That's What Sisters are For
Apple Bloom awoke slowly from her dreams, the sheets encompassing her in a soft bubble of warmth. Sunlight pouring in from the window gave her bedroom a peaceful, friendly glow as she lay there.
I wonder what time it is, she thought to herself, starting to rouse herself. We was supposed to get started in the orchard first thing in the morning.
A strong came grunt from outside the house, and Apple Bloom wandered over to the window to see her brother, Big Mac, already hard at work, loading up the baskets in the cart and heading to the orchard.
“Big Mac!” she cried, dashing down the stair and out into the front yard. “Wait for me!”
Big Mac paused and turned to wave, a smile on his weathered face.
“What can I do to help, Big Mac?”
“Wake up Applejack,” he grunted. “She’s late.”
“Yeah, wasn’t she supposed to wake me up since Grannie Smith’s outta town?”
Big Mac nodded, and gave his traditional reply. “Eeyup.”
Normally, Apple Bloom didn’t worry about her sister’s actions, but for her to be late for work was unusual. “Well, I’ll make sure she’s alright, and we’ll meet ya out in the north orchard, okay?”
“Eeyup,” the red stallion said, and walked on towards the apple fields while his youngest sibling trotted back into the house, and up the stairs towards her sister’s room.
“Applejack?” Apple Bloom called. “Applejack, are you up yet?”
The cream-colored filly peered into her older sister’s room, and was surprised to see the older farm girl still asleep in her bed.
“Applejack!” the youngest Apple cried out, leaping onto her sister’s bed with a start. “Applejack, Applejack, time to get up!”
Applejack awoke slowly, her mane tussled and her eyes glazed. “Wha- what’s going on?”
“Applejack, we need to go!” Apple Bloom said excitedly. “Big Mac’s waiting for us in the north orchard and we got bucking to do!”
“Wha- oh, no!” Applejack said, distressed. “Shoot, I didn’t mean to forget! Sorry, Apple bloom, I know I was s’posed to wake you up.”
“It’s alright, Applejack,” the little filly replied sweetly, giving her sister a hug. “But we need to get goin’ or we’ll start falling behind.”
“Alright, gimme a sec,” Applejack said, pushing her mane out of her vision. “I’ll grab mah hat and meet you out in the front yard, alright?”
“Sure thing!” Apple Bloom said, and hopped down the stairs in a flourish.
Unfortunately, Apple Bloom found herself waiting longer than she had first thought. It took Applejack a good five minutes to come walking out of the house, and squinted as the sunlight poked under the brim of her hat. Nevertheless, she smiled at her little sister and said, “You ready to get bucking?”
“You bet!” Apple Bloom said, straightening her bow. “Last pony to get to the orchard is a rotten apple!”
“Not this time, Apple Bloom,” said Applejack unexpectedly. “I’m still a mite out of this mornin’. Didn’t get enough sleep last night, I guess.”
Apple Bloom nodded, and fell in step with her sister, peering up at her suspiciously. Something was wrong with Applejack, even if she wouldn’t come out and say it. She still looked groggy, and –if Apple Bloom had to guess- kinda pale and wan.
“You OK, big sis?” Apple Bloom asked hesitantly.
“Don’t worry, ah’m fine,” Applejack said determinedly, even though she didn’t truly sound like it. “I’ll be wide awake once we get to work.”
The two sisters walked alongside each other until they reached the north orchard, where Big Mac was already hard at work bucking apples, having filled several baskets and prepared to fill more.
“Hey, Big Mac,” Applejack said, stifling a yawn. “Sorry for being a late riser an’ all.”
“No worries,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “You alright? Not like you to sleep in.”
“Ah’m fine,” she replied, though now sounded somewhat testy. “Where do ya need Apple Bloom right now?”
“She can spread out the rest of the buckets,” the stallion grunted, pausing to send his hind hooves into the nearby tree, and a bushel of apples fell from its branches and into the bucket underneath.
“You heard ‘im, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said, and the young Apple dashed off to the stack of buckets, hoisting a few onto her back and heading towards the nearest tree.
Soon enough, the young farm filly found herself engrossed in the hard work of farm life, rushing about to help whatever way she could. The day was a beautiful one, and it only made the whole task feel more enjoyable. Whether it be sorting apples, collecting full buckets of apples, or just picking up stray apples, she was always happy to help her family. Even if she couldn’t get her cutie mark the regular Apple Family way, she was still glad she could be a part of things.
“Hey, Applejack, you need anything?” she called out, walking through the beautiful orchard. “Big Mac needs your help loading up some apples, and he said I’m not big enough to-”
She stopped and stared in shock as she saw found her older sister, slumped against a tree with her eyes half-open. Applejack didn’t even acknowledge the company of her kin, but merely lay there, exhausted and gasping for breath.
“Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried, rushing over to her sister. “Applejack, what’s wrong?”
The tough farm mare didn’t respond at all, but merely proceeded to slump over further, wincing as she did so.
“Hold on, I’ll get Big Mac,” Apple Bloom said, and raced off to find her brother. “Big Mac!” she called. “Big Mac, something’s wrong with Applejack! Big- oof!”
Apple Bloom had found her oldest sibling, having run into his chest and nearly toppling over. “What’cha yellin’ for, Apple Bloom?”
“Big Mac, I think Applejack’s sick!” The young Apple cried, bouncing on the edge of her hooves. “I went looking for her and I found her lying against a tree, and she won’t respond to me or anything!”
