GREEN
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5193 28.45 KB 394
5193 28.45 KB 394
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>Oh man, why did you have to wake up today?
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>Your neck.
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>Your arms.
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>Your back.
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>Your pussy and your cra-
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>Enough of that.
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>Everything feels like it’s been through a wood chipper.
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>After probably the longest day in your life, you’d like nothing more than to spend today curled up in your bed in your home.
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>Maybe shut out the world for a few weeks.
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>But things are never that simple.
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>As the small pony currently lying on your back would indicate.
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>”Tinder!” a hushed whisper screeches. “Get off him!”
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>The creature on your back shuffles, but stays put.
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>”Right now!”
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>Match Stick’s voice squeaks an octave higher, and you swear you hear her thump the couch with her hoof.
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>You decide it’s too early in the morning for a sibling spat, and so you let out a grunt and start shifting slightly.
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>There’s a slight pause.
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>”Tinder!!!”
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>But it’s too late.
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>Dragging your hands down to your side, you push up off the floor.
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>”Whoa, whoa, whoa!” the small colt on your back yells out as he struggles with his footing.
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>As you stand up, you expect the colt to jump off quickly; but his hooves hook onto your shoulders and he hangs on for dear life.
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>The temptation is too strong.
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>You rise to your full height and turn to Match Stick.
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”Morning, Big Red. You get a good night’s sleep?”
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>Lazily, you stretch your neck to one side.
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“I dunno about you but my shoulders are killing me.”
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>”Are you serious right now?”
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>Keeping a straight face, you stretch your arms out in front of you and start twisting from side to side.
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>A giggling comes from your back as the colt swings back and forth, holding on for dear life.
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>You pick up the pace and twist to and fro faster.
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>”W-Wait! S-Stop.”
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“Can you hear anything, Big Red?”
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>Match Stick rolls her eyes as her brother laughs and pleads from your back.
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“I see the sun’s out nice and bright today.”
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>Looking out the window at the front lawn of the practice treats your eyes to a beautiful sunrise scattered across the dew stained sunburnt grass.
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>The herd is up bright and early as well, congregating once again around the makeshift tables and chairs from last night’s ruined dinner.
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>That makes you pause and solemnly remember why you’re here.
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>”Hey, wha-?”
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>Reaching behind your head with both hands, you grab the small pony by his fore-hooves and lift him over your head.
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>He feebly kicks at the air, a playful fire burning in his familiar amber eyes as you hold him in front of you.
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”And just who might you be?”
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>”Wouldn’t you like to know!”
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>Ah. One of these kids.
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“Ve have vays of making you talk” You threaten him in your best fake german accent.
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>He stares you down.
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“Very vell.”
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>Holding both of his hooves in one hand above his head, you move your free hand down to his chest.
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>He playfully tries to take a bite at your fingers, but you manage to pull them back in time and take advantage of the opening.
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>It occurs to you that you don’t really know where ponies are ticklish, but that doesn’t stop you from going to town on his chest and his… leg-pits? Under-forelegs?
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>What do you even call that point on a pony where the forelegs meet the body?
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>Either way, it seems to get the job done.
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>”W-wait, hah, p-please don’t!’ he begs as he laughs and tries to twist out from under your fingers.
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>Resistance is futile.
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>With the young colt now completely at your mercy, you glance back at Match Stick and catch her smiling.
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>She catches her expression once she realizes you’re looking her way, and furrows her brow.
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>But it’s not very convincing.
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>Though suddenly, Tinder starts coughing.
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>A wet throaty sound that makes his chest heave.
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>Before you can react, Match Stick yanks him out of your grip with her magic and pulls him down to the couch.
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>Pulling back on reflex as her orange aura wraps around his body, you regretfully look over the young colt as he wheezes on the sofa.
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“You okay Champ?”
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>Your blood stained handerkeich floats out from Match Stick’s mane and covers his mouth.
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>Giving a few more wet coughs, Tinder’s breathing finally seems to settle down, and he takes a few steady breaths.
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>”See? This is why you need to stay still.”
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>The sound of water sloshing draws your attention to the floor, where a pail of reddish water sits.
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>A magicked cloth dipping in and out of it.
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>”I get that you wanna play, but you’ve been sick for a long time, Tinder. You need to take it easy until you’ve fully recovered.”
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>Still a wheezing into the handkerchief, the young colt rolls his eyes and looks up at you.
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>You squat down to his eye level.
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“My name is Anon. Nice to finally talk to you, Tinder.”
