slowly turned them into jerks like him. My friend Razor Sharp started bullying me and so did my galpal Fizzle Driz. I don't know how he manipulated them but they made my life a living hell until I got Thunder pissed." he snorted in outrage. I could only imagine how it felt to have your friends and family turn against you.

"They beat me up...like really bad. Tendercare had to burn out her magic five times trying to heal me up because it was that bad. Kickstar immediately dumped Thunder when she realized I had been telling the truth. Now she and the shop are all I have, except for the few enemies I gained." he whimpered, obviously still shaken about the whole thing. I didn't blame him at all.

"I'm sorry. I'm just dragging you into my problems now." Blade whimpered while fumbling with the papers to avoid my eye contact. No wonder he had been so eager to spend time with me. He didn't have anypony else to talk to.

"Don't be. Those ponies are complete foals if they don't see how great of a pony you are. Ah haven't even been in Appleloosa for a whole day and yet yer the friendliest pony I've ever met so far." I gushed, much to Blade's dismay. He sat there blushing and looking through the papers as vigorously as I had before except he seemed much more humiliated.

"Er...I...th-thank you Applebloom. That m-means a lot to me." he babbled as he tore throught the moutain of papers. In a few seconds there was only one map on the table. "Heh. It looks like we found it."

* * * *

"What's this place called so I can look it up real quick for ya." Blade said with another one of his sure little smiles. I found myself hesitant to tell him after what Tendercare and Applejack said but...he didn't even know him.

"Braeburn's farm." I said quietly. Blade's smile dropped and his mouth hung open in pure disbelief. His green irises shrunk down to pinpricks as his ears plastered back against his head. He shook his head slowly in doubt before he spoke.

"I CAN'T LET YOU GO THERE!!!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. I shrunk back in fear as he continued to look at me like I was a leper. "I can't! That place dangerous."

"No it ain't! Mah cousin Braeburn is perfectly fine no matter what anypony says!" I snorted in frustration. I could feel tears forming in my eyes because I was just so fed up with ponies doubting him. He wasn't dangerous! He was my family.

"Applebloom..." Blade whimpered, pushing up his bangs so that I could get a good view of the base of his horn. "Braeburn did this to me."

It was bloody, bruised, and almost shattered. How he was able to do any magic was beyond me. I could feel myself gaping at the wound that my cousin had supposedly caused. There was no way in Equestria that my cousin could have caused that but...Blade wouldn't lie to me. Would he?

"I'm sorry Applebloom but it happened yesterday when I was giving him some old pies the bakery wasn't going to sell. It was my fault since I criticized his drinking habits and well...this happened." he muttered while wiping something away from his eyes. I could feel my jaw drop to the floor when I realized he had been wearing makeup.

"Is it really that noticeable?" he said with a sigh. The dark bags I had originally thought were shiners...actually were shiners. "I'm just glad Kick had some makeup for me to borrow. I really didn't want to look like a freak today."

I swallowed and looked at the beaten young buck. On one hoof I wanted to believe my cousin was a belligerent, angry, drunkard. On the other hoof...I wanted to believe he was still a humble apple farmer. What was I supposed to believe?

"I can't let you go there. You can stay here for the night if you'd like." he offered quietly. I wasn't sure how to feel at that point. An injured young buck I barely knew would rather I stay at his house than go to my cousin's for fear of my own safety. How could somepony like him be so...selfless?

"Ahm sorry Blade but...ah really gotta get home. Ah really appreciate that ya care about me but ah need to go." I murmured, not meeting his expectant gaze. I knew he was scared for me, especially by the way he was squirming in his seat.

"It's not that ah-" was all I could say before my stomach gave a low hideous growl. I looked up to Blade who was stifling his laughter with a hoof as my cheeks burned. Blade snickered and burst out into unfiltered mirth. I rolled my eyes as he recovered and looked at me with amusement.

"If you want we could split those pies Kick said I could have. I certainly won't be able to eat them alone. Then if you want...I could walk you to Braeburn's farm. I would feel terrible if anything were to happen and I could do something about it." he said with a sheepish smile. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take him up on his offer but if he really cared...

"Alright Blade, but ah promise ya nothing bad will happen." I said with a sly wink. Blade blushed slightly and ran off to the kitchenette to get the pastries. I chuckled at how uncomfortable he had gotten in less than a few seconds.

Maybe Appleloosa wasn't that bad after all.

* * * *

"Woah. That's beautiful." I gasped as I looked out the one of the bay windows. We were pretty much done eating but the sunset had really gotten my attention. The cushions on the windowsill were very comfortable and I found myself growing sleepy but I knew I couldn't stay with Blade no matter how much I wanted to.

"I know right. Usually Kick and I sit here every afternoon to watch the sunset but I'm glad I have somepony new to watch it with." he said with a small smile while his eyes never left the pastel beauty before us. We just sat there and watched as the colors dipped below the horizon leaving the room instantly dark and cold.

"Sorry. I guess I forgot to tell you about how cold it gets here." he said with a awkward chuckle. Maybe it was just me but I thought I could see his breath in the air. "Let me get something really quick."

A few minutes later he appeared with a lantern and two jackets draped across his back. One looked black while the other was an unmistakable red. Blade put the two jackets down on the windowsill along with the lantern and gave me a smile.

"Here you can have this one. One of Kickstar's old boyfriends bought it for her and it was too small. I actually want to see it go." he smirked while helping me put the red one on. It was very comfortable and warm, not to mention it had a hood! "You look nice in it. It's called a peacoat."

I twirled in my new jacket because I found myself really liking it. In Ponyville we never needed clothes because the weather was controlled, but they were certainly needed in Appleloosa. I admired the dark crimson color that didn't clash with my vibrant red mane and gave Blade a grateful smile. He was already in his own black jacket.

"Thank you so much Blade! Nopony's ever given me something like this before!" I squealed as I wrapped my forelegs around his neck in excitement. I had never thought I'd be so happy about clothes before but I was certainly jumping for joy!

Blade stood there for a second before his cheeks turned even redder than my mane and coat combined. I chuckled as I took in the features of the black one he was wearing. It looked sleek and yet large for his frame. It was mostly black but had strips of gray around the collar, shoulders, and forelegs. I thought he looked very handsome in it.

"This? This is called a soft shell jacket and it's my favorite." he gushed while making sure it was zipped up. "You ready to go Applebloom?"

"Eeyup."

* * * *

The trail leading to Braeburn's farm was barren and a little bit spooky. If Blade hadn't been there with a small lantern in his teeth I probably would have run the whole way and gotten lost in the apple trees surrounding us. Let's just say I stayed close at all times.

Our breaths rattled as we caught sight of the little shack illuminated by a few lanterns hanging on the outside. I felt Blade tensing up as we reached the doorstep. I wanted to say something...anything to calm him down but I didn't know what to.

"Erm....ah guess this is goodbye. Maybe I'll visit ya tommorow if ah don't have anything else planned." I flushed slightly while shuffling my hooves. He was my first actual friend since Scoots and Sweetie went off on their own, not to mention he had shown me kindness I never thought anypony besides my family could show.

Was I actually going to leave him on the doorstep when he single hoofedly helped me feel at home in a strange new place? Not to mention I felt I owed him something for the wonderful day I had experienced...even if there were a few rough spots.

His ears flattened back against his head as he gave a small defeated nod and began to walk away. There was no way in Equestria I was just going to let him walk down the dirt trail and out of my life. Whether I wanted to or not...he was my friend and I was going to play that part.

"Wait, Blade!" I called as he continued to trot into the night. "I'll visit ya tommorow if it's the last thing ah do!"

Even in the dark I could see the grin on his muzzle as he reared up on his hind legs. I chuckled as he gave a dramatic flip of his mane before galloping down the road. What a ham!

Whiskey

I knew I should have knocked but I couldn't help but bound through the doors of the little shack. I had just had one of the best days in my entire life and I was going to see the pony responsible for it AGAIN! Why wouldn't I be excited?

I continued to trot happily through the living room until I heard an unfamiliar 'click'. My head turned in the direction of the odd noise only to find a disturbing scene right before my eyes. I couldn't believe Tendercare, Applejack, and Blade were right.

Braeburn was standing on his hind legs while holding what I presumed to be a loaded shotgun. His golden blonde mane was a matted filthy mess while his yellow coat was covered in purple bruises. The vibrant green eyes I remembered to be so determined were bloodshot and happened to be twitching. The smell of alcohol was so overbearing I actually started to scrunch my nose and back away.

"Who are ya and whaddya want?" Braeburn slurred as he pushed the tip of the gun against my muzzle. I gulped and looked into the dark beryl eyes of a complete stranger. The pony before me wasn't the happy go lucky buck that I remembered and wanted to see.

