I can't wait. I CAN'T WAIT!!!
Everything was absolutely perfect. PERFECT! The cellar was nice and warm. The decorations were all fantastic, probably better than any from all the shindigs I'd thrown in the past few months. My props were all lined up neatly on the table, ready and waiting for the party to start. The guest of honor was stuck against one of the pillars that were the foundation for our house. As he began to stir from his sleep, the shackles that bound him like a snug bug in a rug started to rattle. Even my hair was nice and straight.
Just like I like it!
I was shaking with anticipation, barely able to keep my hooves on the ground.
It's gonna be such a great day!
I had so many fun games planned. I knew for a fact he was gonna love them.
We're gonna have so MUCH FUN!
"Oh! OH! He's waking up! HE'S WAKING UP!!!" I bounced around the room like a spring was attached to my tail, finally coming to a stop in front of the stallion once he started to try and talk.
"Mmfgh mfh?" His muffled voice couldn't get past the gag in his mouth. I'd been super careful and taped it in place, just in case.
Oh! That rhymes!
I couldn't help but giggle loudly, so excited about what was to come I could barely hold in my glee.
"You can't talk, silly. You're not allowed." I patted him atop the head, the blindfold covering his eyes shifting slightly. "Whoops! That can't come off juuuust yet either," I adjusted the cloth so it was securely covering his eyes. "We've gotta start playing the games first."
"Mmmf mfmfh mh?"
"Uhhhh, you know I can't understand you, right?" I tapped his forehead with a hoof. "But I guess you're probably asking what you're doing here, huh?" I danced over to the table, all the props I'd brought lined up and glistening in the bright light of the room. "Well, it's not so much 'what' as it is 'why'."
"Mmf?" His head shifted to the side a little.
He's not scared. Not even a little... A jubilant smile lifted my lips. Guess I'll have to change that.
"You messed up, Big Mac," I lovingly swept a hoof over my metal tools. I didn't get to play with them very often, didn't get to come down here much, but when I did... it was even funner than hanging out with my friends. "Like, super, ultra, MEGA messed up!" I turned to face the stallion. "So how about we start the first game?" I was in his face in a second, my smile beginning to hurt my own face. "Are you excited!?"
"Nnf."
"Well that's no fun! You really should be!" I laughed, shaking him with my hooves. There was no way he'd be able to break the metal chains or padlocks, so I was safe getting close. "Tell ya what, you go ahead and pick the first toy you want to play with. How does that sound? Great, huh?"
"Nm." he grunted.
"Awww, come oooon, Big Mac! Don't be such a party pooper! We're gonna have lots of fun together! So," I leaned down next to him, my face inches from his. "Pick a number between one and seven." I tried not to smile as I spoke, but it was just way too hard not to.
He didn't reply so I nudged him in the side with an elbow. Still nothing.
Well, I'm gonna have fun... even if you don't want to.
"Preeeetty sure I heard a six," I trotted back to my party favors, ignoring his protesting grunts. Counting down the line to the sixth tool got my eyes all wide and shaky. "Ooooh, that's a gooood one! I call him..." I picked up the metal utensil with a hoof and sauntered over to the stallion. "TA-DA!!! Cutty!" I flipped my buddy around in the air and caught it with ease. "He's so cool, don't ya think?"
He chose to stay quiet, his breathing through his nose the only sound in the room.
"I KNOW RIGHT!?" I laughed merrily at his enthusiastic reply. "So now we can start with the game! Are ya ready?"
Silence.
"Great! So we're gonna be playing..." I'm not sure where the drumroll came from. Probably the Pinkie sitting in the corner. "TRUTH OR DARE!!!" The explosion of confetti that filled the room startled him, causing a jerk of his body. "Since you got to pick the toy, I'm gonna start the game. How's that sound?"
"Mmf mfhmh."
"GREAT! Soooo, truth... or dare?"
...
"Awwww, they always pick truth first. That's okay! Truth can be fun too! Here's your question: Do you remember what my big sister told you that day?"
"Mmf mhm?"
"It's a yes or no question, silly."
"Mn."