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>His eyes go wide and he looks at his sister.
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>”He didn’t do anything weird to me, did he?” he mumbles through the fabric.
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“Hey! Do I look like the kind of guy who would do something like that?
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>He opens his mouth.
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“Don’t answer that.”
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>The colt giggles again behind the handkerchief which triggers another small bout of coughing, but it doesn’t sound as bad this time.
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>”No, he didn’t do anything to you. Which is more than I can say for myself if you don’t sit still!”
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>She punctuates the threat by rubbing roughly at the few remaining splotches of dried blood in his fur with the damp rag.
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>He squirms under her efforts, though begrudgingly stays put.
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>Leaving the siblings to sort each other out, you rub some of the grime from your tired eyes and look over the room.
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>Velvet is curled up in a corner, looking at you with a warm smile.
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>You give her an awkward nod, and she returns it.
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>Coal is nowhere to be seen.
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>A short distance away, Stint lies on the ground examining your phone.
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>And head resting on his barrel, a haggard looking Emily is completely conked out.
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>Her hair is all tangled and greasy, small bruises and cuts sprinkled across her arms, and you can even spot the familiar signs of a bite mark or two.
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>You quietly move over to the entryway, peer down the hall towards Emily’s room, and see the missing stalwart guardstallion standing vigilant at the door to the bedroom.
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>His blue eyes notice you.
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>And although he doesn’t look directly your way, his scarred chest swells with pride as he stands guard with perfect equine posture.
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>There’s also the distinct rumbling of a washing machine coming from somewhere else in the house.
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>Giving him a nod, you move over to Velvet’s side and sit down on the ground next to her.
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>”Good morning, Anon!”
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”Morning. Sleep well?”
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>She lets out a satisfied sigh.
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>”Coal has a lot of muscle in a lot of good places, I’ll tell you that much.”
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>You raise an eyebrow at her and she winks back at you with a giggle.
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>”How about you, Anon? You look like you barely slept a wink.”
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”Yea, fine, fine. Just passed right out until something climbed up on my back.”
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>”Oh forgive him, Dear. After he finally woke up, he got a bit of a mischievous glint in his eyes when he saw you lying on the floor.”
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“Is that so…”
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>Twiddling your thumbs, you’re a bit unsure how to naturally steer the conversation, when Velvet finally volunteers the information.
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>”She’s fine, Anon. Celestia finally went to sleep about an hour or so ago when the sun started coming up. That’s when Emily came out.”
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>The vet in question snorts rather ungracefully in her sleep and squeezes Stint a little tighter.
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>He smirks and brushes some tangled hair out of her eyes before looking at you.
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>An incredibly smug grin plastered across his muzzle.
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>”She said-” Velvet continues. “that after the first few hours, the cramps finally subsided. Celestia was more distressed about being locked in the room than anything else.”
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“Right...”
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>You look over at Match Stick, the mare using little bursts of magic to tug and hold Tinder’s face at certain angles so that she can clean him easier.
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>The colt continuously tries to lean away from the wet cloth as much as he can, making her job as difficult as possible.
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“Did she say how long she thinks it’ll take?”
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>”She didn’t really, but from my own run in with things like this - it usually takes a couple of weeks. The drugs might leave her body quickly, but she also might have grown a nasty dependency on them... But then again, she’s an alicorn, Anon. So it’s hard to say.”
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>You glance at Velvet and let out a deep sigh.
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>The mare nudges you in the arm with a hoof and gives you a sly smile.
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>”Would you like to go for a morning walk outside, Anon? It’s such a beautiful day after all.”
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>Without waiting for your response, the mare stands to her hooves.
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>As Velvet makes her way to the front door, you’re left a bit confused.
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>”C’mon, no time like the present!” She encourages you.
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>Mulling it over - there honestly isn’t much better to do, and you weren’t planning on leaving the practice without Celestia; so you rise to your feet and stretch out a few sore muscles.
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>As you stand to follow her, you feel a pair of eyes boring a hole in the side of your head.
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>Still leaning away from his sister as she cleans him, Tinder is starting to get restless on the couch again.
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>Match Stick keeps insisting he get some more rest, but the young colt won’t have it.
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>He keeps looking at you with this playful grin, as if he’s planning to do something to you.
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>Getting an idea, you cross the distance of the room to your bag with a few steps and quickly change your shirt.
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>Then you turn to the siblings and in one swift motion you scoop up the young colt.
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>”Whoa!”
