GREEN   159   0
   3739 20.44 KB    431

Fracture: Navel Oranges

By Greggums
Created: 2021-10-24 09:51:18
Updated: 2021-10-24 09:57:20
Expiry: Never

  1. Originally Published March 12th, 2018
  2.  
  3. >Wednesday in Equestria
  4. >Be Anonymous
  5. >Tuesday passed uneventfully; You took Mr. Bear on his fishing trip, and Fluttershy went to hang with Rarity at the spa
  6. >It was a good day on the whole
  7. >And on the hole as well, as today marked day three-sixty...
  8. >Three-seventy?
  9. >A whole year plus without being raped or having your fetish guessed!
  10. >Aside from that New Year's party where Caramel thought you were his wife
  11. >Though that was less rape and more vigorous, nonconsensual hotdogging.
  12. >But hey, at least you got a free hat out of it!
  13. >A hat which is now currently on your head, shielding your eyes from the sun as you and Spike clamber over rocks on the way to your destination
  14. >Also with the two of you in the Ponyville Badlands today is a cowboy hat
  15. >A cowboy hat which rests on the head of Applejack, who is decidedly not pleased to be here
  16. >She's a nice orange horse, with an honest streak a mile wide and a kick like...well, like a horse
  17. >"Ah am not happy that you lied to me, Anonymous."
  18. >Ooph
  19. >She only used your full name when she was really upset
  20. 1/
  21.  
  22. Well, you wouldn't have come out here otherwise!
  23. >She continues walking, staring straight ahead
  24. Plus, how was I supposed to know "Walking Delicious" was a real kind of apple?
  25. >Still no response
  26. >If anything, she seems to be trying to put more distance between the two of you
  27. >Damn, gotta break out the big guns
  28. >You haven't had to say this to anyone in ages
  29. >At least not since that time Caramel tried to butt-fuck you on New Years
  30. >no homo
  31. I'm sorry.
  32. >She stops
  33. >You and Spike stop as well
  34. >Maybe you aren't as dead as you thought
  35. >"Sorry for what?", A.J. asks, still looking forward
  36. >Damn this obstinate mare
  37. I'm sorry for lying to you so that you'd come hiking with me and Spike. But Spike held me at gunpoint and I had no other options.
  38. >Spike nods sagely
  39. >"Yeah Applejack, he's right...wait what do you mean by gunpoint?! I've never even held a gun!"
  40. >A quiet chuckle cuts through Spike's claims of innocence
  41. >"heh, you can be a real pain sometimes Anon, ya know that?."
  42. 2/
  43.  
  44. >Wew, back on nickname basis
  45. >AJ turns around, a small smile on her face
  46. >"Asides, I needed a reason to get away from the farm anyhow. Granny was having one of her 'Oh Aypplejack, when're yoo gonna find a nice stallion to settle down with and give me some great-grandbabies?" fits, and-wait a second..."
  47. >She stops talking, and her eyes narrow to slits
  48. >A lone tumbleweed rolls through the space between you and A.J.
  49. >You can feel her gaze boring its way into you
  50. >"Did she pay you to take me out here today?"
  51. >Her voiced dripped with venom, and her ears sucked against her head
  52. >You can almost feel your blood freeze in your veins
  53. Hhhh.
  54. >You're still trying to guage the sudden tone shift, and are too frozen to reply
  55. >She slowly, glacialy, turns her gaze on Spike
  56. >"N-n-no? N-nobody paid us. I don't even get paid by T-twilight half the time. Or the c-comedy club."
  57. >Her gaze stays on him a moment, wringing sweat from his being
  58. >And then she softens again
  59. >"Good! For a minute there I was worried Granny forgot what happened when she tried that last time. And y'all couldn't handle a mare like me anyhow.", she adds with a wink
  60. >...
  61. ...last time?
  62. >She lets out a hearty chuckle and starts to walk again
  63. >"Don't you worry your purty head about it none. Now, I reckon that you wouldn't lie to somepony just to go on a hike, so why are we really out here?"
  64. 3/
