The Apple family in Nimbuscait owned a large property too, just like Sweet Apple Acres, and produced tons of apples each year, as well as milk, eggs, wool, and a wide variety of garden vegetables. They also produced leather and jerky by slaughtering cows on their farm. Leather was made into clothes by the family leatherworker and the few others in down, and the meat was shipped off to other regions of Equestria where ponies actually ate meat. Some of the Nimbuscait Apple meat products even made it all the way to Pegasi customers in the clouds. There were over a hundred ponies working and living on the Apple farm in Nimbuscait. They were a very hardy and old fashioned bunch.

When Granny Smith, Applejack, Big Mac and the two fillies arrived, they were given a huge tour of the farm by Applegem, Apple Poppins, and a giant of a stallian, Applewood or ‘Woody’ as everypony called him. He was the Big Mac of their family though much bigger than Big Mac.

“What’s this site here for?” Applejack asked, pointing to an empty muddy plot of land.

“Oh, that’s going to be a pool some day. We wanted to build a pool, however, we’re always busy. We could use some extra hooves to help with the digging.” Apple Poppins suggested.

“Why, our two fillies’ll help with that while we’re here, Miss.” Applejack said, instantly crushing any hopes Applebloom and Sweetie Bell had for a vacation.
“Well, then, hard work is always good for the health. Woody, show them two where the shovels are, and they can get right to it.”
“E ’yarp.”

“B-But Applejack,” Applebloom tried to protest-
“Shut yer muzzle! Y’all need to show some appreciation for their hospitality! They need extra hooves on this here pool project, and Ah ain’t gonna have you to runnin around their here farm causin’ a ruckus! Now get along, do as yer cousin Big Woody says and get to work!” Applejack snapped harshly.

The girls both looked pleadingly at Granny Smith. She sighed, “Well, Ah was hopin’ of another way to keep you two busy, but it looks like everypony’s a-workin’ Whyn’cha two jus’ help out fer a wee bit. These Apples appreciate some hard workin’ young’n’s. and it’ll show them we Sweet Apple ponies ain’t gone soft. AJ and Big Mac might be workin’ a bit here on the farm as well.”

“Okay,” Applebloom said, and she nodded for Sweetie Belle to follow her.

“And Apple Belle!” Applejack snapped, “Ah don’t want to hear nothin’ about you complainin’ or gettin’ into trouble, understand?”

“Yes,”

+ + +
By mid day, the sky lit up briefly, and there was a lull in the rain.

The two foals shovelled slowly, handling the shovels via special hoof shoes that latched onto the shovels. Already their backs and hooves hurt. The mud was especially heavy. Whenever a pony walked by they tried to work fast, or look like they were working hard. When they started, Applewood told them he wanted to see a full trot of dirt dug out by noon. The pit was rectangular, about 10 trots by 20 trots., was supposed to be at least three trots deep.

They didn’t accomplish that in time, and they were forced to skip lunch. By afternoon, both fillies were cold and wet, hungry and tired. The freezing rain slowed them down, and they had a hard time staying on their hooves in the muck.

“This blows,” Applebloom groaned miserably, “Ah don’t even like these Nimbuscait ponies. Ah just want to go home.”
Sweetie Belle grunted in agreement, as she struggled with her shovel. Being a unicorn, she had typically less muscle mass than Applebloom. All the weeks of gruelling hard labor Applejack put her through didn’t do much to build up new muscle. She knew she was covered in rain and mud from head to hooves, and knew Rarity, Celestia rest her soul, would have had a shitfit just by looking at her.

“Ah’m awfully disappointed in you two. Ah expected to see a full trot of dirt out of there, maybe even two by now. What do you have to say for yourselves?” Woody bellowed over the wind and rain.

“We’re sorry,” Applebloom said with a cough. Behind her Sweetie Belle let off two loud sneezes, which left a drip of snot hanging from her nose.

“You damn well better be. ‘Cuz if you two were my fillies, I’d bash yer’ bums black and blue fer’ a week. You got a lot of repentin’ to do, young ladies. You know Celestia’s watchin’ you, and she ain’t gonna be pleased. By slackin’ off and loafin down in the much, I’m sure you angered her pretty good. You better repent, pray for your slothness, and hope she don’t bring the moon down on us! Ah thought Applejack taught you better. Give me one good reason why Ah shouldn’t jus’ leave you two down there fer the night?”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle said nothing. They just bowed their heads and stared at the mud in front of their hooves.

