The day was like any other on the old family farm. The sun shined brightly, and the sky was cleared of any troublesome rainclouds. There was a soft wind that carried the scent of splintered wood and cider through the land, it was a familiar scent unique to Sweet Apple Acres. And it hadn’t changed for years, and perhaps will never change.
And although the scenery has been as it always been, the current generation of the Apple family certainly did show their age. Applebloom was now a lovely young mare, having inherited her sister's rustic good looks. Her red mane tied back with her red bow, happily trotting through the acres of apple tree’s she’s spent her entire happy childhood in. “Just this way Scootaloo, thanks for offering to help. This new apple stand really is a two pony job.”
Scootaloo smiled weakly, plodding along behind her. Her purple mane has long grown out, tail dragging against the dirt. She aged quite nicely as well, but not as happily as Applebloom. “Of course Applebloom- we don't... really do anything together anymore. I miss that.” Her tone was almost accusatory but her friend seemed oblivious to that.
“Oh? Well I have been busy recently I guess…” She trails off as they approach the old barn. There was an unfinished apple stand, still unpainted and bare with the wooden banner still on its side. “Once you get your special talent though, you'd be just as busy too I'm sure.”
Scootaloo winced at that. She was sure it wasn't meant maliciously but being as old as she was now and still without her mark- it was a sore spot for her. Her friend couldn't understand. She got her mark when she was still young, when she was still a filly. There was a school play and the stage was destroyed from a magical mishap- and Apple took it upon herself to repair the entire thing for her classmates. She earned her mark that day, a mahogany apple with a bright red apple flower blooming from the stem.
She was the first one to get her mark. And at the time, Scootaloo couldn't feel anything but pure happiness for her friend. After all, if Apple Bloom earned her mark- it was only a matter of time before she got hers, right?
But years passed.
Nothing.
Promises were made to be broken and Scootaloo found herself alone. She never had a family, and it was hard finding a job as a Blank Flank. She took residence in the old club house and made made do with what she had. Sweetie Bell would help her out, when she could. But she was rarely in Ponyville anymore ever since her singing career took off.
Scootaloo trotted slowly to the unfinished stand and rested her hooves on the counter. "It really does look nice," she says quietly.
"Of course it does! I built it," her friend beamed egotistically. She waves her hoof over at one end of the wooden signage. "Now. Lift that side an' hold it firm to the post 'ere. And I'll nail her up!"
The two get to work, working somewhat quietly. It slowly dawns on Scootaloo that Apple Bloom really did just need a extra hand. This wasn't a social meeting at all. It burned her up a little on the inside, but she did her best to not show it. When the stand was secure, they both step back to admire their work.
"Now this will bring in the customers! Sis will love it!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
Scootaloo smiled weakly, turning her head to her. "I'm sure she will... Applebloom?"
But she was already turning to leave. "Well thanks fer yer help!"
"Now hang on!" Upset at this sudden brush off, she ran up to her old friend and cut her off. "Just thanks? Thanks and back to ignoring me? Applebloom, I'm your friend! We haven't talked for months and-"
Apple Bloom sighed. "What? Did you want to get paid? Fine." She started rustling a hoof in her saddleback, the bag she used to carry all her tools and pulled out a few bits. Instantly, they were smacked to the ground.
"I don't want your stinking money," the blank flank growled. "Whats happened to you?"
Apple Bloom shrugged, looking a bit miffed at getting the bits smacked away. She picks them up carefully as she answers. "I grew up Scootaloo. Maybe you should give it a try."
"What do you think I've been trying to do? You think I like living like this?"
"Well you must if you've been a blank flank for this long. Everyone talks about you, I try and defend you but it's hard. You live in that beaten down club house like a bum-"
"Where else am I supposed to go!" Scootaloo protested. "No one will even hire me! You won't even hire me!" Things had gotten so hard at one point, she was forced to sell her scooter, and many precious items Rainbow Dash had given her when she was little. Her idol was a Wonderbolt now, with dozens of medals to her name- if not hundreds. She felt guilty profiting off that, but a mare has got to eat- and it wasn't like Rainbow Dash even cared about her anymore.
