Domination and Twisted Bone

Strange shivered as biting winds invaded the thick woolen sweater covering his body. The sun had yet to rise, so his walk to the Apple family farm let him experience all the freezing chill of the night before. Still, he felt good. Here he was, treading along a long dirt road on his way to his first real job. No more lazing about at the library.

He pulled a crumpled note out of his back pocket and smoothed it over. Applejack had taken a few days to prepare a list of tasks for him, but she'd finally dropped it off last night. First item? Be at the barn by six. He didn't know whether she'd meant morning or afternoon, but it was better to show up twelve hours early than twelve hours late.

Finally, the farm came into view. The large barn in the center of the property was still dark. Strange remembered seeing light pour out of the barn the last time he'd been awake this early. It reminded him of why he was here. The last guy who'd had this job broke his leg doing it. In spite of his invulnerability, the idea made him a little nervous.

The orange barn lights snapped on. Light leaked through the plank walls and streaked across the landscape. As Strange grew closer, he started to see movement through the cracks in the wall.

He stepped into the tall doorway at the front of the barn. Applejack was there, loading large canvas bags onto the back of a huge wooden wagon. The muscles in her legs and back rippled like water with each effort.

He called out to her. "Good morning."

Applejack looked up at him, almost dropping the bag she was holding. She set the bag on the back of the wagon and turned back to face him, looking a little surprised.

"You're here kinda early." She wiped a small bead of sweat away from her emerald eyes.

"Am I? The note said six o'clock."

She shook her head. "I meant six in the afternoon. I was gonna show ya' 'round the farm before we started puttin' you ta' work."

Strange frowned. He ran his thumb over the crease of the note in his hand. "Should I go then? I can come back later if you need me to."

Applejack smiled at him. "No, it's fine. I'll show ya' what needs doin', don't you worry."

The unease in his chest faded away. Strange was glad to start working and gladder that he hadn't upset his new boss. A smile took over his face. "Thanks, Applejack."

She laughed. "You thank me now, but you'll be cursin' me soon enough. Load the rest of these sacks into the back of the wagon. I'm gonna get strapped up."

Strange walked over to the pile of remaining bags and began lifting them into the wagon. He made sure to keep about the same pace she'd been going. After discovering his superhuman strength and speed, Strange had lost all sense of what physical feats were normal. He'd have to rely on Applejack as an example.

He watched Applejack as he worked. She had taken off her stetson and was strapping herself into a thick leather harness. The worn cords dug into the softer flesh of her neck and barrel as she pulled them tight across her orange body. Applejack stepped back into the lower half of the harness and brought it up around her hind legs. She pulled her long blonde tail through an opening in the back, giving Strange a glimpse of what lay underneath.

Strange shook his head, banishing the pink haze from his mind. "Fuck, man. Now is not the time," he cursed under his breath.

Applejack pulled the last strap into place and turned back to face him. Her face turned red. "Oh," she almost whispered. "I had forgotten it was you here and not Big Mac."

Strange kept his head down, focusing on the remaining bags. "It's alright. It's not like I was watching."

A long silence passed between them while Strange continued loading up the wagon. He set the last bag into place and finally turned to face her. "Are you ready to go?", he asked.

"Wh-what?" Applejack's blush hadn't faded in the least, and she seemed like she'd been lost in thought.

"I finished loading up the wagon. Aren't we taking it somewhere?"

"Oh. Right." Applejack walked to the front of the wagon and hooked the straps there to the metal loops on her harness. She tied the last strap into place and turned her head back towards Strange. "I'm turnin' around with this thing. You'd best stay clear."

Strange backed up against the wall of the barn. Applejack swung the wagon around towards the entrance. She pushed hard against the straps holding her to the immense weight of the wagon and started to move. Strange followed her as she dragged the wagon outside.

They started walking down the southern road, opposite the one Strange had taken to get to the farm. Strange watched as Applejack strained to pull the huge cart up the dirt road. He felt guilty walking beside her unburdened.

"Can I try pulling the wagon, Applejack?"

She stopped pulling and cocked her head back towards him, her face and neck covered in sweat. "Sure, you can try. But I don't want you ta' hurt yerself tryin' ta' punch above yer weight.
Don't overdo it."

Applejack unhooked herself from the wagon and stepped aside. She pulled out a rag from her saddlebag and wiped the moisture from her face, letting out a deep breath.