"B-b-braeburn...I-it's me...Applebloom! Didn't Applejack s-s-send ya a letter ah was comin ta visit y-ya?" I stammered as I looked right down the barrel of the weapon. Blade was right, Braeburn was dangerous and now I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through the night without getting my head blown off. If he was willing to beat up my friend that had meant him no harm, would he shoot me too?

"Applebloom?" the buck slurred again but this time he seemed a bit confused, I gave a small nod but kept my eyes trained on the weapon. Braeburn threw the gun onto a ratty old couch and gave a snort of aggravation.

"Next time knock, will ya? I might just blow ya hooves off if ya don't!" he growled indifferently while plopping onto the couch himself. There was a half empty bottle of whisky on the floor which he began to guzzle down. To my horror, he threw the empty bottle into a pile of empty ones behind the couch and pulled the stetson laying next to him over his eyes.

For the longest time I didn't say a word, I just took in the place I was. The little shack I had remembered to be clean, kept, and maintained was now run down and discarded. Floorboards creaked, the place smelled of whiskey, and a good layer of dust covered all the stuff Braeburn didn't touch. The dirty old couch had stains along with the coffee table who was filled with empty whiskey bottles. Even though the place was a mess, I was repulsed by the sight of Braeburn even more.

I wasn't sure how to feel at that point. I had always been so sure that everything was exactly how I thought it to be. Now it wasn't and I felt betrayed, like somepony had stolen something from me. I was angry and bitter towards Braeburn, too. How could he just throw his life away to alcohol and Celestia-knows-what.

"Braeburn? What happened to ya?" I asked quietly, trying to hide my growing animosity towards him. I really hated the fact he had let himself go like that. Not even with a fight.

"Ah got better cousin, that's what happened. When mah daddy died I was so depressed ah thought about killing myself but...then ah met whiskey, and everything got better." he chuckled while flailing all hooves in the air like a foal. I could feel my eyes tearing up from the disappointment burning inside me.

"Why are ya doin' this ta yerself Brae? Yer killing yerself trying to drink away the pain. Why?" I whimpered, looking at the drunk stallion. I could see he was hurting inside from what he had gone through but was masking it with alcohol. I shuddered at the thought of him even touching Blade. Would he beat him up again if he saw him here on the farm?

"Cuz the pain ain't never gonna go away. The only thing that makes me feel better is apples, applebucking, and whiskey. Now don't ya start talking about Little Stronheart either! That buffalo has got ta learn herself some manners, and maybe you should too!" he snarled from beneath his hat. I found that triggering all the rage I had in my body.

"Now you listen here! Ah don't know what happened between you and Lil' Strongheart but ah know what happened between you and mah new friend Steel Blade. Now yer gonna tell me what happened and ahm gonna listen!" I snorted in anger as I stomped a hoof for emphasis. Braeburn just looked at me with amusement before his eyes disappeared behind his hat.

"What are you gonna do about it Applebloom? I'm not telling ya nothin'." he gloated with a sure little smile that showed no mirth like Blade's. I wanted to buck him into next week but my eye spotted the shotgun next to him.

I trotted up to the couch and gave him a good look. The smell of dirt, apples, booze, and something else filled my nose and made me reconsider what I was about to do. I needed to do it though...for me, for Braeburn, and for Blade.

In a quick second I snatched the gun out from beside him. He sat up and gave me a wide eyed look of shock when he realized it was pointed straight at his muzzle. I gave a small little smirk before putting my hoof on the trigger.

"You'd better spew."

* * * *

"Little Strongheart? She's a buffalo, and buffalo always have stuff ta do. Even when she did visit me here she hated it. Maybe cuz I smell so much like whiskey. Whatever her problem, she hasn't come back since, and I say good riddance!" he snorted, falling back down on the couch while crossing his forehooves behind his head.

I didn't have to be the smartest pony in Equestria to see that had taken a real toll on Braeburn. The only friend he had left, abandoned him when he needed it most and now he was stuck alone. I could only imagine how he felt.

"Yer friend Blade? Oh, that lil' thug I saw loitering around mah farm last night! Yeah, I had ta show him a thing or two before he dropped some stuff and ran home ta his momma. He wouldn't be the first one I had ta do that to either. All them lil' punks think they own this place and I gotta put em' in line." he bragged while giving me a chilling grin.

I felt anger flowing throughout me again, turning into an inferno. I wanted to maul Braeburn to death and feel no remorse at that point. How could he do something like that to somepony so kind? What had he done to Strongheart to make her run off? I shivered at the thought.

"Yer a monster Braeburn! A dirty, filthy monster that doesn't deserve anypony! But ahm family and ah have to see past all that. Ahm gonna help ya Brae, whether ya want it or not." I sobbed quietly. I didn't really want to but Braeburn was the only family I had at that point and he needed it so badly. I needed to do it, there was no other way.

"Get up Braeburn! Ah said get up!"I shouted at the buck who just lay there unmoved. I growled at him again but he didn't move an inch. Even more anger started to form, along with the frustration I had been building up for years. I was so tired of it all.

"GET UP!!! GET UP!!!" I screamed harder than before. He showed no indifference and just continued to lay there. All of my life I had pretty much been told what I needed to do, nopony ever really seemed to care about what I wanted. Now I was going to get it...or I was going to beat it out of him.

"GET UP OR AH SWEAR AHM GONNA BEAT YA TILL YA DO!!!" I screamed again, this time with more force. He just continued to lay there, undeterred and unmoved. This time I didn't scream or cry, this time I brought the shotgun down on top of his head with a 'thunk'.

Braeburn didn't groan, move, or even shield his head from another blow and another one, I started to direct the blows to his stomach, chest, and arms. Once again, he didn't move and I found myself dropping the weapon to the ground before falling there next to it.

"Why won't ya save yerself Brae? You can do it ah know but...why don't ya?" I sobbed into my hooves. Why couldn't he just get off the couch and put his life back together? It would be so easy too, so why didn't he just do it?

"Cuz it's hard Applebloom. I'd love ta change, and have Strongheart and you and Applejack be here for me...but yer not. I try to do it on my own but...it's too hard. Everything hurts, and it hurts more cuz I have nopony to help me. Now that you're here, ya can help me right?" he whimpered from the couch, his eyes seemed to be on the verge of tears. I just sniffed and buried my face into my hooves. Braeburn's face dropped and his ears flattened back against his head.

"Ah figured. Of all the ponies who came ta visit, yer the only one who seemed to wanna help. Ah understand." he whimpered again, this time hiding his face in his hat. I uncovered my eyes when I heard sniffling from behind the stetson. Was Braeburn crying?

I came closer to the sobbing buck, careful not to touch him. His weeping became more intense with every passing moment and made my heart ache for him. Did he really deserve to be thought of as a monster when he was hurting worse than others? Braeburn looked up with his sad green eyes and for a moment...I saw Applejack laying there.

"First mah momma, then mah daddy, now mah friends and family, and next will be the whole town. Ah-ah can't....it hurts and...they're all gone and turned against me. What ahm ah supposed ta do?" Braeburn sobbed as I wrapped my forelegs around his neck in a tight embrace.

"Ah don't know Braeburn but...ahm gonna help ya. Yer family." I whimpered as tears of my own fell down my cheeks. The events of the day slowly started to wear on me as my eyes closed for the final time that night.

The rest of Equestria might have seen him as a monster...but to me...he was still Braeburn Apple.

* * * *

I woke up the next morning to the smell of bleach, lemon, and...something familiar. My eyes shot open at the smell of apples, cinnamon, and something unfamiliar. My lethargic body sat up on the couch and gave a good long sniff.

"Apple Pie?" I mumbled raspily as my mouth came to a realization before my brain could. I could feel myself smiling as I stepped of the not-so-ratty couch. Wait...not-so-ratty?

My half-lidded eyes scanned the room that had been an utter mess the night before. Now it was somewhat cleaner without the dust and whiskey bottles. I smiled again as I spied a small, ripped note with scrawly hoofwriting.

Applebloom,

After you fell asleep I felt like fixing up a bit. I ate some of that pie your friend brought me and it actually tasted pretty good. Do you think you could get me some more? Cuz I feel really hungover right now. Some fresh water would be nice too.

-Braeburn

P.S. I'll be in my room if you need me. I'm sure you won't.

I smiled at the note before I slipped it into my...wait. Where were my saddlebags...and Pea Coat?! I looked everywhere for them, including behind the couch. They weren't there but neither was the mountain of empty alcohol bottles.

Oh well. I put the note back on the table and gave a sigh. With that, I was off to see my best friend...and run some errands for Braeburn.

My Mattress

"The bakery is this way. C'mon!" Blade grinned like a mad mare. He was so happy he was practically dancing on his hooves (which I found some what amusing). I still had no idea why he was so happy for me to meet his sibling. It didn't seem to be that big of a deal.

"Oww." I whimpered as my hoof stubbed into something metal and caused me to go sprawling on my muzzle. Blade snickered at my state but eventually helped me up. "Watch where ya drag me. I almost wound up breakin' a leg on a... rusty old horseshoe?"

