Chapters "What do you mean she's in a coma?" Big Mac asked, "That's mah niece!"
"Sir, she's not only in a coma, and critical condition, but visitor hours are over." Nurse Redheart said, "Your reaction to this reminds me of your sister's when she first found out she was pregnant."
"This is different! This time somepony could die!" Big Mac yelled.
"Look, sir, the accident with the weather control is not our fault," she said, "Especially that it hit your home so hard. I suggest you return home now, since you are permitted to leave. We will need a few checkups later in the month, to make sure you make a full recovery."
"Big Mac, c'mon, let's head home." Apple Bloom tugged her brother's foreleg. "Ah'm just as upset as y'all are, but that ain't stopping me from doin' anythin'."
"Ah just don't understand how she was hit with the worst of it. And Ah can't believe the nurse wouldn't say the truth." Big Mac said.
"And what's that, Big Mac?" Apple Bloom asked.
"That Apple Eve is on the edge of death."
********
"H-hello?" Apple Eve called out, "Is anypony there?"
She was in a black void. There wasn't another soul here.
"Ah reckon this is new ta y'all?" a voice came from behind her.
"Mom?!" Apple Eve was shocked, "Not to say I'm not happy you're here, I'm thrilled. But how? Where are we?"
"Hush now, sugarcube." Applejack said, "Since yer so close ta death, Ah'm able to come to you."
"Mom, what's going on?"
"There was a twister at the farm, escaped Cloudsdale, it did. Knocked y'all out cold. Yer in critical condition."
"M-Mom I-"
"Sugarcube, Ah hafta tell y'all a story." Applejack sat down, and so did Apple Eve. Around them, the abyss turned into the barn, and there were lights... and Apple Eve was a little foal.
"Yer Pa," Applejack said, "Was visiting town because there was ta be a Wonderbolts show here. Of course, we just so happened to be at the same club. Can't say Ah'm proud of what happened. Ah knew the moment Ah found out Ah was pregnant, the foal was 'is. Never came back. But, he did give me you, and that's probably the only favor he did fer me."
"Mommy, who's my dad?" Apple Eve asked, still a foal.
"Now sugar cube, ya hafta understand this ain't easy fer me to say." Applejack replied, "Yer Pa is... Soarin', from the Wonderbolts, Ah wouldn't tell yer Aunt Rainbow Dash if Ah were you."
"Mommy, can you tell me a story?" Apple Eve asked.
"What about, sugarcube?" Applejack replied.
"Our family."
********
"Come on, Apple Eve," Pound pleaded, "Wake up. Please?" Apple Eve laid in the hospital bed, he brown mane, which was usually in pigtails, hung loose. The heart monitor beeped. Her hat lay at a bedside table.
"Apple Eve come on!" Pinkie said, "Your Auntie Pinkie Pie wants to throw another party, and it wouldn't be the same without you!"
"She has to wake up, right Pinkie?" Pound looked to the mare.
"Pound, can I be honest with you?" Pound nodded, "I am scared to heck right now. Applejack's only child, might die here, and I don't want to tell you anything that might make you sad, but I don't want to get your hopes up. Twilight says there's a good chance she'll die. If not here, than in the aftereffects. It's very slim she'll make it through this."
"But she has to make it." a tear ran down Pound's cheek, "She has to."
"I'm not sure." Pinkie's hair deflated, "We should go home, these are tough times for everypony."
"But I don't want to leave her." Pound said, "What if she wakes up, and no one's here, and she gets scared? What if she feels alone?"
"You can stay here, I'll go home." Pinkie trotted out the door.
"Thanks, Pinkie."
"Mom." Apple Eve felt the world fading.
"Ah'll see y'all soon, sugarcube." Applejack disappeared.
"Mom!"
********
"Hey, Apple Bloom, how's Apple Eve doing?" Big Mac asked his sister when she returned home. She looked down, and shook her head. "Apple Eve's... dead?"
"Ah saw it." Apple Bloom hugged Big Mac.
"Apple Bloom..." Big Mac said.
"She's gone. With Applejack now."
"She's in a better place."
********
I'm very happy here. I'm making new friends, and smiling every day.I live in a house, just a block away from Mom. She's happy I'm here, but I'm sad about all I left behind. They miss me. Tomorrow, I'm going to pay them a visit. But for now, I'm going to have fun here. I'm going on a picnic with some of my new friends later, so that'll be nice.
