Why are you here? I thought I told you to leave me alone!
Oh, you want to know who I am. Why am I here? Where do I live? How did I become the way I am? What am I? When did I get involved with the Bakers?
Well... Since I have nowhere else to go. I might as well tell you. I will not expect you to sympathize with me, laugh at me or even call me a monster for what I'm about to tell you.
My name is Apple Snow. Yes, I'm part of the Apple Family... Well, I used to be. It's a little complicated. My so-called friends call me Snow or Snowie. It's ironic, because I was born without the sense of eyesight. That's right, I'm blind. Like the young Pegasus filly Snowdrop of winter legends. And I was born in the summer. I know, because I remember the summer heat.
I've been here since the time I learned to control my own actions and talk. This hellhole of an asylum. Those careless... Imbecilic... Incompetent... Apathic... Doctors... They call me crazy, but who is really crazy? There's no such thing as sane or normal in Equestria and beyond.
I was born part of the immediate Apple Family. My mother was Applejack's father's sister, so that makes me Big McIntosh, Applejack and Apple Bloom's paternal first cousin. I remember my mother's name was Honey Crisp. I never knew my father, because he vanished before I was conceived.
My mother died a few weeks after I was born, so I never got to her either. Just her name. My grandmother, Granny Smith, took care of me since then.
However, most of my family blamed me for my mother's death. Even Big McIntosh, who was there when she died. It also doesn't help that I even look like a freak.
From what the doctors and my family told me, I am an Earth Pony, but I was born with traits that makes me look like a demon, or a mutant. My fur coat is a snowy white. My hooves and nails are black. My mane is a charcoal grey color. And my eyes are a pale green color with pale grey pupils, to indicate my blindness. I have dark rings around my eyes, because I have trouble sleeping. Or I cry myself to sleep every night. Either one works. Nopony cares anyway.
Like my cousins, Apple Bloom and Babs Seed, I'm a Blank Flank. Can't say I'm suprised. Being in an asylum all my life, how am I supposed to the discover my talent or destiny? It's just hopeless.
My freakish traits make me think my father was a Unicorn or a Kirin (Dragon-Pony hybrid). My tail is thick, prehensile and leonine. My hooves are cloven. My mane ran down my spine to the tip of my tail for the tuff. My fangs were smaller compared to the average Earth Pony's, but larger than a Unicorns.
It's not just my appearance that sent me to the asylum. It's my mental sanity. I was born with unique abilities compared to an Earth Pony.
As far as I can remember, I have been hearing voices. Voices of the dead and voices of events that were going to happen within the next day to the next week. My inherent Earth Pony magic has evolved that I'm able to feel vibrations in the earth, through my hooves. With this sensitivity, I'm also able to sense the emotions and hear the most deepest thoughts of other Ponies. Like a blind empath if you will.
This is what sent me to the asylum when I turned 4 years old.
That's who and what I am. My name is Apple Snow and I am a freak!
As for how I became so cold and lonely? Ask my family. Or better yet, ask all of Ponyville. They'll tell you why I prefer to be alone. I can't explain it myself, because I don't truthfully know and I sincerely don't care anymore.
How I get involved with the infamous Bakers of SugarCube Corner? That's a story.
It turned out my number came up. Pinkamena Pie visited me in the asylum, claiming she was a close friend of mine. We are friends, but that's only because during the return of Nightmare Moon, I turned out to be the Spirit Representation of a long-lost Element of Harmony; Wisdom.
She gave me a special gift which was a cupcake. Turns out the cupcake was drugged with a sleeping drug. When I woke up, I was no longer in my asylum cell, but inside a cold cellar which I recognised as the basement of SugarCube Corner. I remember the smell of baking ovens and damp concrete. Pinkie revealed herself and told me what plans she had for me; Making pastries out of my organs and muscles.
Ditzy and my cousin Apple Bloom were with her. What surprised them was that I wasn't begging for my life. If there was a way Pinkie could kill me, she should do it. I don't care about my life anymore. No one cares about me. I bet nopony knows I'm not in the asylum. I'm nopony.