The two of us looked down to my sore hoof, and sure enough we saw the old thing just sitting there on the pavement. Blade just gave a small groan and I gave a nicker response. I was kind of tired of finding the stupid things but picked it up out of habit anyway. I was going to give that mare a piece of my mind when met her!

"C'mon! I want you to meet her before she goes on her break." Blade huffed with a hint of annoyance. I wasn't exactly sure why he felt that way but I was still going to go meet his sister. With an uncomfortable yank of my hoof, the two of us were trotting down the street to the bakery.

* * * *

"She'll be in here. Go on in!" Blade said in his regular cheery voice. With that he swung open the door with a slight jingle and closed it behind me. The place was pretty much empty for a small bakery, and certainly had nothing on Sugarcube Corner.

It was pretty plain to be honest. There were dark wood chairs and tables with green decorative marks. The cash register and pastry windows were a bit on the small side but they did their job. The whole room smelt like coffee, sugar, and cake. Which made it all the more enticing since it reminded me of home.

"I need to go get her so you can meet her. I'll be right back. Don't move a muscle." he smiled, before running through a set of doors labeled 'employees only'. I wasn't exactly sure how to feel about the whole...thing. Meeting Blade's sister would be nice but I also didn't want to screw things up. Not to mention my trust meter with Blade was teetering on zero.

I waited for a good moment before I could hear the door opening behind me with a soft jingle. I turned to look at the pony behind me to see it was...Braeburn? I thought he had a terrible hangover. I knew he went to Tendercare's...but I expected him to be home.

"Braeburn? What in the hay are you doin' here? I thought you had a hangover?" I queried with concern. The yellow buck just gave me a small smile and took off his signature hat. I was pleased to see that he was also wearing his brown vest and they were both reasonably clean.

"Uhh...well I...uh. Let's just say ah have a few apologies to give. Especially one to yer friend even though ah don't rightly know if he won't hate me anymore." he whispered quietly. His gaze was kept firmly on the floor and...was that a blush on his cheeks? Was Braeburn embarrassed?

"Okay. Now Applebloom, I'd like you to meet my sister Kickstar." Blade said with a positive little smile before his gaze met Braeburn's. His irises contracted to pinpricks and his ears flattened back against his head in fear. I could feel both Braeburn and Blade tense up when Blade took a step back.

"Alright Blade. Now where's that lil' cutie you talk SO much about." a familiar feminine voice drawled. I looked into the direction it had come from and gave a gasp. I knew that earthy highlighted mane, those cold yet assertive green eyes, and the tan coat that could have rivaled dark sand. It was the mysterious mare from the train station! She stopped in her tracks and gave a pleasant little smile to me.

"Well...isn't it that nice lil' filly from the train station! It's a pleasure ta meetcha! Blade has told me so much about ya." she beamed. I shook her strong hoof and she roped me in for a hug. "Anypony who's a friend a Blade is a friend a mine!"

"Wait a moment," she said looking at Braeburn who seemed frozen in place. Her expression hardened instanly as she took a step towards him. "Yer the buck that beat up my lil' brother! I outta shove my hooves so far up yer-"

"WAIT!!! Before you do something...h-he's actually here to apologize. T-tell em Brae." I whimpered. Blade was still frozen in fear and Braeburn seemed stunned. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first.

"A-ah understand if ya don't accept mah apology b-but ahm truly sorry Blade and miss Kickstar. Ah really am." he whimpered. His downcast eyes showed nothing but shame and heartbreak. Kick's expression turned grim when she caught a glance at her little brother still frozen in complete fear.

"I'll do anything ah can to make it up to ya! Ahm tryin' ta change and it'll take a bit a time but...ah promise it will never happen again." he whimpered sincerely. Blade's ears perked up a bit but were immediately pushed back against his head. Any fear he had was washed away into an expression of pure hatred and anger. In fact, his horn began to glow and give off dangerous looking green sparks.

"You beat me up, completely TRASH my horn, leave me to die, and then THINK it's okay to come and give me some half-assed apology I know you would never give me. The only reason you're here is because Applebloom forced you to come here, didn't she!?" he snarled. Magic started to swirl around his horn and glow in his eyes as he stepped closer to a shaking Braeburn.

"Blade. NO!" I shrieked. Jumping in front of Braeburn and looking straight into Blade's glowing green eyes. "Don't! He's mah family and ah promise I didn't make him come here. In fact he went to Tendercare and promised he wouldn't hurt anypony anymore! Please don't use yer magic on him!"

Blade's eyes and horn stopped fizzling with magic and he grit his teeth in pain. Kickstar whimpered and helped her brother get to a chair before his nose started to bleed. Braeburn offered him a handkerchief but Blade waved the whole thing off.

"Fine. If you lay a hoof on Applebloom, my sister, or anypony else, there will be severe hell to pay. And I won't be the only pony there willing to give it to you!" he hissed through a mouthful of his own blood. I felt my ears flatten back against my head as his gaze shifted to mine. I really didn't trust him but...we'd have to talk about that later.

"Ah couldn't find anything else but some napkins. You really gotta be more careful Blade! Another one of these and you might just burn yerself out for good." Kick whimpered again, holding the tissues to her sibling's bleeding nose. Blade's angry expression completely dropped at his sister's words.

"I know sis...I just get so stressed out. One of Thunder's thugs came in and tried to buy the charm today. When I told him 'no'...he threatened to burn the place down. Of course I ran him off, but I think they're gonna start using force to try and get it." Blade whispered. Judging by the catch in his voice I suspected this was certainly not a good thing.

"Why do they want it? They're not even unicorns so they can't use it." I mused, tilting my head to add more emphasis to my confusion. Blade just gave a throaty sigh and pushed his head back to further stop the bleeding.

"From what I understand, you don't need to be a unicorn to use it's power. But this charm feels...different...from any other charm I've seen. Maybe you don't need to have a horn to use it, but I know it's full of dark energy. It feels wrong to look at it...or even touch it. Maybe it's just me." he thought quietly. I wasn't exactly sure if he wanted any of us to know that information, but he continued to hold his head back.

"You're right. When ah looked at it ah wanted to touch it. Maybe there's some kind of...attraction to it? That must be why Thunder and his thugs want it so badly. What if it doesn't even have a power?" I thought aloud.

"Hmm....well? Wait a sec! Applebloom, you felt that strange pulling sensation too?" he asked with expectant eyes. I gave a nod and looked to an utterly confused Braeburn for some kind comfort. Something told me that whatever idea that was coming to Blade wasn't a good one.

"Kickstar, did you feel any kind of pulling sensation to the charm when you looked at it?" he asked his sibling. She gave a fervent shake of her head and looked at me with the same confusion. I gave a shrug and looked back to thinking Blade.

"Hmm...I know!" Blade looked to Braeburn and narrowed his verdant eyes. "I don't really trust you but...if this works out I might have some kind of idea on what's going on with that thing." he stated with suspicion. With that he motioned us all to the door even though a protesting Kick told him to stay in his chair.

"Look. I might actually know what's going on with this stupid necklace that's ruined my life from the beginning! I might actually find out what it can do and what I was meant for. Isn't it exciting?!" Blade said with pure elation. Kick gave a grim little smile before following her little brother out the door.

"He's so worried about that thing I think he's obsessed." Kickstar whispered in a despondent tone. I didn't blame her since Blade's antics were really starting to creep me out too.

"Well c'mon. We don't have all day." Blade announced with a devil-may-care smile. I shuddered and continued to follow him down the street with Braeburn and Kickstar at my hip. I really didn't like how the whole thing was going down.

* * * *

We entered the little shop and as soon as we did I felt the strange pulling sensation to the charm once again. I whimpered and tried with all my will to look away but lost it and gazed in it's direction. The cool hypnotizing color melted with my thoughts and urged my body to move towards it. I complied and focused all of my attention to the charm and the world faded away momentarily, leaving only me and the whispering pendant.

Come to me for your destiny young child. I will craft you with the finest guild. Leave your troubles behind. Join me...

"APPLEBLOOM!!!" screamed a trio of familiar voices. I opened my eyes and found myself face to face with deep clouded azure charm in the shape of a scorpion. It was glowing faintly in my hooves and the gold trim surrounding it glistened with pure beauty. I could hear it coaxing me to meld with it in it's entire glory and I wanted to obey. The thought of finding my permanent destiny was too much for me.

"NO! APPLEBLOOM!" shouted another familiar voice but it felt distorted. I pushed the large pendant around my neck and reached for the clasp only for it to be knocked to the floor. As if in slow motion my gaze pushed upwards to find the frightened eyes of Braeburn. In that chilling second I was ripped back into a disheartening reality.

A cold feeling washed over me and I found the edges of my vision going black. The familiar voices grew even more wry and distorted as I tried my hardest to cling onto any consciousness I had left. The only words I could hear were the fierce promises of the charm itself. Repeating and repeating until a warm glowing softness made them fade away.

