Author's Note

Holy mother fucking Jesus on a stick, this piece of shit took me a long ass time, with delays out the ass and a road trip to go with it.
Here you go, once more, tell me what sucked and what was good, if you dare leave that type of comment.
I did use g-docs and found out there are problems with it. might have missed something

Shadows of doubt.

The wet ground depressed under Max’s feet as he headed towards the orchard, the moisture causing his slippers to become slick with each step. The grass pushing around his legs as he trudged onwards, the soreness from his nonstop journey catching up to him, His scratches itching his head aching, and thirst crackling in his lungs.

The orchard filled with healthy, and ripe apple trees, the stream flowing its way through the treeline. The edge of the water splashing as he dropped to his knees, the fatigue further grasping his self. Lowering his face to the water he took a close look at it, the decision of whether the water was safe or not quickly dropped from his mind as he greedily gulped as much of the water he could.

The water cooled his throat and the moisture soothed his lungs, as he drank his fill. His eyes darting upwards, looking at the bountiful trees with the greed of a dragon.

His leg shot forward splashing the stream across his wear, carrying his body towards the tree. The bark a dark brown served as a grip as he pushed himself up to snatch an apple hanging low. Its crispness breaking away to his teeth as he started gnawing at the apple, the divinity of the apple creating greed as he reach up and grabbed several more.

After he finished eating, his mind came to a blank as he realized how amazing the apples were, most assuredly the most crisp, most natural tasting apple he has ever eaten. But as he began thinking he also began realizing that he just stole from a farmer in the middle of nowhere. Oh shit, how fucking stupid am I? The mothafucker that owns this farm is gonna shoot my dumbass. Fuck it, in for a dime in for a dollar.

Grabbing as many apples as he could carry, Max quickly walked off, following the stream towards the town. Looking around in amazement at the natural beauty of the landscape.

____________________________________

“Well darn granny I jus’ don’t think we can afford to keep those hectares of land! If we let the interest grow on the debt, we might jus’ lose the whole farm!” Applejack spoke loudly towards her grandmother, who was shaking her head in hard headed determination.

“When I was a little girl we had that land, and when you have a little girl she will have that land. I won’t sell no land to nopony, an thas final.” The lime green pony replied, stress seeping into her words.

“Granny, you jus’ said you would sell it” a small orange pony told her grandmother while snickering behind her hoof.

“Oh shush, n’ go to your room” the grandmother told her, her eyes narrowing in annoyance as Applebloom grumbled while heading to her room “darn smartplot”

“But granny, we got to sell it!” Applejack spoke sternly to her grandmother, whose face scrunched up in annoyance as Applejack’s voice got louder with each word “This is final! Big Mac and I are the heads of this property now. Im gonna sell that land!”

“Eyyyuuup” A silent, large red pony said in the corner, eyes down and rubbing his foreleg in shame of talking back to his elder.

Granny smith breathed out very slowly and started to shuffle towards Applejack, who slightly cowered in apprehension of being struck, only for the older mare to reach behind her and grab a small cane. It's dark color contrasting with her coat, and the names of all past apple family members along its side, one of the most prized family heirlooms.

“I'll be going for a walk, make sure th’ little one gets to bed at sundown now, ye’ hear me?” The elder spoke, no malice nor joy sewn into her words, as she turned and started to shuffle out of the room, to grab her hat “An’ we better not have no debt left, those darn no good for nothings will get an ax to th’ snout if’n they push for more after it, ye hear?”

“Granny!” AppleJack and Big Mac Shouted out in shock, Applejack’s mouth on the floor while Big Mac’s face emboldened

“While they done somethin’ truly dishonest, they don’t deserve that!” Applejack gave one final shout as their eldest shuffled out of the house. Her voice dying out, as she looked towards her brother, whose face was stone.

“What did I jus’ get us into?” she said, her voice trembling.

“I dunno” A simple reply, yet one that refused to yield to the silence of the mind.