Pinkie somehow admired that about me. She said the moment she looked at me, she saw something different about me. Something familiar, yet also unique.
She decided to let me go and asked me if I had any special talents. I told her, apart from my abilities of premonition, empathic hearing and vibration sensitivity, I have a nack for making special teas and drinks. One time, in the asylum, a schizophrenic inmate was bullying me about my fur and blindness. I can still remember his insults and nicknames. 'Circus Freak'. 'Snow Blind'.
I couldn't take it anymore. He deserved to die. So I gave him a special orange juice as a peace offering. What he didn't know was that I poisoned the juice with a certain undetectable root; Jarin Root.
Jarin Root is a very rare and poisonous root of an otherwise rare and harmless plant. It disolves quickly in any liquid, and has no detectable taste of smell. How does it kill? It starts by disolving the stomach lining, then works its way with eating away at the blood cells and muscle tissue. The victim dies in depending how strong they are against the root. Some by food poisoning. Some by stroke. Some by cardiac arrest. Most just drop dead.
He drank the juice, continued to bully me, then started feeling unwell. He died the next morning. The doctors reported his death as a stroke, but I knew better. I've never felt more at peace or happy.
I can make harmless drinks as well. There was this nice doctor that treated the inmates with kindness and empathy. She didn't stay long, because she was moving up to better asylums. Arkhoof Asylum I think. As a farewell gift, I gave her a recepie for her favorite cinnamon cider tea. I swear she had a crush on me, because she used to tell me I had the most softest and beautiful hands.
Ditzy and Apple Bloom loved my story and begged Pinkie to let me live. Pinkie agreed on two conditions; She wanted me to join her family of insane bakers that turn Ponies into delicious pastries, and not to tell a soul of this.
I agreed without hesitation. Besides nopony will belive me if I told them. I've been in the asylum since I was 4 years old. Everypony thinks I'm either insane in the membrane or like Screw Loose, not in my right state of mind.
So, there you have it. That's who I am and how I became a member of the Bakers Family. And I can't wait to see who I get to make into pastries, when it's my turn. If there's one sane about me, it's that I love insanity and what it does to Ponies.
After all... Life maybe a party, but it's also an illusion.
Apple Snow's POV.
Screaming. Mumbling. Cold, damp, concrete walls. Springy, but uncomfortable beds. How can somepony sleep in this mess of a mental institution? Something smelled foul in the air today. It shouldn't though.
I lost count of the days since there were rumors of ponies in Ponyville have been reported missing. Gilda the Griffon. Rainbow Dash the youngest and most skilled flier in Equestria. Candy Mane. And a few others.
Me? I was just sitting on the bed of my cell, playing with a lighter a nurse gave me for my birthday. I'm no pyromaniac, but I like the warmth the small fire released. It was relaxing.
I quickly shut the lighter off and put it on my pillow, as I heard the door to my cell open with a loud sound of squeaking metal. The sound of clopping hooves followed. They were heavy and strong. The warden has arrived to see me.
"Apple Snow. You have a visitor at the Visiting Room." The warden told me in his usual strong and baritone voice, "Follow the sound of my voice and meet me at the door. I'll lead you to the visitor."
I sighed and stood up. My ears twitched, as his voice continued to echo in the walls on my cell. I turned to my right and took six steps forward. I reached out my hand and a large, strong hand took a firm grip around my hand and another grabbed my upper arm. Without a second of hesitation, I was taken out off my cell and headed toward the Visiting Room.
The Visiting Room was similar to what you find in prisons. However, since this place is a mental asylum for the most extreme and insane minds, each booth is separated like washroom cubicles.
The warden lead me forward and forced me to sit down upon a wooden chair. I sat in silence, until a very familiar voice shouted from the other side of reinforced plastic-glass.
"Hey, Snowie! Didn't think you'd be here. How have you been?"
My ears perked up. I recognised the voice in seconds. Pinkie Pie! During the return of Nightmare Moon, she revealed herself to be the Element of Laughter, by showing us that scary faces can be laughed away.