Strange took her place, wrapping the leather straps around his forearms. He curled his arms forward, making the appropriate grunts and groans.

He glanced back at his new colleague, who was staring at him like he was an idiot. Maybe he was overdoing it a little.

The wagon started moving, and Strange kept walking. Applejack kept pace, keeping on eye on him and making sure he didn't hurt himself.

They continued walking in silence for what seemed like hours. Suddenly the trees opened up to reveal a large, barren clearing. Applejack walked off the path over to a smaller shed. "Leave the wagon there and come over here."

Strange uncoiled the leather straps from around his forearms. He rubbed the grooves left in his skin as he followed her inside the shed. The morning sun had crept up over the treeline, providing ample light to see the inside of the unlit shed.

A sheet lay over something in the center of the shed. Applejack walked over to it and pulled off the object's cover, revealing a long, steel plow. The metal shined in the morning light, and the blade looked sharp enough to cut through solid rock. There were stiff leather straps on the sides, like the ones on the wagon except much newer.

Applejack stood still, staring at the plow's shining edge with her eyebrows furrowed. Strange's eyes widened with the realization. This was what had put the farm in the red.

She spun back to him. "Today we're planting tomatoes in the northeastern quadrant of the southern field."

He gestured towards the plow. "Do you want me to pull it?"

Applejack put a hoof to her chin. "I was gonna have you spread the seeds behind me as drug the plow, but..."

Strange put his hands on his hips. "Come on, AJ. I managed to pull that wagon here, didn't I?"

She shook her head. "Tilling the field's a whole different animal from pullin' a wagon. And besides, I don't wanna wear ya' out on yer first day."

"Just let me try!", he almost yelled at her. Applejack took a step back from him.

Regret filled chest as soon as he'd done it. He averted his eyes, choosing instead to stare at the dirt floor of the equipment shed.

"I...I'm sorry. I just...I want to help."

Applejack stared at him for several minutes. Eventually, she walked into a stall, obscuring herself from his vision. He could hear the sound of leather rubbing against fur. The tip of Applejack's golden tail flipped up above the edge of the stall. She emerged with the harness draped across her back.

She looked up at him with a stiff expression and nodded.

"If you get wore out, don't say I didn't warn ya'."

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

The dirt provided even less resistance than Strange had expected. The plow cut through the farmland like a hot knife through butter. It was a testament to the skill of the craftsman that had forged it.

Unfortunately for Strange, this made controlling his speed that much harder. Keeping his progress slow and steady over the long hours of the day was a herculean task. By midday, he no longer had to feign his exhaustion. When Applejack finally called him to break, Strange was ready to fling the plow into the stratosphere.

Strange untied the leather bands from his arms and ran his fingers along the deep grooves in his skin. He turned and trudged to the side of the field, shambling like an undead. Applejack grinned broadly as he approached.

"It's not quite like makin' fancy clothes with Rarity is it?", she teased.

Strange glared down at her, out of breath. She threw her head back, cackling, and started walking back down the path. "Come on, then. It's lunchtime."

They walked in relative silence back to the Apple family homestead. The only breaks in the quiet were when Applejack would look back at Strange start laughing again. Strange couldn't help himself from smiling either.

He pulled off his thick, damp sweater and tied it around his waist. The cold, dry wind blowing through the trees took the heat from his skin. Steam drifted from his shoulders as he continued catching his breath.

After a while, Strange could make out the bottom of a large yellow house standing above the trees. The bright color stood out among the dull brown of the apple trees. They finally entered a clearing, and Strange could see Applejack's family home in all its glory. They had passed by it on their way from the barn that morning, but Strange had been distracted by other things. Namely the orange mare walking slightly ahead of him.

She stopped before the fence and turned to face him. "You're welcome to join us if you...if you...." Applejack trailed off, mid-sentence. She hadn't noticed him take his shirt off. "...if you like." She finally pulled herself out of it, looking up at Strange's face and smiling at him.

Strange smiled back, though his was a bit smugger. "Sounds great."

He took the sweater off his waist and draped it over the fence before following Applejack into the enclosure.

Strange followed behind her, examining the building's exterior. The front door was heavy and worn. Several crude apple-shaped ornaments hung from the knocker. The faded paint on the house seemed decades old. The roof drooped downwards, and wispy grey smoke trailed out of the rugged brick chimney. The rugged house looked like it would either fall apart in the next five minutes or in five centuries.

