MLP: Divergent Days Ch. 7

Chapter 7

"God, if you exist on this world, please kill me."

There had only been two other times in Kurt's life that he wished god would strike him down with a lightning bolt, ending his pain and suffering. The first time was his first hangover at the age of 17; drinking a complete 24 pack of beer in less than an hour. The doctors said it was a miracle he was still breathing, let alone not brain damaged. The second time was when he bought a part for a customers car, which turned out not only to be stolen, but stolen from a museum! Everything got worked out, but he was wanted in three states because of that incident for quite some time (oddly, Indiana still had not lifted the warrant for unknown reasons).

Now, Kurt wished for the third time in his life, that it would all end.

"Juss hang tight dere Kurt, we're almust fenished," Applebloom said, poking Kurt in the side with a stick.

"Owch! Hey, what did I say about the stick?" Kurt said, trying to wiggle around, only to find his wrists and ankles still tied to a table top.

"But Kurt, ya said we could exp'r'mn't on ya," Applebloom said, as she continued to poke Kurt again.

Suddenly, Scootaloo appeared in Kurt's vision; she was wearing a face mask as she tried to open Kurt's mouth with her front hooves, "Hm, interesting."

Kurt bit his mouth down; Scootaloo quickly pulled her hoofs back just in time before Kurt could bite it, "Look, when I agreed to letting you kids examine me, I didn't mean knock me out and try to dissect me! I'm not some sort of science class experiment!"

Lucky for Kurt, he was able to talk the fillies out of their original plans: attempting to be brain surgeons. The first sign that it would be a very bad idea (besides the word "surgery" in the first place) was their method of anesthesia: a hammer to the back of the head. He could still feel the lump as he relaxed his head onto the table top. Kurt wasn't one to get mad easily at young kids; he too was a kid at some point, but they had taken this too far.

"Look, were done here ok? Now untie me, then we will try some more 'safer' things, ok?" Kurt pleaded.

"But-" Sweetie Belle started.

"No, no buts. Just, untie me, please?" Kurt asked politely.

The fillies all moaned, and reluctantly untied Kurt's shackles. He sat up on the table, rubbing his wrists to remove the tingling feeling; for young fillies, they had managed to get the straps on his wrists and ankles very tight.

"Ok, so now what are we gonna try?" Scootaloo asked.

"I dunno. We've tried juss 'bout ev'rythin. Ya got any suggest'ns Kurt?" Applebloom asked.

"How about a tour of a glue factory?" Kurt thought smiling, "Wait, what am I thinking? They are just kids, and don't mean any harm," Kurt cleared his throat, before speaking, "Um, well what about some sort of arts and crafts?"

The three fillies looked from one to another as they took off their doctor gear, then looked back to Kurt with confused stares.

"What do you mean 'arts and crafts'?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Um, like maybe drawing, or painting, maybe even working with clay pottery!" Kurt suggested, anything that sounded remotely safe would suffice.

"My sister has one of those spinney things that you put clay on, and make pots and stuff! Maybe we can borrow it!" Sweetie Belle said.

The other two fillies perked up, and turn back to Kurt, "We'll go get it, come on Crusaders!" Scootaloo said, running out the back door of the barn.

The other two fillies hurried to catch up, as Kurt stood to stretch. Looking at his watch, it read eleven o'clock, "How long was I out?"

Before Kurt could perform the math in his head, the front barn door slid opens a crack as an unknown female voice called in, "Oh Sweetie Belle, we must get going sweetheart."

Kurt turned around, and was confronted by a white unicorn. Before he could say anything, he felt an intense pain as he fell to the ground.

----------

"Uh, Rarity, are ya sure 'bout this?" Applejack asked a white unicorn, Rarity, as they walked towards the farm house.

Rarity's well groomed purple mane bounced along, as she pranced with the up most elegance beside Applejack, "Of course darling, when Fluttershy told me she had to have you watch those fillies, well, I couldn't let my sister burden you all while you try and work. Relax, they can stay with me at the boutique. I have no orders to fill, so I will just be cleaning."