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>”Hey!?”
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>A yelp of surprise escapes him, and his sister protests as you quickly lift him up onto your shoulder and perch him there.
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”You wanna go for a morning walk, Tinder? Get some sun and some fresh air?”
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>”Outside?” he gleefully chirps.
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>”Don’t you think it’s a bit rude to pick someone up without asking them first?”
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“You’re right. Do you want me to put you down Tinder?”
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>”No way, this is awesome! I’m so tall!” he adds with a smug look down at this sister.
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“And there you have it. He gets to go outside without exerting himself. You get him out of your hair for a bit, and I get a shoulder pony. Everyone wins. Let’s ride.”
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>”Yeah!”
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>You turn to leave, but again, you feel something needling at the back of your head.
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>Looking back at Match Stick on the couch, a vein looks like it’s about to burst on her forehead.
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>She seems to have gotten a bit of sleep last night, but the post absorption glow from draining the others' magic seems to have worn off as her mane has returned to a frazzled mess, and her coat appears messy and slightly greasy.
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“What are you sitting there for? You’re coming too, Big Red.”
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>Her eyes go wide, as if the prospect never occurred to her..
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“No magic though. Same goes for you, Tinder.” You poke the colt in the nose, making his face scrunch up. “Not a single word about your Sister’s magic while we’re outside, otherwise you lose riding privileges.”
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>”Yessir!” he nods obediently.
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>Match Stick doesn’t hop off the couch though.
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>Her eyes go to Emily, the vet still bear-hugging Stint in her sleep.
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>The stallion only rolls his eyes and nods for the maroon mare to go.
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>”As long as you can hide that cutie mark.”
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>Magicking over one of your large shirts without your permission, Match Stick quickly wraps it around her rear.
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>Covering up the obvious Match Stick emblem emblazoned on her cheeks. Effectively hiding her namesake.
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“That was my favorite shirt y’know?”
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>Match Stick gives you a guilty smile.
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“C’mon then.”
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>”Anon, are you coming?” Velvet calls from the front door.
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>Before joining her, you quickly step over to Stint, the blue stallion’s ears folding back as you tower over him.
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>”What? I didn’t do nothing!”
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“My phone?”
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>”Oh.” he glances down at the device. “Right.”
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>”Can you bend down? I’m sort of-” he shifts his mid-section slightly
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>Emily lets out a grumble in her sleep and squeezes him tightly.
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>”-on pillow duty” he informs you with another satisfied grin.
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>Rolling your eyes, you secure Tinder with a hand as you lean down.
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>The young colt squealing with joy as if he were on a rollercoaster.
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>With the slightly sticky device in your pocket, and Match Stick and her brother in tow, you step out the front with Velvet and follow her lead as she starts down the driveway.
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>Cold air sweeps into your face as the leafy smell of the countryside fills your nose.
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>The herd immediately notices you, and you recognize a few faces from last night as they raise hooves and wave at you.
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>A small cheer comes from the colts and fillies pottering around as you wave back.
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>Tinder joins you in waving back from your shoulder, the young pony’s eyes glittering with excitement.
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>”They really enjoyed the movie last night, Anon.” Velvet says. “It’s a pity you nodded off so quickly. Though I will admit, seeing you dozed off as the little ones used you as a human couch helped put a lot of ponies at ease.”
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>She laughs a sympathetic laugh, the notes of her mature motherly voice carrying so wonderfully through the air.
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>”It’s not often we get to enjoy something like that…”
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“Glad you all could have a good time.”
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>The pony on your shoulder twists around to look at his sister, the young mare lagging behind.
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>”What are they talking about?”
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>Before she can answer him, you chime in.
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“C’mon, Big Red, pick up the pace.”
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>She pulls her gaze up from the ground and trots faster to catch up.
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>Quickly falling in line.
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>Her head hanging low again as she looks away from the herd and hides behind your legs.
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“What we’re talking about is a movie. I’ll show you guys later.”
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>”Yea but what is it?”
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“Trust me, you’ll enjoy it.”
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>”Yeah… But what is it?” Tinder asks again.
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“It’s a movie.” you deadpan.
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>”But what’s a movie?”
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“You’ll find out later.”
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>But what is it?”
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”You’ll find out later.”
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>”Wha-a-at i-is i-it.” He whines and and weakly slaps your collarbone.
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“You’ll find out later.”
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>”But I want to know now!” he whines again.
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“You’ll find out later!” you whine back.