"Uh-oh. You're supposed to tell the truth, Big Mac. It's not good to lie. Now since you got to pick the toy, I get to pick the spot."
There're so many good ones though.
"Face?" I pressed Cutty against his cheek.
"MMF!"
No. Not yet.
"Neck? I opened Cutty and pushed the sharp part of him against his throat.
"MMHF FHMM!"
Nah. Too easy.
"Chest?" I closed Cutty and pressed the tip of him against the stallion's body.
"MMFY FHMM!"
Too many muscles.
"Leg?"
"MMM!"
That just seems cruel.
"I KNOW! EAR!" With a loud *SNIP* I let Cutty and Big Mac play with each other. The messy spatter of liquid that hit the floor and my foreleg was really warm.
The stallion was yelling into his gag, but it didn't really matter to me. Nopony would be able to hear him down here... and besides, we were on the farm. There wasn't a pony that would come around to check for miles. At least not one that would help him.
He must've been having a LOT of fun, cause he wouldn't stop thrashing around and shouting into his gag.
"I knew you'd like that one," I giggled as I pulled off his blindfold. "Now where did it go?" I looked around the floor, my eyes lighting up when I finally found what I was looking for. "There it is!" I picked up the piece of flesh and waved it in front of him. He wasn't really paying attention, his eyes closed tightly as he tried to recover from his playtime with Cutty. "No more lying, okay, Big Mac?" I spoke into the dismembered ear. "HEY! HEY! CAN YOU EVEN HEAR WITH THIS ANYMORE!?" I yelled into it before a fit of laughter overtook me.
"MM MMFY MMF!"
"Since you got to pick the first toy, it's my turn now, okay?" I ignored him, trotting back to my props. I carefully laid Cutty and my trophy on the table before looking over my other friends. "How aboooout..." I gasped in delight. "STABBY!?" I lifted the sharp piece of metal with a joyful grin. As I walked back over to him I was filled with elation.
"OH! You're finally having fun too!" I beamed. "I'M SO HAPPY!" His eyes were narrowed on me, determination coming off of him in waves. The game was finally getting fun for both of us. "Now it's your turn to ask me which. Truth or dare?"
"Mmf."
"Dare!? Well if you really want to." I was vibrating at the prospect. "What do you want me to do?"
"Mmm mf mn."
"What!? REEEEALLY!?" I leapt into the air, floating for several seconds at his surprising tactic. "You wanna play with Stabby?! Nopony's ever asked to play with one of my friends." His eyes widened in disbelief for only a second before they narrowed into slits. I got real close to him, nudging his side with an elbow once again, a devious smile on my face. "You sly dog, you."
I slammed the point of Stabby directly into his hip with all the force it would take to sink to the handle. He was definitely having fun now, the fountain of liquid spraying all over me and the ground. If only I could hear his cheer of elation.
Oh well, it's not so-
"OH NO!"
His eyes were suddenly getting droopy, his head slowly falling like he might fall asleep all of a sudden.
"YOU CAN'T! OUR GAME'S NOT OVER YET!" I desperately slapped his face several times, but he'd already lost consciousness. "SHOOT!" I shouted, all of my joy gone in an instant.
"That's enough, Pinkamena..." the voice from upstairs made me want to cry.
My turn... was already over.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pinkie had always been careless. Even after all these years, she'd somehow managed to nearly kill every guest of honor we hosted. Either her games were too dangerous or she had a severe lack of self control.
Probably both.
Thankfully, Mom knew how to patch up most simple injuries... at least well enough so that our guest would last until we were done with our justice.
"You need to learn to control yourself better, Pinkie." I stood in front of the stallion, waiting patiently for him to come to.
What's the point in doing all of this if you're just gonna kill them as soon as possible?
The stallion stirred, groaning loudly as the pain from his wounds started to register in his mind. I picked up the hammer from the table, not wanting to postpone, even for a second.
"Wh-what's goin' on? Wher- M-Maud!?" I swung the head of the tool as hard as I could, connecting flush with his jaw. The loud cracking sound made it clear I'd managed to accomplish what I'd set out to do, though his gurgling scream of pain was a bit annoying. I didn't enjoy playing games. They weren't fun.
Rocks are fun.