From what other ponies talk about her, Pinkamena Diane Pie is the bubbly baker and party planner of Ponyville. She lives with the Cakes at SugarCube Corner. Her pastries and parties are as phenomenal as she is everypony's friend.
"Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here?" I asked, finally able to find my voice.
A strange aroma reached my nose. It smelled sweet. Sugary. Vanilla. And a hint of raspberry. She had something with her.
"I just wanted to wish one of my best friends a happy birthday." Pinkie answered with a cheery smile in her voice, "AppleJack told me you'd be here, so I decided to stop by."
My eyebrows furrowed and my tail wagged in disgust. AppleJack told her where to find me. I should've known. Why did she bother to tell Pinkie where to find me?
Then Pinkie spoke up again, "Oh, I almost forgot." By the vibrations of movement, I sensed she reached for a satchel and grabbed something. Through the gap of the glass, Pinkie passed something to my side.
I grabbed the object. It was soft and spongy. I sniffed it. Sweet. Sugary. Vanilla with a hint of raspberry. About the size of my hand.
"It's a cupcake. I heard you like raspberry icing." Pinkie told me.
"Thank you, Pinkie." I thanked with a smile.
"Visiting hours are up. Time for the inmates to return to their cells. Come again next week." A stallion's voice shouted in a deep and clear voice.
The sound of chairs moving reached my ears. I stood up and something strong grabbed my arm. It pulled me forward for a few meters, then to the right, pushing me into my cell. The force caused me to stumble on my hooves and fall to my knees. Luckily I was able to keep Pinkie's cupcake safe in my hands.
"Happy birthday, freak." The guard hissed at me, as I picked myself up.
I sighed and sat on my bed, as the sound of clopping hooves on concrete started to fade. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I fought them back.
"I'm already dead."
I grabbed the cupcake and took a bite. It was delicious. The raspberry icing blended very well with the cake. Excellent texture and easy on the teeth. These cupcakes would be great with earl grey tea or chai.
I swallowed and started to feel very lightheaded and sleepy. It could be the sugar. Sugar has no affect on me. No sugar rushes or anything. I'm not allergic to any of the contents of cupcakes. No nuts. Not milk. Not flour. Pinkie drugged the cupcake with something.
I couldn't keep my eyes open. I dropped the cupcake and my head hit the pillow. My eyelids fell and my body fell limp. Sleeping drug!
"Blood is thicker than water, right?"
I woke up to the sound of a music box tune. The same tune of my mother's locket she passed on to me before she passed away. A sad tune, but a beautiful lullaby. Like a soul lost at sea or a siren's lost serenade.
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The smell of the room I woke up in didn't fit my cell. Damp concrete. Metal and rust. Blood and death. And baking ovens? Where the heck am I?
"Such a beautiful tune. It can make somepony sleep peacefully." A familiar voice spoke from across the room from me.
I tried to move, but I couldn't. My wrists and hooved felt cold. My back was against something hard and wooden. I'm strapped on some sort of table.
"It's making me feel sleepy. But it also sounds familiar." Another voice replied. A younger voice with a familiar southern accent.
"Please don't break it." I spoke up, making my presence known.
"Hey, Snowie. You're awake. I gotta say you're lighter than you look." Another voice spoke to me with a smile in her tone.
I gasped, "Pinkie Pie? Where am I? What did you do to me?" I struggled against the restraints around my arms and hooves, but to no avail.
"I am sorry. I truly am. It's just that your number came up, and I needed to find a way to get you out of the asylum." Pinkie explained to me, "Also, since it's your birthday, we're also throwing a party for you."
I raised a brow, "My number? You broke me out of my cell? Just what do you want from me, exactly?"
"You're gonna help us make muffins." The first voice answered.
"Ditzy?" I recognized, "You and Apple Bloom are involved?"
"Don't be angry, Snowie. Look at the bright side; When we're finished, you get to live forever." Pinkie told me.
"So, you're planning to torture me and turn me into pastries?" I asked. I got a few seconds of silence as an answer. That tells me Pinkie was nodding her head. I lowered my head, "Then just get it over with."