Applebloom paused in thought over what her old friend had said. This was true. It was a family decision to refuse a permanent farm hand- after all this was a family farm and... Scootaloo just wasn't any good at decent farm work. It'd be a waste of bits to hire her and they all reasoned that by pushing her away from the farm might encourage her into finding her own destiny.
The one that never came.
"Well... I'm sure Sis still wouldn't change her mind. But no harm in letting you help out on a few other jobs here right?" She says thoughtfully. "I mean, with Granny gone, and Big Mac off on his own with a family and a budd'n farm to take care on... we could use the help."
It was better than nothing. Scootaloo nodded, happy for the consideration. "Great. That sounds really great..." she laughs meekly. "And who knows. Maybe I'll finally get my cutie mark."
Apple Bloom laughed softly as she turned back to the farm. "Just be here at dawn tomorrow."
Author's Note
Now what could possibly go wrong after this! Stay tuned.
Scootaloo makes sure to wake up extra early the next day. She splashes water on her face from a washbin she had in the corner of the club house, and did her best to comb out all her knots with a old chewed up comb she had. It was rarely used but she wanted to look good and presentable.
Even if it was just Applebloom.
"Today will be a good day. It will be a great day," she says to her reflection in the dirty window. The small, filly sized club house was too tiny for a grown mare to live in. Things got cluttered easily, dirty and broken and over time Scootaloo learned to stop caring. It wasn't a fun place for she and her friends to play in anyways, not anymore. This was her home. Broken floorboards and all.
But maybe if she manages to get some steady bits, maybe... maybe if somehow the impossible happens and she finally figures out what she's supposed to be doing with her life, she can pull herself together. She laughs nervously at her reflects, squeezing out a bit of toothpaste in her mouth. She didn't have a toothbrush, and made due with stick with a bit of cloth tied at the end of it. She's not sure why she so adamant on making herself look so clean today, when she's going to do manual labor on the Apple farm.
Maybe it was for Applebloom. To prove something to her. Something to herself too.
Who knows.
Finishing up, she crept over some busted planks carefully and some stacks of newspaper, and makes her way out the door and down the rickety rotten steps. One of these days, if she's not careful, she'll break her neck on a misstep. But rather than ponder on what she could do to fix the problem, she leapt to the grassy ground below and started her dash for the farm. It wasn't far- this little club house was technically on the edge of Apple property. It was out of either kindness or pure forgetfulness that she was allowed to live here all these years. Either way- they never brought it up so neither did she.
Applebloom was already waiting for her at the gate of the main grove. "Took ya long enough. Come on, got the perfect thing for you." No good morning or how do you do. Already the young mare was turned and trotting in some direction through the trees.
"Bucking apples?" Scootaloo asked, keeping pace. "...also hello to you too."
"Scoots, you're late. I'm an Apple gosh darn it- if the suns up, thats half the day wasted!" Bloom huffs, trotting faster. "I could of started without you, but I waited."
Scootaloo felt her tiny wings sag a little. "Sorry. I guess it would of helped to ask what time-"
"Said dawn, didn't I?."
"...Sorry. ..What are we doing again?" She hopes changing the subject will help. Applebloom was never a morning person, no matter how much Applejack conditioned her to be. She knew she'd have to do her best to not antagonize her old friend further- after all she needed this chance to prove herself. She needed to move forward, with or without a cutie mark.
Bloom sighed as she kicked a little runt apple that must of fallen from a tree prematurely. "It's our old barn. It's just to gosh darn old. Sis already sent a letter to Rainbow Dash to come and destroy it so it's on me to find anything salvageable in there and move it out. Thing is, there's a lot of stuff."
"Just on you? What about Applejack?"
Bloom shrugs a little. "Not 'ere actually. She's off deliver'n pies to the next town. Won't be back till late."
'So it's us two on this entire farm?' The realization was almost startling to her. The farm used to be the busiest place in all of Ponyville and now the family seemed strangely stretched thin. Thats when Scootaloo also realized- it might not be so thin for very long. Unlike Sweetie Belle, whose been fiercely guarded by her sister when she grew into a young adult from all the hungry eyed colts, Applebloom was encouraged to go out and find herself a mate.
Not that Bloom ever had any intrest for a while. Too focused on her work- just like her sister. It was amusing how'd they try and pressure each other into finding their some special pony, but when it came right down to it, the dating scene was just too strange and awkward for the both of them.
