"How is she?" Applejack, her sister, Rainbow, Scootaloo, and Rarity were seated around Sweetie's bed, where the little unicorn lay sleeping.

Rarity adjusted the blanket up to her chin and answered without taking her eyes off her sister, "We...had a bad night, but she's resting now." She turned sunken, bloodshot eyes at her friends and added, "I...don't know what else to do. Her doctor said we need to be patient with her, but I'm worried for her sanity..." She managed a sad smile as Opalecense hopped up next to Sweetie and started "making biscuits" on her shoulder in the cat way of offering comfort, then gazed at her sister's face. "She thinks she's...tainted...and unclean...and last night's horrible events did not help."

Dash smacked her hooves together. "You just let me catch anypony saying that crap about her!! They'll be picking their teeth out of the nearest wall!!"

"Yeah!" echoed Scootaloo. "If me and AB had been there, that filly would've been missing more than a tooth!"

But Applejack shook her head. "Nun o' that'll help her, y'all..." As they all turned to her and started to protest, she said, "Ah know it ain't whut y'all want ta hear, but trust me, Ah know."

Rarity gave her her full attention. "What are you saying, Applejack? Did...did you have to endure the same...slurs?"

She shook her head again. "Not as bad as Sweetie, on account of it happened away from Ponyville, but there are family members who know about whut happened, an' they know who did it...and they still blame me..."

She looked at her little sister before beginning. Apple Bloom had turned away to the window, propped her front hooves on the sill, and quietly stared out. Applejack sighed. "Ah dun already told Apple Bloom, an' the rest of mah family here knows, but...Ah guess it's time all of y'all knew...especially you, Rarity, if'n it'll help Sweetie."

"It happened when Ah got it in mah head Ah needed to git away from the farm, an' see whut life wuz like in the Big City. Granny and Big Mac were sad ta see me go, but Ah wuz determined, an stubborn, so off Ah went." She nodded in her sister's direction. "Bloom there weren't no older than a baby, an' we had jus' lost our Ma an' Pa jus' a few months afore, so thinkin' back on it now, Ah guess Ah wuz still grievin', an needed to git away..."

"So, off Ah went to Manehatten, where Auntie an' Uncle Orange took me in. The first thing Ah dun wuz ta try an' shed mah country ways, an' talk like them. It weren't easy, an' Ah felt dishonest, but Ah wanted ta fit in, even though mah Aunt an' Uncle told me Ah didn't have to do any of that."

"All wuz goin' okay, until they had a big dinner party, an' invited ten guests, all family. That's when Ah met the rest o' the Oranges, an' that's when Ah met...him. Uncle Bitters Orange, the richest one o' the Orange line. He comes in, all dressed in an expensive lookin' suit with diamonds on his cuffs, a-swaggerin' in like he owned the place, an' fer all Ah know, he probably did."

"First thing he dun is look at me an' ask me mah name. When Ah told him 'Jaqueline,' Ah guess mah voice musta tickled him, 'cause he laffed like he'd heard the best joke of his life! Ah started to git mad, but then Ah saw everypony else laffin' with him, so Ah jus' smiled, an' held mah peace. But all through dinner, Ah thought Ah saw him lookin' at me, an then, Ah thought Ah wuz jus' imaginin' it..."

"After dinner, when we wuz all sittin' in the parlor an' the servants brought drinks fer the grown-ups an' an ice cream soda fer me, he grinned down at me an' told me to "come sit on his lap." Ah didn't want to, but Ah didn't want to be rude, so Ah climbed up on his knee and sat down."

"Now, the only light in there wuz frum the fireplace, so Ah told mahself later that's why nopony else saw whut he dun, but he started...started to...touch mah backside while he wuz talkin' and laffin' with everypony else. Ah wuz gittin' madder an' madder, but Ah wuz also a little scared. The longer Ah sat there, the more he wuz touchin' me, until Ah couldn't take no more and jumped off his lap!"

"Everypony stopped and wuz lookin' at me...an' that...that...bastard...acted like he wuz...surprised!"

"Why, Little Jaqueline...is something wrong?"

"Ah fought down the urge to throw mah ice cream in his smug face 'cause Ah could see the shocked look on everypony else's faces. So Ah said, 'No, Ah'm jus' tired." Ah looked at mah Aunt an' said, "Ah think Ah'm gonna go to bed. G'night all..."

"It wasn't until Ah wuz down the hall Ah realized Ah hadn't bothered to try an' hide mah accent, Ah was so mad."