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>”Is he always like this?” he changes gears and complains to his amused sister.
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>She smiles and lifts her head slgihtly.
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>All of you follow Velvet to the end of the driveway, but she keeps walking.
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>A knot of worry twists in your stomach, and you glance back at the house..
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“Uhh, How far were you planning on going?”
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>”Oh it’s not too far now. I know this really good spot up the road!”
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”Hang on.”
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>You stop.
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“Did Coal show it to you?”
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>Velvet finally halts.
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>”Anon, Dear.” the mare looks at you with sympathetic teal eyes.
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>”I know you’re worried about her, I am too. But it’ll do you a world of good if you put some distance between you and just soak in the surroundings.”
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>The older pony approaches you and picks her words carefully.
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>”You three have been through a lot recently.”
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>Her gaze bounces from you, to Tinder, before finally resting on Match Stick.
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>”Some more than others.”
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>Match Stick lowers her head almost to the ground and tries to hide from Velvet’s sincere eyes behind her mane.
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>”A walk can help you get away from things. Even if it’s just for a little bit.”
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>She approaches Match Stick and lifts up her head with a hoof.
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>”Just focus on putting one hoof in front of the other, Sweetheart, so that you keep on moving forward. That’s all I'm asking.”
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>The maroon mare tries to give her a smile, but it’s forced at best.
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>”And you, Anon.” she gives you an accusatory look.
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>”I understand you’re worried about Celestia, but she’s in good hands. You need to learn how to accept being a little bit useless every now and then. Especially if you’re going to be hanging around a Princess. I swear you ask more questions than Twilight sometimes.”
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>That cops a giggle from Tinder.
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>”Someone’s in trouble.” the colt teases from your shoulder with a smirk.
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>”And you, young stallion.”
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>Velvet’s voice deepens naturally, and Tinder immediately tenses up, wiping the smile from his face.
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>”Would you like to walk with us, Dear?”
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>Her tone suddenly softens, almost dripping with sympathy like honey from a knife.
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>The colt looks down and mumbles something.
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>He looks back up at her, then down again and nods slightly.
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>”Can you please put him down, Anon?”
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>You follow her direction and gently set the colt down on the ground, but can’t help but feel guilty, like you misjudged the situation.
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>”Tinder was it?”
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>”Yes Ma’am.”
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>”It’s Velvet, Dear. And we’ll go as fast as you want. Is that ok?”
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>He nods and rubs at an eye with his fore-hoof.
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>”Alright, let’s get going.”
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>Velvet’s voice changes gears again, and before you can even agree, Tinder starts walking.
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>Step by achingly slow step he starts moving forward through the uneven ground on the side of the road.
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>You almost can’t believe how much he’s struggling to walk.
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>Just how long has he been sick for?
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>Match Stick seems pained as she watches her little brother struggle, and a few times she steps forward to help him out.
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>He doesn't object at first, but after a few minutes of progress, his small wings flair out, and she backs off.
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>It feels like you're intruding on something you shouldn't be.
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>Still, onwards you march with the trio, and eventually you and Velvet move a few meters in front of the siblings.
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>The mare taking in the nearby bushland as she keeps pace with your long strides.
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>You tear off a brown blade of tall grass and play with it.
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>Further and further, the walk stretches out.
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>Glancing back every now and then, you feel the practice getting further and further away.
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“Uh, Velvet?”
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>”Yes, Anon?
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“Where exactly are we going?”
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>”Just a little further now, Sweetie.”
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>Every step starts feeling like a knife in your back. Like someone or something from the out of sight practice is staring at you.
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“Velvet?”
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>”Just a bit further.”
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>Tinder is beginning to become breathless, and Match Stick’s shoulders are starting to sag.
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“Velvet!” you yell.
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>The younger ponies flinch, while Velvet stops and gives you a patient smile.
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>”Yes, Anon?”
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“We’re getting a little far, don’t you think? Tinder has been bed ridden for a while after all.”
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>”So carry him.” she says.
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>Panting for breath, the young colt sits back on his rump and holds his hooves up towards you.
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>You hoist the sweaty colt onto your shoulder, and he lets out a sigh of relief. Taking a few deep breaths to recover.
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>Velvet has already gone further down the road, and is about to turn down a side street.
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>You’ve had enough of this.
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>Time to get Tinder and Match Stick back.
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>It’s dangerous for them to be out.
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>Turning around, you only make it a few steps before Velvet calls out.
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>”Anon!”
