Author's Note
Don't be shy to leave a comment! Criticism is very important and helps me see my mistakes.
1. Downwards spiral
In the dark room lit only by blue radiance of the moon and a cold fridge light, the small bits of garbage and food leftovers looked sad in the empty shelves. Seeing that, I just shrugged, but my body had something different to say. My stomach protested the loudest, pressing on me, gurgling and hurting to force me find some sustenance.
But today was not the day.
I closed the fridge door to look at the calendar pinned to it with magnets, and on it i saw that there were seven more days until the end of the month. Seven more days until I get the money from the town.
I looked across my dark, dull, dirty and full of trash apartment, my decently sized kitchen that was put in the corner of a big room divided into equal parts - Kitchen and the Living room. In the middle where they connected the wall opened into a corridor leading to my bathroom on one side, and bedroom on the other.
Eventually I landed my gaze at a pile of bits on the kitchen table standing on the far wall opposite of the corridor, imagining the food I could buy for that amount of money.
Lots
But I wasn’t really hungry. My stomach just hurt, obviously demanding to be filled on a short notice, but he didn’t know shit about what we needed. I know what we need, I know what I need right now. I couldn't waste money on things like food. Those bits - they can buy me an unforgettable experience if I just waited two more days. Besides, The thought of food made me feel even more sick.
Without much more thought I accepted gladly that the money will be spent on the wonderful, wonderful, white powder, it just made me feel so good. I imagined how it’ll be when I'd finally buy the thing that occupied my whole mind lately, I couldn’t think about anything else.
Food awaited in the grocery store everyday, and yeah, I could use some food.
But I Need~ those sweet, sweet white snow flakes.
I can buy food next time.
For now I took a yellow marked pack from the kitchen counter, and satisfied myself with a long Ponerfield cigarette I pulled out with my lips from it . I twisted a knob on my gas stove with my right hoof, and lit the flame up with a button next to it. As I Held my longish bright green hair, painted red and blue on the ends with my left hoof, i supported myself on the stove with other hoof right next to the ring of tiny blue flames. I put my face with the cigarette right up to it, and after a few puffs, and the orange light happily nibbling on the cigarette just like me from the other side, I went onto the balcony of my apartment to enjoy it
“Melon! save me one!” I heard from the dark street in front of the house, as I saw Felon emerging into the street candle light from the shadow of a building across the street.
Her coat was almost the same as mine - a screaming bright shade of pink, although more grayish, black socks on her hooves that gradually brightened up, blending smoothly with the fur on her torso, and freckle-like black dots on her face that dense around her eyes turning into something reminiscent of a racoon’s mask. She was beautiful as always, but the clothes she picked… I always hate what she wears.
“Hai! i'm coming down!” I cheered and trotted to grab the cigarette pack in my mouth, and quickly ran towards my apartment's entrance. I shut the door behind me with a loud thud, not bothering to lock it, and ran down the common stairs, taking two, sometimes three steps at a time to keep the speed with the cigarette as well as the whole pack in my mouth. Busting out of the building’s front door to hug Felon under the lamp post she was standing at.
“Augh don't burn me with it! AH!” She squeaked, but I kept holding her tight, making sure to keep the ignited tip of my Ponerfield away from her. She hugged me back, while using her horn to pull out the pack from my mouth, opened it with her bright green magic, and pulled one out. Then she let me go, putting the pack on my back as she touched the tip of her cigarette to mine
“drag drag drag drag” she cheered as she lit the end of her cigarette off mine, “Oh, got it” She said seeing that her tip got ignited, quickly putting it to her mouth and sucking the air through the ciggy, making the tip light even brighter.
“doing night shifts now?” I Asked with a hint of sadness, glancing on what she was wearing, her ‘clothes’
I hate to call them clothes, clothes are meant to keep you warm, or cover your intimate places… something that these tight and revealing, cheap-5 bit-from-the-thrift-store rags definitely didn’t.
“Mhm” Felon nodded indifferently, “How do i loook?” she asked curiously, raising her eyebrow.
“Like a whore.” I mumbled unamused
“Then it’s mission accomplished~” she chuckled,
“Aren’t you cold in that thing?” I glanced at the tight fishnets, and a skirt that did nothing except attract attention and directed the viewer’s eyes towards her rear, like a flower, except in the middle, surrounded by the flakes, there was my sister’s rump.
“I won’t be standing in the cold non-stop.” She said completely emotionlessly, “And you? how’s the apartment thing?” She raised an eyebrow.
“They’re… taking it away this week if I don't get the money” I sighed.
“Huh, daddy really blessed us then.”
“Yeah, fucking life eh? that's why i’m not a pussy~” I glanced at her with a wide smile, “And intend to use it to my fullest.”
“Not sniffing every drug you get your hooves on is not being a pussy!” She joked, pretending to be offended, “Alcohol is good enough for me thank you,” She chuckled, and looked at the ground for a long moment, “You sure you don’t wanna come with me if you need money? you could make some fairly quickly”
My eyes shot open, “Oh hell no!” I exclaimed with disgust.
“Why not? It’s a perfect job for people like us. The oldest, and the most profitable profession in the world!” She joked and puffed her cigarette, “Better than rummaging through bins at least.” she took another puff.