This was retribution.
"No talking," I laid the hammer back down on the table. As his screams slowly died down his loud breathing and groans became louder. I'd knocked out a few of his teeth and dislocated his jaw. It was hanging limply to the side, blood spilling from his gaping maw.
Not my best work, but acceptable.
He wouldn't be talking any time soon.
At least not concisely.
"You have a lot of questions." I moved a chair in front of him and took a seat. "Don't you?" He hadn't lost his spirit yet, his piercing glare not faltering a bit.
That'll change soon... It always does.
He nodded.
"I'll tell you what you should be made aware of." It was the least I would do. "You lead Marble on. Then you broke her heart. Now we're going to torture you for a bit so you'll feel as bad as she does." His eyes widened in surprise. "Then we're going to kill you."
Maybe he wasn't expecting me to be so blunt.
I stood to my hooves, finished with my explanation. "That's it." I walked over to the table and examined my geologist's hammer. It was a nifty tool. Its head was more pointed than most hammers, its primary purpose mostly for studying. It could crack a rock in two with a fairly soft swing. Bones were a bit trickier though and that was my primary job. A job I enjoyed very much.
Can't have him trying to run off.
The easiest way to ensure that was to break his legs.
While the hammer was efficient, the sledgehammer was perfect for the task. There'd be much less penetration, but the bones wouldn't last very long. Unfortunately, the trauma from such blunt force could prove to be too much for him. That was a risk I was willing to take.
He's an Apple. He won't crumble that easy.
"Ffmmly." He finally managed to spit out an attempt at a word, another loose tooth and more blood falling to the floor due to his efforts.
"Please, Macintosh. You're not a fool. You didn't really believe that hogwash." If I was the laughing type I would've been chortling like a hyena. "If it were up to Pinkie, every single pony in Equestria would be related to one another."
Such a foolish notion.
"Besides, that never stopped you from showing interest."
"...Schhorree," he tried to speak again despite the obvious pain and his lack of control over his jaw.
"What was that?" I asked without turning around, still trying to decide which tool I wanted to use more.
Decisions, decisions...
"Mm schhorree," he tried again, but this time I understood what he was trying to say. My eyes widened slightly in surprise. I turned to face him, the slightest of smiles on my face.
"Interesting." I trotted up to him. Usually our guests just cursed us or couldn't stop crying. Apologies? I was certain he was the first to do so. "And why is that?"
"Scchoold... haa... oll... hurr." It was a good try to speak, but a poor excuse.
"You're right. You should have." I stated before returning to my tools.
Still... he did apologize.
At least it was something I could give to my sister.
"You don't have to worry," I reached for the sledgehammer, but paused. "We won't hurt Sugar Belle." It wasn't because he had apologized. The mare had done nothing wrong. He was completely to blame. His apology had made me a little happy though.
Maybe that tidbit of information is a fair exchange.
"Hanck... yuu."
I lifted both tools, an even bigger smile coming to my face.
I've never tried using both before...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Idiot.
I was getting restless... and more pissed off by the second. My stuff was already in place and I'd been waiting hours for the moron to wake up. It was a sunny day out and I had a lot of work I needed to get done.
Looking the stallion's battered body over showed just how ruthless Maud had been.
Remind me never to piss you off, little sis.
While Pinkie had managed to control herself long enough to cut off an ear and get a good stabbing in, Maud had done her job perfectly. His legs were completely mangled and she'd somehow managed to keep the mess to a minimum too.
It's not like he ain't deserve it.
With how much damage she'd done to him, he'd probably passed out halfway through her torture. He wasn't going anywhere... which made my part all the more easy.
Just wake up already you stupid ba-
With a groan and a slight shifting motion his eyes slowly opened. The two of us were deep enough on the farm for me to be sure we wouldn't be disturbed. All around us laid boulders of varying sizes and shapes, crucial for what he had coming. They were my method of punishment.
"Ya might not wanna move around too much, it'll hurt." As he tried to move, I couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic he looked. "Or do. I really couldn't care less." I hopped on top of the thick wooden board splayed over his body. There was another underneath him and they all sat on top of a collection of boulders.
