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Part 31 review

By Adjudicant
Created: 2023-01-06 11:40:10
Updated: 2023-01-06 11:43:06
Expiry: Never
celestiansfwslave pony generaltwilight velvet

  1. >The day drifts by.
  2. >There’s nowhere for you to go.
  3. >Nowhere you’d rather be though than right there on the porch.
  4. >You can hear Velvet and Coal mumbling something to each other.
  5. >The rest of the house is still silent.
  6. >after spacing out for some time, you check your phone and find it to be nearly mid-day.
  7. >A new notification flashes across the screen about another death in the camps.
  8. >There’s a random snippet from some politician about their new plan for the camps.
  9. >Nothing relevant though.
  10. >So instead, you observe and watch the ponies of the practice.
  11. >Some of them just sit in groups on the side of the hill.
  12. >Chatting about who knows what.
  13. >Others are down in the large enclosure.
  14. >Kicking a ball around the giant Earth horses.
  15. >The creatures don’t seem to mind, and just idly pick at the grass in the field.
  16. >There’s a group of four or five working on building something near the back of the barn.
  17. >You can’t tell what it is from here, but it doesn’t seem to be an urgent project.
  18. >Most of the kids though are sitting in front of a small black board that was wheeled out from the medical barn.
  19. >A single person writing various things on the board while talking back to them.
  20. >The lone pony commanding the attention of the troublesome little gremlins who used you as a couch last night.
  21. >Sure some in the back mess around from time to time, but a quick look brings them in line every time.
  22. >Eventually they disband, and the kids run off to play around the backside of the barn.
  23. >It’s a modest living.
  24. >Who are you to judge anyway? Especially given the circumstances.
  25. >Some of Velvet’s words repeat in your head.
  26. >And you think to yourself - What would happen if Emily stopped providing medicine today?
  27. >Would they all move on the same day?
  28. >Desperate to find a new provider as the clock ticks away?
  29. >Some of the sour looks take on a new meaning.
  30. >It’s not just
  31. >The sun creeps across the sky, and you push those thoughts aside, tip your head back and doze off to catch up on the sleep you missed last night.
  32. >You dip in and out of it, moments from the past week flashing across your mind’s eye.
  33. >Until someone opens the screen door and steps outside.
  34. >”Nice to see you making yourself at home in my Grandma’s chair.”
  35. “Hey, she worked a nice groove into this thing.I’m just making sure someone appreciates the effort she put in.”
  36. >You open an eye and smile at Emily.
  37. >The vet tousles her still wet hair with a towel.
  38. >A myriad of bandages and gauze covering her arms and legs.
  39. “Sorry about the biting.”
  40. >”It’s ok,” she shrugs, taking a seat on a nearby bench against the wall of the house.
  41. >”Not as bad as the stallions can get. That’s for sure.”
  42. “Oh yeah?”
  43. >”Oh yeah. Stint takes those. If I try to handle it, I always have to deal with an extra leg in the mix.”
  44. >You scoff, and she smiles at you.
  45. >A warm breeze sweeps across the porch, tangling her still wet hair.
  46. >Emily doesn’t seem to care and tilts her head into it.
  47. >The country girl really is a stunner, with a slim body and toned muscles topped off with a gorgeous freckled face framed by her blonde hair.
  48. >And then you remember who, and more importantly what, her partner is.
  49. >Twiddling your thumbs, you check through the flyscreen door to the house, but can’t spy Stint.
  50. >You can see Velvet's hooves a bit further, outside the door to Emily’s room.
  51. >But you haven't been able to eavesdrop on the hushed conversation between the guard ponies all day.
  52. >Mustering some courage, you turn to the blonde bombshell.
  53. “So. Emily.”
  54. >”Anon?” She raises an eyebrow and lowers the towel.
  55. “Do you mind if I ask how you and Stint… Well…”
  56. >”Bump uglies?”
  57. “No.”
  58. >“Take 13 inches of-”
  59. “-No. Wait, holy shit-”
  60. >”-Their bodies might be smaller, but they’re more like horses where it counts, Anon.” She winks and stretches her back.
  61. >You wish you hadn’t heard that.
  62. “I’m not asking that. I’m asking how you two sort of…”
  63. >”Hmmm?”
  64. >You shrug with your hands.
  65. “Escalated the relationship.”
  66. >She furrows her brow then the realization hits her.
  67. >”Anon… I didn’t take you for a virgin.”
  68. “Only when it comes to bloody ponies.”
  69. >The vet appraises you for a second before bursting out laughing.
  70. >”Hahaha. You’re such a loser, Anon.”
  71. “Oi.”
  72. >”Look, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
  73. “Still, I’d like to know any insider tips. Like is it weird to hold their hooves or…”
  74. >”Awwwwwww.”
  75. “Shut the fuck up.”
  76. >”Dawwwwwwwwwwwwww.”
  77. >You shake your head, but you can’t get rid of the smile on your face.
  78. >”Anon, I’m not gonna spoil the fun for you. If you and Celestia are right for each other, you’ll find a way to make it work.”
  79. “Yeah, Yeah.”
  80. >”I mean it.”
  81. >Emily hesitates, like there’s something she wants to say, but she instead looks out over the field.
  82. >”Like look at this. Years ago, it was just me, Stint, Coal, and a couple of horses barely scraping by. That was when things were really rough.”