__________________________________

“Thems darn grankids, why can’t they just let me have my land?” She spoke softly to herself as she went towards her prized plot on the land, having a beautiful stream flow through it and many childhood memories embedded into the dirt itself gave it a special place in her heart. “One lass goodbye would do it well”

The midday sunlight poured onto her back as she trekked towards the land, casting a shadow that hardly represented her current shape. The names on the cane seeming to glow, and in her sorrow, she read them off in her mind, the names of the deceased brought back memories of those she played with, met, and watched die on that plot of land. Why couldn’t they jus’ let an old gal rest her soul in her childhood place? Its not like im gonna be around much longer, th’ debt should jus’ go ‘way then.

As the thoughts and memories provided emotions, she hardly noticed when she arrived at her destined location. Her eyes adjusting to the glare of the sun off of the stream.

Her soft gaze wandered the area around her, until she looked at the floor. On the floor next to the stream were apple cores, her apple cores. Someone had stolen her apples and eaten them like a common thief, looking at the apples she noticed that they were not yet darkened, the thief must have been in that spot mere minutes ago.

Looking near the apples for tracks she spotted a couple, the tracks were indiscernible, but obvious depressions. To which she followed with reckless abaddon, around 6 Trots Per Hour.

_______________________________________

Max had been walking for a little while, yet the apples in his arms caused them to burn, despite their light weight. Setting them down on a rock, and sitting next to them, he closed his eyes and thoughts about his life flowed before him. He didn’t even notice, or think about him slowly drifting into the dreamscape.

_______________________________________

So I saw what looked to be a hairless diamond dog, thing looked like it had been starvin’. My feelings turned to feelin’ bad for ‘im an’ all anger jus’ eased off.. I thought about wakin’ ‘im up to ask about my apples, but I decided he needed the apples more than I needed my darn stubbornness.

Shuffling towards the dog, I looked at his supplies and realized he had nothing but some weird fabric, kinda like what that rarity kept calling fashion, and some of my apples wrapped in another fashion.

He was asleep, and looked like he sure as heck needed it, bruises and scratches were everywhere on his body. Poor fella was probably in a fight with some creatures from the Everfree.

I realized I should get ‘im some darn help, he looked like he coulda’ done with a bath, and a bed for the night.

And I began my slow trek back to the house.

_______________________________________

Granny Smith opened the door to the house, the stale air filling her lungs as she heard talking in the other room. She rested her cane in the corner and shuffled into the dining room, where Applejack, Big Mac, and Filthy Rich were talking together.

“-ure th’ debt will go away? My granny is mighty torn over this” Applejack asked, a slight catch in her voice when she told him about her grandmother.

“Absolutely, it will all be covered, as long as we get all of that land.” Filthy Rich said with a mischievous grin, greed filling his mind as he shuffled the papers in his hooves once more.

Applejack sighed and let her eyes drift to the photos of her grandmother in her early years that hung on the wall. Each one filling her with guilt, until she came eye to eye with a short, lime green, old mare, Who wore the face of a well weathered soldier.

“Get outa’ ‘er, now” Granny said with supreme authority towards Filthy Rich, her voice slamming into the minds of the inhabitants of the room, causing Filthy Rich to jump in fright. Her eyes darting towards her grandchildren, she breathed out slowly once more.

“Granny! Wer’ discussin’ ‘bout sellin’ the land, I tol-” Applejack began to say.

“This is far more important, now young feller, get out before I boot ya.” Granny Smith told the guest once more, her face as stern as a bull.

“It’s okay Applejack, I understand she is upset, we will talk later.” Filthy Rich stated with the punctuation of the press, as he walked towards the door with his files in hand.

The door opened and closed with resounding thuds, and hoofsteps could be heard dying off outside. Once they were sure the hoofsteps were not near the house, Applejack vocally apprehended her elder.

“Granny! We need to sell it! ‘Nd we need to sell it now!”

“I understand that dear, but someone needs our help, a diamond dog I think, poor thing looks hurt and starvin”

Applejacks face scrunched up and she took a step back, afraid her ears had betrayed her.