"Well, if ya is sure, then-"

"And, I'd just love to meet this stallion Fluttershy told me about, Kurt was his name?"

Applejack froze in place, a cold chill ran down her back, "Uh, what now?"

Rarity too stopped, turning to look at her orange friend, "Oh, Fluttershy told me all about this stallion you have staying with you. I must say, by his name he must be from somewhere sophisticated, extravagant even. Oh, how I would love to meet him."

"Um, well-"

"And she said he is staying here, so could I chance a meet with him? He may be looking to get some cloths if he is staying long."

"Well, ya see Rarity, he's um, staying in tha barn so-"

"The BARN? Why, what reason is he staying in the barn for? Surely, he must feel like an animal out there. If its because you lack room, I wouldn't mind him staying at my boutique!" Rarity began to prance towards the barn, as Applejack zoomed ahead of her, blocking her path.

"No, none 'o that now. He's jus' fine in tha barn at tha moment. He's, uh, doin' some research so we can't go botherin' him!"

Rarity raised her brow, looking at her orange friend curiously, "Research?"

"Ya, he's a studdyin' life on tha farm! Un that be tha best way to exper'nce it!"

Rarity gave a skeptical look on her face, as Applejack tried her best to muster a smile. Grinning her teeth, sweat trickling down her face, and her eyes darting around, Rarity knew her friend was hiding something from her. And with it being Applejack, the element of honesty, it must be a very good reason she was hiding it.

"Ok, if you say so." Rarity said, sitting down adjusting her mane.

Applejack let out a sigh of relief, as she looked around for the fillies, "Um, let me go find 'em real quick. You jus' wait righ' here," Applejack quickly took off towards the farm house, in search for the fillies.

Rarity watched Applejack leave, and huffed to herself. She didn't like not being let in on things going on, especially when it was dealing with a stallion, "Maybe its not just a stallion, but her stallion!" Rarity smiled at the thought, "Oh Applejack, you sneaky mare you. Hiding your 'colt friend' like this."

Defying Applejack's order, Rarity began to trot towards the barn. Chancing a peek, Rarity placed her left ear against the barn door as she attempted to listen in on the stallion in question. Instead of this "Kurt", she heard from inside her sister's voice speaking with excitement.

"My sister has one of those spinney things that you put clay on, and make pots and stuff! Maybe we can borrow it!"

"So she allows my sister to feast her eyes upon this stallion, and not I?" Rarity huffed once more, "Well, I'll just say I saw Sweetie Belle run in, and I went to stop her and just happened to, stumble in."

Rarity adjusted her mane and tail, before pulling a small perfume bottle from no where and giving it two small puffs on her neck, and finally she cleared her throat. Slowly, she creaked the door open and called inside, "Oh Sweetie Belle, we must get going sweetheart."

As Rarity fully steped inside, she saw a massive creature standing near a large blue carriage. It was facing away, and difficult to see, but the size and shape of the body were all too familiar to the white unicorn.

"N-no, not them, are they back for me?" Rarity's mind flashed back to an incident with some rowdy creatures called Diamond Dogs. They ponynapped her and forced her to search for different diamonds and jewels; collecting them for reasons Rarity still didn't' know. They had no manners, and were ungentlecolt like to her the entire time of her capture. Rarity had thought she got them to leave her alone with her amazing talent, but it seemed they were back for round two.

Rarity grinned, as the Diamond Dog began to turn around. Unfortunately for this Diamond Dog, Rarity's friend Twilight had taught her a self defense spell just in case something were to happen again. Rarity's horn glowed, as a small crackle of electricity formed at it's tip. As the Diamond Dog fully turned to face Rarity, it was greeted by a small bolt of electricity; launched from Rarity's horn. It hit the Diamond Dog in the chest, sending it to the ground in a fit of agony.

"You won't take me again, Diamond Dog!" Rarity shouted, giving the creature another jolt.