  83. >She points at the huge barn.
  84. >”I signed the fixed build contract for that monstrosity six months before Equestria appeared. I barely have an equity in that waste of money, but your donation a few days ago has relieved a lot of the pressure.
  85. >”Even if you don’t give us any more money, you’ve already made a huge impact in my life, and quite frankly the lives of every pony here. So somehow, we made it work. Just like you will.”
  86. >You let a few moments of silence pass.
  87. >Rather than let the conversation carry on in this direction, you reach for a curveball that’s been sitting in the back of your head.
  88. “Was Mark involved back then?”
  89. >The vet grimaces.
  90. >”He was.”
  91. “Mind telling me what happened with him?”
  92. >”I’d really rather not, Anon.”
  93. >Emily folds her arms under her chest.
  94. “Well it’s thanks to him that I found Celestia. So whatever happened between you and him, that’s gotta count for something, right?”
  95. >She considers the words, then lets out an almighty sigh.
  96. >”Barely.”
  97. >You lean forward in the chair.
  98. >”When it all happened, Mark was working here. We were…”
  99. “Partners?”
  100. >”Strictly business. Though I think Mark would have liked to be more.”
  101. >Resting her chin on her hand and tilting her head, Emily stares down at the barn.
  102. >”I took care of horses for all the rich folk who retired to the countryside around here. Always liked horses better than people. Felt more predictable, y’know.”
  103. “I really don’t.”
  104. >She rolls her eyes and smiles.
  105. >”I remember the day it happened. When the princess disappeared? You can get some really rural views at the local grocery stores, and people were saying some real vile things. Then, a few months passed and things got worse.”
  106. >She grinds her teeth.
  107. >”Suddenly, every few weeks, a pony would pop up at the practice in a horrific condition. We’d slot them in and help them out. Best we could. Then send them back to the camps.”
  108. >Her tone dips.
  109. >”Mark was always the more… Business savvy. Loved to talk about how much more we could make from the rich folk around here if we ‘polished’ our image. But after a charity reached out to us, offering a fee to help with some poor creature, Mark suddenly got strange. Like he was possessed.”
  110. >You tilt your head and lean forward.
  111. >The filthy man who sold you Celestia had seemed simple at best. Lazy as well.
  112. >”A lot of the ponies were coming to us with drug problems. Something that used to be a distinctly human issue. ‘Emily’s Healthy Horse Care Practice’ turned into ‘Emily’s Equestrian Rehab Clinic’. Mark had lined up a number of Charities to sponsor us.”
  113. “You were okay with it?”
  114. >”At the time it felt like-”
  115. >Emily balls her hands into fists and clenches them against her knees.
  116. >“Felt like we were doing something important, y’know?”
  117. ”Sounds like there’s a big ‘but then’ coming’.
  118. >”But then,” she gives you a wry smile, “things got really bad. Rising crime in the camps meant donations and funding slowly dried up. The support networks that got struggling ponies to us started collapsing. Charities and sponsors began pulling the plug on clinics that didn’t give them the best bang for their buck. The stables were staying empty for longer. We couldn’t keep as many employees around and had to let people go. Mark started getting weird.”
  119. >Emily looks out across the expansive backyard then hangs her head.
  120. >”He said he’d find a way to get more patients.”
  121. >She takes a deep breath and steadies herself..
  122. >”And he did. He would disappear for weeks on end, but soon enough, more struggling ponies started arriving at our gates. The stables filled up, investors were pleased their money had tangible results. The good times were back again.”
  123. >Her voice cracks and she shakes her head with a pained smile.
  124. >This woman.
  125. >This playful soul who’s been a pillar of strength for the brief time you know her, looks like she’s about to fall apart.
  126. >”I swear I didn’t know.” She pleads with a sniffle.
  127. >Taking another deep shuddering breath, she rallies her nerves and continues.
  128. >”One day. One of my old clients came into the practice. Screaming bloody murder and calling me a fraud. Demanding to pick up his horse who was getting reshoed and groomed as part of its monthly care routine. I tried to talk with him, but he wouldn’t have it. So I returned his horse and he disappeared. You’re rich so I’m sure you know. Word can travel very quickly in these kinds of circles.”
  129. “For sure.” you politely contribute.
  130. >”By lunch, I only had equestrians in the stables. By dinner, all of our funding had been pulled. But I didn’t really care about that.”
  131. >The confession seems genuine, and Emily lets out a calming breath without looking back in your direction.
  132. >”You’ve probably worked it out by now, but Mark had gotten involved in Pony trafficking. He would divert some of the more worse off Ponies to my practice, take some of the cash being sent our way from the charities, and use it to grow his ‘exchange’ as he called it.”
  133. >Emily shakes her head.
  134. >”Said he was ‘only’ trading healthy ponies that weren’t struggling.”
  135. “Very generous of him.”
  136. >”Right? We'd known each other since High School. And in a single day, that man cost me my business, my reputation, my practice, and my dream.”
  137. “Obviously it didn’t stick.” you offer.
  138. >”No.” she smiles. “ I met Stint and Coal shortly after while scraping by at odd jobs here and there. After a while I managed to reconcile with a few of my older clients. That’s theirs down there.”
  139. >She points down at the large cordoned off area where a handful of full size Earthen horses are lazily grazing grass.
