Original Pt.2

He couldn’t have been dead, right? I mean, sure his face was a red syrupy mess now and he was either unconscious or worse, but that didn’t mean he was dead! I didn’t hit him that hard, did I? He would be perfectly fine.

I watched the mare run, then stared down at the stallion I destroyed the face of. His golden eyes were at the back of his head, and his jaw looked twisted and broken. He had skidden quite a bit and was now back on the dirt road he was walking on. A pang of pity tore at my gut for bucking the poor guy.

What made the situation worse was the fact that the police were coming. And I would most likely be arrested for battery. Battery was a rare thing in Equestria, even in Coltington, so I’d probably be punished far worse than usual.

At the realization of this, I let out a scream of frustration. It was so loud I could hear the echo afterwards. All of my rage and fear was thrust into a ten second long shout.

My parents had heard it and came galloping to the vineyard. But, at the same time, the mare had come back with a team of five stallions in blue jackets and hats. Hot tears were already flooding my face. I was scared.

“What happened?” Mom asked, then saw the stallion’s body on the floor, the blood on my back hooves, and put a hoof up to her mouth in shock. Dad’s eyes just flashed from me to the body, his face turning into a confused and worried one.

“I’m sorry!” I cried, to both them and the police. “I-I-I didn’t m-mean it! It was in a-accident!”

The ponies shared glances, then one of the police ponies came up and placed a chained ball around my back legs. I felt the cold, rusted metal mix with the blood and squealed again.

“Shut up!” the stallion barked, and I attempted to back away further. But the chains forbid me.

Mom ran to the police pony. “What are you doing with her?” she demanded, at the brink of letting all her tears flow free. “Didn’t you hear her say it was an accident?”

“She can tell that to the judge,” the stallion replied gruffly. I gazed over at Dad for a second, who was staring at the ground in utter silence. Not even trying to stand up for his daughter. I thought he would want me to have a clean criminal record, but he wasn’t doing anything but glaring at the soil under his hooves. I grimaced.

The rest of the ponies gathered around me to make sure I didn’t try to run away, then started walking without warning. I was startled for a moment, then caught up with them. The ball dragged behind me, the metal scuffed my ankles, and my legs ached all the way there. But I didn’t say anything.

My cell was cold and dark. There was hardly any light shining through the titanium bars. The only source of warmth was a blue fleece blanket on the small board attached to the wall, and that was luxury at its finest in a jail cell. The rest of it, though, was just empty, cold, and heartless.

I watched the shadows form on the wall as guards walked by. It was my only source of entertainment. I didn’t eat the slop they gave me, and I slept most of the time. I thought about what I had done from time to time, but it was against my will. I really didn’t want to.

Suddenly, the cell door opened wide, and a guard popped his head in. “You have a visitor,” he said. My heart brightened a little bit, but it wasn’t enough to lift my spirits. I somberly slid off the bed and slowly made my way out the cell. It wasn’t like I was going to be set free or anything, so why bother?

I sat behind the glass window, and the pony in front of me shocked me. A white mare my age with dark brown, almost black, hair tied in a messy ponytail. Her blue eyes were blinking and confused. “Butter Cream?” I asked in disbelief. Why was she here?

“Grape Vine! What did you do to get you in here?” she demanded quickly.

I sighed. “I kicked a Unicorn in the face.”

Butter Cream leaned forward like an attacking bear. “What?! Why did-”

“Now listen. I didn’t mean to, really, and as a friend, you should understand.”

She didn’t know what else to say, so I continued, “If you had anything else to mention, you’re free to do so. Otherwise, I’ll get back to my cell.” I wasn’t in the mood for her antics. After what she did to me so long ago, getting me drunk, I had hoped to not talk to her again. And here she was.

Butter Cream gave me a long stare. “What happened to you?” she muttered, her voice grim and angry.

“Living in this town happened!” I nearly screamed, then got off my chair and slugged away before she could say anything to defy me or the police got me in trouble.

I didn’t look back.

Days passed. The stallion I had kicked in the face had healed for the most part, though he was permanently scarred. A chunk on his forehead where the edge of my hoof made contact would be there forever after the stitches were removed. This was one of the many charges pressed against me.

As I sat court, waiting like a scared little kitten in front of the judge, I listened to the other ponies talk about what kind of a mare I was. Some said I was evil for doing such a thing, other claimed I was a demon. But most of them just said I should be punished because I was an Earth pony.

It was unjust and uncalled for, and the lawyer my parents hired agreed with them, but kept it secret until later on. He made some fairly good points, though. For example...

“Ms. Vine proclaims that the stallion was destroying private property and using offensive phrases. Is that correct, Ms. Vine?” the lawyer said, looking over at me intently.

I snapped out of thought the second time my name was called. “Y-yes, sir,” I replied, sitting back up.

The lawyer nodded. “And our law clearly states that destroying private property is something to be punished for. If we punish the pony who did nothing but protect her property, isn’t that unfair?”

The judge scratched his curly white beard. My chin itched just looking at it. “But, instead of trying to murder a pony, she should have told the force.”

My lawyer was silent. I wanted to smack him.

It went on like that for a few hours, until it was finally decided.

I was sentenced to jail for ten years, a.k.a until I was dead. But, luckily, my parents gathered their payments into one amount and paid my bail fee. The whole enchilada. I didn’t even know they made that much money. But they did it. And I promised to do the chores for a whole week in thanks.

Probably not enough to pay for a life in jail, but whatever.

And you know what? Dad found a way for us to get out of Coltington. I would be free of my troubles. I would be free of my pain. I would be free of my torture.

Instead of being somewhere that I’m unwanted, I could go somewhere that I’m wanted.

Somewhere that I’m not just an Earth pony.

I’m unique.

I’m different.

I’m original.

I’m special.