  65.  
  66. >You and Spike follow after her, quickly catching up to keep pace
  67. >If ever there was a mare who could cut through bullshit, it was AJ
  68. >Well, you were gonna have to tell her eventually
  69. >You swallow your nerves with a gulp.
  70. We're looking for Pinkie.
  71. >Applejack's smile turns into a look of disappointment and pity
  72. >"Anon, it's been over a year."
  73. I know.
  74. >She sighs and pulls her hat down a bit
  75. >"I know how close you two were and all..."
  76. >She struggles on the words, trying to balance keeping the situation calm and saying what needs to be said
  77. >"And I know how hard it is to lose someone you care about, but you have to face facts here. She's-"
  78. >Spike taps her on the shoulder
  79. >"Applejack?"
  80. >AJ shoos him off
  81. >"Spike, hush. Anon needs to hear this."
  82. >He taps her again
  83. >"Applejack...it was my idea to come out here today."
  84. >She stares at him, confused
  85. >Noticing this, he shrugs off his pack and starts digging inside
  86. >"It's...it's just all been weird for me lately. With, well, you know."
  87. >He pulls a gold necklace out of his bag, set with a light-pink gem shaped like a heart
  88. >The Element of Laughter
  89. >"Oh, oh my stars I-"
  90. >AJ's voice hitches in her throat
  91. >You can see tears stream down her face
  92. >And without another word, she draws him in for a hug
  93. >What a softie
  94. >Just giving people warm, fluffy hugs
  95. >Not even asking if you want one
  96. >What a faggot
  97. Can I get a hug too?
  98. >"Oh hush up. Yer a a grown up, ain'tcha? You don't need one. And I ain't crying. It's...uhhh rain."
  99. Suuure.
  100. >You look up
  101. >Oh shit there actually are rainclouds
  102. Damnit, Applehorse!
  103. >You pick the two of them up and head for higher ground
  104. 4/
  105.  
  106. >Be Spike
  107. >Supposed Bearer of The Element of Laughter
  108. >Yes, THAT Element of Laughter
  109. >It's been a pretty eventful year for you, this last week especially
  110. >And that's putting it lightly
  111. >You, Anon, and Applejack are sitting under a tree, waiting for the rain to pass
  112. >The only sound you hear is the rain smacking into the dry ground
  113. >No one's talked for a while now
  114. >You want to say something, but you're kind of afraid of what will follow
  115. >Sure, Applejack seemed understanding earlier
  116. >She even hugged you, and she's not the kind of pony to be physical in that regard
  117. >She usually just does hoofbumps and hat-tips
  118. >But at the back of your mind, you can feel a nagging sensation
  119. >That she'll get beyond offended at you
  120. >That she'll stop being your friend
  121. >Maybe even worse
  122. >The rain is still smacking down outside
  123. >Anon is sitting between the two of you, drumming his fingers on his knees
  124. >The quiet is making him uncomfortable, you can tell, but it's better than the alternative
  125. >"Sooo. I guess now's as good a time as any, right Spike?"
  126. >Oh horseapples
  127. Y-yeah. I guess.
  128. 5/
  129.  
  130. So, where do I start?
  131. >At the beginning, probably
  132. >Yes, that's a good idea
  133. >All you need to do is speak
  134. >"Why didn't you tell us sooner, Spike?"
  135. >Applejack is looking at you, her eyes filled with...pity? Sympathy?
  136. >It makes you uneasy
  137. I don't know, Applejack.
  138. >You let out a sigh
  139. One of our friends goes missing, and the other died in a blood-filled explosion. I don't why I didn't tell you earlier.
  140. >AJ winces
  141. >The sarcasm only registers with you after the words leave your mouth
  142. >Anon smacks your shoulder
  143. >"C'mon man, ease up."
  144. >You messed up
  145. >Twilight was right about you needing to stop being sarcastic all the time
  146. Sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that.
  147. But that is part of it.
