A soft knock comes from the front door of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. “ Ah wonder who that could be, at this hour.” Says a weary Apple Jack as she makes her way to find out. The door opens to reveal a tall slightly off white black maned stallion with bandages covering his rear half, barely letting what’s left of his tail poke through. He jumps back, slightly startled as the light from inside shines and breaks through the night, blinding him slightly.
“Um. So sorry to trouble you. Um, I’m Lost. And it’s kinda cold out there. And. I um. Saw the barn and wondered if it’d be ok if I found myself a little corner to curl up in?”
“Aw sugarcube! We can’t have that!” She exclaims, shocked!
“Oh, Terribly sorry, I understand, It’d throw off everypony to have a stranger in the barn. Um. I’ll be off then. Thank You!” He starts to turn and walk away, disappointed.
“That’s not what Ah meant! Come inside. Ah’ll find a room here for ya.” She gestures for him to come inside.
“Oh No no no no no… The barn is fine. I’ll just sleep out of the way and be gone in the morning. Um. No need to trouble yourself.” He keeps taking unsteady steps backwards.
“Ah’m Not having that. This here is the Apple Family’s House! We could never treat a guest like that! Come in now. Ah insist.” Gently but firmly she ushers him inside.”Ah didn’t notice you were hurt! Lemme get the First Aid kit” He holds out a hoof to stop her.
“No. I will take the room. But this is an ugly injury. I don’t want anypony else to see it. No offence to you or your hospitality.”
She looks at him curiously. “Well. Your room is right at the end of the hall. Just shout if you need anything.”
“He nods and quietly walks to the door pointed out. “Thank you very much Miss…?”
She gasps “Ah never introduced myself? Ah’m Apple Jack. And you?”
He looks uncomfortable, “Goodnight Apple Jack.” He closes the door behind him and slumps over the bed in the room. ‘She was nice. That’s new.’
~
Dark dreams plague him and he tosses and turns in his sleep, memories reawaken and come to him in the shapes of nightmares. He eventually stops moving and lays still.
~
The sunlight slowly reaches across the room. The off-white stallion stirs under the blanket and wakes to the painful sensation of his wound reopening. Looking down he quickly realizes that blood had soaked through his bandage and gotten on the blanket. ‘And after She was so nice…’ he slowly gets up and whispers something under his breath. Limping, he opens the door “Miss Apple Jack.. um. I’m so sorry, But my injury reopened in the night… and um. I bled through my bandages… is there somewhere close by I could possibly… wash them…” He looks up from his nervous mumbling to see a large red stallion standing at the other end of the hall. “Oh… Um. .. Hello, I um. Slept here. And um. I’ll be on my way… as soon as I’ve cleaned these sheets…” The red stallion looks at him and shakes his head.
“Eenope.” He says in a deep voice.
“Um sir… I’m terribly sorry I offended you… Is there anything else youd like me to do to repay our household?” He nervously prances in place
“Eenope. Breakfast is ready.”
“Yeah! We can’t have you leaving before we’ve fed you! Bring him on in, Big Macintosh” Apple Jacks voice comes from beyond the hall, as the red stallion, Big Macintosh steps aside the newcomer shyly walks to what he presumes, correctly, to be the dining room.
“Oh! A guest! Ah didn’t know we had a guest! Hello sir! I’m Apple Bloom! What’s your name?” A smaller filly shouts out
“um…” He tries to shrink a little “umm…. It’s… not important.”
“well of course It’s important!” Apple Jack interjects. “Everypony has a name.” She looks at this odd pony trying to hide in the middle of a room with a bandage trying and failing to cover a large injury to his right flank. “And are you sure you don’t need help?” She asks now noticing how bad he limps and that his tail is mostly gone, seemingly burned off.
“It’s best if I just get going. I don’t want to trouble you anymore than I have. I need to be moving on. I have to find a safe place to live.” The other ponies share curious and worried glances. Could he be a criminal?
“Ponyville is a safe place. Why don’t you let us help?” Says Apple Jack. “You can live here!” The newcomer stops quivering. And slowly looks up.
“A pony you don’t even know shows up injured… not only do you take him in… But you want him to stay?” He says. Tilting his head curiously, letting his dark mane, pulled back in a controlled way, slightly set off by the stray hairs, flop over the other shoulder.
“Why I reckon the whole town would do the same!”
“Eeyup” agrees Big Mac. Obviously not a pony of many words.
“A new neighbor! I’ll go tell everyone!” Apple Bloom runs out to spread the news. The newcomer smiles a little. The first time in a while.
“Well. I can hardly say no after that. Um. Who should I talk to about a house?” He shifts on his feet nervously. “And um. Sorry if this freaks you out. But my name is… Its… Um… Witch Circle.”
“Witch Circle? Certainly not a common name. But Cmon! Ah’ll take you to see Mayor Mare. She can find a house for you. But only after one thing.”
“Yes! Of course! I’ll clean these sheets right away!” Apple Jack rolls her eyes
“No! Eat your breakfast!”