  140. >”Charities still won’t touch me with a ten foot pole though, and my name is still rotten in a lot of circles despite that happening… Well, over a year ago now. So we’ve been scraping by ever since.”
  141. “But you haven’t given up yet, have you? Place like this you could sell for a few hundred grand and try your fortunes in another line of business?”
  142. >”Guess I could.” she nods. “Thought about it a few times too. Almost did it once.”
  143. “What changed your mind?
  144. >”Stint. And Coal as well. And all the Equestrians I’ve taken care of since this whole mess began. I don’t want to act like the chosen one, but I do believe I’m doing something that needs to be done here.”
  145. >You give her a big dumb smile.
  146. >She raises an eyebrow at you.
  147. >”What?
  148. ”Nothing. You just remind me of someone.”
  149. >”Who?”
  150. “Not telling.”
  151. >Emily scoffs and rises to her feet.
  152. >”I told you all that Anon, but I would rather it didn’t go any further than you and Celestia.”
  153. “I understand.”
  154. >Slapping her palms on her knees, the Vet pushes to her feet and gives you a polite smile.
  155. >”Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me mister ‘royal consort’.”
  156. >You cringe and groan.
  157. “Please don’t say that.”
  158. >”Coal is like a brick wall in a lot of ways. Lot of things bounce off him. Or over him. You’ll come to appreciate it if you haven’t already. Now, I’ve gotta get back to her royal high-mess. I’ll see you when she falls asleep again.”
  159. “Emily?”
  160. >The vet stops at the fly screen door.
  161. >”Yes, Anon?”
  162. “Will she be okay?”
  163. >”I’ll let you know if there’s anything to worry about. You just sit tight and set up a party or something dumb for when she comes out the other end, alright?”
  164. “Thanks, Emily.”
  165. >”Hey, you’re the one paying for this.” she adds with a grin. ”She’s past the worst now, though she still has a ways ahead of her.”
  166. >She regards you carefully.
  167. >“You might be able to step in and see her sometime though. Could help her out some.”
  168. “I’d like that. I really would”
  169. >Returning the towel to her still damp hair, Emily nods and heads back inside.
  170. >The vet rummages around in the kitchen for a few moments before heading down the hallway. >You hear her mention something to Coal and Velvet.
  171. >And then it starts again.
  172. >An explosion of hooves and yelling as Celestia tries to break free.
  173. >”Hands off me, human. You won’t hold me. You won’t hold me!”
  174. >”Your highness, please.” Coal’s deep voice booms out. “This is for your own good.”
  175. >”Traitor. You're working with them. They're trying to kill me!”
  176. >”Celestia.” A stern motherly voice breaks though and silences the commotion
  177. >”Velvet? No. no, please. Not you too?”
  178. >”We're all here to help, dear. Is it alright if I join you, Emily?”
  179. >The only thing you hear after that is a soft sobbing as hooves and shoes step against the hardwood floors, and the door to Emily’s room slams shut again.
  180. >It’s only a few moments later that Coal walks out onto the back porch with you.
  181. >The stoic guardstallion unsteady as he jumps up onto the free seat against the wall.
  182. >Silences stretch out, and the stallion stares a hole in the concrete flooring.
  183. >You’ve had enough of seeing him like this.
  184. >You want to take a page out of Velvet’s book, but a simple walk doesn’t seem sufficient.
  185. ”Let’s go for a run.” you announce as you jump to your feet.
  186. >The stallion startles and looks at you with wide eyes.
  187. ”Just a few laps around the front yard. Help take your mind off things.”
  188. >”If it’s only a few laps…”
  189. “Don’t worry. I’ll let you win.”
  190. >Coal’s deep blue eyes narrow.
  191.  
  192. >A crowd of ponies gather.
  193. >You tighten your shoelaces
  194. >Coal cracks his scarred neck.
  195. >The midday summer sun beats down on both of you.
  196. “Just a friendly ten laps around the front yard. Right Coal?”
  197. >”Sure, Anon. Friendly.” He grins.
  198. >A mare struts out in front of you. A small colt perched on her back.
  199. >Somehow they’ve procured a flag, and the young colt eagerly holds it high.
  200. >Your heart hammers in your chest.
  201. >Coal lines up next to you, head down and scraping the dirt with a forehoof.
  202. >He snorts, and you nod at the mare.
  203. >She counts down.
  204. >3
  205. >2
  206. >1
  207. >You don’t even see the flag fall completely before you’re off.
  208. >But Coal has already launched ahead of you, putting a full pony’s length between you with each gallop of his powerful hooves.
  209. >It hurts your ego, seeing the gap widen.
  210. >Patience is a virtue though, and you hold at a brisk pace.
  211. >From the center of the front yard, a small collection of ponies thump on the makeshift table with their hooves.
  212. >Risking a quick glance, you’re shocked when you see more than half the practice has now turned out.
  213. >And the guardstallion is only pulling further ahead.
  214. >Patience, Anon.
  215. >The mantra repeats in your head as you clear the first loop.
  216. >Your ash coated competitor is more than half a lap ahead.
  217. >The cheers from the ponies start easing up as Coal continues to create space between you.
  218. >By the time you end your second lap, he’s almost starting his fourth.
  219. >Heavy hoofsteps thumping somewhere close behind as he threatens to loop you.
  220. >It’s almost past the point of no return, and you increase the pace.