I think Pound misses me the most, and I miss him even more. He and Pinkie are the only ones around to run Sugar Cube Corner.
Pumpkin will be at the picnic too, she died last year in a fire. Pound misses her. Their parents are also here. They have a cafe called Goodieville.
I think the best part about all of this is I got to meet Grandma and Grandpa. They're very nice. They died in a storm, just like me.
I'm sad I had to leave Ponyville, but heaven is nicer. Still, it's no fun without Pinkie.
This is a very beautiful town, and I can't wait until my friends get here. I won't do anything, that would be wrong. I can be patient.
I joined a racing team up here, The Lightnings. Of course, there is an apple orchard, and I work there also. I can't wait to see where life (or death) takes me.
I miss Pound, but I'm happy here. One day, he'll join us, and we can be friends again. Pumpkin, Pound, and I.
I love this place, and I'm happy I get to see Mom again, and Great-Granny Smith.
I'm happy I get to see my family.
"She's going, fast." Nurse Redheart said, "Quick, we can still save her."
The doctors started scrambling to save Apple Eve. Apple Bloom and Pound Cake just watched, feeling like there was something they could do. They eventually went into the hall.
"She made it." a doctor said after a few hours, "She's fine."
Pound slowly opened the door. Still unconscious.
"Ah'll be leavin' now." Apple Bloom said, "Those apple trees ain't gonna buck 'emselves."
"Bye..." was all Pound could say.
"Don't worry, Pound. She'll make it, you'll see." and at that, Apple Bloom left.
*********
"Apple Eve?" Pound asked, noticing the mare was stirring.
'"Pound?" she said, but accidentally rolled onto one of her wings "Ow."
"Apple Eve! You're okay!" he smiled and hugged her.
"What happened?" Apple Eve said.
"There was a storm, you got really hurt." Pound said, "You almost died.
"Well, at least I got to stay here, with you." Apple Eve smiled, "So, care to go into-" Apple Eve was interrupted when Pound Cake kissed her. She started kissing back.
I didn't realize it until recently, but I'd always liked her. Not just the regular kind. Love. I've alway loved her.
I don't think I ever noticed, but I'd always liked him. Like liked him. It's
Love.
"Mommy, do you know any more stories?" Apple Eve, still a foal, was held in her mother's forelegs.
"Of course, why don't Ah tell y'all about the time Ah beat Nightmare Moon?" Applejack asked her daughter.
"I love that one!" Apple Eve cheered.
"Well, once upon a time, there were two sisters, rulin' Equestria. The oldest sister rose the sun, an' the youngest rose the moon. The youngest was jealous of how much more her sister's day was loved, an' so she became Nightmare Moon!" Applejack pretended she was about to pounce on her daughter.
"Eek!" Apple Eve cowered away.
********
Pound watched her. Apple Bloom was also there. Every beep from the heart rate monitor made him feel like he was losing his sanity. He stared at her. Broken wing, hind leg, and foreleg, as well as a fractured ribcage, bruised skull, and a variety of other injuries.
"Pound, Ah want y'all to know..." Apple Bloom said, "They've made an offer."
"What is it?" Pound asked.
"T-ta put 'er out of 'er suffering. Ta stop givin' 'er the stuff keepin' 'er alive."
"We can't." he said.
"Pound, Ah know this is just gonna be a replay of Pumpkin. We better stop this pain, it'll also open the room up to other patients."
"Don't you dare bring Pumpkin into this!" tears ran from Pound's eyes.
"Pound, Ah can see why yer holdin' on, an' Ah know this'll be hard fer you. But believe me, this'll be better fer her."
"I'm not giving up on her!" Pound said, "She may be barely alive, but she's all I got. I believe she'll get better. I know she'll get better."
"Ah'm just gonna let y'all know, this'll be hard on me too. Apple Eve is mah sister's foal!" Apple Bloom said.
"I haven't had anything but her since Pumpkin died, I don't want her to die too!"
"We ain't gonna do it if y'all don't want to." Apple Bloom said.
"I really want her to be-" Pound was stopped when the monitor went flatlined. "APPLE EVE!!!" he shouted.
"DOCTORS!! APPLE EVE'S GONE FLATLINED!!!" Apple Bloom yelled into the hallway.
"APPLE EVE!!! WAKE UP!!!" Pound screamed.
"I'm so sorry." a doctor said.