So chances are someone else in the Apple Family will end up inheriting the farm. Maybe Braeburns kids. Celestia knows that he has too many of them to keep track of...
"We're here!"
Applebloom sped up her trot and bounded to the entrance of a old rickety barn. It had been once, a beautiful barn with bright red painted walls ad fresh hay pouring from the loft. But time and weather had taken its toll. Boards had become warped and soft to the touch and the stench of mold and rust was heavy in the air.
Scootaloo carefully stepped into the decrypted place, finding herself stepping even lighter here than she would in the old club house. "Gosh... This place looks pretty banged up."
"What's funny is that this barn isn't even that old. We just never had the time to properly care for it," Applebloom said with a somewhat sad tone. "I think we raised this one when I was a lil' filly- heck maybe back before I got my cutie mark." She jumps on to the decayed seat of a old tractor, and pats her hoof on the wheel. "But there's still lots of good stuff in here. Stuff I can fix, maybe resell, get some extra bits out of... And in the next family reunion, we'll have a whole new barn raising! Out with the old, in with the new."
Scootaloo starts pushing a crate one way to see behind it, causing a cloud of dust to float up. "That could be fun. Maybe we'll see Bab's again."
"Well, I'll see her again," Applebloom says sheepishly . "Sis wants to keep it... a little smaller this year. Just family. But I'll tell her you said hi, okay?''
The young pegasus frowns, and slumps somewhat over the crate. Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. She just didn't want her there. There would be stares, whispers, and Applebloom would have to explain away why on earth is there a young adult prancing about without a cutie mark. "What. Think I'd be a bad influence on the 'young'ns'?"
Bloom doesn't answer, and instead jumps down from the tractor pretending to not of heard. "Lets get to work now Scoots. We'll just start from here to there..."
They work in almost complete silence. A few times there was a word here and there but nothing more than 'Could you move that over...' 'Where does this go?' and 'Lift it that way'
All the while, Scootaloo couldn't help but feel her body tense over. Whatever used to be between she and Applebloom... it just didn't seem to be there anymore. There was a distance now, and it wasn't going to be closed any time soon. If not, ever. Still a job was a job right? And she had no reason to ditch the first paying job she had just because she couldn't reconnect with her childhood friend.
After hours of hard work and getting her hooves dirty and sore, they move onto the final item. Applebloom thought it'd be best to move the largest item out, last. The wheels were deflated and torn, the metal rusted and caked with dust and smelled like mold. But the young Earth pony insisted that it could be scrapped for parts.
Being an Earth pony, Applebloom had the back of the massive machine, using every bit of her body to push it forward. Scootaloo held on tightly to the front bumper, beating her little wings as she tried to pull it forward and guide it to the exit.
"It's- agh-! Really heavy!" Scootaloo shouted as she grinded her foot against the floorboard. Despite their combined efforts, the blasted thing didn't seem to budge at all. But it was giving off a chorus of ugly creaks and groans, causing for both the mares ears to press back on their heads to spare their hearing.
"Just a little more! It'd take too long to take it appart!" Applebloom called out, sweat dripping from her forehead. This was the final stretch and she was absolutely spent. Equestria be damned if she was going to waste another hour in this smelly rotten barn. Beginning to feel frustrated, she changes positions and kicks the back end of the tractor as hard as she could. The metal of where she slammed her hooves caved inwards as the force pushes the thing forward suddenly.
Without any warning, Scootaloo found herself nearly run over when the tractor suddenly lurched forward a foot at her, causing her to fall. "Hey!" She exclaimed angrily, as she tried to pick herself up from the ground. "Watch it will you?!"
"Just step back, I'm gonna try that again!"
Scootaloo tried to do as she said, but to her horror, her tail was wedged under the wheel in a way that she couldn't possibly move from the position she was in. Which was right in the path of the tractor. "W-Wait a m-"
Applebloom didn't seem to hear her and kicked the behemoth again. It lurched again, this time, falling apart in rusted jagged pieces. She blinked in surprise when she heard something like screaming over the sounds of twisting metal and splintering floorboards echoing the old barn. "Scootaloo?!" Worry actually seeped into her tone as she ran around the damage to find the blank flank. Sure she may not be as close to her as she used to but that didn't mean she wanted her to get hurt.