“Damn straight you two don’t have a good reason. Cuz if you tried to give me a good reason, I’d have left you two down there fer the night then beat you some myself if I don’t see two trots of dirt out of there by sun up.”

Applewood dragged over the ladder and lowered it into the pit so they could climb out. Then when they did, he struck each of them hard in the flank with a hoof.
“Ow!” Applebloom cried, then she got hit again even harder. Same with Sweetie Belle.
+ + +

“Hold still!” Applejack said as she pressed the sponge against Applebloom’s ears. The two fillies were in a tub full of cold, soapy water.
“Let me see yer hooves,” Granny Smith instructed Sweetie Belle. She lifted both front hooves out of the water.
“Dang nab’it, the dirt’s logged in there deep.”

“So,” Applejack said sternly, “Big Woody told me that you two didn’t do jack for work today. Why?”

“We tried, it was just hard,” Appleblood answered.
“Don’t y’dare tell me y’all tried!” Applejack snarled at her, “There is no ‘try,’ just ‘do’! Big Woody wanted two trots of dirt out of that pit from the two of you. Two measly trots. Big Mac, Ah, or even Granny Smith could’ve done that in two degrees! You two’re just makin us look bad!”

“Ah’m awfully sorry,” Applebloom said, holding back sobs. She sneezed again, so did Sweetie Belle.

“Ah think these two’ve been in the cold dirt fer’ too long. They’s gettin sick,” Granny Smith lamented.

“It’s because they didn’t work hard, Granny Smith! They got sick because they didn’t work hard enough to keep themselves warm. Ah bet Celestia made them good an’ sick as punishment for their loafin’ off,” AJ argued back.

“That’s jus’ plain sour applesauce, AJ.”

The fillies were only let out after an hour after they were deemed clean enough to enter the house. Dinner was a sombre event; over a meal of thick grainy stew. It was also considered worship time where the family thanked Celestia for their successes today.
Applejack had to yank Applebloom by the ear to get her to pause and say grace before eating. She and Sweetie Belle were extremely famished. But they were forced to eat properly as opposed to gobble down their meals like back home. They didn’t pay attention to any of the conversation among the grown up ponies. They just wanted to eat then sleep. But that wasn’t the case.

The two of them were put on dish duty with two other foals who were forbidden from speaking. Then they had to scrub the pots, pans, and the kitchen floor. Apple Poppins inspected the place, and gave each of them a toothy yank on the ear for missing a spot. Two hours later and the whole kitchen was done.

At bed time, the foals were required to read passages out of books to the adult ponies. The book was strange to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle- it’s writing was hardly readable to them, and the words made no sense. They were grilled for their poor reading skills, and the pony women of the family barked and snarked about the two being sent here to attend the more hardcore rigid school.

Finally, late at night, the two foals were shown their bunks in one of the spare bedrooms of the house. Sweetie Belle expected to pass out the instant her head hit the pillow but she didn’t. She was so tired, she couldn’t even sleep.

Applebloom passed out right away and started snoring. Her snoring didn’t do much to drown out the adult ponies’ conversation from the parlor room down the hall. The door was ajar, so the audio from their conversation trickled in. Her ears perked when she heard Applejack’s and Granny Smith’s voices. Then as she was about to doze off, she heard her name, and her bloodshot eyes snapped wide open.

She slowly pushed the blanket off and got up, stepping carefully as not to make a sound (Applesteam threatened each of them a good hard hoof beating if they so much as made a sound during the night).
She peeked through the narrow opening and saw Applejack, Applegem, Apple Poppins, and a stallion named Great Bear Apple (his ears were shortened and look like a bear’s).

Sweetie Belle’s heart raced as she listened in on their conversation.

“Ah said, we brought Apple Belle up here to be dehorned. Nopony anywhere in Ponyville will do it, or even in the county. Ah mean y’all no offense in bringing her here, but it’s gotta be done.”

Sweetie Belle felt the fear returning. That was why Applejack brought her to Nimbuscait.