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”I’m taking them back, they're exhausted.” you shoot over your shoulder as you carry the small horse back the way you came.
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>”Actually *huff* I’m fine to keep *huff* going, Mr Anon.” Match Sticks contests.
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>Grinding your teeth, you scramble for another excuse. You can’t explain why, but you feel like you need to get back now.
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>If you don’t then… Then something… Something is going to-
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>”Anon.” Velvet calls out again.
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>This time though, the mare walks back and places a hoof against your thigh.
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>”How about we sit down right here? Side of the road.”
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>’No’ is what you want to say, but her Blue eyes say that this compromise is absolute.
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>You’ve already lost.
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>Careful with Tinder on your shoulder, you sit down on a dry patch of grass next to an endless wooden fence.
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>Against your expectations, the young pegasus is content to stay on your shoulder and peer around.
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>Minutes drift by as your only company is each other and the rural sounds of bugs chirping, and a hot, dry wind blowing through the myriad of gumtrees that cover the bushland.
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>Before long, the dread starts to creep back into your chest.
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>You scratch at your pants.
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>Pat a simple beat against your knees.
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>”How are you feeling, Anon?” Velvet asks
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“Huh? I’m fine? Just fine.”
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>The mare smiles and closes her eyes.
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>Hot wind blowing through her mane and revealing a scar on the side of her neck that you haven’t noticed before.
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>It’s not too thick or long, but it does stick out like a sore thumb against her gray coat.
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>”Find something interesting?”
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>You look up and find her staring back at you.
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>”I don’t mind, Anon. I’m glad I could help take your mind off things.”
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>You hadn’t realized, but even just a few moments of distraction had dramatically weakened the dread gripping your chest.
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>Smiling back at her, you look out across the road and over the field on the other side.
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>You spot a small farm house. Tin roofing, a rusted truck out the front, the entire home can’t be bigger than one or two bedrooms.
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>But the field of grains growing in front of it defies belief. Surely something like that must require several burly men working year round.
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>You spot the answer on the far side of the field, well beyond the house and near the treeline.
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>A man approaching his twilight years drives a tractor coated in chipped paint.
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>Walking behind him is a younger man. Maybe in his thirties or forties.
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>Alongside him are a few ponies.
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>They're picking up whatever the tractor doesn’t.
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>The process is simple and gradual, but before you realize it, they’ve already made it from one end of the field to the other, and back again.
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>”Lovely isn’t it?”
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>Velvet snaps you out of your reverie.
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>Tinder has passed out draped over your shoulder, and Match Stick has curled up next to your leg. Close, but not quite touching it.
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>Shit!
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>How long did you zone out for?
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>You’ve gotta get back.
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>But you don’t want to disturb the young ones.
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>There’s no way you can move without bothering them.
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>You resign, and gently lean back until your back is resting on the ground.
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“Yeah. It’s nice.”
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>”This is how it should have been. And it was like this, for a little bit.”
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“Do you reckon they’re free?”
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>”Not really, no.”
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“How do you know?”
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>”Well,” She lifts a hoof and points across the road. “There’s bushland on the far edges of the field that they’ve been near for a while now.”
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>You see what she’s talking about.
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“Go on.”
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>”There’s no chains or leashes or collars keeping them there. Unless the farmers have a gun, they can bolt at any time.”
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“Doesn’t that make them free then?”
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>”For about a day or two. Depends on if they run away with any medicine.”
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“Oh.”
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>”If someone points a weapon at me, Anon, they can force me to obey. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”
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>She let the words hang in the air, as a strong gust of summer wind billows through her hair.
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>”But the worst part of what happened to me,” she looks at the young sleeping ponies. “to us, was that most of the time there were no weapons. No guns. No whips. No collars. Just the truth.”
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>She looks back at the ponies working the field.
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>The morning sun starting to roast the side of your neck.
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>”The truth is that if we tried to run away, they wouldn’t chase us. They didn’t need to. We’d be back sooner or later begging for more medicine. It was a terrible shame that everypony knew.”
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>Turning to you now, the mare looks you dead in the eye.
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>”That’s why Celestia is so important to us. Because even if she’s in the same boat as us, hooked on a medicine that she can’t easily make in an alien world filled with strange creatures. No offense.”
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“None taken, talking horse.”
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>She smiles at that.
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>”And yet,” Velvet continued. “She is recognized by your leaders. They talked to her on television like she was an equal. A million ponies will pick up their things and move a block down the road if she says it’s what we need to do. I don’t know how well you can understand it but…”
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>The mare pauses to consider her words.