  148. >You start fiddling with your claws
  149. Pinkie had been gone for a few weeks when the Element chose me. You remember that, right?
  150. >"Of course Ah do", she nods
  151. You all seemed so happy for me, or at least you, Anon, and Fluttershy did.
  152. >Rainbow brushed it off with her usual careless attitude
  153. >Rarity seemed conflicted about it all
  154. >And Twilight was threatening to blast Discord into Tartarus for 'messing with the elements'
  155. I was happy too. I mean, being the first dragon to be an Element Bearer? Who wouldn't be happy?
  156. >You lock your claws together
  157. But when I thought about it, I just couldn't make sense of it. "Why me? Why not Cheese Sandwich? or Trixie? Or anyone else really."
  158. 6/
  159.  
  160. >Applejack perks her ears up at this
  161. >"Ah thought Discord had something to with that."
  162. Well, not really.
  163. >She wasn't wrong.
  164. >If it wasn't for Discord, you wouldn't have even thought of going where the Elements were stored.
  165. >But he didn't force you to go there.
  166. I didn't even think anything would happen, but then everything just started glowing....
  167. >You stretch your arms out to really make your point
  168. ...And now I'm stuck with an Element I'm not even sure I deserve.
  169. >A wet trail snakes its way down your cheek
  170. >C'mon Spike, don't start crying in front of your friends
  171. I mean, when has anypony we know ever laughed at my jokes?
  172. >Anon waves his hand
  173. >"Oh come on Spike, lots of ponies think you're funny."
  174. >"Ah don't know Anon, Ah find his 'jokes' a tad more grating than funny most times."
  175. >Anon raises a finger to make a point
  176. >But then he makes a fist and rests his chin on it
  177. >Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence there Applejack
  178. But that's eaxactly what I mean! Ponies don't find me funny like they did Pinkie.
  179. >You take y- Pinkie's Element from your bag again and rest a claw on the gem
  180. And that's why we're here. Anon said he saw Pinkie head off this way when she disappeared.
  181. And during one of Fluttershy's sessions a last week, I overheard Twilight talk about how the Elements had connections to their previous owners. So I was hoping we might use it to track her.
  182. >"If she's still alive, ya mean."
  183. >The Element pokes into your hand as your grip tightens around it
  184. Y-yeah.
  185. 7/
  186.  
  187. >Be Anon
  188. >The rain has finally stopped coming down
  189. >The three of you step carefully out onto the damp earth
  190. >The clouds are still out, but the sun is poking through them in that special way that makes the clouds seem bright as hell
  191. >It's giving you a pretty nice headache
  192. >You readjust your cap to give your eyes some relief
  193. >Applejack and Spike are still chatting a bit
  194. >"So say if I got lost somewhere, you could use my Element to track me down?"
  195. >"Yup. Twilight said it's supposed to flash or something, but I'm not sure exactly."
  196. >"You do know it's been over a year since we've seen her last, right sugarcube?"
  197. >You decide to step in
  198. Pinkie was pretty well known in the entertainer's circles, so I think we'd have heard something by now if she was dead.
  199. >"We would have heard something if she were alive, too."
  200. >The mood falls again
  201. >Fucking Applejack
  202. >She does have a point though
  203. Well, that's kinda why we asked you along, AJ.
  204. >"Because Ah'd know if she were alive?"
  205. Actually we were hoping you'd bring Winona along too.
  206. >"But hey, you hang around her so much maybe her tracking abilities rubbed off on you!"
  207. >AJ cocks an eybrow at Spike
  208. >"You know, since pets resemble their owners and all?"
  209. Hehe.
  210. >She rolls her eyes
  211. >"Yeah, 'har-de-har' fellas."
  212. >She readjusts her hat
  213. >"But, since Ah'm out here anyways, we might as well take a look around, Ah guess."