“Well, you could have told us in advance, Applejack. I do not like the idea of that unicorn sleeping in our house! Suppose she could put a hex on us!” Apple Canelle crooned.
“Yes, we could have had her taken right to the chapel the minute you arrived here. It would have been done then and there, and problem solved,” Poppins chimed in.
“Ah’m real sorry, can y’all please forgive me? Ah adopted her when her mother died. Ah want to make sure Apple Belle has the best life a hard working Apple pony can get. Ah don’t want her gettin’ struck down and sent to hell by Celestia.”

“Well, tomorrow’s Solar Sun Day,” Great Bear Apple grunted in his gruff voice, “How’s about first thing, we take down to the chapel and have a word with the priests. Father Grimes would very much oblige to dehorn her. It will be done at the start of service tomorrow morning.”

“And forget what Granny Smith said,” Applegem soothed, placing a hoof on Applejack’s shoulder.

“Yes, take it from me,” Apple Poppins chimed, “Annie Smith has been gone from us for so long that she’s gone soft. Trust me, Applejack, you’re doing the right thing, and in the future, Apple Belle will most surely thank you and our Solar Mother (Celestia) for dehorning her.”

“Very well, what time do we get up tomorrow?” AJ asked.

“Well, the service starts at around 40° tomorrow morning, we’ll have to get there a hour early so about 30° degrees. We’ll have ample time to speak with the priests, and then they can ring the church bell early.”

“It’s gonna be a public thing?” Applejack asked, nervously.

“Why yes, dear, most dehornings are public. During busy times, there’s almost one a week, and they’re done on holy days, and the whole town can witness the unicorn being dehorned. Consider it a baptization. Families celebrate dehornings and we revel in the fact that evil has been cut off, and the unicorn spared, along with the rest of us.”

“Very well, Applegem,” Applejack agreed, “Fine, I’ll get them two up at 25° and-”
“No dear, you simply need to wake Apple Belle. Let Applebloom sleep until its time for service.”

Sweetie Belle began hyperventilating. She felt trapped, with no way out. She did not want to be dehorned. She wanted to cast magic, like her sister Rarity. She didn’t want to be dehorned. She didn’t want to be repressed and made into an Apple pony the rest of her life. Tears welled up in her eyes.

She tried waking Applebloom by nudging her gently. “Applebloom,” she whispered desperately. She thought she’d feel safe if Applebloom was awake. Maybe...maybe the two of them could Cutie Mark Crusader their way out of Nimbuscait and back to Ponyville. Sneak over to the train station and sneak on the next train out of here.

“Applebloom,” she sobbed. But Applebloom was passed out like a log. Sweetie Belle stood by the side of her bed silently crying to herself in the dark room.
“I don’t want to be dehorned. Celestia, Luna, I don’t want to be dehorned. Please help me. Rarity help me...”

“And while the procedure is being carried out,” Apple Poppins was saying, “we all sing a particular hymn that is said to cleanse all through song.”

“That’s a great thing,” Applejack said.

Sweetie Belle wanted to scream, but she kept quiet. For all she knew, they’d probably cut out her vocal cords too.

“Applebloom, please wake up!” she cried, nudging her again. But Applebloom kept snoring.

Suddenly the door opened and the lights went on, blinding her, and scaring the crap out of her.

“What the hay, Apple Belle! What in tarnation you doing outta yer bed, missy?”

“I-I I had a bad dream!” Sweetie Belle protested.

“Well, I doubt that,” Apple Poppins snarled as she pushed Applejack aside and stormed into the room, about to grab her by the-

Sweetie Belle bolted past her and made for the door at stunning speed. Flight mode kicked in. And she damn near knocked over Applejack as she tried to catch her.
“Apple Belle, you stop right now!” she shouted.

“No!” Sweetie Belle cried out as Applejack tackled her to the hardwood floor.
“I don’t wanna be dehorned!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, “No!”

Sweetie Belle struggled to get free and kicked Applejack in the face just out of sheer panic.
“OW! Why you little-”
Sweetie Belle got free and bolted into the parlor room, frantically looking for a way out of the house. She wanted to get away. From them.