Carved bricks lined the path inside the fence. The gravel trail led up to a small wooden staircase that rose to meet the entrance. Applejack pulled the door open and gestured Strange inside.

"Come on in, stranger. We don't bite."

Strange walked up the stairs and into the house, ducking his head to fit through the doorway. Applejack followed, closing the door behind them. She slid past him, leading the way past the main staircase and into the next room. Strange's boots thumped against the solid hardwood floor as he walked after her.

Applejack had led him into a dining room. Windows lined the far wall, spilling natural light across the large room. A full-sized kitchen lined the wall to his right, and an over-sized kitchen table was set against the wall to his left.

Strange heard fast footsteps racing across the floor above him. They made their way towards the stairs behind him, growing louder and louder. A teenage girl's voice rang out over the railing. "Aw crap, AJ! I'm sorry, I lost track a' time."

A young, pale yellow filly appeared from the staircase. Her dark, disheveled red mane framed a disheveled expression. She slipped past Strange and ran into the kitchen. He blinked in surprise. She didn't even seem to notice he was there.

"I'm so sorry, AJ!"

Applejack saw her crazed expression and laughed. "Calm down girl, it's fine. We can take a bit longer for lunch today. It'll give our new farmhand some time ta' recuperate." She gestured over the filly's shoulder at Strange. The young mare turned around, and her eyes widened. Strange knew that look. He'd seen it at the boutique the first week he was here.

She stood up straight. "Hi there. I'm eighte—um, I mean...!" The pink glow on her face turned as red as her mane. "...I'm Apple Bloom," she whispered out.

Applejack started to wheeze with laughter, throwing her forehoof around the girl's neck. She wiped a tear from the corner from her eye and took a deep breath. She gestured towards the green giant with her other hoof. "Bloom, this is Strange. He's gonna be helpin' us out while Mac gets better. Strange, this fair maiden is mah' little sister."

She turned back to Apple Bloom whose blush had started to spread down her neck. Applejack whispered into her sister's downturned ear. "Sis, you may wanna go back upstairs and...make yourself decent."

Apple Bloom shot out from underneath Applejack's forehoof and zipped back through the hallway. Strange watched her nearly fly back up the staircase and turned back to Applejack. She grinned at him. "My sister's feelin'...a little under tha' weather."

Strange turned back towards the staircase and cupped his hands around his mouth. "It was nice meeting you!"

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

The two of them left the house and started walking back towards the field. Strange picked up his sweater from its place on the fence and stretched it over his torso. He looked back towards the house and saw a shock of red hair disappear from one of the second-story windows. Applejack snorted.

"Don't even think about it, partner."

Strange looked down at her. "About what?"

She glanced up at him from the corner of her eye and shook her head. "Big Macintosh may have a bad leg, but if you touch Apple Bloom it won't make a difference."

Strange widened his eyes. Then he smiled. "Is he that protective of all his sisters?"

Applejack didn't respond. The brim of her stetson hid her face from him, but Strange knew she had to have heard him.

They continued walking on the worn dirt road. They were about halfway back to the field when Applejack veered off the path. She approached one of the apple trees and ran her hoof over an odd groove in the side of the trunk. Strange followed behind her, inspecting the mark.

The bark was stripped away and deep cuts in the wood had nearly exposed the tree's core. The long cuts traveled vertically up the tree as if something huge had been trying to climb it.

"What could have done that?"

Applejack turned back to face him. She looked worried.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

"What the FUCK is a hornhog?"

The library's other occupants turned to him with wide eyes. The librarian herself rebuked Strange with a loud, "SHHHH!"

He felt his face heat up and smiled in apology. "Sorry, Sparkles."

Strange walked up the stairs to the nonfiction section and started to scan the shelves. His frustration had come after Applejack had ordered him home. Whatever a hornhog was, it was dangerous enough that her whole family was spending the night at Rarity's boutique.

Strange sighed, resting his hand on the edge of the shelf in front of him. He thought back to the long, even cuts the monster had through in solid wood. He thought back to the young filly he'd met earlier that day. Maybe AJ wasn't overreacting. But goddammit, she could have at least let him help!

He let out an irritated burst of air from his nose. Strange picked a local bestiary from the shelf and began thumbing through it.

"Here it is, 'Hornet Hog'. Combination of a bee and a boar, feed on the flowers of apple trees, yadda yadda yadda...oh shit."