* * * *

"H-hey. Ah think she's waking up." a feminine voice drawled sweetly. I murmured as I started to regain what little cautiousness I could muster. I swallowed hard and could taste the warm saliva that had pooled in my mouth while I slept. I grumbled quietly opened my mouth to tell them to 'shut up' but all that came out was a muffled whine.

"Thank Celestia! If AJ found out about this ah would be in for a good beating!" another voice exhaled with relief. This one sounded even more familiar than the last one and I was wondering who they belonged to.

"Great. I thought she was dead for a minute." another familiar voice sighed. This one was masculine but didn't have as much maturity behind it like the other two. I found myself liking the smooth yet light sound of his friendly voice. Even though the statement he had made was certainly alarming.

"What makes you think ahm dead? Ahm just tired." I grumbled. My lethargic body tried to sit up but fell onto something warm and meaty. I yawned and cuddled into the soft fuzz that covered the comfortable frame provided. My muzzle found a particularly comfy spot of down and settled into it like a pillow. "Mmm...comfy."

"Applebloom? You might want to open your eyes." The smooth voice squeaked, making my warm mattress hum with vibration. I shook my head and buried it even deeper into it's comforting, soft warmth. If I could've slept like that forever I would have.

"GET OFF OF ME APPLEBLOOM!" the voice bellowed. It wasn't out of anger though, it was something else. I opened my eyes to find my vision full of silver, green, and even more green. I was quite confused and sat up to see even more of the comfortable mattress I had been laying on.

To my disoriented surprise, I realized that my 'mattress' was actually Steel Blade. I sat up even more while pressing my hooves into his shoulders to get a better view of the room we were in. There were all sorts of scrap metal and devices that looked wickedly sharp enough to cut it and melt the stuff.

My vision started to go blurry but I shook my head hard to wake myself up. I looked behind me to find a little cot that had more than likely been my bedding before Blade. Blade? Oh yeah, I forgot I had been on top of him the whole time.

"Oops." I said sheepishly while looking over his horn and into his embarrassed green eyes. "It would help if you were to GET OFF OF ME!!!" he squeaked again, the bright red tinge of red on his cheeks made me smirk. A small amount of snickering was coming from a small desk near a door in the corner. Sitting in the desk's chairs were Braeburn and Kickstar with confusing looks of amusement on their muzzles. Why were they enjoying that?

It took me a moment to pull myself off of him but when I did I fell back onto the floor and rolled onto my back with a groan. Where did the headache come from, and why did I feel so...slooooow?

"Applebloom? Applebloom?" Blade asked but his voice was growing distorted again. I yawned and curled up into ball around his hoof that was trying to shake me up. "Nighty night, Bladey-wadey." I whispered before everything faded to black.

Death Bed

Everything was cloudy, but in a warm yet hazy sort of way. I could hear the soft clicking of hoofsteps through the mist and looked around to see where it was coming from. A large shadow appeared, causing me to step back from the rising dread in my chest.

"Do not fear me child for I am but a friend sent to help you." a rich yet effeminate voice cooed. I looked to my right and jumped a good few feet in the air. A young earthpony mare about my age was standing before me, almost shrouded in fog.

From what I could tell she had a light green coat with a long, magenta mane that reminded me of a water lily. Her eyes were an unmistakable amber with a small amount of gold and silver flecks in them, making her look almost...godly. Maybe it was just me but she seemed to be radiating a gentle yellow glow.

"How am ah a child when you're almost as old as me?!" I exclaimed, stomping a hoof in pure frustration. Why did everypony think they were better than me?! The young mare just gave a quiet little giggle before curling her lips up in a sympathetic little smile.

"I am centuries older than you, I just choose to be seen like this." she whispered. Her royal almost commanding voice seemed to calm the blow of knowing she was older than me by many years. Why was everypony older than me!?

"Age is not the problem here, the 'Scorpion's Charm' is. You were on the verge of being possessed by it and now you a suffering from magic withdrawal." she murmured with concern. Her golden/amber eyes seemed to glow in the mist.

"Magic withdrawal?" I whimpered, obviously not liking the sound of it.

"Of course my child. When you attempted to merge with the charm it stole most of your magic. The magic that you control to farm or even breathe. As of right now, you are slowly dying on a cot in your friend's blacksmith shop." she whispered. A jaw dropped to the floor, and it took me a good second to realize it was mine.

"AHM DYING! Ah need to get back to my body! What am ah doing here?" I screamed. I was now thoroughly frightened and didn't want anything to do with this mare or her crazy words. A quiet hush came over me and the misty place we were in almost like a spell.

"Shhhh." she cooed. "That is why I am here to help you my child."

"B-but h-how? What can you do to save me?" I whimpered. "Yer too old to even be alive!"

"That's certainly not a problem." she giggled. "I live within you."

"Wh-what?!" I gaped. My ears flattened back against my head in fear and confusion. How did she live inside me?!

"Shhhh." she cooed again. "I'm guessing you want a better explanation." she smiled. I gave a hard swallow and a nod before taking a step back from an almost blinding light. "Let me tell you about my life little Applebloom. It was certainly a complicated one."

"Is that actually how you looked when you were alive or...are you just trying to copy how ah look to make me feel more comfortable. Cuz it ain't working."I snorted, realizing that she looked a lot like yours truly, without the bow and same coat colors of course. Why hadn't I caught up on that sooner? Maybe the foggy mist stuff was messing with my brain.

"This is actually how I looked when I was among the living. It was quite tragic that I never made it to adulthood." she hushed. Somehow I wasn't freaked out at the fact that she had most likely been murdered. Anyways, I looked back up to the projection and began to take in the sights and sounds coming from it. It was like I was seeing the world through another pony's eyes; and I enjoyed it.

A set of images appeared on the projection-like screen in the mist accompanied with her smooth yet quiet narration. I found myself trying to reach out to the lifelike images but only to grab nothing but air. "You are a very curious child. One of the most curious I have seen in a long time." she giggled.

* * * *

"A long time ago there was a king who ruled over all of Equipt." she whispered. The screen was filled with statues and other sorts of ancient drawings of this 'king'. "His rule was a peaceful, much like your Princess Celestia."

"One day he visited the small, little village of Zaru. This village was my home from birth and would be until my death." A small picture of a desert town not unlike Appleloosa filled the mist screen. "I was completely alone, no family or money. I was an orphan, picking through the scraps and waste of the community."

"When he came, the town rejoiced and held parties for his presence. The strays such as myself watched from alleys and rooftops just to get a glimpse of our 'so called king', seeing as though he had never done anything for us." Another lifelike picture filled the screen. This one had ponies dancing in odd linen clothes while ragged young children watched with wistful eyes.

"One of the younger children accidentally pushed me off of the roof in an attempt to get a better view. I landed right on the king himself." she chuckled with amusement. The image changed to that of carvings in stone of what I presumed to be the mishap. I shoved my hooves in my mouth to muffle my giggling.

"Despite landing on top of him I was still severely injured. While most of the aristoponies wanted to throw me in an alleyway the king decided he would take care of me, at least for the night." This time a picture of a malnourished little filly, not much younger than myself, filled the screen. Behind her were the same linen clothed ponies seeming to decide her fate.

"He treated me to the lap of luxury, even though I greatly refused." A picture of the same filly filled the screen again, except this time she seemed cleaner and bit healthier. The table in front of her was filled with assorted food on platters which she pushed away with a hoof.

"He showed a serious concern for me, one that no pony had ever shown before. At the time I had no idea why he would waste his concern on a filthy street rat, but I would eventually learn to enjoy it." This one showed a portrait of some sort with the filly and a colt that had to be a couple years older than her. It was actually quite adorable.

"Instead of leaving and moving on to the next town to visit and pass through, he stayed. It was quite a significant decision on his part and I couldn't help but wonder why he would." Another picture suffused the screen, once again of the couple. This time the two were dancing except that the orphans were dancing with them.

"Since I had been an orphan I showed respect and love for them that others could not have imagined. All of the wealth I received from the king was given to the strays, and it felt good to give." Another picture of the filly entered the screen, and this time she was giving a bowl of food to a colt.

"One afternoon he asked for my hoof in marriage. Of course I said no seeing as though I was barely a mare." she snorted, obviously still a bit miffed even though centuries had passed. "I said that I would never leave my home no matter what he offered me. Do you know what he did?" she asked incredulously.

"No." I said quietly, while giving my head a curt shake.

"He built a castle right in the center of town!" Another picture popped up. This time of a very large and quite ornate looking structure. It may not have been Canterlot or The Crystal Empire but...it was certainly beautiful. "Not to mention he named it after me!"

"What is yer name? Ah never got it actually." I mused. The young mare just gave a small smile and another giggle. "Oh yes...silly me. My name is Heka Anippe...named after magic and the Nile itself."

