Der Metzger Herr Messer

I finished getting dressed and picked Aryanne's bow off the ground. I looked it over and wrapped it around my fingers. I took a deep breath, held it for three seconds, and turned back to the door. I grabbed a towel from my wardrobe and walked into the hall. I paused and listened as the water rattled through the pipes overhead. I turned to face the WC and knocked on the door.

The rattling of the pipes died away as hooves on tile took over. A load of small taps echoed from the WC. I waited calmly and stood with the towel resting against my forearm. The door creaked open and Aryanne poked her head out. She wore a soft nervous frown. "What?"

I ducked down and unfurled the towel. I pulled it over her head and softly worked her ears under my hands. I kept a stoic expression as I dried the mare's head. She didn't look all that happy, but the frown was simple and without anger. I stopped for a moment and ran my thumb up across the inside of her ear. She lowered her head and pressed herself against my chest. "...Thank you."

I stopped and hung the towel over the back of her neck. She looked up at me with a deep blush hanging over her face. I felt myself frown and with my hands hanging gently on her withers, I pulled her against me and hugged her against my arm for a bit. Young, stupid perhaps, but vulnerable all the same. And while I couldn't speak for her problems, I could see them cracking through in her tired looks and the lashing out in public.

I leaned my head to the side and held the junior bigot against me. She rested her chin on my shoulder as I dug my fingers in against the shortcoat on the back of her neck. She tugged back and I let her go in a moment. She stepped back and slowly closed the door. "I'll be out soon...." The door snapped shut and left me standing in the hall once again.

I nodded and returned to my neutral expression. I fixed my jacket and walked out into the kitchen. I plopped down and sat right through my chair. The massive thud as I hit the floor felt all the louder with the utter silence of my home. I laid down on the floor on the ruins of my chair. I let out a long sigh and clasped my hands over my face.

A soft tapping came from my right. "...What happened?"

I opened my eyes and looked up at the blue eye'd mare standing over me. I sat upright and picked a few bits of shattered plastic out of my back. I rubbed my forehead and stood up. Aryanne backed away as I kicked the busted chair into the corner. It had been my fault, I could sit, but plopping down like that wouldn't have done anything but absolutely destroy it.

I huffed and turned to the mare. I nudged my head towards the door and walked over. Aryanne followed slowly. She looked up at my fingers, still laced with her bow. "Are you going to keep that?"

I looked down at the lacy tie and undid it. I draped it over her back and ran my hand up her frazzled mane. She backed away and ducked away from my hand. She started to get pink as I dropped down again and tugged the tip of her ear. I let out a soft snort and walked up to the door. I grabbed an umbrella from the stand next to the door and pulled it open. The early Saturday morning was still dripping down with a light patter. I stepped out and popped open the umbrella.

Aryanne stepped out and closed the door with a kick. "I'm going to go home...." She looked up at me and leaned against my leg. "I don't know when I'll be back...eventually."

I shook my head and held the umbrella over her. She looked up at me with a thick trembling frown. "Stop it.... Please. This isn't how they told me it would be...."

I shook my head and walked her down the stairs. I let my left half hang out and grow damp at the chance to keep Aryanne dry. I walked her onto the sidewalk as the carts and carriages slowly chugged along through Canterlot. Aryanne lead me down to the right and we headed off towards wherever she was going. She kept her head low as the swastika on her ass bobbed up and down. "You know...I came here and nopony spoke the language." She looked up at me. "Humans did. They told me about how bad most of you were...they told me I shouldn't trust you or anypony that ate meat and I-- You're not a good pony."

I shook my head. Aryanne puffed her cheeks out and diverted her path to bump against me. "You think I care...."

I shook my head.

She looked up at me a bit worried. "...I don't want to care." She dropped her view back down to the cobblestone walkway. "You kill. You're a killer. You kill ponies, you kill griffons, you kill everypony and sell them away!" She snapped back up to me with a rough glare. "You're a monster!"

I nodded slowly. The streets Aryanne was walking grew smoother underfoot and the shops changed from creams and beiges to whites and golds. The soft patter of rain grew lighter, more of a mist by the time we passed into the more wealthy side of my home in Lower Canterlot. "Do something!" Aryanne stopped and twirled around to yell at me. "Hit me! Bite me! Chop me up!" She pressed her hooves against my belly and leaned up to look at me. "Do something!"

I looked down at her, and with a soft touch, I ran my hand through the back of her mane. Her face switched from angry to completely broken in a flash. I held her against me as she let out a sharp whimper and leaned against my chest. "I hate you! I hate you so much!"

I kept the back of her head cradled in my hand as she sobbed softly into my shirt. I wished I could speak, I wished I could have told her how sorry I was. I wished I could find the cause of her preconceptions, and I wished I could break its neck. I held the crying young mare against me and looked out at the street before me. Somewhere in these gilded white roads, there was someone spreading vile sentiment and corrupting the mind of an otherwise harmless young mare.

I looked back down to her. I spotted something horrid. The swastika on her side was peeling off.