"The room mah Aunt had given me had a big bed with a nightstand next to it. Ah put the picture of Granny, Mac, and Apple Bloom on it, then went into the bathroom to take a hot bath, 'cause Ah felt...dirty."

"Then, Ah turned off the light, climbed into bed, and fell asleep lookin' at the picture in the Moonlight, an' wishin' Ah wuz back home."

At this point, she stopped, because Apple Bloom had left her place by the window, then came over and hugged her. AJ looked down at her. "You want me to quit tellin' this?" Apple Bloom shook her head and looked up at her as she began to softly cry.

"No...no, they gotta know." She looked over at her friend. "Sweetie's gotta know she ain't alone; she gotta know she kin git through this..." She looked back up. "Yew tell 'em, an' don't leave nuthin' out."

"Mah eyes popped open a few hours later 'cause Ah could sense sumthin' wuz wrong. Ah sat up, an' there wuz somepony sittin' in mah room!

"Ah started to yell, but he shushed me an' said, "Not so fast, cutie...I think you want to hear me out first."

"Ah wuz shakin' 'cause I wuz both scared and angry, but when Ah saw he had the picture of mah family in his hoof, Ah got really scared. So Ah kept quiet."

"He looked down at the picture, smiled, then turned his sick smile at me. "I'm here to make you an offer because I'm a business pony: you do something for me, and I'll do something for you. Sound good?"

"Ah narrowed mah eyes. 'Whut do you want from me?'"

He grinned again, then came over and sat on my bed and said, "Let's not play games with each other." It wuz then Ah saw he wasn't wearin' nuthin' under his bathrobe, an' wuz...wuz...stickin' out of it. He scooted closer and said, "You take care of me like a good little filly, and I'll take care of you." He held up mah picture and added, "And your quaint, homespun family..."

Applejack's face flushed with anger, and she had to stop and take some steady breaths. She kept her eyes on the floor as she said, "Ah wasn't much older than Apple Bloom is here now, but that monster made me do things Ah know grown mares don't like to do!" She glared around the room at her stunned audience, but her anger wasn't directed at them but at the memory. "An' the worst part? That wasn't the only night!"

"The next morning at breakfast, Ah tried to act like nuthin' wuz different, cuz Ah didn't want nopony to know whut happened. Just about everypony that had bin at the dinner party had stayed the night...even...him. Ah could hardly eat Ah felt so sick jus' bein' in the same room with that...thing...but Ah had to keep up mah act. But when Ah met mah Aunt's eyes, Ah knew...Ah knew she wasn't fooled. Even though Ah sat as far away from him as Ah could, her eyes kept shiftin' from me to him the entire time while he kept laffin' and jokin' about nuthin'...so Ah waited until after the meal an' caught her alone."

"Auntie Orange!" Ah called out to her once Ah caught her out in the hall, but she shook her head and darted into a dark room. Ah followed her in, where she checked to make sure we wuz alone afore lightin' a candle an' shuttin' the door."

"Ah stared up at her, while she couldn't look me in mah eyes. That made me angry. "Why didn't you warn me?!" She flinched as if Ah had slapped her, an' if'n Ah wasn't less thi'n half her size."

"She struggled to speak, then said, "You...you don't understand how things are supposed to be here, Jaqueline! When Bitters wants something, he gets it!" She started crying when she whispered, "...no matter who it is..."

"Ah sat down carefully because of the pain in mah filly parts and looked at her. "He did the same to you, didn't he?" She nodded.

"When I was your age. He didn't stop until I got older." She finally looked at me, and her face was covered in tears. "That's why my husband and I have never had any children. My husband isn't an Orange, so he doesn't know our..."Family History"...and I've never told him...he...he thinks I'm infertile."

"Ah stared back at her. "That...that's horrible! How kin you live like this?!"

"Her smile was as bitter as a lemon. "I told you: it's how things are."

"Ah stood an' began to pace the room. "Well, it ain't 'how thangs will be fer ME!' Ah ain't stayin'! That bastard ain't gonna lay 'nuther hoof on me agin!"

"Her eyes got real big, an' her voice shook. "You...you can't do that, Applejack! He wants you, and even if you run away, he'll find you and do worse!"

"Ah stopped mah pacing an' glared up at her. "You knew. You knew whut wuz gonna happen to me when Ah sed Ah wuz comin' ta visit, an' you didn't warn me..."