Hornet Hogs (a.k.a. Hornhogs) are a very rare sighting these days, making their striped hides a very valuable commodity. They will normally build their hives near rivers or other bodies of water, but haven't been spotted in the area surrounding Ponyville in decades..

"What's got you all rustled up?"

Strange whipped around, still holding the book in front of him. Twilight peered at him over the rim of her black-rimmed, half-circle reading glasses. The shine of her long, winding horn reflected into his eyes.

"There's a pest in the orchard that's got AJ all spooked. Something called a 'Hornet hog'."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Really? Hornet hogs a very rare sighting these days. They haven't been spotted in the area surrounding Ponyville in decades."

Strange smirked and rolled his eyes. He looked back down at the bestiary and continued skimming through it. "Anyways, AJ's family is staying at Rarity's place while she tries to contact animal control."

"Animal control? What for?"

He looked up at her. "Whaddya mean 'what for'? For the hornhog."

Twilight cocked her eyebrow at him from behind her glasses. "Seriously? I watched you vaporize a cyclops with your bare hands. You really don't think you could scare off one measly little hornhog?"

Strange shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I could. But if animal control can take care of things, I say let 'em. I've got too much to lose from trying to handle things myself."

"Too much to lose? From what? Do you think Applejack is the kind of pony to spread rumors about somepony who was doing her a favor? Come on, Strange. When I said you should start helping ponies, this is exactly what had in mind. People need to know that you use your strength for good."

He shook his head, turning back to face the bookshelf. "I still don't like it."

Twilight walked up next to him at the shelf. "What don't you like about it, Strange?"

"I just don't see why I should." A tinge of annoyance had entered his voice.

She snorted and pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "You should because you can, Strange. The very fact that you've been given this power means that you have a responsibility to use it."

Another pony walked up the stairs into the room and over to the bookshelf next to them. Strange stayed silent, staring into the bookshelf with his arms crossed. Twilight studied his face and then shook her head.

"You know, if Applejack calls animal control she's gonna have to pay a looot of money. Money that the Apples don't have."

He looked down at her, still refusing to speak.

"If only there was somepony who could help her out. Animal control is reeaally expensive. She may just try to take her of it herself. She might even get hurt."

Strange sighed and dropped his shoulders. He leaned down and seethed into her ear. "Goddammit, fine. Just...make sure nobody goes to the orchard for the next couple of hours."

Twilight smiled and nodded her head.

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Rarity looked up from her paper-covered desk. She set her floating quill into an inkwell and walked out into the foyer of the boutique. Who would be knocking this late at night?

She pushed her red, oval eyeglasses onto her forehead and whipped her hair from her face. She cleared her throat as she prepared to open the front door.

"Yes, dear? Who is it?", she asked, putting her eye up to the peephole.

Her friend's voice traveled through the door. "It's Twilight. I heard that Applejack was staying here?"

Rarity's nerves settled after hearing Twilight's voice. Her horn began to glow and a heavy *clack* indicated that the door's lock had been opened. She pulled the door open and smiled at her visitor.

"Hello, Twilight."

"Hi, Rarity."

Rarity gestured inside with her hoof, welcoming Twilight into the boutique. The Alicorn nodded in thanks and escaped from the night's cold embrace into the warmth of a friend's home.

The white unicorn closed the door behind her, and the deadbolt slid back into place. She turned to face her guest, who was looking back at her with a worried expression.

"Are they here?"

"Yes they are, darling. And before you ask, they're all fine. Nopony's been hurt." Rarity walked further into the room. She led the way towards a doorway blocked off by a thick purple curtain.

"Where are they?"

The two of them walked through the curtain and into the boutique's kitchen. The room was a spotless white with purple accents, mirroring the style of the boutique's exterior and owner.

"They're all upstairs, sound asleep. Big Macintosh is one heavy pony, even heavier than he looks. It was a true struggle trying to levitate him up the stairs." She walked up to the kitchen counter and glanced back at Twilight.

"Can I get you some tea, darling?"

"Hm?" Twilight had been staring through the kitchen window. Her mind had wandered off until Rarity's question pulled her back. "Oh, thank you, Rarity. I could use something for my nerves."

Rarity turned back to the kitchen and began preparing the tea. "What nerves, Twilight? Did you have another dream about sleeping through an exam?"

Twilight snorted and took a seat at Rarity's large glass dining table. The violet-maned mare set the kettle over a low flame on the stovetop before joining her friend. She took a seat in the chair across the table.