I took a drag, “I don’t care, let them take it. Minus the rent I can easily live off few hundred bits a month.” I said as the white smoke shot from my mouth, flying up to the candle street light, and then into the dark blue sky
“Assuming you don’t spend it all on drugs again~ About that, how was Fent?”
On the mention of that word I twitched, memories, cut, mixed and chewed, flooded my head, they were unclear, but the feelings were, i remembered them. And they were goood feelings
“it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G” I made sure to capitalize every letter and gesture with my hoof to prove my point, ” i’m waiting to get more right now.”
“Is that why you look like you just came out of a Gulag? when did you eat last time?”
“I’m fine! I can always buy food! But i just need to try this one thing where, i’m gonna take it, and then mix it with weed, and when i sniff it i’m gonna take it and- and i’m gonna be already folding right- yeah- and- and i’m gonna smoke a- i’m gonna add a joint to it and- i”
“Whoa Whoa calm down,” she gestured, but seeing me worked up and excited like that produced a small smile on her face, “ You’re addicted as fuck i can see that from a mile away.”
“Opportunities like that where the stuff is almost half cheaper doesn’t come everyday!, besides even if I am, so what?” i cut out, and there was a pregnant pause
“well…Nothing.” She shrugged and took another puff. “Just don’t starve to death, i wanna see you again you know,”
I laughed, “Not like I'm gonna die anytime soon, too many things in this world left to try. Plus! It will get better, you’ll see. Ponies in the city hall said they are gonna help us sort the 'heritage' daddy left us with out... Eventually”
“hmph” Felon smiled, not believing it at all, taking another big puff before departing for “work”
***
I stared at the ajar open doors after climbing the stairs of the common atrium.
I didn't leave the door open, did I?
Eh, who cares, the thieves might at most take out my trash. since there is literally nothing else in there.
Unless
A unpleasant shot of adrenaline spread around my body
I threw the door open and ran into my apartment's corridor, passing my bedroom on the left and the toilet on the right. Jumping across the corridor in three quick steps into the open kitchen on the right. After running out of there I slid on the slick wooden tiles, and turned around to run into my kitchen.
no no no no yes yes… YES
The money was still there! Whew. I took a deep breath of relief, trying to calm down my pounding heart, and dropped my head on the table.
“Ufff” I sighed loudly. I’d kill myself if i had to wait one more month to get high…
i mean, not literally of course! I think…
It definitely would be annoying to say the least,
I better check if my join-
I felt something cold wrap around my rear right leg.
Before I could do anything, It got pulled with a force far too great to be able to resist. I could only scream as everything turned into a blur and I was dragged with my belly on the kitchen tiles, then down the corridor. Something spun me so fast I didn't know what was happening at all. I only screamed until the feeling of cold rose up to my chest and neck, squeezing all of the air out of me like I was crushed in a hydraulic press. The motion finally stopped and I found myself unable to move and breathe entirely as I began to finally make up the shapes of what stood in front of me.
Out of the dark, tight, two pony wide corridor lit only by the moonlight falling into the apartment through the glass balcony door I, saw a massive slender figure with a pair of two big yellow eyes staring right at me.
A pony giant! No, a snake?! A snake pony!?
I wanted to scream, to tell him I have no money, to ask what he wants, to tell him to leave me alone, that I have nothing. Anything that would make it clear that it is just a misunderstanding!
“Shhhhh~ .” He said in an oddly feminine voice.
YEAH OKAY SURE JUST PLEASE LET ME B-
The cold crushing force around my chest and neck loosened, and I used the moment to breathe greedily.
I was wrapped in his cold, terrifyingly strong snake coils almost entirely, with only my head sticking above them. This monster, he was- was it her? or a he?! I could only observe hi- her? It! It’s head was one and a half as big as a normal ponies one, which would give it little less than twice as big as mine! It’s bright yellow eyes stared at me, as it supported the upper part of her body on two pony-like forelegs on its own coils. Rear legs must have been replaced by the long tail that she was choking me with.
“Who are you, little one?” - she said with a weird accent and indeed a very low, feminine voice.
Her question caused a few of my own questions to rise in my head. Amongst then:
It was a SHE?!
BITCH THAT’S MY HOUSE WHO ARE YOU?!
And: THE FUCK YOU WANT?!
I stared at the beast for a while, debating if I should say anything at all, but feeling the coils tightening around my whole body helped me make up my mind, and I almost instantly shouted out my name.
“Melon! Aw AW aw ow ow!” I exclaimed, hoping that she’d stop the crushing now that I finally answered! I get it thats the stick! Okay! Where’s the carrot!? Stop crushing me you bith-! please!? Please please please!
“Mmmmm, melon~,” She seemed to saviour my name, “And what do you do, melon~” she crawled closer and put her head on her left front leg, which rested on her own tail in front of me, as if she was listening to an interesting story.
“The fuck do you wan- Hnnhghgg!” I suddenly felt every centimetre of my body being crushed, choking the question in my throat before I could finish.
“What do you dooo~ Melon~” She dragged the words, as if saying them was the greatest pleasure she could have.
“Nothing! Not- THing!” I choked out with difficulty.
“Meloooon~ everyone does ssssomething~” She said as she put both forelegs on her tail and stretched them,
WHAT DO YOU WANT!? MY JOB?! A fucking 9-5 for minimal wage?! Go to Hamburgers' they are probably hiring!