Scootaloo was wedged under front half of the tractor, narrowly voiding getting crushed by the engine. Her wings were pinned tightly her her body, seeming unbroken but the delicate appendages definity got a bit cut up from the jagged bits of steel. "I-It really hurts!" She moaned out, tried to claw her way out.
"You dodo! I told you to get out of the way!" She snapped at her, but still moving quickly to grip her hooves to pull her out from the wreckage. With her strength, she managed to yank the mare out. But in the process, Scootaloo suddenly lets out a blood curdling scream- and it didn't take long for Applebloom to figure out why.
In pulling Scootaloo out in such a rush, her flank had ran under some sharp bit from the wreckage, Whatever had cut into her, cut deeply and ow her entire left leg was coated in dark sticky blood. Horror sinks into the orange mares face as she realized what had become of her flank. Gingerly she tries to touch it but it was throbbing so painfully that just the thought of touching it made her flinch. "O-Oh sweet Celestia... I'm hurt Bloom, I'm hurt real bad..."
Applebloom doesn't move. Her eyes transfixed on the scarred flank.
"Bloom?"
Snapping out of it, she moves over to her side and helps her up. And she laughed. "Well Scoots... looks like you finally got your cutie mark huh?"
Scootaloo freezes. What did her old friend say? She does a double take on her gash, just to be sure. No, of course there wouldn't be a real cutie mark. Her expression turns to stone as she shoves the red headed mare away, wobbling on her legs. "What did you say...?"
"Scoot, chill. It's a joke," Applebloom scoffed. "Lets just get ya to the house and get that patched up- OOF!"
In a sudden burst of hot angry rage, Scootaloo snapped and shoves Applebloom with every bit of her strength. Her face streaked with tears and wings outstretched and quivering. Never in her life had she been more furious. "How dare you, how DARE you say that! she screamed. Adrenaline pumping, the pain in her leg seemed to be completely forgotten about as she advanced on the dazed pony. Never in a million years had she expected Scootaloo to react to any situation with such physical fury.
"Gosh darn it you- stop!" Bloom cries out wildly as she's thrown roughly against a support beam. She glares hatefully at Scootaloo, who for now appeared satisfied with that outburst. "Just what in the hay is wrong with yo-"
Neither of them expected it. For the support beam to be so old, so rotten from the core to just snap from the mere weight of a pony being thrown into it. A beam from above cracked loudly and fell from above, crushing the young earth pony below. It happened so quickly that Scootaloo couldn't even process what was happening as it was happening.
"...Bloom?" she calls out in a raspy whisper as the dust settled. She crept forward, slowly, carefully as if the slightest movement would somehow make things worse. The beam had fallen on top of Applebloom, crushing her ribs. Her eyes were wide and dull as blood started to drip from her gaping mouth. "...Bloom?
No movement.
Not even a sound.
Author's Note
Looking for someone that can proofread these for me! Anyone that volunteers and edits my chapters with/for me will get one free art request.
Nothing too overly complicated of course, since those take a long while. But I can do basically anything as long as it's not raunchy.
My DA
http://betteroffdeader.deviantart.com/
The young mare had broken into desperate, nearly crazed pleas for help, for forgiveness and for time to turn their hands back for single do over. She wanted a second chance so Applebloom could live out the rest of her life that had been rich with potential. She wanted it more than she wanted the second chance for her own life to not of turned out like it did. Useless and burdensome. She plodded around in a nearly drunken way around the barn whimpering out to the lonely farm land for a few minutes before she returned inside to try and lift that impossibly heavy beam to free her friend. She nudge her softly pleading in a broken voice for her to give her any sign she was awake but it was useless.
It was all useless.
All the while she continued to lose blood and she felt herself starting to go faint. A strange laughter tumbled from her lips as she collapsed next her friend, blood pooling and mixing with the other puddle that formed around the crushed body of the late Applebloom. "W...why'd you have to go and say a thing like that?" she choked out, resting her head on the beam. The young, but not so young anymore pegasus continued to let words fall out, most of which nonsense.
"...cu...cutie mark crusaders..."
