The Fillycaust

Applebloom, Sea Breeze, and Strawberry Quartz had done their best to move the injured pegasus filly to one of the beds. They wrapped a blanket around the poor soul, and Sea Breeze even attempted to clean the wounds with water from the bathroom sink.

“When do you think she’ll wake up?” Strawberry Quartz asked with a concerned look. “Do you think we should wake her?”

“My big sis Applejack used to tell me that you can’t rush everything.” Applebloom responded. “I guess she’ll wake up when she’ll wake up.”

“I feel really bad for her.” Sea Breeze said.

“Who wouldn’t feel bad for her?” Strawberry Quartz asked.

“Well obviously the ponies that did it to her!” Sea Breeze reminded. “D-do you think they’ll do the same thing to us?”

Applebloom shuddered at Sea Breeze’s question. The thought of being in the same position as the pegasus filly, deformed and suffering, made the fear build up in her heart again.

The three fillies were silent for a moment.

“We can’t think about that guys.” Strawberry Quartz finally said. “We’ve got to help this other filly right now, she’s counting on us.”

“Y-you’re right.” Applebloom agreed shaking of the fear. “But what else can we do to help her, I’m not a doctor.”

“Maybe we can get her something to eat when she wakes up!” Sea Breeze said excitedly.

“Something to eat?” repeated Strawberry Quartz.

“Of course!” Sea Breeze giggled. “Whenever I’m sick my Ma gives me some soup and I feel a ton better!”

“Soup does make you feel better doesn’t it?” Strawberry Quartz agreed.

“There’s a refrigerator and cupboards in the common room.” Applebloom said. “Maybe we can find some stuff to make soup in there!”

“It’s agreed then, we’ll make our new friend soup!” Sea Breeze laughed. “Let’s go!”

The three fillies quickly ran to the door laughing. Strawberry Quartz opened it to find Doctor D standing just outside the door way.

The three fillies stood there in shock and silence. Applebloom felt her heart throbbing in her chest. Oh no. She thought. N-not him.. Not now..

“Hello kids!” Doctor D greeted the frightened fillies with a smile. “How do you like your new home?”

The three fillies were silent. They knew Doctor D wasn’t everything he seemed to be. The realized that behind the smile was something much more sinister.

Doctor D’s smile faded into a disappointed frown. “You don’t like it?”

Strawberry Quartz finally spoke up. “N-no we... We love it!”

“You do?” Doctor D asked.

“Y-yeah it’s... It’s great...” Sea Breeze said quietly.

“What about you little one?” Doctor D said turning to Applebloom.

Applebloom felt herself freeze with his gaze, she tried to open her mouth but couldn’t say anything. Strawberry Quartz nudged her.

“Ugh... Um... Yeah! Yeah it sure is great here!” Applebloom lied. She bit her lip hoping the orange unicorn would buy it.

He raised an eyebrow and studied the three fillies. After a few seconds he smiled. “See I knew you’d love it here!” he laughed. He turned to Sea Breeze. “What’s your name little one?” He asked.

Sea Breeze looked startled. “M-me?” she asked.

“Yes you!” laughed the Doctor.

“S-Sea Breeze...” she answered quietly.

“Sea Breeze.” repeated Doctor D. “Well Sea Breeze, I’ll be back in an hour to get you.”

“G-get me?” Sea Breeze asked. Her face had turned as pale as a ghost.

“Yes, I’ll come get you and we’ll begin the process!” Doctor D said excitedly. “Alright until then, bye kids!” With that he turned and left the room.

Applebloom and Strawberry Quartz stared at Sea Breeze. Is Doctor D going to do the same thing to Sea Breeze as he did to the other filly? Applebloom wondered.

“Sea Breeze?” Strawberry Quartz said calmly. “Are you okay?”

Sea Breeze just stood there frozen in place.

Strawberry Quartz turned to Applebloom. “What do we do?” she whispered hoping Sea Breeze wouldn’t hear.

“I-I don’t know...” Applebloom admitted. She turned to Sea Breeze. “Sea Breeze. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“I...” Sea Breeze began, her face still pale. “I need to lay down...”

“Okay we’ll help you to the bed.” said Strawberry Quartz.

“No... It’s okay guys... T-thanks though.” The sandy colored filly turned and walked to her bed.