"My husband named that structure 'Heka's Palace'. Quite personally I thought the place was ugly but then again...Khafre always had his ways of coaxing me into things." she mumbled quietly. Part of me wondered if she was just trying to kill me by taking so long with her story but...I was actually interested at this point.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not going to get you killed. We have all the time in the world." she giggled, much to my surprise. She could read my mind?! "Why of course I can read your mind dear child. I live inside you, remember?" My jaw dropped to the floor again and I had to pick it up.

"I almost forgot. Back to the story." she crooned. This time a colored picture showed up in the mist. It was of a strong looking unicorn stallion dressed in battle gear and ready for war. His coat was dark azure while his mane was a jet black. Hie eyes were unmistakably green and determined...like Applejack's.

"That is my husband....his name is Khafre Runihura, the destroyer and Pharaoh. While his name may have entitled destruction, his reign certainly did not. All of Equipt bowed to him and revered him to be their King and god." she boasted with pride. I couldn't take my eyes off the portrait since Khafre seemed so...familiar.

"A few years passed and we had a family. A wonderful...beautiful family. Until HE came along." she whimpered. There was a type of sadness and depravity in her voice, one that I had never heard before. Before I could ask a question another picture entered the screen. This one was of the filly, maybe a few years older than me and now a mare. She and Khafre were posing with their...SEVEN CHILDREN?!

"Yes. We had seven children. Two of them were twins." she chuckled with enjoyment. Once again, I felt my jaw drop to the floor but this time Heka closed it for me. "I loved them regardless."

"That one was Abasi Mosi, stern and our first born. He was set to rule over Equipt, just like his father." she smiled lovingly while pointing a hoof to a frowning unicorn colt. He had a light purple coat that reminded me of Twilight's and a light orange mane that reminded me of Big Mac's. His eyes were green like his father's.

"That one was Adio Manu, righteous and our second born. He was always trying his hardest to be better than his older brother and younger siblings. Not to mention he was the strongest of them all." she sighed, pointing a hoof to a larger yellow earthpony colt. His mane was dark gray color that reminded me of clay and his eyes looked just like Heka's.

"Now that one is Chione Basara, our third born, beautiful, and named after the Nile. She was indeed a lovely filly that enjoyed to dress in some of the most fashionable clothes, much to her father's dismay." she snickered, pointing to hoof to a pretty light blue unicorn in a frilly dress that reminded me of Tendercare. Except for the fact her mane was chartreuse green like Blade's coat and her eyes were just like her father's.

"The next one is Eshe Neyth, our fourth born and full of life. She was always the one to make me laugh and take care of all her siblings, no matter how bad they treated her. The odd one out I suppose." she said, pointing to a red earthpony filly with a wavy black mane. She seemed happy in the picture and was waving to the camera. Her eyes looked just like Heka's.

"This one is Femi Sagira, our fifth born, the littlest one, and the most loving one. She studied all types of medicine and cure-alls and even created a few. She was always picked on by her siblings though, since she was smallest." she sighed, pointing to a tiny, tiny little unicorn filly. She had a light pink coat with a blue-violet mane and tail. Her eyes were like her father's.

"This one is Kek Msrah, one of our sixth born, and named after darkness. He was quiet and very patient when it came to his older siblings. The only pony that seemed to really understand him was his twin...Keket." she uttered, pointing a hoof to a tan earthpony foal wrapped up in a blanket. From what I could see his mane was a dark, bloody crimson, along with his eyes. Didn't look much like 'the night', but certainly looked a lot like me.

Heka turned away from the screen, and judging by the way she was looking she didn't want to say anymore. "Who's that one? Keket?" I asked, pointing to the other foal wrapped up in her mother's arms. Why didn't she want to tell me about her?

"That was Keket Msrah, our youngest and sixth born. She too was named after the night and wore her title well. She was peaceful yet quiet and knew how to play with the minds of other ponies. For the longest time I had no idea she was using her royal stature to play with dark magics." she muttered, almost as if it were painful to say.

"How could she use magic if she's an earthpony?" I drawled. Heka still looked seriously upset but seemed to gain some composure at the question. "Much like your Zecora she used potions and brews along with scary dark substances to create magic. Her magic could have rivaled almost any powerful unicorn's if put to the test. If not stronger."

"But I digress. None of this would have happened if HE hadn't come along. He caused all of our problems and turned my own daughter against me!" she whimpered, close to tears. I wrapped a hoof around her but she pushed me away and gave an indignant snort.

"Do not try to share my burden, for it is mine and mine alone! But I can tell you about it, so let me begin again."she whimpered. Holding her head up high even though I could see the tears glistening in her eyes. She had to be strong to hold it together for centuries.

"Since Khafre was young when he took the throne...he was appointed an advisor who would give him guidance when it came to decisions. When his first loyal advisor died after many years of service...he appointed one of his childhood friends. This one's happened to be Tarik Usi, a warrior named after illusions. I should have know he traitor from the moment I met him." she scoffed. Another picture of a unicorn stallion filled the screen. This one was dark green with a white almost silvery mane and his eyes were a radiant, bubbly green...like Blade's.

"Everything went smoothly until one night Khafre was feeling more ill than a regular cold. Femi suggested he had been poisoned but of course nopony believed her. We should have." she sniffled. I wanted to hug her again but I didn't feel like being pushed away. "He died the next day and I could have done something to save him."

"We were all devastated, I took it quite hard. I wouldn't leave my room or talk to anypony. It was quite embarrassing to say the least. Not to mention Abasi had to take the throne much earlier than he should have." her voice was now shaking with grief and regret even though she maintained a calm demeanor.

"Then one day...it all just crumbled." she whimpered. Her calm demeanor was gone and replaced with a bereavement and despair. I felt for her even though I barely knew her. "I walked into the throne room to see...this."

A grainy, black and white picture flashed on the screen making me jump back from fright. When my eyes adjusted to the bright light coming from it I shuddered with disgust. Her three sons, Abasi, Adio, and Kek were lying dead on the floor with their four sisters shaking and crying in the corner. I wretched on the floor and whimpered at the gory sight all while begging Heka to take it away.

"It never gets any easier to see." she sobbed quietly. "Wh-who w-would do somethin' like that to yer foals?" I sniveled shakily. The young mare just sighed and changed the picture to a blank screen.

"At the time I had no idea. My girls were so traumatized they didn't talk about the...incident." Heka weeped. "It wasn't until Tarik was throned did I know he was responsible for it all."

"How did Tarik take the throne if he wasn't an heir?" I shuddered. Even though it was a dream I could still taste the bile in my mouth. "If there are no princes then the throne is automatically given to his advisers unless there is a queen. I was so distraught I had to step down from the throne to make sure our subjects wouldn't grow restless. Thus, me and my remaining children were thrown from power, making Tarik king."

"The only reason why we stayed in the castle was because Tarik had an interest with Keket and her magic. At first I thought they had an inappropriate relationship seeing that Tarik was twice her age but all he wanted was to rule Equipt with force." she muttered bitterly.

"He even went as far as to appoint her as his own advisor, which would ultimately turn her against her own family." Another picture flashed the screen this time of a mare that looked exactly like me. She was covered with what looked to be blood and was holding a knife in her teeth. I reared back and screamed as panic started to sink in. She looked so much like me!

"She started sacrificing ponies and all sorts of heinous acts I can't even describe, all under Tasrik's rule! It wasn't until she started going for her own sisters did I finally step in." This time a picture of the 'Scorpion's Charm' flashed onto the screen but this time it wasn't blue. I started to hyperventilate as even more panic struck in. This thing was killing me!

"I was able to use this talisman of sorts to get her under control but my spell was thwarted by Tarik and his power hungry ways. He knew my plan and was ready to kill me but it backfired." Heka growled. The charm turned the blue I had remembered and Heka hissed even more.

"Tarik's lethal magic and my own spell were absorbed by the charm and expelled to all in the room. Tarik and I were killed on contact while Keket soul was sucked into it the charm. From the events that have transpired I can tell you she's sentient and willing to do anything to posses another body." Heka stated grimly.

"Ah understand why she wants mah magic but how do ya 'live inside me'?" I queried. Heka gave a slow nod before opening her mouth to sigh. "You may not believe what I am about to say child." I just gave a shrug and looked at her expectantly.

"Well..." she sighed uneasily. "I don't know how. But when I was killed, pieces of my soul were attached to my daughter's. It made it possible to feel and see through their eyes, but I could'nt necessarily intervene with their lives. A part of my soul is passed down to each one of my descendants meaning you are related to me." I felt my jaw drop again but picked it up before any drool could come out.

"Yer related to me?! What about the rest of mah family like Braeburn and Applejack?!" I exclaimed with pure and utter astonishment. Heka just looked a little unhappy but gave me a nod. "Yes. They do have bloodline connected to me, but none of your family members are in any harm. Only you a can be possessed because Keket needs an almost perfect pony to posses. Not only are you blood of the Pharoahs, but you also look exactly like her." I felt my jaw drop once again but another question came to mind before I could say anything else.