  221. >You match Coal’s current speed, and accelerate when he tries to surge forth and loop you.
  222. >He’s taking the bait.
  223. >Now as you enter your fourth lap, you step up your pace again.
  224. >And the thumping of Coal’s heavy hooves start to grow distant.
  225. >Pulling away from him, you reduce the gap to half a loop as the stallion struggles to keep his monstrous pace in front of you.
  226. >You’re almost going all out as well though, so it’s now a battle of attrition.
  227. >Fifth lap.
  228. >You can see the familiar wispy gray mane and tail getting ever closer.
  229. >Sixth lap.
  230. >The ponies are now belting out their support for Coal.
  231. >Though the kids seem to be on your side, as you hear some high pitched voices yelling out “You can do it, Mr Anon!”
  232. >Seventh Lap.
  233. >You’re only a few lengths behind him, almost caught up, when he checks over his shoulder and sees you there.
  234. >His blue eyes go wide, and he scrunches his scarred muzzle and lowers his head.
  235. >Those massive hooves become a blur, and he gallops so fast that kicks up the ground in his wake.
  236. >You gasp, taking in a mouthful of dirt and dust.
  237. >Aching legs carry you true, and you maintain your speed as you chase after the stallion.
  238. >Eighth lap.
  239. >Coal is a half length of the loop ahead of you, but you can tell from this far away he’s slowing down.
  240. >A thin sheen of sweat showing across his scarred flesh and his ashen coat.
  241. >Ninth lap.
  242. >Now or never.
  243. >You go all out.
  244. >Pumping your legs as fast as you can in great bounding steps to the immense entertainment of the young ones.
  245. >The gap closes with each passing moment, but as you round the corner into the final tenth lap, the desperation hits.
  246. >With a last minute surge, you catch up and push out in front of Coal.
  247. >The roar from the crowd is immense, but you don’t know how long you can hold it.
  248. >Already your legs are aching, the steps getting sloppier with every moment.
  249. >You see it as you round the corner into the final turn.
  250. >Coal just on your heels.
  251. >Almost out of gas.
  252. >The mare and her colt are standing at the corner where you started.
  253. >A few other ponies have gathered, clopping their hooves together as they cheer you on.
  254. >All of them - smiling ear to ear.
  255. >The sight stuns you, and you falter in your steps.
  256. >Coal notices and immediately gives off a mighty whinny.
  257. >His thundering hooves carrying him just fast enough to push out ahead of you in the last few meters as he flies across the ‘finish line’
  258. >The flag falls.
  259. >The crowd rushes to the finish line and swarm around Coal.
  260. >A few ponies offer you words of sympathy as you sit down and catch your breath.
  261. >The young ones don’t seem to care that you lost though.
  262. >They capitalize on the opportunity and tackle you to the ground.
  263. >You laugh and try to wrangle the little furballs.
  264. >But they coordinate their efforts.
  265. >As you reach for one, a few of them tackle you from another side.
  266. >As you pick one up, the others pile onto your arms.
  267. >Finally you give up and lie back.
  268. “I give up! I give up.”
  269. >That just makes them laugh louder.
  270. >Eventually, they settle down a bit, giving you enough of a break to sit up.
  271. >You look over at the house, and catch a curtain quickly being pulled back across the window.
  272. >Something for later.
  273. >For now, you’re content just seeing all the ponies congratulating Coal.
  274. >The stallion beaming with pride, until he locks eyes with you and smiles.
  275. >A big shit-eating grin that stretches from ear to ear.
  276. >He effortlessly pushes through the crowd of smaller ponies and walks up to you.
  277. >You gently ask the young ones to stop using you as a jumping castle, and thankfully they agree.
  278. >“Good *huff* good race, Anon.”
  279. ”I thought we weren’t racing?” you pant back at him.
  280. >”You’re right. Not much of a race was it?”
  281. >He grins and laughs.
  282. >A strong chest chuckle.
  283. >Then he sticks out his hoof towards you.
  284. >”I’m keen for the rematch in a few days.”
  285. >You raise an eyebrow at him.
  286. >He winks.
  287. >Oh right. The magic.
  288. “Maybe I can get serious then, won’t have to hold back against an old man.”
  289. >You raise a fist and bump his hoof.
  290. >”Hey, clear off the track would you?”
  291. >Track?
  292. >Someone from the herd yells out, and you and Coal help each other up and over to the makeshift tables.
  293. >Two other ponies have taken up starting positions, and it looks like the teacher you saw earlier has retrieved his white board so he can draw up a tournament.
  294. >Sitting on a not so sturdy stool next to Coal, you rest a chin in your hand.
  295. >A smile on your face as the next race begins with thunderous applause from the ponies of the practice.
  296.  
  297. >The races continue for the rest of the afternoon.
  298. >There’s even a kids’ tournament.
  299. >It’s a delightful surprise though when the mares seem to take it just as seriously, and in many cases are a lot faster than their stallion counterparts.
  300. ‘>But what makes your chest swell more than anything else is that the ponies that have been more disadvantaged by their circumstance are still taking part.
  301. >One of the stallions who walks with an extreme limp, a great scar on his right forehoof, matches up against a mare outright missing the bottom half of a back leg.
  302. >A partially blinded pony against a mostly deaf pony.