“Apple Belle!” Applegem shouted as she galloped into the kitchen. Applegem heard the commotion from the hallway. She took a wooden spoon, reached back and swung hard at Sweetie Belle, striking her full force in the face. The filly tripped up and crashed into the pantry.

Applejack, enraged, pounced on her, and started thrashing at her with her hooves. Sweetie screamed in panic and pain, then Applejack slammed her head into the floor and jammed her hooves over the filly’s mouth.
“Shut up! Just shut up you wretched little brat!”

“What’s all the noise!” roared the big old Apple Thumper, another big pony as he entered the kitchen.
“Thumper, this filly brat is acting up! I think she’s posessed,” Applegem said.
“No, she ain’t she’s just acting up because she doesn’t know when to shut up, and do what she is told!” Applejack snarled, still pressing on Sweetie Belle with her full weight.

“Ah,” Thumper grunted. “Hoof that brat to me. I’ll give’ er a good thrashing she won’t soon forget!”

“Applejack get off her,” Poppins barked.

“She’s mine, I’ll discipline her,” Applejack protested.
“Any foal that walks on this here farm is mine and I’ll punish it as I see fit, so watch yer tongue, young Sweet Apple,” Thumper roared.

“V-very well.” Applejack got off of Sweetie Belle, and Thumper stepped over her, grabbed her by the neck with his teeth and dragged her downstairs.

“Don’t beat her too hard,” Apple Poppins shouted over Sweetie Belle’s cries and screams, “She needs to be presentable for the dehorning tomorrow!”

Instead she got tied to a post and lashed with a rope, and forced to memorize religious verses and such.
Then after an hour of brutal whipping, Thumper left her hanging, tied by her front hooves, for the rest of the night.

Applebloom slept through it all, or she would have been real upset over seeing Sweetie Belle’s treatment.
+ + +

Morning came, at at precisely 30°, Apple Thumper himself dragged Sweetie Belle by the neck via a leash, out of the house and through the dark streets of Nimbuscait to the huge cathedral that towered over the town square. Applejack, Applegem, and Apple Poppins followed suit. They knocked on a side door of the huge cathedral and were let in by a monk pony.

The cathedral was a grand and magnificent stone brick structure. For more than four hundred years it weathered the elements, and was the place of worship for the twisted religion that dominated the way of life in Nimbuscait.

“Father Grimes,” the monk pony nervously spoke to the crimson robed aged pony priest, who sat hunched over his desk. Grimes looked up. He was fat, his face droopy and leathery. He was so old, and disfigured by age he hardly even looked like a pony.

“Yes, what is it?” he asked in his scratchy voice.

“A troupe of ponies arrived to seek your urgent counsel. They’re requesting a dehorning at today’s service.”

“Hmm...” Grimes grunted, and he stood up.

Sweetie Belle looked at the old preacher with total fear on her face. He looked more like a bloated demon creature than a pony.
“Apples. I should have known. Who do you bring to me this time?” Grimes demanded.

“Father Grimes, my niece, Applejack here adopted this unicorn brat, and we wish to have her dehorned.”

“Hmm,” Grimes grunted again as he leaned in close to inspect Sweetie Belle. She cringed and tried not to breathe. His breath was rancid.

“Another cursed one. Very well,” he said, putting a hoof on Sweetie Belle’s chin. She could hardly move and almost had to be held up by Applejack. She was stiff from the walloping she got from Apple Thumper. Thumper was a strict and mean as they came.

“Look at me, you wretched vermin!” Grimes snarled at her. She had to force herself to look at his face, which terrified her.

“Hmmm, yes. Very well, Apple clan. We have one other uicorn vermin to dehorn. She’ll be next. Thumper, you know the drill. Have this foal prepped, and caged! Pip!” he called to the monk pony.
“Yes, Father?”
“Have Apple...jack here learn the proper cantations for the ceremony. She shall become this foal’s primary aid to salvation. Applejack, she will be saved after that infernal horn is removed, but don’t you dare let her deviate from righteousness.”
“Y-yessir.”
+ + +

At 38° in the morning, the entire town gathered in the town square. The huge brass bells rang, echoing to the entire county. The church choir were singing their hymns as the townsponies arrived to witness the dehorning. The Apples were all present.

