7:30 PM

I wasn't going back.

Ever.

Applejack made it clear the second we walked through her front door.

Her arms crossed. Her voice firm.

"You're stayin' here, Rainbow. For good."

I stared at her.

"I-"

"No arguments."

Her green eyes locked on mine. Unshakable.

I swallowed. "But-"

"No buts."

I exhaled.

And then... I nodded.

8:00 PM

Applejack's house was warm.

Not just in temperature, but in feeling.

It smelled like apples and cinnamon. The furniture was old but comfortable. There were pictures everywhere-family photos, memories, things I never had at home. I kept thinking about how nice it is.

And Granny Smith?

She hugged me.

Like, full-on hugged me the second she saw me.

"Bless yer heart, darlin'. You're skin an' bones. We gotta fatten ya up."

I almost cried.

9:00 PM

GROUP CHAT:

SUNSET: ok so let me get this straight
SUNSET: spitfire is helping us now???
RAINBOW: yeah
PINKIE: OMG PLOT TWIST
RARITY: I'm still skeptical.
TWILIGHT: So am I. But if we can actually get proof...
FLUTTERSHY: Please just be careful, Rainbow.
RAINBOW: I will
APPLEJACK: She ain't doin' it alone.
RARITY: Good. Because we are NOT letting her face this by herself.
PINKIE: TEAM RAINBOW GO!!!
RAINBOW: omg pinkie

I smiled.

10:00 PM

I should've felt safe.

But when I closed my eyes, she was there.

Her voice.

Her hands.

The pain.

I woke up gasping.

Chest tight. Skin burning.

Applejack's room was dark, but I could see her asleep across from me. Peaceful. Normal.

I wrapped my arms around myself.

Breathed in.

Breathed out.

It wasn't real.

It wasn't real.

It wasn't-

A soft voice broke through the silence.

"You okay, sugarcube?"

I flinched.

Applejack was awake now, blinking sleepily. But her face? Instantly concerned.

I forced a smile. "Yeah. Just a bad dream."

Applejack didn't buy it.

"...Wanna talk about it?"

I shook my head.

She hesitated.

Then-gently-she reached out, resting her hand over mine.

Not forcing me.

Not pressuring me.

Just there.

I stared at our hands.

And for some reason...

I didn't pull away.

10:30 AM

Sunset was waiting for us outside of my "home".

"You sure about this?"

I wasn't.

But I nodded anyway.

Applejack was tense.

"Y'know you don't gotta do this, right?"

"I do."

Applejack didn't look happy. But she didn't stop me.

Sunset handed me a tiny hidden mic.

"This'll pick up everything."

I swallowed.

"Okay."

Then I took a deep breath-

And walked into hell.

12:00 PM

I walked into my house for the first time in days.

And it felt like walking straight into a lion's den.

The air was heavy. Thick. The kind of silence that meant something bad was coming.

Then-

"Where the hell have you been?"

I froze.

Her.

Standing at the top of the stairs, arms crossed.

Eyes cold.

I clenched my fists.

"None of your business."

Mom's expression darkened.

SLAM.

She stomped down the stairs, grabbing my wrist hard.

"Excuse me?"

My stomach twisted. The mic was on. Sunset and the others were listening.

I had to keep her talking.

Had to get proof.

So I swallowed my fear-

And smiled.

"You heard me. I'm not scared of you anymore."

Her grip tightened.

"Oh, you're not, huh?"

She yanked me closer, and I bit my tongue to keep from crying out.

"You think you can just run off and come back with some attitude? You're still the same useless, pathetic brat you've always been."

My chest felt tight.

I could hear my heart pounding.

But I pushed through.

Kept my voice steady.

"Go ahead," I said, staring her straight in the eyes. "Say that again. On record."

Mom stiffened.

"What?"

I smirked.

"Smile for the microphone."

12:05 PM

She lost it.

Slapped me across the face.

Hard.

I barely stumbled before I felt her nails dig into my arm, shoving me against the wall.

"You think you're clever? You think some stupid recording is gonna change anything?"

I didn't say a word.

Didn't fight back.

Just let the mic capture everything.

The threats.
The insults.
The venom in her voice.

And then-

BANG. BANG. BANG.

A pounding on the front door.

"OPEN UP! THIS IS THE POLICE!"

12:06 PM

Mom's grip tightened.

Her nails dug into my skin, and for a second-just a second-I thought she might actually kill me.

Then-

"OPEN THE DOOR! NOW!"

She let go.

Just enough for me to rip myself away.

The look in her eyes? Pure panic.

She wasn't in control anymore.

And she knew it.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I took a shaky breath.

Then, loud enough for the mic to pick up-

"You're done."

She turned white.

12:07 PM

The door burst open.

Cops everywhere.

Voices shouting. Commands being yelled.

And my mom?

She ran.

Tried to make a break for the back door.

But she didn't get far.

I heard the struggle. The handcuffs.

And then-

"YOU LITTLE-!!"

She didn't get to finish.

They dragged her out of the house.

And just like that...

She was gone.

12:30 PM

I sat on the front steps.

Shaking.

It was over.

It was really, truly, over.

And yet...

Why did it still feel like she was there?

Like she was standing right behind me, whispering every awful thing she'd ever said?

You're nothing.
You're weak.
You'll never escape me.

My hands clenched into fists.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Breathed.

And then-

A shadow fell over me.

I looked up.

Applejack.

And the moment I saw her, I broke.

I didn't even think. Just threw myself forward, burying my face in her shoulder.

1:00 PM

I was still shaking.

But not from fear this time.

From everything.

From the weight of finally being free.

From the exhaustion of it all.

From the fact that Applejack's arm was still around me, her voice calm and steady as she said, "It's over now, sugarcube."

And for the first time, I believed it.

I wiped my face, sniffed, and let out a breath.

Then, I forced a grin.

"Guess you're stuck with me now, huh?"

Applejack huffed a small laugh. "Ain't no 'stuck' about it. I want you right here."

Something warm bloomed in my chest.

I looked at her-really looked at her.

At her steady green eyes. At the way she was just there, not pushing, not expecting anything.

And I made a decision.

I wasn't gonna be a victim anymore.

I was gonna live.

And Applejack?

She was gonna be part of that.

I sat in Applejack's room, flipping a stress ball between my hands.

I hadn't cried since earlier. Hadn't broken down.

And that?

That felt huge.

I wasn't magically better, but I wasn't stuck either.

I was... in between.

And that was okay.

Applejack sat across from me, arms crossed, eyes narrowed like she was studying me.

Finally, she said, "Alright, you. What's next?"

I blinked.

"What?"

She smirked. "You're free now. You got a whole life ahead of ya. What's next?"

I opened my mouth-then closed it.

Because I didn't know.

I'd never had a "next".

My life had always been about survival.

But now?

Now, I had options.

I sat back, tossing the stress ball in the air.

"Dunno," I said. "Guess I'll just figure it out."

Applejack grinned. "Then I'll be right here, helpin' ya do it."

And just like that-

I felt something shift.

Something new.

Something big.

And for the first time in forever-

I wasn't scared.