From Ashes To Ashes, And From Dust To Dust...
The Apple Never Falls Far From The Tree...
It was a long and slow walk to the west orchard of Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom looked between her two companions, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. How long had they been together as friends? Decades? Centuries even? None of them really thought about it anymore. The powers of the Elements of Harmony that they possessed had blurred the once visible boundaries of the limits of Time. They would not have to worry about aging for a few more centuries.
At least, Sweetie and Scootaloo wouldn’t have to…
Apple Bloom had been sick for some time now. Long before Applejack had passed on to her the Element of Honesty and slipped into the sweet embrace that Death had to offer. She had a rare disease in the equine species;
Lymphosarcoma.
It came somewhat suddenly. Surely not the disease itself, but the news of it. She did not blame herself for not catching the disease earlier while it was still in the benign stages. There were no real symptoms of it, save for a few aches here and there. If there had been, she would’ve went to the hospital immediately. But she couldn’t change the past, so there was no point to keep bringing it up.
When the news fell upon her two closest friends, their responses were...somewhat what she had expected. Sweetie, Gods bless that mare’s soul, had taken the dramatic traits of Rarity long ago. She sobbed, and wept, and cried for what felt like an eternity. It almost irritated the Earth Pony, for she had not shown nearly as much emotion as the Unicorn over these cards that she had been dealt. Her irritation would subside as quickly as it came though, for she knew Sweetie's heart was in the right place. Scootaloo however, had thrown herself into a state of denial that hit the borders of mental instability, and kept calling Apple Bloom for a week straight, yelling at her for playing such a cruel joke on her at their age. But as time passed on, Scootaloo realized this was no longer a horrible way to mess with the Pegasus, and her denial turned into crying sessions that would rival Sweetie's.
Twilight had tried to remove her Element from her about a century ago, so that she could check her without any magic interference. Within minutes, the cancer’s effects had started to kick in. Had Twilight not used her magic, Apple Bloom wouldn’t have gotten the chance to get her Element back around her neck in time. From then on, it was determined that the cancer had eradicated most of her muscles, and quite a few of her internal organs. They had come to understand that it was the Element of Honesty, and it’s sheer magic alone, that was keeping her alive at this point. For the first time, pure rage and spitefulness tore through her core. The Element was now a parasite, only keeping it's host alive to do the job that it was created to do. Eventually though, her anger disappeared, and she even found it a bit humorous that she was the embodiment of the phrase 'a dead mare walking'.
But again, this was all so long ago.
She thought back to all the crazy antics of herself and her companions. She thought of their rise from the school’s main ‘Blank Flanks’ to becoming a few of Equestria's most famous equines. Sweetie Belle was the Twilight’s student, and bearing the title as a prodigy of the Princess of Magic was amazing in and of itself. Scootaloo had become the second Pegasus in recorded history to perform the Sonic Rainboom, quickly earning herself a rank in the Wonderbolts, and proving that she had wing power that rivaled the legendary Rainbow Dash. As for herself, she became a well known pony that had the hooves for some medicinal herbal magic, while spreading the TLC in growing food that Sweet Apple Acres provided. In doing so, the farm that she now owned had become one of Equestria’s top suppliers for food. Yes, they had lived their dreams, made names for themselves, and the efforts of their hard work had come to fruition. Apple Bloom had no quarrels with relinquishing her Element. While it had drastically slowed down Time and her illness, it had reached a point where the harmonious magic could no longer keep the fatigue or pain at bay. She had lived a good life,
But she was finally ready to rest now.
She found a tree that was separated from all the other apple trees. It was a taller tree, with a thicker trunk, and fruit galore. However, there were some things that laid about the trunk and roots, that wouldn’t be seen anywhere else in Sweet Apple Acres.
Apples. Perfectly good apples, waiting for the elements of the weather to turn them into shriveled bits of rot like some of the apples that laid beside them. Untouched flowers and a few weeds had sprouted up, adding more colors to the grass, along with the various shades of red from the fruits. Apple Bloom smiled up at the tree, while her friends looked at the fruit that was littered about around it.