In a fit of pain, the creature shouted with horror as it was struck by the second attack. Each time Rarity sent another jolt, she inched closer as she remembered the horror of her previous capture. The smelly cave, the dirty cave, the damp cave, the ill lit cave. All caused anger to build up as she continued her assault upon her would-be captor. And with each assault, the scream got louder and louder, beginning to sound like a small filly. Rarity let out a small chuckle, as her foe laid on the ground twitching.

"You don't think you have had enough? Well, do you?" Rarity asked, ignoring the definitive differences of this creature versus a Diamond Dog. Right now, she wasn't there fully. Her mind was lost in a daze, uncontrollable rage; as Twilight had tried to explain to her previously, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She didn't care so much right now though; with her new defense she felt like letting this creature have it. All her pent up fear and anger from her experience had left her wanting this moment for so long.

"RARITY! WHAT THE HAY ARE YA DOIN?"

Rarity stopped mid way through one of her electricity jolts, and turned to see a very shocked Applejack and three small fillies standing at the barn doorway.

Rarity felt herself calming, now that her tough friend Applejack had arrived to deal with this creaden, "Oh, Applejack, its just horrible!" Rarity began to whine, "This Diamond Dog tried to ponynap me again! I was so scared, I had no other choice but to defend myself!"

Applejack's mouth remained agape, as the fillies were still awing from the spectacle too. Then, Applejack's face changeed from a shocked look, to a horrified look, "Rarity, that weren't no Diamond Dog! That's Kurt!"

Rarity blinked, confused, "What? But, its a-"

Rarity turned around; the sunlight from the open door cast upon a strange looking creature laying on its back. Light trails of smoke still rose from its torso as it twitched every so often.

"But, but, I don't understand."

"Ah said don't come in here, its complicated," Applejack rushed over to Kurt's side, and knelt her front legs down to draw close to Kurt's face. She could see he was still breathing, which was a good sign.

----------

Kurt had no clue what just happened. He remembered the three small fillies trying to play doctor on him, then turning around to see a white unicorn with a very dressy purple mane. Now, he just laid in darkness. Unsure where he was, or even when, he could not move or speak. It was like he was paralyzed, in nothing but a wave-less sea of black. He felt scared, more out of place here than he did in Equestria. Unable to tell how long he had been laying there, Kurt began to give up hope that he will ever see his beloved Blazer again.

Then, a small light showed itself above him. He could feel it's warmth, radiating down as it grew ever so brighter the closer it got. It was not the same white light that transported him to Equestria, but instead an orange color. Then, it flashed as he found himself looking up at a blue sky. The white puffy clouds drifted along, being taken by the cool gentle breeze. Kurt still could not move, but he felt his speech coming back. Then, a face popped up in front of him, startling him as he tried to focus on it.

"Hey, easy there. You're a'right," the female voice said, soothing and calming.

As Kurt's vision cleared, he saw a child's face. A little girl, beautiful blonde hair and freckles spotted all over her face. Her green eyes glowed with so much pureness, that it nearly sickened Kurt's unsettled stomach, though in a good way. It took him a few seconds to register, but he soon recognized the girl. He remembered faint memories from his youth, his friend: his first, last, and only friend.

Kurt began to open his mouth, as he felt his vocal cords responding to his will, "A-Am-Amanda?"

The once kind smile of the little girl turned to a very confused look, eyeing Kurt strangely.

"Amanda? Uh oh, ah think ya cooked his noggin there Rarity," The little girl said.

"What?" Kurt mustered, blinking his eyes as they refocused.

The once blue sky above quickly changed to an ugly brown roof, beams running along the loft of a barn take over the once puffy white clouds. The little girl from his past, Amanda, then morphed into a orange pony with a cowboy hat looking down at Kurt with a worried look.

"Well, now ya done it. We best get Fluttershy over here pronto."

"A-Applejack?" Kurt asked again, now recognizing the orange pony.

Reality finally snapped itself back to Kurt like a rubber band. An instant pain in his chest and a slight smell of burning cloths allowed his brain to quickly adjust itself to the current situation. He quickly sat up, grabbing onto his chest looking at the orange pony.