  214. >"Where'd you want to start?"
  215. 8/
  216.  
  217. >You look around the badlands
  218. >Desert on the left of you
  219. >Mountains to the right
  220. Stuck in the middle with you....
  221. >"What?"
  222. ...Nothing. Let's start with those mountains!
  223. >You really don't know where the fuck you should start, but you're hoping your enthusiasm will mask some of that.
  224. >"Yeah! To the mountains!"
  225. >"YEEEEHAW!"
  226. >Spike and AJ run off ahead of you
  227. >Trails of mud and dust trail them as they go
  228. >Thank goodness
  229. >Wait
  230. HEY WAIT FOR ME, JERKS!
  231. >You run off after your friends, slipping every few steps as you go
  232. -
  233. WHEEEEEEEEZE....
  234. >You made it to the mountains
  235. >Barely. You feel like your sides are about to split and your feet are on fire
  236. >Spike looks no better off than you
  237. >"WHEEEEEEEEEZE...."
  238. >But Applejack somehow still has the stamina to hop around
  239. >"WHOOO-EE! Y'all ready to climb this hill?
  240. NO.
  241. >"NO."
  242. >After a few moments, you finally have your breath back
  243. >Mostly
  244. >A muddy hoof drapes along your back, and it feels like a ton of bricks
  245. >"C'mon Anon, yer not goin' soft on me are ya?"
  246. >You vainly try to shake it off
  247. Not all of us got to-huff-to build unnatural endurance on a farm, AJ.
  248. >The weight lifts off of you like a graceful orange angel
  249. >"Oh you know Ah'm just teasin'. It sure is a purty view out here though."
  250. >You peel you eyes from the dirt, putting an arm around AJ for balance
  251. >Spike is laying in the mud, face towards the sky
  252. >Little wheezes come and go in-between mumbles of "ohcelestiamylegs"
  253. Yeah, some view, AJ.
  254. >"Past the dragon, smart-aleck."
  255. >Beyond the purple spot in the mud, there's a beautiful, deep blue lake
  256. >Sunlight is glinting off the water in white, green and occasionally pink flashes
  257. >Seeing it fills you with renewed strength
  258. Who's ready to climb that hill?!
  259. 9/
  260.  
  261. >The wind rushes around you as you soar through the sky
  262. >Your suit's wings flutter faintly in the wind
  263. >Goggles shield your eyes from the stinging breeze
  264. >A smile forms on your face as the building comes speeding into view
  265. >You twitch your hoof, and the wings collapse along your legs
  266. -CRASH-
  267. KITE MARE!
  268. >BWEEEORP. The building's security alarm blares around you
  269. >You punch the nearest stallion, taking full advantage of your momentum
  270. >BWEEEORP
  271. >Still racing from your landing, you grab the necklace from what you assume is his wife
  272. HELL YEAH!
  273. >You holler as you dive through the next window
  274. >BWEEEORP
  275. mmmeh...
  276. >BWEEEORP
  277. Fiive more minutes...
  278. >"STARLIGHT! THE LABWEEEORP!"
  279. It's probably just Trixie again, Twilight!
  280. >"WE CAN'T BE TO SURE OF THATBWEEEORP."
  281. Fiiine.
  282. >You gingerly set your napping kite down and race to the lab
  283. >Be Starlight Glimmer
  284. >BWEEEORP
  285. >You start to work on the magic lock the way Twilight showed you
  286. >Apparently she used to use a key, but she changed the locks a while ago
  287. >With mana flowing into all the channels of the lock, you say the incantation
  288. Princess Twilight is best pony...
  289. >The tumblers click into place and the door creaks open
  290. 10/
  291.  
  292. >The lab is dark, faintly light from overhead by violet orbs
  293. >Or it would be, normally
  294. >Right now the orbs are flashing red and white, filling the lab with light
  295. Hello? Trixie?
  296. >Your echo comes back in response
  297. Hmmm...
  298. >You reach out to the orbs with your magic, cancelling the alarm
  299. >You adjust the lights to be solid white, and begin to walk the lab
  300. >Twilight hadn't used this lab in ages, and everything was covered in a decent layer of dust