“What gives? Why is all this fruit just lying around here?” Scootaloo questioned. “I’ve never known the Apple Family to just let perfectly good apples go to waste.”
The yellow mare chuckled, “There’s a reason this tree’s fruit ain’t gettin’ touched. This here, is Sweet Apple. It’s where the farm got it’s name.” she lifted a heavy hoof and slowly dragged it across the bark,
“Semper ube coepit...”
Sweetie arched an eyebrow, “I didn’t know you spoke something other than Enquish.”
Scootaloo got a crooked grin on her face, “I wouldn’t say that AB speaks Enquish either.”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and swatted the Pegasus’ face with her tail, “Ha ha. Funny. Ah know enough Enquish tahtell ya Ah can kick yer flank up, down, an’ all 'round this farm.”
Scootaloo snickered and placed a wing over Apple Bloom’s shoulder, "Think of my statement as a…term of endearment.”
Apple Bloom looked over at her and smiled, “As long as ya think of mah hoof kickin’ in yer face as a sign of affection.”
Sweetie chuckled, “Alright now, you may have the wing power, but she’s still got you beat in leg strength.”
“She can have her leg strength, because I still beat her when it comes to being awesome.”
Apple Bloom scoffed, “Now we’re resortin’ tah that? What are ya, five years old?”
“562 years old, to be exact.” Scootaloo retorted.
“Anyway, before this gets out of hoof,” Sweetie looked back over at the Earth Pony, “What language were you speaking, and what did your sentence mean?”
“It was Latin, an’ the only lil’ bit of fancy speak that Ah know.” Apple Bloom replied. “It means ‘Always remember where it began'.” She turned her gaze back to Sweet Apple, “This is the first tree that the Apple Family ever planted here. And fer the generations that lived here before me, they all come ta this tree as their final restin’ place.” She smiled again, “Ah knew that this was where Ah belonged when mah time came…” she turned and plopped down on her haunches, “Sweet Apple is a life cycle. It grew inta a beautiful an’ strong tree. It provided apples. The apples are us, the Apple Family.” She picked up a fresh, fat apple that was lying on the ground, “We grow up ta be big an’ strong as well…” she then picked up a withered and dry remnant of an apple, “Eventually…we grow old, an’ pass on. We make room fer a new generation ta flourish, as it has been the Apple Family way.” She looked back up at the tree, “This is a wonderful place ta shut mah eyes, if Ah do say so mahself…” she leaned back against the tree, with her friends sitting on each side of her. They stared up at the clouds and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine on their coats.
“Ya’ll remember the time Babs came tah town?” Apple Bloom chuckled… “She was an evil lil’ thing back then…”
“But then she turned out not to be such a bad pony.” Scootaloo scratched her chin, “Although, that accent of hers was something else.”
Sweetie made a cross over her chest, “May the gods keep her soul in peace.”
Scootaloo lightly elbowed the farmer, “You remember when we made our own freaking band? Gods, we were some crazy fillies back then.”
“Or the time we made that Love Poison and made your brother and Ms. Cheerilee get waaay too into each other?” Sweetie added.
Apple Bloom chuckled, “The whole ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’ chapter of our life was pretty nuts, if ya ask me…” She put a foreleg over each of their shoulders, “An’ Ah couldn’t have picked better ponies ta go crusadin’ with.”
Sweetie and Scootaloo smiled and enveloped her into a hug, “We couldn’t have picked a better pony than you either…”
A shot of pain ripped through Apple Bloom’s chest. She gripped her chest and coughed up blood. Sweetie pulled a hankerchief from her saddle pack and wiped the blood from her yellow coat and mouth.
“Thanks Sweetie…ya have always been such a, well…sweetie.”