"What?" Pinkie exclaimed.
"You heard me. Just kill me and turn me into muffins, or cupcakes." I told her, "You're looking at a defenceless blind pony that has lost all hope of her life. My family put me in that cell. I have no friends. Even the nurses and doctors don't care about me." Tears welled up in my eyes, "I'm nopony. A ghost. An illusion. Just pick up that scalpel and slit my throat with it. I dare you, Pinkamena! Just do it!"
The tears fell from my eyes as my angry voice echoed and bounced off the walls of the cellar. Silence followed as I can sense shock coming from the three ponies in front of me. I wasn't scared, nor was I sad. I was filled with rage and anger. What I said was true. My family left me to rot in that realm of Tartarus you call a mental institute. Nopony bothered to come visit me, apart from Pinkie earlier.
Whispers were not helping either. As soon as I woke up, they started ringing in my ears. So many talking in the same time, it was irritating me. This isn't a gift of life. This is a curse. I deserve to die!
After a few seconds of surprised silence, Apple Bloom decided to speak up, "That's new. A victim actually wants to die."
"Maybe there is a reason she thinks this way?" Ditzy spoke up.
The tip of my muzzle felt warm. Somepony was very up close my face. Then there was a sound of metal clicks. I started to feel heavy, as I dropped onto the hard, cold, concrete floor. My knees and hands felt sore from the landing, but the pain faded in a second.
"Pinkie! You're letting her go? She might report us to the police!" Ditzy exclaimed, as I picked myself up to my hooves.
"There's something unique about this one. She says she wants to die. She's not afraid. Maybe she can join us." Pinkie explained to the two other ponies in the room.
"But, she's blind. How can she make pastries?" Apple Bloom argued in disbelief.
"You know, I'm still here, Apple Bloom." I spoke up, as I steadied myself, "I may not be able to see, but I do have other senses. Hearing? Smell? Taste?" Then I shrugged, "Besides, even if I did tell the police. Who would believe an asylum inmate?"
"Do you have any special talents, despite your lack of eyesight?" Pinkie Pie asked me.
I nodded with a small shrug, "I have a knack for brewing teas and 'special' drinks. I was able to kill a schizophrenic inmate with orange juice..." I supressed a laugh with a smile, "Infused with Jarin Root. Let me tell you. It made me feel at peace, for the first time in my life."
Pinkie Pie started laughing in joy. I sensed Ditzy give me a smile. But Apple Bloom tilted her head, "What's Jarin Root?"
"Jarin Root is a poisonous root to an otherwise rare and harmless plant. It's odorless, tasteless, and dissolves completely in any liquid." Pinkie explained, as she calmed her laughter.
I nodded, "It starts by dissolving the stomach lining, then works its way with eating away at the blood cells and muscle tissue. Depending on how strong you are to the poison will determine your death. You mostly either drop dead, die from food poisoning, stroke or cardiac arrest."
Apple Bloom smiled, "That's not a bad talent. How did it happen?"
I rubbed my arms in the memory, "Well... The schizophrenic inmate was a stallion, named 'Half Wit'. He used to bully me about my fur and blindness. Calling me names and locking me in the bathrooms, telling me it was my cell. He bullied me for months, until I couldn't take it anymore." I scratched my head, as I remembered the story, "Within the botanical gardens of the asylum, I found the Jarin Flower. I remembered somepony saying that the root was poisonous, and something inside me clicked."
A smile grew on my face, "I harvested the roots from the plant and created my own version of orange juice. The next day, I found him in the cafeteria. I offered him the poisoned drink as a peace offering, hoping to start anew. He took the drink, drank the juice and pushed me over the dining table behind me." I rubbed my hands, "The following night, Half Wit was found dead in his bed. The doctors diagnosed his death as a stroke in his sleep. But I knew better."
Once I was finished with my story, I heard clapping.
"She's one of us!" Ditzy exclaimed in excitement. Then she asked, "Can we keep her, Pinkie?"
I braced myself, then felt three pairs of arms hug me in a tight group-hug.
"Welcome to the family, Apple Snow."