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>”She elevates us Anon. Lifts us up like the morning sun. When she’s there to help us, it makes it feel like we’re ponies with problems. It might take some time and work, but we’ll get past them and become better for it. When she’s not there, when she wasn’t there, it felt like we were just… problems.”
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>You twiddle your thumbs,
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>Not because you don’t care for the moving words you just heard.
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>But because you honestly don’t know what to say.
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>What could you say?
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>Still, those big sapphire eyes peer into you.
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>It becomes too much, and you look away. Back to the farmers and their ponies.
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>But seeing the sun dancing through the trees and seeing their great green and gray swaying bodies reminds you of a certain dress and the woman who used to wear it.
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>And that makes it all click.
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“I think I get it. Not exactly, but I used to have a wi-”
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>You catch the lie.
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“Fiance.”
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>”Used to?”
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>Her intensity softens, and she scoots closer.
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“I don’t know if Celestia mentioned her-”
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>A vigorous shake of the head.
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“-But that’s the woman from the barn last night.”
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>Velvet stays silent, leaving the stage to you.
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“She passed from… medical complications.”
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>You look away from Velvet and stare up at the dancing tree tops.
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“For a while, I just… existed. Drifted. Days turned to weeks, and then into months. I ate whatever I felt like. I wasted money on dumb shit. I couldn’t really find a way to care anymore. So I didn’t. I got used to waiting to die.”
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>A hoof rests on your leg.
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“But it was like a switch was flipped, Suddenly I got angry. Real mad. So angry I couldn’t see straight. I raged. Smashed up my room. Layed out a plan of attack. Set out to-”
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>Hunt down the pony responsible for her death.
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“-do something. Anything.”
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>”And?”
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“And along the way I found her. I got a little sidetracked, but what I mean to say that when you lose that certain someone, it kind of becomes a question of… ‘why bother?’”
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>”Know what helped me out?”
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“Please, tell me.”
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>”My Family. My kids. The thought of seeing them again one day helps me push through the mud. Did you have family to help you, Anon?”
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“Her parents were great. Kind souls, just like her. They should have been completely devastated, but they made sure I didn’t completely lose it.”
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>Velvet tilts her head.
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>”And your parents?”
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“Don’t think they even knew we were getting married.”
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>”Oh. I’m sorry, Anon.””
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“It’s ok.”
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>The gray mare opens her mouth to push the issue, but decides against it.
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>Taking advantage of the lull in conversation, you slowly rise to your feet.
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“I think it’s time we went back.”
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>”Very well. Did you at least enjoy the walk, Anon?”
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>You look around at the tall gumtrees billowing in the warm summer wind.
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>A complete lack of cars roaring down roads.
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>The sunburnt grass swaying with a natural rustling you can only really hear out in the countryside.
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“Yea… I did actually. Thanks Velvet.”
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>Match Stick is slightly startled when Velvet wakes her, but settles down once she spots Tinder sleeping over your shoulder.
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>Together, you walk slowly back to the practice, the urgency gone from your footsteps.
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>And when you arrive back at those big old gates, you find the tables have been fixed.
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>There are only a few ponies of the practice still milling about the front yard in small clusters.
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>Chatting amongst themselves.
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>They see you looking their way.
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>Some of them wave.
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>Some of them don’t.
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>But that’s okay.
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>Back inside, Coal gives you a nod from his post outside of Emily’s room.
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>The distant rumbling you heard before has stopped, and you find that Emily has replaced the sheets in the spare bedroom.
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>Her and Stint both curled up together on the bed.
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>Depositing Tinder on the couch, and helping Match Stick tuck him in, you hear Velvet whisper that she’s going to join Coal.
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>You duck into the corridor just in time to spot the mare walking past the stalwart stallion.
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>A quick flick of her rump sending her tail smacking right against his neck, making him stumble at his post.
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>Something useful to keep note of for when Celestia gets better.
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>And as for you… Well there’s not much else to do but sit back and… well… relax.
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>You can’t remember the last time you could just stop.
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>It doesn’t matter. You remember a chair on the back porch.
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>Make your way past the guard ponies.
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>Park yourself in a cushioned rocking chair.
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>A rolling view of the practice, the ponies, and the immense rural property before you.
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>And for the first time in a long time, you let your shoulders sag as you gently rub your still sore neck, and start gently rocking yourself in the chair.
by Adjudicant
by Adjudicant
by Adjudicant