“What! Diamond dogs are slavers! They enslaved Rarity! The-”

“Darn it Applejack! I coulda sworn you were taught better than that, not everypony acts the same! And we help thems that need help! No buts!”

“Eeeyup” Big Mac said, glaring slightly at his gear grinding sister.

“You two can go, but I ain’t helpin’ no slaver! Especially ones that had got my friend!”

“Goshdarn it Applejack! Go buck the darn orchard, we will help the poor feller!” Granny Smith said, glaring with disappointment towards her heir. Big Mac joining her with a glare that near rivaled her own.

“Eeeyup”

Applejack stomped out the door heading towards an unharvested plot of the orchard.

“What's gotten into her? She been actin like this alot lately?”

“Eyup”

“Oh well, ill talk to her later. Go help the feller get to th’ house, ima start him a bath, and be careful he got some of them expensive fashions on him”

“Granny, where is he?” He asked quite slowly.

“Oh darn, he a little down the stream from my plot. Got orange on him, looks like a furless diamond dog, bring his fashion with the apples back too.”

Grunting in reply, and hanging his head low, Big Mac walked out of the house and towards his elders plot of land, intent on bringing back a new guest. Who he hoped, would bring some sort of magic and create civilization to his household.

_________________________________________

I Hadn’t realized that I fell asleep, so when I re-opened my eyes I was face to face with a deep red large ass horse.

WATAFUK!-A sound that would be sheared into Big Macintosh's mind as I threw myself back beyond the stone in fright. My hands gripping the leaves on the ground relaxing as I realized that It was just a horse and nothing else.

Then the horse talked.

“Yall don’ look like no diamon’ dog”

No more PCP for me. Was my dying thought before I passed out from the mix of an elevated heart rate, and a shock that lightning couldn't compare too.

_______________________________________

Light shot to the back of my skull as my eyes pulled themselves apart, my mind seeming to rip inside out as my eyes adjusted to the light. Ears buzzing as I listened, attempting to gauge my surroundings.

My sight came to be sooner than my hearing, I was staring at a dark wooden ceiling that had shadows clinging to its corners and cracks. I slowly began to decipher what I was hearing, forming words that caused my mind and heart to skip.

“-kay?” I heard a deep voice slowly say.

“Whaut?” My amazingly sloppy response to the voice.

I heard a sigh as the voice asked “Are you okay?” very slowly, as if speaking to a very young child and wanting to be understood with no problems.

“Yea, yea” I responded, my voice scratching at my throat as I slowly turned my head in search for the voice “Hey could I ge-”

The red horse from before stared directly at me, its mouth opened and words seemed to come out.

“Could you get what?” It asked in a very gruff, deep, and slow voice.

My head jerked back, to slam into a cushion, my heart revved and went a hundred miles. My legs kicking out and landing on the floor as my arms pushed my torso up.

Standing up and backing away as fast as I could, attempting to flee the premises, I tripped on the step of a previously unseen staircase, falling onto my ass and hitting my head against another step.

Aughhh “What the hell!” My senses bursted into action as I hit my head, taking into my sights a wall of pictures, a table and sofa, and a red horse staring at me with what I could only determine to be a mix of befuddlement and amusement.

“Take it slow bud” The red horse said as he walked towards me, resting a hoof on my shoulder as if to calm me down, or a preemptive to subduing me.

I froze in place as I tried to calm down, my breathing tough, and my mind blowing up with thoughts. My hands gripped the steps and soon turned chalky white as my breathing slowed to a more normal rhythm.

Reaching out with my hand, I felt the hoof that was resting on my shoulder, trying to confirm if it was real.
When my hand came into contact with the hoof I paused, then tried to pull it off my shoulder. Seeing what I was trying to do, the red horse pulled his hoof back and let it fall to the floor, making a thump as it landed.

“H-how? How are you talking? what?” My stuttering voice spoke, it cracking near the end.

