Crystal thoughts

"Rainbow Dash? Where are yuh? Dash? Taint funny Rainbow!"

Apple Jack squinted at the darkness that surrounded her.

"Thicker than apple soup down here. Rainbow? What'd you do to the lights!?"

She fumbled around in the darkness for awhile, still squinting at the dark, when her front hoof nicked something. Something hard. Aj fell on her face.

"What the!-"

She glanced back at her back hooves. The darkness faded into a dim fog and Apple Jack could now see she was staring at a rather large stone. A quick look to her left and right reveals more just like it, all carved in the same arc like fashion. Aj leaned in to the one closest to her, there was lettering carved into the stone.

Granny Smith.

An amazing mother and grandmother.

She ran the words through her head over and over in her head, trying to make sense of them. Then it clicked. Her head snapped up, panic filling her.

"No! Taint true!"

She searched the other gave stones, all of which she knew the names of.

Tears were rolling down her face and falling into the oblivion that now formed around her.

"What are you doing here Apple Jack?"

Aj looked up to see her older brother towering over her. She flung her arms around his neck, grateful for his company.

"Oh Big Mac! I thought you was dead!"

She weeped into his red coat, only to be pushed back to the ground by his strong hooves.

"What do you think your do'n?! you aint welcome here! Now get!"

"But..."

To her utter shock, the once calm and gentle giant forced hoof to her side, and a the cracking sound was almost audible.

"NOW!" He repeated...

She didn't know how long she had been running, she couldn't remember why, she just needed to get away from here... Suddenly she was in a chair, holding a still Winona in her arms.

"W-Winona?" Aj sobbed.

Her eyes wondered up into a cobweb filled room that once might have been her living room. had it really only been two days ago she was sharing stories with her little sister in here?

"Winona?...Please wake up girl...Please." Her tears fell to the floor and landed and a cracked family picture.

"Winona! Please! You can't leave me like this! Yuh just can't! WINONA!!!"

The only response she would ever receive was that of a distant howl in the everfree beyond, and the sound of her own weeping. And then something else. Something distant. Something familiar...Something was wrong!" AppleJack shot to her hooves, setting Winona down on the rocking chair as she left, and bolted out the door as fast as Rainbow Dash might have. Sh slammed her hooves into the dirt as a cliff came into view.

"Big sis! Heeelp!"

Apple Jack's eyes darted to every edge of the cliff.

"Aj! You promised you wouldn't let them hurt me! You promised!"

"I'm come'n sis!"

Apple jack ran in the direction of her little sister's voice. The ground crumpled beneath her and forced her back to one spot. All edges of the cliff did the same unill there was nothing left of Sweet Apple Acres.

Why couldn't she just jump and end it all?...Why did she insist on staying here, like this? Every time she was ready, ready to leave what little of this world she had, to leave it in one simple, easy jump. Every time, that's when the screaming started. Hours and hours of torturous screams filled the dark obis. Ab was still alive, still in pain and scared.

Apple Jack didn't know how many years she had spent on this 4 hoof by 4 hoof island, but she would do anything for it to end. After what felt like the first couple of days, Aj learned to block out the screams, but this time she was gunna do it! Screaming or not, she was gunna jump! She set her hooves on the edge of the cliff and-

"Ahhh!!!!Apple Jack! Help! "

"Apple Bloom!"

She cursed herself. The screaming would begin now. She lay down and folded her hat over her ears, humming numbly as a high pitched scream threatened to break her heart.

"Apple Jack! You promised! Apple Jack....Snap out of it."

That was a new one. She unfolded from the tight ball her body formed and Listened.

"I said-"

Something painful slapped against her cheek and Rainbow Dash focused into view.

"Snap. out. of.it!"

"Huh?Wuh? Where am ah?"

"What did you see Aj?"

Memories flooded into mind. it was just a vision. A bad dream. Nothing more than that. But nothing less either. She could still hear Apple Bloom's crys.

"Umm...Girls? Are...Are you alright?"

The two lifted their heads to the opening and could just make out angle bunny and Fluttershy leaning over them from far above.

"We are now. Come on yall. Let's get outa here."