His loud groan made me want to jump up and down on the plank, but that would be too much too fast. I wanted him to suffer. I didn't want him dead.
Not yet, at least.
"Hey moron, ya ever hear of pressin'?" I leapt off him and walked over to one of the larger boulders. "S'a pretty brutal way of killin' a pony. I've gotten pretty good at it, If I do say so myself." I crouched down, lifting the boulder onto my withers and lurching back over to the "device". "For somepony as big as you... this should be alright to start off with."
I laid the rock onto the board, the sudden change in weight forcing a groan from him.
"Don't be such a pansy. That's only a few pounds," I walked back over to another boulder. "I know you carried junk way heavier than that back home." To be honest, he was taking it like a champ. A bunch of shattered limbs, a missing ear, and getting stabbed?
The Apples are a pretty tough bunch.
It was just too bad he'd shown any interest in the first place.
"Ya should'a just," I lifted another large boulder onto my back with a grunt. "left her alone, ya idiot." This one was heavier than the last. Both combined? Well, the weight would quickly start to add up.
"You shoulda seen how happy she was when ya wrote her that first letter." I pushed the rock onto the board. A grunt followed by his breath increasing in pace were his replies. "She showed all of us like she'd gotten a letter from Celestia herself. Said you said you wanted to get to know her better."
I moved to his head to get a good look at his eyes.
He's feeling it now.
All I found in them was desperation and fear.
Good.
"Ya know, she actually thought there might be somethin' there. Then she saw ya with that other mare." I wanted to punch him in the face, but the boulders were doing their job. They'd cause a lot more suffering than I ever could. "Ya didn't even have the decency of tellin' her ya lost interest," I shook my head in disgust, walking over to some of the smaller boulders. "Finding out ya abandoned her... it crushed my little sis."
Ironic.
I hated irony.
"Glllhkhkgk..." he tried to talk.
What an idiot.
"Really? With a broken jaw and all that weight on ya?"
No skin off my back.
"Just shut up. I don't need any of your lame excuses." I picked up one of the lighter rocks, tossing it into the air as I approached him. "I just need ya to suffer some more." I tossed the rock onto the plank.
Just a little more...
"Shame ya had to be such a moron. Marble really liked ya a lot." I wanted to be the final push. I got on top of the plank, the board creaking and shaking as I settled atop it.
Or maybe that's him.
"Gonna take her a loooong time to get over ya." He was struggling to keep the weight from crushing him, but he wouldn't be able to last very long. "If ya dumb stallions would just stop hurting my sisters, I wouldn't have to do this no more." I sighed.
The noises he was starting to make were a telltale sign that it was almost over. Gurgling. Grunting. Groaning. Lots of G's. Really heavy breathing too.
"I ain't got all day." I said to nopony in particular. The board slowly began to sink down as the desperate sounds slowly died out. Once the crunching sounds started, I knew it was finished.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I knocked gently on the door, my heart skipping a beat as I slowly opened it. Marble was lying on her bed, the sadness inside her on full display. It hurt me as much as she was hurting.
"Hey Marble... how are you doing?" I walked to the side of her bed. My usual vigor was gone, but the events of the day had lifted my spirits a little. I didn't want to do what I had...
Okay, maybe just a teensy bit, but he had hurt her really bad.
Even now, seeing just how sad she was, I would do it all over again without hesitating.
"That's okay. You don't have to say anything." I patted her on the head when she refused to move an inch. "We'll all be here when you're ready, Marble. Me, Maud, Limey, Mom, and Dad are all here for you." I rubbed her head gently. "Take all the time you need."
We would be. Just like they'd been there for me before I'd found Cheese. Just like we'd all been there for Maud before she found Mudbriar. Just like we'd be there for Limestone if she ever needed us. For us Pie sisters...
Family is Everything.
Author's Note
I don't buy that "they're related" mess. It didn't go anywhere and was more poor writing by poor writers.
And yeah I randomly saw that clip and it sent me into a rage. So unnecessary and cruel. At least if they would've just left it out I would've been like, "huh, guess they just drifted apart." But NOPE we gotta get Marble looking devastated.
Ah MLP show writers... how I loathe some of them.