  303. >The pair of ponies whose tails have been horrifically lopped off down to the stub.
  304. >They all race.
  305. >Some of them are way faster than you would have thought. Some of them are painfully slow.
  306. >Everyone cheers all the same.
  307. >Once they had finished their race, both ponies would make their way over to the group of tables in the middle of the front lawn.
  308. >A growing congregation of congratulations, celebration, and consolation
  309. >But curiously, there seems to be an unspoken rule, as only you and Coal take a seat at the head table.
  310. >You honestly wouldn’t mind at all if anyone else came and sat up with you.
  311. >Raising it with Coal, the guardstallion shakes his head.
  312. >”Every pony here is free to choose. And this is what they’ve chosen. Don’t sweat it.”
  313. >Seeing the look of concern still on your face, he leans in a bit closer.
  314. >”I think they’re worried what the others would think of them if they tried to take Celestia’s spot.”
  315. >Something strikes you as odd about what he just said, and you roll it over your head for a few moments before smirking.
  316. >”What?”
  317. “Close enough to call her Celestia, are we?”
  318. >Coal blushes all across the scars on his face.
  319. >He suddenly sits up straight, and tries to look as professional and emotionless as possible.
  320. >But his burning cheeks make that impossible.
  321. “Relax, mate. I think she’d prefer that a lot more than ‘your highness’ and calling her ‘the princess’ when you’re in a conversation with her.”
  322. >”It’s not about that, Anon.” he huffs.
  323. “Oh, then what is it about?”
  324. >”It’s about having someone that you can hold high and show off to the world. ‘This is my Princess. Look how brilliant she is.’ And she will be, once she’s better.”
  325. >He punctuates the statement by pounding a hoof firmly against the table.
  326. >Sounds familiar to something else you heard today.
  327. >Eventually though, the races must end.
  328. >And with one final fun run that involves all the kids, producing one victorious little rascal, the event is over.
  329. >The ponies thank each other and wander back in groups to their own corners of the practice.
  330. >An energy bouncing among them.
  331. “She didn’t mean it y’know.”
  332. >Coal doesn’t respond.
  333. “What she called you.”
  334. >”I know.”
  335. >He doesn’t sound very convinced.
  336. >But you’re not going to push this point.
  337. >You stand and begin walking towards the house, but stop when you hear something hitting the floor behind you.
  338. >Coal has fallen to the ground, and despite pushing with his hooves as hard as he can, he can’t seem to stand on his own power.
  339. >”Must have run a bit harder than I thought.” He gives you a pained smile.
  340. >Looking around, there are still a few ponies lingering around the yard who haven't noticed yet.
  341. >You approach the stallion, and his eyes go wide.
  342. >”Don’t you dare.”
  343. >Rather than try picking him up again, you just sit down next to him on the grass.
  344. “Let me know when you’re good.”
  345. >He looks at you for a few seconds before pulling his hooves out from under him and laying them across the ground.
  346. >Coal doesn’t meet your eyes though.
  347. >More keen to inspect a few flecks of dirt hanging off one of his horseshoes it seems.
  348. “Hey, you mind if I ask you a uh… a pony question?”
  349. >”As long as it’s not anything weird.”
  350. “How does the horseshoe feel?”
  351. >”Huh?”
  352. >Coal tilts his head and looks up at you.
  353. “I mean, it's like a bunch of nails being hammered into your hooves to secure a piece of metal to the base of your hoof. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.”
  354. >The stallion flips a forehoof around and inspects the base before raising his eyebrows.
  355. >”I guess when you put it that way… I just never really thought all that much about them.”
  356. >He looks you up and down.
  357. >”If I had to say, it’s sort of like your shoes. I mean, they help me walk. Protect the frogs of my hooves. I can get fancy ones for special events.”
  358. “What, like gold horseshoes?”
  359. >”Or gem encrusted for the mares, yeah.”
  360. “For the mares.” you chuckle.
  361. >”What? It’s true. Ask Her Highness when she’s better. At a royal Gala, she’d typically be seen wearing ones with amethysts embedded in them.”
  362. >You try to picture Celestia in golden amethyst horseshoes, but your mental image of the mare immediately trips over herself.
  363. “Can’t see it.”
  364. >Coal shakes his head, but smiles all the same.
  365. >”If you’re asking how it feels?”
  366. >You nod.
  367. >”I dunno. I guess when they’re put in, I can feel the slight pressure of something pushing in around the edge of the frog. But it doesn’t take long for that to just feel normal. Plus most ponies here know how uncomfortable a chipped or, Celestia forbid, a cracked hoof can be.
  368. “Neato.”
  369. >”Not really.”
  370. >He mumbles those last words, but sitting here with Coal while he gathers his strength and learning about pony quirks leaves you feeling a strange satisfaction that you can’t put into words.
  371. >You stay there for a while longer in silence, until the Guardstallion finally takes a deep breath.
  372. >”Alright, lets do this.”
  373. “Do you need help?”
  374. >He eyes you warily.
  375. >”It wouldn’t hurt if you stood next to me.”
  376. >You don’t really get why he asked that, until he puts his hooves under himself and pushes again, this time leaning his solid mass into you.
  377. >Utilizing your leg as a wall for support.
  378. >Once he’s on all fours, he fares a bit better, and you slowly walk with him back to the house.