Strawberry Quartz and Applebloom watched as Sea Breeze slowly got in the bed and pulled the sheet over her head.

Strawberry Quartz turned to Applebloom. “Wh-what do you think will happen to her?” she asked.

Applebloom felt like she knew the answer but couldn’t admit it. “I-I don’t know.” she said.

“Well... What do we do now?”

Applebloom thought for a moment. Sometimes the best way to take your mind off of something is some good ol’ fashioned work. “How about we make some soup for the hurt filly and some for Sea Breeze too.”

“I don’t think soup will help Sea Breeze Applebloom...”

“Well what do you suggest then?”

“I ugh... Well...” Strawberry Quartz scoffed. “Fine...”

The two fillies searched the cabinets and eventually found enough ingredients to make a simple pea soup. They also found a microwave oven in one of the cabinets as well.

“We can heat up the soup with this!” Applebloom smiled she lifted the heavy oven up with a grunt and set it on the ground in front of her.

“Have you ever even made soup before Applebloom?” asked Sea Breeze.

Applebloom blinked. “No have you?”

“No.”

“Well it never hurts to try! I may even get a soup making cutie mark!” Applebloom said cheerfully excited at the idea.

“You’re right! Maybe I can get mine too!” Strawberry Quartz cheered.

“Yeah I had noticed you and Sea Breeze don’t have yours either yet. You two actually remind me of my old friends back in Ponyville. We made a club called the Cutie Mark Crusaders dedicated to finding our special talents and earning our cutie marks!”

“Cool!” Strawberry Quartz exclaimed. “What happened to your friends?” Strawberry Quartz’s cheerful expression quickly changed into embarrassment. “Oops, I shouldn’t have asked that...”

“No no it’s okay, they weren’t Earth Ponies like me.” Applebloom said. She understood that at times like these many ponies had lost their friends and family. Discussions of the past could bring back painful memories. “My friend Scootaloo was a pegasus and my other friend Sweetie Belle was a unicorn.” Applebloom continued. “I think Sweetie Belle is still in Ponyville with her big sister, Rarity. Scootaloo moved to Appaloosa. Sea Breeze actually reminds me of Sweetie Belle and you kind of remind me of Scootaloo.”

“Scootaloo must be really cool then.” Strawberry Quartz laughed. “But that’s seriously really cool, I wish I could be a Cutie Mark Crusader!”

“I don’t see why you can’t!” Applebloom smiled.

“Really!” Strawberry Quartz said excitedly. “You mean it?”

“Of course! Now kneel for your official Cutie Mark Crusader initiation oath!”

Strawberry Quartz kneeled on the floor.

“I, Applebloom of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, hereby make you an honorary Crusader.” Applebloom said while placing her hoof on Strawberry Quartz’s head.

“Is that it?” Strawberry Quartz asked.

“Yeah I guess that’s it.”

“Cool! Now let’s get a soup making Cutie Mark!”

The guards led Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and the group of Earth Ponies into a toolshed where each pony grabbed pickaxes and shovels to build trenches for waste. They were then forced into one of the trenches and ordered to dig or else be killed.

Applejack dug into the side of the trench with her shovel that was tied tightly onto her hooves. She was knees deep in a revolting mixture of fecal matter, garbage, mud, and pony remains. The horrible stench filled her nostrils causing her to wince.

She scooped up a load of mud and tossed it on the ground above the trench. Although disgusting, the work wasn’t too grueling for her. She was used to hard labor on the farm and was confident she could work if she remained healthy. The same was not for Pinkie Pie on the other hoof.

Applejack looked at her friend. The pink pony had great difficulty raising her pickaxe. Pinkie Pie definitely wasn’t the strongest pony around. She was also still distraught over her experience with Night Flare which was distracting her from the work. She finally raised the pickaxe and brought it down upon the trench wall. It hit the wall and sunk deep into the mud. The trench was obviously no place to use a pickaxe in hopes of breaking up rocks, but the guards had ordered it so there was nothing that could be done. Applejack watched as Pinkie Pie struggled to pry the axe from the gooey mess.

I hope Pinkie can hold up here. Applejack thought. I can’t lose another friend.

The long and tiring day had passed and the Earth Ponies were released into a crammed mess of barracks which contained shelves for them to sleep in instead of beds.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie were waiting in line for their daily rations. The horrible moans of starving and diseased ponies filled the cold night air.