  301. >Empty cabinets the far right wall, their doors barely reflecting you as you go past
  302. >A series of pens takes up the middle of the room
  303. >A small pile of light pink and yellow hair is swept into the closest pen
  304. >The only noise being the steady -clip clop- of your hooves as you walk along
  305. >Truth be told, it makes you a bit nervous
  306. >That is, till you notice the faint smokey scent hanging in the air
  307. >You let out a sigh of relief
  308. Trixie, you know what Twilight said about practicing your fireworks displays in this lab!
  309. >You hear Trixie move behind a lab-table to your right
  310. >Turning, you can just see a book as it finishes sliding off the dusty tabletop
  311. >You chuckle
  312. C'mon Trix, she won't be as upset this time, promise! There's no need to hold her lab equipment hostage.
  313. >You playfully exaggerate your strides as you tiptoe towards Trixie's table
  314. I'll get you your favorite spiced nuts!
  315. 11/
  316.  
  317. >Be Spike
  318. >The hike was...less than successful
  319. >Anon managed to slide halfway down the mountain
  320. >Applejack's nose got plugged up from allergies to a flower
  321. >And your Element didn't react to anything at all
  322. >So yeah, pretty good day on the whole
  323. >Anon is sleeping, draped over AJ's back
  324. >And the three of you have been walking in silence since getting back into town
  325. >At least Anon has an excuse though
  326. >You still feel weird talking about the Elements with AJ, which isn't as good of an excuse as being asleep is
  327. >Thankfully, the Castle is quickly coming into view
  328. >And this trainwreck of a day can finally come to an end
  329. >"So, Spike."
  330. >Oh no
  331. >Your heart rate goes up a bit, and you feel a lump in your throat
  332. >"D'you remember the first time Discord got beaten?"
  333. >Oookay then
  334. Uh, sure I guess. Who could forget?
  335. >"Did ya know Fluttershy was abusing Anon back then too?"
  336. What?
  337. >Where the heck is she going with this?
  338. >"Yup. Apparently since the very first day he came here, much as it pains me to think about. And yet, she was still using her Element no problem. Shoot, Ah bet she still could have used it right up till the day she died."
  339. >Criminy...this story got dark quick
  340. >"What I'm tryin to say is that the Element of Laughter chose you for a reason."
  341. >"So stop yer worryin'."
  342. I, uh...
  343. >Applejack has a small smile on her face
  344. >You scan for any hidden emotions, but you can only see honesty and care
  345. Th-thanks, AJ.
  346. >"Any time, sugarcube. Now if you'll excuse me, Ah need to drop this one off at Fluttershy's. G'night."
  347. >She shakes her shoulders a bit, making Anon rock slightly on her back
  348. >And then takes off into the night
  349. Good night.
  350. >You wipe your feet on the mat and step inside
  351. >A crackling voice sounds off by your ear
  352. >"SPIKE!"
  353. GAH!
  354. >The speaker in the wall lets out a slight hiss as it switches to receiver mode
  355. Twilight, I thought I asked you to stop doing that right when I walk in!
  356. >The P.A. system crackles back
  357. >"DID YOU? I WASN'T LISTENING. ANYWAY, I NEED YOU TO HEAD TO THE H-LAB AND CHECK ON GLIMMER. THERE'S A LIMIT TO HOW THOROUGH A MARE CAN BE, YOU KNOW!"
  358. >The P.A. hisses as it shuts off
  359. Never thought I'd hear the day she'd say that.
  360. 12/
  361.  
  362. >The room looked loud and sounded fuzzy
  363. >Your sight started at pink, then black and white, and then shifted to color
  364. >There were two purple blobs, and one blue blob around you
  365. >You tried to rub the back of your head, but were stopped by a pillow
  366. Wha...
  367. >The blobs sprung into motion and began talking excitedly
  368. >"Oh thank heavens she's awake!"
  369. >"How about thanking me? I'm the one who found her."