“I donght- WOrk! I DO- I- Douh Do- DRU-ghs” I choked out, and then got back to taking lots and lots of shallow breaths, which were barely enough to prevent me from passing out.
“Oh meloon~ really~?, that’s perrrrfect~” A wide grin crossed her face as she put her face close to mine, “Nobody’s gonna be looking for poor little melooon.”
“NOh waIT! Theye Whill!, What do you wanht!? Money? I have money! i’ll get you money!”
“Mhmmm~ I like this place, is it yours?~” She asked as if not listening,
“No! I mean yes-h! I mean! Fuck!” I stumbled trying to figure out what answer would let me live. I thought for a moment while breathing hard in the silence and darkness of my unlit apartment, completely immobilized with a half monster half pony staring at me, as her barely noticeable smile slowly disappeared.
If i say its mine she will fucking kill me and take it, if i say it’s not she will fucking kill me and go somewhere else? But she wants this place?
“How is it then?” Her tone lost the playfulness she had for the whole time.
Not good!
“It’s-” I was too hard to breathe, I could barely formulate words! “Let me breathe a little and I'll tell you everything!”
She stared at me for a moment, smiling ominously again and chuckled,
“Good boy~” As she unwrapped me spinning me violently as i screamed, throwing me around like a little toy, raising, and spinning and before i knew it, i was being held under the ceiling in front of the monster’s face again. This time, upside down. Her cold tail formed two wraps, around my rear right hoof and then stretched on my body to form another one, like a cold collar around my neck, thick and strong enough to pop it whenever she felt like it, I was sure of it. When I saw how close to me her face and those yellow, predator eyes which were focused entirely on me in a terrifying way were, I contracted my loosely hanging front hooves pulling them to my chest and face instantly. I could almost feel her breathing.
I hung like that for a few seconds, trying to plan on what to say.
“So this place it’s it- it’s mine. But!”, Hearing it’s not that simple, she raised her eyebrow and hummed slightly, “I need to be there, or else they will take it away in a few days!”
“Owww~” She sighed, like a preschool teacher sighs with empathy when a filly hurts himself.
BAD SIGN
“But you can live here!” I gestured with my hands to show off the place, “Just please don’t kill me, I'll make sure you can stay here!”
“really?~” Her voice faked surprise, but eyes didn't even twitch, they cautiously observed my every move, like a predator watching its prey, or- or..
“YES-” I Almost shouted with relief, as her tail suddenly tightened around my neck and rear hoof. Both my scream, and later the upcoming wail of pain were stopped in my throat.
“I never liked roommates~ They never last long either~” She said matter-of-factly
Fuck FUCK FUCK You BITCH I’m Gonna DIE DO SOMEHTING DO SOMETHING
In my desperation, I grabbed the tip of that freak’s tail with my front hooves, shoved it in my mouth and bit as strong as I could.
~Have you ever picked up a bug, and suddenly felt it bite you out of nowhere, so you reflexively let go and shake your hand to get rid of it as quickly as possible, usually while screaming? That was exactly what she did, minus the scream.
I felt myself being flung across the corridor towards the kitchen, landing on the far side wall opposite of the entrance door, and fell on the floor. On one side is the kitchen, and on the other the small living room. Feeling my ribs and butt hurt was nothing to the rush of emotion. I jumped on my hooves in an instant, turning towards the monster at the end of the dark corridor.
She didn’t say a word. She slammed the only exit shut behind her with the end of her tail, holding it firmly, and started slowly slithering towards me, those yellow eyes focused on my every move, not even blinking.
“Hey hey HEY! Wait! Look, I'm sorry! I’m SORRY!” I almost shouted towards the corridor, losing her off my eyes as I slowly backed out into the living room.
Fuck she’s done playing with me SHE”S GONNA KILL ME
“You can live here! You hear me!” I offered nervously, slowly turning into a desperate scream,” W-What are you gonna do!? Kill me and- and- then you’ll have to look for another place in a few days!”
She said nothing.
Only silence accompanied her as she came out of the corridor, and turned left towards me as I backed out into the further corner of the living room.
“You’ll always be on the move, N-Never have a place called home!” I said, shaking as my rear touched the rear wall and the monstrous figure stood just a pony length away from me, getting closer and closer. That made her look away from me for a split second, but she quickly focused back onto her prey.
I could only stare and whine. Which, i only did one of those things, i whined with my eyes closed and shook, pushing myself into the corner as hard as i could, pulling my head back as i felt her wrap around my front leg
***
“Oughh my fucking head”
I slowly picked my head off the floor and looked around. The apartment was pretty trashed, more than usual. The furniture were all thrown around and…
She’s gone?
I painfully stood up from the wooden panel floor, and brushed off the dirt that accumulated on it from not cleaning for a looong time off me.
Was it a dream? Shit, oh! I know what that was! Must have been hallucinations. I probably took Marenadryl yesterday and forgot.
i didn’t know I had any left, I should check on that.
Not the first time I've seen monsters after that. I guess that one finally replaced the Hat Mare that was after me forever. Out to collect the debt i owed her, every time i took it.
I huffed with relief and went about my day, massaging my head as it would send a spike of pain with every step down my spine. What did I do this time? I looked at the wall I got up under and saw a dent in it two metres above the ground. The couch was overturned too, it was facing the corridor now, and the table in the middle of the room was flipped.