Applejack felt her stomach rumble. She hadn’t had anything to eat for two days. The constant trauma of the whole experience had caused her to forget about her hunger but it had finally caught up with her. She couldn’t wait to get her rations.

Pinkie also seemed to be excited about eating. “Boy I’m starving!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“You’re starving?” a voice said from behind.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie turned around to see a gray mare. She was so malnourished that her bones seemed to be almost poking out of her skin. It was amazing that she had enough strength to talk let alone stand in the line.

“I-I’m... It’s just..” Pinkie stammered realizing that she was no where near as starving as the poor mare or almost anypony else in the camp.

“It’s okay.” the mare said. “It’s your first day isn’t it? I don’t blame you. I guess you get used to it... It’s all you can do...”

“Yeah... I... I guess so.” Pinkie replied. She turned around with a look embarrassment upon her face.

Well nopony’s going to be hungry now that we get our meal. Applejack thought to herself.

They had finally reached the end of the line where a unicorn next to a giant pot was giving out the rations. Applejack stepped forward to receive hers.

The unicorn used his magic to retrieve a small bowl and scooped up a bit of whatever was inside of the pot with it. The bowl then hovered over to Applejack who caught it with her mouth. She stepped out of the line and waited with anticipation until Pinkie Pie got hers.

Pinkie Pie walked over to Applejack. Both ponies placed their bowls on the ground with excitement, but only to find that the bowl contained an extremely small portion of a whitish chunky goo-like liquid.

“Is this a joke!” Applejack roared.

Pinkie Pie sunk her head low to the ground and began to cry softly.

Applejack felt like going up to the unicorn and apple bucking him right in the face, but she knew if she tried that the guards would kill her in an instant. She clenched her teeth and tried to drown out her anger.

“Cmon Pinkie...” she finally said. “If this is what we gotta eat, then we’ll eat it...”

Pinkie Pie didn’t say anything.

Applejack took the lead and bent down to devour the gross meal. Just imagine it’s granny’s apple pies. She tried to convince herself. Just imagine it’s granny’s apple pies.

She slurped up the liquid and almost gagged at its revolting taste. It was amazing that even though she hadn’t ate in two days it still could taste horrible, but she knew that in order to survive she needed all the nourishment she could get her hooves on.

Pinkie Pie, still crying, knelt down and at the liquid as well.

The meal seemed to make the hunger only worse. It was nowhere near enough to satisfy and only served as a tease to their empty stomachs.

“Cmon Pinkie...” Applejack said sadly. “Let’s go find a place to sleep...”

Pinkie Pie nodded not saying a word. The two friends began walked solemnly back toward the barracks.

We can’t go on like this. Applejack thought. You can’t do hard labor without a proper meal, it’s just downright impossible.

“Applejack?” a familiar voice said to the left of the two ponies. Applejack startled, turned to see a stallion hidden in the shadows standing on the other side of a barbed wire fence that divided a portion of the camp from where she and Pinkie Pie were.

“Applejack is that you?” the stallion asked.

Applejack squinted and walked toward the stallion. Is it? No it can’t be! She thought. It is!

“Big Macintosh!” she shouted running towards the fence. “Big brother you’re alive!”

Although Big Macintosh looked different it was definitely him. His mane had been shaved and he had lost a lot of his bulky weight.

Applejack stopping in front of the fence with a different kind of tears in her eyes. Tears of happiness. “W-we thought you were dead big brother!” she cried. “I’m so happy you’re alive!”

The Apple family had been split up when Celestia’s troops invaded Ponyville. When Fluttershy had heard the news she flew to Sweet Apple Acres to tell Applejack about the invasion and to offer her cottage for protection. Unfortunately, Granny Smith and Big Macintosh were in the center of Ponyville selling apples at the time and Applejack had no choice but to take Applebloom to Fluttershy’s cottage before they were discovered. She didn’t want to leave Big Macintosh and Granny Smith behind but she had to protect Applebloom. She never thought she’d ever see Big Macintosh ever again.

“I thought you were dead too sis,” Big Macintosh said happily in his usual slow country voice. “But ye seem pretty healthy, did you only just get here?”

“Yeah, Applebloom and I hid out in Fluttershy’s cottage for a while but... but they found us eventually.”