Sweetie Belle found herself trapped in a cage- a specialized device which closed around her body, locking her in place. She had nowhere to go. She was terrified and tears streamed down her eyes. Freezing rain pelted her. Her mane had been cut short around the horn. The creepy crimson robed church ponies stood around her, and the other foal locked in a similar restraint. He didn’t struggle like she did, he seemed resigned to his fate. He didn’t look good at all.

At the stroke of 40°, the choirs fell silent. Father Grimes, the creepy, freaky looking priest, walked around, flanked by two priests. Around his neck he sported a large golden necklace that resembled Princess Celestia’s cutie mark, their religious symbol.

Applejack stood in the audience. She was written off as untrustworthy to read the dehorning ‘blessings’ to Sweetie Belle, and the job was assigned to Apple Thumper, who was cold hearted and trustworthy enough to read them out to her with conviction.
“Psst, Poppins, what’s that they’re bringin’ out next to her?” Applejack hissed.

“Why, that’s the oil. Dehorning is a very risky process. If it brings out the magic, then the foal is doused in oil and set alight. It’s the only way to save her soul.”
Applejack gulped. She didn’t expect this to be a gamble on Sweetie Belle’s life.

“Noble stallions and mares!” Father Grimes shouted out to the crowd, “I bid you all welcome, and a happy Solar Sunday. Today before we begin today’s catechisms and sermon, I bear you to witness the cleansing of two young foals cursed by the evils to become unicorn wretches. Twinkle Leaf, and Apple Belle Sweet Apple.” Then he turned to his priests, and said, “You may begin.

The choir started singing as the priests, their faces hidden by their hoods, approached the foal named Twinkle Leaf. One pony pulled out a book and started reading a verse of an old language. The ‘executioner’ a black leather robed pony stepped up on stage, ceremoniously slipped his forward hooves into hoof shoes that had a pair of giant shears attached to them. He then turned to Twinkle Leaf, and placed the shears over his horn. Suddenly the foal began shaking and panicking, still unable to move in his cage, which was clamped tightly around him, just like Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle couldn't watch and she heard the sickening crunch and wrenching snap, and the pained, agonized shriek of the foal. The horn hit the floor of the platform. A priest scooped it up with a shovel and placed into a metal container, sealed a lid on it, then tossed it into a metal barrel. He then placed a lid on it. There was a loud metallic pop, and the barrel shook.

The foal cried hard, then there was a spark of magic from the bloody gash where the horn used to be.

“The magic flares! It must be burned!” Grimes shouted, and the real horror show began. Sweetie Belle tried to turn to see the crowd, but she was positioned to face the other foal instead. The townsponies and church choirs simple began singing, then it happened. The cauldron of oil was heaved up by a hulking stallion, and dumped onto the foal. He screamed in unnatural agony as the oil began melting his coat and skin off. Before any of that could be seen, they put a torch to him and he lit up into a squirming fireball.

His screams would haunt Sweetie Belle for the rest of her life.

“And now, the other one!” Grimes proclaimed loudly.

“No...no!....NO!!!” Sweetie Belle screamed as she started shaking and trying to thrash about in her cage. She continued screaming.
“Shut yer muzzle and behave, Apple Belle!” Applejack shouted from the crowd.
Despite her screaming, the black robed pony approached as Thumper began reading his verse to her. Two robed priests approached and clamped their hooves on her face to keep her head still.

Sweetie Belle felt the bloody shears touching the base of her horn. This was it. Nothing she could do. She’d likely be oiled and burned alive like the other foal, whose screams ceased. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the end of her life as she knew it.

Just as the shears were about to close in on her horn, there was a sudden violent impact, and a groan from the black robed ‘executioner’ stallion. He hit the floorboards of the platform. At the same time, everypony else gasped in total surprise. Sweetie Belle looked, but couldn’t see who knocked him on his flank. There a few more hits as the other priests were thrown off their hooves.

Suddenly as loud metallic clank, and the cage that kept her clamped popped open, releasing her. Her savior grabbed her by the neck and dragged her off stage.

“What? Who? Stop her!”
“Annie Smith! What is the meaning of this?”