“What the fuck…”
How the fuck did i manage that
The dent was the most puzzling, but it wasn't the first time I couldn't imagine the things I did. One time i woke up in a hospital with my back absolutely decimated. turns out i smashed a window, or was it a glass table? and landed with my back on the shards.
Eh nevermind, I’ll get something to eat
I grabbed my saddlebags, turned and went on my way through the corridor to leave, maybe take some apples from the orchids around Ponyville, I didn't know yet, until I was struck with a horrible sight.
There was something at the door.
I froze as I saw a white and brown spotted tail pressed against the door, stretching all the way into my bedroom.
She’s… real.
I stopped in place. Jumping off the balcony- no that was out of the question.. I’d break at least one bone for sure. I had to… Sneak… Out…
Fuck
With a ragged breath, feeling my heart pound in my chest, I got on the tips of my hooves, and tried to sneak towards the exit, not even daring to get close to my bedroom’s door from where the snake-like tail stretched out of. As I avoided my room with a wide arch, i paid close attention to the tail, now that I saw it in proper light. Bright Cream coloured on the top and brown on the bottom, with brown dots around the line where the colours connected.
Fucking tiramisu monster tried to kill me i swear to Celestia
With my heart pounding, I got up to the exit door and took a silent deep breath. The tail lay against the door on the ground. Carefully not to touch it, I jumped on the door with my front hooves, stretching above the tail, and silently tried to open the locks. I twisted on the first one, it was already open,
Looking at the second one closer to the tail, it was open as well.
I just had to crack the door open enough to slip out and get the fuck out of here, leave her until they take the apartment away and fucking kill her or something!
I grabbed the handle in my front hooves, standing on my rear hooves, stretched above the tail.
three
two
one
go!
I pulled with all my might, trying to crack the door open. On the first tug they opened almost enough for me to fit my head through, i kept pulling, on the second and the third pull they cracked open just a little more,
I could probably fit my head in there, quick!
I squeezed my cheeks and ears between the hard wooden door and the door frame, centimetre by centimetre. I was getting closer to freedom.
I felt the tail twitch underneath me. Whatever she was doing, I couldn't be doing this for much longer!
Then pop, my head was free, looking out into the common atrium.
just… need…. to…. squeeze… my hoof….out
then i could open the door easily with better leverage!
“Hnnnnghh…” I groaned as I pushed my hoof and then shoulder through the door under my head and began pushing, supporting my hoof on the doorframe from outside.
I heard a noise from behind me, which made me double my efforts in pushing the door open with my shoulder and elbow against the tail that held it close.
Yes Yes! I was slipping through!
Then suddenly bam, I screamed high pitched as I felt the door squeeze hard as my head and left front hoof were out of the apartment, the door painfully shut against my neck from the right side, and against the ribs on the left.
“Leaving somewhere?~” She pressed the door into my ribs and neck further.
“Agh!- I uh, No- I- Yeah! I was gonna- get some food!- Ow!, “ I calmed myself down, that's the truth! Yeah, “ The fridge! is empty.”
“Anddddd, the apartment?~ You need to be here, don’t you~?”
“What- Oh that! Yeah i- I’m gonna get money to pay it off! And then nobody’s gonna bother you I promise!”
She purred, “Good boy~. But there are some coins in the kitchen, no?~.” She almost sang from behind me.
“They are- for something different, important!”
“Mhmmm~” She muttered as if not believing me.
“Y- yeah!” i nodded with my head sticking out into the common atrium, not sure if she’d see it,
She got closer. I felt shivers go through my body as l felt her breath on my back and neck.
“Come back today. Or I'll go looking for you, melon~” she sang just loud enough for it to not be a whisper.
then the door opened free, and as I fell on my face in front of the apartment, I heard the door shut behind me.
***
My situation clearly wasn’t the best at the moment, the best way i could describe it would be:
Fuck fuck FUCK! fucking shit!
I need one hundred fifty bits, plus what I owe them so, I don't know, at least two fucking hundred by the end of the week! Every week till the end of my life!? Or a gigantic tiramisu fucking snake freak is gonna kill me!
Oh Celestia, Oh luna. Oh Cadance. Oh Twilight.
I hyperventilated as I sat on a water fountain near Ponyville town market, lighting up a cigarette to calm myself down. Unlike my grimm situation, the day was starting beautifully, with the warm sun shining bright with no clouds on the azure coloured sky to stop it. Pegasi were doing an excellent job today...
As the smoke filled my lungs, I started letting small puffs of it out. It felt as if it filled my brain too. Making my thinking calmer, less clear, less on the edge.
Felon doesn't have a place of her own so i don’t know where the fuck she is, and she’s probably sleeping anyway. There’s no way I'm gonna find her before nighttime. But I don't have time to spare!
~True, it would be best if you got your ass to work right away. average salary in Ponyville is five hundred bits a week, you'd have to work... everyday since four days ago, and maybe that’s gonna be enough if you find anyone willing to pay you well.
Fuck!
And that’s also without the break for the powder tomorrow- That shit’s gonna turn me off for at least eight hours…
As the thought passed my mind, my mouth started to water and my legs began to shake slightly. I felt the need to walk, to do something with my body.