“Uh-huh,” Big Mac grunted and started to run, Apple Bloom doing what she could to catch up. When she arrived where she had found Applejack, Big Mac had already hoisted the mare across his back and was heading back towards the farmhouse.
“Applejack, can ya hear me?” Apple Bloom asked nervously.
“Ah can hear ya,” Applejack said, giving a weak smile. “Sorry if ah scared ya, Apple Bloom.”
“I’m OK, I’m worried about you,” the young sister said. “What happened?”
“Ah was working, wasn’t feeling too good, then ah found ma’self on the ground, plum tuckered. Guess I’m a little out of sorts today.”
The trio of siblings walked back into the farmhouse and up the stairs, Big Mac gently depositing his sister on her bed. “I’ll get you something to drink,” Big Mac declared. “You just get some rest.”
But suddenly, in a fit of maturity, Apple Bloom piped up and said, “I can take care of her, Big Mac.”
The red stallion raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. “Are you sure?” he asked.
“I’m sure,” he said. “After all, if you start falling behind in the orchard, a lot of the apples will go bad.”
Big Mac nodded slowly, as if mulling it over. “Alright, but you come and get me if anything happens.”
“Will do, Big Brother,” she said, and out Big Mac walked, down the stairs and back to the orchard.
“That was sweet of you, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said quietly, startling her little sister. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“But I want to,” she protested. “Besides, we do need to get all the apples bucked. Now what do you need me to do? Do you want some dandelion soup? Something to drink? Or-”
“Thanks, Apple Bloom, but right now, all ah wanna do is sleep,” Applejack said, turning on her side and closing her eyes.
“Oh, OK,” Apple Bloom said softly, pulling the door to as quietly as she could.”
The rest of the day dragged on, as Apple Bloom suddenly found herself with nothing to do and no one for company. As Applejack slept, the young Apple entertained herself in whatever manner she could, doing her best to not make any noise. She passed the time by reading some books and doing any homework she had left to finish. Ms. Cherilee had been increasing their load of classwork, and it was all she could do to keep up.
A few hours later, when Apple Bloom went to check on her older sibling, she found the orange-colored mare resting against her pillow, awake but clearly still unwell.
“Not feeling any better, Applejack?” Apple Bloom said sadly, hopping up onto the bed.
“Don’t you worry, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said reassuringly. “Ah guess I just caught a bad fever or something’. It’ll pass in no time.”
Apple Bloom nodded, but still felt bad. “Do you want me to bring you anything?”
“I’d love a glass of water, or somethin’,” she replied.
Apple Bloom was halfway down the staircase when a stroke of brilliance suddenly flashed through her mind. She had wanted to help her sister, and if she remembered right, the very solution she had been looking for was somewhere in her room.
But it was not to be that easy. Try as she might, she couldn’t seem to find what she was looking for, no matter how hard she searched. “Come on, come on,” she said, frustration starting to rise. “Where are you? I was just reading you… last… night…”
And then she remembered. She crawled underneath he tussled sheets and found the book Twilight had let her borrow, and began to skim through the pages. “Ah-ha!” she declared triumphantly, finding the very page she was looking for.
“Apple Bloom?” Came Applejack’s thin voice. “Are you alright out there?”
“Be just a minute, Sis!” Apple Bloom replied, throwing the book on her desk and getting straight to work.
Apple Bloom walked into Applejack’s room with a tray in her mouth, her eyes bright with pleasure.
“What took you so long, Apple Bloom?” Applejack asked curiously.
“Mmf mff mmff,” Apple Bloom replied, or at least attempted to. She stood on the tips of her hind legs and set the tray on Applejack’s nightstand, and tried again. “I was trying to make sure it was just right, that’s all.”
Applejack peered at the glass of clear liquid suspiciously. “What is this stuff?” she asked. “Looks a mite thick to be water.”
“Something Twilight’s been teaching me,” Apple Bloom said, watching as her older sister began to take a sip. “She said it cures stuff like the common cold and whatnot, so I thought it’d help you feel a little better.”
Applejack’s eyes went wide as she finished downing the medicine. “How come ya didn’t tell me you’d been studyin’ that hard? I’m right impressed, Apple Bloom.”
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” said Apple Bloom. “We’ve been working on how to en-engorge apples, and I wanted to wait to show you until it was good an’ ready.”
“Well, ah certainly ‘ppreciate it, Apple Bloom,” said the orange mare. “Stuff sure tastes nasty, though.”
Apple Bloom giggled. “That means it’s working, ‘ccording to Twilight. She says good medicine always tastes terrible.”
The two sisters elapsed into giggles for a moment, simply enjoying their time together. Suddenly, Apple Bloom was wrapped in a tight embrace from her older sister. “Thanks, Apple Bloom.”
“I’m your sister,” the young filly said. “We take care of each other.”
Apple Bloom hopped down from the bed and towards the door. “Want me to bring you some soup or somethin’?”
“Ah’d love some,” Applejack said, leaning back again to rest on her pillow. “And Apple Bloom?”
Apple Bloom paused. “Yeah, Applejack?”
“You’re a special filly, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said, a smile on her face. “Ah can’t wait to see what you’re gonna grow up to be.”
“Thanks, Applejack,” said Apple Bloom, walking down the stairs to fetch some soup, her head held high with pride.
Author's Note
My very first MLP fan-fiction. I hope you enjoy my work, as I always appreciate telling a good story, even if it's a simple one.