  370. >"Yes, but Trixie is the one who has extensive experience aiding ponies who pass out at her shows!"
  371. >"Yeah, I'd nod off too during your "Disappearing Rabbit" trick."
  372. >"ILLUSIONS! And they pass out from excitement!"
  373. >You put your hooves out to try and shush the two blobs
  374. >They take form as your hooves get closer to them
  375. Spike? Trixie? Princess Twilight? What happened? Where am I?
  376. >You are Starlight Glimmer
  377. >You try to get up, but the tingling sensation of magic gently eases you back down
  378. >"Easy, Starlight. Here, drink."
  379. >A cup of water floats over to you, and you take a sip from the bendy straw inside
  380. >Looking around, you see you're inside the sitting room of the castle
  381. >Your friends all wear worried looks
  382. >Spike has his Element on as well.
  383. >"We found you down in the lab. The cabinets tipped over onto you and knocked you unconscious."
  384. >A brief flare of pain surges across your head
  385. Cabinets?
  386. >Twilight nods
  387. >"I'm so sorry, Starlight. I wouldn't have sent you down there if I knew it had become that unstable."
  388. >Trixie's hooves and Twilight's wings carefully wrap around you in a hug
  389. >Unable to get in on the hug, Spike gives your hoof a small pat
  390. Spike? I thought you went hiking this morning.
  391. >"Just got back, actually. We kinda got lost and decided to come back since it was getting dark."
  392. >He taps his Element at the word "lost"
  393. Oh. Ohhh. I'm s-dark? It was barely noon when I-
  394. >Oh wow you have been out for a while
  395. 13/
  396.  
  397. >Twilight releases her hold on you, but Trixie stays wrapped around your barrel
  398. >A faint snoring noise lets you know she won't be letting go any time soon
  399. >Twilight clears her throat
  400. >"Now then..."
  401. >She flies to the corner of the room and turns her potted plant around
  402. >When she flies back, you swear it turned itself back around
  403. >Probably just your mind reorienting itself
  404. >"I didn't want to worry Trixie too much, but since she's asleep then I can talk freely; those cabinets didn't fall on you."
  405. What?
  406. >Your mind is still a bit foggy from being unconscious
  407. >"Well they did fall on you," Spike adds, "but only because you got knocked back into them pretty hard by something."
  408. >"What do you remember, Starlight? Was anything down there with you?"
  409. >You struggle to bring the memory back
  410. It smelled like smoke, but I thought that was Trixie working on her act.
  411. >"Great and powerffff", the sleeping form beside you mumbles
  412. >The corner of your mouth turns up in a slight smile
  413. Aside from that, I do-wait.
  414. >The book
  415. >Your smile falls back down
  416. I saw the intruder take a book off one of the tables, but I couldn't see who it was.
  417. Or what book it was. It was so dusty....
  418. >Twilight takes the information in, pondering
  419. >Her brow furrows, casting shadows over her eyes
  420. >"None of this is sounding good. Spike."
  421. >She produces a scroll with magic and plops it into the dragons arms
  422. >"This is a list of all the books in that lab. If any are missing, I want you to tell me as soon as I get back."
  423. >"Back?" Spike asks
  424. >"I need to go have a meeting with somepony."
  425. >The air smells of ozone as her aura surrounds her, and then she is gone with a -crack-.
  426. >"More like Element of Gopher...", Spike grumbles as he sets his Element down on the coffee table
  427. >"Call me if you need anything, Star."
  428. I will, Spike. Thank you.
  429. >As he goes, his Element flashes blue for a brief moment
  430. >But neither of you seem to notice it
  431. 14

c: April Fool

by Greggums

Trixie's Machine

by Greggums

Delectable Scrotum

by Greggums

Fracture: The Breaking of the Shaft

by Greggums

Fracture: Anon in Zoo-Land

by Greggums