"Yer attached to me too. Does that make ya mah conscious?" I gasped. Heka just shot me a look of sympathy but shook her head. "Not exactly child but I can somewhat influence your actions. I am merely attached to you. I am also here for when you need guidance but I there is one condition."

"Please, I'll do anything! I just wanna see mah sister again!" I whimpered feeling tears in my eyes. Just the thought of never seeing Appljack, Big Mac, Granny Smith, and even Winona made me sob. I fell on my haunches and buried my muzzle into my hooves trying to comfort myself. It wasn't until I felt a comforting hoof on my shoulder did I look up.

"All I need is access to your body. Let me take over when I need to so that I can keep you stable." she whispered nonchalantly. Something about her tone made me think twice about taking her offer but...she was a relative. Why would she ever want to hurt me?

"Y-yes! Ah just wanna see mah sis again!" I pleaded. "Very well my Applebloom. I can tell you are very willing." she smiled before planting a kiss on my fore head. The mist seemed to swirl around me before the ground gave beneath me and the world went black.

Midnight Conversations

Consciousness returned slowly, but everything looked blurry as if I were seeing through a shaky camera. I felt an incoherent moan pass through my lips as my body tried to move on it's own. Sound started to reach my ears too, but it seemed distorted like I was underwater.

"Apple-...-Bloom? C-....can you....can you hear...........me?" a voice spoke through the fuzziness that overwhelmed all my senses. I groaned again and felt my body flip around on the space I occupied. A sudden spike of pain shot through my shoulder as I dropped into an uncomfortable position.

Green had always been such a nice color to me. It was the color of apple trees and grass but this one was a softer shade. It could have easily passed for mint but chartreuse was a better name for it. I like that color green because it reminded me of Granny Smith's coat. Granny was always keen on hugs too. Hugs.

"Ahhh!" the voice shrieked, but I didn't care. I yawned and continued to hug Granny as more voices began to talk in the background. At the time I was too disoriented to understand what they were saying but I could still hear the conversation.

* * * *

"Ah know it's raining but ah think we should get her outta here. This place seems kinda dangerous."

"Well it's certainly not as dangerous as going outside. There is no way in Equestria ahm gonna let you take her all the way to yer farm. How about you two stay the night so when she actually wakes up you can get her home without any trouble."

"NO! I don't want you anywhere near my sister or even Applebloom!"

"Blade! Ahm sorry Braeburn but Blade doesn't understand how to 'forgive and forget". You two are welcome to stay here for the night."

"KICK!!!"

"Shut up Blade! Ahm sure you don't want Applebloom to get sick or DIE because you didn't want him in our apartment."

"Well...I...ugh! You just want him to stay because you think he's cute, don't you?!"

"Wh-what?! AH WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!! Like ah said...any friend of yers is a friend of mine. And ah wouldn't let one of my friends just walk out in the rain like this. Those Pegasai must WANT us to stay inside for a week if they're gonna have it rainin' this hard!"

"Nice save sis."

"Er...yeah. Braeburn, would ya mind helpin us pry Applebloom away from Blade. It looks like she's gonna choke him to death any second now."

"Sure."

I felt something strong yet surprisingly gentle wrap around my arms before the fuzzy scene before me faded away.

* * * *

The next fully intact memory of that night was like a switch had been flicked on in the back of my mind. Instead of slowly regaining consciousness, everything came to stunning clarity from the moment I opened my eyes. Maybe my senses had been heightened too because I felt like I was burning to death.

With a small labored sigh I sat up on the soft surface of a familiar couch. My first thoughts were about how I got there and yet I couldn't remember. My eyes narrowed slightly as I tried my hardest to recall the events prior to my wake up. All my brain could conjure was black holes where nothing belonged.

Just perfect.

A sudden rustle of movement caught my eye and caused me to jerk my head in the direction it had come from. Abrupt pain flared through my shoulders, spine, and neck, making me to wince and bite back a whimper. The rustling had stopped and it took a moment before my eyes adjusted to the almost pitch black darkness of the room.

To my surprise, the action had come from a sleeping Braeburn. To my amusement was laying face down in the cushions of another familiar couch. Familiar couch? I tried my hardest to take in my surroundings only to find it was...Blade's apartment?

My legs shook weakly as I stood up from the couch and took an experimental step. Thankfully, my heart didn't explode and I didn't fall on my face. Once again the burning sensation returned but it wasn't as strong as it had been before. It still felt like I had a severe fever though. Maybe a little water on my face would help.

I took a few steps toward the little kitchenette in the corner before my ears heard something odd. I turned towards the door I had originally presumed to be a bathroom was ajar and leading to a dark corridor. I really didn't want to go there but odd voices were talking along with...Blade's?!

Hoofsteps echoed quietly in the dark hallway but it was okay since they were mine. I knew curiosity wasn't the best thing to have at that point but I couldn't help my nature. Not to mention they got louder and clearer the closer I got to one of the doors.

"I-it's not her fault though! We shouldn't do this just because it's in her blood! It's wrong and...you can't make me do it!"one whispered loudly. It was familiar but it wasn't anypony I knew. The comment however, seemed very alarming.

"She's a threat to us and you know it! She was almost possessed by that charm! If it got into her hooves again I don't think we'd be able to stop either one of them. If Keket tempts her again Equestria as you know it will crumble. You don't have to kill her. It's just better that you scare of her out of town before Keket makes another attempt to possess her. I'm sorry Blade, but it's safer that way." another voice stated coldly. It was deeper than the other one's and I didn't trust it at all.

"I would do it too but...doing that to a pony is VILE! That could scar her for life, and what if anypony finds out about it? I would be put in jail or WORSE! She's a good pony and...I can't do that. It's too much to even think about." the voice whimpered again. Who were they talking about?

The of the large holes in my memory seemed to fill back into their places but in short snippets that would wink out if I concentrated too hard. I don't know how long I sat there just thinking to myself and recalling the memories until my head started to hurt. They were talking about me.

My heart began to pound in my chest when I realized Blade was the one talking to sompony that wanted me dead. I could still hear the voices talking among themselves as I tried to sneak away. The beginning of a whimper died in my throat causing the voices to stop abruptly.

The door swung open behind me causing me to yelp and run as fast as my legs could carry me. I felt something cold wrap around one of my hindlegs before I could reach the door and to safety. I opened my mouth to scream but it was silenced by a tendril of pure green magic that clamped my muzzle shut.

Be careful with him... Fizzle had told me. Why hadn't I listened to her in the first place? Why hadn't I just stayed home like Applejack told me to? What 'traumatizing' act would he perform on me until I Ieft Appleloosa for good and never came back? These were but a few of my thoughts as I was pulled down the hallway.

Tears started to prick at my eyes when I saw the door close behind me. My whole body kicked and thrashed as it went into 'fight or flight mode'. My heartbeat quickened, my lungs worked harder for air, and every muscle shook. A blow struck right across my face causing me to whimper and back away.

"Blade is weak. He can't do this...but I can." the deeper masculine voice growled. I looked up and expected to see a large stallion prepared to do what he had planned to me, but my assumptions were wrong. The pony I saw before me was Blade but...it wasn't him.

His mane looked whiter than the dingy silver I was used to seeing while his coat had turned a dark forest green. I looked into the cold, empty eyes of somepony I didn't recognize and covered my face in an attempt to hide from the stranger. That's when I realized who he was.

"Y-yer Tarik Usi aren't ya? Y-you want me gone s-so Keket can't destroy Equestria. Ah thought ya wanted to rule it for yourself though." my voice whimpered shakily. I instantly covered my mouth with a hoof and expected another blow.

"If I let Keket possess anypony with the royal blood line of the Pharaohs I would be dooming a land I wanted to prosper, but under MY rule. I will never be able to lead Equestria, even when I am in control of this child. Any opportunity I had died, when that botched spell 'killed' Heka and myself. Even now I am no longer one tenth of what I used to be." he scoffed bitterly.

"I know you hold the only active part of Heka's soul that can actually interfere with what I have planned. She loves her daughter too much to rid the earth of her existence, even when it would benefit us all." he griped. I could feel confusion etch across my face. If he was possessing Blade what happened to him?

"Pffft. Blade is fine. Ever since I was able to convince him to let me take control he's been getting used to the magic We have been able to conjure. That sword? All thanks to me. I also must thank your cousin for letting me have an opportunity to save his life." he boasted. I could feel all of the pieces click together in my head that I was up against a monster possessing Blade's body. If I hurt him...I hurt my friend.

"I haven't partaken in an act like this for thousands of years. At least not when I am in control of a body. If I were you I wouldn't move so as to make it less painful on your part." he grinned manically. I looked for any way out of my situation. I had no idea whatsoever on what he had planned for me but I knew I didn't want to find out.