Getting help would of been useless. Applebloom was dead the moment she was crushed and that was a fact. But she wouldn't of died if she hadn't pushed her. That made her a killer. She smiled weakly at the thought of dying too, as she continued to feel herself get weaker. Sweetie Bell would be so sad... oh. Oh Sweetie Bell...
"..n...never....s....jorn....y...
Her eyes start to flutter closed just as a horrified scream filled the air, echoing off those damned moldy barn walls.
Scootaloo was never sure what out happen after death. If anything happened at all. But her back ached, and her leg felt stiff. She felt the rough texture of a cheap blanket and something blindingly bright hung above her. Even a blank flank like her could tell that this was a hospital room. Moaning softly, she tries to open her eyes. For a moment, everything was a blur but as her sight began to focus she could start to make out shapes in the room.
A chair. A curtain. And the now grey mained Nurse Red Heart off in one corner looking over some charts. Well. Doctor now at least.
"D-Doc?" she whimpered out, struggling to move. Instantly the old mare was at her side just as a good medical practitioner would be.
She hushed the injured pony softly with the same kindness she'd show anypony else. This placed Scootaloo back at ease. "Easy now, easy... you've just been through a terrible ordeal. You lost a lot of blood..." Her hoof gestured to a hanging baggie of blood, feeding into her veins. "...is...is there anyone I can get for you Scootaloo? There isn't anyone on your emergency contacts so..."
Of course there wouldn't. Rainbowdash used to be there, but Scootaloo had long ago updated her information to erase her from that role. Besides her former 'sister' there was no one. She shook her head stiffly, feeling her eyes water. She knew it'd be useless but she croaked out a name in questioning. "..a....Appleb-"
Again she was hushed gently. Scootaloo could tell by that face what the answer would be. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She couldn't muster up anymore tears for her dead friend. She could only feel a cold emptiness feel her up instead.
"Rest now, you-"
"How DARE you?!"
The harsh scream accompanied by the sound of the hospital rooms door crashing open echoed throughout the entire hospital. Scootaloo cringed and tried to press herself as far back into the bed as possible as Apple Jack came at her in all her grief stricken fury. Red Heart tried to put herself between the two but was shoved aside with startling ease as the Earth pony slammed her hooves on the young mares shoulders. Up close, Scootaloo could see just how red AJ's eyes were and every ounce of rage she must be feeling now.
"A-Applejack-!" she tried to choke out, but it was useless. Applejack managed to slam her hoof against the others face before being yanked back by her much larger older brother, who thankfully seemed to enter just seconds after his sister had barged in.
"Let me go Big Mac! She killed her, she killed my baby sis!" Applejack squirmed and thrashed in Big Macs hold but eventually gave in, breaking down in intelligible sobbing. Big Mac doesn't say anything, but adjusts his hold so he could hold her in a more comforting manner, gently stroking her mane to ease her down.
Red Heart collected herself, and repositioned herself between the grieving family and the injured pegasus. "Please, I know this is a difficult time for everyone but this isn't the way to handle it. Big Mac, take your sister out to the hall, I'll see to you both shortly."
Big Mac nods solemnly, not making eye contact with anyone. He was barely holding it together himself, but he was the eldest Apple now. And he knew better than to take his feelings out on a bed ridden mare, as easy as it would be to pin the blame on something more physical than simple misfortune. When he heard of the accident, he rushed to the farm as quickly as he could for his sister's sake, knowing how emotionally shattered she would be and hasn't rested since.
Even so, he keeps steady as ever as he ushered Applejack back outside the hall. The doctor turns back to Scootaloo to check on the swelling bruise on her cheek but Scootaloo brushed her off quickly. "I'm fine. Please... I want to be alone right now."
If the hospital wasn't so thinly staffed, she wouldn't of listened to her. But it was, so she agreed with little enthusiasm. She gives her a wet towel to press to her face and offers a small sad smile. "I'll be right back Scootaloo. Keep this on your face, it will help with the bruising." Scootaloo nods, indicating she understood, allowing the doctor to leave the room to check on the Apple siblings.
Alone, Scootaloo laid onto her side letting the cloth fall to the ground. She couldn't care less about a little bruising. Or scarring on her flank. And with the chaos out of the room, she was frightened to find how numb she felt about Apple Jacks outburst.
Author's Note
Sorry about the long wait for the update!
