Fall of Equestria: Choices

Applejack and Fine’s family were sitting around the kitchen table when Mac returned. Applejack looked up and smiled when she saw her big brother. She felt bad for him, for she knew she wasn’t making his life any easier with her attitude, but she couldn’t help it. Like her brother, she was unaffected by the Caribou’s mind-altering magic. For the most part. With running the farm, seeing after Apple Bloom and taking care of Granny, she’d never had much time for a relationship before the Fall. Now all those responsibilities had been taken away from her and she was forced to think about sex on a daily basis, especially as a black collar. She knew her life would be somewhat easier if she submitted; she wouldn’t be subjected to the humiliation her kind endured and she would have one master and be subject to his whims only, instead of being used as a bad example.

Her thoughts of having only one master made her look more closely at her brother. He was hard working, honest and she knew he was doing everything he could do to protect her and Apple Bloom. Plus, he wasn’t that bad looking. She’d secretly harbored thoughts like these long before the Fall, but had kept them to herself. Now with the way things were, he may be her best chance.

“C’mon over, Mac. We were all just talking about them getting away.”

Mac snorted, put the leash away, then came and sat sullenly down. “I told him before: I can’t help.”

“There must be somethin’ we can do, Mac.”

Mac threw up his hands. “What can I do? I’m taking care of you, Apple Bloom and all these mares! The Caribou watch my every move! Other than giving them some food, I can’t do nothin’ else!”

Fine spoke up. “The last thing we want to do is involve somepony else in our troubles, Mr. Apple. But we don’t know what else to do.”

Mac got up and began pacing as they all watched him. Finally, he stopped and said, “I been hearing rumors.”

Meadow said, “What rumors?”

He turned and looked at her. “That…zebra shaman…Zecora. Last I heard, she was on the run, somewhere in the Everfree. I ain’t heard of the Caribou catchin’ her yet. If’n you can find her, maybe she can help.”

Fine and his family looked at each other. Finally, he said, “How do we know we can trust her?”

Mac looked at him. “You don’t. But she’s probably your best chance.”

“How do we find her?” asked Meadow.

Mac looked thoughtful. “If the Caribou can’t find her, I doubt you can. But I can direct you to her hut. That’s the last place she was seen.”

Fine stood. “Thank you, Mr. Apple. I won’t forget this.”

“Don’t thank me. You all may be heading into a trap, for all I know.” He turned and looked outside. “It will be light soon. Y’all best follow me; I need to hide y’all somewhere until evening.”

Fine and his family followed the big stallion outside, where he stopped in front of the apple cellar. Opening the doors, he gestured and said, “I’ll get you some water and some blankets. Just stay down here out of sight until I come get you.”

“Thank you again,” said Fine. Mac just huffed and waved them in. He then turned and went into the barn. All the mares were still sleeping peacefully, or as peaceful as they could. After checking to see they all had food and water, he went back to his home.

When he got there, the first thing he saw was Applejack bent over the stove, lighting the oven. Her ass peeked out from under the tiny skirt she was wearing and despite himself, Mac felt his member growing. He knew from experience the Caribou’s rune magic had an effect on mares, gradually making their assets more appealing to males. Her ass cheeks looked fuller than before and as she stood up and turned around her breasts looked bigger as well. Even Apple Bloom had been affected slightly, causing her to develop a healthy C cup chest and a rounder bottom. The Apple mares had all been early bloomers, so that may have been it as well. Applejack looked at him and caught him staring.

“Somethin’ wrong, Mac?”

Big Mac quickly dropped his eyes and said, “No…no nothin’s wrong. Umm…what are you makin’?”

She took advantage of the opportunity while he was looking away to stare at his crotch. My, that’s a hefty bulge! “Just…just a surprise. Ah’m tryin’ somethin’ new for breakfast. Hope you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind at all.” He continued to look away and said, “I…better go wash up and see if Apple Bloom’s awake.”