"Not again. This is the third time this week." a feminine voice murmured quietly from the hallway. There was a quiet shuffle of hoofsteps outside the door along with a thin sliver of light coming from underneath it. A small groan came from in front of me once again pushing the situation at hoof back into my head.

"Wha-wha-" was all Blade could say before I pushed a hoof to his muzzle and signaled for him to be silent. Instead of Tarik's form I was glad to see Blade back as his old self and gave a small sigh. I was safe...at least for that point in time.

Blade shot me a look of pure confusion before horror etched it's way onto his face. He backed away and shook his head almost knocking over a shelf in the process. The hoofsteps grew louder and I heard a quiet knock at the door. Frightened, I jumped underneath the bed in an attempt to hide.

"Blade? Blade, are you awake? If ya are, ahm sorry for gettin' ya up so early. It..it uh, happened again and ah gotta get everything clean before Braeburn and Applebloom wake up." Kickstar whispered quietly before opening the door with an eerie creak. I found my body shivering as I saw her metal horseshoes glinting in the dim light. If she found me would I look like Blade after she was through?

"Sis? I...uh...heard you out there and I was wondering if you were okay. Don't be sad for waking me up either. You know how light of a sleeper I can be." Blade lied. While he may have chosen to lie about the events of what had just happened, he still seemed concerned. Kick on the otherhoof just looked severely ashamed; like me when I was too clumsy to do something right.

"I may never be able to make what happened better but you're safe here. I don't know what to says since I've never been through an experience like that," Blade said, glancing in my direction. "but I would never hurt you or anypony else like that. I-if you want...I could help you clean up."

"No! Ah-ah mean...no. I'm glad you're tryin' to comfort me b-but this was mah fault. I shouldn't have...ah never should've..." She whimpered before Blade wrapped his hooves around his sibling's neck. Despite her being years older Blade still towered over her. Another reason I felt uneasy around him.

"Ah'll be fine Blade. Ah just thought you should know since...you worry so much about me." she whimpered again, breaking out of Blade's hug. Blade nodded and looked at his sister with sad eyes and looked away. Kickstar planted a small kiss on his cheek, ruffled his hair, and left the room before another word could be exchanged.

Blade shut the door, slumped against the wall, and gave a tired little sigh. At that moment I didn't see the happy buck (or possessed demon he was hiding) I was so used to seeing. Instead, all I could see was an empty shell of a pony that had been faking his happiness the whole time. It had been a sugarcoated lie all the way down to the core.

"Why didn't ya tell me Blade? You knew the whole time!" I spat bitterly as I crawled out from under the bed. I was hurt, despite only knowing him for a few short days. How could he lie so much about so little?

"Applebloom. It's best if you get out now." he said smoothly, pressing his head up against the wall and looking upwards toward the ceiling. I scowled and walked up right to him before giving him a hard smack right across the face. Blade looked up at me in bewilderment before pressing a hoof to his tender cheek.

"Fine...ah will. Fizzle was right about you being a lyin' bastard! To think ah thought you were mah friend." I snarled before running out of the room. "Appleblom! Wait!" he called after me but I didn't listen. My hoofsteps and heartbeat resonated through the wood paneling as I ran to the front door and into a surprised Braeburn.

'Applebloom...what are you doing up this early? It's like two thirty or something." he mumbled groggily. I could hear Blade's hoofsteps growing close behind me so I did the only thing I could think of to get away from the monster.

"Applebloom? Applebloom?!" Braeburn called as I sidestepped him as barrelled out into the cool rain.

* * * *

I never wanted to go back, and I wasn't. I would have rather run until my heart gave out than to face Braeburn or Applejack, not to mention I was afraid. Afraid of Blade and what he could do to me without even knowing, afarid of Thunder and his crew who wanted the charm for some strang reason, and myself.

I was afraid of myself. I had given permission to one of my 'ancestors' to take over my body. Yeah I was feeling better but what if she turned out to be like Tarik and wanted to kill just to save her daughter. All while in my body!

I felt my hooves stop moving across the dusty terrain as my whole body seemed to go numb. All the strength I had before melted away leaving me standing there completely wet and exposed. I didn't want to feel or even be there at that point. I wanted to go home, curl up in bed, and sleep it all away until I couldn't feel it anymore.

"Well well well. Look at what we got here. Looks like the little filly's gotten her heart broken just the way I knew she would."

The Scorpion's Charm

The walk to Blade's little shop seemed to last forever, even though I knew the way. I guess you could say I was dying of anticipation to see my new friend or I was just really bored and craving something to do. Either way, I happily trotted through the door of the quaint little shop.

"Blade? Blade?!" I called as I trotted to the center of the room. It was larger than I had originally expected and full to the brim with artistry. I gasped as my eyes took in the sparkling beauty all around me.

The shop was a perfect square and had a turquoise rug with a large almost lifelike picture of a scorpion. The walls were covered in shelves and nooks filled with metal objects and swords skillfully made. I found myself in awe as my eyes spied something even more breathtaking than the rest. It was sitting on a shelf right behind the cash register in a protective case.

The necklace was a bright blue and black color that cast a sheen across my muzzle as I stared at it in reverence. It was big, at least twice as big as my hooves and was shaped like a lifelike scorpion. I jumped back when I thought I saw it snap it's pincers.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What in Equestria are you DOING?!" a familiar voice called. Frightened, I jumped back and was face to face with vibrant green eyes I instantly recognized. Except for the fact they were a bit angry instead of the usual optimism I was always happy to see.

"Applebloom?" Blade asked as his worried frown turned into a small smile and then a frown again. "Are you okay? Braeburn didn't hurt you did he? If so where?"

I blushed slightly as Blade began to poke and prod at my legs and back. At one point he even went for my ears. I yelped and covered them with my hooves, blushing severely.

"Oh yeah, I forgot Earthpony ears can be very sensitive." Blade chuckled as he helped me up off the floor. I felt extremely embarrassed and I wanted to keep quiet but I just had to ask.

"Um Blade? What's that?" I queried, pointing to the large necklace in it's protective case. Blade looked at it as it to say 'this one?' before he gave a loud, tired sigh.

"That's 'The Scorpion Charm'. It supposedly belonged to the goddess Serket before it was given to one of the Pharaohs of Equipt as a gift. They say it holds insurmountable power and could control one's mind if put into the wrong hooves. Truthfully, I have no idea where it came from or what it does but...I can feel it's dangerous." Blade whispered in a low serious tone. I could feel he was getting uncomfortable just by looking at it.

"If it's really that dangerous why don't ya just destroy it?" I asked quietly. My eyes still dancing across the gleaming azure pendant.

" I tried." He whimpered in defeat. "You can't, but I made sure it's well protected. That case is shatterproof, fireproof, magicproof, and waterproof. Not to mention it can only be unlocked using a key that only Kickstar and I keep on us at all times and change monthly."

"Ohhh..." I hummed quietly while stepping closer to it. "It's beautiful though." Blade put a hoof in front of me and shook his head. I knew I should get too close but it was SO pretty.

"No." Blade growled, giving my tail a hard yank. I was instantly pulled back to reality and across the floor by his strong tug. I looked up to him to see his mouth full of my red hair. He spit it out and gave me a glare.

"Don't EVER do that again! That thing is dangerous!" Blade snarled. His eyes that usually seemed so happy were now full of anger and hatred. I found myself cowering in fear as he glowered above me. A second later he blinked and the look he had worn vanished.

"S-sorry Applebloom. It's just...n-nevermind." he whimpered, once again helping me up from the floor. I found myself starting to get scared of the young buck, even though I knew he would never hurt me. He wouldn't right?

"I-it's alright Blade. You were just being a lil' scary for a moment there." I stammered quietly, and realized I was shaking. Blade's look of guilt only seemed to grow even more.

"Heh heh. You wouldn't happen to know where the bakery is, would ya?"

* * * *

"I'm sorry I can't go with you until I close down for lunch break, but I can tell you the way. The bakery is down two blocks and to the right. If you're looking for water I recommend going Tendercare first since she has TONS of the stuff but she can only give out so much at a time. If Tendercare can't give it to you...try the saloon but be careful. You might run into Thunder and I have no idea what he might do to you." Blade said with a worried little frown.

"Thanks for the advice Blade. I'll see ya at the bakery when ahm done." I said with a smile. With a small hug and a quick glance at the charm I was out the door. Braeburn would really need the stuff and it wouldn't take too long to get. The water was first priority though.

I trotted down the street toward the train station where I had first met Tendercare. At first all my eyes caught were the bustling ponies throughout the path, but then I saw the pretty colors of her mane and coat.

"Tenercare?!" I called as I trotted up to the little shop. I half expected to see it full with sick ponies like when Applejack made those "baked bads". Surprisingly enough there were only two young bucks about my age there.

