Applebloom locked her bedroom door. Light from the gray sky outside filtered into her room, broken by the shutters on the outside of her window.
"Ah can't.... Ah can't take it..." She set down a piece of paper next to her hooves. A suicide note. "Diamond Tiara... Ah' never thought she was right before, but..." She picked up a gun- she wasn't sure what kind, but it was her brother's weapon for emergencies. "Ah'm just a stupid blank flank... no purpose in life and no talents...Diamond Tiara was right. She knew the truth. She was right and Ah' was wrong." A tear ran down her face as she picked up the gun and pressed it against her head. "Goodbye, equestria... don't remember me.... Ah'm useless..." She pulled the trigger. Pain seared through her head, then her body. She was alive for a few seconds, recollecting her thoughts. Sadness was all she could feel, until she thought her very last words. "What...why did I... Applejack... Big Mac... Granny... Forgive me.... What have I done?"
Applejack yelled from the first floor of the farmhouse.
"Applebloom, Ah' heard a loud noise from the other side of the orchard. What in the hay happened?!" No answer. She ran up the stairs. "Applebloom?!" She turned to the spot by Big Macintosh's bedroom door where he kept his gun. It wasn't there. "Applebloom, whatever you've been doin-"
Realization overflowed her like a river. Her face turned pale. She burst down the door and horror struck her. Laying on the ground, not breathing, not moving, was her little sister Applebloom. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had seen animals die on the farm before, she knew she had to make sure. She put her hoof to Applebloom's wrist. No pulse. "Applebloom.... Whoever did this to ya-"
She noticed the letter by Applebloom's body. She picked it up and read it. She broke out into sobs. Big Macintosh walked up the stairs, wondering what the noise was about. "Applejack, Ah' told ya, we need to finish..." His voice trailed off into quiet nothingness. He was in a state of shock, unable to register anything else around him. Eventually it was too much for him. He fainted. And Applejack could only stare. She could only stare at the filly she once loved and knew as a real sister, as her world started to crumble around her. Now the only thing she hoped for was not good sales, or a bountiful harvest. She hoped that this was just a nightmare. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't.
Applejack climbed up the attic ladder and put Big Mac's gun in a cardboard box.
"Ah'm not keeping this thing around the house anymore."
"Applejack, listen." Big Mac followed her up the ladder. "Ah' know it's a touchy subject, but what if-"
"Git a new gun!" This sudden outburst didn't surprise Big Mac. He knew his sister was like this when grieving.
"Applejack. Ah' understand. Really, ah' do. But if we are gonna keep this farm safe-"
"Safe?! SAFE?! You don't talk about being SAFE, YOU should've kept her SAFE by not keep in' this here gun around!" She started crying again.
"Applejack..... What if-"
"Big Mac. Whatever ya' say... Ah' don't wanna listen."
"Applejack, what if there's...." He turned to a portrait on the wall of two earth ponies. One was a orange haired mare with a single braid tied by a pink ribbon. Her body was light yellow, and she had Applebloom's eyes. The stallion on her right had short red hair, about the length of big mac's hair, tied back in a ponytail. His body was green. "What if there's Timberwolves again?" Applejack quickly turned to her brother.
"You say that like they're gunna kill us like they killed Ma and Pa."
"Applejack, ya never know-"
"Big Mac. I know. The animals would be actin' crazy."
"It's not just timberwolves. I mean... ya' never know when grief is gunna strike us next..." He looked at the gun. "Just..."
Applejack sighed.
"Granny's enemies are dead. There is no pony to worry about."
"I don't know, business is tough, and-"
"Big Mac, just go. Go and don't talk to me." She put the box into the attic and locked it.
Big Mac just walked away with a sad look on his face.
Once Applejack was alone, she started to cry.
"Applebloom... Ah'... Ah' miss ya... please come back..."
She started down the ladder she was standing on. She slowly trotted over towards the orchard, all the while missing her sister. She walked over to the next part of the orchard that had to be harvested and began bucking apples. The farmhoof, Caramel, waved to her and said hi, but when she didn't respond he moved on. Applejack bucked the trees with all the anger she could summon. It still wasn't enough for her to get all her frustration out, but it helped. "Ah' swear to Celestia... Ah' will get revenge on whoever caused my sister to kill herself..." Applejack looked to the ground. "Or whoever killed her..."
-three hours later-
"Ah' told ya, Big Mac, it was murder!"
"How do ya know?"
"Applebloom would never kill herself!" Applejack slammed her hoof on the dinner table. Big Mac sat quietly across form her, and Granny Smith was at the head of the table, grieving for the filly that occupied the now empty seat next to Applejack.
"Applejack, have you seen what that filly's gone through?"
"She has a name!"
"But, have you seen it?!"
"No..."
"Applejack,she was bullied. Called worthless and stupid."
"I've talked to her about it before!"
"About havin' no cutie mark?"
"Yes!"
"Fer cryin' out loud!" Granny interrupted the two. "If you two are gonna care more about how it happened instead of that she's dead, there is no point in talkin' 'bout it at all!" She got down from her seat. "If you really want to avenge Applebloom, you'd act the way she'd want ya to! Care about her fer once!" The old mare walked upstairs into her room.
"Granny is right... we need to act correctly. Tomorrow we'll dig a grave for her.." Applejack could barely say the words. "I..."
"Applejack?" Big Mac started to cry himself.
The only response Applejack could bring herself to express was hugging her brother as they cried together.