“Okay.” Her earlier thoughts about having one master came back to her as she stared at his huge arms and watched his ass as he climbed the stairs. There is no denying it: he is extremely sexy. She felt herself go slightly wet at these thoughts, then shook herself and went back to cooking.

As for Mac, he went down the hallway and stopped at Granny’s old room. She, along with every other elderly pony, had been taken away to a retirement facility run by the Caribou. As far as he knew, they were all treated decently, though he was sure the Caribou’s male dominant rules still applied there. He opened the door and looked inside. All was just as she’d left it, except for a few personal items she’d been allowed to take with her. Mac sighed and closed the door. Though he missed her, he was actually glad she was gone. He didn’t want her to see the things he had to do now, nor witness the way his sisters had to dress. It would have been too much for her heart.

Speaking of sisters, his little one took that moment to exit her room. Apple Bloom immediately saw him and smiled.

“Mornin’, big brother!”

“Good mornin’ sis. Sleep well?” He frowned slightly as he looked down at her. She was wearing the now standard school uniform for females of any age: a white midriff top and black flared miniskirt. He wasn’t sure, but she seemed to be more than okay with wearing such things, unlike her sister.

“Sure did!” She sniffed the air. “What smells so good?”

“AJ’s cookin’ breakfast. She said it was a surprise. You better head on down.”

“Okay!” Mac watched her as she bounced off, then sighed. She’d gotten her cutie mark, and was now of legal age, so it wouldn’t be long before she’d be fitted for a collar of her own and everything that would happen after that. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind.

Going to the linen closet, he took out a couple of blankets and some pillows. That troublesome family would probably sleep for most of the day in the cellar and they’d need them. He knew he needed to hide them in case the authorities came looking for them, but he’d also had another reason for keeping them out of sight: Apple Bloom. The less she knew about what was going on, the better. Besides, his earlier thoughts about her attitude come back to mind and he wasn’t sure she could be trusted to keep the secret. She didn’t appear to be much bothered by the way things are now and she was always telling him about the lessons on how mares are supposed to behave, things he’d rather she not know. Then he put the bedclothes back in the closet and went to his room to lie down for a bit. Best to wait until his little sister was gone to school before he took them out.

After about an hour, he went back downstairs, just in time to hear an argument.

**********

“Ah don’t wanna talk about it, Apple Bloom,” said Applejack. She was serving up the quiche she had made to Apple Bloom and AJ’s face looked like a storm cloud.

“But AJ, teacher says mares are inferior, and we gotta make stallions happy!”

Applejack fought for control. “That ain’t true! They just want you to think that!”

Apple Bloom slammed her fist down on the table. “It is true. Ah see it all the time! Mares gettin’ put in their place and doin’ nothin’ about it! Even you gotta wear a collar! Ah can’t wait to get mine, and it won’t be no black one!”

Applejack’s hand moved on its own. Apple Bloom held her own cheek, picked herself up and ran crying up the stairs past Mac. He scowled at Applejack.

“What did you do that for?!”

Applejack looked down at her hand. “I’m sorry, Mac. I just saw red when she said that. Did you hear her?”

“Yeah, I did. You know the Caribou used mind control, don’t you? Not everypony was able to resist it, it ain’t her fault.” He looked back up the stairs. “Imma go talk to her.”

“Mac?” He turned back around. “Tell her ah’m sorry.” He nodded and climbed the stairs. Coming to Apple Bloom’s room, he gently knocked.

“Apple Bloom? Can I come in?” Getting no answer other than the sound of her crying, he slowly opened the door.

She had sprawled herself across the bed and was steadily sobbing into her pillow. At this angle. he was treated to a good view of her long legs and underwear as it peeked out from her short skirt. Mac gulped, then walked in and sat down on her bed facing away from her.

Feeling his weight descend on her bed, she turned her face to him. “Mac? Why is Applejack so mean?”

He turned his body enough to look at her and said, “She don’t mean to be. She’s just havin’ a hard time with everythin’. She still loves you.”