  379. >Thankfully, nobody intercepts you, and you help him back to his and Velvet’s corner of the living room.
  380. >As you turn back towards the couch, you catch a gray head quickly turning away.
  381. >Oh boy.
  382. >You step over to the couch.
  383. >Tinder balls his body up tighter.
  384. ”Hey bud.”
  385. >He flinches.
  386. ”Did you want to be out there with us?”
  387. >There’s a moment of silence, before he lets out a ‘Mmm.’
  388. “Tell you what, when you and the others are better, we’ll hold a new tournament.”
  389. >He shakes his head into the couch.
  390. “Oh? Would you maybe like some super secret training from Coal and I?”
  391. >The colt suddenly flips out from the couch seat into an upright standing position.
  392. >”Really?”
  393. “Well I’m fine. Coal?”
  394. >”What are you signing me up for?” The guardstallion grumbles from the corner.
  395. >But he’s no match for the enthusiastic stare from the young colt, standing on the edge of the couch cushion, his wings buzzing intensely on his back.
  396. “C’mon, Mate. It won’t be until you’re back at full strength.”
  397. >He eyes the younger pony, still buzzing on the couch.
  398. >”Alright, but you owe me, Anon.”
  399. >You raise an eyebrow.
  400. >Coal gives you a devious smirk.
  401. >”Awesome!” Tinder jumps on the couch, launching himself a couple of feet in the air.
  402.  
  403. “Tinder. How are you feeling this afternoon?”
  404. >”Like I got all this energy, Mister Anon.”
  405. >He happily answers while the wings on his back still flap at an alarming rate.
  406. “Glad to hear it, champ. Now let's wake up your sister.”
  407. >You give him a wink.
  408. >Tinder’s eyes go wide with joy, and he instantly jumps onto his sister slumbering on the other corner of the couch.
  409. >”Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up!”
  410. >The maroon mare grumbles and waves him off with a hoof.
  411. >”Five more minutes.”
  412. >Her voice is groggy like a hungover teen.
  413. >” You gotta wake up. You gotta wake up.”
  414. >”Noooo…”
  415. >”Mister Coal and Mister Anon need your help.”
  416. >Match Stick’s amber eyes bolt open, and she pushes herself upright immediately,
  417. >The sudden movement throws her little brother off balance, and he bounces off the couch towards the ground.
  418. >You react on instinct, sticking your hand out to catch the little pony.
  419. >You get your hand under his back and catch him.
  420. >And nearly fall over yourself because he’s… lighter?
  421. >He’s barely even half as heavy as he was this morning.
  422. >Secure in your hand, the small pony lets out a sigh of relief and stops flapping his wings.
  423. >Suddenly, his weight increases, and you have to strain to keep holding him up with your outstretched hand.
  424. >Hoisting him back up on the couch, you flex your hand a few times.
  425. >Nothing feels broken or weak.
  426. >While you’re sitting there looking at your hand like a weirdo, Coal speaks up.
  427. >”Need you to do your thing kiddo. Feels like my body is trapped under a mountain of rocks.”
  428. >Perking up with pride, Match Stick hops off the couch.
  429. >”Leave it to me.” she says, still slightly groggy from her sleep.
  430. >As her horn lights up, and the spiral of magic forms between her and the stallion, Tinder’s eyes go wide.
  431. “Oh yeah. You were asleep the last time this happened.”
  432. >”That’s so… Cool!”
  433. >You wish you could see the look on Match Stick’s face, but from the grin on Coal’s face, and the way the mare straightens her neck, you can guess what it looks like pretty well.
  434. “Yeah, well just you wait. If your sister keeps this up, you ponies might not have to take medicine anymore.”
  435. >The colt flaps his wings at his side.
  436. >”Yes! Yes! That’s so awesome. How long?”
  437. “We don’t know yet, champ. So, uh-” You tap your nose with a finger. “Keep it on the down low, yeah?”
  438. >”What why?”
  439. >As he answered you - the small pony tilted his head slightly, lowered one of his ears 90 degrees to the side, and left the other pointing towards the ceiling.
  440. >You hold a hand to your chest as you taste copper for a moment..
  441. >”Mr Anon, are you okay?”
  442. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just keep it a secret. Your Sister can only help so many people at a time. We don’t want ponies harassing her, ‘kay?”
  443. >Tinder beams with pride and does a mini salute with one of his tiny hooves.
  444. >As you’re instructing the young colt, Match Stick has already extracted the magic out of Coal.
  445. >Again, the mare shivers and her coat glistens with a new sheen.
  446. >She turns back to the couch, a drunk look in her eyes.
  447. >”You too, Mister.” She informs her brother.
  448. >His enthusiasm from a few moments ago drains along with the color on his face.
  449. >”Uhhh, maybe later? I mean, I’m feeling okay right now.”
  450. “I thought you wanted to stop taking your daily medicine?”
  451. >He looks back and forth between you and his approaching sibling before slumping his shoulders and squeezing his eyes shut.
  452. >”Just make it quick, okay!”
  453. >As she approaches, Match Stick shakes her head.
  454. >Her eyes focus again as she channels the magic.
  455. >Tinder shudders at the sensation, squirming back and forth as the magic is pulled from his being.
  456. >You had walked in on Match Stick last night when she drained her little brother’s magic then.
  457. >So it’s a relief when after barely ten seconds, she cuts the spell and Tinder shakes his whole body like a wet dog.