"I imagine Applejack told you what happened."

"Mm." Rarity leaned back in her chair. "Something about a 'hornhog'? I'm afraid I didn't ask many questions. If you'd seen the look on her face, I doubt you would have either."

The purple curtain that filled the doorway to the foyer parted. Applejack stepped through, looking surprised to see their nighttime visitor.

Twilight smiled weakly. "Hello, Applejack."

"Hey, Twi." Applejack took the seat next to Twilight and leaned forward onto the table's hard surface. "I take it Strange told ya' about the hornhogs."

She nodded. "Yeah, he did. He was pretty upset about not being able to help."

The troubled farmer sighed deeply. "Yeah, well. There's not a whole lot any of us can do until I can hire someone to get rid of it."

"Do you want me to—"

"No way, Twilight. Don't even think about it. I know you want to help me, but I'd rather lose tha' farm than see any of you get hurt fer my sake"

Twilight shook her head. "I know that, AJ. I just wanted to inspect the markings the animal made before you call AC. There's no point in you spending all that money if you're not 100% sure that it's what you think it is."

Applejack breathed another deep sigh. "I know what I saw, Twi. I'm sorry. I know you honestly want ta' help, but I'm just not comfortab—whoa!"

The silverware in the cabinets clinked together as a small shockwave rocked the boutique. The trio started to hear the sounds of shuffling hooves from the ceiling above.

Applejack cupped her mouth with her front hooves. "Is everyone okay!?"

"Yep!" Apple Bloom's muffled voice replied through the thick floor. "Just a lil' shaken up is all!"

"Gracious! When was the last time we had an earthquake in Ponyville!" Rarity had started fanning herself with her hoof. She looked over at Twilight, who was staring out the window again.

Rarity called out to her. "Twilight?"

The purple pony's head snapped back, her eyes opened wide. "I need to go."

"What for, Twi? Ya' just got here." Applejack reached over to take Twilight's hoof in her own, but she withdrew from the table. The purple Alicorn walked back towards the kitchen entrance.

"I need to...make sure the library's okay."

Applejack stood out of her chair. "Do you want us to come with you?"

"No!", she almost shouted. "No, I'm fine. Thank you, though." Twilight took a deep breath, smoothing out her mane with a forehoof. "I just need to make sure Spike is okay."

She turned around and walked briskly into the foyer. Twilight's horn glowed purple as she approached the door. The loud clack of the lock rang out through the room. She flung the door open, only to see a giant green fist stretching out from the darkness outside.

"Oh. Hello, Sparkles."

Strange stepped into the porchlight's soft yellow glow. He stood straight with his hands clasped behind his back.

"What are you doing here?"

Twilight coughed and cleared the surprise from her face. "I was on my way back to the library. You might have noticed the small earthquake we just had."

She lowered her eyelids and tilted her head back. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Strange's black eyes glanced behind her. "Of course, I felt it too. The library was shaking something awful, you know? I had to stop by here and make sure everyone else was okay."

"A gentleman, as always."

Twilight turned her head back to see her friends approaching from the kitchen.

Strange waved his hand and gave a small smile. "Hi Rarity, Applejack. You girls doin' okay?"

Rarity giggled lightly. "Of course we are, darling. It was hardly anything to worry about. Right, Applejack?"

The orange mare simply nodded in agreement, unable to look him in the eye. She looked somehow naked without her signature stetson.

"Right." Twilight turned back to face Strange. "So I trust you took care of that errand? Everything went according to plan?"

Strange's right eyelid twitched slightly before his face stretched into a broad smile. "Of course, Sparkles. It went just like you said it would."

"What kinda' errand d'you have him runnin' in the middle of the night?"

Twilight grinned and turned to face the curious blonde mare. "Oh, nothing. He just went ahead and took care of your hornhog problem for you."

Applejack's eyes opened wide.

"I'm sorry, he did what exactly?", Rarity questioned. "I'm afraid I'm still unsure of what a 'hornhog' is."

Twilight answered the question with a smug tone to her voice. "A hornet hog is a very dangerous animal and a very expensive problem. Applejack would have had to close the farm down for days and hire an expensive specialist to take care of it. Except that Strange here was able to scare it off by himself! Isn't that right?"

The purple Princess turned back to face the giant standing in the doorway, who was rubbing the back of his head.

"It was nothing."

"You scared it off?", Rarity asked. "How do you know it won't come back?"