I need it tomorrow, i can’t pass on it or i’m gonna go fucking insane. Tomorrow night. I want it, I'll have it.
There’s no way my two hundred seventy bits from the kitchen are gonna- No. no no!
I’m gonna have something out of this life if that’s the last thing I have.
Fent money is off limits. I need to- i’ll manage- i’ll get the two hundred. Somehow!
I’ll use the last bits of this life to the fullest!
Fucking life.
I looked at the ponies passing me, going between the market stalls with apples, flowers, baked goods, sweets on their counters. There had to be at least a hundred ponies out here. They all passed each other with smiles, greeting and chatting with the shop owners
Maybe if I beg long enough I'll get at least part of the money from a crowd like this…?
Ah fuck no, I’m no beggar. I need a job! Somepony to help me and give me a job!
Maybe they can give me a job, one of the sellers?…
I observed the crowd further, smiling, talking, enjoying their normal, non-ruined lives. I observed them as I spat out the filter tip on the ground and stomped it with my hoof, leaving a charred black spot on the polished rock floor, and then instantly took out a new cigarette.
If any of those ponies just helped me. if just a few of them fucking helped. Don’t I deserve some help?
I wish I had an easy normal life like them, to inherit a small house from mommy and daddy and live our lives in some kind of boring nine to five job, but no, we inherited… debt and some trash!.
I looked at my cutie mark, the thing that reminded me of my sweet daddy. A roulette embedded on my flank.
You know, maybe you could reincarnate into somepony new and fix mine and Felon’s life for a change? You kinda owe us that.
But then you owed lots of stuff to other ponies too. Asshole
“Pick that up please.”
maybe…
If i’m dead anyway…
That’s how i’ll get two hunderd!
“Hey, sir, pick that up”
I turned towards the city hall, ignoring the pony who was wanting something from me.
I know how to get the money! It’s gotta be it! It’s embedded on my flank after all! Roulette! That’s the only way! I don’t have a week after all.
I guess gambling stays in the family.
I began walking towards the city hall but i felt something grab my tail and began pulling be back
“OW fucking ow ow! What the fuck!?” I screamed from the sudden spark of pain from my tail and turned angrily to see a cream unicorn mare with yellow mane, a light blue uniform and a police hat, staring at me with a raised eyebrow as she pulled me back towards the black spot on the ground.
“You forgot something”- She said as she nodded her head towards the extinguished tip between the rocks on the ground.
“Oh come on the fuck you want me to do now? Lick it off the ground!?” I pointed my hood to the stomped and flat dreg next ot the black spot
“Watch your tone.” She growled, squinting her eyes, “Pick up the tip and throw it into a bin.”
“Ughh!” I didn't have time for this, so I groaned and picked the dreg with my mouth. It smelled absolutely awful, and I tried to breathe through the other corner of the mouth than I had the extinguished tip in.
oeugh! a shiver ran through me as i was slowly walking away,
“fucking bitch.” I mumbled with half of my mouth loud enough, hoping she would hear it.
“What did you say?” I heard her ask me out loud. The sound of magic concentrating around her horn gave me enough of a cue to start running
Then I felt something grab my tail again, and with a painful tug, I shrieked, feeling a hoof full of hair get ripped out of my tail painfully, as I continued to run, But then another tug on my tail managed what the other couldn't, and i was dragged back towards the police mare on the ground.
"That will be littering in a public space."
oh come on! And now a fine too!?
I jumped up, to face her, trying to meet her eyes with my furious gaze. But she paid me no mind.
"You have the right to appeal the mandate at City Hall, you have the right to review the incident report at City Hall. Do you have anything to say for your defense? Mister...?" She talked as she scribbled something in her notebook with a pencil.
"M-"
"Melon Floret, yes,"- I couldn't even finish the first letter of my name, as she continued scribbling on her notebook, "Roulette," She mumbled.
"I'm... sorry." I mumbled quietly.
"Didn't quite catch that." She replied evenly, not taking her eyes off the notebook
"I'm. Sorry." I said louder, in her face.
"oh, one more time please, The street is quite busy, and the noise-" She gestured towards her ear, as she peeled her eyes off her notebook, and looked me in the eyes.
"I'm! sorry!" I shouted angrily at her.
"Still can't quite hear the Remorse though..."
Aghhhhh! I walked away, looking into the sky, pacing on the spot ands swearing at innocent pegasi just minding their own buisness as they moved the clouds. Then turning back towards the police mare, with tired hate in my eyes. "I'm... sorry."
"Hmph," She shrugged inconvinced, "Suspect. Said. He- was- Sorry." She mumbled as she wrote the words down in her notebook. "THe Mandate has been cancelled, this time. See you next time, Melon."
***
~Equestrian Code of Conduct: Section 17, Paragraph 3 - Apology and Immediate Release Clause
"In the event that a pony or any citizen of Equestria is found in breach of minor conduct violations or misunderstandings, they may, upon uttering a formal and sincere apology, be immediately released from any further legal or disciplinary action.
***
I needed to get some money for starters if I even wanted to be let inside the Casino, so after running for the pinboard under the town hall, I took a look at some job offers and headed for the most promising one. Somewhere in Sweet Apple Acres.
i’m not going to gamble with my Fent money, that would be ridiculous.