  458. >”And that’s meant to help me how?”
  459. “Would you like the short answer or the long one?”
  460. >He rolls his eyes and curls his hooves up on the couch.
  461. >”Whatever. Where’s Mrs Velvet?”
  462. >Good question.
  463. >Coal seems interested in the answer as well, and he hauls himself to his hooves and disappears down the hallway.
  464. >You can hear a knock, a door opening, a few words being shared, then a door closing again.
  465. >Two sets of hooves clunk down the hallway, and the couple emerge from around the corner.
  466. >Velvet is leaning into Coal’s side, but for the first time since you’ve met her, she looks completely and utterly miserable.
  467. >The vibrant smile from this morning reduced to a pained grimace as her head hangs low.
  468. >”Guys, could you please give us a moment?” Coal asks with a nod of his head.
  469. >Tinder looks at his sister and then to you, and you both nod back at him.
  470. “Want the express ride, Champ?”
  471. >Rather than pick him up straight away, this time you crouch down next to the couch, and the small colt quickly hops up onto your shoulder with a flap of his wings.
  472. >Again, there’s a brief moment where you swear he weighs nothing at all as he perches on your back.
  473. >Until suddenly his weight is just… There again.
  474. >The abrupt change nearly makes you stumble.
  475. >You give the small pony on your shoulder a raised eyebrow.
  476. >”What?” he asks.
  477. “Nothing.Don’t worry about it.”
  478. >Together with the siblings, you quietly exit the living room.
  479. >But before you’ve left, Velvet speaks up.
  480. >”Anon. Was she this bad when you found her?” Her sullen teal eyes are desperately hoping for an answer you know you can’t give.
  481. “That’s between the two of us.” you uselessly deflect.
  482. >It might have been vague, but for a mare like Velvet, the implication is clear.
  483. >”O-oh no…’
  484. >Her motherly voice cracking with a pained sob, she crumples against Coal.
  485. >Burying her face in his scarred neck, her whole body shudders.
  486. >Leaving them to each other, you carry the small colt and lead his sister back into the guest bedroom.
  487. >You deposit the deflated Tinder on the bed, and Match Stick quickly hops up to join him.
  488. “If you could pop out in about twenty minutes or so, Big Red? If Coal and Tinder needed draining then Velvet will too.”
  489. >”Okay.” She quietly answers.
  490. “Thank you. I’ll see if I can find Stint as well. We don’t want him collapsing somewhere.”
  491. >She nods, and curls up with her brother on the bed.
  492. >You step out of the guest bedroom, and spy the door to Emily’s room.
  493. >Unguarded.
  494. >Exposed.
  495. >You’d rather not walk that way, but the only other way out is past Coal and Velvet, and you don’t want to intrude on the two of them right now.
  496. >Stepping as lightly as you can, you slowly edge past the door.
  497. >But then you stop.
  498. >Instinct screams for you to keep moving, but you find yourself glued to the wall.
  499. >Waiting for some kind of sound from inside the room that’s different from the wailing you heard last night.
  500. >Seconds pass by.
  501. >Nothing.
  502. >But in that silence, only distantly filled by the murmur of Coal and Velvet talking to each other in the living room, you hear something.
  503. >*tap* “tap*
  504. >Like wood knocking against something solid.
  505. >*tap* tap* *tap* *tap*
  506. >”Someone’s at the door.” Celestia growls.
  507. >Oh shit.
  508. >”I can hear you! Listening in on me!”
  509. >*tap* *tap* *tap*
  510. >”Celestia. Please. It’s probably Coal or Velvet.”
  511. >”No. It’s a human. It’s too high up off the ground.”
  512. >*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap
  513. >”Who did you bring to watch me, Emily?”
  514. >”Whoever is out there, could you please come back later?”
  515. >You will your legs to move, but they feel frozen to the floorboards.
  516. >*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*
  517. >”Observing me? Spying on me?”
  518. >*tap*
  519. >”Celestia?”
  520. >*thump* *thump*
  521. >”No!”
  522. >You barely step back in time as Emily is tackled through the door by the large white pony.
  523. “Coal.” you yell out on instinct as you step forward into the writhing mass of tangled limbs.
  524. >Hooking an arm under her midsection and pulling hard, you manage to create enough space between the two that Emily can get out from underneath her flailing hooves.
  525. >”You can’t hold me! You can’t hold me! Let me go! I need to leave! Please!”
  526. >Celestia’s voice is almost unrecognizable, so hoarse and filled with desperation that she’s raggedly screaming the words.
  527. >Hoofsteps thunder down the hallway, and the guardstallion hooks a forehoof around her back legs.
  528. >”No!” she wails as you both carry her back to the room.
  529. “Easy big girl. We got you.”
  530. >Her breath hitches, and she twists her head back to look you in the eyes.
  531. >Those brilliant purple eyes of hers now wild and bloodshot red.
  532. >Brushed and combed hair all tangled and greasy from staying up most of the night.
  533. >”Anon?”
  534. >You want to kick Coal off and carry her out of there.
  535. >Put her in the car and drive back home.
  536. >Just the two of you.
  537. >But it’s not time for that yet.
  538. “Can’t be doing these jailbreaks from rehab now, Celly.”
  539. >She shivers in your grip.
  540. >Tears well in her eyes.