"Strange." Applejack suddenly called out. "Can I speak with you alone fer a minute?"

Strange raised his eyebrows and glanced down at Twilight. She nodded to him, and turned back towards the kitchen. His gaze turned to Rarity, who gave him a knowing look before turning to follow Twilight.

"Didn't you say you wanted to check on the library?"

"I changed my mind. I'm sure it's fine, Rarity."

After the two of them had left the room, Applejack walked over to the plush chairs in the foyer's waiting area. Strange followed and sat opposite to her, waiting for her to speak. Almost a minute of silence passed before Applejack broke the silence.

She looked up at him, traces of anger flickering in her emerald eyes. "I asked you to stay out of it."

"Wh-what? You're upset? I thought you'd be happy!"

"Why the hell would I be happy!?" Applejack stuck her forehoof out at him. "Why do you think I sent you home in tha' first place!? I was tryin' ta' keep you from doing somethin' stupid an' dangerous, but you went ahead and did it anyways!"

Strange leaned forward in his chair. "You think what I did was stupid? Come on, I would never have done what I did if I thought it might put the farm at risk! And think of all the money you saved not having to call animal control!"

*smack*

He felt a sharp sting across his face as Applejack slapped him with a forehoof. Strange rubbed the mark on his cheek in shock.

"Are you some kinda moron!?" She wiped away the tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes. "You could'a been killed out there and you think I'm worried about the damn money?"

Strange stared at Applejack, blinking hard with his mouth agape. The shock was still making his head spin.

"The money's not the bucking point, Strange!" Applejack's yelling reverberated against the room's tall ceilings. "Did you ever stop to think about what would'a happened if you'd died out there playin' hero like a damn fool!? How could I explain to Twilight that I'd gotten her friend killed!? How could I live with myself knowing that you were dead 'cause a' me!? It's goddamn selfish!"

The realization hit him hard, bringing tears to his eyes. Applejack had been more worried about him than she was about the farm. But...if he explained how pointless her concern was, then his secret would be out. Everyone would know the truth about him, and he would lose his home.

Strange spoke quietly, trying to drain the anger from his voice. "I appreciate that you were worried about me, but I need you to understand that I was worried about you too. I did what I did to keep you and your family safe. You wanna call that selfish, that's fine, but I only went out there was because it was the only way I knew how to help.

"That's a bald-faced lie, Strange." Applejack stared him down. "You can talk about wantin' ta' protect me all you want, but I know a glory hound when I see one."

She hopped out of her chair and stood facing him. "Yer actin' like ya' got somethin' ta' prove. I don't know what it is, but frankly, I don't care. You work for me, so when you're on my land you do what I tell you. If you can't do that, I'll find somepony else who can. We clear?"

Strange looked up from the floor. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good."

Applejack turned away and began walking back upstairs.

"Goodnight, Strange. I'll see you in the mornin'."

As she vanished up to the second floor, Strange slumped into his cushy chair. Twilight stepped out of the kitchen and began walking over the Strange. Though she was doing her best to stay quiet, the clacking of her hooves against the stone floor rang out through the tall room. Strange glanced at her as she approached, but opted to continue staring at the white chair across from him.

Twilight cleared her throat. "She, um... doesn't seem to appreciate your help. Sorry about that."

He shook his head. "Not your fault. I was probably gonna do it either way, so..."

She slowly nodded her head.

"I mean, whatever. At least the farm is safe, right?"

"Yeah." Twilight smiled before putting her hoof to her chin. "I mean...yeah, probably."

Strange straightened up in his chair. "What the hell does that mean, Sparkles?"

"Well, it's just that the smell of hornhog blood has been known to attract other hornhogs to the area. That doesn't really apply since you just scared it off. but even if it did start bleeding it probably wouldn't matter. That was the first hornhog in Ponyville in over a decade. It's very unlikely that a second one would be close enough to smell a few drops of blood."

Strange pushed himself onto his feet by his knees and sighed. "Great. One more thing to worry about, huh?"

He nervously rubbed his hands together, trying to rub away the sticky substance coating his knuckles.

Twilight yawned and looked back up at him. "It's been a long day, Strange. Let's go home."

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

"Do you even remember who you are anymore? Does it even matter?

Here you have found a new life, a new purpose. You spend countless hours torturing yourself over who you were, and who you might have been. But what is the point? Is it not impossible to reverse the flow of time?

Whether you like it or not, you've been given a second chance. Make the most of it."