"Jesus Crist, what the hell just happened?" Kurt shouted, causing Applejack to back away from the obviously enraged human.

"Easy there sugarcube. Ya have been through quite a rough one there."

"A rough one? Jesus, I feel like I just got tazered! My chest feels as though it was literally caught on fire. I can even smell burning cloths and hair!" Kurt continued his rage, as he glances down to his shirt, "Look at this! There is a hole in my shirt, and my chest hair is completely gone! How the hell am I suppose to get laid without chest hair?"

Applejack found herself speechless, just staring dumbly at Kurt. There was then a quiet cough from Kurt's left, trying to draw his attention. He turned to look, and spied a white unicorn standing awkwardly, a very sorrow look on her face as she rubs the back of her head with a hoof.

"Um, I'm terribly sorry about this. I-"

"Wait a minute... your that white unicorn I saw before-" The light bulb in Kurt's mind clicked on, "YOUR THE ONE THAT TAZED ME!"

"Yes, and I'm ever so sorry about that. You see, your stature startled me and-"

"Startled you? What the hell happens if someone actually scares you? You shoot them with a rocket launcher?"

Rarity could feel a tear start to form on her cheek, as Kurt continued his verbal assault.

"Good god, In less than a day I've been thrown around like a rag doll here. Its a miracle I'm alive," Kurt looked to Applejack, who had joined the three fillies in attempts to distract them from Kurt, "And I'm just sure you are over there laughing it up. 'Oh, ha ha ha look at the silly alien get the living shit beat out of him'."

"Hey now, that ain't called for!" Applejack said defensively.

"You have no right to go after Applejack on this matter," Rarity began, catching Kurt's attention, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have jump to such a conclusion so fast."

Kurt studied the unicorns face carefully. She was looking down at the ground, her head hung low and her body showing signs of depression. It was hard to tell, but he thought he could see a tear running down the white cheek of the pony. Kurt then looked back to Applejack, who was giving Kurt a very disgusted look. The three fillies surrounding Applejack looked onto Kurt with large eyes, and the white one, Sweetie Belle, looking over to Rarity with very sorrow eyes.

Kurt slapped his hand on his face, in an attempt to calm himself down. He was sure he had every right to act the way he did, being assaulted in such a manner, but it still left a very unsettling feeling in his gut. Then, he saw the small white unicorn filly walk over to the larger white unicorn, and nuzzled her side.

"Its ok Rarity."

"Rarity... where have I heard that before?" Kurt thought to earlier, when he first met the fillies. Then, Applejack's words flowed through his mind...

"...and Sweetie Belle here is Rarity's sister."

Suddenly the guilt train stopped on Kurt's face, as his mouth drooped into a frown.

"Aw hell, I just chewed out her sister right in front of the little filly."

Kurt rubbed the back of his head, as he looked back to Rarity, "Look, I'm sorry about yelling, its just-"

Rarity sniffed, as she looked up to Kurt, "No, darling, you had every right to act so angry to me. I should have found out the facts before I defe- I mean, attacked you."

Kurt felt a slight relief, knowing the unicorn at least knew the error of her way, "Well, I'm fine I suppose. Nothing seems to be broken, except my pride once again."

"Un yer shirt," Applebloom said, beginning to walk towards Kurt.

"Oh yea, heh, that too," Kurt thought about if he had any other clothing, "Aw shoot."

"Whats wrong Kurt?" Applejack asked, walking closer with Scootaloo.

For the most part, it seemed like the ponies had relaxed once again after Kurt had apologized for his shouting. It still bothered Kurt, but he was sure he could forget about it. Sure it hurt a lot, but he was fine from the feel of things.

"All my cloths are at the dry cleaners back on Earth. I've got no other shirts with me."

There was a sudden twinkle in Rarity's eye, as she sat up wiping away the shallow tears, "Oh, I think I know the best way to apologize and show you how truly sorry I am!"

Kurt looked to the white unicorn, her mood instantly brightened as she pranced closer to him. Applejack face-hoofed as she knew all to well what was coming next. Kurt raised a brow, his own curiosity striking.