After she was dragged onto the street, Sweetie Belle looked up, and to her greatest relief, she saw Granny Smith standing over her, as if to protect her from the blood thirsty priests.
Granny Smith held Sweetie Belle tight, and stared hard at the priests, then she turned her head to scowl at the crowd.

“This dehornin’ is hereby cancelled! This filly is mah family, and ain’t nopony gonna hurt her!”
Safely nestled between her front legs, Sweetie Belle briefly rested her head against Granny smith’s chest and cried. She was still shit scared of what everypony would do.

“Annie Smith!” Grimes shouted at her, “You commit unforgivable blasphemy!”

“Unforgivable, you say, by who? Princess Celestia?” Granny Smith shot back, “Or by you monstrous freaks? Yer’ all sadistic! Craving the suffering and death of ponies! You’re all a despicable lot!”

More shocked gasps from the crowd. Nopony’s talked back to the priests before.

“Y’all speak of Celestia’s wrath? Hell, she ought’ta bring it down y’all for being so callous, twisted and downright cruel! Why do you think mah family left here and settled far away? To get away from you zealous freaks! We wanted to live an honest, decent livelihood not hijacked and controlled by you monsters who call yourselves priests. How dare you mock Princess Celestia this way, and tell us you represent her!”

Then she turned to the crowd, “And how dare you all for lettin’ this happen! Shame on you. Shame on all of you! Ah hope Nightmare Moon haunts your dreams for the rest of yer lives fer’ what you been doin' to all these unicorns! If Ah ever seen evil, it’s all right here in this town and this county! Frankly, y’all make sick!

“SILENCE!” Grimes shouted. As townsponies began to approach her, Big Mac galloped out and stood next to her, ready to take one anypony that dared to attack her or Sweetie Belle.

“You hush up you fiend!” Granny Smith shot back. “If earth ponies and unicorns weren't meant to live together, why in Equestria do y’all think Celestia put us on this land together? Take a look at this filly. She’s downright terrified. What harm has she ever done to you? All them wars, and mass murder and witch hunts is nothing more than the rotten fruits of your twisted runaway imaginations. Ah am sick and deeply ashamed of you ponies. Ah never want to set hoof in this here hell hole of a town again.

“Get them! Burn them all!” Grimes shouted. As the townsponies were about to converge on the three ofthem like an angry mob, the local Apple ponies stampeded out into the open and surrounded Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Sweetie Belle, and faced outward at the crowd.

“So be it, Annie Smith,” Apple Thumper said sternly, “We don’t want yer kind here anyway. You best go before we let this crowd loose on you.”

“Quit yer sniveling,” Granny Smith barked at Sweetie Belle, “We are leaving!”

Because of the influence of the Apple ponies in Nimbuscait, the crowd respected them and parted, allowing access to the train station a few blocks away.

The train, headed eastbound back to Risette, was stopped, as the train conductor and crews were forced to attend the service. In a show of solidarity to the small group of Ponyville Apples, they also walked with them back to the train.

It was a tense scene at the station. Despite they’d be cutting Granny Smith’s family off forever, the Nimbuscait Apple ponies carried out one last courtesy of protection, and formed a barrier to keep the angry townsponies from storming the train, grabbing Granny Smith, Big Mac and Sweetie Belle, and dragging them back to the pyre to burn them. There were hardly words between the two families. There was nothing to be said despite what the Nimbuscait Apples believed to be high treason on Granny Smith's part.

“Applejack,” Applegem said, “You belong with them. I’ll never understand why your grandmother stopped the dehorning, but she is the senior of your family, and you must respect her wishes,”

“Ah...Ah know...” Applejack replied, too stunned to really say anything or react. She felt sudden deep shame for double crossing Granny Smith big time, and she knew she’d get an earful of it from her on the way back home.
“Ah’ll miss ya’ll...” she said. “Come one Applebloom, get on aboard.”

Within minutes, the train crew fired up the engines and pulled out as fast as they could.

Sweetie Belle was still shaken, and even more so by the sudden save by Granny Smith. She was extremely grateful. Celestia did answer her prayers just in time. Safe and sound next to Granny Smith, who stared Applejack down, Sweetie Belle lied down on the bench next to her and cried herself to sleep.

Author's Notes:

Yes I made a bunch of OC's to fit this chapter; I didn't want to use all the official ponies.