Sweetie bit her bottom lip for a moment as tears started to build behind her eyes, “Thank you, AB…”
Apple Bloom removed the Stetson hat sitting on top of her head and looked down at it. A red bow was wrapped onto it, and it had a couple of stitches here and there. It was worn, and old, and dusty. It was also the most precious and valuable thing that Apple Bloom owned. She hung it on a small, low hanging branch.
“Ah’m ready girls…it’s time fer me ta go…”
Scootaloo sighed sadly, “Are you sure? You really wanna leave us? Maybe...maybe Twilight will find a cure soon-”
Apple Bloom shook her head, “Ah would never wanna leave ya'll. Ah love ya both like ya’ll are mah own flesh an’ blood. In the time we’ve been together, we’ve been all over Equestria an’ back. Hell, we’ve been beyond that. The journey’s been fun mah friends…but the time fer me ta rest has come, an’ that, is what Ah want…” she started to reach for the clasp on the back of her Element’s necklace. “It’s been a mighty pleasure bein’ with ya’ll...”
The clasp clicked softly as she removed the Element from neck. As soon as she did, a heaving weight slammed onto her lungs, shoving the air out of them. Her forelegs fell weakly to her sides as the pain of the cancer came full strength. She slumped forward and coughed up blood again, more than the snow colored mare would be able to wipe away. Sweetie and Scootaloo began to cry as they helplessly watched Apple Bloom be ravaged by her disease. She lifted the upper half of her body back up and leaned back up against the tree. She pulled her lips back into a smile, exposing her blood stained teeth. She opened her mouth to speak, but only small gurgling escaped her throat. Her vision started to blur at the corners. What were they saying? She heard ‘love’ here and there, but most of it was jumbled sounds hitting her ears. Somepony was approaching her. An orange mare, with a flowing wheat colored mane. She seemed somewhat transparent, and her presence was apparently unknown to the other two. She got closer to her, and her emerald green eyes sparkled as she smiled down at Apple Bloom.
“Howdy there, lil’ sis. Long time no see…” the pony spoke softly. She outstretched her hoof, “Ah see ya made yer way back ta Sweet Apple. Ah’m glad Ah have the honor of bringin’ ya home…”
Apple Bloom smiled, “Ah’ve been waitin’ fer ya…”
She took the older mare’s hoof, and was pulled onto her hooves. She suddenly felt strong, and renewed. It was like the disease that destroyed her body so long ago, was finally gone. She turned and look back at Sweet Apple. It was weird to see her body leaned up against the tree. If there hadn’t been any blood, it would’ve looked like she was enjoying a simple nap. Sweetie and Scootaloo’s cheeks were stained with tear trails, but now, they had the tiniest of smiles on their faces. Their friend was now no longer suffering. They each took a forehoof into their own. Their eyes were closed, and they were giving her body a silent and final prayer.
“What’s wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack inquired. “Ah though ya’ll would be happy ta see me.”
Apple Bloom shook her head, “It ain’t that. Ah’m glad ta be with ya again. Ah’m just gonna miss em’ somethin’ fierce.” She sighed, “A while ago, they said they would come an’ visit Sweet Apple Acres fer some reason, after Ah’m gone. But...Ah don’t know why…” she turned to her sister, “Ah just don’t get it…”
Applejack smiled, “Honey, they know somethin’ that ya seem ta be forgettin’ about.”
Apple Bloom arched an eyebrow, “An’ what’s that?”
Applejack leaned her forehead against her sister’s, “It’s that the apple never falls far from the tree…"
Apple Bloom smiled and a happy tear slid down her cheek. Applejack turned and started to slowly walk away. She followed, and didn’t turn to look back at them. Why would she? She knew that even in death, nothing would sever their friendship. Even though the Elements of Harmony would keep them alive for a very long time, she knew she would eventually see them again. She walked farther and farther away from Sweet Apple, following Applejack into the white light that she knew would envelope her in eternal peace and blissfulness…
Author's Note
Hmmm...now I feel bad... 
