The Apple Family hadn't been dealing to well with the sudden death of Granny Smith, after all, after their parents' passing shortly after Applebloom's birth, between AppleJack's running off the Manehatten and Big Mac's teenage turbulence, Granny somehow kept the family and the farm together well into their matured age, even though the mare and stallion were now in complete control of Sweet Apple Acres assets and production, the death of their grandmother fealt like a rug being pulled from under them.  The usually stable and dependable AppleJack had crumbled to a depressed, sorrowful sap; the burly and reliable Big Mac had slummed to a similar state: over the last week their had been not much done, said, or thought other than the despair and sadness that this passing all dealt to them, this week however was a turn in mood, following the denial and pain stage in the grieving process, comes anger and displaced blame.

Applebloom wasn't sure what to do at this point. She lay weakly in her bed, warm and secure  in her blankets and pillow, she was awake but she dare not get out of bed; the more time she spent snuggled up here, the less time she had to be hit, hollered at, and hated. She wasn't quite sure when, why or how her brother and sister decided she was the bringer of all terrible things, the fuel of all fire, buit indeed that is what she was, Celstia forbid an apple missed the basket when she was out helping buck apples, that would result in an array of directive vulgarity and a powerful hoof connected to her face,  Luna be dammed if she was in the wrong place when they messed up, a mistake, mishap or misfire that would usually only warrant a light curse and nothing more now was the catalyst for Applebloom's abuse, she was hit, bucked into walls, spat on, and called terrible things, it wasn't to the point where she was near death, somewhere in their tornadic hearts, powered by their acidic cloud of anger and depression was a tinge of love for the filly that was the one thread separating her from a likely beat-down. Despite all of this the filly with the bow chose not to attempt fleeing her home, which resembled more of a reclusive compound than the joyous and colorful acreage she'd come to know and love, be it her own internal emotional forces that kept her isolate from everyone except her siblings, be it Stockholm syndrome, it wasn't too clear to her. Either way she wanted nothing to do with it, it was already halfway through the week; she hadn't seen her friends in who knows how long, what made this worse is that she still wasn't told that Granny Smith was dead, she put two and two together and permitted herself to conclude that something had happened, and for some reason she was to blame. She looked out the window to see that since her last bout with her internal clock, it seemed that the sun was on full display, Rainbow Dash's superior workmanship permitted the beautiful blue to expand as far as the eye can see, she was unable to see her friends from her view as she was on the opposite side of the rancher, but she knew they were playing, laughing, having fun without her that sent a sickly feeling in her tummy which jettisoned to her throat as she heard all to familiar and dreaded hoofsteps approach her door, she turned her head and closed her eyes, hoping that maybe, just maybe this time this morning could be different.

Her luck was terrible.

“Applebloom, get yer flank outta bed now before I drag yer ass out by the tail!” The cowpony snarled as she stamped her hooves madly in an attempt to startle the filly awake, Applebloom failed to move, she didn't want to, she was afraid. Her sister could see her shivering from a cold sensation of dread that had consumed her—as usual.

“Ah, so I see we're gonna be stubborn again huh? Y'all just don't learn do ya?” She slowly made her way to the bed, now towering over her sister who was curled in a ball, eyes forced shut, just wanting all of this to stop. “I ain't gon' tell you 'gain Applebloom, outta bed now 'fore I make yer mornin' a sour one.”

Again, the filly didn't respond, somewhere in her mind she kept pleading this was all just a morbid, dark nightmare, that somehow she would awaken to smiling faces and frolicking friends, not so.

Apple Jack then, without another word clamped her teeth on the filly's mane, permitting a slight squeal of pain from the filly, she was then sent a good ways to the other side of her room where she landed on her rump, as she tried to steady on her fours, a big red hoof pinned her back down, not crushingly, but enough to prohibit any mobility.

“Ah thought ah told you that bein' a pill ain't gonna git you anywhere, Ah guess you're too stupid to figure that out ain't ya?” Big Mac had a look that could only be interpreted as hateful, Applebloom simply looked at him, a pleading look in her eyes, her face shaped by sadness and fear. “If I gotta get the switch 'gain I ain't gonna be nice about it this time ya understand?”

Applebloom nodded hastily, not daring to say a word. The hoof slowly lifted off of her, implying once false move would bring it back down upon her tender tummy.  

“Get up.” Demanded Apple Jack coldly, almost lifeless. Applebloom did as she was told and got up, still somewhat weak from sleep, she followed them downstairs into the living room, her head hung low, not wanting to make eye contact with the “wrong look” on her face.

“Listen here you ungrateful piece ah shit” Apple Jack spat, “Yer gonna clean house today, you're shit out on the fields, can't even buck a fucking apple tree anymore, can't afford to have a retard workin' the fields so yer gonna clean this place up real good, understand?”

Applebloom nodded, hoping that was sufficient.

“What was that?” Apple Jack said, now clearly irritated, “Didn't heat ya?”

“You too stupid to talk now” Big Mac snickered.

“I heard ya sis, I understand” Applebloom mumbled, on the verge of tears, she couldn't help it anymore, she could take it the last few days but this, this was just too much now.

“Quit yer cryin' you little bitch!” Apple Jack was suddenly yelling, “We done did that already, y'all need to grow the fuck up an' make yerself useful!” Applebloom shot into a protective ball, awaiting whatever brutality was coming her way, though, none came.

“That's what ah thought” Apple Jack hissed, now at eye level with the filly, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes very prominent, “Ah expect this place to be spotless by noon, if y'all fuck up, yer gonna get fucked up, understand me?”

“Y-yes sister, ah understand.” Applebloom couldn't keep the shacking from her voice this time, she just wanted it all to end.

Not another word was said as the two senior ponies left the house and went outside to work, Applebloom, sure they were out of hearing, plunked to the floor and sobbed, years now gushing down her face like her splinters the day before, she had to get out, she couldn't take any more of this.  

Next Chapter: Inflation Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 42 Minutes