"She turned away from me and covered her face with her hooves as she started to break down. After a few minutes, she whispered, "I can't even apologize to you, for there's nothing I can say to make up for it." Then, she took her hooves away and dared to face me. "But, all I can offer is this: if you do everything he tells you to do, he might give you and your family a huge sum of bits; enough so your farm won't have to worry about bad harvests or paying the mortgage for several years..."

"Ah glared at her. "Yer tellin' me Ah gotta be his little whore on the chance he might save our farm?!"

"She shrugged. 'I know it's horrible, but think about it: he's already had his way with you, and I'm sure he told you the same thing he told me..."Do something for me, and I'll do something for you," correct?' Ah frowned, but Ah nodded."

"Then she dun somethin' completely unexpected, sumthin' that made mah blood run cold. She frowned, wiped her face, an' said, "Besides, why should you be any different? You're no better than me; why shouldn't you be used the same as I was?"

"Ah backed away from her, then threw the door open and fled the room."

Applejack's jaw was clenched, and her chest was heaving as she said, "That sweaty, bald bastard come into mah room fer three more nights afore Ah couldn't take no more. Ah couldn't think of no way out...an' thought about...endin' mahself. Ah wuz too ashamed to go back to the Farm, cuz of the things Ah done with him an' the things he made me do, so Ah wuz jus' settin' at the window watchin' the Sun come up, an' judgin' the distance from the window to the cement sidewalk below when Ah saw a rainbow shoot across the sky in the direction of...Home..."

"Ah felt a tinglin' on mah hip, an' looked down to see...this!" She pointed at her cutie mark. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at her friends. "Ah felt...a new strength course through me, an' Ah knew where Ah belonged!"

"Ah marched outta that room, an' into the livin' room where all of 'em were sittin'. Ah walked right up to that rich bastard, looked him in the eyes an' said, "You ain't gonna touch me ever agin, you pervert! Ah'm leavin', an' don't you EVER come near me agin!"

Everypony froze, an' Uncle Orange said, "Pervert?" He looked at Bitters an' said, "What's she talking about?"

That disgusting bulk sneered an' said, "She's just a lying little tramp." Then he grabbed my shoulder an' growled, "And you're not going anywhere!"

Ah tried to break free. "Yes, Ah am! Let me go!"

Mah Uncle Orange got to his hooves. "BItters! Let her go!" he yelled.

"Quiet!" he snarled. Then he looked back at me. "I guess I have to teach you what happens to little fillies who don't know their place..."

Applejack had to take a moment to compose herself, and Apple Bloom was openly sobbing. After some time, she sighed and continued. "The doctors told me later the ponies that found me in an alleyway said Ah wuz barely alive by the time they rushed me to a hospital. Ah never did find out whut happened to Uncle Orange, but that bald bastard disappeared after almost killin' me. Seems he went too far this time, an' even with all his wealth an' connections, 'child murder' wasn't sumthin' everypony wuz willin' to turn a blind eye to." She sighed again. "Even to this day, there's ponies whut don't come to our reunions, 'cuz they say Ah'm the slut that "led him on" an' made him do the thangs he dun...'cause when he left he stopped payin' fer all their houses an' mansions an' whatnot, so Ah guess they hadda blame somepony."

All the rest were weeping as well, and then they heard, "That's worse than what I'm going through."

Rarity spun around. "Sweetie! How long have you been awake?" She sat up and gently patted the cat.

"Right around the time Opal started giving me her attention," she smiled. Then she looked at the farmer. "What about your Aunt?"

Applejack scowled. "Ah haven't spoken to her in ages...but Ah don't hate her. She's...damaged, an' Ah feel sorry for her, " and here she looked down at her sister, "...but she ain't EVER gonna be alone with Apple Bloom."

"EVER."

Author's Note

Even though my real name isn't known to FiMFiction readers, there's enough of my private information available for the Moderators of this website to piece together my actual identity. For this reason, and to protect this person's privacy, I'm not going to be specific when I tell of the person Auntie Orange inspired.

I've known this person for over twenty years. I knew she had a sibling who had been molested, but I didn't realize until she unintentionally showed me signs much, much later that she'd gone through the same thing.

With the same person. For years...

This is the part that is both sad, and sickening: she made excuses for her abuser and even tried to maintain a relationship with him...and would become ANGRY if anyone spoke against him.

More disgusting? EVERYONE on that side of the family knew. They. Knew. And NO. ONE. TOLD. ME.

So, there are people I used to know with whom I no longer speak, or visit.

EVER