She sat up and moved closer to him. “Teacher says we have to make stallions happy. Why doesn’t Applejack know that?” She sniffed and wiped her eyes, then gingerly touched the red mark on her cheek.

Mac’s face remained neutral as he answered, “I think she does know that, she’s just proud. You know Applejack: stubborn as a mule when she can’t get her way.” His voice softened as he added, “She’s sorry she hit you.” He reached over and squeezed her shoulder.

Apple Bloom looked down at his hand, then came forward and climbed onto his lap. She then put her arms around his neck and snuggled close. Mac was a bit surprised, but he hugged her and patted her back. “Don’t cry, little sis. It will be alright.” But her next words made him a bit sad.

“Mac…are you happy?”

He thought about it. No, he actually wasn’t, he was just holding on to his sanity in the wake of all the changes. But he couldn’t tell her all that. She did deserve some part of the truth, though.

“No, sis…I’m not.”

She turned her face up to him and whispered, “Can ah make you happy?”

Mac’s mouth opened in shock.

**********

Fine and his family looked around the apple cellar. There were bushels of apples, of course, as well as some barrels of what looked and smelled like cider, as well as a few other kinds of vegetables. He walked over to a crate and sat down on it, then put his head in his hands. Meadow and Blossom sat on the floor. “It could be worse, I guess,” said Meadow.

“It probably is,” said Fine. “If they haven’t found the body by now they will soon.” He looked up at his daughter. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Blossom kept her eyes on the ground and said nothing. Fine exchanged a look with his wife. Now was the time.

“Honey, can you tell us what happened?” asked Meadow. Their daughter said something under her breath. “What, dear?”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Blossom said as she pulled away from her mother and stood facing away from them. Meadow gave a fierce look at her husband.

He got up and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, he gently said, “Blossom, look at me.” She slowly looked up at him. “Your mother and I both love you, you know that right?” She nodded. “No matter what you do, we’ll always love you.”

“Then why were you both talking about killing me?!” she yelled as she slapped his hand away.

Fine looked back as his wife, then back to Blossom and said, “We’re sorry. We couldn’t bear the thought of you becoming like so many mares have already done.” He stepped in front of her. “We were wrong.”

Blossom kept her head down as she whispered, “But I like it…”

Fine took a step back. “What did you say?” Meadow got up and joined his side. Blossom looked at both her parents and repeated herself.

“I liked it.”

Meadow’s face flushed red at these words as a rush of emotions ran through her. She exchanged a horrified look with her husband as they were both shocked into silence.

“Sweetie,” she finally began, “you don’t know what you’re saying.”

Blossom nodded her head quickly. “Yes, I do! It tasted wonderful! If that’s what sex is like, I want to do it again!”

Meadow clapped her hands over her ears and turned away. “I can’t listen to this.” She went to the far corner of the cellar and sat with her back to them both. But Fine wasn’t so ready to give up.

“Honey, sex is wonderful, but your mother and I want you to do with whom you want, not be forced into it. That’s what the Caribou, and even many ponies, will do to you. Is that what you want?” But she remained stubborn.

“If it’s a choice between that or dying, I’ll take that!”

Fine looked at her, while she defiantly met his eyes. Finally, he sighed and said, “Then we’re going to make sure you have the choice. We’re going to get you, all of us, somewhere safe, where you get to choose whom you’re with. That’s a promise.” He then held his arms out. She stared at him, trying to read his face, then slowly came forward and allowed him to hug her.

*********

Mac immediately stood up, carrying Apple Bloom by the waist and set her down.

“Apple Bloom, don’t you ever say something like that to me again!” She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the floor.

“Ah’m sorry, Mac. But you just look so unhappy. Ah just wanted to help you.” She looked up at him and said, “Teacher says that’s mah purpose.”

He scowled and said, “And who is this teacher?”

She stared at him. “It’s Twilight. Didn’t you know that?”