It's just one more day.
I licked my dry lips and tried to calm down my breathing. The world could crumble but the feeling that I'll get my fix so soon was the only thing that calmed me down, as if a sweet tune in the back of my head was drowning out all worries. I didn’t care about where I'll sleep, or if I will eat anything, Fent was all I wanted and needed. I did take one apple from a tree near the entrance to the orchard and ate it though - mostly because I felt that I should eat something from time to time, as much as my stomach revolted and I almost threw up twice.
Walking past the entrance gate to the orchard, I saw a quite big orange mare busy with a fence close to the road leading to a big red barn and some other buildings near it. I approached her slowly, hoping I could find the one who put out the job offer. The pay was high, but there was one thing that worried me.
“Sorry sugarcube,” Said the large orange mare and crossed her legs, answering my question after a short introduction, “Ya can work here’, but it’s a long game mister, the soonest ah can pay ya is after the first harvest.”
“Come on! There’s gotta be something small and tedious that I can do for a day or two!” I groaned in exasperation, I didn’t climb all the way here for half an hour away from Ponyville for nothing!
At least let me sweep the floor or something!
“Ah- sorry there’s just nuthin’ to do out here at this time of year… And who did ya say ya were? I’ve never seen you around here before.”
“Who’s that applejack?” A squeak came from behind the particularly strongly built orange mare, and a yellow filly with red hair and a comically large ribbon tied on them came running from the barn between the wooden fences of the pig and chicken pens.
“Mister here wanted somethin’ to do on our farm, I was tellin’ him that-”
“I’m Apple Bloom!” The filly beamed, excited to meet somepony new, which threw me off a litte bit, making my head shoot back.
Didn’t her mother ever tell her to not talk to strangers? Eh, whatever, still it was a nice gesture seeing somepony so excited to talk to you.
The little filly reached up to me, but before she could reach her hoof out to me, Applejack bit her tail, pulling her back to her right side, covering her with her front right hoof.
“Hey! What are you-” Apple Bloom was immensely surprised, probably seeing her Sister behave out of the usual
“Why don’t you stay right here for the moment,” Applejack smiled sheepishly as she looked at her and then at me.
“Ay the fuck was that supposed to be?” I lashed out,
The fuck am i? a leper?
“Sorry mister but Ah don’t know ya, and the way uh…” A visible discomfort crossed applejack's face as she looked at the sky, trying to come up with a way to not offend me, ”The way ya… Ya don’t really look like the trustworthy kind, now i’m sorry and I know i might be wrong, bu-”
“And you smell like a pig in a kolkhoz but you don’t see me come here with a fuckin clip on my nose do you?!”
“Okay mister- “ The discomfort quickly disappeared completely, replaced with an outrage. She stomped on the ground and looked straight into my eyes, “ Ah can see the needle marks on yer legs, and ya look like you came here to either beg for food or tear out the Catalytic converter from mine tractor, so yea! It ain’t quite the same as smelling a lil bad from hard honest work!”
I could have toned down, but fuck my head started to pound, or maybe that was the heat that put me on the edge, or that the sun was too bright, or the feeling that I had to wait a whole fucking day until tomorrow to get my hooves on the the Fent- but that bitch seemed so insufferable that I just couldn’t play nice.
“Fuck you! and your honest work on a farm ya got from fucking mommy and daddy!”
Apple Bloom covered her face, as applejack’s eyes narrowed. With an angry step she started walking towards me with some malicious intent.
That scared me, no everyday a half bigger than you, buff and super strong mare starts going at you with angry eyes after you mentioned her parents. So I dropped my ears and took a couple slow steps backwards, down the road leading to the farm, still keeping a brave face, until she caught up with me, holding her nose almost up to mine.
“Don’t. Ya. Dare. Mention my parents again.” The muscular orange mare growled at me as we stopped, her eyes drilling into mine, our faces just a few centimetres away from each other.
Soft spot… That made my ears perk up.
I knew what was gonna say was gonna bring terrible consequences, but to see the sweet sweet outrage, the disbelief, and shock in the orange bitch’s eyes as I said.
“Fuck you!” I retorted, “And your whore mother!” I shouted into her face with a hint of joy, “ And bastard father.” i added as if it was a witty remark
It Was absolutely worth it.
I think,
i don’t remember what happened after, but shit,
Oww ow ow, I pulled my hoof rom the city’s fountain ice cold water, and put it to my swollen cheek
my ribs fucking hurt. And face. Whole head in general.
I know I saw her turn backwards to me, and I have to admit I don't remember seeing that part of a pony so beautifully muscular and shapely. It’s a view one doesn’t forget easily~ but what came next was much less imprinted onto my memory.
Unlike the hoof imprint on my right side of the face, reflected in the water of the market’s fountain. Almost a perfect hoof shape around my eye, and a big plum underneath it. I couldn’t even open it properly, it was so swollen it was squinted all the time.
Ugh. Why does everypony have to be such an asshole? Why do I have to be the bigger pony!? Why do always I to have be the one to tone down! If she wasn’t rude to me then i wouldn’t be rude to her!
Kick a pony like that. I mean I asked for it, but wasn’t she the one that helped ponies and saved Equestria wit the princess like dozen of times?
Maybe if I told her I had a Snake monster back home she’d help.