Big Macintosh’s eyes widened. “Applebloom’s here?”

“Yes but...” Applejack sniffled remembering the painful parting with her little sister. “But they separated us... I don’t know if she’s okay or not...”

Big Macintosh thought for a second. “There’s still a chance.” he said with hesitation. “But...” he paused.

“But what?” Applejack asked worried. “But what big brother?”

Big Macintosh sighed. “There’s... Rumors that fillys and colts are taken and treated real well but then... Experimented on...”

“Ex-experimented on?” Applejack repeated.

“Now they’re just rumors AJ.” Big Macintosh explained. “But they say that a unicorn called the Doctor of Death treats the kids all nice and sich, but then does experiments on them. I don’t know if all of this is true though AJ, but it can mean that Applebloom is still alive.”

“Doctor of Death?” Applejack said horrified. “How can I feel that Applebloom is safe with somepony who’s name is the Doctor of Death.”

“I-I’m going to break it to you.” Big Macintosh said. “I don’t think Applebloom is safe... Not after everything I’ve seen. But if she is with the Doctor it does mean that she still has a chance.”

Applebloom and Strawberry Quartz had finished making the soup and were about to bring it to the injured filly and Sea Breeze.

“It sure doesn’t smell that great.” Applebloom admitted. “I don’t think we’re cutie mark soup makers.”

“Me neither.” agreed Strawberry Quartz. “But hopefully they’ll appreciate the thought more than the taste!”

Applebloom laughed. “Shh let’s surprise Sea Breeze.” she said quietly.

“Yeah!”

Applebloom and Strawberry Quartz quietly snuck into the bedroom. The injured filly was still asleep and Sea Breeze was sitting on her bed staring blankly at the wall.

“Hey Sea Breeze!” Strawberry Quartz exclaimed. “We made you some soup!”

Sea Breeze didn’t say anything.

Applebloom placed one of the two bowls of soup on the chest in front of the injured filly’s bed and then brought the other to Sea Breeze.

“Here you go Sea Breeze.” Applebloom said offering the bowl.

“I’m not hungry.” Sea Breeze said quietly.

“Oh...” Applebloom said disappointed. “It’s okay.” she place the soup on the chest in front of Sea Breeze’s bed. “It’s here if you want it.”

“I don’t want to go with Doctor D guys.” Sea Breeze said turning to Applebloom and Strawberry Quartz. Applebloom noticed her eyes were filled with tears. “I-I don’t want them to hurt me!” she began to sob.

Applebloom and Sea Breeze stood there for a moment watching the poor filly cry. They just didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay Sea-” Strawberry Quartz began but Sea Breeze cut her off short.

“No it’s not okay! I don’t wanna be here! I want to be home with my Ma and Pa! I-I miss them...” she buried her face into her hooves drowning out the sound of her crying.

Applebloom sat down next to Sea Breeze and padded the filly on the back with her hoof. “We all just wanna go home... And we all miss our families. You know Strawberry Quartz and I are just as afraid as you are.”

Sea Breeze looked up. “Why are you guys afraid?” she snarled. “The Doctor isn’t taking you!”

“We’re afraid because you are our friend.” Applebloom explained. “And we don’t want you to be hurt either. That’s why...” Applebloom took a deep breath. “That’s why I’ve decided I’m gonna let Doctor D take me instead...”

Sea Breeze looked shocked. “You... You’re what?” she stammered as if she was unsure of what she heard to be true.

Strawberry Quartz was astonished too. “Applebloom!” she gasped. “You can’t!”

Applebloom turned to Strawberry Quartz. “Yes I can.” she said calmly. “If I can protect my friends in anyway then I will. I’d rather it be me than you.” Applebloom meant what she said. She was sick of being afraid. She realized that when she was with her new friends the fear and sadness that she had bottled up inside was almost nonexistent. It was a combination of being separated from Applejack, meeting Strawberry Quartz and Sea Breeze, remembering her friends back in Ponyville, and seeing her friends in distress that made her realize that it was through the lives of others that her own life held any meaning. If she could protect her new friends in any way then she wasn’t afraid anymore.

The entrance in the common room opened up. “Hey kids I’m back!” they heard the all too familiar voice of Doctor D say.

Applebloom knew what she had to do. For her friends and for herself.

I’m not gonna be afraid anymore.