Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT!!! I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, away from the mares hot on my trail.

...You know...Three years ago, I would've killed to be able to say that. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" I called out behind me, somehow managing the scream despite my lungs burning and threatening to give out. "JUST LET ME GO!"

"Not a chance!" I heard shouted behind me, along with the rapid flapping of wings and pounding of hooves on stone. For the second time, I was running for my life. I hadn't eaten in days. I was running on almost no sleep. I could feel my limbs shake, and my mind wasn't what it should be. But I didn't dare entertain the thought that my body would give out before I could get away.

I refused. I absolutely would not let these ponies see me fall again. Come on, you're the most successful predator your species has ever seen! My breath heaved, ragged and raspy, as my body ran on autopilot. You dominated your own planet with no magic, no help, far before you ever invented guns and knives! These ponies are NOTHING compared to what you can do!

...Then why run? I was so tired of running. So tired of being afraid of Rainbow Dash. A wide grin stretched across my scruffy face. And why was I afraid of Rainbow Dash?

Because she shot lightning bolts at me. With clouds she doesn't have here. And I couldn't get her because she was too high up...and we were in close quarters.

I had the advantage here. Why should I run? I'm a predator, she is prey. I skidded to a halt and turned around, crouching down to brace myself just in time for Rainbow to crash into my chest. If I can get a hold of her, she's MINE. I was sent sprawling across the floor, but I was still able to lock my arms around her barrel. I kept my grin despite the pain in my chest, a raspy chuckle tearing from my too-dry throat.

"Gotcha..."
-----

Applejack and the others lagged behind their cyan speedster, huffing and panting. "Rainbow...cosarn it, STICK WITH TH'GROUP!" They continued running for some time, barely managing to catch the prismatic trail Rainbow left in her wake turning around corners. "RAINBOW!" Applejack shouted, irritation seeping into her tone. A thick, meaty thud and pained grunt pressed her even harder, slowly pulling in front of the group until she tore around the next corner to see Rainbow atop Jason, the human's arms tightly locked around her body.

"Gotcha..." Applejack shuddered at the dark tone Jason's voice had taken, a gravelly, dead voice. She and the others stopped in their tracks as Jason rolled over and pinned Rainbow down, his body pushing hers into the stone floor and his hands wrapping around her throat.

No...No, no no NO!" Applejack panicked, looking between her friend and her charge, unsure what to do. If I try ta stop 'im Ah could hurt 'im, but if I don't...

Jason grunted and pressed down harder, and Applejack could've sworn she saw something catch the light rolling down his cheek. "I never wanted this!" He shouted, the pegasus pinned under him gasping for air that wasn't there. "Why didn't you just LEAVE ME ALONE! You stupid FUCKING PONY!!!" Rainbow's bloodshot eyes rolled towards Applejack, tears rolling down her furry cheeks and terror clear in her eyes.

The choice was taken from her. Applejack galloped forward, just as Jason's own eyes caught hers.

They looked the same. His eyes held the same fear. He knew he was going to die here, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Applejack screwed her eyes shut, turned on her forelegs, reared back—

KRAK! Jason's grip loosened, his body sprawling to the side like a marionette without strings. Applejack landed perfectly, the buck hitting solid and straight. She kept her eyes shut, breathing heavily even as Rainbow continued to choke and gasp. Celestia moved past her, examining the pegasus.

Without a word, she and the downed mare disappeared in a flash of light.

"A-Ah didn't wanna...Land sakes, Ah didn't wanna kill 'im..." Applejack rambled, "Y'all saw, right? H-he was hurtin' Rainbow, Ah h-had no choice!" She trembled, her legs giving out under her. Sitting on her haunches, she drew one foreleg to her chest to calm her racing heart. "Ah j-jest wanted ta stop 'im! Ah was supposed ta take care of 'im, get 'im healthy, keep 'im calm..."

A wing on her withers caused Applejack to gasp, looking up into the glistening eyes of her shy companion. "You didn't mean to..." Fluttershy half-whispered, leaning against the farm-pony. "He was...scared. And hurting, in a very dark place. He wanted it to end."

That wasn't what Applejack wanted to hear. "But Ah was supposed ta FIX that! It's all mah fault he was in this mess, Ah put 'im here! Ah tried ta help 'im, but he jest...Why didn't ya jes' stay at the farm ya STUPID MONKEY?!" She screamed, lashing out with a forehoof to strike into the downed human's torso.
-----

Pinkie Pie was destroyed. The usually bubbly mare had managed to keep up with the group, even if she didn't contribute much. And when have I? She mused, her eyes downcast. All I ever did for Jayjay was hurt him. What kind of party-pony am I?

"Why didn't you just LEAVE ME ALONE! You stupid FUCKING PONY!!!" Pinkie winced at the shout, looking up.

Her heart stopped.

The human, the one she was beating herself up over, was choking the life out of her best friend. And he was crying. She wanted to scream, to pry him off of her, but she couldn't move. I did this... She couldn't move a muscle, even to look away.

You have quite the knack for causing misery...

She felt her mane going limp against her head, draping around her head like a curtain of pink. "Stop it..." It was barely a whisper, more a breathy whimper, and against the screaming it went unnoticed. Pinkie—no...Pinkie was the name of the mare that made everypony smile and laugh. Pinkie was the pony that knew and loved everypony around her. Pinkie Pie was not the pony who hurt others for no reason.

She didn't deserve that name.

Pinkamena whimpered and closed her eyes, hanging her head down. I'm sorry...I'm sorry, everypony...I never wanted this to happen!

"—Ya STUPID MONKEY!"