"Um, I hope its not one of Pinkie's ideas."

"Oh no no no, darling. You see, I design and create beautiful works of art."

"How is a painting going to help?"

Rarity let out a slight chuckle, as her horn began to glow, "No, not a painting. All those are good for is to hang on your wall and allow your eyes to enjoy. I make something that can be enjoyed off the wall, on your person and viewable by anypony that you would see."

Suddenly all around Rarity, different items appeared; all wrapped in a aura, one matching an aura around her horn. A roll of measuring tape, pencil, paper, and other recognizable objects materialize as Rarity steps closer, "I design and make cloths; suits and dresses mostly. And you sir, shall have the luxury of getting a free sample of my work."

----------

After a few hours of working, Celestia's sun was casting its beams down on the apple orchard as Macintosh worked on bucking apples. With another successful buck, five awaiting baskets filled themselves with bright, juicy apples. Steadily, Mac unloaded each bucket into a cart roughly the size of himself. With each basket load, the cart creaked and moaned from the added weight. After dumping all five baskets, the cart was filled to its limits as he nodded in approval.

"A'most done. Jus' five moar acres." Mac quietly said, as he hitched himself to the cart.

With a click, the cart latched onto his harness and Mac began his trot back to the farm house. As he entered the main dirt path, he spied Applejack's friends walking from Ponyville down the same path. Most likely heading to find Applejack, Mac suspected.

"Howdy ladies, fine day ain't it?" Mac asked, waiting for the four mares to catch up. As they drew closer, a small purple dragon was also tagging along, sitting happily on Twilight's back, "Oh, and a mighty fine mornin' ta you too Spike."

"Hey Mac, long time no see," Spike said, waving his right paw as the ponies stopped at Macintosh.

"Good morning to you too Macintosh. Why yes, it is a lovely day today isn't it?" Twilight added, as the five ponies began their walk towards the farm house.

"Eeyup, purfect day fer buckin' in mah opin'n," Mac agreed as the mares began to circle around he and the cart, "So, what brings ya'll here t'day?"

"Oh, Pinkie Pie thought it would be nice to make everypony lunch," Twilight said.

"I even brought Kurtsie Wurtsie something too!" Pinkie added, bouncing ahead of Twilight.

"Kurtsie Wurtsie? Oh boy, Kurt ain't gonna like that," Mac chuckled, as he continued along.

"Oh Macintosh, just curious, have you seen Rarity anywhere?"

Mac glanced to Twilight thinking, as he didn't even need to look where he was walking. He had traveled this path his entire life, he knew it by heart, "Um, naw I haven't."

"Ok, well we figured it would be smart to fill her in about Kurt since we all already know. She's part of our circle of friends after all, it wouldn't be right to not fill her in."

"That be true."

Mac looked behind to see Fluttershy walking the farthest away from the group, as she kept her head low and not looking ahead. Mac thought about slowing down, to see what was possibly wrong with the yellow Pegasus when a blue blur passed ahead of him.

"Hey, I think I see the barn door open. Kurt and Applejack are probably inside," Rainbow Dash said, as she lowered closer to the ground.

She kept herself in the air, but followed just overhead as they drew closer and closer to the barn. Pinkie Pie, overly excited by having Kurt sample her treats, bounced ahead of the group as she stopped at the open door.

"Oh Kurtsie! Looky what I-"

Pinkie stopped, looking into the barn as she began to giggle loudly, "Oh girls, I found Rarity!"

Everypony else stopped dead in their tracks. Twilight feared the worst, as she bolted ahead of the small group to the barn entrance where Pinkie was standing. Several images flowed through Twilight's mind; most of which Rarity had either had a panic attack, or Kurt possibly injured from a possible confrontation. As she entered the barn next to Pinkie, Twilight found herself breathing a sigh of relief, seeing Kurt  standing with his arms stretched out and a measuring tape wrapped around his waist.

Twilight couldn't help but giggle a little to herself, as Kurt gave the two ponies a very disgusted look before speaking.

"I hate you all, you know that right?"