No, she’d have to believe me right away, and instantly nuke the house with the Harmony Rainbow Lazer with her friends or something, otherwise she will see something’s coming.
Applejack would just think i’m a druggie and-
Whatever, not like she’s wrong., but Ughhh the fuck am I supposed to do now!
Apparently I was out for some time. When I woke up in a ditch next to the mud road leading to the farm the sun was getting lower and lower, and now there were only a few hours left before dusk. Soon there would be no chance of finding a job for the day.
I looked at the thinning crowd of the marketplace with desperation while putting the hoof cooled in the water to my eye again, maybe simply scream for help?
I wanted to ask for help, ask anyone to save me. I looked at ponies passing me, even locking my eyes with some blue haired yellow coated mare with a flower in her mouth, or a brown haired cheerful looking stallion carrying a basket of eggs towards me. but then i averted my gaze instantly, looking at the ground the second they looked at me.
I couldn’t look strangers in the eyes, not to mention talking to them if I didn't have a reason they would consider justified.
It’s just, they’d think i’m crazy. I’d look like a fool.
Looking In the water of the fountain i saw a thin, small, bright pink coated with black spots all over his body, and a screaming bright green dirty hair with a mane falling over his eyes, dyed red and blue at the ends as if a rebellious teenager tried to show that no one can tell him what to do. Bags underneath his eyes and small scars on his back and some barely visible on hooves.
What will ponies see when I ask them for help - a little shit you’ll find high somewhere behind a garbage bin behind a dumpster, not far from the truth.
Fuck them for being judgmental like that though!
I’m not anxious. fuck, they’ll just…. fucking hell i could use somepony just stopping for a moment, just once and asking me if i’m alright! Actually willing to help.
But ponies were all going about their own lives, nopony caring about a little beat up pony sitting on the fountain in the middle of the town square.
Except for that police mare from earlier. The rough faced cream mare with yellow hair tied in a loose bun, with some streaks untied into it and going down on her shoulders stood at her post, glancing at me every few minutes to check if she can harass me about something probably.
I licked my lips feeling my hooves shake slightly, my body reminding me about the positives that’ll come tomorrow.
I got the money for that, at least. Yea! What comes after that, I mean who cares.
Felon and I knew we weren't meant to stay breathing for long anyway. I wondered who’d be the first though.
I placed a cigarette on the store ring of the fountain, lit it up with a lighter in my mouth, and put the pack back in my saddlebags, and with the fag in my mouth and a shaky step, I stood up and slowly went to check the second job advertisement I remembered. Something in a library close from here.
***
With a resigned step I entered the Golden Oak library, almost tripping on the door sill.
Fucking shakes
I came up to the small dragon standing behind the counter that looked at me with a worried expression.
“Are you… alright?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.
“No, not really.” I said indifferently as i sluggishly approached the desk
“What… happened to your face?”
My face? I tried to furrow my brows but the pain on the right side of my face reminded me precisely what had happened to it.
“Oh that… that’s my least important worry right now,” I sighed, drained of will for anything. The shakes were getting worse. You know the withdrawal is getting really bad when even I lose the ability to do snappy comebacks, “ Are you the boss?” I asked in a tired voice.
“I- You could say that” A wide grin crossed the purple-green scaled dragon’s voice, “second in command Spike at your service!” He saluted me jumping on the top of the desk in the middle of the room.
“Hm!- Ow!” I chuckled, immediately feeling my swollen face rebel against any sudden movements of my right cheek, “You guys uh- i saw the advertisement that you’re looking to hire?”
“Ow right! I’ll need to call my associate for this, wait a second, -
” TWILIGHT!” He shouted towards the stairs as if somepony was skinning him alive.
Within a split second in a purple flash, a lavender coloured mare teleported into the room with her eyes wide open and horn glowing full of energy.
“What’s happening! I’m here spike!” She started looking around in panic, but loosened up seeing the grinning dragon and then turning towards me with a sheepish smile. She shot a short angry death stare at the dragon, wiping the grin clean off his face, and then looked at me with a worried expression, “Oh Celestia are you alright?”
Holy shit it’s Twilight Sparkle right here in Ponyville?
I rolled my eyes, well, it was probably visible on the one unswollen eye only, and sighed, “No,” I exhaled with a hint of a smile.
“oh my- how can I help you?” She furrowed her brows.
“Uh, I have this…” Whait, fuck the job! Maybe she can help me solve my problem directly? Maybe she can save me! “I have this huge snake pony monster that wants to kill me in the house… I-I know that sounds weird but, I need you to- to go there and kill it with your alicorn powers… please?”
“W-what?” She furrowed her brows even further and asked quietly.
My head was killing me, I struggled to put words together in sentences that wouldn't sound like I was high, and my hooves felt like jelly.
“She-she wants to kill me,” I wiped my face with my hoof and sighed, “ i really don’t know what for, if she wants to- to eat me or just she likes it… but i need to either get rid of her or- get like, two hundred bits to…” I saw the purple mare squint her eyes, and then her and the dragon glancing at each other.
“...okayyyy,” The princess smiled sheepishly, “Mayb-”
“Look princess I-I know that sounds crazy but you just have to believe me,” I exhaled.
“And you want me to… kill it…?”