Pinkamena's eyes shot open, and she ground her teeth. "Haven't you done enough?!" She shot to her hooves, stomping over to Applejack. "Do you have ANY idea what this boy has been through? Because I sure as Tartarus don't!" She pressed her forehead to Applejack's, poking her chest with a hoof. "Nopony knows what he's gone through! What WE'VE put him through! All he wanted was to be left alone. To not have anypony bother him! Rainbow Dash hurt him! Twilight hurt him! YOU hurt him!"

Pinkamena sat back, losing the fire in her eyes. In a quieter, broken voice, she muttered, "I...hurt him." She looked up, glaring for all she was worth. "You've done enough. Just leave him alone."

Applejack stood still, absolutely stunned. There were no, absolutely no words she could use in response. Instead, she lowered her head and covered her face with her hat. The orange mare sniffled a bit, trying her hardest not to break down.

"...Girls?" Fluttershy's voice sounded in the silence, "Jason's alive...he tried to say something when Applejack hit him." The mare in question tried to shrink in on herself further at the mention of hitting the human, before the words truly stuck. When she processed it, however, she immediately sprang up.

"Y'all gotta help me get 'im to th'hospital!" She shouted, her hat laying forgotten on the floor. "C'mon!" She slid her head under one of the limp man's arms, trying to find a way to drag him. When nopony else moved, however, she frowned. "C'MON! We can't piddle 'round here anymore! Help me!"

Clearing her throat, Rarity tried to reason with the farm-pony. "Dear...are you sure this is a good idea? He did try to kill our friend."

Applejack turned on her, glaring daggers at the fashionista. "Well do ya got a better idea?!"
-----

My head hurt. My throat burned. My limbs felt heavy and numb.

So the usual.

I looked up, trying to open my eyes. Unfortunately, my left refused to cooperate. It felt swollen shut, and though I could feel the eyelid cracking open ever so slightly, I couldn't see even a hint of light. The last few hours seemed like a haze. I saw Twilight, panicked, then...nothing.

Okay...amnesia. My eye was swollen shut, and from the looks of things possibly blind. So severe head trauma. I tried moving my arms, but they were bound to my sides. So..rope.

Bound in rope, powerful buck to the head, overall feeling like shit. Well... I thought, looks like Applejack caught up with me. Speaking of...

I cracked open my good eye, scanning the area. From my spot on the floor, curled up on my side, I couldn't see much. But I did see a faint orange blob of fuzz a few feet away. I frowned. I must've been hit harder than I thought...

I closed my eye, trying to minimize the pain from my concussion-induced migraine. I chuckled, the right side of my mouth curling up in a bitter smile.

"Me...you...rope...why must it always end this way, Applejack?" My little speech was met with the scuffling of hooves on stone, and Applejack's familiar twang greeted me.

"Yer awake...Ah didn't think you were gonna wake up," She sounded tired. I would've felt sorry for her if she hadn't kicked me in the face hard enough to shatter my eye-socket and give me a concussion.

"Well, I did. We can't all get what we want. Why am I here?" I didn't get a respond for several seconds. I'd like to think she was taken aback by my disregard for my current state, but I'm pretty sure she should be used to it by now.

"Ya went crazy n' tried ta kill Rainbow Dash." Oh. Okay then.

I shifted my head to where I thought she was. "And did I?"

"Almost...Celestia said ya crushed her windpipe. Had ta stick a tube down her throat so she could breathe."

I got a strange sense of satisfaction from that. Part of me thought that should've been a red flag. Part of me didn't give a fuck. "Hmm."

"...Well?"

I tilted my head in what I thought was an inquisitive gesture. "Well what?"

"Don't ya feel the least bit bad? Ya put her in the hospital for land's sake!" I could hear a great deal of tension in her voice. She must've been pretty upset.

"Not really. She got what she deserved." She had a history of attacking me. And she wasn't going to stop attacking me until I stopped her myself. Just too bad it wasn't permanent. Knowing her, she'd be even worse now. "Should've choked her harder."

"Ah will kick ya again if ya hurt mah friends." She didn't sound angry, which almost disappointed me. She sounded...sad. Resigned.

I scoffed. "Well kick me harder next time, I'm sick of waking up next to you."

"...Why'd ya leave the farm?"

I grunted a response, shrugging as best I could. "I woke up naked in a tub of ice water with a huge burn on my chest. You ponies are fucking crazy. I was better off in the woods."

"Ah woulda taken care of ya...kept ya fed, put a roof over yer head...wasn't that worth anything?"

"Applejack, I don't think you understand what 'I want to die' means. I hanged myself to get away from all you ponies. I'm sick of you. You've treated me like garbage for no reason, starved me, kicked me out of town, and you personally have given me enough broken ribs to start a collection. Frankly, as far as I'm concerned you and your friends are the worst creatures I've ever seen." I tried to turn away, but only managed to shift myself into a slightly less comfortable position.

"...Ah know we hurt ya. But we ain't all bad. Ah've been tryin' ta make it up to ya, but Ah can't if ya won't let me!"

I sighed. "...Fine. You want to make it up to me? Just do one thing."

I could hear the excitement in her voice. "Anythin!"

A grim smirk crawled onto my face. "Stomp on my head. Finish the job."

"What? No!"

"You said anything." I grinned. "So do it. Finish me off. End it all. I have failed, so just do it! Just let me die!" I shouted, my voice carrying through the room.

It was a tense moment of silence before I felt something fuzzy and warm squirm into the space under my chin, pressed against my chest and stomach, "Ah'm not ready for ya to go yet."

I sighed, incapable of moving the pony laying against me. "You ponies never do what I want..."