"Applebloom. It's wonderful to see you in one piece, sweetie!" a familiar feminine voice called. It reminded me so much of Rarity except for the fact she didn't carry herself same 'uptightness'. I smiled as the mare gave me a large hug and broke away to give me a quick once over.

"You're alright. Thank the goddesses! I half expected to see you in here last night in a full body cast! But you're fine and now I don't have to worry about that drunkard beating up anymore ponies." she said with a bubbly tone. How did she know Braeburn wasn't going to cause anymore problems?

"Erm...Miss Tendercare? How exactly do you know Braeburn won't be hurting anypony anymore?" I asked hesitantly. The young mare gave me a beautiful grin.

"Oh....because he came and told me not even an hour ago. He apologized and PROMISED he would never hurt another pony ever! Isn't that great?" she giggled clapping her hooves together in pure glee. I found myself gaping like a fish at the fact.

"Oh and we're out of water if that's what you were going to ask for...sorry Applebloom. Oh dear, I was so happy I forgot I needed to get some more bandages from the linen mill. Now you two stay here till I get back and I'll patch you up right quick." she smiled before skipping down the street. Ultimately leaving me there with the two injured bucks.

The duo were sitting on different cots and seemed to have what looked like burns across their whole body. The places that looked the worse were covered in a white paste like cream I assumed were for burns. Both were earthponies and seemed to be in a good amount of pain and looked quite hilarious, so I had to ask.

"What in Equestria happened to you two." I guffawed. The two bucks glared for a moment before their gazes seemed to soften. The older one with a tan mane and brown coat cleared his throat and looked me in the eye with his yellow ones.

"I was trying to flirt with one of Thunder Flare's mares...Fizzle Driz I think was her name. She grabbed a cloud real quick, gave it a kick, and made it rain FIRE! Tumbleweed and I were able to get outta there with the price of our hides." he said sullenly before curling up on his cot away from me.

"Awww...don't worry about old Duster there. He never gets the mare." Tumbleweed snickered pointing a hoof at his friend. "Just another lesson not mess with Thunder or any of his crew or else you'll be next."

I shivered and gave a small nod before galloping out the shop. I really didn't want any problems but Braeburn asked for water and the only place to get that was at the saloon. Where Thunder Flare and his 'crew' hung out on a daily basis.

Ugh.

* * * *

I REALLY didn't want to go to the saloon but....I PROMISED Braeburn I would get him some water. It wasn't the rest of the ponies in there that got me...no. It was the feeling I was being watched again. This time I felt even more eyes on me.

With a small gulp I headed over to the bar and looked for Jack the bartender. He was no where to be found. My eyes scanned the room for any signs of him only to be left disappointed. However, before I could leave I felt a strong pair of hooves wrap around me and pull me up. I tried to scream as I was pulled higher but a dark blue hoof covered my mouth.

A second later I was deposited on a rafter high above the games and lights of the tavern. I gulped and practically clung to my rafter like a cat to a tree. It wasn't until I heard the snickers of multiple ponies did I toughen up.

"Looks like somepony's afraid of heights." A masculine voice not too much unlike Thunder Flare's snickered. I looked in the direction where it had come from to see the pony that had more than likely kidnapped me.

His mane was a blood red color with small streaks of black and a little blue. His eyes were a fierce red like his mane and like Thunder's eyes, except that there wasn't as much animosity in them. His coat was a silky looking navy blue color that framed his slender form quite nicely.

Before I could react though, the young buck jumped at me and pushed me over the rafter. I thought I was going to die since I didn't trust any of the ponies to catch me. I covered my eyes and hoped for the quickest death possible. Once again I felt nothing, and looked up to find the buck holding my tail in his teeth.

"Put her down Razor." A familiar cold voice commanded. I felt myself give small shiver as Razor (one of Blade's ex friends!) put me down nicely on the rafter I had been on. I didn't want to seem weak in front of the monster so I stood up on the beam without shaking or shivering.

Thunder gave me an amused little look before pacing back and forth on his own crossbar in front of me. He looked like a lion ready to pounce on a defenseless little antelope but I wasn't defenseless or an antelope. I gave him a the sure little grin Blade had given me from the moment he saw me and Thunder stood still.

"What do you think of our little home Applebloom?" the buck said with emphasis. On the outside I was hard but on the inside I was quaking. How did he know my name? The buck gave me an upraised brow for my response.

I looked around the entire little area to find it was chock full of pegasai, every age, every size, and every shape. Most of them seemed to be lounging around while the others were nervous young colts and fillies fidgeting and whispering. The only beams that were empty were the ones Thunder and I were standing on.

"It's...nice. If yer a pegasus." I mused, letting one of my hooves brush my bangs out of my eyes. Thunder's eyes narrowed slightly before he continued to pace. I could hear movement behind me but I was too scared to move. Thunder stopped moving and turned to face right in front of me.

"Fizzle Driz, Razor, now." the buck snarled through gritted teeth. I could feel all of the attention shift towards me, Thunder, and the two new ponies at his sides. The one on his left was Razor, the buck who had kidnapped me in the first place. The one on his right...was a mare I didn't recognize.

She was an orange pegasus with beautiful red tipped feathers. Her eyes shone like diamonds but were the color of the darkest blue gemstones I had ever seen. He mane and tail were red like her feathers but held one stripe of matching blue from her eyes. I couldn't see her cutiemark but I knew one thing...she was insanely gorgeous.

"I'm sure Blade has told you much about his ex friends, but I don't think he explained anything about his ex." Thunder smirked while wrapping a wing around stunning femme fatale. Was it just me, or was Razor shooting looks at Thunder?

Fizzle Driz spread her red feathers and gracefully leaped to my beam. She began to examine me with her starry eyes and decorated wings before she gave a scoff. I didn't have to be smart to know she was jealous of me. Why? I had no idea.

"You must be the mare that has Blade head over hooves. Of course I don't see how you could find him attractive...with his odd ways. Then again I did at one point...so I guess I can understand." she whispered smoothly, her voice hinting at charm and deceit she was hiding.

"Ah don't like him like that. We're just friends. Ah met him YESTERDAY!" I hissed at the bewitching snake in front of me. Her dark eyes were filled with sympathy as she wrapped a delicate wing around me. I felt somehow comforted by the gesture and felt my rigid muscles slightly relax.

"Of course you would think that at first...you've never had a coltfriend have you?" she chuckled slightly, the grip of her wing growing tighter. I shook my head and she gave me a small smile. "Well that's quite alright. Not everypony can get one."

"What does any of this have to do with me?" I snorted. The hard blush across my muzzle dying just a bit. Thunder just gave a small smile before letting his gaze fall onto Fizzle. She snickered in my ear before giving me a quiet whisper.

"Just be careful. Blade is quite experienced when it comes to...some things. He's also a sweet liar. I'm really jealous of that." she giggled. The tip of her tail grazed my flank as she flew across the beams and gave Thunder an affectionate nuzzle.

I was...confused to say the least. She talked so fond of Blade yet showed even more of Thunder. Experienced...some things...ex...had they? I felt my cheeks burn at the sudden realization that the two had been much more than just friends.

"Why are ya telling me this?!" I squeaked, looking at the two with utter disgust. Now I had...images! NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT!!!

"I told you he was a sweet liar, a deceptionist, a cheating bastard...take your pick. I have thousands more." she snarled. Her flirty facade was gone, leaving only an angry attitude and a zealous hatred for me. She was jealous...but why?

"Be careful with him. Razor?" she whispered. Her angry feelings once again masked with her charming front. Before I could say anything I was practically dropped to the ground by Razor who was grumbling profanities under his breath.

"Stupid Thunder. She's mine. I thought he understood. I though Blade understood. Those liars." he mumbled quietly. Was he jealous of Thunder and Blade's relationship to Fizzle. He had been her friend since the beginning, at least that's what I understood.

"Applebloom? Applebloom?!" a familiar voice called. Razor dropped me a good four feet from the ground and raced back up to the rafters. I stood up and brushed some dirt off of my coat when Blade came running around the corner and nearly into me. He was panting heavily and there was a bit of sweat on his brow, from the running I guessed.

"APPLEBLOOM! I thought you were kidnapped or something when you didn't show up to the bakery when you should have. Are you okay? Thunder and his jerks didn't do anything to you, did they?" he asked with concern. I shook my head and he gave me a large hug.

"I wouldn't forgive myself if something were to happen to you! I'm just glad you're safe." he whispered in relief. I wanted to tell him that I had been kidnapped not only a second ago but...I looked up. Fizzle was standing on the edge, her expression hard, jealous, and angry.

"Ahm okay Blade. Ah was just trying out some of the video games, that's all." I said with an innocent little smile. With that he grabbed my hoof and pulled me to the door.

"Great! Now you can meet my sister, she's at the bakery!" he chuckled, pulling me out the door. Before I went with him I glanced back at the rafters I had seen Fizzle standing on.

The scorpion was gone.

Author's Note

Egypt + Equine = Equipt