  541. >Then her body goes slack and she lets out a long wail of despair.
  542. >You and Coal get the miserable matriarch to her bed and gently put her down.
  543. >She collapses into the mattress,
  544. >Despondent and shattered, your pony curls up into a ball and starts gently rocking herself.
  545. >It feels like a rail spike is being hammered into your chest with every miserable sob.
  546. >But you’re not leaving this time.
  547. >Never again.
  548. >You spy a chair in the corner of the room. and drag it over, taking a seat next to the bed.
  549. “I’ll take this shift.”
  550. >”I’m sorry Anon, but I-” Emily starts as she walks back into the room, rubbing a spot on her stomach where Celestia tackled her.
  551. >But she’s stopped when Coal puts a hoof on her knee.
  552. >He nods towards the door and walks out of the room.
  553. >Emily watches stunned as the stallion exits the room and takes up his post outside.
  554. >Letting out a great big sigh, the Vet steps forward and deftly reinserts an IV drip into the of Celestia’s limp, shaking forelegs.
  555. >Then Emily points a finger at you.
  556. >”Don’t make me regret this, Anon.”
  557. >And leaves the room.
  558. >You sit there, pretending you’re bored and studying the wall.
  559. >Blocking out the horrible wailing wretch on the bed next to you as she shakes and sobs.
  560. >There are a lot of things you wish you could talk to her about.
  561. >But right now you need to be the worst kind of strong.
  562. >”Why?” she pleads in a half sob, half-whisper.
  563. >”Why are you doing this to me, Anon?”
  564. >You keep your eyes on the wall.
  565. >Minutes tick by.
  566. >Now that it's come to it. You’re terrified.
  567. >Fingers squeezing your leg through the jeans so strongly you think blood might come out.
  568. >Teeth grinding in the back of your mouth as your tongue turns to cotton.
  569. >”Look at me!” she slams the mattress with her pathic hooves.
  570. >You turn to her.
  571. >You wish you hadn’t.
  572. >Her rainbow hair stands out first.
  573. >Greasy and filthy, matted in long wiry strands that clump with some foul splotches of long hardened bile.
  574. >Beautiful white coat now flecked and stained with spatterings of light brown and hints of green.
  575. >Feathers on her limp hanging wings crooked and pointing in bizarre directions, with a couple that have broken clean in the middle.
  576. >Folded yet unplucked.
  577. >The other currently IV-less foreleg is covered in blood from previous needles that the mare probably ripped out.
  578. >The area around her mouth seems to be at least a bit clean, though it’s still smeared with a faded discoloring light brown.
  579. >Boodshot purple eyes wrap it all up.
  580. >Leveling you with a look of pure hatred and malice.
  581. >”You did this to me.”
  582. >Her eyes never leave you.
  583. >”You fed me drugs. You locked me in this room.” she spits.
  584. >You flinch and glance away.
  585. >”Don’t you dare! After all you’ve done, don’t you dare look away!”
  586. >Swallowing heavily, you look back into her eyes.
  587. >”What did I do wrong?” she asks, tears welling.
  588. >”What did I do to deserve this?” she pleads, finally taking her blistering stare off you and looking at the state of herself.
  589. >Sitting on the stained bed.
  590. >Covered in her own filth.
  591. >Her whole body emaciated from being starved and drugged for who knows how long.
  592. >”Answer me!” she screams.
  593. >”Please!” she begs, lurching forward and grabbing your shirt in the crook of her forehooves.
  594. >The IV pulled after her as the fresh needle is almost yanked out.
  595. >”Tell me!” The mare shakes you pathetically and screams at your chest.,
  596. >The entire force behind her frail limbs is not even enough to move you slightly.
  597. “Nothing.”
  598. >Celestia looks up at you and blinks disbelievingly.
  599. ”You didn’t do anything wrong.”
  600. >The words flow from your mouth without thought.
  601. >Suddenly, you remember a doctor asking you a question.
  602. >You remember a choice.
  603. >And you remember making the wrong one.
  604. >Not this time.
  605. >Regardless of what she might think of you, you squash that chittering demon on your shoulder, and lean fully on your intuition.
  606. >Reaching out, you place one hand on her kevlar wrapped hoof and one hand on the back of her head.
  607. “It’s not your fault.”
  608. >You gently squeeze her hoof.
  609. “You didn’t deserve this.”
  610. >”Ohhh.” she , her lips curling back as tears stream down her face.
  611. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
  612. >”Nooo… No no no…” Celestia begs you, her eyes clenching shut.
  613. “I’m sorry.”
  614. >She buries her head in your chest, horn pressing against your collarbone.
  615. >And the mare breaks.
  616. >Her chest heaving with great pained sobs as she slides down your midsection before collapsing in your lap.
  617. >Throat hoarse from the desperate wailing, but the heaving sobs keep coming.
  618. >As the sun slowly dims on the other side of the thick bedroom curtains in this rural country house.
  619. >As your heart feels like it’s going to fall out the bottom of your chest.
  620. >You sit there.
  621. >Holding onto her hoof the whole time.
  622. >Never letting go.
  623. “I’m sorry.”

Equestrian rehab (Act 1, Part 1)

by Adjudicant

Equestrian Rehab (Act 1, Part 2)

by Adjudicant

Vacation Vocation

by Adjudicant