The red horse said nothing and merely stared at me, I soon zoned it out as I remembered how I got here in the first place, and what here was. Wait, I was condemned to death and now im free, im not on earth. Horses talk, and im not on earth. There is no reason to panic, im going to enjoy this, even if im in a coma. My panic slowly developed into wonder as I began to think of all the other possibilities that could exist here.

“So” my voice doing a 180 “How are you today?”

The horse blinked in confusion at my sudden personality change. “Fine, you?” a simple yet curt reply bounced back “You ‘k?”

“Yea Im okay, im doing better than okay! I escaped death! Im on an unknown world, with an unknown environment. My inner indiana jones is tingling!” A practically frantic reply shoved its way out of my mouth and into the ears of the recipient, two feet away.

Hopping to my feet, ready to adventure. I fell flat on my ass as a sudden pain arched through my back, the pains from earlier coming back with force. My stomach growled in hunger, and my throats dryness made itself known.

“Got a bath for ya’ some food n’ water too, ill grab some food”

Merely nodding my head, my intentions of adventure long forgotten as hunger and thirst caught up in my mind. I slowly moved back over to the sofa, taking in the finer aspects of the house and its inhabitants.

Creaky wooden floors, simple yet elegant furniture, and polished woodwork that light gleamed off, pictures of horses in poses and groups clustered along the green and red walls. The couch a deep green, with a nice feeling pattern woven into its cushions. The red stallions fur was matted around the neck, he was probably a work horse.

My gut stung as I waited for food, twiddling my thumbs until he got back.

“Here y’ go” an unnoticed stallion spoke from the right, in his mouth was my jacket that held the apples I had taken from his
orchard.

“Hey, im sorry I stole some of your apples, I was ju-”

“I understand” I was cut off before I could continue apologizing.

Undoing the knot holding the apples within, I tore into the first I could grab, its juices falling down my chin, and onto my chest, Then came a second, and a third.

“Ith it jusht you?” I said while finishing the third apple.

“Nnnyope, granny is making the bath, and my sis if out buckin’ apples” he said while eyeing the staircase “Checkin’ on granny, be back”

_____________________________________

Max found my eyes wandering to the pictures, each one giving a scene of joy that he attempted to play in his mind. his face scrunching up at one that displayed an out of the blue pink horse with all of the earth colored ones.

His eyes came to rest on the door, and a damn good question entered his mind, softly speaking to him its tone akin to a temptress. Why, do I have to stay here again?

Finding no answers within, he slowly sat up once more, being careful and preparing for the pain. When he became well adjusted he slowly stepped in the direction of the door grabbing a stick that was set in the corner, the door providing no resistance as he walked out of the house and onto a path that seemed to stretch well within the orchard.

The sun was setting with vigor, and it could be seen in the distance that the small town was beginning to illuminate itself as it prepared for the night. The air slightly warm and rapidly cooling off as the sun fell and the wind flew. the trees offering slight protection from the sun as it slowly receded into the horizon

The dirt road crunched under the feet of Max as he walked. His shirt with the apples in one hand, and his other using the stick as a cane to assist him in his adventure towards the town.

A smile crept on his face as he started to jitter in anticipation and wonder, his distraction allowed an apple to fall out of the shirt, with max’s ignorance.

And so he went his way.

_________________________________________

“When I jus’ come down he wa’ gone!” Big Mac told his granny, irritation present and clear.

“So, yer tellin’ me, tha’ feller jus’ upn’ lef’?” Granny Smith said slowly, annoyed and worried for the creature that left her abode in his current condition.

Granny smith walked towards the door, reaching out into the corner that held her family heirloom, only to grasp air. Her eyes shot open and her mouth dropped as she looked around for her cane, and when nothing came up she scowled something fierce, her eyes narrowing and her jaw set.

“Tha’ darn feller stole mine cane, darn thief he was.” She said while slowly walking towards the door once more “getere Mac, wer gonna’ get this feller, and my cane”