“Yeah! Exactly.” I sighed with relief upon hearing I got my point across, feeling sweat forming droplets on my forehead and… was it just me or it was super hot in here?
“Wellllll… Killing isn’t exactly a way to handle any problem,” She chirped, “ if it’s an intelligent creature then we could maybe ask my dear friend Fluttershy, and we would try to have a talk with her first and-”
“NOnonono you can’t! She’s gonna kill you and then me! Or she’ll see it coming and then just hunt me down somewhere!” I bursted waving with my hoof in panic while hyperventilating, and then gulped imagining the ways that psycho bitch would probably try to play with me before doing the deed…
“Well you can’t expect me to just follow you and… disintegrate anypony you point me at, and i’m sure she can be reasoned with, there’s good in everypony, really! just take me there, and you’ll see!” She smiled
“No! No- i” There was no good in that thing. She needs to be fucking shot with a fucking lazer and then turned to stone and then cast to the moon or else i don’t think i’ll ever feel safe unless i know she’s dea-
Whoa, I started blinking hard, the corners of my vision were going dark for some reason, my heart was pounding as well…“forget it then-” I fell on my haunches.
“No, really! Everything can be worked through! You just need to find common ground and-”
“Fuc-” I choked the swear in my throat, “ forget it,”
“Is that… I don’t know just a silly idea but- eheh” Princess chuckled nervously, “Is that snake monster… I don’t know maybe…. in the room with us right now?” She tried to sound as understanding as possible as she cocked her head and stared at me for a moment,
Oh fuck you! fuck you!
I sat on the floor as I insulted her in my mind while staring into her eyes in silence.
“Well if you don’t have any other things you need help with except, asking me to shoot snake monsters, is there anything else you came here for?” She smiled awkwardly
“i saw the- you’re looking to hire somepony?” I mumbled resignedly, seeing as her face turned into a purple and dark blue blur as I slumped over, struggling to keep my balance.
“Oh…. yeah we were… looking for somepony who would help us take care of this place,” The purple, dark blue haired alicorn mare said, slowly.
“And look out for it when we’re out on an adventure!” the dragon added, that had to be spike.
“Yea- “ She glanced at Spike and squinted her eyes in a gesture for him to shut up, “But that position is…somepony showed up just a moment before you, sorry!”
“Wait reall-” The purple dragon raised his eyebrow asking, but he stopped himself mid sentence and opened his eyes wide in realisation, “Ah yea, that guy, yeah he was here earlier, sorry sir, stop is taken.”
***
It was already getting dark when I left the library. With a trot i headed towards my apartment, worried that if I take to long she would come out and try to look for me during the night,
The bank comes for hte monthly repayment in two days. If I want to live, I have to get some money tomorrow!
Only now that I was heading back to the apartment, knowing that I'll have to face her again, the realization was starting to kick in. I acted like I didn't care, but even the promise of Fent tomorrow wasn’t enough to disperse the realization of having propably…
I gulped
less than two days left to live.
Oh Celestia, what will she do if she sees I didn't bring anything back with me today?
I panicked as i quietly stood in front door of my apartment’s building
Maybe she’ll just- see it’s pointless and just… end me right there.
I sat on the ground before the door and tried pulling out the box of cigarettes with my mouth out of my bag. After I pulled it out I held it delicately in both my shaky hooves as I tried to pull one cigarette out. My hooves felt weak though, and the box dropped on the ground, a dozen of my precious stress relievers spilling out on the muddy ground.
“fuck fuck fuck fuck!” I whispered to myself
Please please please please!
I tried picking them up, any of them, even a single one would be enough, but as I dug through them as my hooves shook, I clumsily mixed them with the mud on the ground even more, finally I picked one up, more brown from the soil than white as a cigarette should.
Yes!
In a split second I put it in my mouth, feeling my lips get covered in dirt, and began shoving through my saddle bags looking for the lighter. which was…. not… there…
Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!
I began hyperventilating again, almost breaking into a cry, and sat there under the door, for Celestia knows how long.
Looking at the birds on the dark sky,
Or ponies heading home, unicors raising candles with their magic to the street lamps.
Or the clouds being lazily moved somewhere by the sleepy pegasi on the sky.
She’s gonna come out soon
I slowly got up, and headed into the common atrium, and headed up the stairs leading to my apartment which occupied the upper floor.
It’s gonna be fine, it’s gonna be fine I told myself slowly pressing on the door handle.
It was open.
Honestly, I didn't know if finding her here would be better than seeing she’s not here anymore. Weighing both of the options, she either was on the hunt for me, or was waiting here for me. Both sounded pretty bad!
I felt and heard heart pound, both in my ears and chest as I pushed the door closed with one forehoof slowly.
Now just to get to the bathroom, lock myself inside and sleep on the floor. That’s the plan! The presence of the lock would provide at least a tiny bit of safety, knowing that I will at least hear her break the door before being strangled to death.
On the tips of my hooves, turned towards the-
“I was starting to worry, melon~”
With a screech worthy of a griffon I jumped as high as the ceiling allowed me, and froze, breathing raggedly upon landing as I stared at the creature laying on the couch that faced the entrance door in the living room, squarely opposite of the corridor.
“I'd looove to hear what you were up to for the whooole day~ Melon~” She purred as if saying my name allowed her to almost taste it, and gave me a smile full of teeth.
